I own nothing. Monika does.

Ann, Ryuji, and Yusuke flooded into the room. Ryuji carried multiple plastic bags in his arms, a huge grin on his face. Sayori had never been told what exactly her welcome party was supposed to be. She had a sneaking suspicion that nobody else knew either, but politely kept her mouth shut.

"I hope you like board games, Sayori. Ryuji bought one of every game they had, I think. It's your pick on which ones we play," Ann said as she set down her own small bag. "I brought the snacks. I hope tea and cookies are okay."

Sayori helped Ryuji set all of the bags down, taking her chance to view his supply. "That sounds lovely, you guys," she said absentmindedly as she rifled through the bags, before stopping on one in particular. "Oh, Candy Land! Let's play that!"

Somehow I'm not surprised that that's what she chose, Yusuke thought, smiling. "I hope you kept the receipt, Ryuji. I get the feeling that's all we'll be playing." The artist went to help Ann prepare the tea. Morgana followed without a word, obviously wanting to keep an eye on the two.

"Hey, Sayori… Are you sure you wanna play this?" Ryuji asked. He was looking at the instructions with a raised eyebrow. "It doesn't look tough at all."

"Of course I do! Besides, I'm not gonna be here too long, so we don't need a complex game. It will give us plenty of time to discuss things, too," Sayori said cheerfully. "Why would you buy it if you didn't plan on using it, anyway?"

"It says ages three and up on the box. It seemed like your type of game," Ryuji replied with a smile.

"Hey! Meanie…" Sayori pouted, yet still smiled in spite of herself. It was then that Ann and Yusuke entered carrying a pot of the bubbling tea, along with a neat tray of cookies. Akira quietly got up to help them. Morgana walked up to investigate the game, before looking up with a scowl.

"Hey! It says there are only four player pieces! How are we all supposed to play?" Now it was Morgana's turn to pout.

Sayori laughed, before checking the contents of the box. "There should be some extra pieces, I think. Let's see…"

After they all finally got settled into the game, something became fairly obvious. Everyone but Sayori was incompetent at it. Twice Ryuji got stuck in some licorice and nearly threw the board out the window. And then there was the time Morgana "accidentally" walked across the board and scattered all of the pieces. The only one who seemed to be able to keep up with her at all was Akira, who still had to go back to the beginning too many times to count. Still, they all agreed that this game was good for one thing, and that was the chance to get answers.

"So, Sayori…" Ann trailed off. None of them really knew where to begin with something that was surely an uncomfortable subject for her. Luckily for them, Sayori had questions of her own.

"How exactly do you guys think this will work? I mean, I live with the detective that's investigating you all… all of us," Sayori blushed at her error and drew another card.

"I suppose you could tell him you've joined a new club," Yusuke pondered, moving his piece right beside her's. "Or perhaps you could say that you are meeting some friends to help with homework. Though it most certainly cannot be any of us that you mention." The others all nodded in agreement, but Sayori looked horrified.

"I have to lie to him…" The cruel reality of what she had signed up for finally dawned on her. She looked sadly at her teacup, her appetite was gone.

"Wait… Why would you say yes to joining the team then? You've never seemed like someone who would be uncomfortable with lying, Sayori," Ann asked in concern.

"I know. I used to be fine with it, but... After that awakening, things are different for me in more ways than one," Sayori explained quietly. "I guess it's just that… I can't bring myself to lie to someone who took me in. I'm not going to force him to live in a lie."

"It's fine if you decide you don't want to be a part of the team, Sayori," Akira reassured.

"No… I have my own reasons for joining. You guys are my friends, and so is Goro. The only problem with that is that you're against each other. I need to keep you out of each other's way. So... I'm going to tell you guys everything I find out about his progress in the case. If I find anything, of course," Sayori's phone vibrated in her pocket. "I have to go now. He's probably worried about where I am at this point. I'll try your club idea, Yusuke. Thank you all for the wonderful evening."

Just as Sayori began walking towards the exit, Morgana stopped her. "Wait, that only sounded like one reason to join… What are the others?"

Sayori offered him a small smile, "That's for me to know, and you to not worry about."

For the hundredth time that day, Sayori pushed the swarming thoughts to the back of her mind. Why is it so hard just to walk down the street without thinking about how fake it all is? She didn't want to think about what it all meant. She didn't care. In the moment, it didn't matter at all. But she couldn't stop picking at it. It was a scab she refused to stop touching.

