Disclamer: I do not own Death Note. I only own the OC's that will appear in the story.

Death Note is the property of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.

Death Note:Another Note is the work of Ishin Nishio.

**Author's Note**This story is meant to take place between the events of Another Note and Death Note.

**Spoiler Alert**

If you haven't read Death Note: Another Note, then you probably aren't going to understand everything that's going on in this first chapter. I had to write around the last 2 chapters. If you haven't read those yet and don't want the ending spoiled, then don't read this story yet! Some of the dialog comes straight out of the book. Chapter two of this fanfic has the same spoiler warning.

The C.S. Lewis quote will be explained later in the story.

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable."

C.S. Lewis

Puddles

1.

"Nothing happening here. I spoke to Ryuzaki earlier, but nothing has happened on his end either. No signs of anything out of the ordinary. I'm starting to feel like we're in it for the long haul."

"I see. Don't let your guard down. As I said before, your backup is in position around the condominium, but if anything happens, they aren't close enough to respond immediately."

L popped another Jolly Rancher into his mouth as he watched the live footage streaming from the condo that Rue Ryuzaki- or B, as L knew him- currently occupied. 'Wedy's skill puts ultimate shame to Arsène Lupin's. She managed to place the cameras in record time.' He smirked to himself as he compared his loyal and beautiful thief to Maurice Leblanc's fictional character.

Naomi Misora was on the other end of the incoming call he had received. She was stationed in another room within the condominium complex; L had made sure to have cameras installed in that room as well. Both L and Naomi were waiting for Beyond Birthday to attempt his 4th murder. Naomi, however, was a little in the dark about a few details. She had no idea that there were cameras in either of the rooms. She had yet to realize that Rue Ryuzaki, the private investigator that had been helping her with the case, was actually B, himself.

L briefed Naomi on a few key points to his plan that he felt she needed to know and then prepared to wrap up the conversation. As he half sincerely answered a few of Naomi's questions about B and about what justice was really supposed to mean, he heard Watari speak suddenly from behind him.

"Are you not going to inform Ms. Misora about Ryuzaki?"

L turned his head slightly so that he could see Watari from the corner of his eye. He held up his hand, which gave Watari the signal to save the questions for later. L made his closing remark before closing his cell phone and popped 3 more Jolly Ranchers into his mouth.

"Mmmm. I wonder if she'll figure it out before B makes his move."

"L, why leave the poor woman in the dark? Wouldn't it be more feasible to inform Ms. Misora now so she can get a better grasp of what she's dealing with before it actually happens?"

"Naomi Misora's self confidence has taken a hard hit since she was placed on suspension from the FBI. I'm simply trying to give her a chance to put the pieces of the puzzle together herself. I know she has the ability to do such. It will give her a feeling of redemption once she reaches the right conclusion without B or myself holding her hand. She is the one who will take public credit for solving this case after all. Either way, I'm getting all the evidence I need on video tape, so it really doesn't make any difference."

Watari looked almost dumbfounded.

"Besides," L continued, "Wouldn't you agree that it's much more fun this way?" He shot Watari a sly smirk.

"If she doesn't figure it out, then B won't live to see his trail."

"Tell me Watari, given the choice to die thinking you accomplished your ultimate goal, or to live out the rest of your life knowing that you failed... what would you consider a harsher punishment? No, what would B consider the harsher of the two?"

Watari didn't answer. He instead turned his attention to the monitor that displayed the room B was currently in. He was setting up his own crime scene; all the while smiling and laughing to himself. A can of gasoline rested on the bed beside him. L raised his index finger to his lips.

"Have you ever witnessed anything like it Watari? Here we have a man who is about to commit suicide by burning himself to death- which I imagine would be painfully unpleasant- and yet he looks as if he's about to break into full song and dance at any moment because he's convinced he's pulled one over on me."

Watari still remained silent. L's attention left the monitors as he focused on Watari. It didn't seem to register with him that Watari was having an emotional battle with himself. He turned back to the screen and studied the man on camera again.

"How incredibly lame for him to dress himself up like that. I mean, he obviously has my eyes all wrong! Wouldn't you agree, Watari?" He turned to Watari again and batted his eyes playfully.

