CHAPTER 22

FAMILY

V'S POV

Was this not supposed to be nice? I was not sure; I had never been on a date before.

L, Light and I were sitting in Misa's room, in the new building L had built, having cake and coffee. This building was quite nice also. It was cosy, strong and the most perfect place to work. L had done well.

Too bad this date could not be any better. Though I had never been on a date before, I was sure it was not meant to be this awkward. We were all sitting there quietly, waiting for something to happen. Or perhaps that was just me. But the point I am trying to get across is that this is very uneventful, and I am rather disappointed in it. I would not be here if I had not lost to Kira while he was locked up.

"Man, this has got to be the lamest date I've ever been on," Misa complained. Well, at least you have been on a date that was not as lame as this.

"No, no, no, no, please, just pretend I'm not even here, okay?" L replied with a spoon at his lips. "By the way, are you gonna eat that piece of cake?" I was half tempted to say no and that it would be my cake, but I decided it would be better if he had it, because lately he has seemed rather sad. He must not be used to being close to being wrong. But then again, neither am I, so we both had the right to have the cake . . . but I am obviously far more emotionally stable compared to L, so, it would be best to allow him to have it.

"Cake makes you fat, I'm not gonna eat any."

"Actually, I find that you don't gain any wait as long as you burn celeries by using your brain," L mumbled, pointing to his bed-headed hair.

"So now you calling me stupid?!"

"No, Misa, you are stupid," I told her, matter-of-fact. She glared daggers at me, then crossed her arms, sat up straighter with her chin up and turned her head away.

"Whatever, that little comment just put you on the bottom of my 'favourite Misa-Misa fan' list." She had a list? And she thought I was a part of it? She is just getting stupider and stupider by the second.

"I was unaware I was even a part of this list, Misa." She turned back to me, she face showing confusion and anger.

"What do you mean? You said you were a fan!"

"It is called acting, Misa. Something you could learn, since you are the other Kira." All confusion was gone now, all that remained was anger.

"I'm not the second Kira!" Then I said the one thing that was to annoy her most at that moment.

"Alright, whatever." Yep, her was fuming with rage, but said and did nothing.

"So . . ." L cut in after a few seconds of awkward silence. "Can I have the cake?" Misa began yelling again, only this time she was smirking evilly.

"Fine! But only if you two"— She gave me a pointed look. —"leave me and Light alone!"

"Even if we leave you two alone, we'll still be watching through covalence cameras, so it wouldn't make any difference."

"You pervert! Will you stop it with you creepy hobby?!"

"You can call me whatever you want," he stated as he stepped on the coffee table and picked up the plate of strawberry shortcake. "Last chance for cake!"

"Okay, then. I'll just close all the curtains and turn off the lights."

"We have inferred cameras in here as well." She frowned, now glaring at L as well as me.

"What's wrong with you," Light suddenly asked. "I thought moving here was supposed to help us catch Kira, but since we've been here you don't seem all that motivated to me." Yes, thank you for stating the obvious, Light, I thought sarcastically.

"Not motivated?" L questioned, pondering the word. "You're right." Light's eyes widened at the sound of his confection. He probably expected so excuse. "Actually I'm depressed."

"Depressed, what for?" L took his fork and took a bite of his cake before explaining.

He told his theory on Kira's power passing between people, and how he believed that Light was being controlled by Kira. Then Light pointed out the fact that if he was correct then it would be nearly imposable to find Kira, and that is exactly why L is sad.

"But at this point we have no way in knowing if that's the case. Cheer up, would ya?"

"Cheer up? No, I'm sorry, I can't. It's probably better if I just stopped trying so hard. By chasing Kira so desperately we're just putting our lives at risk for nothing. Yes, it's just a waits of time." Something was going to happen; I could just see it as Light stood up.

"Ryuzaki." The, out of nowhere, he punched him. Right. In. The. Face! This would have been hilarious if it were not for a simple fact. Light's punch had so much force put into it that L flew right off the couch, and I am chained to him! So, it was only logical that I went flying with him.

