itStandard Disclaimer

Well I'm back but now I have a job, now don't get to happy for me because its not 'the job' but at least now I don't have to worry about starving to death. But having a full time job also means that I don't have all the time I want to write anymore so we'll have to all take this change in writing in stride.

Well I've prattled on long enough lets get to the chapter shall we?

-Section divider-

Anata no Ichiban ni Naritai

Chapter 14 The More Things Change

Yurika wasn't in an overall happy mood as time passed. Ever since the Nadesico returned to Earth it had been one joke after another. But it wasn't the crew of the ship laughing, it was Nergal and the U.F. 'I can't believe they had us risk our lives to save a damn polar bear!' Yurika thought with irritation as her footfalls echoed along the long corridors of the Nadesico's hallways.

The young captain also didn't like her own actions during the polar rescue mission. 'Why isn't Nakushita ready yet! If he was then I wouldn't have panicked and put Akito more at risk.' Rounding the corner and seeing her destination, Akito's room, memories of Akito's sudden disappearance and potential demise filtered across her minds eye. She has been worried for him, she had acted to protect him without thinking, and it put all of them in danger.

'My feelings for him are causing us all trouble, and its not helping me that Megumi still won't give up,' Yurika's eyes narrowed at the thought of the young bridge maiden. Pulling out her master key, Yurika had hoped that by now she wouldn't need to visit Akito at his room, but rather go back to her own and have him waiting for her. 'But she's still trying and with Akito's poor heart what it is, he's afraid of hurting us.' At least that problem on the beach had been rather humorous in Yurika's opinion.

"That girl had no idea what we were capable of once we saw her clutching Akito like that," Yurika mussed to herself as the memory of 'Aqua' replayed itself as the door to the reclusive Aestivalis pilot's room opened. Diving over the shattered awning and wrestling Akito out of that 'crazy woman's', as Akito had said it, grip as Ryoko hovered over all of them pointing her Aesti's gun at Aqua in a sure show of overkill. Chuckling, "She didn't know what she was getting into at all."

But Yurika had to take all the good and bad in stride, she was making progress with Akito regardless of the botched missions and the occasional rival. Finding the common sight of Gekiganger playing on Akito's wall, Yurika smiled her best real smile and rounded the small hallway to see Akito deep in his viewing of the show, so deep that he didn't notice her arriving.

A small but wicked grin grossed her lips as the captain stole quietly across the darkened room to Akito's side. Kneeling down next to him, she blew softly into his right ear and watched in joyful musing as he panicked and flung himself at his wall. "What the hell! Yurika?" Akito all but shrieked as he saw the glowing face of his captain at his side.

How he panicked at such small things, how he'd get agitated when he couldn't help or understand, and just all the good and bad about him, Yurika loved all of it. Her smile never left her face as she saw the man panting and looking at her with a combination of agitation and admiration. 'He's slowly starting to come around. Soon he'll move on from his lost love and reciprocate mine.'

And that was true, as more time passed aboard the Nadesico Akito was slowly warming up to Yurika. He loved Ruri and even though he thought he dead, he didn't want to betray her. But with Yurika's constant showering of affection on him, and added to his heavy burden of piloting and grief, his resolve was fading. 'I know I shouldn't even think about a relationship with anybody right now, and it feels wrong to do so even knowing she's gone. But would she want me to live alone forever? I can't keep shutting people out. I've tried that and it doesn't work.'

Letting his earlier anger fade as it always does when Yurika was involved Akito filled Yurika in on what had happened during the episode and the two watched the rest in silence. If it meant being with her dearest, Yurika would have put up with far more than an anime that was really starting to grow on her.

-Section Divider-

After Yurika left his room for her shift, Akito threw on his piloting gear. Heading to the simulators, the man allowed himself a small smile. 'Well I did tell Akatsuki I'd have a spare with him, but I want to freshen up a bit first.' Waving at Nakushita as the man walked over to his own pod, "You don't mind helping me do you? I mean if you had other plans…"

While it wasn't confirmed, speculation on the Nadesico placed Nakushita and Inez as a couple. They lived together on Mars, were almost constantly together, and well nobody else besides Akito talked to the man besides Inez. 'I'd hate to drag him away from Inez if they had plans or something.'

