Chapter 29: Acceptance
Aya received a text message when she was sitting on a chair in Higuchi's bedroom. Namikawa gave her a look from his location on the couch, but she ignored him and took her phone out. L wrote: I have it. Mogi's waiting to bring you back. See you soon ;) Aya smiled as she rose from the chair. "I'm leaving now," she announced.
Namikawa followed behind and reached for her gloved hand. "That's it? You're not even going to tell me anything?"
Aya turned around to meet his eyes. Namikawa had taken off his mask and his handsome face now wore an expression of injured pride and frustration. "I don't owe you an explanation," she replied, pulling out of his grasp. "Touch me again and you will be sorry."
"Do you despise me that much, Tanaka-san?"
"Yes, I do. You stand for everything that I am against."
He looked a little hurt, but she didn't care. "Well I liked you. Or who I thought you were anyway."
"That girl doesn't exist," Aya replied, switching to English. "Because of your help, the deal still stands. You won't be prosecuted, but if I were you, I'd stay at a hotel for a few days. He's going to be angry if he realizes that you were involved."
Namikawa's lips turned up at the corners. "You're showing an awful lot of concern for someone you apparently despise."
His last display of cunning annoyed her. "Unlike you, I don't want to have anyone's death on my hands," she shot back.
The amusement fell off his face. "I didn't have a choice. None of us did. We would have been killed."
"That's probably true, but it can never erase your actions. Your guilt is something that you will always have to live with." And with those final words, Aya turned her back on him and walked down the stairs.
. . .
The other shinigami didn't appear until L, Aizawa, and Chief Yagami arrived back at headquarters. Rem was tall and lanky with long arms like Ryuk, but unlike him, she didn't wear clothes. Her body resembled a skeleton's with large spikes on the shoulders. One of her eyes was covered with a bandage, and the other looked at him out of a yellow, reptilian pupil. L found her appearance a lot creepier than Ryuk's.
"Yo, Rem," Ryuk greeted. "It's been a while."
"Where are Raito and Misa?" she asked, looking around the media room.
"Imprisoned," he replied.
"So his plan failed… Raito broke his promise to save Misa, but I will keep mine." Rem took out her notebook.
"Stop. The honor of killing Raito belongs to me. We entered a bargain long before you came around."
"Rem-san, please put that away and let's have a discussion regarding this Death Note. I'd like to ask you a few questions about the rules in the back," L said, hoping to distract her.
"Oh I can answer that," Ryuk interjected. "They're fake. I wrote them."
Rem glared over at the other shinigami. "Why are you telling him? Don't you have any loyalty to Raito at all?"
"Nope. I'm not like you, Rem. I don't consider Raito my little pet and I'm not going to help him out."
Weddy and Matsuda entered the room, interrupting the conversation. He grinned as he approached L. "That was exciting! Is the new shinigami here?"
"Yes." L held out the Death Note for him to touch.
"Woah, you're a lot different than Ryuk!" Matsuda exclaimed. Then he leaned towards L and asked in an undertone, "Why is she holding that notebook? Is she threatening you?"
"Not at the moment." L glanced over at Weddy. "Do you want to see Rem-san too?"
"No, thank you," she replied, sitting down on the couch and getting out her cigarette pack. "One shinigami is enough for me."
L was too on edge to tell her not to smoke.
Matsuda wheeled a computer chair over. "Did you check the Death Note to see if Mr. Takeda's name was written down?"
He shook his head. "You can go ahead and look though." L gave him the notebook and then took a gulp of coffee to steady his nerves.
"Is Misa still tied up?" Rem asked.
L's heart rate increased. He put his cup down on the desk. "No. She's been well taken care of."
"I'd like to see her and judge that for myself."
"Alright. Ryuk, why don't you escort Rem-san there?"
"Sure, no problem."
Once the shinigami were gone, L spun around in his chair. He looked over at Aizawa, who was sitting on one of the couches beside Chief Yagami. "Aizawa-san, will you tell the commissioner this afternoon that Kira is no longer a threat?"
"Absolutely. Should I reveal Kira's identity to him?"
"Yes because I want charges brought up against Higuchi for blackmail, bribery, and also Hatori's death. It's better that he isn't tried as Kira because the press would get out of control. This whole thing needs to be wrapped up as quietly as possible that way people can't ask questions about his method of killing." L started coughing because of the smoke drifting towards him.
"Weddy-san, would you put that cigarette out please?" Chief Yagami politely requested. "I think it's bothering Ryuuzaki."
"Oh god, he's such a damn baby," she said in exasperation.
"He's still recovering from the flu, you know," Matsuda replied, coming to his defense. "Have a little respect!"
"Chill out, Lady Gaga," she said in English as she snubbed the cigarette in her portable ashtray.
