This is my first Death Note fic. It's kind of tricky to get into the minds of super-geniuses like Light and L, but I wanted to have a go and see how I do. Please review and tell me what you think!

Anyway, this is an AU fic I came up with together with my older sister during summer vacation. The concept was simple: Suppose instead of being raised at Wammy's House, L had been adopted by the Yagami family. When he becomes a detective and the killer notebook falls to Earth, how will his relationship with his brother affect the Kira case?

At the time I was still in the middle of writing My Treasure, and I didn't want to take on another long project at the same time. So it was a few months ago, when I finished that story, that I began writing this.

I hope you enjoy!

Attention all passengers. We will be landing shortly. Please fasten your seatbelts. We hope you have had a pleasant flight.

The message was repeated in Japanese and several other languages before the loudspeaker fell silent again. Sachiko Yagami could feel the slight tilt as the plane began its descent, and she glanced over at the small child sitting quietly next to her by the window.

"Anata no shiitoberuto o shien suru hitsuyou ga arimasu ka?" she asked kindly. The five-year old just stared at her blankly, and the woman realized she had switched to her native language by mistake. He only understood basic Japanese. "Do you need help with your seatbelt?" Sachiko repeated in English. "We'll have to work on your Japanese."

"No, thank you. I can do it." The child brushed his spiky black locks out of his face and clicked the two ends of his seatbelt together, then went back to gazing out the window, where the outline of Tokyo International Airport could be seen. Her husband, Soichiro, leaned over to check on the little one then settled back in his seat with a pleased smile as they watched him. Their new son. Once Wammy sent them the adoption papers, it would be official.

The plane taxied down into the runway without any incident, and even Soichiro, who was generally picky about flights, didn't complain about it. Either the landing really had been flawless, Sachiko mused, or he was busy thinking about the life ahead of them, with two sons instead of one. I'm sure he and Light will get along wonderfully.

"Lawliet?" she asked, testing the boy's name on her tongue. It was so similar to her own son's name. "We've landed." He nodded and slipped into his thick brown coat, and taking the small trolley bag held out to him, Lawliet timidly took Sachiko's hand as the three joined the crowd entering the bustling airport.

His dark grey eyes widened as he took in everything before him – the crowds, the noise, the endless voices and announcements in a language he did not yet understand, everything seeming to grow louder and louder until it was overwhelming - and he clutched her hand a little tighter.

"Not what you expected, is it?" Mr. Yagami's - no, his father's – voice rang out in a booming laugh, and he reached over to ruffle his hair. Startled, the child pulled away, but the man didn't seem to notice."It's very different from England," he continued, "But you will like it here. Welcome to Japan, Lawliet!"

Lawliet did not answer, still looking around trying to take everything in, so good-naturedly the new parents let him be. Since both parents were members of the NPA (or ex-member, in Sachiko's case, as she had resigned after giving birth to Light), the group passed through customs faster than usual, and in an hour were out of the airport and flagging down a taxi.

The small boy sat sandwiched between the two, his knees pressed to his chest as if he was trying to melt into the car seat. He did not answer when they asked him questions – he was still trying to relax and settle his racing heart back to normal after the rush of the airport - but they assumed he was tired from the long flight and didn't bother him anymore. For a moment all he wanted was to be back in England, in a place he was familiar with, and with Mr. Wammy…but everyone had said it was for the best, that instead of growing up in an orphanage he had a chance of a good life with a well off family, and he wanted to believe this was true.

"My brother…" he finally murmured, and he looked up at Sachiko questioningly. "What is he like?"

His new mother smiled. "He's two years old – three years younger than you. He has brown hair and eyes, and he's very smart, even more so than most babies his age."

"He is not a baby, then." The child's large panda-like eyes met hers. "They're only babies until about a year and six months."

Soichiro chuckled. "Well, at this rate he'll probably bypass Light, maybe even me!" he boasted jokingly to his wife. The humor was lost on Lawliet, who didn't understand him. I need to learn Japanese, soon. This thought lingering in his mind, he curled up against his seat, the hum of the car and jet lag lulling him to sleep.

"We're here!"

Groggily Lawliet rubbed his eyes as the car pulled up in front of a large house. His new parents were already outside unloading the luggage, and slowly he untangled himself from his and Sachiko's coats and stepped outside. It was a lot warmer here than in England.

Before him was a large house, not even close to the size of the orphanage but still good-sized, painted in light brown and red. It was surrounded by a black gate which opened to a paved walkway with flower-laden garden patches on either side. These were Sachiko's pride and joy – she loved gardening as a hobby – and she told him so. Making a mental note to study these later, the five-year-old followed the two up the steps and into the house.

It was comfortably quiet, and Lawliet sighed inwardly. This was much better than the airport. A young woman came in from another room, and she and his parents began speaking in rapid-fire Japanese. Sachiko motioned to him, and he figured she was introducing him. The child stepped forward, and remembering the protocols Soichiro had told him about during the flight, clasped his hands behind his back and bowed slightly with a soft "Konnichiwa,", earning him a delighted 'Awww…' from the woman. He assumed she was a babysitter of some kind.