Ruri wished Akito could see the blissful look on her face whenever the two of them could spend some time together. "Nothing planned that can't be done later. Now don't expect me to go easy on you, he won't." It was almost comical to Ruri at this point how Akito still doubted his abilities. 'His main problem is he follows the standard rules so much where Akatsuki is more likely to bend them to suit his needs.'

Launching the simulation program, both combatants mentally prepared themselves for battle, all while Yurika watched and evaluated Nakushita's performance from the bridge. In Nakushita, Akito found a kindred spirit again. To Akito, Nakushita lost something valuable to him as well, and Akito just felt really comfortable around him. Dodging the virtual bullets, Akito hadn't felt this relaxed and happy since he was forced to leave his small domicile on Mars.

Watching in glee, Yurika saw Nakushita score the finishing blow on Akito ending the match and signaling to the captain that Akito's replacement was far more ready than she was lead to believe. Opening his cockpit, Akito gave the thumbs-up to the victor. "You really got me there. But when was using the rifle as a club a standard move?"

Letting the fear that she had flow into the back of her mind, Ruri just waved off Akito's subtle manner of asking if she cheated. "We didn't say it wasn't allowed so I used it as my advantage. Should have said something if you didn't want melee weapons." While her tone had been playful, the voice distortion mechanism stole the emotion from her words. Over and over again Ruri questioned herself about the repercussions of telling Akito, and just Akito, who she really was. 'If we kept it secret, something about a conspiracy and…' it always ended with her being exposed and the time-line destroying her.

"Ok then, if melee is allowed I demand a rematch Naka! This time I'll be the victor." Pulling his capsule closed again and rebooting the simulation, Akito felt great. But in the deeper recesses of his mind, he couldn't stop thinking about what had happened only hours ago. Had he betrayed Ruri in his relation with Yurika, was it right for him to move on? His mind puzzling the rightness of his actions, his opponent quickly beat him. "Oh man."

This time fully getting out of her simulator, Ruri walked the few feet over to Akito's and freed the man from his mock prison. "What happened, you went down a lot faster than normal." It wasn't uncommon for Akito and 'Nakushita' to talk about their problems with one another. Ruri masking her problems with metaphor and riddles that Akito didn't notice, while Akito's problems where plain and clear.

Checking watch to insure he wouldn't be late for his duties in the mess hall, "Do you have a few minutes? I have something that's really bothering me." Akito couldn't even make eye contact with his compatriot's facemask. It shamed him to place all his burdens and worries on Nakushita, but on the ship of fools, Akito had no other to converse openly after Guy's death. 'If I talk to Yurika or Megumi they'll turn it into something its not, and I don't know anybody else that well that could help.' He didn't count out his lance-mates, but he didn't want to worry them about his emotional state as they depended on him as he them.

Knowing that the mock-battles were over for the day, Ruri shut the machines down and soon the two were seated next to one another. "Inez doesn't need me for a while, so what's on your mind?" Looking in Akito's eyes, Ruri felt lost. It hurt to lie to him, it hurt to not be there for him, it just plain hurt being on the Nadesico. 'Maybe it would have been better if I had died on Mars,' she thought bitterly.

A weak grin on his face, Akito hunched over and looked blankly ahead of him. "How long do you think should somebody hold on to the memory of a loved on before moving on?" With Nakushita, Akito knew better than to mince words that he had to just say what he meant. 'He's a lot like Ruri in away,' he thought with a mix of happiness and regret.

The moment the words registered in her mind, Ruri's body first reaction was the sudden intake of air that held in her chest as her heart thundered. 'He's still holding the torch for me. He hasn't moved on already! And he's asking me…ME if he should forget about me.' The irony was lost in a sea of sadness and pain. "Are you talking about the girl you knew on Mars?" Ruri needed time to think and hoped Akito would spend time for her.

With a few shallow nods of his head, Akito spoke much to Ruri's behest. "I won't lie about how I felt about her. I loved her and I think she might have loved me. Had things been different I could have seen the two of us married on Mars, well I can dream that if things were different it would have happened that way." While time had done its magic on Akito's recollection of things, and widened his perceptions on how the two really were. With time to pine over his memories, Akito saw the signs that Ruri shared his feelings, but it was to late now.

