A/N: Thanks for all the comments…I'm really glad you guys thought it was worth the ransom. I really enjoyed writing chapter 11, mainly because I'm under time pressure… alright this is my last chapter that is mostly about Near…enjoy! Ohh…BTW…I add people on MSN even if I don't know them...no need to be so shy..(someone did)

Spreading Wings…do I know you?! Err…maybe not…your username just reminds me of something..

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note. I wish I do.

--Chapter 12--

--One Step A Time--

He watched as the older boys ran about in the room, the redhead, chasing the blonde one, shouting as he did so. They were fighting about something the blonde did. He unconsciously raised a hand and twirled a lock of silver hair. He had adapted that habit from the girl that took care of him, who always does that to her hair when she is combing it. The boy who also helped in some way in taking care of him is currently sitting in that very awkward position in front of the computer and the girl taking care of him is currently sitting on her favorite place and browsing through television channels. Near was the only one not doing anything at the moment.

He was the one who always needs help. The only thing everybody expects of him was for him to walk yet he fails to fulfill that only wish of the people around him. They have always said that he was a smart kid, being able to talk at that early age yet, his 'parents' felt like failures because they can't even make him walk more than two paces. Nobody tells him but he could also feel it. He sees it in the pained expression of Lira and the concealed disappointment in L's voice. It's not that they did not try hard enough. They have tried so hard that they had been on the verge of giving up several times.

He has been hearing talks about Lira and L leaving. They say it might be by spring time. He felt sad about that and wanted to give them a parting gift. He wanted to give them something to remember him by. But what would it be? If only he could walk then that would be the best gift he could ever give them. Yet, he sits there, feeling pathetic that he cannot complete a task as simple as walking.

Near felt hungry yet no food was in sight, except those that were on L's side table. He loved the taste of those sweet treats but his intake was limited by Lira who says that it is bad for a child to eat more sweets than real food. She says that his teeth would be full of cavities because of that. As he turned his head to stare longingly at the food on the table, he saw one thing that made his desire to go there more than anything else. He saw his favorite toy robot posed beside the sweets as if he was guarding them with his tiny plastic sword held high.

Near stared at it for a long time wondering how his toy got there. He remembered L holding it weirdly with his forefinger and thumb and shaking it a bit in a way that Near would fear that the head of the mecha would fall off. Yes, Near had finally remembered how it got there. It had been one of the tricks his 'parents' had done to make him walk but, naturally, they had failed. They would tease him with that toy and they had even gone far as to threaten him that they would break it if he does not go there and save it. He tried to, but, his legs would always give way and he would fall on the floor. It hurts to hit your butt several times but it hurts more to disappoint the people that cared for you.

L stretched out a hand and reached for a marshmallow in the bowl. Near saw it as he picked up the soft, sweet thing carefully with his middle finger and thumb and raised it up to eye level, as if examining it. He then raised it a little ore and tilted his head and opened his mouth, dropping the marshmallow onto it as he did so. L likes to play with his food. And the way, he eats it is simply tempting. The way he handles the food delicately with his two fingers, the way he looked at it with longing, and the way he chews them carefully makes anybody's mouth water with temptation. And that is the effect that L is bringing to Near.

It doesn't help that his favorite robot is standing nearby the soft sweets. If only that robot would skewer a few of these with his sword and throw it into Near's direction. But that would never happen, because that robot won't move off its own accord. It does not have a brain of its own. And, Near doubted if the robot would take his side if ever it did, miraculously had a brain.

Hah, sometimes, our thoughts get the better of us. Near was so overcome by temptation that he just had to try. Damn that L for eating his food in such a tempting manner. Near just had to get one himself, and the only way is to get to L. He also wanted his toy back. He has not played with it for a while now. Slowly, he tried to stand up. It is hard, of course, but he had to try. When he had finally stood up in an upright position, he did not dare to make any movements first. He was testing his balance. This is not the first time and he cannot accept it if it was a failure once again.

Slowly, he put one foot forward and again, observed if he would fall over. He can't do that this time. He does not want to disappoint them all over again. When he knew that he won't fall over, he put his other foot forward. He kept this up again and again until he was finally bridging the distance between him and L. One step at a time, he kept his pace as slow as possible if ever he would fall over again. He was finally learning how to walk.

Time seemed to stop inside the room. The two boys running around stopped in mid-run and stared at Near and the wonderful feat he was doing. Lira suddenly neglected the television and stared interestedly at Near and L, knowing something was up, turned his swivel chair to see that Near was walking towards him.

"Yay, mom! Near is finally walking!" Matt was the first one to break the silence. Lira merely nodded and continued to stare at Near who was slowly nearing his goal. The boy stretched out an arm and tugged at L's baggy jeans. L looked down upon the boy without any expression but, somehow, Lira knew that L was happy upon seeing Near finally learning how to walk.

"Papa," Near said clear enough for everybody to hear.

"What?" L asked.

"I'm hungry," Near replied. L picked the boy up and sat him on the vacant space on his side table and held the bowl of marshmallows.

"Here, help yourself," L said, smiling slightly at the boy. Near stretched out a hand and grabbed one after another, stuffing his cheeks full of marshmallows, it made L chuckle.

"You really are hungry," the teenager commented. After that, he was almost knocked out of breath and he almost lost grip of the bowl of marshmallows as he receives a tight hug. It was, apparently Lira who had run there in excitement.

"Yay! We did it, Near is finally walking!" Lira said in between sobs.

"Yes, we finally did it," L said, patting Lira awkwardly in the head.

"Mama? Papa?" Near said in between mouthfuls of marshmallow.

"Yes?" both asked in unison.

"I love you," Near said and took another marshmallow from the bowl. L and Lira glowed at these words. They can now leave the orphanage without any worries.

A/N: I'll leave it to your imagination to think of how Near walks because, honestly, I can't imagine it myself that is why when I am writing this, I constantly look outside to see my nephew (I use his image to imagine Near) and he doesn't help as much as I wanted to because he does not know how to walk…all be knows is how to run…lol. And this is more on thoughts because even the actual Near doesn't talk that much.

About the sequel, I have an idea already…it's actually complete and I think I have planned most of the chapters already…I think I'll start it off from the LABB case.