When she received the call, Ran's heart exaulted and flew out of her chest.

They… They…. They said to me he could be dead. Tears came draining out unbidden, the dam holding the saline behind her breaking into pieces.

She was careful to hold back her sobs so her father wouldn't wake up. He lied on the couch, crumbled and crimpled over himself, snoring against his waist with beer cans surrounding him strewn all over the place, the amount of liquid contents ranging from a couple drops to empty.

Dad was many things but he sure as heck didn't waste booze. Ran didn't know whether she should have added the adjective "good" in that sentence because she had no intention what so ever to drink, even when she turned twenty.

With Conan gone and her dad unconscious there wasn't really any need to make a fancy meal. So she heated up some Ramon and had a rather lonely dinner.

Ran had always appreciated Conan but never before had the shadow of his presence loomed over her like this. Her father tried but Ran was forced to admit that he wasn't as good as he should be. Conan could be a bit precocious and his curiosity could get him killed. But Conan was also a good listener, always sought to make her feel better, all on top of being a human teddy bear.

Conan had been there when the reporters ambushed her. Ran remember that they were a motley yet somehow uniform group of mostly men, who all shouted the names of their newspaper and television station over bright flashes. All of them swarmed her with questions about Shinichi. A few well placed kicks mostly dispersed the crowd, but some still kept on.

"Mouri-san! Is it true that Kudo Shinichi was murdered by the mob?" A middle aged reporter with straight hair and glasses screamed over

Her fiery disposition was snuffed out just like that as she registered the absurdity of what he just said. "What?"

They all tried to talk over each other at once, taking Ran a couple minutes just to understand what exactly was going on. Apparently, there were rumors that Shinichi, while looking into suspicious activity was poisoned, directly from criminal sources.

At first Ran was calmed, if rather irritated and explained that she has seen Shinichi herself. Oddly enough Conan-kun had gone white, which pissed her off even more.

But as they pressed on with the questions, Ran's sure and steady knowledge was beginning to become confused as the reporters had pointed out holes in Shinichi's story that she hadn't thought about.

Some of them, she accidentally gave them herself. If Shinichi was on a "case" like he said why was he keeping silent?

If Shinichi was really alive why did he always call her at random intervals? Or why did he want to keep his name out the paper and reports?

Did she even know Shinichi was Shinichi? Perhaps it was someone disguised as the teen to keep up appearances?

And the most damning of all the questions was, "If Shinichi was alive, why was he treating his family and friends like this?

On defense, Ran had yelled at all of them, calling them a liar, saying that they were upsetting Conan, telling them to shut up, before finishing with the fact that she had just talked to him last week, and would now a fake Shinichi from the real one.

Now, just thinking about the questions made her sick. She felt guilty that she did believe them, even if briefly and not exactly for the reasons the reporters said.

They all had an answer for her rebuttals but Ran had put her hope in the fact that she knew who her best friend sounded like. Surely they couldn't disprove that right?

But then one of the young women from NHK pulled out some sort of square device that looked like a tape recorder. She plugged it in a microphone and suddenly the young woman was talking in Ran's voice. Then another reporter snook up behind and make a perfect imitation of Shinichi's voice.

Ran begun to tremble, as all the pieces had came together. It didn't happen all it once, mostly when she was walking home. She didn't really believe that Shinichi was dead but what she now did believe wasn't doing that Holmes otaku any favors.

Conan had been there, like a little knight bespectacled Knight. He quickly got in front of them, kicking rocks at them and yelling "Go away!",The rocks hit rather hard too, busting their camera. She would have to ask Conan whether he wanted her to teach him Karate but she had bigger problems to deal with at the moment.

Call Shinichi… Please call! She prayed for a response but got nothing.

When she got home after the debacle, she leaned against the wall and cried. Conan had tried to comfort her but that just made her feel worse. In a moment of blind rage she snapped at her ward, regretting the words as soon as they came out.

Ran still remembered how the brief conversation had went.

