Chapter 24

Matsuda

A/N: What's up you bastards? Yes I'm calling you bastards. All except two of you upset me recently. There will be no interview, at least not until the end. I apologize to the TWO who did send me questions, XxEyelinerHeartsxX and Katherine-The-Crowned.

October 7, 2004; Task Force Headquarters

Llana smiled as she peaked over her papers at the duo before her. L's eyes were wide open in wonder and a smile graced his face as he played with the black kitten at his feet.

Jazz jumped at the mouse on the string excitedly as L teased him with it.

L felt his lover's gaze on him and looked up. Violet met dark grey and a small blush crept onto L's face as Llana looked him up and down and went back to her papers.

The man smiled and put his thumb in his mouth. Jazz lost interest in the immobile mouse and jumped into Matsuda's lap. He smiled and pet the animal, the kitten purred gratefully.

Matsuda stole a glance at Llana. He had caught the many times during just that one day that she gave L a once over.

He gave her one, from her three inch heel clad feet to her toned legs and curves to her pretty face.

He knew it was wrong, but he was at least allowed to look right? He still couldn't help but think that maybe if he was a little smarter, a little more like L, he would be able to love too.

"I jus found another one. A general manager of a bank, Yotsuba's biggest competitor. On September seventh he slipped on he front steps of his house and died, instantly."

Llana cringed at the thought as Soichiro walked by her.

"September seventh was a Friday wasn't it? After going over this again, I noticed something. All the deaths that are beneficial to Yotsuba are concentrated around the weekends."

Llana stood and took the papers as he handed them to her, "He's rite. At first they appear to be random, but lately they all take place around Friday evening and Saturday afternoon."

Matsuda's jaw practically hit the floor, "I'm surprised you even noticed that chief."

The man sighed, "I thought I told you to stop calling me chief."

"Sorry, but you'll always be the chief to me."

Llana threw a sweet smile at Matsuda, causing him to blush a little. His naiveté was ridiculously cute. L caught the notion and made a face. Light caught on too and decided to cut the tension before it came too heavy.

The young adult threw his father an endearing smile, "That's an important clue dad, nice work."

The man's chest puffed out a little, "Well I can't let myself fall behind you, Llana, and Ryuzaki."

L cuddled his knees close to his chest and turned to look Llana in the eyes, it was a little creepy to watch them stare at each other like that as he talked, "So is Kira from Yotsuba or is he using Yotsuba…?

Something sparked in the woman's eyes and she grinned, "He's from Yotsuba."

Llana pulled her violet gaze from L and sat on the desk between him and Matsuda, crossing her legs, "Think about it. What kind of person would kill at that kind of time frame?"

It clicked for Light, "Someone who works during the week."

The woman couldn't help her victorious smile, "Exactly."

"These are all the Yotsuba Group's employees."

Llana's eyes widened in amazement, she jumped from the desk so Mogi could set the huge stack of papers down. L grabbed them like a greedy kid, "Thank you very much."

Light was just as amazed as she was, "That's three hundred-thousand people… How did he put that together so quickly…? That's amazing Mogi!"

L plucked a page from the top, "He's been incredibly efficient from the start."

"Ryuzaki!"

Llana jumped a little, startled by Matsuda's outburst. The man didn't even notice.

"Please tell me, is their anything more I can do to help with the investigation, other than the manager thing?"

L looked at the man from the corner of his eye, "So…you really wanna be useful?"

"Yes!" Matsuda replied, becoming slightly hopeful.

"Then…could you get me another cup of coffee? And some for our guests over there as well."

Llana pushed her slight anger towards L to the back of her head. That man was something else. She moved her sight to where L had motioned and frowned, "Not them…"

Light raised his brows, "Who are they?"

L sighed, "They are the newest members of the task force."

Both were blond, American, a man and a woman. The woman was wearing a black and white suit with a less than flattering fur hat and the man was in jeans and an unbuttoned dress shirt.

The man smirked, "You don't sound too happy to see me Llana."

The woman took off her sunglasses, "Or me."

