Author's Note: I would like to thank emeraldLINX, Denise Simpson, Jaded Angel, Penname wa Silver B and NoDogg063 for their reviews. Hope you like the cliffhanger.... Chapter 14 is coming soon

Chapter 13 – An Unfortunate Incident

Fry threw his legs over the side of the bed. For the eighth night in a row, he was up at midnight. Against his own will, he had forced himself to put Leela out of his mind. For the eighth time, he would be going to spend the rest of the evening at the all night diner with Rae. And if he got lucky, this time he wouldn't be coming home alone.

Fry walked quietly out of his apartment complex and into the busy New New York Street. His shoulders slumped with exhaustion and he struggled to keep his eyes open and his legs working. But he was determined to go see Rae. She was the only person that seemed to allow him to put Leela in the past. Her girlish demeanor reminded him nothing of Leela and, unlike Amy, she knew nothing of the woman that had held his heart since December 31, 2999. Leela didn't have to be a part of his future.

He opened the door to the diner and walked in, taking his normal booth at the back of the diner. His presence caught Rae's eye and she came sauntering over. Her light brown hair hung free about her shoulders tonight and her blue eyes sparkled when she saw Fry.

"Hey there," she said, smiling.

Fry smiled and motioned for her to sit, "Hey."

She took her seat across from him and they engaged in their usual friendly chatter. Customers came and went at this time of night and from time to time, Rae was called to the counter to fill an order. When she walked away, Fry would lean back in the booth, close his eyes and try to erase what memories of Leela came flashing to his mind. He didn't really know why he did it; he was only going to have to face her again in the morning when he went into work. But that was another battle and he would fight it when he came to it. For now, he just wanted to sit and enjoy a moment of sanity.

"I brought you some coffee," Rae said as she took the seat in front of him again, smiling.

"Thanks," Fry told her as he took a small sip of his coffee. The small bell above the door rang again to signal another customer's entrance. Fry glanced up to observe one more lonely soul who found their way into the diner. He almost choked at the sight.

Rae looked at him, a glimpse of concern crossing her face. She followed his gaze to the young woman standing at the counter in a green jacket and combat boots. There, in the only sanctuary Fry had been able to find in the three months since this whole ordeal started, stood Leela.

"Friend of yours?" Rae asked curiously, eying Fry.

He shook his head, "No, I thought it was someone I knew, but I was wrong." He slouched down into the booth and kept his eyes glued onto his coffee, hoping that she wouldn't see him.

Leela placed her order for black coffee and then looked around the diner for a quiet place to sit. She needed some time to think. Fry hadn't been at his apartment (or at least wasn't answering the door), wouldn't talk to her at work, and hadn't been returning her phone calls for the last eight days.

She walked to a booth by the back of the diner and took her seat. Even though it was fairly warm, she was freezing inside and closed her jacket around her. The past few days had been a blur and she had yet to hear from Rodney. It wasn't like him to just take up and leave, even if it was an emergency like that. She sighed and took a sip of her coffee.

Surveying the diner, she wanted to choke when she saw a familiar red jacket and trademark tussled red hair. Fry was sitting with a cute young waitress and the two were visibly flirting. She began to boil inside when she saw his hand cover hers. She had spent the past three months in a perpetual guilt trip while he had a girl on the side. Leela sighed and sunk down in the booth. She had no one to blame but herself and she knew it. Fry had never asked for her pity, only her friendship and she hadn't even been able to give him that. Now, she didn't even have Rodney. She was alone.

Fry sipped slowly at his coffee as Rae went on about some classes she was taking at the local college. He was interested in her, he really was, and his full attention would have been with her had Leela not walked in. He knew that the damage was done, though. Leela had seen him there with another girl. Although he tried to fight it, he felt a smug sense of satisfaction. But it was short-lived by the memory of Rodney. Leela wouldn't be jealous; she had Mr. Perfect waiting for her on her doorstep.

Leela sighed as she laid a small tip on the table and got up to leave. She walked quickly across the diner and paused momentarily at the door. Her eyes met with Fry's and for a moment she wanted desperately to say something, anything. He would have known just the thing to say about Rodney to make her feel better. His comfort was clumsy and even awkward, but his mere attempt always seemed to make her feel better. But, again, she didn't stop. She only walked out into the dark night.

