*A/N*
This is probably the fastest update I've done on Aishiteru but when ideas strike you, you don't want to waste it.
This is going to be the penultimate chapter, which makes me happy yet sad at the same time. I've had fun with these characters, I'll miss them.
Song of the Chapter – Zero Percent – My Chemical Romance.
Tumblr username – themisfitsanddreamers
YouTube channel – ALDETwilight14
^^Find and follow me on both 'kay?
"Watari?"
The old man smiled, and with a flourish he took off the bowler hat that sat atop of his head, and looked at the small bundle that lay on Light's chest.
"So it's true about the baby" Watari answered, and sitting himself in the chair opposite them, he stared at the sleeping child.
Light blinked, still trying to realize if this was some sort of fantasy he concocted. Watari died, L had been in tears when it happened, but it definitely happened... Didn't it?
Light shook his head, before turning his back to the old man and placing Masahiro in a small crib that lay next to them. He moved with deliberate slowness, trying to decipher the nearly impossible scene that had just presented itself before him.
Watari was sitting there, all 71 years of himself, and he was alive. In fact, he seemed to be healthy and seemingly well-fed, not poising on the brink of death as one could assume a previously dead person could be.
Light shook his head, drawing the soft blanket over his son with shaking hands. Light was intelligent, almost genius quality, but this, the Lazarus-like scenario bemused even him. He rubbed his eyes and turned back to the man, an obvious question escaping him before he could wince at his own stupidity.
"Weren't you dead?"
Watari raised one eyebrow and shot a pointed glance at Light.
"No Light Yagami, I wasn't dead, best to my knowledge anyway", Light winced at Watari's tone, a slow and deliberate one that made Light feel like his was five years old.
"But... Mello" Light answered, waving his hand at the man's reclining figure.
"Mello knew; He tricked Lawliet in believing I was dead. Even though he's the underdog, he's still remarkably clever. I managed to elude L for years, a previously unknown thing" Watari answered and walked towards Light.
He advanced slowly on Light, and with caution he placed his hand on Light's shoulder.
"This isn't a trick of the mind Light Yagami. I am in fact alive, and for a crucially important reason, involving your son" Watari looked at the small figure quickly.
"Wha-", Light was cut off as Watari placed his finger to his own lip, a gesture of silence that echoed around the room.
"We can't speak here Light Yagami. Come to my townhouse in a few days" Watari slipped him a piece of paper, an address carefully written on it in elegant script, "and bring him" Watari looked at the baby once more.
"He looks like his father" Watari sighed, and with that he walked out of the room.
Light stood there, the information reeling around his head. He looked at the piece of paper in amazement. Watari was alive, L was not. This seemed too surreal.
(A few days later)
Light stood in the doorway uncertainly. Watari had just opened the door, beckoning him inside from the cold, and had marched purposefully into an adjoining office, where he was now seated in a large leather chair.
Light wasn't sure if he should follow him, for he didn't feel right to ask. Watari, like L, didn't seem to have much interaction with normal people, therefore customs were overlooked.
Light looked at his son, who was tucked into a sleeping suit and napping against his father's chest, swaddled in a thick blanket, a small blue hat resting atop his black hair.
"Are you just going to stand there?" Watari called from the office chair, looking at Light in irritation. Light's reactions didn't fit in well here at Watari's townhouse, and they had too much to discuss to procrastinate about manners.
Light nodded, and sat himself in another leather armchair that sat opposite Watari. He readjusted Masahiro on his chest, and looked at Watari expectantly.
"I think you owe me an explanation Quillsh" Light said coolly, using Watari's real name with ease. Watari sighed, and with his fingers interlocked he leaned forward on the large desk, looking intently at Light and Masahiro.
"I agree. Well... To get straight to the point, as you can see I'm not dead. I've been hiding myself from Lawliet and the rest of the world in order to work on a special project that has finally reached completion. Only Mello knows of my existence, but not of the project that I've been undertaking. It was of crucial importance to keep this hidden from Lawliet, and faking my death seemed to be the only sure way in which to do this. However, I knew I would have to come back one day, and explain this to you. It's odd how some things actually turn out the way you expect them to, huh Yagami" Watari smiled slightly, and reaching into his desk, he produced a packet of toffees.
"Toffee?" Light shook his head at the offer, glancing down to his still-sleeping son. It still gave him a physical pang in his chest to see Masahiro's visually carbon copy face of L, but despite this he loved him.
"Suit yourself" Watari eagerly devoured a few toffees and sat back, deep in thought.
"I understand that Quillsh, but what was this mission and why did you have to hide it from my fiancé?" Light questioned, sinking back into the chair. He got the feeling that the next part was going to be a long story.
Watari smiled sadly, and nodded.
"Always so eager to know the full story... Ok I'll tell you Yagami, but don't expect any sympathy from me. This has to happen Light Yagami, no matter what".
"You see, before L, the world was in chaos. Crime ran riot through the streets, and with only limited powers of the police it never was fully under control. Sure there were detectives, but nobody nearly powerful enough to clamp down on L. I was a budding scientist and detective as well. I saw the crime and danger leaking into our daily life, and I knew there had to be a stop to it. That's when I met L", Watari reflected, looking deep in thought.
"At the time, Lawliet was only a two years old. His parents were killed in a tragic fire, which wiped out his home and his life before hand. Amazing people, they were Lawliet's parents. Fantastic minds and they doted on their young son, who had obviously inherited their intelligence. You would have like them Light, they certainly knew how to have a good time" Watari laughed, reminiscing about forgotten stories and inside jokes.
