Well, I have to say I was surprised to get as many reviews as quickly as I did. Ah, and thanks for any constructive criticism. I was hesitant regarding the spelling of the title, but I'm glad someone caught my mistake before the story progressed too much and I made a bigger fool of myself.

Remember, any and all comments will be taken gladly. Constructive criticism is a good thing, as long as you don't all out start throwing insults at random. We're all human here, and true insults hurt. But I'm willing to take suggestions for improvement.

Oh, and I love compliments. Not that I'm hinting at anything, but...

Anyways, on to the story!



Carpe Diem



"So, did you want something, Conan-kun?"

Before the simple question broke the silence between the two, the only sound which seemed most prominent within the kitchen was the steady sloshing of water as it streamed down from the faucet and into the open kettle.

Standing beside the sink, a small smile had graced the lips of Mouri Ran as she flashed the small boy sitting on a stool nearby a quick glance. Whenever he needed to talk to her about something--anything, really--she was perfectly willing to sit and listen. It was difficult to figure out exactly why, but whenever Conan was around, she couldn't supress an odd sense of affection that always seemed to surface. He was so much like a younger brother to her, and yet there was something more; something she couldn't place no matter how many times she tried.

He was just.... Special.

It was in every little thing he did. Whether he was contemplating the details of a specific case that no one else seemed to be getting very far on, or those heartbreaking times when the realization hit that Kudou Shinichi was gone, and there was no telling when he would be back.. Conan had always been there to offer up some sort of comfort, and in so many ways he reminded her of Kudou Shinichi himself.

That was silly, though, wasn't it? The possibility of Kudou Shinichi and Edogawa Conan being the same person simply betrayed the laws of physics themselves--not that she was very skilled in regards to science, but... It was just plain impossible. Still, though, in those brief moments, she could just see something flash through his eyes. At times, those deep blue eyes would be filled with the pain, maturity, and knowledge that no child should have to experience at such a young age.

At times, logic betrayed Mouri Ran, and Edogawa Conan WAS Kudou Shinichi in her eyes.

Allowing his short legs to dangle over the edge of the stool, occasionally swinging them back and forth, the one under the alias of Edogawa Conan merely blinked from behind the thick lenses of the glasses that seemed to provide one of his only disguises. So many times those very glasses had been the thin line that had saved his identity from being discovered, and yet they weren't even functional. In no way did Kudou Shinichi need glasses; one thing he never managed to inherit from his father.

For a moment, Ran's question was completely passed up as he allowed his mind to wander, his eyes sweeping over her tall form once. Ran's motherly instincts never seemed to fail her, and this fact in itself inspired a great deal of admiration in the small boy. Despite all of the trials that she'd been through; so many things that had happened to make her grow up so quickly.. They were things that no young woman should have to experience, and yet there she stood, wearing a bright smile to mask the constant worry and pain that he was perfectly aware that she felt for her missing love.

She would make a perfect mother some day. Even if he wasn't the lucky father, even if she finally grew tired of waiting and gave up on him--which he wouldn't blame her for--she would be perfect in everything she did. He knew very well that her heart could only take so much, and the possibility still remained that her beauty wouldn't belong to him in the end..

"Conan-kun, could you reach the cups and hot cocoa mix?"

"Hm? ..Oh, yeah!"

Drawn abruptly from his thoughts, the young detective in disguise climbed down from his position apon the stool, pushing it forward to the counter before climbing apon it once more. Seeming to finally take into account what he'd come to talk to her about in the first place, he began speaking as he dug through the cupboards for the designated supplies.

"Have you noticed Mitsuhiko-kun acting.. strangely for a while now?"

"Mitsuhiko-kun?" Ran repeated, blinking in mild confusion as she reached forward to stop the flow of water, moving the kettle to the stove and thus preparing it to boil. All the while Conan's question was considered, but little thought was given to it. While she acted as an older sister and possibly even a second mother to the odd little group of children a majority of the time, she couldn't remember seeing any of them acting particularly weird as of lately.. Well, no weirder than usual, at least.

