Writer's Note: Hey there everyone. It's me again. I hope you guys enjoyed last chapter. Again sorry it took so long! I appreciate all the comments and PMs you guys sent me to ask me when I was gonna update and stuff (really) it makes me feel good knowing you guys are into this story as much as I am. This chapter was particularly annoying to write because it's SO long compared to my other chapters. However, I refused to make it a two-part chapter (remember how I hate those?) so this is what happened.

Everything was set. Their belongings were packed, their plane tickets to the U.S. were bought, and their hotel reservations were made. In less than half a day, L would be with Misa. He could hardly wait to hold her in his arms again. He knew that after 3 years of waiting, 12 hours should have felt like nothing, yet each hour felt maddeningly drawn out for him.

"Ah, we almost forgot the chocolates..." He muttered, disappearing into the bedroom.

While he was preoccupied, there was a loud rap at the door. Watari answered it, opening the door to the two unexpected guests standing in the doorway. They were Roxy and the male bartender known only as 'Sea Bass.'

"I'm sorry, I told her she shouldn't have come here. I tried to dissuade her," Said the male bartender, holding Roxy.

The distraught woman shrugged his hands off forcefully and marched inside.

"Where is he, Watari? Where is Ryuzaki?" She demanded, looking frazzled.

Her dark makeup was runny and black eyeliner trailed down her cheeks, proof that she had been crying. Her hair was messier than usual and she was still wearing the clothes from the night before.

L walked out of the bedroom with a chocolate bar in his mouth and stopped mid-stride when he saw Roxy going straight for him. In a rush, he gulped down the chunk of chocolate and braced himself for the inevitable slap to the face, or maybe even a punch. It was hard to tell which one it would be as Roxy was quite fierce and unpredictable when she was angry. Surprisingly, he receive neither of those, as she instead threw herself at him, crying.

"Ryuzaki, don't leave! I know you told me you didn't love me, but... I do! I love you, and I want you to stay here, please, I'll do anything to make you stay!" She pleaded, sobbing into his shirt.

L tentatively held her, trying to let her off easy.

Roxy looked up at him and took his face in her hands. "I thought I could do this no-strings-attached thing with you, but I fell in love with you... I know it was stupid of me to hold back and pretend that we were just hooking up. I thought that maybe if I tried hard and after spending so much time together that maybe you would feel the same way, and realize that you love me too!" She told him, caressing his face with hopeful tears in her eyes.

L took her hands and placed them at her sides.

"Roxy... I'm grateful for your company but to think that you could make me fall for you was a bold assumption on your part. I can't imagine why you would think that would happen after I was clear with you that I couldn't love you," He said quietly.

"Wh-what? You're wondering why I thought I could change your mind about loving me?"

L nodded his head once.

She broke away from him abruptly. "Because! Because when people say that it's JUST FUCKING, it's NEVER. JUST. FUCKING. It's always something more, people get attached to one another, shit happens, and in the end, it's NEVER just no-strings-attached, fucking..."

"It was when I said it," He told her.

She stared at him blankly for a moment. "Liar. You're a liar."

L gave her a sad smile. "That may be, but in this case I'm actually telling the truth. I don't love you Roxy, and I can't stay with you because I want to be with Misa. She's waiting for me right now, so I'm going," He said simply.

With that he looked at Watari and motioned to the door. The old man nodded and picked up a suitcase, ready to go. Roxy gave L a pleading look as Sea Bass took hold of her arm.

"No! Don't touch me, Sea Bass!" Roxy yelled as she broke away from him and latched onto L's arm. "Ryuzaki, look at me! You say you don't love me even a little bit, but then, why did you give me all those expensive necklaces and rings and things?! Why?! Even the old man said you never gave shit to Misa! The fact that you did this for me and not for her means something right?! Tell the truth!"

"... It meant nothing. Money is only a means to an end and when I spend it inordinately, I always make more, hence buying you jewelry wasn't a gesture of love on my part and it didn't mean that you were more special to me than Misa. I apologize if it came across that way," He said coolly.

"But... but..."

"Roxy, please. You heard him, he doesn't want you. Now that you have your closure, we should go" Said Sea Bass sympathetically.

"STOP IT! I'm not going anywhere! Ryuzaki, if... if you leave here today, I'm going to kill myself!" Roxy cried, fresh tears trailing down her cheeks.

"Roxy..." Gasped Sea Bass.

"I swear it! I will! I'll kill myself and then you'll have that on your conscience forever, Ryuzaki!"

L sighed and looked at Sea Bass.

"Please get her some help," He told the male bartender. Sea Bass nodded and promised L that he would.

"Thank you," Said L.

"Ryuzaki, I'm sorry but we're running behind schedule," Watari informed him.

"So we are. Take care," He said to Roxy and Sea Bass.

"No! Ryuzaki!" Roxy screamed as Sea Bass took her in his arms and hugged her tightly. She struggled fruitlessly against him as L and Watari left the suite without so much as a backwards glance.

L and Watari promptly boarded the elevator, neither saying a word about what had just happened. Despite his silence and normal, neutral expression Watari could tell that L was troubled.

