(A/N) Yo…

Long wait. Sorry about that. Between my grandma dying, school starting again, robotics season starting, and my computer getting a killer virus… I had no time.

The good news is that I'm in the process of editing all my fics. You'll see a new Naruto story up soon, along with a bunch of various one shots… and from now on…

I'll be updating consistently every week. Without fail!

… okay, probably with some fail…

But each week I'll add a new chapter on either Friday or Saturday!

By the way, Misaki's name… it starts with Misa. I swear to cake I never noticed that. In the original version of the story, her name was Mary, but I switched it to something Japanese… and something that also started with an "M"… yeah. That actually wasn't on purpose.

On another note, I'm seeking a beta for this story! Just someone to skim though the new chapters and catch mistakes… if you're willing to do this, please tell me! I'd be forever grateful!

On with the story! I have to thank F8WUZL8, invisible-gurl, CocoBunni96, FedoraLover23, urpleprose, Onner, Deathcomessoon, and DaughterofEternity97! So many reviews…! Thank you all!

If I owned Death Note… L would not have died. End of story.

"Rue-y-chan!"

Ryuzaki groaned, lowering his head as he scrubbed the counter. Misaki came bouncing up, leaning over the counter. Ryuzaki, out of reflex, leaned back as she tried to kiss his nose, as she had taken to doing whenever the opportunity arose. He found himself scowling.

"What now?"

"Well…" Misaki clasped her hands and swayed; Ryuzaki's frown deepened. "Your shift is almost over, and I thought we could do something together!"

Light help me, Ryuzaki thought. He had taken to doing such things, as there was an 87% chance that Light could actually hear him.

"But it's the middle of the night," Ryuzaki objected.

"Exactly!" Misaki said triumphantly.

Ryuzaki reflexively glanced at the watch he wore, before remembering that it no longer ticked. It's like a heart that's stopped beating… He twisted his neck to look at the clock: 10:38. He would be closing the shop in two minutes.

"Eww!"

Ryuzaki twisted his neck back. Unfortunately for Misaki, he didn't twist it the correct way, instead bending it backwards until he could see her. This, of course, increased the pitch of Misaki's squeal.

"Don't do that!" she squeaked, eyes closed, shaking her head. Ryuzaki obligingly righted himself, turning his head so that it once again faced the right way.

"What?" He made his voice innocent, enjoying his stalker's horrified look.

"That thing with your neck!" Misaki squeaked.

A bell chimed; closing time. Ryuzaki reluctantly left the safety of his spot behind the counter, dodging aside as Misaki tired to loop her arms around him. When they were outside, and Ryuzaki had locked the shop, Misaki grabbed his arm.

"Come on, I have something fun for us to do!"

"No!" Ryuzaki objected vehemently, trying to pry Misaki's fingers from his arm.

"Come on! It'll be fun!"

They were in the middle of the road, standing just in front of a psychedelic building- complete with flashing lights -that was pouring music out onto the streets. A night club, Ryuzaki thought. She brought me to a hell-born night club.

"No!" Ryuzaki squirmed as Misaki pulled on him. "I'm not going in there! you can't make me!" There was something close to panic in his voice.

"Stop being such a baby!" Misaki grunted as she pulled him farther towards it.

"No!" Ryuzaki sat down abruptly, collapsing into his trademark ball.

"You'll like it, I promise!" Misaki leaned back, pulling on his arm with her full weight.

You don't know me! Ryuzaki thought furiously. He felt Misaki's grip on his arm lesson, as the slight girl paused to catch her breath, and flashed away. He scuttled, on all fours, across the street and swarmed up a tree as fast as he could.

Misaki came up to the tree, where he was perched on a high branch.

"Stop it!" she whined, stamping one foot. "If you're going to be my boyfriend, you need to stop crawling around like some deformed mutant rat!"

"Deformed mutant rat?" he objected, and then his mind caught onto another word. "Boyfriend? Who's your boyfriend? Certainly not me!" Ryuzaki grabbed the nearest pine cone (for he was in a pine tree) and fired it at her, hitting her smack in the forehead.

"Ow!" Misaki started hopping around, rubbing her forehead. Huge crocodile tears formed in her eyes, making her massive amount of mascara run. "That wasn't nice!"

Ryuzaki stuck out his tongue, in no mood to reply, as Misaki continued to blubber up at him. merciful cake, why won't she leave me alone? I wish Jane were here… she'd know what to do…

Jane's doorbell rang. She had a horrible feeling she knew who it was.

"Hello, Jeremy," she sighed, greeting the exchange student.

Jeremy was a young man, about five years younger than her, who lived two doors down. He was in a tux, with a huge bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates.