"I'm sure Shinichi-kun has a good reason-"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT HIS REASONS!" Ran yelled, frightening the poor boy. "What case is so important that he has to hurt every last one of us? His friends, his parents, do they even now where he went? He's so selfish… I-I hate him!"

Ran was sobbing the whole time. In retrospect she honestly didn't mean it, she was just so angry, so frustrated, so exhausted. People had tried to hurt not only her, but more importantly her dad, her mom, Conan! A serial killer had tried to kill Sonoko for gods sake!

And all the time he called, he did not even seem concerned… He was just normal, calm, rarely acting like there was a problem at all. She herself had encouraged it, but that didn't make it right.

Did he even know how much Conan idolized him? He imitated his mannerisms almost perfectly, and always sought to defend him. He obviously didn't understand how much of a baka he was!

Conan looked at her with the most heartbroken eyes she would ever glimpse. He was unusually tough for his age and for once he actually acted the part.

Ran's eyes lit up with tears. How could she have taken it out on him? She tried to hug him, tell the poor boy she was sorry. The sad part was that he didn't even cry back, he just mumbled "arigato" and left to go to his room.

That just made her cry more

That was when Ran got a text.

Ran.

There's something important I need to tell you. I know I've hurt you so much but now it ends. I'll call you after school tommorow. Please forgive me for all I've done.

-Shinichi

Ran's heart stopped. That quick, she was back to normal.

She had begun the evening agitated and ready to give Shinichi an especially sharp piece of her mind, maybe even give him a chop through the phone. But now…

The fact that Shinichi was actually coming clean about… Whatever he was going to reveal made her noxious. Shinichi had been want to deal everything on his own, hiding his some of his deepest thoughts even from her. Once during a case, a suspect had tried to kill him after he revealed the guy as a murderer. That same man tried to stab him bur according to Shinichi the cops got there just in time.

It was only later when Shinichi told her that he had a cut on his arm from the same knife that guy used to butcher that poor girl. Shinichi apparently didn't want to worry her. The resulting konk on his head left a dent in his forehead for at least a month.

That was the best case scenario though. What if… What he had fallen in love with someone else? What if he was moving in with his parents? No Shinichi wouldn't do that… Would he?

Ran wagged her head from side to side brushing off the doubts with varying success. It had to be that case, that mystery that somehow puzzled Shinichi to his core. That was one of the things that made her so suspicious. Since when had Shinichi ever been stumped?

But, if it did involve the case that he refused to elaborate on, then it had to be either too dangerous for him, everyone else or both. That made Ran feel even worse. That baka was going to get himself killed!

But he was coming clean now.

Maybe even about more things then the "case".

Ran wasn't an idiot. She had noticed that with a few exceptions, the only times Shinichi called her was when Conan wasn't in her sight. It had correlated so much that despite the impossibility of the whole situation, it had seemed almost certain that Conan…

But that was ridiculous. Despite the clear similarities, Conan wasn't the same as Shinichi. As a kid Shinichi always tried to act older then he was. It was one of the things the people he didn't know him liked to judge him on, thinking that he was nothing but frigid air.

Conan actually acted his age. Though he did like to play detective and was significantly braver then most kids his age, he was still sweet, kind and…

Just then the phone rang

She was lightning quick, her usually dextrous fingers having a bit of trouble opening the phone. "Hello?"

"Ran…" Shinichi croaked

Ran rounded on Shinichi. "Shinichi you baka! Why did you wait so long to call"

Usually for Ran this would be followed with a sarcastic, cocksure remark from Shinichi. That was the dynamic between the two. They argue but in the end they laughed, cried and made up to each other.

The only response here was ragged breathing, heavy wheezes and gagging. Ran knew immediately that something was wrong.

"Shinichi?" Ran whispered in suspense.

"Ran I'm so sorry… There's… So much I wanted to t-t-tell you…"

A madness undertook Ran as she refused to believe what was she was hearing. Shinichi… the baka was crying? When had Shinichi ever cried? Ran racked her brain in an attempt to remember and came up short.

