A/N: Hey ppl. Sry about me delaying the story. I had to work something out and I wanted to work a little bit on my book. No hard feelings right? Good. Well, here's the chap. Hope you enjoy it!

In Today's Case: Protecting Her

Tess was reading another book. What was there to do when you have a cast on your hand and you're on crutches? Nothing. Absolutely nothing to do. Just nothing. So she decided to read another one of her Mary Higgins Clark books that she started an hour ago and was almost down with.

Darien then entered the front door. He shook his jacket off with new freshly fallen snow. Tess looked back at him as she watched. She then turned and looked back at her book.

"Back already?" Tess asked. Darien had gone out to visit his mother's grave. She was surprised that he was here. He's usually there for a while.

"Yeah. It started to snow out there… and hard." Darien answered. Tess glanced out the window. It was snowing hard. It was like a snow storm out there.

"Maybe I should go save Jimmy from his little friends." Tess said grabbing onto one of her crutches placing it next to her. She folded the tip of the page she was on and then closed her book. She placed it onto the coffee table and stood up.

"No, I'll go." Darien said to her, "you relax." He added. Tess looked at him.

"I've been relaxing for an hour and I'm pretty muchsick of it." Tess stated to him walking over the coat hanger and putting on her leather jacket.

"Tess, yesterday with the high-jacking and everything, you reopened your stitches and had to get new ones." Darien pointed out to her. She looked at him and shrugged.

"So?" she asked. Darien sighed. He was never going to get through Tess. He walked over picking up his jacket and putting it on.

"Let's go." Darien said adding another sigh at the end. They walked out of the office and down the street.

Soon they came to the park where Amy, Mitch, George, and Conan played. Amy was building a snowman and the guys were having a one on one snowball fight. Tess handed Darien her crutch.

"Hold that." Tess demanded. Darien blinked as he took it. Tess bent down and made a snowball. She packed it in her hand and then threw it at the back of Conan's head. Conan went flying into the snow face first.

"HEY!" he turned and saw Tess standing there taking back her crutch from Darien. She walked through the snow and towards him. Mitch and George stopped and ran over to Tess.

"Hi there Tess!" Mitch greeted with a smile. Tess looked down at him and smiled back.

"Hey there Mitch." Tess replied his greeting.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking." Tess replied.

"Tess, I saw you on the news and how you saved your entire school!" George shouted opening his arms wide. Tess only smiled at him.

"Well, I wouldn't call it saving…" Tess's voice trailed off as she looked over at Amy who kind of glared at her.

"What do you mean? You saved everyone in your school." Mitch stated.

"You're a hero!" George shouted. Tess looked back at them and still only smiled. Darien blinked a few times at the boys who were all over Tess. He could instantly tellthat they liked her.

Conan crossed his arms. "What brings you here?" Conan asked her. Tess looked forward.

"I thought I would come and get you so we can go grab a bite to eat." Tess answered. Darien looked at Tess funny and blinked.

"But I thought you wanted to-…" Tess elbowed Darien hard in the chest. "Ouch!" Darien rubbed his chest as he looked at Tess.

"Where are we going?" Conan asked.

"I don't know. Anywhere you like I guess." Tess answered.

"Alright. See ya guys later." Conan said saying goodbye to Mitch and George.

"See you later Conan." they replied in unison.

"Bye Amy." Conan waved to her as he approached the gate of the park. Amy waved and she went back to building her snowman.

They walked on down the street. Conan rubbed the back of his head as it throbbed with pain. "Tess, do you know how much that hurt when you whipped that snowball at my head?" Conan asked her. Tess looked down at him.

"Oh, suck it up Jimmy. It couldn't have hurt that bad." Tess stated to him.

"Well it did." He paused. "When I get my body back I'm going to whip one at you."

"If I don't get you first." Tess said looking down at him.

"You guys won't be getting each other at all." Darien stated. Tess and Conan looked at him. "Because I'll get you all." He added. Tess and Conan lookedat each other and laughed.

"Yeah right! In you're dreams!" they laughed in unison. Darien pouted.

"Why do you not think that I can't get you?" Darien asked.

"Because you could never get me, but i dont know about him." Tess stated. Darien looked at her.

"Doesn't mean I can't get you now." Darien said to her. Tess nodded her head.

