"It's hard to believe you're eighteen already, Kimi." The young woman sitting across from Watari smiled brightly. Her dark hair was up in a tight bun, a few stray strands framing her face. She wore a dark pink tube top under a black leather jacket. Tight black pants hugged her long, lean legs and her leather boots completed her new look.

"Yes, I know." she agreed. "But...what am I going to do now? I can't stay here anymore..." Watari sighed, organizing a stack of papers on his desk.

"That is correct. I'm sure you're aware of Ryuzaki's current case." Kimi nodded. "Good. He has asked for your help personally." he explained.

Kimi was shocked to say the least. Ryuzaki, the world's greatest detective, chose her?

"I'm honored. Where is he now?" she asked, trying to control her excitement.

"He is in Japan. When you arrive there he'll tell you exactly where to meet him." Kimi bit her lip nervously. Could she really leave Masako behind? Would she hate her? Watari noticed her discomfort. "What is the matter? Do you not wish to work on the Kira case?" Kimi shook her head.

"No, that's not it. I mean, I can't just..." she sighed, gathering her words. "What about Masako? I can't just leave her." Watari reached across his desk to squeeze her hand.

"You must. She will be fine here at Wammy's, I promise you. She needs to learn to look after herself. You know she always comes to you for everything and it isn't good for her. Not at the age of eleven."

Eleven? She was still a little girl. At eleven that kind of behavior is not only encouraged, but expected.

"She's still just a little girl, Watari!" she snapped, jerking her hand away. "I won't force her to grow up and give her childhood up like I had to do!" She looked away from Watari, closing her eyes, willing herself to calm down. She heard Watari's sigh.

"Masako will be fine without you. Japan is where you are needed most right now, Kimi." She nodded wordlessly. "Please understand that." There was no point in arguing with him. She couldn't stay anyway, so what choice did she have?

You're right...I'm sorry for yelling." she apologized, her voice quiet.

"It's understandable. I will give you the rest of the day to pack and say your goodbyes." Watari stood up and walked to the large window that gave a view of the entire orphanage grounds. Kimi got up to join him, watching the children play in the huge yard. She giggled softly, spotting Masako attempting to get a white haired boy called Near to play with her.

"I just don't want to leave her. I know she has her friends and she has you...but..." She trailed off, pressing her hand to the glass. "I told her I would never leave her." Watari gripped her shoulder firmly and spoke in a fatherly tone.

"Kimi, you need to live your life. Masako will be fine here with everyone to look after her. I know the big sister in you wants to always be there for her, but that isn't always the best thing for her." He looked at Kimi, his eyes shining wisely. "Right now it isn't the best thing for you either."

She looked back to the window and watched her sister play, Watari's wise words replaying in her mind.

"Yeah...I know." She forced the words out. In reality, she didn't know. She wasn't sure if she would be okay without Masako. Kimi had never been on her own before. It had always been the two sisters...never one without the other. She bit her lip once more, a habit she really wished she could break.

"You should go talk to her." Kimi shook her head.

"No, I'll let her play with her friends. I've never seen her look so happy." Watari smiled along with her.

"Yes, I don't believe I've seen her look much happier either." Kimi giggled lightly, watching the white haired boy politely decline Masako's offer to play.

"Oh, look! There's Matt and Mello." she said, pointing to the pair near a large oak tree. "Aww, Matt's just trying to play his video game. Mello's not having any of it, though." she laughed. Watari chuckled, watching the boys and shaking his head.

"Mello can be quite the handful when he wants to be." he said. "Is Masako friends with Mello?"

"You know, I'm not sure." Kimi replied, tilting her head to the side. "I think Matt is friends with her." Watari nodded.

"He's a good lad."

"Yes he is." she agreed. The donging of the old church bell startled Kimi slightly. She watched as all the children ran inside the building. "Lunch time?"

"Yes, why don't you go see your sister? I'll be along in a few minutes." She stepped away from the window.

"Alright. Bye, Watari." He shook his head.

"Save the goodbyes for tonight, Kimi." She bit her lip again. Damn.