Leaving Soichiro and Sachiko to speak with the woman, Lawliet sat down on the plush blue rug and pulled off his shoes and socks. The soft, warm texture felt good on his bare feet, and he stretched out on the rug with a content sigh. Ah, that is more like it, he thought to himself.

The living room was large, containing shelves filled with toys and books, most of which the child assumed were Light's. He hoped he could find something more challenging later. In the meantime he just wanted to rest a little, and then maybe he'd go find his new brother. I wonder if he will like me.

A soft patter caught his ears, and he turned around to see a small tot peek out from behind the door. His wide brown eyes met Lawliet's momentarily, then spotted his parents. "Mama!" he crowed excitedly, and Sachiko ran over to hug him tight. After a few minutes of simply cuddling him, she spoke to him gently and pointed to the five-year-old. Lawliet watched as the little one toddled over to him and sat down.

"You must be Light," he said in English, mostly to himself, then remembered what country he was in. "Konnichiwa, Light," the child greeted, sitting back down on the rug in front of the toddler. Lawliet imitated little Light's way of sitting, and for a little while they just stared at each other. He'd never seen a Japanese toddler before, and the straight brown hair and slightly slanted eyes fascinated him. Light cocked his head to one side, apparently scrutinizing him as well, and after a moment's study smiled cheerfully and called him nii-san.

Nobody had ever called him that, and somehow he felt it suited him. "Lawliet," the five year old said slowly, pointing to himself. "Lawliet desu."

Light giggled and pressed his tiny hand against the older child's chest. "Wowhite," he repeated, than pointed to himself. "Wight."

"White?" Lawliet wrinkled his brow slightly. "No, you're Light. L-I-G-H-T." He pronounced each letter carefully so the tot would understand.

"Wight!" Light laughed and stood up, grabbing Lawliet's hand. He tugged fervently and spoke a few words in Japanese, until curiously the child got to his feet and followed him.

Together the two children walked down the silent hall; the older one taking time to look around and familiarize himself with the house, although Light was impatient to get going. Soon they arrived at two doors on opposite sides. One had a brightly colored sign over it that read Yagami Light, and Lawliet figured that was the toddler's room. The other door was bare, and Light pushed it open and led him inside.

The room was neatly decorated, with a large bed in the corner and plush carpeting, as well as another of the toy-filled shelves. The walls were painted in a shade of sky blue, and Lawliet found this soothing to look at. Is this my room…?

Light stood in the center of the room, his small hands clasped in front of him, and with a bright smile he said the English words his babysitter had taught him: "Welcome to Japan."

They'd done all of this, for him. And they didn't even know him for long. A smile slowly grew on his own face, and he squatted down on the carpet and ran his hands over it. It was softer than the one in the living room. His eyes widened at the touch of baby hands on his back, and he turned around as Light wrapped his small arms around him in a hug. Normally he didn't like it when people touched him without asking, it was rude and invaded his privacy and he couldn't stand it – but this touch felt good, and he found himself hugging the toddler back.

"Arigatou, Light," he whispered into the little one's hair. "Arigatou."

That was the moment when Lawliet realized he had made his first friend.

Four years later:

"Hey! Panda!"

Lawliet's head jerked up at the sound of the boys approaching, and he sighed inwardly. Not again. He returned back to his book, hoping they were targeting someone else.

"I told you to bring 2000 yen next time we met! Have you forgotten so quickly? Or do you seriously have no spending money?"

The four boys were surrounding him now, but he took no notice of them. Vaguely he remembered he had to wait in the school courtyard until Light came out and they could go home together, and he intended to stay there. Besides, he needed the money for a new book he wanted. Hadn't they gotten the point when he told them?

"Are you even listening to me, Yagami?" Tachibana-kun grabbed hold of his collar and yanked him off the bench he was sitting on, his book falling to the ground. Anger flashed through him but he tried to keep it down, like Sachiko had told him.

"Leave me alone and get your money from somewhere else," he stated firmly, pulling himself free from the older boy's grip.

"Hey, Lawliet!" He turned around to see Light running out of the school doors, his red backpack trailing behind him. The seven-year-old planted his hands on his hips and glared up at the big boys. "I told you to stop bothering my brother!" he yelled. "My dad's in the NPA, and he'll find you!"

"Big deal, show-off!" another of the boys snapped, stepping in front of Light. "Now get lost, unless you want a pounding too!"

That did it. They could push and threaten him all they wanted, he didn't care, but they'd stay away from his little brother or they'd wish they did. Before Lawliet could stop himself he dove down and his foot shot up, hitting Tachibana-kun square in the face.

The bully tumbled down clutching his bleeding nose and stared up at the nine-year-old in shock. "How…how the hell…"

"I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE!" Lawliet yelled angrily, plunging his shoe into the boy's side before he could get up again.

The others were on him in an instant, but his body acted for him, kicking and punching right where he knew it would hurt, until before long all four were sprawled on the ground. For a few moments he looked over them, satisfied with his work, although he felt a twinge of guilt that he wasn't even sorry.

