"The Breaking Point"
SUMMARY: An argument with Fry causes Leela to feel she has nothing to live for and she decides to take her life. Takes place after the events of the episode 'The Problems with Popplers'
All Futurama related items are copyright Matt Groening, The Curiosity Company, and 20th Century Fox. All rights reserved.
 
 

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            Leela finally excused herself from the dinner after her third helping of dolphin. It had been a very hard few days on her emotions: Not only had she killed billions of young in a matter of days, but had events worked themselves differently, it would be HER going through an alien's digestive stages instead of that hippie. She had never felt so guility in her life.
             But there was a part of her that burned in rage. Rage that her friend, not only probably her BEST one but her secret love had stuffed his face instead of helping her. Then, as she was almost eaten, that cowardly Fry had been hiding backstage! She was so close to death.....soaked in it's saliva, nearly overcome with it's horrid breath......and Fry hadn't lifted a finger! The part that yearned for him, sometimes even lusted for that cute little pizza boy was overcome with rage and frustration. Rage and frustration over a kid just living the way he always had.....
             Leela was still fuming to herself in the corner of the TV lounge when Fry entered. Fry was obviously just coming into watch his nightly programming....not to bother her. Fry switched on the TV, sat for moment in silence looking in silence at Leela, and mustered the courage to speak to the woman that held HIS heart...
             "Leela? You all right?"
             Leela snapped around. The nevre of the little squirt...!....
             "Is THAT all you can say!??!" Leela yelled. "'Are you all right?' 'Course I am, Fry!! I'm only responsible for killing billions of Omicrons, and then was only nearly devoured whole and alive by an alien!! I'm PERFECTLY fine! Thanks for asking!!"
             Fry was taken back. "Hey, you don't have to be that mad. I tried to stop them too...."
             "Only after you kept eating more!"
             "Hey, I don't have to take this!", Fry yelled. The knot of anger that had slowly been tying everytime Leela picked on him was about to burst if this argument didn't stop....
              'Oh ho? Why not?"
             "Well, for one, it's just as my fault, and Bender's, that these thing were sold....."
             Leela scoffed and rolled her eye. "Well, what do you know! You actually DO have more brains then to stuff your craw with Slurm and Bachelor Chow and act like a moron everytime......"
             Fry began to grit his teeth, tense his muscles, and tighten his fists to the point that his fignernails began to draw blood. All those times she had insulted him......annoyed him........screamed at him......although some WAS acceptable, he admitted to himself.....but THIS time, he actually tried to help, and she was insulting him! He was even terrified at the prospect of her death, and all she could do was complain about the past?!? That did it.
             Leela never saw it coming. OK, she did, but by the time she registered, she was agaisnt the wall, stunned, with a VERY angry young man holding her fast.........
             "I HAVE -HAD IT- with you, Leela!!!!!!!!! All you do is bitch at me! You stupid prick! Give me a break!!"
             Leela was scared. She was actually frozen with fear and being stunned at Fry's sudden force. All she could do was stutter his name and to giver her a chance to say something....
             "NO!!!!!!" Fry roared. "THIS time, you're listening TO ME!!! I've put up with you complaining about me ever since we started working at Planet Express, and that's pretty much all you've done! Do you really wonder WHY men don't like you?!?! Because you're an ignorant, officious bitch that just whines about everything! Well, I don't care anymore! Get the HELL out of my life, and don't come near me again! Because I've had it with you!" And with a final shove against the wall, Fry stormed out of the room.
             Leela stood paralayzed by emotions against the wall for a while. The ONE man she liked now hated her, and all because she was to proud to admit it and being such a whiner. She finally began to sob.....slowly sliding against the wall until she was sitting against it. Now that she was alone, she began to curse herself and hate her attitude more and more........
             "I am SUCH a fool!", Leela moaned. "I never should have been so preachy to Fry. Now I've lost him....."
  She stood up. Her brain began to be consumed in thoughts of destruction. The world was better off without her, it said. It began to urge her to jump of the nearest bridge......and end all the suffering, especially hers.
             Crying, and half blinded by the tears from her eye, Leela stumbled out of the Planet Express building to end the sorry story that was the life of Toronga Leela.....
             Fry slumped down into a chair in the docking bay. He was already cursing himself for what he did. He couldn't believe he treated his beautiful crush like that. He tried to calmly ask if she was OK, and instead, she tore his heart out! He just didn't understand that woman. Of COURSE he cared about her.....wanted her near..........hell, especially in bed next to him.........
             His train of thought was de-railed by Amy rushing up to him.
             "Hey Fry, you know what's wrong with Leela?"
             Fry sighed. "Yeah. She's probably planning on how to kill me after I outburst at her like that.....I wouldn't blame her........"
             Amy cocked a brow before answering: "Noo.....she's running out of the building in tears to the south. I don't know why she's heading that way. She was A WRECK though."
             "Probably just needs a walk", Fry muttered, sinking his head into his folded arms.
             "No, there's no park in that direction. The only important thing is...the....Brooklyn Bridge......!" Amy said, suddenly putting together an unbelievable scenario. "But......Leela wouldn't........couldn't........."
             Fry jumped up. "Leela? Commiting suicide? NO! She can't, she's too smart for that!!!"
             Amy shook her head. "I doubt it. She was a mess running out of here. I just don'......Fry, where are you going?!?"
             Fry ran towards the door. "To save my friend!!" he cried as ran out the door.....