"Why are you treating this as a joke? You know this case strikes a chord with me. He's just as much a son to me as any other child of Wammy House. I took him under my wing, just as I did with you."

L began to reach for another Jolly Rancher, but his hand froze in mid air before slowly falling away from the candy dish. "Just as B is your son, he is my brother. This is really no different than sibling rivalry. Surpassing his elder brother- winning the game- means more to him than life itself. It has come to this because he has spent much of his life being conditioned to walk in my shadow."

Watari's eyes narrowed as L's last comment stabbed him in the gut. He thought of a father who favored one child more than any of the others; so highly that he expected his other children to live exactly as his trophy child lived. How could any of those children ever hope to be stable?

L paused for a brief moment to study Watari's reaction, who in turn looked taken aback. "Forgive me Watari. It wasn't my intention to upset you." He turned towards the monitors once more. Naomi Misora was sitting uncomfortably in a lounge chair. She rocked back and forth slightly, apparently in deep thought- trying to figure out something important.

"Raye Penber is a very lucky man." L was playing with his bottom lip as he admired her. He heard the first drops of rain start falling on the tin roof above him. They tapped the warehouse roof in a steady rhythm before progressing to an upbeat and heavy down pour. L rubbed his temples as he tried to drown out the noise. The overall lack of machinery or inventory in the abandoned warehouse made the echo of the rain even worse. "Well, that's annoying."

Watari was now watching B douse himself with gasoline. He could feel his blood pressure rising. "L, I've never questioned your methods before, but you have to intervene now! A man's life is on the line here! I beg of you! Call Wedy or Aiber! They're both in position and ready to act! Call Naomi! Put a stop to this now!" Watari seldom lost his composure, but this was just too much.

"Watari… you really don't understand, do you?" L's face wore no expression.

"No. No, I'm sorry. I can't continue to watch this."

Without another word, Watari retreated to a small office within the warehouse. He couldn't understand how L could be so cold and heartless. 'This isn't like him. The boy has always instinctively used kindness under the cloak of a childish game. No one ever realizes his true nature. This time, I'm afraid I'm the one who can't see under the cloak he's wearing. What am I missing?'

L had watched Watari's quick departure. 'Watari… I'm sorry you don't understand; but this is my gift to B. It's not a game to me anymore.'

An orange glare from one of the monitors suddenly caught L's attention. Beyond Birthday, was now engulfed in flames. L's eyes were wide open. He couldn't move as he watched the man on the screen screaming in pain while he danced around the room. His stomach turned summersaults as he observed the man's skin shriveling up through the orange tint and burning away. Every nerve in L's body felt cold jolts. He couldn't find his breath. In that moment, L had wished he was in the room with B so he could extinguish the flames; but…

L suddenly had an impulse to check on Naomi Misora. His eyes darted to her screen, but she wasn't there. His fingers dug deeply into his legs. 'No, Naomi! Not yet! If he lives through this; his suffering will be far greater than what he's feeling right now!'

He quickly made contact with Wedy. "Wedy, this is L! Naomi Misora is on her way to B's room! I need you to do whatever you can to distract her from finding her immediate destination, even if it's only for a few seconds."

Though a little confused by L's orders, Wedy stormed out of the condo she was stationed in and into the hallway just in time to see Naomi Misora coming out of the stairwell entrance. She noticed the gun that Misora was carrying and went with that; letting out a long and loud scream as she stared at the gun. Misora spun around and took in the image of the screaming woman. It took her a moment to register that the woman was screaming at her because of the gun. The woman continued to scream dramatically as she backed up to her condo door and darted back in, slamming the door behind her. Wedy now rested against the back door. 'Well, that was overplayed! There's your few seconds, L.'

L's eyes darted back and forth from monitor to monitor. He choked back a quick breath as his attention rested on the room right outside of B's fabricated crime scene. Naomi Misora was trying to force herself through the locked door. L was feeling defeated. He couldn't handle not being in full control of any given situation. His mind was racing completely out of control has he helplessly watched Naomi Misora fire 3 shots into the lock of door. 'Naomi Misora… the pawn played by both B and myself… perhaps B really did defeat me; only not in the way he was hoping.'

