A/N: Another one. I hope you liked the previous chapter. This is gonna be sad because I'm venturing into Ran's past. Especially her parents' separation and her friendship with Shinichi and Sonoko. I wanted something real because all of the times her parents' separation has come up, it was discarded with little knowledge and it was unfair to her as Ran has grown up into a self sufficient woman. So this is my take on her past and how she has become what she is now. The few upcoming chapters will address a few issues before I go into the whole BO mess. I hope you'll bear with me.

Thank you for your inputs and follows and favourites. I am glad to see that there are people who were thinking like I was.

It's unedited. I'll do it later.


For any child, the first person admired by them was either of the parent, the mother or the father. In case of a young Mouri Ran, it was both. She admired how her mother had the patience, intelligence and strong will to get her law degree as well as handle a household. She saw how diligently she worked day and night so that she could become a successful lawyer. She saw how her mother doted on her family. She saw how she cleaned the small apartment and she saw how her mother tried to cook them a good meal. Tried being the operative word. Yes, she was strict and imposed rules but wasn't that normal? Every parent worried for their child and every household has some kind of rules that they followed.

She admired her father as well. Since he was a part of the police, he played a pivotal role in keeping the city safe. Ran took great pride in knowing that her father worked so that all the other residents could live their life peacefully. She saw how dedicated he was towards his profession. She saw how her father cared for her and her mother. She saw how protective he was over them.

She strived to be like them. As smart as her mother was. As protective of her loved ones as her father was. As independent as both her parents were yet still dependent on the other for the things other lacked.

She saw her parents interact and to such a young girl, her parents were the perfect couple. Until they weren't. Till today, Ran doesn't know what was the actual catalyst behind her parents' separation. She could see what the reasons might be but she didn't know the exact cause.

After an incident which wasn't explained to young Ran, her parents started bickering a lot more than usual. Seeing her parents fight day in and day out impacted her psyche. What caused them to become this way? The once perfect duo was breaking apart in front of her eyes and she didn't know what to do. She heard her father scream at her mother for being too controlling or not spending enough time or something or the other. She heard her mother scream at her father for spending their money on drinking or coming drunk late at nights or flirting with another woman or something or the other. All Ran could do was take it in and swallow the tears that threatened to flow. But when the screaming escalated to threats, the tears burst forth. She would sob her heart out, screaming at them to just stop fighting. Seeing their young daughter brought them both out of their angry haze and they promised that they wouldn't fight again. They said we are sorry, Ran.

And she would tearfully ask Do you really swear not to fight again? I don't like it when Mom and Dad fight.

And they would answer Yes, Ran. We promise.

And after a few more rounds of this, her mother left her and her father. She remembered that day very clearly. She had a very normal day at school, studying and laughing with her friends. Cajoling Shinichi to play with her and acting as a shield between Sonoko and the guys she had a trifle with.

She went back home with Shinichi and Sonoko and when they went their separate ways, Ran waved bye at them. She was happily humming to a song that Sonoko had introduced her to and started climbing up the stairs that led to her house. When she entered her apartment and happily announced, 'I'm home!', she was met with deadly silence. Her brows furrowed and she called for her parents. When nobody answered her, she went to her parents' bedroom and peeked in just to see her father lying across the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling and a bottle of something on the bedside table. She knew that bottle was bad. Mom always got mad when she saw that bottle. She quietly sneaked in so that she could take the bottle away and hide it away somewhere before her father would notice. She didn't want her parents fighting again.

With a plan successfully formed in her mind, she nodded to herself and entered the room. The door creaked a bit and her father's head lolled lazily to see who had entered his room. After all, from that day onward, it was going to be his room only. He smiled bitterly at seeing his daughter standing near the door, looking at him with her wide blue eyes.

Ran knew something was wrong the instant she saw that weird smile on her father's face. It was odd seeing him in the day but then, he had an erratic schedule. Maybe he was supposed to go to work at night? Looking clearly at him, she could see her father's red rimmed eyes. Was he not feeling well? Well, that wouldn't work.

