Standard Disclaimer

Yeah I know…I've been slacking on this story, but I've been trying to think of how exactly to progress over the next few areas of thought I have. Things are getting complicated and complex and I want to insure not to mess anything up. Hope you enjoy this story and continue to support it

-X-

Anata no Ichiban ni Naritai

Chapter – 16

Merry Christmas

"I have things to do Won-kun, so if you don't get to the point soon I'll have to bid you good day," Inez said dully as she continued to walk towards her room. The time since Omaikane's bout of insanity still fresh on crews mind, nobody was really shocked to learn that a joint military and Nergal inspection crew was soon to be boarding the ship. While much of the ship couldn't care less, the dual Christmas parties playing heavily on their minds, Inez knew things were going to get intense as per Ruri's forewarning.

Smiling smugly, Erina handed the prissy blond scientist a computer log print out. "Something about this doesn't seem to fit Fressange-san." Inez's eyes widened briefly before her mask fell back into place, she knew exactly where Erina was going and Inez didn't like it. Erina's finger tapped the line detailing her point. "What could the resident computer user be doing in your room while we have eyewitnesses claiming she was with Tenkawa-kun on the opposite side of the ship?" A quick check into Seiya's room had given Erina all the data she needed on what the young Hoshino was doing with Akito there, and she didn't care.

Being backed into a corner and having her protégé nearly exposed, Inez had to think quickly. The print out had confirmed one of Inez's fears that Ruri had been logging into Omaikane without telling her, she'd talk to the young woman about that later. But how did Erina happen to be monitoring her computer, why would she, then the reason fell into place. "I assume you have all the proper legal documents for illegally hacking my computer to support these aren't fakes of some sort?"

Erina lost her footing momentarily as Inez hit a delicate point in her offensive. She had no reason or cause to have been monitoring Inez's computer, just Akatsuki's hunch. Rubbing her temples as a pain started to grow fiercely behind her eyes, Erina was just going to lay her cards on the table. "Look I know something is going on with you and that guy you live with. All I want is you to assist me with my research into boson jumping. You do know a lot about it and we can't let the Jovian's keep the technology to themselves."

Inez loved playing with people that weren't really on her level of manipulation. With Erina letting her wants known so quickly gave Inez a lot of maneuvering room. 'So she plans to blackmail me into helping her where I actually want to be there, this could be good.' Narrowing her eyes and drawing her lips into a thin nearly lipless smile, Inez stopped her forward movement. Handing the papers back to the reaching hands of Erina. "And how do you suppose I help you Wong-kun?" Inez noticed the twitch in the young co-helmswoman's eye at being talked down to.

"If the rumors I hear are correct you and Akito Tenkawa are in some sort of relationship," Erina stated bluntly. Erina didn't believe the rumors, not with such a woman as stood before her. The beautiful blond was about as enjoyable to be around as Akatsuki. 'Why would Akito be involved with her unless he's only interested in her body,' what bothered Erina was why she bothered to care at all, why did that boy play on her mind. "We have evidence to support the claim that he jumped from Mars to Earth after it was attacked, we think he'd be a optimum candidate for our live human tests."

Drawing her hand to her chin in mock fear, Inez felt like laughing. The rumor mill, and her own dialogue to Megumi and Yurika, had done a real number of complicating things. "You want me to get Akito-chan," again Inez noticed a twitch in the other woman's eye and put the info into her mind for later analysis, she finished with, "to participate in these tests of yours?" Pulling her hand reluctantly away from her chin as a small fear for the young man's life did enter her mind, Inez wondered briefly if this was something that had happened in Ruri's timeline or not. 'I know he'll survive and…if I can go with him that means I can take Ruri and maybe get her back to her own time!'

"That's all you need to do, and I'll let this little hack job you did go unnoticed by the captain and admiral," Erina said confidently as she thought she perceived things correctly. Her mind came to the conclusion that Inez had hacked into the computer using Ruri's identification, how she didn't know or care about, to find some data or research goals. "And try to make things fast, if the Admiral gets his way I say Akito has only a few moments left aboard the ship." Leaving Inez to get working on her end of the deal, Erina felt confident that soon she'd be able to secure her place as the new head of Nergal, with Akito as her trump card.

