He has a thing for you, you know," told the voice over the cell phone. It was Kaity, or K, one of the supervisors at Wammy's House in Winchester.

"Yes, I know, it's so obvious it's almost painful," L replied, not bothering to distort his voice. He trusted the people that lived at the orphanage constructed around him.

"No, I mean, he likes you," Kaity elaborated. L could only roll his eyes.

"Yes, K, I know that."

"I mean, like like you."

"Yes, K, I know."

Kaity huffed. 'He did NOT!' she shouted internally.

Back at Wammy's House, the 16 year old Beyond Birthday was staring, depressed, out his window. His best friend A had died the day before, and he couldn't get the image of his friend out of his head, seeing him, his copper hair billowing harshly across his face as he fell from the roof to his doom…

"A, you can't do this! You can't leave me!" B cried.

"I'm sorry, B. I can't take this anymore," he rasped, his voice barely a whisper as he put his chilly hand onto his friend's face.

Beyond grabbed the hand on his face as it were a lifeline, and it was. But not his.

"A! No! You can't! Please!" he wailed, desperately attempting to get his friend to listen to reasoning- and not commit suicide.

"I'm sorry, B," A whispered, as he took a step back and threw himself off the roof.

"A! No! No! No!"

The cold hand previously on his pallid face slipped from his fingers, and A hit the cement in front of the orphanage with a sound that sounded like snapping celery.

Beyond sighed, wiping the tears that had gathered at his eyes away and made his way downstairs to get some jam. But on his way down the stairs, a child clung to his leg, followed by another.

"Hallo, B-freak!" the two small children shouted excitedly in unison.

Oh god.

Mello and Matt had woken from their naps, and these two were the most obnoxious and troublemaking kids at the orphanage.

And B was their main target.

Beyond sighed irascibly.

"What are you two little turds plotting this time? Putting salt in my jam? Feeding my knives to your 'sheep'?"

"Nope!" screeched the blonde annoyingly. "This time we're gonna just 'nnoy you!"

Beyond facepalmed.

L felt slightly guilty. He hadn't contacted his successors for some time now, and it was undeniable that they missed him. He was, after all, their idol. But one boy, especially, must have missed him more than all the others.

Beyond Birthday.

L sighed as he thought of the name. He suddenly didn't want to call. It would be awkward- he hadn't attended the funeral of Beyond's closest friend, and he knew that it upset him. But L had to call, he couldn't live with himself if he didn't. He picked up his phone.

Matt and Mello were driving B CRAZIER. Mello licked his face, and Matt kept poking his stomach in the SAME. EXACT. SPOT. EVERY. TIME.

But then Beyond's phone rang.

Beyond picked it up, and with his current temper running low, answered it huffily without looking at the caller ID.

"What!" B half-shouted into the phone.

"Woah! I thought you'd be happy to hear from me!"

B dropped his jaw, and nearly did the same with the phone.

"L-L? I-is that you…? Is that you?" Beyond replied finally, excitement growing obviously in his voice.

L chuckled.

"Haha, yes, B, it is me."

"IS THAT L!"

B grimaced and slapped his hands ov er his ears.

"I hear that M and M2 are…"

"Irritating? Moronic? Going to be put down in a minute if they don't stop screaming?"

"…I was going to say enthusiastic."

Matt and Mello squirmed uncomfortably on the sofa, and B sprinted up to his room, slamming the door loudly behind him.

"L, wi-will you be home in time for Christmas this year?"

L's face dropped. He realized. He had two more cases to solve before he could travel back to Winchester.

"I-I'm afraid I can't be."

"O-oh… O-k-kay…"

L winced. He could almost feel the spirit inside his clone plummeting. Just the tone of B's voice was dripping with disappointment.

"I-I'm sorry B, but I-"

And then L realized he was talking to no one.