Starting Over

A/N: Alright, so here is chapter 7 at last! I have to admit, I had some major writer's block writing this chapter. I had NO idea what to include.. All I knew was that I needed some closure with the Detective Boys. So I just want you guys to know, I was pretty much writing this chapter blindly – with no idea where I was taking it.. That's actually how I write most of my chapters. XD

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Case Closed. (:

(3rd Person POV)

That Friday seemed to progress unusually slowly. There wasn't a single student in Teiten High School who wasn't wishing the day could pass by sooner. 3:24 PM found Shinichi perched on the edge of his seat, listening to the sensei drone continuously about the Anglo-Japanese Alliance and watching the clock with narrowed eyes. He was not the only one. Even Shiho, despite her cool demeanor, found the intense heat to be a nuisance and stared blankly out the window, oblivious to anything else around her as she watched the sun already begin to slowly set. It was nearing winter-time and the days grew increasingly shorter.

"– and so, the treaty was renewed in 1905 and 1911 before it was terminated in 1923 due to the – "

BRING!

The entire class erupted into cheers and hurriedly stuffed their books into their bags, eager to leave school. Everyone chatted animatedly as they filed out of the classroom. Shinichi grinned widely and turned to Shiho, who still sat in her seat, looking out the window despite the bell. Ran had already been dragged off by Sonoko to get manicures or something obnoxiously girly of the sort. The young detective quietly made his way to Shiho's desk.

"Daydreaming?" he asked, cocking his head to the right and kneeling directly to her side.

Shiho smirked, "Something like that."

"Let's go." Shinichi beckoned towards the door. Nodding, his companion grabbed her schoolbag and followed him out of the building. The two walked side by side for about five short minutes before several disturbingly familiar voices reached their ears:

"The Detective Boys can solve any case!"

"– no problem is too hard for us –"

"– just leave us a message and we'll be on it!"

The two teenagers shot each other a quick knowing glance, before turning the corner to find three 7-year old children passing out fliers to anyone who happened to pass by.

"Excuse me, nee-san. Would you like a flier?"

Shiho smiled softly at the young, brunette girl earnestly holding out a piece of paper to her.

"Yes, I'd love one."

"Thank you, miss." Another child nodded his head vigorously. He had brown hair and sharp eyes.

"We are the Detective Boys!" The second (and easily the fattest) boy smiled cheekily at Shinichi and Shiho. "We can solve any c– " He abruptly stopped.

"What is it, Genta-kun?" The girl questioned him.

"I – I..." The boy called Genta only stared wide-eyed at the two teens. He seemed to be thinking hard.

"It's rude to stare, Genta," the sharp-eyed boy reprimanded, turning to Shiho, "I apol –" He, too, suddenly paused with a strange, wide-eyed look. Quickly, Genta grabbed the other two by the wrist and they all began to whisper in a huddle. Shinichi raised an eyebrow and glanced at Shiho, who had the same amused expression.

"Ahem," the boy they were all familiar with as Mitsuhiko cleared his throat. "Er... by any chance, are you related to Haibara Ai-chan in any way?" He addressed Shiho. "And," he continued, turning to Shinichi, "Edogawa Conan-kun?"

Shiho gave Shinichi a quick look, "As a matter of fact, we're both distant cousins of Ai-chan and Conan-kun." They certainly could not deny it; the kids were seemingly smart enough to make the connection.

"Ah, that explains it," Mitsuhiko smiled at them, "Thank you. We were good friends of Conan and Haibara."

Shinichi nodded. "Well, it was nice to meet you three. Make sure to be home soon – it's getting dark."

Ayumi smiled and waved happily, "Okay! Good-bye!" The two high school students waved back before walking away.

"Well, that was a little strange." Shinichi laughed, relaxing as they stepped out of the kids' range of vision.

"It sure was," Shiho muttered as they turned a corner once more. They were immediately greeted by the wailing sound of several police sirens.

"Whoa."

The sun had pretty much set by then and the streets around them were surrounded in darkness. However, with the addition of numerous patrol cars and flashing police sirens, the area was bathed in red and blue lights. They could barely make out a small building enclosed in a circle of police cars. A cloth-covered corpse was being pulled out in a stretcher.

Shinichi chuckled, "I was wondering when another case would show up."

Shiho shot him a look, "I had no idea how happy murders made you."

Ignoring her, the young detective (now with a strange light shining in his eyes) waved over to a round man who was taking notes in a small notebook. "Inspector Megure!" he called. The man turned, and the surprise was evident on his face.

