Chapter 23

Aoi knelt down and began to clean up the debris of Gendo's dropped tray. He heard noises and looked up to see a dozen people crowding around him, staring. It was exactly what he was hoping to avoid, until the unfortunate meeting with Onodera. Aoi dropped his head and returned to his task.

"What happened, Aoi?" The question came from his right. He looked up to see Miyuki standing there, a look of concern on her face. "Are you all right?"

"Yes... yes... I'm fine" he said, his voice shaky. He stood up and started to turn back to the scullery window. He put the tray on the conveyor belt and then leaned on the sill of the window with both hands. "I guess I startled Onodera. I think I know why."

"Let's go someplace quiet and talk, Aoi. OK?" Miyuki asked, her eyes pleading.

"I would like that" Aoi replied, tears moistening his eyes. He remained where he was, with his back to the crowd.

Natsumi spoke up. "Alright, you guys, it's almost 0800. All of you who are not qualified with a semi-auto pistol should be at the pistol range in the basement now!" She glared at the group, recognizing a number of officers who were on her list. They stood there, a bit shocked at the order.

"You heard Tsujimoto-MOVE OUT!" Kachou barked out. The crowd began to break up as people headed for the doors-some leaving their trays and half-eaten food behind. Natsumi turned to Kachou with a look of dismay. "It's not you, Natsumi" he assured her. "It's the same as when a crowd gathers at an accident."

"I understand, Kachou" Natsumi admitted. "I'm still being seen by some as just a fellow officer, not a leader. That will end soon." She smiled and turned to Shouji. "Gotta run, Shouji. I've got to go be my bad-ass self." She turned for the door.

"I thought I was assisting you with the qualifications, Natsumi?" he replied

Natsumi slapped her forehead. "Right! I forgot. Let's go, dear!" The two of them headed off.

"Aren't you supposed to help, too?" Kachou asked Kenny.

"Oh. Right. I guess I better get going." Kenny said, still confused by seeing Aoi in a man's uniform. He took off after Natsumi and Shouji.

That left Aoi, Miyuki, Kachou and Karouko standing in the cafeteria. Kachou looked around and said "Miyuki, why don't you and Aoi go to my office. You'll be comfortable there. Karouko and I will see if we can find Onodera. It might be best if we talked with him first."

Aoi turned around. His face was tear stained and he looked shaken and tired. "I have an idea of where he might have gone" he told the two inspectors. "He would want to go to someplace where he can be alone. That could only mean the holding cells. He'll think that no one would expect him to go back there. Please be careful. I don't know if he's just shocked or if his hatred of me has resurfaced."

"We'll be cautious, Aoi" Karouko said. "Thanks for the insights." Kachou and Karouko walked away, leaving Miyuki and Aoi standing there. "Would you want to talk here, Miyuki?" Aoi asked wearily.

"No, I'm sure the cafeteria crew will want to clean up for lunch" Miyuki replied. "I think Kachou's office will be the best place." The two of them walked out of the dining room.

Mrs. Yamata, the cafeteria supervisor, came over to the remnants of the dropped tray that Aoi had missed. Looking at all the trays left on tables, she shook her head and silently turned around to send the workers out to clean up the room.

Gendo ran down the hallway, tears streaming down his face. "How could she do that to me?" he wondered to himself. "How could she leave and let him come back?" He ran into a sleepy Toshiro as the car mechanic turned doctor's assistant came out of the infirmary looking for Megumi. Gendo knocked Toshiro against the wall as he flew by him. Toshiro was still sleepy enough he did not recognize him, even with him wearing his orange jumpsuit.

Half running, half stumbling down the stairs, Gendo made it to the level where the detention cells were located. As he approached the door, he panicked-what if a guard was there? A few steps later, when the door came into view, he saw that it was slightly ajar. He threw the door open but the room and all the cells within it were empty. Relieved, he went back to the cell he had occupied and threw himself on the bunk, still crying.

"Why is he back? Where did she go?" Those questions swirled inside Gendo's head as he lay face down on the thin mattress. "What did he do with my guardian angel, Aoi?"

