I know I said I let it on a stand, but since this chapter was already translated, I decided I could post it even if I don't write much, would it be in french or in english.

Well, I still have a chapter translated, but I don't think I'll post it before I really have some chapters in advance in my french version.

So sorry for the long wait for you, have fun !

Around 8p.m, the main gate opened wide, letting a cold wind inside that made the two young women shiver. A man entered, wearing a long black coat, his head hooded. Conan, Heiji and Haibara immediately noticed him, of course, and stared at him heavily. A man in black should not be seen often, even in France, right? The head full of questions about him, they threw suspicious gazes at the man as he walked to the counter. Did he has anyhting to do with the BO? Why was he in this hotel? Did he know Conan and Haibara were there? Did he have any accomplice in the hotel? Did he took part in the kidnappings? Or is the main color a simple coincidence...?

Feeling heavy looks on him, the man turned toward the group and narrowed his eyes when he saw the three pair of eyes that stared at him. Marie went forward him and greeted him kindly, asking if he needed anything. He declined calmly before asking something. She then answered while throwing discreet glances at the group; she seemed a little embarrassed. One of her looks crossed Heiji's, and she smiled before turning her green eyes back to the man. A while after, she nodded and smiled warmly before taking him to the counter. She opened the register and wrote something on it; he may have rented a room... Pierre then arrived and greeted the man with a handshake, smiling friendly to him as the man took his hood off. They seemed to know each other. Conan narrowed his eyes as he scanned the man's face: light and curly hair, shoulder-lenghted. Marie let them go in the room behind the counter, destined for the employees, before looking again at the group. Haibara had turned her gaze away, but the two detectives were still looking, so Marie surely noticed their heavy looking.

"You two seem curious!" she giggled when she arrived next to them.

"Ah, huh.."

"Who was that man?" Conan asked with his childy attitude.

"A friend from my father"

"But he seems a lot younga', how did they know each'ther?" Heiji then asked. This picked his curiosity.

"To be honest, I don't know, but one day he came, saying he was a friend." she replied thoughtfully, holding her chin with her thin fingers.

"What's his name?" Conan asked, getting a threatening look from the others. But the two young detectives pretended not to notice.

"Thomas" she answered with a smile, not minding at all.

"You don't have to answer those brats' silly questions, you know?" Kogoro said, shooting accusing glances at them. Conan and Heiji looked at him, surprised. Since when was he here? Didn't he went to the room?

"Oh, it doesn't bother me at all! They're funny."

"'Funny'?" Heiji said, slightly offended. He even forgot about Kogoro.

"I agree!" Kazuha laughed.

"That's not the adjective I would have used" the grown-up detective growned. He would have used... annoying, pain in the neck, or even more vulgar.

A small smile grew on Haibara's face and she stood up, getting some glances. "I'm tired, I'm going to the room." is the only thing she said.

"Wait, I do have the key" Ran said while standing up too.

The two girls walked toward the room, as Conan looked at them -as well as the rest of the group-, but his gaze was kind of... soft. Heiji saw it and drew a teasing smile on his face as Marie went off, wishing good nights to her guests. Soon after, Ran came back, but Kazuha joined her and asked if they could talk in her room. Ran let the keys to her father before the two girls vanished again, letting the boys alone in the empty hall. The subject came once again on the tomorrow's trip. They were really not up to this.

"Do we have to go to the Christmas market tomorrow?" the boy sighed, while wearing a sad look.

"And to the skatin' rink? We don't even manage to stand still on ice'kates" Heiji complained.

"I think we don't have the choice..."

"Yea, ya're right. They said they'd force us to go in ev'ry case" the detective snorted with a slight tone of irony, surely thinking about a way to avoid this.

"But if that makes them happy.."

"They're like that, women!" Kogoro took part like he always does. "Forcing us to do what they want." He stared blankly at the wall he was facing, but it was obvious he was thinking about Eri-san.

