They were polar opposites. As soon as you looked at them you could tell they were in different worlds from each other. They met when he was 15 and she was 13. She was always witty and very outgoing; her dark tan seemed to shine in the sunlight her long black hair was tied in a pony tail and she was wearing her usual cargo shorts, tank top and wearing an antique handmade paua shell bracelet her mother had given her. People could be swayed into telling her just about anything, she was extremely gentle when she wanted to know something, she had a certain way about her that made people very comfortable. He was a recluse, analyzing the entire world from a far. His skin was pale, his hair was dark and a bit messy, he had the most unique eyes and he always wore the same style white long sleeve shirt and blue jeans, no matter where he went even in Hawaii on an eighty degree day. His name was L or Lawliet. She was S or Sakura. She was actually the first criminal he ever caught.
It wasn't a spectacular case that Watari had set L out on for his first time, but it was a bit of a mystery. On the Big Island in Hawaii there was a car thief, but not just any normal thief. There was no traceable evidence going back to Sakura when the cars were abandoned. The cars also had no engine when they were found. And along the way they found that all the persons whose cars were stolen were in fact criminals themselves. It was a sort of game. Sakura left little clues in regard to the vehicle's owner being a criminal on each car. It was up to the police to figure it out. But when they were having no luck L was called in for his first case.
"Apparently this person muses with being some sort of vigilante…" L remarked after looking over the case file. Everyone on the task force was confused. "What do you mean?" an officer asked. "All these things left in the cars, are they still in evidence lock-up?" L asked. "Of course they are, why?" he replied. "Well given that the things left behind are clues to other crimes, we should have them tested for DNA, etc," L said. "Other crimes? Are you positive? You sure those aren't just weapons they used to steal the cars?" another officer remarked with slight disdain in his voice about a boy knowing more in five minutes about then case then they had in a month. "I would say the likelihood is 97%..." L remarked staring at the photographs.
After further investigation all the vehicle owners were arrested on things from armed robbery to drug trafficking. That still left Sakura to be found. It was maddening to L that there wasn't a shred of evidence to the person that was doing this. They were mocking the justice system in his eyes. Committing crimes to solve crimes… It was inexcusable.
All the meanwhile she had merely been having fun. She had an excellent attention to detail. She could recount everything about anything she had ever seen. She also had excellent mechanical abilities. Taking out the engines of those cars was mere child's play for her. Something to pass the time while deciding what evidence she would plant in the vehicle. It helped her focus. She always had to be moving, busy. It was as though if she stopped she just might die. But the reality was she didn't want to stop because she didn't want to think about her own life.
She was an orphan, her parents had died in a plane crash when she was five and her grandmother who was raising her had died not too long before the car theft incident. She was for all intents a good girl; she was just bored, lonely, and sick of all these criminals getting away with anything they wanted. She figured she had nothing to lose, with no family, nowhere to go. Certainly not back to that orphanage. She did like to have a good time though. And that was just what got her caught. The last car she stole she thought that she would take all the best parts from the various engines she had collected and make sort of a super car, just for fun. If it blew up, oh well. She was always experimenting with things.
All was quiet for a week, no more car thefts out of the ordinary. L was obsessed with how and why this person committed these crimes. How would they take the engine out, did they tow the car to the drop spot? Why these places. Why take the engines out in the first place? What did it accomplish? It was wasted effort in his mind. It didn't fit any profile. Was it as simple as the perpetrator being bored? No one was that bored… he thought to himself.
Finally Sakura's "super car" was completed. She had worked the entire week without sleep to make sure the parts worked together and that the suspension would be able to handle the new weight and torque. She took the key and turned it to hear a great thunderous rumble. "It's.. Alive!!" she said and laughed loudly. It was certainly a Frankenstein's Monster sort of thing. She was quite thrilled with herself. "What do you know… I guess we can all get along… Huh, Pele?" she said looking over the engine bay with the various logos from Ford, GM, Mopar, Honda, Toyota etc. She had named the car Pele after the Hawaiian goddess of the volcanoes. "Alright, now for a test drive…" she said as she opened the door on the abandoned warehouse where she did all her work.
She slowly drove out of the warehouse, the beast rumbling as if it were a caged bull waiting to be released. "Hmm, sounds like I could have bored the heads a little more.. Darn it. Oh well, let's see what you can do!" she said as she got onto the street the tires screamed under the power of the engine she had built. Soon enough they got traction and the car was off like a bullet. Of course this sort of thing doesn't go unnoticed. It's hard not to hear something that sounds like it may consume your very soul.
To her misfortune she drove right past L's hotel. He jolted at the loud sound and looked out the window. "You've finally made your mistake…" L muttered watching as the car flew down the street. He was 95% certain that had to be the person. "We need to go after that car," L said. "We'll pick them up, probably just some hot-shot street racer though," an officer said rolling his eyes. None of the officers were thrilled to have a teenager figuring out this case quicker than they had, especially some slouching boy who just ordered them around in a tone as though he'd been doing this job for years all the meanwhile stuffing cakes or sweets in his mouth. He also insisted on coming with them to get the person he was certain was a criminal. He knew this person was intelligent and would probably be able to fool the officers into not making the arrest. They all went down to the squad cars, most taking their sweet time and headed in the direction the car was last seen going.
Sakura was pleased with "Pele". And whenever she was so elated she absolutely had to congratulate herself with a shave ice. She could practically taste the sweet syrup that awaited her. So she drove to Itsuz's. Everyone at the little shop knew her. They greeted her cheerfully and readied her order before she said anything. The man who owned the shop was like an uncle to her. Often keeping her out of trouble or giving advice. After a bit of chatting she left to go to the beach. There was after all, no better place to enjoy the sugary delight of shave ice then at the beach. She parked the car and walked over to sit on some rocks to watch the tide come in. "What an unbelievably beautiful day.." she remarked to herself. That was about to change…
The police were about to go right by the beach when L spotted the car. "Over there," he said and pointing with a piece of candy in hand. "Right," the officer said and quickly made the turn. Sakura noticed them but tried not to pay attention. She couldn't be caught now. But she couldn't leave Pele to be fondled by them either. The officers got out and everyone began to comb over the car. L had notice Sakura sitting there digging into her shave ice. And she had noticed him though she didn't look directly at them she watched out of the corner of her eye and listened intently.
"Well it looks like the guy abandoned it," an officer said. "I guess we'll just have to tow it to evidence," L said, certain that the girl was the one. Sakura chuckled to herself, the lot they put cars in was easy to get into, but still she wondered what the boy was doing giving PD orders. "Better yet, I think we will need to tear this car down. It may help us to learn more about the criminal," L said rather nonchalantly and looked over at Sakura. Her eyes met his, she put her index finger to her lips with a look of pondering. She knew just what he was up to and she gave him a mischievous smirk. Alright, you want me, here I come, she thought to herself.
She got up and began walking over towards them. She looked down a moment and when she looked back up at was as though the glance between she and L had never happened. A lovely smile beamed on her face as she continued to pick at the last bits of shave ice in the cup in her hand. "Howzit?" she said to one of the officers. "Hey, you see anybody while you were here?" the officer asked. "Someone left this car, yeah?" she asked still smiling. "Why are you guys letting this haole order you around anyhow?" she said giggling as she glanced at L. The officer shrugged and laughed a little, "He's not half bad even if I think this is the first time he's seen the sun."
