The next day, Kyoko went down for breakfast once again. Surprisingly, she saw Makoto was there alongside Mukuro, the two chatting it up as they ate. Kyoko quietly decided to step up and join them, setting down her own tray and taking a seat next to Makoto.

"Morning Kyoko. You doing okay?" Makoto asked, looking over to the detective, who was a bit surprised at how quickly he addressed her.

"Things are okay." Kyoko nodded, keeping a stoic look on her face. "I'm trying to figure out how to make them better, so we'll see how they go."

"Hey, if you wanna talk about it, just say so."

Mukuro raised a brow as the two talked. "Am I missing something here?" The solider asked.

"It's the case I told you about yesterday." Kyoko explained. She thought a moment before deciding to let the soldier in on it. "It's a child abuse case."

Mukuro's lips formed into a noticeable frown. "I see... Child abuse..." She murmured. She wasn't one to be overtly emotional...but that slight change in expression was all one needed to tell she was displeased.

"It was apparently really bad from what Kirigiri told me." Makoto explained. "Apparently the little guy just got out of a coma." Mukuro just shook her head.

"I assume this is what you've been working on the past few days?"

"Yes." Kyoko nodded. The soldier's face didn't seem to change much as she replied:

"Is he going to be alright?"

"I hope so..." Mukoro stared at her food. Kyoko smiled slightly. Even if she had no idea how to properly show it, the soldier's concern for Harry was very much appreciated. The trio ate in silence for a few moments before Kyoko turned to her friends. "I'm going back to visit him again today. Would you two like to come?"

Makoto smiled brightly. "Sure, I'd be happy to tag along and see the little guy!" He turned to Mukuro. "How about you, Ikusaba? You up for it?" The Solider blinked, a bit surprised by the offer, but eventually nodded.

"Alright." She shrugged. "I'll meet the kid."

"Great!" Makoto grinned. "Alright Kyoko, let us know when we're heading over!"

Kyoko couldn't help but let a faint smile form. Makoto could, in his own words, be 'plain' according to him, but she did appreciate his optimism, hopefully it would make Harry's hospital room a little less awkward today.

Later on in the day, the group of three made their way to the hospital in relative silence. Upon arrival, the receptionist recognized Kyoko and let them in straightaway.

"Okay, I'll go in first to let him know you're coming in." Kyoko said to the other three, who nodded in agreement. The detective entered the room.

Harry smiled slightly and perked up when he saw her enter the room. "Hi, Miss Kokyo." He said softly. Kyoko smirked slightly at the way he pronounced her name.

"Hello, Harry. I'm glad to see you less mummified in bandages."

"Uh-huh, the nurse said I didn't need all of them anymore." Harry tried to explain, still not able to move around too much.

"That's good to hear." Kyoko said, standing next to his bed. "If it's okay, I brought some more friends of mine to meet you."

Harry looked at her with a tilted head. "Really? Is it Miss Celeste again? She was nice... I liked her..." Kyoko smiled and shook her head.

"No, it's two new people you haven't met before... Two of my closest friends, actually. Nothing to be afraid of, they're very nice, I promise." Harry felt somewhat uneasy. New people were intimidating to him... He never knew whether or not they would be mean and hurt him like his uncle... But if miss Kyoko said they were nice, than he could trust them, right? Harry though so, and nodded his okay to the detective, who went to the door and let her friends in.

Makoto's cheerful and upbeat dameanour noticeably shifted to one of pain as he entered, concern clear on his face as he looked at Harry on the bed. Mukuro's eyes shifted from Solider-like focus to pain and anger, her mouth twitched, as if she was holding back a shadowy curse of anger. Makoto was the first to speak. "Hey there, little guy...Man, you really got banged up, didn't you?" He asked, looking at the boy with a sad frown.

"Oh...Um...Y-Yeah...It uh...it happens..." Harry mumbled softly. Makoto and Mukuro both exchanged glances before looking at Kyoko, who sighed.

"Well it never should have." The detective replied as she put a hand on his head, rubbing it gently. Harry smiled and leaned into her touch. "These are Makoto and Mukuro." She continued, looking back to her friends. "And this is Harry."

"Cute name, fits his description." Mukuro remarked, getting down so she was on his level. She gave him a small wave and Harry looked up to Kyoko, as if wordlessly asking for what he should do. Kyoko looked back at him and smiled slightly, giving him a small shrug. Harry looked back at Mukuro for a moment before waving his tiny hand shyly.

