Author's Note: Two chapters in one day...I'm on a roll here! LOL. Anyway,
this chapter is probably the shortest in the fic, but I had to get it out
before I lost the idea. Let me know what you think.
Chapter 7 – Uncertain Futures and Welcome Distractions
The shrill beeping of the alarm clock filled the quiet room. Leela groaned and turned over in bed. Suddenly, her eye popped open and she sat up in a panic. Looking around the room, she saw no sign of Fry. It was just a dream, she thought, exhaling a sigh of relief. She hadn't made a complete fool of herself after all.
She threw the blanket back and climbed out of bed. Exhausted, she went to the bathroom to shower and dress. That was when she saw it. Fry's red jacket hung over the back of her desk chair. Her face contorted in horror. It hadn't been a dream at all.
She grabbed the jacket in her hand and walked back over to the bed, letting herself collapse on it. What was Fry going to think of her? She was an engaged woman, after all! Or was she? The proposal situation still troubled her, but she was more concerned at the moment with the present drama. How was she going to look Fry in the eye again after last night?
She sighed as she stood up and let the jacket drop to the floor. There was no point in worrying about it now. She was going to be late for work if she didn't hurry. Dragging her tired body into the shower, she started to get ready.
----------------------
Fry and Bender were sitting in their usual position on the couch when Leela walked in that morning. Fry was wearing only his white shirt and jeans. His jacket still lay on the floor of her apartment.
"Hey, Leela," Fry said from the couch, a big smile on his face.
She managed a stiff smile and a casual "Hey Fry," as she hurriedly made her way to the Planet Express kitchen.
"What's eating her?" Bender asked, his attention on the television.
Fry shrugged, "Hard night, I guess."
Minutes later, everyone was crowded around the conference table. The professor had yet to join the crew at the table, so Hermes started without him. Leela avoided looking at Fry even though she could feel his eyes on her throughout the entire meeting. Though she tried to focus, she found it hard to concentrate on Hermes' financial complaint of the day.
"Der is someone in dis office consuming more than der own fair share of coffee. If dis keeps up, we're going to have to raise the coffee tax. Any extra amounts will be taken out of your paychecks," Hermes announced.
His speech was met with groans and complaints all the way around.
"Good news, everyone," the Professor said as he entered the room, "We have a call from DOOP. Brannigan himself is on the line. He wants to negotiate a delivery of food products to the main DOOP headquarters. I'm going to put him on the main screen. Leela, be nice."
Leela's face widened in shock and then settled into a look of severe discontent. She gave a giggling Amy a menacing glare.
After a few moments, a familiar face came on the screen. Leela's eye widened and she broke into a large grin, "Rodney!" she exclaimed in a surprised voice.
The professor had a confused look on his face, "You're not Zapp Brannigan!" he yelled accusingly.
The smiling face of Sergeant Rodney Jones filled the screen, "Leela? Oh, it's so good to see your beautiful face again. You don't know how much I've missed you. How are you getting along?"
"It's been hard," Leela confessed, "I've missed you so much..."
"Get a room you two. All this emotion is making me sick," Bender interjected. Leela glared at the robot for a moment and the laughed casually.
"Hello, Bender. It's nice to see your humor chip is still active," Rodney said, laughing.
Casual conversation ensued for a few moments between Rodney and the crew before the professor's incessant interruptions could no longer be ignored.
"Mutiny!" the professor yelled again, "You mutinous little bastard! I'll be speaking to the head of DOOP about this matter!"
Rodney laughed, "Calm down, Professor, I asked Captain Brannigan to let me handle the call. He himself knowing how addictive Leela's charms and beauty can be agreed to let me see my love," he said, smiling at Leela.
"Oh, Rodney, you're too sweet," Leela giggled, beginning to blush.
"It' s only the truth. Of course, I knew that merely seeing you could never be enough, so I have arranged to return to the base with Captain Brannigan when he makes the final negotiations on the delivery."
Leela's eye lit up, "You're coming here?! When....for how long?!"
"We will be arriving in little less than two weeks, love. The stay will be a short one, probably only a few days, but I have to see you. I miss you so much," he said, his voice cracking.
Fry sat in dismay as he watched Leela and Rodney's conversation. Rodney was close to tears as was Leela. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for Leela, it was just that, after the events of the night before, he suddenly felt used. He would have been a temporary replacement and nothing more. He mentally scolded himself for thinking that anything else could have come from the evening. "I must go now, love, but I'll see you soon. My heart is with you."
"I know. I'll see you soon, Rodney. I love you."
"I love you too, Leela. Forever." A single tear could be seen running down the young man's face. A moment later, his image was gone and Leela looked as if she was about to break down in tears.
"YUCK!" Bender interjected, "Never have I seen such a disgusting display of sappy – Ouch!" A bang on the head by Fry interrupted his speech.
Fry sat and watched Leela for a moment. Everyone did. Her eye was on the blank screen and she looked like she was about to loose it. Never in all his life had Fry ever seen two people so in love. He couldn't even recall a time when his own parents showed that much affection and compassion towards each other. It was then that Fry laid his efforts to rest for the second time since he had learned about the engagement. There was no other man for Leela but Rodney. Even an idiot like him could see that.
