Unexpected Joys

By Cassie Valentine

Disclaimer: See first part.

*Happily ever after does happen doesn't it?*

Just about 6 months had passed since we went back to the Andromeda and as I predicted, things between me and Dylan quickly slipped back to they way they were before the 'unpleasantness'. Maybe not as quickly as they had the first time, but still a little faster then I would have liked. But he was different this time around. He actually forced things to slow down and make sure that we were both sure about things, but I knew it was mostly for me, not that that really bothered me mind you. Cass has recovered with no

lasting injuries from her time left alone on the planet, although the random nightmare does still occur, which ends with her snuggled between the two of us for the rest of night. Tonight was no different from any other since we had gotten back. Cassie had insisted that only Dylan read to her so I leaned against the door frame and watched the two of them. No matter how exausted she was, she wouldn't lay down when he was telling the story. She had to sit up and stare at him and not miss a thing. Tonight though, after a couple of late nights in a row, she just couldn't stay up until the end.

"So, how does the story end?" I asked as he came out of her room.

"Oh you know, Boy falls for Girl, Girl falls for Boy, they get together, Boy does something REALLY stupid and Girl runs. They both end up feeling guilty but they come to their senses and things work out in the end." I laughed as he pulled me down on the couch next to him and he wrapped his arms around me.

"So, I guess happily ever after really does happen doesn't it?" I asked him.

"It did in our story. I hope." He tacked on at the end.

"It's getting there," I said with a happy sigh as I looked out the window.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just never thought that one little kid could bring so much life to everyone. I mean, even Tyr can't keep a smile off his face when she comes into a room."

"Yeah well, I talked to Tyr about that the other day."

"And what did he say?"

"He normally wouldn't have gotten involved with her, but then he realized it would give him an advantage over other males because he'd have experience with child rearing," I laughed.

"Leave it to Tyr to cover the truth with Nietszchean values." I laid back against him. "You know, I've been hanging out with you for what, 2 years now?"

"Yeah, something like that," he said.

"And you know, I still haven't learned to expect the unexpected with you yet."

"Well, consider this your first lesson."

"Okay, what is it?" I asked as I looked at him.

"Unexpected Joys are sometimes hard to find and you sometimes have to work at them to find them, but in the end, they're the best kind."

"Are you sure you haven't been reading Tyr's philosophy books?"

"Yeah. I'm sure." He leaned down to my ear. "I just made that one up myself. Pretty good eh?"

"Oh yeah. My hero," I said as I kissed him. I'm never gonna tell him this, but that was pretty good.

Unexpected Joys

By Cassie Valentine

Disclaimer: See first part.

*Happily ever after does happen doesn't it?*

Just about 6 months had passed since we went back to the Andromeda and as I predicted, things between me and Dylan quickly slipped back to they way they were before the 'unpleasantness'. Maybe not as quickly as they had the first time, but still a little faster then I would have liked. But he was different this time around. He actually forced things to slow down and make sure that we were both sure about things, but I knew it was mostly for me, not that that really bothered me mind you. Cass has recovered with no

lasting injuries from her time left alone on the planet, although the random nightmare does still occur, which ends with her snuggled between the two of us for the rest of night. Tonight was no different from any other since we had gotten back. Cassie had insisted that only Dylan read to her so I leaned against the door frame and watched the two of them. No matter how exausted she was, she wouldn't lay down when he was telling the story. She had to sit up and stare at him and not miss a thing. Tonight though, after a couple of late nights in a row, she just couldn't stay up until the end.

"So, how does the story end?" I asked as he came out of her room.

"Oh you know, Boy falls for Girl, Girl falls for Boy, they get together, Boy does something REALLY stupid and Girl runs. They both end up feeling guilty but they come to their senses and things work out in the end." I laughed as he pulled me down on the couch next to him and he wrapped his arms around me.

"So, I guess happily ever after really does happen doesn't it?" I asked him.

"It did in our story. I hope." He tacked on at the end.

"It's getting there," I said with a happy sigh as I looked out the window.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just never thought that one little kid could bring so much life to everyone. I mean, even Tyr can't keep a smile off his face when she comes into a room."

"Yeah well, I talked to Tyr about that the other day."

"And what did he say?"

"He normally wouldn't have gotten involved with her, but then he realized it would give him an advantage over other males because he'd have experience with child rearing," I laughed.

"Leave it to Tyr to cover the truth with Nietszchean values." I laid back against him. "You know, I've been hanging out with you for what, 2 years now?"

"Yeah, something like that," he said.

"And you know, I still haven't learned to expect the unexpected with you yet."

"Well, consider this your first lesson."

"Okay, what is it?" I asked as I looked at him.

"Unexpected Joys are sometimes hard to find and you sometimes have to work at them to find them, but in the end, they're the best kind."

"Are you sure you haven't been reading Tyr's philosophy books?"

"Yeah. I'm sure." He leaned down to my ear. "I just made that one up myself. Pretty good eh?"

"Oh yeah. My hero," I said as I kissed him. I'm never gonna tell him this, but that was pretty good.