A/N: Yeah. I updated. This chapter is longer than the first one. I hope it's not too long because I was planning on it. To let you know ahead of time, anything in italics surround by ' ' means that its dialogue from the TV. Near makes a small appearance in this chapter because he will play a role in later ones. That would start about Chapter 7. I know this because I planned the next 4 chapters out. Actually I'm working on the fourth one know. Enjoy. Oh yeah, I guess I made Light a little more evil in this chapter. You'll see.

CHAPTER 2

:Fear:

Rule 3: The owner's name is protected from a human who has done the eye trade.

Light had searched everywhere in Thorn's small, one-bedroom apartment. There was no passports, no driver's licenses, no ID cards to be found. Nothing to give him the woman's name.

"Dammit," he said aloud, quickly placing everything where it had been. Thorn would be back in a few minutes from her job and he did not want her to know that he had been snooping around for information. Light was beginning to think that she knew that he would try to search. She would leave the house too many times in one day, giving him too many opportunities to look. She was probably enjoying the idea of him running around on a nearly impossible search. Ryuk was; he was still laughing in the kitchen.

The shinigami picked up an apple and bit into it. "You found anything yet?" He looked at Light, who was still wearing blue pajamas, the only item of Thorn's clothing that was big enough and not girly.

Light glared. "What do you think, Ryuk?"

Ryuk grinned, catching the frustration. "At least she's not keeping you here against your will. Plus she got apples." He threw the core into the garbage and dug into the fruit bowl on the counter. He pulled out a green apple and examined it. This is new.

"I don't trust her."

"Because she isn't praising you on her knees, yet?"

"She has that book and she's not going to hand it over. It's easier if I kill her."

"How are you going to kill her, Light? You don't have a name and this time the trade's worthless."

"Have you forgotten all the times I outwitted people, Ryuk? I'll trick her into it. It won't take long. She's a woman after all." He had his experience with women and he could not think of one that he had not gotten to trust him. Even Naomi Misora, a former FBI agent who had been wary of Kira, had fallen into his trap.

The shinigami laughed. "If it does take long, you won't win this game."

"Game?"

The door opened and Thorn came through with grocery bags and one shopping bag. With her foot, Thorn kicked the door closed. She spotted Light on the couch and Ryuk in the kitchen. "Hello Ryuk, Ki — Yagami."

"Hi," Light replied, his eyes following her as she walked to the kitchen. Today, she was wearing tall black boots, a black skirt, and a black corset with a purple shirt underneath. She had on fishnet stockings that had rips but he supposed it was some sort of style. The main choice of color, black, was no different from what she had chosen yesterday. Light would have wondered what the inside of her closet looked like if he hadn't bothered searching there for any information.

Thorn put the bags on the counter. She then reached into a bag and pulled out apples to refill the fruit bowl. "I hope you weren't bored, Yagami." Once again, her voice was monotone.

"I wasn't."

"He found other things to do," Ryuk stated.

She looked at Ryuk. "Like what?"

"Ridding the world of criminals," Light replied before Ryuk could say anything about his search. As evidence, he picked up the Death Note and lifted it up by one cover's side. The notebook flipped open and revealed the numerous names he had written since last night.

"You did a lot." Her dark eyes glanced at the television. She started to come back into the living room. "You could have put it on, if you wanted."

Light saw where she was going and beat her to the TV. "Don't worry. I got it."

He pushed the power button and sat back down on the couch.

The TV was already on the news channel. The news anchor was talking about how a young man had saved an old lady and her parakeet from a fire just minutes before the fire department arrived. They showed a picture of the young man holding the bird cage and the old woman thanking him. Light sighed. Nothing important, he thought. He looked over his shoulder and saw that Thorn was back in the kitchen, putting food and cans away.

"Thorn?"

She turned around and stared at him expectantly.

"You haven't told me anything about yourself."

"It's only been a day." She leaned against the counter. That was the fourth time in less than twenty-four hours that he had tried to find something out about her and she had put it off. She was paranoid that Yagami would use it against her to his advantage. She was not surprised at how different things were backstage than in the audience. It was much easier to admire from a far than up close. The point was that she was just as open to him as he was to her. She only hoped that he did not find out her true objective before she could finish it. He would kill her.

Thorn got out of her world and looked at Ryuk, who was eying one of the yellow apples. "You can try it, Ryuk. It's not poison."

