I placed my hands behind my head and stared up at the ceiling. The living room was completely dark with the exception of the street lights shining through the window. Having the message completely memorized in my mind, I re-read the note. It was a threat. Someone had fucking threatened her, and she was acting as though the incident hadn't happened at all. That must be why she called this afternoon. I shifted a bit on the couch to get more comfortable.

Why hadn't she bothered to tell me? Or anyone for that matter.

The moment I heard a small, slightly audible 'creak' in the wood near the staircase, I was on full alert – my eyes gazing at the darkness waiting for a figure to appear. The noise came to halt, but I didn't really relax. Almost a minute later the footsteps became rougher and quicker. It was followed by a semi-loud 'thud'.

"O-ow."

Frowning, I got up off of the couch and headed up the stairs to see Ami sprawled on the floor.

"Ami, what the hell do you think you're doing?" I asked picking her up bridal style from the floor.

"Ikuto, Amu keeps tossing and turning in her sleep. I tried to wake her up, but she only pushed me away mumbling something like 'Don't hurt her'."

"Don't worry," I whispered soothingly as I placed her on her bed like she was a little kid.

My heart was beating pretty hard as I walked down the hallway where Amu's door was slightly ajar. For a moment, I just stood at the doorway and watched her. Just like Ami had described, she would turn, stop moving, only to violently turn to the other side. I walked across the room and stood next to her.

She was crying. My heart skipped a beat as I took a seat on her bed and wiped her tears away. What was she dreaming about?

"I'm scared," she mumbled in her sleep turning around to face me.

Looking down at her, I saw that she was still asleep, yet I couldn't bring myself to wake her up. What the hell was wrong with me? I pushed the hair out of her face and just stared at her face. It wasn't a nightmare like I had thought it would be. Sighing, I made small soothing noises to come her down and began humming the lullaby I would hum for Saya when she was little.

When she was peacefully sleeping again, I got up to leave. However, she grabbed my arm in her sleep and held onto it loosely.

"Don't go…"

Did she know I was here?

"Don't go," she repeated again. "Renji."

I froze in my spot and looked back around to stare at her. A tiny tear slivered down the curve of her cheek.

"Please…please don't leave me."

I should've left, it wasn't my place to stay, yet I did. I sat down on the floor; the arm she was holding onto was placed on the bed. It was around three in the morning when she finally dozed off and the grasp on my arm was gone. I got up and faced her.

"Sweet dreams Amu," I whispered placing a tiny kiss on her forehead before leaving the room.

Ami was waiting outside of the door when I came out.

"Shouldn't you be asleep?" I asked raising a brow.

"You're still in love with my sister."

Sighing, I turned around towards the stairs.

"Go to sleep Ami."

"Your feelings-

"Don't matter," I finished roughly.

The Next Day

Amu POV

"Good morning!" I cheered brightly as I entered the kitchen.

When I got to the table where Ami and Ikuto were sitting, I felt more than a little awkward. There was all this tension that just seemed to be growing.

"What's got you so goddamn cheery?"

I looked from Ikuto's grumpy face to Ami who looked like this was normal.

"I happened to have a wonderful dream last-

"I'm leaving," interrupted Ikuto suddenly getting out of his chair.

"Where are you going?"

"To take a smoke," he answered gruffly.

And before I knew it, the door had slammed behind him. I looked to Ami expectantly, yet she only shrugged.

"It is partially your fault."

"What did I do?" I asked grabbing milk and a muffin.

"You dreamt about Renji again."

"Really? Well, I don't see why he's so angry about it."

I looked up to see Ami staring at me with an 'I don't understand how stupid you could possibly get' look.

"You've ruined my appetite," she grumbled as she grabbed her crutches and hobbled away.

Ami disappeared upstairs, and Ikuto was still outside smoking. Meanwhile, I just looked down at my unhealthy breakfast.

"Well everyone's in a pleasant mood."

After finishing up my breakfast, I walked to the front door and looked through the eyehole to see Ikuto just leaning against the wall. I saw no indication of him smoking lying around. What was he doing?

Later

"Get dressed! We're going out!" I shouted as I tied a plum colored scarf around my neck.

I stopped and heard absolutely nothing. Frowning, I stormed out of my room and opened the door to Ami's room where the two of them were currently residing. When the door was opened completely, I saw Ami and Ikuto lying on the floor playing a random board game. They looked up at me with a 'What are you doing here?' expression.

"Get dressed. NOW. No one is staying home today."

For extra measure, I gave them each a convincing glare before retreating downstairs. It was a while before they both arrived downstairs.

