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“Come on, L. Tell us about your case!” Mello said, sitting next to L as he ate some of the cake. “You really don’t want to hear about it,” L answered with a mouthful of cake.

“Yea, I do! How did he look like? How did you catch him?” L put his fork down and turned to Mello.

“His name was Beyond Birthday and he, like you, was suppose to be my successor. But when he cracked under the pressure, he ran from Wammy’s and became a serial killer. You could say he was obsessed with becoming my successor that he started copying my habit and even dressed like me. If you want to see him in your mind, just picture me with blood red eyes and an evil, sadistic grin on my face…”

“That’s enough, L!” Mello yelled, covering his ears, “I’m gonna have nightmares now.” L smirked and picked up his fork again, “Told you you wouldn’t want to hear it. Oh, I brought you guys something.” Mello smiled as Watari handed Mello, Matt, and Near a small wrapped box. “Whatcha get us, big brother?” Matt asked, opening the box.

“I got each of you a necklace while I was in America. Mello, yours is a rosary necklace with a wooden cross on it; Matt, I found yours at a video game convention. I believe one of the characters in your game have the same one; and Near, yours is a crystal pendant that’s suppose to bring you good luck in whatever you do.” Matt and Mello quickly put theirs on as Near placed his in his pocket. Alice, who sat across from L, smiled, seeing the younger three happy. L turned his attention to Alice, who blushed slightly.

“I didn’t forget you, Alice,” he said, holding out a small box, “A monogrammed pink heart for you.” Alice blushed again as she took the box from L.

“Thank you, L,” she said, opening the box and smiling, “It’s beautiful.” L smiled as Watari walked over to Alice.

“Miss Alice,” he said, turning Alice’s attention to him and her bags behind him, “It’s time for you to go back home.” The smiles that were on Matt, Mello and Alice’s face disappeared at those words. “Do she have to?” Matt and Mello asked at the same time.

“I’m afraid so. Remember, she was here to watch over the three of you while L and I were away,” Watari answered with a straight face as Mello hugged Alice tightly.

“NO! I don’t want her to leave! I want her to stay here!” he yelled, earning a curious look from L, “She saved our lives! She shouldn’t have to go back home! She doesn’t even have a home to go home to!”

“What do you mean?” L asked as Mello looked at him.

“Her parents kicked her out because she wanted to stay with us when they wanted her home.”

“Really now?” L looked at Alice as she sighed heavily.

“They didn’t kick me out…” Alice said, lowering her eyes to the blonde child still wrapped around her waist, “…I just told them if they did, I wouldn’t leave Matt, Mello and Near alone.” L nodded as Near sat close to Alice.

“If you do leave, Ali, please come back and visit us,” he said softly, playing with his hair as Alice hugged him gently.

“Of course I’ll visit,” she said as Watari opened the door.

“Miss Alice, it’s time,” he said, looking outside, “And not a moment too soon. It looks like it’s going to rain.” Alice looked down at the three children and hugged them tightly as L stood up.

“Watari, I want to come along with you when you drop off Alice,” he said as Alice looked at him.

“You don’t have to…” she said, picking up her backpack as L walked up to her.

“I insist.” Alice nodded then turned to the three children, who had tears in their eyes. She gave them each a small kiss on the forehead and walked outside.

Neither L or Alice said anything as Watari drove the car towards Alice’s home. Alice looked outside the foggy car window as the rain began to pick up. She saw the silhouettes of people running to get out of the ran made by the brightly lit streetlights. She thought about what was going to happen when she got home: maybe her father would lock her in her room for a week without food like he did when she came home with a “B” on her report card… or maybe he’ll force her into the small broom closet for two days, causing her to have a small claustrophobic episode; maybe he would be merciful and just hit her, but that was wishful thinking.

The car came to a stop as Alice sighed heavily. “Thank you, Mr. Watari,” she said sadly, opening the door and grabbing her bags, “I won’t forget you guys.” She closed the door and walked up to the porch and sighed. Watari shifted gears as L grabbed his shoulder.

