Author's Note: Hello everyone! For new people, this is a follow-up sequel to my previous story, We Are the Men in Black. I've been wondering how to best tackle this since I finished that one, and then this evening, my brain just went "Yoink, we're doing this now with no plan at all, yay!" This particular chapter is short because it takes place right on the heels of the last chapter of the previous story. This sequel will follow several characters over the course of the next year following Vermouth's attempted coup of the MiBJ, so this story should just be a series of connected oneshots (except that the previous story was also supposed to be a series of connected oneshots and then it started to develop a plot on me without my consent :P). Lots of stuff will be happening, but I have no idea what my update schedule will be like. My only goal is for this story to be done in less than three years. XD

The Following Year

Black Start: Shiho

The motorcycle rolled up to a stop on the curb in front of a large circular house where a yellow Beetle was parked in the driveway. The rider killed the engine and took off their helmet with a small gasp and a shake of their head. Short red locks bounced free and Shiho took a deep breath. This was her first time ever coming to Dr. Agasa's house in her true form and it would be her first time seeing him since everyone not connected with the Organization lost their memories of her.

She shoved her helmet under her arm and walked up to the front gate. She pressed the intercom button and leaned in towards the speaker. "Hello, Professor, it's Sherry; are you busy?"

She couldn't help smiling the second she heard his voice. "Ohh, Sherry! It's great to hear you! No, I'm not busy; please come right on in!"

She did so posthaste and in stepping through the front door, for a moment, it felt like nothing had changed. The place she'd lived in for nearly a year looked exactly the same as she had left it and there was Agasa beaming and smiling at her. "Welcome back, Shiho."

Emotion welled up in her throat and stung her eyes, but she managed to get out a choked, "I'm home."

Dr. Agasa began to close the distance and Shiho met him halfway for a big warm hug. She clung to him tightly and buried her face in his shoulder while he rubbed her back. "I've missed you, Shiho; it's been strange not having you here," he said gently.

Shiho nuzzled her face deeper into his shoulder and mumbled. "I've missed you too." After another minute or so, she slowly pulled back and started quickly wiping the dampness away from her eyes. "I know I'm not around to watch out for you, but I hope you didn't immediately start indulging on sweets again in my absence."

Agasa laughed as he moved into the kitchen and started automatically making tea. "No, not immediately. It's harder to give them up for good when you're not around to glare at me, but in my defense, I'm not eating as much as I used to before you started living with me."

Shiho released a fond sigh and shook her head as she sat down at one of the kitchen stools. "Well, I guess that's better than nothing. Do you still see the kids without me and Conan around or...?"

"I do, actually. In fact, they should already be done with school and be coming over soon," Agasa said with a quick glance at the wall clock. "Unsurprisingly - well, I think it's unsurprising anyway - the kids and Shinichi have started bonding and hanging out with each other despite none of them knowing that Shinichi was Conan."

"That's great to hear," Shiho said. Indeed, it made her very happy to hear that Shinichi's friendship with the kids was still intact despite his lack of memories. Agasa finished making the tea and gave her a cup. She hesitated on her next question though and stared into the bottom of the cup working out how to phrase her thoughts. "How... how are the kids doing overall with... everything that's happened?"

Agasa's smile faded, and he looked tired. "Ah... as alright as can be expected given the situation, I suppose, but... they know you're missing. Oh no, no, they don't remember Ai at all!" he said quickly, catching sight of her panicked expression. "No, they don't remember Ai, but you can tell when they're together in a group that they feel unsettled and if you ask them why, they'll shrug their shoulders and tell you that they just feel like something's off, like they're missing someone. The kids might not remember Ai anymore, but they still feel the bond they built with you."

Shiho was about to start crying again but forced herself not to. "Thank you, Professor. That was exactly what I needed to hear to follow through with my initial reason for coming here today."

Agasa tilted his head curiously. "You mean you wanted to meet the kids today?"

Shiho nodded. "I was hoping they still came to visit you often and I'm going to officially introduce myself to them today as Shiho Miyano. The story I plan to give is that I've recently moved into the area because I heard there was an inventor who knew my parents, who died when I was a baby, and I wanted to meet him to see what he knew and learn more about them."

Dr. Agasa grinned and started laughing heartily. "Ohh ho, and that part about your parents isn't even a lie," he said.

"Not in the slightest," she agreed as she finally lifted the tea to her lips. She didn't let it show, but she was anxious about meeting the kids as her true self and was hopeful that what Dr. Agasa said about their bond with her was true. She didn't know what excuse she could use to spend time with them, but now that she had friends, she needed them. Losing them would be as painful as losing Akemi.

She was halfway done with her tea and sharing all the changes happening at the MiB and in her personal life when there was a knock on the front door and Shinichi's voice called through it. "Professor, it's me and the kids!"