-Of Wolves and Sheep-

Disclaimer: The works of Detective Conan and Magic Kaito belongs to Gosho Aoyama-sensei.

A/N: Another piece for Poirot Cafe. For some reason, the theme "wolves" made me think of Ai...

"Listen to me Ayumi-chan." Ai turned the younger girl, now in the height of her prime, to face her instead of the large mirror on the dresser. The girl had lost a lot of her baby fat, giving her a more mature look though her youthfulness was still reflected in the depths of her eyes. Ai had seen that whenever the girl smiled, boys would fawn over her and fall on the ground she would walk on in the hopes she would backtrack and step on them instead of the hard ground. More than once, Ai had turned a cold glare at those boys who were looking at the young girl like meat rather than treating her like an equal in society. "Ayumi-chan, first you have to stop licking the lipstick off your lips." Ai chided before fixing up the lip line again.

It was a momentous day for the young girl, though if Ai was to be honest it was supposed to be a momentous day for the pair of them but she had grown up once already and this was just a repeat, today is the day when she could declare herself a woman. Though it was a practice that was rarely followed in the Western culture anymore, the Debutante Ball was something of by-gone eras than in the age of modern technology where potential partners can hook up using mobile apps and internet sites, let alone Eastern culture. Unfortunately, for her current, legal, parents (or in particular the matriarch of the family that seems to have both males wrapped within the palms of her hands), had insisted attendance to this particular party as a form of congratulatory celebration to their hard work even if said event was not strictly a debutante ball. Ai had not been following much of the reasoning, only knowing that her friends were present at the announcement hence were also invited this evening.

Ai eyed the makeup she helped put onto the girl, the subtle shading of pale pastels on the eyelids and pink blushes on the cheeks, all the way to the rosy lipstick with the tiniest hint of glitter. It made the girl, now woman, innocent. Extremely innocent.

"But Ai-chan." She tries to pout, only to be stopped by a frown. "It's really not comfortable. Can I at least wipe away the gloss? It's sticky and...well...it's sweet." Ayumi made a small lick before pursing her lips together briefly. When she let go of her abused lips, there was a stronger hint of red along the inner lip.

"You shouldn't do that." Ai sighed with a small shake of her head. Before fixing up the fringes to the girl's hair. No matter what age, she would consider Ayumi to be a girl, with the way she always portrays herself and her surrounding aura, it was difficult for Ai to think otherwise. "And stop trying to fix the skirt, keep it at the length."

"But Ai-chan~" She whines again, "it's long! It's difficult to move in."

"It's a cocktail dress, the length is just right." She admonished once more. Both of them were wearing similar kinds of dress, though Ayumi's was more flared and in a pale baby blue whilst Ai's own was more straight lined in the cutting and a dark maroon. Neither were showing too much skin, nor were they overly revealing. The hem of the skirt just hovers above the knee and the neckline was not too conservative with a showing of clavicle. "And you wouldn't want the wrong kind of attention on tonight of all nights anyways."

"What do you mean?" And here's when Ayumi's innocent shone through. To think with her childhood crush on one Edogawa Conan would mean the girl would be more mature in such an area.

"Men are wolves, hungry wolves ready to devour young innocent maidens like yourself." She ushered Ayumi off the seat so she could have better access to the mirror to place the finishing touches on herself. "We must never let our guards down. Our clothes are our armours and our words are our swords in which we fight to defend ourselves." Once she deemed her own makeup to be complete, she turned to face the girl once more.

"Ai-chan, we're only going to a ball. Not a war zone." Placing her hands on her narrow hips, Ayumi tries to look more mature, more intimidating. Though it never diminished the child image that was the young Ayumi in Ai's eyes.

"The ballroom IS a war zone, where potential preys are hunted by the predator. Where partners are shown off like wall mounted deer heads." She shook her head, the girl would never survive in the modern social environment if she kept her ideals of all men are gentleman. Though Ai blames that on the other two childhood friend, one not-really-a-child childhood friend and his current partner, and possibly one overly white phantom that somehow managed to taint the image of being a supposedly nefarious thief.

"You're over reacting Ai-chan. We're only going to eat dinner, celebrate the end of our final year, and our entrance into university. " Ai did not have the heart to tell the girl that this dinner is like a Coming-Out, a chance to test out their social skills in a relatively safe environment (or at least as safe as their chaperones could make them to be), at the same time expose each of them to their inner predator. Again, Ai had to wonder what was going through the mind of their chaperones when this event was suggested to them.