Ryuk took one and bit it. "It's not as good as the red ones."

"I'll buy more red ones next time."

Ryuk said something but Light ignored the rest of the conversation as he made his way over to the kitchen. She had once again shrugged off his question, refusing to give him an answer. That irked him. He was used to people listening to him as Light as well as Kira. However, she only believed in the latter. "Thorn," he said and touched her shoulder.

That one action had such an immense effect on her body. It suddenly went rigid as her muscles tensed. Light frowned. Suddenly, Thorn pulled away from him and rubbed where he had gripped her, almost like he had hurt her. She turned her back on him as she opened a cabinet and started to put a few cans of beans in. "Please don't touch me, Yagami."

"Did I do something wrong?"

Her eyes dropped to the tiled floor. "No Yagami. I guess you just startled me."

"Startled? You looked frightened for you life."

"Look: I'm not one of your many girls who would fling themselves at you. As a matter of fact, I could care less about men. So don't think your charm will work on me."

Ryuk laughed.

Light wanted to reply to that statement, something along the lines of a subtle insult. However the TV caught his attention by a mention of the simple word 'L'. He looked at the screen, already seeing the letter there. The person started to talk, obviously using a voice changer.

' . . . Though you are killing criminals in a similar fashion, I know you are not the real Kira. If you've hoped I would have try to hunt you down, I'll tell you now: I have no interest in this case. You're just another twisted murderer and the Japanese police will apprehend you. You're just a mockery of the real Kira.'

The 'L' disappeared off the screen and was replaced by news reporters.

'That was an interesting message. Not Kira . . . Well after the last fake, I wonder if this one will quit while he's ahead. . .'

Light narrowed his eyes. He shouldn't expect any less from Near but that angered him, telling the world that he was a fake. If I could still remember that bastard's name, he thought. He turned toward Thorn, whose eyes had also been glued to the TV. I need to find hers out too, he thought, and she only making this difficult.

"Aren't you going to write that name down?"

He snapped out of it. "What name?"

"Hikaru Shimada. He's been . . . raping women in the local area. The police haven't caught him yet."

He shook his head. "Maybe later," he stated. "I feel in the mood for a shower."

Ryuk frowned. Is this whole 'L' thing bothering him that much that he's refusing to write in the Death Note? I doubt it. Then what are you up to, Light?

"Wait." Thorn reached for a bag. She held it out fo him. "Here. In case you want to change into something else. You've been in those pajamas all day, haven't you?"

Light took the bag and looked inside. Despite the kind of clothing she usually adorned, the clothing she choose for him was normal. Instead of black, he saw something white and green. "Thanks," he muttered.

"No problem." She shifted on her feet and her eyes looked at the stove. She did not feel like cooking. In a way, she would be cooking for him and for some reason it pissed her off. She had always cooked for herself whatever she wanted and now she had to find something that he would not mind. ". . . Do you want to go out later on? We can eat out and you can see the city and stuff, maybe stop by the arcade."

"Why?" Light asked, feigning surprised. This is perfect. I was going to ask her to get out of the house. At least this way, I can test my theory without looking suspicious.

Thorn shrugged. "I just feel like getting out."

For whatever stupid reason, he had agreed. First they had eaten at a fast food restaurant. It had been crowded and noisy. To top it all off, the service was horrible. Some time afterward, she had shown him around the city, pointing out the malls, fancier restaurants, and local hangouts for a majority of college students. Light had seen nothing of interest in any of the places. The only good thing that he would have to say was that he would have rather eaten at one of the restaurants on the tour than the one she had taken him to. Finally, they went to the arcade, the last place on the list. The moment Thorn had gotten inside, she had went to a shooting game. Light, not in the mood of playing games, followed her to whatever one she wanted. It was something called 'Sharpshooter' and it did not sound interesting at all.

Light watched as she put in a few coins into the slot and picked up the plastic pistol. She looked at him and asked if he wanted to play. He declined politely.

He and Ryuk watched her shot her targets on the screen, a few civilians popping up here and there among the terrorists. She was into the game, maybe too into it. She was in her own world now, forgetting that he and Ryuk was even there. By the time she was on level ten, he decided to say something.

"How long will you play for?" He had glanced at his watch; it read nine-fifteen.

