Both or Neither?

by Silverfox1

Quite by accident the Outriders make an unexpected discovery. While they're drawing consequences, Jesse too has to deal with the news. And to think that it all started with what looked like a simple cold! Epilogue restored. Read it with or without whichever way you please.

21. Unusual Requests

Disclaimer: Not mine, I just like to play with them for a little while.

Additional Disclaimer: The nickname Fetchstorm is borrowed from the Star Treck novel Uhura's Song where it's the name of a minor character. It means one who provokes trouble'. Quite fitting for Jesse, I thought.

Archive: If you do, please use the version in the files. Most of it has been edited after the first post.

Notes: This one did an unexpected turn on me, but snickers I like it.

Chapter 21: Unusual Requests

-It's unnecessary, Moku.- Jean Claude stated glaring at the doctor. –She's my daughter anyway.-

-That's possible, but unlikely.- Moku returned. –It is my duty to determine whether it's true or not.-

-It is true.- Jean Claude hissed hugging the baby more tightly to his chest.

Susie gave a little cry of protest and when that didn't bring the desired result began to wail.

-See, now you've upset her.- Jean Claude accused Moku even though he knew it was most likely his own tight grip that bothered her.

-All I need is a little bit of her blood.- Moku argued. –She's the only one of the children that hasn't been tested, yet. Nemesis is getting impatient. He wants results. And I doubt you are unaware of your Afrarsz opinion on the matter.-

-I don't care.- Jean Claude hissed back. –Susie is mine.-

-I still have to test her blood!-

Of course Moku had no chance to take anything from Jean Claude against his will. He was a doctor, Jean Claude a combat specialist, trained specifically for hand to hand fighting.

He didn't like the idea of taking the problem to Nemesis, or having another talk with Istar. Requesting an audience with Afrar Irozz was definitely out of the question, so who else could influence Jean Claude? Commanders were difficult when they were unwilling.

One person he could usually turn to was the Commander's dorm elder, but right now he'd prefer to avoid Razzle. Gattler wasn't doing so well and that tended to make Razzle short tempered with the medical personnel in charge. Two of the nurses had already complained about him and Moku was expecting Razzle's complaint about them at any moment. Not that he intended to do anything about either of the complaints. If he managed to ignore them until Gattler recovered, the matter was solved.

However there was no ignoring the complaints, if he ran into Razzle, even less so, if he required a favour from him.

Who else was left that might be able to influence Jean Claude?

Of course! Jesse!

Moku didn't owe Jesse anything. He'd even treated him for the flue once. The halfblood Commander was known to be quite sarcastic, but rarely sent someone to medbay for talking to him the wrong way and according to the rumour mill he wasn't afraid of anything or anyone.

At the very least it was confirmed that he wasn't afraid of Nemesis or the Devil. If nothing else, he might be convinced to take the problem to Istar. Jesse was a soldier. He ought to survive the conversation.

Of course, Jesse's office wasn't any easier to find than Jean Claude's had been. Moku decided that he needed to get an up to date map of the base sometime soon. And keep it updated. Last time he'd been here this had belonged to one of Grammis' staff. Or had that been in the next corridor? He rarely had business on this floor.

Jesse was busy explaining a rather complex battle plan to two particularly slow individuals with the aid of two holo projectors, a whiteboard and several paper aeroplanes which required three men to move them about demonstratively.

Only one of the three members of the demonstration team seemed to enjoy the game. Jesse looked like he was going to explode any moment and his secretary appeared to be mortified at having to make motor sounds while moving about two paper constructs.

-As you see it would be fatal for the entire plan to start the attack before this plane is in position.- Jesse was saying. –Do you get that now?-

The two subcommanders exchanged puzzled glances. –Yes?-

-So what are you going to do, Kerost?- Jesse apparently was wise enough to doubt that answer.

-Take my squadron from there to there and attack.- Kerost answered proudly.

-No!- Jesse groaned.

-Take my squadron from there to there, then there and then there and then to there and attack?-

-No!- Jesse shouted.

-Well, yes.- the amused subcommander amended. –You forgot to do only one more thing. You went around the Fleshlings' radar to your position and ...-

-He means: What do you do next when you're there?- Jesse asked again.

-Attack.- Kerost stated.

-Commander, could I talk to you for a moment?- Moku interrupted.

This was going nowhere right now and he needed to get back to work sometime within the next hour.