Chapter 7 – Uncertain Futures and Welcome Distractions
The shrill beeping of the alarm clock filled the quiet room. Leela groaned and turned over in bed. Suddenly, her eye popped open and she sat up in a panic. Looking around the room, she saw no sign of Fry. It was just a dream, she thought, exhaling a sigh of relief. She hadn't made a complete fool of herself after all.
She threw the blanket back and climbed out of bed. Exhausted, she went to the bathroom to shower and dress. That was when she saw it. Fry's red jacket hung over the back of her desk chair. Her face contorted in horror. It hadn't been a dream at all.
She grabbed the jacket in her hand and walked back over to the bed, letting herself collapse on it. What was Fry going to think of her? She was an engaged woman, after all! Or was she? The proposal situation still troubled her, but she was more concerned at the moment with the present drama. How was she going to look Fry in the eye again after last night?
She sighed as she stood up and let the jacket drop to the floor. There was no point in worrying about it now. She was going to be late for work if she didn't hurry. Dragging her tired body into the shower, she started to get ready.
----------------------
Fry and Bender were sitting in their usual position on the couch when Leela walked in that morning. Fry was wearing only his white shirt and jeans. His jacket still lay on the floor of her apartment.
"Hey, Leela," Fry said from the couch, a big smile on his face.
She managed a stiff smile and a casual "Hey Fry," as she hurriedly made her way to the Planet Express kitchen.
"What's eating her?" Bender asked, his attention on the television.
Fry shrugged, "Hard night, I guess."
Minutes later, everyone was crowded around the conference table. The professor had yet to join the crew at the table, so Hermes started without him. Leela avoided looking at Fry even though she could feel his eyes on her throughout the entire meeting. Though she tried to focus, she found it hard to concentrate on Hermes' financial complaint of the day.
"Der is someone in dis office consuming more than der own fair share of coffee. If dis keeps up, we're going to have to raise the coffee tax. Any extra amounts will be taken out of your paychecks," Hermes announced.
His speech was met with groans and complaints all the way around.
"Good news, everyone," the Professor said as he entered the room, "We have a call from DOOP. Brannigan himself is on the line. He wants to negotiate a delivery of food products to the main DOOP headquarters. I'm going to put him on the main screen. Leela, be nice."
Leela's face widened in shock and then settled into a look of severe discontent. She gave a giggling Amy a menacing glare.
After a few moments, a familiar face came on the screen. Leela's eye widened and she broke into a large grin, "Rodney!" she exclaimed in a surprised voice.
The professor had a confused look on his face, "You're not Zapp Brannigan!" he yelled accusingly.
The smiling face of Sergeant Rodney Jones filled the screen, "Leela? Oh, it's so good to see your beautiful face again. You don't know how much I've missed you. How are you getting along?"
"It's been hard," Leela confessed, "I've missed you so much..."
"Get a room you two. All this emotion is making me sick," Bender interjected. Leela glared at the robot for a moment and the laughed casually.
"Hello, Bender. It's nice to see your humor chip is still active," Rodney said, laughing.
Casual conversation ensued for a few moments between Rodney and the crew before the professor's incessant interruptions could no longer be ignored.
"Mutiny!" the professor yelled again, "You mutinous little bastard! I'll be speaking to the head of DOOP about this matter!"
Rodney laughed, "Calm down, Professor, I asked Captain Brannigan to let me handle the call. He himself knowing how addictive Leela's charms and beauty can be agreed to let me see my love," he said, smiling at Leela.
"Oh, Rodney, you're too sweet," Leela giggled, beginning to blush.
"It' s only the truth. Of course, I knew that merely seeing you could never be enough, so I have arranged to return to the base with Captain Brannigan when he makes the final negotiations on the delivery."
Leela's eye lit up, "You're coming here?! When....for how long?!"
"We will be arriving in little less than two weeks, love. The stay will be a short one, probably only a few days, but I have to see you. I miss you so much," he said, his voice cracking.
Fry sat in dismay as he watched Leela and Rodney's conversation. Rodney was close to tears as was Leela. It wasn't that he wasn't happy for Leela, it was just that, after the events of the night before, he suddenly felt used. He would have been a temporary replacement and nothing more. He mentally scolded himself for thinking that anything else could have come from the evening. "I must go now, love, but I'll see you soon. My heart is with you."
"I know. I'll see you soon, Rodney. I love you."
"I love you too, Leela. Forever." A single tear could be seen running down the young man's face. A moment later, his image was gone and Leela looked as if she was about to break down in tears.
"YUCK!" Bender interjected, "Never have I seen such a disgusting display of sappy – Ouch!" A bang on the head by Fry interrupted his speech.
Fry sat and watched Leela for a moment. Everyone did. Her eye was on the blank screen and she looked like she was about to loose it. Never in all his life had Fry ever seen two people so in love. He couldn't even recall a time when his own parents showed that much affection and compassion towards each other. It was then that Fry laid his efforts to rest for the second time since he had learned about the engagement. There was no other man for Leela but Rodney. Even an idiot like him could see that.