By the way, are you guys also part of the Good Omens fandom? I've actually got an idea for a CrowleyxOC fanfic, since there are so few of them. (Even though my OTP pairing is the canon pairing Aziraphale x Crowley, because the authors wrote it so well.)

Anyway, to all, thank you in advance for reading, commenting/reviewing, favoriting/bookmarking, and/or subscribing (that's a lot of slashes in one sentence). I hope you continue enjoying this story.

Chapter 25: Partnership

It had been more than a month since the rest of the task force had mae the decision to continue confining Yagami Jr., Sr., and Amane. Thankfully, the days were uneventful, with all of them settling into a routine. Aizawa divided his time with the Chief and with watching Misa, since footage of Misa was never streamed in front of Light. Ostensibly, Ryuzaki did not want Light kept up to date on her status and whereabouts. Rui was sure that he just got bored watching her, since he already knew she had lost her memories. It was a good move, though; between that and his family, Aizawa was too busy to really protest about what and when their next move would be.

Ryuzaki allowed himself to remain handcuffed to Light at least four times a week, keeping the days random; on those nights, Rui sometimes gave into the temptation to watch them, as Ryuzaki had not revoked her access to the surveillance feed. She always told herself she was just doing her job, and that by understanding Ryuzaki better, she would stop thinking about him so much. She knew otherwise, though, and she would berate herself for it heavily. She was being a creeper, plain and simple. She was sure Ryuzaki knew when she watched him. She had already counted numerous occasions in which she stared too long at him through the screen and he would jerk rather subtly, then look into one of the cameras. It always happened to be the one belonging to the screen she was staring at. Still, he never brought it up, so Rui assumed he approved of her 'doing her job'.

On other nights, Ryuzaki would plant his bony behind into his usual armchair to watch the screens on his lonesome. At these times, Rui looked forward to bringing him some form of dessert and engaging him in conversation. It was usually Rui who started them, but occasionally, Ryuzaki started some interesting ones.

Once, with a flourish, Rui had handed him a small handful of wildflowers she had picked on the way home from one of her dessert runs. He had given her an incredulous look (well, as incredulous an expression as his stoic facial features could convey), but she had ignored that and placed them in a mug of water on his desk. He had gazed at them, then offhandedly asked her what she thought life was. It was a question that had stumped her. With a little bit of thinking and a lot of stumbling over her words at him, she still didn't have her answer. Still, in the process, Rui rather thought she had her reason for persevering in this world. Unlike Ryuzaki, who'd created his own place in the world, she never felt like she belonged, nor that there was anything in particular that she could feel passion for. No matter what world she was in, Rui just knew there was more out there that she could do, could experience, and could be, and she was not dying until she discovered all that in herself, and more. Ryuzaki, though he himself could be frustratingly opaque and inscrutable, had a weird way of bringing about greater self-understanding in her, and she was pretty sure he didn't even know it. Or maybe he just made her think where she had only been assuming, before.

Ryuzaki did not seem to be a flowers kind of person. Contrary to that initial assessment, he had slapped Matsuda's hand away the next day when the latter tried to take away the slightly wilted blooms. Well, that was after he had ignored Matsuda asking him whether they should get rid of the weeds. From then on, she made an effort to keep the mug filled with flowers. He seemed to prefer the hydrangeas most, if the way he fingered their petals was any indication. In those moments, Rui tried not to let her gaze linger on his fingers.

Another time, they had talked about family, only very briefly. Perhaps it was the lack of obvious judgement on his face, or the way he showed he remembered what she told him despite rarely looking her in the eye, or his natural skill as an investigator, but Ryuzaki had the ability to make her divulge more than she had initially intended on saying. Hell, perhaps it was just her stupid crush on him, but Rui found herself divulging that she had a complicated relationship with her mother. Though she did not elaborate (not even a crush could make her do that), it was a topic and revelation that came with immense amounts of pain and shame, seeing as how children were supposed to love and be close to their mothers, and she would only be accused of being ungrateful had the full extent of her feelings on this matter been revealed. As she found herself too choked up and emotional to continue, he had actually volunteered something about himself.

"I suppose Watari would be the closest to a guardian that I've had," he had mused dispassionately, running his thumb along his bottom lip. "I have not met my biological parents, nor do I ever intend to."

That quip, though it at first succeeded in breaking Rui out of her fugue, had then brought her to tears, much to his consternation. It was not anything Rui did not already know, especially with what Watari had tried to tell her. She supposed it had just been a rather emotional topic in the first place, but the idea of Ryuzaki just being alone, being resigned to being alone, knowing that he wasn't wanted, just made her sad.

