3: Trail of Strawberry Jam Hansel and Gretel

Beyond liked to think of L as a vulture.

Any other scavenger bird would not do; because vultures were haggard, vile creatures, large powerful carcass consumers and they were feared by every other bird on the savannah. They were vicious and relentless predators, almost as ruthless as humans.

L was almost as ruthless as B.

Because L was only a hunter of the deceased, thriving off nothing but organic waste and cold hard forensic evidence, and lived for no other purpose than to feed himself on those cases that he embarked on. B was human, B could feel. B could love and hate, simultaneously at times. B could feel obsession and frenzy and fear and jealousy and betrayal.

Beyond Birthday could need.


And hell, but he could need like no other.

From the naive hero-worship to the frenzied lust and then hardened obsession, all throughout his life Beyond wanted and needed L. His entire life was centered around the genius and maybe, just maybe, that was not his choice to make. He was immediately destined to be L's heir: L's 'backup', from such a small age, sheltered from everything else that could distract him from this goal...Who could blame him for the demon he turned out to be? No. The only person to blame and thank for the way Beyond turned out was the man himself, L.

Such a thought could set light up a grin on B's face, the fact that he'd placed chains of regret and remorse on the detective. (If it weren't for him, I would never have ended up...being me, being this). And he liked to think that, no matter what distance separated them, Beyond could use the strings of guilt and residual longing, even, to manipulate his darling puppet closer to it's master. B knew that L would answer his beck and call, if he called loudly enough and baited his trap with the right treat. He believed with all his heart in the fact that L had always wanted to come back home, come back to him.

B might have deluded himself, but nobody could tell him otherwise, for his methods did work...Death brought the vulture, to the one place it belonged. B would leave a trail of blood and strawberry jam, lead L on a merry dance across continents until eventually the raven haired beauty would enter the gingerbread house, where Beyond Birthday would be waiting, for him, as always.


For his prodigal to come home.