WARNING!: This story contains sexual situations between two women. If this
offends you or you are
under age then read no further. You have been warned!

Bubblegum Crisis and its characters belong to Youmex, Inc. and AnimEigo, Inc.


Special thanks to Kahm and Nightraven, for reading, editing and putting up
with me.


Passages

Chapter 3:    In the Shadow of Doubts
--------------------------------------------------
By She-Hulk


	Nene brought her scooter to a halt outside of Priss’ trailer. She pulled
off her pink helmet and
unzipped the jacket she’d worn to protect her from the cool chill of
morning. The sun was gaining height
and the dew was rapidly disappearing into wisps of steam. Nene stared at
the trailer and dreaded what she
had to do. It had been exactly nine days since Priss had decided to use her
arm. Linna and Nene had
decided that if she hadn’t left the trailer within eight days, they would
help her ‘out’. 

	She climbed off the small bike and wished that Linna hadn’t had an
emergency meeting today.
<Why do I have to do this by myself? We should both be here. Couldn’t we
just wait till tomorrow?> The
plaintive questions only delayed the inevitable and Nene forced herself to
knock on the trailer door.

	After a few minutes of silence, she knocked again. Again only silence
answered her. Nene
frowned and peered in the window, trying to see around the curtain. She
pulled back and looked around
outside, finally noticing what she’d missed before. Priss’ bike was gone. 



         + + + + +
	            

	Nene hurried through the lobby of Silky Doll, making a beeline for the
elevator. She keyed in her
personal code and the doors opened. Moments later she slipped through the
opening doors and began to
jog toward Silia’s apartment. Nene rang the bell, but when she didn’t get
an immediate response she
opened the door herself. There was no one in the living room so she headed
to the bedroom, calling,
“Silia!”

	“Silia! Priss is gone! I went to-” Nene broke off as her brain finally
comprehended what she was
seeing. Priss glared at Nene as she drew the blankets up to cover herself
and Silia.  Nene stood frozen
until Priss’ growled “Nene!” jolted her into action. She pulled the bedroom
door closed and turned to
leave. She had her hand on the front door when she asked herself why she
was leaving. She had a right to
know what was going on, didn’t she? She remembered the sight of Silia’s
head lying on Priss’ shoulder
and blushed. Maybe not. She turned the knob, only to hear Silia’s voice
behind her.

	“Nene, wait. Please stay, I think we should all have a talk, don’t you?”
Nene released her death
grip on the door knob and turned to face Silia, who was tugging the belt
tight on her robe.
 
	“Uh, sure! Why not?” Silia smiled and Nene saw Priss come out of the
bedroom. There was an
awkward silence as each tried to find something to say. Finally Nene spoke
up, “Got anything to eat?”


	Nene swallowed the last bite of toast and leaned back in her chair,
happily full. Priss poured
more coffee for everyone and returned to her seat. Nene had noticed that
she was using her artificial arm
and asked the question that had been on the tip of her tongue since she’d
arrived. “Are you staying with
the Knight Sabers?” 

	Priss laughed and continued to twirl a butter knife through her human
fingers. She had been
doing that off and on since the beginning of breakfast and Nene wondered
what was going on. Nervous
gestures weren’t Priss’ style. 

	“Yeah. I’m not going anywhere. Silia and I have called a truce, of sorts.”
Priss winked at Silia,
who had also noticed the knife and was growing concerned. Maybe Priss was
regretting what happened
last night. She looked at Nene and saw her questioning glance at the knife. 

	Priss caught the exchange. “All right, what’s wrong? You two are looking
at me like I’m a bug
on a pin.”

	Silia pointed to the flashing sliver between Priss’ fingers. “We’re just
wondering what’s making
you so nervous.” Priss looked down at her own hand as if she’d never seen
it before. The knife stopped
and she laughed. 

	“Well, that’s actually your fault, Silia.” Priss’ tone was hard and Silia
tensed at her words. “The
sensors in this damned arm kept going off like fireworks every time I lit a
cigarette. Then I made the
mistake of analyzing the damn things. Needless to say I’m not smoking
anymore.” Priss watched the
slight shift of Silia’s features and realized that she’d been worried. Why
did that please her?


	Nene was dying to ask about the new development in their relationship, but
restrained herself
admirably. Never mind the fact that her face was a dead give away. Silia
was wondering what to tell her
when Priss spoke up.

	“Nene, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea here. Silia and I aren’t a
‘couple’.” Her tone was
harsh again and Priss was all too aware of the stiffening of Silia’s body
next to hers. She continued, “At
least, not yet. We’ve got a lot to work through, so just let us handle
this. In other words, Don’t Help!”
Priss drained her coffee cup and got up to refill it. She didn’t want the
coffee, but she needed a moment to
sort out what she was feeling. Where had this desire to hurt Silia come
from? Last night had been
wonderful and she’d never felt so close to anyone, not even Sylvie. What
had happened this morning?
Priss stared at the coffee pot and didn’t hear Nene leave.

