I just finished rereading the Deathnote series today, and I thought, what if L hadn't actually died? Then I remembered the crack I had written forever ago, so Rai came out to visit for a while and we got this! :D Let me explain really quick: L managed to survive the Deathnote but didn't tell (meanie), Rai took his spot, caught Light, got rid of his memories and sent Ryuk on his way. Matt and Mello, Light and Misa are both happy couples, Near is Rai's buddy, and it's all faded away. And so this all brings you to…..Paradise Returns.

-About 4 years later-

'Here goes nothing…'

She slid open the window of her second story room and swung her legs out, pushing off from the sill to land in the huge willow tree. It was time she went to get the answers she was looking for. A cold smile crept onto her face as she shimmied down the trunk of the tree, dropping to run across the huge dark lawn to the sleek motorcycle she knew would be waiting.

"Mello's going to kill me when he finds out. But if I want to know anything, it's a risk I have to take."

She lifted the helmet in contemplation before setting it aside and hopping on the machine, bringing it roaring to life. Sleek leather boots left the ground and she gunned the throttle just in time to look back and see the door fly open, an all too familiar enraged voice reaching her even over the engine's roar. Her hand flew up over her head in a salute as she laughed and she took off down the street, burgundy hair merely a streak of color in the endless dark.

'Well, I'm definitely in the right place. Leave it to him to drag me somewhere so damn classy, where everyone will know my by now infamous and ridiculously fabricated reputation.'

Head held high, giving off an air of confidence she would never feel in these places, the girl strode into the building, green eyes darkening dangerously when she found the sought after face. Her boots scuffed softly across the dark carpeting as she walked across the room to him, gently sliding into the chair he stood to pull out for her. "You know how much I hate places like this, Near."

He merely smiled and wrapped a finger in one of the strands of white hair hanging around his face. "Why yes, it's nice to see you too, Rai. You get even prettier when you're angry. So how much do you want to know?" His face slid into a stoic mask as he leaned back a bit, dropping his hand and pulling a knee up into his customary sitting position.

She growled under her breath at the boy, eyes darkening to almost black. "I don't want to be playing around, and you know that. Making me come all the way out here, to a place where my face can easily be recognized….if you'll just tell me so I can—"

"Turn around. Go up those stairs, and go into the first room you see. You'll find everything you need to know." He smiled softly as the light flew back into her eyes and she gave him a genuine smile, hopping up to go around the table and give him a peck on the cheek. 'It's hard to believe she's still so young. …only twenty-five now. That idiot…'

"You're a bastard sometimes, but right now I'm pretty damn glad I know you. Thank you so much for this." She turned and jogged out of the room, easily taking the stairs he'd pointed out two, often three at a time. For a moment Rai just stared at the delicate hand curled around the doorknob, random thoughts flashing across her mind. Like him, she had hands crafted for artistic purposes, hands made to caress another in the dark. Her eyes squeezed shut as she sucked in a deep breath and turned the handle, stepping into the room and closing the door quietly behind her.

Soft candlelight comforted her worried eyes as she stepped farther into the room, and she breathed in a suddenly all too familiar smell. Her mind went back to that time….

Flashback

'Ryuzaki, why exactly are we on the roof at two in the morning? In the rain no less.' Rai tilted her head at the young man, walking forward to stand beside him. He turned to her and she felt the color creeping across her cheeks , suddenly thankful that the night was so dark. For weeks now she'd been trying to hide the feelings that curled up in her stomach whenever he was around, but it was getting harder.

'They say the eyes are the door to a person's soul. From what I've seen, yours must be quite beautiful….' A cool hand came up to stroke her feverish cheek and she bit her lip, holding back the quiet moan that wanted out. No way in hell…but it was hard. Right now, like this, he looked so much more alive. Black hair clinging to his face, white shirt soaked and clinging to a body she was suddenly dying to touch.

Her eyes darted back up to his face, taking in the obsidian eyes and dark circles that made them that much more endearing, the pale, creamy skin, to soft lips she wanted to taste. Her breath hitched as his hand trailed down her neck, moving slowly to cup the back of her head. Before she could comprehend what was happening, her feet were flush with his, the heat from their rain drenched bodies steaming between them as his slow breaths trailed across her lips, giving her the chance she'd need to pull away. When she didn't, it was all the answer he needed.

Their lips met in a hesitant kiss, both wary of the way they reacted to each other. Her arms circled around his neck, his around her waist, and when their bodies met it was like a switch had been thrown. Tongues twisted in a passionate fight as they gripped each other closer, fueled by the limited barrier the wet clothing offered. When both were breathless the kiss broke, and Rai smiled as she rested her flushed face against the cool skin of his neck.

Her eyes closed to breath in the way he smelled as she reveled in the feel of his arms around her….

It was that smell again. No matter how many times she'd taken what she smelled within it and threw the substances together, it always just smelled like a mess. And no other person in the world had that smell, that would make her dizzy, and hungering for a taste of him.

She clenched her eyes shut to hold back the tears when the hand touched her gently on the shoulder and a warm breath tickled her ear. "I'm so sorry…."

Only one person could ever have that voice, and hearing it made her spin around and throw herself into open arms, letting all the heartache and anger and sorrow of four years make its way from her body in great wracking sobs. He leaned down to swing an arm under her legs and lift her bridal-style, walking to the bed and cradling her in his lap. Her sobs eventually quieted to occasional sniffs, and when she looked up at him, green eyes glossy and rimmed with red, he felt a pain sear through his chest as he realized what she must've been through. "You know something? All this time, for four years….I never once cut my hair. I remembered how you'd once told me you liked it long, so it was my reminder. For the one man who truly loved me."

He smiled as she dropped her head on his shoulder, curling her arms around him possessively, like he might disappear again. His hand came up to cup her chin and he tilted her head for a long awaited kiss. His hands moved down her sides lightly, remembering instinctively what her body liked. Soft moans came from her throat, and she whimpered a bit when he pulled away.

L just grinned at her as he lay back across the bed, pulling her onto him. "Four years is a very long time, wouldn't you agree?"

She squirmed up his body so she could reach his lips and kissed him again, like her life depended on it. "You have no idea."

So, tell me whatcha think! Sorry I couldn't think of a good title, and if y'all want this to keep going, I can explain better in the future. Tell me quick! Finals are coming up, so I'll have a lot of spare time between tests! :3 Thanks everyone~