Llana crossed her arms, "Everyone, this is Wedy and Aiber. Wedy is a very talented thief and Aiber is an equally talented con-man."

"You don't seem very fond of them." Light pointed out.

L nodded, "Llana was one of the only people to come dangerously close to catching Wedy, government protection of the white house and what not playing into it. But at my request Llana stopped her investigation."

Llana sighed, "And Aiber has been ordered to work alongside me when helping L on several occasions in America. Let's just say he's hit on me enough times to be six feet under by now."

The blond man just smirked at Llana.

Soichiro shook his head, "Ryuzaki, you expect us to work with these…criminals?"

The detective nodded, "Yes, I do."

Light nodded also, in understanding, "I understand. In order to get into Yotsuba, we're going to need the help of people like this."

Soichiro sighed, reluctant, "Yeah…"

October 8, 2004; Task Force Headquarters

Llana woke up the next morning feeling hella guilty. She should have said something to L when he said what he did to Matsuda.

"Could you get me another cup of coffee?" She mocked, "I swear, I love that man but sometimes…"

Useless. Stupid. Idiot. Meek. Worthless. The list goes on.

Those words were always Matsuda's enemies. The other officers thought these things of him. And the world's greatest detective did too.

The man pulled the trigger, hitting the target square in the middle.

Was he ever going to get the chance to prove himself? Not just for his sake, but also to show everyone, to show Llana, that he could be something.

It wouldn't change anything. She wouldn't leave L, which was ok with him, but still…

"I want her to see me!" He yelled frustrated as he pulled the trigger again.

The intercom crackled, "Who Matsuda?"

The man looked over his shoulder to see Llana behind the bulletproof glass. The mic to the intercom in her hands, she smiled at him and he set the gun down and took off the protective headphones.

He didn't know whether to smile or be embarrassed, so he did a little of both.

"You're a beautiful shot."

"T-thank you."

"You still blush whenever I say something to you."

"…" It was true; he blushed every time she did something.

Llana tucked her crazy long hair behind her ear and he blushed. Point proven.

"Matsuda…about what L said yesterday."

"It's okay. I'm used to it by now."

Llana gave him a sad smile. No one should get used to being seen that way. "Matsu."

"Huh?"

"Why do you think I don't already see you?"

"I-I…um…"

Llana sat down and Matsuda mustered up the courage to sit next to her. She stayed quiet for a while, just staring at the grey walls.

"You see me like they see me. As a useless idiot, right?"

The woman chuckled, catching the man off guard, "Matsu, what did I say to you when we first met?"

He just watched her, his brown orbs reflecting confusion. Llana sighed, "When we were in the coffee shop. You told me that they thought of you as an idiot. And I told you…"

"That you didn't." Matsuda finished. Remembering the butterflies in his stomach when she had been so kind.

Llana searched his eyes and bit her lip, "You think…you think I chose L because…"

"He's better than me." Matsuda finished sadly. He watched Llana brush her fingers over the oval locket around her neck. That ever present locket.

"Did I ever show you the pictures in here?"

Matsuda's eyes widened, "No."

The violet-eyed woman beckoned him closer and let him take her precious locket into his hands. Matsuda opened it carefully, "These people?"

"My parents."

"Your mother…"

"They adopted me."

Matsuda nodded absently as he moved on. He smiled at the next picture; the three boys were pretty cute. Llana smiled too, "My little brothers from the orphanage."

"The one your parents got you from?"

Llana shook her head sadly, "The one I went to after they died."

Matsuda's sweet brown eyes landed on the next picture and he blinked to be sure he was seeing correctly. Llana sighed, "This picture right here is the reason why I chose L, Matsuda. I had always loved him."

Matsuda closed the locket and she continued, "I just didn't choose him right away because…well, I met you."

Matsuda blushed and she offered him a smile, "When I met you, you changed the rules of the game." She chuckled, "I fell hard and fast."

The man grinned stupidly but cutely, "You did?"

"Yes." Llana moved and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him close, "Matsuda I've always seen you. And I always will."

Matsuda held her just as close and nodded. "But…"

"I know Matsu. Just don't do anything…you know, stupid."

