Bubblegum Crisis Post 2040 Fanfic Series

Bubblegum Crisis Post 2040 File 1: Dominant Species

Part 3: Casualties

Chapter 25: Blurred Boundaries

by P. Kristen Enos (bgcpost2040@aol.com)

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A Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 English Dub Version Fanfic. All rights belong to AIC, ADV Films and the other creative powers that be. I just want credit for writing the story. Contains spoilers! Rated PG13. Yuri warning! Nothing in here should be a shock if you've watched the episodes and paid attention. All I'm doing is filling in the gaps with my own interpretation of events! Special thanks to egret for betaing!

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Reika stared out the limousine window as the night sky slowly coasted by during the long drive through the countryside towards the family compound.

It was her first really quiet moment to reflect on the frenzied marathon of events that had begun with an urgent call from her grandfather the night before. Reika had been in Hong Kong at a charity fundraising dinner when she had received the call that Irene had been admitted to the hospital in connection to a horrendous public slaughter. Needless to say, she frantically and gladly used the emergency as an excuse to immediately leave the boring event. She also allowed her fiancé to stay a little longer, providing he still returned to Tokyo as planned for another charity dinner the next night. Densuke had actually tried to insist on flying back with her but she needed the peace and quiet to focus her thoughts. Of course, she kept Kou with her, knowing he wouldn't try to engage her in distracting chit chat.

So she came to the hospital with three intentions: to make personally certain Irene was okay, patch up any stupid differences with her sister, and to confirm the cause for this mock assassination.

And then she heard that Linna was involved and nearly killed.

Reika was shocked and dismayed at how much her heart felt as if it would stop for a second time in less than twelve hours. Her heart nearly stopped a third time when she found out that Linna was a Knight Saber, and that that was the reason why she was still alive.

Everything else that had happened since then seemed like a blur. Reika forced herself to concentrate on all of the serious issues at hand, which proved almost impossible when she was in Linna's room. Despite the shocking revelations, boomer discussions and Sylia, Reika had to force herself more than once to stare at a neutral spot on the floor to keep her gaze from gravitating towards Linna. She was unnerved at how much she wanted to force everyone else out of the room just so she could have some private time with her, if only for five minutes, no matter how emotionally dangerous such interaction could be.

Thankfully, throughout the day Reika was able to focus on business matters, such as making arrangements for Irene to stay at the Tokyo family compound, filling in her grandfather on the latest information that was exchanged in Detective Wong's interview with Irene, and initiating her own investigation into Sho and his connection to Genom. During the discussion with Irene, Reika had been carefully watching her future brother-in-law out of the corner of her eye. She had already had a lengthy discussion with her grandfather over possible motives and responsible parties for the slaughter and had come up with only weak prospects for who would have a grudge against either Chang Enterprises or Hou Bang to pull such an outrageous stunt.

As she watched Sho's reaction, Reika's personal suspicions started to become aroused at the thought that perhaps the Chang Enterprises or Hou Bang were not the targets after all. To avoid unfairly prejudicing her grandfather against Sho, she chose to make her own inquiries. Just before she had to leave for the charity dinner, she received news that the truck driver who had hit her parents limo had died in his own car accident a month ago, a victim of a drunk driver. With that lead gone under convenient circumstances, she knew she needed to have a private discussion with Sho extremely soon.

Reika closed her eyes and let out a weary sigh as she tried to relax. And as expected, the thought of Linna crept into her mind, which happened throughout the day whenever she tried to clear her mind of the harsh matters at hand. This time she didn't try to push the thought aside as a small sad smile curled her lips.

Sly fingers suddenly gave her knee a gentle squeeze, daring to creep up the stylish slit in the hem of her evening dress.

Reika frowned but didn't open her eyes. She knew right now if Kou ever found out about this, he would give her a look that would clearly say 'I told you so.' She also felt a little stupid at insisting that he sit in the front cab with the driver instead of the back with her and her escort.

She also partially blamed Sylia since the choice of dresses was her ex's opportunity to play fashion consultant with her during their reunion visit. She trusted Sylia to choose outfits from her shop that fit the million dollar charity balls that were required attendance for a President and CEO of a prominent company. However, even though she couldn't deny the fact that the dresses Sylia chose were beautiful and stylish, there was always an underlying element of sexiness to them that made Reika a little cautious. Not that she was a prude about wearing such clothes, she just didn't want to cause unwanted attention. Still, she bought the outfits, enjoying the fun time she had with her old friend and considering the fashion chores taken care of for the moment.

