Mikau: Hello there! Thanks so much for dropping in. Unfortunately, this one is kind of intense at points. At least I think so. It's also got a lot of KaiShin and HakuKai fluff too, so maybe it's a good balance. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I'd do more dramatic scenes between the characters, encouraging the development of character and relationships and promoting the fleshing-out of backstories. Because that's the way I roll.

…

Over the Edge

"For the love of God, don't anyone move," Hakuba whispered as if the volume of his voice could tip the car the rest of the way over the guardrail.

Kaito nearly fainted at the sight of the other car—the one that had put them in this predicament—hitting the rocks below the cliff and exploding. A small whimper emitted from the back of his throat.

"Kuroba. Come over here very slowly," Hakuba instructed, voice trembling.

"Un," Kaito gulped, undoing his seatbelt and very, very cautiously crawling across the back seat to Hakuba's side.

He shuddered as the car creaked as he moved. "Here. Put Tantei-kun on your lap."

"You hold him. I'll hold you," Hakuba revised as he wrapped one arm around Kuroba and used the other to hold onto the handle on the ceiling of the car.

Kaito nodded, holding tight to Edogawa Conan's unconscious form. "Looks like Tantei-kun just bumped his head, but…Ran-san and Old Man Mouri…do you think they're alright?"

"I don't see any blood. They were probably just knocked out cold by the airbags," Hakuba assured.

"Hakuba, what do we do?" Kaito tried hard to sound calm, but he failed miserably.

"Does your mobile have reception up here in the mountains?" It was hard to think clearly with all of the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

"No. Dammit."

"Check mine. In my left pocket." Hakuba nodded the direction, unwilling to let go of either the magician or the handle.

"What's the password?" Kaito frowned.

"F-Fourteen Twelve." Saguru blushed.

Kaito raised an eyebrow at the sleuth. "Someone's a little too obsessed with work…. Yours is no good either. No signal."

"Then check Edogawa-kun," Hakuba sighed.

Kaito's brow furrowed, a concerned look coming onto his face. "You never know what's going to bite you if you stick your hand into his pockets."

He managed to fish out a cell phone, but not even Tantei-kun's had a signal.

"Hakuba, what the hell are we going to do? We three could get out of the car, but then Ran-san and Mouri would fall to their bloody deaths. We can't call for help; are we just going to sit here until someone comes along? It's the middle of the night, and we're out in the middle of nowhere!"

"It's all we can do, Kuroba. I can't believe I'm saying this, but think positively. There was that car that nearly ran us off the road. Maybe there will be another before long," Saguru sighed.

"Tantei-kun's waking up. Hold me a little tighter. He's gonna squirm," Kaito warned as he scooted a little closer to the one detective and tightened his hold on the other.

Conan made a few groggy noises before his memory came back and he saw his precious girlfriend slumped forward, unresponsive. "RAN! Ran!"

"Hold still, Tantei-kun!" Kaito commanded, glad for once in his life that a certain blonde had a death grip on him.

"Ran!" Conan lurched forward, trying to get to his beloved.

"I know you love her, but hold still!" Kaito struggled to keep the little ball of desperation from squirming too much.

"Edogawa-kun, you're going to tip the balance and send us all over the cliff to our deaths!" Hakuba scolded. "Ran-san is merely unconscious. Hold still."

Conan whipped his head around to look at both Kaito and Saguru. "What happened?"

"Car came out of nowhere and nearly took us out." Kaito shrugged.

"They didn't make it, unfortunately, but we are currently precariously perched halfway over the guardrail, so we'd appreciate it if you could move as little as possible," Hakuba brought the smaller sleuth up to speed.

"The weight's pretty evenly distributed now, but we don't want to chance you throwing us off balance." Kaito shrugged.

"Isn't there any way we can pull them into the backseat with us?" Conan looked longingly at Ran's unconscious form.

"We can't reach Ran-san, and trying to maneuver Mouri back here from this angle…" Hakuba bit his lip. "Ran-san's position is the trickiest. That passenger's side wheel is hanging out over the cliff, sitting on thin air. Even trying to get to her would be risky. We can't chance putting too much weight over there."

Kaito nodded sadly.

"Besides, she's at no great risk. There's no need to move her. She'll be perfectly fine where she is until someone comes along to pull us back to safety," Hakuba reasoned.

