Be Gay Do Crime

The suppressed gun fired, Ashe hissed as the bullet tore through her arm, and she disarmed the man, turned the gun on him, then shot him once, backing quickly through the door as she returned fire.  The angle was bad from the body cam she wore, but it still showed the entire scene in grisly detail.  Bullets impacted the door as she shoved her way through it and then moved to help Jason, who was stunned by the sudden violence. 

Her parents were gripping each other’s hands in a white knuckled vice as they watched everything play out on Crystal’s tablet.  Ashe had gone over the video with Crystal already and verified that the recording had no truly incriminating audio, which meant it was as safe to show them as possible.  She didn’t think her parents would sell her out like that but it was better to plan for the worst while expecting the best. 

It had taken nearly a week before Ashe felt up to anything beyond gelatin and water.  Her recovery would take weeks, likely through the remainder of March and well into April, if not early May.  She didn’t like being laid up, especially not for so long, but she was also lucky to be alive.  Another inch and the knife would have hit her kidney and she would have been fucked. 

The conversation gave way to movement, and Ashe paid more attention to her parents than the recording.  She was doing her level best to ignore that her arm was in a sling from a minor fracture, or the tight bandages around her ribs, never mind the stitches that itched continuously.  No, she would focus on her parents as they watched the body camera footage, judging their reactions to the cold blooded executions that she doled out, as well as her collecting the suppressed weapons from each man she had killed.  Her mother then reached out, pausing the playback. 

“None of those weapons were recovered at the scene,” she said, gesturing to the still image and leveled a pointed look upon Crystal.  “Where are they?” 

“At my place,” Crystal admitted.  “Already scrubbed of prints and the barrels were melted down.” 

“Thorough,” Mom said.  “You’ve done this before?” 

Reluctantly, Crystal nodded.  “I did the same for the gun that I used to save Ashe.  My father might be the unofficial figurehead of the Iron Patriots, but that doesn’t mean that I’m safe from reprisal.” 

“Jason wasn’t,” Ashe added, nodding back to the screen.  “Thanks for being proactive about things.  I’ll admit, I gave Jason a gun just to make sure there would be one that made it into police custody as evidence.” 

“All of them should have,” Mother grumbled while Mom rubbed her back.  “I am not comfortable covering this up.  This isn’t just leaving out details, or misdirecting things to other legitimate targets.  We’re talking about a deliberate cover up here.  This is the sort of corruption I’ve spent my career fighting.” 

“I know,” Mom said, “but can we really sell out our daughter to the damn Nazis just because she took our training to heart and did the right thing when the chips were down?” 

Her mother’s jaw was set, the tension so tight that Ashe feared she might chip a tooth.  The tension didn’t leave her as she pressed play, continuing the video up to the flashbang, which shockingly didn’t destroy the microphone on her bodycam.  That exchange completed, and Ashe’s terrible acting skills were on full display.  They gave her a pointed look when she kissed Jason’s cheek. 

“For what it’s worth,” Crystal cut in.  “Jason’s gay and she did that in an attempt to convince our sperm donor otherwise.” 

“Only works if they never learn it was me,” Ashe added.  Jason’s story was that she was there because she was helping teach him to fight and shoot as a favor to Crystal and had dropped him off.  It was a stretch, but Ashe was starting to build a reputation for herself, and maybe she should lean a bit into that.  “Remember how the Mayor’s kid was all busted up at the picnic?” 

“Yes,” Mother said, hesitantly.  “They filed a police report, but only said that they were jumped by some masked Viuda after school.” 

Crystal immediately broke character, laughing hysterically.  Even Ashe found it difficult to resist joining in despite the otherwise heavy mood in the air.  The video was still playing, as she worked her way through the parking lot towards the hedges where the final scenes would play out.  Ashe quickly reached out, pausing the video so they didn’t miss anything important. 

“That’s because his group of idiots decided to try lynching me,” Ashe said.  “I put them down with prejudice.” 

“Why are we just learning about all of this?” Mother demanded.  “Christ, Ashe.  It’s like you’ve been getting into all this shit, leading a double life!” 

Ashe huffed, slumping in her seat and buried her face to hide just how close to being right they were.  “I didn’t tell you because I’d just shot myself in the leg less than a day earlier.”