The way that she was trotting around talking to everyone was absolutely annoying to L. He had a bored look and sighed heavily. "Hey there, what's the matter?" she asked getting really close looking right into his eyes. Surprisingly the one thing he had noticed was that she never had a disgusted or shocked look when she first saw him, as most people he ever met did. And she had no qualms about invading his personal space either. "I think you know," he spoke quietly. "Oh… Well, care to take a ride with me before you have me locked up?" she asked him in a low voice. "C'mon, it'll be fun!" she said a little louder and everyone looked over. The officers all had a look of confusion on their faces. This was the perfect opportunity. Sakura grabbed L's arm and quickly got to the driver's side of the car shoving him in then scooting in herself and locking the doors. She started the engine and that made all the officers jump. She carefully got off the beach not wanting to get stuck in the sand then started on her way down the road. Just as the officers were about to jump in their squad cars Watari walked up and told them he would take care of the situation.
L stared out the window wondering what could possibly be going through this girl's head. "So, is this your first time to the Big Island?" she said making casual conversation as though they met under favorable circumstances. "Yes, is this your first theft spree?" he retorted calmly. She laughed and scratched the back of her head; he watched her thoughtful look it seemed like she was really thinking about it. He looked at her intently and she noticed his gaze. "Okay okay, yeah, I've never done this before. It's kinda exciting, right?" she said smiling. Exciting was the last word L would use to describe this whole situation. Exasperating maybe…. But exciting, not so much. That had become the word he favored to describe this girl, completely exasperating.
"You realize…" L started pulling a candy from his pocket and unwrapping it, "you too, are a criminal now…" finishing by popping the candy in his mouth. "That may be so, but this was the best course for getting the PD to figure out what's going on here, even if they needed some haole boy to figure it out for them. It's not all sunshine and palm trees you know… There are a lot of bad people here," she replied. "Why not call a tip line or go to the station with your information? Why make this into some sort of a game?" he asked. "Well why not; like leaving a message on a hotline is going to get someone to pay attention? I've got nothing to lose doing things this way. Realistically it wouldn't matter if you were to kill me right now," she said without remorse. He couldn't follow her; the amount of emotions she displayed in a ten minute span was completely baffling. She had gone from a child eating some syrupy ice treat on the beach to someone ready to die. "I don't have any intention of killing you…" he said. "I know, I was just making a point," she told him and smiled.
"Anyways, just enjoy the scenery, okay?" she said as she tromped on the gas. Sakura had no idea what was in store for her so she wanted one last hurrah, to cruise one last time, figuring that they were intent on putting her in juvie or worse. The two were silent for a long time. "You know, I'm really not a bad person," she said randomly. However much L didn't like her actions he knew what she said was true and simply nodded his agreement.
All the while Watari had been following and listening from a device on L. He knew that if he didn't take her back to the Wammy House a bad life was ahead of her. He felt he had to give her the option. She was intelligent and had a good heart and he knew that with a little guidance she could a lot of good in this life. With that decided he made his presence known. He started flashing his headlights at Sakura's car to get her to stop.
"What in the world… Wow, look at that thing…" Sakura said watching as the 1930s Rolls Royce behind her flashed its lights. "Watari… What are you upto…" L whispered to himself. "Watari, huh?" Sakura said as she pulled off the side of the road. This girl is very attentive… L thought to himself. She turned off the car and hopped out smiling as she walked up to the Rolls. Watari exited the car returning her smile. "Hi there, nice Rolls, your name is Watari, yeah?" Sakura said her posture was relaxed and every subtle move or gesture was unconsciously done to put whomever she was speaking to at ease with her. "Yes, that I am," he replied to her. "So, I assume that you're with the police too then? It's alright, I won't put up a fight or anything," she said. "I wasn't worried," Watari replied. "If it's not too much trouble… Would you mind opening the bonnet on this beauty?" she said using the British term for the hood of the car.
"You really enjoy mechanics don't you," Watari remarked watching her moving all around studying the vehicle's engine. "Oh yeah, ever since I was two I've been a horrible nuisance. Ma was always yelling at me for taking apart things. But I'd always put them back together again. Apparently not very lady-like though," she replied with a smirk. While she was still looking over the car Watari walked over to L and motioned that he wanted a word with him.
"You WHAT?!" L said surprisingly loud and out of character as a look of shock washed over his face and he looked as though he might fall over. "I believe that in the end this would be the best for her," Watari said looking over at her gently. "She is a criminal… She's… Exasperating… An emotional train wreck if you will," L said regaining his composure, "I don't think this is a wise choice." Watari just gave his usual sheepish smile when he was agreeing to disagree with L. "She's different from many of the children, I know. But you must admit that she is special… I think it would do a world of good to have such a chipper girl about the house," Watari said with a slight grin. L shook his head slight.
Had this girl deceived Watari so easily with that inviting smile and her cheery words? As L said these things in his head he started to wonder why he had let her take him off on the excursion. Had she gotten to him as well, just a little? Of course not, he thought resolutely trying to shake off the idea. "Must be quite an argument going on up there," Sakura said thumping L's forehead. She knew just how to get under his skin and as cool as he tried to act she knew she was bothering him. And she kind of liked it.
To elicit any type of emotion from this cool and calculated boy was quite an accomplishment, she already knew that much. At that moment she made up her mind that she was going to try her best to befriend him. She decided he needed a bit more excitement in his life. So when Watari had offered to take her in at the Wammy House she graciously accepted. And that began the odd connection between L and S…
Eventually rather than walking away any time she came up to him he would sit and listen making a sarcastic remark now and then about how the world would run out of oxygen with as much as she talked. Sakura had thoroughly settled in. She started teaching Near about mechanics with his interest in robots. Mello she found to be quite the informant he was constantly coming to her with any gossip around the house or any word of sweets that L had brought back from the places he visited. God help L if they found him at the same time, his ears would ring after those two chattered away at him and he would end up having a portion of his chocolates that he brought back from his trips go missing. She befriended a girl two years her senior by trying to teach her to be less dependent on others. And Matt was her sworn nemesis on any racing video game and she was the keeper of his secrets he knew he could tell her anything and everything.
The first time they would work a case together would be five years after they first met. The two were called in to Watari's office one day. "So, what's going on?" Sakura asked she looked a little messy as she had just rebuilt the transmission on "Pele", one of her conditions of coming over was to keep that car from when they met. "Just a moment my dear, we're still waiting for someone," he replied with a smile. "Please tell me I'm not working with Hazel again. Did you know she tried to give me a make-over in my sleep?" Sakura said laughing. "No, it will be your first time working with this person," Watari replied with a slight grin. Then the door opened. Standing in the doorway was L. Sakura looked on and smiled. "Don't act like a stranger, come have a seat," Sakura said. He shuffled into the room remaining standing. "Oh come on, I don't bite you know… Besides, didn't you say your abilities increase about 40% when you sit in that way you do?" Sakura said. Realizing the end of her response was logical and true he took a seat.
Watari looked at the two, L and Sakura and he smiled. He was proud of the both of them. They had both matured in their own ways over these years but their qualities that were endearing to him hadn't changed a bit. "I have a job for the two of you," Watari started. He could already see L's blank stare of disapproval and Sakura beaming with excitement. "Now you won't be going anywhere far away," Watari said. Sakura looked slightly disappointed and L made a small sigh of relief. He still remembered the horror of travelling with her from Hawaii to England. She never stopped, always in motion. She had made about 500 origami cranes on their flight just to keep herself at ease.
He didn't know that her parents died in a plane crash. In fact, surprisingly, he hadn't attempted to find out anything about her. And if he had wanted to, of course he could have known her life history. He hadn't felt a need to find out more about her since he thought they would never work together. He was still deep in thought when the words "formal gala" floated into his ear. "What?! Are you serious?? I have to wear a dress?!" Sakura pouted. There was not much she disliked more than formal wear. "Wouldn't it be more beneficial for us to remain out of site?" L said, this apparently was one thing he was willing to agree with her on.
