People who do not know Shiho's sister's name, her name is Miyano Akemi. She will play a big part in this fiction. You probably did not expect me to start on about Shuichi, but later, I will link the three parts together (one about Conan and Ran and another about Shuichi and Akemi, and another about Shuichi and Ai)… you'll see.

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The Past Returns

Every worker was surprised at the "little" girl that came in. Carrying a little backpack, and with a look of experience and maturity in the young face, Haibara Ai went into the café on that snowy day. The only person in the store who did not look up is a man all dressed in black. And he is the only one who actually comes to a café in such a horrible weather. Ai observed that person with the nonchalance attitude, and made sure that he was not from the Black Organization.

The waiter comes and asked her if she wanted some hot chocolate. Ai did not bother to look up and told the waiter that she would like some pure coffee, without any milk or sugar. When Ai said this, the man suddenly looked up at Ai and stared at her in amazement and alertness. His indifference disappeared and seemed so alarmed at that "cup of pure coffee."

"Akemi, is that…you?" whispered the man in fear.

* * * * *

It was a few years ago on that also snowy day in the same building, same café. Shuichi, a FBI member not dressed in the mysterious black what everyone imagines, but dressed in a normal blue shirt and khaki pants. He was sent there to investigate about the Black Organization. The café was reported to be a place where the members meet. He has suspected that the meetings were help upstairs while the café downstairs keep the many people coming in and going out untraceable.

As Shuichi was reading the newspaper, the door opened and a breeze of snow blew in. He looked up to see a blond hair girl with large circle glass and cute freckles dressed in a high school uniform came in carrying a school backpack. Shuichi thought that she could not be someone in the Black Organization, but dismissed the idea since everyone is a suspect. The FBI did not send him if it did not think he was the best officer it had. Usually, Jodie, his partner, would also be with him; but less people means less suspicion, and this is an intense case. Anyway, he was there to do is just observe the café and the people who go in and out and etcetera. The FBI is not really going to do much action until everything is confirmed.

"A cup of pure coffee without any milk or sugar." said a feminine voice.

Shuichi looked around and saw the blond girl. Immediately, he was already suspecting. Girls her age cannot stand the bitterness of the pure coffee. She was probably some woman in disguise as a high-school student. But inevitably, she is at the most twenty from what Shuichi could determine after chasing people in disguises from six years. Well, he did became famous for being the youngest police officer (and the best police officer) in America at the age of 15, and the FBI invited him. He was already 21 years old that year when he went into the café and saw Miyano Akemi.

After mental notes about the people who came, he went to pay for his coffee (which he also likes pure) and dump it out. He was too busy to see where he was going when he was thinking about the suspects and came into another person who also was not looking. Shuichi, who still has almost a full cup of coffee left, dumped the whole cup on Miyano Akemi's clothes, leaving a big, dark stain on her uniform.

"I am sorry, Miss." said Shuichi quickly, wiping off the coffee for her with the napkins he had.

"No, no. Just thinking too much about my school exams to notice where I was going. Anyway, I'm sure that I could buy another school uniform." said the girl. "Why, mister, I have never seen you in this coffee shop before. Is this your first time here?"

"Yes. You see, I just bought a newspaper and wanted to read it in a quiet place when the snow started to fall. And I was just walking past this café."

"Oh, I see. You see, I love to come to this café where I hardly recognize anyone so I can study for tests. I was having some problems about math. Could you help me?" asked the girl politely.

Shuichi would definitely refused if Jodie asked him. But of course, Jodie never does need help from him. He would have refused too. But because it would be very suspicious if he did not, he just said that he was very happy to. So there they were, talking about this math problem and that. But Shuichi forgot how they started to talk about pure coffee, how it is better than coffee with a lot of sugar and milk, how the bitterness is welcoming. Then, they started to talk about how they both despise the sugary sodas, and then to how they both would like everything the hard way. As you would have guessed, Akemi knew how to do the math problem, but she had to get close to him, the newcomer to make sure he was not some kind of spy. Akemi convinced herself that such a nice person could not be a spy.

They knew that they did not ask for the other's name, but they do not want to. Shuichi was afraid that if he did know her name, he would research it on the FBI database and find her one of the Black Organization's members. Then this girl, who probably was tricked by the Organization, would forever have a name with crime that cannot be erased. And Akemi knew that if she knew his name and the Black Organization find his name one of the members of the FBI, the Black Organization's next target would be him. She did not want him to be like one of the people she had seen Gin kill, and she would be more afraid that one day, she had to kill him. But they were even more afraid, that if the other knew his/her name and find out where each other is from, then they could never have any precious time like this again.

* * * * *

"Akemi, you have to leave the Black Organization." pleaded Shuichi. "Come with me. I'll leave the FBI also. We could be happy with our peaceful lives and don't have to be cautious every time we meet like we are wrong by falling in love."

"No, Shuichi. You don't understand. I cannot leave the organization." said Akemi, with tears. "You don't understand. I want to go with you, but many things are out of our control."

"What do you mean? Why can't you leave?" asked Shuichi.

No matter how intense the conversation got, they had to remain quiet. They do not know who is spying on them, from the Black Organization, or from the FBI.

"I never told you before, but I have to now." Akemi took a deep breath and suppressed her sobs. "I have a younger sister in the Organization. I don't know what will happen to her if I leave."

