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12

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Yuki sat at her kitchen table with a cup of tea in front of her. It was too quiet for her liking, there was no sense of life. No dog breathing, no small huffs of amusement or a hand being placed in her lap. She went to reach for the cup of tea but paused slightly her hand dropping back to the table. It had been hot at one point but had since cooled. Which made more sense since summer was starting to get miserable. The rainy season had started up and so far it had rained quite a bit. She sighed and looked over at the window, it was pouring so the neighbourhood kids were inside. Summer vacation had started when she came back from the Morishita case.

"It's quiet," She finally muttered, cursing the fact that Naru had forcibly given her a week off from work.

So, she was stuck sitting around drinking tea, wanting something to do so she didn't have to think about those she lost. It had worked well for her for years and now people were stopping her from being able to do so. She had already finished her summer homework and spent the nights studying so she'd be too tired to really dream. She sighed and ran a hand through her long hair. A part of her wanted to call her guardian but decided that would be a horrible idea and she'd have to put up with a woman that had far too much energy for her age. She could always call John, but he was most likely busy, and she didn't want to bother him and make it seem like she needed to be entertained. She fiddled with the sleeves of her grey sweater before standing up from the table, grabbing her tea, and walking towards her couch to watch some tv. It had been on a travel channel last time she had turned it on, and she was a bit confused at what they were playing.

"Welcome back to tricks of psychic!" A man announced in broken English, and she cringed before becoming slightly interested in the show, "Behold, a spoon, something that is commonly found in an everyday home, watch as the power of the mind bends the spoon."

Yuki gained an unimpressive face as she watched him stare at the spoon for a few seconds. She raised a brow when he went to push on it before her other brow joined. She was pleasantly surprised when the spoon was indeed bent. It was a cool trick and something that she kind of wanted to try. She pulled the spoon out of her tea, it was a bad habit of her's to leave the spoon in her cup and held it up. She stared at it for a few seconds, concentrating on it before reaching up and gently pushing the tip of the spoon. It bent with ease, and she was starting to feel like she had been bamboozled.

"This trick is something that even a person with the smallest amount of PK can accomplish all you have to do is concentrate on the spoon and then press a finger to the tip and watch it bend," The man announced, and she rolled her eyes slightly before fixing the spoon with a strange look.

She didn't want to have PK or even the ability to see spirits, but it seemed like she was going to. Her mother was to blame for the spirits, but the PK had to be all her. The dreams were something she couldn't explain and didn't know how to. She brought a hand up and scratched the back of her head. She sipped at her tea in annoyance, not liking the fact that she wasn't normal. Of all the things she could've ended up as in her new life, it was a psychic. She sighed and put the cup down as her phone vibrated in her pocket. She was waiting for the day that smartphones came out. She knew it wouldn't be long, the laptops that were starting to come out were like what she remembered in her previous life. She still needed to get one of them, so that she could start doing her homework digitally, at least she could start taking classes online when she finally entered University. She looked at her phone and wondered where Misa had learned to text. The woman was going to be fifty-four and had a strange hate and love relationship with technology. She loved it and it hated her. She never got her computer running correctly.

I heard that Bones passed, I am so sorry dearie.

She didn't respond and simply put her phone away. She didn't know how Misa knew about Bones, and honestly, she didn't care to. She looked around her apartment and found that she was so used to having Bones around that it was deafening how silent it could be. She picked up her tea once again and took a sip, she paused when something dripped into the cup creating ripples. She brought a hand up to her face and wiped at the tears that had started to fall. She couldn't really force them back anymore. She cried for a good hour before turning to the tv and flipping through the channels. She came across the BBC and watched as Christopher Eccleston appeared on the screen. That was one of the few things that remained constant from her previous life. Mostly entertainment, it was maddening really. She entertained a small idea of jumping on the bandwagon of early YouTube and amassing a following, but that wasn't the best idea with her line of work. She had a feeling that Naru would get on her case if she did.

