WARNING. This chapter has spoilers from the 2nd season finale in it, so if you haven't seen that yet, don't read this yet either.

I'm sorry it took so long to get this up. Actually, I'm not, because it isn't really my fault. has been really weird and wouldn't work when I was repeatedly trying to upload this chapter.

I'm loving your reviews! I'm so glad you guys like my idea of season 3 so far. It's not even all the way unfolded yet though. If you keep reading, though… So, thank you, all of you, every one of ya

Yay…new episode Broadcast Blues premiered tonight, and it rocked, a lot. It was just funny! Doesn't it seem like POTF just keeps getting better as it goes? And to think they want to cancel it NOW! Sheesh. It's like shutting off a movie right as it's getting to the good part.

Speaking of which – for anyone who wants to help with the Save Phil thing, just so you know, starting today, March 24th, through March 28th is a "Save Phil-a-thon"…basically, you just go crazier than usual with letters, e-mails, phone calls, faxes or whatever you can manage. Hope you can help. ) there's more info at the Save Disney Shows webpage, which I gave the link to at the beginning of the second chapter.

Anyway…enjoy this! )

Chapter 4: That'd Be Funny, Though, Wouldn't It?

"So, what to watch?" Keely asked. She sifted through a basket of DVDs in her living room, sitting crosslegged on the floor. Phil sat comfortably behind her in a chair.

The sun was setting over Pickford, bringing the day they'd spent together to a close. After soaring to Hawaii and back, returning the Wizrd to Phil's, getting a lift to the mall with Barbara, spending an afternoon schlepping around and seeing a ridiculous romantic comedy which they both had to cover their mouths to crack up at, playing a few rounds of air hockey and spending a few dollars on photo booth pictures, they had headed back to Keely's house for the evening.

Now, they were preparing for a classic Phil and Keely movie and takeout night—they usually alternated houses, and tonight it was Keely's turn to host it.

"We have all of these," Keely continued, motioning to the DVD basket, "and then there's some more upstairs in mine and my mom's rooms. Do you have any ideas?"

Phil wasn't responding.

"Phil?"

She twisted around to look at him curiously. His eyes were glued to the TV screen. "What are you…?" she wondered, turning back around to look at the television, wondering what could have him so enthralled.

Channel surfing, he had settled on the Discovery Channel—a special about new advances in science, and the affects they could have on society in the next hundred years. (A/N- Psh, I don't know.) Keely listened for a moment. Currently, an old, bored-looking scientist was discussing the possibility of time travel using black holes, and talking about his vision of a time machine, "if such a thing were to be constructed".

She heard Phil snort loudly.

Keely rolled her eyes, smiling. "I know what you're thinking, buddy," she told him.

She'd been right. He laughed aloud.

She turned around to find him shaking his head.

"Sorry, Keel." He laughed again. "You know, 'if such a thing were to be constructed'…" He lowered his voice a few octaves and added a fake German accent.

"We get it, Phil. We're primitive, uncivilized and completely idiotic around here. It's just how we do things." She grinned, shrugging.

Phil smiled. "Well, someday, if time travel is made possible…" he continued in the same cheesy accent, climbing off the chair and lowering himself to the floor, where he wrapped his arms around an unsuspecting Keely. "Maybe then," he said quietly, dropping the accent, "a boy will travel back in time, his time machine will break down, and he and his family will have no choice but to stay in that century…where he'll meet the most amazing girl he's ever known." He hugged her tighter. "Just a theory," he whispered into her hair. "That'd be funny, though, wouldn't it?"

Keely smiled widely. She felt herself melting. DVDs forgotten, she leaned back onto Phil.

"Yeah. It'd be really funny." She grabbed Phil's hands, gently stroking them, then just holding them, intertwining their fingers. "Phil, Phil, Phil of the future…" she whispered contently.

This is where Mandy found the two of them as she entered the room a moment later, having just arrived home from the office. Preparing to say something, she quickly stopped herself, simply smiling.

After a short moment of watching them hold each other in sweet silence, she cleared her throat. "I don't mean to interrupt," she giggled, "but are you two getting hungry?"

Both heads snapped around, just out of surprise at the sudden voice. "Oh," Keely said, glancing at Phil. "Hey, Mom! Well… I am. Are you, Phil?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I think the pretzels and popcorn are well and digested by now," he grinned.

