Like a Light From Above

by Cosmic Sky

People could be hurt in different ways, and be healed in different ways. As a professional doctor, even a disgraced one, Tae knew of certain ways to heal the body. Healing the mind though? That took a special kind of medicine, one she was in need of. Some people could administer it in abundance. Akira was one such person. His treatment, she had to admit, was almost divine.

2. Chapter 2-Life and Death

Hello and welcome to the second installment of this little story. Last chapter was the introduction and focused on Sumire, this chapter will be focusing on Goro. Yep, the very same guy who envies and hates and admires the man that Tae loves on top of a whole slew of other complications. Without further ado, let the show begin!

I do not own anything.

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Like a Light from Above

Chapter 2-Life and Death

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The morning everything went to hell started out like any other. How often was that the case? Sometimes when life took a dramatic turn, you could feel it, either early in the morning as you were waking up or mere seconds before that turn was taken and all you could do was watch it happen. Tae was more inclined to believe in the latter than the former, but she heard stories about waking up with a bad feeling in one's stomach. Of course, that could also simply be due to whatever one had eaten the night before.

Tae specifically remembered she'd had some scrambled eggs for breakfast. She'd attempted to mimic her boyfriend's excellent cooking as much as she as she could. A part of her wished that Akira had been there with her, so she could get his input, but he was where he belonged-in his own bed, in his own home. He had things to do for the day, and so too did she. Matter of fact, he had some celebrating to do from what she heard. Another successful heist, another change of heart, and another win for the Phantom Thieves of Heart.

There really wasn't an end to the strangeness Tae felt at being involved with such a…public figure. In simplest terms, never in her life did she think she'd be dating a criminal, matter of fact, Tae always believed it'd ultimately be the other way around. When one looked at it through a legal lessons, she was technically speaking breaking the law just as Akira was. She was dating a minor, she'd slept with a minor, and was still doing so, proudly at that. Still, those things somehow paled in comparison to Akira and his band of thieves, who'd become Japan's most wanted criminals in the span of a few months. And she'd been aiding them through the use of new and somewhat experimental medicine. It was all so shadowy and fantastical…and that made Tae all the happier to be a part of it. Ultimately, what made her truly happy was knowing that the enigmatic Joker was also her boyfriend, and one way or another he'd find his way back to her. Such a mixture of drama, excitement and romance, it all felt like something out of TV show or a book, yet it was real.

Yes, real, it was all happening in real life. Reality could be wild and crazy, but in Tae's opinion, all those things made it worth it to stay alive.

Life could also be unfair, as she herself had personally learned, as had several others, including Akira. Sometimes…life hit you with unexpected tragedies, complications that could leave one grasping in shock, and pain. Tae didn't know it at the time, but such a thing was about to befall her and her boyfriend and his thieving friends.

She was on her way to meet up with a few old colleagues. One year ago, such a thing would have been unthinkable; she was The Plague, a pariah in the medical community. Contact with her was a kiss of death, especially to professional doctors. Thanks to Akira, that had drastically changed.

But her fashion sense hadn't. Even if she was on what was an official business trip, she was still going to dress as she preferred, as a punk rock woman who wasn't afraid to flaunt her sex appeal. A part of her secretly basked in the fact that she was now officially off the market meaning any potential admirers would be in for a rude awakening. Tae sometimes wondered if she felt too much glee in that.

What was alright was for her to feel a sense of excitement and belonging stepping back into a hospital again, and truly feeling like she belonged there. Looking back, Tae realized that was what Oymada had truly taken from her, her pride as a doctor; thanks to Akira, she'd gotten it back, and a little something else too.

"So, how's it feel to finally be able to walk into a hospital like this and hold your head up high?"

Hayanari Chino, smart, capable, and never afraid to voice his thoughts, especially when they pertained to the people around him. In particular, nipping at Tae seemed to have become a bit of a habit of his, something that intrigued her a little.

"I'll say this, it's bigger than my clinic, that's for sure. Still, I imagine the patients will be just about the same." Responded the blue-haired woman, her heels clicking against the polished white floor.

Chino chuckled, "Well, I can't exactly argue with you there even though there's a world of difference between your little back alley clinic and this place." It was a rather gracious comment, free of any condescension as Tae had come to expect from her peers. Such statements were one of the reasons why she found Chino tolerable, even likable. Unlike some of those beside him, he merely smiled at her and kept on walking, heading up to the front desk to check them in. While Tae waited, her eyes were drawn to the TV screen in the waiting room. Predictable, a news reel about the Phantom Thieves came up, though it was quickly overshadowed by a breaking news announcement pertaining to the up incoming election.

Masayoshi Shido, seems like you're on track to become our country's next prime minister. Heh, trading a weak-willed moderate for a far-right nutcase who's able to charm the populace like a magician. Preferring to keep herself in the loop, Tae made sure to keep up on politics, especially when they involved medicine and health. From what she'd followed, Shido made a show of appearing to care, but when one looked at his actual policies, it was clear that the man had little regard for others, especially if injury or sickness befell them. Doubly so if they had some sort of pre-existing conditions; Tae couldn't help but feel some sense of disdain for the man as she read of his attempts to take away coverage with pre-existing healthy problems such as heart disease, all while making himself appear to be a friend of the elderly and older generation. Evidently, his misleading had worked as he was polling well with the older generation.

The younger generation…not so much? Tae had heard some rather nasty rumors that the bald-headed man wasn't a fan of children. Come to think of it, she'd rarely seen many photo ops of him with small children as opposed to his opponents. Again though, Shido seemed to know the right words to sway mothers and fathers into believing his number one priority was creating a safe Japan for them to work in and their children to grow up in.

When Chino called her over, Tae followed him without missing a beat. She hadn't come to watch TV, if she wanted to do that, she could have just stayed home.

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4:15 PM…

"You have no idea how good it feels to hear your voice."

Giggling, Tae leaned up against the window which overlooked the streets Nishi-Shinbashi Campus. "Flattery, huh? Bold of you to start the conversation off this way."

"Hey, I'm being perfectly serious. It's been a long, boring day so far." Akira coyly replied which caused Tae to further laugh. She could practically see the smile on his face. "Besides, it's nice to hear my girlfriend's voice, can't you say the same?"

"Heh, alright, fine, I'll admit. Maybe I've come to miss you…enough that hearing your voice right now feels pretty nice. It'd be better if I could see your face, but alas, that won't be happening for a while."

There was a brief pause followed by a rustling. "Sooo, will I have to add teaching to the list?"

"No, that's still Kawakami's department, at least teaching full-time. Here at Jikei they…" Heart beating a tic faster than before, Tae gazed up at the cloudy sky. Grayish white clouds of puff gradually moved out of the way allowing sunlight to grace the land below. Tae could have sworn one of those rays shined on her. "It's just…Akira, I…"

"Tae, you're a brilliant doctor, something that I'm sure damn near everyone in Tokyo knows, especially those stuck-up pricks on the medical board." Hearty laughter rung from the gothic woman's pink lips. Again, she could almost see the smile on the other end of the line. When it came to praising her, Akira wasn't afraid to use some naked flattery, but it paled in comparison to when he was undoubtedly praising her. His confidence in her as a doctor was…well, Tae wasn't ashamed to say it had been her saving grace, the light that had led her out of the darkness. Even though she was no longer bound by the shadows of her past, his light continued to guide and reassure her. "On top of your knowledge, heh, you have a way of…holding people's attention, take it from me."

She laughed at the compliment, which was both personal and professional. Though she never cared for the limelight, Tae couldn't deny that a part of her had always liked being able to turn heads. When she spoke, she wanted her voice to be heard, especially when it pertained to someone's health. Her…unique fashion sense and taste always had a way to do that, usually before she even started talking. During one of her afternoon chats with Sadayo, she'd been told that when it came to holding one's attention, she was a "natural"; the comment had been made while the brunette was eyeing her from head to toe. The implications were clear and feeling quite proud. Now, as she looked down from the third-story floor of a hospital she normally never would have been let back into, she wondered exactly how good her attention grabbing would be in a classroom. When she spoke, she wanted her voice to be heard and her words to penetrate the minds of those listening to her. Understanding what she was saying could have meant the difference between life and death for some.

Despite dressing like a herald for the latter, Tae was firmly on the side of the former. Making that argument hadn't been easy to the point that she'd once entirely given up on it.