Miyuki closed the door behind her after as Aoi sat on the couch in Kachou's office. She then sat beside her fellow officer. Looking down to gather her thoughts, Miyuki turned to Aoi. "I don't know how to say this any other way but what is going on, Aoi?"

Aoi hunched over with his arms on his legs supporting his upper body. He clasped his hands as he sat there quietly for a few seconds. Finally, he spoke. "You know the female-the feminine Aoi-that you've worked besides for many years. That's a... a... persona, for lack of a better word. After the Chuo Rapist case, after I had to "come out" as a man playing a woman, I lost the ability to function in that capacity for the Sex Crimes Unit."

"That's understandable, Aoi" Miyuki said. "I can imagine how much that work meant to you."

"There was good and bad about it, Miyuki" Aoi replied. "I was able to put a lot of guilty people behind bars in both the anti-chikan squad and the special operations I participated in, but there was a great price to pay-my partnership, even my friendship with Sahashi. I even interfered with Saori's and Masumi's chances to become a couple. It became a great weight on me. When I requested a transfer to another department, my hope was to leave all that behind and make a new life for myself. I realize now that I was only delaying the inevitable. My past came back to haunt me."

Miyuki sat there, staring at the floor. The revelations Aoi was sharing with her were earth-shaking. She was trying to imagine the burdens that Aoi had carried with her... no, with him... How could anyone handle such a complex situation?

Aoi lifted his head and looked at Miyuki. "Are you shocked? Does it change your opinion of me?" His voice was tired and shaky but Miyuki could hear the female Aoi in the tone of his voice as well as the words.

"No, no, not at all, Aoi" she said with a tone of assurance. "I was just trying to fathom what you've been going through all these years. I guess in the midst of all this crisis I didn't see how it was affecting you."

"I tried to hide it, Miyuki" Aoi confessed "though not as well as I had hoped. With Onodera and Sahashi both here suddenly, I was thrown right back into what I had hoped I would never have to face again. I had to do something to keep from breaking down."

"But the thing is, you're still the same Aoi-whether male or female, you're still you" Miyuki insisted.

"Am I?" Aoi asked. "I'm not that ditzy airhead that you knew for years. That all flew out the window the moment Yoriko was bitten. It was like flipping a switch. No, it was more like a bomb going off. Suddenly I was reacting automatically, firing, evaluating my shots and correcting without even thinking about it. And then... when Yoriko attacked me, I moved like I haven't moved since playing basketball at the university. At that point, I thin the feminine Aoi was, for all practical purposes, gone. Since then, I've been trying to get "her" back-but I've come to the realization that's not what I need to do now."

"What do you mean, Aoi?" Miyuki asked.

"This situation-this crisis calls for the Aoi that could run anti-chikan decoy stings and pull off the Chuo rapist investigation" he replied. "Not the one whose specialties are flower arranging, tea ceremonies and make-up."

Miyuki pondered Aoi's statement for a while. Slowly, she began to nod. "I'm beginning to understand what you mean, Aoi. I have just one question-will the other Aoi come back some day?"

Aoi sat there with a puzzled look on his face. "If the world stays as it is, I can't see a place in it for the feminine Aoi. However, if we can get back to a semblance of normality, or to a place of safety, she would be able to return someday, I suppose."

"I hope so" Miyuki said. "We do need you right now, but the feminine Aoi will be missed."

Aoi stood up. "Well, I think I better go and talk to Gendo. Hopefully I can convince him I'm the Aoi that saved him."

"I'll come with you" Miyuki told Aoi. "I think you should have a back-up and I can help explain the situation." She got up and followed Aoi out of the office.

Daimaru and Sena Nakajima had spent the first day at Bokuto helping where they could. Daimaru had sat in on some of the planning sessions run by the senior officers and had helped out Oshou set up his ham radio system. Sena had cared for the children that had taken refuge at the station most of the day and evening. After that long day, the two of them fell asleep early and slept throughout the night.

About 0800, Sena rolled over onto her side in her sleep. She was jarred awake by cramps in her abdomen. She sat up in bed and was hit by a wave of nausea. Sena let out a groan, which woke Daimaru up from his sleep. "What's wrong, Sena?" he asked.

