A/N - I do not own these characters.

Chapter 6

The sun was getting low in the sky by the time Yumi and Sachiko left the school grounds, Yumi still in her tracksuit. After a thorough exercise routine, Yumi had practiced a few katas while her friends looked on. Yoshino and Rei both attempted to follow along with a simple one but had to leave before they could get the hang of it.

Getting lost in her karate, it was late before yumi finally realized the time. Though Sachiko was quite content to watch the younger girl so absorbed in her own element. It wasn't only her enticing body that made spectating so enjoyable. It was also the satisfied look on her face when she accomplished a move that was eluding her or completing a kata without error. This was where Yumi thrived and Sachiko loved to see it.

Despite it being later in the day, the sidewalks near their second stop were surprisingly busy. The station was only a short walk from the bus stop, but it felt like their progress was rough going. Yumi had insisted on holding hands to keep from being separated, but when two burly men appeared through the crowd walking straight for them, Sachiko instinctively released Yumi's hand and stepped out of their path. Her heart raced at the closeness of the two and she closed her eyes to try to focus on her breathing and forcing her panic back down. That was why when a hand came out of nowhere and shoved her backward she was caught completely off guard.

Stumbling backward, she found herself standing in the busy street, the headlights of a vehicle barreling toward her. It was so close and panic had her feet locked in place. In that instant she had but one thought, I'm going to die without anyone knowing the real me.

Just then, Yumi was at her side. Taking her by the hand, Yumi used her own body as an anchor and yanked Sachiko back toward the sidewalk, throwing her clear of traffic. Sachiko's world spun as she was flung to the rough stone of the sidewalk. Sharp pain in her palm had her wincing, but the screech of tires and a loud thud had her frozen once more. Screams of panic and alarm emanate from those on the crowded sidewalk. More than one person screamed for an ambulance to be called. Still, Sachiko laid frozen, unable to look back, afraid of what she might find there.

Yumi had a horrible feeling in her gut the instant Sachiko released her hand. She tried to reach out for her, but the crowd was already pulling them apart until she nearly lost sight of her. Fighting hard against the flow of foot traffic, she made her way to the edge of the sidewalk just as she saw someone to her right stumble out into traffic. Long flowing black hair, a Lillian uniform - Sachiko!

Without thinking, just simply letting her instincts take over, Yumi bounded the few steps that separated them and landed at Sachiko's side in the street. Using her own body weight as an anchor, she flung Sachiko back toward the sidewalk. If she had been able to reach Sachiko from the sidewalk, it would have been a simple matter to pull her to safety, but she had been too far for that. This was the only way. Yumi grimaced as she whipped around to face the oncoming car and jumped. Landing on the hood of the station wagon, she propelled herself forward, rolling on her shoulders over the top of the car until she stopped on her stomach in the center of the roof.

Panicking, the driver had slammed on the breaks, but that meant the car behind them had very little time to stop. Seeing the second impact coming, Yumi gripped the side of the car, dug the tips of her shoes against the car's luggage rack, and dove off the car. Moments later, the oncoming car slammed into the back of the station wagon. Landing ungracefully on the edge of the sidewalk, Yumi sputtered as the air was knocked clear from her lungs. While it took a few moments of hacking to get a full breath into her lungs, she wasted no time in trying to locate Sachiko.

While there was a crowd around Yumi, it appeared Sachiko also had a group trying to get her to respond. The instant she saw her Onee-sama she worried that the older girl had still gotten hurt. Pushing through the crowd, she fell to her knees at Sachiko's side and placed a trembling hand on her shoulder. I'm shaking so much. Coming down from adrenaline always sucks!

"Onee-sama, are you okay?"

Lifting her downcast face, Sachiko revealed eyes filled to the brim with tears. "Y-Yumi?" Relief spread across her face before the tears began to fall. Before Yumi realized what was happening, Sachiko had thrown her arms around her and was crying into her shoulder. "You're okay!"

