A/N:

This one's long too. Well, have fun as I find new ways to make you all cry! .O.

-Reddie

A few days passed, and after she wrapped up all the legal loose ends with the hostage situation, Kaede returned to the course of her investigation. Barnaby stood close by as well, but at that point, there was little he could do to aid her as she waited on her clients' information to be sent in. Most days as of late, he merely drove her to her office and back home. He didn't sleep in Sternbild anymore after that point, and Kaede honestly didn't mind at all. In fact, with this, she started having thoughts about buying a new couch, one with a foldout bed. Or, if he was comfortable enough, she could just buy another mattress for her own room. She had already noted even twenty years ago while sharing the same bed as his late spouse, he still very much liked his space. And even though she'd already given up Kotetsu's power, she still found herself holding hesitance to share space with him. It would take more than one embrace to undo it, take time for her to unlearn the fear that kept her from falling apart over grief for the past year.

In the meantime, they also staggered Kotetsu's recordings. An odd reluctance towards watching them all at once hung about the air, and they had come to the tacit mutual agreement to watch only one per day after work until there were none left to watch. That week had them tense with anticipation, and Barnaby found himself seeking Anya's company whenever the time drew near for him to pick up Kaede from work. He never thought a cat could be so calming and provide so much support without ever saying a word. And that was perfectly fine with Barnaby, because it helped to have Anya, with open ears and an open kitty heart, there just to listen to him talk about memories of Kotetsu as they came to mind before he had to face another reveal about his dead beloved. It frightened him ever so slightly to have his idea of who Kotetsu was change after the videos. He wanted the man to remain in his memories as he currently was, but... after Maverick, he never wanted to go back to believing falsities as his reality of the past. It was better to know the truth, even if it shattered everything he thought he knew about his partner.

So the first night after work, they watched the next video talking about Kotetsu's thoughts on family. Apparently, his reasoning behind leaving the phone to Barnaby was yet another reassurance, a final declaration by Kotetsu even in death that Barnaby was a part of the Kaburagi family.

"Call me sappy or sentimental, but you gotta appreciate the symbolism, Bunny. This phone holds snapshots of the moments and people I hold near and dear to my heart. And they're more than just pictures: they're my life."

Kaede could feel Barnaby trembling beside her with unshed tears forming behind his glasses, which prompted her to place a hand over his, albeit with a little uncertainty in her movements, since she still wasn't quite used to initiating contact after so long.

"My mother held my life in her arms the day she gave birth to me. My brother has carried me as a kid too, throughout the years. And even Kaede, the day she was born, she held my life in her tiny little hands and never let go. So now, I'm asking you to hold my life too. You already know I trust you with it, seeing that you saved it on more than one occasion. But this is a little bit more. Maybe it's just a reminder to you at most, but… it's the other half of it to me. I shared how many ever years I had left to give you when I asked for your hand. So now, here. For the parts before we met. When I die, I'm filling in Tomoe on everything so she gets the half of my life she missed. So it's only fair you get the same thing. Share the rest of my life with me, even after I'm gone. So, when you find someone new to love, you don't have to forget. You showed me I didn't have to forget her, and I'm grateful for that, the fact that you showed me a new beginning without bringing something else to an end. Thank you, Bunny, for loving me all the same."

And as he crumbled, Barnaby squeezed her hand back, welcoming her support as the tears rolled down his cheeks.

The second video had Kotetsu recounting one hundred of his favorite moments of his life. He listed them off intermittently, some without pausing to really think about while others he lingered on as he recalled each event. It left Kaede and Barnaby in a much lighter mood than the last one, and one of them had drifted off to slumber that night quite easily because of it.

The events from earlier in the day swam about through Kaede's head just before the day's consciousness slipped away from her. At first, she didn't think much of it, having initially deemed the incident as "simply business", but for some reason, it was returning to her now, just vaguely related to something her father had spouted off about the first time Antonio had ever texted him as a friend, worried because he hadn't heard from Kotetsu for a couple of weeks.

She had received a tentative call from Edmond Shale-Banks that day, asking about her progress on his case.

