Anna's POV
"I don't believe it." L managed to get out after what seemed like an eternity of silence. He was obviously in shock.
I giggled, "Believe it because it just happened."
L looked up at me, a look of complete and absolute disbelief. "It's impossible."
I leaned forward, resting my arms against the kitchen table, "Obviously not because it just happened."
L turned his attention back to the game board. He seemed to be thinking it over for a moment before his eyes met mine, "You cheated."
I leaned back in my seat crossing my arms over my chest, "That's a very bold accusation. Especially without any proof to support it."
L placed his thumb to his lips, "I'm the world's greatest detective."
"Yes?" I said not sure what that was supposed to prove.
"It's Clue. The world's greatest detective can't lose at Clue." L stated.
I laughed again, "Yet here we are."
L ran a hand through his messy hair. Everyone else in the orphanage had gone to sleep, but seeing as neither one of us had been tired we decided to play an almost friendly game of Clue. "You had to have cheated. Did you look at the cards?" He asked suspiciously.
I covered my face laughing, "L, I beat you fair and square. Accept defeat like an adult."
L pouted staring down at the board, "No." I shook my head getting up from the table to start putting the game away, but L stopped me. "Wait, I want to figure out how you cheated."
I laughed and kissed his cheek before gathering the cards up, "Let it go, Detective."
"Please don't call me that." He sighed and began helping me clean up the game, "I've been away from solving cases for too long. I'm losing my touch."
I put the top of the box on and rolled my eyes, "L, it's only been three months since the Kira case ended."
I heard L sigh and he grabbed my hand and pulled me into his chest. I wrapped my arms around him and looked up. "Anna, do you want to go on an adventure?"
I smiled and nodded, "Alright, let's go."
L's POV
The stars were sparkling above us as we laid outside by the swing set. It was roughly three in the morning when we finally got outside. We'd gotten smart this time and brought blankets so we didn't freeze to death or end up lying in the wet grass like we did when we were teenagers. I glanced over at her and smiled. We'd come so far since then. She turned to look at me, smiling childishly, "What?"
"What?" I replied watching her.
Her smile only increased, "You've been staring at me for the past two minutes. What's up?" Anna rolled onto her stomach to face me and I did the same, lying on my forearms.
"It's nothing really. I was just thinking."
Anna mimicked my position, "About what?"
I watched her quietly for a moment. Not sure where to being to form my thoughts into words, "Everything, I suppose."
Anna sat up, pulling her knees to her chest in a similar fashion to the way I usually sit. I did the same. "That's a very broad topic. Come up with anything interesting?"
I felt one corner of my lip twitch up into a half smile, "Maybe." I moved so I was next to her. I put my arm around her shoulders and she leaned into me in response.
"Want to let me in on what you came up with?"
I bit my thumbnail for a moment debating on where to even begin to comprise my thoughts into words. "Well, I was thinking about the last time we went on an adventure and how you fell off the swing set."
Anna smiled slightly, "I didn't fall. I slipped, there's a difference." She argued. I rolled my eyes, not that she could see. "Don't roll your eyes at me, L. There's a difference."
I looked down at her, "I didn't do anything."
She looked up to me, "I could feel you rolling your eyes. So what else fell under the category of thinking of everything?" She teased.
"Well, it's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."
Anna pulled away from me and turned to face me. She looked more serious than I'd seen her since the case, "What is it?"
I turned so we were facing one another once more. "There's a case Wammy brought to my attention. I think I'm going to take it."
Anna's face softened, "Oh, alright. What is it?"
"There's been a string of about eleven murders in the Dublin over in Ireland. The police can't seem to figure it out."
Anna nodded, "Alright, when do we leave?"
My heart sank. "Anna, we aren't going anywhere. It's just going to be me for right now." I said being sure to keep the emotion out of my voice.
Anna stared at me in disbelief, "I'm sorry, what? I'm not going?"
I shrugged, "I think it's too dangerous for you right now."
"You're joking right?"
I shook my head, "No, in your present condition I don't think it would be safe."
"It's a dangerous job regardless of whether or not I'm pregnant." I decided silence was my best option at this point. "Fine, I won't go, but then neither are you."
I covered my face for a moment to keep my composure, "Anna, I have to."
"No, you don't. L, we're a team and so if one goes we both do. We're not talking about this anymore. You're not going." Anna started to get up gathering up the blankets.
"Anna, you're acting like a child."
She rounded on me. Wrong thing to say, "I'm acting like a child? This coming from the man who was devastated over losing a board game."
"Anna, I didn't mean it like that. Just listen for a second. This case isn't going to get solved unless I go look into it. I won't be gone for very long. I want you to come with, I really do, but this is about more than us now. I wouldn't go if I didn't have to, but I have to." I said trying to reason with her, choosing my words carefully.
She looked close to tears, clutching the blankets in her arms to her chest. "Fine. I don't care. Go save the world then, Superman." With that she turned away leaving me alone outside in the chill of the December air. I finally walked back into Wammy's house and stood outside the door for a moment, debating on whether or not it was a good idea to go inside when she was so mad at me. I rested my hand against the doorknob and sighed trying to figure out what to say.
After a moment, I knew what I had to do. I had to lie. I pushed the door open and changed into my pajamas searching for the words to say to her. Unable to stall any longer I crawled into the bed next to her. She was facing away from me, "Anna? Anna, I know you're awake." She didn't answer. I wrapped my arms around her waist and held her against me, "Anna, I won't take the case. You're right we are a team."