-Section Divider-

Smiling happily as she put up her Christmas party fliers, Yurika hummed a song to herself. Eyeing up the poster, Yurika wondered if having Seiya make them was such a good idea, the rather unique portrayal of herself in a Santa suit was bothering her. 'My breasts are larger than that…right?' She wondered briefly before stepping back to insure it was level and secured against the wall. 'I can't wait to get Akito under the mistletoe. He'll kiss me and I'll tell him about his new assignment,' Yurika suppressed the giggle that threatened to break to the surface at the idea of having her own private cook.

Yurika's good mood was damped, as a voice wafted over her shoulder, "Looks slanted to me." It was Hikaru and by the sounds of it, the young pilot was in a playful mood. Being friends with Ryoko, Hikaru's goals were aligned with the green haired tomboy, and that was to keep Yurika away from the first of the two male pilots, Nakushita having now been officially drafted and put into service. "And aren't most people going to Akatsuki's party? Aren't you Ryoko?"

At hearing one of her rival's names, the least threatening in Yurika's opinion, the captain twirled and eyed up the tomboy. "Is that true, you're not going to my party?" All the better in Yurika's opinion, it could be just her, Akito, and that young tech girl Ruri for all she cared. Smiling and waiting for the pilot to respond, Yurika again sized up the competition. 'She's not unattractive, but very callous, unrefined, and unfeminine so I think the only real worry is Inez.'

"Well what's the reason to go to your party?" Ryoko asked not knowing why it mattered which party she went to. She didn't care much for social gatherings and didn't really want to go to either. Wiping her forehead with the towel draped over her shoulder to get the sweat that accrued from her maintenance work, Ryoko felt somewhat nervous under Yurika's gaze. 'Why is she looking at me like that…is she smiling?'

Almost sensing Ryoko backing down from her, Yurika fought hard to keep the grin off of her face. "No real reason, I just wanted to have a nice get together with my crew," spotting the other potential opponent, "Megumi-chan you're going to my party right?" If others had to come, that girl would be under constant surveillance. Megumi looked over from the vending machine where she liberated her can of tea from its small metal mouth.

Opening the can and taking a demure sip, just to taste, Megumi smiled widely at the captain. Megumi's eyes shimmered with dreams of love and merry making of a different sort. "Sorry but no, I intend to spend the whole day with somebody I love," those listening knew exactly of whom Megumi spoke. Hikaru knew that Ryoko and Yurika were vying for Akito's attention, not it seemed a third was there. The geeky pilot didn't want to think poorly of her friend, but unless Akito was into the manlier of women, Ryoko didn't stand much chance on her own. Drinking more heavily of her can, Megumi turned to leave, "Hope it turns out alright for you though captain."

Yurika followed Megumi until she rounded a corner and was lost to the winding corridors of the Nadesico. 'Like hell she will' was Yurika's all consuming thought. The young comm. officer would have another thing coming if she believed Yurika would lose to her. Turning back to the fleeing Ryoko, Yurika heard a few odd words along the lines of 'friends' and 'why can't I?' but didn't understand the full meaning. 'Well I better hurry, have to put the rest of these up before the investigation team gets here,' she thought sadly. Being part of the official army was not what anybody wanted as the ties were much stricter, and soon Yurika's detailed plans would be tattered.

-Section Divider-

Standing before the joint UEAF and Nergal panel was all two-hundred and fourteen crewmembers of the Nadesico. The panel had finished their search and now the results were to be given to the crew. For the most part the panel ranted and complained about how poorly things were run, how if the situation had been normal many of the problems wouldn't have occurred. And they ended by stating the plan to integrate the Nadesico into the Lunar defense unit. On the whole, the crew was relieved to hear the outcome. Most had anticipated being either fired or repositioned elsewhere.

"So we're just going to be common fighters now?" Akito asked incredulously. Having listened to the whole flow of the talks, most of the crew agreed with Akito's stance. They had wanted to defend, not be part of the task force in charge of reclaiming the still conquered portion of the moon. Ryoko, who stood flanking Akito with Nakushita on his left, nodded silently as she too didn't want to fight in pointless battles.

