Naomi rolled over in her bed for the hundredth time.  Turning in early had seemed like such a good idea, but sleep was not her friend tonight.  She was wide awake.

It had been two days since Naomi had investigated Jasper Broussard's flat and the police were still in search of him.  Naomi had spent those two days taking it a bit easier than usual and recovering from her injuries.  The swelling on her face was nearly gone and the bruising was still present, but faded.  Nonetheless, the whole ordeal had managed to screw up her schedule and now, she couldn't sleep.

With a defeated sigh, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up.  Maybe some hot tea would do her some good.  She pulled a zip-up hoodie on over her tank top and made her way downstairs to the kitchen in her bare feet and blue plaid, cotton pajama pants with a ribbon-tie front.

She could hear L's voice coming from the living room.

"He must be on the phone," she thought.

She went ahead and put enough water in the tea kettle for both L and herself.

L continued speaking and, although she couldn't hear exactly what he was saying, Naomi noticed something different about the way he was talking.  It was more... casual than usual.  More lighthearted.

Naomi prepared the tea bags and poured the water over them once it boiled.  She expertly carried both mugs in one hand by their handles and a sugar bowl in the other.  She didn't take sugar in her tea, but she knew full well how much would be added to the second cup.

She walked into the living room and saw that L was sitting at the desk.  He appeared to be video chatting with... a bunch of kids?

This was new.

The children on the computer screen sat on the wooden floor of a large room.  There were around a dozen of them.  One boy- a little older than the rest, about 13 or 14- stood against the wall eating a chocolate bar.  He had straight, yellow-blonde hair that hung down past his ears and he was wearing all black.  Another boy, a little younger with thick, curly platinum-blonde hair, crouched by himself behind the group of other children and played quietly with tinker toys.  L seemed to be telling them all a story.

 "...and that's why I'll never eat cauliflower," he finished.  His voice held a hint of humor that Naomi was hearing for the first time.  The children laughed as he concluded whatever it was he'd been telling them.

Naomi moved to stand beside his chair, careful to stay out of the webcam's frame.  L seemed surprised to see her and pressed a button on the desktop microphone stand before him.

"I thought you'd gone to bed," he commented.

Before Naomi could answer, one of the children- a small girl with pigtails- asked, "So, do you like other vegetables?"

L leaned into the mic again and pressed the button.

"Yes I do.  A vegetable is, by definition, a plant or a part of a plant used for food.  Given that definition, and the fact that chocolate comes from the cocoa bean plant... I can say that I do like other vegetables."

The children laughed together in amusement.  Naomi noticed the blonde boy against the wall grin broadly as he bit off another corner of his chocolate bar.

L turned off the microphone again.  He looked at her and then at the teas in her hand.  "Oh, thank you."

Naomi smiled as she set down the mugs and slid one toward L.

"What's all this?" she asked.  Telling stories to children was very near the bottom of her list of things she would have put money on L doing.  This was so... bizarre.

"I'll explain in a minute," he replied, adding sugar cubes to his tea by the handful.  "They're going to bed soon."

"Hey, is that L?"  A voice came from someone off-screen.  Then, the upside-down teal eyes of a teenage boy with reddish-brown hair slid down from the top of the screen.  He appeared to be standing behind the laptop and leaning down in front of the webcam.  "Hi-ya, Pops, how's it goin?"

An older man's hand appeared, shooing the boy away and pointing for him to sit with the others.

Naomi was so confused.

The auburn-haired boy moved to stand against the wall next to the blonde boy with the chocolate bar.  He wore a black and white striped shirt with dark red cargo pants and a pair of motorcycle goggles rested on top of his head.  He was playing a hand-held video game.  The blonde boy whispered something to him and they both snickered.

L gestured for Naomi to have a seat.  She looked down at her pajamas and hesitated.

"They can't see us," he explained.

Naomi mouthed the word "Oh" and nodded.  She took a seat in the chair next to L. 

He leaned in and pressed the button again.  "So, does anyone else have any questions?"

A boy sitting on the floor with freckles and glasses raised his hand.  "Do you know any jokes?" he asked.

L turned to look at Naomi helplessly.  "Umm..."

Naomi grabbed a notepad and scribbled some words onto it, then showed it to L.

L read it to himself, looked at her uneasily, then leaned into the mic again.  "Okay... Why did the picture go to jail?"

The kids all murmured among themselves, then said in unison, "I don't know, why did the picture go to jail?" 

L looked to Naomi again.

Naomi scribbled some more, then held out the notepad.

L read the answer aloud.  "...because it was framed."

The kids burst into gleeful laughter and Naomi saw the two older boys against the wall smile and roll their eyes at each other.  The one with the goggles commented snarkily, "Good one!"

L flashed an approving smile toward Naomi, seeming rather pleased with the reaction the joke had received.  The stupid butterfly flitted all around inside her stomach. 

