Disclaimer: For Christmas, I asked for the rights to Detective Conan. Unfortunately, even Santa couldn't get them from Gosho Aoyama, so it's still not mine.

Author's Notes: (runs from people) Aaaah!! Alright, alright, here! It's File 5! I'm sorry I didn't post this sooner…I wrote it twice, and both times I didn't like it at all. I deleted it both times and started fresh. Then I gave up on it for a while. Third time is a charm, I guess. Anyway, read and enjoy. I hope you like it!

Chapter Summary: Conan can finally call Ran to speak to her as Shinichi. But is it already too late for him to convince her that leaving Japan is not a good idea? Will their emotions bubble to the surface, or only serve to deaden the separation between them?


Star-Crossed Lovers
A Detective Conan Fanfiction

File 5: Calling Your Name


The walk to the pay phone was always one of the strangest and most variable things in the pretentious life of Edogawa Conan.

Sometimes the walk to the booth was happy and relaxed with the thought that soon he would be speaking with the girl who was in his heart. Other walks were full of anxiety and thoughts of what the girl would say this time; would Ran still hold the same degree of amiability towards the one who abandoned her? Many times, it was a slow, depressing road, only serving to remind him of the curse that fate had laid upon him.

This time was new. Conan wasn't entirely depressed, nor was his excited. Worry was there, but not in the way it had been on the other walks. On this occasion, the boy was simply lost in a sea of turbulent thoughts. After his earlier conversation with Heiji, Conan had only become more confused about the measures he needed to take to get through to Ran.

'If I push Ran too hard, knowing her stubbornness, she'll probably only resist more. I've gotta focus and be reasonable with her, and explain why I need her to find a way to call this off. But…I have to watch what I say. Let too much slip about the whole situation, and we're all going to be in deep shit.' He smiled innocently at an elderly couple walking by him on the street, presumably out to enjoy the late night air.

"Well, what's a young child like you walking around the street this late at night?" the woman asked. Conan blinked.

"Just walking around and thinking," he answered politely.

"Well, just be careful. You don't want to make your parents worry, do you?" she said, smiling. Conan shook his head and continued on his way by them with a quick farewell. The light of the phone booth was just a few meters away, shining with the hope that Kudo Shinichi could still salvage a future with Ran.

He slipped inside and shut the door behind him, standing to reach the black handle of the phone. He took a breath and rested his hand on the receiver.

'Okay…Kogoro wasn't drinking tonight, not yet, and it's too early for him to be in bed. But there was that Yokou Okino life special on television…when did that start? Must have been about 10 minutes ago; good. He probably won't even notice the phone ring,' he thought. Lifting his bow-tie voice modulator up to his face, he closed his eyes, letting himself focus in on the task he had to accomplish tonight. He lifted the receiver and placed his coins in, dialing the number almost by reflex. It rang.

'Alright…here we go,' he thought as there was a second ring, and then a third. Midway through the fourth ring, someone picked up.

"Moshi moshi, Mouri Detective Agency," Ran spoke breathlessly. Conan paused slightly, the replied.

"Hey Ran," he spoke in his real voice.

"…S-Shinichi?" she gasped. "Is that really you?"

"Yeah, it's me!" he said. "Sorry I haven't called in a while, but…well, you know, things are really busy here and-"

"You baka! Why the heck haven't you called me! I worry about you, you know? Months go by without you calling…sometimes I think that you've been hurt…"

"Relax," he laughed away her concerns. Conan found himself already slipping back into his old easygoing self, the mask he still put back on to speak with Ran, the mask to convince her that he hadn't changed. "The great Kudo Shinichi won't be hurt in the line of duty. I'm just too smart for something like that!"

"Yeah…" Ran said, subdued. "That sounds exactly like the stuck-up, mystery-loving baka that I know." There was a brief silence as both speakers searched for the words they wanted to say. Ran spoke first, "So…uh, how are you?"