"That was... intense. What are you thinking?" Watari asked him.

"I'm thinking of how that was absurd. I really did try my best to be honest this time around but it still ended badly," L said, looking down.

"Well, sometimes it just doesn't work out, but for what it's worth, I think you handled this splendidly. You were very honest with your intentions and although I'm not a fan of Miss Roxy or this casual relationship you had with her, I'd say I'm proud of the way you managed this," Watari praised him with a smile.

"Well thanks, Wammy. I rather enjoy doing things right for a change," Replied L, cheering up.

"Although, if you don't mind me saying, I think this proved just how special Misa is to you. I doubt any woman will be able to fulfill you emotionally, physically, and mentally like she did."

"It's interesting you should say that because I've thought about that as well. At first I had my doubts because I lacked solid proof of that theory, but obtaining such proof would be difficult, time-consuming, and impractical, not to mention mathematically impossible. After dating Roxy, I've come to accept the same conclusion you have regarding Misa."

"Good. So what will you do about it?"

L gave him a puzzled look. "What do you mean, what will I do about it?"

"Well, L... if you've reached the conclusion that Misa is the only woman you would want to be by your side, perhaps for the rest of your life and she reaches the same conclusion about you then, that means something and..."

"Yes? Go on..."

Watari hoped L would have caught on by now.

"And... you should do something about it!"

"I should do something about it," L repeated.

"Yes. Do something about it" Said Watari firmly. L cocked his head a little.

"OK... I get the sense you want me to figure this out on my own, correct?" He asked.

"That is correct."

"I see..." Said L, pondering over Watari's words. Moments later, the elevator finished its descent to the main lobby and the doors slid open.

"Very well, Wammy. I'm 90% certain that I know what you're hinting at," L informed him. Watari looked at him over his spectacles.

"And? What are your thoughts?"

"It's daunting. However, I'm not opposed to it since it is Misa... for now I think the sensible course of action would be to first meet with her, assess the situation, and based on that, maybe I'll 'do something about it.'"

Watari beamed at him. "I couldn't agree more. Nothing would make me happier."

-Twelve hours later-

It was 5:58 pm. L chewed on his index finger as he waited outside an unmarked building on a busy avenue. His skin crawled with anticipation and he almost laughed at the fact that he'd patiently waited three years for this moment, only to go mad with impatience at the last minute. He paced around the glass double doors while glancing at his phone clock, noting that it was 5:59 pm.

He sighed and leaned against the side of the building. Patience was not his virtue today and this last minute was really eating away at him. The clock struck 6 pm. Finally. L stood straight and went inside. The lobby was large with gray walls, a few paintings and marble floors. It also had a strange divider that blocked off a portion of the large room. From what L could see, there were two elevators in the lobby, one straight ahead and another behind the divider. Undoubtedly, Misa would soon emerge from one of those two elevators.

...

-Meanwhile, upstairs-

Misa was a nervous wreck, pacing all around the living room and biting her nails. Every other minute she was running into the bedroom to make sure she looked OK and when she wasn't doing that, she was compulsively checking up on Mello. Each time she checked on him, he was sitting in his room, quiet as a grave and unaware that he was about to meet his father.

The eerie silence in the apartment was cut by a knock on the door. Startled, Misa ran out to the living room, feeling relieved when the door opened and Halle walked in.

"Halle thank god it's you, how do I look?"

"Fine but what are you still doing here?! It's almost 6:30!"

"What, really?!"

"Yes, Misa! Hurry and get down there before he leaves! I'll keep an eye on Mello, go!"

"Right, I'll go now!" Misa announced, rushing for the door. She ran out of the apartment and seconds later, she ran back in. "Wait!" She called.

"What now?"

"What if he hates me? I haven't talked to him since I ran away, what if he's mad at me?"

"Oh my god! Go already!" Yelled Halle, pushing Misa out of the apartment.

"But Halle-!" Misa protested as her friend pulled her into the hallway and shoved her into the elevator.

"Bye, have fun! See you soon!" She told her, pressing the down button.

"Wait! I-" Yelled Misa, as the doors closed, muffling her protests.

...

Down in the lobby, L felt an ominous sensation creeping up on him. He'd been waiting for over 20 minutes with no sign of Misa. Had he been duped? It wasn't entirely impossible. In fact, now that he thought about it, this could all have been another one of Ferraro's traps and for all he knew, ICPO goons could be on their way down to apprehend him and possibly beat him senseless again. He sighed and leaned against the wall with a weary look on his face.

'Why would Misa play such a cruel trick on me?' He asked himself.

Still, he waited. He'd come all this way, with three years' worth of guilt, longing, and an overdue apology on his lips, just for her. He was determined to see this through to the end, even if he had to stand there waiting all night.

Suddenly, one of the elevators opened, pinging its arrival. L looked toward the source of the sound, which he identified as the elevator behind the divider. His heart quickened as he viewed the outline of a woman through the blurred glass divider, walking to the main part of the lobby. His body moved on its own accord, walking closer along the partition, hesitantly matching each of her soft steps. Every fiber of his being screamed for it to be her.

