Hey guys! It's been an awful long time since I haven't uploaded here, sorry about that. I just started uni a few weeks ago, anyway I'm looking to finish this fiction in one or two chaps. I really need your feedback on this one, what are your predictions? Let me know and enjoy this chapter.
A week had passed and Conan was still alone when he woke up. He had parked his car, changed and walked the long hallway shaking dozen of hands without even looking at the person they belonged to. He kneeled down, tied his shoelaces and walked onto the pitch. There were only a few players already on the training facility along with the coach and his assistants, Conan saluted them silently and grabbed a ball. Conan started to juggle while waiting for the others.
Juggling had always helped him to think and clear his mind as the ball was bouncing on his feet. Choices... That's what he made when he joined the Tokyo spirits academy a while after Ran's departure. It was the choice of a different life, a more peaceful one and much easier one. Sometimes he thought that he was wasting his intelligence but it was the choice of a different person, the choice of remaining or rather becoming Conan. Of course at times he dreamed of what his life as Shinichi could have been but he would always find a way to shake these thoughts off. That's also the main reason why Conan chose to become the professional football player that Shinichi could have been in another life, this life.
"Alright everybody, today we are going to practice dead balls. Edogawa, Burns, Muriqui on the freekicks. The other field players on the corners and the goalkeepers on the penalty shootout. Go go go!"
The different groups separated and started their sessions, both Burns and Muriqui went for either of the top corners which is proven to be very effective. As for Conan he went for the bottom right of the goal, the ball just brushed against the post and ended up in the back of the net, a shot much more annoying for the man in goal than any top corners try. When Conan was day dreaming like he usually does off the ball he noticed with the corner of his eyes Hirayama who had been injured for a long while.
The Australian forward took Conan out of his thoughts "He went to the physiotherapist every day, I think she did a good job on him. I am pretty sure you agree" he finished with a wink.
"How funny of you!" Again it was his turn to step up and take the free kick. He took a few steps back, breathed, slowly he started his run and accelerated till he took his power step. As he stroke the ball it flew higher, the trajectory was totally different and the ball died on the crossbar. It was surely a nice attempt but it was an unusual miss from the Japanese midfielder, everybody turned to see Conan lying down, he was holding his thigh in pain. Two staff members, scared to lose a key player immediately helped him to the treatment room.
His head down, Conan was hiding a large smile. His planhad worked perfectly as he was now standing in front of the speechless Tokyo spirits physiotherapist. Ai was indeed facing her husband for a very much unexpected reunion, Ai became the new club's physiotherapist right after she graduated. Of course this didn't happen without Conan's help, still she gladly accepted the job offer in order to build on their new lives together.
"Co-C-Conan! What are you doing here?"
He closed the door behind him before explaining "Well I thought that pretending to be inured was the best way to have a talk with you."
"Conan, you're wasting your time here because I am not going to talk to you, I have nothing to say."
"Come on Ai, it's been a week and all I had from you was a text saying "stop calling me I'm fine" and I really doubt that you are actually fine."
Ai sighed and turned her back to him before answering "Listen, I just need time on my own..."
"I don't understand... You come up with some weird questions, then got angry with me and left me. What did I do? Just tell me what's on your mind, tell me whatever. We're partners, aren't we?"
"I just need time on my own and after all we're just partners..." Do you miss me Conan?
"What was that? The thought you just had, tell me." He made a few steps to reach for her hand but she brushed him off.
"Please, just go now." Conan had insisted long enough, he proceeded as asked and took his leave.
A week had passed since Emiko's chaotic day. Charlie had gone back to the UK without spending much time with her, Emiko was barely eating and had gone nearly mute. Eri, Kogoro, Kioshi, they had all tried hundreds of times to make her say a word, explain what happened to her smile and shinning eyes. Nothing had worked, that was it, it took her some time but she got homesick and was only wishing for an escape. Emiko was tired, the night before was one of too many sleepless nights, she let her head fall on her school desk and it wouldn't really matter if anyone noticed. She didn't care much of what her classmates would think of her, not anymore but still she knew that he was watching her.
Kioshi felt powerless, however he never gave up, the Japanese boy had a few more cards up his sleeve. The fact that Emiko wouldn't cry on his shoulder wasn't going to stop him, it was fine. That day after school he didn't walk his friend home, Emiko shrugged and pretended that it didn't matter as he ran away from her. He headed straight to the gymnasium looking for the handball captain. "Inaba-senpai!" He called Azami as she was studying and juggling with a ball at the same time. The ball fell on her head as she turned around to face him "Ouch! Hey, aren't you Emiko's boyfriend? What do you want?"
