Chapter fourteen
Finally
ooOO-OOoo


He was alive. Barely, but still alive.

Aoko silently watched how the machines around her friend's bed worked to keep it that way. Heart-monitor, respirator, IV-stand and some more she didn't know the name of.

It had been a very close call. Strictly speaking, he shouldn't even be here anymore. It was a miracle she didn't dare to question. She was just thankful that he was still with her and according to the doctors, it looked like he would recover given time and rest.

Aoko hadn't left his side for longer than a quick snack or a walk to the bathroom now and then. She was tired but couldn't sleep; didn't want to sleep. They had been here for almost fifteen hours now and she knew that sleep would overwhelm her sooner or later, but she had refused to leave vehemently, so the nurse finally had complied and assigned her a bed in Kaito's room. That way, if she really needed to lie down, at least she would still be near when Kaito woke up.

Her father had been in and out of the room, checking on his daughter and her friend from time to time, while wrapping up the mess with the syndicate. They had kept KID's identity out of the reports for now, but the gossip factory was working overtime, and Aoko knew without looking at her phone that the internet was full of theories by now. How was KID involved with the syndicate? Was he one of them? Has he been working with the police all along to capture them? She really didn't want to know. It was complicated enough to sort through her feelings after she learned about the whole truth from her father.

She still loved Kaito, that much she was sure of, but she still had difficulties to accept the fact that her friend Kaito, her best friend since forever, and the thief in white she despised so much were one and the same. Their characters were so different. Kaito had never been gentlemanly or mysterious. He was happy-go-lucky, outgoing, a prankster (well, that much the both personas had in common), an open book for her – at least that was what she had thought. Apparently, there was much more to her childhood friend than that. Yes – she still loved the Kuroba Kaito she knew, who lived next door and who flipped her skirt just to rile her up. She just wasn't sure how to feel about the sides of Kaito she obviously hadnt seen yet.

For now, she just hoped that he would wake up soon, because only then they would be able to find out if they could overcome the obstacle that was Kaitou KID.

ooOO-OOoo

While Kaito's room was in the ICU, Shinichi had a regular room as his injuries weren't that bad. After Megure had made himself very clear about what he thought of Shinichi's idea of helping the police with the ongoing operation, Shinichi had refused to be carried on a stretcher and Heiji had helped him from the rooftop down to the ambulance. Thankfully, Shinichi had managed somehow without keeling over. He really wanted to avoid a photo of him being carried into an ambulance. He didn't need to worry Ran more than necessary and he was sure that by now the news had spread that he was somehow involved in the whole heist/kidnapping/syndicate thing. He wasn't looking forward to the conversation with his girlfriend. Not at all.

Nonetheless, he had been grateful when he finally had been able to rest somewhat on the way to the hospital. The tension of not knowing how Kuroba was doing kept him awake, alongside the string of questions Amaya, the paramedic, was asking him.

Apparently, he really had a concussion that wasn't to be laughed at, seeing he had been unconscious for some time and he still felt nauseous and had difficulties to remember exactly what had happened right before the attack. That his vision blurred every now and then didn't help either. So, even without the cracked ribs (and yes – not just bruised. Cracked. Thank you very much, Takamoto) he was in for a stay in the hospital for at least a week. Joy.

His parents had already been at the hospital when the ambulance arrived, and his mother had given him an odd mix of concerned check-up and angry lecture, while his father had just looked relieved that he wasn't the focus of her anxiousness any longer. After Shinichi had been to the MRT and CT and was safely settled into his room, they had left to get something to eat.

So, here he was now, with a tightly bandaged torso, stitches on his headwound with a bandage over it, a load of painkillers in his system, and the order not to leave the bed without assistance, read or watch TV, so his brain could recover properly. Thankfully, Megure and Nakamori had come by to give him an update on what was going on or he would have to nag Heiji, who had gone to help with the investigation.

"He will wake up in due time, I'm sure," Nakamori ended his overview about Kuroba's condition. The Inspector looked exhausted and Shinichi was sure that the last sentence was more meant to encourage the man himself than Shinichi.

"What about Takamoto?"

Megure shook his head frustrated. "I don't know why Takamoto-san thought he could survive a fall from a building that high just because of a stone, but fact is, it didn't do him any good. The necklace is evidence for now, but it will be returned to your mother after the case is closed."

"My mother?" Shinichi was baffled. Why would his mother get the jewel?

"Well," Megure shrugged. "She bought it from the previous owner, Ichinose-san to speed up the operation after Ichinose refused to aid us in any way. Said something about a family heirloom, too, and that it would make a wonderful wedding gift."

Shinichi sighed. Of course, his mother had done that. She was impulsive like that. Fortunately in this case, he had to admit. He just hoped that she wouldn't bother him now everyday about a wedding date. Somehow, he had the feeling that a proposal was not what Ran would have in mind when she got here. For sure he would take a good look at the jewel as soon as he got the chance.

