Leela sighed happily and turned over in the sun.

It was turning out to be the hottest day of the summer and the Planet Express crew had flown to Monument Beach for the afternoon. Leela was sunbathing, glad of the opportunity to relax. She took a sip of her cocktail and cranked open her eye.

"Amy, pass the sunscreen."

"In a minute, okay? I can't reach my back . . ."

Leela watched the Martian girl writhe and twist elegantly, trying to reach her back and swearing under her breath. She succeeding in splattering a blob of the stuff onto her shoulder blade, but struggled to rub it in.

"Hey, Fry, could you help me out?"

Fry opened one lazy eye. "Aw, do I have to?"

Catching sight of Amy's answering pout, he sighed. "Can't you just use my arm? Here."

He flopped an arm over the edge of his sun-lounger and closed his eyes again.

Amy shrugged. "Sure."

Leela raised her chin and looked away pointedly. She was fond of Amy, but there were times when her flirting really set Leela's teeth on edge. Like now, for instance.

Amy giggled. "Fry!"

"Oh, Amy, I think I see Kif!"

The words were out of her mouth before Leela could stop them. Amy squeaked and dropped the bottle, yanking Fry's hand away from her chest.

"Where?"

Fry opened his eyes. "Huh?"

Leela coughed. "Oh, I guess not."

"Oh." Amy sat back down, looking crestfallen.

There was silence for a moment as they watched Hermes pick his way along the beach, issuing permits to small children building sandcastles, while Bender picked their fathers' pockets.

"Maybe you should try dating somebody else," Fry said. "Show Kif what he's missing out on, y'know?"

"Maybe." Amy brightened up. "Hey, Fry, you could be my fake boyfriend! That's a great idea!"

"No!"

Leela groaned. She just couldn't seem to stop her mouth these days, could she?

"I mean, it's not a good idea," she said quickly. "Fry would be bound to stuff that up, Amy."

Fry cracked open a can of Slurm. "I sure would. But if you ever need a fake hook-up, I'm so there."

He winked.

Leela scowled. "I think there's a spare sunscreen in the ship," she muttered. "Excuse me."

Back on board the ship, Leela located the sunscreen. She collapsed in the captain's chair and thought for a moment before picking up the phone and calling Lars. It rang for a long time before the ceiling of the Head Museum fizzled into view. The screen swung down a minute later and she saw Lars smiling at her, looking a little worried.

"Leela? Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. Why, are you busy?"

Lars groaned. "Flat out." He swung the screen around again to give her a view of the Head Museum, the inhabitants of which were bubbling in their jars and complaining loudly. "Everybody, please, calm down! I'll get you all cooled down, I promise, just be patient . . ." He turned back to Leela. "How's your day?"

"Oh, you know." Leela wriggled uncomfortably in her chair, suddenly feeling guilty. "We're slacking off for the afternoon. Monument Beach. It's nice."

"Oh, right." Lars nodded distractedly. "You'll be home for dinner, right?"

"I guess."

Someone out of sight began shouting for Lars. He grimaced. "I'm sorry, honey, I have to go. I'll see you at six, okay?"

"Sure."

"I love you, honey!"

"I love you t-"

But the connection had already blacked out. Leela sighed.

"I guess Lars doesn't slack off much, huh?"

There was a familiar popping sound behind her. Fry was leaning against the doorway, Slurm fizzing up out of a freshly-opened can.

Leela straightened up. "No, he doesn't," she said sharply. "He doesn't eavesdrop either."

Fry shrugged. "I wasn't eavesdropping. I just came up to see if you were okay."

"Well, I am."

"Okay."

"Okay then."

"Well . . . I'll be on the roof if you're . . . not okay."

Fry left.

Leela groaned. She rubbed in a little more sunscreen. She drummed her fingers on the armrest. Then she gave up, and followed Fry up to the roof.

He was stretched out against the hot metal with his sunglasses on. He raised them and squinted at her as she approached, but he didn't say anything. Leela sat down cross-legged beside him. When she reached for his can of Slurm, Fry gave it up without a word. The aluminium was still warm from his mouth.

"Supposing I wasn't okay," Leela murmured. "Why would that be?"

Fry shrugged. "I dunno. But come on, Leela . . . it's Monument Beach. We're slacking off! And you're not having fun."

