AN: AND FINALLY THE NEXT CHAPTER IS DONE!
Now, I will admit, the chapter dort of ends crappy but thats because I lost my motivation for this when I started this chapter
WEll, its back and I hope you enjoy it!
Oh, I want to make one thing clear that kinda ticked me off a little; On one of the reviews for this story, someone told me that this was impossible because of the ages and such.
Thats what the entire fic is about! Finding out how its possible if so...
So, no more questions about that, all right?
Enjoy! ^^
"Care to explain yourself, Jimmy?" Booker asked, his eyes blazing into Conan's.
In shock, Conan looked straight ahead, seeing nothing.
I...have c-children?
"B-b-but how can that be...?" Conan stuttered. He put his hand to his head, and took a deep, shaky breath.
"So, what you say is that... you found these kids on the street...who claim t-that I'm their father...and you tested these kids for my DNA...? Would you even think that I would be the kind of guy to have kids at an early age?"
"For heaven's sake, Jimmy, the boy looks almost exactly like YOU!" Booker hollered.
"Dad, keep it down! Or they'll hear you in the other room!" Conan whispered sharply.
Booker glanced toward the door, took a deep breath, and started talking again,
"And you are the only person I know that would name them after mystery writers!"
"Huh?" Conan asked, confused.
Booker shook his head, frustrated, "Ranpo and Christie; Don't they sound familiar."
Conan stared blankly, too shocked about the news about his kids, and then realized who they were named after. Ranpo was the name of the Japanese mystery writer Ranpo Edogawa. Conan had chosen the last name of his pseudonym from the same writer. And Christie was the last name of Agatha Christie, another mystery writer. Now, he saw a small pattern of why his father was leading to these assumptions. But Conan felt too worn out to talk.
"Well, it does seem strange and highly unlikely." Booker continued "If they are eight years old, you and Rachel would've had to conceive them when you were both ten years of age"
"Wait! Wait! Wait! What did you say?" Conan panicked.
"You and Rachel would've had to..."
"Yeah! That part! Me and RACHEL?"
"Yes, Jimmy," Booker explained, "The DNA tested positive for Rachel as well. They are the children of Rachel and you"
Once more, Conan struggled to understand the news. He wiped cold sweat off of his face with the back of his hand.
"But...R-Rachel and I...never...you know..." Conan uneasily protested, "...did anything like that at all! I've never even thought of it before...!"
Booker gave Conan an unconvinced glare, "Never? You've never thought of it? You're a high school boy, Jimmy. Need I say more?"
Conan blushed, "Well, the part about never thinking about it may be a lie, but I'm serious about never fooling around with Rachel! It's totally impossible! They can't be my kids!"
"Didn't you always say that there was no such thing as 'impossibility'? That there was a truth to everything?" a chilly voice answered. Booker and Conan quickly turned their gaze to the doorway where
Vi was standing. Her face displayed no specific expression and her eyes were unreadable.
"Vi…you know about this too?" Conan asked.
She casually strode over to Conan and Booker, staring ahead of her. Vi was silent for a while before taking a deep breath and answering, "Yes. Mr. Kudo discussed the matter with Dr. Agasa and me." She then turned to Booker and stated, "Christie woke up, but she's crying"
"Again?"
"Yes" and for a split second, her eyes welled up and she continued in a steady voice to both Booker and Conan, "Go and see her. Ranpo, Dr. Agasa, and Rachel can't calm her down" When Vi blinked, the tears were gone. Conan was taken aback, but shook his head.
"I'll go and see her" Booker replied. He looked Conan straight in the eye and stated, "Might as well come and meet your kids. But this conversation stays between us." His eyes clouded with anger and concern,
"Do not mention anything about this to those two children or Rachel! If the Black Organization finds out about this, they'll be in SERIOUS DANGER!"
Conan flinched at his father's sudden anger. Never before had Jimmy seen his father so infuriated. It's probably because he thinks I'm lying about fooling around. Or maybe he's pissed because I never said anything about my…kids…to him. But that's the thing; I never fooled around with anyone. Why can't he understand that?