	Silia watched Priss and knew she was wrestling with something. The tension
was evident in her
stance and Silia was surprised to find herself at a loss for what to do
next. The most complex of
mathematical problems  was a snap compared to human emotions and she wished
that she faced one of
those problems now. She stood there and tried to think of something to say.
Words were chosen and
discarded, either too bland or too intense. Nothing seemed right and Silia
was afraid that she was failing
Priss once again in some vague way she couldn’t identify.

	Memories of the night before played through her mind in short clips and
Silia realized part of
what was wrong. She was trying to talk to Priss as if she were Nene or
Linna, but Priss was no longer just
her team mate, no longer just a friend. Priss had become her lover last
night and Silia had to start looking
at her as such. With that discovery she opened her eyes to the profound
effect this would have her life.
Silia pushed a hand through her hair and realized something else; she had
no more idea of how to reach
Priss as a lover than she did as a friend. Priss needed something from her
now, but she had no idea of
what. It occurred to her then that thinking might be the whole problem. She
focused on what she was
feeling and knew that was the answer. She let her emotions guide her and
acted.

	Priss knew Silia was waiting for her to say something, but a strange
desire to make Silia come to
her was keeping her still. Priss felt a wave of self-loathing roll over her
and she made herself turn. But
Silia was already there, slipping her arms around Priss’ waist. She rested
her chin on her shoulder and
held her, saying nothing. Priss touched Silia’s hands and then threaded her
fingers with hers. She leaned
back into Silia and closed her eyes, letting the warmth of the other woman
seep into her. The soft gusts of
Silia’s breathing brushed over Priss’ neck and she felt her heart beat
unsteadily. 

	Silia could also feel Priss’ heart and turned her head, letting her lips
touch her neck. The quick
breath pleased her and she continued the caress. Priss arched her neck
back, giving Silia complete access
to her vulnerable throat. Silia caught her earlobe in her teeth and smiled
when she heard Priss gasp. As
her hands moved up and cupped Priss’ breasts, Silia realized that sometimes
words were highly overrated.



         + + + + +


	Linna stared at Nene in disbelief. “You’re kidding!”

	Nene shook her head, watching the wet strands fling drops of water onto
Linna’s breasts. “I wish
I was. I walked in on them. Priss looked like she was going to kill me!”
She reached for the wash cloth
and began to run it over Linna’s shoulders and down her chest. Linna sighed
in  pleasure and leaned back
against the edge of the tub. The bathtub wasn’t made for two, but then you
didn’t need much room if you
were close enough to the person you were with. Nene was kneeling between
Linna’s legs as she spoke.
“Silia was curled up beside her and Priss’ metal arm was wrapped around
her. It was so strange, seeing
them like that, I mean. They just don’t seem to fit, you know?” Nene
dropped the cloth, letting her hands
wander and Linna’s eyes snapped open.

	Linna caught her hands and pulled Nene on top her. “Oh really? And do we
seem to ‘fit’?” Nene
sighed against her lips, “Perfectly.”



         + + + + +


	Priss rolled over and frowned when her outstretched arm encountered
nothing but empty sheets.
She pushed herself up and sighed when she realized Silia was gone. A vague
recollection Silia waking her
surfaced. Something about a meeting. Priss laid back down and stared at the
ceiling., trying to shake a
nagging sense of anxiety. She should be happy. Or at least okay. Instead
she was confused and on edge.
Priss tossed the covers aside and padded into the bathroom. 

	As the hot water swept the last of the cobwebs from her mind she replayed
the events of the last
few months in her mind. It was strange to realize that they had been
heading towards this change long
before her accident. She remember swearing that she wouldn’t allow herself
to feel like this again and
laughed at her arrogance. She hadn’t felt this way before. Sylvie’s face
flashed across her mind and Priss
felt no pain at the image. What was surprising was the fact that Sylvie had
looked a great deal like Silia
and Priss wondered if that hadn’t been part of her appeal. Could she have
been that blind? 

	Priss shut the water off and reached for a towel. She got dressed,
deciding to go down to the
garage and see if Mackie could do a small job for her.



	Mackie tossed the wrench back into the tool box and slipped the cover back
over the engine of
Silia’s bike. He turned to Priss. “That should do it. Silia won’t like it,
though.”

	Priss watched the steady blip register on the scanner and smiled. “Then
it’s a good thing she
won’t know about it., right?” Her tone brooked no argument and Mackie gave
her none. 



         + + + + +	

	

	Priss stood backstage and tried to quiet her jangled nerves. She’d never
had a problem with stage
fright in the past and she was annoyed that it chose now to hit her. The
crowd was chanting her name,
thrilled that she was returning to the music scene after her long absence.
<Yeah, now they cheer. Let’s see
if they keep cheering when they see why.> She wore her usual outfit and the
red tube top did nothing to
conceal her arm. The band had shrugged off her worries and had pointed out
that most people had some
kind of implant these days. The music started and she drew a deep breath
and stepped on stage. The
crowd roared and she screamed into the microphone. Lights flashed over them
and reflected off of her
arm, but no one noticed and those that did, didn’t care. Priss was back and
they were happy.

