Author's Note: I know that I seem to be releasing these chapters faster than expected, but please don't expect them to keep coming out at a rapid pace. I may have written 3 chapters in all so far (the third being unedited as of yet) and am working on the fourth, I can't guarantee I will keep writing at the pace I'm currently at. While I am still working out where this story will go, I am also kind of rereading a series of books that I haven't read in years - I still have about 7 1/2 books left in the series, and so i may or may not write as much. Thank you all for understanding, and I hope that you enjoy this next chapter :)

Amuro Tooru was still hesitant. Even though he'd made his way over to Professor Agasa's house, he hadn't yet rung the doorbell. Once he was face to face with the girl he couldn't exactly back out, but then again, after receiving his orders from above, he couldn't back out now either.

With a sigh, he finally decided to knock on the door. His knuckles had only made contact once with the wood before a voice sounded from behind him.

"The professor isn't home right now. He's getting ingredients for dinner."

He turned around to find Haibara Ai standing behind him with a raised eyebrow. It looked like she was just now getting back from school, her backpack still slung over her shoulders. He looked at his watch. She was getting back from school.

"I was actually here for you," he said carefully. This could turn out so badly if it was construed as him doing something inappropriate to a young girl.

She raised an eyebrow. "Why?" She rarely ever acted her age, and that was something he noticed.

"Do you remember that big sis from the aquarium, when the giant Ferris Wheel broke?"

She blinked owlishly a few times before saying very slowly, "Yes. Why?"

"She's been in a hospital for a while now and she wanted to thank you in person for helping her, and to let you know that she regained her memories," he said. As genuine a smile as he could muster was on his face.

She was silent for a bit before pulling as childish a grin as she could onto her face, saying, "Okay! Once I see her I can let the others know that she's doing well!" Inside she was unsure what was really happening. Was Curacao really still alive? Or had whoever Amuro worked for realized that she was Sherry? No matter the reason, it was still safer for the kids and the professor if she went willingly with him. If it turned out that they hadn't realized who she was, she could play it off as being a child that didn't think it would be dangerous to go with someone she knew.

He was taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor, but he chalked it up to her excitement over seeing a friend. "Do you want to go now, or is it a bad time?" he asked. He didn't want to seem desperate, even to a child.

"Will I be home in time for dinner?" she replied in question. She still had her childish façade up.

Nodding his head, he said, "Of course."

"Okay! Let me text the professor and tell him that I'm hanging out with you!" She said it as she typed the text, not giving him any time to object or stop her. Then she hurried past him and said, "Let me drop off my books." She placed them on the couch and made sure to slide her detective badge into her pocket before leaving and locking up the house. Better safe than sorry.

"Ready."

He led her around the corner to a car, popping open the passenger door for her.

She climbed in and buckled up.

They settled in for a relatively silent ride as she stared out the window, contemplating what was about to happen, but swinging her legs back and forth to try to keep up the slightly childish appearance. The acting was beginning to tire her out, but she couldn't stop yet.

They were in the car for a little over a half hour, and they left the city relatively early on. Haibara did her best to ingrain the roads they were taking into her mind once they'd left the city. If she could find her way back, she could easily take public transportation to return to the professor's.

When they pulled up outside a large building, Haibara was on edge. This was not a hospital. There were no ambulances, no signs, nothing that indicated this was a place of medicine. Still, she followed Amuro who held the doors open for her and had finally started talking again.

"The first floor of the hospital seems a bit odd, but really it's because this is mostly where all of the offices are. There are a few rooms down here where patients are kept, but most of the medical care is done on the upper floors," he said as they walked.

"Oh, so that's why it's so quiet. I thought there would be more beeping noises or nurses around," she said innocently.

He smiled, "You're pretty observant. I guess you are part of the Detective Boys."

"Edogawa-kun really does all the work. I just go along for the adventure!"

Before he responded, they came to a stop outside a door with two guards.

Haibara had opened her mouth and was about to question it when he quickly said, "She fell out of bed once, so we keep some security here to help her in case something happens." Then he rapped his knuckles on the door.

"Come in." The voice came from the other side of the door. Amuro pushed the door open slowly to show Curacao sitting up in bed, propped up by a few pillows and with a book in hand. They didn't allow her much in the way of entertainment, but hoping to gain goodwill, Amuro had taken to visiting a library every few days and returning a book while picking up another for her.

The two girls made eye contact and Haibara did her best to continue acting like a child.

"Big sis, how are you?" she quickly rushed over to the bed as if she was excited to see the woman.

