Wow guys, you read and reviewed quickly last chapter. I got the same amount of reviews in one night then I had gotten in all the first chapter then two extra reviews.

You made me very happy!

I would like to thank everyone who read, alerted and added this fic to their favorites last chapter.

I would especially like to thank:

Guardian of Courage, Light love L Lawliet, KageMori, Kayla, misswarchan, Ritsu-Pon, frnight and especially deathnoteno1fan-codegeasslover who's review actually helped me formulate an idea for the story.

I have also used lyrics to the fic's theme early in the chapter, I'm just playing around with the idea of using lyrics which relate.

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. I also do not own the lyrics used early in this chapter, they just relate to the fic.

Chapter Three: Beginnings

It could be very frustrating having to relive life again, Light couldn't help but feel the same monotonous boredom that had driven him into trying out the Death Note the first time around. School, homework, cram school and people were all the same as before and it had all bored Raito the first time around.

Imagine how tedious it all was the second time around.

It had been the Death Note that had kept him sane-if had in fact been sane at any time after using the Death Note-and now he didn't even have that.

His vision of a perfect world was useless.

Still, Raito did have something to distract himself with this time around.

He had a killer to catch and a mission to get to know the Detective he was assisting.

If Raito had realised that he was going down that road and the brakes were broken he may never have to agreed to continue helping L and the task force.

*****

Brake,Brake,Brake,
But a moment just too late,
For God's sake,
This life I just can't waste.
As hearts brake,
& the clock it stops in time.

Brake! Brake!

Go:Audio

*****

Raito had taken to visiting the Police headquarters and helping out with the case whenever he had the time too. He'd even taken to heading straight there from cram school rather then home, his mother had been slightly worried about him spending so much time there.

He knew she worried about him becoming as absent as his father was.

It was on a Wednesday evening that Raito came in to discover there was a new lead.

A note had been sent to one of the newspapers the night before and it had been published as front page news.

"Raito! Come here, have you seen the paper yet?" Soichiro asked as he ushered his son over. The teenager hadn't had a chance too yet but he hadn't expected there to be anything of interest in it anyway.

As his hazel eyes caught sight of the paper he scan read the photo, it was put together once again using newspaper patchwork.

Dear those working on my case,

I must thank you for not finding any evidence on me yet, I heard rumors that the legendary L was working on the case and I was worried you would catch me.

However you haven't even come close yet and if you do I will kill off those I deem unclean and I will reveal any dirty little secrets you may be hiding.

Catch me if you can.

J.T.R

XXX

Raito frowned,

"The majority of the people working on the case have asked to be reassigned, people are worried about what could happen to them and their reputation," Soichiro explained wearily.

The brunet looked around at that comment, the frown growing when he spotted that all but the original Kira task force had remained. It wasn't really that surprising that only they had chosen to stay this time around.

They hadn't worried about the danger last time either.

He turned towards Watari and the laptop and spoke up,

"Do you suspect that it is anyone within the police or at least with links to them L?"

The remaining people in the room turned to stare at him,

"That's stupid Raito-kun! Why would it be anyone in the police! You saw how many people left and no officer would be stupid enough to share information with their family or friends!" Matsuda exclaimed.

There was silence for a few moments when L spoke up,

"Yagami-kun does have a fair point, it could be someone linked with the police but I don't believe so, otherwise I think the killer would have released some information in the letter, not because of Matsuda's reasoning."

Matsuda hung his head slightly at being reprimanded.

Ide spoke up from where he had been standing in the corner, scowling at the laptop,

"Well then if you don't believe it to be any of us then why not agree to meet us face to face, it's not like the killer will be able to get anything on you as you always hide behind a computer when you solve cases anyway."

His tone was snappy and bitter as he glowered at the piece of machinery like it was L himself. Ide hadn't rejoined the task force until after L's death, it appeared that he held a grudge against the man for no reason.

Raito knew that L had agreed to meet with the task force during the Kira case and that had been significantly more dangerous for the ebony haired detective. It had gotten him killed after all.

"I think Ide-san makes a good point's a good point as well L, with the threat of information leaking out or members of the police being killed wouldn't it be easier to meet face to face after all? Computers can be hacked into after all," he commented.

There was silence again before L answered,

"Perhaps you are both correct...yes, I will meet with you, I expect you to come in three separate groups, Yagami-san and Matsuda, Aizawa, Ukita and Ide and finally Yagami-kun, I wish you to come by yourself and last, wait ten minutes between each arrival, Watari will give you the address."

The computer switched off by itself then leaving the Task Force shocked. Ide shook his head,

"Can't that idiot tell sarcasm from normal speech, it's bad enough having to work with that arrogant bastard from behind a screen," the man muttered angrily.

"That's unfair Ide-san, you don't know anything about L," Raito responded quietly as his expression changed into one of annoyance.

The man snorted,

"Oh, I know enough about him, he always works from behind his laptop and he usually works alone, doesn't believe he needs help. What's so different this time that he needs our humble assistance and his methods as well...you may not be aware of this Yagami-kun but he hired an actress out to pretend to be a common whore and wander around alone tonight, he doesn't care if she's killed or not...he just wants evidence."

Raito stepped forward then, glaring at Ide,

"Sacrifices often need to be made Ide, he's just trying to solve the case and save more women from being unfairly murdered, did you think of that? L isn't the top thr...the top detective in the world for no reason."

He dropped the honorific, not seeing why he should pretend to respect the man when he was going to be so bigoted over L's actions and ways of trying to solve the case.

