There was something to be said, Shinichi thought, about a person who could kill as cold heartedly as this man had done.

Four bodies were littered across the floor, all boys whose ages ranged from four to nine. The oldest was a sandy blonde haired child. His small body showed signs of immense strength, which was no doubt the effect of his constant participation in sports. His mother had shown the police several photographs taken with his championship baseball team, happy, healthy, and as bright as the sun in the background. Elliot, named after his grandfather, who was of English decent, had been brutally suffocated to the point of blood being spewed from his mouth.

His younger brothers were in similar conditions.

The second oldest, six year old Akio, had his throat encased in his winter scarf. He had not bled like his Niisan had, but he had thrown up. Forensics said the bile on the floor had been chicken nuggets mixed in with mashed potatoes and chocolate milk. Shinichi almost winced when he realized that it must have been the boy's final meal. It was the lunch he had eaten at school while talking to his friends about how he could get out of doing his homework, and what he could be doing after the final bell rang out.

The two youngest, a set of four year old twins, Alexander and Shinbou, had suffered the least, or at least that was what the police assumed. They had been knocked unconscious due to the aid of a cloth bathed in chloroform. Then they had been smothered with the same large goose feather pillow. The two had died in their sleep, tiny hands interlaced as if the twins had comforted each other before their final moments came to an end.

The culprit? The children's father Simon Wilfred.

Shinichi had to admit, adults killing children was not too odd in this day and age. The odd part was that the blood parent of said child had been the one to do the killing. But it had happened in the states before. Hakuba had mentioned quite a few cases where mothers had gotten rid of their children. Some because they were desperate to keep an affair going, some because of sudden bouts of insanity, some because the culprit was a fuse waiting to blow, but this case was odder still.

For one thing there was no affair, and these children legitimately belonged to both of their parents, who had never been unfaithful to the other. The man who had committed the crime was perfectly sane, or as sane as a man who murdered his children could possibly be. There was no history of mental instabilities and no prior record of violence against anyone around him. His record was clean, his hands were even cleaner.

So why had he done this?

That had been the harsh question the Heisei Holmes demanded once he had pointed Simon out as the killer. He had also asked why he had so viciously murdered his sons, his pride and joys, but hadn't touched his three month old daughter.

Simon said he loved his wife, and he loved having his wife all to himself. He was jealous of his children. She spent day after day caring for the little ones while he had begun to fall by the waste side. In his eyes they were hogging all of her attention, and he had to find a way to fix that. So that morning he offered to take care of the kids for the afternoon, with every intention of getting rid of his competition.

Elliot had been the first to sense his father's deadly intentions. He had screamed, cried, kicked, and forced his father to grab at him first while his brothers took his little sister and ran. Elliot had put up the fight of his young life, and it took fifteen minutes before he finally went limp. It was then that his body started convulsing, and it was then that the blood had come out of his throat.

Akio had been caught at the stairway to the attic. His younger brothers and sister had fled to the uppermost section of the house, but they needed time to lock the door. Akio, taking after his brother's example, fought against his father. He had obviously cried a lot more, and he must have experienced a higher sense of panic, because it did not take long for him to vomit all over himself. Simon had been unable to grab hold of his neck long enough to strangle the little boy. In a last ditch effort to finish the job he picked up the closest thing at hand, the scarf, and wrapped it tightly around the boys neck until his son had stopped breathing.

The twins, meanwhile, had managed to lock the door. But they must have known it would not hold. Moments after their brothers had been killed they found a fish tank covered in some linen sheets. They used it as a hiding spot for their younger sister. When Simon broke down the door those two were all he could see. He had finished them off as quickly as he could, using the chloroform he had planned to use on all of them, if not for his oldest son, before smothering them with one of the pillows in the attic.

Shinichi asked again why he had left the little girl alone. Why had her life been spared?

Simon claimed that that had not been his intention. Three months old Eve had been next on the list. But by this point in time he had caused too much of a ruckus, causing the neighbors to come banging at the door, so he had been forced to jump ship and try to run before he could finish off his daughter.

Shinichi had been utterly disgusted, especially when Simon's wife started begging the police not to take him away. The Detective of the East could not understand how she could still care for that man. The man who had murdered four of her kids all because of some childish jealously, and yet she still gave him her sympathy. It was so pathetic it made him sick to his stomach. It made him so terribly angry that he had been forced to sit down away from the arresting officers, lest he take it upon himself to knock some sense into someone.

About five minutes later his downward gaze was obstructed by a small chubby face. The smile, though upside down, was bright enough to lighten his mood immensely.

