Hello everybody, and welcome to the fifth installment of my exciting seven-part Wander over Yonder Epic. Not much to say right now, except that Wander over Yonder is owned by Disney. And now that that's out of the way, Enjoy.

The Weekend Getaway: Chapter 1.

It was your average day at the Billy B. Van der Graaf Memorial Space Coaster Station.

Which is to say it was loud, crowded, and that the artificial atmosphere was barely breathable due to the overabundance of ion fumes and chain smokers.

But while these conditions might seem intolerable to those who use these titanium monstrosities for their daily commutes, they were barely noticeable to those who were just passing through.

At least, that was the case for a certain orange nomad we've all come to know and love.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" asked the aforementioned nomad in his trademark tone. "I mean; there's only one bedroom. But I'm pretty sure the couch folds out."

"Yeah… as tempting as that sounds, I think I'll have more fun on my own this weekend." Replied his trusty Zbornak companion dryly; which in a way was a trademark all her own.

"But are you really sure? Three days is an awful long time."

"Wander, please. When I was a bounty hunter, I used to go weeks without seeing a friendly face. This is nothing."

"Well… okay." The furry nomad said dubiously; much to the Zbornak's annoyance.

For those of you just tuning in, please allow me to provide a brief bit of context.

It had been approximately five months since Wander and Dominator forged their unusual relationship. So, ever the romantic, the former decided to celebrate this momentous milestone by taking the latter on a luxurious weekend getaway to the widely popular beach resort planet Cabo Lunara.

An excellent idea in theory, save for one minor hitch; the existence of a certain third party.

"But you know, you're going to have to spend some time with her eventually." Said Wander, sounding uncharacteristically serious. "You can't just keep avoiding this."

"I'm not avoiding anything. I just need a little Me Time, that's all."

"Sylvia, it's me you're talking to. You don't have to pretend."

"I'm not pretending!" she said defensively. "I just don't wanna go."

"Alright, if you say so." The wanderer replied, seemingly giving up. "But Deedee and I are going to get married someday. So you're going to have to get used to her being around a lot more."

"I know." Said the blue Zbornak hollowly. "It's just… you two don't exactly make it easy."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… you're always all over each other. With all that kissing, and nuzzling, and calling each other all those disgusting pet names. And aside from making me nauseous, it makes me feel like a third wheel."

"Oh… I see." Wander said somberly, before quickly perking back up a bit. "Well, what if we promise to tone it down a little? Then would you come with us?"

"Maybe, but there's not much chance of that happening. The second you two get within ten feet of each other, you turn into a couple of babbling goofballs."

"What? That's ridicu…"

"Oh Pumpkin~" called an oh-so sweet and familiar voice from somewhere across the way.

Acting on reflex, the duo turned their gaze towards the source of this melodious sound. And there, standing less than ten feet away from them, was the terror of over two dozen galaxies. The mad destroyer of countless worlds. The indisputable master of evil herself. The great and terrible Lord Dominator.

Although, you'd never know it by looking at her.

That's right, dear readers. Gone were her molten armor and signature horn helmet. And in their place was a light purple two-piece swimsuit with one of those see-through beach skirts designed to create the illusion of modesty while leaving nothing to the imagination. In addition to this skimpy number, she also wore a pair of white designer sunglasses with matching sandals and a large straw sunhat that looked much more expensive than it probably was. All that coupled with the sporty canvas tote bag she had hanging from her shoulder, and even Sylvia had to admit that she did look rather cute; if not a bit trampy.

"So~ What do you think?" the villainess asked playfully. "Am I a total beach babe or what?"

Sylvia was about to give her a sour 'Or What', but luckily Wander beat her to the punch with a much more positive response.

"Darling, you look amazing." The furry nomad said genteelly as he walked over and hopped into his beloved's waiting arms. "But then again, what else is new."

"Oh, go on." She replied jokingly. "No seriously. Go on and on. I could listen to your sweet-talking all day."

"I'm sure you could, but then we'd miss our ride." He said, sounding equally as playful, before switching to a more sickeningly sweet tone. "So~ Is my widdle Poopsie ready for her romantic weekend?"

"You bet she is, Shnookums." Dominator replied as she nuzzled her cheek against his; either ignorant or uninterested in the strange looks she was getting. "I've been waiting all week for a little alone time with my fuzzy wuzzy widdle Peachy Pie~"

It was at this moment that Sylvia had to force herself not to throw up.

It had been almost a full month since her little pal had… well… sealed the deal with the lovely Dominator, and despite her overwhelming revulsion at the thought of it, Sylvia was quite pleased with the results. Since coming together with Wander, the vile villainess' personality had been completely flipped; she stopped destroying planets, she stopped picking fights with other villains, heck, she even toned down her casual vulgarity, if only slightly. And after seeing her like this, even a Zbornak as cynical as Sylvia couldn't deny that her little buddy was having a profound effect on the former world beaker's formerly foul demeanor. All at once, whatever lingering fears she had about Wander being seduced by the dark side evaporated into thin air.

Unfortunately, a whole slew of new fears quickly took their place.

The words of the late Dr. Screwball Jones echoed through her mind.

When Dominator first came to this galaxy, she was like a rabid Pitbull. But after a few months with Wander, now she's more like a surly Dalmatian. Give that boy another year, and she'll be nothing but a trained Poodle.

