Disclaimer: The Maiden of Autumn owns nothing.

Thank you to all the readers and reviewers- please, continue to enjoy the story.

And happy birthday, EveningBlack!


I'm sorry about all of this.

This wasn't what I wanted, you know.

If there was a way to prevent what I know is going to happen…

I'd have done it long ago.

But I can't.

So for now, all I can do is…

Watch. Wait.

And allow things to play out.

I'm sorry.


"Watari, I want you to stay with L today," Light told Watari as he got dressed the next afternoon. He had chosen to go to meet the maker of the steel ally's deliverer instead of anyone else, simply because he wanted to see if he could ask some questions and get some answers.

If the deliverer was the one who always did it, perhaps they would know something about the person who had picked up that order for the same thing he was in need of a year ago.

It was a long shot, but it was something to go off of. Watari had mentioned that Beyond seemed off; Light had a feeling something more complex was brewing underneath the surface, and that there were things that Beyond either wasn't telling them, or wasn't able to tell them.

He'd come this far in his attempts to restore L's mind; the microchip was almost done, and he couldn't allow anything to go wrong. He owed it to L.

Watari nodded, glancing over to where L was lying on the bed, watching Light in interest. But then again, he always watched Light; it was nothing new.

Though Watari sometimes worried about what would happen after L's mind was fixed; a routine had been established and he suspected that Light had unconsciously formed a stronger bond with L than they had suspected. But this was a routine born of the way L was right now; he was attached to Light because of the way his mind was now.

Would that continue to be even after L's mind was restored? He knew of the effects of Stockholm Syndrome, and the lingering feelings of attachment that the captive held to the captor. While this was nothing like a captive situation, Watari worried that there would be lingering resonances of attachment for both Light and L- how would Light take it when L was no longer willing to follow him about and be with him, as he had no doubt grown accustomed to? And would L continue to feel a lingering, subconscious attachment towards Light, a remainder of his time with his altered mind?

And… how would L react, as a human, to the animalistic changes in his body?

Though they had not yet even forayed into reversing the physical alterations on L's body, from his processing of L's DNA, Watari had an inkling of a feeling that the changes Beyond had inflicted on L's DNA to cause these changes were, in all likelihood, permanent.

How would L take this, once he was human in mind once more?

Not well, Watari feared. While L lived a mostly reclusive life, he was by no means totally confined to the buildings in which he worked, and he did catch planes and other modes of transportation that required him to go out into public.

It would be very hard to disguise the changes in L; especially in summer, when gloves to cover his hands and winter boots- which Watari thought were the only thing that might be able to hide L's feet while still maintaining comfort for him- were not needed.

It was a frustrating, worrying situation, and though Watari knew that he needed to take one thing at a time, he couldn't help but worry about the future and what might possibly be coming.

He broke out of his thoughts as he saw L getting up out of the corner of his eyes, yellow eyes lighting up excitedly as he saw Light get his shoes on, knowing instinctively that something was going on.

Light frowned at him as he wriggled his foot around in his shoe, getting it fitted on right. "L, no," Light sighed exasperatedly. "You can't follow after me today, sorry."

Seeing the way L's eyes dimmed and his face bled to a look of disappointment and confusion, Watari's heart went out to his charge. Human-minded or not, L was still his responsibility, his ward, and in a way, his own child. It pained him to see L disappointed over such a simple thing, and that led him to step forwards, taking charge of the situation.

"No, Light. You have more important things to do."

Confused, Light turned to Watari, pausing in buttoning up the coat he had just slipped on. "What do you mean?" Light questioned.

"The microchip is not yet ready for the steel alloy wire- if I remember correctly, the frame for the wire still needs to be placed and glued," Watari explained, nodding to himself. "I'd do it while you were gone, but my eyesight and hands…" he shrugged. "I cannot. However, if you were to stay and do it while I get the alloy wire, I'm sure that the glue for the frame would be dry by the time I got back, and the wire could be welded in. It would actually save time if I were to go and get it," Watari told him.

Light paused, a thoughtful glint coming to his eye, before understanding dawned and a small smile tugged at his full lips. He glanced over to L, whose eyes were flickering uncertainly between the two of them, sensing something different going on, but unsure of what it was.

Finally, with a small chuckle, Light nodded and took off his coat, L perking up as he saw Light doing it, heralding that he was not going anywhere and going to be leaving him behind. "Alright, Watari," Light said good-naturedly. "I'll do that while you go and get the alloy. And then, when you get back, you can tell me how to weld it in, and we'll be that much closer to it being done."

"Actually, Light," Watari reminded him, wondering how Light could have possibly forgotten this, "this… it's the last thing we need to do before the chip is completed."

Light froze, his amber eyes widening as he paused in slipping off his shoes to glance over to Watari. It was… "What?"

"All we have to do is set the wire, place the plastic backing over the chip, and then it's done. It should be done by later this morning; I've called in the doctor and scheduled L's operation for this evening, so that he may sleep off the effects of the anesthesia overnight," Watari told him, feathery white eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Light had to have known; this was what the boy had been working towards for the last few months, after all.

"The doctor will be here in a few hours to take an MRI scan of L's head to determine what needs to be done to remove the broken chip and insert the new one," Watari continued, remembering the appointment he had set up.

"Oh… yes. I… I'd forgotten," Light said softly, placing his shoes off to the side. L slipped off of the bed, slinking down onto the floor to yawn widely and stretch before settling into his crouch, watching Light in interest. "I haven't really looked at the blueprints for awhile, because you've been telling me what I need to do, and I've just been going off of that," Light laughed sheepishly, though there was an odd note to the sound.

God, is the microchip really that close to being done?

"Light, is there something wrong?"

"What?" Light blinked, jerked out of his thoughts by the concerned hand that Watari placed upon his shoulder. With a small, reassuring smile, he waved Watari off, dismissing it. "No, no. Not at all. Oh, look at the time! If you're going to go and meet the contact, you had best get ready, Watari. I'll go and get started on that, so the glue will be ready by the time we get back."