Thorn realized that Light and Ryuk had been watching her the whole time. " . . . I don't know. You can play if you want. It's two player." Her voice held no indication whether she meant that or was trying to be polite.

"I rather not." He eyed the screen. "You just shot a civilian."

She paused before firing again. "It was an accident." She heard Light sigh but she didn't look away from the game. He probably thinks I'm a danger to society now.

A guy came over and watched her for a while before producing a few coins of his own. "Mind if I join you?"

"Sure. The game was getting harder anyway."

He put the coins inside the slot and picked up the second pistol. He soon joined her in the game.

Light watched the man, seeing how he passing furtive glances in Thorn's direction. He was certain that Thorn was unaware as she perfected her aim to kill the enemies with less rounds. Light had heard when the guy asked if he was her boyfriend. Thorn had given a curt shake of the head. The furtive glances had actually turned into full examinations. Light could know tell that Thorn was feeling nervous as she missed a few of her targets. Her eyes kept glimpsing at the guy to catch him staring.

Ryuk laughed. "Why don't you say you want to go if you're getting annoyed, Light?"

Light did not reply to the shinigami because the guy was within hearing range. As much as I want to, it's too early to leave. But at least I know what bothers her.

Finally the guy said, "It's not often I see a chick playing these games."

"Really?" She missed another enemy, her mind no longer focusing on the game. Her character was reloading and seem to be taking longer than ever before. Why did I switch to the shotgun?

The guy continued. "Yeah. To me it's a plus. And I hope that," he reached out for her hand to get her attention. However, Thorn thought a lot worse and immediately elbowed him in the stomach. "What the fuck?" He yelled as he doubled over, catching the attention of several people.

Thorn stared at the guy, wishing she hadn't relied on her instincts. She felt bad but he had that coming. She glanced at the screen and saw that the game was over. Thorn stared at the flashing screen, almost annoyed that she had been so close to ending the game. If this guy hadn't been here then maybe she could have won.

Light grab her wrist. "Let's go."

She followed him, missing the small smirk he wore on his lips. As they stepped out into the cool night, Light released her hand rather quickly. She then believed that he thought that it was now a taboo to touch her. It was not so much the case — she wanted to tell him and he would be the first person she would admit it to but she could not. It was personal to her, not something that she could forget, dreaming about it occasionally at night despite the countless times she tried to bury the thought. As they walked, Light didn't say a word. Figuring that he was mad at her, she treaded the waters lightly. "Yagami?"

"It's all men in general, right?"

It took her a while to know what he meant. "I guess so."

"Was it a boyfriend that did something to you?"

Thorn halted and a second later, Light did as well. He turned around and faced her.

"Are you going to keep prying into my business?"

Light didn't say anything. Then, changing the whole conversation, he said, "Do you mind getting something at the store for me?"

"What?" Thorn thought that the request was out of the blue but thought nothing of it.

"Something with a hood to wear."

She gave him a funny look, not seeing why he'd want something with a hood, before walking away. "Fine."

When she disappeared around the corner, Light reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of the Death Note and a pen. He checked his watch. "Nine-thirty-five," he said. He thought for a while before he scribbled a time onto the paper.

Ryuk laughed. "So that's why you didn't write that criminal's name down. You wanted to use him to come after Thorn. But how is Thorn going to defend herself against an armed man?"

He's armed? Although the fact was new, Light shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I'll come and he'll see something that will scare him, Ryuk."

Ryuk grinned. "I guess that's where I come in."

"Ryuk?" The shinigami stared at Light, waiting for his question. Then it came. "What game were talking about that I could lose?"

The shinigami's grin widened. "That's something you'll have to figure out for yourself, Light."

At nine-forty, Thorn was halfway to the clothing department, deep in thought. Her mind was on her conversation with Light, if it could be counted as one. It had upset her that he had questioned her about it and that he could have pieced it all together. The idea bugged her as well as eased her mind. If he could figure it out, then she wouldn't have to say a word about it. She passed by an alley when she heard a sound. She was about to turn when a knife pressed against her throat.

"Come," someone ordered.

She found herself retreating into the alleyway, her back still facing her attacker. Suddenly she was slammed into the wall. Before she could let out a scream, a gasp of shock, her mouth was covered.

"Don't say a word or I'll cut you."