"This mission is of utmost importance. There is believed to be serial killer among the dignitaries from Taiwan, he could be a dignitary or at the least someone who travels with them. We need to figure out who it is to help prevent another horrible incident," Watari said. "I need the two of you to figure out who it is before he decides to further the damage," Watari continued. He went on to give a brief description of what had occurred so far. It seemed that the targets were rich men and if they had a girlfriend or wife with them the criminal saw it as a bonus and would have their way with her before brutally murdering her. The images within the file were grotesque. The perpetrator was methodical and skilled in the manner that her left the bodies. In some sort of pose with a body part or two missing. But the women were always the same. Hands and feet severed, mouth sewed shut and the eyes cut out with surgical precision. This man clearly had dominance issues.
"Very well," L replied. "The gala will be this evening, please be ready by six sharp, Quinn will be waiting for you with the limousine, " Watari told them giving each a case file on the murders that occurred. "Tonight??? Where am I going to get something to wear for tonight?" Sakura said. "No worries, Hazel will be able to assist you," Watari said speaking of another resident. "True, she does enjoy dressing up…" Sakura replied standing, "May I go now?". L watched her leave the room and began to speak after he heard the door close behind her.
"Why would you choose her? Why me going to a formal? This is not going to go well by any means. The success rate of this mission is about 27%..." L said. "Now Lawliet, don't be so glum. I'm certain the both of you will do just fine. You're not worried about her safety by any chance are you?" Watari asked a smile playing at the edges of his mouth. "Of course not, she can take care of herself. I am not declining the assignment, simply stating the facts as I see them. I will review these case files but I must say I believe this night will not end in our favor," L replied and walked out of the room.
Truth told, he worried about almost everything she did. She threw herself into danger at just about any chance. Maybe she really had gotten to him. Whenever he was back at the house she would never let him be, recounting all the mishaps and adventures that occurred. From being out in the field in a shootout with some Irish gang to an accidental fire close to the house. His stomach turned when she said she wrecked one of her project cars and it set an enormous fire. The way she said it so off the cuff and without a care in the world, that was what bothered him the most. She didn't care about herself in the least. But heaven forbid if one of the others were injured, she went out of her way to take care of them. He knew that in her own eyes she was worthless. Something he could empathize with, putting more value on other people than himself, working tirelessly all the time, avoiding the same kind of thoughts that rolled around in his head.
"Maybe we're not that different after all…" L mumbled to himself walking down the hall. "Different, who?" Sakura seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Nothing, shouldn't you be looking over the case file?" L asked her still walking. "I would ask the same to you," she said smiling. She was always smiling. Unless she was sleeping, this didn't happen often. She was usually awake as long as he was.
L thought back to when she had fallen asleep one night in the study. L was going to return a book when he heard sobbing in the room. There she was bathed in the pale light of a few candles laying on the floor, her head resting on a schematic, tears streaming down her face. He watched a moment noticing she was sleeping. He sat in his usual position next to her and moved her hair from her face whispering, "You're safe here, I won't let anything happen to you." He wiped the tears away and sat watching over her; before she woke he quickly got out of the room. He wanted to keep the distance they had. It was safer for both of them that way. He couldn't afford to get attached to anyone, people depended on him for his deductive abilities, and he couldn't have anything distracting him like that.
As L was taking his stroll down memory lane Sakura had been just watching him. Trying to figure out what it was he was thinking about. It was like she could see the electrodes moving through his head. Until he came to his sense and saw her right in his face. He blinked blankly a few times. "Really, must you do that?" he asked. "I like watching you think, it's actually pretty fascinating," she replied. "Couldn't you go be interested in someone else's thought processes?" he asked. "Sorry. I suppose I should go… hey wait that gives me an idea!" she said and grabbed his arm dragging him through the hall down the stairs and out the garage that Watari let her have for her projects.
"Let's go for a ride!" she said shoving him in the car. She had done this to him numerous times since she moved to England. It was that same car, the same way. I let it happen again, L thought to himself disappointedly and sighed quietly. "You really need to try to enjoy yourself a little more," she said as the convertible top retracted into the trunk. "I enjoy myself when I can be left to do my work," he told her watching the top as it went back. "No, I mean having real fun! Something that leaves you with a great memory," she said. "And this death trap elicits that how?" L asked. "Lighten up a little, will ya? You are so uptight!" she said jostling him in his seat and laughing. "Oh and this is probably one of the safest cars you'll ever ride in!" she retorted to his death trap remark. "Except when it spontaneously combusts?" he said almost as if he was trying to bait her into an argument. "That was one time, and not this car! Gimme a break L," she said not biting on his quips. "I guess I don't really have a choice then do I?" he said. "Nope!" she said and then started to drive off.
It was one of those rare sunny days on the country side in England. The breeze was pleasant and the roads were actually dry for once. L just watched as Sakura drove, a sincere smile finally making its way to her face. Whenever she smiled it seemed like she was trying to hide something. It was empty. But in this moment, she was actually happy. A little smirk formed on his face. She noticed it out of the corner of her eye but didn't say anything. Hoping that some day he might be able to trust her, thinking that one day he might come to her and just spill his guts about something, anything, even a perfect dessert he ate.
The drive was quiet and when Sakura made it to a forested area she pulled the car onto the side of the road. "Why are we stopping?" L asked curious about what she was up. "I like it here, take a walk with me," she said telling him rather than asking him. He nodded and got out of the car. They walked along for a while when L stopped. "Why are you doing this Sakura?" he asked looking her dead in the eyes. "Why not?... Isn't it nice to get away from everything once in a while? Just listening to the wind through the leaves and the birds singing their songs… It's peaceful here," she said. "There are acres of woodlands right on the house property… Why come all the way out here?" he asked. "Nothing special.. Never mind. You probably want to go back don't you?" she asked. He stared at her curiously for some time, was she really giving up? All this time she pressed and this was how she decided to end her quest? Something is wrong… L thought to himself.
"Let's keep walking," he replied. "Don't force yourself to be around me. It's alright, I'll take you back," she replied turning around heading back the way they came. He was completely perplexed. This wasn't like her at all. She was still the rollercoaster of emotion she had always been but it was never like her to just quit in such a manner. He still couldn't figure her out. This intrigued him a little the more he thought about it, even though the thought aggravated him. She was sort of like a mystery to be solved.
"Besides, we need to go get ready for that ridiculous party, we don't want to be late, right?" she said looking back, the empty smile returned. L shoved his hands in his pockets and went to follow her. Still wondering what was going on with her. He watched Sakura as she walked back toward the car. Just as she was about to get to the car it seemed like she just collapsed. L ran over to her. "Sakura, are you alright?" he said trying to get a pulse rate with his fingers on her neck. Suddenly she gasped and sat straight up. "Are you alright? Did you fall?" L asked. "How silly of me, I must have tripped over something. Wow," she said staring at the ground slightly shaken. He could tell she was lying to him. There was nothing to trip over here and her fall wasn't a trip she literally just slumped to the ground. "Maybe I should drive," he said. "HA! You, drive? Oh that's a good one…" she said getting up. "Don't worry, I'm totally fine!" she said as she got in the car. He hesitantly got in the passenger seat and they started on their way back.
Sakura suddenly became overly chatty. She went on about pretty much nothing at all. Talking about how boring the gala would probably be and how she would rather be working on her cars or any other mission. L just sat back and listened. If it made her feel at ease he would listen to her until her last word. They finally got back and L felt like his ears were ringing. He never knew someone could say so much about nothing at all.
They got out of the car and Sakura just looked at L. As if she was trying to memorize ever detail, his eyes, his stance, the way his hair fell a bit over his face, she wanted him to be engraved in her memory. Her eyes became soft and she smiled. "Alright, looks like we should get ready for tonight's festivities," she told him. "You realize we have a job to do, right?" he said. "Of course!" she said and led the way walking toward the house. "Just know, this is not a game," he said as they walked inside. "I got it, don't worry," she told him.
