Disclaimer: As we near an ending, although it's probably not in this chapter, I'd like to thank all the big important companies and people that out Outlaw Star for not suing me. It was very kind of them, considering how horribly spastic and odd this has been. I hope they'll continue to not sue my petite little ass off in the future. Also, a big thanks to my readers! I love you soooo much! You're so nice to me!
*******
As Harry pranced around in the background, singing off-key about how happy he was, Midori got to thinking. I miss Mom. I like it here, but I miss my house, even if it is small and ugly. How am I supposed to get home? If I go home, can I still come back? I'm hungry...
She sweatdropped at her last thought. It was lunchtime, and she hadn't eaten anything. The subtle movement of the Shangri-La made her stomach rumble a bit.
"Harry! Get over here! Now!" she yelled.
"Yes? What can I do for you?"
"Will you please get me a salad or something. I'm starving!"
"Hai!" the overjoyed bio-android chirped as he pranced off in the direction of the refrigerator.
"I must be the only sane person on this ship..." she muttered to herself as she waited for her lunch to arrive.
The aqua-haired happy man skipped back over to her, carrying a plate with a sandwich on it.
"Here you are!"
"Arigato. Now go... prance around somewhere else!"
He obligingly did so. The girl from another world began to eat her lunch and went back to thinking.
Are we almost there? I miss Jim, and he's probably worried about me! Yeah, right. All I seem to do is annoy him. Maybe I should leave right after we get home. If we ever DO get home, that is...
Midori sank into her bad mood as she grumpily chewed a bite of her turkey on Italian bread sandwich. Everybody was happy except for her, it seemed.
*******
Jim laid back on his bed and stared at the ceiling.
Where is she? Where could she have gone? It's been four days, and the police haven't found a trace of her. Could she have gone back home? No, she couldn't have, because she had no way to. If I ever see her again, I'm going to apologize.
No! Not if, when! WHEN I see her again, I'm going to beg for forgiveness! As long as Gene isn't around. He'd never let me live it down. Dammit, Jim! This is no time to think of your pride!
Midori could be hurt and scared! Who knows what could've happened to her?! I miss her... She may have been annoying at times, but she never meant it in a mean way! We were both so childish...
Abruptly, the young blonde sat up.
"I think I know where she went!" he cried as he sprinted down the stairs and to the door.
He pulled the door open, and was greeted by a cheerfully smiling Midori.
"Wow, Jim! I had no idea you were psychic!" she said jokingly.
*******
The night before she was to go back to Jim, Midori stayed up late, thinking. She was depressed about many things. So deep in her mood that she didn't even notice the person sneaking up behind her.
A pair of pale hands slipped over her eyes. "Guess who!"
"Harry, move your hands or I'll bite them off," she growled irritably.
He hastily withdrew his hands.
"Come on... I wanna play!" he said hyperly.
"HENTAI!"
"Not like that! Not like that! You have a dirty mind, Midori-chan! I wanna play video games!"
"Depends on what you have."
"Well, Ron reeaaalllyyy like video games, especially the RPG ones, so we have a lot."
"Do you have any battle games?"
"Very many!"
And so, they stayed up until three in the morning playing Ron's Sailor Moon game on his gameboy, thereby putting Midori is a cheerful, albeit tired, mood.
*******
Midori was surprised to have Jim hug her after her little comment.
"I missed you so much! Where were you? What happened? Were you hurt at all?" he cried, squeezing her.
"Relax, Jim!" she exclaimed, returning his embrace. "If we can get everybody in one room, I'll tell my story!"
*******
As the door closed, Harry and Ron jumped out from their hiding places behind a car and a fence corner, and ran off towards the Shangri-La to go home.
"Ron, do you think they'll be happy?"
"Probably."
"Do you think I'll ever get Melfina?"
"Chances are, the sun will go out first. But don't let that dampen your spirits, Harry!"
"Gee, thanks..."
*******
Glad for an attentive audience, Midori began to tell her tale.
"Well, starting when you last saw me, I ran to the playground-"
"I knew it!" Jim interrupted!
"As I was saying... I hid inside the plastic tunnel-thing. A hand clapped over my mouth as I was about to go out to you. After a minute, I realized it was Harry MacDougall!"
Her audience gasped, and she heard a mutter or two of "That bastard!"
"His eyes were closed, and when I asked about them, he explained that he was blind."
A few confused looks sprang up.
"He took me to his apartment, where I found out that he had thought I was Melfina. After I had to scream at him and Ron to get it through their thick heads, Harry told me his story. So I agreed to help him get his sight back, having this kind and gentle heart of mine."
She glared at Gene as he snickered.
"The next day, we set off to where he lost his sight: a cave in Feral on the planet Zeitgeist containing a woman Gene slept with and angered. She became vengeful, Gene. So I gave her this address so she could kick Gene where it counts," she concluded, winking.
He gulped.