The Admiral's sick smile didn't cheer up his face at all. "No, you will be removed from the piloting roster. We can't allow an amateur to continue piloting an Aestivalis when we have more trained pilots available." As his words sank into the minds of all listening, only a few seemed to care. Sure all those aboard were proud of Akito, but they too had to agree with the Admiral, luck could only take one so far. Yurika felt a mix of happiness and sadness at the words, while Akito wouldn't be risking his life, she knew it meant something to him to protect the ship. Megumi was thrilled to know her hopeful boyfriend was out of harms way, and Ryoko was just plain pissed.

With the Admiral's declaration still echoing in the cramped hall in which the panel had chosen for the full crew debriefing, Akito looked on shocked. "So…I'm just to be a cook again? I'm not a pilot?" He had never wanted to be a pilot, didn't want to have the lives of others depending on him, but knowing now that he was freed of the charge it saddened him. 'I guess I can't help anybody can I Ruri?' He thought sadly, but he could realize his dream though, he could be a cook for the Nadesico.

"The Nadesico has enough cooks, and with your civilian status, you're actually to be removed from the ship," the cold uncaring voice of the Admiral wafted as Akito's replacement stepped past the other Nergal officers and walked over to the unmoving ex-pilot. "You will have to deal with some supervision as you were privy to the secrets of this ship, but I'm sure we can…" the man continued to speak but Akito could no longer hear him. All he knew was he'd lost his home again, once things started to get back to normal he was thrust back into chaos.

Seeing the pain in the man's eyes, the woman sent to replace him felt a twinge of remorse, but it was her job. Saluting the man, "I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances Tenkawa-san," the woman extended her hand. After a few moments of worry that her hand would float their unnoticed, Akito shook out of his near shock and accepted it. "I wish I could have tried your cooking at least once." Her words did nothing to sooth the sudden searing pain in Akito's heart and mind. Nothing did.

Megumi, at seeing the new woman still holding Akito's hand, and knowing now that if she stayed on the Nadesico she would lose Akito jumped forward. Pushing the female away from Akito and taking both of his hands in hers, "Then I'm leaving too…I'll go with you Akito, both of…us?" Megumi looked into Akito's eyes as the man shook his head. The pain in his eyes was so great that Megumi couldn't face him, and turned away to look at the floor.

'I can't drag another into my pitiful life. Ruri was there and look what happened to her, maybe its best this way,' Akito thought as depression started to quickly descend upon him and kill whatever happiness it found. "Megumi-chan, I can't let you do that. You mean to much to me to let you throw your life away to follow me." The woman's arms went slack as Akito spoke, the whole crew was listening and soaking in every possible meaning. "I don't know where I'll be going, living, or what I'll be doing. I can't let you throw away your life for this." Akito looked at Yurika, who for once wasn't upset that another girl was by her Akito, she was to overwhelmed by her own emotions. "Goodbye everybody…it was great knowing all of you."

Running out of the room before his tears broke free and he cried, Akito heard a few of the tech crew he did befriend and Seiya calling out to him to come back, he even thought he heard Ryoko yelling after him, but he couldn't, wouldn't be allowed to stay so why prolong the pain. Through her mask, Ruri, even knowing the parting was to be brief, felt a tear threaten to fall, it was a painful scene to view. Turning to Inez who looked impatient to leave, Ruri nodded and let Inez lead her out of the now deadly quiet room and to the waiting ship that would take her and Inez to Nergal's main R&D division.

-Section Divider-

While the others might not have had the courage to say anything or try to stop him, Yurika was hell pressed to keep Akito on her ship. Latched on to his arm, holding him from moving due to be weighed down with his bike and few belongings, Akito stood still. "Akito, you can't go, you have to say here!" Yurika pleaded her heart out. She could see him in pain, wanted it to leave, and wanted him to stay for her sake as well as his own.

Akito cared for Yurika, that much he knew for sure, but didn't want her to make things more painful than they had to be. "Yurika, they said I had to leave. I'm not officially in the military and even if I did join I doubt they put me on the Nadesico. Not after everything they said during the panel." Akito was the glorified scapegoat for much of Nergal's woes. He was blamed for the botched 'Walking Stick' mission, part of Omaikane's breakdown, and the worst part Gai's death. "I have to go."

Unrelenting, Yurika pulled harder on Akito's arm drawing him away from his bike and closer to her body. "But Akito! You can't leave ME!" Yurika wailed finally. Did he still not know how much he meant to her? Could he have any doubt that he was her dearest? If he did she would have to tell him pointblank. "I love you Akito, don't leave me!"