"Oy oy, Oji-san" Conan thought while opening his eyes wide. "I know it's right, but still..."

"But if you do it, that means you care about us, right?" a voice popped out from behind the boys, making them jump in surprise.

The three boys threw stratled gazes at Ran and Kazuha who were laughing loudly, their faces blushed. "But... What're ya doin' here?" Heiji shouted. "Didn't ya get to tha room ?"

"We did, but I forgot that ya have the key!" Kazuha didn't react when her friend shot a "Aho" at her. "So ya care about us, don't ya?"

"We're not s'pposed to answer that!" he said while blushing. He turned his face to hide it to Kazuha and crossed his arms over his chest, pouting. Conan also slightly blushed, making the girls laugh harder. He sighed before giggling when he saw Heiji's embarrassed face, but he quickly stopped when the Osaka's detective threw a threatening glance at him. He won't get the teasing, he's a child. Kogoro didn't react, but after some time, Heiji turned back to Kazuha, his expression still sullen before sliding his hand in his pocket. He picked a small key attached to a metal slab where the number 7 was engraved, and presented it to Kazuha, still pouting. "Here, it's what ya wanted, right?"

"Oh yea, I almost forgot!" she answered, making Heiji sigh.

"Aho. Ya'll forget yar head one day" he grumbled as he turned his gaze away.

Kazuha, who took the key in her hand, stood still for awhile, staring at Heiji with an puzzled look on her face. She then soflty smiled and turned herself toward Ran who was watching her with a tender look which vanished when the Osaka girl threw a threatening glance at her. The two girls then went off -for good, this time- in the room.

Once they were in the room, Ran got a frightening look from her friend. "What was that for?" Kazuha said angrily.

"What?" Ran didn't understand what was wrong. Or at least she tried to make her friend think that she didn't understand. But it didn't work.

"Ya looked at me with a weird gaze!" The Osaka girl put her hands on her waist and started stamping her foot. "Don't act innocent!"

"But..! You were so cute.."

"'Cute'?" Kazuha blushed as she stepped back. "Whatcha mean?"

"Huh... You looked like a couple" Ran admitted.

"We're not a couple!" her friend defended herself, but she blushed again at the thought.

Her friend smiled silently, but she was thinking about a way to change her friends' relationship.

Once the girls were gone, Heiji sighed and rested his elbows on his knees, then his head on his hand, still pouting. Conan teased him, wearing a mocking smile. The adolescent looked at him and frowned. "Whatcha lookin' at?"

Conan's smile widenend and he started laughing, just managing to answer a small "Nothing". Heiji stood up straight and hit the boy's head, quite angry, while Conan put his small hands on the hurt part of his mistreated head. He threw a mixed gaze: half-sorry, half-"why-did-you-do-that", but seeing that his friend was really offended, he sighed an apology. Heiji sat down heavily and crossed his arms, still quiet -and still pouting-. Kogoro didn't react, but he was watching: for once, he didn't have to hit the brat himself, he wouldn't complain!

Some time after the discussion started again, Kogoro opened a wide mouth to yawn and decided it was time to get some sleep. The two boys followed him, some steps behind while they were heading to the rooms. "We need to find clues about this man, and the kidnappings" Conan almost whispered.

"Yea. We go ice skatin' after noon, right? S'we can investigate in tha mornin'".

"But we'll have to make the girls busy, I don't think they'll want to come with us."

"Oth'rwise, we can find a way t'morrow"

They stopped in front of a wooden door, on which was nailed an iron plate. The number 7 was engraved on it, like on the keyholder Heiji gave to Kazuha a while sooner. They looked at it for a while before Heiji knocked. The door then opened to Kazuha who slightly blushed when she saw her friend, but she tried not to bother and stepped aside to let him in. Ran showed up behind her and walked to Conan, then she took him to the room 10 after warmly saying goodbye to their Osakan friends.

The next day seemed to be a long day.