It was the day before Christmas eve. While work and family time were usually strictly separate for Aizawa, he couldn't help but be caught up in the Christmas feeling since decorations would usually be seen next to whoever they were surveilling. He found himself relaxing and ever so slightly getting distracted by thoughts of Christmas, even though by anyone else's standards, he'd still be considered a workaholic. The rest of the task force were slacking off, sharing laughs and their plans, with Matsuda even worse than usual. Aizawa found himself annoyed by all this reverie, and this level of annoyance outweighed even the amount he felt towards the automaton they called L (who, incidentally, completely threw off the scale of what was considered to be a workaholic, considering he didn't sleep).

He had known L for a few weeks now. He was left in no doubt that he was working with a brilliant and unorthodox mind, seeing connections in small details that would most likely be overlooked by traditional detectives. All of them had been thrilled to be working with the mysterious and elusive L. Yet this excitement faded as the seeds of doubt were planted; there was something odd about his way of interacting, something wanton about the haste in which the detective would employ an almost cruel method. They had lost Ukita, and while Aizawa could accept the dangers of the job, he was still unsure as to whether L had taken unnecessary risks, and if so, Ukita's death would have been avoidable. And it was very obvious that L looked down upon anyone who was his intellectual inferior; while all of them had to put up with his insulting behaviour, Matsuda in particular had copped it. It was quite obvious even at this early stage that human connection wasn't too important in L's life, if it even was a consideration. All of this made Aizawa doubt L's reasons for solving crimes – was it for the good of humanity, or was it for lesser motivations?

But back to the present (no pun intended) – Matsuda was rattling off all his excitement about what he'd receive for Christmas (at his age?) and the others were listening, amused and encouraging him. Aizawa's fist clenched and he gritted his teeth – couldn't they see that the long hours spent were taking him away from his family, and that if they became lazy, he'd have to do even more hours to make up for it?

"Matsuda!" he barked. The others became quiet immediately. "We all have work to do!"

"Oh, relax, Aizawa," the young detective said, giggling. "It's almost five o'clock – quitting time."

"You won't find me quitting," growled Aizawa, choosing his words carefully. "There is still much work to be done."

"Ah," said Matsuda, embarrassed. Looking around, he pulled up a seat next to Mogi and looked over his shoulder to either try to help or provide emotional support. Disgusted, Aizawa turned back to his desk.

One by one, the task force made their excuses and left for the evening. Aizawa bristled at Matsuda's pathetic attempt at an excuse, but didn't object. Even Soichiro had apologetically said he needed to leave, which Aizawa didn't mind so much as he was usually the one to stay back alongside himself. But couldn't they see that the exact reasons they were mentioning were precisely his as well? Yet, here he was, now on his own, sacrificing his own family time for the good of the nation and the world. He may not have the brilliance of L, yet there was still work to be done, still ways he could help out, and damnit, he'd do it well.

It was now eight o'clock and his attention was beginning to wane. His wife would be upset, as usual… his dear and loyal wife – not many women would put up with the loneliness that his job would entail, especially since Aizawa took his job ethic to the extreme. She even bought his presents for him as was tradition, and this year, she'd even thrown in some for the task force as well. He had the bag of presents with him, but hadn't felt like distributing the presents earlier, given his irritation. But he now took the chance to have a break, so emptied the contents on the table. They were all wrapped with the same coloured paper and ribbons – obviously her work was tough as well, else she would have made them more varied. He put his wife's and daughter's presents back on his table, but as he was distributing them to the various desks, he noticed that there was one present that didn't have a label on it. Was it for L? The most he had told her was that he was working with someone new, but couldn't say who – she had relentlessly enquired when he'd come home in good spirits after that fateful first meeting. It must be for L. All other presents were accounted for.

