The Greyest of Blue Skies

By Night Imp

Rating: PG-13

Genre: Romance, Drama, Alternate Universe

Summary: October, 1967: Akesato Yoshida, one of the few female officers of her time, boards a train headed for Oakland, California, in hopes of discovering what happened to her father 20 years ago. But it soon becomes clear that the only person who can give her information is a lonely widower named Susumu Yamazaki. SusumuxAkesato, HijikataxAyumu.

Disclaimer: Disclaimer:cough, cough: You think I have the literary talent to write Peacemaker?

Nevermind, that was a rhetorical question.

Nanae Chrono owns it.

Flamers will be chained to a duck for all eternity. (Don't ask.)

Allow me to warn everyone that this is probably not going to be entirely accurate, historically speaking, but I will try my best. )

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February 28, 1967.

"Good morning, Susumu." Okita said with a sympathetic smile.

Susumu hated that smile. He had seen too many of them lately. Far too many of them. He didn't want people's sympathy. He closed his eyes and nodded in acknowledgement of Okita's greeting. Behind the young Lieutenant, Susumu could see Captain Hijikata in his office. But he didn't want to talk to Hijikata just now. He looked back at Okita. "Could you give Hijikata a message for me?"

"He's in his office if you want t…" Okita looked at Susumu's expression and knew he should just take the message. "Yeah, sure, what is it?"

"I quit."

With that he turned and walked out.

Okita watched until Susumu was out of sight, then slumped forward on his desk with a sigh. Hijikata was not going to like this.

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October 15, 1967.

"All aboard!"

Akesato Yoshida bent down and picked up her valise, heading for the small entrance in the side of the train. Early morning fog surrounded the deserted, remote station, making visibility impossible and putting a chill in the already cold autumn air.

She pulled her coat tighter around her with her free hand as she climbed up the two narrow steps and onto the train. She heard the whistle blow and the train slowly began to move as she slid into her seat, putting her valise on the one next to her. There was a woman sitting much farther down in the car, and a man sitting somewhat closer to her, toward the right. Other than that, she was alone.

All that could be seen out of the window was some grass growing next to the train track and an occasional large, black object farther off that was actually a tree.

Akesato sighed and opened her valise, taking out a book with her train ticket as a bookmark. Not that she would be able to concentrate on reading. She was leaving the small town that she had grown up in, headed for Oakland. She had actually been born in Oakland, but had hardly any recollection of the city. No one could understand why she wanted to go to Oakland, specifically not her aunt. Her aunt did not want to talk about Oakland, for that was where Akesato's mother had died, and her father had disappeared.

"Tickets please." The old conductor called as he walked into the car. Akesato said nothing as she handed him her ticket. He punched it and handed it back with a smile. "Enjoy your trip, miss."

She smiled politely as the conductor turned away and headed toward the two other passengers. No one had wanted her to leave. "They don't like female officers down there." They had told her. Truth was, they didn't like female Police officers up here, either. So what was the difference? She was a favor; the only reason she had made it onto the force was one because someone owed her father- and in his absence, her- a favor.

The train she was on would take her to a larger station where she would transfer to a sleeper train, for the journey would last about two days.

She sighed and nervously took her scarf off, running her hand over her blonde hair. Just what she needed; two long days with nothing to do but think.

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Lieutenant Souji Okita watched as the train slowed to a stop and passengers began to disembark. There weren't very many, and it wasn't too difficult to tell which one was the one he was waiting for, for she walked with a very self-assured air, watching everyone with pale, impassive eyes. Her looks matched what he had heard of her personality. Souji stood and smiled.

"Miss Yoshida, I presume?"

She smiled slightly. "Officer. And you are…?"

"Lieutenant Souji Okita. It's a pleasure to finally meet you." He said as he held out his hand. She accepted the greeting, taking the time to study the man. He had the longest hair she had ever seen on a man, or even on a woman, for that matter. "I took the liberty to escort you to the precinct." He added.

"If you don't mind, I'd rather go to my hotel first."

"Oh, of course. Where will you be staying?"

"The Oakland Inn. I understand it's only a few blocks from the precinct."

Okita nodded. "Yes, it is. I'll walk with you."

Akesato only smiled, thinking it was slightly presumptuous of him, and said nothing.

"Your visit has caused quite a commotion at the precinct. It's not often that you meet a female detective." Okita said as he glanced at her. She said nothing. "If you don't mind my asking, what provoked you to become a detective?"

"My father."

"Ah." It occurred to him that that was why she was here, to find her father. "I'm afraid you'll find that it's going to be rather difficult."

"What will?"

"Finding your father. The case went cold eighteen years ago, no one is going to want to talk about it, much less remember anything."

Akesato shot him a cold look. "We'll see."