"Y-you can still tell me, just get home and I'll-"

Shinichi interrupted her. "I'm sorry Ran… I'm not coming home."

Ran felt like she was trapped in quicksand. "What do you mean you're not coming home?"

Shinichi didn't reply with anything other then ragged breathing.

Ran's emotions burst out all at once. "SHINICHI ANSWER ME!"

Shinichi laughed. So it was a joke… But no it wasn't the same. There was a bitter bite to it instead of the teasing kiss.

"Ran… I'm going to die." Shinichi tried to sound cool but his voice gave away his fear.

The young woman's heart shattered to pieces but she didn't feel it just. Instead she still had hope.

"That isn't funny you baka!" Ran screamed ready to punch Shinichi in his stupid face for making her worry for so long before ringing her up just to tell her a joke in such bad taste.

"No… I'm not jokin-" Shinichi struggled to say but Ran didn't want to hear it.

"Stop it! I told you it wasn-"

"Ran!" Shinichi shouted out in all seriousness, startling the poor teen, "I'm not lying!" He sounded angry but then he gagged and cried some more, apologizing.

When the first doubt emerges when you try to deny that someone you love is not going to live for much longer, it seems rather phantasmagoric, almost dreamlike, somewhat like a ridiculous daydream that so ingrained that it seems real.

That first doubt is always the most painful.

"Please, Shinichi. You're going to come back right. This is just another one of your jokes…" Ran laughed, it was all just some joke, just a bad joke…" She was laughing and smiling despite the lack of humor, Shinichi was really going all out!

But the tears flowing originating from her subconscious said otherwise.

"No… Please stop…" Shinichi sobbed sounding weak, almost like someone dying would sound like...

"Or maybe you aren't Shinichi! Maybe your just some baka pranking me! Tears ran down his pale cheeks. "Please stop, this isn't funny this is sick!"

"No!" Shinichi croaked. "Ran do you remember those bullies who wouldn't leave alone because you didn't have the same patch? Do you remember when we went into school to hunt that ghost? Please don't forget any of it!"

Ran paused, trembling. "Yes…" Ran whispered as a bout of horrible introspection quaked through her brain.

This wasn't a dream. This wasn't a joke. It was certainly a nightmare but she was very much awake. This was real. Shinichi was going to die and there was nothing she could do about it.

Yet Shinichi continues on. It seemed like even dying he talked too much. "Ran… I'll always remember how much fun I had with you. But… I'm afraid. When I die will I forget all that? Will I even remember you or my mom, my dad, Agasa… Anybody?"

She had no words nor did Ran have no idea what to say. Right now she was currently leaving denial and entering the sage of grief.

"There's something I always wanted to tell you, ever since we met. Ran, I love you-"

"Don't say that! Say it to me in person, please!" Ran tried to deny it again but it was much too late for that anymore.

"RANNN!" Shinichi screamed gagging and coughing. "I've lost too much blood, even if an ambulance were to get here I'd die of shock and bloodloss on the way to the hospital. Ran… Please talk to me!"

Ran didn't know what to say… So she blurted something stupid out.

"Shinichi… Are you Conan?" That though was edged forward from the back of her mind but she couldn't believe, no, no no, no!

But what remained of denial was slowly collasping in on itself like a neutron star. And the Black Hole that would emerge would suck the life out of her instead of light.

"Please, I need to know, please Shinichi I swear I won't blame you I-I-I under-stand! Shuh-nichi!"

"Nooooo… I'm Shinichi! Please I'm not Conan… I was never Conan…" Shinichi wailed. Ran had completely frozen, she herself with all her senses taken away but for her ability to hear.

"Ran… I need to know… Did you love me back?"

Ran wanted to call the police, she wanted to wake her dad, she wanted to tell Shinichi that she did reciprocate, but it just wasn't coming out. Ran's jaw felt like it was glued shut.

"Please, I need to know!…" Those were Shinichi's last words or at least the last ones anyone else would ever here. If Ran had knew that at the time, she probably wouldn't have remained silenced.

