Be Gay Do Crime

“Oh good, you didn’t ditch us,” Mom said as she opened the door. 

Ashe winced, not quite looking her in the eyes.  “I’ve been that obvious about things?” 

“You have been avoiding us,” Mother said.  “I understand why, but it is still hurtful.” 

“I’m sorry,” Ashe said, wilting under the stern attention.  Crystal’s arm wrapped around her tightly her girlfriend’s support appreciated, but only helped so much.  “I just…  I’m afraid of what you must think of me now.” 

“Nonsense,” Mom said, pulling her through the threshold and into a tight hug.  “You’re our daughter, and that means we’re in your corner first and foremost.” 

“Exactly,” Mother added, joining the now group hug.  “Hell or high water, we will support you through all of it.” 

Tears pricked at Ashe’s eyes, knowing they meant it, but also that she could easily reverse their opinion of her just by admitting that she was Inferno, the federally wanted criminal.  She could never come clean about that, it was a secret that she would take to her grave, close as it probably was.  They would be devastated, but she couldn’t tell them.  They didn’t need the added pressure of being put on the spot like that. 

“You get your ass in on this too,” Mom said, gesturing to Crystal.  “All shall be consumed by the group hug.” 

Crystal bit her lip, stepping forward with trepidation before all three of them grabbed her and pulled her into the group embrace.  Guilt sat heavily on Ashe’s shoulders, knowing that her secrets would prevent her from ever being close to them again.  Worst of all, they could never know it.

“One of us, one of us, one of us,” Mom began to chant. 

Tears pricked at Ashe’s eyes, she couldn’t do it, the pressure was too much, but she couldn’t betray her girls like that.  There were other people that relied on her now, and letting them down wasn’t an option.  Crystal laughed and the group hug disengaged.  Ashe wiped her tears, and the looks from her parents told her they were thinking that she was crying for a very different reason. 

She really was going to need to distance herself once she moved out, which would be all the more difficult once she explained that she was staying in Jericho.  She didn’t have a good excuse for it, and her parents were now all for her leaving the area. 

The kitchen table was set with four places, the dishes arranged on the table were covered though steam was leaking from the seams.  It really was just dinner with her family, which made it all the worse. 

“Well, we should all tuck in before the food gets cold,” Mother said.  “We can save any further teasing for after the meal.” 

Ashe groaned, because for all her worries about keeping secrets, the teasing really would be merciless once they confirm that their relationship was now official.  Actually, maybe she could head that off by being a bit cheeky. 

Stepping over to the table, Ashe pulled out the spare chair for Crystal, bowing slightly as she did.  “Your seat, my lady.” 

Crystal raised an eyebrow, but sat down all the same.  Before she could scoot the chair back in, Ashe leaned down and kissed her cheek and hurriedly took her own seat.  A sidelong glance at her parents showed they hadn’t missed it either.  Ashe adopted a haughty pose and fought down a grin. 

“Oh, that’s evil,” Mom said after a moment, then groaned.  “You got us to promise, then drop that on us?  Truly the student has become the master.” 

“I studied under the best,” Ashe said, trying to keep her mind off of the secrets she’s keeping.  “At least I am waiting to drop the rest of my news until after the meal.” 

“Ominous,” Mother said, taking the lids off the dishes and setting them atop the stove.  “I suppose we should all eat quickly so we can get to the much anticipated discussion.” 

“Damn right,” Mom said, flopping into her own chair.  “At least I’ll have time to curate my teasing, pick out the best of the best.” 

“You’re assuming I don’t have something else up my sleeve ready to head that off,” Ashe said, dishing out her plate.  “Playing fair is for chumps.” 

Her mom snorted while Crystal watched the byplay with a smile.  Ashe wished her girlfriend had a better childhood to remember, it wasn’t fair that she had been raised by a fascist prick, but the past couldn’t be changed.  Even if she was keeping secrets, she still wanted to maintain a relationship with them, distant as it would need to be. 

Any chance of her following them into police work was effectively dead, but that didn’t mean that college wouldn’t serve any purpose.  She had an excuse brewing in the back of her mind, one that she might just be able to make it a reality given time. 

Dinner was eaten in mostly silence, the subject of their relationship being carefully avoided due to the agreed upon terms which Ashe was thankful for.  The last thing she needed was to snort gravy out her nose due to a well timed joke.  Yes, she was speaking from experience, because her mom was just that good at goading her. 

