Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note.

Soichiro walked down the path next to Ryuzaki, the directions Sayu had gotten for them on a sheet of paper. He hadn't known the detective intended to bring his other child into the investigation, but it had worked. She had saved her brother in the process. He was proud of his daughter. She had done so much more than he had ever thought her capable of.

He really should stop underestimating his children.

"Light tells me my timing is terrible."The great detective broke the silence,"Would now be a good time to discuss my intentions towards your son?"

"I was partially joking."The Chief chuckled.

"But you were in part serious."Ryuzaki stopped and he turned to face him completely.

"I was."He affirmed,"I suppose now wouldn't be the worst time."

"I want us to work, but I'm sure everyone in a relationship wants it to work."He shifted in an almost nervous manner,"I do not believe I will ever lose interest in Light."

"But life is unpredictable."The father of two crossed his arms,"I don't have an issue with you, Ryuzaki."Not anymore,"I know you will give my son a far better life than I ever could…"He took in a deep breath, but Kira, as insane as he was, had a point,"But you could also break him beyond repair. If it were simply a friendship, or a partnership, I wouldn't be so hesitant…"

"It's a risk."Ryuzaki agreed.

"It's always a risk."Soichiro smiled,"I know both of you will try your hardest to make this work, but…"

"But?"

"I would like some reassurance that even if you break up, it won't be the end."The Chief decided,"That you won't include him in your life, let him work as L, and then take it all away."He was sure his son could survive without the romance, but to give him the ability to be more, to give him that purpose and then deprive him of it would kill him. Nothing would challenge him…

"He may use the title of L, and all its resources, however he wants."The great detective allowed,"Anything he should gain during our relationship will still be his if it ends. I promise you that."

The Chief thought it over. Even if their relationship ended terribly, he was sure the heirs would ensure their mentor kept his end of the deal. All three were capable of keeping Light in their lives without the help of the world's greatest detective. And this was all on the possibility that they broke up. He was probably just being overprotective.

"Then my only other issue is travel."A much easier issue to work around,"I presume he's going to live in England with you and the others?"

"That would be easiest."Ryuzaki seemed to relax now that they moved on,"Of course, it is his decision if he wants to come to the Wammy house."

"What will he be doing there?"There had to be more than just detective work.

"Watari told me he thought Light would be perfect to take over the institute when he decides to retire."The young man smiled,"That will, of course, be a cover for his detective work with me. He would fit well to replace Watari, but he could always be by my side on cases. I also take some time every once in a while to teach a class at the orphanage. I presume that was what Matt was thinking earlier-"

"He's got options."Soichiro summed up,"And his degree?"

"He can still get one if he desires it."Ryuzaki assured him,"Anything he wants I will try to make available for him."

He nodded, then started walking up the path,"Don't let Sayu hear you say that or you'll be bankrupt."

His son's boyfriend scratched at the back of his head,"She apparently already expects something, and of course I should have something when I meet your wife…"

He chuckled again,"Good luck."

Light would tell him what to do, but he remembered meeting his mother-in-law for the first time. The scrutiny he'd been put under made him feel like every move he made was the wrong one. Ryuzaki was lucky that he had gotten to know him without him knowing he was going to be a permanent fixture in his life because his father-in-law had looked close to murdering him.

It turned out that his father-in-law had been impressed, but he still wanted to intimidate him just in case he had intended his daughter any harm.

It was natural for parents to act like that.

They soon got to the clearing that had been described to them. He took the shovel they'd brought and moved to the spot. It was hard to tell, but he could see signs that the ground had been disturbed there, but enough time had past from when he originally buried it that he couldn't be sure. Considering the Misa in the show hadn't appeared to have any tools, they didn't dig long before they found it.

"How much money can I spend on Sayu's gift before you consider it spoiling her?"Ryuzaki asked as he removed his gloves, touching the notebook. The same note that was read in the show fell out.

When Ryuk came down they would be one step closer to finishing this.

"I believe a family vacation would work, to celebrate the end of the Kira case."Assuming that Ryuk was as easy to entertain as he appeared, they would be fine. The afterlife…they could worry about later if his death was no longer pending. He reached out to touch the page,"I'm sure she'll have some ideas."

"Indeed."Ryuzaki smiled.

It was a smile of a man in love.

