The Price of This Love

The Price of This Love~*

BY: Anime Angel ^0^

"WHAT?! ANIKI!" Jim yelled, his face red with anger. How could Gene do this to him? And without his consent!

Gene set his girlfriend's things on the hard floor, and turned to face his angered partner.

"Look, Jim, the girl's lonely! It's not like I'm gonna be kicking you out! You're just gonna have to move to the room down here--"

"It's a closet, Aniki! I'M NOT GOING TO SLEEP IN A CLOSET!" This had gone too far. It was different when Gene brought home a girl for just one night, but who knew how long this one was going to stay.

"Jim, she's staying and that's final! You just don't like when I got it goin' good with a girl, do ya?!" Gene glared at Jim, his eyes stern. But Jim wouldn't go for that....he wasn't the outlaw's little baby.

"Come on! You just met her what, two weeks ago?! And now yer gonna live with her?!"

"Three weeks," Gene corrected, picking the luggage up again. "I'm gonna go put these in the room upstairs," he said, turning to go. "...and you'd better go and move your stuff." With that, the red-haired outlaw headed upstairs.

Jim watched with utter disbelief as his partner's girlfriend met him at the top of the staircase. She had what looked like a concerned look on her face, but there was something wrong with it. The look seemed all too fake to Jim.

"Gene, if this is going to be trouble....I don't have to stay," Jim heard the girl say. He waited for Gene to kick her out, to agree and send her home. But instead, the outlaw shook his head.

"No, Naomi, you're staying. Jim's just gonna have to deal with this."

Had Jim heard right? Had Gene really fallen for the crap this girl had just dished out? But as the outlaw carried her bags into what had once been Jim's room, the boy realized that Gene was wrapped around Naomi's little finger, and that he wasn't going to let go.

~*~*~*~

The next day~*

Naomi pushed the little boy's things over with disgust, and began to pull various pieces of his clothing out of the dresser. She threw them in the corner of the room, and then began unpacking her own things. As she started to put them in the drawers, she heard a sound behind her. Whirling around, she found herself face to face with Jim Hawking.

"What do ya think yer doing?" he asked, an annoyed tone in his voice. "That's MY dresser, and can't you wait until I at least get all of my stuff out?!" He glared at her, his blue eyes filled with a look of dislike.

"Well, I don't think that I should have to wait just because YOU are taking your sweet time," she snapped, returning his looks. This was her room now, and after the little kid had removed all of his things, he wouldn't be coming back.

"Hey, this is still MY room, lady," Jim returned, as if he could read Naomi's thoughts.

Not any more, she thought, shoving his things toward him.

"Take them," she ordered. "And then, I would appreciate it if I had some privacy." Her voice was icy cold, and dared the boy to challenge her order. He merely stood his ground, however, a look of disapproval on his face. Without saying anything more, he gathered his things and set them outside the door. Silently, he came in further, stopping when he reached the bed. The boy then began pulling of the blankets and mattress.

"Excuse me!" Naomi yelled. "This is my bed, you little..."

"Little what?!"

"Leave those there. My Gene told me specifically that that was my bed!" She got up from the small wooden chair she was sitting in, and instead plopped herself down on the bed that the boy was currently tugging on.

"Hey!" he screeched. "Didn't your Gene bring you your mattress or something! What am I supposed to sleep on?!"

"Jim."

The blond looked at Gene, who was now leaning against the doorway.

"Aniki..."

"Leave it there Jim. You can use the extra cot that we have, remember?" The outlaw smiled slyly. "What ever happened to your gentlemanly manners?" he asked sarcastically.

Naomi silently cheered her Gene on. He would make this brat go away, and leave her alone. But had he heard her snap at the kid? She wasn't sure, but judging by the look on his face, she guessed not.

"Fine." Jim said. His eyes had a look of betrayal in them as he gathered his things and headed downstairs.

"Oh Gene! I am so sorry for causing this much trouble..." Naomi said, sighing deeply. "I don't think that it's very good that I'm staying here..."

"Nonsense, girl! You got just as much right to sleep in this room as anybody else. I invited ya after all!" The red-head winked, and then exited into the small hallway.

Naomi continued to smile sweetly as her Gene bounded down the stairs to go counsel the sulking boy. That Jim had been endangering everything she wanted and hoped for with Gene, and she would have to put a stop to it.

