Returning to You!

By No1butjoe

A/N: This is my first Detective Conan/Case Closed fic, so please, review.

Disclaimer - I don't own Case Closed or the characters.

Maybe it was the sense of almost dying that gave away the strange look in her eye, or the way she was looking at him with such calmness and love. It was almost impossible to think of those two any other way. Jimmy Kudo and Rachel Moore were destined to be together, but Fate felt like he had to step in and mess everything up in the process. It seemed strange that Jimmy disappeared the same day Conan Edogawa appeared. It was strange that every time news of Jimmy came or he called over the phone, Conan was never around. Not so strange if you understood the madness behind Conan's true identity. Though many have tried and failed, many have also realized it as soon as they took one look - Jimmy Kudo and Conan Edogawa were, in fact, the same person!

It may seem like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it is hard fact truth that Jimmy was changed into a kid with the same drug that was ment to poison him all those years ago at the carnival. What started out as a teenaged detective's nightmare turned into something that no one should have to live through. Thanks to Professor Agasa's help and cunning, Jimmy a.k.a. Conan devised a simple scene where his parents were involved in an accident, then recovered and went to the states on urgent business. With help from Agasa's many gadgets designed especially for Conan, Conan stayed with Rachel and her famous detective father, Richard, all the while solving cases for Richard when he never had a clue.

So, you may be thinking, "Well, what does that have to do with anything?" Well, I'm going to tell you. For in order for you to understand the full meaning of my story, you needed the background information first. Now, this is where the real story begins.

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"Conan, don't touch!" Rachel ordered, watching closely as her little friend guiltily slumped back in his seat.

"Sorry, Rachel," he apologized. "But it looked so pretty."

Rachel smiled, her face softening.

'Oh, Conan, if only you knew how much you reminded me of Jimmy.'

"Hey, Rachel, can I go play with those kids over there?" Conan asked, hopefully. "I'll be back. Promise."

"Of course. Go have fun."

'I'm doing this for you, Rachel. I have to pretend to be a kid just a little while longer. Agasa's almost got the antidote. Just to hold you . . . Wait! What am I saying!? Concentrate, Kudo. Right now, you're still a kid.'

(Later That Evening)

"Oh, hello, Rachel, may I speak to Conan, please?"

"Oh, sure, Prof. Agasa, hold on while I call to him," Rachel said, placing her hand over the receiver as she called up the stairs to Conan.

He came running down, arms flailing wildly with a bright smile lighting up his entire face.

"Thank you, Professor," he said, hanging up.

Doing a little leap into the air in joy and so he could connect with the ground once more from the chair he had been standing on, Conan turned to Rachel, hugging her left leg tightly.

Confused, Rachel gently lifted him into her arms.

"Rachel, my parents are coming back from the states tomorrow! They're coming home for good!"

She couldn't help but feel a little guilty about not wanting Conan to leave her. But at least he didn't leave like Jimmy had, no good-bye or anything. At least this way, she'd get a chance to say good-bye.

"That's wonderful, Conan," she said, a smile crossing her features. "Well, since they're coming tomorrow, I guess I better get you packed, huh?"

Conan silently kicked himself. He was doing it again. Leaving Rachel like she was dust on the bottom of his shoe. But he had to smile, for tomorrow night, after Rachel would receive her letter and meet him at his house, she was going to be in for the surprise of her life!

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Rachel watched the rain falling outside her window and knew it was crying where she couldn't She had to be strong for Conan this morning and she couldn't be that when she was crying.

'Maybe, wherever Jimmy is, he'll see it and come back to me', she thought, sighing deeply. 'Fat chance. I have as much hope of asking the Edogawa's if Conan can stay here with us than Jimmy Kudo finally coming back.'

"Rachel?" Conan's voice came from the doorway. "Mom and Dad are here. I-I just wanted to say good-bye."

The tears came before Rachel could stop them and she suddenly found herself hugging the life out of Conan's little body. Bravely, she forced herself to break away and let her friend breathe.

"Well, Conan, you'll have to write to me sometime, now won't you?" she asked, sniffling and forcing back more oncoming tears.

Conan looked at the floor and nodded.

'Buck up, Kudo. You'll be seeing her in a few hours anyway.'

"Conan? Oh, Conan," Rachel whispered.

Although he had tried to hide it, Conan's eyes had begun to fill with tears, which were now splashing and making little dots on the carpet. Rachel wrapped her arms around Conan and squeezed gently before backing up a little and watching him head to the door.

'Bye, Conan.'

'I'll see you soon, Rachel.'

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The house seemed so empty without a certain someone running around. Rachel sighed and entered the room Conan had occupied for several months. It wasn't the same. Reaching to pull the sheets off the bed so to clean them, Rachel caught something out of the corner of her eye. A small white envelope had been carefully placed on the nightstand, her name neatly printed on the front.

Dear Rachel,

I asked your friend, Conan, to leave this for you in hopes that you'll meet me tonight at my house. I've come home, Rachel, and I promise, I'm not leaving again this time. If you refuse to come, I honestly wouldn't blame you. If not for me, then come just to tell me that nothing can ever be the same again. Please, Rachel, at least give me closure. Remember, tonight at my house around eight o'clock. I also have something very important to tell you.

Jimmy Kudo

"Jimmy," she whispered, hurriedly glancing at her watch. 8:30 pm! The sheets forgotten, she rushed out of the room and yelled to Richard as she was leaving, "I'll be back later, Dad!"

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He had gotten his hopes up too high. Jimmy Kudo sighed for what seemed like the fifteenth time in the past minute as he continued to watch out the window. His heart was heavy with pain.

'Rachel, I'm sorry,' he thought, giving in to the fact that she wasn't going to show up and he let go of the window.

A pounding on the door stopped his ascent to the second floor, leading to his bedroom.

"Jimmy! Jimmy! Jimmy, oh, please, if you're there, answer me!"

His heart lifted as his face simultaneously brightened at the familiar sound of Rachel's voice. His despair immediately forgotten, Jimmy rushed to the door and yanked it open, revealing a drenched Rachel. At first, the two just stared at each other, as if not daring to believe that the other was really there with them. Jimmy's hand was shaking as he reached out and touched Rachel's cheek, wiping away the tears that had automatically appeared there. At his touch, Rachel flung herself into Jimmy's arms, clinging to him as if she was afraid to let go. Who could really blame her? Jimmy smiled and rested his chin on top of her head as he tightened his hold on her.

"I promise, Rachel," he whispered, pulling something out of his back pocket. "I'm never leaving you again."

His girlfriend gasped at the sight of the promise ring Jimmy presented to her. With happy tears once again filling her eyes, she smiled as she allowed Jimmy to place it on her finger. Before Jimmy knew what was happening, Rachel's lips were pressed tightly against his own. The feeling made him go warm all over as he fitted Rachel into a more comfortable position in his arms. Preferably, her feet never touched the floor as he swooped her up in his arms, their foreheads touching, their love rekindled once more, forevermore.

A/N: Thank you for reading, and please remember to R&R!