The tears streaming down Yurika's face glistened in the artificial light of the hallway. Their steady plink as they hit the floor was almost as deafening as the weak sniffles that emanated deeply in Yurika's chest. Akito looked at her vacantly, to much had happened to quickly for his mind to accept everything. He never wanted to hurt Yurika in anyway, his old friendship with her coupled with her usual pleasant demeanor caused his reluctance to open to others to falter and she snuck in and latched onto his heart. Akito wanted to think Yurika's comments about her feelings were just jokes, that she really didn't care about him that way. If she didn't really love him, it was ok for him not to love her. But now, now what would he do? Kissing Yurika softly on the cheek, "I have to go…but I'll be here when you get back you know?"

Trying to staunch the flow of tears from her eyes, Yurika couldn't believe her ears. 'He'll wait for me? He…he's going to wait…for me…he loves me?' She wanted so desperately to believe it, to make it true, and have no doubts. A way existed but it would be to forward for either of them, and being married away from him wouldn't do much to please her either. Nodding as the look of grim certainty was again back on Akito's face, "I'll…" Yurika's voice hitched in her throat as the words jumbled to come out. "I'll wait for you forever Akito." Leaning forward and kissing his lips softly, Yurika wanted to memorize the feel and taste of him. 'If he didn't have to leave now…we'd make a memory worth keeping us both waiting…'

But a padre of Nergal security officers was soon to gather up the ex-pilot and throw him onto a waiting ship to take him off the ship and back to land where he would have a life nobody could think of. A life with no real happiness save the idea that somebody cared about him, and in Akito's mind Yurika would find somebody better as he doubted he'd be alive long enough to welcome her back.

-Section Divider-

'So that was her plan' Ruri thought as Inez poured over research data. Being in Akito's position in regards to being a civilian, Ruri had no place to go other than with Inez. Seated in the Nergal appointed living quarters, the computer tech turned time traveler could only marvel at how flawlessly Inez had manipulated both sides to her favor. The pale while light of the florescent bulbs reflected off the metallic walls in the room and unto the two small beds provided for the two to sleep on. "So when were you going to tell me about your master plan?"

Inez made a small grunt noise that Ruri had grown to learn meant 'in a minute.' Sighing and rolling her eyes, Ruri made her way over to Inez's small wooden desk and looked at the paperwork that had the scientists rapt attention. Boson jumping theories and applied logic mostly. Most of which Ruri knew Inez had worked on prior to Mar's occupation. Sliding the last few files back into the manila envelope, Inez brushed her hair that had fallen into her face back. "Now what were you saying Ruri?"

"For me, the plan for me. You're planning to get me into one of those tests and send me back to my time aren't you." Ruri stated plainly but the accusation was evident by her contorted face. Just where in time was Inez planning to send her? Her age now was much more advanced than it had been when she first jumped. Would it be good to send her there? Maybe to the place in time to match her actual age? What difference would it make if the timeline deemed her to not exist. "I don't know what happened to Akito after he and Megumi left the ship, all I know is that Megumi came back alone and Akito jumped to the moon two weeks prior."

A cold chill went down Inez's spine. "Did you say Akito AND Megumi left the ship together?" Ruri nodded and Inez pulled out the photos Erina had given her of a clearly alone Akito Tenkawa walking the streets with his bike. "Looks like times have changed, Ruri-chan. He's in the city alone and that means things aren't as you remember." Reaching for an orange, she didn't know why but Inez just couldn't get enough oranges for some reason, the blonde took a deep bite into the fruit. "Guess that'll make things easier for Erina."

"That's all well can good, but can you tell me what you have planned for ME!" Ruri finally lost her patience with Inez's skirting the issue of what Ruri had deemed the bad plan to send her back into the future. "If you've forgotten the future I knew of is most likely gone. So I can't 'go back' to it as it were." Inez's calm face met Ruri's scowling one, Inez had only Ruri's interests in mind. The longer the girl stayed in the current time period the more likely she could affect things. If she did leave, Ruri wouldn't be able to affect things more than she already had. But the look on the pale girl's face told Inez that the conversation was just starting.