"You know," Conan continued, taking a brief moment or two to mentally count how many people they would have to account for before retrieving a corresponding number of cups from the cupboard. After setting them down apon the counter, once more he was forced to climb to the ground in order to push the stool across the kitchen to retrieve the hot cocoa mix. Being so small was such a pain..

"I mean around Haibara," He explained further, glancing over his shoulder for a moment to flash her a quick glance. "Have you noticed anything? It's written all over his face, but..."

"Ah! You're talking about his feelings for Ai-chan, ne?" She couldn't help but chuckle a bit here, the smile she wore only seeming to brighten fractionally. "He told me about his feelings for Ai-chan and Ayumi-chan once before.." Oh yes, she could still remember clearly the day when both Mitsuhiko and Ayumi had dragged her to the same cafe at seperate times in the same day in order to admit their feelings to her and ask for advice.

She'd never really designated 'relationship counselor' as one of her life goals, but she HAD always wanted to play matchmaker at one point or another. Ran always had been the overemotional type when it came to tragedies and the like, so it would only make sense that she would have a soft spot for romance. Even if she wasn't perfectly aware that Conan was Kudou Shinichi, the potential relationships within the small group of children were considered to be quite cute.

After all, hadn't some of the best relationships sprouted from childhood crushes?

...Of COURSE she wasn't thinking about Shinichi with this thought surfaced...

"Well, I was thinking.."

Yes, Conan certainly had alternative motives for the new turn of events. The complications and details of the situation at hand could be contemplated later, but for now mischief was beginning to shine within his eyes. Personally, he'd always believed that Haibara Ai had always been too closed off and quiet for her own good. It was about time that SOMEONE came along with the willpower and initiative to open her up and actually get somewhere. "Why don't we try to help it along a bit?"

Beside that, he didn't really want to deal with any more broken hearts, and Ayumi-chan obviously wasn't going to shift her affections anytime soon...

"Mou, that's a great idea, Conan-kun!" If at all possible, the teenager's features seemed to brighten a bit as she stepped over to draw the small boy into a quick hug. This was much easier than usual, considering the fact that he was still standing apon a stool at the moment.

"I've always wanted to play matchmaker.." She chuckled a bit here, raising a hand to stroke the boy's hair once in a motherly sort of way. The love triangles within the group were complicated--not that she knew that she was part of a much bigger love triangle--but if she had anything to say about it, everything would be sorted out and no one would end up with a broken heart. After all, she knew exactly how one felt, and there was no way she was going to allow the children to be exposed to such pain so early in life.

"So, what did you have in mind?"


Poor Conan was blushing and squirming far too much to speak.

----------

The rain was striking down like knives apon the windows of the Mouri Detective Agency, and yet there were so many other places that Haibara Ai would rather be at that very moment. The children had all been gathered into the main room to dry off from the downpour that they had been forced to run through, but the scientist-in-disguise had once again drawn herself off to the side in order to sit and look solemnly out the window.

Rain.. Its very presence was enough to strike the hearts of many with a dull, melancholy feeling that simply wouldn't go away. The expanse of gray clouds and rumbling thunder wasn't something that brought forth happy thoughts, but for the young girl it was regarded indifferently. It often rained; it was a natural event, so what reason was there to dwell over the effects of the weather when there were so many other things to worry about?

Being able to sit and dwell in one's own thoughts was much more deadly than a rainy day. Deep blue eyes flashed with supressed emotion as she lifted her gaze slowly to the sky, searching for something--anything. It was silly for a scientist to believe in anything remotely related to the topic of heaven, but for a moment she actually expected to see something worth seeing. The thought was dismissed easily enough, though, as she finally allowed her eyes to fall closed.

Of all places to be stuck on a rainy day, it had to be here. No matter how many times she turned it over in her mind, she simply couldn't find a logical explanation behind her vague dislike of Mouri Ran. She always proved to be too much of a hinderance.. And there had been so many close calls when it came to Ran finding out Conan's identity. The revelation of their identities was something that inwardly frightened the young girl a great deal, but a majority of the time she failed to show this to any great extent.

