CHAPTER FIVE

The Escape (I)

"Emi?" Surprise was clear on Light's face as he opened his door wider. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled at him but it didn't reach her eyes. "I'm just checking in. I know that your mother is at the hospital with your father, so I thought you wouldn't mind me coming over with some hot food."

He laughed, but like her, it wasn't genuine. "Thanks, that's really thoughtful of you." Even his words seemed like a front. She unzipped her boots and stepped inside his house. Even though she claimed that she didn't date younger guys, her clothing disagreed. He appreciated that she didn't dress desperately but the cut and translucency of her blouse and skin-tight jeans were made to tease. She held up a bag and this time, her smile was genuine. Her steel-coloured eyes lit up and he suddenly noticed that his breathing was long, lengthened.

She was...well, lovely.

"So, how does Italian sound?"

xxx-xx-xxx

"Hey, what's going on?" Sayu blinked, confused. There was her brother – her good looking but usually unaccompanied older brother – laughing and leaning towards the woman from before. He turned his head and threw his arm over her chair to face the door. "Oh you're home? I thought you were out with your friends." Sure this sounded all normal...except that he was speaking in English. With Sayu.

For the past two hours since Elaine - or rather Emiko - had arrived, they started talking about themselves...about their background, their schooling and everything in between. Elaine had gathered pretty much the basics: the typical genius that excelled in everything. Smart, handsome, clever, intuitive, athletic and not to mention he was the type of boy that could capture anyone's interest in a snap. In the setting of his own home, it contrasted against the cool, arrogant man at the restaurant. Here, he was intelligent and clever, interesting without being suspicious. When she discovered that he spoke someone what English, it was like a break for her mind - at last, no more Japanese!

It was beneficial for both to converse in her native tongue, but it seemed like Light had troubled switching back to Japanese. She giggled and Light's almost golden brown eyes flickered back to her before turning to his sister and easing back to Japanese.

This was too weird for her. "Yeah well, I got hungry." She leaned over and Elaine waved at her pleasantly. "What are you guys eating here?"

"We're having –" She stopped immediately, her phone vibrating in her pocket. "Excuse me," she muttered and felt bad for leaving. But it was L's name on the screen and she knew it was important. She stepped into the washroom. "What's wrong?"

"Are you still at the Yagami's house?" he asked and his voice was shaking just slightly. It was the tiniest of tremble but she immediately picked it up. L, despite his odd habits, was always confident and anything but that was foreign to her.

Just like that, just by the sound of his voice, the reality of things dawned back to her. She was in Japan on a case. She was in the house of a potential mass murderer. She could be killed, and more importantly, L could be killed.

"Yes, what happened?" she whispered, scared of being overheard.

"There's a broadcast at Sakura station, I can handle the situation but please make sure you don't leave the house." He was rushing. Lawliet, the world's best detective, the only person she knew that was always cool and measured was stressed out. For the hundredth time, she wondered how deep they were getting into the Kira case. If there was one thing she knew for sure, it was that this case was different. It was going to change something, somehow and it was starting with L's confidence.

She was more confused than anything at the moment. "Of course, but it's so far away you shouldn't even have to worry. Law-Ryuzaki, what's happening?"

There was silence on the other line, but when he spoke, his voice was low. "We've just lost Ukita and several other police officers as well." She gasped and was about to ask for more but he continued. "Kira is making a public threat but I don't want you to worry. I'll have things under control, just stay safe."

"But how? I'm right here – Light is –"

"This can all be discussed later. Just don't worry. More importantly, don't leave the house until tomorrow morning once I've confirmed that this Kira is done with killing people. Understood?"

He really was worried about her. She closed her eyes. "Understood." More silence passed and she thought he forgot to hang up until very quietly, he said, "Be safe." And the line ended.

xxx-xx-xxx

Light and his sister were talking when Elaine walked back outside. Light noticed the frantic look in her eye immediately. "What's wrong?"

"Turn on the TV, Sakura channel."

"…There you have it. The police refused to cooperate with Kira, instead they are preparing to fight. And, as much as I fear for my own life in saying so, this is right – and it must be done. Kira has become a threat to our very constitution and as citizen, we must fight back. I am NHN golden news anchor…"

Light froze.

What was happening - how could this have all happened? It was none of his doing. How could he have possibly missed out on all these events? Was there someone else killing someone, someone stupid enough to take his name? And how had he not heard about this the moment it began? He turned back to the nervous dark haired girl, he knew exactly how he had been so distracted: because of Emiko. His eyes turned to his sister darkly. "Sayu, go upstairs."

"Hey! You can't just –" She argued but then stopped when she noticed her brother looking intensely at the dark haired woman, she sighed. She mumbled to herself but ran upstairs anyway.

"It was the Task Force that called, wasn't it?" His voice was different now.

She nodded. Having Light see the broadcast wasn't anything that would change the investigation, he had been under her watch throughout the entire thing. Although the broadcast didn't require his knowledge to be shown, she was sure that he would like to say his handiwork displayed. Yet he looked genuinely surprised…

"This whole case is getting out of hand," she sighed and sat down on the couch.

"Do you regret getting involved?" She told him she joined so that she could meet the renowned detective and now that Light knew his identity…he lost that common ground with her. Her eyebrows pulled together.

"A bit," she admitted and it was the truth. She came to sympathize with Light and maybe even wished that he wasn't Kira. "I didn't expect it to get this complicated."

"Well you are going up against a criminal who's been killing a bunch of other criminals with seemingly no effort at all." There was definitely something different in his tone now. It was sharper, cooler. Like glass. Even his eyes seemed more alert.

"Not just criminals," she said quietly, "officers too."

He blinked. "Are you afraid of dying?" he asked, genuinely curious. She winced and again she said, "a bit."

But he, as Kira, knew that this was one person he would not kill. If things continued the way it was, there was no point of her death. Even though she was a part of the case, she also served as a distraction from the world of the death note.

"Maybe you should stay here for the night, until things settle down," he offered. She didn't say anything, she simply nodded and thanked him. They cleared the table in silence - having turned off the TV earlier - and they washed the dishes in silence. Standing next to each other, Light looked down at her as she rinsed the plates and stacked them vertically. It was such a mundane, monotonous task of soaping the plates and handing it to her - and yet it established that same role of a distraction. They didn't speak, comfortable in the silence: a comfort that should not have come so naturally so early but had so anyway.

Later that night, Emiko - to her insistence - was snuggling up on the couch. She was very aware of the fact that over her head on the second floor, Light was asleep and it felt so odd for her...like they were friends. Relationships like that didn't come by very often for her. Like L, they had been nomadic recluses constantly on the move with no time to build let alone maintain relationships with others. She sighed.

And this nerved her. She just wished that this friendship was real.

Thanks so much for all the feedback, and for everyone that favourited/followed this story! :D That means so much, especially this was supposed to be a little side break from my other fanfics, but people actually enjoyed this so I'm excited to carry out this story!

Reviews would be lovely and motivational. :)