Leela walked down the street and then stopped, gazing up at the stars, "You really do hate me, don't you?" she said into the dark night. She continued on her way, fighting back tears.

Fry watched Leela leave the diner and knew that it was now or never. He could go after her, take her in his arms...and make a complete fool of himself all over again. Looking into Rae's eyes, he decided his fate for that night. He taken plenty of chances with Leela and had failed every time, but then, he had never really had a chance with her anyway. Rae, on the other hand was a different story.

"Rae," he said, interrupting her long-winded speech about one of her friend's love affairs.

She looked at him, "Yeah?"

"What time do you get off?"

"In about two hours, at three. Why?"

"Well," Fry looked down at his coffee mug, twirling it slowly around on the table, "Well, I was just thinking that you and I, maybe we could go somewhere more...er...private and...talk."

A look of embarrassment flooded her face, "Oh, Fry, I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do that, I.."

"No. It's ok; you don't have to explain," he said, sighing, "I shouldn't have even asked."

She reached out and touched his hand. Looking up, he found himself getting lost in her clear blue eyes again.

"Fry," she began quietly and earnestly, "It's not that I don't want to...I like you a lot...but...I have a boyfriend."

Fry looked at her blankly, "You have a boyfriend..." he repeated quietly, pulling his hand from hers.

Rae looked down at the table, "Yeah, I guess I should have told you sooner, but..."

Fry smirked slightly and raised his eyebrows, "Yeah, I guess you should have," he said quietly and got up to leave.

"Fry, please don't go," she said, placing her hand on his arm. He paused for a moment and then took out his wallet and laid a small tip on the table and then started for the door.

"Have a nice life, Rae," he said as he exited the diner and started to make his way back to his apartments. His shoulders sagged and he felt a heavy weight in his chest. His mind was numb with thoughts of Leela, Rae, and Rae's newfound boyfriend.

Outside Robot Arms Apartments, Fry stopped and looked up at the sky, "You really do hate me, don't you?" he asked the night sky.

Rodney crouched low under the starless skies of Omicron Persei 8. His focus should have been on locating the Omicronians that were surely tracking him, but it remained on Leela. A tinge of guilt had been with him ever since he left Earth for not telling Leela that he had planned to call off the engagement. Surely she knew that he had been called to war by now, he reasoned with himself.

Behind him, Rodney heard a loud blast. He turned to see an Omicronian ammunition cell heading straight for him. Though common sense told him to move, his mind and body froze. The large cannonball-like weapon hit him straight in the chest and he could feel his ribs being crushed as he fell from his knees to the ground.

Rodney watched in teary-eyed horror as the Omicronians that had shot the cell stood before him, laughing. The pain traveled from his side and he felt a sharp burning in his chest. He knew one if not both of his lungs had been punctured. He tried to move, but his shoulder had been dislocated in the fall.

Two DOOP soldiers appeared behind the Omicronians and a bloody battle ensued. Breathing was becoming more and more of a chore for Rodney as he watched his fellow soldiers battle the Omicronians. The Omicronians were known for their superior weaponry, but fortunately for DOOP, they were also known for their extreme stupidity. After a few blows with laser guns, the Omicronians fell.

The two DOOP soldiers looked at their fallen victims in triumph and began to walk away. Rodney was filled with panic at the sight of his only chance at life walking away from him. He let out a yell as loud as he could and worried that it could not be heard over the ruckus. But one of the soldiers turned and upon seeing their fallen officer, grabbed the other and ran to his side. Rodney recognized them as Shively and Morris

Morris knelt beside Rodney with a look of horror on his face. The carnage of battle was never a pretty sight. With the help of Shively, he hoisted Rodney's bloody body off the ground and using their shoulders as a support, they began to run back to the base.

Vaguely, Rodney could hear Shively's reassuring words, "It's going to be okay, Jones. We're gonna get you back to the base and you're going to be okay."

Rodney couldn't utter a word in response. The burn in his chest was increasing and it was becoming harder and harder to breath by the second. The battle scene around him was becoming blurry as he struggled to maintain consciousness. Finally, he surrendered to the pain and closed his eyes. He could feel his body being transported by the two men but soon he slipped into unconsciousness.