BB: Uh... No creeping out the reviewers, BB.
Evidently you, Penguin, and jedigrant2000 know each other.
That's what I have gotten out of this. xD

The Reading Kind: I shall let you know you think of her as such! c: Haha, I'm sure your reaction wouldn't seem conspicuous at all... See, Sierra's just awesome like that. There's more to her than the hyper fangirl-ish outer layer, you see~ And yes, technically, Natalie does not currently know half of what is going on, haha.
*cries out of happiness* I fixed your hatred of Light? I've gotten rid of such horrible feelings? This is a beautiful thing. Ohh, I am so happy. So glad I have done such beautiful wonders.
And I'm also helping at remember days. That's just amazing. xD You know, having to update has helped me figure out days too, so... Whee~ The test was...testy, and I hope I did well. =w= And I shall tell Sierra that you say so!

Reader: ...That friend is amazing. xD I'm keeping that quote, mhm. I'mma keep it. I shall tell dear Sierra that you wish her happy birthday, as well. C:

Amy: Not keen on BB, eh? Well... Parts of this story won't be so likeable, then, I'm sad to say. Happy you enjoyed the 'Sierra stealing Matt's shirt' scene, though~

Random: Huzzah!

Enjoy the extra chapter, dear readers~

I came home from a bit of grocery shopping to find Anna questioning Sam persistently on something or other. "Hi, guys," I greeted with a small wave. Nothing in particular was on my mind. Problems. Worries. Things all humans tend to dwell on.

"Hey," Sam returned, not so much as glancing in my direction. She did, at least, shift her position, but that may have been because the effects of the Bond were getting to her. The last time she'd seen L was Saturday. It was Tuesday.

"Yeah, hi," Anna agreed distractedly. "Sam, you reached the final step, right?" she asked her, as I headed to the kitchen to put away the groceries. I noticed a sense of annoyance to her tone, telling me she'd been at it for longer than I'd been here.

"Yes," Sam confirmed.

"So then, you know L's past now."

My ears perked up at the prospect. She would know now, wouldn't she? And there was always the part of me that loved learning people's stories, whether I was a part of Light or not.

"That is correct," Sam responded, shifting again.

"So, can you tell me L's past?" Anna inquired, leaning towards Sam in anticipation.

"I don't think I'm obliged to do so," she answered dully, forcing herself to keep still. "It's not my past to tell. Of me, I have a biological father I never knew and an irksome stepfather I never really liked. L's past is something of a tale, far more… troubled than my own. I have no right to tell it. He doesn't want to tell, and therefore I don't feel the need to share it with you."

Anna huffed, obviously disappointed. I began making my way back into the living room to sit on the couch beside Anna. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't disappointed myself. "Can you give little things? Good pieces, maybe?"

Sam looked to the ceiling, rubbing the back of her head somewhat restlessly. I was surprised when she actually began to tell us something. "…L was a smart kid, and his mind developed quickly. His father told him that when he was only an infant – a toddler, even – his wide grey eyes would be always open, taking in the world around him. At only a year old, he understood things, even though he didn't speak. There was a day, in the spring, when L found a robin's egg on the ground and held it gently. He knew it belonged in a nest, and he knew that a baby bird was inside. But he dropped it, being only one, and he cried so hard because he knew he'd just killed a baby bird…." Her mouth quirked into a smile. "His mother rushed toward him to see what was wrong, and it took a minute or so to figure out he was crying because of the bird, not because he was hurt."

Anna blinked. "L cried?"

Sam looked at her blankly.

"Of course he cried," I told Anna. "Children always cry, even if they grow up to be emotionless and stoic." I smiled myself. "Light had a cat when he was little. He cried when he died."

"Aw!" Anna cried. There was a pause, and she furrowed her brow. "Is it fun at the final part of the mind sync?"

Sam and I glanced at one another, then looked back at Anna. "It depends on how you look at it…," I said.

"I can assure you it's not all that creepy once you're there," Sam added.

I smirked. "Told you so, Sam."

"You shut up, Natalie," she muttered.

"Tell me another L story!" Anna implored, looking hopefully up at Sam.

Sam blinked down at her. "Uh… no."

"Please?"

"Maybe."

I chuckled. "Humor us, will you?" I asked.

Sam frowned at me. Then looked up and scowled. "…I hate his uncle…."

"Why?" Anna asked confusedly, cocking her head to the side.

Sam shook her head. "Axbridge. You know he lived in Axbridge. Every September, there was a Blackberry Festival." The ghost of an almost nostalgic smile flickered in her features. "His dad took him there every year."

"A festival?" asked Anna. "Was there rides?"

Sam nodded, then looked at Anna from that far off place she'd been gazing at before. "There were rides in the town square, and floats, and parades, and queens and princesses."

"How cool!" Anna exclaimed.

Sam smiled wistfully. "Yes. He'd go every year; his dad would take him every time, letting him ride on his shoulders; like a piggyback ride. And L would actually smile. L would laugh. L would be almost like a normal child. No matter what, his dad would take him…." Her expression darkened, and she shook her head. "Well, of course he couldn't take him anywhere after he died, but you know what I mean."