The voice of the older man off-screen was heard saying, "Alright, everyone say goodnight."

A disapproving "Awww..." resounded from the children.  Whoever these kids were, they seemed to really like L.  And what was more, they seemed to actually know him.  Naomi waited patiently for answers as the children began to noisily stand up and wave goodbye and exit the webcam's frame.  L leaned into the mic again.

"Goodnight, everyone."

The two older boys shoved off of their leaning positions and began to walk off camera, too.  The blond boy, a corner of the chocolate bar in his mouth, looked directly at the webcam and waved.  The auburn boy, without looking up from his video game, raised a hand high into the air and said loudly, "Night, Pops!"

L replied, "Goodnight, boys."

Naomi noticed that the blond boy smiled a little before exiting the frame.

Within a moment, all the kids were gone, save for the platinum-haired boy in the back of the room.  He sat with one knee up, surrounded by a small fortress of tinker toys and action figures, and looked directly into the camera.

L leaned forward one more time.

"Goodnight, Near."

The little boy's mouth curved upward into a small smile.  Then, he gathered his action figures into his small arms and stood to his bare feet.  He stepped over the wall he had built around himself and disappeared without a word.

L closed out of the video chat.

Naomi shifted to sit cross-legged in the chair and cupped her mug of tea in both hands.  She looked at L inquisitively.

He took a sip of his well-sugared tea and looked back at her through shadowed eyes.

"Friends of yours?" she asked, tipping her head toward the computer.

"My successors," he answered.

"Your... what?"

"Well, not all of them."

Now, Naomi was really confused.  She shook her head.  "Start over," she requested.

L picked up a chocolate truffle from a nearby tray.  He popped it into his mouth before answering.  "That is the orphanage I grew up in.  It's in Winchester, England.  One of those kids you saw is going to be the next L," he said simply.

"The next L?  I don't understand.  But... you're L."

"Yes, but if something were to happen to me, one of them would take my place."

Naomi blinked several times.  She wasn't quite sure how to respond to that.

L continued, "If I die, one of those children will become L."  He looked at Naomi, noisily chocolate from the end of his index finger.

He said it so casually.  As if his own life were completely unimportant.  Like he was easily replaceable and his title as Greatest Detective in the World was the only thing that mattered about him. 

That bothered Naomi.

"Well... I'd rather you didn't die," she said with a small smile.

"Oh, you needn't worry.  My death would have no effect on your job.  Everything you signed pertains to L, whether it be me or my successor."

Naomi scrunched her face.  "Okay, um... thank you?  But I'd still rather you not die."

L stared at her, his index finger still in his mouth.  "Why's that?"

Naomi squirmed uneasily, her elbows resting on her crossed pajama legs.  "Well, because..."  She looked down into her tea.  "...because you're my... my partner... and kind of my friend."

L's tired, dark eyes widened.  "Your friend?"

Naomi hurried to explain herself to avoid sounding disrespectful to the detective for whom she worked.  "I mean, I know you're my boss!  I- I am not dismissing that.  But, um... well, yeah," she finished lamely and shrugged.  Inwardly, she wished she had kept shut.  The butterfly had multiplied in the meantime and now, there was definitely more than one fluttering around in there.  This was getting out of hand...

L turned his head to stare down into his own cup of tea.  "Huh," he said thoughtfully.  He didn't seem bothered, but he did seem surprised. 

Naomi decided she wanted no more of this completely inappropriate conversation.  She stood quickly to her feet, tea in hand.  L looked up at her.

"Well!" she said breezily- a little too breezily.  "I'm... going back to bed.  Goodnight!"  She her heel and walked briskly toward the stairs.

"Goodnight," she heard L call from behind her.

She moved with quick steps up the stairs and into her room.  She set the mug down and placed both of her palms on the wooden dresser.

"Misora, get ahold of yourself!" she hissed under her breath.  She looked up to stare her reflection in the eyes.  She shook her head.  "What is wrong with you?" she asked herself softly.

For some reason, Raye came to mind.  Naomi supposed it was because the last time she felt this way, it had been for him.  And that hadn't exactly ended well...

When presented with the cold, hard decision between her fiancé and her job, Naomi had chosen her career.  She had pleaded with Raye to let her do both, but he had made it absolutely clear that she could be either an agent or his wife- but not both.  It had been the hardest thing she'd ever had to do but, in the end, she knew she would never have been content with the housewife life.

Is that why she was feeling this way?  Because L actually valued her as an agent?  That seemed a little desperate for affirmation...

But as Naomi stood leaning against the dresser, looking herself in the eyes, she knew that was part of it, at least.  Was it so wrong to feel good about the fact that someone admired her work?

But it was more than that and she knew it.  She knew how much she enjoyed spending time with him.  How much she truly had come to consider him a close friend- probably the closest she had.  She had let her guard down and now, she was attached.

