Aah, another update :3

So at least the delay this time was nothing but two weeks, right? Right? Gah, I'm so slack I can't even remember!

Disclaimer: Beyond likes his sandwiches so for now, he owns me :P

Song: Woman- Wolfmother

.-.

Chapter 21: Why?

Roger Ruvie had been sitting with his head against the cool surface of the desk for about an hour, now. The whole house had been in distraught since the disappearance of yet another orphan in two years. Two orphans. Two years.

He rubbed the centre of his forehead. Kay's door had been locked from the outside. Her window, though... That was unlocked, she could have escaped, but why didn't she bring any clothes with her? None of her drawers had looked like they'd been rummaged through, but he didn't know that. Wammy's didn't keep tabs on the items of clothing their orphans possessed.

On another note, her room was three storey's high! If she jumped down from her window, she'd have died. Not many people survive falling out of high up windows.

L was sitting crouched in front of the mans desk, a silver spoon held to his lips by his thin, nimble fingers. He'd spent the morning in his superiors office, studying files. Files that shouldn't have existed. Small records revolved around the two missing orphans, C and K.

There wasn't really too much point in checking these records. They were just flimsy pieces of paper with a few things written in black pen.

Their names and genders, their years of birth, their aliases and country of nationality.

Kay... Kassandra McErlott. Female. Born in 1983- 14 years of age, hails from Scotland.

Copy... Ciera Tensei. Female. Born... 1982. Age- 14 years of age, when missing. She'd be 15 this year, same age as L. Her country of birth was Japan.

"There is about a 96 percent chance that she's run away." L told Roger. It hadn't taken much to figure that out. The window was found open, and she was fit. She'd be able to climb down the brick works without hassle. But where was she going? Had she brought anything with her, or hidden anything to determine that?

There weren't many places a 14 year old girl with no family and who comes from a completely different country, could do in such a bleak area that the house of Wammy's was hidden in.

L read the back of her sheet of records. It was only giving the slight impression that her brains liked to stick with science- chemistry to be exact, L remembered. Did that mean anything to what she was up to? 70 percent said so.

"What about the other four percent, L? She might not have actually run away, maybe she-"

"Well, it's obvious that she's run away, isn't it? The window was opened and she's been known to be rather fit, compared to the other orphans. I believe that she'd be able to carry her own weight while climbing down the brickworks underneath her room, don't you think?"

"Well, yes, but... How did she get out of the gates? Will she be coming back?"

"The odds for her coming back are at forty percent. This isn't the first time orphans have run away. Most of those who run off don't come back."

Like C, although... There was something burnt in the back of L's mind that gave of a sick feeling about that girl. There'd been barely any evidence found about her disappearing. Like she'd slipped into a completely different dimension! But L had strong suspicions that something had happened to her.

He let Roger continue on believing that she'd simply just run off, to save him more stress than what he already had to encounter.

B, on the other hand. There was something suspicious about him, something relating to Copy, and L hated him for it. Despite everything that B has done to him, it was the least important in his mind. L didn't care that B had raped him. He didn't care that he'd left him of an inch of his life, several times before. And didn't care that he's left his mark on his skin and in his brain.

His strong dislike for him only came when he'd figured out all too easily that he had something to do with the disappearance of C. There was no evidence to support it, and L couldn't do any further investigating with just an ache in his gut (not that it would usually stop him) but he couldn't. Roger and Watari wouldn't allow it, only because they didn't believe him, or so L thought.

Roger muttered something under his breath, rubbing his forefingers at his temples. "I hope she'll be alright, then. I hope C is alright, too. I hope they both stay safe."

As much as Roger thought kids were spawns of the devil, he couldn't help but feel compassion for them. He'd helped bring them up to be who they were to this day. L was good at blocking out all emotion, but he felt the flooding feeling of guilt begin to sweep through his veins and in the pit of his stomach, making it swell, causing illness to spread inside of him.

"May I be excused?" There was no point in L to even bother asking, because before Roger developed an answer, L got to his feet and headed out of the room, hand on the centre of his stomach.

.-.

The breakfast table had been unusually quiet, that morning, with the absence of Kay, A and Z.