	As the last note faded from the last song, Priss let her head drop and
willed tears away as the
crowd’s approval swept over her. She felt the energy fill her and realized
how much she needed it, this
rush of life. Priss raised her head, tossed her hair back and waved to the
crowd as she left the stage. 

	Silia watched her face carefully and was pleased at what she found. Priss
was back and there
would be no stopping her. She stood and quickly left the building, not
wanting Priss to see her. She had
thought to keep her return a secret, but Silia had known it would only be a
matter of time. She had made
sure that Priss was re-hired at Hot Legs, an easy thing to do since she
owned the club. <Priss would blow
up if she ever discovered that little secret,> Silia thought to herself as
she unlocked her car door. She was
caught up in her thoughts and didn’t see the two punks come up beside her.
Rough hands grabbed her and
dragged her toward the alley behind the club. Silia struggled and one of
them struck her across the face.
She let herself slump, as if unconscious and waited for her chance.

	Priss stepped out into the alley and stared at the scene before her. A
woman was laying on the
ground and two men were standing over her. They were talking about what
they intended to do as one of
them unfastened his pants. Priss started forward, intending to beat them
senseless and run them off, when
she saw who the woman was. Silia. She wasn’t moving. A gray fog clouded her
mind and Priss heard a
loud snap, as her control vanished in storm of rage. 

	An inhuman sound echoed through the alley and they turned to find hell
itself bearing down on
them.

	Silia had rolled away at the sound and she straightened in time to see the
energy saber decapitate
one of her attackers. Priss was blind with rage, but she didn’t need to see
to block the other man’s attack.
He screamed in pain as his hand struck her arm with a flat ‘thunk’ and the
scream ended with a gurgle as
her human fist caught him in the groin. Priss retracted the saber and
punched him in the stomach. A
popping sound was the only indication of what had happened as the man fell
at her feet, dead. Silia knew
that the man’s internal organs had been liquefied by the impact caps.

	Priss stood over the bodies and felt a strangled cry tear at her throat
because they had died too
soon. Silia got to her feet slowly. Priss whirled at the slight movement
and Silia froze. Priss stared at her
and then screamed, striking the wall beside her. The fist connected and the
caps fired, blowing a huge
hole in the brick. Dust filled the alley and Silia lost sight of Priss. 

	She jumped when a human hand touched her face and she realized that Priss
was behind her. Her
hand encircled her throat and pulled Silia back against her body. As her
blood splattered arm came
around her waist, Silia realized that Priss was shaking with unspent rage.
Priss’ fingers tightened slightly
and Silia was afraid. She spoke softly, “Priss. It’s all right now. They’re
dead.” She kept her voice calm,
even as she fought the urge to run. She was very afraid that Priss would
kill her if she did. “ You saved
me. I’m all right, but you’re frightening me. Please.”

	Priss held on to Silia and began to pull the shredded pieces of her
control back together. She
knew she was scaring her, but she couldn’t help that. She had come so close
to the edge this time and
Silia was the only thing standing between her and madness. 

	Silia felt Priss pull her down to the ground and tried not to panic. Priss
leaned back against the
wall and buried her faced in Silia’s neck, letting her scent soothe her.
How long they sat like that Silia
didn’t know, but she was very aware of Priss and little by little felt her
control returning. She forced
herself to relax against her and Priss eased her grip at this. Silia felt a
shudder go through Priss and knew
she was crying. She slowly tried to turn and Priss let her. 

	Priss curled her hands into fists to keep from grabbing Silia again, so
afraid she would leave her.
Silia noted the fear and reached up to cup Priss’ face in her hands. She
kissed her cheeks, catching the
tears and Priss made a small sound. 

	“Shhh, it’s all right. We need to get out of here before someone finds
us.” Silia slid her arms
around her and pulled her to her feet. Priss faltered, weak from reaction
and Silia supported her as they
made their way to her car. Luckily, or unluckily depending on how you
looked at it, the street was
deserted.

	Silia propped her against the car and opened the door. She got Priss
inside and then got behind
the wheel. As they drove away, she called Mackie. He agreed to pick up
Priss’ bike and would call the
police with an anonymous tip. Silia promised to fill him in later and hung
up. Priss leaned against the
door and tried to fight the strong pull of exhaustion. Her mind was clouded
and all she knew for certain
was that Silia was with her. Flashes of memory teased her, telling her that
she had done something wrong.
The images faded as she slipped into a deep slumber.

	Silia saw the slump of her shoulders and knew that sleep was the best
thing for her now. There
would be time enough later to deal with the repercussions of this night.
But it did leave her the problem of
moving Priss. She sighed and reluctantly called Linna. 