He chuckled, "I wont."

Matsuda stared off into space as he clutched the semi warm, pink, Dixie cup in his hand.

"Mr. director! I can't do this! I have a boyfriend." Misa complained as the actor Hideki Ryuuga looked at her as if she was crazy. Matsuda paid them no mind and instead took in the skyline.

His brown eyes landed on a certain building, "The Yotsuba Group's main Tokyo office…" he said to himself.

"Just don't do anything…you know, stupid."

Llana's words echoed uselessly in his head as he dropped the cup and took off running. As he got closer to the building he moved through the crowds of businessmen, blending thanks to the suit he was wearing. He moved into the front entrance, for all hell looking like a James Bond wannabe.

This was gonna be a long night.

Light rested a delicate hand under his equally delicate chin. His golden brown eyes stared aimlessly at L who at the moment was occupied with his cake.

"Would I punish evildoers and criminals if I could kill by just seeing a name and a face? Is that what I would do if I had that sort of power?" Light battled with himself inside his own mind, "I mean, it's true that there are some people the world would be better off without…but I don't think I'd become a murderer."

L's concentration was finally torn from his cake as he glanced up to find Light staring at him. He tilted his head cutely, "What's wrong?"

Light's eyes finally focused on the detective, "Huh?"

"You've been staring at me for the past two minutes. Wait, let me guess, you must be annoyed cuz I'm the only person eating cake at the moment. Am I right?"

Light shook his head and straitened himself on his chair, "Uh no…that's not it."

L held the cake out to him, "Here."

Light held up his hands, "Really it's ok."

Llana reached over him and swiftly grabbed the fork, "He doesn't want any L. Give it a rest." She said before she placed a piece into her mouth. L just stared at her cutely.

The computer beeped and Watari's 'W' popped up, "Ryuzaki."

"Yes? What is it?"

"Eraldo Coil has just received a private request to investigate and reveal the identity of L."

L nodded once, "Alright, thank you."

Llana sighed, "I swear. People are just no longer good at doing things themselves."

"I agree." The detective said boredly.

Light panicked as the other worried task force members crowded around L and Llana. "Shouldn't we be taking precautions?! You two don't sound very concerned."

The violet-eyed woman grinned, "That's because there is no need to be."

Soichiro raised a brow, "How so?"

L sighed, "The three greatest detectives in the world, L, Coil, and Denuve, are all me."

"Or me on the occasion when L has his hands full." The woman flipped her hair over her shoulder.

L picked up the strawberry on his plate and held it out, "I'll give you this strawberry if you keep it a secret.

Llana giggled as Mogi smiled a bit and put the fruit in his suit pocket, "Watari, who made this request?"

"The man's name is Masahiko Kida. He is Yotsuba's vice president of Rights and Planning."

Llana's eyes darted across the screen as she studied the man's face. He was thin but not sickly so, strong narrow features, short, black, well kept hair. Designer glasses that fit his face well.

"Well it's obvious that Kira is linked to Yotsuba. The only reason they would want to investigate L is so they can kill him." Light said, "That is so obvious."

Llana sighed and smiled, "You know, sometimes smart people can be so dumb."

Matsuda put his back against the wall as he tried to catch his breath. He tensed as a few workers came down the opposite hall and boarded the elevator.

He relaxed a little as the doors closed but still felt uneasy, "Maybe I should leave while I still have a chance. No, I've already made it this far…. Should I wait till everyone is gone and search their offices? No, I would definitely get caught, then it would be really bad…"

The ex officer smashed himself to the wall and held his breath as more men came down the other hall. There were only two, designer suits and shoes.

One sighed, "Uhg, I'm too tired for this."

"Well, be glad it falls on the weekend." The other started, "We never know how long these confidential meetings will last…"

Matsuda's brown eyes widened, "Confidential meetings?!" The young man forced back a 'Yay' and rounded the corner as soon as the elevator doors closed. He impatiently watched the numbers, his heart pounding in his ears. The numbers stopped moving, "Nineteenth floor."

Matsuda could barely contain himself as he ran up the office steps, "This is my chance…"