**Writer's note:  Thanks so much to everyone who had enough patience and interest to read this entire story.  It was fun to write, and I hope it was fun to read.**

By the time they got back to the palace, Andrea had regained her composure.  However, the dizzying emotional highs and lows of the past few days, combined with a largely sleepless night, left her exhausted.  She collapsed, fully dressed, onto the bed.

"It's only the middle of the day, but I'm so tired I can't keep my eyes open."

Frank leaned down and kissed her gently.  "That's okay.  Take a good long nap.  I have a few things to discuss with my mother anyway."

She gratefully nestled under the satin sheets, and almost immediately fell into a deep sleep.  When she finally woke up, it was early evening.  She sat up, stretched, and made her way to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face.  Refreshed, she went into the living room area in search of Frank.

She found him stretched out on the sofa, flipping through a magazine.  He looked up and smiled when she walked in.  "Feeling better?"

She perched alongside him on the edge of the sofa and ran her fingers affectionately through his mane of dark curls.  "Much better.  What about you?  How are you feeling?"  She paused, uncertain if she should say what she was thinking.  "I didn't quite know what to make of you yesterday.  I'd never seen you that way, and it was incredibly frightening.  I thought you'd turned some terrible corner, and you'd never again be the man I love so much."  Her voice quavered.  "I thought I'd lost you forever."

Frank winced.  He struggled to a sitting position, and took her in his arms.  "I'm so sorry.  I knew the process of deciding what to do about Riff Raff and Magenta would be painful for me.  I never intended to make you suffer as well.  I should have sent you to visit your family, or some friends, while I was working everything out."

She drew back and looked at him.  "You know I never would have left you alone at such a terrible time.  I just don't understand why you shut me out the way you did.  Why didn't you tell me yesterday what you were really planning to do?  Why did you let me think you'd become some revenge-obsessed stranger?"

He grimaced.  "You want the truth?  I didn't tell you what I was up to because I wanted to reserve the option of actually going through with the execution.  How's that for a lovely confession?"

She stared at him, aghast.  "You seriously considered allowing the execution to go forward?"

He shook his head.  "Well, no, not exactly.  But I wanted to be able to consider it.  It was important."  He sat silent, struggling for words.  "I don't know if I can explain what I was going through.  Although I'd already made my plans by the time I got to the prison yesterday, actually seeing the two of them was much more difficult than I'd anticipated.  I knew I was angry, but I didn't realize just how angry I was until I was face to face with them again.  I have to admit that a part of me badly wanted revenge.  I wanted to see them suffer and die.  I wanted to see them go through what they'd wanted me to go through.  And I was given the absolute power to make it happen…all I had to do was say the word.  That combination of circumstances led me to a cold, hard place.  I spent my waking hours battling the kind of dark impulses I thought I'd left behind forever. The test was to see if I could overcome those feelings, and give Riff Raff and Magenta the same chance for a new life they'd inadvertently given me.  And for the test to be truly meaningful, I had to allow myself the option to give in to the darkness.  Otherwise I'd always wonder if it were some external force, rather than my own inner resources, that gave me the strength to spare them.  Do you understand?"

Tears stung her eyes.  She put her arms around him, snuggling as close to his body as she could.  "Yes, I understand.  I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of you.  What you did was incredibly difficult.  I hope you're taking some satisfaction from the way things worked out."

He smiled.  "Yes, I actually am.  As much as I thought I wanted to see them die, I know I felt much happier walking away after giving them the opportunity to live.  On some level, I knew this decision had more far-reaching consequences than just determining the fate of two people, which was why it frightened me so much.  I shudder to think of what would have become of me, emotionally, if I'd allowed the execution.  I suspect the outcome would have been much like you'd feared.  I would have been changed forever, and this time not for the better."

"I'll be forever grateful it didn't come to that.  I can't think of one single thing I'd want to change about you."

After a couple of minutes of luxuriating in his embrace, she sat back and sighed.  "Nobody can say our return to Transsexual hasn't been eventful.  All the drama surrounding Riff Raff and Magenta aside, it's been wonderful to get back.  But…this may sound terrible, but I really miss Earth."

