SailorStar9: With Chapter 8 uploaded, this is Chapter 9 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Pairings: Furuya Rei/Mizuno Ami

Disclaimers: I own absolutely nothing, except this plot and pairing.

Chapter 9: Mementos Of The Mother

Three weeks later after the uneventful Tanabata Festival, Ami exited her apartment building and let out an exhausted sigh.

"What's wrong?" Rei asked, stepping out from the driver's side of his white RX-7.

"Nothing." Ami assured, moving over to the passenger side.

"Don't lie to me, Sprite." Rei chided, after the couple strapped themselves in. "If it's about your mother..."

"I'll be fine." Ami replied. "It's just..." she let out a wry smile. "I mean, it's a good thing she died doing what she loves, right?"

"If you need me to help with the funeral preparations..." Rei offered.

"Thanks." Ami gave him a smile. "I appreciate it and thanks for Saturday." she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Flashback

"Dr. Mizuno's personal effects." the current Head of the Gynecology Department led Ami and Rei to Mizuno Saeko's empty work table where the deceased gynecologist's items were packed into a cardboard box.

"And my mother's body?" Ami asked.

"In the hospital's morgue." the Head Gynecologist replied. "Please follow the Head Nurse to identify the body and sign the authorization forms."

"You're Mizuno-sensei's daughter?" the Head Nurse was surprised as she led the pair to the hospital's morgue. "You know, she was quite disappointed when you gave up being a doctor. But when she saw how you had blossomed in the Police Academy, she was happy that you had found your own path; she was very proud of you. We're here." she stopped before the morgue doors.

"Hi mom." Ami whispered, the Head Nurse pulling off the white cover from her mother's face.

"Before I forget," Ami retrieved a bento box wrapped in a green cloth from her bag and handed it over to Rei. "Here."

"Thanks." Rei nodded and took the offered bento box. It had become a regular thing between them; Ami had started making bento lunches for the both of them when they started dating, they only ate out when they had to pull the late night shift the previous night. "Is that..." he spotted the heavily dog-earred medical book his partner was browsing through.

"Yeah," Ami replied. "One of the medical books from mother's personal effects. It's been so long since I've re-read this."

"And how old were you?" Rei muttered, sweatdropping.

After parking in the Bureau's parking lot, Rei and Ami were about to enter the building when Ami stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening at the aged visitor at the security guard's booth.

"What's the matter?" Rei asked, seeing his partner's stunned expression.

"Yo, Ami-chan." Mizuno Suiiro greeted his estranged daughter.

"Otou-san..." Ami breathed.

"Did I... come at a bad time?" the older Mizuno asked.

"I'll leave the two of you to talk." Rei voiced and was about to enter the Bureau when Ami gripped his hand tightly. He cast a worried look at his lover and stood beside her, offering his silent support.

"You've heard about mother, then?" Ami asked her father.

"Yes." Suiiro nodded. "I know I have no right in requesting this, but I would want to help in the funeral rites, that is, if you would allow me."

"Looks like we'll have to cut lunchtime short." Ami gave Rei an apologetic look. "Can we discuss this after lunch?" she turned to her father.

"Of course." Suiiro replied. "Around 1.00 pm?"

"Sure." Ami nodded.

"Ami-chan, you might want to call your significant other in." Suiiro remarked jokingly after the father-daughter pair ironed out the funeral preparations. "Across the street, dear daughter." he nodded through the coffee house window at the tanned male who was failing spectacularly at hiding. "Now, young man." he cast 'The Look' at his daughter's suitor after sending Ami off on a small errand. "What are your intentions towards my daughter?"

Despite himself, Rei swallowed a nervous gulp and mentally crossed his fingers as he prepared for the inevitable interrogation; he survived Mizuno Saeko's grilling, so pulling through Mizuno Suiiro's questioning should be a piece of cake... right?

SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Read and review.