Ace: Well, Light, have you decided to be good?

Light: *whimper Yes, o great powerful Ace.

Ace: You know what, I'm beginning to like this kid!

L: I'm not.

Light: I got you cake...

L: I love you forever and ever, Light-kun!

Ace: I do not own Death Note. *sigh

L: Aw, it's okay, Ace-kun.

Light: We still love you.

Ace: *sniff Thanks guys. *group hug

Chapter Three: Unexpected Savior

"Yay! Field trip! Field trip!" Light was bouncing up and down like a hyperactive puppy.

L was quick to shoot that puppy. "We are not going to be leaving Japan."

Light's face slipped into a pout as he sat morosely on the bed. "Why?" he asked in a voice that sounded like he was dying.

"I don't trust you around small children, especially when said small children are my heirs and ready to take the Kira case should you choose to kill me off."

"L Lawliet, I am mortified that you are so quick to think the very worst of me when I have not even the slightest wish to kill you or your heirs."

"Only because we are currently not a threat to you, Light-kun."

Light bit his lip to keep his next handful of words from escaping his mouth. He couldn't tell L the truth about this; the detective simply wouldn't believe him anyway. He compromised. "What if I promise not to use the Death Note while we're gone? Would that reassure you of the safety aspects?"

"Why can't you just leave the Death Note behind, Light-kun?"

"Because you could easily have me apprehended while I was defenseless without it."

"I gave you my word, Light-kun, that I would not unmask you as Kira, and I intend to keep it." L's eyes softened slightly then, and he gently laid a hand on Light's arm. "Besides, you're starting to grow on me again, Light-kun."

A small smile stole over Light's face, one of the few ones he'd had for completely innocent and non-Death-Note related reasons since he'd picked up the notebook. "Okay then L. I'll play this your way. No murder notebooks. No shinigami. No Kira."

L threw a strange questioning glance to Light. Why was the mass murderer who seemed to want to control L's every action suddenly seem perfectly content to let L make all the decisions now? Light knelt by the bed and somehow squirmed his entire torso underneath it. After a moment, a voice hesitantly and pitifully broke the silence. "Um, L, I think I'm stuck."

"Is Light-kun certain he cannot extract himself without my assistance?"

"Yes." Light's voice sounded so pathetic, L couldn't help his next actions. The detective leaned over, grabbed Light's leg, and carefully pulled him out from under the bed.

"Oh look," he murmured, "I think I found the monster under our bed."

Light's face could have easily scared off any such monsters. "Here," he said, offering L the black notebook he clutched to his chest.

"What is it, Light-kun."

"My Death Note. We can take the trip now, right?"

"...I guess, Light-kun." L surprised himself there. He'd meant to say I guess you left me no choice, Kira-kun, but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to hurt Light in that way, not when Light was starting to trust him again.

L had been very secretive about their destination, refusing to tell Light anything other than the name of the place, Whammy's Orphanage, and that it was in England, but Light didn't mind. Now, they were walking along a darkening street with relaxing oaks alongside, the chain hidden in Light-s jacket sleeve and L's shirt sleeve at L's request. "No need to frighten the other children," he'd said.

Four figures stood by the gate. The two smaller ones hid in the shadows while th other two stood in the center, one hiding behind the other. And then there were suddenly three kids by the gate and one child shamelessly attached to L, a leech on his waist. "L!" he cried, squeezing the detective, "Near promised you'd come!"

"Of course I would, Mello. Now, if you would be so kind as to release your choke hold around my diaphragm, I would like to see young Cross."

"Mello!" The redhead showed up then, gently prying the black hugging thing on L. Light could finally see them both, and he found them rather strange. The blond boy almost looked like a girl with his long hair and feminine figure. The redhead seemed okay enough with his wild hair and striped shirt, but the orange goggles covering his eyes were strange. "Come on, let's go get chocolate."

A white-haired boy in pajamas led forward a brown-haired girl in a green shirt and jeans. Her purple eyes widened when she saw Light, and she held out her hand to him. "Hello," she murmured shyly. "My name is Cross Tolly. Who are you?"

Ace: Good boy, Light. You do have a heart! *obnoxiously tight hug

Light: Choking!!!! Air!!!! NEED AIR!!!!

L:*sitting on chair watching interactions while eating cake Review...

Light: *breaks away FREEDOM!!!!!!

Ace: And with that saddening word, INTO THE CLOSET WITH YOU!!! *shoves boys into closet and leaves