But that couldn't be the only reason to dislike the teenager... What else was it?

"Haibara-san!"

She was snapped back to reality rather abruptly as someone snagged her arm, and, blinking, she turned to find Ayumi-chan beginning to lead her back to rejoin the rest of the children. "C'mon, Haibara-san; Ran-neesan made hot chocolate!"

A quick glance comfirmed this much. Mouri Ran had once again entered the room, carrying with her a tray of steaming cups, which was set down apon the low-lying table in the room with a bright smile. Trailing after her was none other than Conan himself, looking a bit flustered but otherwise calm as he fell into a kneeling position beside the table. For a moment his gaze swept across the other children. They had all been chattering away easily enough, simply glad to be warm and dry rather than stuck in the rain.

To his relief, Ayumi-chan didn't have much of a chance to claim a spot beside him, for Ran was quick to take up that position. Ayumi-chan and Genta-kun each snatched up a mug of steaming liquid, and Haibara reluctantly fell into position across from Conan. To his great amusement, he found it difficult to keep from grinning slightly as Mitsuhiko casually fell into position beside her, all the while wearing a hesitant yet bright smile.

"Ne, Haibara-san, don't you like hot cocoa?" The young boy asked intently, reaching forth to pull a pair of cups over to their side of the table. The hesitation was more than clear within his eyes, though he did his best to hide this fact. There was no reason to come across as being nervous or weak, was there? After all, one of his main goals was to impress the ones he held affection for.

All that was offered was a silent nod as the young girl reached forward to take the mug that had been offered, gaze remaining set apon the table. While the idea of hot chocolate wasn't something to get easily excited over, there was little point in arousing some sort of suspicion by refusing. Besides that, the thin layer of moisture that still clung to their clothing was enough to create a chill, and the warmth was accepted with the same air of slight indifference. "Arigatou..."

"Ne, minna.." Ran interrupted almost regretfully, eyes shining with unspoken amusement as she watched, rather conspicuously inconspicuous, the scene playing out across the table. It was all she could do to keep from bursting into 'Aww's, for only two out of the five children seemed to have any skill in acting, and they weren't even REAL children. It was so cute to watch an unravelling romance story, and a hint of mischief seemed to shine through with the realization that the small boy across from her wouldn't be alone in his attempts.

"I called all of your parents, and you all have permission to sleep over here tonight since the rain doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon." Hah; the irony of it all. If anything, thunder and lightning had to be one of Ran's many weaknesses.

Despite the joyful cries of several of the other children, Haibara couldn't help but feel more frustrated than ever. The emotion was hidden easily enough, but a light sigh tumbled from her lips as she blew lightly at the steam rising from the hot mug in her hands. A sleepover with the children wasn't really as bad as she made it out to be at first, but could you really blame her? Having little experience with children in general before the ingestion of the supposedly deadly pill, it wasn't very often that much amusement could be gathered from the group as a whole.

There were much better things to do at the moment. She'd much rather be in her own designated 'home' with the one who had so easily taken her in. She'd rather be residing in the house of the strange doctor, possibly conducting a bit of research or a few experiments, always trying to move closer to the vague possibility of finding a cure... If not for herself, then for Kudou-kun...

"Since it's Saturday tomorrow, I thought we could all go down to the park tomorrow as well.." Ah, yes, if only half of them knew of the alternative motives hiding behind the young woman's words. The smile she bore was hard to supress, for the amusement that was gathered from the situation was hard to pass up. Even if they were all quite oblivious, she and Conan would have fun with this if they had any say in it at all.

"Now, I know we have some extra futons somewhere around here..." As she spoke, Ran took a moment to blink, as if rethinking exactly where things were stored around the small apartment. With a shrug, she finally pushed herself to her feet, offering the others a quick, childish wave before stepping off, trusting that Conan would keep an eye on them for the time being.