A few yards away, Sayori saw the entrance to the apartment. Finally. She practically ran up the stairs, her exhaustion weighing her down like an anvil. She slipped through the door and flopped onto the couch. "I think I'm dead," she said as she closed her eyes in an attempt to rest.

She didn't notice Goro sitting only a foot away, smiling playfully, "Funny… You don't seem dead to me," he said cheerfully, playfully checking her pulse. Sayori's eyes shot open in alarm as her face practically turned red in embarrassment. The detective quickly removed his hand, giving her a small smile. "So, did you enjoy spending time with your friends?"

Sayori nodded her head, having temporarily lost her ability to speak. What is he doing? She took one look at the detective, whose smile seemed to convey pure innocence, and realized what was happening. Quickly relaxing, her red face faded to its natural color. Oh. He's just playing along with my joke. I get it now. She stood up and went towards the bathroom, intent on getting ready for bed.

Meanwhile, Goro couldn't help but frown. Her reaction was the exact opposite from the one he wanted. He had been hoping for a nudge, a complaint, any sort of sign to indicate she understood. Sitting down, he released a long sigh. Girls, huh… Am I just bad at flirting? At least I have a good control for the next try. Thinking back to her blush, he couldn't help but blush himself.

"Sayori?" he called, ready to execute his idea.

"What?" Sayori called from her spot in the bathroom, preoccupied with trying to wrestle a brush out of her hair.

"Do you have anything important at school tomorrow?" He knew he would find any excuse even if she did, but it was the thought that counts… right?

"I don't think so. Why do you ask?"

"I think after what happened this weekend, we could afford a small break. I was wondering if you would like to walk around town with me tomorrow, maybe do a little bit of shopping?"

"Sure, I'd love to," Sayori walked out of the bathroom, dressed in a pink nightgown. Her face didn't betray any hints that she thought that this was more than a small outing between friends. The detective found himself frustrated with how the tables had turned.

Getting up from his place on the couch, Goro gave her one last smile and disappeared into his room. "I'll wake you up to get ready then. Good night, Sayori."

"Good night, Goro," Sayori yawned in reply.

Stepping onto the street the next morning, neither could say they really knew what they were doing. Sayori pulled on the sleeve of her pink sweater, wondering what demon had possessed her to dress in a way that clearly matched her roommate's own choice of casual wear. She had told herself that the black pencil skirt and matching dress shoes would make her look more mature, so people wouldn't give a second look towards a teenager who was definitely skipping school. But the second she stepped outside the door, she knew that was far from the case.

"I thought it was unnecessary when I first bought it, but you look much better with that headband keeping your hair out of your face," Goro said fondly.

Sayori felt almost naked without her protective curtain, now being held back by the silver band. Nevertheless, she quietly nodded her thanks. "Where are we going first? We already have plenty of food…" Sayori began to quietly ponder.

"That's a surprise," The detective began walking steadily forward. He knew exactly where he wanted to take her first.

"Oh… Wow…" Sayori was speechless as she stared at the building in front of her. "It's so… Wow…"

Oh no. I didn't break her, did I? Goro began waving his hand in front of the girl's face, waiting for her to regain her senses. When she finally came to, he laughed, "Sayori, if I knew bringing you to a bookstore would cause you to shut down, I would have chosen another place to go entirely."

"This isn't just any bookstore, Goro. You said it was your favorite bookstore. I think my reaction was pretty reasonable," she smiled, playfully nudging his arm. Her pencil skirt hindered her from skipping in like she felt like doing, but she didn't mind. On the other side of these doors was something she needed… something familiar.

"How many books can I get?" Sayori asked as she began wandering through the shelves.

"We'll have to see what you choose first," the detective replied, looking around for any titles that he thought the two would like. It shouldn't have surprised him to look up, only to find her heading towards the children's section.

"I still can't believe they consider this a children's series," Sayori grumbled as she finally found something that sparked her attention. Kneeling down, she started stacking a large pile of nine books, clearly a long runner. "We're definitely getting these. I think you'd like them too, Goro," Sayori showed him the first book, which depicted two young girls running away from a giant hand.

"'The Fairytale Detectives,' huh... I dunno, Sayori," the detective put a hand to his chin in contemplation. "You'll have to do more to convince me. Just cause they're detectives doesn't mean I'll like the books."

"I can't tell you anymore. It's a surprise!" Sayori couldn't help but pout a little.

