Hello,

Say thank you, I sacrificed my extra hour of the end of DST to 
hammer out Chapter Six of Only Human. :) OH is getting a bit dark, 
though, so I wanted to put in some _allegedly_ humorous moments, 
if you believe I've struck out in that department, let me know.

I don't know if I want to make this the final version of Chapter 
Six, so I'm not putting it up on the usual sites just yet.  If I 
wake up in the morning and find I'm not satisfied, I'll do 
something about it.  In the meantime, C&C please, and be 
absolutely critical (still recovering from the trauma of a car 
accident, I WILL break down and cry, but a bit of adversity is 
good for the soul, or so I am told, because if I'm being lied to 
about that I will take it out of someone's hide), it's been so 
long since I felt creative, I've gotten rather rusty at it. *g*
---
Only Human
An Ah! My Goddess Fanfic
By Roehl Sybing (indef@infinitedeferral.com)

Chapter Six: Another Perfect Day

"Keiichi!" Belldandy called out.  The temple grounds were not 
terribly large, so she was absolutely certain that he had heard 
her in the three times that she tried to summon him.  Belldandy 
could only presume that Keiichi was still preoccupied with worry 
and concern.  So, she went to him, walking back up the steps and 
finding him standing in the doorway of the main residence.

"Keiichi," she insisted, "They will come back."

He nodded in return, though he continued to stare through the 
doorway and into the now-empty hall that connected all the other 
rooms.  Keiichi and Belldandy, both so exhausted from the day 
before, did not bother to check up on Urd and Skuld when they 
returned from the fair very early that morning.  It was only after 
daybreak when they woke up and discovered that Belldandy's two 
sisters were, in fact, gone.  When they left was not so obvious, 
but to where they went was almost apparent.

Belldandy knew full well that her decision to remain human would 
have hit a nerve, if not with her sisters, then with others in the 
Heavens.  Whatever her reasons, Urd did not approve, and Belldandy 
did not yet know the extent of her superiors' patience.  Whether 
they would be accomodating or otherwise, she would find out in a 
matter of time, that time depending on how fast her sisters were 
at blowing the whistle.

Keiichi, on the other hand, was entirely ignorant of the coming 
storm brewing about Belldandy, and was consigned to just fix his 
gaze inside the temple and ponder. "It's so quiet," he said, not 
knowing if he should be relieved or concerned.

"Please don't worry about Urd or Skuld," pleaded Belldandy, "They 
did what they felt they had to do."

Keiichi looked at her, "And what about you?"

She responded by shrugging her shoulders playfully. "I have seldom 
asked for anything for myself," she said, "But I have only one 
reason to be selfish."

A gentle breeze passed through the two of them, as Belldandy 
stepped closer and stood right up to him, as if to press her body 
against his.

"You would think that Urd would approve," she whispered, "That I 
don't think I could be happier than this."

Keiichi's heart skipped a beat, feeling his cheek touch her cheek 
ever so slightly as they looked past each other. "You've never 
been selfish before," was all an ignorant Keiichi could find to 
say to her.

Silence stood between them for a long moment, until Belldandy 
moved back half a step, if only to giggle and admire him.

"Oh, Keiichi," Belldandy said with a half-mocking tone in her 
voice, "That's why I love you, you can be innocent when you need 
to be."

"Huh?" he said, taken aback.

"No, that's good, I meant!" she corrected herself, "Maybe you'll 
understand someday.  But right now, we have to get to campus, 
there is a race that we have to practice for!"

Keiichi took her arm in arm, adoring her new sing-song tone that 
beckoned them off the residence and on a motorcycle towards 
Nekomi. "You seem so eager today."

"Shouldn't I be?" Belldandy asked as they walked, "It's barely 
midday, and there's so much to do!  So much life to experience, so 
many chances to make today better than yesterday!"

"Well, if you say so, then I can't complain."

They hopped onto their seats and prepared to leave, one more 
confident - or at least more daring - than the other.

"Say, Keiichi, I think I'm ready for...what's the word?  
Intimacy!  That's it!" she said nonchalantly and in almost one 
unbroken train of thought spoken aloud, "I'm not too sure of the 
specifics...but it sounds like something that we should be doing, 
and since the house is left to the two of us, I don't think I'll 
ever be more ready..."

A startled Keiichi, rolling his eyes without Belldandy looking, 
knew not how to respond. "I don't think I'M ready..." he said 
underneath the sound of the motorcycle engine.

Belldandy looked up, "Did you say something?"

"Huh?" Keiichi said, shouting above the noise of the engine 
pretending that her voice was indistinct.  He tapped the side of 
his helmet, signaling that he couldn't hear a word.

"Oh," Belldandy replied, then mouthing the words "I'll tell you 
later, then" right before she and a relieved but wide-eyed Keiichi 
sped away from the temple grounds.