Jesse nodded towards his secretary's office. –Okay, you've got five minutes. Urak, Azpet, demonstrate again while I'm gone. Maybe Kerost will get it, if he plays his own planes.-

-It's not going to work.- Moku told Jesse as soon as the door slid closed behind them. –He's never going to understand the plan. He just doesn't have the mental capacity.-

-I need him to participate.- Jesse explained. –Nemesis won't let me demote him and his men aren't going to accept Azpet as their commanding officer. He's a common soldier.-

-There's no need for him to understand why he's doing something.- Moku advised. –Just like 'go from there to there, to there' you can tell him 'wait for that, then attack'.-

-What if he forgets? If he doesn't understand the logic behind what he's doing, how is he going to remember everything in the correct order?-

-He will.- Moku assured him confidently. –He got through the academy somehow, didn't he? Those types usually have a great ability for memorising even long nonsense sequences. If you want logical thought, you have to go to the scientists.-

-Nemesis can think logically.- Jesse pointed out. –So can Urak and Azpet and Jean Claude. Razzle too I suspect and Gattler isn't entirely stupid either. Those are all soldiers.-

-I don't know your Urak and Azpet.- Moku allowed. –Concerning Jean Claude you should remember that he's Irozzsz nephew. The Elhessare lords are definitely not average. Razzle wouldn't be where he is, if he weren't a lot better than everybody else and Nemesis is more scientist than soldier anyway.-

Jesse blinked. –What do you mean?-

-That none of your examples are average warriors, or even average officers.-

-Not that.- Jesse shook his head. –What do you mean about Nemesis? Why is he more scientist than soldier? He went to both schools?-

-No, no, you can't do both at once and in fact, Nemesis graduated from neither in the end. His goal was to be a scientist, though, not a warrior. Sending him to the warrior academy was a last minute decision of his family and I think the idea was always to transfer later. He never got the chance, though.-

-He never graduated?- Jesse repeated incredulously.

Moku shrugged. –Happens a lot. Usually when a student decides to become a common soldier after already starting officers training. They have the requirements, but never undergo the ceremony. I didn't come here to discuss education with you, though. I need your advice.-

-Don't tell me you want parenting tips as well.- Jesse groaned. –You're the Fleshling children expert, Moku.-

-What? No, I need advice on how to handle Jean Claude.-

-From me?-

-You're the one of his friends I know best.- Moku explained. –And I'd prefer to avoid involving his family in this.-

-I don't have any friends, Moku. I don't believe in friendship.-

At least he had Jesse's attention. Better act now, before the commander's thoughts went back to the problem of communicating strategy to his subcommanders. It seemed that Jesse spent more time on that than developing a strategy in the first place.

-Jean Claude refuses to let me perform the genescan on his pet Fleshling.- he explained. –And it's the last one left. Nemesis wants the results complete before deciding what to do with the leftover Fleshlings. I promised them to him by the end of the week, which means I have to get a blood sample from that final Fleshling today.-

-So what's the problem?- Jesse asked. –Just go and take it.-

-Jean Claude won't let me touch her.-

-Then do it while he's not around. It takes merely a second.-

-Yes, but he never leaves her alone for an instant anymore. At least not where I can get at her. I've tried to explain that it won't hurt her, but I don't think that's what's bothering him.-

-Then what do you think is the problem?-

-He wants to keep her.- Moku explained. –I suspect he just loves children and has been wanting one of his own for a while, so now he's determined not to lose her and if it turns out that she isn't his, which is very likely, his family will never allow it.-

-But what's the point in keeping an alien baby?- Jesse asked. –If he wants a child, why not have one that really is his?-

-That's not so easy on the war world.- Moku reminded Jesse, but then realised that he probably didn't know. –This planet's badly overpopulated.- he explained. –Therefore the clans that are permanently living here are much more restricted than those on the colony worlds. Only a certain number of children may be born each year and to assure that you need to obtain permission for having a child. As Jean Claude isn't even married he has no chance to get that permission.-

-Wait a minute, I thought Razzle was an unintentional pregnancy and he's from the war world. Why wasn't he ...- Jesse hesitated. –Why was he allowed to be born?-

-Well, it's too late once the woman is pregnant, isn't it?- Moku grinned. –A certain number of such accidents is calculated into the planning every year, but the clans are severely punished. That's what I was referring to when I said Razzle wouldn't be where he is, if he weren't so extraordinarily good at it. He was never supposed to have a chance at a post like that.-

