continues directly from i trusted you.
Ran's handphone rings almost fifteen minutes after Shinichi leaves, right as she's done washing the mugs and putting them away in the cupboard.
She dries her hands on a tea towel before picking the handphone up from the table, glancing at the number displayed. Not one of her contacts, and the number doesn't look immediately familiar either, though admittedly her memory for phone numbers isn't exactly the best.
Ran considers it for a moment before answering the call anyway - it's late, yes, but not an entirely unreasonable hour yet, and besides she can always just hang up if anything seems suspect.
"Moshi moshi," comes the voice of her mystery caller. It's unexpectedly familiar, Ran thinks immediately, though for the life of her she can't put a face to the voice. "Mouri-san?"
"Yes, this is Mouri Ran speaking," she answers, wondering briefly if the caller was looking for her dad and somehow got the wrong number - though if she had to guess, Ran would say that her caller was a female middle schooler, or perhaps a little older than that. "May I know who this is?"
"It's Haibara Ai," is the completely unexpected answer, and while Ran is still blinking in surprise and trying to process the words, she realises that Ai-chan is still talking. "Is Kudo-kun still at the agency?"
"Um, no," Ran replies automatically, pulling her focus back to the conversation with some difficulty. "Shinichi just left a while ago - did you want to talk to him? I can call him to come back, he probably hasn't gotten very far yet."
"No, don't trouble yourself, it's not about him. Well, not directly, at least." A flicker of wry amusement threads through the words, and that - that is familiar, she can't help but think. "I was hoping to talk to you, if that's alright…"
"Yes, of course." Ran doesn't even hesitate to answer, though she does walk back to the couch to sit down. "What is it, Ai-chan?"
In the moment's pause that follows, Ran notices, somewhat belatedly - Kudo-kun. It's not the most familiar form of address, but then neither is Edogawa-kun. Ai-chan had always been unusually formal for her age, after all.
Ran feels the final few pieces of some unseen puzzle falling into place. She probably ought to have realised it earlier, but in her own defence it's been a really hectic few weeks, and she'd never really had a reason to wonder about the young girl's identity anyway, unlike Conan -
Ai's voice breaks her reverie. "How much did Kudo-kun tell you about my involvement?"
"Not much," Ran answers honestly, thinking back on the conversation with Shinichi earlier. "He did mention that you were connected to the Organisation, and helped him and the FBI bring them down."
There's a rather undignified snort from the other end of the line, and Ran is fairly certain she hears Ai mutter something like understatement. "Mouri-san. I - "
Another pause, longer this time, then -
"I created the drug," Ai says, her voice quiet yet ruthlessly even. "APTX 4869, the one that shrunk Kudo-kun. It was my work."
Ran feels the world tilt crazily for a moment. It's a good thing she's already sitting down, because this - she wasn't expecting this, not at all.
"Why?" she finally asks, when she feels like she can trust her voice again. "Why are you telling me this?"
"You deserve to know the truth." Ai's voice is stronger now, as if she's steeling herself for the words to come. "I wasn't just connected to the Organisation, I was a part of it, and - "
"Wait, Ai-chan," she blurts out, and perhaps it's the surprise of getting interrupted, but Ai stops without a word of protest.
Ran tries to sort out her jumbled thoughts in the ensuing silence, memories tripping over each other - one terrifying night with the form of a small girl in her arms and bullets whistling past her ears, the desperate expression of the same girl as she begged her to stay, please stay -
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Ran finally says, choosing each word with care. "I don't need to know what happened in the past or why, the only thing that matters to me is that we're all safe now. Okay?"
No response from the other end of the line.
Ran lets out a quiet breath - she'd mostly expected that, to be honest - and adds, in a softer tone, "You don't owe me anything, Ai-chan. So please take your time to think about it, and if in the end you still decide that you want to tell me, I'll always be ready to listen. I promise."
The words, when they come, are laced with the slightest of sharp edges. "You didn't say the same thing to Kudo-kun, I assume?"
"Shinichi? That was different, because - " Ran pauses, thinking back on the conversation she'd had earlier. "I've always trusted Shinchi, you know? But for a long time, I just couldn't figure out why he would keep lying to me, especially about something so important. And… well, the truth doesn't magically make everything go away, no matter what Shinichi keeps saying - I mean, it's not like I've completely forgiven him, I'd still gladly punch him in the face if I thought it would do either of us any good - " she chuckles at the thought, " - but at least now I know why he did it."
