Disclaimer: Do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito. Never will.
It started slowly at first, just a few coincidental meetings under the moonlight, until those meetings became less and less accidental. With two people very capable of pulling the strings on either side, they tended to meet whenever they wanted…
They started to become more serious, taking more risks to see each other. They knew it was wrong, but they didn't care. For the first time, they were happy and content with what life had to offer. They weren't perfect, not by any means, but they did okay for themselves. They didn't have to hide from each other, and that was more than they could say for anyone else. It was going great, until they found out.
Pain shot up from his chest, spreading to his fingertips as he screamed. A shrill laugh echoed in his ears, full of amusement at his predicament. And then he heard them, the whispered words that destroyed his life. "We'll kill him."
--
A shrill beeping sound echoed around the small room before being abruptly cut off by a large fluffy pillow. A man with wild brown hair groaned and stifled a yawn, fumbling for his alarm clock. The red digits blinked 5:00, too damn early in his opinion. He yawned and stretched, allowing the baby blue sheets to flutter down to his waist. He dragged himself off the twin bed and into a small adjacent bathroom. Splashing water on his face, he began to wake up fully. There were some major disadvantages to his job and the schedule was definitely one of the top ones. Waking up at 5, reporting in at 6, and sometimes not going off duty until well after midnight; it was certainly very grating at times.
The man threw on a pair of black slacks and a white dress shirt and ran a comb through wild hair. It didn't do much, but it was the thought that counted. He sighed, grabbed a bread roll and exited his small apartment. He pulled his keys out of his pocket and swung them around his finger. Slidding into the driver's seat of his ocean blue Cadillac, he shifted into gear and drove a few dozen minutes before turning into the parking lot of a large building. He parked and exited the car, entering the building, flashing his ID to the guard at the door. He walked in, strolling down the long, tiled hallway until he came to a brown door titled 'RESISTANCE'. He pushed it open and looked at the group of people gathered there.
"Rather early, isn't it?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at the girl closest to him.
"Good morning to you too, sir," She muttered, tossing her braided black hair over her shoulder.
The man laughed and took a seat next to her. "Reports?" He asked.
"We received a message from our man on the inside." Another man with a short blonde crew cut passed him a manila folder.
"Summarize." He ordered.
"They're planning to do something in Tokyo, Japan, but the details are sketchy. We know they're going to make a move, we just don't know what it is." A woman with long red hair tied back in a bun said.
"In that case, we need to figure it out. Make discreet inquires to anyone you find suspicious. In the main time, we need to counteract whatever they do. Three of us will go to Tokyo, assume an appropriate cover, and report back. Any volunteers?"
"How about you, seeing as you're familiar with the area?" The redhead suggested.
The man frowned. "Fine, who else?"
The group grinned and lunged into planning.
--
18-year-old Edogawa Conan smiled to his friends as he ducked into 2-22 Beika-cho. The house had once belonged to the kindly professor, but the man had died three years previously and had left his house and all his possessions to his young charge, Haibara Ai. Haibara had allowed Conan to continue sharing the house with her as he had been since Ran had gone off to college.
"Haibara? You awake?" He called. The girl had stayed home from school today on account of a small cold.
"In the kitchen," A faint voice called. "I've made curry. You want some?"
"Sure." Conan dumped his backpack in a chair and joined her in the kitchen. "Enjoy your day off?"
She smirked. "I take it school was anything but pleasant."
He groaned. "They want us to write an essay on what 'love' is." He scoffed and took a large bite off the curry.
Haibara raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. And are you planning on actually doing this assignment or will you be blowing it off as usual?"
"'As usual'? I don't blow stuff off that often, just when we get some stupid thing like this." Conan muttered. He shoveled the rest of his meal into his mouth and headed up the stairs. "I'll be in my room. Call me if you start feeling bad."
Conan flopped down on his bed. He could tell Ai was worried about him, but what was he supposed to do about it? He couldn't help it if he was different from the carefree teenager he'd been the first time around. How could he be? After that…
He groaned and pulled a pillow over his head. He didn't want to remember that. It hurt too much. It had been ten freaking years and it still hurt. Gods, he was pathetic.
"Conan-kun?" Ai called. She'd stopped calling him Kudo once they realized there wouldn't be a cure. Kudo Shinichi had been officially dead for a long time now. Hattori had also stopped calling him Kudo, but that had taken more extreme methods, i.e. kicking his ass with power shoes if he forgot.
"What?" He asked, his voice muffled by the pillow.
"Nakamori-san invited the Shonen Tantei to accompany her to the airport to pick up Hakuba-san. He's coming in on the afternoon flight."
Conan sighed. "What about Heiji and Ran?"