Bracing himself for the possibility of another crushing disappointment, he reached the end of the divider just as Misa rounded the corner, coming face to face with him. Immediately, he stopped dead on his tracks. There she stood, in a black summer dress, the woman he'd yearned for. Her hair was longer, loose, and her bangs were swept to the side, giving her a more mature look, but it was 100% her.

"Misa..." He managed to say, his heart racing as a relieved smile formed on his face.

"Hi... L" She replied softly, enchanted by his presence.

Oh how she'd missed those dark eyes that she used to get lost in, his pale face, his tousled black hair that she always played with, and even his curved posture and pressed white shirt and jeans. She was overjoyed and when he extended his arms out to her, she ran into them without hesitation, smiling as she hugged him tightly.

"My panda! I missed you like you wouldn't believe!" She said, laughing against his chest. L laughed too, wrapping his arms around her and enjoying the feeling of having her close again.

"I'm here now, Misa," He told her, kissing the side of her head. "I missed you terribly, I looked for you this whole time... I wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for everything I did to wrong you. I was an idiot and it almost killed me. I mean it..." Unexpectedly, she felt him go down to his knees, hugging her with his face pressed against her stomach.

"L..."

"This is the purest truth I've ever told. In my life, I've never regretted anything more than having lost you because of my idiocy. I was a fool. I'm sorry and it's my greatest hope that you'll forgive me and let me be a part of your life and a part of my son's life. Could you please forgive me and allow me to be in your lives?"

Misa was speechless as she caressed his head, teary-eyed. For a long time she'd dreamed of this moment, but in truth, she felt guilty also. This whole mess happened because she ran away without giving him a fair chance to redeem himself and in the end, her actions put the two of them, and Mello, through hell. Feeling utterly ashamed of herself, she took his face in her hands and went down to the floor too.

She looked up at him with those honey eyes he loved so much. "Of course I forgive you! I'm sorry too. I should have stayed longer... I should have given you a warning, or something... I'm so sorry I just up and left like that..." She told him, hugging him. L wiped away her tears with his thumbs. He then leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

Misa tensed a little, but quickly relaxed into his kiss. He parted her lips with his own as he continued to press light kisses on her lips.

"I suffered when you left, but I don't care about that anymore. All I care about now is that I have you here, like this..." He told her, smiling as he encircled her in his arms, chuckling.

"Why... why are you laughing?"

"Because I'm happy," He told her.

"Oh! Me too," She said, joining him in laughter.

They rose to their feet together, still holding each other with big smiles on their faces. Misa kissed him on the lips, interlacing her arms around his neck.

"So, about Mihael, your son... do you want to meet him?" She asked him.

"Of course"

Misa's face lit up and she took him by the hand, pulling him toward the elevator. They stepped in, holding each other and kissing while exchanging happy looks. Before long, they reached their destination on the 10th floor where again, Misa led him by the hand toward the single door in the lobby.

Misa's penthouse was nice and spacious with feminine decoration that gave it a pleasant and inviting look. The air was fresh with a faint scent of chocolate and mint, probably from a nearby candle or maybe even a freshly baked chocolate mint cake. His stomach grumbled in response to the sweet smell, which roused his craving for something sugary. Luckily he'd brought chocolates with him. Misa stopped at the foot of the stairs, causing him to nearly trip over her.

"He's on the second floor... um, I don't know if I should say this, but don't expect much from him... " She said with an evasive look.

"How so?"

"Well, it's hard to explain. I don't really understand what the problem is but... he's not like other kids his age." She admitted. "I've tried my best with him but he still seems... damaged somehow. I don't know... maybe that's my fault for doing things wrong." Flustered, she waved her hand with an apologetic look. "I'm talking way too much now. You'll see for yourself what I'm talking about."

L kept a neutral expression the entire time he followed her up the stairs, effectively masking the worry he felt. What exactly did she mean by all that? As they reached the second story, Misa let go of his hand and opened a white door leading to what he guessed was Mihael's room. L walked in after her and the first thing he noticed was the impressive amount of toys and gadgets scattered throughout the room. There were multiple sets of puzzles, plushies, action figures, robots, toy cars, and blocks, all the necessary things to keep any three-year-old engaged for days. And yet, all of it appeared to be abandoned. Most of the toys were even in their original boxes, untouched by their owner.

Huddled in a corner of the room, looking down at the floor was a small boy with blonde hair like Misa's. L stood looking at him, transfixed and completely absorbed by the fact that he was a father to that boy. He stood there feeling fearful and excited and intimidated all at once.

"Mello, there's someone here you should meet!" Misa told him cheerfully. The boy did not move. In fact, he did not even look up to acknowledged her.

"Mello get up please, you've been sitting in here by yourself all day," She tried again, kneeling down next to him.

This time, the boy gave her a disinterested look before focusing on L, who was staring at him with silent fascination. Mello eyed him suspiciously and then turned on his side to face away from them. He clearly did not want to be bothered, so when Misa tried to pick him up, he winced and curled up even further away from her.

"Mihael," She said sharply. The boy whined in protest and pushed her hands away defiantly.

