Don't own Detective Conan or its characters, so don't sue! If I owned the series, it would have ended already so that Ran and Shinichi can finally get together.

Notes:

"Niichan" means "Big Brother", and is often used by small children when referring to someone older than them that isn't yet an adult, like a teenager.

Warning:

This chapter, and some future chapters, contain some content that can be classified as 'disturbing' since it deals with children homicides. That can bother anyone (even me, and I wrote the blasted thing), but if you think you'll be disturbed by it, then DON'T READ.

The Ten Year Old Memory

Chapter 1

His head hurt, and he felt something trickle down the side of his face. He figured it was either blood or sweat. When he opened his eyes, he realized why he couldn't move his arms…they had been tied behind his back as he sat slumped against a cold wall.

Where was he?

How had he gotten there?

He didn't remember.

A glance around the room told him that it was small…perhaps the size of a storage closet. It was too dark to discern anything else in the room, and the only source of light was a small sliver that came through the doorway across from him.

Right…he had been in the park, practicing soccer…

…

…

…then what?

Pain.

Yea…there was pain.

Did someone knock him out and bring him to this place?

That was the logical explanation.

Even at eight years old, he was ahead of his time. A month ago, he had solved a complex puzzle given to him at school. Even Agasa couldn't solve it, nor could the police or Ran's father, whom they had met along the way.

But he did.

So, he was able to figure things out.

If he had been playing in the park, then was hit on the head and dragged here…

…it meant he had been kidnapped.

But who would do that?

Though his ears were still ringing a bit, he made out the sounds of footsteps as they drew closer. Heavy footsteps…an adult.

As some of the light beyond the door was obscured by a pair of boots, he had a feeling that he would very soon find out what he had been wondering.

The knob turned…

***

Shinichi woke up with a start, and sat up just as fast. Sweat rolled down his forehead as he panted for breath. After a moment, he realized that he was at home, in bed, and it was the early hours of the morning.

The teen looked out the window of his room. It's been two months since I returned to normal. I spent a good third of that time in the hospital after Hattori, Kuroba, and I went after the Organization. Even with the FBI there, it got ugly.

He had dreams about it off and in for the first month he had returned to normal. Sometimes, he would wake up in a silent panic and wonder if the destruction of the Black Organization was all a dream, and he was still trapped in the body of a seven year old child.

He didn't tell anyone about his panic attacks, though he had a feeling that his parents knew about them.

That's right…his parents had returned home when they heard from Agasa about the defeat of the Black Organization…and that their son was in the hospital.

Sometimes, they still traveled around, but his mother, Yukiko, seemed a little more reluctant to leave him now.

Perhaps they did know about his nightly panic attacks.

Seeing dead bodies didn't bother him. Seeing a murder didn't bother him.

Well, it did bother him, but not enough to let his emotions override his analytical side.

But the dreams…they were enough to unsettle him. The first couple times they happened after he left the hospital, he had to check himself in the mirror to make sure that he was Shinichi and not Conan.

It was real, though…the defeat of the Organization, his time in the hospital, the fear that ran through him after the dreams……and that he had confessed his feelings for Ran a few weeks ago.

After that, the panic attacks had been curbed slightly.

So, it was strange that he would get something like them, though he did have them once in a while.

But this wasn't the usual nightmare dealing with the Black Organization.

Shinichi frowned as he stared at the blinds that covered his window. What was that? I don't remember much of it…being trapped, fear…that's what I remember. Trying to reason something about a kidnapping…

Maybe it was just another figment of his imagination that his mind had cooked up.

Shinichi sighed and lay back down. I wouldn't be surprised. I'm not as stressed as I was for the past three months…that went down when I told Ran I love her. But it all still happened, so there's a lingering trauma even if I deny it.

And, he knew very well that stress could instigate fear and anxiety, as well as lower the immune system.

Shinichi ran a hand through his hair. But, still…usually, in the dreams of the Organization, I see them in it. Not just as a pair of boots on the other side of the door.

He'd had nightmares where he'd be captured by them, either as Conan or Shinichi, but every time it happened, they were in plain view.

And, he would vividly remember the dream when he woke up, too.

This time…the details were fading more and more as time went by since he woke up.

Shinichi sighed and closed his eyes. I guess I'll try to go back to sleep, then. I've got another two hours before I have to get up for school. It was just a weird dream. Nothing to think more of.

"Ya~wn!"

Ran giggled as she peered over at her classmate/friend/lover. "Up late reading, Shinichi?"

Shinichi grinned in response. By the time he had woken up again, he had just about forgotten the nightmare. So, his daily routine went uninterrupted, and he met up with Ran so they could walk to school together.

"Holmes again? Or another detective novel?" Ran teased him. She held nothing against him when he confessed everything to her in the time he was 'missing'. She had found out about him being in the hospital from Kazuha, who had been visiting Heiji…

But she couldn't bring herself to visit him when he was awake. It was about a week after he had been discharged from the hospital that he called to meet with her, and told her everything.

If anything, the information had served to deepen their bond.

That, and Ran found something that Shinichi was afraid of. A couple things, actually. He had been afraid of the Organization, afraid of anyone he knew getting hurt…and, he was afraid that she would hate him.

For Ran, that was actually what allowed herself to forgive him. As odd as it sounds.

"Nah…just thinking about this and that, and didn't realize the time…" Shinichi finally responded.

"Ah…thinking about what?" Ran prodded him for information.

"N-nothing!" Shinichi stammered. I can't tell her that it was a nightmare that woke me up…how lame is that?

