It was a long ride from the airport to the Wammy estate. It wasn't really the distance that made it that way, but rather the fact that L wouldn't drop the subject of the bruise on Raine's neck. He actually started poking at it with his finger while they were in the limo. Raine was beyond annoyed. "Will you just back off?" L pulled back and perched at the very far end of the limo. It made Raine very uncomfortable to see him watching her so intently- full of suspicion.

"I want to know what you did yesterday."

"I've already told you, Ryuzaki. You and I fooled around for over an hour and then decided not to go all the way because you weren't ready."

His eyes narrowed at her. "I'm a male, Raine. There's very little chance I would not move forward with such a thing if the opportunity presented itself."

"You're a liar."

He poked his lip out and pouted. "It was a set up wasn't it?"

"A set up?"

"Yes. You wanted to invite the bellboy into the room, but you knew I would never allow it. So you drugged my coffee and allowed him to have his way with you while I was sedated. Then, to cover your tracks, you removed my shirt and put it on yourself so it would look like we were the ones engaging in intimate relations. There's no way I could have touched you without remembering it. My memory is way too sharp. I could never lose track of so much time unless I was drugged. What I want to know is what drug did you use and how did you manage to get it."

Raine rolled her eyes and sighed. "I guess it would be pointless for me to say something like you've been reading too many damn detective stories; and would you get off of this bellboy crap? Yeah, he was very attractive and I giggled at his flirting; but I didn't see him anymore after he brought our bags to the room."

"Now who's the liar?"

"I'm not lying! I didn't see the stupid bellboy again!"

"But you did. He was in the lobby when we were checking out. You looked directly at him."

"I don't remember seeing… what would seeing him in the lobby have to do with it anyway?"

"It proves you're a liar. You insisted you only saw the bellboy once when in fact you saw him at least twice."

Raine wanted to kick him. "You're wrong!"

"I'm never wrong."

"You're not even making a genius deduction! You're just making up crazy scenarios because you're so frustrated about your memory lapse! This time, you're very wrong!"

She was right. L couldn't get around the fact that he had lost his memory; even if it was only a couple of hours worth. Things like that just didn't happen to him. His frustration made his mind race even more so than usual. He moved closer to her side of the limo again. He sat so close to her, she could feel his breath. Unfortunately, she wasn't enjoying the feeling this time. He was still eyeing her very suspiciously; playing with his bottom lip as he watched her. Raine couldn't take it anymore. "Please, stop this."

"If you're actually telling me the truth and I wasn't drugged; then how do you explain my lapse of memory? You should know I'm far from senile. Are you going to blame it on the little voice you heard in New Orleans and Sydney? A figment of your imagination magically appeared and erased just enough of my memory to make sure I wouldn't remember our session of foreplay? That story would work very nicely for you wouldn't it?"

'Actually, yes it would; because it's the truth.' L never ceased to amaze Raine. He could figure out the truth; even when he wasn't actually aware of it. "Look, I have no idea what caused your memory loss. Maybe you ate enough junk food to cause an overload and your brain just couldn't take it."

"That's highly unlikely."

"Whatever."

They remained silent for the rest of the ride. L never eased up on the suspicious looks. Raine was hiding something from him (which he didn't find very surprising). There were so many unanswered questions about her. Though Raine had told him she was no longer interested in recovering her past identity, L had still continued the search. He ran continuous checks on every record and report he could get his hands on; missing person reports, criminal and fugitive databases, death certificates, DMV records… it was as though she never existed. 'She doesn't want me to stop looking because she's no longer interested. That's just absurd. She asked me to stop because she knows who she is.'

There were so many other things about her that didn't add up. The flute, itself, was a mystery to him. The strange markings, the hypnotic song, and its inability to be recorded baffled him. What bothered him even more was the fact that Raine knew the significance of the flute, but had yet to tell him. L had planned to speak with her about it the day before, as they had agreed; but he couldn't recall anything that had happened just after he had made the decision to do so. He had no recollection of the information she had shared with him.