She pouted and crossed her arms, giving him the look. As much as she tried to be authoritative however, she was really at a loss. What could she say to him now? It wasn't like she could put him on time-out anymore because Mello had basically been putting himself in solitary time-out every day for months. He looked miserable and it was very disheartening. "Please? Do this, for mom and-" She was going to say 'dad' but she wasn't sure how he would react to the news being thrown at him so abruptly.

Misa felt L kneel beside her and she watched as he reached out to the boy. Surprisingly Mello didn't shrink away this time. L slowly took his arm and turned his little son to face him. Mello whined and scowled but he cooperated. The detective lifted the boy's face to look at him, noticing his dark, intelligent eyes and facial features that were just like his. With wonderment L began to inspect his son, standing him up and turning him this way and that way, all the while picking out the features that were his and the ones that were Misa's. Mello pouted in response to being poked and prodded as though he were a weird creature and L could not help but smile at seeing the face he made, which looked just like Misa's whenever she pouted.

"He's amazing," L said, looking at his son with pride. Mello on the other hand, decided that he'd had enough of it. His face contorted into an angry grimace and sure enough, he opened his mouth and started wailing. In an instant he went down to the floor and curled up like armadillo, crying.

"Oh no, he's crying now," Misa lamented. She picked him back up and Mello cried louder, swatting at her hand.

"So, do you know why he's so irritable?" He asked her, frowning.

"Not a clue... it's hard to know everything that bothers him since he won't just tell me. In fact, he doesn't talk at all... I've tried everything with him, speech therapy, psychiatric appointments..." She said with a frustrated look. "He just won't talk to me, or anyone, and the doctors think that he has some sort of condition or impediment or something..."

L narrowed his eyes upon hearing that bit of information. "that's curious..." He said, looking down at his son who was going into a full blown tantrum. 'You're a little troublemaker, aren't you?' He mused.

Misa pleaded with Mihael to stop crying but the boy shook his head as he doubled over dramatically. L quietly observed the mother and son as they interacted, biting his thumb, formulating his opinion. Already he recognized a problem, and it was something he knew all too well.

After a few more minutes of Misa struggling to get Mello under control, L pulled on the boy's ear, effectively getting his attention. In anger, Mello tried to bite his father's long finger but was too slow.

"Alright, that's quite enough of that," He said, grabbing his rebellious son by the foot. L stood up so Mello dangled upside down like a freshly caught fish that was swinging and fighting furiously against his captor.

"What... what are you doing?!" Misa squealed, horrified.

L sighed and shook his head. "Misa... this boy, is an incredible brat."

Upon hearing those words, Mello fought even harder, squealing and crying like a rabid animal.

"What? Put him down, L! You're hurting him, he's delicate!"

"No, he isn't and I'm certain that he can speak, but for whatever reason, he just chooses not to..." He said, looking down at the boy. Mello looked back at him defiantly. "You and I are going to talk now," He said to Mello seriously.

"How do you know that he even can?" Misa asked him, seeming unsure. "I used to deny it, but maybe the doctors are right and he can't do things like a normal child!"

"How do I know? Well, for starters he can understand everything we say, I can tell because he's been following our conversation rather well... however, it looks like getting him to demonstrate for us is going to be a lot of work..." He muttered. "In short, he's been toying with you for whatever reason. Probably out of boredom."

Misa looked at him incredulously. Mello yelled and tried to loosen L's grip on his leg, to no avail. With his free hand, L reached for the chocolate bar in his pocket and single-handedly unwrapped it. If he was going to take on the daunting task of parenting, he might as well satisfy his sweet tooth.

Minutes late and after a few last kicks, Mello went limp, exhausted from all the squirming. His crying had even died down to whimpers again. Misa brought her face close to his with a concerned expression.

"L! He's red in the face, I think he's going to pass out, put him down!"

"He's fine, you coddle him too much," Said L, holding his son up.

"L!" Misa cried, tugging on his arm. 'What the hell was I thinking? This is going terribly! Why on earth would I ever think that L could help me with this?!' She thought frantically.

Mello's arms dangled passively indicating that he was finally done struggling. Convinced of his exhaustion, L put the snot-nosed, angry boy down on the floor. Mello sat up and wiped his eyes while looking resentfully at L, who sat crossed legged beside him. With a swoop of his arms, L scooped the worn-out Mello up and deposited him on his lap. Reluctantly, Mello sat there, ruffled and pissed off, studying the man holding him. No one had ever handled him in such a rough way. Everyone he knew fussed over him but this, man, this stranger that didn't really feel like a stranger, was completely desensitized to the fact that he was supposed to be coddled and he didn't like it one bit.

"I hate you..." Mello choked out in between quiet sobs..

Misa gasped."Did he...?... did you hear that?!"

"Yes. It's unfortunate those were his first words to me," Said L, taking a bite out his chocolate bar.

Misa watched with amazement as Mello sniffled and continued to wipe his nose, muttering to himself. "I hate you..." He repeated softly.

"Mihael, you shouldn't say such rude things, it's unbecoming. Here bite on this if you'd like. It's quite good and uplifting," L told him, shoving the rest of his chocolate bar into Mello's mouth.