"What! A sister? Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"What is there to tell? Whose fault is it that she is in the organization? Isn't it mine? Didn't I agree to be in the Organization, even though I knew their actions?" Akemi broke into cries again on Shuichi's shoulder.

"No, it's not your fault. You had to, to save both you and your sister's life. You did not have any choice." comforted Shuichi.

"If there is one thing I have to do, is not to escape, but get my sister Miyano Shiho out of there. I know that the Organization will not do anything to her because she is the Organization's brain. You don't know how smart she is, and how many deadly poisons she could make that kills people in a second without leaving any traces of the poison. If she stays there, there's not a chance that someone will come to rescue her. How many people like you do I meet in a lifetime? If you rescue me and take me away, I have to take my sister away from the Organization."

* * * * *

Tears rolled down Shuichi's face as he stared at Haibara Ai, or Miyano Shiho, or the sister of Miyano Akemi, who Akemi died for. There was a deep fire of hatred in Shuichi's heart because it was she, who Akemi died for. It was she, who Akemi would not leave the Organization for. It was she, who made him suffer these eight years without Akemi, each day like a living hell. But he still remembered Akemi's line word by word: "If there is one thing I have to do, is not to escape, but get my sister Miyano Shiho out of there." He already knew that Miyano Shiho became Haibara Ai, and in the beginning, he spied on her to make sure she was all right. After seeing Kudo Shinichi as Edogawa Conan protecting her, he thought she would be fine, and went to suffer. And now, there Shiho was, and…she looked so much like Akemi.

He knew that he had to protect her, because she was alone without protection and because that is Akemi's last wish.

* * * * *

A dry, maniacal, cold, making-your-blood-cold laugh. "I can't believe how Kudo Shinichi fell for that trick. He actually believes that Eri sent that letter and the photos. Step one is easier than I thought. After the separation between Ran and the detective, we can capture the lady without fearing the man interfering and use the lady to threaten the man. Kudo Shinichi is not as smart as you have thought, Gin."

"He's tougher than you think, Vermouth, or he would not have the ability to stay hidden from the Organization for seven years as Edogawa Conan."

"Oh Gin… You just won't admit that you are wrong." replied the cold voice. Vermouth was tilting the chair she was sitting on, and observed Gin, standing on the dust on the floor of the dark warehouse.

"How is it with Sherry? Did you find her?"

"We suspect that she is going where her sister once went." replied Vermouth.

"That damn Shuichi! If he was there, then Akemi wouldn't leave!" cursed Gin.

"Why do you care about her so much. I mean Akemi." asked Vermouth.

"Don't get me wrong. If she didn't leave, then we wouldn't be so worried right now on how quick Sherry could developed the antidote. I know she left the detective, but I'm sure she is still working on the antidote. But if our plan works out correctly, Sherry would stay out of this until after we have finished the detective and that lady. Then finishing their families won't be so hard."

"Yes. The next step: the kidnap of the poor fair lady from her black knight." Another dry, maniacal, cold, making-your-blood-cold laugh.

* * * * *

Ran was getting worried. It has been half an year before Shinichi called her. What if something happened to him? She dismissed all her worries and finally had the courage to call him. One beep. Two beeps. Three beeps. Four beeps. Someone picked up.

"Hello?" It was Shinichi's voice. He was all right and he still did not call.

"Are you trying to forget me or what! Not calling for so long!" shouted Ran. She thought it was going to be another of those teasing conversations and the long bickering that she actually enjoyed. But Ran did not know that Shinichi was just what she said, "trying to forget her."

"Well, you do have to live in with your life, right? There's no point just waiting there for me when you should be having the fun with someone else that you love." Ran was frightened. This was not one of the fun conversations. This was dead serious. Shinichi changed so that in his voice, Ran could tell how he changed; but she could not tell how he had changed.

"Shinichi? Are you all right?" asked Ran.

"Why am I not all right?" Shinichi gripped himself. He knew that some day, this would happen, and why not let it happen now? "After you have totally abandoned the thought of waiting for me, after you flirted with Araide, after you have totally betrayed me."

"What! Shinichi, no, don't be mistaken. That day in the park-"

"Yes, that day in the park, he held you and you looked into his eyes and he looked into yours. Yes, a fantasy of a happy fairy tale ending, when the princess lived happily ever after with her prince while her former friend was shunned away." Shinichi stopped, and he could hear Ran sobbing and the drops of tears dripping on the table. He could see her eyes, sparkling, and hurt. He could feel both of the pain in their hearts. But he had to do this. Eri was right; he was just stopping Ran from living a happy life with Araide. She already fell for him; yes, she already did.

"Shinichi, I can't believe you would say this to me. Let's say that we have never met and talked after you deserted me at Tropical Island, because I don't want the memories from our childhood to be ruined." With this, the phone was slammed back, and Ran ran back into her room to cry on the pillow. Shinichi also cried, but without any noise at all; the tears just fell. He did not have enough heart left to sob. And as he looked outside, the world was filled with white flakes coming down. That day was a somber day.

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I got an idea long ago that Akemi and Shuichi fell in love, and that is how Akemi decided to want to leave the Black Organization. I decided to combine the two ideas, or Ran finally deciding to go on, and the Akemi idea into one. There are two big twists in this chapter, I know. One is that Eri did not send the letter but Vermouth did, contrary to what others thought how odd it is that Eri would be that mean. Another twist is that the Akemi/Shuichi story. Something that no one would except. And therefore, Shuichi's "past returns." And a hint to what is coming up, the past maybe replayed.