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This fan fiction is the continuation of Your Cold, Cold Heart.
Chapter
1
Leela
had been sitting on her couch for over an hour, just listening to
classical country western music. Her visits to the “Texas
Cowboy” had given her an appreciation for the genre. She found
that she especially like two female vocalists. One was named Patsy
Cline and the other was named Loretta Lynn.
At
the moment, she was listening to a Patsy Cline tune called “Crazy.”
Leela listened intently to Patsy’s rich, full voice as the
song floated by:
Crazy
Crazy for feeling so lonely
I’m crazy
Crazy for feeling so blue
As she so often
did with country western music, Leela found personal meaning in the
song. It spoke to her soul as well as to some of her deepest fears.
She had always worried that any
man would eventually tire of her and leave her high and dry.
I knew
You’d love me as long as you wanted
And then someday
You’d leave me for somebody new
“After all,” Leela asked herself, “hasn’t
every other man dumped me after a short while? Even Sean tired of me
in less than two months.”
Worry
Why do I let myself worry?
Wondrin’
What in the world did I do?
She sighed
as she though of the possibility of losing Fry. “Why
did I play games with Fry…reeling him in, and then pushing him
away?” Leela made a mental note to
ask Venus about it at their next session.
Crazy
For thinking that my love could hold you
Venus…they
had been lucky to meet her. “How
much more of my crap would Fry have taken?”
Leela wondered. “Everyone has their limit,” Venus had
said during their last session. Had Fry been close to his?
I’m crazy for tryin’
Crazy for cryin’
And I’m crazy
For lovin’ you
“I
would have been crazy to let Fry go,” Leela decided. “For
I do love him,” she breathed almost silently.
I’m crazy for tryin’
Crazy for cryin’
And I’m crazy
For lovin’ you
When
the song ended, Leela sat quietly for a moment. Then she looked at
her Wristamajigy. Realizing it was time to meet Fry after his weekly
session with Venus; Leela rose, turned off the music box, and left
the apartment while humming the tune.
Chapter
2
While
Leela was listening to Country Western music, Fry was
seated in an armchair talking to Venus. He found their conversations
easy, although he often found Venus’ questions a bit odd. He
didn’t mind answering, though. Venus had explained how
important it was for her to understand as much about both Leela and
him as possible.
“When
did you first realize you had deep feelings for Leela?” Venus
asked.
“Um...”
Fry rubbed his neck, “That’s a tough one.” He sat
silently for a moment, “It was probably right after I thought
she had died for me on Trisol.”
“What
happened?”
Fry
shifted in his seat, “Well, I kind of became the Emperor of the
planet by accidentally drinking the old Emperor.”
Venus
right eyebrow shot up in a display of surprise, “Really? You
drank an Emperor?”
“Yup.”
Fry smiled, “It turns out that they thought I had killed the
Emperor…but he wasn’t really dead.”
“No?”
“Nope,
he was just inside me waiting a chance to get out.”
He
shook his head, “During the Coronation Ceremony, the Trisolians
found out the old Emperor was inside me.” He shook his head,
“Man, they were pissed.” His eyes widened, “They
wanted to put me in a giant blender!”
“That
would have hurt.”
“No
kidding.” Fry smiled again, “The Trisolians had us all of
us trapped in the palace. They were determined to save their old
Emperor and kill me, but Leela came to the rescue.”
“Came
to the rescue? Wasn’t she in the palace with you?”
“Um…no.”
Fry shifted uncomfortably, “I had kind of had an argument with
her. She went back to the ship while everyone else stayed with me
for the Coronation.” He paused, apparently lost in thought.
Venus
broke the silence, “So how did Leela save you?”
He
laughed, “Like she always does, by attacking the problem
head-on. Leela just plowed through the
Trisolians like a hot knife through butter.” He leaned forward,
“But I didn’t know
that she was OK. Bender told me she had been killed and I believed
him. So I started to cry and the Emperor began to come out.”
“I
see.”
“Well,
Leela climbed in through a window and I stopped crying. At that
point the Trisolians were beginning to batter down the door to the
Throne Room…that’s where we were…and I thought I
was dead.” He shivered, “But Leela asked me to trust
her, so I did. She figured that if she could get me to cry, the old
Emperor would come out. Then the Trisolians wouldn’t want to
kill me anymore.”
“How
did she get you to cry?”
“Well…”
Fry shifted uncomfortably in his seat again, “she beat up on
me.”
Venus
right eyebrow almost merged with her hairline, “She beat up on
you?”
Fry
shook his head, “Oh, it wasn’t just her. Everybody took
a turn.” He paused before adding, “It really was for my
own good. It wasn’t like Leela liked doing it.” He
appeared briefly lost in thought, “But I believe Bender enjoyed
himself.” Fry grimaced, “That cigar really hurt!”
“Well,
I take it that it all worked,” Venus observed dryly.
“Yup.”
After
a brief moment of silence, Venus asked, “So Fry, this is an
important question. If there were one thing you could change about
Leela, what would it be?”
