A/N: Man, I've had such a block recently D: I blame school o3o

Whoa, a real long block ._. Uh, I'll just say this now, with how busy I've been if you're interested in this story, I highly recommend an alert because I can't be certain how much I'll update.

Ninada - I'm glad it was to your liking, but I like guesses just so you know D: Sure, at points it seems predictable, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's bad \o/ Like…it sometimes feels that I'm doing a good job at hinting (which I personally think I suck at) so when you guess closely, it rocks~ Though in the end it's your choice :3

haibaraai4869 - Thank you :3

Part-time Dreamer - You know, I never really thought of actually having Ai ask why he did that. :V But now that I think about it…hm, maybe that'd be interesting :B Sorry if you like cases: I say sorry because I suck at them xD' Anyway, thanks for understanding the long updates :'D Makes it a bit easier to cope with the guilt, ahaha OTL

Enji86 - Oh, your main language isn't English? D: I'm sorry then if the word choice is confusing, I'm just trying out different things. At the very least I hope it helps your English get better?

Grey Shades of Love

Chapter 3: Expected

"Why when we do our darkest deeds do we tell? They burn in our brains, become a living hell" ~ Secret The Pierces

Every police officer was concerned for Kudo's wellbeing and thought he should be driven to the nearest hospital but somehow Ai managed to suggest that he rest in the Danno's cabin for the rest of the night. His wounds, though many in number, weren't serious, and although it'd be in his best interests to be examined by a doctor, it was also a good idea to give him a bit of breathing time in a comfortable environment. Being jammed into the back of a car right after everything he'd gone through would just be cruel.

Sitting in the dark with a blanket hugging her shoulders, Ai was silent as she listened to Kudo's breathing. It was slow and steady, but also raspy and littered with coughs. On a positive note, it was better than it had been previously, however, Ai was never one to be optimistic. In her cynical viewpoint, every intake of air that should've lifted her spirits instead tore at her conscience.

Another reminder of her guilt rested within her clasped fingers. Through the window, the waning light of the moon bounced off the metal of the locket when she looked at it. Despite her lack of belief in such a thing, Ai had to admit: the present was the embodiment of perfection. When the wave of happiness washed through her at the sight of the image hidden inside, a small amount of a different light poured through the glass from outside.

The sun was already rising - she'd been sitting by Kudo's side all night. At the realization of this, the hands of fatigue clawed at her eyes, along with her own. It was about time she turn in if she wanted to get any sleep at all…however, as long as Kudo was still unconscious she had a feeling she wouldn't sleep easy.

Almost as if he knew what she was thinking, Kudo turned in his sleep and let out an incoherent mumble. He babbled a few more times before anything comprehensible came out and even when Ai could understand what he was saying it still wasn't that intelligent.

"I'm hungry…"

It was odd: random as the comment was, it not only rang true (evident by the rumble of his stomach that followed the phrase) it also made Ai lapse back into her shame. Holding the necklace just under her neck, she scolded herself. 'He would've been able to eat if I hadn't lost this. He wouldn't have a fever if I hadn't told him about it. He wouldn't be injured if I hadn't lied to Ayumi.'

He wouldn't have…if I hadn't…

This pattern continued for a while until Ai couldn't take it anymore. Tightening her grip, she swung her arm into position above her head. She wanted to release her frustration and that could be accomplished by a forced meeting between the floor and the damn thing in her hand that started it all. Hesitant as it might wake Kudo, Ai clenched her teeth as she made her decision.

But Kudo's teeth followed, they however chattered. Breaking her angry stare at the noise, Ai glanced to the side with round eyes. Her blanket, no longer supported by both of her shoulders, began to slide off the side of her risen arm. Ai didn't register this, however, she only logged one thing: Kudo was cold.

It was understandable as he'd been near a waterfall in an isolated cave for almost a day. While recalling that, Ai almost smiled. The summary of the events really could only be described as stupid.

She had been stupid. She didn't pay attention while they had been adventuring. She lost a precious gift because of her lack of attention. She lied about the most miniscule problem. She got Kudo involved in something that could've been easily solved, which then caused him to catch her idiocy (though he already had plenty without her help).

Kudo had gone out of his way for the miniscule problem that wasn't even his. Kudo ventured off into the black of night armed only with a flashlight. Kudo fell down into a secret cavern. Kudo crawled his way down the cave eventually the waterfall, causing him to catch a cold in the damp environment.

