The Wildcard

by FuzzyBeta

When Light Yagami killed Naomi Misora, he thought he was safe. Little did he know that Fate had another card hidden up its sleeve. Determined to find justice, Naomi's younger sister Emi is willing to risk everything to join L, track down Kira and make him pay for his crimes. Will she find answers or will Kira kill her first? Also, who keeps stealing all the red apples? (L/OC/Light)

11. The Wheel of Fortune

Chapter 11 – The Wheel of Fortune

Upright – Good luck, karma, life cycles, destiny, a turning point

Reversed – Bad luck, negative external forces, out of control

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April 30, 2004

L scowled as he fidgeted in his chair.

It had been three days she had been gone.

Three days since he had seen her face to face.

It had been strange not seeing her walking around the penthouse suite they had moved to. Yes, they had changed hotels and were no longer in the same location as before, but to L, all hotel suites were the same.

Emilia Misora had been a constant fixture amidst the turbulent changes for the past few months. Even if she went out for a few hours to university or on errands with Watari, she would always come back in the evening, or L would check on her while she slept.

Yes, he always made sure to see Emi's face at least once a day.

He was not entirely sure why he did this. It had started as a way of keeping track of her mental and physical state of being. Now, however, his daily routine felt unfinished if he skipped out on checking in on her.

I am a creature of habit. Once it's settled in, it's hard to break. That's all this is.

L told himself as he anxiously began stacking sugar cubes into his tea.

One.

Three.

Six.

I probably should not have let her go cold turkey for three days in one go. I should have started with one night at a time so she and Light could study for university together and she could get a better lay of the land. This was too much too soon. And apart from that recording and those vague morning texts, she hasn't contacted us in any way. Of course, no news may be good news in this case but still…

"How's your sugar with tea?" a voice mumbled.

L stiffened in his chair.

When the hell had Emi and Watari returned? He had made sure to be sitting facing the door so he could see them arrive.

I must have gotten lost in thought. Damn woman, making me lose focus-

He looked up to clip a sardonic greeting only to still where he sat.

Emilia Misora was standing in the doorway dressed simply in a short loose peach-coloured dress and a white cardigan. Her eyes looked red and puffy and her whole body sagged with weariness.

"Welcome back. I trust your stay at the Yagami household was fruitful?" L murmured, his lips pursing as Emi nodded at him.

"Yeah, I'll tell you all about it. First, I'm just going to put my stuff in my room, okay?"

"Take your time." L murmured, eyes following her steps as she followed Watari to her assigned room, dragging her overnight bag with her as the older man rubbed her shoulders consolingly.

Something was very wrong. Yes, the red eyes and exhaustion were the significant apparent clues hitting him right in the face. But she was also hunched over, and her body was trembling slightly. It looked as if she wanted nothing more than to shrink even more into the ground.

L's scowl darkened grimly. Emi only ever looked this small and delicate when she was truly upset about something.

Light Yagami,

The Detective growled in his head.

If you have done something to her, I'll-no-no. Keep your head. There is still a ten per cent chance this has something to do outside of the case, though I highly doubt it. I'll have to be gentle when handling her.

"Watari." He called, standing up when he saw Watari return to the main lounge alone.

Watari looked at L and shook his head, his brown eyes seeming to pierce straight through his charge.

"It's nothing to do with Light Yagami if that's what you're so concerned about?"

"Even so, what happened?" L chewed on his thumb, doing his best to hide his relief.

Watari saw it but wisely chose not to comment on it, glancing sadly at the small hallway he had just left.

"The phone numbers of Miss Emi's immediate family were redirected. All of them."

"I don't see how that's an issue. After her mother's funeral, she deleted their accounts with their respective phone companies. I saw her do it." L frowned in confusion, only to sigh as his brain kicked into action. "Ah…I see. She tried calling one of them by mistake."

"Her sister's number." Watari nodded sombrely. "She says she woke up from a bad dream in the middle of the night-"

"And she did the first thing that popped into her head." L finished quietly with a sympathetic grimace.

He should have guessed something like this would happen at some point. Emi's bad dreams had been getting progressively worse and worse over the last month. From what L had observed of her sleep patterns, it wouldn't be long till proper nightmares began kicking in if they already hadn't started.

For a girl who usually wore her heart on her sleeve, Emi could be very reserved when speaking of her grief. L never tried to press the issue, if only because he did not wish to take her mind off their shared mission. However, it was getting to the point that even he was concerned for her wellbeing.

Suppression would only take her so far, and if or when the dam did eventually break, then so too would she. And L was not going to let that happen.

Both stiffened as the padding of footsteps caught their attention, and both turned to see Emi walking back into the room barefooted and wiping her face with a small hand towel that she wrapped around her neck.

"Sorry, I just needed to wash my face." she gave a small pleasant smile.

L hated that smile. It was one of the many faces she often used around Matsuda or Light whenever she had to lie to them.

"I'm not Light or the rest of the task force Emilia. Don't insult me by trying to hide your feelings behind a mask," he scowled, not even blinking as Emi's smile faltered, and Watari turned a stern gaze on him.

"L, there is no need for that sort of tone."

"It's okay, Watari." Emi sighed heavily, putting a hand up to stop the older gentleman. "He's right. I don't know why I even bother trying to fake it with you guys. I guess I'm still running on autopilot."

She groaned as she all but flumped down into a heap on the chair beside L's.

"You told him?" she grunted as she peeked up at Watari, whose moustache bristled into a grimace.

"Only the basics. Forgive me; I thought it pertinent to douse his suspicions before he made any assumptions about your situation, especially if it concerns Light Yagami. Now, I must run some errands if you both are settled in. I expect the two of you to play nicely while I am out."

"I think I can handle L on my own," Emi smirked in amusement at L, who snorted as he drank a sip of tea.

"Really? It's a tough job not for the faint of heart," Watari smirked, earning L's glower.

"I think he'll find I'm a very quick learner."

"Yes, I do believe he will."

"I'm surrounded by traitors," L muttered darkly as he picked up a small chocolate biscuit and chomped hard on it.

There was a silence as they waited for Watari to shut the front door behind him, and an even longer silence after that.

Emi glanced at the clock and then at the detective's face. The annoyance was gone, and suddenly he looked about as tired as she felt.

Now that Emi was looking closely, she could see his skin was more papery than usual and the bags under his eyes far darker than she had ever seen them.

Had he gotten any sleep while she was gone?

"So, you were worried." Emi sighed; all signs of teasing were gone as she leaned back in her seat.

"As one of your handlers, it is my duty to make sure that my operative herself is not compromised by anyone or anything." The detective drawled as he leaned forward to pluck a doughnut from a nearby food platter. "And while we are on the topic, I have made several contacts over the years that specialise in treatment for PTSD. Of course, I cannot force you to see a psychiatrist. I mean, I could, but I don't think that would help matters," He added when Emi glowered at him. "But the offer will always be on the table if or when you need it. And if you do not feel comfortable with confiding in someone outside just yet, Watari and I can put aside some time to talk to you."

"Thank you, L," Emi mumbled as she pulled herself up to sit properly. "Has there been any development with the Second Kira?"

"No. None. As far as we can tell, things have been quiet at Sakura T.V." L frowned moodily. "Officer Mogi and Miss Saito have been most diligent in their search for the past week. Apart from the message left for us on the twenty-sixth, we have had no further correspondence from the Second Kira. It would seem like they were biding their time for the moment."

"And the Task Force?"

"I sent them home for a few days to rest and recharge." L sipped at his fresh cup of tea stiffly, his eyes piercing straight into Emi's like lasers.

"You're still mad, huh?" she sighed.

"I won't deny your impulsiveness annoyed me," L grunted waspishly as he bit hard into another sugar-coated doughnut. "What you did was dangerous even by my standards. The real question I must ask is why? What on earth got it into your head to visit Light Yagami alone in the middle of the night? Whether he is Kira or not, he could easily overpower you if he wanted something from you."

"Light wouldn't force himself on a girl L. Trust me, that's not his style." Emi shook her head in exasperation.

"Had you said that before our date last week, I probably would have agreed with you." L drained the rest of his tea in a massive gulp. "But from what I have recently observed of Light, he has displayed a rather intense, almost dangerous possessiveness over you. Not only has he tried threatening me twice with regards to your safety, but he has also stalked your movements with me, demanded you to keep him always informed of your whereabouts via text and when you were with him, completely monopolised your time-"

"Says the man who has me tailed everywhere I go by a secret security team, gave me hickeys on my neck so that his rival would know he was there, and dangled me off his arm like a trophy in said rival's face not once but several times?" Emi quirked a brow as she made to chew on a biscuit oh-so-nonchalantly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were also very possessive and jealous oh-great and powerful detective."

"I have been put in charge of your security. As such, all the surveillance I have placed around you is part and parcel of my duties as your assigned protector. What I am trying to say-" L raised his voice over hers irritably. "-Is that you need to be more careful. I'm not saying this because I am jealous or possessive. I have watched Light Yagami long before he got on your radar. His behaviour towards you does not match his usual conduct around most women he associates with. In the FBI's surveillance, he never showed such selfishness towards any of his 'romantic' attachments, or indeed to any of his circle of friends."

"Only because Light doesn't have friends." Emi huffed, folding her arms. "Sure, everyone loves him. He's popular, and the ladies all fall for him. And yeah, he has a lot of people in his contacts list, but that's all it ever is. A list of names and numbers that he may call up occasionally, or whenever he needs something from them, and even then, he puts on the charming mask and never confides anything personal in them."

"And yet he does so freely with you?" L quirked a brow as he plucked a strawberry from a nearby bowl of fruit salad.

"Only because I make sure to dictate the terms of our interactions." Emi snapped her eyes, glaring fiercely behind her glasses at the detective as she snagged one of his doughnuts for herself. "You don't know what it's like, being in the same room as him when you're me. You are his equal, probably the first and only one he's ever had. As angry as he is at you, he respects you and maybe even fears you a little because he does not know what to expect from someone else just like him. But there's nothing like that with me. To him, I'm inferior, and he sees me as his property. The only reason he is coveting me as much as he is is because you showed an interest in me. My only real hope for surviving on my own is to make sure every interaction I have with him is done on my terms. The minute he takes control of the situation is the minute my game is up because once he's at the reins, I can barely read him, and I don't know what he's got planned."