"Me? Well, I'm doing okay, I guess. I'm starting to believe the guy who's keeping me on these cases isn't even human! Things are usually pretty hectic…I wanted to call more often, but between the multiple murders and the sheer incompetence of some of the guys I'm working with…it just slipped my mind. I mean-"

"Shinichi, stop it," Ran broke him off. "Is this what you called for? To tell me that you just are too busy for me? If that's the case, then I'm just going to"

"Ran, wait!" he pleaded desperately. She stopped, but the expectant pause let him know she was waiting to hear whatever excuse he came up with. "Listen…I didn't mean it like that. I just…I mean…listen, Ran." He took a shaky breath as his mind began racing. 'I can't say something like that again…if she gets angry, she won't hear me out.' "Conan called me the other day; he was in tears. I have to know…is what he said true? Are you really…leaving Japan?"

"Oh, really? That's right, because you haven't been here; I guess you never found out about my scholarship. I probably meant to tell you sooner, but I guess it must have…slipped my mind," she hissed. He gulped; Ran continued to speak with a higher sense of calmness in her voice. "Yeah…he wasn't lying or anything. I got a scholarship to study in England, and I'm going to be living there. The way I see it, I've got an internship already set up for me there…I can work my way through school and then I'll already have a secure job with room to move up in the ranks."

"Well, uh…congratulations, Ran. That's really great," he said, preparing for what his next words would be. "But…you know, I…listen, it would be…I think that…"

"Stop stuttering, Shinichi," Ran laughed. "I'm glad you're happy for me, but what's wrong now?"

"Um…I might not be as happy as you think, Ran," he said. Having no way to ask her gently, Conan shut his eyes and spoke short and simple.

"Please don't do it."

"What…? What do you mean?" Ran said quickly. Conan couldn't bring himself to open his eyes, shaking slightly as he prayed that the words he was about to say would somehow change Ran's plans.

"I…I don't think you should go…"

"You're…serious?" she said. "Shinichi…what the hell are you saying!? You don't want me to do this? I thought that you were-"

"Ran, please. If you leave Japan…I might not be able to catch up with you. When I come back, I wanted you to be there…"

"First off, that's if you ever come back," she interrupted hotly. "And if you really wanted to see me, why don't you just come to England? I mean, you've already shown that you don't care about leaving Japan yourself without a second thought. And they'll probably have mysteries there for you to solve when you get tired of me again."

"Ran, what…what are you saying?!" he shouted. "I promise that I'll…I mean, what do you mean by 'get tired of you'?"

"Shinichi, just listen. I went out today with Sonoko…and we talked. Shinichi, you've been gone for what seems like years, you almost never call, on the rare occasions I ever think you're somewhere around you always disappear before I get a chance to spend a solid hour with you. Sonoko was right, Shinichi. Getting away from Japan is probably the best thing I can do…it'll help me move on."

"Move on…no, Ran, it's not like that! I don't know what Sonoko meant, or what you girls talked about, but I really didn't mean to leave you…it's just that I got drawn into this situation and…I swear I'll find a way to come home Ran! I swear it! But you can't leave…you just can't."

"Shinichi…it's not just that. Listen. I really feel like this is a great opportunity for me…I think that if I go, it'll really help my future out. And besides-"

"Ran, just listen to me!" Conan hissed into the bow-tie, not even noticing that he was beginning to raise his voice. "You deserve every opportunity in the world to do this...it's just that, well…I'm afraid that if you leave Japan, I won't be able to…that is, when I get back I wouldn't-"

"Shinichi, you listen to me, please," Ran cut him off curtly. "I was at the mall with Sonoko today…and we got to talking. She thinks that…look, Shinichi. I know that you pride yourself in your abilities, your work. I know it's important to you. But…" There was a short pause, and then Ran spoke again, hints of frenzied emotion showing through her voice. "Sonoko and I talked, and…I don't think that I want to be with someone who refuses to make time for things other than what he does!"

The boy gasped silently; sweat slowly began to break out on his forehead. "Ran, what are you-" Ran only laughed softly in response, but she couldn't bring herself to find any shred of humor in the situation.

