Beyond stared at the floor silently as L sat next to him in a chair, haunched over, hugging his knees, also staring at the floor. L cleared his throat and opened his mouth before being cut off by the former boy. "Don't. It's weird enough." L awkwardly scratched his right cheek with his index finger and nodded wordlessly, returning his gaze back to the floor.

The secretary answered her phone and nodded silently before responding quietly in a hushed tone. Her green eyes drifted towards the boys in front of the Dean's office. "They're ready for you, boys."

Both ravens stood almost in sync and awkwardly walked into the office. Beyond took a shuddered breath as Quillish, Ms. Grant and the Dean all looked at the two boys. Beyond took a sharp inhale in through his nose as he felt a warm pressure on his hand. Glancing his scarlet eyes towards the pressure, he'd noticed L had silently grabbed his hand, but never looked at him. The Dean cleared his throat and began talking. "As you know, the school cannot take full custody of a student. To remedy this, Mr. Wammy has offered a solution to your predicament, Mr. Birthday."

Quillish, a well groomed older gentleman, wore a fitted suit with his shoes polished. He stood and nodded towards the two boys. "It's my understanding that you are in need of an adoptive sponsor. I am willing to be that person, under the condition you sign a contract with me and my organization."

Beyond swallowed coarsely before taking another shaky breath. Ms. Grant smiled matronly towards the struggling boy. "I think it's for the best, hunny. Just read over the contract."

The vermillion eyed boy slowly closed his eyes and sighed loudly. "What if I refuse the terms?"

The chubby dean shifted in his chair while clearing his throat. "You will be barred from admission next year until you can find a sponsor." He held out the contract out towards the young man. Reluctantly, Beyond took the contract and started reading over it as a whole. Word for word.


Quillish smiled contently behind his mustache as he drove the classic Cadillac down the streets of Winchester. Both L and Beyond in tow, watching out of their respective windows. Occasionally stealing glances at one another. Beyond glanced down to the small trunk in his lap that Ms. Grant had sent with him. Her words echoing in his mind. 'It's everything that was in your mother's possession, I haven't looked through it, but hopefully it can bring you closure.'

L shifted his eyes from the mysterious container up to the boy he'd learned to call a friend over the course of the last school year. Stormy grey eyes widened when he had stumbled across tear stained cheeks and flooded pools of crimson. Sighing quietly to himself the raven placed a hand on Beyond's shoulder. "Asking if you're alright, would be futile. So, I'll ask this instead: is there anything I can do to help?"

The older man smiled at L's attempts to console the other boy. "You'll like it where we live. You'll have your own room, ten acres of land and high speed internet." Beyond just silently nodded and watched the city disappear as the scenery outside shifted to the countryside as silent tears fell. Quillish sighed heavily as an awkward hush came over the car for the reminder of the drive.


A walnut door cracked open, a head of scruffy onyx hair popped out and looked both directions. The sun pierced the navy blue curtains, specks of dust danced in the light. A barefoot crept out of the room and landed on the cold wood floor. L winced slightly and stepped over it onto the cream shag rug that ran the entire length of the hall. Once his foot made contact he dug his toes into the fibers and released a tiny smile. He glanced to the room catty corner from his, the wooden door remained shut since last night. Beyond hadn't emerged for dinner or anything else to his knowledge.

L silently padded to the door. Something in his mind had driven him this far, he was determined. A tiny smirk appeared when he remembered Quillish's words. 'You're unstoppable when you've set your mind on something… Sometimes to an insufferable point.' Before he'd realized it, he had gently tapped on the door.

'It's opening?' Stormy eyes searched every inch of the crack before realizing, no one was directly behind it, only a tired voice called to him. "Come in."

Peaking into the room L gauged the mood. Beyond was sitting on the floor, the contents of the trunk scattered around his new room. The boy himself, slouched over while holding his forehead, cleverly hiding his eyes behind ebony locks. L eyed papers and newspaper clippings. Among the papers were progress reports on Beyond, his grades and letters from the Dean expressing his excitement in the continued success of her son. Discharge papers from different rehab clinics, letters and lawsuits for custody of Beyond from his home state.

L carefully stepped over the papers and crouched next to Beyond. "Uh… Would you like help organizing?"

A huff of laughter came, but it was a pained chuckle, one drowning in sorrow. "I think…" A couple of distinct sniffles were heard. "Yeah. I think that would help me a lot…"

L nodded as he stood, "I'll get some filing folders and labels. We'll get this sorted. Together... If you'd like."

Beyond nodded silently and chocked back a sob, "I would. Hey, L?" The raven stopped at the door to look at the other, while making a humming sound. "If you tell our roommates you saw me cry, I'll kill you in your sleep."

Biting back a chuckle, L smirked. "Well. That's what brothers are for… Death threats and secret keepers." With his words he departed to find the folders. Beyond released a broken smile.

-x 5 hours later x-

L and Beyond stood looking at his new room, new pictures framed and on the walls and a filing cabinet next to his now set up desk. Clothes hung in the closet, bed adorned with his pillow and favorite childhood stuffed horse from his mother's trunk. "Yeah… This'll do." Beyond smiled at L. "Thanks for helping me… I was a little overwhelmed with everything. At school it was easy to forget my problems, when it happened… But being forced into accepting what had happened was a little much… I kinda…"

"I understand." L walked over to the photo they had framed and hung on the wall. "I thought not knowing my parents was the worst that had happened to me." Brushing the dust off the top of the frame and looking at the picture of a young woman holding Beyond when he was a toddler. "I thought it was the worst thing… Never knowing… But…" Stormy grey eyes met a set of fierce crimson. "It isn't better to know them… Then lose them. I can only imagine what that kind of pain is. I've tried to feel it, but nothing ever came… This is the life I've always known. I can only speculate and try to measure what kind of emotions you felt, I've never had to feel them. But… I know what lonely looks like and feels like. And, that is the worst."

Both boys visibly startled when the sound of a throat clearing was heard. "I'm glad to see you boys bonding. I was worried when neither of you came down for breakfast or lunch. But I knew you guys were fine when I heard banging, I now know that was hammering." He smiled proudly when surveying their work. "Dinner is ready, you should both come down and eat. I won't take 'I'm not hungry' as an answer."

-x-

Two plates of meatloaf, green beans and mashed potatoes were set in front of the boys. L crinkled his nose as Beyond began shoveling the food into his mouth. Shifting his stormy eyes around L smirked deviously as he eyed Beyond's near empty plate. "I'll trade you dinners for sweets."

Beyond stopped mid bite and smirked, "Yes, L. I think we'll make good brothers after all. This will be a good summer…"