A/N: Uhg, allergy season is upon me. I can barely see straight with the amount I'm sneezing. Anywho.

Shout out to She Who Wears Red: You're lovely as always, ^_^

House of Cards

By Catsitta

Part Nine: My Fair Lady

"What. Is. The. Meaning. Of. This?"

Roger was the color of freshly-poured Merlot, a vein in his neck bulging. If he were a few inches closer, L was certain he would be trying to strangle him. What a mess. He shifted his gaze to the two boys still in the doorway, Mello and Matt. The latter seemed intrigued by a scuff mark on the floor and the former was drawing in short gasps of breath.

He heard Light chuckle softly. The Queen had made her move—when tactical defense failed, she switched strategy with effortless grace, and now he was suffering a full frontal assault. She held only one of the aces and was going for blackjack, stealing away L's confident lead with the utterance of a few words. Defeated, he sagged his shoulders and gripped the baggy fronts of his jeans.

"Light Yagami was one of three individuals whom held the power and title of Kira during my investigation," L confessed. What else was there to do? "He is the original mastermind behind the mass murders of criminals and political figures that started in the region formerly known as Japan. I caught him shortly after he began killing in order to learn how Kira killed. It wasn't until a day before I closed the case that I learned from the third Kira–now deceased–how they wrought so many deaths."

"And you brought her here?"

"Yes. And married her."

"Oh, but you're leaving out so many details, Lawli," Light crooned as she wrapped her arms around L's neck languidly. L's breath hitched as she ghosted her lips across the sensitive skin just below his ear. "What about all those long, romantic talks and declarations of love? Shouldn't Roger dear know about how you fell in love with your target? How you were willing to pin a scapegoat with the blame and let me walk free?"

She curled her fingers in a lock of his hair and pulled. As his head tilted back, he saw Mello run from the room, Matt getting pulled roughly behind him. As for Roger, he was no longer red. He was white.

Light laughed and gave L a shove, causing the detective to stumble.

"An eye for an eye, love."

He ruined her life, so she was trying to ruin his.

L stared up at the headmaster. Would he kick them out? Would he demand Light's execution? Would he strip L of his title?

"L." His voice was like permafrost.

"Yes, Roger?"

"How does Kira kill?"

"With a notebook. He writes an individual's name in it while picturing their face. It was dropped by a bored Death God of all things."

"Where is it?"

"In a secure location."

"Destroy it."

"Pardon?"

"I will not repeat myself."

"Sir, the reason I did not was because of the nature of the book. The Death Note is entwined with its master's psyche. When one gives it up willingly, it strips the individual of his memory of it, but I have no idea what destroying it will do. Light could suffer permanent-"

"-Are you questioning orders?"

"I...no, sir."

Roger stepped past L and came to stand in front of Light. He radiated dark command, like an emperor whose most trusted general just betrayed him. Light and he stared at each other, neither willing to back down.

"You should be dead."

Light smirked, "Yet here I am."

"I am without words to express my feelings in this matter, so I shall simply say this: Kira will die. L will do his duty and kill the menace who almost cause the third world war! But you, Light...you will be his punishment for failing to do his duty in the first place."

Slowly, the arrogance slid from her face.

"What?"

"Miss Rousseau, until otherwise told by me, Light is to be kept under Code Gold."

"Yes, Monsieur."

Light yelped as she was grabbed from behind and wrestled down onto the cot.

"Isn't that a bit extreme?" L cut in. She had done nothing since arriving here; there was no need to treat her like a high security prisoner. Light was harmless without the Death Note. Getting strapped down and drugged into a near coma would only hamper her recovery and would do nothing to help resolve the Kira case. "Roger. Roger!"

THWAP!

L fell back and cupped his mouth. The headmaster hit him. He hit him. Roger never struck anyone, not even Mello. He blinked widely at the man who helped raise him. Who he trusted despite everything he put him though.

"Destroy the weapon."

"Roger...I...I need some time."

"Three days. If Light still possesses her memories in three days, I will clean up the mess you made. Be thankful for my generosity in this matter."

"After?" L asked. "What then?"

"Then? Well, she will be a normal girl then. Whether you keep her around to play house like a dimwit, or dispose of her as would be appropriate, is no longer my concern. She is, after all, your wife."

Swallowing back the protests building in his throat, L turned and fled the room, his mind racing. Should he destroy the Death Note's and risk shattering Light's delicate psyche beyond repair? Should he grab her and run away?

Fate seemed to enjoy his suffering, because at that moment, his phone rang.

L jerked the device against his ear, "Yes?"

Matsuda's voice cracked through the speaker, "I've got bad news, boss. You've got to get here fast."

"The situation?"

"Kira's on the radio...he knows your name! H-he's threatening to tell everyone. And there's been an uprising. It's looking bad here, boss. Real bad."

Damn that Misa. Damn her! Damn her to the ninth ring of hell!

"Boss?"

"I am preparing a flight as we speak. I shall be there posthaste."

If he destroyed the Death Note's, Misa would be neutralized as a threat, but Light would suffer. He could destroy one and hide the other somewhere else, sweep Light away where they would never be found. Gah! Why? Why was this happening to him?

L resisted the urge to throw the phone as he disconnected the call. He had to get to Japan, no question about it.

As he hurried through the hall towards his room, the detective could hear the distinct sound of children playing. They laughed and giggled, because for all they were geniuses, they were children first. But their playful song crept into his skull like a haunting promise.

London bridge is falling down, falling down.

London bridge is falling down, my fair lady.

Build it up with silver and gold,

silver and gold, silver and gold,

Build it up with silver and gold, my fair lady.

Silver and gold will be stolen away, stolen away

Silver and gold will be stolen away, my fair lady.

L slammed his bedroom door and raced for his laptop.

One thing he knew for certain, no one was stealing his Light away.

Tbc

A/N: (Choices, choices. Which one will L make? Please review folks!)