"It was odd, Shinichi…for the longest time, I really thought I was in love with you," she said wistfully. Conan's blood ran cold in shock. "I think that was why I was convinced that you really would come back someday. But every time…I usually never even see you..." Conan's mind was reeling. Was he really hearing this? Was it true? Ran's breathless explanation continued. "The one time you came back, I thought my prayers had been answered. We had dinner…it was like a dream, you know? But then, duty calls the great Kudo Shinichi back…again…" Tears were becoming apparent in her speech. "And…I'm left in the dust; again, again…I don't want to hurt, not anymore! I want to leave…so that I can forget my pain…"

Conan had pulled the bow-tie away from his mouth. He slowly slumped against the cool glass wall of the booth. He coughed slightly as tears threatened to spill from his eyes, which were clenched shut. 'So…this is it? She has given up…I can't believe it! She really said that she…and she…' He shoved against the wall and grabbed the bow-tie, forcing it against his face. "Ran, I…I want to come back! I swear I'm going to come back! I swear! But…"

"No, Shinichi. I have made my decision." She said it with soft finality. He could tell she meant it; he was good at reading people's voices to determine the secrets behind their words. It was invaluable in a criminal investigation, but why did he have to understand it now?

"You told m…you told Conan, last night, that you wanted to leave because you didn't think I thought you appreciated my working so hard…that I looked down on you because of my achievements, and you wanted to make a name for yourself…? But, Ran, that's…that's not true! I…always thought that. I didn't look down on you because of the differences in what we did. I don't want you to feel like you have to compare yourself to me!" There was a long silence. Then, Ran spoke again.

"Wait…I talked with Conan last night. But you said he called when he was still over with Agasa? Shinichi-"

Conan almost dropped the phone. He'd really done it this time. 'Dammit, damn you Kudo Shinichi! Didn't you say to yourself that you couldn't let your emotion get in the way?! Now look at this! You've gone and let something slip that doesn't fit in with your story…oh no, oh no…she's gonna figure it out…she's going to know…what can I do, I have to bluff it off, no other way! Please believe me, Ran…' He gritted his teeth before summoning a nervous laugh out of the depths of his throat. "Uh…heh heh, did I say he called when he was with Agasa? I…well, I mean…he told me he went over there yesterday, but he called while you were out. Today," he added quickly. "That's why he told me what went on between you two."

"…I see," Ran said. "Well…I have to admit, for a while I did feel that I couldn't compare with you. But…I don't want to make that the reason why I am going to England anymore. I'm going because of the reasons I stated on my application; I want a good education and a chance to see the world. And…I'm sorry, but I want to move past this. Please understand."

"Ran…" Conan gasped into the bow-tie, gripping it so tight that his knuckles were whitening. "Please…don't do this, Ran…I swear, I want to…I'll come back for you, only you!"

"Shinichi," Ran said, and he could almost hear her sad smile. "I really am sorry. But I can't call this off now. I think…I know how you feel. But it can't happen, not now, not this way. I'm going, and I'm sticking to that."

"No…Ran…"

"We're going into Tokyo to catch the international flight from the airport there. I really would appreciate it if you could come here to see me off. I really mean it, Shinichi. Please…I want you to be there."

"Ran…I don't know if I-" He was cut off by a sudden crash that came from outside the phone booth. Whirling around while still holding the phone, he peered outside in surprise.

The elderly couple he had seen walking before was back, but this time they seemed to be in quite a predicament. The two were backed up against the brick wall of a small alleyway. From his vantage point inside the booth, Conan could see a man confronting them, his face obscured by the shadows cast by the streetlights. What was visible, however, was the knife he was waving in the air like a madman as he shouted at the pair. A nearby trash bin had been knocked over—probably the cause of the crash he had heard.

Conan wasn't sure if the man had some sort of assignment in confronting the old man and woman, or if he was just some petty thief with a complete lack of morality. He did know, however, that if the man had seen him, he would have been up against the wall as well, being threatened with the knife. He quickly realized that the man was no professional if he really hadn't bothered to look around the area before he made his move. He also knew that if he didn't do something, this situation could turn violent, and possibly deadly. He gave a hiss of frustration and lifted the phone back to his mouth.

'Why now, of all times?' he cursed fate silently. He began to speak quickly. "Listen Ran, there's a problem here. I swear I'll be right back, just give me a minute." He quickly dropped the phone and silently slid the door of the booth open, simultaneously lifting up his left arm and activating the small crosshair on his watch. The seemingly innocent timepiece was another gadget entrusted to him by Agasa and would fire small darts that could knock out the target. Conan smiled. He'd knock out the wannabe-punk in seconds flat. The voices from the argument reached him now that the door was partway open.

