A/N: Yay, I managed to post a chapter up before finals. Once again my ideal cast for this fanfiction is on my profile, so check it out. Hope you guys enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Death note.

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Chapter 01 – Encounter

It was a stormy night with the winds howling madly and the rain crashing heavily on the ground. Despite the chaos, a single car made its way home. Inside, Reiji crossed his legs and settled comfortably on its leather bound seats, ignoring the weather. For him, it had been a long day and rest was the one thing on his mind. Well, maybe another thing too as he studied the silver band around his ring finger. Today had been his engagement day and he was experiencing mixed feelings about it. True, he had everything to gain from this marriage, a beautiful wife, status, and power, yet, there seemed to be something lacking. Casting his thoughts aside he gazed ahead just in time to witness a flash of lightning. Shortly after, a body dropped from the sky right in the middle of the road.

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Jade weaved expertly through the woods. The terrain was muddy because of the storm but it was no problem for the agile girl. Behind her the two men chasing her were having a difficult time. Jade couldn't help but smile mischievously when she heard the curses the men let out. At last, Jade saw the last of the trees and entered a clearing. She surveyed her surroundings briefly then made a dash for it. She didn't fancy heading out to a place with little coverage but her pursuers were quickly closing in. Without the protection of the trees, the rain splashed directly across her face making it difficult to see ahead. BANG! The gunshot startled Jade causing her to trip and fall face first into the ground.

'Over here Will! I have her!'

Jade gasped as she found herself at the end of a gun barrel with two men staring down at her. She quickly scrambled to her feet all the while conscious of the gun following her movements.

'Where is it?' The man called Will questioned her impatiently.

'Wh–what?' Jade stuttered.

'Don't play games, we know you have it.'

'H–have it?'

'Hand it over before I blow your brains off!' Will spoke angrily.

'Okay, okay, calm down.' Jade removed her backpack and was about to hand it over when she noticed the gleam in his eyes. She withdrew her arms and asked, 'You're still going to kill me aren't you?'

'Yes.' The man answered and pulled the trigger. Just then lightning stuck the spot Jade was standing on. To the bewilderment of the men, the girl disappeared along with the lightning.

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Reiji studied the girl curiously. Her skin was as pale as a Westerner's but her short black hair indicated an Asian background too. Her face was shaped like a heart accompanied with a pointed nose and a determined chin. Though not a perfect beauty, she was quite pretty. Reiji sat by her side recalling how she had fallen out of the sky. It was fortunate that his driver was able to maneuver the car around the body. They had then gotten out of the car to discover an unconscious girl. Reiji had decided to bring her home which was much closer than the city hospital. Upon his arrival, the servants had been surprised to see their master carrying the damp figure of a girl, but they quickly hid their surprise and attended the girl. They got her out of her wet clothes and settled her into one of the guest room. The Namikawa doctor had been called to see the girl and have assured Reiji that the girl would soon be conscious.

As Reiji continued to gaze at her, the girl began to stir. Slowly, the girl opened her eyes revealing it to be a lovely black. She looked up at Reiji and asked, 'Who are you? Where am I? What happened?' Just as Reiji had guessed, she spoke in English.

'I am Reiji Namikawa and you're in my house. As for what happened I was hopping you could tell me. I was on my way home when you fell out of the sky. Who are you?' Reiji answered in English.

Reiji Namikawa? Why did that name sound so familiar? The man said she'd fallen out of the sky but that was absurd. The last thing she remembered was Will pulling the trigger on her then there was a flash of lightning. What exactly had happened?

There was a long pause before Reiji interrupted her thoughts, 'Well for starters, you could tell me your name.'

Reaching the conclusion that he meant no harm, Jade answered, 'I'm Jade. Jade Lawliet.'