~*~*~*~

"I don't care if she's a lady Aniki. You shoulda heard the way she was talking to me!" Jim piled his clothes in the corner of the small room. It was dark, damp, and had no windows, but he figured that with this girl in the house he would have to get used to it.

"Oh give it a break. Look, Jim," Gene said, his voice suddenly very serious. "I know you don't like this girl, but I do. She's the first one I have ever, EVER felt this close to, and....and I don't want her to go away." His eyes were pleading. "So, could ya just try to deal with it for a while, Jim? For me?"

Jim turned to face his partner. Did Gene really believe that this girl was something special? Even if he did, why was he doing this to him? Jim really didn't like the girl, but as he looked up into his older partner's lonely face, all he could do was say, "Yeah, sure." No, his mind screamed, don't! Remember the way she was ordering you around? You can't agree to this! But when he went to speak again, his words were different. "I guess I could sleep down here for a while, but I am not going to change my entire lifestyle just for her, Aniki." What had Jim done? Had he really just agreed to let this girl take over their lives?

"Thanks, buddy," Gene said, relief evident in his voice. "Hey, uh, if you wanna fix this place up tomorrow..." he looked around, making a dissatisfied face, "...I'd be willing to help ya."

"Na, that's okay. You need to go out and find a job anyways, Aniki, we're running out of money...and fast."

"Yeah yeah! Stop reminding me, kid, you're beginnin' to sound like my mother..." Gene smiled and ruffled Jim's hair. The boy, smiled back, feeling a little better about the whole arrangement with Naomi. He had had to sleep on the couch once already, and was at least glad that he know had a room...no matter how small and cramped it was. "So, ya want me to go pick us up something ta eat? I think I'm gonna go get myself some fries..."

"Pick me up some burgers!" Jim yelled after Gene, who was already heading for the door. He sighed as he watched his partner give him a thumbs up, and then disappear. "Aniki, Aniki, Aniki," the boy muttered. "You'd better thank me for this one."

Making sure that everything in his new 'room' was organized, he headed over to the living room. The crew's finances were running dangerously low, and Jim needed to figure out if they could even afford to pay for the food that his partner was out getting. He sat down comfortably in a chair next to the small, broken table that he had set up in the corner of the room for his laptop. With a smile on his face he reached down to turn on his laptop...only, there was no laptop to turn on.

"Wha...wha....MY COMPUTER!" Jim yelled, his eyes widening. "Where...where is it?! GILLIAM!" No response came from the small, now pink computer. "Gilliam?" Jim glanced over to where his 'friend' should have been sitting. "What?!" Gilliam, like the laptop, was no where to be found. What the hell happened?

Jim got up from the chair and quickly searched the room. Nothing was found. Where...where is everything? Then a dreadful thought came to him. Naomi... He bounded up the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him, dreading what he might find. She better not have touched Gilliam...not to mention my computer!

"Naomi...I need to talk to you," Jim yelled, pounding on the door to 'her' room. "I'm missing some of my--" Suddenly the door swung open, knocking the boy flat on his face. "Oooow..." Jim moaned, his nose bleeding. He sat up, and glared at the woman standing above him.

"What do you want," she growled. "I was just about to go take a bath...so what is it?!"

"I'm missing some of my stuff," Jim said, wiping his bloody nose. "I was wondering if you've seen any of it." He waited, but she didn't respond, or make a move to go look for anything. "I'm missing my computer, and a little pink...um....thing."

"Oh those," Naomi said, making a face. "They were in the way. I put them in the closet." She pushed some of her dark hair behind her ear, obviously a bit annoyed. "That little toy of your's sure makes a lot of noise. I couldn't figure out how to turn it off!"

"Ugh! THAT WAS NOT A TOY!" Jim yelled, afraid of what she had done to Gilliam. With a fearful knot forming in his stomach, Jim picked himself off of the floor and pushed past the woman.

"Hey!" she shrieked. "GET OUT! If you want your toys I'LL GET THEM FOR YOU!"

Jim, ignoring her demands, flung open the closet door. Inside were his laptop, and a very silent Gilliam.

"Gilliam?!" Jim picked up the little pink computer, only to discover that a large cloth had been tied around its 'mouth'. The boy gingerly pulled it off.