Naomi Misora was now in the same room as Rue Ryuzaki. The smoke that filled the room made it impossible for L to see what was happening on the monitor. He chewed on his thumb so hard, he drew blood. Failing to acknowledge the coopery taste that now filled his mouth, he listened intently to the events unfolding in the room. There was the unmistakable sound of a fire extinguisher spraying followed by Naomi Misora's voice shouting at B from the top of her lungs. "Ryuzaki? Ryuzaki!"

The rain continued to pound on the tin roof. Straining to hear what was taking place on the monitor; L grabbed a set of headphones and plugged it into the audio outlet in an attempt to drown out the sound of the rain. His closed his eyes and slowly inhaled the stale warehouse air as Misora's words rang through his ears. "Rue Ryuzaki, I arrest you on suspicion of the murders of Believe Bridesmaid, Quarter Queen, and Backyard Bottomslash. You do not have the right to remain silent, you do not have the right to an attorney, and you do not have the right to a fair trial."

L still couldn't see what was going on in the room due to the smoke. He didn't need to see. He switched off every monitor and stared at the empty screens. He was feeling emotions that he wasn't accustomed to dealing with. He hugged his knees as tight as he could and allowed the sounds of the thunder and rain to wash his feelings into the background. He now focused all of his concentration on the rhythms that pounded against the tin roof.

A large gust of wind knocked the sound off rhythm. Watari had emerged from the old office room. "L, what's going on? Is it already over?"

L never looked away from the blank screens. "It is indeed… over." His voice was barely audible against the sounds the storm was creating outside.

"What about B? Is he alive?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid all is not well with him."

"You allowed him to go through with his suicide attempt then? What were you thinking? If B survives his injuries, he'll never be the same again. Why did you not intervene?"

Before L could answer (assuming he had even intended to), a loud smash echoed across the warehouse. Watari almost jumped out of his skin. 'This really is too much for a man of my age.' L remained still and focused on the side of the warehouse from which the sound had come from.

"Watari, do you recall seeing any trees around this building upon entering?"

"No, but there are a few light posts that line the building. Perhaps the storm knocked one over?"

"I suppose I'll go survey the damage. I need to go for a walk anyway. The bells are ringing again."

"I'm not sure it's completely safe. Besides, there's still a heavy down pour out there. You really should try and stay out of it."

"Heavy down pour? Yes, I do believe that sums up my current thought pattern at this moment. I should blend in with the elements quite nicely."

"Very well then; but at the very least, take an umbrella?"

L grabbed a few Jolly Ranchers and headed towards the door. "That won't be necessary, Watari; however, I am grateful for your general concern in regards to my health."

With his hands tucked safely away in his pockets and a watermelon Jolly Rancher under his tongue, L ventured outside in to the rain. The wind was rather strong for a common thunder storm. The scene seemed more likely to fall into the hurricane or typhoon category. He stood in silence for a while as the wind slung stinging raindrops against his face.

His thoughts wandered to the conversation he had had with Naomi Misora just before B had been apprehended.

"There are people who justice cannot save," he had told her.

"And there are people who evil can save," she had replied.

"There are. But even so, justice has more power than anything else."

"Power? By power… you mean strength?"

"No. I mean kindness."

"…I misunderstood you, L."

"Did you? Well, I'm glad we cleared that up."

He tilted his head up toward the sky and closed his eyes. The bells were there tonight, carried in by the wind. 'I thought the wind was supposed to whistle, not ring.' He stood for a moment longer before he decided to stroll over to the other side of the building. As he walked, he purposely stepped in every puddle he could find. The cold water felt soothing around his feet. Walking bare foot in puddles had always been a favorite childhood pastime of his; one he didn't care to grow out of.

As L edged around the building, he noticed the area was well lit. All the light posts in place- no trees in sight. Nothing looked out of the ordinary at all. Nothing except… he squinted as he tried to make out the mound of… whatever it was lying only a few feet away from the building.

'That looks like a… no, it can't be.'

He cautiously continued forward. As he moved closer, he confirmed to himself what the object that now had his full attention actually was. In a shallow puddle, was a young woman – nude and either unconscious or dead. L sighed. 'Now my night is complete.'