"Well, good. Because I was just going to call the pizza place—it's your movie night tonight, isn't it? What's a movie night without the pizza?" Mandy inquired cheerfully, hanging up her jacket.

"Not much," Keely agreed, as she and Phil stood up. Obviously reluctant, she let go of his hand.

"Jellybean," Mandy said to her daughter, "I have some coupons in the kitchen. Come look really quick."

"Oh, okay." Keely flashed Phil a smile. "Let me know which movie looks good to you, okay?" She left the room with her mother.

Once they were in the kitchen, Mandy crossed the room to the counter. She turned on the sink faucet; she turned it off. She wiped down a section of counter with a dishrag, then placed it aside.

"Um, Mom?" Keely asked. "Coupons?"

"Oh!" Mandy laughed. "Yes, yes, they're, um, oh, my goodness, where did I put them?" She opened and closed random drawers, searched through a pile of mail on the counter. "Oh, I'll tell you something, sweet tart, I'm losing my mind…" She winked at her daughter.

Keely laughed half-heartedly. It hadn't taken her long to notice that her mom was acting a little more…sporadic than usual. And Mandy Teslow was usually sporadic as it was.

"Mom, are you okay?" Keely asked finally, tugging absently on her ponytail.

Mandy turned to face her daughter. She smiled brightly, wringing her hands together. "I'm fine, tater tot," she answered. "I'm sorry…I'm probably worrying you with all this...running around."

"Well…maybe a little," Keely answered. "Is something bothering you?"

"Oh. Well…well, no." Mandy sighed. "Well, it's nothing to worry about. I just didn't want to interrupt your movie night." She patted Keely's arm. "We'll talk later, love muffin. Okay?"

"Later?" Keely said. "Mom, what do you mean?" Her brow knit together, and worry was evident in her jade eyes.

Mandy sensed it. She smiled brightly, tapping Keely's nose with her finger. "Don't worry, sweetheart," she said. "You don't want wrinkles on that beautiful face yet." She suddenly caught sight of something on the counter behind Keely. "Oh! Look here. Pizza coupons. We'd better hurry up and order, hadn't we? We've got two teenagers to feed."

……………….

Keely grabbed a slice of pepperoni and dug in. "This right here will be my limit," she announced to Phil, through a half-mouthful.

Phil popped the last bite of his pizza into his mouth. "Not mine," he told her, reaching for another.

She slapped his stomach lightly with the back of her hand. "Better watch that figure, Diffy," she warned, smiling.

"Better watch the movie, Teslow." He nodded to the screen, grabbing his soda and taking a few gulps.

"Oh, I am." Keely shrugged. "Just not really understanding it."

On the screen in front of them, a dismal, dramatic scene of New York City halfway underwater played out. The Day After Tomorrow had been Phil's idea to watch—mostly because it was a 21st century science fiction and he enjoyed watching those with his 22nd century point of view. That was one of the only things, besides his high-tech gadgets, that still reminded Keely he was actually from a whole different time; he had adapted to the century so well in every other way that it fit him like a glove.

Phil attempted to understand all the movie's details with not much more luck than his girlfriend.

Keely sighed, leaning back with her hands folded across her stomach. "I'm actually tired," she told him.

"So soon?" Phil joked. "Gee, why's that? We only spent about five hours on our feet today."

As he spoke, Keely had snuggled up to him, her head finding a spot perfectly fit for itself on his shoulder. Just like the best friends they had always been, and just like the couple they were now. Either way, each one had found themselves the other half of a perfect pair.

"They were a great five hours," she told him.

"Five hours of trimming grass with scissors would be fun with you, Keel," Phil assured her matter-of-factly.

"Aw…that's good to know." Keely's smile was evident in her voice. "I can't believe you took me to Hawaii, Phil. You are incredible. Wow." She looked up at him, then kissed his cheek gently. She lay her head back down. "Is there, like, anything I could ever do to thank you for being so—"

"Anythingyou could do?" Phil interrupted, bewildered. "Oh, well, Keely…I don't know. How about...be the one who's kept my family's secret for almost three years? Or the one person I can give credit to for helping me fit in here? Or the one who's been there with me through, like, everything?"

Keely lay quietly, smiling. Still, something odd stung inside her.

"You're my best friend, Keel. I mean that when I say it."

Tears.

"So, you've done everything you ever could. Don't worry about it, partner."

She swallowed against the warm lump in her throat. Apparently, Phil could make her so insanely happy that she cried. In a way…she liked that.