Another misdirection, another lie.

“That was partly my fault,” Crystal interjected.  “We talked it out after it happened.  She wanted to see if their pride would let them admit that they got their asses kicked by a trans girl.  If she did report it, it would just put a bigger target on her back, but if they reported it…” 

“They would be seen as weak,” Mom finished, pinching the bridge of her nose.  “Ashe, stop keeping things like this from us.  Now we’re going to second guess every time you ask to stay with Crystal.” 

“Or at home in general,” Mother added. 

Mom nodded.  “That too.  We were trusting you because as much as we don’t like it, you’re going to be eighteen soon.  You don’t have to listen to us, not really, and our legal authority over you is pretty well extinguished.” 

“But,” Mother cut in with a pointed look at her wife.  “We are still your parents, blood be damned, we raised you, and we love you regardless.” 

“Even if I have bodies at my feet?” Ashe asked, eyes flicking towards the screen.  “I’ve…  I’ve killed people now…  I didn’t even feel all that much remorse for them.” 

“Ashe,” Mom said, her tone soft, almost a whisper.  “Those people came to cause harm to someone who is a part of your circle.  I refuse to fault you for that, even if the law would.” 

“If you were actually part of the security detail, you would be hailed as a hero,” Mother said with a frown.  “However, you gained entry under false pretenses, all to what?  Get some information?” 

Right, because like hell she could admit she was there to kill the bastard that took Lily from them.  No, she had to play up the excuse that she was there trying to get something on Ellington that might sink his campaign.

“In my defense, I never expected this,” Ashe said, gesturing at the screen.  “But you’re right, I was there because of something I overheard at the picnic.  I should have told you instead, but I don’t regret saving an innocent kid’s life, Crystal’s brother or not.” 

“There’s still a bit more to go,” Crystal said, reaching for the tablet and to head off any further digging they might do.  “It’s best to not have any further interruptions.” 

Ashe’s parents shared a complicated series of expressions with one another, some of which Ashe knew meant that this conversation was far from over.  Then, the pair turned as one to Crystal and nodded.  With that, the video resumed, and soon enough, the voices were able to be heard.  Crystal even turned up the volume for a moment, just so they could be heard more clearly. 

Their expressions shifted from their irritation into grave concern when one mentioned hunting Ashe down, regardless of her loyalty to their cause, and confirmation that they intended to kill Jason, botched job be damned.  Then, they watched as Ashe took a breath, drew her gun and moved to intercept them. 

She didn’t like watching this part, where she had come so close to death.  The fight played out, and the injuries that she was still recouping from ached with each impact.  Then, the gator made itself known, ending the struggle.  That was the part where her memories were the fuzziest, as Ashe laid there, and Crystal fast forwarded nearly fifteen minutes until she arrived, kicking the gator away. 

The angel that had saved her from certain death. 

Again. 

Then, she lost consciousness again and the next few minutes of the video were of Crystal frantically calling for help, demanding the EMTs come to her, of Crystal bagging the guns in between rounds of CPR.  Removing Ashe’s own belt and putting it on herself, taking the security tag with it.  All to hide evidence of a crime.  All illegal as hell. 

Her parents watched all of it with stone faced determination, right up until she took the body-cam off, and put it on herself.  Ashe saw herself for the second time, on death’s door.  Pale as could be, covered in crimson, not all of it her own.  The EMTs took her away, and Crystal wasn’t allowed to ride along. 

She clung to her brother, and drug him away from the growing circus, and the video file ended.  There was still another hour of footage after that, before the battery died, but all the footage was there, and everything that followed was too incriminating to let them see.  Crystal had a rather frank conversation with Jason about why he couldn’t talk about it.  How he had to insist that the girl who helped him wasn’t Ashe. 

As well as their precarious ties to the Viuda.

None of that was safe to mention in front of her parents, because as bad as everything on the video appeared, the circumstances could be presented in a way that would appear justified.  Even if Ashe told them about how she saved a bunch of girls, they still unlawfully entered a business, then invaded a privately owned building, robbed them of everything valuable, including the drugs, killed everyone in their way, and torched the place on their way out. 