The boy fell back against L's chest with the foreign, edible object in his mouth.

Misa looked on with a mixture of happiness and concern.

"Are you OK?" She asked, fussing over her son again. Mello sat back up slowly, with the chocolate bar still in his mouth, feeling it dissolve into liquid chocolate. His mother never gave him sweets so the taste of chocolate was completely foreign to him...and good. Really good.

She gave her son a relieved smile. "Just look at you... you're a mess," She said to the boy, caressing his damp cheek. L took out a spare chocolate bar for himself and began to eat it.

"Oh, and of course you'd eat chocolate at a time like this!" Misa pointed out.

"What do you mean? Any time is good for chocolate" He said lightly.

"You're setting a horrible example for Mihael," She scolded, leaning closer.

"Am I? And just who managed to get him talking just now?" Asked L playfully

"Oh yeah? Did you consider that maybe all of my parental efforts finally gave fruit today when you happened to be here? I bet you didn't, you snob!" She quipped, poking him on the chest.

"Well what a great coincidence that such an unprecedented event would occur right when I'm practicing something different with him. I think you're the one who should consider revising your theory. And I'm not a snob."

The two bantered back and forth like a ping-pong match while Mello quietly and contently devoured the chocolate. He finished the chocolate bar and looked up to see that his mother was leaning very close to the man.

"You were being snob-ish!" She insisted.

"Alright, I will concede that my comment may have had a snobbish undertone" He said, leaning forward, closing the gap between them.

He gave her a chaste kiss on the lips, letting his guard down. While he was distracted, Mello snatched the chocolate bar out of L's hand and shoved it into his mouth. Surprised, both parents looked down to find the boy gorging himself on a second bar of chocolate.

"Mello!" Misa chastised. "You're eating another one?! Just how many calories are in those things?! He's going to go into a sugar comma!"

"Relax, he'll be just fine. I get the sense that he's going to need the sugar to fuel his brain so this is good for him."

"Oh no! Not another you! This is exactly what I didn't want!" She said, throwing her hands up dramatically. "What did I do to deserve this?!"

"More please!" Mello requested, looking up at his father with a chocolate smeared grin.

L looked at him and felt such a warm and protective feeling, he did not even mind relinquishing the last of his chocolate bars so his son could have it.

"Thank you!" He said, taking it.

"Look at him, he's so nice to you now! All for chocolates... what a cheap trick..." She said half-laughing.

L smiled and watched over Mello as though he were the most interesting case in the world. As much as he'd tried to deduce what this first meeting would be like, he never guessed it would have turned out like this. Not even in his wildest predictions did he expect to feel so much for his son in such a small amount of time. While Mello munched happily, L leaned down and pressed his forehead to the top of his head.

"I've waited so long to meet you. I'm sorry I was away all this time, but for what it's worth, I thought about you every day... you and your mom..." He said, barely audibly though Mello was listening. The boy stopped chewing the chocolate and looked at his mom. She looked unusually happy and she was making googly eyes at the strangely familiar stranger. Like a light switch turning on, Mello put two and two together. His eyes were big with astonishment and he turned to face L with a hopeful look.

"Hey..." He said hesitantly.

"Yes?" L asked.

"...Are you my dad?"

"So you've figured it out," L said fondly ", I am."

Mello was quiet for a moment, his mouth gaping wide. He turned quickly toward Misa, seeking confirmation, which she provided with a nod of her head. At that moment, Mello felt like the luckiest child on earth.

"Wow!" He exclaimed, jumping to his feet and throwing his arms around L's neck, giving him a hug. "I have a dad! I have a dad!" He said with excitement. For as long as he could remember, he'd been envious of his peers at school because they all seemed to have two parents, a mother and father, while he only had a mother... until now, that is. He didn't have to feel as though he was missing something.

L hugged Mello back, feeling relieved and overjoyed that his son had accepted him. Misa joined in too, hugging the two most important guys in her life. Seeing the two of them together as father and son was heart warming and she was so glad that she'd decided to find L at this time.

"Where were you?!" Mello demanded at once. L seemed taken aback for a second, not sure of how to answer that question. Before he even got the chance to answer, Mello bombarded him with a barrage of questions, one after the other.

"Does this mean that you're going to live here now?" He asked.

L have him a blank stare.

"Do I have to eat vegetables? Can I have chocolates every day? No, every hour? Also, if I want something and my mom says no, but you say yes, whose opinion counts more, yours or hers?"

"..."

"Also, since you're here now, does this mean you and my mom are together? Are we a family? If so, can I have a younger brother? Can I get one soo-"

"O-kayyy, you're hyper! And you're asking too many hard questions," Misa stated, cutting him off. She blushed and laughed nervously as she exchange glances with L.

"But I'm curious!" Mello protested, pouting.

Misa playfully mimicked his grumpy expression and kissed him on the cheek. Determined to get his way, Mello resumed interrogating L about anything and everything, even things Misa had no knowledge of. She was convinced he would never stop and L humored him by answering all his questions. She sat back and listened to their odd conversation, feeling perfectly content with spectating and loving the way Mello's face was alight with wonderment. In that instant she realized just how much Mello really needed L. Inevitably, she felt a pang of guilt for having kept them apart for so long.

