With the exception of the plot and the original characters that are depicted in the story, the author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended on the franchise of Detective Conan that rightfully belong to its owner Aoyama Gosho.

I would like to thank OnyxKatana and all of my readers who have been on this journey since the very beginning. This story would have not been possible without your constant support, suggestions, and feedback. So without further ado, let the epilogue of Paper Faces commence for an eager audience as an early Christmas present to all :)

Happy holidays!

Bleary blue eyes stared at the computer screen with equal parts of exhaustion, pride, and utter relief before their owner closed them. Stretching long-sleeved arms over her head, Kudo Shinichi leaned back against the leather chair she had been sitting on for the last three hours. Two-hundred-fifty pages, with an epilogue and a small biography on herself. All that was left is to finalize the jacket cover plus a third revision from her editor at the Nakamura Publishing Company.

After The Witch's Banquet had been released in bookstores all over Japan three months ago, the hype for it slowly being built courtesy of the company's social media and marketing departments, an audience were already clamoring for another novel written by this up-and-coming author. Unfortunately for both the readers and Shinichi's agent, they had to wait until the dark-haired teen had gotten her priorities straightened out. That also included wrapping up loose ends in the Pandora investigation. But unlike an Agatha Christie or a Sherlock Holmes novel, this particular case was a lot messier for the sleuth to clean up than she had anticipated.

Following the arrest of Snake's imposter, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police conducted a background check via fingerprints and got a hit in the international database. The disguised criminal, whose real name will remain anonymous in any form of media until the investigation is officially closed, had been the prime suspect in an arson case fifteen years ago. The location? Los Angeles, just as the unhinged man had said on the rooftop that night with a silver gun aimed at Shinichi. The victim was thirty-three-year-old Beatrice 'Bice' Esposito, wife of the suspect. Autopsy reports from the LA Police Department also revealed that she'd been strangled, possibly before the fire. Furthermore, he and his "family" were linked to various burglaries across the country, though it was difficult to pin any evidence on them. Their pattern of criminal activity, however, secretly escalated once they arrived in Japan: transporting drugs from Tokyo to Osaka in trucks that belonged to a prospering soy sauce company.

And as it turned out, Ishikawa's financial records revealed that he was the largest stockholder of said establishment, receiving a significant amount of yen with an unknown resource that didn't match up with any numbers. Being an antique dealer was more of a hobby to him than an actual job, which explained why he was rarely seen or mentioned in the public. Unless, of course, he did so under the orders of the Organization. That much Haibara recalled from her own syndicate's brief interactions with this particular group,or at least the rumors that circulated around the men dressed in black.

Inspector Megure's department was still cross-referencing the ballistic analysis from the Kusanagi murder investigation, believing that Snake had been part of it. Shinichi could only pray that it would be enough to keep him and the Organization's mastermind behind bars without bail.

Just when her little grey cells could work any further, the detective's ear picked up the sound of a cooing dove. Rolling her eyes, Shinichi picked up the cell phone sitting beside her and saw an unread message. She tapped it twice and read it.

Kuroba Kaito: I'm outside. Ready to go Shin-chan? :)

Oh, that's right. Today she would be going on an official, first date with Ekoda High's notorious prankster. With the exception of Jii, no one knew that the manuscript Shinichi had just finished typing could not have been possible without his constant feedback in between school and solving cases with Division One. Still, why would Kaito think that her new novel would even be remotely romantic? The premise was about a murder that occurred in a small village, its denizens believing that the unfortunate victim had paid the price for violating a forest that was supposedly haunted by the spirit of a vengeful mermaid. Unless…

Dark blue orbs widened to the size of dinner plates as a heavy weight suddenly pressed itself against her shoulders, followed by a loud whine ringing in Shinichi's ear.

"Shin-chan, come on~! We're gonna be late for the train if we don't get out of here soon!"

"...How did you get in my house?"

"I've got a spare key!"

"You mean the one that was made without my asking?"

"Shin-chan, must you be so cruel to me?!"

