Disclaimer: I do not own the Fate franchise it belongs to Kinoko Nasu and Type-Moon.

Resolution

Chapter 1

Three months later

Musical notes chimed through the mansion past the walls and gate, as Sakura pressed the doorbell. In truth, she still had her keys for the Emiya property from nearly two decades ago, and it didn't look as though her upperclassmen had changed the locks. Even so, times had changed, and so had them all, and until further notice, it just wasn't right to simply waltz into the house.

"Yes, yes…coming!" a woman's voice came from inside the sprawling, traditional Japanese mansion beyond, before the front door opened to expose a young woman with brown hair cut into a bob. Eyes widened in recognition, before lips curled into a warm smile. "Sakura…! It's been so long!"

Sakura smiled back, even as Ayako Emiya quickly hurried through the front yard to open the gate. "Come in, come in!" she said, bowing Sakura inside, Rin running in next to her in feline form. "Though, don't you have your keys anymore?"

"I do." Sakura said, before offering a housewarming gift – brownies she'd prepared herself – to Ayako. "But it's been so long, I didn't think it'd be right to just barge in."

"Oh, you're so considerate…and thank you." Ayako said while accepting the gift. "Brownies…chocolate brownies…Itachi will love these, although I'll have to make sure he doesn't eat too much in one sitting."

Sakura laughed. "He'll get a sore throat." She said.

Ayako sighed. "Yes, he would." She said while leading the way to the mansion. "Then again, he is still a child, so it's no surprise he'd indulge in sweets. Still…best keep him from developing a habit…sorry, I didn't mean to sound ungrateful…"

Sakura shook her head. "No, it's alright, I understand." She said. "Sorry I couldn't come and visit sooner, I've had my hands full recently. Eight…nine years in London…there were a lot of things that needed to be seen to, many of them long since overdue. Well…that doesn't mean visiting old friends isn't important, of course, it's just that…"

Ayako laughed. "No, I understand." She said with a nod. "Responsibilities come first, right?"

"Yes."

Ayako laughed again, before letting Sakura and Rin in first. She followed after them, closing the door behind her, and slightly jerked back as Rin shifted from feline form to Human form with a shimmer of red light. "Huh…" Ayako said while blinking rapidly. "…neat."

Rin grinned before striking a pose with her hands making v signs. "Not as neat as being able to finally grow up." She said.

"…guess so." Ayako said, looking Rin over. She and her husband had known, of course, Sakura had updated them years ago on her success in turning Rin into a guardian spirit, but this was the first time either of them actually had seen it in person. Then Ayako smiled. "So, how is it? Not being a child anymore?"

"It took a bit of getting used to, to be honest." Rin admitted. "My head's…clearer, I guess? It's easier to think, especially in long terms, though sometimes I'm getting this feeling that a lot of stuff that used to be intuitive back when I was stuck as a child isn't as…intuitive, as a teenager. Oh, and the bigger, heavier body too. Longer limbs…that, and being able to be, well, a cat, at times."

Rin paused and glanced at Sakura. "That," she said pointedly. "And I miss being able to ride piggyback on Sakura all the time."

"Absolutely not." Sakura immediately said. "You're too heavy to do that all the time now."

Rin's smile turned teasing. "You're calling me fat, little sister?" she asked.

"You weigh fifty-five kilograms." Sakura replied deadpan. "That's about the same weight as two full-sized sacks of rice, and then some. So, no, I'm just saying you're too heavy to carry piggyback full-time now."

Ayako snickered while Rin shrugged. "Oh, well." Rin said before starting to float. "At least I can still float around. And pass through walls or other solid stuff. I can go invisible too, see?"

Rin demonstrated by briefly turning invisible and intangible alike, before returning to normal, hands placed on her hips with a smug smile on her face. "Neat." Ayako said, briefly putting the brownies aside to pull two pairs of indoor slippers from a nearby shoe rack and placed them on the floor. "Anyway, shall we? Shirou's making lunch for us all, so let's not keep him waiting."

Sakura and Rin nodded, the two of them taking off their shoes before putting on the indoors slippers and following Ayako further into the Tohsaka mansion.

"Sorry for the intrusion!" Sakura politely said as she walked into the living room, Shirou Emiya looking at her and Rin from the kitchen and giving a warm smile.

"It's alright…welcome back." He said instead before turning back to his cooking. "To Japan and Fuyuki, to say nothing of this house. It's been far too long."

"That it has." Sakura said. "Do you need help?"

"NO." Ayako and Shirou immediately chorused, causing Sakura to blink and look taken aback, much to Rin's amusement. "You're a guest today, so just sit down, relax, and enjoy your tea."

"Okay then." Sakura said, sitting over at the table, while Ayako brought a four-year-old boy over. "Oh, is that Itachi? Hello, Itachi, I'm Sakura, Sakura Tohsaka. I'm your parents' friend classmate from school, it's nice to meet you."