This was new – it was weird for Aizawa to show a friendly gesture towards L because there just didn't seem to be a point, not to mention some ethical incompatibilities that were starting to show – but it got him wondering whether L's eccentricities surfaced because of a lack of family feeling in his life. Even though Aizawa's family probably didn't know it due to his long hours, it was the thought of them that helped get him through the day. Perhaps it wasn't entirely from choice that L was alone, and while he seemed to trust Watari, it's unlikely he was a true family substitute. Aizawa started to pity L, and wondered if he should invite L to dine with them on Christmas.

As if on cue, L walked in to enquire as to the status of the work. Aizawa was momentarily embarrassed that he was surrounded by presents – curse his bad luck! – but he pulled himself together and offered the unmarked present to L. L thanked him in his emotionless tone. Aizawa turned back to his desk and continued to work, but could hear the scrabbling of paper as the present was unwrapped, and then a small gasp, which he thought was slightly unusual.

A bit embarrassed that he didn't do his own shopping, Aizawa remained working at his desk and asked "So, do you like it?"

"It is very nice, but I usually prefer the edible version."

Aizawa frowned slightly at the impropriety of finding a fault with a present, but used this moment to turn around and see what L had received.

He let out a shout. L was standing there holding a lacy watermelon-themed lingerie set and was coolly examining it between his forefingers. Aizawa was paralyzed. Surely she couldn't have…

"Perhaps the tag was misplaced, Aizawa-san? The present that is labeled for your wife is roughly the same size as mine."

"Oh, oh yes," Aizawa said quickly, and grabbed the present to open it. He peeked into the box, and let out a huge sigh of relief to know that his wife had gone with the rather standard present of variety chocolates.

"Thank you, Aizawa-san," L said warmly. "These look delicious."

"You're very welcome, Ryuzaki," Aizawa responded, relieved. And it was ironic that L's initial response was actually quite polite as opposed to the way Aizawa had interpreted it – rudeness. He cleared his throat. "If you don't already have plans, we'd be honoured if you would join us for Christmas lunch at our family home."

L stood still, emotionless. "Aizawa-san is too kind, but I fear that the risk is too great for me to go to another's house."

"Understood, Ryuzaki. That is fine-"

"However, if Aizawa-san wishes, he and his family are welcome to come here for Christmas lunch."

"Oh-" Aizawa stood, speechless for a moment. "That is very generous of you, Ryuzaki. I would need to consult with my wife and get back to you."

"Very well. Good night, Aizawa-san."

"Good night, Ryuzaki."

This was a new development – the hotel where L was staying was quite luxurious – and while there may have been other reasons for L wanting to stay here, Aizawa preferred to give him the benefit of the doubt and see it as a genuinely good gesture considering he hadn't been under any obligation to extend the invitation.

His wife Eriko certainly hadn't refused a grand smorgasbord at a high-end hotel, and his daughter Yumi seemed excited as well. Giggling and bouncing around, an embarrassed Aizawa told them to behave themselves as they were in the elevator. Still smiling, they quietened down.

There was a ding, and the elevator door slid open. L was standing there to greet them, alone. But he had a half-mask on, which resembled those worn at a grand ballroom with some feathers coming out the top. Yumi laughed and tried to grab at it while L skipped out of reach.

"Yumi! Behave yourself!" Eriko admonished. "We haven't even been introduced."

"Aww, but I want to play with the feathers," Yumi whined, only to receive sharp looks from both her parents. Folding her arms, she pouted.

"Ryuzaki, this is my wife Eriko and my daughter Yumi. Thank you very much for having us," said Aizawa rather warmly.

"The pleasure is mine, Aizawa-san," L said smoothly, and shook hands with Eriko. Then he bent down to shake hands with Yumi. Yumi raised her hand to meet his, then quickly grabbed off his mask, squealing in delight. L froze in shock. Both Aizawa and Eriko were mortified.

"That is very clever of you, Aizawa-chan," said L, shooting Aizawa a glance. Aizawa's eyes widened. Surely he didn't suspect Yumi of being…

L gave a slight shake of his head, indicating he wasn't serious. Aizawa let out a breath he'd unconsciously been holding, and a worried expression came on his face. Surely this wasn't how his family normally acted… was it?

