Minagi stood nervously before the Emperor, even as Washu and Mihoshi gave her reassuring smiles. Tenchi gazed at her levelly, giving her request serious consideration. He suddenly smiled, and Minagi knew it was going to be all right. "I'd be honored to have you join my diplomatic service," Tenchi said, smiling at her gently. "In fact, there is an urgent assignment that you and your ship, the Hinase, could be a great help with," he finished. "What would that be?' Minagi asked him, relaxing a little. "There's a urgent diplomatic conference on Earth that we need to send a very high level representative to. Hinase is one of the fastest ships I know, so would you be willing to transport our envoy?" Tenchi asked. "Sure, I'd be glad to help," Minagi said with a enthusiastic nod. This trip would get her out of the palace for a little while, and maybe give her some peaceful time to consider the odd feelings she was having about Sasami. "Good," Washu chimed in with a smile. "You'll need to leave as soon as possible to make it there on time, so could you depart tomorrow?" Minagi nodded at that, and Washu smiled widely. "Then we'll make sure you and Sasami are ready to go." "Sa.. Sasami?" Minagi repeated. "Yes, she's the envoy we're sending," a broadly smiling Mihoshi said to Minagi in her cheerful, bubbly way. Minagi looked at the smiling Tenchi, Washu and Mihoshi, and sweatdropped, knowing, somehow, that she had just been set up. Sasami frowned as she paced her quarters later that evening. "She didn't seem very happy when she found out I was the envoy," she fretted. She moved from the bed to the dressers. then back again, filled with restless energy. Funaho and Misaki were sitting on the couch together, holding hands. "I'm sure she was just surprised," Funaho told her gently. "Maybe," Sasami said doubtfully. "I'm suddenly wondering if it was such a good idea to trade assignments with Ayeka," she worried. She stopped to check her luggage, pulling a few things out, then putting them back in. "But this way you can spend some time alone, together!" Misaki said cheerfully. "Just think of all the fun you could have," she added, eyes sparkling happily. She looked over at Funaho and a faint blush colored her cheeks. Funaho met her gaze and gave a small, sexy smile. She shook herself, and focused back on Sasami. "This will give her a chance to get to know the grown up Sasami, not the little girl she remembers," Funaho reassured her. "You might even find the opportunity to tell her about your feelings for her, if things so well," she added. Sasami took a deep, steadying breath, and "Your right, Mother I just have to focus on the positive and give it my all." "I'm sure you'll succeed!" Misaki said happily, clutching poor Sasami in one of her death grip hugs! The girl's arms flailed as she tried to get free, and Funaho chuckled as she watched. Minagi stood on the bridge of her starship, Hinase, and gazed out the screens at the stars shining against the depths of space. She and Sasami had been traveling together for the last week, to attend the latest of a series of diplomatic conferences on Earth. The trip would take them at least a week longer, and she was glad to have the company. Sasami took a deep, steadying breath at the closed door to the bridge. 'Today's the day,' she thought to herself. 'Today I tell her how I feel,' she repeated it firmly, like a mantra, as she gave the command for the door to open. "Hello, Lady Sasami!" the ship's main computer said to Sasami cheerfully as she stepped out of the hallway and on to the bridge as well. Minagi turned to smile a moment at her, even as troubling thoughts continued to run through her mind. What had happened at the welcome back party Washu had held for her still bothered Minagi a bit. She and Sasami... she blushed as she remembered how good it had felt to dance with her. She frowned, and what was with the veiled comments by Funaho and the others? "Deep in thought?" Sasami asked her, seemingly having just appeared out of nowhere to stand by Minagi's side. She smiled up at the still faintly blushing Minagi, and her violet eyes twinkled at her merrily. "I was daydreaming, really," Minagi confessed to Sasami with a little grin. Sasami linked her arm into Minagi's, and she tugged on it gently. "I'm certain Hinase can handle things here," Sasami said, a broad smile on her pretty face, "so why don't you come and have breakfast with me?" She looked up at Minagi entreatingly, taking a half step towards her. Minagi blushed a bit darker as Sasami accidentally