"And that's why you took the initiative to approach him first that night." L stroked his chin thoughtfully. "I see…"

There was a silence as L mulled over her words carefully.

So, there was a method to her madness. That was comforting. The only trouble was, was that she seemed to be making up everything as she went along.

But that is perhaps my fault.

L mused bitterly.

She's not a fully trained operative like her sister or father. She was just a regular teenager before she was dragged into all this. She has the talent for this sort of work, or she would not be able to wing it as well as she has been doing so. But I have been careless. I never truly prepared her for any of this. I pushed her into the situation because time was of the essence, and I needed a fresh pair of eyes.

And yet, that was perhaps why Light did not suspect her. How can you suspect someone working off a blank slate? She had no preconceptions about the job, nor had she learned to emotionally distance herself from her target. Of course, that might prove a problem later, but for now, it was keeping her safe.

"You still need to be careful." He mumbled after a full minute of counting all her freckles. "Kira or not, Light is not someone who takes losing control well. No one has ever denied him anything before, and while the novelty of you dictating the terms of your relationship might be attractive to him right now, eventually, he is going to want to take what he thinks is owed. And when that happens, he won't care how much he hurts you so long as he gets to win. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Yes." Emi groaned in exasperation. God, how she hated it when he was right. Because he nearly almost always was.

Damn, mad genius.

She felt something tug at the corners of her mouth and glanced up to see the detective's pale spidery hand wiping away some powdered sugar from where it had gotten stuck.

"I can clean myself up just fine." Emi pouted, the flush in her cheeks darkening despite her attempt to glare.

Now it was L's turn to smirk.

"I know you can." He licked the white powder off his fingers. "But it would be a shame to let all that sugar go to waste."

"Why? Because you need it so badly to stay awake?" Emi's eyebrows rose. "Seriously, didn't you get any sleep while I was gone?"

"Only a little. I would have gotten more had not a certain someone decided to throw caution to the winds and go off book." L huffed mulishly as he sucked tiny crumbs off his thumb. "Our strategy for dealing with Light will have to change now that he knows you know who I am."

"Does it?" Emi frowned as a thought crossed her mind. "Does it? Even if he has feelings for me, which, by the way, I find completely ridiculous, Light wants to use me to get closer to you."

"So?"

"So why don't you let me get close to you?" Emi shrugged, ears reddening despite her attempt to stay nonchalant. "Or at least, why don't we pretend. Just because I know who you are, does not mean the so-called feelings, or whatever everyone else thinks we have, must magically go away. You are still human, after all. Humans have weaknesses-"

"You mean for us to fake an intimate relationship to make Light believe I'm going soft and vulnerable?" L tilted his head curiously.

"Not intimate, at least not for a while, but perhaps a budding 'romance'." Emi coughed as she tried miming quotation marks with her doghnut-filled hands "After all, isn't falling in love for the first time supposed to make people act like stupid idiots?"

"It certainly does make people do incredibly foolish things." L snorted in agreement, meeting her gaze again with his cold black one. "Hmmm…I suppose it's worth a try. We'll have to adjust the speed of the relationship depending on Light's reactions. For now, we shall have to start acting more openly affectionate with one another in public just like we were last week."

"Yes, but perhaps keep the necking to a minimum." Emi blushed as she pointed to the small yellow bruise still visible on her neck. "Mrs Yagami seemed to believe these were of her son's work; I mean, of course, she did not say it aloud, but it was inferred, and Light did not bother correcting her."

"He did not?" L's brow rose in slight surprise. "Interesting. Perhaps he's hoping for his family's pressure to work to his advantage."

"Yeah, I figured that out when his father started asking a few questions about our friendship at dinner." Emi sighed, and a sad look crossed her face.

"Sorry," The mumbled as L looked questioningly at her. "It's just…it's strange…being a part of a normal household again. Hell, it's Light Yagami's family of all people. Ha! Of course, he'd have a perfect life and still not be satisfied!" she ran a hand through her hair.

"Perfection is overrated." L sniffed as he stirred a newly poured cup of tea in his hands. "As someone of genius intellect, I can tell you from personal experience that trying to fit in and pretend for the mediocre masses is exhausting and draining, hence why I do not bother with it."

"Even so, you'd think he'd relax around his own family." Emi grimaced. "It's not like he doesn't love them. He loves them a lot-"

"-it's just he doesn't trust them." L finished sipping his tea slowly. "And as you said before, you can't have a meaningful relationship without trust."

"You remembered that?" She looked up at him in surprise.

"Of course. I remember everything you say, Emilia."

"Again, with the full name-" Emi shook her head.

"Oh, come now, I know you enjoy it," L smirked from his knees as she growled in exasperation.

"Aghh! You are a pain sometimes, you know that-"

"Think of this as payback for changing the plan on me without my consent." L reached for a nearly empty platter on which a single triple chocolate chip cookie was still sitting untouched, only to have it whisked out from under his hand by a smirking Emi.

"Hey!"

"Come on; you've already had the rest of them; can't you just let me have this one?" she rolled her eyes as she held it out of his long reach.

"Because I like those." he scowled grumpily.

"Yeah, well, I like them too. Maybe if you ask nicely, I'll share. Come on, I'll give you thirty seconds to decide. Clock's ticking." Emi swished the cookie in his face tauntingly like a pendulum. "Tick-tock, Tick-tock-"

"What are you doing?" L pouted.

"That's seventeen seconds-"

"Emi-"

"Ten seconds. Tick tock L-"

"Brat! Gimme that!" he lunged off his chair at Emi, who squeaked with laughter as she darted away, avoiding his hands as he followed her closely.

She is a mouse. Small, fast, and hard to catch.

L thought as he tried cornering her around the sofa, only to come up empty-handed.

He was faster and had a longer reach. All he had to do was to anticipate her next move and get there before she did. Unfortunately for the detective, Emi was much smaller than him and was surprisingly good at quick turns at the last moment.

"Gotta be faster than that, oh great detective!" Emi cackled as she ran around the opposite chair, half ducking behind it for cover.

"No, not fast. Just smarter," he grunted as he side-stepped the chair to access the back. However, before he could touch her, she ducked under his long gangly arm and poked his behind teasingly.

"Now, who's the one acting childish?" L snorted.

Emi giggled and stuck her tongue out at him.

Despite himself, L found a small smile creeping up the corners of his mouth. He had never seen Emi so light-hearted in all their months living together. Usually, they just snarked, teased and bantered with one another, but she had never initiated cheerful play like this. Had her weekend away in a normal household worked wonders on her? Or was she just happy to be back safe and sound in a familiar environment?

Strangely enough, L found he didn't care what was the cause. She had stopped looking sad, brooding, and tired for the first time since he had first met her, and he was not going to ruin it.

He had pursued her path outside onto the large penthouse balcony when she squeaked and tripped over the small step at the foot of the door.

"Emilia!"

"Ow…" she groaned as she landed hard on her side.

"Whatever am I going to do with you?" L sighed as he crouched by her side and helped pull her up to a sitting position. "Did you hit your head?"

"Nope caught myself in time. Thanks," Emi grunted as he pulled her up to her feet, only for her to cry out in pain as her left ankle buckled under her.

Luckily L was quick to catch her, and before she could even protest, he had hoisted her up into his arms and was carrying her back inside.

"L-L, I'm fine, okay. I just twisted it. No need to carry me around like a princess-ow!" Emi groaned as the detective gently laid her down on one of the sofas and knelt beside her to inspect the injured limb up close.

"Which direction did you twist it? Out or in?"

"Out, I think. Ow-ow ow ow! Mmmn!" she bit her lip hard as L carefully rolled the ankle in different directions before softly pressing his thumb around the joint.

"Hmm…looks more like a sprain than a twist. I'll have Watari look at it when he gets back." He hummed as he pulled off a couple of cushions from the end of the couch and gently set them under her injured limb. "Keep it elevated. I'll call for some ice."

"Okay," Emi mumbled, her cheeks-stained pink in embarrassment. Just her luck, she sprained her ankle as soon as the rest of her body started getting back to normal.

Thankfully it didn't take the hotel staff long to send up a medical kit. They even offered to call a doctor, but L was quick to send them on their way with one of his blank and unnerving stares.

Not for the first time, Emi found herself wishing she had the detective's ability to look intimidating. Whenever she tried glaring at someone, she just looked like a child throwing a tantrum.

Ugh, I supposed this was what I get by acting all immature.

She sighed and scowled as she let herself melt into the couch beneath her, only to squeak as something cold and fuzzy hit her ankle.

"Jesus!"

"No, just an ice pack." L's smirk widened as he took a cushion from another chair and sat in a huddle close to her head on the floor.

Emi peeked at him behind her glasses, cheeks darkening as she realized how close their faces had gotten.

"Ugh! Why am I so panicky? Seriously at the rate things are going these days, I'll throw a heart attack before Kira gets to me." She groaned, and L snorted.

"Or his new disciple." The detective added in disgust. "Speaking of Kira, what happened after your little chat with Light in his bedroom?"

"Uh…oh that…" Emi gulped as memories of being held in Light's arms flashed over her mind's eye. "Nothing much. I mean, yeah, sure, Light hugged me at the end."

"He hugged you?"

"Yeah. He's gotten relaxed with me. N-not in that way!" Emi stammered as L's nostrils flared. "No-no, he hasn't pressed any moves on me. But he's no longer as uncomfortable with physical contact as he used to be. When we first started hanging out at university, he was always so awkward. Even with the tiniest of normal touches, he'd stiffen up like a clam."

"But he's not now?" L's brow furrowed.

"No. On Saturday, he tried poking my ribs to get my attention when I glazed out in front of the television. Then yesterday, while we were hanging out at the mall, he petted my hair and let me punch his shoulder. And during our talk that night, he held my hands and hugged me twice when he thought I was upset."

"Emi-"

"Look, it was not done with that kind of intent, alright." Emi rolled her eyes. "Trust me, I'd know. I'd feel it."

"And how would you know?" L's eyes narrowed sharply. "How many intimate relationships have you ever had with the opposite sex to be able to make such observations."

"Enough to know the difference between friendly and 'friendly', L." Emi pouted. "As I've told you before, yes, I am a virgin, but that doesn't mean I don't have some experience. Yeah, sure, none of my relationships worked out-"

"Because they wanted to pressure you into a higher form of sexual relationship you weren't ready for." L interrupted.