"You in there, Teslow?" he teased, smoothing some hair away from her face.

She just hugged him tighter and buried her face in his T-shirt. He smelled very much like...Phil. Like cologne, fresh air, and his house; it always had some kind of cinnamon-y and sweet scent to her, more than likely from all of Barb's specialty spray can brownies and cakes. (Literally, "specialty"—because Keely didn't know anyone else who sprayed desserts out of cans.) All of it combined to form one of the most comforting and familiar smells she knew—aside from her favorite shampoo and the teddy bear she'd had since she was two.

"Phil," she whispered, "I am so glad you didn't go." The movie had reached a more dramatic point, and the music flowing from the TV speakers built up to it. Neither Phil nor Keely noticed it much.

He was quiet for a second.

For the first time, he felt tears penetrating his shirt. He stroked Keely's hair, trying to get her to look at him, but her face was still half buried in the red material.

Both minds began to wander…

Her eyes were as desperate as he'd ever seen them; even more devastated than when she'd seen her future supposedly ruined on the Giggle, even more fearful than when she'd sang solo in front of an audience at H.G. Wells' talent show, before she knew how good she was at it. She looked hurt and vulnerable, like a little girl lost in a department store.

Maybe that's what killed him the most.

"I don't know how else to say it." Her voice was nothing more than a shaky breath. "Please don't go. Not now, Phil…"

He didn't know what to say. He despised that feeling.

"Keely," he whispered. His hands trembled as he held hers. His mouth felt completely drained of moisture, so his voice didn't amount to much either. "I…I wish you could understand." He was having trouble looking at her. "I wish I could understand…"

She inhaled and exhaled sharply. "Well," she answered quietly, "I wish I could, too. I don't, Phil. I—I can't. I don't think I ever will."

They sat in the quiet confines of the Diffy living room, together on the couch. It was almost funny, how utterly normal it all seemed. Outside it was late afternoon; kids had come home from school and settled into their evening routines, as Phil and Keely usually did every day. Yet, nothing was ordinary. It was all coming down to now. The decision had been made once—they were leaving, going back to 2121, completely unsure if they'd ever be able to return to the place they'd called home in 21st century Pickford. But their final goodbyes had proved not so final, when they'd had to turn around halfway through their journey back…to retrieve a little something they'd forgotten; an extra in the Diffy family, one with wild hair, animal skins for clothing, and poor table manners.

Now that they were back, things had only gotten more difficult.

They'd been given a few minutes. A few minutes alone, just to talk, because Phil's parents had seen the pain in their son's eyes and the eyes of his best friend when they had announced that it was "probably time to get going again".

Especially since Keely had taken it upon herself to come to their house in the first place, after spotting their "RV" outside when she thought it should be gone, to give one last pathetic attempt at keeping the boy she loved close to her. She had just been taking a walk; a walk to try to calm herself down, or something like it. She wasn't really sure, but something made her do it. She had felt so lonely after Phil had left school that morning, after the infamous broadcast that H.G. Wells would never forget, featuring a stunning kiss between their "cutest couple". Even surrounded by everyone she knew in the hallways, even when her mother came to pick her up and take her home after she pleaded "not feeling well" to the school nurse, she felt so homesick...for what, she didn't know. Perhaps a walk around Pickford's neighborhoods, being surrounded by everything she associated with "home," would help her somewhat.

Then she happened upon his house.

It wasn't like she'd done it on accident; it was just that the last time she'd seen it, it had a family inside, it had life and vibrancy and a "welcome, come on in" aura about it. She had to see it now, maybe just to confirm it, even as much as it scared her, to make sure it was true: that the Diffys were gone.

Or…not.

Now Phil held both her hands in his, gazing at them intensely.

"Keely," he said finally, "when we first got here, and stepped out of our time machine into 2003, you walked by us, after you found that coin…remember when I told you that story?"

Keely was confused, but enthralled. She nodded silently.

"Yeah, well…I did see you. Not just kind of. Believe me, I saw. And I took one look at you and decided that you were beautiful. Completely and entirely beautiful. I didn't know your name or who you were or anything, but I knew that much. I just want you to know that." He squeezed her hands tighter.

There was silence on Keely's part.

Then, he heard her inhale. He looked up at her.

