And the story continues, 2000 years later lol. If anyones still reading this, hope you enjoy!

Tomo half listened to the noise of the shower upstairs as she picked up the broken glass from the floor. She swept up the last bits with a dustpan and brush and threw them in the bin. She heard the shower cease, as she picked up the picture frame that had fallen down from the force of the glass that she had thrown against the wall the night before. She sighed as she gazed at the picture of herself and Yomi, taken after they had attended her graduation from the police academy. She remembered Yomi saying how proud she was.

"You did it!"

Yomi beamed as she held out her hands and pulled Tomo into a hug. "Aww thanks Yomi, but you seemed to say that with a bit of surprise." Tomo joked. Yomi gave a sarcastic smile back. "Yes well, you don't have the biggest attention span. Three years of hard work, I am surprised."

"If I remember correctly I was accepted to University before you." Both girls laughed at the light hearted ribbing. Tomo went over and hugged her father, "Not bad for a Takino, hey Dad."

"Not bad at all!" He laughed, as he picked his daughter up off the ground. Placing her back down, he pointed over to the fountain outside the front steps of the building.

"Alright you two, over there, I want a great photo."

Yomi and Tomo went over and posed. Arms around each other's shoulders, they beamed for the picture. Tomo of course posing with her trademark V after and finally she placed her graduation cap on Yomi, and kissed her on the cheek for the third.

She smiled a small smile and sighed. Placing it back on the wall she heard Kenji coming down the stairs and looked up at him.

"Hey." He stated, unsure of himself and he stopped on the third last step. Tomo could almost feel the weirdness of the situation.

"Hey." She replied the same uncertainty surrounding her. "Have you seen…?" He asked breaking the silence as he stepped down the last stairs.

"Your jacket?" she asked interrupting him as she picked the jacket up from the couch.

"Yeah." he came over to her. She handed it to him, hands brushing, the silence thickening.

"You work today?" He asked. "Night shift, fun times running the dispatch."

"I'll expect to be given the run around then." He smirked, eliciting one back.

"What?" she asked, as continued to stare.

"I don't know." He replied honestly, cupping her cheek and bringing his lips to hers for the barest of moments. He turned and headed to the door.

"Kenji?"

"I'll see you later, Takino." He smiled back at her before heading out the door.

Tomo couldn't quite process what had happened. She'd never been in that situation before, guys didn't hang around for her and certainly not guys like Kenji. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket, it was Sakaki.

Up for lunch?

…

Sure. Tommy's?

…

Sound's good. Meet you at 12:30.

Good a distraction, she thought. She needed to get her mind off this new 'thing' that was being created between her and Kenji. It wasn't like him, and it wasn't like her and she wasn't sure whether she'd be able to handle the situation.

…

Tomo walked up to the small noodle bar and smiled as Sakaki looked up from her phone to greet her.

"Hey Tomo," Sakaki pulled her friend into a hug.

"Sakaki, I swear you're getting even taller!" Tomo joked.

"Maybe," she paused as they headed inside, "or you could be getting shorter." She shot back. They both laughed and grabbed a table.

They both liked the place, it was small and out of the way. It was run by the chef and his wife, and often only the two would need to be working, apart from on Friday and Saturday nights when they would have their children help out. They would often go to it during their university days when Sakaki still lived in the area. How often they used to go was proven when the wife came to the table to take their order.

"Tomo! What a nice surprise, you haven't been round here a few months, and by the looks of you, you haven't eaten for months! And my god, is that you Sakaki? I haven't seen you for years." She beamed at the two younger women and returned the favour.

"Hey Ayaka! I know I know I haven't been round. Been busy you know." Tomo sighed.

"Well I'll get you two the usual." Ayaka smiled, not needing to write down anything.

"You remember?" Sakaki asked surprised. "Of course," Ayaka pointed at her temple, "the classic Ramen and a coke for young Tomo here, and if I remember correctly, Yakisoba and a green tea for you?"

"Spot on, I should never have doubted you." Sakaki laughed. Ayaka turned and walked to the kitchen, and Sakaki leant back in her chair.

"How've you been Wildcat? We didn't get a chance to talk properly yesterday, and I've got to head back tomorrow."

