Author's Notes:

Hiyaa! So Stubborn here again XDD I have exam this next two days ( curse exams!) so here's an early chapter! You can think of these us an advance thank you for those stopped and read and those who will stop by and read (hopefully)

Oh, yeah, DISCLAIMER:

I don't own Detective Conan and its characters, only the story (coz if I did, I'd make Conan and Shinichi two different beings, sigh...)

R & R!

Chapter 2

Shinichi's parents made a big act the next day that afternoon, credits to the teenage detective, heeding the strawberry blonde's advice. They gave a 'surprise' visit to the Mouri household and told Ran, who just came back from school, still wearing her uniform, that Conan's fictional parents had missed their boy and already took him back that morning. Shinichi was there with his parents, who 'forced' him to visit Beika since its Christmas. Of course, Shinichi had made an 'evidence' with Conan's voice-changing bowtie and made a goodbye message to 'Ran-neechan'.

"Ran-neechan! I'm sorry I can't say bye-bye to you in person but Hakase told me to leave a message in the least so…thank you for everything! Even for the bunny slippers! Say goodbye for me to Uncle Kogorou. And Sonoko-neechan as well. Genta might get mad at me for leaving so suddenly but I'm sure the Detective Boys will understand. Hakase will try to explain, he said so. And the police officers too! Detective Wataru and Ms. Sato and the others…I'm really sorry about leaving you guys when Christmas' coming but Papa and Mama said they really missed me. I did too, but I'm still disappointed I can't celebrate with all of you, especially you, Ran-neechan. Mama told me we'll try to visit you there sometime in Beika. Goodbye and advance Merry Christmas, Ran-neechan!"

The detective actually got a bit guilty when he saw Ran tear up a bit. "Geez, that kid…He's troublesome and goes off without my permission but…I'll sure miss him." Even the Detective Boys was there, courtesy of Hakase telling them the news. Even Haibara, leaning near the door, her arms crossed and face carefully neutral.

"Conan…" Ayumi muttered, crestfallen.

"It's fine. He…he told us he'll visit again right?" Mitsuhiko tried to cheer her up but Shinichi can see that child was having a hard time as well.

Only Genta was not sad, instead he was frowning. He turned to the Hakase and spoke in a loud voice; it got everyone's attention, even Shinichi. "That Conan! Leaving us without notice, the nerve! That idiot decided to leave us in Christmas too! That minus one for my presents, ne, Haibara?" Everyone stared at Haibara. It was faint but Shinichi saw Haibara shrug.

"It can't be helped."

"But that's too sad!" Ayumi said.

"Y-yeah! The detective boys are incomplete now too!" Mitsuhiko added.

Haibara gave him a quick glance with a message: "You fix this." Shinichi laughed nervously and raised his hands. "Oi, oi. Conan told you that he'll come back right?" he turned to Ran then to the kids. "I haven't meet him longer than the rest of you but Conan never breaks a promise, does he?"

The Detective Boys looked at each other.

"No. Conan keeps his promises." Ayumi answered.

"Yeah. We really trust him." Mitsuhiko said with a small smile.

Genta pursed his lips. "Well, there was a time he forgot to bring me a tuna sandwich—"

"—Genta!" Mitsuhiko and Ayumi shouted. The said kid laughed. "Okay, okay. Just kidding. He never let us down though!" After that, the three children perked up, telling each other memories of Edogawa Conan. Shinichi grinned proudly at his parents and Ran. Then he looked at Haibara who muttered.

"Yeah." she said with a soft voice just enough for Shinichi to hear.

"He keeps his promises to the point of irrationality."

Shinichi flinched a bit. The way Haibara said that made him remember a memory in the past that made Haibara angry with him for a whole month. He knows the girl meant no harm now, and they're on good terms (if you call bickering and the usual sarcastic remarks here and then good terms) but it still lingered on the back of his mind. But Shinichi never regretted it.

If he would have to replay the same scene over and over again, feel the same pain and agony again, hear his ragged breath again, taste his own blood again and see those nightmares again, he would still do the same.

Shinichi would still choose Haibara over Ran.

