Chapter 1: Ayumi's joy and Conan's dilemma.

Disclaimer: I don't own DC/CC.

Teitan Elementary let out for the day, and with the exception of Ai, the detective boys headed for the park. Mitsuhiko brought some cupcakes with chocolate frosting and they each got one. Genta just licked the frosting off of his, because he only liked that part (The cake part of the cupcakes was the white kind. Now if had been chocolate, that would've been another story). He then offered the rest of his cupcake to Ayumi, who politly declined.

When they were done they played hide and seek. Conan found them all quickly, though Ayumi really didn't seem to mind.

Conan sighed to himself. He had a problem with Ayumi. In a way, it was the exact opposite of his delima with Ran. With Ran he wasn't there, yet he was. With Ayumi he was there, yet he wasn't.

He tried to ignore it, pretend it didn't exist. But he couldn't deny the obvious truth any longer. Ayumi loved him, and he would eventually have to leave her.

Now, Shinichi wasn't so sort of horrible person who broke young girl's hearts just because he could. He hadn't meant to make Ayumi fall in love with him. It had just happened. He knew she would be hurt. She might even need therapy. The least he could do was make sure her memories of her first love were happy ones that later in life she could look back upon and cherish.

"Conan-kun, is something wrong?"

Conan snapped out of his thoughts. He didn't need Ayumi worrying about him.

"It's nothing Ayumi-chan. I'm fine. Hey, want to go play soccer?"

"Okay!"

Genta and Mitsuhiko hurried to join them. They weren't going to let Conan show them up this time.

Of course, Shinichi could run circles around his friends if he wanted to. But this time he didn't. He even let Ayumi score a goal against him. To see her cheer, it made him want to miss the block again. But he couldn't. That would've been way to obvious.

He did score less then usual though. It came down to Ayumi and Genta 1, Conan and Mitsuhiko 5. Then it was time to go home.

"Hey Conan-kun!" Ayumi called after him. "Could I mabey sleep over with you tonight? My parents said it was okay and have all my things in my backpack."

He stopped suddenly, a little supprised.

"Well...um...I." he stammered, not really sure what the right thing to do in this situation was. The glares he was getting from Genta and Mitsuhiko weren't helping his thought proccess as he tried to come up with an excuse.

"Please?" Ayumi gave him her best sad puppy-dog eyes. And since Shinichi was really an adult, he was vulnerable to them.

"I'll ask Ran." he said, giving in to the power of the almighty sad puppy-dog eyes.

He already knew Ran would consent. She thought Conan and Ayumi were just so cute together.

"Yay! Thank you Conan-kun!" She hugged him, and the glares from Genta and Mitsuhiko turned into full-on death stares.

Conan walked with Ayumi to the agency, wondering how he got himself into this one.

By the time they arrived Ayumi was giving Conan quick glances and giggling. Ran immediatly agreed, commenting about how cute it was. She ushered them inside to tell Kogoro, who was drinking on the couch.

"Dad, Ayumi-chan will be sleeping over with Conan-kun tonight, okay?" Ran said to her father, who looked less then thrilled.

"Great, another rugrat." Kogoro sneered.

"Hey, be nice to Conan's little girlfriend." Ran scolded.

Conan put his face in his hands in embaressment and Ayumi blushed at the word "girlfriend".

"Hey is that Yoko Okino?" Ayumi pointed to the t.v.

"Yeah, it's a live concert."

"Oh I love Yoko! I have all her albums!" Ayumi said proudly as she sat down next to Kogoro.

"Even the imports?" he asked.

"Yep. Shhh, it's starting."

Ayumi and Kogoro turned their full attention to the screen while Conan and Ran sweat dropped.

As Conan helped Ran make dinner, there was a knock at the door.

"Conan, could you get the door for me?"

"Okay." he quickly hopped off the chair he was standing on.

He opened the door to reveal Inspector Meguri.

"Hello Conan. Is Kogoro here?"

"Please come in. He's watching t.v."

Meguri walked in to find Kogoro and Ayumi sitting on the couch, talking like two fangirls.

"Oh I love this song!" Ayumi exclaimed.

"Me too." Kogoro replied. Both their eyes sparkled as Yoko sang.

"Sorry to interrupt Mouri, but there's been a murder and we need you."

"But Yoko's on!" Kogoro and Ayumi both whined.

"Sorry, but we need you now."

"Can't it wait untill the concert's over?" Ayumi asked, once again giving her best sad puppy-dog eyes.

"Yeah, can't it?" Kogoro said, giving his best sad puppy-dog eyes as well.

Meguri thought for a moment.

"Absolutly not!"

To be continued.