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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.