"Say hello to the pretty lady, Itachi." Ayako urged, and Itachi gave a shy smile and wave.

"H-hello, pretty lady." He said, and Sakura laughed. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Thanks." She said, before pulling Rin over. "Oh, and this is my big sister, Rin Tohsaka."

"She has cat ears…and a tail…" Itachi said, eyes wide and staring at Rin's lazily-waving tail.

"Yes, well…she's a catgirl." Sakura said with a cough, while Ayako rolled her eyes.

"It's alright, Sakura." She said. "He knows about magic, even if he can't do much yet."

"Oh…I see…yes, right." Sakura said with another cough. "Sorry about that, Itachi. Rin's a cat spirit, so…yeah, she's a catgirl."

"Wow." Itachi said, still staring at Rin, who just smiled and rolled her eyes.

"So…" she began instead. "…what magic can you do?"

"Simple stuff…" Itachi said. "…um…projection…I think that's what dad calls it…he's making me practice it…says its useful for future lessons…"

"Well, he's not wrong." Sakura said with a nod before giving Itachi a pair of thumb ups. "Do your best."

Itachi nodded before tilting his head. "What about you, Aunt Sakura?" he asked. "What can you do?"

"Well, I can't make swords out of thin air like your dad can," Sakura said. "But I can teleport around, which is something most magi can't do. I can also reinforce things and even myself as well as he can, among other things."

"Teleport around…?" Itachi asked, and Sakura nodded. "That sounds amazing."

"It is." Sakura simply said.

Ayako smiled and patted her son on the back. "Itachi," she said. "Why don't you get a ball to play with? I'm sure big sister Rin wouldn't mind joining you out on the yard."

"Okay." He said, before hurrying off while Rin gave Ayako a dirty look.

"Now, that's just…Ayako!" she protested, before looking at Sakura with a betrayed expression at her laughter.

"You're saying you don't want to play with a ball?" Ayako asked with a grin, causing Rin to fidget in her seat, Human rationality warring with feline instincts.

"…shut up." She finally said, causing Ayako and Sakura to share a laugh.

"Over here, over here!"

"I got it, I got it!"

The sounds of Rin and Itachi playing around in the yard echoed through the veranda, to where Sakura and Ayako were sitting at the table with a gently steaming pot of tea between them. "…things are going well then." Sakura said as Ayako finished telling her about things at work. "Congratulations on your promotion, sempai."

Ayako gave a wave of a hand. "Thanks." She said before giving a sigh. "Though, to be honest, I'd really rather not have been promoted."

"Wait, really?" Sakura asked, looking surprised.

"Yeah, well," Ayako said with a cough. "It's nice to have my talents and all my hard work in the company be recognized after so long – especially since I'm the one who made the company a success story here in Fuyuki after all that shit that went down in Tokyo seven years ago – but the workload is…doubled, now that I'm senior manager."

"Hey, at least it's official." Sakura pointed out. "Before you were promoted, you were…what was it again? Manager without specific portfolio…now, the Clock Tower isn't a corporate organization, but bureaucracy is bureaucracy, and that old post of yours sounded like you were stuck in some kind of…limbo, or something. I know enough to know that could have gotten…unpleasant? Complicated, really quickly, and potentially very unpleasantly."

"Yeah, I get what you mean." Ayako admitted. "I could easily have been sidelined instead, after all. Still…I've got a son to raise, so the promotion is still something of a mixed blessing."

"Point."

Ayako shrugged, and took a sip of her tea. "With that in mind," she said. "I won't be accepting any promotions in the foreseeable future."

"Wouldn't that blacklist you – so to speak – over any future promotions?" Sakura asked.

"True," Ayako said with a nod. "But the next position above mine is on the board of directors. And the head office is still in Tokyo. We've already settled back here, in Fuyuki, and Itachi is still so young. I…I want to be there for him when he grows up."

Sakura nodded. "I understand, sempai." She said. "Your career isn't as important as family."

"And it shouldn't be." Ayako firmly said, and Sakura gave a teasing smile.

"That, and you're still hoping for more kids with Shirou, aren't you?" she asked.

Ayako coughed as her cheeks turned pink. "Jealous…?" she asked, causing Sakura to laugh, which in turn caused Ayako to grin.

"Maybe." Sakura admitted, and Ayako laughed in her turn.

"Aside from that, though," she said. "Tokyo still isn't…the safest place to live or work in right now. I mean, they've rebuilt most of the city, and they've cleared out even the surface ruins, plus an over ninety per cent vaccination rate for the population, but…parts of the undercity are still teeming with mutants. Every once in a while, they surge out too."

"Yeah, I've seen the news." Sakura said grimly.