Are you not feeling well, Dad? she had asked in a worried tone. When no answer came from him and all he did was stare at her with eyes that frankly scared Ran, she came to the conclusion that he must have been really sick to be so out of it. She walked towards the cabinet and took the first aid kit out, while her father's eyes followed him. When she came towards him, she said Jeez, Dad, you have to take care of yourself. Where does it hurt?

And then, for the first time, she saw her dad crying. She was petrified, seeing a man that symbolised strength for her, to break down into tears. Seeing him crying so bitterly, she started crying as well and babbled, What's wrong, Dad? Why are you crying? Where does it hurt? I'll make it better, I promise. She was enveloped in a warm hug and both father and daughter were crying in the middle of day. One with the knowledge that he had single handedly destroyed their lives and other with the knowledge that her father was hurt and she didn't know how to make it better.

When both of them had calmed down enough, her father said the haunting words, Your mother is not coming back home, Ran. She left us. At first, she didn't believe him. How was the possible? Why would she leave? And without telling her? Dad must have gotten things wrong.

Neither of them moved. They sat huddled together for hours, Ran expecting her mother to come back and smile at her, announcing that she was home and asking what did they want for dinner. And they would balk at the idea of her preparing dinner but smile and bear it. But when afternoon, turned into evening and then into night, she started believing her Dad a bit. She thought that maybe she was running late from her job. A call would definitely come informing them that Eri was going to be a little late returning back home.

Their stomachs growled but nobody in that room moved. It was as if they were afraid that things wouldn't turn out as they hoped if they moved a muscle.

It was 2 am when Ran realized how true her father's statement was. She isn't coming back. Mom isn't coming back. Why isn't she coming back?

Kogoro could see last of his daughter's hope fade away. Her little body shook with unshed tears and he realized how much of a failure he was. He had sworn to himself to protect the two women who were the light of his lives. And he disappointed both of them.

A shrill cry erupted from her and pierced into the night. A child's painful wale was one of the most heartbreaking noise one could ever hear and hearing it come from his Ran, it seemed that the heartbreak was tenfold. All he could do was hug his daughter. He had promised that anybody who would hurt either his wife or his daughter would be having hell to pay. And it killed him that he was the one who had hurt them.

~oOo~

Ran had an uncanny ability to hide what she felt from the world. Even at a young age, she knew that people worried when somebody they loved was in pain. Having parents who fought everyday had taught her that. She had also come to realize that for some people, promises meant nothing. And that it was just a word to lull a person into a sense of well being. It was all lies. People were never truthful.

She had become jaded. And no one knew that, except for Shinichi. He knew that Ran was putting up a mask.

The fact that her parents had separated wasn't news to any of the students. After all, a few weeks had passed after her mother had left and gossip travelled fast. She did contact home to talk to Ran. And she did explain what had happened and she invited Ran to live with her. Eri knew that it would be best if Ran moved in with her. She could take care of her daughter better than Kogoro. Even if she didn't, at least she wouldn't be drunk and neglect her when her daughter needed her.

But Ran refused. She didn't know what led her to do that. Maybe it was the fact that she saw how heartbroken her father was. Maybe it was the fact that her dad looked like a corpse, ready to collapse at a moment's notice. Maybe it was because she blamed her mother a bit for leaving her alone. Whatever the reason, she didn't accept her mother's proposal. And that started her journey as a self sufficient person.

She cleaned the house from top to bottom. She taught herself how to cook. She taught herself how to sew and iron and wash clothes. She taught herself all the things that no normal child her age knew. At the age of nine, Ran had become a household wizard.

Seeing his daughter work so hard and knowing that she had refused to live with her mother, even though she tried to hide that information, and had chosen to live with him brought some of his will back. He cleaned himself up and opened up a detective agency after he had resigned from the police. For a few years, everything was well. He got a few cases and brought in money that could keep their needs fed. But then the call of alcohol lured him in again despite him trying his best. At least, that's what he told himself.

At the age of eleven, when the finances started deteriorating, Ran didn't know what the cause was. She was buying groceries that were fresh yet available at minimum price she could find. She didn't buy costly clothes and sewed up the clothes that were torn but useable. She was diligent with her health. Even though she had been practicing karate for years, she took extra care in not overworking herself. After all, she had to look out for her father. She didn't know what had happened that almost all their saved money was used up. So, she started micromanaging. Every little thing that could cost them but could be avoided, she did avoid. She stopped buying new clothes. She cut her appetite. She stayed up at nights to research new ways to make them financially secure. But nothing came to fruit.

