The weeks after her funeral were the toughest for Wato. She tried her best to keep up the facade of healing in front of Mrs. Hatano and the detectives that stopped by once in a while to ease their obvious worries... However, being in 221B was starting to be too much for her. How could she continue living in a place constantly reminding her of that woman? Every square inch of the space they shared seemingly remained untapped by time. The questionable lab was still set up in the kitchen, coffee mugs sat untouched on the tables, and papers with illegible markings lined the walls like always. It was as if they just stepped out for another day working on a new case together. Mrs. Hatano made sure it was kept up this way just in case she ever decided to return one day. Wato knew that would never happen but she didn't have the heart to tell the landlady that.

"You know she did like having you with her, right? She was just..." Mrs. Hatano trailed off lost in thought for a moment. "Well, you know her." She chuckled in conclusion.

Wato smiled back sadly remembering how well they both knew her habits. "Yes I knew, Hatano-san."

"You don't have to leave." Mrs. Hatano stressed to her. Wato knew the landlady loved both of the previous residents of 221B greatly and would be heartbroken now. Even so Wato knew she had to leave this place behind for her own reasons. She already informed the detectives to keep an eye on Mrs. Hatano for her too.

"I think it's for the best."

"You'll always have a home here if you need it."

"Thank you... For everything."

"Take care of yourself, Wato-san." She said smiling, holding back a supply train of tears.

The train ride to Sapporo was uneventful and for that Wato was grateful. She knew reuniting with her parents after all this time would be the real test of her fortitude. She was already dreading having to confront them. The older Tachibana's weren't exactly known for being forgiving to people once you go against them and she did more then just that. She went against everything her parents planned and left Japan entirely for Syria.

Once the train halted she grabbed the tiny amount of belongings she brought with her from 221B and went to look for a cab to take her the short distance needed to her family home near the Tachibana hospital. The cab driver was surprised to hear who she was at first because her family was infamous around here but he quickly got over it once she tried to seem uninterested in answering his questions. The driver left her as he was instructed to at the house's front gates. She stood there for what felt like ages working up the courage to press the call button near the fence. Would her parents just ignore her? Would they yell and be furious with her instead?

"Wato, why are you standing out here? Come inside at once." Her mother instructed as she was walking down the pathway from the door.

"Let me take all this off your hands." Her mother took the suitcase from her hands with ease and went to take the bloodstained green hermes coat from her arms... No, she couldn't let anyone take anyway the last part of her she had left.

Wato snapped, "I'm keeping the coat with me."

Her mother raised a eyebrow at her odd behavior over a coat nonetheless.

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to snap at you!" Wato was appalled by her lack of manners towards her mother, "This coat is just really important to me..."

"It's okay, dear."

It seems her mother hadn't changed all that much appearance wise. She still wore her brown hair up in a delicate bun along with her usual traditional kimono dresses and modest jewelry accessories her father bought her over the years during their wedding anniversaries. However, Wato could see the years had aged her mother. Crow's feet were starting to show at the edges of her eyes and the arthritis in her hands looked to be worsening. In addition, she looked tired by the dark circles around her eyes and her slouching posture. Had she caused her mother stress by returning?

Wait, what was she doing? Why was she examining her mother so closely like this?

"Your father wishes to speak with you in his study immediately. I'll bring some tea for the both of you."

"Okay."

Walking threw the house was nostalgic trip for Wato. She remembers a fair amount of things that happened here from her early memories of playing dolls with her mother to the the late night study sessions with her father before college. She even recalled that last dreadful argument she had here before she left. This house held so many memories she shared with her family. She can't seem to stop remembering the past now wherever she goes it seems. All because of that woman's effect on her life.

At the top of the stairs a voice spoke out firmly stopping her thoughts, "I see you've finally decided to come home."

Turning to face up at him she replied, "Hello, Father."

"We need to get your life back on the right track, Wato." He began, "Work begins tomorrow at eight am sharp. For now you'll be assisting one of our freelance surgeon's named Dr. Daimon until you can get a handle on the work again. I heard you haven't been practicing since you left, Syria."

Wato was surprised her father wasn't acting angry towards her like she was expecting. In fact, he was doing quite the opposite. He was offering her a job at the hospital even after what she did?

"What's the catch?"

He raised a graying eyebrow, "Catch?" He drawled.

"Father, we both know you don't approve of what I did. Why are you just offering me a place at the family hospital like nothing ever happened?"

Her mother cut into the room then tray in hand with the aforementioned tea. "After a long talk between your father and I we decided this was for the best." She sat the tea on a table between the pair, "We know you, Wato as much as you wont admit it. You want to help people and make a difference above all else." She pulled up chairs for everyone then. "We won't hold that against you even if we were upset you went against our wishes and into a war zone."

Wato didn't know how to deal with this version of her parents. Rage she was expecting, but acceptance? That was a whole different ballgame. "I thought you would be furious with me."

"No dear, we were never really mad at you. Just worried sick." Her mother motioned for her father to join them then at the table.

"Wato, I'm not mad. I'm sorry that I made you think I was. I was so caught up in my own thoughts I didn't think to consider you properly back then."

Covering their mouth with the teacup her mother mummers, "More like your head was up your ass."

"What was that, sweetheart?" Her father lovingly said towards his wife.

"Nothing, darling." Her mother continued sipping her tea like nothing just transpired.

Wato just stares down at her untouched tea contemplating all that time in Syria she sure could have used a comforting phone call or even a letter from her parents. Especially after being told back then she would never be a surgeon again. "Why didn't you try and contact me then?"

Her father answered with a frown, "Truly, we were afraid you were mad at us and by extension didn't want contact."

"What a bunch we are." Her mother laughed.

"I...I..." Wato winced at how this was coming out, "I don't know if I want to continue being a surgeon though."

Her mother reached out for her hands then that were up to this point wrapped in the bloodstained green hermes coat clutching onto it. "That's okay, dear. You can just try out the job again and if it doesn't fit you can do something else. No pressure or strings attached, we promise."

Her father fiddled with his tie, "I just assumed you'd like to do it again so I made the necessary arrangements. That's what you always told me you wanted to do with your life."

Wato withdrew her hands and placed them back into the folded up coat. "A lot of things changed in Syria and since I came back."

"I heard your mentor Dr. Mizuno died a few months ago..."

For some reason hearing Dr. Mizuno's name again didn't invoke memories of her time working and training under him. It just made Wato think of her again. Their first case together. Running around Japan like lunatics. Learning the ropes of crime investigation.

Everything was tainted with the memory of her it seemed. Why?

"Yes."

"We're sorry for you're loss."

"I am too."

A/N let me know if i should continue or not