HI!

I know my story has been loosing some of its humor, but its getting really close to the climax.

Things are going to get really intense and dramatic soon.

I'll still make sure to stay true the humorous side of my story,

but a good story is never without a climax where things go incredibly wrong.

So I hope you stick with me to find out how it all ends!

Again, I just want to thank you all for reading!

I am truly honored to have readers like you!

Enjoy chapter 36 of An Ace up my Sleeve!

SIDE NOTE: There is new Fan Art up on my profile! It was drawn by givetherabbitthefreakintrix. IT'S SO CUTE! YOU MUST SEE IT! GO LOOK NOW!

(Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. No seriously. I don't. I kid you not. My name has no association with the manga or anime.)

The Search for Zeek

The decision to leave on her own didn't start to really affect her until she realized how far two minutes could take her by foot. Two minutes when driving was quick, but on foot, the two minutes stretched out to become 30 minutes. Thus, her feet start to hurt, along with her pride. She thought she had done something incredibly cool by breaking her phone and then making the decision to run away, but in reality, it was a stupid choice to make. Every step she took made her wish she hadn't destroyed her phone. At least then she could call Eric. But alas, she suffered through the barren road scape and scorching heat. She suffered through Doug's insistent nagging and horrible attempts to cheer her up. The worst part of it all though was her own inevitability to keep her thoughts from reaching their breaking point. She had almost cracked when she was in that jail cell in France, so it was only a matter of time until she got to herself again. Even though Doug was with her, he sure wasn't stopping her from thinking about all the lies she believed she had been hearing for the past few days.

"Look, I see the city!" Doug pointed ahead. Alice would have been just as anxious as him had she not already fallen into a deep depression. She felt as if she could trust no one. She was even starting to doubt if Eric was going to keep his promise. At that point she wouldn't be surprised if he just didn't show up at all. He could have lied to her as well. It seemed to be the new trend anyway. "Alice, are you okay?"

"Why can't anyone just tell me what's going on?" She kicked at the sign that welcomed those into Grapeland. The sound of her boot hitting the metal post pleased her inner turmoil, but not enough to keep the feeling going. She wanted to kick something else, and this something else had blonde hair and a foul mouth. For a few more kicks, she imagined the pole as Mello. It pleased her until Doug had to yell for her to stop.

"What?" She finally looked to Doug.

"Is that who we are looking for, over there?"

Alice followed his finger to where he was pointing and noticed the familiar blue Dodge truck. It was facing the other direction, but inside she could see the back of some boy's head. A smile slithered onto her face. She wasn't expecting him to be there until the afternoon, which meant he was early. It also meant that he was eager to see her.

Jackpot

"That's him!" she cheered. Doug felt relieved after seeing her smile. It had been a while since she's been happy. Alice leapt forward and ran as fast as she could to the truck. She couldn't wait a second more. She needed to talk to somebody that wasn't dead, or someone that wasn't lying to her. Eric seemed innocent enough. He had no reason to lie to her in the first place, so she figured she could trust him. When Alice reached his truck, she slammed her hand down on the back to try and get Eric's attention. It worked, because the next thing she new, Eric was jumping out from the front seat and smiling a goofy grin her way. Alice had never seen somebody so happy to see her in her life. Occasionally she would get that sort of feeling from L, but she was beyond thinking about him. She didn't want to even reflect on anything that related to the boys. Eric was there, and that was all the help she was going to need. Of course Doug too, but there was only so much a ghost could do to help.

"Howdy Ace. I'm just so darn happy you came. You're early too!" His southern accent chirped. His smiled faltered though after he just realized what he said. He coughed to clear his throat and looked away awkwardly. "I mean, it's nice seein' you again," He played with his feet in the dirt. Alice wanted to giggle, but she held it in. She had to take her new job seriously.

"Eric, I know this is going to sound weird, but just hear me out."

Eric stopped messing with the dirt and gave her his full attention.

"I need your help."

"Help? Are you in trouble?" Alice could heard the worry in his voice. That only made Alice's heart dance more.

"Sort of…" she trailed off. "I can't really explain it, but will you help me?"

For a moment she though Eric was going to say no. He was quiet, almost as if he had to really think about it. If he had to hesitate, then Alice knew she didn't have a complete hold on him. Trying to put on her innocent eyes, she gave him the most pleading puppy dog face she could muster. Luckily it seemed Eric was a sucker for it, because the next words out of his mouth were, "I'll help you with whatever you need."

Alice thanked him joyfully.

