Guest appearance, points if you recognize from where, and no I don't own him either. What part of "fan fiction" didn't you understand? Don't think he'll be back, not really a crossover story, but depends on my mad muses….

Reboot: Because I Hate No-Win Scenarios – a Weiss Kreuz story

Part 2: Insurance

"Hey, Dr. Reid, over here." I wave to the slender young man from my seat beside the window. As he crosses the room, navigating between the tables and chairs of the cafeteria, it strikes me how much he resembles Aya at about that age. Oh, nothing in the coloring, just a bit in the way he carries himself, just a ghost of how I imagine Aya would have been if his life and his family's hadn't crossed the Takatoris.

"Mr. Kudoh," he greets me and we shake hands. "I'm a little confused as to why you requested this meeting."

"Insurance," I say, pushing the file I've been doodling on across the table before he's even sat down.

"Kritiker," he says softly and his eyebrows lift in two lovely arches as he looks back at me. The Aya who wasn't might have given me such a look. Or Omi, when he was younger. I resist the urge to tousle his hair, as I would have with the chibi. I wondered if it would be as soft as it looked, shame it was so painfully short.

"Read it," I tell him. "It's been cleared. The only one who'll be compromised is me."

This time the look he gives me is all himself, the hunter awake and concerned behind those beautiful eyes. Without a word he starts on the file. He reads very quickly.

I look out the window again, over the round mounds of decorative yew and the acres of emerald grass. I idly wish for a cigarette, playing instead with a keychain I'm braiding, ignoring the patch I wear under my shirt.

He closed the file and said conversationally, "You have a pardon from the Emperor of Japan. I'd never seen one before."

And, "Why did you show me this?"

"I'm trying to go back to . . . work." I shrugged. "If I do, no problems. If not –"

"Thus, insurance."

I nodded.

"Why me?"

"You're the youngest on your team, about the age I was then. No ill wishes on your leaders, but barring stupid accidents you'll be around the longest to keep an eye out for me."

I stood up and my old demon mischief couldn't resist giving a little poke to his professional façade. Closing the short distance between us, I kissed him lightly on the forehead. "Besides," I whispered, "you remind me of someone I love."

His eyes were very wide, but he didn't make any move to stop me as I walked away.