I DO NOT OWN ANY CHARACTERS FROM DETECTIVE CONAN. THIS IS PURELY FAN BASED.

The noise of the helicopter disturbed the stillness of the night as it was expertly maneuvered to land directly at the center of helipad. The willowy woman in the tight catsuit climbed down the helicopter, her long brown hair flowing as she walked. A tall man with short silver hair waited for her at the corner, his long bangs gently dancing with the wind.

"Here I thought you cut your hair because it was a complete nuisance but why maintain the long bangs." She handed him the package as she talked.

The slender man only regarded her as though she was springing nothing but garbage.

"Still touchy feely when it comes to your hair I see." She trapped a few strands of hair gently in her hand, tucked it in place and looked challengingly in his ocean green eyes.

Silver was known to go raving mad when someone touches his hair though she had not witnessed it yet first hand. What a weird fetish.

She was preparing herself for his lethal rebuttal when he just looked at her as though she was no bones and flesh but part of the stifling wind and strode off, the package tucked to his side. She stared at his retreating back. Well there goes the rumor and her sleep. She was still vibrating with the energy of tonight's encounter with the detective and was hoping to expel some of it with Silver's help but he was no willing accomplice.

Boooooo.

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He awoke not too long ago but kept his eyes closed, willing away the new unwanted information from being accepted in his system. He clenched his eyes tighter, replaying that startling encounter with the woman last night. Was it her? Was that Ran? Was she under some test drug? The thought repulsed him.

Those heartless bastards.

But despite all the confusion, he could not stop the rise of hope in his heart.

Whether or not that was Ran, one thing was for sure, Ran was alive.

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She stepped inside her room and locked the door behind her, to give herself enough reaction time if and when Silver recklessly decides to throttle her alive from her recent audacious antic. She sat at the corner of her queen sized bed and slowly took off her sleek fighting boots and tossed it aside, her tired feet enjoying its freedom from its confinement. She crossed her bathroom barefooted, peeled herself off her suit and stood beneath the shower. Torrents of lukewarm water streamed from her face down, completely cooling her exhausted body. She momentarily closed her eyes and unwanted memories from the past polluted her mind.

She was laughing with youthful glee as her father chased her around their expansive lawn while her mother watched them from across the lawn, sipping her afternoon tea. The sun was bright and glaring but the family embraced their usual Sunday afternoon activities. This was the only time her father who was a public servant in the States had enough time to spare for his family so the three of them treasured every second of it.

"Dad!" she called after him without looking at her back. She ran as fast as her little dainty legs could take her but eventually the one with longer limbs won.

"I gotcha!" Her father tenderly swooned her off her feet and into his loving arms. He tickled her stomach with his morning stubbles.

She laughed uncontrollably, squirming from her father's gentle hold. When suddenly she started falling away from his warmth, smiling inquisitively she looked up and screamed in horror. There was blood on his forehead, dripping uncontrollably out of his body. She called for her mother asking for help but no one answered. Her horror filled eyes searched for her mother's but all she saw was her slumped head and blood trickling in the ground. Her mother's blood. She shook her fallen father.

"Dad! Dad! Dad! Wake up!"

Her father continued to remain still. She ran to her mother and shook her with all her might.

"Mom! Mom! Look daddy is playing dead! Please wake him up…"

She too did not move and she was terrifyingly cold.

She looked at her hands covered with her parents' blood and screamed.

Her tear mingled with the water that slid from her face. The system will pay for killing her parents. They will pay for her lost childhood. For her shattered dreams. For her brokenness. And ultimately for killing her heart.

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Shinichi leaned from the wall as his family and friends crowded his supposed to be expansive receiving area, making him smile for a moment as warmth spread through his heart. Family. It was the only thing that kept him breathing for the past years of coping and of acceptance. And when he was finally on his final stages of grieving this blew out in his face.