"Hi..." He mumbled out softly. Mukuro nodded her head to acknowledge his greeting. Then the two looked at each other for a few moments in a rather awkward silence.

Finally, Makoto decided to step in and break the deafening silence. "So, Harry, how are you holding up? Feel any better?" He asked the boy.

"Uh... kinda." Harry mumbled, still nervous. "My arms hurt a lot... but my head doesn't feel as bad."

"That's good to hear." Makoto smiled. "Has Kyoko been keeping you company?"

"Yeah." Harry nodded. "She's really nice, she's the nicest person I've ever met."

'I hate that I'm the highest standard be has...' Kyoko mentally frowned.

Makoto noticed Kyoko's demeanour and gave her a reassuring smile. "Quit selling yourself so short, Kirigiri! There's nothing wrong with you! You're totally a nice person!"

"Yeah... You helped me... No one else wanted to help me, but...you came and you helped and...that made me happy... Only a really nice person would make me happy like that..."

Kyoko was blushing slightly, hiding her smile behind her hand. "Heheh... Thanks, guys... Hearing that means a lot more than you realize..." Harry seemed to each out with his bandaged arms, Kyoko was a bit surprised but eventually gave in and gave Harry a warm hug. She felt the boy trying his best to hug her back, but also felt him flinch in pain. 'Why is everything he does so adorable?' Kyoko thought. 'Is there some sort of adorable gene he inherited from his parents?' She ran her fingers down his back gently, trying to comfort him through the pain. "How about you just let me do the hugging for now, okay, Harry?" Harry nuzzled closer into her embrace. She felt his little head nodding up and down, which brought a warmth to her. This felt...right. Very right... At that point, she remembered that Mukuro and Makoto were still there. Her face turned slightly red, but she decided to brush it off. It was no big deal, really... However, from Makoto's grin, it was clear to him that this was a big deal. "What?" She asked flatly.

"It's cute." He remarked.

"He's a little kid who's been injured, of course I'd be kind to him." Kyoko rebuffed the comment. "He's also just... really likeable."

Makoto chuckled in response. "Yeah, that much I won't deny," He patted the boy's head a couple times before pulling back. Mukuro tilted her head.

"Hmm...The way you're acting is a lot like how I'd imagine a mother to react, Kyoko." The purplette's face turned red and she turned to look at the soldier.

"Mo...Mother...? A mama...?" Harry squeaked softly, cuddling in closer to the detective as he thought about it. Miss Kyoko as his mama... Now the detective found herself trapped in a very bad place, on the one hand, if she's said she wasn't Harry's mother, he's understand right?

'It would probably drastically hurt him though.' She suddenly thought. But if she said she was, could she take care of a child? Sure, she wanted to get Harry out of here and to a safer place... could that be with her? She looked at Harry and petted his head gently. "Maybe...Maybe someday. We'll see, okay?" She said gently. Harry nodded his tiny head. She didn't want him...He knew she didn't...Who would? He had something wrong with him... Sure she had tried to tell him otherwise, but...no one wanted him... He did his best to hold back his tears, but they kept welling up until he couldn't hold them back. The students present were taken aback when Harry began crying into the sheets, sobs racking his body. Kyoko was the first to react, pulling him back into her arms and hugging him tightly against her chest. "Harry... I'm so sorry, I didn't think..."

"Wh-Why doesn't anyone like me? What did I do wrong?" The boy sobbed out, causing the detective to give him a sad expression...but also one of understanding. This was it. This was all she needed to realize there was no way she could ever leave him behind. Just the sounds of his hurt sobs told her she needed to be a part of his life.

Mukuro jerked her head to the side and Makoto nodded, the two quietly leaving the hospital room to leave the two alone. Kotaro sighed deeply then looked Harry in his emerald eyes. "Harry... would you like to come home with me?" She finally asked.

Harry looked up at her with wide eyes, then wiped some tears away. "R-Really...? I can...?" He whimpered out softly. Kyoko smiled and nodded.

"You can." She assured the boy jn her arms. "If you want to... It may be a little bit difficult... But I promise you that I will find a way to make it work." Harry looked up at Kyoko, his eyes wide and watery. After a few silent moments, he tried his best to hug the detective once again.

"Yes please..." He whimpered. "I...I wanna be near you, even if you're not my mommy, you're still really nice."

Kyoko gave the boy a warm smile and rested her chin on his tiny head, making no move to break the hug they shared. "I'm flattered, Harry... Really..."