Sena didn't answer. Instead, her eyes grew wide as the color drained from her face. She struggled to her feet and ran out of the room, covering her mouth with her hand. Daimaru, still groggy, also got up from the futon and followed his wife. He saw her run into a bathroom across the hall from the office they had slept in. As he walked into the bathroom, he could hear retching coming from a nearby stall. He followed the sound and found Sena bent over a toilet.

"How can I help you, dear?" Daimaru asked. Sena, breathing heavily, finally looked up at her husband. "I don't know" she replied. "I've never felt like this before." She bent back over the toilet bowl. She attempted to vomit a few more times, but nothing came up. She finally sat back on her heels, daintily wiping her mouth. Daimaru wet some paper towels and handed them to his wife so she could clean up. "You're going to the infirmary right now" he stated as he helped her up.

Supporting his wife, Daimaru walked Sena down to the infirmary. Kaname was sitting at the desk, but jumped up as she saw the couple walk in. "What happened, Daimaru?" she inquired as she helped him move Sena to a bed. "I don't know" he admitted. "I heard her groan-that woke me up. Then she ran out of the room and I found her in the rest room... she was... she was..."

"Vomiting?" Kaname prompted him.

"Yes, vom... what you said" he replied.

"I'll check her out and make sure she's alright. You just sit down and relax, Daimaru" Kaname instructed the worried man as she pushed him towards the couch by the windows. Daimaru went over and sat, then laid down. He didn't take his eyes off his wife, however.

.

Kaname began her examination of Sena. She took her patient's vital signs and asked her about what she had eaten in the last two days. She poked and probed Sena's belly gently and listened to her bowel sounds. Frowning, she stepped back and thought.

"What is it, Doc?" Daimaru asked, sitting up. He had a concerned look on his face.

Kaname looked up at him as if she had forgotten he was on the couch. "Daimaru, um, could I ask you to step out for a few minutes?'

"Is Sena OK?" Daimaru insisted, standing up. His look of concern had turned to worry.

"I'll be able to better know after you step out and I have a chance to examine her more closely" was her reply. "Why don't you go down to the cafeteria and get breakfast? It'll make you feel better and that will help Sena" she suggested.

"OK, I'm going" Daimaru protested, "but I want to know what's going on when I get back." He walked out of the infirmary.

"Sena, do you feel like sitting up?" Kaname asked her patient.

"I... I think I can now" she replied, then she struggled to sit upright on the bed. Sena swayed a bit as she closed her eyes, then she steadied.

"I have some questions to ask you, Sena" Kaname started. Sena nodded in understanding. "First, are you on any birth control?"

Sena was a bit startled. "Um, no. Why?"

Kaname smiled. "Do you remember when you last had your period?" she continued.

Sena stared ahead, her cheeks reddening a bit at the question. She thought a while and replied, "I think it was four weeks ago... but I can't remember." She sat and though a bit more, then her eyes widened. "No, it was more like six, maybe seven weeks ago. Do you think..."

"I'm wondering, and thankfully Kyou made sure to get what we need to know" Kaname replied as she crossed over to a cabinet. She opened it up, picked up a box, carried it over to Sena and handed it to her. "I'll need you to use this."

Sena looked at the box in her hands. The label read "Early Pregnancy Test". Sena started giggling. "Oh, no, I don't need this" she said, one hand covering her mouth. "I know I'm not..."

"Are you sure?" Kaname retorted. Sena looked up at her and saw concern in her eyes even though there was a smile on her lips. "Let's be positive. You can use the water closet over there" she added, pointing to the other side of the infirmary.

Sena slid off the bed and headed to the WC. "Alright, if you insist" she said, "but I hate to waste one of these kits when you might need it later." She went in the room and closed the door. Kaname waited by the bed for a few minutes, then heard an audible gasp even through the WC door.

The door flew open and a wide-eyed Sena came out of the room holding the test stick. "I... I... I... I can't believe it!" she exclaimed.

As she approached Kaname, the doctor could see the indicator strip on the test stick. It was a red line, which she knew indicated that Sena was pregnant. Kaname broke out into a wide grin.

