Heya !

So, sorry for the cliff... Hey, didn't I said I'd stop that as I put cliffs everywhere ?

*clears throat* So, not sorry for the cliff, here is the new chapter of this story : )

This is a calmer chapter (well, after the resolution of the cliff ; ) ), with some AiCo moments and ShinRan... Ah, nah, CoRan in fact... And a bit of HeiKai... And CoHei... Dear, that much ? ! o.O Oh, you'll see by yourselves ; )

o.O.o

WisteriaReads : Wow, that review was as fast as light ! ; ) Yes, the BO is really the ugliest, isn't it ? : p Their Boss must be a real sociopath ^^;; Hehe, as I said, I liked the idea and put it there, it was fun having a good Heiji / Kaito chat just like in the beginning of this story also : ) "injury magnet"? I so like the idea xD Though, well, I think I may have to say sorry about that... ? But I can't stop myself from writing him like that ^^;;;

buterflypuss : thank you : )

Hebiaczek : Ah nah. I didn't put all the reasonnement of the guys (I could have, I know :p) but first, most virus aren't airbone (lucky us ^^;) and second, there wasn't a lot of victims, which wouldn't have been the case if it could pass through the air. So no, Conan wasn't at risk in fact but our Osakan... ^^ Oh well, Conan has already his own 'disease' to deal with, was time to change ; ) Yea, I like the idea of a charm being really efficient : ) Heiji and Kazuha seem really attached to their talisman and to believe in it (remember that case when Heiji was tossed over board and when Conan pointed out the talisman perhaps didn't bring luck, Heiji prefers to keep it 'in case ' ? ; ) ), though it's often turned into ridicule so I found it funny to make it "true" : ) Ah, nope, I really like your reviews, you can really express what you liked in a chapter... Me, it's just an overall feeling but, as you said, I'm so happy to have some reviews that I'm really trying to write some for the stories I liked. So thank you again (dear, "love yours" ? *blushes*) !

JarayZ : I bet, above all if it's hot where you are o.O Haha, maybe yes, maybe not... We'll see what will win : Heiji's clumsiness or his guilt for already blowing Conan's cover to the BO ? xD I noted your propositions, we'll see in the next chapters what happens~ Hmm, to be honest, I think Heiji really believes in his o-mamori so, for me, he knows he's taking some risk in lending it but the dreams he has are about friends being killed so he prefers it that way... Maa, we could notice quite a few times in the manga he's almost sure to be invicible (looks at those cocky grins he has sometimes when he rushes into the danger xD) and even if he isn't, he's willing to shield his friends, ignoring the fact he could be hurt in the process... Lack of self-preservation sense, I tell you ! I also imagine Kaito a bit like that...

Boogum : Ah, I think I already had Shinichi point that out xD But yes, I think Kazuha will have to tie him to their bed or to roll him into some coton to be sure he doesn't get hurt... Maybe that's why she learnt how to do the o-mamori, don't you think ? xD Hey, let's trust Kid on that, he's after all, quite a valuable asset for our two detectives : ) And we're still up for a "bit" of action before the end ; )

Chapter 21 : Antidote

A small hand on his forehead was the only thing keeping Heiji into consciousness, the only thing he felt apart from the burning hell that was going through his body. He knew he should have been cold, with his soaked clothes and hair, resting on a metal floor, but nothing helped to ease the heat.

Opening his eyes, he met his friend concerned look and tried to display a faint smile.

"- Ya hurt..." He noticed with a low voice as he frowned, his eyes laying on the boy's bloody sleeve.

"- Just a scratch, don't worry. The guy just took his sweet time to go to sleep despite the shot from the watch..." The small detective explained with a reassuring smile, trying to minimize the long gash on his left forearm. " You should worry about yourself instead of me...

- Nonsense, I... " The Osakan tensed and couldn't repress a grunt as another painful spasm seized him.

"Hurry up, Kid..."Conan silently prayed, looking in the direction he last saw the Thief, gently stroking the other teen's hair in an attempt to calm him down.

His eyes laid once more to the dark-skinned teen, to be overwhelmed with worry when he saw he was now gasping for air, apparently unable to breathe anymore, curling even more on himself.

