Mikau: Hi everyone! Man, I'm exhausted. Our next round of trials is in May, so there are a lot of pretrial deadlines falling due about now. Therefore, I'm working overtime, not getting my lunches, and then still going to class after work a few days a week. That being said, I'm not getting any writing done. -.-; I thank you for your patience while I struggle to complete these omake chapters. But before we get to these omakes, I want to thank those that reviewed last chapter. I really appreciate your support: Opal Spirit, lany-chan, and Lady Lily Anne! I hope you enjoy this arc, taking place about five months after the end of last chapter.
Disclaimer: If I owned it, I wouldn't have the drive to keep the series going for over two decades. Mad kudos to Aoyama-sensei.
…
Omake One: Visit
"Ran, I can't," Shinichi stressed into the receiver as he moved the phone to his other ear, scrunching up to hold it in place with his shoulder as he flipped through one of the many files on his desk, pausing intermittently to take notes.
Ran remained silent, but Shinichi could feel her glaring at him all the way from England.
"I can't," he repeated more gently, hoping that would smooth things over. "I'm in the middle of a war against one of the greatest evils of all time, and I can't abandon my team to run off to the English countryside for a vacation, no matter how much I'd like to."
Ran pursed her lips, holding back the biting comment that he had had no problem abandoning his family, shipping Kaito and her off—against Kaito's will—in the name of keeping them safe from the Organization.
"At least I call you," Shinichi tried, putting the file away and grabbing another. "I'm working hard to make all this work, Ran, but I'm only human, and I can't possibly do any better."
Ran didn't respond.
Shinichi waited.
He could hear her taking calming breaths on the other end of the line, but she didn't say anything, almost as if she were the one expecting him to speak next…but what could he say? He wasn't at liberty to magically change his mind. Did she think that he didn't want to see them every bit as much as they wanted to see him?
"You're mad at me, aren't you?" he sighed.
Finally Ran replied in an unassuming, sincere tone. "Shinichi, why would I be mad at you? I'm eight months heavily pregnant, separated from my mother, about to give birth any week now, hiding out in a foreign country so that I can't be taken hostage again and used against my fiancé who's trying to single-handedly fight a war, and—what else? Can you think of anything else, Shinichi? Any reason I could possibly have to be upset with you?"
This time, Shinichi was the one who failed to answer but only because he knew better than to interrupt. He had every faith that she'd find another item to add to her list of grievances all on her own.
"Oh, yes," she remembered right on schedule. "It's been a little over five months since I've seen you. Do you think a reasonable person would be angry with their romantic partner under those conditions?"
Shinichi set down his file, pushing away from the desk and going out in the hall, away from Command Central where he could give Ran his undivided attention.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice cutting into the silence, drawing a sharp contrast to the hustle and bustle of his team's HQ just beyond the door. "I'm screwing everything up again, aren't I? All because of the Organization. Again. You'd think I would have learned my lesson from the last time. Geez."
"Shinichi, no," Ran offered soothingly, cutting her beloved some slack. "Your work is very, very important, and your team couldn't do what they're doing without you at the head. I understand, Shinichi. I don't blame you for working so hard, but…"
"But?" Shinichi held his breath.
Her voice softened until it was tender and sweet, making his heart ache for her. "You can't miss the birth of our first child," she whispered, voice almost cracking with emotion. "The rest of the time, I'm fine. You do do a good job of calling me, and it's nothing like last time, during the Conan years. You're not screwing everything up, Shinichi, it's just…that one day, I need you here. Baaya is wonderful, and, yes, I'll have Kaito, but Kaito will be too busy freaking out, and Saguru will have his hands full looking after Kaito, so…"
Shinichi took a deep breath and let it out slowly, leaning back against the wall for support. "Okay. I'll take a week off, and I'll be there. I promise. I can go away for a week. Everyone here is beyond capable, and it's not like the Organization will completely overturn the tide of battle if I take a week off. Besides. You're not due for almost a month, so I have some time to get things ready on my end."
"Can you come next week?" she asked hopefully.
Shinichi blinked. "But…you're not due for…"
"There's no telling when it will be," Ran reasoned. "I was two weeks early, and I remember your mom telling me that you were almost a week late. You should come next week and stay until after the birth…maybe for a month or so."
Shinichi groaned. "Ran, I'm sorry, but I told you. I can't. I can't be away that long. One week is the most I can—"
"—One month," Ran bargained like an auctioneer. "Please. Please come for at least a month, Shinichi. We haven't seen you in ages, and Kaito…" She intentionally trailed off, letting Shinichi's worst nightmares provide fodder for the end of that sentence.
