[A/N: Thank you all for your lovely well wishes. Recovery is slow but not impossible.]

-Michiru-

Michiru didn't know how she got there, her feet had just carried her by themselves to Ami. Before she consciously knew where she was, she was standing in front of the doctor's apartment. The day with her aunt had been long but by no means exhausting. After running in with the Chibas they had a pleasant afternoon, shopping and cooking with each other and in the late afternoon her aunt excused herself for an urgent meeting with a location scout.

As she had been standing in her studio, overlooking Tokyo in the light of the setting sun, while she coloured the sketch she had made of Haruka and Hotaru in Hokkaido, she had noticed that she could see the Tenoh tower clearly in the distance, standing tall among the many other skyscrapers that adorned the skyline of Tokyo. Before she would have not noticed it among all the other two high rise buildings, but now it had become unique to Michiru, with all the memories it held.

Like the little fox had become special to the little prince.

Michiru looked at her phone to check for the time and a small wooden fox smirked back at her cheekily, on a strap hanging off it, a happiness plaque under its paw.

It had suddenly overcome her, the sudden wave of emotions, she thought she had dealt with over her recital, but her unending longing for the roguish blonde, her ever growing desire for the trouble maker and the ever increasing turmoil that Haruka's absence caused within her heart was suddenly becoming unbearable.

She couldn't stay and had just gotten up and left her apartment, to go for a walk to clear her mind and now she was here. After reluctantly reaching for the doorbell, she was about to turn around to leave again, when Ami opened the door for her.

"Michiru? Are you alright?" her friend asked her concerned.

"I didn't think you would be home…" Michiru admitted.

"Come in, I just made some fresh tea." Ami invited her in, in her usual quiet but friendly manner.

"Excuse my intrusion and thank you for having me." Michiru smiled gratefully.

She entered the familiar small apartment, that was always neat and tidy and they headed for the couch.

They sat together, had a nice small talk about everything and nothing and Ami noticed how Michiru absentmindedly played with the little fox on her phone.

"That's unusual for you to use trinkets on your phone." Ami remarked.

"Haruka gave it to me after the Obon in Kyoto." Michiru smiled melancholically and noticed how Ami's eyes suddenly looked conflicted.

"You don't like her?" Michiru asked surprised.

"What? No, I do like her… I mean as a team leader she is really competent and as a friend she is very reliable." Ami answered flustered.

"Ami, would it be wrong for me to love her?" Michiru asked the doctor who looked at her with a mixture of sadness and empathy.

"I know. She comes across as such a playboy and flirt, but she is actually very sincere. I don't know. I am babbling. This has never happened to me before. I do not remember ever feeling this way. I just miss her so much, it has been only a few weeks that I haven't seen her and my whole being is aching for her, even just a call, to hear her voice again, could ease this pain." Michiru tried to explain to Ami who suddenly looked very sad.

"I am sorry Ami. I have been so self-absorbed, only talking about my own emotions while you haven't seen Makoto for the past weeks either." Michiru apologised.

"Makoto?" Ami sounded surprised.

"Don't worry, I have been looking after her for you. We have been working a case together and she swoons about you every chance she gets, but she knows that seeing you, probably wouldn't be the best move right now, considering how the office is at the moment." Michiru sighed.

"So how come you dared to come here?" Ami wondered aloud.

"I have worked myself into Tenoh Senior's good graces and it has not been an official order to avoid you, at least not to me, so I am not breaking any rules." Michiru explained. "Makoto and I are at the moment investigating a case together, so don't worry, I am looking after her for you until you come back." Michiru assured her friend as she watched the other girl growing ever quieter. "You know; you should tell her how you feel about her when you get the chance. I still regret not having told Haruka what she means to me. .." Michiru trailed off.

"I am sure she knows." Ami said quietly.

"Maybe…I can't wait for her to come back from whatever job she is on. I really hope it won't take as long as she predicted." Michiru admitted with a smile on her lips.

"You really do love her, don't you?" Ami observed in quiet and thoughtful manner.

"Yes, it is that obvious, isn't it?" Michiru smiled to herself. "If you would have told me a couple of months ago, that I would be so deeply in love with someone who lives outside of the law, I would have thought that you would have gone insane, but now I feel like, I am the one who has lost her mind by falling in love with Haruka. Ami, don't waste time and just go for it with Makoto. Life is too short to waste it on imaginary boundaries." Michiru smiled at her friend encouragingly.

Ami only looked back at her, deeply saddened, but nodded wordlessly back nonetheless.

-Setsuna-

She was standing atop the Meioh tower overlooking Tokyo, when Riko stepped up behind her.

"You haven't been here for a long time." Riko commented as she leaned over the railing next to Setsuna.

"Not many good memories were made here." Setsuna answered calmly.

"You can always make more of them." Riko chuckled.

"I suppose." Setsuna sighed. "Here, I have done the best I could to give you access to as many places as possible. I just don't have a good link as Kakashi to the underworld, you might have to do some negotiating in those areas." Setsuna explained as she passed Riko a package.

"Don't worry about that. I have asked the Myamotos for a list of willing clients to deal with them." Riko just nodded gracefully before she disappeared into the darkness again.