L straightened up. "So… we have Aizawa-san," he said, pointing at Aizawa. "And the clever Aizawa-chan," he said, pointing at Yumi, who giggled behind the mask she was now wearing. "And… Aizawa-sama," he said, pointing at Eriko, who laughed.

"Please, call me Eriko," she said goodnaturedly, and L nodded.

"Well, shall we enter?" L led them into the main lounge room.

There was a collective gasp from the females as they looked around the grand setting and took in the view of the city. Eriko in particular gushed over how extravagant it was. L emotionlessly took it all in.

"Please make yourselves comfortable. Please excuse me, but I have to prepare some things in the next room," said L as he wandered away.

"Well, I can see why you spend long hours at work!" Eriko said, giggling despite her lonely situation.

"Eriko, please!" huffed Aizawa, not liking her jab at the serious nature of his work and the pain it had caused his family. Plus, the luxurious residence really didn't affect his hours, given how stoic he was in following his morals.

"I don't want this mask anymore," interrupted Yumi, with pleading eyes.

"We don't need that," Aizawa responded rather harshly. Eriko looked down, worried she'd made him upset.

Yumi wandered off in the direction that L went.

"Yumi, come back!" Aizawa called out, not moving himself as it was impolite to wander around without being invited. But she kept going, and the parents shared worried glances.

"Eeeek! Help! Help!" screamed Yumi from the next room, and they both went running.

"What is the matter?" asked Aizawa breathlessly, as he saw Yumi cowering, with L standing beside her. L looked stunned.

"He offered me some sweets!" sniffed Yumi.

"Oh!" replied Aizawa, slightly laughing at the prospect that anyone could get any different from L. "Ryuzaki is no longer a stranger, so you may accept candy from him."

"Oh!" said Yumi, brightening. "Thank you very much!" she said, grabbing the candy cane from L's hand and leaping up to kiss him on the cheek. L still looked stunned.

"Yumi, come here!" said Eriko, annoyed at her daughter's wanton behaviour.

"Yes, Mummy," she replied, greedily eating into the candy cane as she wandered over.

"Well," said L, slightly faintly. "Shall we go into the dining room?"

Smiles were met all around as he brought them to the richly laden buffet on the side of the room, with a dining table at the centre. It was only on closer inspection that they realised they were all desserts. Yumi gave a cheer, jumping into the air. Eriko looked around the room, expecting more. Aizawa was slightly taken aback at his lack of foresight. Don't tell me he…

"Aizawa-san… I hope this meal is to your expectation. I neglected to tell Watari that you were attending today," L said in a monotone. Eriko looked surprised.

Aizawa gasped, wondering if L was embarrassed at their being there. But he didn't know enough about the detective to come to any conclusions. "Ah, yes, Watari…"

"I gave Watari the day off as he requested, to see some distant relatives," L said rather mutedly. Aizawa gave him a rather compassionate glance.

"Well, that means this entire spread is for you?" said Eriko pleasantly. "Isn't that lovely!"

L blinked. "Of course – who else would it be for?"

"Oh… well…" said Eriko, embarrassed.

Aizawa gave a nervous laugh. "Eh… what my wife means is that you are well taken care of."

L's face showed no change in expression.

"Anyway, we have a lot to get through – would you all please take your seats, and I will begin serving," said L. They obliged, with Yumi excitedly scrambling up into her seat.

"For an entrée, we have lemon meringue tart," said L, looking longingly at the yellow tart as he began serving slices onto their plates.

"Yay!" said Yumi, as L put one on her plate. L chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"This looks very well made!" said Eriko brightly.

"Yes," replied L, licking his lips with a flourish as he served his own. "It's important to get the exact temperature right and the correct combination of authentic ingredients. It is quite interesting to compare recipes as they change over time due to scarcity of ingredients. It was one of my first research papers."

"Oh, so you made this yourself, Ryuzaki?" Eriko asked.

"No."

There was an awkward pause.

"And how old were you when you did your research paper?" continued Eriko.

"Three."