They went their separate ways to get prepared. She spoke with Hazel about a dress for the evening. "Oh lovey I know just the thing for you!" she said rummaging through her closet. She pulled from it a shimmering dark blue dress. It was sleeveless and fit like a glove. Hazel did Sakura's make-up and hair as well. "You'll be the bell of the ball darling! How exciting!" Hazel squeaked hugging the various brushes she had in her hands to her chest. Sakura tugged at the dress from different angles completely out of her element. "Don't be doin' that now! It's just fine so leave it be. Not lady-like to be yankin' at your gown like that missy!" Hazel said in a disapproving tone. "Alright alright," Sakura said shuffling in the high heels Hazel gave her. "Oh good lord!! You are going to walk around like that?!" she said. Sakura let out a loud sigh as she was walking out the door; this was making her tired already. "Really Haze, does it even matter? I'll probably be just sitting or standing around most of the time," Sakura said. "A likely story! You? Just sit around? That's like telling the planets to be still!" Hazel replied. "Argh!!!!" Sakura let out her frustration audibly.
She heard a quiet laugh coming from down the hall. She looked to see to her surprise, L. He actually cleaned up quite nicely. And apparently just chose to slouch all the time. "Have you ever done this in your life?" he asked a smirk played on his face. "Wha?! You… I won't be bested by you, I'll be perfect tonight," she said. She quickly took off the shoes and pulled Hazel over. "Here, let me see you walk in these things," Sakura said shoving the shoes into her hands. "Huh?" Hazel and L said confused. "I need to figure out the dynamics here. The mechanics of how you move in these stupid things, so please, walk for me," Sakura said. "Alright then," Hazel replied putting on the shoes and walking around. She was graceful and light on her feet. It was almost as though she just floated through the air. Her body barely moving up or down as she walked. Sakura had her keep going for a few minutes back and forth as she watched intently not blinking. "I've got it!!" Sakura said loudly clapping her hands together. "Well then you try it," Hazel said taking the shoes off handing them to Sakura. She slipped them on and just as she moved just the way she saw Hazel move. It was a perfect replication. L and Hazel were impressed. "Are you ready then?" L asked. "You bet. We are going to solve this tonight, I can feel it," Sakura said confidently.
L was less confident about that night. Especially with the spill she had taken earlier. What if it happened again? How could he keep watch on her and try to solve this crime. This was why he didn't want to work with her. He would have rather taken Mello, but doubted that Mello would be willing to get in a dress and high heels for cover. The thought of it made him laugh quietly. "What're you laughing about?" Sakura said. She was clearly completely self-conscious being out of her element like this. "I'll tell you later," he replied. They walked out and as expected Quinn was waiting with the limo. "Lovely evening for a night on the town eh kids?" Quinn said grinning. "Uh yeah, think I could drive?" Sakura said jokingly and laughed as she scooted into the car. L followed in after her. "Did you ever read the file?" L asked. "Of course, I read it right after I left the room," she said. "So, you realize what we could be getting into if we're noticed by the killer," L told her. "Of course, but its part of the job, every day we walk out that door we could die," she replied calmly. That was the one thing she was so cool and calm about, she never cared if she died. At least that's what she let everyone think.
They talked over the case and L was surprised by some of her verbatim quoting of random facts from the case file, little things like what type of watch the victim had or the little cuts they had on their hands that seemed completely unrelated to the case. The more he listened to her the more his respect grew for her capability. She had memorized every word and every picture she had seen. The detail she could recall was amazing. They arrived at the hotel which the gala was being held at just as they finished their conversation. As L stepped out of the car he felt a bit more confident in their mission, though not as much as he would like, he was only 70% sure now, still a bad number in his mind. He liked to have 90% or higher certainty. Especially when it involved social interaction and getting dressed up in ridiculous garb.
"You two have a lovely evening!" Quinn said grinning from ear to ear as he sent them off. "We most certainly will," Sakura said and locked her arm with L's. "From here on, I am Ryuzaki and you are Isabelle," L told her. Sakura smiled and nodded. She was already getting into her character as she walked with the grace and elegance that she had seen Hazel use.
They were stopped on the way in and asked their name. The matradee looked surprised when he found their names on the list as they were so young. They got into the ballroom that the gala was being held and Sakura marveled at the art work, as would be expected of Isabelle, a "budding artist who studied in Paris". And L went directly to the bar expected of Ryuzaki a "young CEO who fancied the drink a bit more than most thought he should". "Whiskey, neat," L said to the bartender. "As you wish sir," he replied. Sakura walked up and chatted away about how lovely the place was and wasn't it nice of their friend to invite them. He nodded as she spoke. "Chardonnay for the lady please," L said giving the bartender a sort of "I wish she wouldn't talk so much" type of look completely in character. The bartender nodded with a smile and poured the wine as well.
"Oh darling, what a wonderful anniversary present this is!" Sakura kept gushing on, almost over the top acting. "There's much more to this evening than a gala my sweet, just you wait," L replied sipping his whisky. More guests started to come in. Various groups of dignitaries were announced upon their entry. Once the Taiwanese group entered they looked on to see anyone that stuck out or was out of character for a dignitary, nothing so simple. "I think I'm going to go mingle dear," Sakura said. "Very well, darling," he said still standing by the bar and waved his hand for another round. Alcohol affected L differently; it jolted his senses and somehow made him more aware. He needed all his wits about him for this.
Sakura was making her way through the crowd and talking to anyone and everyone. Luckily this came naturally for her. She stopped and spoke with some of the dignitaries, everyone from the Americans to a few gentlemen from Zimbabwe were entranced by her. The comfortable way she spoke with everyone made them feel as though they had been friends with her for years. And as luck would have it she had picked up quite a few languages since when she went to the Wammy House. Still the two most comfortable languages to her were English and Japanese. So of course she made quick friends with the American and Japanese dignitaries. It was surprising the gossip she got to hear. Everything from certain dignitaries having hookers waiting in their hotel rooms to tidbits of what they suspected was going on with Taiwan.
L kept a sharp eye on all movements in the room, especially Sakura. He watched her and each move was calculated. She was like the queen on a chess board. Every touch, every shy giggle, it was all an attempt to make the person she was talking to feel at ease and let them think they were the alpha in the conversation. She was simply gathering all the information she could from any angle. L was amazed at how these fools fell head over heels for her coy displays. Only to wonder if he was one of those fools himself. It was almost time to be seated for dinner. Sakura had started to make her way back to L. He had to admit to himself he was relieved that nothing had happened yet.
As she walked back someone grabbed her hand. "Don't look back, just know, you will be my prize tonight," a voice said in a low whisper. She listened to the voice; clearly English wasn't this man's first language. He had an East Asian accent. Could he be the one they were after? She wondered. After he spoke she simply nodded and pulled her hand from his grasp and continued to walk to where L was at the bar.
When she got to him he knew something wasn't quite right. He could feel slight tension in her hand when she took his telling him it was almost time for the dinner to begin. He leaned in close to her, "Did something happen?" he whispered. It was as though she didn't hear him at all. "We should get to our seats, I think you've spent quite enough time at the bar," she said smiling and kissing his cheek then turning around and walking toward the dining hall. His hand rose to his cheek resting on the spot she kissed. Her lips were soft as if a piece of silk grazed his cheek. But why did it feel like a sort of good bye? He wondered trying to figure out what she was up to now. He ordered another drink and took it with him.