"Alright, I think I'll consider it. Granted, Akira, you know if I do this you should know that I…probably won't have as much free time as I normally do for a few weeks." To keep a relationship going a few things were needed, one of the biggest factors being for both sides to be able to see each other. On that front, Tae and Akira already had a little bit of an uphill battle since their relationship wouldn't exactly be considered socially acceptable. It wouldn't be for another two years when he turned eighteen and could no longer be considered a minor.

"Tae," came the gentle voice on the other end. It boggled her mind how he was able to keep such a level of calmness and maturity most of the time. She supposed that part of it was enforced since he regularly risked his life in death-filled adventures and was faced with making somewhat difficult choices. It was rather similar to dating a soldier on active duty, though "soldier" was about the furthest thing Akira could be. "I already know, and I know that we'll still find ways to make time for each other, like we always do. Like we're doing now, right?" She laughed at his remark, acknowledging that he was indeed right. "Point. Like I said, maybe I can get some tips from Kawakami on teaching a classroom, mix it up with my own personal style."

"And now I fear for those young doctors." Chuckled the black-haired teenager

"Oh, you know, trial by fire and all that. If they can't handle a classroom then they have no right to be let near a patient." Sounded punk rock woman. She fully intended on following through her words. It was her honest belief that if one couldn't make it past a medical classroom then they shouldn't have been let anywhere near a patient. Again, ironically, many would have said the same about her a few months ago. A part of her mused over the questions she'd likely receive over her own checkered past while teaching and spouting the same philosophy. When that time came, Tae would stand her ground against any accusations aimed at her. "You know, I really owe you a lot."

"Personally, I think it goes both ways. I honestly can't think of the number of times you've saved my ass." Akira replied.

"Geez, if we keep on going on like this, we'll use up all of our time." The two laughed in jubilation. Deep down, neither of them would have minded things ending up that way. Just being able to talk to one another was a positive that they both took stock in. Glancing out the window, she saw that it was still a fairly beautiful fall day. Her unexpected best friend told her days like this were best spent working, and for her that meant teaching. "You know, the more I think about it, the better it all sounds, especially if I have…someone waiting for me when it's all over with."

He caught the invitation in her voice. "Just tell me where and when."

His response made Tae's heart flutter. It wouldn't be the first time that he waited on her, Akira had shown himself to be quite a gentleman when he wanted to. He'd told her that such traits he inherited from his father, who implored him to treat any woman he was truly affectionate for with all the care in the world. Though he laughed about it, Tae could see and hear the genuine love and respect that her boyfriend held for his father. All that said, he could still be a mischievous man, which Tae was openly attracted toward just as much as she was toward his treatment of her. Being treated as a person, as a woman; that was an ideal aspect of any working relationship.

"As much as I'd love to have you all to myself, tonight's going to be a night for the Phantom Thieves of Heart, isn't it?" She didn't want to sound sad, even if she was just a little. Tae was a mature woman who knew that she still had to share her boyfriend with the rest of the world, including his fellow thieves who likely knew next to nothing of her existence, which was probably for the best.

"Yeah…we're…going to go celebrate and give Haru the team welcoming that she deserves." There was a hint of fondness in his voice showing that he was looking at it. That sealed the deal for Tae.

"Kunikazu Okumura, right? I'll make sure that I'm near a TV." Laughed the redeemed doctor. She'd read about Kaneshiro's change of heart in the papers before catching it on the news. Immediately, she knew that Akira and his team of Thieves had scored a major victory, on multiple levels. "Tonight is for you guys, heroes who go off fighting the battles that no one else is willing to fight or can't fight."

"Now you're making me blush." Akira laughed.

What Tae wouldn't have given to see his blush and enflame it to the point it consumed his entire face. She'd be patient and wait until maybe the day after tomorrow, the end of the week. That would be an ideal time for the two of them to have a date.

"I'll call you sometime tonight when I get the chance." Akira assured her, his tone gentle and warm as she'd come to know it.

Shaking her head, the doctor responded, "Akira, just call me when you get the chance. Don't sneak off if it causes some sort of friction between you and your friends. Like I said, it's your night, your celebration. As for me, I'm merely content in knowing that I helped you all achieve it in some small ways. It's fun being a background supporter, at least when it comes to phantom thieving."

"Ever think in another life you might have made a good Phantom Thief?" Responded the knife use with genuine curiosity in his voice.

Tae looked up and thought about his question. From what she knew of the Metaverse, it was a place that defied logic and reason as she knew them, yet still followed a type of logic of its own. The darkness that lay within people was released and manifested as grotesque monsters called Shadows, the strongest and most distorted of which ruled over massive fortifications called Palaces. Would she have fun sneaking into such things and making away with anything of value that she could find? A Cheshire grin began to form across her lips indicating that yes, she most definitely would have. Plus, there'd be the opportunities for her to try out her drugs and medicines on more…fantastical patients, not to mention gathering materials herself. The more she thought about it, the more she could feel her heart beating in excitement.

Alas, that was a case of what could have been. Ultimately, Tae was more than happy with what she had now. "I think it'd been interesting to see if the Metaverse could handle me."

His laughter once again made her heart flutter. How long had it been since anyone could invoke such a reaction in her? Had there ever been a person? Tae sometimes asked those questions, yet never really cared for the answers. They didn't matter, what was in the past was in the past, she'd accepted that, now she was ready to live in the present and look onward toward the future. A future that she believed was shining with light.

"Um, out of curiosity, do you want me to bring you back any…souvenirs?"

"From where? Now that you mention it, where will the Phantom Thieves be celebrating their little victory and welcoming their fallen princess into the fold?"

"Destinyland." She could practically hear the smile in his voice. Clearly, Akira was excited.

And so too was Tae. Given her outward appearance and mannerisms it would have came as a shock for anyone to learn that Tae Takemi wanted to go to an amusement park. Amongst the hundreds that existed in Japan, Destinyland was near the top of the list. In that regard, Tae wasn't all that different from the thousands of others around the city; if she could take a short break or vacation anywhere, she wouldn't mind it being the new and booming amusement park. Tae had hoped that such feelings would never see the light of day, but something told her that her prolonged silence gave her away, especially to Akira who had a tendency to pick up on the faintest of hints. Yet again, she could practically see his lips splinting in a sly smile.

"I promise I'll take you there one day, just the two of us." He finally said.

"Akira, there are a lot of places that I'd love to go…and a lot of places I'd love for you to take me." Responded the short-haired woman with a light smile. "Enjoy yourself tonight, you and you friends, you've earned it. Especially since from what you described Okumura's Palace was-"

"Hell." Gone was the cheer that he'd spoken with for most of their conversation. In its place was a near comical dread that made it seem as if this was the sixteen-year-old's last phone call before he was to be sentenced to death. "It was absolute…total…hell."

Faintly recalling their date two days again, Tae chuckled at the memory of her boyfriend having fallen asleep on her, practically forcing her to carry him back to his home. His slurred mumbling had been quite telling as to what he was dreaming about. Apparently if the leader of the Phantom Thieves of Heart ever ran into a Darth Vader look alike, he'd been shown no mercy. Perhaps one day she'd get the full story out of her boyfriend.

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Golden Gai, Shinjuku 7:48 PM…

Tae was firmly aware it had been little over a year since she'd been able to go out and drink with her fellow doctors. Naturally, that was because being sighted with her was a kiss of death for their careers. It felt good to be able to do so again, especially when she was able to drink and party at a rather top-class bar. Normally, those were the places she stuck to and even preferred, but special times called for special places. Albatross was pretty high on the list.

It wasn't like Tae couldn't have gone to the classy bar by herself, she could have, but it was fun to do so with company. She had company alright, several of the doctors from Jikei University. No students though, this was strictly an "adult gathering", and said adults were certainly reveling in it. So too was Tae, who felt comforted and at ease amongst her peers once more. She lost count of the how often she'd laughed and smiled at jokes made, even poor ones. Still, in the back of her mind she hoped that Akira was having a good time as well. It was funny to think that her teenage boyfriend had an entire amusement park all to himself and his friends, the perks of being friends with the wealthy. Making things even better was that he was one of the few capable of doing something to keep those wealthy people in check.

I'm…basically dating a superhero. Amongst the roar and laughter of her colleagues, Tae came to the silent realization genuine shock on her face. Only Chino took notice of her at first and questioned her about it. Quickly recovering, Tae waved off his concerned, making up a small lie to explain it away. Even then, the thought remained in her head, ringing like a bell. The ringing only grew stronger as she caught sight of the TV stationed on the ceiling. Right on que, a press conference featuring the head of Okumura Foods had taken center stage. It was just as Tae expected it to be. Akira's responsible for this, it's thanks to him that this is happening. She thought with a flutter in her chest.

