Disclaimer: The only characters that belongs to me is Masako and Bourbon, but they don't show up in this chapter. I still wish I owned the cute guys....~*sigh*~

Epilogue: Coming home

It had been ten years since Kudo Shinichi's 'supposed' death. However, Ai, having at last found the cure to APTX4869 that had shrunk him into Conan, then allowed him to return to his true form. That day, when Kudo Shinichi was reborn, brought a lot of happiness. First, he had taken Ran to a restaurant for lunch and then arriving back at Masako's apartment, had contacted Heiji's dad, Hattori Heizo. After hearing the news, Heizo called Shinichi's parents, who on the spot, ordered plane tickets back to America. Ai had left about three hours ago and would be arriving in Japan in about twelve more hours.

Heiji rushed over to congratulate his friend as did the Detective Boys. Ayumi, still a bit shy about knowing that Conan was the famous teenage detective, blushed as he talked to her. The Detective Boys, having now changed their name to Detective Teens, exchanged a few words with Shinichi and then left with Hagase afterwards to catch their plane back to Japan. The only ones remain were the police department from Osaka and Tokyo, Ran, Sonoko and Heiji.

"Hattori, so what did you do about Toyama-san?" Shinichi asked, as he and Heiji looked for a drink to toast in the kitchen.

Heiji's face became red. "What are you talking about, man?"

"Oh come on, it's been ten years. You've graduated, probably opened an agency somewhere in Osaka and must have already proposed to Toyama-san. Heck, I think you two have married." Shinichi grinned as Heiji's face became as red as it could get under his dark skin. "Seems like I guessed, no deduced, right, ne?"

"Okay, fine. You're right. We've been married for five years, I did open an agency, but I've waiting for you to come back and help me. It's not that easy to run when there's like twenty cases waiting for me everyday. I wanted to come for one, take a vacation, two, to see a good pal. Okay?"

Shinichi smirked.

"Okay, so what about you? You just met neesan, but you must have done something too...." It was Heiji's turn to grin and Shinichi's turn to red, but he didn't. He just laughed.

"Okay, so I proposed to her before my 'supposed' death..."

"I knew that wasn't real."

Nod. "And so I sort of took out the ring I had been saving for the past year and she accepted again. We'll decide on the wedding later, probably when Mom gets here because she so good at that kind of stuff."

"I see...."

"Yeah......so when are you going back to Japan?"

Heiji froze. "You want me to leave?"

"No, no, no, you got it wrong. I just wanted to know when you'd be going back so I, well, I want to go back to Japan, but....."

"But what, Kudo?" Heiji looked angry and sad.

"Well, I've already died as Kudo Shinichi in Japan, so if I return, it would be hard to explain and I, well, don't want to upset any more people because of this......"

"You could always adopt a new identity..."

"But, I am Kudo Shinichi. I'll never be anyone else anymore. I can't hide myself from others. If I did adopt a new identity, I would never be whoever I pretend to be....." Shinichi sighed as she sipped his soda.

"Kudo, come back to Japan with us. You know that you'll always be helpful! Besides, my agency needs you. I'll never be able to find another buddy to co-work with." Heiji slammed his soda can down on the counter. "Damn it, Kudo. What's wrong? You've returned to your normal body, you have neesan, she knows the truth, loves you, and same goes for you, so what else are you missing????????"

"A home, Hattori. I don't have anywhere to go. This apartment has been my home for ten years now. That's a long time. I appreciate your care, but, I can't just go.....I know you need me in the agency, but Hattori, you have to understand....I have no where to go." Shinichi sighed again.

"Kudo, you are," Heiji grabbed Shinichi's shoulders and looked in his eyes as he shouted, "ALWAYS WELCOME AT MY HOUSE!!!!" Heiji looked into those pools of blue and said softly, "You can come and live with me and Kazuha. You have always been a brother to me and I don't intend to abandon you now."

