Well, hope you lots enjoy this part as well. What else can I say, same old things...OH, I wish you all a happy and successful, romantic new year! May all your wished come true and may we all find our own sexy Kaito, cool Heiji or a yummy Shinichi! Nochmal alles Liebe an Dich and...(hugs everybody)

Chapter nine- Uncertainity

"Hello?"

"Ran? It's me!"

"Kazuha-chan! What do you want this early?" Ran looked at her watch and saw that it was not even nine o'clock in the morning.

"Ran… I… I…." Kazuha managed to utter but something huge in her throat prevented her from saying more. She felt new tears of despair form in her eyes and quickly brushed them away. "I…" she swallowed but it was still impossible to talk.

"Kazuha? Are you all right?" Ran was starting to get concerned about her friends behaviour.

"I am okay!" Kazuha breathed out quickly and was now panting slightly. The words had for some reason cost her a lot of energy.

Ran drew her eye brows together. She was not convinced at all, Kazuha's behaviour only concerning her more. "How can I help you?"

"Y-yes.. I need h-help. Can…can we meet? But.. not here. A-and not in Tokyo…far away. Yes, far away is good, OH I KNOW! I have an idea… my aunt owns a small Inn in the mountains and they have hot springs there as well!" Kazuha started ranting, giddy with happiness because she had found a way to get some distance. "I need to ask her but what do you think? Want to go there for a day or two?" Her voice sounded so pleading that Ran could not help it.

"I think so…but first call and ask and then tell me."

Kazuha sounded so relieved that Ran's concern only grew. She knew that something was bothering Kazuha deeply. She had never seen…heard her friend like this. She sounded so panicked, lost. It was not like Kazuha, not the strong woman she always pretended to be.

"I will, right away and I'll call you in a few minutes, okay?"

"Okay…" Ran answered slowly.

"Great, see you!" and Kazuha hung up before Ran could reply.

"Bye." She whispered to her dead cell phone and sat down on the couch. She immediately sunk in her own thoughts.

"Who was that?" a voice behind her asked but she was already too deep in her own world to hear it. The man the voice belonged to approached her and sat down next to Ran on the couch.

"Ran?" he lay a hand on her back and she turned her head to look at him, obviously only now realizing that he was here.

"Did you just say something?"

His look betrayed his concern for her. "What's wrong?"

She looked back at her hands where she was still holding her cell phone, pondering about what to tell him. She knew that it will be the truth because they had promised to not lie to eath other a long time ago. She just did not know how to explain to him…

"That was Kazuha… she…" Ran took a deep breath. "She kind of asked me to go to the mountains for a few days.." Shinichi searched her eyes with his.

"Is the fact that we had a romantic weekend planned the reason why you look so concerned?"

"Well, that too… it is also… Kazuha…she…" Ran did not stand his intense gaze and looked back at her hands, finding it really hard to breathe for some reason. Shinichi felt this and glided closer to her, laying an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him slowly. He did not say anything, only rubbed her back waited patiently for her to talk. Ran found his closeness incredibly- soothing and encouraging. "She did not sound like herself. Not at all. It was like she was afraid to stay there, or rather panicked. She sounded confused and helpless, and I mean really helpless." Ran looked at Shinichi with a deep concern. "Shinichi, what am I do?"

The young man thought about it for a few moments while looking at his fiancée. Then he brushed some of her hair behind her ear and smiled gently. "You'll try to help her, won't you? You can't do otherwise, you know it as well as I do!"

"But--.. what about our weekend?"

"We can do that every time we want."

"So… you think I should go?"

"Yes. It will bother you anyway and if you think your friend needs help than you have to help her."

"Shinichi…" she looked at him, touched, happy. After kissing him, she hugged the young detective. "Thank you!"

"It's okay." He hugged her back, smiling. Her phone rang again.

"Hello? Kazuha- chan, hi. Yes… I see… what? So fast? No, it's no problem…" Ran looked at Shinichi with a small smile. "I will--.. yes. Half past one, Tokyo main-station. Yes, all right. See you then. Bye!" Ran hung up and looked at Shinichi. He simply smiled at her encouraging and she smiled back, feeling already a lot more confident.

"Okay then. I better go home and explain to Dad why I need to go, again and then get my things."

