"Mom! Dad!" Light ran up and hugged his parents tightly. He shifted a glance around, to see Sayu hiding behind their parents, "Sayu!" He snapped her up into a tight hug causing her so gasp for air.
The campus carried laughter throughout it, all the parents had come to see this kids for their winter break. "Awfully nice of the school to pay the way of the parents to come see their kids." Nate commented. His cool façade faded quickly when his sister walked into the dining hall holding a map with her ear buds in. Her hair was a brilliant white like his, her eyes almost a soft violet. "Lorita?!"
She looked up and gave a grand smile and popped one of her ear buds out. "Nate!" She ran over to him and pulled him into a tight hug, "Oh! I missed you!"
L and Matt chuckled to each other when Mello dove into the group known as his family. Matt's face straightened quickly when he saw his father wander into the dining hall. He stood up straight and stood in front of his dad. His dad smiled brightly and pulled him into a hug with tears, "I missed you, Mail." Matt blinked a couple of times and hugged his dad back. "I'm so proud of you."
L gave a tiny smile to all the families, he searched the crowd but noticed their usual group was a member short. He looked outside to see Beyond sitting on a snow covered bench smoking a cigarette. Silently he sighed and went and sat next to him, "Why are you out here?"
Beyond stared at the sparkling snow, never taking his eyes off a single spot, "No one is coming for me." L looked down to his hands and shivered. His eyes widened when he felt Beyond's coat on his shoulders, "Shouldn't come outside without a coat. What about you?"
L pulled his finger from his lower lip, "I live here in England, I have a car coming for me." Beyond silently nodded. "We get to leave campus, you should be excited about that, right?" Beyond remained silent. "What's really wrong? You're never stoic, you're the second most emotional of all of us." Beyond unfolded a piece of paper and handed it to L. L sped over the words and his eyes widened. "I'm sorry."
Beyond flicked his cigarette and lit another. "That's life. Especially, the life of the street." L pulled Beyond's coat around him tighter as the wind blew.
The door cracked open and Light came out with his mom, "She, uh… She wanted to meet all my friends."
Sachiko's eyes fell directly onto Beyond, she walked up to him and took his cigarette and tossed it into the snow, then pulled him into a tight hug rubbing his back. L glanced and Light who shrugged. Beyond held still in shock. "I know that face. You lost someone close." Beyond clenched his jaw and tried his best not to cry.
L stood up and nodded his head towards inside, "Introduce me to the rest of your family." Light nodded and L handed Beyond his coat back with a forced smile.
Sayu bounced around happily, "So this is what an all male school is like?" Light chuckled and L brought his thumb up to his mouth and smiled. "Where's mom? Did she get lost again?"
Soichiro smiled at her through the window, "She needs a minute, dear."
Nate and his sister sat near Light and L, "This is my sister, Lorita." She gave a bright smile and waved.
"So, I guess he wasn't fabricating an illusion of having friends." She chuckled. L and Light shared a stare before laughing. "Thanks, for being his friend. He isn't always the easiest to get along with."
Sachiko sat next to Beyond, "Do you want someone to talk to?"
"She was my mother." Beyond stated emotionlessly.
She gave him a concerned stare and put an arm around him, "Tell you what. You can call me mom, how about that? Hmm? All of Sayu's friends call me mom. I don't want you to close up from the world, Light talks a lot about you, he looks up to you, he'll never tell you that, but, I can tell. I feel like I already know all of you through his letters. Like you're all my boys."
Beyond shifted his glance to her. "Really?"
She smiled softly, "I'm proud of every single one of you when Light writes to us about everything you guys are doing."
Beyond looked down, "Why?"
"When I was a little girl, I lost both of my parents, I was send to a boarding school, and another girls mom offered me the same kindness… If it wasn't for her, I don't think I'd be the same person you see before you." She pulled Beyond's face up to so she could look at him. "It's only an offer, but you're a bright young man, who deserves to be loved." Beyond blinked a couple of times before hugging her tightly. "I'd love to start getting letters from all of you." She patted Beyond's back softly. "Everyone deserves a mom." She smiled and stood up picking Beyond up with her, "Let's join the others, shall we?" He nodded and followed her inside.
The group greeted them warmly, "Ah, there's the rest of the family!" Lorita shouted. Causing everyone to chuckle.
Beyond smiled and walked up to the serving line that had an assortment of warm drinks and festive snacks.
"What's the matter, Birthday? No one cares enough about you to come visit you?"
Beyond turned around to see their usual harasser, Paul Shoemaker. The boy that has been giving them trouble since day one, the Dean's son. His eyes fell on Mrs. Yagami catty corner behind him, though short in stature, she made up for in a series of death glares. "You listen here, young man." He turned around to see Sachiko staring at him angrily shaking her finger at him. "I came to see him. I love all my boys, and if you think for one second, I'll let you bully them while I'm here, you have another thing coming, mister! Do you know what the world does to people like you?! Well? Do you? I think not, it chews you up and spits you out. Because, the world is the biggest bully of them all, young man. I'll be having a talk with your father of your behavior!" She placed a gentle hand on Beyond's shoulder and walked with him back to the table carrying some drinks.
Lorita cheered, "Way to go, mom!" The group chuckled.
Watari walked into the room and gently moved Paul with a firm hand, "Excuse me, Sire, you're very much in my way." He approached the group with a warm smile, "Sorry I'm late. It seems we'll be snowed in by the end of the hour. I've prepared enough cars to safely escort all of us to my house, a dinner party then?"
They all stood up and followed Watari out the front doors where a line of 1937 Cadillac limousines waited. As everyone entered the cars, Sayu waited for her parents to be preoccupied by entering the vehicles, she took the time to stick her tongue out at Paul and give him the middle finger.
