Author's Notes: Finally done with this chapter! I'm sorry it took so long. TT^TT I kept getting distracted whenever I sat down and attempted writing. And so I shall now try to write using pen and paper more often because it means less distractions for me and for some reason, I get more ideas in writing. :D

Warnings: Female Shinichi, shounen ai, AU I think, and OOC-ness.

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan in any way.


Chapter Four: Confrontations

The following morning, the three teens immediately set out to visit Ai who was still staying with Professor Agasa. Shizuka and Heiji were talking excitedly as they headed to the professor's house, while Kaito remained pensive and seemed to be thinking deeply about something.

When they arrived and introduced 'Shizuka', both Agasa and even Ai were greatly surprised, though the latter tried to hide it at which she failed. Shizuka and Heiji immediately talked to them regarding their purpose for visiting, which was to ask Ai to create an antidote.

"Sorry, but I can't help you," came the unexpected reply.

"But WHY?" Shizuka asked, surprised at the answer. She was really hoping Ai would be able to help her.

"The drug my parents and I had been working on is different from the one you've just been given. Most probably it was made by a new biochemist working for them. Because this is a new drug, I don't have anything to work on."

At this, Shizuka sank on a chair, feeling dejected. This is exactly why she didn't want to be too excited; the disappointment she'd feel afterwards would be equally proportional, or perhaps even greater, to her initial excitement.

Heiji sat beside her, at a loss on what to say because he too felt disappointed. Meanwhile, Kaito remained silent, though he was looking at Shizuka intently.

Ai sighed and spoke up once again. "Seriously, Kudou-kun, you drink the only antidote we have but then you go and get poisoned by a whole new drug."

"Haibara-han," Heiji said sternly. "Please, just..stop it, alright?"

She just shrugged and walked towards her room.

Agasa then spoke up next, "Shinichi, I'm sorry about Ai-kun's response, but you know how she is. Deep down she's worried about you too."

Shizuka gave a small, sad smile and said, "I know. But I also know that she's disappointed with what happened to me. After all, she's right. It was indeed stupid of me to have myself transformed again when I just returned to my old body."

"Come ta think of it, why didn't she make an antidote fer herself?" Heiji asked, curious.

"She only had enough to make one. And she said that..somehow, she now feels more comfortable as a kid, so she doesn't plan on getting her old body back anytime in the future."

"Really? Somehow, that doesn't sound like somethin' that little nee-chan would say," Heiji said and just shrugged.

After a few minutes of silence, Agasa spoke up once again, "So Shinichi, what are you planning to do now?"

"It's 'Shizuka' now, professor," she corrected, giving a somewhat helpless smile. "And in answer to your question, well, first I have to tell Mom and Dad. As for trying to return my body to normal, for now the only option we have is getting the antidote from the Black Organization."

At this, the expressions of her three companions hardened. There was now another thing to add to the things they had to accomplish. It would be difficult, but they'll manage, hopefully.

Shizuka noticed their sudden serious expressions, and said apologetically, as if reading their minds, "I'm sorry. I made everything more complicated for everyone, didn't I?"

This surprised the rest, even the professor. Where did this sudden..humility come from? The Shinichi they knew would probably never say such things easily; he was too proud to admit if ever he was inconveniencing people, though his big ego had somewhat deflated after becoming Conan for a few years. Was this a side effect of turning into a girl?

Heiji then put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry," he said. "None of this is your fault, alright? Anyway, we'll manage, as long as we all work together. Just don't give up, Kud- I mean, Shizuka!"

With this remark, Kaito and Agasa just nodded, as if saying that they agree with the Kansai detective. At this, the boy-turned-girl felt grateful that despite everything that happened, she still had her friends behind her.

She smiled and was about to reply when she was interrupted by a chorus of loud voices from outside calling out, "Professor!"

The three teens turned to look at Agasa. "Hakase, you didn't mention that the kids would be coming," Shizuka said.

The professor just shrugged and replied, "I didn't know either. Maybe they wanted a surprise visit. Excuse me for a moment." He then stood up and walked towards his front door to let the kids in.

