--------------Chapter 2: The Chase--------------

"What are you going to do to find out, Kudou?" asked Heiji.

"Well..." Conan started. He picked up his bowtie and adjusted it. He then picked up his cellphone. "If I call him using Inspector Megure's voice, and a criminal picks up, it will seem as if the cops are on their way. Yet, If Mouri-san picks up, he'll be willing to tell us where he is and what he's doing, lest he be needed for some case." Conan made a sly smile. Heiji let out a laugh.

"You couldn't be so clever without all these gadgets, you know?"

Conan started dialing a number. "I know," he said nonchalantly.

Ran and Kazuha soon got up, rubbing both of their heads, "Why did he yell?"

Ran shrugged. "I better go check," Kazuha said, almost beginning to run up there. Ran grabbed her shoulder.

"Just let them be," Ran said, giving a smile.

Kazuha pouted, "You and that smile." She puckered her lips and sat down. Ran looked out the window and was drawn to a car that was parked outside.

"Kazuha..." she whispered, tugging on her shirt to pull her up to the window. "Do you see that?- Someone is in there." Kazuha squinted her eyes.

"You're right!" she said loudly. The figure in the car looked towards the window. They both quickly fell down, "Shhhh!" Ran said, putting a finger to her mouth.

Kazuha nodded, then slowly looked over to the car. "Eh, Ran, it's gone."

Ran quickly jumped up, "What?"

They both quickly jumped up, hearing a knock on the door. Ran looked at Kazuha, "Stay here." Ran quietly walked towards the door and answered it. Her eyes widened.

Rrrrring rrrrrring rrrrrrring "Hmm..." Conan hummed, "Nobody's picking up."

"Maybe the criminal took his phone?..." Heiji suggested.

"Or maybe he's passed out drunk," sighed Conan, hanging up. "Either way, I'll try again later." Conan put down the bowtie. Downstairs, a knock on the door was clearly audible. Heiji and Conan jumped. Slipping the phone into his pocket, the two ran downstairs.

Ran looked at Kazuha, "Kazuha stay here." Kazuha kept insisting that she go with Ran. "Stay here!" she yelled. Kazuha looked at her. Ran closed the front door and followed the figure into the car.

"You will tell me where my father is, right?" she said, looking at the man. The man smiled grimly as his silver hair draped over his shoulders. But his hat was covering his eyes, and the only light they had was from his cigarette.

"Why of course," he said deeply. Ran looked away.

As Heiji and Conan reached the doorway, it was too late. Conan's eyes went from Kazuha, straining herself to stay in place, out the window, to where Ran stood by a shiny black vehicle.

"No..." Conan thought, as he peered into the driver's seat, where the most obvious and hated blonde man in Shinichi's life existed. "It can't be... Not him... Talking with Ran?!" He darted outside, before Heiji could even ask what was going on. Conan stuck to the darkness, going from shadow-to-shadow, avoiding the streetlights as long as he could. When he was sure he could not be seen, he crouched down along the ground, opened up his watch, and shot out a quick little tranquilizer dart. But the car was already on its way. He missed.

Ran felt the gun he had throb into her side, she closed one eye as she winced. "Now, you're going me everything I need to know about... Kudou Shinichi."

Ran looked at him suprised," Shinichi?"

The man smirked. "I'm sure you've heard of him."

Ran stopped him, "Weren't you going to take me where my father is?" He shoved the gun into her side more.

"In the back seat, theres an old samurai sword. I need you to do a little errand for me now, Ran Mouri." She knew what he was going to ask her. "I need you to kill someone for me."

Ran quickly snapped, "No." She looked at him. He shrugged.

"Believe me, you will."

They drove on, finally arriving at a building. Once on top of it, they saw a man standing there asleep, all tied up. Ran held the samurai sword, as the man who was keeping her hostage stood behind her with a gun to her head. "Do it," he muttered. The guy tied up in front of her woke up. He widened his eyes, struggling to get away. Ran tried to turn around. But before she could, the guy behind her already had her in his grasp. "Do you want to die?" He smiled maliciously, "Especially not even knowing where you own father is?" He came closer to her. There was a sudden silent pause in her thoughts. She began to tear up and thought of Shinichi.

She quickly replied, "No! I have my friends, family, everyone and everything that I love!" She quickly drew the sword into her own stomach, leading the end into Gin's as well. She fell to her knees, full of the pain. She still had the sword in her. He fell to the ground as well, but was quickly able to get back up. With that, he ran off, leaving Ran kneeling there in pain.