Well, I must say, Light has quite an amount of strength, it almost hurt when I hit the wall. L, on the other hand, did not agree. "You know, that really hurt," he complained half-heartedly. Light ignored him and began shouting.

"That's enough! You don't feel like doing anything, just because genius deduction was wrong and I'm not Kira?!"

To be honest, Light was right, L was being rather ridiculous. He could not really mean what he said, could he? Was this a test? Regardless, what happened next was a little more predictable, because unlike before, I fully understood the situation, so I was not predicting through feeling alone. If there was one thing I learnt about L for as long as I have been chained to him . . . no, ever before that, when we first and only kissed, I knew he did not have the kind of nature to simply take the punch when he knew very well it was a symbol of power and control. He would not stand to be over taken. He would always have the last punch, he would always have the last word, and he would always have the last laugh. Me being the only exceptions to that rule, of course.

"Hmm, fine," he admitted through a moaning growl. "Perhaps I phrased that the wrong way. I meant it would be pointless for us to make a move so we shouldn't ever bother—"

"If we don't chase Kira he'll never be court! Is that what you want?! If you were just gonna give up then why did you involved all those incessant people?!" He stormed over to L and grabbed him by his shirt collar. "The task force, me, Misa, even V!" Wait, what?! "What was the point in any of it?!"

"I understand. But still, whatever the reason . . ." He pulled his body back so he was out of Light's grip, only so he could . . . kick him. In. The. Face. "An eye for an eye, my friend." I believe it was completely safe to say that L's kick was fare stronger then Light's punch, which only meant the three of us went flying higher. The room was filled with L and Light's shouts as we all landed on the couch, but I remained silent (only letting in a gasp). That is, until I saw the exact position L and I had landed in. When we landed on the couch we made it fall back, causing us all to roll onto the floor, leaving L on top of me, hands grasping my wrists and faces inches apart.

"Well, L, does this not bring back any pleasant memories?" I asked through a pure, but he was unable to answer as he got right off of me and into a defensive position, facing Light.

While they were acting stupid, I got some time to think. What did Light mean when he said 'even V'? I am not incessant, surely he must know that much. Besides, I got involved because I wanted to be. L has forced me to do nothing, everything that I have gone was performed on my own freewill, even when he drugged me and put me in a sell, I let him do it, if not encouraged him to. What could Light mean? Hmm, perhaps he did not mean it, maybe it just slipped out, he did not mean for it to sound as though he . . . cared about me.

As they fought I made sure to stay close enough that the chain would no longer pull me along, but also that there was enough distance so I did not get involved. Then, the phone rang. I stood up, lazily picked it up and held it in front of my face. "Heeell-o?"

"V! You have to stop them!" Matsuda yelled through a plea. I glanced over at the young, fighting men for a few seconds before smirking, looking away and replied.

"And why would I do that, Matsuda?" I asked playfully.

"Because they're killing each other!"

"No, they are fine," I said simply.

"What do you mean they are fine?! They're getting hurt!"

"Yes, that tends to happen when one is to get into a fist fight."

"V! Be serious!"

"I am."

"No you're not!"

"Oh, then I am not serious."

"But you just said you are."

"Oh, yes, I did. Then I am serious."

"No you're not!"

"But, Matsuda, you just stated the point that I said I am serious, and I am never wrong."

"What? Yes you are! Everyone makes mistakes."

"Not me, Matsuda, not me."

"Yeah, well. . . Hey, you're just trying to distracting me!" I scoffed.

"You saw through that, did you?"

"V—" Then I hung up, dropping the phone on the phone holder. At least he is not as stupid as he was when I first meet him.

I continued to watch the fight. It was very . . . interesting, but I could not help but feel something wrong about it. It did not feel as though they were fighting out of anger from the argument. Something was off. Or I could just be wrong and over thinking as L claims he is. "S-stop! Stop it!" Misa yelled once she recovered from her shock. "Stop it now!" She stepped closer, but accidently slipped over the squished up cake on the floor and was about to fall right in the middle of the fight, and that would only end with an unconscious Misa covered on bruises, a guilty Light and a . . . well, L. She was lucky that I jumped in instead, affectively pushing her out of the way, replacing her fate.

