Anna's POV

"The truth?" I asked confused.

Beyond seemed to pull his knees closer to his chest, "Of course. I love L, I would never lie to him. Or you."

I felt annoyance begin to bubble up in my stomach. "Fine, stay there. If I have to come find you because you took off, so help me God-" my threat was interrupted by a glass breaking in the kitchen. I turned toward the sound and then to Beyond, holding up one finger, "Stay here." Another sound of shattering glass echoed through the room as I headed toward the kitchen. L was standing in the kitchen, throwing cup after coffee mug on the ground. "What the hell are you doing? The kids are asleep." I grabbed the mug he was holding out of his hand and put it back in the cub bored before shutting it tightly and wedging myself between him and the countertop.

"Move, Anna."

I stayed where I was, "No. Now I asked you a question and if you want the rest of the night to go smoothly I suggest you act like a good little soldier and answer it."

L looked down at me for a moment before taking a step back and falling into one of the chairs, "I'm breaking cups."

I sat across from him, "Yes, I can see that. I suppose the more appropriate question is why are you breaking all the cups the hotel generously supplied at the last minute?"

L looked at the shattered glass shards that littered the floor and then looked to me, "Don't talk to me like I'm a child, Anna."

"I wouldn't have to if you didn't act like one."

L narrowed his eyes in a sarcastic fashion, "Childish is part of my charm."

I rolled my eyes, "No, childish is part of why you have a ring in your pocket." As soon as I said it, I regretted it. I covered my mouth with my hand and stood up, "L, I didn't mean that."

He stood up slowly, nodding to himself, "Yes you did."

I grabbed his wrist before he could take another step, "No. I didn't. I didn't mean to say it anyways. What did Beyond say to you to get you so upset?"

"Ask him."

"I don't feel like solving puzzles right now, tell me straight." I could feel L's pulse quicken even through the fabric of his clothing and I loosened my grip on him. His arm dropped to his side and we watched one another for a moment before he pulled me to him, his arms locked around my waist. I through my arms around his neck out of instinct. "L?"

"He's right." L mused into my hair.

I pulled back and took in the unfamiliar defeated look plastered on his face, "Who's right? Beyond? L, what did he say?"

L pulled and looked me over, a sad smile dampening his features, "We're not going to be able to fix this."

"I don't know." I forced myself to answer honestly. I dropped my gaze from his and he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

"Anna, look at me please." I did as I was asked. "I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I'm going to fix this if it's the last thing I do. I will prove Beyond wrong."

A faint crying started up in the other room. "Gia-"

I stopped as L took my hand and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. "I'll handle her. Stay with Beyond." I nodded and followed him out to find Beyond sitting on the couch with Gia in his lap.

"Your daughter was crying." He informed us as we entered the room. Gia had ceased crying and was watching him intently, cooing slightly. Beyond had one hand placed on her stomach, holding her in place. "She has your eyes, Anna."

I didn't respond, but took the baby from him and handed her to L before taking a seat on the opposite side of the coffee table from B. "Start talking." I commanded.

"Well, prison wasn't anything like you'd think. The American justice system is very forgiving. It wasn't fun by any means, very boring but still very forgiving." He smiled watching me.

"That's not what I meant and you know it." I snarled.

Beyond held up his hands in a defeated manor, "There's no need to be so serious, Anna. I was planning on telling you what you wanted to know. All you have to do is ask."

I sighed annoyed. "I did."

"Ask again."

I looked over Beyond and he smiled, his hair falling over his forehead and into his eyes. He almost looked like he had at Wammy's. Almost. "Who wants L dead?" I asked.

Beyond's eyes flickered up to meet mine, "No one. Well… not one exactly. I supposed the better question is who doesn't want L dead. However, most of them are in prison." Beyond looked between L and myself then to the hall door, "You can come out now. It must be hard to hear from all the way over there."

I turned to where he was looking. Mello, Matt, and Near were all walked out from where they'd been hiding. "Boys, you should be sleeping." I chastised.