Fry
looked confused for a few seconds before he blurted out, “I
wouldn’t change anything.”
Venus
smiled, “That is a very
sweet answer.” She looked Fry straight in the face, “But
is it totally honest?”
The
silence seemed to hang in the air. Venus sat quietly, waiting for
Fry to answer. Finally Fry spoke up, “I…I guess that I
wish she wouldn’t get so mad at me when I do dumb things.”
His face was a mask of anxiety, “When Leela blows up, I feel
like I did when my Mom got mad at me.” He shivered, “Mom
had a heck of a temper.”
“Really?”
“Oh
yeah.”
Venus
scribbled a note to come back to the subject of Fry’s mother in
the next session, “So Fry, Leela’s anger frightens you?”
“Not
exactly, I just want her to be happy. Making her unhappy makes me
feel like such a loser.”
Venus
leaned forward, “Fry, listen to me.” She said
emphatically, “You are not
responsible for Leela’s feelings.”
“But…”
“Just
listen.” Venus reached up to brush back a wisp of hair that had
fallen across her face, “There are only two things you can
control in life. They are your own attitude and your own actions.”
Fry
nodded, not sure if he agreed.
“Leela
is responsible for her attitude and her actions. She had a tough
life and her defenses include venting her anger in such a way as to
make people reluctant to … how should I put it …
disappoint her. It is her means of protecting her mental health, but
it is very hard on those around her.”
Fry
nodded, this time in agreement.
“Fry,
you can help Leela with her anger but you are not responsible
for it. When you learn that, you will be a much happier man.”
The
wall clock chimed. Both Fry and Venus looked up.
Venus
said softly, “Well, that’s all the time we have for this
session.” She leafed to the appointments section of her
notebook. She glanced up, “Same time next Tuesday?”
“Sure.”
Fry grinned, “You’re the shrink.”
Chapter
3
The
sidewalk was crowded with pedestrians as Fry
emerged into the sunlight from his session. He blinked briefly before
looking around. A smile crossed his face as he spotted Leela
striding down the street from the direction of the tube station, her
ponytail swaying gently from left to right.
Fry
couldn’t help but continue to smile as
he admired her. “Man,”
he thought, “she is some woman.”
Much
to Fry’s surprise, Leela returned his smile. “So, Fry,
how was your session?”
“Not
bad.” He paused to let her come within a few feet, “I
have another one Tuesday.” Fry paused uncomfortably, “I’ll
bet she wants to talk about my Mom.”
Leela’s
eye widened in surprise, “Your Mom?” Her surprise crept
into her tone of voice, “Why on earth would she want to talk
about her?”
“Well…”
Fry exhaled as he shrugged his shoulders, “I just told her how
my Mom had a really bad temper that used to scare me as a kid.”
There
was a brief silence. Leela could see how uncomfortable the subject
was making Fry, so she changed it, “Do you mind going grocery
shopping?”
“With
you?”
“No,
silly … with Nibbler.” She laughed, “Of course
with me. You know I like to buy a month’s worth at a time.
There’s just no way I can carry it all by myself.” She
linked arms with Fry, “I need a big strong man to help me.”
Fry
grinned, “Maybe I can go get one to help us.”
Leela’s
only response was to giggle and swat Fry lightly on the shoulder.
They
walked silently, arm-in-arm down the crowded streets to Leela’s
block. Fry had thought they would take the tube, but Leela strolled
past the entry without slowing down. “This
is really nice,” Fry thought, “I
could get used to this.”
There
were so many things Fry wanted to say, but a still small voice in his
mind said, “Just enjoy the walk.”
So, that is what he did.
When
they arrived at the corner grocery store, Leela took a hovercart and
so did Fry. They wandered through the store, gradually filling the
carts. Fry like to watch Leela as she made her
selections…she was so focused!
Just
to make her laugh, Fry waited until Leela looked his way. Then he
did an impromptu imitation of Nibbler consuming dinner. Fry opened
his mouth as wide as he could and made chomping noises three times in
rapid succession. It worked!
“Fry,”
Leela said through her laughter, “You are crazy!”
Then
she went back to selecting groceries and filling the carts.
Somehow,
Fry got out ahead of Leela. He was sure she was behind him, though.
He could sense her there. So, Fry decided to repeat his gag. He
turned and imitated Nibbler, expecting to make Leela laugh again at
his antics.
Fry
was shocked to see that instead of Leela, an elderly, distinguished
looking gentleman stood behind him!
The
man’s face was a mask of horror and disgust. “Pervert!”
he spat out before wheeling his cart and disappearing from view.
“Oh
crud,” Fry breathed almost noiselessly. He went in search of
Leela, who he found at the checkout counter. She
was just emptying the last items from her cart. He pushed his cart up
to the counter and began to empty it swiftly, all the time glancing
nervously around.
Leela
gave him a quizzical look, “Fry, what on earth is up with you?”
“Nothing…let’s
just pay and go.”
“Fry,
come on. What’s up?”
“Well…”
Fry told Leela what had happened. “Then he called me a pervert
and left.”