L would have laughed if he hadn't already been coughing. He got up from his chair to blow his nose and throw the tissue in the trash. After finishing his coffee, he asked Aizawa how long it would take to issue an arrest warrant.
"Since it's a special circumstance, it could be ready on Monday, but details will have to be ironed out later on, along with evidence." Aizawa rubbed his temples. "Obviously things will need to be fabricated, but having a testimony or two is important."
"Yes, I'll talk to the Yotsuba president about that. We can easily convince a few of the accomplices to give statements too." L got out a cough drop for his dry throat. "I don't care how the commissioner accomplishes this or what kind of corruption is needed to charge him, but it's necessary that Higuchi gets life imprisonment for his crimes."
"What about Raito?" Chief Yagami asked.
"I don't know. Let's take it one step at a time for now."
No one spoke for almost a minute. The only sounds were Matsuda turning the pages of the Death Note and L crunching down on his cough drop. It was Aizawa who finally broke the silence. "I'll get everyone's jobs back," he vowed.
Matsuda turned around in his chair. "You know, it's going to be weird not working on this case anymore. I'll miss this place." He reached over and knocked L's shoulder in a friendly way. "Will you miss us too, Ryuuzaki?"
"I suppose." He cleared his throat. "Did you find Mr. Takeda's name in there?"
"No, but I spotted a few other businessmen."
L got up so he could reach into his pocket to pull out his phone. "I'm going to call Aya and see what's taking them so long."
She answered on the second ring. "Hi, Ryuuzaki. There was a car accident and it slowed everything down," she explained. "We're only a few minutes away though. Is Rem there?"
"Yeah. She wanted to see Misa so I sent Ryuk with her."
"That doesn't sound good."
"No. I think we can all guess what she's going to ask, but letting Misa go is a small price to pay for obtaining the Death Note."
They hung up a minute later and L stood over Matsuda's shoulder. "I don't think it's here, Ryuuzaki. I could have overlooked it though."
"Okay. I can double check it later." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I think I'll go wait for Aya."
. . .
As Aya walked through the parking garage door, she saw L leaning against the wall. He gave her a little smile and she hurried over, throwing her arms around him. They clung to each other for half a minute before she pulled back to look at him. The shadows under his eyes were worse than before and his cheekbones stood out more sharply because of the weight he had lost. L's bright smile lit up his exhausted face and Aya's heart swelled with love.
"I look like hell, don't I?"
She shook her head. "You're beautiful. You have my favorite face in the whole world." Aya kissed him and he tasted like a cherry cough drop. Being wrapped up in his arms with the feel of his lips on hers was so familiar and soothing and right.
Aya tried to pull away a few minutes later, but he held onto her waist. "No, just a little longer."
"Sweetie, don't you think we should go back in?" she asked, rubbing his back. "I'm pretty sure we've been out here a while."
"I don't care," he murmured next to her ear. "One more minute won't make a difference."
Aya smiled. *Some things will never change.* When they finally made their way into the room, everyone congratulated her on a job well done. It made Aya feel good knowing that she had been a part of something. *We all did this together.*
. . .
Aya took her coat off and set it on the couch beside Weddy. Matsuda walked over and said, "Aya-chan, I'm so glad to see you!" He held his arms open. "Give your big brother a hug."
She laughed and stepped into his embrace. L poked Matsuda in the back after five seconds. "Alright. You've held onto my girlfriend long enough."
"Your girlfriend?" Rem's voice asked. L looked around and saw the shinigami descending from the ceiling. "Misa cried herself to sleep, yet you're down here playing house?" She landed nearby and glared at L with her snake eye. "Imprisoning her for months has caused Misa psychological suffering, but why should you care since you're happy, right? Humans are disgusting, selfish creatures."
L's heart almost stopped as he realized what was about to happen.
"Maybe I should kill your girlfriend and let you experience a fraction of the pain you've put Misa through."
"Leave Aya out of this, Rem," Ryuk said in warning.
"What's going on?" Aya asked, looking at Ryuk. She hadn't touched the Death Note and couldn't see or hear Rem.
"So even you care about this girl, Ryuk? So much for not thinking of humans as pets."
L found his voice. "Rem-san, I'll let Misa go tomorrow. I swear it."
"Do you think that makes up for what you've done?" she asked coldly. "Misa will never be the same again." Rem got out her notebook and pen.
"Don't!" he yelled out. "Please don't do that! I'm sorry!"
Matsuda ran towards Rem. "Leave Aya alone!"
Aya grabbed onto the sleeve of L's shirt and when he met her eyes, they were filled with confused terror. "Am I being threatened?"
He put his arm around her. "It's okay, Aya." But of course it wasn't okay. L was just as terrified as she was.