"Yes it does." Tess felt something buzz in her jacket pocket and then a ringing noise. Tess came to a halt as Conan and Darien stopped a long side of her. She took her cell phone out of her pocket and answered it. "Hello?"

Tess, where are you? It was Rachel.

"I'm with Darien and Conan. We're just a couple of blocks away from the park… why?"

Dad got another case.

"Really?"

Yeah, this time it isn't a murder case either.

"Was it a kidnapping?"

Nope.

"Then what kind of case is it?"

He's got to protect some little girl. Anyway, you need to get home so we can go meet Inspector Maguire at the crime scene.

"Okay, we'll take a cab."

Alright, bye Tess.

"Bye Rachel." Tess then hung up. Darien and Conan blinked a few times.

"What did Rachel want?" Conan asked.

"Richard got a case." Tess answered.

"What kind of case?" Darien asked. "We know it's not a kidnapping or murder."

"He's got to protect some little girl." Tess answered as she flagged down a cab. Darien and Conan looked at each other not trying to laugh. Once the cab came up to Tess; she got in with Conan and Darien following behind her. Darien shut the door. "Richard Moore's office please."

The cab driver started to drive. No one said anything else about the case Richard got. They were all trying not to laugh about it. The cab came to a stop and Tess paid the man and got out. He drove away as she hopped up the stairs into Richard's office.

"We're here." Tess said. Richard was walking around the place trying to find his keys.

"Good." Richard said now standing by his desk looking through his draws. "I need you too stay here and wait till I get back."

"Why do I have to stay?" Tess asked.

"Because you're hurt and we need room to bring the girl home." Rachel answered whileon her hands and knees looking on the floor.

"What are you looking for?" Darien asked.

"My keys." Richard stated. Tess sighed. She walked over to his desk and picked them up and hung them off of her pointer finger.

"Here." Tess said. Richard looked up at her and snatched them out of her hands.

"Shut up." Richard said. Tess shrugged her shoulders as she sat down onto the couch and picked up her book. She opened it and set her crutch on the floor in front of her.

"Um… I'll stay with Tess. You guys can go." Conan said taking off his boots and jacket.

"Are you sure Conan?" Rachel asked. Conan nodded his head. "Okay."

"Come on, let's go." Richard rushed Darien and Rachel out the door. Tessstarted toread her book as Conan sat across from her. He watched her as she turned the page.

"Have you been reading that all day?" Conan asked. Tess nodded her head.

"Yeah, Mary Higgins Clark is the only person who can write mysteries and keep me guessing at it. You should read one of her books." Tess answered.

"Did you finish that other one? I think it was called, No Place like Home." Conan said. Tess nodded her head turning the page again.

"Yeah, I finished that like… weeks ago." Tess answered. "You can read it if you want." Conan shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing better to do… where is it?" Conan asked. Tess looked up from her book and pointed at her bedroom door.

"In my room. On the nightstand next to my bed." Tess answered him. Conan walked into her room. He walked over to the nightstand and picked up the book. He the noticed something next to Tess's gun. It was a picture. He placed the book onto her bed as he picked up the picture. Conan looked at it.

'This must be her parents. Wow, Tess looks just like her mother. She could pass as her twin or something. I wonder if she's still determined to find Jack and Dojoma.' Conan thought. Conan placed the picture back where it was. He then picked up the book and walked out of her room shutting the door. "Hey… Tess?"

"Yeah?" Tess asked turning the page again and glancing up at him.

"Are you um… still determined to kill Jack and Dojoma?" Conan asked. Tess was about to turn the page when she stopped. She sighed deeply as she placed the book down onto her lap.

"I'm now more determined then ever," Tess answered.

"Why?" Conan then asked.

Tess look at him, "that's a stupid question. It's because he kidnapped you, killed Darien's mother, sent a psycho to stalk me, that psycho then kidnapped Darien; he took over my school and used Darien as a main hostage. And the number one thing that I'll never forget…" Tess paused, "he killed my parents and I'm not about to let him walk away with him knowing he killed them." Tess went back to her book.

Conan sighed as he walked to his room. He opened the door and shut it. He walked to the bed placing the book down onto it as he sat down. He stared atthe book thinking.