"How... How... How did this happen?" Sena asked. She was half smiling, half dazed.

"You don't know how it happened, Sena?" Kaname replied, stifling a chuckle.

"I mean, isn't Daimaru too old?" the newly-expectant mother asked.

"No, dear" Kaname replied. "Most men can father children up into their 80s."

Sena started giggling. "He's going to be so proud of himself" she exclaimed.

"Come, sit over here so we can discuss what you need to do now, Sena" Kaname said, indicating the desk. The two of them sat down to talk. Twenty minutes passed, then the infirmary door opened and in walked a clearly worried Daimaru.

"So, Doctor, what's wrong with..." he started but he stopped when he saw the two women grinning at him. "Congratulations, dad" Kaname said.

"What do you mean?" Daimaru asked, confused.

Sena stood up and walked over to Daimaru. She embraced him and looked up into his eyes. "We're going to have a baby, Daimaru" she said sweetly.

Daimaru was momentarily stunned by the statement. He stood there, his arms around his wife, with a blank look on his face. His mouth slowly grew into a huge grin. All of a sudden, he let out a yell, picked Sena up and spun her around. "I'm going to be a father!" he exclaimed loud enough that people out in the hall heard him. One of them was Kenny, who was heading to the basement firing range to assist Natsumi in qualifying officers on semi-auto pistols. He burst into the infirmary shouting "You're going to be what?"

"I'm going to be a father, son" Daimaru shot back, smiling broadly. Sena looked at Kenny happily and said, "Kenny, you're going to have a little sister." The motorcycle officer was stunned. "Dad! Sena!" was all he could say.

"Oh. Come on, Kenny, I told you to call me Mom" giggled Sena.

Kenny sputtered and then coughed as Daimaru slapped him hard on the back. "You're going to have to hurry up so you can catch up with your old man, son!" He roared. As he did, a few more people, attracted by the hoopla, came into the infirmary. "What's the big noise about?" asked Oshou, one of the late arrivals.

"We're having a baby!" yelled Daimaru again.

"That's wonderful!" Oshou exclaimed.

"All right, everyone!" Kaname called out to the rapidly growing crowd. "This is an infirmary. There are sick people who are here..." she looked around to see all the beds empty, then said "I mean, there are sick people who need to use this facility. Take this impromptu baby shower to a more appropriate location, like the cafeteria."

Daimaru, Sena and the well-wishers took Kaname's advice and left the room. They all headed down to the cafeteria, except Kenny, who once again left for the firing range. Kaname was left all alone in a once-again quiet infirmary. She smiled as she sat back down to fill in Sena's chart.

"It appears Aoi was correct in her, um, his analysis of Onodera" Kachou said to Karouko as the approached the detention cell block. The two officers had searched Gendo's sleeping area first and then the custodian's office before heading to the detention cells.

"She should be... I mean, he should" Karouko replied. "He had studied him for a long while before setting himself up as a decoy. To do anything else would have been foolish." Kachou opened the door to the cell block.

"Gendo?" he called out. "Gendo Onodera? This is Kachou. I have Karouko with me. We just want to talk with you. We're coming in." The couple walked into the hallway and checked each cell. They found Gendo still lying with his back to them on the bunk in the last cell, apparently asleep.

"Gendo?" Karouko said to the still form. He turned over and the two officers stopped. Gendo's eyes were red, his cheeks were tear stained and his lower lip trembled as he began to speak.

"Why? Why did he do it?" Gendo asked morosely. "Why did he take my Aoi away from me?" He then rolled back to his previous position. His shoulders shook as he sobbed.

Karouko knelt down and placed her hand on Gendo's shoulder. "I know you're shocked by her change. I don't know why she did it, but I'm sure that she had a good reason for... for..." Karouko stopped, racking her brain to come up with the right words.

"Gendo, no matter how she dresses, she's still the same Aoi that saved you" Kachou said softly. "She... He... We have all been through the most disturbing day of our lives. Why don't you go talk to Aoi and find out what happened?"

Gendo's body shook on the bunk. "I can't... I can't face him. He's not Aoi. He's..."