She was looking back at him, and for a moment, she looked utterly at peace. Her face was like the smooth ivory carving of a goddess, an ageless beauty locked in time. It reminded him of how she had looked that night at the dance, as she realized the importance of timing, and sharing it with the people who mean most to you. He had told himself then that he would never forget how she looked, and he knew he wouldn't forget it now, either. The only thing that disturbed her serene beauty was the slightest trail of a tear, escaping down her cheek. Even then, it did nothing to take away from her splendor.

He felt like she'd cast a spell on him, and he was at loss for words. Luckily, he didn't need any then.

Keely nodded gently, and leaned in towards him. Placing a hand, warmed by Phil's grip, against his face, she kissed his forehead.

This is when he broke.

Inside him, it all bubbled up, and was no longer under his control. He felt the wetness on his cheeks before he realized that he, too, had shed some tears. Just like that, out of the blue.

Keely pulled away then, but left her hand on his face. She just gazed at him, like she were seeing his soul. Still she looked miserable.

"You're crying," she observed. She wiped away a tear with her thumb.

He just shrugged, his eyes cast downward. "Yeah, well…"

"Yeah." Keely just nodded. She traced the edges of his face with her finger, stopping underneath his chin. She raised it gently, so he was looking at her again. Then she dropped her hand to his strong shoulder, holding onto it. Her eyes were locked with his, and then she fell forward gently and leaned against him, her face hidden in the plaid pattern of his shirt.

He heard her whisper something.

"What, Keel?"

She turned her head just slightly, so the words could come more clearly.

"This can't be it," she said.

As he held her to him, a sudden figure in the doorway distracted him for a moment. He looked up to see who it was.

"Phil," Pim said quietly, "Mom and Dad want you."

Phil gazed back at his young blonde sister, and saw something very different about her. All of her cynical, self-assured personality seemed to have abandoned her. She looked…unsure. Afraid. Her innocent blue eyes actually were innocent now.

After taking all this in, Phil could do nothing but nod.

Keely sat up, looking first at Pim, then at Phil. Pim just sighed quietly. "Sorry," she whispered, sincerely, before leaving the room.

Phil pushed some of Keely's soft hair away from her face. "Well…"

"Well." Her response was one syllable, one sentence, period. Nothing more to be said.

Phil made sure their hands were secured together, and then he stood up. Keely shakily rose with him.

In the dining room, Phil, to his surprise, found his parents simply sitting at the table, the one that had braved so many of Barb's attempts at home cooking during the past few years. Pim was leaning against the counter, her expression unreadable. Curtis was next to her, extremely fascinated by a strand of her hair, curious and childlike as usual. He was the happiest part of the atmosphere right then. She flicked his hand away once, but when he persisted in playing with her blonde locks, she gave up.

"Phil," Barb said, daring to speak first, "honey…" With Keely there, she was unsure of what to say. She herself felt a strong tug at her heartstrings, almost too strong to conceal.

"I can go," Keely volunteered quickly. It just seemed like the right thing to do. Without thinking, she turned to leave.

"No, Keel." Phil didn't release her hand. She stopped, looking back at him, then at his family. "Please don't," he pleaded with her softly.

She swallowed hard. Now he was begging her to stay? This day couldn't get much weirder.

She stayed in place, her gaze falling onto the floor.

"Phil…kids…" Lloyd was the next to take a stab at it. "We, your mom and I, know that this is…this is rough."

Nobody spoke.

"We've really settled in here," he continued. "Even you." He reached out and took his daughter's arm gently. Pim actually cracked a small smile.

"Your dad and I even love it here," Barb said. "You know we do. I love doing things for myself, like cooking and laundry. It's a much better use of time."

"And, well…" Lloyd shrugged, looking uneasy for a moment. "You all found me out, so I'll just admit…I could have easily fixed the time engine much sooner than I did."

Keely raised her eyebrows. "Are you serious?" she asked softly.

Phil nodded; he couldn't help but smile.

"Whoa," Keely said. "So, you're saying…?"

"Yes, he pretty much puttered around for a year and a half, when we could have all been long gone," Pim spoke up, surprising everyone. Her words weren't bitter though, as they would have expected. She was smiling, just a little.

"But, besides that," Lloyd continued sheepishly, "we know it's a great century, and a great place to live. But now…"

Phil looked expectantly at his parents. Finally, Barb sighed, standing up.

"Sweetheart, now that the time machine is truly, for sure fixed, we just feel like…we need to make use of that," Barb said. "We do, really, have a whole other time waiting for us…"

Phil just gazed right past her.