Eriko's fork dropped to the ground, and she started coughing. Aizawa stood up and handed her a glass of water, gently patting her back. She gratefully drank it down and tried to regain her composure. L graciously rose and fetched her a clean fork.

"My goodness!" said Eriko between splutters. "I can see that you have had refined tastes from a very young age."

"Indeed."

Eriko looked rather hurt by L's monosyllabic answers, and glanced at Aizawa for his interpretation.

"Ah, Eriko, let us enjoy this wonderful dessert as it's impolite to eat and talk at the same time," said Aizawa, guessing at L's unwillingness to talk.

Eriko nodded in understanding, even though she still looked surprised as she processed that explanation. L's chewing slowed down for a few seconds, and he stiffened – possibly because he became aware that he was doing something wrong as a host, Aizawa reasoned.

"You eat so fast!" Yumi said with her mouth full, obviously taking great pains to try and beat him.

"Yumi!" admonished Eriko, with Aizawa's expression showing that he mimicked his wife's horror.

L's eyes showed a competitive gleam, and the faintest smile came across his face. "A strong mind needs lots of energy, Yumi-chan! And sweets are an ideal source of energy. Don't forget that."

Yumi nodded, her mouth so full she couldn't talk. Eriko and Aizawa gasped. "Ryuzaki! What are you saying?!"

"Am I not living proof, Aizawa-san?" L said, lifting off a slice of peach from a nearby tart and putting it in his mouth.

Aizawa's eyes now gleamed that competitive look. "True – but I wonder how many vitamin supplements Watari puts in all this?"

L stopped eating, and looked repulsed. "I know my own body and tastes well enough to know whether I am getting extra energy or if something has been added." Turning to Yumi, he added "The important thing is to eat a balanced diet, Yumi-chan."

Aizawa couldn't help but laugh at this, it was so ridiculous. "What, the flan food group, the cake food group, and the tart food group?"

"Quite so!" said L, raising his finger. "One gets the proper nutrition, and also in a delicious way."

Yumi's eyes widened, and she looked angrily at her parents, eyes gleaming accusations for years of being forced to eat healthy vegetables.

Aizawa was borderline wary. He couldn't have Yumi think these things about diet or nutrition as her health really was at stake, yet he got the sense that L wasn't truly trying to attack him and that he did believe that logic. But damnit, Yumi could be such a handful, and with him out of the picture, it was even more pressure on Eriko to be on the ball 24/7.

"I disagree, Ryuzaki – Watari must be force-feeding you vitamins, perhaps through your bedsheets? Maybe he soaks them in something?"

"Aizawa-san is truly creative," said L meekly, looking bored with the argument and perhaps also feeling that he was undermining the role of a host, which was to make all his guests comfortable.

"I want more!" said Yumi, proudly holding out her empty plate and grinning. Aizawa and Eriko gasped at the lack of propriety.

L looked pleased. "Very well, Yumi-chan, but only because you're so clever!" he said as he got to the side table to bring over the next big dessert. Yumi giggled, delighted.

"Here, you must try this delicious caramel cheesecake," said L to Eriko, serving her first, and licking his lips as he cut it.

"That's… that's very… sweet of you," she said, paling. Her tone of voice didn't show any eagerness as the very generous helping of the dessert was piled on her plate. Aizawa raised an eyebrow at the cry for help evident in her choice of words, but slightly shook his head to show there was nothing he could do.

For fifteen minutes, L brought dessert after dessert to the table. He always finished first, and looked like he was suppressing his irritation at having to wait for his guests to finish before they could start on the next course.

"Perhaps you would all like to try the profiteroles with fresh cream?" said L, wistfully looking at the sideboard.

"Oh, no, we couldn't possibly!" said Eriko, clutching her stomach and groaning. L looked surprised.

"Mum, it's rude to not finish your meal!" admonished Yumi with a frown. Eriko felt too out of it to get angry at her, and was left cursing the day she'd thought that that line of reasoning had been a smart one to use.

