10 June 2010
Komaki Residence
After School

"Hey, Midori? Dojima again. Look, sorry, it's the third time in a week. But Nanako asked for you, so would you be willing to look after her tomorrow during the day? I'll be home a little after supper, if that's alright with you."

Midori sighed, causing Mamoru to look up. "Problem?"

"No, daddy. Just being a babysitter."

"Well, I'm off tomorrow, so I can help out. Is this that Nanako girl?"

"Yes."

"Well, bring her over! I can drive us down to a beach or something fun."

"That... would actually be pretty nice, Daddy."

"Good, I'll start to get things ready. You want to invite anyone else while we're at it?"

"I'll see about inviting the team." Midori picked up the phone again. "I'll let you know how many are coming."

11 June 2010
Beach
Afternoon

Mamoru wondered if he could justify this in asking his bosses for a larger vehicle. It turned out that they needed two cars to fit everyone who was coming, as Midori brought along Nanako, (who had wrapped herself around Midori's leg like a lamprey), her Tennis club, and some of her other friends. Some panicked calling around had dredged up another car driven by a doctor from the local hospital, a Mari Mochizuki who was living with the local Miko.

"So," he said as they sat in their chairs, the cooler full of iced tea between them. As the only male present, he felt that being separate from the rest was a good idea. "I hope this wasn't too much of an imposition. Midori can be quite forceful when she needs to be."

"Oh, I know." Mari responded as she sipped at a straw. "I've seen her with Amane."

Mamoru nodded in agreement. Now that she had a taste of being popular, his daughter was going all out in being the best at that. While he appreciated the change in her over the past year or so, he knew that he would have to reign her in sooner, rather than later. "If she steps out of bounds, let me know." He had plenty of experience in asking for and getting help from his wife's co-workers after her death, so he was equally casual when talking to the doctor.

"I will, though I think Amane will do so first." She looked down at the beach where Midori and another girl were trying to drag Amane into the water. "Thank you for the invitation."

"Think nothing of it."

"Who is the little girl? Her sister?"

"Nanako? No, she's the daughter of one of the neighbours. Midori is looking after her today, and this whole trip came out of that."

"Well, if a trip to the beach is the result of her doing that, I'm all for it." Mari looked down at the sand and water, as though judging the possibility of joining in.

"I'm surprised a doctor such as yourself was able to get the day off on such short notice."

"Actually, it's a bit more than that." Mari explained her situation directly. "I was going back to Tokyo for a month to help with something, but after three weeks, it was determined that the worst of it was over, and I was released to come back. The hospital here isn't expecting me back for a few more days, and I'm still getting paid, so why not take a week off?"

Mamori laughed. "Paid vacation? I can get behind that."

"What about you? I've heard Midori tell Amane that you're an advertising agent?"

"I bit more than that. I'm the regional representative for my company. And before you ask, yes, Junes is one of our clients. My job also includes building market share out of the local economy."

"How's that coming along?"

"Ever tried to convince a small town that's already under pressure that the best way to keep their business is go into tourism?"

"Ouch."

"That's only part of it. I also have to spend a week at a time driving around the area for meetings and trying to cut deals. Makes me wish for my old job back some days."

"Oh? And what was that."

"Sentai Stuntman."

Mari didn't believe him, and laughed at the absurdity of the image.

"Hey! I still have pictures! I can show you when we get home."

"Oh, inviting me home after one date? I'm not that kind of woman."

Mamoru groaned. "Neither am I that sort of man. Sorry, poor form. When Amane comes over to visit Midori, I can show you some of those pictures to keep us out of their hair." It was easy to spot the two of them in the small clutch of girls out on the beach.

"That's more acceptable."

Outside Komaki Residence
Evening

"Daddy, you don't have to walk with us. It's literally right around the corner!" Midori pointed to where the two roads intersected, one of them dropping off sharply as it headed down to the river.

"I know, but I want to meet Detective Dojima," Mamoru said. "Besides your hands are full with Nanako, so you'll need me to open the door for you." He gestured at the sleeping five year old, currently with her arms around Midori's neck and resting against her chest.