"-Oi, stay with me, Hattori ! " He called, squeezing his shoulder to make him look at him.

"- I'm back !" The Thief announced as he arrived in a precipitated footsteps' noise, throwing himself on his knees to grab the Osakan detective's head and put it on his lap. "Help me, I'll be holding him, you need to make him drink that..." He said, holding a metallic vial to the false child.

Conan took the item, doing his best to pour its content between Heiji's clenched teeth, massaging his throat to force him to swallow.

With one last groan, the teen's body finally relaxed and, after checking his vital signs, the child gave a little nod to the magician, to signify their friend was just unconscious, getting a sigh of relief out of him.

Letting himself fall on the floor on his bottom, he gave a closer look to Kaito, spotting his split lower lip. "Hard fight ?

- They didn't feel like cooperating and I was in a hurry... Had to teach them manners ultrafast." The Kid explained with a smirk, wiping the blood trickling on his chin casually.

"- What was that... ? " The boy asked with a sign of the head at Heiji.

"- One of the guys forced him to swallow some water from those pools. Pure poison apparently, the police will have to empty them completely...

- Are there more of those vials ?" Conan wondered, realizing he perhaps used the only sample of antidote to save his friend without even knowing it.

"- Don't worry, there're a lot of them, we should go back to that room once..."

A groan from the detective in his arms interrupted him, provoking him to smile. " ... Once our dog will have finished his nap... Anyone home ?" Kaito asked the Osakan, bending his head above the other's.

Heiji blinked and finally managed to open his eyes, spotting the Thief's and the detective's concerned faces above him.

"- It already looked horrible... from the outside but... it's even worse on the inside..." He panted, in eyes locked into Conan's, clearly referring to the boy's changes.

"- It looks like you had an ameliorated version of it, though..." The azure-eyed child conceded with an ironic smile, considering how long and intense the fit had been.

"- I'll help you sit." Kid proposed to the Osakan, pushing his back into a seating position.

"- So me alive means... ya found the antidote ?

- Yep. We're going to fetch more once you'll be able to stand on your feet.

- Let's go now then... we can' take the risk fer them ta ... take it while I'm nappin' on the floor..." The detective of the West stated, trying to raise himself, his legs shaking under the effort.

"- Easy, Hattori, you clearly can't stand yet..." The boy growled, trying to bring back some sense into his friend's thick head.

"- Nah, let's go... Help me, Kid."

With the other teen's help, he was now on his feet, wincing, his arm resting heavily on the magician's shoulders, under the child's flat look as he clearly was cursing his stubbornness. They slowly headed to the main office where Kaito had found the metallic vial, without any other encounter.

Conan pushed the door to let them in, noticing two unconscious men lying on the floor in a corner, their hands tied in their back with electric wires.

"- The vials are in that refrigerated cupboard..." The Thief stated with a sign of the chin to his right.

The boy opened it and pocketed the most he could.

"- Try to see if you find anything else that could help us against Them..." He asked as he was closing the cupboard.

Heiji removed the arm he had around the Kid's neck to let him free of his moves, to heavily lean against the wall as he felt his legs were still as weak as jelly, not really able to hold his weight.

"- Sorry, can' really help..." He apologized with a grimace as he let himself slide along the concrete to settle on the floor.

"- Don't worry." Kaito assured, heading to one of the boxes the men were preparing when he interrupted them earlier to look into it. "Ah, a laptop, want to look at that, Tantei-kun ?

- Let's hope it's not secured... " The boy wished as he took the small computer, settling on a chair to look into it.

After a few minutes, Conan swore, annoyed by the fact he couldn't crack into the computer.

"- We'll have to leave that to Interpol, I can't get anything out of it. Anything on your side ?

- Some random papers...

- What the heck are you doing ? ! " A male voice roared in their back.

The three of them turned their head at the door, to see a middle-aged man, all dressed in black, with a hat of the same colour, barely letting his nasty eyes visible. And, detail that had his importance, he was holding a gun in his left hand.

"- Is that your work... ?" He said with a menacing tone when he walked inside and saw both his men on the floor.

Still not moving, Kid was staring at the man, trying to have his whole attention, while Conan was preparing his power-enhanced shoes to kick a soccer ball at him.

"- No funny moves ! " The man ordered, turning his weapon at the child and pressing its trigger.

