Disclaimer: I do not own POTF. Neither does Pim, but that isn't important, right now. Without delay, those that do should inject pudding into their shorts before the Wizrd-bearing Pim finds them and then, their shorts will be filled with "pudding." Canceling POTF is just a lose-lose proposition, huh? Too bad they couldn't realize that earlier. And they call themselves "programming planners?"

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Consumer Notification: To deal with the skyrocketing demands for your own Phils, I've had to go to a numbering system to maintain the high quality that you all seem to prefer in replicants – no more ditsy Keelys either. Phil will be available in two popular sizes: Regular, and Cat Chow -- for those with jealous boyfriends.

As soon as the Proton Battery is fully recharged, okaie, being the initial reviewer for chapter seven, gets the first Phil. The rest of you, get back in line now behind her. No pushing and no buying a twelve-pack! Boys like Phil aren't a dime a dozen, you know. The cloned versions will take at least 15 years to be ready unless my misplaced NewAger resurfaces.

And now, because everyone including me has something better to do than watch Disney's resources spent on an Underdog movie rather than Phil of the Future, on with the show!

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The F-Word – Chapter Eight – "Truth in Print"

or

"Absolute Love versus Absolute Power: No Contest."

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Dear Journal,

All the F words, including fight for us.

(I chuckled aloud to the World, then continued writing.) Phil serenaded me with the first half of "You and Me Against the World" tonight in the shower. He sounded halfway decent in the shower, singing to his audience of one. Did you hear that? Phil and Keely vs. the entire Universe, and the Universe doesn't stand a chance!

Me? My life has been different since Phil was stranded here the first time. I mean, what were the odds of our ever even crossing paths? I think that Phil has it wrong; it's the Universe that's on our side and that's why it's the Future that better watch out, because the two of us are headed it's way.

I've only told you half the story about Phil, because, until tonight, I was worried about someone finding my diary and learning his secret. I'm still worried about it, so don't expect to hear everything. Actually, I'm going to be writing in you a lot less. Tonight, Phil's given up so much to remain with me: a normal life, friends, the rest of the Diffys; so much, his life, really. Who'd of believed that I would be in love with an outlaw and harboring him?

Barbara, Lloyd? If I get up the nerve someday to pack this journal away for you, know that I'm going to love and take care of Phil with total devotion and all my heart. Now, if you'd please give Pim a kiss from me.

Pim, you're getting off easy. See, if I was there, I'd hug you so tightly that it'd halt your blood flow! "Thank you" just can't begin to signify my gratitude. I owe you big, Sister, and I know it. Please look for something special just for you from me among the photos and letters to come.

Yes, I'll be journaling less. I don't need to write my thoughts down, because I have a man, my man, to share them with. Phil became a man in my eyes and heart tonight. He chose US and he made it happen. Gone is the boy that I cherished. Neither of us really faced the possibility of his father actually getting the rental time machine working one day. It was something so depressing that we just didn't want to have it darken our sky, tarnishing it, so it took my boy by surprise and he, the dutiful son, left with his family.

Alike hot water, you never value it until it's gone, so it was with Phil and me. When he returned, things were different. I didn't know how different! He made the decision to share a life with me no matter the cost, planning not only with me about our sharing a "normal" future, but unbeknownst by me, implementing this failsafe plan if the worst would ever happen. It did. Tonight. Our world should have ended, and if Phil was still just that obedient son, that boy, it would have. All of his promises would have been proved shallow and empty, our plans dissolved, our love – a mere shadow of what we believed and felt it truly was.

The night before the Diffys first left to go back to the future, Phil stopped his family from destroying the time engine and his father praised him, saying that they were so proud of the responsible young man that Phil had grown into. I disagree. The boy was simply reactive; my man was proactive. Taking responsibility, he made our future happen! Our love is real, and exemplifies true growth.

Our being separated by his family's plan to return to their home in 2121, even for an instant, ended Phil-the-boy. I could kick myself for not noticing the difference in Phil months ago. Phil chose the life that he wanted to have. He grew up on that ride; stepping out of one family and embracing another, his and mine -- ours. Love, isn't just a word. It has meaning, and it's not simply about being attracted to and enjoying someone's company. Love is about commitment – the big "C." Just as he told me on the grass tonight, he'll face anything just to be with me, to be the reason that I smile. From any guy, those'd be pretty sentiments, but only that. Phil's not a "guy." Every woman is looking for a good man who puts their needs and desires ahead of his own, who begins each decision by picturing her feelings and how it will affect them both.

But Phil is all that and more. He told me that I'm not the center of his life, that we are, yet he continues to make me feel like his world. He has sacrificed all in the hopes of continuing to be with me, one day marry me, and always be the one to raise the corners of my mouth.

Still, we'll have to wait years to reintroduce him into the public timeline, and I'll never get to be a Diffy, so I'll stay Keely Teslow (in name only). No, it's not anywhere near perfect, but he's keeping us together just as best as he can. That's a good definition of a man in any century.

Until full-sized Phil can be seen outside my bathroom, his days and our nights are going to be lonely, so I never want him to have to spend an instance waiting longer than he has to to hear from me. No more hours at the mall window shopping. Yes, I'll be writing in you a whole lot less, too. Maybe more often when we can be a normal couple. That's really all we want. Not the latest must-haves, not cruises nor a fancy place to live. Just to do the ordinary, mundane activities that everyone else takes for granted: to go for a walk – together; to sit down and share a meal with the only concern being not who sees us, but if anyone sees us playing world class level footsie under the table; to stick the dirty dishes out in the rain so we can instead spend the evening making out while listening to raindrops, to sleep together -- he, my pillow, and me, his blanket. That's what people in love want to do, are suppose to do, should be able to do. To fall asleep listening to their world's heartbeat, comforted by contented sighs and warm, encircling arms, and maybe a little snoring. Not us. Not yet.

My life, until then, will be going on mostly the same. True, we've gone from being a couple that everyone recognizes except me and Phil, to growing as a couple that no one recognizes except us. But I will still be keeping Phil's secrets, sharing how my day's gone with my best friend and, I'm sure according to Mom, spending too much time in the bathroom considering the results. Ha!

Tomorrow, I'm spending a sizable chunk of my own savings for one of those continuous hot water heaters. Our water and gas bills will skyrocket (I'll start paying for those this month so Mom won't freak), but trust me, the stash of flawless diamonds and eBay say that we're going to have all the good, clean lovin' that we want.

I'm not making us wait for everything.

›»Smirk!‹‹‹

Until another time,

Forever Phil's Keely

∞♥

Wouldn't it be a delicious legacy for Phil of the Future if it taught a generation of boys how to treat women and become men, instead of guys?

Please leave your thoughts if you'd like.

For samantha mulder:

Keely's right. This is how it was meant to be. The universe has righted itself finally. How did Phil get into the past in the first place? I detect the work of the Time Keeper. Now, if she'll just get season 3 on air, the universe would be perfect!

To myself:

Hey, welcome to the club. The F-word is the 44th Phil of the Future story over 20,000 words! How do you feel about that?

My response:

Well, okay I guess. I'll grasp at any straws to maintain the encouragement to keep writing. There are such mixed emotions after checking the statistics and seeing that each of my stories has recently been read, but their reader hadn't left a comment for any of them.

I guess Donald Shimoda is right: If your happiness depends on what someone else does, then you really do have a problem. Thank Pickford, there's a core of reviewers that do keep coming back and telling me what they really think. They're the audience to whom I write.

7/25/7