Hello there! Before any of you attempt to strangle me with shoelaces, ties, socks or whatever you have lying around, I am truly, truly, truly, truly sorry for the really long delay in this chapter. I've had a lot on my plate lately. Anyways, I hope this ends in me not dying. I can't update if I'm dead so don't hate me too much? I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Treasure Planet in any way, shape or form.

Enjoy!

-xxXxx-

Jim stared at the young man beside him. While he was calm, although distant on the outside, inside her was seething and resisting an almost uncontrollable urge to strangle the man beside him. How dare he even think that he could take his Rune from him?! He'd known the Halfling longer than this punk! She was a part of his crew! There was no way in hell he'd just up and hand her over to this washed-up punk just because he asked!

The two men stood silently beside each other, the tension between the two was so thick you could cut it with a knife. A nurse came in and dressed Rune in an over-sized brown shirt to cover her up and offered them some refreshments, pleading that they at least take a seat in one of the chairs provided. Reluctantly, Jim gave in and slouched in one of the plush chairs.

After a while, Rune began to stir. Jim rushed to her side but Nastas was faster. He grasped her hand in his as she murmured unintelligible things under her breath before opening her two different colored eyes.

"Wuz goin' on?" she slurred, eyes blinking rapidly as they adjusted to the lighting in the medical ward. Jim watched in slight fascination as her pupils dilated into their usual rounded slits. They looked human enough but if you looked carefully, the tops and bottoms of the black pools of her pupils were slightly pointed. A trait she must have inherited from her mother's side. Jim had seen them become slits whenever the Halfling was surprised or angry about something.

Kiwi squeaked happily, jumping up from wherever she'd been hiding to curl around her mother's warm neck. The little dragon cooed and purred, rubbing her horned head affectionately against Rune's cheek. She giggled slightly as Kiwi's tufted tail tickled her throat and brought up a hand to pet the little white dragon perched on her shoulder.

Nastas chuckled deeply, running a gentle hand over Run's brow, wiping away the hair and sweat.

"You collapsed and brought here to the medical ward. The doctor saw to you and said you'll be fine," Nastas smiled warmly down at Rune who looking around the room. She eyed the mess of surgical tools that littered the floor but made no comment. She lifted a hand to scratch her head when she gasped; her wide blue and green eyes darted between Jim and Nastas. Where was her bandana?!

"He…you saw…" the Halfling's mouth opened and closed like a fish before she brought her knees up on the medical table, leaning her head on her knees, efficiently hiding her face from view. Jim was confused as to what she was worrying about now when he saw her ears flattened out on her head, her tail curled sadly around its owner. Jim glanced over at Nastas. The young man was watching her intently, placing a large, comforting hand on her shoulder. The Halfling's head shot up, earning a surprised squeak from Kiwi, and she stared up at Nastas with a mixture of fear and anger flickering across her face.

"What are you gonna to do to me now?" she demanded. Nastas smiled in understanding and sat beside her on the table.

"I'm not going to hurt you or send you away, if that's what you're thinking," Nastas commented, "I am, however, very curious about you. You're a wonderful woman Rune, you really are. And you continue to astonish me," he reached up to touch one of her ears but she pulled away, much to Jim's enjoyment. Nastas dropped his hand back in his lap and continued, "There are so many thing I wish to know about you; I'm just not sure if there'll be enough time between now and the day you depart with your cargo," the young man hung his head dejectedly. Jim held his breath.

Rune continued staring at the man sitting beside her. She glanced at Jim once or twice before letting out a huge sigh. Kiwi, who was magically infused with the girl, felt her mother's emotions and twitched her tail in confusion.

"Nastas," Rune began, "What are you talking about?"

Nastas looked her over before turning to face Jim, "Captain Jim, could you give me a moment with the young lady?"

Jim was just about to protest when Rune threw a grin his way.

"Don't worry Captain Tightpants! I'm not a baby; I can take care of myself!" she cocked her head to the side childishly before sticking her tongue out at him. Jim smiled warmly at her and turned to leave. Before he closed the door to the medical ward, he threw Nastas a cold look that promised pain if something happened to Rune in his presence.