He'd looked up the quotes Kira and Ryuzaki had exchanged. They quoted Shakespeare at each other, and from the way that he'd reacted he was certain that his son did the same with the detective. He had never been a fan of reading books, much less plays, but he knew that those plays were divided between comedies and tragedies.

Their story wasn't a comedy.

It wouldn't be a tragedy if he had any say in it.

Ryuk shifted nervously in front of the king.

"Quite a human you've found."The higher being said,"What he would have accomplished on his own…"

"Why'd you interfere then?"The troublemaker inquired.

"Do you know why our realm is like this?"The king gestured out,"Rotting…decaying…"

"There's a reason?"Ryuk didn't consider himself smart, but he was pretty sure if the king could change it, he would.

"Of course not."The king scoffed,"And Kira could bring our realm to greatness."

He didn't consider himself the smartest Shinigami around, but he didn't see why he would stop Kira if he could make their realm better. He stared at his king, who had always been a lax ruler. He didn't even get mad when that video of his showed that he'd lied when he'd stole Sidoh's notebook. Sidoh was probably looking for him now, but no one was allowed into the human world at the moment.

"That doesn't make any sense."Ryuk complained.

"That's because few remember how connected our realm is to the human realm."The king drawled,"There is a balance that should be maintained."

"Doesn't look very balanced to me."He muttered.

"That's how it should be."The king replied,"There was a time before my rule where the king wanted our realm to prosper, and humanity suffered. You remember how…active the king before me encouraged the others to be."

"Oh yeah."Those had been the days. Their realm had actually been able to grow apples for a time,"You're saying that's connected?"

"Life is a delicate balance. The human realm is flourishing, there are more of them alive than ever before."He drifted to his own private window to the human realm, currently focused on that detective guy and Light's father. They had Sidoh's notebook that he was currently connected to. He could go down at any time even with the order in place,"But ours must be dying for theirs to grow."

"Why do you care if their realm grow?"Ryuk wondered.

His superior shrugged,"Every time we've tipped the balance in our favor, killed more than necessary, we've failed to take advantage of it. No matter how prosperous our realm is, we don't change."The image flickered to show other humans, nothing all that special to him,"Humans though…they change if given the chance to. They grow, they feel…it's fascinating, no?"

"…I guess."He agreed, not really seeing his point. Well, he got the new information. Human life didn't just extend their own existences, but it would replenish their world,"So if we all killed more humans this place would change?"

"It would."The king nodded,"I won't stop you from telling the others."

Ryuk thought about it, then shook his head,"Nah. Sounds like too much work."

It wouldn't be for Kira. He was pretty sure Kira had figured out what the king had just told him in the future. Now, if he had asked him to kill to make their realm better he might have been convinced. So would a lot of his fellow death gods. There was something about him that would entice them all.

Not anymore, but apparently that wouldn't have lasted either.

It wasn't that entertaining, watching history repeat itself.

"Will it be too much work to continue keeping an eye on Yagami now that he isn't continuing his killings?"The king inquired.

It was never his killings that had interested him. It was the games he played, the situations he set up to ensure his victory. It was the way his mind worked, constantly calculating and surprising him. Plenty of other humans would have bored him even if they did have the Death Note. He was sure Light would find a way to entertain him without it.

In fact, he was looking forward to it.

But he wasn't just going to go down and say that.

That wouldn't be any fun.

He chuckled,"I haven't decided yet."

"Well if you decide to keep him alive…"

"Oh?"Ryuk unfurled his wings, digesting the information,"That's interesting."

He descended into the human world in the direction of the world's greatest detective, wondering if he would share what he had learned. He'd been hoping he could speak to L eventually. He never got the opportunity in the future the king showed them. He'd liked the young man, even if he made Light almost scarily angry.

How many people passed off their real name as their fake name?

"Ryuk."The detective stared at him with only a little fear.

"L."He kept chuckling, then looked at Light's father. Oh, his lifespan had changed, though a few had been in flux since the notebook began affecting the human realm,"I see you've found my notebook."

"Sidoh's notebook."He corrected.

Ryuk shrugged,"He'll come find you eventually to get it back."

"Will you stay here after that?"The Chief inquired.

"I'll stick around until I kill Light."It was entertaining to see them tense, as if he would write his name down right now when he hadn't seen where this would lead. He grinned,"Now when that'll be depends on you guys."

"What can I do?"L asked, his face a mask of determination.

