Outlaw Star Fan Fiction ❯ Outlaw Star: Growing Pains ❯ Jim Hawking: Husband, Father, Outlaw ( Chapter 10 )

On Sentinel 3…

"Ugh, what day is it?" Aisha thought, numbly shaking her head. The room seemed painfully bright to her eyes, as did sunlight to people with hangovers everywhere. She slightly growled beneath the weight of something warm and fuzzy tossed over her side. The night before came back to her with a surreal aspect to it. Jim had somehow escaped the C'tarl-C'tarl Home-world. Then he proceeded to sexual devour her on every surface in the house, and then… they passed out where they finished. The C'tarl shook her head again, recalling none of that happened that night. There was no liquor involved, so why did her mouth taste like a bar? They only made love in the bed, so why was there a napkin stuck to her butt? Shirking the pain off for a moment, Aisha opened her eyes to survey the room one more time. "Oooh," she whispered.

"Mmmm," Jim moaned as he stretched behind her. He pulled her body against his a little tighter, unconsciously inhaling the fruity smell of her shampoo. "Forgot where you were again, didn't you?" He kissed the back of her neck and chuckled a bit.

"No," Aisha snapped weakly, as reality fell into place. Jim didn't argue the subject, rubbing her stomach until he fell asleep again. She clasped her hand over his and smiled at the twinkling bands of gold on each of their ring fingers. They didn't have much at the time, but gold was cheap enough to let them pay the marriage fees at the federal building. "Funny how fast time goes when you have a family," is what Aisha would've thought pending that the rate of speed time passed mattered to her. Instead, she learned to take life for what it was and make the best of it. The immortality gained from the ring in her hair had been unknowingly granted during that time in prison-she never realized she'd forgot to take it off until the morning Jim asked her about why it changed colors (circa 3 years ago). The metallic ring lay at least twenty pounds lighter and the color of silver on the nightstand to her right, having lost considerable mass after the fact.

"Wake up… you gotta be at work in an hour," she complained to the naked man behind her-not that she wanted him to leave or anything-as she read 7:03 a.m. on the alarm clock next to the ring.

"Week off… remember?" Jim yawned, burying his face into her hair. She recounted and smiled.

Fred left on an urgent business trip to the Hei-Fong planetary system to settle a buyout of his latest exporting competition. He didn't need his computer technician/engineer/former delivery boy to tag along. Jim was hers until Monday-tomorrow, but still-Aisha figured he deserved to sleep-in for a change. He'd been going at a breakneck speed since the first year that he came back from prison. He tried to actually turn profits with the Starwind & Hawking thing but the jobs just became too unsafe. Luckily, Fred had a falling out with his last computer engineer (his subsequent boyfriend no less) and hired Jim on the spot. He even tripled Jim's pay to spite his former lover who was present at the time. Jim capitalized and got it in writing, thus binding himself to Lo Enterprises for a very long time. He came home, told her the good news, and… proposed.

Aisha giggled, recalling the way he blushed throughout the whole thing. She decided to make him sweat by taking her sweet time, and by the time the two-minute interval was up, Jim's feet squished in his boots. The shock never really wore off in her case. Aisha Clan-Clan-Hawking? No, there were enough hyphens in her name. She went the extra mile and accepted his last name. Before that though, she had to know why then and why so soon. At first, he led her to his old computer terminal and into a file marked "30". Within the file were the plans of a nine-year-old boy and the next thirty years of his life, as envisioned by him. At fourteen, he was to have graduated college. That fell through, obviously. At twenty, he should be a millionaire. No, he was in prison. At twenty-four, he should have 3.1 kids, a good job (if the millionaire thing didn't happen), and a hot wife. And at thirty-nine, if he was still broke, jobless, and single, he'd at least be happy.

"You want to get married because you're turning twenty-four next month?" she asked him, not exactly thrilled about the idea of being married to fulfill some genius kid's life plan. Jim shut the computer off and prepared to deliver-what Aisha expected to be-a cheesy declaration of love or plea-bargains to meet just one goal on the list.

"No," he said quickly, as he held up the edge of his computer desk with one hand and pulled out a box taped to the bottom. "I wanted to ask you that night Gene laid that whole aging thing on me. But I guess you know what happened then."

"Yeah, you let Gene mess it all up," Aisha thought at the time, but nodded instead.

She nearly cried watching him ask again, this time doing the whole down on one knee thing. He'd expressly waited after the prison term because he wanted to be able to provide them with a decent home of their own. That and it didn't exactly seem fitting to propose to her in his then current state of pseudo-poverty. She kicked him in the shins for that bit. Still, it was a noble notion to wait until he could make ends meet before taking on a family (officially).

Now, here she lay, Mrs. Hawking. It was weird to even respond to such a singular name. How did you drill home who you were with only half a last name? Aisha shrugged and smiled at the anniversary present for year one-a spacious three-bedroom home in a decent part of Sentinel 3. No more gunshots keeping them up at night or drunks whom thought they could sing by way of slurring. Kids played in this neighborhood and the police actually showed up during crimes instead of after. The mortgage was a bit steep, but being the head of Lo Enterprises Security helped. Jim got the application for her and through a little persuasion, the systematic pummeling of every one of his guards, and a few threats from her, Fred happily gave her the job.

They weren't rich by any means, but they were very far from poor. No more suicidal missions, space adventures, or crummy diner jobs for them-just a normal life in suburban Sentinel City. James was enrolled in a regular school, though he was easily smarter than most of the teachers. But Jim wanted him to have a normal childhood and a six-year-old in high school (or possibly college) would only serve to alienate him. Sure, she could tell Jim was trying to help the boy avoid the pitfalls that plagued his early life, but he didn't do it in an overbearing way. That surprised her in a sense, as she expected him to blow his parental assignment out of proportion and obsess with every little thing since he missed the earlier years of his life. He didn't though, but he got a great deal of admiration from James, if not fanatical loyalty.

In his world, Jim represented the peak of power and being a man. The child even tried to dress like him at one point. And even when Jim explained that he wasn't as tough as his appearance would have most people believe and that he was a crook at one time, the boy still idolized him. Aisha wondered if those days her son spent with her father didn't instill the C'tarl-C'tarl "bigger is better, stronger, and the best" ideology in him a little too deep. Whatever the case, James would sooner believe Jim could fly than anyone could beat him in anything. Perhaps if Jim gave up the exercising and lost the muscles… the strong arms… the rippled stomach… okay, so she was aesthetically pleased with his appearance.

But the fallout of his getting old and their son watching that strong physique wither and die would probably crush him. Even if she hadn't left the ring in during the pregnancy, James still had an 80 percent chance of having his life extended well into the handfuls of centuries. Her own life-given that her father was the offspring of one immortal C'tarl-C'tarl-was ensured to go on with no real end in sight, so long as she didn't receive any mortal wounds or get her head smashed… too much. The ring's gifts simply sealed the deal and protected her from such injuries. In any case, this was not a line of thought that Aisha enjoyed walking.

