Beyond the Shattered Glass

By Raining Dreams

She's speaking: Yep. Numbah three. I'm so proud of myself. This is going to be very angsty in some parts, and very happy in others. Get used to it. Blame it on me listening to far too much Aqua mixed with AFI.

Note: This is set in 2007, but I will be using modern songs and such for the sheer sake of I don't know what the HELL 2007 will be like XD Another thing: I'm not sure if all my names are correct in this, as I haven't gotten to watch much of the show lately. I'm still not using the proper names. Stupid adult swim dubbing has me all confuzzled. I also know all my information concerning the Olympics isn't accurate. Humor me here, folks.

Disclaimer: I don't have enough money for a comic book. You think I OWN Detective Conan? Pfft. Moron.

Beyond the Shattered Glass: File 1

Jimmy Kudo sat at Professor Agasa's kitchen table, head in his hands, coffee steaming his face gently. It was obvious he was having a particularly stressed day. Nothing had triggered it. He was just...stressed. Agasa walked timidly in, staring at the young man for a moment.

It had been nearly four years since he had last had any communication with Rachel. Her mother had received full custody of her when her father was discovered driving under the influence with both her and Conan in the car and they'd been involved in a wreck. She'd been nearly nineteen when they left for America to start a new life for themselves. Rachel had been so reluctant to leave her precious Conan, but she'd been forced to. She'd been upset about leaving Jimmy, as well.

How could she have known, though, that the person she'd been wanted to see so badly before she left had been there all along. Ai had since found a cure to her drug, and so here he was. A miserable twenty-three year old sitting at a family friend's table, thinking about how much he hated his life over re-heated, cheap coffee. The professor stood for a moment, before clearing his throat to bring the boy from thought.

"Jimmy. An old friend got me tickets to America. Would you be interested...? You need a vacation." he shrugged.

"Whatever, doc."

"Excellent. Go pack. We leave tonight."

The plane flights were long, and the switches were tedious. Jimmy stared nonchalantly out the window, watching as they soared over seas of fluffy plums, blues, and golds. Almost the whole flight was like this, due to the time difference. Several flight attendants flirted profoundly with the boy, but he ignored them. After all, one of the key elements in his depression was Rachel being absent from his life.

He'd been told loads of times that he needed to give up and move on, but he just couldn't do that. He couldn't. And secretly, while he wished Rachel was happy, he wanted her to miss him terribly as well. He almost hoped she was miserable without him. But then he'd think about what he was saying and felt worse for wishing something so awful on her. He got the nagging feeling he was being driven insane by this. They arrived in somewhere called Charlotte, West Virginia, and stayed the night, before reaching their final destination of Denver, Colorado the next day.

They were staying in a mediocre hotel. Not bad, but not great. It had a pair of twin beds, a kitchenette, a bathroom, and a tv. Nothing extravagant. Jimmy sighed, plopping down onto his bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

Across town...

"Rachel!! Come on!" Eri Moore called upstairs. "You know they don't keep the gym closed for you for long!"

"I'm coming mom! Honestly!!" Came the voice from a rather pretty twenty-two year old. The figure of Rachel Moore bounded down the stairs, dark brown locks tied messily from her face in a loose ponytail. She still acted like she was fourteen. Eri smiled softly at her rambunctious daughter.

"Let's go." she said, jingling keys around one finger. They left the house, Rachel fiddling with her karate uniform sleeves idly in the backseat. She had the rights to act childish, though. After all: She was the main interest of the US Olympic Karate team at the moment. The press was having a FIELD DAY with the young champion. This in turn meant a steady flow of royalties and interview fees for Rachel and her mother. Neither could have been more pleased over this, either. Rachel got spending money and Eri didn't have to work as much.

"Don't forget to go to sleep EARLY tonight, Rachel." Eri chided. "You have the public training session in the morning, remember?" she parked in front of an empty gym.

"I know, mom. I know." Rachel yawned, jumping out and jogging to the building, walking onto the mat the staff had laid out for her, instantly flipping to attack the dummy that was set up. She was showing off a bit in doing it, yes, but watching the weekly secretary gape at her NEVER got old. She smirked, bringing it to the ground. She continued her workout, finishing cleanly, face flushed, smiling. She loved her life. She got paid and received star status from doing the thing she loved. But there was one vital thing missing...

She clambored back into the reinforced, tinted SUV's backseat, staring outside longingly. She watched every boy pass, hoping that MAYBE, just maybe, she'd see the one face she wanted to see...

At the hotel...

Jimmy awoke blearily, finally decided to go for a walk when he discovered he could no longer sleep. "Stupid insomnia..." he murmured, pulling a clean shirt of over his head and giving his hair a quick comb, attempting to have it sit flat but failing miserably. Maybe he'd run into Rachel... it was so unlikely, but maybe....just maybe. He could hope.

He slid one card key off of the night stand, scribbling down a note to Professor Agasa, wandering out. Several more girls gawked and giggled as he passed despite his ragamuffin look. He pushed out the doors, digging his hands into his pocket, the late summer air contrasting drastically with the chilly hotel's air. He paused to give a shudder to adjust himself, before joining the bustle down the sidewalk. He stopped at a corner, waiting for the walk light to turn. He looked around idly, looking for her just in case. That's when something caught his eye. He wasn't sure why it did, but as a silver SUV with tinted windows passed, he couldn't help but crane his head to stare for a moment, before returning his attention the the changing light and starting off.

In the car...

Rachel stopped dead, craning her head around in attempts to get a better look at a boy she'd seen on the corner. She felt her cheeks flush, her heart missing a beat or two. A soft, hopeful smile curled over her lips, childlike wonder spreading over her features. Jimmy!!! She glanced around furiously, unclicking her seatbelt so she could look out the back. Eri glanced back and sighed. "Rachel, sit down and put your seatbelt back on. If I've told you once, I've told you a million times. He's not here. He's never going to be here."

Rachel opened her mouth to protest, but decided against it. Mom was being nice in letting her live with her and being her personal chauffeur and agent, after all. She sunk off her knees, pulling her seatbelt on, looking back one last time before giving up and returning to staring out the window, mouthing along to the easy listening (It was Break Away by Kelly Clarkson at the moment.) her mother insisted on playing. Something about it being calming and better than all this new techno-rap stuff the youth was currently listening to...

At the hotel...

Jimmy sighed, coming back and sleeping on and off for several hours. He was having the most bizarre dreams... In one, Rachel had married that Dr. Araide character, and they'd made him their best man for the renewing of their vows. Needless to say, THAT was a bad dream. In another, he was being chased by giant muffins Professor Agasa had made... Well, you get the picture. One nightmare after another. He finally gave up, getting up and flipping the television on at roughly 7:30 the next morning. He went into the connecting hallway, using the mini coffee-maker to get himself a cup of coffee, walking back into the "living room" so he wouldn't wake the Professor, whom was snoring loudly in the next room. He flipped the channels until one thing made him stop. He had been reclining, but when he saw what he saw, he bolted up, spitting out the mouthful of the caffeine-filled drink he'd collected after various sips...

Yay...: Well.... it's FAIRLY long o.o; Yeah. This is going to be really fun to write... I'm excited. I'm finally halfway adjusting to Highschool. I still hate it with a fiery passion, but I've figured out how to juggle it so I can deposit and pick up text books easily, and I get most of my homework done during the school day. It's getting better, I guess. I still hate 99.5 percent of the student body, and only really ENJOY one teacher. I'll survive, though. I think. I hope. I just talk to my bestest friends every afternoon and am going to try to see them every weekend.