Waiting outside the medical ward for Nastas to finish to whatever he wanted to talk about with Rune was torture for Jim. The poor man was pacing holes in the carpet outside the door, running his hands through his short brown hair, chewing on his lip, you name it. What did Nastas want to talk about? Was he going to ask her to stay here on this planet with him? Was he going to ask her to marry him? How would Rune take it? Would she stay? Would she marry the young noble-man? What if she secretly harbored feelings for the other man? Would Rune give up her live of dangerous space-traveling to stay here where she'd be safe and loved by a wealthy noble-man? What, what, what!

All these questions flew by inside Jim's head. He resisted the urge to scream out his frustrations. Jim tensed violently. Oh god, what if Nastas went under the influence of Lust Haze! Rune said so herself that she shouldn't be inside enclosed spaces with- oh wait, the medical room was well ventilated so that wouldn't happen. Jim relaxed a bit but he was still pacing. Half of him wanted to burst into the room and declare his undying love for Rune; she would tear up and run to his arms and Nastas would be left alone on the floor surrounded by a puddle of his own heart-broken tears. The other half of him wanted to wait it out so that Rune could shoot the man down herself. She would walk out of the room, calling over her shoulder to Nastas that there was already someone on her life that she couldn't live without; she would turn to Jim and walk hand-in-hand out of the mansion down to the RLS Legacy together, get the cargo and sail the Etherium as they pleased.

Jim shook his head. This was getting ridiculous! He would never declare his 'undying love' for Rune. Sure there was some attraction…ok, a lot of attraction but he wasn't sure if it was genuine attraction or just purely hormones. But the thing between him and Rune…that wasn't love…was it?

Jim continued pacing for another eternity although in reality it was only about ten minutes or so. After those ten minutes, the door opened to a grinning Nastas. Jim's heart plummeted. Whatever he'd asked of the woman inside; she'd given him a positive answer. Nastas stepped out of the room and beamed at Jim patting him on the shoulder.

"Jim, my good man! She wishes to see you now," Nastas grinned and walked down the hall and out of sight. Jim sighed and pushed the door open to a waiting Rune. She was sitting cross-legged on the table with Kiwi in her lap. The little dragon was curled up into a ball, her leathery wings stretched out to let her mother pet them. Rune looked up from what she was doing and smiled at Jim. The young captain's heart beat loudly in his chest and Jim vaguely wondered if Rune could hear it. The Halfling patted the spot beside her, silently telling him to sit. Jim shuffled across the room and hopped up on the table next to Rune. She wasted no time punching him in the shoulder.

"Ow! What the-"

"That's for giving me 'Milk of the Mother' ya jerk!" she scrunched up her nose in dissatisfaction before breaking out in a smile, indicating she wasn't really mad at him. Kiwi cooed and jumped out of her mother's lap, nudging Jim's hand with her head. Jim smiled, albeit sadly, as he stroked the little white dragon.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that," he started. There were so many things he wanted to ask her but they all crossed over a line Jim wasn't sure if he wanted to cross. He continued petting Kiwi who continued to purr. The little thing was really something now that he looked at her. He'd thought the little dragon was covered in a leather-like skin but now that he looked closely, it was arranged of hundreds upon thousands of miniscule scales. They were smooth and continuously overlapped each other. The scales became fewer and farther in between as they neared her wings. Tiny blood vessels, so small Jim could barely see them, ran throughout the wing membranes, creating chaotic highways and roads. Jim was so lost in his observations he didn't hear Rune beside him.

"-loo? Anyone in there?" Rune knocked on his head for added measure. Jim shook his head and looked towards the woman who created such conflicted feelings inside him. He pointedly ignored the fact that she'd added onto his headache by hitting him on the head.

"So what was up with that anyway?" Rune looked at him in confusion, "I mean with the mother-milk stuff," Jim watched Rune's expression shift into one of confusion and unease.

"Oh that! It was nuthin' big," she shrugged and Jim scoffed.

