Chapter 48

Jubilee stared at Hellenos from where she lay in the hospital bed, so disconcerted by her abrupt return to consciousness that, like one suddenly woken from a deep sleep, she could remember nothing beyond the last thing she'd experienced while awake. Which was extreme pain.

"I cannot believe you," she exclaimed, torn between relief at seeing the angel and anger. He didn't even look guilty. "What kind of guardian angel are you, anyway?" Trying to sit up, she clutched her side and moaned. "That really hurt, too." With great effort, she bit back any further accusations. Surely, Hellenos had a good reason for letting this happen and would deign to share it now. Along with an apology.

Yes, bullets typically do, he said dryly. That was it.

Her last remnants of restraint dissipating, she shot him a dirty look. "What is this, payback? Are you tired of having to work overtime because of me or something?" Aggravated that the angel didn't seem more concerned, she flopped back against the sheets and did her best to look pale and pathetic. "I've been mortally wounded, Hellenos. I could suffer complications for the rest of my life. You could at least act a little more sympathetic. Or are you just mad that it'll cause even more work for you now?"

Hellenos looked subtly skyward. For heaven's sake, stop complaining and check this so-called mortal wound of yours.

Jubilee blinked, confused. Lifting the sheets, she pushed up her hospital gown. Heavy layers of blood-crusted gauze bandaged her abdomen. She threw the sheets back over herself, aghast. "It looks terrible! How am I even still alive?"

Hellenos didn't bother to hide his eye roll this time. Unwrap it and see for yourself.

Dubiously, Jubilee obeyed. Her nose wrinkled at the smell of old, dried blood as she peeled away layers of reddened cloth, wincing in anticipation of pain. But as she stripped away the final piece, her eyes widened. The exposed skin of her belly was smooth and unmarred, without so much as as a stain from all the blood. Dumbfounded, she poked her side, right where the bullet had entered. No pain.

"Oh," she said.

Hellenos looked smug.

After staring at the newly formed skin for a minute, she lowered her hospital gown. "Okay, fine, very impressive," she admitted. "But what was the point of letting me get shot if I was just going to be healed anyway? I know you could've stopped the bullet."

Not I, technically.

Suddenly, she remembered—hazy visions of what had transpired at the warehouse after she was shot, of her ascent beyond the earthly veil, and then being sent back...again. Overwhelmed, she put a hand to her head as it all registered. L and the rest of the Task Force were alright. Light had been caught, his tie to the demon severed. And she was alive—even though it'd been a close call.

But why let things get that far in the first place?

Her eyes lowered. It was so much easier to vent her frustrations on Hellenos, who she could easily see and hear, than on who she knew her resentments truly lay against. "I know Dad could've had you stop the bullet," she amended quietly. "So...why didn't He?"

The angel considered her thoughtfully for a long moment. Then he smiled. Much as you doubt it—everything that has ever happened to you, can be worked out for good. With that, he stepped aside...to reveal the sleeping form of L, crouched in a chair by the corner.

The man looked as pale as ever, head drooped over his knees and hair in more want of a comb than usual. His eyes were closed, the dark circles around them even more pronounced than before. Around him pulsated a heavy, troubled blue hue as he slept.

Jubilee gaped at the slumbering detective. "How long has he been there?"

Three days.

"Three days?!?" she exclaimed. "You mean that's how long I've been out?"

Hellenos nodded.

"And he—I mean, has he eaten at all, or...?"

The others, particularly Mello and Matsuda, have coerced him to eat, drink, and bathe with occasional success, Hellenos answered her unspoken worry. But he has always come right back.

A great tenderness filled her heart as she continued to stare at L's sleeping form. "He never sleeps," she murmured. "How is he doing so now, with all the ruckus I was just making?"

Seventy-two hours straight of high-intensity stress will knock anyone out, Hellenos pointed smiled then. And anyway...I wanted to give you some time to gain your bearings first. I've been looking forward to this little reunion. With a wink at Jubilee's bewildered expression, he waved his hand and faded softly into the background as a faint shimmer.

L stirred. Opening his eyes, he looked blearily at Jubilee. They stared at each other for a second.

"Hey," she greeted.

