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IN SAFE HANDS

By: Anime Angel~^0^

"So...?" Gene sat Jim down on the couch, and cocked an eyebrow at him expectantly. "These dreams are about...."

Jim sighed, wishing he didn't need to tell his older partner everything right then and there. His head was throbbing from hitting the floor so hard, and he was having trouble seeing everything around him....especially the worried faces of his friends. Since his little blackout, the blond was just a little more than scared and figured that it would be best to tell the outlaw what was in his nightmares...but at that moment he was extremely tired, and didn't feel like recalling the pain he had experienced.

"I'm wai-ting..." Gene chanted, almost glaring at Jim.

"Oh shut up already!" The outlaw only continued to glare, but it was more of a 'hurry it up kid so we can eat' glare than a mean, pushy one. "Fine."

"What was it 'bout Jim?" Aisha finally meowed, bringing her voice up to the highest note it could go and hopping onto the couch with him. She ran her long fingers through the boy's matted blond hair. "Monsters, bugs, ghosts--"

"Aw Aisha shut up!" Gene snapped, turning to face her. He didn't want the rowdy Ctarl Ctarl to say something that might make his younger partner hesitant about what he was about to do.

"No, it was just about some guys." The boy lowered his eyes to the floor, sensing the tension in the room. "They...it was when I was younger and...." Aisha cocked her head to the side, waiting for the rest. "And they try to strangle me..." He looked over at Gene, who seemed to be thinking about the whole thing. The outlaw's eyes were glued to his younger partner.

"Details, details, details," he said simply. Jim knew it was coming; he would have to yet again recall everything for them. As much as he wanted to forget it all, though, a little voice inside his head told him that talking was the best.

"All right...." he mumbled, and proceeded to tell his two friends everything.

"Whoa..." was all anyone said when Jim had finished his story, and it was only Aisha that had responded. The boy looked over at his older partner, who was still silent, and a worried lump began to rise in his throat. What did his aniki think of him now? That he was a baby? Just a little kid scared of a bunch of nightmares? No...Aniki'll understand. I'm a lot more mature than him anyhow...

"Well," Gene began, looking up at the young, obviously distressed blond. "Those sure aren't from watching the Revenge of the Mummy..." He grinned, causing Jim to smile a bit.

"So...whaddya think?"

"I dunno, kid. It sounds ta me like you got quite a problem though. I mean, you passed out cuza it...I'm no doctor but I don't think that's good."

"NO KIDDIN!" Aisha yelled, balling up her fists and hopping up and down on the couch. Her high, scratchy voice became even higher (if that is possible) as she began to string off various self-opinions. "I think we oughta go and teach those GUYS a LESSON...THE CTARL CTARL WAY!" she cried triumphantly, causing Jim to roll his eyes.

"Aisha, it was just a dream...that's all. I really doubt those guys are real ya know..." He grinned at her, however, and gave her a nod of approval. "But if anyone could kick a bunch of dirty asses, it would be you, Aisha," he said, obviously buttering her up to break the tension...but did the Ctarl Ctarl care? Nope.

"Why thank ya Jimmy!" Aisha smiled, but her joy at the boy's compliment was cut off as Gene got up from his seat.

"Hey listen, I think we should...I dunno...go see someone about this thing." He stared thoughtfully at his blond partner. "Actually, I think that I should sell ya...you're gettin kinda old," he laughed, ruffling Jim's hair. The boy only smiled back up at him, glad that he had spilled his guts, and not gotten a bad reaction. No one thought he was a baby, or a whimp, or a freak...and so it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"How much do ya think you'd get for me, eh?" he said, pushing his aniki's hand away.

"Ooooooh...I'd say...one or two wong?"

"Yeah right!" Aisha cut in, wrapping a large arm around the blond. "More like, half a wong..."

Jim started laughing. "Wow, Aniki, that's more than you're worth!"

"HEY!"

It was much later when Jim and Gene had finally sat down to talk, and now they were discussing...well....Jim. Gene was currently stretched out on the couch, and Jim was sitting comfortably next to him, one leg resting on the table, and the other dangling down over the side of the cushions. The two looked both deep in thought, but at the same time there was somewhat of a humorous air in the room.