"I'm really sorry. To both of you..." She said softly.

L took her hand in his reassuringly and pulled her into a hug along with Mello. The three of them stayed like that for a while, just enjoying their first time together as a family. Soon after that, dinner time came, and Misa decided that she would make a home meal for the three of them which L happily accepted. He was specially glad because he was left starving after Mello devoured all of his chocolate bars.

Before exiting the room, Misa caught Mello's attention. "Alright, listen up. I'll make you some real food and you will eat it, OK?" She said pointedly at him ", you have to, especially after you ate all that chocolate!"

"No way! I'm never eating salad again! I want more chocolates, all the chocolates!"

Misa sighed and lightly smacked L across the chest. "See what you've started? You created a monster!" She told him.

L shrugged his shoulders and stood to his feet with Mello on his back, piggy-back style.

"Shall we go too?" He asked the boy.

"Yes! Go pony!" He commanded.

Misa chuckled as Mello cheered, urging his 'mount' to go faster. They really were precious.

...

Dinner was ready within the hour. As expected, Mello complained about the vegetables and refused to eat anything. At least this time L was on Misa's side and coaxed him into eating the leafy greens at the expense of having to eat them himself.

'Oh, the joys of fatherhood...' L thought sarcastically as he pretended to love lettuce and broccoli for Mello's sake. Of course he hated greens with a passion, but fatherhood was serious business that requireed sacrifices- eating vegetables being one of many- so he ate them without complaint. Displeased at being made to eat healthy, Mello huffed and puffed in protest but in the end, he did whatever L asked. Misa could hardly believe what she was witnessing, and if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she would have never believed that her son could be so obedient.

After dinner all three of them lounged on the couch with Mello sitting in between the two adults, happily kicking his feet and playing around with either parent. He was unstoppable, probably due to the sugar high caused by all the chocolates. It wasn't until midnight when L and Misa were finally rewarded with peace and quiet. It appeared that Mello had finally tired himself out and had fallen asleep, curled up in between them.

"Finally!" Misa whispered triumphantly as she stroked Mello's head. "Just look at him, he's so tired now..."

"He's great... and you're actually a very good mother," L told her earnestly.

Misa blushed. "Thanks. I don't feel like I am most of the time, but I suppose I could be worse," She said, scooping the sleeping boy into her arms. "Man, he's getting heavier every day, it's like he weights a ton... and now with all those chocolates, ugh. I can't even... this is all L's fault..." She muttered on her way up to deposit him in his bed. On her way back down, she found L standing by the door, looking as though he was ready to leave.

"Oh, you're going already?" She asked.

"Shouldn't I? You sleep at a regular schedule, so it's getting late for you, no?"

Misa knew she should say yes and bid him goodnight. That would have been the sensible, decent thing to do. However, an even bigger part of her didn't want to see him go yet and was screaming for him to stay.

"I don't know... it is really late, but you don't have to leave, you're more than welcomed to spend the night here. I really don't have a problem with you sleeping with me, I mean, staying here and sleeping. Not necessarily, you know, sleeping in the sex kind of way, but actually sleeping. Then again, you don't sleep really, so maybe not that either! Eh, you know what I mean!" She fumbled. 'Way to go me, making myself sound like a total whore...'

L had that grin he sometimes got whenever she did something amusing.

"What? Why the look? Did I say something funny?" She asked, crossing her arms.

"I would sleep. If it's next to you, I would sleep."

"Uh..." She stammered, turning red.

"But only if you want me to, of course," He said.

"Right... I said that I didn't mind. I mean, it's not like we're strangers or anything so it's OK!"

"Not by a long shot," He said stepping forward. He wrapped his arms around her waist, brushing his lips against hers tenderly. Misa softened in his arms and he picked her up, carrying her across the living room toward the bedroom.

"How did you know which one is my room?" She asked, smiling against his lips.

"Mm... I didn't... I took an educated guess," He told her in between kisses.

L carried her into the bedroom and Misa kicked the door closed behind them, wincing when it shut a little too loudly.

"Oops..." She said, giggling.

"It'll be fine," L said, laying her on the bed.

He removed his shoes and climbed into bed with her, where she received him with open arms. There, they laid tangled in one another, making out with a feverish passion fueled by their mutual love. L rolled her upper body onto his, rediscovering the nuances of her soft, feminine body over her summer dress. She reciprocated the motion, tracing intricate figures under his shirt with her hand while placing light kisses on his neck. L felt thrills down his spine. Gradually, she ceased her caresses and sat up to kiss him.

"Give me five minutes," She said, rolling off the bed and walking to the armoire.

She quickly picked out a nightgown and then disappeared into the adjoining bathroom. As promised, L waited for her on the bed and a few minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom wearing a revealing, pink night gown that barely grazed her mid thigh.

"I'm back," She whispered, as she lifted the bed covers. With lustful eyes, L watched her climb back into bed with him. His toes curled and uncurled as he fought to ignore his own sexual urges, an inevitable side effect of being with her like this.

