A/N: You know, I think this is the first time I mentioned Koichi's full name in this fic. Yep, he's still Kimura…though it's a bit late for that, isn't it?

And I thought I'd finished posting. Apparently not. Sorry about that. :)

Blank Note

36. Decide

Near didn't often decide to personally involve himself in cases; in fact, the original Kira had been the first and the last, but he had to admit that the Death Note had always been something that had fascinated him. Ever since the one under their custody had vanished he had eagerly awaited the day it would return to Earth again.

And he had wondered what the person with the misfortunate to pick it up would do with the book.

He knew what he would have done, and sadly that first action seemed to be a common cause in the problems that arouse with the Death Note. Wonder as to its validity with a rational mind then write a name of someone he'd decided with a slightly emotional mind he could do without, then watch the Death Note turn him into a murderer. Add the thirteen day rule, he might have also killed again and again in the interest of self-preservation.

He had, though, the resources to test that rule, and it have only taken two or three bouts of thirteen days before it was obvious. He wondered why it was still there when they knew it to be fake…but, Near reasoned, it was probably in Ryuk's best interests. A motivation, or a trigger if one chose to think of it as such.

But he was curious about all things pertaining to the Death Note, and therefore he was not only curious as to the new Kira (who followed what an ordinary person would have done so thoroughly it was almost boring), but about things pertaining to the Death Note in general as well.

And that was why he decided to pay the Minamoto residence a visit himself…hopefully before the father got home. He wasn't looking for a chat, but something about the Note he may have missed, and there were two things in that house that would help him: the real thing, and the impression of an artist.

37. Secret

'I'm going for a walk,' Koichi said unexpectedly, and he had planned on doing exactly that until he bumped into a young albino man in the kitchen.

'Koichi Kimura?' Near asked, swirling a lock of hair.

The boy blinked in surprise and took a step back. Near retained his seat on the chair, rearranging the fruits in the basket as he hadn't brought his own things along.

'I was curious about something,' he continued in his usual monotone. 'What do you know about the Death Note?'

The other looked surprised at the question, but hid it well. 'If a parent gives a small child a gun and tell them it kills, they'll still play with it.'

'True enough,' Near assented. 'Children do have that sort of unexplainable trust.' He paused. 'And if you give a teenager the Death Note?'

'They will either try it or discard it.' Koichi, still in the doorway, frowned. 'I don't like your methods,' he said suddenly. 'Why are you here?'

'I take it introductions are unnecessary.' Near raised a hand to his lips, chewing lightly on the nail. 'Do you know my name?'

'Near.'

'My real name, I mean. The one I was born with?'

A pause, then: 'No.'

'No?' Near wasn't surprised; that information had never been put on computer, and he planned to keep it that way. The only people who knew of them were those who witnessed and survived the demise of Kira. 'I'm glad your illegal informant isn't that well informed then.'

'The title of L lies above the law.' The boy still seemed somewhat apprehensive, but now accusing as well. 'If you're wrong, who will correct you?'

'A fair question.' Near thought for a moment. 'I suppose I have to trust that to my men, with Mello gone.'

He raised his eyes, spotting Kousei standing there as well. It appeared though the son hadn't noticed the father.

'Do you know who the new Kira is?'

'No,' came the unhesitant reply.

'No?' A raised eyebrow. 'No evidence?'

'No.'

'Suspicion then?'

'A profile.' Koichi paused, then looked up, finally, directly into Near's eyes. 'It could have been anyone.'

Then he turned with what could have been a mumbled apology, almost walking into his father.

'Go for your walk,' he commanded gently. 'We'll all still be here when you get back.'

Koichi, now openly showing unsettledness, did exactly that.

38. Force

Koichi didn't often go for walks, even less so when the walk had no destination in mind, but it was still a good opportunity to clear his head. And, at that moment, his head really needed clearing.

Though he could have sworn his father looked as though he preferred the more grouchy version of himself –

He shook his head and continued walking; what his father wanted was something he didn't have to give.

He looked up as a human shaped shadow fell upon him suddenly. The shadow was quite quickly accompanied by a human form.

Leapt out from the tree then.

He backed up apprehensively, straight into a warm body.

Apprehension turned into fear. He screamed, before being cut off by something wet. Something that snuck past his tongue and teeth and made him recoil, worming its way into his throat and his lungs…

Chlorofoam…he thought hazily, or something similar…

He sagged against his captor, who easily secured him.

