AN: first fic in ever! (I think) Inspired by an au my friend shared from amino.

Art found here: rrkkrkrr,deviantart,com/gallery/65581899/Doki-Doki-Literature-Club

Who was it?

Pardon?

For who are those flowers you are holding for?

Oh... It's for... My father.

I see. I lost my dad here too.

... I'm sure he was a good man.

Yours too. I'm Mare! You?

My name is ...

MARE!

Mare was startled from the shout, forcefully yanked out of her daydream. She didn't have time to react to the finger about to smack her forehead.

"Owww! What did you do that for bro?" she poutedly exclaimed, rubbing her forehead. "We're not kids anymore you know?" She had been daydreaming right in the middle of getting her assignment from the sheriff, who also happens to be her brother.

"Oh I'm glad you agree with me on that" her brother retorted. "But might I remind you that you shouldn't slack on the job" he reminded her as he stepped back. He handed her assignment.

"Let me guess-" she started, knowing it's going to be some mundane task like maybe patrolling the streets, inventory checking, or worse, paperwork. All she really wanted was to get into THAT case. "If only this guy wasn't so overprotective" , she thought to herself.

But before she could finish he cut her off, "You guessed it!" he sarcastically cheered. He'd given her patrol duty again. Given how often she gets this tasks, he assumed that that's what she was going to say.

She knew what he was thinking so she decided to mix it up a bit. "I'm in THE case?! Yes! Thank you very much!" she shouted as jumped joyfully. "I knew I could count on you brother!"

"No! Its patrol duty!" he shouted, clenching his jaws. He should've known. "OK look, Mare. I know you want to help me find the mafia. But the one's you're looking for are already gone. Dad made sure of that. But these are new settlers and they've eluded us for 3 years! You get it right? It's too-"

"Dangerous? Complicated? I get it, Rei" she cuts him off, sharp as a knife. He wasn't surprised by this outburst. She always did this. She paused briefly, wanting to say more. However, she changed her mind. She wouldn't want to get fired now, would she? "I have some patrolling to do, SIR", she stormed off, tired of being told off over and over again. She walked out of the office, brows knit.

Before she goes on to do her assignment she went back to her dormitory and changed out of her uniform to semi-formal clothes. "Keh! Since you won't let me join your oh so dangerous hunt for these mucks" she tells herself as she tightens her belt up. "Then I guess I'll have to find leads on my own. That'll show him!" she encouraged herself, going on "patrol" with a skip to her step.

As she's out walking by the plaza, she mulled over the daydream she had in the sheriff's office. Rather than a daydream, it was more of a memory recall. It happened 4 years ago, 2 years after her father died. She was visiting the place where her father was killed.

He was the town's sheriff back then. He led the operation that happened in the location of her encounter with the girl. It was to completely drive or eliminate the mafia from their town. The girl she encountered… she can't seem to recall her name. The girl's father must've also been an officer that got killed in the operation. The girl was holding a bouquet of white tulips that matched her white sundress. White ribbon holding her long hair in a tail. Dead green eyes.

Her patrol was almost done with absolutely nothing happening. She used most of her time mulling over and trying to remember the girl.

"White ribboned ponytail… yeah", she sighs to herself. "Very much like that lady in that café over the-", her thoughts were interrupted. As Mare was passing by a night café, a girl clad in a white sundress and a brown jacket bumped into her. Verdant eyes met hers. A knowing gaze met a bewildered one.

"Mare? You're Mare, aren't you?" the girl asked as she leaned towards her. "Uuuuuh I know you're pretty and all lady but you're too close!" Mare screamed in her head, leaning back.

"Surely you haven't forgotten about me?" the girl stepped back and towards the café, gesturing Mare to join her. Mare checked her clock. It was 9:30 pm. She shrugged, thinking that there was nothing to report anyway, then joined her. They sat in front of each other, in a table on the café's second floor balcony.

"I've been looking for you, you know?" the girl once again leaned close to Mare's face. Dangerously close. "Ever since you brought me back to life."

"It's about time she showed up", Rei was at the corner table of the town pubs second floor. He stared down at his mug. Silence, a ripple formed in the drink. He dipped his head, dodging a back hand aimed at his head. "You never learn do you?" He stood up, turning towards the attacker. "Sayori."

"Ehehe! Sharp as always, aren't you? Rei" the girl, Sayori, tipped her hat at Rei then bowed. She raised her head, her gaze held onto his. Both smiled nostalgically at each other. "Oooh sharp AND gloomg still eh?" she commented, looking over the place Rei picked.

"And you never cease to be so blindingly bright" Rei commented as Sayori bounced around the table, tripping then falling on the corner sofa. "And yet be so... Heh. Glad to see you again Sayori" he smirked as he goes back to his seat.

Sayori pouted, puffing her left cheek. She then looked at the one of the two mugs that were on the table. "Thanks for ordering me butter beer, Rei."

"You always did like them" he commented. He heard Sayori grumble something but chose to ignore it. "How about a review of what we have, shall we?"

Three years ago, a new mafia group came into town. They seemed to have a legitimate grip on underground crimes unlike the other groups that had claimed to replace the former mafia conglomerate that had its base in this very town. This mafia conglomerate was destroyed by the police force, both nearly annihilating each other, four years ago. At the time, Rei and Sayori were officers-in-training in their second to final year. Sayori mysteriously disappeared after the conflict. Sayori, apparently, had to move out due to familial reasons. She claimed she could not finish her training but had returned 2 years ago upon hearing news of the new mafia group in town and had been leading her own investigations. Sayori and Rei collaborated their own findings secretly in the bar they are currently in, making progress inch by inch.

"Are you down now?" Sayori groaned, clearly bored. "And who the heck are are you looking at?" she commented. Rei, while explaining, was looking out in the open like staring into a camera.

"O-oh. Nothing? What do you mean? Hahahahahaha" Rei answered uneasily. "So you got anything new?" he asked. The air between the two changed. From jovial to grim.

"I don't have much yet. I noticed movement on a corner store 2 blocks east northeast of the marketplace. There were lots of boxes. Too many for a small store for sure" answered Sayori then drank her butter beer in one go. "Couldya phleas go check it out for meeee~?"

"Understood. Though it's highly unlikely that their den is there, perhaps an extension?" said Rei, taking a sip of his own drink. Sayori sighed, as if to catch Rei's attention. Her head leaned on her hand, face flushed. Her eyes looking down at her drink. Rei noticed this. "Oi don't tell me you're already drunk again? *sigh* Do you even want what I got?"

"Muuooooh jus tell meeeeeeeh awready" Sayori groaned. "I pwomise ill wowk hawd~" she slurred, her head slipping from her hand.

"Alright fine. Just don't blame me if you don't retain any of this" Rei started. "The place you mentioned last time did have suspicious activity but it wasn't exactly the mafia. Just thugs they hired. It did give us some leads to another place. A warehouse that nobodies been using for 9 years." Rei pauses for a while.

Sayori looked up at him, concerned. Nine years ago was a very sensitive for them. When that operation happened. When Rei's father died, and Sayori disappeared.

Rei continued "Its way across the town from the marketplace. We checked the place immediately but it seems they knew they'd rat 'em out." He finished off his drink then leaned close on Sayori's face. "Checking it out a second time would be suspicious for us. Wanna have a go at it?" Rei looks at her eyes, expecting a dull sight. But instead found a sharp glint.

"'Kaaaaaaaaaaay~! Ehehehe I weally wike youw gold star Rei." she answered. Rei leans back, relaxed. The air between them lets up.

Rei looked at the gold chain clock he inherited from his father. Its 10 in the evening. "Oh it's pretty late already. Best we get on out of here" said Rei, offering his hand to Sayori. She reached out to hold it but as soon as her hand got near Rei clasped his hand to hers. They went down and out of the bar, Sayori stumbling all the way. Mostly due to Rei slightly dragging her off. Once outside, she pulled Rei's sleeve back. She looked at him as he looked back. Sorrowful against curious.

"We've been doing this for a year, huh?" Sayori sighed, then breathed in the cold night air. "And yet you have yet to ask much about me."

Rei was fairly surprised, "Whoa. Weren't you just slurring awhile ag-"

"Answer the question Rei" Sayori suddenly cut him off. He looked up immediately at her face. Still flushed, but her eyes were cutting. "Is something wrong" thought Rei.

He immediately dismisses the thought. "This is Sayori were talking about."

"Well I knew you very well back in officer school. And it seems you haven't changed much. Is there something I should know?" he asked as he looked up at the sky. "Somehow I can't look at her face right now."

"…" Sayori was silent and completely unamused. But she smiled nonetheless. "You haven't changed at all" she thought. She skipped off and looked away from Rei. "Tee hee~! You're absolutely right! I haven't changed much! I still can't handle alcohol and my favorite is still butter beer! Just like back then!" she yelled cheerily.

