It was very quiet; the few sounds of traffic were faint. On the whole street only one house had lights on. Inside that house Agasa dozed in a chair and Conan looked sleepy and sullen, only Arthur looked alert as they waited for Ai.

"I need some coffee." Grumbled Conan.

"You shouldn't drink that stuff, it will stunt your growth."

Conan's reply was a wordless glare.

"You're not much of a morning person are you?"

"Morning! It's not morning Kaito! It's two A.M.!"

"Maybe you need an earlier bed time so you won't be so grouchy in the mornings."

Conan sputtered unintelligibly while waving his arms causing the sleeves of the too large robe he wore to flap like the wings of an uncoordinated bird. Arthur just looked innocently at him.

"If I may interrupt this important conversation, we need to discuss our plans." Said Ai as she entered the room.

"What's to plan? I'll tell Aoko the truth."

"What!"

"Not the whole truth, about being the Kid and getting shrunk. I'm just going to tell her that I found my father's death wasn't an accident. And that when I got too close then the people who murdered him came after me but two detectives, that's you and Hattori, helped me get away and when we have enough evidence to shut them down for good I'll come back. But until then she needs to stop looking for me or else they might decide she's a threat too."

"Do you think that will work?" Asked Conan.

"I hope so. I really hope so. If I'm lucky she won't start swinging her mop until after I explain."

"If you are done planning, there are a few things you must remember. After your transformation you should rest for awhile to give your body time to recover." Said Ai. "If you see each other today do not call each other 'Arthur' or 'Conan'. Be back here by midnight."

"Do we turn into a pumpkin if we're late?"

Ai ignored Arthur and continued, "And try to keep from drawing too much attention to yourselves. Remember if the Black Organization finds you Ran and Aoko will be in danger too."

She sighed and handed each boy a pill and a glass of water. "Just be careful."

After they had taken the antidote both boys sat down to wait for it to start working. The pain hit Arthur first, he groaned as he slid out of his chair and lay on the floor, his eyes shut tight and his heart pounding. 'The shrimp wasn't kidding about how much this hurts.' He thought, 'It's worth it though, soon I'll be myself again.' As the pain increased his breathing became harsh and he slipped into unconsciousness. 'Aoko...'

Conan was starting to feel feverish when Arthur groaned, knowing that he too would feel the effects soon he lay down on the floor to wait. He didn't have to wait long.

Ai and Agasa watched over the two boys, their moans of pain all but ceased as both became unconscious. As they lay on the floor the adult sized robes they wore made them resemble two small piles of laundry. Gradually that changed, now toes, no, a foot showed past the edge of the robe. Then a hand appeared from a sleeve. Ai and Agasa watched as the transformation continued. The Velcro tabs that had gathered together the extra fabric of a robe popped loose as the child inside grew, aging years in a matter of minuets. The ragged breathing and faint moans became deeper, the change was almost complete and finally the two teens relaxed, they were still unconscious but their breathing had evened out and they were no longer visibly growing.

"They'll be fine," Said Ai. "We should let them sleep for a while, they'll need the rest."

"Do you think this will work?" Asked Agasa.

"I have no idea, but it needed to be done anyway. Hand me that blanket."

"What?"

Ai turned to Agasa "They needed this. They're not like me. Once my sister was murdered I lost the last thing I cared for, the only person I loved." Her eyes looked ancient, the expression on her face was strange, not quite regret, not quite sorrow.

"I tried to kill myself that day, instead I found myself with a new life. I don't remember ever having friends before. I don't mind being Haibara Ai; I've even begun to think of myself by that name. These two had a life, family, friends, and plans for the future." She acted like she didn't want to talk but needed to explain. "When I was Shiho I was little more than a shadow, drifting through life without ever touching, without being real. I had only my work and my sister and I was careful to not think too much about my work and what was done with it."

She gently tucked a pillow beneath Shinichi's head and turned to do the same for Kaito. "I know these aren't the first lives my work has destroyed, just the first to have a face, a name. The first to be real to me. I can't change the past but maybe I can help them to get back something of what they lost. They've helped me find something I never had before." She looked at Agasa. "A family."

She finished spreading blankets over the detective and the thief and quickly vanished into the lab. Agasa's look of amazement changed into a fond smile as he settled into a comfortable chair to wait for morning.

Tigger says, "What can I say that I haven't said already? Let's just hope the last half of this story is as good as the first."

Manzanita says, "Thank you for all the reviews and comments. I know this is short but I wanted to get this out this year."