Now that Ai thought further, he was lucky he didn't get pneumonia. In general he was lucky. If he were awake, she would've told him he was the personification of dumb luck.

Of course, it wasn't likely that he'd be waking up for another good hour or two. By then the others might be up as well, as it'd be the beginning of the morning. Squinting at the sky as it progressively lost its dark blue hue, Ai yawned. 'I really need to get to bed.'

Looking to Kudo one last time, Ai smirked. 'He'd probably get mad at me if he found out I lost sleep because of him.

'…Hypocrite.'

"Wow, Ai-chan, you look really tired."

Ai had been expecting Ayumi's question since she'd gone to bed only a few hours earlier and yet she still wasn't quite ready to reply. "Y-Yeah, I… Well, we-"

"It was a rough night for all of us," coming to her rescue, Agasa happily ate another bite of the breakfast the Dannos had prepared. He could probably tell that Ai wasn't in the spirit to get on his back about dieting so he was taking advantage of the situation and digging in. Sneaky geezer.

Genta was holding back about as much as Agasa. Ai was surprised he could even manage to say a few words, let alone a sentence. "You can say that again!"

"Ugh. Genta-kun, don't talk with your mouth open like that!" Avoiding a few flying food projectiles launching from Genta's place at the table, Mitsuhiko tried to ignore the annoyance by starting a conversation, "Anyway, Haibara-san, how is Conan-kun doing?"

Ai swallowed the food she'd been chewing. She shouldn't have, as it would've given her a reason to stall. Now she just sat in an awkward silence before the answer came to her. "I haven't checked since last night. I wouldn't know."

The minor lie left a bad taste in her mouth, so she tried to wash it out with some orange juice. That didn't work too well: now she just had tangy-tasting guilt.

With a touch of concern in her voice, Ayumi mumbled, "Maybe we should check on him then. We were going to take him to the hospital today, right?"

"…Oh, I don't think that's really necessary." Scaring everyone at the table and almost upsetting the seconds Kaya had been carrying, Kudo appeared with a quiet grin upon his face. Part of the fright had come from the anonymity in his voice that came from it still being terribly raspy. In time to Ai turning to look at her food in shame, Kudo went on, "I'm alright, really. It's just some scratches and a little cold, that's all."

Full of worry, Ayumi frowned, "Are you sure, Conan-kun?" After a hollow cough from Kudo's direction, she added, "You sound horrible."

"That doesn't necessarily mean I feel horrible," he replied. It seemed to cheer the kids up, but Ai knew that he was just putting on a front. That's the way he always was regarding his own health or safety: he wouldn't allow others to worry. If anything, he'd try to distract them. On cue with her thought, Kudo stated something that sent a chill through her, contrary to his words. "Anyway, how could I not feel well with how warm I was last night?"

Sending a wave of confusion through the kids, Kudo cocked his own brow in puzzlement for a moment. It seemed he was going to say something, but Ai calmly interfered. "You shouldn't be standing. Weren't the worst of your injuries centered around your legs?"

This remark brought back some guilt, but Ai would rather have that than embarrassment. The way things had been headed, there was no doubt that a tint of red would've laced her cheeks once a certain event was established. If she could help it, she'd do everything in her power to keep that incident from coming to light. As such, the moment Kudo reacted to her previous comment by taking a seat, she stated, "After a whole day stuck in that cavern you wouldn't have had anything to eat, right? You should probably have some breakfast to get some nutrition to help your antibodies fight that cold."

Regaining a bit more of her own energy, Ai promptly stole the seconds that had just arrived for Agasa and slid it into position before Kudo. For a split second, Ai observed a glance of suspicion on his face. However, she was fortunate that an unexpected result of her action made its way through the Detective Boys, effectively distracting him. Before he could wrap his head around it, Kudo had five plates full of food ahead of him and offers flying in from his sides asking if he needed anything else. Flustered, Kudo politely turned down each sentiment with a crooked smile before beginning his battle with the mountain of calories and vitamins in front of him. The scene put a light-hearted smirk on Ai's face and though she hadn't made her way through her first helping, she also pushed it forward.

It wasn't much, but it helped her evaporate some of the guilt eating at her stomach. Until she'd gotten rid of it, she wouldn't be that hungry anyway.