"Ayumi-chan…" Ai was somewhat lost for words. Thankfully, she was saved by a knock on the door.

"Ai-chan, Ayumi-chan?" The melodious voice of then-Mouri-now-Kudo Ran rang from the other side of the door. After the small pause came a tentative open on the door. "Oh good, the pair of you are dressed. Ready to go?" She had aged beautifully in 10 years, her body still as strong as when she practiced karate though Ai had noted the beginnings of grey hair at this young age. Ai would have to see whether she can persuade the seemingly older woman for a checkup, just in case.

"Ran-neechan!" Even if 10 years have passed, Ayumi would still view her as an older sister rather than using any other form of suffix. "Is Shinichi-niisan outside?" And even though Ayumi knew about the whole Conan fiasco, she still viewed him as someone dear to her.

"He's in the front with the car. If you're both ready to go? You wouldn't want to be late." She teased, letting Ayumi run pass her though there was a hint of worry on her face when she faced Ai. "Ai-chan?"

"It's nothing." She waved off, taking a look at the mirror once more. She chose to grow her hair out this time, not needing to take care whether her DNA had contaminated any vulnerable experimentations in a lab. She could, as Ran said before, release her inner self. Though what that actually entails, Ai was still working on it. She steeled herself to become a defender of the innocent Ayumi who was not as well-versed in the precariousness required at a social event. Ai would have refused to go but Ayumi had pleaded to her with her big round eyes and a rim full of tears. It was impossible for anyone to say no to the girl (even the stoic detective had difficulties with saying no when confronted with such a face).

Ai stepped out of the large mansion that she called home for the past six years, ever since the downfall of The Organisation. It was a mixture of luck, bravery, and some planning that had caused the downfall, a series of events that no one seems to be able to explain. Ai thanked whatever god (or gods, Ai was not picky and knew to give thanks when it was due) that watched over them that fateful day that lead them out of her shared fear with the then Edogawa-Conan-now-Kudo-Shinichi. The very same detective who was sitting patiently behind the wheel waiting for them.

"Finally." A well dressed Kudo Shinichi leaned out of the window of the driver's seat. "And here I thought it would have been better if I left alone."

"You wouldn't Shinichi." There was a dangerous gleam in Ran's eyes. "Not after all the trouble that Yukiko-san went through to secure the invitations for the boys and girls." She looked fondly at the two girls climbing into the car before taking her seat at the passenger side.

"Well it's not really a difficult feat for 'kaa-san anyways. Both her and 'tou-san have enough influence. Plus it's a ball sponsored by the Suzukis, I'm sure if you mention it to Sonoko that this is a present for the kids, she'll be more than happy to send us the invites." A glance at the rear view mirror showed a pair of vibrant blues landing on Ai. "Something wrong Ai?"

"Nothing." She shook her head, a little gleeful on the inside because Shinichi had called her by name. It had taken some time, especially since the Kudos officially adopted Haibara Ai, now Kudo Ai, into the family and have all the documents to legalise her as a citizen in Japan rather than an illegal person with false documents and a questionable background. It had taken equally long for Shinichi to think of her as a sister when they have been partners in crime for such a long time. Unfortunately, such an adoption also made Shinichi become aware of himself as a potential brother and he seemed to have taken up on the respective responsibilities, including intimidating people and becoming overly protective.

"You know, I would have thought you'd try to escape this. I remembered last time when 'kaa-san tried to bring you to one of those high-end functions, you hid inside the house for the whole day. 'Tou-san at least was having fun trying to re-direct 'kaa-san from you." There was bright amusement reflected in the eyes.

"You mean the one where you constantly whispered in my ears who was cheating on who?" Ran teased equally, earning a rather nice blush on Shinichi's face. It was no secret that these two were still lovebirds even after their marriage. They often accompanied the elder Kudos in public function. Though more often than not, it was Shinichi who was roped into such functions by celebrities and rich people alike because he became just a tad bit too famous. After dissolving the multi-national Organisation, he went into PI business, though only on the side. Strange enough, Kudo Shinichi took up the pen instead of the magnifying glass and began penning science fiction novels for a living that became Best Sellers overnight. Though Ai thought it really should not have surprised her since she had long since thought his life was stranger than fiction in all senses, what with his ability to stumble across a crime every day.