"That was my fault too, you know," Ai says instead, and this time Ran stays quiet and listens. "Kudo-kun lying about his identity. He was going to tell you, after he got shot at the cave, but I threatened him at gunpoint into maintaining the cover."
Ai pauses, and Ran is almost tempted to ask about that last sentence when she continues. "I was… scared. Of what they might do to the professor if they ever found out. Or Ayumi-chan and the others. Even you. I was terrified," she finishes, voice barely above a whisper, as if - as if admitting a weakness, Ran can't help but think, even though any sane person would've felt the same in that situation.
What about yourself? she wants to ask, but instead says, "What about now?"
"I'm not sure I know how to stop," Ai replies at last.
Ran feels her heart twist painfully. "I'll help, Ai-chan. I might not know everything that happened, but if there's anything I can do…"
"Thank you for the offer, Mouri-san," comes the answer, and Ran is almost relieved to hear Ai's voice falling back into her usual formal tone.
"It's no problem at all. Besides - " Ran laughs involuntarily as a thought strikes her. "Sorry, I just realised, you're probably around our age, right? Shinichi and I?"
"One year older, actually." Ran almost thinks she can hear the wry smile even over the phone. "Though I'm not sure Kudo-kun has noticed, I think he forgets that I'm not actually a six-year-old sometimes."
"Well, he does treat the rest of us like that too every now and then, and we actually look our age, so… actually, now that I think about it, he used to be worse about it, in fact." Ran shakes her head at some of her recollections of Shinichi back then. "I think being Conan-kun actually helped with that, so I guess the rest of us have you to thank?"
Ai actually snorts in amusement at that one, and Ran chalks up a point for herself. "What can I say? Being a child does put certain things in perspective. Tall shelves, for instance."
Ran smiles at the deadpan words before sobering up. "So - if you don't mind me asking, that is - are you going to take the antidote too, A - um, Haibara-san?"
She corrects herself quickly, but Ai is sharp as ever. "Just Ai-chan is fine, Mouri-san."
"Are you sure?" Ran asks, a little surprised.
Ai's reply is firm. "Yes. I'd like that, I think."
"Okay. But only if you call me Ran," she added. "At least you have a better taste in names than Shinichi."
"As far as I've gathered, Kudo-kun came up with that name on the spot based on some book covers, so we probably shouldn't judge," Ai says, in a tone that clearly implies the opposite. "And as for your previous question, I've decided to finish this school year with Ayumi-chan and the others, and I do have some plans for afterwards, but nothing decided yet."
A sudden idea strikes Ran. "But you'll still be around near the start of spring holidays, right?"
"Most probably, yes," Ai answers after a moment's pause.
"Well, Sonoko and Sera-chan are planning a girls-only trip to some resort that just opened recently in Nagano, and I was thinking about inviting Kazuha-chan too. We can leave Hattori-kun here with Shinichi, that way they won't get too bored without us around." Ran doesn't let herself hesitate before continuing. "Would you want to join us?"
"I'm not sure Beika will survive that. Or even Tokyo, for that matter," Ai observes wryly, then her voice softens. "But if it's not too much trouble…"
Ran grins, adding another point to her mental scoreboard. "Of course not! We haven't booked anything yet so it won't be an issue, and I'm sure Sonoko will be excited to have a proper shopping partner, I'm afraid neither Sera-chan or I quite fit the bill."
There's a muffled snicker from the other end of the line. "That reminds me, I think Kudo-kun still owes me a Fusae purse. Or several, possibly."
"Well, if he doesn't get them for you, it's well known that I have a good track record in - " Ran stifles a yawn " - in getting Shinichi to keep his promises."
"Oh, I look forward to seeing that. And I think I've kept you up for long enough," Ai says.
Ran glances at the wall clock, and is surprised to see it already well past midnight. Had they been talking that long? "Well, I'll email you the trip details once we've worked it out. And remember what I said - you can come to me anytime, even if it's just to talk."
"I will," Ai says. "Good night, Ran-san."
Ran smiles. "Good night, Ai-chan."