As Ran proceeded to exit the room, Conan allowed his gaze to trail after her for a moment, before he finally turned his head to flash the girl sitting across from him a smile that was probably supposed to be considered 'innocent.' "What's wrong, Haibara? Don't you enjoy going to the park?"

Finally lifting her gaze to meet Conan's, Haibara Ai merely paused a moment, offering the young boy a quizzical look. It wasn't often that he spoke in such a way, for was it not true that he was well aware that such childish antics simply weren't her style? No answer was given, and instead she settled on watching him quietly.

He was up to something, and she knew it...

----------

Night had long since fallen, allowing darkness to spread thoroughly across all of Japan. The rain continued to fall with a ferocity matched only by the lightning and thunder which accompanied it. Despite these conditions, a grand majority of Beika was resting peacefully enough..

Most, save for two mischief-influenced teens, one of which was still stuck in the body of an eight-year-old.

"Ne, Conan-kun, are you awake?" The question was spoken quietly; almost hesitantly as Mouri Ran entered the main room, allowing a moment to take in the sight of the several futons laying across the floor, and again a smile touched her features. Watching children sleep was always a treat--they always seemed so peaceful... So naive and innocent; untainted by the world's many horrors. These children were special, though; they'd been through horror after horror, and still they remained considerably sane for their age.

"Hai, I'm awake.." Moments after Ran entered the room, Conan had pushed himself into a sitting position, instinctively reaching for the glasses that he had long since grown accustomed to. Due to the lack of drowsiness, it was obvious that he hadn't bothered going to sleep in the first place. The others, however, were another story; they were all obviously out cold, which was good.

Now they just had to trust that the children had as heavy sleeping habits as Ran herself did.

Finally managing to get to his feet, Conan wasted little time in stepping cautiously over to view where Haibara Ai lay sleeping. Watching her, a thin sort of smile crept to his features. Hopefully their actions would finally get the young girl to lighten up a bit.

....Hopefully she didn't kill him for it, either.

Pausing, he looked up just in time to catch sight of Ran lightly stepping in between the sleeping forms of the children, but for the moment one was missing from the floor--mainly because she seemed to be carrying him over. Ah, yes, one of the many joys of children--they were portable. Luckily they weren't light sleepers, either; Mitsuhiko seemed content enough as he was.

Shaking his head, Conan wasted no time in stepping back as Ran finally made her way over, kneeling down to place the small boy snugly beside the small girl in disguise. Once this was accomplished, she pushed herself to her feet once more, pausing to view her handiwork with content satisfaction. "You know, they're going to be so cute when they get older...."

Hah. If only she knew.

With a nervous chuckle, Conan merely nodded before turning to walk back to his own futon. He could certainly hope that Ai wouldn't kill him for their actions, but at the same time he felt a bit proud. He didn't want anyone's heart to be broken, so if worse came to worse he could always sit down and have a talk with her...

"Matte, Conan-kun..." He was forced to stop as Ran's voice echoed hesitantly, outlined only by the steady pounding of rain against the rooftop. After this she fell silent, almost seeming like a nervous child afraid to ask an important question. "..You're not afraid of the storm, are you..?"

Almost instantly he knew what was to come.

Another flash of lightning seemed to settle things, for Ran instantly stepped forward to scoop the small child in disguise into her arms, hugging him close. Sure, she could use the excuse of protecting him all she wanted, but we all know that Mouri Ran isn't the strongest person when it comes to thunder and lightning. "D-Don't worry; it's just a storm.. It'll.. It'll be over soon. You can sleep with me, ne?"

A nervous smile was flashed before she carried the flustered, fidgetting boy off to her room.


Ah, and there you have it. Another chapter down in record time by my standards... I'm actually having a bit of fun with this fic. And look--I finally got some ConanxRan moments in there as well. Gasp! It's not going to be a monotonous single-coupling fic!

Just a quick note--I usually end up using the Japanese terminology by habit, so just to clear things up here's a brief translation.

Arigatou- Thank you
Minna- Everyone
Hai- Yes

I'll try to get another chapter up as soon as possible. Until then, you just have to wait. ...And review, hopefully.