3 Years Later…

Bare feet padded down the cold hallway. The barest of lights lighting the way through the darkness. A scruffy head of onyx hair stopped in front of each door. Peaking deep charcoal eyes into each room, at the different children sleeping, before betraying the smallest of smiles each time. His silent steps stopped in front of a room that had the light on, shining under the door. L sighed at the door, knocked quietly and sighed as he pushed it open when no response came.

His eyes scanned over the room of his predecessor. Books lining the walls of the elegantly decorated navy colored room. He smiled softly at the sleeping blonde who sat at the desk. His head propped up on his hands, that were folded over an open book that laid on the desktop. L's eyes departed his sleeping companion and he silently mused at the variety of books. From every type, documentary, biographies, biology, governmental laws of every country he had been in contact with. He grinned more when his eyes fell on the fiction wall, adventure, romance, and horror among the many different genres. He winced slightly at his memory of Caspian's words.

"It may seem far fetched… but remember L, every story came from someone's mind. Even murder mysteries. An author's mind is the most shrewd. They can hide any detail and spin any tale, should they be willing and take the time to educate themselves. That. That is the true horror of our world now. Every gruesome detail, was carefully plotted and thought about, so even the most normal of minds can be the most devious… That is why I read fiction. Because sometimes, the most unfathomable is the most likely."

He silently stood next to the elder of the two and he gently slid the book out from beneath his folded arms. 'Let's see… What have you been writing about?'

His eyes widened when he flipped to the beginning and found it was a journal. Shifting his abyss-like eyes around mischievously he cracked a smirk as he started to read. 'Curious case of Yagami: kanji symboled as "Night God of the Valley."' As L read he realized quickly, they're simply cliff notes as they start but grow more personal of recounting of the previous three years.

-Today, we brought home Chief Detective Yagami's children after a brutal slaying. Both children are understandably timid.

-As time progresses, as stated in further detail of my other recounting documentations of the siblings, they seem to have no problem forming immediate relationships. More curiously, they seem to have taken to the more reclusive of the household. Anthony Anderson and Beyond Birthday. An even more baffling relationship has spun itself in an unlikely nature between Light and Beyond. They are almost becoming inseparable as time progresses.

-After the incident with Sayu's birthday party, she seems to have attached herself with Anthony. Going almost everywhere he goes. If he leaves the house, there's no settling her unless she can accompany him or deal with the tantrum until he returns. I feel this potentially could have a negative effect on her psyche. But she seems to take Light or Beyond as a temporary replacement for the boy. She may even settle for the terrible trio, as I like to call them, if they can entertain her long enough.

-Sayu has become an accomplished violinist over the courses of the years, which on its own speaks volumes for her intelligence. She's no professional, but if she chased it. It would be hers. Light himself has also become quite the pianist. He plays some expert pieces with ease, and others with very little difficulty. I believe they use the instruments as outlets for their emotional distress. And to think, it started because Beyond told Light, that he needed to find an outlet…

-Beyond, another curious case. I fear the capabilities of his mind. His highly intuitive instinct doubled with his intelligence and deductive reasoning, would make for a dangerous mind to be released without the restraints of another person. Or a counterweight, so to speak. Over the course of the years he has taken to riding that horse of his. He's very skilled as well.

-Beyond has long since abandoned his true first name… I suppose I would too if my mother named me Bernard. When asked why he chose Beyond… In the rare times that I do actually feel emotion, that was one of them. He told me everyone had forgotten his birthday one year… He said it seemed fitting as his last name was Birthday already, and that he was… 'Beyond Birthdays. They're for little kids anyway' He didn't need anyone to celebrate his life, because it was clearly worthless, he was ten years old when he told me this. I find he frequently suffers from these depressive and manic periods. I suspect him to be a victim of bi-polar, though, I'm no doctor, so I couldn't be sure of any suspicions, I wish he would let me take him to a doctor to get a thorough work up.

-On a piggyback note, I have made it a point to remember his birthday, every year. Though. It remains difficult as he shares his birthday with L. He's often overlooked even to this day. Tragic.

L lowered his eyes slightly, 'And I wish just once they'd forget my birthday… I'll have to do something nice for B this year.' Nodding his head in slight determination then released a quiet chuckle, 'If I remember, I normally forget my own birthday… Maybe I won't this year because I know it's his too, now.'

