Notes: I really though I had posted this a while ago as I had finished it months ago but that's what I get for not spending time on this site to finish up school for the year. Summer vacation, and hardly any work as gone into this story. That is, the sections that I have yet to complete. I have a whole finished section after this one that I almost posted, realizing this one wasn't even up yet. This one is kinda short, and I am sorry about that, but the next section feels like it should be cut away from the rest. I will post the next one soon. Again, my apologies to those who are still reading this.

The Task Force Headquarters main investigation room was eerily cold, with a looming darkness hanging over everyone head. The triumphant capture of Kira, Higuchi, had turned disastrous in a matter of moments.

The Police car that Higuchi had been taken away in had been involved in an accident just shortly after leaving the scene of the take-down. While driving through the city, another vehicle had failed to stop at a red light and T-boned the Police car. The car had rolled twice, ending up upside down. The Two Police officers were taken to the hospital with serious injuries, but were expected to make full recoveries. Higuchi, on the other hand, had not faired as well. He had not been buckled into his seat properly, and had been ejected from the car, and had probably died on impact.

Thus, the whole team was shaken, and unsure. They had missed the opportunity to question him further. They couldn't ask him if he had been the real Kira all along, if it had been given to him, or where he had acquired the Death Note.

This was good for Light however, as he avoided having to rely on luck to keep Higuchi from revealing anything to the Task Force that might point fingers back to him and Misa. It also helped that he didn't have to come up with a new plan to keep his memoires.

Now, the team had the opportunity to see Kira's killing power…

"The human's name whose name is in the notebook shall die." Aizawa was reading the rules allowed, with an ominous silence surrounding the rest of the team. Ryuzaki and Light both sat in swivel chairs by the computer monitors, though where Light was turned to face the room and gauge everyone's reactions, Ryuzaki was stacking half n' half cream containers in a tower. Though he looked occupied, he was no doubt listening very closely. Light's father and Matsuda were sitting on either couch, while Mogi stood in the center of the group.

Everyone was listening, or in Light's case, was pretending to listen. He already knew every rule, so he simple made a show of listening while he watched everyone. Somberness and disbelief was universal in the Police members, even his father. Only Ryuzaki seemed a blank-slate, though it hardly surprised him. The detective could keep his cool even if the building began to fall in around them.

The melancholy atmosphere thickened as Aizawa finished. "There even more rules on the back page. 'If is notebook is made unusable by tearing it up or burning it, all the humans who have touched it will die.'"

"Is that really true Aizawa?" Mastuda asked nervously. "Oh man…Maybe I shouldn't have let my curiosity about seeing a Shinigami get the better of me..."

"But then you would be the only one on this team that didn't know what we were dealing with. Is that what you want Mutsuda?" The chief asked.

"Ah, no of course not chief!" Matsuda said, attempting to back-peddle. "I want to be on the same page as everyone else."

"And the last one," Aizawa continued, "If the owner of the Death Note does not write a name in it for 13 days, he or she will die."

"Hang on." Matsuda started, realizing something. "With the thirteen day rule, that means Misa and Light are cleared of being Kira!" he shouted, in his vociferous boyish-self.

"Yeah. Since they were monitored for fifty days, and they had no way of writing down names, that would mean they couldn't have been Kira." Mogi added.

"This is great!" Mastuda said with a pumped fist.

Light had to repress an annoyed sigh. While Matsuda's energy was inspiring, sometimes, it was a little too much for him.

"Rem, was is? That's your name isn't it?" Ryuzaki asked suddenly, turning his chair to face the Shinigami.

Light's shoulders tensed, knowing he wouldn't simply accept what was written in a notebook without investigating it further.

"What do you want?" Rem asked him, clearly annoyed at the lack of respect in Ryuzaki's voice. Even if the man was speaking to a God, he hardly seemed threatened, or even phased.

Ryuzaki set down his cup of coffee and shifted his weight to his heels. "Are there other notebooks where you come from? And do they all have the same rules as this one?"

"Yes. They are all the same." Rem responded shortly.

Light resisted a smile. The Shinigami knew the rules were fake and were not in any other notebook, but she lied easily and would give no information away that would lead

Ryuzaki to suspect Misa. It was good that the Shinigami cared for Misa, or she might very well turn Light in, as it was clear she didn't like him. To be fair, he didn't much like her either.

"With that rule, it proves that Light and Misa-Misa couldn't have been Kira!" Matsuda pointed out.

"That's right. It means they shouldn't have to be under surveillance any more." Aizawa said. "Good. I've had about all I can take of Matsuda's Misa-Misa fawning."

"Awe, come on Aizawa!" Matsuda smiled, patting the elder police officer on the shoulder. "Misa-Misa is so cute! How could you not like her?" he asked, clearly not understanding Aizawa's frustration had more to do with himself, rather than the Pop Star.