Ducking his head once, Light gestured to L, who immediately sidled up to Light's side and then they left, heading off to the lab, where the chip was being assembled.

Watari stared after Light, admittedly confused for a moment, before it hit him. Light's actions towards L, how they were rarely separated- though it could be argued that it was simply L's attachment to his alpha- everything bespoke…

"I think… ah, I see," Watari whispered quietly, turning way to collect his own coat. "Poor Light. This has really messed everything up, hasn't it? I wonder…. I just hope everything shall turn out in the end."


"Light."

Stopping, Light put down the pair of tweezers that were currently holding a very important piece of the microchip- plastic backing that he had just pulled out of its mold- and turned to face Watari, who was waiting patiently for his attention at the door. L didn't react to the intrusion other than to lift his head up slightly from the corner he was lying in, see who it was, flick an ear, and then lay his head back down.

He seemed to be getting remarkably lax as of late; either that, or boredom was starting to set in. Light really needed to find something for him to do… well, besides bothering Matsuda.

"Yes, Watari?" Light asked politely, glancing back over his shoulder to make sure all of his tools were situated safely on the table. They were delicate and somewhat hard to replace, and a single swipe of his elbow could send them scattering to the floor and breaking. It had happened once before, and since then, Light had been extra careful.

"Misa Amane is here- she wishes to see you," Watari told him, and Light sighed.

Of all days… when they were this close…

Nodding, Light took off his goggles and set them down on the table as well. L perked up at Light's actions, knowing from past experience that Light was cleaning up and therefore, getting ready to go. He rose to his feet, shook himself once and yawned lazily, raising a clawed hand to cover his mouth as he did so.

He waited patiently for Light to finish locking everything up and out of harm's way and then gestured to L to follow him, padding silently after the caramel-haired man.

Watari held open the door for them, telling Light, "She's in the second floor living room," as he passed.

Light nodded in thanks and Watari held up a small bag made from a thick, black material. "I've acquired the alloy- I asked the deliverer if he knew anything about the man Beyond sent to get the alloy a year ago, but he knew nothing," Watari informed him. "I'll finish setting the microchip together- you're no doubt eager to get this done, and I'll be able to do this if I'm very careful. Enjoy your time with Miss Amane."


Misa was indeed waiting for Light. But she wasn't alone.

"Misa… are you sure about this?"

Rem, dear, dear Rem was with her. The Shinigami was attached to her notebook and helped explain what Light wanted her to do and how she would do it. She was an invaluable asset, a dear ally to her cause to support Kira.

And Rem…

As for Rem, she was having serious misgivings about this. It had been bad enough when Light Yagami was manipulating them, but this addition of another person…

She remembered how it all came to pass. Light had already had a backup plan, when it became apparent that L was after them. In the early days of the investigation, L had been closing in, getting so very close to exposing her and Light as Kira 1 and 2. Too much evidence had been building up, and even the rest of the Task Force was starting to convert to L's side- even Soichiro, the staunchest supporter of Light's innocence, was having doubts. As such, Light had had to concoct a new plan, abandoning his original one before it was too late and he was unable to deny being Kira with any conviction anymore.

He had continued with his plan to put himself into solitary confinement- doing so willingly would regain some of his credibility and help reinforce the fact that he was confident he was not Kira. But it would be altered somewhat. He would not go in, suggesting to the Task Force that he had doubts as to his being Kira or not- he would issue a challenge to L, saying that if he was not Kira, then even after he was locked up, the killings would continue, proving that Kira was out there.

L might argue that he had some ability to kill criminals telepathically, but he obviously wouldn't be able to do so as he slept- and L would indeed, witness him sleep while being observed.

Light had had Misa give up her notebook before he went into solitary confinement, as well. He had told Misa that he was planning on offering to do so to cast suspicion off of him, and that he couldn't instruct her on what to do with the notebook while he was in isolation, if she still had it. Misa, of course, gave up the notebook when Light did, leaving them both memoriless.

Light had Rem take it and immediately find someone within the next day to write down criminal's names. He had written down enough criminal's names for a day in advance, in case Rem had trouble finding a person right away. And then, he told Rem that after both of them were proven not-guilty, he wanted Rem to return it to Misa, and then to him as well, to regain his memories.

From the time he gave up the Death Note, all of his responses would be Kira- free, and L would have no choice but to declare them innocent as the killings kept going even after the first day of imprisonment.

Rem had followed Light's instructions to the letter, and it had worked. Light had been fully cleared, as there was no evidence whatsoever to support the fact that he was Kira, though he had chosen to remain and work in tangent with L- something that he had definitely not counted on in his plannings.

He had planned on returning home and regaining the Death Note right after being released, free from any scrutiny from L whatsoever. He hadn't counted on the fact that his non-Kira persona would want to stay at Task Force headquarters where there were too many security cameras to smuggle in the Death Note and hand it off to Light- much less Misa.

This much was apparent.

Rem had found a human who had very willingly agreed to write down criminal's names for Kira- a Kira-supporter, Rem had no doubt of. They had gone along with the plan perfectly, until Rem had tried to take the Death Note back when Light was released.

The person refused. The moment that Rem told that person she needed the Note back because L had released Light Yagami, they had morphed into an entirely different person. They had no plans of truly helping Kira- they had just needed Light Yagami to be released and for L to be relieved from having to watch over him.

From the very beginning, they had not planned on helping Kira- just waiting until the time was right.

They had another use for the Death Note, and it was not to dispose of the criminals in their world.

Now… she was subject to the whims of another human, one even more detestable than Light. Though this Light Yagami… the one without his memories of the Death Note- he was quite likeable. He was not manipulative nor a killer when he was without his Kira- memories, and how much he seemed to care about this L while he was incapacitated was quite honorable in Rem's eyes as well.

