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Off Again
They lay in bed with one another and he asked her, "Do you really think I can live on Earth with you?"
"Why wouldn't you be able to?"
Elric replied, "I would need so many things I don't have. Birth certificate, any proof of identity. I don't have any way of getting those."
She smiled, "I'm in the business of getting things like that."
"No way," he started at her and said.
She nodded and smiled. "Way."
Elric smiled at her and said, "Then I guess it's settled. I'll go back with you."
"Then you will," she said, with a smile back. "You know, I never got to say 'I love you' before."
Mallory felt Elric’s heartbeat increase against her skin. She smiled softly.
Just then, the sound of a spacecraft came through the bedroom window as it landed on the moon's surface. They looked at one another, surprised, and dressed quickly.
They walked outside to see James exiting the craft.
"Friend!" said Elric. "What brings you here?"
"I saw it all, Elric! I saw it all. That whale leaving you alive! Amazing!"
Elric stared at him, dumbfounded. "How did you see?"
He replied excitedly, his arms waving. "We all saw! There are cameras everywhere as of this year. Everywhere."
Elric was shocked at this new information.
James smiled. "No more sacrifices, now that everyone knows what's going on."
"And that means we can-" Elric was saying.
James cut him off by saying, "Get off this god-forsaken moon? Yes."
Elric smiled. "Could I ask you to please take us somewhere other than the bioship?"
"Sure Elric, anywhere."
Elric slid his hand into Mallory's hand and gripped it tightly. "We want to go back to Earth."
"I was just on my way there," James told them exuberantly. "Me and my groupies are going on a bit of an adventure."
"We've had one of those," Mallory said. "I would highly recommend it."
"Good!" James said. "I'm happy to hear you two figured out a way to get out of this whole mess."
Elric smiled. "Me, too." Mallory’s heart was soaring. They were leaving. They were together. They were alive. Life was great!
"Here's an anti-tracking chip," James said, as he handed it to Elric.
They were interrupted by the sound of the Chancellor’s voice. "Oh, thank god!" she said as she walked up to James. "I need to get off of here. Off this awful place."
"Hmm, no I don't think I'll be doing that favor for you," he said.
The Chancellor stared in disbelief. "What?"
"Remember last year when you killed my friends? Human friends?"
The Chancellor looked aghast. James sighed and put his lip to the side, then said, "Ah, fine. You can come, too. But you better pay for what you've done."
Her skin had paled. Her lips were pressed together tightly. She nodded vigorously. "I will, I will."
"Little does she know," James said when she was out of ear shot, "is that I'm putting her butt back on Earth."
"Where will you go on Earth?" Elric asked him.
"I'm thinking Miami, oh yeah!"
"We're going to..." Elric trailed off, then asked Mallory, "Where are we going?"
"Maui," she said decisively. "It's time to finish that vacation we both started.
He smiled and kissed her forehead. Then looked in her dark green eyes and said, "I love you, Mallory."
Mallory’s eyes brimmed with tears. She smiled back at him and Elric’s piercing blue eyes brightened. "I love you, too, Elric."
THE END