Pain, is what she would have felt. No, more like agony. How I know this is simple. For when I jumped in the first thing that hit me was Light's fist, violently forcing me back, but the chain grip on my hand was too strong, so when it reached its pull length it made me stop, almost pulling me forward by my wrist. I heard a popping noise, I heard gasps, for everyone in the room, I heard shouts and I heard glass braking as I fell onto the table on the furthest side of the room, my body colliding against the vases of flowers and antics.

All I could say to that is . . . ouch. All these years of being a criminal I had ran from the most capable and skilled of FBIs, spies, police and detectives, each time getting away with as little as a scratch, but in the turn of events of just a few second and I had been as broken as I had ever thought I would be. Cuts all on my arms, legs, body and face. I almost passed out from the hard hit on my head when falling onto the table. Blood was . . . everywhere, and yet, the pain was still . . . bearable.

"V-V?" Light's voice shoot. "Are . . . are you . . ." Alright? Alive? Is that what he wanted to ask? The answers would have been no and yes. I was alive, but I was not okay. This hurt, physically. That was something I have not felt in a long time.

"V?" L asked softly. "Are you . . . okay?" I said nothing, I did not even move. I heard Light walk closer, but was stopped, most likely by L.

"But, Ryuzaki, she's not moving! She's not okay!"

"Yes, I'm aware of that, but after what just happened, I doubt her would want you anywhere near her." That was not entirely true; I did not hate Light, though I was a little angry at him for hitting me, but the hit was meant for L, so it was not that bad.

Light did not remained silent. "V, are you conscious?" The sound of his voice . . . the way he said them, he sounded concerned and . . . pitiful. How dare he! I was not one to except pity, not unless I was trying to get it for some plan. So, to show him he did not need to pity me, I tried to stand, pushed myself up off the floor slowly, hoping not to break anything as I did so.

"I am fine," I grumbled. When I was fully up I looked down, examining my body. There were a lot more cuts then I had originally predicted there would be, so my clothes were almost completely torn off and I was covered in blood. This would have been appealing if it were not for the fact that it was my blood I was soaked in. This brought back old memories that I could not help but smile at.

FLASHBACK

"Interesting tactics," I observed as B killed his victim. I had only just shown up to watch the show, so he did not know I was here until now.

"Thank you, and I have been expecting you, I have a gift for you in the bathroom." I smiled and cocked my head to the side.

"Is that so?"

"Yes, why don't you go see it?" I nodded before walking off towards the bathroom. I had no idea what he could have possibly gotten me, and I became concerned weather it was some kind of trap or not. Though I had high hope he would be do something like that, I also knew that he was a serial killer, and an unpredictably one at that, so I had to keep on guard.

Just as I stood in front of the door I smelt it. Blood. What had he done? I slowly opened the door and there was . . . a bath of blood! Though it was not completely full, it was blood nevertheless.

"Do you like it?" he asked as he stepped behind me. Did I like it? Absolutely.

"Yes, I do like it."

"Go ahead then," he encouraged, motioning his hand towards my gift. "Have a swim, Elizabeth Bathory."

END OF FLASHBACK

I miss B, my dearest friend.

"V? Are you alright?" Light was pacing at this point. He was so guilty and ashamed it was almost funny. "I'm so sor—"

"I think my wrist has been dislocated," I told L as I moved my hand around. Yes, it is defiantly dislocated. I grabbed it with my other hand, prepared to push it back into the socket.

"V, I'm—" This time he was cut off by the revolting sound of a crack as I pushed. I hurt for a second before the pain went away completely. Once that was done I began pulling some remaining glass out of my arms until Watari came to help.

"Thank you," I murmured as he helped me stand up straighter.

"You're quite welcome."

"V, I—" I did not let him finish, I just left the room with him, Misa and L following, allowing Watari to lead me to the nursing room that had all the equipment I would need to heal myself faster. I would not allow him to do it for me, it was bad enough he was helping me walk.

