A/N: Now that I know where I am going, I want to try to sprint to the finish. I am stuck on Soeur Idols, but I am working on it. Please be patient. However, I have this for you lovely people now. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Maria-sama ga Miteru is the intellectual property of Konno Oyuki. I claim no rights to the characters and I am not profiting financially by this.

Ten Years Later

Chapter 23: Running Blind

Yumi

For the next number of weeks, Yumi tried to go about her life as normal. She tried to ignore the emptiness that she felt in her heart. She went to work, busted her tail submitting winning bid after winning bid, she picked up her son, and they went home. After four days of asking where "Shimako-sensei" was, Yuuichi also adjusted to life without her. It was lonely to a point, but Yumi had her work, friends, and family to keep her going.

'Where did it all go so wrong?' She thought to herself. She had been honest with Shimako, admitted her guilt, and tried to reassure the other woman that she would never leave herself in that kind of a position again. 'I know that she believed me and I hoped that she was going to forgive me. I messed up. I can't help it now. I have to just keep moving…'

Shimako

(Two weeks earlier) The young teacher was cleaning her classroom after school. 'I am going to call Yumi tonight. I am ready to start over. Oneesama was right. I was more angry at myself than I was her.'

As she was walking to the train station, a red sports car pulled up beside her. She sighed when she saw the driver, "Well, Kashiwagi-san, I haven't seen you since the wedding. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Well, Toudou-san, I was wondering if you would like a ride home," the playboy offered.

Shimako was taken aback first by him appearing and by his suggestion, asking herself, 'What is he up to?' She bit her lower lip while she was deciding what to do.

Suguru chuckled at her indecision, "If you are worried about me attacking you, you aren't my gender. Besides, my boyfriend is quite possessive."

"It isn't that," Shimako began. "I am suspicious of the timing. My girlfriend got drunk and slept with your wife Friday night. If I did not know better, I would think that you are here to convince me not to forgive her and to end it."

Running his fingers through his silky black hair, Suguru smiled, "Bang, you got me. That is exactly what I am here to do." Shimako took a deep breath, shocked that he would admit it so easily. He held up a hand, "Let's get a cup of coffee and I'll explain myself. I'm buying."

Chuckling in spite of herself, Shimako responded, "Of course you are buying, you're a billionaire. I shouldn't do this, but I am curious how you are going to talk me into dumping Yumi."

Suguru languidly exited the driver-side door and guided the young woman to the passenger side, opening the door for her. Still wary, Shimako allowed herself to be led and sat in the proffered seat.

They drove in silence until Shimako noticed that they were headed to Shinjuku. "Why are we going to Shinjuku? There are plenty of nice Cafés in Musashino like Devadeva or Café Zenon."

"I do not wish to run into Sa-chan or Yumi-chan," Suguru explained. "Yumi-chan works in Musashino and Sa-chan usually is either in Chiyoda City or at her estate in Aoyama-Itchome. I have some things to discuss with you, and having either of them show up would be disastrous."

Shimako was still concerned as they parked in from of the Canal Café. It was a like an oasis in the middle of the Tokyo City Center. It looked like a garden rising gently among the office buildings. It was, in a word, lovely. Shimako said as much, causing Suguru to smile, "This is one of my boyfriend's favorite places. I would definitely recommend the tiramisu with your coffee."

It took less than ten minutes for Shimako and Suguru to have their order taken and to receive it. Kashiwagi took a sip from his macchiato and regarded his companion carefully. He asked slowly, "You do know that my cousin is in love with Yumi, right?" Shimako nodded. "Did Yumi tell you why Sa-chan had to sever all ties with her?" Not trusting her voice, Shimako nodded again. The playboy took a breath and asked, "Do you know what happened Friday night?"

Shimako looked down, and met his eyes, "Yes, I do. Yumi got too intoxicated and wound up in your wife's hotel room."

"They did more than just sleep it off in there, Toudou-san," Suguru began. "They had sex. Yumi initiated it."

"Yes, I know," replied Shimako with an edge creeping into her voice. "Yumi told me everything. I was so angry at her for putting herself in that position, but I am just as angry at her royal highness, the psycho that you married."

Suguru snickered, "The marriage will be officially over in 3-6 months because Sa-chan and I are fighting with her Board of Directors so that we don't have try to get her pregnant again. And while my cousin is strikingly beautiful, I prefer the company of my boyfriend." He paused, and then continued, "I only have a short time, so please let me get the reason for coming to see you besides your charming personality. I would like you to think about what it is going to be like for you now that Sachiko has had a taste of our Yumi-chan. You do realize that she is never going to stop trying to win her from you, right?"

Bristling, Shimako growled, "Of course I know that! That is the reason that I haven't seen Yumi since she came back from Sendai. I am trying to decide if she is worth the stress that Sachiko-sama is going put on us."

"Yumi-chan is worth it, Toudou-san, and you know it," he replied calmly. "The real question is whether you love her enough to fight for her. If you don't, then please step aside and give Sachiko a chance to win her back. I like you, Toudou-san, I do, but I love my cousin and Yumi-chan as if they were my little sisters. I want them to be happy. I honestly want to see everyone happy, including you."

