"Fuck," Light grumbled as his phone rang for the upteenth time that day. He stood from the desk where our chess board was laid out with homework and cases, snatching his phone from the desk and walking away. "Hi dad," he said in as happy a voice as he could fake.

It was so easy though. The way he could just hide his feelings away behind a mask. I still had the uneasy feeling that he was still keeping things from me though. Some small part of me that was always trying to see through Light. Some part of the old me that still lingered. For some reason, I couldn't let it go. I would forever be suspicious of Light.

"No. I haven't heard anything new on the Kira case."

I paused in my typing to listen more closely to the conversation that was occurring just outside of the door. So the police force in Japan was still working on the case, though it had gone cold several months back.

"That's not possible."

My eyebrows furrowed at the words that Light spoke. What was impossible?

"Yeah. I'll look into it. Sure."

Did something new happen with the Kira case? Was it possible that someone else had a deathnote? Was it another one of Ryuk's tricks? Light had informed me that he knew of one other shinigami aside from Nen. Rem. But that he hadn't seen that shinigami since he had last seen Misa.

"Tell mom and Sayu I said hi. Ok. Bye dad."

I waited patiently for Light to return to the room, but he didn't. Instead I could hear the keys of another phone number being called. The hallway was silent for a moment, before Light's voice came again.

"Misa, how are you?"

I felt my nose scrunch up at the name. Why did she still give me pangs of jealousy whenever her name was mentioned? It's not like Light had ever liked her much. She had just been there to help him with the death notes. I didn't need him to tell me that to know it. I had known it for a long while.

"Listen, you haven't been doing anything illegal lately have you?"

There was something wrong. Someone was killing again. Someone was becoming another Kira. Was it Misa?

I turned in my chair, back to my computer and pulled up news stories in Japan and came across one that made me stop. It was an article that had one jail in Japan listened as the return of Kira. Almost half of the inmates had died of heart attacks at exactly 10 PM two nights ago. Why hadn't I heard about this? I needed to do something. I needed to call Yagami-san.

My hand reached for my pocket where my phone was, but I stopped myself. I was dead. God, this made things so inconvenient. I could never get anything done that I needed to. But I could call Watari. He would be able to get ahold of Japan's police for me.

"Thank you Misa. Yes, I miss you too. I got to go. Bye."

I glanced back over my shoulder as Light entered the room. "I'm not sure what to say," Light mumbled as he took his chair beside mine. My eyes glanced over him, taking in his posture. Taking in everything that might give him away. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Please don't give me that look. I didn't do it." My gaze on him sharpened and he quickly looked away from me and at the article that I had on my computer screen. "Misa said that she didn't know what I was talking about. She gave up ownership of her death note. It's not her."

"Who else does that leave, Light?" I asked with a deep breath. Gregory was dead, and even though Miranda survived, we had Nen's death note. And she most likely wouldn't be going near another shinigami any time soon.

"You won't believe me this once?" Light questioned, turning away from me. "I don't even know where you put them. I'm doing my best. I'm in therapy. I'm going to school. I haven't seen Ryuk since that night that we all spoke together. It might be hard, but I haven't thought about killing anyone for a long time. L, it wasn't me."

How could I believe him? I had put all of my trust in him and then this happened. He was a compulsive liar. He was a murderer. He was two completely different people when he had the death note. What was I supposed to believe anymore? How could I believe him anymore? We had agreed on one chance. This was it.

But for some reason, I couldn't form the words that I wanted. I couldn't say the rejection that was going through my head. "This once Light, I will believe you." What was I saying? What was wrong with me? I just... cared about him too much. I still couldn't believe that this man before me was a killer. He was so kind and loving and gentle. How could someone like him be a monster?

Light turned to face me, shock on his face. But it slowly turned into a slight relieved smile. Or, at least that was what I thought it was. His hand took mine and gave it a small squeeze that I took to mean thank you, before he moved a piece on the chessboard and returned to his homework.

"Light, what did your father have to say?" I questioned, using my foot to turn his chair back to face me.