Leela’s
reaction startled Fry. She literally doubled over, howling with
laughter. “Oh my
God!...HA-HA-HA...Fry…HA-HA-HA…you didn’t!”
“Leela,
let’s just pay and get the heck out of here.”
Straightening
up a bit, Leela looked at Fry, “Is he still here?”
HA-HA-HA, “Let’s go find him!”
Fry
startled himself with what he said next, “Leela, shut up! Let’s
just pay and go.”
Doubled
over, Leela managed to gasp between gales of laughter,
“I…think…I’m…going to…pee…myself!”
Her laughter rose to the level of a shriek, “HA-HA-HA!”
The
checkout lady interrupted, “Sir that will be $110.75.”
“Leela,
pay the woman.”
“I
can’t…HA-HA-HA…I can’t…”
“It’s
not that funny.”
Fry reached into his sock. He gave Leela almost all of his check,
but he kept a little beer money aside. Now he used it to pay for the
groceries…anything to get out of the store.
“Come
on Leela.”
Leela
paid no attention. She simply remained doubled over, laughing. Fry
tried pulling her along. That was too slow. He turned to the
delivery boy who had helped bag the groceries, “Can you deliver
these?”
“To
Miss Leela’s apartment?”
“Yes.”
“Ok.”
Fry
tried pulling her along again. No soap. In desperation, Fry hoisted
her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carried her, still
laughing, all the way to the apartment.
Chapter
4
Once
inside the apartment, Leela began to calm
down. They stood just inside the doorway.
Fry
waited until Leela seemed capable of speech
before he asked with some heat, “Why did you freak out on me
back there?”
She
reached out and touched his cheek
affectionately, “Oh Fry, you are so sweet.” She laughed
gently, “Why do you put up with me?”
Fry
changed from angered to perplexed, “Uh…because
I love you.”
Leela
was briefly lost in thought before she replied, “Fry, I don’t
know why I thought it was so funny.” Then she smiled radiantly,
“But it was the best laugh I ever had in my whole life. Thank
you.”
At
that moment Fry ceased to care about his embarrassment.
He returned her smile, “You’re welcome.”
Fry
embraced her. Their lips pressed together in a passionate kiss.
Much to Fry’s amazement, Leela emitted a low growl and began to
peel his jacket off. As their lips parted she panted, “Oh Fry,
I want you.”
Before
Fry could answer, there was a knock at the door, “Grocery
delivery, Miss Leela!”
“Damn
it!” Fry swore softly, “Why can’t he be a goof off
like most delivery boys?” After a short pause Fry called out,
“Just a minute!”
Leela
giggled, “I feel like a teenager caught by her parents.”
She kissed him on the cheek, “We’ll have to pick this up
later.”
With
a sigh, Fry pressed the door release. It slid open to reveal the
delivery boy, a gangly dark haired teenager, standing behind a hover
dolly piled high with groceries. Fry gestured toward the kitchen,
“Come on in. Take ‘em into the
kitchen.”
“Yes
sir.”
“Don’t
call me sir, I’m not that
old.”
“Yes
sir…I mean no sir…I mean OK.” The delivery boy
pushed the dolly into the kitchen and unloaded the bags onto the
counter in a flash. He paused for a moment, waiting for a tip. Fry
reached into his sock for a few bucks. Then he realized that his
beer money was gone…spent on the groceries. “Aw snap.
Leela, do you have any change?”
Wordlessly,
she reached into her pocket, pulled out a few dollars and handed them
to Fry. “Don’t spend it all in one place,” Fry
said as he handed the money to the delivery boy.
“Thank
you sss…I mean, Thank you.”
“Don’t
mention it.”
As
the delivery boy left the apartment, Fry turned to speak to Leela.
But she was no longer in the kitchen, “Leela?”
Her
voice replied from the bedroom, “I’m in here Fry. Are you
ready to pick up where we left off?”
Fry
nearly fell on his face as he eagerly rushed toward the bedroom. His
voice climbed half an octave in his excitement, “I was born
ready!”
Chapter
5
Tick..tick…tick.
Leela
glanced at the clock on the waiting room wall, then at her
Wristamajigy. “Only one more
minute to go before my next session,”
she thought. “If anyone had
told me six weeks ago that I would look forward to a session with a
shrink, I’d have told them they were crazy.”
The sound
of the door to Venus’ office sliding open caused Leela to look
up. She smiled reflexively at the slender Neptunian woman who stepped
through. The woman returned the smile along with a nod as she left
the waiting room.
“Come
in Leela,” Venus’ voice sounded from her office, “On
time as always.”
Leela stood, brushed a few imaginary
wrinkles from her clothing, and then stepped into Venus’
office.
“Good morning, Venus. Lovely day, isn’t
it?”
Venus nodded in reply, bent over her desk finishing
her notes on the last patient. “
Yes, it is a lovely day.”
Then she looked up, “So how are you?”
Leela sank
into the armchair that she favored. It had a wonderful view of a
small courtyard garden with a fountain. With a smile, she replied, “I
feel great!”
