Jim didn’t like seeing Aisha hurt, or disappointed in him. It would only be a little white lie if he said he only ever massaged her prey inflated gut..... But Jim didn’t keep secrets from Aisha. She was like a family member. Hell, she was practically his entire family what with his mother dead, his hacker father in jail or dead, and Gene MIA. He just didn’t have the heart to keep her in the dark. Besides, how pissed off could she get? She knew he liked Paige, and that Paige liked him. If anything she should be happy that he’d finally started bonding with some of the crew members, and that he was being accepted as something of a crew member, instead of simply a Terran morsel and temporary slave.

“I rubbed Paige’s belly earlier…. Once.” Jim admitted, putting a lot of emphasis on that final word for Aisha’s sake. She looked crestfallen regardless.

“Oh…… I see.” She murmured.

“Don’t tell me you’re disappointed?” Jim already knew the answer, but acting surprised and unaware was a crucial step to damage control.

“I thought it was sort of our thing. You never gave them to Melfina or Suzuka.” Aisha pointed out.

“That’s because they never had big human filled tummies. Look Aisha, there’s no one I care about more than you. You know that. I know you like your belly rubs and Paige was…. Well, she was having self esteem issues. I wanted her to relax a bit. Besides, I’m her friend……. And her slave, thanks to you.” Aisha cringed.

Betting Jim had been stupid; she knew that. She just got so competitive some times. Also being a proud, vain, Ctarl Ctarl she never even considered losing an option. She had been willing to go back on her agreement for her Jimmy, an absolute first for the cat girl, but he had told her it was fine. That he’d be safe with the younger, spectacled, Ctarl Ctarl brainiac. Aisha had her reservations, having ownership over Jim would have been much more of a deterrent for Molly, but with two Ctarl Ctarl looking over him, he was probably reasonably safe.

“So don’t get upset Aisha.” Jim continued, “If you want it to be our ‘thing’, fine. I won’t do it again with anyone but you. But keep in mind we always do stuff together; we have lots of ‘things’. Besides,” Jim started to blush, “I really like this girl Aisha.”

Aisha’s sad expression quickly turned into a sly grin, “That’s right, I forgot. She’s your little giiiiiiiirrrrrlfriiiieeeeeeeend.”

“Please don’t start.” Jim pleaded.

Too late, Aisha pulled her feet from his grasp and scooped him up into her arms, “Please don’t start? How could I not when I know my little Terran baby, fresh out of diapers, is already growing up and becoming a man?” Aisha mock sniffed, pretending to be sentimental.
“Aisha!” Jim growled. There wasn’t much he could do now, however. Once Aisha got started there was no stopping her till she had finished.

“What’s the matter? Why are you getting so hot under the collar?” Aisha asked, pretending to be confused by Jim’s hostile tone, “Can’t your big sis get a little teary eyed, and sentimental, when her BABY brother starts growing up, and smooching girls?”

“I haven’t smooched anyone!” Jim protested, he struggled to get out of Aisha’s hug and, of course, failed miserably. A Terran of Jim’s size and weight escaping from the grip of a Ctarl Ctarl was nigh impossible. Especially when that Ctarl Ctarl was Aisha and she was snuggling her favorite Terran, Jim.

“Of course you have. You can’t lie to me Jimmy, you sly fox.” Aisha winked at him causing him to groan, “The one thing I can’t understand is why my big, strong, Jimmy would want to date a nerdy little bookworm like Paige.” Despite being what she considered to be the superior species, Aisha thought so highly of Jim that she’d find fault with most Ctarl Ctarl who’d date him, “Oh well.” She said in her scratchy high pitched voice, “whatever makes you happy. And as long as you’ll make lots of little baby Jims for me to play with, I can’t complain.” She pressed her cheek up against him and rubbed affectionately.

Jim didn’t even dignify her with a response. He knew exactly what she was doing. He just let her have her fun. After a minute more she was done.

“So…. How about we finish up what we were doing earlier?” Aisha released her Terran prisoner.

“Huh?”

Aisha released her terran prisoner and thrust her feet into his lap, “start rubbin’ slave boy!”

“….. Fine, but can I have a clothespin for my nose? I hate to break it to you Aisha, but your feet don’t exactly smell like a meadow full of roses.”

Aisha mock sighed, “Yeah, I know. No matter how much I try they only ever come out smelling like a meadow full of lilacs. Sorry Jimmy.”

“Lilacs? Really? I’ll have to remember to avoid them in the future.” Jim joked.

“Don’t make me wrestle you to the ground and tickle you till you pass out.” Aisha threatened, a playful grin on her face, “Slaves, hell, crew members too, should only have nice things to say about Commander Aisha ClanClan’s feet. Insulting them, or being a little smartie, could result in severe disciplinary action….. So, what were you saying about my feet again?” Aisha leaned forward.

“Er……. I was saying it’s an honor to rub such superior Ctarl Ctarl feet, thank you for the opportunity Commander.” Despite the fact that he was sitting down, Jim attempted a sarcastic bow.

“Better, but it wasn’t long or flattering enough. You’ll have to work on it.”

“Sorry, under normal circumstances I would have been able to come up with something better, but your foot odor is making me a little light headed.”

“Your lucky I love you so much, otherwise you’d be getting a tour of my intestines right about now.” Aisha ruffled his hair.

The Paige belly rub had been forgiven. Truth be told it wasn’t so much that she was wanted to have a monopoly on tummy rubs, she just didn’t want Jim growing too close to another a Ctarl Ctarl besides her. Aisha was just a bit jealous Jim would be spending time with someone other than her. She was a little afraid he’d grow away from her, and she didn’t want that. She wanted to be the most important girl in his life, even if Jim entered into a relationship with someone else.

“Lets hit the hey, my Jimmy reps from earlier have left me a little bushed.”

“I’m a little tired myself.”

Aisha pulled back the covers of her bed and Jim slipped in beside her. This was how things should be. Her little terran sibling within arms reach at all times. Aisha decided that, despite her bet, she was going to take back Jim the moment Paige was better. From now on he’d only sleep in her room. He had to be taken back eventually. Paige wouldn’t be apart of her crew forever and, when she eventually did get reassigned, there was no way in hell Aisha would let her take her ‘slave’ with her. The sooner she took Jim back, the less hard it would be. Waiting would only make the young engineer more bitter and resentful towards Aisha. Besides, Molly was a bit out of control. It would be better if she had an eye on her kid brother.

Aisha didn’t tell Jim what she planned to do. He might be a little upset but he was a smart kid, he’d understand why she did it. Tomorrow she’d just have to have a little talk with Paige.

The two closed their eyes and slept.