--------------Chapter 7: The Arrival--------------

"So, we'll take this, this, AND this!" Ran said cheerfully.

Kazuha stood behind her. "Uh, Ran, dontcha think you're taking a bit too much?" she questioned, raising her hand out to her.

Ran stopped and looked down at her full basket, "Eh, maybe." Soon after that, they were done, and Ran and Kazuha were already heading home. "We should stop by Agasa's later, just to check up on Mr. Botan." Ran said, looking up at the sky. "I still want to find out more information about my Dad's disappearance." She looked over her shoulder, hearing sniffling. "Eh?" Ran stopped, turning around at Kazuha. "Is it something I did, or said?" Ran asked, tiliting her head.

Kazuha clenched her fists, raising them to her chin. "You're so strong Ran!"

Ran embarrassingly chuckled, "Thank you..?"

Kazuha grabbed her arm, "I bet Conan is feeling better, we should hurry."

Ran gave a worried look. "I hope so."

Heiji turned back to the living room and sat down on the armchair, putting his head in his hand. "Ugh. So he doesn't even tell me that he plans to skip out on me, and leave me all alone in this house. What a considerate guy..." But then his eyes opened up as he realized something. He pulled out his phone and started writing a text message to Kazuha.

"Kazuha, come back as soon as you can. I need to talk to you... PS. There's no orange juice, can somebody please pick up some?"

"There," he thought, "Maybe now Kudou can meet up with her alone, like he probably planned."

Receiving his text message, Kazuha sighed. "Great, I have to go back to the store and get something for Heiji."

Ran turned around, "Oh, I'll get it." She insisted.

Kazuha shook her head,"No, no, you just head home. I'll be there soon."

Ran handed her the bags. "No, it's fine, I'm probably quicker than you anyways," she said, already jogging to the store.

Watching Ran run off she gave a sweat drop. "You were the one about to buy at least 30, 35 items in there..." she shrugged as she walked home.

After getting what she had gone in for, Ran was already walking out of the store. She walking down the sidewalk, everyone looking at her, noticing her from the newspapers from what happened a couple of nights ago, with Nagi. She ignored their looks, continuing to walk home alone.

Opening the door, Kazuha walked in. "Home," she announced, closing the door as she leaned back, she walked into the kitchen as she started to put stuff away. "Ran's getting your orange juice, Heiji!" she yelled from the kitchen.

Heiji jumped up, hearing her. He went over to the kitchen. "Ah, thanks! Umm.." He blinked, looking at all the things she brought in. "Need any help?" He asked it, but started to put away things regardless.

"No, no, it's fine!" she quickly took the items that Heiji put away and moved them around. "You don't know where these things go, anyway. You're getting everything all mixed up."

Heiji huffed. "Geez, I just thought I'd help so that it looks nice for when Kudou gets here," he noted, nonchalantly.

"Really?!" she squealed, just putting away the milk. She ran to the livingroom and looked out the window. "Is he coming?" she turned back Heiji. "Do you know?"

Heiji nodded, "Yeah, he just called me and told me. Too bad I don't know how long he'll be here."

Behind a wall stood Shinichi, breathing a little heavily, but actually feeling a bit better. A shadow grew on the other side of the wall. Shinichi watched as Ran walked by, a bag with orange juice swinging by her arm, apparently ignoring everything and everyone around her. "R-Ran!" he called out, stepping out of the alleyway and towards her. He pulled out a single rose and held it in front of him. "I hope I didn't scare you. I heard you were having a bad week, and..." He took a breath, "I just couldn't leave you alone at a time like this."

Ran merely just looked down at her feet, "Oh..." she quietly replied. She looked up at him. "I guess you want to come home with me?" she said, pointing in the direction behind her apartment. She was confused, how all of the sudden he decided to pop out, out of nowhere.

"If you don't mind, yeah. I think it would be best." He started to walk beside her. Out of nowhere, he started to laugh. "Hey, do you remember how your dad always acted when we were younger? The times when he was clumsy and we thought it was so funny... Now that I remember it, I don't know if he was genuinely tripping or if he was doing it just to make us laugh.."

Not looking at his face, she simply turned her attention to the cars that were driving by, "Heh, yeah..." She looked back at Shinichi and smiled slightly, then looked up at her house. Walking up the steps, she rattled the door open. "I'm- we're home." Ran said while walking into the livingroom, she looked back at Shinichi.