The fact that she was multi-lingual was a highlighted note in his mind. It was uncommon for just anyone to possess such linguistic skill. Then, there was the most important missing piece of the puzzle. Raine knew about Adian. He had no idea how it was possible, but she knew. She knew, yet she refused to discuss it. Every time he asked her about her nightmare, she jumped on the defense. It was a huge red flag. She was deliberately holding information from him. 'She must know that Adian is connected to me somehow. She wouldn't be so reluctant to tell me what she knows if she didn't.'

As if that wasn't bad enough, now he was trying to figure out what had happened yesterday. Something had happened to him that caused his memory lapse. He was sure that Raine knew something about it. He was angry with himself for falling in love with her. What better way to destroy L than plant a piece of bait that could infiltrate his very heart. Raine was the bait, and he had eagerly accepted it. How long before another memory lapse? How long before it turned into something worse than memory lapses? His physical well being was now being threatened. Betrayal was in the making.

The more he thought about it, the more his heart ached. He hated himself for being so foolish. L had once vowed to never feel anything but indifference towards other human beings; yet here he was, so madly in love, he was miserable. 'How did it come to this? What's happened to me?' He hugged his knees as he quietly sulked. He almost wished that things would go back to the way they were before Raine ever entered the picture. He wanted to be his former self- heartless, cold, and incapable of feeling. That was the image of himself that he had spent years trying to build. 'No matter how many times I lock my heart away; somehow, it always manages to escape. This time, it appears as though my heart has finally defeated me. How can I possibly go back to the way things were?'

After a long ride full of tension, the limo finally pulled into the Wammy estate. Watari's home was in the UK; only a few miles away from the Wammy House orphanage. Raine was amazed at the European 19th century style mansion. "Wow! So this is your home, Ryuzaki?" She was hoping she could change his mood with a little small talk.

"No. This is Watari's home. I just stay here every now and then."

"So then, where's your…"

"I have no need for a home."

Raine hated it when he was short with her; but she understood why he was in such a sour mood. It pained her to know that she was the root of the problem. "Oh, okay. You… don't really want to talk to me right now, do you?"

"No, I don't."

"Fine, I'll leave you alone then." She tried to pretend it didn't bother her.

The inside of the mansion was beautiful. There was an exquisite ballroom with a beautiful glass chandelier, a library, a huge kitchen and dining area, and several studies. It even had a room with a giant screen and projector for viewing movies. Watari gave Raine a personal tour; beaming with pride the entire time. He especially enjoyed showing her the room that displayed many of his inventions. They ranged from advanced weaponry to simple household accessories. Many of them reminded Raine of the cool gadgets in the James Bond movies.

L didn't feel like tagging along on the tour. He had seen everything there was to see more than enough times. He sluggishly climbed the stairs and disappeared into one of the bedrooms, locking the door behind him. L had no desire to be bothered. Raine would have her own room there. There was no way he was going to allow her into his room. He was sick of sharing everything with her and getting nothing but lies in return. He needed to be alone so he could finish sulking; and then hopefully clear his mind enough to decide what he should do about his dilemma.

Raine spent three straight days in Watari's library. She adored reading any book she could get her hands on; and Watari's library had enough books to keep her reading non-stop for years. L had remained in his room the entire time. Raine tried really hard not to think about the fine line she was currently walking with him. She knew her relationship with him was in danger; but she felt helpless in trying to make things right. For whatever reason, Raine's nightmare about the little boy was obviously very important. She didn't understand why it was such a big deal; or why Onasisk would go to such great lengths to make sure she didn't mention it to L. She only knew she had to keep her cousin from hurting him.

She sighed to herself and put away a book she had just finished. Silence constantly filled the mansion. Only on occasion, she would hear the housekeeper vacuuming the hallways. Watari stayed busy at the Wammy House orphanage and L wouldn't come out of his room. She hated feeling lonely, and she really missed talking to L. Raine decided to take a break from reading. It was still early morning and she was already starting to suffer from eye strain. She walked up and down the long hallways, admiring the artwork on the walls. It was like being in an art museum.

After awhile, she decided to play with her yo-yo. She was working on a few new tricks that she had watched a Japanese man do on television. Raine had originally thought she'd already mastered all of the professional tricks. Seeing the new tricks on television fueled her to sharpen her skill. Every now and then, the yo-yo would get away from her. Just when she thought she was getting the hang of it, it got away from her again and crashed into something. The sound of the vase shattering on the floor echoed through the front corridor of the mansion.