She wasn't quite a 'Poodle'… yet, but Dominator was clearly a lot farther along than the good Doctor had predicted. Did that mean his other prediction would come true sooner as well?

Without Wander, you're nothing. Nothing but a cheap low life. And that's what you'll be again once he leaves you to be with her.

'NO!' she shouted internally; drowning out all other voices. 'That'll never happen. Even if Wander does get married, he'd never leave me. He said so himself… kind of.'

As she looked on at the two canoodlers, Sylvia struggled to keep her growing anxieties in check.

'Somehow, someway, I'm going to make this work. Even if it kills me.'

"Oh my goodness!" Wander spoke up suddenly; unknowingly snapping Sylvia out of her self-induced trance. "I almost forgot to buy the tickets. Can't go anywhere without those. Deedee, could you put me down please."

Wordlessly, the villainess complied with his request and placed him gently on the ground.

"Thank you, Darling. Now, if'n you'll excuse me for just a minute, I'll go get us those tickets and we can be on our way."

And with that, the orange nomad dashed off; leaving the two women in his life in a rather awkward position.

For what felt like hours, the two of them just stood there, staring at each other; neither one knowing quite what to say.

Fortunately, Dominator soon plucked up the courage to say something; putting an end to the unbearable silence.

"Well… this is awkward." The villainess said bluntly.

"Eyup." Replied Sylvia, sounding just as frank.

"He probably did this on purpose, you know."

"Yeah, but that's Wander I guess. He won't rest until everyone in the universe is friends with everyone else."

"Yeah… but I guess that's not really his fault. It's just how he was raised."

Sylvia suddenly got the sneaking suspicion that Dominator was privy to something about Wander that she herself was not; something that made her blush like a lovesick teenager.

"Er… right…." The blue Zbornak said uncomfortably, before quickly changing the subject. "So… like, do you even count as a villain anymore?"

At this, the villainess' blush suddenly disappeared, and her expression fell.

"I… I don't even know anymore." She said, almost somberly. "I mean; technically I am. I'm still ranked 1st on that stupid Leaderboard, but I… I don't… feel like I used to. I don't want the same things anymore. Last week, Wander suggested we take a Couple's Calligraphy Class together and I… I actually thought that sounded like fun."

"Yeesh, sounds like you've been Wanderized but good."

"What?"

"I don't know, it's just something Hater said once."

"Oh~" Dominator replied, before letting out a short burst of good-natured giggles.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing~" she answered playfully. "It's just… that's kind of a funny word. Wanderized. Sounds like I should be turning into some kind of furry little bumpkin."

With the image of a short, furry Dominator wearing a big goofy hat suddenly dancing in her mind, Sylvia couldn't help but join in on the fun.

This lasted a good minute or two, until at last their chortles died down and Sylvia's expression turned slightly more serious.

"Say, Dom..ur… Deedee. You and Wander 've been talking a lot lately right? About… personal stuff?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"Well… I was just wondering, if he… ever mentioned anything about… stuff that happened before he came to this galaxy."

"If you're asking about where he came from, you're out of luck." Dominator replied, her tone suddenly turning stern and cold. "Wander entrusted me with those secrets and I'm not going to betray him by…"

"No, nothing like that." The blue Zbornak cut in. "I just… I was wondering if he ever said anything about his… old partners."

"Oh…" the villainess said, sounding more than a little embarrassed. "Yeah, he's told me about a few of them. Why?"

"Well… it's nothing really. I was just… I just wanna know what happened. Why didn't they stay with him?"

"It's… really complicated."

"So people keep telling me."

"Wander probably doesn't want me saying anything about this."

"Look, I don't need a million details. Just tell me, do they leave him or… or does he leave them?"

"It… varies." Dominator answered nervously. "Sometimes they go back home. Sometimes they die. And sometimes he… leaves them behind. But no matter what the case, it always goes down the same way. He goes into a new galaxy alone and he comes out alone. That's… just the way it has to be for him."

"Oh… I see." Sylvia said crestfallenly, as her fears about the future were suddenly given some validity.

"But hey, you don't have to worry." The villainess chimed in; her tone suggesting that she was going to try to cheer her up. "Wander's with me now, and I'm gonna make sure he's never alone again. You have my word."

To her credit, Sylvia could sense that Dominator was genuinely trying to ease her anxiety. Unfortunately, she'd completely misread the situation, which only served to exacerbate her ever-growing unease.

"Um… thanks Deedee. That really helps a lot." She said; obviously lying.

"You're welcome." Dominator replied; seemingly unaware of her fib.

Fortunately, before the conversation could escalate any further, Wander returned with the tickets in hand.

"I'm back~" the furry nomad said in a sort of singsong as he pulled both females into one of his infamous backbreaking hugs. "So~ How are my girls getting along?"

"Just fine, Pumpkin~" the villainess replied in a sugary singsong of her own.

"Yeah, Buddy." Said Sylvia as she suddenly felt her soul collapse in on itself. "Everything's just swell."

End Notes:

I don't know if I mentioned this before, but this story takes place one month after the last one. Anyway, I hope you've all enjoyed the first chapter, and I'll see you in the next one. Peace.