A/N: Hi, friends! So, we're back to our normal update schedule. And…Well…I think we have a chapter (maaaaaaybe two, if I push it) left in this. So, that's a thing. I've been at this for over a year, I think it's time we put it to rest. Besides, the investigation is starting to wind down and zero in. And I promise the ending is going to be something totally worth sticking around for. Pinky promise. It'll be fun. I promise. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go…Over here…Love you x

After one more leg of his trip, L finally made it back to Tokyo. And he couldn't be more at peace. It's only another twenty minutes to the task force headquarters. Then, I can truly be home. L's trip to America couldn't have been more eye opening and insightful. He knew what had to be done now. At least if we make this jump, we fall together. Please, Light. Don't let history repeat itself. And understand what this means to me.

"Welcome back, Mr. Ryuzaki," the driver greeted him, "Would you like to go straight back to the tower?"

"Yes please," L was a bit disappointed that Watari wasn't the one to pick him up, but he understood. Watari needed to get some sleep once in a while, too. And the sooner he could get back to the tower, the better. It's awfully late. I'm sure Light's in bed by now. Or at least, I hope he is. L looked over at the clock. It's nearly two o'clock. I'm sure he's asleep.

When L pushed the security override button at the front door, he didn't expect all of his monitors to still be on. He didn't think the cameras would have anything to watch. And more importantly…No…Most importantly, he didn't expect to find Light asleep at his desk, buried in file folders and paperwork. And Watari says I work myself too hard. I'm sure he tried sending you to bed at some point. Always the stubborn one, aren't you?

L left a gentle kiss on Light's forehead, "Light…This isn't a place for you to sleep. You need to get to bed."

"I'm not asleep," Light grumbled into his arm, "I'm just resting my eyes for a second. That's all."

"No," L turned into a puddle, "You need to go to bed. This isn't bed."

"Just a couple more minutes," Light still wasn't moving, "Then, I can go back to work. I promise."

Oh, Light…I missed you so much. L's voice took on a more authoritative tone, "Light…Now…You need to come to bed with me. I didn't just make an eight-hour flight, so I could sleep in my bed alone."

"Alright…" it took a second for Light's brain to catch up. When he opened his eyes, his heart stopped, "L…?"

"There you are, Light," L helped him onto his feet, "You had me worried for a minute."

"You're home?" Light put a hand to L's cheek, "Like…Actually home? I'm not just dreaming?"

"I promise," L put his hand over Light's, "I'm home. I'm here."

"So…" L stumbled a few steps, "We should probably go to bed then, huh?"

"I insist upon it," L helped him up the stairs.

"Hey, L…?"

"Yes, Light?" L held Light steady, "What is it?"

"How was your trip to Washington DC?" he leaned on L's shoulder.

"No," L shot him down, the wounds still fresh, "I'll tell you all about it in the morning, but you're not coherent enough for me to tell you about my trip. I'll tell you in the morning."

"Tell me now," Light begged, "Please?"

"No," L stood his ground, "I'll tell you in the morning. You need to get some sleep."

"Look who's talking."

"Someone else who wants to go to sleep for a change," L's grip tightened, "Someone else who understands how important sleep is. My, my, Light. I'm gone for a few days and you've gotten so bratty on me. I'm not sure if I'm pissed or in love."

Light wrapped himself around L's arm, "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," L opened their door, "Now, do you think we could get back to what we missed most and get a few decent hours of sleep before we deal with the task force?"

"Yes please." Light couldn't say no to that.

For the last couple days, although he'd never admit it to L, Light's sleeping habits haven't been ideal. It'd be nothing for Watari to find Light at L's desk in the early morning hours. The more Light could distract himself with work, the more he didn't have to deal with his reality. Light knew that if he went to bed, L wouldn't be there when he woke up. He hated being so far away from him, especially when he knew how hard things were for him. But the second Light's head hit the pillow and L's arm held him close, he was sound asleep. Welcome home, L. I missed you so much.