Raine didn't actually see it fall, but she knew from the sound it had made that it would be beyond repair. She turned around slowly to survey the damage. She was right. It was shattered into so many pieces; there was no way a little glue was going to fix it. It had been a highly expensive- perhaps even priceless- vase. Now it was worthless. Raine started to cry. She knew Watari would be upset with her for breaking his vase; and with L already upset with her, she was doomed to be the lonely outsider. That was just assuming she didn't get evicted from their little family. She felt that her time with L and Watari was nearing its end. There was too much tension between her and L and she saw herself as a burden.

She kneeled down to start picking up the bigger pieces. "Don't touch it." His voice startled her; yet at the same time, it gave her a strange feeling of comfort.

She looked up to see L standing over her and the broken vase. He was slouched over in his usual posture with his hands in his pockets. His dark eyes stared at her vacantly. L had apparently heard the crash and decided to investigate. He wouldn't have left his room for any other reason. Seeing L made Raine cry even more. "But, I have to clean it up!"

L extended his hand to her. She hesitated, and then started to reach for the glass again. "Raine…" His voice was stern. She moved her hands away from the glass and allowed him to help her up. He wiped the tears from her face with his thumbs and kissed her forehead. "I don't want you to cut yourself."

"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry! I shouldn't have been playing with the yo-yo in here! Watari is going to hate me now!"

"Watari is incapable of hating anyone."

"He'll never forgive me!"

"Raine, calm down. Watari will not be upset with you. You have my word." He embraced her as she buried her head in his chest and cried. "I'll inform the house attendant of the situation and it will be cleaned up before Watari even returns."

"I should be the one who cleans it up. I don't need anyone to pick up after me."

"The house attendant is paid to clean up after people. She also has a broom and dust pan as opposed to your bare hands. I think she'll fare a little better with the chore than you will." He let go of her and slightly pulled away. "Besides, I need you to come with me. I have something for you."

"O-okay."

She followed him up the stairs to his room. As soon as they got to the door, he stopped her. "Please, wait here." L obviously still didn't want her in his room. He opened the door just enough to squeeze through it and quickly disappeared into his room, closing the door behind him. Raine stared at the floor as she waited; still upset about the vase. She dreaded seeing Watari's reaction when he returned to see it missing.

When L came back out of his room, he had a long box under his arm. Raine didn't even notice he was there; still stuck in her guilt and dread. He brushed her hair back behind her ear. "Please don't concern yourself anymore with the broken vase. The expression it creates on your face is most unpleasant to look at."

Raine sighed and closed her eyes. "It's easy for you to say. You aren't the one who broke it."

He changed the subject. "Should I assume you haven't seen the backyard yet?"

"Yes. Your assumption would be correct."

"Then that's where we'll go. There's nothing for you to break out there." He smiled to let her know he was kidding, but it still made Raine feel bad. "If you don't mind, I would like it if you could bring your flute with you."

"That's fine. I'll go get it. It's in my room."

Raine gawked at the backyard. There was a huge swimming pool, a hot tub, a shrubbery maze and a tennis court among other things. The most impressive feature was the huge exotic garden. It had a beautiful water fountain in the center and a big fish pond with a tranquil waterfall on the west side. The pond was full of Koi. The trees provide a vast amount of shade over the benches that rested along the walkways. Raine lost herself in the beauty of the scenery and the fresh scent of the surrounding flowers.

"Is the scenery to your liking?" L strolled beside her as she walked around, taking it all in.

"It's wonderful, Ryuzaki!" She smiled at him brightly. Just as he had hoped, the garden and fresh air had improved her mood. 'If I can make this day perfect for her, perhaps she will finally tell me the truth. I need this one last chance to make it work, or I won't be able to move on. If it doesn't work, then…'

"Ryuzaki? Are you and Watari the only people that stay in this huge place?" He was glad she had interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes. However, we normally never stay here longer than a month at a time. There are caretakers that keep the estate in order during Watari's long periods of absence."

"He never married?"