"Don't be angry uncle Ichi." A childlike voice said as tiny fingers went out to touch his face. "I luv you!"

Shinichi could not help but smile. Sitting up straight he took hold of the baby being held out to him, little two month old Eve, before smiling at the one who had given her a voice. "Thanks Kaito."

Said magician smiled warmly before patting the detective on the back. "No worries Shin-Chan. Anything to make you happy."

Shinichi felt the seat next to him dip slightly as Hakuba took a seat beside him on the couch. In his hands was a mu filled with coffee that must have been made especially for his depressed friend if its smell was anything to go by. It was Shinichi's favorite brand.

"Is that for me?"

Hakuba nodded. "I hate to say it, but you looked like you needed it Kudo-Kun."

"Shinichi." The eastern detective corrected. "I told you it was fine if you called me Shinichi."

That brought a smile to the blondes face. "Very well Shinichi." He offered up the mug in his hands. "Care for a drink?"

Shinichi wondered if he could handle holding onto the little girl and his hot drink at the same time. It didn't sound very safe, and he doubted her mother would appreciate it. Then again, she did manage to forgive the man who had basically slaughtered Eve's older brothers, so maybe her mother wouldn't mind all that much after all.

Before his mind could remind him angry he had been seconds earlier, he felt two hands gently lift the girl from his lap and into their arms. Upon further inspection he realized it was Hattori, the last member of his small group that had attended this small tragedy.

"Drink yer coffee Kudo. I got her."

"You sure?"

"Sure I'm sure." He bounced the little girl up and down. Little squeals of delight soon filled the immediate area.

Shinichi gave a brief thanks before gulping down the cup of liquid he so desperately craved. It was oddly soothing. Having something warm go down his throat as happy little laughs filled the air surrounding him. With Hattori's helpful mood, Hakuba's reassuring attitude, and Kaito's ever joyful aura, it was hard to stay upset. Even though the case was still fresh in his heart, Shinichi found it a bit easier to relax.

He smiled when Hattori brought Eve down to the floor and began moving her around as though she were dancing. Kaito then started to sing while Hakuba chimed in with the tune. Little Eve laughed as though everything were right in the world. Had Shinichi not known the horrifying truth, he would have believed so too.

"I wonder what will happen next." He didn't realize he had spoken out loud until he saw his friends' questioning gazes on him. "To Eve I mean. Her brothers are dead, her father's going to jail, and her mother's still in love with a murderer."

Hakuba placed a comforting hand on Shinichi's shoulder. "I'll admit it is a bit disheartening. I can't imagine caring about someone who killed my children."

Hattori somberly sat down on the floor in front of the couch. "Maybe it's because he killed them that she can't help but love him. I mean, her kids are gone, and if she wants more he's her best shot."

Shinichi had a hard time accepting that excuse. "If she wanted more children she could find someone better than that sperm donor. Besides," His eyes traveled to the little girl now playing with Hattori's hat. "She's still got one left."

"She might not be enough Kudo. It's easier to lose one than it is to lose all but one."

In some part of Shinichi's mind that argument made sense. To lose everything in the world save for one single object of affection was almost bittersweet. That one object would be a constant reminder of all you had last. Its simple presence was enough to cause you sweet torment. Enough to make you regret ever keeping it at all, because a part of you felt as though it was mocking you by making you realize that you needed it.

Would Eve's mother come to resent her? She might not be enough to compensate for her four brothers. And since she was the youngest Eve did not have the longest bonding time with her mother. It would be all too easy for her to be forgotten.

"That's not fair."

Hattori gave him a sympathetic look. "Murder's never fair Kudo, and neither is the sorrow that happens after it."

There was the sound of feet stomping across the carpeted floor, and out of the corner of his eye Shinichi could see Kaito rise to his full height. There was a scowl on his face as the magician started to shake his head in disappointment, which was probably aimed at the three detectives.

"What is the matter with you guys?" All he got for an answer was three equally confused stares. "Here we are, amidst the chaos of a murder, standing in the room with what is basically the only survivor left, with a golden opportunity to fix what her father destroyed --"

"Can we get to the point Kuroba?" Hakuba asked bluntly. "I do believe your maze of a speech might be making Shinichi feel worse, and slightly dizzy." The detective knew he was setting himself up for another few days of relentless pranking at the hands of one Kaito Kuroba, but it was worth it to hear Shinichi's small concealed chuckle.

"What I mean is," Kaito said glaring at the British detective. "We can do something about this."

