The file had been on his desk for days. He hadn't touched it. Hadn't even allowed his hand to brush over it accidentally. He was trying to keep everything on his desk away from it, scared that if he touched it at all it would dissolve into smoke.

The name printed neatly on the cover was "Kaede Ejiri." A sizable manila folder, full of information about the woman he loved. It had to be her, what were the chances of another woman her age who spelled their first name with hiragana and had the same family name? He smiled, looking at the simple strokes of her first name. She'd always joked that her mom was a trendsetter, giving Kaede a hiragana name well before they were popular. She'd told him her mother got tired of all the strong names with complicated kanji and powerful meanings that her brothers had, so when Kaede was born she spelled her name with hiragana, freeing her from any expectations.

He wondered if her folder had always been so robust. Of course, she'd had one. He knew that much. But he'd never seen it. He wasn't allowed to. Any interviews with her, any surveillance or investigating, all fell under the wide umbrella of things he wasn't allowed to be privy to if he wanted to be with her.

This timeline though, his new reality created by Takemichi jumping to the past, he hadn't met her. And so, her file laid on his desk waiting for him to review. He knew he couldn't put it off much longer, he'd looked through almost every other file now and Kaede was a big target. There was an assumption that as a woman she would be easier to interrogate, if only they could catch her on something. Or even find her. Just like the last timeline, no one had seen her in years.

Naoto sighed, leaning back in his chair. He had known it would hurt, but he'd severely underestimated how bad. It wasn't like the loss of his sister, a loss he could suffer through with his parents and her friends. One his coworkers were still sensitive to as they spoke with him. He couldn't express his frustration when his coworkers invited him for drinks, teasing him about working too much to date. Instead, he brushed them off the same way he had before he met Kaede. He took their teasing on the chin, barely containing the lump in his throat.

He hadn't seriously dated anyone before her. A fact she'd mercilessly teased him about. He smiled, remembering how she pouted at him when he retorted that that was pretty audacious of her given the only guy she'd dated before was a shut-in gang leader. Despite their lack of experience and the unfortunate circumstances, she'd been easy to welcome into his life. In a lot of ways, it was nice that they were barred from talking about Toman. It forced him to get his mind off of work and gave her an escape from the darkness that had moved in over her life for so many years.

"Tachibana."

Naoto's eyes shot to the door. The Commissioner was a short man with broad shoulders and a usually unpleasant expression and right now was no different. His thick white eyebrows were set heavy over his eyes, casting a dark shadow over his face. Naoto frowned, "Sir?"

"Did you have a chance to review the file on Kaede Ejiri yet?"

Naoto straightened. It hadn't been that long. He couldn't believe the commissioner of the Organized Crime Department would already want to get involved, "...No. I'm sorry, sir. I was just about to. Did you need it?"

The commissioner sighed, "No. But you're gonna wish you had read it. Come with me."

Naoto stood slowly, walking out behind the commissioner and shutting the door behind him.

"What is it, sir?"

"She came in."

He stopped. Dead still in the middle of the hallway as the Commissioner walked on, "What?"

"Kaede Ejiri came in just now. Saying she wants to help us with the Toman investigation however she can," he frowned at Naoto, irritated that he was holding them up, "you're the detective on the case, so you're the one that needs to be in the interview. We've gotta make sure she isn't spying for them. And that it's not a trap."

His heart was racing. He hadn't expected to ever see her again. After all, it was nearly a year and a half late, compared to the last timeline. What changed in this timeline to make her stay? Or maybe, more importantly, if she didn't become an informant then why was she turning now?

"Naoto," the Commissioner was looking down his nose, eyes hard and suspicious, "are you sure you're okay? You can take more time if-"

"No," he shook his head, "It's not that. I'm just...shocked. To get someone so big for the case just showing up on their own after all the dead ends we've had. That's all."