"Honey?" Barb asked.

"I don't know, Mom," he answered finally. He looked over at his girlfriend, his best friend. "I'm not so sure I could do it." His words came out coolly, in kind of a simple and relaxed manner. They were concluding and absolutely positive. He shrugged, as if it were that simple. He was trying really hard to keep it together.

Keely stared back at Phil, her expression forlorn, but hopeful at the same time.

Barb didn't know what else to say.

Lloyd stood up. "I'm so sorry, buddy," he said. "Really, I am." He looked sadly from his son to Keely.

She knew that everyone felt like they were tiptoeing on eggshells because of her presence. They knew what Phil meant to her and the other way around, and they were having a hard time choosing the right words because of it.

"I understand everything that you guys are saying," she told them. Everyone seemed surprised by the sudden sound of her voice, but they listened. "I really do. Everyone has somewhere they're from, and in the end, home is home." She couldn't even believe she was saying all this. Phil looked puzzled. Still, she continued.

"But…if it means anything coming from me, I think you guys fit in fine here. I mean…you're like my second family. If you think I helped you out, well, you've helped me so much, too. You make me feel a thousand times more than welcome every time I'm here." She took a breath. "I…I know I'll meet a million other people in my lifetime. I just don't think I'll ever meet anyone as wonderfully weird and…and as incredible as the Diffys …" She sighed. There was no beating around the bush here.

"I'm just going to say it. I would miss all of you more than you know if you left. Whether that makes a different or not, I would." She held one arm timidly across her stomach.

Don't cry, Keely. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry…

She bit her lip fiercely.

"Oh, Keely, sweetie…" Barb began.

Keely cried.

She turned away quickly, feeling like a total baby. Great, she thought. Now they'll think I'm just putting on a sob show for them…

But two strong arms were holding her now, and any of her fears were forgotten.

She just let go.

"Phil, I'm sorry," she whispered.

His face was buried in her hair. "Don't be," he whispered back. She felt his warm breath against her neck.

She could hear in his voice that he was crying now, too.

Over Keely's shoulder, he looked at his mother. Pain was written all over his face. As Barb saw him cry, she nearly did the same.

She looked over at her husband. He just looked down at the table. Pim looked upset.

Barb approached them, rubbing each of their shoulders gently in an attempt to provide some comfort. She locked tearful eyes with her son, examining all of their contents. What she found was exactly what she'd predicted all along.

Leaving this behind would be the hardest thing Phil would ever have to do.

"We can't make you do this, can we, sweetheart?" she whispered to him gently.

Phil's response was only in his gaze, and how he held Keely closer against him.

Barb closed her eyes in defeat.

When she opened them, she looked around the cheerful, comfortable room, and realized how she felt right then.

Completely and utterly at home.

She imagined a far-off place, a house that was now so unfamiliar in their memories that it seemed colorless and bland. What in the world would it be like to be back there?

"Keely," Phil whispered to her. "Listen to me, okay?"

"Mhm…" She sniffed.

"Look." He gently pulled away from her, keeping only a couple of inches between their faces. He tucked some of her hair behind her ear.

Keely had never seen him look so serious, so sincere, so rawand truthful. His eyes were beautifully pained."I love you," he whispered. A tear stuck to the edge of his lip."You know that? I do, Keel, no matter what happens today."

Keely just stared back, transfixed. She looked awestruck, and completely mesmerized. She felt...undescribable.

"Phil," she choked, one hand on his cheek. He held his over top of it. "I love you too, partner." She smiled as a fresh wave of tears rolled down. "And you don't know how good it feels to hear that..."

Everyone heard them whisper, but Barb was the only one who made out the words. She held a hand over her mouth, so happy for her son and the girl he loved, but so saddened for them all the same, that she had to battle tears.

She looked over at her husband, her eyes pleading with him.

Pim looked at both of them expectantly.

Lloyd took in a long breath. He looked tired, drained. Barb moved closer to him, placing a hand on top of his.

Each second seemed like an hour, but finally, he slowly nodded. He took both his wife's and his daughter's hands.

"So," he concluded, "it's done."

It caught the attention of a sniffling Keely, her round, beautiful face looking more childlike than ever as it was stained in red and tears. Then, Phil looked over at his father as well.

"What?" he asked.

Lloyd looked at his wife, then at his daughter, then at his son.

