Disclaimer: As much as I wish I do, I don't own Shinichi or any of the DC characters. They belong to Aoyama Gosho; I'm only using them for my purposes.

Facade

By: Hi no Kasumi

The gentle rain thumped rhythmically against Agasa's roof as silence reigned through the empty mansion. A small figure sat morosely against the window, a lone beacon in the smoldering darkness; the kindly professor had left earlier, leaving the young scientist as the only occupant of the house.

Ai sat on the windowsill, her knees drawn up in a tight embrace, and stared unseeingly at the pouring rain. Feeling every bit the adult she was, and looking every bit the child she is, she wallowed in uncharacteristic self-pity.

A year.

Exactly a year ago, her life had gone from bad to worse. She lost her sister, her home, her identity, and her life all in one blow. In an unbelievably short time, her twisted life collapsed, leaving her with nothing but painful memories and guilt. She was alone; there was nowhere to go and no one to turn to. In desperation, she left in search for her only hope. And she found it along with something else.

She found Kudo Shinichi.

In him, she found not just a peer, but also a partner, friend, and confidante. And, her heart cried, perhaps more. Behind her mask, she watched as his hostility melted away into friendliness, and for the first time since Akemi's death, she knew she wasn't alone.

And now, she held the key to their happiness in her hand.

Or at least his.

She knew that as soon as she relinquished it, all her dreams would shatter. He would be reunited with Mouri, and she would be alone once more. A tiny, selfish part of her refused to let go. As long as he was clueless, she had the upper hand…and the barest glimmers of hope.

Masks flung aside, her perpetual cool expression twisted into one of pain and longing. Leaning back, she closed her eyes, ignoring the tears burning trials down her cheeks.

There was a time when she thought she really had a chance. His calls to Mouri had become more and more infrequent; once every week changed to once a month to once every few months. Instead, he spent his free time over at his former neighbor's house, and consequently, with her. Unknown to him, those were her happiest times. She had felt alive, wanted, special, and even loved.

The tears came faster as the memories resurfaced…

"Baka, you're not alone." Short, simple, and sweet. His four words, carelessly spoken, had been more than enough to dispel her loneliness and fears.

"If something happens, let me worry about it." He comforted her after she confided to him her nightmares of Gin and Vodka. He had sounded so confident, so self-assured, and so caring that she knew she could count on him.

Never once did he blame her for his situation. He didn't hate her for making the drug, and he never lost faith in her abilities to make the antidote. He wasn't nice to her because he needed her but because he considered her a friend. Besides her sister, no one else had ever given her so much consideration.

She remembered the panic in his voice when Gin had cornered her and the shivers down her back when he slipped his glasses onto her face to help alleviate her fears. The look in his eyes…but no, she must have been mistaken.

She remembered all the times when he fought to save her life; the bus incident, the one time she became Sherry again, and the time he masqueraded as her when facing off with Vermouth.

All those times he had stared death in the face to protect her. Despite her cold exterior, she was touched and grateful. And she had started to hope…

Ai recalled the time they had discussed the future. She had made the mistake of asking him what he would do once the organization was destroyed. His answer had been swift and sure. "Give Shinichi back to Ran," he had declared in that calm, confident way of his, without a single iota of hesitation.

She laughed, a sudden burst of mockery that sliced through the suffocating atmosphere of the vacant house. What a fool she was to think that he actually cared for her more than a friend.

Mouri was and still is the apple of his eye, the holder of his heart, and his soulmate. Anyone with eyes could see, and Ai was more observant than most.

Taking a deep breath, she reached for the phone.

"Kudo-kun, I have the cure."

The end.

~*~

Started: May 28, 2003

Finished: June 18, 2003