With another blow to her heart, Ruri put her hand supporting on Akito's shoulder. If she was offering or seeking support is debatable. The crisp yet gruff artificial voice from her mask responded, "But now you think its time to give up on that dream. You're afraid of how she would feel if she knew about this. If she'd be upset?" The words came out of her mouth but she didn't quite understand them.

Again Akito's head bobbed in agreement. "I know she wouldn't want me to seclude myself from humanity or anything, but I don't know if its right for me to just…give up." While the words didn't rationally equate to the truth of the matter, but for the two's sake they worked just fine.

She knew it was a lie, but she couldn't help herself for being selfish. "If you don't feel ready then don't do anything. I'm sure if anybody has feelings for you they'd wait for you to be ready." Hell Ruri knew from experience that if she were in Yurika's shoes she'd have made a play already, but that was because she knew what life with Akito was like. 'I can't hand him to somebody else when I'm still here,' Ruri's thoughts full of confidence. She wouldn't prevent Akito from acting, but she wasn't going to give him gift wrapped to either Megumi or Yurika.

Hearing the soft beep from his watch, Akito stood on aching legs and offered Nakushita a hand up. "Thanks, I think I'll wait a little longer than. It just seems to soon still," almost adding that he knew Yurika would understand Akito stopped himself. 'Where did that come from! I…I like Yurika as a friend yes, but…' He couldn't refute himself. Akito was slowly being won over by Yurika's infallible kindness and positivist. "I have to get to the mess hall, thanks again." Nakushita just waved as the shaggy brown haired man ran off to his station.

-Section Divider-

More than one romance was currently on the rocks on the Nadesico, Minato and Goat who quickly found each other an item, were having troubles. Valuing her independence over all else, Minato wasn't happy to hear the subtle hints Goat kept dropping about her potentially leaving the ship. 'I'm not some prize for him to show his friends and polish at night,' Minato thought hotly as she walked to her console and sat heavily in her chair. 'Just because we're back on Earth doesn't mean he can just drop me off.'

"Problems Minato?" Megumi asked her fellow helmswoman. Seeing the slightly older woman as a mentor and confidant, Megumi was startled to see Minato anything but calm and collected. Checking the captain's position and finding Erina there and not Yurika, who had ran off suddenly not five minutes prior, Megumi moved over towards her friend for a more private conversation.

Her lip curled up in a snarl, Minato grunted, "A stupid man is the problem." She was shocked to find herself in the relationship in the beginning. Minato had her reservations about military men and their practices, but she found Goat had a very caring side as well, or so she thought. Turning away from her helm controls, as the ship was currently hovering around Japan, to face her friend. "I don't really want to talk about it right now, but how about you. Any progress?"

"If you're asking if my cooking has improved, sorry I've ruined at least five pans by now," Megumi admitted. Trying to win Akito's heart with food had been a disaster, and Megumi vowed that when they got together she'd leave the cooking to him. "On a lighter note, we did share a very nice time in the rec-room the other day." Suppressing a giggle and fighting the urge to blush, Megumi remembered the encounter in total.

Now Minato was sharing the younger girl's smile. 'She seems innocent at times, but when she wants to be that girl is down right vicious!' Leaning back in her chair and letting the stories of the other girl take her trouble away, "So did he play the 'sempai' again?" Minato couldn't get over the recount of Megumi and Akito's first visit to the rec-room together. 'She doesn't pull any punches.'

"Not this time. This time I went a different route. You know how in the old shows a girl would say if she beat a record or something her coach had to kiss her?" Megumi's time as a voice actress and her knowledge of Akito's favoring of anime was the guiding path for her choices in simulations.

Laughing softly, Minato could see it clearly in her mind. Megumi in a very short track outfit or maybe a swimsuit looking at Akito pleadingly as she asked, 'if I beat two minutes you have to reward me with a kiss.' She wasn't far from the truth either, and for what it was worth, it was a swimsuit. "So how did it end up? Did our little track star get her wish?"

