When Heaven answers...(PART IV)

Disclaimer:  Any Tenchi characters in this fic
belong to AIC and Pioneer.  If there are any
characters that you have not heard of, they are mine!
Any legal letters sent to claim money will be filled under "I" for 
important.right in the pail!



	"Tenchi I.../Ryoko I..." they both started at the same time and withdrew 
as soon as they heard the other speak.  They tried it again with the same 
result.  One more time they tried before Ryoko finally put up a hand to stop 
this madness and motioned for Tenchi to go first.  Ryoko...lately...well I've 
been doing a lot of thinking...and I think it's about time that I was honest 
with you about how I feel about you.  We've been through a lot you and I...and I 
really appreciate all the things we've done together.  There were times when I 
wish we had more opportunities to spend together without so many distractions 
and interruptions.  But now...well..." Ryoko braced herself for what she knew 
was coming, but hoped in her heart never to hear.  "It's just that...I really 
want you as my friend, I know that wasn't what you wanted to 
hear, it's just that I don't have those same feelings for you...I'm sorry you 
had to wait all this time...just to be let down."  Tenchi felt awful about 
having to tell this to Ryoko.he half expected her to blast him or 
send him head first through the window.  Instead, he saw her smile.

	"You're right Tenchi, that wasn't what I wanted to hear...but you were 
honest with me...and that's what I loved so much about you, and 
still do.  Frankly, I was going to tell you the same thing.  Recently...I've had 
a change of heart too...and there's someone I need to go see..."  "It may not be 
the right thing to do, I'm really not quite sure, but it's what I feel I have to 
do..."  The space pirate shot a look right at and through Tenchi and spoke with 
a much sterner voice this time "And you mister, you need to straighten things 
out with Kiyone..."  "Hhhhow did you know?" He suddenly got wide eyed with 
surprise  "Oh I can tell these things..." she shot a mischievous grin and 
elbowed Tenchi in the ribs.  "Well...I'm glad that you understand Ryoko, 
thanks..." they hugged...Royko wanted more but was 
happy with being this close to him.  

	"Will the two of you please keep it down out here!"  Washu emerged from 
the closet and stared at the two who were still embraced.  The scientist shot a 
smirk at them, cleared her throat and continued, "I guess you two will be headed 
in the same direction then?"  "What are you talking about Washu?"  Ryoko 
inquired.   "Well...you're looking for Vin-Roc, and you Tenchi are going out to 
look for Kiyone...turns out they're at the same location..."  "How did you 
know?"  Tenchi was eager to hear Washu explain this one.  "I 
am the greatest scientific genius in the universe and knowing these things is no 
big deal for me.  I originally upgraded Kiyone's ship to move much faster, and I 
also installed a tracking device just in case things got a bit hairy for her.  
When she came back, I just happened to fix it again.and I've been tracking her 
coordinates ever since she left a while ago.  If the two of you plan on leaving, 
you should go now.she's probably already at her destination by now."  

	"But how do we get there...I really don't want to get Ryo-ohki...that 
would mean getting Sasami involved too.  I really don't want everyone involved 
in things this time." Tenchi was feeling frustrated with not knowing how he was 
going to find Kiyone.  Ryoko could feel his frustration and simply smiled and 
turned to Washu..."Well...did you finally fix it?"  "Yes I did...it took me a 
long time you know, I did have other things to do."  "I didn't give a horses' 
poo what you had to do...where is it?"  "Right outside, all ready to go."  
"Ready...what's ready?" Tenchi always hated being the last to know what was 
going on.  "The ship Washu and I originally come to earth in, it was really 
damaged...but Washu was able to put it back together again. We should get 
going.you ready Tenchi?"  "...yeah, let's go." Tenchi was the first out the door 
and onto the ship which Washu had already started. 


	Washu put a hand on Ryoko's shoulder before she left, "I still don't think 
it's such a good idea though for you to go looking for him.he is the most wanted 
criminal you know."  "No Washu...it wasn't his fault...you don't know him as 
well as I did."  "So, you think you can trust him...it's been a few hundred 
years after all?"  The look of concern on Washu's face didn't go unnoticed by 
Ryoko.  "...guess I'll find out soon enough..."  With that, she teleported to 
the ship which lurched upward and accelerated past earth's 
atmosphere.

