"Damn it!"

The red head hissed as she cursed, her emerald eyes glaring at the screen before her, fingers pausing momentarily in their command of the keyboard. Her companion, a man too young to be wearing a suit so crisp, turned sharply at her outburst.

"Shiho? What?!" His cobalt orbs scanned their surroundings, hand gripping the face of his wristwatch with white-knuckled ferocity. Seeing no obvious threat, he allowed himself to resume a less tense demeanour, but not without great wariness. Noticing her intense focus upon the files she had been saving to her pen drive, he stepped up, discarding the paper files he'd been rooting through for later. "What is it, Miyano?"

With shaky hands, she highlighted a portion of the text on screen, part of an archived email from months past.

"This, Kudo..."

'APPROVED: usage of APTX 4869 by operatives abroad...'

"Shit..." The young Kudo, his almond-shaped eyes creasing as he took in Shiho Miyano's meaning, had to steady himself on the back of her chair. "Does that mean..?"

"There could be more of us..."

Finding peace.

Chapter One: Oslo

Oslo, December the 4th

The two young adults walked down the corridor side by side. The taller one, Kudo, would occasionally turn to talk to his partner, only to find his eyes looking for hers too high, and he would have to dip his head and bow his shoulders in order to whisper. Shiho Miyano would smirk when she noticed his quirk born from habit. It had been more than two months, but still he wasn't used to their height difference being inverted. She kept quiet, despite the urge to make some sarcastic comment about it. Shiho still found herself looking at his toned chest more often than she intended also.

Neither of them was as tall as the man guiding them through the building though. Tall and broad of shoulder the Norwegian guide regarded his Japanese guests curiously as they turned a corner.

"I must admit, ya," he said, his English fluent despite the thick accent, "when my colleagues at Interpol said they would be sending some freelance Japanese investigators to help with this investigation, I did not expect you to be so young."

"Looks can be deceptive..." Shiho replied with a shrug, pushing a strand of auburn hair behind her ear. Her normally short bob was growing long again. She wondered how expensive hairdressers were in the city.

"Thank goodness for Akai and my dad's influence..." Kudo breathed in Japanese so only she could hear. He'd already given the Europol agent before them a sharp look-over, taking in the suit jacket that struggled to fit over his strong arms and the colourful jumper underneath.

She stifled a grin. It wasn't so long ago that she would never have considered all this a possibility... She, a prodigy in bio-chemistry, brought up as a scientist by a criminal organisation since the day she was born, working with the FBI, CIA and Interpol to take down her former employers? Even now it seemed preposterous. She glanced at her companion, momentarily forgetting to look up first, and let a warm thought fill her heart.

None of this would have been possible without Shinichi Kudo.

"Here we are!" Agent Oaken, if that was his name, with a dramatic sweep of his hands that somehow kept his elbows stuck to his sides, indicated the door before him and flicked a key out from one of his pockets. "Now are you sure you don't want me to help you out in there, dears?"

"I think we'll be alright, but thank you," Shinichi replies his own accent rather pronounced. For someone who could tell the subtle nuances between British and American English, Shiho finds that Kudo doesn't do that good a job of sounding perfectly fluent. But he is, and for the enterprise they are embarking upon, fluency is Key.

It is just a shame that neither of them speaks Norwegian.

"We'll be fine, thank you Agent Oaken," she adds herself, only a little self-conscious of the American sounding lilt to her words. She sounds nothing like the smooth and soft English of her mother. To say that a year ago she hadn't even known the sound of her mother's voice... "We... We will come find you if we have a need for assistance."

The Norwegian man gives them a tight smile that only barely makes him look like a teddy bear with his generous blond mutton chops. Giving them a little wave, he pockets the now used key and heads back down the corridor.

"I'll be by the lobby if you need me. Let me know when you've finished. Bye, bye for now."

Shiho doesn't miss the sharp glance he gives her, but before she can contemplate it further Kudo has dragged her into the room.

"Let's get to work!" He quips, back in his more comfortable Japanese. For such a Sherlock Holmes nerd he sure has little love for A. C. Doyle's mother tongue.

"Sure," she replies likewise. She takes in the surroundings. Light wooden panelling surrounds them, the dust not fully covering the smell of wax. It has been half a year since this office was last used, the person in charge of the large desk facing the bay window having been arrested and deported to Denmark then. Seeing the opulence in the leather and solid oak furnishings, the auburn haired woman felt little empathy for the criminal agent 'Aquavit'. He had clearly enjoyed his position... and his own likeness well enough, she thought as she caught a glimpse of herself in one of the many mirrors that adorned the walls.

