Truth and Justice

Warnings for this chapter: Angst, Language, WIP.
SPOILERS: All manga, all anime, L's true name, Another Note, Law and Right.

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Truth and Justice

Chapter 13: Life

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"What the fuck?"

Light couldn't have said it better himself, even if he hadn't had a tube stuck down his throat. The noise was horrible, with beeping coming from all different directions, hands all over him. Needles, stitches, someone poked one of his toes with something sharp, had him jerking enough to send up a flood of complaints from the small army that was sewing him back together. He felt a bit like Humpty Dumpty.

That thought alone assured him he was on adequate pain medication.

There were so many people over him and none of them seemed to notice yet that he was awake. He couldn't make any kind of sound, not with that tube in his throat, so he turned his head, tried to raise one of his arms. It was shoved down again with a hearty scolding that if he didn't stay still, they couldn't patch him up.

So he settled for letting his gaze wander until he saw what he was looking for.

L. Looking tired and weak, but happy. Mikami was with him, and Mello. So that was who had said it. He'd thought he'd recognized the voice. He blinked slowly, let his gaze return to his husband, settle there as he was pinched, poked, prodded and sewn back together again.

He didn't even want to think about how many stitches that was going to take. Eventually, somehow, they finished. He was taken away, but L was with him, holding his hand, and he gave it a soft squeeze.

"B is dead. Blood loss," L explained quietly. "I can't explain everything here, but when you're well enough to be transported back to the infirmary, I'll tell you everything. I'm so sorry."

Light squeezed his hand, tighter this time, and lifted it. Since he couldn't kiss it, he simply pressed it to his cheek, smiled behind the ventilator when he saw the tears building in L's eyes. They had so much to talk about, if only that damn tube were out of his throat.

There was a test, some sort of scan that Light didn't have the energy nor the inclination to determine. Apparently, what they saw was a good thing, because he was transported to the ICU instead of surgery. Something, L said, they had thought he needed.

Then it was quiet again. No beeping, only the soft hiss of the respirator, the warmth of L's hand in his. The comfort of knowing that he was alive again, and that L would not have to go on without him.

He didn't know when he fell asleep, but when he woke, he saw a face so familiar and yet so foreign that he wasn't sure he recognized her. How could a son not know his own mother's face?

She was weeping and smiling, pressing a kiss to his forehead and taking his hand, holding it. She spoke to him quietly, reassurances, love and pride. He wondered if she really believed he was Kira.

He was in and out of consciousness for a while, waking up to new people in his room each time. Just one or two at a time, but always with L at his side. Always.

Aizawa, Mogi, Matsuda. Mikami and Wammy, Wedy and Aiber. His mother, his sister, her husband. Mello, Near, even Lidner. That confused him, too, but was too weak to write out the questions that were building up.

Somewhere in there they removed some of the stitches, gave him sponge baths. L kept the TV on most of the time, watching the media coverage, watching the world’s reaction.

He wasn't sure how long it had been, but they pulled the tube from his throat and he was finally allowed to brush his teeth. He must have spent an hour scrubbing the filthy taste from his mouth before L finally told him enough was enough.

When he was done, he turned his gaze to L, smiled. "I love you."

"And I love you," L replied with a weak smile, "even if I was forced to kill you."

"Well... I don't know how you brought me back," Light said softly, "but we got the King's attention."

There was a pause. "That is interesting information, and it explains quite a bit. Near has provided us with information that leads us to believe that your old friend has gone missing.

"I'm not sure if I should be worried or relieved," Light replied with a weak smile. "How long, before I can go home?"

"They're going to approve you to be moved tomorrow, if you show no signs of deterioration," L replied.

"Good. In that case, I'll rest for a while. You have a lot to fill me in on," Light shifted in the bed, hissed softly, and relaxed. There were tiny aches and pains everywhere, even with the pain medication and the healing his body had already done in the time he'd been there.

When he woke, it was from a gentle nudge to his hand. He blinked his eyes open, rubbing them with a weak sigh, yawning.

"Light, it's time for you to go to the infirmary wing," L announced quietly.

"All right," he muttered, slowly sitting up. He was moved into a wheelchair, his IV held up by an orderly. The window was dark, the sky splattered with stars. "Odd time to be switching hospitals. Someone leaked to the media?"

"Yes," L replied, walking alongside the wheelchair. "We will be transporting you in an unmarked van with sufficient medical equipment."

A few minutes later, Light was helped into a van, settled into the passenger seat and buckled in. The required medical equipment accompanied him and he looked over to find Mello in the driver's seat.

"This is all just fuckin' weird," Mello muttered, but that was all he said to greet Light as they pulled away from the hospital, L crouched in the back, watching them closely.