"He just talked about the article that you have up and asked if I could look into it. Which means you need to look into it." He tried to turn back in his chair, but my foot stopped him.

"Light," I said softly. "Is there something that you're not telling me?"

"No," he said defensively.

"Your father wanted nothing else?"

"He wanted me to go home, but I have finals and I can't leave you." Light rested back in his chair, loosening his tie. "He wants me to slove this case, because I am the only one he thinks can replace you."

"Are you going to go?" I reached out for my tea, but Light caught my hand, bringing my eyes back to him.

"No. We can work on it from here. Not to mention that we have so much else to do. We'll just..." Light sighed. "Add it to the pile."

"Have you called those places I asked you to call yet?" I questioned. I really needed to finish up these cases.

Light groaned and placed his head in his hands. "No. I'm sorry. I'll do that right now." Light grabbed his phone and took the sticky note that was on the screen of his computer and raced from the room.

When I was sure he was gone, I pushed over to his computer, pulling up his history. I didn't trust him. I didn't believe his story. Him having the death note would be the only thing that made any sense.

But there was nothing that would suggest that he had been searching for information on the internet.

Ryuk. That would be my next route. He had given Light something to use. He had another death note. Or he gave Light a page of the death note. He did something. That was the only way that this could work.

"Yeah, give me a moment to write it down," Light said, racing back towards the room. I closed out the tab and pushed back to my computer, moving a chess piece as Light walked back. "Alright. Go ahead."

Light lowered the phone and put it on speaker so that I could hear what the man was saying on the other side. I quickly pulled up a blank document so that I could type up what was being said.

"What is it you want to know?" the voice on the line said.

"What was Jimmy's family life like before he was found?" Light asked.

I moved closer so that I could hear better. This was about the body found in the middle of the field. I had so many questions that I had given Light. It was driving me crazy that I couldn't ask them myself. That I was trapped. That I was stuck in this hell hole, away from everything and everyone. I couldn't even get my favorite strawberry cake. This wasn't what I wanted. I thought I could make it work, but I would slowly go crazy.

"He had a wife and two children who are under the age of ten. He also had a brother who lived with them. The wife said that he was going through a divorce and was trying to get back on his feet."

"And how was their financial status?" Light leaned against the desk, watching as I typed up the words that were being said.

"Things were supposedly tight, but they were making it work. They had just bought a new house and had taking out a life insurance plan."

"A life insurance plan?" Light asked for me as I opened my mouth to speak. I really needed to learn to keep quiet, but I felt so out of control.

"Yes, his job made his wife uneasy."

"What was his occupation?" Light questioned, his eyes on my face. I did my best to ignore them. He wasn't what I needed to focus on right now. It was the man on the other side of the phone.

"He was a minor," was the reply.

Light was quiet for a moment, rubbing the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "Was he showing any signs of depression? Was work becoming too much for him?"

"No." I could make out a shuffling of papers on the other side of the line. "His wife said that he loved his work and that he had been happy because he had gotten a promotion."

Promotion? No one would commit suicide after a depression. Maybe this wasn't a suicide. Maybe he was murdered. But that still didn't explain how he had gotten into the field.

"And what about his health?" Light continued, going down the small list that was on another sticky note on his computer.

"Other than his smoking habits, he was very healthy. He was a very heavy smoker, but I believe he still had a good, long life ahead of him." There was more ruffling of papers on the other side of the line and I typed up everything that he said.

"Did the police ever find a note from the husband?" Light asked again.

'There was a note recovered. I can send you a picture to your email. But the handwriting is different from the husbands. At the moment the police believe that the note was written by his brother, but they aren't completely positive."

"Did they-" Light stopped as I pointed to a different question on the list before returning to my typing. Light picked up the sticky note, reading over the question. The man on the other side of the line waited patiently for Light to continue. "What is the brother's occupation?"

"I have been told that he is recently unemployed, but he used to fly small aircraft for a farmer out of town."