Flicking his eyes back to the page he turned, his dark eyes widened as they landed on a hand drawing of Sayu playing her violin.

-As I learn their counterweight balances, I learn that Sayu is more persuaded when presented with kindness, Beyond seems to motivate more effectively under positive reinforcement. Anthony seems to best motivate under negative reinforcement, particularly my least favorite method, I hope he doesn't feel less appreciated as a person, I'm just unsure of how to approach his rehabilitation. Light… Light remains a mystery, it seems to be he's best presented under great stress. This is also a difficult measure for me to take. But making his father proud seems to his highest motive for being his best for now…

-For now, all I can do is use these reinforcement tactics into molding them into better human beings, Anthony strives his hardest to be a detective… Though, I fear his short comings may make him less of a choice, with no fault to L… As it stands, I wouldn't choose him either.

-Beyond… His impulsive nature will lead him to difficulties in life. I believe the dream I had of him is very accurate of what he could become… The smell of blood seems to follow that family, heavily.

The young man glanced up at the walls and produced a tiny smile from behind his obsidian bangs at the numerous show awards along Caspian's walls. 'I see… This is an experiment to you. What made you go to these lengths?' L brought his shoulders up slightly at the sound of stirring from the desk behind him, pinching the book tighter into his fingers as he hung his head slightly as if that would hide him if Caspian woke. L glanced back at a now fully awake Caspian. The blonde's arms folded, his chin tucked slightly, eyebrows furrowed and eyes narrowed in disapproval.

Releasing a timidly nervous chuckle, L held the book out by a side towards his elder while avoiding eye contact, between his index finger and thumb. Caspian rolled his sapphire hued eyes and snatched the book back and gave a small lopsided smirk. "I have an actual book written on each child here. I even have one for you…" A cryptic smile graced the full lips of the blonde. L gave a tiny grin in return, 'The older he gets the more like Quillish he actually is…'

Caspian motioned with his head towards the door without a word. L rolled his eyes and stepped towards the door while giving a quick appraising glance back over his shoulder at the room of his cousin. He blinked rapidly a couple of times before bringing his right thumb to the ridge of his bottom lip as they curled into a small smile. 'My family… They're all a bunch of genius, head cases. Guess I know where I get it from…'

L pulled the door open and peeked into the last two rooms of the hallway. His stare fell onto the sleeping boys of the first room. Near cuddling a robot, Matt's face firmly planted into his pillow producing muffled snoring, and Mello sleeping in a ball under his sheet, his pillow pulled above his head. He nodded at a barely visible level and silently pulled the door shut. He turned to continue down the hall but pulled the final door open.

He smirked slightly to see Sayu curled up next to Anthony who was on the edge of the bed, one leg and one arm hanging off the side. Sayu's small feet planted into the small of the back of the sixteen year old. Though clearly displeased with his sleeping conditions, his lips were still curled into a pleased grin in his slumber.

L's eyebrows raised when his gaze landed on a still awake Beyond and Light who were quietly sitting next to each other, on Light's bed, pointing at the night sky through the window and occasionally whispering to one another. The raven could feel the corners of his mouth tug upwards once again. 'Your plan seemed to have worked, Caspian.'

His eyes fell shut as he smirked and pulled the door shut. His bare feet graced the plush rug at the top of the stairs. L paused momentarily when he heard the door creak open for the second time. Smiling to himself from behind his obsidian bangs, that hung over his eyes. 'Figures; I couldn't elude their detection…' Shrugging his shoulders slightly he stepped down the stairs and kept a sharp ear on his surroundings.

Walking through the living room area, that was decorated in pictures of all the children that are both current and past residents of the Wammy household. L shoved his left hand into his pocket as he held a gentle fist in front of his mouth as he cleared his throat. He took a deep breath and knocked on the oak door.

A soft elderly man's voice could be heard from beyond the wooden barricade separating them, "Come in."

Placing his hand in the door handle and tenderly wrapping his fingers around the golden colored sphere he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He shifted his deep grey eyes back to the handle as he turned it slowly, almost at a dramatic slow motion pace. 'If it's Beyond he'll lose his patience before I get in. Unless he brought Light along, but I only seem to see one of them. If it's Light… I guess I wouldn't even know he was there. He's a slippery one.'