Kudo, on the other hand, was consuming the food as one would normally expect from someone who hadn't ate the day before. Normally he wouldn't have allowed himself to show something that would reflect so openly how he was feeling, but he was just that hungry. Thinking of it in that sense, Ai felt the turn in her gut once more.

Anxious to free herself from the dragging emotion, Ai excused herself from the table. When asked where she was going, she responded with "For a walk."

Immediately there was a cluster of worried remarks from the Detective Boys. She couldn't blame them after everything that had occurred the day before, but she desperately required some fresh air to help her clear her mind. It took a bit of persuasion, but after a few minutes she finally convinced them she'd be fine. After all, unlike someone, she'd have her detective badge with her in case anything happened.

The rays of the sun were brimming with warmth and the breeze carried with it a touch of cold, combining into an almost perfect day. All across the hills in view the color green overwhelmed everything, with only a few lines of a shining blue swerving through the lush canvas. It was a calming sight to be sure but even the artistic talent of Mother Nature couldn't cheer Ai up.

Even she didn't fully understand what was tugging at her. She'd recognized the guilt and shame, but there was something deeper that she couldn't identify. All she could do was hope that it'd dissipate in due time.

However, she highly doubted it'd just vanish. Something had to be done to subdue it. Apparently, someone else had an idea on how to accomplish that, though he really didn't purposefully know what he was doing.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Alarming her to the very core with his hoarse voice, Kudo was affixed with a toothy grin when she spun around to see him.

"Wh-What do you think you're doing here? You're sick-and injured!" Sounding more fretful than she would've liked, Ai simply swallowed some of her pride. She couldn't take back the words she'd already said.

Unaffected by her minor outburst, Kudo merely sauntered forward a few steps and sat down beside her. "Everything's been taken care of. I told Agasa-hakase to tell the kids I was resting. And really," pulling off a flex for show, he winked, "I'm fine."

"You say that," with a sly smirk, she teased, "but you know as well as I that that's only a cover up."

She had expected her comment to suppress his grin, but if anything it only broadened it. Matter-of-factly, he mumbled, "Now, it's funny that you say that…especially when you ignored my question before."

Having not registered the query he'd set forth upon his arrival due to her initial surprise, Ai suggested he repeat it.

Without any qualms, he did, and he also added on. "It was you, wasn't it? …Speaking of covers, I mean."

Yet again, he'd done it; he'd seen through her act. That was something he seemed especially good at with anyone, not just her. However, experienced as he was, Ai wasn't about to let him have the satisfaction of a verbal confession. He'd just have to settle with only having a theory and not the solid evidence he so much cherished.

That wouldn't stop him from snooping around for it, though. "I don't know why you're so adamant in trying to hide your nice side. That was really thoughtful, you know, giving me another blank-"

"I-It was probably Ayumi-chan," instinctively interrupting, Ai rolled back her tongue back when the phrase left her mouth. She shouldn't have said that, but as she already had, she decided to continue with it, "A deed like that seems more suited to her, doesn't it?"

"It does," his agreement surprised her; his extension didn't, "but her look of confusion when I brought it up didn't suit her at all. Not to mention you were uncharacteristically flustered after that."

Unable to persist her innocence in the situation any further, Ai turned the conversation around to center on Kudo instead, "While that may be true, you sound as if I'm the only one to hide behind a façade. Both of us know that you're just as guilty as I am in that aspect."

"Yeah, well," his calm, collected air finally broke down to a mild humiliation, "If I kept the name Kudo Shinichi that wouldn't have-"

"Not that," in spite of being unaware of where she was headed, Ai intervened with clear intent. Feeling reminiscent of the conversation she'd had with Ayumi, Ai took her advice and followed her heart. "You say that I try to hide my 'nice side' - and for the sake of argument, I won't disagree - however, what about you?"

For the first time in that conversation, Kudo was at a loss for words. Ai couldn't blame him: she hadn't been completely clear with what it was she was insinuating. Taking a moment to contemplate the right structure of words, she continued when she felt ready. "You don't understand my masked 'nice side' - which is reasonable as you can't thoroughly know all of my motives - but the opposite also holds true. I cannot, with all of the brainpower behind a hidden fountain of youth, comprehend why you tuck away your innermost pain and depression."

Silent for a few more moments, Kudo eventually fell into a nervous smile, "Wh-What are you talking about? Depression-?"