L blinked owlishly once, twice. Then he sprang from his chair and was by her side in an instant. "J?" he said, looking baffled and concerned.

Her lips twitched upward. "I think," she said, "That it's safe to call me Jubilee now."

He stared at her.

"I saw what happened at the warehouse," she explained. "Or I was shown, at least. However that works."

He regarded her for a moment longer in silence. "I see." His eyes swept over her. "Are you—how are you feeling?"

"Great," she answered honestly.

His brow crinkled. "Do you feel any pain? Should I call for a—"

"No." She grabbed him by the arm as he was making to turn away. "I'm fine. Really, L."

He hesitated, then slowly faced her again. The air around him churned with a myriad of colors, unable to settle on one or the other as he looked at her.

Feeling awkward, Jubilee hastily withdrew her hand from his arm. "Congratulations, by the way. On solving the case."

L made a sound that might've been a laugh or a scoff, she wasn't sure which. "You know as well as I that it couldn't have been done without you. And I almost let you get killed in the process. That's hardly worth congratulating."

Jubilee lifted a shoulder. "Hazards of the job. Isn't that right, detective?" He didn't look amused, but she went on before he could retort. "Thank you, by the way."

He lifted an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For worrying about me."

The space between them blushed crimson, but L wore a serious expression. "That isn't worth applauding. That is just the basics of humanity."

Jubilee smiled. "Then thank you for what you did for Light. You did good."

L's head lowered, hair hiding his eyes as he rubbed the back of his head. "I figured that you would prefer him not to be killed—since we both know where he would instantly go." His gaze lifted to meet hers. "That, and I could hardly allow the same shinigami who got away with what he did to you and your family get his way again."

Her eyes softened. "Thank you." She noticed then that an unsettled blue still pulsed faintly around him. "What's wrong?"

An unreadable mask settled over the detective's features. "What makes you think anything's wrong? The case is solved, and you are alive. That is all I could've asked for."

Her heart warmed at his words, but she noticed the line over his head bending slightly. "Then...what else is bothering you?"

He exhaled heavily, slumping as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Nothing gets past you, as usual. It could be nothing. I simply wonder if I've truly done anything to salvage anyone's eternal fate. Including—" He looked away. "My own."

More fragments of Jubilee's dreams returned to her, in bits and pieces. You can't escape, Ryuk had said to Light. And, to L...Maybe I'll see you, too. She recalled the line over the demon's head, snapping upon his first statement. "That shinigami was lying," she said. "About Light's fate after death being set in stone, and yours not—" She stopped suddenly, remembering how the line over Ryuk's head had still remained attached while addressing L, despite it having snapped in two pieces.

L caught her hesitation. "So, he wasn't entirely lying then."

Jubilee fisted the sheets between her hands and thought. "What else was it he said? A person can change a lot in several decades?"

L nodded. "That was exactly what he said."

"Well, that part's true, technically," she acquiesced. Didn't she know that better than anyone? She was a completely different person from who she'd been four years ago. "We all have free will and can make the choice to change what we believe in and are living for at any time. But we also have control over that choice. That shinigami was just twisting the truth to try and scare you." L frowned, looking doubtful, so she added, "A partial lie is still a lie, you know."

"I suppose." He didn't sound convinced.

Jubilee took a deep breath, deciding to be more blunt. "You're not going to change so much that you can't go to heaven, L—unless you yourself decide to." And the same goes for me, she realized.

L turned to meet her gaze. "But I wrote in the Death Note."

"So did I."

"You wrote in it to save someone else."

"So did you."

"You didn't write a name," L said, frustration creeping into his voice at last. "I did. I wrote with the intention for Light to die. Maybe not now, but eventually. Complications from Alzheimer's is not painless, J. In fact, one can argue that I've only drawn out his death and added more emotional suffering to it. I've killed him." L stopped and looked down, his hair falling forward. "I always did say...that I am just the same as him."

Jubilee watched L with a pang in her chest. Around him, the blue haze had darkened with tinges of gray that were almost black. And yet... "You're not the same as him, L," she said, instinctively reaching out to touch the colors around him, before catching herself and drawing back. "I—I can see it." The difference between the blackness infringing on L's aura and that which had imbued Light's was clearly apparent to her. What she was seeing now was doubt. Fear. Guilt. Not evil.