Leela lay down, letting the hot metal heat her bones.

"Fry . . ."

"What?"

"I . .. Can I finish this?" She rattled the can of Slurm.

"Sure."

Leela sipped her Slurm, watching Fry slide into a more slumped position on the ship's prow. After a while he started to snore, and Leela felt her own eye drift closed. Something brushed against her arm and there was a faint chittering. It sounded like Nibbler. Hadn't she left him down on the beach? She reached out for him blearily. Her hand closed on something warm, and she fell asleep.

The evening had turned cool by the time she awoke. The ship's metal casing felt cold against her cheek and there were goosebumps rising on every inch of exposed flesh, causing her to bitterly regret her choice of bikini. Only her right arm felt warm and comfortably placed – which turned out to be because it was lying across Fry's stomach. Her fingers were curled into his side, as though at some point the ship had capsized and she'd decided to hold on for dear life. Leela stared at her fingers for a moment in blank incomprehension, and then slowly loosened her hold.

"Nibbler?"

Silence.

She shook Fry by the shoulder. "Fry, get up."

Fry snorted and jerked awake. "Bender has my power of attorney!" he blurted out.

"That's good to know. But we overslep – oh my god. I'm late for dinner with Lars!"

Leela leapt to her feet and stared at the horizon in a panic. The sun was going down and at this stage of the summer, there could be no doubt – it was much, much later than six. Had Lars tried to call her? Her wrist was bare, and there was no way to know.

"Where's my communicator?"

Fry rubbed his eyes. "Maybe Bender stole it?" At Leela's frantic expression, he seemed to wake up a little. He stood up, kneading his neck. "Let's ask him."

They found the others asleep around the smouldering remains of a barbecue. Their condition made a little more sense when Leela sifted through the coals and unearthed one of Hermes's special cigars.

"Great," she muttered. "They were all stoned. And you just slept because you can sleep anywhere, anytime, let's face it -"

Fry grinned proudly. "Thanks."

"- but what am I supposed to say? I'm sorry, honey, I'm late because I'm a lazy slob?"

"Works for me."

"It's not funny, Fry. What am I supposed to tell Lars?"

Fry pulled the remnants of a cold, blackened hot dog from Hermes's hand and chewed it thoughtfully.

"You could just blame Zoidberg," he suggested.

"So really, it was all Doctor Zoidberg's fault," Leela finished.

Lars nodded. "I understand."

"You do?"

"Of course." He tipped some Torgo's Executive Powder into the fish tank and sat down on the edge of the bed. He frowned.

"Maybe I'm out of line here, but I don't know why you stay there. I mean, everyone else at the company sounds so incompetent . . . I always figured you wanted more from life."

"They're not so bad. Besides, I'm not really thinking of making any big career moves."

Leela realized, to her horror, that she was bluffing. But what could she say? That she liked slacking off with the crew and risking her life every few weeks on some crackpot whim of the Professor's? That sounded insane, even to her.

Lars, however, had started to smile for the first time that evening.

"Why not?" he said wryly. "Have you got bigger plans on the horizon?"

Leela frowned. "I could use a holiday, I suppose," she said dolefully.

And then his meaning hit her.

"You mean a baby?"

"Why not?" Lars smiled. "I know you'd like to adopt," he said hastily, "and I would too, but Leela . . . I'd really love one of our own. I want to look down at our baby and see a little bit of you staring back, just once. And I know how long you've wanted to be a mother . . . What better time will there be?"

"Uh . .. none, I guess . . ."

"I know it's a big step, but I won't let you down, Leela. I'm in this for the long haul. You must know that by now."

"I . . . I don't know what to say," Leela floundered.

No! A small voice was screaming inside her. No!

Lars laughed worriedly. "Yes?" he suggested.

"Yes?"

"Yes? It's a yes?"

"I . . . y-esss?"

"Yes!" Lars punched the air. "You won't regret this!"

He pulled her into an embrace and kissed her. Leela closed her eye and kissed him in return, pushing him back onto the bed. This was what she wanted, wasn't it? It was crazy to think she wasn't ready for this. She wasn't Fry, for goodness sakes.

So she kissed Lars back and pulled off his shirt, trying to ignore the confusion that fizzled up inside her and rose to her mouth, leaving an aftertaste of warm aluminium.