"Aside from that, we confiscated everything in Takamoto-san's office, and our IT department is analyzing his laptop. I have a hunch we will be able to get quite a lot from that. Takamoto-san didn't strike me as the type to be too secretive, so I hope there will be lists about employees and so on, so we should have things covered on this side. As for Kaitou KID," Megure hesitated and glanced at Nakamori, who held a thoughtful expression and didn't seem to listen.

"Nakamori-keibu?" Shinichi asked carefully. He still didn't know how Nakamori felt about the revelation about Kuroba's secret identity. On top of that, he had to accept that not only Kaito, but also Toichi had been the very thief he had chased for so long.

Nakamori looked up, composed, hiding his inner trumoil. "Kaitou KID is dead. As far as I'm concerned, KID died on that rooftop. I spoke with the taskforce and all members involved agreed to this conclusion, as well as Megure and his people."

Shinichi raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment on this decision. He didn't want to see Kuroba behind bars either, but to know that law enforcement was willing to turn a blind eye in such a way was – surprising.

"The paramedics on the roof can give testimony to that as well. His heart had stopped and that is what will be written in the official reports. Everything after that will fall under witness protection. Also, the public will not get any name to the phantom thief, as to protect any possible family members remaining behind."

Shinichi nodded. That way, even when some of Takamoto's men should know about Kuroba, like Snake, their word would stand against that of the police and they were going to be behind bars for quite some time anyway.

'Seems like you'll get your life back, Kuroba. Good for you.'

Though KID's fans/objectors would go on the rampage for sure. One side out of grieve for their lost hero and the other, because the thief would never be held responsible for his crimes. Hopefully, he wasn't anywhere near Sonoko when the news were broken to her. Shinichi grimaced in sympathy for her boyfriend, who would have to bear the brunt of it. Unless he managed to be away for a tournament, then Ran would be the one Sonoko would run to.

The door being slammed open made him almost jump for cover, and Nakamori and Megure started as well. Maybe hiding under the bed would be actually a very good idea, even though Shinichi was sure that no place in Tokyo would be save enough to keep him from Ran's wrath, as she was standing in the doorway, positively fuming.

"Uhm… Hi, Ran," he said sheepishly with one hand rubbing the back of his head, what made him wince when he came in contact with the bandages wrapped there.

Ran let out a longsuffering sigh when she saw his pained expression and stepped up to his bed, greeting both inspectors on their hurried way out. Shinichi watched them go, wishing he could join them. Well, escaping was no option right now, so he gulped and faced his girlfriend, accepting whatever fate she had planned for him.

For a moment, she just stood there with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face, before she spoke up.

"What were you thinking, huh? That I wouldn't find out? That it would be okay to dive into a case of this caliber as long as I'm not around?"

He flinched under her vexed glare and fidgeted with his blanket. "Ah, no – you see…"

"I can't believe that we are having this conversation again, Shinichi. I thought we were over this kind of troublesome behavior of yours, but it seems I can't trust you to keep your word. What do you expect of me now? Forgive and forget? Again?"

Shinichi lowered his eyes, not able to look at her any more. She was right. He had disappointed her yet again, and he didn't deserve her trust. Would it have been better to tell her from the start? Would she have held him back from helping a friend in need? Probably not. He bit his lip. Maybe he had misjudged the situation back then. Though this insight didn't help him right now to explain his actions.

He heard Ran huffing. "So, you have nothing to say in your defense? Do you even know what it felt like to learn about all this in the middle of a match? If not for a team mate, who kept up with the news, I wouldn't know that you were missing at all."

Her voice got teary and she hiccupped. His gaze shot up and he watched helplessly how she wrung her hands in exasperation.

"I didn't know if you were dead or alive when I left the camp. I dropped everything right then and there and ran for the next train. Only when I had sat down, I had the mind to call your mother. You can thank her that I'm here, for I wasn't that sure anymore if I even wanted to talk to you ever again. I was so angry at you! Still am."

The ensuing silence hung heavy between them.

How was he supposed to fix this? Was it even possible? He had left her in the dark again instead of confiding in her. Instead of treating her like an equal partner. Old habits died hard it seemed.

"Ran, I…" Shinichi started and exhaled, trying to sort out his words. "I think, saying I'm sorry won't cut it even though I really am."

She snorted and crossed her arms before her chest, unimpressed. "Damn right, it doesn't."

He sighed. "When this all started, I didn't know that it would get out of hand that badly. I was just supposed to be the link between KID and the police, maybe attend the heist on the sidelines. Nothing dangerous or out of the ordinary. When my mother got wind of it, she demanded that I stay home and I complied. When I learned what had happened to Kuroba… well, let's say I didn't intend to get kidnapped in his place."

