Bubblegum Crisis Post 2040 Fanfic Series

Bubblegum Crisis Post 2040 File 1: Dominant Species

Part 3: Casualties

Chapter 27: Shelter

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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"Thank you so much for this, Mrs. Takeuchi," a casually dressed Reika said as she watched her former nanny check the portable medical monitors.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Miss Reika," the good-natured, elderly woman commented as she scanned the read-outs. "It's not as if we haven't done something like this before."

An also casually dressed Sylia stood quietly off to the side, her eyes never leaving the still figure lying in the middle of the fully equipped medical bed in an otherwise elegantly furnished room. Upon looking at her, few people would realize that Sylia had had only three hours of sleep the entire night, and that the sun would be rising in an hour.

"What's your personal opinion of her status?" Reika asked, her anxiety showing despite her attempt to sound casual. The tension she had been feeling since the fateful phone call from Sylia didn't seem to be ebbing at all.

"She's clearly a tough one. You can tell that without even having to look at her records," the woman honestly assured her mistress. "Her signs are all strong after coming through such extensive and delicate surgery with flying colors. I don't see why she won't make a complete recovery if she's allowed to focus on resting as well as getting physical therapy as soon as she's able. How long will she be staying?"

"As long as she needs to," Reika answered immediately.

Sylia arched an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Well then," Mrs. Takeuchi said with a friendly smile, "I will make certain the staff treats her like family for as long as she's here. - And speaking of family, Miss Sylia, I'm pleased you're here. I was afraid I'd never see you again."

Sylia bowed in acknowledgement and said, "The pleasure is entirely mutual, Mrs. Takeuchi. I'm glad you'll be personally overseeing Linna's recovery. Reika is housing her as a personal favor to me."

Reika looked as if she was going to say something but stopped.

Seeing that her mistress had decided not to comment, Mrs. Takeuchi instead said, "Well, I certainly hope to see more of you, especially under more pleasant circumstances. With you around, and Miss Irene staying here temporarily, we're hoping that we'll see Miss Reika genuinely smile again."

Both women blushed but said nothing.

"Now scoot, both of you, and get some sleep!" the elderly woman ordered. "There's nothing more you can do for Miss Linna other than wait for her to wake up when she's ready to."

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"Reika, thank you for this," Sylia said softly once they were alone in the dimly lit hallway.

"There's nothing to thank me for," she said firmly. "Linna is your friend as well as Irene's."

Sylia tilted her head curiously and said, "Well, I have a good idea of what you mean to Linna. What does she mean to you, beyond being a friend of a friend?"

Reika lowered her gaze for a moment and then said, "I want her to be happy. I'm just sorry I'm not the one who can do that for her."

Sylia studied her for a moment and then decided to let it pass. She looked as if she was about to stretch into a yawn, but then winced and stopped herself in mid-motion, pressing her hand gingerly against her side. "I should be heading home."

"Not just yet, you aren't," her friend said with a frown. "I've prepared a guest room for you. It would take at least an hour before you would be in your own bed, and you're in no condition to drive as it is. I don't even want to know how you managed to drive here to begin with."

"I'll be fine!" Sylia insisted even though there was a smirk on her lips.

Reika narrowed her gaze and said, "Try bluffing someone who doesn't know your version of 'looks like crap'!"

Sylia opened her mouth to protest but Reika stopped her with a look.

"Just for a couple of hours at least," her hostess insisted. "I don't want to set up two hospital beds in my home!"

Sylia hesitated, clearly wanting to argue, but then she saw how Reika firmly put her hands on her hips with the readiness of a determined bulldog. She thought to herself how some things definitely have not changed over time.

Finally, Sylia let out a soft sigh and chuckle as she wearily leaned forward and pressed her head against Reika's shoulder. "Okay, you win. Lead the way."

Reika indulged in a yawn of her own as she lead the passive Sylia by the hand down the hallway. "It's your old guest room. The bathroom is also prepared in case you want to freshen up at some point."

"Hm mm," Sylia answered sleepily now that she allowed herself to start shutting down for the night. "By the way, where's the lucky man?"

"Sleeping off a bottle of champagne in another guest room down the hallway. If he's true to form, he won't grace anyone with his presence until sunset. And I'm sure he'll immediately vacate to his apartment downtown since he knows Irene's staying here."

"He doesn't live here?"

"Of course not. We're not married yet. I'm an old-fashioned girl after all," Reika answered with a smirk.

"Oh. Right. I forgot about that."

Definitely feeling like the clock had turned back years, Reika easily guided the completely pliable Sylia to the room, helped her out of her clothes and tucked her into the bed. Even though it was an old routine when Sylia would overwork herself from late nights of studying or planning, the noticeable difference this time being the lack of any romantic caresses or playfulness which usually led to things other than sleep.

Reika noticed but didn't comment on the bandages wrapped around Sylia's rib cage although she allowed herself a grim frown. She was about to turn off the light on the nightstand when Sylia gently snagged her hand.

"Are you honestly okay with everything that happened tonight?" Sylia asked even though she was clearly fighting the urge to fall asleep.

Reika paused and sighed. She sat down on the edge of the bed as their hands remained firmly locked. "I have so many mixed emotions right now, long before the news of Linna's accident. I admit a part of me wants to strangle you for not giving this up once and for all even though I suppose it couldn't be helped. But I think my relief about Linna overrides everything else I'm feeling right now."

Appearing a bit more awake for the moment, Sylia narrowed her eyes at her and said, "You really care about her, don't you?"

Reika smiled sadly and said, "Well, if I read your expressions correctly, so do you...."

The other woman was quiet for a moment and then returned the sad smile. "She needs someone to take care of her. And apparently neither one of us can be that person."

Though still fully dressed, Reika wearily stretched out on the covers and said towards the ceiling, "You know, there was a time I was incredibly jealous of the fact that you never asked me to become a Knight Saber."

"I had my reasons." Sylia rolled over to snuggle against her, putting her head on the familiar shoulder. She smiled as she felt the slender arm carefully encircle her back. "Knowing what I expected of the team at the time, I didn't think that you had it in you to kill if push came to shove. If you did, I didn't want to be the reason why... And there was the fact that you didn't consider yourself to be much of an athlete. You had no fighting skills. Plus, your fear of heights-"

"I did say it was a momentary jealousy!" Reika growled playfully as she squeezed Sylia's shoulders to shut her up.

Sylia then lifted her head and looked at her seriously before saying, "The biggest reason that I refused to ask you to become a Knight Saber was that if you couldn't bear to see me put myself in danger, did you think I could handle it any better if I did that to you? If that was you where Linna is now, I don't think I could have continued with the Knight Sabers."

"How ironic given that's what I wanted all along," Reika admitted softly as she rubbed Sylia's arm. "How did Linna become a Knight Saber?"

Letting out a yawn and nuzzling the smooth neck before her, a habit from days gone by, Sylia answered, "She came to Tokyo and sought us ought. I had a hunch that she was a perfect addition to the new team. I would have been stupid to turn her away... Not to say that I haven't done stupid things before."

Reika didn't quite know how to respond to that comment. Then she felt the undeniable relaxation in Sylia's body as the other woman drifted to sleep while pressed against her. Aware that she was the woman's pillow, Reika knew that she would wake her up if she tried to move so she could leave. And admittedly, there was a strong part of her that didn't want to go as she felt a certain peace settle over herself as well.

With a small smile, Reika carefully reached over and turned off the lights before allowing herself to drift off into the best sleep she had in years.

-- End Chapter 27 --