"Oi, Ku- Shizuka," Heiji said in a low voice, but still loud enough for Kaito to hear. "Should we still be here?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, do ya' want those kid friends of yours ta meet ya' as is right now?"

Come to think of it, she didn't want them to meet her like this so soon. However, just as she was about to suggest that they leave already, a familiar female child's voice stopped her.

"Ah! Professor, you have guests over!" Ayumi said as she entered the living room. Just behind her were Mitsuhiko, Genta, and Agasa.

"Look," Genta said and pointed. "It's Heiji-oniisan and Shinichi-oniisan! With someone else I don't know.." He said the last part with a confused expression on his face.

"Genta-kun! It's rude to point, you know," Ayumi reprimanded her large friend, who just scratched his head sheepishly.

"Your friend's right," Kaito said to Genta, and started walking towards the kids. "Unfortunately," he continued, "You got another thing wrong, Genta-kun. I'm not Kudou; the name's Kuroba Kaito." With that, he went down on one knee so that he was on level with them, and gave Ayumi a yellow rose that he produced out of thin air. "For the little lady," he said with a smile.

"Wow!" was all she could exclaim, obviously in awe of the simple magic trick done. Mitsuhiko and Genta were amazed too, but they just said nothing. Meanwhile, Ayumi blushed as she accepted the rose and said a small "Thank you".

"No problem," came the thief's reply as he sat down again, this time on the other side of Shizuka on the couch she was sitting on.

The three kids followed and sat on a couch across them. Meanwhile, the professor disappeared for a while to get refreshments.


Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta introduced themselves individually and mentioned afterwards that they were the Shounen Tantei Dan. In turn, Shizuka introduced herself as well, and Kaito repeated his introduction, this time with a shower of confetti. This earned him an applause from the kids while his friends just shook their heads.

"Kaito-oniisan, you're a magician, aren't you?" Genta asked. When he got a nod in reply, he continued, "That's so cool!"

"Can you please show us a few more magic tricks?" Mitsuhiko requested, at which Ayumi and Genta nodded their heads excitedly.

Of course, Kaito happily obliged. He performed only basic sleight-of-the-hand tricks though, but despite this, the trio of kids proved to be an audience that was easy to please. The whole show just made Shizuka and Heiji smile in amusement.

By the time Agasa returned with a tray of drinks and snacks, the floor was littered with confetti, playing cards, other magic paraphernelia, and an occasional dove perched here and there. He almost dropped the tray that he was carrying at the sight of his living room.

Kaito, noticing that the professor had returned and seeing the look on his face, said with a grin, "Don't worry, Hakase. I'll clean this up."

One by one, more doves appeared until almost the entire room was covered with them. With a snap of Kaito's fingers and a burst of smoke, the doves disappeared, as well as the mess his earlier tricks made.

Almost immediately, the kids once again cheered and expressed their amazement, while Kaito was bowing and saying "Thank you" to his appreciative audience.

Agasa sighed in relief and set down his tray of refreshments, now that there actually was space to place them. "Thank you, Kaito-kun. But in the first place, please don't make such a mess again, alright?" he requested of the thief.

Kaito seemed to think this over for a minute, before replying with a mischievous grin, "I'll try, Hakase."

"Well then. Help yourself everyone," the professor said, referring to the refreshments he just brought. Genta immediately grabbed a handful of biscuits offered, while the others opted for getting one or two pieces only.

"Nee, Kaito-oniisan. Why do you look so much like Shinichi-oniisan? Are you two related?" Ayumi asked, in between her bites.

"I don't know why we look alike, actually, but I'm sure we're not related. Our parents are friends though," came the reply.

"You're also friends, aren't you? You and Shinichi-san, I mean," Mitsuhiko said.

"Yep."

"We're all friends, actually," Heiji piped up.

"Even Shizuka-san?" Mitsuhiko asked.

"Of course. Why, she can't be friends with us?"