Shinichi nodded, amused when he suddenly had an image in his head, of an angry Kogoro who complained that Ran always left him alone. Most probably he would blame all on him, like he did every time since Shinichi came back.

Ran kissed him and made a move to stand up but his arms around her waist held her back. "Shinichi?"

"Well…" he pulled her back down and kissed her neck slowly. "..seems to me like you still have some time…at least an hour. Why should I let you go already?"

"But, we can't…"

He shook his head and smiled tenderly at her, seeing her cheeks paint slightly. "No, I just want to hold you a little longer." Ran only smiled.

Ever since he came back to her, he could not keep his hands to himself. He had to touch her as often as he could, almost needing the contact. She silently assumed that he may tried to make up for the lost time this way but she never asked him nor even thought about complaining simply because she was enjoying it too much. There was no feeling comparable as to the one that magically spread through her whole being when Shinichi held her, let alone did other things to her body.

"Okay." She smiled at him and tipped with a finger his nose. "But you'll have to drive me to the station."

"Whatever it takes!" he joked and grinned at her. His arms enclosed her tighter. She in return wound her arms around his neck and leaned her head down to kiss him.

---

As Heiji woke up, he had a strange feeling in his stomach which he could not explain. He lay completely still, eyes closed, for at least three minutes, sorting the things on his mind and the previous events. He gathered the information, for example the reason why his surrounding smelled different.

Pretty much the only question that remained to his still- tired mind was why the bed was cold. A blind hand reached out to touch the spot next to him while he tried to shield the sun away with the other, but it landed in cold nothingness.

He slowly opened his eyes and turned his head to look at the spot next to him.

It was empty.

Heiji slowly raised and sat up, the blanket falling on his lap. Where was Kazuha? Wasn't she supposed to be here with him?

'She was!' he thought surprised and turned his head to look around her room, but there was no trace of her. Even her clothes that they had thrown somewhere the last night were gone and so were some other personal things of her, this being the first things that he noticed right away. It seemed almost like she had gone out, what confused the hell out of Heiji.

He could not remember her having an important date today. What could possibly be that important to her that she left without telling him? And after THAT night no less?

Even though he did not want to admit it, this made Heiji really sad. It felt like the icing on the cake of a perfect evening was missing. Like the circle was in some way not completed.

He slowly lay back down, trying to ignore the pain in his chest. This was NOT how he had thought this would be like. How could Kazuha do something like this to him? Did he mean so little to her after all?

However… maybe it was too early to think like this? Maybe he was being unfair. A little sparkle of hope came to life in his chest. Perhaps she was in the house, making breakfast, cleaning, homework, heck.. something… as long as she only was here.

He quickly stood up and after a quick search found and put his boxers on, his cheeks a tad hotter than usual at the memory of how they had gotten five meters away from her bed in the first place.

'Yes, HER bed…' he blushed deeper, wishing again for her to be here right now. Then he dressed fully and went to search the house for the girl of his dreams, hoping dearly that his search would have success.

---

Kazuha was sitting on the train to Tokyo, watching the landscape pass by. It took all of her will to not start crying again.

She had, after hanging up, slipped into her room to get her travel-case and a few clothes. She tried to get everything done as quickly as possible. She really did not want to have to explain herself to Heiji in case he woke up. She simply couldn't handle it. Shortly before leaving, she looked a last time at the sleeping detective, her heart aching in agony.

If she did not go now, she never would. But if she stayed she risked getting hurt. Fear gripped hold of her emotions, mind and body and she regretfully and with aching heart turned away from him and closed the door behind her.

She had call her father from the train and told him that she'd be spending a few days visiting her aunt and that he was to tell nobody, especially Heiji, where she was. Not that she had thought that he would have tried to stop her but she simply needed to get away from Osaka as soon as possible. Thankfully, he had said nothing but "Have fun and enjoy your days off."

And she would do exactly that… eventually… She only wanted a few days off for herself, to think and sort her emotions out. She was glad that Ran would be with her, maybe she could even help her. No, she was sure that Ran could help her.

If anybody had experience with complicated love-affairs, it was her friend from Tokyo. She wished the train would go faster.