Eri stared straight at Shinichi who was trapped in his thoughts. His hair remained in the same carefree fashion that he had sported since his junior years. His face was nowhere near her type…well, but she had heard from Yukiko, his mother, that his popularity with the female population has doubled in number. Ah the taste of kids these days. Automatically she slightly glanced at Kogoro from her side, smiled secretly and quickly set her gaze back at Shinichi. She doesn't want her husband to gloat. As she continued her physical examination of Shinichi's physique, she noted that he was no longer the lanky teenager he used to be. From her view, his arms were filled up nicely, just in proper proportion with his six flat stature. Nothing too drastic but she could see the outline of his muscles from his white shirt. His chest seemed to be rock solid now, probably due to his extensive training when he joined the team who was in charge of the black organization. She could conclude that he had grown quite acceptable to be her future son in law. If only… Her eyes started to water. She felt lean strong hand capture her hands. She looked down and squeezed back silently thanking him for his support. She and her estranged husband have gotten back together after the death of their daughter. They felt that they had a bigger chance of living if they leaned on each other and it made the memories of Ran so much more meaningful.

We miss you Ran…

Shinichi dispelled his gloomy thoughts when he felt the heavy air surrounding them.

"My team has already dispatched pictures of Ran through out the country and in our missing person list. At this moment this is the only thing we could do." He searched for everyone's reaction, he sighed. "It would be too dangerous but I know no matter what I say you will still conduct your own search so I would not stop any of you but do bear in mind that we could not afford to lose one more person in this family so please be careful. And I just have one request, that the women in this family are too not conduct any search…" then his eyes landed on Detective Sato, "…except for detective Sato of course."

He looked from his mother to Eri, Sonoko, and Kazuha. The rest looked at them imploringly that the four could only nod their heads in acceptance.

"We have acquired temporary license to form our own team and conduct our own activities with the sole purpose of finding Ran. Our team will be deployed around the state to search." Detective Megure informed everyone.

"And I will be your temporary partner Kudo." Heiji looked at Shinichi.

Shinichi was programmed to work alone but this time would be an exception as time was of the essence.

He nodded amicably at Heiji.

After a quiet dinner, Detective Megure, Detective Takagi, Detective Sato, and Detective Shiratori were the first ones to leave followed by Dr. Agasa. Soon after Detective Mouri and Eri left together with his parents as they will be staying at their home. Heiji drove Kazuha and Sonoko to Sonoko's house which was close to the Kudo residence.

Heiji came back not long after to stay at Shinichi's place.

"Kudo." He looked at Shinichi inquisitively. "Have you seen Ran prior to this? I understand how the news of Ran alive was a shock but there was something else. You were not as surprised as you were supposed to be and instead you were terrified of the news as though… excuse me for saying this… she was better dead. "

Shinichi expelled a heavy breath, Hattori must know. At this point, he must not keep anything from him. "We had one of the black organization's suppliers for illegal substance under surveillance and on the night you came here, we found him dead. We had been there to late to avoid the murder but just in time to still catch the killer. And I had an encounter with the killer." He swallowed a lump in his throat before he continued, "It was Ran. No it wasn't Ran… but it looked like Ran. I don't know. I couldn't be sure. The face was the same but apart from that… I have no clue."

Hattori tried to remain as composed as he could, remembering the way Kudo looked as he came back from the scene, looking absolutely out of himself which rarely happened. The pieces was slowly shifting in the right direction inside his mind.

"Then we have to find her before anyone else does."

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True to their words Sonoko and Kazuha stayed out of the investigation but had to keep their mind off it so they decided to shop. But no matter how much enthusiasm they try to display, they still could not get the thought of Ran out of their system. They walked endlessly inside the shopping district until their tired feet could carry them no more. The aroma of coffee and baked pastry registered from their senses, hypnotizing them to follow the smell. They landed on an expensive looking French café named Fréquanté. Sonoko who was usually unfazed by luxury, growing up with it, gasped in astonishment at how the place seemed to breathe the air of elegance without being standoffish. It fascinated her how it bridged both the elements of simplicity and luxury. From its comfy looking grand scale chairs with floral upholstery in warm peach, partnered with lavish crystal round tables, to its polished mahogany floors and flesh brick walls adorned with small potted green plants and black square-shaped frames. This was what a girl needs after a day at the mall.

A uniformed waitress greeted them at the foot of the entrance and led them to the only vacant table for two. The place was brimming with people, noting that it was already late afternoon. They made their orders and chatted while waiting.

