From: Allen Kitchen Subject: STORY: When you return Date: 1999/06/08 Message-ID: <375DDB4B.46D2CA5@blkbox.com> Cache-Post-Path: news.blkbox.com!unknown@s91.max1.houston.box.net Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit References: <375DBA48.1A657059@raex.com> X-Accept-Language: en Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Organization: The Black Box Internet Access Houston TX 713-638-9983/409-638-1000 X-Cache: nntpcache 2.3.3 (see http://www.nntpcache.org/) Mime-Version: 1.0 Newsgroups: alt.fan.furry Atara wrote: > __ Romance. Now, I know there's plenty of "yiffy" stories floating > around, but that's not what I mean. Romance isn't about how many ways > you can fit Tab A into Slot B. It's about two characters falling in > love. When you return by Allen Kitchen all rights reserved allenk@blkbox.com http://www.blkbox.com/~osprey/ It was early afternoon when Thelsy walked up the stairs to Thomas's apartment. She knocked smartly on the door 3 times, then leaned inside the frame of the door next to his, hiding from view. A few seconds later, his door opened and Thomas looked outside to find nobody there. Oh you silly fox, Thelsy laughed to herself. You are such a good fighter pilot, but you fall for this trick outside your apartment over and over again. She jumped back into view only inches away from him. "Boo!" she yelled. He jumped backwards into the apartment in surprise, his neckfur standing straight out. She rushed into the apartment and hugged him tightly to her. He was already dressed in his gravity suit for his upcoming flight. It hugged every curve on his body, and accented his already handsome physique. She loved to see him in it, even though she hated what it meant when he wore it. "Okay Thelsy, " he began. "you surprised me again. I really wish you would stop scaring me like that though." She continued to hold him close. "My beautiful warrior fox." she murred. "If I didn't scare the hell out of you once and a while, how would you know that you were loved?" He tilted his head down and nuzzled her ear. "Thanks for coming to see me off, my darling vixen." he murmered to her. "I really appreciate it." She gently let him go and beamed up at his face. "Well Thomas, I couldn't let you fly off into space, and not even drive you to the starport. I mean, what kind of fiance would I be?" She then leaned forward and kissed her attractive mate. He wrapped his tail around her waist as he ecstatically returned her love. His kisses never failed to electrify her, she thought. She could feel the fur on her tail stand on end in excitement. She hoped the thrill wouldn't disappear after they were married. She gasped for breath as she leaned back again. "I, uh, made you something to eat Thomas." she said handing him the small paper bag she was still carrying. "It's nothing much, but it will keep the edge of hunger away for the first night at least." He smiled at her as he took the brown sack. "Aww, Thelsy. That was sweet. But you didn't have to pack me a lunch. I have rations in the starfighter you know..." "I know. But I wanted to fix you something nice. Besides..." she wrinkled her nose in disgust, "those space rations taste like stuff I usually throw away." "Well love, they keep us alive. And they last forever." "Garbage often does last forever." she commented. He chuckled at her, and gave her a quick peck on the nose. "Thank you so much sweetheart. I really appreciate it." He suddenly looked excited. "Oh! And I have something for you too. Come on inside." He took her by the hand and led her into the living room. She followed him the rest of the way into his apartment and closed the door behind her. The apartment was not large, but was tastefully decorated with paintings and photos from his travels. It could still use a woman's touch though, she thought. She had been here many times. He had given her the key to the door a year ago, so that she could come and go as she wanted to. It was the highest form of trust any male could give. She had spent many nights there while he was away, clutching his pillow and wishing it was him. He walked over to the flightbags piled in the center of the room, and picked up a small decoratively wrapped object. It was about the size of a picture frame and it was wrapped in green paper and ribbons. He grinned, and handed the gift to Thelsy. "What is this?" she asked taking the gift from him. "It is a surprise." he replied. "Go ahead, open it." She untied the ribbons with her index claw. "You shouldn't have bought me a present Thomas." she chuckled. "We should be saving money for a house." "This didn't cost as much as you think sweety." he replied, watching her open the gift with interest. She tore at the paper, revealing a official-looking document in a wooden frame. She read the writing to herself, then looked up worriedly at him. "No, it didn't cost much at all."she gasped at him. "Just everything you have worked for all your life. You can't be serious Thomas. This is a copy of a service discharge paper, and it has your name on it." He nodded. "That's right love. I have tendered my resignation to the military, and it was accepted. This mission will be my very last one as a fighter pilot. I am giving up the service life for a more normal one." She shook her head. "But you love to fly. You