Please note that this story was updated, and edited on 12/4/17.
I no longer believed in the idea of soul mates or love at first sight. But I was beginning to believe that a very few times in your life, if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you. Not because he was perfect or because you were, but because your combined flaws were arranged in a way that allowed two separate beings to hinge together. - Lisa Kleypass
6 months ago
"AJ! Get your ass back in this house right this minute, you worthless brat!" a brown haired man yelled out the door of a gray two story house. "You're just like your mother! A coward, useless, you can't do anything right! You'll never survive on your own. You are nothing without this family and you know it."
The young woman stopped walking down the sidewalk for a moment and slowly turned around to face the man in the doorway. "You know what dad? Both my brothers are gone. Aaron is working in Pennsylvania, and Taylor just left for the army. My reasons for staying are gone. So I am too. I never wanted to win against you, Ma and Gramps. I just wanted you to accept me as I am but you can't even do that can you? No, matter what I do it will never be good enough for you, will it? My mother left to protect herself. She had to go over a thousand miles to get away from you. And now, it's my turn. Stay the hell away from me."
Her father had chased her all over the country after that; so she left the US. That's how she arrived in Karakura Town, Japan, a little less than 2 months ago. Almost 7000 miles from everyone she loved and cared about. 7000 miles for a taste of freedom. 7000 miles to keep her alive. Sadly, she didn't know if it was enough. She shook her head and stepped out into in the cold air. 'It's winter here. That means it'd be winter back home. Stop bad thought, don't think about there.' she took a deep cleansing breath and walked down the stairs of her still new-to-her apartment to the city street, to her car for her shift; silently wishing it was a dirt road instead.
Fireworks lit the night sky, and people squealed with delight, and she smiled silently to herself. She'd always loved watching people; especially children.
"Hello?! Earth to Sassi! Woman, get your head out the clouds and pay attention."
She jolted to attention and looked at her partner, who had a Cheshire shit eating grin on her face. "I'll have you know Asame; I was paying attention, just not to you." Sassi laughed softly.
"What stray thought captured your short attention span now, Sassi?" Asame asked. Sassi grinned at her. Out of all the people she worked with, Asame was her favorite. She didn't know if it was because she reminded her of her of what it was like to be carefree or if it's because she was how she used to be. Sassi reached over and gently tugged a lock of Asames' inky black hair.
"If I told you Asame, I'd have to kick your ass." Sassi grinned as a pout crossed Asame's lips. She wasn't quite ready to make friends but if she had to pick one she would pick Asame.
"Anyway curiosity killed the cat, but why did you get in EMS Sassi? I mean you're a good looking girl, and aside from a shady past you refuse to talk about, you're pretty cool to." Asame asked as she sat beside Sassi in the back of ambulance, as they waited for the festival to close for the night. They had the doors open just in case they had to pull the cot out and go to work, so to speak.
"Hmmm... Well I really like helping people and grew up watching my mother work EMS and Fire; so I guess I picked something I thought would give me the chance to make a difference and protect people." Sassi answered with the half-truth feeling guilty for being dishonest. But she had learned that lesson hard and early in life.
"Well I bet your parents are proud of you." Asame responded easily. Sassi blanched feeling nauseous.
"Maybe my mother but…..I'll be right back." Sassi got up slowly and made her way around to the restrooms in the park. Once out of sight of the squad, Sassi broke into a hard jog. She needed to hurl or hit something. The latter option was looking more and more appealing after thinking of her father and all of his ways. The next thing she knew she had ran right smack into what felt like a brick wall, knocking her back and she would've ended up flat on her ass if someone hadn't caught her.
"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." She gasped out trying to free her hand from the person that had saved her ass, literally.
"It's alright." A gentle but distinctly male voice said. She took a fortifying breath and raised her head. 'Holy shit!' The guy had to stand at least 6'5 if not more. His dark skin contrasted against her lighter natural olive tan skin she had inherited from her mother. His chocolate hair was just wavy enough to be handsome and very curly but not in a girly way, but his eyes. They were a black, or so they appeared to be in the night light. "Are you alright?" He asked gently.
Sassi went to answer when she heard Asame holler for her. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for the help; I can be a pure day klutz some times. I really appreciate it. I gotta go. See ya." She gave him a half smile and gently pulled her hand free that was still in his large one, before going back to her partner a few hundred yards away.
