A/N: Hi, I'm back! Sorry you guys had to wait so long for the update! ^^;

L: I'm back to little kid mode!

Light: Oh no! *groan*

Eru-chan: Hey L and Light, can I buy you guys from your creators? *rummages around in pockets and holds out a nickel*

L and Light together: NO WAY!

Eru-chan: Aww... *cries*

L: Anyways, enjoy and review!

Chapter Two

Before L's transformation into a child, life at the Kira Investigation Headquarters had settled down into a predictable routine. Every morning, Light would walk in with L and immediately go to his computer. This morning was no exception: as he walked into the Headquarters, he automatically headed over to his research computer.

Usually, the place would lapse into a peaceful quiet after everyone settled down, as each concentrated on their own work. What does NOT happen in this routine, though, was the loud, ear-splitting fart that disrupted the workplace when Light sat down in his seat.

A pause, filled with an embarrassed silence, occurred before Matsuda began enthusiastically: "Wow, that was a big one, Light-kun! What did you eat this morning?" He would have kept on going, Light was sure, had he not suddenly noticed Light's murderous glare aimed at him. Man, if looks could kill… Matsuda thought uneasily to himself.

Light stood up slowly, and removes the whoopee cushion so conveniently positioned on his chair.

"Light unobservant-ness decreases his chance of being Kira by one percent." L commented delightedly, unable to suppress a giggle.

Thoroughly humiliated, Light turned to face the naughty prankster and threateningly took a step towards him. Quick as a flash, L unlocked the handcuffs and slid out of them, running to the door. "Na, nana na na, you can't catch me!" L teased in a singsong voice, and then ran outside into the hallway.

Pissed beyond belief, Light forgot the other investigators and made for the door as well, slipping the handcuffs from his own wrist. "You little –" he growled, consumed by a desire to capture the mischievous kid for revenge.

He ran out the door, leaving behind a shocked silence. Soichirou shrugged at the speechless investigators. "Oh well. Kids will be kids."

Meanwhile, in the hallway, Light concluded that the tiny legs of the L-kid could actually carry him much faster than he'd thought, for L was nowhere in sight.

As fast as it had come, his anger evaporated. In its place was only worry, as much as Light hated to admit that. The Headquarters is huge and dangerous for a seven-year-old, and worse: what if he'd gone outside?

Light tried to reassure himself that L would be smart enough to navigate the Headquarters safely, like his old self. And he probably wouldn't have gone outside, anyways. Before, the L that Light knew wouldn't have gone outside if you begged him, preferring to stay inside and work. That must be why his skin is so pale, he decided.

Choosing to search inside the building first, Light was meticulous in his examination: no room escaped his careful observations. But as he gone through most of the rooms and there was still no sign of L, he began to panic slightly. Oh god, what if something had happened to L?

He burst out of the building, his stomach knotting with worry. It was raining, but he barely noticed, urgently scanning for the L-kid. Almost immediately he saw him, standing in the rain and making no attempt to shield himself from the downpour.

A tide of emotions hit him, a mixture of anger, relief, happiness, and worry.

"What possessed you to stand out here in the rain for almost an hour?" asked Light, grabbing L's shoulders tightly after he ran over to him.

L blinked up at him with his wide eyes. "I was waiting for you to come." He replied illogically.

"Why did you think I would come for you?" Light snapped.

L didn't answer, instead replacing Light's question with a question of his own. "Why did you come for me?"

Light was taken aback, because honestly, he didn't know. He didn't know why he'd reacted so strongly or cared so much about L at all. "You're my responsibility, that's all." He replied, avoiding L's eyes.

"Oh" L looked down, and at that moment, he seemed so forlorn and sad.

"Come on, let's go inside." Light told L, ignoring the painful pull at his heart to see L like this. He offered L his hand instinctively, and L took it without a word. Together, they began their way back to the Headquarters.

As they walked inside though, Light noticed that L was shivering violently. His worry resurfaced and he stopped abruptly. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, concerned.

"Ye-ah, I-I'm fi-ne." L replied, his teeth chattering with cold. It was obvious he was not okay: his lips were blue and he couldn't seem to stop shivering.

"Why did you decide to stay outside in the rain?" Light snapped, his concern making him short-tempered. L didn't answer, only closed his eyes and shivered more violently.

"You're sick." Light murmured, feeling the child's forehead. It was burning hot. Impulsively, he scooped L up with ease and carried him to their room, setting him down comfortably on the bed.

"Stay here and don't move, alright?" Light said sternly, although he doubted that L could go far anyway in this condition.