All the while, a figure watched from afar the motorcycle turning 
onto the main road.  She marked her concerns down in her log, 
officially opening her inquiry.
---
"Are we going to do our best?"

"Yes!"

"And are we going to win this weekend?"

"Yes!"

"Then let's get to it!"

A roaring applause and fanfare among the members of the motor club 
greeted Keiichi's rallying cry.  He stood in front of all of them, 
and couldn't help but think that he was part of something great.  
He was proud of his fellow club members, as they set aside the 
next two days to prepare and practice for the weekend race, one of 
the most important races on the club's calendar.

"Well?" he said, once the fanfare turned into a scattered 
applaused, which in turn faded into a deafening silence that kept 
them all waiting for another word of leadership from 
Keiichi. "What're you guys waiting for, let's get cracking!"

"Oh!" said one.

"Right!" another said.

"Of course!" came from a third.

The crowd before Keiichi meshed and mixed as bodies bumped 
together and struggled to determine where to go, and finally 
turned into a scattering of club members, each of who slowly 
attempted to ascertain their purpose for the day.  It was a 
peculiar sight, and had it not spoiled Keiichi's moment of pride, 
it would have been amusing to him.

"It's difficult sometimes, isn't it?" a voice said from behind 
Keiichi.

He turned his head, and saw a woman standing some distance away 
from where the impromptu rally took place. "What do you mean?"

"Rallying the troops, giving orders without bossing others around, 
hoping to inspire your fellow man.  It's a task, I tell you."

Keiichi watched her approach him.  She was a short but slender 
woman, not terribly imposing and having the look of being able to 
blend into a crowd without standing out.  The no-nonsense type 
that was all work but little else, while having a sense of warmth 
about her that made her easily likable at one's first encounter.

"I suppose so," he replied, "The leadership thing just kinda fell 
on my lap, though.  What about you?"

"Oh, me?  I was merely thinking about my boss.  I'm just a 
follower."

"I see.  I'm sorry, I didn't get your name.  You are--?"

She looked at him as if she couldn't find what to say.  She paused 
to ponder, and then laughed without an apparent reason. "Excuse 
me!  No, my name's not important.  I won't be here long, just 
hanging around to see what's what."

"Oh, alright," Keiichi said, "Um, you were thinking about joining 
the club?"

"No," the woman with no name said yet again, "Not really.  
Just...checking things out, that's all."

"Right...hey, you're not a spy for another club, are you?  Trying 
to figure out our secrets before the race?"

"What?" she said angrily, taking offense and unexpectedly raising 
her voice, "Are you accusing me of deception!?"

Keiichi backed down quickly, "No, no, that's not it!  I'm sorry, I 
didn't mean anything by it!"

"Oh," the woman replied, all the tension having instantaneously 
fizzled into nothing. "Well, in that case, don't worry about it!"

Keiichi looked at the woman turn from curiosity exemplified, to 
focused anger, to undirected contentment, bordering on happiness.  
He was easily confused, so he said nothing, save a small mumble 
under his breath to concur.

"Anyways," she continued, "I wasn't aware there was a race this 
weekend!  Tell me, please, what's the race?"

"The race?" Keiichi asked, "Right, the race...well, seven other 
clubs from around town are joining in, and all of us compete on a 
road course.  The course has been designed specifically for sharp 
and sudden turns, and the natural inclines make it difficult to 
handle the curves if you're not expecting them."

"Sounds like an ugly metaphor," she said.

"I guess.  Two-passenger machines are equipped to handle courses 
like these, but we suspect it's going to take some creativity to 
handle the type of curves that are on this course," Keiichi 
replied, looking at everything before him, the club members, the 
drawing boards, the scattered parts, everything. "We have to build 
a machine completely from scratch, one that's built for speed, 
control and reaction time.  Sometimes you can make up for bad 
reflexes with good control, but a course like this will be very 
unforgiving."

"So it's not just about speed?"

"Exactly.  Fastest time wins the prize.  But if you deviate from 
the course, the race is over for you."

"I get it!  That's why Belldandy is riding left seat with you, 
right?"

"Yeah, that's right," he said, then pausing for a moment before 
asking, "You know Belldandy?"

The woman took a half step back, startled by the question and not 
being able to catch herself. "Me?  No, I don't!"

"Then how--?"

"Well," she said, fumbling for the right response, "You mentioned 
her in your little pep talk, remember?"

Keiichi pondered it some, then answered, "No, not really."

"I could've sworn you mentioned Belldandy!  You said something 
like, 'Let Belldandy and I be just a small part in your victory 
this weekend!'" she said, trying to imitate Keiichi, "Right?"

"I don't think I ever said anything like that," he insisted.