Striding across the furred rug on the floor, Kudo wasted no time in sitting at the desk and booting up the Macintosh computer sitting on the desk. Aquavit had seen fit to even give that a small trim of wooden panelling. Shiho's eyes narrowed.

"So," smirking, the teenage prodigy detective known as Shinichi Kudo eyed her expectantly. "What do we know about the president of Southern Isles Ferries?"

Finding a drawer cabinet, Shiho returned his smirk. He had a notebook and Norwegian-English dictionary at hand. All they needed was a clue to help them find his password. This was where her time with the organisation would come in useful.

"Let's find out."

Arendelle, December the 5th

The snow was thick underfoot, as it had been for a couple of months now. The latest snowstorm was making progress difficult, but it did not deter the man. With the scarf around his face, the woollen hat on his head and fur-lined coat all catching the falling flakes, he looked more like a monstrous yeti than a human being, but there was an intensity in his gaze as he crossed the footbridge, mitten-covered fingers clinging to its railing. Under his left arm, safely tucked away from the worst of the wind, was a satchel. Every now and then he would check that it was still secure with his right hand. There was tenderness in this gesture. It was clear that what it contained was important to him.

There was a brief respite from the weather as he reached the office building he had been headed for. He checked the time on his watch, glanced through the big glass doors of the lobby, and gave a brief nod. He then walked right past the building to a small restaurant round the corner.

Whatever he had been waiting for, it didn't take long. By the time an older gentleman made his way into the restaurant after him, he had had time to shake off the snow from his clothes and get stuck into a nice warm cup of café latte. He gave the newcomer an amused smirk as he waved him over. The place was fairly empty despite it being lunch time on a workday, in the middle of the business district. He didn't seem to mind though.

"Kai, sir." His greeting was accompanied by a nod of deference. Noticing one of the restaurant owner's many children approach the table upon noticing the newcomer, he asked the man in the business suit if he wanted anything. "Coffee? Soup?"

"Kristoff, good to see you," Kai sat down, his balding head of ginger-brown hair still sparkling with flakes of ice. Turning to face the young brunette waitress he smiled warmly. "Yes, a coffee sounds good. Americano with two sugars and milk please."

"Terrible weather we're having, isn't it?" Kai's tone seemed light, but his serious face betrayed the sombreness of his feelings. He leaned back in his chair, a wishful glint in his eye as he looked to the blond youth beside him. "You didn't bring your sleigh?"

Kristoff chuckled.

"Nah, it's a bit too conspicuous... Even with this weather." The way his brown eyes dipped at the mention of the snowstorm was the only indication that his cheer was mostly feigned. "I left it at the outskirts with Sven. There's a garage that way I often use when I need spare parts. Felix is pretty reliable."

There was a lull in the conversation as the young waitress brought over Kai's coffee. The older man nodded his thanks and took a small sip.

"Ah," he sighed. "That's better. Now..." Leaning onto the table with his elbows, the naturally-cheerful looking Kai allowed his brow to crease into a frown. "Shall we get down to business?"

"Yes," Kristoff straightened up, his face taking on a formal, business-like expression. He handed over the satchel. "These are the latest samples. The girls send Gerda their love."

"As she does to all of you..." Kai inclined his head with a hint of a warm smile. He quickly flipped the lid open to check the contents before inserting the small satchel into his briefcase. "I'm sorry to say that she hasn't had any more luck with the last samples since we last talked."

"We didn't imagine she had." Kristoff's shoulders still slumped along with the corners of his lips. Whatever Gerda was trying to do, her lack of success clearly disheartened him.

"These should help." The determination with which the businessman asserted this seemed to reassure Kristoff somewhat, though he was wary of the hope it gave him. Kai took another, longer sip of his coffee before rubbing his nose. "As for the other matter... The one you asked me to look into..."

"Yes?" The blond man in the fur coat stilled, apprehension making him grip his own cup stronger.

Staring into the remaining half of his drink, Kai took a moment to choose his words carefully.

"I still have no news of that man, other than his continued absence, though I hear now that his extensive family has gone missing too."

"That's... new." Kristoff let one of his eyebrows rise up. "Have they been missing long?"

"About two months, we think. Not quite as long as you-know-who. A few of their homes and offices were burnt down in suspicious circumstances, but no bodies were found."

Kristoff's eyes widened. This was quite chilling news.

"As for the weasel, I'm not hearing much that is solid but..." Kai nervously adjusted his sleeve, a telling tick. The businessman was not known for nervousness. His jaw hardened at what he had to say. "He and his men are definitely on the move."