I nodded. "Of course." The conversation fell to a buzz of white noise as I concentrated upon another point of view.

A knock on the door, a waiting at the doorstep for the blond, cheerful girl; the bubbly pop idol; the well-known and well-loved model. Misa opened the door and greeted Light brightly. "Hello!" she beamed.

"Hi," Light responded, holding up a bag. It felt like it was I who was holding it; it was I who was speaking. "I brought you some food. Just some small things I know you like."

Misa giggled happily. "Care to have dinner with me, Light?" she asked sweetly, already pulling gently on his arm.

"Of course; I was hoping to," he answered, smiling kindly. He shut the door behind him. "I'm glad you're not giving more of your life away, Misa. I really don't want you to die so soon…."

Misa grinned like a child. "Light, are you kidding? My life doesn't matter, especially not compared to yours!"

Light froze, his movements slowing to a stop. "That doesn't change the fact, Misa, that I don't want you to die anytime soon."

"Misa's glad you care, but Light knows Misa can be stubborn. She just wants to make Light happy!"

Light stared at her, already suspecting. "Misa…."

"Yup!" Misa confirmed brightly, winking. "Misa got the Eyes!" she sang.

I felt a rush of hot anger, but settled for closing my eyes in slight irritation. Misa, you idiot, my thoughts spat. You're trying to get yourself killed, aren't you? I opened my eyes, glaring off into nothing in particular. How much time do you have left now? You say you want to help, but what help can you be if you're dead? I heaved a sigh.

"Is something wrong, Natalie?" asked Sam, looking at me curiously.

"Misa's being annoying," I shrugged. It wasn't entirely a lie.

"She being clingy?" Anna asked.

My mouth twitched. "I guess you could say that. But really, Misa's just being… Misa."

"You probably don't like her now, huh?" Anna grinned. Sam released a bark of laughter, and some of the original Sam flowed back into her features. It made things seem homier.

Nevertheless, I frowned at Anna. "It's not that I don't like her, Anna," I informed her.

"Well, she is naturally annoying," Sam conceded. "I never liked her. Although, she's probably one of my favorite girl characters from Death Note. But then, there aren't very many girls…." Sam squinted thoughtfully. "Should I still be calling them characters? They're real people now…. They've been real people…."

"Who's your favorite girl character, then?" Anna inquired.

Sam snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh. My favorite girl character is Naomi. Naomi Misora. She was epic." Sam frowned. "Too bad Light killed her off early. Bastard."

My eyebrows rose. "Light can hear you, you know."

She smiled sweetly. "I know."

Anna giggled. "Light isn't mean now, though, remember?" she pointed out.

Sam snorted. "I beg to differ."

I gazed at Sam levelly. "Right," I said. "Because he's such a bastard right now. What did he do wrong this time?"

A light innocence softened Sam's features as she relaxed and leaned back casually. "Oh, nothing," she said. "He's just him."

"Well, you're mean, Sam," Anna frowned.

I chuckled, taking on the same casual, care-free, and joking air Sam had. "I guess you're the mean one then, Sam." She's getting as much a habit of lying as L. It should only be expected….

She laughed. "Yes, I'm incredibly evil. I get people to play the Pocky Game, and I force awkwardness upon perfectly normal moments. I'm so cruel!"

"Playing with Matsuda wasn't so bad," Anna shrugged.

"You really should have played with Near," Sam grinned.

Anna glowered at her. "No."

Sam giggled again. "Natalie had to play with her Light, didn't she?"

I furrowed my brow. "My Light? Since when was he my Light?"

"I thought that was established the moment he kissed you," Sam answered, nonchalantly waving her hand in a careless gesture.

I sighed heavily. "You played the Pocky Game with your L, too, though, didn't you?"

Sam stopped laughing. "My L?" she repeated flatly.

Anna was giggling hysterically at our back-and-forth banter at this point.

"Oh, I thought we established L was yours the moment you kissed," I smiled lazily, shooting her comment right back at her.

Sam sputtered. "Fine – I was wrong. Technically, Light's not yours. You're his. He kissed you, didn't he? He started it, he keeps you like he would a treasure! And looking closely, you can tell he's the more dominant mind in the Bond."

I frowned. "How sweet," I taunted, my mouth twisting into a smile, "you and L have each other." I clasped my hands together. "Your love is so beautiful; like a summer rose. Destiny, I say!"

Sam cocked an eyebrow, but she didn't fool me. Her cheeks were turning red. I inwardly smiled. I had the amazing ability to feel incredibly warm, but not appear to blush. This conversation was all a game to see which inner fangirl would die first. Each of us would draw from the calmness of the one we were Bonded to, but eventually one of the inner fangirls would snap, knowing that the very one they fangirled over knew every piece of what they said.