"He knows how to pilot a plane?" Light questioned, looking up at me.

"They would be just small, two person planes, but yes."

Before I could open my mouth to speak, Light began to talk. "I need the phone number for the employer, please." Light snatched up a pen and began scribbling down the number he received from the voice.

The brother did it. The was blatantly obvious. Why had the police not made the connection? We just had to call the farmer and get the logs for the flights that were taken. There would be logs. The farmer would be an idiot if there weren't logs. And then once we find the plane, we needed to search it.

And I needed to see that note. Needed to see what the dead man had supposedly said. And then I needed to talk to the brother. I could do that on my own, couldn't I? It would be so much easier.

My eyes glanced to Light who was continuing in his writing down of the information that was being received. I would just wait for him to go to school and then I would get a hold of the brother over the phone. It would just be one time.

I couldn't do that to Light. He had been keeping his promise. Hadn't he? Damn it, Light. Why did you get us into this position? Why did you have to touch that god fucking death note? Why did you have to kill people? Why did you have to...

But I couldn't be completely upset. If he had never touched the death note then maybe we would have never met. I wouldn't have him in my life. I wouldn't have someone who loved me. Who showed me things that I didn't understand. Someone who made me feel like I wasn't alone. Someone who understood and didn't make me feel like I was dealing with a child.

But then... We also wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be trapped in this cage. I wouldn't be stuck in an endless hallway that lead to nowhere. Why the fuck did you have to touch it? Why couldn't you just leave it alone, Light? Why?

"I'll call the employer now," Light said, breaking through my train of thought. He put the phone back to his ear and I had to mentally kick myself for not hearing the end of the conversation. I could go back and find it, but I didn't want to think about that at the moment. I needed to pay attention to this phone call at the moment. "Hello, Mr. Jones. My name is Light Yagami. I work for the metropolitan police. I have a few questions about your former employee, Mr. Williams."

"Oh yes. Didn't his brother just die? Sad, isn't it? Anyways, what can I do for you?" came the voice of an older man. His voice was kind and reminded me of Watari's. Wise and unjudging.

"How long did Mr. Williams work for you?"

"Jeffery? Hmm... Let's see," Jones replied. I rolled my eyes. Old people were almost worse than children. They were so slow at everything they did. "Almost eleven years."

"And was his work ever dissatisfactory?" Light glanced back at me and gave a nod toward my computer where I quickly took to typing again.

"You know, I can only think of once where he did something that I didn't like. He came in drunk one day. I wouldn't let him fly and he got very upset, saying all sorts of things that didn't make a lick of sense."

"What sort of things?" Light questioned.

Light was very good at his job. He always knew what things to ask and how to get the information that I needed without me having to tell him what to do. He was perfectly cut out for the job of a detective, and his knack for puzzle solving was truly amazing. He was almost as quick as me. A smile came to my face at the thought. Almost.

"He said something about coming between his brother and his sister in law. It sounded like he was fooling around to me, but these old ears don't hear as well as they used to." Jones gave a laugh on the other side of the line. It was like I could hear the wrinkles in it.

"Mr. Williams was having an affair with the wife," Light whispered, his hand going to his head. "Mr. Jones, is there any way that we can have a copy of the logs for the flights that take place?"

"Is there a specific date that you had in mind? I have the list in front of me."

"Last Tuesday and Wednesday."

There was a pause and rustling on the line. "Plane 243 was used Tuesday night, at about 8 pm by Jeffery."

"Is it normal for the planes to be used so late?" Light was rubbing the bridge of his nose now. Maybe he was stressed. I really should be able to take care of these cases alone. He should only be focusing on school. It wasn't fair.

"For watering the crop, yes. We try to do it later in the evening to save water," the old man said, giving a muffled cough when he had finished.

"Did it say where he took the plane?" Light asked, running his fingers through his hair, before taking a handful and pulling it rather roughly. I gave a confused look, but stayed silent.

"Just to the barley fields."

"I have one more question for you, if that is alright."

"Sure it is."