Frank nodded.  "So do I.  I came to very much enjoy Earth.  I'm not happy about the idea of giving up teaching, either.  I still can't believe how much I came to love teaching.  It became a true calling."  He sighed.  "Not to mention being able to live like a normal person, instead of being under public scrutiny all the time."

"It's too bad we can't have it both ways, and split our time between Earth and here."

Frank grinned mischievously.  "Who says we can't have it both ways?"

Andrea looked at him suspiciously.  "What are you talking about?"

"As it happens, that was one of the subjects I was discussing with my mother this afternoon.  I wanted to know if she'd object to our spending Fall and Spring semesters on Earth, and coming back here for the summer breaks."

Andrea was astonished.  "And she agreed?"

Frank nodded.  "Yes.  At first she was less than enthused, but I assured her it would only be for a limited amount of time.  Since our life spans are about four times that of Earthlings, we age much more slowly.  Sooner or later, our credentials will inevitably come to look considerably older than we do.  At that point, we'll just come back here full time.  But I, for one, would love to continue teaching as long as I'm able, and I had the distinct impression you felt the same way."

"But we turned in our resignations.  Do you think they'll take us back?"

Frank looked a bit embarrassed.  "Well, actually, I never turned in the resignation letters.  I left them with my friend Richard – you know, the physicist?  I told him we had to go to England to deal with a crisis in my family, and I wasn't sure how things would play out.  If it turned out we couldn't get back, I'd let him know and he could turn in the letters for us.  Since the audio transducer would allow me to reach him, that part of the story was truthful enough."

Andrea rolled her eyes.  "Sometimes you amaze me.  What about a place to live?  We gave up our apartment, and either sold or gave away virtually everything we owned."

Frank shrugged.  "So we'll rent a furnished apartment until we find the right place.  The only thing special about our apartment was the fact that you were in it.  I'm sure we can do better.  We still have the money from our bank accounts, so we can replace our cars immediately.  By the time we get the new apartment, we should have accumulated enough additional money to make a good start on new furnishings."

A slow smile started spreading across Andrea's face.  "You really thought of everything, didn't you?"

He grinned.  "Well, I certainly tried.  So, what do you think?  Does it sound good to you?"

She threw her arms around him delightedly and kissed him.  "It sounds absolutely perfect."

He laughed.  "Splendid.  However, before we leave, there is one rather important matter to discuss."

She raised her eyebrows.  "And that would be?"

He took both of her hands in his.  "Your presence in my life has enhanced and enriched it more than I can ever possibly express.  Your love gives new meaning to my pleasure, and gives me the strength to deal with my pain.  I want to declare to you, and to both of the worlds we inhabit, how very important you are to me."  He released her hands and reached behind the pillow at his back, pulling out a long, thin box and giving it to her. 

With trembling fingers, Andrea opened the box to find a sparkling bracelet of finest gold.  In the middle of the bracelet was a charm with two intertwined circles.  In the middle of the union of the circles was a beautiful, glowing red gem, referred to on Transsexual as the Eye of Love.  It was an exquisite version of the traditional Transylvanian engagement bracelet.

She looked up at him, speechless with joy.  He smiled, and again took her hands.  "My love, will you be my wife?"

She was speechless no longer.  "Oh, yes!"  She again embraced him, and they exchanged a long, passionate kiss.

When they finally drew apart, Frank smiled at her.  "Well, that takes care of Transsexual.  However, there is still Earth to consider."  This time he reached into his pocket, and withdrew a stunning diamond solitaire ring.  "Give me your hand."  She gave him her left hand, and he placed the ring gently on her finger. 

She stared at the ring glittering on her hand, overcome with emotion.  Obviously he'd planned this before they'd even left Earth.  She was right…he really had thought of everything.

She finally tore her eyes away from the ring, and looked back at him.  "I can't begin to tell you how incredibly happy you've made me…not only right now, but from the very moment we met.  Thank you so much for letting me into your life, and for giving me these beautiful assurances that you want me to stay there.  Believe me, there's nowhere else I'd rather be.  You mean the world…or should I say worlds?…to me."  She reached out and lovingly caressed his face.  "Who says fairy tales can't come true?  I've found my very own handsome prince."

He laughed.  "Now we get to have the real fun…working on that 'happily ever after' part."

It wouldn't be "work" at all.