Disclaimer: If I owned Neuro and Co. I wouldn't be working part-time at the local library now would I?

Yako sighed as she put old stray newspaper clippings into the box beside her. She'd been doing it a lot, sighing. In all honesty, it stopped her from doing other things.

Crying, for one.

She took in another deep breath and let it out slowly, counting the seconds as she exhaled. She opened her eyes again and began packing other various objects from the office.

It was a lonely job. Godai-san had long left, and Akane-chan was dead now with the small source of shouki Neuro emitted being gone. And so Yako began to pack up the seemingly annoying trinkets that had only been a hassle before, due to Neuro's need to hurtle every one at her. Now, they were valuable memories, each one having a bit of specks here and there of her blood. She smiled when she remembered the particular incident of Neuro nearly causing her severe internal bleeding using a candle and a credit card...It was a long story.

Even though it was only her arms that would move, the floor creaked along with her movements. She wondered if it too was in mourning.

Neuro was gone, and so were most of the people she'd come to love so much. Akane-chan would never hang onto her cell phone with that cheery countenance, Godai-san would never screech and holler only to be struck down by, to him, an unreasonable amount of strength in a man. She would probably never run into Hisanori and Yuki again (although that wasn't so bad, she supposed) or so many other people. Never again would she see the smile that horrified her and delighted her at the same time.

Neuro had grown on her, it was that simple. He wasn't so horrible, for a Demon. As much as Yako longed to understand others, she never gave herself much thought. It frustrated Neuro surely, with his adamant belief she needed to evolve, but she never had the time to worry about any feelings she was feeling. Neuro usually beat it out of her anyways.

And as Yako now had all of her time alone being in college and out of the house, she had more than enough time to figure out, realize even, feelings she felt during the course of these three crazy years with a maniacal demon. And what Yako finally knew about herself, is that after all the years with that horrible slave-driver, she had grown to love Neuro.

It wasn't a lustful love, but it wasn't any sort of brotherly love either. It was purely and simply, love.

Neuro, in the strangest sense possible, did support her. He protected her, he was always by her side, always encouraging her, and he believed in her. It was mind-bogling, to think that she could find herself in love with a--if the relationship had continued, wife-beating--Demon. Neuro was always this huge inexplicable force that drove her into a certain direction. One might argue the motivation was probably the knives held to her back, but Yako knew something else had been going on. He had allowed her to grow, encouraged and demanded for her to evolve. So thanks to him, she had evolved just a little bit.

And she didn't mind the strange love. Sure it was odd, but he was gone now, and she'd move on surely.

She wiped a tear from her eye unfeelingly and carried on with packing everything up. She wished she had someone to gush stories about him with. Isn't that what girls did, wallow? Akane-chan would have been her choice, considering Godai would sooner cut off his head than admit he liked the demon (well, there probably wasn't anything to admit). But as she looked to the small space in the corner, Yako saw the bump in the wall was gone. Akane-chan had drawn back into the wall, almost a sign of mourning in itself. Yako sighed as she looked at the office desk, Troy.

What would she do with her? She'd grown to be a part of their awkward make-shift family, but the rush of emotions Yako experienced when she sat behind it...It was like looking at the empty bed of a recently deceased pet. The hollow feeling in her chest only made her feel listless and nauseous.

Maybe she could store it? Or perhaps give it to Godai as a peace offering. Yako turned her attention quickly to the couch, trying to stop her train of thought from heading down a useless road of memories and current sadness. But the couch too, had its memories. She remembered the first couch, and how it had been destroyed at the beginning of the HAL mystery. She remembered how she'd, well Neuro had, gotten the furniture as thanks for proving the innocence of Itsuka-san, a famous furniture constructor. Yako felt an itch on her face and brought her hand to scratch it absent-mindedy. But when she touched her face, she found tears flowing calmly down her cheeks, making their way down to plop onto the recently cleaned floor.

Yako sighed. Really, she chided herself, this wasn't necessary.

It was done. Neuro had eaten his Ultimate Mystery, and had no reason to stay afterwards.

"You know what this means larva?"

"...Yes."

"I've been fully satisfied. I've no reason to stay. But that gives you no reason to slack off." he smashed his claws into her face painfully, but Yako didn't really notice the pain, and merely rubbed her face for show. "Grow well Yako. I want you to reach a place above these incessantly worthless beings. Evolve."

