L

"Sorry for questioning all of you like that, but I'm afraid I had no other choice. I've determined Kira is not among us."

L watched as the officers all gave a collective sigh of relief. Sunlight was beginning to stretch in from the far windows. His interrogations of each of the officers had taken the rest of the night. While he spoke with each of them, he found himself casting glances across the room to see Jack pacing around. She had her headphones on and either didn't notice or ignored when one of the others in the room tried to get her attention.

Jack was not Kira nor was she working for him, that much L was certain about. He never thought she was in the first place, but she knew more than she was letting on. L would pry that information from her in time.

Now, Jack was rummaging in the fridge in the kitchen. He saw her pull out an apple and look it over before giving a small smirk. She glanced to her side at nothing in particular, tossing the apple up and down. Was she remembering the note Kira left?

L, did you know gods of death love apples?

L shook himself focusing back on the men before him. He'd deal with Jack later.

"Ryuzaki, how can you be so sure we're innocent?" Yagami asked.

"Well, to be honest, I set a number of traps for if any of you were Kira," L replied, leaning his cheek against a palm. "But after speaking with each of you, I don't feel the need."

There was a ringing and buzzing from his pocket. L blinked and reached down, pulling the blue cell phone out.

"Excuse me," he said, flipping it open and holding it to his ear.

"Ryuzaki, I've returned," Watari's voice said, not even waiting for a hello.

Jack was heading back into the sitting room. She still had the apple, though she hadn't taken a bite. Her smile was smug as she tossed it from hand to hand. L forced himself to focus on responding to Watari.

"Understood," he said. "I was just about finished here anyway. You have the key, so let yourself in." He lowered the phone and hung up, looking back at the officers. "Watari is on his way."

They all seemed surprised and somewhat eager. After all, Watari was another face they'd never actually seen before.

"So, not gonna lie," Jack said, slipping one ear free of a headphone. "I'm getting a bit tired. Can I call it here, Sherlock?"

"You do realize calling me Sherlock is almost as bad as calling me L?" L responded dryly.

Jack merely grinned, catching the apple in her palm and finally taking a bite. "'orry Ryu," she said through her mouthful.

"How attractive of you," L sighed. "I would prefer if you could wait for a few moments. Watari is back."

"Oh, did he bring my strawberry Kitkats?" Jack's face lit up.

Before L could respond, there was a click and L turned to see Watari's familiar figure step inside. His weathered face was calm as he came to a halt at L's side and took off his dark hat, pressing it to his chest.

"Gentlemen, it's a pleasure to meet all of you," he said. He noticed Jack for the first time. "Miss Forner, I brought your sweets." He reached into a pocket and produced a small wrapped bag.

"Awesome!" Jack said, stepping forward and taking it. "Thank you very much, Watari!" She used the polite wording in Japanese when thanking him.

"Why aren't you in your other outfit?" Matsuda asked.

"Wearing that all the time would announce to the world that I am Watari," the old man replied. "It would give away our position and Ryuzaki. Ordinarily, I would never show my face to any of you. The fact that I am here is proof that you have won Ryuzaki's trust."

"Well, now that you mention it, I do feel honored." Matsuda rubbed the back of his head, laughing nervously.

"I brought the items you requested," Watari said to L, leaning forward and holding out a small silver case.

"Could you please pass them out to everyone?" L asked.

Watari popped open the case, showing the contents to the officers. "Gentlemen, your new police IDs," he announced.

The men all perked brows at the badges within the case. Watari went around, giving the new badges to each of them. Yagami looked his over and spoke up first.

"Our names and ranks are false..." he noted.

"Why did you give us fake IDs?" Matsuda asked.

Jack let out a small grunt. "It's obvious, right? Kira needs a name and a face to kill."

L nodded, sipping his coffee. "It's in our best interest to protect your identities. When placed in a situation where you have to give out your name to a stranger, ensure to use these names. And refrain from using them in front of other officers, I'm sure you can understand how that could cause problems."

"But the police of all people shouldn't be using fake IDs," Ukita muttered.

"What choice do we have?" Yagami asked. "Think about our enemy's capabilities. It would be foolish not to use them, we need all the protection we can get."

"Now then..." Watari said, picking up a briefcase and placing it on the table behind L's chair. He popped it open to reveal it was full of ordinary looking belts. "I would like to request you wear these at all times."

"Uh... belts?" Matsuda raised a brow.

The officers all got to their feet and went look as Watari held one up.

"Each one has a transmitter within it showing Ryuzaki your whereabouts," he explained. "And if you press the button in the buckle twice like this..." He tapped the button twice and then a ringing sounded. He took out his cell phone from his pocket and flipped it open. "My phone will ring and display your name and I will call you back immediately. But you will not see my number displayed."

Watari began to hand them out.