"Hello, Jane-sama," he said, bowing low at the waist. Jane groaned. "Your beauty fills me with light, your eyes glitter like stars! Your skin is golden and flawless like that of a goddess, and-"

"Yeah, sure." Jane grabbed the flowers and chocolate. "I'm running out of vases, you know. This is the third one you've brought today. And it's not even noon."

"My love knows no time!" Jeremy declared, tossing his pristine dirty-blonde hair. "Please, won't you go out with me? Won't you even consider it?"

"Jeremy, my answer is the same as always," Jane said, her voice almost a hiss. "Your determination won't change a blasted thing. The answer is no!"

"I'll take that as a maybe," Jeremy replied optimistically.

Jane slammed the door promptly in his face.

Dang… Jane thought to herself. So much candy… She tossed the latest box on the pile by the door. So much candy, and no one to give it to. … Ryuzaki… no Ryuzaki…

Ryuzaki slammed his door shut, locking it and half-throwing himself against it.

Not a moment too soon, as a certain blonde half-ran into the other side, unable to break fast enough.

"Rue-y-chaaaaaan!"

Ryuzaki chose to ignore her, instead focusing on catching his breath. He bypassed the kitchen, shuffling straight into his bedroom. Crouching there, in the middle of his bed, he curled up into a ball under the covers. Relishing the dark silence, as he had in his days as a detective, he tried to focus on the pulse of the world around him, clearing his mind of every coherent word and picture.

But one picture wouldn't go away.

And that was Jane.

Peering around the corner, Ryuzaki's eyes flashed from side to side around the doughnut shop. He spotted Misaki, waiting at a table, sipping her water and nibbling at a doughnut. Despite the fact that he had to be here today, to meet with Ray, he didn't intend to see her.

Her head turned, and the ex-detective scuttled as quickly as he could, clinging to the wall, and vanishing into Ray's office, slamming the door behind him. Panting, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ah, my dear friend… L."

Glancing up at Ray, Ryuzaki composed his face. No time for Misaki… no time for Jane. Focus… focus. He took a moment to sort through the information gathered by the bug, arming himself with it. while no much had gone on in Ray's office, there had been a few intriguing tidbits the detective had picked up on.

"Ray, what is your opinion or Kira?"

Ray's eyes widened for a moment, caught off guard by the question. "Kira… well, I've only been transferred to Japan in the past few months…"

"But Kira was a worldwide incident. That should make no difference."

Ray shifted. "I… well, I personally thought that Kira was… an interesting character," he finally finished. "He intrigued me, as did his power."

Ryuzaki felt a smile tug at his lips, even though his eyes were dropping with exhaustion. "And did you admire him?"

"Well, yes," Ray said unabashedly. "I admired his power."

"But you know more about Kira then you should, as a civilian," Ryuzaki said smartly, shuffling his feet in an L-ish way. "For instance… how he kills."

Ray's face went white. "And how would I know something like that?"

Ryuzaki's eyes narrowed. "I'm sure I don't know. But the killer notebook's existence never went public… yet you seem to know all about it."

Ray stood, glaring at Ryuzaki with brazen annoyance. "I may… and I know other things, as well. I know that Kira was someone you considered a friend, and yet betrayed you. I know that he turned his back on you, just like Jane did. Must you, touted as the greatest mind in the world, make the same mistakes over and over again?"

L cracked. The tears appeared in his black eyes again as he thought of Light, and then of Jane… and every iota of control vanished.

"Do whatever you want with whatever information you have," he said suddenly, his voice icily bitter. Ray drew back as Ryuzaki glared at him though the tears. "Do what you want. Evil will go nowhere good… and you will get your proverbial reckoning. I have other things to worry about." Reaching into his pocket, he slammed his set of store keys down on Ray's desk. "Do not expect to see me here again."

Turning his back on Ray, the ex-detective stalked out of the office, the picture of broken poise. Ignoring Misaki and the other confused customers, he strode out of the store, walking straight though traffic and across the street to the apartment complex. He didn't stop, however, at his condo. He continued on down the hallway, reaching deep into his pocket for a forgotten set of keys.

The tears never stopped; he doubted they ever would.

(A/N) I'm not really happy with the ending of this… oh well, it'll have to do for now. The next chapter has to pick up at a certain place, and so…

Was this worth the wait? Which, again, I am so sorry about…! But now my fics will update weekly, so keep your eyes open for the next chapter! If you want a hint before then, review! I'll tell you something very special about the next chapter… Hehehe…

Remember, if you'd be willing to beta… you'd get to see the new chapters early! Please, somebody…!