“His name is JC,” replied Lance quietly, who at the moment was back in his studio, painting. “Do you know the names of any of your slaves?”
“Umm . . .well . . .we’re not talking about me!” cried Chris. “This isn’t’ healthy Lance! He’s a slave!”
“He’s my friend!” protested Lance.
“He’s not supposed to be your friend!”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s not right!” yelled Chris. “Look Lance, I know you live a sheltered life but his is nuts!”
“Nuts?” asked Lance amused. “I’m nuts because I’m able to put aside cultural and class differences and become friends with a Lamb?
“I don’t make the rules, I jus follow them!” shot back Chris as he and Lance glared at each other.
“Lance?” spoke a quiet voice breaking the silence and both turned their heads towards the doorway to find JC standing there. “I was going to head off to bed.”
“Good idea,” grumbled Lance standing up and walking over to JC. “Chris, get Geek to show you to your room when you’re ready.”
“Fine,” grumbled Chris staring after Lance as he left the room followed closely by JC.
*~*~*
“What’s wrong?” asked Lance gently as he slipped under the covers of the bed while he watched JC undress.
“Chris,” mumbled JC. “I heard you two talking.”
“Let me worry about Chris,” replied Lance softly.
“But-“
“No buts,” ordered Lance. “Despite not agreeing with me, he’s still my friend and I’m glad he spoke his mind. You have nothing to worry about though. Nothing is going to happen to you.”
“Thank you,” whispered JC crawling into the bed and snuggled close to Lance.
“For what?” asked Lance as JC placed his head on Lance’s chest.
“For everything,” answered JC, closing his eyes.
*~*~*
“Master Chris?” squeaked Geek rolling into the room where Chris was still seated.
“What?” grunted Chris annoyed with the interruption but fortunately for Geek, he was not programmed to know annoyance.
“Master said I am to show you to your room.”
“Fine!” sighed Chris dramatically before standing up to follow the little robot.
“Master is happy to have you around,” chattered Geek as he led Chris down the hallway. “He loves Master Joshua but he needs more than Master Joshua for company.”
“Lance loves him?” asked Chris. “How do you know this?”
“He says it every morning before Master Joshua wakes up, while he watches him sleep.”
“Lance does that?”
“Every morning,” confirmed Geek.
“Is Lance happy?”
“Yes.”
“So JC makes Lance happy?”
“Yes,” replied Geek stopping in front of the room that Chris was going to be using.
“Thanks Geek,” mumbled Chris as he entered his own room.
*~*~*
The next morning Chris woke up very early. Part was because he hated fighting with his friend. The other part was because he wanted to witness with his own eyes what Geek had told him the night before.
Sneaking out of his room and down the hall, Chris made his way quickly down to Lance’s room. Pressing the button outside the door, it slid open and Chris slipped inside. There he saw both individuals cuddled on the big bed together, fast asleep.
Chris couldn’t help but smile as he watched the pair. Son however Chris remembered that JC was a Lamb and then that smile was replace with a frown.
“Chris?” moaned a voice and Chris watched as Lance rolled over and half-sat up. “What are you doing?”
“We need to talk again,” sighed Chris.
“Now?” asked Lance annoyed and Chris nodded his head. “Okay. Talk!”
“I want to understand,” sighed Chris. “Make me understand why a Lamb could mean so much to you!”
“Why Chris?” asked Lance amused. “You’ve never cared about the Lambs before. Why now?”
“Because Geek says he makes you happy,” replied Chris. “I’ve known you for two years Lance and you’ve never truly been happy during those two years.”
“I am happy Chris,” sighed Lance. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you since you got here but you haven’t believed me!”
“Look it’s not easy for me!” protested Chris. “I’m trying to be a good friend here though!”
“Talk to him Chris,” sighed Lance. “Spend at least five minutes with him and not think of him as a Lamb. Then you’ll understand.”
*~*~*
“Can I talk to you?” asked Chris later that day as he leaned up against the door to JC’s studio. Lance was away at work and Chris had taken the day off so it was just the two of them.
“Umm . . .okay,” replied JC from where he was painting a picture. “What do you want to talk about?”
“I don’t know,” sighed Chris not wanting to do this but was willing to try for Lance. “What are you painting?”
“Nothing important,” shrugged JC. “Just the ocean.”
“Ocean?”
“My village was near the sea,” he explained. “I grew up staring out at the ocean dreaming of adventure. Little did I know fate would have something different in mind for me.”