Rui had tried to apologise for her crying outburst in the midst of her tears, but Ryuzaki had simply waved it off, casting his eyes about the room everywhere except at her, before suddenly perking up and leaving the room. At first, Rui had assumed he had fled, but then, in almost no time at all, he had shuffled back into the room, gingerly pinching something large in his thumb and index finger. At first, Rui's vision was too blurry to see what it was, but then he placed it on the table right in front of her. and she saw that it was a box of tissues.

As she blew her nose inelegantly and swiped at her eyes, he spoke again, his side to her as he poked at some uneaten shortcake. "I had not intended my remark to be taken as anything more than it was, nor anticipated that it would have had such a devastating effect on your composure. As there is nothing more to be made of it, I would suggest that you take it exactly for what it was intended to be."

"Now, if you'll stop crying, I'll give you this strawberry."

That was really sweet for someone like him, but he had avoided her for three days after that.

Their conversations were not always this intense. Mostly, they were full of random topics, such as the time she asked him, offhandedly, why he didn't get sugar crashes despite the astronomical amount of sugar he consumed.

"The key lies in the posture," he very unexpectedly replied. "It engages more muscle than sitting normally. And in anticipation of your telling me that it isn't a good enough reason to look odd, I'll have you know that it also restricts blood flow to all other parts of the body, allowing more blood to be channeled to the brain and hence, helping me think."

Rui couldn't say that her understanding of Ryuzaki actually improved through these conversations, but it did make her infinitely more comfortable with him, so much so that she found herself joking with him far more often.

Still, that was neither here nor there, and soon the day arrived where Light and Misa were to meet each other in person.

Jul 25, 2004; 08 00

"Justice is served," she murmured, just loud enough for only Ryuzaki to hear, having set out the last of his breakfast things. He wasn't in a position to do more than cough.

"Yagami-kun, I'm afraid you'll need to leave us for a little bit," he told the youth rather smugly. "There are some issues of great importance that must be discussed urgently. Watari will replace me for now."

Rui rolled her eyes as Watari and Yagami Light left the room, handcuffed to each other. She was willing to bet that Ryuzaki was simply interrupting Light's meal out of sheer pettiness. He hadn't told her to clear the table, so he was probably intending for Light to resume a breakfast that had gone cold. Ryuzaki was an ass, but he wasn't inhumane.

"As per our earlier decision, Amane Misa and Yagami Light do not appear to be Kiras presently. Therefore I propose-"

"Wait a minute, Ryuzaki!" Aizawa interrupted. "What do you mean 'do not appear to be Kiras presently'? They either are or aren't Kiras!"

Rui could see the impatience in Ryuzaki's tense grip on his knees. "We do have several pieces of evidence that link Amane to the Second Kira. As for the First Kira, our interactions with them have demonstrated that they did tend to kill during hours that would match a student's schedule, that they are of exceptional intelligence, and that in several notable cases, Light was present. These include the death of Raye Penber, who had been shadowing Light, and Light's presence in Aoyama a day before the First and Second Kira had made contact. Besides, Yagami-kun claims that he does not know Amane Misa and that she isn't his girlfriend, but Amane claims otherwise. Yes, taken individually, these instances appear innocuous and insufficient to conclude that Yagami-kun is the First Kira, but taken as a whole, I believe there is more to the picture that has not been made apparent to us."

"People are being killed without these two appearing to be able to do anything," Aizawa responded, still unconvinced. "We know that Kira killed Lind L. Tailor and the FBI agents. And, as Light had mentioned, if Kira could kill under surveillance and without gaining information, there would be no need to kill Tailor and the agents. They'd never be any kind of threat to him. Kira doesn't kill without a reason. That was your conclusion as well, Ryuzaki."

Ryuzaki looked like he wanted to sigh. "Well, that simply means that Kira had been doing it in a way that appeared innocuous," he mumbled. "Amane and Yagami appear to have lost parts of their memory. I'm sure you've noticed the behavioral changes that came over them? I do not think we should rule out the possiibility that Kira's power can be passed from person to person, with the former Kira having no memory of it."

Aizawa appeared incensed. "Ryuzaki..." He took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but it looks to me like you're saying this because you don't want to admit that you were wrong about Light being Kira."

Wow, harsh much. Surprisingly, it was Matsuda who came to the rescue.