"Yes." Empowered by Ayumi's advice, Ai wasn't about to stop short. "The two of us are going through a similar situation, so I'm well aware of the hardships involved. I've noticed it, too; when you've concealed your true emotions to put on a strong face. You can't deny that you've never felt any of the 'weak' emotions, either. After all…

"You're only human. As such, you can't possibly avoid the darker side of the human mind; you can't avoid mistakes," looking over to him, Ai couldn't manage to read Kudo's expression. Somehow it was blank…but that only furthered her point. "Yet constantly on the outside you act on the contrary. How-Why is that?"

He didn't answer right away and Ai hadn't expected him to. She'd just asked him a deep question, it was only natural to take a few moments to consider what his response would be. Alternatively, he didn't have to reply at all and Ai almost felt that was the most likely option. Personally, in his shoes, she would've changed the topic and, although she wasn't him, he ended up doing the same thing.

…to a degree.

"Did I ever tell you about the Moonlight Sonata case?"

"The piece by Ludwig van Beethoven," suspecting that he wouldn't answer the question she'd posed, Ai tried to forget about it by lapsing into Kudo's new subject. Though she realized he likely already knew the facts, she couldn't help but force them out. It was her only method of moving the new discussion forward. "Said to be dedicated to his pupil, of which he had been in love with, despite a gap of twelve years separating them. A fitting piece for something as tragic as murder."

"Yes. Especially when three-" Kudo paused, his eyes focused ahead of him in a vacant stare. A small rustle alerted Ai that his hands had clasped around some grass where he was sitting. He revised his statement solemnly. "No, when four people were killed."

There was something buried within Kudo's voice that Ai couldn't classify, despite knowing exactly what it was. She had felt the same emotions Kudo had at that moment before, maybe even at that very moment. Internally, she was highly curious about Kudo's hesitation in the number dead, but she knew that it wasn't the time to prod into that. Instead, she asked a broader question. "What was the motive?"

"To avenge the deaths of family members." Although it sounded just like any other average case, there was an air about Kudo that Ai didn't recognize. This case must've struck a personal chord in him for whatever reason.

Finding an innocent enough question, Ai sent it forth. "So how does Moonlight Sonata tie into it?"

"The father of the murderer had been a well-known pianist, Moonlight Sonata being his favourite song. Behind the scenes he'd also been involved in a drug trade scandal. When he'd decided to leave his darker days behind, the other three in the group killed him and his family by…burning down their house. As it burned, the father played Moonlight Sonata right until he died." Listing off the facts was easy enough, more so towards the details surrounding the deaths of the family members. However, Ai noticed that when information pertaining to the murderer came up, Kudo became reserved. "The murderer had been away in a hospital at the time, and was therefore spared."

"I see. So when he returned home only to find it in ashes, he was set on revenge." To Ai, it unravelled in a straightforward fashion. Being dragged to several crimes beforehand had taught her a thing or two on how motives worked out.

But Kudo wasn't finished. "No. The murderer didn't know about the drug ring at all. His family had died many years before I ever set foot there."

"Ah, then when he found out…" Ai trailed off before shaking her head. Revenge, loss, heartbreak…all of the dark prompts of the human mind, they were something to be feared. So many fell for unjust reasons.

Recalling the number killed in the case, Ai found an error. Without delay she brought it up. "Wait, you said that four people died during this case. You mentioned the 'other three' in the drug ring…was the father of the murderer counted as well?"

"No…and one could say there were really two murderers in that case," perplexing Ai further, Kudo didn't help matters when he strayed from the topic momentarily. "You know, I'm sort of relieved."

Feeling that Kudo was reaching for a trigger to go on, Ai gave it to him. "Why is that?"

"You're one of the first - no, maybe even the only person not to overestimate me. While it's…nice to be reliable and looked up to, sometimes it's quite the burden. But when you're at that high position, you can't just let that show or people will doubt your abilities. …Not that I can't handle challenges, but-" Possibly drifting away from his original purpose, Kudo shook his head. "Like you said, I'm just a human. There's no such thing as a perfect person…and I make mistakes."

Unsure of how to respond, Ai took a guess at random. "Was one of those mistakes letting the murderer of this Moonlight Sonata case get away?"

Kudo didn't say a single word. Instead, he lightly nodded his head.

His response, though not uttered, surprised Ai. She could understand it perfectly, that wasn't the problem. The problem lay in her imagination: she couldn't picture Kudo allowing a criminal to get away. However, she still only had part of the story.

