((A/N: This is not a new chapter. Sorry to disappoint you. But please read this anyway!!! It explains a few things about my absence. Besides the fact that I've just had MAJOR writer's block for... oh, months. That, and the next, like, four or five chapters are currently MIA and not on my computer. Which is very frustrating.))

Holy cow, did you think I died?

Yes well, I haven't, and neither, hopefully, has this story. We're going away this weekend so I took the hours and hours of beach-time I've been given to completely re-vamp this story. It shall within a week be removed and re-posted. All currently posted chapters have been completely rewritten in some way. I meant to repost them over the weekend at my grandmother's but her computer was in the shop and I was not aware. So I just worked on the editing some more. Unfortunately, I haven't decided if I will continue with this. We will see how it all works out and if I can get it to develop again.

Anyhow, be on the lookout for something 100% new hopefully before I leave again, on the fourteenth. Balancing this with cheering practice (I'm a coach), colorguard, and college searching isn't going to be easy but my goodness I will try!

Or I just might remove this whole dealie. I don't know yet, honestly. I think I may need some help and also perhaps some ideas. So give me an email if you can think of anything and I will in turn give you my soul and heartfelt gratitude. (Alright, maybe not my soul....)

Thank you kindly, and, uhm... well, really all I need to say is thank you. And I'm terribly sorry. But mostly thank you.

(PS – If I do end up removing this completely, I think [THINK!] I might have another bunny attacking me, but I don't know how well it will develop, seeing as how it originated at approximately 3 AM. So don't give up hope on me!)

Much sincerely and very remorsefully yours,

Kayte

PPS - I'm going to give you a little something just so this isn't completely and Author's Note chapter and hence, break any lovely rules. So here we go:

Disclaimer: I own what is above but not what is below this line. Thanks. (Although I don't know who else would like to own my groveling.... Hhmmm.....)

A/N for this new drabble: It doesn't have a title, and I'll post it as a different story when I get this whole thing figured out. Think of this as an I'm sorry present. Hehee.…

It was quiet inside the Doppler home as a mysterious figure crept up the grand marble staircase. Abandoning a bag at the top of the stairs, the Figure began its journey down the ornate hallway, mindful of the obstacles in its path that littered the carpeted hall. It stopped for a few moments outside a door to the right, opened it softly and just enough to slip its head into the room, peered inside for a brief time, and closed it again once it decided that all was in order. The Figure then began its travels anew, softly padding through the hallway.

Stopping again, this time in front of an elaborate set of door on its left, the Figure grinned silently to itself in triumph as it slowly opened the door and slipped inside the large room. The Figure paused a moment to slide itself from its shoes, shrinking down a good few inches as it did so, shrugged its jacket from its shoulders and deposited it onto a nearby armchair, pull down the comforter and climb into the bed that resided, large and towering, in the middle of the room.

The original occupant of this bed, however, seemed unfazed by the newcomer. Of course, this quickly changed when Said Newcomer proceeded to wiggle themselves closer to the warm, slumbering body that was away in dreams. This newcomer also blew on the neck of the dreamer every-so-lightly as it did so.

It was at this precise moment when Doctor Delbert Doppler, loving husband, caring father, and clumsy yet accomplished astrophysicists (perhaps you've heard of him), abruptly ended his dreams when he realized that there was a someone else in his bed, or else a damaged windowpane, because he was disturbed by the faint annoyance of a draft. Reluctantly he removed himself from his Dreamland, only to find a petite feline form curled next to him, its large green eyes shining up at him through the darkness. The shock of this discovery, however, was more than enough to cause his loud yelp and abrupt exit from the bed and make new residence on the floor next to it instead, in a most graceless and disorganized fashion indeed.

"Amelia," he exclaimed, heaving himself to a kneeling position. "I'll have you know that you scared the living daylights out of me, what in the name of the Royal Family are you doing home? Your last letter said not for another week at the least, and it was dated four days ago."

"Well it turns out that people were less frustrating than I expected them to be, and henceforth things were able to move along in a quicker fashion than anticipated. However, if you'd like me to leave and come back in a few days, I am more than willing to accommodate—"

"Don't you dare," he whispered gruffly, cutting her off and suddenly leaping onto the bed like a madman to smother his wife, who he had missed very much, in feather-light kisses all over her face and neck, before finishing off the gesture with a deep, passionate kiss that left both of them a bit flustered and rather breathless.

"Ok," she whispered, grinning at him.

"Glad I was able to change your mind," he replied sleepily into her hair as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. "But do you suppose we could put this conversation on hold until tomorrow, so I could get back to sleep?"

"Oh, so glad to know that you've been lost without me, darling."

"Believe me, Ames, I was. I'd have moped around every day until you got home, if I had it my way. Unfortunately for me, your children had other plans."

"Oh, they're my children," she asked indignantly. "You did need to help a bit, you know. It was an A-B situation."

