The murder rate hadn't actually gone down as much he'd thought. He thought that by people knowing they could be killed at any moment then it would eventually stop the murders-eventually he'd take out all the bad people and the only ones left would be the good and innocent.

According to Conan, he'd seen a decrease in premeditated murders, but as long as humans were able to feel emotion there would always be crimes of passion. There was no deterring that because anyone that snaps in the heat of the moment wasn't going to be thinking about the fact Kira might kill them later. They probably thought about that after the deed was done, which was why people were disguising their crimes as accidents and suicides.

After the murder had been solved and the murderer was fully in police custody, Light was finally able to head home. He ignored Ryuk for the most part because in his head he was trying to disprove Conan's theory that all Kira's reign was doing was breeding smarter criminals. That wasn't what happened. Conan had to be lying-what did he know?

The moment he'd gotten home he turned on his computer and looked up murder rates for the past month-it gone down nearly by half of what it was last month-as Conan had said. He checked the accidental deaths and suicides immediately after and found there -had- been about a forty percent increase.

They hadn't learned yet. Light decided, pulling out the Death Note. It would be suspicious for Kira to suddenly stop anyway, and Conan already said he couldn't turn Kira in for fear of what that organisation would do. He filled in five pages worth of names-spacing out the deaths in order to make sure the killings were happening over a series of days. He'd just have to deal with Conan later.

"So you're not stopping?" Ryuk asked as Light moved to the next page.

"Of course not. Eventually, people will catch on." He stated. Now, he needed to find someway to get rid of the two brats that thought they could control him.

oooOOOooo

After having successfully solving the murder using Agasa's voice-domestic dispute-girlfriend shoved drunk boyfriend down the stairs and so on-she hadn't meant to do it but then she had tried to hide the crime-Shinichi let Yagami return home and went back into Agasa's house to collapse on the couch again.

He should probably go back to the agency but it was almost four in the morning so there was little point in it. Ran would probably tell him off for being out all night and not telling her where he was.

"You shook him up pretty badly." Haibara stated, handing him a spare blanket. He sat up to take it and stared at her.

"I told him the truth. Even if it seems harsh." He spread the blanket over the couch. "He needed to know. If he realises that killing criminals isn't doing any good then he might feel more inclined to stop."

"You'll have to keep an eye on him though. More than likely he'll just want to kill you even more." She pointed out. Shinichi shrugged.

"He'd have to learn my real name-and thanks to Kid showing up that one time-even if he started to suspect he'll remember seeing Conan and Shinichi in the same place."

"I hope you know what you're doing. Aside from the Organisation, I don't think you've ever been against anyone more dangerous." She sighed.

"A-Aa..." Shinichi responded pensively.

"Goodnight Kudou-kun." She told him, shutting the light off and headed for the stairs.

"Goodnight." He responded, laying on the couch again and staring up at the ceiling. He probably wouldn't be able to sleep.

As it turned out, shooting L with the sleeping dart had not been the best idea as when Conan made it to school the next day that same damn limo was waiting for him outside Teitan elementary. He glanced at Haibara and she yawned.

"You're the one that upset him." She stated. He sighed at how unhelpful she could be sometimes. He'd angered L and Kira. Way to go Kudou.

"Conan-kun." Shinichi cringed at the sound of that voice. It would be okay-L couldn't do anything to him-he couldn't prove that he knew anything and no matter who he was, the Kira task force would never be okay with detaining a seven year old. His apparent age would protect him.

"Yes?" He answered, moving to a fight or flight stance, eyes narrowing.

"I am going to have to take you with me. We need to talk about last night." He probably meant the fact that Conan had knocked him out and then escaped the hotel-hopefully he didn't know about Sera's involvement. He glanced back at Haibara, hoping she might do something.

"Conan-kun!" The overly excited voice of Yoshida Ayumi flooded into his ears and she rushed up, gripping his arm. "Where are you taking Conan-kun?" She demanded.

"Conan is a member of the Detective Boys, you can't just take him." Kojima Genta stated.