"We don't mean that," Ayumi said and beamed. "It's just that Shizuka-oneesan is so pretty. Shizuka-oneesan, are you sure you're not Kaito-oniisan's girlfriend?"

At this, the three teens choked on what little biscuits they were eating. It didn't help when Mitsuhiko even added, "No way. She must be Heiji-san's girlfriend!"

The two continued arguing, not noticing that the people sitting across them were silent and blushing. On the other hand, Agasa sighed, unsure of what he could say to get the teens out of the situation, while Genta continued eating.

"Well, Shizuka-oneesan/Shizuka-san?" Ayumi and Mitsuhiko chorused, looking at the person in question, waiting for her to answer them.

She hesitated for a moment before replying, "Um. No, neither. I'm just a friend of theirs."

"Aw," came the reply. They looked pretty disappointed, which puzzled her.


Small talk ensued, this time the teens trying to stay away from topics regarding the three of them. After some time, Kaito stood up from his seat. "Well, Hakase," he said. "We better get going now, so that you can attend to your other guests."

Shizuka stood up as well and added, "Yeah. Thank you for your time. You coming, Heiji?"

"Uh. Nah. I'll stay fer a while," came the reply.

"Oh. Alright. Please say goodbye to Haibara-san for me, Hakase. See you, Ayumi-chan, Mitsuhiko-kun, Genta-kun," she said and waved to the others, who waved in return. With that, they left the professor's house.


The pair walked in silence, seemingly with no real destination. Shizuka seemed deep in thought while Kaito kept looking at her. They continued like this until Kaito grabbed her wrist and led her away. "Where are we going?" she asked in surprise.

"You'll see," he replied with a grin.

He said nothing more, but for some reason, she couldn't argue with him.

A little while later, she found herself seated at a shop in the nearby mall. Just as she was about to look around, the thief reappeared and sat on the seat across her, handing her a cup with a couple scoops of ice cream. She just looked at him, unsure whether she should accept it or not, but he insisted, so she took the cup and said a small "Thank you".

"No problem," he grinned, as he dug onto his own chocolate frozen treat.

She did the same and she couldn't help but sigh in contentment after eating just the first bite.

They continued eating in silence until both cups were empty. Shizuka then leaned back on her chair with a satisfied expression. At this, Kaito couldn't help but grin. "Happy?" he asked.

"Very," she replied, a lazy smile on her face.

He couldn't help but chuckle at that. "That's good," he said. "Ice cream makes everything better, doesn't it?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Kaito!" she replied with a smile.

For a moment, the thief's heart skipped a bit, and he was confused as to the reason why. He looked away from his companion, who happened to do the same.

It was then that Shizuka got a good look around the place they were in, which was actually an ice cream parlor. She saw a few families with their small children enjoying their own treats. There were also a few groups of teens around the same age as them, chatting happily. She couldn't help but wonder how her life would be like if it was as normal as those teens she saw.

'I'd probably still be a guy, first of all,' she thought and sighed.

This didn't escape Kaito's notice, who then asked, "What's up?"

"I was just thinking how life would be like if it was normal. You know, without having to investigate crime scenes, if you didn't have to go out on heists as KID, or if the Black Organization didn't exist at all."

He thought about this for a moment, and replied, "Well, it'd probably be great. But then again, it's all that happened in your life that shaped you into who you are right now, right?"

"Which is a girl."

"I didn't mean that," Kaito said, furrowing his eyebrows. He didn't mean to offend her.

Shizuka chuckled at her friend's reaction and said, "Don't worry, I understand what you meant. And yeah, you're right. If my life were different, I wouldn't be Kudo Shinichi - or at present time's case, Kaede Shizuka - at all."

The thief nodded and after a few moments, he asked, "So.. What do you want to do now? Is there some place you want to go to, or something?"

"Hmm."


"Shin-chan!" came the greeting followed by a tackle-slash-hug once she opened the door.

After eating ice cream with Kaito, Shizuka decided that it would be better if they returned home for the time being. She still had to find a way to break it to her parents that Shinichi was now Shizuka. She thought she'd have some time to think it over, but she didn't expect them to be lying in wait for her at the Kuroba household.