"Of- Of course I am, Onee-sama." Yumi merely shook her head as she wrapped her arms around Sachiko in return. "You think something like that can separate us?" Emboldened by her brush to death, Yumi nuzzled closer to Sachiko's ear and whispered, "I will always protect you. Let me stay by your side and never let go of me again."

Still crying, Sachiko nodded and tightened her hold on Yumi.

Yumi wanted nothing more than to stay there with Sachiko in her arms, but the growing crowd was only making matters worse. Reaching into her pocket, she pressed the panic button Candace had given her on that first day. Having been warned that Sachiko would dispose of it if she found it, Yumi had been careful to keep the device hidden from her Onee-sama. Now she was most grateful for it and the advice Candace had given her.

"Don't worry, Onee-sama. Help will be here soon, but we should stand." Reluctantly, Yumi pulled back and stood, extending a hand down to offer assistance to Sachiko.

However, Sachiko sat with eyes wide staring at the ground. Blood having drained from her face, Yumi's concern for Sachiko grew by the moment. "Onee-sama? What is it?" Looking down she finally saw what had Sachiko concerned. Blood had smeared the ground where Yumi had been kneeling and soaked the front of her tracksuit pants from the knee down on the left side. "Don't worry, Onee-sama. I don't even feel it right now."

"But Yumi, that's so much blood!" Sachiko tried to argue.

"It's actually not. Honestly, I'm not lying." Sirens signaled the approach of the ambulance. "Come on, take my hand. I want the EMTs to check you out to make sure you're okay."

"You're the one bleeding!"

Grimacing, Yumi nodded. "Of course, I'll get checked, but I'm not leaving you on the sidewalk while I do. If you want me to get checked, take my hand and stop fighting me on this."

Silenced by Yumi's sharp words, Sachiko accepted her hand and stood. Yumi didn't let go of her hand though. Instead, she turned and made her way toward the flashing lights of the ambulance. They had pulled up close to the cars that had been involved in the accident and were trying to assess if the drivers had any injuries. Approaching the one who appeared to be coordinating everything, Yumi spoke, "Good day, I have Ogasawara Sachiko with me. We were both involved in the accident. I humbly request you look Miss Ogasawara over for any injury. She had a hard fall."

"Yumi!" Sachiko's anger was evident in her voice.

"And me as well. It appears I may be bleeding." The EMT looked down and calmly nodded at the blood-soaked tracksuit Yumi was sporting.

"Yeah, I'd say so. Come with me and we'll get you both checked out."

"Please, start with her first." Yumi pointed toward Sachiko with her thumb and prepared for the fallout. "She's not gonna like it, but I don't really care about that. Just, please, make sure she's okay."

"Yumi, stop this! I'm fine." Sachiko looked angry, just as Yumi had known she would be.

"Your safety is my responsibility." Yumi explained calmly.

"And as my petite soeur, I'm responsible for you as well!" Glaring, Sachiko released her hand only to grab her by her arms instead. "In some things, you still have to listen to me, Yumi!"

Involuntarily flinching at the pressure Sachiko's grip was putting on her arms, Yumi hissed in pain.

"Looks like you've hurt more than just your knee, young lady." The EMT regarded her arms with a look of concern. "What exactly happened to you two?"

Before either of the girls could respond, a middle-aged woman spoke up from the sidewalk. "That small girl pulled her friend out of the road! It was so terrifying! I thought for sure the girl was done for!"

The woman's friend spoke next, excitement written all over her face. "Oh, me too! But at the last possible moment, she jumped up onto the hood of the car! It was crazy! How did you do that, little girl?" More people joined in giving their differing perspectives of what had happened.

Caught off guard by the sudden attention being thrown her way from all around, Yumi found herself unable to respond to any of their praise. It wasn't until Sachiko leaned in close and whispered, "I promise to get checked too, Yumi, but come and let them look at you first. Please, I'm worried."

With a nod, Yumi allowed the EMT to guide her over to the ambulance and up into the back. Sachiko followed, but stopped outside, not knowing if she should go any further. A few moments later, the EMT poked her head out of the back of the ambulance. "Uh, Miss, your friend is asking for you."

