A/N: I really should be working on my thesis... But these chapters are so quick to be written...
21
Being basically a single mother wasn't easy. Not even when the child in question had the mindset of an adult. Or especially when he had a mindset of an adult.
Adjusting wasn't easy for either of them. Naoto had to forge papers for newly named Watanuki Hiroaki to exist and get used to someone else living with her. Hiro needed to get used to his new size and the way people treated him. Several flares of temper were endured in the next few months before they finally settled down.
22
Naoto had to enroll Hiro to school. Teitan elementary was closest. Third grade so Hiro could avoid the most mind-numbing lessons.
Hiro, did okay there. Totally lacked motivation to actually study but kept his head down so he wouldn't be branded genius. He befriended some kids but wasn't that close with them. He preferred to help Naoto with her assignments. People generally didn't pay attention to kids that much… And moreover he was a good person to bounce ideas with especially when they didn't anymore need to hide their actual allegiances from people around them.
23
November came way too quickly. Jinpei's death took Naoto by surprise despite her trying to mentally prepare for it. They had exchanged emails via a burner phone number of which was under Hagiwara's name in Jinpei's phone.
The 7th, she received a long email from Jinpei. In it her cousin explained that he was likely to die while disassembling the bomb. That he trusted her to know wrong from right. That he loved her despite the distance between each other. That he wished she wouldn't come to his funerals. Both in order to keep her cover and for not corrupting his memory.
About an hour later, Jinpei called her. He had just ended the call with his colleague and love Satou Miwako. Naoto was crying but thankfully at home when it happened.
"Why you have to be so understanding?" She sobbed.
"Because I know what it feels like making sacrifices in order to reveal the truth." Jinpei answered. "Even if I won't survive this and can't avenge Hagiwara… I trust my colleagues to prevent the other bombing and to eventually catch this guy."
"I… I'm sorry for all the things I said when Kenji-nii died."
"I know. Good luck, Nao-chan."
"Good journey, Jinpei-nii."
Mere minutes later explosion shook Haido. Naoto couldn't keep tears from falling. And when Hiro came back from school, he sat by her in silent comfort.
24
Despite her parents' urging, Naoto refused to attend Jinpei's funeral. She didn't want to be part of the mourners. She didn't want to see his colleagues whom she'd never met but she knew Jinpei had planted seeds of distrust in them about her. Just a bit of misinformation and short sentences interpreted wrong while personally being truthful. Enough to keep her cover strong.
So she didn't get to witness Satou Miwako's narrowed eyes when hearing the information or Shiratori Ninzaburo's disappointed face or Megure Juuzou's placating words to Jinpei's parents. Or the apologies her own parents gave on her behaf.
Disloyalty to her family was probably her worst crime in their eyes at the moment.
"Just… let them hate me… Don't let them see my efforts at all…"
Naoto and Hiro did visit the grave not even a week after the funerals. Naoto left Bird of Paradise flowers once again to her cousin.
25
Next year Naoto finally got a proper job. No more part-timing for her. Nichuri TV hired her to take photos to be used on their webpages, both about newsworthy events and 'behind the scenes' of making the programs.
At the same time, organization arranged for her to work primarily with Kir and Irish. Both were in information gathering so Naoto fit well in with them.
Rye in the other hand was assigned to work with some lower ranked members as Bourbon couldn't stand to be even in the same room with the other man. Bourbon himself was mainly on solo-missions.
Life went on.
26
Life went on until Rye was found out to be a double agent and had to flee. He was announced to be most dangerous enemy of the organization. Anokata even called the man Silver Bullet.
Bourbon hated the man even more.
Madeira just smiled and didn't help the matters at all.
"So… I guess boss was right about him all along." She grinned. "I mean… Year ago I had orders to kill him if he hesitated in killing Scotch."
Bourbon just grit his teeth and clenched his fist before giving a smile to her.
"Please don't dig up old skeletons, Madeira. They both ended up being traitors and we can't help matters anymore."
"Yes… Past is in the past." Madeira agreed brightly. She really needed to stop. Needed to stop before she'd do something that'd provoke Bourbon to retaliate in a manner that they both would regret.
"Madeira. We need to go." Kir called from the doorway.
"Hai." The other woman nodded and left the room without looking back.
Bourbon let himself relax. She was so aggravating…
27
Naoto had a new neighbor. She'd moved to a better apartment with a bit high rent but enough space for both her and Hiro a bit after getting hired by Nichuri tv. And now she had a new neighbor.
His name was Takagi Wataru.
And with one Wataru, she was reintroduced to Date Wataru.
"Nao-chan?"
"Hi, Wataru-nii." Nao said awkwardly while Hiro was hiding in the kitchen, out of sight from the open front door. "What's up?"