"Uuh no I'm not..." He denied pretty embarrassed thinking back of last week's event. "Anyway I need your help, it's about Emiko..."
"Charlie told me that you didn't get to spend much time together." Ran's tone was sweet and caring.
"Hmm hmm" Emiko had headed straight to her room hoping to get some rest, however as soon as she stepped in it she heard the Skype ringtone.
Ran instantly stopped the stream of the things she wanted to say "Is everything okay?"
Emiko looked up at her mother's image, she could have told her the truth. What she had been doing in Japan, what she had found, Shinichi's death. She couldn't do it to her, not yet and not through a Skype call. Emiko's answer was a lost glare to her mother.
Was she homesick? Did she miss her? Ran had just no idea, she could only note that her daughter had lost all her enthusiasm. Also she knew that asking more questions was useless, there was no confession to get of Emiko, Ran just changed subject going for something totally different. "What are you going to do for Christmas?"
The zombie Emiko had become seemed to live up a bit, at least she was interested. "Is there something special that you recommend?"
"Well as far as I remember Christmas in Japan..." While Ran was scratching her head looking for memories, Kogoro opened the door screaming Emiko's name. If it had been her mother doing so she would have probably shout right back at her, however it was just her grandfather and she went for a simple "What?"
"There are girls for you downstairs" He said pointing his back with his thumb.
"I guess it's time for me to go then..." Ran was set ready to end the call when Kogoro interrupted her.
"Mate Ran!" He begged his daughter before turning back to his granddaughter whispered "They are waiting for you..." As she left he took her place, Emiko wished she could have stayed and listened to their conversation. Thinking about it she realized that she would have needed better Japanese skills to do so. She went down the stairs and met both Azami and Chizu. Unlike Chizu the first girl was damn serious, the handball club captain was indeed on duty and threw a blue shirt at her.
Azami pointed her finger towards Emiko and said in Japanese "Don't you dare missing a training ever again, okay?"
Emiko hesitated a bit, she didn't understand much of the sentence but she just knew that she had to agree and nodded. The handball team's duet left quietly, Chizu waving with a bright smile while being dragged away by her partner. Once they were out of her sight, she unfolded the shirt, discovering a nice Teitan high school badge but it was only once she looked that she really understood what it was. An authentic handball shirt, she couldn't help but read out loud "Mouri number 7", her face suddenly lit up and the teenage girl rushed back inside. She wanted to show it to her mother, Emiko sprinted through the entire house but at the moment she reached for the door Kogoro casually got out of her room.
"Ran left to work" He held her shoulder while giving her a sorry smile.
"That's too bad..." She took a deep breath, it was time to forget about the past and forgive the lies. It was time to move on, Emiko suddenly hugged her grandfather tightly. She wanted to say that she was sorry, she wanted to explain her behaviour but in the end she backed off, the hug was just enough.
Kioshi's plan had worked perfectly, his friend was fired up, trying harder at each training and she started to smile again which was a total relief. However everything wasn't perfect in his little world, someone invaded his living space, some friend of Ayumi had been freeloading in her room. Indeed it was Ai who came to the conclusion that living in a hotel was far too expensive, an air mattress later she had moved in Ayumi's room. The very first days the sleepover was fun but Ayumi quickly got annoyed by the situation especially because she didn't quite understand what happened between her friends and tried her best to solve their problem.
"Ok I give up. What am I supposed to do to get you back together?" Ai just sighed at the question "Please, tell me, come one, please, please!"
"There's nothing to be fixed..." She whispered nonchalantly.
"What did you just say?"
"I said nothing Ayumi really... Besides that you wouldn't understand."
"You know what? This is it, I have had enough. Ai we grew up together and yet you don't consider me as an adult. This is pissing me off for real, ok you're married but I know as much as you about love! Stop treating me like a kid already!" Tears started to fall from her pretty face.
Ai's heart ached, this wasn't what she wanted at all and besides Ayumi wasn't completely wrong. She took her friend in her arms whispering how sorry she was. "Actually Ayumi I would need some advice and I thought you could help me." Ayumi gladly offered her help letting the young woman start her explanation. " Well it's a kind of complicated but let's do this... Ok there's a friend of mine she somehow found out that her boyfriend had a baby with his previous girlfriend. The thing is... The thing is that he doesn't know it himself and my friend is totally lost. Do you think she should tell him?"
