The Most Important Person in the World to You Is…?

Chapter 6

Stepping Up

Shinichi and Kogoro were about to exit the room when the inspector spoke up.

"Oh, and Shinichi-kun?"

"Yeah?" Shinichi answered, looking back to face Megure.

"I called Hattori-kun to come and help you. It seems like the crime is a bit much for you, so I thought he'd offer up some help to keep you going. He agreed and said he'd be here tomorrow morning." Megure explained. Shinichi stared at the inspector for a matter of minutes before anyone really said anything.

"Shinichi-kun? Are you alright?" Megure asked. Shinichi snapped out of his daze and nodded.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry I haven't been of much help. I'm trying…" he muttered the last part of his sentence. Megure frowned, showing concern.

"Try and get some sleep tonight. You'll need it tomorrow. Hattori-kun will be pushing you, knowing he's almost like your partner in justice," Megure said, trying to lighten the mood. Shinichi smiled and nodded, walking out the door with Kogoro.

"He's right, Kudo, you haven't been much help. You're always first to jump into something. When you were Conan, you would sneak around getting answers. What's wrong?" Kogoro asked.

"I'm sorry, Oji-san. I'm not feeling too well…" Shinichi admitted. Kogoro's expression went stern.

"Well get some sleep tonight and get over yourself! My daughter's life is on the line and I can't do this alone! If you won't step it up, then I'll get your friend Hattori to help me!" Kogoro argued, stumbling away to call a taxi. Shinichi stared at his feet as he walked out police headquarters.

They just don't get it. None of them do…

The following morning, a knock sounded on the side door of the Detective Agency. Kogoro answered the door, finding Hattori Heiji and Toyama Kazuha on the other side.

"Why is your friend here too?" he asked.

"She begged me to come along. I hope you don't mind," Heiji said, stepping inside first. Kazuha looked very forlorn as she looked around the living room and then towards Ran's bedroom.

"What's wrong with your friend?" Kogoro asked, sitting down in the living room. Heiji followed Kogoro and sat across from him.

"What do you think? Kazuha is good friends with Ran-san. She wants to help, but honestly, I don't think there's much she can do."

"Well, she can come along, but if she gets in the way, it'll be dangerous." Kogoro said. Heiji looked around for his detective partner.

"Where's Kudo?"

"Making coffee. He does that absentmindedly every morning since she was kidnapped. Seriously, help him out, Hattori. He's driving me crazy," Kogoro said in a tired voice. Heiji felt sorry for his best friend. Hoping his father's 'tough love' approach would work, Heiji went into the kitchen to find Shinichi.

"Kudo? Are you okay, buddy?" he asked. Shinichi looked up from the pouring the coffee for a split second, saying nothing.

"I'm fine, Hattori. I don't need you here, so you can go home." Shinichi said.

"Well some people seem to think otherwise. Just let me help, Kudo. We'll be able to find her faster, right? We always work well together," Heiji said. Shinichi sipped his hot coffee, handing one to Heiji.

"You can help if you want, but it probably won't make a difference,"

"Why not?" Heiji asked, raising his voice. "Why won't it make a difference?"

Shinichi ran his finger over the rim of his mug, staring into space.

"Just because…" Shinichi said. Heiji sighed, setting down his coffee. He took Shinichi by the shoulders and forced his eyes up to look at him.

"We will find her, Kudo. I promise you that. If you find yourself feeling like you can't fight through the obstacles, then I'll drag you through! You got that?! I'll help you! That's what I'm here for!"

Shinichi looked back into Heiji's eyes. He could see his friend was serious, determined to bring back the detective that cared so much about Ran. This time, he felt different somehow. This case was different from others concerning Ran. He wanted to do whatever it took to find her, yeah, but something was keeping him from being his usual deduction-geek self.

"I appreciate the help Hattori," Shinichi said. Heiji's face lit up. "But I just can't seem to step up and help. My brain is telling me that something is wrong."