pressed up to her side, sparking strange feelings in her body. "Uh, OK, sure," she stuttered out. Sasami's face seemed to almost light up with happiness as she literally dragged Minagi off the flight deck. "Please keep an eye on things," Minagi barely managed to shout over her shoulder to the main computer's central unit. Hinase's central unit bobbed there in mid air, and watched them leave with a great deal of restrained amusement. It actually sounded quite amused too, as it answered her cheerfully, "I hope you two have fun, now!" Sasami quickly led Minagi down the hall to the lift, then down a few levels of the ship, to the fully equipped galley. Sasami sat Minagi down at the dining table and then she opened the door to go into the kitchen. As soon as the galley doors opened Minagi caught the wondrous scent of the food cooking inside, and her complaining stomach suddenly growled its hunger loudly. Sasami turned back to her in surprise, and Minagi blushed brightly. "I'm really sorry," Minagi bowed as she apologized to the smiling Sasami. Sasami laughed at her cheerfully, "I guess I better get you fed soon." She headed back to the kitchen, and Minagi heard the familiar sounds of the young lady's cooking. A few moments later, they both began to chow down. Sasami's cooking, Minagi noted to herself as she ate happily, had actually gotten even better than it had been before! "This is great," Minagi said to her cheerfully. Sasami put her fork down and beamed back at her. "Thank you," Sasami said cheerfully. "I don't get to cook like this as often as I like," she added, "so I'm enjoying this, too." They ate a little while longer, then a question Minagi had been meaning to ask her came to mind. "Sasami, I was wondering why aren't you taking Tsunami to the conference? I'm sure you could get there nearly as fast as Hinase," she added the last with a grin. "Do you really want to try and race me?" Sasami asked her jokingly. Minagi looked like she was actually considering the idea, and Sasami chuckled. She got a bit more serious as she softly added, "Tsunami's primary role is as the guardian vessel of Jurai. Its place should really be there," she smiled a bit then, shrugging as she added "baring any unforeseen events, of course." "I do recall several instances where Tsunami came riding to all our rescues," Minagi said with a considering nod. "Of course, it was usually to help save the Jurai royal family, the planet, or the entire sector itself," she finished thoughtfully. "Or me," Sasami acknowledged. "I think I called it once or twice, like when Tenchi first battled Kagato." She blushed a bit, remembering how Tsunami had then tried to act out the girlish crush Sasami had once carried for poor Tenchi. Sasami was certainly glad she had finally managed to grow out of that phase! "Or when the Great Trees went out of control," Minagi quietly noted. That had been a spectacularly big mess, and if Tsunami hadn't intervened then, they, along side most of the Jurai fleet, would probably not be here right now. "I wish I had been awake, that time," Sasami sighed a bit sadly. It was quite irritating to keep having people talk about it, when she had been forcefully removed from the fight. Washu, to try and protect her, had medicated her into unconsciousness. She did have some odd dreams about what happened though, and all of them were from Tsunami's perspective. Minagi paused for a second, as if she was searching for just the right words. She looked across the table and asked Sasami tentatively, "If it's not out of line, I was wondering what's it like, now that you've merged with Tsunami?" "It's not that different from before, really," Sasami admitted. She smiled a bit, "Tsunami and I are just two aspects of the same being, two parts of the same whole. She is a part of me and I'm also a part of her, both of us linked together across any distance." "Does that mean she can hear your thoughts? Does she watch everything you do?" Minagi asked her with a little frown. Sasami laughed softly at that. "You make Tsunami sound like some glorified peeping tom," she said, chuckling softly. "She and I are one being in two bodies," Sasami patiently explained, "there's no real distinction between us." "I guess that does make sense," Minagi said, nodding thoughtfully. While they were talking, they had both nearly cleared off their plates. Minagi scooped up a forkful of her food and pointed it at Sasami, "Have I told you yet that you are one incredible cook?" Sasami blushed, "You've told me before, but you're welcome to