Pairing: Kogoro & Eri

Title: Baby Girl (B2K)

Shuffled 1

Another chance at forever

All I can think about is you. The way you say you love me too.

"I love you."

He ran faster. He couldn't catch up with her. He wasn't fast enough. Not good enough. A few more and she'd be gone forever. So he sprinted faster. And faster until he didn't feel his legs anymore. But that didn't matter. Not one bit. What mattered was catching up to her.

One more chance.

One last chance and suddenly he was falling. Falling endlessly calling out her name but his voice was hoarse. She was nowhere in sight now. And just before his body hit the ground, he heard a sharp ringing.

He shot up, sitting straight. The bed sheets were all tangled up. Another dream. Nightmare. But that dream was real, she wasn't there anymore. He was too late. He wouldn't be able to sleep anyway, so he went to prepare for the day ahead. Lately it seemed that nothing was worth waking up to. Well, almost.

But her words were still ringing in his ears.

I love you.

But she didn't. Because if she did, she'd still be here. Right where he could put his arms around her waist and tell her just how he felt no matter how unlikely his male ego would let him declare it. Unmanly words but still true. Even when he closed his eyes, he could still see her eyes sparkling with recently blossomed love. Undeniably. And they thought it would be the forever kind of love though both of them refused to say it out loud, At least he did. But apparently, she didn't or she wouldn't have walked out and left him.

With his thoughts under control, he moved to proceed with his usual routine ignoring the photograph beneath his desk drawer. Resisting temptation. It was a slow day. He didn't have much to keep his mind away. Then, the phone rang

"Hello is this Mori-san?"

"Yes".

"We believe we have your wife here. Right now she is unconscious you should come down here right away".

"I'm on my way", he replied without preamble.

Then the caller rattled on the details of the hospital.

He was there in record time. Of course, nothing could've kept him away from Eri. The respondent met him at the door upon recognizing which Mori he had been talking with on the phone.

"Mori-san. I didn't realize it was you-"

"Eri. Where is she?"

"She's just come out of surgery, sir".

"What happened?"

"Well, you see. There was a bank robbery. She was one of the hostages but she refused to keep quiet when one of the robbers started harassing the teller." The respondent thought he heard the word 'stubborn' from Mori's mouth. "She took the robber head on, with what witnesses had told us very impressive and lethal judo moves, but she wasn't aware of the robber's partner hidden in the hostages and failed to see the oncoming attack. She was the only one hurt and it could've turned bad if your wife wasn't there."

Kogoro was cursing under his breath. She suddenly strode to the room that was directed to him. Shocked he clearly was for there lay Eri. Her dark blonde hair in soft curls, a disturbed frown marred her eyebrows as her lips were in the middle of the act of screaming. She was so beautiful and so utterly defenseless. He sat down at the edge of the bed. Tucking wisps of hair from her face tucking them into her ears.

She gasped awake. He froze. Immediate recognition on Kogoro's face. A soft gasp escaped her lips. And suddenly, she clung to his ne ck murmuring that she thought he'd never see him again. And he almost chuckled. That was his line right there. Eri seemed to have wakened to a period in time where Kogoro was hers alone. He was her loving, stubborn husband. Before she awoke, she dreamt that she would never see him again. That he was the one who wad a knife plunged within him. That the last time they'd spoke to each other was through gritted teeth. And mocking smiles knowing that when they meet again the same would happen but there would always be underlying warmth between them. She sharply pulled her hands off his neck.

"Eri".

"What're you doing here?" she asked as she put her glasses on. Something to hid her fears that he could oh so easily in her eyes if he looked.

"I'm actually here to take you home", he said. He wasn't asking, he was commanding. And suddenly Eri found the strength to argue and drive her point home. Only, this was one argument Kogoro would never let her win.

The days rolled a bit too fast for Kogoro's taste. But soon, Eri was on the mend. A very speedy recovery. Too speedy. He needed more time. Time to be with her. To convince her that she belonged here. Next to him. Always.

What? What was he saying. They separated ways for a very good reason. Though he couldn't recall what, but still it had to be a very good reason. And with that he decided that he had to not feel anything. To be able to let her go once she was good and well. Distance. Yes, that was it. Stubbornness was innate to him. He had decided. Nothing good will come if he changed his mind. It was hard but he had to let her go. She just wasn't happy with him. He wasn't the one who would make her happy. He once thought that he'd be able to do so. He liked making her mad, she was very beautiful when she grew mad and threw tantrums around. But she was stunning when she smiled. The ice queen melted. But that was a long time ago. A long, long time. But then again, she was here now and he'd seen her smile and laugh like before. So, maybe, just maybe, they could resume their roles. They had rolled back into places after a week or so. Like the forever arguing husband and wife. Like the always competing high school students they once where.