-So Jean Claude's worried about his child's future, if it were illegitimate?-

-As well as his own future.- Moku confirmed. –The half-Fleshlings come without that restriction, though, as there was no way their afrare could have known they needed to take precautions against pregnancy at the time. Their half blood status will probably cause them to meet with dislike and even disgust from others, but they currently still have the same rights as any legitimate Outrider child.-

-Fine, so why doesn't Jean Claude get married and apply for permission together with his wife?-

-He needs his clan's permission to marry. Maybe Irozz has other plans for him at this point. Jean Claude is still young and his brother still in school. It is possible that they intend to continue only one of the lines and are waiting to see which one is the better candidate.-

-So there's a real chance that Jean Claude will never have a child of his own at all?-

Moku nodded. –And maybe he'd rather adopt somebody else's than have none at all.-

-So why can't he just decide to keep Susie?-

-There's a difference between a half Fleshling and a Fleshling.- Moku stated. –I doubt Nemesis would allow it and you can bet house Elhessar won't stand for it for an instant. They're extreme purists. I'm surprised they haven't killed the baby already, but I guess they do respect that it might be their own blood.-

-I keep hearing how racist the Elhessare are.- Jesse stated sitting on the desk. –But I've hardly ever seen them be anything less than polite. In fact, most of the time they're downright friendly.-

-Have you seen much of them?- Moku asked surprised.

Jesse nodded. –Chatted with Afrar Irozz, watched Istar give sword fighting lessons, had dinner with them, been asked to tell stories to Jean Claude's cousins, played with his little sister ...-

-You wouldn't perhaps feel like visiting them today and mentioning my little problem?-

-I'm under house arrest, Moku. No visiting anybody. Talking to Irozz sounds like a good solution, though.-

Moku shuddered.

-He doesn't bite, Moku.- Jesse claimed. –And Jean Claude will obey him.-

The doctor nodded sadly and left to talk to Razzle after all. Assigning some different nurses to Gattler would probably be a lot easier on his nerves than a conversation with the head of house Elhessar and the replaced nurses would most likely even be grateful for the change.

Jesse on the other hand remained in Azpet's office for several more minutes trying to sort out all the new information hidden in the conversation. The most interesting was that Nemesis had not completed officers training and in fact never intended to become a warrior in the first place.

To add to that Moku had been paying close attention to his words when he'd spoken about Nemesis not having graduated as if he'd been trying to go around part of the information. In fact, his explanation of the reasons for leaving the academy without graduating had been remarkably general. He'd spoken of 'most cases' there, but not mentioned the rest at all, nor specifically stated that this was the case with Nemesis.

So what did that mean? Had Nemesis been kicked out? Failed his classes? Left even earlier as Jesse had done from the Star Sheriff Academy?

And why had he started the warrior academy in the first place, if he'd meant to attend the science academy? Had his family forced him into it as was happening to Cato? Why hadn't he transferred to the science academy after not graduating from the warrior academy?

Then there was Jean Claude's situation with his family. Jesse had known that they weren't perfectly happy with his career choice, but that they were actually disappointed enough to just hold him in reserve in case Jatt didn't do better was a shock. What would happen to Jean Claude, if Jatt fulfilled his family's expectations? What would happen to Jatt, if he didn't? Jesse felt oddly worried for them both.

Another surprise had been the restrictions on reproduction. So far it had seemed to Jesse that all children were very welcome to the Outriders as long as they had a father. He'd known that Razzle's bastard status was frowned upon.

Cozz on the other hand had been considered illegitimate at birth, but acceptable, because he'd been officially accepted and taken in by his father. He'd then become legitimate when Marzze had married Irzhe and Irzhe had officially accepted him as her son as well.

Cato and Caibe were legitimate, of course, since their parents were officially married when they were born. What was more surprising, though was that Cain, Carszt and the twins counted as legitimate from birth, because their father was married to Irzhe, even though she wasn't their mother by blood. According to Jean Claude Irzhe's acceptance of them was considered a nice touch, but not an absolute requirement.

Jesse wondered whether Razzle's mother had ever married. Had Razzle remained illegitimate, because her husband hadn't been his father by blood, had the man simply not accepted his wife's earlier child like Irzhe could have done to Cozz, or had she never found a husband? Perhaps nobody wanted a woman with an illegitimate child? Was it due to the fact that Marzze's bastards were living with their father, while Razzle had grown up in his mother's family? The Outrider society was obviously strongly patriarchal, so maybe the mother didn't count that much.

