Ahhh… The long-anticipated climax of Signed, gotta love it.I've enjoyed the ride, guys.I have a chapter left, then it's over. And then the sequel will be up. Boy oh boy, that will be fun. XDThank you all for sticking with me the entire time. This is going to be great.(:-- Rem

"I know what you're going to do." Mariko said quietly, staring at Ryuk with an odd expression set on her face. Determination, really.

"Oh really now?"

"Yes."

Mariko was laying on the couch, staring up at the corner as she dipped a chocolate square into a glass of orange juice.

"Then tell me, daughter of L." Ryuk growled gutturally. "What are my plans for the future?"

"You are going to kill me. Kill me in childbirth, yes? I've read the rules. You're going to tire of me soon. And you can only be here six years."

"Good job." Ryuk chortled. "I suppose you're too smart for me."

"I simply saw an opportunity for you to kill me. I would like to tell you I am prepared. I have a will written. I have one question." Mariko said, voice even and calm as her red and black eyes scanned Ryuk thoroughly.

"Oh, I have not tired of you quite yet." Ryuk laughed. "I have plans you'll find out soon enough."

"I have one question." Mariko repeated, slightly irritable now.

"Yes?"

"Will you kill my child?"

Ryuk laughed. "No. Why would I? But there is still… Much for you to find out." He laughed somehow, Mariko sensed knowing in his was it she didn't know?

Then a sharp pain exploded in her stomach and she first hands scrambled for the phone as she dialed Misa.

"MisaMisa! Call a cab!"


"Sir, I'm seventeen."

The man behind the counter remained skeptical. "Aren't you still a little young? Did you find the right girl? Is she pregnant?"

"Yes, yes, and that's none of your business!" Near snapped back.

"What's your budget?" The man asked with a sigh.

"That would also be none of your business."

"Well, sorry." The man looked annoyed now. "So she's seventeen as well?"

"Yes."

"Good, I was worried she was like, fifteen."

Near gave him a poisonous look. "You're about to lose a customer."

The man sighed, "Fine." He waved his hand. "How many months pregnant?"

"Shut up!"


Once Near was finally out of that store, the small bag in tote, he got a phone call from Misa.

Misa had come down to help Mariko with shopping for Caroline and when the big day came.

"Near-kuuuun! MariMari's in labor!"

"WHAT?! Why didn't you call me earlier?"

"Well, uhm… My phone died. She's been in labor for a few hours now…"

"Why didn't you call me sooner?"

"My phone died..."

"WHAT? What about the hospital phone?" Near was already running for the rental car like a madman. Misa, the idiot!

"Oh…"

Near groaned loudly. "Amane-san!"

"Sorry!" Misa wailed on the line. "I'm too excited to think!"

Well, Near… Near couldn't blame her. He would be, too… "I'll be there as soon as possible!"

He turned on the emergency blinkers and began to drive, well above the speed limit, down the freeway.

And… He was pulled over.

"Officer, look, my friend is in labor, she's about to have a child!"

"I understand, but you're fourty miles above the speed limit!"

Near groaned. "Fine, can I go?"

"It's a fine of two hundred and fifty dollars."

"Fine, give it to me!

"The officer filled out the ticket with agonizingly slow hand writing, and Near stamped a foot.

"Can we get on with it?" He half-snarled the words, and the officer looked up wordlessly, irritability, though, the smallest, miniscule, minute particle of understanding shown in his eyes.

"Drive safely." The officer sighed and put away his notepad. "Just stay within the speed limit. I'll give you a break. I remember when my wife was in labor."

Near flashed him a look of thankfulness, the emotion burning in his ivory eyes. "Thank you!" He wailed as he started off, just slightly above the speed limit. Fourty five minutes to the hospital, even at his current speed.

Really?

Fifty-five miles an hour and he was fourty five minutes from the hospital. But he hesitated. And he knew that not all of the policemen would be as forgiving and understanding as the last one he had encountered.

Fifteen minutes later, he encountered road work. The alternate path he would take would be another fourty five minutes. An hour and fifteen minutes that would be incredibly long and much more delayed than they should be.

Near stamped a foot and swore, and he also had no doubt in his mind that the people in the car next to, behind, or in front of him thought he was crazy. He tended to get that a lot. It didn't matter any more.

What did he care?
Holy crap.
He was about to be a father. The thought swallowed every cell in his body. Reality set in, and he slammed on the gas pedal with amazing force for a young man his size, the car sped up.

That stunt got him plenty of rude gestures, but he didn't care.
After an, as predicted, agonizingly long hour and fifteen minutes, Near arrived at the hospital.

He ran in, despite being yelled at by a few people, and skidded into the right hospital room. He looked around quickly. Then he smiled softly.

Mariko was laying there, with a small, sleeping infant wrapped in a pink blanket in her arms. The child had a mop of white hair. She looked up and smiled sadly.

Why did she look sad?

Then Near's eyes moved across the room. As if in slow motion, he noticed the small blue bundle Misa was holding. Misa looked pale and horrified, and scared, and upset… Why?

Then he looked closer at the blue bundle to find it was an infant with raven black hair.

Then Near froze.

The infant turned his head and stared at him with ruby eyes.

Merry Christmas guys!

My Christmas Present to you will be the next chapter. I think the thirtieth and final chapter!

/Dramatic music/

I love you all! Thanks for the ride!

--Rem