"There's no way to stop you from doing this, is there?" She remembered asking him the evening after they'd confessed to one another and made love to one another as the first step in their relationship. The pillow talk afterward had been a necessity as they needed to make it clear where things would be going, and what could potentially lie ahead of them in their future. Tae already had an idea of what she would be hearing.

Akira's face darken as he prepared to answer her. He knew she was a smart woman and likely knew what his response was going to be. "…No, there isn't. I've…I've gotten too far in, and since I have the power to make the world a better place, if only just a little then…I can't just walk away."

Ironically, as she reached over and held onto him, Tae felt like she were being lifted into the air by some majestic bird. "Then…don't. If it's the path you've chosen, then go for it. I promise I'll be here supporting you with all of my medical knowledge…and…my…" The more she spoke, the more her heart raced, becoming strong enough to rival a storm. Flames consumed her cheeks as she turned and stared at Akira, who looked somewhat surprised at the intensity of her eyes. It surprised even her. Mercifully, Akira leaned forward and kissed her.

When he pulled back he said, "I promise, Tae, I won't ever break it. I'll make sure to come back to you, no matter what."

Tae was never going to forget that moment, never.

Nor was she ever going to forget what happened in the next forty seconds.

One minute, Okumura had been speaking, confessing to the horrendous workplace practices his company had undertaken which had been the cause of scandal for several months as well as who was responsible for the mental shutdowns. Then he stopped, gasping at his chest as if he were suffering from cardiac arrest. His head slipped forward creating a seconds long vacuum of uncomfortable silence that held the attention of hundreds of thousands of viewers across not just Tokyo but all of Japan and maybe even the world. When he rose, the world saw a pale face marred with black liquid streaming from the nose, a gaping mouth, and widen milky eyes.

Tae's heart skipped a beat. "What the…what the…what the fu-"

"Holy shit!" Someone shouted.

The broadcast cut off, and perhaps rightfully so. The face that countless people had just seen was the face of nightmares, a face that would be engrained into the minds of hundreds, and not for the right reasons. Tae herself was rather traumatized by what she'd seen. Her medical mind was racing at light speed attempting to make sense of what she'd just seen. In seconds she deduced that the bleeding eyes were a result of broken blood vessels, likely a correspondence to whatever blood veins had broken around the brain which would have caused internal hemorrhaging in the-

Akira. Cutting through the brewing storm was the face of her boyfriend. Again and again she repeated his name in her head, her heart swelling with fear. While the room around her began to erupt into hysterics as footage from the press conference began to make the rounds, Tae dug into her purse for her phone. Wide-eyed, she began to furiously text her high school lover.

T: Have you seen the press conference? Okumura is dead.

The next few seconds felt like watching a car crush in slow motion, every gory detail playing out before her eyes.

A: We did. Tae, it wasn't us. Please, you have to-

T: I know. Akira, I know it wasn't any of you.

A: I'm going to call you later on tonight once I get home.

She could feel her hands trembling as she typed out the next message.

T: Be careful, okay?

The rest of the party was a blur. No matter what, Tae couldn't get the image of Okumura's dead face out of her mind. Minute by minute, she put the pieces together, summarizing it all in a single phrase: set up. Her boyfriend and his teammates had been set up by someone, likely because they were getting too close.

And now they were all no doubt going to be called murders.

By the time Tae got back home, Tae could feel her legs ready to give out. They did, but only after she'd made it to the couch; her heart echoed in her chest like a never-ending drumbeat. It made it next to impossible for her to sit upright or turn on the TV. Frankly, she didn't want to. She already knew what was going to be playing on the news, tonight, tomorrow, and arguably for the rest of the week. Horrible as it was, Tae could see it all playing out before her as she laid on the couch with her right arm over her face. She wasn't crying, but she could imagine that a certain someone was, the newest member of the Phantom Thieves of Heart. This was supposed to be a night of celebration for her, but that happiness had no doubt turned into bone-crushing despair.

That poor girl. Bemoaned the doctor. From the confines of her purse rung her phone. In seconds Tae sat up and reached for it, breathing out a sigh of relief upon seeing it was Akira.

"Tae?"

He sounded stable enough, but Tae still felt the need to ask, "Are you okay, Akira?"

Expectedly, there was a brief silence on the other end. No doubt he was taking a minute to compose himself. "…I've been better, but I'm alive." He knew that was what she wanted to hear, what she needed to hear.

Hearing that was enough to put her racing heart to ease. Her head fell back against the couch arm, sweet relief flooding her being. It's entirely possible that some would have argued her feeling relief was disrespect, but she was happy that the most important person in her life was alive. Dented, but alive.

Deep within her, the flower of anxiety had begun to bloom, and she knew that in the coming months it would only continue to bloom into a hideous rose.

---

Mid December…

When Tae realized that she was basically dating a hero, she didn't quite absorb the full implications of that. She'd been too overwhelmed by the awe and splendor of it at first. She knew perfectly well that if things went south, she could end up incriminated, and she was okay with that, she could accept that. She could risk the future given back to her for Akira's sake. Those were all the things that she'd accepted.

What hadn't fully hit her yet was the thought of ever losing Akira to the forces of evil he'd chosen to take a stand against. Somewhere in the back of her mind, it had always been there, a looming dark cloud that tainted an otherwise clear and beautiful day. Tae had looked at it several times, but somewhere along the way she believed she'd begun to lose the fear of it. Then fear came back stronger when she opened the door to her clinic to find her boyfriend being carried by the arms of two of his friends, looking like he'd just gotten the shit beaten out of him. As she learned moments later, he had.

A daring plan to lure out the one who'd set them up, Goro Akechi of all people; a successful trap, albeit one that had called for her boyfriend to get put through several hours of physical torture that left him barely able to stand. Tae's heart had dropped seeing the disheveled state that her beloved was in, but then it began to beat again. The power pumping through her made her commands as icy as a glacier. Without a hint of complaint, the two boys, a blond and a blue-haired youth, followed her instructions. Both boys were incredibly fidgety, revealing the anxiety and even borderline fear that was pumping through their veins. They were far from alone.

It took almost two hours, most of which was spent pumping his body free of the drugs that he'd been injected with. As she did so, Tae found herself mentally slack jawed at the substances she found had been administered to her boyfriend. He was going to need at least two or three days to recover, and by that, Tae meant be able to stand on his own feet without wobbling or outright collapsing. As she treated him, it became clear that Akira's captors hadn't been screwing around, nor did they care that he was a minor. He was a thorn in their side and they were determined to see that he was clipped. From what she understood, they came dangerously close.

"T-T-Tae…" He mumbled when it was just the two of them, alone within the confines of the clinic. To the public, it was closed, but within its walls she'd prepared herself to spend all night there; it wouldn't be the first time she'd done so. It would be the first she'd had company thought, very special company. "I'm…listen, I'm-"

"Sorry for putting your life in jeopardy? For nearly getting yourself killed in a crazy ass stunt to lure out a murderous psychopath masquerading as Tokyo's golden boy? Sorry for worrying me? Sorry for all of that?" She fired off in the same cold voice she'd spoken to the other two in. Not once did her voice ever rise into a shout, it reminded an arctic whisper that penetrated deep into the black-haired teen's psyche, practically causing him to wince. That actually came from him trying to sit up to which Tae told him not to do. She gently pressed her hand against his chest hoping to stop him, but instead he placed a palm over hers.

"Tae," Akira spoke, his voice from of pain in spite of his condition. "I'm sorry." His voice was dripping with sincerity as were his eyes, which longingly stared into Tae's.

Throwing aside any pretenses of pride, she flung herself onto him, gently of course. Even in her emotional state, it would have be embarrassing cause his wounds to reopen in the midst of a passionate embrace like this. Without a moment's hesitation, Akira wrapped his arms around her, cradling her against his bandaged-up body. His interrogators had been merciless in beating him, fracturing his bones but stopping short of breaking them knowing it'd leave him in too much pain to talk, even with the drugs. It had been torture, yet he'd found the strength to rise above it and hold her like this, whisper to her and wipe away the worries and anxiety that she held within her. Tae realized in that moment how lucky she was, how blessed she was. In the end, he'd kept his promise in coming back to her.

