Warning: This story contains violence, profanity, and non-explicit sex. If you find such things offensive, stop reading NOW.

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction story set in the world of the anime series Bubblegum Crisis. While set in the same universe, it takes place in the United States, not MegaTokyo, and does not involve any of the characters from the videos. Harris and Hathaway, Yuki Matsunaga, Jes Nielson and Mary Harris were all created by Chris and Midori; everything else is owned by A.I.C. Inc. and Toshiba Inc. No copyright infringement is intended, and the authors are not profiting in any way from this story.

Yuki Matsunaga drew a comb through her long blue-black hair, stepping back a little to appraise her reflection in the mirror on her dresser. Picking up an eyeliner pencil from the dresser, she used it to accentuate her dark, mysterious eyes, leaning forward a little to study the effect. Then she carefully applied a coat of lipstick and smiled into the mirror, noticing how the expression transformed her rather plain, strong-boned face.

She set the lipstick down on the dresser with a soft click, then picked up a small glass bottle, removing the stopper and dabbing its end against her wrists and collarbone. The faint scent of jasmine lingered around her even after she replaced the stopper in the perfume bottle, and she smiled as she smoothed her hair with her right hand.

Swiveling on her heel, she crossed from the bedroom into the living room, then sat decorously on the couch to wait.

***

Jes walked down the hall toward Yuki's apartment. Stopping in front of a large abstract painting, he smoothed some unnoticeable wrinkles in his khaki pants. He carefully placed a plastic grocery bag on the floor and then unbuttoned the collar button on his white dress shirt. Eyeing his reflection in the glass covered painting, he brushed at his platinum blond hair with his hand. Apparently satisfied with the effect, he bent over to retrieve his bag and continued down the hall. Stopping in front of a gleaming wooden door, he rang the bell.

***

When she heard the doorbell's mellow chime, Yuki rose gracefully from the couch, smoothing her skirt as she made her way to the door. "Who is it?"

"It's Jes," came a voice from the other side of the door. "I brought dinner."

Yuki opened the door, then stepped aside to allow Jes to enter the apartment. "So, what's on tonight's menu?" she asked, giving him a playful smile.

He returned the grin as he made his way to the apartment's small kitchen and set the bag down on the counter. "Coq a vin, green salad, and red wine. I trust it meets with your approval?"

"Very much," she returned, leaning halfway over the divider that separated the kitchen and dining room.

Jes pulled an apron out of the grocery bag and put it on, covering the front of his shirt as well as that of his pants. As he took out the ingredients for dinner out of the bag, he chatted with Yuki. "Ms. Harris said she'd page me if she needed anything else, but I don't expect to hear from her. She says pretty much the same thing every time she has one of these late night video conferences. I think it's a leftover reflex she still has from back when documents were all kept on paper."

Nodding, Yuki set two candles in the holders on the table. That done, she watched as Jes went about dinner preparations, avidly following his trim figure with her gaze. She found herself staring at the strands of platinum hair that lay like the smooth coat of a cat against the nape of his neck. She wondered if it felt as soft as it looked.

The ding of the microwave brought her out of her reverie, and the delicious smell of the chicken made her mouth water.

Jes set the container of chicken in the center of the dining room table with a flourish. "Dinner is served."

The meal passed mostly in a companionable silence, broken by occasional conversation. As the last morsel was eaten, Yuki glanced at her watch and stifled a sigh. "I'd love to stay and chat some more, but I really should make my rounds." The smile she gave him had a melancholy tinge. "Dinner was delicious -- thank you."

He returned the smile. "You're very welcome." Then his expression brightened. "What say I clean up here, and then meet you on the roof after you've made your rounds?"

Pausing in the act of strapping on her holster, Yuki considered his offer, then nodded. "Sounds like a plan." She flashed him a quick smile, then left to make her nightly patrol.

***

More than an hour later, Yuki stepped from the elevator onto the roof. The cool night air ruffled her hair a little, and she absently tucked the stray strands behind her ear with one hand.

Her patrol had been utterly uneventful, and now she had nothing to do but wait for Jes.

Above, a blimp made its slow crossing overhead, its side flashing "G & B – we treat your car right!" in huge letters, and she fought the urge to chuckle. After more than three years in the United States, she still didn't always understand the ideas behind their advertising slogans.

As the blimp passed overhead, a dark shape slid down from it, landing on the far side of the roof. Frowning, Yuki slipped her pistol from its holster and started making her way across the roof.

***

Jes put the last of the dishes in Yuki's cupboard. He untied his apron and folded it neatly. Jes placed the apron on the counter and surveyed the kitchen. Apparently satisfied, he headed for the apartment door.

***

About ten minutes later, Jes stepped from the rooftop elevator. A heartbeat later, a black-clad figure literally ran into him. Before he could even blink, the figure seized him in a powerful grip and hurled him through the lattice wall of the elevator's ornamental pagoda. He landed heavily in the garden beyond. Feeling a cool breeze on his chest, he looked up to see the remains of his shirt hanging from the hole in the lattice. His pants were probably ruined, too. Oh, well, maybe I can talk someone into taking me shopping for clothes again, he thought.

***

Yuki saw the figure throw Jess through the pagoda wall, and covered the remaining distance between her present location and the elevator in a ground-devouring lope. "Freeze!" she shouted, her gun at the ready.

The figure, apparently noticing the elevator was long gone, was now pulling out wires from the handprint reader in an attempt to get into the stairwell. As she got a closer look, Yuki could see it was a woman clad in some sort of form-fitting black outfit. The woman ignored Yuki, seemingly intent on her task. Her warning unheeded, Yuki pulled the trigger.

The shell left her Earthshaker II with a sound like a thunderclap, blowing a hole in the woman's left arm. As Yuki watched in disbelief, the mysterious woman turned towards her. No blood spilled from the wound, and there was no sign of pain on her face.

K'so, Yuki thought, it's a boomer! She smiled grimly. Apparently whoever had sent this cyberdroid wasn't aware that Harris and Hathaway had an ex-AD Police officer on the payroll – a big mistake.

The boomer produced a pistol from its belt; Yuki dove for the ground, landing full-length just as its shots filled the air where she had been. The night was filled with the tinkling of breaking glass as the shots shattered the windows of the pagoda, but Yuki was on her feet again in an instant, everything becoming exceedingly bright and clear as adrenaline coursed through her system. The boomer seemed to be moving in slow motion as she shot it again, this time almost shearing off its weapon arm. It started toward her, and she flashed it a chilling smile.

"Come on, you bitch! Come and get me!"

As the boomer came closer and closer, Yuki waited until its head almost filled her sights, and then pulled the trigger. The sound of thunder filled her ears, and the boomer dropped, a smoking hole where its head had been.

Her heart still racing, Yuki lowered the gun and raked damp hair back from her face with her free hand. Now that the excitement was over, she became aware of an odd sensation somewhere in her stomach. As she slid the Earthshaker back into her holster, her arm brushed against her chest, and she found that her nipples were hard beneath her shirt and bra.

"Yuki? You okay?"

Jes's question roused her from her reverie, but the sight of his shirtless body caused new sensations to arise in other parts of her body. Overcome by those sensations, Yuki pulled him close in a bone-crushing embrace, her mouth meeting his as she forced his lips open with her tongue, her hands avidly caressing his smooth skin. Hampered by her confining clothes, she tore off her skirt; the button popped off and disappeared into the garden, but she didn't notice as she tumbled into the grass with Jes, her unbridled need cutting off any action other than satisfying that urge. Borne aloft on waves of ecstasy, she cried out once; then there was silence once more.

--END--

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