Okita shrugged, still smiling pleasantly. "I would be glad to help in any way that I can."

"Thank you." She murmured as she studied her surroundings, hoping she would see something that would jog her memory. Had it really been eighteen years since she had been in Oakland? It seemed so much longer. She had been five. One would think you would have some distinct memories at five years old, but she had none. Only vague flashes remained of her father, a few words he had spoken, and the warm room where she had spent most of her days.

"Miss Yoshida?"

Akesato glanced at Okita, slightly startled. He had stopped walking and was still smiling pleasantly.

"We're here." He said with a gesture to the building to their left.

"O-oh." She stammered and blushed and walked back toward Okita.

"Why don't you wait till the morning to come to the precinct? You're obviously rather tired. I'm afraid you're going to have to be on your toes to deal with all of our rowdy officers. As I said before, it's not often we see a female detective."

Akesato nodded. "I think I will. Thank you."

"My pleasure, Miss Yoshida. See you in the morning."

He was still smiling as he walked away, making Akesato wonder absent-mindedly whether he was capable of not smiling. His unusually long black hair swayed to and fro as he walked, the breeze occasionally blowing it nearly over his shoulder. The breeze was quite cold, blowing in off the bay and making her shiver. She glanced at the building that was the Oakland Inn before slowly turning and making her way up the steps.

"Hello!" The young receptionist said a bit too cheerfully. "How may I help you?"

"Hi, I have a reservation…Akesato Yoshida."

After several minutes, and having to spell her name several times, she finally received her key and headed for her room. Finally she would have a chance to rest. One would think the train trip would have allowed plenty of time to rest, but to Akesato it was only stressful. She made sure the door was locked tight behind her and set her valise down on a table before heading to the window, pushing back the sheers to look out. Her room faced the front of the hotel; therefore she had a view of the street, a park, and beyond that, just barely within sight, the bay. The sun hung low in the sky, casting it's light at a low angle in warm hues that were indicative of the approaching winter. But presently she was not concerned with the view, and she turned away from the window.

It was starting to occur to her what a bad idea this might have been. It had been eighteen years; no one was going to remember anything. Moreover, she was a woman. No one was going to take her seriously, even if they did remember something.

She sat down on the bed and opened her valise, taking out two pictures and a very short list of names. They were names that her aunt gave her, and names that she seemed to vaguely remember.

Toshizo Hijikata, Isama Kondo, Keisuke Yamanami, a young woman by the name of Miyae, and another young woman named Yamazaki, but whose given name neither Akesato nor her aunt could quite remember. She knew Hijikata had been her father's partner, and after her mother died, Miyae had been what her father called at the time "a friend", but now that she was older, she realized that this Miyae must have been a great deal more than that.

And what about Yamazaki? She was somehow connected to Hijikata, wasn't she?

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The young Japanese man watched as the young boy ran joyfully to his older sister. They had been giggling and playing in the park below for nearly a half-hour now. So cheerful and carefree. So full of love and caring.

So disgusting.

From his perch on the roof, Susumu Yamazaki could see all the way out to the bay. He could see everything below him, but no one could see him. That was why he loved heights.

He really was not there to watch the young brother and sister, but actually he really was only there to kill time (a commodity that he had far too much of nowadays), and he therefore had nothing better to do.

The boy squealed as his sister tickled him, and they collapsed on the grass.

Susumu closed his eyes and pulled his coat tighter around himself. He really hated watching scenes of affection, particularly between brothers and sisters.

His attention returned when he spotted Okita walking with a blonde woman on the street below. It was about time Okita went out with someone. Susumu watched with interest as they stopped in front of a hotel and talked for another minute before Okita walked away, and the woman walked into the hotel.

Curiosity crept up on him. He wanted to find out who this woman was. It would give him something to do.

But not today.

He turned away from the edge of the roof and proceeded to start the rather lengthy trip back to what he now considered to be his home. It wasn't much of a home. In fact, it was an abandoned warehouse. But at any rate, people left him alone there, and that, more than anything, was what he wanted.

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Miyae is not an original character; she's actually that black-haired ninja girl who commented to Suzu that his master "smells good. He smells like blood and guts."

Her name is never mentioned in the anime (that I know of) and I've only read the first volume of a manga, so I took it upon myself to give her a name. If she actually has a name and someone would care to let me know, I would be much obliged.

I suppose I should say right now that I have never been to Oakland (even though I live only 1-2 hours north of it), so what I am describing in this ficcie probably looks nothing like Oakland.

PMK fandom lacks good A/U fics, which is one reason why I wrote this; also there aren't enough straight Susumu pairings out there, either.

And gosh darnit, Susumu and Akesato make a cute pair!

So there!

:) Sorry, I don't mean to sound crotchety. I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this, so please review, and please be nice!