Jimmy went over these thoughts in his mind as they walked to Dr. Agasa's room. From inside the room, Conan could hear the crying of a little girl, the reassurance from the boy and Rachel, and the occasional comment or two from Dr. Agasa. Booker knocked on the door with his knuckle before stating, "It's us; we are coming in." He then gripped the doorknob, took one last look at Conan, and opened the entrance. They walked in to see a little girl with long, chocolate brown hair covering her face with her hands, and crying. Rachel sat next to her on the bed, rubbing her back and trying to get her to calm down. The girl's brother, Ranpo, was standing beside the bed, looking at his sister with concern. Dr. Agasa was standing off to the side, watching the scene with a sad gaze.
"Christie, what's the matter?" Ranpo asked his sister innocently. The girl hiccupped a few times before she started to stutter.
"I h-h-had a b-b-b-bad dream…" she whimpered. Conan studied the girl's features carefully, and he was stunned to find that she did look like Rachel when she was the same age. He wasn't sure if Rachel could tell as well, but she didn't seem to show any signs of knowing. Ranpo reached forward and took the girl's hand in his own and tried to smile for her, but he couldn't keep it there as his sister continued to weep.
Rachel moved closer to Christie and hugged her gently. The girl jumped slightly and looked up at Rachel with big, watery brown eyes, hidden behind semi-foggy glasses. Conan felt his heartstrings being pulled when he saw her face. It, though sad, was very cute and reminded Conan of the appearance of a little lost puppy. Beside him, he could see Vi clench her fists tight, and Conan knew that she had felt the same way as well.
Rachel smiled warmly at the girl and she stroked the chocolate brown hair that draped over Christie's shoulders delicately. The girl's tears slowed a bit, but didn't cease completely.
"What happened in your dream?" Rachel asked tenderly, putting her left arm around the girl. Christie wiped her eyes with her fist and sniffled.
"W-well…R-R-Ranpo and I w-w-were playing at the playground…a-and two men came a-and…and…"
Her eyes started to well up again and her voice shook as she explained. Rachel held the girl closer and tried her best to calm her down.
"T-T-They…kidnapped…us, and…took us to an old b-b-building…and they tied us up…" Christie took a deep breath and shuddered. "A-a-and…t-they took a silver gun…a-and…t-t-they…"
Everyone waited in silence for her to finish her sentence. Christie shut her eyes tight and started to shake her head, as if she was trying to rid the images of her nightmare from her mind.
"They…sh-shot us…and that's when I woke up…" she finished with a small, squeaky breath. Ranpo opened his eyes wide in pure surprise, while Conan felt a strange, protective feeling stirring inside him. He didn't know why, but he felt like he needed to help the girl with her fright. But why?
Fatherly instinct? Conan shook his head, that's crazy! I just met the kid!
Rachel hugged the girl and cooed, "It's all right. It was just a dream. It won't happen in real life"
Christie moaned and started to cough, making Ranpo jump and Booker rush over to her. He stooped down and lifted her up, holding her like a small child on his hip. She lay limp, practically draped over his shoulder. He patted her back as she continued to cough, but once she stopped, he rubbed her back lightly. Booker looked at Rachel, who had worry splashed over her face, and explained,
"She'll be fine, but she's still sick. She's been like this for a while."
Rachel and Conan both cocked their heads to the side in confusion. Booker chuckled lightly and took a deep breath, sitting down on a mahogany brown chair, cuddling Christie close to his chest.
"I found these two kids in the street yesterday. You see, this boy…" he pointed to Ranpo, who smiled sheepishly, "This boy was traveling with his sister, Christie…" he looked down at the girl, who was falling asleep once again against him, "They're orphans, and they had nowhere to go. So, they wandered the streets, lonely and hungry." Booker's voice started to overflow with emotion. Conan rolled his eyes. Just like always, Dad has to add emphasis to his stories, he thought, referring to the many books Booker had written and published.
Booker cleared his throat and continued, "Then they became poor, and Christie had gotten sick. By the time I met them, she couldn't even walk on her own. Well, she had collapsed and Ranpo was running to take him to Beika Hospital, but he accidentally ran into oncoming traffic and I almost struck them with the car. But, I didn't harm them, and through negotiating with this young man…" he once more motioned toward Ranpo, "…I agreed to take her to the hospital. It turned out that she only had a minor bronchial infection and mainly needed rest. So, we took her here, and she's been here ever since."
"That's terrible!" Rachel shouted suddenly, making everyone jump. "They don't have any parents?"
Booker seemed taken aback by the question slightly; however his voice was steady when he spoke.