The Commissioner nodded, silently turning back and continuing down the hall. Naoto wondered how audible his heart was beating. He needed to be prepared. Prepared for how different she might be. Prepared for the fact that she wouldn't remember him. Prepared to hold back his feelings and find some way to act as though she was just an informant.

The Commissioner walked in the door first, "This is Naoto Tachibana, lead detective on the Tokyo Manji Gang case. He has a few questions for you."

When he stepped through the doorway his eyes immediately locked with Kaede's. Her hair was longer than he remembered, and dull, like she'd been eating poorly or unable to tend to it much. Her eyes were shadowed and ringed with bags. She looked too skinny, shrunken away in a man's coat that was many sizes too big for her. A hat sat on the table beside her, probably to try and obscure her face as she came in. Her warm brown eyes watched him cautiously, an apologetic smile flashing over her face before glancing back to the hard metal table, "Hello."

"Hello, Ms. Ejiri," Naoto breathed. He sat across from her. Waiting until her eyes curiously surfed back up to his, "Can I ask you some questions?"

The lamp by the window had been their signal for years. So long that Kaede was shocked no one had figured it out yet. She yawned as she clicked on the light and pulled her desk drawer open, lifting out the blue scarf and tossing it over the lamp filling her room with a dull glow that made her even sleepier.

She didn't really know why she bothered. Manjiro pretty much came over when he wanted. Even when she didn't turn on that lamp, their signal that he wasn't invited, he'd sometimes appear at her window, pouting and tapping at the glass to be let in. She knew he didn't forget the code, he'd been too excited to make it when they were little, and sneaking over was still new to them. She also knew he must remember because he always came over without fail when the light was blue. He couldn't resist the challenge.

Sure enough just as she began to doze off she heard the gentle click of her window's lock popping up and felt a rush of air as the glass slid back, "Sleeping already, Kaeji-tan?"

She sat up on her elbows, frowning at him, "You took forever."

"Mm," he hummed, sliding the window shut, "but I'm here."

She rolled her eyes, laying back on her bed and listening as he slid his coat the rest of the way off his shoulders and stepped out of his sandals. She heard the ticking of his belt as he undid it, laying it over her desk chair. Every sound felt so clear to her but she couldn't manage to open her eyes.

"Awful sleepy tonight," Manjiro said from above her, grinning down at her when she opened her eyes. He was sitting at the edge of her bed, leaning over her with a hand braced by her head on the pillow.

She hummed in response, smiling softly when he kissed her. Suddenly she felt a weight on her chest and she struggled, opening her eyes only to realize Manjiro had flopped back on her to roll over to the side of the bed tucked in the corner, the one he claimed for himself.

"You're heavy."

"You're grumpy," he teased, pulling her into his chest. "Makoto do something?"

"Mm."

"Is that a yes?"

"You just want to pick a fight."

Manjiro's lips pressed to her forehead, "I hate him, sure. But I don't want to fight him for no reason. He's gonna be my brother-in-law, after all. I'd like it better if we got along."

She opened one eye, staring at him doubtfully.

He frowned, a childish pout, "What?"

"Nothing," she sighed, pressing her face into his chest. It wasn't worth it to argue with him. She knew deep down he and Makoto would never get along. Her oldest brother had stubbornly made up his mind a long time ago and Manjiro's anger about that wasn't unfounded. They were just elementary school kids when Manjiro started to come around; walking her home after school and coming to play on the weekends. Toman didn't exist then, it was barely even a dream in the back of his mind. He had always been a bit of a punk. He was always showing off and constantly ready for a fight, but that wasn't why Makoto didn't like him. Manjiro's family life was messy and unstable, and even though it wasn't his fault, Makoto held it against him. He saw the reality of Manjiro's life as a threat to the stability he needed to foster if he was ever going to break away from the role of filling in for their father.

Manjiro's hand cupped her jaw and lifted her face, pressing his lips against hers, "Liar."

She smiled sleepily, "Yeah."