	Silia pulled into the garage and frowned when she saw Nene with Linna. She
got out and went
around the car to Priss’ door. “I don’t remember asking you to call Nene.”
Her censure was clear and
Linna winced. 

	“I was at Linna’s when you called. There was no way I was going to let her
go alone.” Nene
spoke firmly, defending Linna and Silia saw the look that passed between
them. The undercurrent of
desire caught her by surprise.

	 She wondered how she could have missed all of the signs. <Because you’ve
been to busy falling
in love yourself?> Silia opened the car door and caught Priss as she
started to fall. Linna came forward
and they each took one arm. Nene ran ahead to summon the elevator as they
half carried, half dragged
Priss. Linna saw the blood on Silia and looked down at Priss. Silia hadn’t
told her what had happened, but
Priss’ bloody hands spoke volumes.
	
	“My God Silia! What happened?” Silia shook her head and wouldn’t answer,
her expression
grim. Linna wasn’t sure she wanted to know and they rode up in silence.
With some careful maneuvering
they managed to get Priss into Silia’s bedroom. After they settled her on
the bed, Silia thanked Nene and
Linna for their help. It was clearly a dismissal, but they were having none
of it.

	“Priss is our friend. We want to know what’s going on.” Nene was firm and
Silia sighed,
knowing that she wouldn’t leave until she had at least part of the story.
She nodded and waved a hand
toward the door.

	“Let me get Priss settled, then I’ll explain.” They agreed and left the
room, leaving her alone
with Priss.

	Silia slipped into the bathroom and returned with a bowl of warm water.
She sat on the bed next
to Priss and began to wash the away the blood. The water was soon crimson
and she tried not to think
about the two men who had been killed by her weapon. Because that was what
Priss had become, a
weapon created by Silia’s own hands. She was wild before, giving in to her
rages and hurting herself as
much as anyone else, but now she could focus her anger through the arm.
Silia thought about all of the
‘extras’ she’d built into the arm and winced. She had designed the arm so
that it would work without
thinking, mimicking the natural impulses of a real arm. Priss didn’t have
to be rational to use it and Silia
realized that it was the perfect extension of her rage. 

	Priss had wanted to kill tonight and the arm had obliged her. Her body’s
natural reaction to
danger and fear would be to use the strongest weapons at it’s disposal. She
should have realized that,
compensated for it, somehow. Silia set the bloody cloth aside and began to
tug Priss’ ruined clothes off.
They landed in the corner, the stains they left on the wall, unnoticed. She
pulled the covers over her,
bending over Priss and brushing her forehead with a kiss.  Silia snapped
off the lamp beside the bed as she
planned what to tell the others.


	Nene and Linna were in the living room. The room was poorly lit by a few
recessed lights and
Silia switched on the overhead tracks, trying to banish the morbid
atmosphere. Nene jumped at the sudden
brightness and gave a nervous laugh. 

	Silia sat down in the chair across from them and gratefully accepted the
cup Linna handed her.
She sipped the hot coffee and looked at her friends, wondering where to
start. “Priss went back to Hot
Legs tonight. It was her return show and she didn’t want any of us to know
about it. I suppose she felt she
had to do this on her own.” Silia smiled slightly. “I found out and went
anyway.”

	“How did it go?” Nene shushed Linna for interrupting. Silia wondered how
to describe what
she’d seen.

	“She was Priss.” The simple statement explained everything. “I left right
after the show, not
wanting her to see me. I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings and I
was accosted by two men.”
Nene gasped and Linna noticed the slight swelling around Silia’s eye. She’d
missed it before in the dim
lighting. “They dragged me into the alley behind the club. I was pretending
to be unconscious when I
heard Priss yell.” She paused, the memory of that sound causing her to
shiver. Silia wrapped her hands
around her cup more firmly and continued. 

	“I got out of the way in time to see Priss take care of my attackers.” She
didn’t go into details.
There were some things that they wouldn’t understand, couldn’t accept. “I
have never seen Priss in such a
rage before and I pray I never do again. I don’t think she recognized me at
first, but then she collapsed. I
managed to get her into the car and you know the rest.”

	Nene looked at Linna. If that was the whole story then she’d give up
chocolate for life. Linna’s
expression indicated that she agreed with her. But Nene knew that this
would be all they were told.

	“Bullshit.” Linna’s quiet statement brought Silia’s head up with a snap.
“I suspect you’ve left out
everything you think we don’t need to know, but it would have been a little
more believable if you’d come
up with a reason for the blood on you.”

	Silia opened her mouth to answer, but Linna cut her off. “And don’t tell
me it happened while
you were getting her to the car. You should have looked in the mirror,
Silia. There’s a rather interesting
blood stain on your throat. Kind of looks like a hand, don’t you agree
Nene?” Nene was silent, wishing
the floor would open up and swallow her. She couldn’t believe Linna was
pushing Silia on this. She stared
at the floor as Linna continued. 