"Aizawa..." he piped up, hesitating. "I, too, don't want the Chief to have to continue confining himself, and I find it hard to believe that Light is the First Kira. However, we did notice how Amane suddenly changed her tune and accused us of being stalkers. Also, the way Light suddenly went against his previous decision to be placed into confinement. Surely those things cannot be discounted. What Ryuzaki proposes sounds wholly incredible, but even I can see that there is more to this case than we can see right now, and that there is no reason we should rule out Ryuzaki's theory, not until we have more information!"

"Thank you for that vote of confidence, Matsuda," Ryuzaki drawled.

Matsuda beamed, the sarcasm completely flying past him. Rui rolled her eyes at Ryuzaki again. Would it kill him to show some grace?

Before Aizawa could say anything in response, Ryuzaki continued. "I think this is a discussion that needs to involve the Chief."

Jul 28 2004; 14 00

So they ended up having to do the whole fake execution thing again. Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly after all, given Yagami Sr.'s penchant for making sure that all bases were definitively covered, he was the one who insisted on this, despite the trauma it would no doubt put Amane and Yagami Jr. through. Was he just that confident in his son's ability to handle stress, or...?

"I never imagined the stalker was an old man..." Amane's voice piped up from the surveillance feed. "So you're finally letting me go?" Her voice was pretty calm for someone who believed she was in the presence of a stalker.

"I'm not a stalker, I'm a detective," returned Yagami Sr.'s no-nonsense tone, making Amane's eyes widen.

"Oh, now I remember!" Amane cried, shocked. "That thing about the Second Kira... You were serious about that?" Her voice rang with truth. Any lingering doubts that she had been pretending were gone. "No way, the police wouldn't tie me up like that..." She leaned towards the Chief. "Anyway, if you're letting me go, then what's with the handcuffs?"

"Shut up." Yagami Sr. drove them into the carpark where Aizawa was escorting a confused Light. He'd been woken up really early, given no breakfast, and had had no contact with anyone except Aizawa, who wasn't talking to him

Guiding him into the car seat beside Amane, Aizawa spoke only to the Chief and left.

"I missed you so much, Light!" Misa gushed, tearfully.

Light's greeting her with only her name did not at all match her sentiment. Poor girl, Rui thought. Not really.

"What's going on, Dad?" Light asked, trying visibly to keep calm.

Misa, on the other hand, seemed to have relaxed with Light's presence. "Huh?! Dad?! Oh no, Light. I called your father a stalker..." Rui snickered. That was a poor way to make an impression on your crush's parent. Well, it could have been worse. She could have had evidence that pointed towards her being a serial murderer. Oh wait-

"Are we finally being cleared and released?" Light inquired, hopefully.

"No... Right now you two are..." Yagami Sr. paused for effect. "Being taken to your execution. An underground facility has been set up and your executions will be carried out in secret. I volunteered to take you there..."

There was real fear in both their faces. "Execution? What are you talkiing about, Dad?!" Yagami Jr. cried.

"What? You're joking, right?! Dad... Ha ha..." Misa was just as distraught, although she did still have the presence of mind to address Yagami Sr. as Dad.

"L has concluded that Yagami Light is Kira and Amane Misa is the Second Kira. He's declared that once you two are executed, the killings will stop. The police and government have agreed to his proposal. Kira will be eradicated in secret..."

"No way, Dad! I'M NOT KIRA! Ask the rest of the task force! They've seen me handcuffed to Ryuzaki, and I've never done anything while the murders were happening!"

"Yeah, what are you thinking?" Amane joined in. "He's your own son!"

"It's not my choice," Yagami Sr. replied gravely. "It was L's. L controls the police. He's solved numerous cases and has never been wrong."

"Dad! You believe L over me?" Light cried out. Rui could almost taste the feeling of betrayal that radiated from Light, even through the screen. This wasn't that entertaining, after all. Even if it did come from a manga.

"L is even saying that if this doesn't stop the killings, he will take responsibility and end his own life." If Light had retained his memories, that would have clued him in to the fact that something was afoot.

"L... What is he thinking?" Light mused out loud in disbelief. "I understand that from the facts we have, this may seem like a reasonable assumption but... This is a mistake! L is making a mistake... Why would he come to a conclusion like this...?"

No, even memoryless Light was sharp as a tack. "Something's wrong here..." Light continued, thinking out loud. "This isn't like L at all... L has always solved his cases with hard evidence. Why would he let this one end like this?"

"We're here." Yagami Sr. interrupted him, stopping the car.

"Where is this?" Light wondered, scanning the landscape. "Why did you bring us out to the middle of nowhere?"