"Don't worry about that. Your mind plays tricks on you when you feel helpless in a situation like this, even if you are a detective. You're lucky you have me here to drag you along. I'm not gonna let you follow the police around looking all bummed like you lost your best friend, okay? Perk up a little. Fight for Ran!" Heiji said, feeling happier, seeing hope for his partner in justice.

"Sorry for having you two come out here," Shinichi said. Heiji shook his head.

"No worries, Kudo. If Kazuha were in the same situation, I know that you would do the same as I am now. You care about Kazuha too, and I care about Ran-san. We're all friends here, alright?"

"Thank you, Hattori. Sorry, but I think I'll go for a little walk. I need some air," Shinichi declared, slipping on his shoes at the front door. Heiji didn't say anything as he watched his friend close the door behind him.

You're not seriously thinking there's no hope, are you Kudo? You're better than that!

Shinichi strolled down the sidewalk of the busy street, his hands in his pockets and his head hanging towards the ground. People recognized him as the great high school detective, Kudo Shinichi, to which he gave them a small smile when he noticed, but otherwise, carried on with his alone time.

As Shinichi continued on, he came to a street, a little quieter than others. It was still a main road with street lights and bustling pedestrians, but not quite as squishy and not as much shoving. Convenience stories lay on all four sides of the intersection to which Shinichi stopped in front. He looked down all three roads, the fourth he just came down. He narrowed his gaze, recognizing something about this place.

Something happened here not too long ago. An accident? I think it was in the paper…

Shinichi ignored his detective-thoughts and walked straight ahead when the light changed, heading towards Professor Agasa's house. When he reached the property, he saw his group of first-grade friends leaving the house with Haibara. She looked up at him, a disappointed expression on her face. Shinichi looked away slightly, seeing Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko looking at him too. Mitsuhiko and Genta were their normal selves, but Ayumi had a strange aura around her. Sad.

"You three wait here, I'll be right back," Haibara said, pulling Shinichi by his wrist into the house. She slammed the door behind her, leaning against it and crossing her arms.

"What are you doing, Kudo-kun?" she asked, annoyance in her tone. Shinichi shook his head.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. You wouldn't just let the police handle this on their own! You would be the first to jump into everything, especially if it's about Mouri-san! Where's your pride as a detective? What the hell are you doing?" Haibara exclaimed, not bothering to hide her anger. Professor Agasa walked in, hearing the racket. He looked at both of them, knowing what Haibara was confronting him about.

"We're both worried about you, Shinichi. Please talk to us," Agasa said, stepping toward Shinichi. He wrapped an arm around him and sighed into the hug. "We're love and care for both of you and Ran-kun. Please tell us what's wrong."

Shinichi held back tears, gritting his teeth, keeping from yelling back at Haibara. However, when he saw her softened expression, nodding with Agasa's words, Shinichi fell apart. He dropped to his knees and held his palms over his face, crying silent tears.

Agasa bent down beside him and rubbed his back, glad to see Shinichi's weak side every once in a while. Haibara had never seen his weak side, which was why she was being a little more forceful. She stepped up in front of him and smiled sweetly.

"You will find her, Kudo-kun. We believe in you, but you don't believe in yourself all of a sudden…why not?" she asked.

"I know that I act like I'm always confident when it comes to finding Ran, when she's in trouble or missing, but…for some reason, this time, I don't feel the same. I feel hopeless and empty without her. I know that you're gonna say to find her to fill the emptiness, but I feel so useless now. I just feel like there's no point in finding her!"

"No…I don't believe that. You did feel confident you'd find her when she went missing. The reason why? You two could overcome anything together! I know the real reason you're not bothering to help!" Haibara said. Agasa and Shinichi both looked up at her, waiting for her to continue.

"You think she's already dead…judging by the photographer's statement on the crime scene and the kidnapping…and how she was already gone with almost nothing left behind, you think she's already dead. Right? Am I right?" Haibara declared. Shinichi sighed, nodding his head.