"Hm, well, I have just the thing!" said L, rising and leaving the room. When he came back, he had brought a huge fruit platter with lots of watermelon, grapes, oranges and pineapple.

Eriko still had a scared look on her face as L placed it in the centre of the dining table.

Being of bigger build than all three of them, Aizawa still had some room left in his stomach and smilingly reached forward to grab a piece, salvaging the family honour (at least for the adults). Yumi was moving slower than usual but still showed that competitive streak in her as she took her share.

Glancing up at L in thanks, he realised L was biting into a piece of watermelon and looking at Eriko curiously, not taking his eyes off her.

Suddenly a lightbulb went off as he remembered his wife's Christmas present.

"The only one who is eating watermelon is ME!" yelled Aizawa, grabbing it off L and scoffing it down.

His daughter turned pale and put her piece on his plate.

"Oh... oh, I..." Aizawa mumbled. Eriko looked astounded and embarrassed at her husband's outburst, but still clueless.

Aizawa turned his attention on L. "Ryuzaki! This watermelon isn't spoiled, and considering Watari left yesterday, it must have been freshly cut. That means you deliberately went to extra effort to get watermelon on the table!"

His family looked at him as if he were nuts.

"Astute deductions, Aizawa-san, but Watari cut it up yesterday and kept it in the fridge overnight," said L with a slight expression of distaste in his voice.

"Oh…" said Aizawa, and sat down, defeated. His stomach wasn't feeling too good from the excess consumption of sugar.

He got elbowed in the ribs by his wife, which made him see white.

"I apologize for my outburst," groaned Aizawa.

"That's quite all right, Aizawa-san. I'm used to it," said L, munching through some grapes.

Aizawa's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, used to it!?" he demanded. L didn't reply, coolly observing him. That earned Aizawa a smack on the head from Eriko. Thank heavens his full head of hair was there to help absorb the blow.

"Aaach… I'm sorry, Ryuzaki…" he muttered, actively raising his arms in defense from his spouse. Darn L and his ability to play him.

L remained looking at him, expression unchanging. "I was merely observing your wife to see if she was OK, as she doesn't look well."

Aizawa was still looking annoyed at L. Suddenly the light of realisation went over Eriko's face, and she gasped. "So you two have been talking about watermelon!"

L looked impressed at her deduction, as, to put it nicely, he had almost instantly disqualified her from being a candidate for Kira.

"No, it's not like that! The labels on the boxes got mixed up!" pleaded Aizawa to his furious wife.

Eriko gave a look of horror and embarrassment, and gingerly looked at L, who glanced down at the table, avoiding interaction. Her face was now turning as red as a watermelon.

"I want to know what you do with watermelon!" whined Yumi, feeling left out of the conversation.

"No, Yumi!" said Aizawa.

"Ooh, do you wear it like a bra?" said Yumi, chuckling, a naughty gleam in her eye, and grabbing two pieces to put over her chest. Her mother leant over the table and whacked them out of her hands. Yumi started to tear up. "That's enough!" Eriko said, a warning look in her eye that she was going too far. Yumi settled down and morosely looked at her empty plate.

All the exertion had now taken its toll on Eriko. "Dear, I really am not feeling well – in no way is this a slight against Ryuzaki's excellent provisions, but perhaps we could leave?"

"Oh, of course," replied Aizawa, concerned. Yumi looked upset, but didn't object.

L looked rather emotionless but remained polite as they said their goodbyes.

Aizawa's brow furrowed as he pulled out from the hotel parking and into the street. That had been an unusual lunch, and Aizawa wasn't too sure what to make of it all, especially the unusual detective's character.

What did L mean, not telling Watari? No matter how out of touch L is, surely he would know that normal people wouldn't want to eat 20 desserts for lunch. Although, perhaps he thought they actually would enjoy the high quality sweets even though it was a diversion from their normal palette. But couldn't he have ordered the hotel food? Was there a good reason L wouldn't be safe if he did? Couldn't he have warned them? Did he mean to insult them by not catering to their needs? And worst of all, Aizawa got the sense that he'd be played even more if he were to clarify all this with the outlandish detective because it showed that he was fussed by all this.

