Ten years.

It seemed surreal. As if it was still yesterday when he was turned into his seven year old self even though he was actually 10 years older, being taken into the care of the Mouri's, meeting the Detective Boys, and then encountering so many adventures it made his head spin.

Shinichi chukled. If you made a novel out of his life, he was sure it could give Arthur Conan Doyle a run for his money.

But he didn't regret it. Everything that had happened in his life, good or bad, made him learn so many lessons. After spending a year in his child from, Shinichi changed for the better, and because of it, he was a far cry from the arrogant, egoistic teenager he once was.

And everything turned out right in the end.

After the downfall of the Black Organization, he was finally free to continue the life of an eighteen year-old teenager. When he graduated in senior high school, Shinichi wasted no time in asking Ran's hand in marriage. They were married a year after. And was blessed with beautiful baby girl after nine months.

I'm sorry I didn't say goodbye, but I know that it's for the best.

Except for one.

His life was perfect. But even though Ran was a great wife and a patient mother, even though Reina had him practically wrapped aroung her little finger, even though he was one of the most acclaimed detectives in the world, there was still something missing.

Or someone, to be more precise.

Haiba- Shiho, actually. After the wedding, she just disappeared out of thin air, leaving a note. A note that contained fourteen words that didn't explain anything about why she left, leaving a worried crowd behind.

Shinichi had never been the same after that. Sure, he laughed and smiled and joked. But whenever he though no one was looking, he would stare at an empty space and his eyes would get this glazed look with his eyebrow furrowed and his fist clenched so tightly it turns white – and this is the time when everyone would know that he's thinking why he couldn't prevent Shiho from leaving. When visiting the Professor in his house, Shinichi's stare would linger at the door of Shiho's previous bedroom, and then if he had the time to spare, he would enter it and just sit in her bed, looking fondly at the furniture – that was never touched nor moved - like an old friend.

"She always sat at that chair whenever she was stressed, you know." Shinichi once told Ran when she sat beside him in the bed. "Whenever she got pissed at me for bothering her for the antidote, she would glare at me in that chair, looking every bit like a queen." He added, chuckling.

It was on their fifth year of marriage that Ran started to experience a sudden weight loss, a drop in her appetite, weakness and shortness of breathe. Concerned, her husband urged her to talk to a doctor, and she did. To their horror, the doctor said that Ran had breast cancer. And it was already on its stage four.

Ran died a month after.

Both father and daughter were devastated. Shinichi mourned for a year and would still be if it wasn't for his best friend Heiji, who practically tore the door of his friend's house down and gave Shinichi an uppercut that the latter swore ached for the following days. Reina – who had always been lively and cheerful – had turned into a brooding and morose child that never smiled, although her father and friends had been an exception.

"Daddy!"

Shinichi was abruptly pulled out from his trip back in memory lane by the squeal of his daughter, Kudo Reina. Her looks bore an uncanny resemblance to her mother's, with the black hair and sparkling blue eyes. The only thing she got from her father was his deductive ability, along with her prowess in soccer.

"Reina?" Shinichi asked, gracing his daugther with a smile.

Reina frowned and pouted, tugging at her father's cheek. "You're spacing out again."

Shinichi grinned. After two years, they slowly moved on from Ran's death and were now living happily, although punctuated by the sadness Ran's memories often times brought. "I'm not, kid. So, what do you say on having pancakes for breakfast?"

"Yay!"

After breakfast, the two cleaned the dishes and proceeded to Shinichi's car and drove to Teitan Elementary School. The drive passed by swiftly, consisting only of both father and daughter talking.

"Behave, okay?" Shinichi said, ruffling his child's hair while leaning on the driver seat.

"I always do, daddy!"

"Okay, okay. I'll pick you up in the same time." He laughed at Reina's indignance.

"Bye-bye! Love you!"

The foreign looking woman was met with the usual hustle and bustle in Beika International Airport. Her aloof, cold azure eyes scanned the crowd of people waiting for their loved ones, looking for her guide.

"Miyano-san! Over here!"

Ah.

A black haired woman was wildly waving her arms, trying in vain to capture her attention. Amused, Shiho made her way towards the beaming guide, and noticed that she was of Japanese descent – with porcelain skin and onyx eyes commonly associated with a geisha.

"Hello." Shiho curtly greeted, as being polite was common courtesy.

"Miyano Shiho-san! So glad you could make it in such a short notice!" the girl laughed in a heavily accented English, taking Shiho's right hand and shaking it vigorously. "Welcome to Beika!"

I think 'Welcome Back' is more appropriate, though. Shiho wryly mused, but abruptly threw that line of thought and focused at the matter at hand. "Thank you. And you are?"