"Yes!" Emi blurted out, only to shut her mouth and blush profusely. "I-I-uh…"

"Interesting." L tilted his head thoughtfully, a tiny Cheshire-cat smirk spreading over his mouth. "When I first met you, I had assumed you had very little experience given your youthful appearance and how shy you were to my touch. But from what I observed of you when we kissed, you are certainly someone who knows what you want from a physical relationship."

"Yeah, so? I'm a human being. I have needs! I may not shout them from the rooftops, but I have them just as much as you do." Emi grunted waspishly as she gingerly turned on her side towards him, doing her best not to move her injured foot on its cushion. "Look, the only reason I have this experience is that I just wanted to fit in with a group of friends that I had at the time who was acting stupid."

"Peer pressure can be a very dangerous motivator." L looked her up and down, his eyes staring a little longer than normal over the dip of her waist and the curve of her hips. "Though I do not see why you felt the need to put out. Your body is attractive enough, and everything is where it should be. I certainly need no roadmap to know where I need to look or touch."

"You do know that saying, 'you have a nice body' would be much simpler right?" Emi raised her eyebrows.

"Simpler, yes. But boring and crude. Besides, you understood what I meant anyway, so I don't see the need to change how I speak." L snorted, his hand untangling from hers to reach and prod her cheek. "Though I still wonder what was it that made you want to befriend such mindless sheep in the first place."

"I guess…I guess I just wanted to feel like I was older. Everyone has always treated me like such a kid because of how I look. I just wanted to be taken seriously for once." Emi coughed with embarrassment. "Whatever. It was years ago, and I'm no longer friends with those idiots. And like you said, fitting in is draining." She mumbled, averting her guilty gaze down to the fancy upholstery beneath her. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" L murmured, hairless brow furrowing as he leaned sideways against her couch.

"All I seem to do is cause trouble when no one needs it."

"Emi-" L tried to say, but she shook her head.

"Even for my Mom, my Dad, my sister." Emi sighed, burying her nose into the cushioned seat. "I gave them such a hard time. Do you know what the last things I said to them were? I said goodnight to Naomi because I had no clue how to comfort her over losing Raye. I told my mom to stop worrying. I'll be fine; I'll blitz that stupid exam, so just get out of my way; I'm already late. I told my dad to stop nagging me over the phone and to remember to not get lunch from that stupid food truck again so he wouldn't get constipation. That's it. That's what I told them. No 'I love you' No 'you mean the world to me' or 'stay safe'. I mean, I thought those things deep down, but I didn't say them out loud because-"

"-You thought you had more time." L finished for her as he rested his head beside hers on his elbows, their foreheads nearly touching

"Yeah, and then poor Ukita and the guard Akimoto. They never got to say goodbye to their loved ones before they passed on." Emi muttered, her hand clenching angrily into a fist. "It's just not fair! Why should either Kira have the power over life and death?! Why should they have the ability to decide when we lose someone?! It's shit enough that the universe decides that sort of crap for us without our consent! Why should they have that power in their hands?!"

"They shouldn't. That's why we must catch them and bring them to justice." L reached out with his other spindly hand and prized open her balled-up fist, his thumb circling her palm as he laced his fingers in hers. "And as for your family, I don't think you needed to tell them how you felt. They probably already knew how much you loved them, or else you would not have said such things so comfortably or casually. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

There was a silence as L sat there, watching Emi's eyes widen for a moment in shock before shutting tight and shaking her head into the cushioning beneath her.

L sighed and nuzzled his nose against the bridge of hers, his hand carefully tracing her jawline as he shut his eyes and breathed in her scent. It was warm and familiar, and despite the sadness in the air, L felt his of the nerves soothed by its essence.

Yet even as he basked in this moment of peace, the creature that lurked in the back of his mind, the dark shadow that craved touch and affection, began to raise its head cautiously and look around.

It was hungry. It had been starved for too long and maintained off the tiniest morsels and scraps he dared feed it. He had kept it chained in the deepest darkest corners out of sight, hoping it would disappear if forgotten for long enough.

Now it was sniffing the air hopefully as it crawled towards the light, its motion forcing L's own face to lean in closer-

He was grateful when he saw Emi's nose scrunch up as a wide yawn overtook her.

"Uhnn, sorry. Guess I'm more tired than I thought." She mumbled sleepily as she opened her eyes in time to see L turn away to hide his own yawn as he slowly got back up to his feet.

"I think you've had that on long enough for now." He muttered as he plucked off the ice pack from her now very pale and cold ankle and dumped it on the coffee table. "Does it still hurt?"

"I dunno. It feels a bit numb from the cold-ow!" she winced as L reached out and started gently pressing around the swollen joint. "Okay, yeah. Still hurts-ah!"

"Yes, it's definitely sprained." He sighed, turning to look at her thoughtfully. "Perhaps your room might be a better option for you to rest. You'll have more space to spread out on the bed and be more comfortable. I'll call Watari and ask him to get you some crutches so you can get to the bathroom by yourself. You'll be alright to wait for a little while, won't you?"

"Yeah I'm good." Emi nodded only to squeak as he made to scoop her up once more in his arms. "Gah! A little warning next time!" She scowled as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"But that wouldn't nearly be as much fun." L murmured smugly at her flushed cheeks as he carefully carried her through the suite.

They were quick to reach her bedroom where a large plush and modern styled bed stood neat and tidy and ready for use. L was quick to settle her on it, cursing himself as he was forced to lean over her as he laid her gently down on her back and elevated her leg again.

It was all just physical. He kept telling himself as his hand absentmindedly stroked her calf. It was just stupid biology trying to enact vengeance upon him for ignoring it for so long.

He hadn't realised he had paused above her until her hand reached out to brush his coal black fringe away from his eyes.

"L, are you sure you're okay? You look tired. I mean really drop down dead kinda tired. And carrying me just now can't have helped."

"I'm fine." L muttered, and though his brain was screaming to back away, his body ignored it and he leaned into the gentle touch. "I'll take a nap soon."

"You could take one now." Emi paused then added with a smirk "And I'll tell you where I hid that last cookie I stole."

"You don't need to tell me, I know you stashed it in my jean pocket when you were running away from me."

"Damn, how did you-"

"I felt it move as I carried you in here." now it was L's turn to smirk as he pulled away and pulled the cookie out of his back pocket and put it on the dressing table. "As for your other offer, let me call Watari first about those crutches then we'll see."

"No L. No 'we'll see'" Emi frowned up at him. "Last time you stayed awake longer than this, you were so crashed Watari and I thought you had slipped into a coma. Please, just nap here for a little at least. The Kira Case is not going anywhere for now."

"But the Second Kira-"

"Will probably not make a move this week." Emi cut across L who scowled.

"And how would you know that?"

"It's Golden Week." Emi shrugged as she slid away and pulled on L's sleeve and tugged him into the spot beside her.

"You honestly think a few public Holidays are going to curb a serial murderer's search for their beloved hero?" L rolled his eyes as he took the proffered spot on the bed, half crossing his legs as he leaned back into the pillows.

"Normally no." Emi sighed, relieved he had not put up a fight "but between now and the fifth of May, there are too many sacred holidays. People will be out enjoying themselves. The Second Kira may be stupider than their idol, but even they must know that the last thing Kira wants to do is endanger the innocents at a time when everyone is celebrating. Remember Kira wants to be seen as a force for good. The Second Kira has already endangered their relationship to the media by pulling that first stunt on Television. The last thing Kira would want is to have the public turn against him now when things are starting to get back to normal. Also, the Second Kira may have plans to celebrate, and it would look suspicious if they suddenly ducked out of them."

"Yes, but even so…" L mused as he chewed on his thumb. "There is still a chance that the Second Kira is using this time to plot their next move for after the holidays. Till then, I would like to keep my eyes and ears open."

"Then it would be best to rest now so you can be fully charged and ready to go later." Emi groaned as she reclined back into the plush softness behind her, one hand reaching to pull the detective to lie back with her.

"There really is no arguing with you is there?" L sighed and despite his annoyance acquiesced. For her small size, the youngest Misora was stubborn when it came to looking after other people. It did not help that she had Watari's blessing to boss L around like a mother hen.

"When it comes to your health, no." Emi snorted, her eyes drooping shut even as she yawned wide and curled against L comfortably.

"Minx." The detective mumbled mulishly as he pulled out his phone from his pocket.

"Hey, Watari." He mumbled. "Can you pick us up a small pair of crutches? Oh, everything's fine. Emilia just twisted her ankle while playing around like a child."

"Hey!" Emi pouted, one eye cracking open to glower moodily at L, who smirked as he steamrolled across Watari's worried words on the other end.

"No-no. She's alright. No concussions, no bruises. Yes, I've put an ice pack on it already. Yes, it's elevated. Yes, she's resting. She's taking a nap right now, so take your time-"

"-We're both taking a nap," Emi growled loudly as she wriggled under his arm and laid her head over his shoulder to stop him from moving.

"Alright, fine, we are both taking a nap together." L rolled his eyes only to flush slightly pink as he held the phone closer to his ear for more privacy. "Yes, I will be on my best behaviour. Yes, I am aware she is a young woman. I will be considerate of her space…if she would be considerate of mine." He added, glancing down at the woman who grinned sheepishly from her spot. "Alright. We'll see you when you get back. Goodbye."

"Sorry." Emi mouthed, blushing pink as she tried prizing herself from him, but L was quick to wrap his arm around her to stop her from moving too far.

"No, you made this bed, so you lie in it," he muttered, tugging her down so that she lay half draped over his chest. "Besides, if you are going to fake seducing me for Light, you will have to get more comfortable being physically close to me like this."

Emi blushed

Once again, L found his gaze sweeping over every feature in minute detail. From the freckles under her glasses to the gentle arch of her brow and the curvature of her small nose. He could almost taste her breath on his. And, just as he was watching her, so was Emi observing him.

He was not, now that she thought about it, wholly unattractive. There had been many times Emi had admired his profile from the side and the crooked smirk that sometimes played on his lips whenever he looked over clues for their case. Oh yeah, he looked a wreck with his messy hair, papery skin and blank sleep-deprived eyes, and yes, his clothes were all baggy and oversized on his spindly frame, but strangely enough, this all suited him. L was an oddball. He would never be anything else, but rather than try to hide it, he had embraced his weirdness.

