Alright, so on FFN I've decided to make this whole AU thing a single story that's gonna be a collection of oneshots. You've read the description so you know what this one is about. It's an idea of how the Persona 4 gang grew up and everything and all of that and different stories in no particular order that follow their lives and everything that happened. If you have read the stories on my profile "Going Back" and "A Burden Too Great for a Child" you may notice that these first two stories are just those and that's because they're a part of this AU. I've decided to reupload them into this and go from there. If you've read both of those and want new content go ahead and jump to chapter 3. But this story will simply be going as long as I have the steam and as long as I have ideas for it. So with that said, let's go.

So I've had an idea for a Persona 4 sequel sorta deal in the same vein as P2 is to P1 but I have absolutely no intention to write it. Earlier today, I was listening to Heartbeat, Heartbreak and I guess it spurred me to get this scene I've had in my head for a bit written out. So… Let's do it.

Going Back

Yosuke looked at the others, grinning from ear to ear after the conversation they had had. There was no questioning it. With someone throwing people into the TV world again and the police unable to do anything, someone had to do something.

"Looks like the Investigation Team is back in business!"

The room was a bag of mixed emotions.

Teddie was right on the same boat as Yosuke, absolutely beaming with excitement at the prospect of adventuring with his friends again.

Naoto and Yu, the two officers, were comforted by the idea that the team had agreed to get back together for this case.

Kanji had a scowl stretched across his face, not at all liking that they were endangering their lives like this.

Chie and Rise, who were both present via video chat, were looking concerned for their friends on the screen. Both of their minds turning on when they could possibly get back home as soon as they could.

And then… There was Yukiko who did her best to give a warm smile to the group, but Yu could very much tell that she had a lot more on her mind than she would want to admit in front of the entire group.

"This is excellent, I can't wait to get started!" The young manager of the inn they were all sitting in smiled. She left the statement hanging for a moment before directing her eyes at her partner. "Darling, would you come with me to our room? I'd like to talk to you for a moment."

All eyes were on Yu at that. Each of them were giving varying looks of concern except for Teddie who gave a sort of knowing "you're in trouble" sort of smirk while Naoto and Yosuke gave him both sympathetic smiles.

Yu nodded and took Yukiko's hand. The two left the conference room leaving the others to their own devices. They knew to lock up and even if they didn't, the staff would.

When they were all alone in their room, Yukiko looked Yu in the eyes, a blistering fury the likes of which he hadn't seen since he had cancelled a date for a case during their engagement all those years ago.

He was quick to avert his eyes.

"Are you out of your mind?!"

Yu let out a low sigh. "Yukiko…"

"No, don't "Yukiko…" me!" Yukiko snapped. "You want to go back into the TV and start all of this back up again after we closed that chapter in our lives to take on new things! College! Love! Careers! You're gonna give all of that up to chase a killer through that place again!"

"Yukiko, we don't have another choice. Naoto and I tried with the squad to find the culprit. We even spoke to Adachi again but we've come up with dead ends. The two of us talked about this for a very long time and would not be asking all of you if we didn't believe this was the only way."

"And you think that uprooting all of our lives is the best option?"

"No. We thought that the two of us going into the Shadow World alone would be incredibly dangerous, so having the old team by our side would be our best possible option."

"And it's still dangerous!" Yukiko shouted. "Back then, we were just children! Chasing after an impossible goal in hopes of being heroes when any of us could've died at any point during that journey."

"And we've grown and changed since then and are more than capable of braving whatever may come our way. Naoto and I are both deputized detectives now."

"You and I both know that doesn't matter much in the world of shadows and Personas." She furrowed her brow and scowled. "Yu… We can't do this again, not after everything it did to us. What if that happens again, what if we don't make it out alive this time?"

Yu looked down at her and tentatively placed his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him. Anger was the most eminent emotion on her face with her low brows and clenched fists. But he knew her and he saw what was present in her eyes. The anger was there, sure. But amongst that anger was fear and sadness over the times to come.

"Yukiko… you don't have to come along."

Yukiko softened at that, as if all the anger had been washed away with just those few words.

"Of course I'm coming with you… We don't abandon each other, not in this group and not in this marriage." Yukiko was quick to wrap her arms around his waist in a hug.

Yu was quick to return the hug. He planted a light kiss on her forehead to which she smiled and the two stood there in each other's embrace.

Yukiko sighed. "I just don't want think we should go back… Not after all these years and how it all caught up with us…"

Yu did the same. "I know…"

"All those nights I would wake up, thinking I was back in that castle again with that thing… The nights that you would wake up and I would have to stop you from rushing out there because you thought Nanako was kidnapped by Namatame. We've been sent back there so many times over the years without actually going back there. What if it messes us all up even more than it already has?"

"I think we turned out pretty okay."

Yukiko looked down at the floor.

"And… Maybe… Maybe it might give us a little more closure." Yu mused. "Think about it, maybe going back after all this time will be good for us."

"Maybe…" Yukiko pulled him closer to her. "But I'm scared… Every day I have to watch you go out there and do your job. I know you're just doing what you need to do to keep people safe. That's what makes you a good detective. But… I worry about you a lot."

"I know… Kanji's the same with Naoto."

"And if they haven't already left I'm sure they're having a similar conversation right now…" Yukiko mused.

"Or they've skipped talking and are already making up." Yu chuckled. "Those two never stay mad at each other for long."

Yukiko couldn't help but fall into one of her classic giggle fits at that one to which Yu couldn't help but smile at her. That infectious joy of hers was one of the main reasons he had fallen in love with her over the years.

"I love you…" Yukiko smiled. "And I will always be by your side."

"I love you too." Yu returned the same. "And I promise I'll do everything I can to stay safe and I'll protect you too."

"We'll protect each other in the times to come, no matter what happens."

The two continued to share their embrace, taking each other in as they knew there would be difficult times ahead.