As the little she-devil, otherwise known as Haibara Ai, layed on the couch, she couldn't help but relax into the comforting moment. Relax and comfort were strange words to her, especially because of the whole 'hiding as a little kid to avoid being murdered by an international organization with many connections and money' ordeal. Plus, keeping track of the moron called Shinichi, the maybe a little more than friend to her, Ran, and the so called Shounen Tantei-dan was putting a lot of stress on the girl's shoulders. It was nice to rest for a bit.
Just a bit.
Sunlight shone through Hakase's window, hitting Ai. It was so warm. "Ah," she closed her eyes, snuggling into the couch, "something's about to go horribly wrong, I just know it."
"AIIIIIII-CHAAAAAN!"
Groaning, Ai covered her ears and curled up further. She longed to ignore the call and enjoy this odd sensation of serenity, but she knew she had no choice. Mostly because she knew that voice.
Right outside Hakase's door was Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko, the previously mentioned Shounen Tantei-dan. And they had found a new case. "Haibara-san!" The thin boy with freckles, named Mitsuhiko, yelled. "Guess what we've found!"
"Yeah, Haibara!" The chubby, tall(er) boy, Genta, beamed at the close door. "We need your help since... You know, Conan's gone."
The air around the three grew melancholy as the name Conan sprang from Genta's mouth. The three exchanged sorrowful glances before the door opened. Ai stood, staring blankly at the children. She sighed as the sent looks wanting comfort in her direction. "What?"
The girl, Ayumi, smiled, forcing herself to brighten up. "The Shounen Tantei-dan has a brand new case! And we're not the Shounen Tantei-dan without you!"
"... Or Conan..." Mitsuhiko mumbled. He shook his head quickly, banishing the thought of their old friend. Although she never called or emailed or even sent letters, she was still part of the club. And would always be their friend. At least, Mitsuhiko hoped.
Ai sighed, her usual sigh, and leaned against the doorway. Knowing that 'Conan' was still in the area (right across from where they stood in fact), the whole thing seemed silly to her. But she was dealing with the children, so of course, she didn't dare speak the truth. "What's the new case?" She yawned, speaking with a steady, bored tone.
"Hey! This is important, Haibara! Don't yawn!" Genta whined, pointing his finger at her in am accusing manner. Ai paused, mid yawn, and raised an eyebrow.
Ayumi puffed her cheeks and scolded Genta, "Don't yell at Ai-chan, Genta-kun!"
"Wa-Wait! We shouldn't argue, we-" Mitsuhiko began.
"Well, she shouldn't act so bored when we have a big case ahead of us!" Genta retorted, balling up his fists.
Ayumi stepped forward, refusing to back down for her friend. She took a deep breath and shouted, "Ai-chan is fine the way she is!"
"Stop it!" Mitsuhiko stepped between the two, ceasing their fight. "Now's not the time to argue, you two!"
Ai rubbed her temples, gathering all the tolerance she owned. She looked to the children, wondering why she had to deal with their petty disagreements. She sighed and cleared her throat, catching the children's attention. "Please." She frowned. "Just tell me about the case already."
"Ah, the case~" Ayumi smiled at Ai, mood completely shifting. "Well..."
Caroline rest on a park bench, casually swinging her feet back and forth. Her red hair blew in the wind. The cold air chilled her bare skin. Oh, winter was approaching. And it was going to be a harsh one.
She watched as the people passed, some giving her stray looks. Who could blame them, she stuck out like a sore thumb. Her eyes scanned the crowd of people, obviously looking for someone. "Mhm, where could she be?" She wondered aloud, "Where...?"
She sat back, breathing out a breath of weariness. After her meeting with the famous Kudou Shinichi, she was hoping her streak of luck would continue. But it must've ended there, for she had been waiting for nearly an hour. Earlier, a cute little girl with short brown hair had approached her, struck by her unique hair.
"What are you doing, Oba-san?" She had asked, curious why she was just sitting on the bench alone.
Caroline had explain she was looking for someone, another little girl about her age, brown hair and piercing blue eyes. The little girl beamed and told Caroline she had a friend that had the qualities she described . Excitement had wrapped around Caroline's spirit and she asked the girl to go bring her.
That was a long, long time ago, an hour as mentioned before. "That little girl hadn't swindled me, had she?" Caroline mumbled to herself, letting her posture drop.
"Oba-saaaaaan!" Caroline and several other older women looked to the call. Relief flooded through her as she saw the little girl from before waving her arms around. She ran toward her, three more children following. "Oba-san!"
Caroline sat up straight and put a charming smile on her face. Ah, what was she thinking, the girl was just a mere child. She should be happy she even came back. "Hello again!" She called out joyfully, "Did you bring your friend?"