Venus stood and moved to the matching
armchair opposite Leela, “I’m certainly glad to hear
that.” After a short pause she asked, “So how is
Fry?”
Leela grinned, “He’s
fine. Can I tell you something?”
“That’s
what we’re here for.”
They both laughed.
As their laughter died away, Leela looked thoughtful, “You know,
six weeks ago I would have been offended by what you just said. Now,
it’s just funny.” The she proceeded to relate the story
about Fry and the grocery store.
They both enjoyed a good
laugh. Then Leela added, “I don’t know why, but that was
the best laugh I had in my life. It’s almost like I crossed
some kind of barrier…I don’t know. It’s kind of
weird.”
Venus scribbled a note, then looked Leela in the
eye, “Leela, I think you are ready to begin on the next layer
of the onion.” She paused to let it sink in, “What do you
think?”
Without hesitation Leela replied, “I’m
ready.”
Venus shifted slightly in her seat, “Very
well. What is your greatest fear?”
“Being abandoned…alone…it scares me to death.”
“Why?”
Leela
touched her own cheek as she was temporarily lost in thought, “I
guess…I guess it goes back to being left in the
Orphanarium.”
“Please explain.”
“Well,
you have no idea what it was like.” Her delivery became
increasingly laden with emotion, “I mean, every day someone
beat it into
you that you were an orphan…that nobody wanted you…that
you were alone
in the world. I grew up thinking my parents had abandoned me.”
Her eye moistened, “I always used to invent good reasons for
them leaving me, but the fear that I was unlovable was always a black
spot on my spirit. It gnawed away relentlessly at my heart.” A
silent tear slid off the end of her nose.
Venus leaned
forward, pulled a tissue from the tissue dispenser
on coffee table between them and handed it to Leela.
“Thanks.”
Leela dabbed her eye, “God…I
thought I would never shed tears about that again.” She paused,
“After all, my parents did come back into my life. At least I
know why they left me at the Orphanarium.”
“Why
did they leave you?”
“Um…for my own good.
They wanted to spare me the degrading life of a mutant.”
“How
does that make you feel?”
“I can understand their
motives, but I would have preferred growing up with them rather than
in the Orphanarium.”
“Really?”
Leela
blinked in surprise, “Of course! Who in their right mind would
want to grow up in an Orphanarium?”
“If you hadn’t
grown up in the Orphanarium, would you be the person you are
today?”
“Well…yes…I mean
no.”
“Leela, you went through some very tough
times. Wouldn’t you agree that instead of breaking you, they
made you into who you are today?”
Leela nodded, “But
that doesn’t mean I wanted it that way.”
Venus
looked Leela directly in the eye, “Leela, listen to me. Most of
the people I see torment themselves over the past. They refuse to do
the one thing that will free them.”
Leela’s face
took on a look of intense focus, “What is that?”
“They
refuse to let go of the past.” Venus paused to let that sink
in, “Leela, the past only has the power over you that you
permit it. As long as you keep dredging it up, it will control
you.”
“But how can
I stop?” Leela sounded almost frantic.
“First,
you have to make a list of all the people who have hurt you…right
now.” Venus reached back to her desk, took up a writing pad,
and handed it to Leela.
Leela took the pad, shrugged and said
“Okay” doubtfully. Then she set to work for about twenty
minutes. She finally looked up and said, “Finished.”
“Okay,”
Venus extended her hand, “Let’s see what it looks like.”
Leela handed the pad over wordlessly. She watched as Venus ran down
the list. She was a bit startled when Venus looked up, “You
left some people off.”
“What? Why do you say that?”
“I’ll tell you why,
because you didn’t put your Mother and Father
here.”
“But…”
Venus cut her
off, “No buts, Leela. Half of the problem is the confusion,
anger and hurt generated by your parents. You don’t want to
admit it, so you invent other causes. I suspect that Fry has been
punished for your parent’s actions more than once.”
“No, that’s not true,” Leela almost screamed. “Yes, it is true.”
Leela
burst into tears. She realized that it was true…that she had
been masking and redirecting her fear and anger. “Poor Fry…what
have I done…what can I do…” Her voice trailed
off, stifled by sobs.
When Leela had cried herself out, Venus
leaned forward and lightly touched her on the shoulder. In a gentle
voice she said, “Leela, you can begin by forgiving everybody on
this list, beginning with your parents.” She extended the pad
to Leela.
Leela recoiled as though Venus were presenting her
with a snake, “How can I forgive some of these people? They
would just do it again!”
Venus kept the pad extended,
“Forgiveness simply means that you
let go of the past…that you refuse to be bound to it and the
person who hurt you any more. Forgiving does not mean that you have
to let someone abuse you again.”
Leela sat quietly for a
moment. Then she took the pad, “So how do I do this?”
“Read
each name aloud. Then say, ‘I refuse to be bound to the
injuries this person did to me in the past.’ Then you will be
on the road to freedom.”
For the next twenty minutes,
Leela worked her way through the list, at times with great
difficulty. When she reached the end, she said quietly, “That’s
it.”