"Oh, fine." Midori didn't argue the point further given the regular breathing and slight snoring coming from Nanako. "At least she had fun."

"We all did. Now come on." Mamoru held open the door for them, then followed.

Dojima Residence

Midori came back down stairs to see the two men putting on their shoes. "Where are you going?" She asked more at her father than at the detective.

"We're going out for some drinks," Mamoru said as he checked his jacket. "Just us guys. Can you stay here a couple more hours for us?"

"Really Daddy?" She hissed, wanting to raise her voice but not willing to wake Nanako. "You're going out to a bar?"

Mamoru nodded. "Of course! Nanako is already in bed, so you don't need to stick around."

Midori wasn't about to do that. But then she saw something in her daddy's eyes. He had a... look about him that said that this was more than just some mere trip down to a bar for alcohol. And he was depending on her to do the right thing. So she relented. "Fine," she waved one hand at the door dismissively. "I, however, reserve the right to kick you both out of this house if you come home drunk. You" she pointed at Ryotaro, "will have to spend the night at our house to sleep it off."

"Really?" He grumbled, but not in the annoyed way. "You'd keep me out of my house?"

"She fully can. I'll tell you about the time the one of my co-workers tried that a few years ago. It was hilarious. Mamoru gave a nod of thanks to his daughter, then put one arm around Ryotaro's shoulders. "Come on! Beer awaits!"

As soon as they left, Midori whispered, "I hope you know what you're doing, daddy."

Central Shopping District
Shiroku Pub

The two men walked in, pushing aside the curtains as they did so. "Huh, never knew this place was here," Mamoru commented as he and Ryotaro headed for the bar itself. There was only one person sitting there, and the two of them took seats far enough away.

"It's a hidden spot," Ryotaro said as he gestured to the woman behind the bar for two beers. "My partner showed it to me a few years ago."

"I will have to thank him when I see him next." Mamoru took the offered drink and tasted it carefully. It was... acceptable. "So, does it usually rain this much?"

"Heh," the detective replied as he loosened his tie. "I'm surprised you managed to get a good day for a trip down to the ocean."

"Eh, it wasn't that hard. Once we got out of the mountains, the weather cleared right up." He waved over his head to indicate the clouds parting.

"That's nice. I hope Nanako enjoyed herself."

"That she did, once she stopped hugging Midori's leg."

"I'll talk to her about that." Ryotaro drew another long sip of his drink to finish the stein off. "She needs to behave better."

"No, don't." Mamoru objected. "That's the wrong thing to do."

"You telling me how to raise my daughter? Neither of us have had enough drinks for that."

"I'll tell you because I had to raise Midori after her mother died." Mamoru accepted the refill. "So this is me stopping you from screwing up."

"Keep your nose out of my family's business." Ryotaro would have no one doing anything to harm Nanako. Especially strangers.

"How long ago did she die?" Mamoru ignored the implied threat for what it was, a defensive reaction to a still fresh wound. "My wife died a little over ten years ago."

"I don't have to sit here for this," Ryotaro tried to stand up, but was stopped by the iron grip of Mamoru. "Let go."

"No. Not right now. You and I are going to sit. We are going to drink. And we are going to talk."

"No, we don't."

"Yes, we are. Because Midori, bless her, has seen more than what I've seen, and even though she's changed so much in this past year, grown so much, she still won't walk away from a problem like that. Not when she's been there too. So sit down."

Ryotaro did, then finished his drink, signalling for a refill. "Go on." It wouldn't hurt to listen, right?

Mamoru began to talk about his wife, and in doing so, got Ryotaro to speak about his. As they drank, the bartender recognized what was happening and watered down their orders somewhat in order to keep them talking. It was about time, she reflected, that someone did this for the poor widower.

Dojima Residence

Midori had checked in on Nanako once more before running home to change into something more casual, and to grab her phone off its charger before heading back to Dojima's house. Once back, she relaxed and started to dial.

"Hey Aigis!"

"Hello Midori."

"How's things?"

"Everything is normal." The robotic girl reported evenly. "How are you doing?"

"I got to go to the beach today with all my friends!" Midori couldn't keep the cheer from her voice.