"What about Kaito?" Shinichi demanded, concerned for the other leg of their unconventional threesome.
Ran shook her head, and Shinichi could almost see it as he insisted again, "What's wrong with Kaito? Does he need me?"
"No," Ran sighed.
Shinichi's eyebrows pinched together. "Is there or isn't there a problem? If he doesn't need me, what's the big deal?"
"The fact that he doesn't need you is the big deal," Ran clarified.
Shinichi paused and waited for her to offer a further explanation. "I don't understand."
"It's more a question of do you still need Kaito," Ran baited.
Shinichi's frown deepened. "Of course I still need Kaito. Ran, what's all this about?"
"You're losing him," Ran stated with finality.
"Losing him?" Shinichi echoed, still confused.
"Yes. You sent him away feeling powerless, useless, unwanted, and depressed, effectively pushing him into the arms of a modern-day white knight," Ran elaborated.
"Hakuba," Shinichi seethed, grip tightening on the phone.
"Yes. Saguru," Ran confirmed. "Did you not see this coming? You know how Kaito gets, what a bad state he falls into when he's unhappy. And didn't you realize Saguru's feelings for Kaito when you told him to look after us before you shipped us off to England with him? Even I knew this was going to happen, Shinichi."
"That slimy wretch," Shinichi growled. "I'm going to kill him."
"You mean Saguru?" Ran pursed her lips, hoping that this outburst wasn't directed at Kaito.
"How dare he take advantage of Kaito like that?! I'm going to come over there right now and strangle him!" Shinichi hissed.
"Shinichi, it wasn't like that—quite the opposite, actually," Ran sighed. "Saguru has been nothing but a gentleman this whole time. I really can't blame him for what's happened, and you shouldn't either. He feels horribly guilty, and I can see him internally beating himself up over it. He thinks he's a homewrecker."
"He is a homewrecker, and I'm going to come beat him up externally for it!" Shinichi snapped, already making mental plans for his journey.
Akai would have to take the reins…if Amuro and Vermouth would cooperate. On second thought, maybe he should leave the two double agents in charge to cut down on the infighting. Akai would be a much better sport than the other two.
"He is not," Ran groaned. "He'd been practically keeping Kaito off with a stick for two months before he gave up, and you know how persistent Kaito is. I'd like to see you have the strength and resolve to fend off the advances of the person you love out of sense of duty and moral obligation. He's told me what a monster he thinks he is, betraying you after you had honored him by entrusting your family into his keeping. Saguru is a good, kind-hearted man, and I won't have you bullying him over a situation that's your fault in the first place. Do you hear me, Shinichi?"
Some of the rage ebbed away at Ran's words, leaving Shinichi standing in the quiet hallway, turning his anger back in on himself. "But I had to send Kaito away," he argued weakly, knowing it was futile. "There was no other way to keep him safe."
Ran bit her tongue, knowing it was pointless to contest the events of the past. "It doesn't matter," she informed him softly. "What's done is done, and now all we can do is make the best of the situation as it is. The truth of the matter is that Kaito has grown to depend on Saguru, and he's become attached in your absence. If you want to try to rebuild your relationship with him, you should come sooner rather than later before Kaito decides that he has it better with Saguru than with you."
"Give me three days." Shinichi cemented his decision in that moment. "Three days to get things ready, and then I'll be there."
Ran chuckled at this. "It was going to take you a whole week to prepare so you could come and be with me for our child's birth, but when it's a question of Kaito, you only need three days to fly to your beloved's side?" she teased.
Shinichi winced. "Go easy on me, Ran. This is a crisis. I think I've said this before, but if I lose one of you, I've lost everything."
"Kaito would be pleased to know you really did mean him too when you said that," Ran cooed.
"Did he not believe me?" Shinichi sighed, shaking his head. "Damn his insecurity and low self-esteem. When is he finally going to accept the fact that I actually do love him?"
"He was making progress until you pushed him away by exiling him to…" Ran trailed off, realizing that she was being the opposite of helpful. "I'm sorry, Shinichi."
"Don't be. It's my own fault," Shinichi grumbled, reaching up with one hand to massage his temples.
"…You're really coming?" Ran wondered aloud. It seemed like a dream. "You'd promised Kaito that you'd come before, but…"
"Yes, I'm coming," Shinichi affirmed, straightening up and going back into the Command Center. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Just…I need to make sure things will be okay here before I run off."
"I think the grownups can manage," Ran chuckled.
"Sometimes I wonder," Shinichi muttered.
"…I miss you," she hummed happily.