"I knew I could count on you!" She added in with her gratitude. Eric seemed to stand taller after the remark. He had a smile on that clearly stated he was happy about the complement.

Putting on his more macho exterior, he asked, "What can I help you with?"

Alice glanced only for a second at Doug who was right beside her. He was thankfully keeping his mouth shut so she could talk.

"I need help looking for someone."

"Who you looking for?"

"He's a…friend of mine," Alice had to think of something. If she were to tell Eric the truth, she had no doubt in her mind that the little crush he had for her would go away in seconds.

"A friend?" Eric sounded crestfallen. Alice just then noticed her hesitation could have been taken the wrong way.

"Not in that way," She saved herself. That seemed to lift Eric's spirits.

"So who's this friend? Is he from around here?"

"See, that's what I need help with. I'm not exactly sure where he is."

Eric looked away for a moment to think over the information he was given. He was going to need to know more if he wanted to help her.

"What's his name?"

"Zeek," She smiled, glad that she was finally able to remember Doug's friends name.

"Zeek?" Eric made a face, not sure of what to think of the odd name. Alice's smile faltered. She started to sweat when she remember that Zeek was just his nick name. She couldn't remember what his real name was.

"No, I mean…" Alice stuttered, giving Doug little glances to try and get him to tell her his real name. Doug seemed to pick up on her hints.

"Tyler Alchi," he told her.

"Tyler, Tyler Alchi is his name. Zeek is just his nickname," Alice recovered.

"Do you have an address or phone number from this guy?"

"I have nothing…" She was sad to admit. She should have questioned Doug more thoroughly about his friend. Then maybe she could have had more to tell Eric.

"A name isn't going to get you far," He crossed his arms.

"But are you implying it will get me somewhere?" Alice kept her hopes up. Alice saw the smile that crept onto Eric's lips.

"I know a guy who could help you out. He works down at the police station. All we would have to do is run his name through the system. As long as this Zeek feller lives in Texas, then his records should show up."

Alice was in awe of how easy it sounded. It was all too good to be true. She even believed that she would be able to find Zeek in one day. She would be home in time for more of Watari's special beef stew. She didn't waste any time agreeing to Eric's plan. He seemed like he knew what he was doing.

"That's amazing, that would be wonderful! Thank you!"

Doug even got excited. He was getting closer to finding his friend. He only wished that he would find him alive. Otherwise, he wouldn't know what to do with himself if he knew he was the cause of his friend's death.

"Well, what we waitin' for? Let's go!" Eric got just as excited.

The ride to the police station was full of laughter. Alice never knew Eric had such a great sense of humor, but he was witty and charming. Since the truck only seated two, Doug had to sit in the back, which gave Alice some room to breathe. She had Doug breathing down her neck for the past 24 hours and she was glad to finally catch a break. Eric was the perfect fresh air she needed after what had happened to her. Eric just seemed to make all her troubles insignificant. She had nothing to worry about with Eric around. By the time they reach the station, Alice had almost forgotten her little fight with Mello. She had been having such a great time that all her problems didn't seem to matter anymore.

"So how did you catch the runaway cows?" Alice chuckled as she exited the truck. Earlier Eric had been telling her the story of how his herd had somehow escaped their enclosure. They had trampled through the small town and caused all sorts of chaos.

"Had to ride my Annabelle and rope them." Eric came out next.

"Who's Annabelle?"

"My horse."

Alice giggled at the thought of Eric riding his horse with a rope swinging above his head. He was a true cowboy. When they reached the door, Eric held it open for her. The police station was nothing like Alice thought it would be. It was made to look like a log cabin, unlike the usual brick buildings that were around town. Big pillars of dark woods were laid across over each other. Held together by some sort of adhesive and nails. Just entering the building, she could already smell a forest around her. Pine needles and sweet saps filled the air.

"Welcome to the police station." Eric swooped his hand from left to right to gesture to the room inside. Alice scanned the room with curiosity. The room wasn't large to begin with, but there was door on the far right that must have opened up to the main part of the building. Alice just guessed they were only in the lobby. In front of the door on the far right sat a large empty desk. The place looked deserted. For a police station, it didn't look like much. There must have not been a lot of crime happening around Grapeland.

"Cute." Alice shrugged it off, not sure what else to say. Eric led her inside and brought her over to an empty chair. Just above it was a large buck's head mounted on the wall.

How charming….

"You're not allowed to go into the back, so I hope you don't mind waitin' out here."