Considering the dislike the Outriders had for bastards and the restrictions against unplanned births it was surprising that Razzle hadn't simply been aborted or murdered at birth. Were there laws against that?

Moku's comment that there was nothing one could do once a woman was pregnant indicated that abortion was illegal even in the early stages of pregnancy, but why uphold such a law, if you were struggling with overpopulation? And why not abort secretly before anyone outside the clan finds out about the pregnancy?

He had to ask Jean Claude about that, he decided and picked up his dictionary. If he was going to discuss abortion with an Outrider, he should at least know the Outrider word for it. Describing it as he'd had to do with Moku would only slow them down.

The word, however, was missing. For the very first time his dictionary failed Jesse.

Jesse spent most of the rest of the day looking for Jean Claude.

Officially they both still were under house arrest, but Nemesis seemed to have forgotten about it by now and they were mostly just avoiding drawing any attention to themselves during off hours. That had made it possible for Jesse to move back into his own quarters and allowed him to stroll through most of the base in his search, but it also made Jean Claude much harder to find.

He wasn't in his office. He wasn't in the gym. Wasn't in the hangar. Didn't come to dinner.

Jesse decided to check the dorm.

-Will you finally just get a keycard.- Grammis snapped as he opened the door for him. –You're driving us up the walls with having to let you in all the time.-

-Jean Claude here?- Jesse ignored the familiar grumpiness. He had come to the conclusion that one of his biggest problems in interacting with the Outriders was that he couldn't read them properly. There appeared to be a very subtle difference between insults and friendly teasing.

Grammis was not his enemy, he concluded, so this was probably teasing and he shouldn't make a fuss over it. After all even most of Razzle's acerbic comments were teasing according to Jean Claude.

-He really likes you, Jesse.- Jean Claude had insisted. –He just doesn't like to admit it.-

-Nah, haven't seen him since he fled after Mokusz visit.- Grammis shrugged. –Are you coming in or what? There's a game on in the kitchen. Point against Razzle.-

-No thanks, I've got to find Jean Claude.- And Razzle was still after him about those relaxation exercises.

If Razzle was playing arbhes in the dorm, this was a good time to visit the med bay, though.

Gattler didn't look good. They were actually giving him infusions which Outrider doctors usually avoided almost religiously.

Most Outrider medicines were either salves or meant to be swallowed Jesse had discovered. Except for some that made Jesse seriously nervous. Those were either crystals or gels in small see through tubes that the patients wore like wrist bands. Only that there were two needles leading into their veins that allowed the blood to circulate through and absorb some of the medicine on the way. According to Gattler who seemed to be quite knowledgeable about all things medical those were more practical than infusions, because they didn't hinder the patient's movements. An infusion on the other hand required the patient to hold his arm still in order not to tear out the needle.

-Hey.- Jesse greeted Gattler sitting down on the bed beside him.

-Hi.- Damn, that sounded really week and he looked feverish, too.

-I thought you guys didn't do that.- he nodded towards the tube leading into Gattler's arm.

-Only extreme cases.- Gattler whispered.

-Extreme cases?-

-That particular medicine has to go directly into the bloodstream and the dose doesn't fit into an absorption wristband.- Moku explained having apparently overheard at least Jesse's end of the conversation. –Don't pester him. He's not up to much talking right now. Not entirely coherent anyway.-

That was unexpected. Jesse had thought that Gattler was just being overcautious about his health, maybe even slightly hypochondriac, but this didn't fit the picture at all.

-What's wrong with him?- he asked the doctor.

-Don't worry, he's not dying.- Moku turned back to his work.

Or was he trying to avoid Jesse's eyes?

-What is that medicine?- Jesse tried a different avenue. Maybe if he told Jean Claude what the treatment was the Outrider would be able to identify the illness.

-An antibiotic.- Moku said vaguely.

-It's just that I've never seen this before.- Jesse dug deeper. –Don't you use antibiotics much?-

-Not this one.- Moku sighed. –It's one of the strongest medicines we have and takes quite a toll on the immune system. In most cases a lighter antibiotic is much better, so we hardly ever use this one.-

Jesse didn't recognise the Outrider word for immune system and by the time he'd found it in the dictionary Moku had left. He stayed with Gattler for a few minutes longer, but the Outrider really didn't seem up to having visitors and he still wanted to talk with Jean Claude.