"NOT so fast... Gin." In the elevator that opened, a boy stood, staring at him. Conan smirked, and turned off the tracking device on his glasses. "It's funny..." he started. "When I first saw you and tried to knock you out, I missed. As you started to drive away, I wondered..." He peeled one of the tracking dots from his shirt button. "If I put this in front of the dart, will it shoot with it and attach to your car?..." Conan raised an eyebrow, "...Apparently so." He watched Gin, the blood coming from his abdomen, as he continued on. "By the way, I'm not the only one who knows you're here. I contacted the police and let them know of your location. They should be here shortly."

Angered, Gin quickly pushed him out of the way and into the elevator, his hand over his abdomen. Ran walked over to the tied-up man and slowly untied him. Noticing the incredible pain she was in, she reached out to grab onto a handle. The man in front of her quickly stopped her, "You shouldn't struggle, you'll only ruin your internal organs." She watched him grab the handle, then quickly fell to her knees, holding her stomach.

Conan grunted. "Heiji! Kazuha! He's heading downstairs!" He called out, before turning around and rushing to Ran's aid. "Ran! What was that about? How did you get to talking with those guys?!"

Outside on the ground, Heiji yelled up, "Check!" He parked his motorcycle around the curb. Right behind him stood Kazuha, who was to direct the FBI once they arrived. Heiji ran into the building and hid by the elevator. He picked up a nearby vase, arming himself should something occur.

Ran was speechless. She felt her blood rushing out of her quickly. She slowly got up and limped away a bit, before falling back onto her knees. "I'm not going to make it," she said as her eyes began to water. Gin made his escape, of course. He was already down the street from the scene, holding his stomach.

"Damn girl," he muttered.

"Don't talk like that, Ran," said Conan, with the widest eyes he ever had. In the cool night air, sirens could be heard approaching. "See?" He told her, "The ambulance is on its way," he looked up to the other man, "For both of you." He turned back to Ran. He wrapped his arms around her and kneeled down close. She couldn't die. Not now. Especially not at the hands of the very people that forced him to horribly lie to her for so long, just to keep her safe. To give her all those sleepless nights and worries... No. She had to survive.

He held her so tightly. Only when he realized that his hair was wet, did he notice just how badly he was crying.

Soon the medics arrived. They gathered Ran and the man, working as hard as they could to save her. A hour later she woke up from inside the hospital. "Mmm?" she mumbled, as the light shined in her face. The medics were suprised to see her even alive. She hardly moved. Almost immediately, Kazuha came jumping in and hugged Ran.

"Next time I'm not going to listen to you, Ran," she announced to her face. Ran giggled.

In the waiting room, Conan stared into the wall blankly. Next to him was Heiji, his expression pretty much the same. Heiji looked beside him to see Kazuha's seat was now empty. "Oi, Kudou... Kazuha's disappeared... Do you think that means?..."

Conan did not waste a moment more waiting. He jumped from his seat over to Ran's room. "You're awake!" he called out, disbelieving. Heiji followed behind him. Just then, reality hit Conan again. He walked over to Ran's side, and quietly said, so that only she could hear, "Hey. Can I talk to you alone?..."

Ran looked at Conan, smiled and propped herself up, "Sure." Kazuha and Heiji left the room as Ran looked to the boy. "Um, what is it Conan?" she asked, tilting her head.

Conan decided there. It was fine to drop the child-like act. In a serious voice, he repeated what he asked on the rooftop an hour earlier. "How did you know those guys?" His eyes stared straight into hers, seeking out the truth more than ever before.

She looked away, her smile fading away as well. "What do you mean?" She stared into the corner of the room.

"Ran," He didn't remove his gaze, "I know that those aren't people you should be talking with. How did they find you? Why did you get into a car with them?!" His expression was stable.

Ran reached out of bed and hugged him gently. She smiled and whispered softly in his ear, "Because, I was only protecting you... Shinichi."

Conan's eyes flew open. His breath stopped in his lungs and refused to go free. He felt Ran's warm embrace, but all he could focus on was his own heart, hammering as if it would fly from his chest at any moment. "But... how?..." his thoughts raced.

She looked into his eyes and smiled, poking his nose, "Only joking, Conan." She knelt down closer to him. "I was only protecting those I care most about. But I wasn't going to start thinking you were Shinichi again." She smiled and kissed his cheek. "But... thank you for worrying about me."

Conan blinked. After the hug, he looked up at her. He could still feel his heart, now calming down. As he looked into her face, he couldn't help but smile. "Silly Ran-neechan. You miss Shinichi-niichan so much, you see him everywhere you look! You must really be crazy about him!" The two exchanged a smile, Conan knowing well that the feeling was mutual.

--------------End Chapter 2--------------