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"WELCOME TO THE DELIVERY OF TOMORROW!!"
"Shut up, Terry!" Leela groaned as she walked into Applied Cryogenics with Fry and Bender in tow. Terry grumbled about showmanship as he indicated where the delivery was to be left, and the walked off.
Leela shuddered as she entered the room. It was the same one she and Fry had spent sometime in cryogenic status two years ago. And she desired not to spend anymore in that state. Fortunatly, there were no cryogenic chambers open today, so she put down the package, and turned to find Fry and Bender wiping the vapor off the windows of the units.
"Come on you guys, let's just go...this place gives me the CREEPS!!"
"Aw, come on, Leela! I just wanna see who's frozen in these things!"
Leela rolled her eye. "Oh, all right, but make it snappy, you nosy nimrod!!"
Fry muttered about Leela as he went back to his wiping. Some old guy.....a young guy......an elderly woman.....the guy who played Captain Picard......and then he stopped, his jaw dropped, as he dragged his hand down the side of the machine..
He looked in shock at the young woman inside. She wore a purple jacket, with a darker purple shirt under that. A necklace dangled above the slight clevage at the top of her shirt. Fry stuttered as he looked at her jeans, and then her large amount of black hair. Her flesh had turned a light blue from the cryonic status, and there was a mournful look on her face, her eyes closed in sorrow. Fry released the breath he realizied he was holding. He finally spoke.
"Michelle......"
"Who?" Bender asked, confused.
"My old girlfriend from the 20th century. She broke up with me minutes before I fell into the chamber right next to her. But..but how!?"
Leela was about to say something with the 'Ding!' of the opening of a chamber came forth. The door swung open, and Michelle's flesh tone returned to it's normal light peach. She shook her head and streched, and finally opened her eyes.
"Fr-Fry? Is that really you!?" she asked as she stepped out
"Yes, it's me" Fry replied, teetering between anger and joy looking at her.
Michelle broke into a huge smile and ran towards him "Oh, Fry! I'm so sorry, I-" But Fry held out his hand, stopping her. "Lest you forget, but our last sighting of each other was pretty harsh.You kinda...oh, I dunno.... BROKE UP WITH ME!!!!"
"Fry you don't understand! I..I..ay-yi...aieeee........" Michelle trailed
off as Leela and Bender registered in her line of vision. She pointed,
stuttered, and fainted.
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As her eyes opened, Michelle scooted back on the hospital bed she was lying on...there was Fry, and old guy, A Jamican, an Asian girl...and a robot.....a cyclops....a lobster.....
"Fry...!!...who are these people?!?!"
"Oh, them?" Fry asked calmly. He went around the group, introducing them
"Now then...Michelle is it?....you said Fry didn't understand something?" Leela inquired.
"Um, yeah...but since I'm surrounded by new-comers, I better start at the beginning...."
As she went into her flashback, Bender grumbled 'Boring!!'........
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The party was in full swing. Fry was having the time of his life. He remembered his friend Dave had said that he should come to this night-club, saying it was the hottest spot in Midtown Manhattan. Sure, 'Curtin's' was OK, but he felt a little put off in the fact that he was the only one who didn't have a girl.
As he wandered around, he tripped over a loose floorboard. When he started to pick himself up, he noticed somebody was helping him up. It was a woman, early twenties, with a large, flowing crown of black hair. She smiled at him.
"Having a bit of difficulty, pal?"
"Uh, yeah, actually."
"And you sure are a snappy dresser. I dunno anyone else who wears beer on a red jacket and white shirt!"
Fry looked down his chest. Sure enough, he splattered LoBrau all over. Fry cursed himself, as the girl giggled and patted him on the shoulder.
"Aw, it's OK....I'm Michelle Jenkins" she said, extending her hand.
'Phillip Fry", he returned.
The two of them talked long after the party began to wind down. Michelle was amazed at how much useless sci-fi trivia her new friend knew, and Fry enjoyed an ear that didn't brush him off as he talked. After the night-club began to close, she asked Fry to walk her home. As she reached her stop, she turned to Fry.
"Thank you for a wonderful evening, Fry."
"My pleasure", Fry returned. He kissed her on the lips, and then Michelle
hugged him...and dragged him into the building.