"Sorry, you're right." she replied, stepping out of his office. She stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets and hurried down to the cafeteria, hoping to avoid a huge crowd of hungry kids.

Saying the cafeteria was crowded was an understatement. Kimi had to carefully maneuver through the crowd the the back table where Masako usually sat with Matt, Mello, Near, and some girl named Linda. Kimi took a seat next to Masako, smiling.

"Hey, Masako." she greeted casually. Masako threw her arms around her big sister, grinning like a fool.

"Sis! What's up?" Kimi shrugged, deciding not to bring up the fact she was leaving at the end of the day. It wasn't the right time or place for that.

"Nothing much, I just wanted to see what you were up to, that's all." She smiled widely at Masako, who gladly returned the smile. Mello, who was sitting across from the sisters, eyed Kimi curiously.

"Why are you here?" he asked rather rudely. The redhead seated next to him jabbed Mello in the ribs with his elbow. Mello sent his friend one hell of a death glare. Near completely ignored the two, twirling a lock of his curly white hair around his pale finger. Masako was currently distracted by Linda and her sketches. Kimi sat there silently, observing how they interacted with each other.

Mello was obviously the hot-headed cocky one. His friend Matt appeared to be the loyal type...she might have even gone as far as to compare him to a dog.

Well, that was rude, she thought, mentally smacking herself. She looked at Near next. He definitely reminded her of Ryuzaki, appearance wise. Not for one moment did she suspect Near of being a pervert or candy addict though. She suppressed a shudder and rested her gaze on Linda.

Honestly, she didn't have many thoughts on her. She appeared to be a skilled artist, but she couldn't see anything beyond that.

Masako.

Looking at Masako, Kimi saw a strong willed young girl waiting to blossom. While Masako didn't have a talent for crime solving or hacking, while she was no secret agent or ninja, she did have a unique gift of her own.

She was exceptionally talented at baking sweets. Normally, this would be overlooked at many schools, but not Wammy's. Kimi remembered when she first discovered her knack for baking in the cafeteria kitchen. Ryuzaki had been nothing short of ecstatic. She smiled at the fond memory; Masako had been nine at the time.

Kimi's talent was much less impressive, so she thought. She was good at picking locks of various types as well as reading people. In a sense one might say she could unlock peoples' minds as well as she could doors or safes.

Honestly, that made her uncomfortable. She didn't like having the ability to read people...she always felt she was invading their privacy or something.

The church bell sounded once more, signaling the end of lunch and the beginning of afternoon classes. Kimi watched as everyone cleared out of the cafeteria, leaving her utterly alone.

And thanks to recent events, that thought was much more depressing. She sighed and rested her head on the table.

"You seem troubled." Kimi shrieked in surprise, sitting up with a start. Her wide eyes locked on to that white haired boy.

He never left? Kimi regained her composure and calmed herself.

"Shouldn't you be in class, kid?" She didn't mean to sound snippy, it just slipped out that way. Near was unfazed.

"I don't have any afternoon classes. I am the top student here." Kimi could tell he wasn't boasting, just stating a fact.

"Oh, so you get special treatment or something?" Near twirled his hair again, staring at Kimi with his dark, intelligent eyes. They reminded her so much of Ryuzaki's, though his weren't as cold as this boy's.

"I suppose you can look at it in that way." he said. "Was my observation correct?" It took Kimi a moment to realize what he was talking about.

"Oh...yeah...I have a lot on my mind right now." She felt weird talking to an eleven year old boy about her problems. She has always pictured having a therapy session with someone a little...older. At least older than her.

"I see." He made no effort to pry any further. Too bad, he was going to listen anyway.

"I'm legally an adult...so I can't stay here."

"You seem a little too upset for that to be the only issue." Near was a very intelligent little boy and very correct. Kimi sighed, resisting the urge to lay her head down again. She didn't want to be rude.

"I don't want to leave my little sister behind...but at the same time I don't want to compromise her future and education by pulling her out of Wammy's to come with me." She bit her lip as she explained her internal battle to Near.