"But you knew already that you were going to help KID before I left. So, why didn't you tell me? I owe him just as much as you do, so I don't think I would have been against it. Especially, because this time you actually had the help of the police."

He winced under the reproach. "You are right. It was wrong to keep quiet about it. I just knew you would worry. You had to go through so much, and I thought that you might call off your training camp if you knew and I didn't want that. You deserved a little breather and I really thought I had it under control – this time," he added deflated. He looked miserable, sitting there in the hospital bed all bandaged up and staring at his lap disheartened.

"I can understand if you want to break up," he whispered.

"Break up?" she asked and raised a brow. "Who said anything about breaking up with you?"

His head flew up. She was not going to dump him? A little bit of hope fluttered inside his stomach.

"If I would give up that easily, how are we supposed to grow as a couple? You are troublesome, but I knew that already. Being in a relationship means to work on it constantly, and I definitely have my work cut out for me now."

Hope suddenly turned into dread. That didn't sound good. At all.

"If I remember correctly, you still owe my father for your little stunt with the 'sleeping Kogoro', right?" she grinned with malicious glee. "You, mister oh-so-great-detective, are going to assist him on all his cases for the next three months. No matter if it is about a lost cat or a cheating partner. And you will go to him and ask him for it on your own. Beg him if you must, but see to it that he accepts. I think you both can gain something out of it, so two birds with one stone. And no cases that I don't know of. Ever. Again. Are we understood?"

It felt strangely like being Conan again. Obviously, he wasn't the only one with old habits. Though she always had lectured him, even before his time as Conan. He ducked his head in submission. Really, it was the least he could do, even though he didn't look forward to the conversation with Mouri.

Seemed like the old 'team' would be back in action soon.

ooOO-OOoo

Kaito frowned. It was oddly quite around him, aside from a beeping noise. Shouldn't there be more sounds? Like the flapping of the helicopter's rotor blades. Or some shouting? Aoko's sobbing after he had been…

He shot up with a gasp, but didn't make it far, before he fell back onto the bed with a pained grunt.

"Kaito!"

He grimaced at the loud volume as someone yelled his name right into his ear. Even with his eyes squeezed shut, he recognized that voice. Everywhere.

"Damn, Ahoko…" he rasped out and coughed. Attempting to speak apparently wasn't that great of an idea. As was coughing with a gunshot wound in his chest. Go figure.

A warm hand landed on his shoulder and he felt how the upper section of the bed moved, so he wasn't lying straight anymore, but in a slightly lifted position. The cold rim of a glass was softly pressed against his lips with the order to drink slowly. He did and the water soothed his aching throat. He took some seconds to regulate his breathing, before he glanced at his childhood friend.

She looked – awful.

Her hair was even more of a mess than usual, and the dark rings under her red rimmed eyes spoke of long nights with many tears.

He really hated that look on her.

"Hey there," he tried for a nonchalant attitude, knowing that it would irk her. It didn't matter. She hated him by now anyway, he was sure. Now that she knew about KID. And seeing her angry was way better than this lost, exhausted, sad expression.

Aoko blinked.

Then she exploded.

All the bottled-up anxiousness and fear poured out of her at once.

"Hey there?" she shouted. "Don't you 'hey there' me, you, you… Argh!" She gripped her hair in desperation. He was insufferable. Insane. Absolutely the dumbest boy on earth.

She began to pace and rant. "You have been unconscious for almost three days and I haven't properly slept for just as long, and if I have to eat hospital food any longer I might throw up, and…"

"Aoko."

"And I wasn't home for days. I have been kidnapped and held at gunpoint, and you have been shot in the chest, well after you also had been kidnapped. And…"

"A-O-KO!"

"What?" she shrieked and twirled around to face him again.

"I will be fine. You don't have to do this any longer. Go home and rest. I'm sure the doctors here will take care of me."

He gave her a smile, trying to hide his sadness. She would go away and she would avoid him from now on. He had always known that this would happen as soon as she found out, but it hurt horribly to know that their friendship was over now. Why was holding up his pokerface so much harder in front of her than while facing a gun?

Aoko stood there perfectly still. A stark contrast to her restlessness before. She almost forgot to breathe, while she watched Kaito and processed what he had said.

Then she exploded again.

"Go home? After all what I have done you want me to go home? No way! You think I will let our friendship go to waste just because you stole some jewels? Or because you made my dad work so hard?"

He flinched under her words, confused.

"Or because you've ditched me more than once for a heist? For all the lying and deceiving? No way! That would be way too easy on you."

She was puffing a bit by now, and held one finger outstretched accusingly. "You will earn back my trust. And you will work for it. Hard. You'll have to prove to me that you're worth it. That you deserve my love."