He made his way into the dining hall looking around at all of the people in attendance and where they were seated. He found Sakura and took his seat next to her. "Well that took long enough," she joked still smiling that hallow smile. "Sorry to make you wait," he replied a sheepish smile playing on his face. "So, let me introduce you!" she said as she began her hand toward one of the guests at the table. "This is Mr. Takashi, he is a dignitary from Tokyo. This is Mr. Hathaway, he is a senator from America. This is the ever charming Mr. and Mrs. O' Connell lord and lady from Dublin. And finally, Mr. Cheng a reporter from Taiwan," Sakura said introducing everyone. "It's a pleasure, I hope Isabelle hasn't been causing you any trouble," L said to them. "Don't be silly, she's a darling lass, if only you could sway her into giving me that lovely bracelet," Mrs. O' Connell said with a cheery smile laughing a little. Mr. Cheng stood, camera in hand. "Do any of you mind a photo? I am documenting this evening for tomorrow's post," he said raising the camera. This was the sort of thing L worried about, he didn't need his face plastered on some morning edition. "I'm sorry, if you'll excuse me a moment," L said and headed toward the bathrooms. Sakura shook her head. "I'm sorry everyone. It would seem the whisky is taking its effect!" she said laughing a little acting slightly embarrassed. A slightly sinister smile played on Cheng's face for just a moment. He had things in mind for her and for L as well. They were a perfect fit for his musings. Sakura had already recognized the voice though. She was sure to show no signs of this realization. She didn't want to blow her cover.
After the first course started to be served L returned to the table, he had no interest in this food. Realistically he disliked anything that didn't contain copious amounts of sugar. He watched everyone as they ate and he sipped on his drink. As he looked around he noticed Cheng staring at Sakura. The look was one of contemplation, as if he were making a plan in his head. Cheng noticed L staring but L was sure to give him a sort of "she's mine" type of glare. To which Cheng gave an approving sort of nod as though he were sizing L up as a man. To which L gave a bored sort of glance and slowly put an arm around the back of Sakura's chair as if taunting Cheng, seeing if might react. No dice, just a smug smirk formed on Cheng's face.
Sakura had noticed the staring contest the two had been having. Even in character some of the glances she saw L giving seemed genuine. Luckily it seemed no one else at the table had noticed the two having this silent sort of showdown.
As the dessert trays started coming around Sakura felt a little relieved, maybe he would stop trying to goad Cheng into reacting. She saw a glimmer in L's eyes; surely he was hungry after having not eaten anything in the last couple hours. It was rare for him to ever be without some sort of candies or treats. She stopped the waiter and had him give L almost all of what he had on the tray. "Whoa, quite the sweet tooth huh?" Mr. Hathaway said laughing as he watch L dig in to one of the many desserts set in front of him. "It must be nice to be young," Mr. Takada remarked with a little smile. "Or maybe he just needs energy for later this evening; I'm sure little Isabelle is quite the fire cracker!" Mr. O' Connell said laughing hardily. Sakura's cheeks started burning; she was caught completely off guard by that remark. "Oh look now love, you've embarrassed the poor girl!" Mrs. O' Connell said slapping his arm and laughing. "Well if it's for energy sake, you should be eating some of this too Isabelle," L remarked with a sly smile pointing a fork with a bit of cake on it toward her. Her eyes became wide and her mouth was slightly a gape. "Ryuzaki!" she said putting a hand over her mouth in slight shock. The rest of the table burst into a fit of laughter. Apparently he knew how to press her buttons too.
After all the desserts were gone and everyone wiped the tears of laughter off their faces from the conversation it was announced that everyone would gather in the grand ballroom for some dancing and cocktails. A perfect time to watch what Cheng is up to, L thought. "Shall we?" L asked Sakura as he stood putting out his hand. She composed herself and took his hand and stood moving close to him. "What on earth was that?" she whispered. He just smiled at her in return and said nothing. "Ah look at those two lovebirds…" Mrs. O' Connell cooed. "We're too old for that sort of mischief, don't you go getting any ideas in that head of yours," Mr. O' Connell told her. She sighed and watched the couple walking away.
As they entered the ballroom music quietly started. Once on the dance floor L pulled her close keeping one of her hands in his and the other he placed gently on the small of her back. For some reason that flustered her more as she set her free hand on his shoulder. What are you up to L? Sakura wondered to herself. Was this all just character? If so, he was doing more than enough acting. Even if some part of her was enjoying this evening she knew this was completely out of the norm for L. She decided that she should make the most of it. She didn't want to regret anything in this moment that made it feel as if they really were close friends.
L watched her, she clearly had no idea how much her emotions showed on her face, or maybe after watching her these past few years he could read her better than most. It went from confused to sad to resolute. Even if he still had no idea what really caused all those looks. "So, what do you think of Cheng?" L whispered to her. "I think you know what I think," she replied quietly a tinge of disdain in her voice even as she smiled. So to on-lookers they just seemed like some loving couple. That confirmed L's suspicions. It also made him suspect that they spoke about more than just idle prattle.
As L was watching the people around the dance floor he noticed Cheng over in a corner exchanging whispers to a man who looked like an FBI agent. Upon closer inspection, he was an FBI agent, L recognized him from a previous case. They hadn't met but this man was a field agent he worked with via internet on an embezzlement case a year ago. His name was Mark Sanders. L wasn't shocked considering that often there have been many law officers throughout history who are actually criminals themselves whether for money or just the pleasure of getting away with it.
As Cheng spoke he glanced over at L and Sakura. The other man then followed his gaze. L could tell in an instant. It was a team; these murders hadn't been by one man. How would one man be able to subdue two people without the use of some sort of drug? And from the autopsy reports no chemicals out of the ordinary were found in the victim's bloodstreams. He had his suspicions before but this confirmed it.
"Whew, I'm so parched, I think we should go get a drink," Sakura said to L. "That's an excellent idea, I'll be right with you," L said and then made his way toward the restrooms that were by the corner in which Cheng and Sanders stood. He wanted to make himself the bait before they tried to go for Sakura. "Gentlemen," L said looking them both square in the eyes practically asking for a fight as he kept walking toward the restrooms. The men's room of almost any hotel was the perfect place to subdue a victim. It was almost always unoccupied and once the first punch is thrown anybody in the room would simply leave not saying a word thinking that it was simply a drunken brawl. L was 85% certain they would follow after him.
The two had begun to follow him but then Sanders noticed Sakura going outside, an even easier target in his mind. This was something L had not taken into calculation. Sakura was apparently on the same sort of thought pattern as L. Making herself an easy target on purpose. She walked out and sat on a bench taking her shoes off. "Good evening Ms. Nakamura," a voice said from behind her, her alias' last name. She looked back and there the two were, Cheng standing back slightly and Sanders right behind her. There are two of them, damn it… Sakura thought to herself having not noticed them together previously as L had. This was getting worse by the minute.
Sanders bent forward and put his lips close to her ear whispering, "Be a good girl and come along with us. You like to have fun, don't you?" She could feel the warmth and dampness of his breath on her ear. The smell of bourbon wafted along with his words. "Go with you? Sure, let me just get my coat," she said coyly with a smile. "It's a nice night, you won't need it where we're going," Sanders said firmly grabbing her arm. She fought back kicking her leg above her right into his head. Shaken he let go but then Cheng grabbed her and hit her in the temple knocking her unconscious. As their luck would have it no one was passing by until after Cheng struck her.
The O' Connells were walking the grounds and noticed Cheng with an arm around "Isabelle" carrying her toward the parking lot. "Is she quite alright?" Mrs. O' Connell asked. "Oh she's just fine, she had a little too much to drink and seems to have passed out. We were going to take her back up to her room," Sanders told Mrs. O' Connell. "Ah to be young again," she said sighing with a slight laugh. As the couple walked back inside Sanders smacked Cheng in the back of his head. "Good going, they weren't supposed to see her yet. You know the boss likes to think this is a surprise," Sanders said. "But you could tell he liked this one!" Cheng replied. "Shut up and go take her to the van. I'll be back with the other one," Sanders said in a frustrated tone and started walking back to the hotel.