Just like it had been with me.

And beneath the shadows of that doubt, the same bright light from before still lingered within L, its tendrils reaching out to dissipate the darkness—just as it had at the warehouse. Jubilee suddenly remembered something else with vivid clarity—a crest of light, surrounding L like a shield as he wrote in the Death Note. The shinigami, unable to advance because of it. Her eyes widened.

L was speaking again, his voice dull. "The rules of the notebook clearly state that anyone who writes a name down in its pages, with the intention to kill, is destined for the shinigami realm. I'm pretty sure that that's the opposite of heav—"

She grasped him firmly by the arm, cutting him off. He looked at her, confused. "There is one who is above all the rules," she told him. "Remember? You and I have both met Him."

L stared at her in silence.

"He's definitely broken the rules for me before," she went on. "More than once, in fact. And I know that He did the same for you. I saw it." Quickly, she summarized the fragments of her visions as best she could. Finishing, she realized that she was still tightly gripping L's arm, and reluctantly let go. "Do you believe me?"

L looked at her for a long moment, cogs and wheels lighting up over his head and gently turning as he processed all she'd said. Slowly, the shadows faded from around him, and he smiled. "Haven't I always?"

She smiled back. "Yeah, I guess you have." Lifting herself up from the pillows, she made to swing her legs out of the bed. "Alright then. Let's get out of here."

This time it was L who grabbed her by the arm. "What do you think you're doing?" The stern tone in his voice just barely masked his alarm. "Don't know if you forgot, J, but you got shot at point blank."

"Yes, I was there," she said wryly.

He looked at her reproachfully. "You need to stay still. The surgeons said one of your lower ribs was shattered, and you've suffered major internal bleeding."

She waved him off. "I got better." He gave her an incredulous look, but before he could protest, Jubilee pushed down the sheets and lifted her hospital gown. "See for yourself." She showed him her unblemished side where she had unwrapped the bandages.

L blinked down at where she pointed. His eyes widened. "That's impossible."

Jubilee laughed. "I thought you told me to stop saying that."

L, still looking shocked, reached out a finger as though to touch her side, then stopped short, seeming to remember himself. "I...see," he said. The colors around him wavered awkwardly.

Jubilee suddenly realized that her entire abdomen was exposed. She jerked the hospital gown back down. "So—can we go now?" She hoped the flush on her cheeks wasn't obvious.

L nodded uncertainly. "The nurses may be concerned about your disappearance though."

"So leave them a note. You can write kanji, right? Just say, 'Thanks for your hospitality. I'm good now.'"

L measured her for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, he began laugh. "So you are." Smiling, he extended a hand to help her up. "Let's go then."

Taking his hand, she rose. As he grasped her hand more tightly to steady her, Jubilee caught Helleno's faint grin in the background.

So. Everything had worked out for good.

The taxi ride back to headquarters was unexpectedly quiet. Jubilee and L spent a few minutes discussing—in English, lest the driver become disturbed over talk of angels and demons—what else had happened in the warehouse, Light's upcoming trial, and how the Task Force Members and Wammy boys were doing. After that, conversation between the two of them died. Hellenos remained a faint shimmer in the background in order to, she assumed, continue giving her a sense of privacy. But for what? Now that the case was solved...what was there left to talk about? Her fingers tapped against the window frame as she stared out at the Tokyo streets whizzing by. Where do the two of us go from here?

She snuck a glance at L. He, too, was gazing out his window. For once, he was seated normally, his feet on the floor of the car and hands gripping his knees as though to keep his legs in place. Unusual. She racked her brain for something to say. "So...how are things at headquarters?"

He didn't turn to her. "I couldn't say for sure, as I have not been there," he said, gaze still out the window. "But I imagine the others are wrapping up details on the case report. They'll be glad to see that you are well."

"Anything I can help with?" she asked. "In the case report, I mean."

"No need. You've already contributed more than enough, and I can convey the rest of what you've shared if needed. Police reports usually only require the tangible facts, anyway."

Her heart sank. If there was no longer any use for her, then...what now?

As if echoing her thoughts, L suddenly asked, "So then, what are your plans?"