live for it. Space is a part of you. Why are you quitting?" "Let's just say I found another reason to live." he said, taking her into his arms again. "A reason that doesn't get me shot at. A reason to come home at night. A reason that packs me meals, and sees me off to work now and then. And a reason that deserves far more time and attention than a fighter pilot can give her." She was very touched. She put her arms around him, and stood there holding him for awhile. After a moment, he let her go and looked into her eyes again. "Look at it another way... I am getting a promotion. I am going from fighter jock to loving husband. Not much of a pay increase, but the fringe benefits are supposed to be excellent." He grinned at her again. She grabbed his head with her right hand, and held him in place as she kissed him hard. Hours later, Thelsy stood by the fence of the flightline at the starport. She watched as Thomas's small starship leaped into the sky on a fountain of blue-white flame. The yellow tint of the fighter's armor stood out brightly against the deepening cobalt sky. This will be the last time he leaves, she told herself. Only once more, then he will return to stay. No more waiting patiently by the telephone, hoping to hear from him. No more hoping for a few days of leave with him, before he had to return to duty again. She heard the scream of other starfighters lifting into the sky. She watched as 15 other ships, identical to his, followed him into the air. The rest of his group, she thought to herself. They would be gone for 2 months. And when they returned, she would be wed to Thomas at last. The plans were all set. The invitations were all transmitted, and the replies received. Oh, it would be a glorious reception, with full honor guard and even a fighter flyover. When he returned, she would be the happiest fox alive. He was only gone for a few moments, and she missed him already. Oh, what she wouldn't give to fly with him now, to dance among the clouds until their dance led them off this world completely. To circle and pirouette in the heavens. She would die to be together with him amongst the stars, even in the tiny starfighter's cockpit. Thelsy turned away from the flightline, and slowly walked away. She still remembered that night they had met, in a formal gathering at the capital about 2 years ago. She remembered it vividly. He was so handsome in his dress uniform, all black with Iridium buttons tightly fitted against his bright orange and white fur. She had worn a long white satin dress with a low neckline. She had come with her best friend, and didn't know what kind of party to expect. Most of the partygoers were too busy making political connections to pay any attention to her, so she sat quietly on the side of the room by herself. He had shyly brought her a glass of punch while the other foxes in the room hobnobbed and networked. She didn't know why, but she fell head over tail in love with him right then. They spent that entire first night together. They danced on the marble floors of the Governors mansion until the early hours of morning. He was an excellent dancer, possessing both subtle grace and strength. Necessary attributes for a fighter pilot, she later learned. Afterwards he then took her to a restaurant on top of the SkyNeedle, the tallest building in the capital. They had an early breakfast in the sky, and talked until the first red rays of dawn pierced the night. And he had returned to his unit in space 2 days later. She had grown accustomed to his job taking him away from her so often. But she never enjoyed the time they spent apart. He always seemed to be genuinely sorry to have to leave her as well. Their goodbyes on the flightline were becoming the stuff novels were made from. He always wrote her when he was away though. He wrote her long rambling love letters every couple of days, and told her how much he missed her. He told her that she was the best thing that ever happened to him. That went on for a little over a year. Then one day, he appeared on her doorstep, again in full dress uniform. She was very surprised indeed! Last she heard from him, he was chasing smugglers out in the asteroid belt. He had hired a string ensemble to play in the background. They softly played her favorite love song as he fell to one knee and asked her to marry him. She was so moved she cried as she said 'yes' to him. Too soon, he again got orders to leave for space. They were going to have such a wonderful life, he wrote to her. He sent her the most beautiful letters. He tried to imagine what their children would look like. He sketched houses that he would buy for her. He joked that they would be the happiest pair of foxes that any world had ever seen. She would then always write and tease him, asking him when he would return and leave no more. He always gave the same answer. "Soon." he would say. Soon they would be together forever. She couldn't wait for her future. Thelsy slowly limped her way up to the rusted fence of the old starport. There was mud here from the winter drizzle. She was careful to only move about on the broken concrete, or her walking cane would sink into the mire and cause her to fall. And if she fell out here, it would be a long time before she was found. Since they built the new spaceport 