It did not help that she could hear his heartbeat thundering in his chest like a drum as his black eyes seared into her like burning coals.

Its pace quickened as she shut her eyes and pressed her face into the cotton of his shirt.

"-them off," L mumbled somewhere above her, his voice sounding deeper as she felt his chest cavity reverberate with the sound.

"Hmm, what?" she blinked.

"Your glasses," L repeated himself with a pout. "You should take them off if you're going to sleep." And before she could move, a pair of pale spidery hands gently plucked her glasses from her face leaving the whole world blurred.

Yet she did not feel alarmed. There was something about the up and down motion of his warm body with each breath that was so comforting even though she was now half blind…

The tiniest smirks crept up L's face as he felt the girl on top of him melt into him, her hand curling into his cotton shirt as her breathing evened out and she fell into a doze.

He did not usually like such close contact with someone unless it was to indulge the occasional carnal urge. Even then, he did what he could to keep the process with his chosen partner as clean, distant, and clinical as possible. There was no need for cuddles and shows of affection once he had gotten what he wanted out of the other participant, and he had never felt bad for using them. After all, he made sure they both knew the rules before going in. If they let themselves get attached, that was not his problem.

But now, lying here, with Emilia draped over him, so relaxed, so drowsy, with the soft bed beneath them, and the smell of her shampoo filling his nostrils as he burrowed his nose into her hairline, lips resting on her forehead…

He sighed contentedly.

God help anyone who dared to take this warmth and comfort away from him.

So innocent…

He hummed to himself as he wrapped his other arm around her and trapped her in his hold.

Does she not know how dangerous it is to be so trusting of a man like me? I could so easily overpower her and take what I want. I could have forced myself on her on that couch, and she would be powerless to stop me. And now here she is in my arms…I could so easily bend her to my will and break her.

But you won't.

Another voice piped up in his head, sly and soft.

"No…" He sighed as he let his long legs stretch out and shifted himself into a more comfortable position on his back.

And with that, he shut his eyes and let himself slip back into warm, welcoming darkness, not noticing the hulking winged shadow watching them from outside the window with staring red eyes.

---

Quillish Watari Whammy was used to seeing a large variety of strange things in his life. His employer-slash-ward was strangeness personified, and the cases he worked on were almost always odder still.

However, nothing could have prepared the elderly retainer for the sight that met him as he poked his head into Emilia Misora's new room.

Well, I'll be.

His white eyebrows rose, and his moustache quivered into a small smile.

A tall young man with a shock of black hair and wearing baggy clothing was lying sprawled on his back while a petite young woman with a messed up short brown bob lay on top of him, the bright peach of her dress contrasting starkly with the starchy white cotton shirt of her living pillow.

The two of them were fast asleep, so deep under that Watari could have sworn he could hear L snoring lightly even as he shifted his face and buried his nose into the top of Emi's head as her hand clenched his shirt tight in her small, slender fingers.

Best leave them to it. Besides, a bit of rest will do them both a world of good.

Watari's eyes softened as he quietly crept into the room and carefully propped the small pair of crutches against the foot of the bed, where he was sure both sleepers would see it upon waking.

He was about to dip out and leave them when he noticed the goosebumps on Emi's exposed legs.

With a fond shake of the head, Watari carefully pulled off the decorative throw from the nearby chair and carefully draped it over his charges.

As he was settling the corners, he noticed, much to his amazement, the long spindly arm curled possessively around the young woman's waist.

Oh dear…things are progressing faster than I thought.

The old man sighed to himself as he quietly left the room. For L, attachments and bonds with others did not come easy, if at all. As far as Watari knew, only himself and perhaps the old Matron at Whammy's house were probably two of the few exceptions. L had taken a shine to them quite quickly as a child, though Watari suspected that was more because they enabled his sugar addiction.

And yes, L had shown a certain level of trust and liking for some of his work contacts, but most of that was based on his admiration for their skill or their usefulness to him.

Emilia Misora, on the other hand…If Watari was being honest with himself, L probably did not strictly need her by his side during the investigation, at least if one looked at her qualifications on paper. After all, L was genius enough to work with Light Yagami without her. And as for the technological help, both Watari and L had managed just fine before Emi came along.

However, even Watari could not deny it was nice for the boy to have another companion to talk to. Especially since she was not afraid to call him out on his nonsense whenever necessary.

All the other children at Whammy's had been fearful of L as a child due to his odd mannerisms and piercing stare, whereas Emilia Misora took it all in her stride from the get-go. Yes, she occasionally got frustrated and annoyed with the detective, but even then, her stubbornness to stick it and compete with him stopped her from running to the hills.

Watari shook his head as he remembered that day when L had told him he would put a hickey on the poor girl's neck. For L, it had been just a part of the plan to fool Light, but Watari had seen the small smile on his face as he had been booted out of the girl's room.

There was only one person L was fooling in this charade, and it was not Light Yagami.

---

May 1, 2004

The Yagami household was quiet as Light washed up all the pots and pans in the kitchen alongside his father. Behind them, with his nose stuck into the open kitchen pantry, was Ryuk the Shinigami, who was trying to amuse himself by reading all the labels on the products on the shelves, all the while humming to himself and making obscene commentary.

Usually, Light's mother, Sachiko, took on most of the domestic duties in the house, but tonight she had gone out for a girl's movie night with Sayu. Thankfully she had cooked both Light and his father their dinner before she had left, so neither of them would risk burning the kitchen down if they got peckish.

It had been a surprisingly pleasant evening. There had been no word from the Second Kira yet, so his father Sochirou had come home early, and they had spent the evening together. Most of it was spent talking about the Kira case or keeping a close watch on the news channels or Sakura TV. The talk had turned to Light's personal life when neither produced anything of value.

It had been a long time since Father and Son had been able to talk like this with one another, years. Light had never been clingy to his parents like Sayu and rarely if ever, came to them if he was in trouble.

Sochirou Yagami had told himself years ago that he would not get involved in his son's personal affairs. Of course, Sochirou would be there for his son to give him advice or listen to his troubles. However, Light was a man now, and relationships and women were things he would have to figure out for himself.

However, given that the girl Light liked was also being pursued by the man who was technically his and his son's boss, Sochirou felt he had to clear up a few things with his son.

He had tried being gentle, asking his son how he and Emi had become friends. Light had just shrugged and said that he had accidentally stumbled across her in their high school library shortly before Christmas, and he had started to chat with her, and things kind of snowballed from there.

Light…start a chat with a girl?

It was almost strange, Sochirou mused to himself. When it came to people, Light rarely made the first move. Oh, of course, once he and the person knew one another a bit better, he would take the initiative and cement the connection. However, as far as Sochirou had been aware, all the girls that Light had gone out with had always introduced themselves to him first, drawn to him no doubt by the massive gravitational well of his charisma.

Never had Light made the effort to put himself on a girl's radar before…nor had he ever fought so hard to keep himself on it. Then again, his son's rival was perhaps the first true equal he had ever met in intelligence-

"Is something the matter, Otou-san?" Light asked.

Sochirou blinked. Then realised from a glance at his watch that he was still holding the same pot in his hands from five whole minutes ago.

"No, son. Everything's alright." He smiled, shook his head, and finished drying the pot with a cloth. He quickly set it aside and coughed. He could not waste any more time thinking, not when he had important things to talk about.

"Light," He said carefully, doing his best to keep his voice casual. "There is something I'd like to talk to you about. It's about Minami-san."

There was a split second in which Sochirou saw his son's face pale ever so slightly with dread, but it was quickly eclipsed by the usual picture-perfect mask of indifference as he asked:

"Oh yeah, what is it?"

Sochirou swallowed. Now for the tricky part.

"Light, I understand that these past few weeks have been tough for both of you. And before I say anything else, I want you to know how proud I am of how you stepped in to support Minami-san throughout her grief. Especially since you yourself have been under such heavy scrutiny in this case."

"Thanks, Dad, but I'm only trying to do what any good friend would do." Light muttered, but Sochirou could see his back was stiff with nerves even as he made to put the cleaned cutlery into its designated drawer.

"Son, please. You don't have to pretend in front of me." Sochirou sighed. "If you have feelings for this girl, you might as well come out and say it. I've been watching you all weekend, and I don't think I've seen you act this way around anyone before."

"Yeah, but Dad, you don't often see me with my friends at home, so how can you tell this is any different from how I treat my other friends?" Light countered, but even he could tell he had jumped the mark too early to be normal. He felt his ears burn with hot embarrassment as Ryuk sniggered from his spot in the pantry.

Damn Shinigami! While he enjoyed Light and L's game of wits, Ryuk had a soft spot for watching the family drama unfold around him like his own soap opera.

"Light, I have been successfully married for nearly twenty-one years." Sochirou sighed patiently as he put the pot in his hands down, mistaking his son's glower for one of typical teenage embarrassment. "I think I know the difference between looking at your best friend and looking at someone you like. Of course, nothing beats having a romantic partner who encompasses both," he added, his smile softening as he glanced at a very happy family photograph that stood on a nearby windowsill. "I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay. Ryuzaki told me about how you followed him and Minami-san on their date last week-"

"Dad, I-I-That was a mistake-I-" Light spluttered, his cheeks flaming red as inside his head he roared.

DAMN YOU L! Playing dirty and telling my father about that screw-up but still letting Emi come and stay over at my place?! What the hell is he playing at?! Possessive jerk! He probably wanted to get back at me for pressing Emi about her involvement in the case, so now he thinks he can bait me by dangling her in front of me like a carrot while discrediting my character. The jerk!

"Light, please let me finish." Sochirou put a firm hand on his son's shoulder. "As I was saying, L told me about how you followed him on his date and about how you threatened him in regard to Minami-san's safety. Had this been any normal case, and had L been any normal superior, I would have told your mother about this, and we would have sat you down for a talk. But circumstances being what they are, I think it's best if you step back for the moment and let the chips fall where they may. I am not saying you give up on pursuing your feelings-" he added when Light opened his mouth to object. "I am merely saying that you should take a step back for a bit and look at things from a less emotional perspective. If you like this girl, you are more than within your rights to let your rival know, respectfully, of course, of your intentions towards her and how important she is to you. However, more important than that, I urge you to consider your friend's feelings and emotions in the matter. Whatever you feel for Minami-san, she is still a person and is well within her rights to refuse your affection if she does not feel the same way. As much as unrequited love hurts, you cannot force someone to return your feelings."