"A summer rose?" Sam repeated, then scoffed. "You're starting to sound cliché, Natalie. Quit it now, before this becomes some sort of messed-up love story. And as for the 'destiny' part, that's hardly true. If anyone, that would be you and Light." She held her hands up. "You go together like this." She folded her hands together, like she was pleading.

I felt myself flush. Sam didn't seem to notice any difference in my facial complexion, so I trusted my amazing inner anti-blush mechanism was working. "What the hell do you mean by that?" I asked, my eyebrows raised.

"Like this," she repeated, then did the motion again. "You fit perfectly together. Like, the perfect match!"

I released a bark of laughter. "Not really." I smiled, but it was forced. I was beginning to die on the inside, but this fangirl war wasn't over yet, no sir. "Light was the one who went out with many a woman, who's skilled in this sort of thing. He could easily get what he wants if he wanted it. I wouldn't be surprised if I were just another girl to him, honestly."

"Oh, Natalie, you know he's not," Sam grinned childishly. "You have the Bond."

I held up a finger to show I wasn't finished. "My point is, you've made the greater accomplishment. Light is open to any relationship. L had no experience with girls whatsoever. You saved him from being forever alone, and you utterly twisted his character if you managed to get him to fall for you. He must really love you if you got him, of all people, to kiss you."

Sam flushed. "…Oh…."

I was silently glad I knew how to hide any fangirlisms I had, while I could see clearly when she was near her limit. "Besides, you've been pretty much living together for awhile now. You're practically married!"

Sam went a deep red. "We're obviously not married!" she snapped. "We work together, and that's all." She smiled at me teasingly, quirking an eyebrow. "If anyone were to get married, it'd be you and Light. Mello and Near and L don't seem like the type to marry; with Light it's perfectly reasonable!" She giggled happily, the blush slowly draining from her cheeks as she swerved the attention back to me. "It's so cute!"

I gazed at her dully, ignoring the heat in my own cheeks. Anna seemed to be enjoying herself, just watching us. "Cute?" I repeated. "What's 'cute?'"

"You and Light!" she squeaked happily.

"How the hell is that cute?!" I protested. "It's… it's…."

"Beautiful," Sam beamed, making an invisible rainbow with her hands.

My eye twitched. "No."

"Well, I mean, I can see it now!" she exclaimed, looking excitedly into space as she constructed her little fantasy. "You'd get married, and he'd either move in here or you'd move out of the house, and you'd have children, and—"

"Dear lord, Sam, you're creeping the hell out of me," I grumbled.

She laughed.

"Come now," I teased, "whatever happened to the creepy child you said you'd have with L? You'd move to France together, and have that odd child that can see right through you."

"What?" Anna asked, obviously amused. And confused. She wasn't there when we had that conversation….

Sam laughed harder. "Yes," she replied, her voice incredibly sarcastic, "because we all know L would settle down and get married to me!"

"Yep!" Anna grinned, no hint of sarcasm in her tone.

"Now, let's be serious," Sam said calmly, cocking an eyebrow. "Let's try juggling some numbers, then. How many times have you and Light kissed?"

"Does the Pocky Game count?" inquired Anna.

"Yes," Sam smiled, her eyes dancing. She thought she'd won, then.

"I'll assume you mean actual kisses, then," I said, feigning a sense of calm contemplativeness, like I was actually taking this seriously. "I'd say… four times, including the Pocky Game. What—?"

"Wait," Anna interrupted. "Did you count the pecks on the lips he gives you sometimes when he leaves?"

I frowned deeply. "I didn't count those. If anything, they should count as half."

"They should count!" Sam snapped.

"As half," I repeated. "That brings it to five."

"Count them as whole," Sam persisted.

I eyed her. "Six."

"Yes!" Anna cheered.

"What about you?" I asked Sam, leaning casually toward her.

She thought a moment. "Four," she said.

"Including the Pocky Game?" Anna asked.

Sam pursed her lips. "…Six."

"Tie!" Anna cried, raising her arm. She paused. "…What are we competing on, anyway?"

Both of us looked at Anna, glanced at each other, and grinned as we looked back at her. "So, Anna…" I asked nonchalantly, "…how about you and Near?"

"Don't lie," Sam smirked.

Anna scowled, glowering at the both of us. We were so cruel. Ha.

B, of course, had to travel back to LA from Japan to pick up his supposedly missing child. It wasn't hard to come up with a good disguise; he was well-practiced with disguises, after all. This was obvious. He and Sophia put on a show of being reunited, and finally the effects of the Bond lessened as they made physical contact at last. What do you know, he thought drily, my catatonic schizophrenia is cured. They stayed in LA one night – on the twenty-fourth – and they soon got on a plane back to Japan. Their newest destination. The next area for the next case, the next challenge, the next plot. He found himself chuckling darkly as he walked into their hotel room. He was looking forward to this….

"Third time's the charm," he remarked, smiling bitterly.

Fun Fact: I think I got the idea for L dropping the robin's egg from my own memory of when I was three and that happened... Hm. I only just realized this now, actually.

Review? For snippets of L's past? :3