LIES AND PRETENCES

Disclaimer: I Do not own Mai-Hime/Mai-Otome or any of the characters from Mai-Hime or Mai-Otome

Summary: A sequel to A Fine Line written by damn unique. She believed the truth aboutthe death of one Shizuru Fujino. All is not what it appears to be as Natsuki Kuga will find out that everything she was told was a complete and utter deception. What will happen to her relationship with Nao Yuuki once the truth is revealed to everyone who is involved. Hearts will be broken and dreams will become whole once again. This is NaoxNatsukixShizuru with a few extra surprises along the way.

Chapter 1: The First Day Of A New Life With Old Scars Starts Now

The day Natsuki came back to reality was a joyous and wonderful occasion for Nao and her. She is now able to leave the hospital with her beloved who has been by her side as she endured so much while in the hospitals care. Natsuki was glad that she had Nao by her sideas she faces her that part she played in the reason for Shizuru's broken heart and eventual death. The doctor came into the room and let them know that everything was good and that she was able to leave whenever she was ready. They packed her belongs and headed towards the reception area so she could sign a few papers before she could leave. As they are standing at the reception counter getting Natsuki checked out, Nao saw a familiar face out of the corner of her left eye but she shrugged the thought off immediately. She stood there waiting for her girl to finish her paper work but she just couldn't get that persons image out of her head now matter how hard she tried. Only one name echoed in her mind and that name was Sandra. She tried to free her mind of the name and face but she couldn't let the thoughts end because as far as she knew that woman had gone to her studies in Germany after the death of Shizuru Fujino. As Nao was focusing her thoughts she didn't notice Natsuki calling her name as she stood there in a complete dazed state. Finally taking the girl by the shoulder Natsuki began to shake Nao to get her to answer. Upon feeling the shaking on her shoulder Nao turned to the source and meet concerned emerald eyes staring back at her. She had begun to apologize to her girlfriend for her lack of communication. Natsuki just told her that it was ok by just one simple movement of her heard.

"Hey can we get the Hell out as soon as possible?" asked the rebel babe. The red head nodded and they left the hospital hand in hand with gigantic grins plastered upon their faces as they made their way to Nao's black Viper GTS 720.

The lovebirds enter the car and then they drive from the parking lot of the hospital to begin the long drive home. As they sat in the car Natsuki began to let her thoughts wonder back to when she broke everything off with Shizuru, noticing how quite her girlfriend was Nao glanced over in her direction as they came to a stop at a red light. She coughed to clear her throat as well as getting the attention of her companion in the passenger seat, Emerald meets lime in an instance and as they lock onto each other lime asks emerald a question that she already knew the answer to.

Speaking in a gentle tone Nao asks her the one dreaded question "Are you thinking of Fujino once again mutt?"

Once the question was vocalized the biker stiffened in her seat as that one little motion gave the red headed companion her answer. Nao sat there and let out an exasperated sigh and she began to drive once again as the light turned green. The drive lasted about forty-five long minutes until they reached Natsuki's apartment complex and pulled to a complete stop near the entrance of the complex. Both women exited the vehicle and made their way to the stairs of the apartment building making their way to the second floor heading to room #215.

The blue-haired woman stopped in front of the door to her apartment and looked in Nao's direction before asking 'Where are my keys Nao?'

The lime eyed woman looked at her and then she reached into her left jean pocket and pulled out a set of keys and handed them to her lady love. Once she had the keys in her hands the bluenette inserted the key in the key hole and turned it so that they heard that oh so familiar click of a lock and then the door was pushed open enough for the two of them to enter. Upon entering her home Natsuki thought that she would be met with disaster considering the last time she saw her place it was a complete and utter mess but what she saw now was only a very clean and organized apartment. One person came to mind as she stared in awe at her home and that persons name is none other than their good friend Mai Tokiha. Tears began to form in her eyes at the thought of her friend and noticing how the other woman was reacting to her home Nao placed her arms around the waist of her blue-haired love and hugged her tight. Feeling the arms around her Natsuki relaxed into the embrace and then she began to cry.

As her lover whispered the words of ' baby it's okay now you're home finally with me.'

They made their way over to the leather sofa that sat in front of a glass coffee table and sat down in complete silence while being in each other's warm embrace.