He laughed and began to kiss her neck slowly. She gasped and moved her head to the side, whispering softly, "I missed you, Delbert."

"I missed you too, Love. Now, how about creating another one of those A-B situations?"

She grinned at him seductively and moved to kiss him, but pulled to the side at the last moment. "No, you're tired. I'll let you get back to sleep. It's all right." She moved to her side, her back facing him, and grinned to herself as she felt his head hit the pillow in frustration.

"Amelia, darling," he began slowly. "I love you more than anything ever, but why do you have to always be so difficult?"

"It's what I do. Would you ever change me?" She gave him the same innocent smile that his daughters always gave him when trying to avoid imminent trouble.

"Could I ever change you? No, of course not. This is why I've simply learned to live with you."

"You know, Doctor, I think I'm becoming a bad influence on you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I didn't think you would."

Her arms slowly wound themselves around his shoulders and she buried her face into his shirt, sighing in satisfaction. "Hmmm."

"Something wrong, Love? Or can I finally go back to sleep?"

"No, you're welcome to drift off again any time."

"Quibbler. What's on your mind?"

"Nothing."

"I can tell when you're lying to me, and this is one of those times when you're lying to me. Now what's wrong? And quit playing footsies with me, darling, because it won't make me drop this. And don't go and pout, either."

"You're no fun," she huffed, pulling her legs toward the rest of her body. Until, of course, he put a hand on her knee, tugging it back toward the direction of his person, muttering, "You didn't really have to stop, you know. Now what's going on in that pretty little brain of yours, hmmm?"

She smiled as he kissed her forehead. "Who're you saying has a 'little brain'?"

"Amelia," Delbert said, looking at her, his voice heavy with mock-anger.

"All right, all right. I just really, and I mean really missed you and the kids, that's all. I hate having to leave for so long. I love you so much; I hate to be away from you. And from them."

"Darling, we hate it too. But I'd never in all my years ask you to give it up. I know that you love your family just as much as you love sailing. I'll never make you choose between the two. And I know you'll always come home to me."

She smiled at him and wondered for a moment whether or not she should tell him now or later how she had almost been killed. How she had chosen to end her voyage early and had provided a different cargo ship en route to the same area. How she had rushed home, fearful the whole way that she would never see her husband or children again, even though it had been days since her ship had been attacked and the incident with the pirate coming damn close to severing her throat had long-since passed on its way. How she had been scared out of her wits and didn't want to sail again for as long as she could. How she never wanted to leave him ever again, even if it was just for five minutes.

Amelia sighed. She did not want to tell him about the whole ordeal but knew that she had to; otherwise the guilt would eat at her insides. 'Yes,' she thought to herself, 'Best do it tomorrow morning.'

"It's just, what if I didn't come home, Delbert?" He eyed her suspiciously but allowed her to continue uninterrupted. "What if something happened and I'd been captured, or—or killed? And I couldn't get home and I never saw you or the kids again? And my babies grew up motherless and I missed everything about their growing up? I know you'd try your best but it wouldn't be the same as having their mother there with them." Her voice had been growing steadily softer until she ended in barely an audible whisper. And before she knew what she was doing, she told him the whole petrifying story.

Delbert pulled his face away from Amelia's and looked directly into her eyes, his gaze never shaking as he said to her, very seriously, "who are you and what have you done with my wife?"

She laughed shakily, grateful that he could always find the perfect ways to make her smile, and hugged him tightly around the neck. "Oh, very funny," she whispered softly.

"It's true."

"Don't tell my parents about this, they'd shun me for sure,"

"They'd be fools if they did."

She smiled again, gazing into his eyes—eyes that she'd long ago gone oh-so-very soft for—and cursed herself for going soft in the first place. Suddenly he got a look in his eyes that she knew very well, but before she could say a word he kissed her hard.

"You always do know how to make me smile," she sighed as he pulled away.

"I take pride in that, you know," he replied.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

She finally began to drift off as the sky turned gray and early morning rays of sunshine began to burst over the hill and into their bedroom. Amelia sighed in annoyance and buried her face deeper into her husband's chest. He moved her head carefully before getting up and pulling the drapes closed. Positioning himself again with her safely in his arms, her breathing began to even itself out as he absent-mindedly played with her hair. Suddenly, though, her eyes shot open and she pulled away from him, looking at him sternly.

"What," he demanded, a bit nervous.

"Did you call me a quibbler?"

Delbert looked at his wife for a long moment, completely stunned, before the both of them burst out into gales of hysterical laughter.

End

A/N: Review if you'd like, but I'm indifferent. I do hope you liked it, though. A bit fluffier than I wanted it to, which was frustrating. I really don't think it came out as well as I'd first imagined or expected it to. Oh well. I'm working on a crazy-weird piece though that I hope/aspire to get up by the end of the week. Wish me luck. Toodaloo! And again, thank you very much!!