More hesitant than Ai ever thought possible, Kudo lowered his head, his bangs and the shine of his glasses obscuring his eyes. Seemingly out of the blue, he muttered something. "A detective who corners someone with logic but let's them commit suicide…

"…is no different from a murderer."

For a few seconds, Ai didn't fully comprehend what he had said. Just as she was going to idiotically ask his purpose for saying such a thing, she recalled the last thing she'd said and connected the dots. "The murderer escaped…through death? Through suicide? And you…let them?"

She hadn't meant to say it the way she had - it had almost sounded cruel, accusing - but she couldn't help her pitch. In her disbelief at what she was hearing it had naturally adjusted to portray her uncertainty. At no point had she intended to imply she was chastising him.

Fortunately, Kudo took it lightly. "That's right. I…did try to stop him but he threw me out of the burning building through a window. I was going to head back inside, but Ran stopped me and then-then he began to play the piano as the building collapsed."

"Was it Moonlight Sonata that he played?" Ai guessed. "To go out like his father?"

This time Kudo shook his head. "No, he played a code. It had been used throughout the case and, in fact, by his father. His last message was… 'Thank you, Little Detective.'"

A long time passed in which the two of them said not a word. There was much that Ai wanted to say - to ask - but for the life of her she couldn't think of how to word her thoughts in a way that wouldn't seem provoking. It was peculiar: there was a time in her life she wouldn't have dawdled at all and would've just said what was on her mind without regret. Now she was juggling around words, worried that they might simply imply the wrong meaning. How odd it was that she could change so drastically. Fortunately, Kudo spoke again without requiring a prompt from Ai.

"I've never been able to forget that case. It's stayed with me the most, despite all of the cases that have happened since then." Glancing up at the clouds above, Kudo then swerved to look at her. His eyes were partly closed and his pupils wandered away from hers frequently. "Why do you think that is?"

Whether he had an answer in mind or not Ai couldn't say. However, even if he was expecting something specific, she couldn't have provided him with it unless she stumbled upon it using pure luck. All she could do was what she thought was right. Thinking out a minor amount of structure to avoid ploughing in completely unprepared, she took a breath before beginning. "Well, it's natural to accent the negatives in life over the positives. That case - and this is only an assumption, mind you - seems to be the only one in which the culprit has managed to commit suicide. I guess you can't forget it…because you won't let yourself. You don't want the same thing to happen again, so instead of putting the past behind you, you carry it always, never allowing yourself to forget so history won't repeat itself.

"In short, I suppose, you feel guilty."

It was then that the strangest thing happened, something Ai couldn't have conjured up in a lifetime: Kudo began to laugh. At first it was restrained due to his raspy throat, but his hysterics grew so strong that eventually the husky sound had all but evaporated. Eventually in his fit, he fell on his back. He rolled in the grass for a few moments before he finally began to calm down.

Ai's expression, however, remained plastered on her face: a wide-eyed, almost frightened confusion. His reaction was so bizarre, she thought that'd she'd broken him somehow. In a mild hope, she stammered, "Wh-What's the matter with you? Did you hit your head before or something?"

"O-Oh no, I-" A few more giggles made their way in before he took some calming breaths and regained his normal air. "I was just…taken aback, that's all."

"Wh-Why is that?" A bit taken aback herself, Ai then pulled out one of her old glares. "Do you think I can't give creditable advice?"

"A-Ah! N-No, no! Not that at all!" Nervously waving his hands ahead of him in defence, Kudo slipped into a tense smile. "On the contrary. It's actually just the opposite that made me laugh."

"So you were laughing because I gave good insight?" Leaning towards him with narrowed eyes, Ai physically felt every irritated fold of skin that formed her scowl. "What, was it so shocking that I might be so understanding that you couldn't help but chortle?"

Shrinking back as she got closer, Kudo flapped his arms about more and more with increasing velocity. Once Ai finally backed off, he sighed in relief. She'd let him have his chance at redemption, but if it weren't satisfactory he'd be in for a nasty surprise in the future.

Walking on eggshells by that point, Kudo was reasonably anxious when he started. "To be honest, it's not so much you as what you said. Really I-I guess it'd be better to say I was laughing at my own stupidity."

It was a clever cover-up, but Ai still wasn't convinced. She had to hear more to be certain.