The boy's head jerked back with a groan and he brought his hand to the cheek the bullet had scratched with a murderous look at the shooter.

"- A kid and two teens... You're the fucking guys who stole my software !" The man in black guessed with a threatening face, raising once again his gun, this time at Kaito.

The Thief dived to the floor when he heard a "bang!" and closed his eyes, expecting the painful impact of a bullet when he heard a second shot but it never came.

"- You alright, boys ?" A new voice asked.

"- I think... " The Kid answered as he got up, looking at the newcomer and the to other men on his heels, clearly some members of an intervention unit, it was visible at their outfit.

Kaito exchanged a look with the two other teens, getting a nod from each of them to signify they were all right.

"- You're the acquaintances from Kudô-san ?" The official asked, eyeing the three of them.

"- Yes... " Conan confirmed, approaching the man.

"- He told us you would be on the site. We're supposed to give you any support you could need.

- We're finished here... If you could just send that computer to your IT specialists, you may find some important data in there." The boy stated after a short pause. "And we need to go to Beika's hospital as soon as possible, we've found the antidote.

- Great news !" The Interpol's member smiled, a bit impressed. "I'll be escorting you to the entrance, Kudô-san is waiting there, he'll be able to drive you."

o.O.o

The said Kudô-san had a frown when he saw the three teens getting out of the building, spotting Heiji heavily leaning on the agent who found them and Kid's split lip.

"- Hospital ?" He proposed when they met him and he noticed his own son's wounds, on his cheek and forearm.

"- Yes, we've got some kids to heal... " Conan said with a wide smile, his arms full with metallic vials.

o.O.o

After the boy gave his precious cargo to the medic, his father dragged him to have his cheek tended and his arm stitched by a doctor while the two others waited for the small detective in the hallway. Heiji was lying on a bench in the hallway, a cover wrapped around his shoulders as he still wore his wet clothes.

"- Here ! " Kaito said, throwing him something when he came back, as he left to fetch a bag of ice for his lip.

"- What... Oh." The Osakan raised his head and retrieved slowly the item that fell on his chest, to identify it was his o-mamori.

"- Thanks for the protection... But you should have kept it, apparently you'd also have needed it..." The Thief deplored with a twinge of guilt when he looked at the weakened detective.

"- Nah, I'm good... I'm doin' better that ya would have with that bullet in yer head, so no regrets.

- Indeed, indeed... But thanks." He concluded, looking into the other's eyes.

The dark-skinned teen shrugged, putting the o-mamori back where it belonged, around his neck, and closed his eyes for some well-deserved rest.

o.O.o

"- Hiya, sleepy head !

- Hmmm ? " Heiji opened his eyes, to see the Thief's face above his.

Looking around him, he saw he was still lying on his bench, curled up in his cover, but the sun was now going in the hallway through the windows.

"- We didn't want to wake you up after last night, we thought a bit of rest wouldn't hurt you... Feel better ?

- Yea, thanks..." The detective said as he sat up, rubbing his eyes, feeling clearly less weak than the previous evening. "Did it work ? Are the children all right ?

- Yea, they were given the antidote last night, most woke up and are just in observation now, that small neechan included." The Thief said as he sat near the Osakan. "Tantei-kun went to see her, he should be coming back soon.

- Good ta hear..." The teen smiled at the Kid, before squinting at the other side of the corridor. "Ah, isn' that him ? I recognize his disguise. Wow, what the...

- A problem ?" Kaito wondered, noticing his friend was paling several shades so he turned to look behind him to see... " Isn't that his Nee-chan with him?!

- It is..." Heiji confirmed, answering with an embarrassed face to the wave Kudô made in his direction when he saw he was awake. "Try ta look less Kudô-like, ya can' play his role anymore with what he told her last time...

- What ?" The Thief turned his head at light speed at him with a smirk, ruffling his hair at the same time to have them even messier, at the opposite of Kudô's, and opening his shirt for a more casual look. "Did he at last conf...

- Hush !" The Osakan interrupted him as the boy and the girl were now within earshot. " Hi !

- Hello, Heiji-niichan, ... Shiro-niisan ! " The boy cheerfully answered, imagining a name on the spot for the Thief.