Kaito's mouth hung open after that speech. His thoughts were in disarray and he shook his head to clear them up again.

Love?

"You - love me?"

Aoko's posture deflated and she sighed. "Yes, you dummy. Though I can't understand why for the life of me."

His grin was face splitting.

She didn't hate him, didn't resent him, she didn't even want to punch him. Well, at least not right now. He hadn't lost her and he still couldn't believe that it was true, but the giddiness he felt was such a wonderful feeling instead if the sorrow and dread from just a moment before. He laughed and he couldn't stop. He laughed until his eyes watered with tears. Tears of joy and relief and a bit of pain, because ow – laughing hurt as much as coughing.

Aoko didn't know what to make of his outburst and decided that maybe it was time to call for one of the doctors, seeing that they would want to know that Kaito was awake.

She reached for the call button and after she had pressed it, Kaito's hand clutched hers.

"Aoko, you have no idea what it means to me that you are here. And that you will stay."

His laughter had died down and his voice was soft and full of emotions. It was rare to see him like this. Her cheeks flushed red. "Don't think that I'm not mad at you, idiot," she huffed and turned her head to avert his eyes. "As soon as you are out of here, I will give you a good piece of my mind. As will my father for that matter."

"Speaking of your father," he said. "Why hasn't he cuffed me to the bed yet? Isn't that the usual procedure for a criminal?"

She rolled her eyes. "He will talk to you about the details later, but I can at least assure you that you are not going to jail. And don't get any funny ideas. Kaitou KID will never appear again, that much is for sure."

Well, that were some news. What might the Inspector have done to get him free? When he had made the deal with Shinichi, he had known that he might end up behind bars. Speaking of…

"How are the others? Kudou didn't seem to be in very good shape last I saw him. Thought he could fool me by hiding it."

Aoko sat down on a chair next to his bed. "He will be okay as far as I know. I have mostly been here all the time, but my father visited him. I think he said something about a concussion and some broken ribs."

Ugh, sounded painful. Thankfully it wasn't worse. He felt bad enough that the detective had been caught up in this at all. When he had asked for his help, he had thought that Shinichi would be protected by the police. That Snake would mistake him for Kaito and kidnap him had not been part of the plan – obviously. Not that anything else had gone according to the plan they had made. A shame, really.

"Hattori-san and Hakuba-kun are out, helping with the investigation. The just have some bruises from the struggle with Mikasawa-san's men."

Oh yeah, right. Hakuba and Heiji had been there as well. So, Heiji had found his message in time. He had to apologize to him later. As for Hakuba… Kaito sighed. He wouldn't hear the end of it from the Brit, who had suspected him for so long. Nonetheless, Hakuba had helped him when it counted, and he was more than grateful for that. If the two hadn't arrived when they did…

He gulped and looked at Aoko. He suppressed the thought of what could have happened. She was here. And she was fine. Everything else would be sorted out sooner or later.

Like what was the matter with the jewel? Why had it glowed under the moonlight? There was no way that it really granted immortality… right?

"Say, Aoko. What happened to Takamoto? I can't remember much after he… shot at me."

The memory of Kaito kneeling in front of her, protecting her and falling back with a rapidly growing stain of red on his chest flashed across Aoko's mind and made her shudder. It had shocked her to the core and she had been unable to move an inch. Thank god, Shinichi had been there to help Kaito. If not for his quick first aid, Kaito might have bled out in minutes.

When the paramedic had declared that her friend was dead, Aoko just had snapped.

In retrospect, her stunt had been foolish and dangerous, but it was the only thing she could think of in her panicked state. It didn't matter that the thought of a jewel with such powers was absolutely absurd – she was willing to clutch at every straw. Anything that would bring back Kaito.

No one had expected that Takamoto simply would jump off the roof. He truly had believed that he was immortal it seemed. Well, he was not. She bit her cheek with downcast eyes. She hadn't seen his body, but she was sure that it hadn't been a pleasant sight.

"He is dead, right?" Kaito asked softly. Her expression said everything, and he could see that it was hard for her to speak of a person's death, even if it had been someone detestable as Takamoto.

She gave a brief nod.

So, it hadn't been Pandora after all. Why it had glowed red like that was something for him to find out later. If Pandora really existed wasn't that much of interest anymore. He didn't believe that anyone wanted to search for it when the comet would only pass the earth in ten thousand years again. Who knew if mankind would even still be here by then. In a way KID's purpose had been fulfilled. No one would be able to gain anything out of the legend anymore. That made it way easier to accept that this part of his life was over. For all the struggle, he had to admit that he had his fair share of fun at his heists and that he would miss to roam the nightly sky in his white attire.

But everything had its time, and KID's was over now. His dad's legacy was brought to an end.

Finally.