Time flies by when work is involved. Graduation and college not included.

Note: Conan will often refer to himself as Shinichi at times, so do not be alarmed if you see me alternating between the two names. It is just how I perceive Shinichi/Conan's monologue would appear to be like. Speculations over what Kudo Sr. finds attractive in Lady Kudo, references/mentions to books are coming your way, and reveals. And no one to correct any grammar mistakes whatsoever. :)

I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito.

SEVEN

The air conditioning helped with the uncomfortable heat he had been battling with since this morning. From his position on the queen bed, Shinichi could see students donning their school uniforms walking briskly back to their homes in hopes of finishing up homework to laze around afterwards as a reward for their hard work. He frowned as he fingered the covers, glanced at the door and huffed. He would much rather be reading one of the books in his father's library back at Kudo Manor.

Stephen King's The Shining had been tucked away behind his mother's cook books in the K section, along with several other works of King's, a book that Shinichi had been eagerly waiting to read after having finished Pet Cemetery. He had always assumed they had belonged to his father. Later, Shinichi would find out, after a call from his parents, that it was actually Yukiko's collection of novels. Yukiko usually kept cook books to occupy her time whenever she and Yusaku stayed over with Shinichi and would spontaneously create a whole feast to feed ten people. Other than that, she would read romance and fantasy novels to lose herself in tales of librarians' finding love with motorcyclists or of witches and wizards.

Curled up and wrapped in a lavender blanket, she would have a hint of a smile playing on her lips turning a page of one of those books as she leaned into her husband's side. His father, occupied with his own read, would wrap an arm around her delicate shoulders and sigh contently. After they were done, the pair would launch into a summary of their read and debate over the book's outcome, the pairings that were apparent in it (Yukiko), and the history that could be found in it. If they weren't in the mood, the couple would merely shut their books and do a quick exchange before settling back into their previous position and start at the introduction. Neither would speak throughout this little ritual of theirs and it was something that Shinichi found to be fascinating about their relationship.

Often, Shinichi would find that his father would be distracted by his mother's apparent joy at finding a particularly good read. Forgetting the page-turner in his hands to stare at the soft smile and glittering eyes of his wife tracing kanji, enthralled by the tale being weaved before her by the author. Shinichi figured that this was the side that attracted his father to his mother (aside from her apparent insanity and beauty). He couldn't help letting a small smile tug at his lips at the thought. He shook his head to rid himself of the wave of longing that have bloomed in his chest at the thought of his parents. As a child, Shinichi had always wanted to have a romance like his parents (sans his mother's dramatic outbursts and constant running away, not to mention his father's fearsome editors).

He shook his head to rid himself of those thoughts, now wasn't the time for that. What he needed now was a way to get out of here. As much as he liked Kuroba-kun, and now Jii-san, it would eventually get complicated trying to conduct his investigation on the Black Organization. Yet, he could already see that Kuroba-kun had become attached to him and would most likely go out of his way looking for him. Violet orbs sharpening in determination and a hint of something else he couldn't identify. Oddly enough, the brunette teen reminded him of someone. He just couldn't put a name or face to that person anymore. Conan sighed and picked at his sheets in hopes of keeping the boredom at bay.

Couldn't Jii-san have left him with some reading material at least to keep him occupied?

Then again, a six-year-old wouldn't really have the attention span long enough to devour a book full of Edgar Allan Poe's greatest work.

He would give Jii-san the benefit of the doubt.

Cyan eyes locked in on the telephone situated beside his alarm clock, 'Maybe...'.

...

...

Agasa Hiroshi wasn't expecting a call that afternoon.

The elderly scientist hurried to rid his hands of grime from his latest invention and snatched up his cellular device. Flipping it open, he pushed down on the green button without looking at the caller ID and gathered himself as he pressed the receiver into his ear.

"Hello? Agasa Hiroshi speaking," he said politely.

"Agasa-hakase?"

Needless to say, Hiroshi was quite thrown off when the voice on the other line was none other than Edogawa Conan, his charge and someone who he saw as his own grandson. He hadn't heard from the shrunken detective since Monday afternoon when Conan had finally gathered the courage to anounce that he was going to let Ran-kun in the know. He had originally been against it as it would test Ran's temperament considering just how long they had kept up this deception. Not to mention, from what he had heard from the boy himself, taken the unfortunate detective into the bath with her.

"Conan-kun? How are you? You sound exhausted," he noted. Hiroshi felt a wave of apprehension overcome his sense of relief at hearing back from his friend. Conan sighed.

"She didn't take it well. I...I deserved it," the voice on the other line croaked.