"Why thank you Jim!" Gilliam exclaimed, his small mechanical arms flailing. "One moment I was sitting on your desk, and the next..." His small eyes seemed to widen. "The next thing I knew I was being tied up!" His voice was indignant. "I don't think I have ever experienced anything so humiliating...I mean, I may be just a ship's computer, but really!"

Jim smiled with relief at the babbling pink computer. At least that girl hadn't hurt him...or broken him.

"Come on, Gil, I'll take you--" Jim let out a cry as he was hit with a slap so hard it knocked him into the closet.

"Get out of my ROOM!" Naomi screamed. Jim was just a little more than ticked off, but with the angry tone in her voice he figured that it would be best if he did what she said. Picking up both Gilliam and his laptop, the boy hurried out of the room, leaving a raging Naomi alone.

~*~*~*~

"Hey Jim, what's up?" Gene said cheerfully, throwing the boy's burger at him. Sitting down to eat his own food, he started humming a tune, only stopping when Jim looked up at him. "Hey...what happened to your face?"

"I ran into a door," Jim growled, almost tempted to tell his partner about the whole 'incident' that had happened about an hour earlier. "I was going up to talk to Naomi, and, well, the door just flew open in my face."

Gene suddenly froze.

"What's the matter, Aniki?" Jim looked puzzled...could his partner know what Naomi had done? But when Gene went to speak, those weren't the words that came out.

"You...you didn't chase her out...did you?"

"ANIKI!" Jim yelled. "I did no such THING! I promised REMEMBER!?" He couldn't believe it; he had promised Gene only a few hours ago that he would try and make do with the girl living in their house. Apparently his partner hadn't taken anything seriously. Just like Aniki...

"Look, Jim, why don't--"

"Aniki, I promised! I was just looking for some of my stuff!" That's it, I'm gonna tell him what happened. It'll be good for him. He can't go on living with this witch! "Aniki, look. Naomi isn't what she seems to be. I--"

"Gene dearest!" Jim whirled around. As if the girl could read the boy's thoughts, she came gracefully down the stairs, glaring quickly at Jim along the way. "Gene, I just had a wonderful idea!" She threw her arms around him, whispering softly in his ear. A smile soon began to creep across the outlaw's face.

"Jim," he said, turning from his girlfriend to face the boy. "Do you...would you mind if Naomi and I had a little alone time tonight?" The red-head grinned slyly, winking at his partner. However, Jim didn't smile back.

"Fine," he snapped, picking up the things he would need. The boy wasn't in any mood to argue. In fact, he figured that it would be good if he could at least have Aisha, Suzuka and Melfina to listen to him.

~*~*~*~

Later that night~*

"Hey JIM! Whas the matta?!" Aisha asked, nearly pounced the sulking boy. He was sitting now on Melfina's bed, his computer on a desk in front of him. Jim hadn't told the girls yet what had happened, but he planned on it.

"Gene and that stupid girl is what is the matter," he said, squinting at the screen. "That girl, Naomi or whatever, she got me kicked out of my own room!" He sighed. "Not only that but she acts so perfect around Aniki. But then, when he's not around, she goes berserk! It's like she's got multiple personalities." He sighed and went back to typing, ignoring the bouncing Ctarl Ctarl.

"Aw...poor wittle Jimmy!" She ruffled his blond hair. "I betchya that you're just jealous cuz she's spendin' all the time with your aniki..."

"Aisha, stop bothering Jim," Melfina said from the corner, her bright eyes filled with sincere worry. "I think Jim has a right to be angry. I would too, I guess."

"Do you think she's really that bad, Jim?" Suzuka looked at the boy, an inquiring look on her pale face. "What exactly did she do?"

"Well, for one thing, I really don't think she likes me." The boy shuddered. "I mean, I went up to her room to get my stuff -- the stuff that she took up there -- and she flipped out!" He showed the surprised girls the bruise around his noise, and Melfina gasped in horror.

"Gene's girlfriend hit you?!" The shock was evident in her voice.

"Not exactly... but it was pretty close."

Aisha got up in Jim's face, examining the bruise closely. "That little...I otta go teach that bitc--"

"Now, Aisha, I don't think you going and beating up the girl is going to do anything to help," Suzuka said from her chair. "Jim, did you tell Gene about all of this?" The boy lowered his head.