“I understand you’re returning to school tomorrow,” Mother said, now that the meal was winding down.  “I trust you’ll be safe?” 

“Safe as I can be in that den of fascists,” Ashe muttered darkly.  “I’m prepared to defend myself in the event they try something, but I have a feeling their plans were disrupted by my absence.  At least I was kept out of the news, but that also means I don’t have any reputation from that to exploit either.” 

“Reputation?” Mom asked. 

Right, that was more criminal thinking, being concerned with your rep on the street.  Best to play that off for now, avoid dwelling on it.  A deflection wouldn’t hurt either.

“Just that if it was known I did all that, that the assholes might be too scared to fuck with me,” she said, tearing a roll in half.  “I’m just tired of school in general.  At least college should be better, especially if I pick a public, federally backed, one.” 

She hadn’t said it directly, but that statement was enough to still the room.  Her parents shared a look, expressions shifting in silent conversation that only came when two people knew each other deeply.  Ashe didn’t want to talk about her schooling, but it would be better to get that out of the way now, and end the evening talking about Crystal and the coming prom. 

Rip the band-aid off of the worst of it, then let the tender parts soothe the rest over. 

“You’ve decided to stay,” Mother said. 

Ashe nodded.  “Leaving now isn’t an option.” 

Crystal shrank a bit in her chair, which didn’t go unnoticed.  Her mom glared across the table, huffed, and returned her focus back to Ashe. 

“You’re staying for her.” 

“She offered to leave with me,” Ashe countered, irritation slipping into her voice despite knowing the broad strokes of how the night would go.  “Our favorite Senator turned Presidential candidate is why I can’t leave.  He made that extremely clear at the dinner we shared, he will tolerate us dating, but not us leaving.” 

“He’s had people killed for less,” Crystal said, softly.  “More so, my little brother needs me.  I can’t leave him alone with that monster, and after the attempt on his life…” 

Mom’s jaw clicked shut, the reminder a splash of cold water on the conversation.  Ashe had nearly died defending Jason, and had killed to keep the kid safe.  Now he was working with her, his boyfriend was helping her deal drugs to other kids.  She would be returning to school where her organization was now one of the biggest suppliers on the premises. 

And nobody would know she was behind it.  She wouldn’t have the reputation that should bring her, people wouldn’t be afraid of pissing her off and getting 9mm of lead injected into their cranium for the trouble.  She would just be Ashe, the laughing stock of Jericho High. 

“We have a plan,” Ashe said.  “He’s connected and wealthy, his followers wouldn’t leave him even if he killed someone on live TV while being railed by a black trans prostitute.  That doesn’t mean he’s invincible.  It just means we have to approach him in a way that leaves his legacy at Jason’s feet.” 

“You sound like you’re plotting murder,” her mother said, voice gone cold. 

“I’m already a killer,” Ashe said, voice pained and distant as she recalled each person she personally killed in cold blood.  The man that she looked in the eyes right before she ventilated his cranium, because he would have done the same to her if she hesitated.  “I don’t know yet if killing him will be necessary, but if it comes to it, I will kill to protect Crystal.  I refuse to stand by while someone I love suffers.” 

Her mother pinched her nose, muttering under her breath about admitting premeditation to officers of the law.  Mom on the other hand had just shut her eyes in resignation, as if it wasn’t a surprise at all.  That it wasn’t turning into a conversation about how she needed to take a step back, or some other justification to not go through with it wasn’t lost on her. 

“Tell us nothing more,” her mother said after a moment.  “Whatever you’re doing, whatever it is you have planned, we can’t know.  Plausible deniability.  There’s only so far we can stretch things before we too become culpable.” 

“We already are,” Mom said, looking away.  “We know she’s our missing suspect in the Ellington kidnapping case, the only reason she hadn’t been investigated further is because Jason insisted the woman wasn’t Ashe.” 

“Still find it hard to believe that they fucking bought that,” Crystal muttered.  “Thought for sure we’d need to pull a jailbreak once she stabilized.” 

“Officers of the law, right here!” her mother shouted, throwing her hands up. 

“Wanted criminal,” Ashe countered, pointing at herself.  “Welcome to the club, you’re guilty by association.” 

Ashe regretted her statement almost immediately, fear gripping her heart as she waited for her mother to steel herself and arrest her, or at least have her come in for further questioning.  It’s what should have happened the moment they finished viewing the footage from her body cam.