90 miles away, very few people came here anymore, especially on nasty frigid winter days like today. But she still came. Every day. She slowly made her way across the rubble and cracked pavement until she finally reached the corroded metal fence surrounding the tired old starport. The buildings were still falling down, and that the concrete landing strip was so broken up that it was almost unusable. They really should fix all that, she thought. Panting from the exertion, she leaned on the fence for support. The years had not been gentle to her. Her eyes were weak now, and she had to wear glasses to see anything clearly. Her left leg was lame and barely movable. She had to struggle for breath sometimes. But she always came here, every day, just to wait for him. She came to watch the heavens for some sign that his starfighter was approaching. Just like she had done everyday for the past 50 years. It had also been raining that morning the base chaplain knocked on her apartment door all those years ago. She remembered the sad old fox telling her that Thomas would not be returning to her. Of course, she didn't believe him. How could she? She and Thomas were about to be married, and after all, this was only a chaplain she was talking to. How could the poor man possibly know what had happened out there in space? No, she thought, it had to be some big mistake. So she drove out to the starport that day, and waited for him to return. That was 50 years ago. He hadn't returned yet. And yet, even after all this time, she still believed that he would come back to her. Thomas had once told her that the universe held more miracles and mystery than anyone could ever imagine. She silently repeated that phrase everyday she came out here. She coughed for a moment, her tired breath visible in the icy air. She pulled her collar closed with one hand, and leaned against the fence for a while. She looked up at the heavens, blinking in the cold wet rain. They were hidden behind thick, dark, lead-colored clouds. She knew that she should feel cold in the winter rain, but she didn't. She certainly felt the cold during the long walk out here. But suddenly, she didn't feel anything at all except tired. Oh, so very tired. Slowly she let her weight down to the ground until she was sitting on her grey tail, and stared out at the runway. There was still no sign of him. She coughed again, deeper this time, and wondered if the doctors knew what they were talking about when they said that she was dying. "Well beloved," she said out loud to nobody, "if you are going to return to me, you will need to do so today. Or you will find nobody waiting here at all." She felt a tear roll down her cheek as she leaned her gray head against the fence for support. Or was it the rain? We were going to be so happy, she sobbed to herself. We were going to be so happy! Why oh why did he not return? Please, dear God, let him return to me before I die. If there are any miracles at all left to me, then let me be with him only one more time... With that thought, her conciousness left her. She didn't know how long she had been there. She had been asleep or worse for some time though. The icy-cold rain had matted her hair and fur. Her winter coat was soaked through. She had dropped her cane and her glasses on the ground. She could no longer see the flightline. Her eyes had been closed for sometime. Soon, she told herself, it would all be over. All the waiting, the crying, the pain, it would all end soon. Her ears perked slightly as she heard a familiar sounding roar from the flightline. It sounded exactly like the starfighters did when they were landing. She didn't have the strength to look up and see what was going on. She did not care anymore anyway. The one thing most valuable to her in the universe had gone. Gone long ago, she finally admitted to herself. There was no future to wait for. There was no past to remember. Her heart was broken in so many ways, she couldn't comprehend them all. So she just sat there in the cold rain, and let the dark fingers of winter have her. "You've been waiting for me all this time, and you won't even say hello?" she heard a familiar voice say. Not just a voice, HIS voice. She slowly lifted her head, looked up at the flightline, and saw the fuzzy yellow shape of a starfighter. It was parked very close to her, just on the other side of the fence. And next to the fighter was a fox in a gravity suit, walking steadily towards her. She could tell it was Thomas by the way he walked. By the way he carried his helmet. He walked up to the fence, then seemed to pass right through it. He didn't walk through a gate or opening, he simply went through the metal as if it wasn't there. He moved over to her, and smiling he looked down. "It is so good to see you again Thelsy. It has been a long time, hasn't it?" he said aloud. She looked up at him, and the water got into her eyes again. Blinking she panted "You are very late Thomas." He kneeled down in front of her, and shook his head. "No, my love," he replied. "I am exactly on time. In fact, I am even a few minutes early." He set his helmet down on the ground, then he took her tired gray hands into his. She could feel his strong hands in hers. She could feel him. She began to cry. "Oh Thomas! I loved you so much! I