	“How close did Priss come to killing you? Did you really think we didn’t
know how bad her rages
could become? Come on, Silia! Enough is enough, stop treating us like
children. You and Priss are
obviously in love with each other, so it stands to reason that if she
thought you’d been hurt she’d go
ballistic.” Linna stopped her irate tirade and waited for Silia to speak.

	Silia’s face was carved in stone. She stared at Linna and tried to decide
whether she was angry or
surprised. Trust Linna to look beyond the obvious. “Remind me never to
underestimate you again.” Her
voice was flat and Nene sank further down in the couch cushions. “You’re
right. Priss was out of control
for a while after she killed them,” She ignored their shocked exclamations,
“but she didn’t hurt me. She
startled me when she grabbed me, but it just seemed like...she just needed
to reassure herself that I was all
right. Priss began to calm down after that.” She fell silent as Linna and
Nene began to realize just how
bad things had gotten tonight. Priss’ rages had always been something of a
joke, but no one had
considered the possibility her actually ‘killing’ someone.

	Linna studied Silia carefully. Now a myriad of emotions was playing over
Silia’s face. It was the
guilt that confused her. “You’re blaming yourself for this, aren’t you?”
Silia didn’t reply. “Silia, that’s
crazy! You couldn’t have stopped this. Priss’ temper is like a force of
nature, it’d be like trying to stop a
hurricane.”

	“Yes, she would have beat them to within an inch of their lives, but they
would still be alive. I
placed the power in her grasp and in an instant she decapitated one of
those men. Now I have to ask
myself, was I trying to help Priss? Or was I building myself a new weapon?
Maybe I’ve fooled myself into
believing that it was love that motivated me when it was really a desire to
keep her on the team. The lines
are so fine between the choices I made, that I can’t tell anymore.” 

	Linna didn’t know what to say. How could she argue when she wasn’t sure
herself? In the end it
was Nene who spoke up. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this! I’m surprised at
you Silia. I thought you were
smarter than this. Ask yourself one question;  is that really what you
believe or are you afraid of loving
Priss?” Forcing herself to face Silia was difficult and she was determined
to finish what she’d started.
“Don’t let ‘your’ fear drive her away, Silia. You need each other too much
and if you can’t or won’t see
that then you’re a fool! Come on, Linna. Let’s go home.” Nene sailed out of
the apartment and  Linna
followed, stopping at the door. She turned back and looked at Silia.

	“It’s rather startling when she does that, isn’t it?” Then she was gone
and Silia was left alone
with her thoughts. Poor company indeed.



         + + + + +   


	Priss woke to the touch of something soft against her lips. She opened her
eyes and forced them
to focus. Bright sunlight streamed in through the windows, causing her to
squint in pain. Her head felt
muzzy, like she’d drunk too much alcohol, but not enough to become ‘really’
drunk. The sight of the dark
hair in front of her didn’t compute at first and she stared at the back of
Silia’s head in confusion.
Gradually she became aware of her metal arm, which was wrapped tightly
around Silia’s waist. She had
pulled her back against her and Priss frowned when she realized just how
tight she was holding her. 

	Priss eased the pressure around Silia’s ribs and scanned the soft flesh.
Data flowed back through
her neural relay and she was appalled at the readings. She had bruised
Silia. Priss’ dismay grew as
memories of the previous evening began to surface. The scanners helpfully
registered the lingering
microscopic traces of blood on her arm, verifying the truth. Nausea swelled
and Priss pulled away from
Silia and staggered into the bathroom.

	Silia vaguely heard the bathroom door shut and forced herself to waken.
Priss’ sleep had been
restless and she had calmed only when Silia had held her. She wasn’t beside
her now and she recalled
how desperately Priss had gripped her the night before. Silia rubbed her
hand over her ribs and was
pleased to find no pain. She heard the sound of someone being sick and then
Priss’ cough. Silia sat up
quickly, swinging her legs onto the floor. Her robe lay beside the bed, but
she ignored it as she crossed the
room. Silia pushed open the bathroom door and found Priss sitting naked on
the edge of the tub, her face
buried in her hands. Priss looked up as she entered, not speaking as Silia
joined her. They sat in silence,
each not knowing what to say. <What did you say to someone who’s just
killed two men?> Silia clasped
her hands in her lap, wondering what she should do. 

	<What did you say to someone you’ve shocked, frightened and injured?>
Priss glanced at Silia
and a gasp escaped her when she saw the dark smudges on the side of her
throat. Silia turned at the sound
and saw Priss’ horrified gaze. Hesitant fingers touched her neck, lightly
brushing the bruises. Silia reach
up and took her hand, drawing it down against her heart. Priss met her
steady look and knew what had to
be done. 

	“I want you to remove the arm.”

