Sorry this is so short, I've been very busy this week and this is the best I could do. I'll try to have a longer chapter next week.

I don't own anything from Detective Conan.

The next morning Ran was a little quieter than usual, she said it was nothing, she just hadn't slept well. Conan tried to fuss over her after breakfast but she shooed him away.

"Don't worry, I just had a restless night. Why don't you and Arthur go to the park, I'll pick you up there in time for lunch." She smiled at him 'He looks so cute with that worried look on his face.' "Go on, I'm sure your friends are already there."

"Okay Ran-neechan."

Although he still looked a little worried about her he allowed Arthur to drag him out the door.

After the boys were gone she started to clean up the kitchen but she found it hard to keep her mind on what she was doing. 'What a strange dream,' she thought, 'Why would Arthur talk about being trapped? When he said Kudo was he talking about Shinichi? Was it even a dream? Don't be silly Ran,' She told herself. 'They've both mentioned their parents so their father must be alive. Surely Dr Agasa would have said something, wouldn't he? Unless, their stepfather maybe? Maybe their mother remarried and he's not happy with having twin stepsons. That could be why she sent them away, and they certainly don't seem too eager to go home. Those poor boys! If it is true than Ms. Edogawa and I are going to have a little talk! Checks and occasional phone calls are not a substitute for a parents care!'

At the park the Detective Boys decided to play soccer. It was pretty much a given that Conan could beat all of them but Arthur could make a ball do things that should have been impossible and all of them, even Ai were better than most eight year olds. After all six of them were exhausted they lay under a tree and talked about what to do next.

"I'm not playing follow the leader with Arthur again." Said Mitsuhiko.

Every one except Arthur agreed to this, he pouted for a moment before shrugging it off and asking what else they could do.

"Well I wish we had a mystery to solve." Said Ayumi.

"Yeah," Agreed Genta. "We haven't had a mystery all week, and last week we just had the one about the lost dog."

Mitsuhiko scratched his head thoughtfully as he said, "What we need to do is solve a really big case so everyone knows our name."

"Like what?" Asked Genta.

"Uh, like find the Kaitou Kid or something."

Only Conan noticed Arthur twitch at hearing that suggestion.

"Kaitou Kid? Isn't he that magician-thief?" Asked Ayumi.

"Yeah!" Answered Mitsuhiko. "He wears a white suit and he tells the police what he'll steal and when he'll steal it and he returns the stuff he steals and nobody ever catches him."

"Weird, does he want to get caught or something?" Asked Genta.

"Maybe he's like a ghost or something and he can't rest until he's caught." Ayumi turned to Arthur "You and Conan can outsmart the Kid and then we'll catch him and the Detective Boys will be famous! Um, Arthur, are you ok?"

Only the past year of constantly practicing his acting skills to pass as a small child allowed Conan to keep a straight face when he saw Arthur's stunned expression.

'So much for his poker face, He looks like someone hit him in the back of the head with a board!'

Taking pity on Arthur, Conan said. "He's probably just stunned at the idea of going after such a famous criminal. Even the police can't catch the Kid and they've been chasing him for years!"

"But that's why it's perfect! If we catch him the whole world will know our name."

"Unfortunately," Said Ai "there has been no sign of the Kid for months."

"Well then tomorrow we can go to the library and look in old newspapers for stuff about the Kid so we can be ready for him." Said Mitsuhiko excitedly "If we can figure out what he steals, maybe we can find a pattern to his heists."

'These kids will be worse than Shinichi when they're in their teens!' Thought Arthur as he listened to their plans and struggled to keep his expression under control. Fortunately for his sanity the brainstorming session was soon interrupted.

"I'm hungry." Said Genta. "Is it lunch time yet?"

"Oh yeah! I'm supposed to go home for lunch." Said Ayumi.

"Me too." Said Mitsuhiko

"Conan and me are going to meet Ran-neechan here."

"I'm also waiting for Ran," said Ai, "She'll take me home later."

The kids said their goodbyes and made plans to meet tomorrow, After Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Ayumi left, Arthur, Conan and Ai settled down in the soft grass.

"So, any progress Ai?"

"Some, although it will be some time before I have a permanent cure I believe I know why the antidote has only temporary effects. It seems that the Apotoxin remains in our bloodstream in an inert form, it reactivates after we return to our original forms and once the antidote begins to break down, well..."

"Wait a minuet! The poison's still in us!"

"Yes, but it's inactive while you are in this form. But should you or Shinichi take the temporary antidote you must be very careful, if you are injured and some of your blood contacts someone's eyes, mouth, or an open wound they may either end up like us or..."

"Or what."

"Or the strain of the transformation will be too much and they will die, most likely of a combination of multiple strokes and catastrophic heart failure. That's what they meant it to do when they gave it to you. Somehow we were able to survive the change, most people wouldn't."

The three not-quite-children sat without speaking, each lost in their own thoughts until Ran arrived.