* * * January 5 * * *

Several days had passed since Bambi and Mello met the Task Force. Headquarters had moved yet again, and L had finally begun to let the pair help more with the investigation. Bambi was currently sitting on the couch between L and Aizawa, her crutches propped up against the couch behind them. The three of them were watching the footage of Raye Penber's death. L sat in his usual position as the footage rolled. Aizawa leaned forward, focusing on Penber's grainy image. Bambi leaned back and put her hands behind her head, making herself comfortable as she watched the screen.

She scanned the blurry screens for what details she could find as L narrated Penber's movements and pointed out how strange his behavior was. During that time the hacker noticed that something Penber had been carrying at the beginning of the footage had gone missing.

The brunette tilted her head and mused, "He left something behind. Maybe an env-"

"The envelope's gone?!"

Bambi cringed at the volume coming from L next to her before sending an annoyed glare in his direction.

Aizawa jumped at their sudden realization. "The envelope?" he asked, before spotting it himself. "Oh! You're right!" He leaned in and pointed at the screen. "He's holding it here too. That's amazing, you two! You notice the smallest details."

"At least someone heard me," Bambi grumbled as she folded her arms over her chest.

If anyone heard her this time, she was ignored. Chief Yagami added that there was no envelope found in his articles. After a brief conversation, L instructed Matsuda and Chief Yagami to investigate Penber's death. Immediately after that, Watari informed L of an important call on the line.

He answered the call as everyone else sat and watched. After a pause he exclaimed, "Penber's fiancée?!" He paused again before looking at Watari. "Naomi Misora... sounds familiar."

Bambi's eyebrows furrowed. Naomi Misora... I know that name too, but where do I know it from?

She glanced over to Mello, who was leaning against a wall, visibly tensed. His eyes were narrowed as he looked down as his feet, fists clenched. When the blond looked up, Bambi raised an eyebrow at him. He relaxed a little, though the brunette could still see anger in his blue eyes. She mouthed 'what?' to the young man.

He shook his head before answering in English, leaving the Task Force members unable to understand him. "Don't you remember our case from a few weeks ago?"

Then it dawned on her: Naomi Misora was the FBI agent who arrested Beyond Birthday.

Bambi's eyes went wide as her view of the room was replaced with the dark view of the hotel in Lose Angeles as Beyond Birthday forced himself on top of her and pushed a cloth over her nose and mouth. Her heart raced as her breaths became shorter and quicker. She tried to pry his hands off, but he was just too strong. 

Her grip on her knees tightened as he – Wait, her knees! She can't even reach his face let alone her own knees. This can't be real.

She punched him in the temple, knocking him to the side as she rolled out from under him and onto the floor. Bambi heard a muffled echo calling out to her as something came into contact with the sides of her arms.

"B-- --"

As soon as she made it past the bed, her arms were pulled to her side, and Beyond sat on her back, blocking any effective movement.

"B--bi-" 

He then pulled the cloth under her head and back onto her nose and mouth, holding it there until she blacked out.

"Bambi!" 

Bright colors flooded her vision as she found herself face to face with Mello.

He loosened his tight grip on her shoulders as he said, "It's all right. You're at Headquarters now with me, Ryuzaki, and everyone else."

He let go, but waited for a response. Old tears rolled down her cheeks, and her breaths were ragged. She glanced around, finding everyone's attention on her. Blood rushed to her wet cheeks as she looked down at her lap.

She wiped her tears and spoke, her voice shaky. "I'm... fine, Mello."

Bambi sat in silence, trying to recollect herself as the rest of the Task Force discussed Naomi Misora and Raye Penber. She leaned forward and rested her head in her hands, unwilling to look up at everyone yet. Mello grabbed a chocolate bar from his stash in the bedroom and returned, taking Aizawa's place next to her. The brunette sat back up, feeling more like herself again. She glanced to the young man beside her and discreetly smiled, glad to finally be on his good side as a friend. She heard L say something about the families investigated by Penber promptly followed by a loud outburst from the Japanese members of the Task Force.

After a brief argument, L spoke up, his tone demanding. "Sub-Chief Kitamura's family and Chief Yagami's family. Then, please install cameras and electronic bugs in these households."

Bambi and Mello watched in amusement as Matsuda and Aizawa protested the idea, both young detectives sitting cross-armed as they leaned back.

The youngest spoke up as an amused smirk found its way to her face. "They need to relax. It's not like L follows the rules anyway."

Mello nodded. "Plus he'd do it whether they agreed or not. So, it's not like it matters."

"Very true."

Surprisingly, Chief Yagami agreed that it was a necessary measure, even if it was illegal. Matsuda brought up that Chief Yagami had a wife and a daughter, causing another outburst from the Chief.