repeat it as many times as you like." She laughed, and rose to pick up the various plates and bowls. Minagi leapt to her feet to help her, and they brought the piles of dishes into the kitchen to place them in the gleaming chrome sink. Sasami filled it up with hot water, a little bit of soap, and then she began to wash. "Isn't there a automatic dishwasher here?" Minagi asked the busy young woman, sounding a little bit surprised. "I like doing it this way," Sasami said, shrugging with a small smile. "It reminds me of when we were all together back in Tenchi's home on Earth." "Then let me help," Minagi said, stepping up to stand beside her at the sink. "You wash, and I'll rinse and dry," a smiling Minagi suggested. Sasami made a soft sound to indicate her agreement, and they began to wash. "Do you miss being on Earth, then?" Minagi asked Sasami softly, as she reached over to take a plate from Sasami's hand. Their fingers softly brushed, Sasami trembled a little and both of them blushed a bit. The slightly shorter woman shrugged a bit uncomfortably in reply. "It was certainly simpler," Sasami admitted, "our lives were all a lot less complicated." She smiled up at Minagi as she added, "And that was when I first met you." Minagi warmly smiled back at her, "That was a red letter day to me, too." Minagi frowned thoughtfully, "Did caring for me take you all away from Earth too soon?" Sasami blushed, "No, I don't think so." She shook her head, "All your injury did was force us all, in our own ways, to begin to grow up." She grinned, "I don't think Washu and Mihoshi would have had a chance with Tenchi without you." Minagi looked at her in surprise, "What do you mean?" "Both of them showed their more mature sides to him," Sasami explained, "Washu in the med-lab and Mihoshi in dealing with the bureaucracy. Though I think Mihoshi's job might have been harder," she admitted. Minagi nodded thoughtfully, and they both silently resumed washing, Sasami scrubbing the dishes then passing them to Minagi to carefully rinse off and dry. Minagi had to remind herself to hold her strength in check, it was so easy for her to accidentally break the plates. Minagi searched under the suds for a plate that had slipped out of her fingers, and she felt something odd. Her hand reached for it, and then felt Sasami's delicate fingers against her own. Her fingers tangled in Sasami's, who looked up at Minagi, blushing faintly. They froze there, looking into each other's eyes. "Minagi.." Sasami said faintly, eyes locked with hers, "I.. I've wanted to tell you..." She hesitated, fear seizing her, then the glitter of tears began to appear at the corners of Sasami's eyes. She pulled herself free from Minagi's touch and turned to suddenly run right out of the galley with soapsuds still clinging to both her hands. "Wait a minute," Minagi frantically tried to call out to her, but it was too late. "Damn," she cursed softly. 'What did I do,' a dismayed Minagi wondered, 'what did I say?' She just abandoned the dishes and then rushed out of the galley after her. Sasami sat on her bed, and weakly wiped at her red-rimmed eyes. 'Why didn't I just tell her?' she thought to herself sadly. 'Now she probably thinks I'm strange or something, to suddenly run away from her like that!' She looked over to her bedside, at all the photos she had taken over the years that sat there. There was one of Ayeka, Yosho, Sasami's two mothers, a fairly irritable shot of Ryouko, and a group photo of all their friends gathered out in front of Tenchi's home, on Earth. There were pictures of places they'd been, and the many friends they had made along the way. And one other image, one Sasami considered to be her most precious: she had caught her by surprise in the photo, her body turning just in time to catch the light of the flash. Minagi had looked out at her so sweetly, her face showing her honest surprise. Sasami reached over to pick up the photo, then gently cradled it in her arms. There was a soft knock on the door, and Sasami started in surprise. 'Of course, she followed me,' she thought to herself wearily. She hesitated, wracked with indecision, then after a moment loudly said, "Come in." The door slid aside and Minagi slowly walked into Sasami's stateroom. She stood there a moment, then walked over to where Sasami sat on top of the bedcovers. She hesitated there, before she sat down on the edge. "I'm sorry," Minagi said to Sasami, gazing away from her, "I don't know what I did to upset you, but..." Sasami looked at Minagi in surprise. 