"I know. And I would never try that, Dad. You know that." Light grumbled, feeling his cheeks burn with hot embarrassment as Ryuk, still invisible to his father, chuckled under his breath.

"He-he! Well, we both know that's bullshit!"

Sochirou sighed again and ran a hand through his greying hair.

"Yes, I know you would not, Light. I just want to ensure that you understand things before diving in headfirst. Trust me, as your father and a policeman, I have seen what love can do to people. You should have seen what it did to me when I first met your mother." Sochirou chuckled, shaking his head fondly as Light quirked a disbelieving eyebrow at him. "I'm serious, Light. When I was dating your mother, I fell much harder and faster for her than she did for me at the start. And like you, I too once got so jealous when I heard she would be meeting another man at the train station. So, I stalked them all the way home, only to realise when her mother opened the door that the man she was walking with was her younger brother, Jirou. Needless to say, I felt like a fool and promised never to let myself get that jealous ever again."

Despite himself, Light could not help but laugh with his father. He could not even begin to imagine his dad, serious, stern and devoted to the law as he was, acting foolish enough to jealously stalk his mother and uncle.

"Guess being a jealous little prick runs in the family, huh?" Ryuk sniggered to himself quietly from his corner as he watched father and son chuckle over the kitchen sink. However, the warm hearty laughter quickly came to a resounding stop as the news headlines flashed over the kitchen screen, which was visible through the kitchen island window that opened onto the living room.

Light and Sochirou and the Shinigami snapped their gazes to the screen, their shoulders sagging in silent relief as they watched footage of a recent traffic accident that clogged up the streets.

"No news on Second Kira then?" Light sighed as the television channel shifted back to ads.

"If there were, the Task Force would have let us know before the broadcast." Sochirou frowned, glancing at his son. "And speaking of the Second Kira, please Light, think about what I've said. You've seen for yourself what obsessive infatuation can do to a person. You would be amazed at how easy it is for even the best of us to fall off the wagon, especially when emotions are involved. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Dad I…" Light's voice fell away as he met his father's serious gaze. "I won't, dad. I promise."

Wow, this was worrying him, huh? But I guess this was inevitable. If I had never shown any "interest" in Emi, he would probably never have approached me about this. Normally when it comes to talking about girls, he just shrugs it off to Mom to deal with.

Honestly, Light had to admit, while getting lectured by his father was irritating, he was also a little touched he had taken the time to try and truly connect with him about something other than schoolwork or his high expectations.

Over the years, his dad seemed so consumed with work and his job that he did not seem to have much time for these relatively trivial matters. Not that Sochirou was a purposefully negligent father, no. He was very loving and supportive; however, he was also so absent that he might as well not have been around at all sometimes.

Unlike sweet, naïve, and clingy Sayu, Light was used to looking after himself. But rare moments like these with his father made him truly peeved at the state of the world around him.

After all, if there were fewer crimes, then his dad would not have to work such long hours and miss out on the things that mattered to him. He could have pursued a hobby or taken time off to look after his health.

If there were less crime, the family might have been able to have a few holidays, where they could just be together and bond properly with one another.

Light's mother, Sachiko, would spend fewer nights fretting about her husband coming home alive and safe if there were less crime.

However, the world was not perfect.

If it were, Light would not need to spend all those hours scribbling names in a Death Note in the dark to fix it.

But such was life, and if what the world needed was him sacrificing his time and energy to make it better, he would gladly do it a thousand times over. And more.

---

May 12, 2004

"Emi!"

"Mnnn! Noooo."

"Emi! Wake up!"

"Mnnn! Go away!"

"Emilia, it's urgent. Get up!"

"Hmph! Piss off!"

"If you keep this up, I'll dump cold water over you. I mean it."

Emilia Misora opened her eyes and winced.

The window to her hotel bedroom was open wide; sunlight streamed in, blasting her full in the face and making her already compromised eyes water. Beside her bed, a familiar pale hunched blob with a shock of black on top loomed over her.

"L, what is it? What's wrong?" She mumbled sleepily as she sat up and blindly slapped around for her glasses on her bedside table.

"The second Kira has sent another message," L muttered as he plucked her glasses from their spot and gently pressed them onto her face for her.

"What?!" Emi's brow furrowed as she tried to hide her wide yawn behind her hand. "Another message? When did it come through?"

"Four-o-clock this afternoon," L mumbled. "Mogi just brought it in. It is now four-thirty. Your nap lasted a good four and a half hours."

"Right back to the grindstone then." Emi stretched out like a cat over the sheets of her bed. "Just send me the recording, and I'll look it over."

"There are no tapes this time." L cut across her quickly, and though his face was blank, Emi could see the twinkle of excitement sparkle in his coal-black eyes. "The Second Kira sent through pages of a journal."

"A journal?" Emi tilted her head, all signs of sleep now gone.

"Yes."

"And you're sure they're from the Second Kira?" Emi frowned.

"The word Shinigami is mentioned, so I believe it is at least 90% the real Second Kira's handiwork." L nodded as he began nibbling on his thumbnail. "The original documents have been sent to forensics to look over, and we have received at least three copies of each of the pages sent through. One will be for me, one for the task force and Light and one for you, which I have left in your suite's lounge next to your work setup. All you need to do now is freshen up and ready yourself. Light will be at Headquarters in thirty minutes. I will put you on call then."

"Roger that." Emi saluted only to frown as she noticed the detective's eyes wander downwards.

She followed his gaze and blushed.

She had pulled an all-nighter the previous night. Since she had had no university lectures scheduled for that day, she had just stayed in one of L's oversized white shirts to sleep in. The collar was, as usual, too wide and slipped off one of her shoulders to hang quite low over her bosom, which, she remembered to her growing embarrassment, was not being supported by any bra.

That did not seem to disturb the detective whatsoever. Indeed, he seemed to be fascinated by the lack of undergarments.

"Ahem! Do you mind?" Emi coughed loudly, her cheeks burning red hot as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Not as much as you do." L tilted his head up at her oh-so-innocently as he turned on his heel and slouched out of the room, tapping his pale wrist as if he wore an invisible watch on it. "Tick-tock, little Mouse. Tick-tock."

"AGHH!" Emi rolled her eyes in annoyance, much to L's amusement.

It was always fun to make her flustered. Especially whenever her cheeks flushed that charming shade of pink.

However, L decided to keep that little factoid to himself. They may have been pretending to date in public, but the last thing he wanted was anyone to suspect his true fascination for his partner, especially his number one Kira suspect and rival.

However, with Emilia Misora, it was not just the physical that drew him. On the surface, she was moody, sharp-tongued, observant, manipulative and above all, impulsive. But the more L picked at the shell she hid behind, the more he saw a very emotional and sensitive young woman. She was an interesting puzzle, one which L was determined to solve.

The Detective couldn't deny that he enjoyed the newfound closeness they had started sharing recently. He just hated the fact that she might start letting her guard down around someone like Light Yagami. Oh, sure, she was quick to bond with Matsuda, but with how the policeman treated the young woman, you would easily mistake them for being siblings or relatives.

But L could almost feel his invisible hackles raise whenever Light was around.

The detective chewed his thumb worriedly as he closed Emi's suite door behind him.

He hated how little concrete evidence he had to lock Light in as Kira. Everything in L's gut was screaming that he had caught his man, but without solid evidence, he could not make a lawful arrest.

Of course, he could have paid for someone to quietly "take care" of Light on the down-low, but that would not be true justice.

He could only hope the tables would turn once they caught this elusive Second Kira.

---

Light Yagami's eyes narrowed as he read the photocopied sheet in front of him.

May 22nd. 'My friend and I showed off our notebooks in Aoyama.' If by notebook he's referring to our death notes, that's something that could only be understood by me. And as for the police, they'll be distracted by the May 30th entry. 'We confirmed our shinigami at the baseball game at the Tokyo dome.' It must've been intended for them. I'm almost positive that the real message from this diary is the one regarding Aoyama. But if that's the case…

"So what do you think? Is it real?" a monotone voice cut across Light's thoughts like an ice-cold knife.

Light turned, and it took all his willpower not to glower at the pale, curious face of L as it hovered over his shoulder.

I have to be careful not to say too much. Better to wait and hear his opinion first.

"At this point, all I can say for sure is he is stupid." Light said out loud, though honestly, was he lying about how he felt at this moment? The Second Kira was a stupid, trigger-happy menace, and even if he was not Kira, Light would have been disgusted by his "fan's" behaviour.

Luckily the rest of the task force seemed to be thinking along similar lines.

"Yeah. I agree. I mean it's completely obvious he wants to meet Kira at the home game." Matsuda nodded, folding his arms while Chief Yagami adjusted his glasses with a scowl.

"Doesn't he understand what would happen if we aired this message? It will create the media panic, and the game would have to be cancelled."

"To be honest, it's so stupid? I'm not even sure how to deal with this whole situation anymore. If we make the diary public, then we are forced to make some kind of televised announcements cancelling the game on the 30th. But if we don't broadcast it, we can't be sure the second Kira won't do anything." L whined as he chomped into a treat from an open chocolate box nearby. It was a gift from Emi's friend Yuki Saito to the task force, thanking them for keeping her safe after the Sakura TV incident and for their service in catching Kira. The task force knew they could not publicly declare their jobs to the world for safety reasons; however, it was still nice to have their hard work recognized, especially since Kira was still steadily climbing in popularity.

"Won't cancelling the game make him angry? There's no telling what he'll do." Light said as he watched his rival pluck his way around the chocolate box, looking for his favourite flavours. Seriously, how much sugar could this weirdo eat?

"Frankly, that's not a big concern." L shrugged as he plucked a chocolate truffle and stuffed it into his mouth. "From what we witnessed, it's safe to say the second Kira admires the real one. He gave his word to the Kira we invented that he'd refrain from killing aimlessly. I'm inclined to believe that. I say we make it public and we air an announcement cancelling the game. At the same time, we'll announce that on May 30th we're going to set check points on all roads leading to the Tokyo dome. And finally, we'll send a response from our invented Kira something like "I understand and I agreed to meet you there".