"No. He was too devoted to inventing. Watari was a valuable asset to the British military in the Second World War. I imagine his work kept him so busy; he never even considered settling down as an option. "

"Did he have to give up inventing once he opened up all of the orphanages?"

"No. He still invents. Though his devotion to orphans fills most of his time; his skill is now a valuable asset to L. He's also the closest thing I have to a father- no, he is my father. Blood is irrelevant."

Raine smiled. "I bet it would make him very happy if he heard you say that."

"Yes. I suppose it would."

"So… are you an orphan?"

"Yes."

"I'm… sorry."

"There's no need to be sorry. Being an orphan isn't a bad thing at all. We build our own families and most of us grow up to be productive members of society. We're only alone if we choose to be." L stopped walking. "I suppose you're still interested in my background?"

Raine thought for a moment, remembering her own end of the bargain. She was going to have to explain the flute to him all over again. "Well, yes. But you don't have to go into it if you're uncomfortable with it."

"If I was uncomfortable with it, then I wouldn't have brought it up."

"Okay then. What was your childhood like?"

"First, I want to give you this." He handed her the long white cardboard box that he had been carrying. "I'm sorry it isn't wrapped. I despise wrapping presents and the merchant refused to."

She gave him a shy smile and opened the box. She pulled the long object out of the box and unwrapped the paper around it. Her eyes grew huge when she saw what it was. It was a custom made dark wooden case with a smooth finish. The symbols from her flute had been burned into the wood. L studied her reaction as she ran her fingers over the symbols in awe. "It's a case for your flute. It will keep it from getting scratched by the other items you keep in your bag."

Tears started to trail down Raine's face again; only this time, they were the happy kind. Her enthusiastic hug almost knocked him down. He grinned as he steadied his balance, keeping his hands in his pockets. "Should I assume you're impressed?"

"It's wonderful! You couldn't have given me a better gift!" She kissed him on the cheek. He returned the affection with a soft kiss on her lips. The smile remained glued to her face. She placed her flute in the case and closed it. "It's a perfect fit!"

"I'm very happy you like it." He found a bench in front of the fountain to perch on and motioned her to sit down beside him. "My background really isn't as interesting as one would think. However, I have no problem sharing it with you if you think it will bring us closer."

Raine took her seat beside him on the bench, leaving a comfortable distance between them. Though L had grown a lot more comfortable with showing affection; those moments were still completely random on his behalf. He still required his space. L gave her a quick side glance before resting his eyes on the fountain. He was hoping his choice of words would encourage Raine to open up to him.

"I promised you I would tell you about the flute first. Don't tell me you don't remember."

L smiled to himself. She was still willing to share the information with him; even after he had deliberately given her a chance to avoid the subject. It was a small step in the right direction. "It must have completely slipped my mind. That seems to be a growing trend with me lately." Yet another indirect reference left his lips.

"The symbols on the flute are of my own making." She lied. "It tells the fictional story of a wind goddess."

L sat in silence for awhile. What she had said made perfect sense and fit very nicely inside the box of logic; but thinking inside the box was not how he solved most of his cases. "Interesting… is there something in particular that led you to remember the symbols?"

"I guess… I just sort of remembered one day."

"You guess?" He said it jokingly. "I suppose I'll accept that. So, what's the story?"

Raine felt herself stiffen. She still had no idea how to actually read the symbols. She only knew what Onasisk had told her. "Well… there's uh… this wind goddess… Vasilia… her name is Vasilia. She… controls the wind… and… she likes spiders."

"Spiders?"

"Well, not so much the spiders themselves; but rather the webs they spin. They symbolize the very foundation that brings all the worlds together." The more she thought about it, the more it made perfect sense that her great grandmother liked spiders. There were so many things that the webs represented in the eyes of the air elementals.

"I'm very curious to know what each of the symbols stand for and how they form a story. Perhaps you would be willing to show me the mechanics to your unique language."

"I…well uh… s-s-sure. Not today though. My eyes are strained from all of the books I've been reading in the library." She needed time to make up her own meanings and storyline.

L's face was unreadable. "I thought you might say that."