	Silia’s hand tightened around hers. “Priss. Your not thinking clear-”

	“Oh, but I am! I can’t have something this dangerous, Silia. You know
that.” Priss focused on
Silia’s dark eyes and hoped she wouldn’t hate her for what she was about to
confess. “ I killed them, Silia.
I took their lives and I...I enjoyed it. I felt their blood spill and it
wasn’t enough! I wanted more!” Tears
rolled down her face and there was an unsteady gleam in her eyes. “ I want
you to remove this arm
before...before I can feel that way again. Please. I don’t want to hurt you
again.” Her eyes dropped to the
bruises and she cringed at the memory of causing them.

	“These are nothing. You and I both know that you wouldn’t hurt me. Last
night proved that.”
Priss didn’t answer, staring at their joined hands. <How can she stand to
touch me after what I-?> Her
thoughts were scattered as Silia slipped her arm around Priss, pulling her
close. Priss breathed in the scent
of Silia’s hair and welcomed the warm press of her body against hers. Words
suddenly crowded her
tongue and she tried to apologize.

	“I’m sorry. I didn-” Silia’s fingers halted her.

	“You saved my life.” Priss tried to speak again, but Silia wasn’t
finished. She’d had most of the
night to think about this and she knew what needed to be said. “Regardless
of how, I don’t want you to
forget that. I know you’re feeling guilty and you think that this is all
you’re fault, but it isn’t. I was aware
of you’re temper when I built the arm and I did nothing to prevent
something like this from occurring. I
could have installed a fail-safe or a cut off to react when your anger got
out of control, but I didn’t. That
makes me just as responsible for last night. Don’t worry, Priss. I’ll
install a shut off unit so this can never
happen again.”

	Priss didn’t know how to respond to this, even though she disagreed. Silia
wasn’t to blame, but
one look at her face told Priss that she was determined. She pulled her
hand away and cupped her cheek.
“How can you stand to be near me after what I did? After I hurt you?” Silia
raised a brow and shot Priss
stern look. Priss shook her head and continued. “I know what I did last
night. I remember the fear in your
eyes. I don’t want you to be afraid of me, Silia. Half of me says I should
leave before I hurt you again. The
other half wants to hang onto you and never let go.” 

	Silia’s smile was slow and just a little playful. “I vote for choice
number two. All in favor?”

	Priss laughed, exasperated and hugged her. She whispered softly, “What
happens now?”

	Silia knew that she was worried about the bodies, the police and all of
the millions of other things
that could go wrong now. She didn’t have any easy answers, so they would
just have to tackle each
problem as it arose. “Well, I can get dressed and go to work or we can go
back to bed and make love for
the rest of the day. Your choice.”

	Priss tilted her head and appeared to consider. “Wanna toss a coin?”



      + + + + +


	Priss laughed in delight as the boomer shot past her and slammed into the
wall behind her. She
had darted aside at the last possible instant and it’s momentum had been to
great to turn. The boomer
crawled out of the hole and roared at her. Priss raised an armored hand
gestured for him to try again.
“Come on, don’t give up now. The fun’s just started.” It sprang forward and
again Priss nimbly dodged,
letting it fly past.

	Silia smiled as Priss continued to tease the machine and turned to Linna.
She was perched on top
of a wrecked car and was resting her helmet covered chin against her hand.
Nene was leaning back beside
her with her arms crossed. Silia was impressed by their ability to look
bored in full body armor. 

	Linna shook her head at Priss’ game. “I never thought I’d be happy to see
her do that.”

	Nene sighed and agreed. “Yeah. Kind of gives you a warm fuzzy feeling
right here, doesn’t it?”
As she spoke she smacked her armored chest, causing it ring hollowly. Linna
broke up at this and began
to pound the car under her as she laughed. 

	Priss turned at the sound and frowned at the sight of her team mates.
“Nice to see you enjoying
yourselves. No, no, I’ll finish, it’s no trouble, really.” The boomer tried
to catch her arm and she ducked
under it as she spoke. Priss shoved the rail gun into its face and fired
point blank. The head exploded and
she drove her fist into the boomer’s chest. Her arm made a slurping sound
as she pulled it out, covered
with a yellow greasy substance. Priss backed away as the rest of the body
fell apart and held up her arm in
disgust. “Ugh, boomer guts! Hey Silia! Did you want any pieces of this thing?”

	Silia examined the remains, removing several components for future study.
The ADP units had
arrived and were approaching them cautiously. Silia stood up and waved
cheerfully as she ordered her
team to disperse.
 
	Leon felt himself waving back and dropped his hand, feeling silly. The
Knight Sabers may
destroy boomers, but they were still vigilantes and mercenaries. He watched
the armored group depart and
wondered again what they were ‘really’ trying to do.