-Section Divider-

"Get in Tenkawa-kun, I need to have a little chat with you," Erina said as she pulled along side the walking form of Akito in her Nergal issued car. With the man's ties to the Nadesico severed she could use him as a guinea pig and if he died nobody would notice or care. Seeing Akito still loaded with is belongings, "You can throw that in the trunk if you're worried about it." Erina gave the man her best smile, she had to gain his trust to get him to come alone, but in his current state Akito didn't needed much to motivate him to help anybody.

Putting his bags in the trunk once Erina opened it, Akito slid his bike into the back seat and climbed into the passenger side. "What do you need me for Erina-san, I'm not a pilot or anything anymore." It was amazing how quickly the depression had hit him. Two days after he had been discharged from the Nadesico and he was still homeless and looking for ways to end his internal ranting about how he failed. "I really can't do much."

A sudden flush spreading across Erina's face, she knew of an easy way to get Akito to do whatever she wanted. Taking the car out of idle and heading back towards the research building, Erina's right hand found it's way to Akito's hip. "Things have been hard on you haven't they Tenkawa-kun. But I know of something only you can do, and if you help me…" she gave his hip a small squeeze, "I'll help you forget about things. Fair deal?" Erina's heart started pounding in her chest; it was just a ploy to get him to work for her, which was all right? She had been forced to do far worse than sleep with a man too not only keep her position but to advance it. So why was she feeling so…so nervous?

Blushing softly and forcing Erina's hand off his leg, Akito kept his eyes forward. "What do you need me to do for you?" Akito didn't get the full meaning of Erina's offer, but all he knew was if it gave him some shelter he would at least consider it. Sleeping on a park bench was the last experience he wanted to repeat. Erina said she'd tell him all about it once they arrived at the research station. After that the two lapsed into silence, for Akito it was welcomed, but Erina felt herself wanting to know more about this man. He had almost completely brushed off her offer, unlike her old bosses that had made it clear that she was required to.

The small white car with the Nergal emblem on its hood eventually found its way to the parking deck, and Erina walked Akito to the viewing podium for the life subject boson jump testing. Informing Akito about the CC's and what she wanted him to do, be a human subject in the tests, all seemed to be going well for the aggressive Miss Won, that is until Inez showed up and the last human test's Aestivalis crashed in a heap beside the tulip. That was when Akito left, walking away down the street, he was depress yes, but not suicidal.

Inez laughed softly, "So that was your plan was it? Seduce him into killing himself?" Inez doubted that Akito would have died during the test, in reality Inez was very sure that had Akito stayed much would have been learned. But for now, Inez wouldn't betray her future knowledge. "I guess you can't force men to do your bidding can you, he's walking away from you and Nergal forever it seems."

Yes she had lost her first chance at getting Akito to be involved in the tests, but Erina knew something that Inez didn't. "He'll be back. He's lost and has nothing and nobody to support him. I give him another night on the street and he'll be back." He was a failure, and looser that had a lucky break that's all. Erina's brain tried again and again to reinforce the idea that she didn't care at all about the man, but Inez saw it despite how hard the Chinese woman tried to hide it.

"So will he be in your bed as well, is it all apart of the deal you made him?" Inez didn't hold any ill will for Erina for using such methods; it was actually common in the business world even if it was distasteful. What Inez felt was pity for the woman, forced to do things that many before her had to endure to keep afloat in a mans' world. What had kept the words of distaste from coming from Inez's mouth was the way Erina looked at Akito as he left, she had some feelings for him. Maybe it was infatuation or maybe sympathy, either way Inez choked back on her more biting comments and left the woman to her thoughts, Inez had many of her own and much to inform Ruri off.

-Section Divider-

Ryoko swore heavily as the newbie's Aestivalis vanished alongside the new Jovian assault unit only to return crushed. "How are we supposed to fight these things?" She asked anybody listening that had a good idea. Izumi wasn't much help, still wearing her ghost outfit from the party, and Hikari was trying her best not to be shot from behind. Akatsuki however did have a solid plan, he had marked out the jumping pattern of the two units and informed the others of it.