"Lawliet!" The younger boy tugged at his arm urgently. "Let's go, before one of the teachers sees us! Come on!" Snapping back down to earth, the nine-year-old picked up his book of the ground and tucked it into his backpack, then the two took off in a sprint until they were a good distance from the school.

"What'd you do that for?" Light demanded as soon as he got his breath back. "Once their parents find out, we'll be in serious trouble! Do you want to get suspended again?"

"I don't mind getting suspended. School is dull, anyway." The older boy glanced down at his school uniform in disdain and kept walking. "Besides, if you allow people to push you around you will never get anywhere. Tachibana-kun was the one who started it, not me. That makes my actions justified."

"Yeah, but…"

"You do not win anything by being on the defensive, Light. To win, you have to attack. Remember that." The two boys continued in silence until they reached their house, which was only a twenty-minute walk from school. As soon as they were inside Lawliet ran to his room and dumped his backpack on his desk, kicked off his shoes, then hastily changed from his uniform to a more comfortable long-sleeved shirt and loose jeans, which were his favorite choice of clothing. He could concentrate much better when he wasn't wearing that hot, itchy uniform.

Carefully he stacked up his books and picked up the top one, which he had been reading while waiting for Light. It wasn't damaged, thankfully, just a little dirty.

"Is that your new book?" The nine-year-old turned around as his little brother walked in. He had also changed out of his uniform. "Can I see?"

"Sure." Lawliet held out the book, and Light's eyes lit up as he flipped through the pages.

"You read Sherlock Holmes?" he asked. "Did Dad give it to you?"

The older boy nodded and took the book back. "Holmes-san is my hero," he admitted shyly. "That is why I want to join the NPA when I am old enough. Perhaps I can solve cases as well."

"Then he's my hero too." Light flopped down on one of the several beanbag chairs strewn around the room. "Can you read it to me?"

"Fine," Lawliet replied, and dragged over another of the large seats. The younger boy edged closer as he opened the book and started to read, and soon both were lost in a world of detectives, crime and mystery. Before they knew it an hour had gone by, and Light remembered he had to start his homework.

"If I don't finish it all Orihara-sensei will nag me," he explained briefly. "Don't forget to do yours – I can't always remind you, you know."

Before the older boy could reply, a door further away slammed shut, and he tensed up at the sound of footsteps coming to his room.

"Lawliet! Light!" The door swung open again, and the boys were faced by their stern-eyed mother. "I've been receiving several unpleasant phone calls. Lawliet, did you beat up the boys at school again?"

The nine-year old glanced at his brother, who shrugged slightly. "I stayed out of it this time," Light offered hopefully.

Sachiko sighed. "Light, you can go do your homework. Don't let me catch you outside until it's all done." Once Light was gone, she shut the door and gazed down disapprovingly at Lawliet.

"This isn't the first time you've done this," she stated. "Those parents want compensation. At least with your father's influence we can keep the police from stepping in, but…do you want to be expelled?"

Lawliet lowered his eyes to the floor. Part of him didn't feel sorry at all, and he still believed the bullies had deserved it. But the other part felt shame; that he, the eldest son of Soichiro Yagami, behaved so poorly and disappointed his mother.

"They were the ones who started it, not me!" he shot out defensively. "They were bullies, and they deserved to be punished!"

"I don't care whose fault it was! You shouldn't have fought them!"

"That is the only way to make them leave me alone! They're always picking on me, in every grade, because I am different!" He could feel anger and frustration rushing through him again. "I tried your way, Mom. I tried talking to them, bribing them, even hiding, but in the end the only language they understand is force! And if I get expelled that is fine with me; at least then I can study what I am interested in because the lessons there are child's play!" The nine-year-old slumped onto one of the beanbag chairs and brought his knees up to his chest.

His mother gazed down at her boy, thinking about what he'd said. Why did he wait until now to tell me this? Slowly she sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around his thin form, and with a muffled sigh he curled up into her chest.

"Hey…" she said softly, spotting the book still resting on the seat next to her. It gave her an idea. "When Holmes-san gets those difficult cases, does he ever use force to get what he wants?"

"No," Lawliet replied, lifting his head. "He uses his intelligence to find clues and force only when he absolutely needs it." He paused for a second. "Do you want me to be like Holmes-san?"

"Not exactly, no. But you could take a few ideas from him, don't you think?" Sachiko reached down to tickle his chin, and he cracked a smile. "You're right: there are a lot of people in this world who understand nothing but force, and they bully those that are weaker than them. But that's why people rise up from those weak ones, they find ways to become strong, and they pledge to help others that can't defend themselves. People like Holmes-san. And like you."

"Me?"

"Of course. You have a good heart, Lawliet. I've always admired that in you." Gently she took his pale hands and held them in hers. "You have in your hands the power to save lives…we all do. You just need to learn how to use it to its greatest capability. And whatever you decide you want to do…I'll support you." Sachiko smiled lovingly and pulled him into another hug. "I love you, sweet boy."

A warm feeling blossomed in Lawliet's heart as her words sank into him, and he hugged her tightly. "I love you too, Mom."

The two sat together hugging each other for a long time, and as his mother finally got up and he returned to his homework, he decided what would be his life's course.