"I recognize her from the party," Rem said. "This girl was with Higuchi when he got sick. Did she poison him?"
L hesitated. He didn't know if admitting that would make the shinigami even more furious.
"Answer me."
"Everything that Aya did was under my orders, so if you're going to kill someone, then it should be me."
"No!" she exclaimed at his side. "Ryuuzaki, I don't want that!"
"Rem, weren't you just telling me how much you loathed Higuchi for needlessly killing others?" Ryuk cut in. "Think about this rationally. Are you really going to kill someone who doesn't deserve it?"
The shinigami put her pen to the paper and wrote. The task force began to scream. L's legs felt weak and he pulled Aya down to the floor with him. His mind had gone blank with shock.
"Did she write in it?" Aya asked in a shaking voice as she held onto his shoulders. "Are we going to die?"
Hearing her question brought L back to himself. Fragmented words formed in his mind. *Dying… death… seconds left… my last chance… say it…* He put his hands on either side of her face. "Aya, you've given me the only true happiness that I've felt in my life. I'm so glad we met each other." L gave her a trembling kiss. "I love you," he said, looking directly into her eyes. "More than anything."
Aya wrapped her arms around his neck and her head slumped down onto his shoulder. He could feel her warm tears settling in the hollow of his collar bone. "I love you too, L." He stroked her hair and waited for Aya's body to shudder and go still as he held her. Whether her life or his, it would be the end for both of them.
"Hey everyone, it's alright," Ryuk announced. "Rem wrote Higuchi's name. He should be dead as we speak."
The task force started talking all at once. "What?!" "Why didn't you say anything?" "This is bullshit!" "How could you screw with us like that?!" Weddy started laughing.
Aya and L looked at each other in astonishment.
"I hope now you understand what torment is, L. Lawliet," Rem said. He glanced over and saw the shinigami tucking the Death Note away. "You're not such a vile human being if you would willingly give up your life for another," she said, meeting his gaze. "At least both of you are capable of love, which is more than I can say about the Yotsuba filth I was around every day."
Ryuk lifted Aya and L up from the floor, setting them back on their feet. He patted their heads awkwardly. "Ahh, I really am starting to see the two of you as my cats, aren't I?"
Aya cracked a smile and rubbed at her face, which was now smudged with black mascara. Matsuda threw his arms around them. "My god, that was the most terrifying moment of my life!" he wailed. "I think of you guys as my family so it's like I was being murdered too."
L felt strangely moved. As annoying as Matsuda could be most of the time, he was the closest thing he had to a brother.
"Wow, all of you are complete cheese balls," Weddy said aloud. "I never thought I'd see a heroic sacrifice, declaration of love upon impending death, or a group hug with a monster in the background. I mean this is the kind of crap that happens on TV, not in real life. It's unbelievable! I'm gonna need therapy after this case."
Her words broke the intense atmosphere and allowed them to laugh it off.
"Yeah, I think we're all going to need therapy," Mogi said in agreement.
. . .
Everyone went up to the breakfast room a short time later, where Watari prepared tea with a shot of whisky to help with relaxation. After finishing their drinks, the task force said goodnight and went to their respective rooms. When Aya got back to L's apartment, he handed her a pair of his pajamas to change into and let her have the bathroom first. She was so tired that she couldn't even keep her eyes open while she brushed her teeth. Aya staggered into the bedroom and L stood up so she could collapse onto the bed.
"Aya, are you drunk?" he asked, pulling the covers over her.
"I might be, but I'm just so exhausted. I feel really disconnected from my body… too much emotional drama."
L smoothed the hair back from her face. "I know what you mean. I'll be right back."
Aya drifted into the state between waking and sleeping. She returned to the present moment when L got into bed and pulled her close. There was something flat and hard against her stomach. Aya's hand went to his T-shirt. Even with her foggy brain, she knew by the rectangular shape that he had the Death Note's tucked into the waistband of his pajama pants.
"I don't trust Rem," he said in explanation. "She won't be able to get them this way."
Aya moved her hand up to his heart to reassure herself that he was alright. It throbbed softly against her palm in response. "I keep almost losing you. I can't take this anymore."
L leaned his forehead against hers. "I know, darling. I can't either."
She brushed a kiss on his lips. "You finally called me by a pet name."
Aya felt him smile against her mouth. "Yes. By the way, I liked when you said my real name before."
"L," she breathed, closing her eyes.
They fell asleep a short time later; two murder weapons pressed safely between their bodies.
. . .
Ryuk woke them up just after 11 AM by opening the blinds and letting bright sunlight stream into the room. "Get up you two. Rem is getting restless and wants Misa released within a few hours."