"'Nuthin' big' my ass, Rune! You were burning up and Sepla had to call for a fuckin' doctor! Who tried to kill you while you were conked out I might add!" Jim huffed angrily. Rune's eyes narrowed and her gaze turned cold. Kiwi squeaked uncertainly in Jim's lap, looking between the two like a child witnessing her parents fighting over something she didn't quite understand. Jim didn't break eye-contact with the woman beside him. Just when Jim thought she'd win their little staring contest out of pure stubbornness, she sighed and dropped her gaze.

"Remember when I told you that Milk of the Mother is a kind of medicine for the Enailefs?"

Reluctantly, Jim shook his head and Rune continued, "The Elders of the Enailefs only give Milk of the Mother to females who have trouble going into heat. And you know from experience that I have no problems going into heat. The thing is, I took medicine for a condition I don't have. That's bound to make anyone sick," she fiddled with her fingers, looking at Jim, "Why did you have that stuff anyway? As far as my nose goes, I don't smell any other Enailefs around, let alone any with heat problems."

Jim looked at her, "Sepla gave it to me. They drink that stuff here; says it's 'the best stuff around' and everything."

Rune stared at him incredulously.

"What the fuck? Are you serious?" she hopped off the table and began pacing angrily, waving her arms about at the Donoman people, "What the fuck is wrong with these people? Do they even know what that stuff actually is?" she stopped her ranting to let out a huge sigh. Jim set a squeaking Kiwi where Rune had sat just a moment ago and hopped off the table to join Rune in the middle of the room. Laying a hand on her shoulder, he felt her tense up but didn't shake him off. A small spark of joy lit up somewhere inside him.

"I hate these people," Rune muttered without looking up at him. Immediately, Jim thought of Nastas and his alone time with Rune before he'd been allowed back into the medical room. But he held his excitement at bay. He had to know.

"What about Nastas?"

Rune laughed but it sounded more like a breath of air that passed her lips.

"That guy? Yeah he's nice but," Rune giggled and turned to Jim, blue and green eyes dancing with amusement, "Can you believe he actually asked me to marry him? Me! Of all people on this entire planet, he chooses me…" Rune trailed off sadly before shaking her head, laughing lightly, "As if I'd ever get married!"

Something inside Jim broke at those words. He didn't know why he felt that way but at least one thing was clear now. Jim did in fact have feelings for the Halfling. Not hormone-induced attraction, nothing purely instinctual pushing him to mate her; this was just basic attraction and blooming feelings of what could only be love.

Jim liked Rune.

Jim liked-liked Rune.

Could he go as far as to say that he loved her? Jim thought it over in his head.

Maybe.

He wouldn't be able to tell for sure until he had some time to explore these new-found feelings. And a strange part of him was looking forward to it. His belly did flip-flops at the thought of spending some quality time with the woman he was developing feelings for.

"Hey! Jim? You in there somewhere?" Rune called, her blue and green eyes darting back and forth between his blue-gray ones.

Jim blinked, "Huh? Oh yeah, yeah I'm here. Sorry, I was just thinking-"

"Well that's dangerous," Rune interrupted with a smirk, ignoring the playful glare Jim sent her way, "So what were you thinkin' 'bout? Please, if it's about naked ladies in the Summerset Star System, I don't wanna hear about it." she added playfully, plopping down on one of the chairs Jim had been sitting in almost an eternity ago.

"Nah, nothing like that," Jim sat down next to Rune, "I just wish I could have seen Nastas' face when you rejected him."

Jim only realized his accidental slip of the tongue as Rune gazed up at him questionably. 'Fuck! I did not just say that out loud!' Jim cursed himself.

"I mean, he's a nobleman's son so I doubt he's been refused anything in his life so I wish I could have seen it! That's what I meant," Jim scratched the back of his head nervously. But Rune seemed to buy his explanation and smiled.

"Yeah well, he wasn't exactly all sunshine and rainbows about it if that's what you're wondering about," Rune stretched her arms above her head, mewling softly as several of her joints popped loudly. The brown shirt she'd been given to wear rode up over her toned stomach and Jim could see the faded shapes of scars marring her otherwise smooth flesh. One scar in particular, a puckered line about as long as his pinky, located above her hip, stood out among the rest.

