Note:
Hello, everyone! Soo...it really comes to an end, doesn't it? ;-; To tell you the truth, I have really enjoyed writing this story, even if I did deliever the last chapter a bit too late because of my exams, but here it is!

Thank you for all your support, for all your kind words, and for all your patience with me and my updates. Thank you for all the good memories I have created with you guys will writing these chapters! You don't understand the magnitude some of you had on me in this journey! Thank you! Thank you all so much! I hope you enjoy this piece!

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan!

P.S.: Sorry if there are any typos in advance, I am half asleep and it is already 1:00 AM in here! :3

-.-

Zephyr

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah. Just give me a minute to wrestle with my tie."

She moved towards him, chuckling, and gently knotted his tie into a perfect knot. He looked down at her hands, amused and amazed as always.

"Mou, you never change…"

"Why should I when I have your talented hands to help me?" he smirked, eyes twinkling.

"Flattery won't get you anywhere. Now hurry up. We will be late."

"Oh, they can wait. I bet Hattori and Kuroba are going to be late anyway."

"That's not the point," she huffed, shaking her head.

He grinned. "I love it when you're mad."

"I know you do it on purpose."

-.-

How long has it been? Ran reflected. How long has it been since they first met, they first fought, they first laughed, they first cried, and they first looked at each other? How long?

Sitting beside her husband in the car, knowing full well they are going to be late, Kudo Ran couldn't help but reflect on those thoughts. How long has it been? It seemed like it all happened just yesterday…and yet, she knew it was so long ago.

Forty-nine years to be exact. They have known each other for forty-nine years, been separated two years from them, and been married for twenty-nine years now. And it just seemed like yesterday…

"What are you smiling at?" Shinichi questioned, softly, turning a curve in the road.

Ran didn't realize she was. "Oh. I was just thinking. We have known each other for a very long time, haven't we?"

Shinichi laughed. "Yes, Ran. I believe we have. Nice to meet you."

She playfully slapped his arm. "I am being serious."

He nodded, trying to keep a poker face. "Ah."

Ran looked out of the window, and watched the passing scenery for a moment, before she broke out into a smile again. "Remember when we were invited to Sonoko's twelfth birthday?"

"You were invited, love. And, may I add, you made me tag along." Shinichi pointed out.

She waved her hand. "Anyway, remember that dare Watanabe-kun gave you?"

He laughed nostalgically. "How can I forget? I bet that was your first kiss ever."

"It was."

Shinichi grinned, his eyes sparkling brightly as he stared at the road. He allowed his mind to go down that lane as well. They have shared a lot of things together, haven't they?

There was a time when he thought of her as the forbidden apple, there was a time when he dealt excruciating pain to both of them, there was a time when they were both lost in a labyrinth, and there was a time when he thought he was negligible to her, there was a time when nothing seemed to be okay, and yet they swayed back to each other's arms. There were imperfect times and there were quiet times.

And yet, here they are…

"Shinichi…"

"Hmm?" he snapped out of his revive, looking at her.

Her face was curious. "Do you remember when I gave you that watch?" she pointed at his wrist.

Shinichi stopped the car as the red traffic light flashed, and turned to look at her, confused. "Yes?"

"What did you think I was going to give you? I can never forget how you fainted right after you opened the box…" she had a small amused smile playing at the corner of her lips, but her eyes were still curious.

Shinichi blushed darkly. He could never forget it either. That stupid, blasted magazine…

"Err…" he coughed, "do you really need to know?"

"Well, it seems interesting…"

Shinichi fumbled for an answer. What could he tell her? Even after twenty-nine years of marriage, he was still a bit shy when it came to these things, especially since he knew Ran could kick his butt anytime.

"Umm, you see…"

His phone rang.

Shinichi internally thanked every divine power there is as he swiftly reached for his phone. "Hello?"

"Dad, where are you?" Conan's voice demanded from the other end.

"Ah, sorry. Your mother and I are on our way." Shinichi answered, easing the peddle a bit. "We should be there in three minutes."

"Well, hurry, dad. Kuroba-san and Hattori-san are going to tear each other's throats out. They need you to pull them apart."

Shinichi sweat-dropped. What was he—a babysitter for fully grown, forty-nine years old men?

"We will be there soon." And he hung up.

Ran looked at him curiously, and he explained the situation for her. She laughed. "Oh, they never change!"

Shinichi was glad the watch matter was dropped.

-.-

They hadn't realized that there was a soft breeze blowing until they stood in front of the medium sized household. The door was flung open and a voice cried out, delightedly, "Obaa-chan! Jii-chan!"

Four years old Kuroba Takashi launched himself into Ran's arms, hugging her tightly. Ran laughed and kissed his forehead.

"How is my Takashi-chan doing?"

"Great!" the hyperactive kid said, smiling hugely and leading her and Shinichi into the house by their hands. "Mom! Dad! Jii-chan and obaa-chan are here!"

Kuroba Satoshi emerged from the kitchen, smiling, and hugged his mother-in-law and shook hands with his father-in-law.

"Glad you're here. Shinichi-san, please restrain my father and Hattori-san for a while, ne?" Satoshi asked, winking as he returned to the kitchen.