Perhaps… if there was a way to keep Light Yagami like this, then maybe she would do it. It was too late for Misa- she had already regained her memories, though Rem had intentionally withheld the knowledge of the Eyes to prevent Misa from making the trade and shortening her lifespan once more.

Yes. If there was some way to prevent what the new owner of her Death Note was planning, she would do it, no matter the cost.


"Hello, Light."

Light closed the door right as Misa stood up from the couch she had been sitting patiently on while waiting. However, he waited until L was through the door before shutting it firmly. And then, he turned to face the blonde woman who had a pleasant smile on her face.

However, something seemed… off. Light had always been a very instinctual person, able to pick up on the slightest nuances in a person's bearing and the slightest hint of a shift of mood within a room. There was an odd tenseness within the room, and as he glanced over at L, the way his ears tilted back slightly and the skin tensed around his slanted wolf-eyes was a good indicator that he wasn't the only one feeling that something was off.

The only one who didn't seem to sense this was Misa, who walked forwards with a warm smile. "Hey, Light!" she said, and then tilted her head over to L, regarding him with a more strained version of the smile she had just graced Light with.

How odd, because she had seemed so receptive of L the last few times she had come to visit them. After the incident that month ago with the experiment in the warehouse, when Misa had helped him to treat L in the infirmary, she had seemed much warmer to L, even going so far as to call him her friend. Light had simply guessed that it was a woman's motherly instincts towards something that was wounded; not that L was in any pain, as his wounds had healed overnight, but hidden as they were under his clothes, she never noticed.

However, Misa's much kinder treatment of L had eventually won him over, converting his strange, hostile suspicion of the woman to a sort of disinterested acceptance, regarding Misa as if she were simply to be tolerated.

But that changed whenever she decided to rub his ears, beckoning him over to her to curl up into a ball next to her, ears perked forwards and chin resting on one of her lace-clad thighs. He was a sucker for ear-rubs, Light had found. Light had spent more than one night drifting off to sleep with L curled up near him, rubbing the coarsely-furred black ears while L's face bled to contentment and a series of low, happy noises issued forth from the back of his throat.

But now… there was an odd, almost sly glint to Misa's eyes, and L shifted away tensely, recoiling, when she stepped closer, yellow eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Hello, Misa," Light replied, trying to return some normalcy to the room and attempting to brush off the odd feelings. He suspected that maybe it was some lingering tension from working on the chip; it was so close to being completed. With every day of progress that brought him closer to completing the chip, his mixed apprehension and excitement grew. Excitement, because he couldn't wait for L to return to being the brilliant human he was a little more than a year ago, but also apprehension, because some dark, doubting part of Light continuously whispered that Beyond had tricked them, that this wouldn't work and he'd have gotten his hopes up for nothing, because he had failed and L would remain like this forever.

It was at the times that the doubt threatened to overwhelm him that he remembered his promise- that even if L's human mind never returned to him, he'd remain at L's side no matter what. It made him feel more confident, and he'd usually be able to shake off those black thoughts and get back to doing what needed to be done.

Though there was another thought that often accompanied that doubt- a secret, almost sick desire for L to remain as he was, just because he'd gotten so used to L constantly following loyally at his side, curled up into a warm ball against his chest in bed, or dozing peacefully in the corner, a quiet, comforting presence.

That would all disappear in an instant once L was one more in possession of his human mind, and Light dreaded that day with a passion, even as the thought that maybe he didn't want L to get better reminded himself horribly of Beyond Birthday. And the thought that he was similar in any way to the demented fuck was a disturbing thought.

It were these thoughts that were always the hardest to banish, because they were so true, and he knew it, and there was no excuse he could make that would make them go away. He simply had to wait for something to come along and distract him. They were terrible, these thoughts, and lately, he had found them creeping up upon him whenever his mind was idle and the microchip's completion date loomed ever closer.

But was he so wrong to desire something like that? For so long, he'd had no desire to keep someone with him, to become truly intimate with them. And then L had come along, and they'd become friends through some bizarre means, when he'd been released from solitary confinement free of any charge of being Kira.

L had still wanted to monitor him just to make completely sure, and soon enough, he had fallen into an easy friendship with the other man, delighted at finding someone who was actually worth spending time with, someone who was truly brilliant and was a pleasure to work with, whom he could bounce ideas off of and make progress with instead of feeling constantly bogged down.

And he'd been so very angry, so determined to get his friend back after that insane man had kidnapped him.

But… he'd gotten L back, yes. But then… there was this thing that had cropped up, not the attraction, because he could deal with that, but there was this insane, overwhelming desire to keep L at his side and with him at all times. He'd gotten so used to L being there, it would feel wrong for him not to be. Light needed, wanted, desired L to be with him always, and it was this that caused the sick little thoughts to plague him at the most inopportune of moments, whispering into his mind that it would be easy for he and L to stay as they were now- just crush the microchip, call it an accident, and he'd have gained more time with L.

These thoughts made him want to retch, and whenever they slipped into his consciousness, he desperately pushed them back to the back of his brain, trying to erase them from existence.

He felt, sometimes, as if these were not his own thoughts that crept into his mind. That thought, out of all others, disturbed him the most. It brought memories of the Kira investigation- oh, how his brilliant mind could recall them so clearly, taunt him with theories that perhaps, what if…

No. it had been done, closed for over a year. He had been cleared of all charges- there was no way.

But… what if it had? L had speculated that Light had lost his memories being Kira. Deep down, Light feared that these memories were slowly beginning to return, to creep forwards once more within his mind and taint his thoughts and feelings.

But he had not been Kira!

At least… he hadn't thought so. And that he was unsure was frightening, because while there was no hard evidence to prove that he wasn't Kira, there was also no touchable, tangible evidence to prove that he wasn't.

"Hello? Are you alive in there?"

A hand waving in front of his face brought Light back to the present and he blinked, seeing Misa standing before him, peering at him with an expression of mixed, long-suffering amusement and inquisitiveness. There was something in her eyes, though… something that remained off and Light was disturbed to think that it seemed almost… malicious.