“So Leela, how do you feel?”
“It’s
hard to say…calmer…I don’t know exactly.”
Venus
glanced at the wall clock, “Well, I’m afraid we’re
out of time.” She smiled at Leela, “Same time next
week?”
Leela rose, “Yes, I’ll be here.
Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Oh and when the
old feelings start to come back…and they will… just
forgive. You’ll find that with each repetition, the bad
feelings will get weaker and weaker.”“That’s
good to know. See you next week.”
“Next week
then.”
Chapter 6
“Good morning, Fry.”
Venus gestured to the same chair that Leela always preferred, “Have
a seat. I just need to finish this paperwork from my last client.”
“Client?”
Fry thought as he sat down wordlessly, “That’s
an interesting way for a shrink to refer to a patient.”
Venus
stood and moved in front of her desk, taking a seat opposite Fry, “So
Fry, How are things going?”
Fry
flashed his best boyish grin, “Things have never been better!”
“Really?”
“I
don’t know what you’ve been doing, but keep it up.”
He smiled again, “Leela has been…well…really nice
to me.”
Venus
suppressed a grin, “That’s good to hear. Does she have
more control over her temper?”
Fry
nodded.
“That’s
interesting. Fry, in our last session you mentioned that your mother
had a terrible temper. Could you tell me more about that statement?”
The
grin vanished from Fry’s face, replaced by a look of anxiety.
He licked his lips nervously before responding, “My Mom used to
home school me. I…I just was never very good at school stuff.
I was always screwing up. I would make her lose her temper.”
His voice quavered, “When she lost her temper, she would smack
me on the back of the head.”
Venus
eyes widened, “She hit you?”
“Not
hard, but it sure scared me.” He shivered at the thought, “She
used to yell, too. I really hated that.” A wan smile flitted
across his face, “She would always apologize, but she would go
right back to yelling and smacking when I did something dumb….and
I always seemed to do something dumb, especially when I was nervous.”
He raised both hands, palms uplifted in a gesture of helplessness, “I
just wanted to make her happy.”
“Why
did she home school you if aggravated her so much?”
“Ummm…she
didn’t want me on drugs.”
Venus
sounded genuinely surprised, “Was there a drug problem in your
Elementary School?”
Fry
shook his head, “No…No…nothing like that. The
school wanted to put me on Ritalin because I was diagnosed with ADD.”
He shrugged, “Also, I had dyslexia.”
“Go
on.”
“Well,
my Dad said there was no way I was going to become a druggie. So Mom
stayed home and Dad deployed overseas. He was in the Army.” His
voice quavered, “Mom had to be in charge, you know? I mean…she
had to take care of us…she had to be both Mom and Dad. I guess
that’s why she would lose her temper.”
“How
did you feel about your father being gone so much?”
There
was a pause while Fry rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “Mom always
used to say that was his job. But as a kid, well, I kind of resented
that other kids had their Dad there and I didn’t."
“How
long was your father in the service?”
“He
retired in 1986 when I was twelve.” Fry’s face took on a
look of pained concentration, “Let’s see. I remember his
first tour in Vietnam was in 1968 so he would have served for…for…”
“Twenty
eight years?”
“Yeah.
That sounds right.” Fry looked embarrassed, “I was never
good at math.”
“So
Fry, let’s return to your home schooling. Were you home
schooled all the way through high school?”
“Nope.
I went back to school in the eighth grade.”
Venus
paused for a moment. Normally she was confident as she worked with
her patients and knew just how to steer the session. But Fry was
baring his soul in a manner that most men wouldn’t have
revealed even after months of therapy. How to proceed? After a few
more seconds of thought, she made up her mind.
“Fry,
last time we spoke, do you remember what we talked about?”
“Sure.
We talked about how I wasn’t responsible for Leela’s bad
temper. You said, ‘There are only two things you can control in
life. They are your own attitude and your own actions.’ I’ve
been thinking about that a lot.”
“And?”
“Well,
I can see that it applies to my Mom.” He shifted in his seat,
“I mean…I guess I shouldn’t blame myself for Mom
getting mad. But you know, I still feel sorry for her. I was really a
hand full.” He smiled, “I’m not sure that I’d
like to have a kid like me.”
Venus
smiled, “I would.”
“No
way.”
“Fry,
I need to tell you something.” She paused to brush back a wisp
of hair that had fallen in front of her face, “I have met
people who did not face half of your challenges in life who are
bitter, neurotic, and unwilling to change. Yet you remain cheerful
and optimistic.” She paused briefly, “Why do you suppose
that is?”
He
shrugged, “I don’t know.”
“I
believe it is because you have compassion for others.”
“Huh?”
“Compassion
really means that you can put yourself in someone else’s shoes
and not judge them. It is a very rare quality, one that makes you an
extraordinary person.”
“Well,
I don’t know about that…”
“Please,
let me finish. Where you go wrong is assuming the blame for others.
You know your own faults, but are so generous in forgiving those of
others that you often shift their blame onto your shoulders.”
