Turnabout

It was Eight O'clock, L noticed as he glanced down at the small clock in the corner of the screen, shining brightly before him. He put his head off-handedly into the palm of his right hand.

The last time he had checked the time, it had been only Five AM, now it was three hours later and it felt as though it had been nine hours later. With nothing to occupy his time; such as a case, he had been very bored all the night.

Getting started early would only make it more to talk about when the Task Force would all be there in about thirty minutes.

L stared at the computer for another ten minutes or so as Watari came walking through the doorway, a coffee mug sitting on upon a silver platter, steam already rising.

Watari sat it in front of him carefully before putting a hand on the back of his seat.

"It would be a good idea to sleep soon, L. I know it may be hard, but at least trying wouldn't hurt.." Watari paused for a moment in the thick silence before continuing.

"Now that you have finished the Kira case, you should at least get an hour of sleep for a few days..while you still can."

L finally turned away from the computers bright screen and looked up at Watari, "Yes..I suppose."

Watari gave him a warm smile and a nod before letting his hand slide from the seat to his shoulder quickly, and then walked off to attend some of his other duties.

L shivered at the human contact but allowed it and felt almost reassured. Watari knew he was nervous.

He was no fool of course. Well, neither of them were, at all.

L of course, would usually, sleep on the night of a solved case. Perhaps he would return home, wherever he would be calling it that at the time, and would think over the entire case again before finally trying to rest.

Lying in the dark for over three hours until he finally could shut down, even if for only thirty minutes at a time, he would sleep for at least four hours.

That way he could feel somewhat refreshed and after that, would sleep for an hour for the next two nights as he tried to decide which case to take.

However, when he had gotten 'home' all he could think over was the case, again and again. Light Yagami had been Kira. Of course he had. And Misa Amane had been the second Kira.

When they revoked the DeathNotes, they had lost memory. The two DeathNotes were dropped mysteriously again, Light recovered one. The other other was in the hands of a very wealthy business man, and along the same time, Light revoked his again for exchange of L's death, then Rem had dropped hers on purpose sometime later to be able to stay in the Human World to make sure Light would not get the DeathNote again and prtect the safety of Misa Amane.

When the Business Man once again saw the same sort of Journal lying right outside his building, he was greedy enough to take it for himself, claiming both for himself.

This way he would be the only one with say power.

Then when L had been given this info through Aizawa, he of course was cornered and interrogated until it drove him insane enough to run to an old warehouse, fearing his life and bringing a long list of criminal names to kill while there. It became almost his drug and life addiction. Most of the people on the list had been Business Men who were of course competition, also on the list was his equally wealthy parents who had so graciously put him on the list for all there money.

Spoiled Brat.

When they had discovered his location via Watari's on refrences, L was in a battle of wits with him. Of course the others allowed him to fight the man verbally, he didn't know L's real name.

The man had even in futile attempt, wrote L's name as L in the DeathNote. It of course, did not work.

L had verbally outwitted him just as a drug runner came in through the abandoned factory. Fearful that they were all trying to steal his dirty money and cheap drugs, he had shot the business man without a seconds thought as he saw him first when opening the door.

After that, he saw the others and tried to shoot again at L, only to discover that he was out of bullets.

That was the end of Kira. When L held the DeathNotes within his hand that night coming home, he demanded Watari lock them up in a bullet proof and unsolvable box where they were to never be touched or fooled with again.

They were then taken downstairs into a bunker beneath the building. There they were taken into a safe, through yet another safe and then into a secret hole that also held a safe. Once they were put into the safe, it was coded with a combination lock only Watari and of course L knew, then it was sealed with plaster, and doubled locked behind the other two safes.

Once on the outside it was heavily locked, the safe was concealed with yet another fake wall which all in all took almost all night for Watari to construct with bricks and plaster.

There was no possible way the DeathNotes could ever be touched again.

Ryuk was beside himself in happiness while Rem seemed indifferent at the actions. L then told them that if they were to ever need to use the DeathNotes to expand their life spands, that L would himself recover them for them to use once but then they would have to put back afterwards.

Both agreed, Ryuk thanking him a hundred times over.

L also stated to them they may do what they wish as long as they did not allow the others to become suspicious of themselves.

Both agreed once again. And that's where L's thoughts on the entire investigation ended. It had been five by that point and L began to think of something else.

He began to think of the task force that morning walking in. Walking in and then ready to be given a breifing on the case.

L would have to give a briefing.

He was nervous, to say the least. Being nervous was not something L could abode well to. He was not usually nervous, not even within inches of Kira's face had he been nervous. When handcuffed to Kira, he had not been even tinged with worry.

No. That did not worry him.

What did worry him was the fact he would give up everything he had fought to stay back and behind. All those memories, all those..

He would have to force each sentence out of his throat, telling them all of his past.

No one knew of his past save for Watari. Even then he hardly liked the idea of someone knowing what had happened. He absolutly resisted his imagination to take him on a ride of scenarios that night. What would they say? Would they call him crazy?

Would they forfeit?

No, why would they do that? They would be more than interested. Getting to know the famous L's past? That was something that even the most humble and modest woman would not resist.