"How should I know? I think Mouri-chan mentioned that they'd be spending the evening together. They finally have a day off at the same time, after all." Haibara stated.
Conan smiled. It sort of reminded him of Takagi and Satou from when he was Conan-the-innocent-but-intelligent-kid. When Hattori was about twenty, he'd fallen out of love with Toyama and actually asked Conan for permission to date Ran. He'd allowed it, of course. After all, he really looked to Ran as more of a sister, especially since him. Besides, Shinichi wasn't coming back, so she may as well move on to the next detective freak.
"Alright." He said. He'd have to pull him together first, though. If it was apparent he'd been thinking about him again when he went out there, Ai would chew him out…again. Conan had to smile at that, though. Ai had really done a lot for him over the years. She stuck by him and supported him, even when he'd been acting like a total jackass. Sorta like he'd been for the last ten years, actually, though those initial months were the worst. Still, between Ai and Heiji, he's been pulled out of his depression lump.
--
Aoko sighed and rubbed her eyes. Jeez, she was tired. She wished the bloody plane would land already so that she could go home. Behind her, a group of five teenagers munched on a few snacks as they waited for the plane to disembark.
"Wow," One of them grumbled, "How freaking long does it take. We've been waiting for ages." He whined.
"Shut up, Genta." A freckled boy mumbled, jabbing the fatter teen in the gut. "It's not like there's anything we can do about it."
"Mitsuhiko, Genta, calm down!" A young, black haired girl chided. "Aoko-neechan, can you shut them up?"
Aoko giggled. "Sorry, Ayumi-chan. There's nothing I can do. Maybe –"
She was cut off by an announcement declaring the landing of a flight from London, England to Tokyo, Japan. Aoko's smiled widened. When a young man with blonde hair wearing an Inverness coat approached them, she grinned and called out to him.
"Hakuba-kun!" She shouted, enveloping him in a hug as soon as he was close enough. "How was England?"
He smiled down at her. "It was fun. The Metropolitan agreed that I could remain here, working with the Tokyo police."
"Good." Aoko laughed.
"Yes, though the plane ride was rather…irritating."
"How so?"
"A family sitting somewhere behind me had a small child with them. He wasn't happy." Hakuba frowned. Aoko giggled.
"We should head home, it's getting late." A teen with glasses said.
"Yeah, alright," The group of seven started making their way out of the airport when Conan suddenly stopped.
"Conan-kun?" Ayumi asked, looking at him in concern. "Is something wrong?"
He shook his head. "No, I – " He swallowed, "I just thought I recognized someone, that's all."
"Really? Who?" She asked. Conan didn't respond, deep in thought. Ai glanced back at him, worried.
--
Departing the plane with his family in tow, Kuroba Kaito rolled his shoulders, relieving the kinks sitting still for so long had caused. He was an energetic person by nature and not moving just didn't agree with him.
His seat mates seemed relieved to be off the plane as well, though that may have had something to do with the fact that a certain young infant had been expressing his discontent rather loudly.
"How's Yuuichi?" He asked cheerfully. The infant grinned at him but the mother glared.
"If you hadn't encouraged him every time he started whining, we would have been able to sleep on the plane, you know." She growled, rocking the baby in her arms.
"Meh, that was what all the coffee beforehand was for." He laughed.
"Jeez, Dad, no wonder you were so twitchy the whole ride." A boy who looked remarkably like Kaito sighed.
"Better than being tired and grouchy." Kaito teased. "Anyway, we're going to meet my Mom and her house and stay there the night. We'll look for a place to live tomorrow."
"You did phone ahead, I hope?" The woman asked.
"Yeah, yeah. Mom knows the whole situation and is happy to help us out." They fetched their luggage before flagging down a taxi.
A twenty minute ride later and Kaito was standing outside his old home, nursing a considerably lighter wallet. "Well, let's go." He smiled, taking his son's hand and dragging him and their bags inside, his wife following after.
--
Rising slowly from bed, Aoko yawned and smiled sleepily at the slumbering form of her boyfriend. When the relationship had first begun, her father had accepted the boy well enough, but he'd blown a gasket when he learned that they planned to live together. And worse…share a bed.
That was four years ago and, by now, he'd given up fighting it. Kids will be kids, after all. And his kid was extraordinarily stubborn.
"Morning, Saguru." She chimed, shaking his shoulders. Usually the blonde was the first to rise, but, after reaching their apartment last night, he'd been determined to finish this last little bit of paperwork. "C'mon, we've got a brunch date with the others. Kuroba-baachan is even coming!" His hazel eyes blinked open drowsily.
"Alright, alright, 'm up." He stretched and slipped out of bed, going about his morning routine, but not before giving his girlfriend a soft kiss.