"What am I—a baby sitter?!" Shinichi exclaimed.

Ran laughed as she moved towards the living room where Aoko and Kazuha were already seated. Shinichi moved towards the study, his best friends' voices bouncing from wall to wall.

"What exactly is wrong with them now? You do know they were the reason for your son's happiness?!"

"That's absurd!"

Shinichi sighed. "You guys are still fighting on those pair of handcuffs? I thought that thing was already disposed of."

"Kudo!" Hattori Heiji and Kuroba Kaito exclaimed, looking at him.

"What?"

"Tell Kuroba they work!"

"Tell Hattori he is being absurd!"

"In all honesty, you are both absurd."

The three men glared at each other. But then, out of nowhere, they all started laughing. Shinichi reflected that this has been an occurrence that happened often. They would meet up, argue about stupid things, and then laugh for no apparent reason.

He looked at the pair of cut handcuffs, and again, his brain took his down memory lane as a gentle wind. He remembered Hattori offering him those handcuffs long ago when he just started dating Ran, and how, years later, Satoshi and Hikari, both only seven, got caught in them when they were playing a game with Risa-chan. Shinichi remembered he had to cut them off with pliers since they had no key.

The connection was severed that time, and yet, years later, they still got married with a son and a coming baby on the way.

He looked over at the magician and wondered what would have happened if he never heard his story, if Kuroba never threw that jewel at him and told him 'that some jewels are worth it'. He wondered if they never became friends; what would have happened? Would he had apprehended Kaitou Kid and threw him in jail without a thought? Would he have listened if Kuroba hadn't forced him to…?

"Dad, Kuroba-san, lunch is….oh! Hello, Shinichi-san!" twelve year old Hattori Yoh-kun said, grinning. "Lunch is ready."

The three men moved towards the dining room where they found their wives and kids already seated. Risa was there with her husband Takumi and her two-year-old daughter Izumi. Conan was already seated, talking away with Satoshi. Hattori Yoh has settled beside thirteen-years-old Kuroba Akira—Kaito's and Aoko's daughter—and the two were engaged in a heated conversation about something.

"Dad!" Hikari exclaimed, carefully walking towards her father. She kissed his cheek. "Missed you."

"Missed you too, Hikari," Shinichi murmured.

He sat down beside Ran and watched from the corner of his eye as Satoshi helped his own wife sit down. She was six months pregnant already, and she seemed to radiate with life. Satoshi placed a hand on her swelling belly, and Shinichi felt a sense of nostalgia wrap around him again.

He remembered how on his twenty-second birthday he had come home, and Ran had told him to come to bed. He remembered how he laid down beside her, curled up to her, and was about to go to sleep when she told wished him a happy birthday and asked if he would like his gift now. She had taken his hand and placed it lovingly on her stomach.

It was the best gift he had ever received.

He remembered the time of his daughter's wedding and how he felt as he watched from the sidelines, wanting to get up and envelop her, but at the same time knowing he can't do anything.

"Takashi, why do you have your bear with you now?" Hikari admonished gently, snapping Shinichi from his trance. "Please put it back in your room. You can play with it after you eat."

"But he's hungry too!" Takashi whined.

Satoshi sent his son a look. "Do as your mother said, Takashi."

Ran watched as Takashi grumbled but go up to put the bear back, and blinked. "Is that the bear you used to play with, Hikari?"

"Yeah, it's the one you gave me, Mom," Hikari responded.

"Oh." Ran smiled. "For some reason, my mom and Shinichi's mom had always seemed to favor that teddy bear. I wonder why…"

"Maybe it had a special meaning," Kazuha suggested.

"Or it was something from yours and Kudo-kun's childhood days," Aoko pointed out.

Ran and Shinichi looked at each other. Neither of them remembered every playing with that bear. It was important though, for some reason, but that was all they knew.

Once Takashi came back, the feast began. Naturally, because Hikari has inherited her mother's cooking skills, the food was excellent and she was praised for it accordingly. They ate and laughed and talked. Shinichi has never felt more at peace in his life. Being here, with his wife and family and friends, that was where he wanted to stay forever.

-.-

It wasn't until much later that Shinichi stood up, held Ran's hand, and walked with her out of the door towards the backyard. Ran followed him, curiously, leaving behind the buzz of conversations.

Outside, the weather was cool and the gentle breeze engulfed them immediately. They walked around the huge backyard, arm in arm, quietly enjoying each other's company.

"It seems that a lot of memories have been attacking me today," Shinichi murmured to her.

"Yes, I know what you mean," she whispered back.

"We have been through a lot, eh? Done a lot. Seen a lot. Felt a lot."

She laughed. "We have had our fill of a lot, don't you think?"

Shinichi laughed with her. However, he quickly sobered and looked down at her. "Ran…"

He kissed her, long and deep and passionate. After they pulled apart, they linked arms and started walking again, the zephyr gently swirling and forming ghosts of their memories all around them.

"Let's make a lot of new memories too, ne?"

"Yes."

-.-

Note: And this concludes this alphabet series! I do hope you enjoyed the journey as much as I enjoyed delivering it! Again, thank you for all your support that helped my motivation, inspiration, and my own life! Thank you all!

Till next time, sweets!

Take care!