L piped up. "This requires some sacrifices." Once the Task Force members had been silenced, he continued. "Well then, the Chief, Bambi, and I will monitor the Yagami home. The other three will monitor the Kitamura family. We will watch the families for seven days. Depending on how things go, we may stop early. When the surveillance is finished, inform the families. Leave no equipment either."

* * * January 8 * * *

Bambi sat in one of the monitor rooms, leaning back with her arms behind her head, a dull look in her eyes, and a slight pout on her face. This is so boring. L and Chief Yagami sat on either side of her, all three of them watching the cameras as the Chief's son got home from school.

As they watched him enter the door, L spoke up. "Light Yagami..."

"What about him?" The youngest inquired.

"According to the people who installed the instruments, there was a small trap made to tell whether or not someone entered his room while he was out. Other than that, his room does not have anything strange."

"How elaborate was it?"

"It was a simple trap. Just a piece of paper in the doorway."

"Eh, I'd say that's pretty normal."

The Chief spoke up this time, hopeful. "What makes you say that?"

"He's my age, and I used to do that too."

L spoke again, his tone slightly amused. "That just raises my suspicions."

Bambi rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "I wasn't the only person to do it. Everyone at the orphanage did. I'm just saying that teens don't like people snooping through their stuff."

Throughout the short conversation, Light had walked into his room, laid down on his bed again, got up, and left the house.

Later on in the day, when Light returned to his room again, he plopped down on his bed and pulled out some magazines from underneath it. Bambi raised an eyebrow before he opened to the first page. A blush rose to her cheeks as she saw the image of a scantily clad, busty blonde laying down in a provocative position. The brunette crossed her arms again as she tried to disappear into the folds of the couch. Oh my God, this is so awkward. I am not going to watch if he starts to...

Chief Yagami asked, baffled, "My son reads ... porno magazines?"

L chimed in, pointing out that that's normal behavior for a boy his age, however, he suspects that Light is putting on a show for the cameras. When Chief Yagami asked if L thought Light could be Kira, the number one detective responded, "Of course. That's why I ordered your home to be put under surveillance as well."

Over the course of the rest of the surveillance, the Yagami family acted normal. On the second day of surveillance, Kira killed three small-time thieves, but that was the only abnormality. On day three, L had his bluff of 1500 new investigators broadcasted. Light Yagami caught onto this and announced it to his family, raising some suspicion from L. After five days of surveillance, the esteemed detective decided that they had seen enough.

* * * January 15 * * *

It had been several days since L ended surveillance of the two families, and Headquarters had moved yet again. Bambi was in the kitchen, getting herself something to drink, when L walked in.

"What's up, Ryuzaki?" She turned to face him on her crutches.

"Bambi, the To-Oh University entrance exams are in two days."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "To-Oh, isn't that the University that Light Yagami is looking at?"

"Yes."

Behind L, she could see Mello standing in the doorway, silently listening. The brunette did her best not to give away his presence as she continued to look L in the eye.

L continued. "You and I are going to take the entrance exams to keep an eye on Light Yagami when he enrolls in the University."

Mello angrily stomped up to the pair before arguing, "Why not me too?"

L turned to face him. "Your burns haven't recovered enough for you to go out in public without bandages. Bambi's injuries no longer cause her pain, and she can hide her stitches with long sleeves and pants. She will attract less attention with crutches than you will with half of your face bandaged."

Mello clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes in jealousy as he briefly glanced at Bambi. The brunette frowned, hoping that he wouldn't hate her again like he did when Matt chose her over him.

L then added with a smile. "Also, Bambi can't run away from me with a broken ankle."

Bambi rolled her eyes and scoffed at the comment. "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence."

Mello was frustrated, but he wouldn't dare argue further with the man he idolized so much. He stormed back out of the kitchen after grabbing another chocolate bar.

L turned back to Bambi to explain more. "I will be enrolling as the Japanese student, Hideki Ryuga."

She immediately recognized his intentions. He was using the name of a famous pop star, so the face of the pop star would likely be associated with the name more than L's. If the pop star died suddenly, L would know that Light is Kira. The brunette frowned. He's risking an innocent life for the sake of winning?

He continued. "Although you are fluent in Japanese, you still have a slight accent, one that's obviously North American. So, you will be enrolling as the Canadian international student, Emily Stone. Since that's not your real name you'll be safe. I don't want him to be able to make the connection between us, so your alias isn't famous. I want you to watch him in the background."

Bambi sighed before grumbling, "Fine."

"You have two days to prepare for the exams." L finished with a smile before returning to the rest of the Task Force.