He kneeled down beside her to check her pulse. 'She's still alive.' His eyes slowly took in the features of her body. 'Average sized chest... or maybe a little below average...long dark hair (waist-length), soft feminine face, nicely built, 5'6" perhaps, between 17-22 years of age… I don't like this. This can't be a coincidence- this woman ending up beside an abandoned warehouse that I just happened to be working in. The whole scenario is just too perfect.'

L stood up and started to walk away. He had only moved a few feet when he stopped dead in his tracks. He stood with his back turned to her for only a moment. He hesitated, but eventually turned around and walked back over to the girl. He studied her again, trying to make up his mind about something. He pulled a Jolly Rancher out of his pocket. 'Cherry. That's the only flavor that will do in this sort of situation.' He unwrapped it, shoved it into his mouth, and began peeling his wet shirt off.

He carefully wrapped his shirt around as much of her flesh as the shirt could cover. He paused briefly as he noticed a birthmark on the left side of her abdomen, about the size of a thumbprint. It was only barely visible under the streetlight. 'That's incredibly...unique.' As if shaking away the thoughts that followed, L quickly studied his surroundings.

It was still pouring down rain. The wind was howling, and there was no one else within plain view. L slowly picked up the woman so he could move her to a safer and dryer place. As he lifted her, something caught his eye. It appeared to be a long stick-like object. It was too dark to make out exactly what it was. There was no way he could pick it up as long as he had the girl in his arms. He was almost positive the object was connected to the woman somehow.

As quickly as he could, he carried the young woman back inside with him. They were both completely drenched. Watari's mouth almost fell to the floor when he saw what L had in his arms. "L, what… where… is she alive?"

"If she weren't alive, do you really think I would have disturbed an unprocessed crime scene? Please, Watari, dry her off and check her for injuries. I need to go back outside for a moment."

When L returned, he carried the object that he had noticed lying beside the woman. It appeared to be a type of flute. It was wooden and was covered in characters that L was unfamiliar with. Watari had wrapped the young woman in his long coat. "The young lady doesn't appear to have any serious injuries aside from a few scrapes and bruises. Her heartbeat is strong and her breathing is steady. It appears as though she's in an almost drug induced type of sleep."

"I see. Well then, Watari, shall I proceed with the typical formalities of a child asking a parent for permission? We might as well find some amusement in all of this. Let's see…" L's face stayed unreadable; his voice remained monotone. "Daddy, daddy, daddy. Look what I found outside. There's no collar. Can we keep her?" L grinned boyishly and popped another piece of candy into his mouth. "Mmmmm. I'm not sure what to make of this to be honest with you. For now, we should take her back to the hotel so she can recover comfortably."

Watari didn't give L an assuring look. "Don't you think it's a little reckless to lays claims on this woman? She more than likely needs medical attention and it most definitely would not be to your benefit if she found out who you are."

"I found her, so for now, I'm keeping her. I'd like to investigate her before I turn her over to the police. I need to determine if she was planted there for me to find. We will give her the care she needs."

Watari sighed. "If you insist, I will comply with your wishes. Please remember however that this is a human being and not a pet."

"I'm well aware of that."

"Well, then, I will start loading up the equipment. You can go ahead and take her to the car. I'm sure it will be warmer for her in there than it will in here. Here are the keys so you can turn the heater on. I believe there is a blanket in the emergency kit."

"Thank you, Watari. I'm happy to see you're no longer upset with me."

Watari shrugged without another word. He was still upset alright; the girl had only served as a brief distraction from the disappointment he felt towards L and the way he had handled the BB Murders.

L carefully carried the young woman out to the limo and placed her carefully into the back seat. He then looked in the back compartment and found a blanket on top of the emergency kit. He began to wrap the blanket around himself (he was still soaked, shirtless and cold, after all), but quickly stopped himself and studied the girl sitting beside him. She was wrapped in Watari's long coat, but still… he covered her with the blanket instead. 'I must be having a really off day. There's really no other explanation.'

He sighed and hugged his knees, not pleased with himself for the way he had her positioned. 'She'll fall in floorboard as soon as Watari taps the breaks.' L chewed on his nails nervously before making his decision. He carefully guided her to rest against his shoulder and wrapped his arm around her to hold her in place. Only moments ago, L had been freezing. Now he wanted nothing more than to feel that cold open air. Perhaps it would make his cheeks return to their rightful color. 'Yes, there's no getting around it. I really am having an off day."