They had coffee and strawberry pop tarts for breakfast before taking turns in the shower. Aya had to borrow L's clothes, including a pair of boxers, since she hadn't brought a suitcase with her. The only necessities she had packed in her purse were her contacts case and glasses.
She let her hair dry naturally and because of the shorter length, it was much curlier. Aya was attempting to pull it back before they left his apartment when L appeared behind her in the bathroom mirror. He wrapped his arms around her waist and set his chin on her shoulder. "Will you leave it down? It reminds me of Hermione Granger's hair in the 'Prisoner of Azkaban' movie."
"So my short hair doesn't bother you anymore?"
"I still miss your braid, but you look pretty this way too. And you know what else? I like that you're wearing my clothes."
Aya smiled at his reflection.
. . .
"Woah, a female Ryuuzaki!" Matsuda exclaimed when they appeared downstairs. "That's kind of eerie."
"Seeing you in such an unflattering ensemble is a tragedy, Aya," Weddy added.
"You sound just like my sister," she said with a laugh as she sat beside her on the couch. "I like them though. They're quite comfortable."
"Ryuuzaki, in light of Higuchi's death, how much should the commissioner be told?" Aizawa asked.
L hopped onto a computer chair. "You can tell him that Higuchi was Kira, but I don't want to inform the press of that fact."
"Why tell him at all then?" Chief Yagami asked. "It might eventually get out if he mentions it to a family member for example. Gossip spreads very quickly."
He chewed on his thumbnail. "I know, but Higuchi's body may have already been found and reported to the police. If the commissioner knows that he was Kira, then he won't investigate his death. Witnesses would remember Aya and Namikawa taking Higuchi upstairs, which might set off murder suspicions and toxicology reports. Then Aya would be investigated and they could potentially discover that 'Ayane Tanaka' doesn't exist. So we need to prevent that situation from happening at all costs."
"Good thinking, Ryuuzaki," Matsuda said. "Even if Higuchi is eventually linked to Kira by the media, it won't really matter since he's already dead and can't talk about how he killed people."
"The commissioner is probably going to ask me about his method of killing and how he died," Aizawa reminded him.
L met his eyes. "Tell him that Kira lost his life the same way as his victims: by heart attack. Please inform him that I will be making a press statement tomorrow and I want it broadcast across all the major channels." He pressed the microphone button. "Watari, will you bring Misa Amane down here?"
"Yes, Ryuuzaki."
While they waited, L asked Ryuk if Misa's memory of being Kira could permanently be erased.
"Yes," he replied. "If she touches the Death Note 6 times, her memories won't return."
When the elevator doors opened, Misa was still handcuffed. "What's going on? Who are you people?" she asked as Watari escorted her over.
"We're the police, Amane-san," Aizawa explained. "You have been cleared of suspicion and will be released today."
Her eyes widened. "Misa won't be locked up anymore?"
"That's right. You're free to go back home and continue your career."
She grinned happily. "What about Raito-kun? Is he coming with Misa too?"
"Say yes, L. Lawliet," Rem commanded. Everyone looked at the shinigami in disbelief.
In the back of his mind, L had feared that this scenario would come to pass. "Yes, Amane-san," he replied. "Raito will be released as well."
"Yay!" she squealed. "Misa is so happy! Thank you, stalker-san!"
He inwardly cringed at the name she called him. L handed Misa's Death Note to Aizawa. "Have her touch it for a few seconds before taking it away. Do that 5 times since she already touched the notebook once before."
"Alright."
Rem stopped Aizawa right before the 5th time and said, "I'd like to say goodbye to her, so don't pull it away until I'm finished." She stood in front of Misa and Aizawa held the Death Note under her cuffed hands. Misa yelled out again as her memories came flooding back. Her eyes were able to focus after about 10 seconds.
"Rem-san!"
"Hello, Misa. I'm going back to the shingami realm soon and we won't see each other again, but I want you to know that I'm watching out for you."
"Thank you, Rem-san," she said tearfully. Rem reached out a claw to touch her blonde hair. "Goodbye, Misa. Be happy." When Rem stepped away, Aizawa took the Death Note back.
"Touch her hand once more just to check," L requested. Aizawa did, but nothing happened. Ryuk was telling the truth about the memories being gone after 6 attempts. "Watari, has Amane-san had lunch?"
"Not yet," he replied.
"Aizawa-san and Mogi-san, please take her up to the 2nd floor so she can eat something."
"Misa doesn't want these handcuffs on."
"You may remove them, Watari." L got up from the computer chair and took the Death Note back from Aizawa.
"I want to see Raito-kun!" she whined as Watari freed her hands.
"You can once you've eaten," L replied, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. He waited until Misa was in the elevator before turning to Watari. "Please get Raito."
The older man nodded solemnly.
