A/N: Necromancy! This story is not dead; it was merely pining for the fjords. (Sorry about the wait.

I'm discovering that writing fifty things at once is kind of inefficient... ooh a penny!)

This is just a little mostly L-centric chapter segwaying into the second arc. (Please don't kill me.)

I do not own Death Note.

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Chapter 25 Thoughtless

"Your mother and sister are in the lobby."

*Tok tok Tok tok* One foot in front of the other.

Back straight, eyes forward… keep going.

I've wasted enough time. I still have a world's worth of work to do.

"Don't tell them about your... abnormality."

I am part Shinigami. Part God. Gods do not break.

Unseen, Ryuk gave his shoulder a sqeeze.

I have Master, he won't leave me.

Light ignored the looks of pity and suspicion of the "escorting" officers as they led him down the hospital corridor. But then as they rounded a corner the world came crashing down.

For a panicked moment Light had forgotten how to breathe.

Mikami...

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"Ryuuzaki!" Aizawa shouted as the officers rounded on L once they were back at L's hotel room. "That crossed the line! Even if you're right... Hasn't that poor kid suffered enough?"

"I agree with you Mr. Aizawa. We would learn nothing new..."

What? They had all assumed... Well, who else could have come up with the bright idea of changing the timetable so that the two Kira suspects, the rapist and his victim, were in the same hallway at the same time for the sake of... some sort of test?

"That's why I scrapped that plan..."

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Before the officer's could stop him the wild-haired man broke free of his restraints and rushed Light, who was cornered between his escort and the wall, and for a brief moment had what could only be described as a panic attack as Mikami groveled at his feet sobbing, begging for forgiveness...

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"So Mr. Yagami," L said accusingly, "why would you do that to your son?"

"What?" The other officers demanded.

"I needed to be sure," the Chief said gruffly. "My son is Kira."

L stared blankly. Right answer, but no doubt he used a wrong train of logic to get there.

"He doesn't act like a victim..." Mr. Yagami argued. This was based on the fact that even under those circumstances Light had managed to regain control over his ragged breathing, and resume his calm façade and had managed to convince the other man to surrender without a fight, though he had uttered two little phrases that were apparently damning in the eyes of his father:

"I forgive you." and "I don't want to press charges."

L was beginning to wonder if the Chief knew his son at all. You only had to spend less than five minutes with Light to see how proud Light was... no doubt he wasn't about to "act like a victim" if he could help it...

"Why else would he be so forgiving?" The Chief insisted.

"You know, Kira isn't known to be forgiving..." L pointed out.

"Why would he not want to seek justice unless he's trying to protect his co-conspirator? This Teru Mikami, he must be the mystery man... HE's Ryuu."

L gaped at the suspect's father. Did he really not acknowledge the distinction? "Mr. Yagami, you saw the tape as well as I did. He was unconscious and couldn't resist. Do you really think your son wanted to be raped?"I do not like Mr. Yagami's attitude about all this. I think it would be best to get him out of the house as soon as possible. As soon as this is over...

Mr. Yagami ignored him. "And that... abnormality... what other explanation is there?"

"Plenty." In any case, I can't afford to take him in now.

Yet another Kira had begun killing and Light was his best resource to finding him—for whatever reason the second Kira had come to Light; had found Light. L's next move was clear—he would use Light as bait. Though it might seem heartless it was the most expedient means to stopping more deaths.

L was sure even Light would agree and understand...

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L had met Light at his home after the trauma was over. Light readily let him in and invited him up to his room. It was weird actually being in Light's room after having watched it so long through surveillance cameras (they had searched it again while he was in the hospital but again came up with nothing.)

Light took a seat at the edge of his bed and gestured, offering L his chair. But as usual L ignored such social cues and just crouched on the bed nest to Light. Light pretended to be unalarmed by L's proximity.

"It was a curious thing, L began. "Light-kun loves justice... yet he isn't seeking his own."

Light sighed. He should have known there was no such thing as "just a friendly visit" between him and L.

"Why doesn't Light-kun want to press charges?" L pressed.

"Mikami is crazy. He can't be held accountable for his actions, right Ryuuzaki?"

"In this case, yes he can and should."

"He just made a mistake! Haven't you ever heard of second chances?"

"Not in undeserved ones... Kira." L's unblinking stare bore relentlessly into Light, staring into sad, tired, beautiful eyes seemingly burdened with all the suffering of the world.

Are you an angel? L shook his head and immediately banished the thought. No. No way. That's way too cheesy.

"I'm not Kira," Light said again out of obligation but there was no fire in it, no fight in it.

"No, you're not," L said with something close to disappointment. Not anymore.

L clenched his fist.

"Light... I'd rather you were Kira."

"Excuse me?" Light gaped disbelievingly at the detective.

"You heard me. I'd rather you were Kira than this... guilt-ridden doormat! How can you not want justice for what was done to you! Light-kun... What happened to you...?"

Light would not meet his gaze.

"...It's not something anyone deserves, you do realize that don't you?" L thoughtlessly hugged him. Light managed to not freeze up this time but he still looked very uncomfortable. "Not even you."

"Ryuuzaki..."

Light's accelerated heart-rate finally alerted L to his faux pas and L released him, awkwardly.

"Ryuuzaki... if you don't mind, I'm kind of tired."

"Of course." (L did mind.) "Light-kun… you know that deal is still open. I'll take care of you..."

L saw the flash of anger spread across Light's features and L had a sudden urge to put his foot in his mouth because for a moment he had forgotten his own observations. Though traumatized Light was still Light; practically pride incarnate—he would never accept such an offer. Light steered L out the door. "Good-bye, Ryuuzaki," he said firmly.

But as L turned to leave he wasn't quite sure if he heard or imagined the quiet "thank you" that trailed after him...

He must have imagined it.

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Questioning Mikami had not yielded many clues. After much questioning it became apparent that the man honestly didn't remember being Kira. He did however remember...

"I'm so sorry, Tsuki!" Mikami wailed for the thousandth time. L sighed as he regarded the man on the monitors, currently restrained in a straight-jacket (because earlier he tried to slit his wrists open with a pen) and upon L's request, blindfolded. He was the Second Kira—you couldn't be too careful. As the Second Kira he somehow could kill with just a face.

Tsuki... He means Light. The way Light's name is written, not the way it's said. He saw his name somewhere...

"Teru Mikami," L clicked on the radio and his filtered voice addressed that ghostly mop of black hair that huddled in the corner of the cell. "How did you find Tsuki? Why did you target him?"

"I was... delusional! I don't remember!" Mikami shouted up at the cameras. He'd been asked a few times by now... "But I think it was just... his name."

"His name?"

"Yes, there was just something about his name!"

"How do you know his name?" L insisted.

"I told you I don't know! Oh God, I'm sick! Kira strike me down!"

L clicked off the radio and glared at the stack of papers before him-Light's medical records. Where more abnormalities were coming to light. Just WHAT happened to you? Did you do this to yourself?

For a minute L just stared at the I.D. photo of the brown-haired boy and the name next to it.

His name...

Is that all there is to it? Did Mikami just somehow SEE the names?

Kira needs a name and a face to kill. Light... Moon Night-God... Mikami called him God. Light has the character for "God" in his name... It COULD just be a coincidence...

Of course L didn't believe it but there was actually room for doubt and he could play it that way if he needed to with the others after he captured this third Kira and returned to England... with Light.

He was Kira, I'm sure, but he stopped. He doesn't seem to be a threat now but I need to keep an eye on him so I'll bring him with me and of course Light will be so grateful when I don't have him executed that he'd willingly... hmm. This is going to take some work...