Their drive downtown was punctuated by two other stops to pick up the two boys along the way. The group of actual-children-now-teens-and-possibly-adults chatted from the backseat of the car whilst Ai listened carefully. 10 years and both Genta and Mitsuhiko were still crushing and pinning after Ayumi. Thankfully, Mitsuhiko had come to his senses and realised Ai was really out of reach for him. Not that Ai would be pursuing anything anytime soon. She still viewed many of her peers as too young for her. At least, in this setting, it would allow her to evaluate these two potential partners for Ayumi. Though from what Ai knew, childhood romances that blossoms into true soul partnerships are rare even if there was a pair now sitting in front of her and she knew of another further down south of Japan.

They slowed in front of a grand hotel, the Suzuki Hotel to be exact, before turning off towards the parking space in the basement. Excited energy ran apparent as Ayumi started to fidget and both boys looked to be nervous for some odd reason. Ai remained as cool as ever as she memorised the location of their parked car. The trip on the elevator was only punctuated with Ran explaining once more about the purpose of the function.

"It's a charity function, and although I know the three of you will behave yourselves, try not to go exploring." She reminded, most likely because she remembered how they loved to roam about the empty hallways. "There's also going to be an auction, which Shinichi and I would be attending to. If you like, you can join us but we know it's a boring event. Dinner is going to be a buffet style from start 'til finish but do try not to overeat." The last phrase was directed more at Genta. Even though the larger male had toned down his love of eating, it was still quite difficult for him to resist the lure of food.

The ballroom was well decorated with crystal chandeliers hanging up high, floral arrangements were placed strategically within the hall, and several large tables were set up along the back and side walls for food and drinks. There were small tables set sporadically within the space with seating and softly lit candles. The room rang with a nice orchestral number, adding ambiance to the environment. Ladies twirled in their dresses with their handsome partners as supporting roles, the more mature audience gathered by the drinks table as they chat over a flute of champagne or a glass of wine, Ai thought the picture she was presented with was very much like those directly from a movie.

"Shin-chan! Ran-chan!" The ever enthusiastic Yukiko waved as she approached. "The lot of you are running late, you're missing out on the action." She quickly pulled Ai into bear hug. "Ai-chan! You look wonderful in that dress." If they were not in such a public setting, Ai was sure she would be squealing.

"Yukiko." Yuusaku admonished on the side, gently pulling his wife away from their overwhelmed daughter. "Can't you see you're embarrassing Ai?"

Ai watched as the Kudo family chatted, somewhat feeling out of place even as they included her into the conversation. Her other friends were already eyeing the food table, no doubt wanting to sample the delicacies.

"Ai, do you want to come with us?" Shinichi asked, looking between her and the other teens, "Or would you rather stay?"

"I'll stay. Auction is not really my thing." She understood that they have to put up with public appearances, hence the need for the Kudo family to appear at certain locations or events. Thankfully, her own adoption was kept under the radar hence she was not harassed to attend such functions. "I'll stay with the kids to keep them out of trouble."

"You do know that they are legally young adults right?" There was amusement in his eyes even as he nodded at the sentiment. She did not doubt that the detective also viewed them as children.

"There's still a lot more they have to learn. And they are children in such a setting." She looked around the ballroom once more, this time seeing the darker side of things. Where adults were chatting in small groups, Ai saw them huddling in conspiracy. Where they were dancing and frolicking on the dance floor, Ai only saw them as people hunting for opportunities.

Shinichi huffed and nodded, agreeing that it would be best for her to keep an eye on things here as he went about to fulfil his duties set upon him by society.

Ai watched from her place by the pillar, partially hidden by shadows offered by overhanging curtains, as the Kudo family exited the room. Her friends were already circling around once more, softly whispering on what to try first. Ai shrugged, indicating she would rather stay in this quiet corner than go venturing off and they promised to bring some things back for her. She stared at the dance floor, noticing partners changing more often than normal and instinctively knowing these people were coming into this ball with the sole purpose of self satisfaction. She scoffed at how opportunistic these people are.

"May I ask you for a dance Fair Lady?" A rather handsome looking blond bowed in front of Ai, offering her a hand. "It is most unusual to see someone such as yourself to be alone on such an evening."

"No thanks." She replied with in a dry monotone. "Not interested."

"Ladies rarely come here to enjoy the food at such an event." There was mild amusement as green eyes looked into her own. "Surely you did not come here for the drinks but for the atmosphere. I'm more than happy to show you a great time tonight."

Ai narrowed her eyes at such a suggestion. "Your companionship, although is much appreciated, I believe it would be wasted upon me Good Gentleman. I believe there's someone more fitting of your status?" She nodded behind the man, where a female looked to be searching for someone. A few moments later, nearby guest pointed at their direction to which the lady briskly walked towards them.

