Rem could not stop sighing.

Ryuk could not stop stop laughing.

And that's why Misa kept cursing, even though it earned her an unaturally soft reproach from Rem every time. Which, in turn, only annoyed her more.

The most miserable day of life, and they wont SHUT UP, she thought, gritting her teeth as she walked home.

The blonde woman was more than miserable, really. She was trying very hard to keep an outward appearance of calmness-she didn't want another hour long lecture from Rem about how much simpler it would be to forget foreit ownership and forget the Kira business-but ultimately failing and suceeding only in becoming more frustsrated and miserable.

My problems aren't even close to gone, she lamented. L wasn't at the funeral, so I need another plan to find him and kill him. Light would have known what to do... Damnit, Misa! STOP thinking about him. This has to be it. No more wallowing in grief all the time. I mean, I know it's all my fault, but it CAN'T be my sole focus if I'm going to make a new world.

Misa smiled at the thought of that. The New World. Light's dream come true; a place without violence and hopelessness, the perfect place where the innocent were... well, innocent.

Then she tripped.

And that was all it took for the tears to start yet again. She crumpled hopelessly to the ground, curling up there on the freezing concrete and hugging herself, shuddering from both the cold and the mournful sobs escaping her body.

"Misa, you need to get up. It's too cold to stay outside. Look, it's even snowing," Rem murmured, gently touching the emotional blob of a girl on the shoulder. Misa shoved her hand away and buried her face further into her knees.

"Go away, you annoying monster," Misa moaned, wanting to be alone. Even if it meant crying for a few minutes on a dirty sidewalk during snowfall. Ryuk's bellowing laugh seemes to mock her situation. "You too!"

Rem, not knowing what else she could do, simply complied with Misa's wishes, hovering just around the corner, as she couldn't actually go too far from her anchor. She resorted to dragging Ryuk with her when he only answered her threats with more laughing.


L didn't feel like going home, so he asked Watari to just drive around for a few hours. The older man did so, always happy to comply with whatever L needed him to do, even if it was boring and time-consuming.

To the younger detective, the monotonous repetition of driving in circles did not seem so. Almost the oppositte, really. It gave him a comforting sense of control. He knew which street was which, and he could have Watari change direction or turn around at any time. L liked knowing he had options.

Maybe I really am losing my mind, he realized as he contemplated all this. He was calmer now that he was away from the funeral. L was a little surprised he'd made it away from all the guilt and the grief, even managing to make it out with a small list of possible suspects.

He now had names for the four women now. He hadn't gotten acess to their files yet, but asking around for few minutes had helped him figure out the common knowledge.

The blonde who'd comforted him was, of course, Misa Amane. Most of the family didn't know who she was, but she could have been Sayu's babysiter, as she'd been with the younger girl throughout nearly the entire thing.

The dark-haired girl that had been sitting closest to him was Haruhi Nagati; an honors student who'd transeferred schools shortly before Light died, but had known him.

The one with glasses who had been crying was named Minami Hayate. A cousin of the family, as was the proper-looking one whose name was Shinsa Rengen.

L ruled out the last two, although he knew would study their files regardless to make sure.

That's it, then. The Second Kira is either Miss Nagati or Miss Amane, he thought. He would have both their houses searched for any obvious evidence, and when something turned up on either woman, she would be arrested and interrogated. I'll have to find out how and to whom she passed Kira's power to. And once the Third Kira is gone, the world can return to the even more unnecessary violent place it used to be.

He sighed at the thought, half out of relief and half out of foreboding. The man turned his attention back to the window, about to ask Watari to drive to their new lodgings when he saw something, no, someone in a heap on the ground.

"Watari, stop the car. They may be hurt," he said, stepping out before the over-conspicuous limosine came to a complete stop. He didn't usually hop out of moving cars for random hobos, but there was something that told him to go help this person, and where would L be if he didn't follow his instincts?

"Excuse me," he called sofly, approaching the heap of black fabric on the sidewalk. He could now see that it was a woman, at least. She didn't acknowledge his precsence, but she was making strange sucking noises like she couldn't breathe.

He stopped and crouched down. "Do you need- Oh... Miss Amane? Are you okay?" he asked, even more concerned now that he could see her face. She was crying, obviously, but it didn't sound like crying. She sounded as if she were being strangled.

L was worried that she might freeze to death on the ground or get mugged if she didn't move anytime soon, and as she wasn't even responding, that seemed a likely prospect.

Deciding to be a good samaritan, he used all the strength he had in his upper body-granted, it wasn't much-to pick her up off the ground and carry her to the limosine. L was shocked at how light she was and nearly fell over backwards, but managed to steady himself and walk to the car.

Misa didn't protest. In fact, she seemed to relish the comfort and warmth of another human body. Her breathing sounded less strained, at least.

Watari was standing a few feet away from the car. "Does she need medical attention?"

L thought about that, then shook his head. "Probably not. But I don't think she's responsive," Well, duh. You practically kidnapped her and she didn't say a word, he thought, pausing to delicately set the girl in the back seat before continuing, "And it's not a good idea to leave a woman on the street at night. Let's just take her to our hotel. We should change locations again tomorrow."

Taking a suspect to spend the night at investigation headquarters? I'm getting dull, clearly.

Watari's face betrayed that he did not approve, but he knew L would get what he wanted in the end, so he got back in the car and drove towards their hotel.


Misa didn't open her eyes for the person talking to her, even when he picked her up and put her in a car.

"Are you okay, Misa?"

I hope he takes me home and kills me, she thought miserably, not answering him. Serves me right. I'm a murderer too.

She knew nothing even faintly along those lines was going to happen though, Rem simply would not have allowed it. And if she listened close enough past her own ragged breathing and the noise of the car's engine, she could faintly hear Ryuk chuckling. It then abruptly got louder and she knew the shinigami was in the car.

Without opening her eyes, she mumbled, "Go follow the other guy. I don't want your notebook anymore."

"What was that?" the man who'd caried her asked, sounding confused. His voice was familiar, but she couldn't place it.

Ryuk stopped laughing for a moment. "Me? Damn. This was getting good, too," he said before uttering something closer to a smoker's cough than anything else and leaving.

Rem chose that moment to lecture the model about stranger danger. Misa couldn't decide if she was serious or just trying be annoying, but not being able to yell at her without freaking out the other people in the car, she just covered her ears and inched away, tears and quiet moans escaping her.

Oh, God. I didn't even know I was still crying. I'm hopeless, she thought, curling against the warm seat, away from the nagging shinigami. The seat attempted to move away from her, and Misa realized she was cuddling with the man.

"Sorry," she sniffled and moved away, but stopped when a hesitant arm wrapped around her, pulling her back against him. Misa froze, not sure if he was trying to be nice or preparing to rape her.

"It's okay. You were nice to me earlier, so I owe you. I didn't like this suit anyway," the familiar voice replied, lettling go of her so she could decide to continue blubbering all over him or sit by herself. "I'm Ryuzaki, from the... funeral," he added, a little pang in his voice on the last word. I knew he sounded familiar. I wonder if goes around picking near strangers off the ground a lot.

After a moment, Misa had her breathing under control, so she slowly slid a few inches away and opened her eyes.

That was the moment she knew exactly who he was.


A/N: I know it's not the greatest chapter. Bear with me here. Reviews are appreciated.

By the way, readers, if you spot a mistake or plot hole anywhere in here, feel free to tell me. I tend to miss those things in my stories, and I appreciate the chance to correct them.