Later, when I had bandaged my hand and some parts of my legs, Light had tried specking to me.

"Look, V, I am so, so sorry. I didn't mean to . . . hit you. I didn't mean—"

"Yes, I know."

"No, you don't, please, V, I'm—"

"You're babbling, and that is the last thing I want right now, Light." He was silent after that, but Misa was not.

"Y-you . . . you got hit," she stated, staring at me as though I had been kicking a puppy to death. "You got hit in the face."

"Yes, Misa, that is why I am in here," I said slowly, speaking to her as though she were a small child, and in a way, I suppose she was.

"Y-you pushed me out of the way. You saved me." Saved?

No, that was an over-exaggeration. I may have prevented her from getting a few scratches and bruises, but the hit was not life threatening, the worst that could have happened was if she got a concussion or stared to bleed to death, but Watari would have attended her before anything too bad were to happen.

"I would have gotten hurt." That this point I did not know what to expect from her. She looked as though she were about to pass out, or cry. Well, she did cry, but she did so while . . . hugging me! She through her arms around me, squeezing me as though I were some stuffed toy. "THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO MUCH!"

"Misa," I squirmed, grimacing at the pressure of her grip on my wounded body. "Please get off of me."

"Oh!" she gasped, releasing me immediately. "I'm sorry! I'm just so grateful you did that for me and I have no way to repay you so now I'm sad about that and so the only way to make it up to you is by giving you a makeover!" she squealed all in one breath. Makeover? I thing not!

"Thank you for the offer, Misa," I smiled, pushing her further away from me. "But we do have more important things to attend to."

Yotsuba. Light's theory is quite right. Kira is involved in the company.

"Hey, chief, oh, you too, Mogi, we got some great news!" Matsuda said when Mr. Yagami and Mogi walked into the building. "This is amazing. I'm not even sure how he figured it out, but Light has a theory that Kira is somehow involved with the Yotsuba group. Can you believe it?!" the look on their faces told me something was wrong. I was looking forward to it, whatever it was.

"Yotsuba?"

"U-umm, yes." Mr. Yagami put his hand on Matsuda's shoulder. Something was terribly wrong.

"That's probably it, good work." Matsuda nodded. "We just spoke with the director and it seems Kira's offered a bribe to a number of politicians. So that's that, the police caved into him." Almost everyone gasped. Yes, that is not good at all.

"So what you are saying is that if you all continue this investigation, then you will be fired, correct?"

"Yes, V, that's right." I thought so. This was going to be tricky. I knew Matsuda, Mr. Yagami and Mogi would stay, but I was unsure about Aizawa. He had a family he needed to support . . . hmmm, it all depends on whether L will tell him about the orders he gave Watari or not. He told him if any of the members were to lose their jobs for any reason then their family's future will remain supported.

"You and Mogi are staying, are you not?" I questioned, not turning my eyes on them, they remained on the monitors.

"Yes."

"Good. Well then, if that is the case than it is important that you all decide carefully."

"Yeah, that's true," Matsuda agreed. "Especially if you got a family to support."

"If you want my opinion, you'd be better off police officers," L cut in. The members turned to him in question. "I was alone when I started this case, and although I am grateful to all of you for staying as long as you have . . . I know that I can do this by myself. I'll be sure to visit you at the department and bring you . . . Kira's head as a reward for all that you've sacrificed."

"L," I spoke up. "You will not be alone. I will not walk away from this case, not now . . . I cannot. You will not be alone, not so long as I am breathing, and that will be for a long time."

"Yeah," Light agreed, clenching his hand into a fist in passion of his words. "I'm with V; I will not leave you alone for this. We won't. As she said, we can't."

L smiled slightly at the thought. "Hmm, that's right; I'll have V and Light working with me until I catch Kira, so I won't be alone after all. But as I said, I think the rest of you should remain police officers."

"But when you first contacted us you said that you would need the help of the police in order to solve this case," Mr. Yagami protested.