The trip was uneventful and soon Light was settled into a cool bath, relaxing and enjoying the idea that he was home -- or at least close to it. He took the time to reflect upon what had happened, his gaze resting on the ceiling as he soaked.

He wouldn't have noticed the brush of paper across his skin if a Shinigami hadn't appeared before him as it happened. He blinked a few times.

There were eyes all over the shinigami, and it seemed to be like a pillar rising from the ground, hovering over him on thin wings that beat soundlessly.

"And you are?" Light asked softly.

"Nu," the creature replied. Light couldn't tell if it was male or female, but things like that hardly mattered. "I have been sent by the King of Death."

The pause was long enough that Light ventured a reply. "To end my life?"

"To inform you that Ryuk is being punished. When he is done, he will be killed. I have been sent to take back ownership of all Death Notes remaining here on earth and to permit the humans who owned them to retain their memories," Nu blinked all her eyes in unison.

"It would be best to speak with L about it before it happens. He has been the one standing against Kira the longest. Would that be acceptable?" Light asked.

"Yes, I suppose so. I will haunt you until such a time as we have informed your companion and all humans who will be losing ownership," Nu agreed.

"Then I'll request L's presence immediately, and he will bring in the only other Kira that we know of. There are two Death Notes held here in a high security area and one with a man called Near. Those are, to our knowledge, the only ones currently on Earth," Light sat up slowly, pressing the intercom button. "L, we have a visitor with news of Ryuk."

"A visitor?"

"A shinigami named Nu. It has come to return the Death Notes to the Shinigami Realm. If you'd call Mikami-san and Near, it would be best to explain things with all of us present," Light replied, then slowly rose from the tub, stepping out and drying off. It was exhausting to do even that, but he managed to pull on a robe and make his way to bed.

He must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, he was being nudged awake. He wiped at his eyes, slowly sitting up and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. His gaze wandered to Near, Mikami, then Nu. "Can they see you yet?"

Nu brushed her Death Note against L, Near then Mikami. "Now they are able. I am Nu, sent by the King of Death to reclaim the Death Notes so recklessly scattered by the Shinigami criminal, Ryuk. In payment, the humans who currently have ownership will be permitted to retain their memories surrounding the Death Note."

"I will surrender my ownership of the Death Note," Light replied.

Mikami hesitated for a moment, but nodded. "As will I."

"And I," Near removed his Death Note from his shirt, handed it to Nu.

"If it is possible," L said softly, "I wish to keep a certain piece of the Death Note for an additional twenty-four hours. Long enough to explain myself to those I work with."

Nu moved in what Light thought might have been a nod. "Very well. I will come back in twenty-four human hours for both remaining Death Notes. And from you," all her eyes shifted to Mikami, "from you, I will take the Eraser."

Again, Mikami nodded. "Of course."

"Eraser?" Light frowned. "What eraser?"

"I will explain everything in the morning, Light," L assured as Nu took to the air and slid right through the ceiling. Back, they assumed, to the shinigami realm.

"Rest now, Yagami-san," Mikami smiled, stepping close and resting a hand on Light's shoulder. "Tomorrow everything will be made clear, but for now, you need to rest, to gather your strength. You have a long recovery ahead."

Light's gaze turned to L, sighing when he saw the stubbornness there. "Very well," he agreed, but he reached out, took L's hands in his own, pulled him close. Kissed him, soft and sweet.

While they were busy, Near and Mikami quietly let themselves out. Mikami walked slowly in the direction of his apartment and Near drove to a nearby hotel for the evening.

"Stay with me tonight?" Light asked, his fingers lacing with L's.

"You're injured," L frowned, pulling one of Light's arms up, showing the stitches, the bandages.

"My body isn't the only thing that suffered. Nightmares would only strain the stitches," which they both knew was nothing less than an excuse, but they were both looking for one. L sighed and made a show of giving in as he settled into the bed with Light.

It was the same feeling, Light realized, as he had felt in Mu. The same warm, safe feeling, that everything would be okay. That the end wasn't quite the end, and there was still a sunrise yet to be faced. He smiled as he slept, and the nightmares were kept at bay.

In the morning, everything would make sense again, he was sure. If there was anyone that could give him what he needed to make sense of the world, it was L. His L.

Life, he decided, was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

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A/N: I chose Nu because, according to Volume 13, she likes repentance and is the strongest Shinigami, next to the King of Death. I also liked the way she looked so different from most of the other Shinigami. =3

Adele: XD Cliffhangers are hateful, evil little things, aren't they? And here I leave you with another one, don't I? But at least it's not so bad. =3 The next chapter explains it all with another meeting of pretty much everyone involved. Then we'll move into the recovery, though I think that'll be relatively short. (And I totally never noticed the 'there' issue in your review. Probably because I can't spell for beans. XD Thank god for spell check!)