"Oi oi stop that you'll wake up the whole neighborhood." Rei complained, but smiled nonetheless. "Go home, Sayori. You're drunk." Sayori only nodded, still not looking at him. He also nodded then turned around to walk back home.

"Drunk, huh?" Sayori spat at the ground and started walking.

"Brought you back to life!? Wh-what do you mean by that…" Mare was surprised. "What have I done to warrant such words from this girl?" she thought to herself.

"Oh. I didn't peg you for someone who gets serious all of a sudden" the smirked at Mare. She seemed very amused. "You do still remember me right?" she asked her.

"As pretty as you are, I seem to only remember your face but not your name" Mare answered nonchalantly before covering her mouth. "Curse my impulsive flirting!" she screamed at herself.

"Oh Mare! Hahahahaha! Aaahhh. I guess a reintroduction is due. My name is Monika. We met 4 years ago" said Monika as she reached out to Mare's hand. "Our meeting was interrupted though. Rudely" Monikas hold on Mare's hand tightened briefly.

Mare put up a fairly calm facade despite the gay screaming inside her head. Especially after that embarrassing line. She took the squeeze on her hand as her cue to ask Monika things. "So uuuuuuh you kinda haven't answered my question. What did I do?" Mare asked, pulling her hand off of Monika's.

Monika looked away… embarrassed? "It's actually quite embarrassing…" Embarrassed. "Before you left, we were talking about our fathers. Remembering our own good times with them. I… really needed that back then" Monika paused, her embarrassed look turned into a solemn gaze. "I had lost almost all of my family. I had given up. I was paying a final visit to that place before… I lose myself…" Monika stopped. Mare regretted pulling her hand away, and this time she grasped Monika's hands.

Mare was about to offer her condolences, but Monika shook her head. "It's ok now. Because you changed all that. Both of us were at the lowest of our lives. People we looked up to, gone. And yet you, still brimming with life. You haven't given up" Monika sighed then chuckled. "I'm getting sentimental, aren't I?"

"And poetic. Hehe" Mare added to it. She always had a soft spot for people who open up to her. "This girl had been through a lot", Mare thought.

"Point is, you inspired me to bring my family back together. And I finally did! I was so inspired that I finished 3 years ago!" Monika clamored joyfully at Mare.

Mare can't help but smile. By just talking to her back then out of curiosity and fascination, she was able to get this girl moving in the right direction and reuniting her family. "Father would've been proud, hahaha" she thought to herself

"Gosh Monika! I mean, all I did was talk to you back then. It wasn't because of me that you were reunited to your family. It was because you were strong!" Mare told Monika through intense blushing. She can't just take the credit for all the work Monika did.

"Oh Mare, you really know what to say. Just like back then. Such a flirt." Monika smiled sweetly at Mare, grateful for the encouraging words she received, before she kissed her hand.

"WH- WH- WH- WH- WH- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Mare shouted, extremely flustered, blushing furiously. She tried to pull her hand away but her hand, arm, all the way to her shoulder seems to have frozen.

"You sure are cute Mare, for someone so strong" teased Monika.

Mare tried to focus. Why's she feeling like this? "Keep your cool, Mare" she told herself, looking for something to look at. She finds the watch on her wrist that Monika kissed. It was nearly 10 pm. She'd been talking with Monika for the last half-hour and she felt like only a minute had passed. "Crap I really like talking to her but it's really late. Maybe I should walk her home. I'm sure my brother would do the same thing. Doubtful" Mare thought.

"Hey Monika. It's gotten really late. Shall we go home?" Mare asked Monika.

Monika let go of Mare's hand to clasp her own together. "That's perfect! Let's go home. I'll introduce you to the family!"

"MY GOD MONIKA PLEASE YOUR WORDINGS CONFUSING THE FUCK OUT OF ME" Mare screamed in her head. "I think my mind's throat's been ripped apart" she added. Monika stood up and dragged Mare up and out of the cafe.

"What do you mean by introduce? And where are we going?" Mare asked as they were nearing Monika's car. All the while Monika kept smiling, not bothering to answer her. Mare sat shotgun while Monika in the driver's seat.

She drove them to a mansion fairly far from town. "A mansion? Maybe her family serves the family that lives here? No way her officer father could've afforded this? Hell, my father couldn't afford this and he was the highest ranking officer back then" Mare mulled over this as they drove in.

