M.P-chan: Hello, everyone! It's been awhile. Bet you thought I forgot about this series, didn't you? I promise, I hadn't. I've just been busy with starting college and moving and being sick in the past 3 months than I have the in the last 10 years.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy the long awaited second chapter of Lies!

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan. I do not own Detective Conan. I do not own Detective Conan. I do not own Detective Conan.

Lies – Chapter Two

Ai heated microwavable dinners; neither she nor Shinichi cooked. Dr. Agasa had promised to visit once a week to visit, and they were both counting on him for actual homemade cooking, not that he cooked particularly well or often.

Sitting down together at the table with their food for several speechless moments, Shinichi found the courage to ask the question that had plagued him every night since they had started playing "family."

"Microwavable curry?" He asked as if in disbelief.

"Yes, Kudo. Brilliant deduction." Ai didn't look up from her food, only quietly started eating.

"I know what it is, it's just that-"

"Just what?" She blew on her spoon, the curry was just a little too hot. She supposed she had cooked it too long.

"I just don't know what it is doing here on my plate. Again." He said, glaring at his plate.

"It's your dinner."

"I know, but if I remember correctly we had curry and rice for dinner yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that, and the day before that too. And if I also remember correctly, we had if for lunch every one of those days, including today."

"If you don't want curry and rice, then you don't have to eat it. But it's either curry and rice or starving until the professor comes to visit, since I don't see you cooking." She said apathetically. She didn't want to be bothered to come up with something new everyday. Besides, the curry was on sale.

Shinichi mumbled something under his breath, which may have included several colorful insults, though whether they were directed at Ai or the curry was unclear.

Ai stood up walked to the other side of the table and took his plate away, probably to throw it out. Shinichi pulled on her shoulder to stop her from taking away the only dinner he was probably going to get that night.

Unfortunately, Shinichi had forgotten that they were different sizes now, so he was much stronger than she was.

"Oww. Don't tug on my arm so hard."

Shinichi pulled back his hand and mumbled and apology, "I'm sorry. I'll eat it. But could you make something new tomorrow?"

"Could you please learn to cook yourself?"

Shinichi glared. "Fine. I'll have Agasa come over tomorrow."

Scooping a spoonful of curry and rice into his mouth, he asked, "By the way, what are you planning on doing once the Black Org. is taken care of? Now that we know where they are, Akai is planning an attack. Since the antidote is complete, will you take it? I can't imagine you staying like that forever."

Ai thought for a moment before she answered. It was a very tricky question. She had been happiest when they were in Beika with the professor and Ayumi and everyone else. She had felt a sense of belonging.

But when Kudo had changed back, she had gone with him. She had said it was only to give him a more plausible cover story, but . . . she'd be lying if she said her personal feelings hadn't played into the decision.

Now she spent most days with alone with him, just the two of them. Truth be told, nothing had personally changed, but she had felt comfortable with him. But she also felt lonelier.

It wasn't the just the absence of the kids. Even with "Kousuke" there, his mind was only ever there momentarily. He was a workaholic obsessed with taking down the Black Org., obsessed with returning to "Shinichi Kudo."

Ai could remember the long hours and endless nights she had spent over these last seven years completing the formula for the antidote. It was mostly hard, thankless work.

Ai didn't want to change back into Shiho. Shiho didn't have friends. She didn't have family. And she certainly didn't have Kudo. But then, neither did Ai.

And after all that work for his sake, because it certainly wasn't for hers (secretly, she wouldn't have minded if they had stayed Ai and Conan forever), she watched him transform back into an adult; watched as he left her behind, alone in a child's form.

"I could turn back, I suppose." Ai said at last. "But I can't think of anyone who would be glad if I did. If there was someone like that, I think I would take it."

"I see," replied Shinichi absently. Ai wondered if he had asked for anything more than curiosity, but doubted it.

"Sign of Four is on tonight. Want to see it together?" she asked, but almost she immediately regretted it. She was getting pretty desperate if she was pulling out the Sherlock Holmes card this early in the game.

Shinichi's expression considerably brightened. "Sure. When is it on?"

Before she could tell him it would be on at 8 o'clock, the phone rang. Shinichi picked it up.

"Hello. Who is this? Akai? What's up? Anymore news?"

Ai recognized Akai's voice but couldn't hear well enough to make out the words. Shinichi was quiet for a long time as Akai informed him of something.

A few minutes in, Ai could tell something was wrong. Shinichi's face turned completely white and he was in a cold sweat. Then his expression turned to anger.

Ai could hear that Akai had hung up. Shinichi put down the receiver and stalked toward the closet. He grabbed his coat and his keys and turned to leave. His hand on the doorknob, he only paused long enough to say, "They got away."

When he left, he slammed the door hard enough to shake their small two-bedroom apartment.

Ai remained in her seat. She finished her dinner, threw away Kudo's, and did the dishes. She did the laundry. She cleaned the windows and vacuumed the carpets. She changed the light bulbs and watered the houseplants. She even re-categorized all of the books on their bookshelves.

Half an hour past midnight, he still wasn't home. Ai took a bath. Drying her hair, she returned to her room. Next to her desk was a filing cabinet. It was filled with her Apotoxin 4869 research.

In a sudden, impulsive burst of anger, she yanked open the drawer and threw the antidote file across the room where it hit the wall with a thud. The papers made a small mess on the floor, but she made no move to pick them up. Instead, she slipped into her bed and went to sleep, her back to the remnants of her outburst.

M.P-chan: First of all, I've had this chapter done for a while. But the beginning of the chapter reminded me too much of the exchange between Spike and Jet from the first episode of Cowboy Bebop. In my defense, I hadn't even SEEN the episode until after I had finished completely writing this. But my best friend bought me the complete box set for my high school graduation (and birthday) gift, so that brought it to my intention. So if you're feeling déjà-vu, that's probably the cause.

But since I wrote the scene before I saw Cowboy Bebop, I figured it was okay and decided to update Lies after the long delay. It came from the fact that Conan seems to rely on Ran for food. Otherwise he just sits around and complains about being hungry. Ai just didn't seem like a cook to me.

Just as a reminder, Lies is planned at four chapters, so the story is about ½ way through. Ai is 15, Shinichi is 24.