"It was clear to me that L was going to be extraordinary. His mind surpassed any child of his age, and as he grew he improved rapidly at an almost terrifying level. My colleagues and I... Well we saw something in Lawliet that could be moulded into something remarkable. And with crime running so freely in the world, we knew we could make him into one of the greatest detectives of his time".
Watari sighed, and took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.
"I'm not trying to justify our actions. It was almost... barbaric what we did. But, we were young and impulsive" Watari shot an apologetic glance at Light.
"At the time, we had been developing a... life-changing scientific method. It was very radical, and we weren't sure if it would work. We named it the Gallifreyan technique, after the Doctor Who story. We had found a way to... in Layman's terms, to regenerate a human being. The Gallifreyan Technique involved extracting DNA of said human and 'modifying' it" he used air quotations of that particular word, "to suit our purposes. Using a simplistic view, we could inject said modified DNA into the original individual and grow the exact same person, therefore preventing the individual to die out" Watari glanced at Light, who seemed to be sitting rigidly in the spot.
"Like I previously said, crime had become a huge burden on our modern day existence, and with the potential that Lawliet was showing... We used him as the first subject of the Gallifreyan Technique" Watari whispered the last sentence, shame ringing through his words.
"We then set about making him into what he turned into being, a human with almost super-human characteristics. His intelligence outstripped everybody; his thinking process outshone any opponent. And with him being the carrier of the Gallifreyan Technique, we knew this talent would never die out" Watari sighed once more.
"When L solved the Kira case, and fell in love with you, we saw our opportunity to test the technique out. We created the whole idea of male pregnancies as a cover, and when Lawliet began showing the signs of human growth within him, we were ecstatic. Lawliet was, without realizing it, growing a new version of himself, therefore keeping the future generations safe from major crime" Watari explained carefully, and with a shaking hand he pointed at Masahiro.
"That, Light Yagami, is not your son. That is baby Lawliet, regenerated from the original copy" he concluded tiredly.
Light was shocked. He couldn't take his eyes off Watari, who in turn was watching him warily. With great effort he looked down at the baby.
His face, his perfect face, which Light thought being a happy mistake, was no doubt the exact same as his L's.
"Where do I come into this?" Light whispered.
Watari shrugged, eating another toffee.
"Your existence was just a coincidence. You falling in love with Lawliet, and him reciprocating your love were a blip. Unfortunately, since love is now so ingrained in the original L's subconscious, this young one will fall in love too. With a copy of you. He won't have the same face as you, Light Yagami, but he will have virtually the same qualities. We don't know who it's going to be, but we know it's going to happen" Watari sighed, his tone seemed to be almost annoyed, causing Light's defence to rile up.
"I guess you can call it soulmates, if such a loose term applies to this situation" Watari rubbed his forehead tiredly.
"...Why did you have to kill off my L?"
Watari looked at Light, his eyes full of anguish.
"I didn't want to, I hope you know Yagami. That's the only problem with the Gallifreyan technique, having two of the same people, even with the minor chance of meeting, could create huge problems for us. After the new copy of the test subject is created, the old one dies automatically" Watari answered, his eyes lowered to the desk.
"So... what are you going to do know? Since this is L, isn't there a problem for me falling in love with my own son?" Light probed, shock still shooting through his head.
"He was never your son Yagami, we had to trick you I'm afraid. But yes, that is a worry. So... That's why I have to take him away from you" Watari said quietly.
Light froze. He had lost his true love, now they were taking away the only hope he had.
"We'll raise him to be the new L, with the same background to his 'father' and he'll become a great detective and keep the world in order" Watari informed him, and he slowly stood up, walking towards Light slowly.
"Please Light. This is for the best. You can't keep him now; it's too dangerous for you and him. It's for the best" Watari said quietly, reaching his arms out.
Light looked at him, disbelief and sadness ringing through to him. He didn't want to, god if he could keep L he would. But it felt morally wrong, falling in love what was your assumed own child. He looked down at the baby, and kissing his head gently he handed him to Watari.
"Will he be safe? And healthy?" Light asked, not looking at Watari at all.
"Yes. I will look after him for the early years, and my successor, Roger will look after him later. He'll be fine Light Yagami" Watari answered, shifting the baby in a more comfortable position.
Light nodded, and looked up at the man.
"Could I ask a favour?" Light questioned, his eyes shining with a small gleam of hope.
Watari paused, but nodded hesitantly.
"Before I die, can I see him...? Once last time?" Light asked, biting his lip. It was a huge order, but he needed to have it granted.
Watari sighed, and stood for a while, deliberating in his head. Finally he nodded.
"Yes, but only then. Until that, you cannot see him Yagami. At the time we'll give you more instructions on how to act when you do meet him" Watari answered cautiously.
"Thank you" Light smiled tiredly, and with that he stood up, and pulled his scarf tighter, looking at the baby.
"Until next time Lawliet" he murmured, kissing the baby quickly. He sped out of the door, never looking back at Watari cradling his new but old true love.
One more chapter cupcakes and then the end. Guess what will happen!
*Disclaimer*
I don't own Doctor Who or any of its affiliates, especially the idea of regeneration and Gallifrey. That goes to the original writers/creators.
I only own the plotline. None of the characters (Apart from Masahiro) come from my creation.
All credit is given to the Death Note creators.