"No… but I'm fine…" L protested weakly, more for the sake of childish denial than actually protesting. Light ignored him and grabbed the phone urgently. Dialing Watari's number, he shifted from foot to foot impatiently as he waited.

"Watari is not available at the moment. Would you like to leave a message?" came the response. Hissing in frustration, Light dropped the phone angrily on the table. This doesn't make sense… Watari was always there… why wasn't he here when L needed him the most?

Knowing that the other investigation members would know no more than him in terms of medical knowledge, he cursed. He could tell that L was running a very high fever and that he needed to do something fast… or it could end up really dangerous for L. But he only knew the basics of dealing with a fever: blankets to sweat the fever out, cold towel on the forehead, and cold medicine if he could find some.

He started to walk towards the cupboards in hope of some cold medicine, but a tiny hand grabbed onto the hack of his shirt. The grip was surprisingly strong considering L's weak state, and Light stopped, reluctant to cause the sick child any distress.

"No… don't leave me…" L whispered deliriously, his face flushed from the fever.

"I won't." Light promised. "I'm just going to get you some medicine, alright?"

"No, no medicine!" L shrieked suddenly. "I don't like medicine, I'm not sick!"

Startled, Light tried to comfort the feverish child. "Shh." He soothed gently. "I'll get you some strawberry-flavoured medicine." There could very well be strawberry-flavoured medicine, in fact, since he'd noticed that Watari always seemed to get everything in strawberry flavour when it came to the weird genius.

"No, I don't want that…" L whispered back, his voice hoarse. "I want Light-kun to stay… and keep away the monsters."

"There are no monsters, L." Light tried to convince him.

"Can't you see them? Monsters are hiding in the shadows and waiting to eat me if you leave." L held on more tightly to Light.

Light said nothing, because he knew he couldn't reason with L in this state. The delirious child will not be persuaded by logic, because he was locked in his own terrifying world.

"I heard that light will keep away the monsters, because they do not like light." L murmured, managing a half-smile as he looked up at Light. "You won't let Kira kill me, will you?" Those dark, dark eyes pierced right through him, and Light was amazed that L could still do that even through the haze of his delirium.

"No, I'll protect you from Kira." Light promised again. "I won't let Kira harm you at all."

"Thank you." replied L. "Cuz Kira is an evil monster."

Light turned around and wordlessly embraced L, holding his in his lap comfortingly. L snuggled closer to him, and after a while, his eyes began to close. Light looked down at the sleeping child in his arms and smiled slightly. But he knew that he still needed to find the cold medicine because L's fever was in a dangerous stage.

He set L down as gently as he could onto the bed. L stirred a bit but didn't wake up. Light walked quietly to the cupboards and rummaged through it efficiently. There was indeed strawberry-flavoured cold medicine stacked in a neat pile at the back of the shelves. He smiled. Watari always thinks of everything.

Light gently shook L half-awake and made him swallow the medicine, but let him fall back asleep right after. He placed a damp cloth to L's forehead and covered with three layers of blankets. Unable to think of anything else to do, Light sat down gingerly at the side of the bed and watched the L-kid. He was in a fitful sleep; tossing and turning uncomfortably. His wild black hair was damp and sweaty from his fever and a few stray locks hung over his eyes messily.

Absentmindedly, Light reached over to brush the stray locks away from L's face. He studied the sleeping child with conflicted feelings. This was the person who'd accused him of being Kira, but he is also the one who trusts him wholeheartedly. What did he really feel for him?

For the entire day, Light stayed by the child's side, occasionally whispering soothingly when L had a nightmare and cried out in his sleep. Strangely, he didn't feel hungry at all, for L's sickness had made him so worried he feared that he might throw up if he tried to eat. Besides, he knew he couldn't leave L's side, in case something happens.

By 11 o'clock at night, L's fever had dropped out of critical danger and some of the tension Light had been building up finally left him. The stress of the entire day added to his fatigue, and before he realized, he drifted off into an uneasy sleep as well.

The next morning, Light was unceremoniously woken up by the impatient poking of L. "Wake up, sleepyhead!" L called. Blearily, Light raised his head up from where he'd dozed off and was greeted by the cheerful sight of a bright and happy L.

"All better now?" Light asked sleepily, unable to resist a smile. L's cheerfulness was contagious.

"Yep," L replied happily. "Thank you to Light-kun for taking care of me." He added.

"It was nothing." Light said, suddenly embarrassed. "You shouldn't go to work today." He changed the subject abruptly.

"Why not?" L pouted. Light couldn't help but think how strange it was to talk about 'work' with a seven-year-old.

"Because you need a break to recover from your sickness, that's why." explained Light patiently.

"Oh. I see." said L. Then he perked up. "I know! We can go play outside!"