She cuddled up to him and resumed her amorous advances. Aroused and wanton, L ran his hands over and under the night gown, touching her most intimate parts just the way she liked.

"L... " She moaned for him and placed her legs on either side of his hips, mounting him. L admired her as she hovered over him, her creamy thighs parted, her long hair cascading over her shoulders and over her nice, plump breasts. She was like an enchantress, and she was all his just like he was all hers.

"I love you, I'll always love you" He vowed as he caressed her soft cheek.

"I love you too... my panda..." She said lovingly, leaning over to kiss him fully on the lips.

L moved his hand down her jawline, to her neck and over the delicate curve of her shoulder, tracing her collar bone and causing the nightgown strap to slip off. He brushed his fingers over her breasts, watching the rise and fall of her chest with each breath she took.

"As a model, you probably hear this often, but you're so incredibly beautiful," He said, running his eyes over her, spellbound.

Misa smiled and struck a pose for him. "Why, thank you, L. I do get that a lot but I'll never get tired of hearing it from you, even if you say it to me every day."

"Oh yes? You'd like me to tell you how stunning you are every day?"

"Oh yeah" She said, leaning over to kiss his forehead.

"That would involve me seeing you every day though," He said.

"You should! You should come here every day just to tell me I'm beautiful"

L laughed a little. "You would like that, and to think that you called me a snob earlier, miss Narcissist."

"Oh yeah? Well if I'm a Narcissist then you're a pervert!" She taunted, sticking her tongue out at him.

"That's fine by me, I'll be a pervert then," He said, capturing her hands and rolling her over so that he was on top.

"Nooo! Not fair!" She laughed as he rained kisses on her neck. He laughed with her as she squirmed underneath him, trying to gain the upper hand. She stretched back and L placed delicate kisses on the mounds of her breasts. Misa immediately fell into blissful submission, sighing and moaning with every dexterous move of his mouth over her skin. His mouth curved into a smile which Misa quickly noticed.

"What's so amusing?" She inquired with a smile of her own.

"Oh it's trivial. I just couldn't recall vividly the last time I could be on top like this, since during our last intimate encounters you were very pregnant with that little critter I now get to call son. You were huge."

"Hey!"

L evaded her playful smack and laid his head on her bosom. She giggled and let him be, laying peacefully as she ran her fingers through his hair. He relaxed under her touch, and the two stayed that way for some time, exchanging affections.

"What happened to you?" She asked in the darkness.

"Be more specific," He said without lifting his head from her chest.

"You know, after I left. What happened... these past three years?"

"Plenty of things happened. That's a long and twisted tale..." He said with a sigh.

"I'll tell you about me if you tell me about you, how's that?" She proposed.

"Sure, we can do that," He agreed.

In the intimacy of their embrace, they opened up to each other, relating stories of their lives during their time apart. Misa revealed to him everything that happened after she left him. He was particularly curious about Mello's birth, which Misa described to him in gory details, cracking up at the part where she'd flooded the isle of a convenience store in prenatal fluid. In return, L shared his stories as well, up to and including his face-off with Ferraro and the ICPO which culminated in his capture and reluctant cooperation. They comforted each other and laughed at their predicaments and listened well into the early hours of the morning, when finally, they both dozed off in each other's arms.

...

The next day, Misa awoke surprisingly early, feeling much better than she had been in months. She stretched out on the bed, smiling widely upon feeling the weight of her lover as he rested peacefully with his head on her chest. She shifted under his weight, moving him slightly. Normally, when L slept, he slept heavily but for whatever reason, he startled awake. His big gray eyes met hers and wave of relief came over him.

"Good morning! Had a nightmare?" She asked, sitting up on the bed.

Groggily, he laid back down on the bed, bringing her down with him into a hug. "It wasn't a nightmare. I just thought I'd dreamed yesterday, that's all," He said, closing his eyes once again. For a moment he'd panicked, thinking that he was back alone in England, and that yesterday had only been a hopeful illusion.

"Oh, I see," She said, snuggling against him. She sighed happily and allowed sleep to claim her for a little while longer.

...

Later that morning, Mello was back to full throttle, running around in his pajamas with a chocolate bar in his mouth. Misa watched him go all over the place, hardly believing that this was the same boy that only a day ago, used to sit in his room sulking all the time. While Mello ran past him, L quickly snatched the boy sending him into a fit of laughter.

"You! Come here," Misa ordered him playfully. "You need to eat a real breakfast, not chocolate!"

"Only if I can eat it with more chocolate!" Piped Mello as he wrestled his way out of L's arms.

"No way!" Misa insisted.

"No way will I eat eggs then!" He said with an impish grin. "Not unless they're chocolate eggs!"

"But... your father loves eggs," Misa informed him coyly as she looked toward L with a 'help me' look.

"Oh no, don't look at me like that, I ate lettuce and broccoli last night. I'm not eating eggs today. It's just too soon," He said dismissively, popping a piece of candy in his mouth.