"M-mom?" she asked, surprised.

Kudou Yukiko then released her hold on her child and smiled. Like Chikage, she was a woman who looked young. Even after retiring at such an early age because of having a child, she still retained her beauty and grace, some of her greatest assets when she was still an actress.

She looked at the teen in front of her, appraising her appearance, before engulfing said teen in another back-breaking hug. "Shin-chan!" she exclaimed once again. "You're so pretty! You definitely take after me."

At this, Shizuka sweatdropped. "Mom, I don't think..that's the right thing to say in this kind of situation," she said.

"I'm just looking at the positive side of things," Yukiko chirped then faced her husband. "Right, Yuusaku? Doesn't she take after me?"

This time, Shizuka suddenly found the floor interesting to look at. She wasn't sure if she was prepared in case she saw disappointment in her father's eyes. She chanced a glance though, and was caught off-guard at the..was it really worry and..understanding that she saw in those normally serious eyes?

The emotions disappeared almost as instantly as they flashed across Kudou Yuusaku's face, which made Shizuka wonder whether she really did see them or it was just her imagination.

She was brought out of her musings when Chikage appeared and spoke, now noticing the small crowd at the house's entrance, "Oh. Looks like you've now seen each other. Why don't the three of you resume talking in the living room?"


A few moments later, we find the Kudou family indeed seated in the living room. Chikage and Kaito opted to let them talk on their own.

It was then that Shizuka found out what her parents were doing in the Kuroba household and why they already knew about her predicament. Apparently, they had just arrived from America that morning. Upon returning home, however, and seeing that their son Shinichi wasn't there, they decided to visit the Kuroba's, who happened to be their friend, since they knew that their sons Kaito and Shinichi were friends as well. When they arrived, they were told that the two had left that morning along with their other friend Heiji. It was also then that Chikage decided to tell them about 'Shizuka'.

After this, silence prevailed in the room for a while, mainly because Shizuka was unsure on how to respond and also because she was waiting for her parents to speak up about her situation first.

This was granted when Yukiko spoke up once again. "Shin-chan," she said, this time in a serious but also affectionate manner. She smiled and continued, "You don't have to worry about anything. Your father and I will always be right behind you, right Yuusaku?" She turned to her husband who gave a small smile and nodded.

Shizuka couldn't help but feel relieved. She had been dreading talking to her parents about this, but it looks like there was no need to worry after all. She gave a grateful smile and said, "Thanks, Mom, Dad."

"Now," Yukiko stood up from her seat and moved towards the teen, putting her hands together and looking like she was planning something Shizuka was sure she wouldn't like.

True enough, she was dragged outside by her mother who said they were off to have some 'mother-daughter' bonding time. Yuusaku, who was left behind, just sighed and shook his head.


By the time they returned, with a few shopping bags even, Heiji had also arrived and dinner was all ready.

"Oh, you're back," Chikage greeted. Noticing what they were carrying, she asked, "You went shopping?"

"A bit," Yukiko chirped. "But most were just my old clothes that I thought Shizuka-chan would like."

Chikage looked at the teen and saw from her expression that she didn't like her mother's selections. The woman couldn't help but feel a bit amused at this though and just continued, "Well then, let's just drop off the bags in the living room and proceed with dinner, alright?"


After eating, Yukiko and Yuusaku were about to go their way. But before that, the latter requested that he talk a bit with Shizuka first. So they went outside for the moment.

For some reason, Shizuka once again found herself nervous in the presence of her father. Was he now going to tell her his disappointment which he couldn't say in front of her mother awhile ago?

These thoughts bothered her so much that she didn't notice Yuusaku had stepped closer to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Shinichi?" he asked, sounding concerned.

She flinched at the sudden touch, and he didn't fail to notice this. "I'm sorry," he continued. "It's 'Shizuka' now, isn't it?"

She nodded but still said nothing. At this, Yuusaku sighed and said, "You've changed, Shinichi." This seemed to have caught the teen's attention so he continued, "You're..less outspoken now, in a good way of course. And now you've got more friends. I'm glad."