With everything that had been going on lately, her head had found it quite easy to misplace when exactly she'd informed the man that she would take on his case. She knew she did at some point, but it was lost in the blur of the whole investigation. Likely, it happened sometime before Barnaby had left to go talk to Nathan, she supposed, but it seemed awfully beside the point. There wasn't anything that Edmond had said that stuck to her in particular, just the fact he called was enough to linger on her mind. She didn't even pick up when she heard it, just listened to his voicemail and felt bad that she hadn't been devoting enough attention to finding information about Sharon Shale in particular. For the most part, she'd directed so much of her attention to Dr. Page. And it was reasonable, she supposed, given the intersection of the three cases, but… she had to admit, she had lost track in forgetting to even think of Sharon's death. For that case, Kaede's main objective was to look into the young girl's death, and Dr. Page was simply a mere detail in the bigger picture. And with the way she'd gotten so worked up over the doctor… no wonder Barnaby had felt so compelled to chase Kaede down as she left his apartment. He already saw it coming, recognized the potential for her descent from fixation into obsession, and wanted to keep her from having to deal with the pain of diving too deep.

It soothed her to know that he was on her side, and she drifted off easily with the decision that, if she ever had to meet with Dr. Page ever again, then she'd have Barnaby at her side to help her stay grounded.

The next evening, they watched the third video while eating. Barnaby had surprised her by making crepes, effectively using some mushrooms with the last of her cheese and leftover chicken as a hearty filling. The smell was enticing enough to awaken the cat from its slumber, eyes like marbles peering up askingly at Barnaby as he flipped a crepe over in the pan. He merely indulged Anya in a small scratch behind the ears before continuing in his task. When the crepes were finished, he settled himself at the table with a plate in front him and another plate before the empty seat before him. And with the welcoming smile he sent her way, Kaede dragged herself over to sit down and enjoy the meal made for her.

They didn't really talk before getting into the video. Kaede was worn out from the long hours behind the desk reviewing the new case requests that had piled up in her inbox. Nothing had really come in yet for her current cases, not even from Dr. Hitch, so there wasn't much she could do at this point. And it made her feel lost, enough to the point where she'd zoned out a little while pressing a piece of crepe to her mouth. It saddened her when she caught herself. Kaede wanted to just enjoy the dinner Barnaby had made for her while watching the video, and those hung-up thoughts were spoiling it for her.

"Do you want to postpone tonight's video?" Barnaby asked gently, concern in his eyes. "You seem a bit out of it."

"No, just play it. I think it'd do me some good."

When it started playing, Kaede had never guessed just how right she was to have said that.

"Alright, Barnaby. I'm sure you've been taking care of Kaede like you promised, so I need you to let her see this recording. I made it for her, but you can watch it with her all the same if you want."

She stared intently at the screen, lips silent and fingers reaching out to cradle the phone in her hands.

"Okay, Kaede sweetie, Daddy's here." Pressing a palm to his forehead, he gave off a sigh of a small, weary laugh, "Aw, geez. Sorry for the baby talk, I'm sure you're sick of it at this point. I know you're a grown woman, but you'll always be my little baby girl, you know? Man… you grew up so fast. I really wish I had been around more to actually see that happening. I know I let you down, Kaede, and I'm not sure there was anything I could do to make up for it, but nevertheless, I'm still sorry."

The whisper passed her lips in reply, head shaking softly, "Dad…"

She'd told him time and time again that he'd been forgiven, that she understood he meant well in hiding it even if she too wished he'd been around more. All that time spent apart from him weighed on her heart, sure, because there was no going back to do the years over again. But she couldn't hate him for making an effort to turn things around during the years they did spend together. In fact, by the time he'd come back for good, she'd needed him then more than ever. The transition from adolescence into adulthood certainly would've been much tougher without him and his advice, his reassurances, the silent embraces that he gave her in all the times she needed them.

Sure, none of those things really changed the past, but he did what he could during his present and that was more than enough for her.