"I miss you too, Ran." Shinichi's lips spread into a weary but genuine smile. "I've been so alone these past few months, and it's been awful. I think this is my punishment for what I did to you during the Conan years."
"Hush," she admonished. "You're needlessly punishing yourself. Text me your ETA and all the details once you know, and I'll have Baaya bring me to come pick you up."
Shinichi's eyes narrowed into a concerned frown. "Kaito won't be with you?"
Ran shrugged. "Kaito will probably be at work. Besides, I think this will be a nice surprise for him."
Shinichi blinked. "Kaito works? What about keeping a low profile?"
Ran snickered and shook her head. "What? Did you expect him to stay at home at the Griffins' villa burning through all the books in their library for a year? Saguru took him to work with him one day about a month after we arrived as a kind of treat for Kaito. The poor thing was going insane just lying about the house, and Saguru thought a little change of scenery might help. One thing led to another, and now Kaito helps Saguru solve crimes. His approach is a little unique, but Kaito is quite the detective. It's really kind of cute, and they make a good team.
Shinichi's mouth fell open. "I've got to go, Ran. I'll be there tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?" It was Ran's turn to wear a quizzical expression.
"Tomorrow," Shinichi confirmed with determination.
"All right, Shinichi. Have a safe trip. I'm excited to see you…. I love you." She could barely contain a grin. This was working out much better than she could have ever hoped.
"I love you too," Shinichi hurriedly replied before ending the call and getting down to business.
…
Shinichi's plane touched down the following afternoon. Baaya had made herself comfortable on one of the couches just inside, not far from where they had parked the car, but Ran met Shinichi at the gate.
When he caught a glimpse of her, he ran, dropping his bag like the encumbrance it was as he reached her so that he could wrap his arms around her undeterred. He smothered her in kisses, gasping her name, before pulling back to actually look at her.
"Oh, Ran," he sighed, overcome with emotion at the sight of her and her very pregnant belly. "You're—"
"—Huge?" she snickered, tucking a loose strand of hair back behind her ear. "I know. I'm as big as a gazebo."
"You're gorgeous," he laughed, embracing her again with one arm while the other hand made itself at home on her stomach. "I love your curves. You need to be pregnant all the time."
She scoffed openly at that. "Only if we can take turns with the swelling feet and the aching back. Pregnancy is rough. I'm thinking I'm only going to do this one or two more times, depending."
"On wha—Oh!" Shinichi jumped as he felt the baby kick. His eyes widened, and he stared back and forth between Ran's face and her stomach. "Baby kicked."
Ran giggled at the look on his face. "Yes. Isn't it wonderful? Though, sometimes it feels like a wrestling match is going on inside me, and that's not so fun, but…"
"I've missed a lot," Shinichi whispered ruefully, resting his head against hers. "And it's not like I'm ever going to be able to get that time back."
"Somebody has to save the world," she comforted, nuzzling his ear. "And you can be there next time when it's your own biological child that I'm carrying."
Shinichi pulled back and raised an eyebrow at her.
"I did notice," she tittered, bopping him on the nose. "The nights that you wanted to watch Kaito and me were always when I'd be most likely to conceive. You planned this to make Kaito feel more secure of his place in our family."
Shinichi's cheeks colored lightly as he laughed. "You caught me. Are you mad?"
She shook her head, matching his smile. "Quite the opposite. I'm glad, and I'm so proud of you, the thoughtful ways you put Kaito and my needs first. I just hope that Kaito's children don't inherit all of their father's energy."
Shinichi nodded. "We'd have our hands full with more than one little Kuroba running around," he chuckled nervously just thinking about it. "Let's see how Kuroba Junior Number One goes before we start cooking up any little siblings."
Ran hummed, neither agreeing nor dissenting. "And before that, let's go get your luggage so we can head home. The villa is an hour and a half south, so we've got a bit of a drive that we can use to talk and catch up."
"This is it, actually," Shinichi informed, holding up his duffle.
Ran raised an eyebrow. "How long are you planning on staying?"
Shinichi shrugged. "Until after the birth or until I'm certain that there's no danger of losing my family to Hakuba…whichever happens last."
Ran's brow furrowed. "And you only brought a carry-on suitcase?"
Shinichi grimaced, answering sheepishly, "I pack light, and I was a little pressed for time. I jumped on the first flight after I'd gotten things straightened out with the team and made one little pit stop, so…"
"What exactly did you bring?" Ran bent over and reached for the duffle, but Shinichi snatched it up before she could open it and spy the surprise he'd packed inside.