"You already know: that case happened quite a while back and…for all that time, that question I asked you has been on my mind. I've tried to come up with an answer so many times, but nothing seemed appropriate. Except," at this point, Kudo lost any apprehension he'd had before and he smiled sincerely, "just now - on an assumption no less - you've solved the riddle that's been plaguing me all this time."

Jokingly, he stood and bowed. "I am not worthy, Detective Haibara."

"Easy does it, Detective Pushover," satisfied at his response, Ai beckoned for him to sit back down. Right at that moment, the light from the sun warmed her skin. Right at that moment, the bright scenery sent a chill through her. Right at that moment…

…she was happy.

Evidently, so was Kudo. "I enjoy this."

When Ai turned to look at him with a mild flush on her face, her eyes were met with empty air. It didn't take her long to figure out she should set her sights lower. As Kudo had his pupils aimed at the clouds, he exhaled happily. "Really, it's relaxing."

Coming to the belief that he was referring to laying the grass on that lovely day, Ai smirked, "Well, it's common on a day like this to fully appreciate the light touch of the grass as if it were a mattress." Falling back herself, she added, "Maybe even better."

"That's not what I mean," sitting up, Kudo peered down at her for a short while. Then, he went back to gazing at the sky. "I snuck out today for the sole purpose of hounding you about that blanket thing to try and cheer you up. Maybe even try to get you to admit you did something nice. Instead you turned the situation around and I was the one who ended up coming clean on an incident I'd been hiding away. To be honest, even though I was mostly just going along at the start…eventually I started to feel…free."

"Free…" Wondering if that were the word she should associate with her current emotion, Ai delved deeper to see if that were the case. "What do you mean?"

"It might be because my mom's an actress. It might even be because my dad writes fictional characters. But," in the middle of his sentence, he plopped back down on the grass, obscuring part of his face. Ai could only see his profile now. "for most of what I can remember, I've always been pretending. This whole 'Conan' business just made me realize that more. It's almost come to the point where I feel more real as Conan than I do as Shinichi.

"Even around Agasa-hakase or Hattori there's just something I've been hiding. Hell, when I've met Ran as my true self those few times there's always been something missing. It wasn't just after that day at Tropical Land, either, there's always been that…gap. But, right now," with a curve on his lips and an atmosphere more serene than she'd ever seen in him before, he finished with something she couldn't agree with more.

"I feel whole."

She had always thought of herself as cold and black, but if that were the case, at that moment Ai was being melted away with a powerful bleach. The complete satisfaction the conversation had yielded was unlike anything Ai had ever experienced before and, in a way, it felt as if that experience was exactly what she'd been looking for in the first place. A calm hopefulness, filled with content, something easily mistaken as love. She knew now, that wasn't what it was: it was trust. Trust built between two people in a strong friendship, no strings of "love" attached.

Kudo likely felt the same way, minus any thoughts relating to "love", of course. Both of them laid there, without a word, staring up at the clouds for a good, long while. For once, Ai even tried to play the infamous "find shapes in the clouds" game. It would turn out she wasn't very good at it. Eventually not caring one way or another, Ai was ultimately distracted by a light beeping that came from her pocket.

Sitting up and pulling out her detective badge, she smiled as she assured Ayumi that she was fine and that she would be back at the cabin within a few minutes. Raising to her feet, Ai took a few meagre steps. "Well, you heard her, we'd better-"

Only then had Ai rotated to see that Kudo had fallen asleep in the grass. She couldn't blame him, she could attest to how comfy it was, especially with the rays of the sun acting as a makeshift blanket. He was probably still exhausted from the ordeals he'd endured before, as well.

It was strange: though she would've felt a ping of guilt only an hour before, she didn't feel any different at that time when the thought came to her. Perhaps the soothing and surprisingly childlike image of Kudo snoozing away made her set it aside. However, though that knot was gone now, a new dilemma came to fill its place.

How were they going to get back to the cabin with him sleeping? Especially since he was, ironically, supposed to be sleeping in the cabin at that very moment? Ai was conflicted. The easiest option would've been to wake him but…

Knowing that eventually anything she did would devolve into him arousing from his sleep, Ai decided to just get it over with. Biting her lip, she turned with determination towards him. He rustled a bit, as if alerted of her movement. She almost retreated a step before remembering that waking him was the whole point. Circling to get to his side, she bent down. It was then she realized something: she had no idea how to wake him up. In the end, she just ended up staring at him in a daze at how her mind had possibly become so blank.