"The same person who saved your life yesterday, Gendo" cam a voice from the hallway. The three people in the cell all looked at the same time. Aoi was standing outside the cell, his hands folded in front of him, a concerned look on his face. "Bust I have a message from your Aoi. She wants you to hear me out. She needs you to understand."

"How can I believe you?" he replied.

"She wants you to" Aoi answered. He gestured to the two officers to exit the cell. They walked over to Aoi with concerned looks on their faces.

"Give us some time alone" Aoi asked.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Kachou countered, his voice low. "I don't know if I'd want to leave the two of you alone."

"I appreciate your concern but I'll be alright" Aoi assured the two officers. "I can tell he's not dangerous, he's just confused and shocked by confronting me so suddenly. I'll be more able to talk to him if it's just the two of us." He turned and went over to the guard's desk to pick up the chair.

"Just be careful" Karouko cautioned him. "We'll be right outside if anything happens." They two of them walked down the hallway and exited the cell block. Aoi took the chair into the cell Gendo was in and sat down facing him.

"Gendo" he said softly. "Aoi wants me to give you a message."

Gendo stayed facing the cell wall. "Why should I believe you?" he said gruffly.

"Because she needs you to understand, Gendo. She's hurting and confused and needs you to understand why she's gone away temporarily."

At that, Gendo turned to face Aoi. "What's there that needs to be understood?" he shot back.

"Aoi wants to be with you, but for right now, she's suffering" he explained. "If she was to stay here-if she didn't take refuge-she might never recover from all she's gone through and we would never be able to get her back."

"All she's gone through?" Gendo sneered. "What do you mean, all she's gone through?"

"Gendo, please listen. I lost my two best friends yesterday to... to... to Them" Aoi said-but his voice softened and Gendo could hear the feminine Aoi speaking again. "I even had to shoot one of them to stop her from making me one. I had to do things I never wanted to do again-things only the male Aoi should have done."

"Was saving me one of them?" Gendo said.

Aoi shook his head. "No, it wasn't. What happened all that time ago disappeared like a fairy tale or a fable the moment They showed up. But I have to tell you" he went on, "that it was the male Aoi that saved you yesterday. His instincts took over the instant Yorkio was attacked by that walker. I couldn't have done it-I would not have been able to save myself if it wasn't for the Aoi sitting before you now."

Gendo sat up as Aoi was speaking, drawn into the conversation. "But he was the one who testified against me..."

"Gendo." Aoi looked him straight in the eyes. "You know why he did that. You admitted as much yesterday." there was silence between the two for a time, then Gendo dropped his head down. "I remember." he admitted. Looking back up, he continued, "So it was the male Aoi that saved me yesterday?"

Aoi shook his head in acknowledgment. "I was there, but I was emotionally devastated by what I had done. However, I was the one who made him recover the body-so I was a part in rescuing you, for if I hadn't have done that, he wouldn't have been there when you needed him."

Gendo dropped his head in his hands and heaved a great sigh. Lifting his head again, he said "I'm a bit confused by it all, but I think I'm getting the gist of it-so, while you were there, it was he who saved me, he who..." Aoi reached out and laid his hand on Gendo's knee.

"It's far more complicated than that" he said, 'but know this. We both share our feelings for you. We're happy you're alive and have let the past die with... with..." His lower lip began trembling.

"I understand now" Gendo said softly, taking both of Aoi's hands in his. "We need to let go of all the trappings of that old world and work together to save each other in this world. I just need to know-will you come back?"

Aoi lowered his head. "I want to come back, but I can't bear being in the world as it is right now. If... When we get to a place of safety, I will try to come back-if I haven't lost my way."

"I'll be your guide" Gendo assured the feminine Aoi. "When we find sanctuary, I will help you make it back. Until then, I will trust the masculine Aoi as I've trusted you."

"After all, I'm the same deep down inside, no matter what clothes I may be wearing" Aoi admitted. "Let's go" he continued, standing up, "We've got a busy day ahead-Miyuki and Natsumi are marrying their sweethearts soon." The two of them headed for the hallway.