Shinichi smiled. "Thanks, Heiji. You were always a great pal and brother to me, especially during the time I was Conan." He pushed Heiji's hands away. "But you and Kazuha need your space, don't sacrifice just for me."

"I am NOT sacrificing anything." Heiji crossed his arms. "If you're not going back to Japan with me..............then I'll make neesan make you." He smirked.

Shinichi's eyes grew wide. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see," Heiji's grin grew even wider as he turned to leave the room. "You'll see." He tossed his empty soda can into the wastebasket and left.

"Wait, Hattori, what are you going to do, I mean, WAIT!!!!!!" Shinichi ran after the retreating boy, dropping his empty can into the wastebasket on his way out too.

~2 weeks later, 9:15pm ~

"I don't how you did this, Hattori, but I am seriously going to kill you when we land," Shinichi growled from his aisle seat. He was next to Ran, who had fallen asleep and was using his shoulder as a pillow. Kazuha sat next to Ran. Heiji sat next to her. The four of them were sitting in the middle row of the plane. Kazuha had fallen asleep too, and was using Heiji's arm as her pillow.

Heiji looked up from the book he was reading. He yawned. "Don't you get tired of saying that, Kudo? You've only said it about 20 million times in the last hour. Besides, it's another....." Heiji checked his watch with his free arm, "10 hours before we land. We just taxied out of the airport 5 hours ago and you've said that sentence over 80 times."

Shinichi glared at his tan detective friend. "10 hours should be PLENTY of time for you to EXPLAIN how you got Ran to drag me back to Japan with you guys."

Heiji smirked. "That will be for later, first I need to finish studying for an exam." Heiji looked down again as he felt Shinichi's glare darken. He smiled.

It's not that hard, Kudo. You just have to get Dad to get an extra plane ticket, get you another passport, all the legal documentaries.....and then get neesan to pack your things......then drag you to the airport. Once on the plane, which took quite a lot of yelling, screaming, swearing....and shoving, you had no where to go. I mean, I don't think you'd jump the plane, now would you, Kudo? Heiji sighed. I hate studying, why do I have to study? I know all this. If it weren't that Dad is sitting right behind me, I'll throw this book at Kudo to get him to lighten up.

Heiji sneaked a glance behind him. His father, Hattori Heizo was talking to Otaki. Next to them were Takagi and Satou, who were talking quite cheerfully to each other. Across the aisle from them were Shiratori and Megure. In front of them, which was across the aisle from Shinichi, was Kudo Yukiko and Yusaku. Yusaku had looked up from his mystery novel when Shinichi talked to Heiji, but paid no attention to their argument. Yukiko was sleeping soundly on her husband's shoulder.

Heiji sighed. Might as well take a nap. He closed his book, and stuffed it into his backpack under the seat. He slid down in his seat just a bit to get into a more comfortable position and making sure that his arm was still supporting Kazuha's head, closed his eyes and waited for sleep to catch him.

~10 hours later, 7:25am~

"Hey, Kudo! How does it feel to be back?" Heiji punched his friend playfully on the shoulder.

Shinichi raised two eyebrows and blinked. "Fine, but if anyone wonders why I'm not a ghost, you'll do the explaining."

"Cheer up, man! Megure, your dad, my dad and all the other officers already have that settled, saying they had mistaken that person for you, something like that. Besides, you're going to get married!!!!!" Heiji said as he slung his arm across Shinichi's shoulders.

Shinichi blushed at this, as did Ran who was talking to Kazuha behind them. Heiji had been talking a bit loud.....

The group made their way through the airport and finally arrived home at 8:30am.

Shinichi fell asleep on the couch of Ran's house right after he dropped his bag. He hadn't been to Japan for such a long time; it was hard getting used to the time difference. Eri and Kogoro came in soon afterwards, telling Ran that they were going off to work. Eri, still a lawyer and Kogoro, once again hired as a police officer.