*Ding* *Dong* *Ding* *Dong*

The doorbell cut its way inside of her head like a hot knife through butter, ending her pleasant thoughts.

"Aaah, enough with the damn bell!" Aisha screamed, as her head throbbed. "Get the door!" She elbowed him to make her point. Jim made a sound, close to a muffled "go away" and pulled the pillow over his head. Using a healthy dose of her strength, Aisha snatched the sheet from under his body. In turn, this rolled him completely out of bed.

"Huh? What? I'm up… I'm up, sheesh." He announced upon hitting the floor. Jim was in that area between sleep and awake, thus he didn't notice the fall beyond a grunt. Nearly sleepwalking his way to their dresser, he found a pair of sweat shorts before trailing back around the room to the door. He opened it, turned back to the bed, and collapsed on it, as Aisha finally wrapped herself in the sheets.

"Come on, get up dad! Some woman's here to see you," James shouted, diving into the bed without abandon or knowledge of his mother's hangover. Obviously, Iris had dropped him off sometime during the early morning undoubtedly worn out by his never-ending energy reserves.

"Ugh, I see why you don't drink," Aisha muttered to Jim, nearly vomiting because of her son's heartless bouncing. "Stop bouncing!"

James quit, but it didn't dampen his spirit or upbeat mood.

"Okay, but come on!" He started pushing Jim to roll him back into the land of the living. If only he knew how great and exhausting their three-year anniversary night was, he may be inclined to let his father sleep. James didn't thanks to a friendly neighbor and former barmaid.

"Okay, okay," Jim grumbled finally rolling over to sit up. He ran his fingers through his disheveled hair and stood up. "If it's one of those people from that church again, I'm getting my bat."

"I'm not cleaning up afterwards this time," Aisha called after him, immediately wincing from the pain between her ears. "Aisha needs her shower." And with that she drug her body out of bed and into their half bathroom.

Plodding down the hallway, Jim was slowly becoming coherent. He didn't get many visitors outside of Iris and her family, or someone from the job delivering an assignment Fred forgot to tell him about. Oh, and then there were the suburban churches that could only find his door at sunrise. How he loathed that part of moving up from the slums. And his son seemed to get a kick out of him trying to nicely explain his lack of religious views or beliefs, then losing his temper and chasing the group away.

"You're setting me up again, aren't you?" Jim asked his son with a smile. James didn't respond, as they reached the bottom step. "Not talking are ya?"

"Nope!"

"Then you must suffer the wrath of the…" -Jim suddenly grabbed him- "Fingers of Death!" The tickling was intense, and the C'tarl sensitivity present within his skin riddled James a laughing puppet in seconds.

"It's… it's… it's a fuzzy woman!" he screamed between the laughs.

Jim froze and so did his fingers. This wasn't good, not at all. "Fuzzy how?" he demanded more than asked.

"White fuzzy…" James began, but stopped when Jim sighed.

"Go to your room," Jim told him. The kid didn't move once he sat him down, so he nudged him back up the stairs to move him along. "I'll be up in a minute, now get going." James obeyed, but not without a nagging urge to question his father further. He could do that later, he supposed, while bounding up the stairs as quick as his legs could carry him.

Three years worth of the good life and now she had to come ruin it. Well, he had a hand in ruining it. Still, Aisha had finally stopped with insults on the slide and now he was bound to have his liver pulled out because someone couldn't move on. "Breathe, Hawking. Okay, I can just explain that I want to stay here. Yeah, and she'll probably pull my balls off." He thought, pausing to give himself a final grope in memory. "I should've had her drop me on Hei-Fong 5, then hopped a transport to Sentinel. But ooh, no. I just had to show her where I'd end up living. Fuck…"

With a very large sigh of resignation, Jim unlocked the two locks on the door and opened it.

"Um, a Fred Lo said this is where Jim Hawking lived and…" a familiar voice rambled, as she stared at a slip of paper. "The little… person who spoke through the mailbox said he'd get someone to straighten it out. I know it's very early, and I do apologize for the inconvenience…"

"Melfina?" Jim asked… not looking, but the voice stopped with the mention of that name. He cracked an eye to see her staring blankly at him. "Melfina, thank god!" He grabbed her to the tune of a brief shriek and hugged her.

"Yeah… I missed you, too," she said, feeling rather awkward being held so tightly. "That hurts, please put me down." Jim did as instructed, taking in her appearance a lot better than his initial emotions would've. That's when he noticed the 'fuzzy', not to mention ugly, white sweater. "Hey! Jean made this for me, so no jokes!" Jim raised an eyebrow, but kept smiling.

"Gene… knits?" Jim asked, cracking little by little under the image of Gene with knitting needles.

"Not that Gene. That Jean," Melfina pointed to a little girl in his driveway spinning around for no particular reason that he could see. "Our daughter."

She could tell he was amazed by the amount of time he stared at the soon-to-be six-year-old. Melfina the Android Girl had a kid, she figured he'd be thinking. Melfina would be close, though Jim had added a few expletives and disbelieving words about Gene Starwind reproducing a kid that wasn't demented on some level. Instead, there was a little girl with the rough outgoing nature of her father and the quiet, introspective nature of her mother with a keen enjoyment of experiencing everything in life. Melfina called over the daughter she never thought she could have. She looked very cute in her black knee-length skirt with her favorite royal blue kitten T-shirt on. The pigtails didn't hurt the image either.

"What happened to you?" The bold little girl inquired upon reaching his porch.

"Don't be rude," Melfina scolded, which was only hampered by the cuteness of her speaking tone.

"It's fine," Jim said, giving the girl a pat on the head for good measure. "Speaking of rude, would you like to come in? I don't hear from you in six years and now I've got you standing around outside like strangers."

"Yeah, I guess Gene and Suzuka can remember the house," said Melfina with a tiny shrug.

Once they were inside Jim closed the door with a little anxiety. The parking garage for visitors to the Sung Fei Community was about two blocks over to cut down on vehicular clutter. That meant Gene would have to walk, which meant an even longer wait for the proposed skull bashing that may or may not happen. (It all depended on how he answered Jim's questions.)

"Excuse the mess," he spoke up, as Melfina and Jean had went no further than a few feet into the house. Jim had overlooked last night's happenings. James was over at Iris's for the evening, which left the slightly overworked couple in peace for their anniversary. A little candlelight, soft music, and no distractions made for a peaceful evening… until Aisha got drunk. Then it escalated into one big sexual interlude. It was fun though, but it cost him three of his sick days to get her out of the trip with Fred. "Bastard…" he muttered, before adding, "Where've you been?"

Melfina hesitated for a moment, knowing that he wondered what possessed them to leave him and Aisha on that planet. Jim made his way into the living room and motioned them to follow. He began to pick up the magazine shreds, newspaper debris, and the like up off the sofa so Melfina and her daughter could sit. Jim didn't bother to pressure her for the answer, because if this were the same Melfina, the silence would make her crack like an egg.

