Experience Outlaw Star fans:

Allow me to beg your forgiveness. This is my first OS fanfiction, and as of yet, unfinished. The characters are as I see them, having only watched the series twice through. If you don't like the way I spell the names, that's your problem.

This is a alternate time line fic, which means it does not follow the time line set by the actual series. Actually, it follows a similar time line, but at some point it breaks off into a paradox and becomes a different story entirely.

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Disclaimer: I own nothing except the pictures in my head. Original characters do belong to me.

Warning: As of yet, this is an alternate time line fic, with yaoi (m/m), het (m/f), and humor. Small dashes of sap, language and angst thrown in for good measure. Pairings--wouldn't you just like to know? This fic reaches into the very edges of lime, but do not expect any lemons. If you don't know what that means, email me and expect to be embarrassed. Underage people are drinking--don't try this at home!

Author: Kasey

Archive: Not unless I send it to you.

Status: Incomplete, self-edited.

Key: /italics/ and *emphasis*

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"At a Minute or Two 'Till Two, Today"

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-Part One-
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Jim sighed as the crew of the /Outlaw Star/ trudged up three flights of slippery steps. It was raining in Hayfong, in the planet's early Spring season, so it was cold. "I can't believe we're *doing* this, Gene!" he complained. "Especially in this weather... it just makes me feel worse. We just got here. Why can't we wait 'till morning, at least?"

"Would you rather wait until he sends us a bill?" Gene asked back, stifling a yawn. "I don't like the weather any more than you do, but it's really time we paid him back." He slowed and looked around the landing they had finally reached. The Lowe estate was huge, with multiple buildings and many floors. "I still can't see how he can live in a place like this." Well, at least the awnings offered some protection from the rain.

"That's just because *you* weren't born into an *upper class* family, Gene Starwind," Asjia sniffed. "If you *had* been, you would know how much *better* a mansion like this is, compared to that shack *you* call home."

"Ah, shut up." Gene lifted his hand to grasp the door knocker, but the door was pulled away and he was bowled over by a green bathrobe.

"*GENE!!!*"

"Fred!" Gene grappled with the green bathrobe for a moment before it finally calmed down. Blue-black hair, mussed from sleep, tangled with his own and blocked his vision.

"Gene! I'm so glad you're back! Do you have any idea how worried I was? You left without warning, just took the pay and left... then I heard about the attacks from the pirates, the military... I had no way to contact you, and you didn't call, or even send me a letter... Then my contact at Blue Heaven said you were there, and you were injured... why didn't you call?! Later I hear you're blasting away at thieves and getting branded as a pirate!" There was a split-second pause for breath. "Oh, I'm so glad you're back and alright!"

Gene gasped for air, because Fred still had him in a bear hug.

Jim shook his head. "We just got in, Fred. Gene's tired. He would have contacted you earlier, but we're still on the run from those pirates back at Gamma Centauri."

"We didn't want to give our position away," Melfina spoke up, from behind Asjia. "But Gene wanted to pay you back the money you lent him."

"Took him long enough to get it," Asjia grumbled. She was trying to twist the water out of her long braid. "All those jobs and half of them cost him more than he made!"

Fred relaxed his grip on Gene, who was starting to turn blue. "You mean you just came to pay me back?"

"Yeah," Gene grunted, rubbing his ribs. "We'll pay you back, rest for a few days, and head out again before the pirates catch on."

"Then, by all means, come inside!!" Fred pushed Gene in through the open door. "How careless of me to leave you all out here in the cold." He closed the door once they were all inside. "I'll have the servants prepare baths for all of you, and late dinners."

"Well, we have to get going--" Jim began, but Fred clapped him on the shoulder and grinned.

"Don't worry about a thing. You can spend the next few days here, so you won't have to worry about being caught at work. I'll make all the necessary arrangements for the /Outlaw Star/ to be repaired and re-supplied."

"Thanks, Fred," Gene sighed, his eyelids fluttering. A second later, his knees buckled and he collapsed. Melfina was standing next to him, and she caught him as he fell. Fred rushed to support his other side.

"What happened?" Fred asked frantically. "Gene?"

Gene grunted. Melfina leaned over to look in his face. "He's asleep," she said.

"Figures," said Jim. "He's been running himself ragged trying to skip those pirates. We lost 'em three days ago."

"Hasn't he slept since then?" Fred asked.

"Nope. Keeps insisting he's gotta get us all out of there. He even yelled at Suzuka."

Fred winced. "I wish he wouldn't do that. Well, then... I'll take Gene to a guest room, and send in some servants to take care of you, alright?"

"Lemme help with Gene," Jim offered, stepping forward.

"That's okay," Fred said, shaking his head. "I've got him." He looked into Gene's face. "Gonna wake up to get to a nice, warm bed, Gene?" he asked.

Gene stirred slightly. "Gghhhhrrrr....mmmmnope."

Fred snorted. "Well, then!" He gripped Gene by the waist, and hefted him over his shoulder. "You're going to bed, anyway!" Slightly weighed down by Gene's bulk, Fred walked slowly towards a long hallway. "I'll send the servants in in just a minute," he called back cheerfully, over his shoulder.

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"...There you go." Fred smiled. Gene was stretched out on a large, soft bed. It had taken a bit to get both of their large frames in through the door, but he had gotten it done.