She turned around and placed both hands on her forehead.  She sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned with her elbows on her knees, staring at the floor.

Him, of all people.  Her boss.  Not to mention the needy man-child who refused to wear socks and couldn't go more than an hour or two without sweets... the 24 year-old genius who had his fingers in his mouth half the time and sat like a toddler playing in the sandbox.

But he was strong and he was brilliant.  He was protective without being overbearing.  He made her laugh.  And he really did respect and value her.

Naomi groaned and covered her eyes with her hands.  There was no more denying it.

She had a crush on L.

She decided to be a grown-up about it and just let the crazy thing run its course.  Surely, these feelings would wear off.  She chalked it up to the fact that she didn't really have a lot of consistent people in her life and him being there for her when she had gotten hurt had just sparked her emotions.

Suddenly, she felt very, very tired.  She took off her hoodie and crawled under the covers and, this time, she fell asleep.

---

The next morning, L and Naomi were in the living room quietly working on a new case when Watari entered.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but I thought you'd like to know that Jasper Broussard has been taken into custody."

Naomi's head lifted from the file she was reading and L swiveled in the computer chair to face Watari. His large eyes sparked with interest as he spoke.

"When?"

Watari replied, "Just over an hour ago. The interrogation is all set up and will begin when you are ready."

L quickly swiveled back to face the dual-monitor computer. He began typing on the keyboard and Naomi moved from the couch to the chair beside him.

"Please get me another monitor- no, make it two," L requested.

Within a few moments, video feed from several different angles appeared on the four computer monitors. Jasper Broussard sat alone in a small room handcuffed to a wooden table. His head hung and his shoulders drooped. Naomi briefly felt sorry for him and had to remind herself of the horrific things he had done.

It still surprised her what kind of man The Bishop had turned out to be. She had painted in her mind an image of a strong, hateful man with cruelty in his eyes. This job never ceased to provide the unexpected.

L pressed a button on the microphone stand and gave the word to begin the interrogation. His altered voice was transmitted to a com in the police interrogator's ear.

Everything was in French, so Naomi focused on watching Jasper's facial expressions and body language. L listened intently, translating for Naomi now and then when something especially important was asked or said.

Jasper admitted to everything. His eyes were glazed over in stoic defeat as he stared straight ahead.  The cadence of his voice was dry and melancholy.

Naomi leaned in toward L, who leaned his ear toward her in response.

"He's not at all how I pictured The Bishop," Naomi commented in a low tone.

L nodded. "Yes, I have to agree."

Naomi continued to watch the screens closely. Jasper's hands were stiffly clasped together on top of the table. Each question was answered promptly. A little too promptly. It felt... rehearsed.

"L, something is off," she said slowly.

L turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"

Naomi shook her head and pursed her lips together. "I don't know, it's just... this case felt... bigger, somehow. It feels like there should be more to it."

L thought about what she had said for a moment, but didn't reply. He turned back toward the monitors and wrapped his arms around his knees, bringing one thumb to rest on his lips.

"Ask him about the tripod," Naomi said at length.

L nodded and leaned in to press the button on the mic stand again. He made the request in French.

The police interrogator's face scrunched.

"Did you not tell them about the tripod?" Naomi asked, looking at L inquisitively.

L shook his head. "No, I had solved the case and the evidence I presented was enough to convict."

The policeman asked the question and Naomi watched closely as, for the first time in the interrogation, Jasper's eyes widened and his hands began to fidget. He pretended to be unaware of any tripod.

Naomi sat up and pointed at the screen. Looking at L, she opened to speak, but he spoke first.

"He wasn't expecting that question..." L said slowly, trailing his thumb along his bottom lip. He narrowed his eyes and stared intently at the monitor displaying a close-up on Jasper's face. The man's behavior had visibly shifted.

But he quickly regained his composure, confessing that he had used a tripod to photograph his victims.  When asked about the whereabouts of the photographs, he refused to answer, stating that they were for his eyes only.

"Creep..." Naomi remarked in a disgusted tone.

The interrogation moved on and continued for awhile.  It finally concluded with Jasper Broussard being arrested on multiple charges of murder in the first degree, among a few other things- his assault on Naomi included.  He was led out of the room and the video feed ended.

L swiveled in the chair and stood to his bare feet, moving to the three-tiered tray of pastries by the couch.

"Well, case closed," he stated, popping a cream puff into his mouth.  "I'm glad that one is over."

Naomi nodded, but something still felt off.  She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something told her that it wasn't completely over... that there was still something they'd missed. 

But all the evidence fit and Jasper had even confessed.  Perhaps the nitty-gritty details would simply have to remain a mystery.

She brushed it off and returned her attention to the new case.

But she hadn't been wrong.

As Jasper was led out of the police station, handcuffed and surrounded by armed agents, The Bishop watched from the shadows of a nearby alleyway, a crumpled photo of Rosella Leveque in his clenched fist.