"Shinichi-kun! Don't you dare say that you deserved it," he spoke harshly into the receiver and settled down on his armchair. The professor brought a hand through what little hair he had and stared down at the carpeted floor.

"But, I do! I should have told her to begin with. She's my best friend and I...these lies that I fed to her about Shinichi hurt her, Hakase. I had to watch her agonize over Shinichi and I made her wait for me when she shouldn't have. I'm nothing, but a selfish, lying jerk!"

"You may have lied to her. But you lied to protect her."

"I...I know that, but it still doesn't justify what I did to her either." Hiroshi couldn't help, but agree with his friend.

"Let me talk to her, for now, just lay low. Alright? We'll make things right, like how we should have from the start."

"Thank you, hakase." The professor fiddled with the receivers cord and wondered how exactly he was going to word this.

"Where have you been Shinichi-kun?"

"I've...well...this guy named Kuroba Kaito found me yesterday. I'm stuck here in bed sick. He and his family friend, Jii, have been taking care of me." Hiroshi nearly dropped his phone in shock, his mouth opening and closing like a fish would out of water as he floundered to formulate coherent sentences. There was just no way. It had been years since the Kuroba family had been in contact with he and the Kudos.

"Hakase?" Conan asked tentatively as he continued to sputter into the receiver.

"Did I hear right? Kuroba?"

"Eh? Um, yeah, why? Do you know the family?" There was no arguing whose child this was, ever the clever detective like his father.

"Of course I do! In fact, your mother trained under Kaito-kun's father, Toichi-kun, whereas your father and he had this strange rivalry going on, but they were good friends all the same. Toichi-kun's wife, Chikage, and Yuusaku seemed to also be friends though I suppose this was because they had to deal with such eccentric spouses," the inventor chuckled as he recalled a dinner they had all had. Poor Chikage and Yuusaku had had to put up with Toichi's 'mini-magic shows' at the dinner table and Yukiko's constant bickering with her husband.

"Really?! Then why haven't I ever met them then if they were such good friends?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure. The visits stopped shortly after your first couple of play dates with Kaito-kun." Hiroshi could have sworn that Conan, as the shrunken detective hummed over the other line, was thinking about investigating this as he resumed his stay in the Kuroba household. Nothing was going to stop this boy from finding the truth.

"Maybe I'll find something out before I leave this place." He couldn't let this happen. It may have been years since he's been the company of Chikage before her husband's death, but he still trusted her to keep Shinichi safe.

"Stay."

Hiroshi knew it was risky having Conan stay with Chikage and her family, but he knew there was something more to the housewife than taming her eccentric (and deceased) husband. There was this air about her and her husband that he could never really decipher before they cut ties with the Kudo family.

"But, I don't want it to be like with Ran. I don't want to lie! And what if the Black Organization manages to discover my identity and decides to go after Kuroba-san and his family? What about Ran? There is already too many innocent people being involved in this. I should have stayed with you, Hakase. It would have been so much easier," the detective said, exhaustion finally making itself apparent. Hiroshi bit his lip, wondering just when everything had suddenly become complicated. He heard a door open and turned in his seat to see Haibara Ai standing at the doorway from the kitchen, staring at the phone that he held up to his ear.

"But, you know you can't now." And, he thought as he stared back at the young scientist, he had an idea why.

"Haibara is already living with you. If I'm added into your household, it would look a bit suspicious considering I had been living in the Mouri residence since being force feed APTX4869. Remember? I'm 'related' to a well-known public figure and hold a striking resemblance to his father, not to mention that since I'm related to them that I may just use my own 'detective skills' to look into my 'cousin's' disappearance. Haibara and I still know that they're watching my house for any sign of Kudo Shinichi being alive," Conan replied. The line went silent for a moment as Hiroshi thought this over, if his plan worked out like it should then this could ensure that they manage to at least have someone on their side and maybe someone to help bear the weight of what the two shrunken children bore.

"I need to make a call, Shinichi-kun. But, before I hang up, I just want you to know that you may not have to lie about your situation this time. I'll take care of it," the professor said, mind made up.

"Ha? What are you talking about, Agasa-hakase? No one will believe me."

"Oh, I think they will. You may just be in for surprise." That is, if what Yuusaku suspects about the Kuroba family proves correct. He really needed to call the elder Kudo before proceeding. The professor had always known that Toichi and Chikage were hiding something, though they covered it pretty well. Hiroshi could hear a shuffling in the background and a door open, a soft tenor similar to Shinichi's rang clearly into the receiver and suddenly, the professor turned cold.

"-what's going on here? What's APTX4869?"

...