April 18, 2004

"Of all the money that e'er I've had

I've spent it in good company.

And all the harm that e'er I've done

Alas, it was to none but me.

And all I've done for want of wit,

To mem'ry now I can't recall.

So fill to me, the parting glass.

Goodnight, and joy be to you all...

Of all the comrades that e'er I had,

They are sorry for my going away.

And all the sweethearts that e'er I had,

They'd wish me one more day to stay.

But since it fell unto my lot

That I should rise, and you should not...

I'll gently rise and softly call,

Goodnight, and joy be to you all...

Goodnight... and joy be to you all..."

I shuffled around the kitchenette with one ear bud secured in my ears, cooking breakfast for the first time in a long time. I couldn't help but feel a bit melancholic. The police officers had yet to show up, and Ryuzaki was actually in his room to focus, I assumed. In the oven, I had chocolate banana nut bread, and on the stove, I was preparing savory breakfast crepes. I had three pans going, One making the crepes, one cooking ground sausage, bell peppers, and mushrooms, and the last one making hollandaise sauce. I also had a fragrant pot of coffee brewing.

"Wow! I didn't know you could sing! That's amazing!" Matsuda exclaimed. I jerked my ear bud out of my ear and turned around, only to see the whole of the investigation team in the living room, staring at me. Even Ryuzaki was staring at me, his gaze unreadable.

"I- I don't sing that well." I answered, Handing him a plate.

"Whether you believe that or not, it was quite a sad melody. Is everything alright?" Ryuzaki continued to stare. I stayed silent, trying to come to terms with all the facts about this timeline. I bent down to check the bread, to find it done. I pulled it out, leaving the oven to cool while cracked open.

"I don't actually know. Something feels like off. Like this whole day is going to go south in some way." I sighed. I carefully extracted the loaf from the pan, setting it to cool. "It's been bugging me since around three in the morning."

"I did wonder why you went out so early this morning." Ryuzaki murmured. "But don't you usually paint to relieve stress?"

"Normally, I love the smell of paintings, wood shavings, ink, and pastels, but today I thought I'd get back to cooking." I continued plating the food as I spoke, passing them along to everyone, including Watari.

"Not that I'm complaining, but why?" Ukita asked. I twitched. My eyes found the unsuspecting investigator, eating in a subdued, cheerful manner.

"This is usually what I do I need cheering up. When I paint, my mood reflects in the canvas, and just makes my mood drop further. What better way to cheer up, than with good company and food?"

"Well I hope we count as good company." Aizawa chuckled.

"Of course. Or I would have just made enough for myself instead." I didn't meet their eyes as I checked the bread and determined that it wouldn't fall apart if i cut into it. Pulling out a plate, I cut a generous slice, and reached into the freezer for the vanilla fudge swirl ice cream I had bought a few days ago and deposited a scoop next to the slice, to counter the warmth of the fresh bread. Putting everything away, I grabbed my crepe and Ryuzaki's sweet treat, and sat myself on the seat closest to him.

"Heh. I feel honored." Aizawa commented.

"No, I feel honored to work alongside such upstanding characters." I bantered. It got quiet, and I looked up to see everyone gaping at me with the exception of Watari and Ryuzaki. "What? Was it something I said?"

"You- you really are something, ya know?" Matsuda was blushing, scratching his cheek.

"If you say so." I began to eat quietly.

"Reiko, may I please speak to you in private?" Ryuzaki asked as he sauntered through my room door, flicking on the light.

"Alright." I followed him into my room, and he shut the door and locked it.

"You know something." I stared at the wall. "But if you say anything, it may still happen, or things will be worse than what you know..."

"Yes." My hands balled into fists and shook. "But I'm still going to try to change it." Technically it wasn't fate, but an act of another being messing with fate.

"Will you be safe?" A weighted question.

"I don't know. But I'll use what I do know to my advantage." Arms enveloped me.

"Come back safe. Even if you fail." His breath tickled my ear.

"Of course." I closed my eyes.

"I trust you with my life, Midori." He whispered. "So please, don't die on me."

Even though my shoulders felt like the weight of the world were upon them, my heart felt like it was going to burst from my chest.

"Ryuzaki..." I wasn't sure how to say it. "...I understand that you can't put a name on this, but it is safe to say that there isn't a force of nature that exists to stop me from returning to you. I turned to look him in the eye. I gave him a chaste peck. "I think I'll head out for a bit. You need to go eat your breakfast." I extracted myself from his arms, and walked out of the hotel room, aware of his following eyes the entire time.