"No, I think they should hear this. After all, you two aren't the only ones being targeted. The second those three showed up at Wammy's you might as well have signed their death certificates." He stared at the three of them for a moment and then shrugged, "Or maybe not."

"Boys." I motioned for them to come over to where we were. Mello took a seat next to Beyond and Matt beside him. Near took to the floor between the chairs L and I sat in. "Beyond, if your plan is to scare them-" I started but he waved me off.

"Of course I don't. I simply want them to be informed. Now, back to the matter at hand. There are four criminals who have enough connections on the outside to attempt this sort of operation, three who could potentially do it successfully, two who are smart enough to actually think of it, but only one of them was in L.A. with me. That is the man we are looking for. He also got out this month for good behavior."

"How do you figure that the man from L.A. is our guy?" L asked and Beyond suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

"I may have let some information slip about the orphanage. He was very persuasive."

I narrowed my eyes, "Boys, give us a minute." I requested.

"But Beyond said-" Mello started but L silenced him with a looked and the three of them were out of the room. Mello had taken Gia from L on his way out upon L's request.

"So let me get this straight. You were some guys bitch back in L.A. and sold us out?"

Beyond jumped up and L did the same in a defensive manner placing himself almost fully between me and Beyond, "I am nobody's bitch. I've never been submissive like that. Not even-"

"Not even to a traffic light. Save it, B." I cut him off and he looked away.

"You heard about that?" B asked sounding only half shocked.

I nodded once and motioned to the couch behind him, "Take a seat, B."

Beyond looked between us and crossed his arms, "I think I'll stand."

I pulled the gun that I'd stashed in my back pocket out and used it as a pointer, "I think you'll take a seat." Beyond did as I said. L and I took our seats again, "So I want to know exactly what you told our mystery man, B. I also want a name, do you understand?" I asked leaning forward in my seat.

Beyond nodded once, "Ace. Ace Robertson. He was your second case."

I looked to L, "Ring a bell?"

He nodded, placing his thumb to his lips, "He was sentenced to life on charges for the murder of eleven children."

"What did you tell him, B?" I asked standing and mechanically moving to stand behind L, my hand falling to his shoulder.

He tensed for a second and then relaxed. Beyond sighed, "I told him exactly how to hurt you. I suggest you watch your children. I'll keep in touch and keep you posted. For now, I suggest you both get some rest, separate beds, I'm presuming." He smiled once, cruelly and then was out the door. He then opened the door again, "Call once you get to the new hotel. I believe I'll have some information on Ace's whereabouts by then."

Mello's POV

I put Gia on the bed and held her in place with two pillows. "Alright, that should keep her safe, come on." I moved quietly out into the hall, just close enough where we could hear what was going on in the living room, but far enough away to stay hidden.

"Anna told us to go to bed." Near reminded and I slapped my hand over his mouth, earning a small yelp.

"Shut up, N." Matt hissed.

"Ace. Ace Robertson." I heard the voice of the man they called B state in a bored fashion. I motioned for Matt to write the name down as I tuned back in, trying to catch anything that might help. "I suggest you watch your children. I'll keep in touch and keep you posted. For now, I suggest you both get some rest, separate beds, I'm presuming." He said sounding amused. Footsteps and then the door shut. I heard Anna huff in frustration and then the door opened again, "Call once you get to the new hotel. I believe I'll have some information on Ace's whereabouts by then." The door shut again and then silence.

"I can't believe we're working with him. He sold us out." Anna growled, it sounded like she was pacing.

"Anna, love, please calm down."

"Don't call me 'love', L. Not now, please." Anna stopped pacing, sounding utterly defeated.

More silence ensued before a small, "I'm sorry." broke through. "Anna, can we please talk about this?"

"There's nothing to talk about."

"There's a lot to discuss."

I felt a tug on my sleeve and looked down to find Near trying to get my attention. Once it was given to him, he nodded toward the bedroom we'd laid Gia in and I followed him in with Matt at my heels. "I think they broke up." He announced.