She paused to see if it sank in, then she resumed, “Fry, I
don’t think you should stop being compassionate, but I do think
you must stop shouldering the blame for others.”
“Like
my Mom?”
“Exactly.
Fry, she was an adult…you were a child. There is no way that
you were responsible for your actions at that age. On the other hand,
your mother was an adult and fully responsible for her actions. I
know it’s difficult, but you are going to have to keep your
compassion in check.”
“What?”
“Fry,
any emotion carried to an extreme can be harmful. Just don’t
let your compassion make you to think you are a screw up, because you
are not.” She smiled, “You are a fine, decent man.”
Fry
smiled, “Thanks.” His smile became an impish grin, “Would
you give me a doctor’s note that says that? I just want it in
case Leela loses her temper.”
Venus
laughed, “Fry, I’d be glad to write that note.” She
glanced at the clock, “It seems we’ve run over a bit. Do
you mind picking this up next week?”
Fry
rose, “Heck no. I’ll see you next week.”
Chapter
7
It
had all been Leela’s idea. She had talked first Amy, the Inez
and finally Munda into a “girl’s day out.” She had
even gone to Mayor Poopenmeyer and gotten Munda a day pass to visit
the surface.
They
met in front of Alien Overlord and Taylor. Amy and Leela arrived
first via the tube. Munda arrived next, emerging from a sewer. Inez
was next, driving up in a chauffeured white Hovercaddy.
They
shopped until they were ready to drop. Inez had brought the shopping
to a halt when she announced, “I so hungry that I could eat a
Bugallo.” She lapsed temporarily into Cantonese, then
continued, “There anyplace good to eat near here?”
Leela
pointed down the street, “We could try the Blue Moon Café.
“
Amy
chimed in, “It has great food Mom.”
Inez
looked dubious, “I don’t know. Last time you say food was
great, I get sick.”
Amy
looked exasperated, “Well, I thought that was over and done
with, Mom.”
Before
Inez could reply, Munda spoke up softly, “It certainly looks
inviting.”
Leela
asked respectfully, “Is there anyplace else you would like to
go, Mrs. Wong?”
Inez
shook her head, “No, we can go there.”
Without
further debate, they trudged to the café, encumbered by their
multitude of packages garnered from a dozen stores.
When
they entered the café’s cool and dimly lit interior the
owner, a tall Neptunian female named Angelique greeted them. “Welcome
ladies,” she motioned them toward an empty booth at the rear of
the café, “please take a seat and your server will be
right with you.”
Leela
scooted into the booth first. Amy sat next to Leela. Their mothers
lined up opposite their own daughter, with Munda sitting opposite
Leela and Inez sitting across from Amy.
As
soon as they had settled in, their server – a perky little
redhead – came up. She smiled broadly, “Hi, my name is
Wendy and I’ll be your server. Can I get you anything to
drink?”
Inez
spoke first, “Ice tea, no sugar for me.”
Amy
said, “Slurm, no ice, please.”
“I’ll…I’ll
have ice water, please,” Munda said hesitantly.
“Iced
coffee, please,” Leela said with a smile.
“Coming
right up!” Wendy replied. She whiled about and headed for the
counter.
Amy
made a face, “Ugh! How can anybody be so perky?”
Inez
laughed, “She got no money, that why she so perky.”
“Why
would that make
her perky?” Leela asked with a slight edge to her voice.
Inez
raised an eyebrow, “She gotta earn a living. So, she gotta be
polite and perky…get bigger tips.”
“No,”
Leela thought, “I’m not
going to rise to the bait. Why did I ever include Inez on this trip?”
Munda
spoke up gently, “It always pays to be polite. It doesn’t
matter who you are.”
“Yeah,
yeah…whatever.” Inez said dismissively.
Their
conversation lapsed for a moment as they all studied…or
pretended to study…the menu.
Wendy
returned with their drinks. She put them down without error. Then she
pulled her order pad from her apron, “What can I get for you
ladies?”
“I
have a large Chicken Caesar Salad with Thousand Island Dressing,”
Inez said while closing her menu.
Wendy
looked at Amy expectantly. Amy peered over the top of the menu she
was holding, “Give me a minute, I’m still deciding.”
“Yes,
ma’am.” Wendy turned to Munda, “What can I get you
ma’am?”
Munda
smiled, “I think I’d like a chocolate croissant, please.”
“Oooh!
Mom, those are great!” Leela looked at Wendy, “I’ll
have one of those too.”
Wendy
waited patiently while Amy finished scanning the menu. Amy closed her
menu, “I’ll have a chicken salad sandwich.”
Wendy
smiled, “I’ll be right back with your order.” Then
she headed off for the kitchen.
Inez
said, “I know who she remind me of, that gwei-lo
Fry.”
Leela’s
eye narrowed, “Gwei-lo…what
is that?”
“I
not know in English.” She laughed. “But at least she know
what she is doing. Fry always seem to mess up.”
“That’s
Fry,” Amy chimed in.
“I
wonder. When is he going to get a better job?” Munda asked.