"But, but,"

"Aw, but who cares about details, right?" he said while checking 
his watch, "Anyways, I'd love to stay and chat, but there's a lot 
that needs doing.  Take a look around if you want, just don't 
touch anything, we got some very delicate stuff we're working on!"

The woman breathed a sigh of relief as she watched him run off to 
do his task.  Almost caught.

Twice, that is.  She quickly ducked behind an obstruction in 
reaction to the sight of Belldandy walking nearby.  For a very 
brief moment they exchanged the slightest-possible passing glances 
in each other's direction.  The unnamed woman could only hope that 
she was not recognized.
---
Belldandy intercepted Keiichi in the clubhouse overlooking the 
makeshift work area, as others outside worked to get parts 
together and assembled in short order but in top condition.

"Keiichi?" she asked, "That woman...who was that?"

"Hm?  Oh, just someone who was curious, she wanted to know what 
was going on."

"I see," Belldandy replied, unconvinced.

"Belldandy?" Keiichi asked curiously, smiling at her, "You're not 
jealous, are you?"

She looked at him, failing to keep underneath the surface a hint 
of disdain, "If I was jealous, surely I  would let you know it."

Keiichi backed away, apologizing, "I'm sorry."

A long face wrote itself all over Keiichi, and Belldandy couldn't 
help but watch the consequences of her words.  She had never made 
him feel that way before. "No, I'm sorry," she said, quickly 
coming over to be close to him, "I don't know why I said that."
He shook his head, "It's okay, it's nothing."

"It's just that...I could've sworn I've seen her before."

"Not me," Keiichi said, "Who do you think it is?"

"I don't know," Belldandy replied, "Ever since the - you know - my 
memory has been clouded.  It takes a little more effort to 
recall.  Names, faces, even memories...they're all there, but it's 
just not so clear anymore.  One of the drawbacks of 
being...ordinary, I suppose."

"Well, let me know if you remember who she is, and if you need any 
help."

"Alright," she said, before taking Keiichi by the arm and stopping 
him on his way out.  She asked, "Why do you put up with me?  I 
mean, after everything the past few days."

Keiichi took a good look at Belldandy, and replied, "When we first 
met, you asked if you were a bother, remember?"

She nodded her head.

"After all this time, I haven't changed my mind.  But, even if you 
don't believe me, at least let me take care of you when you are 
a...bother.  It's the least I can do for, well, everything."
She knew Keiichi long enough to recognize a response that came 
from the heart.  Her heart flew as she, out of instinct and 
without much notice, planted her lips firmly on his before she 
could change her mind about it.  It was a very brief moment of 
contact, and not much passionate about it, but it was a pure 
display of affection, and it was enough to leave Keiichi 
absolutely paralyzed.

Belldandy, on the other hand, was frantic.  She laughed 
hysterically, "That was...that was...that felt so...oh, wow!  I 
have to, uh...excuse me, I'm just going to..."
Her voice trailed off as she happily left the clubhouse, not 
noticing that Keiichi was in a state of delusion that could only 
be created by a dream come true.
---
"Belldandy!" Sora said as she approached to her.

"Oh, hello, Sora," Belldandy replied while still in a state of 
euphoria.

"I-I just wanted to say," she said, demonstrating that she was 
always in awe of Keiichi's girlfriend, "You look different today.  
It's very nice."

"Why, thank you.  I...feel different.  It's a great feeling."

"What is?"

"Being human."

Sora looked at her curiously, "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's...it's..." Belldandy tried to say, attempting to 
explain it to Sora, but recognizing that she wouldn't understand 
her circumstances, "Never mind.  What are you doing right now?"

"Me?  I'm just taking this box of parts over to the garage to get 
them assembled onto the machine."

"That sounds like fun!" she quickly presumed.

"Nah, it's a lot of work.  I don't mind, but I think the fun is in 
the racing.  Until then, it's work."

"Nonsense!" Belldandy retorted, "Let me help, I can always try 
something new."

She looked up at Belldandy, "Really?  You mean it?"

"Sure!  The sooner we finish, the sooner we can try it out, right?"
Sora nodded, "Right!  I could use a helping hand anyways, let's 
go!"
---
The woman found that she did have some sort of a fascination with 
these primitive machines that were caught in her observation as 
the day wore on.  They were not the primary focus, of course.  She 
stuck to the job that she was given without hesitation.  All day, 
she managed to avoid meeting Belldandy's gaze while still keeping 
an eye on her as she moved from task to task, from component to 
component as mechanical parts acted like puzzle pieces, grouping 
together to form larger pieces until, eventually, the finished 
product is complete.  The woman saw in Belldandy a look of 
satisfaction and pride as she worked handily on a number of 
mechanical components, flowing from one area to the next while 
having a good time.

