"Ahh, the snow is so nice! When are you ever gonna call me just to have a good time Kudo?", sighed Heiji. Conan was just deep in thought.

"Let's split up and survey the area. Rin hasn't given a clue yet but it's better to familiarize ourselves with the surroundings."

Heiji kneeled and stared his child companion straight in the eye. "You gotta keep it together Kudo. We'll find them, okay?"

"I don't doubt it.", Conan replied with a smug expression. And the two parted ways.

Yuzawa was a winter wonderland. The skiing season has officially begun and the whole place was covered with a fine layer of snow already. The chill air blew continuously and the crowd of guests were having a great time playing in the snow and gliding down it. And then there was Conan walking around absorbed in thought, looking around not for the view but for a clue. Instead, what he saw were two high school girls, one short-haired, the other long, and both shouldn't be there. "Ran.", he whispered. He went to get a closer look.

"Isn't it great we went here Ran?", Sonoko said in a pleased voice, her arms out wide, her face kissed by the cold.

"I don't know...", Ran replied. "Do you really think Shinichi and Heiji are here?"

Bzzzzt. Ran hurriedly picked up her phone.

"Ran!"

"Shinichi!", was Ran's surprised reply. Sonoko smiled teasing.

"What are you doing in Yuzawa?"

"Aren't you here?"

"I'm...", Conan didn't want to lie to Ran but he didn't want her there either. He has enough on his mind already. He's not sure he can protect her well. "I'm working on a case. It's not safe there. Go home. I'll call you once the case is over, I promise."

The call ended before Ran could respond. "So?", was Sonoko's inquiry.

"He said we should leave...", was her soft reply.

"So he's not here?"

"I don't know. I knew this was a bad idea Sonoko. He's right. We should go." Ran bent her head low, turned around and walked the other way when Sonoko held her arm back.

"No. We're staying.", was Sonoko's firm reply. "This is a perfectly fine vacation with or without Shinichi."

Sonoko held Ran's shoulders and smiled at her to which Ran tried to smile back. "What you need is a dip in the hot springs. Let's go!" And off she dragged her brown-haired companion.

"Aaah! Nothing beats the onsen!", Sonoko exclaimed as they got out of the hot spring area. She can see Ran was in better spirits but still nowhere as pleased as she wanted her to be. As they were walking down the corridor, they bumped into a familiar face. "Ran-san!"

Ran looked up and saw the detective working in the cafe below the agency. "Amuro-san, what are you doing here?"

"I'm just taking a short vacation.", he replied in a cheerful tone. "Does your father know you're here? It's not very safe for two beautiful ladies to be alone in the cold."

"The old man doesn't know. Ran came here to see her boyfriend but he ditched us. Anyway, we're not alone now. You're with us." Sonoko replied with a wink. Ran stared at Sonoko, asking her to stop.

"Ran-san's boyfriend huh? Sounds like an interesting guy.", Amuro replied and he offered to escort the two ladies back to their room.

In a private room at the drinking lounge, four people were drinking sake, two of which have passed out face flat on the table. "Vodka has always been a lightweight.", the blonde lady teased as she gulped down another shot.

"Why did you protect this man once?", Gin asked in a serious tone looking at the passed out great detective.

"He's a public figure. It will draw a lot of attention if we do anything to him.", was Vermouth's composed reply. Thank goodness for the alcohol which relaxed her in this otherwise pretty nerve-wracking confrontation.

"The great detective.", Gin said in a mocking tone. "He's nothing but a drunk idiot."

"Why the sudden interest?", Vermouth inquired.

"I thought the famous Sleeping Kogoro could be a threat to the organization. He really is just a Sleeping Kogoro after all.", Gin replied with a slight snicker.

"How can he be? As you said, he's just a drunk idiot." Vermouth was studying Gin's expressions and trying to gauge where he really stands with the great detective and how much he already knows.

"There's more to this man. I don't know if he's acting or maybe he's really not the great detective. Maybe he's just a front..." Gin realized he was thinking out loud and admits to himself that he may have said more than he wanted to. Alcohol does that. He took another shot and leaned back.

"You're overthinking this.", Vermouth teased. "It's time to get you boys to your rooms."

As Vermouth walked out of the boys' rooms, she couldn't keep the stress of the ticking time bomb that is Gin in any longer, so she called up Bourbon. "Bourbon, where are you?"

"I'm hanging out with Sonoko-san and Ran-san." Sonoko was carefully observing Bourbon's conversation and whispering with Ran on who it could be, so the young man distanced himself a little bit more from the pair.

"What are they doing here?!"

"Relax. No need to be upset Vermouth. They're with me.", Bourbon replied a little surprised at Vermouth's reaction. "Are you drunk?"

"I had a drink with Gin, Vodka, and MOURI-SAN." She made sure the last name was emphasized well enough for Bourbon to understand the situation.

