Obsession
Summary: Sherry's reflecting on past events while "on the run." All I'm gonna say. Read on to find out more. ;-P
Sherry's eyes snapped open. She hadn't been sleeping, only thinking. She never slept anymore. She sighed. Gin… He was often the subject of her thoughts, even after all these months. And months it had been. Months of running from him. Months as Haibara. Months that she hadn't seen him for…
Sometimes she was elated at her own freedom, but sometimes, she'd almost wished to be back with the organization. It had been so much easier back then. Develop lethal and undetectable poisons, keep the syndicate happy, live. Betray them, and die. Now, she was on her own. She never knew who she could trust to betray her, who she could trust not to, and she had to keep all those around her from the wrath of the syndicate, as well. Like Shinichi. She sighed. He was just as old as she was, and yet there was still that innocence, that lost-little-child air about him. She had to keep them safe at all cost. Even if it meant cutting her own ties with the rest of the world.
The next day, she'd made up her mind. She destroyed all her work, all her notes, and carefully made her bed. Gathering up her few possessions, she packed them all into her schoolbag, leaving her schoolbooks on top. Then she left. She didn't look back.
She made her way to the bus stop, carefully looked around, and dumped her schoolbooks into the bin before boarding the bus. The driver looked at her oddly when she dropped her money into the slot. Well, how many seven-year-olds do you see on a bus going out of town at 6:30am on a Wednesday alone?
She kept her face carefully hidden under her hood as she made her way to the back of the bus. She sat down near the window and watched the snow lazily drifting from the sky, only half-visible in the dark. The sun hasn't risen yet, she thought. And I doubt mine ever will. Oh, Gin, how right you were when you said no one else would ever want me.
She had been sixteen then.
"Even if I left you, Sherry, you would have nowhere to go." Gin's eyes had remained stubbornly cold, although his smile told a completely different story. It had been sad and full of pain, as if he was remembering his past.
She had smiled back. But it had been a smile full of disbelief, one that had almost believed him but didn't quite want to admit it just yet.
"No one else would ever want you. By taking you in, we did you a favour."
She had been hurt by that. She had refused to believe that it was true. But now, she was not so sure.
She stared at the face faintly reflected in the window. Yes, Gin. You were right. Who would want me?
Her grey eyes reflected pain and sorrow, but also determination. Determination to not hurt anyone else in her flight. No one would have believed it if they had seen her now, disguised from her pursuers in the body of a seven-year-old.
Haibara Ai stayed on the bus until it reached its destination, all the way at the outskirts of Tokyo. She left with the bus. The girl who got off there had discarded her, like an old, holey jacket.
She wandered around the small town aimlessly, wondering what to do next. She found a small café called "Café Ishiguro" and went in. She immediately regretted doing so. Heads turned around as soon as she entered.
"Hey! Little red riding hood! Shouldn't you be in school?" An ugly old man with a fat mug leered at her. She had to take several deep breaths before she could resist punching in his nose.
That's how she ended up in the local police station, trying to explain to three obviously disbelieving cops what she was doing out of school on Wednesday morning. They eventually gave up and filed it as a runaway, due to lack of cooperation. It didn't help things that her attention kept wandering to the snow drifting outside. She'd always loved the snow, even when she was a small child. It was so clean and pure, so bright and yet so cold. She watched the snow fall from the sky, untainted by the mark of humanity.
---
Snow. It's snowing again. That's five times in the past three days. Sherry… You loved the snow. I can still see the joy in your face when you step out into crisp untouched snow? Why couldn't you be here with me, watching it fall?
---
And falling they were. The one who had been known as Sherry smiled faintly, a humourless smile that chilled the hearts of the three policemen in front of her. How like he was to Lucifer, who had been the morning star before falling to unfathomable depths.
Do you believe in God, Gin? 'Cause if you did, you must feel like you've been betrayed by him, akin to the hurt Lucifer felt when God cast him down into the flames of Hell.
---
Do you believe in God?
That's what Sherry had asked him nearly three years ago, as they were watching the snow fall, on a day exactly like this. It brought back memories, ones he did not necessarily want to remember.
Do I?
A/N: Thanks to everyone who's reviewed this. I know I said this was a one shot, but... Being threatened by Shinichi, Heiji, and Sonoko together is a very tramatizing experience. Heh.
Please review?
Gin: What the f--- was that all about? There's no way I would be caught dead thinking that kind of thoughts!
Sherry: And there's no way I would still love that cold-hearted assasin, he's a bloody git!
(they threaten author under gunpoint)
Ok, ok... I'll admit I wasn't very happy with the turnout of this chapter... Gin is too sentimetal and Sherry is too soft. I'm going to fix that in the next chapter - Hopefully.