The two stayed like that for five minutes, Kyoko kneeling beside Harry's bedside and holding him close, and Harry resting against her, taking in the soothing warmth and lavender scent...

Then the door opened slightly. "Is everything okay now...?" Kyoko turned to smile at Makoto and nodded her head to assure him all was well.

"Good to hear. I uh... I got a message from Celeste, she's wondering what's happening."

Kyoko sighed then smiled. "Well, if she keeps it quiet, you can tell her Harry will be coming home with us." She returned to nuzzling the top of the boy's head. The warm feeling was back, but it felt... good. Now she enjoyed it, she didn't want it to leave.

Harry, for his part, had never felt so happy. He got to leave this horrible place and go with Miss Kyoko! She had been one of the very few people who actually cared about him, and now he got to stay with her.

Makoto's face lit up at that. "Whoa, seriously?! That's awesome! You should let your dad know right away!" Kyoko nodded and finally broke the hug, much to Harry's disappointment. She smiled and patted his head.

"Sorry, Harry. Can't spend all our time hugging each other." She explained before pulling out her phone and beginning the text to her father. "Dad... I'm adopting Harry. Can you help me?" She spoke the words as she typed, then sent the message.

"Wow... Just like that." Mukuro's voice chimed in as she entered the room. "Hopefully Headmaster Kirigiri doesn't have a heart attack when he reads that."

"Eh, either way I'm still doing it." Kyoko shrugged, before feeling her phone buzz. She looked at the message, which was a simple thumbs up emoji, and the small message 'On my way'. She turned back to Harry now, deciding to explain a few things. "Harry, do you know where Japan is?" The boy shook his head, and Kyoko smiled. "Well, Japan is a country far way away from here, and it's where I live, so I'm gonna have to teach you some things about it..."

Makoto decided to throw his two cents in. "I think it's only fair that you let the others get to know Harry too. He is probably gonna be staying in the dorms."

Kyoko looked thoughtful. Some interactions would be no issue. Hina, Chihiro and Sayaka would no doubt make a wonderful impression, Sakura was a gentle giant through and through, Leon was entirely approachable, Mondo would have no reason to show his temper around Harry, Hagakure was likely to get a little laugh from the boy...

On the other hand, Ishimaru was very loud, which might scare Harry... Yamada's...eccentricities might make him uncomfortable...Fukawa wasn't exactly the most pleasant conversationalist... Byakuya's cold demeanour may upset him... And Junko? That girl was the very definition of loose cannon. Who knew what kind of crazy thing she'd do? "Well, for starters, I live with a bunch of other people." Kyoko began. "You've met three of them, Celeste, Makoto and Mukuro. But there's a lot more." Harry seemed nervous at the mention of there being a lot of people, he didn't like crowds too much... "But I'll be nearby, and a lot of them are very nice, I'm sure you'll get along just fine." Harry still looked hesitant, and Kyoko gave him an understanding smile. "Don't worry too much, Harry. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Okay... Um...I just um... don't really like to be around big crowds..." The boy said softly. Kyoko gave him a sad smile and squeezed hus hand gently.

"That's okay, Harry, that's okay. Baby steps. We can ease you into it. No need for you to meet them all at once." Harry felt a BIT better at that.

"What's Japan like?" Harry asked, curiously.

"Well, it's a big city full of lights, it's beautiful during the day, but at night the entire city seems to come alive in a whole new sense." Kyoko explained, Harry seemed completely enthralled by the explanation. "At night the buildings all light up in a gorgeous display of life." As Kyoko explained her home town to Harry, Mukuro and Makoto exchanged glances before nodding and silently stepping out. They figured Kyoko should bond with Harry on her own for now...

"...So yeah. That pretty much sums up Japan." Kyoko concluded with a smile and a shrug. "You'll like it there, that much I can assure you."

"It does sound really pretty..." Harry conceded softly, nodding his tiny head. Kyoko ruffled his hair, giving him a gentle gaze. He was just perfect... He was so polite and well-mannered, and his voice was the cutest thing she had ever heard. She hated how most of that was quite literally beaten into him, but she swore she'd help him. There would be a day where Harry could finally move on and be happy with who he was.

Kyoko sighed softly, patting Harry's head gently. "I hope you're out of here sooner than later, Harry... I really do..." She said softly. Harry nodded.