After a moment, Fred leaned over and started unlacing Gene's boots. He carefully pulled them off of the other man's feet, followed by a very worn-out pair of socks which Fred tossed in a laundry hamper. Thinking quickly and acting slowly, Fred reached for the buckles to Gene's thigh-holster. He removed it slowly, glad that his friend did not wake up. He had seen Gene in a number of moods, but he was not positive that he wanted to find out what Gene did when he woke up to find someone removing his weapons.

The light shields came next. As Fred took one of Gene's shielded hands in both of his own, Gene rolled his head on the pillow. His eyes opened slightly. Fred froze.

"...Nnn...whowhat?" Gene asked, disoriented.

"It's me, Gene," Fred said softly. "Fred. You're in one of the guest rooms."

"Mmmmkay...what're you...doing?"

"Taking off your shields. I didn't think you wanted to sleep in them."

"Boots."

"I already got them."

"Hn?" Gene wiggled his toes. "Nnn...."

"I took your gun off, too, Gene. Is that okay?"

"Mmhm."

"Do you want me to finish taking off your shields?"

"Mmhm."

"Anything else?"

"T'rn 'ff the lights."

Fred smiled, unbuckling the light shields. He set both on the bedside table, and reached to turn the lamp off. It immediately became dark in the room. "Is that good?"

"Hn."

"Goodnight, Gene." He got no response, so he tiptoed quietly out of the room and shut the door behind him.

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"This is the life!" Asjia crowed, wriggling in the hot water of her bath. Across the room in another large tub, Melfina was enjoying her own peaceful bath.

"Good evening, ladies!" Fred said, poking his head in through the door. As it was, he could not possibly have seen either Asjia or Melfina, but both gasped and ducked under in their respective tubs, anyway.

"Don't you know it's polite to knock?!" Asjia shrieked, poking her head back up through the bubbles.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Fred apologized. "But I just came to tell you that Gene is taken care of and that your rooms are ready for you."

"Is he alright?" Melfina asked, worried.

"Of course," Fred answered, still standing in the doorway. "It's pretty hard to put Gene out of commission. I just don't understand why he was so insistent on paying me back."

"What?" Asjia asked, confused. "All of that money you lent him..."

"I loaned him the money as a friend. He can take his time paying me back." Fred shrugged. "I hope those pirates aren't as bad as Gene thinks they are."

"Well, they are," Asjia snorted. "They're even worse than the others, and they *all* have grappling ships!"

"All?" Fred blinked. "Just how many pirates are after you right now?"

"We think, about twenty," Melfina answered. She was climbing out of her bathtub and wrapping a towel around her body. "Gene thinks that the MacDougal brothers tipped them off."

"...Twenty?" Fred repeated weakly. "And the MacDougal brothers?"

"That's right," Asjia purred. "And they're all after our good friend, Gene Starwind."

"...They're after Gene..." Fred sighed miserably. "It's impossible for him to stay out of trouble, isn't it?"

"It's all about the Galactic Leyline, you know," Asjia said, climbing out of her bath. "They want it as much as I... as much as we do."

"And they're willing to kill you for the ship." Fred shook his head.

Melfina walked around so that she could see Fred. "And get me," she added softly.

"Yes, of course." Fred was quiet for a moment. "Are you ready, Asjia?"

"Yep!" The Gkitaro-Gkitaro strode out to join them, wrapped in at least five towels. The only part of her that was visible was her face, feet, and hands.

Fred blinked. Then he smiled. "Well, then, let me show you to your rooms!" As Fred led them down the halls, he quizzed them about their trip. "...And where is Suzuka, anyways?" he asked. "I thought she never let Gene out of her sight."

"Suzu's staying on board the /Outlaw Star/," Asjia answered. "She didn't think it was necessary to come all the way out here just to pay you back, and besides, someone needed to guard the ship."

"Yes, of course..."

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"Are you doing alright, James?" Fred asked, knocking on the boy's door.

"Just fine, Fred," came the muffled reply.

"Can I talk with you for a moment?"

"Yeah, just come on in."

Fred opened the door and walked in. Jim was sitting at a large desk, typing away at a small computer. Fred walked up behind him to see what he was doing. It was hard to tell, because Jim was deleting almost as many characters as he typed in.

"You're tired," Fred stated after a moment. "You should get some rest."

"Yeah, but I can't go to bed yet." Jim yawned. He rubbed at his eyes with one hand. "I... I have to make sure that everything on the /Outlaw Star/ that needs repair gets it... and I have to transfer the money from our account..." He stopped as he yawned again.

Fred put a hand lightly on Jim's shoulder. "James, I can take care of getting the /Outlaw Star/ repaired, so you just get some sleep. But, why does Gene want to pay me back so badly? You can keep the money for as long as you need it."

Jim turned around in his chair so that he was facing Fred. "I dunno. We've got enough money to keep us covered for a long time. Gene got the bounty off of a shipload of pirates... plus he ran into an old cache of Dragonite, so we've got more than enough to pay you back and still be in the green..."

Fred shook his head. He reached up to rub the lobe of his right ear. "Asjia said that you picked up those pirates that are on your trail, on your way back to Hayfong. Why--"

"I don't know!" Jim exclaimed. He sighed and slumped in his chair. "Maybe it's just because he doesn't like owing people anything."

Fred reached over and shut Jim's computer off. "Well, that's Gene's decision, and you shouldn't be held responsible for it. Go to bed, James."

"Yeah, I guess I should." He paused. "Are you sure you can take care of getting the /Outlaw Star/ ready...?"

"Absolutely." Fred gave Jim a gentle push in the direction of his bed. "See you in the morning."

"...'Gnight."

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