And then she saw him while she was on the way home, at a shop. Dad had bought a new pack of alcohol. He was spending money on the one thing that had destroyed him and he had promised not to touch it again.

Her first lesson on people and promises. Taught to her by her own parents.

~oOo~

Shinichi knew when his best friend was faking. After all was said and done, Shinichi understood Ran like nobody did. He knew Ran was an emotional person. He had been with her through everything. He was there when she was putting up her act of everything-is-alright. He was with her the instant that mask broke. He was with her when she cried endless tears and shouted to the world how unfair all of it was. He had been the first person to realize that Ran had started to believe that promises were just words. That there was a flip side to everything. That happiness didn't last.

So as her best friend, along with Sonoko, who was Ran's good friend as well, he had decided to bring Ran out of her jaded shell when things had gone too far.

He was always teased by other students that he and Ran were close. Along with the fact that he was unnaturally brilliant and that he had a best female friend, he was a target for many jabs and teases. But he let it roll off his back, most of the time. Before her parents' separation, there was a time when he had started calling her 'Mouri'. They had made up a few days later but he knew that she was hurt by him. After her parents' separation, he didn't dare do anything that hurt her.

He never probed her to tell him anything. And for the first time, Sonoko didn't either. The two of them had an unspoken truce of protect Ran at all costs. For all her flighty tendencies and teases and loud mouthedness and for all his high and mighty act and sarcastic jabs and over all arrogance, they recognized one fact. That both of them cared about Ran deeply.

Whenever someone teased her about her dysfunctional family or tried to make her feel bad, the two of them stood up to them, no matter what their size was or what their gender was. They supported her and tried to make her happy. And for a while, it worked. Ran did cry but it was never over her parents. It was as if she had selective vision. She didn't want to address her family's situation. She accepted it but she didn't want to talk about it.

But she spilled the beans about everything after she had seen her father buying alcohol. It took her nearly two years to tell them everything.

She was enraged. How could he do this to her? After he had promised her. Her mind started spinning and all she knew was that she had to find either Shinichi or Sonoko. With that in mind, she started sprinting, desperate to find either of them. She needed to feel good. She needed to feel not so betrayed. She needed her best friends.

And then she saw Shinichi laughing along with his football teammates. Seeing him smiling and acting like an actual eleven year old boy stopped her. Sonoko and him had done everything to make her happy. They didn't deserve to be burdened by her problems. She could smile and bear it. She had been doing this even before her parents split. She knew she was capable of it. She would take a walk and clear her head and hide away all the money she had saved up. There was no need for Shinichi or Sonoko to know how broken her family was. How broken she was. It would seem like an injustice after all they had done for her.

With her resolve hardened, she took a few steps back but was stopped when her back collided with somebody's front. She whirled around to find Sonoko smiling at her.

"Hey, Ran. What's up? Did you come to see Shinichi-kun practice football?" she asked.

Ran tried her best to smile and laughed a little nervously, "Yeah. I am just going to head back home. I have to prepare dinner...", she trailed and swallowed a little, hoping against hope that her voice didn't break, "I have to make dinner for...", her voice hitched and tears started gathering into her eyes. "I have to..." and then she broke down. So much for hiding her emotions.

Seeing Ran cry was not a new thing. But seeing Ran crying so bitterly was Sonoko's first time. The saddest thing of all was that she didn't even make a noise. The tears just noiselessly slipped through. And she was still attempting to finish her sentence. Ran's breath hitched and she didn't know what to do. She had her world destroyed once. She couldn't see it happen again.

Sonoko circled her arms around Ran's shoulders and shielded her from those who were passing by. She knew that Ran wouldn't appreciate anybody seeing her like this.

From the football field, Shinichi noticed Sonoko encircling someone. Someone resembling Ran. Without any thoughts, he stepped away from his teammates to find out what was wrong. He saw Ran's body shaking and Sonoko trying to shush her when he came closer. He ran all the way towards them and asked Sonoko with a tilt of his head What's wrong? and Sonoko just shook her head sadly and patted Ran's head in order to calm her down.

