Summary: VOLULEM 26 SPOILER "What would you do if you were me? What is the right thing to do?' In the aftermath of a battle that's left Shinichi unconcious and Ran with the truth, Hattori Heiji gives the Detective of the East the answer to the question he was once asked.

What He Would Do...

What would you do if you were me?

What is the right thing to do?

Heiji knew that there was going to be trouble ever since he had discovered the not-so-childish-kid's secret. That seemed to be a given. But he wasn't sure wether or not he was prepared to face the task at hand. Heiji had told Kudo, whenever he got the chance, what he thought, but the now 7 year old had seemingly brushed the suggestions away. Of course, for Heiji, it was understandable. Only to a certain extent though. It was obvious from the beginning that the situation would arise. There had been many close calls, very close, and Kudo had somehow gotten himself out of every single one of them.

"That was just alot of dumb luck." Heiji muttered to himself.

He looked at the teenager laying unconcious in the bed beside him. Spiky brown hair was limp from sweat, clinging to his pale forehead. His chest heaved up and down as rough coughing emitted from his mouth. Heiji didn't like the state that his best friend was in but at the moment, there was nothing more anyone could do for him. So Heiji decided he would keep watch until the rival detective could wake up. Because that was what best friends do.

"Or maybe sleeping a little longer wouldn't hurt." Heiji said to the unresponsive figure jokingly. "Chances are you're going to be killed as soon as you wake up." It was a half-hearted attempt, but it seemed to satisfy him as he continued to let his thoughts piece themselves into spoken words.

"Pretty bad situation you got yourself in this time Kudo. Have you noticed that you seem to have the worst stream of karma from Tokyo to Osaka? I doubt anyone else is as jinxed as you are." He chuckled. "Maybe one of the guys you've sent to jail put a curse on you. I should've gotten Kazuha to make you a charm."

Still the boy continued to sleep.

It was starting to get to Heiji. Talking to an unconcious person was just plain stupid. There were two people outside the hospital room in tears at the moment, one in a state of anger and sorrow. And instead of being out there, calming them down, Heiji was talking to a person who was in a state themselves. A state of comatose.

Heiji sighed, right hand running through his bangs distractedly.

"Well at least now he can tell her without being afraid of that damn syndicate." he muttered.

In all honesty, Heiji was really struggling with sympathy over Shinichi's situation with Ran. He had told him that he should just come clean. But Kudo was just as, if not more so stubborn than Heiji, especially when it involved his childhood friend. Sympathy may have been limited, but it was still there. The kansai detective figured at least he had kept it a secret because he was worried over her. Still, the thought that she would have been less devasted had she been in the know from the beginning would not leave his mind. It was a sad state of affairs the two were in and Heiji was playing witness to it.

"You've really screwed yourself over this time." A frustrated sigh left him, hands ruffling the hair on his head viciously.

"You got that right."

Heiji looked up, seeing Shinichi sit up with a hand to his forehead. His eyes were shadowed, his face weary. Heiji really didn't have to remind the detective of east of his mistakes, but then again, Heiji had never been one known for his sensitivity or finesse. So with his mind set on getting his bit in, Heiji opened his mouth-

"Shut-up Hattori. I KNOW."

Heiji sat there for a moment, dumbstruck with his mouth still wide before he scowled and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Hell Kudo. The least you could say is thank you for saving your ass from nee-chan's fury."

A defeated sigh left Shinichi then. His whole body was limp, shoulders drooping. His downcast eyes were in conflict and his hair was in disarray. Contrast to his usual cool and suave demeanor, Kudo Shinichi made for a pretty pathetic picture at that moment.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

That stopped Heiji from his pouting and to grow into concern, or as close to concern as he would ever show.

"You all right Kudo?"

Shinichi gave him a withering look. "Please don't tell me you need me to answer that Hattori."

Heiji shrugged and looked away. Shinichi stared down at his hands. It had been inevitable, he admitted to himself. No matter how much he wanted to hide the truth, to keep her safe, it would have gotten out sooner or later. He just...He wanted to keep her safe for as long as he could, even at the risk that she would hate him. He had to make sure she was alive, or he would never forgive himself.

The kansai detective shook his head. Now that Kudo was awake, there was going to be some explaining to do. And Heiji knew he was definetly going to be grilled by Kazuha for the whole thing. He had known. He had kept it a secret. He had helped fool Ran time after time. He was nearly just as much to blame as Kudo himself.

"I'm sorry Heiji."

His head shot up, shocked at what he had just heard. That was the first time Kudo had ever called him by his first name. It was strange, to say the least. Not only that, but the raw apology in his rival's voice had Heiji staring at him as if he were some unknown form of life. Where'd had all this come from?

"Hell Kudo, for what?"

Shinichi looked down. "For getting you involved. And I already know you would've gotten into this whole case without me," he added when Heiji had opened his mouth to retort. "I know. You would've found about them sooner or later and would've tried to find out all you could about them. That's not why I'm sorry."

Heiji was speechless, struck by a bout of confusion. Never had he come across a person like Kudo Shinichi before. Never before had he felt so much sympathy, pity, and remorse for on single person. He had seen so many instances, cases, where a person would suffer terribly, but none could compare to the hurt and pain Heiji was seeing in his best friends face now. None.

Finally Shinichi brought his head up. "I'm sorry for making you lie, trick, and hurt people just to keep my secret. If I'd had another choice, I wouldn't have involved you in that."

Blankness swamped through the detective of the west. What could he say to that? He'd never felt at such a loss of words as he was now. His silence only contributed to admitting Shinichi was right, and Heiji didn't want to accept that. Wouldn't he have done the same for him if their situations were switched?

Then Heiji understood. And he needed to let Kudo know.

"Don't apologize Kudo. Don't." He fixed the other man with a sharp gaze. "You once asked me what I would do if it were me. You asked me what was the right thing to do. And now I'm going to tell you my answer."

Shinichi's eyebrows rose but he didn't say anything. Heiji took it as a silent invitation to continue. He rose from his sitting position and squared his shoulders, staring down his rival, best friend, and partner.

"I would have done it. Everything you did, the lies, the hiding, all of it. I would have done it all. To protect everyone around me. I would have decieved them all. " His hands fisted, not in anger, but in determination to make sure Kudo understood. "And you would have done what I've done for you. I don't doubt that. Not one bit. Doesn't matter who it was, me or you, we would've done everything the same way. Because that's who we are Kudo. No sense in apologizing for it. Not for doing what we had to do."

Shinichi gazed at him for a long time, eyes portraying nothing, not the pain, the appreciation, remorse, or shock he felt. He was just surprised at the tanned young man's words. Never would he have expected that from Hattori Heiji, and hearing it made Shinichi feel as if he could face Ran now and explain everything without regrets. Because of Heiji.

He smiled, a true genuine smile, smiled in wordless thanks to his rival, best friend, and partner.

"Thanks Hattori."

OWARI
I feel bad saying this, but I am desperate for NICE reviews. Look, if it was bad, then say so, just please don't scream at me. If it's good, please tell me. I'll never get better if I keep posting horrible things. Although I will say that I do like this piece. I really do. I deleted it but realized I shouldn't have. I decided not to change a thing.

This was my first time EVER writing out such a piece from Heiji's point of view. And the fact that I had none of the girls show up, only mentioned, shows that I'm starting to challenge myself because I almost always include females in what I write. I'm just not used to writing guy only works. So it was my first try.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.