A/N: I know his eyes aren't purple; there is a reason for that.

Poor Conan. –Smirks. - I'd feel bad to keep him stuck like that.

Dedication: Crimson, Nipper, and Nina, my best friend ever.

Disclaimers: I Do not own Detective Conan.

A Tale of Fangs and Fur

Chapter Thirteen: A shocking discovery

By: Kat-Chan

He didn't know how he managed it, but the werewolf now stood before the mirror, hand-paws pressed to its cold, shiny surface. The shrunken detective werewolf stared in horror at what should have been his human features, but wasn't. Looking back at him from the mirror was the slightly wolfish, slightly human face that had become his during a night with a full moon. "Someone tell me I'm hallucinating!! " He cried out.

His eyes shot to the window, hoping to find moonlight pouring through, but saw the same blinding sunlight he had squinted into earlier. He looked back at the mirror with wider eyes, examining his appearance again. It had to be a trick… It wasn't real… It had to.

He pounded a furred fist against the pane, yelping as pain jolted from his chest. Conan collapsed to his knees, digging his 'fingers' into the bandages on his chest.

"Conan-kun!" The sudden sound made him jump in surprise. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"Ran-neechan…?" He recognized her voice, not needing to turn around. It was obvious he would. "W- Why am I still like this?"

"…"

"Ran-neechan! Why…?" He cried out, wanting to turn to look her in the eyes, but the pain from his wounds was too much.

"I don't know…" Ran replied after a deep breath and a short silence. There was a gasped, he was sure it was from her. He could hear footsteps drawing closer. Tender hands brushed his sides before he was lifted slowly into her arms. "You're bleeding through the bandages. Oh, Conan, you need to be in the hospital…"

Ran had lifted him, as gently as she could, and placed him on his futon. She moved to the door grabbing a bag he hadn't realized she set down and took out a bundle of items. Returning to his side and setting down her burden, Ran removed the blood soaked bandages, redressing the wound with clean ones. With her task done, she stroked his 'hair' for a few moments, calming the still panicked werewolf. "Why?" He repeated desperately, over and over.

"Calm down, Conan-kun, please?" She brushed aside the 'hair' veiling messily across his brow. Her eyes focused on the bandages, filled with worry. "I need to get you to a hospital, but Agasa said not to because of this…"

"Because I'm a monster and I'll probably be stuck like this?" Honestly, he didn't know why she bothered explaining it; he had a good idea why he wasn't in a hospital. It'd be difficult to explain why she brought a dog to the emergency room. They'd probably tell her to bring him to a vet anyways, and then the vet would notice something off about this 'dog.' One thing leading to another and all concluding he was a monster that shouldn't exist.

"Conan-kun!" She growled, balling her hand in a fist. He flinched, thinking she would pound her fist into his head, but nothing happened. She let her finger uncurl, shadowing her eyes in her bangs. "Don't say things like that."

Like the first drops of rain falling from thick dreary clouds, Ran's tears fell. That trickle onto his fur made him realized how much his self-loathing had hurt Ran… His precious Ran. She cared so much about him whether he was Kudo Shinichi or Edogawa Conan. He was aware now that each time he said such a thing it was a knife in her aching heart…

That heart which slowly broke with the longing for 'Shinichi' to return to her and never leave her alone again. The one he wanted to keep from being pained. "I'm sorry, Ran…" Hastily, he added, "Neechan."

She continued to cry while he watched helplessly. How he wanted to hold her against himself and kiss those soft lips, but as Conan he could only try to comfort her. "Don't cry… I promise not to call myself a monster anymore! I'll be good, just don't cry!" He begged, eyes, seemly amethyst, widened and filled with concern.

She rubbed her eyes, trying to dry them through the onslaught of tears. Though she couldn't keep the tears away, she smiled at him. "Get some rest if you can…"

"I'll try!" He chirped, smiling brightly at her. Oddly, he felt like he could sleep. Before he felt wide awake while like that, but now, he felt like he wasn't furry. His eyelids drooped down, masking his eyes, followed by sleep.

His wounds seemed to heal faster then he thought they would. Over the following few days they were nothing but deep cuts. He was stuck furry over that time, however. Conan was forbidden to leave his room when Kogoro was home or when Sonoko and Eisuke were visiting. He had to sneak out of his room to use the toilet, bathe or brush his teeth. He was supposed to be 'sick' so no one would grow curious of his absence.

It was boring and the puppy he was wanted desperately to play or de something. So he was mentally an adult, but the virus that turned him into a werewolf didn't seem to know that or care. "Ran-neechan! It's so boring; I want go outside and play! Please?" He pouted, mentally noting to yell at himself later for acting so childish. "Please?!"

"Conan-kun!" She groaned. "You can't, remember? Besides, look outside."

He obeyed, pushing his way under the curtains. He pressed his hand-paws against the window, taking in the gloomy scene outside the pane. Rain pelted down from the gray clouds which darkened the sky. Ripples spread across the surface of puddles collecting in the ground as the rain fell. "Not fair…" The werewolf sulked, moving away from the windowpane.

The beautiful woman who had stolen his affection as Shinichi and taken care of him as Conan scooped him up and twirled around with him. He looked into her caring eyes, which warming him down to his soul. He found no sadness masked by cheery smile, but he did find a longing. She was incredibly cheerful today. "Did something good happen, Ran-neechan?" He asked once she had set him down.

A larger smile played on her lips, forcing his eyes closed. "I'm going to go make lunch," She informed, leaving the room.

He started after her, but remembered Kogoro was home. The little werewolf sighed, flopping into his futon. What made her so cheerful?

He waited for her to return, taking in the warm smells wafting up from the kitchen. It reminded the little werewolf how hungry he way. That was another thing he started to dislike about being a werewolf, he had a large appetite when he was furry. He went crazy when he had a meal in front of him, completely forgetting his manners. As if he didn't eat messy enough as it was.

Ran found it funny maybe that was why she was cheerful? No, that would be such a stupid reason. What was she so happy about? What was it?

"Conan-kun," Ran sang, entering him room. She set the plate down, while he eyed it expectantly. "Here's your lunch."

"Thank you!" He cheered, trying to avoid shoving his face into the food. It didn't work, though. The little werewolf devoured every thing on the dish, managing to reframe from licking it clean. He guessed she still found his behavior funny, she was laughing away while wiping away the rice that clung around his face. "Ran-neechan, why won't you tell me why you're so cheerful?"

"Conan-kun, you're so hopeless, just like him," She mused, with a distant look in her eyes. "Didn't you say your birthday was May 4th that time?"

"Yea, I did," He answered, confused. He remembered that time; he was talking with those two women whose birthdays were a day before and after his during that whole Memories egg incident. Oh, that's right; my birthday is coming up soon…

The far-away look faded into a smile as she giggled. "What?!" Conan inquired eyes wide.

"It's a secret."