"No they didn't." I spat, disgusted at the idea of the two of them separating.

Matt shrugged, "I don't know, Mels. Did you see the way they were acting? Anna asking L not to call her love? It sounds like they broke up."

"It's not just that. I overheard them speaking with" Near paused and his face scrunched up in disgust, "B earlier and then spoke with Anna after I woke up from another nightmare." The last part was barely audible, but I caught it.

"What did she say?"

"She said Beyond was right and they were not together at the moment, but they were working on it. I think they broke up because Beyond is alive." Near twirled a piece of hair, "Of course, I have no proof of the latter."

I looked to Matt, "So Anna's in love with him or something."

Near stopped twirling his hair and dropped his hand to his side and narrowed his eyes at me in an annoyed fashion, "I didn't say that."

"Then why would it matter?" Matt piped up.

"I thought you three were supposed to be asleep." The three of us jumped at the sound of L's voice. He looked more tired than usual.

"Is it true?" I asked, stepping up as spokesman for my brothers.

L frowned, "Is what true?"

"Anna and you." I didn't need to go into further detail, L understood perfectly.

He nodded once, "I suppose. This is only temporary. I'm going to fix this. Before we return to Wammy's. Trust me." L promised.

"How do you know?" L was infamous for making promises he would not keep.

He motioned sleepily for the three of us to get into bed and we did, careful of Gia lying peacefully in the middle. "Let me tell you three something about Anna." He lifted Gia from the bed and held her close to him. "Anna is not an easy person to get along with. She is temperamental, she's competitive, she doesn't like to be wrong and she never wants to admit she is, she is exceedingly dramatic, and opinionated and will hold a grudge forever if you let her." The frustration broke from his face and a soft, sad smile replaced it, "But she is also one of the most forgiving, most caring, and by far one of the most loving people I know. She loves with everything she has and if she loves you she will do anything and everything she can in her power to protect you and she never ever gives us because she's undeniable stubborn. That's why this will be fixed before we get home, because she won't give up on us. I just have to prove I'm sorry because I know I messed up."

Anna's POV

"Now go to sleep okay? Don't worry about us. Good night." A chorus of good night, L's followed him as he walked out of what was previously our bedroom and closed the door.

"So I'm not very easy to get along with?" I asked, causing him to jump, clutching Gia to his chest.

Once he caught sight of me, he relaxed again, "You missed the part where I said good things, I suppose."

I shook my head, "Go put her down I need to talk to you, just let me say good night to the boys." I walked into the room and the tiny whispers went silent, "Don't stop on my account." I teased, but they remained silent. "I just wanted to say good night." I glanced at the clock that was flashing three in bright red. "Or good morning. Try and get some sleep. We're going to be leaving at eight. Good night boys." Another chorus of good nights and I shut the door. I walked back to the living room to find L with a cup of sugar with a splash of coffee and a cup of tea on the other side. "You made tea." I noted.

He held up his cup of sugar, "I made coffee too. I would have asked Wammy, but he was asleep." I nodded and took a sip, it was much stronger than I usually made it, probably from leaving the bag in too long, but I didn't say anything. "What did you want to talk about?"

I swallowed hard, "I wanted to apologize."

L furrowed his brow, "For?"

"Not listening. I understand why you had to let out Beyond, we never would have found out who was behind this so quickly."

L took a sip, glancing at me over the top of his coffee mug. "So you forgive me?"

I glanced up at him and nodded, "I forgive you, but I still don't trust you."

He nodded, "I see. Then what do I need to do to get you to trust me?" '

I shrugged, "Time."

He nodded, "And our current… situation?" He asked.

I put down the bitter tea and moved to sit on the table so I was directly in front of him. He put down his mug gingerly and grabbed both of my hands in his. "After we take care of this mess, we can figure that out." I promised.

L nodded and got up, pressing a kiss to my forehead, "Get some sleep, I'll make sure everything's ready for tomorrow." I nodded standing up with him and moving back to the couch. This was going to be a very long investigation.