Title: Progression
Summary: "Is it progression if a cannibal uses a fork?" Post-original plot. Beyond x OC.

Author's Note: I've been writing way too many fics about psych wards. Not cool. But I'm going to do it anyway. It's not like the whole plot is going to take place in it, so I don't think it's a problem. Anyway. Hi, I'm Paige, I'm the author; if you combine me, Beyond and Jackie, you get PB&J, which I think is a sign. Of what, I don't know. I once thought I found my destiny by staring into a ceiling lamp. That's probably a testament to the verity of these "feelings" I get. I know a lot of people are probably sick of seeing OCs in Death Note fanfiction, but I believe that if you don't like it, you shouldn't bother reading it. If you're still here after reading the summary that clearly stated that this was an OC fic, then I'm going to hope you'll keep an open mind when it comes to your judgement of the story, despite the OC's involvement and your possible skepticism towards it. That said, please tell me what you think! Reviews make my life a happy one, and they make this fanfic a better one; if you don't like something, tell me. That's the only way I can make the change, right? And if you like it so far, please, I'd love to hear from you! It encourages me to keep going with it, and I really appreciate it. Anyway, on with the story! Enjoy.

"A story has no beginning or end: arbitrarily one chooses that moment of experience from which to look back or from which to look ahead." - Graham Greene, The End of the Affair

Buzz. A pair of curious red eyes flickered up to a window, in which an older woman with slightly graying hair pressed a small button, and with the corresponding buzz, he and the four security guards escorting him were allowed entry to the locked unit. He walked forward immediately, tired of being pushed by his escorts, and was met by the smiling face of who he assumed to be a nurse. Her hair was straight, black and tied up in a ponytail, and she had red-rimmed glasses leaning on her nose. Everything about her appearance was entirely ordinary, in his eyes.

"Hi there! I'm Kimiko, and I'll be your nurse tonight. Welcome to Unit 23!" she greeted him cheerfully, and he was silent, trying to distinguish whether her painfully positive attitude was genuine or not. He decided it was somewhere in between both, and dismissed it from his mind. Her smile began to fade as he continued not to speak, not interested enough to grace her greeting with an answer. She gave it a couple seconds more before giving up, though maintaining her upbeat demeanor.

"Anyway, why don't I show you to your room?" she asked, gesturing for him to follow her. He trailed after her, glancing around his new home as he did. He noticed that two of the security guards had now left, leaving him with only the remaining two and the nurse. He briefly weighed his odds against them; the nurse could be taken out in seconds, but the guards posed a threat. They had weapons and strength in numbers, though less than before, and he did not. Besides, how would he get out of the unit? He dismissed the thought, and continued to follow his nurse.

"Since it's your first night here and you did come from a pretty high-security place, we're going to have to ask that you remain in your room until we have the psychiatrist come in to evaluate you. It shouldn't be too much of a problem, considering it's almost bedtime anyway. You won't be missing out on much," she explained with a smile, leading him from the entrance area and into the common area. Beyond remained silent, due to both a mix of an entire lack of interest in what she had to say and the fact that his attention was otherwise occupied. As his eyes scanned the room, they focused on one girl in particular; more specifically, the name that he saw above her head. Jackie Asano. He knew her better as J. He couldn't say that he would've recognized her without the identification that her name provided; she had dyed her naturally black hair bright red, and she had grown up quite a bit since their last encounter. He had to admit, it surprised him a bit to see her here. He had been aware of her mental health issues, but hadn't expected to run into her in a psychiatric unit. Now that he had, he couldn't help but question the coincidence of them both being here. He had been moved without warning from the high-security asylum he had been in for a year to this unit, and was given no explanation. He had been behaving well, but he doubted he was moved for good behavior. Someone like L, perhaps, would have the authority to move him, but he had been reliably informed that his predecessor was officially deceased.