"In the morning, you will each go to the police station as usual. Later on, we will use this method to confirm which hotel Ryuzaki is in to set up our next meeting," Watari said. "Please use them for emergencies as well."

"No way!" Matsuda exclaimed, voice giddy. "I feel like some kind of secret agent going after Kira! This is so cool!"

"Quiet, Matsuda!" Yagami barked. "Now is not the time to be fooling around. Knock it off!"

Matsuda hung his head. "Yes, sir," he mumbled.

"Ah, give him a break," Jack said. She was leaning against the wall, her foot tapping to a beat none of them could hear. "These are dark times. It's best to grasp onto some kind of positivity, else the void pulls you under." She grinned.

"No offense, Nina," Yagami said, though L wasn't sure if he fully meant those words, "but you are not in law enforcement. There is a certain level of professionalism we need to keep."

"Perhaps you should think about trying to be serious sometime," Aizawa suggested, his voice bitter.

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull girl." Jack winked at him as the officers went and sat back down around the coffee table.

"Here, Miss Forner." Watari went to her and held out what appeared to be a watch with a red band. "You don't wear belts as much as the officers, I'm sure. We had this made for you instead. The watch face depresses as the button, it works the same as the others. And it also tells time."

"As most watches do," Jack murmured as she took it. "Why do I need one?"

"In case you leave, I'd like to know where you are," L explained. "It's for your own safety."

"My safety. Uh-huh." Jack didn't look convinced, but she sighed and nodded. "If it'll make you feel better, I'll keep it on."

It seemed she was aware that L wasn't going to just let her walk away, but she was accepting of it. Perhaps not comfortable with it, but she saw it as a necessary inconvenience right now. She was ready to make sacrifices for this case, just as L was. The officers were too. They were all putting a lot of trust into him.

"Mm, come to think of it," L said as he turned to the officers. "Who's at the police station right now?"

"Actually no one," Yagami said, his brow furrowing.

"That's not good news," L murmured. "We need at least one of you there at all times, work in shifts if you have to."

"Understood," Yagami said with a curt nod. "Aizawa, I'll leave that to you for today."

Aizawa stood. "Yes, sir," he said. "I'm on my way, it won't take me long."

He cast Jack one last glare before turning and heading out of the room. She didn't seem fazed by it. She went and perched on the arm rest of L's chair again, even though Aizawa's seat was now empty.

"It would be best if we gather some TVs," L said. "I saw that one of the agents died on the subway platform. It would be ideal if we had some footage of it to observe for any oddities."

"We can gather that," Yagami assured. "Would you like us to get anything else for our next meeting?"

"Sake Kitkats," Jack said.

Yagami looked at her, blinking. "Sake...?"

"Kitkats." Jack nodded. "Japan has all these crazy flavors and that's the kind I want to try next."

"You can't be serious," Ukita grunted. "We're not errand boys. We have serious business to conduct with this investigation!"

"You could just say no, jeez." Jack fiddled with her new watch. "No need to get rude."

L let a long exhale slip from him. Jack wasn't going to make this easy, he could tell, but her skills were valuable. If he could pinpoint a suspect and get her to look at their computer... it could provide them evidence to prove they are Kira. He just needed one piece... one little mistake Kira made to catch him.

The officers left, bidding L and Jack farewell. Once they were gone, and it was just L, Watari, and Jack, the girl plopped down on the couch.

"So, anything else before I crash?" she asked in her native language of English.

"I don't believe so," L said. "With luck, we will have footage from the FBI agent's death tomorrow that we can review. Perhaps you can be a bit less abrasive to the officers then?"

"Only if they decide to stop being asses. More specifically that Aizawa guy," Jack retorted.

"They are scared," L said. "It is only natural of them to be apprehensive of someone new."

"You told them we worked together before and they still don't trust me." Jack gathered up her empty tea cup and her apple core, heading for the kitchen. "Respect needs to be earned—I get that—but shit, he doesn't need to be such an ass hat."

"This is a delicate case, Jack," L told her. "We need to work together to achieve victory. One wrong move and we could both end up dead."

"Believe me, no one gets that more than I do," Jack muttered.

L got to his feet, his motion smooth and fluid. He headed toward the kitchen, eyeing her. "And why exactly is that?"

She hesitated, eyes darting to the far wall and it didn't appear like she was staring at the floral wallpaper. They were fixated on something—something taller than her and close. It was like when a cat would suddenly stare off into the distance, giving the impression they just spotted a mouse when there was none there. Only judging by the look on Jack's face, she was the one who felt like the mouse.

"I saw someone die of a heart attack that I was close to," Jack said abruptly. She focused her gaze back on L. "Listen... You know me. At least enough of me to know that I'm invested in this. I want Kira caught, I want him brought to justice. I'm going to do everything I can to help you. I know if anyone can catch this asshole, it's you, L."