"Ugh! What am I going to do with the two of you?!" She asked, chasing after her little boy. "You're supposed to help me L, not just sit there watching me struggle and laughing at my expense! Besides, these are perfectly good eggs!"

...

Meanwhile, at the building's parking lot, an unexpected visitor was returning from a long trip overseas. A man with dashing good looks, dirty blonde hair and clear blue eyes stepped out of his car with a magnificent bouquet of roses in one hand, and a card that read "To: Misa, From: Alphonse" in the other. Eager to see the "his model" again, Alphonse hurried toward the building's main lobby, where he bumped into Halle and Gevanni on their way out. The unsuspecting couple was in the middle of discussing some wedding business when Alphonse approached them. Halle almost screamed from the surprise.

"Alphonse!" She gasped.

"Halle!" He gasped back, playfully. "You look like you've just seen a ghost, how are you? And you too Stephen? It's been a month since I saw you guys!" Said Alphonse cheerfully.

"Hi, welcome back! We're doing well," Said Stephen. "How was Germany?"

"Awesome, though I was mostly stuck inside doing the whole psychiatric convention thing. That part kind of sucked...Halle are you alright? You seem pale..."

Halle was indeed pale with worry. "I'm fine, thanks. How come you're here so soon? I thought you still had two more weeks left of the convention," She said more sharply than she'd intended. This was very bad. When she convinced Misa to contact L at this time, it was under the assumption that she'd get at least 2 weeks to sort things out with him and decide what she ultimately wanted to do with L. But now Alphonse was back way ahead of schedule...

'Oh and she has no idea... what if she's with L right now? Alphonse will see...' She realized.

"Geez, thanks for the warm welcome Halle. My convention ended early because I was just that efficient at creating the schedules," He said with a twinkle in his eyes. "Anyways, I'll catch up with you guys later. I'm dying to see the look on her face when she sees I'm back," He said, walking past them.

"Wait! Alphonse! Stephen has to talk to you about the game last night!" Halle said, trying to buy time.

"What? What game? What are you talking about?" Asked Gevanni, confused.

"You know...the game... that thing you guys watch every evening," She insisted.

"Eh, Halle, I watch baseball and he watches hockey. I can't ask him about "the game" when we don't watch the same game," Said Gevanni, not catching on.

"Yeah, I actually hate baseball. Well, I'll see you guys later!" Alphonse said, climbing the elevator.

...

In Misa's apartment, L was getting ready to leave. Mello was whiny about it, clinging to him and asking him to stay. L gave him a reassuring pat on the head, knowing that Mello had legitimate reasons for being scared of him leaving.

"I don't want you to go..." The boy said, teary-eyed.

"I promise you I won't disappear. I will come back to see both of you later today, and I'll bring your grandfather as well," L told him, though Mello was still not satisfied.

L didn't like having to say goodbye to them, even if it was just for a few hours. They'd given him the happiest day of his life, and after experiencing their love he was certain that he wanted nothing more than to be with them. To that end, it was pretty clear to him what he wanted to do. Watari's words came to mind and he was finally sure of what his next move would be.

"Misa," He called softly.

"Yes, L?" She responded.

"There's a sensitive topic I'd like to discuss with you," He told her evasively.

"Oh? What is it?"

L swallowed nervously. "Well, I-"

The sound of the door locks clicking and keys jingling interrupted him. Misa frowned and walked hesitantly toward the door as L and Mello looked on with curiosity, wondering who it could be.

"Halle? Is that you?" Misa called, getting to the door right as it opened.

"Surprise! I'm back!" Announced Alphonse, walking in and sweeping her off her feet into an intimate hug... a hug that suggested much more than friendship... a lover's hug.

It all happened so fast, Misa had no time to react, much less so after Alphonse swooped down to kiss her fully on the lips. With flowers and card in hand, he wrapped her in his arms and gave her a passionate kiss without realizing they had an audience.

L's world shattered as he witnessed the surreal scene unfolding before him. Time seemed to stop, frozen in that horrible moment when the woman he loved was entangled in the arms of another man, lip-locked in his kiss. A whirl of anger, confusion, and a nauseous feeling coursed through him. What was happening? Moments ago he'd been the happiest man alive but now he felt as though he were dying on the inside.

"Alphonse!" Misa breathed out, finally breaking the kiss. She covered her mouth and tears formed in her shocked eyes.

"I'm back early, aren't you happy to see me?" Alphonse asked her. Misa stepped back on shaky legs, giving Alphonse direct view of L and Mello. Clear blue eyes met dark gray ones, sharing mutual confusion.

"And who's this?" He asked.

L was paralyzed in a trance-like state, looking at Misa with a shocked expression as if saying 'please say this isn't so.' Misa did not have the courage to look L in the face or even look up at all.

"I'm sorry..." She said finally, eyes trained on the floor. Despite her best efforts to get a hold of herself, she could not control her sorrow, or the shame she felt at that moment. "Alphonse... this is L... Mello's father. L this is Alphonse... my boyfriend..."

"Your... boyfriend?" L repeated weakly.

Alphonse's smile fell, along with the flowers and all he could do was look to Misa for an explanation that never came.