"Unless she's hurt," Conan growled from low in his throat.

"All we can do is wait, Tantei-kun," Kaito sighed. "Don't you think I want to help? I hate seeing other people hurt."

"Un." Conan nodded, resigning himself to his place on Kaito's lap.

The three fell into silence for the next half hour.

The next thing Kaito knew, there was the distinct scent of pine. He snapped to attention once he realized that what he was smelling was Hakuba Saguru's body wash. He'd been using his rival's shoulder as a pillow, snuggling up into the crook of Hakuba's neck.

"I-I must have dozed off." Kaito blushed, noting that their situation was exactly the same as before. "What time is it?"

"Around three in the morning," Hakuba supplied.

"What? No seconds and minutes?" Kaito chuckled half-heartedly.

"I can't exactly reach my pocket watch right now, so I'm going by my internal clock." Hakuba looked tired. "You should go back to sleep, Kuroba. I'll wake you if we die."

"You should be the one to get some rest, Hakuba," Kaito returned.

"No. If I were to sleep, who would hold onto you?" Hakuba's protective hold tightened.

Kaito sighed and shivered. "It's getting cold."

"D-Do me a favor and put your head back on my shoulder," Saguru requested. "It's warmer that way."

"Uh? Un." Kaito reluctantly nestled back up against his classmate.

Conan tried to ignore the romantic scene going on in his midst. It wasn't too hard. He was much more concerned with his still unconscious not-quite-girlfriend. "I can't wait here anymore. Hakuba-san, open the window and lower me out. I'm going for help."

"Tantei-kun, just promise you won't get lost in the fog or freeze to death out there. It's a good couple miles to the next rest-stop," Kaito warned.

"We can't allow a child to go out there on his own," Saguru argued.

"He's not a child. Believe in him. Besides, if he makes it to the rest-stop, he'll get us help. If help comes before he makes it to the rest-stop, help will have to go to the rest-stop to use the phone to call the police for us, and they'll pick him up on the way down the mountain. He just has to make sure he stays on the road but doesn't get hit by a car. I think Tantei-kun is capable of that much. What do we have to lose, Hakuba?" Kaito rebutted.

"Very well," Saguru sighed, rolling down the window and taking Conan from Kaito. "Good luck, Edogawa-kun."

Kaito winced, wrapping his now free arms around Saguru when the car shifted.

"It's okay," Saguru cooed. "You're really afraid, aren't you?"

Kaito snorted, trying to keep up his tough-guy routine. Then he sighed. "I saw that other car blow up when it hit the bottom. My old man died in an explosion when I was little, so…explosions…flames…they make me nervous."

"Understandably so," Saguru whispered, patting Kuroba's hair lightly. "Don't worry. It's okay."

"I kind of don't want to die here," Kaito sighed. "I've still got stuff I really need to take care of. I like you well enough, Hakuba, but I don't want to die with you."

Saguru rolled his eyes fondly at the thief. "Don't worry. I have a feeling we'll survive this just fine. My concern is for the Mouris. They really should be awake soon."

Kaito nibbled nervously at his lip.

"I'm sorry, Kuroba. You wouldn't be here in this position if it weren't for me."

"Hakuba…."

"No. I'm the one that made you go to that convention with me when Aoko-kun declined," Saguru insisted.

"I wanted to go. And I'm the one that accepted the Mouris' offer of a ride back to Tokyo so that we didn't have to take the bus." Kaito shrugged. "Sometimes stuff just happens, Hakuba."

"I suppose so." The detective glanced out the window, but the fog was thick, obstructing the view. At this rate, Edogawa-kun may be their only shot at salvation.

"It's so damn cold up here in the mountains," Kaito complained again.

"Because you don't dress properly," Saguru chuckled, cautiously removing his jacket and draping it around the other teen.

"But won't you be cold?" Kaito protested, about to try to hand the garment back.

Just then, Saguru pulled the magician so that Kaito was almost on top of him, sitting between his legs.

Kaito gasped.

"This will be warmer for the both of us," Saguru explained wrapping his arms around Kaito's waist.

"R-Right," Kaito stammered.

"I'm sorry, Kuroba. I know this situation has to be detestable for you. I know you despise me, but we really need to keep warm."