She frowned at the tv before looking at a clock. She would rather be at work than sitting alone at home and doing nothing. She yawned before letting out a huff at something advertised on tv. Boss Coffee had some of the strangest commercials she'd seen, then again it was nice to see Tommy Lee Jones. She brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, placing her chin on the tops. She was lonely recognizing that she had been extremely attached to Bones. Not just because of the dog being the last gift of her mother, but because she had been a constant in her life for so many years. That constant being removed made her lonely. She jumped when her doorbell suddenly rang. She got off the couch and grabbed her teacup, shuffling to the front door. She opened it and was surprised to see John and Takigawa standing there.

"Takigawa-San, John, how can I help you?" She asked, inwardly cringing at how nasally her voice sounded.

John and Takigawa shared a look and Takigawa was the first to look away. Yuki tilted her head in confusion waiting to hear what they needed from her. It was her day off. She was even dressed for staying at home. A sweater and her gym shorts. It was oddly comfortable.

"We were wondering if you'd like to help us out at the animal shelter, I signed up to help and it turned out that they needed more people than those that actually showed up," John said with a sheepish chuckle, getting a soft sigh out of Yuki.

"Give me a few seconds, I'll put some shoes on," She quietly said, and he nodded.

Takigawa wasn't surprised when she headed into her house and placed her teacup in the sink before heading to her room and grabbing some socks. She seemed out of it, and extremely tired. Her legs were still heavily bruised from the last case. She pulled on her old converse and grabbed her keys before heading out with the two. Takigawa threw an arm around her shoulder and grinned at her.

"C'mon, you get to be around animals," He commented though John had a slightly worried expression on his face.

Her apartment had been so lonely. She didn't seem to open the blinds much. She sent the sky a slight glare as it began to rain again and shared with Takigawa. The walk to the shelter wasn't long, and there was a lot of people outside with small children. The owner of the shelter gave John a kind smile before assigning them their jobs. Yuki tied the teal apron before looking at the dogs she needed to wash. She had a list and other volunteers would come by with them as she finished washing. Her first customer was a German Shepherd that had the unfortunate name of Mochi.

"Ready, Mochi?" She quietly asked and the dog let out a happy bark.

She felt sad at the familiar reaction. She was glad that it was a no-kill shelter, so she didn't have to worry about them if they didn't get adopted. She got Mochi to sit and started to wet down his fur. His tongue came out of his mouth, and he licked at the water that trickled down his head. She was careful to avoid his ears. She didn't want anything happening to him. She quietly washed the dog and then blow-dried it. He seemed to enjoy the burst of air being sent his way and snapped his jaw trying to bite at it. He was sent on his way and an old Saint Bernard was brought in and she did the same thing she had to the German Shepherd. She had just finished drying the large dog when one of the other volunteers walked in. This one was an elderly lady and gave her a kind smile.

"Ah, Yoshida-San, can you play with the puppies?" The woman asked, "They're starting to get rowdy."

"No problem," Yuki nodded, she got up from the stool she had been sitting on.

She headed to the room that housed the puppies and she walked in. For the first time in almost a week, she smiled. The puppies had swarmed her and were tugging on the bottom of her apron with their teeth. One jumped onto her thigh, and she bent over and scooped it up. It decided to lick her face and she closed one of her eyes in response. She was starting to think that John and Takigawa had planned the whole thing. A small Shiba Inu nipped at her ankle, and she sent it a look. Misa once told her that she had bounced back from grief faster than expected, but she was just good at not letting anything show. She'd have to thank the two men after she finished with the puppies. She didn't know if they were expecting her to find one that she wanted, but she hoped they weren't. She knew that replacing Bones was impossible. She took a seat in the middle of the floor and the puppies continued to swarm her. She allowed them to tucker themselves out, jumping in and out of her lap and licking her face before letting out barks. She noticed a small, white puppy in the corner its ears flat against its head sending her distrustful looks. It was fluffy and she was trying to place its breed with no success.