"No you didn't." Aigis retorted.

"Excuse me, yes I did!" Midori wondered why Aigis would be mean like that

"No you didn't, because you said you went with all your friends, and I didn't go. Unless I'm not your friend anymore?"

Warning sirens screamed in Midori's ear, even as something in Aigis' tone of voice said she was joking. But her worry was too strong. "That's not what I meant! I meant all my friends here in Inaba!"

"I am very disappointed in you." There was no way that tone of voice could be mistaken for anything but teasing. "I have news for you."

"Oh? Good news I hope. You found Akihiko so I can stop playing runaround with Chie?"

"Not that," Aigis admitted. "I was informed today that the Kirijo Corporation is going to be investing into research into artificial skin as part of their biomedical progam."

Midori was so confused that she was certain that there were question marks over her head. "Yes? And?"

"One of the hidden objectives of the program is to develop a proper synthetic covering for myself and any future siblings I may have, so that we don't have to wear clothes from the neck down all the time."

"Why would anyone have a problem with how you look?" Midori's confusion grew. "You're fine just the way you are."

Aigis paused, not sure how to respond for a moment. "Thank you," she said honestly. "But in addition to the obvious medical purposes, having it on me would allow me to interact with human society in a less disruptive manner."

Midori rubbed her forehead. This had all the hallmarks of a Mitsuru plan. Too much complication when a simple answer would do. "Is this what you want?"

"I... I am willing to go along with it."

"Aigis, we've been over this. Don't go sliding back on me. You are your own person. You are capable of making choices for yourself. Just because this is an option that Mitsuru is doing for you doesn't mean you have to go along with it."

"I am not going with this because Mitsuru has chosen too," Aigis was defensive. "This will be a project years in the making, and will benefit far more than I."

"That's not the point, Aigis." Midori tried to find the words, to explain to her that what they had fought for wasn't mere existence, but life itself. "Are you really being you when you when you're covering up like that?"

"And clothes aren't?"

"No!" Midori was quite forceful in her rejection of that idea. "No. Clothes are coverings, sure, but we can make of them what we want. Skin is... well, it's real. It's a person without hiding themselves." She knew this could be taken the wrong way, but she trusted herself and Aigis. "So look, think this over. And if you agree because you want this, I won't stop you."

"Very well."

A creak came from upstairs, and Midori threw her head up. "Hey Aigis, I'll be right back. Sounds like Nanako woke up. I'm going to check on her."

"Of course." Midori hung up and set the phone down. She walked up to the stairs and found Nanako coming down. "Hey!" she said, "My daddy and yours went out, so I'm here some more."

"Thirsty," Nanako mumbled as she walked carefully down the flight of steps. Midori backed up and headed for the kitchen to get some water for her.

"Here you go," she said as Nanako yawned. "Water for you." The young girl took the glass and drank deeply from it. "Feeling better?"

Nanako nodded. "Daddy's out again?"

"Yep, with my daddy though."

Nanako looked sad, so Midori kneeled down to her height. "Hey, want to come over to my house? There's something I want to show you."

"What is it?"

"Something that I think you need to see." Midori hated being mysterious like this, but it was the only way her spur of the moment plan could work. Well, it was less of a plan really, and more like an idea. "Don't worry, Big-sis has everything under control!"

Nanako nodded. "Alright."

Komaki Household

Midori flicked on the lights, giving Nanako a chance to get her first look at Midori's house. The two homes had the positions of the kitchen and living room reversed, which she was certain was going to trip her up one day if she kept up with the babysitting job.

Once Nanako had taken off her slippers, Midori led her past the living room and to the right, where a small closet had been converted into a minor shrine. Before opening the door, she made certain that she had the little girl firmly in front of her. "What's in here?" she asked, as though afraid of the answer.

Midori opened the door to show the small shrine to her mother. It was nothing out of the ordinary for a memorial, though the picture was a decade old. She plucked the picture and frame from its perch and sat down, careful to drag Nanako with her. "This is my mommy," she said, proving what she had told the little girl earlier in the week. "She's in the same place as your mommy, but she left way before you were born." Midori wasn't sure if Nanako would understand something like an event being twice as old as she was. And she was very careful not to say 'Heaven'.

