Mother held his hand lightly. She walked with her head held high, proudly, with a smile on her face. He observed her critically as they walked, wondering what made her beam with such happiness. She seemed to be glowing.

She felt his gaze and looked at him, still smiling, but with questioning eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" She asked him, ruffling his hair gently.

"I was wondering why you were so happy." He answered. She laughed and picked him up, even though he felt he was starting to get too big for that.

"I'm happy because I'm with you." She answered. He smiled, feeling special, and pulled lightly on a strand of Mother's hair. He liked her hair. It was silky and soft.

"Where are we going?" Lewis asked, hugging his mother and feeling safe and comfortable.

"I'm going to drop you off at school. Afterwards, I'm going to class myself." She hugged him and giggled a little. "I'm excited… It's our first day of school."

They got to Wammy's house. Mother put him down and he took her hand, then let it go. He was going to school for the first time. He should be brave, and that included not holding Mother's hand. What kind of a man would he be otherwise? I mean, he was already five, quite the grown-up.

They got through the gate and some children stopped their games to look at him. They began to whisper among each other, and looked dark and unfriendly.

He felt a chill run down his spine. Hell, he was five years old! He's have time to be a man after this! He took Mother's hand. The whispering got worse.

"Mother, why are they whispering like that?" he asked in a low voice he could hardly hear himself. However, as always, Mother heard him.

"Probably because you look a lot like your father. Also, because you're not an orphan. Lewis, I told you this would be hard, remember?" Mother smiled at him. "However, you can do it. I know you'll be the best."

Lewis let the words sink in and nodded, determination flooding his face. Ever since he heard of who his father was, what he did for a living, he had decided he also wanted to be a detective, to take the title of L, and be even better than his father.

"I admit this is scary. However, I'll do my best. I have to fight for my dream!" He smiled at her and let go of Mother's hand. "That includes being a man."

"Don't you become a man too fast, you." Mother poked his ribs playfully. "I want you to be my baby a while longer."

"I wouldn't admit this to anyone but you, Mother." He said in a confidential tone as he motioned for her to come closer. "But I'll let you treat me like a baby even when I'm fifty. It's comforting to know someone will spoil you and love you no matter what."

Mother laughed, not mockingly as Uncle Matt did sometimes, but happily.

"I'm glad you see me like that. I'll spoil you all you want." She hugged him and kissed him. "I love you, Lewis."

For a moment, Lewis felt embarrassed. How would the other children respect him like this? They'd probably tease him worse than Uncle Matt did! Then, he decided he would have to win their respect, and it was easier to have courage with a kiss from Mother than without it. Plus (and he smiled mischievously at this), Uncle Matt had given him the best weapons in his insults arsenal when Mother wasn't looking.

They went inside the house and went to Roger's office. Mother left him there and, with another kiss and a hug, went out the door.

The instant she left his sight, his heart leapt to his throat and his mouth went dry. Roger led him to a class, talking all the way, but he didn't hear a single word. A few minutes later, he found himself sitting at a desk surrounded by older children that gave him weird looks, and waiting for a teacher to show up. He turned to his right, towards a window, and observed his reflection. Did he really look so much like Father? Whenever he saw his reflection, he saw Mother, not Father. He sighed and suddenly, realized two boys were standing before him, and he guessed they had been trying to talk to him but he hadn't heard them.

"I'm sorry, did you talk to me?" He asked. One of the boys frowned at him, then laughed.

"I guess it's probably a coincidence. You're not him." He laughed loudly.

"What do you mean?" Lewis asked, puzzled.

"I was worried that you were the one the rumours were talking about… L's son, and I was worried you would try to compete with me to be Near's successor." He smirked. "However, it's obvious you're too stupid for that."

The insult hurt. Lewis' pride was bruised, and he really wanted to punch the boy in the nose. However, he didn't just look like his father, he also had his self-control.

"You cannot judge how smart or how stupid I am just because I was too deep in thought to answer your question. In fact, just the action of being able to think deeply can be enough to qualify me as a smart human being to some people, whereas jumping into conclusions without really having evidence can qualify you as a stupid." Lewis smiled at the evident anger in the boy's face. "Mada mada dane."

The boy's face grew red, and suddenly, all hell broke loose.

"Damn!" I said, remembering the small package in my pocket. I really wanted to give it to Lewis in his first day of school… I checked my watch and decided I still had time to go back, give it to him, and get to my class on time. I ran to Roger's office, wondering if Lewis was still there. He wasn't, but Roger told me he'd lead me to his class.

"We just put him there because that's the class his father was at his age. I want to know how his abilities compare to L's." Roger explained. I shook my head.