He smiled with relief after a short examination of his dark-skinned friend, happy to see he was looking better, and confirmed to him, with a small nod, what he was asking him with the eyes. She knew Conan was hidden under this wig.

"- Good morning, Hattori-kun. " Ran greeted as she arrived, her eyes looking into his with a kind of hard expression.

The Osakan gave a panicked look at his little friend, wondering how this could have happened and what was the probability for him to end with a high kick in the chin for hiding the truth.

"- It's ok." She said with a faint smile when she noticed his panic. "Conan-kun explained everything to me."

o.O.o Earlier that morning o.O.o

After a short chat with Ai when she woke up before quickly going back to sleep, Conan finally fell asleep in a chair in her hospital room, to be woken up by the noise of the door that was opening.

He blinked his eyes, still groggy, and froze when he recognized Ran, as if he was still in a bad dream. Before he could even start to stutter an excuse to leave the room to avoid her to have any doubt on who he really was, feeling extremely vulnerable with his more than light disguise, he saw at her look that she was already almost sure of his identity.

"- Conan... -kun ? " She blankly asked, approaching slowly, her hand now on the boy's face, spotting the clear skin under the fake tan his mother had applied, above all around the wound on his cheek as the doctor had washed it. "Is that ... That's you, isn't it ?! "

The detective knew, when he saw the tears in her eyes when she crouched at him, that he wouldn't be able to escape that one, that he couldn't lie to her anymore about his fake death... So he nodded.

"- But how... You were..." The girl wasn't even able to speak, struck by surprise, so she decided a hug was the best option.

The boy winced as she touched his forearm but let her do, gently patting her head as some sobs started to shake her chest.

"- I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't tell you..." He apologized, his eyes also shining at the strong feelings overwhelming his dearest friend.

He kept apologizing at a low voice until the long haired teen finally let him go, though her eyes couldn't leave him. Conan saw she was observing him, her look briefly stopping with concern at the bandages on his face, on his forehead and cheek, and the bloodied sleeve with the white bandage half hidden under it.

"- ... I've been kidnapped... I don't know why they targeted me but they faked my death to kidnap me. If it hadn't been for Hattori... Heiji-niichan, I would still be in their hands.

- Is that them who... ?" Ran asked, her fingers gently touching his forehead, just under his wound. As he nodded, she went on with a darker face. "But who ?

- It's a kind of crime syndicate... Kudô-jisan knew them from before, apparently from some case he helped Interpol, you can ask him, he's still around here I think.

- Kudô-jisan ? Shinichi's father ?

- Hai... Shinichi-niichan also helped me but he and Heiji-niichan... They've also been targeted and forced to hide because of me... So we decided it was better for me to play dead... Even if it was difficult, we were afraid they could go after my relatives to catch me... " He sighed, shaking sadly his head. "I had to... No one was supposed to know, even... even my family..." The boy finished, lowering his head with a guilty look.

"- It's so... It's been pretty hard on us, you know ?" She tried to explain, a bit of reproach in her voice. "Tou-san didn't manage to solve even a case since you left from the shock and I... I was..." She stopped, feeling the word "lonely" was really too feeble to describe the emptiness she felt when she thought she lost him. Her mind wandered to Shinichi, remembering their last conversations, suddenly annoyed when she realized he lied to her. "I can't believe Shinichi didn't tell me... When he knew what I was going through...

"- Gomen... Please don't be too hard with Shinichi-niisan, he did what he thought was best and I agreed with his decision...

- But why are you here then ? Aren't you in danger ? !" She worried, suddenly turning back to the door, to double check it was closed.

"-No, the disguise should do... I asked Hattori-niisan - he also had a disguise - and one of his friends to take me here when I heard some of my classmates were at the hospital... I just couldn't leave them..." Conan explained, his eyes falling on Haibara, still soundly asleep. "Were you here to visit her too?

- Yes... I told Hakase I would, he looked so tired, he'd been looking after her those last two days and didn't get much sleep.

- Thanks for him."

Conan got up, heading to the door, not really eager to stay longer, under Ran's interrogative eyes.

"- You don't want to wait for her to wake ?

- I came to see if she was safe and she is, now that she received the antidote... Don't tell her I was here, please." He added, knowing he had to, else the long-haired teen would have guessed Haibara knew he was alive too.