After another futile trip through most of the base Jesse began to consider further violating his house arrest to the point of actually leaving the base and checking with Jean Claude's family, but decided against it in the end. There'd be another strategy meeting in the morning which Jean Claude would have to attend. The abortion question could wait until then and if Jean Claude hadn't left the base and Jesse got caught, Razzle and his dormmates would probably kill him for getting them all in trouble again.

Even if he liked you, Razzle still had one hell of a temper.

So Jesse decided to return to his quarters and continue his investigation of Nemesis and recent Outrider history. That was another thing he wished he could discuss with Jean Claude, or maybe even Afrar Irozz. He was sure that there were a lot of things implied in the information he had already found that were invisible to him, because of his extremely limited knowledge of the political landscape. He simply didn't know where the various clans stood, even though he'd begun to compile a list of noble clans and their homeworlds. Maybe he could get a picture of their alliances and connections by studying their voting habits in the council, though.

His door was unlocked!

Jesse pulled out his blaster before peeking inside.

Little Susie was asleep in his bed while Jean Claude was playing with the picture of his dead human parents which normally stood on his bedside table. Hadn't he just recently changed the access code?

-I have to get a better lock.- Jesse announced stepping into His quarters.

Jean Claude looked up with a smile apparently not feeling guilty at all. –Hey Jesse, can I stay in your room for a bit?-

-What?- Jesse stared at him aghast.

-They forced me to give Susie to Moku.- Jean Claude explained. –So now we're hiding from them and this is the one place to sleep they'd never think to look for us.-

Ah, so Moku had gotten his blood sample after all. It must have happened during his visit to the dorm after which Jean Claude had 'fled' according to Grammis. Had Razzle forced Jean Claude into surrendering the baby? If he was pouting over that, it would explain why he didn't want to sleep in the dorm.

-Ever heard of privacy?- Jesse demanded.

-Huh?-

Apparently not.

But then a private bedroom was something only Nemesis and the Afrars had in this society. The dorm was an almost public place and even the civilian Outrider bedrooms were always shared. Bathrooms and showers were shared.

And Grammis thought Jesse needed a keycard for the dorm. Maybe Jean Claude really didn't see anything wrong with entering Jesse's living space uninvited after having shared a dorm with him for several weeks.

-In Fleshling society we just don't let ourselves into people's bedrooms when they're not there and we don't play with their personal belongings without asking either.-

-Oh.- Jean Claude still looked a little taken aback. –Didn't think that went for dorm mates. ... Okay, well, Fleshlings don't have dorm mates. Family then, I guess.-

-You're not family.- They were dorm mates now? When had that happened? Jesse didn't challenge that point, though. Dorm mates were important. –And with some items and, yes indeed, bedrooms it goes for family as well, yes.-

Jean Claude looked down at the photograph in his hands, then realisation dawned.

-It's because they're dead, right?- he asked. –You don't have that many pictures of them, do you?-

-Just that one.- Was that it? Would he be less put off, if his parents were still alive.

-Sorry,- Jean Claude held the picture out to him rather than put it back in it's place and Jesse realised to his surprise that he didn't want to put it down after taking it from him. –I was just wondering what they looked like, so when I found myself alone with the picture, I just meant to get a closer look. I wouldn't have harmed it.-

-It's just ...-

What? He'd been looking for Jean Claude all day and the Outrider hadn't harmed anything in the room. He'd just acted in accordance with his culture and Jesse hadn't minded him seeing the picture when he'd visited before. What was the problem? He should let go of this.

-This is my home.- he decided to say instead. –I really want to help you, but where do you expect me to sleep? There's only one bed in here.-

-Well, I thought you weren't actually sleeping here anymore, but if you don't want to use your bed in the dorm, the bed should be big enough to share.-

-Wha...? No way!- Jesse stepped back in alarm. –No, I'll just go back to the dorm then.-

He fled picture still in hand. Now he'd have to expose it to an entire dorm full of Outriders who wouldn't see anything wrong with touching it at all.

Jean Claude was seriously confused now. He'd thought Jesse was over the being afraid to touch an Outrider thing by now. At least he never showed the slightest problem with touching Cain and Jean Claude also remembered him touching Jenny a few times.