Heiji poked his way in her mind again and Kazuha suppressed the upcoming tears. She hoped that he did not hate her now. That he would try to understand her a little bit. Hoped that he… that he… Kazuha was not sure what else she was hoping for. Mostly that he would not dislike her after what she had done to him. She wished he would understand. She was going to tell him what was going on, as soon as she knew it herself.

Perhaps she should call him?

Kazuha sighed, a bitter and painful used breath leaving her lips. She couldn't. She could not hurt Heiji even more when she did not know what she was feeling, for right now, all she felt was pain.

---

With a painful feeling in his heart, Heiji left the house of the Toyama family after searching it three times for the girl of the house. Unfortunately his search had been in vain, for he had not found her or a trace of her whereabouts. He refused to jump in conclusions and tried hard to ignore his working brain and the panic in his chest.

He put the key of the house underneath the flowerpot it always was, noticing against his will that her keys with the little white sheep-keychain he had given her many years ago, were gone.

Okay, he knew that she had left. But Heiji couldn't simply accept it. No, he needed to find her, to look at her and hopefully to talk with her. He needed to solve this thing between them. And, on his things-to-do list, finding her was was on top. Where could she have gone to?

She always had a liking in his mother, seeing in her some kind of mother-figure. Maybe Kazuha would want to talk to her? Simply because Heiji did not believe that she would run to any girl from their class. The speed of rumours in their school was not normal, honestly. They spend almost their whole school-lives denying their feelings for each other, constantly proving the opposite to their classmates.

And this they had destroyed in one evening.

He shook his head violently, the urge to talk to her overwhelming. He sped home, hoping with his whole being to find her shoes as he opened the door to his house. And even as he did not see any of her shoes but her slippers instead that were always there, ready for any visit, he told himself nonetheless: 'Oh well, maybe she likes going without slippers and-... shoes-.. nowadays.'

Not that he was stupid enough to lie to himself this much. It was simply his hopeful thinking which he could not suppress, for everyone longed for hope. Humanity would die without hope.

"Mom? Dad?" Heiji screamed as he walked further inside. No answer. He walked to the living room where his mother was sitting and embroidering the edges of something that looked like a huge, white blanket.

"Heiji! Welcome home."

Before she could go on, he was already walking to her and kneeling down in front of his mother and looked intensely at her, not able to ban the concern from his voice.

"Did you hear anything from Kazuha? Was she here? Did she call?"

"K-Kazuha?" his mother thought about it for a moment, looking with motherly concern at her son. "Not that I know. But why? Did you two have a fight?"

"Eh…" Heiji started sweating. "..p-probably…" he finally answered and looked at his hands on the ground. "So you haven't heard anything about her whereabouts?"

"Unfortunately not, I am sorry." Shizuka lay her embroidery down and a hand on the shoulder of her son. "What happened?"

As much as he loved his mother, Heiji really didn't know how he could explain the situation to her without embarrassing himself and Kazuha. After all, he didn't know how much of the previous night was still present in the girl's heart. Did her disappearance even mean she refused to marry him after all?

This uncertainty was killing him. Hattori Heiji was not doing well with uncertainty and unsolved mysteries and the question of 'Where is Kazuha?' was in his eyes the biggest mystery to solve at the present time.

"It's kind of difficult to explain. I need to talk to her first, that's all but I can not find her."

"Maybe she went to visit her father at the police-station!" Shizuka suggested, trying to help her son with her ideas. Heiji looked at her, considering the information.

'Why would Kazuha go to her father? I don't think she would simply tell him about last night and ask him for help to any question she might have. Or would she?'

"Maybe… yes, I'll go and look. But first I need to shower." He stood up. "Desperately so-..." he muttered under his breath. Then he kissed his mother on the cheek "Thank you, mom!"

"I hope you will find her. You two shouldn't fight. She is such a good girl."

"O-okay." Was all that he could answer for the knot in his throat started throbbing painfully in rhythm with his heart.

"Have faith, my son!" she told him softly.

"I'll see you later!" he disappeared quickly, red cheeks starting to burn. Indeed, one could almost say that he fled. Shizuka looked after her son, concern in her eyes.

'I sure hope they can make up again. I have always adored this girl, loved her almost like my own child but always hoping she would become my daughter in law. She is strong, passionate, has a good heart and knows exactly how to handle my stubborn and impulsive son, how to keep him in check. They make such a great couple. I only hope they will eventually realize it, too.' Her gaze softened.