Shinichi smiled sadly. "We can't fix this Kaito." He leaned backed into the semi soft cushions of the sofa. "There isn't anything I can think of that would help." He sighed. He suddenly felt very tired. "Her brothers are gone, her father wanted her dead, and her mother will probably never give her the attention she needs."

"Well, we can't do much about her parents, but we can give her some new brothers."

Hattori looked more confused than ever. "How? You think the mom will want to have more?"

"No. But what about us?"

The western detective simply gaped. "I aint' got what it takes to make them."

Kaito rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant! Geez for a detective you can be really stupid."

Hattori responded by sticking out his tongue.

"So what did you mean Kuroba?"

"We could be her brothers."

The room was engulfed in a stunned silence. The three detectives looked from one another, down to the little girl who continued to play with Hattori's hat, back to the magician who was smiling broadly.

Shinichi had just one question. "How?"

Kaito flopped down to the floor next to Hattori. Eve took notice of her new visitor. She reached out her tiny arms, using small gurgled noises to make a request. Always the doting gentleman, Kaito gentle pried her from Hattori's grasp. "There are four of us, and there were four of them. We won't ever be able to replace them, even in her young heart, but we can fill the void her father left. Even if only a little bit."

Kaito's voice was soothingly gentle. His smile soft as the child he held in his arms. In his eyes was a glimmer of hope, a small promise that everything would work out in the end. It admitted that the road might be painful, but the result would undoubtedly be worth the struggle. In all his years as a detective, not even small children had ever warmed Shinichi as much as that look did, and in all his years as a detective no one but Kaito had ever been able to make him believe it.

"But we can't replace them." Hattori piped up. "We gotta make sure she knows about them somehow."

"For once," Hakuba began. "I completely agree. Those four little boys gave up their lives to save hers. It is only fair she realizes just how wonderful and brave her brothers really were."

Kaito smile widened, lighting up his eyes. "There's a million ways we can see to that. Show her pictures, tell her stories, take her to their favorite places. We can be their voices to her here in the living, and her small window into the siblings that loved her."

Kaito shifted so that one arm was free to grab onto Shinichi's limp hand, while the other kept a firm grasp on Eve. The Eastern detective was almost surprised at the way his hand was being held. Respectively, politely, and almost KID like. He could not help the flush that rose to his face when the thief, and his unexpected declarations of admiration, crossed his mind.

"I promise you we'll make this better. You don't have to worry about it again, alright Shin-Chan?"

Shinichi looked deeply into Kaito pure violet eyes. There had always been something about them that lured the detective in like a moth to a flame. If he wanted to get poetic about it, Shinichi would dare to say it was almost like a lullaby drawing you into a vast sea of sweet dreams. He never got tired of looking at them.

Kaito held up Eve to his face once more, breaking the detective out if his daze. The girl smiled at him, smiled at him with bright eyes and an innocent smile that could have rivaled Kaito's own. What was he supposed to say to that?

Returning the gesture, and taking the girl into his arms, he said, "I get to be Elliot."

Hattori playfully groaned. "How come you get to be the oldest?"

"Because I'm mature, athletic, and I called first dibs."

Hattori pouted. "No fair." His response was Shinichi sticking out his tongue. "Well then I'm Akio."

Shinichi then turned his attention to the two beside him. "I guess that makes you two the twins."

Kaito and Hakuba simultaneously turned to look at the other. At first they blinked, then they looked aghast, soon after that they glared heatedly, and finally snobbishly turned their heads as though they could not stand the sight of one another.

It was Hakuba who eventually decided to answer. "Then I get to be Alexander." The name was English, like Shinichi's, and if his research was correct that was the twin who Elliot respected the most.

"Fine, Shinbou is cuter anyway." Mischievously he laid his head atop Shinichi's lap, mindful not to get hit by Eve's kicking legs. "That means Shin-Chan gets to pamper me." He said happily, remembering that Shinbou was the twin that Elliot had babied the most.

Hattori, who knew exactly what was going on, could not help but think that the two of them were completely and utterly whipped. Since when had they decided to choose names and characters based on how close they might have been to Kudo?

But, true to their roles, Shinichi began to run his fingers nimbly through Kaito's hair. Slender smooth fingers gently shifted this way and that in soothing motions. The owner of that wonderful hand was chuckling, sending small vibrations throughout his, and subsequently Kaito's, body. The magician could not help but sigh contently. Right now, in this moment, Shinichi's attention was completely and wonderfully focused on him. And the reason for that attention had to have been affection otherwise Shinichi would not have been so gentle.

