He sat on the couch, eyes glassy and glazed over. He turned her phone over in his fingers, the last piece of her left, like a talisman that would somehow keep her safe. A blanket was around his shoulders, put there by his father. He had barely been able to force the details of what he had seen out before the shock had set in, freezing him down to the bone. He'd been sitting still for ten minutes straight, never moving. The shock had encased him in clay, making it so that he couldn't move without breaking apart. There were voices behind him, talking. They were discussing what had happened to her, what the next steps were, he knew. As much as he wanted to help spout theories and ideas, he found himself unable to focus on anything but his own thoughts.
Her face filled his mind. Her slate gray eyes, her blindingly white smile. He heard her laughter ringing in his ears. He'd always liked her laugh. It had always made him feel powerful, because when she laughed, he'd always been winning that ongoing game of Cat-and-Mouse with Ryuzaki. Had he ever told her that? If not, why not? What had he had to lose from telling her she made him feel strong? She would have liked that, he knew. She would have said something about always being there to keep him strong. And he would have been able to depend on it.
Why didn't I tell her how much she mattered? I had so many chances to do it, and I didn't.
He thought about the day she told him they were pregnant. She'd opened him up to a whole new world of possibilities. Suddenly, it wasn't just him and her. There was a baby involved too. He'd sworn to himself that he would keep her safe so that their baby would be safe. He'd failed them both. Would he ever forgive himself if he couldn't rectify that mistake? He didn't think so.
"Light." His father's voice called to him through the haze of thoughts.
He broke out of his clay layer and turned his head, blinking dispassionately at him. His father was sitting next to him on the couch. When had that happened?
"We were thinking a press conference would be good. Somebody may have saw something they didn't think was important, but could have been very important. Sometimes it can even make the kidnapper make contact with the family. We have Misa's cell phone. They could call it. You know her better than anyone, Light. We need you to be her voice. Make them see that she's still a person, and consider giving her back." He explained gently. "Can you do it for Misa?"
Do it for Misa.
The words penetrated the fog in his brain, cleared it up, and he nodded.
"Okay." Chief Yagami said gently, putting a hand on his son's shoulder and squeezing it.
An hour later, the flashing of lightbulbs and hum of anticipation filled a small Room in the NPA. A man came out, dressed in a suit and tie, and a hush fell over the crowd.
"Approximately One hour and thirty minutes ago at approximately 10:13 AM, Misa Amane was taken near Nakano-Dori Avenue and Keio Keio lane. The NPA are considering this a missing person's case, and will be using as many resources as possible to find her. At this time, we are inviting her Fiancé, Light Yagami, to come up and speak on behalf of her." He said.
Light stepped up to the microphones, wearing a crisp suit that he'd gone home to change into. He held a piece of paper in his hands, shaking ever so slightly. He set it down, his father standing behind him for moral support.
He looked out into the crowd. He'd never minded public speaking before, but this somehow felt different. More exposing. More intimate. A sea of lightbulbs glimmered out in front of him, and microphones were held out to him. He took in a deep breath to try and steady himself, before he began to speak.
"My name is Light Yagami. An hour and a half ago, my fiancée Misa Amane was taken. Misa is a beautiful, joyful person. Talk to her and you'll see. She's the most resilient person I know. Three years ago, Misa lost her parents in a robbery. She's always wanted a family because of that. And last week, she told me she was pregnant." He said, his voice breaking on the last word. "When we were talking this morning, she told me that she wanted to take our child to see Disneyland someday. She told me the story of how her parents always saved up enough money to go every year at least once. And I told her we would, on her birthday." He gasped between the words. Emotions were flying by him at a hundred miles per hour, and he had to take a breath to steady himself. "Please, whoever has her, if you're listening, it's not too late for you to do the right thing and let her come home to me. She deserves to see our wedding and our child deserves a future. And Misa, if for some reason you can hear me right now, I promise you I will never stop looking for you. I won't rest until you and our baby are safe at home. Thank you." He finished. He was shaking all over as he picked up the piece of paper on the podium, and turned away from the sea of faces in the crowd, glimpsing a few of them with tears coming down their faces at his speech.
He turned around, and his father put an arm around him to walk him swiftly away from the cameras and reporters shouting their questions as he began to sob, the tears streaming down his face. Chief Yagami escorted his son away from the cameras, and when they were completely away, held his son as he cried.