"We have an important meeting later." Tsuburaya Mistuhiko added. These kids. L looked at the actual seven year olds that were not willing to let Conan go.

"If you're hiring him for a case you have to take all of us-" Genta started.

"-We're a team!'" Ayumi finished.

L stared down at them, unsure of what to do. He was the one who made the mistake of trying to kidnap him outside the school. Ayumi pulled Shinichi back a little more, glaring at the man she did not realise was the legendary detective L. They'd probably change their tone if they did know.

"I apologise, but I must speak with Conan-kun alone. I will return him later."

"Conan-kun doesn't want to go with you!" Ayumi stated defensively, hugging his arm closer to her. How did these kids get to know him so well?

"He does not have a choice-what I have to discuss with him is very important." L explained. "He is just uncomfortable with the subject matter."

"Then you have to take all of us." Mistuhiko insisted. Good luck convincing them otherwise.

"If he's uncomfortable then he should have his friends with him. Ne, Ai-chan?" Ayumi turned to Haibara who just yawned and shrugged.

"Aa." She offered as unhelpfully as she could.

"Unfortunately, I must insist that Conan-kun come with me, alone." Shinichi sighed. They'd be here all day at this point because these kids were stubborn and there was nothing L could do to them-if he did then Shinichi would act accordingly.

"It's okay." He finally caved. "I'll go with you." He felt Ayumi's head turn towards him.

"You don't have to Conan. We'll protect you." Genta assured. Shinichi shot a 'do something!' look towards Haibara. She sighed.

"This man obviously has some kind of business with Edogawa-kun, and we're about to be late. I'm sure he'll let him go once they've finished talking." Haibara stated calmly.

"But-! Ai-chan!" Ayumi insisted.

"It's really okay, Ayumi-chan. I'll be back before the first hour." Shinichi tried to assure her. Ayumi pouted but slowly started to let his arm go.

"Yes, I will return him." L stated. Probably lying.

"...Are you sure Conan-kun, you don't have to." Mitsuhiko pressed.

"I'm sure." Shinichi offered a bit nervously. "I'll see you guys in class." He waved them off.

"What do you want?" Shinichi demanded once the door was closed and the detective boys couldn't hear him.

"I believe you already know. And please don't think that you can use the same trick on me twice." L said, there was something like annoyance in his voice. It was unsurprising-he did shoot him with a sleeping dart.

"And I already said I don't know anything." Shinichi said pointedly. "Kidnapping me-which I'd like to point out is extremely illegal-won't change that."

"And it has already been established that you lied. Now, why are you protecting Kira when he has killed thousands of people. Do you not think he deserves to be brought to justice?" L inquired. Shinichi took in a breath.

He did think that Kira-or Yagami should have to atone for his crimes but in the interest of the general public he had to do everything he could to keep L from getting to Yagami. His weapon could not fall into the wrong hands or rather-worse hands.

"I said I don't know anything." He repeated. "If I did, I would tell you."

"You do know something, and you are not telling me. I will not let you escape this time."

"Kidnapping a minor is a pretty major offense, L-san. Not even you are immune to the law." Shinichi stated, annoyed. Not this again.

"It is unfortunate then, that you have forced my hand, Conan-kun."

"I didn't force you to do anything-I said I don't know anything and you refuse to believe me. I'm sure your task force will have something to say about this." Shinichi gritted his teeth.

"You will not be meeting them. They would not understand the necessity of my actions." Shinichi sucked in a breath through his nose and exhaled. This was getting very annoying.

"Your actions involving kidnapping a first grader that you insist has knowledge about an extremely confidential case that you, L, do not have?" Shinichi offered. "No, I guess they wouldn't, and I don't think a judge will either."

"Do not make this more difficult than it has to be." L advised. Shinichi just huffed.

"I said I don't know anything."

"If you cannot tell me what you know, then at least explain to me why." L offered a compromise. Shinichi wanted to take it but it was too risky. This needed to be handled with discretion and L might not believe him that the organisation was a much bigger threat.

