I'm sorry it took so long, but my computer broke down again, and the only copy of this chapter was on it. here, enjoy!!

L was discharged from the hospital the following morning. The doctors had decided that he was both mentally and physically fit to leave. L had to resist rolling his eyes at the simple conclusion.

However, as he went down the elevator with Watari and Near (Mello and Matt had been barred from the hospital due to their behaviour), he felt somewhat agitated that Light had not come to visit him. He had asked Watari if he could visit Light, but to his surprise, Watari informed that Light had been discharged earlier.

If that was the case, why hadn't Light come to visit him? L felt a gnawing feeling in his heart. Had Light changed his mind? Did Light no longer wanted to be with him? All these questions ran themselves over and over again in L's head.

As they entered the exited the lobby and Watari tried to get a cab, L looked around, depressed. Near noticed and held L's hand tightly.

"I'm sure he has a good reason, oni-chan," said Near softly, giving L's hand a comforting squeeze.

L nodded, not knowing what to say.

"L…"

L turned so around quickly. In front of him was Light, bruised, slightly battered but it was still him. He was smiling softly at L and slowly, as though reaching out to fierce stray cat, he reached his hand out to L.

Tentatively, like a cautious cat who had just received a tit bit from a human, L took Light's hand into his own. Upon feeling Light's hand in his own, L rushed forward to embrace Light.

"I'm so glad you came back," said L, burying his face into Light's shoulder.

"I never left," answered Light into L's messy black hair.

The two of them just stood there, embracing each other with Watari and Near smiling in the background. The people who were walking by gave them odd looks that went unheeded.

Not far, on a bench in front of the hospital, two pairs of eyes were drinking in the sight.

"So sweet, isn't it?" said Ryuk, his large eyes flowing with tears.

Rem, who had until then been observing the sight with tearful eyes herself, immediately reverted back to her stern demeanour.

"Get a hold of yourself, Ryuk-san," she said sternly.

"But Rem-chan!" exclaimed Ryuk, turning his tearful orbs towards his red-haired counterpart. "Surely even you could allow some show of emotion at such a beautiful sight! Two lovers who went through a turbulent and difficult time, finally overcoming the odds and could at last be together…"

Ryuk was silenced when Rem suddenly pressed her lips to his.

Rem pulled away and smirked when she saw Ryuk staring at her with even wider eyes than usual.

"What the hell was that?" croaked Ryuk hoarsely.

"Manners, Ryuk-san," said Rem, her smirk widening. "You ramble a lot, did you know that? So I've been thinking of ways to shut you up. Eating doesn't seem to work as you can still talk fluently even with your mouth full, you blabber when you're deep in thought, so I thought a good kiss might…"

She was cut off when Ryuk pressed his lips to hers.

"…shuts you up too, doesn't it?" commented Ryuk, grinning widely.

The two just stared at each other.

"Whatever comes out of your mouth is rubbish," said Rem.

"Whatever comes out of yours is boring," retorted Ryuk.

"Looks like we need to shut each other up," remarked Rem.

"Agreed," replied Ryuk.

With the savagery of lions, they hurled themselves at each other for an intense (A/N: and utterly unimaginable) make out session.

LLLLLLLL

When they got home, Near immediately rushed off to Light's house to see Sayu. Watari had been pleasantly surprised that Near did not ask L to accompany him. Before, Near could not go just about anywhere without L in tow. But now the young boy was growing more and more independent.

Watari went to call Mello but stopped in front of the door. He could hear the bed creaking loudly on the other side, accompanied by Matt's voice screaming words like "harder", "deeper", "faster" and a lot more obscene things. Snorting with amusement, Watari instead turned to where L and Light were.

The two of them were on the couch, cuddling each other contentedly. Watari did not want to disturb them but he knew he had to for a little while.

"Eru, Light-san, I wish to talk to you both for awhile," said Watari, seating himself in a chair adjacent to the couch.

The two boys straightened up to look at Watari.

The old man took his time, polishing his glasses and checking them against the light to buy himself time to gather his thoughts.

"I understand you both wish to be together," he said at last, putting his glasses back on.

L and Light huddled together, as if they were afraid Watari might try to separate them.

"I have nothing against your sexual preferences; but not everyone will feel the same way as I do," continued Watari.

Both boys nodded, understanding what Watari was driving at.

"It's going to be a long and difficult road. People may insult you, be disgusted by you and may even try to hurt you for being what you are. The world has its joys and wonders, but it has even more ugliness, hate and horrors."

Both boys nodded again.

"That being said," continued Watari. "Are you sure this is what you both want?"

"Yes," answered L and Light simultaneously.

Watari nodded. "Then, the only thing left for me to say is only for you, Light-san. If you hurt Eru in any possible way, I will make sure that you wish you had never been born. I will make your life so terrible that even Hell would be like a vacation in Miami."

"Watari!" cried L, shocked that his grandfather would say such things.

Light gaped at the old man for a moment, and then smiled. "I guess I have nothing to worry about then."

Watari smiled at his grandson's lover. "Welcome to the family."

L and Light bowed to him before retreating up to L's bedroom.

"Your grandfather can be scary," commented Light.

"He's a bit overprotective, that's all," answered L, wrapping his arms around Light's neck and pulling him down to the floor. He nibbled on Light's neck gently, leaving some marks.

Light closed his eyes, enjoying the attention that L was giving to his neck. After awhile, he pulled away to look at L.

"You know," he murmured. "I feel kind of bad for Watari."

"Why?" asked L in surprise.

"I'd think he'd want great-grandchildren," said Light. "That's something we can't do."

