Calling Planet Aisha! Chapter one*
"Another Mission complete." The redheaded outlaw confirmed, as Jim and he approached the Starwind and Hawking building.
"This is great, all we have to do now is call up Fred then go to collect the reward money!" Jim chirped; happy that Gene finally got around to making them some money.
"UHG!" Gene said, slapping his forehead and sweatdropping. "I have to call Fred? Why me!?"
"Heh…Nice try Gene, but you really expect me to call him after the 'you will be a very good looking man someday' comment?"
"Guess your right…I'll do it after we eat I guess."
"Yeah Gene, and no procrastinating, I know how you are!" Jim scowled, punching in the key code to unlock the backdoor.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He said.
"Melfina! We're home!" Gene called, hanging his large coat-like-thing up on the rack.
The apartment was pretty shabby, yet warm, and had the smell of Melfina's cooking a - waft in the air. Melfina's dainty presence entered the room. Her soft black hair fell around her face and shoulders while her eyes remained the same peaceful brown.
"Gene, Jim, welcome back. Dinner is almost ready."
"Where's the others?" Jim asked looking around at the unusual empty house.
"They went shopping…. Without me!" Melfina sighed.
"Hey, don't worry Mel, Gene will take you bright and early tomorrow morning. After he calls Fred and gets our reward money of course." Jim said patting Gene on the back.
"Will you really Gene!" Melfina asked, clasping her hands her eyes sparkling.
"Well…uhh…Erg…ya' see…" Gene stammered, trying to make a desperate attempt of escape. "::Sigh:: of course Mel."
"Oh thanks Gene!" Melphina squealed, in the only possible way she could of course, this is Melphina you know. Then ran up and tightly rapped her arms around Genes waist.
Besides the sudden shock of the wind being knocked out of him and his rib cage collapsing, Gene felt a calm come over him, he was making Melphina happy. Although trust me, he hadn't forgotten the desperate need to pound Jim into a bloody pulp for getting him into this mess.
Suddenly the door crashed open. In came Suzuka, and a very upset looking C'tral C'tral, Aisha.
"So glad you guys are home. Dinner is just about ready!" Melphina said, smiling.
"::Sniff:: I am just going to go to my room." Aisha said, wiping tears from her face.
"But Aisha, don't you want to eat?" Jim asked, his tone worried. Aisha never showed sign of weakness, and she DEFFINELTY DEFFINETLY did not miss a meal.
"Huh? Food? ::Sniff:: No thanks Jim, I'd rather just go lay down."
And with that the C'tarl C'tarl walked away to her room.
The outlaws gasped, and watched the sulking Aisha pass up the kitchen and the food. Well…all the outlaws except for Suzuka, she was still standing in her usual confident stance, with the usual board look on her face.
"Aisha….not…hungry!" Gene gasped.
" God! She even passed the kitchen right up. And she was crying, that is totally not like Aisha." Jim replied.
"Oh no, poor Aisha!" Melfina said, covering her mouth with a worried hand.
"Please you guys. Getting all worried over nothing. What's bothering Aisha is simple really, give it a rest. Especially you, Melfina, a little melodramatic aren't we?"
"Well spit it out already Zusuka! What's up with Aisha!" The all yelled.
"She's home sick, she misses the C'tral C'tral, her family, and her planet." Suzuki replied.
"Wait a second, what makes you think that Suzuka? It doesn't seem logical for a person like Aisha to miss anything, really. Especially if she was kicked off the planet in the first place." Gene said.
"Hey, I don't think you've got any room to talk about logic, Gene!" Jim laughed.
"WHY YOU LITTLE…" Gene started. Grabbing Jim's head in a noggie.
"Will you guys grow up! You didn't let me finish!" Suzuka snapped.
"Heh...heh…Sorry Zuki-chan!" The said in unison, sweatdropping.
"AHH DON'T CALL ME THAT!!!…erg…anyway. The point was, when Ashia and I were passing a costume store, she saw a C'tarl C'tarl costume hanging in the window. At first she laughed and said it reminded her of her father, then after that she couldn't stop the tears. What does that tell you, huh?" Suzuka said, smirking.
Jim pondered this. "Well it sounds like your right. I mean, who wouldn't be sad, she couldn't have seen her family in along time, that's hard."
Gene put his hand on Jim's shoulder. They both knew what it felt like to be apart from their loved ones. Of course Aisha was lucky enough to still have her family alive, Gene and Jim were permanently parted from theirs.
"I say if Aisha is home sick, and she has the option of seeing her family, then we go at it!" Gene said enthusiastically.
"That sounds Great Gene, but what do we do until then. Aisha is crying a river up there!" Melfina whimpered.
"Yeah! And you know how cats hate water." Jim cracked.
"Hope she doesn't drown in it." Suzuka smirked.
"Maybe I should go talk to her." Melfina suggested.
"No, I think Jim should go." Gene said flatly, nodding to Jim.
"Me?! Whatever gave you the idea I was a good choice, Gene!"
Jim started to protest, but then just nodded and started to Aisha's room. He knocked no answer, just a small whimper. Jim took it as a 'come in' and opened the door. It was the first real time he had ever been in Aisha's room, and it was definitely not how he pictured it would be.
There were clothes and bedding all over the floor and it smelled like fish and sand. In the middle of the queen sized bed sat Aisha. Her back was turned to Jim, her legs over the side and her arms propped up on her knees. As Jim got closer he realized her head was in her hands, and she was still sniffling.
"A…Aisha?" Jim started. Then walked up beside her. She looked up and quickly wiped her eyes.
"Jim, kinda' sorry you have to see me like this." She took a big sniff, then scooted over, welcoming Jim to sit next to her on the bed.
"I know what you feel Aisha." He said in reply. Trying to seem as mature as possible in such a serious situation.
"I'm in this position at least once every day." He said putting his hand on her shoulder.
"You mean, you cry like this all the time, Jim?" Her ears perking.
Jim laughed a little and softly shook his head. "No, I don't really cry, I can't for Gene's sake. You know what he would do if he saw me cry?"
Aisha laughed, and her eyes brightened. "Yeah, he would really freak, he pretty much relies on you to be the strong one sometimes. But…I really do miss my family…" she trailed off.
"That is really what I came to tell you, Aisha. Do you think it would be possible for us to go to C'tarl C'tarl?"
"Go…to…C'…C'tarl C'tarl? ARE YOU SERIOUS!!! WE COULD GO TO C'TARL C'TARL!!! OH JIM THIS IS SO GREAT!!" She said jumping up and squeezing Jim with her hug of death.
"Can't…breath." Was all Jim could manage to say.