Manjiro's thumb drew back and forth over her cheek, harder and harder until it tugged the corner of her mouth back. She opened her eyes, glaring at him slightly. He chuckled and kissed her again, "Tell me what happened," he lazily nodded his head to the lamp, "why are we code blue?"

She sighed. Rubbing her eyes to try and stay awake because even with Manjiro tugging on her and talking to her she was tired, "It's just Daisuke. He and his friends were out for lunch, they saw us out with Ken and Takemichi. He told Makoto I skipped school."

Manjiro frowned at her, "What a fuckin' rat."

"Manjiro!"

"Well, he is. He should have talked to you first."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, sure. And what would I say," she pushed herself up, looking down at Manjiro who stayed laying on the bed, "'There was no reason, I just left school to meet some new friend of Manjiro's'? I'm not mad...I promise it's...there just isn't any good reason for me to have left school so it's not like I could say anything."

Manjiro frowned but stayed quiet, staring at her lap rather than looking into her eyes.

"So Daisuke told Makoto before I got home. Then Makoto brought it up at dinner and tried to say I wasn't allowed to see you and I told him he couldn't do that and then he started trying to tell mom she had to break us up or I was going to turn out useless like-"

"Like me?"

Kaede got quiet, her lips pressed together regretting that she hadn't caught herself before she shared that.

"...that's what he said but-"

"It's okay," he smiled softly, putting a hand on her thigh and squeezing it gently. "What happened then?"

She sighed, "Mom did nothing. You know? Cause she never does anything. She just told Makoto to stop yelling. And that it was okay. Told me not to skip school but I was a good girl and she could trust me."

"But Makoto is himself so he kept yelling, didn't he?"

"Of course he did."

Manjiro sighed, sitting up. His hand slid from her thigh and squeezed her hand, "I'm sorry I caused all that."

She laid her head back and took a deep breath. Slowly looking back into Manjiro's dark eyes. He never said it, maybe because he didn't want to seem like he doubted her, but she could always tell that these fights in her family scared him. "You didn't," she smiled, leaning forward and kissing him, "I'm not afraid to tell you 'no' if I didn't wanna go with you I wouldn't have."

He relaxed, "Then why did you pout and bully me?"

She grinned, "Cause then you get all clingy and cute."

He laughed, grabbing his wrists when she jumped forward trying to cover his mouth, "I'll do that anyway so stop bullying me, okay?" He leaned in, still holding her wrists as he kissed her. When he pulled back his eyes were lidded, glancing at her mouth before he leaned in again kissing her once more, slower and more serious.

"Manjiro," she mumbled softly against his mouth.

"Hmm?" he let go of her wrists, his nose brushing over hers as he gently laid her back on the bed, "what is it?"

"I'm still tired."

He smirked, kissing her again. He leaned over her but stayed on his hands and knees, keeping his body from pressing onto her.

She sighed, turning her face to the side and looking at him from the corner of her eye. A blush creeping over her face.

His smirk broadened, he kissed her cheek and then her jaw, slow and calm. She knew he didn't want anything else. He wasn't trying to press her any further than a kiss, he never did. He'd always been calm and patient. He told her they had the rest of their lives together, so they didn't need to rush into anything. He just liked to kiss her and tease her when she got flustered. Feigning that he wasn't aware of how attractive she thought he was. How bad she wanted him sometimes even though she tried her best to hide it. If he wanted more he was much better at hiding it than she was.

He nuzzled his nose against her neck, "I love you."

She smiled, running her hand over his hair, calmly pulling the tie from his hair so the top strands fell loose, "I love you too."

He lifted his head, blond hair falling around his face like a curtain that blocked them from the rest of the world, "Oh. I wanted to ask, what did you think of Takemichi?"

She blinked, "Uh...he seemed...fine? Why…?"

Manjiro sighed, flopping onto his back beside her and turning his head to look at her, "No reason, I guess. He just reminded me of Shinichiro…"

She rolled onto her side, looking in his face, "Yeah?"