At this, he looked at her intently, satisfied that he now had her full attention. He continued speaking in a somewhat gentle manner, "But you know what will never change? That Yukiko and I will always be your parents, and that you will always be our child, whether you're Shinichi or Shizuka. So you don't have to worry about us not accepting whatever condition you're in, alright?"

Almost immediately, Shizuka threw her arms around her father and hugged him. This surprised Yuusaku, but he just smiled and put a hand on her head.

After a while, she let go, looking embarrassed. Yuusaku didn't help by teasing her, "How long have you been a girl again?"

"Shut up, Dad," she replied, blushing. "Besides, look who's talking. You're suddenly all sappy as well."

He just shrugged and said, "Your mother must be rubbing off on me a little too much these days."

At this, both of them laughed. And now that the tension between them that Shizuka felt was gone, they decided that it was time to call it a night, also so that her mom and dad could already take their leave. So they did, but not before Yukiko promised that she'll stop by from time to time to have some quality time with her 'daughter'. Shizuka just said yes even though deep down, she didn't want a repeat of her earlier shopping experience. With that, the couple were off.


Back inside, everyone was ready to head to sleep. Shizuka was once again staying in Kaito's room because Heiji was staying over for another night so he and Kaito had the guest room.

She had just finished changing and getting ready for bed when there was a knock on the door. Curious as to who it could be, she said, "Come in."

Heiji entered the room and closed the door behind him gently. He stood there, hesitating a bit, and sat down when Shizuka motioned for him to sit beside her on the bed.

"What's up, Heiji?" she asked.

"Nothin' much. How 'bout ya'?" he asked in return.

"Nothing much as well, but as you learned awhile ago, apparently my parents already know."

"And they're alright with it?"

"Yes. They were both very accepting. But that doesn't mean I'm giving up on returning to my original body though."

At this, Heiji grinned and she didn't fail to notice this. "Why the look? Do you know something about returning to normal that I don't?" she asked, this time sounding eager.

If possible, his grin grew even larger as he said, "Sorta'. I managed ta persuade that little nee-chan ta try an' make an antidote. She's not makin' any promises, but she said she'll try."

At that moment, there was nothing on Shizuka's mind, save for the urge to hug and kiss her friend out of gratefulness. She did end up doing the former, and it took her a while to realize what she had done before she let go, blushing. Meanwhile, the other teen's expression was not quite far off from hers, though he looked quite shocked as well.

After a few moments of awkward silence, she managed to say, still blushing, "Um. Thanks, Heiji. And..sorry about that."

"D-don't worry 'bout it," he replied, also blushing, and gave a nervous laugh as he stood up. "W-well then, that was all I wanted ta say. Uh. G'night, Ku- Shizuka."

"..good night, Heiji."

Once he closed the door after leaving the room, Shizuka groaned into a pillow in frustration. After that, she just lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

"What on earth is happening to me?" she asked no one in particular, her cheeks still feeling hot from her action and thoughts earlier.

Little did she know, the same problem was plaguing the Kansai detective who, at that moment, was still outside her door.


Author's Notes: So how did you guys like it? Ai made such a short appearance. Sorry about that. Hehe. And I wonder if Kaito's last magic trick sounded familiar to anybody. Hehe.

The teasing and the ice cream were ideas that were already in my head, but I just didn't know what to write in between. Gah. I have to work on this since it's my current number one problem in writing. D:

mimimini: Aww. Thank you for saying that! And also for reviewing. :D

Kaida-14Kage: It took me quite some time to figure out whether to make Ai helpful or just make her torture Shinichi more. Then I decided, why not both? Hehe. Not much torturing of Shinichi in this, but perhaps in the chapters to come. Muhaha. XD Thanks for the review and sorry if the update took so long!

Currently working on the next chapter. I hope I get to finish it soon. I guess this means less time on my laptop. Hehe.

Thanks to those who added me on their alerts! Please review! :) And Happy Thanksgiving to everyone (for tomorrow)! :D