Clever, cunning, and foxlike.

Shaking his head to clear it, Light stepped back from her, eyes shifting over to L. He was still regarding Misa with a healthy amount of distrust, suspicion heavily evident in his gleaming yellow eyes. "Misa…" Light greeted, returning his attention to her. He offered a small smile, though his eyes analyzed her, attempting to see where she was off. "It's good to see you again."

She beamed then, a smile filled with joy. "It's wonderful to see you again, too, Light. It feels like it's been awhile."

"Yes, it has," Light tentatively agreed, holding his arm out in the direction of the couch in an inviting gesture. "Let's sit. I've been standing all day, and my legs are somewhat tired. The process of returning L's humanity to him doesn't allow a lot of time for sitting," he smiled almost apologetically.

This, of course, wasn't true. But Misa was treating L differently than she had before, was behaving differently. Direct the conversation onto L subtly, and see how she would react to him.

L perked up at the sound of his name, and though he sidled along after Light, he stayed very close to him and made no attempt to go near Misa, as he would have on other occasions. He was quite obviously avoiding Misa.

Strange.

"Oh, I've almost forgotten- I have something for you," Misa told Light brightly as they settled down upon the soft cushions of the couch. L stayed on the opposite side of Light, eyes never wavering in their assessment of Misa. He shifted subtly closer to Light, and he could feel the tenseness coiled within L's muscles as he brushed up against him.

He brushed this off, however, and redirected his attention to Misa. "What would that be?" he enquired politely, tilting his head to the side in curiosity. It was rare that Misa had something to give him…

She gave him a secretive little smile and leaned down to pull a pink bag onto her lap, fingers idly pulling at the pink tissue paper. "Well now, silly, you'll have to open it for yourself and see. It would ruin the surprise if I were to tell you," she laughed as she held the bag out, proffering it to Light, her blue eyes sparkling with mirth and excitement.

He eyed it with a measure of wariness, disliking the abundance of pink. "Um, Misa… the pink…"

She nodded in understanding, a sympathetic grimace flashing across her features. "Yes, I know. It wasn't my ideal choice either, but the store was out of other decorative bags and this was the only color they had. And I really didn't want to wait until they got a new shipment in to give this to you."

Light could detect a slight untruth in Misa's voice- and there was something suspicious in her saying that the store was almost out of bags. It was Tokyo, and there were numerous other stores that were open and available to acquire a gift bag from. Why she didn't simply go to another store was somewhat confusing to Light, but Misa… she had never really made much sense to him.

Nonetheless, he accepted the bag, gingerly grasping the pink thing between two fingers in a mimicry of the way L used to hold things. He tentatively fingered the pink tissue spilling from the bag, flicking his eyes up to see Misa smiling and waving her hands in a 'go-ahead' motion.

Sighing, Light ripped the paper away from the bag, feeling something heavy thump inside of it. Brows furrowing, Light removed the rest of the tissue paper, missing the excited gleam of anticipation in Misa's eyes. L didn't miss it, however, and his lip curled in the beginnings of a snarl, sensing something wrong.0

Peering inside, Light saw the corner of something black peeking out from the tissue paper.

What the…?

Light's brows furrowed in confusion as he tipped the bag to its side, over his lap. There was a rustling and shifting from the bag, and then with a last thump, a black, square object slid out from the pink bag and landed in Light's lap. It appeared to be a simple black notebook, with no markings or the such on the outside.

He tilted his head up, raising an eyebrow at Misa's delighted expression. He gesture to the notebook in his lap. "What is this?"

Misa rolled her eyes. "It's a notebook, silly," she grinned. "I thought you might want a notebook in case you want to document your time here. A keepsake, a memory for all that you've accomplished."

Oddly touched, Light felt a small smile start at his lips. He hadn't thought of that; that he might want something to recall his experiences working under the famed L when all this was over. "Thank you, Misa," he began, reaching down for the notebook to better examine it.

However, just as his fingertips were about to touch the front cover, there was an angry snarl from his side and a flash of black as L grabbed the notebook and vaulted over his lap, landing gracefully on the carpet some feet away.

"L!" Light stood to his feet but paused when he saw L's hostile stance. His ears were flattened back and tail held straight up, bristling in anger. His yellow eyes were locked firmly on Misa, slitted into furious slivers of yellow and a hateful snarl twisted his lips.

Light felt a flash of apprehension go through him- it was almost like that time back in the cells those months ago, when they had first found L and brought him back. L had looked like this then, too- and he had tried to kill Light.

What had happened?

"L?" Light tried tentatively, taking a step forwards. He froze, however, when L let angry growl rip from his throat, eyes flitting over to Light. He backed away, black notebook still clutched firmly in hand, shoulders hunching over protectively as he eyed Misa and Light.

"Light?" Misa asked, and there was a tremble in her voice- funny, it almost sounded… angry, Light thought. Not fearful, as he would have guessed, but furious. Glancing back, he saw that Misa's fists were clenched, face black and livid. Upon seeing Light's questioning glance, something passed deep within her eyes and they opened wide, shock and fear flitting through them and settling onto her face.

The change was unsettling, and once again, Light was overtaken by the sense that something was absolutely off about Misa.

"Light? What… what's he doing?" Misa said, backing away as L let out a disturbing sound that seemed to be a mix of both a hiss and a growl.

"I…I'm not sure," Light admitted, shaking his head. And he wasn't. Why had L taken the notebook?

Stepping forwards, Light reached a hand out to L, only to have the man back away, face twisting into a snarl and fingers clenching around the black notebook, lethal nails digging into the front cover. His ivory teeth flashed into sight for a brief moment before L whirled and loped out of the room, streaking away from them before Light could react.

"Hey!" Misa cried, shock and a strange sense of rage lacing her voice as she ran after L, Light quickly following behind her.


This… this thing had a bad feeling to it. Rotting and corrupted, just like the black-haired human.