After a moment's hesitation she turned to me and rested her palms gently on my cheeks before pressing her lips to mine, "Thank you."
I didn't respond, instead I just tightened my arms around her and waited for her to fall asleep. When she finally did, I kissed her forehead and got out of bed. I packed quickly and quietly before changing back into my clothes. I scribbled a note on a post-it and left it on the desk we had in the corner of the room. I picked up my duffle bag and walked to the door. I stopped in the doorway and sighed. I gave one last glance to Anna's sleeping form, "I'll be back I promise."
Anna's POV
The sun invaded the room through the thin curtains and I rolled away from the light, not wanting to get up just yet. I reached out across the bed, but felt nothing. I opened my eyes to see L's side of the bed empty. I sat up, sleepy and confused, where was he? I pushed myself out of the bed and got dressed when something caught my eye. I pulled my T-shirt over my head and turned to the desk where a bright orange post-it note sat separated from the rest of the stack. I picked it up and examined it. In L's neat, methodical calligraphy was:
I'm sorry. I'll be back soon, I promise.
Forever,
L
I covered my mouth with my hand to keep myself from freaking out. There was no question that L had written it. He'd taken the case and he was gone. I practically ran across the room and grabbed my cellphone, dialed his number and pressed it to my ear. I waited and waited, but it went to voicemail. His phone was off. "Damn it." I sat on my bed for a moment, holding my face in my hands. What was I supposed to do now? What if he got hurt or killed? "Lawliet, You've got to be kidding me." I whispered to myself looking over the note a few more times.
"Anna?"
I looked over to the door and stood up quickly, shoving the note into my pocket, "Mello. What is it?"
Mello gave me a suspicious look but seemed to brush it off, "Where's L? I need to show you both something."
I felt the note crumpled in my pocket. I ran my fingers through my hair in silence, "L took a case. He's gone." I answered honestly.
Mello's eyes saddened, "He left? But he didn't even say goodbye."
I shrugged, "What did you want to show me?"
Mello hesitated now, but then motioned for me to follow him. I followed him to the next room and he stopped outside the closed door, "You have to close your eyes." I did as I was told and I heard Mello open the door and pull me inside gently. "Okay open them."I did and covered my mouth, tears stinging my eyes. Near and Matt stood in the middle of the room awkwardly and Mello let go of my hand watching me. "Do you like it?" The walls were painted an off white with different cartoonish animals painted along the walls. In the center of the room was Near's old white crib freshly painted.
I nodded, "You guys… this is amazing. Thank you." The boys all ran over to me for a hug.
"It was Near's idea." Matt interjected as he released me. I looked to Near, who was turning a light shade of pink. I was surprised. Near hadn't taken the news that he would no longer be the youngest very well.
I hugged Near tightly, "Thank you."
L's POV
I finished setting up the last of my monitor's in one of the suite's side rooms. I'd done my research on the flight over to Dublin and the case didn't look very complicated. There were just a few aspects missing to complete it. "Anna, can you…" I stopped myself. Anna wasn't here. I was on my own with the exception of Watari. I sighed to myself and began searching through police files to see who I would use for my stand in to go to all the crime scenes themselves. I finally found someone after a few minutes: Evan O' Reilly. He was young, probably no older than myself. He had an outstanding reputation with the police force, had served for about six years, and was a Dublin local. I hacked into the system and sent him an e-mail using the police chief's e-mail address. Once that was done I pulled up the crime scene files. The case was fairly easy. The killer wasn't making any contact, but his killings certainly weren't random. The pattern was fairly obvious. All the victims were in their early to late twenties, fairly successful women, all had red hair, and every single one had been abducted from their homes then sexually assaulted before being suffocated. It was obvious that these women must be a stand in for some rejection that the killer had experienced. I just needed to find this woman and then I'd find the killer. It'd be even better if the killer made a mistake and left even a partial finger print. For now I'd have to wait for O'Reilly to get back to me. Until then I'd just have to go over the evidence until I found something.
Anna's POV
I sat by the window, not quite ready to go to bed. It was getting late, but I just couldn't do it. It was too big for one person. "Anna?"
I looked over to the door. Near, Matt, and Mello were all standing in the doorway. "What are you three doing out of bed? It's late." I said getting up.
"We couldn't sleep." Matt admitted.
"Plus you seemed upset earlier." Mello added.
I forced a small smile, "I'm alright."
"Liar." Near muttered.
"Excuse me?" I asked incredulously. Had Near really just called me a liar?
"Can we stay in here tonight?" He asked, ignoring my question.
I looked between the three boys and nodded, "Sure, why not?" They all got into the bed and I turned off the light before returning to my spot by the window.
"You're not going to sleep?" Matt asked from his spot between Near and Mello.
I shook my head, "I will in a bit. Don't worry." He did as he was told and laid back down. I pulled my knees to my chest and looked down at my phone, willing it to ring although I knew it wouldn't. I sighed and looked back out the window. Trying to call him was useless he never had his phone on. I shook my head, holding back tears. There was nothing I could do. Utterly defeated for the moment I crept over to the bed and got in next Near.
I felt a few tears begin to fall, but before I could do anything I felt a small hand wipe them away. I opened my eyes to see myself staring into Near's grey ones that were so much like L's. "Please don't cry. He'll be back. He always comes back."
I smiled and pulled Near into me, holding him tightly, "I hope so."