He wondered who she saw die—who it was Kira killed that made her so determined. Was she attached to a criminal? L figured asking about it would get him nowhere; Jack was someone that he was going to have to take his time with. If he got her to trust him, then she would divulge exactly what it was she was hiding. Until then, he'd keep her where he could see her, and ask his questions carefully.

"If you're so confident in my abilities, why offer yourself as a gift?" L asked.

"Like I said, this was way too tasty of a challenge for me to pass up. And besides, while you'll be the one to catch the bastard, every hero needs a sidekick." Jack beamed, though the smile seemed too tight to be natural. "A Watson to your Sherlock."

"You have to stop calling me that."

"I suppose I can refrain while we're in public."

L bit his tongue for a moment. He elected to just shake his head and wave her off. "We'll be moving hotels when you wake," he said. "Try not to sleep in too much."

"No promises," Jack sang as she went around him and headed for her bedroom. "You're the one who kept me up past my bedtime."

"I seem to recall getting IMs from you all hours of the night," L called after her.

"Yes, well, I was on a different schedule then," Jack said over her shoulder before closing her bedroom door.

L went to his own room and packed up some of his things to be ready in the morning. It was always tricky getting all the precious files and computers moved from hotel to hotel. L was irritated that he'd been reduced to this—that he'd gotten so involved with a case that it forced him to put his own life on the line.

But he'd meant what he said to the officers and Jack.

He would win the war.

Jack

It was the sound of someone knocking on my door that woke me. I sat up slowly, my eyes still foggy from sleep.

"Jack," L's muffled voice called from the door. "Are you awake yet? I'm going to come in, so I hope you're decent."

"I'm up!" I answered. It took almost all of my energy to call out that loudly. My voice sounded almost like Nox's, it was so raspy.

The door opened anyway.

L stood there, one hand in his pocket, the other on the door knob. He was in a long-sleeve white shirt and jeans again. Did he own any other type of clothing?

"I've been knocking for nearly a full minute," L said.

I glared at him. "Weren't you taught that it is ill manners to enter a lady's room unbidden?"

"Like I said, I knocked." He strode inside, glancing around. "Do you need help packing? I want to leave in fifteen minutes."

"Fifteen minutes?" I groaned, flopping myself back into the bed and pulling the sheets up over my head.

I heard L's footsteps approach then a tug at the sheets.

"Jack."

I held tightly to the covers. "What time is it anyway? Why do we have to leave so early?"

"I let you sleep as long as I could," L said. "Check out is at 11:00 AM, which is in thirty minutes."

10:30. I had gotten... what, three hours of sleep?

"Alright, fine," I murmured, letting L pull aside the covers.

He stood over me, still slouched, but at this angle he appeared decently tall.

"Why are you so lethargic?" he asked.

"Because I got next to no sleep, thanks to our little get together," I grumbled. "You're going to have to get out and let me change."

L nodded and turned, padding out of the room. "Do hurry," he called over his shoulder before shutting the door.

Nox was chuckling. "He doesn't really understand boundaries."

"Much like someone else I know," I whispered toward the Shinigami before slipping out of bed and preparing for the day.

Since I didn't have much time to get ready, I elected to run a comb through my hair once and slap a beanie on my head. I swiftly changed into a long-sleeve purple shirt that boldly declared: "I'd rather be NAPPING" with a snoozing kitten drawn below the lettering, and some jeans. After swapping my iPods, I packed up the rest of my things and headed out my room.

L was about ready to leave. His ridiculous amount of files and his computers had been taken away. I already found myself wondering if I would manage to get a look into his hard drives, if only for curiosity's sake.

"Jack." L approached me as I put my bigger suitcase upright on its wheels.

"S'up?" I tilted my head to the side.

The detective was looking me over. "Listen. I think it would be best that we come up with a cover story for why we are together when out in public, for when we move between hotels," he said.

"Isn't Watari literally the only person we deal with?" I asked.

"If I had Watari do everything for me, it would raise suspicion," L explained. "I still do, on occasion, have to speak with hotel receptionists and room service. So, since you are so obviously a foreigner, I suggest that you do not let on how fluent you are in Japanese while in public. It may work to our advantage in the future."

"Okay, so be the bumbling tourist," I said. "Should I act like a rude American and complain about how there isn't enough things in English? Take up too much space on the trains?"

"I don't think that's necessary. Unless you are a rude American."

I waggled a finger at him. "Now now, we've been over this, if you want my origin chapter, you have to work for it."

L turned away from me and went on with the previous conversation as if nothing had happened. "I believe that the best thing for us to do to explain why we are so constantly in each other's company is to pretend that we are dating."

"Aw, I'm flattered," I said with a laugh. "But what's the real cover story, Sherlock?"

"That is the real cover story. Well, honeymooning would be ideal, but I think that might be a touch strong," L said. "Besides, proposing to you could make for a good distraction if needed..."