"What's up? This is the first time we seen in years and that's what you say?" The burly man snorted. "Can I come in?"
"I'd rather you didn't." Her one arm was laden with groceries and other hand was on the doorframe, blocking Date's access to her apartment. Such gesture didn't go unnoticed but Date was polite and didn't try to force the issue.
"Why didn't you come to Matsuda's funerals?"
"…I didn't want to remember him like that." Naoto whispered. "I know we weren't in the best relations but… He was still like a brother to me."
"Okay."
"Okay?" the easy acceptance was strange.
"Yeah. What did you expect? Scorn? Scolding? Lecture about how lousy cousin you are? Nah, those aren't my thing." The man grinned. "It's okay. Everyone has their own reasons."
"…"
"Don't be a stranger, Nao-chan. It'd be nice to sit down and talk some time. About old days."
"Okay…"
And he left.
And next February he left the world completely.
28
That year… was full of excitement. Naoto enjoyed working at Nichuri TV with Kir. It kept her on the top of the news. Kaitou Kid resurfaced that year. Kudou Shinichi made his debut as high school detective. Vermouth staged her own death as Sharon Vineyard and shed that particular disguise of hers.
And that year Naoto adopted another faux-child.
29
"Okay, this is definitely not canon…" Naoto mused from her vantage point on top of an office building in Osaka. She had a telescope camera aimed at a nearby park where a transaction had been done. Two members who'd been considered to be granted codenames had done the transaction itself successfully. But they'd been spotted. By a police officer of all things.
Not that they knew the woman was a police officer. Naoto was the only one aware of this fact as she'd seen the woman's face before she was knocked unconscious.
Uehara Yui.
Naoto bit her lip, considering her options. Whatever she decided to do, it would affect the plot anyways.
Deciding on the course of action, she left her position while reporting to boss how the transaction had been conducted. She doubted the pair would receive codenames anytime soon. Especially when they seemed to be hasty in using APTX on the witness without even checking her ID. Well, all the better for her.
Anokata told her to clean the mess before it became worse.
"Oi! You two!" She attracted their attention. They jumped, going for their guns. Well, at least they had reflexes.
"You're… Madeira?" One of them recognized her.
"Yes. I got orders from boss to clean up here. You go to report to him. Understood?"
"Hai!" They scampered away. Candidates or not, actual codenamed members were still terrifying to all lower ranked mooks.
Naoto turned around to look down on Yui. Smoke was rising from her still form and she was whimpering in pain. Good thing they were alone.
30
Uehara Yui woke up in a hotel room that was not hers. She'd come to Osaka to take a break from the force after Yamato Kansuke had gone missing, found and hospitalized. After Morofushi Taka'aki was demoted to a local precinct. After everyone's pity and empty condolences. She had considered accepting Torada Yoshiro's proposal but had wanted some time to herself before that. To think things through.
Then she'd witnessed that illegal transaction with large amounts of money and no little amount of threats.
She'd been spotted and subdued my two men in black and force fed some pill. Then a woman had appeared to send the men away with the implication of disposing her body once the poison did its job.
Then pain, pain, pain…
And dark.
Which led to here.
Yui was achy all over but she managed to turn on her side. Just where was she? The bed felt so big and the blankets heavy.
"Ah, you're awake." A voice spoke up. Yui froze. That was the voice… of the woman…
"Detective Uehara Yui… Nagano prefectural police…" She'd found her police badge! Yui heaved herself to sit upright, gritting her teeth when a waved of dizziness washed over her.
The woman from the park was sitting on a chair opposite the bed and was flipping the police badge open and closed idly. She had short curly hair parted at the right and blue eyes. She was dressed in black collared shirt with a olive green vest full of pockets thrown over it and blue faded and ripped jeans.
"I'm not exactly sure how to start explaining the situation you found yourself in… But I'm not going to kill you either." The woman continued to the silence, heedless of Yui's wide-eyed stare. "You are in bit of a predicament though…"
"W-What do you mean?" Yui asked and the froze at the sound of her own voice. It was higher?! Then she looked down on her own hand clutching onto the blanket. It was tiny! Little fingers and short arms! What was this…
"Yeah… this shrinking effect of the drug is very rare and thankfully I've managed to keep it under wraps… The regulation of the drug will be monitored carefully though after this."
"Who are you?!" Yui asked hysterically.
"Matsuda Naoto. I'm… undercover operative from Finnish security police, infiltrating that organization. I'm codenamed Madeira and… I'm probably your only ally right now."
A/N: I hope you liked this chapter too.
Replies to Reviews:
-suntan140:
Thank you! Naoto will eventually meet Conan too but not quite yet.
-tsuki: (guest)
Thank you for your review. Interestingly I had this done right bit before I got your review.
I'll try my best. ;)