Unfortunately, this actually seemed to awaken him. Though drowsily blinking at first, his eyes eventually formed a slightly distressed stare. "What…are you doing?"

Quick to back off, Ai crossed her arms as she made something up. "I-I don't have a cover for you this time, so I was going to help you up instead for my 'nice act of the day'. Y-Your injuries probably still sting a bit, right?"

"Um, I guess," though confused as he sat up, Kudo became sly when Ai extended her arm for him to grab. "Wait, you're admitting to the blanket thing?"

She turned her head away as she still waited for his grip. "Well, you came all this way. It'd almost be cruel not to."

Only then did he grab her hand for support, all the while humming, "Aw, how sweet of you."

…Well, in reality he only got out "Aw, how sweeTEH!" as Ai promptly released him in exasperation causing him to fall back down. No guilt rang through her at this. Just satisfaction.

Without delay upon their arrival back at the cabin, after Kudo had snuck back into his room to actually sleep (he really was beat), Ai set off to begin an ulterior motive she'd had for a long time that day. Though completely unnecessary, her heart felt it was the right thing to do. Since following it had lead to one of the greatest moments of Ai's life the first time, Ai felt it wouldn't hurt to try a second. Carefully, she arranged a meeting in private with the one who'd given her the advice in the first place: Ayumi.

Back on the patio and with the others distracted playing a game in the front, Ai swiftly got to the point. With almost no warning whatsoever, she bowed down in a small shame and blurted, "I'm sorry. The truth is, what Edogawa-kun went through was my fault. He went looking for the locket you gave me. I…lost it earlier that day."

It had been surprisingly easy to confess her mistake, however, it was nigh impossible for Ai to lift her head. She couldn't bear to allow herself to see what kind of expression Ayumi had on her face. Whether it be sad or angry, she didn't want to know. She couldn't avoid it forever, she knew, and luckily Ayumi didn't force her to look up to gauge her reaction.

After a pause, Ayumi spoke. "You're silly, Ai-chan!"

Much like the laughing fit Kudo had broke into earlier, Ai didn't see Ayumi's relaxed - almost happy - response coming at all. Appropriately, she reacted in the same way: with a wide-eyed stare and a stuttering voice. "Y-You're…not mad? …Or sad? D-Disappointed?"

"Of course not!" With a broad smile, Ayumi explained, "I can always get another locket, it's the picture that's important! And…as long as we're still friends, we can always get another picture, too. I'd rather have a thousand lockets lost than to lose you, or Conan-kun or Genta-kun or Mitsuhiko-kun…or anybody!"

Ayumi's words, though simple, were once again inspiring. Ai would've responded with a heartfelt thanks if the opening of a door hadn't interrupted them. Soon after followed a mumble. "What are you guys doing back here?"

"Oh, Conan-kun!" happy to see him as usual, Ayumi turned to Ai, "Ah, that's right! I forgot to thank you for what you told me before. You were right!"

Knowing about the same as Kudo in terms of what Ayumi was referring to, Ai felt it necessary to ask, "What do you mean? What did I tell you?"

"You know!" bumping her fists, Ayumi pointed to the sky. "That story of how the stars would protect Conan-kun. They did, didn't they?"

"What?" despite Ai being almost certain he was going to mock her, Kudo actually smiled. "I didn't know anyone else knew that tale." Then, he proceeded to confuse the both of them. "I love how logical it is."

Recalling her version as one that dealt with the spirits of the dead watching over others, Ai hardly felt that Kudo was on the same page. Curious of how his interpretation differed, Ai probed, "How have you heard it?"

Seemingly still incorrect in thinking they had the same account, Kudo rose his brow as he told his tale. "As long as there's at least one star in the sky, they'll watch over us."

Surprised at the almost exact same wording, Ai had to specifically inquire, "Where's the logic behind that?"

"What do you mean? Isn't it obvious?" at the two shaking heads, Kudo described it with a droning voice, "Come on. You know how it is: if you can see even one star at night - a tiny little light - the cloud cover obviously isn't that dense. So, even if there's a storm, it won't be too strong or last-what?"

During his explanation, Ai and Ayumi had both fit themselves with looks of disappointment. For once Kudo had almost sounded whimsical. Of course, Kudo was the only person who would go from an innocent anecdote about stars to the freaking weather forecast. Ai had to wonder what his small talk was like.

