The next few days, Up noticed that Taz avoided making eye-contact with him as much as possible. Despite the recent tragedy, he felt his heart beating happily at this. There was the small chance that Taz returned his feelings.

There wasn't much to write about, but Up made sure that he kept track of the days. The planet that they landed on didn't seem to have much vegetation outside of the blue plant they spotted on their arrival. They walked further each day, and still found nothing. While their food supply was fine, Up sensed that Taz was getting restless.

"Why won't the hijos des putas find us already?" she said, kicking the escape pod.

"Earth is very far away from wherever we are, Taz."

"Send out the signal again," she said sternly.

Up sighed as he pressed the buttons in the escape pod. For good measure, he tried to use his communication device. Static was the only sound he heard.

"Damn it," he whispered. "No luck, Taz."

Taz threw her hands into the air. "That's it! We're exploring all day to find someone to help us out!"

"Taz, we've looked. There doesn't seem to be anyone here other than that plant."

"We haven't been looking hard enough. C'mon, Up!" She threw him a zapper and a bottle of water. When he didn't answer, she rolled her eyes. "I've got extra water and food in my bag. And we'll be back before it gets dark out. Now let's go!"

Up dashed inside of the escape pod to get an extra pack of zapper charges, and after thinking twice, the first aid kit. "Alright, little lady, where are we going?"

Taz looked at her compass and pointed to her left. Let's go west. I've got a feeling that we'll find something or someone west."

Up didn't want to admit it, but after walking for three hours, west did not seem to have anything living. The terrain looked just like their camp three hours east: rocky with very little vegetation, though this area was hillier. Every once in awhile they came across small pools of water.

"There has to be something here!" Taz said, sitting down on a rock. "There's water and plant-life. Where are the animals?"

"I don't know, Taz," Up said, trying to decide how to tell her that it was time to turn back. "Maybe we should just-"

"Sh!" Taz whispered before grabbing her zapper. "Don't move!"

"What is it?" Up asked, suddenly in fear.

"I don't know!" Taz said. "Just don't make any sudden movements."

"Taz..."

"There's something out there."

"Is it far away or very close?"

"Far away, I guess."

"Then I'm turning around to see what this is!"

"No, Up!"

Up turned and saw that something very large was moving towards them. It didn't seem to be running. It looked like it was flying...

"Zapper set to kill, Taz," Up ordered, setting his own zapper.

The thing flew closer, and Up began to make out the details. It was blue, very large, and looked a bit like the flying dinosaur he'd once seen a picture of. It had deadly looking talons.

Green light started shooting out from next to him, and the alien moved faster towards them.

"Taz, what are you doing?" Up yelled, starting to shoot. The beast moved around the lasers, and flew past them.

"You said to kill it!" she shouted.

"No! Only set your zapper to kill-"

"Up, duck!"

Up turned and saw the alien only as it spit something green at him. The liquid hit his left shoulder, and he fell to the ground as the pain ripped through his body.

"Up!" Taz screamed. Up heard more shooting and swearing.

"It flew away, Up," Taz said as she kneeled next to him.

"Taz, get- get the first aid kit, and tell me what the wound looks like."

She rummaged through his bag and found the small box. "There's this pus coming from the wound. Whatever that thing was, it's poisonous."

The pain was beginning to cloud Up's vision. "Taz, you're going to have to- to have to use that needle. Find an... antidote. You can do it, Taz."

"I don't think I can, Up," Taz sounded like she was close to tears.

Up grimaced. The pain was becoming too much. "This is goodbye then."

"No, Up, don't say that-"

"Taz..." Up gasped, his breath becoming short. "I love you."

"Up!"

He gave up fighting the venom, and everything went black.

Up felt the cool air around him. He opened his eyes and saw that it was dark. He heard a pained cry.

"Taz?" he whispered.

"Up!" He now found himself being partly cradled in Taz's arms.. "I thought I killed you. I gave you the antidote, but I thought it was too late. Then I realized that your heart was still beating and that you were breathing, so I wrapped up your wound, and just waited for you to wake up. You didn't wake up though, so I was scared, and I thought that if I pulled you back to the pod it would help, but you still didn't wake up, and..." she looked at him, her brown eyes sparkling in the starlight, "Te amo."

Taz kissed Up on the lips with un-Taz-like sweetness.

It was beyond anything Up could imagine. This was a Taz who was soft, caring, gentle even. Up drew back. "You dragged me back here by yourself?"

Taz playfully punched his right shoulder, and Up smiled. "You know I love you. Want to know something reassuring?"

"What?" Taz asked.

"Put your hand on my chest, and feel for my heartbeat. Feel it?" Taz nodded. "It's beating because of you. Even before this planet, you're the reason why my heart beats."

Taz stared at him for a moment before drawing him back into the kiss.

There was no sense of time on this planet, something that Up was grateful for. The only thing that mattered was that he was kissing Taz, and that Taz was kissing him. All eternity could pass and nothing would ever break them apart.

When Up awoke the next morning, he realized something important: he wasn't wearing any clothes. The previous night's encounter flashed through his mind. Up opened his eyes and saw Taz curled up next to him. As far as he could tell, she was only wearing a blanket.

"Taz?" Up whispered.

"Mmm?" he heard as a response.

"Did we-?"

"Mm-hm."

"Oh."

"Is that bad?" Taz asked groggily.

"No, mi querida. It could never be bad."