"Yagami-san, how are you feeling about this?"
He ran a hand through his salt and pepper hair. "I don't know. I'm very conflicted." Chief Yagami sat down on a chair. "Am I supposed to just allow him back into my home after knowing what he's done?"
There was a long moment of silence as everyone considered his question.
"Well, Raito-kun won't have any memory of being Kira at least," Matsuda said tentatively. "And you never told your wife and daughter the truth, did you?"
"No." He rubbed his temples. "I suppose I should forgive him for their sake and keep the family together."
L walked over to the couch. "Aya, I'd like you to wait in the loft until Raito is gone. I showed him your picture when he didn't have his memories and he recognized you as a classmate. I don't want him to know that you were involved with this case as a precautionary measure."
"Okay," she replied, getting up to leave. Aya touched his arm and her silent look seemed to say: I know how hard this is for you. L watched her climb the stairs in his baggy jeans that she had rolled up twice to keep from dragging on the floor.
"You're a surprisingly good boyfriend, Ryuuzaki," Weddy commented.
"Thank you," he said with a smile.
Watari and Raito arrived a few minutes later. The prisoner gave L a suspicious look as they walked over. "My jailer here says I'm going to be released. Is that true?"
"Yes. Your imprisonment has come to an end. I'm sorry for the inconvenience."
Raito threw his head back and laughed. The sound of it sent a chill up L's spine. "Inconvenience? Are you kidding? You've basically taken my sanity away and you think that pathetic apology is satisfactory?"
"Raito-kun, you are the one who willingly allowed yourself to be imprisoned in the first place. It took a while, but you've been cleared and are now free to go." He held the notebook out to Matsuda. "Do the honors please. Only twice this time."
After it was over, Chief Yagami walked towards his son. He cleared his throat. "Your mother and sister will be happy to have you at home again."
Raito gave his father a look of pure loathing. "I'm not going to live under the same roof as the person who abandoned me. You refused to believe in my innocence and allowed me to be locked up for months! And to top it all off, you didn't even come to visit your own son!"
"I'm sorry, Raito. I wish things could have been different."
"Yeah, me too. I wish such a cold-hearted man wasn't my father," he fired back maliciously.
Chief Yagami flinched at the comment. To alleviate the tension in the room, L asked Watari to take Raito for some lunch.
After they left, Matsuda patted Chief Yagami on the shoulder. "Don't let his words get to you, Chief. He's only saying that because he doesn't know the truth. You're the best man I know and I'd certainly feel honored to have you as a father."
"Thank you, Matsuda," he said, voice full of emotion.
The atmosphere was very somber and hardly anyone spoke. To keep himself occupied, L scanned copies of the Death Note. He was finishing up his task when Aizawa, Mogi, Watari, Raito, and Misa returned 25 minutes later.
"Raito, where are you planning on staying?" Chief Yagami inquired.
Misa twined her arm with his and looked up at him adoringly. "Raito-kun can stay with Misa."
L beckoned to his team and they decided that Watari would drive Misa and Raito to her apartment. "Mogi-san, I want you to go along just in case one of them gets violent. Please stop at Aya's afterwards and bring back her clothes, shoes, bathroom items, phone, and ipad." L handed him the key. "I was thinking that we could move the two of you out completely next weekend, so get your personal items as well."
"Ryuuzaki, I'll call the commissioner and request a meeting in person," Aizawa told him.
"Good. While you're there, please tell him the names of the six accomplices. I want to make it impossible for them to get government jobs in the future."
"Sure thing."
"Thank you, Aizawa-san. It's good to have you back on the team."
He smiled. "Yeah. I'll update you on the situation this evening."
. . .
Aya had been watching everything on the TV screens in the loft. When Raito and Misa left, she came back down. L walked over holding the Death Note. "Aya, Matsuda-san looked for your father's name earlier," he said gently, "but he didn't find it. Let's double-check just to be sure."
Her pulse started to race now that the moment of truth had arrived. "Okay."
He put his arm around her and they sat down on the couch together. They started from the back since those names were the most recent. Her eyes traveled down the rows of the execution list. Eventually L's finger rested on a name. "Aya, this man, Morita-san, died at the end of July. This is our stopping point."
Part of Aya had known that her father hadn't been murdered. It was an idea she had clung to in order to transform her guilt and grief into righteous anger instead. But now, Aya was once again faced with reality.
"Are you done with that Death Note, L. Lawliet?" Rem asked. "I want to return home."
"I don't know why," commented Ryuk. "The human world is more interesting and it has better food."
"Yes, we're finished with it," L replied.
Ryuk had previously explained the requirements of shinigami returning to their world. Killing the first owner of the Death Note was the most common way, but they were also allowed to go back if the notebook was destroyed. Rem wasn't going to kill Misa, which only left the 2nd option.