Hearing the cries of his alpha and the yellow-haired human that had the same rotting sense of darkness surrounding her, he stopped, torn between wanting to go back to his alpha, to heed his commands that L could pick up with his keen ears and the desire to take this thing far away from his alpha. He would do anything to keep his alpha from becoming corrupted by the same festering rot that pervaded the aura of both this book and the human that had attempted to give it to his alpha.

For this was the source of the corruption; the yellow-haired human had not had the darkness surrounding her before she had come here with this thing, and there was such a horrible sense that this gave off… it raised the hackles on the back of his neck to even be near it, and even now, it was sending horrid chills running though his being to be close to the source of such darkness.

This thing was infective in its corruptiveness, and L knew with absolute certainty that he must not allow his alpha to be exposed to it.

He would die at the angry claws of his alpha for blatantly disobeying him before he allowed his alpha to touch this.

Decided, L flattened his ears, attempting to block out the calls of his alpha and the corrupted human that were gradually getting louder, and clutching the malicious black thing to his chest, he started up again, loping swiftly down the halls. His keen yellow eyes searched relentlessly for a place to hide, to remain undetected until he could get rid of this thing and get it away from his alpha.

However, he saw nothing- only a long array of closed entrances that he had trouble opening because of the length of his claws, and he whined in frustration and desperation as he saw the end of the hall approaching. At this rate, he'd have to turn back, and he didn't think he could face his alpha, knowing what he had done.

Coming to a halt at the end of the hall, L shifted restlessly on clawed, arched feet, ears flattened back as he whipped his head around, attempting to figure out what to do.

A creaking noise from his right made him snarl and jump away, flashing his fangs in a warning gesture- only to stop as he saw that it was one of the things blocking an entrance swing open. His ear flicked as he assessed the door, curious as to what had caused it to open suddenly, when the distant sound of his name being called by a familiar voice reached his ears.

Eyes widening at the realization that his alpha was getting closer, L reacted instinctively and dove through the door, not noticing as a bony hand shut it silently behind him.

His head whipped around as he took in the empty, darkened room- and then, his eyes locked onto a desk pushed off to the corner of the room. He knew from past experience that the front was covered up, but there was a space under it, where humans put their legs under while working.

Thinking quickly, L padded around it, black square still clutched tightly in hand, and kneeling down, slid under the desk, contorting his flexible body into a comfortable ball so that no part of his body was sticking out. The black square was pressed safely against his chest, tail tucked firmly around his body, and lying his head against the floor, he slowly stilled his breathing, ears pricked as he awaited any sign that his alpha or the other blonde human was coming and would discover him.


Rem was not stupid, as many people might have thought. There were times, she admitted, that her love for Misa made her do foolish things that were not well-thought out, but this was not one of them.

She had had ample time to figure out what Misa was doing with the Death Note, and knew enough to see what would happen if everything went according to a certain disgusting human's plan and Light Yagami regained his memories and the Death Note.

There was a reason she had made herself scarce, telling Misa that she had business in the Shinigami Realm to attend to and would not be around. If one has business in the Shinigami Realm such as I do, Rem had explained patiently to Misa, then the rule that bids me to stay close to the possessor of my Note is void until that business is taken care of.

That was an outright lie, of course, but Misa had not thought to challenge that, as wrapped up as she was in her plans to slip Light the Death Note covertly. That single-mindedness had allowed Rem to think and ponder in silence. She knew what Misa was planning to do, how she was planning to get Light the Death Note- the girl had a penchant for talking to herself- and Rem's cunning intelligence had come into play.

Sneakily, while Misa was making her dinner, Rem had snuck into the living room and taken the pink bag and tissue paper the Death Note had come to Misa in, phasing up through the ceiling and stashing it away on the roof of the apartment complex.

From there, still intangible, she had waited with unshakeable patience until Misa had finished eating and come back to finish re-packaging the Death Note to give to Light the next day. However, upon discovering the bag missing- Oh, I must have misplaced it… ah, well. I suppose that there were a few things I needed from the store anyway…- Misa had set out to the nearest store to buy a bag and a few other items she needed.

Rem, never far behind, had followed Misa, and going as far as she was allowed, had phased into a store, stealthily life a black notebook that was the same as the unmarked Death Note Misa had been given, and then waited until Misa was done and on her way home, keeping away from Misa's eyes the whole time.

Then, she had simply had to wait until the next day for her chance, when L took the Death Note, as Rem was sure he would. She had thought that L, with his keen senses, would be able to ascertain the true nature of the notebook of death- and take it to prevent Light from touching it and potentially being harmed by it.

And now, the time was perfect- everything that Rem had needed to happen would.

She silently closed the door and stepped around to the side of the desk, bending over to peer under it. Yellow eyes met her own, widening in surprise momentarily before they narrowed and black ears flattened back, a warning growl rumbling from the detective's chest.

"Quiet," Rem said softly, her tone commanding, and L stopped, staring at her, assessing her. Tentatively, his eyes and tense demeanor relaxed- for her tone was that of a commanding alpha's, and L's instincts told him to listen to this new, strange creature.

The bony creature did not have any sense of malevolence about it- her, as he could sense that it was female in mind if not in body. The absence of any sort of negative feelings set L more at ease and tentatively, he raised his head slightly to sniff in her direction curiously.

She allowed this, and then Rem held out the black notebook that was in her hand- the exact same as L was gripping tightly, claws digging small holes into the front of the cover. "Here," Rem insisted quietly, proffering the ordinary notebook to the detective, reaching out an empty hand in a gesture that signified she wished to exchange.

And L, in a primal, instinctive way, understood.

Yellow eyes widened and ears pricked forwards interestedly as he took in the notebook Rem was holding out, sniffing it tentatively. It held no dark, malicious aura as the one he was holding, and it looked the same as the one he held.

After analyzing the situation and understanding that Rem wished to trade, L released the bad black notebook from the strangling deathgrip his clawed fingers held it in, letting it fall onto the floor. Then, he stretched out his neck, gently took the other notebook in mouth, and leant down his head to nudge the rejected black notebook towards Rem with his nose.