"Slow down, dear!"

Aizawa braked just in time to avoid hitting the car ahead, and let out a breath of relief. His family let out anguished cries as their full stomachs were pressed into their seatbelts. He sighed as they started to move again. Too many questions, not enough answers. Had L been happy to see them leave? He's eccentric, but how impolite that would be if that were the case. They had been adjusting to his behaviour quite a bit, which is something a guest shouldn't be put in a position to have to do. He couldn't help but grit his teeth, and he was sure the vein in his forehead had started to throb. L sure was a mixed bag.

"Dad, your driving!" protested Yumi. Aizawa glanced over to see Eriko hanging onto the handle for dear life, looking queasy. And even Yumi showed some signs of being uncomfortable. Come to think of it, he didn't feel too good either.

"Pull over!" pleaded Eriko.

Aizawa slammed on the brakes, maneuvering the car to the side of the road. Eriko stumbled out, clutching at anything that would support her. She ended up slumping against the car, and leaned into the gutter, retching. At the sight of this, Yumi also couldn't hold it in and threw up. Aizawa felt faint; finally, he too succumbed.

"Glad we finally could all do something together," he muttered.

Eriko's head immediately snapped up and she looked annoyed. She opened her mouth to retort but an instant later, bent over to vomit some more.

Phew, saved.

Not wanting to give L an inch considering the likelihood that some insults were intended, Aizawa didn't mention the lunch at all for the next few days after work. L acted as if none of it even happened, to which Aizawa went to great lengths to hide his annoyance. Matsuda had looked like a complete wreck the day after Christmas, and it's quite possible that if anyone noticed that he was annoyed, they'd assume it was because of Matsuda. Aizawa gave a slight frown as he realised that Matsuda was actually being helpful, for once.

It had been quite a standard day. The elusive Kira felt just out of reach, and it was difficult to maintain focus over such a wide range of details and information. Aizawa was distracted as his phone started buzzing on silent.

"Mm?" he answered, showing he didn't like being interrupted at work, but was still open.

His wife was crying.

"Th-they took Yumi…"

"Yumi? No!" gasped Aizawa, as he stood up with such force that his chair crashed to the ground. The others looked on in shock.

"Aizawa-san!" said Matsuda, as he turned up the volume to one of the televisions in the room.

"…where a failed bank robbery turned tragic as a 6-year-old girl was taken hostage when the robbers tried to escape. Police are now following the vehicle as the robbers take huge risks at high speed. Stay tuned for more updates."

Aizawa stood still, like a statue, an expression of horror on his face.

L came running into the room, in Kevlar and holding a helmet. "We must go!"

That spurred them all to dash to the street and into a police vehicle.

Mogi drove with L and Aizawa in the car. The others followed.

"Take a left," ordered L, and the passengers were slammed into the side due to the force of the turn.

"Faster! We need to get where the car is!" said L urgently. He then took out his laptop and Watari's face appeared on the screen.

"Watari, you must find out who those robbers are and inform the police."

"Understood, L," came the crackly reply.

The image disappeared into the newscopter's feed of the chase.

"Right! Now!" yelled L. The car swerved right, but missed the turn. An oncoming truck had to slam on the brakes, and jack-knifed, losing traction and tumbling to its side. Mogi avoided it, but nodded his head in apology.

"Left at the next," said L rather grumpily. The next street was at least half a block away – plenty of notice.

Slowly but surely they were catching up. In fact, they were going to meet the chase head-on.

L pressed a button on his laptop and the news popped up. "…in fact, it looks as if they'll be able to make it to the underground zone, in which case they may disappear. So far, no one has been killed. If anyone knows any information about these three men, whether they recognise them or knew of their past movements, please contact police immediately."

Mogi looked distracted as he kept towards the ongoing chase, frequently looking at L in the rear view mirror, but seeing no sign of L to deviate, he continued. L looked lost in thought.