Heiji turned towards the door. "Ah, Kudou!" He almost stopped himself from saying it, but quickly remembered that, this time, it was okay to call him that. "It's good to see you!"

Shinichi nervously put his hand behind his back. "Heh, hey there Hattori." He turned to Ran, seeing her face still sad. "Geez, if she can't even be happy that I'm here, then what was the point of all this?" he thought to himself.

"Kazuha! He's here. Come on out and say 'Hi'!" said Heiji, poking his head back in the kitchen.

Kazuha jumped up, clapping her hands together, "Ah, Kudou's here!" She looked at Ran, noticing no excitment in her. "Hmm?" she poked Ran, "You okay?" Ran handed the orange juice to Heiji and walked upstairs. Closing the door behind her, she slid her back against the door. Streaks of tears came sliding down her face. She smiled as she wiped them away with the back of her sleeve, "He's here, he really is here." She stood up.

Kazuha looked at Shinichi, "She probably needs me." she said with a fake laugh. She ran up to the room.

Heiji stared at Shinichi, dumbfounded, holding the orange juice. "What happened?"

"I... I don't know... She wasn't happy at all, not for a moment, even when I tried to make her laugh..." Shinichi looked to the floor.

"You didn't try to laugh by making fun of her, did you?" asked Heiji seriously, looking him in the eye.

"NO! No, I'm not that insensitive, you know," he steamed at him. "Well.. what to do now?" Shinichi sighed, looking up at the ceiling. It seemed so low now.

"Here," Heiji raised up the juice, "You can help me finish putting the groceries away. Kazuha left a whole 'nother bag in the kitchen."

Shinichi gave him a look, but then figured that it couldn't be THAT bad. If Ran didn't want him nearby right now, she must have a reason.

He looked back to her room nonetheless, before following Heiji to the kitchen. Heiji was lucky he was here now, since he was putting everything in the wrong place.

"No, that goes over here, on the top shelf," Shinichi reached over for a step stool, but stopped when he remembered he could place things up high with ease now. He also could not help but notice how every ingredient he pulled out of the bag could be used in his favorite foods. He made a sweet smile, looking up at the pantry as he put the last box away.

"Hey, they're still in there," whispered Heiji, looking down the hall to Ran's room. Shinichi walked over behind him. He took a glance at him, before continuing his steps towards the door. He knocked twice. "Hey? Ran?..."

Kazuha opened the door, she took a glance at him and quickly walked out and into the livingroom. Ran sat on the bed, looking up at him she quickly got up. "I'm sorry if you think that while you are here, I'm not happy about it, Shinichi..." She looked down at her feet, trying to catch her breath, "I am, really, it's just, dealing with my Dad, I'm not going to be cheerful right now."

Shinichi looked back to Heiji and Kazuha, down the hallway. Heiji made a quick smile. Shinichi smiled briefly back. He stepped into the door and closed it softly behind him. He walked over to the bed and sat beside her. "I know. You don't have to say anymore..." Slowly and carefully, using every bit of his energy to make it perfect, he raised his arm behind her, and wrapped it to her other side, before giving her a light squeeze. "Sometimes, keeping silent about your feelings is the best way to express them." He looked up to her sparkling eyes.

Kazuha looked down the hall at the closed door. She turned around and sat down beside the window nearest to her. She looked outside silently, thinking deeply about the stuff that was going on lately. "Why doesn't Ran admit it too? She was sexually harrassed as much as I was, but yet, she doesn't want to say anything." Thinking that, she sighed deeply.

Ran blushed. She looked over at his hand that was on her arm, then into his eyes. "Y-yeah.." she said embarrassingly. She giggled, "I really am glad you're here, Shinichi." She jumped up as she walked towards the door, "Are you thirsty, hungry?" She asked with a smile on her face.

Shinichi smiled back. "Umm.. just some water will do fine. Should I come with you?" He added, standing up.

"You may if you want..." she said, opening the door. She looked down the hallway glancing at Kazuha. "Kazuha, are you okay?" She walked towards her.

Kazuha looked at her, then looked away replying, "Yeah."

Shinichi walked out the door. "Huh?" He glanced at Kazuha. "What is she so worried about?" he wondered.

