We reported for training almost on time. I had spent almost my entire life being afraid of skin cancer, so it was the first time I had ever had a decent tan. I was a sort of medium brown, but Charlie was an even deeper olive color, I guess it had something to do with her genetics. We had both had a great deal of adjustment to do over the month. I mean I had to deal with the fact that my hunk of a husband(okay, my potbellied , Hairy hunk of love) had become this delicate, blue eyed hottie! Truth be, I think she had a lot more to deal with than I did. I had been the male provider for my love far longer than anything else, and even though my physical form had changed, she found it hard to shift back to our original format, with me being the maiden in distress and her being the strong rescuer.

We reported for training almost on time. I had spent almost my entire life being afraid of skin cancer, so it was the first time I had ever had a decent tan. I was a sort of medium brown, but Charlie was an even deeper olive color, I guess it had something to do with her genetics. We had both had a great deal of adjustment to do over the month. I mean I had to deal with the fact that my hunk of a husband(okay, my potbellied , Hairy hunk of love) had become this delicate, blue eyed hottie! Truth be, I think she had a lot more to deal with than I did. I had been the male provider for my love far longer than anything else, and even though my physical form had changed, she found it hard to shift back to our original format, with me being the maiden in distress and her being the strong rescuer.

It was necessary, though. I spent most nights screaming in horror and sweating in terror while she held me tight. I think I might have just gone crazy had I not had her to hold and soothe me. She held me tight when the monsters of my id came to lay their claim, battling them right alongside me. In Corfu, she held me. In Macchu Pichu, she held me, stilled my terror to something that I could endure.

Even though we were on different tracks for training, she held me through the terror of the night. I spent endless hours trying to get my kimono to hang just right, while to her it seemed effortless. I was only really able to focus when I was flying a ship in the sims. Somehow, when I was strapped into the pilot’s seat, everything became clear, reality jelled, and I was able to focus, to the exclusion of everything else.

When they gave me a stupidly difficult course to plot, it wasn’t a problem. Something within me just had the answers, no mistakes, nothing but a perfectly flown profile no matter what they threw at me, no mater how many variables were involved.

It seemed like music was my bane. I had chosen Violin as my instrument, and I swear I could imitate a massive catfight with no effort, but coaxing a melody out of the damn thing was completely beyond me. I played until my fingers were raw and played even more after that, forcing myself to learn the great masterpieces. There finally came a day when I could make a decent go of it, and I was forced to play in front of an audience.

I don’t really know what happened, I just know I put everything I had into my playing. When I was done, when the last note faded into silence, I looked up to find an auditorium full of people, completely silent, a good half of them weeping. I knew the piece affected me that way, but to be able to project that to listeners was something I never thought I would be able to do. I sat in stunned silence as the thunder of applause rolled over me, my violin hanging from one hand while my bow hung from the other, completey drained of energy.

When the time came and Charlie played, I found myself among those weeping for joy at the clarion notes she produced. I felt her sadness, her joy, flew with her as she caressed the ivory into an ode to love and pain, something no one had ever heard, and I knew she had written it for me. She crushed my heart and caused it to soar on the wings of love, all in a simple tickle of the keys. I felt ashamed that I had only been able to produce something plebian for my own recital. It took almost a full minute after her last note died into silence for the audience to respond. I think they were just as dumbstruck as I was.

How could anything be so perfect?

We then launched into a duet, both of us singing and playing. It was “Jesu, the Joy of Man’s Desiring”. By the time we were done, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Somehow, we had both transcended our individual limitations and produced something that went beyond what either of us were able to do on our own. Then it was time for our finishing piece. We both launched into it with a will, our voices twining around each other in a sensual dance of hope.

I know it was a bit cheesy, but as the final notes rang through the auditorium, I knew it had been the perfect choice. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow, dreams really do come true!”

The next day, one of my dreams really did come true as we felt the rocket boosters kick in and lift us into space, literally out of this world. I knew Charlie was scared, but for me, it was everything I had ever wanted. I wept for joy as the force of acceleration pressed me back into the cushions of the char, knowing that I was going where I had spent my entire life wanting to be.

I know it seems like a cliché’, but it is true. I had longed to slip the surly bonds of earth since I was a child, to touch the stars. Now that dream was coming true and it was all I could do to keep from screaming my joy to the universe. I knew that Charlie was scared, sitting beside me, and I held her tightly (Well, as much as I could while we were tightly strapped into our chairs).