"I'm a simple Shinigami."Ryuk landed on the ground, spreading his arms wide,"I don't need much. A couple of apples a day, someone to talk to, a means of entertainment…"

"And you won't kill Light?"The detective's stare was kinda intimidating. He knew there wasn't anything the human could do to hurt him, but his gaze promised pain if he hurt the college student, and he believed him.

"He's interesting."The Shinigami shrugged,"I thought you'd agree with me about that."

The eyes narrowed, and then he nodded,"Then we're agreed."He then reached into his bag and produced an apple, tossing it to him.

"Hm."He ate it quickly,"We're agreed."

"Is there anything we can do about his punishment?"The Chief inquired.

"You sure you want to do something about it?"Ryuk asked as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand,"I'd consider it a pretty fitting punishment."

"I refuse to believe a deal can't be made."L stepped closer, watching him for a reaction.

He chuckled again,"Are you willing to take his place?"

"More than willing."Now that surprised him. From what he'd seen, love seemed to have limits for humans. There was only so much the other person could hurt them before they stopped loving them. Sure, there were those willing to die for those they loved, but not many willing to suffer,"Is that a possibility?"

"No."He got serious again.

"Then what can I do?"L demanded.

"Nothing you can do."Ryuk shrugged.

The Chief's expression crumbled,"Then Light…"

The detective narrowed his eyes at him,"What can Light do?"

"Oh, so you picked up on that?"The god of death wondered if he should reveal what the king told him. It wasn't like he was ordered either way, and he was pretty sure he was told this so he could pass it on to the unlucky mortal…well, it would get boring if they all kept angsting over Light's eventual punishment.

L glared, obviously displeased by his lack of answer.

"I was talking to the king before I came down here."He drawled, thoroughly enjoying his annoyance. What was with these humans? No respect, even though he could kill them any time and not face any consequences,"He was telling me all about the balance between life and death…"The glare darkened so he sped up,"If Light saves lives, those'll be taken off his punishment."

It was much harder to save lives than it was to take them.

Almost everyone who'd picked up the Death Note never repented. They died miserable, believing that the deaths they caused were justified.

L suddenly smiled,"Then we are in the right line of work."

Near liked games, but not video games. At least, not multiplayer video games. He could play tetris by himself for hours, and the computer was sometimes a more challenging opponent than anyone he could get to play him. Granted, he'd also never had enough friends to play video games with. Considering how the first game they'd tried ended in disaster, he wasn't so sure he was going to grow to like them.

"How'd you die that time, Mels?"Matt asked incredulously.

"Fuck off."Mello grumbled as he regenerated, only to get hit by Sayu's character,"Fuck you."

"Aren't you supposed to be a genius?"The girl asked.

The first rank still didn't know what to think about her. He hadn't expected anything from Matsuda, and the man had saved his life in the future. He had questioned L's decision to have Sayu brought in to help the minute the girl said Matsuda was more helpful in informing her of the situation than them…and he'd been wrong again. It hadn't taken her long at all to get the location.

She didn't need to try, she didn't need to act. It'd just worked.

Perhaps he had spent too much time around geniuses that he forgot the world continued to function filled with normal people. She'd extended the offer of friendship and he wasn't going to turn that down.

"You're basically cheating, Sayu."Light muttered as his attack failed to make her fall off the stage.

"You should have picked a character that could fly."His little sister responded.

"Kirby's a cheat character."Matt agreed with the older brother.

Near had figured out how to attack and defend, but he still wasn't certain what all the little items did. He picked one up only for it to explode and kill his character. They were playing Super Smash Bros with infinite lives and a time limit. The only person he had successfully beaten so far was Mello, who failed exceptionally at this. Which still didn't make sense to him.

He'd have thought Matt would teach him, but that was obviously not the case.

"Then why didn't you let me be Kirby?"Mello demanded as he failed to move in time with the stage and exploded.

"Nothing would help you."Matt replied.

He knew they were playing to distract the college student. They hadn't yet heard from L or his father regarding the second notebook beyond that they'd recovered it. He knew they were likely talking to Ryuk, that if that didn't go well then Light could die at any moment. He was doing a good job at tying with Matt, but he could tell he was a little worried about his possible death.

"Are you trying to hide, Near?"Sayu asked, and he refocused.