Listening to Akatsuki's newfound knowledge, Ryoko fired a salvo of heavy arms into the air hoping the menace would teleport into it. "If you're wrong I'm about to become a mass murderer!" Ryoko threatened as her weapon ran out of rounds. A moment of panic filled her body as looked at fire trail her explosive charges were making as they headed towards the building. Then exploded prematurely as the enemy unit did appear as planned, sending the unit to the ground, where it initiated its kamikazi program unknown to the human pilots. "Alright now get the other one!" Ryoko ordered her surviving lance-mates, as she was incapable of delivering any further damage.

"I'm on it!" Hikaru cheered and fired much like Ryoko did into the open air, her timing was slightly off however. The round went wild as the jump field warped the air currents and sent Hikaru's missiles skyward. Izumi however had anticipated that and fired at the legs, so as her volley inclined it struck the enemy in the chest and the lumbering behemoth went silent. "Way to go Izumi! Mine had a mind of their own!"

Izumi's joke however was lost in a bevy of emergency klaxons and messages that the thought destroyed first unit was about to explode and take out the entire city. Akatsuki, as well as the surviving female pilots, turned their eyes towards the growing mass of energy as it walked towards the Nergal research station. They knew they'd not make it in time, but they had to try, that was when Ryoko noticed movement on the top of the nearly destroyed building. "Is that…"

"It's Tenkawa and the new old ex-pilot!" Hikaru exclaimed as her own visual's picked up the movement. Akito was running towards the mecha with a box in his hand, and Nakushita was right behind him. "What are they planning to do throw a bomb at it?" Hikaru asked as Ryoko's horrified face filled her other comm. channel. They all watched silently as Akito threw the box he had in his hands at the oncoming death only to see it open and spill hundreds of small blue stones.

Faintly the Aestivalis and Megumi on comm. picked up Akito's cry, "This is something only I can do!" Then the man screamed aloud while his body appeared to fill with light. Lines of bright light crisscrossed Akito's body, and Ruri's but her suit masked them, as the boson tunnel opened above them all. Ryoko flew as fast as she could towards them, seeing Akito and the other man's body being lifted towards the gaping maw that had just appeared. The distortion field of the opposing mecha kept her from reaching them in time, and they were all swallowed. Over the comm. station everybody heard Yurika's tortured screams.

-Section Divider-

Akito's body felt like an amalgam of pain as his senses came back to him. He had no idea of where he was or why he was still alive, all he knew for a fact was that Nakushita had rushed after him, and a steady pounding in his head. "Nakushita…you here…you ok?" Akito asked weakly as he fumbled to his feat, the Jovian mecha nowhere to be seen. Looking around wearily Akito's heart chilled as he saw a young woman swinging a large metal pipe at Nakushita.

"You're a Jovian spy!" the woman yelled as she launched weak attack after weak attack at the barely conscious form before her. The girl had not seen Akito and had taken the odd appearance of Ruri's suit to be some sort of respirator, funny how it was claimed to be that allowed the Jovian lizards to breath human air. "I won't let you kill my family!" the girl cried again and made a wide arc swing that connected against the brim of the facemask. Akito watched in fear as the mask splintered into thousands of tiny plastic shards cascading around the them.

Rushing the girl and scaring her off with his sudden assault upon her, she hadn't know the evil Jovian had an accomplice and was off to get the military. Akito hurried back to the prone body of Nakushita, painfully aware of the crunching plastic under his feat as he made every step. "Naku…Nakushita are you…alright?" How could he be, he can't breath, he died saving you! Akito's mind yelled at him, but as he drew near, as he saw what lay behind the mask. Akito's mind came to a sudden and screeching halt. "Ruri!"

A small line of blood trickled down her nose from a sloppy blow to her helmet, Ruri stared upward as she tried to catch her breath. Her eyes, upon hearing her name moved to see the source of the call. She hadn't seen Akito when she landed and had for a moment panicked and thought of any number of possible places she could have landed, then she was attacked now…now as the adrenaline left her body and Akito rushed to her side, calling her name, her real name, Ruri sat up and wrapped her arms around Akito tightly. Of all the things she wanted to say, all the words of love and sorrow for leading him to believe she had died, all she could say was, "sorry."

-End of Chapter-

Yes Akito and Ruri have officially met again and on the moon of all places. Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I hope you continue to support this story. I'll try to keep updates at a steady processing but with my other stories…its hard to keep on one for to long

Oh and…no pre-reader was available for this chapter so forgive my poor grammar

Ja Mata

Zentrodie