'She's now more determined then ever. I understand but… doesn't she get the hint that if she dies me, Rachel, Richard, and Darien are going to be hurting. I can't believe this. She's not even thinking about us.' Conan sighed.

Tess was watching Conan walk away. She looked at her book. She thenfolded the pageand closed the book. She then placed it onto the table.

'He's probably mad that I still want to kill Jack and Dojoma. Why wouldn't I? I mean… he killed my mother and father. I can't let him walk away. And plus, with him gone Conan will be safer and out of danger. But… what if I get killed? Oh well, either way, everyone's safer. With Jack and Dojoma out of this world they don't have to worry about them. And with me out of this world… they don't have to worry about me dropping by with another threat that I'm carrying on my back. They'll be safer with me gone anyway.'

&&&&

Richard pulled up to a little white house. They all got out of that car and entered the house. The first room they entered was the living room. Everywhere and every thing was covered in blood. Bloody hands prints laid on the floor showing that there was a sign of a struggle. But the one thing that disturbed them all… was the body. The body was a woman. Maybe in her late 20's early 30's. She was completely naked from head to toe. Her head faced the TV as it played some kind of weird show that they didn't pay any attention too. The woman's body was covered in slashes and bruise marks. It clearly showed that she was raped, and then murdered a brutal and slow death.

"Richard, you're here." Inspector Maguire said as he walked over. "I'm extremely glad that you came." He said as he held out his hand. Richard turned and looked at him as he shook his hand.

"I am too. Where's the girl?" Richard then asked.

"In the kitchen. She won't talk." Inspector Maguire answered.

"After seeing this murder… I don't think I would talk either." Darien stated.

"I don't blame her. Look at what she witnessed." Rachel said. Inspector Maguire nodded his head understanding them completely.

"I understand you." he said, "but there could be another reason why she isn't talking. Her life could be in danger and she decided not to say anything." He added.

"So you want me to take her back to my place?" Richard asked. Inspector Maguire nodded his head.

"Yes." He answered. "Because I know you and Tess would try everything you can to protect her."

"You mean… Tess right?" Darien asked. Richard turned his head and glared at him. He then looked back at Inspector Maguire.

"Well… we'll take her back now so she can meet Tess and Conan." Richard said.

"Where are they anyway?" Inspector Maguire asked Richard.

"They stayed home." Rachel answered. Inspector Maguire nodded his head.

"Come on out Christy." Inspector Maguire turned and looked at the kitchen doorway. Out came a little girl who looked only to be six years old. She had blonde short hair that touched the top of her shoulders. Her blue eyes were filled with fear and shock at what had happened. "Come here Christy." Inspector Maguire called to her waving his hand.

Christy looked at the body as she walked to him. She then looked away. Inspector Maguire placed his hand onto her head.

"Christy, this is Detective Richard Moore. He's going to be protecting you." Inspector Maguire explained to her. "And this is his daughter Rachel Moore and his daughter's friend Darien Rodgers."

Rachel got down to the girl's height. "Hi." She said. Christy took a step back away from Rachel. She blinked a few times. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'll tell you what. There's a girl at my house who is my cousin that will protect you very well. You'll like her."

Christy looked at Rachel. She then nodded her head.

"Why doesn't she speak?" Richard asked. Inspector Maguire sighed.

"She's going through a state of shock." He answered. Richard nodded his head. "It's okay Christy; they'll take good care of you."

&&&&

Tess had finished her book. She placed it onto the table as she sighed. Then the door behind her opened. She turned and looked to see Rachel, Richard, and Darien enter the room.

"Where's the girl?" Tess asked.

"Right here." Darien said as he stepped out of the way to reveal Christy to Tess. Rachel looked down at Christy.

"Christy. This is Tess. She'll take good care of you don't worry." Rachel said. Christ looked at Tess. Tess stood up getting onto her knees.

"Hi." Tess said with a smile. Christy walked up to Tess and engulfed her into a hug. She then began to cry as Conan emerged from his room.

"Don't let him hurt me… please…"

Next Time on Case Closed: "Don't worry about a thing. I won't let him hurt you." Tess has decided to protect Christy. But what about the murderer going after this little girl? Will Christy open up to her and tell her who it is or will she keep it locked up inside?

Next Time: Protecting Her, Part 2

Next Conan's Hint: Figure in the shadows