"Keely's right," he told them. "Home is home." He gestured with his hands around the Diffy kitchen.

Understanding crept over Phil's face, as it slowly broke out into the most grateful smile anyone had ever seen. Keely was a step behind in catching on.

"Do you…do you mean…" Her eyes darted from Phil to his parents.

Lloyd just nodded and smiled. "Yep." Then he stood up swiftly and announced, "Let's unload that RV."

Keely was in shock. She thought that's what it might have been, because she wasn't screaming or jumping for joy. She was just frozen, like she weren't sure if it could really be true.

Then she looked at Phil.

"Keel," he said softly, "did you hear that?"

"Hear…hear your dad?"

"Mhm." Phil nodded, grabbing her hands.

"Hear what he said?"

"Yes." Phil moved closer towards her.

Keely gazed into his gorgeous face. "Yes…yes. I think so." She nodded harder, everything sinking in. "I heard. You're…you're all…I mean, you're not…"

Phil broke out into an enormous grin. His eyes glistened with leftover tears.

Keely tried to catch her breath.

"Golly…"

And she threw her arms around his neck again, holding him so tightly. He didn't mind that he almost couldn't breathe.

"I knew it, Phil," she told him, nearly sobbing again…this time, it went hand in hand with a completely different emotion. "I knew this couldn't be it."

He took her face in his hands. "Same here."

Then, he kissed her.

It lasted just as long as their first…maybe longer. Who was counting, really?

When they finished, they just held each other.

And then a new set of arms was wrapped around them both, followed by another, and another. Barb, Lloyd, and Pim couldn't resist contributing to a group hug.

"Wow," Pim proclaimed. "How'd it feel to finally get that one out, bro?" She chuckled. "Unless it's not the first time…"

Barb nudged her daughter. Phil looked at Keely, and Keely looked at Phil. They couldn't do anything but smile.

Keely leaned her head securely against him, smiling at all four of the Diffys.

"I love you guys," she proclaimed. "I really do."

Barb smiled at her, pushing a strand of blonde hair out of her damp eye. "Keely," she said, "it's hard to imagine life without you, sweetheart."

Keely choked back another sob. She still managed to smile. "Thank you..."

From right behind the group came another voice.

"Curtis see how it is. Everyone hug, but not caveman?"

Pim split from the group temporarily. "Get on in here, bonehead," she told him, pulling him in. "Just, uh…not too incredibly close. There's the odor factor we need to consider…"

"And that was that." Phil concluded, running his fingers through Keely's hair.

She was quiet. He smiled down at her still figure.

"I'll tell you one thing; I can't remember the last time I cried that much," he recalled, pensively, gently tracing a pattern onto Keely's temple.

He continued. "You know, Keely…I'm starting to think my dad was never going to make us leave in the first place." He paused, chuckling. "I know it sounds weird, but…wow. They all really wanted to stay that badly. Maybe they just wanted to see us hug and bawl our eyes out over each other, just to prove that I like you as I much as I do…apparently, I was fairly obvious about it. What do you think…?"

She still wasn't responding.

"Keel?" he whispered.

A good look down at her face confirmed it. She was fast asleep.

Phil smiled warmly at her.

"Well, then," he whispered. "Goodnight, Keely."

He checked his watch; it was already nine. The movie's ending scenes were still playing out, but the movie itself had obviously been forgotten.

He didn't dare reach for the remote and disturb the gorgeous serenity that was Keely. Instead, he just took in her tranquil features. Was this kind of beauty even possible? Furthermore, was it possible that he had found it for himself?

"Oh, yeah, and Keel," he whispered, "I love you. You know that, right?"

Several minutes later, Mandy found them again. Phil's head rested gently atop her daughter's, and his arm linked around hers, his hand coming to rest gently on her waist. Both faces were illuminated by the TV screen, and both of them were relaxed and still, put to rest by the adventures of the day.

It was perfection, and Ms. Teslow couldn't bring herself to disturb it.

Instead, she took a blanket off the back of a chair, and draped it gently across their sleeping figures.

"Aww," she whispered to herself, just watching them for a moment. Her daughter was as happy as ever when she was with this boy, even in sleep.

And yet, all things considered, Mandy remembered what she had yet to share with Keely.

She could rest assured tonight that her jellybean was happy, but she couldn't predict how she would react tomorrow.

So! That is what happened with the Diffys, the day they decided to stay.

(In my story, at least.)

And it keeps going…

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