And when she looked up, he was gone.

Yako wiped the tears from her eyes and gazed out the large window in the back. She wouldn't forget, she would merely move on.

"Yako-chan?" Yako turned her head curiously as the new voice in the room contained a long time familiarity.

"Hello Sasazuka-san." she smiled, putting the box on the desk. His mouth went into a straight line, indicating he was happy to see her.

"I came up here to see if you needed any help packing up but...I see you've managed that by yourself." he nodded at the cleaned out room.

"Yeah. There actually wasn't much in it, when you subtract the furniture from the belongings." she said. Silence took over, each person finding an object that was much more interesting than the sullen face the other was making.

"How are you?" he asked softly, not sure whether the concern was appropriate.

"I'm fine. I have a lot more time for homework now, so I'm getting better grades." she mentioned cheerfully.

"Good grades huh? Well...that's really something." he murmured. Another long pause. Both wanted to keep the conversation going. They wanted to stay connected, as if over a long distance. But though there wasn't anything to say, neither would hang up the phone.

"Sasazuka-san?" Sasazuka looked up, hope faint in his eyes. "I..." Yako began nervously. Just how to say it? "I want...to thank you. For being so understanding. You've been so patient with me in all of those cases. You were--"

"Yako, no thanks is necessary. You've done wonders, and I should be thanking you."

"Oh that's not necessary!" she assured him, waving her hands a little as she smiled nervously.

Sasazuka nodded. For some reason, he really wanted a cigarette right now. "Yako."

"Yeah?" she said, smiling a smile so innocent that it made Sasazuka react strangely. What she did to him couldn't be expressed in words.

"If you ever wish to join the police force, don't hesitate. I'll get you any job you want." he assured her.

She laughed a little. "What about Usui-san? I don't think he'd like that so much!"

"Yako." She looked up to meet his solemn expression. He looked tired, Yako noticed. His shoulders slumped lower than usual, and his eyes drooped downwards. Countering it was an unexplainable force in his grey eyes. For once, Sasazuka wasn't a complete mystery to her. He would miss her. "I mean that."

With all the sincerity she could muster, Yako smiled. "Thank you, Sasazuka-san." he nodded.

"I should get going. And I'm sure you have a lot to do."

"Yeah."

"And Yako?"

"Hmm?"

"Let me know about two weeks in advance. I'll have to fire Ishigaki for you to be his replacement." Yako smiled at what was mostly likely a joke, and nodded her thanks. Sasazuka held onto the doorframe and gave Yako one last look before he headed down the dreary hallway. Hopefully this wouldn't be the end.

Yako sighed and looked at the ground. Her tears hadn't dried up. She lowered herself onto her knees and gathered up her pink sweater to create a make-shift cloth. Although she wasn't in high school anymore, she did love that pink sweater.

She wiped up the salty drops slowly, taking her time. She didn't really want to leave the office yet. Thinking of the three years she'd spent here, being harassed, threatened and in every sense of the word abused, she was sad to see it end. Never in her life would she meet someone like Neuro.

"Why so emotional Louse?" Yako's head shot up, searching the room completely. Her brain became fuzzy and couldn't focus on anything, except the desire to see the owner of that voice again.

But nothing was there. "Fool." she scolded herself, wiping away more tears. "Stop imagining things." She stared at the door as she felt the adrenaline in her blood seep away. "Love is a strange thing." she whispered.

"Love?" There! Yako whipped her head around, and lo and behold directly behind her, was Neuro's head, hanging upside down from the ceiling. Glowing emerald eyes bore their way into her brain, and the smile she'd come to abhor pierced her through her heart. Despite the fact she was shaking, Yako felt herself smile inside.

Neuro had come home.

Author's Note: And here it is, the possible (key word POSSIBLE) start of a NeuroxYako fic. I'm not sure exactly how I want to go about this, but I'm pretty sure this is going to be a one-sided love on Yako's part. But who knows? Maybe something will happen along the way (if I continue). It really depends on whether I think I should keep Neuro in character or whether I'd rather satisfy my own wishes and go for it.

So obviously for those that have seen the horrible anime (I'm sorry, but it was only the adorable voice actors that made me watch all that I did) this is reminiscent of the ending of it. So sorry if you think I'm merely ripping that off. In my defense, this is a bit different...no?

Fine, aim and fire if you will.

...Reviews are helpful coughcough...O.o