"I learned something from this though. I regret not being there for you. But I don't regret what I spent that time on, because it meant that a number of people could continue living. And the sooner I realized that, the easier it was to stop beating myself up over everything I couldn't undo on your part. I don't mean that to say that their lives were more important than yours, but… ugh, damn, this isn't coming out right, is it? Wow, this is tough. How do I put this? I guess… what I'm trying to say to you is this… don't let your past stop you from fully living in the present. It's okay to have regrets over your mistakes, but keep the understanding in mind that sulking over it won't change anything. It's the effort you put in during the present that makes the difference. It's making sure tomorrow won't be wasted like yesterday was."

And that was everything Kaede needed to hear that night.

The night of the final video, Kaede returned home slightly happier with herself than the night before. Because, that morning, both Dr. Hitch and Dr. Page had sent in all of their files all at once, which the investigator diligently read through, discerning which information was to be relayed to the hospital, and which was to remain undisclosed. And in that day's work, she'd made enough progress to feel accomplished for the day. She'd simply double-check the next morning before sending the files into the involved hospitals, and everything would proceed smoothly.

Leave it to Kotetsu's final video to jar her.

"Good afternoon. This is Kotetsu T. Kaburagi. The time is currently 3:27 PM EST, March 9, NC 2000."

Kaede froze up, spine stiffening when she quickly realized the significance of the date. With that, she and Barnaby glanced at one another, and they could see it in each other's eyes that they both knew. But, Barnaby didn't know there was any significance to the time.

"He recorded this," She choked up, words falling from her lips without thought, "not long after I left for class that day." And Barnaby could only gasp at that, returning his attention to the video.

"I guess I'll make a confession here. Kaede, Barnaby, whoever's watching this, I… I'm… sorry I couldn't find it in me to mention it to you. Honestly, I was hoping just as much as you guys that maybe, I'd have enough dumb luck to pull through, but… well, simply put, I don't think that's possible anymore. Basically, I... had two heart attacks earlier this week. Last time, my heart didn't start back up until after twenty minutes. And that was a pretty close call. So… I made a decision, and I'm sorry if no one agrees with it. The other day, I asked to sign a do-not-resuscitate form. That means, if… if it happens again, that's it for me. And I don't think I'd want it any other way."

"Dad… but why…?"

"Listen, I…" He coughs a bit, sounding more than just wheezy, "I-I'm not going to make anyone worry about me like that. I don't want to be on the verge of death only to keep being brought back. It'll needlessly scare everyone, and… I think putting you guys through that once already was enough. So… if this is the last time…" He hacks a bit, the fit violent enough to make him cringe, "if this… is the last time I get to say anything then… Kaede, I love you. Thank you for forgiving your old man for everything he's done wrong by you. Barnaby, I love you. Thank you for marrying me and being the best damn partner I could've ever asked for. And… if someone can tell them, give Muramasa and Antonio my regards. I love them too. And tell Antonio he still… owes me twenty bucks… though…" He gave a soft laugh, causing him to cough again until suddenly, it was like the wind had been knocked out of him. And Kotetsu sat there with wide eyes, chest shaking with short, shallow breaths until... the video cut out right there with an unfinished yell from a doctor watching over him, ending the clip at three minutes. He died just as Kaede's class began that day.

Barnaby dropped the phone, utterly shaken by the sight of his husband dying on video. And the tears began spilling over his face as he garbled up his beloved's name in a sob. Kaede drew Barnaby to her, embracing him as she wept tears of her own. And they sat there crying together until their eyes had been cried dry. It soon turned into Barnaby comforting Kaede, running a soothing hand on her back, consoling her with the fact that her father had not been murdered.

And, as the grief subsided to a more manageable, dull pain, the idea came to Kaede.

"He," She hiccupped against Barnaby's shoulder, "signed a DNR."

"Good morning, Miss Carla Banks," Kaede gave a small bow to the woman on the phone's projection screen, "I've called regarding your family's case for some information. Would you mind if I asked you a question about Sharon Shale?"

"Oh, yes, what do you need, Miss Kaburagi?"

"I was wondering if your husband had ever signed a DNR for your stepdaughter. And if he has, would it be possible for him to send a copy of it over?"