Shimako's breath caught in her throat. She was expecting Kashiwagi to use his wealth to try to convince her to give up. She knew that she loved Yumi enough to fight off that kind of attack, But for him to ask if she had a strong enough love to fight off a determined rival was another thing altogether. Maybe it wasn't the strength of her love; maybe it was her courage and her conviction that were not strong enough. Studying her coffee, Shimako realized that she has always been a timid person. It took Rosa Canina challenging Shimako for her spot in Sei's heart to get her to fight to become Rosa Gigantea. It took Noriko asking her for the rosary to get her to commit to being her soeur.

"I know that I am not a strong person, Kashiwagi-san," said Shimako in a shaky voice. "I love Yumi. I want to be with her, but I hate feeling like I will lose her. I have been through that before with Noriko. It's scary to be vulnerable and to not be sure if I am first in her heart."

Suguru stared at her, piercing her soul with those blue eyes that were so much like his damnable cousin's. He sighed, "If that is the strength of your feeling for Yumi-chan, then you should let her go. Sa-chan, for all of her insecurities, is very sure of one thing. She loves Yumi more than any person or anything other than our daughter. She intends to fight fair, but make no mistake, she will fight for Yumi. Your dithering and wallowing in your insecure feelings will allow Sachiko to have a chance when the odds say that she shouldn't. It is not fair to any of you if you are not also committed to this battle."

"So, are trying to convince me to fight or to give Yumi up?" Shimako asked in exasperation. She was trying to not make a scene, but Kashiwagi was hitting her right where it hurt the most.

Suguru knew that he wasn't playing fair, and he answered with a cold voice, "I don't care what you do at this point. I just want you to do something. I like it when my cousin is smiling. It brightens the whole residence. It encourages our daughter to open up, which is the one thing I that I want most. Everything is about Yumiko. If it protects her or her future, I would even give up on Alice and let him get married and make an heir for the Arisugawa. I would sacrifice that, I would sacrifice anything for my daughter. What are you willing to sacrifice for Yumi?"

Bowing her head, Shimako gave in to her doubts. She was afraid of losing Yumi to Sachiko. She was afraid of giving it her all and still losing. Most of all, she was afraid of having her heart broken again. Or was she? She won election to become Rosa Gigantea because she fought for it. She did it once, she wondered if she could do it again. The stakes were higher than a high school student council election. It was her future with Yumi. "I don't know what to do!" She wailed.

"Yes, I think that you do, Toudou-san," Suguru replied with distaste. "Don't let your weakness ruin any lives other than your own. If you are not willing to fight, then do the right thing. Unfortunately, I am at the end of the time that I had available. Would you like me to drop you home?"

"No, thank you, Kashiwagi-san," the young woman answered. "I want to use the train ride home to think."

No sooner were those words spoken than Suguru threw a couple of bills on the table, "Well then, Gokigenyou." He left without a backward glance. If he did, he would have seen Shimako collapse and start to weep. But by this point, he wouldn't have cared.

Sei

"You-chan, I am leaving. Come give us a kiss before my cab arrives," Sei yelled. The writer watched her wife sigh, look up from the briefs that she was studying, and walk toward her.

Youko had a wry smile, "You have definitely spent too much time in England. You are starting to talk like them." They both laughed before the attorney's eyes turn soft, "I am really going to miss you, Sei. I wish that I could come with you, but I've got the Kaga trial starting tomorrow and I've already been denied a continuance twice. I have always wanted to see London with you."

"Well, just clear your calendar for the premiere and we can spend a whole week there," Sei said before gathering the dark-haired woman into her arms. 'Even after all the years that we have been together, holding her like this still makes my heart race.' Their lips met in an unhurried, yet urgent kiss. "I love you, Youko. Never doubt that."

A breathless Youko murmured, "I love you too, Sei. If you keep kissing me like that, I won't let you catch your flight."

"Hmm, tempting, but I really need to go," the flirt drawled. "Just hold that thought until I get back, Love. I want to spend the weekend in bed with you." She released her wife just as the cab honked. "I will be back Friday evening. Kick some ass in that trial."

It was Youko's turn to smirk, "Don't I always?"

They kissed one last time and Sei walked out the door before she changed her mind. 'I hate leaving her, but she has her career and I have mine. I am so lucky that we took the chance on each other. Whoa, down girl. You don't want to get yourself going when Youko is not around to do anything about it.' She chuckled to herself while riding in the back of the cab. 'Maybe I am a pervert like the girls say I am.'

Just then, her cell rang. Despite her playful nature, Sei was a caring and emotional person and she was taking the rupture between Yumi and Shimako personally. 'If I knew that this was going to be the shit show that it has become…who am I kidding, I've wanted Yumi and Shimako to get together since before Yumi married Stalker Nerd and Shimako moved in with Noriko. I knew both of those relationships were doomed.' She looked at her phone. It was Shimako. "Hello Shimako," she answered. "Wait, slow down…I cannot understand you…slow down…breathe." She heard her petite soeur take a deep breath. "Good, now tell me what has got you so upset. Is it Yumi again?"

