Kaito was surprised when he open his eyes and saw the sleeping figure of the mini detective next to him.

I guess it can't be helped, after all he is in the body of a child now and they're not exactly known for their stamina.

Leaning over and gently placing a kiss on the young detective's head he couldn't help but smile to himself. Carefully getting out of bed he tucked the boy in and went to get something for breakfast. Stepping out of the apartment and locking the door Kaito quickly made his way to the convenience store. He purchased some eggs, bread and milk before returning home.

After popping his head into the bedroom to see if the not child was still sleeping, which he was, he set about getting breakfast ready and turned on the TV. A smile split his face as the news came on.

Breaking news in the emerald theft by Kid.

It has now been determined, thanks to an unknown source, that the emerald stolen by Kid from the local art museum last night was not in fact a gem but an actual person. Seven year old Edogawa Conan went missing on the night of Kid's heist and was thought to be just another kidnapping case, now authorities believe that he was taken by Kid. Though why Kid refers to the child as en emerald is still unknown it has redoubled search efforts by the local police and by the famous Detective Mouri Kogorou. Although progress is slow this reporter has been assured that they will find the child and bring him home safely.

Kaito heaved a sigh, "Fools, I told them I only wanted Mouri involved."

"You didn't expect them to listen did you?"

Kaito turned to see an exhausted looking Conan come into the room and climb up into a chair, "They don't take chances with the jewels you steal, what makes you think they are going to risk some private detective look for a kidnap victim by himself not to mention the fact that it was me you took and not just some random stranger." He yawned slightly and rubbed his eyes, "If it had been anyone else but you I think the entire state of Japan would be on their heels by now not to mention the FBI and the CIA."

Kaito laughed nervously and sweat dropped before turning back to his eggs, "I see you've made some friends in high places."

Conan just shrugged and continued watching the TV until his food was placed in front of him. He looked at it sleepily for a moment before picking up his fork and slowly started eating it.

Kaito watched the normally sharp detective eating lethargically and gave him an affectionate smile. It really was no surprise that the little detective was so tired. They had been at Tropical Land from 8 yesterday morning until it closed at 10 that night. He sweat dropped as he thought about how 'Kimi-chan' had suddenly got very into his part and had run around for hours making Kaito chase after him. When the park had finally closed they went to see the midnight showing of a movie they had both wanted to see, though Kaito had had to hide Conan under his shirt to get in since it was rated R.

By the time they had left the movie, again sneaking Conan out of the theater, the kid had been so exhausted that he had fallen asleep in Kaito's arms. Carrying him back to the apartment and changing him into a old pair of flannel pajamas that were slightly to big on him Kaito had carried the not child to the living room with the intention of placing him to sleep on the couch that night. As he was placing the small body on the couch, however the fear of leaving the detective alone just wouldn't seem to leave him. So, cursing himself, he had taken the boy back to his room.

"So what now Kid?"

Kaito pulled himself out of his thoughts and look at the still bleary faced seven year old. He smiled sweetly and put on a face of confusion, "Hmmm. About what?"

Conan gestured toward the direction of the TV. He was still so out of it though that he ended up swinging his arm a little too forcefully and almost fell off his chair. Luckily Kaito caught him before he could have a meeting with the floor and placed the slightly disgruntled detective on his knee.

"Wow Tantei-kun, you are not a mourning person are you?" Conan merely leaned forward and rested his head on the table. Kaito chuckled. Kudo Shinichi had always been a man of grace who was always cool under pressure and whose mind was always alert.

Looking at him now though he looks every bit the child he is masquerading as.

Shaking his head slightly he placed his lips next to the not child's ear and said sternly, in Ran's voice, "Conan-kun it's time to get up now"

This had a mixed effect however, as the detective's head shot up so fast it collided with the thief chin. For a second neither could do anything but hold their respective injuries and mumble incoherently in pain.

"Stop doing that!" Shinichi snarled turning to glare at Kaito.

Kaito rubbed his chin and smirked sheepishly, "Well if you woke up like a normal person…" Shinichi just continued to glare and rubbed his eyes, "anyway finish your breakfast and clean up, I have to go somewhere today and I want to make sure your okay before I leave."

Conan looked up startled, now fully awake, "You're just gonna leave me here? Aren't you afraid I'll run away?"

"If you really wanted to escape you would have tried long before this."

Kaito smiled down at the bewildered face of the not child. Suddenly his eyes seemed to shift into space and his smile turned sad, "I'm just going to see Aoko." The thief swallowed thickly, his eyes still avoiding the detective's.

For a moment he was lost in the memory. Tears filled his eyes as he saw once again as the girl he had grown up with, the girl he had come to love, had half her head blown off. He remembered being utterly paralyzed as her still warm blood splattered his face and her body dropped onto the pavement. He probably would have stayed there had the owner of the shop they had been walking next to had not grabbed him and pulled him inside just as a bullet buried itself into the wall directly were his head had been.

A slight tug on his pant leg brought him back to reality.

Looking down he could help but let out a wet laugh. Conan had gotten off his knee and had changed once again into the Kimi costume; although this time he was wearing a light blue blouse and tan pants. In his hand he had a contact case that held the lenses they had used yesterday to make the child's eyes green. Neither said anything as the older boy slipped off his chair and knelt down in front of the detective.

Taking the case from the smaller hand Kaito proceeded to gently cover the blue irises. Raising again Kaito quickly cleaned up the remains of their breakfast and, taking Conan's hand, left the apartment.

Walking down the street both boys were quiet. Each seemed to sense an unspoken pressure about them. Conan kept shooting glances at the thief. He had never seen the other so serious before. Not to mention that he hadn't pulled off even one magic trick yet. The not child ignored his curiosity though as he allowed himself to be pulled along.