L was adamant there had to be a solution for the afterlife issue, but Rem hadn't had an answer so he personally doubted Ryuk would. Misa apparently wouldn't face the same punishment in the afterlife. It was reserved for the first person to pick up a Death Note dropped by a Shinigami. Misa's was given, and without Gelus to write her name she would go where regular people went.

Misa was in her room, packing for her release.

"No."He shielded as the girl attacked him.

"You can't win if you don't attack."She teased, attacking until the shield shrunk into nothing.

"I won't lose."He responded, narrowing his eyes as he was eaten and her character took on some of his character's attributes.

They were both blown up by an attack from Light, and he wasn't sure how that happened.

This was still better than the cooking game. Near was glad he sat that one out. The four of them were supposed to work together and make soup, but no, somehow the kitchen had caught on fire and Mello didn't know how to use the fire extinguisher, nor did he know how to set it down so someone else could put out the fires. And they couldn't cook with the kitchen on fire.

That had been their one attempt at a nonviolent video game.

It had nearly turned violent in real life.

This…honestly wasn't much better.

"Stop killing me!"Mello shouted as Matt chased him with a flamethrowing…flower?

He decided to try another item. A mushroom. It made his character grow in size, which he failed to see the use of. It was already difficult enough not to die from what the stage was throwing at them. He ended up falling and let out a sigh. That put him in the negatives. He glanced at the clock, before sighing again and going after Sayu.

She was a chaotic player. She didn't seem to care at all for what she was actually doing, and it was starting to bother him that she was beating him. He smiled slightly as he got a strong enough attack to push her off the stage, and then grabbed a gun to make sure she fell.

This was fun.

"Near!"Sayu complained.

He grinned,"You can't win if you don't attack."

Maybe he could be friends with normal people too.

"I meant attack Matt or Light."She pouted as the time ran out,"They keep winning."

"He's only beating me because he keeps killing Mello."Light rolled his eyes.

"I'm not even getting credit for those kills because he keeps falling."Matt argued.

"It's not a fall if he's pushed."Sayu said in support of her brother.

There was an alert on the screen of a nearby computer.

"They're on their way back."Light said.

"That means he talked to Ryuk, right?"The girl worried.

"Or Sidoh showed up to reclaim it."The college student rose. He had wanted to go with the task force to secure the notebook, but they all agreed out of sight was out of mind, and that a confrontation between Light and Ryuk was dangerous. That left all of them with Watari, who was still in conference with the ICPO about how to handle Higuchi's trial. It was going smoothly, but slowly.

"Stop being a downer."Sayu chided.

"Yeah,"Matt agreed,"Lighten up."

They spent the time before the others' arrivals playing a stock round. He managed to last longer than Mello and Sayu, but was quickly teamed up on by Matt and Light since they both wanted to battle just each other. He set down his control at his final explosion, relishing in the domesticity of this moment.

The battle between the two was interrupted by the arrival of the task force and L.

Near could tell by his expression that it had all gone well. From the way he decided to interrupt Light's questions with a kiss, it went really well. Sayu let out a little cheer, grabbing himself and Matt for a hug. A commanding look had Mello reluctantly joining them, and then she ran across the room.

L broke away to smile at her,"I've decided what your gift will be."

"Huh?"She tilted her head,"Oh, you don't have to get me anything."

"It isn't just for you."The great detective wrapped an arm around his boyfriend's waist,"But I think defeating Kira deserves a vacation, don't you?"Her eyes lit up as he paused,"Sadly, I don't know where we should take this vacation. Where do you want to go?"

This couldn't have been L's idea. From the smile on the Chief's face, it was his.

He felt a small smile grow on his face as he could finally think this was over.

This wasn't a hollow victory.

This wasn't an ending.

This was a beginning.

"Lawliet."

"Huh?"

"My real name."L smiled at him,"It's L Lawliet."

Light felt a flash of annoyance at having known his given name this entire time, but was too comfortable in his position to move. L's grip tightened around him as he waited for his reaction. There was so much he still didn't know about the detective lying underneath him, but for the first time since they started working together he didn't feel pressed for time.

Kira was gone. As were the last of his reservations.

He had a lot of work to do to redeem his soul, but anything felt possible.

"L Lawliet."He tested, feeling him shiver beneath him,"I love you."

L pulled him up higher so he could kiss him, but both of them were smiling too much for it to work.

"I love you too."

They had more time than he ever imagined.

"What are we going to do next?"He asked.

"Whatever we want."