At first it had been easy, just act his cheerful, if not mischievous self and let the good doctor perform his tests. Kaito had even derived some level of amusement from pestering the high school detective—who had been assigned to baby-sit him when Agasa barricaded himself in his lab to analyze the test results—but once everything had settled down and he'd gotten comfortable in one of the spare bedrooms it got difficult to ignore how wrong everything was. Left alone by himself, Kaito had little else to do but think. Just what was he going to do about his little problem?

He wasn't naïve, he knew that the doctor would not be able to come up with an antidote within a few weeks—frankly he doubted if Agasa could at all. Not that he doubted that the man was gifted, just there was a difference between a mechanical genius and a genius doctor, and a slight background in medicine couldn't quite change that. It might take months, possibly even years to hunt down a doctor with the capabilities to unravel the virus' chemical makeup—assuming they managed to get a hold of a complete sample of the drug.

Kaito sighed and rolled over, the ceiling was too plain to keep his attention for too long, and pulled the comforter closer around him. At first he tried to imagine he was at home, tucked into his own bed, but his overly sharp mind would not let him delude himself so. The bed was too big, the blanket felt wrong, and his vain attempts only led to more slightly depressing thoughts.

He couldn't go home, it was a point that all three of them agreed on. His mother lived alone, and had no extended relatives. A little child showing up on her doorstep claiming to be a relative through someone who didn't exist…he didn't even have to consider the option for long to know that it would garner suspicion. He wasn't even thinking about the MiB's suspicion, but Aoko's and Hakuba's. If there was one thing he was certain of, the less people who knew the better. Not only for his chances of keeping a low profile, but it would also help Kudou in his quest to track down more information on the bastards.

The detective had offered his services in catching the MiB, Kaito wasn't exactly sure why, but he figured it had something to do with the fact that he'd been poisoned because he'd knocked Kudou out of the way. Whatever the reason, he had mixed feelings about the proposition. On one hand, he was glad. He couldn't handle these people the way he'd gone around handling Jackal and his buddies and he wasn't in the best position for covert information gathering. On the other hand, he was loathe to involve his alter ego's rival. Doing so would inevitably pose a danger to the many secrets he wished to keep to himself(such as his night job), and most likely put the detective in danger should the probing be discovered.

But it wasn't like he could be Kid anymore. Kid wasn't…well, a kid. There was no way he could fool Nakamori and the task force that Kid was actually a 10 year old kid. They may be slow on the uptake, but they weren't stupid.

As it was, his entire life was looking pretty dreary at the moment.

Kaito sighed and sat up in the bed, shaking his head to try and scatter the pestering thoughts. It was no good, they continued to plague him, and all pretenses of trying to sleep were thrown to the wind.

Kaito slipped out of the bed, the slightly large, borrowed pajamas hanging loose on his body as his now slippered feet moved across the wooden floor of the guest room. He navigated the large house rather easily, his photographic memory playing a big part as he retraced the route he'd taken earlier that day. Eventually it led to the front door, and he quietly eased it open, moving out into the cool night air.

The moon was waxing, but wasn't quite full, spilling its silvery luminance over the Kudou's garden. It was wild, and had been mostly left to its own devices since the lady of the house had moved out, but the clear air was like a balm in its own way. But the moon, the moon was mocking him. He saw Kid's taunting face in the crater marked surface, and drove home the realization that he wouldn't be able to accomplish his goal, wouldn't be able to avenge his father, wouldn't be able to savor the thrill and accomplishment he felt when a heist—despite the police's and the high school detective's efforts—went unerringly right.

The thin Poker Face he'd slipped on when the thoughts first began cracked, starting to crumble under the onslaught of reality. All of a sudden, he didn't feel like a high school student, like a professional thief, or even like an amateur magician. He felt like he really was a kid again, before his father had taught him the art of the Poker Face, when he could show his parents every little thing he felt.

But no matter what, you shouldn't let it show on your face.

The words he'd always taken to heart weighed down on him, and he found it hard to cling to them, to follow them. He looked up at the moon, a light night breeze slipping through his displaced bangs, "Dad…" He kept the picture of the waxing moon in his mind, closing his eyes, trying to imagine what his father would say if he were here.

A light touch ghosted over his shoulder, but he didn't open his eyes until a voice spoke from behind him. It wasn't his mind's illusion of his father's, but instead was one similar to his own—well, his older—voice. "What're you still doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep…" Kaito shivered a little at the chill, the comforting images of his father fleeing farther from his grasp with every second.

"I'd been wondering when it would crash." Kudou Shinichi's voice was more of a murmur to himself than any kind of comment to the 17-turned-10-year old, "I was surprised you'd lasted so long."

Kaito was quiet, his eyes opening slowly and his body turning a little so he could see the detective. He was surprised Kudou had heard him, and was even more surprised that he'd followed him. At first he was annoyed, believing the (currently) elder boy was treating him like the child he appeared to be, a child that was not supposed to be able to take care of himself. But after a moment, he realized, that wasn't the case at all.

"My father…" He started awkwardly, "used to tell me…"

Kudou was worried. Kaito's apparent disregard for his condition had disturbed the detective.

"No matter what cards you have in your hand—in your life…"

He wasn't really sure why he wanted to share the memory with Kudou, his father was often a touchy subject with the young magician. Maybe it was because he still had images of Toichi floating around his immediate thoughts.

"Do not show any reaction. Keep on like it didn't matter."

It didn't matter why, the words came out anyway.

"Just like in poker."

Kaito nodded, only vaguely hearing the comment, "Aa. Whether the reaction be good or bad, just don't let it show."