He looked at her sleeping face. So incredibly tender when sleeping, almost ethereal.

He loved her so very much.

It him like a punch in the gut. And tomorrow he'd tell her. Tell her and show her just how much. Because ever since he got her here it felt like joining the living once again. Nothing that drinking and gambling could have ever fulfilled. He loved her.

I love you.

He kissed her on the forehead. And with that thought wrapped around his head. He fell asleep with a Mori Eri in his arms.

WHERE WAS SHE?

He woke up at dawn to find her already gone. Her things no longer there. No trace of her things around their apartment only the faint smell of her. Damn it. She left again. He quickly dressed and searched the rooms. No Eri either. Just when he was about to- No. he wouldn't think about it now. He'd find her first.

"Good morning. Is Kisaki-san there? I need to talk to her", he said determinedly. He waited a bit before the voice on the line replied.

"I'm so sorry but you missed Eri-san. She's on her way to the airport right now. Or she might even be there by now. Will you leave a message that I could-"

"Where is Eri going?" he replied. His voice cutting daggers. Another silent moment.

"Is this Kogoro-san?"

"Yes",

He heard a deep sigh on the other end.

"The case she was working on got involved internationally. So, she had to leave due to her client. I called earlier to tell her we'd be sending someone since she was still recovering but she refused. She'll be catching the 10am flight. Good luck!", then she hung up.

After a few seconds of realizing and digesting the information he froze. She was leaving him yet again. After trying to patch everything up she was walking out on their marriage yet again. A lot similar like the last time but this time he was doing something about it. He was getting her back even if he had to crawl on his knees and beg.

The airport was too crowded but he spotted her right away. With her no-nonsense hair pulled into a bun, her smart corporate suit and very professional looking briefcase she had captured his attention so effortlessly. But she was already moving a way. Her determined chin tipped high like the regal queen that she was. And he knew that there was a very large percent that he would be shot down. But he had to try. If she passed through the airlines security it would get very difficult to stop her.

"Eri", he whispered beneath his breath.

"Eri.", a little louder. He was losing her yet again.

"Damn it. ERI, WAIT!" he shouted as loud as he could. Heads were turning. Curiosity was humming. But he didn't care. Only he and she existed right now. He was closer. She turned her head towards the voice.

She couldn't believe it he was here. He came after her.

He came after her. And that thought went running and screaming inside her head.

"Kogoro. What are you doing here?"

"I-" He was breathless. He breathed in and out. Until he could speak again.

"I'm not very good at words. I don't have enough charm to talk you into things you don't want to do. But I will be honest. And I'd like for you to hear me out." He grabbed her left hand and held it tight.

You know I still care for you. You know that I will love you forevermore.

"Please stay. Stay with me. Don't leave me again", he murmured looking her directly in the eyes.

The words were spoken so low and with so many people it would have been impossible to hear. But she heard them anyway. At first elation broke through her thought and suddenly, doubt was there.

"Why?" She clenched her right fist. "What difference would it make? We've already proven once that we can't live together. We'd drive each other mad. I refuse to do so once again. We're not a couple of teenagers falling head-first into the throes of love. We're both thinking adults who took on the challenge of marriage and found that we didn't suit. Why?" Her eyes closed tight. She held back the tears that she felt coming.

"Because I've realized that I couldn't live without you. Even living just a couple of minutes away was torture. What more if you put oceans between us?" he bent on one knew.

As she realized what he was doing she found it really hard to keep her tears in check. He wasn't really doing this now, was he? This was a public airport for goodness sake. They could wind up in the front page of the newspaper.

"Stand up. Quick. Stand up."

"No. Let me do this." Kissing the knuckles of her left hand he continued. "I know you think this would be mad. I know you feel disappointed at times. But please let me make this right. I love you. I have never openly said this. But I do. And with all his people seeing just how much of a fool I was to let you go I need you to take another chance with me. Not for Ran's sake but for ours. Give us another chance. I might not be perfect but I will always do my best never to disappoint you again. I know we'll argue a lot but I look forward to the times that we make up then repeat the process yet again. Because I know we wouldn't love each other without our constant bickering there."

She was speechless and when she got her voice back she could only say his name a dozen times and hug her fiercely. Her face nestled in his chest and tears flowing from her eyes. He kissed her hair and softly and lead them to the car.

After a great deal of running away she was finally being led home.

AN: If you've read my other fic you'd notice that I deliberately put Ran out of the picture. Well, this is so because I wanted Eri and the ever-stubborn Kogoro to realize that even without her meddling they could quite inexplicably be together again. I don't think I'd be able to finish this before my birthday T.T My muse has run away with another writer *world crumbles* and the fact that I have classes. I do believe this one was rushed. Gomenazai. But, thank you for reading anyway. I'll make it up to you, dear readers! Ja ne!