"…I don't hate you, Hakuba. I might have at first, but…now I'd almost call us friends. Rather than detestable, I'd have to say that this is…awkward," the magician mumbled.

"Oh? Oh." Saguru blushed. "I'm glad—that you consider us almost friends…. I do as well."

"Cool," Kaito sighed, slipping off the jacket and moving it so that it was draped over them both like a small blanket. "That'll keep the heat in a little better. Poor Ran-san. She must be cold."

"Un." Saguru really didn't want to think about the girl's condition.

"God, I want out of this car." Kaito let his head fall back so that it was up against Saguru's shoulder.

"When we get home I'll treat you to lunch or something. Have you ever been to Nancy's Café? They have excellent parfaits. Think about that instead of our current predicament," Saguru offered in an attempt to distract the magician.

"Nancy's, huh? Never heard of it, but I love parfaits. I'd never turn down a free one," Kaito chuckled, already imagining the sweet treat.

"Did you know parfait means perfect in French," Hakuba replied off-handedly.

"Makes sense. You speak French?" Kaito made an interested noise.

"I do." His grandfather had been French.

"Sexy," Kaito chuckled. "Say something cool in French."

"Je t'aime," Saguru whispered as his cheeks turned a rosy pink color.

"Je t'aime," Kaito parroted. "It's pretty. How'd you learn French?"

"My grandmother beat it into me when I was young. Apparently a proper English gentleman must know French and with which fork to eat salad and how to dance at a ball." Saguru rolled his eyes. "I only kept up with the French because they have such interesting novels. Baaya made sure I always had a good stack of detective fiction in French."

Kaito laughed. "She's got your number, doesn't she?"

"I'd have to admit that books are my weakness," Saguru chuckled sheepishly. "What about you? What's your weakness?"

Kaito snorted. "Don't have one."

"Everyone has one."

"I guess Aoko would be the obvious one, but…I'm changing. We're growing apart. It's sad when a friendship like that fizzles out and dies, but…I guess my weakness is sweets. I'd kill for a double fudge mousse." Kaito tried his best to sound cheery and light-hearted.

"Kuroba…"

"I hope Tantei-kun's okay," the teen sighed.

"He's the most capable seven year-old I've ever met. He'll be fine," Hakuba tried to sound reassuring.

"Do you think they're dead…Ran-san and Mouri?" Kaito reached out and tried to check Mouri's neck for a pulse, but the senior sleuth was slumped over the steering wheel, and Kaito couldn't reach.

Kaito pulled back as soon as the car started to shift.

"Kuroba, there's nothing you can do about it now. We can't help them directly. All we can do for them is sit still until help comes so that we don't all go over the cliff."

"They're not dead, are they?" Kaito whispered, leaning back against Saguru.

"Kuroba…. No, Kuroba. They're just unconscious. Look at the driver's side window. It's fogging up there in the corner because Mouri's still breathing. See? There's hope. Why don't you try to sleep some more? There's nothing we can do until help comes."

"Okay," Kaito finally agreed, making himself as comfortable as he could.

Kaito and Saguru were pulled from dreamland as the car lurched. Kaito screamed, and the boys grabbed each other, holding on in desperation.

"H-Help," Kaito whispered. "Help's come."

"They're pulling us back onto the road," Saguru observed.

"We're saved," Kaito sighed in relief, collapsing back into Saguru's arms.

"Yes. Here come the paramedics," Saguru mumbled.

"Are you alright?!" One of the rescuers called as she opened the door.

"Take care of the girl and her father first," Saguru instructed. "They've been unconscious the entire time. The accident took place at about two-thirty-six in the morning. Another car came out of nowhere and nearly ran us off the road. You'll find their remains at the foot of the cliff, unfortunately."

"Tantei-kun's here too. One of the paramedics is trying to hold him down so that he doesn't get in the way," Kaito reported. "He looks distraught. Let's go see how he's holding up."

"After you, Kuroba. It's not like I can move until you get off of me."

"Right." Kaito struggled to crawl out of the car and get to his feet. "My legs are asleep."

"Mine as well." Hakuba wobbled a little but managed to steady himself.

Kaito stretched his entire body, working all the kinks out. "Man it feels good to be free."

Saguru smiled fondly at his friend and followed the magician over to where Conan was being restrained.