"Ready to go?"

Ikuto shrugged and Ami nodded. Sighing, I lead them to my car. This was going to be a long day.

At the Floral Store

"Hi, can I get two bouquets of hydrangeas, two bouquets of colorful lilies, and a bouquet of um…blue carnations."

"It'll be just a moment," said the young man.

"Thanks."

I crossed my arms over my chest and walked throughout the store until the man called me again with the finished bouquets. I walked back to the car with five bundles of flowers in my hand. Struggling to open the trunk, Ikuto slowly got out of the passenger's side and opened the trunk for me.

"Thank you."

He nodded and disappeared into the car again. Sighing, I made my way to the driver's seat, stuck my key in ignition and drove off. The drive was dreadfully silent, even if the radio was playing. Ami was busy texting, while Ikuto stared out the window. I changed lanes and took the exit to Kyoto. My mind was busy with Ikuto's current behavior and so I missed the turn in the road I was supposed to take.

"Shit," I mumbled pulling the car over.

"What's wrong Amu?" asked Ami finally snapping her phone shut.

"I missed the turn."

I looked behind me to see there were no cars currently driving on this side of the road. Even if it was one of those narrow one way roads, I could manage to back up the car and make a u-turn. Just as I was about to, Ikuto decided to talk.

"You can't u-turn on this road."

I shot him a glare. The one time he actually chose to talk and that was to tell me that I couldn't do something. The nerve of him.

"I can back up and just turn. No biggie."

Ami shifted in her seat as I pulled the shift into reverse.

"Amu, the cars are coming."

I snapped my head to look around to see a trail of cars coming. Really. Groaning, I pulled the shift into drive and headed forward grumbling because that road had been the shortest way to go. For every turn I took the cars on the road would be reduced to half till there was only my car and a blue mini-van on the road. One more turn, and it was just me on the road. I slowed down despite the speed limit that was posted and looked around trying to absorb everything. It was the street of my childhood. Little stores were lined up all across the sidewalk, along with the faded mural of the sea with the sunset painted on the side wall of the ice cream parlor.

Flashback

"Momma! Momma! Look. Look. I lost a tooth!" I exclaimed running into the living room.

Momma put down her book and looked up at me with a smile. The creases next to her eye folded as she smiled once more and motioned me over to her lap. I climbed onto her lap and held out the bloody tooth to her. She picked it up and smiled again.

"The tooth fairy is going to visit you tonight," she whispered.

I frowned.

"What's the tooth fairy?"

"When you lose a tooth, you place it under your pillow. And at night, the tooth fairy takes your tooth and leaves money."

I frowned again.

"I don't want money."

"Oh?"

"I want ice cream."

Momma laughed and I giggled even if I didn't know why she was laughing.

"Momma, can we go to the store and buy ice cream?"

"I have a better idea. A new ice cream store opened, let's go check it out."

"Ok!" I exclaimed jumping off her lap and running to my room.

XX

"Why do we have to walk?" I groaned as I tried to loosen Momma's grip from my hand.

"It's more enjoyable this way."

I groaned once more, envious at the kids who were inside of a car. We continued walking until we reached a sidewalk where I could see a bunch of stores next to each other. On one of the walls was a bright picture of the ocean and the sun.

"We're here Amu," said Momma leading me inside two shiny glass doors.

XX

"Can we come back tomorrow?" I asked licking my chocolate ice cream.

"When you lose a tooth, then yes, we can come back."

- The Next Day -

"Momma! Momma! Look! I lost my tooth!"

I ran up to her with a smile on my face. Just like yesterday she put her book down but this time raised a brow.

"You lost another tooth?"

"Yeah! I can't find the tooth that fell out yesterday…can we go get ice cream? I lost my tooth!"

"Nice try kiddo," she said placing a small kiss on my cheek.

End of Flashback

I wiped my eye and pulled into the parking lot.

"Are we lost?" asked Ami.

"No, I thought we'd stop for ice cream."

"It's November," she mumbled lightly.

The three of us walked through the shiny glass doors, a small familiar bell ringing above our heads. The interior was the same as it had been close to thirteen years ago – pale pink walls with thick vertical white stripes, clear glass counters, dark blue sofas with pink or sometimes white tables and photos and posters scattered across the wall. I walked up to the counter where a close to middle aged woman was working. When she looked up, I recognized her. The curly black hair and the greenish brown eyes – it was the woman who worked here when I had first come to the parlor. Her eyes searched mine curiously, and when they finally lit in recognition, she ran out of the counter and squeezed me in the tightest hug I had probably ever had.