          "We should get some rest, it's gonna be a long flight there..." Ryoko 
had inputted the coordinates Washu had provided her with; the autopilot would 
handle the rest.  Yeah...well...good-nite Ryoko, and thanks"  "Don't mention 
it..." Tenchi went on his way to one of the personal quarters, which had 
originally been used by Washu.  Ryoko eventually went on her way to her 
quarters, though she wished she wouldn't be sleeping alone.  (Maybe I could just 
sneak into Tenchi's room tonight and...no...I made up my mind 
and I respect his wishes)  "But still..." With that, Ryoko closed the door to 
her quarters and cried herself to sleep.

	That night, they both dreamed of the times and people they knew, who they 
were and what they meant to them.  Ryoko was tossing and turning in bed. She 
remembered when she first met Vin-Roc.  He was on the run, desperate and lonely.  
She took him into her gang, but really didn't take to him at first. Oh he was 
attractive, but there was something about him that well.made her feel a bit 
nervous around him.  But after some time, they grew very close...practically 
lovers.  She knew that life as an outlaw meant no 
time to settle down and start a family and this fact hurt her.  She was a pirate 
no matter what...but she also was a woman...and she had needs too.  

	Then, she remembered when the bounty hunters ambushed them.  She could 
remember Vin-Roc trying desperately to hold them off while giving her and the 
others a chance to escape.  Ryoko eventually made it to an escape ship.and as 
she was taking off, she could see the base go critical and explode.sending a 
shockwave that nearly destroyed her ship.but she had 
survived...unfortunately.  After that, she became more ruthless than ever, with 
no reason to feel pity, remorse or even love.till she met Tenchi.  He gave her 
the gift of learning how to care for someone, to be there for others...but more 
importantly, he gave her the gift to love again.  "Oh Tenchi..." she cried out 
in her sleep.  

	Tenchi wasn't doing much better himself.  His face was covered in sweat 
and he too was tossing and turning in his bed.  He was dreaming of when the 
girls first came to earth.  How they had turned his life upside down...in more 
was than one.  He cared for each of them and never really expected to get too 
close to any of them...he was just a kid after all.and they, with the exception 
of Sasami, were all grown women.  In all honesty, he never thought he would have 
a chance with them, he just though they chased after him to...well to just have 
some fun.  Then when Sakuya came along, it took him a little while...but then he 
realized that he found someone he could really love.  She was his age, she 
wasn't from another planet, and she didn't have any destructive powers to 
intimidate him.  Best of all, she cherished him...not worshiped him like Ryoko 
or Aeka.  

	But now.there was Kiyone.  (Did I ever really have any feelings 
towards her?  Well.when I first met her, she seemed like a nice person...a bit 
high strung at times, but that was just pressure from her job...and dealing with 
Mihoshi.  But, there were times that she really was a gentle woman...she never 
showed it too much, guess being a cop does that to you.  He also remembered her 
smile, it was warm and comforting to him when he needed someone to talk to.  She 
was one of the first to console him over the loss of Sakuya, and he appreciated 
that act of kindness...maybe she wouldn't be such a bad choice after all.)

	On the bridge, Ryoko, who had been up a little while now, was greeted by 
Tenchi who just got up.  "We're here...we'll be docking in just a minute" Ryoko 
was watching the monitor and carefully landed the ship in the first available 
port.  They both disembarked from the ship and Tenchi gawked at how 
large the space station was.  "It's almost the size of Tokyo...oh great, how are 
we gonna find anyone here?"  "Don't worry Tenchi, just stay focused on our 
mission okay?"  The two set off on the long task ahead of them.       

*****************************************************************************
	
	Vin-Roc stared at his guest while she slept away.  (How peaceful she seems 
in her sleep...I envy thou greatly Kiyone Makibi)  He was perched slightly above 
the bed on the sill by the window.  He had slept the short time he need on the 
floor.  "Well...I should start breakfast, a good host should always feed his 
guest" He set to work on preparing what little edible food he had in his 
residence.  Kiyone slowly woke to the noise a few rooms over and headed to see 
what the commotion was all about.  "Good morning...<yawn>" the officer stretched 
a bit and Vin-Roc tried not to be too distracted by the young officer who was 
wearing little but a pajama shirt and some socks she had brought with her from 
her ship. "Well...good morning to you too sleepy head...did you rest well?"  
"Yes, thank you" They both sat down to a breakfast, late at that, of what 
appeared to be egg replicas and what could have almost passed for toast with 
butter.  The breakfast reminded her of the harsh meals officers were given at 
the academy when the 
cooks were in a bad mood and an iron cast stomach usually came in handy in those 
situations...but she had to remember that she was a guest, and an uninvited one 
at that.  

