Started November 15th

Completed November 18th

You know… I almost forgot that today was posting day. I was just about to get ready for an intense gaming marathon of Metal Gear Solid when I caught sight of the calendar that was reminding me to update. Thank the heavens above for that.

Anyways, this chapter gives you mild progress… enjoy!

Chapter Two

Distraction

Distraction: (Noun) A condition or state of mind in which the attention is diverted from an original focus or interest.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Something seemed to be wrong after that. It was like my health just went downhill. I couldn't help but feel that it wasn't just something to brush aside.

I decided to see Haibara.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

"Ughh…" Shinichi groaned quietly, hunching his currently-tiny body over. How long had it been since he'd arrived? A sharp wind blew, cutting through his heavy jacket. He hunched in on himself, teeth chattering. No, he thought to himself, the question should be how long until midnight..?

Slowly, he lifted his head, eyeing the moon. "Ow..!" He winced when a snowflake landed in his eye. Blinking away the pain, he curled up once more before finally deciding to brave the cold. Hiking up his sleeve, he quickly took in the time before hurriedly pulling it back down, eager to push back the goosebumps that had erupted over his arm.

Eleven fifty-two. Almost time for KID to make his appearance.

He glanced to his left, momentarily taking in the tall glass building before settling down once more. Pretty soon KID would take the jewel and make his escape. Shinichi was certain, without a doubt, that this particular rooftop was where he planned to land. It may be a ways off from the heist site, but that was clearly the reasoning that the thief had been abiding by. He shut his eyes, wrapping his arms around his knees. It might have been really cold outside, but was it supposed to be this cold? He was wearing a pretty heavy jacket… Shinichi frowned as his muddled thoughts drifted back and forth with an awkward, swaying rhythm. I'm a pretty good distance from the museum… I don't think I'll be able to hear the commotion when KID arrives…

Shinichi unknowingly slipped into slumber.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Something was brushing against his face.

"—kun…"

Shinichi groaned, unfolding himself. Why was it so hot? He lifted his heavy limbs, weakly trying to push away the material wrapped around his torso. He couldn't understand. Why did it feel like he was on fire? Everything burned…

"Tantei-kun!"

The voice brought his mind out of the hazy fog and he snapped his eyes open. Shinichi rubbed at his eyes, trying to get rid of his bleary vision. Soon enough, the obscurity was scuffed away, and he found himself looking into radiant purple orbs, one of which was obscured by a monocle. Before he could snap back, KID leaned away, eyes narrowed in worry.

"Thank goodness, Tantei-kun! What are you doing out in this cold? You're burning up!" An ungloved hand brushed against his forehead, pushing away a few strands that had matted there.

"KID..?" Shinichi muttered. He had fallen asleep? How long had he been out? KID smiled reassuringly at him before he was leaning forward once more. Shinichi yelped when he felt arms slip beneath his knees and back. He was heaved up, held to the phantom thief's chest like a child. Shinichi pushed the thought away, unwilling to concede and admit that he currently was a child. "Put me down, KID, I'll be fine." He insisted, his voice embarrassingly hoarse.

The young man in question ignored his feeble protests, weighing his options. It seemed the best course of action would be to take Conan to the young woman who took care of him.

"You should take better care of yourself, Conan-kun. You're one of the few opponents whom I enjoy going head-to-head with." He aimed a soft smile down at the young detective in his arms before activating his hang glider, not noticing the way the child gave a slow blink.

It's times like these that I realize how well I could get along with him had I known him without the mask, Shinichi internally realized. He squeaked in surprise when KID squeezed him tighter and pulled him further into his chest. The thief laughed at the noise. "I wouldn't want to make your cold worse!"

And with that, he stepped off the side of the building, holding the small child to himself protectively.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Ran peeked through the doorway with a frown, eyes taking in the receding crowd. She couldn't find Conan. She hadn't realized it at first, but he had slipped away almost half an hour before KID had showed up. That boy always had a tendency to float off to another area, but she was still worried. He hadn't been acting completely normal as of late. True, he seemed to have gotten a hold of himself again at the house at the last minute, but…

She couldn't shake off the feeling that he wasn't finished battling whatever it was that was bothering him. Ran felt she needed to keep an eye on him, and his disappearing act wasn't helping the matter in the least.

She followed the crowd outside and stood there in the cold winter air, internally cursing her father for passing out drunk indoors. Conan was a smart boy—he would know to head toward the exit. Ran watched as the crowd thinned out, leaving behind only a few stragglers here and there. She stayed until nearly thirty past, a frown slipping onto her face when she was left alone in the frigid, desolate street.

Panic welled up from within and her thoughts began to rush through her head without pause. Maybe he's still inside. What if he's hurt? What if somethin—

Her thoughts cut off when she heard a gentle flapping sound followed by the tapping of shoes. She whirled around to find Kaitou KID, his white cape flapping from the wind and his hang-glider retracting to who-knew-where. As he made his way toward her, she became aware of the small bundle cradled within his arms.

"Worry not, Mouri-san, he is safe," KID said, loosening his arms around the bundle to reveal a flushed Conan. "However, he seems to have caught a cold." He let her take the child and watched as she hefted him into her embrace, hand already running across his face. She gasped when she felt his temperature. "Such a high fever…!"