"My doll! My precious doll! Oh dear, my you have grown Amu!" she exclaimed getting teary eyed.

"You still remember me?"

"Of course. I see many people walk in and out of this shop with pink hair, but none of them have those golden eyes like you do."

She let go of me and stepped back noticing for the first time that I had people with me. Haruna walked towards Ikuto and stared at him like she had done to me and then moved on to Ami. She turned around to face me and smiled.

"You got yourself married, with a handsome fellow if I may add, and a little girl."

I blushed a very visible shade of pink.

"N-no… this is Ami, my little sister, and this is Ikuto, a friend and a colleague from work."

"Sorry about that gumdrop," she said looking at Ami. "Your Momma and Papa, bless their souls, were the kindest people I knew. They came in everyday once the business started. Anyways, what flavor ice cream," she said changing the subject.

XX

"How'd you know her?" asked Ami once we left the store with our cones of ice cream.

"Mom used to take me out here every time I lost a tooth…plus I kind of ate this giant ice cream sculpture she had been working on."

"Wow Amu."

When Ikuto sat in the car, Ami immediately pulled me over.

"He likes chocolate ice cream, you like chocolate ice cream…it's a sign!" she whispered excitedly in my ear.

"Ami, millions of people around the world eat chocolate ice cream, enjoy it, and go back for more. This," I said holding up my cone, "Means nothings."

Groaning, she got into her seat, and I got into mine and I continued the drive to our destination.

Later

Kyoto Cemetery

Double-checking the sign, I pulled into the parking lot and parked under a large willow tree. I pulled the key out of the ignition and walked around the back of the car to grab the hydrangeas only to see Ami and Ikuto still sitting in the car. I opened Ami's door first.

"Out, out, you're not sitting in the car."

"You could have told me to get a little dressed up," she mumbled motioning to her green jacked and light colored jeans.

"You look fine. Let's go."

Next I opened Ikuto's door, and smiled brightly to cheer him up.

"Get out Mr. Grouch; no one is staying in the car."

"I don't know them."

Look, I met yours, and you're going to meet mine. And don't worry; they'll probably love you anyways for saving me and Ami."

"Probably?" he repeated getting out of the car.

Ikuto POV

I followed behind the two sisters, my hands deep in my pockets. We walked across the stone pathway looking at the graves placed on the grass. A minute later, we stopped in front of two graves placed side by side. Amu first placed the flowers on the graves then kneeled down.

"Hi Mom, Dad, it's me Amu. I brought Ami with me, and Ikuto. He's the negotiator I was talking about."

Frowning, I looked at Amu's back slightly curious of what she had told her parents' about me. Amu then looked at me and motioned her head towards her parents'.

"Oh sorry…um…hi."

"Hi Mommy, Daddy!" exclaimed Ami. "I broke my leg…but I'm okay now…I miss you guys."

Deciding to give them some space, I strolled through the cemetery my hands stuffed deep in my pockets.

"Look, I met yours, and you're going to meet mine."

Her words floated in my head and I scoffed lightly. She said it so lightly, as though her parents were still alive like mine. I looked behind me to see her chatting away with a smile on her face. Just looking at her smiling face, I smiled as well. Just looking at her smiling face as she chatted with her deceased parents as though they were striking a conversation during dinner I remembered the note and the blood boiled through my skin. How could someone blatantly send her a threat? Her life was already so complicated, so full of death and unhappiness, why did someone feel the urge to create more havoc? I'm already staying at her house, watching almost twenty-four/seven, what else did I need to do to protect her?

It was a little while later when Amu and Ami joined me. We silently headed back to the car, and Amu drove again. After a bit, she parked somewhere alongside the road and retrieved the other three bouquets. I looked around to see another smaller cemetery. My eyes searched the surrounding area – I've been here before I noted.

She led us up a pathway and stopped in front of three graves on top of a hill. Just like before, she laid the laid the flowers on each grave. The colored flowers were placed on the first two, and the dark blue ones were placed on the very last grave. She crouched down in front of the graves, and unlike before she had a sad face.

"Hi Nina, Hikaru, Renji, it's me again. I brought Ami and Ikuto…you guys remember him right?"

"Hey," whispered Ami.

"Hi," I mumbled.

Just as I had done the last time, I walked away deciding to give them some space, only to see Ami walking behind me.

"What are you doing?"

"I don't know them, like Amu knows them. Same thing with my parents, I didn't know them, but I stayed hoping to get closer with them somehow."

I didn't say a word, but slowed down so she could keep up.