"Oh, you know… here, there, on Hei-Fong-5-since-the-Outlaw-Star-blew-up… around." Melfina nervously looked at him out the corner of her eye. He didn't seem that concerned, though, walking around the bar with the trash.

"Jean, would you be a dear and go find my son?" Jim asked, flashing a small smile at both mother and daughter. Knowing James, he probably went back to his room and started fiddling with the motherboard in his computer again.

"Can I?" The redheaded child asked, flashing her mother the look that inevitably breaks all parents.

"Sure, honey." Melfina gave her a pat on the head before Jean had sprung forth off the black, pillow-like sofa and ran for the stairs.

"His room is the first door on the right," Jim called after her, assuming she knew left from right. Once her footsteps had disappeared, he began to clean off the table by wrapping the entire tablecloth up like a disposable diaper and tossing it in the trash compactor. The dishwasher could be loaded later, because now he had to make coffee. "What happened out there?" he asked suddenly, turning the coffeemaker on.

"Harry integrated himself throughout Gilliam's mainframe," she paused, slightly shuddering. "He took over the ship once we were in warp and then cut the engine power. Once he did that, he started trying to convince me to transport my memories into Ron's body, so he could make clones and give them each our computerized personalities."

Jim made something close to a gag.

"I know," Melfina concurred. "But Gene and Suzuka saved me before he forced me out, which I'm thankful for."

"Glad to hear it," Jim said, making a gesture to offer her some orange juice. Melfina declined… as he drank from the carton. It took a bit of restraint to not chide him about using a glass, but it was his house she reminded herself. "So, did he blow the ship up to get you all or what?"

"No-this C'tarl-C'tarl ship appeared and started to attack the El Dorado," she corrected him. "When Harry realized that Ron was killed, he… went crazier. I had no data on the ship at all, as it were, but the sheer size should've told him not to attack it. He did, though. We barely got out before she blew the ship apart." Melfina lowered her eyes and Jim took a moment to think.

"Feels like you lost a part of yourself, doesn't it?" he asked with sympathetic tone, putting his juice back in the large stainless steel refrigerator. Melfina nodded, but looked up with a smile on her face.

"It's okay though. I have Gene, Suzuka, and the kids, so it isn't too bad." Jim returned the smile, knowing it probably still hurt her just a bit. "Just like I don't need to be the Maiden of Leyline anymore, I don't need to be Melfina the Navigational Computer of the Outlaw Star." Okay, so maybe it didn't mean anything to her anymore, Jim reconsidered upon the stern tone her voice took.

"Kids? You had more than one?" For this, Jim came out of the kitchen and flopped down in one of the end chairs that sat, not surprisingly, at either end of his coffee table.

"No, no, I only have the one. Suzuka had a little girl, too." Melfina opened her handbag and retrieved a picture. "There we are." There was Gene all right, with two little redheaded girls swinging from each of his arms. Suzuka and Melfina smiling… and not the cheesy 'I wish you'd die so he could be all mine' smiling. They actually seemed happy. Besides the gross pea-green suit, Gene looked about right. Didn't exactly look like your typical thirty-eight-year-old, but he was very much alive.

"Well, I guess this means I can't hit him in the head with a bat now," Jim said with moderate tone, looking up at the numerous pictures of his family lining the top of the big TV to his left. "So… you're all still… together?" He made a motion with his hands imitating intimacy.

Melfina smiled with a single nod.

"And you're sure he isn't making you do this?" Jim asked with narrow eyes, thus proving his critical nature about Gene never died.

"Why does everybody think that?" asked Melfina, looking surprisingly hurt by the weak-will implications suggested. "Is it really that hard to believe? They even let people get married like that on Hei-Fong."

"Sorry, but I mean… I just never figured you'd be into that." Jim admitted, watching the un-aged woman go from hurt to slightly amused by those implications.

"He complained to you about too much sex," Melfina stated blankly, letting that say what it would.

"Oh… Oh! Uh, moving on," he hurriedly announced, as his male mind began to envision things. The coffeemaker's timer went off on cue almost, send him into the kitchen. "Would you mind getting the door?" Jim asked, before anyone even knocked.

Melfina looked at him, saying, "But no one's…"

*Ding* *Dong*

"The kid made a camera and I decided to put it on the roof," he added, lifting the monitor it was attached to in the kitchen. "360 degree rotation, ten levels of zoom, and it kinda makes my accomplishments seem nil at that age." Jim poured a single cup of black coffee, as Mel went to the door. "Now, where did I put that aspirin?"

"You'd think they'd put those places closer," Gene whined, avoiding the drops of grape juice from the girl on his shoulders.

"Quit complaining, you could use the exercise," Suzuka reminded him, brushing the slight wrinkles from her red kimono attire. The wooden door swung open, ending the commotion as Melfina's smiling face welcomed them in.

"So, this is what we would've lived like if I listened to you," Gene announced no soon as he stepped inside and saw the blonde guy stirring the cup of coffee. "I'm impressed." Melfina and Suzuka didn't make weight of Gene's shift in moods, but the familiar arrogance in his voice was welcomed. Suzuka could be heard mumbling something about men and buried emotions, but it wasn't commented on.

"You should be," Jim finally replied, having stirred one and a half standard aspirin tablets into the mug of coffee that he left sitting on the kitchen table. He stood up and played off the feelings of happiness that they were all alive. After so much effort went into dismissing these people as mere corpses throughout the years, neither man had the emotional bearings to rejoice or be giddy-just friends who were alive.

"Whoa, look who's been eating their vitamins," Gene joked, as Jim approached him, some six or more inches taller than when he'd last saw him. Of course, Jim didn't appear to get the humor and seemed rather annoyed from the looks of things. Perhaps this reunion could've used the telephone call Mel and Suzuka suggested.

"Yeah, they put growth hormones in my food," Jim stated rather harshly. "Something about maximizing my work output in the shipment yard. I won't even go into detail about the brain scans, blood work, or chemical testing." Gene, Melfina, and Suzuka all looked horrified, suddenly filled with the guilt he wanted them to have. Jeanette, meanwhile, sucked on her juice box in momentary study of the man with the cuts.

"Jim… I… we're sorry," Gene began, stopping only when Jim began to crack up.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Oh, I got you good," he stepped back to avoid the swing Gene took at his shoulder. None of the guilty liked the joke he could see. "Jim… I… we're sorry. Man, if you could've seen your face… ha! Ha! Ha!" He could make jokes about it now, because he knew it was out of their control. But still, how many times would you see Gene Starwind try to make an apology?

"Seriously, I get it. You were blown up, I went to jail, and I grew. Whoo hoo! Now, shut the door. I'm not trying to air condition the whole planet." Everyone blinked, but moved away from the door into the living room.

"Jackass," Gene mumbled, as he took his daughter down and closed the door. She immediately trailed behind Jim to his chair.

"Yours hurt?" she asked, pointing to the intersecting lines of scarred flesh on his chest. In truth, he forgot that he didn't have anything on but the shorts. "I got one on my leg, see?" Jeanette proceeded to lift her jeans' leg up and show a small scrape on her knee.