They continued walking until they came to the bus terminal again. From there they got off just outside of the city and walked for about another fifteen minutes until they came to a cemetery. Picking their way carefully through the graves Kaito finally stopped at one in the far corner underneath a Sakura tree. Bright pink petals fell onto the name plate like a cotton candy snow storm. Kaito gently brushed them aside and knelt down in front of the stone.

"Hello Aoko," He whispered to it quietly, "I'm sorry I haven't been here recently." His eyes fell on the dead flowers sitting in the holder under Aoko's name, "It's been really hard for me lately, but I wanted you to know that I'm doing better. Tantei-kun has really helped me a lot and I think I'll be okay soon."

Reaching forward Kaito began pulling the dead stems out of the holder and arrange them in his hand, "I'm not sure the two of you have met yet, but, Aoko, this is Tantei-kun," he looked at the, to this point, silent child next to him, "Tantei-kun this is Nakamori Aoko."

Conan's eyes widened, "Nakamori?"

Kaito nodded sadly, "Daughter of our own Nakamori-san."

He continued arranging the stems.

"Do you remember the time I didn't show up for my heist?"

Conan nodded, how could he not remember, Kid's failure to appear had been the topic of conversation for almost three months afterward. For all intense and purposes the thief had fallen off the face of the planet. Not a single word was heard from him during those three months and Shinichi had feared that the Black Organization had finally gotten to him. Kaito seemed to read his thoughts.

"They did come after me, in fact they tried to shoot me many times as Kid, but this time they came after me as Kaito."

Kaito waved his hand over the stems in the others and Conan thought he saw a little green return to them.

"I don't know how they knew who I was, but on the morning of my heist Aoko and I were walking home from school together when she was shot. She had moved out in front of me so she could lecture me on how Kid was just a thief and how her dad would catch him. I stopped walking and she leaned her face forward to make sure I was listening when the bullet tore through her head."

Continuing to wave his hand over the stems the brown spots seemed to disappear.

Shinichi stared silently at the other boy. He couldn't imagine something like that happening to Ran. If it did he didn't know if he'd be able to live on. Knowing that it had been him that they were after, that she died because of him. It would kill him.

Kaito continued, "Aoko and I grew up together, we were the best of friends so to suddenly not have her in my life was devastating. I have a vague memory of Hakuba and my mother trying to comfort me, but I really don't know what happened during those three months."

"How did you come back?" Conan asked tentatively.

Flower began to bloom on the stems.

"You were attacked."

Roses opened their blood red petals and baby's breath added their snowy drops.

"I knew then that I had to do something. I couldn't allow myself to wallow in sorrow while there were others out there that still needed my help. I did what I could for you on the sidelines and, after I made sure you were safe, redoubled my efforts to find Pandora."

Conan swallowed thickly. He had been so busy running away from the shooter that he had never noticed Kid was at his side nor had he questioned Kid's absence and subsequent return. He had heard about Pandora from Haibara and had figure out pretty quickly form there that that was what Kid was after.

Kaito could see the detective deflate a little out of the corner of his eyes and gave him a small smile and proceeded to place the newly resurrected flowers into the holder, "Don't be so sad Tantei-kun. I have made peace with the fact that Aoko's death was my fault and I am happy to have been able to help you," He shrugged and stood up, "Besides, if I had allowed you or myself to be killed by them she would probably come down here with a mop and kick my butt."

He chuckled, "I can hear her now," his voice took on a high, slightly shrill tone, "BAKA KAITO! How could you just sit here and not do anything while others are in danger? Are you going to avenge me or not?"

Kaito smiled happily at the memory before turning to Conan, "Well I think it's time to get some lunch don't you think?"

Shinichi nodded dumbly and walked beside Kaito out of the cemetery completely oblivious to the fact that they were being followed.

"How do you do that?"

Kaito looked up from his ice cream to see the little detective looking at him questioningly. They had stopped for lunch in Tokyo a couple hours ago and were now sitting at the table in his kitchen. Neither had said anything since they got back so the sudden question startled Kaito.

"How do I do what?"

Conan blushed violently, this had not been what he had wanted to say, but he couldn't back down now so he swallowed and pushed on, "How do you change your voice to mimic not only the tone, but the mannerisms of another person so perfectly?"

Kaito blinked before chuckling slightly, "It's all about the pitch Tantei-kun. It's kinda like singing." Leaning forward –well into the mini detective's private space- he looked the detective in the eye for a few seconds before placing a kiss on his forehead, "I have no doubt that you would do the same thing I did, but I appreciate your support."

Conan's face lit up like Christmas tree and he quickly averted his eyes.

Kaito watched the flustered little boy dig into his ice cream with a new determination. He sighed to himself. Tomorrow was the last day he and the detective would be together as friends. After that they would go back to their rivalry game of cat and mouse. He couldn't help but feel a little sad at the loss, but at the same time he was happy. Happy that he and the detective had reached an understanding, that he was able to get through to the stubborn boy. Though he had no delusions that the detective would heed his warning but, hey, he could hope.

At least he had made him aware that he was no longer alone.

Tomorrow he would have to make sure everything was prepared for the return of the child. He had already figured out the basics of where and when, but he still had to figure out a way in without alerting suspicion. He would also have to make sure that Shinichi wasn't accidentally hurt in the process and that his escape way would be clear.

He sighed again.

"You know it you keep doing that you're going to make yourself light headed."

Kaito blinked out of his thoughts and grinned broadly, a sudden manic glint in his eye.

"Say Tantei-kun how do you feel about becoming a thief?"