"I don't mind." Alice waved him off and took a seat. That gave Eric a sigh of relief.

"Good, I'll just be a minute. I promise."

Alice watched Eric run back to the door behind the desk. The door shut behind him quietly and Alice was left alone to sit and wait. At least she was alone for a moment; Doug walked in moments later through the wall, not needing to use the front door since he wouldn't be able to open it anyway. He looked around the room for a second and then spotted Alice sitting by herself.

"Where did he go?" He asked her as he stared at the dead animal above her head. Alice would have gawked at it too, but it was just a decoration. She accepted any form art; including ones that were dead and mounted on walls.

"I wasn't allowed to go with him, so he went to go talk with his police buddy by himself."

Alice was thankful nobody else was in the room. She could talk with Doug freely without having to get the weird looks.

"Do you think he'll find anything?"

"That's a good question Doug. Why don't you tell me more about your friend?"

Doug took a seat next to her and rubbed the back of his neck. For somebody who seemed to adore their precious friend, he didn't talk much about him. Alice wondered if maybe it was because of a troubled past or his memory was shaken. There were times where she would have to help recover a ghost's memory. Their death had been so tragic that their memories about their past lives had been suppressed. Doug's death was pretty tragic, so his memory could have been lost.

"Doug?" She called out his name after he had been quiet for too long.

"I was involved with some pretty bad people as you probably already know."

Alice nodded her head, not wanting to disrupt his story.

"Zeek had nothing to do with those people. We traveled together. He was my travel buddy." Doug smiled at the thought, but his smile didn't last long. "I would buy from them. We had a monthly deal."

Alice internally gagged at the thought. Drugs were one of worst addictions to have besides smoking. She didn't even want to know what kinds of drugs Doug had bought from them. She was glad that Doug didn't elaborate any further about his addiction.

"Zeek never took any of the stuff I got. He was clean. I guess that's what I admired about him. He never judged me." Alice noticed the admiration in his eyes. It was a side of Doug she had never seen before. It made her want to find Zeek all the more.

"The day of my death I had done something I shouldn't have. I probably got Zeek killed for it." Doug's frown deepened.

"You don't know that Doug."

Doug didn't respond, but Alice could see the struggle in his eyes. He was already blaming himself. Thinking on her feet, she wanted to try and get Doug out of his depression.

"Why don't you tell me more about your friend instead? What did he like to do?" She put on a small smile. The question seemed to work pretty well. Doug lifted his head and started his spiel.

"Zeek was the coolest dude you could ever meet. He accepted everyone, and was willing listen to whatever you wanted to tell him. Our favorite thing to do together was play MagicRelic."

Alice paused his reminiscing to think over Doug's last few words. She had no idea what Doug was referring too. She never heard of MagicRelic.

"MagicRelic?" Alice was cautious with the word. She had a feeling she knew where the conversation was going.

"You never heard of MagicRelic? Man, it's the sickest online game. I play a knight. Zeek was the mage Elf. We ruled the Emerald Forest!"

"Emerald Forest…?" Alice felt the side of her mouth arch up. She was trying to keep a serious face, but the way Doug described the game almost sounded like something Matt would say.

"Yeah, that's where the Horgslack resides. You kill that beast and your king."

"Of course, the Horgslack." Alice's smile got bigger.

"The Sprites are the worst though. You have to watch out for them, otherwise they'll steal all your stuff."

"Thief Sprites, got it." She continued to play along.

"Every year my buddy Zeek and I would go to this convention down in Huston. We dress up as our characters."

"Oh my," Alice started to chuckle. She never knew Doug was so adventurous.

"We were pretty famous at the conventions. Being king of the Emerald forest is a big deal."

"I'm sure it is your majesty." She bowed slightly. Doug started to laugh a little. He never thought he would be able to talk about Zeek again, but here he was with Alice disclosing all his personal experiences. He was enjoying every moment of it, and he noticed Alice was too.

"Yup, August 24th; the first day of the Kumocon in Houston. We would work on our costumes for months before we would go."

"August 24th?" Alice uttered under her breath. "Hey Doug, If Zeek was still alive, would he still go to this convention without you?"

"I wouldn't see any reason why he wouldn't. He's the complete ruler of the Emerald forest now, so he would have to go to the convention to stake his claim and rewards."

Alice wasn't entirely sure what Doug had meant, but an idea came to her that she was sure would work.

"Where is this convention held?"

"Kumocon is held in Houston. They usually host it in one of the large hotels."

