"WHAT!?" Aisha asked Gillium.


"His vital signs appear to be stable...."


Melfina's eyes seemed to shimmer upon hearing this. They were brimming over with tears of joy. "Oh, Gillium, that's wonderful news".


"He's.....going to be OK?" Aisha eagerly asked the little pink can.


"It appears that way, although it would be wise to keep him under observation for a few days. It seems as though he suffered a moderate concussion, along with some bruising and lacerations. There are some internal injuries that will require further treatment, but no signs of anything life-threatening."


"But he stopped breathing. I know he did....." the cat-girl started to say, not quite able to believe the news the ship's computer was delivering to them.


"That was most likely an effect of the head trauma he suffered. Temporary blindness and cessation of respiratory activity can occur from a concussion like that. There was also a 98.361% chance of cardiovascular failure. It most certainly would've been fatal had he not been brought here and revived so quickly ." Gillium explained.


There was an expectant silence that lingered in the room for a moment until Melfina spoke up once again.


"Aisha- that means you saved Jim!"


"What do you mean?" she asked. Her feline ears were cocked and there was a quizzical look on her face.


"Gene told me how you changed into your beast form to fight that pirate. If you didn't..." Mel paused for a moment, realizing she probably should choose her next words carefully. "....there's no telling what could have happened."

"Gene told you this?"

Mel nodded.

"How long have I been out?" Aisha asked suddenly.

"Approximately 22 minutes. That is how long you've been on this ship." Gillium said. "Although I'm somewhat unfamiliar with Ctarl Ctarl physiology, you appear to have sustained only a few bruises and some minor burns in addition to fatigue."


"I'm going to go see him." the Ctarl Ctarl said. Aisha figured that if Gillium objected, she would raise a fuss and then feign being talked out of seeing Jim by Mel or the ship's computer before sneaking off and quietly checking on him anyway.


However, Gil knew better than to deny a determined Ctarl Ctarl. "Very well. However, keep in mind that both of you should get some rest....." he cautioned.

Mel couldn't help but smile as Aisha left. She had heard some of the choice adjectives Gene would sometimes call Aisha- although very rarely to her face. 'Selfish' wasn't one of them- especially when Jim was involved. From all outward appearances, Aisha had just been through a considerable ordeal herself, yet all she seemed to care about was Jim. Mel wasn't keeping time, but it took Aisha several minutes before she even thought to inquire about her own well-being. The vain cat-girl also missed an opportunity to bask in some praise when Mel explained that Jim wouldn't be alive if she hadn't dispatched the big pirate so quickly. The more time Jim and Aisha spent together, the more they really did seem like family, the bio-android mused.

**

It was a weird dream to say the least, but almost as soon as he woke up, Jim could only remember bits and pieces of it. He was standing in what looked like some sort of orchard on a distant and alien world. It was actually quite beautiful. Aisha was there with him, although it wasn't one of *those* dreams. Gene might've been disappointed by that, but Jim really wasn't. She enthusiastically greeted him after she jumped out of one of the trees, all of which were practically exploding with some sort of sweetly fragrant, pastel green blossoms.

But he also recalled that she seemed very sad about something. He wasn't sure if he should press the matter. Very slowly, fragments of the dream and what had happened in the scrapyard were beginning to intertwine. His head was throbbing and his chest ached. Unbeknownst to Jim; Gene, Mel and Suzuka had been in and out, checking on his condition while he was unconscious. But he was by himself when he came to....or so he thought. As he was trying to piece together the events, he heard a noise.


The Ctarl Ctarl knocked on the door to Jim's quarters only after she opened it up and walked through. There he was- wide awake and somewhat cleaner than her. Ordinarily he would've resented the intrusion, but after what both of them had been through, his eyes practically lit up and he smiled at the sight of her.


"Aisha?" He looked a little bit dismayed when she didn't immediately return his smile.

Betraying none of the relief that came over her when she saw with her own eyes that he was still alive and well, she approached his bed and looked down at him. It was almost too good to be true as far as Aisha was concerned. She wanted to do nothing more than wrap the boy up in a tight bear hug and tousle his hair like she had done so many times before, but realized that wasn't the greatest idea if Jim was recovering from head trauma and cracked ribs. Instead, Aisha thought the best she could do was to try and tell him something she had been putting off and assumed she'd never get to say to him earlier.

"Looks like I'm getting some rest wether I like it or not." Jim said, looking up at Aisha.

"I don't know what you were thinking, Jim- doing a foolish thing like that." she scolded.


"You mean the big pirate? I thought I could've held him off until....." he started to say.

Aisha was having none of it "You're a thinker, not a warrior" she interrupted, gently tapping her index finger on his temple. "That's your strength". It was meant to be a compliment, but it was hard to tell with her sometimes. "If you're up to it, maybe I could teach you some Ctarl Ctarl fighting techniques later on. Gene's taught you to rely too much on those Terran playthings that pass themselves off as weapons." In all honesty, Aisha was quietly thrilled that there would be a "later on".

"That's easy for you to say." Jim scoffed. "You're the strongest woman in the universe. Are you going to teach me how to turn into a big tiger?".

"It's not just about physical strength. Any good warrior needs to be able to come up with a strategy. Doesn't that sound like somebody I know?"