Holding the picture down before Nanako, she rested her chin gently on the top of her head. "Daddy has one of these too, right?" Nanako didn't reply. "And you miss her. You want her back just like I did. You want your mommy to come home, right?"

"Uh huh."

"Well, I can't do that for you." Midori sighed despondently. "But what I can do it help. I know what you're going through, and I can help. I can be your Big Sister, and you can be my Little Sister, and that way our mommies can meet and they can be proud of us."

Nanako started fighting, to try and escape Midori's firm grip, but Midori was far to strong to let her go, and to gentle to let her. "Everything is going to be alright," she said softly, words told to her that she refused to believe as well echoed for Nanako's sake. "So Big Sister is here for you, because girls can tell girls things that they can't tell daddies. You can talk to me, and I won't be mean or rude."

She held Nanako in a hug firmly until she stopped squirming. "Sisters?"

"Yep." Midori agreed, knowing she hadn't won yet. "I can be your sister so that you can have some family while your daddy is away."

Central Shopping District
Shiroku Pub

Ryotaro wept softly, Mamrou's arm over his shoulder. "And we'll never find the bastard," he admitted. "He hit her and drove off, and he's not a local so he'll never come back."

It was, to the older man, better and worse than his own situation. On one hand, it was worse because he had no chance to make his peace with the death of his wife, but on the other hand, Ryotaro had it better because it was sudden. While he didn't like thinking it, a clean break was better than months of fading away and dealing with a daughter imploring everything and everyone she could to make her mommy feel better.

"I'm sure they would have gotten along splendidly," he said while wondering who had let his friend get this far without a good shoulder to lean on. When he found out, well, he may have a bad leg, but he could still kick the ass of anyone who pissed him off.

"I don't know what to do!" Ryotaro admitted into his drink, causing the bartender to become even more obviously busy with her cleaning. "She's so little and beautiful, and I have no idea how everything is going to work out."

"It will work out," Mamoru confirmed. "That's why we're here." He patted his friend on the back some more. "You can depend on me. I'm pretty sure you can depend on my little girl too."

"I don't want to burden you..." Ryotaro's voice trailed off as he just gave in to his sadness. "What do I tell her? I've told her Chisato's gone, but she won't believe me."

All too familiar. "Don't worry. You're a good father. She'll grow up, and you'll find the right words."

"What did you say?"

"I don't remember," Mamoru was honest. "But I had friends to help me through everything, so I'm going to be your friend too, and help you through all of this. It's not easy. But I can help you through."

"All I did was ask for a babysitter..."

"That you did, and you got so much more. Here, let's have another drink to celebrate our friendship. "Cause friends help friends."

Dojima Residence
Night

The two men came through the door, leaning on each other for support. "Nanako, I'm home!" Ryotaro called out as he and Mamoru struggled with their jackets and shoes. "Nanako?"

Midori came out of the living room, a stern glare on her face. "Daddy. Detective."

"You can call me Uncle!" Ryotaro said, betraying rosy cheeks and thick breath. "Uncle Ryotaro! Isn't that right?"

"I'm surprised you can speak straight," Midori retorted, having dealt with Daddy bringing home drunk co-workers in the past. "Remember what I said about coming home drunk?"

"I'm not drunk!" Mamoru objected. "He is!"

"I'm not! You are!" Ryotaro returned.

"You both are." Midori announced. "Now, you will both give me your car keys, and walk back over to my place where you will sleep."

"You can't kick me out of my house!"

"I can and I just did. I put Nanako to bed, and I don't want either of you to wake her up. You hear me?" She glared at both of them, using everything in her arsenal that wasn't demonic to bend them to her will.

"We'll go! We'll go!" Mamoru broke first. "Come on, friend. We can go to my place and spend the night without any girls raining on us."

"But Nanako!"

"I'll take care of her!" Midori countered, focusing on Dojima. "Now march!" she hissed.

"We're going! We're going!" Mamoru dragged Ryotaro out, but Midori didn't relax until she heard them turn the corner. Then she groaned. They both forgot their shoes here.