Curacao, from up close, was obviously trying to hide a laugh behind her book, while Amuro panicked a little when Haibara left his side and ran towards the woman. If she took the child hostage, that could turn everything inside out. When Curacao managed to compose herself a little, she responded, "It's good to see you too, Ai-chan. I wanted to thank you for helping me out that day."

Haibara scratched the back of her head and said, "It was nothing really," while trying to produce a blush, which didn't seem that hard considering she was embarrassed to be acting so childish.

Curacao scooched a little closer to the side of her bed that was pressed against the wall and she pat the mattress beside her. Haibara hesitated for a second before jumping up and sitting on the edge of the bed.

Curacao then looked over to Amuro and said, "Could you give us a moment?"

He was obviously hesitant. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea. If she gets a little too hyper you might get hurt."

Haibara pouted, "I won't be hyper. I'm super mature."

"Besides," the older woman added, "there's security right outside the door. I can just shout if I need any help."

Amuro really wanted to refuse, but the look in the other woman's eye told him that if he didn't leave, he would never get the information he wanted. With a reluctant sigh, he stepped outside the room and closed the door. He would hate himself forever if something happened to the child because of him.

The second the door was closed, Haibara hopped off the bed and turned to face Curacao. "What do you want?" Her eyes were narrowed.

She expected to find herself in a precarious situation. Instead, Curacao started to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

It took a moment to quell her laughter, but finally she responded. "Your acting was spectacular. I almost forgot you were an adult." Another giggle escaped.

Haibara could feel her ears burn and she crossed her arms over her chest in defense. "So, what did you want?"

"A friend."

The girl blinked a few times. "What?"

"I wanted a friend. Someone who had betrayed the Organization and was kind of in the same position as me."

Haibara looked around the room with wide eyes.

"They aren't listening. Relax. This place is small, and I've gone over it with a fine-toothed comb. There are no cameras and no recording devices in here. I check every day after I wake up."

It relaxed Haibara, but not by much.

"We aren't really in the same situation, you know," Haibara said, going back to Curacao's previous point.

"I guess your situation might be a bit better since you aren't confined to a cage."

Haibara was quiet for a bit. "Sometimes I think I'd be safer if I was."

Curacao's slight cheerfulness seemed to disappear.

"I always feel like they're right behind me… getting closer and closer to the day they kill me. Kill Edogawa-kun, the professor… the kids. If I was in a cage where they couldn't get me, wouldn't that be better?"

Haibara was shocked by the strength of the response that came from the other woman. "Of course not. By being out there in the real world, you're experiencing life. If the rumors I heard about you are true… you were a caged bird back when you were Sherry, but now, now you're living life as a regular first grader. Isn't that something you never had before? A freedom you never really knew?"

"I… guess you could view it that way."

The conversation fell into a lull, and once again Curacao pat the mattress.

"Come here."

With slow steps, Haibara made her way over and took a seat once again.

"I told them I would give them information on the Organization if they got you to visit me," Curacao said. Haibara looked at her with a furrowed brow. "Whoever Bourbon works for, they're collecting data on the Organization and its members to take it down. I honestly want to help them, but I couldn't give that information away for free. They could easily keep me locked away in here forever if I didn't bargain with them."

"And what you bargained for, was me."

"What can I say? After being surrounded by evil for so long, I was looking forward to being able to find a friend, just like you found in the little detective." Curacao smiled at her.

"So, what, you plan to give them everything now?"

"No. I plan to give them little tidbits of information after every visit."

Haibara narrowed her eyes, "Do you mean after every time I visit?"

"Of course. So far you're the best thing that's happened to me in the past two months."

Haibara sighed and finally a genuine smile peaked through. "Alright. I guess I can come back to visit again. It doesn't seem too bad to have someone who understands my situation." She stood up. "For now, I should probably get going. I need to get home to make dinner for the professor."

"Okay… but the next time you visit… can you do me a favor?" For the first time, Curacao almost seemed hesitant. Haibara almost thought the woman was blushing.

"What is it?"

"Can you… bring me some undergarments."

The child froze.

"They uh... gave me these clothes to wear, but it still feels weird not having anything on underneath." It looked like Curacao had turned a dark shade of red.

Haibara was sure that her face was a matching shade. She quickly walked over to the woman and pulled out a small notebook and pen. "Write your sizes here. I'll bring you some next time."

Curacao gratefully took the notepad. "Thank you."

A/N: So, what did you all think? Sometimes I feel like my ideas are super weird and that readers won't like it - but I kind of enjoy the weird scenarios I guess. I just sort of threw this together. To be quite honest, the section I'm most looking forward to is several chapters away, so right now I'm just trying to get myself from point A to point B and hoping that it doesn't feel like a complete mess as I go. Anyways, thank you guys for reading, and feel free to leave a review or shoot me a message! :)