"Did Jeffery give a reason as to why he quit?"

"I can't say he did," Jones responded. I sighed. There should have been something there. "I figured it was due to the loss of his brother. I didn't push it though. It was a-a difficult time for them."

"Of course. I understand." There was a pause and the room fell silent. My typing stopped and I glanced over to see Light with his hand to his forehead and his eyes squeezed shut. Another migraine? These were starting to become concerning. He had them daily. It was like they never truly ended. "One more thing. Someone from the police department will be getting a hold of you soon. I believe they will have some more questions for you."

"Anything I can do to help. Bye."

"Goodbye, Mr. Jones."

Light hung up and lowered his head to the desktop. "We need to search the plane that he used. I'll get in touch with Scotland Yard and set up a search. Maybe the rest of the match is in the plane. Who knows."

"The rest of the..." I trailed off. I had completely forgotten about the rest of the match. But Light was correct. If the rest of the match was found in the plane, then that would mean that our dead man had been on the plane on Tuesday night. "I see."

Light glanced up at me through his hair, pain in his eyes. I hesitantly reached out to him and rubbed his head. "How much more homework do you have?" I asked softly.

"I need to finish this essay," he replied, his eyes sliding shut at the contact.

"When is it due?"

"Friday."

"Go to bed." Light sat up at my words, shaking his head. He was so stubborn. It was impossible to get him to do anything. "I mean it Light. Go to bed. I'll bring you some medicine in a few minutes."

He gave a sigh, but slowly rose to his feet and left the room without a word, his hand playing with the watch that sat on his wrist. That was worth noting. He never played with his watch. The only time h ever did anything with it was to take it off to shower or go to bed. I had never seen him even adjust it before.

His father did give it to him. Maybe he was just missing home again. The last week or so hadn't been easy on either of us. We just kept ignoring everything that we should have been working on. Maybe that was why. I would have to ask him about it.

Once I was sure that Light was gone, I got to my feet. We only used this room when we both had to work. Otherwise Light did his homework in our bedroom. This meant that I was with Light whenever we were in here. It wasn't somewhere he went alone. Which meant that I could hide the death notes in here.

They were taped to the underside of the couch. We never used the couch. It was the only place that I would think of keeping them where he wouldn't think to look. I went to the couch and got down onto my knees, feeling into the small space. They were both there and the tape wasn't coming up. He hadn't found them. That was good. But I really needed to get them out of the house eventually. Maybe I could send them with Watari when he came for his visit.

No. That wouldn't work. It wasn't that I didn't trust him, I just... Didn't trust him. The thought was strange as it entered my head. I got to my feet and sighed. I was the only one who I could trust with this. This was Light's life on the line. This was my life on the line. I was the one that needed to protect the both of us.

Light would be wondering where I was.I needed to head up to the bedroom. It wasn't incredibly late, but we could just talk. We didn't need anything else. We had each other and our minds. We would never really be lonely. We had each other's company. That sounded like a better relationship than most. Besides, we cared for each other. And we understood each other more than anyone else ever had.

I left the room, closing the door behind me. But when I turned around a pair of yellow eyes made me jump. Sharp teeth greeted me with a smile under dark blue lips. There was a laugh from the shinigami as a hand when to my chest where my racing heart pounded.

"Have you thought about our deal?" he asked, cocking his head to the side and looking curiously at me.

"I'm not interested," I replied, out of breath. I straightened up and began down the hallway to the stairs.

"You still don't want to know what the other half of the deal is?"

"I don't want to know." I paused at the foot of the stairs and glanced over my shoulder at Ryuk. "I do have something that I want to discuss with you though."

"Really? Interesting," Ryuk hummed. His body was hunched over more than normal so that he could fit into the not so accommodating hallway. It was a bit funny to be honest, but I kept the thought to myself.

"More Kira killings have started in Japan. Is it Light?"

There was another hum and the shinigami put on a show of pretending to think. After a moment, his eyes met mine. "And what will happen if I say yes?"