Over the next two years, Michelle and Fry grew very close together. In early 1999, she finally asked Fry to move in with her. One day, in December, as the millenium drew to a close, she met somebody while going to get the Times from the front step.
He was a young man, with light yellow hair and golden sideburns and goatee. He wore a black wristwatch and a blue shirt an shorts combo. He said he was named Chris, and that his rich father was a co-manager of Macy's. Michelle was immediatly taken by him. He seemed like a charming man.
"I don't know, though" she thought. "Fry's a nice guy...it seems he's had a rough life too...I'd hate to make it rougher on him by cheating."
Chris then asked her to dinner at the Golden Oyster. Michelle's eyes and ears perked. Fry could never afford that...The Golden Oyster was one of Manhattan's best resturants! Fry had only managed a large pizza pie and soda at Pannuci's Pizza every Friday...while he was behind the counter. She sighed, and accepted Chris's invitation.
Two weeks later, she would regret it.
As she hopped into a cab to pick up Fry for the New Year's celebration, she saw Chris, waving for a taxi. She had the driver stop, and Chris got in.
"Hey, baby" Chris said, smiling. The name stabbed into Michelle, remembering that was Fry's pet name for her. She shook her head and spoke up.
"Uh, Chris? I want you to know that I really would appricate it if you could pay me back....I'm really getting in the hole...."
Chris laughed. "You really ARE as stupid as your boyfriend looks, aren't you?"
Michelle sat up and stared at him. Chris smirked and then explained he was the leech lover that nobody likes. She stared daggers into him before she said "Get the Hell out of the cab......NOW."
"Why should I? You're in too deep, 'baby'!"
Before Michelle could say something, she spied Fry, unknowingly on his way to his fateful visit to Applied Cryogenics. She laughed. "Ha! My boyfriend's coming! And when I tell him what you've been doing.."
It was then Michelle noticed two things. One, that Chris was really pissed, and two, the muzzle of a gun was now jammed against her back. "...you'll have your spine broken, I know. Now shut up, and keep a straight face." As Fry neared, she silently prayed that he wouldn't see her. But, the cab stopped at a red light, and.....
"Michelle! Baby! Where ya going?"
Michelle thought for a moment, and said "It's not working out, Fry....(the cab drove off) I put your stuff out on the sidewalk.....!" She winced as she saw his dejected reflection drive off down the street, swallowed in the gloom of the city's mighty shadows.
"You ultimate bastard."
"Shaddup, sweet cakes."
After Chris told the driver to stop and turn around, he said 'hold up' at Michele and Fry's apartment. As he lead her out the cab, he said "This house should do nicely for me and my pals..."
"Now you're stealing my house?!? This isn't fair!! I'm going to find Fry, and we'll go the police and..."
"Fat chance, sister. You see, your 'knight in rusted armor' is heading to a cryogenics lab in Midtown. One of my guys arranged a prank call and freezer to be open. He even postioned a crappy chair in front of it. (Laughs) He should be in the deep freeze anytime now, knowing him!"
"You monster!!" she screamed as he ascended the stairs. Suddenly he turned, smiling at her.
"Like I said, sis, your boyfriend won't be walking again in our timeline!" he sneered, bringing up the silenced gun. "Neither, I'm afraid, ARE YOU!!"
Michelle had time to gasp and back way before she heard a muffled bang,
and felt a sharp hot sting somewhere in her body and knew no more.
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Michelle sighed as she gingerly opened the Post. It had been two days since the flesh-wound in her left arm had been treated. Now, here she was, alone, living in a homeless shelter, regretting meeting that bastard that had taken her world from her.
Flapping up the paper, she scanned the headlines...and dropped them when she read one.
UNKNOWN MAN FOUND IN CRYOGENICS LAB
Michelle quickly scanned the headlines, found the address of the building,
and ran for it at full speed.
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The lab was dark and silent as she crept in. Indeed, there was Fry, locked in the furthest one, a toppled chair lying in front of him. Michelle walked over, looking at him, tearfully. He looked just like a person who had died in that movie they had gone to see a while back....Titanic, was it? She turned a saw an empty one right next to him.
She thought for a minute. There was nobody for her in this time, she was homeless, and had lost her friends, her job as a result of the shooting; as it was rumored she was the girlfriend of a gangster because of her shooting....she had even lost her family at age 19 in a car accident. She didn't have anything in the past; but her friend was in the future.