Conan's eyes lit up when he saw Hakuba and Kuroba approaching. "Ran—is she okay?!"

"The paramedics are helping her and Old Man Mouri as we speak," Kaito replied optimistically, taking a seat on the back bumper of the ambulance. "They'll be patched up and good as new in no time."

Saguru frowned. "In any case, we three should be looked over by a medical professional. I, for one, probably have a slight concussion, and you hit your head pretty hard too, Edogawa-kun. As for you, Kuroba, I want them to throw some blankets on you and get you some hot chocolate."

Kaito rolled his eyes. "Okay, but only because I like hot chocolate."

They were taken to the hospital, looked over, and showed to a small waiting room outside of surgery.

"They told me that Mouri-san had some internal bleeding and that he may be in a coma for a while. He's in surgery now, but they expect him to do well and come out of it in time," Hakuba reported, surreptitiously snaking his arm around Kaito's shoulders and letting it rest on the back of the magician's chair.

"What about Ran?" Conan demanded, looking up at the other detective from where he sat on Kaito's lap.

"…"

Kaito tensed. "Hakuba?"

"…Ran-san…she died on impact. I'm sorry that I kept it from you. I thought that it would only exacerbate the situation, so…"

"No way," Conan whispered, his entire body shaking. "There's no way she's dead. She can't be. She can't be, dammit!"

"Kudo," Kaito whispered, giving the boy in his lap a tight squeeze. "Go ahead and cry. To everyone else you look like a kid, and I wouldn't make fun of you."

"'Kudo'?" Saguru breathed as the boy he knew as Edogawa Conan broke down in a fit of tears and curses.

"Shh. It's okay," Kaito cooed, hugging the boy and petting his hair as he rocked back and forth in an attempt to sooth the devastated detective. "I know it doesn't feel okay, but it will be."

Tears started to form in Kaito's eyes as well.

"Kuroba?" Hakuba called softly.

"She was really great." Kaito struggled to smile. "I liked her a lot…Ran-san. She had a good heart…and a nice butt…but an even better crescent kick. I disguised as her a couple of times. Remarkable girl."

"I never got to tell her," Conan choked.

"What? That you loved her? She knew." Kaito shrugged, still rocking gently.

"That I was always there," Conan corrected. "That I was right beside her the whole time, watching over her."

"Shh. That's a secret," Kaito chuckled. "If she'd known, she would have worried every second that you were out of her sight. It was better this way. It was better to let her long after the Kudo Shinichi in her memories while protecting her as Conan."

"Un," Conan grunted, tears abating. "I just wish…I wish I could have told her."

"You couldn't. You couldn't tell her about them. I know them, and I know that they'd probably kill her anyway, but it's easier to protect the people you care about if you don't give them information that would get them killed."

"Is that why you refuse to admit that you're Kid?" Saguru grumbled. "By them do you mean those gunmen in trench-coats at your heists?"

Kaito jumped when he realized that Hakuba was still there. He really was exhausted. "I'm not Kid."

"Since when are there gunmen at your heists?" Conan barked.

"I'm not Kid," Kaito growled, glad that the waiting room was empty. "Geez…. But the gunmen first showed up when Kid started targeting large gemstones."

"You two are coming home with me, and we are going to have a very long talk," Hakuba informed the other teens. "It seems that you're both involved with some extremely dangerous people, and I'd like to offer my assistance."

"We'd rather you not get—" Kaito started to say before Conan cut him off.

"—He's already in their sights. Why not accept his offer?"

"Besides, Kuroba, your mother isn't home, and Edogawa-kun has nowhere to go until Mouri comes out of the coma. We might as well all gather at my house and see if we can make some headway on your case."

Kaito sighed, letting his head drop against Saguru's shoulder. "Fine, but first I'm going to sleep."

…

racecar

Mikau: (It's a palindrome! It's spelled the same backwards and forwards.) So? What did you think? Honestly. Good? Bad? Emotional? I feel like this could be the beginning of a short series, if you guys wanted. I don't know. I'm perfectly content to leave it as is, but I suppose there could be HakuKaiShin fluff as they work together to bring the Black Syndicate down. Well, thank you so much for reading. Please let me know if you'd like me to try to continue it. If there's a demand, I could probably put some more time into it. If not, take care, guys, and I hope we meet again soon!