"You're serious." I leaned forward, examining his face. "Dating?"

"Does it offend you?" L asked, meeting my gaze with lidded eyes.

"No," I said honestly. "I just..."

I could act—that was easy—but I typically acted alone. Acting with someone- especially in this manner... well... that was different. That was complicated.

Nox was chuckling behind me. "This just keeps getting better and better," he said.

The bastard just loved to see me squirm, that much I knew.

"You seem fine with lying about who you are," L pointed out.

"As do you," I countered.

"Which is why I'm suggesting this," L said.

I bit my lip and looked the detective over. It wasn't that L wasn't attractive. Yes, he was pale and had poor posture- plus he was in serious need of a cat nap based on the circles under his eyes. But he had this soft face and pretty great hair if I was being honest. And there was something to be admired with his intelligence and determination. To be honest, after our last case, I couldn't deny we had a connection. He was truthfully trusting me with his life.

But I hadn't dated anyone in five years. Even if this was a show, I wasn't sure I knew how to act it out convincingly. It required touching. And cuddling. Ugh, cuddling.

"Why can't we just be step siblings or something?" I suggested with a weak shrug.

"That stay in the same hotel room? Seems odd, don't you think?" L tilted his head toward me.

"Work partners?"

"That's what we already are."

I exhaled through my nose. I supposed it wasn't like we were actually dating. It was part of the act to throw off Kira, to throw off anyone. And L had a point, it was the only thing that made the most sense.

"Yeah, alright fine," I sighed. "Where did we meet?"

"A year ago when you came down for your brother's wedding," L said. "I was a one of the groomsmen. Your brother and I became close friends when he first moved here, which was two years prior to his wedding. You and I hit it off well, and began meeting as friends, but then it turned into something more, much to your brother's dismay. He still isn't completely comfortable with it."

"We dated here in Japan?" I asked, perking a brow. "How am I still so new to the language if it's been almost a year?"

L shook his head. "When you and your mother went back home to Canada, I ended up going down there for school. A lie, of course, to see you again. Just something to keep your brother from biting my head off. That's where we started dating. This is only your second time in Japan. I'm showing you around."

"How romantic." I rolled my eyes. "And what are you going to school for?"

"Statistics."

"Seriously?"

"It's vague and the majority of people find it too dull to prod about."

"And if they do prod?"

"More specifically? Data mining."

I snorted. "I suppose you are looking for an anomaly in all the people in the Kanto region. It's a little like data mining."

"Another thing," L said. "Do not let on how skilled you are with technology. It would be better for us if Kira wasn't aware."

"Naturally," I said. "Okay... so names then. I think my brother will be Yohan, and my mother can be Rose."

"Yohan?" L echoed.

I nodded innocently.

L studied my face. "The names are from an anime, aren't they?"

"What?" I scoffed in feigned insult. "No! Okay, Nina and Yohan are. Monster is a classic, totally underrated."

"Jack, you need to think of something more original than that," L sighed.

"Fine. My brother can be Harry." I shrugged.

"Harry?" L raised his brows at me.

"Potter." I gave him my best shit-eating grin.

L pinched the bridge of his nose. "Your brother's name is Alex Forner, your mother is Rose Forner. No more getting aliases from fictional stories."

I rolled my eyes. "You're so mean to me. You should show more respect to your sweetheart, Ryu." I winked and extended my hand to him. "Shall we?"

Oddly, he seemed to hesitate. But then he gripped it, twining his fingers with mine. His skin was soft and warm. We headed to the door.

"Should we use pet names?" L suggested.

"Let's not push it," I said.

Walking with L's hand in mine was a bit odd. For one, we were both rather awkward. There were several moments when there would be people walking down the hall, forcing us to either release hands and clasp them again once they passed, or for us to attempt to go single file for a moment. There were times when L wanted to go one way and me another.

We didn't look like a romantic couple; we looked like a train wreck.

"Perhaps we should practice," L muttered once we were alone on the elevator.

"No shit, Sherlock," I said before I could stop myself.

If looks could kill. L's glare was fast and seeped with disapproval. It alone sent me into a git of giggles. I was barely containing myself when the elevator opened to the lobby and L had to drag me out by our linked hands.

Watari was waiting for us. The vehicle was the same sleek and black one the old man had come to collect me in a few days ago. L released my hand to open the door to the back seat to allow me in first. I grinned at him.

"Oh, why thank you, kind sir," I said, batting my eyes at him.

"Don't oversell it," he muttered as I got in.

Once we were all in the car, Watari began driving us through the haphazard traffic of Tokyo. I tried not to lose my cool. I was always a nervous passenger in cars, and I'd been spoiled with the train stations as my main mode of transportation.

