Disclaimer: Anything you recognize doesn't belong to me.
A/N: I forgot to say this in the previous chapter. Well, I've never come across the English version of Detective Conan or Case Closed as it is called, before. I've only watched some episodes of the anime series and read just about every manga of it that is out so far. So all names used here will be according to the Japanese version, as I've no idea what they are called in the English version.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's Been You All AlongChapter 2
"It's been you all along..." Ran repeated once more to herself softly, with an underlying need to convince herself that all these were simply too good to be true.
All this while, I've been waiting for your return... holding onto the promise you made to me in the restaurant you brought me out dine in to months ago when you returned for a brief moment.
You told Conan to tell me that ... no matter whatever it took, you would come back ... and that I was to wait for you, until the day you returned...
Lies...! Everything you've been telling me were lies! You've been lying to me all this while!
Because... you didn't even leave... You were by my side all along...
Guarding me? Protecting me?
Why didn't you tell me? Why?
The tears that had welled up in her eyes now threatened to overflow as the emotions that rose within her threaten to overwhelm her. She closed her eyes, letting the tears fall in rivulets that streamed down her cheeks.
It doesn't really matter now does it?
There was never a day that passed, since Shinichi's abrupt disappearance or perhaps, as others would prefer to term it as – departure, that she hadn't wondered why he had left or that what had happened to him.
Because, now I know...
It is you.
Opening her eyes, she crossed the distance that separated her from the little boy who was at a loss for words. Her arms reached out to embrace him as she whispered amidst her sobs.
"Shinichi..."
For a little while, silence hung in the air like a thick blanket until the little boy started in a hesitating child like voice, "Ran... I..."
She didn't speak. She didn't trust herself to be able to speak. Her lips parted only to release a muffled sob. With that, she tightened her arms around him, as if afraid to let him go... as if she would never see him again if she did.
A droplet of tear landed on her blouse soaking the material causing it to darken. The person from whom the tear fell from hugged the elder girl back as a ragged whisper escaped his dry trembling lips.
"I... I am not Shinichi!"
With that, the little boy wriggled out of the girl's embrace and disappeared around the corner, leaving a crying Ran all alone in the empty corridor, with naught for comfort.
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Adrenaline had poured into his veins, pulsing through his blood as he fed on the extra energy, using it to fuel his run back to Professor Agasa's home. A little blonde girl of approximately the same age had opened the door for him and had merely eyed him skeptically without a word. Into the room, Conan ran to until he finally sank down to his feet on the cold hard marble floor.
"It's been you all along..."Ran's words seemingly returned to haunt him... She knew now.
What could he do?
The run back had caused him to break out into a thin sheen of perspiration, which had already started appearing at Ran's appearance in the corridor. Now, alone in the room, unshed tears that had been present in the boy's dark blue eyes for quite sometime fell uncontrollably.
There's so much that I want to tell you... there's so much that I need to say...Burying his head in his little hands, he was once again unconsciously reminded of the fact of his present predicament of being trapped in the body of his younger self. He couldn't face her again after this, could he? He was... trapped.
Trapped between telling her the truth and trapped between shielding it from her.
Trapped between protecting her and hurting her...
It was so hard to lie all the time... There had been so many close encounters when Ran had nearly found out the truth... but this time, things were no longer the same... The truth about his identity...
She had found out!
Perhaps... the only way out was to reveal the truth now...
The one and only truth...
With that thought in mind, Conan Edogawa raised his head.
The cold blue eyes of Ai Haibara met his eyes.
"She found out didn't she?" the little girl questioned in a voice devoid of emotions as she crossed her arms over her chest.
At this, Conan was struck dumb as he nodded in resignation.
Sighing, Ai continued, "I should have known... This tirade, this act... it must be getting tough on you huh?" In a softer voice she went on, "The girl you love is almost perpetually by your side. It must be difficult right? Being on your guard all the time? But there is something that I've mentioned many times before..."
Her tone now harsher, Ai continued, "The organization will spare no one... Once your true identity is leaked out, they will hunt you down, and kill all who knows you... All whom you love..."
Fixing her eyes upon his, she held her steady gaze, letting her eyes bore into his as she repeated, "All whom you love... Including her."
Her words echoed with finality in the room and she left abruptly, satisfied by the effect of her words upon him. The door swung shut with an irritating creak and the room resumed its silence, leaving the young detective alone, with much on his mind.
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A/N: Sorry for the long update as I was having my preliminary exams... So this is a little short but I shall be ending here for now... This story is going to end soon. Hope you like this chapter and please continue to review and tell me what you think or any other comments. Thank you! Your comments are much appreciated!