Everything I had done over the last few months had all been leading up to this moment. My final confontation with L didn't exactly go like I'd expected, but what I wanted to happen is unimportant.

The slip-up that set the whole thing off was pulling that piece of Death Note from my pocket while everyone else stared intently at the computer screen. I thought I had hidden the action well, but I heard a voice behind me when I began to write.

"Raito-kun, what are you doing?"

L.

I spun around clutching that scrap of paper tightly. L was staring at me, his expression that of one betrayed. The others had turned to stare as well, their faces reflecting the same suspicion that I'd seen in L's eyes for so long.

I took a step back, nervous for the first time. I just... snapped. I bolted ofr the door and got as far as the coffee table (I have no earthly idea why it's there) before Mello caught up with me. He tackled me into the table and took the paper I'd been writing on, a satisfied look on his face. He seemed pleased that he'd beaten Near to me, even though he wasn't the one I was giving all this up for.

Somehow, I got away from him. I heard him shout something, I don't know what, but I ignored it, too frantic in my escape to care. I managed to get to the parking garage when Matsuda and B caught me. The next thing I remember is my face hitting the pavement and a rather put-out looking Matsuda sitting on me. He started grumbling about how much of a fool he'd bee to trust me so completely, and I couldn't help but agree.

Footsteps echoed from behind me. I managed to catch a glimps of L, Misa, and Mello, whose grin appeared wider than before. L sat down in front of me, his expression a mixture of curiosoty and anger. Still, he spoke with the same nonchalant tone as usual.

"If I let you up, will you run again?"

I sighed, which probably was a mistake considering the fact that Matsuda was still sitting on me. "More than likely."

"Well, that's a pity." He frowned. "I was hoping to let you stand with some dignity when your father arrives."

"Oh, please," B murmured with an eyeroll. "He never had any dignity to begin with." I glared at him, and he smirked. "Oh, come on! You hid behind a stupid notebook. At least I had the decency to let my victims see me before they died."

I was about to reply when a car pulled up. Shoot... Why did my dad have such horrible timing? I closed my eyes as I heard his door slam, not wanting to see his face.

"What happened?" There was a tinge of excitement in his voice. "I heard you finally caught Kira. Where is he?" L must have pointed at me because my father murmured, "Oh, no..." The eagerness was gone, replaced by a subtle note of horror. "Not Raito... Not my son..."

"Of course it's him," Mello said enthusiastically. Matsuda stood up and I gasped with relief. Someone, probably Mello, pulled me none to gently to my feet. Cold handcuffs snapped around my wrists as if to seal my fate (I can only hope for a different outcome).

I heard someone breathing in my ear. It starteled me, and my eyes flashed open out of surprise. I saw my father's disappointment better than I ever could have guessed, the one thing I didn't want to see right before I was hauled off to prison.

"I'm sorry," L whispered just before Mello pushed me toward my father's squad car.

I dug my heels into the ground. "Wait..." I turned, throwing the blond off balance. "I almost forgot. L, happy birthday." As a rather disgruntled Mello made to slam the door, I swear I saw L smile.