Xanthus was sitting by herself sadly right at the end of the room. Tears had stained her cheeks a dusty red and her movements were slow. It had taken her half an hour to eat an entire bowl of cereal and drink a cup of coffee... But Hood didn't even think that she had even taken too much of a sip. It was probably cold.

Hood was sitting on the complete opposite side of the room from the older girl. As much as Xanthus was annoying, she couldn't help but feel bad for her. They might not have seemed close, like she was to Zero, but Kay had obviously meant something to her. Even though Kay was a bitch who tried to kill her more than once.

Hood's mind continued to play on the teens disappearance. If Xanthus was this distraught, then she could only imagine how A felt.

Her spoon was swirling around in her bowl thoughtfully. She'd barely even eaten anything, that morning. Her mind was too busy, just thinking.

Xanthus sooner or later raised to her feet with her half full bowl and cup of cold coffee. She'd only just realised that she wasn't hungry. She was feeling sick. Hood's eyes followed her as she brushed past her with a cool breeze of air.

She dropped her spoon in her bowl with a small splash of milk and a clatter before pushing herself out of her seat. "Wait, Xanthus!"

In immediate recognition of that voice, she stiffened. It belonged to Hood, of course. The ten year old girl who was a lot stronger than what she looked... She had proof on the back of her head, which no doubt was scarred. (Not that she could see the mark, of course.)

The taller girl, who towered over the small blonde, stared down at her. Hood hadn't really thought as far as what to say to her. She only felt... Worry.

The two stared at each other for a few awkward seconds. "Where is everyone?" She asked softly.

Hood noticed how Xanthus's frame loosened. "A... hasn't left his room all morning and Zero..." She trailed off, her clenched fist was held to the centre of her chest. "Just... Everything that's happened here... Has upset him. Kay's disappearance has reminded him of... C..." The fist by her heart, in a matter of milliseconds, spread open and slammed over her mouth.

Hood's eyes widened, copying Xanthus's facial expression. "Who's C?"

But before she got her answer, Xanthus power walked out of the room, heart beating wildly when she pushed past Backup standing by the doorway. Hood stared out at the pathway which X had walked, the strong expression on confusion marring over her features and curiosity beginning to leak inside of her mind.

C... Was that another codename for another orphan here? One that she'd never been told about? She remembered being told about 6 other orphans here, but... Not a seventh.

Who could this orphan have been?

Hood's thoughts had snapped to silence when she felt cold fingers squeeze her skin before a punch against her forearm followed. The blonde made a gasp of shock and drew her entire body around.

"What do you think you're doing?" She exclaimed as B was standing beside her with a smirk of content. She hadn't even noticed him leave the doorway, so a jolt of surprise begin to thump her heart against the cage of her ribs.

"Pinch and a punch, first day of the month." He sang and jutted his tongue out of his lips cheekily. The blonde narrowed her eyes at him, rubbing the spot where he'd touched... Not that it hurt, or anything...

"You're in an awfully good mood, today." She muttered.

Beyond shrugged. "Can't I be happy and cheerful on the first day of summer?"

Hood's mouth gaped. Summer? It was COLD! The skies were still clouded with grey and the air was as cool as an icebox! She still shivered when wearing tee shirts! "What the hell are you talking about? It's FREEZING!"

Beyond shrugged again. "Well, you're not used to England then, are you Hayley?"

'There he goes with my name again.' The blonde scowled at him. 'How did he find out? I didn't tell him, or anything...'

Beyond left her the second he realised that she was glaring at him, and walked through the large double doors of the kitchen. Hood, muttering cusses under her breath sat back down, picking up her spoon and shovelling cereal in her mouth bitterly.

"I hate England." She growled.

Beyond pulled open the pantry, pushing away jars and containers of stuff that he barely spared a glance at. He frowned when he'd figured out that whatever he was looking for was gone. He slammed the cupboard door closed and pulled open the fridge in one swift movement.

"Orange juice... Nope. Apple juice... No way... meat. Um, no thanks." He spoke as he studied everything in the fridge frantically. "Marmalade? Ew." He scrunched up his pale nose as he picked up the small glass jar. There was only a few teaspoons left, he noted and a smirk began to stretch across his lips. "L."