Raine didn't catch on to his insinuation. L knew she was now avoiding the subject; but he decided not to push the issue any further until the right time presented itself. "I appreciate the information concerning your flute, though I didn't learn anything that would be useful in helping me in determine your identity as I had hoped."

"Yeah, about that… will I ever be able to contribute to the rest of society without an identity? I really feel as though I should try and work for my needs instead of depending on you for everything. I should work just like everyone else in this world."

L frowned. "You already have a very important job. But if it isn't one you're happy with, I will see to it that you have the opportunity to pursue the career of your choice."

"An important job? I can't imagine what it is I do that could possibly be so important. Care to educate me?"

Instead of answering her, L shot her a quick glare. He didn't want to admit to her how important she was to him. He didn't want her to know that if anything were to happen to her while under his protection, L would not have it in him to continue his field of work. Though he still couldn't fully trust her; she had become the very backbone of L. If she wasn't safe, then L didn't function. It was as simple as that. Her most important job was keeping herself out of harm's way. Even if he couldn't make a life with her (which was now what worried him the most), she would always be under his protection. Raine was his one and only weakness. If any of his enemies knew about her, they would both surely meet their end.

There were of course, other things that made her job important. Watari had been relieved of so much stress since Raine had started helping him that he was actually starting to act younger! She was just as much an asset to Watari as she was to L. L didn't want her pursuing a career away from him; but he knew in the end, it wasn't his choice. He quickly changed the subject and dove right into the story he had promised her. "Believe it or not, I was found very much the same way you were. I appeared out of nowhere and the only clue to my identity was on a chain that they found around my stuffed panda bear's neck."

Raine quickly forgot about the previous subject. "I thought you said this wasn't going to be interesting." She moved a little closer to him so she could hear. His voice had dropped a few decibels from its normal volume. Before L continued, he reached out and pulled her even closer. He let his back relax against the bench, though he didn't put his legs down. Raine put her arm around L and rested her head against him. He turned his head long enough to initiate a long and sensual kiss before turning to face the fountain again and hugging his knees. He had grown very fond of kissing. It soothed his oral fixation quite nicely.

"When I was a small child, I was found sleeping in an alley behind an Italian restaurant by one of its employees. Aside from the blankets I was wrapped in, I was completely nude and had no possessions aside from the stuffed bear."

"Oh no! Were you injured?"

"I was bruised, but it was nothing serious. The restaurant employee called the authorities and I was treated at a clinic. When I finally woke up from my deep sleep, I had no idea who I was or what I was doing there. I only knew what I felt; and that was total despair. I felt like I had just been torn away from something, but I didn't know what it was. I noticed the bear they had kindly let me keep and studied the silver chain around its neck. There was a letter L on the chain, in the Old English font. On the back, there was a name engraved. When the doctor asked me what my name was, I gave them the name that the bear carried. I knew of no other name to use."

He traced the edges of his teeth with the top of his thumb as he spoke. "Just like in your case, they couldn't trace my identity to any missing children. They ran the name I gave them through the systems and nothing turned up. The authorities eventually handed me over to the orphanage."

"And then you met Watari?"

"No. That part comes later. However, the orphanage I was taken to was within his network. I was a difficult child to deal with. Most of the orphanages were extensions of cathedrals and the bells would ring several times a day. I was unaware at that time why I had such a problem with cathedral bells; but I would fall into frenzies every time they rang. My attitude towards the other children was always indifferent. I didn't want any part of them or the world they lived in. I hated all of them, though I had no reason to."

"So you never had any friends?"

"No. I spent most of my time in silence building towers or solving puzzles. The adults assumed I was autistic and shuffled me around from place to place in hopes of finding a facility to properly fit my needs. I made sure to make things as difficult as possible for all of my caretakers. I would tell them vicious lies just to see their reaction. I enjoyed toying with them. It was all a game to me. They were always more than happy to pass me to the next place. Over the course of 3 years, I ended up spending time at every single orphanage in Watari's network; both in Europe and North America."

"It sounds like you were a pretty angry kid. What sort of lies did you tell?"