"- I understand..." The girl nodded, getting the reason though she didn't totally agree with it. "You're going to meet Hattori-kun ?

- Yes.

- I'm coming with you then, to say thanks."

o.O.o

"- I wanted to say thanks... For saving him from those kidnappers. " Ran smiled, trying to also sound cheerful but her eyes had quite that sad side, a remain of the pain she had to went through, even now that the nightmare was over.

"- Anytime... " Heiji shrugged, answering her smile, shaking off his surprise. "An' sorry. Fer not bein' able ta tell ya he was alive..."

The girl shook her head negatively. "Don't. If it was for his safety..." She said, turning her look at the boy.

"- I'm sorry Ran-neechan but we'll need to go now..." Conan apologized, feeling it was time to leave.

The sleeping detective's daughter bent to him for another hug, under Heiji's and Kaito's amused smirks, making him blush with embarrassment as he noticed them.

"- I know it won't be easy but try to give some news... " She whispered in his ear, almost pledging.

"- Okay...

- Think you'll come back at the office one day ?" The girl gently smiled when they got away from each other.

"- At the moment I really don't know... Sorry." The small detective deplored with a sad face.

"- It's ok. Take care ! You too, Hattori-kun." She added as she got up. "Say hi to Shinichi for me if you see him. And if he could call, we have something to discuss..."

The azure-eyed boy tried to look even smaller as he saw her blush.

"Damn, she did take that seriously..."He half cursed, thinking of his slip.

"- I will ! Laters, Nee-chan !" Heiji waved goodbye when she left them to say hello to Kudô-san, after she had one last look at "Shiro-niisan", unable to stop herself to notice his striking resemblance with a certain detective.

With a sigh, depressed by the only half truth he served her, Conan rambled in his pockets in a dreamy mood, having felt something hard in it when the girl hugged him.

"- Here ! " He said, giving the item to the Osakan.

"- What's that ?" He wondered, looking at the metallic tube he took out of his friend's small hand.

"- A memory !" The boy joked with a small smile.

"- Ah, the tube with the antidote ?" Kaito recognized with a smile.

"- Hmm well thanks, then..." The dark-skinned detective answered, a bit dubious as he looked at the item. "Hey, is that an address ? ! " He asked, staring at some tiny label at the bottom of the tube.

"- What ? Gimme that back !" Conan ordered, grabbing quickly the item to eagerly detail the vial. "That would be... We need to see Haibara ! " He finished, rushing through the hallway to the girl's room.

Both teens exchanged a dubitative look and followed him.

o.O.o

"- ... So, do you think there could be the APTX4869's antidote in that lab ?" The boy was asking as Kaito and Heiji entered the little scientist's room.

Ai was sitting or her bed in her casual clothes, healthy colours now back on her face, her head turned at the small detective. "That would be a possibility...

- Then I need to go there ! I'm not going to let that chance pass..." Conan concluded, a determined expression on his face. "I need to find my father...

- So the both of you can raid what's probably the biggest lab of the BO ?" The girl pointed out with a flat voice. "And once there, what ? Have you ever been to a lab ? How will you even recognize the antidote ?

- I could spot that USB key... " The child shrugged, not really worried by that matter. "It was just a bit of deducing about its name, I should be able to do the same...

- Vials usually only carry numbers not names..." Haibara sighed, shaking her head. "You need to access their computers to...

- Then come with us ! You're used to labs, you should be able to find the antidote in there.

- It's..."

The girl had still her mouth opened to argue but stopped and a heavy silence fell on the room. Both children were looking into the other's eyes, displaying on their faces a bored expression for one, a determined one for the other.

After a long moment, Ai looked away with a "tsk". "Whatever you want..." She sighed before her eyes finally laid on the two teens near the entrance, to see a smile was appearing on Heiji's face as he understood she was giving up against his best friend's stubbornness. "What are you looking at ? !" She snapped at him.

"- Nothin', nothin'..." He said, looking down, not wanting to annoy her anymore than she already was, knowing how biting she could be when she was angry.

Conan, on his side was already heading at the door.

"- Let's go then, they were about to discharge you anyway so you should be able to leave."