Ran fell asleep on the other couch soon afterwards.

~7:45am~

Kazuha and Heiji made their way to the hotel they were staying in. They had an apartment in Osaka, but wanted to stay an extra few days to be with their friends. As Kazuha climbed in bed, Heiji said, "Ka-chan?"

"Hmm?" She answered sleepily from under the covers.

Heiji climbed into bed next to her. "Are you tired?"

Kazuha cracked open an eye. "Sort of. You?"

"Okay," he answered as he lay down. They were silent for a while. "Ka-chan?"

"Yeah?" Kazuha turned over to look at him. He was looking at her too.

"I wonder what will happen after this."

"What do you mean, Heiji?" She was wide awake now.

"I mean, to us, to Kudo and neesan, the Detective Boys, no I mean, Teens, and....to everyone else too." He looked at her, slightly smiling, yet so serious.

"What do you mean what will happen to us? Kudo-san and Ran-chan are fine. We're fine. Besides, what else could go wrong?"

"You never know...." Heiji yawned. "Forget it, let's take nap. I need to catch up on my sleep; Kudo wouldn't stop talking to me on the plane, hardly slept."

Kazuha yawned too. "Yeah, night, well, afternoon, actually..."

"Yeah......"

The adults were soon fast asleep.

~8:30pm~

The two couples had gotten together for dinner at this fancy restaurant. The two girls were talking about all the shopping they were going to do while waiting for their meals to arrive. The boys were, however, awfully quiet. Shinichi had yawned for the fourth time in the last 15 minutes.

"Kudo, you look so sleepy!" Heiji looked over at his friend with concern.

"Well, I still haven't gotten over the time difference, probably because I was gone for so long, and I never really enjoyed plane rides. I fall asleep right away, but I somehow couldn't on the plane ride here." Shinichi yawned again. "Still, I guess I have to thank you for dragging me back here. It's nice to come home."

Heiji grinned. "You finally called it home."

"Ehh?"

"Never mind."

"You are darn weird today, Hattori." Shinichi took a sip of his tea

"I see, so when are you two getting married?"

Shinichi almost spit out his hot tea in his friend's face. "Hattori!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop asking!!! I'll tell you when we decide, okay? Don't make such a big deal about it, besides, I didn't get to go to your wedding...."

"Alright, alright, so....."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! MURDER!!!!"

Heiji and Shinichi turned toward the sound. The wanted to get up and investigate, but their wife and wife-to-be, were right there. They couldn't just abandon them.

"Uhh, probably just some little thing......going on....." Shinichi said.

"Yeah, nothing much....." Heiji said.

Kazuha and Ran glanced at each other and nodded. "Okay, so we KNOW you two are dying to go solve the mystery, so go on already!" Ran said as she cupped her face in the palms of her hands.

Kazuha smiled sweetly at Heiji. "You'll be back, won't you?"

"Uhh, yeah.....Let's go, Kudo!" Heiji got up, smiled apologetically at Kazuha and grabbed Shinichi's arm. Shinichi nodded at Ran, and said, "Don't worry; I know I'll come back. I promise, serious," before running off after the Osaka detective.

Ran sighed. "Who told us to fall in love with detective nerds?"

"Well, mysteries are a part of them, so we can't keep that from them." Kazuha said as she sighed. "But let's forget the boys and talk about something else....."

Ran nodded as she listened and chatted away the night with her best friend. This is a happy ending, isn't it?

THE END

Completed: April 7, 2004

Author's notes: Okay, so that was a weird ending, but no, it's not REALLY the ending....sorry can't think of stuff now.....three tests in a row yesterday, my brain's still out of it.....okay so this isn't a real ending because I'm planning on making a short sequel to it, a real short one, probably one-shot or something. I hope you all liked it, and thanks for reading! Please review and tell me what you want in the sequel, okay? Also, email me for any mistakes you want me to fix. Thanks again and please review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~mysteriousangelgirl~