The End to all Endings Chapter 2: Graves and Stones, a detective conan/case closed fanfic

This is chapter 2, thank you to all those who reviewed.

CHAPTER 2

Ran Mouri was dead.

That was what it said on her tombstone, the bold names chipped in clearly. Shinichi was choking back tears just by looking at it, his hands balled up into fists. He remembered staying awake all night, glancing at the empty space by his side on the bed, almost expecting to see her smiling face once more.

Kogoro had his arms around a sobbing Eri, his eyes shut as he looked down at the ground.

How much did the two of them hate him for not being able to save her? How much would they hate him if they found out he had saved another woman instead of their child? His childhood friend? His wife?

It was an empty casket, the police claimed that couldn't find her body anywhere, but Shinichi had the sneaking suspicion that they had indeed found it, just that her body was too mangled up to be actually seen by anyone.

The sky was dark, ready to pour down with rain.

This was not how he wanted her to die.

He wanted her to die by his side, smiling like she always was, in his arms.

He wanted to die with her, and her with him.

" I love you, Ran." he whispered to himself.

Heiji seemed to notice him stand alone, and started to walk over to him when Kazuha stopped him just in time. He looked at her, puzzled, when the look in her eyes told him anything. He stopped moving, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. ' How much pain is he going through?' Heiji thought to himself, as he watched Sonoko sob hysterically into her boy-friend's chest.

Ran was dead.

What a thing to happen.

He noticed the professor walking in his direction and nodded at him.

" Where's Miyano-san?" he whispered softly.

The professor bit his lip. " She's terribly ill." he said. " You don't want to know how she took the news."

Heiji looked at the back of Shinichi, which looked more alone than he had ever seen.

" Did Shinichi try to console her?" Kazhua asked.

The professor looked wooden all of a sudden. " I don't want to talk about that."

And they did not prod further into the question.

It was hours later when the mourners slowly left one by one, and only the professor, Sonoko and Makoto, Eri and Kogoro, Heiji and Kazuha and last of all Shinichi were left. Heiji nudged Kazuha in the ribs. " Let's go." he whispered silently. Kazuha bit her lip. Taking one last look at her best friend's grave she turned and walked away. The professor followed the two of them, afterwards with Sonoko and Makoto.

" Oi, boy." Kogoro called out, and Shinichi turned around.

It shocked Eri on how much pain there was in his eyes, and all of a sudden it seemed like he loved Ran more than she loved her own child.

" Thanks for being with Ran before she died." he whispered.

His hand raised out, ready to give him a hand shake.

Shinichi bit his lip, tears ready to spill once more when he grabbed Kogoro into a hug. Kogoro seemed shocked at first, but shut his eyes, patting his back. " I know." he whispered. " I feel it too."

And there they stayed.

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Gin dropped the spoon that was in his hand.

Vodka blinked, rushing to get it for him, when he took it himself.

" What's wrong, boss?" he asked.

Gin looked around at the corners of his jail cell. " Sherry's in pain." he whispered.

Vodka blinked. " How do you know?" he asked.

But Gin didn't answer.

And as the minutes clocked by, Vodka got the sneaking feeling that he never would.

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Everybody left.

Parents, friends, teachers. . .

One morner remained.

By the name of Kudo Shinichi.

He was kneeling in the direction of her grave, chewing on his bottom lip, which was already swollen. " I love you, Ran." he said. " How many times would I have to say that in order for you to say that back to me in my dreams?"

There was no answer.

There were drops of rain that had started to splatter down onto earth, onto his brand new clothes. He smiled sadly and got to his feet.

" Hey, remember when we were kids?" he asked to nobody in particular. " You told me that you wanted to be married in a castle, and your prince in armour would be right there by your side."

He licked his dry lips.

" Is that implying me?"

Again there was no answer.

" Are you angry at me for saving Shiho, Ran?" he whispered.

There was a clap of thunder, followed by the tremendous pour of rain. He smiled bitterly.

" I guess you are." he said.

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The professor decided to drop by Shiho's apartment, just to see if she was alright.

" Ai-kun?" he called out.

There was no answer.

It was then when he noticed that they keys on the table where she always kept them was missing.

His eyes widened.

" Ai-kun. . ." he whispered, looking out the window at the dark sky.

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Shinichi kept standing there for God knows how long, continuously looking at the tombstone until he heard soft footsteps behind him.

There stood Shiho, dressed totally in black.

Tha air was cold, but was nowhere near to the look Shiho had on her face.

All signs of Haibara's character had disappeared. Haibara smiled once in a while, showing signs of affection from time to time. But she was gone now, and Shiho Miyano was in her place. The woman with no signs of emotions.

" Shiho. . ." he whispered, but she barely looked at him, dropping the roses she had in her hands before Ran's grave. He bit his lip as he watched her slowly unclip the necklace from her neck and place it under the roses she brought.

There was silence after that, where she spent a moment praying to her.

" That belonged to my sister." she whispered, answering a question that was not asked.

He couldn't tell what he wanted to do to her at the moment. If it was Haibara he would have hugged her, and she might have returned it. But Shiho woudl just brush him away, or just simply shatter like glass. There was such guiltiness in his heart as he watched her stand there. She was no unnaturally strong yet fragile, the way her tears fell from her face as she too watched Ran fall from the cliff. He didn't know why he had vented his anger on her in the first place.

" I'm sorry." he whispered.

She didn't answer.

He was about to speak when she cut in.

" We were friends for many years." she said softly. " I even had a cursh on you for a certain period of time."

His eyes widened.

She turned, eyes filled with tears.

The dam had burst.

" I prayed every night for your and Ran's happiness." she said. " I wanted the two of you to be happy, to be happy and raise a family together. Hell, I almost cursed at you for choosing me over her when she fell off the cliff."

A clap of thunder sounded the sky.

" But I thanked you for saving me. You were the best friend I ever had, and she was my lost sister who was found again."

He was begging her to stop talking, but he was forcing her to continue.

" I HATE YOU!"

" I can't beleive that I spend all my research money to buy you an engagement present." she said, forcing the words out of her mouth.

" WHY DID I SAVE YOU?"

" I can't beleive that I had split a huge wound in my back to prevent the bullet from shooting Ran."

Shinichi felt a pang of guilt at that. He still remembered that he had not thanked her for that yet. It was years later now, and he still had not thanked her for it. His tears just fell from his face at the sight of her cut hands which he had caused. He did not even want to see what other damage he had inflicted on her.

Whatever was physical. . .

How bad did he hurt her internally?

" Do you know what I was thinking when I saved Ran from Gin?" Shiho cried out, all cool disappearing into the air around her. " I was thinking what look you would have on your face if I came back alive without Ran."

The rain continued to fall, soaking the both of them through their clothes.

" And at that moment I didn't care if I died or not; all I wanted was for you and Ran to be together and be happy."

" WHY DIDN'T I SAVE HER?"

" And I can't beleive that all I am to you is a wrong choice."