"That's because the police is an organization we're still hoping to arrest Kira." He gently picked up some barriers, preparing to eat them. "They went bowing to him. Besides, with all due respect, there's a big difference between the help of two or three civilians and the police as an organization." He popped them into his mouth and spoke with a mouthful. "As you said, the police will fire you because they don't want to catch Kira, so let's just leave it at that." And when he was finished eating them he spat seeds back into the bowl.

"Well, I suppose what you're saying makes sense, if we're not police officers anymore we won't be of much use to you. However, we're all personally involved in this. All of us have risked our lives to catch Kira! Doesn't that give us, the right to decide, weather we stay here of return to the police force."

L took the berry stem out of his mouth. "Good point. Then by all means, please make your decision."

"B-but chief, even if you do catch Kira, when this case is over . . . what're you gonna do after that?" I mentally answered Aizawa's question. He will dust off his résumé, of course.

After Mr. Yagami repeated exactly what I thought Matsuda said, "Count me in! I'm gonna quite the police and chase Kira too, Chief!" I drained out most of what he said and turned my attention to Aizawa. He looked so hesitant and uncertain. This must be difficult for him, how could he choose between his family and Kira? This really would be hard.

"Matsuda," I interrupted halfway through his blabbing. "Please be more aware of other people." And that was how his decision was made. I could tell he was probably going to choose his family as any responsible father would, but we were rudely interrupted by Watari, asking why L had not mentioned the future family support order he had given. L dismissed him; Aizawa got mad and stormed not, claiming to leave the task force for good, but I knew that was not completely true, he would come back, weather it was tomorrow or next month was the only question.

I had to check, I had to make sure. Talking to him personally was the only way to determine a date, so I left, letting no one know I was leaving.

The park, I mused, observing the trees and sky. I must say I did not expect Aizawa to come here of all places, but then again, it was completely natural to go to such a soothing place when under such pressure.

I heard a deep, manly sigh coming right from behind me, and when I turned it happened to be no other then Aizawa himself. He was sitting back on a park bench, looking tiered and sad. I slowly walked around the bench and sat next to him.

"Aizawa?" I asked softly. He turned his head, his eyes widening when he saw me.

"V? What're you doing here? Are you even allowed?"

"Not really, no."

He frowned and turned away. "Fine. What do you want?"

"I want to talk." He did not reply. "I am sorry about L, it was wrong of him to trick you."

"What would you know of right and wrong?! Your whole life consists on wrong." He was right.

"I know, that is why people believe me to be evil. I do wrong, and I do it knowingly. But Kira is doing wrong whilst thinking he is doing good. That is what makes him a psycho." He did not say anything, so I continued. "You know, Aizawa, we are much alike."

"I'm nothing like you!"

"Yes you are. You left something important to you for family." He snarled.

"You don't have family." I should not tell him this. It would be dangerous but I figured it was for a good cause.

"Not by blood," I argued. "Aizawa, I am going to tell you a secret of mine. Would you like to hear it?" He, again, sad nothing, he just sighed and looked at me again, motioning with his eyes for me to continue. "Why do you think I joined the task force?"

"For fun."

"That is a reason, but not all of it. I joined because I have family." He looked shocked. He really thought I was alone, and in a way he was right, but I could not bring myself to feel upset about this, as most people would be. It was just a simple fact. "Three boys, though as I said, we are not related by blood, but they are my family nevertheless, and they are the reason I joined. I do not want them to grow up in a world ruled by a psycho, because no matter what, the world will never be perfect, only balanced, and they understand that, and that is what we all want."

I placed my bandaged hand on his shoulder.

"So I will help them and the world in a way that I know only I can. I will keep L alive, I will fine Kira, and I will laugh in his face as he dies." He looked down at his shoes, considering what I had said. "So, please, Aizawa, think about what I said to you today." I then heard a high pitch laughter coming from a little girl around the corner. Time to go. "Please, think about it." With that out of the way I took my hand off his shoulder and quietly walked away, heading back to head quarters.

Hello! I'm sorry this took a while, I would have posted sooner, but I was on vacation at a place with no internet reception. I hope you liked it! Please tell me what you thought, and thank you all for the comments, and have a happy New Year!