"Ryuzaki, you don't honestly expect him to go there if we set up checkpoints around the dome, do you?" Chief Yagami frowned incredulously.

"I don't think that Kira will even consider it, but it's possible the other one might. It all depends on how stupid he really is." L snorted. "However, assuming he's not actually an idiot we think he is, there could be another message hidden in this diary, one that is not so obvious. If there is a message here written in some code that only people who have this Shinigami power can understand, there'll be no way for me to decipher it. Still, it would only make sense for us to look into all the places that're mentioned in the journal. 22nd he's meeting a friend in Aoyama, 24th meeting another friend in Shibuya. We have to be prepared for the possibility that all of our efforts would be fruitless. Let's keep an eye out for people with notebooks in Aoyama, and people in clothing stores in Shibuya."

It's as I thought. If this phony Kira slips up and gets apprehended, at the very least I have to obtain his notebook. And in the worst case, I may end up having to kill everyone there.

Light thought, his gaze straying sideways to a nearby laptop that lay open. On its monitor was the picture of a black mouse on a white background.

Now that he thought about it, Emi was being unusually quiet today-

"All we can do is place more surveillance cameras in Aoyama and Shibuya, in the hopes that we might capture something. We should also arrange to have undercover officers on both locations on these days." L said before adding quickly, "Mouse, any additions you might like to add?"

Huh, even L's worried about her silence. That's interesting.

Light mused as he heard a crackling sound of static from Emi's side and a distorted voice answered.

"Sorry, Ryuzaki. I was reorganising the windows on my screen. I've been looking up maps of Aoyama and Shibuya."

"Found anything yet?" L scratched his chin.

"Not yet, but I'll continue digging," Emi grunted. "But if you're going to send people to Shibuya, perhaps, you'd like to consider planting bugs and portable cameras on our undercover officers?"

"Good idea" Aizawa nodded from where he sat, looking through one of the other journal pages. "That way, we can look at the footage afterwards and see if we've missed something."

"I should probably go to Aoyama and Shibuya since I blend in with the crowd there, you know." Matsuda suggested helpfully.

"I'll go, too." Light nodded, ignoring his father's worried face even as he started to say:

"But Light-"

"I'll be all right." Light cut across oh-so-soothingly "Don't worry. Aoyama and Shibuya are places I go anyway. Not to mention, out of all of us, I'll probably look the most natural hanging out with Matsui there. Besides, the Second Kira will be there looking for Kira, not for the police."

"Maybe so. But I'd still be careful of just letting the two of you go out on the town on your own together. It would look too suspicious. If you're going to move around the area, I'd recommend going with a group of people. Perhaps Light has some young friends he can call upon to hang out with? There are many trendy places in both areas for a bunch of young adults to peacock around." Light could almost hear the irony dripping in Emi's distorted voice.

"Yeah, sure, I might have a few acquaintances I can call. And since we're on the topic of hanging out, maybe you could join in on the fun, Mouse. Get in on some of the action with Matsui and me. I can't imagine it's always fun being cooped up in one place and hogged by Ryuzaki all day."

"Oh, I manage. Besides, direct sunlight and I don't mix well. I'm a bit of a vampire that way. Haven't you wondered why Ryuzaki is so pale?"

"He's a vampire too?" Light smirked, glancing at L's face. The expression on the detective's face was impassive as ever. However, his coal-black eyes were hard as stone.

"I was going to say because I drain him of energy and his sanity."

"Yes-yes, this banter is all highly amusing," L muttered, rolling his eyes waspishly as a couple of the other taskforce members smirked and chuckled in amusement. "However, I'd rather keep Mouse off the field for now. I need her to go over all the data we can collect about the Game at the Tokyo Dome and look into all the other locations listed in this journal."

Well, well, look who's all protective now. What's the matter L? Too scared of your little mouse being stolen from you?

"He-he! I wouldn't laugh if I were you, Light." Ryuk the Shinigami smirked from where he stood in the corner of the room. "Weren't you just saying you'd rather your precious little friend remain hidden from your admirer?"

It took all Light had not to scowl. Yes, he had told Ryuk that he did not want to be seen in public with the police or Emi just in case the Second Kira wanted to target them. The last thing he wanted was for L to be even more suspicious than he already is.

If this fan is obsessed with getting close to me, they might target friends and family to have me all for themselves.

Light thought bitterly as he chanced another glance at the Mouse Caller ID thumbnail on the nearby laptop screen.

No. He could not let that happen.

---

"It's Ryuzaki. When you two are working together, I want you to keep a closer eye on Light the entire time. And please keep this between you and me."

"Oh, sure. Yeah, I understand. Good night Ryuzaki."

"Goodnight." L clicked the phone off and sighed heavily "Well, that sorts out everything for May twenty-second." He stretched his arms out as he sauntered to a small hallway and opened a door to his left.

Inside, a young woman with a short bob of brown hair was lounging on a bed with a laptop perched on her thighs, staring at the screen, her brown eyes glazed and unblinking behind her rectangular glasses.

"Found anything?" The Detective murmured.

Emilia Misora jolted where she sat and quickly looked up.

"W-wha? Oh right. Sorry was in the zone. Everyone gone home?"

"Yes, they've all left the building." L nodded as he crawled across the bed to peer at her screen.

But nothing was on it save the map of Aoyama. It was detailed, with train lines, popular clubs, shops, and eateries labelled clearly. But nothing had been highlighted. The mouse was not even hovering over anything interesting.

"I-I was just thinking about something," Emi mumbled, noticing his curious head tilt. "I…I was wondering if I could go into Aoyama on the 22nd when Light and Matsuda are walking around?"

"Emi-" L scowled, but Emi quickly cut across him.

"N-no-no, I don't mean I want to go with them. I-I mean…I want to scope the area separately from them on my own."

"Still out of the question." L narrowed his eyes. "Firstly, your mother's killers are still out there searching for you. Two, if the Second Kira makes a move, you would again be in considerable danger. Thirdly, If Light or Matsuda spot you, then Light will know something is up, and your undercover work will be compromised."

"It won't be if I know Light's plans and work around them." Emi pouted as she safely put the cookie on the bedside table. "And as for the first point, I was not saying I'd go alone. I know that would be stupid. I-I could be walking around with Watari or someone from my protection detail in disguise. And as for your second point, so long as Light does not notice nor interact with me during my rounds, the Second Kira will be least likely to target me as I'll be just another face in the crowd. Also, they've promised our Fake Kira not to kill unnecessarily in their previous videos, so I doubt we'll have a repeat of Sakura TV on our hands."

"Be that as it may," L persisted doggedly. "It is still very dangerous what you are planning to do."

"No less dangerous than you letting Matsuda walk around with Light while the Second Kira tries to establish contact," Emi muttered darkly as she put aside her computer and curled her legs up to her chest.

"I take it from your stubbornness you were going to go no matter what I said?" L muttered darkly as he leaned in close to look her directly in the eye. "You know Emilia, I have been very patient with your recklessness so far, but even I have my limits."

"I know. That's why I thought I'd keep you in the loop before I went ahead with my plans." Emi sighed. "I know you got worried because I went rogue the last time. But I'm not doing this for the hell of it. Matsuda might be keeping an eye on him, but he doesn't know Light as I do. If anyone down on the ground can tell if something's wrong, it will be me, and you know it. That's why you asked me to get close to him first, right?"

L stayed silent as he stared at her long and hard.

He hated to admit it, but she was right. He had no argument to stand on. Yes, the mission could be dangerous, but as she said, if she didn't show any connection to Light or Matsuda, the Second Kira could not target her. Not unless the Second Kira already suspected Light and had stalked him already. However, given what L had observed, the likelihood of such circumstances at present was highly unlikely.

No. L had no reason not to send Emi into the field again save his concern for her safety, which could easily be nullified if she had a trusted partner to walk with.

She has got me this time.

He growled in his head.

Something of his frustration must have shown in his face because Emi's gaze softened at once as she raised her hand to brush away his fringe from his face.

"L…I know you're doing your best, but you can't protect me from everything."

"…I know," L mumbled, and with that, he drew away sharply and walked out the door.

He knew it was a very cold response, but it was safer this way for them both. It was one thing to fake intimacy in front of others, but now things were getting out of hand.

Cuddling with her for naps, being physically close to her, letting her touch him so tenderly…

L leaned back against the door and sighed at the ceiling, his spidery hands reaching upwards to touch the points on his face her fingers had grazed.

So featherlight, so warm, soft, so addictive.

Yes. Kira and his beloved fan might have the power over life and death, but L's partner had an even more lethal weapon in her arsenal. A weapon so deadly that not even the great detective L nor Kira himself could protect themselves from its effects.

"You truly are a dangerous woman, Emilia Misora." He murmured under his breath as he shoved his hands in his pockets and shuffled down the gloomy hallway.

---

"I'm home."

"Hello, dear. You're back quite late today."

"Ah, it's because I was hanging out with my girlfriend."

"You were?"

"Haha! What? Light, you have a girlfriend now? Oh! Did you finally ask out Emiko-chan?! AHH! That's so exciting! I mean, we all knew you were going to ask her eventually but still, you finally -"

"Wha-? W-wait-No, Sayu, you've got it all wrong. I'm not going out with Emi. I told you she's just a friend."

"Aww really?"

"Yes."

"But-but then, who are you dating now? What's her name? Ohh, is she someone from your class?"

"Not telling. Besides, It's not that surprising. I'm 18, and I'm in university now. Of course, I have a girlfriend. You should look for a boyfriend, Sayu."

"Huh? A boyfriend? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Light, aren't you going to have any dinner?"

"Actually I'm still full from the room service at the hotel."

"Ah, I can't believe you just said that to Mom. So what's this about the hotel? Sounds pretty suspicious!"

"Later, Sayu!"

Light sighed as he finally closed the door to his bedroom and leaned against it.

What a day?! All the plotting and planning for the Kira investigation, on top of all his university work really was proving to be exhausting.

However, his day was not over yet. He still had so much to do and names to keep writing in the Death Note.

"OK, Ryuk. We need to have a little talk." Light murmured as he saw the large hulking shadow of the Shinigami glide through the wall beside him.