Ms. Banks began with a stutter, "I-I don't… oh, no, he didn't sign anything like that, at least I don't think so! And I didn't either, considering the fact that I hadn't gotten the chance to even legally adopt her. Hold on a moment, I need to go check. He's here right now, actually. Do you want me to put him on the line?"

"Yes, please do. Thank you." Kaede shifted a pinky over the flap of Sharon's folder as she waited, looking down at the picture of the young girl, her hair falling around both sides of her chubby little face in two sleek braids. Kaede murmured to herself, brows furrowed, "Only four years old, huh?"

"Hello?" Edmond asked timidly, "Miss Kaburagi, you wanted to speak with me? How is the investigation going?"

"It's going well so far. Sorry for not returning your previous call, as I had closed up the office earlier that day. Anyhow, to answer your question, I've made slight progress on the end of your daughter's case, and found a significant lead in confirming whether or not she had been murdered. I just need to know one thing: if you've signed a DNR for her."

"Why, no. I never saw the need to do such a thing! Dr. Page kept reassuring me that her recovery was going well and that she still had a good chance of pulling through, even with her condition… so then, was my feeling really…?"

"I'm sorry, but… I have reasons to believe one of her doctors had possibly murdered her. And I might be able to confirm that today. If it turns out that this doctor really did, I'm afraid I don't have authority to legally arrest them. But with your consent, I can ask for state authorities to take up your case."

"R-Really?" Edmond stared wide-eyed, watching Kaede nod on the projection, "I… well. If that's how it is, please keep me updated on your findings. And… if the need does come up to have the police involved, so be it. You have my permission to disclose information in the case to them. Thank you very much for calling."

"Not a problem. Please, have a nice day."

After ending the call with Mr. Shale-Banks, she then dialed up Barnaby, asking him to give her a ride to the Century Center for Health. Glancing back down at the printout of Dr. Page's work hours, she counted off how many hours she had left before she missed this suspect entirely.

Kaede wouldn't let her slip away that easily.

As Barnaby slowed down at the stoplight, he turned to Kaede, who was still pouting over his skepticism at her claims, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

He only could repeat himself stubbornly, "Are you certain? I mean, aren't there other cases that require your attention?"

"I turned in everything else this morning to both Sternbild United and the Century Center, and yes, I did double-check before sending in the files. Nothing is out of place, so all that's left is just this case. I have extra copies of the necessary information from Dr. Page in this case file too."

"So then… what are you planning to do? Do private investigators even have the authority to make legal arrests?"

"Unfortunately, no. But it's not like I was really planning to arrest her anyway. Basically, I just need to talk to Dr. Page to see if what she has to say is consistent with my client's information. I also plan to talk to the other doctors who treated Sharon as well for added details, just to be certain. Then I have permission to turn my investigation over to federal authorities if my suspicions are confirmed. They'll handle the rest from there." Kaede sighed, "Although… I could also make a citizen's arrest if I obtain the right evidence, but… that would be pushing it a little. Anyhow… you know the reason I need you here this time, and I'd rather not let things get to that point, if it comes down to it."

"Kaede." He pressed his foot to the gas as the light turned green, eyes set back on the road. "Please be reassured that I trust you. But I just have one more question."

"Fire away, Old Man."

"Are you armed?"

Kaede spared him a look, turning to face her window, "I only have my staff on hand."

"Good," Barnaby affirmed, causing Kaede to startle a little.

"Barnaby? You don't think…"

"At this point, I think there's a good chance." He gripped the steering wheel, "Your father taught me to trust my gut. It's high time I trusted yours, Kaede."

Kaede had gone down the list of medical professionals who had been taking care of Sharon Shale, asking if the child had ever been issued a DNR, to which they all replied negatively, saying there was no need since she wasn't necessarily a terminally ill patient. One of them, Dr. Martin Krieg even said that the survival rate for the disease was quite high for children, enough so that Sharon's death was at least half a surprise to him. The consistency of the answers so far eased Kaede, until she came to the final specialist on her list: Dr. Layla C. Page, of course.