"I figured I could buy whatever I'd forgotten once I got here, so I just made sure I had the main toiletries and a week and a half of clothes. That's all," he insisted. "I mean, I assume Hakuba has books and that he'll let me use his washing machine, right?"
"Fair enough," Ran agreed, taking him by his free hand and tugging him towards where Baaya was waiting to drive them home.
…
Once Baaya and Shinichi had been properly introduced—"Shinichi, this is my second mother. Baaya, this is my other husband-to-be."—they were off into the countryside, comfortably chatting as they snuggled in the backseat on their way to the villa.
"How have you been?" Shinichi prompted, nuzzling Ran's neck. "I know I've spoken to you nearly every day the past few months we've been away from each other, but…I feel like I've missed so much. Have you been okay?"
Ran chuckled, resting her head against his. "Oh, Shinichi. I'm perfectly fine. Honest. I think I've already told you everything besides what's happening with Kaito, but…I actually like it here. Life in the countryside with Kaito and Saguru and Baaya is a lot of fun. I'm learning all kinds of things from Baaya—cooking and crochet (I've already made dozens of baby outfits). And at least once a week Saguru takes us out for date night in town."
"Date night?" Shinichi pulled back, giving his fiancée a skeptical look.
Ran nodded. "Mmhm. Saguru takes us to dinner and to the theatre or a movie or concert or something. Sometimes we'll go into London for lunch on the weekend and go shopping or to a museum."
"I bet you love that," Shinichi sighed.
"Yep," Ran replied brightly. "Saguru always makes time for me, and he's so considerate, such a gentleman."
"Am I going to have to worry about losing you to Hakuba too?" Shinichi groaned.
"Maaaybe," she teased.
"Seriously, Ran," Shinichi stressed, voice betraying a hint of the insecurity he was feeling.
"Of course not." Ran rolled her eyes, taking Shinichi's hand and squeezing it. All facetiousness left her voice as she continued. "Saguru only has eyes for Kaito, and I only have room enough in my heart for you."
Shinichi sighed, resting his head on her shoulder once again. "And here I am dividing my love between two people. No wonder Kaito is starting to drift away. How do you put up with it, Ran? Don't you feel cheated?"
Ran considered for a moment before responding, "At first before I really knew Kaito. Well, you saw how I acted, but now…I'm genuinely grateful to have Kaito as a partner in this relationship. He's like a sibling to me, and I love him dearly. I don't know how I would cope if I were alone here in England, just me and Baby. I don't feel cheated; I feel blessed to have him in my life."
"Good," Shinichi breathed, relief rushing through him.
"And I hope that one day you can come to feel the same way about Saguru."
Shinichi jerked up at that, staring in disbelief at his beloved. "What?" Surely he had misheard her.
"I said that I hope you can come to see Saguru's relationship with Kaito in the same light," Ran repeated. "Shinichi, I know that I can't be everything you need, and I've come to peace with that. I know that Kaito fills in the gaps, making up for the areas where I'm weak and supplementing my strengths, making them even stronger. As you know, Kaito is very needy, and you can't be expected to satisfy all those needs on your own. I think you should try to look at Saguru as a partner in your relationship with Kaito instead of as a usurper and a threat."
"Absolutely not," Shinichi refused, gritting his teeth to hold back the rage he was feeling.
"Why not?" Ran pressed.
"Because!" Shinichi exclaimed, looking away. "I won't share Kaito with anyone. I won't. Hakuba's got to go, one way or another."
Ran nodded. "All right. Take your time getting used to the idea. God knows it took me a while to come around to you and Kaito, so I can't really fault you for being reluctant. Just please try to keep an open mind. Look at them together—really look at them first—before you go in there fists swinging."
"Not happening, Ran," Shinichi grumbled, utterly rejecting the suggestion. "I'm getting my fiancé back—by force if necessary."
She hummed noncommittally before linking her arm with his and resting her head against his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Shinichi, but don't be mad at me. Please? It's been so long since we've seen one another, and you'll be going away before too long. Can't we take advantage of the time we have?"
Shinichi's scowl softened, and he turned back to her, placing a penitent kiss on her forehead. "I missed you."
"I know," she giggled, a smile tugging at her lips. "I missed you too."
…
Mikau: So, as many of you already know, I have a big problem with the way that the ShinRa relationship is portrayed in canon. That relationship needs a lot of long, honest conversations and some time to sort things out, otherwise it's just plain unhealthy. I just can't support it the way it is in canon, so it was truly a joy to be able to write ShinRa that I was happy with this chapter. They're really cute. ^.^ At least, I think so. I hope you thought so too. Thank you so much for reading. I look forward to hearing your thoughts! See you next time!