Posting this for Lara.
A rare occasion now for me to write an anime fanfic...
{These characters are not property of me. I would never attempt to claim
them as my own. This story may not be used without my permission, and may
not be used to make money in any way, shape or form. Characters and certain
situations were created by Kosuke Fujishima, so don't try any funny stuff!}
And the River Flows
by Lara Bartram
lara@thekeep.org
http://www.thekeep.org/~lara/index.html
-----------------
Every morning she got caught at this crossing, waiting for the same train.
Every morning she told herself she'd leave five minutes earlier to beat it.
Every morning she ran out the door at the same time she had the previous
morning.
With a sigh, she rest her helmeted head in her hand as lights flashed their
warnings. She wished she had worn her shorty rather than the full face
helmet; it was hardly 8:30 and already it was sweltering. Even the blast of
wind the train created as it sped past couldn't help cool her. This was
going to be another miserable day to be on patrol, and here it was only May.
The noise of the train subsided, and the gates lifted slowly. She was
pleased to see all the vehicles waited until they were fully open and the
lights had stopped before moving. It was certainly one thing to be a free
spirit, and completely another to be reckless. That had been drilled into
her very thoroughly after the many accidents she'd had. It dampened her love
of the road, but after one close call too many, she had put an abrupt end to
her wilder times. Those mountain roads still called her, but they were far
less insistent now than they had been at one time.
The traffic on the way to the station was surprisingly light for a Tuesday
morning, a small blessing. Leathers were good for protection, but murderous
in the Japanese summer when riding around the city. She smiled to herself.
She was actually looking forward to getting to the station this morning if
only to change into something less stifling.
As usual, she was one of the later arrivals to Bokuto, but not the last. She
took a moment to remove her helmet, releasing her short brown hair from its
confines, and took a deep breath of fresh morning air. She greeted her
friends with a casual wave and a yawn as they walked past, and she soon
followed. The simple act of unzipping her jacket was such a relief, she
leaned against the cool concrete of the garage.
The garage itself was oddly empty and silent, but her best friend was more
unpredictable now that she had finally snagged herself a man. It was a bit
rough to lose those wonderful lunches, but that was hardly something to hold
a grudge over, especially when the couple was so happy. The Today looked to
be in perfect condition; her distracted partner was not so distracted as to
let that go under her notice.
No, that Today was practically family for the both of them. She loved her
bike, but not in the same way as the Today. The bike was a fun machine; it
wasn't nearly so important as this trusty Honda. With a fond smile she
attributed to the weather, she left the coolness of the garage and headed up
to the station proper.
Greetings were kept to quiet nods and smiles as she made her way to the
changing room. For some reason, it just felt like a quiet morning, even
amongst the normal activity of the station. It continued as the others
chattered around her, changing into their uniforms, while she didn't speak a
word. Maybe it was just being here with the important people in her world,
he friends and co-workers, on a morning that found her in the mood to
reflect on these simple things as she finished buttoning her shirt.
"It's a little early to be daydreaming. Chief's giving out assignments."
Before she could respond, her elbow was snagged, and she was pulled to the
door. "My shoes!" She managed to hook her fingers in the backs just before
they were out of reach.
The chief stood before them, looking very stern, but that was his normal
appearance. She knew better than to be fooled by it, had seen his eyes full
of concern and compassion. She remembered the time he had saved her life,
had watched him race along, and finally pulled her from the rushing water.
That, and a pair of women that had never failed to impress her as a child,
had turned her to this path.
"Agawa? Agawa Maho?"
She shook her head, and realized she had once again been daydreaming: she
was the only one still standing there in front of the chief. "Yes, sir?
Sorry, I'm still a bit muddled this morning." She smiled at him, not feeling
muddled at all really. Sunnier than she had in a long time.
"Yes, I've noticed. And you should know better than to smile at a married
man like that."
"I wouldn't worry. After all, I learned it from Mrs. Tsujimoto, and Mrs.
Nakajima was her partner all that time."
"Mrs. Nakajima didn't approve of it then, and I wouldn't overestimate her
understanding now." He leaned forward to add quietly, "She's gotten to be a
bit--"
"A bit what?"
Ken froze, bent forward slightly, and straightened quickly. "Nothing, dear."
"That's what I thought. You forgot your lunch again. And stop flirting with
all these young ladies."
"I-I would never...!"
Miyuki winked at the young lady that she still sometimes saw as little Maho
crying for her lost cat, and received Maho's wide smile in return.
The station and neighborhood continued to be in good hands.
END