Somewhat surprised by this, Sachiko stepped up into the ambulance only to freeze in the doorway at the unexpected sight of a shirtless Yumi.

"Onee-sama, the door! Please, shut it…" She was sitting on the gurney inside the ambulance, gripping the edge of the bed so hard that her knuckles were white. "I'm supposed to be protecting you, so I can't very well keep you outside."

Nodding, Sachiko moved quickly to shut the door then sat next to the EMT across from Yumi. It was only then that the dark bruise along her left arm was visible. "Yumi! Was that from the car?"

Yumi shook her head while the EMT responded. "It looks like it probably came from her impact with the edge of the sidewalk."

"It's nothing really. I've had far worse from karate, believe me." Despite her brave words, she gritted her teeth when the EMT probed the bruise.

"You do karate?" The EMT asked, obviously trying to distract Yumi.

"Mmm, a bit."

Sachiko couldn't help but giggle at Yumi's response, regardless of their current situation. "Really, Yumi?"

"What?"

"Seriously, a bit? You're a 5th Dan Blackbelt!"

The EMT looked startled for a moment before cracking a smile and shaking her head. "Yeah, I'd say you do a bit of karate then. It doesn't appear as though you've broken anything here though. The bruise looks nasty, but I don't think it's all that bad. Honestly, after hearing everything you did out there I'm shocked you're not more beat up."

Yumi chuckled and mumbled her response, "You and I both." Feeling Sachiko's hard gaze, Yumi instinctively avoided it. "May I put my shirt back on?"

"Sure. I'd like to cut those pants to reveal your knee, but I'll let you roll the pant leg up if you'd prefer."

Before Yumi could respond, Sachiko answered for her. "She'll need a new pair anyway, so go ahead and cut them. It's safer that way, right?"

Nodding, the EMT reached for her scissors. "It's preferred, yes." Before Yumi could protest, the pants were cut up the front of the leg and pulled back to expose the wound. As Yumi had suspected, it wasn't that deep, but she had managed to lose the top few layers of skin over a large patch of her knee. "Hmmm, it's gonna sting and be a little sore, but this shouldn't take too long to heal for you." Seeming to understand that Yumi might not take any care instructions seriously, the EMT turned to Sachiko. "Get a good antibacterial ointment and large band-aids. Keep it covered while out and about, but try to let it breathe at night. Oh, get the fabric band-aids. They aren't water-resistant, but it's healthier for the wound and the surrounding skin."

Sachiko nodded along with the instructions while ignoring the huff of annoyance coming from her petite soeur. "And her arm?"

"Oh, that'll take time, but some ice might help in the meantime." Turning back to Yumi she added, "If your Sensei ever gave you one of those herbal healing balms for sore muscles and bruises, I recommend using that to help speed your recovery. Otherwise, you should see improvement soon."

"Okay, thank you. Might I ask, were there any other injuries out there?" Yumi asked, curious and anxious knowing they were responsible for the accident.

"Other than a few bruises from seatbelts, no, everyone seems to be okay. What exactly happened out there anyway? I mean," The EMT turned to Sachiko, "Did you trip into the road?"

Yumi could tell by the stiffness in her shoulders that Sachiko was instantly put on edge by the question. "Uh, well… no. I was- I was pushed."

Sitting in the back of the company vehicle, Candace in the driver's seat, both Sachiko and Yumi fumed with their own degrees of anger toward each other. "So, I take it this arrangement is working out well?"

"Wonderfully," Sachiko growled.

"No problems at all," Yumi mumbled.

They both blatantly forced their gazes away from each other, each looking out their own window. Looking at them in the rearview mirror, Candace couldn't help the chuckle that rose to her lips. "I don't know if you two remind me more of sisters or an old married couple. Like Mr. and Mrs. McCallahan; a right rowdy couple they were."

"What the hell is coming out of your mouth right now?" Yumi, calm yet irritated, glared forward at the redheaded security chief.

