Chapter 45

Kaito held Shinichi's hand as the nurse plucked shards of glass from her back. He stared at her face as the nurse worked, feeling her nails dig into his hand every time a shard was extracted. She had a bandage stuck to her cheek, covering the ugly hole a large wooden splinter had left behind, and her neck was a mass of black and purple bruises. There were flecks of blood on her face and blood under her fingernails, and she breathed slowly and carefully, trying to avoid agitating the bruises on her stomach. She leaned forward a little and her necklace swung forward, minus the jewel. Kaito felt his chest constrict a little at the sight.

"There! All done!", the nurse said, leaning back and placing the bloody tweezers on a silver trestle table beside her. "You're lucky you were wearing those thick pyjamas, or there would have been a lot more damage."

Shinichi nodded without looking at her.

"I'm just going to bandage you up, and then you can speak the doctor, okay?"

Shinichi nodded again, the nurse's chirpy demeanor doing nothing to coax a verbal answer out of her.

The nurse gave her a look burning with curiosity before unrolling the bandages. Kaito could kind of see the reason why. A young teenage girl who had obviously been strangled and beaten had been escorted in by FBI agents in bulletproof jackets, along with an unconscious woman with a cracked skull and a bullet wound... and no one was being told why.

However, Kaito didn't feel as though Shinichi should be the one receiving the brunt of the nurse's curiosity, and so gave her a look that had her closing her mouth and bending down over her work.

Shinichi's eyes flickered to him for a moment before returning to the floor again. Kaito rubbed her hands between his soothingly. He searched his mind for something to say to her, but came up empty.

He remembered the evening's earlier events- how he had been just getting ready for bed, since Shinichi obviously wasn't going to have a change of heart and ring him with the location of the take down, when Pandora came shooting into his room, screaming about Vermouth. He had followed its demand to call the FBI, telling them that Shinichi was in danger, that a Black Organisation member had escaped to find her, that the two agents watching over her were dead.

This had been met with confusion about how Shinichi Kudo's boyfriend knew all about the Black Organisation, until he had mentioned Vermouth's name. That had shoved them into action. Kaito had pulled on a coat and shoes and rushed to Shinichi's house as fast as he was able, moving so swiftly he ended up meeting them at the door. Pandora had gone right ahead of them, shooting through the door and into the house as though the wood were made of mist.

He remembered saving them the trouble of breaking the door down by using his lock picking skills (something he wasn't looking forward to having to explain to them later) and opening the door to a dead FBI agent sprawled on the floor, a pool of blood making a sticky, stained mess of the carpet. He remembered hearing screeching and crashing coming from up the stairs, remembered creeping forward with the FBI agents who had clearly foregone trying to keep a civilian (him) safe in favour of quickly catching Vermouth and preventing a famed detective's murder. He remembered hearing abrupt silence, followed by a thud and a gun shot, remembered expecting to see a small blonde detective lying crumpled on the floor.

Shinichi had stepped out of the room as they approached it, a gun in one hand, shards of something red and shiny in the other. She looked like hell.

She had turned to him, her eyes finding him immediately, and said, "She's dead. I couldn't protect her." And she opened her palm to show him the pretty little broken pieces of Pandora's jewel.

The FBI agents had thought she meant Vermouth, of course, but the confusion over what she meant by protecting her was brushed away in favour of getting the swaying Shinichi, and the still-breathing Vermouth into hospital. Kaito had stuck to her like glue, carrying her out of the house and into an ambulance. A few FBI agents had ridden with them, and no matter how much they coaxed, they couldn't get her to speak another word. She had refused to meet all of their eyes, staring down at the floor with an expression of grief and shame. Kaito thought he knew why, given the way she had tossed the gun away from her as though it were a dead animal earlier.

Kaito nodded to the nurse as she finished, and she scurried away, still a little cowed by the glare he had given her. Shinichi continued to sit there, not looking at anything.

"I've got Pandora", Kaito said, wincing at the spasm of pain that crossed Shinichi face when he uttered the name. "She's in my pocket."