Signing a little resignedly, he pushed the door open and slipped in the lowly lit crack. The young ebony-haired man's eyes landed on a large wall of all the achievements of the children of the home. Photo albums upon photo albums, he glanced to an open photo album on the desk. Tilting his head in curiosity, his bangs falling into his eyes and pulled the first page open and felt his breath catch. 'Laurence Lawliet age 8.' A picture of his as a child first arriving was displayed. His eyes fell onto the next page of a picture of him from the other day. 'Age 18.' L was sitting perched at his computer chair typing without ever noticing a picture had been stolen from him from his own doorway.

He tugged the next page over, a small smile crept to his features when he saw a picture of Caspian holding a yellow covered book, slumped over sleeping with his hand back onto the mahogany headboard of the hotel, with Sayu curled up next to him and Light slumped over on his shoulder. He felt his smile grow when his eyes landed on his sleeping self hugging his elder's leg, the tip of his thumb just barely between his lips, creating a small pout face.

He glanced his eyes over to see a picture of him reading Near a bedtime story. Crouched next to Near's bed, a book pinched between the index fingers and thumbs of both hands. Ebony bangs covered most of his face while the younger of the two had wide eyes of wonder while studying the detective. 'I remember trying so hard not to stutter…' The text under the picture read 'Near – age 3. L age – 13.'

He flipped the page with a happy hum as he sat himself in the chair of the desk. Hugging his knees, haunching his back in his usual manner. He grinned when he saw a picture of him teaching Mello to play the piano. 'Mello age 8. L age 16.'

Quillish came out of the bathroom wiping his hands with a small smile and nodded to L. "I put that together for you."

L gave a wide smile that seemed to stop the older man in his tracks, "Thank you." Large charcoal eyes flicked back to the book as he turned the next page. It was a photo of him and Beyond. They sat together playing a game of chess. 'I remember… I'm fairly certain he swore to take his revenge one day… Come to think of it.' He snorted a quiet amount of laughter, 'I see Light and B playing quite often… I wonder if he still remembers… What am I talking about? It's B, he holds grudges better than anyone else I know.' The picture read, '"Beyond" age 10. L age 13.'

L closed the book that was full of other pictures, "But, I've come to speak of something more important than memories."

Quillish nodded and placed his glasses on the bridge of his nose and sat in the leather chair on the opposing side of the grand red maple desk. "You've chosen…"

L nodded drawling his word out as he hesitantly responded, "Yes."

Beyond tiredly rubbed his scarlet eyes as he pried himself from Light's sleeping clutches while groaning, almost incoherently. "Light… Move. I have to pee…" The sleeping brunette grumbled while rolling over. Blinking his eyes tightly several times to adjust his eyes he glanced around the room to see only Sayu sleeping in Anthony's bed. 'Crap… I hope I don't have to wait long…'

Flinching slightly as the bottoms of his bare feet hit the cold floor. He rubbed his upper arms in a faulty attempt to warm himself from the chill in the air. He furrowed his eyebrows and sighed, 'Something is off…' He rounded the corner of the cracked door and saw the light on in the bathroom.

Beyond sighed and leaned against the wall next to the door and tapped his foot impatiently. He waited for what felt like hours before timidly knocking on the door, "A. Come on. I have to pee… Hurry up." The door fell open slightly and his crimson eyes widened in shock.

A blood curdling scream could be heard throughout the house, within a minute or two every light in the house was on. Caspian's door flew open aggressively and almost off the hinges. He ran to Beyond who was screaming while looking into the bathroom, eyes full of shock and fear, tears streaming down his cheeks. Glancing his deep blue eyes into the bathroom before slamming the bathroom door shut and pulling the young raven into his arms while crouching down and dizzying speeds. "Oh… B… Of all people to find him… It just had to be you."

Caspian pulled Beyond's face into the crook of his neck and rubbed his back delicately as the boy screamed into the collar of his shirt, absentmindedly in horror. The younger's fingers grasping Caspian's shirt tightly.

A/N: To my readers, I apologize, recently my family has undergone a dynamic change and as a result I needed to take a second job. As some of you know I have a daughter… She's two. My free time has become very limited. My updates, regrettably will be very slow.

On a plus note! My active stories are on rotation now! No story left behind!