The next hotel we arrived at was significantly larger than the last, towering overhead at least twenty stories. I bit my lip as I stared up at the building. Watari called some bell boys to help take our things up to the room we were going to be staying in. L wanted to walk up with them, making sure they didn't peek into any of our luggage.

Nox loomed over my shoulder, leaning down to murmur in my ear.

"You do realize you need to keep an eye on your Death Note, right?" he asked me. "I won't let you just carelessly leave it out for him to touch."

Currently, my Death Note was in my satchel at my hip. I kept it in there at all times, and the satchel was always with me. But I knew if I ever lost it, all my memories pertaining to the Death Note itself would vanish. I had to be careful. I shot Nox a look that I hope told him I wasn't a moron.

The Shinigami merely chuckled. "Admittedly, I like you, Jack," he said. "I hate that I like you. So please don't do something stupid and make me kill you."

He liked me, huh? He'd said that before. Well, that was nice. If he liked me so much, couldn't he use his own Shinigami Eyes to help me find Kira? But I would drill him about that later.

At an incredibly sluggish pace, we made our way up to the room with the luggage cart and bell boys' help. We were up on the nineteenth floor, second from the top. Delightful. L didn't let the bell boys into the room once we got there. Watari tipped them for their service, I thanked them in Japanese, purposefully mispronouncing the words slightly. They still smiled at me, appreciating my effort.

That was the thing about Japan. I hadn't come across a single rude person since I'd arrived, save the tourists. All the locals were pleasant as can be, and were thrilled when I spoke to them in fluent Japanese. It was a wonderful culture. Too bad Kira was screwing things up.

Once in the room, I hung up my jacket and took to my own bedroom, assuring L I'd only be a moment. He merely waved me off, not even bothering to look at me as he set to arranging the files he was unpacking.

I closed the door behind me and was pleased at the expansive space before me. My room was even bigger in this suite than the one before, and I still had my own bathroom. I put my suitcase on the bed to unpack it in a moment and took to the bathroom, not trusting L to just not waltz in. Once again, I had a sink-in tub with jets, but this time I also had a walk-in shower.

Awesome.

I went and sat on the toilet, not bothering to put up the seat or lower my pants as I didn't actually have to go. I glanced at Nox as he morphed through the bathroom door I had closed and locked.

"I want to clarify some of the rules," I said.

Nox perked a snowy-white brow at me. "Rules?"

"Of the Death Note," I said. "If I do lose it, how exactly does the memory thing work? Will I just had huge blank spots? Because the main reason I took to this case was because I knew what was causing it. So would I just forget why I'm here?"

"It's more complicated than that," Nox said. "Take Victor. He's sitting in a cell somewhere knowing that he's in there for fraud, and understands that, but he doesn't get the murder part. He only remembers those he killed before he got the notebook. The others he has no recollection of killing them or attempting to kill anyone else." He winked at me. "You would remember that you contacted L, that you came here because you were certain you could help solve this case. You just wouldn't remember exactly where that confidence came from. You wouldn't remember me. You wouldn't remember our conversations."

"I wouldn't remember the existence or the rules of the Death Note," I murmured. "Rendering me basically useless in this case."

"Useless? I doubt that," Nox said. "You have your computer skills, and L knows that."

"Sure, but I wouldn't know what to look for," I said. "At least not as much as I do now. What do you suggest? About the Death Note? Has anyone ever hid it in clever ways you'd like to disclose?"

Nox laughed. "The only thing I have to do is give you a straight answer about the rules of the Death Note if you ask," the Shinigami said. "I have no obligation to help you with this, Jack."

Ass hat and a half, he was. My teeth grit. "All I can hope is that the Shinigami with Kira is just as useless as you are."

"Ouch," Nox scoffed. "Now, now, I've been plenty helpful. I didn't have to show up the moment I gave you the Death Note. If I hadn't, you might have used it."

"I don't kill people, Nox."

"Well, you might have to if you want to win this war," Nox informed me with his ear-to-ear smile.

I got up and flushed the toilet, figuring I already spent too much time in here as it was. I would drill Nox for more information tonight. I went and washed my hands, despite not having actually used the facilities, but I wanted to make sure the sound effects were there in case L was listening.

Afterward, I took to my room and unpacked some things. I plugged my night iPod back in, and tucked my meds under my bed pillow only after glancing at the bottles for a heartbeat. I then went to my satchel and took out my Death Note. It bore a red cover and scrawled white lettering declared exactly what it was on the front. Ordinarily, I could pass it off as some edgy journal I wrote in, despite all its pages being blank. But anyone who touched it would be able to see and hear Nox, and that was a slight issue.

I wondered where a safe place could possibly be for it; somewhere where no one would bother to rummage around in.