That evening she fell asleep against Akira's chest was also when her dislike of Goro Akechi began to bloom. Happy as she was, she couldn't help but feel some measure of anger toward the person who'd set up her boyfriend and helped get him locked in a room and beaten to a pulp then pumped full of drugs. And then tried to murder him in cold blood. The kicker being that Akira saw a quarter of those things coming.

After rooming with her at her apartment, she got the full story, and what a story it was.

Akira Kurusu was a strange kid, who helped to hang around strange people. There was her, his homeroom teacher who used to moonlight as a maid, a former yakuza, and a fortune teller just to name a few. Of course, they were all a step below his fellow Phantom Thieves, who possesses the same power as him, that power caused Persona. Goro Akechi possessed the power too, just as strong as Akira.

He also hated him yet respected him with a burning passion.

"So, let me see if I have this right…you willing agreed to a duel with someone whom you knew was out to kill you? Alone, without telling anyone where you were or what you were doing? So if anything happened, if he actually succeeded in killing you, no one would know until it was too late. Is that about right?"

Couples talked about a lot of things over dinner. For Akira and Tae, they talked about the fact that the former had let a dangerous criminal into his inner circle and befriended him and agreed to have a one-on-one duel with him. One that he'd apparently won.

"If it makes you feel any better, we were holding back." There were times she wanted to wipe that silly smirk off his face. They both had a tendency to make light of life-or-death matters, but Akira seemed to enjoy taking it a step further. To say that it was stressful at times would have been an understatement. Seeing her continued frown, Akira further explained himself. "Look, I know it was dangerous, but it was…it was something that I had to do. In a way, I…felt like I owed it to him."

"You wanted to fight him yourself, didn't you?" He silently nodded, knowing that any attempts at hiding his thoughts from her were likely doomed to fail. She asked him how strong his brown-haired foil was and he answered strong enough that he knew he could potentially kill Akira if he wanted to. In saying that, Akira's eyes gained a bright glow to them, almost like a part of him wanted to see the Prince Detective attempt such a thing. The reality was Akira had quietly been bracing himself for when that moment came. "If you two fought head-to-head, do you think you'd win?"

His smile had been encouraging even as he gave a rather polarizing answer. "Maybe. If it's just the two of us, I have all my Personas while he has…he has his. In terms of pure combat skill, we're about dead even, but I think that Goro might edge out a little. Unlike me, he's got some bit of professional training. He told me one of his foster parents was a fencer."

"A swordsman and a knife user, a white-clad prince…a bastard prince…and a thief clothed in black who's been shunned by the world." Speaking the words seemed to provide the last push for clarity in her mind. Tae sat back in her seat and threw a hand over her face. It was all quite a bit to take in. "If this were some TV show or movie…someone would say that you two are destined to fight or something." She wanted to laugh, she did laugh at the absurdity of it all. Two boys from two different yet similar backgrounds now given supernatural powers and made to fight, even though their goals somewhat ran parallel to each other. When she looked back down at her boyfriend, what amusement she felt died down, realization dawning on her. "Akira," Tae started. "You don't seriously think…"

"Would you try to talk me out of it?"

"I would…but the fact that we're having this conversation is proof that doing so would have been pointless." Neither of them were stupid people, yet time after time they found themselves playing this stupid little game. She hated this, yet a part of her couldn't deny that her curiosity kept her intrigued, just like how Akira's sense of duty kept him from running away. And his sense of compassion kept him from truly turning his back someone who'd tried to put a bullet in his head. A sane person would have spoken of returning the favor or leaving that person for dead; Akira wasn't a sane person, at least not entirely sane. He wasn't a normal person.

He was…different, unique. If he wasn't then Tae could say she wouldn't have been sitting at the dinner table, freed from the chains of her past like so many others. But could Akira do the same for someone who'd tried to kill him? Someone who'd already killed and injured countless others? It was ludicrous idea…but coming from Akira, Tae felt like throwing all logic to the wind and believing he could do it. But in doing so, he'd no doubt be risking his life, perhaps more so than he had at Sae Niijima's Palace.

All things considered, it had been fun in letting Akira live with her. It'd been years since she'd allowed anyone to share her bed, kitchen, bathroom, and really living space. And the furthest she could remember had lasted little more than four days before things ended. It was another facet of their relationship that made it different from all the rest, and even made her desire to make it work. At the moment, doing that meant preparing all the medicine that she could that would keep her boyfriend and his friends alive. While she keto focus on her day job as a doctor, she never once wavered in her duties as the personal doctor of the Phantom Thieves of Heart. They needed her now more than ever as they faced the man behind most of the misery that every member of their group including Akira's dark rival had suffered. It was what she hoped would be their last battle, and without a doubt their toughest battle.

Standing in their way was person whom they'd come to call an ally, but revealed himself to be an enemy, yet Akira himself could feel no great hatred for his fellow Persona user. Tae thought about questioning him about that, but she chose not to. First of all, she felt it wasn't her place, and secondly, talking about it would only make her anxiety worse. Tae didn't want that weighing her down when she was at home, with the boy she loved, that was a time to relax as much as they could.

"Tae,"

Her nails gently clawed at his shirt-covered chest. She'd honestly lost track of how many times she'd gone to sleep side by side with her former guinea pig turned boyfriend; quite a feat considering that they'd only been together for a few months and had been rather careful about being seen together. It was a fact that if they were exposed, there'd be consequences, especially for him since he was still on prohibition. Ironically enough, since he'd gotten to Tokyo, he'd been risking it in nearly every way imaginable. Dating her had been the change up as he arguably valued her the most out of anyone he'd met since moving to Tokyo. He always told her that through his eyes, stormy gray orbs that could be as fierce as thunder clouds, yet carry the warmth of a summer breeze. At the moment, she was getting the latter, she always tended to receive the latter even when she attempted to scare the living hell of out him for the hell of it. Oh, the irony of where they were now.

"Just…be careful, alright?" Akira's instincts were something that had to be seen to be believed. Really, it defied logic, just like a lot of things about him did, it was practically his trademark. Sucking in a breath, she buried herself in his embrace. There was no denying that a part of her wanted things to stay like this, the two of them wrapped up in each other's arms and letting the morning and even a few hours of the day pass before untangling themselves from one another. Like a childish girl, Tae wanted all of that, yet she knew that life couldn't be that kind. Instead, all they could have was this one tranquil moment before they dressed themselves and headed out into the world.

"I will, Tae, I promise." Akira answered in a soft whisper which was followed by a soft kiss on her forehead. The doctor blushed but accepted it none the less. "I promise you, I'll come back." He wasn't blind to what was eating her, especially since last night, he'd told her that they'd likely run into Goro on their next entry into Shido's Palace. They were getting closer and closer, which meant that if Goro wanted to continue down his chosen path, he was going to have to act. Confronting them at the doors before the big bad was the only way to go.

Looking up at him, her caramel brown eyes stared into his gray eyes, locking onto them. Reaching up, she cradled his face, "I'll be holding you to that; you'll keep your promises made to me in mind like always, right?" She frowned as he smiled at her. "I'm serious, Akira. Do whatever you have to do to survive, even if it means…" Biting the corner of her lip, Tae stopped herself before finishing her statement. To do so would have been blasphemous to her profession as a doctor. And yet Tae found herself on the cusp of muttering them, not helping was the way Akira continued to protectively hold her like she was the most precious thing in the world. Based on the look in his eyes, she was, to him at least. Letting out a deep sigh, she looked up and pressed their lips together. It was sensual, passionate kiss that got both their hearts bumping. Were circumstances different, it would have been the prelude to something more, alas, Tae pulled away first. Despite the crimson-tint of her cheeks, her eyes were razor sharp. "Akira, one last time…promise me."

As he sat up, he took her with him. Tae continued to blush as she was now held upright, yet her eyes remained glued to his. With the resolution that she'd come to expect, he answered her, "Tae, I promise, I will come back to you. I swear it."

Some people would have been annoyed at having to repeat such a vow, but given the circumstances they were discussing, the repetition was perhaps needed.

Tae needed to know that her boyfriend, her hero, would return to her. She needed to know that he'd value his own life and not try to risk it trying to save someone so lost in the darkness. It was hypocritical of her to ask Akira to potentially leave someone to wonder the abyss when he'd gone above and beyond to pull her out of it like so many others.

But she wasn't ready to lose her Akira, not yet.

---

Early January, 2017, Yongen-Jaya…

The next time that Tae Takemi laid eyes on Goro Akechi, it was in the most surreal circumstances imaginable. She wasn't what sure what she'd find, but she doubted that he'd be as…amicable as he had been that evening at Le Blanc.