"Aw guys, you should see him. I just don't have the heart to tell him that his girl's a phony." Jim sighed deeply. "He's just like one big happy puppy. I haven't seen him stay with a girl this long .... ever!"

"Well, we gots to do somethin' Jim!" Aisha shrieked. "I ain't gonna let that little..." She held herself back, and instead growled. "I tell ya what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna scare that little witch right outta there, ya hear me?!"

"Aisha...aw never mind. Do what you want." Jim turned to the spazzing Ctarl Ctarl and had to laugh. "Jeez....just don't rip her apart, okay?"

The Ctarl Ctarl smiled evilly, her eyes narrowing. "Don't worry, Jimmy, I got somethin' else planned for her."

~*~*~*~

Aisha couldn't help but snicker quietly as she bounded up the stairs of Gene's dark apartment. This was going to be perfect, if everything worked out as she had planned it. Being careful not to make a sound, the Ctarl Ctarl tiptoed past the outlaw captain's room. From outside the closed door, she could hear him and his girlfriend inside, giggling and going on about how much they loved each other...

Aisha paused, and couldn't help but listen for a moment.

"Oh Gene...I'm so glad you agreed to this." The girl's voice was soft and sweet, almost musical. "We haven't had much alone time, but I hope that that will change."

"Yeah...." Aisha made a face as she heard the two start to kiss, so instead of staying any longer, she moved swiftly down the hall to where Jim's room had been. Inside everything looked just the same as it had been when the boy was staying there, only when Aisha opened one of the drawers she found bras instead of undershirts, and small thin pairs of underwear instead of boxers. The whole set up looked very much like her own dresser, but that didn't matter to the Ctarl Ctarl. She was here on business.

"Ehehe..." she snickered, pulling something wet and foul smelling from a pouch at her side. "I'm sure Gene's girl will get a kick outta this." Careful not to drop the 'gift' on the floor, Aisha lifted up some of the clothing and placed the wet lump under them. Then, ignoring the disgusting noises the unexpecting couple were making in the next room, she headed back to her apartment

~*~*~*~

Jim, figuring that his partner was already up anyways, had gone back to the apartment early that morning. He hadn't slept much that night, and instead watched Aisha leave, and then return a half an hour later. He had to admit, he was curious at what the Ctarl Ctarl had done, but when he got back to Gene's apartment his partner wasn't acting strange at all. What did she do? Jim thought, putting Gilliam and his computer in his room.

"Hey there, Jim. Have a nice stay with Mel and the girls?" Gene was sitting at the kitchen table, inhaling a cup of coffee, as the boy entered the room. "How are they?"

"Fine, to both questions," Jim said, pouring himself a cup of coffee also. "They questioned me a lot bout Naomi...I guess you forgot to tell them that she was staying here, now."

"Yeah, well, I guess I did. But at least you got that covered, right--" Gene was interrupted by a blood curdling scream.

"GENE! EW EW EW EW! GET IT OUT!"

"Naomi?!" Not waiting another second, Jim and Gene both bounded up the stairs. There, standing deathly pale in the hall, was Naomi, her whole body shaking.

"Gene!" she whimpered, falling into his arms. "LOOK WHAT THEY DID!" The sobbing girl dragged Gene into her room, Jim following close behind. As the boy entered the room, a foul smell filled his nostrils. He plugged his nose in disgust. What had Aisha done?

Jim's older partner slowly approached the dresser, his nose also plugged. He reached in the top drawer with a cautious hand, and pulled out a dead fish. Immediately, Naomi screamed.

"GET IT AWAY!" she shrieked, backing away from the outlaw. Her shoulders shook with every sob. "Gene....why would anyone do this to me?!" Making sure that he no longer held the dead thing, the girl attached herself to his arm.

"Hey now...it's okay," he reassured her, then, with a look of anger and betrayal in his eyes, the outlaw turned to Jim.

"What?!" Jim yelled. Somehow, he knew what was coming, but no matter what he said the boy knew that he would be blamed.

"You promised me Jim," Gene said quietly, pulling Naomi closer. "You promised...but that didn't matter, did it?! You had to go and pull a stunt like this anyways!"

"Aniki....Aniki it wasn't--"

"I don't want to hear it Jim!" Gene yelled. "Go to your room, NOW!"

Jim backed away slowly, not sure what to do. The outlaw, after pushing Naomi aside, advanced on him.