Meanwhile L had come back out to see both men and Sakura were gone. "What did she do now," L mumbled to himself scanning the entire room and found no sight of any of the three of them. He started to head outside when Mr. O' Connell stopped him. "It seems your lady had a bit much to drink, a couple of gentlemen from our table were going to take her back up to your room. I thought it a bit odd so I thought it best if I told you. Didn't want to make a fool of myself if I was wrong about those to fellows," Mr. O' Connell said a slight smile playing on his face. "Thank you," L said he had to keep his head clear so he was back to his old self. Calm and cool. He kept walking toward the doors. His back was less straight with every step. His jacket was already gone and he took off the tie he was wearing as he walked, keeping it in his hand. Ties always came in quite handy in a fight for subduing an opponent. His pace quickened and all he could think was "if you have hurt her… both of you will suffer at the hands of justice".
As he walked out the door he saw an arm come up from the side trying to grasp for his throat. He moved stealthily blocking and kicking his opponent. He spun around to see that it was Sanders, a formidable opponent who was well versed in various martial arts techniques. But still, he was no L. Blows flew back and forth with perfect blocking following them, until L saw her. The look in Sakura's eyes at that moment could have frozen the blood in anyone's veins. It was anger, hatred, disgust and a million other thoughts rolled into one searing glare that was pointed in Sanders' direction. Her dress was torn she had blood and cuts all over her and her hair was completely disheveled.
Sakura woke to a cold knife blade running down her face, not cutting her, just sliding down her face then her neck making it to a strap on her dress which Cheng cut. Her dress was hiked up as Cheng hovered over her caressing her thigh. "Ah, you're awake… I bet you are a screamer… I want you to scream for me," he said moving his hand higher trying to rip off her undergarments. "I bet you're a damn screamer to, why don't you scream for me you bastard!" she said as she kicked him in the groin. He rolled onto his side gasping a little. He then became angry and lunged at her grabbing her arms pushing her up against the side of the cramped van as her hand hit the side of the van her bracelet shattered falling to the floor of the van. There were already 2 others they had tied up and gagged in the van. He hacked blindly at her with the knife in his hand, missing more often than not. Once his hand was up she grabbed his arms pushing him back toward the other side of the van kneeing him in the ribs and punching him in the face. She couldn't stop, this wasn't how she wanted to die. Not by this pervert's hand. She kept hitting him and kicking him until his body was just slumped on the floor and covered in his own blood. She breathed heavily and looked at the two captives. "I'll be right back for you, I swear it," she said. Their cries muffled by the gags that were still in their mouths. But by this point Sakura wasn't thinking straight.
She began walking back toward the hotel. And as soon as she rounded the corner to the front she saw Sanders and L squared off. L stared at her, what on earth had happened to her, he wondered. Sanders noticed the odd look on L's face and glanced back. He actually gasped at the sight of Sakura, noticing that Sakura started laughing. "What's wrong? Isn't this what you two always do? Aren't I supposed to look this way? Or is it the fact that I'm alive?" she said walking up to him and punching him in the stomach as hard as she possibly could. He keeled over and fell to the ground. "Now be a good boy and don't move. Or would you like to have some more fun?" she said kicking him. "They already had two other people in their van, you know?..." Sakura said. He nodded not knowing what to say. And not knowing what she had already been through.
L got out his cell phone and made a call to headquarters to have a car come and an ambulance to come for the other two victims. Sakura lead him back to the van after Sanders was in custody, only to find the van gone. "What the hell?! It was right here!! Cheng was in no condition to drive…" she said. "A third man?" L said thinking to himself. He began to wonder just how far this went. An FBI agent and a Taiwanese news photographer seemed odd enough bed fellows… Now to throw yet another person into this mix… Who else had those two spoken with…? Thinking back, the O' Connells response to "Isabelle" being taken to her room by two men who were for all intents and purpose complete strangers… It was completely off. Unless… they were in on it as well, that was when he remembered the slight smile that played on O' Connell's face. How could he not have noticed this earlier… L was furious that he had just accepted the simple possibility and didn't think of every possible move. There wasn't enough time. Now time was growing short for two other people as well…
"I'm going to borrow this," Sakura said getting into one of the police cars. "What?! Wait, you're not in any condition to drive. You need to go to the hospital!" the officer said running toward the car. "There's no time for that. Two people's lives are at stake, I'll need backup at 24 Summerset Rd in about 30 minutes, call that in," she told him then looked at L, "are you coming?" He went over and got into the car. She slammed it into gear and they were off. "Don't do anything rash," he said calmly. "Don't be an idiot, this was my mistake. I thought there was something off with the O' Connells but I didn't follow my intuition," she said. He looked at her in surprise, how did she even come to the same conclusion as he had?
"Where are we going?" he asked. "The O' Connells have a cottage not too far from here. I have a suspicion that's where they will end up," she replied. "Why would they go to their own home? Who would be that stupid," L asked her wondering what it was she learned from them. "One last hurrah before they get caught is my thought. They said they enjoy 'entertaining' at the cottage. Said it turns into quite a 'wild time' and that you and I should visit some day. I'm up for a visit, how about you?" she said jamming her foot into the gas pedal. How did she do it? It really seems like people will tell her anything, she even got them to tell her the address, L thought to himself.
Sakura slowed down as she got to the street, turning off all the lights including the headlights. It was a quiet area. The driveways were all secluded and long. She turned down the O' Connells drive way and half way down killed the engine and coasted the rest of the way up where they saw the van parked and a faint light shown through a cellar window at the base of the house. "Looks like they've started without us," Sakura said opening the door and getting out of the car. "Are you certain you want to do this?" L asked. "There isn't much I am more certain of," she replied. "Well then you must remain calm. I don't want to go into this with you acting like a lunatic," he told her. She glared at him but thought about how she must seem to him after all that happened. "You've got nothing to worry about," she said and gave an odd smile. "Uh, could you not smile? It's a little frightening," he replied. "Sometimes you are really impossible to please, you know?" she said. "My pleasure shouldn't be something of your concern. Shall we go?" he replied. She simply nodded and they began walking toward the cellar door.
It was a bulkhead style door which meant it was old and probably would make a lot of noise. They couldn't let their entry be known. Sakura took her purse into her hand that she somehow was able to keep with her through all the chaos of the evening. She pulled out a lock-pick set and a can of WD-40. L just looked at her curiously. "Spray this on all the hinges; we don't want these doors making a sound. I'll start working on the lock," she whispered to him handing him the can. The great detective taking part in a B & E, L thought to himself as he began spraying. It took him longer to spray all the hinges than it took her to pick the lock. They each grabbed a door and as quietly as possible opened them. As soon as they did they the sound of muffled cries met their ears. "Now lass don't worry, this won't take too long, the fun is just starting," they heard Mr. O' Connell's voice and the cracking sound of some type of whip.
Sakura had enough, she bolted down the stairs and headed toward Mr. O' Connell. "Ah you made it! Just in time for the festivities," Mr. O' Connell said smiling sinisterly only wearing a blood stained butcher's apron. "This is excellent deary, we'd hoped you would come," she turned to see Mrs. O' Connell blood smatter on her face. "You two are absolutely sick!" she yelled as she lunged at Mr. O' Connell. She hit him as hard as she could, he never fought back once. If anything he seemed to be enjoying it, which Sakura was even more revolted by. All the while Mrs. O' Connell just stood back laughing. "This is just how I wanted it, bludgeoned by a young beauty," Mr. O' Connell said coughing blood on to the concrete floor as he laughed. Sakura's eyes grew wide. This was the most disturbing pair of people she'd ever met in her life. Even beyond what she imagined them to be. "Come on now sweetie, give him another whack. Here, use this," Mrs. O' Connell said as she put a cat o' nine tails in Sakura's hand. She couldn't take this. She screamed dropping the whip to the floor and ran toward the stairs. All she could hear was the sickening laughter mixed with the cries of the two victims chained to the far wall.
