Forgive me! I know that I'm taking forever, but I've got it all planned out! Honestly! It's just all these damn fillers that I'm working on to get to the end.

I've discovered that I do have everything in the story planned out AFTER Light gets out of confinement. I've got practically seven weeks left to deal with. THat part of the anime was nowhere near as interesting as it should've been and I'm trying to make it better.

Anyway, I'm really sorry if this chapter really sucks, but I wanted to give you guys at least SOMETHING to read to let you know I haven't died.

Forgive me for being so late, but please review anyway.

"Hey! Where is that bloody sister of ours?!" Troy exclaimed as he finished his rounds about the apartment, with Taylor, searching for the redhead.

His eyes flashed dangerously and Taylor laughed nervously.

"Relax, Troy. She hasn't gone far."

"She's supposed to be where we can find her!"

"Troy! Calm down!" The darker eyed twin ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled.

"Alright. Alright. Where haven't we checked?" Taylor blinked and then pointed to the office door.

Troy mentally kicked himself.

Duh!

"See, Pudgy? A little calm goes a long way."

"Shut the hell up, Taylor." The more calm of the two rolled his eyes, remaining with a stupid grin plastered all over his face.

"Come on, we're gonna drag her out of there! We've got to let her know that the four of us men are heading to the church." Taylor's expression immediately became concerned.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. You've got to imagine how she's feeling. She must be frustrated and flustered with all the running around she's been doing today."

"Who the hell cares?! We've got to go and she has to know!" Couldn't argue with that tone.

Troy and Taylor walked towards the office door and just as the groom was about to bang on the wooden contraption, he stopped. His expression was at first confused, then it softened. Taylor was immediately confused by his twin's sudden change of behavior and was about to say something, but Troy held up his palm as he pressed his ear up against the door.

"Shh. I'm eavesdropping." Unbelievable.

That was the first thought that came to the more sensible of the two, but then again, Troy had never been the most inconspicuous. He sucked at hide-and-seek when they were kids. But, if it concerned Troy enough for him to actually want to try and be inconspicuous enough to listen in on their little sister, it was enough for Taylor to become interested. Troy, was after all, rather observant. While Taylor was more prone to pick up on the emotions, Troy was more likely to pick up and remember phrases or scenes.

"What is it?"

"I said, shh. I'm eavesdropping."

***

Sybil didn't realize that she had stopped breathing as he continued to stare at her with those wide onyx eyes. Those eyes that observed and saw so much throughout the years. Eyes like her own in a way. However, that was the first time she had seen his eyes with such pain.

"Sybil. That is my story." And it was.

For the past ten minutes, L had gone over everything in his past with her. Had told her every little detail, just as she had months before about her own life. At least, he had told her what he had remembered.

How he had lost his parents by a drive by shooting, while he had hid himself behind the pillar of the cinema. He had watched them fall to the sidewalk. Lifeless figures of those he had loved. At that time, he was only a young child. Four years old. He had spent the next four years of his life in an orphanage, until Watari had come and brought him to Wammy's House. An orphanage for gifted children located in London England. There, he had decided to become a detective and Watari had aided him with his goal. Evidently, that goal had led him to this exact point.

Sybil felt her eyes begin to sting from the tears she had been holding back, which had soon began to run down her cheeks.

So, he had suffered as she had. If it wasn't worse, it was exactly the same amount of pain.

L used his thumb to wipe away the diamond droplets before he pressed his index finger to her forehead.

"You have clearly been taken by surprise. You have ceased breathing." Sybil's eyes closed as she exhaled and swung her arms around his neck, now taking him by surprise.

"Ryuu. I feel guilty now for whining so much about what's happened to me."

"Don't. And, it is okay for you to refer to me as Lawliet in private. I much prefer it to any of my aliases." Her lips curled up in a smile.

"L Lawliet. Your name is L. I understand. Your first name must be more like an alias than anything else."

"You read me well."

"I'm probably one of the only few who can. I take pride in that fact." L's arms slid their way around her waist and she rested her head at the base of his neck.

"I've noticed." He paused briefly.

"However, I still find it soothing when you refer to me with your nickname." Sybil continued to smile.

"I might just have to come up with a better nickname, though. But Ryuu suits you so well. Well, I'll just have to come up with something."

***

Troy and Taylor looked towards one another, eyes wide.

"Oh shit." And realization set in that their sister's recent cheerful behaviour was due to her finally opening up her heart to someone.

"She's got a- boyfriend? WHEN THE HELL DID THIS HAPPEN?!!" The door to the office opened and the twins were met with the wide green eyes of their little sister.

"T- Troy, Tay-Tay? I thought you guys were getting ready for the w- wedding."

Troy and Taylor stared wide-eyed at Sybil as an unfamiliar face peered at them from over her shoulder.

"WHEN THE HELL DID YOU GET A BOYFRIEND?!!" Sybil flushed red and grinned sheepishly.

"Eh, well- do I have to answer that? Is my life in danger?" Troy glowered at her before turning his eyes to the messy haired young man behind her.

"Who the hell are you?!"

"For the time being, refer to me as Ryuuzaki." Troy narrowed his eyes and Sybil laughed nervously.

"Hey, relax, Pudgy. Ryuu's someone you can trust."

"Hah! Before I can trust anyone with you, they've got to prove themselves to me!" Taylor rolled his eyes before stepping between his siblings and handing his hand to L.

"I take it that you're the reason why Sybil's schedule's been so off lately. Ignore Troy. He's just stressed right now with surprise." Sybil blinked and glanced to L with curious eyes as he hesitantly took the young man's hand.

"Troy, don't be such a baby. Go get that crazy man with the blue hair and Jerrod. The four of us will be heading to the church. Sybil, Ryuuzaki, and Trisha will catch up to us in a little while." Troy, still rather pouty, nodded reluctantly, huffed and spun around on his heels before storming down to Jerrod and Geof's room.

Taylor sighed, smiled at his sister and L, and then spoke again.

"I wouldn't dare mention it around him, but do you happen to be the same person I talked to the last time I was here in Japan?" L smirked and placed his thumb to his lips.

"Yes." Sybil flashed a bright grin as Taylor nodded.

"Good. Then, I trust you. Who better to look after my sister than someone who understands her head better than even her own family? You must be something, getting her to finally open up. Well, I'm off. Eh, Sybil, make sure you're not late. Troy'll have another fit if you're even a second late. He's nervous enough as it is." Sybil, still rather speechless, then watched as Taylor left the house before slinking back into her office.

L blinked and followed her with his eyes as she then slid down a wall and cradled her head in her hands.

"Sybil?"

"Give me a moment. A little- overwhelmed." He watched her carefully, soon seeing more diamond tears roll down her cheeks.

After that, it was barely a moment that had passed before he was back beside her, holding her gently to his chest. Sybil's tears stopped as suddenly as they had come as she rested her head against his torso and took a deep breath.

"There. That's better." L couldn't help, but smile at that.

"Good. I was beginning to get concerned." He had reasons to be.

Sybil's emotions recently were all over the place. Perhaps, though, they were just caused due to all of this pressure that she must have felt on her shoulders.

Fang released a guilty sigh as he watched the two detectives, his purple eyes proving that even shinigami have emotions.

He had followed the male detective, knowing that it would be safe to leave the notebook unguarded when there was no chance that it would be discovered.

If L only knew what she knew. Then, perhaps, he would have held onto her a little more tightly and kiss her as well. If only L knew exactly how close she was to the end. If only he knew just how little time they had left together.

"Unfortunately, even geniuses can't read minds. Nor do they know everything."