L smirked. "The kind that hurt people. One time, I convinced a teacher that his wife wasn't really stopping by everyday just to bring him his lunch. I made him believe she was spending time with the head overseer while he was teaching a class. In a fit of rage, the teacher revealed that he was also having an affair; only his wasn't a lie. There was also a time when I made a kid who was known for bullying think he was dying of a terminal illness. He decided to start treating others with more courtesy so that he could be right with God when he died."

L paused to collect his memories. "I once had an entire classroom of people convinced that there was a child trapped under the wooden floors because of the scratching. By the end of the day, they had an emergency crew pull up the boards of the floor only to find empty space. The teacher had been so worried about the child, she was in tears. The noise they had heard was actually a rat infestation. It's amazing what the power of suggestion can do to the human mind. At least they got rid of the rats and they finally replaced the creaky floors. Then there was the time I…"

"Ryuzaki… I get the picture. You sound like you're actually proud of the chaos you caused. It's sort of creepy."

"I'm… sorry. As I've said before, I'm not a good person. If they would have silenced those bells," his nails dug into his knees, "perhaps then, I wouldn't have been such a problem."

"You've still yet to tell me why you have such a problem with cathedral bells."

He scowled. "You've yet to share your nightmare."

Stopping herself from taking it any further, she tried to move on. "So… how did you meet Watari?"

"As you know, Watari owns an entire network of orphanages. He was drawn to my file for several reasons; the main one being the fact that every single one of his facilities had written formal complaints about me. He was in the process of opening up an orphanage that catered to the gifted and talented when he pulled my file. My screenings revealed that I had an abnormally high IQ, so I made a perfect candidate. Seeing that I was obviously a troubled youth, Watari decided to take me in for awhile for evaluation purposes. Actually, he didn't have a choice since none of his facilities wanted to deal with me. So it was, at roughly the age of 6 or 7, I was introduced to Watari; who at the time, I addressed as Mr. Wammy."

"Don't tell me, you were mean to Watari in the beginning too!"

"Not at all. He easily won me over with junk food. As you see, his mansion is silent and free of cathedral bells. For the first time I could remember, I felt a sense of serenity being free of the cathedrals and the obnoxious children. I spent an entire summer reading every book in Watari's library and solving every advanced puzzle he offered me. He showed me the mechanics of engineering and encouraged me to find hobbies to pursue. I imagine he had originally hoped I'd show an interest in inventing. In time, I grew to deeply respect and admire Watari. He was my mentor- my father figure. Watari taught me one of life's most important lessons; one that is vital for me to remember when I'm solving cases."

"And what's that?"

"Life is not painted in black and white."

"That's very true! And what makes the lesson so great is its texture. It could refer to the simple things as well as the deeper things that go far beyond human understanding. So, you stayed with Watari from that point on. Did you get to attend the school for the gifted that he opened?"

L frowned. "Wammy House… yes, I did."

"But you didn't have to live there, right? Not since you were staying with Watari."

"Watari only stayed home for a few months at a time. He spent the rest of his time traveling around Europe and North America to survey his orphanages; much like he does today. Though he had extended his vacation as long as he could, he couldn't ignore his work forever; so after almost 6 months with Watari, I moved into Wammy House."

L recalled vividly to himself the day Watari had taken him to Wammy House. It appeared a lot nicer than most of the other orphanages he had stayed at. It was upscale and more modern. The square footage was huge and there were several different buildings scattered over it. It looked more like a college than an orphanage. L was initially very impressed; until he saw there was a cathedral on the grounds.

"This is it L. You'll be staying here for a while." Watari had led L to his own private room. It was odd for an orphan to have his own room. L was used to sleeping in a huge room filled with bunk beds. Though he appreciated the gesture, the building he was in was right beside the cathedral.

"It's next to a cathedral, Mr. Wammy; a cathedral that has bells. I don't want to stay here." L had pleaded with Watari not to leave him there. He felt betrayed; like Watari was abandoning him.

"My dear boy, I promise you that your stay here will be nothing like your previous experiences. The children here are closer to your intellectual level and the curriculum is college level. There will be plenty of things here to keep your sharp mind well fed. I've even seen to it that you have your own room. Please just give it a chance." Watari took the child by the hand and showed him around the rest of the campus. In the middle of the tour, the bells began to ring. Young L fell into a fetal position, covering his ears.