"Excuse me?!" Flustered more than irritated, Sachiko stiffened in her seat and looked rapidly between the other two occupants in the car. "Candace-san, I believe that's quite enough. And Yumi, I-" When Yumi turned to face her, her expression nothing but serious, Sachiko instantly lost the words that she had wanted to say.

"Yes?" Yumi inquired, still blatantly showing her irritation for her Onee-sama.

Growling in frustration, Sachiko crossed her arms and glared at her petite soeur. "I don't think there is any reason for you to be so upset with me right now. I have every reason to be mad at you!"

"How exactly did you come to that conclusion?" Yumi asked, still not raising her voice but glaring freely.

"You raced out there without thinking and threw yourself into danger!"

"The goal was to throw you away from the danger. I am your bodyguard after all."

"And there wasn't a way to do that without planting yourself in the path of the vehicle instead?"

"No."

Sachiko groaned at the simplistic answers Yumi was giving. Though irritation was clear on Yumi's face, her words were so void of emotion that she sounded almost bored with the conversation. "You are so infuriating at times!"

"The feeling is mutual."

"What reason do you have for being angry with me?"

For the first time since the conversation began, true anger seeped into Yumi's words. "How long did you wait to tell me that someone pushed you into traffic?"

"I- uh"

"How long, Onee-sama?" Yumi's glare became more pronounced as she ground her teeth together. "The answer is, too long. You should have told me that the moment I made it back to your side." When Sachiko tried to speak, Yumi cut her off with a wave of her hand. "I know you know that because it's not my procedure. It's in the training given to your family and the guards that protect you." Pulling a small notepad from her pocket, she flipped a few pages and then proceeded to read, "In the case of an emergency, the protector is first responsible for defusing the situation and then responsible for assessing the condition of the protectee. The protectee is responsible for relaying any and all relevant information to the protector regarding the emergent situation." Flipping the notepad closed, Yumi all but chucked it into the back of the driver's seat. "Do you know how long you stood out there exposed?"

Yumi had herself unbuckled in one swift movement and was across the seat, holding Sachiko firmly by the shoulders. "Damn it, Sachiko, someone just tried to kill you in front of me!" Emotion was thick in Yumi's voice as she tried to convey the seriousness of the situation to Sachiko. "For all you knew they were standing in that crowd waiting for another opportunity."

It wasn't the rapid movement to her side or even her strong hands on her shoulders that made Sachiko's stomach explode into butterflies. No. It was Yumi's forceful, deliberate use of her name that set her nerves on fire. "I- I understand, Y-Yumi. I do." In a moment of boldness herself, Sachiko reached out and held Yumi by her waist. "You are feeling fear and that is making you angry, right?" Yumi nodded. "Well, I'm afraid too. Afraid for you, Yumi. I thought for sure you had been hit by that car. The last thing I was thinking about at that time was who had pushed me. My thoughts were of- of y-you o-only." Realizing what she was saying, Sachiko felt her boldness starting to slip away, but one look at Yumi's tender brown eyes had it surging once more and she pulled her a little closer.

Her eyes drifted to Yumi's lips. They were so close. It would take nothing to lean forward and-

"I think this is the moment where I make up some lame-ass excuse and make a timely exit from the vehicle. I'll just mosey on into the shop here and get myself a well-deserved treat." Candace spoke quickly and made a hasty exit from the car. The two had been so enthralled with one another that they had not even noticed they had stopped.

Refusing to let Candace's interruption derail what was happening, Sachiko lifted one hand to gently cup Yumi's cheek. Yumi didn't move away, instead, she merely searched Sachiko's eyes for understanding. Closing her eyes, Sachiko breathed deeply and recalled what had raced through her mind when she thought that car would hit her. If anyone, she wanted Yumi to know the real her. Opening her eyes she found that Yumi had closed hers as well and was leaning her face into Sachiko's tender hand.

Before she could lose her nerve, Sachiko pulled Yumi's face down to hers and kissed her softly on the lips. It was slow and tentative, giving Yumi ample time to pull away if she wanted. However, despite stiffening for a moment, Yumi made no move to get away or any show of displeasure at all.