"Don't disappoint Mouri-san, Kudo-kun. She needs you, and more than ever now. Don't disappoint her." Haibara said. Shinichi clenched his fists, nodding his head, but not quite believing in his abilities yet. At the most important time in his relationship with Ran and finding her, he loses all confidence? It didn't make sense.

"I know that it was a different woman in the video who was being beaten, but what if that girl is killed and then Ran is next? I could never face her if I saw her like that."

"That's bull-crap. If you never face her, she'll die! Do you really want that? Do you really want to let her be hurt like that, when you could easily find her and prevent it?" Haibara exclaimed.

Shinichi smirked. How come he'd never thought of that? Thinking of how she'd be when it may not have even happened yet.

"Thanks Haibara…" he whimpered. Haibara grinned, feeling content with her argument. Agasa helped Shinichi to his feet, seeing the fight had been brought back to his eyes. His blue eyes were full of life again, ready to find the love of his life.

The most important person to him.

Shinichi returned to the agency, taking a deep breath, ready to face Heiji, Kogoro, and Kazuha with confidence again. Hoping he could provoke fight in the rest of them he stepped up to the second level and burst through the door. Heiji and Kogoro looked up, coffee mugs in their hands.

"Come on, Oji-san, Hattori, we have work to do." Shinichi said, his lips curling into a smile. Heiji smiled back, nodding his head. He set down his coffee and stepped towards the doorway of Ran's bedroom. Kazuha was sitting on Ran's bed, nearly in tears. Heiji wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his heart hurting for hers. Shinichi put his hand on Kazuha's shoulder when they came out.

"Don't worry, Kazuha-san, we'll find her. Just keep up hope, we'll find her for sure. I don't want to give up as long as she's still missing. We'll keep looking until we find her." Shinichi said. Kazuha smiled, wiping a runaway tear. Heiji guided her to the couch, then pulled Shinichi to the kitchen.

"Do you really feel that confident? You were so upset earlier. What happened?"

"I paid a little visit to Haibara and the professor. It actually helped…I know I was different than usual…"

"Totally." Heiji smirked. Shinichi rolled his eyes.

"My point is…that Ran believes in me. She always has. The reason I had so much confidence was because of her belief in my skills. I want to prove to her that she's right. If I don't, who will?" Shinichi said. Heiji pulled Shinichi into a brotherly hug and slapped him on the back.

"The High School Detective of the East is back, I tell 'ya!" Heiji said. Shinichi laughed, but stopped, remembering something out of the blue. It was as if an electric shock ran through his brain, immediately telling him to look into the news at that intersection he'd visited earlier that day.

"Hattori! I think I may have a new lead," Shinichi said.

"Well now we're in business! What is it?"

"I was at an intersection in town earlier on my walk and I remembered something that happened there. I wasn't sure what it was at the time, but now I remember. An accident happened there, concerning a young boy. He was killed, struck by a vehicle." Shinichi explained. Heiji thought for a moment, then it struck him as well.

"Hey, I remember that…very faintly, but it was pretty big on the news, wasn't it? The guy who was killed was a pretty well-known person. Who was he again?"

"I don't remember his name…but I somehow know that it has to do with Ran. I don't know how yet, but as soon as I do, I'll let you know."

"How do you know?"

"Strong intuition, I guess. I'll give Takagi a call and ask him to look into it for us," Shinichi said, taking out his cell phone and dialling the officer's number.

"Hello, Takagi here," he answered.

"Takagi, it's Shinichi Kudo. I need you to look into something for me,"

"I see…"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. What do you need me to look into?"

"A car accident that happened last year, November 24th exactly."

"Sure, I'll call you back soon." Takagi said, hanging up. He smiled down at his phone, feeling hopefulness.

Maybe what I was feeling was false? Is he back to normal now?

Sorry for the late update! Writer's block was coming over me...and I didn't feel like writing this, but now I do! Please review and tell me what you think! I'll try to update faster from now on. SOO sorry! :(