Before Kudo could get any replies from either of the girls, Agasa called from inside the cabin. It was time they got going home. Originally they were going to stop by the hospital, but Kudo had strongly persuaded them not to. He likely didn't enjoy visits there, considering one of them involved a scrape with death and a gun in his face courtesy of Ai.

That time had been surprisingly amusing. The look on his face when the roses came out was one she'd never forget.

A few days passed by after the trip in which nothing of much interest had happened at all. They'd come back early enough to enjoy a few more days of vacation, two of which Kudo was dragged away for on a different vacation with his makeshift family and the rich girl Suzuki Sonoko. That had likely resulted in some sort of case, but until Ai could ask Kudo about the details, she didn't much care for it. She'd even been more alone than normal, Agasa working away in quiet on some new "revolutionizing" invention and the Detective Boys busy spending time with their families. It wasn't until the last day of the holiday that something finally happened.

Coming in unexpectedly, Kudo was slightly out of breath. He didn't even reply to Ai's sarcastic greeting. All he said was "Where's Agasa-hakase?" the answer of which he didn't even seem interested in. Without so much as acknowledging Ai's presence, he sat down on the couch and pinched his forehead.

Peeking down over the top of the furniture, Ai guessed, "Did you have a rough time on vacation? An over-the-top case tire you out?"

"Surprisingly, no," sinking deeper into the couch, Kudo lapsed back into silence.

Reminded of cases (though also surprised at Kudo's answer), Ai couldn't help but mention the case from their trip. "I believe Agasa-hakase said that Megure-keibu officially declared the Danno case as an accident. I never did get to ask you what you thought about that case…though you were unaccounted for during most of it."

"That…" in a flat tone reminiscent of his speech on the Moonlight Sonata case, he announced, "That was indeed an accident."

"How do you know?" She was actually curious, but she added a tease, "Is it your detective instinct talking again?"

"No." Oddly serious, everything fell into place when he went on, "I happened to be behind the waterfall when the victim came by. I heard her talking to herself - near the grave, I suppose. Obviously I wanted some help so I tried to shout out. But…at that point my voice had become a bit hoarse and with the water…

"She misinterpreted it as her brother calling out to her. Before I knew what was happening, she was saying things like 'I didn't know you'd fall in the river', 'I didn't think the rocks would be that slippery', 'I didn't hear you fall in'…then there was a thud and a splash."

Ai waited in silence for some form of response to come to her. Much of the atmosphere reminded her of their talk on the hill. It helped to calm her. "Do you…blame yourself?"

"…Do I?" asking it as an honest question, Kudo looked up at her. "I honestly don't know what to think."

Feeling as if Kudo were looking to her for the answer, she hesitated slightly. However, once again she found power in Ayumi's words and went with what she felt was 'right'. "You couldn't have known what she was doing or who she was. You couldn't have even helped her if you had wanted to. Your intent wasn't ill in the first place either…so I don't believe you're to blame.

"…and accidents…do happen…don't they?"

"They do," curling his lip only slightly, Kudo went back to staring ahead in silence. For a small duration, his hand came up to his forehead again as he went into deep thought. Then it fell down again, proceeding to do the same action once more after a few seconds.

Watching the display for a while, Ai eventually decided to spit out her assumption. "That's not what you really came to talk about, is it?"

"It's Ran." She had expected it, and on an earlier day it might've annoyed her, but that day Ai was ready and willing to listen. However, ready as she was, she wasn't quite prepared enough for what Kudo was going to say. "During our vacation, she chatted with Sonoko a lot about-well, my confession and in turn her response. So many times I had to run off because I thought she was going to phone but… To be honest, that would've been better than what she eventually decided. She doesn't want to answer me over the phone: she wants to say it to my face.

"She wants to see me in person before she confesses back."

Ai knew where this was headed and, although she was in no way against the idea of the two being in a relation anymore, she still had her qualms about him turning back. She felt persuasion coming on.

…and she wasn't sure she could resist it.

(Chapter 3: END)

FINALLY! D: So sorry this took so long. Again, might want to alert if you want to keep up D:

Also, I apologize if this is a bit less refined than other chapters. I've done a bit of reading over, but as I type this end note it's late and I'm already really behind on this release as is. I'll read it over tomorrow and fix any big things, but until then I hope you can enjoy regardless :'D

Here's hoping the next one won't take as long