Meanwhile at the hospital that our lovebirds had just left from a certain blonde haired woman was entering a private area of the hospital. Once she scanned her pass across the scanner she was permitted to enter into that wing the hospital. She made her way to a room at the far end of the left corridor and entered a room that contained a lot of medical equipment inside. The room wasn't empty as she entered it because there were two other occupants in said room. Sitting in a chair that sat next to a hospital bed was an older woman with dark chestnut colored hair holding the hand of a young woman asleep on the bed. The young resting the bed had a lighter tone of chestnut colored haired and she was hooked to several of the machines in the private room. The older woman looked up and she showed a sad smile to the woman that was standing near the doorway of the room. The blonde walked over to the woman in lying on the bed and leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on the chestnut haired woman's forehead.

"Thank you for coming back to visit my Shi-chan everyday Sandra" stated the older woman as she was greeted with a comforting hug from the other woman.

Sandra backed away and smiled at the woman she hugged and she said "I will always be here to help out in any time of need when Shizuru is involved."

A genuine smile graced the dark haired woman's face as she said 'Thank for loving my daughter.'

A blush made its way to Sandra's face after that one line had been spoken by Mrs. Fujino earning giggles in return from said woman. The doctor entered the room that occupied all three ladies and upon walking to the end of the medical bed she picked up the patients chart and began to read it.

As she was reading the chart she heard the voice of the mother ask her "When will she wake up Dr. Satoshi?"

After being asked the question the doctor looked in the mother's direction and shook her head in the 'I don't know manner' before stating that her patient is doing very well considering the fact that she jumped from the three story high balcony of her bedroom window. The doctor bowed at the two ladies and then she said her farewells as she exited the private room of one Shizuru Fujino.

Back at her apartment sleeping soundly upon a king size bed was a very tired and weary blue-haired young woman. She was alone in the apartment because her girlfriend told that she had something that she needed to look into but she would return later on in the evening because it was only 12:30 in the afternoon. The black Viper GTS 720 was heading towards a family restaurant that both women knew very well because the owner of the establishment was a good friend of theirs. Pulling up to the empty parking space in front of the restaurant Nao parked and exited her car making her way into the restaurant. Once she entered she was greeted by an all oh so familiar busty orange-haired Mai. Smiling at her friend Nao crossed the distance and was engulfed in a breathtakingly pain bear hug given to her by the other woman. As Mai pulled away from her friend she could tell that something was on her mind so she asked her to take a seat at the table in far back of the restaurant on the left side of said establishment. Nao nodded and proceeded to where she was told to go and once there she sat down at the table with a solemn expression on her face. The owner had a few more customers to serve but once she finished she called her black spiky-haired helper to come up front and take her place. She then made her to the table that her friend was sitting at and grabbed the other woman by the and asked her what is troubling her. Lime stared back at lavender with a puzzled look on her face as she took in a few deep breaths of air before speaking. After breathing deeply a few times Nao opened her mouth a replied to Mai's question by telling her what she had seen back at the hospital when she went to get Natsuki and bring her home.

Mai had an 'Are you kidding me look crossing her face after hearing the story the other young woman told her.'

Nao then came to the conclusion that maybe she really didn't see the person she thought she had seen but Mai looked at her and shook her head in a manner that spoke you saw who you saw. Placing her head in her hands Nao began to wonder why Sandra was still in Japan and not back in Germany as she had heard. Millions of questions were running through mind as to why that woman was still around after all that had happened back then. She was there to witness all the pain that Natsuki endured after finding out what had happened to her ex-lover Fujino. All she wanted to do was be with the love of her life and live together as a couple forever with no other problems or incidents complicating their relationship. She thanked Mai for listening and they hugged one another bidding a fond farewell and promises of getting together a welcome party for the leather wearing biker babe that they both love and adore in different ways.

At the hospital the young blonde woman told the older brunette to go home and rest for a few hours while she stayed at the hospital with her friend. The older of the was reluctant to go home but in the end her tiredness won out over her stubbornness so she kissed her daughter's head and hugged the other woman before she left. As she was leaving she ran into Dr. Naomi Satoshi and she thanked the young doctor for all her encouragement and care that she was giving to her one and only beloved child. She then bid the doctor a fond farewell and a promise to see her tomorrow upon returning to her daughter's side. Naomi said her goodbyes and made her rounds to check on all of her patients including one beautiful brunette by the name of Shizuru Fujino located in the private ward of the hospital.

A/N

So this is my sequel to damn unique's A Fine Line. I just had to keep this story going in someway because I felt that Shizuru deserved to live on in this story. I hope you all enjoy my first chapter because I really enjoyed writing it. So let me know what you think about my second story.