“Don’t leave just yet, Watari,” L said, looking outside. Alice knocked on the door and held her breath. If her mom answered, she knew she had a smaller chance of getting hit. The door opened and her father stood there with a scowl on his face. Alice gulped and shivered, not from the cold of the rain, but from the piercing look her father gave her.

“What in hell are you doing back here?” he asked, his speech a little slurred.

“Well, the person I was sitting for came back… so I came home.”

“You…came here? You don’t live here anymore.”

“W-what??”

“That’s right. You didn’t listen to me when I told your a** to get home so you don’t live here anymore! You can go live at that damned orphanage you care so much about!” Alice felt tears building up as she dropped her bags.

“What?! You kicked me out?! Why in hell- -”

“You have ten minutes to get off my property…” he said, pointing a shotgun at Alice, “… or I’ll shoot.” He slammed the door as the rain began to fall harder. Tears began falling down her face as she turned away from the door and walked towards the street, becoming very drenched from the rain. She noticed a pile of her things by the street were burned and carelessly dumped. As the reached the sidewalk, Watari stepped out of the car and placed his jacket over her shoulders.

“Huh?… Watari, what are you guys still doing here?” she asked as he opened the door for her.

“L insisted we stay here in case something happened,” he answered as L stepped out and walked to the porch, “Hmm? L?” L knocked on the door as it flew open and Alice’s father stood there.

“Who the hell are you?” he asked the teenager.

“Excuse me, are you Mr. Fairbrook?” L asked, staring at the older man with his emotionless eyes.

“Who wants to know?”

“Did you just kick out your teenaged daughter?”

“Hmm? I don’t have a teenaged daughter. I disowned that disobedient, little- -” Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a kick to the face. He fell to his back with a loud ‘thud’ as his wife and a small girl run up to him. L looked at the woman then the girl.

“Linda, what are you doing here?” he asked as she looked at him, “These are very bad people, Linda.”

“Really? Can I go back to Wammy’s with you, L?” she asked as the man sat up.

“So, this punk is L… are you sure he isn’t pretending to be L?” he asked as Linda shakes her head.

“It’s the real L. He just came back from a case in the US.” L glared down at the man.

“You shouldn’t be allowed to be a father. You claim that orphanages are below you and your family, yet you adopt one of my successors. You are nothing but a hypocrite…” L said as the man glare up at the teen, “I’ll be back for Linda soon. If I find so much as a hair out of place, you will experience something far worse than Hell itself.” L walked back to the car, leaving the man speechless. Watari opened the door for him as L sat down inside and sighed, calming himself down. Watari sat down in the driver’s seat and started driving as L looked over at Alice. She was still shivering from the rain and crying; her clothes were completely soaked from standing in the rain for so long. L leaned closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her.

“It’s going to be alright, Alice,” he said softly, trying to comfort her, “He will pay for what he’s done.” Alice hugged L back, crying softly on his shoulder. L looked down at her softly for a moment before speaking again: “When I was younger, I loved reading complex books and solving mysteries. At first, my father and mother were proud of me for doing so much at such a young age… but then when I began to learn about how my parents earned so much money through illegal means, they tried to stop me. But when I didn’t quit, my father gave me a choice to make: stop what I was doing or be kicked out. He, however, never gave me the chance to choose. I went to bed one night, then when I woke up, I was in front of Wammy’s House with just my pajamas and my favorite book.” L held Alice tighter as a single tear fell down his cheek, “Lucky for me, Watari found me before I froze to death…” Alice looked up at him and wiped his tear away.

“That’s so terrible… how could he do such a thing to such a wonderful person like you?” Alice asked, “No wonder you told off my father like that.” L looked outside, noticing that they were in front of a bakery and Watari was gone. L looked down at Alice and smiled.

“I don’t worry about it anymore. My past might have been an unhappy one, but it doesn’t matter.” Alice nodded and wiped her eyes as L gently pressed his lips on her forehead and held her in his arms.