Leela’s
face froze in a mask of disbelief. She fought hard to control her
temper, grinding her teeth together.
Amy
heard the sound and realized what it represented. Before Amy could
even try to defuse the situation, Inez spoke again, “He so lazy
that no one would promote him. He not very bright either.”
Leela
shot to her feet, rocking the table and causing the drinks to slosh
over. Glaring at Inez she roared, “THAT IS ENOUGH!”
The
entire café became silent as a tomb. Patrons paused with their
glasses or forks raised to their lips, stunned by the sudden
outburst.
Leela
balled her hands into fists, placing them very deliberately on the
table as she struggled to control her emotions. She leaned forward,
“Let me tell you something. Philip J. Fry may not be an
Einstein, he may not be rich, he may even be a little clumsy….but
I love him!”
Munda
started to speak, “Sweetie…”
Ignoring
her, Leela went on, “Fry is kind and gentle and…most
importantly…he loves me.” Her facial expression
softened, “I’m tired of people running him down.” A
single tear rolled off the end of her nose, “He’s a good
man.” She sobbed, “I’ve been such a bitch
to him in the past. How many times
did he ask me for a simple date and I refused him? I even divorced
him without giving him a chance.”
She
stood there silently for a few seconds, tears rolling off the end of
her nose. Her breathing was ragged as she fought for control, “But
I want you all to be the first to know, if Fry ever asks to marry me
again, I’m…going…to…accept.”
Standing
erect, Leela pushed past Amy with a muffled, “Excuse me.”
She ran to the bathroom holding her hands to her face and sobbing.
Amy
watched her go and then turned to Inez, “Way to go, Mom.”
Then she stood up and followed Leela into the bathroom.
Standing
in front of the mirror, Leela had regained a measure of control. She
turned to face Amy, “I’m sorry that I blew up like that,
Amy.”
“It’s
okay, Leela.” She smiled, “I never knew you had those
kind of feelings for Fry.”
Leela
replied in a voice tinged with surprise, “Up until a few
minutes ago, neither did I.”
Chapter
8
Venus brushed
back a lock of hair that had fallen across her face. She scribbled a
quick note. Then she turned her attention back to Leela. “So,
what happened next?”
Leela shifted
uncomfortably in her seat, “Well…I went back to
apologize to my Mom and Inez for blowing up like that.”
She smiled,
“My Mom was absolutely fine with it, but Inez was another
matter.”
After waiting
a few seconds Venus spoke up, “So what did Inez say?”
With
a frown, Leela said, “It wasn’t what
she said, it was how
she said it.” She shook her head, “She was so cold. I
guess you have to be rich to be that nasty.”
Venus nodded,
“Money reveals the person. It’s not really important what
she said. It’s just important that your conscience is clear.”
“Oh
my
conscience is clear all right.”
“So what
happened after you left the café?”
“I
walked my Mom home.” Leela smiled, “We had a nice
talk…you know…girl talk. It’s interesting, for
the first time she told me about how she and my Dad met.” She
laughed, “My Dad must have been really impulsive when he was
young. The first time he saw my Mom, he walked up to her and said,
‘We’re going to get married one day’. They were
only in Junior High! Can you believe that?”
“Stranger
things have happened.”
“Well,
my Mom told him; ‘You are crazy!’ and she wouldn’t
go out with him for almost six
months.”
“That’s
understandable if she thought he was crazy.”
“But my
Dad never gave up. He chased her for nine years before they finally
married.”
“That’s
close to a record.”
Leela’s
tone softened, “But you know, she never was cruel to my Dad.”
“Leela,
stop it.” Venus leaned forward, “That is all in the past.
Digging it up will do you no good. Fry has forgiven you so you need
to forgive yourself.”
“Sorry.”
“No need
to apologize, Leela.” Venus leaned back in the chair and
smiled, “Now, what else happened?”
She shrugged,
“Mom and I talked about a lot of things. She was a little
concerned that I was going to marry a Normal. But I told her
something that I figured during as I walked down the boardwalk to our
house…that Fry is a Mutant.”
Venus
exclaimed, “What?”
“I know
it sounds crazy, but hear me out. Fry fell into Lake Mutagenic and
didn’t mutate. He has to be a Mutant.”
Venus looked
dubious, “Are you certain?”
“Yes.”
She paused, “The first time we went into the sewers…before
I knew I was Mutant…Fry fell into Lake Mutagenic. He didn’t
just fall in, he swallowed some of the water, yet it didn’t
mutate him.” She laughed, “I can still remember him
sputtering like a cat and saying, ‘Oh, the aftertaste!”
Venus laughed,
“Has the Lake always been mutagenic?”
“Yes,
that’s how the Mutants became mutants. Any Normal who falls in
mutates always mutates. Mutants are immune.” She paused before
continuing, “Bender…I’ve told you about him…dumped
a bunch of toxic waste in it after Fry fell in, but all that did was
make the lake glow. It may have made it a bit more mutagenic, but
not that much.”
“So how
does that make you feel?”
