Misa knocked on the door of the Yagami house, feeling a sickening sense of deja vu. The feeling swelled when Light's little sister opened the door, just like last time. Misa felt her breath catch in her throat.
"Hi, Sayu," she whispered. The little girl's eyes widened and her chin quivered, but she didn't respond.
"Sayu, who is it?" Sachiko Yagami appeared behind the little girl, her face as tear-streaked as Misa's had been. "Oh... Misa. Light's not here right now... he's-" the woman's face crumpled and she sucked in a few ragged breaths.
Misa hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and hugged her. She held Sayu as well. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "So, so sorry." Misa held back her own tears. This was her fault, she had to be the one to comfort them.
She really does feel bad, Ryuk mused, smiling a little. Rem simply watched, her expression remaining solemn and uninterested.
Sachiko stepped away. "No, I'm sorry. Please, come in. You must be thirsty, I'll make you some tea."
Misa shook her head. "No, thank you. I just came to..." she frowned, her voice trailing off. Why did I come here? she asked herself.
Light's mother nodded in understanding and ushered the blonde girl into the house. Misa glanced fleetingly at the stairs leading up to Light's bedroom. There might be something in there that could help me...
She bit her lip when Sayu grabbed her hand and pulled her down on the couch in their living room. The little girl curled up against Misa's shoulder. Her mother smiled in apology. The grief was almost overwhelming now.
Misa's eyes wandered, finally settling on a family picture on the coffee table. Light couldn't have been more than ten years old when it was taken. His hair was shorter, his cheeckbones softer somehow, but he still had a fierce look in his eye.
"The... the funeral will be on Thursday," Sachiko said quietly. Misa nodded graciously, glad she wouldn't have to invite herself.
"Where's your husband?"
"He had to stay with his team. Even in the worst moments he's so needed..." she shook her head sadly. The time passed in almost complete silence after that. Misa decided it was time to go when Sayu started snoring on her. Sachiko walked Misa to the door.
"Don't feel like a stranger, Misa. You were Light's friend, and if you ever need anything... well, don't be afraid to come here," she told the model, touching her shoulder lightly before shutting the door.
Once safely outside, Rem spoke. "And what, exactly, was the point of all that?"
Misa glared at her and walked away, but not towards her house.
"Where are you going now, Misa?" the shinigami protested. Ryuk just followed along idily.
"It doesn't make sense for one person to have two Death Notes. I'm going to get a little help," she clarified.
"Can we get a few apples on the way? I'm starved," Ryuk added.
L looked at each member of the Task Force. "I fully understand if any of you want to quit," he announced in a monotone. "It seems the danger has increased for all of us, moreso because we don't know exactly what happened to Light."
"What do you mean we don't know what happened?" Mastuda shouted. "Light's dead because Kira killed him! Shouldn't that make it even more of a priority to catch him?"
"Matsuda, although the evidence suggests that, you have to remember that Light was, no, is the prime suspect in this case," L explained, meeting his eyes.
"What are you-"
"There is more than one Kira."
"You think the Second Kira is responsible?" Mogi asked.
L nodded.
Soircho clenched his hands into fists and spoke in a level voice. "Ryuzaki, you yourself said that there was only a small percent chance of my son being Kira. Now you're acting like his death proves it."
"Because it nearly does. What are the chances that right after we suspect the two Kiras have met, the prime suspect for the first one turns up dead? Also, why was only Light targeted, if he was innocent? Why not kill the rest of the Task Force, especially me?" the detective mused, curling his toes against the sofa he perched on and putting his thumb to his lips. He added, "By the way, I lied. It was ninety-one percent almost from the moment when I met him."
Soircho shook his head. "I'll never believe my son was capable of so much death. Never."
L repressed a sigh. "Regardless, I've decided we will continue this case as it was before this afternoon. We need to gather a list of possible suspects for the Second Kira, and work from there, starting tomorrow. You're dismissed for today."
The men all stood up.
"And remember, if any of you feel you should no longer be a part of this case, speak to me. I've accounts set up for all of you, should you choose the option," he reminded them.
The members all filed out, except L and Watari. L asked Watari to make preparations to relocate in a few days, then sat by himself wih a cup of coffee.
Suspects for the Second Kira... hm, I need to find out who Light's friends were, and if he knew any Kira enthusiasts. L sipped the coffee; it wasn't anywhere close to sweet. He made a face and set the coffee back on the table, picking up a packet of sugar.
I haven't considered why the Second Kira would kill the first. Everything we've seen of him points towards undying admiration and obedience. He sighed and added six more sugars to his coffee.
Maybe the Second was resentful? He shook his head. Unlikely, and even then he'd still be willing to obey. There's no obvious reason for it... so maybe it was a mistake. We still haven't figured out how Kira kills, so it would be hard to know whether a death was intentional or not. Hmmm.
A/N: I feel like my timeline is sort of confusing, and I'm about to mix things up even more. But, just so we have things clear, this story began between when Light met Misa and L met Misa. Anyways, thanks for reading! Wanna make my day? Then hit the pretty button that says "Review"! :D