The thoughts and possibilities were racing through his mind, and after he had been staring at the red-haired young woman for several seconds, she finally looked over and locked eyes with him. He knew that he had recognized her by the slight widening of her brown eyes, though the rest of her face gave no indication. It wasn't as if his appearance had changed much, and his red eyes tended to give him away.

As soon as they locked eyes, the moment was over, and Beyond was taken into a hallway with a door marked "High Observation". After a brief farewell from his nurse, he was left in his room with the door open, much to his protest. Apparently, they needed to be able to keep an eye on him. You know, because he could do so much harm in a room with nothing but a bed. He sighed and laid down on the bed, closing his eyes.

After several minutes, he gave up on his half-hearted attempt to sleep. It wasn't going to work; his thoughts kept returning to Jackie. He wondered why she was here, and though he somewhat denied the fact, he was pleased to see her. He closed his eyes once more, recalling the first time he met her.

Everyone was talking; Wammy's was getting a new student. Considering what a small world it is when one is in an isolated orphanage cut off from the rest of the world, it was quite an event to be seeing a new face. When he walked down the hallways, all Beyond heard was chatter amongst other students; questions about what they thought the new girl was going to be like. Would she be smart enough to challenge the top students? Would she be pretty? Funny? Interesting? Personally, the raven-haired teen did not particularly care; a new kid wouldn't affect him in any way.

That said, he, like so many others, was a victim of curiosity, and found himself waiting in the entrance area of the orphanage when the kids on lookout informed everyone that Watari's car had arrived. He waited impatiently, hunched over like the "beloved" L, eyes focused on the large doors. Several seconds later, they swung open to reveal the grey-haired butler of the detective, accompanied by a small, black-haired female. Beyond studied her silently, unlike many of the others who approached her and began asking her questions. Her hair was straight and shoulder-length, and her eyes were a boring, chocolate brown. She wore a black hoodie, grey skinny jeans and a pair of black combat boots, and it didn't look like she was wearing makeup. Overall, he found her to be completely ordinary. Nothing about her struck him as interesting; nothing stood out. She seemed normal, and he found it slightly disappointing. Before he turned to leave, he noticed one more thing about her; she was not speaking. She was facing a barrage of questions, an interrogation, even, from the other students, and she didn't blink an eye. Her face was composed and blank, and her lips did not move. He wondered if she was mute, perhaps; most of the kids here lost their parents in some traumatic event, and he had met a few in whom it had caused muteness. He shrugged it off, disappearing back upstairs to his room. Once again, he decided, she did not affect him.

A small smirk found its way to his face; it turned out that the silent young girl had more of an impact on him than he had initially expected. The day she arrived was only the beginning, and she was far from as ordinary as he deduced.

Beyond was bored; classes were over for the day, and he had absolutely nothing to do. It was the beginning of the weekend, and he wasn't particularly interested in studying when there was not yet a need to. He had read all of his books. So he found himself exploring the main floor of Wammy's; the large living room in which most of the students spent their free time. As he scanned the room, his crimson eyes landed on the new girl; at the table near the fireplace, she was sitting and playing chess with herself. He smirked; she really was quite antisocial, wasn't she? One couldn't learn much about strategy when he or she is playing against themselves.

That in mind, he decided he would join her. He walked over to the table and sat down in the chair across from her. Her brown eyes flickered up to meet his red ones, and her expression gave no indication as to what she was thinking. She was just starting a new game, so all of the pieces except a white pawn on her side were in their beginning placement. Wordlessly, he started playing with her, advancing his pawn two spaces.

She glanced up at him, as if considering whether or not she was willing to continue the game with him. After several seconds, she moved another pawn, breaking eye contact and lowering her gaze to the board. He smirked slightly; he saw her as a challenge, and her compliance with the game was the first step to winning his game.

To this day, he still found her to be a challenge worthy of his interest; and he had still not won the game. She was one of the most complicated people he had ever met, and he had yet to figure her out. Her thought processes still eluded him; she kept so much to herself and prided herself in her ability to mask her emotions and thoughts. When she wanted to be, she could do an impressive imitation of a robot. Or L, for that matter. Not that there was much of a difference between them. He never knew what she was thinking, or why she said what she did.

