Author's Notes: Hi guys! Thanks for all the reviews! Made me feel... honoured? Lolz!

Hmm... do I have a strange writing style? o.O someone said that I did. Just curious. XD

-UPDATE-: This chapter has been edited also, and hope you enjoy! *luvluvluvluv* :P

Disclaimer: Story + Disclaimer = Does not belong to 'author'. Still with me? ;P

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~ o n c e . u p o n . a . t i m e ~

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part II

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Once upon a time…

There was a girl. She loved a boy.

He disappeared. She wept.

And when he appeared again…

There was nothing else she could ask for...

Life had been hell without him.

-

"Shin… Shin… ichi…

Is that really you? Really?"

Ran stared at Kudo Shinichi, the Kudo Shinichi. "Where were you, all this time? I've been so worried about you! Do you know how much time I spent… wondering… if something terrible happened to you? Do you? I've been so… so…"

She collapsed against him, head on his chest, sobbing.

"Calm down, calm down…" Shinichi murmured. "It's all okay now… No need to cry anymore… baka…" he stroked her hair softly.

She moved her head towards him… and slowly, slowly… their heads came closer together…

Their lips interlocked in a smooth motion.

It was as if everything that happened all this time ago, it was as if they didn't happen. It was as if Shinichi didn't leave at all, as if everything had been perfect.

Of course, if it wasn't perfect before, it was perfect now.

It felt so right.

Right?

"And anyway," she says, interrupting the silence yet again. "I couldn't stand it. I couldn't stand all the talk about fairytales and happy endings. When in real life it's so much different."

"It's like a fairytale, is it not?" says she, a smile playing on her lips.

"Or is there…" she says, devoid of emotion. "Don't worry. Eventually, all fairytales have happy endings…

So you need not worry…

But in the end, the witch will have no comrades, whatsoever. She'll be alone.

And she'll fade to nothing."

Suddenly it didn't feel so right. He broke off the kiss.

"Shin… ichi?" Ran asked.

"I'm sorry." He muttered. "There's something I forgot I had to do… I'm late already."

"Oh, well… see you later, Shinichi!" Ran said, faux-cheerfully.

"Goodbye," he replied.

-

Once upon a time…

There was a girl. She… didn't have a childhood.

She didn't love – save for her sister.

She didn't hate. Emotionless.

She met a boy, who managed to melt her ice-cold defenses…

And slip into her heart.

-

"What's your name?"

Miyano Shiho.

"Fujiwara Azusa," she said, smiling at the woman behind the desk at customs twirling her long black hair (wig). Yes, you read right. Smiling. (She had to keep her disguise solid, as big a pain as it was. She didn't exactly fancy being shot – again.) "Here's my passport."

The woman looked at it for a second, then waved her through.

She walked a few steps, and then sat down at a bench, wincing in pain, as she clutched at her side.

She had been shot about an hour earlier. She didn't know if it was a random shooting, but she suspected it was probably the members of the Black Organisation who had evaded detection.

Perhaps it was because she was coming out of the police building, maybe the gunman had recognized her, and thought that she was going to tell the police about all the members.

And so now she had to leave. She couldn't depend on that baka tantei anymore, he was already going back to that girl. And she most certainly couldn't lead the gunman to them…

… they'll get their fairytale ending, at the price of hers.

(if she even had a fairytale ending to start with)

-

Once upon a time…

There was a boy. He loved a girl.

He loved his childhood friend.

He met another girl.

He loved her, that fallen angel.

And he had to choose.

-

"Passengers on Flight 103 on CZ-123, you may board the plane now. Repeat: Passengers on Flight 103 on CZ-123, you may board the plane now."

Shiho winced at the loud voice projecting out of the speakers. It was too soon, it was much too soon. She wasn't prepared to leave Japan yet.

But not leaving wasn't an option.

She sighed, and hoisted her handbag over her shoulder. Then she headed towards the queue that had assembled in front of the gates.

-

"Dammit!" Shinichi cried as he slammed the phone down.

He had gone to Professor Agasa's house, only to find it empty. He had called Agasa-hakase, only to find that he didn't know anything about Ai's absence. And then finally, he had found a note.

Gone for good. Don't look for me. Hakase, stay healthy. Don't eat junk food all the time. Kudo, be happy with Mouri Ran.

I'm not running away. This is my destiny.

It was nice to have known you all.

From Haibara Ai

-

"Haibara!"

She ignored the voice at first, blaming her mind for her over-active imagination.

"Haibara!"

There it goes again. She forced herself not to look behind.

It couldn't be him, could it?

Um, yes, it could. Especially when a hand clamps onto her shoulder and spins her around.

"What are you doing here?" she snapped at the detective. She didn't mean to sound so… well, angry… actually, maybe she did. She had worked on the antidote so hard, and created it… for him, to return to his previous like with her, and here he comes, running back.

Well, whatever. She was going, and when Miyano Shiho was, she was.

"What do you mean what I'm doing here? I should be asking you the same thing!" Shinichi said, a hurt tone in his voice.

Whatever. He can act all sad-puppy-like, and although his millions of fangirls would just swoon, I'm not.

"Well, duh, this is the airport. When you go to an airport, you are either here to see people off, or to go on a plane yourself and fly to somewhere else."

"That's not what I meant."

"You should say what you mean the first time you say it."

There was silence for a few moments.

Then Shinichi sighed.

"Are you really going to go?" he asked in a small voice.

"Yes," she replied, twirling the sleek dark hair of her wig around her fingers. Which reminded her. How did he recognize her?

"Will anything change your mind?" he asked, scared of the answer.

"No," she replied patiently. How many times does she have to say it to this baka detective? Wasn't he actually meant to be, well, smart?

"Will this change your mind?"

Suddenly, without warning, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight against him. He leant down, and pressed his lips against hers.

The kiss lasted for one bliss moment before she broke it off.

"Stop!" Shiho cried, pushing him away from her. "You're making it all worse!" she blinked as tears began to form in her eyes. "I've done everything for you to go back to your old life, and this is how you repay me!"

She turned away as tears began streaming down her face. People passing by gave her strange looks, but none stopped to give her a hand. Private moment, they thought. Lover's quarrel.

"Is this a bad way of repaying you?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

Damn him, damn him, damn him, Shiho screamed in her head. Stupid detective. Stay away from me! She tossed her head, and stalked away, head held high.

"Wait!" Shinichi called after her. After he reached her side, he let himself pant a bit, before looking at her.

"Would you mind if I came with you instead?" he asked cockily.

"What?"

"How do you think I was able to come to this part of the airport without buying a ticket?"

Wha-? He was going to come along?-

-Damn him!

But nevertheless, she felt her sour mood (and defenses) melting, and her anger faded.

Shinichi grinned at her, and grabbed her hand. "Come on! Let's go!"

Shiho frowned a bit, before letting herself smile.

Maybe…

-

Once upon a time…

There was a boy. He met a girl.

The girl didn't believe in happy endings.

The boy did.

He vowed to himself that he'll make a fairytale ending for them.

And that they'll live happily ever after…

.FIN.