She blinked. "Huh?"

"You did have a plan, didn't you?" He finally turned to her, his gaze as piercing as ever. "When you first joined the case. You were eager for the day when it'd finally be over so that you'd be free to go."

She considered him uncomfortably. "I guess I was, back then."

"Well, now that day has come. So, Jubilee Jenkins...what is next for you?"

She stared back at him, not knowing what to say. What could she say? That what she wanted back then was no longer what she wanted now? That what she wanted now was...

What did she want now, anyway?

"I'm not exactly sure." She looked down at her lap. "I guess, back then, I'd always assumed I'd go back to Wakahisa. But now—"

"But now your visa is about to expire," L interrupted.

She whipped back to him, her eyes round. "What? It is? Wait—how did you know that?"

L looked towards the roof of the car. "I like to keep tabs on my colleagues."

She stared at him, the implication of his previous sentence finally hitting her. "I—I guess that means..." She swallowed, her heart sinking further. "That I'd have to go back to the States."

He measured her for a long moment. "You miss your old place of work, I take it?"

"I—" Memories of Meirin and the other children flashed through her mind, making her heart wrench. "Well, yes. I miss the kids. I didn't get to properly say goodbye to them when I started working on the case."

"I'm sorry," L said quietly.

"No, no." She waved her hands. "We're past that, remember? I just meant that I would've liked to at least see them again, to clear things up. And for closure. There was one little girl, in particular...she's probably still upset that I disappeared." Jubilee smiled down at her hands as she remembered all the times Meirin had grasped them with her own tiny fingers, or when the little girl had fallen asleep against Jubilee during story time, her pudgy arms wrapped around Jubilee's waist. "We had a pretty big bond."

L was still watching Jubilee carefully. "I see," he said, turning to look back out the window. After a moment, he continued, "You know—you need not return to the States, if that isn't what you want."

Hope leapt in Jubilee's chest. She looked up at him. Was he about to suggest...?

"I could easily get your visa extended for you," he continued. "So that you could stay and return to Wakahisa, if you wish."

"Oh," she said. "Um...thank you." L didn't say anything further, and she took a deep breath, mustering up her courage. "Are—are you staying in Japan, as well?"

"No. I will be returning with Mello to England."

The hope in her chest stuttered and died. "Oh."

There was a long moment of silence.

"I'll see to it then that your visa is extended," L finally said. "That way you will have plenty of more time here."

She bit her lip. "Thanks." She was grateful for his thoughtfulness, and she did want to see the kids again. But...was she also never going to see L again?

It seemed that that was entirely up to him. And, as far as she could tell, he didn't intend to continue their acquaintance once the case was wrapped up.

Turning back to her window, she tried to ignore the ache in her chest. The remainder of the ride was silent.

Fifteen minutes later, they walked through the entrance of headquarters together. The other Task Force members looked up, shock filling their features at the sight of Jubilee.

"Miss Julie!" Matsuda raced over, followed closely by Mello and the others. "You—you're walking! But you shouldn't even have been released from the hospital yet! How did you—"

"I got better." She waved a hand dismissively, then smiled. "It's good to see you all again."

"This has something to do with those weird eyes of yours, doesn't it," Mello said, looking her up and down like a lab specimen. He reached out a finger to poke her in the side—earning him a death glare from L. "Does it even still hurt?"

"Nope," she said. "Thanks for worrying about me, though."

The boy's cheeks colored and he scowled. "Well, obviously. We all did."

"Yes," Aizawa agreed, as Mogi patted Jubilee on the head. "We're all relieved that you are well, Miss Amachi."

"Thank you." She looked around. "Where are Aiber and Wedy? Are they okay?"

"They're fine," Mello said. "Just moved on to other jobs. They said to tell you goodbye."

"Oh." The sinking feeling that she had before returned.

"It's good that you made it back today, Miss Julie," Matsuda said. "We wanted to get to say goodbye to you, too. Those of us who were living here just finished packing our things and are ready to move out. We were just waiting for Ryuzaki to get back so that we could say goodbye to him first. I'm so glad that he brought you with him!"

She smiled wanly. Of course. Packing. She'd have to do that, too. "What's going to happen with this building?" she asked, both because she didn't know what else to say and to stall for time.