When she got to the stairs there was L. Calm and collected as ever. Tears welled in Sakura's eyes. "Go out to the car. You'll be safe there," L said. Even though on the outside he was completely calm inside he was raging. He was disgusted with the O' Connells and angry at the fact that they actually brought Sakura to tears. He waited for her to go up the stairs then walked up to them. "My dear, he looked nothing like that before," Mrs. O' Connell said slight fear in her eyes as she looked at L. "We're all ugly in some way or another," Mr. O' Connell told her. Without a word L walked over to the two victims finding the key and unlocking their restrains telling them to go upstairs and that the police would be coming soon. He didn't turn towards the O' Connells at any time. "I'm not going to tell you all the things I'm certain you've already heard about what horrid people you are," L started, "I will tell you this much, the things you have done this house pale in comparison to what is to come. There are a lot of men that fancy themselves beauties that wouldn't mind bludgeoning you in prison Mr. O' Connell. I'll be sure to put in a good word for both of you," he said and slowly walked toward the stairs. Mrs. O' Connell in a fit of rage went toward L with a knife. He looked at her right before she got to him and stared into her eyes. She stopped, those eyes, they would haunt her for the rest of her life. She was frozen and simply started crying. The look in his eyes, no words could describe. It simply left her in fear.
Mrs. O' Connell would see those eyes every time she closed her own to try to go to sleep, eventually committing suicide after suffering from insomnia for months while she was imprisoned. And Mr. O' Connell's fate was just as L said. He was tormented every day, for all the horrible things he had done to various women over the years there was retribution. He was raped and beaten on almost a daily basis and guards turned a blind eye to his pleas for help. Eventually after a year he was found murdered in his cell.
After this case Sakura became somewhat of a recluse herself. She devoted her time to studying. She wouldn't go outside at all. To L it seemed the tides changed and it was his turn to try to get her out. She didn't smile any more, not even that fake smile that had previously bothered him so much. She was quiet, so quiet it was rare that anyone noticed if she had even left her room or not. She had stopped talking with almost everyone and if she did speak it was generally to tell people to leave her to her studies.
L continued on as he always had still solving the cases of the world and still having twinges of worry about her every day. She had been like the day to his night. He missed her idle chatter, her kidnapping him to go off on drives through the countryside; it was like she wasn't even there. He even missed the roll coaster of emotions. It was that unpredictability of her that he liked. She never bored him. He was always wondering. He made his decision; he had to solve this situation. This decision far out-weighed his want to remain detached, because like it or not every day he came to the further realization that he cared for her all along.
With that he went to consult Watari. "I need your help," L said as he sat. "Anything, is it about Sakura?" Watari said a downtrodden look on his face. He partly blamed himself for Sakura's change since he sent her on that assignment believing everything would turn out fine. "I want to take her back to Hawaii…" L said. "Back to Hawaii?" Watari echoingly asked slightly confused and wondering if L intended to leave her there. "Just for two weeks. I think that would be all the time I need," L said. "Two weeks? What do you think will change in two weeks that hasn't changed in the past year?" Watari asked. "I have a plan. Trust me. The success rate I estimate is 93%," L told him a smirk playing on his face. Watari smiled slightly in return, if anyone could bring Sakura back from the brink it would be L. "If there is anything you need for me to do, let me know. For now, take this and do what you need to," Watari told L placing a black American Express card in his hand. "I think this is a little excessive, but thank you," L said knowing that the black American Express card had no limit set on it.
L went to the study to think. It was always quiet there since the younger members of the household usually avoided study at all costs. He opened the door walking in he saw her sitting at one of the tables that were scattered amidst the towering bookshelves. Various books spread out around her and a pile of note pads and pens. Every now and then she would mutter something to herself about how she shouldn't have left them. Them being the two other victims she'd left in the van that night. They had survived though, why was she still being so hard on herself? L wondered. He stood just looking at her for a moment. She'd changed so much. Her hair was always down now pushed forward covering most of her face, she wore grays and blacks now always long pants and long sleeve shirts or baggy sweaters. What little of her skin that was visible was very pale.
She looked up, seeing L standing there staring at her. "Hello," L said not really certain what else to say yet. She continued to stare at him a few more seconds, the look in her eyes completely blank. Then she simply moved her eyes down to the book she had been studying. He sat down in his usual manner in the chair right next to her as he stared off at nothing, his thumb to his lower lip deep in thought.
He was trying to recall every detail of the first day they met. The Itsuz's logo on her shave ice cup. The old puma sneakers she wore. The colorful tank top emblazoned with "Big Jake's Island BBQ, Captain Cook". He thought a bit more, there was a bracelet… What was it made of? He remembered thinking it was odd for a tomboy like her to be wearing jewelry. It was some kind of shell… He glanced over, her sleeves were long and over her hands, he couldn't see it. He thought back to that night remembering that Mrs. O' Connell commented on the bracelet. He then realized that something must have happened to it as the only remnant of it was the bruise on her wrist like a shadow of what had been; it must have been torn off her arm in the fight with Cheng.
He realized the bracelet looked like an antique, he wondered where she had gotten it from. He looked over at her again. Her eyes were intently staring at the pages of the book she had while she took notes. L slowly put his hand over hers preventing her from continuing to write. She looked over at him blankly and slipped her hand out from under his moving her paper over so she could continue writing. He took the note pad and moved it across the table.
"What do you want from me?" she asked setting her pen down. He wanted to tell her that he wanted her to be herself again. He wanted to tell her how much he missed her. He wanted to tell her he actually longed to see her smile again. But somehow he couldn't make those words come out. That sort of action wasn't familiar territory and he wanted what he said to be completely honest and not some sort of put on act. "I want you to go somewhere with me," he said. "I'm busy, can't you see that?" she replied standing and picking up her note pad from the other side of the table. "Busy? Busy with what? You've barricaded yourself in this house 24 hours a day doing what? Nothing. You're taking unnecessary notes and beating yourself up over something that wasn't your fault in the first place," he said as he stood as well. "I'm sorry that my studies seem like nothing to you. But it's important to me," she replied blankly as she picked up her book cradling it and her note pad in her arms. "You're coming with me, and that is all there is to say," he said taking her things and setting them down on the table then taking her hand and walking toward the door.
She pulled her hand from his grasp. "You can't do this, things won't go back to how they used to be. I've realized something. You really are brilliant. The way you work is utterly perfect, something that I need to master. I can't let foolish emotions get in my way anymore. They're a waste of time, I can't let another mistake happen," she said to him. He looked at her slightly dumbfounded, was she saying this was his own fault? Did she actually think he didn't feel anything at all? "Well then, if you want to be like me so much… Come with me," he said his hands in his pockets as he started to walk off. "What are you trying to play at? There's nothing you could show me anywhere else that I couldn't learn here," she said walking past him.
"I've heard quite enough excuses," he said maintaining his persistence. He held tight to her hand and took her with him. She took her other hand and grasped his arm pushing him away from her. "Stop it! Just stop… What do you want?! Do you want me to admit I'm broken? Do you want to hear that every night when I close my eyes I can hear his voice calling for me to scream for him?! Do you want to hear that when he broke that bracelet he destroyed the last connection I had to my family?! What do you want for the love of God!?" she said as tears started to stream down her face.
It was his fault this time, he never wanted to see her cry again and there she was her arms wrapped around herself as tears welled from her eyes, strands of hair stuck to her face from the dampness of her tears. L walked up to her without a word putting his arms around her. It was all he could do. At this point there weren't any words that would make this better or easier for her. She finally gave in and her body relaxed as she rested her head against his shoulder continuing to cry. After a little while he moved back a bit looking into her eyes as he gently pushed the hair back from her face. "I'm asking you to please trust me," he said quietly. "I guess I have no choice then," she replied mimicking what he would always tell her when she had kidnapped him for drives. He simply nodded. "Go pack a couple bags, we'll be leaving tonight," he told her. "Very well," she replied then paused, "and…thank you." Then she walked off to go to her room.
