Chapter 25
Christine opened her eyes and was startled to realize she had fallen asleep. She looked down and saw that both boys had also fallen asleep in her lap. She ran her hands thru both of their hair, smoothing down the red hair of Matt's that rivaled her own, and the pure white of Near's. For a few moments she tried to tell herself that it was all a horrible dream, that L wasn't dead, and Mello wasn't gone. But she knew it was true and she would have to deal with it. First thing, she had to find out about Watari. She looked down at the boys and slid out from under them without waking them. She walked out of the room as quietly as she could and closed the door behind her.
This time she knocked before she entered Roger's office. He was standing and looking out of the window onto the great lawn of Whammy's, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Roger, can I talk to you?" she asked as she came in. He turned around and nodded, gesturing at the chair in front of his desk.
"Have you heard from Watari? Is he on his way back yet?" she asked. Roger looked sadly at her and shook his head.
"The code from Watari letting me know that he had everything under control once L had died never came. I believe we've lost Watari as well."
Christine's head lowered and she stared at her hands. Tears began again and she couldn't control them. She had been afraid of this, as she hadn't heard from him as well. She was sure that if something had happened to L, and he was able to, Watari would have contacted her. This was so wrong, that sweet man did nothing with his life and fortune except to help children with it. Then he spent the rest of his life being at L's side. In a way it was probably a blessing they went together. She couldn't imagine Watari making it through with L gone, and L would simply be lost without Watari. She found some comfort in knowing they were together, and not alone.
"What about the arrangements to bring them home?" she asked quietly. Roger sighed.
"Well, now that Whammy's true identity has been found out, arrangements have been made to bring him back here."
"And L with him ofcourse." She stated.
"Well, Dr. Thompson, the police in Japan have no idea who L really is or where he's from. I would assume they would have him buried there.." Christine practically leaped to her feet and leaned over the desk so quickly that Roger had to sit back in surprise. Both of her fists slammed onto his desk as she leaned into him, her eyes flashing with sudden anger.
"You will NOT leave L in Japan, is that clear? You will bring him home immediately!" Roger's mouth hung open in surprise before he finally gathered himself.
"Dr. Thompson I understand your feelings but in all honesty they may have already buried him. His countdown starts 24 hours after he's missed the log in, I'm sure they would have already taken care of that by now."
"I don't give a damn what you're sure of, if they've buried him you tell them to get him back and you get him on a plane immediately with Watari. He doesn't deserve to be buried in a strange place with none of his family around. He deserves to be home!!"
"He doesn't have any family, Dr. Thompson…."
"WE are his family. The boys and I and Watari., this entire orphanage!! Watari would want to be with L, you know that. He always was in life and death doesn't mean they have to be separated now. Now you get on that phone and you call whoever you need to in Japan and get that done or so help me God Roger you have no idea what I will do!"
"But what will I tell them…"
"You'll come up with something Roger. Tell them you know Watari was working with a young man and you're looking for him. When they tell you he's died as well you will ask to claim the body as he was very close to Watari and you knew he didn't have a family. If you say they know Watari was Whammy and ran orphanages then it will make sense. Just get on that damn phone and do it now!" She waited until Roger sat back up and reached for the phone. Then she backed away from the desk and sat down to watch.
The boys had spent the last couple of nights in Christine's apartment, bunking in the living room like the overnights they used to share with L. They simply did not want to be alone and she completely understood. They had not gone to classes for the past couple of days and she did not expect them to until after L and Watari were returned and laid to rest in the wooded area behind Whammy's.
They were finishing breakfast when Roger called her telling her that they had arrived. She put the phone down slowly and looked at the boys.
"They've come home." She said quietly and they both understood. They both got up and went to her and she hugged them both.
"You guys stay here for right now, I want to make sure everything's in order." She said and left them. She assumed they would have been brought to the auditorium; it was the only room large enough other than the cafeteria. She made her way slowly down the hall and stopped at the door of huge room. She could see the two coffins at the far end, Roger and another gentlemen standing before them. The other gentleman opened one lid and then the other, Roger obviously verifying that they were indeed L and Watari. From where she stood she could see the white shirt and shock of raven hair that told her it was indeed L in that coffin. She kept herself together and walked into the room towards the two men. She kept her eyes on Roger as he signed papers, shook the man's hand and offered to show him to the door. Their eyes locked for a moment as he walked past her, his head shaking sadly.