When Yumi actually began to kiss her in return and leaned in closer, Sachiko pulled her onto her lap until Yumi was straddling her thighs. Everything in her ached to run her hands along Yumi's body, but she dared not move too fast. The last thing she wanted to do was scare Yumi. Not when she had finally gotten up the courage to take action and Yumi was reciprocating.

Moving her hand to the back of Yumi's neck, she held her reverently as the kiss continued. Instead of wrapping her arms around Sachiko, Yumi gripped the edges of Sachiko's scarf with white-knuckled fists. Beneath her hands, Sachiko could feel the younger girl trembling. Was it fear? Excitement? A little bit of both? Whatever it was, the fact that Yumi was reacting to her kiss in this way sent Sachiko's heart into raptures.

When the flow of time had ceased to matter and all either of them could think or care about was each other, a tap on the window broke them from their trance. Breathing hard, they both studied each others' faces for a moment before Yumi finally climbed off Sachiko's lap and back into her own seat. Straightening her shirt, Yumi tapped on the window with her knuckle and a moment later their brash Scottish friend stepped back into the driver's seat.

"I apologize for the delay, Mistress. I hope that, in my absence, your dispute with Yumi-sama has been resolved." She was buckling back in as she spoke, purposefully averting her eyes from the young people in the back seat.

"Yes, of course. It's been resolved." Sachiko spoke firmly, yet when Yumi's hand gently caressed the side of her own she added, "Mostly."

Upon returning to the manor, Candace instructed Yumi to go and report the day's events to Toru, leaving Sachiko alone with the security chief. After she watched Yumi disappear into the house, Sachiko turned to face the redhead. "I appreciate your… discretion, Candace-san."

Bowing in a show of respect, Candace shot Sachiko a winning smile. "Of course, Sachiko-sama. Your life is your own. I am here to see to the safety of your family. Other… affairs… are none of my business."

Nodding her thanks, Sachiko moved to follow Yumi into the house but stopped when she heard Candace clear her throat. "Yes?"

"Pardon my bluntness, Sachiko-sama, but I have something else I need to say." When Sachiko stopped and turned back, Candace took that as an invitation to continue. "If Yumi hadn't been by your side you would either be horribly injured right now or, worse, dead. You realize that, don't you?"

Sachiko didn't hesitate in her response. "Of course, I do."

"Then, again forgive my continued boldness as I say, you need to stop interfering with her when it comes to your safety."

"Excuse me?!" Anger flared in her and warmed her cheeks. "I refuse to stand here and-"

"That's just the problem! Right there!" In a rare display of complete and utter seriousness, Candace stepped close to Sachiko until she was towering over her. "You refuse… Do you realize in an emergency if you resist Yumi-sama's efforts you could actually cause her death? You don't even realize how important your safety is to her, do you?"

"I- I do! But her safety means everything to me as well."

"Then I have to be clear about this, Sachiko-sama, and this is no mere threat. If you cannot adjust to this new arrangement and accept that in this situation your safety comes before Yumi's, then I will have to terminate this… experiment and find an alternate means of protecting you." By the look in her eyes, Sachiko knew Candace was all too serious with her threat.

At first thought, Sachiko was okay with the idea of Yumi being removed from the position, but reality quickly swooped in and changed her thinking. If Yumi is removed, that means one of two things will happen… I'll get professional guards and have absolutely no freedom while causing major disruption at school. Or I'll be removed from school altogether until this whole mess is worked out. Either way, the chance of being able to freely associate with friends, the council, or even Yumi will be nearly impossible.

Sighing in resignation, Sachiko finally nodded. "I still don't like it. The best I can do is say that I will not interfere with Yumi's responsibilities regarding my safety. To me, her safety is still paramount, but for the time being, I'll accept that I cannot act on that instinct."