She got to her room and shut the door behind her, leaning her back against it. "What am I doing here?" she said to herself. She heard rustling under her bed. She slowly walked over and flipped up the bed skirt. It was Mello, happily munching away at her secret stash of chocolate bars. "What are you doing here??" she said kneeling beside the bed looking at him. "Hmm, sounds like nobody should be in here if you don't know why you or I are here," he said taking another big bite of the chocolate bar in his hand. "I'm here because this is my room and.. Wait a minute, are you spying on me?" she asked. "Maybe…" he replied. "Did L put you up to this?" she asked. "Nah, I've been waiting for the right time and figured now was as good as ever," he told her. "Why are you doing this?" she asked pulling him out from under the bed and sitting down next to him.
"I think I'm going to say something that everyone else has been wanting to but scared to. Snap out of it! You said you're broken? Well you're the best mechanic I've ever seen! Fix it! We miss you… I… I miss you. I want my friend back. I want to be able to tell you the daily tally of how many times Matt almost fell down the stairs or walked into a wall because he was too busy playing his video game to pay attention to where he was going. I want to tell you who the latest make-over by Hazel victim was… I want tell you that L brought back 5 boxes of chocolate covered strawberries from Switzerland and we should swipe one before they're gone! This house is so lonely without you being here… Come back, okay S?" Mello said breathing heavily and looking a little nervous after all he had said.
She took in a deep breath. How could I have been so careless all this time? While I wallowed in my self-pity they were left to watch these broken pieces float through the halls like some sort of specter, she thought to herself. This cycle of pain needs to stop… This isn't who I really am, she told herself. "You're right Jello," she said and ruffled his hair. "Ah! Hey! That didn't mean you get to call me that again!" Mello said trying to fix his hair and sticking his tongue out at her for calling him by that nickname she decided on when he lost a bet with her a couple years back. She gave him a little smile and laughed quietly and quickly grabbed him in a tight hug not realizing he had a half eaten chocolate bar still in his hand that ended up on both their shirts. They started laughing hysterically at each other.
L was passing by in the hallway as he heard the commotion in her room. Curious he listened and had heard Mello say all the sorts of things that he couldn't get to pass his lips when he spoke with her earlier. Was it that easy? Did simple words between friends mean so much? L wondered having not really been one to win any socializer of the year award. "Hey L, you don't have to stalk at my door step, you could come in," Sakura said. L looked and the door was still closed, how did she know he was there? He shrugged and opened the door. He looked on seeing Mello and Sakura covered in chocolate like a candy bar exploded. "Is there a chocolate fountain I've missed out on all these years?" L asked with a slight smirk. "Very funny," Sakura said getting up and taking a piece of chocolate and throwing it at him. "Oh, it's a war then," L replied catching the piece and popping it into his mouth then launching a lollipop at her.
Mello looked a little confused; he'd never seen L act this way. Maybe L was just that happy to have Sakura back to her normal self, Mello thought shaking his head in agreement with himself. "You having a meeting of the mind up there Jello?" Sakura said thumping Mello's forehead. "Oh you are so gonna get it now! I'll make sure you're Hazel's next victim!" Mello said laughing as he launched a piece of chocolate at her. "Wait, two against one isn't fair!!" Sakura said trying to catch or dodge pieces of candy being thrown from L and Mello. After things settled down it looked like a chocolate covered tornado had ran through Sakura's room. They all sat together on the floor Mello and Sakura doing most of the talking and L interjecting that he could feel the lack of oxygen due to their incessant chatter.
After catching up as if Sakura had just been away for a long time Mello got up to leave. "Dinner is in 30 minutes, Watari will have our heads if we look like this at the dinner table!" he said. "You're right about that!" Sakura said standing up as well. "See you then?" Mello asked. "Yep," she replied as he left. After he was gone she shut the door. "Listen I…" she and L both started to speak. "Go ahead," L said. "I'm sorry for the way things have been…" she told him. "Likewise… I should have said something sooner. I never calculated for Mello actually being able to solve trouble rather than make it," he said with a sheepish smile. "Well everyone is full of surprises, so, are we still going on this little trip you were so adamant about early?" she asked. "Absolutely. I am a man of my word after all," he replied. "Great! So, where are we going?" she asked. "You'll see when we get to the terminal," he told her a slight smirk forming on his face as he went to leave the room. "Oh, it'll be warm, so you might want to bring shorts…" he told her and kept walking.
L… He always was full of secrets, Sakura thought. She felt relieved for some reason now. Like some sort of weight had been lifted from her. All that sorrow she harbored seemed to be melting. It was almost as if she couldn't allow herself to be herself before for some reason before. She wouldn't let this happen again, no matter what. People depended on her. She had a family in front of her this whole time in the form of Mello, Hazel, Near, all of them, even in L… She vowed not to let them down again.
After she cleaned up and packed she dressed for dinner. Back to her old self hair in a pony tail, a North Shore surf shirt, an old pair of jeans and her favorite pair of Pumas. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiles. "Welcome back," she told herself and grabbed the two bags she packed for the trip. As she walked down the stairs she could her little whispers. "She's really back? You mean it?" Near said quietly. "It's true. I talked to her," Mello told him in a whisper. "Yeah right, I'll believe it when I see it," she heard Matt's voice closer than the others as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Then thud, right into her shoulder. "Geez!! Watch where you're goin'!" Sakura said rubbing her arm. Matt looked up from his game his eyes glimmered with the realization of Sakura being back to her old self. "That makes 3 hits and 22 misses today!" Mello yelled out Matt's accident count of the day and Sakura laughed. "You're really back, huh?" Matt said to her quietly. "Yep, I really am back," she said. "It's good… It's really good," Matt said as tears started to well up in his eyes. "Oh Matty… I'm sorry," she said taking him in her arms. She had been the one he could tell any secret to… All that time he felt like he had no one to really talk to. Whether it was about how annoying Mello was or how much he really liked the ticket sales girl at the theatre. As their embrace ended she noticed a weight on her leg. Looking down she saw Near. He looked up and just smiled at her. Everyone was acting as though it was some sort of home-coming of a long lost sister. Which for all purposes was just what happened, she had been lost and she felt so good being back.
"Why are you guys over here, dinner is…" Hazel started to say coming into the hallway and saw Sakura. "FINALLY! Thank God. You know black just wasn't the right color for you," Hazel said jokingly as she gave Sakura a hug. "Thanks Haze…" Sakura said laughing. "I don't mean to interrupt," L said coming down the stairs. "She's back L, she's really back!" Hazel said excitedly. "I know," he replied. "Alright, so dinner must be on the table by now, we better get going. Oh and L, dare you to eat one serving of vegetables," Sakura said. "What are the stakes?" he asked. "If you lose, you tell me where we're going," she said. "And if I win?" he asked curiously. "If you win… Hmm… Well since I'm about 98% sure you won't be able to do it you can have whatever you want as a prize," she replied smirking. "Very well, I accept your challenge," he told her confidently and walked toward the dining room.
Watari was already seated at the table as everyone began to file in and go to their seats. After all the others walked in he saw Sakura with Near in her arms. He couldn't have smiled wider if he tried. "Alright, here we go," Sakura said setting Near into his seat then going to sit down in her chair next to L. Watari was overjoyed. "It's good to see you again," Watari said quietly. She simply nodded in reply. "Oh man I am starving!!" Mello said loudly grabbing dramatically at his stomach. Everyone started to laugh and L leaned over to Sakura and whispered, "Welcome home…"