Her mother slumped in the seat, a slow huff of air escaping her.  “You’re right…  Fucking hell, I need a drink.” 

“I’ll get the glasses,” Mom said, standing. 

Ashe was tempted, oh so tempted, to tell them the rest.  The only thing that stopped her was one simple question.  How far was too far for them?  She knew they were giving her leeway because she was their daughter, and they understood the reason behind her actions.  How would her mom take it if she learned she nearly killed them? 

Was it worth the risk just to prevent her from potentially taking another shot? 

No, it wasn’t.  The conversation had already drifted in a direction that was far too risky to her own freedom, as well as Crystal’s life, as it was.  Alcohol was poured for the adults, and though Crystal eyed the bottle with envy but didn’t dare ask and none was offered to her despite being only a few months away from twenty one. 

She needed to get off that tangent, and fast, so she blurted the first thing to come to mind.

“I am having my suit altered a bit, it will be ready for pickup Wednesday,” Ashe said in what might have been the least subtle subject change in history.  If not, it was certainly up there.  “Prom’s still a bit off, but it’s better to be prepared.” 

Mom picked up her glass of wine, swirling it for a moment before she downed half the glass and sighed.  “I wasn’t sure you would be going, but a suit?  I figured you’d insist upon a dress and dare the school to call you on it.” 

Ashe smirked, glad they were rolling with it.  “That’s the best part.  I have to wear a suit, and my date has to be a girl.  Since they forced me to register as ‘biologically male’ that means my date has to be ‘biologically female’.  Crystal certainly qualifies.” 

Ashe waggled her eyebrows at her girlfriend as she said those last few words. 

“Were we this bad?” her mother asked in a stage whisper.  Most of her own glass was already drained.  “I have a sneaking suspicion that we were.” 

“Still are, dear,” Mom said, then she kissed her wife on the nose.  “Can’t be upstaged by the daughter, now can we?” 

Ashe made a fake gagging sound, looking away only to see a mischievous glint in Crystal’s eyes. 

“Hey Ashe,” she asked sweetly.  “Does your prom have a policy on visible tattoos?” 

Crystal didn’t tend to show her tattoos to the general public.  She always wore long sleeves and blamed her motorcycle for it.  The reason was simple; half of them contained Viuda symbology.  They hadn’t openly started feuding with the gang, and had no near term plans to do so, which meant they still held value for interacting with the members. 

A horrifying idea then came to mind; what if Brie decided to get her own tattoo to show she worked for Inferno?  What would it even be?  Obviously fire would be involved, but of what sort?  Something to put off for far in the future. 

“None that I’m aware of,” Ashe said, though she would need to check the dress code again to be certain.  “What did you have in mind?” 

Then Crystal took off her flannel, leaving her in nothing but a sports bra in front of her parents.  Ashe’s face burned scarlet, her mom almost squeaked, but her mother’s eyes narrowed.  Crystal’s tattoos were on full display, something that Ashe usually saw only when Crystal was coming to bed in her baggy shirt and shorts. 

“You have gang tattoos,” Mother said sharply. 

“They piss my father off,” Crystal said casually, waving her ink covered arm as she did.  “And open a few doors in places the Iron Patriots don’t risk going.  It helps keep me safe.” 

Crystal stared at Ashe’s mother, not breaking eye contact, almost daring her to push back into the awkward conversation that they had left behind.  She crossed her arms, flexing as she did, and Ashe wished she was being held by those arms, they could both use the comfort after the evening they were having. 

“Cat,” her mom said, almost insistently as she nudged her wife.  “Ashe just blue screened.” 

Ashe blinked, shaking her head as she looked away from Crystal’s strong arms.  She reached out and drank her water hoping to calm the heat she felt from her ears and down her neck.  Ashe pointedly looked anywhere but at the others in the room.  She knew they were all looking at her, and though she hadn’t intended it, she had successfully redirected attention back onto her instead. 

“Buff girls with tattoos are hot, okay?” she said meekly.

It wasn’t like she could deny it, and it was even part of the reason she was trying to build muscle of her own.  At least training with Kyle and Eric was helping with her own definition without creating bulk.  Not that she could ever compete with Crystal’s frankly amazing build.  She even had abs!  Like, how could any gay girl resist a buff punk girl with rock hard abs?

“Yeah, I’m totally going sleeveless,” Crystal said with a grin.

Ashe was doomed. 

Not that she minded one bit.

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