             Her eye bright red and dry from crying, Leela slowly crawled up the Manhattan approach of the Brooklyn Bridge. She slowly walked along the road, looking downwards. The East River glimmered below in reflection of New New York's mighty skyline, way down in black oblivion. Leela stared down into the water, its cold, choppy greedy surface seeming to reach out for her soon to be plummeting body.
             She nervously tapped her fingers along the rail. Did she really want to do this? Who would feed Nibbler? Fly the ship? Keep Planet Express on task? 'Probably someone more capable, and not a pushy, depressed freak of nature like herself!', she finally said to herself as she hoisted her left leg over the rail......
 Just as she was about to push herself away from the rail and into death, Leela heard something from the Manhattan side that sounded like the wail of the dead. As she listened, it began to become clearer...
             "LEELA! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!"
             Leela whipped her head around in time to see Fry lunge towards her. Fry tackled her, and dragged her away from the rail. "For the love of God," Fry cried, "Leela, how could you even THINK of that!?!?"
             Leela began to sob. "You said you didn't want anything to do with me! I couldn't handle going on knowing that!!"
             Fry, confused, muttered "But you can get better then me for a friend!......"
             Leela shook her head. "No.....Fry, I REALLY LIKE you! I always have since we held hands in Old New York....because you actually cared enough to defrost me and get me to quit the fate assignment buisness....but I'm too proud and preachy at times to admit it!", she cried, flinging her arms around him. "Please, forgive me!!"
             Fry sat there, aghast. Then he responded, cuddling Leela's sobbing balled up form close to him. "Forgive you? Of course I will! I likee you too! There is no girl I've ever known that cared so much about me! It's just that you were too preachy at times is all.....!"
             Leela absorbed the info, and then grabbed Fry tighter, "Oh, thank you!" she cried out.
             Fry began to cry himself. "No, thank you...." he managed at long last. Then the two of them began to sob in each others arms.
             After a few minutes, Leela moved to get up. "I should go home, get some rest...." She would have gone to do so, but she was being picked up....by Fry?!?
             "Uh uh, nothin' doin'" Fry said. "I'm taking you home with me......I'm still worried about you, so I want to keep my eyes on you for the next few days. Now please, just don't struggle, and relax. You need a break Leela......

            It was now three in the morning. Leela knew they should be asleep. But she was perfectly happy as was, snuggled against Fry, arms slung around him and he himself returning the favor, stroking her back and trying to cope with this the best he could.
            "Leela, I really do like you. I can't put it into words how much......" he said.
             Leela nodded. "I know."
             Fry stroked her back again. "Shhh. Just go to sleep. Sleep and know that I'm here for you......"
             Those were the words Leela needed to hear. Curled up against her friend, and soothed by his slow-moving chest and heart beat, Leela sighed lightly and went into a peaceful sleep.