Now, she was paying the price for Sylia's mischievousness.

"Densuke," Reika said flatly, "You know the list of acceptable forms of public displays of affection. We are not in public, and that isn't on the list."

The hand crept up a bit higher as he growled into her ear, "I suffer the weaknesses of all men when it comes to the much fairer sex."

"If you do not remove your hand right now I am buzzing for Kou. I don't care if we're on the expressway."

The offending hand instantly disappeared out of fear of having each bone gleefully and slowly broken by Reika's human Rottweiler.

Earlier in the evening, when Densuke was feeling quite merry on champagne, he grabbed Reika's rear end, causing the woman to almost jump two feet into the air even though at the time she was in a deep discussion with representative members of the charity foundation. Because of the public display, Reika could only play along with the perceived affectionate playfulness of an adoring fiancé even though she seriously wanted to strangle him, and he knew it. Her surprised reaction, however, almost triggered the watchful Kou's reflexive impulse to pull out a gun and shoot Densuke, which the bodyguard was aching to do anyway.

Unperturbed by her annoyance, Densuke now nuzzled her neck, allowing her to smell the champagne on his breath and his cologne. At least they were both extremely expensive brands. "My beautiful fiancée, you are ever the rose with her many thorns."

Reika would have rolled her eyes if she wasn't so tired. "I thought you got this out of your system with the serving girl, that socialite and whomever else was handy."

"A man's appetite can't ever be satisfied with mere nibbles when the ultimate feast is always within reaching distance," he murmured as he nipped at her exposed ear.

Reika had had enough. Opening her eyes, she put her hand on his face and pushed him back over to his side of the limousine.

"Don't you ever tire of sounding like a cheap gigolo?" she growled once she was back on her side.

Densuke grinned unrepentantly. In his tuxedo with the undone tie and slicked back black hair, he was devilishly handsome, and knew it. "Would it get me any further with you?"

"Of course not."

"Well, then why waste my best lines since I know I will have you eventually? After all, it's my part of the bargain to father your children the old fashioned way."

Reika grimaced. In the marriage renegotiations, the "old fashioned way" for procreation purposes only was actually Densuke's surprisingly few conditions, and Reika relented. After all, she figured it was a small price to pay for a husband of extreme convenience and incredibly good lineage, the latter being why the marriage was originally arranged by their families when they were both five years old. Plus, she just felt a little weird at the thought of producing children with their father by artificial means since Densuke would have an active role in raising them, when he wasn't busy partying or chasing any nearby attractive pair of legs in a skirt.

"Talk like that isn't going to make me rush on setting a wedding date, Densuke," she pointed out.

"I can wait," he answered confidently. "Especially since I know what I have to look forward to. After all, you agreed to the conditions as well. Unless, of course, you plan to your act your way through our wedding night. And that works for me."

"I plan to drink myself into oblivion so you can do whatever you want. I won't be conscious for any of it."

Densuke frowned for the first time in the conversation. "Humph. Well, maybe I don't want to go through this after all."

"If that's the case, then decide now before we wed. My family doesn't believe in divorces. Just mysterious accidents," she added with the kind of sly smile that made the man a little unnerved in not knowing if she was serious.

Densuke then developed a smirk of his own and offered, "You know, it would be a shame to make such a momentous event such a burden for you. I'm perfectly willing if you want to invite one of your female -"

"DON'T EVEN GO THERE!" she growled dangerously, trying to hold back her immediate impulse to punch him. A broken nose wouldn't be a genetic trait that could be passed on to their future children.

The man just grinned, knowing he had stabbed at a sore spot.

Just then, Reika's cell phone rang in her purse, startling both of them.

Having no idea who would call her at such an hour, and especially with good news, she pulled it out and answered cautiously, "Hello?"

"Reika?" Sylia's voice said in an unusually anxious and tense tone. "I have an extremely urgent and enormous favor to ask of you."

"Of course," Reika replied immediately, her own level of concern rising at her friend's desperation. "Anything I have to give is yours..."

-- End Chapter 25 --