Author's Note – I do not own Outlaw Star or anything that has any affiliation with it

Author's Note – I do not own Outlaw Star or anything that has any affiliation with it. This is my first attempt at an Outlaw Star fic so be gentle. It's also only the second fic that I've written.

Aisha sauntered through the quiet streets of the city. Far too excited about getting Jimmy back, she had been completely unable to sleep. Deciding that a stroll was preferable to sitting around her room, she had gone out walking about an hour ago. She had gone all over the city, mulling over thoughts of her little Jimmy the entire time. The kid was entirely too cute and mature for his own good. Aisha had been startled to realize just how important the kid was to her when she thought he had been taken away for good. It was amazing how he had managed to worm his way into her heart so quickly, and establish such a presence in it. If it wasn't for the fact that he was so young maybe he could even…Well, best not to think that way. Aisha decided that she would just be happy to have her Jimmy back and that would be good enough for now. She couldn't wait for daytime to come so that they could go rip that social services office to shreds.

Suddenly, Aisha caught sight of a car that she had noticed three blocks back. The car seemed to have been following her around the city. Deciding that nothing good was going, she quickened her pace. She noticed that the car increased speed a bit to keep up with her. Making a quick decision, Aisha ducked into the next alleyway she passed and pressed herself up against the wall. Holding her breath, she quietly waited for the mysterious trailer to show themselves…

Jim had been trying to make his way back to the home base for over an hour now. He had managed to keep himself lucid for most of the way, but there were a couple of points when the pain had caused him to black out for a brief second. The last time that had happened he had almost ended up in a fatal accident. He had never been so happy over the site of a city before in his life. However, just as he began making his way home, he noticed Aisha wandering around the streets. Suddenly, doubt assailed him. What if his friends really didn't want him anymore? What if he showed up, only to have them send him away again? Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, Jim followed Aisha around while letting his doubts echo in his head. Finally, she had ducked inside a side alley, and Jim realized that he had no choice but to turn to his friends. He was simply to messed up to do anything else. He was almost blacking out again anyway. Slamming the car into park, he limped out and made his way into the alley after Aisha.

Silently, the Ctarl Ctarl watched as a small figure shuffled its way into the alley. It seemed to be lame in one leg, and was casting constant furtive glances around as it came into the alleyway. Counting softly to herself, she waited as the figure slowly made its way into range. Then with a roar, she pounced on it and drove it into the ground beneath her. She opened her mouth to question the figure, but its sudden scream of pain interrupted her. Just then the lights from a passing car briefly lit up the alley, and she recognized the form in under her.

"Jim!?" She exclaimed, her voice rising to its highest pitches. "What the hell are you doing here?" Suddenly her mind clicked into gear and she remembered his cry of pain. Gently, she felt over the small body beneath her. Aisha heard Jim's sharp intake of breath as she ran her hands over his ribs, and she could feel the bone fragments in his arm. Just then another car passed by and she got her first good look at her face. Aisha hissed sharply as she saw the dark bruises and dried blood. "My God Jim. What happened to you? You've got bruised and broken bones all over. Who did this to you? What the hell is going on?"

"Aisha," the boy softly whispered in under her. Hesitantly his eyes moved to her face. "Is that…is that really you?" He asked, his voice breaking slightly.

"Its me Jim…you know any other Ctarl Ctarl as amazingly beautiful?" Aisha grinned at him wryly, hoping to elicit her normal response from the boy. Instead she received the surprise of her life as he tried to hug himself to her with his one good arm. Instinctively, she reached her arms around him and gently drew his body into hers. For a second, she had a difficult time recognizing the muffled sounds coming from the boy. However when she felt the wetness of tears on her fur, she realized that he was sobbing. She clutched him to her and whispered soothing words into his ear. Finally, the boy cried himself out, and passed into unconsciousness.

Gently lifting him, Aisha marveled at the complete lack of weight on the boy. He had never weighed much, but it seemed to her like he hadn't eaten in days. Having him lay broken in her arms like that, Aisha felt her Ctarl Ctarl blood ignite in sheer rage. However, for Jim's sake she managed to shut off the part of her brain demanding that she whoever had done this be held accountable. She wanted to completely rip someone to shreds, but her brain recognized that she had to get Jim to a hospital first. Right now his safety was her primary concern.

Quietly, she opened a communications line to the Outlaw Star. "Hey Gill, you there?"

"Yes Aisha, I am fully functional. What may I do for you?"

"I need you to home in on my signal, and then give me directions for the nearest hospital."

"Oh my, have you been injured? Do I need to contact Gene for you?"

"No, I haven't been injured, but Jim's in pretty bad shape. And yes, I do need you to contact Gene for me. Have him gather everyone up and meet me at whatever hospital we're going to. And hurry Gill, Jim needs help now."

"Certainly. I'm homing in on you now."

Aisha glanced down at the unconscious figure huddled in her arms. Softly, she reached down and stroked his cheek, banishing the tears that had suddenly sprung up in her eyes as she held Jim's broken form. "Don't worry my little Jimmy boy. You're gonna be okay. You're one of the most important things in my life right now, and I'm not going to lose you…no matter what it takes."