"Ah...um…" The man stuttered rather awkwardly at the frown marring the female's face. "I can explain?"

"I believe this man is your companion for the evening?" Both herself and the newcomer ignored the man in front of them. "He, apparently, seems to be looking for some extra entertainment tonight. Perhaps you would be more willing to offer him what he was looking for?"

The frown deepened as the female positioned her hand on the man's face, in a rather cruel caress she patted on the cheeks with a sinister smile. "Oh, I'm sure I can do better than what he expects tonight. Thank you for informing me."

Knowing her revenge would be exacted by another's hand, Ai decided to leave her current hiding spot and seeked out the refreshments table. But before she could determine what to drink, she was presented with a stemmed glass of bubbly liquid.

"You looked like you needed something strong." The hand holding the glass tipped slightly, the liquid content threatened to spill onto the table. "This here is one of my favourites, care to give it a try?"

Ai let her eyes follow the hand, along the arms, and landing on the face.

"I'm underaged." It was barely a lie, physically she was still classified as underaged, but mentally she was more than legal to drink alcohol. Not that she would be doing so at any time.

"I would have never guessed."

Ai felt eyes roamed over her body. She repressed the need to physically strike out at the assailant.

"Are you sure you should be offering wind and alcohol to someone underaged? I remember seeing several recognisable faces that belongs in the law enforcement. Not to mention there are several individuals roaming about the halls looking for a interesting stories about tonight's event. I'm sure you wouldn't want them to catch wind of your activities now would you?" She crossed her arms, knowing she had the upper hand now. Ai recognised the man's face, probably from a print out or more likely from accidental spying on Shinichi's computer. It was his fault for leaving it out in the open in the dining room. Then again, that house is not a place of secrets, at least not many secrets.

The man in front of him widened his eyes slightly at the implication of being so open and possibly exposed. His nervous glances to the left and right exposed him to Ai of his shady nature, once again enforcing in her mind that the man in front is not as simple as he made himself to be.

After a hasty exit by the man, Ai breathed a out a sigh. She had been hoping not to be approached tonight but her wishes were apparently unheard.

'Then again, events like these makes it easier to attract pesky flies.' She took a cup of juice from the table as she eyed the room, looking for potential hiding places until the rest of her current family comes back. To the side, she saw Ayumi being flocked by their two friends in a manner akin to two knights protecting a princess. Ai smiled at the image, knowing that the pair of knights were also competing for the princess' hand as well. Taking a walk towards the opposite corner, she lowered herself into a nearby seat hoping to rest her feet for a while. Even if the heels were low, it was still tiring to stand for an extended amount of time.

"Mind if I join you?" Ai nearly let out a groan when a third strange man approached her for the evening. She briefly wondered whether they are really that short on prey to dare approach her.

Unfortunately, such a setting meant Ai could not rudely turn the man away. Instead, she motioned at the free seat with a slight frown before turning her attention back at the dance floor.

"A rare sight for a woman not to be enjoying herself on such a fine evening." The man was attempting to be friendly but Ai could not make herself believe such words came without ulterior motives. She tipped her head to the side, seemingly ignoring the friendly gesture but in actuality she was spying from the corner of her eyes. When she detected the movement of a hand, she frowned and leaned away slightly.

"Ah, I thought you might want something to drink." At the warning stare from Ai, there was quick retreat of the singular hand that had made its way across the table and venturing too close to her own for comfort. "Or perhaps I can call over a waiter?"

"No, it's fine." Ai was weary of the possibility that whichever waiter the man chose to call, they will be in collusion with him.

"Ahem." A new male appeared without Ai ever noticing, which was strange in itself as she had developed a keen sense of her surroundings over the years. There were very few people in existence that can bypass her senses. Looking at the newcomer, she can see several recognisable traits. The bright blue eyes, overly neat hair, and the way the person held himself gave Ai a sense of familiarity and comfort. "It would be best if you left my escort alone."

"Oh...uh...right." Apparently intimidated, the man quickly vacated the seat.

"I didn't mean to pry into the situation but you looked a bit uncomfortable." The new intruder did not make a move from his position. Ai was not sure whether it was out of courtesy or him being shy. Either way, it was nice not to have someone forcing themselves onto her and it was much appreciated. Instead, she motioned for him to sit down. "Are you sure?" He questioned at her invitation.

"If I wasn't, then I wouldn't be offering." It was a nice change to not have men chasing her.

"Thank you." He sat with gratitude but respected her silence as he joined her in her observation of the dance floor.