"The jewel's in your pocket", Shinichi corrected, her voice coming out in a tortured croak, the swelling on her bruised throat making it hard to speak. "Pandora's gone."

Kaito was silent for a few seconds. "You don't think if we tried to repair-"

Shinichi shook her head. "No. I saw her go. Pandora's... gone. The legends were pretty clear on what happens when the jewel breaks; all power is lost, and the jewel just becomes a pretty little trinket."

"Hello?", said someone, coming through the door. They had a bandaged head and blonde hair. Kaito tensed instinctively, ready to push Shinichi out of harm's way.

"Jodie", Shinichi mumbled in greeting.

"Hey, Kudo. I guess you already heard, huh? We did it! The Black Organisation's down. A few agents escaped, but we had enough alive to be able to get the location of their base. It's only a matter of time before we get them all!" Jodie beamed at her. "Oh, come on! Don't look so gloomy- we all got hurt a little tonight. You're not sulking about me not letting you come, right? Cheer up, it's time to celebrate!"

Shinichi continued to stare at her with a blank gaze before looking away again. "I think I need some time alone", she said.

"I get that you're in pain- I mean, you look it- but what you say that once the painkillers kick in, you come with us to celebrate? You're not old enough to drink, but I won't tell."

"Go away." Shinichi sharply.

Jodie blinked, then gave a philosophical shrug. "Okay. Give me a call if you change your mind." She left.

"She didn't know about Pandora", Shinichi said, answering Kaito's unspoken question.

"I can tell", he said, staring after Jodie with an angry face. He had to remind himself that it wasn't Jodie's fault that she didn't know that one of their own had died that night, but that didn't lessen his anger any.

Shinichi finally looked up, but still didn't meet his eyes. "I need to speak to the doctor now."

"Are you sure you should move? Won't he come in here to speak with you?"

"I don't want to wait here any longer. Lets go find him."

Kaito helped Shinichi stand and pull the loose hospital gown back up. They walked out of the room together, down the corridor to where a group of FBI agents stood. Shinichi smiled tiredly at them, the insincere expression making her face ache. Or maybe it was just the hole in her cheek.

"Congratulations on taking down one of the biggest Black Organisation operatives out there", one of them laughed, and Shinichi's smile faded. "My only complaint is that it's a pity you weren't a better shot."

Shinichi frowned. "How do you mean?"

"Well, she's not dead!" They all laughed at this.

Seeing Shinichi's confused expression, one of them elaborated. "You cracked her skull with your gun, and shot her in the chest, but she survived. She's in a coma right now, and there isn't really a huge chance that she will come out of it. Good job though- you certainly put up a good fight. We saw the scratches on her face- remind me to never get on your bad side!" They laughed again.

Shinichi didn't hear them. She felt the relief blossom and spread throughout her. She hadn't killed Vermouth. She hadn't become a murderer. Logically, she knew that she should be angry that Vermouth was alive, that's she had a chance of continuing her life when Pandora did not. But all she could feel was the relief at her failing to become the kind of person she fought against every day.

Kaito saw her relieved expression and smiled a little to himself. Maybe things would be alright.

Shinichi lifted her head to the cold winter breeze. It was pretty chilly out, and she drew her coat tighter around her as she walked, swerving around the people on the sidewalk, avoiding shopping bags and vicious elbows. It was nearing Christmas now, and the streets were packed with people doing their Christmas shopping. The shop windows sparkled with fairy lights, and she could hear different kinds of carols and Christmas-themed playing every time she passed an entrance. Her own arms were laden with bags full of presents, and she increased her speed as her arms began to ache. She had to get back home before her parents returned from their day out, so she could hide the presents before they saw them. She smiled a little at the thought and began to jog.

Ten minutes later, she arrived at the house, a smaller scale of the Kudo manor, out of breath and pink cheeked. She scrunched her key in the lock and let herself in, sighing in relief at the blast of warmth from inside. It had been nice for her parents to take her from Japan to spend Christmas with them in England- she'd needed to get away from the huge, empty house and all of the media attention for a while.