	

	Leon crumpled the wrapper from his hamburger and tossed it into a nearby
trash can. It bounced
off the rim and dropped inside. “And he scores!” Leon smiled as he leaned
back against the police car and
finished his soda. Except for the boomer incident this morning, it had been
quiet and he was enjoying the
rest. Things had been hopping lately, boomer rampages becoming more
frequent and Leon wondered if
the day would soon come when they lost the battle altogether. A black and
silver motorcycle pulled in to
the parking lot and Leon admired the strong, lean lines. The bike was
pretty cool too. He watched the
driver bring the motorcycle to a halt and was pleasantly surprised when she
removed her helmet. “Priss!”

	Priss heard the familiar voice and tried not to groan. Just what she
needed. Leon jogged over to
her and smiled what he assumed to be his most charming smile. Priss did
groan then at the sight of his
foolish grin. “Hi Leon.” He was beginning his standard pick up line when
another motorcycle parked next
to Priss’. 

	Silia smiled at Priss’ expression and at Leon’s hopeful face. Leon ignored
her and leaned over
the front of Priss’ bike, bringing his face close to hers. Silia was
surprised by the sudden surge of emotion
that hit her. She frowned as she realized that it was jealousy. Silia
tugged off her helmet and dismounted,
walking over to Priss. Priss smiled at her and sent her desperate ‘help’
signals with her eyes. Leon had
straightened at her approach and he stared as Silia slipped her hand around
Priss’ neck. She pulled Priss
to her and kissed her, taking her time and making sure that Leon got the
message.

	Priss let her arms slide around Silia and tried not to smile at Leon’s
startled gasp. Part of her was
amazed at Silia’s behavior. THIS was calm, reserved Silia? Silia ended the
kiss and turned to Leon. 

	“Who’s your friend?” Priss introduced them and Leon felt himself blush as
Priss’ hand remained
low on Silia’s hip.

	“Nice to meet you. We were about to have lunch. Would you care to join
us?” Leon’s blood
pressure shot up as a totally different interpretation of her question
flashed through his mind. He gulped
and reluctantly declined, having to return to work. Priss watched Silia
continue to torture Leon and
wondered if she hadn’t created a monster. She sighed and began to take off
her jacket, the warm sun
making her hot. Leon had been fixed on Silia’s face, but the sight of Priss
undressing now had his full
attention. The silly grin was back as he watched her reveal the snug blue
T-shirt underneath. His smile
was wiped away as the sunlight reflected off of her metal arm. 

	Priss looked up in time to see Leon go pale and step back. She frowned at
him in confusion.
What was wrong? She realized that he was staring at her arm with what could
only be horror. Priss felt a
wave of cold sweep over her. She had grown so comfortable with her arm in
the past months that it never
occurred to her that someone would react like this. Leon was terrified and
Priss was surprised at how
much it hurt. 

	Silia witnessed the silent exchange and wished Leon would disappear. Priss
had been doing so
well and now this. She scowled at Leon and he realized what he was doing. 

	“I’m sorry..it...it just took me by surprise. What happened?” His voice
cracked several times, but
he forced himself to look at her, trying to hide his fear and revulsion. It
didn’t work.

	Priss saw through his mask, but answered anyway. Her reply was clipped.
“Motorcycle accident.”

	“Uh, that’s too bad.....uh I mean about the accident. I...uh..” His beeper
went off and Priss
watched the relief flood his face. Leon gripped his wrist and started for
his car, calling his apologies over
his shoulder. “I’ve got to go. Police business. Uh, nice meeting you Silia.
See you around Priss.” He
climbed into his car and sped away as if being chased by demons.

	Priss felt Silia’s hand on her shoulder and shrugged it off. “Don’t.” Her
voice was harsh.

	“Priss.” Silia was concerned, but Priss ignored her as she put her jacket
back on.

	“I’ll see you later.” Priss started to put on her helmet, but Silia jerked
it out of her hands.

	“Don’t do this Priss.” 

	“I don’t need a mother, Silia.” Priss stared at her, her expression cold.
“Leave me alone.”

	 Silia couldn’t read anything in her eyes, she had completely closed her
out. She tossed the
helmet at Priss and blanked her own features. “Fine. Have it your way. If
you don’t need me, then I sure as
hell don’t need you.” She climbed onto her bike and donned her helmet.
Silia didn’t wait for Priss to peel
out in an burst of speed. She did it first. 

	Priss watched her ride away and felt her heart shatter. Warnings began to
fire off in her mind and
she realized what she’d just done. And to who. 

	<Are you out of your mind! What were you trying to prove with that stunt?>
The voice was
incredulous and Priss didn’t blame it. So was she.

	<You’ve just driven away the one person you’ve ever truly loved and you’re
just sitting here.> A
pause and then it exploded. <What the hell are you waiting for! Go after
her! Apologize! Get down on
your knees if you have to, but don’t let her leave us!> The voice was loud
and urgent, and Priss found
herself obeying automatically. She hit the activate button on the tracking
device on Silia’s bike, mentally
thanked Mackie again and took off. The needle of the speedometer climbed
higher as she urged the cat to
go faster. The high pitched scream grew louder and more annoyed. Priss felt
her heart hammering away
in her chest. “What am I going to say? Silia, I’m sorry I’m an asshole?”