It had been two weeks since her arrival at Wammy's, and to the best of his knowledge, she had not spoken to anyone besides Watari; not even her teachers, who were beginning to grow frustrated with her. Despite this, after classes every day, he would find her in the living room, playing chess with herself. In the beginning, when he approached her and began to play, she would assess him, considering as she had the first time, whether or not she would let him play. Each time, she would agree to it, despite her wordless protesting. And eventually, when he arrived at the table, she would return all of the pieces she had moved to their starting positions, fully expecting and even welcoming him to play. It had become a daily routine for the both of them.

Today was no different. He had quickly made his way to the table at his usual time, and they had begun their game. He fully expected to win; he always did. He had expected to be bored by that fact eventually, but he wasn't; she never repeated the same strategy. Each game was a new experience, and he never knew what to expect from her. He always looked for insight into a person's personality by the way they played chess, but she masked hers completely by always changing her style. It intrigued him.

Her eyes suddenly looked up from the board and met his, and he knew what this meant; his king was in check. Since she would not even speak to say "check", he had to rely on her facial expressions for any indication. Of course, that was if he didn't already notice or see it coming. Before he had a chance to move, he noticed that her eyes did not return to the board immediately after, as per usual, but rather remained focused on his own.

"I like your eyes," she commented quietly and nonchalantly, as if she had been speaking consistently for her entire stay at the orphanage. He blinked at her, masking all surprise he felt at her sudden speech. Several seconds after the shock faded, he resisted the urge to sarcastically reply "I get that a lot," and said "Thank you." He moved his bishop in front of his king, returning his focus to the game.

She nodded, and something in her expression changed. He couldn't place it; it was as if she was trying to hide something, but she was so good at it that he couldn't figure out what that was. As soon as she moved her rook, he understood. No matter where he moved his king, it would be taken. There was no way out of it. If he had been paying more attention to his last move, he could've taken her queen, but it was too late, and he was cornered. Now that he had realized what emotion she was hiding, she let a small smirk grow on her lips.

"Checkmate."

He smirked to himself; he still didn't know whether she meant that comment or she was just trying to win the game by using distraction. After all, it was the first and only game of chess that she had ever won against him. And it was not only the first day she spoke, but the beginning of it becoming a usual thing. She did not become an extrovert overnight, and she continued to refuse to speak to teachers and other students. But over time, Beyond and Jackie began speaking more often. They discussed what happened to their families, what their old lives were like, their opinions on various things, what sort of movies they liked, how to sneak out of the orphanage, and many other topics. Eventually, they spoke about more personal things; her other personalities, his unraveling sanity. They became what many would call friends.

He sighed, rolling over onto his side. He hadn't seen her in many years; when A died, he had left, and they had been apart ever since. Beyond had often wondered what happened to her, what she had done once he was gone. He wondered if she made any more friends. He doubted it. He was curious, now, about what she had done to land herself here, in a psychiatric unit. Despite her general mental instability, he hadn't ever thought of her as being dangerous enough to be sent here.

"Five minutes until bedtime, everyone! Grab what you need; iPods, towels, water, and get yourselves to bed!" a voice that Beyond didn't recognize called, who he assumed to be a nurse. Just as he was about to close his eyes to attempt to sleep once more, he heard his door creak open slightly. He snapped his crimson eyes open only to catch the form of the very girl on his mind in the doorway. Before he had a chance to say anything to her, she tossed several small packages into his room, closed the door, and left before being caught by the nurses. He stood from his bed and moved over to where the packages had fallen, and crouched beside them. He carefully picked one up and examined it; he smirked. Strawberry jam.

Extra - Late Nights with J And Eri: Two Girls, One Cup

With one minute to spare, Jackie had made it back to her room, arms full of towels for her shower. She had not been caught sneaking into High Obs., and she was impressed with herself. She dropped the towels off on the bench in their bathroom, and walked over to her bed, flopping down onto it.