And L wasn't much different. As Light drifted off, L looked down at the pure, beautiful innocence in his arms. Every detail of Light's face permanently etched themselves into L's brain. He gently pressed one last kiss on Light's forehead and pulled their blankets over them. Yes. I'll be sure to catch you up on my trip to America. I promise. L felt a special bulge in his pocket and dug it out. A little box rested on the nightstand. We can wait for tomorrow. Get some sleep, Light. Once I send the task force home tomorrow…and possibly seek guidance from your sister…We need to talk.

For the first time in what felt like a long time, L finally got some sleep. Real, not chemically induced sleep. Not a few minutes here, half an hour there, maybe a full hour at night, if he's lucky. True, honest to God sleep. And it was all because he was home again with a clear conscience and a clearer path in front of him. Tomorrow would be more than just a new day. Tomorrow would be the beginning of a new life. As long as L could take that leap.

When morning came around again, L left Light to sleep. Just a little while longer. Mostly for selfish reasons. L was a sucker for Light's faces while he slept. With a soft kiss on his boyfriend's cheek (and a ring box tucked away in the nightstand), L started heading downstairs. Watari had already fallen back into old patterns with L's coffee and a few pieces of shortbread waiting at his desk. And L couldn't wipe the smile off his face with a high grit sandpaper. This smells awfully fresh. Watari's been busy.

"It's good to have you back, Lawliet," Watari joined him, "it hasn't been the same without you."

"It's good to be back," L admitted, "Being back in my head doesn't seem scary anymore."

"And," Watari knew what L's trip was for. Of course, he did. Watari knew everything, "How is Nina?"

"I met her daughter," L melted inside, "She's very bright. And she's so sweet…And…"

"And?" Watari started to sweat as L's face turned into a gentle melancholy.

"She looks like Naomi," L sighed out, "Just like Naomi."

"What's her name?"

"Lila," L took a bite of his shortbread. Oh, it's good to be home, "According to Nina, she named her after me."

"That's awfully flattering," Watari pointed out, "I wonder why she did that."

"I wasn't expecting it either," L chuckled a bit, "That's for sure. She got awfully close to me while I was there."

"Really?"

"Don't tell Light," L smirked a bit, "God forbid he gets any ideas."

"I never said a word," Watari threw his hands up, "Although, I wouldn't say no to some grandchildren. But perhaps that's just me."

"Watari…!"

"I'm not saying you have to," Watari assured him, "Merely voicing my opinion on the subject."

Fortunately, Watari's baby fever came to an end. However, that baby fever was broken by the first member of the task force to come in. And unfortunately for L, it was the other one he'd be making a grandparent. L did his best to keep a level head. Mr. Yagami doesn't strike me as the bold type. I'm sure he won't automatically mention his conversation with Light right away, right? Besides, he's such a stickler for professionalism. He's not going to say anything. Watari wished to have L's cavalier attitude about the situation. He made sure to stay close by.

"Good morning, Watari," Soichiro greeted him as he did every other morning. Only to notice L back at his desk, "Welcome back, Ryuzaki."

"Thank you, Mr. Yagami," L stared into his monitor, playing off his nerves, "It appears I have quite a bit to catch up on here."

"Light did a fantastic job while you were gone," Soichiro gushed, "Two suspects in a matter of a couple of days and one of them is already in custody. I don't expect anything less from him."

"Nor do I," L agreed, "I knew what I was doing when I chose him over everyone else to hold things down for me in my absence."

"And since we're on the topic," Soichiro took a deep breath, bracing himself for what will come next, "Do you think we could talk for a moment, since it's just us here?"

"Of course, Mr. Yagami," L allowed, "Is everything alright?"

"You're dating my son, aren't you?" Soichiro wasn't pulling any punches.

Although, his boldness caught L by surprise. It is just the two of us. Except for Watari, but Watari knew about Light and me already. L simply smiled, "I always said you never had to ever worry about me pursuing Sayu."

"Because you were already busy with Light," Soichiro figured, "And right under my nose."

"That's right," L confirmed.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Soichiro wondered, taking a long drink from his coffee, "About you and Light seeing each other?"