He looked up at Watari with tears streaming down his face. "Please, I beg of you to stop those bells! I don't want to stay here!"

"L, I know you're feeling an array of emotions right now, but please…"

"No! You're wrong! I don't feel anything. In fact, I never want to feel anything again." L recalled watching Watari exit the gates of Wammy House that day. Though Watari had made arrangements to silence the bells before leaving, L still watched in despair as he walked away. He stood outside in the rain for hours that night, staring out the front gate.

L was pulled out of his flashback when he realized Raine was talking to him. "Ryuzaki… Ryuzaki?"

"Yes?"

"Are you alright? You looked like you were a little out of it just now."

"I'm fine."

"You tried to stay true to what you told Watari that day, didn't you? You really didn't want to feel anything. Why?"

L closed his eyes and thought hard about what he was about to say. "I had to stop feeling, or it would have never stopped raining."

"It would have… what? What do you mean?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he sighed heavily and stood up. Raine watched him as he paced back and forth with his fists clenched tightly. Something was frustrating him. Raine knew he paced madly whenever there was something on his mind that he didn't understand. It was a rare occurrence; but it did happen every so often.

"At least Watari told them not to ring the bells anymore. That must have made a little difference."

"It did. My behavior was tolerable while I was there. I even participated in sports for awhile."

"Really, what sort of sports?"

He stopped pacing and put his hands in his pockets. "Tennis. I was the junior champion."

"Nice! Perhaps you can teach me to play one day!"

"I can teach you today."

Raine remembered there was a tennis court on the far side of the huge backyard. "You will? Really? That's great! But, I'm still curious. How did you become the world's greatest detective?"

A smile formed on his lips. "I solved my first case when I was approximately 8 years of age. I was staying with Watari at the time. It was the Winchester Mad Bombings. It was then that Watari realized my true potential. Afterward, I remained at Wammy House for 5 years under an alias so the British government couldn't locate me. They were overly curious to know the true identity of the person who prevented a costly war. The Winchester Mad Bombings was a very serious case to crack; and all they knew was a mysterious detective, who called himself L, was the one who saved the day. After I left Wammy's House, I started traveling with Watari and building a name for myself while remaining in the shadows. There's really nothing else to tell."

Raine stood up and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him and leaning close to his ear so she could whisper. "L is your real name. Isn't it? And the name inscribed on the back of the bear's necklace; you must have used that as your surname."

L didn't answer; but instead, gave her a sly grin. It told her that she was right. 'That's why he wanted me to call him L a few days ago when we were…' She grinned as she put her head against his chest and listened to his heart beat. "You mean no one has ever tried to track you by assuming your real name could be L? It's such an uncommon name! In fact, to most people, it's just a letter. Surely the people trying to find you have found your records from past orphanages."

"Their efforts are all in vain. All of my files have been destroyed; including the police report that was filed the night I was found. I have erased my very existence."

"So… is that what you'd like me to call you from now on when we're not in public?"

L smiled as he caressed her face. "I would like that very much."

He allowed one last word to escape her lips before they surrendered to his kiss. "L…"

They remained in front of the fountain and kissed for quite a while; breaking away every so often just long enough to catch their breath. Eventually, L decided to pull back and talk. "Raine," he whispered in his low seductive voice, "Play me a song."

Raine nodded. "Sure, I can do that. Does all of this mean you aren't upset with me anymore?"

L looked her in the eyes and spoke in a more formal tone. "Please, don't misunderstand me. I'm still very unhappy with your secrets. However, it isn't my intention to let it ruin the rest of our day together."

"Don't you have your usual work to do first? It's still really early in the day."

"I'm taking the day off for you; unless of course, you don't want to spend the day with me." His bottom lip formed a fake pout.

"Oh, no! Don't think that! I'd love to spend the day with you! I've really missed you these past few days!"

They shared one more kiss before Raine removed her flute from her brand new case and perched on the bench in her L pose. She smiled brightly at L before she started playing. "You inspired this one."

L perched on the edge of the fountain and watched her as she played the new song for him. He was thankful it wasn't the one that made him fall into a trance. He wanted to hear and appreciate every note she played; and this time, he could do so knowing that every note was for him.