	But it wasn't the breakfast that was making her uncomfortable.she knew 
that he was staring at her.  "I'm sorry if my looking at you is making you 
uncomfortable, I'm just not accustomed to having young beautiful officers join 
me for breakfast" The compliment made Kiyone blush.  "Even though I look a 
mess?" she shook her head and tossed her teal colored hair about playfully. "No 
my dear, take a look around you...now this is a mess!"  And indeed it was. After 
breakfast was done, Vin-Roc merely threw the dishes into the sink "For safe 
keeping...maybe they may actually evolve and wash themselves one day"  "You 
certainly have an odd sense of humor "she chuckled.  "So, do you want to talk 
about it?" He inquired.  Kiyone stared at the soldier for a minute, then decided 
that he should know what happened and explained to him the events that led up to 
her being here.

	After an awkward silence.Vin-Roc decided to speak.  "You know you can't 
stay her for long?"  "Please understand that I am the most wanted individual in 
the universe and you just being here...I just don't want to get anyone else 
involved in this mess" She nodded; she realized he wasn't trying to be cold, 
just stating the facts.  "So, what are you going to do now Officer Makibi?"  
"Well...I suppose I could put in for a transfer.Headquarters shouldn't have a 
problem reassigning a replacement for my partner.I might even get reassigned 
back to HQ"  "So that's it?"  Vin-Roc got up from his seat and walked over to 
the cool box and reached for an alcoholic substance.  "What do you mean?"  
Kiyone asked.  "I mean, do you simply plan on running away from your 
problems.just because you got rejected?"  Kiyone got a bit steamed about this 
and slammed her hands on the table.  "Well you're a fine one to talk...you've 
been running from your problems since day one!"  "Do you know what your problem 
is Vin-
Roc...your problem is you're too busy getting drunk and feeling sorry for 
yourself...soldier nothing, you're a bum!"  

	Kiyone could tell that her words hit hard on him.  The glass that was in 
his hands smashed and his hand began to bleed.  Realizing that she had let her 
temper get the better of her again she tried to apologize "Oh...I didn't mean 
what I said...I'm...I'm sorry.  I had no right to say those things to you"  "No, 
you did mean what you said, and you're right...I've been nothing but a 
bum...running from my problems instead of facing up to them, guess I just need 
someone to remind me of that"  "Oh...you're hand...it's bleeding...here, let me 
get something for that"  "It's all right, I heal fast." He began going for the 
door, wetting a towel to wipe the blood of his hand and tossing it in the 
incineration unit.  "Look, don't worry about it.  I gotta go out for a little 
while, make yourself at home" With that, the door 
closed behind him.  (Damn...what was I thinking, the one person I can trust and 
I had to go and get him pissed off at me...way to go Kiyone.) She looked around 
the living quarters and thought that this place definitely needed a woman's' 
touch.

	Outside, Vin-Roc's ears were still ringing with the cold facts of what 
Kiyone had just said.  (She's right you know...you can't keep running 
forever.you have to face up to things eventually, so why run?) "Yeah...heh...why 
run" He had managed to make his way to the nearest bar and figured he'd try to 
out drink the rest of the bar inhabitants...all at once. 

	A few hours later and Vin-Roc finally decided to head 
back.  Before he entered the complex, he quickly fixed his hair and took a few 
insta-breath cleaners to remove the stench from his successful bout in out 
drinking not only the entire bars inhabitants, but also a few others along the 
way.  He made his way to the door and made sure not to damage his gift he just 
picked up for his temporary roommate.  "Honey I'm home!" He shouted.  He had 
heard it on some band wave he picked up from an old show from earth and had 
waited for just the right opportunity to use it.  "Wow..." was all he could say  
"...she...she...she cleaned the place up!"  "Oh, hey there...hope you don't 
mind, but you did say to make myself at home" The teal haired office was just 
walking out of the shower unit with a towel covering most of her body and 
running another over her hair.  "Oops, sorry..." Vin-roc turned around, slightly 
blushing and trying not to gawk at his guest who was just standing there smiling 
at him.  "That's okay, I feel a lot better now having gotten blown off a bit of 
steam cleaning up sure helped"  (Okay soldier, act fast...before things get a 
bit too hairy...she is your guest...not a call girl!!!)  "Here, I uh...got you 
this..." He tossed over the package to her and she opened it up.  "Very 
nice...you have good taste...I'll go try it on"  (Please do that, right now!!!)  