No way in hell she was letting them link her to all of that.  No amount of nepotism or blue wall or whatever other excuse could be thought of would be enough to sway them.  Not even Brie’s puppy dog eyes would be enough, and those were damn near lethal if her nightly income was to be believed. 

Seriously, she almost didn’t believe it when Caralina reported in.

Her parents were clutching each other’s arms tightly, and she hated that showing them the video had been more about manipulating their feelings than actually coming clean.  It showed how close they came to losing her, and worst of all, it seemed to be working. 

Bile rose in her throat, but she forced it down.  If she was to see her chosen path through, this would be something she could never admit, unless it was a deathbed confession.  Either theirs, or hers.  Criminals didn’t have long life expectancies, never mind trans girls in a city full of fascists. 

“Okay,” her mother said after several long moments, standing as she did before she began to pace across the living room.  “I don’t like this.  As a matter of fact, I hate this.  I should take you into custody, let the truth come out and what happens, happens.”  Mom jumped to her feet, ready to argue, but her mother just held up a hand for silence.  “However, I know what the courts here would do to you, and I’d sooner shoot you myself than send you to your death like that.” 

“I’d kill myself before I ever made it to a prison,” Ashe said firmly.  Ending up in a male prison was her single greatest fear, especially now.  They’d send her to one too, even if she was post op, some excuse would be found.  “You know what happens to people like me in the system.” 

“I do,” Mother said.  “That’s the sole reason I’m going to help cover for you.  I refuse to let you die like that.” 

“You’ll have both of us helping,” Mom added, gesturing to the TV.  “Thank you for showing us this, hard as it was to watch.  Now, let’s work out what the official story is, and why the girl that kissed Jason looked a lot like you.” 

“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” Ashe groaned. 

Her mom’s smile grew sharp.  “Hey, I need something to distract myself from the panic at watching my daughter almost die.” 

“By humiliating her instead?” Crystal asked with a raised eyebrow and barely hidden smirk.  

“Traitor,” Ashe muttered, sticking out her tongue.  “Rest assured, I have in no way joined the Cis-het conglomerate.  I am quite gay, including the old and new definitions.” 

“I’m sure you are,” Mom said, glancing between her and Crystal when her grin turned almost vulpine.  “Care to prove it?” 

“Nope,” Ashe said immediately.  “Not kissing the girl I almost certainly have a crush on just because you put me on the spot, and besides, she said—”

Any rational thought died as Crystal grabbed her by the collar, pulled her close, and looked her right in the eyes with such compassion that she almost melted on the spot.  Her eyes flicked down to Crystal’s lips, and the girl licked them, wetting them in a move that Ashe quickly mirrored.  Was she actually going to kiss her?  Right there in front of her parents?  It was hardly the most romantic of moments, but she had almost died. 

Still, any dozen other moments since getting out of the hospital might have worked, or even in the hospital.  So why here?  Why now?  Had the video and her parents’ words truly resonated so strongly with Crystal that she felt it was time to move things forward?  Ashe had wanted to do so for weeks now, but Crystal set a hard limit and she had respected that.  The one exception was going to be prom, and only for a kiss, that single moment to cap off the night. 

Crystal’s lips quirked into a smirk, and Ashe’s eyes looked back into Crystal’s own green orbs.  How Senator Ellington could call those beautiful emerald orbs her ‘only flaw’ was beyond understanding.  She found herself wanting the kiss, almost needing it.  Then Crystal moved, planting her lips gently on the tip of Ashe’s nose before almost dancing back as Ashe reached for her retreating form. 

“You are just adorable,” Crystal said, giggling. 

“Not fair,” Ashe whined, then she flipped off her laughing parents, both of whom had their phones out, recording.  Not that she could do much with one arm in a sling and bandaged ribs.  She would have to concede defeat, and that did not sit well with her.  Huffing, she glared at the girl who meant more to her than the world.  “Of course you realize, this means war.”

“Bring it,” Crystal answered with a wink. 

Looking at her, with that self satisfied smirk, and eyes so full of affection and caring, it made Ashe want to melt on the spot.  She wouldn’t admit it, but she agreed with her cooing parents, it was rather cute.

Waiting until prom to kiss the girl was getting harder by the day.

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