In his own wolfish way, he was glad that he was being offered the chance to dispose of the thing that had such a dark aura about it.

Grateful that her plan had been pulled off without any problems, Rem took hold of the Death Note and after inclining her head to L in a gesture of respect, she quickly stood and left the room in triumph, phasing through the ceiling and other floor and ceilings until she reached the roof of the building.

Clutching the Death Note tightly in bony hands, a pleased smile tilted Rem's purple lips upwards, a hint of fang peeking through her lips.

The owner of this Death Note would be very displeased.

And for Rem, that was a very, very good thing indeed.


"I don't know where he could be," Light admitted as he and Misa came to the end of the hall, coming to a halt and looking around. Gesturing to the doors, he explained, "They're all locked or firmly shut, and L can't open doors very well because of his claws. I don't know where he could have run, because he can't have taken the elevator."

"Maybe one of the doors were left open by someone?" Misa suggested hopefully, shrugging as she offered up the idea. Before Light could say anything, she pushed against the door closest to her. She jumped back in surprise when it swung open, revealing an empty, darkened room.

"Well… maybe you were right, Misa," Light admitted, stepping closer and peering inside of the room.

Skeptically, Misa did the same, her blue eyes sweeping the room once, taking everything in before she frowned. "I don't hear or see him," she remarked, leaning back away from the door. "Maybe he's in another room."

"I wouldn't dismiss it just yet," Light said, stepping into the room. "He's very quiet… he could be hiding in here."

"Why would he hide?" Misa questioned, following Light into the room and flicking on the switch as she did so, flooding the room with light.

"Because he thinks- knows- he did something wrong by running off with the notebook you bought as a gift for me and by not returning when I called his name," Light explained, looking around. His eyes locked onto the desk and he quirked a brow, eyeing it with speculation. That was the only place L could be…

"Hold on, Misa," he told the blonde girl, holding out a hand. He didn't want to scare L away, and with how he was reacting around her earlier…

She nodded and Light walked quietly to the desk, peering around the corner. From where he was, he could see the smallest hint of black fur poking out from the desk. He smiled slightly; so he was right, then.

He didn't know why L had reacted as he did, and though he had been confused and frankly, annoyed, he wasn't angry as L most likely thought. He stepped around the desk, hearing a soft thump as L shifted nervously, and then he knelt down, meeting fearful yellow eyes and pinned- back ears.

A small whine escaped L's throat as Light bent down, amber eyes skimming briefly over his body, noting the tense posture apparent under the jeans and black shirt. White fangs bared in a fearful grimace and Light could see the black notebook L had ran off with resting over his clawed fingers.

Sighing, Light held out a hand- though he understand L in this form better than most, there were still some things that L did that confused Light- but thinking about it now, Light thought with a trace of amusement, there would always be things about the complex, enigmatic detective that would always confuse him, no matter what. L was still L, even with his fucked- up mind and DNA.

He couldn't really be angry at L- he must have had a reason for what he did, and Light just didn't think it would be worth it to get upset over it. From where he was standing, he could see that the notebook was undamaged, and he couldn't berate L for what he had done- what if L had done it for a good cause that was just within his own mind?

L's eyes regarded Light's open hand with a heavy amount of suspicion and Light smiled, trying to convey that he wasn't angry. "C'mon, L," he murmured, reaching forwards a bit, causing L to growl a bit within his throat and shuffle backwards, back thumping against the wood of the desk.

He stayed there for a moment, waiting for L, and then the detective seemed to come to a decision within his mind and hesitantly stuck his head forwards. He rested his cheek tentatively in Light's hand, nudging at the pad of Light's thumb with his nose in a gesture that bespoke the want of forgiveness. He let out a soft huff, yellow eyes still gazing with careful attentiveness at Light, ready to draw back the second Light turned angry.

Light allowed L to stay where he was for a moment, enjoying the feel of L's soft cheek in his hand, patting it gently before drawing back, standing up and gesturing for L to come out as well.

Tail waving slightly in hope that his alpha was not mad, L grasped the notebook gently between his teeth and gracefully uncurled himself from under the desk, sliding out and standing to his feet in a swift, single movement.

Misa was there as well, watching from the doorway as L bent his head and nudged Light with the black notebook in the upper arm, waiting for him to take it with wide eyes, glad that his alpha did not appear to be angry, despite his actions that he knew had been wrong.

Smiling a bit despite himself, Light took the notebook and reached out to swipe a not-too gentle hand over L's coarsely-furred black ears, in a gesture that communicated that while he was not angry, L should not do that again.

Tail slightly curling, L flicked an ear, huffing and rolling his eyes in exasperation. Yet, there was a definite sense of understanding that was communicated through L's actions- he wouldn't be doing such a thing again.

"Good," Light murmured, nodding as he took the notebook from L, unable to help admiring the way L's ivory-white teeth gleamed in the dim sunlight filtering in through the window as he opened his mouth to release the notebook.

L's yellow eyes flitted over to Misa, watching keenly as Light took the notebook- she seemed to be waiting for something, though Light remained oblivious to this as he took the notebook in hand and flipped through it, ascertaining that L had done no damage to it with teeth or nails.

"Light?" Misa asked, gaining Light's attention. Notebook still held open in his hand, he gave Misa a smile, not noticing the way L flicked an ear and curled a lip at Misa, sensing a dark sense of excitement and anticipation as she saw Light holding the notebook. "What do you think?"

Eagerly phrased, it could be taken as simple anticipation to see what someone thought of a gift, though Misa wanted to see if the notebook had worked- wanted to see Light be Kira once more, make sure that he was who he was supposed to be.

But rather than doing as she thought he would and answer as Kira, with that devilish smile full of plans for a new world, for a utopia that they would create together, he simply gave her a grateful smile. It was an innocently grateful smile, Misa saw, and confusion and anger flashed through her as she saw it- had the notebook not restored his memories?