"The detective's here? But the girls said he doesn't know they're here. They're at the same place without knowing it, wow."

"Just keep the girls safe. I want some rest." She ended the call, took a deep breath, and went to her own room.

It was deep into the night when Rin called the two pairs to the lobby. Every other guest was sleeping. Howling winds circled the area outside and the fine whisk of snow during the day has turned into a flurry. Rin, clad in a robe and pajamas, stood behind the reception area waiting for her four detectives.

Shiho and Subaru came first while Conan and his yawning companion entered a couple of minutes later. Subaru greeted the pair while Shiho barely looked at them. Heiji waved back and looking at the auburn-haired lady, whispered to his child partner, "So that's her real form huh. She's pretty cute." Conan just glared at him.

"I wish I was in pajamas too.", Heiji rubbed his eyes while looking at their host.

Rin smiled at the high school detective from the west. "Hattori Heiji-kun. This is because I'm going back to bed. You aren't."

The red-haired lady asked the four to surrender all their items on the desk. "Please don't try to keep anything from me. Otherwise, I'll have to strip you all naked and take everything myself."

The four looked at each other nervously, some with tinged cheeks, others with piercing eyes, but all approached the desk and emptied their pockets, removing all gadgets and accessories. Satisfied, Rin gave one phone to each pair. "These can't make any calls but it can receive incoming. Keep them close."

Afterwards, Rin gave a swatch of clothing to each pair. "That is what they are wearing. Sherry gets the fat professor and Kudo-kun gets the children. Good luck." and off she left without another word or opportunity for questions.

Conan looked to Shiho and she met his gaze. They didn't say a word but the intensity of their stares were an unspoken agreement that they will do whatever it takes to save their respective assignments. Before any one of their partners could speak a word, Shiho grabbed Subaru's arm and dragged him away from the other pair where they could discuss quietly.

Shiho's pair got a nylon-based fabric assigned to them. "This is ski gear.", she said as she showed it to her partner. "We should check outside."

"Do you think it's that straightforward? Isn't it a bit too easy?", replied Subaru.

"Easy? There's a blizzard outside. The last thing it will be is easy."

Still in the lobby, Heiji looked on as the other pair walked away. "Well, she's obviously dying to work with us."

"Let's just get this over with.", was Conan's stern reply as he showed his partner the square piece of cloth they were given. It was cut off a towel. Heiji felt the cloth with one hand, both nodded, and off they went.

Outside, there was nothing but snow covering the land and circling the air. In the midst of howling winds, in that white expanse, a snowmobile was the lone thing moving around and leaving tracks. "We've been circling around to no avail. We can barely see anything. Even rescuers wouldn't attempt a rescue with this weather.", Shiho whispered to the man in front of her steering the mobile.

"Are you giving up Princess?", Subaru replied, turning to his companion after putting the mobile to a halt.

"Of course not. It just feels like a suicide mission the longer we stay out here."

Subaru smiled beneath his mask and assured his partner that they will find the Professor. Bzzzzt. The two were startled by the buzzing object between them. They glanced once at each other as Shiho picked up the ringing phone. "Hello? Hello?! Hello!", she was practically screaming because she can barely hear the other end with the flurry around them.

The two pressed their ears closer to the phone, practically sandwiching it between them, when they heard a faint reply, "Ai?". It was the Professor's voice, only it was weak and he seemed to be on the verge of passing out. A couple of seconds more to attempt communication, and the call ended. "We need to get to him soon. He sounds faint.", Shiho said worried.

"I think I heard water in the background. Hot water.", Subaru added. "Could it be..."

Shiho froze at the realization as Subaru revved the mobile back into life dashing through the snow as fast as he could to get back to the building in time.

The pair of high school detectives have been snooping around in the spa and pool area to no avail. Conan searched all over the spa area while Heiji swam the length of the pool. Their calls just echoed through the silent rooms with no reply. The shrunken detective approached his partner in the pool and gestured for him to get out. "They're not here. Let's go to the onsen."

As Heiji went to the locker room to get changed, the phone they were given rang and Conan picked it up. The wind was blowing loudly in the background that Conan couldn't discern if somebody was even on the other line. He said hello multiple times and put the phone on loudspeaker as Heiji ran to listen in. He called the kids' names but he could only hear faint breathing before the call finally dropped.

"They're outside.", said Heiji.

"Wearing nothing but towels.", added Conan.

The two ran outside the area when they bumped into the other pair. "Ai", whispered Conan. "Nobody's in the spa nor pool area.", added Heiji.

"What about the onsen?", asked Subaru. Conan said they weren't able to go there yet.

"That bitch.", Shiho whispered under her breath as she ran to the place after hearing this while Heiji tried to squeeze in another question with the pink-haired man. "Did you find anything outside? We think the kids may be out.", he asked.

"We roved around land. There was no one.", Subaru calmly replied before running after his partner.