Sonoko was seated facing the wall while Kazuha's back faced it. Kazuha's eyes widen in disbelief as she saw a faint familiar image of a woman whom she knew all too well. Despite the difference in hair color and the woman's elegant appearance in a cream tailored suit, there was no doubt in her heart who it was. Kazuha abruptly stood from her chair, walked slowly as her knees felt weak then found the strength to run as she saw the woman's back disappearing from her line of vision and into a private door. It closed before she could reach her. She knocked with urgency but discreetly enough to not cause the attention of the people inside the café.

Sonoko gave her a questioning look from her seat.

She tried to raise her voice but only managed to mouth out the words. "Ran…"

Sonoko unable to fully read her lips, came towards her. "What?"

She gathered herself, "Ran… I think I saw Ran."

Sonoko looked at her in disbelief, "No… that can't be possible. Did you see her face?"

"No… but… It's feels like her. The moment I saw the woman with blond hair I suddenly remembered Ran. The built. The outline of her face."

"It could have been anyone Kazuha."

"No… I may not be a detective like Kudo-kun or Heiji but…"

"Excuse me Mademoiselles but are you looking for the bathroom? It's this way." The head waitress motioned her hands to the left.

Sonoko looked hard at Kazuha and then looked at the head waitress. "No, we would like to talk to the person inside please."

"Oh, you'd like to talk to the owner. Do you have an appointment with her?"

"No, but I have been impressed by the layout of this café and would like to discuss business with the owner." Sonoko kept her voice steady and business-like, eyeing the waitress with an air of sophistication that only belonged to the rich and privilege.

The waitress seemed undaunted but nodded her head in acknowledgement. "If you could please allow me." She motioned to the door.

Both women nodded in agreement and stepped aside from the door they had been crowding.

She knocked. "Miss Marie."

A buzz could be heard from the inside, unlocking the door.

"Please wait awhile." She opened the door, made a little opening and went inside.

Not a moment too long, she reemerged from the door, "She had agreed to see you."

Kazuha and Sonoko went inside and vaguely heard the door close behind them. Their eyes automatically zeroed in on the blond haired woman who was busy studying her latest accountant's report of her café's earnings. She kept her head downcast for several moments, staring at the figures in front her. They exceeded their profit from last quarter which was their highest so far until this. She smiled as she looked up and froze.

The three of them stared at each other for several moments until one of them spoke.

"Ran."

Marie opened her mouth to speak when Sonoko interjected, "Don'y you dare deny it. Your name might be different. Your hair is not brown. Everything about you seems different. But your eyes are the same gentle blue as I remember. Your nose. Your mouth. And your pretty ears. You're Ran… You're Ran..." she chanted while tears spilled from her eyes.

Marie was stolen another chance to speak as Kazuha sniffed, "I knew it… I knew it was you."

Marie then stood up and came closer to the two of them. Her face devoid of emotion until she was a feet away from them then tears too feel from her eyes. "I've missed you."

Kazuha's and Sonoko's eyes widened, the little ounce of doubt finally erased.

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Hattori ended the call, perplexed and ears ringing from Kazuha's loud voice.

"Kudo, we have to go your parent's home. I don't know why but Kazuha said it's urgent. The whole family has already gathered there.

Shinichi puzzled by the call, silently led the way to his car.

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Once everyone arrived, they looked expectantly at Sonoko and Kauzha. The two looked outside the window from the second floor where the family living room was located, just in time to see a woman with a ball cap stepped out of her car. They motioned for them to wait as they sped down the stairwell and opened the main door.

The three of them held their breaths as they climbed the seemingly short stairwell.

Now leveled with the second floor, they led her to the cozy living room where everyone waited. With one long breath she entered inside.

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Outside the house, a man in a long trench coat and fedora hat entered a black car.

"Keke. Let the fun begin."

A/N: I know… I know… the update took a year. Sorry for that. I hope everyone who read is wondering who the woman in the catsuit is and why it was so easy to find Ran after all those years. Hmmmmmm. Well I hope you stay tuned until the next update which we all hope won't take a year to happen.