I'll Always Have You
Chapter Sixteen: Worse Situations

I typed this up a few days ago & it wouldn't save it. So I had to do it all over again. So forgive me for being late, I would have been on time if not for this fuckin' piece of shit internet. -sigh- Now that my whining is out of the way: DEDICATIONS!

phoenix of hell
D. Blade
CrushCrushLover

Thank you guys for adding me to your favvies or reviewing or doing whatever you did for me. haha It sure does give me perseverance. So anyways, on with the story!

Manami snuck downstairs late after she guessed everyone was asleep. She called Watari up to help her pack her bags downstairs so that it wouldn't take too many trips to get out. They passed Misa laying on the couch as they were going on the door. "I'll be back sometime, Misa-chan. Don't forget me." Manami almost lost it, almost. But she kept walking downstairs and outside and made it without sheding a tear. A feat she didn't think she'd be able to pull off. "Thank you for all the help, Watari." She sat down on the sidewalk and Watari followed suit.

"Anything, Miss. But may I inquire as to why you are leaving so soon after you've moved in?"

"... the investigation team doesn't want me here," she whispered, wearing a fake smile and tears.

"I see, Miss. I'm so very sorry." Her Mustang pulled in and man got out.

"Your ride, Miss Rivers." Manami grabbed up her purse and started to hunt out money.

"You're free for the night. I want to go home alone, do you have cab fare?"

"Of course. I'm guessing you want some alone time, don't you?" She nodded and helped Watari put her bags and suitcases in the back. Manami sighed and shook Watari's hand.

"It was a pleasure while it lasted." The butler looked in his hand and found that she had left a cell phone, letter and some kind of pendant in his palm. "He can call me on this phone if he ever feels the need to." Manami walked to the driver's side of the car and got in. A few seconds and a wave later, she was speeding out of sight. The servant called a cab and was on his way moments later. Watari walked back in and L was up again, looking at the monitors.

"She left, didn't she? Did you at least help her?"

"Yes, sir. As you asked before."

"Very well, you're dismissed for the night." Watari walked upstairs and L put his face in his hands. Manami's cell phone was laying on the table along with a purple heart pendant and a goodbye letter. The saddened man picked it up and began to read:

L,
We've known each other since we were children in Wammy House. You know all of my weaknesses and I know your pitfalls. I vowed never to hurt you, and I did tonight. Pains eats away at the human body from the inside out, starting with the heart. It hurt me to see you the way you were tonight when you were forced to make a decision. So I made it for you. I decided I will leave you for a while. With me being around, you won't be able to to focus on the case. Your coworkers will only grow more and more angry with the both of us. It will do us both some good to be alone. You can finish your case and I can continue with my career. Once Kira is gone, we can be together, but not until then. This letter sounds like I don't care, but I'm crying with every word I write. I never wanted to say goodbye, never. I would give anything to be with you and I hoped for so many things for us. But none of it will ever happen. Don't worry aout me, I'll be fine. I will worry about you twenty four seven, but I suppose it won't do me any good. So now that I have said all of this, I leave you with this purple heart. It's the one I won at Wammy House when we wre in the Talent Show. I hope I leave you with some good memories of me. We will meet again soon, suki.

I Love You Unconditionally,

Manami Rivers/Ahtasan Takahashi

She drove all the way home in tears. The one night they'd finally gone out was the last night they could be together until Kira was gone. "Damn it, L. Why do you have to work with a load of pricks?!" Manami pulled in the driveway and opened her part of the garage. Something didn't feel right as she drove into the darkness. The lightswitch was at the front door, and she'd forgotten to bring a flashlight. "Fuck!" Manami got out slowly and shut the door. As the light went off, she grew even more uneasy. "If anyone's in here, you might as well come out. I'm tired of playing games!" Her voice echoed and she made her way to the door.

"So you don't want to play a game again?" Manami screamed and felt something hit her hard over the head. Someone cackled and she lost conciousness.

"Come on, pick up the damn phone!" This was the third time he had tried to call her and no one answered.

"You don't think something happened to her, do you?"

"No, she's a fighting girl." Everyone could hear the terror in his voice as he thought of what might have happened to her. Soichiro and Matsuda came in, staring at the floor in shame.

"Still no answer?" L refused to speak to either of them. They were the ones who put Manami in this predicament!

"At least speak to us, L." He was still quiet.

"Light, call her apartment number and see if she's home." L turned to face Soichiro and Matsuda with new wrinkles appearing on his face. It looked so pitiful. "Because you men were the ones that ran her off, you'll be looking for her for me. Go all over the city and if you need t, go into the next city. Now!" They nodded and moved out. L sighed heavily and buried his face in his hands. "Why did this have to happen, Light-kun?" Light didn't hear as the answering machine cut on. All he could think of was how worried L was. It pained him.

"I don't know L-kun. I just don't know."

Missing people, love floating still && Light being friendly toward L. How could things possibly get any weirder? You'll find out. 3 Reviews && you get the next chappie. Until then, Ja Ne!