Heiji stepped up to her. "Kazuha? Are you sure?"

Kazuha rolled her eyes to Ran, then to Heiji. "Yeah I'm fine." She got up. "I want to find that other guy who attacked us."

Ran looked at the ground, stepping toward her. She looked at her and whispered in her ear, "Don't mention anything about what happened." She turned away towards the kitchen. Kazuha looked down as well. She cleared her throat, watching Ran walk away.

Shinichi suddenly gained a serious look again. "It's okay, Ran... If I have anything to say about it, NOBODY will hurt you ever again." His eyes flashed, as a sly grin grew across his face.

Heiji, not wanting to look bad, jumped in as well. "Same goes to you, Kazuha!" His body became rigid, remembering the guy they put away from the grocery store the day before.

Ran and Kazuha both smiled. Ran stepped out of the kitchen and onto the couch, Kazuha sat beside her. "You guys are like brothers to us," Kazuha said, giggling.

Ran blushed as she pulled her legs up to her chest, "Yeah, they are." She began to look around, "Hey, where's Conan?"

"Uh, ah, I'll go check on him!" said Heiji. "Will you come with me, Kudou? Goodness knows you haven't seen the little squirt in... how long?"

Shinichi laughed, thinking, "Not long enough." "Sure, I'll come see him." The two went over to the bedroom and stepped into it.

Shinichi rushed over to his little clothing on the bed and pulled up his bowtie. He spoke into it, and out came Conan's voice. "Shinichi-niichan! Yay, you came!"

Heiji held his hand over his mouth to stifle his laughter.

Shinichi put the bowtie down. "Yeah, little guy! I was hoping you guys would be all right, but I see that's not the case." He put the bowtie back up.

"Nope, I'm sick. Also, Ran-neechan has been crying a lot lately-" Heiji suddenly grabbed the bowtie from Shinichi's hands.

"I think you should go hug and kiss her and make her feel better!"

Shinichi reached for the bowtie as Heiji tried to keep it away. He finally snatched it back.-

"That is, if you're into that sort of thing!" Shinichi blushed horribly, giving Heiji the evil eye. Heiji tried once more to quiet his laughter. Shinichi put the bowtie back down.

"Well, anyway, get better okay! It was nice seeing you." He picked it up again.

"Bye Shinichi-niichan! Bye Heiji-niichan! I'm going to get some more sleep."

He put the bowtie back onto his clothes as the two of them walked out.

Kazuha looked down at Ran, who had snoozed off. Kazuha smiled as she moved her bangs out of her eyes, sliding away carefully. She walked upstairs. "I'm going to bed," she said, looking at Shinichi and Heiji. Walking into the room she flopped onto the bed. She stared up at the ceiling, "Why did I even come in here?" She sat up. "I'm not even tired." She looked back at the window, it was snowing again. She smiled as she jumped up and looked outside, the room was dark. The only light she had was what was coming from outside.

Shinichi and Heiji glanced to each other. "So, what now?" asked Shinichi. "This drug lasts 24 hours, just like the last one, right? What kind of excuse will I give for leaving this time?"

"Well... actually... I kind of don't know how long this one will last," Heiji replied.

"Why didn't you ask Haibara?"

"Umm.. because there was no need..."

Shinichi glared at him. "Why is that?..."

Heiji gulped, "Because it was experimental... Neither of us know how long it's supposed to last. That's why I've gotta time it." He picked up his wrist and tapped his watch.

"You don't know?!" Shinichi hissed. "Experimental?! Ah great. Once again, I'm Haibara's guinea pig." He slapped his hand to his forehead and turned away. "Huh?" In front of him he spotted Ran asleep on the couch, in the most adorable position.

"I'm sorry."

Shinichi turned around from his daze, "For what?"

"For making you take the drug. It doesn't seem to have made anything better." Heiji sighed, turning to go back to the room they were just in. He closed the door, leaving Shinichi standing there on his own.

"That's not true..." He whispered, as he approached Ran and knelt down in front of her. "If I could make her smile for even a brief moment, it's totally worth it." He bent forward and kissed her lightly on the forehead. He then leaned back with a sigh, looking off into the window. Shinichi sat there for a while, until he found himself falling asleep. He leaned over, his head landing onto Ran's hand, and slipped into a light slumber.

--------------End Chapter 7--------------