An idea came to me and I went to my suitcase. I opened it up and found a box of menstrual cycle pads inside. It was one of the large boxes that was meant to last for two months' worth of periods. The notebook was thin, and it slid in behind the pads that were packed inside. No one, not even L, would think to go rifling through this box. I had the advantage of being a woman in this case. So many guys found periods to be too gross to talk or even think about. I had to hope L was the same way.

I then placed the box under the sink in the bathroom. Luckily, it wasn't my time of the month, so I wouldn't be going through those pads anytime soon. It was a temporary hiding spot, of course. I was sure I'd think of something better later.

Nox seemed impressed with me. "It'll do for now," he said with an approving nod.

Once that was done, I left my room to see L had already finished unpacked his files and was now sitting at the coffee table in the living room, looking at his laptop.

"Does this place have a gym?" I asked.

"Yes," L replied. "But you can't use it. We need to stay in the room as much as possible to avoid being seen."

I sighed as I approached him. "Come on, no one would know who I am, everyone thinks Jack's a boy anyway, and it's not public knowledge that I'm on the task force to begin with."

"All the same, it's safer if you refrain." L seemed unconcerned by my argument and kept looking over things on his laptop.

"Guess I'll just run in laps around the room then," I sighed.

"It seems the officers found footage of the FBI agent that died in the subway," L said suddenly.

"Neato," I said. "Can we watch it over breakfast?"

L's face appeared over the laptop screen, eyes locking onto mine with his brows raising.

"Okay, fine, lunch, sorry," I said with a shrug. "You're the one who threw off my schedule."

"Are you always such a heavy sleeper?" L asked.

"For the record, I've never worked with someone in person," I informed him. "So honestly, I wouldn't know."

That was a lie, but L didn't need to know about that. It didn't pertain to the case.

L held my gaze for a moment longer before returning his attention back to the laptop screen. "The officers will be bringing the footage with them. It's all on tape."

"Tape?" I went around the table and plopped down on the couch next to him. To his credit, despite his odd, perching posture, he kept his balance. "Like VHS? Old school, huh?"

"They have not yet moved on to disc, so yes, tapes." L closed his laptop and glanced over at me. "You're hungry?"

I looked from the closed laptop back to the detective. "Suspicious of me?" I queried.

"I know better than to let you poke around my technology."

"We're on the same side, in case you forgot."

"You're curious nature is a little too overbearing for me."

"I already know more than enough."

L narrowed his eyes slightly. "Is that supposed to comfort me?"

I shrugged. "So, when will they be over?"

"We have several different deliveries for TVs first." L got to his feet and headed across the room to a phone that was on the wall. "All throughout the day, naturally. Several smaller deliveries to the hotel look less suspicious. Kira has no reason to believe that we are in here yet, let's not give him cause." He picked up the phone but kept a finger on the hook, looking back at me. "What would you like for your breakfast?" There was the smallest hint of a smirk at the corner of his mouth.

"Are you teasing me?" My brows shot up.

"I haven't the foggiest clue what you're on about," L replied coolly. "Would you prefer western food?"

I laughed a bit and shrugged. "Hey, I'm in Japan. Might as well eat some local food."

"Sushi?"

"Uh, preferably nothing in the raw meat department. Teriyaki chicken?"

"Doable."

After L ordered our food, he came back and sat next to me. I was tempted to poke his back to test his balance again. It really was odd how he sat like that.

"I have a request," L said abruptly.

I blinked, frowning over at him. "Is that so?"

"I feel it is only fair, especially considering this situation, that I know more about you, since you know some things about me," L said. "I understand you do not want to give that information freely, since that is your idea of a game, or competition between us. So my proposal is that we play a game. If I win the game, you must tell me one truth about you. It doesn't matter what it is, I don't care if it is your birthplace or your favorite color. We will play this game once each evening."

"And if I win?" I raised a brow at him.

"What would you like?" L asked.

I weighed the possibilities. Yes, I did know some things about L. But not too much, not as much as I'd liked. I didn't know his favorite movie. Or if he even watched movies. If he liked pineapple on his pizza. I suppose to some, these would seem like useless pieces of information. But somehow, when I walked in and saw L for the first time, the fact that I was surprised annoyed me. Shouldn't I have deduced more about this man than I had? Wouldn't I have gotten a clue about his obsession with sweets and sitting like some odd bird?

I had managed to dig up the deepest, most hidden thing about L, and yet I knew nothing about him. It bothered me to no end, like an itch that was beneath my skin so scratching it was going to be next to impossible. I had found that knowledge is power doing what I do. Even the smallest detail about someone could prove to be an invaluable weapon. Or even a defense. I wasn't L's enemy. But if I knew more about how he worked, how he functioned, I might be able to better defend him against Kira.

"The same thing," I finally answered the detective. "One truth. No matter how big or how small."

L considered me. I could tell he was not comfortable with the idea. But it seemed that he was desperate for more information about me. He nodded.

"Very well," he said.