"Well... You are supposed to rest..." Light considered uncertainly.

"Pweeease? Pwetty pwetty pwease?" L pleaded, his eyes wide and pitiful.

"Well..." Light wavered in the face of L's sad-little-kid-act. "I suppose we could go relax and have some fun outside." he relented finally.

"YAY! You're the best, Light-kun!" L jumped up and down excitedly. Light couldn't believe that L was actually begging to go outside, and that he was actually letting him. What is wrong with the world today...?

Half an hour later, Light began to regret his decision as he trudged miserably through puddles and piles of mud. L, beside him, seemed to be having fun though. He giggled as he jumped into the puddles, splashing himself and Light thoroughly.

"AHHH!" shouted Light as a particularly big clump of mud struck him right in the face. L giggled helplessly.

"Sorry... You're just so funny." he laughed. "Want me to make you a mud pie?" Without waiting for an answer he promptly sat down in the mud, making his baggy jeans completely dirty. Light had no choice but to watch as L slopped together a messy pile of... mess. Which he proudly proclaimed as his masterpiece of cake.

The entire day passed in a chaotic blur, and Light gave up completely on his quest to stay clean. The reason was simple: it was just impossible with L around. Without this worry, Light actually managed to have fun as he accompanied L, who was equally dirty and muddy.

At the end of the day, Light realized he'd forgotten to take one thing into consideration though: L + mud = dirty mess, L + dirty mess = bath, L + bath...

LIGHT HAD TO GIVE L A BATH! "AHHHHHH!" Light screamed in horror.

"What's wrong, Light-kun?" L asked him curiously.

"Ngng..." he moaned in reply. "Just thinking about... your bath..."

"Oh, that." L said, eyes clearing. "I want a bubble bath!" he told him, grinning. Apparently he'd found nothing wrong with the idea of having Light bathe him, but Light found plenty. For one thing, it was just plain awkward... for another, L was in a way his boss.

Light made a point of looking everywhere but at L as the little kid undressed without hesitation. Still staring fixedly at a crack in the ceiling, he prepared the foamy bubble bath and waited for L to get in.

"Come on Light." L's voice interrupted his thoughts. "You can bathe at the same time as me."

Light choked. "Wh-what?"

"Yeah, it'd be fun and it'd save time too." L explained as if it was perfectly obvious.

Light was flummoxed. Did the innocent-sounding kid know the implication of his offer? "N-no thank you." he stuttered helplessly.

L pouted and tried his cute face trick again, but Light still refused. The thought was just too disturbing.

"Aw, Light-kun is no fun." L gave up finally and climbed into the bathtub.

Light scrubbed him down quickly, blushing in embarrassment as he reached... that part. L noticed, of course, and teased him slyly: "Does it make you feel funny – down there, Light-kun?"

Light turned seven shades of crimson before he managed to tell the kid to shut up. After helping L change into his pyjamas, Light wished fervently that he could forget about the whole mortifying experience. That night, he fell into a deep, exhausted sleep, the whoopee cushion incident completely forgotten.

A mistake, as it turned out. He should have remembered that L was evil...EVIL...

The next morning, he woke up, brushed, and changed in a sleepy daze, barely aware of his surroundings. He was followed by a nagging feeling that something was not quite right, but he ignored it. The moment he walked into the investigation room, however, he knew that something was wrong – everyone was staring at him.

Matsuda finally spoke up. "Uh – that's nice artwork there on your face."

Light instantly realized what had happened. "Pass me a mirror." he commanded furiously. Silently, Mogi took out a small mirror and gave it to Light.

Light couldn't suppress a gasp of outrage at what he saw on his face. It was... a horrendous mess. Colourful lipstick gave him a French moustache, tipped up at the ends. A combination of whipped cream and shaving cream was artistically arranged on his face to form a fluffy Santa Claus-like beard and eyebrows. A ring of mascara was smudged heavily around his entire left eye, resulting in a simulation of a black eye. Sickly polka dots were splattered all over his face, achieved by using dark purple nail polish. On top of that, his face was a bright GREEN!

L giggled. Matsuda snorted. Mogi smiled. Aizawa chuckled. In the end, even his dad gave up his pokerface and joined in laughing. Light stormed to the washroom in fury. That did it. The little prankster asked for it... THIS WAS WAR!

Eru-chan: MUAHAHAHAHA! I'm gonna have so much fun getting them to prank each other!

Light: *runs around holding a sword* PRANK WAR!

L: *sweatdrops*

Eru-chan: I'd love your suggestions for pranks! Tell me in your reviews!

L: Next chappy: the PRANK WAR commences! Be on the lookout for it!