"-I'll tell you again, we have nothing to give you! Now leave us alone!" the old man was shouting hoarsely.

"Shut up! I know you've got something, you have something! Watches, rings, money, I don't care! You have something that is worth something! Give me all of it now before I have to hurt you!" the thief spat in a voice that suggested he was actually quite young.

'It always disgusts me to see how low these crooks are,' Conan thought as he aligned his scope with the back of the young thief's neck. 'Some world we live in…Oh well, no one is coming to harm tonight, not in front of me. Nighty-night!' He depressed the trigger switch. There was an audible click from inside the watch. Nothing happened. Conan slowly brought his arm up to stare at the piece.

'No…!' he gasped mentally. 'Is it…jammed somehow? But I thought Agasa told me it wouldn't…dammit! Why did you have to fail now?' Looking up, he noticed a crushed can of soda, presumably originating from the overturned trash container. Without a second thought, he flung the door wide-open, startling both the thief and the aged couple. He darted out, bending down and twisting a knob on his sneaker. As the energy gathered in yet another of Agasa's legacies, he straightened his body, bringing the foot back and aligning himself with his target. His foot connected with the can just as the mugger raised his weapon in surprise. The can hurtled forward, years of soccer expertise combining with technological prowess to create terrifying force. The can impacted the man's chin with a loud crack and sent him flying off his feet, unconscious before he even hit the ground several feet away. Blood trickled from a jagged cut along his cheek as he moaned once, then lay still. Conan grinned.

'Well, that's that. I'll check out the old couple later, right now I need to-!'

"Young boy…that was amazing! How on earth did you learn to do such a thing?" the woman asked him as the man walked over to inspect the comatose would-be mugger. Conan grinned sheepishly.

"It's…just some trick I know, but I didn't know if it would work. Uh, heh heh, guess I was just lucky!" he said innocently.

"Luck, nothing!" the man laughed heartily. "This punk is down for the count! It took a lot more than luck to knock him out! That was some amazing talent!"

"Well…thanks!" he said. "If you are okay, I have an important phone call I need to finish…" He started stepping back towards the phone booth.

"Nonsense! A young person like you doesn't need the responsibility of having important phone calls. We'll call the police now and then you can finish your business later."

Conan was inwardly fuming as the couple fussed over him. He could barely believe this. Now he was wasting more time trying to weasel away from the gratitude of this couple. He felt a little bad for breaking away from them, but Ran was the important thing here. He jumped back inside the phone booth and snatched up the receiver as the couple stared at him from the street.

It was dead, he quickly realized.

She had hung up.

He blinked once in surprise, then again in calculation. It had taken him a good two minutes overall to knock out the mugger and get away from the old couple's praise. And she had hung up; even after he told her he'd be right back. Digging in his pocket, he produced more change and quickly inserted it, dialing the number as he did so. It rung three times before there was an answer.

"Moshi moshi, Mou-"

"Ran, I'm sorry!" he shouted before she finished. "There was something I needed to do really quick, and-"

"I should have known," she sighed. "It's just like what you've always done. You always run off with 'something to do'. Then you come back later and apologize, you say you'll be back, you always say you will come back! But…not anymore, Shinichi. I don't want to hurt anymore. I guess you won't come tomorrow after all, so…goodbye, Kudo Shinichi. Good luck with your difficult case." The last words were a tortured cry, and then a loud slam.

She hung up on him. Again.

'No…this isn't happening! Ran…Ran! Don't do this to me…I swear, please, I don't mean to…please, please, please don't do this to me…' he thought frantically as he rummaged for more change. He inserted the coins quickly and dialed the number, almost missing several of the numbers in his haste. He gripped the phone breathlessly as it rang once…twice…again and again…

There was no answer.

He realized what was happening. She wouldn't even answer anymore, trying to escape the pain he caused her. But…he had to tell her. She had to know, from his mouth, how he really felt! He jammed on the coin return lever. It jammed defiantly. Swearing loudly, he reached in his pocket for more coins.