"Hang on," I said, holding up a hand. "I want to know what the game is before I completely agree to this."

L shrugged. "Two lies, one truth."

I stared at him. "Seriously?"

He held my gaze, unwavering.

I sighed. "First off, isn't it two truths and a lie?"

"I figured you would prefer it to be two lies and one truth so you reveal less at a time."

"That's hardly fair. In the game itself, I'm letting out a truth about me!" I said.

"Correct. And if I guess which thing is the truth, you must reward me with another truth." L gripped his knees and examined his own fingers as the worried the creases of the fabric.

I rolled my eyes. "You truly think I'd play this with you?" I asked incredulously.

"Of course," L said. "Because if I can't guess correctly, I will have to tell you a truth."

"But you get two if you win!" I argued.

"You already know something quite important about me, Jack." L's eyes darted over to mine again. He arrested me with a gaze so intense it made me want to run to the other side of the room. "If you care to share with me a similar fact about yourself, then I will concede to only taking one truth at a time if I win."

I let out a long breath, leaning back in the couch. He was clever, that was for certain. He knew that I loved challenges, that I wanted to know more about him as much as he did me. We were both intensely curious people. But also secretive. Neither of us wanted anyone too close. Since we were each so defensive of our personal selves, it made it that much greater of a challenge to pry out the truth.

Damn it.

"How do you know I won't just tell you three lies?" I asked L, tilting my head.

L shrugged. "I doubt you would cheat. There's no glory in winning if you do."

For someone who didn't know me, he kind of knew me. Nox was laughing over by the kitchen. I shot the Shinigami a glare before I realized what I was doing. L perked a brow at my action, but before he could speak, there was a knock at the door.

"Ah," L said, getting to his feet. His movements were smooth and elegant, almost like a panther or some other big cat. "The food is here."

He padded over to the door and opened the door. I heard him greet someone in Japanese.

"My thanks. Mm, no, please I would prefer you to wait here. My girlfriend isn't exactly presentable at the moment. I will bring the cart back to you in a moment."

"Of course, sir," the bell boy's voice replied.

L wheeled in a cart with several plates of food on it. He closed the door and rolled it over to the table I was at.

"I'm not presentable?" I asked him with raised brows. "What exactly are you implying, detective?"

"Appearances, Jack," L murmured as he started putting the plates on the table. "We are a couple, remember?"

"Do you want me to make some noise to really sell it?" I asked with a sly smirk.

L met my eyes, pausing as he was setting a plate of small cakes down. "That would be... ill advised."

I laughed, but honestly, I was disappointed I didn't at least get a blush out of him. I must be losing my touch. Or L was just a tough customer. Probably the latter.

Once all the plates were on the table, L returned the cart to the bell boy, tipped him, and shut the door. I admired our meal as the detective came back to sit by me. It consisted of my chicken teriyaki, which both smelled and looked delectable. There was a bowl of white steamed rice on the side. L had gotten a small bowl of ramen, along with some rice of his own. But what I was assuming was his main food intake this afternoon was a huge supply of sweets.

There were the cakes, of course. Five small things of varying flavors and shapes, each large enough to serve one person. Then there was the small ice cream sundae, which is what L was already digging into. Next was a platter of chocolates. They were all rectangular and seemed to be containing some kind of red cream filling. The chocolate seemed somewhat powdered on the top. The last plate was empty save one pack of sake Kitkats.

"Is that for me?" I asked, pointing at it.

"Mm." L swallowed his mouthful of ice cream and nodded. "You were mentioning it before. There you have it. It's decent. I personally prefer the white chocolate flavor."

"Thanks, L," I said, reaching over and snatching it up. "I'll have it for dessert."

We ate in relative silence. It seems L had forgotten about my answer to his game proposal. I'd let that be until he brought it up again. At one point, Watari returned with one of the shipments of TVs. He set the two of them on the far side of the living room.

"We can rearrange the furniture after we finish eating," L said. He had finished his ramen and most of his rice, but he'd also dug through three cakes and some of the chocolates. How was this guy so skinny? "Make it more comfortable for all of us to be able to view the screens."

"I'm guessing each of us will be watching different times to find the guy?" I said before popping another bit of chicken into my mouth.

L nodded. "More eyes will make it to where we can find what we need faster," he explained.

Once we finished our food, I took out my Kitkats and broke one of the bars off and took a bite.

"Mm!" I wriggled with delight. "It's delicious!"

"I'm glad you like it," L said. He was finishing up his last cake. "You can have some of the chocolates too. They are raspberry filled."

I did indeed partake in some of the chocolates. They melted in my mouth. It was more like fudge than regular chocolates, not that I was complaining.

As I licked my fingers from the chocolate powder, L spoke up again.

"So, what is your answer? Will you play my game?" he asked.