"So, who's the guy? You know him? He's kind of cute, in a creepy way," her roommate, Eri, asked, as she crawled up into a sitting position with her legs crossed. She always wanted good gossip. She had a grin on her face, and Jackie sighed, smiling slightly. Eri had been trying to set her up with guys since the moment she had arrived on the unit. She was eighteen, like J herself, and she was an interesting girl, to say the least.

"His name is B. I knew him when I was younger," the red-haired young woman answered, leaning back on the wall behind her bed.

"I ship it. I totally ship it." Eri nodded in approval.

"You shipped me and Hana's pet rock as soon as she said it was male."

"You're so shippable! Anyway, the nurses were bitchy tonight. Let's blast music and sing really loudly to annoy them."

"They'll just tell us to turn it off," J replied, rolling her eyes.

"It's not like we'll listen." Eri quickly made her way over to the windowsill, where she grabbed a Styrofoam cup, J's iPod and her earphones, and sat down. She placed the earphones into the cup to make the music louder, and turned the volume on the music player up to its loudest. J pushed her belongings into the corner of the windowsill, making room for her to sit, and climbed onto it. She could never argue with Eri. Within seconds, Chartreuse was blasting from the cup.

"Color me this way~," Eri sang, waving her arms to the right. J did the same.

"Color me that way~," J continued, and they both waved her arms to the left.

"Color me inside out," They both sang, waving their arms in front of them.

"Color me upside d-" Eri attempted to wave her arms once more, but ended up falling off of the windowsill. J laughed, offering her hand to help her back up. Once she had returned to the windowsill, she changed the song, and placed her hand dramatically on the window.

"When you try your best, but you don't succeeeeed," she sang, a painfully fake sad expression adorning her face. "When you get what you want, but not what you neeeeeed." She turned her head out the window, staring off into the distance. "When you feel so tired, but you can't sleeeeeep. Stuck in reveeeeeeeerse." She continued to sing the lyrics, pretending that she was in a music video, until she got to the chorus. She turned to J, holding her arm out towards her, the sad, melodramatic look still on her face. "And I will try to fix yoouuu."

The song changed, and they both started singing as loud as they could. "Don't mind us, we're just spilling our guts! If this is love, I don't wanna be loved! You pollute the room with a filthy tongue, watch me choke it down so I can throw it up!" They sang at the top of their lungs, jumping on J's bed.

Eri pressed the fast forward button on J's iPod, and the song changed once more. "Just a small town girl," Eri sang, placing her hand on the window once more, "Living in a lonely world. She took the midnight train going anyyyywhere."

J matched Eri's position with her hand on the window, and once her lyrics started, she swung her head to face the other way, long hair swinging with her. "Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit. He took the midnight train going anyyyywhere."

They both turned to look at the window and slammed their hands against it, playing the drums to the best of their abilities, until the next lines started. They sang simultaneously; "A singer in a smoky room; the smell of wine and cheeeap perfuuuume. For a smile, they could share the night, it goes on and on and on and ooooooon~!"

They finished the song and it switched to the next one, and J unintentionally turned to look out the window as she sang the beginning of Jar of Hearts. She didn't realize that she was getting so into it until the song spontaneously changed again.

"You were getting way too intense. The song had to change," Eri commented, finger still on the fast forward button as she looked through the songs on shuffle. As soon as the first notes of the next song began to play, they both knew what it was immediately.

"I JUST HAD SEEEEX, AND IT FEEELT SO GOOD!" They screamed, and just before they got to sing any longer, a nurse opened their door.

"You have not had sex in the last thirty minutes, you're not qualified to sing that song. Go to sleep," she said, clearly hiding her amusement as she closed the door once more.

Author's Note: There will be Late Nights With J And Eri excerpts at the end of each chapter until J is no longer in the hospital. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please review if you did (or if you didn't)! - Ordinary Insanity