Ayumi answered right away "Tell him, she definitely has to tell him. It wasn't that complicated actually." Without a word Ai grabbed her coat and got ready to leave. "Where are you going Ai?"
"I am simply going to tell her" Ai finished with a wink.
The woman went straight out and jumped on her bike. She headed to the Mouri detective agency, she spent countless hours there, possibly if you add them all up months. Memories slapped her back on the way, everything that happened there, Ran and Conan relationship. Did she ever know who he really was besides her doubts? Would it surprise her? Does she know that Shinichi is said to be dead? Ai shook her daydream off as she realized that she had ridden nearly all the way in automatic mode. Having an accident out of distraction wasn't really part of the plan. When she finally got there, Ai hid her bike behind a wall, she observed from afar for some time.
As the rain started to pour she could only watch the water drop off her hood, Ai had nothing else to do anyway. However time seemed to have slowed down, minutes quickly turned to hours. It wasn't the woman's first stakeout, she had the patience on her side and just stuck her face deep in her coat and waited for it. She had nearly drowned under the rain when her target girl finally came out, Emiko was only wearing her blue Teitan handball shirt and sheltered under her grandfather's umbrella. They both walked in a bus tailed by a very discreet Ai who seemed to be well at ease in that sort of exercise. She watched them get off the bus very closely, she imitated them using the back exit and stood near the bus station for a while.
Kogoro and his granddaughter made their way in the rain to the high school gymnasium, Emiko took the sports bag off him and rushed to the changing room leaving Kogoro rather amused. While she was preparing Kogoro took place in the bleachers, as for Ai she tried her best to dry herself before also taking a seat. Kioshi was obviously there standing in as a ball boy, he wouldn't have missed that for a billion of coins. Soon enough the players started to warm up, passes, runs, along with a few shots which was surely a nice program. Despite her hard work at the training, Emiko was still a newcomer in the team and she started on the bench, it wasn't that bad this way she had some extra time to study their strategy.
Ai took a deep breath as Emiko started to run on the sideline, the game was already twenty minutes along when Emiko came on. Without any second thoughts Ai typed the numbers she knew by heart and pressed the call button.
"Moshi moshi" Conan nearly answered right away surprising the caller herself.
"... Join me at the Teitan gymnasium, I won't be waiting for long so you'd better hurry." She hung up as soon as she had said the minimum information.
"Oy Mate!" Jeez what's up with that woman? He let out a long tired sigh.
The game was really tight, the opposition was tougher than what the British girl expected and she crashed on the ground a few times. Each time she got back up again she was more determined than the previous time.
When Conan finally made it to the game the home team was 24-22 down with 7 minutes left on the clock. He had to look for his wife for a minute since she was almost invisible at this rate, he could thank the lord for the fact that the girl handball team wasn't too popular thus so the audience was quite limited. He sat next to Ai his mind full with questions.
"What's the meaning of all this?" He asked confused and continued. "I don't understand why did you bring me here. I'm actually lost here."
"Your hand." She only said this and seeing his confusion Ai took it herself. She placed something on his palm.
Conan opened his palm slowly discovering the shiny metal ring or rather Ai's wedding ring. He was speechless, his heartbeat was fast, Conan had been caught off guard.
"It's fine Conan." She covered his hand with hers and gave him a kiss on the cheek. With this done she left her seat and started to walk away.
"Why?" He asked trying to block the way.
"Just watch the game closely and you'll know."
She left just like that leaving him dumbstruck, Conan was still lucid enough to actually do what Ai said. Thus the famous Japanese football player sat on some crappy bleachers to watch a high school girls handball game. The time left was down to 4 minutes and the team was still one goal down despite being the better side.
Chizu who was standing in goal made a crucial block which was a true lifeline, the ball bounced towards Azami who powered through the defence, however they caught her up quite fast and her finishing wasn't the best. She decided to give Emiko a chance to shine.
"Mouri!" She made a high blind pass to Emiko.
Mouri, the name felt like a slap on his face, he followed the ball with the eyes as it reached her. The time seemed to go in slow motion, Conan had more than enough time necessary to read the name on her shirt. He watched her jump, catch and smash the ball right in between the keepers legs.
24 all, the teams were levelled.
Emiko took a second to celebrate her goal with a few dancing steps on her way back to the Teitan side of the pitch. She looked just like he remembered, just like her mother. Conan nearly had a heart attack as he quickly understood that he was contemplating his own daughter, Ran and Shinichi's daughter.