The girl nodded happily and gestured to another girl beside her. Caroline blinked, examining the girl. With brown hair and piercing blue eyes, very adult-like, she did have everything she had asked for. But, unfortunately, wrong girl.
Caroline let out a shaky sigh and sat back again. "Thank you, dear-"
"I'm Ayumi!" The little girl exclaimed. "These are my friends, Mitsuhiko-kun, Genta-kun, and Ai-chan!" Ai, with a questioning look very much not suited for a seven year old, nodded at her name.
"Um, Ayumi-chan." Caroline continued with a patient face, "I appreciate you running and getting your friend-"
"Ai-chan!" The freckled boy, Mitsuhiko, interjected.
"Ai-chan... But she's not the one I was looking for, dear." Caroline pat Ayumi's head. "You did good though. Very nice, very nice!"
Ayumi pouted, but nodded anyway. "Hmm... I was sure you were talking about Ai-chan..." She turned to Genta and Mitsuhiko, "Do you have any ideas who Oba-san is talking about?"
Caroline said quickly, "You don't have to keep going! There must be millions of girls who fit my description-"
"We're the Shounen Tantei-dan!" The heavier boy, Genta, interrupted. "We never give up on a case!" Ayumi and Mitsuhiko nodded swiftly. Ai, on the other hand, merely shrugged and turned away.
"I see..." Caroline trailed off, more so talking to herself than the children. "Ai-chan, was it?" She leaned forward, putting herself eye level with the girl.
A chill was sent down Ai's spine as she turned and met the older women's eyes. Familar, but different. Sinister, yet soft. A mixture of tension and tranquility. With widened eyes, Ai wondered, Who is this person?
She nodded and comfirmed, "Haibara Ai." maintaining her composure. She paused. "May I ask who you are?"
Caroline nodded, cordial expression on face. "Caroline Crider. Nice to meet you, dear!"
Ayumi beamed at the women. "Ah! You have such a pretty name! Caroline-san~!"
"Thank you." She replied.
Ai bit her lip, thinking. Saying her given name first must mean she's from a western country, though her appearance, minus hair, and accent would suggest otherwise. She seems drawn to the color red, with it as her base color in her clothes and hair. No black. Not even mixed in. Her outer attitude seems very welcoming and she is a very likable lady. Ai glared, frowning. But, that could all just easily be an act.
"Someone with sharp eyes... Sharp eyes..." Mitsuhiko rubbed his chin. "Ah!" He said suddenly, catching everyone's attention.
"Yes?" Ayumi questioned eagerly. "Did you think of anyone?"
Mitsuhiko nodded. "It's a long shot but... It kind of works." He faced Caroline. "Did this girl have pigtails or glasses." Ai scowled, knowing very well who he was talking about. The others knew, too.
"You mean Conan-chan?" Genta asked.
"Conan-chan?" Caroline asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Yep, Conan-chan." Mitsuhiko agreed. "She fits the description. A little girl in Japan with brown hair and piercing blue eyes. The only two we know are her and Haibara, and Haibara wasn't it." Caroline nodded, understanding. "Who else could it be?"
"Ah, that makes sense, Mitsuhiko-kun!" Ayumi clapped her hands together, joyfully. "It must be Conan-chan!"
"We solved the case!" Genta shouted happily.
Ai sighed and shook her head. "That all depends." the others looked to her, confused, "Did the girl have glasses or pigtails?"
Caroline paused. "Ah, she didn't." She responded. "But her hair was long enough to put up!"
Ayumi shook her head. "It's no use... Conan-chan always has glasses and pigtails, even while sleeping. Ran-Onee-chan would even scold her from time to time." She looked at the ground, dissatisfied.
"Even if it was Edogawa-chan," Ai began, "she left for America a while ago. We don't even have her number."
"Yeah we do-" Genta began.
Ai cut him off, "She was borrowing Hakase's phone. Calling it would be useless." She yawned. Well, she wasn't lying. Conan did borrow his phone since hers was... unusable.
"Oh." Ayumi grimaced. "Is that so..."
Caroline watched as the children seemed to get gloomier and gloomier. She forced a simper and said cheerfully, "A-Ah, well... I still do need help with finding the girl! Is the capable Shounen Tantei-dan still up for it?" The children immediately brightened up and nodded, now looking to her. "It would be a huge help if you could possibly ask around town if they know such a girl. Maybe at your school too!"
"We could definitely do that!" Genta bellowed with newfound motivation.
"The Shounen Tantei-Dan is ready for any case!" Mitsuhiko proclaimed proudly.
"We can can find the girl, no problem, Caroline-Oba-san!" Ayumi assured with a childish smile on her face.
Caroline nodded, smiling at the children. And wondering about the one that obviously was not one, despite her kiddish outlook.
A/N: I DONT WANNA BECOME ONE OF THOSE GHOST WRITERS BUT I CANT EVEN ANYMORE/gross sobbing