L considered for a moment and then, to Light's surprise, a mischievous smile formed on L's lips.

"You're right," said L. "We can't."

"Then why are you smiling like that?" demanded Light.

"Didn't you realise, Raito?" said L. "Of my two brothers, Near is straight and he likes Sayu."

"Oh," was all Light could say.

"We'll let Near give Watari great-grandchildren," said L, pulling Light back down. "Now shut up and kiss me.

Light was only too happy to comply.

LLLLLL

Watari walked quietly in the park. The leaves were falling all around him, signaling that autumn had arrived. He sighed, he was now in the winter of his life and still he had so many regrets.

He hoped he had done the right thing by allowing L and Light to follow their hearts, like he should have done all those years ago. But then, he mused, if he had done so, he would never have had his daughter, and in turn he would never have had those three wonderful grandchildren that loved so much.

As he continued walking around the park aimlessly, he spotted a familiar figure seated on a park bench.

As he approached, the figure turned to him and simply said: "Watari."

"Mamoru," returned Watari. "May I sit down?"

"I don't own the park," answered the old curator, making room for Watari to sit.

The two just sat there in silence. Finally, Watari decided to speak up.

"How's the museum coming along?" he asked awkwardly.

Anezaki didn't even turn to look at him. "I'm thinking of closing down."

"What?" cried Watari. "Why?"

"Nobody bothers to come to the museum anymore," answered Anezaki. "Aside from your grandson, the whole place is just falling apart."

Watari sighed, knowing what the other man said was true.

"I don't understand one thing, Mamoru," he said. "You're a brilliant man; you could have easily started a successful business or gotten any job. Yet, why did you pick a career that was doomed from the start?"

"I like what I do," snapped Anezaki in anger. "It's what I love to do. I do what I love to do, what makes me feel happy. Not what other people tell me to do. Like what you did."

Watari hung his head with shame. "I had to think of my parents, Mamoru…"

"But you didn't think enough about me," snapped Anezaki. "You just left me that night, refused to return my calls, refused to see me. Before I knew what was happening, you were married to some woman for the sake of a business partnership."

Watari said nothing.

"Then after all those years, you suddenly had the gall to come and ask me to help you take care of your grandchildren," continued Anezaki. "No explanation, you just walked in and made that request of me. But you were smart there…"

"What do you mean?" asked Watari.

"You were smart enough to bring L in his swaddling cloth," answered Anezaki. "Had you not done that, I would've refused to help you. But seeing the infant so helpless in your arms, I agreed to help you."

"Even then, you rarely kept in touch me. Oh yes, Watari, I know that those few years in university meant nothing to you. I was just an experiment, a fling, a call-boy…"

"That's not true!" cried Watari. "All those moments are precious to me, Mamoru! I loved you…I mean, I love you. Not a day has gone by where I didn't curse myself for leaving you like I did. For the past five decades, I just wanted to run to you and beg for your forgiveness, beg you to love me again…"

"Then why didn't you?" said Anezaki, his voice shaking. "Why did you just leave me in the middle of the night? Why didn't you see me?"

"I had no choice, Mamoru," answered Watari, his eyes tearing. "The world then was so much harsher on people like us. My parents threatened to have you taken care of if I didn't comply with their wishes…and I foolishly agreed. We could have outwitted them, but I panicked, and chose to hurt you instead. I didn't see you because I was afraid that they may carry out their threat. After they died, it wasn't fair to Clarissa that I just leave her. I guess, in a way, I came to love her. But after she died, I wanted to see you, to explain everything…but I was a coward, I was afraid…"

Anezaki looked away, his eyes shut in attempt to stem the tears.

Watari reached forward and took the other man's hand into his own.

"I'm so sorry, Mamoru," he said softly. "I wished I could make it up to you somehow. But I fear it's too late."

"It's never too late, Watari," replied Anezaki, looking at Watari at last. "Will you stay with me, so that we may be together in the twilight of our lives?"

Watari buried his face into the other man's shoulder, crying. "Thank you, Mamoru. That is so much more than I deserve."

The leaves continued to fall around the two as they sought comfort in each other; free to be who they truly were at last.

LLLLLL

Near ran as fast as his legs would carry him. His mind was set only on one thing: Sayu. He soon arrived to where her house was. He was about to head for the door when he heard something.

It was Sayu's voice, singing softly in the evening.

Following it, Near realised it was coming over the fence where the Yagamis kept their garden. He quickly ran there and found her.

She was sitting on the grass, singing softly.

Her voice was soft, sweet and melodious. It brought peace to Near's heart as only L could.

As the boy neared, Sayu saw him and stopped.

"Near-chan!" she cried. She was about to get up to run to him but Near raised a hand to stop her.

"Don't stop," he said softly.

Sayu's eyes widened with surprise, but she obeyed.

As she sang, Near sat down next to her and closed his eyes. He lost himself in the melody of her beautiful voice.

Sayu kept singing, enjoying the contented look on the boy's face. She sang and sang; exhilarated by her song until she did not even realise that the sun had set.

Soon, Near was lulled into a comfortable sleep. He laid his head on Sayu's lap. She smiled and ran her fingers through his white hair.

When Sachiko came to call her in, she stopped at the sight. The two of them looked so peaceful that she had not the heart to disturb them. So she left them outside in the garden.

Above, the stars shone brightly. Sayu looked up them and somehow, she knew that everything would be all right.

In her world at least, all was at peace.

I'm sad to say that this is the second last chapter...the following will merely be an Epilogue...but i sincerely thank all those who supported this story...i'd like to say more, but i'll leave it for the Epilogue...