Amazing Grace
It was a cold, rainy winter day in England. The temperature outside was a ghastly 16 degrees and there were no people walking in the streets. No windows were open, no children playing out in their yards, no poor fools outside begging for some change. Everything was utterly desolate and as L watched the scenery pass he thought it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
'It has been entirely too long,' L thought to himself while he subconciously brought his thumb to his lips. He had been gone 13 very long months working on a case in America. It was the longest he had ever worked on a case and the strain of it was beginning to all come crashing down as he finally allowed himself to relax in the backseat of the BMW. Of course the case ended well, the criminals were brought to justice and L was thanked and paid for his services. They all had the same ending. L was seeked out, he decided whether we wanted the case, and if he chose to take it he solved it. He was the world's greatest detective. He did not accept failure, he did not lose.
The scenery changed as Watari got closer to Wammy's. The buildings thinned out and more and more trees had begun to line the road as they made their way through the countryside. Once L had been asked by Watari why he didn't choose a home away from the orphanage, for he certainly had enough money. L simply looked at him with the same blank stare he always did and answered truthfully, 'I suppose for the same reason that you haven't left as well.' There was nowhere to go, no one he wanted to go with, and Wammy's had always been the place that he called home.
L jumped slightly as he was pulled out of his own thoughts by Watari opening his door. "Are you alright L?" Watari furrowed his brow as he questioned his charge.
L ran a hand over his face, "I'm quite alright Watari. I suppose I was simply caught in my thoughts." Watari paused for a moment and nodded his head as he widened the door opening so L could exit the vehicle. He decided to keep a bit closer of an eye on the young man, for L was many things but he was not one to not have a firm handle on his surroundings. L was simply someone that you couldn't surprise. His wandering thoughts were cause for concern to the older man.
L ignored Watari's offer of an umbrella as he always did and walked through the gate to Wammy's. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked up at the impossibly large building that was the orphanage.
As the rain pounded around him and the thunder boomed so loud it could wake the dead, L took a deep breath and let the rain seep through his thin clothing and finally let it all sink in. He smiled slightly as he pushed the doors open, he was home.
L was not suprised that there were no children running the halls. There was no yelling, no loud music, no fighting. This simply was not done at Wammy's House. The children that lived here were extremely gifted, most of them were being groomed to become the next 'L.' There was no escaping that one day L would not be there anymore and he would have to have a successor. In his line of work it was likely that a successor would be needed sooner rather than later and he was prepared for it. He fought for justice, and if the price was his life than so be it. This was what his purpose was and he accepted it.
"Here is a towel L, I'm sure Roger would not be happy with you tracking up the floors." As usual, Watari popped up from out of nowhere with something that L was in need of. Watari was the only person L allowed himself to be close to, the only father figure that L ever had.
L nodded his head and took the towel but made no move to dry himself off. There was something off about Wammy's but he couldn't put his finger on it. L was dumbfounded because this was most certainly not like him. L always had answers, he very rarely was ever put in a situation where he was unsure of something yet he was standing in the entry way of Wammy's sopping wet and scratching the back of his head with a confused expression on his face. After a few moments of silence Watari realized L made no move to make use of the towel, he peered at the younger man's face and his eyes widened in surprise at his expression of confusion, "Is something wrong L?" Watari did not like that this was the second time in 5 minutes that L was not acting like himself.
L brought his thumb to his lips and mumbled, "Something is different," he said simply.
Watari let his eyes wander around the room. All of the children were in their lessons, Mrs. Marrow would be in the kitchen with the rest of the staff preparing the evening meal. To the normal eye, nothing was amiss. The staircase was as pristine as always, the grandfather clock's pendulum keeping it's usual rhythm, coats were on their hooks and the curtains had been recently brushed. Before he could say a word on the matter L's head snapped up. "Flowers."
Watari took another turn about the room and saw that L was indeed correct. There were beautiful bouquets of lillies, roses, baby's breath, sunflowers and more on many surfaces of room. L walked through the entry way and looked around the large foyer and tea room and found flowers on the coffee tables, the entry tables, the shelves. "Hmmm." L hummed to himself as he studied the bouquets. They were tasteful, fresh and what caught L's attention, they were something that had never been there before. "Something has changed here at Wammy's." L stated matter of factly.
As if in answer to his statement L and Watari listened as the piano began to play from the music room. Watari listened as the notes reached his ears and thought that he hadn't ever heard anyone in his life play as beautifully as this. It was obvious to the older man that L was just as transfixed as he was, for he had actually let his eyes close as he just absorbed the music.
And then, she began to sing...
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound..."
The voice broke L out of his daze and he found himself wandering through the halls to the music room. He had to see the fingers that played the keys so skillfully, see whom the voice belonged to that sang the words so perfectly. At that moment L knew that he had never heard something so beautiful in his life.
"That saved a wretched like me..."
He was getting closer and the voice was getting stronger.
"I once was lost, but now I'm found..."
L was vaguely aware of Watari following close behind him but he couldn't understand why the other residents of Wammy's House weren't flocking. Didn't they hear the voice?
"Was blind, but now I see..."
L rounded the corner and stopped dead in his tracks at the entrance to the music room. She sat at the piano with her eyes closed as her slim fingers danced over the keys. She looked utterly at peace surrounded by the dim light of the gloomy day and the flowers that L knew without a doubt were her doing. She swayed slightly with the music allowing her long auburn waves to brush along the piano seat. She wore a white sundress and her feet were bare. Her voice was soft, but rang out clearly over the piano. She continued to sing again and all he could do was watch.
As she finished the song her eyes slowly opened and settled immediately on L. Her eyes were deep emerald and if L believed in silly romantic notions he would have said that they were laughing as she looked at him. She made no move to get up from the piano seat but smiled broadly as L allowed himself to walk into the room. Afer what seemed hours to him she finally spoke in a voice that was just as pretty and soft as she looked, "Hello, you must be L. I've been waiting to meet you."