"No, Kashiwagi," Shimako replied with a sob. "He told me that I needed to decide whether I love Yumi enough to fight Sachiko-sama for her. When I sounded indecisive, he told me to just give up." The younger woman's sobs turned to hiccups.

Sei felt a headache coming on, "Suguru is an ass, but that doesn't mean that he's wrong. He pretty much told you to shit or get off the pot, right?" She heard Shimako sniffle on the other line. "Seriously, Shimako, I love you, but I kinda agree with him. You have kept Yumi on pins and needles awaiting your judgment for the past two weeks. Have you even called her?"

"No!" retorted Shimako. "Why should I? Why is everyone making me to be the bad guy? Yumi screwed Sachiko-sama. She made the mistake, not me. Why isn't anyone calling her out for that?"

Sei's head began pounding, "Jesus, Shimako, no one is harder on you than they are on Yumi. To be honest, we can't be any harder on her than she is on herself. What if Noriko had come back, got you drunk, and you fucked her. Wouldn't you hope that Yumi was more charitable to you than you are being with her? I am not saying that Yumi did not colossally fuck up, she did, and what's more, she knows that she did. You have your pain and trauma and so does she. If you cannot handle what has happened, then bail and let her know, sooner rather than later. If you can, then the two of you will need to work together to get past it. Either way, we won't love you any less. Nonetheless, the sooner that you figure out what you are going to do, the sooner this weight comes off of you and her." She paused as she realized that the taxi had pulled up at the front of the terminal. "Sorry, Shimako, I need to get into the airport. I am leaving for London and I hope to hear that you two have reconciled when I get back because I believe that you two need each other like You-chan and I do."

Sei hung up, paid the driver, and walked into the terminal. 'I'm kinda glad that I will be in England when this all goes down. I can't help thinking that this won't end well. At least I'm not horny anymore.'

Yumi

Later that evening, Yumi was home, making Yuuichi dinner. She had gotten some really fresh kisu, or Japanese whiting, at the market. With the broiling fish, she had made rice and was warming up the leftover miso soup that she had made for breakfast. The salad was already on the table. This was her routine no matter how hectic work got. It wasn't like she loved cooking. She loved her son, and she wanted to make sure that he got proper nutrition. This evening, the young architect was on autopilot while she was cooking because she was mentally and emotionally exhausted. In her heart, Yumi knew that it was over with Shimako, but she continued to hold on to the hope that they could make it work.

"Mommy, is dinner ready?" Yuuichi had just come in from the backyard. That yard was the main reason that Yumi bought this house with her first year's salary. She wanted Yuuichi to have a safe place to play. Well, a safe place where a hard-working woman could watch her son from the kitchen window, that is.

Nodding to the energetic five year-old, Yumi answered, "Please go wash your hands so you can eat."

"Yes Mommy," he chirped, bouncing to the washroom. When he got back to the table, he had a thoughtful look on his face. "Mommy, are Daddy and Shimako-sensei mad at me?"

The mother was taken aback, "No darling, why would you ask that?"

The little boy replied, "Well Daddy moved away with Michie-san and Shimako-sensei went home. I was just wondering if it was because of me."

"No sweetheart, everybody loves you," Yumi answered sadly. "Your father is happy with Michie-san, and Shimako has some things to do at her home."

Taking a bite of fish, Yuuichi said brightly, "Well I hope that Shimako-sensei comes over to play again soon. You are always happier when she is here."

Trying not to collapse with guilt, Yumi responded, "I hope so too, baby. I hope so too."

They finished dinner and after Yumi put her child to bed, she decided to take a chance and text Shimako. "Hi Shimako, I just wanted to see how you are doing. I love you."

She did not have to wait long for the response from Shimako, "I'm okay."

"Yuuichi-kun was asking about you tonight. We both miss you." Yumi sent the message, hoping that she wasn't pushing too hard.

"Like you missed me at the hotel in Sendai?" The return message read.

Yumi's heart dropped. Shimako was not going to let this go. Yumi started crying and tapped, "What do I need to do to get you to forgive me? I love you and you are the woman that I want to be with…no one else. Please Shimako."

Yumi waited nervously for Shimako's response. The anxiety made her feel like her stomach was filled with sharp glass. Her heart was racing with fear, hoping that the next words that she saw were words of reconciliation and not finality. After what seemed like an eternity, Yumi couldn't take it anymore. Her hysteria was reaching the level of her former Oneesama. "Please Shimako, don't say that it is over. I need you."

Again, there was no response. Yumi wondered, 'Did I push too hard? Oh shit, this is it, isn't it? Please Maria-sama, no.'

Ten minutes passed and finally Yumi's phone relayed Shimako's message:

I can't do this. I'm sorry. Let's break up. Sayonara.

To be continued…

A/N: Another chapter bites the dust. This was not an easy chapter to write. My current plan is to go ahead and finish this story before returning to Soeur Idols. That, of course, is subject to change. Thank you for reading. Reviews are loved. Have a good week!