Bubblegum Crisis Post 2040 Files Continuation Fanfic Series

File #5: The Real Me

Part 3: Square Peg, Update 2

by P. Kristen Enos

Originally written on 4/21/02, just transferring from my original BGC Post 2040 site.

Special Thanks to my Beta Team: Greenegret, David & Templar

SPOILERS WARNING!!!

Most of these stories take place AFTER the TV Series! So DON'T blame me if I ruin the ending for you because you read these stories first!

Lesbian/Yuri/Shoujo Ai Warning! (Non-explicit -- at least in the "PG13"/"R" sort of way.) Just not written for children because they probably wouldn't get half of it.

All rights belong to JVC/AIC, ADV Films and the other creative powers that be. I just want credit for writing the story.

* * * * *

Chapter 26

Wednesday Afternoon, November 2nd

Dressed in a long-sleeved shirt, jeans and boots, Priss checked the nameplate once again before pressing the door bell.

An unfamiliar female voice called out from inside that she was coming. The door then swung open, revealing a plainly dressed woman who was roughly twenty years older than the singer.

"Hello. May I help you?" the older woman answered cheerfully even though there was a hint of confusion in her expression.

Priss blinked, then as if remembering some long ago habit, stiffly bowed and asked, "Mrs. Yamazaki? I'm Priss, Linna's roommate. Is she here?"

The older woman was clearly surprised and a little stunned as she looked her guest up and down. Then she hastily nodded and backed up to let her in, "Yes, she is. Please come in. It's nice to finally me--"

"Priss?!" a definitely shocked Linna called out from the hallway. "What are you doing here?"

The singer grinned at her and said, "Figured I'd beat you to the train station and offer you a direct lift home, courtesy of the Silky Doll." She pointed with her thumb at the red Porsche sitting in the driveway in front of the farmhouse.

Mrs. Yamazaki looked extremely impressed.

"You drove out here to pick me up?!" a still bewildered Linna persisted. "I was all set to take the train back."

Priss then frowned and said, "Well, did you buy your ticket yet?"

"Um, no."

"Then you're riding with me!" she stated firmly, end of subject.

"Would you girls like something to eat or drink before you go?" Mrs. Yamazaki offered. She tried to hide a smirk and not be too obvious as she continued to assess this young woman she had heard about for years but had never seen, much less met before.

Linna shrugged and answered, "Well, if we don't have to follow a train schedule, I don't mind. Priss?"

She grinned. "I never turn down free food."

Then Priss blushed and gave another stiff bow to her hostess, "I mean, yes, I accept your offer, Mrs. Yamazaki. That's very kind of you."

"Then follow me," the elder Yamazaki said as she led the way to the kitchen with the blushing singer right behind her.

Linna followed a couple steps behind, clearly amused and fascinated by the unexpected display of manners.

* * * * *

Later…

" - Okay, so spill," Linna ordered as she watched the countryside zoom by at a speed well above the legal limit. "Why did you drive all the way out here to pick me up? I would have just met you at home."

"You make it sound like I'm going to bury you out in the woods somewhere," Priss muttered as she continued to drive, while keeping an eye out for any signs of the police. "Damn, this car is smooth!"

"Well, it's quite an extended joyride for you to come all the way out here - "

"You're my best friend," she interrupted. "You're supposed to inconvenience me."

Not getting a verbal response, Priss looked at her passenger out of the corner of her eye to see Linna staring straight ahead with a pleased smirk on her lips. The driver smiled to herself. "So how was the visit?"

"It was what I needed. Nice and quiet. And it helped that my parents didn't breathe one word of marriage arrangements for a change."

Remembering something, Priss cleared her throat and said, "Hey, um, I saw that shrine in the living room… That girl looks like the one you keep on your nightstand…" No response. "Sorry, I'm prying."

Linna was quiet for even longer before she said, "It's my older sister Miki. She died in a bus accident when she was going to school. A few other friends were killed too. It was a bad rainstorm. She was sixteen and I was fourteen… I was home sick that day…"

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that."

Linna shrugged even though her expression was extremely withdrawn. "It happened ten years ago. And it's not as if you don't know what it's like to lose family."

"Yeah, well. It's not like one situation is any better than another. It still sucks when it happens."

"That's definitely true…"

Priss shook her head and snorted. "I'm supposed to cheer you up, not bring you down. Boy, maybe it was better if you had taken the train!"

"No, I'm glad you came," Linna said sincerely. "How much did Sylia tell you?"

"That you met the fiancé. And you seem to have had your closure with Reika. Was she right?"