'She blamed herself, for what happened,' she thought, astonished. Her jaw tensed, 'I can't let this go on any longer.' She placed her hand on Minagi's arm, shaking her head firmly. "It wasn't your fault," Sasami said to her firmly to Minagi, "I just wanted to tell you about something, something very important to me, but I panicked and ran away." Minagi looked over at her questioningly, and she smiled at her weakly. "Minagi," Sasami started softly, then she forced herself to continue on, "I'm in love with you!" Minagi looked at her in surprise, and Sasami felt her heart sink in her chest. 'She's shocked,' Sasami thought to herself shakily, 'oh god what have I done?' She tried to get up, run right out of the room, but Minagi gently caught her arm. "You love me?" Minagi repeated Sasami's words, a bit of awe and surprise in her voice. She shook her head, "I don't understand, how could someone as wonderful as you love someone like me. All I am is just a poor copy of Ryouko, not even as tough as she is, how could you..." 'She called me wonderful,' Sasami thought to herself dazedly. "I don't want someone like Ryouko is, I love you, Minagi," Sasami said softly. "The kind, caring woman whom I fell in love with, and I wasn't even aware of it until I nearly lost you to Kagato's weapon," she finished shyly, unable to meet the possible rejection she might see in Minagi's eyes. Minagi's fingers slid under her chin to softly push Sasami's face up, her eyes unwillingly meeting Minagi's warmly smiling gaze. She tugged on her arm, gently, and Sasami sat by her on the bed as Minagi said to her, "I love you, too." Sasami looked at her a moment, not sure she had heard her right. Then, a smile widening on her face, she wrapped her arms around Minagi, holding her tight. She suddenly broke into tears, to Minagi's great surprise. She awkwardly began to pat the back of the sobbing Sasami, while asking her questions like "Are you all right? Did I say something wrong?" and other frantically delivered requests. Sasami managed a laugh. "I'm only crying because I'm so happy," she explained, beaming at Minagi. She leaned forward tentatively, and Minagi eagerly leaned forward to meet her in a fiercely passionate kiss! Minagi felt a gentle pressure on her shoulders, and willingly let herself be pressed backward onto the bed. Sasami reclined on top of her, smiling down at her wickedly. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do this," Sasami said to her softly. "I think I can guess," Minagi answered, a bit breathlessly. Sasami began to release the clasps on Minagi's bodysuit, then quickly pulled her own robes off with a few simple gestures. Minagi gulped at the sight before her. The Hinase's central unit perked up as it suddenly received a message from Minagi's personal communicator. "Hinase, I'm leaving you in charge," Minagi said to it, then, more quietly to someone else, "oh, that feels nice," then louder again to Hinase, "Don't call me unless the ship's actually under attack or key sections of you are on fire, understood?" In the background, Hinase could hear rustling noises, and a familiar giggle. "What is going on there?" Hinase asked her curiously. "Oh, oh that's good," softly, then more loud again to Hinase, "It's none of your business! Minagi, signing out!" Hinase hovered in mid air there a moment, considering the situation, then it gradually changed color, going from it's normal clarity to become more and more pinkish tinted as it realized what, exactly, was likely happening down there. Minagi and Sasami stood closely together, looking out the large viewing port at the planet Earth turning slowly below them. They each just wore long, simply designed lounging robes, and not their normal garb. Hinase hovered nearby, "It's very nice to see you both up and around again. After not seeing both of you for a week, I was getting a bit worried." Minagi chuckled softly. "You wouldn't be seeing us now if we hadn't finally reached our destination," she said to Hinase with a grin. "I wish this trip hadn't come to an end so soon," a faintly blushing Sasami sighed, leaning in to relax in the curve of Minagi's arm. "It's not," Minagi pointed out. She grinned down at Sasami, "There's still the long trip back home, too. I'm sure I can manage to keep you... entertained, my love." Sasami blushed scarlet. She smiled up at Minagi, "And there's always those unexpected delays, too. Why, the trip home might take weeks longer than normal." They both shared a soft laugh at that.
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