Ayako nodded. "I remember Tokyo, back during the outbreak." She said grimly. "I will never forget it. I'd rather not the same be the case for my son, or any of my future children."

"And I don't blame you, sempai." Sakura said, before looking up as Shirou approached.

"What a dark topic to talk about on such a cheerful day." He sarcastically remarked as he placed platters of food on the table. "Come on, we're all back together after so long, so let's all avoid such gloomy stuff, alright?"

"Hmm…good point, darling." Ayako agreed, pulling her husband over for a quick kiss on a cheek.

Sakura smiled and shrugged. "Fair enough, I suppose." She admitted.

"Cheers!"

The adults toasted each other over the table, beer cans clinking against each other before they each took a good long drink. In contrast, Rin and Itachi had to make do with non-alcoholic drinks, the former with a diet soda, and the latter with cold tea.

"Oh, now that hits the spot." Shirou said, setting his beer down.

"It sure does." Sakura agreed before tilting her head. "Speaking of which…we toasted Ayako-sempai's promotion, but what about you, Shirou?"

"What about me?" Shirou asked in surprise.

"Any promotion in your future?" Sakura pressed. "Will you be a judge any time soon?"

Shirou scratched at his cheek. "To be honest," he began. "I'm not especially interested in becoming a judge. Mind you, I won't turn down a court appointment if it comes, but I think I can do more good as a simple public prosecutor and public defender than as a judge. Besides, I'm what? Thirty-seven…? Rather young to be a judge, when you think about it."

"Not…really…"

Shirou scratched at his cheek again. "…okay…good point." He admitted. "Still, I'm in no hurry in moving up the judiciary. I'm perfectly happy where I am right now, thank you very much."

Sakura chuckled. "That sounds just like you, Mister Superhero." She said, and Shirou laughed.

"Guess it does…" he admitted before chewing down a spoonful of liver and green vegetables. "…what about you, though?"

"Me?"

"Any thoughts on your future?"

Sakura waved a hand. "I guess the next step is the rank of brand," she said. "But that's pretty much been in limbo for years now, and it's honestly not much of a priority for me."

"That's…not what I meant." Shirou slowly said. "I mean…any plans on settling down?"

Sakura snorted. "I think that ship has long since sailed, Shirou." She said with a smile and a shrug.

"Oh, don't say that, Sakura." Ayako quickly said. "There's always hope. And you deserve happiness too, just like everybody does. You just…need to go and look."

"Sorry, sempai," Sakura said with another shrug. "But I'm just too busy to go look…well, no. Actually…my Edelfelt relatives have been offering me various arranged marriages…I suppose…I could…consider it…"

Sakura trailed off thoughtfully, while Ayako and Shirou shared a concerned look. Rin noticed this, and finished off a fried shrimp and some rice before speaking up. "You could do worse than with one of our cousins, Sakura." She said. "They're nice…a bit old-fashioned, but they're nice…rowdy, though."

Sakura snorted and laughed. "Rowdy…right…rowdy…" she said before laughing again. "…Edelfelts will be Edelfelts…"

"Well…it's not ideal…" Ayako began before coughing. "…but it's your choice in the end. If that's what you choose, then we'll pray for your happiness."

"Even if there's no love at the start," Shirou optimistically said. "You can always grow to love each other."

"Thanks, sempai." Sakura said. "Both of you…but I'm not committing to anything just yet. I only said I'd consider it."

"True." Shirou said.

"That said," Ayako began. "Have you contacted Fujimura-sensei yet? Or any of your friends from school?"

"No…you guys were the first I got in touch with after I got back." Sakura said with a shake of her head. She finished off a dumpling and some rice before continuing. "But yeah, I plan on getting in touch soon. In fact, I already have just the right present for Fujimura-sensei…oh, wait. It's Mistress Fujimura now, isn't it?"

Shirou snorted. "Been keeping up to date, huh?" she said. "Yeah, it's Mistress Fujimura now…don't call her that, though. I did, and she twisted my ear off. Said something about how I'm supposed to be family, not a client, and it was insulting that I'd call her that way."

"Well, she does have a point." Ayako agreed. "You were family long before she succeeded her grandfather, and I was likewise her student for nearly as long. When you think about it, addressing her as 'sensei' considering our past relationship is actually much more respectful than her recent…promotion."

Sakura nodded. "I see your point." She said.

"Speaking of getting in touch again," Ayako began. "My little brother…sorry, Sakura, but he's out at sea right now."

"Oh, right." Sakura said while sipping at some miso soup. "He's a navigator on one of those big cargo ships, isn't he?"

"Yup." Ayako said with a nod. "The Yoshimitsu-maru. Last I heard, they were sailing somewhere in the South Atlantic, and won't be coming back to Japan for at least another year."