The unnamed figure kept one eye on Keiichi as well.  Keiichi, 
despite doing the same routine of working on various pieces of the 
vehicle in development, was unaware that Belldandy had joined in 
the preparation.  All he knew that, instead of having time to make 
suggestions and get feedback in order to improve the initial 
designs, he had to spend time trying to fix a costly fault created 
by subpar workmanship each time he was lucky enough to catch it.  
To say nothing of the faults that he had not yet caught, six hours 
into assembly.  It was the simple things: parts were not being 
welded properly, nuts and bolts were not securely fastened, or 
delicate components were damaged in the process of being assembled.
Whatever the reason, Keiichi didn't know who was responsible for 
putting the wrong effort into assembling parts.  Maybe it was one 
person, maybe it was several people.  With the full membership of 
the motor club coming together for this big race, Keiichi couldn't 
tell who it was.  Not that he wanted to chew them out, but time 
was slowly becoming a factor in the hours of the late afternoon.

"Run for cover, everyone!" a person said as he and several others 
scrambled out of the garage.  Keiichi picked his head up to see 
what was the matter.  From the garage, bits and pieces of metal 
came flying out in all directions, and a cloud of black smoke 
slowly drifted outwards and up into the sky.

"Say, Sora," Keiichi said, quickly getting used to the growing 
predicament, "That big chunk of metal, would that happen to be the 
engine?"

Sora turned her head at two angles just to be sure, "I think it 
is, sir."

The incredulity continued to mount on top of Keiichi as a club 
member ran across the work area.

"Help me!  Somebody help me!  AIIIIEEEEEE..." was the sound he 
made as he inexplicably ran from the passenger seat, somehow 
running on wheels and under its own power, prematurely supplied.
Keiichi looked on, just stunned, "Well, I've never seen it do that 
before."

"Me neither," Sora replied, if only to fill up an awkward silence.
Belldandy came into sight, coincidentally after the episode of 
mayhem died down.  She kept her hands together, clutching her sore 
palms and fingers.  She and Keiichi exchanged looks.

"I'm sorry for keeping you, we should've been out of here one or 
two hours ago," Keiichi said.

She looked around, "What happened?"

"Well, among other things, we need to replace the engine, chase 
down the passenger seat, and last time I looked, remove a heck of 
a lot of added parts from what was supposed to just be the 
steering wheel."

Luckily for Belldandy, Keiichi wasn't looking at her.  He would 
not be able to see, for the first time, her look of wide-eyed 
shock, and the internal attempt to keep herself calm.  The natural 
response that came to mind was to just not say a word, something 
that may haunt her later, but Belldandy could not possibly worry 
about that.

Especially when she could focus on another matter.

"That IS her!" she cried to Keiichi.  She pointed the woman out 
while she was not paying attention to them but rather the bit of 
chaos engulfing one part of the work area. "I can't believe I 
didn't recognize her at first, but it's her!"

"Who?" Keiichi said.

"Wait here."

"What, what is it?"

"Just wait here, I'll take care of this," Belldandy said, 
exhibiting a bit of undirected anger.

Keiichi watched her storm away.  Given the tone of her voice, he 
certainly didn't want to argue with her, let alone get in her way.
---
"Whoa, this is pretty amusing," the woman said to herself as she 
examined the mess all laid out in front of her.  Under the 
pretense that she didn't want to interfere with the important work 
handled by the club members, she stayed more or less an observer 
tucked away largely unseen by most.  She laughed a little at the 
comic atmosphere of it all.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," said one voice behind her.
She knew that voice, and could only turn around to see the face of 
one seeking answers and fast.

"Belldandy!  How nice to see you!" the woman said.  She had never 
seen Belldandy angry, but something inside told her that it was 
better not to know what it would be like.

"What do you want?  Are you spying on me?"

"Take it easy," she said, "I was going to let you know in good 
time!"

"I'm sure you know by now I won't go back.  At least not now," 
Belldandy insisted.

"That's ridiculous!  Do you imagine what you're giving up, and 
what that means to the rest of us?"

"If you could only realize what I have been through in the past 
few days, maybe you wouldn't be so quick to judge."

The woman scoffed, "Come now, Belldandy!  You know that it is not 
up to me to judge.  And it may not be your place to choose either!"

"Who sent you to come look for me?  Was it Urd?"

She nodded, "Urd got called up, yes."

"And my big sister told you to find me and convince me to change 
my mind, is that right?"

"Well..." the woman said, drifting away.

Belldandy looked in her eyes and insisted, "What?  What's going 
on?"

"Don't you get it, Belldandy?  EVERYBODY sent me after you!"

TO BE CONTINUED...
---
Roehl Sybing
infiniteDeferral - http://www.infinitedeferral.com/ 

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