Big Toe
By Evil Nic 
December 1998


Nic's long-winded moment of speech which is as much a part of the
story as the story itself:


Hereth begins the great posting of stories I wrote last December,
just as the list went down.  Remember my 'one-story-per-day'
attempt?  Well, I didn't get that far but I did get a few done. 
Okay, so there were only 5 and 2 you have already seen and the
remaining 3 are a little...um...sappy.  I hope you enjoy them and
please excuse the sappiness.  It was, after all, the holiday
season.

This first one has a Christmas slant and follows on from "Midnight
Vigil".  Well, actually it doesn't at all, but it's the rejoinder
story to that piece.  

It seems that I made a mistake when I wrote "Midnight Vigil".  MC
had asked for a happy, sappy story but there was more to it. She
also mentioned a pair of initials.

In my poor confused mind I thought they were J&J.  Naturally, that
meant John and Julia (or Jadzia and Julian, if you're from the
Trekkie camp).  From that assumption arose "Midnight Vigil".

I was wrong.  MC had, in fact, requested D&D.  D&D?  "Hmmm..." I
thought.  "Wasn't that the name of the firm Amanda owned?"  (And
did I just admit to having watched "Melrose Place"?  That was a
long time ago, I swear, during my post-E2 depression, I was out of
my mind and didn't know what garbage I was watching!)  Ahem.  Where
was I?  That's right, D&D.  The D was obviously Devon, but it took
me a while to realise that MC was referring to Danziger with the
other D.  I almost thought she meant "Dead Grendler", or "broDerick
O'Neill" or "computereD Reilly" or something equally as nasty (I
could go on but I won't bore you with other suggestions like
geolockeD G889 or aDult Uly).  But no, for some strange reason, MC
wants to see a story about Devon and Danziger that is happy and
sappy to boot.

Well, now that I'd finally figured out what she meant, I was more
than happy to oblige.  To make up for my mistake, this is a
completely cheerful story and it doesn't even have any angst.  It's
a lovely, sweet, touching piece about Devon and Danziger and the
love they have for each other.  No twists.  No tricks.  I promise.

::eerie music begins to play::  Hey, stop that!  I said I'd do a
nice story with absolutely *no* angst and I will!  What, you don't
think I'm capable?  (And stop laughing at the title already.)


                             BIG TOE
                             -------


"Devon," Danziger called, hesitantly, yet with an undercurrent of
conviction in his voice.  "Could you, uh, could you come help me a
moment?"

Surprised, Devon looked up from the boots she was knitting for
Bess's baby.  It was Christmas Eve and the travellers were taking
a well deserved break.  They still had some months to go until they
reached New Pacifica but all were confident that they would make
it.  Ever since Devon had been released from cold sleep, things had
been going right.  

"Oh John, sure," Devon answered, getting up and abandoning her
work.  There would be plenty of time to finish it later - Bess
wasn't due for another few months (although given Devon's lack of
experience in such domestic tasks, it might just take her that
whole time to complete it).  "What do you need help with?"

"Um-"  For some reason, Danziger looked completely lost for words. 
"The Transrover, I just need you to help me tweak some of the
cables into place...."

"I'll help you, Dad!" True suddenly offered, looking up from the
patch of dirt where she sat with Uly playing noughts and crosses. 
It wasn't cold out at all - in actual fact, it was mid-summer G889
time in the northern hemisphere when Christmas, Earth time, came
around.    

"No, True, that's okay," Danziger quickly countered.  "You stay
right there, I wouldn't want my darling daughter getting all dirty
on the night before Christmas.  Besides, Devon has to learn how to
fix things sometime."

Devon wasn't even mildly annoyed by the remark.  It seemed that
nothing Danziger did lately would upset her.  She merely smiled
sweetly at him and said, "Oh John."

True seemed equally as happy to remain playing with Uly.  He was,
after all, her best friend in the universe.  She had countless
memories of the fun times she and Uly had had together.  True
fervently hoped that he would never die.

As Devon watched the happy young couple she heard Danziger gently
clear his throat.  "Oh John, I'm coming," she quickly said and
jumped to her feet.  There was a pile of mud in front of her and it
looked as if her knitting would fall into it but at the last moment
a gentle breeze pushed it to one side so it landed softly in the
grass.  Devon smiled.  Truly, there was magic in the air tonight.

She found her heart suddenly thumping loudly as she looked at
Danziger and saw the strange look in his eyes.  She was almost
scared and angst-filled but not quite.  The strange look didn't
frighten her, it excited her.

Soon, the pair had rounded the transrover and were out of sight of
the group.  Danziger gently rested a hand on Devon's waist and
began to walk towards a small copse of trees.  "Oh John, the
transrover-" Devon began, but Danziger placed a finger on her lips.

"Shhh," he whispered, guiding her forwards.  "The transrover
doesn't really need fixing."

"Oh John, you mean you lied?"  Devon's blue eyes were almost filled
with an accusation, but not quite, because this was her *John* and
he was the most perfect man in the universe.

Ignoring the question, Danziger said nothing until he reached the
thicket.  Then, standing underneath the branches of an ancient
tree, he turned and took her hands in his.  "Devon Adair," he
began, his voice solemn and steadfast, "I love you.  Will you marry
me?"

Devon gasped.  It seemed like the whole world was spinning while
her heart was singing with joy.  He said it!  He said it!  "Oh
John," was all she managed before he drew her close for a
passionate kiss.

The kiss seemed to go on for an eternity.  During that time Devon
saw stars explode, lightning flash and birds take flight along with
her beating heart.  It was the most amazing kiss of her entire
life.  Danziger's strong arms wrapped around her body and she felt
safe, so safe, so safe and loved and safe.  