"Matsuda-san, will you get the metal trashcan?" L glanced across to the other couch. "And Weddy, we'll be needing your lighter." Matsuda set the empty can in the center of the floor and everyone congregated around it, except for Rem, who was standing at a distance.
"Yagami-san, would you like to do the honors?" L asked, holding the notebook and lighter out for him.
He hesitated momentarily before taking the objects in his hands. Chief Yagami flipped open the lighter and held it to the corner of the notebook. Flames reflected in his glasses as he set fire to his son's murder weapon. Once it was blazing, he placed it at the bottom of the trashcan. They all stood around in a circle, watching as the Death Note burned bright and slowly turned to ash. When they looked up, only one shinigami remained in the room.
"Please don't banish me to that boring wasteland yet," Ryuk pleaded. "I'd like to stay just a little longer."
L sighed. "Yes, alright. We do owe you a lot after all."
. . .
Aya covered up on the couch later that evening, while L assumed his thinking pose on the armchair. He had a pad of yellow colored paper at his side and he was biting the cap of a ballpoint pen as he tried to come up with his press statement. Aya took off her glasses and put her head on the squishy throw pillow. *I'll just take a little nap…*
Aya was at a café alone. She was holding a book in her hands, but she couldn't concentrate on the words. Instead, she kept glancing at the door, expecting someone to walk through it. Aya was checking her watch when the bell jingled. She looked up to see her father's tall form entering the café. He grinned broadly as he sat across from her. "Hello, Aya. How are you?"
"I'm okay. I've missed you though."
He reached across the table to take her hand. It was warm and comforting. "I've missed you too, honey."
"Daddy, I'm sorry for the things I said to you before."
"There's no need for you to apologize," he replied. "You were just being honest and I'm grateful for that. Please don't ever feel guilty for speaking your mind."
"But didn't I make your stress worse?"
"No, honey. My death wasn't anyone's fault. It was just my time to go."
Her eyes filled with tears. "Why though? That's so unfair when all of us still need you!"
He squeezed her hand. "I know it is, but this is the way things are supposed to be. I'll always protect you, Hana, and your mother. That will never change."
"You promise?"
"I promise," he said with a smile. "Aya, I'm proud of the woman you've become." Her tears spilled out at his words. "You've done something remarkable and if you want to go into the criminal justice field, then I fully support that decision."
She gave a little laugh as she rubbed at her face. "I don't think I'm cut out for it."
"Well, whatever you decide on, make it your own dream. Do something you enjoy and go where your heart tells you to be."
"Okay, daddy. I will."
"I don't have much time left. Stand up and let me hug you." Aya was soon enveloped in his strong arms. "Thank L for me. He might be strange, but he's a good man who loves you. The two of you will be happy together. I can see that."
Aya smiled up at him and he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I love you, daddy."
"Love you, Aya-bunny. Always."
And then the dream ended. When her eyes opened, a warm tear trickled across her nose and cheek before rolling down the side of her neck.
"Ryuuzaki, Aya's crying," Ryuk announced.
L was soon kneeling on the floor in front of her. "Are you okay?" he asked, wiping her face with his soft fingertips.
Aya nodded. It took her a few moments until she was able to tell him about the dream.
"So… your dad actually approves of me?" he asked once she had finished speaking.
"Seems like it."
"Wow. That makes me feel pretty good."
Aya reached out for his sleeve. "I'm an emotional wreck so please cuddle with me."
Ryuk chuckled and L asked for some privacy. It was a tight fit on the couch, but Aya liked being smashed up against him. He stuck his hand under the pillow and frowned. A second later, he pulled out a tube of chap stick. "Is this yours?"
"I don't know. What flavor is it?"
"Strawberry."
"No. Mine is peppermint."
"Then it must be the first one you gave me," he replied. "I lost it weeks ago though and I know I checked this couch at least 4 times."
She smiled. "Maybe my dad left it for you? He used to hide things on me and Hana when we were little. It was a kind of game and we'd have to find them."
"So he was playing a joke on me, huh?" he asked, taking the cap off. "Thank you for returning it, Mr. Takeda."
Aya watched as he ran it over his lips. "Put some on me too." But instead of applying it for her, L gave her a kiss.
"There, now it's been transferred to you."
She touched the side of his face. "How can you be this cute?" He just smiled his little smile and she melted even more.
. . .
Aya called into work on Monday morning and lied about having the flu. She would have to quit eventually, but the "illness" would at least buy them some time. They went downstairs so L could use the untraceable line to inform the Yotsuba president about Higuchi's death.
"I know that you were threatened, so no charges will be brought up against you."
