I don't own anything.

The Legionnaire

-Chapter Thirteen:

Shinji considered the rising sun and lit another cigarette. "Morning, Chief."

"Allison," Shinji returned with a nod. The young nurse had really been loosening up. She grabbed his cigarette and crushed it under heel. Shinji scowled. Apparently, she wasn't loose enough yet. "What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing," Shinji replied absently as he patted his pockets to make sure that he still had his pack of cigarettes. God help the girl if she destroyed his last cigarette so cavalierly.

"What are you going to do about the investigators?" That was what Shinji had been thinking about.

"I'm not sure yet," Shinji replied. The locals wanted blood for what had happened. The investigators were dedicated to giving them what they wanted in order to maintain the peace. Maybe, just maybe, his life was worth keeping the peace.

"Don't."

"What?" Shinji asked, glancing at the young woman.

"You're thinking about giving up," Allison stated. "I've seen that look before. What you did wasn't wrong, Chief. Don't you dare give up."

"What do you mean, 'what I did'?" Shinji asked.

"Nothing," Allison stated. "Just don't give up on whatever it is you're thinking about." With that she disappeared into the tent, leaving Shinji to consider her words. Was she just assuming that he was involved in the shooting? That was certainly what the investigators were beginning to believe. He could tell that they were looking at him more and more as a perpetrator instead of an accomplice. Shinji wouldn't put it past them to crucify him if they couldn't find real proof.

"I must be loosing my touch if little girls can see right through me." Shinji stretched and lit a new cigarette. "Dying quietly ain't my style. I guess I'll just have to come up with something."

"Hey Chief."

"Hey Doc," Shinji replied. "How much explosive material can you get before sun down?" Fahad froze in mid-step.

"Aren't we trying to fly under the radar?" he asked.

"Won't have to worry about the radar if it gets blown up," Shinji pointed out. Fahad sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Go take a walk, Chief. You obviously need a little fresh air." Shinji laughed as the man disappeared into the tent. He suddenly felt the entire burden slip from his shoulders as he made up his mind. If they caught him, he'd make sure they worked for it. If they didn't catch him, he'd live the rest of his life in Calvi and keep his head down. Of course, that didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun now. Shinji lit another cigarette and took a long drawl. Hell, maybe he could even live long enough to die form lung cancer. That thought caught Shinji's attention and he stared at the cigarette. He had never thought about that before.

"I smell smoke!" Allison bellowed from inside. Shinji frowned and took another drag. With a sigh he climbed to his feet and shuffled off, looking for a new place to smoke. One very, very far from that particular nurse.

(:ii:)

"Give it up Mister Yamamoto. We know that you're involved with the shooting." Shinji stared at the kid who was glaring at him.

"You know or you can prove?" The took the kid by surprise. Shinji had been working in a world of strict facts and proof for a long time. Without either, you might as well not even try.

"We will find the proof we need," the man stated.

"Or you'll create it, right?" Shinji asked. That caught the whole group by surprise. Did they think they'd intimidate him by coming at him as a group? Shinji could have taken them all on even without his new leg. "Come on kids, you can't do shit to me and you know it. Go home and leave everybody in peace or I'll leave you in pieces."

"Where were you when the victims were killed?"

"Which victims?" Shinji asked. "There're a lot of victims around here. Some seem more deserving of help in your eyes then others."

"We told you, Mister Yamamoto, another team is on its way to investigate. . ."

"Fuck you." Shinji extinguished his cigarette and climbed to his feet.

"Now see here, Mister Yamamoto!" One of them reached out and grabbed his shoulder. Shinji broke all of his fingers with a cheerful grin. The man hit the ground hard and screamed as he clutched his disfigured hand.

"Anybody else?" Shinji smiled at their shocked expressions. That was probably the most violent thing any of them had ever seen. Shinji knew their kind, idealistic kids too far gone to see anything else. In other words: fanatics. Shinji had been fighting fanatics for such a very long time now. He blew a cloud of smoke at the one who seemed to be in the lead and started for the tent.

"You'll pay for this Yamamoto." Shinji hesitated slightly. That probably hadn't been the smartest thing he could have done.

"Oh well. At least I feel better now."

(:ii:)

"Doctor Horaki?" Hikari sighed and turned to see that Lisa had found her hiding spot. Dodging UN investigators was not how Hikari had wanted to spend her free days, but that's how they were now spent.

"Unless you broke something, I don't really care."

"Actually, it's Mister Yamamoto who's doing the breaking." That caught Hikari's attention.

"What did you do?"

"We were just trying to question him!" Lisa exclaimed.

"Yeah right," Hikari shot back.

"Why do you trust him so much?" Lisa demanded.

"Because I know I can!" Hikari snapped. "Same as how I know I can't trust any of you people!"

"Then you believe he didn't kill them?" Lisa asked. "Prove it! Where was he when the shooting took place?"

"He was with me!" Hikari shrieked. Lisa's angry expression dropped almost immediately, to be replaced with one of shock.

"He told us he was alone." Hikari's thoughts leapt wildly as she tried to think of something to say.

"He would say that to protect my career." Lisa's face went blank and than her eyes widened.

"You do know that kind of relationship is not allowed between a patient and a doctor serving in the UN," she stated.

"That's why he said he was alone," Hikari replied.

"I guess I know why you trust him so much," Lisa commented.

"I guess you do."

(:ii:)

"Chief!" Shinji nearly leapt out of his cot in surprise. He spun and stared at Fahad.

"What the hell is going on?"

