A/N: Hi everyone. I hope you enjoy the final installment of my story. The truth is, I figured out how it would end and wrote it a while ago, but I haven't had the chance to post it. Thank you for reading, and if you want me to try and write more stuff, I will, but you gotta let me know! Thanks!

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"I'm so glad that you came. After that night you stayed over, I wasn't sure what was going to happen," Shinichi said, as they sat at their table in the sightseeing restaurant that he had taken Ran to once before, back when Conan was still around.

"The truth is, I thought that I must have imagined it," Ran replied.

"Why do you say that?" Shinichi cocked his head in confusion.

"Because," and here Ran held both of his hands, "it was..."

"Perfect," Shinichi smiled, a bit shyly.

"...Yeah... How'd you know that I was going to say that?"

"Because it was even more perfect for me, Ran. You don't know how long I've been trying to tell you for. Remember when you told Conan that you loved me? I had to try so hard not to tell you who he really was, because I knew that it would be better if I waited. And Ran, it really was."

"...Shinichi, as long as I knew that it was you it really wouldn't have mattered to me. But I am glad that it didn't hurt like it would have, had you told me back then."

"Yeah..."

Ran smiled gently, and they sipped at their waters for a while, Shinichi remembering that he didn't have to worry about Ran's former uncertainty that he was going to come back someday, and Ran thinking how she was thankful that her days of waiting for a short and painful phone call from the only person she ever really loved were over. The waitress came by with two pieces of cake for the pair, and Ran looked at her fork slyly, and then Shinichi, and then to the cake at her place. She cut off a small piece and fed it to him. He seemed a bit flustered for a second, but then his usual grin took shape.

"You know, Ran, if you get to do that then that means someday I get to do the same thing back," he said.

"What does that mean?" Ran looked slightly confused. Suddenly it clicked. "Oh!" she said. "You mean..."

"Yep."

"Well...I..."

"What is it?"

Ran smiled up at him again. "I wouldn't mind that at all."

"Good."

The two finished their cake and Shinichi paid the bill. "I'm glad you didn't order stuff because you were mad at me, like that one time when-"

"Hey, I had a reason to be annoyed! I didn't know what was going on back then, and I had no idea if you were coming back."

"Ok, ok. I admit that. I was wrong. But it doesn't matter anymore. Let's go."

Shinichi drove Ran back home. He parked his car and they sat on a bench outside the coffee shop below Mouri Detective Agency. Ran rested her head on Shinichi's shoulder and yawned a bit.

"You know, Ran, if you need to rest I'll go."

"No, Shinichi, I want you to stay with me a little longer."

"Maybe we should go inside? It's a bit windy out here."

"All right."

The pair walked up the stairs to the detective agency. Kogoro was nowhere in sight. I bet he's upstairs in bed already... Ran thought. She sat on the couch with Shinichi holding her for a while, and then they kissed.

"Ow!" Ran said. "Something poked me! It was like a box..."

"I'm sorry, I forgot that I hadn't given it to you yet!" Shinichi dug out a box from his pocket and held it out to Ran. "Please accept this." Ran took the box from Shinichi and opened it. A small golden band lay inside with English on it. "What does it say?" Ran asked.

"Well, you have four guesses, because it's one of my favorite words!" Shinichi grinned.

"It's not 'Holmes', right?"

"No, I was actually serious about this, Ran."

"Let's see, your favorite words...ummm...I got it! 'Shinjitsu wa itsumo hitotsu!'"

"Right! Now tell me which word it is!"

"Let's see...it can't be wa, because in English that's 'is'. This word is longer. And it can't be hitotsu, because that's 'one'. So it's either shinjitsu or itsumo. But what are those words in English?"

"Do you want the answer? It says itsumo. In English the word is 'always', as in how long I will stay with you."

Tears welled up in Ran's eyes. Once again, everything was perfect. She kissed Shinichi as tears streamed down her face.

"I don't have to wait any more to be with you now, Ran. And I will always be by your side."

owari

Epilogue

Finally, Shinichi was able to tell Ran what she needed to hear. After so much waiting and wishing for his safe return, he was back. They finished their senior year together, and everything was a bit better. Kogoro was getting cases again (insert: yeah, I know) and actually solving them. Shinichi continued his detective work, but the Black Organization wasn't around anymore. Sonoko went shopping every weekend, and often Makoto was right there with her. Meanwhile, Kaito was playing his normal tricks on Aoko, and she got a laser-mop. (XD) Heiji and Kazuha kept calling each other "aho", and Heiji was still trying to beat Kudo to the crime. Now, you ask me, what about Ran? Well, Ran was a lot happier for obvious reasons. She went to college with Shinichi and their relationship is still going strong. During all this, Yusaku and Yukiko were partying it up in the Bahamas. How Yusaku made his deadlines, I don't know, but we'll just have to trust him on that one.

And then there's me. After writing this little story I returned to my normal fangirlish self, and some days you may see me on the internet squealing over Shinichi!

(Okay, now before I go completely fangirlish, you may want to step aside!)

Really the end.