KudoEdogawa presents...

""Memories""

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Pt. 3

**Flashback**

"No, Mommy!!"
"Don't come closer, Mouri! Or else I'll kill your wife!!"
"Mommy!!"
Megure had came forward and grabbed the little girl away. Kogoro bit his lips and aimed.
"Fire if you dare!!" The enemy taunted. Kogoro fired, hitting Eri in the leg.
"Hey, hey you! Get up!"
Too late, police have tackled the man and arrested him.

**End Flashback**

Eri limped out of the kitchen, carrying a plate of food, looking very content with herself. "Kogoro, dinner!!"

Kogoro stepped out of the showers and put on his clothes. He looked at Eri's cooking suspiciously, picked up his chopsticks, and took a bite. "PFFT!" He spat the food out. "You call this food?"

"What do you mean?!" Eri yelled angrily.

"Are you trying to poison me or something? This tastes like crap!" Kogoro retorted.

"What?! How dare you!! I took the time to cook for you with this injured leg of mine, you good at least show some gratitude!!" Eri spat angrily.

"I'd rather you use those times to order a pizza or something!" Kogoro shouted. "Whatever, I'm going to find something edible." And he left.

"Ooh, you better not come back!!" Eri said crossly and limped back into her room.

Mouri Ran, aged seven. Was peeking through the gap of the door, and for the first time, witnessing problems in adult's world. Ran shut her door silently and went back onto her bed and fell asleep. She late the next morning, and rubbing her eyes, she stepped into the living room. "Mommy? I'm hungry."

There was no reply.

"Mommy?" The little girl tried again.

There was no reply.

Kogoro stepped into the living room, grunting, clutching what seems to be a note in his hand. "Daddy! Where's Mommy? I'm hungry!"

"Your mom left," Kogoro said simply.

"Where? When will she come back?"

"Never." Kogoro turned on the TV and said not another word.

***

"Hey, Ran, what's up!?" Shinichi greeted his friend happily.

Ran was sitting on a bench in the park, all by herself, sobbing silently. The young Shinichi noted this, "What's wrong?"

"M-my daddy said tha-that Mommy left." Ran said through tears.

"Left?" Shinichi repeated. "Left where?"

"I d-d-dunno!! Daddy says she'll never come back!!" Ran cried. Shinichi realized what happened; Eri had left Kogoro. Shinichi put a hand on Ran's shoulder.

"Don't cry," Shinichi said comfortingly, "that sometimes happen with adults. I'm sure Eri-san will be back in no time."

"But Daddy said she won't!!" Ran buried herself in Shinichi's arms, crying freely. The sun is slowly sinking, and the temperature dropped to an afternoon coolness. Ran wiped her tears off her face and looked at Shinichi. "Shinichi? Why are you always so nice to me? You're always caring for me."

"We're best friends, aren't we?" Shinichi said, Ran nodded. "And that's what friends do! They care for each other, they help and protect each other. In fact, you know what?" Ran looked at Shinichi with twinkling teardrops still in her eyes. "When we grow up, I'm gonna marry you! That way we can be best friends forever, and I can protect you forever!" Shinichi exclaimed innocently.

Ran smiled at this and held out her pinky, "Deal?"

Shinichi hooked his own pinky to hers, and with a wide grin, "Deal! Now come on, let's get you home......."

~~~

A single tear fell from Ran's eye as she walked down the carpet, Kazuha and Sonoko behind her. And there he was, her groom, nervously trying to flatten his cowlick but stopped at the sight of her. Heiji, who was standing next to him, nudged Shinichi in the ribs, and they both grinned at the bride.

Shinichi took her hand and they walked up the carpeted steps, finally, this moment is finally coming. After almost twenty years, the vow that he had made was finally going to be fulfilled. Ran let her tears drop as she heard Shinichi and herself say the words "I do." As their lips met, Ran's mind was filled with joy..., they are now husband and wife...

Her life was complete.

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Yup yup, that's all!
...I guess you could call it a sequel/prequel to Always...iono...hehe