She got up when the puppies began to rough house with each other. She slowly approached that puppy and knelt before it, holding out her hand so it could sniff it. She was patient, and she'd wait for the puppy to come closer. It had bright blue eyes and was still looking at her with suspicion. She kept eye contact but found herself amused as she realized that all crushes, she ever had had one thing in common. Blue eyes, she was a sucker for them. No wonder she liked Naru so much. She was brought out of her thoughts as the puppy finally started to sniff her hand before giving it a few licks. The intelligence from the dog reminded her of Bones. She felt sad at that but moved to gently scratch it behind the ears. Stopping when it cringed away from her.

"I won't hurt you, I promise," She quietly said, and the puppy seemed to stop cringing.

She tried to gently scratch it behind the ears, and it allowed her to do so. It was tense for a few seconds before slowly relaxing and moving closer to her. She gave a small smile as it climbed into her lap, allowing her to pet it more. The door opened and the elderly woman appeared, smiling at the puppies as they came up to her.

"Oh, that one never goes towards anyone," She commented as she noticed the small white one in her lap.

"Why is that?" Yuki softly asked as the puppy slowly wagged its tail.

"He's a mixed breed of two large dogs," The elderly woman answered, "we found him on a farm where the owner was not so kind to him."

Yuki was angry upon hearing that. No one should do that to an animal, whether it be a dog or a cat. She couldn't understand how a person could do that. She picked the puppy out from her lap and carried him in her arms. He wiggled a bit and she spoke to him in French, calming him down.

"What will happen to him if he isn't adopted after tomorrow?" She asked, somewhat worried for the puppy. "We don't know," The woman gave a sad sigh, "his future is a little unsure at the moment, Yoshida-San."

Yuki hesitated for a few seconds. She knew what happened to moderately shy dogs. Sometimes they never got adopted or they went to a family that wouldn't know how to take care of them. A kid would want a dog and then when the dog started to get bigger, they would get rid of it or abandoned it. She didn't want that to happen. Was she ready for another dog? She looked down at the puppy and hesitated further. A part of her could leave it behind, but the part of her that was grieving Bones hissed nastily in her thoughts. That she was a horrible dog owner, a horrible person that couldn't grieve properly. It helped that she felt a kinship with the dog. She was a "mix" as well.

"Can…Can I adopt this little guy?" She softly asked, hoping that she really wouldn't be seen as replacing Bones.

Bones was irreplaceable, and would always be with her. She could mourn anytime, but sometimes she needed to keep going. This Puppy would be in a tough spot, and she wouldn't wish that on anything or anyone. If there was something she could do, she would. The puppy moved closer into her chest and pressed its nose to her throat.

"Of course, you know, you remind me of a woman who came in here to adopt a golden retriever ten years ago, that puppy reminded me of this little guy," The woman said, and Yuki tensed up at that, surprised, "I'm gathering you just lost a dog? Losing a pet is always had but everything will always turn out all right."

She gave a strained smile as the woman went to get the adoption papers for the puppy. Yuki kept her hold on the puppy and looked down at him with a slight frown. She just hoped that she wasn't making a mistake. She wondered if Bones would've liked the puppy. That thought brought a slight smile to her face. Bones would've loved to have another dog around, even a small one like a puppy. She thought about a name for it. She thought the blue eyes reminded her of Colin Morgan's eyes, so she could go with Merlin? No, she thought that would make it too obvious. She'd name him Emrys.

"Have you picked out a name?" The old woman asked, and Yuki nodded.

"Emrys," She said in English and the woman tilted her head slightly at the odd name.

Yuki filled out the paperwork and signed the bottom. The papers had more information on what kind of dog he was. Husky mixed with Samoyed, he was going to be big and very fluffy when he got older. She brought her hand to the fluffy fur and gently ran her fingers through it. She found it relaxing to have a puppy around. She had forgotten how tense she got in social situations; she had gotten used to those at SPR that she didn't get stressed around them. Yet, strangers caused her issues. She looked down at Emrys and he looked up at her with a strange look for a dog. Not even twenty minutes into being her puppy and he already had the attitude down.