"Thank god," the man said in a relieved tone. "Are you going to reveal him as Kira?"
He decided not to answer his question. "You must be worried that your company will go bankrupt once it's discovered."
"Yes, I am."
L stroked his lip. "Then I'll make a deal with you. Fire Higuchi's six accomplices today and this stays between us. I don't want those men to work in business again. Can you ensure that?"
"Absolutely. Japanese corporations are a tight-knit community so I can blacken their names."
"Good. I appreciate it." L hung up and reached for a brownie.
"That was sly, Ryuuzaki," Matsuda praised. "You never intended to tell the press about Higuchi, but you made him believe that you would so those men would have their careers ruined."
"They deserve worse, but I won't go back on my word," he said thickly as he chewed.
The remainder of the day was spent lazing around and playing video games. After dinner, L perched himself on a computer chair and delivered his speech to the world.
"In my last broadcast, I promised the end of Kira's reign of terror. That promise has now become a reality due to the help of my dedicated team who never gave up on this fight. Kira has been eliminated and is no longer a threat. To those who worship Kira, let me assure you that he was merely a man pretending to be a god out of his own inflated pride. Kira was not a hero, but a terrorist and a dictator who was attempting to control the Japanese government and its citizens. Most of the criminals that Kira murdered were already convicted and incarcerated. Justice had already been legally served, so executing prisoners accomplished nothing. Kira also killed the innocent who stood in his way. I would like to read a list of those victims now."
After L finished going through the names of the FBI agents, policemen, and businessmen, he offered his condolences to their families.
"As a detective, I have seen the worst monstrosities that people have committed against each other. Undoubtedly, many remorseless murderers should die for their heinous crimes, yet if we all took it upon ourselves to seek vengeance, society would descend into chaos. If we kill monsters in the name of righteousness, we will become monsters ourselves. That is why the criminal justice system was created: so that all of us can continue to live as human beings. Kira was trying to erase our world and mold it into his own creation by holding a gun to our heads, but please remember that fear is not freedom, and terrorism is not justice."
L ended the call and as he stood up from the chair, he felt as though a weight had been lifted from his back. The task force warmly congratulated him. "This is a team victory," he replied. "I could never have accomplished this by working on my own. So thank you everyone. We made this possible."
Watari cracked open the champagne and they officially celebrated the end of the case.
. . .
On Tuesday afternoon, Aya and L went down to the kitchen to make Halloween cookies. After rolling out the dough, they used cutouts in the shape of cats, pumpkins, and ghosts. Once the cookies were baked and cooled, they drizzled a glazed frosting over them.
"This is so messy!" Aya exclaimed as she went to lick the side of her hand. L caught it and did the honors for her.
He smirked as he saw a blush creep up her neck. "Hmmm, could it be that I turned you on?"
"Stop being perverted in the kitchen," she replied, deflecting his question.
"Then shall we continue this in the bedroom later?"
"I'd like to, but I can't." Aya bit her lip and looked away. "I have my period."
L leaned his forehead against her shoulder. "Ah, my life is nothing but endless waiting."
"I'm sorry, sweetie."
"I was just kidding," he said, looking up and smiling at her. "It's not something that can be helped. You are very much worth the wait, Aya."
She returned his smile. "Thanks, so are you. Now let's get back to the cookies before the frosting sets."
They used sprinkles and colored sugar to decorate them. Watari came in with a bakery box just as they were finishing up the dishes. "Is that my cake?" L asked, trying to get a peek as it was being put into the fridge.
"Ryuuzaki, wait until tomorrow please or you'll ruin the surprise. Why don't you and Aya go into the dining room? The pumpkins and carving kits are on the table."
Ryuk went to fetch Matsuda and Mogi from their apartments so they could join in on the festivities "Someone do one with my face on it," the shinigami requested as they scooped the innards out of the pumpkins.
"I'm not artistic enough for that," L replied. "I think I'll just use one of the templates they included in the box."
"I can try," Mogi offered.
Once they finished, they put candles inside and lit them using a long torch lighter. Aya's was Hello Kitty, Matsuda's was a goofy looking face, and L's was an owl.
"That does look a lot like me," Ryuk said, peering at Mogi's illuminated pumpkin. "Well done."
L was sent upstairs after dinner while everyone else put his birthday decorations up for tomorrow. Watari went with him to give his shaggy hair a much needed trim. He also presented L with a formal black suit, silvery gray waistcoat, and a black bowtie. There was even a matching silver pocket square.
"And yes, you will also be wearing trouser socks and nice shoes," Watari told him.
L wasn't going to complain. This was the first birthday party that he would be celebrating with friends.
. . .
