So the insanity begins!

EDIT: I've gone and spaced out the paragraphs on these past few chapters because I've gotten some feedback saying it's hard to read. I hope this makes it easier.

------------------------------------------------------------

That Morning

Sachiko had been sick. It had come on one of the worst possible days, one of his meetings with Roger. They'd called everyone they could, but there hadn't been anyone who wasn't busy that day, of all days.

Soichiro didn't take it too well, but grudgingly accepted it. It would be nice for the kids to see where he worked and what he did, even if they were too young to really appreciate it. He was, as anyone in his position would be, hesitant about taking a three year old and a six year old to work, but if worst came to worst he could always drive all the way downtown to drop the kids off at their aunt's.

He hoped it wouldn't come to that, not only would it be inconvenient, it'd be embarrassing. They'd left in a bit of a hurry that morning, taking only whatever clothes looked cleanest, so at least the kids wouldn't complain about wearing nice clothes all day.

They were too tired to talk much in the car, thank god, but the chattering began almost as soon as they'd pulled up to the building. Light's, at least, was understandable, Sayu was incomprehensible, or speaking too fast, either way she couldn't communicate effectively.

As Soichiro walked into the building with two small children in tow, the brown haired girl on his arm and the little boy hanging onto the back of his jacket and walking at varying speeds, he noticed he was getting a lot of funny looks. He'd been afraid of this. A security guard who looked like he'd taken the night shift and hadn't quite recovered came up to him "I'm sorry sir, but children are not allowed in the conference rooms." He intoned in a bored voice. Soichiro tried to explain the situation to him, that he had to bring his children in, but the security guard intoned that Soichiro would have to speak to his superior. He sighed; it was going to be a long day.

He'd argued up and down, but eventually he'd had to give in. He'd called a friend of Sachiko's with a daughter about Sayu's age, and she'd agreed to arrange a play date for the girls, even being so generous as to come and pick her up.

Not generous enough, however, to take care of his son too.

It was okay, he told himself as he walked down the hall, Light still hanging onto the back of his jacket like a life preserver, hadn't he wanted the kids to see what it was like where he worked? They're promised to send someone responsible to take care of Light…really; he had nothing to worry about. He knew most everyone here. It was high security, what could happen?

"Everything."

He thought to himself tiredly. But it was too late now to do anything, he had a meeting in a few minutes. He hurried down the hall to where he was supposed to meet the 'Responsible person' and slipped through a doorway. It was a little dark in the room he was in, and he fumbled for the switch. There was a voice behind him "Sorry I'm late, had to stop for coffee on the way down. So you're Soichiro, hm?"

The detective turned around abruptly (causing Light to swing and nearly hit the doorframe), flipping on the switch as he did so. It took him a moment to mask his shock. The boy before him couldn't be more than fifteen.

Holding a cup of coffee in one hand, the other in his pocket, the kid swallowed and nodded respectfully. "Hello. You can call me Ryuzaki. I was sent to take care of your-" He peered around Soichiro, catching sight of the little boy "-son." He frowned; he seemed to be expecting someone older.

"How old is he?" Asked the boy skeptically, taking another sip of coffee. Soichiro looked abashed "How old are you?" Ryuzaki didn't seem to mind that his question had been ignored, but looked thoughtful as he answered "Just turned fourteen. I'm only staying here a few weeks. Hm, But don't worry; I know my way around like the back of my hand."

It took Soichiro a moment to get his head wrapped around this idea. While he was regaining his speech, Ryuzaki smiled "I promise your son will be safe, sir. I'm doing this as a favor to your superior…" Soichiro nodded, still not liking the idea. But-he checked his watch, he had fifteen minutes to get to the conference room-fourteen year olds were pretty responsible, weren't they?

He'd ask someone at the meeting if he was really worried that Ryuzaki might not be trustworthy, but something told him to let it go. He nodded, standing up a little straighter, and pulled out a scrap of paper, scribbling something on it, handing it to Ryuzaki. "My cell-phone number. If anything happens, anything, no matter how minor, you call me, alright?" The wide-eyed boy across from him nodded, finishing the coffee and tossing the cup artfully into a nearby wastebasket.

"We'll stay in this area until you come back, if he gets tired there's a lobby with chairs…" Soichiro nodded-five minutes to go-and smiled as well as he could, trying to pry Light's fingers from his jacket. "He's a little clingy, only six, but he does talk…thank you very much, just stay in this area so I know where to find you."

He turned to Light and knelt, saying something softly but sternly, then gave him a quick hug and stood up, brushing himself off as he hurried down the hall. But as he slipped into the conference room, he remembered something he probably should have told Ryuzaki about Light's diet. "But" He thought as he sat down in a leather chair and pulled out his briefcase "what are the chances of Ryuzaki giving him sugar?"

Light surveyed the older boy questioningly, tilting his head to either side every once in a while as if to get a new angle. Ryuzaki shifted, he wasn't very used to young children, not unfamiliar ones at least.

"So…Light, is it? I'm Ryuzaki. Would you like to see some of the things in the building?"