"Thank you for the notebook, Misa," Light said, smiling at her, caressing the smooth cover as L stared unblinkingly with those disturbing yellow eyes. "It's a lovely notebook, and I'll put it to good use."

Put it to good use.

Light was a master at using words, Misa knew. Double entendres and hidden meanings were his forte, cleverly crafting words to say one thing but mean another. Misa wasn't as intelligent as Light- few were, she knew and openly admitted, but she knew this much about Light. So, she thought perhaps that he was simply being careful- the notebook probably did work, she thought with some relief. Light was simply being careful because of potential security cameras.

Yet still… a sense of doubt went through Misa as she stared into Light's warm amber eyes. As Kira, there had been an… aura, and air about him that he didn't have now. There was a tangible difference in Light when he had his memories of being Kira and when he was without them, a difference in the way he spoke, behaved, held himself and it showed. He might have been a wonderful actor, but one couldn't hide changes that involved who they truly were.

And this Light… he didn't seem like he had his memories of the Death Note, like she did. And that worried her. Had something happened? Had L, somehow, done something to it? She knew that L had most likely sensed the difference within herself after taking possession of the Note once more- it had been apparent in the way he no longer seemed to trust her, seemed almost openly hostile.

"It's… nothing, Light," Misa said slowly, blue eyes searching Light intently for any sign, however small, that Light had regained his memories through the notebook. "I'm just glad you like it."

"I do," Light answered. "In fact, I-" just then, Light was cut off by the sudden shrill ringing of at cell phone. Hastily, Light fumbled in his pocket and flipped the phone open, seeing Watari's name flash on the I.D.

"Watari," Light greeted as he flipped the phone open, holding it up to his ear. A slight flash of apprehension went through him- for he thought he knew why Watari was calling, and it was a reason the he had both come to anticipate and dread.

"Light, I've just tested the chip and the glue is dry. I've called in the surgeon, and he shall be here shortly- we need L to the infirmary to get MRI scans of him and prep him for the surgery, as well as allow the surgeon to get a look and feel for what he'll be doing."

"I understand, Watari," Light replied somewhat tersely, glancing back at L. "We'll be there shortly."

"Of course." And then, Watari disconnected the call with a click and Light shut his phone, replacing it back into his pocket. Looking up at Misa, he sighed. "L and I need to go- the microchip is done, and the surgeon has been called in."

"He'll be… normal again?" Misa asked, pointing at L daintily, regarding the wolfish form of the detective with distrust.

Nodding, Light tucked the black notebook under his arm, gesturing for L to follow him as he walked to the door, opening it. "Yes. He'll most likely be out for a few days, recovering, but then… he should be back to a human thinking process again. He might not be the same L- he'll probably have some trouble coming to terms with his alterations and what's happened, but yes. He'll be L once more." Pausing, he flashed Misa a grateful smile. "But thank you, Misa- for the notebook and all that you've done to help me in the past."

And then, Light was gone through the door, followed closely by L even as Misa was left it he room her cheeks taken on a pinkish tinge by the unprecedented compliment from Light. However, a tickling brush of fur against her legs snapped Misa's attention back to the room. She looked up, her eyes narrowing as she saw L pause only momentarily to stare at Misa with unblinking yellow eyes, before they shifted slightly, becoming more feral and wolfish, almost cruelly intelligent. Slowly, the corner of a pale lip curled up awards, exposing a fang in an animalistic smirk. And then, L was gone, padding swiftly and silently after Light with a predator's grace.


Sitting outside of the infirmary later that evening, Light's ears were strained as he awaited any sound of the door opening, signaling the surgeon was emerging from the room he had been operating on L on. It was supposed to be a simple surgery- take the broken chip out and replace it with the new one that would convert L's mental thinking processes to that of a human once more, but still…

Brain surgery was still a very delicate task, and though Light knew that Watari had called in the very best- both he and Light would settle for nothing less than that best- it was still a nerve-wracking experience, waiting to see if it had gone well.

His head suddenly shot up as he heard the soft open and close of a door, and then the sound of light footsteps. He saw the surgeon coming towards him, still dressed in scrubs, but there was a light smile on the surgeon's lined, experienced face that instantly set Light's mind at ease.

"How is…" Light asked urgently, rising to his feet eagerly.

The surgeon hesitated to answer for a moment, as if weighing his words, but when he spoke, his soft, calm voice was soothing to Light's frazzled nerves.

"…For all that I've never seen such alterations on a human being before," the surgeon said, glancing back at the door that separated them from L, "a human brain is still a brain, and I was able to successfully set the microchip, as specifically directed. His vital signs are normal, reflexes normal, and brain activity is high. I can only guess as to what the microchip is supposed to do," the surgeon continued, implying that he would not pry any farther than that, "but his mind should function normally now. The surgery went well- there was only one complication."

Heart clenching, Light could only fearfully ask, "What?"

"The incision kept trying to clot- to heal at a rate such as I've never seen," the surgeon replied truthfully. "We eventually had to give him an anti-coagulate to prevent this clotting from taking place. It slowed the healing down somewhat, long enough to insert the chip without having to re-open the incision too many more times."

"Ah." Relaxing back, Light nodded. "Yes. I can see how that would become problematic."

"Indeed," the surgeon said. "Everything went well- he's sleeping now," the surgeon continued, turning away from Light, "but you can go in and see him, if you're careful."

"You will not tell anyone about what occurred here, correct?" Light asked, amber eyes intent and serious as he gazed at the elderly surgeon."

"No. I signed a contract that said," and here the surgeon smiled slightly, "that if I were to disclose anything I had seen, observed, or learned here to anyone, I'd have a nice, solitary confinement cell to look forwards to in a remote prison for the rest of my life. I will not be talking about anything I've seen here, rest assured."

Searching the surgeon's faded brown eyes, Light could sense nothing but honesty in them. Satisfied, he nodded and after thanking the man, immediately went to the door, opened it quietly, and slipped inside, shutting it softly after him.