What seemed hours later but could have been only minutes, the pair
reluctantly broke apart and stared deep into each other's eyes.  
"Devon, I've loved you for a long time," Danziger finally said.  He
was aware that she hadn't answered his question but after that
kiss, he didn't have any doubt in his mind that she loved him too. 
"Ever since the first moment I saw you, part of me knew, deep in my
heart, that you were the one.  The fire inside of you, and the
kindness, the love you show your son, everything that is part of
you I adore, Devon Adair.

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you," he continued. 
Devon was spellbound and could not stop staring at him.  "I want to
see your beautiful face every morning when I wake up, I want to
kiss your beautiful lips every night before I go to sleep.  I love
your eyes and your hair and your nose and everything that makes you
- you.  Devon, I've never felt this way beefore about anyone.  What
I felt for Ellie pales in comparison to this."

Suddenly, Danziger lifted Devon gently into his arms.  "You are an
angel, you belong in the heavens," he whispered into her hair as he
lifted her up and placed her gently in the tree.  Now Devon was
comfortably settled between two branches, able to see Danziger by
the starlight that filtered down through the leaves.  

Danziger dropped to one knee and held his arms out wide as he began
to serenade her.  "Devon, Devon, you belong in heaven."  He paused,
looking up at her with a big goofy grin.  "I wrote that for you,"
he said, almost shyly.  "Do you like it?"

"Oh John," Devon simpered, "I love it."

That was all the encouragement the big mechanic needed as he sang
it again.  "Devon, Devon, you belong in heaven.  You're my angel
and I love you so."  He stopped and Devon almost frowned (but not
quite because she didn't feel any angst at all) because she was
enjoying the song so much.  

"That's as far as I've got," Danziger admitted sheepishly.  "I
couldn't find anything to rhyme with "angel".  I tried to write
more but I kept thinking about you and never got it done."

"Oh John, sing it again," Devon begged, thinking it was the most
wonderful song she had ever heard.

He did and then launched into something else.  "I love you more
today that yesterday!  (Yesterday!)  But not as much as
tomorrow...."  The final note was almost a baying at the moon and
even reached the ears of the rest of the group safely back around
the campfire enjoying Christmas eve together.  They all sent
knowing smiles at each other.

Devon laughed delightedly.  She had never felt so special before. 
"Oh John, come up here and sit with me," she begged, wanting to
feel his arms around her again.  "We can watch the stars together."

Danziger didn't need a second invitation as he launched himself
into the tree and squashed onto the branch with Devon.  It creaked
ominously but held, because this was a perfect night and no angst
would mar it.

Giggling to herself, Devon remembered a song from her childhood and
began to sing it under her breath.  "John and Devon, sitting in a
tree.  K-I-double-S-I-N-G.  First comes love, then comes marriage,
then comes John with a baby carriage."  The final line made Devon
pause.  What if *she* wanted to push the baby carriage?  But it
didn't matter, they could share.  John loved her enough to share.

"That's a great song, Devon," John smiled.  "You're so smart.  I
could never be as smart as you."  He caught her chin in his hand
and drew her close for another long kiss.  The moons rose higher. 


After a while, Danziger grabbed a much-needed breath of air and
said, "Did you mean that, Devon?"

She looked at him, a question in her eyes.

"About the baby carriage?  Do you really want to have my children?"
"Oh John, yes!" Devon answered instantly.  "Didn't you know that?"

He shook his head.  "No."  Thinking for a while, Danziger changed
his answer.  "Well, maybe I did.  Because at the start of this
journey we were always fighting.  But then you got sick and I
realised that I loved you and from then on we never really fought. 
But I never had the nerve to tell you how I felt until tonight."

Devon took his hand in her own and held it close to her heart.  "Oh
John, why is tonight special?"

"I don't know, Devon," he whispered softly, "I don't know.  All I
do know is that I love you with all of my heart and I want to spend
forever with you.  Do you feel that too?"

"Oh-" she began when he cut her off.

"I need you to tell me, Devon.  Do you feel it too?"

"Oh J-"

"Do you love me?"

"Ohjohn," Devon said in a rush, "Iloveyou."  There.  She had said
it.

"What?"

"OhjohnIloveyou."

That time he caught it and his smile became even larger.  Reaching
into his front pocket, Danziger took out a diamond ring.  The gold
band had been fashioned by Yale from Alonzo's gold chain engraved
by his mother (he'd never miss it) and the diamond - Danziger had
found it while walking along one day.  Danziger stared deep into
Devon's eyes and saw the awesome acceptance before he gently placed
it on her finger.

"I love you, Devon Adair," he said sincerely from his heart.  And
finally, the words burst truly from Devon's lips.

"Oh John, I love you!  I love you, I really do!"  Her words were
passionate and true as she clung to him in the tree.  "I love your
strength and your courage and your spirit of adventure and your
devotion to True and your devotion to Uly and your wisdom and your
manly presence and the way you love things, just because.  Oh John,
I love your mechanical skills and what you do with your hands-" 
she paused momentarily, just thinking *what* those hands could do-
"and I love your hair and the curls and the way it gets all greasy
and mop-looking when you've had a hard day.  Oh John, I love your
eyes and your nose and your teeth even if they are a little crooked
and I love the way your face lights up when you see me and the rear
view when you bend over and...."  Devon had to stop here, just to
take a breath.

"And most of all," Devon concluded lovingly, "Oh John, I love your
left big toe."  She leaned down and kissed it.

Danziger smiled at the woman in his arms.  They were going to have
a wonderful future together.  And tomorrow was Christmas. 

---
END.

Hope you liked it!

- Evil Nic