"You're getting a puppy?" John asked as he walked out of the room that housed the elderly dogs.

She gave a sheepish shrug before scratching the back of her head in thought. He studied the puppy and Emrys studied him back before burrowing further into Yuki's chest. She gave him an apologetic smile.

"He's shy, he had bad owners," She quietly explained, and he nodded his understanding.

John held a hand out as she had and Emrys cautiously sniffed at his hand before giving it a few tentative licks. John smiled happily and scratched him behind the ears. Emrys's tail wagged happily at the petting. He was slowly growing comfortable with people touching him. Then again, Yuki was sure that John's kindness transcended species. She would have to get a new collar for Emrys and a small vest, and new dog tags. She could do that the following day. She'd have to train him so he wouldn't be too lonely when she went to school. She had a feeling that everything would end up being all right.

Takigawa came out of one of the washrooms for the dogs and Yuki was quite glad that she had a decent poker face. He looked like a cat that had been tossed into a puddle. He gained an unamused expression as he noticed the humour in her eyes. He looked at the puppy in her arms and he brightened at the sight of him. Emrys let out a whine and Yuki scratched him behind the ears, trying to calm him down. It was going to take him a while to get used to people. She'd be able to help him while training him. The service dog training would be easier the second time around. Takigawa went to scratch Emrys behind the ears, but the puppy ducked his head. He paused for a few seconds before changing his tactics. He held out a hand and allowed Emrys to sniff it. Emrys did and laid his nose on the man's palm. Yuki let out a snort at the confused expression on the man's face.

"Sorry, your expression was funny," Yuki said, her voice monotoned.

Takigawa rolled his eyes at that as he continued to scratch Emrys behind the ears. She let out a yawn and John smiled. She removed the apron and placed it on a nearby hook. She let out another yawn and he felt like laughing. She was tired, having spent time grieving.

"I'll walk you home, Yuki," John said, giving her another smile.

She gave him a tired one back and they exited the shelter to see that it was raining again. They huddled together under an umbrella and John looked up with wide eyes. They were quiet, Yuki not being the biggest person to make small talk, as they walked. John heard Emrys let out a yawn before snuggling into her arms. He found it to be an adorable sight. She seemed to flourish when she had a pet, and he hoped that she'd start doing better. Mourning didn't have a time limit, and he gathered that she'd be able to move on eventually. They came up to her apartment.

"Thank you for walking me home, John," She said with a slight smile, "I'll see you around."

She got a smile in return, and she headed inside. She placed Emrys down before removing her shoes. She knew that she'd have to get puppy food for him soon, but he should be all right with some adult kibble. She raised her brows; she also had some unseasoned meat she could give him that. She shook her head as she removed her shoes and placed her keys onto the entryway table. She still had an old collar from when Bones was a puppy, she just didn't know where she had placed it. She found it in an old box and placed it around his neck. He shook his body slightly and got used to the collar before looking around the apartment with a curious expression. She smiled at that and got him some water as she poached some chicken to feed to Emrys. He quickly ate it and looked up at her with his tongue wagging. He let out a yawn and she let one out herself. She wasn't overly hungry, so she decided to go to bed.

She pulled off her sweater and moved to pull on a pair of sweats and tank top. Some of her clothes were starting to fall apart and she mentally did the math of how much it would cost to start replacing some of her clothing. It caused her to wince. Buying a new dress and turtleneck on sale was usually how she did her cloth shopping. She always bought it when it was on sale. It was summer, it was unlikely that she'd find anything like that. She sighed and climbed into bed, waiting for Emrys to join her. He did, having trouble jumping onto the bed but eventually getting up there. She felt as though everything was going to end up all right, it was a comforting feeling, but she couldn't help but still feel sad that Bones was gone. Well, she would have to keep on going she had Emrys to look after.