"Already?" Tomo asked "You've only just got here!"

"Yeah I know, unfortunately the Zoo's got me up for some operations so it was only a fly in fly out for me."

"Too bad, but a vet's got to do what a vet's got to do I guess. How's Okinawa, I can't believe you get to live in Okinawa. I want to live in Okinawa" Tomo mumbled getting off track. "Oh! Isao! How is that lovely Isao of yours, is he looking after Maya?" Tomo asked cheekily.

"Isao is fine. Okinawa is fine, and Maya is his usual adorable self." Sakaki smiled.

"Nice." Tomo smiled back as Ayaka came back with the food, placing it down in front of each of them.

"Looks amazing as ever. Thanks Ayaka!" Sakaki wound her noodles around her chopsticks and looked up at Tomo, the slightest of concern in her eyes.

"So I'll ask again, how are you Tomo?" she asked as she started eat.

Tomo took a sip of her coke. "Who was it? Chiyo, Yomi? No Kagura put you up to this." She smiled sarcastically.

"It was Chiyo. Now answer the question." Sakaki retorted.

Tomo shoved some noodles in her mouth, and chewed as she tried to think of an answer.

"I don't know." She replied honestly. She wasn't sure why, but she could always talk to Sakaki. Chiyo used words she didn't understand, Yomi, while her best friend, she found she didn't want to burden. Although she was pretty sure she did that anyway, she just couldn't talk to her. Kagura, well, she just felt inadequate. Her problems seemed so insignificant, compared to her friend's.

"You know, I see a therapist." Sakaki stated, wiping her mouth with her serviette.

Tomo looked up, slightly surprised. She hadn't known.

"Yes, for my anxiety issues. I've been seeing one for years. They do help." She nodded, emphasising the last words. Tomo nodded slowly. Thinking about it, it made sense. Sakaki had become so much more relaxed over the years recently. She no longer worried about so much, or get as scared as she used to.

"I just… don't get how it's going to help. They just sit there, waiting and asking stupid questions"

"You'd be surprised. I used to think the same thing. Now I kind of understand why they ask those questions. I realised a lot of stuff about myself, about home, heaps of stuff."

"Probably doesn't help that I don't answer them hey." Tomo joked. "Can't she just give me meds and be done with it."

"Well I do take medication, but not everything can be fixed like that Tomo." Sakaki smiled sympathetically.

Tomo rolled her eyes and sighed before shoving some more noodles in her mouth. Sakaki shook her head and laughed.

…

Misako Shibuya checked out her latest nail job at her desk. It had been a quiet day and she was halfway through packing up when she heard a knock at the door. Before she could answer, Tomo Takino came bustling in.

"You busy?" She asked. Misako looked around; she most certainly was not busy.

"Uh, yes I'm in the middle of something actually." Tomo looked at the packed up desk.

"Really?" Tomo questioned

"Hmm mm, you'll just have to wait."

"But,"

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, you know that."

"Then wait outside, until I'm ready." Misako

Tomo grumbled and headed outside.

Now she decides to show up. Misako thought as she unpacked her notebook and pen. She opened a card game on the computer and played a few rounds before she felt that enough time had passed to let Tomo back in.

She opened the door and nodded at Tomo who was sitting on a chair outside, twiddling her fingers.

"About time." Tomo remarked.

"The world doesn't revolve around you Tomo." Misako sat back down at her desk and nodded at the couch for Tomo to sit. Tomo obliged and sat down, silence enveloping the room as usual.

After a while Misako got fed up. "Why are you here?"

"Because you told me to and get off this stupid desk duty."

"Well in that case the door's there." She pointed at it. Tomo sighed, "Because a friend said some things today that made some sense, ok?"

Misako looked at her properly, she looked different.

"What do you want to chat about?" Misako asked, hands clasping together on the desk. Tomo shrugged. "It doesn't work that way Tomo."

"Look, I don't know. I don't know where to start. Please can't you ask questions, I thought that's what you guys did?" Tomo looked exasperated. Misako sighed and took out her notebook.

"Alright, but this time you have to answer ok. Honestly." Tomo nodded in agreement. "When was the last time you ate?"

"Today, I had ramen for lunch."

"Did you eat breakfast?"