Why..?

He might have realised exactly why if his head had been clearer. Though it probably wouldn't have helped his situation.

39. Stay

'You agree with your son.' Near removed the finger from his mouth, entertaining himself with his hair once more. 'Do not worry,' he added when silence was the answer he received. 'We are merely having a casual conversation…but on that topic, I wonder if you noticed your son was avoiding half my question.'

'It's not unusual.' Kousei, shaking his head, dropped into a kitchen chair. 'Koichi has a tendency to do that, and he's not usually much of a talker.'

'I didn't think so.' Near removed a banana from the bottom of the pile, watching the fruits tumble into his lap. 'But you agree with what he said.'

'…yes.'

'So does Aizawa.' The banana went back on the table, followed by four more. From Near, the words were not an accusation, but a simple statement of fact. 'Mr Minamoto, you know I will have to arrest your son. Perhaps both of them.'

'I know,' the man said heavily. 'I thought I might have been a bad father, but who can stop a stupid book?!' The last phrase was punctured by fists slamming onto the table, shaking the apples off the banana spread. Near simply put them back.

'Perhaps it's our fault for not releasing the truth to the public,' Near allowed. 'I wondered about that; I knew the Death Note would return, because we did not destroy it. And even if we did, the Shinigami realm surely consists more of a single Death Note.'

'Who would believe it?' Kousei said dryly.

'Yes, indeed. Funnily enough though, truth can be quite convincingly portrayed through fiction.'

'My son's manga project you mean.'

'Yes.' A pause. 'But that would bring a different host of problems.'

Silence came upon them thereafter.

'What will you do to someone whose only crime is being human?' Kousei eventually asked. It was disguised, but the desire was transparent.

'Not the death penalty if that is your concern.' Near's voice betrayed nothing. 'A lawyer of your calibre could easily counteract it.'

Kousei abruptly stood, managing to hide the flash of anger quite well…except Near was Near and observation was his specialty. 'I believe the rest of my family is upstairs.'

'I'll follow,' Near decided aloud, and naturally, Kousei could do nothing to make him stay away from them.

He didn't have to like it though.

'Give us a moment.' At least.

'Very well.' Near returned to his stack of fruit.

40. Laugh

Kousei knocked lightly, then went inside, reached out, and turned off the taps.

Koji, hair dripping wet but back mostly dry, turned to look at him. Wordlessly, the father draped the towel over the wet hair and rubbed gently.

It was calming, for the both of them. It settled Koji's stomach, because there was something in that firm repetitive motion that told him his father knew…

He wasn't naive to think he'd be able to fix everything. He was fourteen; in some aspects he was a child, but not in that.

But to think he could still be babied… His eyes brimmed with tears.

Kousei left the hair a moment, wrapping one of their guest robes around the other's frame.

'You were shivering,' he said quietly, when the boy tilted his head back to look at him.

Koji looked down again.

Kousei swallowed; this was a conversation he didn't know how to start.

Thankfully, Koji couldn't take the silence any longer.

'I'm sorry.' He made to throw his arms around his father, then cringed away instead. Kousei caught him.

'Are you afraid you've disappointed me?'

'That would be quite arrogant of me.' He chucked; a dry, humourless chuckle. His eyes were still hidden, and Kousei half-feared to turn them up and into the light.

Instead, he brought his son's body closer and embraced him tightly. 'I'm not the perfect father,' he confessed. 'Otherwise I would have realised many things before today. About you. About your brother. About Satomi…and about your mother as well.' And hopefully, it still wasn't too late; his youngest son was still in his arms. His elder was simply taking a walk; he'd be back soon. Satomi was at the shops; she'd be back soon as well. And Tomoko was in Kyoto, waiting for the holidays so she could see her children again.

Kousei took a deep breath, then continued. 'You're not the perfect son either. Neither is Kouichi. But…that's just the way things are. Just the way the world works.'

Koji shook more, the comfort of his father's embrace too much to bear. 'I wanted to –' he choked, 'but I didn't –'

Kousei wanted to say he knew; truly, he did, but he couldn't. That would have been a lie, so instead he chose the truth. 'I'm glad.'

And he carefully led the child in his arms to his bedroom.

They were in the hallway when they heard the scream from outside. And Near, deciding he had been more than generous, was at the foot of the stairs.