Monika stopped the car near the front of the mansion's front double-doors. She pressed a button by the cars radio. "Whoever's in parking duty please come to the front" she said before leaving the car but left it running. Mare followed suit.

"Please wait here, Mare, as I get ready. I should be ready in five minutes. Come in by then" Monika told Mare as she entered front door. Mare couldn't protest before the door was shut. She heard the car drive away all of a sudden.

As she sat on the porch, waiting, she observed her surroundings. The front of the mansion was a rose garden maze. It was beautiful but very unnerving. The clusters of blooming roses wet off evening dew glistened like drops of blood. The full moon lit the whole place yet the air felt cold and dark, giving a sense of timelessness. But despite the timelessness, the 5 minutes she waited for felt like hours.

"Introducing me to her family? What is Monika thinking? I know we met long ago but that was once! Oooouuuh she's driving me crazy" she thought as she stood up and entered the door.

The hall was lit only by a cloud-covered moon from the windows. Stairs that go up halfway then split into two opposing directions to the second floor. The left and right sides of the hall were very dark, covered from the light by the second floor rafters. Mare detected movement in these areas but it was already too late.

"Who the fuck is this asshole? Hey you! Are you the popo?" said a short girl. She had striking pink hair tied by red laces. She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and suspenders. In the blink of an eye, from the shadows of the left side, she pressed a glock to Mare's left temple. "Don't move or I'll shoot you!"

"An intruder? You're pretty brave. I bought a new set. Would you like a closer look?" said a tall girl. She had dark purple hair with a violet clip. She was wearing a vest and rolled-up long-sleeved shirt. In no more than a second, from the darkness of the right side, she held a knife to Mare's throat. "Oh please PLEASE say yes!"

"What the hell is going on?" Mare was deadly calm. She has been held hostage by the two. She was not allowed to move. Desperation and fear seeped in her eyes.

The clouds parted for the moon, illuminating the hall better. They were full of people, wearing formal attire.

"No way… are these the mafia? Oh no. Monika! Ive got to save her!" Mare thought. She went out on her patrol in civilian clothes, without her gun. "I have to think of something, quick!"

*step*

"Let her go. Yuri, Natsuki" a voice from the stairs rang out.

*step*

Yuri and Natsuki stepped away from Mare. "As you wish" both simultaneously said as they hid their weapons.

step*

"That voice… there's no way." Mare's stiff posture drooped, her heart rate sky high. She looked down.

*step*

"Where's she?" asked Monika to the two.

"She's out, doing her… job" Yuri answered.

*step*

"She's with her stupid little date that's what!" Natsuki interjected.

"Mmhm" Monika nodded.

*step*

Then it clicked. Monika's father. Died in the Mafia Extermination Operation. Rich. Family.

*step*

Monika stood at the top of the halfway parting section of the stair, hands behind her back. She was now wearing a suit with white ribbons dangling from her shoulders. She looked at Mare's eyes, nearly on the edge of despair. "Aaaaw did they scare you that much Mare? I'll have them apologize later" commented Monika, finger to her chick. She proceeds to walk down the stairs towards Mare, arms spread wide, offering a hug.

Mare is still dumbstruck. She couldn't accept the offer. She could not believe it. Monika was…

Monika didn't wait and just hugged Mare. "You're father… he must've been a very careful and loyal man, able to completely cut off familial relationships. Cut himself off from you, all to protect you. I literally had no way of finding you. And yet you found me. You're really amazing" said Monika, slightly dejected from her hug not being accepted.

"I just wanted to thank you, we all do, for bringing this family back together." Monika's voice breaks a bit, "We are truly truly grateful to you." Monika and everyone else in the room kneeled on their left knee, one hand to the heart, the other behind their back. All of their heads bowed down in gratitude.

"Wait a second, she doesn't know I'm part of the police?" Mare thought, processing what Monika just said to her. Her posture straightened. A devious grin plastered on her face. "Your inch of a progress is about to be blown away by my mile, brother Rei. Father, please watch over me."

Mare offered her hand to Monika. She took it and pulled. Mare helped her stand back up. Once she was up Mare didn't let go, kneeled on one knee, her other hand behind her back. Mare looked up and stared at Monika with the flames of determination burning in her eyes.

"Ah there they are. Such beautiful eyes!" Monika mused to herself, gazing into Mare's unwavering gaze. "You may be special but you're gonna have to start from the bottom you know."

Mare expected as much. It was time to take the plunge. She kissed Monika's ring.

"I still can't believe…"

"Yes…"

"…that Monika is…"

"My Don"