'I am sure they will. They were made for each other, everybody with eyes can see it. All one needs some times, is time to think. And faith. Kami-sama will help them, this I am certain of.'

With faith in her heart, she turned back to her work, thinking back on the times she was younger. She also had to go a long way until Heizo had realized that they were a perfect match. But faith had helped and of course the weapons of women. In every case, it had been worth it.

She smiled to herself, wondering why not cook Heizo's favorite dish today, to surprise him when he came home from work.

Meanwhile Heiji had all but run into the shower, hoping for some relief. And it did help. At first. The pain couldn't be washed away and neither could his fears. He wished so much she would show up and explain everything to him. What could make her do what she had in the first place? He didn't know what caused this in her but he felt like it was his fault. After all, every time they fought it had been his fault.

The water soothed his limbs a little and it was only now that he realized he was standing kind of shaky on his feet. The actions from the previous day must have gotten to him somehow! After all, he had been walking all the day and in the night he had… they had… he gulped, trying to swallow the rock in his throat down.

'Kazuha…' he felt like crying. He needed to find her, most desperately so, or otherwise…

Or otherwise.

He quickly left the shower and got dressed, having decided to go and ask her father if he had the slightest idea of where his daughter was, as a last option of where he could find her.

Unfortunately this search has been in vain as well. Her father had no idea about the whereabouts of his daughter but Heiji felt in his gaze that if something has happened to her, he had some fast talking to do or he might not survive to see the sun rise again.

As if Heiji really wanted to see the sun rise again without… if something happened to her… he shuddered and quickly left the police department, going on his search for her once again, looking at places she might have gone to.

---

Ran was waiting with Shinichi for the train of Kazuha to arrive which was going to be in about four minutes.

"I think I better go-" Shinichi stated and placed Ran's baggage, which he had been carrying, down.

"Why?" Ran, who was occupying his other hand, asked him surprised.

"Well, you have heard her, right? I think she would not want to see me, us, like this. She needs you now, right?"

Ran looked at Shinichi for a long time, thinking about what he had said. At first, she was unsure but then she understood that he was right. What Kazuha needed now was a good friend to talk things over with. She had, after all, obviously problems with Heiji so it wouldn't exactly help to appear as a happy couple.

Ran looked with longing in her eyes at Shinichi, still holding his hand.

"I don't…" she started slowly.

"I know!" he interrupted her. "I don't want you to leave either! But you have to and it's only for a few days!" he smiled at her reassuringly and brushed her hair away from her face. Ran smiled back.

"How come you always know the right thing to say?" He only grinned and bent down without another word, hugging her and kissing her slowly. After pulling back she lay her head against his chest for a moment, hugging him as tightly as she could. He returned the gesture, stroking over her hair.

"I better go now. Make sure you have some relaxing days, okay?"

Ran smiled lovingly at him and nodded. Suddenly Shinichi's expression turned serious. "And take care that you are always covered up good. Not that other guys could get a wrong idea!" she couldn't help her chuckle as she looked thoroughly at him with raised eyebrows. He blushed and coughed, looking discreetly away. "I mean, it is very cold and I don't want you to get sick!"

Ran stood on her tiptoes and pressed a sweet kiss on his lips. As she pulled back and smiled heart-warmingly at him he already seemed to be more at ease. They looked at each other, both knowing exactly that there were so many unsaid things left, take care, I miss you and I love you only being a few examples. But, it was like they didn't need to speak it out. It shone brightly in both their pair of eyes and also… they simply knew! Deep down they knew all these things already.

It simply is amazing, the communication of two hearts that are so very close to each other.

They heard a voice ringing over the station, announcing that the Osaka express would arrive in a minute. The two shared a deep gaze, smiled at each other in silent agreement and shared a last, sweet kiss that had to bring them around the next days.

"Bye!"

"Bye!" they said their goodbyes, holding hands and soon he started to walk away. Ran was looking after him until he disappeared in the crowd of people.

Kazuha arrived in Tokyo a minute later. She was glad and relieved as she saw her friend standing there, waiting for her. She hugged Ran tightly, repeating how happy and glad she was that she would come with her.

"Didn't Kudo-kun bring you?"