Sighing, Michelle opened the door to the chamber, and stepped in. After she set it to 1,000 years, she drew the door close, and lay back against the wall, closing her eyes, awaiting her fate.
She lost all pyschical and mental feeling as a bright flash filled the chamber....
"....and then it popped open, and I met Fry and his companions", Michelle said as she finished.Fry sighed and rolled his eyes.
"A likely story!!" Fry exclaimed. "I may be dumb, but I'm not THAT dumb!!"
"Actually, Fry, she's telling the truth...." Farnsworth replied.
"WHAT?!?"
"Yes.....I've been holding a mini 'Truth-O-Scope' this whole time. It's true. She was swindled, and you were tricked."
Fry looked in shock at Farnsworth...and then angry at Michelle.
"So it's YOUR fault we're stuck here?!?!"
"Fry, please! I didn't know!!"
"Shut UP!! I don't want to see you AGAIN!!" Fry screamed. He shoved
her aside, and stormed out of the room, fuming.
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"That was really cruel of you, Fry."
Fry whipped his head up. Oh, great. Leela, Ms. 'Right and Wrong', was here to nag.
"What the hell do you mean, that was cruel!?"
"That poor girl is a scared, lost lamb now...and you push her away? Michelle's sobbing right now...she says she feels so alone..."
"Good. I lost my family...my friends.....my city.....my WORLD!....thanks to her cheating!!"
"Fry, it's not like you've had a perfect love life, either! I mean, a mermaid and a bueracrat? That's pretty stupid....."
"Yeah, you're right...hey, why don't you buzz off and drink some cham-pag-ne,
huh? You're no better then that bitch in the lab right now!" Fry was so
angry at fate, he didn't hear Leela run from the room, trying not to cry.
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"Fry.....?"
Fry snapped awake. He had fallen asleep after about an hour of pouting. He was staring up into Michelle's red, tear soaked eyes. She was quite upset, and shaking lightly. Fry swatted her arm away, sitting up, glaring at her.
"What do YOU want?"
"I want to apologize...and you back!"
"Fat chance! You're just going to cheat on me again! If this were sci-fi, you'd be turning into the low-down snake in the grass you are!!"
"Fry, I was seduced!!"
"Yeah? And what was it you said the last time we met for real? YOU LOVE ME?! Pah-and ha!! You really were quite the joker, Michelle!"
"Fry, I'm begging you...I have nowhere else to go...give me another chance...please?"
"Oh, all right......just so you could shut up..."
"Oh, thank you!" she said, hugging him. Fry glared for a minute, but then it melted away and he hugged her back. and then they kissed.
Leela walked in at that moment. She saw what Fry was doing to Michelle,
and she walked away. This time, she couldn't stop the tears from falling.
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In a matter of days, Fry and Michelle's relationship was patched up and sailing well again. Michelle moved in with Fry, and the two began dating regularly. Michelle was made an intern at Planet Express, and now both of them had a modest income and could support themselves again.
Leela watched it all, quietly, her heart tearing apart. Her favoriter
co-worker....Her best friend...her crush....was gone.
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"Hey Fry!" Leela called out after Fry. Fry turned around when he heard his name. He was going to pick up Michelle from their apartment and take her out to dinner and then to the premiere of a movie downtown.
"Um.....how are you?" she stammered.
"Fine. Never been happier."
"Oh, that's good! Um.....are you busy Thursday night?"
"Sure am. Michelle and I are on vacation, and we're going to Saturn...We're gonna watch the rings reflecting off the planet.....My life's perfect! Michelle really was a nice girl......I've never been happier! And she isn't bossy, or bitchy, or anything like another girl I knew. Well, I forget her name. Bye!"
"Bye" Leela managed to whisper as Fry left.
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Leela crashed into a nearby chair. Her heart was so heavy. She realizied the folly of the past two years of her life. She was too cruel, too mean, too bossy. The names......the insults......the orders....everything. It had destroyed their relationship before it began. Leela finally sagged so much that she fell out of the chair. She lay there, staring at the blurring ceiling through her tearing eye.
She had lost him. Fry was gone. And she was just getting ready to tell him what she really felt about him, and get the weight off her chest. Leela crawled back up on the chair.....moaned, and buried her head in her hands, crying, as she realized the truth:
Now she never could.
END.