"Oh, I see. Well…smooth sailing to him. Please pass that along."

"I think you can do better than that. We can video call each other once a week, so you can talk to Minori yourself during next week's call."

Sakura chuckled. "Fair enough." She said.

Sakura stared. So did Shirou. Ayako, though, was grinning as she used her smartphone to take several pictures. Specifically, of her son, curled up on a futon laid out on the veranda in the warm afternoon Sun, taking a nap next to a similarly-napping black cat.

Three guesses for who the black cat actually was.

"They're so cute next to each other." Ayako gushed, holding up her smartphone and scrolling through the photos she just took.

"Well…I guess we should have seen this coming." Shirou said, scratching at his head in uncertainty.

"…no argument there…" Sakura said with a sigh, before looking at Shirou with a surprisingly serious air.

Shirou raised an eyebrow in response. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"…not as such…" Sakura said, moving back to the table, Shirou and Ayako turning to look at her curiously. Then Sakura reached into Imaginary Numbers Space, and pulled out a black file folder, which she pushed in Shirou's direction. Shirou again raised an eyebrow, and coming closer, sat down before opening the file folder. It took him only a few moments to grasp the situation.

"This is…!" he gasped.

"…Zouken Matou died recently." Sakura said. "Granted, he was never the de jure acting Second Owner in my absence, only de facto, but now that he's dead, and…well, you did say you were moving back to Fuyuki permanently…I'd like to, offer you, the position of acting Second Owner while I'm gone."

Sakura bowed low over the table at that, causing Shirou to look down at the documents in front of him. In the end, though, what could he really do? Sakura was an old friend, and had even saved his life more than once in the past, during the Fifth Holy Grail War. They'd fought beside each other, even been intimate a couple of times, and had even shared some of their mysteries with each other.

Shirou bowed low in his turn. "I accept your offer." He said, speaking in formal Japanese. "And I give you my word that you will not find your trust misplaced."

"Thank you very much." Sakura replied just as formally before smiling, Shirou smiling back to dispel the serious air between them. "Well, I won't be going back to Europe for a few more months, at least, so there's plenty of time to ease into things. I will be going out of town quite a few times, though. There are so many things that need to be done."

Shirou nodded. "I understand." He said, and Sakura nodded back.

The Sun was already setting by the time the Tohsakas left the Emiyas, the latter seeing them off at their doorstep. "Here you go." Ayako said, offering Sakura a stacked pair of bento boxes. "Fried rice, vegetables, and shrimp, so you don't need to cook for tonight."

"Thanks, sempai." Sakura said, giving a grateful bow while accepting the offered food. "This means a lot, really."

"Just…don't be a stranger now." Ayako said.

Sakura sighed and smiled sadly. "I'll do what I can." She said. "Times like these…make me really nostalgic for those…innocent days, when we were all just schoolmates instead of adults with actual lives of our own."

"Nostalgia's overrated." Shirou snorted before smiling sadly in his turn. "But I get what you mean."

Sakura's smile widened. "Maybe next time you can come over instead." She said. "After today, it should be my turn to play the host."

"Well, just contact us to talk about when we're all free to come together again." Shirou said with a nod.

"Oh, I will."

The Emiyas smiled at that, Itachi waving a hand in farewell. "Bye, Aunt Sakura, Rin-nee-chan." He said. "See you next time."

"Likewise, kid." Sakura said, reaching over to ruffle his hair, the otherwise reserved boy finally showing some emotion at that, shyly batting Sakura's hand much to his parents' amusement. "Until next time, you three. Take care."

"You too, Sakura." Shirou said.

"Until we can meet again." Ayako said with a wave of a hand. Sakura nodded back, walking down the street, the Emiyas watching as she steadily walked away, before finally vanishing in a patch of shadow. "It's been a long day."

"It was." Shirou agreed with a sigh. "But it was nice seeing her again, and not just on a screen."

"Yeah, I'm glad she's doing alright, along with her sister." Ayako agreed, before looking up at a nearby post as the streetlights began to come online. "Come, let's go back inside. It's getting dark."

Shirou nodded, guiding his son back inside with a hand on his back, while Ayako closed the gate behind them, before hurrying after her family.

A/N

Here's a nice slice-of-life chapter, with only a few references to the Moonlit World. And a time-skip, of course, about three months after the prologue.

Shirou and Ayako now have a son, named Itachi, and yes, the joke there is deliberate. That aside, they're a happy family, content with an upper-middle-class lifestyle despite Shirou's spell-caster status. Or even his dream of being a Hero of Justice, which he manages to make reality by being a public defender/prosecutor.

He's certainly done more good than Kiritsugu Emiya ever did. At the very least, he hasn't killed anybody (unless convicting rapists and murderers counts). And the best part is (post-war) Kiritsugu would probably agree too.