And...I did something I never thought I would do-a multichapter AU romance for Akuma no Riddle. And as you may have gathered, it's Chitaru/Hitsugi based. It's mostly going to be from Chitaru's POV, but as the story goes on, there will be little bits from Hitsugi's PV too, and eventually a whole chapter or two depending on how things go. Other characters will appear, but as they are AU there will be age differences (for example). Not all others will appear, but a few do get mentions.

In any case, I hope you enjoy this story, and do leave me feedback.

"Okay, Okay, not long to go…"

Chitaru Namatame, like most people, really hated paperwork, but she forced herself to complete it. It was an important part of her work, and if she didn't complete it properly, the people she counselled would be failed. Especially when they decided to move on from her to go to a counsellor or psychiatrist from a medical establishment rather than the Myojo First Police Station. Like the girl whose referral papers she was writing up now. A sweet youngster, who seemed like a fairy-tale princess with her silver hair and sweet voice, had been the victim of systematic abuse, and when she had been rescued, was an absolute wreck. Unfortunately for the girl, the sentence the dirt bags would receive depended entirely on her testimony. And so an intensive year of therapy began, with Chitaru aiming not only to make the girl stable enough to testify, but able to learn how to adjust to normal life. And she had been successful, and now the girl was moving to the other side of Myojo city with her foster mother.

Thinking of such cases made Chitaru work even harder to make sure all the administration had been done properly. However, she still hated it.

The ringing of her desk phone distracted her. Sighing, she picked it up.

"Namatame."

"Namatame, you're still in. That's good." Chitaru chuckled at the surprised voice of Lieutenant Tokaku Azuma.

"Lieutenant, please don't tell me you've never done paperwork before."

"Don't be silly."

"So, what is it, Lieutenant?"

"We might need your help, at the crime scene we're going to now."

"Okay…" This wasn't unusual for Chitaru's line of work, particularly where there were hysterical victims (or survivors) involved. Most of the Homicide/Violent Crimes department agreed that Chitaru had a calming, yet strong aura about her. The result, they said, was comforting.

"There might be children there." Azuma explained. "Detectives Inoue and Inukai will explain the rest to you when you get here."

"Oh, you won't be there?"

Chitaru could hear Azuma sigh.

"Haru has a sleepover. I can't honestly expect Tatsuya to handle five crazy seven year olds."

"Not even with Takechi's help?"

"ESPECIALLY with Otoya's help." Azuma corrected. Chitaru grinned. Nobody who encountered Azuma would ever guess she was a loving wife, and an excellent mother of one very special little girl. The stoic lieutenant seemed as unsuited for a happy family life as some of the psychopaths she'd arrested. But Chitaru knew that Azuma was the best person anyone could want in their family.

"Okay, fine. Text me the address and I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Thanks." Azuma hung up without saying goodbye, and Chitaru got up, stretching her legs as she did so. It seemed as if the rest of the paperwork would be delayed for later.

…

"Repeated complaints of disturbances, to which the owner has mysteriously never responded, rumours of injured individuals wandering the site, and then the gunshots and crying children of a few hours ago….it's all in those notes Hiroshi-kun made, so you can just read it, can't you?"

"Of course I can." Chitaru said to Detective Isuke Inukai, another person who defied appearances. "And I assume the place has been cleared? "

"Yes." Detective Hiroshi Inoue said. "We wouldn't place you in harm's way, Namatame-san!"

"Hey, you're supposed to be flirting with me!" Inukai mock-pouted, making Inoue blush. Chitaru rolled her eyes, and carried on walking.

"So, as you haven't been able to pinpoint the crying, how do you know the place is safe? " Chitaru felt this was a valid question.

"Oh, just vague and secretive police techniques." One of the crime techs said, airily as she walked past them in the sprawling mansion, causing them all to laugh, before resuming a sober expression.

"Detective Inoue!" A rookie officer whose name Chitaru couldn't place came up to them, his face a bit red. "We've found the room where the noise originated from." He pointed, and the three entered the room.

"There are two babies in there, but there doesn't seem to be anyone else." The rookie said from the doorway. Chitaru could see that much, but refrained from saying so.

"Is it OK for me to cross the room?" she asked, pointing to the babies, who were still crying.

"Go for it." The crime-scene tech said. "We finished that area anyway." Chitaru looked at Inukai for confirmation, and then went and knelt down by the babies.

They were very young, with fluffy heads of cerulean hair. Their clothes were barely adequate, and so she could see that they were girls.

"Hey, it's OK." Awkwardly, she picked up one baby and cradled her in the crook of one arm, before managing to do the same with the other one. Then, she made rocking motions while humming a song she vaguely remembered from her childhood. And gradually, the babies calmed down.

"Well." Inukai made a show of clearing her throat. "Azuma made the correct judgement, bringing you here. I can't stand little children."

Chitaru ignored her, and continued humming to the girls as she carefully stood up. She looked at their young faces, and wondered what had happened.

Does your mama miss you? Or is she the one who left you here? I wish you were both old enough to tell me-then I could help.

"Namatame-san? Do you want to accompany the babies to the hospital?"

"I think I will."

…

That night, when she got home, she went to her attic and pulled down all the baby stuff still stowed there, and then went to find a suitable room to furnish with her find. Normally, she found it lonely, having all these rooms and no-one to share them with.

All of that would soon change, if she was lucky.

…

"You're adopting the twins? No way." Inukai went bug-eyed with shock.

When Chitaru told her co-workers her intentions over the lunch break, she didn't expect them to be surprised. She had been visiting the babies in hospital for a week now, and she would have thought her attachment to them was transparent. Apparently now.

"Why not? Nobody's been able to track their parents down? And they'd only go into care."

"But still, that's kind of out of the blue."

"Why, were you planning to adopt them, Inukai, self-confessed hater of children?"

"…"

"She's only teasing, Inukai!" Inoue said, panicked.

"I know that, Hiroshi-kun! I'm not stupid!"

"Ah, ah. I didn't mean to cause an argument. I just thought you might like to know, given that they're part of your case." Chitaru explained.

"I'm not sure what the fuss is anyway. " Azuma spoke up for the first time since the discussion had started. They all fell silent at that. Despite the girl looking nothing like her, they had all forgotten how Azuma had adopted little Haru three years ago, after the girl survived a break in at her home that had resulted in her entire family dying. Haru still kept her family surname, and continued to refer to Azuma as 'Tokaku-san', but there was no doubt that Azuma was a great adoptive mother, and Haru a lovely adoptive daughter.

"Whatever." Azuma said after the silence went on for a little too long. "I'll support you. We all will, right?" she glared at the rest of them, as if to coerce them into agreement. But there was no need. Chitaru knew that her co-workers were loyal friends, and would support her no matter what.

…

Four months later, after a long day split between court and work, Chitaru Namatame pushed a two-seated pram up to her front door.

"Hey, Sachika, Mami, look." She told the babies in the pram. "This is your new home. Our new home." The babies gurgled and laughed as she opened the door and wheeled them in.

It seems that I did get lucky, after all.