"Nope-mine are all better now," Jim answered, proceeding to poke the slightly faded scars of old.

"How come you got so many? Mine still hurts and itches," the little girl said, dressed remarkably tomboyish with the tennis shoes of someone who seemed to enjoy playing outside.

"Yeah, Jim, how come?" Gene asked, watching his friend squirm under the pressure of innocent eyes. Before any answer was given, a low groan emerged from the stairwell. Aisha-draped in the baggiest sweats she could fall into-plodded down the steps and into the living room. Everyone watched her walk over, smack Gene in the back of the head, and non-chalantly ghost-walk towards the kitchen.

"None of your business," she muttered after the slap. Pausing, she also said, "Jim?"

"Table," he replied, smiling as she nodded off beat and passed through. "Anniversary last night… she got a little wasted," Jim said in response to the concerned look on Melfina's face.

Gene, having regained his equilibrium, said, "What? You married her!"

"Yep-November 1, 0172," Jim confirmed, holding up his left hand with a smile. "3 years ago, yesterday. Don't have a stroke or anything, Dad!" Gene deadpanned; even hearing that in sarcasm took him off his game a bit. Jim didn't notice.

"Enough you two," Suzuka calmly interfered on her husband's behalf. "So, how'd you escape?" It was an extreme topic born of an extreme need in subject change.

"Hey," Jim, again, shifted the attention to the child in the room. He couldn't exactly explain why he felt the need to spare them, but he did. "Can you do me a favor?" Jeanette looked at her mothers, they nodded, and so did she. "Go up those stairs over there and find my son. He'll be knee-deep in wires and computer stuff. Tell him not to take apart his TV again."

"K," she said, running off with her bookbag bouncing against her back.

"I expect your schoolwork to be finished when we leave, young lady," Suzuka said after her.

"Okay," Jeanette answered, noticeably un-enthused, marching up the steps.

This left everyone's attention on Jim and a slightly more aware Aisha coming out of the kitchen. Jim stood up and let her sit down, taking a knee beside the chair while she sat, giving his arm a little squeeze in thanks.

"Nothing really to tell," Jim answered after the long duration. "They locked me up with piss-poor security, which I exploited. I stole a ship, guessed Aisha's password, cut one C'tarl's arm off, and came back to Sentinel 3." Anyone with a shred of common sense could tell he was holding back. And any one of those people could tell it wasn't exactly something he felt like talking about… ever.

Pending your name was Gene Starwind, anyway. "Come on, that's it? We flew all of this way for that?"

It was an innocent attempt at more details, which went horribly wrong in Jim's ears.

"And I flew all of that way for a death sentence on a planet with forty some odd hour days?" Jim's question wasn't one that needed an answer, but the playful mood was lost.

"Know what it's like to be a computer engineer when you've got nerve damage in your hands from severe frostbite? You can't feel the damn keys, Gene… but you work with it, because people depend on you. Or the knees of a fifty-year-old when you're twenty-six from lifting crates that were deemed suitable for your height and weight… if you were a C'tarl-C'tarl?" The look in his eyes had changed, Suzuka and Melfina both noticed. This time it wasn't a joke, but deathly seriousness. "I'm a walking wreck, and somehow you end up looking younger than I do. I missed my kid's first steps, words, and tears to help you out. Did you miss any of that with your daughters? I didn't think so. I missed most of my son's first three years in a moldy little cell talking to rats to keep myself sane. Now, I'm sorry if that 'story' wasn't worth the flight… because that's it."

Aisha unconsciously took a tight hold of his hand to make sure he could feel it. Her system absorbed the aspirin at three times the speed of a normal person, so she was fully in control of her facilities now and as so, fully pissed. Everyone in the room, minus Jim and her, stared at the floor. Gene sank back into the chair at the opposite end of the coffee table, crossing one khaki-clad leg over the other and sighing. The ramifications of his influence on Jim's life had finally hit him in the mouth and he didn't have a counter. Heh, it seemed a fitting punishment to her… if only it involved one of his arms being ripped off though.

"I never knew she was pregnant," Gene said, nearly whispered in fact. "I never even knew you two could even have kids."

"Now you do," Aisha said in a low voice, which could've easily been mistaken for a growl. "I'm a humanoid cat-all C'tarl are. When your people-humans-began to explore space, we were the first you met. We are the dominant race in the known universe, which entitled us to certain knowledge about you. Your DNA, specifically, revealed you to be quite close to us genetically. Of course, we never told your ambassadors or acknowledged it openly because you could've worked out something biological to use against us. In any case, we can have kids."

Jim knew that wasn't it, because he'd asked a similar question the morning after his first arrival. It was more a "Why the hell didn't you tell me we could have kids" deal. As it turned out, she didn't know how he'd take the news. It was an odd thing to see Aisha Clan-Clan in a turbulent emotional situation, as he had that day. Everything had been going so good up until the night they planned to go after the metal, until she even hid her trip to the doctor, whom had to treat her like a human case. For awhile it seemed like the best news going, but then it turned into a morbid extra that could potentially jeopardize everything she had. Even after revealing all of this, Jim's good mood didn't change. Meanwhile, Aisha worried herself with thoughts like "Would he walk out because she kept something so important a secret?"

"I guess this means we need to invest in condoms now," he said at the time, breaking her morbid thinking. In the present, Jim's sincerity from the past worked to keep her temper in check. She could confidently say they could have kids without fear or worry that Jim didn't want her to mother his children. More than anything, the ability to say that kept Gene's insides where they were.

Suzuka was quite surprised Aisha hadn't lunged for Gene's throat or raised her voice. Of course, this wasn't the Aisha of old. It appeared they all walked into this a little unprepared. Jim and Aisha weren't the same people that'd been abandoned on that asteroid. That much was evident in both of them, as they didn't attempt to break the solemn silence or make them feel better. Suzuka placed a hand of strength on Melfina's shoulder to settle her worried glances between the parties. Her diminutive… lover seemed to be the appropriate term after this much time together, graciously smiled for the effort but none-the-less continued to worry.

"So, Suzu," Aisha began, as Jim stood to avoid the icing down of his knees such a position would cause. "What have you all been up to?"

Frowning at the pet name she'd been dubbed with, Suzuka overlooked it and answered. "Well, I finally got around to spending some of my money. We attempted to charter a ship to your planet to attempt a rescue, but no one took the offers. Cowards-most wouldn't even build us a ship because they'd heard the C'tarl could smell the makers and would come back to kill them. Those who would, let's just say, I'd need to kill for more years than I'd like to, to meet their prices." She stopped to gauge their responses-nothing from Jim and a quirked eyebrow from Aisha-so she continued. "Then we found out our dear Melfina was pregnant, which made my revelation of similar circumstances quite easy, but it also threw a wrench in our rescue efforts."

"Then I decided to get off my ass and get a job," Gene added to the conversation, though focused his eyes on the back of Jim's head. The blonde man sat perched on a barstool, clicking away at one of his computers. The nerve endings in his fingertips had all but died in the cold, which made him have to purposely strike the keys intensely to let him know he'd touched them. He knew he was being watched, but at the moment, he just needed to lose himself online for a bit.