couldn't bear the thought of living without you, so I stayed here and waited for you. I waited and waited, but you never returned. And now, my life is over. There is no future left for us to do anything. Time has passed us by. There will be no children. There will be no house in the country." She lowered her head again. "And... there will be no 'us'." He tilted her head back up again with a gentle hand, and looked deep into her eyes. He was close now, she could see him clearly. He had not changed a bit. He was still as young and strong as the day he left. "Oh my love," he softly crooned to her. "if only things could have been different. I would have loved spending my life with you. But the past is past, and it cannot be changed. No, we will have no children. No, we will have no house in the country." He gently rubbed his hand on her whitening cheek. "But Thelsy, from now until the end of time, I promise you that there will always be an 'us'." She gazed at his eyes. "How?" she weakly begged. "I am near death. I am old now, and cannot be with you any longer." "You will not be old for much longer," he replied. "And you can be with me for eternity now. Your story is finally finished, and your work here is done." "What are you talking about Thomas?" she faintly asked, her breath getting weaker and weaker. "What's this about a story?" "You and I served a far greater purpose than we ever imagined." he softly replied. "We had a destiny to fulfill. You were chosen to create a story, an example to live up to. I was chosen to play a part in that. Your display of dedication and devotion here at this fence will be retold for generations to come. People will sing of it. Films will be made. The story itself will become legend. "And people need such stories Thelsy. They need them to provide lessons to live by. If there were no stories to teach them, then all people everywhere would be forever lost in their petty self- desires. You have given the universe a great tale to remind them about the important things in life. Love will never again be something callously tossed aside. Never again will true love perish, simply because of impatience. And from now on, people will know to appreciate those that they love while they can, because they now know the future can change everything in the blink of an eye. "That is why you have suffered so, my darling. All the long years were necessary to make the story memorable. Nobody would remember any such story if it ended in only a week, now would they? You have, without realizing it, crafted a story that will live in everyones' heart forever. The powers above are very pleased with both of us." He leaned forward a bit, and lovingly kissed her. "You should be very proud of yourself. I know that I am. I feel that you had the tougher job between us. But the story is now finished. We have paid for the future with our pasts, and it is now time for our reward." He stood again, still holding her hands. She felt her breathing stop. "Come then. Come with me, my devoted one. You have earned this." He then pulled her up to stand. Her coat was suddenly clean. Her old gray hands were now covered with the sleek orange fur of her youth. Her leg didn't hurt anymore. Her vision was clear now also. She could clearly see the rain beading and dripping off the body of the starfighter parked beside the fence, making a dry spot underneath. She was again young and strong as he pulled her up to stand. He led her towards his ship, and passed right through the rusty old metal fence again. She hesitated, but he insisted, leading her forward. She took a step, and it was as if the fence wasn't there. She passed through it that easily. Slowly he led her by the hand towards the gleaming yellow machine, smiling at her all the way. With a laugh, he lifted her up to the ladder to enter the cockpit. She giggled as she climbed inside, and hugged him gently as he boarded after her. He held her close as he settled into the seat, and positioned her on his lap. She kissed him tenderly as the canopy slowly slid closed and the engines began to power up. Soon, they were dancing among the clouds, until their dance took them forever from the world, and out into the heavens. Later that same day, a pair of joggers found her body. They both knew who she was. The entire world knew who she was. Her story of faithfulness had spread across the universe. People all over space spoke of her dedication with nothing but awe. One of the joggers took off his jacket, and respectfully covered her cold silent face with it. "Such a sad story." he began, shaking his head. "She refused to believe that her fiancee was killed, and wouldn't be returning. She spent her entire life in sorrow, sitting by that fence, waiting for a starship that could never return." He shivered in the cold, then wiped the falling rain from his eyes. Or was he crying? "I am familiar with her story." the other jogger gasped. "But what do you make of that?" He pointed to the other side of the fence. There, in the cement close to her body, was the dry outline of a starfighter, where no rain had struck the pavement for quite some time. The ghostly outline was as dry as a bone. This and other storys can be found at http://www.blkbox.com/~osprey/stories.html Allen Kitchen (shockwave, a little known writer)