Linna nodded. "Yeah. I knew it was coming, and I thought I was prepared for it. But... You know, the thing I miss most though is feeling that way about someone, no matter how short it was. And I just keep thinking, 'wow, if that's just a hint of what's it like to be in love with someone, then the real thing has got to be worth the wait.' Only, I hope I don't screw it up when, or if, I get another chance."

"It is nice to feel that way about someone. Even if it is for a short while," Priss said with a wistful look. "It makes other addictive drugs pale in comparison."

Linna burst out into a laugh. "You must be a musician to make a substance abuse comparison!"

"Oh, shut up!" a reddening Priss responded. Then she chuckled devilishly. "Speaking of feeling good, I've got one more stop in mind before we get home!"

Linna's eyes widened at the statement. "Oh really?! Where?"

Priss merely grinned back. "You'll just have to wait until I park the car!"

"We've still got miles to go!" Linna declared as she pointed at the lush countryside.

"Hey, you said yourself good things are worth the wait!" she retorted.

Linna opened her mouth to respond, but then folded her arms in a huff and decided to let the matter drop for the moment.

* * * * *

That Evening…

"You're right! I feel much better!" Linna said, stretching as they stood in the lobby of the women's spa. "Although, I think you just wanted an excuse to go for yourself!"

After settling the bill with the salesgirl, Priss pulled on her leather jacket and answered, "Hey! I needed to work out the kinks from driving all that way."

Linna was about to tease her again when a figure emerging from the elevator caught her eye. "Oh, hello!"

Lisa Vanette stopped in her tracks, clearly recognizing Linna. She immediately broke out into a pleasant smile and bowed. "Hello! I haven't seen you since that very exciting day! Hope your scooter is now fixed."

"It sure is!" Seeing Priss now staring at the other woman, Linna hastily said, "Priss, this is Lisa Vanette, the reporter I told you about. Lisa, this is Priss Asagiri, my roommate."

With a cool smile, Priss gave the new woman a nod and said, "You're the one that wrote the NTC articles, right?"

"Yes, that was me," she answered pleasantly even though it was clear that she was sizing Priss up as well. "So, um, are you two coming or going? I'm trying to squeeze in some time before they close."

"Oh, sorry, we just finished," Linna answered with an apologetic bow. "But since we seem to share the same spa, perhaps we'll run into each other again some day?"

"I look forward to it!" Lisa said with a pleasant nod and a smile.

Priss narrowed her eyes at the petite woman for a moment. Then she said to Linna, "We've got to go. Sylia's probably waiting for her car."

"Oh, all right," Linna said. "Bye, Lisa!"

"Bye, Linna. And it was nice to meet you, too, Priss," she said as she watched the two women walk into the elevator.

Left alone, Lisa then chuckled and shook her head to herself. She turned to the counter to sign in but stopped in her tracks when the vision came to her.

"Run?!" she said to herself as the memories started to flood her mind. Oblivious to the bewildered stares from the staff and other patrons, she smacked her forehead and declared, "STUPID!"

- End Chapter 26 -


Chapter 27

Friday Evening, November 4th

"That doesn't look too comfortable," Linna murmured as she stared at the empty stasis chamber in the large room connected to Sylia's private lab.

"Probably not," Mackey said as he looked down at the open tube. "But thankfully I'll be 'off' during my entire time in there."

Nene didn't say anything as she kept next to him, her fingers firmly clenched in his.

"So tonight's the big night?" Priss asked. "Is that why we're all here for dinner?"

"Consider it a bon voyage party for Mackey," Sylia said with a small smile that barely hid her own nervous tension. She glanced down at the readings on the monitor. "In approximately three weeks, he should be able to emerge in his new body, looking a lot older and taller than he does now."

Nigel quietly checked the bank of equipment against the wall.

"But not too tall, right?" Nene asked hesitantly, her tone noticeably serious.

Mackey smiled at her and said, "We'll still be perfect for each other, even if I'm looking down at you."

She scowled and stuck her tongue out at him, but hugged his arm tightly.

"Dinner is ready, everyone," Henderson's voice announced over the intercom.

"Thank you, Henderson," Sylia responded back. "We'll be up shortly."

"Oh, Linna," Nene said as they all walked through the lab towards the elevator, "Lisa Vanette called me today. She wants to take us out to lunch, saying that she wants to settle the rain-check she promised us. She also told me to tell you that she remembered where she knew you from."

Linna looked startled, especially at Sylia and Priss's curious looks. "Um, did she say anything else?"

"Nope. But she seemed pretty sure of herself so it's got to be something solid," she said as they got into the elevator.