"Oh, so you decided to work?" Aisha feigned enormous surprise at the notion of Gene Starwind doing anything work related that didn't tie-in to making it big-whatever the fuck that was.

"Used to bus tables," Jim, of all people, said in what could be taken as Gene's defense. "He sucked at it, but at least he tried." He still didn't face the group behind him, but Gene would take what he could get.

"See?" Aisha stuck her tongue out to let him know what she thought of his busboy job. "Anyway, I couldn't let Suzuka pay for everything. So, I go see Fred Lo Senior in his favorite bar and start spinning the magic…"

"Spinning the shit is more like it," Jim mumbled in all the typical sarcasm. Aisha laughed, Gene flipped her the bird, and things began to flow again.

"Whatever," Gene said, brushing it off and scooting to the edge of his seat to get into his story. "I'm doing my thing and telling him I'll take whatever job he has open. I'm expecting a towing job or personal pilot gig, but guess what he gives me?"

"Another hole in the head?" Aisha asked eagerly, hoping that his shoulder length hair hid a blown out skull.

"I think I would've preferred it," he said with surprising seriousness. "Anyway, get this: He hires me to teach Fred how to be a straight! No matter how much money it took, I'm supposed to make Fred Lo like women. Not only that, but I'm supposed to get him to have a kid. Naturally, I'm thinking he's bullshitting me. Right smack dab in the bar, he drops me a half-million wong as incentive. 'I'm not dying until that boy gives me a grandkid!' He tells me, then strolls out. Now, I'm paid ten-grand a week, plus I got an unlimited expense account, and all to harass Fred! Here's the kicker: I get a two-hundred-million-wong bonus if he marries. If they have a kid, I get four hundred million! If that kid is a son, I get one-fucking-billion wong!" At this point, Gene was nearly flashing jade colored dollar signs from his eyes.

"You know it'll never work, right?" The clinical detachment of the voice was a lot deeper, but it still had the same bearings in reality that it always had. Jim Hawking: The Anchor to Reality.

"Probably," Gene said passively, dismissing reality in kind. "But at least I'm not leeching off of her" -he motioned towards the spectator in Suzuka- "anymore. And I can actually do something for my kids at Christmas besides re-wrapping old stuff." Oh, that was a big play on the sympathy card.

"Blah, blah, blah-don't start with the mushy mess," Jim warned him with a little less anger in his voice, finally spinning around on the stool to face everyone.

"He actually broke up Fred's last affair," said Melfina, as she tried to keep things rolling along smoothly. Jim and Aisha took notice, both recalling Fred had been single since the day he fired his last boyfriend. This, coincidentally, made Gene responsible for their jobs-neither gave voice to that.

"Yep," Gene said, with an air of vindication. "A few interplanetary transmissions, bogus love letters, and Randy thought Fred had another guy back on Hei-Fong 5."

"I think he enjoys a little too much," Suzuka whispered.

Having heard that, Gene had to reply, "Sure, that's easy for you to say. You never had him grope you… eeeew! So you're damn right I'm enjoying it!"

Men folk at ease, the vibe slowly released its tension through old stories for the next few hours. They'd moved into the din, which shockingly to the guests, had a fantastic view of the South Jung Sea. The serene of the blue room and its even softer couches blended well with the view. Well, it did add to the atmosphere once Aisha and Jim did a quick cleaning up, as that's where they left their clothes from the night before. They'd been in there so long until they'd decided to order takeout. While waiting for the food to arrive, Aisha showed Melfina and Suzuka around for a bit (mainly to get). This left Jim and Gene sitting at opposite ends of the room in a rather stale silence.

"So…" he drifted, popping his knuckles and try to think of something to say. "Been working out?" It was a stretch, but he was desperate.

"Yeah, another something to keep sane by," Jim responded curtly, seeming more interested in flicking the T-shirt he'd put on. "You?"

Surprised by the attempt in speech, Gene said, "Nope, not really."

"So, how long are you all here for?" Jim asked, as he watched the noon sun stare in at him through the sliding glass door.

"Couple weeks." Came the answer from the redhead, suddenly noticing the abundance of family photos lining the walls. "Until the furniture is moved in anyway, then it's back to Sentinel 3 with the Starwind Family. Nice looking kid-gonna photograph him having sex, too? Geez, I don't even have that many pictures of myself."

"Depends," Jim said, smiling with sinister intent. "Do you want your daughters in those kinds of pictures? They've been upstairs with him for about five hours is it? So, I'm guessing they'll probably end up in one big or…"

"SHUT UP!" Gene screamed, having totally forgotten they were six-year-old children and they wouldn't have ideas like that for another ten years… ten very long years… rightfully ending when he was dead. The serious facades fell then, shattered by the remote possibility of that happening. "Look, I'm sorry for laying the whole fear of getting old crap on you."

"Sure," Jim said with enough sarcastic butter to kill a cat. He idly scratched the stubble on his face, pondering just what to do now. "Still oversexed?" He could tell it caught Gene off guard, as his left eye tended to pop wider than the right for a split second.

"Not really-I've been keeping tabs on Fred from the other side of the galaxy, so we really haven't had a chance to get too physical." His voice seemed moderately annoyed by that fact. "Should change now that we're moving back here, though. Anyway, I guess I don't need to ask about you two." They both smiled a perverted smile before Jim coughed it up.

"We're still fu… Hey!" Jim's comments broke, as James strolled in through the door behind Gene. "What's wrong?" he asked, noticing his son seemed particularly quiet. For Gene, this was an event in oddity. The kid he'd raised, now sat parenting a kid of his own.

"Pull it together, Starwind!" He told himself.

"I'm hungry," the child said, finally running out of steam and collapsing on the sofa next to his father. "And I can't fix this stupid thing. Jeanie's gonna hate me now." James held out what appeared to be a small thermos for Jim to examine. He recognized the contraption as one of Gilliam's portable units, but made no change to acknowledge it openly. On the other side of things, Gene seemed a little in awe of the interaction and distant attitude Jim took to his kid passing out.

"Is he gonna be all right?"

"Yeah." Jim said, focusing on the blue cylinder. "Remember how Aisha got when she used up too many calories?" Gene nodded. "Well, he does the same thing kinda. He'll be fine when he wakes up." He reached over and ruffled the boy's silver hair, which did little to disturb his slumber. "Hmm, seems like Gilliam needs to be rebooted. Probably on the main terminal, but I think I can fix him."

Gene stood up with him, feeling particularly dwarfed following Jim out of the room. Growth hormones-oh, he had some all right, but they were natural. From behind, he even had that same outline of his old man if not slightly shorter and less muscular-which said very little overall, considering this was the same guy who at 12 stood 4 feet 2 inches tall. He kept it all in, following Jim up a second stairwell. Melfina was speaking somewhere close by and he could smell Suzuka's perfume, both of which made Gene smile.