He walked closer and asked Ran, "Ran, what's wrong?" in a quiet voice. It scared him to see her like this. She looked distraught. His mind started running. Was she hurt? Was it something do with her parents? Was anybody she knew really hurt? Had somebody said something to her? He turned his head around to find the jerkoff who had dared to make her cry like this and was surprised when arms enveloped him into a hug. He didn't even blush at the contact. Embarrassment was the furthest thing on his mind. Ran was shaking without making any noise. He could hear her saying something about her seeing her father buying alcohol. And he knew that it was time for her to open up to them about her parents.

~oOo~

The three of them walked towards a secluded park. It was almost dusk and nobody was there to listen on to them. Ran sat in on the seat with her hands clutching the bottle of water that Shinichi had given her to calm herself down. She picked at the bottle's label and stared intently at it, as if it was going to solve all her problems. She knew that Sonoko and Shinichi were standing in front of her, expecting her to talk but she couldn't. Her voice was blocked.

Was it really okay to tell them everything? What if they left her like her mother did? What if they found her problematic and hard to deal with? Shouldn't she try to make her best friends happy and not trouble them?

She opened up her mouth to say I'm okay, when she heard Shinichi say, "Tell us, Ran. It's been too long and you have always closed up whenever we tried to get you to talk to us. We are not here to judge you. This is killing you. Do you think we didn't notice that you have lost weight? Or that your lunch doesn't contain half of the things that it should? That you are not buying new clothes? Or that you are just sewing old ones?" he took a deep breath in when he noticed that his tone was getting angrier. He almost wanted to throttle her parents for doing this to her. What was wrong with them? He continued when he thought that he was calm enough and said in an even manner, "Can't you trust us, Ran?"

And at that, she let out a bitter bark of laugh. Hearing that come from gentle Mouri Ran was almost terrifying. What had her parents done to her?

"Trust you, yeah, right. And when I will, you guys are also going to turn your back on me. I'm pretty sure that both of you have thought how much of a drag I am. I just bring you guys down. I can't compete with your intelligence level, Shinichi. I can't talk about fashion brands and parties with you, Sonoko. All I do is bring you guys trouble. Both of you always come to my defense when somebody does anything to make me upset. What have I ever done for both of you? Yeah, I listen to your theories or cases or Sherlock Holmes babble, Shinichi. And I listen to you talk about your family and parties that you attended and how all the high class glamour and stuff sometimes just pisses you off, Sonoko. But that's it. I listen and I listen. I don't do anything for you guys. Both of you are such great friends and I am lucky to have you but you are going to leave me if I tell you about all this stuff. I know you will. Who wouldn't? After all, I am just a weak crybaby who hasn't..." her voice hitched and she took a breath in and swallowed and rolled her eyes heavenwards to stop the tears from coming. Why was everything so wrong?

"If you think of us like that then we aren't that great friends, are we?" Sonoko whispered thickly. She hadn't known that Ran was feeling this way. She had agreed with Shinichi-kun to not push her into talking but was it the right thing? Seeing and hearing Ran this way, she wasn't sure that it was.

Shinichi just stared at her without speaking anything. He knew this was long time coming. He knew that she needed to let things out. And if this was how things were going to go and then they were damn well going to be this way. He could take in all the vitriol she was going to spill and he knew Sonoko would too. They were always going to be there for her and Ran needed to realize that. They were not going to leave her at any cost.

Ran gasped when she heard Sonoko's words and stood up. She didn't intend to make her feel this way. She started to apologize when she heard Shinichi say, "Don't apologize. Just say what you are feeling, Ran. Just let it all out. We can take it. After all the listening you have done, we can do our share of listening too."

She looked at him in disbelief and saw the small smile he sported and then saw Sonoko behind him wipe away her tears and nod her head. With a deep breath and new resolve, she started telling them all.

And as promised, Sonoko and Shinichi listened. And she knew that she may not be able to trust her parents. But she could trust Shinichi and Sonoko. And a part of Ran's jaded shell faded.


A/N: What am I doing to the precious doll? Ugh. Man. Thoughts? I think it was a more realistic approach towards her parents separation and her reactions. What do you think? Will be back in a few days.