"What Asame?" Sassi asked with a smirk as she walked back to the squad. "I didn't realize I needed someone to hold my hand while walking back from the bathroom."
Asame rolled her eyes at Sassi, "Yea, yea. Anyway this thing is winding down, so I figured I'd see if you were about read…."
Asame never got to finish her teasing sentence as a huge explosion sounded behind them at the fireworks stand instead of in the sky; and people started screaming in terror. It was time to go to work.
"Hey, Chad! Who was that?" Ichigo asked his dark skinned friend as he walked towards the mexican giant, "She a friend of yours?"
"I don't know Ichigo. She just ran into me." Chad answered honestly, turning towards his best friend.
"Huh. Judging by the uniform and the patch on the sleeve of her arm I'd say she was an EMT. They cover the festivals in case of accidents." Ichigo said to no one in particular as Rukia joined them with the twins.
"Who's an EMT, Ichi-nee?" Yuzu asked as she and her twin, Karin, stopped beside their older brother. She and Karin had begged Ichigo to come with them to the festival. It was almost November and the holidays were right around the corner. She and Karin rarely got to see their brother anymore as it was. He and Rukia had their own apartment in the heart of the city. They said it made it easier if hollows turned up but she and Karin had a running bet on what the actual truth was. It'd been 4 years since the 1000 year blood war, and Ichigo still served as a substitute Shinigami, with Rukia by his side and the occasional help from other friends from Soul Society that liked to drop in and check on them unexpectedly; and Urahara and Yourichi, whom the twins adored although they refused to admit this to Ichigo.
"That girl that ran into Chad." Ichigo answered. "What do you..." He was cut off as a loud explosion rocked the night, disturbing the peace of the Festival. Knowing it was the fireworks, their group turned expecting to see people laughing with delight. Instead they saw people screaming with horror, running from the flames that swallowed the fireworks stand: The stand had exploded. "SHIT!" Ichigo cursed as he and the others took off at a dead run to see if they could help.
"Ichigo!" A familiar voice hollered as he and an orange haired young woman ran to help.
"Uryuu! Orihime!" Ichigo called. "Any idea what happened?"
"Unfortunately, no and I'm afraid we won't have any answer till we see what can be done." Uryuu answered as they ran toward the danger just as they always had done and would always continue to do so.
"Asame! I need triage badges! How many more do we have?!" Sassi hollered as she helped a young woman bundle her baby, both of whom were bumped and bruised, but thankfully uninjured.
"Enough till we get another unit here I hope! I'm gonna go check the other side and put a call into dispatch, we're gonna need the help." Asame answered as she guided an elderly couple, who were uninjured, just shaken up, to the side of the squad to a waiting police officer.
"Alright, but be careful! And take some of these!" Sassi responded shoving a handful of the triage badges at her, "Hopefully we won't have to play God, but who knows in this situation." Asame nodded her head in agreement, before heading towards the other side. Sassi knew they'd need to make their way to the stand in just a minute but before she could make another thought someone called out to her.
"Miss!" She turned to see a young man with orange hair, the same young man who had helped her earlier, and several others. A young woman who was a little on the short side with black hair cut in a bob, which suited her, a taller orange haired young woman with a larger bust, another young man with black hair with side bangs swept to one side and glasses, and two younger girl who, even though they had different coloring, were clearly sisters.
"Guys, please you shouldn't be here." Sassi answered going to move to help others, before the orange haired young man spoke.
"Is there anything we can do to help? Please, my father and my cousin's father are doctors, and we all know basic first aid." The orange haired young man said. Sassi thought about it, hard. It would be at least another 15 minutes till the other crews got here and 5 for the police and firefighters. And she knew 5 minutes could mean the difference between life and death.
"Alright, but if you're not sure you find me or you find my partner, do I make myself clear?" Sassi demanded in her best command voice. They all nodded. "Then what the hell are you still doing here? Go, people need help." They scattered to start helping people. Groaning, knowing it was going to be a long night, Sassi turned, caught Asame's eye, nodded and together they made their way to the destroyed stand, hoping they didn't have bodies but someone they could help.
'What a way to start the holiday season. ' All of them had the same thought.
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