And L knew this.

He cringed when he finally heard a small ding and a door open. He looked down at the clock on his computer,

8:19 AM.

He again cringed.

Early.

He usually appreciated someone being early, to an extent. However, on this particular case, he could not of wanted someone to procrasinate more.

He turned to see that it was Light and his father at the door along with Aizawa and Mogi. Taking up the tain was Misa Amane.

L was slightly confused on Misa being there but did not question nor resist it considering the fact that he knew she could be of no harm. She was a bubbly, blonde haired, model and actress with no sense.

She couldn't hurt a fly if she wanted to.

Misa waved and closed her eyes happily with a large grin on her face as she giggled childishly. "Hi Ryuzaki!"

L raised an eyebrow and then stood before sighing softly. "Hello, Misa Amane."

L turned the seat around to face the computer once more before walking over to the group who were putting away there coats and hats when another 'Ding!' sounded out and in came Matsuda finally.

"I..I'm sorry I'm late!" Matsuda yelled out quickly before noticing the others only just putting their coats and hats up.

"Your not late, Matsuda." Soichiro Yagami replied with a quirky look in his eyes as he gave a half-smile.

Matsuda looked around confused before checking his watch, "Yes I am, it's 8:35!"

"No, it's actually only 8:20.." L responded, amusment settling in his voice as he began towards the couches now seeing they were all there.

As everyone hurried themselves by putting their coats along the holders, Watari came merging from the Kitchen, brushing his hands together showing he had most likely been cleaning something from inside the kitchen area.

"Watari, I'm glad to see you're alright." Aizawa commented offhandedly as he placed his coat on a hanger.

"Oh, Thank you Aizawa. Yes, I suffered some minor injuries but stitches are due to be taken out sometime next week."

Aizawa nodded with a smile, "Well, I'm glad to hear it."

"Thank you for the concern, Aizawa."

"Oh, Watari, you were hurt?" Misa asked, her eyes wide and glassy as she began removing her thick wedges, setting them by the door, her knee high socks only on now.

It was one thing L and herself agreed upon. Shoes were to be worn on when necessary. Of course, since L was a male and she a female, she thought they were necessary out in public, at the pool, or when company whom was meant to be impressed, as L thought they were never necessary, but rather needed out in public.

There was a difference to him.

But at a certain home-y atmosphere who was occupied by people such as your friends and family, shoes were unnecssary to both of them.

"Yes, just minorly. A cut along the waist, it needed some stitches, but nothing more."

"Oh, I see." Misa replied as she smiled slightly and proceeded to sit with the others.

"Before we begin," Soichiro Yagami said as everyone took their seats, "Did you dispose of the DeathNotes?"

L froze in his spot and decided lying would only further complicate things later. "No."

The others looked on in shock as L continued. "I couldn't. I was informed that if a DeathNote was say destroyed, another would only be dropped on Earth again in it's place."

"What?" Light asked almost revolted by the sound.

"Yes, so I have kept them. However, keep mind that they are not exactly in my possesion. I have hidden them very well and could not be taken out by any means necessary. They would survive a Nuclear Explosion."

The others seemed to take a sigh of relief. "So, we have nothing to worry about then?" Matsuda asked happily.

"Of course not." L replied, "They will never be touched by human hands again."

"Alright then L, I believe that is all I have to say, I apologize for the interuption."

"Not at all," L reassured, almost wanting to thank the man for even a thirty second delay. "Well, I suppose I should begin by stating exactly what this case is about,"

L took an unnoticable deep breath before beginning, however, he could not. It was hard for him to even catch a full breath as he thought over the events from so long ago. He felt his breath hitch as he opened his mouth and so, the best his scrambling brain could come up with, was to turn around. There he saw Watari, giving him a sympathetic and worried look in his eyes.

"Watari...where should I begin?"He asked unsure.

It was a very blunt question, one that Watari didn't even hardly know the answer to. It was a shock to everyone in the room when L actually asked for advice.

"The beginning, L."

L turned around, knowing what this meant..he hated to admit it though.

"Right..the beginning." L replied softly as he ducked his head a little lower, trying as he could not to meet any of their questioning gazes.

L could almost hear the clock ticking the background as it fell deadly silent. L finally looked up and met their gaze.

"The farthest back memory I can remember...I was four years old.."

"You can remember something from when you were four?" Matsuda asked increduosly as he stared in shock, not doubting but rather very surprised.

"Let him finish Matsuda." Soichiro scolded.

"R-Right..sorry.." Matsuda replied as he gave an embarassed smile and sheepish laugh before rubbing his neck nervously.

"It's fine.." L replied, "I was four years old, looking out my window from the attic. I wasn't allowed out of that attic. I was kept in there day and night, the latch sealed. Whenever I had to shower, which I was allowed to once a week, or had to go to the bathroom, I was blindfolded and taken.

"When I was given food, clothing, anything of the sort, it was put on a small tray and slide across the floor to me by a gloved hand.

"I was kept inside the room solitarily the day my parents apparently thought I was capable of knowing not to swallow anything that could hurt me, or able to know to eat what was given on the plate, and able to dress myself correctly...

