Author's Note: EPILOGUE! This will be my last update for this story. Let me know if you have any questions, if I've left any loose ends, or if something was unclear :) You guys absolutely, positively rock for holding out with this story ^_^ All of your reviews/comments have been so great.

I'll say it one last time: I hope you guys liked my story :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, or anything remotely associated with it.

January 26, 2018

How long had it been? I wondered half-heartedly. I knew if I took even a micro second to stop and think about it, I'd know; but I really didn't care.

I walked through the shovelled path along the main road of the cemetery. It took me a moment to realise how absolutely silent everything was. It was a beautiful day, and the sun glinted like diamonds off the fresh snow, but there were no sounds. No sounds from the city, no sounds from nature, not even the sounds of my boots crunching on the snow; not even the sound of my breathing. A quiet reverence was spread over the whole area; a quiet respect for the dead.

I turned left now, working my way through the much deeper snow, some of it ending up in my boots, but I didn't care. I walked past the rows of dead, stopping when I came to four, unnamed graves.

Four crosses marked the resting places of four of my closest friends.

I took the first of four bouquets of roses from my hands and placed it on the snow in front of the first cross. Twelve blue roses directly contrasted the unmarred white, but the white tag I'd attatched blended right in. 'Here Lies Justice' it read. "I miss you so much L," I said quietly, breaking the silence. "We all do. You are a hero, in every sense of the word."

The next roses I placed were pink; the tag reading 'Here Lies Hope." Watari's grave. Quillish Wammy's Grave. I bowed respectfully and moved on.

On the third grave I left yellow roses with a tag that said, 'Here Lies Youth.' Matt's grave. Mail Jeevas' Grave. Matt hadn't even made it to his twentieth birthday; he was just four days short. He had died five years ago to the day and had been all but three years younger than I was now. I wanted to be angry and bitter. I wanted to hate vermin who had taken such a wonderful person out of the world... such wonderful people. 'What a waste,' I wanted to say, but I just couldn't. Near's words to me that day replayed over and over in my mind, and kept me sane.

"Forgiveness doesn't mean you're too weak to hold on, it means you're strong enough to let go. I don't think they would have it any other way. They would want you to be happy, they would want you to let go of your pain. Letting go doesn't mean you have to forget after all."

I couldn't say anything, so instead I let a single tear drop fell from my eye onto the snow and allowed a weak smile.

And now I came upon the last grave. 'Here Lies Determination,' I read to myself as I kneeled down beside Mello's grave. Mihael Keehl's grave. I placed the last of my bouquets beside the cross. Twelve purple roses now adorned the snow covered ground.

I pulled Mello's picture out of the pocket of my coat... Mello's coat.

"His death wasn't in vain you know. He died a hero." Halle had told me when we'd gotten into the car. We were headed back to the SPK headquarters.

"Yeah, I know." I said, and pulled out Mello's picture from my pocket and held it to my chest. It was the same picture Mello'd retrieved from Near the month before. The picture from Wammy's. It was the picture that he'd oh so cleverly hidden in the pocket of the coat he'd given me just two days earlier. I turned it over and read the back. 'Dear Mello' had been crossed out, and in its place read: 'Dear Jewel.' I turned the picture back around and gazed into the face of a fourteen year old boy.

A small but firm tug on the corner of my jacket... of Mello's jacket, had me zoning back to the present.

"Mommy?" I looked down at the platinum blonde with azure eyes who was staring up at me.

"Yes dear?" I smiled down at her; she looked so much like him.

"That's Daddy's grave isn't it?" she asked me.

"Yes dear."

"Daddy was a hero, wasn't he?"

"Yes dear."

"And Uncle Near?"

"Yes dear."

She seemed to ponder this for a moment and her gaze fell upon the graves in front of us.

"And Uncle Mail?" she asked, not taking her eyes from the four crosses.

"Mmm Hmm," I confirmed. "Don't forget Quillish," I added. "And L."

Her gaze fell on the farthest crosses, "I'd never forget Wammy," she said in her angelic voice, "or L, or any of the other people who lost their lives." Such an old soul she was already, and not even five years old. "I'd never forget all the people who stood up to Kira, who saved the world. Daddy and the others, they the saved the world, right Mommy?"

"Yes dear."

"Jesse," a voice called from behind us. It was so nice to no longer have to hide behind a false name, to no longer have to fear that which was called Kira.

The tiny blonde turned first, "Uncle Near!" she exclaimed and ran to great him excitedly. I turned and watched her run into my brother's legs and wrap her arms around them. I wondered if Near would ever get used to that. "Uncle Near!" she smiled, "You're back from your case already?"

Near nodded at the little girl with ashen skin. I turned back to the graves to say one last goodbye.

"Same time next year Mello?" I asked quietly. "She sure looks like you ya know. And you know what else? She's going to be smarter than Near; bet on it." I winked and turned to follow Near and his niece.

Near had been courteous enough to come pick us up in his car. I'd told him we didn't need him to, but he'd insisted. The three of us slid into the back; me with Virginia, the little blonde with a stuffed pig, aptly named Orwell and oddly enough Near, with Macaca Fascicularis. I always had to roll my eyes at the name he'd given his stuffy all those years ago.

It was quite a quiet ride until a small voice asked, "What are the different coloured roses for?" I instantly had a flashback to my days at Wammy's; to the day in particular when Mello had asked me exactly the same question.

I recited back to the little girl the same answer I had given to Mello. "Blue roses are for a complex personality, an enigma, a person with many layers, a person who holds true fascination for oneself," L had always been fascinating to me. "Pink roses are given for thanks," I was ever so thankful to Quillish Wammy for everything he'd done for me and all the children at his school. "Yellow roses are for happiness and friendship," Matt had always been there for me; whenever I needed him. "And purple roses; purple roses are for love at first sight. You give purple roses to someone who has swept you off your feet, who you wish to know a lot better."

"Wouldn't, wouldn't red roses be more appropriate?" the little girl asked, a little unsure.

"Anybody can receive red roses... Mello wasn't just anyone."

"You really loved him," Near cut in unexpectedly, it wasn't a question.

"Yes, I really love him."

Author's Note: Well that's it ;P

So, I'm sure I'm going to get a question or two about the kid's name. As it was I was so undecided. I had a couple ideas myself and I was given some really awesome suggestions from others too. I couldn't decide, so I just decided to leave it out.

I got the information on the roses from some sort of botany site, so if I'm wrong, blame them ha-ha ^_^

So, the general consensus is that people want a prequel to this story. I'm feeling something along the lines of Mello's and Jewel's lives at Wammy's, before all this Kira business. I hope you guys will read that when it gets posted :)

A Special Thanks: I would like to formally acknowledge the following for their glorious reviews, support, and great idea's for my story :)

Tawnyshine, snowflakeyukiharuno, Kira Tsumi, KiriKatana, HarryPotterMangaGleek, Strange Amairaini XIII, Katya.G.M, Holly and iggy4eva.

Not to mention all those who awesomely favourited/subscribed. And all my readers in general :D

You all made writing this story worthwhile =^_^=