"We have trouble," Fahad stated flatly. "Follow me." Shinji climbed to his feet and grabbed his cane before following the man out of the tent.

"Slow down a little. I'm still not so great on this thing." Fahad ignored him and shoved his way into his personal tent. "What's wrong?"

"Hikari just screwed herself over," Fahad stated. "She said that she was with you at the time of the shootings."

"So?" Shinji asked.

"With you!" Fahad shouted. Shinji stared blankly at him before catching on.

"Oh."

"The investigators just filed a formal complaint with the UN about doctor patient fraternization here," Fahad stated. "If it was just my level, I could ignore it, but they went way over my head."

"What's going to happen?" Shinji asked.

"They wouldn't dare accuse a doctor of being involved in the shooting," Fahad stated. "You're off the hook and I heard that the investigators were being called back for unbecoming conduct."

"Unbecoming conduct?" Shinji parroted.

"Somebody's looking out for you," Fahad stated. "You know somebody in the UN?"

"The Legion doesn't make politicians," Shinji replied. "Can't we use that somehow?"

"I tried," Fahad stated. "It didn't work. The UN would fire Hikari for this." Shinji stared at the man. "Luckily, because of her years of service, they're going to let her quit first, so no mark on her record."

"Fuck." Shinji ran a hand through his hair. He had told her! He had told her not to do anything stupid! "Where is she?"

"Probably in her tent."

"Where is that?"

"Next one over," Fahad stated.

"How sound proof are these tents?" Shinji asked. Fahad's eyes nearly bugged out of his skull. "No! I'm just going to yell at her a little."

"Oh. They're pretty well insulated."

"Thanks." Shinji turned and pushed his way out into the sun. He was going to have words with that doctor, very strong words.

(:ii:)

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised."

"Shut up Allison," Hikari grumbled as she continued jamming her clothes into her luggage. It was a good thing she hadn't brought much. Her tent's flap opened and she looked up to see Shinji.

"Out now."

"Okay," Allison replied as she slipped past him.

"Evening Shinji," Hikari stated as she zipped up her luggage.

"I told you not to do something stupid," he stated, his voice sharp.

"It kind of slipped out while I was being questioned," Hikari stated. She shoved her bag under her cot and sat on it. "At least they won't be bothering you now."

"That doesn't matter," Shinji stated. "It's just like a told you, you have a purpose. I'm nothing!"

"Shinji. . ."

"War is all I'm good at!" Shinji snapped. "Now I'm a broken weapon. You're a doctor. You were doing good things out here. I'm not worth you loosing that or this loosing you."

"You're not a broken weapon," Hikari replied as she patted the cot next to her. Shinji considered her for a moment before sitting down. "I told that investigator the truth, you're a good man Shinji."

"That doesn't matter," Shinji stated. "I may be a good man, but there's nothing I can do to help the world now. Don't you understand what I'm saying? I'm not modest. In the Legion I was helping to make the world better. I was killing bad people and saving good people. I can't do that anymore and war's all I'm good at."

"You sound like you'd rather be dead."

"Maybe I would," Shinji replied quietly.

"Don't talk like that!" Hikari snapped. "There must be other things you can do."

"Drinking and fighting," Shinji stated, "but I don't think there's a handicapped Savate association."

"What about when you were young?" Hikari demanded. "Asuka told me you played the cello."

"I wasn't very good at it," Shinji stated. He fished around in his pockets and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "I wasn't worth it."

"You are to me." Shinji stared at her and Hikari met his eyes. "I said that the story kind of slipped out, but I would have done it even if I had time to think about it." Shinji stared at her for several long minutes. "You haven't ruined my life Shinji. All you've done if forced me to go find some other job where I'm going to be paid more." Shinji turned away and considered that.

"Where are you going to go?"

"I was living in Germany before I came here," Hikari explained. "I was supposed to be here for a few years, so I sold my apartment there." Shinji nodded his understanding.

"The Colonel has allowed me to use his house in Calvi. . ."

"Are you asking me to move in with you?" Hikari asked, one eyebrow rising. "You could at least ask me out first." Shinji glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I don't get embarrassed anymore."

"That's a shame. A lot of girls thought that was really cute."

"Hmm." Hikari frowned as she thought about that.

"Yes."

"What?"

"Yes, I'll move in with you."

"Alright,"

"Just don't tell the nurses."

"Alright."

-End

(:ii:)

-Author's notes. Okay, I lied. This had no romance. I had to face facts, I'm not a romance writer. If my skills at it get better, I'll write a sequel. This story was fun in an experimental kind of way, but it was still hard for me. I think I'll stick to my more whimsical and gory (yeah, those do sound odd together, but they fit me) ideas. Sorry if this feels rushed. Honestly, I just wanted this to be over. That's something I need to work on too. I always feel like my endings are rushed.

So, for an experiment, what do you guys think? Success? Abysmal failure? Give it to me strait. The alcohol keeps the critics from dragging me down.

Now for the bitch session. As some of you know, I was activated for Toys for Tots. One of my friends thought about that and finally told me: "You hate kids, why are you helping them?" That made me think. I do hate children, though my hate is not unwarranted having spent many years in retail. I also hate adults. Yes, I am a misanthrope. Unbelievable, huh? I don't really despise individuals, but as a species, I can't really stand humans. Children are as bad as adults, but it's not really their faults. Children mirror adults and what they see. Ergo the world makes them horrible. Adults should know better. Of course, teenagers are a completely different story, a far worse story. I have some respect for them for expressing their views, unlike adults, but I still despise them. More on them later.