Lauren rolled over in bed, unwilling to get up; everything below her knees was aching like she was an old grandmother, and she was just too tired to get up anyway. Besides, it was rare that she had the luxury of sleeping late. Usually someone wanted her up for practice, and while she loved the game, there were times when she just wanted a day, even an hour just for herself.

Well, not just for herself. A dreamy smile melted the harsher lines of her face as she thought about Penny. The woman was everything she could have dreamed about and hoped for- no, she was more. It had been a long time since she had felt so loved, so safe, so happy.

With that thought in mind, she reached out to snuggle with Penny, but didn't find her lover's long hair. She cracked her eyes open. She was alone...

...well, alone except for the wombat sitting on the pillow in a Capitals uniform. "What the bloody hell are you doing lazing about, Loz?" it asked her impatiently. "Get along now, we've got a match against Dandenong."

...

Lauren shrieked and bolted upright. "That's the last time I eat the entire jar of Vegemite before bedtime," she said to herself and the shadows that cloaked her room.

"Couldn't agree more, luv."

Lauren nodded. "Just a couple of spoonfuls, save the rest for later."

"Mature. Come now, crawl back in and cuddle up. There's a big game tomorrow, you know."

Lauren turned to comply and came face to face with a large red kangaroo in a Caps jersey that was holding its pouch open, clearly for her to get in.

...

Lauren let out an unearthly shriek as she awakened. "Dreaming or no, this really will be the last time I finish the jar before bed."

"Doubtful," a familiar voice drawled. "I know you, Loz, you'll just do it again next time."

Lauren squeezed her eyes closed. "Oh, please, when I look again, you'll not be there, Frog." Daringly she opened her eyes. "Damn."

"Quit your jawing, luv," Katrina said calmly. "Come on and-"

...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Lauren screamed.

"Lozza, what happened?"

"If I look at you, are you going to change into something odd?"

Penny sat up against the headboard and looked down at herself carefully. "Haven't yet, so I doubt I would."

Lauren looked over cautiously. Seeing that Penny was in fact Penny, she threw her arms around the blonde and hugged her so tightly that Penny had to sputter out, "A girl likes to breathe, love..."

"It's- I've just- awful dreams, Pen, awful, and I couldn't wake up, because every time I did something else would happen. Wombats and kangaroos and Frog- that was the worst."

"Oh, you poor thing." Penny held her tightly. Lauren noticed something odd.

"Penny- what's that lump?"

"The baby. Congratulations, you're going to be a mommy."

...

Lauren woke screaming at the top of her lungs. Since this got no one's attention, she opened her eyes. The morning sun got in her eyes, but she saw nothing strange. It was just her home in Canberra, festooned with all that she loved, including the occasional memento of Penny.

"Okay. Normal. I just want normal. Please let today be normal," she muttered under her breath, getting out of bed much less reluctantly than she would have if she hadn't been dreaming.

And normal was what she got. More or less.