"They do not."
"That's not true!" Ranpo yelled this time. His eyes blazed and his teeth were bared into an angry snarl. Booker glared back at the boy, while trying to soothe the flustered Christie. Silence hung in the air while the two kept staring at one another. Conan, Rachel, Dr. Agasa, and Vi all stayed quiet, though they felt their uneasiness filling the room. Finally, Conan decided to break the silence.
"What do you mean by that?"
Ranpo swung his head sharply in Conan's direction, glaring at him with the same burning ferocity as when he stared at Booker.
"We DO have a father! JIMMY KUDO IS OUR FATHER!"
Conan, Vi, Dr. Agasa, and Booker all tensed up as soon as the question escaped Ranpo's lips. Conan turned to Rachel to see her reaction, and he didn't like the fact that she was staring at the boy in amazement. The color from her face drained quickly and she gave the appearance of exhaustion.
"Wh-what?"
Booker tipped his head back and let out a loud laugh. Conan turned to his father with angry bewilderment showing, wondering why he would laugh when his secret was on the verge of being blown. But Booker showed no restlessness in his expression, but Conan still felt a vibe of nervousness coming from his father.
"Oh, this boy! He is such a joker!" Booker bellowed, snickering. Christie looked up through bleary eyes, while Ranpo only became angrier. He clenched his fists and glared at Booker with a fiery stare that could melt anything to a gooey pulp.
"I'M NOT KIDDING! HE REALLY IS OUR FATHER!" He screamed, looking as if he could punch Booker right in the jaw. Booker stopped laughing and growled, "Ranpo, keep it down! Your sister is trying to sleep!" He pointed down at the drowsy girl he was holding. Ranpo saw his sister, and then he inhaled slowly to compose himself. Booker turned to the others, Rachel mostly, and explained, "My son isn't their father. This boy has concocted the notion that he is their real father. But, it's not the case"
"He really is our father!" Ranpo continued to argue with Booker, looking as if he was ready to pounce on the man.
"R-Ranpo…please…s-s-stop…" Christie whimpered, opening her eyes slightly. Immediately, Ranpo glanced at her with concern and he became quiet. Christie coughed a little but continued.
"Why…why d-do you think…t-that he's our…f-f-father?"
Ranpo looked down at his feet in silence and murmured, "I…I don't know…I mean…the guy is a famous detective…and he sounds familiar…"
"You probably remember hearing about one of his cases or something!" Conan chimed, putting on the child façade. He grinned childishly at Ranpo, but the other boy stayed serious.
"Enough of this talk. We need to let Christie sleep." Booker quickly decided. He stood up, walked over to the bed, and laid Christie down delicately. She made a small noise as she settled into the warm bed and Booker tucked her in. He turned to Rachel and asked,
"Would you look after her for a little while as she sleeps?"
Rachel nodded and smiled, "No problem" she whispered.
Booker also grinned and he motioned for everyone else to follow him quietly. They didn't make one sound as they tiptoed out of the room until they had closed the door silently and were away from the room.
Ranpo went back to his spot on the couch, placed his face in his hands and stared into space for a while. Conan took a good look at the boy and for a minute, he saw what looked like a younger version of his dad, but when he blinked, it went away. Conan shivered, This has got to be a joke…
Out of the corner of his eye, Conan could see Booker glaring at him, still a little ticked about the situation. Conan mouthed "I did nothing. These are not my kids!" without any sound coming from them.
"Well, that boy's dream sure sounded spooky, huh?" Conan jumped when he heard Vi appear right next to him. He let out a frustrated sigh and murmured, "Kinda. But why do I care?"
Vi's expression became drowned in seriousness.
"That sounded like something the Black Organization would do...if they found out that these are your kids..."
Conan stared at her in shock, but then chuckled.
"I think you're a bit paranoid"
Vi's face didn;t change as Conan laughed quietly.
"You never know, Jimmy. You never know..."
And with that, she left his side to talk to Dr. Agasa and Booker. Conan stared as she walked over and then he closed his eyes and decided to think this through.
"I gotta prove Dad wrong...they are not my kids...I gotta find out what's going on..."
AN: YAY! AND THATS DONE!
AGain, sorry if this one sucks, but the next chapters will get better. I promise.
Keep on reading!
Arigatou!
~LIzard-chan ^^
