A Technical Epilogue

. . .

Jonathan yawned, scratching at the faint stubble on his face, squinting at himself in the mirror. He hadn't put his contacts in, so he was wearing his glasses. Actually, lately all he'd been wearing was his glasses. He smirked, remembering how that started...

. . .

". . . Johnny, what are you wearing?"

"Hm? Ah, yeah, sorry, the prescription on my contacts expired. I'm gonna have to wear these things until the new ones come in."

"Oh..."

"Yeah, I know, funny-looking, right?"

"No, no, they look...good... I mean, you look good."

"Oh... Well, heh, thanks."

"Dangit, I know I put the box right―Mavis have you seen the contact box thing?"

"What thing?"

"A white box, I swear I put it... Not here, no, it's―gah, I'll just reorder..."

"Mavis, where's the mail?"

"On the table!"

". . . Urgh. Was there anything else with it?"

"Like what?"

"That white box I talked about last time."

"Um... No, no haven't seen it..."

"Gah, that's the fourth time this month..."

"I wouldn't worry, Johnny. I...think glasses suit you..."

". . . Oh. . .? Oh-h, I see. . ."

"What?"

"Oh, nothin'."

After that point, he'd stopped ordering the contacts, and stopped asking about the mail.

. . .

He yawned again until his jaw popped, and then grunted, feeling something funny. He frowned, reaching in, and felt something come loose with a faint slipping sensation. Eyes widening, he slowly brought his hand out to see the adult canine tooth gleam bloodily between his thumb and forefinger, tasting the distinct taste of copper. . .

His orthodontist was going to kill him.

"Mavi-i-i-is...?" he keened, staring in horror at the piece of his skull. Then he felt the other canine fall out, and in panic he swallowed it.

. . . .

". . . AAAAAAAAAAGH―?!"

. . .

"It's just your training fangs coming in, Johnny." she chuckled, comforting her husband as he grimaced at his reflection.

"But I thought," he said morosely, with a slight lisp, looking in slight disgust at the unseemly gaps, "I thought it was just you bit me―here," he gestured to the faint scars on his neck, "An' BAM!"

"We went over that," she chided, still unable to keep a straight face. He was cute when he was distressed, "Babies don't grow their teeth in a day, and neither will you. You'll get your training fangs, and then you'll have to use them enough before your adult ones can come in. But it's okay," she kissed him, sneakily sweeping her tongue in for a brief taste of the blood left in his mouth, "I'll help you...practice..." she assured him sweetly. He kissed her back before she could pull away, before asking her, "No braces?"

"No braces." she promised.

He grinned, and rolled his eyes when she laughed at the gap teeth, "I love you." he told her, and kissed her again.

Later that day, just for the heck of it, she left him two quarters under his pillow.

The day after that he'd used that money to buy chewing gum. It had been an impulse purchase, really.

From then on she'd keep stealing his gum. Creatively.

He'd keep buying it anyway.

. . .

She was sketching by the window when he found her, catching her up from behind. And above. She chuckled, dropping her book to join him on the ceiling.

"Hey to you, too." she told him.

He smiled, showing his fangs, before asking, "What's today, Mavis?"

"Tuesday?" she asked, and he nodded, "Yeah, yeah, but what else?"

She smirked, "The 18th?"

"And?"

"Of April?"

"Warmer, Mavis..." he growled, grinning.

"Our anniversary!" she finally sang, chuckling as he twirled her around the ceiling.

"The 50th!" he agreed excitedly, readjusting his glasses, "And I got us something totally awesome for it, here, wait, wait, look..."

He zoomed away for a moment, before returning with a piece of paper he held out to her.

He bounced on his feet as she read it over, "Drac agreed to look after Martha and Alexi," he informed her, "And a lot of people offered to house-sit and―"

"You're serious, Johnny?!" she murmured, eyes wide as she looked over the pamphlet.

"Aren't I always?" he quipped, smiling at her amazement.

". . . I mean, we've pretty much been everywhere else, so, I thought maybe a change of place might be fun... What do you think?"

She tackled him to the ceiling, answering without words, which, really, is one of the nicest ways to be answered.

The pamphlet fluttered to the floor, momentarily forgotten.

Its title page was emblazoned, boldly and simply, with the words NASA Spaceline...

. . .

Author's note: This had no right to be here, but I put it up anyway. One of my nightmares is losing my teeth, but I'm glad it turns out alright for him.

I hope you enjoyed it!

Sincerely, the hatchling