Alice started to feel exhilarated. "Doug! Today is the 23rd! If we drive to Houston and go to the convention, then we could find him!"

Doug gasped and jumped up from his seat. Alice had never seen him so happy.

"I never thought of that! That's amazing!" He cheered, clutching his head as if all the information was giving him a head rush. "If today is the 23rd, then we need to get moving. You need a pass to get into the convention. It would be wise to buy one early."

"How much is a pass?"

"Depends on the type you want. General admittance usually runs around $70."

"Good lord. That much for a silly ticket?

"Silly? I'll have you know there is nothing silly about Kumocon." Doug got defensive. Alice wasn't convinced. But before she could say anything more, the sound of a door opening stopped her. She watched as Eric entered the room with a few papers in his hand. Behind him was an officer all dressed up in blue. He was most likely the friend Eric had been referring too. Turning away from Doug, Alice stood up to be level with the other two.

"Sorry about the wait." Eric stopped in front of her. His friend stood behind him and tipped his hat towards Alice.

"Howdy Ma'm."

Alice nodded in return, but was more interested in what Eric had found.

"I'm sorry, but we didn't get much." Eric started out. Alice would have been disappointed had she not already come up with a plan herself. "I'm concerned though with what we did find."

Alice pursed her lips together tightly. Behind Eric she noticed Dave was shifting his weight. He didn't look as if he had good news.

"Ma'm, I know it ain't my authority to tell you who should be your friends, but I don't reckon you should be looking for this Zeek feller."

"What do you mean?" She gave them an odd look.

"Tyler Alchi has had a Class A Misdemeanor for possession of Marijuana. He was incarcerated for about six months, but was released for good behavior. His license has been suspended twice and I can't count how many times he's been called for trespassing."

Alice's jaw literally dropped. She wanted to glare over at Doug and yell at him for saying that Zeek was clean. Clearly he had a record that disproved that. But a deal was a deal, and Alice had to find him. So with a deep breath, she began to spin her web of lies.

"I know that all sounds bad, but he's not a bad person." She flinched on her own words. She was only basing that theory off of what she had heard from Doug. Dave and Eric looked at each other unconvinced, but Eric heard the plea in her voice and knew not to press it any further. He had promised to help her anyway, and he never would go back on his word.

"Alright, I won't judge. But I wish there was more I could tell you. There wasn't any address, and all we got were his license plate numbers. Your friend doesn't seem stay in one place for too long."

"That's okay," Alice said with a little too much enthusiasm. It showed when Eric's eyebrows lifted up with surprise. She calmed herself down so she could explain properly. "I mean, I think I have an idea where to find him. Every year he goes to this convention down in Houston. Tomorrow is this convention. If I can get to Huston, then I'm sure I could find him."

"Houston?"

Alice nodded her head vigorously. Again, the two didn't look convinced, but Eric was willing to do anything for her. "That's going to be about a two hour drive from here."

"But with your help, I know I'll be able to find him." Alice batted her eyelashes. Eric's smile couldn't be helped. He was too deep under her spell.

"Uh, Eric, could I talk to you in privet for a minute." His friend Dave grabbed hold of his shoulder protectively. Alice almost lost her composure, wanting to glare at Dave for trying to ruin her moment. But she regretfully allowed the two their space.

"Sure, I'll just wait outside," she said with an innocent fake smile. By the time she was outside, she rushed to press her ear up to the wall to see if she could hear anything. Unfortunately the logs were too thick. She only had a visual of them from one of the windows. Hiding herself against the wall, she spied. From the way Dave was moving his hands around, he didn't look too happy about the situation. He was most likely trying to convince Eric to stop helping a complete stranger; probably warning him that she could be trouble, and that he shouldn't get involved with her. She wouldn't blame Dave for the warning. He was half right of course. Alice was just using Eric to get what she wanted. She had no intention of ever seeing Eric again after she found Zeek. For a moment, she even started to feel a bit guilty about it. Especially after seeing Eric's reaction toward his friend. He was upset, since the next thing she knew, Eric was storming out the building. She had to jerk away from the window so she wouldn't be caught trying to eavesdrop. Eric's frown disappeared after he saw Alice next to his truck.

"Is everything okay?" she asked as she watched him approach. He may have been smiling, but his eyes said a different story.

"Everything is fine Ace. Don't go worrying about me. We have to find your friend anyway."

