me: This is the start of an Alphabet series! Please review!

Shinichi: And I'm going to be in it! (Emphasis on "I'm.")

Ran: Yeah, right, like anyone cares about such a big-headed mystery otaku like you.

Shinichi: Oh yeah? Look at all these fan letters that I got! *waves fan letters in the air* They keep me cool! Get it? Fan letters?

Ran: They just feel that you're pathetic, that's all.

Kazuha: Ran-chan, if you're going to have a lover's spat, do it somewhere else.

Ran & Shinichi: IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!

Ahem...anyway, I do not own! Enjoy and don't sue me!

oOo

A is for Always...

He was always there. Always. Whenever I needed him. And that's what I was thinking about when my daughter asked me a question. "Mommy, why do you love Daddy?"

"Because he was always there for me," I replied simply, ruffling Aya's hair.

She cocked her head to one side, Shinichi's bright blue eyes shining back at me. I smiled. "It all began a long time ago...a very long time ago, when I was in first grade...

oOo

I was walking home from school. It was a beautiful autumn day, and the leaves from the gingko trees slowly swirled to the ground. But I wasn't really enjoying the weather. You see, Shinichi had told me to go on ahead before him. "You go first, Ran! I have some things to attend to."

Yes, he talked like that. Even in first grade.

So naturally, when my mind was on such disturbing things, I didn't notice the 3 menacing boys until they blocked my way. I bumped into one and tripped. "Ouch!" I rubbed my knee and froze, finally registering the presence of the hulking older boys. "Wh-what do you want?"

"Ne, Mouri-san, we've noticed that you've begun to take karate recently." The tallest boy, clad in a blue shirt, sneered down at me from my position on the sidewalk.

"S-so?" I dared to answer.

"And we don't like it." The boy who was standing next to Blue replied. He was wearing a leather jacket that was way too big from him. Borrowed it from his father or brother, I guess.

"What am I supposed to do?" My voice was barely a whisper.

"You," replied the last boy who was dressed in red stripes, "are supposed to quit."

Shinichi had always said to stick up for yourself. So I did...and got me into huge trouble. "WHAT IF I DON'T WANT TO?" I shouted at them. My surge of defiance faded as quickly as it came.

"Then we'll make you." Red Stripes raised his fist, and I started crying, waiting for the blow that never came.

When I dared to open my eyes, someone was offering me a handkerchief and a bandage for my knee. "Sh-Shinichi?"

"Ne, does it hurt?" He worriedly searched my face for an answer. It took me a while to realize that he was talking about my knee, which was bleeding and badly scraped.

"It's okay." I looked around for the boys who had threatened me. They weren't anywhere. "Where are they?"

"Oh, them. Don't worry. I took care of them. Well, if you're okay, let's walk home together. Okay?" He offered me a hand.

I took it and stood up. "Arigato, Shinichi."

His cheeks flushed slightly. "Naw, it's nothing. That's what friends are for."

oOo

"And that's what happened," I finished.

Aya was looking at me with barely suppressed delight. "I never knew Dad could be so...so un-Dad-ish!"

"There's more, too. This happened shortly after my parents split..."

I ran from the house, crying. "I don't want a puppy! I want MOM!" I ran out of the house at full speed, crying. I ran and ran until I couldn't anymore, and cried until I ran out of tears.

It took a while for my eyes to clear. I was on a park bench. How and why I got there is still a mystery. Oh no. How could I get back?

"Ran, what are you doing here?" Shinichi was suddenly next to me.

"SHINICHI!" I turned to him and hugged him, relieved to find someone familiar in such a foreign place. "Mom-left-and-Dad-won't-get-her-back-and-I-miss-her-so-I-left-and-I-ran-here-and-I-don't-know-how-to-get-back-and-IT'S ALL MY FAULT!"

I broke down crying again. Shinichi must think I'm such a crybaby. Instead of lecturing me like I was sure he would, he offered me a teddy bear. It was his favorite when he was younger, and even had a name: Sherlock.

"He's yours, Shinichi." I pushed Sherlock back to him.

Shinichi smiled. "He is, but you need him more." I gratefully accepted the bear and hugged him close to my chest. I'm pretty sure it was a him, because there's NO WAY Shinichi would hug a girl bear; and wasn't Sherlock a boy's name?

"Let's go home, Ran." He took my hand and led me back home.

oOo

Aya stared. "Where's Sherlock now?" she asked.

"Oh, he's on the bed. Do you want to see him?"

"YES!"

Sherlock was a plain, brown teddy bear with a pocket on his belly, and intelligent black eyes. I can't count all the times I've cried on him. Aya picked him up and hugged him, much like I had done all those years before. She reached into the pocket and found an old, yellow note that was folded.

"Careful! It's really old," I cautioned her.

"What does it say, Mommy?"

"It says: Dear Ran, Hope Sherlock can make you feel better. Your best friend, Kudo Shinichi."

"That's so nice!"

"Isn't it? And then there's the whole Conan fiasco..."

"Conan?"

Just then, Shinichi stuck his head into the bedroom. "Ran, what're you telling her?"

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all, ne, Aya-chan?" I poked her tummy and she giggled adorably.

"Nothing, Daddy!" She ran over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I never knew you could be so NICE!"

"Ran..." Shinichi looked at me with a questioning look on his face.

"Oh, it's nothing. They're all tales that you've already heard before."

"Tales?"

And so I took Aya-chan's hand and left for the kitchen, leaving a very confused looking Shinichi behind, scratching his head.

I sat her down in a chair. "Now, Conan was..."

oOo

AN: Like it? Hate it? Think it's ok? Please review!

Thanks to all the people who reviewed my other stories! *hands out flowers* Please continue to review!

By the way, there's a poll on my profile (or so I hope). Take some time to drop by!

Anyway, just wanted to say thank you for reading this!

Till next time,

bubblyangel101