Ide just snorted,

"You know what kid, I really had some respect for you, you're intelligent, polite and you want to help the police but if you're defending L then I can't help but think you're stupid, you sound like a teenage girl defending her boyfriend from her father...I'm out of here."

With that comment Ide left.

It was true that Ide had always respected him during the Kira case and he was a good police officer but it was true, L was just trying to solve the case. The sacrifice comment was true, hadn't Raito killed a few innocent people to help on the way to his new world and L himself had allowed Lind. L .Taylor to be killed so he could find out where Raito had been situated?

Sometimes sacrifices had to be made and even though Raito regretted killing the innocent, he could understand why it had to be done.

*****

It may have looked like the laptop had turned off on the task force end but the camera's were still running and L heard the argument between Raito and Ide.

"How unexpected, I realised Yagami-kun respected me yet I never expected he would stand up for me, it's inconceivable really," the detective mused to himself as he opened up an Internet browser and typed in Yagami Raito as he awaited for the task force to arrive.

He might as well do that research now if he was going to meet the real thing in person.

The results he received were unsurprising, it appeared he usually came top of the list of every practice exam he took part in nationwide and he had been a junior tennis champion a few years back. It seemed as if he and Raito were evenly matched though he was well aware of his studying of him through of the laptop's camera system that he was polite, well groomed and an all around normal individual.

At least, he liked to act as if he was.

L didn't know how much of it was true and what he was hiding with his act but he had almost slipped up saying something about L earlier on...it had sounded like he had been about to say that L was the world's top three detectives...but how would he know that?

What else did Yagami Raito know and how had he got that information?

His ability to get that knowledge put him in the frame that could chance him being the killer...but that was it. He had no evidence whether he was a misogynist or not and for some reason he doubted that he actually was the killer he was after.

It didn't mean he was a completely innocent individual thought.

L didn't know why but he had a feeling that Raito had done something but he didn't know what.

It was quite frustrating actually.

The pale man lifted his thumb to his lip and begun to nibble at it in thought.

It appeared he might have to hold a private investigation of his own on the young Yagami and the best way to do that would be to become 'friends' with him.

Okay, L hadn't ever had a real friend of his own but he wasn't that socially stunted that he didn't understand friendship, he had just never chosen to make friends, there was no point if he was just going to have to keep his true identity secret anyway.

*****

Half an hour passed by and soon Raito was standing outside the room where L was currently staying.

He'd been standing there for at least five minutes already, he was glad he'd gotten the chance to come alone. He had realised his near mistake earlier on too late and had been cursing himself on the way up, he shouldn't know that sort of information. He could only hope that the laptop had truly been turned off and that L hadn't heard.

God, that would make things difficult if he'd heard.

He'd probably accuse Raito of being the murderer if he had. He had to resist a snort at that thought.

Still he stood apprehensively outside of the door, he still wasn't sure it would be like seeing the man alive again. It was one thing speaking to him over a laptop but seeing him face to face...looking into the wide eyes of a man he'd murdered in his former life...

The former serial killer had to get a hold of himself.

It was just L and it wasn't like he had any memories of his past life.

It wasn't like Raito was the murderer this time either.

The auburn haired boy took a deep breath before he finally reached out and grabbed the handle...just as his phone rang.

He cursed and pulled his mobile out of his jacket pocket and checked to see who it was as someone opened the door in front of him.

They'd obviously heard the ringing and cursing.

The whole of the task force had just shot him a sparing glance as L watched him as blankly as ever. The boy's father ushered him inside and quickly spoke for the detective so his son could answer the call.

"This is L, Raito but he requests that we call him Ryuzaki."

Ryuzaki nodded at him before Raito finally relented to answer the call, the ringing wasn't stopping.

It was Sayu calling and he knew she was unlikely to give up any time soon, it had to be important if she was actually calling him for once.

"Raito! You finally answered! Where are you, 'Ka-san and I were getting worried as you weren't home for dinner yet...are you with Oto-san again?"

Before he had a chance to respond a pale hand plucked the phone out of his hand, he turned to see Ryuzaki with an annoyed expression on his usually passive face.

This was exactly why he insisted mobile phones were switched off during meetings.

"Excuse me but Yagami-kun and I have urgent business to attend too so if you could hurry it up please."

When the phone was passed back to him Raito had to resist to urge to groan at his sister's sudden questioning.

"Who was that Raito? What urgent business...oh my god, you're not doing anything dirty are you!"

"NO, Sayu...I'm not and I'll be home soon, tell Oka-san to put my dinner under the grill and I'll have it when I get home...see ya later," he responded exasperatedly before he hung up.

Where the hell had Sayu gotten the idea that he was doing something dirty! He hadn't expected she'd think up something like that!

He wish he knew who'd been corrupting his innocent little sister.

As soon as Raito had turned his phone off and dropped it on the table where the others were he looked up to see the whole of the task force-excluding Ryuzaki-staring at him in question.

"It was just Sayu being silly," he muttered uncomfortably.

What Raito didn't realise was that his cheeks had flushed slightly at the girl's comment.

*****

Ha another chapter finally done.

I apologize that it wasn't that good but hey, Raito and L got to meet face to face and Raito's showing signs of the crush which has been hinted since the beginning. L doesn't like him back yet but it WILL come, it's gotta be realistic though lol.

Ummm so yeah, Ide was probably OOC but I don't really know his character and Raito was slightly OOC but at least there was humor.

Please review and y'know...not right now perhaps but fanart and stuff would be appreciated...hint hint XD. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.