Turning to his shrunken companion, Heiji asked, "Where the hell are they then? Being outside for so long wearing so little, hypothermia is setting in."

"They're not on land. Then they must be...", mused Conan. The two looked at each other and ran to the gondola station.

Shiho ran straight to the onsen literally bumping through whatever stood in her way, even wrecking the sliding door instead of sliding it open. Beyond it, she saw the professor zipped up in a ski suit made with the same fabric she clutched in her fist, and submerged in the steaming waters of the hot spring, only his head above water. The auburn-haired lady hurriedly called out to the Professor and felt his dry and burning skin. Just then, her partner stormed into the room and helped her get the Professor out of the broth he's been left to simmer in. The kindly Professor is no lightweight but the strength of the former FBI agent and the determination of the closest thing he has to a loving daughter lifted him out of his hell.

"He's dehydrated and he's losing consciousness.", Shiho said with a gasp. "Call emergency and get me all the ice you can carry."

Subaru nodded and ran out the room as the young lady started removing the Professor's ski suit. "Don't you dare black out on me Hakase."

On the other end of the resort, the two high school detectives were in the gondola station looking for the carriage that carried the children chilled to the bone. Conan went into the control room to get the lifts moving and Heiji waited outside to signal him which one had their precious cargo. Heiji couldn't help but shiver as he tried his hardest to discern what was inside every steel box. "You make me swim and then you make me wait out in the cold.", he whispered under his breath as he imagined their red-haired host fast asleep under the comfort of her sheets in her pajamas. "Bitch."

After two lifts passing his checkpoint, Heiji finally gave the signal when he peered into a gondola with three huddled, almost naked grade schoolers inside. Conan ran outside and helped his partner bring them in. "They're like ice.", Heiji said almost to himself as he carried the boys' pale and cold bodies in his arms. Conan carried Ayumi's shivering body behind his back.

"C-c-conan...", whispered Ayumi.

"I'm here Ayumi. You're safe now. Please stay awake.", replied Conan. The small detective can't help but hate himself for dragging the children into this. He swore he'd make Rin pay as he felt the young girl's fragile body behind him.

Heiji ran out to get some blankets while Conan called emergency and watched over the children.

An hour later, the boys and the Professor were whisked away by an ambulance with Bourbon as their companion since Spirytus would not let any of the four join the patients. How could she, Bourbon already had a script to say about what happened and the four exhausted and emotional detectives would say nothing but trouble. Spirytus approached the four spent victors in the lobby once more where she was met with piercing glances and hushed curses. "Congratulations.", she said with a wide smile. "Well, wasn't that fun?"

"I swear I don't hit women but...", Heiji was about to lunge at the red-haired lady but Conan and Subaru stopped him.

"I see you still have energy left in you Hattori-kun. Do you want another round?"

"Calm down Hattori.", whispered Conan as his partner continued to struggle with wanting to punch the beautiful face of their host. "You're a monster."

"Now, now. No harm, no foul right? Now you can go enjoy the ski resort. On the house.", Spirytus said with a smile.

Shiho just walked out and Subaru escorted her to her room. Heiji, who was once excited to enjoy in the snow was no longer in any mood to do anything but punch somebody. "I'm going home.", he spat out.

"Don't forget to take your girlfriends with you, lest I start getting creative again.", the red-haired lady winked and left the two.

The sun was now fully up and the bright of the new day officially dawned on the ski resort. The guests have started getting up and shuffling in their rooms, some even heading out to have coffee or hit the early snow. Everyone was well rested and glad that the blizzard was over. The four detectives were not the former but they sure as hell were the latter.

Waking up from a deep slumber, Shiho slowly opened her eyes to see the orange drape of light from the setting sun seeping through her room's window. Subaru stirred in the chair opposite her bed, "Did you sleep well Princess?"

"As deep as a coma.", she sighed. "Have you heard from the hospital?"

"They're fine. They're all in Tokyo now. Spirytus came through."

"She better have or I'll boil her alive myself.", Shiho said in a grim tone.

"That's the girl who broke down that door!", Subaru said teasingly. Shiho smiled back, feeling a lot lighter, like the events of the night before were nothing but a nightmare. "Were you able to rest Mr. Holmes?"

Subaru nodded with a smile, got up, and handed Shiho a red envelope. The lady looked at her partner with a grave expression and he gave one short nod before turning back.

Bourbon was in his car alone after bringing the victims safely home, staring at the red envelope in his hands. Vermouth lies in her tub, back in her penthouse, a red envelope in her hands and a sour expression on her face. On a rooftop a block away from the Detective Agency, Gin hands over the red envelope to Vodka with a grin. The silver-haired man continued to watch with interest the entrance of a brown-haired high school girl and a grade school boy into the detective agency where the great detective sits on his desk drinking beer and watching TV like he always does.

AN: There's a new boss in the house! Find out who it is in the next chapter. ;)