Hi all! Sorry for the delay, but I've been a bit busy lately.

I have a question:

What is Author Alert? I couldn't figure out what it is, so if you could tell me I'll be eternally grateful.

And to note:

There will only be two more chapters after this for this story. It'll cut off at the worst place, but there will be a sequel coming up. Please stick with me - I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but I promise not to be too long!

On with the story!

How I Feel

Chapter the thirteenth: Unwanted Meetings

A few weeks went by without incident. Heiji finally got over his nightmares, and Shinichi was getting accustomed to being blind. He could find his way around the house, using a cane supplied by the hospital. It brought a smile to Ran's lips whenever she saw his confident smile as he walked, tapping the cane on the ground.

Ai had disappeared. No one could figure out where she went. Agasa said she'd gone missing a day or two before Heiji was kidnapped. Shinichi tried to ignore the nagging suspicion she'd had something to do with the kidnapping, but he really didn't know much about the shrunken girl.

Heiji spent most of his time with Kazuha, who felt she needed to be wherever Heiji was. He was appreciative, but he wished he could just talk to her once in a while and have a normal conversation.

Each of the boys had scars. External scars marred the skin on their wrists from the ropes and a small dot on each their necks from the tranquilizer. Shinichi also had a thin, slightly protruding, scar above his right eye. Both were scarred internally, scarred with thoughts of fear and pain and death they knew was awaiting them if the men in black ever found them. Neither could forget, no matter how hard the tried, what had happened on that night.

"Good morning Shinichi," Ran greeted as he walked into the kitchen. She served him a plate of pancakes and sat next to him. Shinichi smiled then frowned.

"Where are Hattori and Kazuha?" he asked.

"They went back home, didn't they tell you?" Ran asked. Shinichi froze.

"What?" he inquired nervously.

"They left this morning to go back to Osaka. I can't believe you didn't know," she said thoughtfully. Shinichi licked his lips. They wouldn't just leave without telling him, would they?

"When are they leaving?" he asked. Ran checked her watch.

"In about an hour and a half," she replied. "Why?"

"Take me to them," he said, pulling on his jacket. She stood and pulled on a sweatshirt, then took his hand and led him to her car.

---

"Kazuha are you sure we're supposed to meet your dad here?" Heiji asked for the millionth time. She sighed.

"I'm telling you, he called yesterday and said to meet him at the airport so he could meet us and we could all go together. Where could he be?" she asked, getting increasingly frustrated. Heiji gently took her hand and entwined their fingers, trying to comfort her. She blushed brightly and looked over at him.

"Sorry," he muttered embarrassedly releasing her fingers. She shook her head and gave his hand a squeeze. They said nothing, just sat together on the bench in the airport lobby. After a while, Kazuha rested her head on Heiji's shoulder and fell into a light doze.

They waited for hours, but Mr. Toyama never showed up. Kazuha was curled up against Heiji, and both teens were sleeping soundly with Kazuha resting her head on his shoulder. His head was leaning gently on hers and had one arm wrapped securely around her waist. Many a passerby stopped to gaze at the two hopelessly in love teenagers.

Heiji and Kazuha slept, lost in their warm, safe dream world for a long time.

However, they weren't as safe as they thought.

---

"Shinichi what do you think we're going to find? Even if we do catch them, they're going home! Everyone needs to go home after a while you know. Why are you so nervous?" Ran asked as she drove her car to the airport.

"I don't know. I just have a bad feeling that's all," he replied. "Hurry."

"You don't think they're in some kind of trouble do you?" Ran asked worriedly. Shinichi shrugged.

"I just hope I'm wrong," was all he said. She frowned and kept the car going. They didn't say anything more until Ran pulled up and parked the car. Shinichi quickly opened his door and got out. Ran walked around and took his hand, leading him through the crowds of people.

"Excuse me," she said as they suddenly stopped. "We're looking for a boy and a girl from Osaka, they said they were meeting someone here, have they gone yet?"

"Yeah I sees 'em. They was hea, but they gots taken away," the woman said with a bad accent and horrible grammar. Shinichi's heart tightened.

"See?" Ran said matter-of-factly to Shinichi.

"Who picked them up?" Shinichi asked. The woman thought for a moment.

"Well, both o' them falled asleep right on the bench there," she said, pointing. "Looked like little angels, they did. It was so sweet. An' then these two mans came up all dressed in black, they was. They got up all real close and seemed to be whisperin', then one o' them picked up the girl and the other picked up the boy and they was off."

"Men in black?" Shinichi asked, his unseeing eyes widening.

"Yeah, one was blonde with a big nose, and the othah was shortah with darkah skin. Mighty strange they was," the elderly woman said. Shinichi tugged on Ran's hand.

"That's them," he whispered. "Those are the guys."

"What? The ones that kidnapped you?" she asked, frightened. He nodded.

"We have to find them," he said. She nodded and dragged him out of the building.

"But where do we look?" Ran asked. She released his hand momentarily and cupped her face in her hands. Shinichi put a hand on her back soothingly.

"It'll be okay," he assured her. She nodded. Shinichi turned his head as he heard whispers. He couldn't see anyone, but he could sense someone was there. He turned and walked slowly, clicking his cane gently on the ground every few steps. The whispers stopped and it was all quiet. He waited, not moving, not breathing.