Yes. She wanted to say. Always. But something held her back, making her struggle to create any noise other then an unbidden whimper., as Shinichi begged, and begged and begged...

Then the call ended.

Ran could faintly hear the sound of the call toning out as the phone, barely acknowledging the quiet. The empty agency made realize how alone she was. The only sound that appeared to be permitted through the empty room, was her dads snoring and that was starting to become unbearable.

But now Ran was left with some words, that made her finally realized that she would never talk to her best friend again.

Ran… I love you.

That was the last time anyone would hear of Shinichi Kudo

.

.

.

File 1001

The next day was also the day Conan Edogawa disappeared off the face of the earth.

The incident as it is known, begun with a scream by Ayumi. She had woken up cold from the frigid air even with a blanket and a Yaibaman sleeping bag. It took Ayumi a minute to fully awaken, as she and her friends had stayed up late the night before.

When Ayumi drifted out of her slumber, she was blinded by the glare outside the window. Yawning and stretching her arms before holding her hands in her armpits to prevent herself from shivering. She didn't even notice the broken glass before she stepped in it.

The shreak resulting from the pain woke up the other two visitors along with the two residents upstairs.

That was when Conan's disappearance was first noted.

According to Agasa-san, before the police were called, they spent a couple minutes searching the house, almost tearing it apart. The Detective Boys tried calling their friend but his phone didn't appear to be on. But when they went outside to continue their search, they found his broken glasses, a torn off button, and a shorn part of his suit.

Of course, the entire department was in a panic. Kogoro Mouri had been a police officer before he became a private eye, and Conan was much beloved by the force due to his presence with Kogoro. As a result, the case was taken seriously and personally

When Detective's Megure and Takagi entered the home to give the Mouri's the bad news, all they found was Kogoro unconscious and Ran curled up in the corner, cradling a picture of her and Shinichi.

After slapping Kogoro awake and calming down the young teenager, they learnt that Mouri-chan had received a call the night before from Shinichi, shocking the police. Ran herself had expected the police to come but not for Conan.

She fainted right afterwords and had to be taking to the hospital.

Though many police officers suspected the cases were linked, there was no evidence to definitely prove that the cases were connected. As a result, the cases were separated from each other, allowing valuable evidence to be destroyed in the area where Shinichi's murder was thought to have been committed, as the rain washed nearly all the blood away, leaving watered ichor and cloth threads.

The media coverage was enormous. Conan had been infamous as the Kid Killer and as the ward of Kogoro Mouri the Sleeping Sleuth. As for Kudo, the rumors of his death make the announcement of his suspected murder explode around the world.

The case was highly scrutinized, by both the NPA and the public, Most sent waves of support towards the Mouri's, raising money for them, sending in hundreds of thousands of tips, letters, anything to help. Several officers would later resign in protest of the case not moving forward.

The media itself wasn't that helpful. At times it cause more harm then any actual help. Reporters stalked the Mouri's to the point of harrassment; camping outside the agency for days on end, spreading rumors about who really killed Conan Edogawa, even following the daughter to her high school, to the point that Ran Mouri would suffer a panic attack that required her to be hospitalized.

In response, Kogoro Mouri violently assaulted the reporters nested outside his house. Though he was given some leeway due to the emotional pressure the poor man was under but in the end he still would have no choice but to serve some prison time.

As of now, Kogoro Mouri has been paroled, while Ran Mouri now lives with her mother, trying to heal from the trauma quietly out of the public eye.

Hundreds of thousands of man hours were spent searching for the two. Nearly three hundred suspects were interrogated before being cleared

There is a 1,000000 yen award for information regarding Conan Edogawa's whereabouts along with the location of Shinichi Kudo's body.

It has yet to be claimed.

Kudo-kun…

Shinichi-kun…

We're sorry.

End of File 1001

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Yeah this is why I haven't updated for a while.

This was on my AO3 account but I've decided since to upload it her for the convenience. That and I can't figure out how to use italics and bold on AO3 but its probably something simple that I haven't figured out yet...

I hope you enjoy this! (: