Hi everyone, if anyone remembers, this isn't a new story. It something that I put deleted and thought I would never ponder into again, but recently I've picked it up again and made some changes. Sorry about before and thank you for being patient with me!

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Story: Evading Reality

Chapter One: Her Pain

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan.

Warning: Contains Spoilers from Anime and Manga.

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The morning sun shone through the windows of the Mouri Detective Agency and upon a certain desk rested the famous detective Mouri Kogoro. There were papers and beer bottles scattered everywhere making the detective seem right at home but someone now stood besides that desk glaring down at him with annoyance crossing over their facial features. That person was none other than the daughter of Mouri Kogoro, her name being Mouri Ran and she was a teenage captain karate champion with a sweet demeanor despite her violent tendencies.

The teen certainly was bothered by her father's appearance, had the divorce never happened Ran was sure that her father wouldn't be this lazy as he was now. "Geez, he even stinks more than usual today." Ran complained resting her hands on her hips as she observed her father's costumed ritual. If only Hattori hadn't upstaged her father in the last case than maybe her father wouldn't have stayed up all night crying about missing out on a chance to meet his favorite pop star, Okino Yoko again.

"Yoko, don't go, don't leave me alone!" Mouri suddenly cried out, scaring his daughter slightly before snuggling himself close to a beer bottle with a loud snore following close behind. Ran sighed, hanging her head at the sight as it her father was a truly hopeless man.

Sometimes I see how mom left you dad. If only you'd get your act together maybe you wouldn't end up like this every night. Ran really hated her father for being such a mess because she liked having the house clean in hopes that when her mother returned she wouldn't flat out leave again at the sight of a dirty home. The brunette pulled the trashcan close so she could begin picking up the bottles one by one and set them carefully into trashcan because she defiantly did not want to wake up a certain Edogawa Conan that was sleeping just upstairs.

Conan had been through enough after that case especially when he was constantly bonked over the head by her father's nagging disapproval that the boy be anywhere near the crime scene. Her father criticized her skill as a caretaker because she couldn't watch one small boy but Conan proved quite the handful at times. It certainly was troublesome to keep track of the boy because whenever she was sure that she had him in her sights he would quickly vanish and end up meddling in both her father and Hattori's investigation.

Sooner or later Conan was going to get himself killed – she would have figured he'd know better after getting shot that one time but the kid continued on with his reckless behavior making her life a whole lot tougher than she needed it to be. "Doesn't he realize that he's still just a child and has no reason to be putting himself in these dangerous situations?" Ran asked herself silently as she proceeded to pick up another bottle only to stare at it searching for some sort of answer to all her problems.

Why does he always put himself in danger unnecessarily? Why is Conan so determined to do such things? His determination reminded her of… Ran's vision slipped in and out for a brief moment as she found his name on her lips once more. "Shinichi," She drawled out and upon realizing it a loud crash followed. Besides her, her father twitched uncomfortably at the sound but managed to relax into his deep slumber once more while his daughter jumped away from where she let the bottle slip out of her hands. Stupid, Ran cursed as she eyed the shattered bottle. It shocked her that she could be so carless again and also the fact that she was sputtering on the idea that Conan was Shinichi again.

Her brain and heart had been nagging her on some time about this ordeal but it was impossible that Conan could be Shinichi when the two of them already appeared in the same place at the same time so there was just no way! Ran was just extremely aggravated because she wanted the suspicion to be the truth. She wanted Conan to be Shinichi, but he wasn't and she was only fooling herself with childish thoughts.

Ran let out a defeated sigh as she crouched down to pick up the broken glass and put it into the trash with all the others. She winced slightly at the last piece of glass because it stung her right index finger and when Ran looked at it a small droplet of blood Ran down her finger. Ran kissed her right hand while she finished with the rest of the glass pieces with her left and just as she finished, she was about to raise up to find a bandage but paused when the sound of her name being called rang through her ears.

The teen glanced to her left to see Conan standing in the center of the room close to where the small coffee table was with a tired expression written on his face. Ran resisted the urge to giggle because he really did look adorable like that. Ran snickered as she rose up and lowered her right hand from her mouth to let out a small snicker.

"Ah, Conan-kun did I wake you?" She asked curiously, and then tilted her head to smile down at him. "Sorry, I was merely cleaning up after you-know-who."Ran said pointing back at her father with another chuckle. She watched the boy shake his head. Conan next told her that he was already awake and couldn't sleep due to her father's constant snoring. Ran couldn't help but laugh again, she had known this all too well because this was exactly why she was so up early herself!

"Ran-neechan your bleeding." Conan pointed out at the small trail of blood on her fingertips. Ran almost forgot about that.

How idiotic really! Ran rambled in her mind as she gave Conan an acknowledged. "I cut myself on the bottle I was picking up after I dropped it so clumsily." Ran replied with a smile, and faked a bonking her own head. "Silly me, right?" She asked and without waiting for his reply she headed into the kitchen knowing well the boy would be scampering behind.

"Ran-neechan?" He called once more as she began wrapping her finger with a bandage she got out of the kitchen cabinet. Ran finished and looked down at the boy who's eyes shone with curiosity. "Why did Ran-neechan drop the bottle? Did something scare you? Was someone here? Are you really okay? Should I—"

"I'm fine Conan-kun." Ran cut in before she would wound up with a headache from his concern. Thankfully too that made the boy fall silent as if to be lost in his own train of thoughts once more. Ran shook her head; he was always so protective of her when it should be the other way around considering his youthfulness. Ran proceeded to look for a rag after all she still needed to clean up liquid context that spilt all over the ground during that mistake she made only a few moments ago.

"Then why did Ran-neechan drop the bottle so suddenly?" He inquired and Ran paused to glance toward his direction once more. It was just one tiny accident so why was he being so persistent about it?

He just cares about his big sister is all. Her mind concluded. With his parents gone were the closest things to a family that he's got now so of course he's concerned with our well being. Ran couldn't help but smile then, she was glad he managed to get entangled with her lifestyle because without him, Ran didn't know how she would have dealt with the thought of losing connection with Shinichi. Ran's smile quickly changed to a frown but shook her head when Conan's eyes were back on her curious as ever.

"I simply just dropped it Conan-kun, accidents happen." Ran told him smoothly as she opened a drawer and pulled out her favorite red rag, because red was their bonded color you know.

"But," His voice rang out, "Ran-neechan is always so careful." Now Ran was really starting to feel irritated at his poking and prodding into her personal lifestyle. Asking questions was okay, but pressing into something she didn't want to talk about was defiantly not okay. He may just be a kid, but still, didn't he have some respect?

Ran understood that some children see their idols as being indestructible but Conan was different. He always seemed a lot smarter than the rest of the students in his grade so Ran couldn't help but wonder why with his intelligent brainpower that he assumed she was unable to create mistakes as well too. It was like he had already known her all her life and was ready to, if needed, shut down ever lie she could come up with to hide the true reason for her little accident. "You were thinking about him again, weren't you Ran-neechan?"

Bull's-eye. Ran's body stiffened causing her for the second time to drop something out of her hands but there was no sound when the rag hit the floor just besides her feet, no sound at all. She didn't see Conan nod from behind her back as she stared down at the rag besides her foot and closed the drawer with a grumble. "About Shinichi-niisan right?"

Why? Why was it always Conan that had to bring up Shinichi all the time? He was one of those people who wouldn't let her forget about her childhood friend. Conan was always resurfacing those buried memories of her favorite detective in the whole wide world. The very detective whom she secretly loved so very much. Wait, Ran paused at the thought. When did Shinichi become hers? Even if she did love him, he never admitted having any other feelings for her except that they were friends.

Well to be honest there was that one time where she found out he was actually a Shinigami in disguise during that one case where someone changed their face to appear like Shinichi was a murderer. It was in that moment where Shinichi did say that the same question, 'About his feelings toward her,' were actually the same thoughts on his mind as well but in the end she never discovered the truth because he had simply left her again without a word to guide her back into the light.

It seemed that thanks to the reminder of how much she missed his guiding presence that now Ran found herself struggling with tears because the man she loved was gone and didn't plan on coming home to be with her anytime soon. The case was more important than her. Fresh tears began to roll down Ran's cheeks at the thought that the case that Shinichi worked on so heavily was more important than building a relationship with her.

The case…How Ran hated it so much. She wished that it would end fast or that even Shinichi would lose sight of it so he could finally come home. They were such selfish thoughts that Ran hated more than anything but she just wanted to be able to hold Shinichi without the fear that he would disappear the next second. Ran tried to cover her lips so that Conan couldn't hear the sob that escaped from them. She didn't want him to see her being so weak because she had to be strong for him with his parents gone. Her father was right, she was a terrible caretaker, wasn't she?

Ran continued to stand back facing the boy as she desperately tried to calm herself down but it was so hard with so much pain laid heavily down on her shoulders. It was a burden she had to bare for being in love. Fortunately for her, Ran figured, that Conan was still child despite his intelligent demeanor and he probably wouldn't understand her feelings during these times but it seemed even she was wrong.

"Wait for me," A familiar voice called from behind, one that she had wished so many times to hear again. Her sobs had stopped all at once and her body slowly wheeled its way around only to see Conan. At the sight, she gasped, dropping her hands to her side as she continued to take in his sudden appearance, it was all to heartbreaking for her to handle but somehow, she found her voice and was able to confront the boy's agonized expression.

"D-did you j-just say that C-C-Conan-kun?" Ran staggered out, she swore she thought she heard Shinichi just moments ago but maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her again. Such mean, tormenting tricks. Conan didn't reply, his gaze now downcast toward the ground which made Ran's heart sting the way it did when she normally laid her eyes on Shinichi whenever he returned. It was hard to her to even stand at this point. "C-Conan—"

"Wait for me." He repeated and this time sounding more like his own voice rather than Shinichi's. Ran swallowed heavily unsure of what to say.

How could she possibly wait for him when he was right in front of her anyways? It didn't make any sense and it started to frighten her just a bit. Was Conan leaving her? An image of Shinichi flashed through her mind, it was that same one where he was running away from her into the darkness leaving her to suffer alone behind. Ran shook herself free of the horrible memory and stared back at Conan to no longer see him but Shinichi instead. Ran backed up into the counter surprised especially when his brilliant blue eyes were as clear as day behind those fogged up glasses when Conan raised his head up to meet her stare.

"Wait for me, Ran." Ran's eyes widened at the way he dropped her honorific so easily. It was also because she swore she was hearing you-know-who's voice again.

"Shinichi?" She breathed out carefully and when Conan gave a nod, her breath caught all at once.

"Please wait for me Ran, I'll find a way to return to you soon." He begged on and she felt a sudden wince in her neck and how odd her eyes suddenly felt so heavy. Her legs were giving out and her vision was beginning to blacken out but that didn't matter all she couldn't think about was the fact that Conan Edogawa was really Shinichi Kudo. "Please."

"I—I w-would wait f-for-ever for you, Shi—ni—chi." Ran managed to say before darkness finally clouded over her vision completely sending her off into a peaceful slumber with those watchful concerned eyes of that of Kudo, Shinichi nearby.

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TBC – And were done with chapter one! I hope I made it more dramatic than I did the first time around. I put more description into the chapter this time around to make it more realistic but I guess only time will tell.