"I'm back-" I counted how many people in the room, before feeling panic set in. "Where is Ukita."

"He just left to stop those tapes- hey!" Aizawa didn't need to finish. I dropped my bag, only carrying the festival masks I had bought at a shop as i ran like a life depended on it.

Please let me make it in time! I felt my chest, legs, and sides burning from the about of physical stress I was putting myself through. I turned down a series of alleys, quickly sliding on my kitsune mask, clutching the oni mask tightly in my hand. The shortcut I had used, should have put me out right where I needed to be, but I wasn't sure if I would make it in time. I exited the last alley to see Ukita preparing to shoot his gun at the door.

"No!" Ukita turned to me in surprise. I saw the death note take effect. His eyes widened, and he began to slump. I slid into the ground, interrupting his fall, determined to not let him die alone. I watched the light leave his eyes, and couldn't stop the enraged screech. "KIRAAAA!" I stayed there for some moments trying to collect my emotions. It was only after I became aware of a few more officers collapsing, that I realized that I would need to move Ukita. I picked him up, in the same fashion a parent carries their sleeping child to their room, and set him further away.

"Ma'am?" I looked up at the reporter. "Are you Kira?"

"No. But Kira just killed a dear friend of mine. So I think it best to let Kira know something now." I spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Please go ahead." The reporter was ready to listen, microphone pointed straight at me.

"Kira. If you are watching this, I'm letting you know now, you've made the biggest mistake possible. You have killed someone precious to me, and have threatened even more of my precious people. And for that, I will catch you," My eyes gleamed, "And I will ensure you have your ticket straight to hell. If it's the last thing I do."

L's Hotel Room

It felt like the room dropped several degrees as everyone saw the raw fury in Midori's eyes. Ryuzaki wasn't even Kira, and he still felt a thrill of fear shoot through him. It wasn't long before a large police van crashed through the glass doors to the station.

"I never knew she saw us like that. She always seemed so standoff-ish." Matsuda mumbled.

"Ukita..." Aizawa was barely able to keep himself from crying for his friend.

The way the light bathed Midori's hair as she watched the processions of the orders Ryuzaki had given out, it turned her hair blood red. She looked like a furious spirit out for revenge. And yet, Ryuzaki could not stop the thought of how beautiful she looked in that moment.

Sakura TV Station

"Miss Reiko, will you please come to this side of the barrier?" I heard the man speaking quite clearly. I moved woodenly to the other side of the barrier to see detective Yagami watching me approach.

"Reiko. You tried your best. Thank you for being there with him." He ushered me into the car, and I complied.

I drooped both masks upon entering the suite, aware of the eyes on myself and the chief. Ryuzaki continued on professionally, making sure the forensics team got the evidence. Aizawa was kind enough to be the one to take it. I was distantly aware of Yagami being helped to the couch for a seat. Inside, I was boiling alive in my own anger. I quietly made my way to my room, I went searching for a case I had been sent, involving kidnappings and murder. I already knew it was the activity of a small gang, so I just needed to find my way into their territory, and ensure that they wouldn't be able to kidnap any more people.I chose my black clothes, and left the ripped jeans I wore now. I'd have to throw them out when I was done. I checked the map one more time, to be sure of the location.

I left my room, headed for the door

"Wait, Reiko-chan! Where are you going?" Matsuda exclaimed.

I couldn't turn around and let them see how much anger I was holding back. "I have another case I need to wrap up." My voice shook from the strain of trying to sound calm.

"Come back safe." Ryuzaki called, making sure I understood the double meaning behind his words.

"Of course." I closed the door behind me with a click, sure that someone would feel my wrath tonight.

"The suspects were found, in critical condition, with no leads as to how they got in that shape. An anonymous phone call tipped off police to the scene of carnage. Every last gang member was found unconscious, with all the incriminating evidence on their persons. The unknown attackers appear to have used some form of blunt weapon, and sheer force to inflict quite a bit of da-" The television clicked off. I continued to stir my spiced apple oatmeal, peering up at the world's best detective, waiting to see how he reacted to it.

"Where did you say you were going last night?" His voice revealed nothing about his emotional state.

"I didn't."

"You were limping when you got back." He turned to look at me.