"Ah, should have known." Ryuk grinned, his shark-like teeth glimmering in the light of Light's computer monitor as he turned it on.

"And I'd appreciate an answer if you could. If two shinigami happen to meet in the human world, are they allowed to speak to each other?" Light folded his arms and sat in his chair.

"Hard to say." Ryuk shrugged. "As long as I'm attached to a human, I'd say it's against the rules unless I had their permission first. But there are no laws against it, either. So I guess it's possible that another shinigami might talk to me."

"So does that mean that if this fake Kira's shinigami would see you, there's a chance he might mention the fact you're with me and reveal that I'm Kira?" Light's eyes narrowed. Typical Ryuk, to answer a question with a non-answer.

"They probably wouldn't, but it depends on their personality."

Again, another twisted answer. Was there anything straightforward about this God of Death?

"And if this situation did arise, I can assume you'll act the way you normally do?" Light asked, though he already knew the answer he was going to get and sure enough:

"Yeah. Even if I see another human with a shinigami, I'm not gonna tell you."

"Well, I think you've got the right approach." Light smirked as he rotated in his chair to face his computer screen and quickly opened up his internet browser.

"Huh? There's no way. Did he really think this far ahead?" the young man's eyes widened in surprise after a few taps with the mouse.

"What is it?" Ryuk asked curiously as he peeked over his human's shoulder.

"Aoyama is a big area. I was searching for possible meeting places when I stumbled across this." Light explained as he scrolled down a page titled: Notable events "On the 22nd, there's a big event going on at a club in Aoyama called the "Note Blue" Aoyama, blue mountain. Note and blue, it's a code."

"Well, well, if you ask me, that's pretty elaborate." Ryuk sniggered wickedly.

"He might be smarter than I thought." Light admitted begrudgingly, "Which means I have to be that much more careful from now on. In any case, this "Note Blue" place is definitely worth checking out."

"What's the point in going there if you don't wanna be a find out that you're Kira. You really think it's worth a risk?" Ryuk asked curiously as Light kept scrolling down the page for more information.

The band that was performing at the Note Blue club was pretty popular. It would not be difficult for the Second Kira to slip in and out of the crowd without being seen. Not to mention the area itself was a very popular clubbing and café scene. Who knows where they could hide.

It's a good thing Emi is not coming with us.

Light mused as he scrolled down to the schedule at the bottom of the page.

With a crowd that big, it would be too easy to lose sight of her. If the second Kira notices Ryuk hovering over the two of us, then they might mistake her for the first Kira, and that would be disastrous. Or worse, they might take her to get to me, and if that's the case, I may just have to kill them both.

Light's heart sank as the thought crossed his mind.

It was a disturbing thought. Killing Emi after everything they had been through. A few months ago, he would not have batted an eye if she dropped dead, but now…

He looked down at his phone, where the most recent messages from her had popped up.

"Still no luck. Ryuzaki is not budging. Looks like you and Matsui will have to do without me on the 22nd. See you in class" - E

Light stared at the message, his eyes glazing over. She was innocent. And yet, if push came to shove, Light could not risk his identity being compromised. No one said it would be easy, but such sacrifice was necessary.

Especially when you were the God of a New World.

---

May 22, 2004

"Y'know, it's been an hour, but I still can't get used to you in that getup!"

"You think you're weirded out? I look in any mirror; I keep seeing my mom or my sister! It's creepy!"

"But you chose it-"

"I know, I know. But still. I guess I didn't realise it until someone pointed it out."

"The freaky power of genetics, huh?"

"Yep."

Emilia Misora and Yuki Saito both sagged in their comfortable booth seats, tucked away in a corner of a small café. It was a lovely late afternoon; the sun was still shining, and people were milling around happily outside as they shopped, chatted and made their rounds of the thoroughfare.

Emi might have enjoyed the rare moment of mundane tranquillity had it not been for the massive wig on her head.

She looked quietly at her reflection in the back of a teaspoon.

Instead of the usual brunette bob, magenta glasses, and baggy comfortable clothes, was a young woman with long, bluntly cut black hair and blue contact lenses. She had made sure to use concealer on the bridge of her nose to blot out the freckles and, for good measure, had put on some mascara and pink lipstick. She had worn a fitted long-sleeved white top with a short, pleated Burberry miniskirt complete with a matching belt and beret and a pair of black knee-high boots. The ensemble was not her usual cup of tea; however, it had been an outfit her mother had bought for her while she had been alive. Emi had not the heart to throw it away and had hoped it would just sit in the bottom of her suitcase till the end of time, but at least now it would serve a purpose and keep her identity a secret.

That had been one of the three conditions she had to acquiesce to for L to agree to let her investigate Aoyama on her own today. The first condition was that she could not go alone, hence why she had called Yuki as backup (though the other girl had no idea of their true mission), and secondly, she had to always wear recording equipment on her for L to watch through. The Detective had even supplied her with a special earpiece that she could use to communicate with Watari, which was currently hidden beneath the wig she wore.

Most of the time, L was silent on his end, and Emi knew it was because he was observing her movements closely. Occasionally she would hear him sigh or huff in annoyance at something, or he would make a small remark to Watari about her surroundings, but those were few and far between.

He barely spoke to Emi throughout the entire hour she had been out and about.

Now that Emi thought about it, he had been rather distant for the past ten days. Oh, for sure, he put on a show in front of Light, but the minute he and Emi were alone together, he was quick to retreat into his shell and only talk about the case, only to feel his eyes bore into her whenever he felt she was not watching. Had this been any other ordinary guy, Emi might have written it off as a silly "crush".

But this was L. The world's greatest detective. He might have been human, but he was not normal. Yes, he had admitted he was physically attracted to her, and they had made out that once, but what real reason did he have to have a crush on her? She was still just an eighteen-year-old nerd way in over her head, who was nowhere near as physically beautiful as her mother, nor as intelligent or well trained as her sister. She kept bugging him with her recklessness and kept giving him a buck.

So why was it that he would meet her eye with a strangely haunted look whenever she caught him staring?

Had she done something? Said something?

Was he really upset that she was so determined to come out today? But no, that could not be right. He would have pouted and acted like a broody child if he was still mad at her for going off books.

But this…this was different.

He seemed worried, almost scared. But of what? Her getting hurt?

What was it about her that was causing him such distress? Everything had been going so good before the twelfth-

"Hey, you okay? You look a bit…y'know…" Yuki frowned anxiously.

Emi sighed.

"Yuki…have…have you ever…" She gulped, wondering how she could spin this "have you ever been friends with a g-guy…you got close. Then they just…get distant?"

"Can't say I have." Yuki sipped her coffee slowly. "What do mean by distant?"

"Well…" Emi rubbed her temples. "Let's say you thought you were getting along great, laughing, joking around and getting comfortable. B-but then, one day, something scary happens and BAM! Suddenly there's this wall between the two of you, and he's treating you all cold when you talk to him, but he's still looking at you when your back is turned and very awkward about being around you."

"Sounds like a crush to me." Yuki cut across her with a snort.

"B-but there's no way-I-I mean-" Emi coughed as she tried to compose herself. "Wh-what if he's not the type to crush on someone? What if he's not like normal guys usually?"

"Hey, just because a guy doesn't act like other guys all the time doesn't always mean he won't be like them occasionally. I mean, he is a human, right?" Yuki smirked and rolled her eyes fondly. "Trust me, Em, my brothers are all weirdos, but even they occasionally act just as stupid as any other guy. And from what you're telling me, it seems your new pal has the major feels for you and does not know how to handle them well. Is he one of your bodyguards or something?"

"S-sort of," Emi admitted softly. "B-but I-I just can't see why he would have a crush on me?! I-I mean, given our situation, it's…it's not exactly professional, and he's all about his work-"

"Yeah, hormones and emotions don't exactly take professionalism into account when they rear up, do they?" Yuki put a placating hand on top of her friends. "And come on? Why shouldn't someone have a crush on you? And don't tell me it's because of your sister and mom." She added before Emi could open her mouth, "Look. I know it sucks to hear this, but they aren't here anymore. Your guy is not seeing them stand next to you every day, so he can't compare you to them. All he's getting is you, and it's pretty clear he likes what's in front of him. So, the question isn't, does he like you or not? It's whether or not you want him to like you?"

"What do you mean? 'do I want him to like me?' How the hell am I supposed to answer that question?" Emi grunted.

"I mean, is the reason you're worried not because you don't know if he likes you or not, but because you're unsure about how you feel about him?"

Emi blinked. Of all the answers she had expected from her friend, this was not the one she ever thought she'd get. She was expecting to be teased, maybe some jokes, but certainly not this level of observation.

But observation of what? She thought wildly.

Me…like L? I mean, we get along great when he isn't being all weird and distant. B-but to l-like him?

"I…I don't know…" Emi gulped down a mouthful of coffee to steady herself. "I-I mean, we click in many ways, or that's how it feels. And yeah, sure, from a physical perspective, he's not too bad looking. I mean, he's a freaking oddball, but it works, y'know…in that weird... yeah, sure, he's a bit of a brat sometimes, but he's never judged or treated me badly. If anything, he's been very supportive and sweet. B-but that's just it. I d-don't know if what we have is just pity for what I've been through or me just fantasising because I-I'm stuck with him all day and barely see anyone else. I…I don't know how to tell if what I feel is real or not, or if it's just the…the-"

"-The loneliness talking? Yeah, I hear you." Yuki finished quietly.

Emi sighed.

She could only be thankful that she was not talking to Light right now. The young man would have jumped for joy at the goldmine of information she had just unloaded.

Luckily for Emi, Yuki was not the type to blab or scheme. Her best friend may have come across as brash and brazen, but she was a kind soul at heart. That very sweet nature led her to reach out with a warm smile and pinch Emi's cheek.

"Oh, Emi, don't look so spooked. This isn't the end of the world. Look, why don't you just wait a bit, give the guy some space for a day or two and talk to him."

"I…I guess." Emi gulped, resting her elbows on the table as she did her best to compose herself. "Sorry, I unloaded this all on you."

"What? Don't apologise!" Yuki grinned wide "Do you know how good it is to not talk about work right now?! With how things are going nowadays, it's nice not talking shop once in a while."

"Speaking of work, what happened to that brat Mitsuki? I haven't heard a word about her since the incident." Emi took an oh-so-nonchalant sip of her coffee.