He reached out then, his hand grabbing onto Kristoff's forearm.

"Promise me you three will be careful."

Nodding sharply, Kristoff clapped onto his companion's hand in turn.

"I promise."

Their hands splitting apart, the older man returned to his coffee.

"I just wish I had anything helpful to say or give you."

"You're helping us plenty already, Kai." Sliding his chair back, the blonde downed the rest of his coffee.

"You're not staying for lunch?"

"No, sorry." Putting his now empty cup down, he began adjusting his winter gear. The weather outside still looked pretty dire. "I need to get some shopping, and her majesty will be eager to hear what you've told me, I'm sure."

"There is one more thing," Kai held his hand up before Kristoff could stand. His voice lowered even further in tone to a whisper, forcing the youth to bend closer to hear. "-istoff, the restaurant owner, Stefan, tells me there are people in Oslo investigating Hans; new people, not from the Kripos or Interpol."

"...what?" Kristoff had blanched upon hearing their mutual enemy's name, more from the fact that Kai felt the need to use it than the news in itself. "Who...? Why?"

"I'm not sure but..." Kai straightened, his voice resuming a more audible tone. "I have a feeling they might come looking for you all. It could just be my imagination but..."

"Better safe than sorry. I understand." Standing, Kristoff surprised himself by giving the businessman a hug. "Thanks old man."

Tapping him on the back gently in response, Kai only managed a weak "think nothing of it." When they parted Kristoff could swear Kai had a tear in his eye.

"Give the girls my regards," the businessman said to Kristoff as he headed to the counter to settle his bill. The blonde nodded in response.

"I will."

Oslo, December the 6th

Shinichi woke up with a start. It was dark. He had no way of knowing whether it was the early hours of the morning or if the alarm was away to go off any second now. The young man held his hands to his face and rolled onto his back with a sigh. All this travelling was doing his body clock no favours.

His arms flopped onto his pillow as he stared up at the ceiling, his eyes slowly adjusting to the light from the small LED of the hotel room's fire alarm. He felt cold, but he was too tired to go and grab an extra blanket from the cupboard. Instead he pulled the covers tighter around him as he pondered what time of day it was back home. Probably about mid-morning to lunchtime he decided. Ran was probably neck deep in revisions at school for university applications, while her dad sneakily enjoyed watching some show featuring Yoko Okino during his agency's open hours. He allowed himself a wistful smile. The Mouri household had been homely, during his stay there, and though he would never willingly return to it in similar circumstances... He did miss the family atmosphere he had enjoyed there.

That was when he heard the whimper. Sitting upright, Shinichi Kudo strained his ears, just to be certain that he wasn't imagining it.

The young detective leapt out of bed as he heard it once more, pulling his blanket along as he went to kneel at the neighbouring bed. Gently he reached out towards the quivering shape he could just barely make out in the dark. His hand caught hold of a thrashing arm, his head moving closer to the pillow as the figure let out a scared shriek.

"It's okay, Shiho. I've got you." His voice was a whisper, but earnest and tender.

The woman under the covers stopped fighting, her fast breathing slowing as Shinichi rubbed gently at her arm. He remembered. This was why he left Japan to investigate what usage of APTX 4869 had occurred abroad. This was why he couldn't dream of sharing a home with his childhood friend Ran anymore. Watching his travelling companion slowly return to a more peaceful slumber, the young man wondered once more at the warm feeling in his breast.

"I've got you..." He said softly once more, before shaking his head. This wasn't like him, and yet... It felt right.

It took him a while, kneeling on the rough carpet at her bedside, to build up the strength to return to his own mattress. It was with little thought that he went to grab the extra blankets from the cupboard. He flung one carelessly onto his own bedcovers. He paused, the second spare in his hand. He was a lot gentler in covering the sleeping form of Shiho Miyano with the extra layer. She shifted and relaxed some more as a result, no longer curled up from whatever cold nightmare had disturbed her this night. The young Japanese man stood there awkwardly a moment, holding onto the sleeves of his pyjama top, before sliding back into his own bed.

He mumbled a bit, as sleep rapidly came to claim him back into its soothing embrace.
"Now I understand why the professor kept his bed so close to yours..."

He was certainly glad that the young scientist hadn't fought the suggestion of sharing a hotel room after their short stay in China. As much as it did certainly save them on their bill for accommodation, Shinichi was just glad he no longer needed to break a door open to find out why she was crying out in the night.

"Sweet dreams..."

To be continued...