"Lewis is not L. I'm not saying his father was smarter, I'm just telling you to look out. Lewis is Lewis. You never know what he'll do next. Trust me." I smiled as I reached for the doorknob to Lewis' class.

I opened the door and saw my five-year old on top of a boy almost twice his size, punching his nose and saying things that would make a grown sailor blush like a schoolgirl.

"I never imagined he'd do this, that's for certain." Roger said, and I could hear the laughter in his voice.

"LEWIS JEEVAS!" I shouted in surprise, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing myself. "What's going on here?"

Lewis' face grew red when he saw me, then pale.

"Mother…" He jumped up and brushed the dust from his pants quickly. He then outstretched a hand to help the other boy on the floor up. Perplexed, the boy accepted his help and climbed to his feet.

I didn't know what to do in this situation. However, I had a feeling Matt would be getting it later.

"Lewis, come with me." I ordered in a cold, steely voice.

Some of the boys began snickering. I turned and gave them my evilest look. They shut up instantly.

As soon as we were on the hallway, Lewis stammered:

"Mo-Mother… It's not what it seems…"

"So you weren't on the floor punching one of your fellow students and saying words I definitely didn't show you and I suspect you have absolutely no idea of what they mean?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, I DO know what they mean… Uncle Matt explained…" Lewis stopped talking, and I suspect he had a sudden vision of his Uncle Matt dying a very painful death. "What I mean is that I did it in self-defence. First, he insulted my intelligence, then he insulted father. He couldn't piss me off, so he tried to hit me. That didn't work either, Uncle Matt taught me the dirtiest tricks someone could try on me, so I was prepared and countered them accordingly. But then…" Lewis' face grew red, and he closed his mouth angrily.

"And then what?" I asked, not Ungently.

"He said… bad things about you and Uncle Matt." Lewis' little hands closed into tight fists. "That I couldn't stand."

I was intrigued.

"Why did that bother you more than insults to your father?" I asked. Lewis was always asking about L, trying to know more about him. He idolized his memory, and got mad whenever Matt made jokes about him.

"Because he wasn't really talking about Father. He didn't want to believe I am L's son, and I suspect he respects him almost as much as I do. However, he said horrible things about Uncle Matt and you. Although they are not true, I couldn't stand him saying them. I…" He saw the unspoken question in my eyes, and whispered "Please don't make me repeat what he said."

I shook my head and hugged him.

"It's all right, then." I smiled. "I have a present for you."

He looked up surprised.

"You aren't going to punish me?" he asked.

"Lewis, I can't punish you for that! You were defending something you love, in this case Uncle Matt and me. It would be wrong for me to punish you for doing something I would have done, too. However, don't tell anyone I said that." I winked at him. "The one that's going to die is Uncle Matt for teaching you those words…" My expression grew grave. "Lewis, if I ever hear you say such words again, I WILL punish you. Do you understand?"

He nodded, and I smiled, satisfied.

"Here is the present I brought you."

I took the small package out of my pocket and gave it to him.

"Go on! Open it!"

He opened it with care, and his face grew in an expression of surprise and pleasure.

It was a small silver disk that had a chain so he could hang it around his neck. The disk had a simple pattern engraved on the edges, and a dragon in the centre, since Lewis loved dragons.

"Wow, Mother! I love it!" he exclaimed, but I raised a finger to shush him. I pressed a small button hidden in the disk and it popped open, revealing an inscription on one side and a picture on the other.

The inscription said "Doubt whom you will, but never yourself." He smiled at that, and smiled even more broadly when he saw the picture. It was one we took at the mall, at one of those instant-photo booths. It was of Matt, Lewis and me laughing together, side by side. It was a great picture. Lewis would never show it to anyone, since he knew almost all about Kira. It would be seen by just his eyes, and I had burnt the other copies.

"Mother, this is incredible! Thank you!" Lewis threw himself in my arms and hugged me. He then asked me to put it on. As I did it, he said "With this, if I ever get discouraged, I can remember in a second what my dream and my objective is. Thank you, Mother! But…" He paused for a moment. "I don't want to sound ungrateful or anything… but… don't you have Father's picture?"

I finished locking the chain around his delicate neck and shook my head.

"Sorry. There is no picture of your father in existence that I know of. However, if you ever want to see him… Just look in a mirror! You're identical to him!" I smiled. He just looked sad.

"Whenever I look into a mirror, I see you, not Father." He sighed as a teacher entered his classroom. "I have to go. We can continue this conversation later. Take care, Mother. Do your best! I'll do mine!" He gave me a quick kiss and went inside his classroom.