"I said NOW Jim."

"No....Aniki, I'm NOT YOUR BABY--" Gene cut him off with an angry, almost hateful glare. "Fine," Jim whispered, the hurt evident in his eyes. Without another word, he turned and left, running down the stairs as fast as he could and right into his room. As he went to sit down on the bed, he wished just then that the room he was in had a door...especially since he could hear his partner comforting Naomi upstairs. It was right then and there that Jim wished he had stopped Aisha from getting her 'revenge'. But it wasn't Aisha who he was angry at, it was Naomi.

~*~*~*~

It was much, much later when Naomi finally calmed down. She was enraged; angry at mostly at the little bastard, but partly at her Gene for not throwing the boy out earlier. How could he have let something like this happen to her?

She sat now alone in her room, trying to ignore the lingering smell. Why? How come everytime I fall in love, there is always someone else there to pull us apart. I can't let this happen....not again. And so, slowly but ever so carefully, Naomi began to develop a plan. One that would ensure that Gene would be all hers, and one that would eliminate the little brat that was in her way. She had to do something to stop the kid, before everything she hoped for vanished.

"Naomi? Are you all right?" Naomi got up from her spot at the sound of Gene's voice outside the door, and opened it to reveal a very stressed looking outlaw. "Hey there," he whispered, taking the girl in his arms. "You okay now?"

"Yeah," she murmered, putting her own arms around his waist. "I...just got a little frightened, you know? Girls don't like that kinda stuff."

"Yeah well, I'm sorry it happened." Gene looked deep into her eyes, and suddenly all of Naomi's anger for the man holding her seemed to vanish.

"It's not your fault," she whispered back, gently kissing him on the cheek. Suddenly, she pulled away from him, and turned around. "I...I think it would be best if I slept alone tonight, Gene. I don't....I don't think with Jim here..." She spit out the words, hoping that the outlaw wouldn't hear the hate in her voice. "I don't think that it would be a good idea to be together tonight."

"Yeah, I know Naomi." He pulled her back around and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "I'll be next door if you need me, all right?"

Naomi nodded. "Okay Gene. Thank you."

~*~*~*~

It was late at night when Naomi decided that it was time to execute her plan. She listened intently for the sounds of Gene's snoring in the next room, and when she was sure that he was asleep, she cautiously gathered her pillow and rose out of bed.

As she headed quietly down the stairs, her mind was set on what had to be done that night. Of course, her relationship with Gene would never be the same, but if anything it would strengthen. Sure her Gene would grieve for his friend, but Naomi would be there to comfort him. She would make eveything all right again.

Naomi could hear Jim's soft breathing as she neared his room, and a smile slowly spread across her face. Luck seemed to be on her side tonight, for the boy continued to sleep peacefully as she made her way over to his bed. With a steady hand, she slowly turned the sleeping child onto his back.

"Mmmmm..." he murmered, his eyelids fluttering open. "Wha?" he said sleepily. "Naomi--" Jim's sentence was abruptly cut off as Naomi pushed her pillow down violently over his mouth and nose, and his eyes widened as the half awake boy realized what she was trying to do.

Naomi smiled with demented pleasure as Jim let out a muffled cry beneath the pillow. She could feel his chest under her own, rising and falling as the boy desperately tried to breathe.

"Oh no," she hissed as he tried to pathetically push her away. "You're not going to stop me this time you little rat." Easily overtaking the boy, Naomi pinned his arms to the bed with her free hand, and then waited for her victim to stop breathing.

It took less time than she had figured for Jim's body to shut down. It happened almost suddenly; his clenched fists loosened and his eyes shut. But the way Naomi could tell that she had been successful was the fact that the boy's chest lay still under her own, not even slightly moving.

After she had pulled her pillow off of Jim's face, Naomi straightened the sheets and blankets around him, making it seem as if nothing had happened at all. Then she turned the still Jim back onto his stomach, his face embedded in the folds of the pillow.

"Poor boy," she whispered, taking one last look at him from the door. "Too bad no one ever told him not to fall asleep face down in your pillow."

To be continued...

*NO COMMENT! I mustn't reveal what is going to happen... better get to writing the next chapter! Oh and if you find any spelling errors or such...just e-mail me at anime_angel95052@yahoo.com. Thanks!