“I know
that Fry and I were made for each other.” She began to worry
her ponytail slightly, “I’ve never thought much about
fate or God or anything like that but I know that I am destined to be
with Fry.” She released her ponytail and smiled, “I’m
so glad he never gave up.”
Venus smiled
in return, “Well, I believe the time has come for a session
with Fry and you together.” She glanced at the clock, “Same
time next week?”
Leela nodded,
“Same time next week.”
Chapter 9
Venus
finished reviewing her notes in preparation for Leela and Fry’s
arrival. A smile flitted across her face as she glanced at the
clock, “Five minutes to go.”
Leaning back
in the chair, Venus closed her eyes briefly. She always liked to have
a few minutes to relax between sessions. Breathing deeply, she let
her mind simply drift.
Right on time,
there was a tapping at the door. Leela’s voice sounded from the
other side, “Venus?”
“Come on
in.”
The door
opened and Leela stepped through, followed closely by Fry. They
exchanged greetings as Leela sat in her favorite spot and Fry took
the chair next to her. Venus rose, walked around the desk, and took
her seat opposite Fry and Leela.
“So how
are you both doing?”
Fry smiled,
“Fine, I couldn’t be better.”
“I’m
doing well,” Leela replied, “these past few weeks have
brought a lot of change to my,” she paused and glanced at Fry,
“to our lives.”
Venus
scribbled a quick note, “You said our
lives, what does that mean?”
Leela
unconsciously stroked her ponytail before responding, “It
means…it means that Fry and I have a lot more in common now. I
guess that Fry and I are” she paused, “a couple.”
“How
does that make you feel, Fry?”
“Great!”
Fry’s
enthusiastic but monosyllabic response made Venus smile inwardly. It
was so typical of Fry, upbeat and simple. “Would you care to
expand on that?”
“Ever
since I came to the future and met Leela, I’ve wanted to date
her.” He smiled, “Now I’m with her all the time.
It’s like being in heaven or something.”
Venus returned
Fry’s smile, “That’s very sweet.” She looked
at Leela, “How does what Fry said make you feel?”
Leela shook
her head, “I don’t know why Fry feels like he’s in
heaven.” She laughed, “Well…I’m no angel,
but I am awfully glad that he didn’t give up on me.”
Leela reached out and touched Fry’s arm, “It’s
really nice having him around.” She looked Fry in the face,
“You make me feel so special Fry. Please don’t ever
change too much.” Her voice quavered, “I can’t
imagine life without you.”
Fry gulped
audibly, surprised by the emotion in Leela’s voice. He
stammered, “Do…do you m..mean it Leela?”
“Yes,
Fry.” She smiled, “Can you forgive me for being such a
bitch to you so many times?”
Fry’s
mouth dropped open at the word ‘bitch.’ Then the words
gushed forth, “Leela! If you want me to forgive you, it’s
done. But you were never a bitch…things just happened.”
He shrugged his shoulders, “I’m not exactly a prize
myself.”
“Fry…”
“No
Leela, listen. I’m not very bright, but I know that I love
you. I’ll never be mean to you or be unfaithful. Do you
believe that?”
Her lower lip
quivered as she replied, “Yes.”
Fry reached
into his jacket pocket, pulling out a small black velvet box. He
opened it silently, revealing a glittering solitaire diamond ring.
Leela gasped,
“Fry!”
Fry knelt down
and took Leela’s hand, “Leela, will you marry me?”
“Yes”
she replied before she began to cry. Tears rolled off of her nose as
fought for control, “Oh Fry…I’m so happy…I’m
so glad.”
Fry took the
ring out of the box, slipping it onto her finger.
Leela sobbed
loudly, throwing her arms around Fry. Fry was so surprised by her
action that he was almost knocked onto the floor. However, he
managed to stay upright as he patted her on the back,
“There…there…please don’t cry Leela.”
“I’m
so happy,” she said through her tears, “I’m just so
relieved that you want me.”
“Heck,
Leela, I’ll always want you.”
Leela released
her hold on Fry slightly. She looked searchingly into his eyes, then
kissed him passionately. She growled as she ran her hands up into his
hair.
Venus coughed,
“Sorry. It looks to me like you two no longer need me
professionally.”
They parted as
if shocked by electricity. Both burst into laughter simultaneously.
Fry grinned
sheepishly, “Sorry…I guess we ought to get a room.”
Leela blushed
furiously, “I’m…I’m sorry…I guess I
got carried away.”
“Don’t
worry,” Venus said cheerfully, “Love I can take, it’s
the fistfights or screaming matches that go with this job that get me
down.” She stood up, “When you’ve set the wedding
day, will you make sure that I get an invitation?”
“Certainly,”
Leela replied, “If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t
be
getting married.”
“Well,
if you both hadn’t been willing to work at it, it wouldn’t
have happened either.”
Fry smiled,
“I’m just glad it’s happened.”
“Me
too,” Leela replied, “me too.”
The End
I
offer many thanks to everyone who has followed this story and offered
me encouragement. It will be followed by a sequel entitled One’s
On the Way.
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