"Yes, I never knew my actual parents..but this is not what I'm wanting to know to this day,"

L paused for a moment as he rubbed the back of his neck slightly less nervous than before, as he closed his eyes thoughtfully,

"You see, I was given a calender, plain in every way which I laid beside a matress that I called my bed. It was marked already of special dates by the two people who I guessed were my parents. On the day I saw it was my birthday, it was written beneath the number nine.

"I guessed this meant I was turning nine years old. On that day, no matter how many times I knocked against the latch beneath me, they did not answer me calls. Rather they ignored me.

"Finally, sometime later when it was beginning to turn dark, it the latch unsealed but instead of just a simple tray or a blindfold which I would be commanded to put on, an entire person came up. They had a mask on. A simple white full faced mask that tied in the back, It looked as though it was a girl faced mask.

"I feared it the moment I saw it in every way...I shrank into the corner of the room as the masculine built person came towards me, covered head to toe in some sort of clothing. They finally picked me up and I am ashamed to say that he apparently..was an abusive man..

"He had on him, a knife which he used on my back..cutting me and letting me scream until he left the room. He left without saying a word and that night I didn't know what to do...my first experience finally, with what I thought to be my father..and he abused me..

"I suppose I was in rage..I was in rage for what had happened.."

L paused as the memories of all he had already said came to him..the man with the shining, gleaming knife..the mask..the coldness of the attic that night..then the rage..

"I was in such anger, I kicked the floor beneath me, trying to open the small latched hole. Continuosly I tried over and over. On my third try to bust the wood, I heard a scream. Then I blacked out..I don't know what happened from there..but the next thing that I remember was being out of the attic. I was out of the attic and was at the top of a set of stairs.

"I was running down the stairs and I saw two dead bodies there on the ground. One of a man with a mask, another of a woman barefaced. Then I saw a standing person. By that time, I have again forgotten. I do not remember who the man was..his face..my parents bodies..I forget what they looked like, the people standing there, I remember did not kill me but rather left.

"But..I don't remember. I blacked out from that time to the time of two years later, when Watari found me in the rain. I don't remember what happened to me from then to then. Even when I was young, I had no idea what had happened between the time of my parents death and then. I had blacked out for two years..I had saw my parents bodies...the killer...and then I was two years older, shirtless, shoeless, and in the middle of a dirt path in the rain. Watari luckily almost running me over in a car.."

L stopped there as he remembered two years after the incident, he was so surprised when all of a sudden a new conciousness overtook his body and he looked around panicked, he didn't know where he was. He didn't know what he was doing, shirtless, shoeless and in the rain. All he knew was that for some reason, he belonged there.

He belonged in that rain.

"So, what your saying..is that when you were young, you were surprised to find yourself out in the rain? You just suddenly..kind of..regained conciousness? Like you regained yourself two years from then and had no idea what had happened from the time your parents were killed and then?" Aizawa translated roughly.

"Yes, exactly." L responded as he met his and the others gazes.

They were astonished.

"How did you react when you 'Regained Conciousness'?" Light questioned as he searched the detectives face.

"I was frightened so I panicked. I fell to the ground..and looked around. I had no idea how I had gotten there, and only remembered being in that house a few moments ago, but in reality it had been two years.."

"Right.." Light responded as he scratched his chin.

"What happened after Watari found you?" Matsuda then asked.

L looked over at him, slightly surprised by the question, but concealing it by all means. "I was taken back to an orphanage that Watari had established.."

"You became an orphan?" Misa asked, tears glimmering in her eyes.

"Yes." L responded ignoring the fact she was becoming emotional as she listened to his story.

"Then..no one ever adopted you?" Soichiro asked with his eyebrows furrowed.

"No..thought I was too weird..rather Watari became a sort of guardian to me.." L mused as he sat his eyes across the way, unfazed.

"I see.." Aizawa mummbled, "So, what you are investigating..is basically...your entire past before the age of eleven?"

"Yes..I suppose so." L replied as he looked down at his feet.

"This..this is really weird." Matsuda said a bit shaken by the story L had told. "Why wouldn't your own parents let you see them?"

"Well Matsuda, if I knew that, I don't think there would be too much else to investigate.." L replied softly as he stuck his hands in his pocket again, letting them dig deeply as he closed his eyes and letting a breath escape his lips.

"How did you become an insomniac?"

The question shattered his concentration. His eyes opened quickly to find the voice source. It was Light..

"What did you ask?" L asked monotonously, trying to keep his cool even through the heart seizing question.

"How did you become an insomniac?"

"..." L couldn't bring himself to answer that question as he looked on at the man before him who sat, looking back into his eyes with equal intensity.

L looked down suddenly at the floor, he was hoping that none of them would be smart enough to ask this question. Even as a great detective, he tried to deny this piece of a fantastic clue..he knew it would come to this..he knew it would be essential to the case..

Perhaps he had been subconciously trying to test all of them, seeing who be the first to ask such a left-field question. And along with this, perhaps he had been testing himself, if he would bring it up or try to push back the true key. The essential key.

He knew at some point, it would be down to three hard elements of this case,

Refrences, field work, and sleeping.

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