"Daddy!" Two distinct voices called out to him, as they reached the second floor. Jim opened a door that revealed another stairwell, which led to the attic and his subsequent computer area, but decided to wait on Gene. Jean and Jeanette both approached, panting slightly from the extended run down the hall. "The kitty boy left us," Jean began. "And he looked sick. He needs help!" Jeanette inserted shortly after. A casual look of bemused smugness passed over Jim's face, as he leaned on the doorframe.

"James will be fine," he said, flashing a genuine smile for visual aid. They both turned back to Gene for that fatherly comfort, which he delivered.

"If Jim says he'll be fine, he'll be fine."

"Where is he now?" Jean, in typical Starwind fashion, demanded without any manners. Perhaps the joke had too many roots in reality both men were beginning to think, as the little girls both mirrored threatening looks over a boy they barely knew.

"Sleeping," said Jim, rotating a slight pain out of his neck. "Down the steps back that way" -he motioned his head back the way he'd come from- "but he needs to sleep."

"Why?" Jeanette asked, much to her father's shock. Suzuka had a tighter reign on her and the girl didn't typically question her elders, but apparently, this was a special case.

"Because if he wakes up and doesn't eat, he'll get sick." The truth turned both girls' faces into consternated looks between themselves. The doorbell sounded and Aisha emerged from the room a couple of doors down.

"I got it," Aisha said, waving Jim to stay put. "And you better have our damn money, Gene. I'm not paying for your food, too." He flipped her off as she went down the stairs.

Miles away from her hangover, Aisha hummed a little tune while rummaging through Jim's coat pockets for his wallet. Successful in these attempts, she opened the door to greet a man with a pushcart's worth of food.

"Hawking?" The teenager asked, impatiently tapping on the cart. Aisha nodded and he snorted. "Geez, you must have one big family for all of this stuff. Anyway, that'll be 3500 wong."

"I'm in a good mood, so make it 3503." Aisha said, unloading the food for the rather scrawny guy.

"Your generosity overwhelms me," he said, pocketing the money before she could change her mind. Almost casually, Aisha picked him up by his shirt collar as the last bag was placed inside.

"It should," she said, licking either fang and dropping the youth without another word. Identified by his nametag as George, he scurried back to his hover van on all fours. "Ah, still got it," Aisha thought with a wide smile as she kicked the door shut.

Some five minutes later…

Gathered in the living room, the Starwinds and Hawkings dined in amicable company while their children ate at the table in the kitchen. Jim, having placed the orders, decided on a cheeseburger and fries affair for his clan. That meant 36 burgers and 18 large fries for Aisha, 2 burgers with the works and a large order of fries for himself, and 12 burgers and 7 extra large orders of fries for James (who was now fully alert and functioning again). On the Starwind end, Gene ate nearly the same meal as Jim, only they were double cheeseburgers. Suzuka had the eel with steamed rice and garlic chicken. Which she felt compelled to treat her daughter to as well. Melfina, on the other hand, decided to go with a simple pepper steak and vegetables combination. As expected, her daughter didn't like that dietary plan either. Well, it wasn't Jim's fault. He just told the people on the phone what Melfina and Suzuka said.

At the table, James watched the girls poke at their food, almost to gauge if it were truly dead. He'd gone through seven of his twelve burgers, when he decided to speak up. "Want one?" he asked. Checking to see if their parents could see, the girls answered with a bold… nod of the head. Catching the obvious apprehension, James timed his burger slides perfectly to each of them so that it wouldn't draw any attention. Real food now in hand, the sisters did what most any cunning children would: Ripped into the wrappers, and began to eat feverishly before the illegal food could be removed. "Don't choke or anything," he advised taking a bite out of burger eight.

"Now, what do you say when someone gives you something?" Suzuka asked, appearing without a sound and causing her children to freeze on the spot.

"Um, thank you?" Jeanette asked, rather than stated. Her mother lifted a perfectly sculpted eyebrow, as she retrieved three sodas from the refrigerator. "Thanks."

"Don't tell me," the former assassin said. "Tell him." Doing the motherly thing, which was unnecessary, she opened the cans and made her way back into the living room without another word.

"Creepy," James mumbled, having had his animalistic instincts tense about Suzuka's stealthy entrance.

Neither girl heard them, as their father began to get louder in his conversation-something about missing space and James' dad not caring about it. Of course, Jim had his reasons and fears about that great expanse just above his home planet. Honestly, what'd happen if they were at some docking port or something and a C'tarl-C'tarl officer was there? Sure, there was the whole jurisdiction thing. But who would be bold enough to enforce it to said officer? Not to mention, that certain stain on his relationship's fabric. Okay, so stain may have been a poor choice of words he realized. Nevertheless, Jim idly touched the two scars on his face… something he did each time something reminded him of that.

"War wounds?" Gene asked, having ended his tirade awhile before. Jim jumped, snatching his hand away from the scars like a kid caught in the wrong.

"No," he answered, as everyone's eyes moved onto him. "I mean, kinda… but… what are yours?" Jim's last ditch effort came barely, having noticed the two scars under Gene's left eye. Melfina and Suzuka shared a brief look, Aisha noticed. In their minds, they wondered what Gene would say or if this is where he'd go into that emotional cavern and let it all out.

"Can't really remember," he said with a sincere overtone. "And I can't say mine are as interesting as yours. Geez, did you try to shave with a broken bottle?" The question, based upon the fact Jim's scars were double the size and more attention getting, had an honest query feeling to it.

"Something" -Jim looked at Aisha and saw that unreadable fixture- "Something like that."

"Ever considered not fucking like rampaging gorillas?" Gene suggested, narrowing his eyes at Aisha.

"What fun is that?" Melfina said innocently, but for shock value above all else. Gene began to stutter, as Jim and Aisha shared a laugh at his flustered appearance.

*Ding* *Dong*

The laughs died down as Jim got up. "I got it," he said. Reaching the door, Jim scoped out his visitor through the peephole and sighed. SEX Mail Delivery Service-also known as Sentinel EXpress Mail Delivery Service. Opening the door with an even bigger sigh, Jim wondered why Fred had to use this courier service. More importantly, why did he always conveniently forget to tell him about projects on his days off? Whatever the case, Jim signed for his package and got a lewd looking over by the man in the bright pink short set that was just too short. His skin crawled, the man left him with a large brown business envelope and trotted back to his van. "Gee, let me guess what this is-a proposal, a contract, or an electronic schematic that I'll need to finish and implement into something by tomorrow. Ass…" Jim mumbled, shutting the door rather loudly.

"Bad news?" Aisha asked, before Jim held up the envelope with the familiar logo stamped on it. "Ugh! Does that little twit not know the meaning of week off? You know, I have half a mind to rip his ba… HEY!" Her rant ended abruptly as all three children entered the room.

Jim just shook his head, heading up the stairs. "I'll be back in a few minutes, let me go see if this is something I can afford to 'misplace.'"