Misa perked up. "Oh! Are you letting us escape?" Misa, the eternal optimist. That was probably the source of her resilience, which Rui did find admirable.

"Yes... Nobody will see us out here... I've brought you here instead of the execution ground..."

He turned to Light. "I'm going to kill you here and then kill myself." Yagami Sr. was a good actor, so much so that Rui found her insides turning to chills as the camera picked up on his thousand-yard stare. Maybe that was where Light got his acting skills.

Light tried to back away in horror. "What are you saying, Dad?! Y...you can't be serious!"

Misa, too, had realised the gravity of the situation. "Stop it! You're crazy!" she shouted. "Your child is Kira, so you'll kill him and then kill yourself?! If you want to die, then die by yourself! Can't you see that if you do that you'll be no different from Kira?!" These were, no doubt, things that Light would never bring himself to say, even if he agreed wholeheartedly.

"No... I'm different from Kira," Yagami Sr. responded, exactly as Ryuzaki had told him to. "I have the responsibility of being his father and the Chief." Though he was laying it on thick, this must have dissolved any traces of doubt that Light had regarding the situation he appeared to be in.

"AHHH! You're insane!" Misa screamed, crying in earnest. Rui looked sideways at the task force members. Surely she couldn't be the only one feeling bad about this?

Well. Ryuzaki was being his blank-faced self, gnawing absently at his thumb. Aizawa was leaning forward, an intent look in his eyes, as he gripped the back of Ryuzaki's chair. Matsuda, the one who seemed most likely to falter, had the most surprising reaction. His brow was furrowed, and he was clenching his fists, but there was otherwise no outward sign of any stress.

Rui forced her own jaw to relax, and turned back to the screen, in time to hear Light agreeing with Misa and suggesting that they run away.

Unrelenting, Yagami Sr. reached into his jacket to pull out a gun. Even Rui's heart lurched at the sight. She didn't know how guns worked, but what if the blank somehow failed and they ended up hurt?

Light's eyes widened, and in that moment, he looked his age.

"Amane... Light and I will die here, but I have no reason to kill you," Yagami Sr. addressed the model, who seemed to be in shock. "The police will find this car soon. You'll be executed at the planned site..."

Even when panicking, Light's brilliant mind was still working. "L-listen, Dad! If we were Kira and the Second Kira, then there's no way we'd let you kill us! There are no witnesses here, if we were the Kiras-"

"SHUT UP!" Yagami Sr. growled, putting a stop to that brilliantly accurate train of thought and releasing the safety catch.

"DAD!" Light screamed in complete and utter terror.

"Light. We're both murderers. We'll see each other again in Hell." Well, that line was a little dramatic, and it brought down some of the anxiety Rui felt.

Ryuzaki turned off the audio just as the blank went off. It must have been deafening, and for it to be so close to Light's face... She frowned.

They waited with bated breath for something that did not happen. Yagami Sr. was the first one to break the silence.

"Forgive me, you two," Yagami Sr. breathed, slumping down in his seat in relief. "Please understand that I only did it because I truly believed that you weren't Kira. Did you see that, all of you? I did that and I'm still alive."

"Yes, brilliant acting," Ryuzaki replied, drily. "In that situation, if Amane was the Second Kira, who appeared able to kill with just a person's face, I think we can assume that she would have killed you before you shot Light-kun... and the same might be true if Light were Kira. It's possible, of course, that Light-kun might have figured out that it was all an act before the end, or even that the Kiras did not have enough time to kill, seeing as we don't actually know how they do... but as was agreed, their confinements will end. Amane gets to return to her normal life, but as we do still have various pieces of evidence connecting her to the Second Kira, she will still be put under surveillance until everything is made clear. As for you, Light, let's work on solving this case together."

Both of them brightened.

"You got it, Ryuzaki!" Light beamed. "Let's catch Kira, together!"

Jul 28, 2004; 18 00

"Huh? Two guys chained together is gross..." Misa complained. "This is what you're into? You were with Light at school, too..."

"I'm not doing this because I want to," Ryuzaki replied, emphatically.

That did not make Misa feel any better. "But Light belongs to me," she sulked. "And if you're always together, then when am I supposed to go on dates with Light?"

"The dates will naturally be with the three of us..."

"WHA..!" Misa cried disbelievingly. "You're saying we have to kiss in front of you?"

At this point, Rui was ready to burst out in snickers. She adjusted her mask.

"I'm not saying you have to do anything. But... yes, I will be watching." Ryuzaki stated decisively.

