Rules are rules, but . . .
by SoulsFire (PulsingSoul)
Part 6
Rule Nr. 6
You only take orders from one member, yours will be appointed to you.
Dream sequence : He was there, his gun pointed at her, her body numb with fear, and yet she felt more calm than she had ever felt. And then she had heard him, had seen when he rushed in front of the bullet destined to her, saw the blood rushing from his heart, and she did not care anymore, not about her life . . .
End
Ai, Ai wake up! "
His voice managed to drift through the fog which surrounded her brain, her eyes slowly opening, seeing a very concerned pair of other eyes in front of her. Conan seemed pale, very pale, and more so . . . concerned. Why did she suddenly have the desire to reach out and caress his cheek, tell him that everything was alright? Why was he so concerned anyway?
,You alright?" His voice had now lost that frantic tone, now he was relieved, had he been truly worried for her?
Her tongue darted over her dry lips, her eyes locking onto his, making him gulp once he realized how truly gorgeous she was. Even now, sweat clinging to her body, almost-tears sparkling in her eyes, her hair tangled from her disturbed sleep . . . he then saw it in her eyes, saw the small glimmer of fear.
,I´m ... " she could not even finish her statement, because she was instantly hugged close to him, her body crushed to his, her mind looking for reasons as to why this was happening in the first place .
... only one member...
Yes, that was why this happened. Because he was a shadow which loomed over her, ever since she had entered that maddening cycle. Tears spilled from her eyes, onto his shirt, her head resting in the crook of his neck. There was no need to pretend with him. No self defense mechanism, no walls, no curtains, no, with him she could cry and smile, it would not be her downfall. It would not be her downfall to enjoy only this one thing in life, now would it?
,What did you dream?" his voice was calm, now that he knew she was in safety. He needed to know that, ever since he heard her scream, he had immediately shaken her, before anyone else woke up, and he was silently congratulating himself on making the Prof. sleep in the same tent as Ayumi, and not Ai.
,Shinichi ... does it matter? "
Her voice was eerie, a tone of resignation in it, and yet you could hear the small aspiration to hope. He looked at her, his eyes questioning, and for the first time he realized she was just as strong as she was weak, and this was her way to make the last doubt disappear.
,Yes, it matters Shiho. It matters to me at least, but to so
many more as well."
She smiled sweetly, all tension leaving her body, for the first time being able to remember without the pain or regret. She always thought to be a person whose life was based on logic and reason, but once it came down to it, emotions dictated her life.
It is not logic which tells you to build up walls to survive, it´s fear. It is not reason which tells you to cry and shut up, just so another can live, that´s family love.
And lastly, it was neither of them who made her open up to him, that was l . . . no, no, no, it could not be that!
Looking up at him she searched his eyes, making him wonder just what was going on in that pretty little head of hers, when she pushed him back, running out of the tent as he was still trying to get off the forest floor.
Immediately he ran after her, instinct guiding him through the darkness. He saw only bits of her, her cherry blond hair, her cream shirt, her leg, her arm. She was dodging trees, running around them, only in socks just like him, and she tripped and fell, he was so close to touch her, when she turned around and looked at him with . . . fear.
This was different. He had seen her with fear in her eyes the time he had first sworn to protect her, he had seen her fear when she did not know whether to trust him or not, but this, this was . . . something close to terror.
He stopped. Stopped dead in his tracks. Looked down at himself, noticed his torn clothes, felt his feet bleeding, his lungs burning because of the run, and he could not touch her, and so she took that chance and ran...
She was afraid of him. Not even before, when she treated him with her cold superiority, did she fear him, and now . . .
No, damn it! He had sworn to protect her, and he would not go back from that! Never!
,AI! AI! Damn it, HAIBARA!"
His shout reached out for miles, the desperateness of it reaching her very heart, and it made her stop . She had a heart, and for the first time it was not beating just because of a duty, or because of a self-sacrificing wish, no, this time it was beating for a very selfish reason, well that, and the run.
It was beating because she needed him, it was beating because she wanted him, it was beating, because more than anything else, she loved him. But that would never do. It could never do. How could she stay with him, see how someday he would go to Ran, choose her, smile with her, laugh with her . . . he would love another, as he already did. And that would brake her.
But, she could do that, even if it hurt, could n´t she? Could she not stay by his side, be happy when he was happy? Be his friend, his confident, the one he would come to when he needed more than Ran? Or, even just an acquaintance? She had lived through that Organization, she could live through that as well.
,AI!" Would he be as worried for Mouri as he was for her?
,Seems someone is very desperate for you . . . Sherry".
No, it could not be, it should not be, it had been a dream, her heart was hammering wildly, every function of her body paralyzed because of the fear. Truly, this was not a very good time to realize she loved Kudo. She seemed to have lost something very important in the process, besides her heart that is, her ability to sense them.
Turning around she saw him, saw the gun he pointed at her, the cold steel touching her chest reminding her of how real this was.
,Jealous Gin? " She answered mockingly.
He heard it, heard the voice in which she said it, and he knew for a fact, only Gin would take a walk in the woods in the middle of nowhere at this very time of night, of course in the same area as the two of. . . no, he knew nothing of two, to them he, Shinichi Kudo, was clinically dead, only Shiho Myano had survived.
There was a chance to get her out of here, to get her to be safe. And he was going to make it not only a chance, but reality.
Walking near the cave´s entrance, he saw Gin standing in it, his face partially hidden by the shadows, Ai standing right in front of him, only her back to him. There was only one way, paralyze Gin and then they could both get out of here.
Which is exactly what he did.
,Ai run! " His voice echoed through the cave, her hand suddenly in his and then he was on the floor, clutching his waist, her head swimming not understanding until she saw the blood.
No, her dream . . . She went in his direction, not willing to leave him, ever, but ...
,Run! " He yelled at her, his eyes boring into hers, making her go, making her leave, even though this was not an order given
by Gin . . . it was an order given by the man she loved, a man who now stood the chance to die for her, and yet, it was an order, she obeyed . . .