Alice would have gone further to make sure he was okay, but her priority wasn't his feelings. It was finding Zeek, and if that meant Eric had to suffer a little for it, then she was willing to forget about his feelings. Sure she knew she was being a complete bitch, but she knew that she would never be able to see him again anyway. Better to disconnect with him sooner rather than suffer a painful breakup later.

L folded down his screen on his laptop and watched the green light fade away. The room was quiet, his bed made, and his floors spotless. Watari had come in earlier to clean up. He was incredibly thorough with his work. Looking out the smudged window, he watched as Watrai packed up the SUV. They were leaving soon to interrogate Joseph. Matt and Mello were downstairs helping as well. They would be ready in minutes.

Picking up his computer, L decided it was the best time to leave. His time was limited since he knew he only had five hours to complete the job. Making his way down the stairs, he saw Matt rush by him holding a box. He was out the door as soon as L reached the bottom step. Watrai walked in next and notice L at the head of the staircase.

"We are ready to depart sir."

L nodded his head to show that he acknowledged Watari. "Excellent, then let's go."

Heavy boots thumped from behind L. Mello stepped into the room, his anger clear to all. L was sure it was directed at himself; especially when Mello's glare reached his own neutral expression.

"Is something the matter Mello?" Watari asked, hoping maybe he could direct the angry away from L. It didn't work. Mello kept his eyes glued on L.

"Ace's transmission, it went out. Her signal can't be found anywhere."

Matt walked in at this point, his PSP in his hand. L's expression didn't change. In fact, it almost looked as if he were more relaxed.

"Her signal on her phone is gone," Mello continued with a growl. "The car's signal has been shut down, and her third tracer seems to have been wiped out as well."

L didn't give Mello an answer right away. He waited to make sure if Mello was done with his rant. He was right to have waited, because it wasn't long before Mello started up again.

"How the hell do three tracers all shut down at once?" he fumed. "We designed them ourselves!"

Matt had to run over to Mello to calm him down. Mello tended to punch or kick things when he was angry, and Matt wasn't sure the barn house could take a beating from Mello. Watari had to cough deeply to get their attention. Mello had been making so much noise that they almost hadn't heard him. They quieted down to hear him out.

"I shut off all three signals."

Mello and Matt gapped at the confession Watari had made.

"What?" Matt was shocked.

"I ordered him to shut down the tracers." L finally got to enter in the conversation. Matt and Mello's shock were turned to L next.

"Why the hell would you do that?" Mello started to yell.

"I have asked Ace to work on a secret project for me. I had to disarm her tracers for her privacy."

Mello's completion turned a few shades of red. L was prepared to hear him start screaming, but Mello never got the chance. Near entered the barn from the front door and interrupted.

"Excuse me, I know you are having an important discussion, but we are on a set schedule. If we don't leave for Houston now, then we are going to be late."

"You are correct Near, we need to leave now."

"Fuck that! Why did you turn off her tracer?" Mello didn't want to let it go.

"L," Matt hardened his voice. He was agreeing with Mello, and didn't want to end it there either.

"Mello, Matt," L hardened his voice as well. It was a lot more intimidating then Matt's. "I don't want you to question my motives anymore."

Watari moved in and got behind the two boys. Before they could say another word, he pushed them toward the front door so they could get moving. L was thankful that Watari was able to get them to move. Even if Mello went out kicking and screaming, Watari was still able to get him to go.

L sighed after they left. Near stayed by the front door, playing with his hair by twirling in circles around his fingers. It looked as if he wanted to say something, but L was tired of talking. Instead, he walked out the house with his hands in his pocket. He was dreading the car ride to Huston, but at least he got the front seat. That gave him some room away from Mello who was probably going to be sitting in the very back. Judging by how forceful Watari was with them, he was bound to punish them in some form.

The music was blasting through the speakers; the sound of Shania Twains "I feel like a woman" made the inside of Eric's truck vibrate. Alice's voice could barley even be heard over the speakers as she sang along. Eric's laughter only mixed in with the drum beats and guitar solos. Doug was happy to be outside in the bed of the truck. He would have hated to be sitting between the two, since it was obvious they were going to act like fools the whole ride there.

Eric had never laughed so hard in his life. Alice was dancing in her seat and emphasizing every word with a fake accent she would describe as southern. To Eric, it sounded like something from Africa mixed together with Australian. But that didn't matter, because Alice seemed to pull it off beautifully.

"Hey Eric!" Alice shouted over the music, taking a break from her performance.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever ridden a bull before?"

Eric snorted out a whoop of laughter. "Real or mechanical?"