"So what ARE we gonna do about this thing, eh kid?"

"I dunno, you could buy me a new computer er somethin..." Jim punched the outlaw playfully in the side. "This could be just because of..."

"You're weird attraction to all things metal and mechanical?"

"Um...sure."

Gene grinned and glanced quickly over at the clock hanging on the far wall.

"Whelp, it's ten, so if ya wanna go ta bed, now would probably be the time." For a moment things went silent -- and still -- but then the red head thought of something. "Ya know, if you want you could stay in my room tonight..."

"What?"

"Well, this way if your nightmares start up again, I could wake you easier." Jim gave the outlaw a quizzical look. "Hey! It wouldn't be in the same bed you dork!"

Jim rolled his large, blue eyes. "Well, DUH. But it IS a good idea..." Jim looked up at his partner, only to find that Gene had a dopey, lopsided grin plastered onto his face.

"Do you wanna drag your bed in...or should I?"

The darkness of the room seemed to shut out all sounds that night, muffling Gene's snoring, and even the rustling of Jim's sheets. Only the sound of the clock ticking could be heard...

Until Jim fell asleep.

Gene suddenly jerked in his bed, waking up as soon as the distressed sounds of his younger partner reached his ears. He rolled over carefully, until he was facing the end of his bed. There, just as he had arranged a few hours before, slept Jim. He was curled up tightly in his small bed, blue eyes shut tight. For a moment everything was so peaceful that Gene thought he had been imagining things, but then the soft murmuring started up again.

"No....please," the sleeping Jim sobbed out, flailing limply in the white sheets that now surrounded his body.

"Jim?" The red-head slowly climbed out of bed, and stumbled sleepily over to where his friend thrashed about. "Jim, c'mon...wake up..." he whispered urgently, raising his voice when the blond began to get louder. "JIM!"

"Please....!" Gene moved quickly over to his partner's side as the boy began to let out small, short sobs and pleas. "Please no!"

"Jim wake UP!" But the blond only continued to flail about. "WAKE....... UP!"

"No!"

"JIM!"

As the outlaw began to shake the boy, Jim suddenly let out a series of gasps, and his chest began to heave up and down....the kid simply wouldn't wake up this time.

"Damn!" was all Gene could say, and soon he stopped trying to wake his partner all together. "Dammit. I'll just have to wait till it ends...hopefully soon."

Seven year old Jim rounded the corner of the Smiley Cafe, hoping to find some morsel of food that he could eat...even if it was table scraps. It was strange, actually, walking around in the dream world. The eleven year old Jim who was having the nightmare realized where he was, and that everything wasn't real, but he was trapped in the seven year old. There was nothing he could do to stop his young self from walking up to the table of men happily eating their sandwiches. His feet moved independently, and he didn't have any power over what he was about to do.

"Excuse me?" Jim whispered, looking up as innocently as he could at the large men in front of him. "I am sort of hungry..."

"Get outta here you little rat," one of the guys growled, taking a large bite out of a ham and cheese sandwich.

"But--"

"I said LEAVE US ALONE." With that the man farthest to Jim's right stood up menacingly, clenching his fist. And that's when it happened: all of the men set down their food.

In his mind, the seven year old knew that taking the food would mean trouble. But then again, if he didn't eat soon he would surely not survive another night in a trashcan. His stomach was already growling...

No!! the real Jim yelled in his mind, but the young image of himself acted separately, and soon the kid was snatching up a sandwich and running, knocking the table over on his way into the street.

"Hey you LITTLE BASTARD!" one of the men screamed, but the young Jim only continued to run faster, making his way into a crowded market place...unknowing that the former owners of the piece of food he was carrying were hot on his trail.

To be continued...

*All right, that's all I could write for now. I have like my whole summer to plan, and it is already filling up! I will try and write more soon, sorry it's short! Any mistakes? Just e-mail anime_angel95052@yahoo.com. Thanks!