Goro saw her pouting face and immediately felt some sort of primal instinct kick in. "Fine. I'll get them for you, on one condition," Goro paused for a moment, taking a small pleasure in how the dramatic effect made the girl stare at him with wide blue eyes. "We have to read them together." Sayori eagerly nodded.

That is, until the detective grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto one of the many reading couches in the store.

"Wait, you mean right now?" How did Yuri do this stuff without getting a heart attack? Sayori went red yet again as her roommate flipped through to the prologue. Unbeknownst to her, Goro Akechi wasn't just smiling at the contents of the book.

The rest of the day yielded similar results. The two would go from one place to the next, stop to buy a few things, and then continue on their way. When Goro saw chances, he would often take them. Never going out of the designated comfort zone, he always made sure that Sayori remained aloof. It was quite easy when she thought of him as the exact same.

Eventually, when more teenage girls began to flood the streets, he realized it might not be such a good idea to remain out in public for much longer. However, they still had dinner to get through. The two could only count their lucky stars that they got a corner booth. However, Goro remained conflicted. He didn't know if he could reveal the biggest reason he took her out on this "not quite a date" date.

No, there might be more time for that later. After everything is sorted out.

Sayori was sipping her water without much of a care in the world. Still, if there was anything the detective had learned after the day's activities, it was that Sayori was as good at acting as he was. Aside from the blood rushing to her face every once in awhile, it was impossible to get any sort of tell out of her. Glancing at her, he cleared his throat. When she looked up, he made sure to give her a reassuring smile.

"I think it's finally time I break some bad news to you, Sayori. I'm going to have to put your case on the back burner for a bit. I'm sorry," It was hard to accomplish, but he managed to hold her gaze instead of looking away.

"Oh… I see." Sayori somberly responded. She had gotten accustomed to staying with Goro after so many months, but the idea of returning home was always stinging in the back of her mind. "I suppose it's understandable. There's a lot of things going on, and I can fend for myself for now. My time will come." Sayori had a good idea of what he was going to bring up next, but hoped she was wrong. She didn't think she was quite prepared to handle it.

"Thank you for understanding, Sayori. As soon as I settle the Phantom Thief case, I'll get right back to yours. Hopefully by then there will be more leads to follow," Thinking back to the flash drive in his room, he nearly missed the way Sayori seemed to stiffen. "By the way, what happened a couple days ago? You didn't happen to run into anybody else in that strange place, did you?"

"N-No. Just a bunch of weird scary creatures. A lot of them looked like my old friends back home. Then I got that weird outfit you saw me in," The lie felt like she was swallowing sand, so she went back to chugging her drink. She couldn't bring herself to look, so she didn't notice the sorrowful on her roommate's face.

No… No! Damn it! Don't force me to make this choice! Despite everything that had happened, Akechi couldn't help but feel betrayed. She's working with them, isn't she?! But I… Sayori... He managed to slip his smile back on. "Alright. I had wondered if that place was connected to the Phantom Thieves, but perhaps it wasn't. Then again, maybe they just knew to avoid you for some reason or another."

"Y-yeah…" Sayori put her cup down, trying to relax. "By the way, when I saw my friends yesterday, they found a fun club they'd like me to join at the school. The schedule is a bit up in the air. So…"

"Say no more. Is there anything I need to sign? Will you need some help getting there?" Sayori… Come on. He watched Sayori shake her head, a blank expression on her face.

Sayori finally pulled out of her chair. The air around her was somehow suffocating her. The poor girl could practically see the small crack in their relationship she was forming. If she didn't learn how to cope with the circumstances she had signed onto, she knew it would turn into a chasm. "I think I'm full. Is this our last stop today?"

"Yeah, we should get going before it gets too dark," Akechi slid out of his seat. After paying the bill, they began the long walk to the subway station. The detective held mixed feelings for the new layer to his plan. If only I had noticed she had followed me in. We could've stayed together, and I wouldn't have to use her like this...

The girl in front of him was his best way, and yet also his worst way, to catch the Phantom Thieves. After all was said and done, and he finally achieved his ultimate goal, she probably wouldn't even want to speak to him anymore. Yet, that thought somehow only steeled his determination to steal her heart. To at least get a taste of what this kind of relationship was like before everything went to Hell.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. "The Fairytale Detectives" is the first book in a series called The Sisters Grimm, written by Micheal Buckley. I highly recommend reading it. The original, not the rewrite, of course. Anyway, please read, review, and I'll see you all next time!