Isabella trembled as she cried. She had her face buried in her palms, and she was gasping for breath. "Sh-Sh-Sh-She sold me….f-f-for drugs…" she whimpered, trying to breathe. The rain was pounding down hard on them. Isabella didn't care. She didn't care anymore. L watched her with a look of sadness. He had never seen her so upset. But anyone would be upset if they knew that their mother-the one to hold them and love them and keep them safe- sold them for marijuana. Isabella swallowed hard, shaking like a little leaf. She wanted comfort. She wanted to hide. She wanted to be back at Wammy's, where it was safe. She wanted Mello. Thinking about her former best friend made her cry even harder."I-I-I-I wasn't even a day old….and she just….sold me….." Isabella took a big breath, before sobbing again. L slowly reached over and pulled her into what was some sort of hug. Isabella sobbed hard into his shoulder, letting her arms dangle at her sides. She cried for a very long time. And L held her.
Isabella breathed as calmly as she could, but it was still difficult for her. As soon as she would start to calm, she's start whimpering again. Isabella kept her face buried into L's shoulder, her arms slowly wrapping around him. L shifted a bit, holding her tight. "It's going to be okay…" He whispered. Isabella shuddered. "Roger said that my parents were waiting for me with open arms…"Isabella replied, her voice hoarse. She tensed up again, ready to cry. L patted her back softly. "Things happen for a reason…" L tried to keep her calm. He didn't want her to suffocate from all of her gasping. "Without all of this happening, you probably wouldn't have shown up at Wammy's House. You wouldn't have met Mello. Or Near. Or Roger. Or Mr. Wammy. Or me. All of this could have been a lot worse. You could have grown up here….just imagine how horrible it would've been for you…" L said to her. Isabella thought about his words and nodded once. He was right. Without her mother selling her, she wouldn't have had the lifestyle she did have. Surrounded by safety and friends. She got a good education. She was well fed and protected. Mr. Wammy loved her, and so did Roger…..in his…..own…special way. She knew that Mello loved her, no matter what they've been through, and Near didn't hate her too much. She knew that L loved her, too. Isabella smiled just a bit, moving her head to L's chest. His heartbeat was warm and strong. She held onto him for another long while.
"Thank you L….for coming here with me…..thank you so much…." Isabella whispered and retracted away from L. He nodded and smiled softly. "Come on…..let's go try to catch the bus….or walk to the nearest confectionery. I need some cake." He walked down the verandah, Isabella following him. The cold rain felt so good against her skin. "Every time's cake time for you, isn't it…?" She smiled to her quirky friend. "Look who's finally catching on." L replied.

"Yes. And a slice of strawberry cake." L paid for his cake, before sitting down. Isabella sat right across from him again. She buried her head into her arms, deep in thought. L interrupted her a few minutes later. "Are you planning to go back to Wammy's? I'm sure Roger has some punishment waiting for you…." L said to her, nibbling on his thumbnail. Isabella looked at him, thought for a moment, but did not reply. "I don't know yet. We'll have to cross that bridge when we get there." She replied, drinking some water. L soon devoured his cake and downed his tea, again, saving his strawberry. He extended his arm, handing it to Isabella. She looked at it, then back at L, before taking a bite. It was ripe and sweet, not that Isabella could taste much of it. She still felt stick and woozy from the ordeal. Isabella swallowed the bite of the berry without tasting it, taking another bite. She placed the little green leaves in a napkin, before drinking the rest of her water. She slowly stood, walking towards the door, L following close behind her. They soon boarded their bus and sat down at the very back. Isabella laid her head against the cold window again, thinking of what could have happened and what did happen. Even though she was devastated that her mother would do such a thing, she actually wanted to thank her. She was happy that she had the chance to grow up in a healthy environment. A lot of children had it a whole lot worse than she. Isabella closed her eyes, dozing off. It had certainly been an exciting day for this exhausted teenager. L watched Isabella start to sleep, and he did the same, nuzzling his face into his knees. He didn't care what passed him, or even if they did reach their correct destination, they'd get there in due time.