A/N: Ok.. I'm sorry. I had to reread Another Note.. Lol. Plus, I only for sure have internet on Sat and Tuesday nights. Sucky, I know. BUT the new semester for me starts on Jan 23. I'll be busy with classes, but I'll have internet access every night. So, updating will get easier. I know the chapters in this story are relatively short, but I hope that they do what they need. I don't want to add too much excess, and I'd rather have a few shorter chapters, broken up right, than long ones that should have been broken.

"I think we'll start with a reign of terror."

Chapter 3

L searched all over for Beyond. He hadn't thought he would get too far so fast. But it hadn't taken long to figure out the man had left England entirely. He hadn't told anyone exactly why he buried himself into his work. He didn't think it needed explaining. Beyond being gone. That was obvious.

Watari generally left him alone. Just bringing him his regular cakes and tea. Not talking, just working. L sometimes caught the man giving him sad looks, and he ignored them. He wanted no pity.

They began to travel more. All around the world, L took high profile cases. He owned several safe houses across the world, and he started to take advantage of those.

"What are you looking for, L." Watari asked him one day. L looked at him as if he had asked the stupidest question. In his mind, he had.

"The love of my life, of course!" He had snapped. The worried look he received only angered him farther, and he dove back into the case he was working on.

March, April, May, and June all passed with nothing. No word or sight of Beyond. L had decided to take a case involving embezzlement in Los Angeles, California. The case was easy to solve, and it was then he decided to take a break. Perhaps he would never find Beyond. After all, if he didn't want to be found, he wouldn't.

July came to a close, and L didn't do much. He stayed away from his computer for once, and avoided the TV. He mostly sat up in his room all night, just existing. Watari brought food, and he barely ate. In turn, sleep started to take over more often.

Then, on August 13, he was walking through the house when the news broadcast Watari was watching caught his attention. Wara Ningyo Murders? That was odd for LA. It was then he demanded cake and tea in his work area as he sat back in his chair and booted up the long forgotten technology.

It was so easy to hack into the police reports. Even easier to use his resources to get the crossword they had ignored. It all came to him so fast. It was so simple. B was challenging L. But why? Is this why he left? L had always known that B wanted to surpass him one day. In fact, it was the only issue in their relationship. It put a wrench in the trust, therefore hindering the relationship. But L hadn't known that Beyond would rather surpass him than be with him. He had thought they were in love.

Perhaps it was whatever happened to him 9 months prior? When Beyond started to act differently? Was that what had caused all this? After L found no way to help him for 5 months, he snapped and left? He would have to capture him in order to find out.

On August 14, 2001, he contacted Naomi Misora. He knew Beyond would easily know she was his pawn. That he had answered the challenge. But it couldn't be helped. If he wanted answers, he would have to play by Beyond's rules.. For now.