A/N: Okay, can someone PLEASE review, even if you don't like it, so that I know. If you don't then I might just give up on this story.

It's Been So Long, Ch4 Sonozaki Inquisition

Shion was still asleep, and Satoshi just lay next to her with one arm wrapped round her. Her overreaction to him talking to Rena had scared him a little, so he was not going to leave her alone for too long, especially not while she was sleeping. If she woke up without him, he was afraid she might just flip. 'I need to get Irie to check her out at some point, I hope it's not the syndrome affecting her.'

He lay there for quite a while, listening to her soft breathing, and gazing round her room. It was huge, but full or clutter, so it looked barely any bigger than his old room. 'She doesn't seem like the kind of person to be disorganised, and the rest of the flat is in perfect order, so why all this mess?' The mess was made up of the strangest things: from books on psychology to old furniture. 'Wait, books on psychology?'

Satoshi gently moved his arm out from under Shion and went to examine one of the books. It looked almost unused, until he reached one of the reference pages at the back, underlined in pencil on that page was 'Symptom:Suicidal Tendencies.' Satoshi looked back to Shion, 'No, not her, surely?'

That was something else to talk to Irie about.

-----

It was two days later that Satoshi got his chance to talk to the doctor, he had a check-up, to make sure that he fully returned to health. He had left Shion in the waiting room, and went into the doctor's office.

"Well Satoshi, you seem to be back to normal, so I believe that's it, I'm sure you want to get back to Shion."

"Actually Manager, there was something I wanted to ask you about her."

Irie raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"

"Well..." Satoshi explained what he had seen, her odd behaviour, and the book.

Irie looked perturbed, "As regards her overreaction, that could well be about stage two of the syndrome, and I'll book an appointment with her sometime, but the suicide is... different, it wasn't her that tried to kill herself."

Satoshi sighed with relief, the doctor's next words made him feel even worse, "It wasn't Shion, it was Satoko."

"Wh-WHAT?"

"After your disappearance, as she grew older, she became very depressed, to the extent that she tried to hang herself. She survived, and we were able to reduce her depression, but Shion's been worried about it ever since, keeping an even closer eye on her, it's no wonder that she had books on the subject. I wouldn't worry too much about Satoko, she should be fine now that you're back, and if you worry too much then it will in turn worry Shion, which could cause her syndrome to develop more."

"Okay, but why didn't anyone tell me?"

"She's fine now, I promise you, and we didn't think telling you would do you any good."

"Is there anything else you aren't telling me?"

"Well, there is what we did to reduce her depression."

"What was that?"

"Well remember that bear you bought her? We sent it to her from 'you' for her 14th birthday."

Satoshi was stunned, he had somehow completely forgotten about the bear. "Manager, you did too much, you and Shion, I owe you both so much."

"Well then, it sounds like you aren't going to object to Satoko and me getting married."

"Don't push your luck," Satoshi said, getting up, feeling a little better than when he had gone in.

-----

It was some time later that Satoshi found himself in bed with Shion again. They still hadn't gone any further than kissing, mainly because they Shion's family would not like it if they found out that things had gone any further, and the couple were still not even engaged.

'That's a point,' Satoshi thought, as he lay on the bed with Shion curled up next to him, 'How long until I ask her? Will I even be able to, or will I have to apply to the Sonozaki elders, just like Keiichi? I need to talk to Mion about this.'

He looked down at the green haired girl... 'No, woman' he corrected himself. She was asleep by this point, and looked, he thought, as beautiful as ever. 'If I had to fight an army to get her, I would, and the Sonozaki elders aren't much scarier.'

-----

"So, Satoshi, what did you wanna talk about that meant you had to send my fiance out of the room?" Mion asked Satoshi, as she sipped her tea.

"I need your advice, it's about Shion." The aforementioned girl had a shift at Angel Mort that afternoon, so Satoshi had taken the chance to talk to Mion.

"Oh really? And what is it about my sister that makes you not want anyone else to be within earshot?"

"Well, the thing is, I want to ask her..." Satoshi's voice trailed off.

"I see, you want to ask her to marry you, and are afraid of my family's reaction, so you came to me to ask me what I thought best to do, am I right?"

Satoshi sighed, "When did you learn to read minds Mion? You're absolutely right."

"Of course, I was just waiting for the news of it. Now about my family, there is something I think you should know. Before she passed away, my Grandmother said that if you and Shion got together, that she thought it would be wonderful, and that she thought it could finally end this feud over the dam war."

Satoshi stared at her, wondering if it was April Fool's day, 'It's after 12 anyway, can she really mean?'

Mion laughed at the bemused face Satoshi was pulling, "That said, asking the elders couldn't hurt, I'll try to arrange something for you."

"Thank you, Mion, you're a good friend."

"Hey, this is mostly for Sis actually, although I have to say, she chose pretty damn well."

-----

"So, Satoshi Hojo, we have heard what you request," one of the many faces spoke, they all looked the same to Satoshi, except for Mion's in the centre. "You wish to marry Shion, yet you have nothing to give her, how do you expect to keep her?"

'With all the money she has, why are they asking me that?' He wondered, but thought of the best answer he could, "I have some money, left to me by my family, and I am willing to work as hard as I need to in order to look after her."

Another one of the many faces spoke, "Why do you wish marry her though? There must be some reason."

"What I do, I do for love, that is all," Satoshi answered briefly, hoping that they would approve.

The faces turned to one another, each talking to one of the other faces. Satoshi scanned the room, trying to work out their impression of him. Mion caught his eye and she smiled at him, mouthing "Not bad."

The faces stopped talking to each other, and one said, "Have you asked Shion yet about this?"

"Not yet," some frowns, "I wanted to make sure that we could before asking her, I understand that she has had a great deal of stress in her life, and I did not wish to add to it, so I wanted a definite answer from here before asking her."

"Do you think you have a reasonable chance of getting her to accept then?"

"If I didn't, I would not have come here to waste others' time, I say I have a better chance than most by some way, but it is her decision, I cannot read minds."

The faces talked amongst themselves again, 'Help' was all that was running through Satoshi's mind.

After a while, the voices died down. Mion spoke, "Have any of you any further questions?" A general shaking of heads followed, "In that case, Satoshi Hojo, please leave for us to discuss our decision."

Satoshi stood and left, hoping that he had made a favourable impression.

He sat and waited. After about half an hour, Mion came out of the room, she smiled at him, "The family says, if Shion agrees, then you're free to marry."

Satoshi jumped for joy, "Thank you Mion."

"Don't thank me, they quite took to you."

"Well regardless, I can't wait to ask Shion," he was overjoyed, unsurprisingly.

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A/N please review, please.

Bis Bald

BW