Suddenly, there was a gasp and a dull thud as Ran hit the ground behind him. He spun around and started for her, but was stopped when a cloth was placed over his mouth and an arm wound around his arms and chest. He tried to pull away, but he was held firmly. His eyes closed against their will and he fell limply against the strong body of a man behind him. The last thing he heard was his cane falling to the ground with a clatter before he fell into nothingness.

---

When he awoke, he found himself lying on a cold surface. He also found he was tied up tightly around his chest with his wrists bound firmly behind his back. He coughed weakly, trying to ignore the smell and taste of chloroform out of his mouth. A voice spoke from somewhere to his left.

"It's about time you woke up," Heiji said. Shinichi shook his head slightly and clenched his eyes shut.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Chloroform got the better of both of us it seems," Heiji replied dryly. "We're in some kind of cell. Rusty. Old. Looks like a prison."

"You tied up?" Shinichi asked croakily.

"Yeah. I'm handcuffed to the bars, you're just tied up. Looks like fishing wire," Heiji said.

"Goody," Shinichi muttered.

Heiji shifted uncomfortably. His hands were being held above his head, causing all the blood to drain out and his arms to lose feeling. He didn't know how long he'd been there, his arms extended above his head against their will, but he knew it had to be hours.

It had been just moments after he woke up when the cell door opened and they'd tossed the motionless body of Kudou Shinichi in next to him. The only movement Shinichi made at all was the sharp rising and falling of his chest as he gasped for breath. He'd waited for a long time, doing anything he could to try and wake up his unconscious friend, but it the end he'd just given up. He was getting tired again, but forced himself awake when he saw Shinichi stirring.

Now they were there, Heiji sitting and Shinichi lying down, alone in a cell in a place they didn't want to be. Shinichi was coughing.

"Are you okay?" Heiji asked, sounding a little concerned.

"I'm fine," Shinichi gasped.

"No you aren't," Heiji said, pulling on the handcuffs in an attempt to free himself.

"I can't breathe," Shinichi moaned. He writhed on the ground in agony, trying to get oxygen into his lungs. The wires were too tight. He would die from lack of oxygen. That's probably what the men in black wanted anyway. Footsteps echoed down the hall and halted in front of the cell. Soft laughter rang in Heiji's ears as he looked up at Vodka in horror. The sick man actually found it amusing to see Shinichi suffer.

The cell door creaked as rattled as the door slid open. Vodka entered the cell and cut the fishing wire with a knife he'd pulled out of his pocket. Shinichi took deep, gasping breaths as oxygen filled his lungs. Vodka grasped the boy's bleeding wrists roughly and handcuffed him with his arms above his head, in the exact fashion as Heiji. Shinichi struggled and kicked, but Vodka put the cool blade of the knife to his throat and he froze.

"If you value your life then you'll keep your feet to yourself, you hear me?" Vodka threatened. Shinichi pulled away slightly, breathing heavily. Vodka chuckled softly and stood.

"Burn in Hell," Shinichi spat. Vodka backhanded the boy sharply, causing blood to erupt from the boy's mouth and nose.

"Watch your mouth," Vodka hissed. He laughed when Shinichi said nothing. "You learn quickly, detective. That's a good trait to have. You'll fit in nicely. And you'll do whatever I say. Do you understand?"

Shinichi said nothing still. Blood dribbled down his face, pouring from his nose and the corner of his mouth. He spat out a mouthful and coughed. Vodka growled and grabbed a fistful of Shinichi's hair, pulling their faces too close for comfort.

"Answer me, boy," he snarled. Shinichi spat blood in his face. Vodka roared in fury and backhanded him again. Blood sprayed onto the ground. "Do you understand?" Vodka demanded.

"Stop it!" Heiji cried. Vodka smacked Shinichi's bruised cheek again.

"You don't control me. Do you understand?" Shinichi mocked. Vodka brought his hand back again but was interrupted before he could strike.

"Enough!" a female voice snapped. Heiji breathed a sigh of relief. Vodka released Shinichi's hair and stepped back, wiping blood from his face.

"I'll deal with you later," he growled. He stormed from the cell, slamming the door behind him. After a few seconds, soft steps clicked on the ground and the woman revealed herself.

"You!" Heiji cried in disbelief.

---

Fyliwion - Yeah it is a little angsty... You're netname is very interesting by the way - what does it mean?

OneDreamADay - Yeah...Well they didn't forget about them...Shinichi and HEiji told them that Conan and Arthur were in a safe place, so they thought nothing of them.

kindempress - You'll just have to wait to find out, won't you? ::evil smile::

DcLoVer0x - I'm sorry for your friend -and that is what happened to him

PRIVATE - No you don't! And yeah, it probably would've been easier, but then Ran and Kazuha wouldnt have found them

Tant - You thought that was a bad cliffhanger? ::Looks up at last sentence::

Julie-chan - LOL! Sorry, no can do, not yet! AND SHINICHI AND HEIJI ARE JUST FRIENDS! Sorry if that wasn't clear before, but they are just really good friends, nothing more. Sorry if I was misleading there...

Sadie Janelle - I'm sorry! I'm sorry! ::eyes cliffhanger for this chapter:: I'm a dead woman, aren't I?

Firestorm2004 - Yes, I did try to read yours and found myself clawing at my eyes trying to get over the stress of your cliffhangers! LOL, but It'll onlyget worse, I promise

Southpaw - Sorry 'bout that... It'll all work out in the end - pinky swear! (Yes, I am a 13 year old that still does pinky swears, so there)