She climbed the stairs to her room and shoved all of the presents under the bed, taking a step back to see if they could be seen once standing. It was a rubbish hiding place, but she'd have time to find another later. Right now, she had someone to call.

Kaito let himself into the house, giving a grin as he saw Shinichi's shoes by the door. Looked like he hadn't run fast enough. He crept up to his room and hid his own presents considerably more effectively than Shinichi, then walked toward the sound of voices.

"... well, I'm glad you're doing okay", came Ran's voice. Kaito walked across the threshold of the room and leaned against the door frame, watching Shinichi talk to her friend via phone.

"And I you. How's Takamoto?" Shinichi pulled on a pair of slippers as she spoke, waving to Kaito when she saw him by the door.

"Oh, he's fine. He's going to be meeting my parents on Christmas Eve- I finally got the both of them to agree for us to spend Christmas together!"

Shinichi raised her eyebrows in obvious surprise. "Wow!", she said, her voice cheerful and displaying none of the doubt and shock evident on her face. "Congratulations! I wish you and Takamoto luck!"

"Thanks! Hey, I've got to go now, but call me later and tell me how you're doing, okay?"

"Sure thing. See you later."

"Bye!"

"Bye, Ran-chan!", Kaito called.

"Goodbye, Kaito!"

Shinichi put the phone down and pulled on a jumper over her shirt, shivering a little. Her room had big windows, so it always felt a little chilly. "That was nice."

"I'm glad to see she doesn't suspect you of murder anymore", Kaito said, walking over to sit beside her on the bed.

Shinichi nodded, one arm curling around his waist. "Yeah. She saw all that stuff about the FBI, and when I told her that Nagai was a victim of the syndicate, she stopped doubting me immediately."

"You didn't tell her that he was a part of that syndicate?"

"No. Takamoto liked him, and it would probably have got back to him. Ran still managed to convince him I'm not a murderer though, so there's that."

"At least it's all okay now."

"Yes." Shinichi fiddled with her necklace, looking sadly down at the empty wire cage. Pandora's jewel had been too badly shattered in the fight with Vermouth, so there was no way to keep it in the necklace. She glanced at the little wooden box on her dressing table that now housed the jewel, and then sighed and let the necklace swing back.

"It was nice of your parents to invite me and my mother over to spend Christmas with you all", Kaito said. "I mean, you told me that they knew each other, but I guess I underestimated how well. Where are they now, by the way? I wasn't expecting the house to be so empty."

"They went out to eat and go Christmas shopping with each other. They'll be back soon."

"Oh, right. We've got that Christmas party to go to later."

Shinichi nodded. "Speaking of which, I'd better start getting ready."

"Isn't it a little early? We've got a few hours yet."

Shinichi shook her head gloomily. "You underestimate the extent of which my mother likes to make me up. If I do a good enough job before she gets back, she won't have an excuse to go full force on me. I swear she thinks I'm a doll!"

Kaito laughed and stood up with her. "I might as well get started too."

Shinichi smiled at him and took his hand. "Lets help make each other up. Join forces against our parents."

"Yeah, but I'm feeling a little gritty. I think I might take a shower." Violent eyes twinkled in her direction, and he let a mischievous smile spread over his face.

Shinichi smiled back. "What a good idea. Maybe I'll join you."

Hours later, Shinichi was ready for some air. Kaito had been dragged away to put on a magic show for the party goers (just why had he brought his doves with him?), and the loud music coupled with the sickly drinks was beginning to make her feel dizzy. She quietly slipped out through a set of glass doors, stepping out onto the balcony beyond them.

"It's a full moon", said Kaito behind her, and if she hadn't been so used to his sudden appearances, she would have had a heart attack.

"Thought you had a magic show?", said Shinichi, closing her eyes as the cool breeze brushed over her. She was getting goose pimples, but she didn't really care. She shivered a little.