Contrary to what the public knew, he was a rather grouchy person.

"Bring him in." Spoke the blue-haired woman in a flat tone to the two teenagers carrying the red-eyed Prince Detective and former hitman. He made a low rumbling sound in his throat as Akira and Kasumi dragged him through the door following closely after her. Tae didn't need to look back to know that Akira had a smile on his face. Funny considering that he was practically giving her free reign to cause a lot of pain to a person who by all accounts deserved to be strapped to an operating table and had his organs removed one by one. As she walked, Tae thought if that threat would be enough to get a rise out of the male brunette. Yet again, her boyfriend was taking a risk…and via all the power Tae had, she was going to ensure that it was a successful one.

Luckily for all of them, she had a few spare rooms around the clinic where they could wait in private. They obviously couldn't use the public waiting room, especially while carrying someone as iconic as the golden boy of the Tokyo Police Department. She looked back at the red-eyed boy and figured he'd be able to survive for a couple of minutes, especially if he had Akira and Kasumi with him.

Talk about an odd trio, granted they do sort of look like the main characters of some urban fantasy series. Thinking about it actually invoked a laugh out of the doctor, one she had to explain to her current patient. Really, she wasn't sure what she was supposed to be feeling, but amusement was probably the last thing that she expected. Especially considering that she was actually looking forward to treating the boy who'd framed her boyfriend for murder and then attempted to kill him only to sacrifice himself to save him and the rest of the Phantom Thieves. Yep, my life is like a comic book. Who'd have thought.

About four minutes passed before she was able to go tend to the trio of teenagers stored away in the back of her clinic.

"Still alive I take it?" She chirped opening the door. In front of her sat her boyfriend and his two allies. Immediately, Kasumi Yoshizawa snapped to attention while Goro Akechi gave her a dry stare.

"If I told you that I was feeling much better, would you let me go?" He asked.

Briefly, Tae swerved her gaze to Akira, who smirked at her, then chuckled. Goro's frown deepened as he looked to his fellow Wild Card like he wanted to hit him. He probably was. Fighting off a full blown laugh, Tae focused her attention on the male brunette and began examining him from where she stood. This didn't go unnoticed as Akechi's eyes locked with hers, s silent stare down quickly ensued between the two of them. This time, they were looking to each other in their "truest" forms unlike those encounters at Le Blanc. Granted one of them wasn't exactly looking his best, a fact that the Prince Detective was clearly peeved about.

Akira and Kasumi helped carry the closest berserker to her primary room. For the moment, it was open and Tae felt like it was safe enough to bring him in for a checkup. After months of treating Akira and the rest of the Phantom Thieves of Heart, she had an idea of what she'd find. She wasn't proven wrong as she began the examination with her boyfriend and redheaded underclassman on the sidelines. Akira stood at the ready just in case he needed her; she ultimately did end up needing him as the swordsman's injuries extended a bit further than she first thought.

"I see that you're like this idiot here, someone who enjoys pushing himself past his limits to almost suicidal degrees." Was the first non-medical comment she gave as she addressed his injuries: aching bones and cuts and bruises that had been left to fester, and would have had the transfer student and gymnast not acted on their own for the Prince Detective's sake.

Said detective gave her a rather venomous look, one that was transferred to Akira, who let his chuckling fill up the exam room like the twinkling of a bell. Kasumi remained behind, curiosity swelling in her eyes as she watched the scene unfold.

"It's…urgh, they're nothing life-threatening. Just some bruises that I can sleep off on my own." Near growled the male brunette. It was obvious that he was rather…uncomfortable. He'd had medical checkups before, but this time was a tad different. It was almost as if he could sense the simmering hostility within the short-haired doctor. Obviously, he knew of her reputation as "The Plague", having discussed it with her during that one July afternoon they'd met at Le Blanc. Odds were he also knew that she and Akira shared some sort of personal connection, albeit he most likely didn't knew that they were in an intimate relationship. They'd gone to great pains to keep their relationship a secret, especially after Akira had been forced to go into hiding. Which was primarily the fault of the person she was now treating.

Funny how things worked out.

"At the moment, but if things are left as they are, they're going to cause problems in the future." Tae explained. Her eyes flashed as she held the former hitman's gaze. "Or rather, you'll be slowing them down, and you wouldn't want that, would you?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched how Akira froze. He knew better than anyone what the doctor and former hitman were capable of. Especially the latter as since undertaking this new battle against an unknown enemy, the Prince Detective had dropped any pretense of righteousness, much to Akira's amusement and pleasure. Now, well, he could stand if some of the old "princely white" Goro Akechi came back. Then again, something told him that his girlfriend wouldn't be appreciative of it, especially since she was well aware of how close the red-eyed Wild Card had came to killing him.

In that second, the possibility of him making an attempt on Tae's life flashed through his mind causing his whole body to go on alert. It was like watching a showdown between a lion and a tiger, two apex predators who'd crossed paths and were deciding rather or not one would have to die. Trying to get in between the two would have been madness…which was something that Akira felt he did quite well at.

Tae did not back down as the seventeen-year-old looked to her with a borderline murderous glare. Her comment, her crack, had incited him and now he was ready to make her pay for it. Either verbally or physically. She could see the muscles throughout his body contracting, especially in his throat as a fiery shout was building up.

It never came.

Brief as it was, she saw the way his eyes swerved to Kasumi Yoshizawa, who'd stood in the background somewhat terrified, and Akira. Akechi's gaze lingered on his fellow Wild Card, arguably too long for Tae's liking.

Instead of a shout, a defeated sigh passed the Prince Detective's lips. "Noted. Do what you must…Dr. Takemi."

The tension drained out of him, which caused the other two teenagers, especially Akira, to breath out a sigh of relief. A potential calamity had been avoided allowing things to continue on course, albeit there was still some tension. As she tended to the "phantom pains" of the infamous assassin, Tae noted how Akira kept a careful watch over the two of them in case another incident sprung up. His worry wasn't unfounded as he knew perfectly well that his girlfriend and his rival could be quite…headstrong people. Putting two such people together was usually a recipe for disaster, and Akira was rightfully worried about that happening with so many sharp objects in arm's reach. He especially didn't like being called away to deal with some patients in the waiting room thus forcing him to leave his girlfriend, his kohai, and his rival alone together.

"U-Um, I-I'll go with him." Kasumi spoke up shocking the others. It had felt suffocating being the outsider in this group. Clearly there was some connection between the three, and it excluded her. Granted, something told the redhead that might have been a positive. "I-I mean, i-if that's alright, D-Dr. Takemi."

A lackadaisical look on her face, The Plague looked between her assistant and his classmate. "…Alright, I'll take care of Crow here." A smirk crossed her face as she watched the way that the redhead tensed up. She wondered how much Akira had told her of what she knew about the Phantom Thieves of Heart. Glancing back down, she saw a similar tension surrounding Goro Akechi. With every word, he was building up a better more accurate picture of her. Tae was more than happy to give him a few pieces to help him. It would make things easier.

Goro Akechi watched his two teammates leave the room like he was watching a plane take off. And he was stuck on an island fated to sink into the ocean. He looked to Tae with an expression of slight resignation.

"…Is he qualified to give medical treatment to someone?" Were the first words out of the male brunette's mouth.

Holding onto his arm, Tae administered a spray that caused him to wince. Second-degree burns such as what she was looking at would heal in a few days once she'd finished administering her treatment. "I've taught him well enough. Since he forced his way into my life, I've taken to filling his head with some information a person like him could find useful." She watched as Akechi went quiet, unreadable thoughts running through his head. "You're a very reckless person."

"…I suppose he told you some things about me, didn't he?" The voice was flat, a benign acceptance of whatever fate awaited him.

Quietly, Tae nodded. A square-shaped band-aid was applied to the burn wound making for a trio across his right arm. He was one of the few people she'd met who was left-handed, so the injuries hopefully wouldn't slow him down too much. "He told me that…you gave your life to save his and everyone else's…and that you're fighting to-"

"Bullshit." His right hand turned into a fist, his entire body tightened like he was bracing for a hit. "I…I…I'm just fighting because this new world disgusts me and I have no wish to be a part of it. This partnership is-"

"What could have been, and what is now." Tae calmly responded. She remained calm as the former hitman looked up to her and tried to silence her with a murderous glare. It didn't work, not by a long shot. Calmly, she stood up and turned her back to him. "Akira told me about your confrontation in the boiler room of Shido's Palace, and how you gave your life so the rest of them could go on ahead, making them promise, making him, promise to change Shido's heart in your steed." There was a pause as she looked up to the ceiling with a thoughtful expression. "For the record, I wouldn't have voted for him."