KID nodded somewhat morosely, eyes never straying from the tiny detective. He had always felt that Edogawa Conan was such a strong individual—unusually strong for someone so young. But it was times like these that he realized that the genius child was merely that—a child that sometimes had to be cared for. He reached forward, ignoring the surprised expression that flitted across Mouri Ran's face, and caressed the child's cheek briefly.

It was strange how he felt the need to care for his rival.

With that thought, he snapped from his musings, aiming a grin at the young woman. "Do take care of him. I would like to see him healthy enough to keep up with me the next time!" And with a single snap, he disappeared in a cloud of colored smoke.

Ran watched as a sharp wind carried the smoke away, leaving her with nothing besides the child in her arms and the cold, empty street.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

The morning following Kaito KID's heist found class 2-B of Ekoda High in a mild state of paranoia. It had been a full quarter hour since the arrival of one Kuroba Kaito, and there had yet to be a single student (or staff member) to suffer from said young man's tomfoolery. Students crowded nervously around their friend's desks, whispering worriedly amongst themselves before darting quick glances at Kaito as he stared blankly out the window.

A few pairs of eyes were reluctantly drawn to the doorway, where Aoko, followed by one Hakuba Saguru entered the room. The two were chatting rather amiably before Hakuba halted in his tracks, immediately catching on to the uncomfortable air clouding the room. After quickly taking in the atmosphere, he came to the conclusion that the cause was Kuroba. Which really wasn't very odd—he was usually the center of the weird vibe of their school. Then again, it was really weird that he had arrived before himself…

Curious at the tension surrounding the class, he approached his classmate and called out to him with his standard greeting. "Good morning, Kuroba-kun. Successful heist last night, yes?"

Without glancing over at his companion, Kaito absent-mindedly replied, "Yes, yes…" Hakuba blinked. Well, wasn't this unusual? If he had been at his normal pace, the hyperactive magician would have responded with a smart-ass retort accompanied by a devilish smirk and followed by one of his dastardly pranks, all the while making a show of wondering why he always insisted on Kuroba Kaito being Kaitou KID's alternate identity. Strange, indeed.

Aoko approached her childhood friend in curiosity, reaching out to poke at his shoulder (while casting away the memories of a time not-so-long-past in which such an action would result in some sort of explosion and inevitably end with her skirt being flipped up). She braced herself for anything and everything (something necessary when it came to Kaito) before pressing her fingertip against his shoulder.

Nothing.

She pressed harder, eyes widening in fear. Why wasn't anything happening? Finally, as her nail began to press into the fabric of his shirt (likely hard enough to leave a mark on the skin beneath), he responded, jerking away sluggishly before turning a blinking, owlish look on her. "Aoko? What was that for?" He frowned, rubbing at the sore skin. He caught sight of the wary glances aimed his way as well as the strange look Hakuba was eyeing him with, finally realizing exactly how out of character he was acting. His frown quickly transformed into a pout and before either of his friends could register what was going on, fake tears were pouring down his cheeks.

"Why is it you feel you have to pick on me, Aoko? I'm a good friend, I treat you right. I carry your bags when you force me to go shopping and even accompany you to the aquarium. But you just turn around and do something like this…!" He grasped his shoulder tightly, leaning heavily into his desk with a dramatic flair that only he could manage. Aoko took the bait, eye twitching. "BaKaito!" She smacked the back of his head, hand twitching with a desire to do more than just that when he wailed.

Hakuba, meanwhile, was not convinced. It was obvious that something was up with the young magician. He was willing to bet that it had something to do with the heist last night. Of course, he had already come to the conclusion that Kuroba Kaito and Kaito KID were one and the same. But a simple heist wasn't something that would make Kaito act all out of sorts.

Sitting at the front of the classroom, surrounded by the usual gaggle of guys, Koizumi Akako glanced to the young magician, eyes flashing with a knowing gleam.

"And thus fate is set in motion…"

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Chimes echoed across the school campus, warning the students to get to their seats. Not long after, their teacher, a frazzled woman with too-large glasses stumbled through the door, announcing the start of class. Hakuba took his seat a few rows behind Kaito, eyes never leaving the brunette's figure.

Kaito meanwhile, allowed his eyes to linger on their teacher. Or more specifically, her glasses. It made his thoughts stray to a certain young detective…

Violet orbs slowly slid away from the young woman at the front of the class, drawn once more to the window, glazed over.

Edogawa Conan.

He had always been a rather interesting person. Of course, there was the fact that he seemed to be some sort of prodigy in the art of deduction. He was such a young boy, and yet, somehow managed to keep the Kaito KID on his toes. When that child was on the scene, he always had to think on his feet. And, needless to say, it was fun. It made his heists endlessly exciting.

But, Kaito pondered. There's more to it than just that.

Conan was an enigma. Yes, the child was a genius in his own right, but he couldn't help but feel that… that wasn't quite right. Like there was a very core piece of the puzzle that he was missing—that was just out of his reach. But without it, he would constantly be kept in the dark.