"Eh.. he did.. but he went home already."

"Why?" Kazuha asked, seemingly surprised. Ran started sweating.

"He… didn't want to get involved in girl things."

Kazuha chuckled at this and Ran joined her soon after, although not as convincing.

They sat on the train to the mountains which would depart ten minutes later. Neither spoke about or brought up things that concerned problems, men and so on. As they finally departed, a tranquil silence enveloped them.

Ran wanted to know what was going on with her friend, what her problem was. But she didn't dare ask directly. She didn't know how bad it was and maybe she would hurt her this way. So she satisfied herself with watching her friend and waited until she came to her out of her own.

Kazuha was sitting in silence and looking out of the window, observing the trees that zoomed by without really seeing them. She knew that she was probably worrying her friend but she didn't feel ready to talk about her emotional life. On the contrary! She felt rather stupid for what she had done. Stupid for overreacting like she had, stupid for walking away. A familiar fear gripped her heart and she unconsciously moved a hand up to her chest, gripping her shirt in an imaginary attempt to get some imaginary missing air.

---

"Hello?"

"Kudo? Oh, I am so glad I reached you!"

"Hey man, what's up? You sound-"

"It's Kazuha!"

"-weird." Shinichi ended, confused. "Wh- What's with her?"

"She is not here! I mean… she was SUPPOSED to be here, somewhere, but she is NOT!" Heiji sounded really… well, the word Shinichi would use here was 'mad'.

"Hattori, calm down. So are you saying she is late or she didn't show up or you think she was kidnapped?"

"No, that's not the case. Aren't you listening? I told you, she was supposed to be here, somewhere, but she is NOT! I can't find her anywhere, either! I have searched for her the whole day like crazy!" 'Yes, definitely mad!' Shinichi thought and tried to understand what Heiji was trying to tell him. And even without Heiji talking loud and so fast one could hardly understand him, that was a difficult thing to do.

"Hattori? Listen, sit down and take a deep breath, then we can talk!" It was an order and to Shinichi's surprise, the stubborn detective of the West followed his instructions without complaining. 'He must be really desperate!' "Better?"

"Yes." Heiji took another breath.

"Okay. So again, I assume that Kazuha slept over at your house yesterday, right? Explains the phone call you just had to do at four o'clock in the morning!" Shinichi teased to lighten the mood. And Heiji indeed grinned a little.

"I'll never live that down, will I?"

"Nope!"

The men chuckled. "Okay, I know I am right. So, as you woke up she was not there anymore?"

"Exactly!" Heiji was so glad that Shinichi understood him.

"Did you do something to annoy her?"

Heiji thought hard about the question, reliving the past events. There could have been so many things that could have annoyed her without him even realizing it. But what? And there he was again in the vicious circle of guilt, fear and uncertainty.

"I am not sure… How do you define: 'annoy'?"

Shinichi raised an eye-brow. "Want to talk about it?"

"I… don't think so…"

"Okay…" Shinichi tried to think of a way to help his friend without having to tell him where Kazuha went to. "It is kind of late. You should cool down and relax. I am sure she is perfectly fine and you simply don't find her because she does not want to be found just yet. Give her time. Go, distract yourself and sleep over it and tomorrow you can decide what to do further. IF she has not called you by then." 'If Ran can help her out of her crisis. But if somebody can do it, then her!'

"Distract myself and sleep over it?" Heiji echoed slowly. "I guess I will-… do that…"

"Good. Don't drive yourself mad, Hattori. I am sure everything will turn out for the best."

"Okay. Thanks."

"You're welcome. And you can call me tomorrow in case you need anything, okay? But remember, AFTER the sun has risen, all right?" Shinichi sounded like a grown up who was explaining to a little kid how to use a spoon properly.

Heiji chuckled. "All right, I'll remember. Bye!"

"Bye!"

Heiji stared a little at the small phone in his hand. Shinichi was right. He needed to calm down and relax. Kazuha had a reason, he was sure of it. Even though he could not quite make it out just yet, but…

He walked home and without another word went to his room and to bed, hoping that the morning would bring some answers.

end of Chapter nine

(Don't wonder about the nummering of the Chapters, I continued counting where I stopped at"Unforeseen, destined" which had seven chapters.) If you enjoy this story, please let me know!