"What happened?"

"Huh? What?" Rune blinked. Jim gestured to her stomach where the scar resided. She jumped up from her seat and pulled her shirt up enough to uncover it.

"This one?"

Jim nodded and Rune made a face.

"I was nine when I got stabbed by some jerk with a sword. Went clean through, see?" she turned, pulling up her shirt to reveal the exit wound on her back. It was an exact copy of the one in the front, "I got lucky. Jerk missed my vitals but it still took forever to stop bleeding."

Jim fingered the scar gently and he felt Rune shiver. He continued observing the scar until at last he gathered the courage he didn't know he had and leaned in and kissed the scar ever so gently. Rune stiffened and shivered again as his lips made contact but she didn't jump away or spit in his face like he thought she would have. The tip of her tail twitched back and forth, whether in irritation at being touched in such a manor or something else. Her skin was warm to the touch and Jim longed to touch more of her.

He further lifted the shirt to reveal more of her tanned back to him. A small series of round scars that looked like burn marks caught his attention.

"What about these?"

Rune shrugged, "I'm not a display Jim. If I have to share old war stories, so do you."

"Right," Jim grinned, releasing Rune from his grip so she could turn and look down at him, "Although I don't think I have anywhere near as many stories to tell as you."

Although he meant that remark as a joke and maybe even as a conversation starter, the look that played across Rune's face revealed it as anything but. She'd only gotten most of those scars simply because of what she was.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that…" he trailed off as Rune laughed humorlessly, clapping him softly on the back.

"It's ok. It wasn't your fault. Maybe one day I'll tell you," she yawned widely and Kiwi crawled up her mother's leg and perched happily on her shoulder, "Well I'm gonna hit the hay. See you tomorrow!" she turned to walk away. Jumping up from his seat, Jim stepped to the Halfling's side.

"I'll walk you to your room. It's the least I can do after giving you that Mother Milk stuff," Jim finished awkwardly. Couldn't he have come up with a better excuse than that? Rune giggled and Kiwi cooed. Her hand came up and petted the dragon on the head as she elbowed Jim out the door of the medical ward.

"Sure, but only if your guilt is so unbearable!" she laughed, for real this time and Jim felt the weight that had settled in his stomach lift.

Together they walked down the hall leading towards her room, laughing at the young servant boy who blushed about fifty shades of red at the sight of Rune. She was still only clad in the decorative loincloth that revealed most, if not all, of her legs and the over-sized shirt that hung provocatively off one shoulder. If Jim were being honest with himself, he caught himself falling a few steps behind so he could watch her stride confidently through the halls as if she owned the place. Her hips would swing from side to side, cloth and tail swishing gently with the movement. Even as they walked, Jim had to remind himself that while Rune was very easy on the eyes so long as she didn't open her mouth, she carried herself like that of a predator; confidant that no one dared mess with her, yet wary enough to be ready to fight or run at a moments notice. It was a dangerous mix but Jim had to admit, it only added to the excitement.

They finally reached the door to Rune's room. As Rune opened the door, Kiwi leapt into the air and clumsily glided towards the bed. She got halfway there before she landed roughly on the soft carpet.

"Good job, girl!" Rune praised. Turning to Jim still standing in the doorway, she smiled, "She's been climbing on everything lately; practicing her flight and everything. I think she'll be flying on the return trip!" Rune gave Jim an enthusiastic thumbs-up, grinning madly. Jim smiled.

"Well, goodnight Rune. I'll be seeing you tomorrow," and with that, the young captain turned and headed back to his room.

But not before he heard the distinctive 'Goodnight Jim' from Rune before she shut the door.

Jim grinned to himself as he made his way towards his own room. Rune hadn't said goodnight or even a friendly goodbye to Nastas back in the medical ward. But she'd said goodnight to him. Jim's grin widened.

She'd chosen Jim over the pompous nobleman's son.

Rune had chosen Jim over Nastas.

Rune had chosen Jim.