She really wished she could stop doing that.

Near seemed to be listening to her, but she wasn't sure. He just kept twirling his hair...maybe that's why it was so curly?

"Your sister is Masako." She nodded. "I see. Think of it this way: by the time she turns eighteen and leaves this place you will be a twenty-five year old woman with a good job and a steady future. As of now you can't adequately care for her, nor is it a good idea to get her involved in L's cases." Near explained. He made some very good points. It embarrassed her slightly to know that an eleven year old boy knew exactly what to do in that situation.

"Yeah..." She felt her face warm considerably.

Needless to say Near made her feel stupid.

"When are you leaving?" he asked, genuinely curious. Kimi smiled sadly.

"Tonight. Ryuzaki wants me in Japan by tomorrow." A ghost of a smile graced Near's features.

"You must be honored. Getting a chance to work with L doesn't happen every day." He smirked. "Especially not on such an important case." Kimi nodded, standing up. Especially not on such an important case. That statement alone put even more pressure on her.

"I am..." she whispered, shuffling morbidly out of the cafeteria.

A lot could happen in seven years. What if she didn't make it to see Masako? Ryuzaki's idea of detective work was nothing short of life-threatening, after all.

She shook her head free of those thoughts. She would live for Masako's sake if nothing else. She had to.

But Japan was awfully far from Winchester, England.

No.

She shook her head once more as she took the stairs two at a time. When she got to her room she locked the door. There was an open suitcase lying on her bed, begging to be packed. She stuffed it with everything she would need for her stay in Japan. She gulped when she picked up a picture of her and Masako together, their arms casually thrown over each others shoulder.

She bit her lip and threw the picture in the suitcase.

After finishing up, she sat the suitcase by her door and flipped her phone open, dialing the special number given to her by Watari.

"This is L." said the synthetic voice.

Again she bit her lip.

It was weird to hear Ryuzaki call himself L. Only recently did she find out that Ryuzaki and L were the same person. It just didn't seem real to her...nothing did anymore. Nothing about this day seemed real. She realized she couldn't just stand there gaping at the wall forever, so she finally spoke.

"Hey, it's Kimi." she replied shyly.

"Is there something you require?" He was obviously a busy man, but it was hard to tell if he was annoyed because of the synthetic voice he was using.

"Look, I can't do this, Ryuzaki. I just can't put this much distance between me and my sister!" She prayed he wouldn't be too upset with her.

"You're putting me in a difficult situation, Kimi. I need your help with this case...you're the only one who can." She shook her head, not caring that he couldn't see. She sniffled, sliding down the wall, tears pouring down her face.

"I...I-I...can't..." she sobbed. She heard what sounded like a sigh.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Kimi. Contact me when you arrive in Japan." He hung up, leaving her alone and crying in her room. She pocketed her phone and pulled her knees to her chest, covering her face with her hands.

Kimi stayed like that until a knock on her door forced her to get up and wipe her eyes. She answered the door only after she was sure it hadn't looked like she had been crying.

"It's time." Were the only words Watari uttered. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Already?" Her voice shook.

"Yes, we need to go." She grabbed her suitcase and took a few deep breaths.

"Okay..."

Kimi followed Watari to the Wammy House gates. She looked back towards the orphanage, biting her lip.

Mentally, she was saying her goodbyes.

Goodbye Near...stay on top.

Goodbye Mello...don't get too crazy.

Goodbye Matt...go easy on the video games.

Goodbye Masako...be safe now and always.

"Come, Kimi." Watari's gentle voice was just enough to pull her back into reality. He opened the gate, allowing her to pass through before he shut it tight.

There was no turning back now.

Watari opened the limousine door for her and she slipped inside, flinching slightly when the door clicked shut. She sat her suitcase in the floor as Watari put the limo in drive and pulled out of Wammy's. She took one last glance at the orphanage before it was completely out of her sight.

She knew she wouldn't see that place again for a while...if ever.

"Watari?" He glanced at her from the rear view mirror.

"Yes?"