Still holding onto the jar, he slammed the door shut and pulled open another drawer, grabbing a little silver teaspoon before pushing the doors open again.

Hood's eyes lazily glanced at him and he sat opposite her, opening the jar and dipping the spoon in. He watched her expression turn to disgust when the spoon made its way to his mouth and he couldn't help but laugh. He pulled the spoon out and licked the surface clean with his tongue.

"Do you want some?" He offered as he collected more of the soppy looking orange crap out of the jar. "It's not that bad." The blonde didn't say anything, but watched him as he let that disgusting looking stuff on his spoon slide into his mouth. "Whatever. Your loss."

"I don't think so." She replied. She felt like gagging, but she managed to suppress it by another spoonful of cereal. His bandaged arm was laying flat and limply across the table. His fingers were curled into a ball. Whatever happened to his arm... It must have hurt, then.

Beyond, of course, noticed that she was staring at his arm but he didn't really seem to mind. The marmalade was distracting enough to deal with then someone staring at bandages that covered up whatever damage he'd done to himself.

That marmalade was, as Hood had wordlessly put it, disgusting. He didn't know why he was continuing to eat it. It wasn't sweet, but it was watery. It couldn't be good for him. He was eating it because L had most likely eaten his jam... Like last time.

L didn't really care what he ate, unless it was sweet, or, sweet at the time. So, that included this orange flavoured marmalade. He'd probably ditched it and forgotten about it for Beyond's strawberry, raspberry and blackberry jam, homemade by a certain store which he loved and ordered from all the time.

It was a petty revenge.

He grimaced as he placed another scoop on his tongue, but swallowed it in one go.

"Can I ask you what happened to your arm?"

He nearly thanked the gods for her to start talking. It gave him an excuse to stop eating. "I cut my arm with a knife." He replied as a sickeningly happy smile began to pull across his lips.

Hood felt an unsettling feeling begin to stir in her stomach. "On... purpose?"

"Yes."

They stayed in a long awkward silence for several minutes. Hood was staring at him in disbelief. Why would he cut himself? He normally cut her! Beyond just stared back at her as his stupid smile gradually turned into a smirk. She wanted to say; 'You sicken me.' But refrained strongly, as ideas about the consequences began to flood her mind and scare her. He was definitely capable of a lot.

"Why?"

"Because I felt like it." He replied. "It doesn't really hurt that much. Just stings sometimes. Wanna see?" He started to unwrap the bandage without word, before she answered him.

"No! No way! I want to keep the contents of my stomach, thankyou!"

But her argument had no effect. He pulled the brown, rusty coloured bandage, which was once white, off, feeling sudden relief from release of the pressure and fresh air that blew across it.

He watched as her face paled when she stared at the several gaping wounds, smeared in dried blood. It was quite ugly to look at, but he didn't think it was that bad. Definitely not the worst he's seen. His mother's fate was the worst to look at, afterwards.

He shook images and memories from his mind before they affected him.

Looking down at the marks on his arm, he could barely see what he'd written, underneath his own blood.

"Do you know what the most commonly asked question is?" He asked her, his ruby eyes glancing over to her.

"No, I don't."

"It's 'why'." He said. "Why this? Why that? Why do we exist? Why do we breathe? Why do we do things?"

Hood swallowed a thick lump in her throat. She was feeling more and more uncomfortable with each word he spoke. She could feel the insides of her stomach swirling and twisting around, making her heart flutter with speed, making her breath hard against her chest.

"Why do people cut themselves?" She added bravely, voice trembling, but she managed to keep it as calm as she could.

He grinned at her. "Some do it because they're upset with the way their life is turning out. I did it because I wanted to feel what it was like to be one of those people."

"Why?"

"Because I shouldn't love my life."

.-.

I'm kinda creeped out now D: I hope you liked the chapter, despite it being a stupid filler .

Oh well, at least you know some facts about Ciera and Kay, now :D!

Could you pretty please with B's precious jam on top leave me at least 5 reviews?

If you don't I'll give you L's rejected marmalade T.T

Song: Melted Holiday- Grinspoon