A momentary frown crossed Megumi's face. "Well I hadn't counted on not beating the record. It was funny to see his face though when I finished. He looked like he didn't know what to say." The memory brought a few chuckles out her own mouth. "He looked like he had done something wrong."

"So I guess you didn't get your reward now did you, it's a shame." Minato meant it too. She hoped that Megumi won her battle for the heart of the pilot. She liked Megumi and saw Akito as a good match for her. 'She's better suited for him than the captain or that tomboy pilot that's showing more than a casual interest in him,' Minato thought reflexively.

This is when the blush on Megumi's face darkened from light pink to a dark crimson. "Well actually he did kiss me," noticing how Minato's jaw dropped ever so slightly Megumi realized she withheld some information. "On the cheek, he said it was for trying my best."

"A kiss is a kiss, and if I were you I'd take a lunch break early and see what he's up to, unless you want the captain to do it before you," Minato said softly with a Cheshire grin. With a fierce nod, Megumi ran off to the mess hall. With the girl gone, Minato thought heavily on the subject. 'He seems to be a nice guy after all. I wonder if he's gotten over whatever Megumi said happened to him. Oh well I'm sure Megumi will find out.' Any further thought on the matter ended as Goat entered the bridge with as close to an apologetic look as he ever got on his face. "You big dumb lummox, get over here," Minato said with a small shine in her eyes.

Erina just watched it all and gathered the information. She needed to know what was going on and how to manipulate the crew for her best interests. Over hearing the talk about Megumi and Akito, Erina was plagued with one thought, 'Why are so many people so interested in him?' Sure Erina has her interests in Akito, but those were work related, mostly.

-Section Divider-

Lying face down on her bed, Ruri felt very irritable. Life just had to keep on picking on her for no foreseeable reason. 'I grow up as an experiment, get sold as a piece of equipment, get a big crush on Akito as a child, go back in time, and now…now I'm giving love advice to the man I love because he thinks I'm dead.' The pillow didn't offer her anything but a soft surface to smother her face with.

Walking into the shared room and finding Ruri in a unique position, Inez couldn't help herself. "If you're that hungry I could get you something, but please Ruri don't eat the bedding." Stifling a laugh when Ruri's body went ridged, Inez set her paperwork on her impromptu desk. Her hand swiveled the chair around and she sank into the plush cushion. "So what's wrong this time, Akito finally beat you?"

Rolling over onto her back, Ruri tried her best to fire lazars out of her eyes and incinerate Inez. When that failed, "No, he asked me when I thought it was time to move on from a relationship." Inez was correct when she thought she heard sadness in Ruri's words. Ruri's time on the Nadesico hadn't done much to help her social skills, in fact they had degraded a trifle.

Sensing the uncharted waters of the whole Akito conundrum, Inez dropped her jokes and became serious. Ever since the Chulip incident Inez had noticed a change in Ruri's actions. 'She's more confused and worried now because things are changing. I don't blame her I'd be the same way if I were her.' Handing the prone girl the folder she had, Inez tried her best to calm her ward. "So far nobody has noticed you or the fact that you were with us back then. Those records were only accessed once, but whoever it was hasn't done anything against you so I'm sure it was just some nosy person wondering if Akito and the captain really did do something."

Ruri's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "Or if you and he did something. I've heard a lot of rumors from the other guys aboard that they think you and he have something going on on the side." Which was another reality that the gossip mill aboard the Nadesico created, it didn't help that the men saw Ruri as a guy as well. Inez's attempts to learn about the strange connection she felt to Akito, which she credited to Ruri, resulted in her spending a little more time with the man than she realized.

Watching the cerulean blue haired girl pour over a few weeks worth of documents pertaining to the investigation into the Boson jump, Inez was puzzled by her response. "There are rumors about Akito and me? Why would they think that?" Sure Inez felt grateful for him piloting, but she also felt grateful to Ryoko, Izumi, and Hikaru but she wasn't considering dating any of them. Tapping her pen to her chin Inez waited for Ruri to respond. 'Hope she doesn't think I'm out to get him, I'm not…I don't think.'

With her conscious finally sated, Ruri closed the folder and placed it on the nightstand next to her bed. "Its just a rumor about you two. Basically the guys are saying that since you only talk to him and not them that either you like him, you're a lesbian, or…" Ruri finished by muttering a few words to fast and soft for the scientist to hear.

