Disclaimer: I do not own anything affiliated with the Death Note manga series or the book, Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Case.

Chapter 2

It was one winter where Lonnie Lawliet's fate would soon be sealed...

Audrey had been pregnant for eight months and Lonnie, now five years old, was so excited when he heard that he would soon be a big brother. He would be up after his bedtime asking Ian on how he could be an effective older brother and this conversation would always end with Ian laughing and saying something like "You're just like your mother, sport. When the time comes you'll know exactly what to do and then you'll realize you don't need to know everything." Lonnie, despite his keen ability to figure out difficult problems, did not entirely understand what his father meant by that.

It was one night some time before Christmas that Lonnie found it incredibly difficult to sleep and instead of reading like he normally would, decided it best to watch the snow fall in the backyard from the kitchen window with a glass of milk and a cookie. A scream from his parents' bedroom calls his attention and shatters any luxurious thoughts about a midnight snack. Something was wrong and if he was correct it was his mother who was screaming in pain. He runs to his parents' room and through a crack in the door sees his mom on the bed wearing a slightly blood stained nightgown and his father on the phone, his voice cracking and urgent as he calls the ambulance. Tears prick at Lonnie's gray eyes as he watches the horrible scene play before him – and he can be of no help to them and that is what devastates him the most.

In a state of depression Lonnie trudges back to his room in the library and lays down in his bed. At least there he wouldn't be in the way. The threat of tears that had overwhelmed him earlier as he kept his emotions hidden is no longer a threat as the glistening tears slide down his face and finally fall onto the pillow that lays under his head.

He doesn't remember when he had fallen asleep, but as he opens his eyes he smells pancakes being cooked downstairs. Perhaps last night had just been a horrible nightmare, but as he touches his tear stained cheeks he knows that lying to himself will only make the truth that much harder to bear. He walks down the stairs slowly, cautiously, feeling the carpet softly cushion his bare feet – he never did like socks, the thought of something encasing his foot just sent chills up and down his spine; he had read about trench-foot and the thought of getting it had gotten him paranoid.

Taking cover behind a wall that is part of the doorway to the kitchen, Lonnie dares a peek at the intruder of his home. The intruder is female and wears a black turtleneck sweatshirt, with blue jeans that fit close to the contours of her body, and simplistic white tennis shoes; she stands in front of the stove humming a sweet melody as she cooks. Even though this woman had yet to do anything to him or his family, he was still suspicious of her intent and did not like her. She turns around and sees him standing in the doorway. Drat! He's been spotted. In this kind of situation he did the only thing he could think of doing, stand his ground and call the shots.

"What are you doing here?" he asked sternly, not bothering to apply the common courtesy his mother had taught him to use; he felt that in this kind of situation – pardon his language, but – common courtesy be damned. She smiles kindly at him and answers with a soothing voice, "I'm here to look after you while your mommy and daddy are gone." He glares at her through slits and continues to interrogate the woman. "A likely story. And where have my parents gone exactly?" A look of discomfort passes over her soft features for the briefest moment, but she gives him a plastered smile and says "They went to have lunch with your mommy's boss." "That's highly unlikely for two reasons. One, it's three days until Christmas and secondly, my mother is a stay-at-home mom. Now it would be wise of you to tell me the truth." He continues to glare at her. She laughs a tinkling laugh with a hint of sarcasm in it. "Kid, give me a break. I'm your babysitter, Marridith. Just come and eat your breakfast. Your parents gave me specific instructions to not tell you where they are, but that they will home soon and that they love you. Happy now?"

"Not at all. But I assume you aren't either. I'll be taking my breakfast upstairs and do not want to be disturbed." With that said Lonnie grabs a plate of pancakes with a glass of milk and the bottle of maple syrup and takes all three things up to his room to be left alone. "Brat," Marridith murmurs under her breath as soon as Lonnie is out of earshot.

Lonnie didn't like strangers – not at all. And he most certainly did not like the thought of this Marridith girl 'babysitting' him and not telling him where is parents were. Lonnie shudders and eats his breakfast after drowning the pancakes in syrup – in stressful situations he found it calming to have sugar.