"HUH?! What the hell? I knew it! You are a pervert!"

Ryuzaki wasn't having it. "Light-kun, please shut Misa-san up."

Light knew it too, and so he chose his words carefully. "Misa, don't be so difficult. You were definitely the one who sent those videos. Be grateful that you're allowed this much freedom."

Misa looked hurt. "Hey, what are you saying, Light? I'm your girlfriend, right? You don't trust your lover?" She didn't deny having sent those videos, though, which begged the question of what exactly she, or rather, both of them, remembered.

"Girlfriend?" Light looked taken aback. "All I know is that you say you fell in love with me at first sight and now you won't let me alone..."

Misa was enraged now. "Then you took advantage of that and kissed me...?!" She began pounding at Light with her tiny fists. The rest of the task force looked embarrassed to be there.

Ryuzaki had no problem interrupting their lovers' spat. "About this love at first sight..." he began, "It was in Aoyama, May 22 nd , correct?"

"Yes." Misa's reply was sure.

"Why did you go to Aoyama that day? What were you wearing?" Ryuzaki continued, getting closer to her.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Misa said, exasperated. "I just went there because I felt like it. How should I be able to remember what clothes I was wearing? I'm not allowed to hang out in Aoyama without a reason?"

Ryuzaki got even closer. "So you went to Aoyama and when you got home you were in love with Light-kun and knew his name?"

"Yes."

Now he was all up in her face. "But you don't know how you learnt his name."

"That's right." Misa was still staring straight into Ryuzaki's eyes. Pretty impressive.

"Then how would you feel if Light-kun was Kira?" Ryuzaki demanded, moving closer as she backed away towards Light.

"If Light was Kira?" Misa asked, her hand around Light's arm. "... Awesome." Though she had seen this scene before, Rui still found it strange how Misa told the truth about liking Kira, especially to the guy who was investigating her. Surely she had to realise it wasn't a good look?

"I've always been grateful to Kira for punishing the man who killed my parents," Misa continued, cuddling against Light's arm. "If Light were Kira, I'd like him even more." She peered up at Light coyly. "Though, I already like him so much, there might not be enough room."

Even Ryuzaki sounded incredulous. "We're talking about Kira here...? You'd like Kira more...? Aren't you afraid at all?"

"We're talking about if Light were Kira, right? I wouldn't be scared at all. Misa is pro-Kira!" she announced. "I'd think of ways I could help him." Was anyone else hearing this? Rui hoped they would remember this.

"You'd probably only get in his way..." Ryuzaki mumbled, making Rui snort. Aizawa, whose expression just looked even more constipated, maded a giggle bubble out from her throat, which she covered with a cough. Ryuzaki's eyes flicked to her and he changed the subject.

"As you've seen, I've gone out of my way and moved you to a room that connects to Light-kun's, so please continue to bear with us," Ryuzaki told her. "I'm sure this arrangement is one you're not completely unfamiliar with. When you wish to leave, call us and we'll let you out. On private outings and modeling jobs, Matsuda-san will accompany you as your manager, Matsui. We've already paid off your agency to agree to this, but they don't know he's a police officer, so don't reveal that to them yourself."

"I don't want this guy as my manager!" Misa protested bluntly. Denied!

"Hey... What's wrong with me, Misa-Misa?" Matsuda protested, pointing at his face indignantly.

In the meantime, Aizawa had started shaking. Rui just knew he was hitting boiling point right about... Three... Two... ONE!

"Give it a freakin' rest with all this dating and kissing and Misa-Misa talk!" he exploded, springing up from his seat with a clatter. "This is the Kira case, damn it! Take it seriously!"

He wilted a little, though, as everyone turned shocked eyes to him. "Oh... sorry about that.. I know we're taking it seriously but..." He strode over to Misa. "I know what's the problem now. You, go to your room, Amane," he said, dragging her to the door with some difficulty.

Misa must have been pretty strong, for despite Aizawa trying to close the door to her room with all his might, she managed to hold him off long enough to say, "Light, let's go on a date even if it's just the three of us."

As Aizawa locked the door with an audible sigh of relief, Yagami Sr. spoke up. "Ryuzaki, is there anything that can be done about the constant need to change hotels?" Rui raised an eyebrow. Something wasn't quite right about the way the scene played out, but she couldn't pinpoint what.

As Ryuzaki continued explaining the facilities of the task force building he'd built, and dodged questions about how he was funding its construction, Rui's suspicion began to fade. Perhaps she was overthinking things...