The Detective of the East glanced at Ran's right arm, which was holding a cup of tea his mother made, laughing with Ayumi. He remembered the blood that came from those limbs, thanks to Gin. It made his gut twist but he decided to shake it off. "It could have been worse, Shinichi, it could be the worst." he told himself. This thought made him glance at Haibara, which was having a sort-of serious conversation with his mother that involves hush tones and series of giggles from Yukiko. He still remembered Haibara lying in a corner, swimming with her own scarlet blood, while the building crumbled to ruins, the entrance blocked by debris.

He remembered the very gates of his own hell.

"W-Why are you here, detective? Are you an idiot? Ran's still here…in the second floor, I think. Go on, save her. She needs you." the child scientist said, trembling, putting pressure to her child legs that was wounded.

Conan didn't budged.

Instead he knelt to her and attempted to get Haibara's free arm and help her but she snatched it away. "Are you out of your mind, Kudo?! Perhaps you didn't hear me. I said Ran's still there! Go save her! Not me!" Conan stared at her, his glasses' right lens broken. "I'm here to save you, Haibara." he said firmly.

Haibara stared at him, and with all her might, shook his shoulder hard. "Are you crazy, Kudo?! It's Ran! Your childhood bestfriend! What's the whole point of fighting the organization for without her? Tracking them down? Cornering them? To be with her! For heaven's sake, Kudo! Ran's going to die here!"

She shook him with all her might trying to shake some sense onto him but he didn't budged. Conan held her arm that made her stop. "I…I already know about that. Jodie-sensei told us awhile ago. One of the police saw her in the second floor. I asked Hattori to save her. She was wounded, protecting the kids, he said. It's not critical though. She…she'll survive." he said weakly, removing his broken glasses.

"…Why?" the strawberry blond muttered, her eyes filled with so many questions. Why did you do that? Why did you not look for her? Why did you come here? Why would you risk your own life? Why did you let another guy save Ran? Why me?

Conan stared at her with determined eyes and gritted his teeth. He ran his free hand over his hair in frustration.

"I'm fucking afraid, okay!?" he confessed, balling his hand into a fist. He then realized the sudden outburst. He avoided the girl's gaze. "I…I'm scared, okay? Please understand that at least, Shiho…I'm afraid that if I attend to Ran and leave you here, alone and wounded…I won't ever see you again."

That night, Shinichi stayed at Agasa's house, ignoring Ran's question on why he won't sleep in his own house. "Just a change of pace, I guess." Shinichi shrugged her off, which he does rarely. Conan does that often though, he thought. That night, since Agasa makes award-winning inventions and gadgets but not award-winning nor edible food, Shinichi thought their meal would consist of instant noodles and instant coffee.

He was glad to be wrong.

Who knew Haibara, for all of her sarcasm and fashion greediness, can cook like a 5-star chef? Agasa might have known, but the Detective of the East didn't.

Agasa took his meal to his own room, Shinichi don't know why. He probably has something to do. Shinichi noticed it too. The professor was painfully busy these days, always holding papers and calling someone. Either way, the detective and the child scientist ate their meal together.

"So you cook, huh?" he said between bites of the homemade chicken casserole. "Unless you're really stupid, death magnet, you're eating my cooking right now." she said, taking a sip of her coffee. Shinichi deadpanned but he quickly regained.

"Oi, oi. Children shouldn't drink coffee, Ai-chan."

He said that in a childish voice he used to talk with the Detective Boys. Haibara glared at him for a second. But she gave him a sickly, sweet smile.

"You sound like a moron, Shinichi-niichan."

Shinichi cringed. "Okay, okay. Fine, you win this time." he took another bite of Haibara's cooking.

Shinichi glanced at Haibara who was busily eating her own meal.

"So…do you have any plans of returning?"

The question made Haibara abruptly stop, her fork midway to her mouth. She put down her fork and said "Jodie-sensei told me to finish my studies, apply for Beika police. Something like forensics expert?" Shinichi's eyes widened. "So you plan to return back?" Haibara gave him a smirk. "I like being a child, Kudo. But I sure don't want to repeat painfully tedious years of childhood." Shinichi could only laugh.

So Haibara has plans on returning to Miyano Shiho. On top of that, she'll stay here. The teenager had recurring thoughts that Haibara might go back in America. But no, she'll stay here, in Beika, and there's even a chance that they might work together. Solving crime together…bickering…saying facts and observations…

"Kudo." his train of thoughts halted to a stop. Haibara looked at him with a neutral face. "Just so let you know, you look so stupid I might puke."