Nothing there, either. He had run out of change.

And then the finality hit him. It was over. Ran was leaving. He was alone.

He had failed. He had failed.

Conan dropped to his knees, tears running silently down his face. It was too hard for him to believe. He couldn't accept it. He wouldn't be able to accept it.

No. He had to accept it; it was, after all, the truth. It was all over.

And he screamed. He screamed in rage, and fear, and sadness, and loneliness for what seemed like an eternity to him. But eternity could never be long enough…because as soon as his emotions and his strength left, the cold, hard truth was still there.

"There is only one truth," he had always said. He believed in truth, advocated it, and protected it. So why did the truth have to hurt so damn much?!

--

When thepolicecruiser arrived later with flashing sirens, the lone officer found an unconscious young man and a distraught elderly couple who spoke of a young boy who had heroically stepped forward to save them. The grunt officer looked around, but there was no sign of the gallant young boy.

There was no sign of the boy who had lost his soul.


Author's Notes: I finally am happy with this chapter. Yep! And it's getting darker…more angst…I'm considering changing it to Drama/Angst because I can…plus Tragedy maybe doesn't fit it so well. Suggestions?

Anyway, I've finally got the story planned out to a degree where I can see where I want to go with it. If things don't change, there will be three more chapters and an epilogue. I know basically what I want to have happen in each chapter, so it's just a matter of sitting down and writing it. Reviews with suggestions or ideas would still be appreciated.

Thanks to Firestorm2004 for beta-reading this on such short notice. Ember, sorry, but I couldn't e-mail it to you seeing as my e-mail is frigging DOWN. Apologies? Forgiveness? Want to kill me?

I was listening to So Alone, Be Sorrow from Star Ocean 3: Till the End of Time the entire time I wrote this chapter. It's a moving piano piece that helped me find the mood. Listen to it, it's not bad. You could listen to it while reading the chapter for the whole 'inspiration effect'.

As for updating, it might be a little bit longer between them. That's because I'm planning to post Files 6 and 7 around the same time, the File 8 and the epilogue at the same time. That is, if the chapter count stays the same as I've planned. So forgive me in advance.

Now, reviewer response!

Silver Sky Magician—He spoke to her using the phone in this chapter, it didn't work. What to do next? Wait and see… (looks down at next file's preview)
Firestorm2004—Finals ended…but I couldn't get past this chapter. I'm finally happy with it now and hope you all like it. Even thought its horrible angst and Conan-torture and all that jazz.
YumeTakato—Multiple endings, eh? I dunno…it could work, but I don't know if I could make the endings different enough. But anyway, I think I know what I want to happen. But it's always a possibility. I could just do an omake. Or several
Cat—Wow. Glad you really really like it. I try to update as much as I can, but writing is a chore too you know…it's hard for me to write seriousness and like it. I used to just write random humor: easy to do but not really good. So I'm glad my attempts at doing drama are appreciated!
Inu-youkai 911—Thanks for putting it on your favorite list! It means a lot to me. I will update as soon as possible again, but there are always unexpected consequences. Like my class load. And my always being tired. I really appreciate you readers who take time to review. It means the world to me.

(Looks at list) That's barely anything! More reviews, dammit!

For all of those who read this and want it updated faster, let me put it this way: I love reviews. I love them so much. Reviews are what tell me my story is loved. Reviews are what decide how I budget my time between writing this, playing Star Ocean, and bothering to do my work for classes. A large amount of reviews when I check my account will make me say "Geez, Meitantei. These people all want to read your story. You'd better get off your ass and write more instead of spending time playing games or reading other fanfics!" Hell, I wouldn't mind skipping class with the excuse of writing fanfics…wonder if that is a valid excuse for missing English 101 because I was writing freelance…

Now that the shameless plea is over, some seriousness. Please. Review. I really want advice, thoughts, and critiques, or anything else you give me. It does mean the world to me to let me know I'm now just doing this for nothing. And finally…

Next Time! His last plan failed, and Ran is leaving Japan in a few short hours. Is a desperate Conan ready to give up everything so that he can have the one thing that matters to him the most? Can anything really make a difference now? One truth prevails in Star-Crossed Lovers File 6: Coming Clean!