"What was that Ruri you'll have to speak standard Japanese or I won't be able to understand you," Inez replied with a tint of humor. If Ruri was so candid about the rumors then in Inez's opinion she didn't believe them. 'I don't think I've been behaving any more favorable to Akito than the others on the ship.' But for some reason whenever Inez thought of Akito the smell of oranges filled her senses and she didn't know why.

"I said the other rumor is that you and I are an item," rolling her eyes Ruri prayed Inez let that one slide by without further inquiry. 'But this is Inez and she has to know everything and Kami-sama help us if something needs explaining,' Ruri thought about her friend. Ruri trusted Inez to the ends of the Earth, but at times the scientists need for knowledge drove Ruri insane.

Unfortunately for the younger woman, Inez wanted a full explanation. And after Ruri finished, Inez could only say, "Well I'm sorry to break up that rumor, but I'm not a lesbian so that means you'll have to get your fix elsewhere." Ruri just sighed and hated how Inez unleashed all of her jokes and odd humor on her. 'Inez has such a sick sense of humor that most people don't even realize its all a big joke to her sometimes.'

-Section Divider-

"So what do you want to eat today?" Akito asked with a smile. While he was a pilot by necessity, he was a cook by choice. Yurika made it clear a long time ago that since he was a pilot Akito had no need to pull his weight in any other manner aboard the Nadesico.

Not really hungry Megumi asked for a salad, she was only at the mess hall to see Akito anyway. "Do you have some time to talk Akito?" While it was just prior to the lunch rush, Megumi did have some hope to talk to the man. 'But what do we talk about? I was so wrapped up in getting her before Yurika that I didn't think about that.'

After a quick look at Houmei, who gave a nod and a knowing smile, Akito handed Megumi her order and walked around from behind the counter and joined the woman at the adjoining tables. "Something on your mind?" Akito asked. While the girls came to eat at the mess, it wasn't often that they asked to talk to him. He was working after all, and they respected that.

Avoiding Akito's gaze, Megumi picked at her meal. "Akito, I know you don't like talking about it, but how are you doing? Feeling any better?" The hesitation in Megumi's voice was largely due to the eminence size of the problem she was talking about. It was almost an unwritten rule not to discuss Akito's past love on Mars, as it would always drop his spirits.

'So she's wondering if 'I'm ready' yet,' Akito thought sickly. Yes he liked Megumi and Yurika, but the constant pressure was at times irritating. He hated dragging the girls along, but he couldn't just turn off his feelings for Ruri like a light switch, no those feelings ran to deep for that. But he answered truthfully, "Its getting better. I'm doing better."

Dazzling the cook with a radiant grin, Megumi finally looked him in the eye. "I'm glad to hear that Akito. I get really worried about you. You seldom talk about how you're feeling." With renewed hunger Megumi started to devour her dressing soaked lettuce. If Akito was getting better that meant he'd be more responsive to her and eventually she'd be there to help him move on.

Doing his best to avoid further talks about his past, Akito steered the remaining conversation. The two talked about how the bridge was handling Erina being added to the command staff. Megumi asked how Nakushita was doing in his piloting, she too was hoping Akito wouldn't have to risk his life anymore. All in all the two shared a pleasant conversation, which left Akito more perplexed on his upcoming actions than before. 'Both of them are great girls and they're showing me such kindness and patience. I need to do something soon because its just wrong of me to keep this going on between them.

As the salad bowl emptied, Megumi thanked Akito for spending the time with her and, had she been closer to him, would have given him a peck on the cheek as she left. Watching the girl leave with a noticeable spring in her step, Akito just shook his head, 'some people are really easy to please.' Returning to his post Houmei laughed at how indecisive he was acting and told him to act before those girls realized he wasn't the only man out there. Almost to prove her point, Nagare entered the mess and kindly reminded Akito that they had a dual scheduled.

-Section Divider-

While the two men suited up for mock battle, another battle was about to take place. A battle of wills between the two co-captains of the Nadesico. Erina was quickly running out of leads to the identity of the fourth jumper and was now simply going to the source of the whole mess. "Captain, I need to speak with you about something," Erina cornered the Captain as she was about to leave the helm to watch Akito and Akatsuki's battle in person.