The girl blushed, setting her hand down. "I'm so sorry! I mean, I'm Emihara Aisha. Pleased to meet you!"

Shiho nodded, but before she could return the sentiment, Emihara took her Louis Vuitton suitcase and gestured for her to follow. With no choice, Shiho easily matched her stride and listened with mild curiosity at Emihara's babble.

"The principal was really relieved when you accepted our vacant position, you know? You see, the former English teacher of the Elemantary division suddenly had an accident inside the school and had to move abroad for treatment. Thank goodness a friend of his recommended you since you attended a prestigious university and passed with flying colors! I'm teaching Math, by the way, and I'm also in the Elementary division. I hope we could be good friends!" Emihara grinned. "Anyway, I'm going to escort you to your apartment, and then tomorrow, your job is going to start."

At this part, Shiho started to tune out. Although she nodded and hummed at each pause, her mind was already preoccupied with something else. Long strawberry-blonde hair swayed with the breeze, and Shiho smiled fondly at the memories resurfacing after going out of the airport.

Shiho could only hope that she would not encounter familiar faces. The only reason why she agreed on the job was because of a disturbing message she got on her apartment in the States.

Hello, Sherry.

It was a message so horrifying that she had to go to Beika as soon as possible. Fortunately, her former dean in the university suggested that she get a job, and as if the Fates decided it themselves, it was in Beika.

It's Vermouth. And you have no idea how I've missed you so much after all these years.

That very day, Shiho packed up and got to the first airplane en route to Beika, Japan.

So how about a reunion with me, hmm? I could bring your dearest Professor with us, if I have to. Or those adorable Detective Boys... And did I mention Detective Kudo Shinichi?

Taking one last breath, Shiho's eyes burned with determination. I'm going to see you again, Vermouth. And this time, I'm going to make sure that you get behind the bars.

From somewhere around the airport, Vermouth sinisterly smirked at Shiho's determined orbs.

I'm looking forward in meeting you again, Hai. Ba. Ra.

Kudo Reina was looking forward for her Math subject. Her favorite teacher, Emihara-sensei, was going to teach them multiplication now. Granted, her classmates hadly understood how addition worked out, but Emihara-sensei noticed that she wanted a more harder subject. Reina was already on fractions herself, but decided that she learned more on her father than she did at school, so contented herself in imagining how she could impress the young teacher.

Imagine her disappointment, though, when she saw a different teacher enter her classroom. Everyone of her classmates started to whisper amongst themselves, wondering what happened.

"Where's Emihara-sensei?"

"Do you think she got into an accident just like what happened to our English teacher?"

"I'm not complaining though. I can hardly subtract numbers, much less multiply them!"

Annoyed and fed up, Reina rose from her seat and raised her hand. "Teacher!"

The substitute glanced at the standing girl, and all conversation ceased inside the classroom. "Yes? What is it, Kudo?"

"Where's Emihara-sensei?" Reinan demanded.

"Oh. Aisha-san?" the teacher rubbed his stubble before smiled indulgently at the student. " From what I heard, I believe she's meeting up with your new English teacher."

At once, the room exploded with a barrage of questions. The substitute teacher raised his hand to demand silence. "Her name is Miyano Shiho-sensei. And you'll meet her tomorrow, so be on your best behavior, okay?"

[And finally, it begins.]

And hello, people! FINALLY. The new and improved Past, present, future is here, with a new plotline and title to boot. FINALLY~!

I was really planning to post this a month ago, but since I'm a 4th Year High School student already, I had to attend the mandatory summer school for any graduating student. It had been a pain, really, to insert the time and effort in remaking a story after a day full of Trigonometric Equations, complex Isomerism, answering UPCAT and SAT materials, and the likes. Not to mention the fact that we have to plan the opening ceremonies of the school year this coming June 6. And since I was made Editor-In-Chief (Yes, I'm bragging, but goddamit people, I got to hell and back just to get said position so cut me some slack!) of our school newspaper, I'm one of the Council of Leaders, and the publishing of the school's newspaper lies on my shoulders. That means, I'm going to have to update less and less in my stories since this year will be a hectic one, and studies comes first!

Rest assured though, that I am going to update this chapter. Yes. I am determined to make this multi-chaptered story my first completed one. And I am going to make this my best story yet.

Did anyone notice the really huge difference in my way of writing? That, my dears, is because of so many times reading on latest novels. I am now a certified bookworm. Believe it! I hope the grammar is correct, and if you notice some mistakes, feel free to tell me. And criticisms are higly appreciated.

I DO NOT OWN DETECTIVE CONAN!

READ & REVIEW!

Akitsuki Akira © New Beginnings