Half an hour later, the two were out the door and on the way to the park. "Why," Hakuba asked, "are we having a picnic style brunch?"
"Because we're expecting a lot of people. Kuroba-baachan said she was bringing a few guests and the others are all coming, so…" Aoko smiled. "Don't worry, though. I made extra food."
They arrived at the park to see a group already forming. "Ran-chan!" Aoko called, passing the food basket to Saguru so that she could hug her friend. "How was your day off, yesterday? Did you and Hattori-kun have fun?" She asked, grinning widely at the color that flushed Ran's face.
"I-I…w-we had dinner at a really nice restaurant." She smiled happily. Heiji blushed when Hakuba raised an eyebrow at him.
"My, it seems Hattori-kun was awfully considerate." He smirked.
"Aw, shut it. Oh, hey, there's Kuroba-san!" He waved at the group of five that approached them. Conan looked up from his discussion with Ai and stared, eyes wide. Ai looked as well and her eyes narrowed.
The two "kids" weren't the only ones to recognize one of the unfamiliar figures. "K-Kaito?" Aoko gasped. Said magician smiled weakly as they got closer.
"Um, hi, Aoko." His eyes traveled over the assembled group and froze on a particular form. "It's been a while, ne?"
"Indeed." Hakuba said, hand clasping Aoko's. "Who are your friends?"
"Well, I'm sure you know my mom from what she told us. This is Katrine, my wife, and Toichi and Yuuichi, my sons." The redheaded woman bowed politely, clutching a bundle to her chest. The boy with them bobbed his head, grinning.
Aoko's eyes widened. "So you finally did settle down! You should've invited us to the wedding!" She scowled at him. "Anyway, I'm Nakamori Aoko, pleased to meet you."
"Hakuba Saguru, pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"Mouri Ran, hi."
"Yo, Hattori Heiji."
"Haibara Ai."
"Edogawa Conan."
Toichi smiled brightly at the last two. They were at least eight years older than him, but they weren't as old as the rest. He choose to sit next to them as everyone settled down.
"So, Kuroba-kun, where have you been?" Hakuba asked. He looked a little upset that the magician was sitting right next to Aoko, but made no comment on the subject.
"Here and there. 'Been living in London for the past six or so years." Saguru looked shell-shocked.
"Really?" Aoko chattered. "What have you been doing for a living?"
"Um, security consultant, actually." He eyed the blonde detective. "You okay there, 'Kuba-kun? You look a bit peaky."
"I'm…fine." The idea of Kaitou Kid guarding valuable objects in his home country... He shivered.
"So, what about everyone here?" Kaito asked, eyes straying over the others again.
"Well, Saguru and I are going out." Aoko beamed. "We're working for Division One in the Metropolitan. Hattori-kun is also working with us and he's going out with Ran-chan, who's working to become a lawyer like her mom. You've heard of Kisaki Eri, right?" She motioned to the pair as she spoke.
"Sure. Queen of the Courtroom, right? Good luck, Mouri-chan."
"Um, Conan-kun and Ai-chan are part of a detective group with a few other kids their age. They work pretty closely with the police, so we all know each other pretty well."
"Really? That's pretty impressive." He didn't turn to look at the ones he was talking about. "Well, Katrine is also a lawyer, used to work in Paris. 'Fraid the boys are a little young for anything, though Toichi does have an interest in magic."
"Oh yeah? Ne, can you show us a trick?" She asked the boy.
He smirked Kid's smirk and snapped his fingers. Rose petals fell over the group, causing the girls to gasp.
Ran clapped for the boy, smiling softly. "You look so much like Conan-kun when he was younger. How old are you?"
"Ten." He chirped. "But I've never worn glasses…they look really big." Conan looked vaguely offended.
The picnic continued on friendly terms, though Heiji and Ai noticed that Conan glared at Kuroba the whole time and that Kaito kept his eyes determinedly away from Conan's general area.
As they began to depart, Hattori pulled Conan to the side. "Ne, Conan, was he the one who – ?" Conan growled and didn't reply, but Haibara came over and answered.
"Yep, that's the asshole who randomly vanished a decade ago, leaving Conan in the dirt." She said, venom evident in her voice. Now it was Heiji's turn to growl.
Conan huffed and marched off. "C'mon, we're supposed to meet Mitsuhiko, Genta, and Ayumi soon." Ai sighed and followed the boy, glancing over her shoulders at the magician. She was surprised to see that he was gazing after the young detective, a sorrowful expression of his face.
--
Okay, so I'm starting yet another multi-chapter fic. Hopefully it will go well and I'll remember to update. Reviews will help with that. XD