"Me too..." He mumbled. The two sat in silence after that... Harry quietly wanted another hug from the detective, but he was too shy to ask for it. Kyoko, however, seemed to notice and gently wrapped her arms around him again, Harry snuggling into the hug and closing his eyes again, then drifting off for another nap. He may have finally gotten away from the Dursley's, but he needed to catch up on a lot of sleep. Kyoko chuckled quietly and smiled at the boy. She gently adjusted his position so that he was lying down, and she gently moved some of his messy black hair away from his eyes, smiling as he let out a quiet coo in response.

She thought back to what she had been told about maternal instincts, and now she understood completely. This desire she felt to protect and care for this boy... It felt natural.

She never imagined herself as a mother before... But looking at the sleeping boy in front of her, she found herself thinking that just maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

There was a knock on the door and she turned to see her father was at the door way. She nodded for him to come in and he walked over to where she was, taking a long sad look at the small boy before them.

"Geez..." He finally muttered. "I can't imagine what he was going through..."

"I know. But things are going to be better for him now. Of that I'm certain." Kyoko said, determination clear in her voice.

Jin nodded his head, then clapped a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Kyoko...You're certain you want to do this? I know I'm not one to talk, but being a parent is a twenty four seven job."

"I know." Kyoko replied. "I'm well aware it's going to be difficult... But I have to do this. Harry... He needs me. I just know he does. And I've...grown attached..." Jin smiled at his daughter, slowly putting a hand on her shoulder and giving a reassuring squeeze.

"I think you're gonna do fine." He simply said. "It'll have it's ups and downs, but I think you're the best choice for the kid. You saved him, you've nurtured him somewhat, it's everything you need to build a strong bond. I like seeing this side of you."

Kyoko blushed and looked away, not even remotely sure how to respond to her father's praise. "Th-Thanks..." She mumbled, crossing her arms.

Jin chuckled, then looked back at Harry. "All right, Kyoko, I'll make sure to get everything set up for you. He'll be in your custody by the end of the trip for sure."

Kyoko nodded. "Excellent. And in the meantime, I have a lot to teach him... He needs at least a basic understanding of the language, for one..."

"Well, there's a small bookstore nearby, maybe you can find some things to help him learn." Jin suggested. "And while I feel like... some of the students will be more of a help than others, I do believe some of your classmates will be able to help as well." Kyoko nodded in agreement. Thinking back to the list she had been making. Mukuro, Makoto and Celeste were fine around Harry but she was still nervous about how the class as a whole was going to react to finding out they were bringing an extra 'student' home with them. Kyoko let a small smile form on her face, she could imagine some of the reactions she'd get...

Sighing, she nodded her head. "I understand, I'll be sure to get him acquainted with the others." Jin patted her head. She bristled slightly and moved away with a huff.

"Heh...I keep forgetting how much you hate it when I pat your head." Jin chuckled slightly as he rubbed the back of his head. Kyoko quirked a brow.

"Do you? Do you really? Because I'm pretty sure you do it just to tease me." Her father chuckled when he saw the slightest trace of a pout on her face.

"Bit of both, bit of both..." He shrugged with a grin. Kyoko sighed, annoyed, then turned back to Harry, who seemed to be waking up.

"Wh..Miss Koko?" He mumbled sleepily.

"I'm here Harry, I'm here." Kyoko said soothingly, running her fingers through his black hair.

"Oh... Good..." The boy mumbled softly, smiling up at her. Then he noticed Jin and looked nervous. "Um... Hi...Mr. Man..." He mumbled softly.

Jin gave the boy a smile. "Hi to you too, Harry. You're healing up well I see." Harry nodded his head slowly and looked down at his injuries.

"Um...I get better quickly...I always did..." He mumbled softly. "I don't really know why, but...it's taking longer to get better than it usually does..."

"Well, that may be because your injuries were more substantial, or because of a new medication you're on, Harry." Kyoko tried to reason, not liking that she had to reason this to begin with, but still. Harry looked up at her, a bit confused, then still seemed nervous about the man in the room and tried to shrink under the blankets some more. Kyoko raised an eyebrow at his demeanour, then looked over at Jin, an expression of understanding appearing on her face. "It's all right, Harry. This is my dad."

Harry still seemed nervous, however, only slightly coming out of the blankets as he looked up at Jin timidly. "Hi Mr. Miss Kyokyo's dad..." Jin chuckled, both to try and defuse the obvious fear in the boy's body, and at his mispronunciation of his daughters name. Also because of how he addressed him.