	<There’s a start.>

	Priss ignored the comment and tried to think. “I can’t lose her. Not now.
Not when I’ve finally
found someone who gives a damn. Oh man, could I have possibly done anything
worse? I can’t let her
think that I don’t....oh man. I love her...so much. Damn it! I never told
her! I should’ve known I’d fuck
this up. Why didn’t I tell her?” She skidded as she went around a sharp
turn, but held the bike on the
road. Cars blared at her, but she didn’t hear. The red blip was getting
closer. “Should have told her.
Should have trusted her and should have told her. I love you. There, I can
say the words. Why can’t I say
them to her?” Priss’ monologue continued and as she tore wildly down the
street. She swerved to avoid a
collision and looked up in time to see Silia parked on the side of the road.

	Priss shot past her and had to turn around and come back. She didn’t see
the patrol car  flash it’s
lights at her illegal U-turn. She raced back to Silia and pulled to a
screeching halt beside her, almost
pitching herself over the front of the bike. Silia was sitting motionless,
her helmet covering her features. 

	Priss remembered the last time they’d done this and was not about to go
through it again. She
climbed off the motorcycle, caught her boot on the seat and almost fell in
her hurry. Priss hopped
awkwardly and freed her leg. She strode quickly to Silia, tearing her
helmet off and tossing it aside. Priss
lifted Silia’s helmet off and it hit the ground as she cupped her face in
her hands. Priss saw the pain in her
eyes and began to scattered kisses over Silia’s face, whispering urgently.
“I love you. I love you. I’m sorry.
I didn’t mean to hurt you. Please.” She found Silia’s lips and tried to put
every drop of what she felt into
the kiss. 

	The sound of Priss’ conversation with herself had been the sweetest music
to her ears and she
was glad she’d thought to link the microphone in Priss’ helmet with her
own. Silia thought her heart
would burst from what she was feeling.  She wrapped her arms around Priss
and felt her grip tighten.
Time stopped as they silently tried to healed the hurts on both sides.
Priss lost herself in the taste of Silia,
her attention completely focused on her. 

	So it took a few minutes for the other presence to penetrate. Silia
vaguely noticed the person
standing beside them and it slowly occurred to her where they were. Priss
didn’t really care where they
were as long as Silia didn’t leave her. Silia broke the kiss gently,
pulling away, but returning again and
again. Priss sighed and finally let her forehead drop to Silia’s shoulder.
Silia buried her face in Priss’ hair,
her voice soft. “I love you.”

	Priss raised her head and smiled warmly at her lover. “I love you, too.” 

	The sound of a clearing throat caused them to turn and they both froze.
Priss stared in disbelief at
the intruder. Silia laughed as Nene asked to see Priss driver’s license.
Priss growled at her, but Nene was
undaunted. 

	“Are you aware of the illegal U-turn you committed, Miss?” Her tone was
serious and firm. Priss
faltered at it. She looked uncertain and she found herself searching for an
excuse. “I, uh...”

	Nene couldn’t stand it any longer and burst out laughing. “Had you going
there, didn’t I? You
should have seen your face! Uh, wait a minute. Now Priss, it was funny,
just a little joke! Silia! Help me!”

	Nene was doing a backwards run to her car and Silia leaned back against
the motorcycle and
laughed as Priss chased her.


	                                                                  + + + +
+      


	The moon was full and it turned the sea into a blanket of sparkling
diamonds. The wind blew
lightly over the bridge, but there was no storm in the distance this time.
The motorcycles were parked well
away from the edge and their riders sat watching the sea. Priss turned to
watch the breeze ruffle Silia’s
hair, finding the sight more beautiful than nature’s display before them.
They never planned to come here,
but sometimes something would lead them back. 

	Silia felt Priss’ gaze and turned to smile at her. It had been a year
since the night she’d fallen
here. She and Priss were still together, but lived apart. Which confused
Linna and Nene who’d moved in
together months ago. It must seem like a strange arrangement, especially
since Priss spent so much time
at Silia’s any way. Maybe it was odd, but she and Priss were solitary
people by nature and sometimes they
each had to be alone. It worked for them. They still had the occasional
arguments, but she guessed that
was normal. 

	Priss let her hand reach out and hold Silia’s. The data stream began to
send back information,
but to Priss it was just another sense now. She still had the nightmares,
but they were becoming more
sporadic with her acceptance of what she could not change. Priss glanced at
her watched and realized that
it was getting late. As nice as this was, she had other plans for the
evening and for Sila. She squeezed
Silia’s fingers and let go, picking up her helmet. The moonlight bounced
off of the silver letters and Priss
ran her fingers over them. 

	“Let’s go home.”


		
shimai