Suddenly, Kaito's mind was assaulted with the vision of Conan from the night prior. He had panicked when he had arrived on the rooftop. He knew that there was a large chance of Conan showing up at his heist—during the actual jewel theft, he had caught sight of Mouri Ran. Where that girl was, the boy was usually not too far. If he wasn't at the heist site, then he was likely hanging out somewhere along his escape route.

(It was when he thought like this that he realized exactly how much he respected the kid's intellect. It wasn't every day that he willingly admitted that someone could predict his actions so easily. But then again, if anyone could manage it, it was Conan.)

When he'd arrived on the rooftop in question, he couldn't help the feeling of disappointment that washed over him. He had expected (hell, screw expected—anticipated) to hear someone (Kaito didn't want to admit, there was really only one person that came to mind…) condescendingly mock his choice in escape. So, sparing a quick moment to let out a sigh (most certainly not in disappointment…), he had gracefully sauntered to the corner of the rooftop bathed most in moonlight and retrieved the Tear of the Goddess from a hidden pocket. He held it to the moonlight, ignoring the soft downfall of snowflakes.

His poker face held back his frustrated feelings—keeping them from showing on his face. "I'd better return it, then…" Kaito had sighed once more, intending to head back home when something caught his eye. Freezing with the necklace halfway to his pocket, he craned his neck, stomach dropping when he saw the unmistakable sight of someone crumpled against the door allowing entry onto the rooftop. He instinctively knew who it was.

"Tantei-kun…!"

Fever-hazed eyes and sweat chilled skin flashed through Kaito's mind, snapping him from his thoughts. He frowned, adjusting his chin more comfortably on his palm. He was worried—he couldn't help it. Kaito had never seen the tiny detective so vulnerable (or generally sick)—it was weird to see the overconfident child so susceptible.

"I hope he's okay…" he murmured quietly to himself, ears once more tuning out the drone of their teacher as his thoughts focused solely on a child of bright blue eyes and a cheeky attitude.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o

Something was wrong.

No matter what Ran gave him—any sort of medicine—it wouldn't break his fever. He was, thankfully, a little more clear-minded, but he still had yet to get rid of the fever. It had been a little over two days. Something in his gut was telling him there was some sort of interference from within his body. Immediately, he thought of the Apotoxin.

Haibara, Shinichi thought. She'll be able to figure out what's wrong.

Without any further ado, he contacted Agasa-hakase and filled him in on his suspicions, pleading for the man to come up with some sort of reason to get Conan to his house. In the end, Agasa had showed up and claimed that his parents were going to be dropping by and wanted to nurse their child to health. Of course, that was a lie—his parents (whether his or "Conan's parents") were still halfway across the world, working on whatever it was that they were working on.

When he finally arrived at the familiar household, Haibara already had her equipment set up and directed him to the couch as Agasa shut and locked the doors before drawing the curtains shut on the windows. Lord knew they didn't need any prying eyes.

"What exactly is wrong?" Haibara asked, methodically sterilizing her supplies before wrapping a rubber band around his arm and then disinfecting the area. She pressed the tip of an empty needle to his skin, slowly drawing his blood and filling the tube.

"I've had a fever for a while. Chills, and hot flashes. Disorientation, vertigo, and chest pains," he rasped in response. She raised an eyebrow, darting a quick knowing look at him before he added, "…and sore throat."

She removed the needle and set it to the side, making quick work of bandaging up the tiny wound. She prepared to check his blood pressure, securing the Velcro around his upper arm. As she pumped the tiny machine, she spoke once more, ignoring his slight wince at the pressure. "And what makes you think this is anything more than the common cold? Or a case of pneumonia?"

Shinichi clenched his fist, giving her a look before simply saying, "Just a feeling."

Agasa lingered nearby almost nervously, wondering if he should join in. He knew that Haibara was only trying to get some answers, but he couldn't help but feel that Shinichi-kun was right. They had to be cautious when it came to things such as this because there was no telling exactly how common occurrences like the cold could affect them.

He refrained from saying so aloud. Out of everyone, those two would know that the best. They were acquainted with the situation more-so than anybody else—there was no need to state the obvious. Maintaining his silence, Agasa-hakase retreated from the room and paused, catching sight of the phone lying innocently upon the counter-top. He hesitated, remembering the last time he had gotten Shinichi's parents involved. Shinichi had been (understandably) irritated. It had yet to be determined if the symptoms being shown were something serious. Agasa sighed.

"Never a dull moment," he murmured.

Back in the living room, Haibara stood and began collecting her materials and hefting as much as she could in her arms. As she made her way toward the laboratory, she looked over her shoulder, the picture of seriousness.

"I'll figure out what's going on, Kudo-kun. But I hope for your sake that, for once, your gut instinct is wrong."

As the door to the basement clicked shut behind her, Shinichi leaned back into the cushions, shutting his eyes wearily. He rubbed absent-mindedly at his chest and let out a contained breath of air.

"Me too," Shinichi intoned softly. "Me too."

Chapter Two

End

Another short chapter. Hopefully the next will be a bit longer. After that, it should definitely start getting longer. There is much (much) more on the way. :)