Sorry it's been a long time, I was camping for a few days for the summer solstice = ] This is going to be my penultimate chapter! I have some great ideas for where this story should go, but I'll be simply too busy to write much for a while, so I'm gonna bring it to a sort of conclusion for now, and pick it up if I get time again, possibly in July.

Thank you for the lovely reviews from those couple of people who've done so, it means a lot = ] and Geekatheart21 I'm glad you enjoyed the sea-captain L, it was such a brilliant image when it popped into my mind that I just had to use it xD Anyway, onto the important bit. I hope you enjoy x

Curled on his side in the expansive hotel bed, L stared into the darkness of the room. He could vaguely make out the ornate dresser, mirror, and laundry basket turned uniform dark grey by the lack of light. All had been still for several minutes, but after some time a slender, top-heavy grey shape emerged straight out of the wall. L stiffened, didn't move a muscle. Am I dreaming? Or am I awake?

As he watched, the two, bat-wing-like shapes sticking out either side of the figure receded towards the central column, leaving a more humanlike shape. The shape moved forward, passing into the brighter segment of room where streetlight and starlight reached through the window. L pushed himself up into a crouch and faced the bizarre beast that had materialised in front of him. The round unrelenting eyes held his gaze mockingly, expressing a consciousness far different to any he had beheld before. The fanged smile taunted him. There was, bizarrely, a heart-shaped earring hanging from its ear. What on earth is the significance of that?

"Shinigami," he whispered.

The monster inclined its head slightly. "So it's YOU that found it. L."

"You've seen me before?"

"True."

"When?"

"When I was following Light."

"Aaah. I see."

"To be honest I'm disappointed. Light let himself be fooled by Kiyomi, Kiyomi let herself be killed by Rose, after both of them assuring me they'd provide excellent entertainment. Well it turns out both were pretty... boring. My name's Ryuk by the way."

The grin never faltered, even while he spoke. L had never felt so unnerved by a face, and chewed the tip of his thumb to hide his panic. "I know your name. Are you telling me this has all been for entertainment?"

"Pretty much. If you'd been to the Shinigami realm you'd understand." Ryuk cackled. "So tell ME L, are you going to be more fun?" His eyes gleamed red. "I mean, you already sentence people to death all the time, so why not just cut the middle man and do it all yourself?"

L shifted uncomfortably, scrunching his toes together and looking away. "It's different."

"Not really. I think that's why you and Light fought so much – you were just too similar, weren't you? You were basically handcuffed to yourself, and you didn't like what you found." Ryuk cackled again.

Urgh. True. Why do people keep insisting on pointing out my already obvious faults? After taking a few deep breaths, the sickness in his stomach settled. L's bottomless black eyes rose to meet Ryuk's inscrutable red ones, and he held his look calmly. "You may be right. Light and I had many similarities, rather more than I would like, but we have differences too."

"Like what?"

L stroked his lip. "There are many differences, and different voices in my head give different answers," he said after a while. "There is one voice inside me that says the difference between me and Light is that I don't need a magical notebook to bring ultimate justice to the world – I can do that all by myself, without supernatural help." L's eyes flashed dangerously. "I am what the world needs. I didn't want to be, but I am. Light was the other round – he wanted to be what the world needs, but wasn't. Globally, justice relies on L. Light just wanted to be me." L's face softened. "But there's another voice in my head that says the difference between me and Light is that Light lost his humanity in his desire to be God – sympathy, feeling, love, any connection to other beings was entirely lost in his quest. Perhaps he'd never had that connection, and had been a living lies for his whole life, a human chameleon, I don't know. Despite everything, that's a connection I haven't lost. I thought for a while that I had, but despite how alien others find me (and how alienated I find myself), it turns out the humanity is still there. I even have two real friends now." His lips curled in a small smile.

"I like the first answer better," Ryuk grinned. "Don't really understand all that humanity stuff."

"I wouldn't expect you to." L stood up on the bed. It made him about the same height as Ryuk. "Shinigami." His voice was louder now, and rang with authority. "Once I have proved your existence and Rose's innocence, you will go back from whence you came. Your game is over."

(gap)

Rose stared languidly out of one of the barred windows in the dining room. The spring blossom coated the institution's concrete drive and was beginning to get damp and brown as the light, misty rain fell upon it. Behind her she could hear the clatter of inmates' cutlery on plates, and the boring babble of subdued voices humming.

A gleaming black car was approaching, the engine purred. Two suited men got out, and they disappeared out of sight as they walked to the entrance, but Rose kept listlessly staring out of the window at the grey and green scene.

Shortly however a slight rise in the babble behind her made her turn round. The two men in identical black suits had come into the dining room, and were talking to the attendant. They had earpieces in their right ears, and badges on their lapels that Rose couldn't quite make out. Without warning they both turned and stared directly at her, and she jolted in shock. They're walking towards me now. What the hell? What's going on?