"Am I really a great asset to Ryuzaki?" Truthfully she didn't think so. Out of all the police officers or FBI he could've chosen...why her? Why choose Kimi, the inexperienced rookie? This would be her first real case...surely she wasn't anywhere near prepared for it.

"You've shown remarkable promise in your grades over the years, Kimi. Don't doubt your own abilities. Ryuzaki sees something special in you, after all."

"But this will be my first case." Watari chuckled.

"It's alright if you're nervous." She rested her head against the door, staring at the evening sky. It wasn't nervousness...it was much more than that.

"Will you be coming too?" She hoped he said yes. She really didn't want to be stuck halfway around the world in a whole new place with no one she was close to nearby. She didn't want to experience that.

"Not yet. There are things I have to take care of at Wammy's first." he explained. She sighed heavily, watching the signs whiz by. They were getting close to the airport. Thirty minutes later they were only a mile away.

The sky was growing dark and the first few stars of the night twinkled brightly. Watari pulled into the airport and parked the limo. Kimi stepped out, grabbing her suitcase.

There was a large jet plane stationed a few yards away, passengers hurriedly filing inside. Watari accompanied her to the stairs in front of the plane and embraced her.

"Goodbye, Watari." she whispered. Watari pulled away, smiling proudly.

"Make Wammy's proud, Kimi." Kimi smiled, putting on a brave face. "Make Ryuzaki proud."

"I'll do my best." She turned away from Watari, slowly climbing the stairs. When she sat down in her seat and strapped herself in, she looked out the little round window and waved at the limousine that was pulling out of the airport. She sighed and sat her suitcase in the seat next to her, not wanting to be bothered with other people.

The plane took off and before she knew it, Kimi was on her way to Japan...and the most difficult first case a rookie could have.

*~*(Kira Task Force HQ, Japan)*~*

L stared, unblinking, at the large computer screen displaying an Old English letter W.

"Has she boarded the plane, Watari?" he asked.

"Yes, Ryuzaki." Watari was using a synthetic voice, unsurprisingly. "How do you expect her to help with the Kira case? Don't you think this is out of her league?" L bit his thumbnail, swiveling in his chair to watch the Task Force members work. It wasn't like Watari to question L's motives...was he really that worried for Kimi?

"Who is he talking about?" Matsuda whispered to Aizawa, who was trying to look over some police files.

"How should I know?" Aizawa whispered back, annoyed. L ignored them and instead focused on the young man seated across the room, seemingly innocent at first glance.

Light Yagami.

Yes, L deduced that there was a 89.958392 percent chance that Light Yagami was Kira. It was a high probability, but it wasn't 100 percent.

That is why he needed Kimi and her fantastic ability to see people for who they really were. If anyone could prove his theory, it was her. He swiveled his chair, once again facing the computer screen.

"Don't worry yourself, Watari. Kimi won't be doing anything too dangerous." He glanced at Light for a brief moment. "I need her to confirm something for me."

"In Japan?" Watari questioned. L picked up a strawberry from a bowl on the table in front of him and popped it into his mouth. It reminded him of his first encounter with Kimi when she was just a little girl. Well, it was hardly fair to call her a little girl...he had barely been an adult at the time.

"Yes." He finished the strawberry and reached for another. "I'll send one of the Task Force members to the airport and they will bring her here to the headquarters."

"Alright, she should arrive tomorrow morning at approximately 8:15."

"Thank you, Watari. Have a good night." He clicked off the current screen and brought the files back up he had previously been reading over. "Matsuda."

"Yes, L?" he asked, standing up.

"Tomorrow at 8:15 you will pick up Kimi from the airport and bring her here. I'll provide you with a blindfold."

"Uh..." Matsuda sat back down. "Right."

L kept his back to the Task Force as he worked, eating his strawberries. Tomorrow he would get to see her again.

"I wonder how this will all play out." L muttered, thoughtfully. "I wonder."

Light Yagami watched L carefully.

"Just what is he planning?" Light whispered to himself, turning back to his research. Once his face was hidden he smirked. "He still suspects I am Kira? Well, it's going to take more than just some girl to prove that, L."