Light was going insane. Everything was going the way he had planned it. Even Near wasn't a match for him compared to L. And yet…

L.

He had held L in his arms, dead with blood in his mouth, and then just like that he'd been alone. He was constantly surrounded by death, trapped by the voices in his brain. He saw L everywhere, in shadows, in store windows, in the mirror, always just out of the corner of his eye, always disappearing just before Light got to him. He'd be left standing dumb founded and in front of his mirror, in too much pain to even feel like a fool.

So he thought he was imagining things until Near went completely white and went, "L."

Light could only stare and became dully aware of his knees, somewhere beneath him, beginning to buckle. Because of the relief, not horror, not fury, the relief that L was alive was so great he could have cried. L. Solid and real and alive. He had to hold himself up on the wall.

"You faked your death?" Near demanded of him. He'd been looking almost lost in his presence a moment ago, his mouth hanging open, like the little kid he really was.

"Is Wammy with you?" He demanded. "Or Mello?"

L's eyes wavered, and lowered. "No." His tone was heavy.

It took Light a moment to figure out who 'Wammy' was.

Then they both looked at Light, who had to fight the urge to take a step back. Instead, he focussed his gaze on L. He pushed himself off the wall and straightened slowly. "Welcome back." He said coolly.

"Thank you," he said, his tone even. "What did I miss?"

Light found he had to lower his eyes.

It was beginning to sink in that this might be the end. Killing L was the hardest thing he'd ever had to do. He couldn't go through it again. He couldn't kill L if his life depended on it, and it quite literally did. He had lost.

L made a move towards him as he began to back away, but Near stopped him. "Leave him," he said, carelessly. "He can't go anywhere."

"You were right," Light said later, in his cell. L was kind, had brought him water and a thicker blanket. Light's Father didn't come near him.

"It was lonely. After you…"

L raised his eyebrows, but didn't comment.

Light pulled the blanket around himself more firmly and stared. L looked a little older, a little more tired, but his eyes were as dark and as L-ish as ever. "How did you do it?"

He said nothing.

"I mean, are you actually dead, or… I mean, is this real?"

L actually smiled then. "Would you like to try and put your hand through me?"

"Don't tease me, L."

"Don't tease you? You killed me, Light. I'll do whatever the hell I want."

A tiny edge had crept into his voice. Light half expected him to lash out, almost wanted him to, but L wasn't even looking at him. He was looking at his watch.

"How long?" he asked softly.

"19 minutes."

"Will you be there?"

"If you want me to be."

"But do you want to be there?"

"Why would I want to watch you die?" His voice shook, and he turned his back on Light.

Light saw himself tearing him back by the hair, kissing him, and then the thought drifted away like a ghost. "I did think of you as my friend, you know," he said quietly. "I didn't lie about that. That's why I'm here. I couldn't go through it again."

L said nothing. It was impossible to tell if he believed him.

Light took off his broken watch. They should have really taken it off him, if they were following regulations, but of course they weren't; he was going to die in half an hour. He stood, letting the blanket fall from his shoulders, and nudged the watch into L's hand. His fingers closed around it automatically. "You can have this, if you want," he said quietly. "It's broken, but I'd like you to have it. Because we were friends. I wish I had something better to give you."

"Your Father might want it." His voice was still shaking, and Light wished he could hug him.

"My Father has plenty of things of mine." He said gently. He saw L put it in his pocket. He sat back down and pulled the blanket around himself. "How long now?"