"What do you mean there are complications?" Ian shouts when they get to the hospital and he is conversing with a doctor. The doctor speaks in an all too calm voice as she explains the situation to Ian who is hardly comprehending what he is being told by the knowledgeable doctor. All he really heard was "the baby is coming early... we're going to have to operate... you may lose both your wife and child..." At this point he has slid onto the floor and is in tears. He murmurs weakly with tears running down his face and falling on the disinfected white tiled floor, "Do what you must, but please don't let my wife or my baby die. Please." The doctor nods and walks at a brisk pace to the operating room where Ian's wife lays on a hospital bed screaming in her pain.

Twenty-four hours nearly pass before Ian is allowed to be in the same room as his wife. He lifts himself from one of the waiting room chairs and follows one of the nurses to her room. While they walk the nurse explains to him that both his wife and his child are alive, but that they want to keep them both a few days to run some tests on them before they release them and that he is the father of a beautiful baby boy. Ian breathes a sigh of relief. "Can-can I see my boy?" Ian asks uncertainly. "Of course," the nurse says leading him in a different direction now to the nursery.

When Ian sees his new boy in the nursery he nearly collapses at the sight of him attached to an oxygen machine and several more machines. The nurse explains to him that because his wife had given birth to him prematurely, the baby was slightly unstable, but that the doctor had said he should be fine in a couple of days. Ian nods, his mind now clouded with the possibility that he could lose his son. "I'd like to see my wife now," Ian says, his voice heavy. The nurse leads him to her door and leaves him there by himself after she explains that he should keep his visit short because Audrey is exhausted from the operation.

Gathering all the courage he could muster Ian walks through the door and sees Audrey in poor condition. He runs to her side and holds her hand firmly between both of his own and kisses it. "How are you doing, baby?" he asks concern filling his eyes as he stares intently into her own. "How do I look like I'm doing?" she says weakly with a teasing smile playing on her lips. "To be honest, honey, you like shit." "I feel like it." She laughs. "At least it's over," Ian says sitting in a chair.

Audrey's sapphire eyes open wide as if she's just remembered something. "Lonnie! Oh my God. Where is he? How is he? Is he okay?" she asks scared. "Shh... Do you want them to throw me out for disturbing you? He's fine. He's with a babysitter," Ian responds soothingly while stroking her hair. She still doesn't seem fine. "But you know he doesn't like strangers." "I do, but it's not like we could do anything else at the time – he'll understand." Audrey, finally feeling the events of the day weigh down on her, begins closing her eyes and eventually falls into a deep sleep.

Lonnie woke up on Christmas day to the sound of the front door opening. He immediately jumped out of bed and stood at the top of the stairs. He was so ecstatic for the sight that greeted him was that of his parents coming in and Marridith leaving, but in his mother's arms was a bundle of blue blankets. As soon as Marridith had left Lonnie bounded down the stairs and hugged both his parents. "Where did you go?" he asked with the voice of someone who had been abandoned. Ian and Audrey exchange a look like most parents tend to do and after doing so Audrey lowers herself so that she is kneeling in front of Lonnie. Lonnie pears into the bundle of blankets and gasps. There was his baby brother laying his their mother's arms fast asleep.

"Is that – What did you name him?" Lonnie asks smiling down at his sleeping brother. "Kristoff. His name is Kristoff Lawliet," Ian answers proudly. "Hi, Kristoff. I'm you're big brother Lonnie." Lonnie says softly as he strokes his brother's cheek.

At that moment Lonnie made a promise to himself that he would always protect the innocent, that he would always do what is right. And that he would become justice.


Author's Note: I apologize that it's taken me so long to write this chapter and I suppose that there really isn't much of an excuse for not writing it sooner, but if you would be so gracious as to allow me to explain myself... It's because there's been so much going on and I've been lacking inspiration. I again apologize and hope you liked the chapter. Thanks so much for reading!