Aisha noticed that the boy was now looking down and no longer paying any attention to her. She figured the boy had just been through an ordeal and she should leave well enough alone when Jim turned to her.


"I was so scared Aisha. All I wanted to do was just run and hide." Jim said. "The last thing I remembered was you......." he trailed off.


**Holding me? Talking to me? Crying?** The Ctarl Ctarl was left to wonder what he was going to say as Jim continued staring down at the bed. She had seen him in times of great uncertainty, a little apprehensive and even scared. But despite his small stature, he always was able to maintain his composure. This was the first time that Jim had ever sounded vulnerable to her.


"That's only natural." she reassured him. "Sometimes the trick is in not letting your opponents know how scared you really are. I know it isn't easy but it's not impossible...."


"You mean......you don't think I'm a coward?"


"Not at all, Jim. I never questioned your bravery, just your judgement sometimes."


"Never thought I'd hear that coming from you." he mused. "You don't think Gene's too upset with me? I was the one who told him to use the dud shell."

"Don't sweat it...I'm sure he's been through worse."


"But Aisha....." he was cut off again, her finger was now vertically pressed against his lips. She was one step shy of clamping her hand over his mouth- like it or not, he was going to listen to what she had to say.


"Stop blaming yourself for things that are out of your control. It's done and there's nothing you can do about it now. What's important is that you're OK. That's all that matters..." she said. She had removed her hand from his lips as she leaned in and they were now almost nose-to-nose. She cast a furtive glance around the room to be certain that there were no spectators other than Jim to what she was about to say and do.


"Always remember Jim; you're my favorite Terran. Always will be, no matter what." Aisha understated somewhat as she gently kissed him on the forehead. Her hand had involuntarily found it's way to the top of Jim's head, but she gently brushed a lock of blond hair from his forehead instead of tousling his hair like she normally did. Her expression changed and Jim detected more than a trace of sorrow. "....and how do you think I'd feel if I lost my favorite Terran forever?".


For a moment Jim heard her voice waver, as if the mere thought of his untimely passing was enough to bring the Strongest Woman in the Universe to tears. She gently wrapped her arms around him and held him like that for a moment. Jim returned her embrace as best he could in his condition as Aisha spoke up. "You had me so scared. Promise me: No more dumb stunts like that, OK?".


Dumbfounded and speechless, Jim nodded. Aisha almost always seemed so carefree and happy-go-lucky around him and the others, but this was a part of her he had never counted on seeing. She was such a proud creature, yet Jim was left with the feeling she had to swallow some of her pride in order to have this conversation. There also was something in her eyes, but after a moment she seemed to have regained her some of her composure and continued speaking.


"I'm glad you're feeling better." Aisha purred playfully. "But....."


"Hmm?"


"How come you get the good bed and all I get is the flimsy little cot in the sick bay? I think a delicate flower such as myself is entitled to some pampering." she asked in a haughty tone.


"Seniority." the quick-witted boy replied with a wry grin.


"NANI? You mean to tell me that a pre-teen barely out of diapers such as yourself outranks the beautiful and accomplished Aisha Clan Clan of the Imperial Ctarl Ctarl Deep Space fleet?" Aisha challenged, her arms folded across her chest.


Jim couldn't help but smile. He knew that he was now talking to the immature and temperamental Aisha Clan Clan that he found endearing- for whatever reason.


"On this ship, yes. I've been a registered crew member longer than you." he explained.


"I hope you don't think that means you can boss me around..." Aisha groused.


"Wouldn't dream of it...."


"Good. Certain other people with red hair seem to think otherwise."


"Don't worry about it. Every now and then I 'll let Gene pretend he's in charge and running things."


Jim didn't see it, but a light smile was on Aisha's face. **What a little smart-ass! He hasn't lost a step** she thought. With a great deal of reluctance, Aisha gingerly stood up and headed towards the door, looking back one last time. Dammit kiddo, she said to herself, you're alot tougher than I thought, but you really had me going. After what had happened, she didn't want to let the boy out of her sight. Still, Gillium was right- he needed plenty of rest in order to recover completely. They both could. Before she could step into the hall, a voice spoke up.

"Aisha?"

"Hmm?" She turned around. Jim was sitting upright in his bed now.

"Could you.....uh.....stay a little longer? I really don't want to be by myself." he asked a little sheepishly. There was something in his voice that seemed to say he wasn't just talking about tonight. On some level they both knew that.

Aisha paused. She was terribly hungry- changing into her beast form so far away from the nearest full moon had depleted much her of her energy. The burns from the ball-lightning on her arm hurt more than she was willing to acknowledge, not to mention the big pirate had gotten in some good blows on her before she finished him off. She was hoping to put some ice on her bruises and burns before soaking in a nice, warm bath. Her beautiful platinum hair and dark skin was singed and streaked with oil, grease, and soot from the scrapyard. Aside from the grimy, oversized jumpsuit that Suzuka found for her somewhere, she didn't have anything else on. The galley, a nice long bath, one of her clean uniforms and some first-aid were crying out quite loudly to her. Aisha was just as reluctant to leave Jim alone as Jim was to be alone. Yet, she turned around and looked into Jim's eyes, realizing that those things could wait. Her reply was music to his ears.

"Of course, Jim. I'll be here as long as you need me."

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~;*THE END*;~



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Unless I wind up writing some sort of Epilogue.