"Vanette," Sylia repeated as she clearly mulled over why the name sounded familiar. "She's the reporter who covered the NTC stories in the Tokyo Sun, correct?"

"Yeah," Nene said. "But don't worry, Sylia, I don't think she's made any Knight Sabers connection with Linna. We wear helmets, after all. And she wasn't a reporter when we were active during Galatea."

Sylia pursed her lips thoughtfully for a moment and then said, "That may be true. But I still want you two to avoid any Knight Sabers discussions with her, especially if she 'happens' to bring up the subject. She's clearly a sharp one judging by the way she writes."

"Don't worry, Sylia," Linna answered. "I definitely agree about steering clear of that subject with her. A reporter is just as risky as talking to the police."

The elevator door opened and they walked through Sylia's living room out to the patio beyond.

"That smells delicious, Henderson!" Nene exclaimed as they approached the table with the ready and waiting feast.

Linna was about to sit down when she noticed how Priss stopped in her tracks, her attention focused on a spot in the Tokyo skyline at night. Ready to tease her, Linna looked herself to see a strange site of black plumes of darkness which had to be smoke with a dozen helicopter lights swarming around it. "Sylia, look!"

Moments later, the group was huddled in front of the large video screen on the wall which showed the live news broadcast of the large fire which consumed the first four stories of a tall building which housed several restaurants and shops. The shots of the firefighters and medical personnel showed people frantically trying to deal with the situation at hand and not being very successful.

"Sylia, we should go help them!" Linna exclaimed, not bothering to hide her concern about the situation.

Sylia looked at the rest of her team, who gave nods of approval. "You three, go get ready."

The three other women immediately rushed back into the elevator.

She gave an apologetic smile to Mackey, "I'm sorry about this delay."

He grinned. "I'd like to spend this evening helping other people. Especially if I don't come back."

She frowned and hugged him. "Don't think like that, Mackey. You're going to be fine."

He opened his mouth to respond, but then shut it and just gave his sister a quick hug. "You'd better suit up, too, just in case. Nigel and I can run command."

She nodded as she pressed the button for the elevator.

* * * * *

Later…

"Oh, my god!" Linna declared in horror as they stood on the rooftop of the adjacent building to survey the scene.

Lighting up the night sky, a large blaze consumed the first five floors of a forty story building of shops and restaurants. Fire fighting crews were madly scrambling on the ground and in the air to both evacuate the building and put the fire out.

Even though the electricity was out for the building, it was clear that people were running around with flashlights in the upper floors as they made a mad dash for the roof.

"We've got to help them evacuate those people!" Linna declared urgently to her teammates.

"Those helicopters can only get a few at a time. And they're obviously having a hard time trying to avoid smoke and each other," Priss mused as she looked at the frantic activity at the rooftop. "Our best bet is to help with the evacuation up there."

"With our suits, we just need a large - that!" Linna cried as she pointed down at the street below crowded with emergency personnel and vehicles. "We could use those buses!"

"Commander, we have a request to commandeer one of city buses to help with the evacuation on the roof," Sylia asked through the emergency comm-link used by the firefighters.

"Understood," a male voice responded. "I'll straighten things out down here. Consider it yours for the taking!"

"Linna and Priss, you take one. Nene and I will work with the fire personnel to try to put on this fire and take care of any stranded people inside," Sylia said as she dropped from the roof. "Also, everyone, make certain your infrared is on. This smoke is going to make it difficult to see things even if it wasn't already night time."

Linna and Priss positioned themselves on each end of the emptied bus as the crowds of onlookers watched anxiously. Once the large vehicle was firmly held, the Knight Sabers launched their rocket boosters to head back up.

With radio instructions, the helicopters steered clear of the east side of the building, allow the Knight Sabers to land on the roof.

As expected a large crowd of frantic employees and patrons were gathered on the roof, grateful at the sight of their new saviors. They madly scrambled towards the Knight Sabers, making it difficult to get clearance for them to settle on the rooftops with their large container.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Linna announced through the outside comm-link. "Please calm down and get in line. I promise you we'll get every one of you off the building safely!…"

* * * * *

"…I think that's it for the bus," Priss said to Linna through their private comm-link as they watched the latest group of rescued people vacate the vehicle into the arms of rescue workers.

Linna looked up at the now dark building, knowing that there was still a lot of activity going on even though the fire had been put out. Sylia and Nene had made improvised use of water tanks from nearby buildings that the fire fighters couldn't use with their regular equipment.

"Come on," Priss said, "Let's join the hunt for survivors."

"Right," Linna said as she followed her lead and turned on her boosters.