The last of the mask cracked and fell away.

"I don't think I can do it right now."

Kudou didn't respond, leaving the garden shrouded in the newly restored silence.

--

Shinichi expected something to be different the next morning, but the kid seemed just as cheerful and worry-free as he had the day before. But now that he knew, now that he'd experienced the nighttime chat in the garden, he could start to see just how faked the smiles were. It wasn't much, he wouldn't have—and hadn't—noticed if he hadn't been looking for it.

Professor Agasa had popped over a little after breakfast, reporting that beyond his little shrinking problem, Kaito seemed fine. He did warn him to avoid colds like the plague, but otherwise was given a clean bill of health. With his report given the genial professor wandered back to his lab, planning on tinkering with his various inventions and running a search for a match on the fraction of the drug's fragmented chemical code they'd managed to extract, leaving the two teenagers to their own devices.

Kaito had immediately disappeared to explore the large house, leaving Shinichi to spend a good hour or so trying to track the scamp down. Normally he didn't notice just how large the house was—he never went into any of the rooms beyond his own, the kitchen, living room, and the library—and searching for one insanely curious teenager-turned-kid drove home just how large it was. He finally found the unstoppable ball of energy in the library, curled in one of the comfortable reading chairs with a book he'd pulled off one of the shelves.

Shinichi stood in the doorway, taking a long deserved break from running around the house. It was good that Kaito was getting familiar with the place, with the way things were going he'd probably be stuck here until they found out more about the men in black. Kaito wasn't willing to place his mother and friends in possible danger, and Shinichi and Agasa were the only ones who knew about his little mess up. Agasa didn't really have the room—they'd all been converted into pseudo workshops—and Kaito wasn't too keen on rooming with the old man anyway. Shinichi had both the room and finances, and he wouldn't mind a roommate, it was rather lonely living alone in such a large house. It was one of the reasons he spent all the time he could away from home, and hung out with Ran so mu—

Crap. His mind ground to a halt. He'd forgotten about Ran!

He fished into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone and checking the messages. He had one missed call and quickly pressed redial before putting it up to his ear. After the click that signaled the phone being picked up, the voice of his friend—best friend. Not that he would ever admit it aloud—came over the line, "Hello, Mouri Detective Agency."

"Ran. It's me." He heard a sigh of relief over the line and waited for the girl to begin the customary scolding, "You should have called me last night, Shinichi. I was about to go over there, but Daddy actually got called on a case and I had to watch the office."

"Sorry about that." Shinichi couldn't help but snicker to himself, so Mouri had finally been given a case? Ran's father wasn't really that bad of a detective, but his attitude could really use an adjustment and his hastiness sometimes lost him his reputation whenever he managed to glean even the slightest bit of renown. "The old man got some work? How'd it go?"

"Not well…" Ran's voice was quiet, "It was a kidnapping. Daddy finally found the criminal, but…"

The words 'he was too late' hung unspoken between them.

Shinichi ended up diverting the topic, promising to stop by and see her sometime later that day. It wouldn't be difficult to manage, he'd promised Kaito he'd get to talk to his mother today and then they'd go shopping for some better fitting clothes for him. Currently the boy was stuck in some of Shinichi's old stuff, which were a bit small for him. Shinichi had been a rather short kid…

After ending the phone call he found Kaito staring at him, an amused look in his eyes and an arched eyebrow, "So…who was it?"

"A friend." He didn't like that look, and he knew if he didn't successfully divert the topic he'd probably be teased mercilessly, "So, are you ready?"

The mischievous light slipped away, replaced by curiosity. The boy uncurled himself, letting his legs dangle off the reading chair since they didn't quite reach the floor, "Ready to do what?"

"Didn't you say your mother had the day off?" He saw understanding flicker across the thinly masked face, and caught a very faint spike of nervousness as it cracked a little. A small hand picked up a bookmark from the table beside the chair, marking his place in the book before placing it down on the table, "So soon?"

"Do you want her to worry?"

Shinichi's question elicited a shake of the boy's head and the cracks sealed up. A smile danced as he hopped off the chair, "Let's go!"

As the detective followed the boy out, he noticed that Kaito's hand had slipped into the pocket of his borrowed jeans.

--

Kaito tugged nervously at the ball cap Shinichi had lent him, looking up the pathway that led to the front door, his front door. Kudou stood right behind him, and gave him a slight nudge when he noticed Kaito's hesitation. The boy yielded to the other's prodding and began up the walkway, his fingers curling around the object in his pocket as he moved closer.

He could do this; he knew he could convince her that he was Kaito. He could do this.

But then, why was he so nervous?

He'd kept it from showing, but he was. He pulled the lip of his cap lower, glad for the slight protection it offered. He didn't want to run into Aoko, or anyone else who knew what he looked like when he was younger. He didn't want anyone to know.

Not one…

The hand in his pocket tightened, just as the other reached for the door, pressing the doorbell.

But he had to...

He could hear the doorbell echo inside, could hear his heart pound in his ears.

Had to tell her...

The door opened. Kudou could probably hear it from the sidewalk.

That he was alright.

'Mom…'

A/N: The cliffhanger was all Hittocere's idea.

I was afraid Kaito might be OOC in this chapter, but I kinda like how it turned out.

As promised, link-- deviantart(dot)com(slash)deviation(slash)58728965(slash)
FFnet does something funny to links, so just replace the (dot)s and(shash)es with the indicated symbol. It's pretty—

As always reviews are happily appreciated(and encouraged n.n)!