"For a few reasons," L explained, facing the realization that his catching up would have to be done later, "One, because I knew that wasn't my place. That was a conversation you and Light needed to have on your own at Light's pace. With or without me being involved. And two, because Light asked me not to say anything. I understand that the fact we work together makes our romantic relationship unprofessional, but we can manage to keep our personal and professional relationship separate."

"Clearly," Soichiro noticed, "Or I would've realized it sooner."

"I wouldn't beat myself up too much over it, if I were you," L finished off his shortbread, "We've also been working on a horrendous mass murder investigation for the last…eight months? Nine months? I wouldn't have expected you to be too focused on Light's social life."

"Still…" Soichiro grumbled, "I've been so blind."

"Not blind," L clarified, "Busy. Distracted, if you will."

"I suppose you're right," Soichiro looked L over out of the corner of his eye. So…That's the one, Light? Maybe you see something in him the rest of us can't. I would've thought you'd be able to do better than Ryuzaki, but that's not my decision to make.

L and social cues were never really something that clicked, but even he could see the apprehension on Soichiro's face. It's the same look Naomi's father had when he met me for the first time, "Mr. Yagami…?"

"Hmm?" Soichiro perked up, "I'm sorry. I was a bit lost in thought."

L melted a little inside. And now, I see where your son gets it from, "I do love him. Completely and wholeheartedly. Unapologetically and unafraid…So much so that I'm willing to abandon one of my biggest principles for him."

L never said it out loud before. The feeling scared him. And it caught Watari totally by surprise, putting a slight hitch in his breathing. But deep down, L knew Light could handle it. But Soichiro knew even more that if L was nervous, catastrophe was about to strike, "Which is…?"

L gnawed on the side of his thumb, doing his best to even himself out, "You wouldn't happen to know Light's views on marriage, would you?"

At that point, Soichiro's oblivion cleared away. He knew what L was trying to do. It could be one of two things. He's either testing me or he's genuinely curious. The only way to pass any of Ryuzaki's tests is to not participate, "That's something you'd have to ask him."

Bold move to turn this around on me. However, given the sensitive subject matter, maybe more so to me than to you, it's not appreciated. I'd be taking your son over my knee for something like this. But you're not my type and I'm already in a happy, monogamous relationship. Not to mention, you're married. I don't home wreck, "I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"My own views on marriage," L twitched in his seat, "Light knows them already. But…Ever since he and I started seeing each other more and more, I've been willing to give them a second glance. You would never understand, Mr. Yagami, but for me to do something like that is extremely difficult. And Watari can attest to that. He knows all too well why my views are the way they are. Light as well. In fact, if I can be honest, it's the entire reason why I left for America for a while. I had to put some demons…Or angels, in this case…to rest. In order to move on like this."

"So…" Soichiro tried his best to wrap his head around L's logic. An impressive feat in itself. Sometimes, even L himself couldn't do that, "Are you trying to ask my permission?"

"I'm trying to ask you what Light's views are on marriage," L reiterated, "However, in hindsight, I see that you're not the one to ask that question outside of Light. That's more of a Sayu thing. I really do need to sit down and talk with her again."

"Wait," Soichiro thought, "Again? And why would you be asking Sayu that?"

"Sayu knows everything," L pointed out, "Sayu knows more about our relationship than anyone else. Of course, she's going to know the answer to that question. She's much more insightful than people give her credit for. And I love that about her. She's an excellent source of information. But there are some things she's kept secret from me for the sake of her brother. Although, she's answered most of my questions I've had and it's greatly appreciated. It's like having an operator's manual."

"And you've been using my daughter for this?"

"Using her is a strong term," L backed off, "As I've said from the beginning, Sayu is merely a friend to me when I need one."

"Chief!" Aizawa came running in with an envelope in his hands and Matsuda following him, "The forensics are back!"

"That's amazing," Soichiro gasped, his focus quickly shifting, "Ryuzaki, how many forensics teams do you have working under you?"

"A couple locally," L admitted, "A few more internationally. And they're very efficient."

"It shows," Soichiro took the envelope and started thumbing through it, "So? Was our intel good? Do we need to get Mikami involved?"

"Mikami?" L perked up, shuddering a bit at the name, "Teru Mikami?"