"No"

"Will you eat dinner?"

Tomo paused before answering, "Probably not."

"When was the last time you had breakfast?"

"I don't know."

"How much caffeine do you consume a day." Misako asked as she jotted down the answers.

"I would say… too much." Tomo replied sheepishly. Misako chuckled, "Don't worry I'm probably in the same boat. Ball park figure?"

"Six, seven coffee's a day."

"Mmmmm"

"You're not going to tell me to cut back?"

"I think you know the answer to that question. If it's any consolation, I'm four to five." Misako smiled.

"You're human too then." Tomo smiled back.

"How often do you talk to your parents?" Misako continued on.

"My mother died when I was four."

"I'm sorry." Misako replied genuinely. Tomo nodded acceptance and paused again while she thought about the answer.

"I haven't talked to my father for months. I don't really know why. I should call him." Tomo replied mainly to herself. Misako wrote some more before putting her pen down. She looked Tomo square in the eyes.

"And how's your sex life?"

"What? Um, how is that relevant?"

"It might be it may not be. I won't know until you answer." Misako replied nonchalant. Tomo was sure she was playing with her.

"It's…active. It's fine." She answered nervously.

"And how often is 'active'?"

Tomo looked down, ringing her fingers together. "Maybe one or two times a week?"

"And is it just Kenji Nakamura, or are there other partners?" Tomo snapped her head up.

"How did…"

"Its common knowledge Nakamura and you are, together."

Tomo let out a strained laugh. "We're not together."

"So you're just having sex?" Tomo was amazed that Misako could ask these questions completely objectively without any emotion.

"Um…uh…. No, well… I mean yes. We are sleeping together, I… I don't know what to call it."

"What do you mean?"

"He's changed recently. He feels different, there's something else. I don't know how to describe it."

"Has it crossed your mind that he might care about you?"

"Kenji" Tomo laughed, "Kenji doesn't care about anyone but himself."

"I'd think you would be surprised." "Yeah I doubt it."

"Is he any good?"

"What? Seriously how on earth is this relevant?" Tomo questioned, her eyebrows burrowing not understanding why Misako needed this information.

"Do you want off desk duty or not?" Misako raised her eyebrows with superiority.

"Is that a threat? Or do you just want information on Kenji for yourself? He goes for anything with legs." Tomo backed up defensively.

"I'm recently married and my sex life is more than fine. Five times a week in fact. But thank you for the consideration"

"I didn't need to know that."

Misako laughed. "Remember Tomo, this is confidential. What you say here is just between us. Go on." she continued her questioning. Tomo sighed in resignation.

"Yes." She answered, thinking about the way his tongue moved along her chest, and how his hands followed her body to settle on her hips. "He is."

She thought about the pleasure his mouth gave her, how he'd moan his release into her neck and the way he'd whisper in her ear when it was all over. He'd called her beautiful.

"He's the best I've ever had."

"And how often do you dream?" Misako continued her line of questioning as per normal.

"Um…often." Tomo replied, caught off guard with the line of questioning.

"Do you have nightmares? Tomo didn't reply.

"You've just told me about your sex life, you can tell me about your dreams."

Tomo nodded. "Yes."

"What are they about?"

"The shooting." Tomo replied matter of fact.

"How often do you have these nightmares?"

"Once or twice a week I think?" Tomo looked up at Misako and saw that the other woman didn't believe her.

"Every time I dream." Tomo acknowledged.

"What about the other nights?"

A realisation dropped.

"I drink."

"Drink to excess?" Misako asked and Tomo nodded.

"I drink til I blackout and then I don't dream. I just wake like nothing happened, for a split second it's like nothing happened. So I do it again, and again. It's almost wonderful." Tomo admitted, feeling something she couldn't pin.

Misako nodded, not replying. She looked at the clock.

"I think that's enough for today, you need to get dispatch if I understand correctly." Tomo took deep breath and nodded. She stood up and picked her keys up off the couch.

"I have an opening four o'clock on Monday. I'll see you then." Misako said not giving Tomo and option to reply. Tomo felt relieved. "Ok." Tomo made her way towards the door before turning back to Misako.

"I see what you did there." She smirked.

Misako just laughed.