Seeing them speeding towards the chase that was now less than a block away, L leaned forward and grabbed the wheel. The car skidded to a halt, and the robbers' car narrowly avoided it. Aizawa held his breath, waiting to be smashed by a cop car, but they all expertly avoided him. The robbers had taken the left fork, leading to where the car came from.

Letting out a breath, Mogi put the car into gear and followed the chase, eventually catching up to see the robbers stalled in front of the truck that had crashed earlier. The cops were outside of their cars, and had surrounded them.

L pressed his laptop.

"…this is terrible – we've received word that the robbers have said they'd kill the girl unless they're allowed to walk."

Aizawa was trembling with fear.

L was calmly looking at his watch, and, wearing his helmet from before, dashed towards the robbers' car.

"L! No!" screamed Aizawa, but L was too fast for him. Pulling the handle, he reached in the car and grabbed Yumi.

Aizawa noted that the bodies of the three robbers were all lifeless, and they looked like they'd died instantly.

"Kira…" he breathed.

Yumi was still looking distressed, and Aizawa automatically reached for her as L neared him. She clung to him, silent and withdrawn. Aizawa simply continued to pat her and rub her back, patiently allowing her to process what had happened.

About five minutes later, Eriko appeared on the scene and grabbed Yumi, sobbing. Yumi was still silent, but Eriko continued to cry, oblivious to anything but her daughter's safety.

The team had gone to a nearby police station, where Eriko was cuddling a vague and stunned Yumi in the next room.

They had debriefed and most team members had left. Only Aizawa and L were in the room.

"Ryuzaki… how did you know the length of time to wait before going into the car?"

"I'd worked it out after seeing the first attack by Kira and confirming with other instances. I knew how much time he needed. Considering how it was being broadcast on every channel, it seemed unlikely he would miss it. Also, the robbers kept calling every minute or less, so I could use that as a baseline."

"So you'd orchestrated the pictures of the thieves on the TV, and also that the car would stop so Kira could get them without harming Yumi?"

"Correct, Aizawa-san." L paused. "And how is Yumi-chan doing?"

"She is not well."

"May I try to talk to her?"

Aizawa nodded, and followed L out of the room.

L was thumbing his mouth as he observed Yumi from a distance that would normally be considered to invade personal space. Yumi's glazed eyes tried to follow the shape in front of her.

"Yumi-chan, can you hear me?"

Yumi gave a small whimper, but still looked interested.

"Yumi, do you know what you need?"

Yumi blinked.

"CHEESECAKE!" shouted L, raising his arms in a cheer.

Slowly a smile appeared on Yumi's face and she weakly raised her arms, softly echoing L's words. Eriko burst into tears. Aizawa looked a bit teary as well. Both of them were so relieved.

"You be a good girl, Yumi, and I'll bring you the best cheesecake that I've ever tasted tomorrow," said L, winking. Yumi nodded, which earned a her a big kiss from Eriko on her head.

With that, L turned and walked out of the room. Aizawa gave his wife a smile, and then followed him out. The halls were deserted.

"L."

L stopped walking, but didn't turn around.

"I'd not been sure to make of you… but I can see that you went out of your way to save Yumi as soon as you knew she was in trouble. And helping her just now… I am very grateful."

"I'm glad to have your loyalty, Aizawa-san."

Aizawa raised an eyebrow at that. He hadn't mentioned loyalty… surely L wasn't entirely doing this simply to ensure his own future?

L continued. "And anyone who likes sweets that much can't be that bad."

Aizawa cocked his head. "Shouldn't the response be 'anyone worth being saved'?"

L didn't move.

Anyway, Aizawa was more forgiving of his motives, as they did save his daughter. At this point, he didn't really care.

"Thank you, L."

L nodded and continued to walk away.

"Ryuzaki… I don't know if you could foresee Yumi liking sweets to the point where it would snap her out of the trauma of being kidnapped, but maybe we should organise another lunch together."

"As long as you can guarantee I don't lose IQ points," mumbled L as he walked around a corner.

Aizawa smirked.