Kaito slipped his jacket onto her shoulders and jumped onto the balcony wall, sitting with his back to the outside, facing her. "I ditched them for a better audience. There's only one critic for me." His face softened a little as he took in the sight of her, prettily dressed, her hair shining silver under the moonlight. "You look lovely tonight, by the way."

"You too." They smiled at each other. Kaito held his arms open and Shinichi walked into them, pressing her face into his shoulder. "Thank you", she said suddenly.

Kaito pulled back a little to look at her. "For what? I mean", he continued jokingly, "I know I'm an incredibly awesome person that does amazing things on a daily basis, but if there's a specific thing you're thanking me for-"

Shinichi scowled at him. "Shut up, idiot, I'm trying to be sincere."

"Right, sorry."

"I can't say it now. You ruined the moment."

"Oh, go on. Give it a try! Stroke my ego."

Shinichi slapped a hand over his mouth to prevent any other mood killers and said, "I just wanted to say thank you, for everything you've done. You've been so understanding and kind, and you've always tried to help me. So, thank you. And if the next words out of your mouth are in any way joking or teasing, I will push you off this balcony."

Kaito laughed and pulled her hand away, pressing a kiss into her palm. "In that case, I want to thank you too."

Shinichi looked confused and suspicious, ready to make good on her promise of pushing him over. "For what?"

"You've saved my life a ridiculous amount of times, and I just want to say that I'm not the only understanding and kind person on this balcony. Thank you, Shinichi Kudo, for being you." He paused for a moment. "That was entirely heartfelt. Please don't push me off."

Shinichi snorted and patted him. "Don't worry, I would never really push you off."

"Somehow, I doubt that", Kaito muttered, then grinned brightly when she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Shin-chaaan!", Yukiko called from inside the room, impressively managing to raise her voice above the music. "Come in and join the party!"

Shinichi sighed, her shoulders slumping a little. "We'd better go back."

Kaito sighed as well. "Usually, I'd pull you along in a daring escape, but my mother's in there. There's no telling what she would do to get me back for leaving her."

Shinichi laughed, and then pulled Kaito down into a kiss. His mouth was hot and damp, and tasted of the chocolate and Baileys drink they had both tasted earlier. It was an exhilarating contrast to the cold air around them, and they parted only reluctantly when they were called for again.

Kaito jumped down from the balcony edge with the ease of cat and took her hand. "We're being summoned. Let us go, my dear meitantei-chan."

Shinichi smiled, feeling the warmth of his hand in hers. "After you, my moonlight magician."

They walked through the doors hand in hand, leaving the chill and darkness of the night behind them.

THE END

A/N

When I first started writing this story I wasn't really expecting to get many, if any, reviews. So thanks for surprising me, guys! :D I'm actually kind of sad that this story has come to a close, but I've been going at it for almost a year, so it was well overdue an ending.
Plus, I kind of ran out of things to write about ^.^'

Please tell me what you think about this final chapter, especially the ending- this is my first time attempting to write a truly decent one, so any advice or constructive criticism will be greatly appreciated.

I have a few vague ideas about my next story, but nothing concrete- either one with either fem!Kaito x fem!Shinichi, or fem!Kaito with a female OC, or a Harry Potter one about a Slytherin muggleborn girl in Hogwarts. I know most of you are primarily Detective Conan fans, but I figured I might as well ask for an opinion :) Please tell me which one you'd prefer!

GirlOfAThousandDreams- I kind of wanted the scene with Vermouth and Pandora's death to be totally unexpected, so I guess I can pat myself on the back for succeeding :) Also, well done on predicting this story's end ^.^

Guest on the 23/09/14- Sorry, Pandora's gone :'( Trust me, it hurt me to kill it more than it hurt you *sobs* But! Here's another chapter to make it all better ^.^

Flickering Ember- I'm flattered you chose to review then :) I see what you mean about the song- I mean, the title itself just screams Shinichi Kudo

Everybody- thank you for all of your reviews, advice, and encouragement. It all really means a lot to me.

Thank you for reading Chapter 45, the final chapter of Moonlight Magician. I hope you all enjoyed it! :D