Barnaby could sense it, and he kept a hand on her shoulder as an attempt to soothe her. And though she appreciated the gesture very much, and sent a grateful smile back to him as thanks for his support, it didn't actually help. She could still feel her pulse thudding behind her ribcage, and the tension in her muscles, holding knowledge of Dr. Page that Barnaby does not.

"Before we go in, there' something I need to tell you, Barnaby."

"What is it?"

"She's a NEXT."

He gave a soft gasp, "How do you know?"

"The last time I met with Dr. Page, the time travel power activated." She explained, not looking back at him, "It went back five minutes as I was walking down the sidewalk back to the car, and I was at her front door then. I saw her power up and stop the hands of her clock. I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean, but be on guard."

"Alright." He nodded, giving her shoulder a short squeeze before letting go.

Kaede opened the door to the doctor's office so fluidly that it was as if she'd never paused on the handle.

"Good afternoon, Miss Kaburagi." Dr. Page greeted with a smile, her lipstick a vibrant shade of pink, "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," She bowed. "I understand you're busy, so I promise this shouldn't take long. Thank you for your time on such short notice."

"Not a problem. You had done the same for me, after all." Dr. Page stepped towards Barnaby, waving a hand towards him, "However, I'd rather this gentleman wait outside, if that won't be too much trouble. I believe this matter would be best kept between you and me, for the sake of privacy, yes?"

"Certainly. If that's what will make you comfortable." Kaede glanced over to Barnaby, and with this he merely nodded, a bit of stiffness in his step as he left the room. He could feel the doctor's eyes on him, tracing his movements cautiously until the door had been shut behind him.

With that, Dr. Page's eyes flipped back over to Kaede, smiling cordially, "Alright, now that that's settled, what was it you came to see me for? Are you missing any necessary files? "

"Not at all. I just came to ask a question."

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"I was just wondering, to your knowledge, if Sharon Shale had ever been issued a DNR."

Dr. Page, with her eyes narrowed and arms crossed, replied, "Before I answer that, I'd like to know the purpose of you asking this question?"

"Simple. Her father asked me to investigate into her death."

"Have you asked him then? Certainly, he was the one responsible for signing the form."

Kaede's eyes flickered to the clock on the wall, "Let's not drag this out, Dr. Page. Just tell me what you know."

Dr. Page paused, swallowing before replying slowly, "To my knowledge… I believe she was indeed issued a DNR, considering her condition. Put simply, leukemia is a very pervasive, ugly disease. She wasn't exactly doing very well when the form had been signed, and there was a very strong likelihood that she was about to die. I think it was an understandable decision."

"I see," Kaede smiled, jotting it down. With that, Dr. Page's expression softened with relief, until the investigator then elaborated, "That doesn't line up at all."

"Are you accusing me of lying, Miss Kaburagi? I'm merely telling you what I know." The words fell off the doctor's lips with a harsh edge, her tone sharp enough to stab but tender enough to sound wounded.

"Well, given the evidence, it very much seems like you are, Dr. Page." Kaede explained, "Among everyone I've questioned for this case, you are the only one who has told me she had been issued a DNR. I had also been told her condition was not particularly awful to point that a DNR would even be needed, and someone had even said that she was recovering quite well, according to you. Your story is inconsistent with all the information I've been given. Now, just tell me the truth. What happened to Sharon, Dr. Page?"

"She died," Dr. Page punctuated the last word, clenching her fists at her sides. "I made sure she would. Because that was what she deserved."

"Why?" Kaede asked, voice rising slightly, "She was four. What could a child that young have done for you to think she deserved to die?"

"It wasn't that she'd done anything in particular, Miss Kaburagi. It was what others were doing to her. Tell me, what point is there in ensuring the survival of a child when recovery meant she'd have to return to life with an abusive father?"