Surly he was closer to Jesse than Jenny! He just couldn't be afraid of touching him.

But if it wasn't the touching Jesse had a problem with, then it had to be the sharing the bed itself and that just didn't make sense.

Fleshlings did share beds sometimes, Jean Claude was sure. He'd shared a bed with Linda when they'd ... Oh! He'd almost forgotten the Fleshlings' preference for doing That in beds.

To Jean Claude's mind bed was a very strange place to do it. After all a dorm mate could walk in on you at any time.

But then Fleshlings didn't have dorm mates.

Had Jesse actually thought he was proposing to ... No, he couldn't have!

But what if he had? How could he ever explain? Would Jesse even be willing to be alone with him long enough to talk this over?

Probably not. He'd have to get somebody else to intercede on his behalf, someone who understood Fleshling culture well enough not to make a complete blunder of it either, which ruled out all the easy candidates they were both comfortable talking to like Jatt or Azpet.

He considered using someone from his team for a while. Mikar was an excellent strategist and would know how to proceed with caution, but Jesse hardly knew Mikar. Would he take him seriously? Would he even hear him out?

No, the best choice was probably Gattler. Gattler had experience with both Fleshlings and Jesse and considered both of them his friends, though maybe not particularly close ones. The best thing about Gattler, though was that he was a field medic. That made him almost a doctor in Jean Claude's eyes. It was always easier to discuss that kind of thing with a doctor. Gattler probably wouldn't even be embarrassed to broach the subject with Jesse.

There was just one tiny little catch. Gattler was in med bay and that was the last place in the universe Jean Claude wanted to go right now. Moku was there. Moku who wanted to take Susie from him.

He could wait until Gattler got out of course, but what if Jesse found himself a new best friend in the meantime? He was terribly close to that Urak fellow already and Jean Claude wasn't so sure whether Azpet couldn't turn out to be a serious rival as well.

Maybe Point or Grammis could help out? Jesse liked to spar with them and Jean Claude had shared a dorm with them for years. They might tease him about his blunder, but he was quite sure they'd be willing to help him out.

And most likely make a blunder of it themselves. Neither of them tended to be very subtle. What if in their well meaning blunt way, they made things even worse? No, he just couldn't trust either of them with a tricky task like that. He needed someone who could anticipate Jesse's reaction, perhaps even steer it ...

He was going to have to talk to Razzle again after all.

And he just knew he'd be teased mercilessly for this. Besides the fact that everything was Razzle's fault in the first place. If Razzle hadn't made him let Moku take a blood sample of Susie none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have come here to hide from Razzle and he wouldn't be in danger of losing Susie and he most definitely wouldn't have to slink back to Razzle with his tail between his legs to beg for forgiveness like a helpless little puppy.

-Oh damn it. He's going to gloat.- he told the sleeping Susie.

Razzle did not gloat when a very meek and nervous Jean Claude showed up in his office the very next morning. He was glad the foolish boy had apparently decided to stop sulking early.

Not that he'd really been worried. Jesse's return to the dorm after two days of absence just on the day Jean Claude disappeared had been a dead give-away of Jean Claude's hiding place. If Jesse had been able to live there for over a year, Jean Claude would be okay for a few weeks.

He'd been surprised that Jesse had agreed to give up his retreat, though. Unlike the rest of the dorm Razzle was quite aware of Jesse's need to have a place where he could be alone from time to time. More than just a Fleshling custom this seemed to have something to do with Jesse's personality as well as his inability to relax even in the company of friends. Jesse was a bit of a lone wolf, but Razzle unlike Cuthz didn't mind individual traits in his dorm members.

Yes, it was no end of trouble when everybody you dealt with had a completely different unusual personality trait often at odds with that of another, but then Razzle was quite aware that he was a very difficult personality himself and he had complete confidence in his ability to keep his dorm and troops in line without having to kick out the oddballs.

Jean Claude's apology came too easily, though. He might be used to rough treatment, but he also had his pride. In fact he was one of the most stubborn people Razzle knew besides himself. No, Jean Claude wasn't apologising because he'd seen the error of his way and he definitely wasn't weak enough to cave after spending one measly night in isolation. He wanted something desperately enough to give up on a lost cause that he wasn't really done with and Razzle was curious enough to find out what that was that he refrained from gloating.