After all…he didn't even tell her about the nightmares he'd had about the Black Organization.

"Uh, huh…" Ran's tone was disbelieving.

Shinichi scratched his head and looked away, then stopped.

"Shinichi?" Ran questioned when she saw his gaze harden.

They had been passing by some houses, including one that was said to be haunted and thus, nobody had lived there for over five years.

Yet, Shinichi saw something move behind the windows…a glimmer of light off a metallic object…

The scream was muffled, but the two still heard it because Shinichi had gestured for them to be silent.

In an instant, Shinichi took off towards the house, with Ran on his tail.

When Shinichi reached the window, he could see the figure…a lanky person dressed in a dirty overcoat with an equally dirty hat and a pair of boots…a knife in his hand as he held his victim against the wall.

And the victim…

Shinichi shouted at Ran as he pulled his fist back. "Ran! Call the police and an ambulance! And, don't come in!"

Ran skidded to a halt and nodded.

Shinichi smashed through the window as Ran pulled her cellphone out, then he pulled himself through with a shout.

The guy inside turned towards him, but in the dim light, Shinichi couldn't see the guy's features. Then, the guy turned and ran rather than go at Shinichi.

Shinichi was about to follow, when he heard a gasping breath from the spot he had just passed when he went to chase the criminal, and looked down with wide eyes.

It was a child, perhaps about ten years of age. He had short black hair and a scuffed up sweatshirt that was covered in blood, along with a pair of jeans with socks and sneakers.

He was still alive.

Shinichi dropped to his knees in front of the boy to assess the damage. "Hey! Can you hear me?"

The boy turned towards the voice, tears in his eyes. "H…hurts…"

"I know…" Shinichi pulled off his school jacket and wound it around the boy's chest and back to try and staunch some of the blood flow. A kid…of all the murderers I've dealt with, to a kid…

"I'm scared…"

"It'll be alright," Shinichi assured the boy as he tied off the jacket.

The jacket, which immediately soaked through with blood.

Shinichi swore to himself. Dammit…he's losing too much blood too quickly. He was stabbed in the stomach and again in the shoulder…it might have missed his heart, but the stomach wound might have hit vital organs…

The boy coughed harshly, and blood flew from his mouth when he did.

The cold realization hit Shinichi with a shiver down his spine.

He's dying.

The boy sobbed as he clung to Shinichi's shirt cuff. "N-niichan…"

Shinichi sat down and gently moved the boy onto his lap. "It's alright. Don't be scared. Say, what's your name?"

"S-Souji Yuuichiro."

"Yuuichiro-chan, then?" Shinichi managed to smile for the boy. The only thing I can do now…is try to ease his fear and keep him company. Maybe the ambulance will arrive in time…I can only hope…

"N-niichan wa…?"

"Kudou Shinichi."

Yuuichiro smiled weakly. "I h-heard of y-you, niichan…"

"Yea?"

"N-niichan…? Am…am I gonna die?"

Shinichi's eyes went wide.

Yuuichiro coughed, which brought up some blood as his hazy eyes focused on Shinichi's pale face. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he gripped weakly onto the presence of the teen that held him. "It hurts…but not as bad…as before. I d-don't wanna die…"

Shinichi gently cradled the boy in a hug. "I don't know. There's an ambulance on the way…"

"Mama…was gonna pay. He said…I was useless, now. I…" Yuuichiro coughed again, which produced more blood.

Shinichi just sat there silently as he tried to comfort the boy. A kidnapping. That man kidnapped him, and made a deal to exchange money for the kid…but killed the boy.

It would be the second case within two weeks of a child that was kidnapped that turned up dead after the parents agreed to pay the ransom. The police wouldn't even tell Shinichi the details about the case, which baffled the teen.

"I…don't wanna…be alone…"

"You're not alone. Niichan is with you," Shinichi replied quietly.

More tears. "But…if I die…I'll be alone…"

"You won't. I'm sure there's someone that will be with you."

Yuuichiro seemed to think about that, then sniffled. "Grandma…she died last year. Will…will she know me…?"

"Yea. She'll be there to welcome you with open arms." Shinichi pushed down the emotions that swelled within him. Of all the things he had to do as a detective, this was the hardest.

It wasn't the first time he had arrived at a scene too late. Not the first time he had to sit next to someone as they died. In fact, Haibara's sister had passed away right next to him after talking to him.

But it was different, now.

This was just a boy.

A boy that was no older than ten years.

A boy that clung to him as he held him in his lap…he couldn't do that with Akemi Miyano.

Yuuichiro seemed to take comfort in Shinichi's words, and smiled. "I…won't be alone, then……niichan?"

"No…you won't." His throat constricted slightly.

Yuuichiro's eyes started to slide shut. "It…doesn't hurt…anymore, niichan."

Shinichi could faintly hear the sounds of sirens headed their way, but he knew, despite not wanting to believe it, that it was too late.

"Niichan…"

Shinichi held the boy securely, and gave him a nod as he mustered up a smile. It was painful, but the least he could do was assure the boy. To make sure the boy wasn't scared when he left.

Yuuichiro smiled again. "…thank you, niichan."

Shinichi's eyes widened as the boy's grip on his shirt slackened…and then, gave way completely.

If it weren't for the blood and the lack of breath, one would have thought the child simply fell asleep.

But Shinichi knew better. He knew the child wasn't just asleep. He also knew that no amount of CPR would revive the boy.

"…thank you, niichan."

The sound of Shinichi's anguished cry for the child was drowned out by the sounds of the ambulance and patrol cars that pulled up to the building.

TO BE CONTINUED…