I'm gonna choke on her life again

It was a look that could shatter the hearts of strangers in an instant and slice even the bitterest of souls.

What it did for L was nothing short of both.

"Misa?"

The cherubic face normally accented by a cheery grin and smiling eyes was now pale, expressionless. Her bright russet eyes shone with luminosity unnatural for even her, whose eyes were always shining. No, it was something other than her natural brightness that made her eyes sparkle today: they were laced with tears, catching the light and twinkling like jewels.

"Misa, what's wrong?"

The young detective's gaze crossed the thin blonde's delicate frame, concern kneading his scarcely existent eyebrows together. Suddenly, his eyes fell on her left arm, which she held to tightly with the other one. With a sharp intake of breath, realization came over him, leaving him awash with the sick awareness of truth.

Misa's arm was black and blue.

Just as L opened his mouth to speak again, Misa's face erupted into a smile—a forced, broken smile that didn't fool L for a minute.

I'm breathing it in like deadly poison

"Misa is fine!" she chirped with artificial vigor, "Misa just fell, is all." She scanned his face for disbelief, and he met her gaze with full-on solemnity.

"I'm a world-renowned detective, responsible for solving some of the most impossible cases this world has ever seen. Do you really think I'm stupid?"

Misa's face fell, her façade wearing off as quickly as it appeared. She stared at her feet—black and red striped knee-high socks covered them—avoiding L's eyes. L took a step closer, narrowing his eyes.

"He did this." It wasn't an accusation or a question; it was statement of fact. He placed a hand on her good arm, looking up at her with eyes torn with anger and grief. "Yagami did this to you."

Still Misa was silent, avoiding those infinite holes through which L saw.

And finally, she whispered, "Misa deserved it. Misa was being annoying."

Her words tore at his heart, each syllable like poison-tipped daggers slicing cruelly at his innards. Misa deserved it.

Had he ever at any moment doubted that Light Yagami was evil, personified, it was reaffirmed in an instant. Had he ever doubted that his destiny was to be the death of Kira, he was aptly convinced otherwise. The number of lives lost at Light's hand was no comparison to the look on Misa's face as she blamed herself yet again.

"Misa…" L breathed, completely at a loss.

Again, she forced that broken smile.

"Misa will be fine, L! You have important work to do! Please don't worry about Misa!" With a flail of her hand, she beckoned for him to shoo.

Her outstretched hand was the only invitation needed to hold on.

Lawliet seized her hand and pulled her close to him, wrapping his arm around her waist. Misa blinked quickly, surprised at the sudden embrace.

"Don't worry about you?" he choked. "You state that as though some alternate option exists."

Misa's mind didn't follow the flow of the large words L used, but her heart understood perfectly. She let herself soften at his touch, finally dropping her act. Crystalline tears slid down her face, and she held him tightly with the arm that wasn't battered.

"It's Misa's fault," she whimpered, clinging to him.

L shook his head. "It's never your fault, Misa. Light was wrong."

Misa abruptly pulled away from L's embrace, and for the first time she smiled sincerely. Her face lit up in the way that L was used to, and her red, puffy eyes looked amused. All at once her vitality returned, and she giggled. L smiled as well, feeling the weight on his chest lift at once. Perhaps this would be the beginning of change.

"L is so silly!" she said, her angel voice gurgling over in laughter.

"…Light is never wrong!"

I just want to get through to her, before her last breath