Candace's smile had returned in an instant and she was back to being her laid-back, jovial self. "Excellent. That's really all I needed to hear." With a wink, she turned away and spoke over her shoulder. "I'm glad to see that you two are… getting a wee bit closer."

Sachiko watched as Candace disappeared down the driveway before turning toward the doorway. A bit closer… Just the thought of what happened in the back of that car was enough to send her heart racing and her face flaming. "I can't… I can't face her yet." Turning away from the door, Sachiko walked around the house and toward the gardens. It had been a long time since she had lost herself in the twists and turns of the garden maze. Now seemed like just the right time to visit it again.

Leaving her school bag on the bench by the entrance to the maze, Sachiko moved onto the path that wound between the towering hedges. When she was younger, she would always hide in the maze when she was upset or anxious. In grade school, it happened so often that she had memorized all the pathways and had even discovered a few secret sanctuaries hidden within. It had been years though since she had stopped relying on the maze to help her hide from her issues. Yet here she was, going into hiding once more. Have I not grown in the slightest? Have I merely been fooling myself?

Reaching up she touched her lips, remembering how they felt pressed against Yumi's. No, I have changed. Three years ago I never would have bared my soul like I did today. Still… Turning, she looked up at the manor peeking over the edge of the hedges. What will happen now? "I almost wish this were a dream that I could wake up from."

"Do you want to wake up and forget?"

Sachiko jumped at the unexpected voice and turned to find Yumi standing behind her on the path. She had changed into a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt that read Bow to Your Sensei. With her hair down and slightly tousled, in a word, she looked adorable. In the fading light, the bandages on her knee and the bruises on her arm stood out starkly against her fair skin.

"Onee-sama?"

Shaking herself from her dazed study of Yumi, Sachiko tried to respond. "Hmmm, I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting anyone to find me here."

"I could find you anywhere." Yumi voiced, taking a step closer along the path.

With an amused chuckle, Sachiko shook her head. "Oh really?"

"Of course." Yumi grinned, crossing her arms over her slender chest. "As long as you continue to drop your school bag at the entrance to wherever you choose to hide, I should have no problem finding you." She laughed as realization hit Sachiko and she hid her face. "It was a very helpful hint."

"Oh, shut up, Yumi." Still hiding her face, Sachiko turned back away and started to move along the path once more. "You're becoming very bold with your teasing."

A strong hand grabbed her own, pulling her to a stop. Turning to face Yumi, who was now only inches away, she stopped breathing. Brown eyes, gleaming with anxiety and… fear? Is Yumi afraid of me now? "Maybe so," Yumi's voice was lower than a whisper. "But Onee-sama, you still haven't answered my question."

"Hmm? What question?"

Yumi pulled her a bit closer and absently ran her fingers through the end of Sachiko's hair. "Do you wish to wake up? Do you want to forget?"

Is she asking because of what I said or because she would like to forget about it herself? Sachiko remained quietly studying the younger girl before her. What did she want? Did she want to forget and go back to hiding? It would definitely be easier, right? Easier to play at being normal and accept that she would never be able to be herself openly and honestly.

Before she could formulate her response, Yumi took action herself. The younger girl shook her head and grinned as she took hold of Sachiko's scarf at the knot. "Onee-sama is overthinking things again." Firmly, yet at the same time gently, she pulled the taller girl down until their lips met once more. Just as it had been in the car, the kiss was soft and exploratory. It didn't last nearly as long before Yumi took a step back and released Sachiko's scarf.

They stood staring at each other for a moment before Yumi spoke. "I'm sorry I interrupted your alone time, Onee-sama. Auntie says that dinner will be ready in about an hour." Turning she retraced her steps to the end of the visible path before stopping and calling out to Sachiko again. "And Onee-sama, I don't know about you, but I hope neither of us wakes up." Then she was gone, taking her sexy allure with her.

The instant she passed from sight, Sachiko felt her legs give out and she fell to her knees in the middle of the path. Touching her lips once more, she mumbled her response, "If anything, Yumi, you have pulled me deeper into this dream with you."

A/N - Hehehe I had fun with that. :)