"Amu cares for them deeply, they're her second family and they were murdered right in front of her eyes. As for Renji, he was her first love. No matter how much time passes, she'll still have him in her heart."

"I know."

Amu POV

"I hope you like these flowers Renji," I said after finishing my talk to Hikaru and Nina. "I put a pink one right in the middle just to bug you because I know how you love to act all manly."

I brushed my hand over his grave and sighed.

"You've met Ikuto before right? I brought him here last time…he's my ex-boyfriend. Yeah, I bet if you were still here you'd probably beat him up or at least try to for hurting me. I miss you so much, you have idea how much. I-

A tear slivered down my cheek and fell right on his grave.

"I-I had a dream about you last night, or so Ami told me. I don't remember what it was about…"

I laid my palm flat on his tombstone and sighed, looking up at the sky. A perfect blue sky.

"Everyone tells me I still have feelings for him. It's idiotic of me to do so, but I can't help myself. He broke up with me…what do you think?"

A small breeze tousled the tips of my hair and I grinned.

"Don't be jealous," I said jokingly.

The breeze returned once more, but this time blew through my hair.

"Thanks for messing up my hair," I muttered. "Don't you think it's wrong? I think it is…and my mind knows it too…but when I see him…"I shrugged. "I get all happy and I feel safe. And the smell of cigarette! You know how much I hate that smell…but when I smell it now…I feel safe. It's like I know he'll be there for me."

I exhaled deeply and turned around to see Ikuto and Ami walking down the hill towards me.

"I should probably leave…bye Renji…Hikaru, Nina. I'll come back soon."

I reluctantly got up from my spot, gave my family one last look, and walked over towards Ikuto and Ami. It was a bit – actually much more than a bit awkward standing in front of him after giving a spiel of my feelings to Renji. I looked up at him to see him gazing down at me with a soft expression. However, it was quickly swapped with a neutral expression.

"I'm guessing it's probably time to go," began Ikuto.

"Yeah."

We made our way to the car silently, and just as we sat down, Ikuto's phone rang. Steering the wheel of the car, I listened curiously as Ikuto chatted to the person on the other line.

"Amu, pull over real quick," he ordered lightly after finishing his call.

Not questioning him, I pulled over to the side and watched other cars pass us by before turning my attention to Ikuto.

"By, any chance, are we heading back to your house?"

"No, why?"

He exhaled deeply and rubbed his hand behind his neck while averting my eyes from my curiously intense gaze.

"The leader of my squad just called, there's an emergency SWAT mission. Do you think you could call up Utau and have her drive me?"

He could've just asked me. Was he trying to be polite?

"I can drive you."

"Its fine, you have somewhere you need to go. And if I'm not mistaken, Utau doesn't live too far from here."

"Fine, I'll call her."

I pulled my cell phone out of my back pocket and called Utau's number on speed dial. As quickly and as clearly as I could I tried to explain to her the details of the situation. It wasn't all that easy since she was busy trying write lyrics to a song she was going to record, but in the end she gave in and agreed to pick him up in a few minutes or so. While we waited, I leaned back in my seat and stared at the window counting how many cars would pass by me.

A little while later, Utau's car pulled up in front of ours.

"Amu, where are you going?" asked Ikuto before getting out of the car.

"I was just going to check out the crime scene. There probably should be some evidence left over right."

"Did you bring your gun?" he asked raising an arched brow.

"I don't need one."

There was a pause and then he began grumbling. Ikuto lifted up his shirt not only revealing the lines that lead to the muscles on his stomach but his metal gun. He pulled it out with great ease and handed it to me. A gun. Not just any old gun, but the gun he used on almost every mission. His prized possession.

"Ikuto I-

"Hush, I can probably just borrow one from the squad. No biggie. Just don't damage it."

I nodded my head and looked up to see Utau staring at me with a grin as she had watched the whole exchange happen right before her eyes. I turned my attention to Ikuto, only to see that he had already left the car and was waving goodbye. I waved back at him and sighed.

"Be careful you idiot," I mumbled under my breath.


Author's Note

I'm back! I know, I haven't updated since Christmas Eve, and I didn't even get a chance to put up my beloved Christmas story. Reason being: I got sick on Christmas - . – Honestly, who gets sick on Christmas. So I couldn't do anything for three days, and then afterwards I had one blissful day of writing until I got a stomach flu 0 . 0 By the time I was done being sick it was time to go to school, and even that was painful because my hard classes are left for these last two terms.

Geo. Hnrs.

Bio. Hnrs.

Health - I Loathe This Class…I'm all alone

P.E

So because of that, updates will be much much slower.

There will be some action next chappie~

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