Disclaimer: Detective Conan belongs to Gosho Aoyama.

Chapter 7

From the kitchen, Ai could hear the front door open, knowing that Shinichi's here to walk to school with her. But today something's different.

"Morning, Shinichi!" Ran said brightly, as Shinichi closed the door behind him. She had only met him once, and she didn't know why the professor and Ai assured her that it's fine to call him by his first name.

"Eh? What are you doing here?" Shinichi asked, bewildered.

"Haibara-san asked if I want to walk to school with you two." She answers simply.

"Oh…" Shinichi can't help but feel annoyed. It had always been just the two of them, what was Ai thinking, inviting someone else along?

"Is something wrong?" Ran asked timidly. "I could leave."

"No, it's okay." Shinichi said quickly, feeling guilty. "Of course you're welcome, Mouri—er, I meant, Ran."

She grinned, and Shinichi managed a feeble smile in return.

Ai watched the two of them chatting, or rather, Shinichi telling Ran about Sherlock Holmes, from the kitchen with a small smile. There, that's how things were supposed to be. Now she's fixed everything, after the organization is taken down, there'd be no APTX4869, just a happy couple, Shinichi and Ran. It wouldn't matter if she's gone now…

But still, sadness overpowered her, and in spite of herself, tears welled up.

"Ai-kun…" the professor put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine, Hakase." She said dismissively, turning away. Doing so, she knocked into the cabinet next to her, and a plate tottered at the edge before crashing into pieces on the ground.

Shinichi and Ran both came running at the sound.

A shard of the broken china cut deeply into her forefinger. Ai inhaled sharply, biting back a cry. Only when Shinichi and the professor saw a splatter of deep red blood, a sharp contrast against the white china, did they realize that she's hurt.

Under Hakase's directions, Ran went to find bandages, while Shinichi grabbed Ai's hand in a forceful manner, pressing on her finger to stop the blood.

"Honestly, it's only a cut. I'm fine." She said, trying to pull away.

"I've got it!" Ran yelled, running back towards them.

Shinichi wrapped the bandages around the cut with utmost care. "Don't touch water for a week." He told her bossily.

"But I have to wash my face." She said, gesturing at the bathroom.

"Use your other hand."

"But… dinner…"

"How could we possibly ask you to make dinner like this?" Shinichi demanded.

Agasa Hakase opened his mouth to protest, and was silenced by a glare from Shinichi. "Uh… takeout, I get it."

Hastily finishing breakfast, the three of them set out for school. Shinichi took her hand as usual, but Ai, with a glance at Ran, pulled away.

"My hand hurts." She said, a ready made excuse answering Shinichi's questioning look.

"Oh." He let go, only to hold her other hand.

"You— never mind."

"Hurry up! School starts in ten minutes!" Hakase called from the house.

With a sideway glance at Ran, Shinichi yelled, "Hurry, run!" and before either girl could figure out what's happening, he ran towards the school, pulling Ai along.

"Wait for me!" Ran yelled moments later, trying to catch up to them.

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Poor Ran… crap, my sister will be yelling at me for ages because of this scene. (She's a really scary Ran fan ) Review please!