"It'll be converted to a hotel," L answered. "Good area for it."

She nodded, a little numbly. "Sounds like a good business move."

"It'll make a killing for years to come," Aizawa affirmed with a snort. "But I can't be too jealous. We're all coming out of this with excellent pensions, after all." He nodded at L and added gruffly, "Thanks for that."

L dipped his head in acknowledgment, then stuck out his hand. "It was an honor to work with the Japanese police force."

Aizawa hesitated for only a moment before grasping L's hand and shaking it firmly. "The honor was ours."

Mogi and Matsuda came forward to shake L's hand next, the latter with much enthusiasm.

Jubilee, unable to take it anymore, decided to make her exit early. "Well, I better start packing my things too, while you all are still chatting. And if you're gone before I'm done..." She stepped forward and gave each of the Japanese policemen a perfunctory hug. "Goodbye, you guys. Take care of yourselves."

With that, she rushed to the elevator, so that no one would see the the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

Five minutes later, she leaned against the door inside her room, hand over her eyes. With a sigh, she dragged herself upright and headed to the closet, pulling out her suitcase. Might as well get this over with.

Hellenos remained a vague glow in the background as she packed. Perhaps it was to give her a sense of space, as she brooded over the fact that she was about to part ways with the man she'd fallen in love with and would probably never see again. It never would've worked out anyway, she told herself. She'd always known that this day would come. It was inevitable that she and L would have to say goodbye once the case ended.

Perhaps it doesn't have to be that way.

Jubilee paused in her packing. Where had that thought come from? Sitting on the bed, she rubbed her temples. "Dad," she muttered after a moment, "What are you trying to say to me?"

Silence.

She sighed again and flopped back on the bed. She was tired. Tired of losing people, tired of feeling rejected by those who were once her friends, and tired of being scared of the future. Tired of constant risk and danger—whether it was as large a scale as losing one's life, or as seemingly minor as rejection. Was she really up for putting her heart on the line again?

L would likely never the feel the same way about her as she did about him. Even if there had ever been a remote sliver of hope for that, her checkered past was sure to have obliterated it. Who could want to be with a woman with a history like hers, who'd doled out as much damage as she'd been dealt? She was nothing if not the epitome of having baggage.

On top of that, L was his own special breed. He probably wasn't even capable of feeling romantic interest in the first place. After all, solving cases was his first love. Or maybe that place of honor went to sweets. Jubilee put her head in her hands. If it came down to choosing between a woman or a piece of dessert, that man would most certainly choose the dessert.

She groaned and kneaded her temples. In the corner, Hellenos' glow dimmed a bit, but remained steady as another thought lingered in her head. L is someone worth knowing.

Regardless of all the above, L was a person who, if nothing else, was worth having in her life—even as a friend. That she was sure of. She'd never known anyone quite like him, with the same level of wisdom, work ethic, and devotion. After all, she'd first started admiring him as a person, then a colleague, and finally a friend, before developing feelings for him. That friendship didn't have to end.

Coming to a decision, Jubilee rose to her feet and made her way to the door. She was about to yank it open and race back down to the main floor, when a quiet knock sounded from it. She froze.

"J?" L's voice came from the other side. "Can you spare a moment?"

Jubilee stared at the knob, her hand still hovering over it. "Yeah, one sec," she said, willing her voice to sound calmer than she felt. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed her hair and quickly assessed what she was going to say. I still want to be friends. Do you? That seemed too simple. The forthrightness of it made her heart pound. I think it's worth continuing our friendship and would be up for keeping in touch, if you are. Was that better?

Dragging a hand down her face, she dismissed the thoughts from her head and opened the door. She'd just have to wing it.

"Hey," she greeted casually, stepping back to allow L inside. "I just started packing. Come on in."

L gave a small nod and followed her back to her suitcase, where he stood a few feet away, hands stuffed in his pockets and shuffling his feet. She busied herself with packing to distract herself from his unnerving gaze. What had he come for? Were there still loose ends concerning the case? Or...could it be that he, too, wanted to remain friends?

Hopeful, she glanced over at him. "Was there something you wanted to talk about?"