From the nearby crowd of rescued people, a smoke-covered and bedraggled Lisa Vanette stood quietly and watched them disappear into the open floors of the gutted building. She had been watching them for some time since she was one of the first batch rescued from the rooftop.

A harsh cough next to her distracted her attention.

"Nathe, are you okay?" she asked softly.

The tall, lanky man with the black ponytail and sideburns nodded as he tried to breathe from the oxygen tank that had been given to him by a medic. "I think this is my final cue to give up smoking. It'll be worth it though for the headline we're going to get out of this!"

She smiled and then turned her attention to the gutted building.

In her mind, she replayed the scene of the two Knight Sabers landing on the roof with the bus. She had lost her glasses in the mad shuffle to get to the roof, and the smoke would have obscured her vision anyway.

But that voice from the green Knight Saber was unmistakably familiar.

Lisa Vanette felt as if she had just discovered that the Abominable Snowman existed but had no proof.

- End Chapter 27 -


Chapter 28

Saturday Evening, November 5th

Lisa Vanette sat cross-legged on the floor of her room, studying a video on her laptop with piles of vid-discs around her.

Fluffy, her large, longhaired gray and black cat was sprawled out next to her leg as he slept with a mild purr.

Nathan appeared at her open doorway and looked in. The tall, lanky man with the pony-tail and sideburns frowned curiously at the mess. "Hey, I thought you were done with the NTC article."

She looked at him over the rim of her new glasses and said, "These ADP archives are more entertaining than what's on TV right now. What's up?"

"I'm ordering pizza. Do you and Furball want some?"

"He'll pass but I'm game for splitting," she answered in a deadpan tone. "Remember my anchovies this time!"

"Of course!" he answered in a friendly tone that meant she could forget about expecting them.

Once he was gone, Lisa returned her attention to the clip of a very dazed Linna Yamazaki standing in an alley after having been rescued from a rogue boomer attack by two Knight Sabers.

Lisa sighed and rubbed her eyes wearily.

"Well, Fluffy, this is a little too coincidental, don't you think?" she said as she rubbed his head.

The cat peered open one eye at her, yawned and then covered his face with his front-leg before going back to sleep.

With the still picture of Linna on her screen, Lisa clicked on her hard drive and opened her old archive folders. It took her a few tries to find where she had placed her old articles but she found them shortly enough. A few more clicks and the image of a scanned article with photo monopolized the screen.

The main picture was of a seventeen year-old Linna Yamazaki in her track uniform as she crossed the finishing line in the lead of the other runners. The article, written by Lisa, had the headline "Kumamoto Wonder Beats Local Favorites Again!"

Lisa then looked at the picture of the older Linna in the alley and murmured softly, "The world is way too small sometimes…"

* * * * *

Sunday Afternoon, November 6th

Wondering how she had ended up in this predicament, Linna peered over her restaurant menu at Lisa Vanette, who seemed extremely preoccupied with choosing her lunch item.

Not more than fifteen minutes ago, Linna had been pushing her scooter down the street yet again when Lisa had pulled up in her car. A friendly offer for a lift had resulted in Linna inviting Lisa out to lunch as a "thank you" for the upcoming trip to Nigel's garage.

What had been purely a casually polite meeting had now turned into extreme awkwardness for Linna. She tried frantically to feel comfortable in the presence of someone who triggered every internal alarm she had.

Lisa put down her menu and gave her a pleasant grin, apparently studying her for a moment. Then she said, "So did Nene tell you that I finally figured out where I had seen you before?"

"Um, yes, she did, but she said you wanted to tell me when the three of us went out to lunch," Linna answered as she carefully put down her menu and took a sip of water.

Lisa narrowed her eyes at her with playful shrewdness and said, "You were on the track team for Kumamoto High, weren't you?"

Linna almost spit out her water in amazement. "Well, yes! How did you recognize me?"

The reporter gave a smug grin and said, "When I was in high school, I did an internship at the local paper, so covering the school sports events was part of my regular beat."

"Well, I'm impressed," Linna said, suddenly turning playful, "that you would recognize me out of the many people you wrote about."

Lisa's face suddenly turned beet red in embarrassment and she stammered, "I - uh, I remembered you in particular because you came in first place a lot. You pissed off a lot of my friends in the process."

Linna stared in amazement at the surprising reaction from a woman who gave her the impression of always being cool and confident.

"So, you never pursued sports professionally?" Lisa said, getting her cool composure back.

She shook her head and said, "I loved sports because it gave me a chance to shine when I felt like a klutz in every other part of my life. When I could have gone professional was when I decided to try to focus on putting my family matters first. It didn't last long though since I ended up moving to Tokyo." She stopped and blushed. "I'm sorry. I'm rambling on more than you want to know, I'll bet."