"I call it a necessary evil," Ignoring the dramatic gasp from Kaito, Shinichi quickly emailed the final draft to her agent before shutting down the laptop. She leaned back against the chair, brushing her nose against his. The sleuth smirked at the light blush that blossomed on Kaito's face.

"So? Shall we get going?"

The magician blinked in surprise before a dopey smile stretched across his face. "On second thought, I wouldn't really be averse to staying here if you're giving me more of those cuddles we talked about the other day." He suggested dreamily.

Shinichi rubbed her nose. "Oh dear, that is quite the conundrum. How will you ever manage?"

Kaito's lips widened to his signature shark-like grin, one that clearly showed he had an idea or two. "We~ell, I do have an idea that could work. We could go on that date and you could give me those cuddles. What do you say, Shin-chan?"

Shinichi rolled her eyes and flicked his forehead. "I'd say I need a spray bottle to keep you under control."

Kaito visibly deflated, his entire being slumping in abject defeat. He turned away from Shinichi, his head hanging low and his messy bangs shadowing his saddened gaze. "Why must you hurt me so..."

Feeling a tiny twinge of pain and sympathy for the young man, Shinichi stood up from her chair and wrapped her arms around him, coiling them in an embrace with her chest pressed against his back. "Hey, Kaito?"

"Mhmm?"

Shinichi tightened her grip, feeling a little more guilty at hearing his dejected response. "Thank you so much for just being there in my life. For just being you. Both sides as Kuroba Kaito...and as Kaitou KID." She felt him momentarily tense at her words and then immediately relax. He wiggled a little to get her to loosen her grip on him, so that he could turn around to properly return the hug.

Burying his nose in her soft coffee-colored tresses, the prankster wrapped his arms around Shinichi's lithe frame; one was slithered around her waist while the other rested on the middle of her back. Kaito softly kissed her forehead, before pulling away to stare at the detective with a smile.

"Come on, let's go."

The young woman nodded. "Yep. One minute." Shinichi then scrambled around in her desk drawers, looking for something. A few seconds later, she triumphantly held up her prize between her index finger and thumb: a miniature replica of the Rainbow Maiden. Kaito had been meaning to give it to her for quite some time, and finally did so a few days after the Pandora heist.

Pinning it on, Shinichi gave herself a once-over in the mirror. Satisfied with her simple yet chic appearance, she turned to Kaito with a smile. The magician quirked an eyebrow. "All done?"

Shinichi's lips curled into a smirk. The same insufferable smirk that Kaito loved to the core. "Yeah, almost."

Before Kaito could say anything, Shinichi had crossed the two feet of distance between them, and was standing in front of him. Her eyes glinted with mischief and mirth, and Kaito wasn't quite sure what to make of it. She looked up at him, azure locking with indigo.

"I'm disappointed, you know. Calling yourself 'the Gentleman Thief' when you don't even know how to steal a kiss?" The dark-haired sleuth then pulled him down by the collar of his jacket and slanted her lips over his. Kaito's eyes went wide for a second, before falling closed and his arms automatically went around Shinichi. A few minutes later, Shinichi was the one to pull away. Kaito was for lack of a better word, completely dazed. "What was that..."

Shinichi smirked up at him, before playfully flicking his nose. "First date, isn't it? So, that was for good luck."

She then disentangled herself before picking up her bag and walking to the door. She pushed it open, and then looked back over her shoulder at Kaito, who was still stupefied. Her lips curled into that smirk he knew so well.

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

Kaito grinned. God, he loved this girl.

And there we have it, the long-awaited conclusion to Paper Faces! :) I hope everyone has enjoyed this tumultuous quest of heists, whodunnits, and teenage hormones. The question now is, what should I write about next? Decisions, decisions, though I suppose only time shall tell :)

Once again, a big shout-out to everyone who has supported this story especially to OnyxKatana, Vivian Gray, and J0kersGirl. Thank you so much, I truly could not have made it this far as both a writer and person without these readers as well as everyone else who has taken the time to dive into this twisted tale. What did you think of Paper Faces as a whole? Good? Or do you think there were some areas that might have made the reading experience even better? I'd love to hear your thoughts, constructive criticism, and suggestions for another story via a review! :)

See you next illusion. - (KID caricature)