Ahhh! Last chapter! Once again I don't own any of these characters. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 4

As soon as Agasa was gone, Ran turned her intense gaze back to Conan. "What did you mean?" she asked again in her tiny voice. Conan didn't answer her right away. He wouldn't even look at her, but she could see the pain, sorrow, and fear that no child should ever have to experience in his eyes. "I want to know," she whispered; sliding her hand over to cover his. "I want...to understand. ...Please." He sighed and stood up. It's now or never.

Ran stood up too as Conan took off his glasses. His back was to her, but somehow she knew his face held an expression of defeat. He turned to face her without a word. He had tried so many times to tell her, and so many times to keep his identity a secret that he wasn't sure what to say. Ran figured it out on her own though, and he noticed the tears running down her cheeks. She grabbed ahold of the blanket around her and her shirt with one hand, and used the other to slap him across the face.

"Shinichi, you bastard!" she shouted angrily. "How could you do this to me? All this time you kept telling me you were on stupid cases, and you were with me the whole damn time!" Ran suddenly dropped back down on the sofa. It was as if the anger and hatred had been drawn out of her, and her tiny body couldn't support itself without it. "Y-you...you lied to me..." she murmured; her voice shaking and barely rising above a whisper. "I cried for you, you know. ...I didn't know what to think...and...and..." Ran sighed as she trailed off. She had run out of things to say, and her initial anger was beginning to dissipate at the sight of his remorseful expression. I want to hear his side. She patted the sofa next to her; as if forgiving a puppy who she had just punished for misbehaving. "Sit down...Sit down and tell me everything."

He did as he was told, and she listened intently; hanging onto every word that left his mouth. Her anger turned to pity, and then to understanding as she realized just how serious their situation was. Then, as the sun was just beginning to disappear beyond the horizon, he finished. She knew everything, and she understood that she would have to be just as careful as he was. Ran couldn't help but smile though at the sick irony of hearing such depressing things come from a child's mouth, but her smile quickly fled as she remembered something else.

"Wait. When the diplomat died and you were sick, was that REALLY you the entire time?" Conan smiled.

"Yes it was, and the reason I became so sick was because that drink Hattori gave me gave me back my old body for a short amount of time," he told her. "Of course, I built up an immunity almost immediately so it didn't work a second time." He shrugged and stared back down at the floor. He wasn't sure if Ran was still angry with him, and small or not his cheek still stung from her slap. She probably left a hand print. The two miniature teens sat in silence for a moment. Then, all of a sudden, Ran's shoulders began to shake as she began to chuckle. Pretty soon, she was laughing loudly, and trying desperately to keep her shirt on her body as she shook with laughter. What the hell is she laughing for? Conan gaped at her in amazement and fear. He knew that Ran was either seriously laughing, or he was about to be hit again.

"You..." she started as she tried to catch her breath. "You... thought... THAT'S why I found you trying to drink that stuff?" Ran started laughing again as he blushed beside her.

"I don't see why it's so funny," he retorted. "You would've done the same thing, wouldn't you?" That finally got her to stop laughing, but she kept her huge grin plastered on her face. It's so absurd I can't even really be angry at him anymore.

"I suppose you're right," she replied as she finally calmed down. "You know," she said quietly. "Even if we never get back to normal, at least we get to grow up together again." Conan let himself relax again. He knew she was right, and he felt like a tremendous weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He turned back to Ran.

"Whatever we do decide to do though," he murmured. "We'll do it together."

Professor Agasa leaned back against the wall in relief. "I'm so glad that didn't turn out TOO ugly," he muttered to himself. Then he straightened up, and opened the door; ready to help them again as he always had and always would.

THE END

Yes I know the ending is corny! I'm sorry! I am not good at writing non-sappy happy endings! It's something I really need to work on. Anyway. I want to thank anyone who read this story. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it for the past few days. A special thanks to those who reviewed, and if you haven't reviewed yet I would LOVE to hear what you think of this story. I will most definitely be writing about these characters again in the near future, and I really hope you'll read whatever other nonsense I decide to post. Thanks so much!