Prompt: "It's your turn to watch the pups" "Those are not our pups but our Packmates."

Conan loved the Detective Boys, he really did, but it was strange and tiring and annoying to hang out with six year olds when he was really sixteen. Ai seemed to have more patience than him when it came to the kids, but she was probably annoyed too. Conan didn't see why she wouldn't be. She was very clearly annoyed right now.

Or she's annoyed at me, Conan considered. I suppose that's valid, considering we just ran into a murder again.

And that was the worrying part about being in a group with six year olds. The fact that he was a murder magnet.

Ai walked up to stand next to Conan. "Solve this murder quickly, Shinichi," she hissed out, and Conan felt his heart beat a little faster at Ai's proximity, the use of his first name… They had been together for a while now, but it still had that effect on him. "The kids aren't processing this one well."

And Conan understood. This specific crime scene was bloody and brutal. It looked like something from the times of Jack the Ripper. Ai had herded the kids away as soon as possible, but still…

"I will," he whispered back. "Don't worry, I'm not alone."

"Because the police are good at their jobs," Ai said sarcastically, but she seemed to get Conan's point. Nodding slightly, she headed back to check on the Detective Boys, who for once weren't trying to be detectives.

Turning back to the crime scene, Conan studied the body. The police had given up on trying to remove him from crime scenes at this point, though they seemed extremely concerned for him and willing to pay for therapy. Conan didn't care about how brutal the murder was, though, other than the fact that it might point to the killer's identity.

He would try to finish this as fast as possible, but he also had to get the correct answer. He couldn't put the wrong person behind bars, after all.

He shoved his worry for the Detective Boys to the back of his mind and put all his concentration into solving the murder.

One annoying thing about being a child was that he hadn't presented yet. He was no longer an alpha, and likewise, Ai was no longer an omega. When they regained their original bodies, they would be, but for now, Conan was stuck with no way to scent the suspects, smell if any of them had a particular fear or sense of pride, or any sort of emotion that could help him find the killer. It would be so much easier if he could…

Thankfully, he could ask Takagi to help him with that.

But it really would be much nicer if he could scent others himself.

The murder was solved fairly quickly, compared to his usual pace. (Conan believed that, if this were a manga, the murder would have been solved in two chapters instead of the usual three.) However, to Conan, it still felt like too long.

Agasa took them back to his house, and Conan was the one to stay with the Detective Boys on the ride home. Ai had stayed with them throughout the entire case, after all. It was his turn to look after them. They were trying to look brave. He comforted them quietly whenever their expressions morphed into fear, or whenever they burst into tears. He promised them that everything would be alright. He hoped it was true.

When they got back to Agasa's, it was late. But they all wanted to stay. They wanted each other's company. And Conan couldn't say no to them. Neither could Ai. Agasa was forced to call all of their parents and explain to them that they were all staying at his place.

Conan helped Ai roll out extra blankets for them to sleep in. Ai went over to Ayumi, who was looking the most fragile out of all of them, and asked her if she would like to sleep in her bed for tonight.

"Thank you, Ai-chan," Ayumi whispered.

If Conan had a bed here, he would have offered it to Mitsuhiko or Genta, but unfortunately, he didn't have one. All he could do was make their blankets as comfortable as possible.

"It's your turn to watch the pups," Ai whispered to him once she woke him up.

"Those are not our pups but our packmates, if anything," Conan whispered back, but he didn't protest as he got up. Ai smirked at him slightly before throwing her blankets on top of her, going to sleep.

The two had decided to have a night shift watching the kids in case anything happened during the night. Conan was already prepared to drink coffee in the morning.

Sitting up and watching the Detective Boys, he knew that his lack of sleep tonight would be worth it. As long as the kids were okay.

The kids were looking better in the morning, but Conan and Ai still watched them carefully.

"I know you guys stayed up late watching them," Agasa spoke, surprising them both. The old man smiled. "Rest a bit longer. I'll watch them."

"But-" Conan protested, but Ai touched his hand lightly, and Conan sighed and agreed.

The two curled up in their blankets once more. "You may not be an alpha right now," Ai whispered, "but you still act like one. You're protective of them."

"That's not only an alpha trait," Conan protested quietly, "You're protective of them too, and you're an omega."

Ai laughed softly. "I guess that's true."

And finally, Conan let himself get a restful sleep.

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