I groaned and looked up at the ceiling. Not sure why. Maybe I was hoping to see some sort of divine sign to help me out of this mess. But instead all I heard was Nox laughing again. I made sure to ignore him this time.

"Fine," I said. "But once every week. Not once a day."

"Agreed," L said. "We can start now. Tell me two lies and one truth. If I guess the truth, you must confirm it and give me another truth. The truths can be anything, anything at all, so long as they retain to yourself and are factual."

"You want to start now?" I asked.

L nodded curtly. "Of course. Before the officers get here. We will be busy after that."

"All right, fine," I mumbled. "Just let me think for a moment."

Two lies, one truth. The key was to make them similar, I knew that. It would throw L off track. But I didn't want to give him a significant truth to start with, no matter if he could point it out or not. Placement of the truth was important too. I couldn't do it the same each time, nor could I do it in a pattern. I had to make it as random as possible.

"Give me three bits of paper," I said suddenly.

L blinked. "What for?"

"Do you want me to play this game or not?" I demanded.

L stared at me for a moment longer before he let out a small breath and got to his feet. He went into the other room for a moment.

"This is interesting," Nox said, approaching me and sitting in the chair to my right. "Are you really going to tell him a truth? Just remember what you should and shouldn't talk about openly, Jack."

"I know," I retorted, my voice but a soft hiss through my teeth.

After a few more heartbeats, L came back into the room. "What was that?" he asked me.

"Hm?" I felt my gut flip. I didn't mean to respond to Nox so recklessly.

"I thought you'd said something," L said.

"Nope, wasn't me," I assured him. "Do you have the paper?"

L shrugged and handed me some sticky notes. "Will these do?"

"Yes." I took the sticky notes and peeled three off. "I need something to write with."

"I figured," L said. He reached into his pocket and produced a pen. "Here."

"Thanks," I said, setting to work.

I wrote my two lies and one truth on the notes, one on each. Then, I shuffled them up to the point where even I had no idea which was which. This made the order they were presented in completely random. I also made sure to do it behind my back so L couldn't watch. I handed him the papers and nodded, indicating he could read them.

L looked at the notes, reading aloud.

"I first saw the ocean when I was fifteen years old." He went to the next note. "I first went to another country when I was fifteen years old." He went on to the last one. "I first broke a bone when I was fifteen."

He laid out the papers before him. I leaned back in my seat, not wanting to give anything away. His eyes darted between each note, his hands folding in front of him. He pressed his knuckles to his lips.

"You first went to another country for the first time when you were fifteen years old," L said at last, looking over at me.

I slowly smirked at him. His eyes darted away, his face falling into something of tight disappointment. He already knew by my reaction that he was wrong.

"Sorry, Sherlock," I said. "Now give me a truth about yourself."

L sighed and glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "Very well. We did have a deal. Here's my truth."

I leaned closer to him, waiting with bated breath.

"I've never read all of Sir Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes books." L reached over and grabbed the pot of coffee he had brought up with the food and poured himself a glass like nothing had happened.

"Are you kidding?" I groaned. "They're a masterpiece! How can you just be a world famous detective and not read- ugh. Whatever, that wasn't even a decent truth anyway!"

L snorted softly. "I said I'd give you a truth, not a impressive one."

"Well, I'll have you know, all the Sherlock books are delightful. You at least got to the ghost hound one, right?"

"That's where your quote came from. Of course I got that far."

I laughed and shook my head. "I feel like someone like you should have read every book that exists."

"That would be impossible."

"Sure, but still. You seem like you can do the impossible, L."

"I suppose I should be flattered by that." L sipped his coffee and made a face. He then started adding spoonfuls of sugar to it. He didn't stop until he got to eight scoops. "So, you had seen other countries before you were fifteen?"

Shit. I didn't think about the fact that by telling L lies, he would still get truths out of me. I had to be more delicate about what I lied about. But all the same, I shrugged and nodded. So he knew one detail about me. It wasn't like I was going to give him details about that detail.

"Which country?"

"Come now, L, that's cheating, you lost the game," I told him.

L looked down at his coffee. "It's not like you're telling me what country you're from."

"It's telling you what country I'm not from," I pointed out. "Nice try."

He tilted his head in a small gesture that seemed to say that he should get an A for effort.

We cleaned up our plates then set to rearranging the room. L pushed the table up to the far wall, and we set all the seats up to be facing it. We then set up the TVs we had. Each of them had built-in VCR players. Old school. While we were still doing that, our last shipment of TVs arrived. Watari came in with them on a dolly. The elderly man helped us set the last of them up. In total we have five, not including the flat-screen that the hotel room came with.

"How many tapes are we expecting?" I asked, not too keen on the answer.

L glanced my way. "Lots."

"Oh good."

L gave a small smirk. It was barely a twitch of his mouth, but I caught it. I was slightly pleased that I had amused him.