"Oh her? Yeah, she's in the doghouse." Yuki grinned wickedly. "I think that visit from your lawyer gave the studio execs quite a spook. He had a private detective investigate her background very thoroughly. Found some nasty stuff on her activities outside of work."

"So she was fired?" Emi tilted her head curiously.

"No." Yuki sighed in annoyance. "Little brat's father has too many connections, so she was just shunted to another department where she can't cause any trouble. The boss she's now under is a real hard-ass and is working her to the bone, or so I've heard. I would say that I hope she will learn something from this experience and become a better person, but we both know that's shite."

Both girls giggled, and Emi found her earlier nerves lessened somewhat.

"Speaking of shite, I'll be back in a tick." Yuki got to her feet and stretched.

"Have fun." Emi waved her off, sinking in her seat as soon as her friend had ducked out of sight around a nearby corner.

"Phew."

"Enjoying yourself?" a monotone voice smirked softly.

Emi froze in horror as her tiny receiver crackled quietly in her ear.

Oh god. She had completely forgotten about her gear. Gear which the detective had been listening to the entire time!

Yet even as she thought this, another fear flooded her mind.

Oh no…she had talked to someone outside about L?! Even though she had never said his name or given away any identifying features, she had still talked to someone about his behaviour.

His behaviour…oh crap! Had he heard her talk about her feelings?! He must have. Why else would he be sounding so smug?

"R-Ryuz-zaki!" she squeaked as she quickly pulled her phone to her ear and pretended to speak into the receiver. "I-I thought Watari was keeping an eye on me -a-and you were watching-"

"I was. I am merely checking in on your progress while Light and Matsuda make their way to the Note Blue club. According to their current route, they should pass by your location within three to five minutes, so keep your eyes peeled." The detective paused, and Emi almost felt the amusement rolling off him in waves. "Hmm…You know, you sure and Saito-san sure are close. You must trust her a lot to confide such personal information in her."

"So, you did hear everything, huh?" Emi whispered fiercely, her gut descending all but into the floor now. "Well, what do you expect me to do? I don't have a family, you have Watari, I can't talk to any of the Task Force, and I certainly can't talk to Special K about any of this kinda stuff without fearing for my life."

"All very true." L agreed, "Though if you had any grievances with me, I would prefer it if you spoke to me directly about it."

"Shouldn't I be telling you that?!" Emi growled, doing her best to keep her voice as low as possible "You and I know that it's you who's been avoiding me all week. Why? Have I done something to piss you off? I told you in advance I'd be going out like this so you can't say that I haven't given fair warning. Unless Yuki is right and this is a-"

"Crush? No, it is not. You know I don't condone such childish behaviours." L clipped, his monotone suddenly taking a sharper tone that was only matched by Emi's exasperated eye roll.

"Then what the hell is it that's bothering you? Honestly, Ryuzaki, can't you just tell me, and we can move past it?"

"I…I am afraid it is not that simple." the Detective's voice was now strained and stiff.

"Then break it down into smaller pieces, and we can solve it one bit at a time."

"I…I cannot…not right now, at least."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emi frowned, trying and failing to ignore the way her chest stung. Even after all this time and all they had done, he still could not trust her…

"Emilia…" The Detective paused. "Wait. Light is passing the café. Keep watch on the front windows."

Though frustrated, Emi forced herself to watch the front café window. Sure enough, Light Yagami and Touta Matsuda were walking past with a large gaggle of smiling and chatting college students.

Light was, as usual, the bright, sparkling peacock strutting proudly as he puffed out his plumage for his adoring public. Matsuda, while slightly awkward, had engaged with the group in excitable chatter about one of the many popular idol groups.

"So far, so good," Emi murmured, doing her best to keep her lips from moving too much. "They're both acting like normal."

"No change in Light's behaviour then?" L sounded disappointed.

"None whatsoever. Same peacock, same mask."

"hmm…alright. I shall go back to watching from Matsuda's camera. In the meantime, consider your work here as done. I will send Watari to come to pick you and Saito-san up when you are finished hanging out. Think of it as a short break. Don't be late and stay alert. Your security detail will, of course, keep a close eye on you until you return."

And before Emi could even open her mouth to reply, she heard the receiver click off in her ear.

"Jerk." She mumbled to herself as she checked her pocket. The blue light signalling the wireless connection had switched off, while the red recording light was still aglow.

Oh, he was hiding something from her. Something had him spooked.

But what? Was it the Second Kira? L had seemed reticent about letting the Task Force outside in the field after the Sakura TV incident. And he had worried about her safety after she had gone off book at Light's house.

But she had thought they had already resolved that issue. So what was it that was putting a wedge between them?

Yet even as Emi drained the last of her coffee, something dark caught the corner of her eye from a nearby table.

Only a school kid.

Emi sighed as she turned her head to watch a girl in a dark school uniform with short black hair and glasses suddenly stand up excitedly to watch Light's retreating jacket.

Emi could not blame her. While she could not stand Light's duplicitous personality, she was not completely immune to Light Yagami's physical charms.

He had that rare handsomeness that only got more refined and dignified with age and devoted a surprising amount of time to maintain himself. Why he hadn't cashed in on being a celebrity idol was beyond Emi's guess because he'd make a fortune for himself in no time with his brains and charisma.

All those gifts, and yet he could be a psychopathic serial murderer…

Emi sighed and smirked in amusement as she watched the girl sigh and smile, her eyes misting over dreamily.

Poor kid. Head over heels from one glance at that smug peacock.

But what came next out of the girl's mouth was beyond strange.

"Found you! All right, Rem. Time to go."

What? Rem? Who's Rem?

Emi quickly looked around the café. However, she could not spot other girls or boys wearing matching uniforms. Heck, the girl had been sitting alone for the past half hour and didn't have a phone or headset to her ear!

So who the hell was the girl talking to?

"Well, I can't go up to him and say 'Hi, Kir-"

"Whoo, finally done! You ready to go, girl?!"

Emi blinked. Yuki was standing next to her with bright eyes.

"Uh…Y-yeah, sure." Emi gulped as she quickly turned back to watch the strange schoolgirl, catching the end of her strange mutterings.

"I know his name now, so I can easily find out all about him. After all, it's such a unique name."

Unique name…Is she talking about Light?...but no…how could she?

"Well, come on. This really good art store opened up around the corner from here, and it sells that fancy card paper! I think you'd like it."

"O-Okay." Emi gulped as she let herself get dragged back to the counter to pay, only to end up behind the back of the strange schoolgirl as she shoved her way in front of them.

"Hey-!" Yuki began but was silenced as Emi suddenly grabbed her arm.

"Woah, Em, what's wrong? You okay?"

"I…I'm fine." Emi gulped, though even she knew it was a terrible lie. "Just got the chills."

And what chills they were. She could feel her body tingling as if someone had danced on her grave. For some reason, it felt…familiar…

Well, whatever it was, it was soon put out of mind as the rude schoolgirl skipped away from the counter and towards the café exit, a wide victorious grin on her face.

As innocent as the expression was, Emi felt her insides shrivel.

Just who the hell is she? And why was she so interested in Light? Unless…but no…that would be crazy… there's no way she could be…could she?

"Emi? Hello!"

"S-sorry, Yuki. Spaced out there for a moment. What was the name of that store again?" Emi shook her head and refreshed her smile, though it felt like she was chewing cardboard.

I'm going to get to the bottom of this! One way or another.

---

"Interesting…" the d etective L stroked his chin as he kept a close watch on the television screen in front of him.

From his hidden camera's vantage point, L could see the reflection of Emi's face in her friend's sunglasses as she was excitably dragged out of the café.

Though she did her best to smile and chat, L could see the waves of anxiety rolling off her.

"So she noticed it too," Watari muttered, his kindly face turning stony and grave.

"Yes, I do believe she did." L nodded. "Then again, that strange young woman was not doing a good job at being subtle."

"Then I shall request a warrant to acquire the café's security footage and Point Of Sales data-"

"Wait!" L put a hand up to silence his elderly retainer. "Wait, Watari. Let's…hold off on that for now."

"L?" Watari's brow furrowed for a moment before comprehension dawned. "Ah, I see, you wish to-"

"Yes." L's lips rose into a small, crooked smirk.

"If you don't mind me saying, that's quite a gamble to take this late in the game." Watari folded his arms. "She's only been working in this field since-"

"I know." L plucked a chocolate from a nearby box and popped it into his mouth. "However, I'm curious to see what she does with this situation. Think of it as an assessment of her skills."

"I see…I take it you want me to closely monitor her progress?" Watari quirked a brow.

"If she lets you." L snorted. "Emilia can be slippery when she puts her mind to something."

"Oh, I am well aware. After all, it's not the first time I've had to keep a close watch on a cunning child. I only hope she does not hide booby traps in her luggage when we move hotels tomorrow." Watari allowed himself a small, amused smile as the tips of his charge's pale ears reddened like tomatoes.

However, the younger detective only coughed as he turned back around in his seat, his fingers curling and unfurling on his crouching knees as feminine laughter echoed from a nearby speaker.

"Now, little mouse, let's see how much you've learned under my wing."

---

"Oh, it's written as Moon, but read as Light. "Light Yagami". Why he's so amazing. Look at all the stuff! He won the national tennis championship when he was in the 2nd and 3rd years of his junior high; He gave an address as freshmen representative at this year's entrance ceremony at Touou University. I can't find a picture of him, but there won't be anyone else whose name is Light Yagami. Who would've ever thought that Kira would be so young and handsome? Everything about him is better than I imagined. I can't believe how easy was to purchase this information. The world sure is a scary place!"

---

DUN-DUN-DUUUUUN! *insert gif of dramatic chipmunk*

LOL just kidding. But in all seriousness, we're finally getting closer to meeting Misa in the flesh! So excited to get there eventually. There is a little more relationshippy stuff in this chapter but hopefully, the next one shows a bit more mystery solving ;) I personally am starting to enjoy writing more of Yuki. When I first wrote her, she was only going to be a one-off "best-friend" character but she's starting to grow on me so hopefully, I can find ways to fit her into the plot in future.

Anyways if you enjoyed this chapter and want to read more then please fave and review.

Until then, wishing you guys all the best.

FuzzyBeta :)