Kaede's eyes widened, "But… he wasn't…"

"That's what you think." Dr. Page glared, ranting defensively, "You see, just because he was a loving father doesn't mean he was a good one, Miss Kaburagi. Sharon woke up from many nightmares involving her father under my care. She expressed to me how scared she was of Daddy yelling at her, holding his hand up like he was going to hit her. Not to mention that the man visited so very constantly. He could be rather insistent when he wanted things his way, and some of the doctors were intimidated enough by him to let him stay past visiting hours. There was just no escape for this poor little girl. No wonder his first wife divorced him, and it's a shame she never got custody of Sharon instead. Maybe then, I would've thought she had a life worth returning to after treatment. Besides," she glared Kaede right in the face, "do you know how difficult it is to stand by and watch such a sweet, innocent child suffer under sickness, day after day, miserable until you drugged her up?"

"So a mercy killing, is that it? You thought killing this child would fix all her problems?" Kaede nearly shouted, "You never even gave her a chance to see things get better! You had no right to end her life before she could even start to live it!"

"Be quiet!" Dr. Page hissed. "I did what I knew was right! And her death was painless because of my actions!" With this, the doctor ignited with a blue glow, holding up a single, shining finger, "For her, this touch was a gift. It made everything stop moving on the inside with just one press: no waning heartbeat, no spasms of lungs struggling to breathe. Just. Permanent. Stillness."

"You…" Kaede stepped backwards, frightened, but Dr. Page only closed in on her.

"This is a gift I'll need to give you too, I suppose. I can't let you leave now that you know my secret. It'll be easy to pass off what happened to you here today: that you had a heart attack, inheriting heart problems from your dear old dad."

"No!" Kaede shouted, fending off Dr. Page with a quick maneuver of her bag, knocking the doctor backwards, away from her. While she was down, Kaede took her chance to dig out her staff. Dr. Page rose again, lunging in only to have her wrist smacked away by Kaede. The crack that resulted was a sickening sound to both of them.

"Fuck!" Dr. Page howled, clutching her wrist. And with this, Kaede dropped her staff, backing away slowly. The doctor doubled over in pain, hunched over her injury. The investigator stood there, breathing heavily, pulse skyrocketing, watching every move Dr. Page made. She wouldn't lose her grip. This was just self-defense, she assured herself. This wasn't enough force to kill someone, unlike last time. No, everything was alright. She'd caught the suspect.

On that note, the door opened, Barnaby shouting, "Kaede! Are you alright?"

Kaede jolted, "Barnaby!"

"I heard yelling," was all he could offer, looking to the ground guiltily, worried that she might mistake it as distrust. But she only gave him a half-smile, setting a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm alright, Barnaby. Just call the police." With that, she picked her staff back up, pointing it at Dr. Page, "Dr. Layla C. Page, you are under citizen's arrest for the homicide of a minor. You will be detained in this room until the authorities arrive. Attempting to escape or fight back will result in further charges being made against you, so stay exactly where you are."

She could only scoff, eyes never leaving her wrist, "What makes you think your justice is so right anyway? Laws define nothing. After all, there are exceptions to every rule." She looked up at Kaede, "Ultimately, I saved a daughter from a lifetime of abuse. You can call what I did a crime all you want, but it doesn't change the fact that what I did was right." Neither of them had a reply for that, especially Kaede, who couldn't help but find some partial truth to the words.

Was there any clear cut way of telling right from wrong? No, there wasn't, because the definition of justice was subjective according to various life experiences. For Kaede, to end someone else's life like that felt like a crime on every level, and so it always would be in her book, no matter the way the legal rulings fell.

From there, all sense of time slipped away. Kaede answered questions to federal investigators as the NEXT police apprehended her suspect, using special, power-cancelling suits to keep hold of Dr. Page. Pretty soon, Kaede was back in Barnaby's car, then sitting in her office finishing up paperwork to transfer the case over, then back at home.

"Another case closed, huh?" He commented blankly, throwing her bag over onto the couch.

"Well, not really." She replied a bit hollowly, finding it hard to believe it was all over, "Either way, it's not our business anymore. I'm just relieved that I managed to keep a grip on myself the whole time."

"You handled yourself so well back there, Kaede." He said, echoing the soft tone she'd remembered from her father on that last day, "I'm really proud of you."

"Thanks, Barnaby." Kaede closed her eyes with a chuckle, heading back to the car, "That means a lot."