L returned her inquisitive look with an unblinking stare. "Yes."

She waited. He continued to stare at her. "Well..." she began awkwardly, then decided to take a gamble. "I actually had something I wanted to talk with you about, too. Do you want to go first, or should I?"

He started at that, then a look of resolve entered his eyes. "I will go first." Turning, he walked slowly towards one end of the room, hands still in his pockets. "We make a good team."

"I agree," she said after a moment when he didn't continue. Not exactly sure where this is going, but it sounds promising so far. Friends were a team, right?

"And we balance each other well." He turned again to slowly pace in the other direction. "We each see things that the other person doesn't—literally and figuratively." He faced her. "You also have other qualities that are worthy of attention, such as your ability to draw deep insight from things, encourage those around you, and generally...appeal to people. All of which was demonstrated often during the case, and which contributed greatly to its ultimate success. I find all of these things, and more, admirable and valuable."

Jubilee struggled to conceal her confusion as her mind worked to understand what he was saying, and why. She thought back to moments on the case when she'd given a pep talk to him, or to other Task Force members like Mello and Matsuda. She remembered when she'd helped distract the members of the Yotsuba Group along with Misa, as well as how she'd befriended the younger girl. Was that what L was talking about? Is he giving me some kind of a post-job assessment? she thought, perplexed. "Thank you," she said at last, but it came out sounding more like a question than a statement.

L had already returned to pacing, eyes on the ceiling as though there was something worthy of observation up there. "Therefore," he said. "I wonder if you would consider the option of returning to England with me—as my partner."

She stared at him. "Your...partner?" she echoed.

L nodded, the air around him blushing slightly even though his face remained as pale as ever.

Jubilee blinked once, twice. Then she smiled widely. "You mean you're not going to be L, the lone detective anymore? You're going to let me be your partner? To solve cases together? Really?" She could barely refrain from jumping up and down with joy. This was even better than she'd hoped for. L not only wanted to continue their acquaintance, he wanted to work together. In person. Which meant that she'd get to be with him wherever he was.

"Er..." L's uncharacteristic stutter stopped her thoughts short. "That—wasn't precisely what I meant. I'm not proposing a business relationship."

Her heart plummeted.

He continued, "I would not expect you to work on cases with me. That is to say, it is no way a requirement." He scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Though I can see how you may have misunderstood my intentions. I did frame a lot of the examples of your characteristics just now through the lens of how they influenced the Kira case."

Jubilee wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. Of course, she'd misunderstood. She was an idiot. How could someone like her be work partners with a genius like L, the greatest detective in the world? What was I thinking? She paused in the middle of her mini-meltdown. Wait. What DID he mean, then?

L had returned to pacing. The blush of his aura cast a rosy glow on the myriad of colors about him, which were churning furiously. It was an enchanting display, and Jubilee found herself suddenly distracted by it despite her overwhelming disappointment and confusion.

"I acknowledge that I have many setbacks," he began slowly. "It likely does not need to be said, but I am awkward at social interaction and uncomfortable with physical contact. I am unused to both these things, and it will likely take me some time to change that. In short, I do not excel at interpersonal relationships. I realize that this—along with plenty of other factors, I am sure—makes me less than ideal as a romantic partner. However, if you are willing to be patient with me...I am willing to learn to improve." The blush over L's aura deepened as he finished, blending into the swirls of mauve which intertwined with the gold and cerulean hovering about him. Jubilee stared, transfixed by the sight. He stared back, like he was waiting for a response. But a response to what? He hadn't asked a question, he'd just said—

Oh. Oh. Jubilee gaped, his words finally registering. The mauve. The rosy blush. It all meant...

She took a deep breath, willing herself to keep her cool. It would not do for a grown woman such as herself to start squealing like a fourteen-year-old. Especially in front of L, someone who was likely unused to hysterics, and who might be perturbed by them, and—

And who likes me! her mind shrieked happily.