"That's the one," Soichiro confirmed, reading over the reports, "We need to get him here."

"What have I missed out on?" L wondered, his blood pumping a little harder.

"Our killer may be more than one," Matsuda told him, "We've had Misa Amane in custody for the last couple days."

"Really?" L had a lot to take in. So, not only is Matsuda capable of a comprehensible thought, but my boyfriend's bitch ex-girlfriend is currently locked in our maximum security? Huh. Someone has been busy while I've been gone, "And where did this intel come from?"

"Misa Amane herself," Aizawa reported, "Apparently, while she was good and drugged up, she was begging for Light."

"Surprise, surprise," L grumbled, "Why Light?"

"She was hoping he'd get her out of this," Soichiro assumed, "But in their last conversation, she dropped Mikami's name, so Light dug a little deeper."

"And now, we need to bring Mikami in," L nodded, "But if he is the one we're after…Rather, one of the ones we're after…I doubt he's going to come quietly. He probably knows we're already onto him, given that we have Misa Amane in custody, so he's probably already making escape plans."

"So," Matsuda asked, "How do we get him here?"

"Excellent question, Mr. Matsuda," L thought long and hard about it. He had a plan. But he didn't exactly like where that plan would take them. It's all I have. This could be our once chance. Please forgive me.

"Sorry, I'm late," Light came running down the stairs, "Last night was a long one."

And there's my plan, "Good morning, Light. Don't worry about it."

"So," Light sat down next to L, "What have I missed? Or am I not part of the investigation anymore now that you're back?"

"Oh, no, no, no," L assured him, "You're still in this. Actually…Light, can I speak to you privately for a moment? It is related to the investigation, but it's also a very delicate matter."

"Sure," Light got up and followed L to the conference room down the hall.

"I wonder what that's all about," Aizawa scoffed, "I would've thought the nepotism would've gone away once Ryuzaki did, but I see it hasn't…"

"That's enough, Aizawa," Soichiro snapped, "When you're done with your pettiness, you can rejoin the rest of us. But for now, we still have a killer to catch. Remember? The main goal here?"

"Yeah…" Aizawa backed off, "Sorry, Chief…"

"It's not nepotism if Light has already proven himself," Soichiro put it into perspective, "We need to trust that Ryuzaki knows what he's doing."

Meanwhile, in the conference room down the hall, L sat Light down, not totally sure how to approach the subject. Although L was known around the task force for his bluntness (a bluntness that Light has seen just as well), he didn't need to crush Light's spirits. L knew what Mikami did to Light. L knew that if Light had his way, he would never see Mikami again. But L also knew what Light's sense of justice was like.

"L?" Light poked at him, "What did you need me for?"

"I need you to do something for me," L bit his lip, "And it might be…A little unpleasant."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Light laughed it off, "But it was worth it in the end. What do you need?"

"I…" Really and truly, Light. What did I do to deserve you? Be careful with that attitude, "We need to bring in Mikami. And like it or not, you're our foremost authority on him. If he knew we were trying to catch him, would he already be trying to run at this point?"

"Oh, God, yeah," Light nodded, "Of course. No one would want to get caught. Especially for murder at this level."

"But…" L winced, "I have a plan to lure him to us. And in order to make that plan work…I don't want to use you as bait, Light. You know I love you too much to do that, but…"

"I'll do it," Light agreed…reluctantly, "I know Mikami makes my skin crawl, but if it means bringing him to justice, I'll do it. I know I won't like it, but I think I can stomach it."

L pulled Light in for a deep, loving kiss, "Thank you."

"You owe me," Light smirked a bit.

"And I'm sure I'll be able to repay it in spades," L promised, "But we need to get back to work before the rumors spread."

"So," Light thought, "You want me shoot a quick text to Mikami and ask him for one more night?"

"If that would be alright," L nodded, "But remember…"

"I know," Light promised, "I know who I go home to at the end of the day. Like I'd willingly let Mikami even touch me at this point. Please, L, give me some credit."

"Sorry…" Thank you, Light. I know this is going to be hard for you, but thank you…