For those of you who reviewed, thx so much! If only my stupid English teacher would drop dead so I would have time to type instead of doing homework I already know. (Seriously, I feel like Conan and Ai-chan being forced to learn first grade stuff!) I'll shut up now and let you guys read… XD

Disclaimer: While I would just love to hypnotize Aoyama Gosho so he would give me all his characters, I unfortunately am not trained in the field of hypnotism, so I don't own anything.

Chapter 9

"Ai-chan, Hakase, Ran and I brought cookies!" Shinichi opened the front door of Agasa Hakase's house, followed closely by Ran who is laughing at something he just said. Both of them are holding a plate of chocolate chip cookies. "Ran made them just now!"

Ai barely glanced up from her work, and said nothing.

"…Ai-chan?" Shinichi waved a hand in front of her face, only to have his hand brushed aside with impatience.

"I'm not hungry." She said shortly.

"Come on Ai-chan, they're pretty good. We found the recipe in the school library." Shinichi said with a grin.

Somehow, Shinichi saying 'we' gave Ai another stab in the heart.

Shinichi's smile faded at the coldness in her eyes. "Ai-chan… are you mad at me?"

Ignoring the question, Ai fixed her gaze at the computer screen.

Ran stood behind them, uncertain of what to do. Thankfully the professor came to her rescue.

"Ah, Ran-chan, these look delicious, why don't you help me put them away?" He said kindly, steering the young girl away from the soon to be explosion.

"You can leave, if there's nothing else you have to do here." Ai said, being the first to break the silence.

"There is something! Why have you been ignoring me?"

"Have I?" Ai felt guilty seeing him so worried. "I've been busy, that's all."

"But Ai-chan, you…"

"Besides, it seems you're having a great time with Ran-san." Ai interrupted. "Why not stay at the detective agency instead of coming over every day?"

Shinichi frowned in confusion. "Ran's dad is a policeman, what are you talking about?" he asked, momentarily forgetting the point of this conversation.

"…Never mind."

Something seemed to dawn on Shinichi as he suddenly gave a short laugh and said, "Is that why you're mad? Because I've been hanging out with Ran?" then his voice turned accusing. "But Ai-chan, you can't blame me for that; you're the one who started ignoring me in the first place. Plus you're the one that invited her."

"What?" what the hell is he talking about?

"Is that what it is?" he asked with a cheeky grin. "Is it?"

Ai said nothing, just kept her eyes on the computer.

"Well, is it?"

The kid thinks she's jealous of Mouri? Feeling very annoyed, Ai whirled around to face him, and with more force in her voice then she intended, yelled, "For your information, I invited Ran over so you would stop annoying me all the time!"

Ai regretted her words as soon as they came out. Shinichi's smile vanished as he stared at her with hurt eyes.

"Do you really mean that?"

"No, I…" But Shinichi had already run out of the house.

"Shinichi? What's wrong?" Ran went out after him. "Shinichi!"

Ai was left alone in the living room, staring at the ground.

"Did you really have to do that?" the professor asked, half stern, half sympathetic.

"…"

"He thought you were mad at him for ignoring Ran when you first invited her over, so he wanted to make up for that."

"…"

"He was really just trying to make you happy."

"…"

"And you said so yourself, you won't die when you disappear. If Shinichi really couldn't get over you, then he could always find you in America."

"Drop it, Hakase." Ai said softly. "Even so, I don't want to think about the look on his face when he realized I don't remember him."

"Still…"

"Just drop it, Hakase. Please."

Professor Agasa bit his lip, and fell silent.

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Aww, poor Shinichi. Ai-chan is rather harsh in this chapter. (Forgive me, Ai fans!! T.T) Will try to update sooner. And a cookie to Blue Topaz Dragon for writing that alternative ending, I really love it!! If you're reading this, how about posting it after I'm done with it? (smile)