For a minute, there was a pause on the Persona-user's part. "I…guess that makes me feel a little bit better. So many people across the country had fallen for his ruse that I…"

"It's understandable not to trust us adults, we're supposed to be older and wiser, but we don't always make the best decisions. Sometimes those we do make end up leading to hurting the people around us, sometimes intentional and other times unintentionally." Briefly turning around, she saw the tensing of his body yet again. This time, there was also the shadow of regret that lingered in his eyes. "Of course, whatever mistakes that we make, we have the power to fix."

"Not all of us."

"Hm, thinking that you're the only person who's ever made some mistakes in life."

"Murder isn't just a simple mistake, not premediated murder several times over." The growl finally came, and it was of course directed at her. "You're a doctor, you know him, you should know all of this by now."

Turning back to face the teenager, Tae fixed him with a hard stare. "I do…and in spite of those things, you have at least one person, now two, willing to stand up for you and fight beside you and believe in you." Fully turning around, she forced him to look straight at her. For a ruthless killer, he looked incredibly small sitting on the bed in just his undershirt with bandages sticking out along his arms and one around his neck. His expression was one of a deer in headlights. Tae imagined that this was the first time he was hearing this talk. "Akira's a brave, selfless idiot, one who'll believe in the most unlikely of people, including people like us. I don't know about you…but I want to repay that faith. Faith that pulled me out of a dark place that I was lost in. It was the same for you, wasn't it?"

His fingers flexed like he wanted to pounce on her. A part of him probably did, but something held him back. Try as he might, it was undeniable that her words were getting through to him.

Knowing they were running short on time, Tae decided to be direct. "I won't lie and say that I forgive you for putting Akira's life in danger, for smearing his reputation…but I am grateful that you found it in yourself to save him. That you've been able to do so again and again since this latest adventure started. I want you to keep on doing that, I'm asking you to keep on doing that, for whatever reasons you may have." Try as she might, she couldn't keep the thin smile from forming across her lips as he shifted uncomfortably before her. Crossing her arms, she continued, "Whatever injuries you gain while doing this…as the Phantom Thieves doctor, I will treat them as best I can. That said, this isn't an invitation for you to go out and be a reckless dumbass, is that clear?"

A shout, a scream, a roar of defiance, those were all the things that one could have expected from Goro Akechi in response to Tae's declaration. While his face remained pale and his eyes wide, his hands went through several different motions, curling and uncurling as if they were grasping at something. Finally, they appeared to go still; a reason for that was likely the footsteps in his ear. What private time the assassin and doctor had was about to end.

Using the time he had, Goro Akechi muttered one single word. "Understood."

Exactly what he understood was up in the air. Odds were, it was probably her plea for him to not be so reckless. That would have been the logical thing.

The door swung open and in stepped Akira and Kasumi. "I don't see any blood splatters so I'm assuming you two didn't kill each other." Spoke the former in a jolly voice completely breaking the tense mood that had previously dominated the room.

Tae snickered while Goro rolled his eyes. "Here I was hoping this would be a quick and quiet trip."

"Well, you're going to be alright now, Akechi-senpai." Kasumi offered with a bright smile. "That's the important thing, isn't it?"

For just a brief instant, it seemed like the air had been sucked out of the former hitman. His body seemingly lost all its cohesion. Bewilderment swirling in his eyes, he looked between the three, all of whom had accepted him in one way or another, two of which had ever reason to kill him. His time spent working with the police department and studying up on criminology had left him with a dented perspective, it wouldn't have been too hard to kill him and get rid of his body. This nice little clinic would have been a rather fitting place for his story to end. But it wasn't going to end here, Tae Takemi had made that clear to him…yet he couldn't fully understand why. He looked between her and Akira, the gears in his head slowly but surely turning.

Tae knew that he'd likely put the pieces together, in time. What he did with that information was anyone's guess, but she would let things play out and react accordingly.

It was ludicrously dangerous, but that was the road that Tae had chosen alongside her boyfriend, who was looking at her with a near relieved smile. They were definitely going to have something to talk about later on.

---

Mid-January, 2017, Kichijoji…

"Well…I can't say that I'm surprised to see you here."

Tae put a hand on her hip. "Would you be willing to accept me being here?"

Leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed, the teenager smiled at her. It wasn't a threatening smile, but a rather laid back one. "I'm not the owner of this place, I have no power. I'm just another patient. You're free to do what you please, Dr. Takemi."

Returning his smirk, she took a seat across from him. "Just to let you know, a friend of mine recommended this place. Told me it was worth giving it a look; low and behold here I am and here you are."

He laughed. Not in a mocking way, but in a manner that could have came off as somewhat humorous. It reminded Tae of that evening she'd caught him by Le Blanc last summer, what felt like a lifetime ago. Though that face of his might have been filled with falsehoods, there were some truths mixed in there.

Sitting across from him, Goro Akechi didn't look like the golden boy of the Tokyo Police Department, nor the ruthless hitman under the control of Masayoshi Shido. He looked refreshingly normal, another club patron enjoying the music that was playing, music that Tae quickly came to appreciate.

"Here we are again, sitting side by side, though I feel like we know each other a little better than we did before." Started the teenage detective. "And yet there's still so much about you that remains a mystery to me."

"Part of my charm." Answered the punk rock woman. "Some people are easy to figure out, some aren't, and some are a mixture of both. It takes time to get to know a person, to truly come to understand them." Her eyes swerved to mee this his, their optical exchange lasting for no longer than ten seconds before he pulled away. "Would you say that you've come to understand him?"

"I don't think I ever will…but I…know enough that I…I…" Nails grinded against the table as the teen's expression turned from relax to frustrated. Hot anger flashed in his eyes and caused his fist to tremble. "Argh! I've never meant someone as irritation as him! Sometimes I just want to…" Knowing they were in public, he restrained himself. Had they been back at Le Blanc, Akechi probably would have finished his statement. It might have served him better to let the words out, but he settled for releasing a long sigh like an old steam train.

Now it was Tae's turn to laugh. It caused the teen to look to her with comical disdain, which just made her laugh all the harder.

"This is payback for you, isn't it?"

"Something like that." She answered through her giggling.

He made a face at her. "I think I'd prefer it if you just had been strapped to an operating table and torturing me to your heart's content."

"Hey, it's not too late for that, but we have bigger things to worry about, so you're off the hook." Responded the adult woman.

Lacing his fingers together, the former hitman fixed her with a hard stare. He'd regained some measure of composure after letting her get her laughs in, now he was ready to be serious. There were quite a list of topics for them to discuss, even in hushed voices like they were having to keep themselves limited to. At least they had the Jazz Jin's music, it definitely helped set the mood.

"Why are you…still involved in all of this? Maruki isn't like Shido. He-"

"Akira." Tae cut him off. Briefly, Goro's eyes rose, then settled as if the name of their mutual acquittance was answer enough. Looking him over, Tae figured that it probably was.

"He's…he's…lucky…to have a woman like you. Someone who'll stick by him." She could see how speaking the words were…painful. She imagined that she was the only one he viewed as "safe enough" to hear such words despite her close relationship with Akira. A relationship that the teenage detective had no doubt figured out. "Always people around him…so lucky."

"…I'd venture that you're pretty lucky too, despite what you may believe." Like a week before at her clinic, Goro Akechi looked at her ready to snap, yet no outburst came. All he did was narrow his eyes as if his venomous glare was supposed to silence her. It wasn't going to, and Tae made that clear as she stood up straight and returned his glare. "You're sitting here, alive and well."

"You don't know that." He growled.

Tae took a sip of her drink. "I treated you myself. Goro Akechi, as far as I'm concerned…you're alive, thus you still have the power to turn your life around. You've been doing that, in your own little way." His glare faltered, she'd hit through his defenses and left him shocked and awed. "Let me guess…you're wondering why the hell am I saying all of this? Like I said, I have every right to hate you, and to be frank, a part of me does. You tried to kill the man that I love…and that's not something for me to get over…kind of like how I imagine you'll never be able to forgive yourself for the crimes you committed while working for Shido. But letting those things consume us isn't the way to go. I've learned that welding yourself to the past won't ever make things better, only blind you to the present and the future."

A dismissive snort flew from the sword-user's lips. "I don't have a future. Not after everything that I've done. Not after I took a bullet to the head."