Rubbing it in now would only make it harder for Jean Claude to come out with what he really wanted to say so Razzle just sat back and listened to him talk for a while. He watched Jean Claude apologise until most of his tension about just talking to him again had faded away. Then the boy started to grow more nervous again as he realised that he was just repeating himself and didn't know how to get the conversation where he wanted it to go.

-So what's this really about?- Razzle prompted before Jean Claude lost his nerve and ran out.

-About?-

-You did not come here first thing in the morning just to apologise for something minor like that.- Razzle stated. –Ergo, you want something else that can't wait.-

-Well, uh ... I'm not sure it's really that urgent, but ...-

-Something wrong with the brat?- But then he'd go to Jesse, wouldn't he? Razzle did not think himself much of a Fleshling expert.

-No, no, Susie's just fine.- Jean Claude shook his head. –It's Jesse. I need you to talk to Jesse for me.-

-You want ME to talk to JESSE?- Razzle repeated. –He much prefers talking to you, if you haven't noticed.-

-Yes, but ... I said something, yesterday.- Jean Claude hesitated, sighed and continued. –And I don't think he'll want to talk to me again until somebody explains that thing.-

They'd argued? But Jesse had let Jean Claude borrow his room. That didn't sound like that bad of an argument. Or maybe ...

-You insulted him and aren't sure how badly, so now you want my opinion on that?-

-No, not actually insulted.- For the first time ever Razzle saw Jean Claude squirm. –I just ... I proposed to share a bed for one night.-

Ah, finally it all made sense.

-Too close.- Razzle diagnosed. –Should have seen that coming.-

-What?-

-Jesse likes to ... maybe even needs to ... have a certain distance from people.- Razzle explained. –Haven't you noticed how he never calls anybody his friend? Not even the Fleshlings he used to live among. He doesn't even like it when somebody else mentions the word. He doesn't trust people, that's all. He'll calm down eventually and pretend it never happened, if you don't make a fuss about it.-

-No, that's not all.- Jean Claude shook his head. –Or at least I'm not sure it's all. I think sharing a bed has different implications in Fleshling culture.-

Razzle was beginning to get annoyed. He'd come to understand Jesse quite well in the time the halfblood had been here, but he'd never had much contact with actual Fleshlings. Most of what he knew about their culture he had learned from either Jesse or Jean Claude.

-What implications?-

Jean Claude blushed. Actually blushed!

-Uh, when you were in the Fleshling dimension, didn't you ever notice ... um ... what other than sleeping they like to do in their beds? You know, that thing? I ... I think that might be the only reason they actually ever let somebody else into their bedrooms for.-

Razzle stared at him for a moment before it sank in. He'd never even been in a Fleshling's bedroom, but he had watched TV occasionally while in their dimension. He burst out laughing.

-It's not funny.- Jean Claude pouted. –They're very touchy about these things. I think I really scared him and he won't want to be alone with me right not and I absolutely don't want to talk about that thing in front of the entire dorm.-

Razzle was still laughing. He just couldn't help it. It was too funny. For one thing there was the thought of Jean Claude and Jesse actually doing that, which was comical enough, then the thought of Jesse's most likely reaction to Jean Claude's innocent proposal and to top it all off the more subtle fact that it was Jean Claude of all people who'd made a blunder like that. Jean Claude who prided himself in his understanding of Fleshlings. He had to be so embarrassed about it.

-So why me?- he asked through the laughter. There were a lot of people Jesse would be more willing to talk to.

-Well, it's a delicate subject.- Jean Claude said staring at the floor. –I'd like to avoid any more misunderstandings. And you're good with weird situations like that.-

-Am I?- Razzle tried to sound serious. He did know what Jean Claude actually meant, but he wasn't about to admit it.

-Please?-

-Very well, I'll talk to him.- And maybe finally convince him to try the relaxation exercises. The accumulating stress was going to kill Jesse, if he didn't learn how to free himself of it soon.

Sorry for not responding with the last chapter, but that was actually already up when you guys reviewed chapter 19. For some reason currently doesn't seem to show new chapters for several days.

eva84 – Give up? Oh no, never! I just had to finish a Harry Potter fic first, then pouted at for a bit for having to delete my songfics. I considered this site my home on the net until then, but now have moved to nfiction where I can still have all my fics in one place. ... Ah yes, will Jean Claude be disappointed, or will his family be mad? Very soon you'll know.

Tribun – Well, they don't outlaw sugar import without a reason.