When Aya got back to his room an hour later, she saw the suit laid out on the bed. "This is going to look so great on you! I don't have a dress with me that's fancy enough. I better call Hana and ask her to bring one over." Matsuda would be picking her sister up tomorrow evening.
After she got off the phone, they snuggled up on the couch and watched 'Amelie.' Aya didn't know French well enough, so the subtitles were kept on. When the clock struck midnight, she went into her suitcase to get his striped blue gift bag. "Happy birthday, pumpkin!"
"Thank you," he smiled, taking it from her hand. L untied the red curly ribbon and slipped off the panda phone charm.
"I have a matching one," she explained. "It reminded me of you so I couldn't resist."
L was still smiling as he secured the charm to his mobile. Then he pushed aside the tissue paper and pulled out the photo album. Aya had put some pictures from her birthday at the aquarium inside.
"We'll be able to add pictures of your party too. It's a big album so we need to fill it up by going to lots of places together," she explained.
"Then how about we make Paris our first trip? I did promise that I'd take you there. It will have to be in a few weeks though, once I've fully recovered."
Her eyes widened. "You mean it?"
"Yes."
"Thank you," she said, giving him a big hug. "That's going to be so much fun!"
. . .
The dining room was decorated with black and orange helium balloons and star shaped lights on strings. The pumpkins they carved were displayed on the window sill along with smaller ones. Two black candelabras served as the centerpieces on the table.
"Everything looks great," he told Matsuda as he sat down.
Aizawa, Mogi, and Chief Yagami were already there, but Weddy and Aiber hadn't arrived at headquarters yet. Aya was upstairs, changing into her dress with Hana's assistance. The Takeda sisters made quite an entrance when they finally walked into the room. Aya was wearing a red chiffon, knee-length dress and Hana's was pale pink with a puffy tulle skirt. L noted that both of them were wearing ballet flats that matched their outfit.
"You two are knockouts," Matsuda praised.
All L could do was stare at Aya as she walked towards him. She had left her hair down, but pulled the short pieces away from her face with rose-shaped pins that sparkled like rubies.
Dinner was catered from a French restaurant. Everyone was too full to eat cake, so they went up to the game room for poker and karaoke. Unsurprisingly, Matsuda and Hana ended up singing the most. Aizawa and Chief Yagami sang some enka, which was amusing as neither of them had very good voices. Weddy chose "Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga to make fun of Matsuda, who ended up joining in. Then it was Aya's turn to sing "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane with her sister. Aiber was trying to persuade Mogi and L to get up there, but they refused.
"Sorry, but we're tone deaf," L replied. "Unless you want us to damage your ears, it's better that we don't."
"Then as punishment you have to wear these." Weddy held up cat ear headbands.
Mogi shook his head. "Absolutely not."
Aya took the bag from Weddy's hands. "There's enough in here for everyone. Let's all wear them." She put a pair on before going over to L. "Oh my god, you're adorable. Watari-san, please get a picture of this." Watari was the one in charge of photographs and videos.
Aizawa looked the funniest because the ears appeared to grow out of his afro. Ryuk was upset that he couldn't wear any, but Hana had no idea about his existence and it would be hard to explain levitating cat ears.
They went down for cake an hour later. The overhead light was turned off and the room was illuminated by glowing candles and twinkling purple lights as they sang to him. L didn't have to make a wish when he blew out the 25 candles because he already had everything that he needed. The strawberry chocolate cheesecake was so delicious that he ate two pieces.
Watari ushered them up to the roof just before 10 PM. No one seemed to know what was going on as they rode in the elevator. L gave Aya his suit jacket before they got outside. "Your legs will get cold though."
"It's okay. You can just warm me up later, right?"
He smiled at her playful demeanor. "Yes and gladly."
L had never been on the roof before. Seeing the Tokyo skyline all lit up was rather spectacular, but nothing beat the sparklers. He watched as Aya and Hana spun around with them, creating a magical light show. Happiness spread through his chest, warming him despite the cold wind. *This is by far the most meaningful and memorable birthday of my entire life.* Watari handed him his own sparkler and L went over to join them.
A/N: This chapter turned me into a puddle of tears, but in the very best way. Getting to this point in the story is such a wonderful feeling! This is my longest chapter yet at 8,000 words, which is why I'm going to keep this note somewhat short (haha). I have a lot to say about this one on my live journal though! So check it out if you'd like to read my commentary, hear the songs I listened to when writing certain scenes, and see the pictures that inspired Aya and L's party outfits ^.^
We're nearing the end now and back in 2010 when I wrote the first draft of this fic, I never dreamed that I would even get 1,000 views, let alone 30,000 o.O Honestly, I'm still having a hard time comprehending this number lol. Thank you so much for going on this journey with me! I love you guys {{{big hugs}}} Have a lovely holiday season and a very happy new year!