I stayed in the hallway, unmoving, for a long time, thinking. This son of mine…

After a while, I walked outside, not caring that I was way too late to make it to my own class. I'd go tomorrow, it didn't matter. I just thought of how could a five-year old be so mature, so wise… and know such foul language. I was proud and sad at the same time. I loved him so much, I didn't know what I would do if something happened to him. I would probably break apart, unable to do anything. I looked at the blue sky overhead and thought of Matt. I smiled. Whenever I didn't know what to do, he'd be my strength. I knew it, and was thankful.

I went back home and found Matt in the living room, a cigarette in his mouth, wearing only his Mario Bros. boxers and playing PlayStation.

"Whoa! Shouldn't you be in class?" He asked, running to his room to get properly dressed.

"Shouldn't you be smoking outside? Shouldn't you be helping with the cleaning? Shouldn't you be helping to properly bring up our child?" I counter-asked, going behind him but staying outside his room.

Matt emerged from his room with pants on and a shirt dangling from his hand, the cigarette gone.

"When did he become 'our child'?" he asked, puzzled.

"When he got your name, you gave him an alias and you said you'd be his father figure. However, no father would teach him insults that even a gangster would find shocking!" I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Oh, so you found out about that…" He said, blushing a little. Matt was so sweet.

"No! You're trying to knock some sense into him! Don't think of him as a sweet guy!" I told myself angrily. I explained what had happened at Wammy's House earlier and Matt began to laugh loudly. I made a show of acting annoyed, but he knew I was dying to laugh too.

"Oh, come on, Nilla… It was funny." Matt gave me a little smile, knowing I wasn't overly angry any more. I let go and began laughing too, remembering. However, I soon sobered up and warned Matt not to teach him such stuff again.

"Really. Not even Mello said those things. What were you thinking?" I asked, going to the living room and making myself comfortable on the couch. He followed me.

"You don't know how it is. It's like a viper's nest, that orphanage. He's gonna need all the insults he can get." He shuddered and began pulling his shirt over his head.

"MATT!" I exclaimed, thinking it was no reason to teach Lewis such language. However, Matt, being Matt, replied:

"Fine. I won't put my shirt on. Jeez, you don't have to shout." He took the shirt off and smiled at me.

"Oh, no need to give me such a smug look. You have nothing to be proud about. I've seen better." I gave him an impish smile.

"Oh, yeah?" he asked, mirroring my expression and leaning towards me until our faces were very close.

"Yeah." He opened his mouth and I knew we were about to go into dangerous territory. I didn't want to.

"The point IS, Matt, that you could have been more subtle." I turned to the window and pulled up my knees, hugging them.

"Yeah, maybe." Matt put his shirt on at last and grabbed the controller, bored with the conversation already. I sighed. "I won't do it again I promise. Did you give him his present?" he asked. I nodded. "Did he like it?"

"He loved it."

"I'm glad." He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out another chain with a medallion.

"Here. I had this one made for you." He tossed it to me and kept playing. I observed it. It had a completely different pattern from Lewis', and in the centre, instead of a dragon, it had a star.

"Matt… It is beautiful… Thank you." I looked and sure enough, it had a button. I pressed it and it opened. It had two pictures inside, instead of a picture and an inscription. One was of Matt with Lewis. The other one was…

"L! This is a picture of L! Where did you get it?" I asked, surprised.

"Remember your old iPod?" he asked, smiling at me with a spark in his eyes I knew only too well. "Out of curiosity, I connected it to my computer and found some of L's files. It was on one of them."

"You…" I didn't know if I should strangle him or kiss him. I decided on doing neither and walked out of the room, holding the small medallion tightly in my hand.

He came behind me and grabbed my shoulder.

"You're not mad, aren't you?" he asked, concerned. I turned and he stared at me right in the eye. I blushed slightly.

"I don't know." I began to laugh. "I think you're sweet, but at the same time…" I gave him the medallion. He looked puzzled, then hurt. He thought I didn't want it!

"Please help me put it on." I smiled sweetly.

"Certainly."

He clipped it around my neck and we went back to the couch. As he played, I observed the two pictures.

I missed L. I felt I would die to see him again.

------------

There! That's today's chapter! I hope you liked it! Be good and review!

'Mada mada dane' is a phrase from Prince of Tennis. I couldn't resist making Lewis say that... Although since they are in London, the other boy probably didn't speak Japanese. Too bad... i just wanted to see it there. To those of you who haven't seen Prince of Tennis, it means "you still have lots more to work on". It's like a polite way of calling him loser. XD

Well, until tomorrow!