It took only a minute or so for him to reach his attic of computerized love. The room was mostly decorated with old stuff from the Starwind and Hawking days, with the typical picture shrine to boot. Oh, and Fred had given him some of the most up to date computer hardware available. Jim created the programs and such, but he had to give the flamboyant Mr. Lo credit. Flicking the monitor of one machine on, he took a seat and began to open the letter. For a minute, the idea of 'accidentally' tossing it in the shredder to his left fluttered into his mind since he hadn't flipped the paper over.

"Don't be a lazy-ass," he chided before bringing up the proper programs. "Dear Jim," he read aloud, before falling silent (not exactly wanting to voice any of the pet names that Fred used after the entry line).

"I don't exactly know how to start this letter or why I'm even writing it. I suppose this is where I say something witty or to break the proverbial ice. Here goes: How are you? Injuries heal okay? Did your son turn out as expected? Heh, I think that's enough. I don't expect answers to those questions, but more so, I needed to ask them for my own peace of mind. I'm sure you're wondering when I developed such a thing. Then again, I'm sure you already know. Stop looking like that-I don't want your pitiful looks of sadness to befall this attempt at… I don't know. What else can I expect? Redemption of dignity, perhaps? Ha! You own my dignity.

I willingly gave that to be with you or at least, I gave it to what I'd envisioned you to be. I'm sorry. I bet you didn't expect that, did you? Well, I am. I underestimated you, both as a person and as a delusion. You were stronger than any of us ever realized-in body and in heart. I never expected to feel anything for you other than temporary lust. Damn it, you were supposed to feel the same way! But you didn't. For a very short few hours aboard that ship, you loved me. You son of a bitch, you actually loved me. Me… a woman who threatened to keep you away from your son. A creature so vile and contemptible that she threatened to feed your son to her soldiers.

You actually loved me!

I wished that it didn't feel so good; I really do. But it did. God, I wished that once you were finished I'd turn around and see those cold eyes staring at me again. This would be nothing more than revenge. You'd used me for sex and made me a conquest to hold proud above your captors. Instead, you treated me like a woman. I tried my best to hang on to the knowledge that it was her name you called out during our liaison and I tried desperately to hate you for it. I couldn't, though. You held me with an embrace that made me feel alive, cared for, and above all else it made me like me.

You knew that I wasn't Aisha, but you didn't pull away or become revolted by it. I couldn't even believe it was your lack of sexual contact that made you continue. No, you didn't fuck me like a man out of jail encountering his first piece of action. You didn't fuck me at all. You sick fuck! You made love to me! And I… loved it. I never felt anything so wonderful. I loved every minute of it and I savored the feel of you inside me like a nymphomaniacal whore. I wanted to scream when I felt you slipping from within me. I wanted to beg you to stay with me, forget Aisha and the boy, just never leave me… ever.

Nothing's felt that good since.

I choked the urge down, though. I knew once I turned around and saw you leering at me that I could put up a front and play it all off. No, I hadn't been punished enough for my dishonorable ways. You stood there with a look of total compassion and pity. I'd fallen so low as to need the pity of a human? Yes-without question. Every fiber in my body wanted to bask in the glow of your pity if it meant you'd stay with me for one second longer. And for the first time in a longtime, I felt tears. I'd been sucked into your web and nothing short of your poison would calm me.

So, I knocked you out.

Please understand that I had to do it. I was so close to begging you to stay until there was no other choice. It was the only thing I could do to make eternity bearable for myself, because if I'd begged and you refused… I don't like to think about that. I made my marks on you, and decided that that had to be enough. A life of second place finishes suddenly meant very little to me, as I used every bit of honor I had left to do the right thing. I may go down as having been called many things, but selfish won't be one of them. You were safely returned to your family and I was left to enjoy my few hours on top of life's hill.

You changed me for the better, I now can see. Although those feelings you expressed to me that day are probably gone, I'm glad you expressed them. I saw there was more to life through you and that love wasn't a ploy for the weak to become strong via a partner. Of course, I also saw that there was more to life than a C'tarl-C'tarl at my side. I tried my hand at the outlaw thing, but I didn't have an affinity for it-too reckless for my liking. So, I parked my ship and decided to try having one of those 'life' things. Imagine my surprise when my winning personality didn't make me a shoo-in for a mate. I'd decided to call it a done deal after a few months of trying to find the second incarnation of you, but something stopped me.

Hunger.

I stopped into this market to grab something to eat when I walked numbly into someone in my quest for food. Tall, broad shoulders, human-he seemed pleasant enough. I just asked him flat out would he be interested in dinner and he accepted! (Notice: The exclamation mark means I was happy.) We continued our affairs until the baby was born and married two months before that event. He isn't quite on your level, but he's close enough. He's a great father and husband, but I feel bad about wondering what things could've been like with you in his place. What could've happened between us if I'd met you first? Don't misunderstand, I love Lei, but I still feel the same way about you.

Well, my little soldiers are waking up now, so I'll wrap this up.

It felt good to get it all out. I love you, Jim Hawking. Nothing can change that. I just wanted you to know that.

Love (or at least, moderately like),

Lilith Shimi

P.S. There's something you might like at the bottom of the envelope."

Slumped in his chair, Jim sat stunned having read all of that. The questions of how she knew Fred's delivery service or got his specific seal never crossed his mind. Even more than that, how the woman knew where he lived. Jim merely followed the cryptic postscript's heed and turned the envelope upside down. A picture and a small plastic bag with a note attached hit his desk. His hand instinctively went to the bag and tore the note off the side, reading it in silence.

"It may not make up for the trouble I've caused, but it's the best I could do. I know your neck couldn't possibly withstand the strain of holding one of our chakrams, nor would you need that much of the metal to get the desired effects. So, I had it made into a set of earrings. Keep in mind it may not work, but given our people's genetic compatibility, it may. If it does, you'll doubtfully be invulnerable, so don't take unnecessary physical damage to that body of yours because it'll stick. There are other positives, but I won't spoil the surprise. Good luck, Jim."

He sat the card down and opened the plastic bag. Two gold studs, rather, they appeared to be gold. The sunlight pouring in the large window in front of him said it was otherwise, causing them to not quite reflect the light like his wedding band. For a decidedly long moment, Jim weighed the pros and cons. Aisha didn't necessarily get too upset by his affair, but on the other, who knew how she'd handle him flaunting the jewelry the other woman bought him-immortality or not. The chair made a slight squeak as he leaned back, idly picking up the picture to take his mind off the problems at hand.

"Isn't that cute?" he said in dramatic fashion, staring at Lilith's tired but equally happy appearance in the picture. She looked oddly out of place inside of jeans and a blue T-shirt, but admittedly, still beautiful. Her three children, a set of twins whom appeared no older than three or four, stood like perfect soldiers and the third (a little too young for soldiering) sat on her hip a mere baby. It was a cute picture minus the fact that she'd married Shimi-the assassin who tried to kill Gene at one time. For some reason, though, it didn't seem to shock him that much. The former Anten 7 member stood in a silk fighter's shirt, with a few gray hairs peppering his black to show he'd aged. "Not big on smiling," Jim thought, as his brain began to turn things on the subconscious.