“You don’t like Lance?” asked Chris surprised. “I thought he was nice to you.”
“He is!” laughed JC. “And I love it here! But I can’t help but to miss my home. How would you like it if you were suddenly taken away from here and became the property of a Lamb?”
“That would suck,” admitted Chris.
“Yeah, it does,” sighed JC. “I lucked out with Lance but the nightmares remain from the short time between when I was taken and when you and Joey dropped me off here.”
“My place gave you nightmares?” asked Chris, hurt.
“I was scared,” admitted JC. “You locked me in a room with a cot, no bedding, no clothes. I didn’t know what the hell was going on. At the Holding House they told us of what happened to disobedient Lambs. I think I was worst off then most though cause I knew I was designated as a pleasure slave. It sorta sucks when you realize that you have to spend the rest of your life having self with a stranger. I’m twenty Chris, that’s a lot of years.”
“But it’s your duty as a Lamb,” replied Chris quietly.
“I didn’t have a choice,” sighed JC. “I wasn’t alive when the society was created. Just like you didn’t have a choice to be a Shepherd.”
“So what are you saying?”
“Chris when you look at me, what do you see?” asked JC with a sigh. “I don’t wear a slave collar, yet you know I’m a Lamb since you bought me. But if you didn’t know that fact would you think I was a Lamb?”
“No,” admitted Chris. “I didn’t even recognize you. The only reason I knew was because of the fear I saw in your eyes. No Shepherd looks at another with such fear.”
“And are you happy that I fear you?”
“You don’t act like you fear me, now!”
“That’s because Lance promised me I would be safe,” replied JC gently. “IF he hadn’t done that I would of locked myself in here again til he came home.”
“I’m not a bad person JC,” whispered Chris.
“I never said you were,” smiled JC.
“How can you be so forgiving?” asked Chris. “If I were you I’d hate me!”
“I was raised that way,” shrugged the Lamb as if it was nothing. “My parents are very forgiving people.”
“It’s not that way here you know,” sighed Chris. “Most children are raised by robots like Geek. A few lucky ones were actually raised by their parents but even then they’re expected to leave anyways at eighteen. Most like Lance and me left before that.”
“That’s so sad,” whispered JC tears forming in his eyes.
“Yeah,” sighed Chris, thinking of his own lost childhood.
“What happened to you Chris?” asked JC gently.
“Nothing,” mumbled Chris hiding his surprise. He never told anyone about his past.
“I don’t think it’s nothing,” responded JC. “Something happened to you regarding a Lamb.”
“Leave it alone!” snapped Chris.
“I’m sorry,” whispered JC, hurt. “I just wanted to help.”
“I didn’t have a choice! It wasn’t my fault!”
“What wasn’t?”
“My birth father was a Lamb,” whispered Chris. “I never knew until I was fifteen though. The person I thought was my father and I had a fight one day. He then told me the truth and kicked me out.”
“You’re right you didn’t have a choice,” replied JC softly. “But neither did I or any other Lamb. Instead of hating us, try helping us. You’ll feel better about yourself.”
“I wish it was that easy,” sighed Chris.
“Just think about it,” begged JC.
*~*~*
“Did you talk to him?” asked Lance to Chris that night after he arrived back home. “He was pretty tired tonight.”
“Yeah we talked and you were right,” sighed Chris.
“Good,” nodded Lance before exiting the room, leaving Chris alone again with his thoughts. He had been in deep though since his conversation with JC that afternoon.
Quickly after leaving Chris, Lance made his way down the hall to his own room where JC was waiting for him.
“You have a good talk with Chris?” he inquired.
“Yeah,” smiled JC. “He told me some things which helps me understand why he’s the way he is.”
“Like what?”
“Stuff,” shrugged JC. He didn’t want to blab Chris’ secret to anyone, not even Lance. “Stuff like the way Shepherds are raised. Life on Terra, just stuff.”
“Anything interesting?” asked Lance.
“Ask Chris,” smiled JC. “But I have been wondering something since then.”
“What?”
“Why don’t you hate Lambs?”
“I have my reasons,” sighed Lance lying back on the bed. “Until I was ten I was raised by a Lamb nanny. My parents then decided at that point that my nanny was corrupting my mind so they had her killed right in front of me.”
“Come here,” replied JC gently, opening his arms to allow Lance to crawl into them. “You didn’t deserve that.”
“I haven’t stopped fighting with them since then,” whispered Lance fighting back his tears.
“You’re better then them.”
“I know,” sighed Lance, snuggling down in JC’s arms.