"So now I have two children to look out for?"

Kaito nodded happily. "I like being your baby." He had said this in a childlike voice, one that mimicked his own when he was little, so that everyone around would think he was playing. In reality Shinichi had no idea how serious it really was, or how badly Kaito wanted it to be true. The detective really was clueless when it came to these types of things.

But he'd worry about that later. Hakuba was getting annoyed, and would most likely try to find some way to snatch Shinichi away sometime soon. For now the magician would take what he could get. He liked these subtle sweet gestures anyway. Even if they were strictly platonic, they were a sign that his Tantei-Kun cared about him. That was enough for today.

Hours later when the case was over and done with the four teenage boys stood outside, shivering slightly in the cool winter atmosphere. Eve's grandmother had shown up not too long ago, ready and willing to help her daughter recover from the tragedy that had occurred. When she arrived the four boys were all that remained of the group of people that had showed up to solve the gruesome murder. She was surprised, but touched that the young men had cared so much as to stay. She seemed to think they were nice enough, so Shinichi had not been so nervous when he asked if they could visit every once in a while. He wanted to make sure the little girl was going to be alright, and that her mother could take care of her properly.

Kaito had looked nothing less than heartbroken throughout the request. Shinichi dealt with murder on a regular basis. He walked hand in hand with death and tragedy, and by now a wall had been built around his heart to shield him from the pain it brought on to many others in his field. But he was only human. He had his limitations, and that wall could only hold up against so much. It had cracks and holes just like everybody else's, and one of the only things that could get through it were young children. Shinichi had always had a soft spot for kids, and that soft spot had only grown as he spent time with the Shounen Tantei. It didn't help that this was the first child murder case the detective had dealt with since he had returned from his time as Conan.

So the magician was happy that the elderly women had welcomed them to come back whenever they wanted.

"It's always good to have a babysitter at hand." She said about as happily as could be expected. "My old bones aren't what they used to be."

Kaito wasn't sure if she said that more for her sake, to remind herself that she would need the help, or Shinichi's, to tell him it was okay to care, just this once.

For now he tried to focus on the lightly falling snow covering the ground. Hakase Agasa would be arriving to pick them up soon, and from there the four of them would head over to Shinichi's house for the night. None of them felt like returning to empty houses just then, and none of them felt like sleeping alone either. The small cuts each had experienced that day were too fresh. They'd give themselves some time, a couple of days at least, then they'd be strong enough to face the world again.

When Hakase finally drove up, the four were more than ready to get away from the scene. Hattori and Hakuba were the first to rush inside and Kaito made to follow them, but stopped when he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders. He turned back to see that Shinichi had taken him into a sort of one armed embrace, staring at him with a heartbroken smile.

"Shin-Chan?"

Shinichi seemed to debate something for a moment. After a second he decided to take the plunge and fully envelope Kaito into his arms. Kaito could barely breathe, could hardly hear anything but his own heart thumping rapidly against his chest, and he was pretty sure his brain had just shut down. Shinichi had never come into this close of a contact with him before. He had never really done anything this intimate with anyone besides Ran, and occasionally Hattori. Absently he managed to wrap his own arms around the detective's slender waist.

"Thank you." The warm breath tickled his ear, and it took every last bit of reserve he had to keep his Poker Face in place and not blush. "For everything."

"What do you mean?" He commended himself for not stuttering.

He heard Shinichi laugh a little before pulling himself away from Kaito. "Thanks for not letting me get too close to depression." He said jokingly. "The world does not need another gloom ridden detective." With that said he climbed into the back seat of the car with Hattori and Hakuba.

Kaito stared at his still open arms for a second later, before happily flinging himself into the front seat. A hair ruffle, a smile, a thank you, and a hug? Well this had certainly been a good day indeed.


MistressOfTime1218: Well this is certainly much longer than I anticipated.

DarkMist: Probably because of the random murder you put in.

MistressOfTime1218: Since when do I ever put anything random in a story?

K-Chan: You mean this is actually going to mean something later on?

StormBlitz: (Reading spoilers) Oh yeah, this will mean something alright.

K-Chan: How come she gets t read those?!

MistressOfTime1218: Because she helped fine tune a portion of this story. Anyway, a shout out goes to lins-sisters who really wanted this to be updated. Though, with the mood of this chapter I'm not so sure this makes a good Christmas gift. I'll have to come up with something better for you. A special thanks to whoever sent me the rose in their review, it really made me smile. And thank you to all who took the time to review. Love you all!