The companionship was reminiscent of days gone by, when she was able to enjoy the company of a certain chibified detective. Not that she was regretting giving the antidote to him, just that she missed this type of silent interaction.

Ai would have loved to have a conversation with this silent man but out of the corner of her eye she spied something that had greatly disturbed her. The man she had refused a drink from was now making a move on Ayumi, who had been left alone. A quick survey towards the food table, Ai located Genta to be picking up two plates of food, most likely for himself and Ayumi. A glance around the room revealed the lack of Mitsuhiko and Ai concluded he must have left for the restrooms. Having no other choice as both males were clearly occupied, Ai apologised to her seat mate and began a brisk walk towards the girl.

Ai thought Ayumi looked to be slightly flushed in the face as she approached but there were no glasses of drinks any place nearby. The only reason would be for the man to praise and compliment the girl. Ai frowned, there was only one rather disturbing reason why a man would compliment a girl. Ai formed a quick and loose plan to lure the man away from Ayumi. She spied Shinichi re-entering the room by himself, a strange sight but it was a much comforting sight.

'Well, at least I will be helping with putting this particularly nasty criminal out of the streets.' Ai thought to herself as she readjusted her dress slightly to make herself harder to resist. The more she focused on the man's face, the more information came back to her. The data that Shinichi had in his possession had mentioned no one was able to implicate him due to the lack of evidence for his heinous crime against women. Perhaps Ai could provide the evidence, though it might be a big risk for her.

She approached Ayumi with a gentle smile before it evolved into one of surprise and shock.

"Ayumi-chan, you never told me you knew this person." Ai turned towards the man, not giving Ayumi the chance to talk, "allow me to apologise for being rude before."

The man seemed pleased with himself before waving off her apology and telling her that "It's fine, I probably came off too strong back then too so it's partly my fault."

Small talk was made, Ai carefully controlling the pace and topic of the conversation making sure to draw attention more to herself than to Ayumi. When she saw Genta and Mitsuhiko approaching, Ai took her plan to the next level and asked for a dance from the man despite hating to do so. She made sure to guide their dance so Shinichi's eyes would be able to follow her movements the whole time and she ensured the detective have full view of what was happening. Too many times, the man had copped a feel on her person and Ai repressed the shiver of disgust.

When the song came to an end, the man leaned down to whisper into her ears, "why don't we take a walk outside?" and proceeded to steer Ai towards a rather empty corridor. Ai, of course, resisted but the firm and strong hand around her waist was difficult to escape out of (not impossible but seeing as Ai's purpose was to lure the man to exposing himself, she had to be bait and make herself vulnerable). The man was quick to act once they were within the shadows of the corridor, far away from the hustle and bustle of the ballroom. He forced Ai to back into a wall, boxing her in with hands placed on either side of her head. The lack of alcohol in his breath suggested this was not merely an act of passion but one of calculation. Ai resisted, pushing the man back. She was not afraid for she knew Shinichi had seen her exiting the room and she saw the harsh frown on his face seconds before she left the threshold.

In her struggle, clothing were dislodged and it made for one very incriminating picture when Shinichi had found them. The detective harshly pulled back the man by the scruff of his collar, making him land on his rear. The scowl of cold fury on Shinichi's face made Ai retreat further away. This was the overly protective brotherly side of Kudo Shinichi, one that was more fearsome than the face used for confronting criminals. Harsh words were exchanged in a rather dramatic manner, drawing in crowds at the same time. The surrounding people whispered their quiet accusations as Shinichi laid out the facts. When the reporters stationed for the event approached for an interview, Shinichi quickly pulled Ai aside and retreated back into the ballroom.

"I'm not sure whether to scold you for putting yourself in danger or to fear you for your ingenuity. You shouldn't have taken the risk." He sighed, shaking his head in resignation.

"I recognised his face and he was making a move on Ayumi-chan. Do you expect me to sit by and do nothing?" It was a rhetorical question for both knew she would not have stood by in silence.

"Really, people should fear you more than I." He led them to where their parents were standing with Ran chatting amicably with Ayumi, Mitsuhiko and Genta. "You are more ruthless than a pack of hunting wolves. Mercilessly taking down men with only words and actions, luring your prey into traps."

"Didn't you know? Men may have been wolves, but women could be just as deadly." She directed a rather sinister smile, showing ample teeth, at Shinichi before walking several steps ahead and greeted the group. A quick glance saw a rather surprised and baffled detective with a gaping expression, to which Ai suddenly felt quite accomplished managing to ruffled the otherwise quite stoic detective.

-END-