Unable to help herself, she broke into a happy grin. Covering her face with one hand, she turned away to collect herself for a second. L was clearly uncomfortable enough with the newness of this entire situation, and she didn't want to make him feel even more so. In many ways, this was foreign territory to her as well. She, too, didn't know what it was like to become close with another person within the context of an actual, healthy relationship. The thought used to strike fear in her—that anyone might ever get close enough to see the real her, and find out all she'd done. The closest she'd ever come to experiencing such closeness had always been an empty copy of the real thing—rushed into and out of, men using her for their own satisfaction as much as she had been using them her own security. For once, she'd like to take things slow, and actually experience something real.

She faced L again. "I am more than willing," she said, managing to keep her voice even. "And I find what you're proposing to be very agreeable. Therefore, I accept." With that, she extended a hand for him to shake, smiling softly.

L seemed to relax a bit at her more formal tone, the tightness in his shoulders disappearing. He looked down at her hand, as though considering it. So, approaching things this way is more his speed, Jubilee thought. Just as well, since she was more comfortable with it herself. She made a mental note to keep physical contact to a minimum, at least upfront, for both their sakes. Sure, they'd shaken hands before, helped each other up, and even hugged that one time when L died—Jubilee paused, at the absurdity of that thought, to say a quick prayer that that wouldn't happen again for a good long while—but it had all been in a different context. They were only colleagues back then and had been in a life-or-death situation, so tension and emotions were high. This time, things were different, and it wouldn't hurt to approach things a little more rationally. After all, they had all the time in the world to deepen their relationship.

L finally looked back up at her. "I find that, even when it comes to social and relational aptitude...I do not like to go backwards in my progress." Then, he grasped her hand, and pulled her forward into a firm embrace.

Jubilee stumbled into him, startled, as his arms encircled her. For a second she simply stood there, her head against his shoulder, registering the clean smell of his shirt and the warmth coming from his chest. Radiant colors danced all about, weaving together into a single tapestry that wrapped itself around the them. Somewhere in the background, she could hear Hellenos—and a multitude of other angelic beings, more than could reasonably fit in the corner where he was—tittering and cheering. Underneath the happy chorus was a sound both gentle and sonorous, like that of a deep, delighted chuckle. It warmed Jubilee to the core, buoying her spirits and flooding her heart until it felt full to the brim—and suddenly she knew, in that moment, that what she was feeling was the pleasure of God.

Yeah...this is good, too, she thought. Thanks, Dad. Smiling into L's shoulder, she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a fierce hug back.

A/N

At laaaaaaast! For those of you who have been patiently waiting, the most affectionate of greetings to you all, and I hope that the longer chapter (and happy ending!) made up for the wait. Yes, I do plan on adding an epilogue. (#allaboutthatfluff) In the meantime, how is everyone?

Some life updates that I'd been meaning to share months ago:

-Remember when, quite a while back, I said that I had hit the reset button, relocated, and restarted life afresh? Naturally, I got a new job at that time, too. Those of you who have been following me since the days of my Free! fanfiction may be tickled to know that that job is - wait for it - a swim coach. =D I've been steadily promoted since then, and starting next month, I'm going to be head coach of a summer league team!

-The original novel version of this story is still being drafted, slowly but surely. I had to take a break from it (and writing in general) the last month or two, when I happened to be stuck on a scene in which Jubilee first realizes her feelings for detective genius boy. It was perplexing because that was originally one of my favorite scenes to write in the fanfic version, as I found it terribly amusing. Yet it was not so fun this time around because, one, I had a lot of other things demanding my time and energy during that season, and two, because...

-IT WAS HAPPENING TO ME IN REAL LIFE. Yes, I met a guy. No, I don't mean a fictional character I read in a book. Yes, I'm sure. Let me fast forward through all the episodes I underwent of confusion and panic and "Oh no what is happening to me, this can't be happening to me" and say that there is a happy ending to all this. Yes...I am now happily taken! -^_^- Funny how, once I got out on the other side of that whole situation, I was finally able to finish writing the above mentioned scene. Incidentally, I was ALSO finally able to finish writing the last scene of this fanfic chapter. So, you can thank my guy for being the inspiration behind making that happen.

I find it both amusing and kind of awe-inspiring how so many things in my life are being integrated together in the most unexpected but perfect of ways. Almost like...someone, somewhere, is the author of my story and has a plan in mind. ;)

Here's to you all for sticking through this story with me! And here's to your own story—may it be full of wonder, adventure, and Love.