"Can it wait, I'm a little busy right now," Yurika whined to the other woman. Yurika knew that Erina didn't take her seriously, and that was what gave her the advantage. By playing into Erina's beliefs about her, Yurika could fool the other woman at every turn. 'She hates it when I talk like that, drives her up the wall,' the blue haired captain thought joyfully.

Handing Yurika a photo generated from the captured video feed, "Captain have you seen this person aboard you ship? No matches are found in the ships databanks so we might have a saboteur aboard, this is very serious!" Never one to let a probably lie go when it could be useful, Erina opted to coin the unknown jumper a threat, it could very well be for as much as she knew.

With her crewmembers at risk, Yurika gave the photo a serious look over. She might have had Akito on the brain but she wasn't going to risk the lives of everyone for her own benefit willfully. Something about the hair seemed familiar to Yurika but she couldn't place it. "Its obviously a female based on the body positioning and from the shadows," Yurika said softly to herself.

Taken back by how quickly Yurika had deduced something that had taken her over a week to discern, Erina had to admit the captain wasn't as dumb as she originally thought. "Do you recognize her then? Tenkawa wasn't originally a member of the crew, its it possible that she was added without your knowledge as well?" While the tone was civil, the body language Yurika felt reverberating from Erina was anything but.

Folding the photo and sliding it into a fold in her uniform, Yurika stopped playing nice. "Erina, are you trying to say I don't keep accurate records of my crew?" The new woman was obviously a threat to the independence of the Nadesico in Yurika's eyes. They forced her in here to put a collar around our necks and keep us in line. 'Well I won't stand to be a dog of the military, I didn't accept this command with that intention.'

"I'm simply saying that maybe," Erina drawled out the last word to add to her insinuation, "that something might have slipped…your mind." A small smirk formed above Erina's left eye as she bore down on the captain. "With all your flirtations with your crew you might have missed or forgotten something," she finished by putting her exposed palms up to her chest in mock sincerity.

The personal attack was responded with a smile, "well I believe its best to be friendly with the crew instead of watching them from the shadows and finding ways of blackmailing them into working for me. Or maybe you want some of them to work…under you?" It was a cheap shot, but Yurika wasn't in a very polite mood when it came to dealing with the would be usurper.

'She knew I was watching her crew?' It took all of Erina's discipline to keep the shock from showing on her face at the comment. "I don't know what your talking about captain, I would never stoop so low as to act like that." With her ploy in jeopardy Erina deemed it time to make a swift retreat less she become fully exposed, but not without a final remark made only to offend. "Maybe I'll go talk to Tenkawa about this woman, he always does like it when I visit him, such a nice boy he is." It was a bold face lie as Erina only talked to Akito twice, and once was on the beach where she made a fool of herself, but to her knowledge Yurika didn't know that.

Following the form of Erina walking around the corner quickly, Yurika's scowl deepened. 'Now what did she mean by that? She hasn't been with him from all that I know…' Her eyes turned towards her destination but she couldn't move, 'what if that's the reason he isn't opening up to me, it doesn't seem right though.'

Before Yurika could head to the simulator where, based on Nakushita's prior help, Akito was soundly bashing Akatsuki into the ground repeatedly, she got a call from Ruri on the bridge. "Captain, we just received a transmission from the U.F. we've been drafted to take out a new Jovian weapon designated the 'Walking Stick'

"Damn it! Why now!" Yurika yelled in frustration as she headed back to the bridge for further details about whatever this 'Walking Stick' thing. Inez was there to give her a full explanation about the new mecha, not that Yurika really wanted to know, but Inez was lost in her own world of technical jargon.

-End of Chapter-

Author notes

Well I jumped ahead a few episodes in the Nadesico time-line but I really didn't think the events had any real bearing on what I'm writing about. I hope you guys still like this and realize that soon things in this story are on their way of changing.

Just to let you know…its hard as hell to add new things to a story without changing the basic premise…obeying the laws of time are a real bitch he he he. Well again I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will continue to support the story.

Ja mata

Zentrodie (zentrodie-at-secondimpact-dot-com)