Manjiro stared at the ceiling. Lost in the maze of his mind that she couldn't always navigate. The hallways carved by the pain and trauma of his life that he always tried to hide away from her. She sighed, laying her head on his chest. She knew he wasn't going to answer, he might not even have heard her. It was best to just stay by him and go to sleep, like an anchor to guide him back from his thoughts when he was ready.

He hadn't meant to stay gone for the night. He'd wanted to handle the business and return home to Kaede. He didn't like leaving her. He knew it verged on paranoia now but he couldn't help it. He'd lost so many people and so much of himself over the years. The only thing he had left was Kaede. Even as the darkness ate away at him he loved her and protected her. She was the only thing that brought him peace.

He unlocked the door and stepped into silence. The apartment was dark. He stalled, a hand ghosting over the wall and flicking the switch, "Bunny? Where are you?"

Nothing.

A chill ran down his spine. She'd been guarded, so he didn't think anyone could have gotten in. She should have been safe. He rushed to the bedroom, "Hey!"

His hand slammed on the door. Dark and empty. He turned on the light and rushed to the bathroom only to find it was the same as everywhere else. He spun running back out to the main room. He hadn't felt fear in years, the sensation was foreign to him. The roaring in his ears as his heart raced, the horrible tingling feeling in the back of his head. His eyes shot around the room, hoping against common sense that he'd find her asleep on a couch, unaware of the panic she filled him with. He rushed into the hall, "Hey!" he screamed. The guard turned, horrified as Manjiro rushed him, grabbing him by the neck and dragging him back into the apartment.

"S-Sir! What? What's wrong?" he gasped, stumbling along.

Manjiro threw him, watching as the man scrambled on the floor, turning over on his back to look up at him, "Where is she?"

"Sh-..." he looked around the room frantically, "I didn't...she didn't leave."

"She didn't?" Manjiro leaned in, looming over the man, "Because she's not here so what? She evaporated?"

"N-" Manjiro kicked him in the jaw, sending him crashing backward, his head hitting the floor with a sickening crack. His eyes rolled back, unconscious.

Manjiro wheeled. Heading to the hall, he'd have to send men out looking for her before something happened. It had been years since he failed her. He couldn't take it if she ended up in the hospital again. If she had another scar to remind him of how much better she deserved. Then the corner of his eye caught a lone nail. He stalled, staring at the empty rectangle on the wall, a few shades lighter than everything around it. It was where the photo of then Draken and Emma had hung. Something no one but he and Kaede would want. A coldness rushed in like the tide, filling his chest with a familiar ache. And then a sudden sob shuddered through him, rocking his body. He dropped to his knees, tears streaming over his hands as he desperately clutched his mouth.

She hadn't been taken. She left.

He screamed, horrible and brutal and loud, then he continued to sob. He didn't know how she left without being seen but as much as he hated it he could understand. Of course she wasn't happy. They were prisoners. The only difference between them was she saw a chance to escape and she took it. He stumbled to his feet, furiously wiping his eyes. She deserved to be free and as much as it hurt he couldn't bring himself to be mad at her, but she wouldn't have left if she was being protected. He was sure of that. It wasn't her fault. It was this man who was slowly regaining consciousness on the floor.

The man's head rocked side to side, a pained groan echoing in his chest. Then he took a deep breath, eyes snapping open and staring like a trapped animal, and Manjiro, "M-Mikey...sir...please-"

Suddenly the roaring in his ears went quiet, the chill on his spine settled. He dropped down, his knee pressing to the man's neck. He kicked against the floor, hands slapping at Manjiro's leg. His eyes bulged, veins breaking around his nose. He choked and snorted wildly, spit foaming from his mouth. His strikes became weaker, lazier, head rocking side to side. Then he went still.

Manjiro stared into the desperate twisted face as the color began to drain away. He dropped back off his knee, sitting down by the body as the stench of death settled into the silent apartment. In the quiet Manjiro was alone with the consequences of the path he had unavoidably walked.