Alice popped a french-fry in her mouth before she answered. They had recently picked up lunch along the way. Alice was thankful to have gotten food in her stomach.

"Both!"

"I've only took on the mechanical ones. Never had the chance to get on a real bull!"

"I thought all cowboys rode on bulls!"

Eric started to laugh hysterically again. Alice's image of a cowboy was typical. It was heavily based off of the Medias depiction.

"Sorry darling, I only ride horses!"

Alice didn't catch on to her new nickname he gave her. With his accent, it sounded normal. She didn't give it a second thought. She was too busy stuffing French-fries in her mouth.

"Hey, hou lon haveb wbe ben drivbing?" Her mouth was stuffed. She almost thought she would have to repeat herself, but Eric seemed to understand her loud and clear, even with the music on full blast.

"For about 20 minutes!"

She swallowed her fries and took a drink of her soda to get the food down her throat faster.

"One hour and 40 minutes to go until we reach Houston!" She cheered. To celebrate, she picked up on the next song and started to dance. Swaying to the beat of Toby Keith's "Talk about me", Alice acted out the lyrics as if the song was made for her. It might as well have been since she had been getting all the attention so far. Even though she didn't feel like she could trust any of the Wammy boys, at least she still had her abilities to be independent. She was new at it still, but she was getting used to how things worked. As long as she was good at persuasion, then she was sure to get what she wanted. She didn't need L or Matt or Mello, or anybody. She didn't know what to think about Near, so she kept her dark thoughts away from him. She still wanted to believe he was on her side. But for the moment she had to stay away. She had a job to do, and she was sure as hell going to finish it!

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING!

KanrasLittleSerpent, One Hell Of A Stalker, kapibarasan, Bree Renee, alicelouise'x, Bebbingtoe, Stormygio, dangerous ninga, Yumeno, Kira Kiwaseki, Saber Amane, superstrawberryL, freaksforever (Merry Christmas to you too!), KiyUzumaki, XBloodMageRikaX, Bow Down To Gir, IAmAWhale (Greeting from America!), and stormkitty. (So many wonderful people to thank! I wish I could smother you all in a big hug, but I'm pretty sure most of you would call me out for sexual harassment. So I'll keep my hands to myself. I promise. =D)

wolf neko: I love made up words! Dr. Seuss is like my idol when it comes to that! Thank you so much!

Sakura Ichigo Morihiko: Wow this one is hard. I can't even think of anything! What is it?

Akatsukigirl456: Thank you so much for writing an amazing review!

givetherabbitthefreakintrix: I loved your art! I swear I kept going to check it out like every minute of the day just so I could convince myself that it was still there. It's like a dream really. I am extremely thrilled that you love my story! Enough so to even draw something for it. I haven't thought about alternate stories with Mello or Matt being the love interest, but it sounds interesting. I don't think I would be able to do it though since I've come to love Alice and L being together. I would have to think up another character for Matt or Mello.

AshweeWolfie: I'm so happy to have gotten you to laugh out loud! Especially if it got you weird looks from your siblings! My life feels complete now.

tenshi-no-akuma-81: Ah yes, the all dreaded Mary Sue that haunts most of all Fan-Fictions. I'm touched that you would take your time to dig deep into my characters personality and analyze her status through the story itself. I completely understand where you are getting this Mary Sue feeling, but my intentions for her character were to be looked at as someone who gets what they want, whenever they wanted. Even if the scenario doesn't seem possible, Alice can do it. The purpose of this was to make it so when she does finally end up in a situation where she doesn't get what she wants, then its going to effect her all that much more. The climax of the story is coming up really soon, and Alice is going to be put in a situation where all hell is going to break loose and she will have no control over it. She will be as you put it "suffering" something quiet tragic. So Please continue to read and tell me what you think! I love your opinion and I rely on all my reviewers to tell me what they really think. Otherwise I wont learn a thing.

tootsiepop101: If you got emotional at those scenes, then you are defiantly going to hate me when the big problems start to emerge. At least I can promise you there will be giggles in-between the drama. I love humor too much. I'm really excited to know that you think I'm portraying the characters really well. I understand what you meant by L being a little OOC. I never expected him to be perfect since hes the love interest in the story. Thank you so much for all your kind words! I owe you my appreciation for getting me to work harder.

Speckles719: I don't want you to hurt yourself in a jumping accident, so be careful. I care about you too much to see you end up injured. I'm always happy to hear that my readers get weird looks from their friends or family when they read my story. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. =)