"Like I said. I don't. know. anything." He was going to have to work out another escape plan. Hopefully this one would be the last one.

oooOOOooo

By January sixteenth, Light had written in hundreds of new names. He'd expected to get an angry phone call or visit from Conan but neither he or Haibara had made contact-he was curious as to why but not curious enough to look into it. He had other things to think about-like the entrance exam he'd be taking tomorrow. He wasn't concerned about it at all but since the sixteenth also happened to be a Kid Heist night he used it as an excuse to visit Aoko-saying that he wanted her help for some last minute studying.

She was more than happy to accommodate-she'd get company and be helping a friend as that still seemed to be all she saw him as. That or she was just really good at hiding her interest. She did help him study for the first few hours but then had gotten up to make dinner and left him to study at the table on his own.

Dinner simmering on the stove, she returned to the table, only this time she had a drawing pad and some pencils. Was she artist as well as a math genius? He glanced over to see what she'd drawn but all it was was a picture of the Kid insignia with an 'x' over it.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"Making a sign." She said simply, starting to write the word 'KID.' Of course she'd make an anti-Kid sign.

"She really hates that guy." Ryuk commented. Light resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was well aware of Aoko's feelings for the Kaitou Kid, and he was not in the mood to listen to her rant. Before she could get started he reached over to put a hand on her arm. She looked up at him.

"You know that I agree with your opinion on Kid, but I will say it's because of him that I can spend the evening alone with you." He told her. He watched as her cheeks immediately went red and she looked away-probably hoping that he wouldn't notice her blushing but it was too late.

"I wouldn't-um-I mean I guess but-!" While she sat there stammering he moved closer, gently grabbing her chin to turn her face back towards him before pressing his lips against hers-nice and gentle. He felt the resulting shock but was pleased that once it wore off she slowly returned the kiss-hesitant and painfully inexperienced but he'd been expecting that-it was only her first one, after all.

Very slowly, he pulled back, keeping his light grip on her chin.

"You're so cute when you blush like that." She blushed worse.

"I-I um-!" He kissed her again.

"For luck." He said.

"M-Mm..." She just nodded. Kid rant successfully avoided, he released her and turned back to his studying. She sat there a moment longer-probably still processing what just happened and then got up to find something to do in the kitchen. He stared down at the book he'd been using again but found himself listening more to what Aoko was doing-washing dishes.

His phone sprang to life and nearly startled him. A quick look at the caller ID and he sighed. The phone call he'd been waiting on.

"Aoko-chan, I need to take this." He stated, knowing better than to ignore the call as Conan would likely just call back. Or somehow come find him.

"Need to talk to your keeper?" Ryuk laughed, Light shot him a glare as he stepped out of the kitchen and finally answered the phone.

"Yes?"

"What the Hell Yagami?" The angry tones of the false seven year old demanded. "Is this like some kind of addiction to you? How hard is it to not kill people?"

"I realised that the message wasn't being well received." He stated. He heard Conan groan in frustration.

"No. It damn well isn't. And it won't ever be 'well received', do you know why?" Light gritted his teeth. What could this brat possibly know about how Kira would be received in the long run? "Because you can't 'punish' those who have committed crimes that you don't know about. It proves that Kira is nothing more than a serial killer and they just have to cover their tracks better."

Nothing more than a serial killer? His grip tightened on the phone. He was getting tired of this. Eventually they'd learn-they'd all learn. Even Conan. If only he could just learn his real identity then he could take the annoying thorn out of his side.

"It's been two days, why are you only just now calling." Light asked. If he cared so much why didn't he call the first day?

"I... wasn't able to." Conan stated. "Don't. Kill. Anyone. Else."

"How do you intend to stop me?" Light baited. He heard Conan suck in a breath to keep his temper. He'd struck a nerve. Good.

"Don't. Challenge me." He said through obviously gritted teeth before he disconnected the line. He couldn't do anything and he knew it. Light looked over to see that Ryuk seemed amused and glared. It wasn't funny.