Two kids… three-year-old kids… and a baby. "No," he whispered, as the tumblers started lining up behind his eyes. If they were three that made them the product of… "No." She got married a couple of months before she had them… no. She got married a couple of months before the BABY was born. Baby was singular, meaning one kid… the kid on her hip. It was at this moment that Jim rationalized. "Okay, she didn't say she had kids before meeting him or when she met him. So, naturally, they must've had sex somewhere and conceived the twins." Okay, so this was laying it on thick.

The chances were, if any, that only Leilong Shimi thought that those twins were his. The facts were, as he looked at the picture of James taped to his monitor at a similar age, those were his kids. Though, one was covered in fur and the other wasn't, they clearly had the Hawking Eyebrows and Smirk of Smugness going on. Massaging his temples, Jim turned the photo over and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes for a moment to put things into perspective and clarity, only to open them to find the truth looking back at him.

"Me again, what you're thinking is correct-they are your children. It turns out my food binges were inspired by two little girls with wicked appetites. Lei knows, but he doesn't care. And that's what surprised me even more about him. He didn't leave me when he learned that carried another's children. The big lug sat around and took care of them like they were his own, never once telling them not to call him daddy. I know you wish I didn't show you this, however, I felt you needed to know. From your left to right: Rose, Lilith, and on my hip, Faye. He named them, so don't think I'm being arrogant with her name. They have two parents that love and care for them, and they'll all be as smart as whips and as you are one day. So, for the last time: Goodbye, Jim."

A sudden chill ran across Jim's legs, before he realized that the door on the level below him had been opened. "I'll be down in a minute," Jim said over his left shoulder.

"All right, but hurry up," Aisha whined. "I don't know how long I can resist kicking his ass." The door slammed then, as she stomped off.

Knowing what had to be done, he took a deep breath, and began to unclasp the black stud/communicator earrings in his earlobes. The anticipation he felt when he free fell to that asteroid to steal some of that metal wasn't there, nor was the giddiness towards living forever. For some reason, it seemed a more simplistic way to acknowledge Lilith's sacrifices for him and feelings that she'd never know he kept. In his own way, this was a small payback. He placed the golden colored studs in his ears and waited. A few minutes passed with nothing happening… or so he thought. Drumming his fingers impatiently, Jim suddenly wasn't passing the time listening to the sound… he could feel it in his fingertips.

"No fucking way," he whispered eyes wide with astonishment.

Touching the cool wood… he could actually tell it was cool! The doctors told him it would take new nerve endings for him to properly feel anything substantial in his fingers again. Ha, to hell with two million wong now! He did a few trials on the keyboard and smiled at the simplicity of genuine touch invaded his system. Deciding to go share the news, Jim decidedly got rid of the letter in the shredder. Next the note and finally… he paused for a moment, picture at the rotary blades. Wouldn't everything they'd said about humans be true if he shredded that picture? Cowards-they run from any adversity or hardship. Taking a long look at Lilith's face, Jim suddenly remembered how she'd made him out to be the single greatest human in existence. The shredder's engine slowly powered down, as Jim swiveled his chair back towards his monitor.

"Goodbye, Lilith." He snapped off a small length of tape and stuck the small picture next to his own family's picture on the monitor. Jim kissed his middle and index fingers, placing them on both Aisha and Lilith's faces before getting up to join the family he'd started.

In the end…

The secret of Gene Starwind's static 18-year-old appearance is still unknown and unrealized for the most part. However, the Gene Starwind of today isn't exactly the Gene Starwind of old. Those life-absorbing Castor rounds had, in fact, killed him. However, everyone who reached the Leyline was entitled to having one desire granted. Gene and Melfina's desire was to be together. And as so, they were granted that and continue to be so till this day with their partner in life, Suzuka. Whether or not the Galactic Leyline had the technology to revive him after death is unknown. The only fact is that he happily resides two doors down from his friend, Jim Hawking. One day he'd tell Jim the truth about his warped past and how much he'd lied to convince him otherwise.

"Maybe it's better that he doesn't know," Gene thought, rolling up into the sleeping bag on his furniture-less floor among his wives and kids.

The full extent of Jim Hawking's past doings came full circle once Aisha discovered the picture. Whether it was guilt or having had Jim recompile the shredded letter, she didn't get that upset. Whatever it was, she allowed him to keep the photograph and the earrings. Unbeknownst to Jim, Aisha recognized the woman in the photo as her sister. She'd teased her and poked fun at her quite a bit growing up, but decided to let her have this one moment in the sun. The Tam-Tam last name was their grandmother's maiden name, she thinly recalled after a week's worth of memory wracking. In any event, Jim was hers for an extended time if the earrings worked.

"Funny, he didn't offer Gene one," Aisha thought, as they turned their respective lamps off and snuggled together in bed. "Thank god! I couldn't stand listening to him forever!"

Lastly, Jim lay freshly showered on his side of the bed, silently thanking whomever for his turn of luck. If he lived forever that would be great. If he didn't, there was a boy down the hall that would live on in his place. His life wasn't perfect and it wasn't the best, but it was good enough for him. The dilemma of having two children on the other side of the universe could wait until tomorrow to agonize over. Tonight he'd let it all go for a change and merely exist in the moment. And the moment was good.

"I wonder if James will end up doing both of Gene's daughters later," Jim thought, barely containing the laughter at Gene catching them in the middle of such an act. "Goodnight, babe." He kissed the back of Aisha's neck and her tail coiled around his leg, as usual since that night a few years ago.

"Night," she said, grinding back against him.

On the streets below…

A figure in a hooded cloak stares at his house. She knows she cannot have what's behind that door, but these few glimpses keep her going. He's in bed now, she notices with a sigh of disappointment. Oh, well, there's always tomorrow. Until then, Lilith silently moves down the foggy street avoiding any and all lamplight until she reaches her destination-a big white house on the street over. Her rigid body lands on her own porch with a silent padding, smirking oddly about her day. Jim had actually tossed around the ball with his son, something his various ailments had never allowed him to do before. She watched from a nearby tree, as he laughed with the exuberance that had been stolen from him by her people's workloads. If his physical ailments were fading that quickly, it could only mean that the earrings were working and that made her smile broaden.

"Live, Jim," she whispered to herself. "And maybe one day things will change. But until that day comes, sleep well."

"I will," he said, stepping out of the fog into the lamplight. Lilith's breath stalled, as she turned around. "I will."

Her head moved up and down once, as did Jim's as his outline faded into the fog without another sound. Another hallucination, perhaps? She didn't care-it was real enough for her, and that was all that mattered.

~ End. ~

Author's Notes: Well, I know this isn't the emotional roller coaster some of you were expecting. Nonetheless, I tried to make this as worthwhile as I could. If that isn't good enough, I'm sorry. I've given all I could to this story just short of an injection of uncut heroin. And I apologize that it took me so long to get it out, but I'm tapped on the Outlaw Star Sauce. So, don't expect a sequel anytime soon. This has been a Mr. E Production, and he's out of here.