When they were standing before her, Rose got to her feet and bowed a little. The shorter man spoke.

"Emily Stanton-san, we are here as representatives of the Japanese government. You must come with us. New information regarding your case has arisen, and you must give witness once more."

A tiny bubble of hope welled up in Rose, but she bit it down cautiously. Could it be?

She followed them out to the shiny car, and got in. The seats were real leather, and smelt weird. Once inside, the shorter man swivelled in his seat to speak again.

"We couldn't tell you in there, but the Death Note and Shinigami have been found. Obviously this is classified information. The Japanese government has deemed it wise not to let the public know of this development, it would only cause panic and confusion or downright disbelief, and that's not something any nation needs. But to all intents and purposes, you're cleared. The government wishes to absolve you of the crime of Takada-san's murder, for the service you have done the world."

Rose choked out a gasp. Is this a dream? It seemed real enough. I wasn't mad after all! I'm not mad, I'm not mad! And I'm free! FREE! What about L? "Did L find it?" She asked, as casually as she could muster through her flustered mind.

"Yes."

"And do you know where he is?" she asked, a little too excitedly.

The men laughed. "Don't be silly, nobody knows that."

Rose, hidden behind the seats, didn't need to stop her face looking crestfallen. Obviously. Three months of incarceration seems to have weakened my mind. "Of course."

(gap)

Several hours later she was returned to her flat. The last few hours had passed in a blur as she was brought in front of Ryuk to verify him as the Shinigami she'd encountered with Kiyomi Takada. It's done. It's over.

As she pushed open the door she half expected to see a strange owl-like man to turn to her from the sofa, but just like last time, it was empty. This is surreal. Nothing has changed here, but I've changed. I don't feel like I fit here anymore. I feel too big for the room, or too small for it, or something. The wrong shape. She trod slowly into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"OUGHWERRR," she spluttered, and shoved the door closed again, for the most powerfully revolting smelt had spilled out of the fridge, almost making her throw up. Three months of decay had not made it pretty in there. Seriously, does no one think about that sort of detail when the occupant is imprisoned?

She sat on a chair at the dining table and stared out of the window. The members of government had informed her after the inquest that she couldn't remain in the country – as far as the Japanese public were concerned, everyone must think that Emily Stanton was still in the mental hospital. They'd issued her a new ID, British, to match her birth country. My third complete alias. I'm beginning to lose track. Then they'd asked her which country to book her flight to. In her panic she'd said America, not wanting to go back to where The Group could find her, but not feeling up to learning another new language quite yet. Why wasn't L's computer at the inquest? And now I'm going to leave in the morning, and he doesn't know where I'm going. If he's even still here.

Without intending to she found herself nodding off at the table, and Rose's head drooped towards the table like a wilting flower. However as it almost reached the wooden surface a brisk knock on the door awakened her sharply, and she tensed with nervousness. How does somebody know I'm here?

She opened the door cautiously, and was shocked to see Watari's trench-coat and fedora standing in the corridor. A gloved hand reached up and removed the hat, revealing a boy between the ages of 19 and 21 with reddy-brown hair, yellow-tinted goggles, a slightly freckly pale complexion, and an unlit cigarette hanging between his full lips. The boy grinned, swapping the cigarette to his teeth.

"Nice to meet you," he said in English, "Ryuzaki's told me all about you." His eyes searched her face for a moment, before nodding appreciatively. "He's got good taste."

"Who are you?" Rose asked warily, refusing to open the door fully.

"Chill your beans, I'm the new Watari. His majesty has sent me to request the company of his dear damsel in distress, and chauffeur said beautiful maiden to the castle; if it pleases her to accept his invitation." The boy gave a flamboyant bow.

A smile tugged at her lips involuntarily but she hid it quickly, and hooked her leg beneath his ankle before he could react, pulling his legs out from under him so he fell into a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Ow fuckin'ell, what was that for?"

"Don't call me a damsel in distress," Rose said quietly, trying not to alert the neighbours to her presence. I can't bear the current truth of the title. "How do I know if I can trust you, boy?"

The boy sat up, lit the fag that was still between his lips, and puffed it. "He said you'd say that. And he said that when you say that, I must tell you something that only he and the Shinigami know to prove my honesty – your name." The youth stood up and leant in towards her. Rose stiffened defensively, but he was only whispering in her ear. "It's Rose."

It must be true. Either that, or I'm dead already. I may as well trust him. "Okay," she agreed eventually. "I trust you. Take me to him." And when I get there I'm going to fucking stab him, the avoidant evasive second-guessing absent wonderful elusive confusing bastard.

... Thanks for reading! Oooh I'm looking forward to writing the next chapter, it's gonna get juicy ;)