Once they were gone she allowed herself to look down. The coffins lay side-by-side, Watari and then L. She walked over to Watari first and looked down at the still gentle face, the crisp suit, and the gray hair. She reached down and took his hand, stroking the cool skin as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Watari you were such a wonderful partner in taking care of L," she said quietly to him, "It's only right you are with him now. Please keep taking good care of him, he needs watching over so badly." She smiled and leant down and kissed his cheek. She released his hand and laid it next to the other one.
"Good-bye, I will miss you so much." She took a deep breath and tried to ready herself, but it didn't help. When she turned and looked at L, it was as if someone had taken a hammer to her chest and collapsed her lungs. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't move. She just looked down at his face that looked as he did when he was sleeping beside her. She expected him at any moment to open his and make fun of her for watching him as he slept. But he wasn't going to do that. She reached down and ran her fingers through the impossibly messy black hair that she so loved to do, and let her fingers trace down his jaw line, his face, and his mouth. She ran them down the white shirt to where his hands lay. She ran her fingers over his hands, tracing over the long slender fingers that would touch her face so gently when they were together. She looked back at his face, his eyes that still wore the dark lines underneath. She touched the lines with her fingertips, thinking that now at least he'd get the rest he so deserved. She leaned forward and kissed him for the very last time.
"It wasn't supposed to end this way," she whispered to him, "You still owe me a true win at chess without all the excuses. I must admit this is a novel way to keep from ever admitting defeat, L. I wouldn't put it past you with all your devious ways," she smiled and touched his hair again, "
She heard a gasp behind her and turned to see Near and Matt at the doorway, unable to wait until her return to come and see their beloved L for the final time. She watched them as they slowly came forward, acknowledging Watari but steadily moving towards L. She backed away from the coffin to let them closer. Matt's blue eyes were the size of saucer's as he stared down at L, as if they refused to believe what they saw, but there were no tears. Near stared down at L for a few moments, then reached in and took his hand. She saw his small body tremble slightly as he did this and her heart broke. She turned from them and stared at the wall, suddenly feeling as if it were all closing in on her at last. She sat in one of the auditorium chairs and wrapped her arms around herself as if trying to keep herself together and found she was losing the war quickly. She suddenly felt two pairs of arms wrap around her and she looked up to see both Near and Matt on either side of her, holding her as she had held them, and together they cried.
She was back in Roger's office about an hour later, after having led the boys back to her apartment, to discuss what was going to happen next. She wanted to have a special service for them later in the day, and have the older children in the criminology classes who had heard L's broadcasts and learned from him attend. They deserved to say good-bye to their mentor as well. And he deserved for them to finally know who he was. Then he and Watari would be buried in a private service in the morning. Roger nodded and said he would make sure all arrangements would be just as she wanted.
As much as she hated to do it, she had to go up into L's apartment to get the book. She wanted pictures out of it to use in the service for the kids, so she had to go. She realized she'd left the keys up in the apartment and hadn't locked the door when she left, she had left in such a hurry. She opened the door slowly and walked inside. It hurt her more than she thought it would, walking in here knowing he'd never see it again. She saw the book lying on the floor where she left it and picked it up slowly. She turned around trying not to focus on anything in the room, just the door at the end of it all. She ran to it and practically threw herself outside.
She sat down at her desk with the book and went thru it, although she already knew what she was going to use. Looking at him here, vibrant and silly, and knowing he was lying down the hall in a casket just wouldn't make sense in her mind or in her heart. But she would keep the promise she had made to herself and to him. They would know who L was, man and detective. And she would make sure they knew he spent his entire life helping the world and what he did for this orphanage and what his work will continue to do for this and their future. He was more than a damned letter, and if it took her the rest of her life she would make sure he would never be forgotten. She grabbed the pictures she wanted and headed out of Whammy's to the parking lot to go into town.