"And yet here you are…and I don't think it's all because some madman dreamed you up from Akira's deepest wishes." Again fired back the doctor.

Wide-eyed, Goro stared at her like she'd just delivered some life-changing diagnose, Tae might as well have for the emotional weight of her words and the reaction she was getting. A minute passed, long enough for him to once again regain his composure and put on his guarded expression. Tae imagined that after battling Maruki, he was weary of anymore doctors, be they of the mental kind or physical like her.

"When all of this is over with…if I'm still alive…surely you know what's waiting for me." He said in a quiet voice.

"I know, but I don't think that worries you, or is going to stop you. You fought tooth and nail to reject Maruki the first time, to escape this seemingly perfect little world. Heh, I think I can understand your feelings on the matter. A perfect world is a dull world, isn't it?"

"Heh…for once you say something that I agree with." Finally, some semblance of a smile returned to the boy's face. Much like Akira, when he dropped his "public mask", the Wild Card appeared much older and world-weary. Like her lover, Goro Akechi had been harshly disciplined in the ways of cruelty and apathy. Unlike her black-haired guinea pig, the trauma had broken him and left him bitter and vengeful…but that didn't mean that he was lost. Not as lost as he believed.

Look at me, your optimism's become quite infectious, hasn't it, Akira? Shutting her eyes, she silently bobbed her head to the beat of the music. How lucky she was to come by the Jazz Jin at the same time Akechi had been there and for the two of them to have this talk. Maybe it was a talk that they needed to have, as a doctor and a hitman, as a someone who'd been saved by Akira Kurusu and someone who envied and admired him yet hated him so. Tae didn't believe it was all hatred though, not as much as the Prince Detective wanted everyone to believe. Maybe it was because she was speaking somewhat from experience on hiding one's true feelings. She could definitely see some poking through with the murderous young man sitting across from her. Heh, talk about a strange journey.

"Dr. Takemi," Awoken from her thoughts, she looked up at the teenager. There was no anger or sorrow on his face, just a rather eye-catching calmness that was at odds with the bright façade he projected to the public and the bitter and murderous killer that lay beneath. It was a middle ground between the two. "What…do you think of me? I'm grown up enough to accept it."

Monster. Murder. Traitor. Liar. Criminal. Those were all the words that jumped to mind, any of them could have been sufficient descriptions for the seventeen-year-old sitting across from her. But there were merely aspects of the boy, not the totality, at least not in Tae's eyes. Then again, even with her redeemed reputation, she wasn't exactly sure she was the best judge of character. "You're a major pain in the ass…but…you're…you're someone who's made mistakes, big ones, but I don't think you're the type to run away from them. No, you're someone who loathes running from his problems, which is something I can respect. Something else I can respect is that you're willing to fight this battle, even though you know how it might end for you. That takes guts, it takes courage, which isn't a trait one would associate with scum. You're a scummy kid, but not without your better aspects." Calling for a refill, she paused before adding her next bit. "Arguably the…cherry on top of all of that I…owe you for Christmas Eve. If it weren't for you then…" Sucking in a breath, she bowed her head. "Thank you for that.

For the first time, the Prince Detective looked visibly uncomfortable, embarrassed even. Tae could hardly believe it when her boyfriend told her that Goro Akechi had showed up to take his place in testifying against Shido thus freeing him up for the holiday. It was a miracle…or perhaps it had been the start of this whole mess. Regardless of the true explanation, it had happened, and for it, she owed the former rogue Wild Card a thank you. At least he hadn't broken into full on denial of what had happened, instead giving Tae something to giggle about.

Leaning back in his seat, the young detective threw a hand over his face.

"Hey, you said you were grown up enough to accept whatever answer I gave you." Tae jabbed with amusement in her voice. "Maybe you were overestimating yourself."

Through the hole between his index and middle figure, he half-heartedly glared at her. "I really am surrounded by fools and lunatics."

She laughed, louder than she had before. "This coming from the kid who was going to build his father up then pull the rug out from under him destroying Japanese society in the process as part a revenge plot."

The hand fell leaving Goro free to stare at the doctor. At first, his face was flat as a break, it held for two minutes, long enough for the waiter to return with their refills. After the first sip of his tea…Goro Akechi laughed. Before long, Tae was laughing with him. Mutual laughter was the last thing that of them expected, and over what a topic. It was a wonderful oddity, the sort that life was made of, and made life worth living. Ironically, both had given up on living life in one way or another, only to find the drive to do so again. All thanks to one person, a person whom both held very close to their hearts, albeit only Tae was willing to say it. For Goro, well, things were slightly more…complicated, on several levels.

"Do you still remember what I said that afternoon back in Le Blanc?" She questioned.

He fixed her with a lazy smile. "About how you'd be the one to sign his death certificate. You know you have some stiff competition for that, right?"

Playfully rolling her eyes, she held up her drink. "Hey, I've been a power-hungry politician, a power-mad god, and last but not least, you. I think my odds are looking pretty good." Amusement flickered in the former assassin's eyes, probably at the honorable mention he received at the end.

"You're a strange woman, Dr. Takemi. Being so…amicable to the person who almost killed the person that you love."

"I already told you that a part of me does hate you for what you did to Akira, what you tried to do to Akira. But I also recognize that you saved his life and you've been watching his back since this fight against Maruki began. You're not some one-dimensional cartoon villain…you're a human being. That means you're a screwed-up mess just like millions of other people out there in the world." A half-jovial half-sinister smile spread across the doctor's face. It was the sort that caused the Justice-aligned Wild Card to go on alert even if he kept up a flat exterior. "If you ever seek to harm Akira in any way…I'll kill you myself."

Goro had seen quite a few death threats in his life, starting all the way back in his childhood. Try as his mother might, she couldn't shield him from the darkness of the world, especially since they lived in the bottom levels of it. After her suicide he'd slowly clawed his way up, witnessing horrors that he'd never be able to erase from his mind until reaching his father. All he found there was venomous pride and murderous ambition, death threats flew like leaves on an autumn wind; more than a few had been carried out by his hand no less.

Death threat made on the behalf of a defense of another person…those had been a rarity. He hadn't known they existed until meeting Akira. A surge of bitterness surged within him at the realization that he had someone who loved him enough to kill, regardless of the consequences.

Akira…you really are lucky, aren't you? Having a woman like this for a lover. Mused the Wild Card with deep bitterness he'd grown all too accustomed to.

"Keep living so you can hopefully find someone like that."

"Wh-What?"

"Or…maybe you already have someone like that." Her mood had shifted, gone was the malice that ringed her earlier statement was gone. Replacing it was something that vaguely resembled…annoyance. "I told him to do what he had to do to make it back when he and the rest of the team confronted you in the boiler room, even if it meant you know what. I know Akira, I know that if push comes to shove, he won't let anything ever harm the people that he cares about, even if he has to dirty his hands." Caramel eyes bored into dark red, the teen's heart skipped a beat. "That group of people…it includes you, no matter how much you may hate it or deny it. You know what that means, right, Akechi?"

The surge of envy that had been rising within the boy was replaced by something else, something that was foreign to his nature as a walking mass of animosity and resentment. He looked away, focusing his eyes on watching the band play, yet he could find no refuge in the music. If anything, it seemed to only further drive him back, forcing him to accept the words the doctor was speaking to him. She knew that her words were having an impact.

"Life is a struggle, one that we win and lose at, but in the end we pick ourselves and keep on going. Sometimes, we gain things, precious things that help give us the fuel we need."

"One's raison d'ětre." He spoke, perfectly replicating the phrase to the point that a native French speaker would have been proud. "If I may ask…what is yours, Dr. Takemi?"

"Once, it was completing a cure for a special disease…I was so hung up on it that I didn't realize that I had, that I could, be something else. That I could be a doctor again." Answered the short-haired woman. The sorrow in her eyes didn't last long as when she looked back into their eyes, a fire was there. "I thought that I failed someone important to me…but thanks to Akira, I realized I hadn't, that I wasn't at the dead end that I believed I was at. He helped me close the book on that chapter of my life…and my doubts as to what I was. I'm a doctor, and my job is to save lives." A thin, warm smile was directed toward the detective. "Any life that's within my power to, I'll use every bit of strength in my body to save…and to help Akira. Heh, I suppose you can say I have two. What about you, Akechi-san? What's your raison d'ětre?"