She closed her eyes tighter as the man squeezed her breast, the handle of the knife pressing against it, as she whimpered quietly. She found herself looking at the face of Shimada. It's that man from the news. Dammit! She tried to struggle but couldn't get free. Shimada started to unlace the corset. No! She started to kick aimlessly, not really having a target.

"Why don't you stop this shit?" Shimada ordered, becoming more forceful. He rammed his leg between hers and slid it up. Thorn noticed how her leg was between his and took the opportunity to knee him in the ground. He pulled away in pain and she took off. The man recovered faster than she expected and chased after her. She was doing fine until she had to slow down before she ran into a trash can. Those few seconds costed her.

Shimada leaped and tackled her into the floor, knocking the wind out of her. He covered her mouth and jerked her head back, pressing the knife against her throat. "Try that again and I will kill you." His hand left her mouth and roughly pulled down her fishnet stockings, making more holes in them. Soon she heard his belt being unbuckled and she let out a low whimper.

"It's alright," the man soothed. The blade was pushed closer against her neck and he lifted the back of her skirt to reveal her underwear. He grinned. "It won't hurt in the least." He was about to remove her underwear when he heard footsteps coming up ahead. He looked up and saw a young man. "Who are you?"

Thorn looked up and was surprise to see Light standing there. Yagami . . . this is so humiliating. Anyone else, someone who I don't know, would have been better. I feel even dirtier now that he's seen me like this.

"If you don't leave this place, I kill her," he threatened. He saw Light reach into his pocket and pull out something. "What's that in you hand?"

Light did not answer. Instead, he threw it and Shimada caught it. "Nothing but a crumbled piece of paper."

He heard laughter and saw a monster standing in front of him. The creature grinned. "Humans can really be stupid sometimes."

The man stood there, shocked, then scared. He got off Thorn and ran toward the street. Light casually glanced at his watch. There was one more minute and the man wasn't even halfway down the alley.

Light walked over to Thorn and knelt down beside her. "Are you okay?" She slowly sat up and did not bother to respond. He caught the quivering of her bottom lip and he almost wanted smirk. She was frightened and now he could comfort her, gaining some of her trust. Keeping his smirk hidden, he pulled Thorn against his body. Her face was buried in his shirt and his chin rested on top of her head. His arms were already around her; hers were not.

Ryuk waited to see if she would retaliate because Light was touching her. He was surprised to see her hands grasp the back of Light's shirt. I guess Light got what he wanted. Ryuk heard the screeching of a car and then people's screams. And that must mean that the guy got killed just like how Light planned.

Thorn wanted to look but Light held her head in place. "It's better if you don't look. The guy's pretty messed up."

Somehow, that made her happy to know that. To her, he deserved what had happened to him and she hoped that he was dead. She almost scared herself because of her sense of rage and anger. She never associated those feelings with the justice Kira did. His justice was separating the good from the evil and removing the latter. These feelings, she associated them with revenge.

Light removed his chin and brought her closer. He then fixed the back of her skirt. "That was that Shimada guy from the news," he whispered to himself. It seemed that he had just realized that fact. He glanced down at her. "If I had known this would have happened to you, Thorn, I would have killed him this afternoon. I'm sorry."

Her hands clenched the fabric tighter as if taking her frustration out on the shirt would make everything else so much better. However, that did not work well and so Thorn rested her head on his shoulders for comfort, inhaling his scent. " . . . It's okay, Yagami."

Light heard the sirens. They would have to get out of here soon. But in the mean time, he would be proud that he lured her into a false sense of security with him.

Near sat on the floor, building his newest structure out of toothpicks. When his subordinates entered the room, he did not pay heed to them. Instead, he continued to build his structure and make it look more intricate. "Is it about another death in Japan by the Kira imposter?"

"Well, it wasn't a heart attack, Near, but it could be him all the same."

Near added another toothpick. "He's more persistant than the other one from three years ago."

"Near, shouldn't you—!"

"I told C-Kira-2 I have no interest in this case and I meant that."

Rule 4: The owner of this book is not exempt from pain.

A/N: I read the Death Note one shot and Near refers to the fake Kira in it as C-Kira, aka Cheap Kira. I figured that Near wouldn't believe this is the real Kira because he saw Light die and all. But he'll be believing soon though. Anyway, thanks to badkidoh, knightgirl4jack, and question (?) for reviewing or posting up their comments. Next chapter is called Recognition.