"I suppose your right Aizawa. " Ryuzaki said slowly, clearly unhappy about this new revelation. "As long as that rule is in place, Light and Misa…could not have been Kira….Please, accept my apologies, everyone…" He didn't seem convinced, but Light doubted he ever would be. Ryuzaki had been so sure he was Kira, and he had been right. Ryuzaki had said himself that he would not be satisfied unless Light was Kira. This bothered him, as he had hoped that someday Ryuzaki would regard him as a real friend. But now, knowing he really was Kira, Light felt like he was betraying him somehow.

But this was a good thing. Having evidence that he and Misa weren't Kira, even if it was fake, meant that Misa and him were free. They would no longer be under surveillance and have everything they said and did under a fine-toothed comb, at least, not by the rest of the Task Force. Ryuzaki would still probably persist.

But it did mean that Misa would be out of harms way, and Rem would have no need to come after Light. She would be safe, just like he promised her.

"We still can't say we solved the case until we've figured out everything." Light said, trying to draw the attention back to himself. While he knew Rem wouldn't intend to say anything incriminating, he was sure the detective would question her until he was blue in the face, trying to come up with some sort of evidence that supported his theory. And who knew if she might slip up and say too much.

"Ryzauki, would it be okay if I stayed here and helped out with the case? Maybe without the handcuffs on?" Light still needed to keep an eye on Ryuzaki to make sure he covered his tracks. Also, with the Death Note in the detective's hands, it was too dangerous to leave him to his own devices. If Light wasn't there to help misdirect him, he could very well figure out how to prove that Light and Misa really had been Kira.

"Yes…" L said quietly. No doubt he was deep in thought. "Thank you. I would appreciate your help wrapping up the case. Anyways, We should inform Misa that she is free to go, I suppose…" He said, pushing his chair back, and hopped down gracefully. "We will return shortly everyone."

Light followed, having to move at an awkward pace to avoid being dragged along. Whether Ryuzaki had somehow forgotten about the chain, or was merely punishing Light in some way, he wasn't sure. "Ryuzaki, the chain?" Light asked, hoping the detective would either slow down, or cut him loose. While he had gotten use to being forgotten about, pulled and dragged about like a dog on a leash, he didn't much care for the detective's treatment when he was in a particular mood.

"Hm? Ah yes, in just a moment. I left the key in our room, you see." Ryuzaki said, pulling Light into the elevator, and giving the button a hard push. The doors closed softly, and the elevator was wrapped in silence.

Light remained still, wanting to press for an explanation for his behavior but thought better of it. No doubt, Ryuzaki was merely pouting, but there was little chance he would admit it. And sometimes, it was best to let the detective sulk until he either got over it, or took it out on him in the form of a hard kick.

The elevator doors opened, and once again, Light was tugged awkwardly down the hallway. "Light-kun," Ryuzaki began, "I do hope that you will forgive me. For how I have treated you since this whole Kira Case began; suspecting you, your confinement, the handcuffs."

"Sure. Of course I do." Light said quickly, unsure as to what inspired the sudden apologize.

"I am, however, not sorry I did so, of course. It was necessary to uncover whether or not you were in fact Kira." He said casually.

"You have been a tremendous help, but I must say, I am a bit disappointed I was wrong…" Ryuzaki muttered as they stopped outside of Misa's door. The muted sounds of punk-rock music drifted between the cracks in the doors.

Light gave the detective his best smile. "We can't all be perfect all the time. Even the Great L has his off days."

"Yes…I suppose I do."

There was a moment's pause where the detective studied him, and Light did his best to appear genuine. His smile felt strained, but he prayed it still held its lies. Sometimes, when he was under those cold and darkened eyes, it felt like Ryuzaki could see right through every lie that he weaved.

He knows I'm lying. Light knew it was ridiculous, a paranoid thought. But if felt real. Even as he played his part, moving each piece in place to win this game, Ryuzaki was moving too. Counter-measuring with off-place comments, apologizes; drawing him up into such a state that he hardly noticed he was being lead, and he did so effortlessly. It was no question why Ryuzaki held the power that he did.

"Well, as much as I would like to see Misa's delight, I fear I have other matters that demand my attention. I'll leave it to you to tell her. I'm sure she would love some time alone with you." Ryuzaki said, reaching forward. Before Light even knew was had happened, the chain was gone. "Well, that takes care of that. I shall see you downstairs, Light-kun." The detective said, turning back down the hall, the empty handcuff in his fingers.

He had made it a half a dozen steps before Light remembered. "I thought you said you left the key in our room." Light called after him.

"I did say that, didn't I? I must have been mistaken." Ryuzaki called back.

"Liar." Light responded, the words echoing back to him in his head as he watched the detective disappear.

Liar.