"I'm fine." In truth I hurt everywhere. Before I could react, I was being dragged by the wrist to my room, breakfast forgotten. "Ryu-"

The door slammed shut behind me, and he locked the door to ensure nobody disturbed us. He turned back to me and I felt like ice had been pored over me. I didn't have the strength or the inclination to stop him as he jerked my hoody and shirt off roughly, revealing ugly black bruises covering most of my torso. "You don't look fine." His words felt like a knife to my already damaged gut. "You were reckless." He was staring me down, and I distinctly imagined this was how others felt last night when dealing with me. "You could have died. You could have died, and I wouldn't have been able to stop it." He pulled me into a gentle embrace, and I could feel him shaking. I felt guilt rise up. "Never be so careless again."

"I promise not to be so reckless in the future." I wound me arms around him, and his arms tightened around me. He pulled away, only to capture my lips in a slow burning kiss. I could feel us moving toward the bed. His legs hit the edge of the bed, and he pulled me down with him onto my bed. H held me on top of him, my hair creating a privacy curtain to the non-existent eyes that could be watching us. I felt fingers grazing my scalp, and my skin broke out into goosebumps. His fingers tightened in my hair, pulling my head back slightly, allowing him to attack my throat. He sat us both up, keeping me in his lap, as he continued to bathe my neck and shoulders in kisses and nips. I couldn't hold back the whimper, as I realized that he was becoming excited.

As one hand was buried in my tresses, his other was busy fiddling with the clasp of my bra. He made quick work of it, tossing it in some distant corner, and bringing his hand back to splay across my back. I gasped as he ducked his head to capture a nipple in his mouth, nipping and licking, until a feral moan escaped my lips. "Ryuzaki..." My breasts were forgotten momentarily, as he captured my mouth in an all consuming kiss. I was barely aware that he had moved us completely onto the bed, or the fact that at some point my bottom half had become bare to him as well. I realized suddenly that I wasn't the only bare one as his chest came in contact with mine. He pulled away to look at me.

"The others won't be here for a while yet, but if you want me to stop, you had best tell me now." His voice was hoarse, laden with lust as he gasped for breath. I stared at his pale form above my own. He had a lean figure, deceptively strong, and mouth wateringly delicious.

"I'll never want you to stop." My voice quivered with a need I hadn't known I had until then.

That was all it took. Our bodies became an intertwined mess, as we vented our frustrations and angers, and heart crushing needs, and soft whimpers and moans escaped us. Before I could become fully consumed by euphoria, I heard him whisper a plea that broke my heart, and gave it flight, all at once. "Stay with me?"

I felt like I shattered under him, only able to utter one word in answer. "Yes!"

"Very interesting... " I listened to Ryuzaki's musings over the tapes, and the others continued asking questions. The earlier activities kept making their way back to my mind. I shook my head to dislodge the imagery. It wasn't the fact that we had been intimate for the first time ever that bothered me, or the fact that he was able to switch to professional, calm, cool, and distant once he left my room. It was something that kept trying to surface. Something I had forgotten about in my lust filled haze. But I couldn't figure out what it was.

It wasn't regret. It was something I was missing. Watari set a bowl of sweets in front of my usual seat by Ryuzaki. I halted in my place and stared at the bowl, frowning intensely. I had zoned out of the conversation altogether. The usual... routine... schedule... cycle of behavior? Something I'm missing that has to do with a cycle of some sort? What kind of cycles do I have? Laundry? No, something big... My eyes widened. I ran to the room and began leafing through my calender, checking each symbol respectively, only to wince. I checked in the trash in vain. Nothing. Not even a wrapper... This would bite me in the ass. I just knew it...

"We should treat this as a second kira." Ryuzaki's voice penetrated my thoughts as I entered the room. I watched the others panicking at the thought. I grabbed a sweet numbly from my bowl, and popped it in my mouth absently.

"It just means they're more likely to make mistakes now." I spoke around my sweet. Ryuzaki watched my inattentiveness, with an unreadable expression. "Though, let's not count on that."

"She's second one is more likely to make mistakes than the first, but let's see what we can do with the facts already given to us." Ryuzaki muttered.

There's no point worrying about it. If it happens, I'll just have to keep it from Ryuzaki until this case is closed. If he knows he'll just be distracted...

"...please have light come here. I'd like to have him work with us." Ryuzaki snapped me out of my thoughts again, this time in an unpleasant manner. Light was coming here.