She wasn't expecting a straight answer, at least not immediately. Tae knew very well that the boy in front of her had issues that a doctor like her wasn't suited to treat. "The best I can give you is a desire I have…to live free. I don't want this idealistic hell…I want…I want to go back to reality, the reality…where I…the reality where I can stand up and say who I am. Be judged for who I am and…maybe…I want to make my own destiny with my own hands."

Tae smiled, downing the last of her drink. "Then that's good enough reason for me to rest easy."

"Are you so sure about that? I didn't say anything about Akira. For all you know, one day he and I could come into conflict with one another."

"If you do, you do. Nothing is promised in life, besides an ass kicking at some point."

"You really have faith in him, don't you?" Inquired the male brunette.

"Part of loving someone is having faith in them." Tae answered, an affectionate blush on her cheeks. It died down as she turned her gaze toward the Prince Detective. "And sometimes, that includes having faith in the people that they have faith in."

The implication wasn't lost on the young detective, but it did make his eyes widen for a few seconds. All of this knowledge was coming a little too hard and fast for him. This surprise sit down chat had gone beyond what he'd intended for it to. Silently gnashing his teeth, he stood up and called over the waiter. They'd both had their fill and it was time they parted ways. Before they did though, there were going to be some…last words spoken between the two.

"Your boyfriend's a fool, you know that right?" He spat as they stood outside of the Jazz Jin. Goro kept his gaze glued to the side, away from the team's underground doctor.

He got a hearty laugh in return. "It takes one to know one."

"I suppose it does. I continuously charge headlong into the fray surrounded by complete idiots…so I guess that makes me one as well." Admitted the youth staring down at his dominant hand, a hand that had been used to take so many lives.

"Hey, a person can be a genius in one area, but an absolute idiot in another. Just look at the two of us, sticking our necks out for some kid from the countryside." She saw him smirk. Tae turned her back to the teen and began to walk away, an autumn wind brushing up against her. It was not the reason why she stopped. "Akechi…Goro, I know this may sound redundant, but…when you're in the Metaverse, could you look after Akira?"

It was yet another question whose answer would have been obvious, a harsh rebuttal followed next by a mean-spirited insult. That wasn't what happened, at least not entirely.

"Until he stops being useful, then, well…I won't make any guarantees it'll be you signing his death certificate, Dr. Takemi." Without another word on the matter, he spun around on his heel and began to walk away. Yet again, he looked just like an ordinary young man instead of someone with such a checkered past and extraordinary power.

Tae supposed that was a blessing for Persona-users. On the surface, they looked like ordinary people, in some ways they were still ordinary people. People with positives and negatives, insecurities and traits they hid from the world, but manifested whenever they were in that fantastical other world. Just as she longed to see Akira in his "Phantom Thief" outfit, a part of her wondered with curiosity what Goro Akechi looked like. She believed she'd caught a glimpse of it these past few weeks as she'd come to treat him as just another one of her patients.

A thin smile tugging on her lips, she too began to walk away. Personally, the near hour spent inside at the Jazz Jin had proved more…fulfilling than she had anticipated. It was definitely not something she thought would happen if she ever got a chance to sit down with the person who'd framed her boyfriend for murder. Then again, she never imagined that her latest and greatest boyfriend would be a high schooler. Looking up to the autumn sky, Tae laughed. There were a lot of little unexpected things that life threw at a person, but those things could end up being blessings in disguise, even if it took one some time to realize that.

---

Early March, 2017, Takemi Clinic…

It was a little after the rain stopped when she met them.

Over roughly the last year, she'd built up a steady patient base, learning names and faces and identities and aliments. Of course, Tokyo was a big city, and her reputation had begun to stretch further and further. Meeting new people was to be expected.

"Um, eh…are you…Dr. Takemi?" Tae could recognize a recovering drug addict when she saw one, she was thankful for the "recovering" part.

"Yes, I am." She responded, her eyes going to the young man standing somewhat protectively by his mother. He shared her mahogany-colored hair; unlike her blue eyes which swirled with nervousness, his were of a darker shade, and on guard as Tae looked him over. Smiling, she reached out her hand, an act that surprised the boy, who couldn't have been any older than fourteen. "I'll give you both a check-up, how's that sound?"

"J-J-Just m-my son. H-He's b-been vomiting a-a lot lately." The woman answered in an uneasy voice. Odds were, she was running the money calculations in her head. She probably only had enough for one of them to be treated.

Giving her a soft smile, Tae responded, "It'll be free of charge. Just come in and I'll take a look at both of you and see what I can do." Both went slack jawed at her statement. Shock colored the two of them, then came suspicion on the part of the young man. Tae continued to smile, malice and deceit free. Slowly, the tension eased out of both mother and son thus allowing her to lead them into the operating room.

As she learned, the mother was Kanako Aihara and her son, Killian. As Tae had suspected, he was of American descent. Loath as she was to admit it, something told her that some doctors had made a crack about that, especially given how the young man continuously looked at her as if expecting her to make a remark about his heritage. No such thing came, only instructions on what to do followed by some waiting. She told them that they were looking as Killian was indeed sick, carrying around a blooming infection that Tae guessed was from him staying out in the rainy spring weather for too long. Next up was Kanako, whom Tae had to gently coax. As the examination went on, the more relaxed she became, even to the point of striking up a conversation with her, including her son.

"He was right, again." Muttered the male brunette with a warm smile on his face.

"Who was?" Questioned the clinic owner with genuine curiosity.

"This young man at the place I've been going to, therapy." Kanako answered with a cheery smile. It was a bright smile that told Tae even if this woman had been through some rough patches in life, she was still going. "He told us about this clinic here in Yongen- Jaya that would treat us, even though we barely have enough money to get by. We…well, Killian's sickness was getting worse and I-"

"He told us that you'd help us, that you were a doctor who saved lives." Spoke up the half-American boy, a twinkle in his eyes.

Tae momentarily paused in her examination of Kanako. A doctor…who…saves lives. Akira had spoken those same words to her, it'd taken her a while to register that they could be try. She'd regained the drive to make them try and had begun using them to describe herself. "This…person whom recommended you…is he…"

"Part of our therapy group." Kanako answered, her son laughed implying that the short trip down memory lane was a fond one. "He tries to stop by when there aren't too many people around, not that one can blame him. He talked about this place, said that it was ran by one of the best doctors in Tokyo and that she'd treat anyone regardless of how much money they had or their background. I…didn't believe it but…"

Glancing to the windows where the sun was poke through the blinds, Tae laughed. "Well, calling me one of the best doctors in Tokyo may be…you know what, forget it. You came to the right place, and at the right time. I have just the medicine that you need, and don't worry, it's going to be on the house." Mother and son hugged one another, sweet relief flooding through them. Seeing them made Tae happy.

You know…maybe tonight I'll stop by the Jazz Jin. See who's there and if they're willing to share another drink with me.

---

So there it is, the Tae having a talk with the guy who framed and tried to kill her boyfriend. I imagine she'd be cautious around Goro, maybe even hold a grudge, but not outright antagonistic with him, especially during the third semester when he's back with the Thieves. Since she cares more for Akira, I figure that's what Tae would focus on; her attitude would make her willing to take any death glares (or threats) that Goro gives, and probably talk to him directly as a person. On our Pancake boy's end, there's the awkwardness of talking to the girlfriend of the guy you tried to kill yet secretly envy. In spite of all of that, I imagine they'd be…mostly civil with each other. Regarding Goro's…somewhat ambiguous existence during the third semester, I think Tae would be along the lines of, "you're here in front of me, thus you're alive" along with him being a member of the team thus another patient for her to treat, which is something he'd be a little unsettled by. Being rather direct with him would probably be for the best, though I did try to sneak some of Tae's characteristic teasing into the mix.

One thing I think ties both Tae and Goro together is the duality of life and death. The former is a doctor who's had her fill of both while the latter has had much death thrust upon his shoulders, some of it by his own hand. As the Death Arcana symbolizes changes in one's life, I figured that counted for both Tae and Goro as they effectively enter new stages of their lives, putting the old past to rest in their own respective ways. In a way, Tae uses this to justify interacting with Goro, while at the same time acknowledging that what's done won't be forgotten, but it won't be dwelled upon, at least by her.

I added in a little bit of a cute doujin featuring Tae and Goro and toward the end, a supposed unused rehab event from The Royal. I'm sure some of you have probably seen it on YouTube, it's a part of my personal headcanon thus I decided to incorporate it into this little story.

Next chapter will be the last one and focus on Maruki. Until then, take care, stay safe and healthy, everyone! Also, on a somber note, Rest in Power, Chadwick Boseman.