"I'm here just as Lisa. Ms. Vanette the Reporter is only during work hours," she answered with a grin. Then she looked at her curiously and asked, "Do you have problems with reporters in general, or is it just me that makes you uncomfortable?"

Linna blinked at the precise question, her feelings of discomfort returning in force after having been momentarily forgotten. "I, uh, well…"

Two smiling young men suddenly appeared at the edge of their booth, clearly being as friendly as possible.

"Hello, my ladies," one of them greeted. "We wondered if you wouldn't mind joining us for lunch?"

The two women exchanged a cautious look, communicating the shared reluctance.

Lisa tilted her head with a pleasant smile at Linna and asked, "Should I answer or should you?"

"Um, go ahead," Linna answered sheepishly as she took another sip of water.

Taking her cue, Lisa stated, "Sorry, we're not interested. We're on a date."

Linna inhaled half her glass of water and spent the next few minutes coughing it out. By the time she recovered, the men were long gone and the waitress and Lisa were hovering over her in concern.

"I'm so, so very sorry!" Lisa said for what felt to her the thirtieth time as the waitress finally walked away.

Linna waved away her concern as she got her breathing back under control and now focused on trying to wipe up the water from the front of her shirt. "Well, it seemed to work," she croaked.

"I think they were scared that they might be witnesses to you choking to death more than catching me in a bluff," Lisa said with an apologetic smile.

Linna couldn't help but break down in giggles, which was shared by the other woman.

After a pause for breath, Linna asked seriously, "So what if they had reacted negatively, like tried to cause trouble or something?"

Lisa shrugged and said casually, "I'm a black belt in karate. I would've broken key bones if they had tried."

Linna's eyes widened at the comment, trying to determine where the deadpan humor stopped and the seriousness began.

Lisa then grinned and said, "Of course, I won't tell Priss that I used you as a cover if you won't."

Linna blinked in confusion and then answered carefully, "Okay, I won't."

"By the way, how long have you two been together?"

Relaxing at the easy question, Linna said, "We've really only been living together for a couple of months but we've known each other for a few years. She was one of the first people outside of work that I met when I first moved to Tokyo."

Lisa looked at her with a wistful smile and said, "That must be nice to have been friends first. I've heard it sets a better foundation that way."

Now Linna was really confused. "Foundation? What do you mean?"

Lisa blinked back. "For your relationship."

"… Okay… Wha -- ? Relationship?!" Linna suddenly hissed as the meaning of the conversation sunk in. "Me and Priss? We're just friends. We're not, you know, together!"

Lisa's eyes were now as wide as saucers as the news sunk in. "Oh! I'm sorry! I thought, well, you two looked like you were a couple."

Linna rolled her eyes and muttered, "You're hardly the first to make that comment."

Her mental wheels clearly turning, Lisa was quiet for a moment and then she asked seriously, "So why aren't you two a couple?"

"I don't think she's interested," Linna answered truthfully. "She's got a lot of things to work through right now -- I think romance is the last thing on her mind."

"But are you interested?"

A blush crept up Linna's cheeks and she answered, "Um, I - I just recently had closure with another woman."

"Oh." Lisa stared down at her cup of tea for a moment. Then she said, "Well, when you think you're ready to try someone new, would you like to go out on a date for real?"

Linna's eyes widened as she stared at the very serious woman across the table. Conflicting emotions suddenly churned within her. "Th-Thanks for the offer, but I don't believe people should be non-monogamous."

Now Lisa looked extremely confused. "But you just told me you just had closure with someone."

"I'm talking about you!"

"Me?!" Lisa retorted. "I haven't been on a date since college!"

"But what about your boyfriend that you live with?" blurted Linna, realizing that there was massive confusion in this conversation.

Lisa blinked and then roared back in laughter. "Nathan is just my roommate! Just like you and Priss! We're also kind of incompatible in that he's straight and I'm not, so there's no way anything's going to happen!"

Linna pursed her lips as she mulled over how she wanted to strangle Nene for once again giving her bad relationship gossip.

"So," Lisa persisted with a very amused smile, "now that we seem to have finally cleared the air and established that we both seem to be single and lesbian, would you be interested in going out some time for real?"

Linna opened her mouth, but nothing came out as she locked stares with the woman. Then she took a breath and said, "How about we just enjoy this lunch as a friendly encounter for now, and I promise to think about your offer for another day?"

Lisa broke out into a quietly pleased smile as she said, "All right."

The sight of the waitress with their food momentarily distracted Linna from the sudden frantic beating of her heart.

- End Chapter 28 -