Taking a deep breath, Light silently made his way to the edge of the bed, where L lay peacefully. A thin white blanket was pulled over his body, clawed hands folded on top of his chest, rising and falling with each deeply-indrawn breath. His face was peaceful, and a white bandage was wrapped around his head, though Light suspected that he really didn't need it- healing rates and such. Small spikes of black hair poked out through the wrappings, and Light could only guess that his ears had been folded back before having the bandages wrapped around his head, because they were obscured beneath the wrappings.

A steady beeping came from a machine that L was hooked up to, monitoring his vital signs, and an IV was hooked to him, a clear fluid dripping slowly through the tube and into L's body.

Sighing, Light brought a hand up to run a gentle touch over L's cheek, feeling the soft skin under his fingers, reveling in the knowledge that L was going to be alright, that even though everything might be irrevocably changed, that L might be damaged, this was the first step to fixing him.

L would be L once again, Light had once vowed. And he'd do whatever he could to allow L to become as he was once more, even if his physical alterations could not be reversed. Even if… even if he had gotten used to L becoming reliant on him, never straying too far from his side, a constant companion, he would give that up for the sake of L. for him becoming normal once more, Light could give that up- reluctantly, but he would.

Sighing, Light stepped away and drew up the chair in the corner closer to L's bed and sat down, his eyes never leaving L's pale, sleeping face. Gently, he leaned over and rested a hand on L's forehead, fiddling with the end of the bandage, held on by a thin strap of Velcro, contemplating taking it off, because L probably didn't really need it anymore.

"You can take those bandages off."

Jumping slightly, Light turned in his chair to see Watari standing at the doorframe, regarding Light with an inscrutable look. Stepping into the room, Watari's eyes traveled from Light to L, assessing his sleeping form. "With what we've seen of his healing rate, he most likely doesn't need those anymore. It might be more comfortable for him, as well- less pressure against his ears."

Swallowing, Light nodded and reached gently to peel away the Velcro ending of the bandages, slipping an arm under L's slight shoulders to lift him up more, tugging the white bandages wrapped around his head away. Coarse black fur streaking down his spine brushed tickling against Light's skin, making his skin tingle as he gently set L back down upon the bed, arranging his head gently onto the pillow.

Light knew Watari had most likely seen Light's gestures- the stroking of his cheek, the way he had laid a hand on L's forehead tenderly, and combined with his no doubt suspicious actions earlier that day regarding L's possible mental recovery, connected the dots. Light cursed himself mentally- he hadn't meant to give the old man such ideas…

Wincing, Light raised his eyes to Watari, seeing the stern gaze directed upon him. "Watari…" Light started, but then abruptly trailed off, for once, his eloquence deserting him and leaving him clueless as to what to say.

A few moments passed, and then Watari spoke, his voice hard, yet somewhat gentle at the same time. "…I trust you, Light Yagami," he said, much to Light's surprise. "If I hadn't seen firsthand the care and attention you showed to L while he was in the state he was in… no doubt, I would have had more misgivings than I already do." Watari's faded eyes were serious and intent as he stared at Light. "L will no doubt be very confused and apprehensive after coming out of this- it will take time to recover, and being presented with your attentions will only serve to make his situation more so."

"I've thought about it, Watari," Light said, looking away and onto L's pale face, unable to help but admire the way his black hair splayed contrastingly over the white sheets, ears laid back almost lazily on the pillow. "I know this. And I am patient. I can wait, and I will do my best to help him through this," Light said fervently, looking up and meeting Watari's gaze.

"You'll stand by him, no matter what happens?" Watari asked, and Light knew that his answer would be the deciding factor for Watari. He did not love L- he knew that much. Admired his resolve, respected his intelligence and status as L, desired his body and mind, but love did not factor into the equation- he was not one to believe in instant love. But he definitely cared for L, and after having dwelt upon it for days, knew that L was probably one of the only people he would ever desire in such a way- the man was so fascinating, even as he was now. Even as a supposedly simple-minded animal in intellect, L was a fascinatingly confusing, complex creature, and that only made Light desire L more- but he would not act upon that desire unless L was human in mind, could understand what was occurring.

"Yes," Light answered simply, after a moment, deciding that a simple, honest answer would be better than cleverly-worded, long explanations. "I'll stay with him, no matter what."

"Then…" Watari said slowly, gazing at L, "I suppose we will have to take this one step at a time, starting with how L reacts to the changes wrought on his body. We shall take this little by little, and adjust accordingly. But for now… let us go. Leave L to rest- he will not wake until morning, and you could get some sleep until then."


Oh, those fools. Those poor fools.

There was no way they could have known, and now, it would cost them.

Everything was perfect.

With the push of a button, their world would come crashing down around them, and a new one would be built in the wake of the destruction.

With the push of a button, control would be gained.

So now… wake up, pet.

It's time.


In the dark stillness of the infirmary room, a head snapped up, yellow eyes huge as he blinked. His ears swiveled as he tilted his head to the side, listening for a voice that he subconsciously recognized, a voice that slipped insidiously into his mind, twisting and spreading ensnaring tendrils through his mind, trapping his mind and bending it once more to the voice's will.

Come to me, pet.

It whispered through his mind, hissing soothingly into his ears, pulling and tugging at his brain, wiping away every thought other than that of obeying it fully.

His eyes closed as his ears stilled, pricked forwards intently and a small shiver ran down his spine as the voice wound through his mind, rendering him incapable of doing or thinking anything other than what the voice commanded him to do.

You need to come to me. Obey me…

And then, his eyes slowly slid open, blinking blearily before they cleared, sharp and intense and wholly open as the voice fully took root in his brain.

In the darkness of the room lit only by the light filtering in through the uncurtained window from the Tokyo cityscape, L's eyes glowed an almost forgotten, feral gold, devoid of any emotion and as blank as the empty slate his mind had become.

Good, my pet.

Come to me, now.

Come to the cell.