"Hey buddy." He said calmly. "Glad to see my daughter's taking good care of you." He paused for a moment, then added: "Just so you know, your uncle is going to jail for a LONG time. He's never gonna be able to see you, let alone hurt you, again."

Harry hesitated before nodding his tiny head. "Okay...That's um...That's good, I think..." He mumbled, unsure. He didn't want his uncle hurt...

"Harry, you shouldn't feel bad for that man." Kyoko said gently. "He hurt you, horribly. He's getting punished for being a bad person. Don't think you're at fault here."

"I...uh...okay." Harry finally nodded, partially seeming to finally understand, and partially not wanting to argue with someone much older than him. He knew whenever he talked to someone older than him, he usually got hurt. Kyoko seemed to pick up on that fear and lifted his chin up.

"Hey, it's okay. You're never going to be hurt again." She promised.

"But um...I could still make someone else mad enough to hurt me...I can't stop people from hating me..." Kyoko nodded her head in agreement.

"It's true that you can't stop people from hating you...But if you're well behaved and treat others kindly, they'll have no reason to hate you. And if they do...They're not worth your time." Harry thought about what had been said. He never TRIED to make people not like him, maybe Miss Kyoko was right, and if they were mean to him, it WASN'T his fault. He thought hard about it and remembered how mean the Dursleys were to other people behind their backs... Yeah...They were mean and unpleasable... No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, he had always done something wrong. Maybe he HADN'T and they were just mean... Yeah, that made a lot of sense when he thought about it. Add to that the fact that Miss Kyoko and her friends had been nothing but kind to him, they were worth his time, he desperately wanted to be with them, he liked this feeling of acceptance and kindness. He decided to believe what Miss Kyoko was telling him, even if that lingering feeling of doubt continued to persist. He liked Miss Kyoko...She made things so much better...

Harry looked at the detective with a timid smile and tried his best not to look down at the blankets again, wanting to maintain eye contact. "Th-Thank you..."

"Aw, you're welcome Harry." Kyoko replied, a gentle smile appearing on her face. "I promise, things will get better for you. I guarantee." The small boy blushed slightly and tired to hide it. Jin smiled at the interaction between the two. To see his daughter, his normally cold and calculating daughter, treating this boy like he was already a part of the family warmed his heart. She had never smiled this much before either. When his daughter was happy, he too was happy. He knew that this arrangement would be good for them both. Harry slightly reached out and Kyoko gently pushed his arms down, not wanting him to harm himself, he whimpered slightly and Kyoko hugged him once again. She rubbed his back gently and smiled down at him. "Soon, Harry...Soon I'll take you to your new home...Then everything will be okay..."

"Um...I think everything is okay right now..." Harry mumbled shyly. Kyoko raised a brow and smirked lightly. "Um...Everything is okay now because you're here..." Kyoko felt her heart melt when Harry said that. Giving Harry a warm smile and nuzzled the top of his head with her cheek. She may have been seen as an 'Ice Queen' but this little boy was melting her defences at every turn. Then her face turned beet red when she remembered her father was watching. She turned to look at him slowly before wincing, feeling bashful about being seen in such a warm state.

Jin chuckled. "Hey, if you want me to leave, that won't be a problem. I need to get everything in order for you two anyway. Ah...I'm gonna be a grandpa... " Kyoko's eyes widened at that remark. Was she really going to be a mother to Harry? Yes, she was going to be a guardian of sorts, making sure he was safe and taken care of, but mother? She bit her lip as she thought it over and looked down at Harry, who was still happily nuzzled into her hug. She sighed softly, turned to her father and wordlessly nodded in reply, which caused him to smile at her. Then he silently left, leaving the boy and detective alone. Kyoko continued hugging Harry for a few minutes, until she had to let go and address him.

"Harry, I have to go for a little bit." She said, making Harry whine nervously. "I'm not leaving you, I'll be back later, and soon we'll be leaving this place for good. You, me, and the others."

"Okay." Harry mumbled in reply. He didn't like Miss Kyoko leaving, but also knew she would come back.

She smiled and messed up his shaggy dark hair. "There's a good boy. Now be good while I'm gone, all right?" Harry nodded his head in affirmation.

"Okay, Miss Kyoko...Thank you for coming...I liked your visit..." He said softly. Kyoko nodded her head,?

"Of course, Harry. I'll see you soon." Leaving the room, the detective felt an air of pride surrounding her. She had felt this after completing a particularly difficult case, but this... this was different. She knew what it was, and while she had never expected for this to be her future, she was completely okay with it.