	"Wow...it's great...thanks." She poked her head from out of 
his room and shot him a funny look "How did you know my size?"  "I uh..."  He 
began to stammer but quickly regained his compsoure and spoke a soldier 
reporting to his commander "Well a soldier is trained to 
handle all types of situations and to note every detail and I estimated that 
this would be the right size for you"  "Right...well thanks anyway"  (Geez does 
he think I was born yesterday...he must have been checking me out...well he is a 
man after all, and ot a bad looking one at that.  Maybe I should take it as a 
compliment)  "Well, what do you think?"  "Beautiful...absolutely nothing short 
of it, I'm sure"  "Thanks..." She turned around several times 
playfully to get the feel of the dress that he had gotten for her.  (She reminds 
me of her...just like when we first met...)  

	"Something wrong?"  "No, just thinking that's all, come on...I'm taking 
you out for dinner tonight, you game?"  "Sure...let's go" They walked out of the 
complex and he held out his arm to her and she took it.  The thought of having a 
young woman with him made the soldier feel a bit younger at heart, (it's been a 
while...let's just keep it friendly though) they both walked off heading to one 
of the more expensive places to eat in the station.

*****************************************************************************
	
	It had taken Tenchi and Ryoko all day to finally find their destination.  
Most of it had been due to who it was they had been looking for.  Just 
mentioning his name either frightened most away or nearly got 
them shot at.  The station was big enough, but without much help, they may as 
well have been looking for beer in a monastery.  "Well, this is the place..." 
Ryoko managed to get the address of where Kiyone and her old flame were staying.  
After going up two flights of stairs the reached the door which Royko in her 
haste, tore it off its' hinges.  "Ooops...well I'm sure they won't mind..."  
"<sigh>...Ryoko, we just got here and already you're making a mess" They both 
looked around the quarters but found that both 
inhabitants weren't there but had obviously popped off for a better time then 
one they would have here.  

	"Well...I guess we could just wait for them..." Tenchi took a seat and 
attempted to turn on the holo-screen till Ryoko showed him how to work the 
device.  It didn't matter though; all of the programs were in 
languages that he didn't understand.  "You're not missing anything.mostly just 
junk...earth TV is much more interesting" Ryoko said as she looked around.  
(Well, if it is really you, this place is really clean...what's this?) She came 
across the holo-cube she remembered him showing her once some time ago when she 
had asked him of he had ever been in love before.  Activating it, she was once 
again introduced to his deceased wife and child.  (He was a good man...you 
probably knew the better part of him...)  she put the holo-cube down and walked 
over to the window and waited for him to return.

*****************************************************************************

      About an hour later, Vin-Roc and Kiyone came into the complex both 
laughing it up from recalling several embarrassing situations from his time in 
the service and her on the force.  "I really had a great time...thanks" she 
leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.  "No...thank you...it had been so long 
I almost forget what it was like to..." His eyes trailed off.heading up in the 
direction of his quarters.  Immediately his eyes shot wide and he motioned to 
Kiyone that there was trouble.  She nodded and they both stealthily made their 
way to his quarters.  At the door, which was no longer there, he gave the signal 
to Kiyone to get ready to charge in.  Kiyone reached up her dress and pulled out 
her gun.  (Phew...for a second there I thought she was going to try some new 
police method of distracting the enemy...)  Vin-Roc immediately charged a sphere 
of energy in his hand ready to rip apart whoever had the nerve to intrude rather 
rudely into his domain. He signaled that they would go on three.  She nodded and 
he began his 
count.  

	At three they both charged in and more than startled its occupants.  
Tenchi who was still watching the holo-screen nearly wet himself as he jumped to 
his feet and Ryoko who was waiting patiently by the window was too taken by 
surprise.  There was an awkward moment of silence as someone in the room 
couldn't help shake the feeling that the universe indeed had one seriously 
messed up sense of humor for this to happen, though which one thought this is 
not known.

*****************************************************************************

When the universe deems it necessary to make things happen.wow #$%^ really 
flies.in the next episode:

An awkward moment between the two couples.who will break the silence?
Does anyone think Vin-Roc could've kept himself under control around Kiyone for 
much longer?
Is anyone actually even looking at any of these questions...and taking them 
seriously?

Please email all questions, comments and complaints to yours truly at: 
despairisu@aol.com.