"Shinichi!" he exclaimed, "You're back?"

"Yes, sir," Shinichi replied with a crooked grin.

"Ah, it's certainly good to see you again. I hope you will be able to shed some light on the incident – although it simply looks like a case of self-defense to me."

"I'd be glad to help, Inspector." The 17-year old nodded, starting to sound professional at once. He turned to Shiho, "Mind if I work on the case? It shouldn't take too long."

The young woman almost snorted, "Do you expect me to stop you? Go ahead. Knock yourself out. I need to go back and prepare dinner for the Professor."

"Thanks!" Shinichi said gratefully and waved as his companion continued off.

Megure looked at him questioningly. "Who was that, Shinichi?"

"Just a friend," Shinichi replied.

"It sure was nice of her to allow you to work on the case," the large man was watching him out of the corner of his eye, "You used to have plenty of trouble with Mouri-san's daughter when it came to allowing you to get carried away with one."

Shinichi looked relatively shocked. "Yeah, Shiho's pretty understanding when it comes to my detective work," he shifted his feet uncomfortably, "Ran, on the other hand, just isn't entirely used to it. She'll come round."

The Inspector nodded. "Well, why don't take a look at the crime scene? I'm sure you'll be able to either confirm or disprove some of the police's beliefs."

"I'm on it, Inspector," Shinichi said. Excellent, he thought to himself with pleasure. And he set off to do exactly what he did best – and he couldn't be happier.

"– it was quite simple, actually. I could tell by the blood splatter that the victim's head struck at a 10 degree angle, contrary to the suspect's statement about self-defense. Rather then performing a full roundhouse kick as he claimed, the victim was on the ground prior to being hit by the suspect – so it was a clear case of murder on his part." Shinichi said all of this in one breath, smirking at the blonde who was sitting impatiently with a magazine in hand, waiting for him to finish his dialogue.

"Very interesting, Kudo." Shiho sounded bored – but Shinichi hadn't failed to notice the slightly engrossed gleam in her eyes. She never really minded listening to his cases. "Now, if you'd excuse me, I'd like to get some sleep."

"Sure," Shinichi responded, taking a stand to leave. He paused, "Tell you what. How about we go out for lunch tomorrow?"

Shiho cocked an eyebrow. "Lunch?"

"Why not?" Shinichi replied coolly. "C'mon, lighten up. It's just lunch."

"Alright," the young woman shrugged, "But you're paying."

"Deal," Shinichi rolled his eyes. "See you later."

She didn't respond, only pausing to turn a page in the magazine she resumed reading. Shinichi grinned and left.

"Good morning, Agasa," Shinichi greeted the old man.

"Oh, hello, Shinichi!" he replied, carefully cracking an egg into a large pan over the stove. "Are you stopping by for brunch?"

"Just for a bit," the teenager said, "Shiho and I plan on getting something to eat." At that very moment, a yawning Shiho exited the bathroom, having just taken a shower. Without acknowledging their guest, she proceeded to grab a carton of milk from the refrigerator.

"Morning to you too," Shinichi scoffed, taking the newly poured glass of milk from her grasp and taking a generous sip.

"Kudo!" she snapped, snatching back the glass.

He sneered, "Whenever you're ready..."

Shiho glared at him. "On second thought," she said edgily, "let's go to that nice cuisine by the lake. That really expensive one."

Shinichi glared back. "Fine," he mumbled, quickly checking his wallet. He may be the son of two incredibly wealthy parents, but he was still only a teenager – and one without a steady paycheck. Shiho smirked.

"I suppose I'll just have glass of water," Shinichi told their waitress half an hour later.

"Same," Shiho nodded. As the young woman scurried off to take another customer's order, she took the time to admire the view. The two were seated at an outdoor table in one of Beika's finest diners. It was a simple old-fashioned brick building dubbed The Blue Water Cafe and was located close enough to the lake so that patrons could dine while overlooking it's glistening waters. It was one of the most luxurious and highest rated restaurants in the area – and one of the most expensive, Shinichi thought glumly.

But as Shiho began to complain dispassionately about the service, Shinichi couldn't help it – he smiled.

A/N: A THOUSAND APOLOGIES FOR THE LONG UPDATE! Sooo sorry! But I have an excuse! I took a week-long trip to Oregon, but immediately after I came home, we left for Los Angeles for a few more days! SORRY!

Anyways, hope you like it! I promise a quicker update for Chapter 8! REVIEW! OR ELSE!

(: