"I think I'd rather be your love slave."

"I think I'd like even better to be yours."

A grin spreads across Sydney's face as she thinks of the words she and Michael exchanged only a few minutes before. She can't believe the things that come out of their mouths sometimes. The thing is, she thinks she'd enjoy every minute of being Michael's love slave. He's such an amazing lover. So confident in the bedroom. There is something so sexy about a man who knows he can make you feel better than you've ever felt in your life, and who delivers every time.

He enters the room now, carrying a tray that holds two sandwiches, cut in half; a fruit salad she made earlier; and a bottle of water with two glasses.

"My hero," she sighs.

"There's so much great stuff in the fridge," he says, an excited grin playing about his face. "You got that great crusty bread I like, and tons of fresh vegetables, and roast beef."

Sydney smiles. Michael eats meat for lunch in the city all the time, but she rarely keeps any at home. "I was in a good mood when I went to the store today, and for me, a good mood translates into lots of shopping."

"Why were you in such a good mood?" he asks with a smile, feeding her a bite of the sandwich he made for her. Sydney tastes avocado, sprouts, and tomatoes. "Looking forward to tonight?"

She grins. "If I'd known exactly what was going to happen tonight, Michael, I don't know how I'd have made it through the day."

"God, that was incredible, wasn't it?" he asks wonderingly, as if he can't quite believe what happened between them at the gallery.

"So incredible." She feeds him a bite of his roast beef and cheese sandwich. "Tonight was just what the doctor ordered," she declares. "You kept saying we didn't have to go out tonight, but I wanted so badly for things just to be normal between us--"

"What do you mean?" he asks with a frown. "You don't think things have been normal?"

Sydney sighs, struggling for the best way to put her thoughts into words. "I think last weekend was really hard on both of us, Michael, and that we needed what happened in the storage room. We wouldn't have even had to go out, we just needed a night to focus on each other and realize how great we are together."

He smiles, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face. "We are pretty perfect for each other, aren't we?"

"Yeah, I think we are," she says, returning his smile. "In the bedroom, out-- we both know when to take control, and when to step back and let the other do it. We both know what we need to do to contribute to this marriage, to this family. It's not a financial partnership, or a business partnership," she says, thinking of what Marguerite said about her father equating money with power. "It's a marriage, and we both bring our own strengths to it, and it works for us."

"I'm-- sorry if I've been acting kind of weird this week," he confesses, brushing a hand across her cheek. "The weekend did kind of throw me, and it took me a few days to remember all that."

"Me, too," Sydney sighs, thinking of the way she cried herself to sleep the night before.

Michael seems to think of that at the same moment. "Do you want to talk about last night?"

She snuggles closer to him. He takes the food tray and sets it on the floor, wrapping his arms around her. "I just imagined this really horrible future for us."

"Like your nightmares?" Michael asks.

"Worse." Sydney shivers. "In the nightmares, we're always apart because of some bizarre circumstance. Last night I was imagining we were apart because we stopped talking to each other and remembering how important we are to each other and--" she stops, feeling near tears.

"That sounds really awful," he whispers, pulling her tighter.

"We just kind of drifted apart," Sydney says softly. "And we were both miserable."

"So let's not let that happen," he suggests. "Let's keep thinking of all of the great things we have to look forward to--"

"Like Sam or Maggie," Sydney says with a smile, touching her stomach.

"And the house in Jamaica," Michael grins.

"And new friends," Sydney says, thinking of Cheryl and Trent.

"And not let all of the bad things--"

"Like a father who'll never understand how happy I am," Sydney sighs.

"And old friends who we may never work things out with," Michael grimaces, undoubtedly thinking of Kerri and Eric.

"Don't forget a baby-sitter who makes out with her boyfriend on the job," Sydney giggles.

"Right," Michael says with a smile. "Let's not let all of those things make us forget what we have, okay?"

"Michael, I love you so much," Sydney sighs.

"I love you, too, Sydney," Michael smiles.

She kisses him, and as she does, she knows that that's the most important thing-- that they love each other. She doesn't have to worry that their lives are too perfect-- there are too many little complications and unresolved problems for that. But they're great, and if they can just remember what they have with each other, she knows that everything will work out in the end.

And they'll have one hell of a journey along the way.

THE END