A/N: I have retuuuuuurned! Lol just a quick moment of self-promotion. I was having issues with "Always in My Heart". The original URL still had the pre-revision stuff linked to it, so I had to delete it and turn it into a new story! Now it's called "Partiality". Feel free to head over to my page and check it out! Hope you enjoy it! Anyway, onto this chapter!

L: Leave

He didn't like to say goodbye. He'd never been a fan of watching someone important to him walk away, knowing it would be a decent amount of time before they would see each other again.

When Leland went and left Sarah and Jim to go sail the Etherium alone, Delbert had found it painful to part with Sarah after he'd spent several hours comforting her. But Jim had had school in the morning and she had to get him home to bed. Delbert had worried his long-time friend would do something she might regret that night, and he had been more than relieved when she knocked on his front door the next morning.

He worried about her being alone on Montressor when they set off for Treasure Planet, but after a long goodbye filled with hugs and reassurances, he put his worries to rest. He watched Jim and Sarah exchange their goodbyes, and it tore at his heart to think of how worried about him she must have been. But she let them leave, nonetheless.

But no goodbye had been more painful than the first voyage she took after they came back from their honeymoon. Although he'd gotten to spend almost two months with her, just the two of them, he'd been more than a bit frustrated when she relayed the details of her newest job to him.

"Amelia, love, you know I don't have a problem with you getting back to work… But a three-month-long voyage?" he said lazily, burying his face in her hair.

Amelia rolled her eyes, sighing as she shifted her position on the couch. She was curled into his side, his arm around her as she read the paperwork she'd received from the Navy.

"Delbert, we just spent two months in each other's company. Aren't you the least bit tired of me?" she laughed softly as he tightened his grip on her.

"Absolutely not." he chuckled.

She smiled, then sighed.

"I've been away from work for months now, love. There's a waiting list a mile long for my services, and this voyage just so happened to be at the top of the list."

"Then move down the list, until you find a shorter voyage." he shrugged, kissing the top of her head.

"That's not how it works, my love. I wish it was."

"Well, it hardly seems fair. How can they expect you to be alright with leaving for so long? You have...obligations now."

Amelia frowned slightly, then pulled away to look at him.

"They're aware of my obligations, Delbert. And... I'm not the one upset about the length of the voyage. I've been on voyages ten times longer than this one."

She raised an eyebrow at him, sitting up and crossing her arms. He sighed, averting his eyes to the floor.

"Fine. How can they expect me to be alright with you leaving for so long?"

"I don't think they had you in mind, love. Most of my colleagues still don't believe I'm actually married now..." she said softly, kissing his nose once before climbing into his lap. "Three months will fly by, I promise."

He'd forced a smile, pulling her tightly against him so she couldn't see the bitter disappointment in his eyes.

He hadn't been able to sleep that night. He'd woke up at an ungodly hour that morning, and all he could do was lay there and watch her sleep. All he could think about as he gently ran his fingers through her hair, then down her side, was how badly he didn't want his beautiful spacer wife to leave.

A/N: Short, sweet, to the point. Anyway, SEND ME A SUGGESTION FOR THE LETTER M! Review please!