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All is Forgotten, All is Forgiven	By : cor-te-reducit Category: Death Note > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 1362 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I own no aspect or part of the Death Note community (characters, storylines, etc) I make no money off of this story.

Chapter List
- 8
- 9
- 10
Title: All is Forgotten, All is Forgiven

Author: kathleenrose747

Pairing: L (Lawliet, Ryuzaki, Eraldo Coil, Denueve, Hideki Ryuga)/OC

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I have not, nor will I ever own anything relating to the idea, copyright, persons/characters and creation of Death Note. I also don't own any of the sweets mentioned in here. The only thing I own is Michiko Nakashima, a character of my own creation. I also do not own the song 'Never Thought (That I Could Love)' by Dan Hill.

Authors Note: I do use some of L's other aliases in the story. If you get confused, go to the Death Note Wiki or just look up L on Wikipedia to get a background on his aliases. I won't go into too much background with those names and their uses. Also, L is 29 years old in this story. So yes, we can consider it AU. Please review with constructive criticism. I would also like unadulterated praise, if it is available. :)

Another Note (And SPOILERS if you have not finished the series): Mello is very much alive in this. I need his character in order to play off Near, so I'm going with the idea that Mello switched out the Death Note page that Takada tried to use to kill him. Yes, I know that happened a year later than this story takes place in, but I'm pretending the Kira Death Note arc was solved faster than it really was. Onward!

Chapter 9: Coming Home

Michi woke up and quickly assessed her situation. She was breathing, she could smell coffee brewing and she could hear someone talking on a telephone. As she became more aware of her faculties, she noticed that the voice was switching between French and Japanese. 'What the hell? Am I still dreaming?' She rolled onto her back and sat up. She looked around her and saw Ryuzaki leaning against the doorjamb leading to the kitchen. He was pinching two cell phones between his thumbs and forefingers and relaying information between two different people. 'Wait... it's not Ryuzaki anymore. It's L. Or Lawliet. Or whatever the hell he decides to change his name to today." Michi cradled her head in her hands as she tried to wrap her brain around the complicated situation.

Lawliet looked over his shoulder at Michi. She was clearly displaying feelings of distress. He quickly ended his two-way conversation and pocketed the phones. He then walked into the kitchen and filled two cups with fresh black coffee. He juggled the cups, a carton of milk, and a full canister of sugar as he walked back into the living room. Michi was in the same position he had last seen her in. He couldn't help but feel some guilt over her current emotional state. He placed the items on the floor and crouched so that Michi's profile was level with him. He cleared his throat to get her attention. She slowly turned to look at him. Her eyes were glazed over and it took her quite some time to focus on Lawliet. His heart twanged again because he knew that his actions were the direct cause of Michi's distrust.

"I figured some coffee would help wake you up. I don't know if you do milk or sugar, so I brought both." Michi nodded and silently picked up a cup of coffee. She then reached into the sugar canister and dropped several sugar cubes into the steaming cup. She took a sip, found it to her liking, and then let out a deep sigh. She swung her legs over the edge of the couch and hunched over her cup, seeking warmth.

"So what the hell do I call you now?" Michi looked Lawliet in the eye, trying to divine the truth from those grey depths. When she got nothing but a blank stare, she looked into her coffee cup. "Ryuzaki. Denueve. Mr. Coil. L. Lawliet. How many more names do I have to go through before I meet the real you?" She sipped her coffee and held it close to her chest. The cup and its contents were the only things in the room she believed in at that moment. She heard a shuffling and saw Lawliet's feet leave her line of vision. She continued to stare into her cup. 'This is exactly what happens when I begin to trust someone. They remind me that the whole of the human race is untrustworthy.' Michi felt something lightly touch her right arm and she looked up. Ryuzaki was holding open her coat for her.

"It's almost 8:15. It will take us at least thirty minutes to get to where we need to be." Michi sighed and put down her coffee cup. As she stood up and turned around, she moved her arms into the sleeves and shrugged on the coat. She felt a pair of hands on her shoulders and she turned to look up at whoever the hell this man was. "Michiko, I know you don't trust me right now. Despite my many aliases, I hope that you still believe that I can and will protect you to the fullest extent." He dropped his hands from her shoulders and pushed his hands into his jeans pockets. He then turned to walk towards the door, since he could not bear to look Michi in the eye. He opened the door and then spoke over his shoulder. "I've hurt too many people in my past. I hope that trend will end with you after this meeting."

As he shuffled out the door, Michi looked to the ceiling and threw a silent prayer to whatever deity watched over her. 'I want to believe him. Just show me that I can finally believe in someone. Even if he has so many masks to hide behind, I just hope I will get to see him for who he really is.' She walked towards the door and added one final prayer. 'And I hope he will trust me as well.'

Later

The car ride was awkward and quiet. Michi stared out the window as the cityscape gave way to a forested area, peppered with various houses nestled between the trees. Lawliet sat next to her, crouched in his normal position as he stared forward in silence. Both occupants were trapped in their own thoughts, which similarly revolved around their conversation inside the apartment.

It was the unspoken things that were weighing the heaviest between them. Both Michi and Ryuzaki were concerned about what the future would hold for them. They both wondered about their newly developing feelings they were having for their partner and how it could affect the outcome of the case.

For Michi, she was terrified of falling in love with her boss. For one thing, that meant she had to trust the man, and that was not something that came easily to her. He certainly wasn't making it easier on his part by changing his name every time they met. However, his protective nature was winning her over day by day. Sure, she had been freaked out by the surveillance camera in her phone, but could she really blame him? If he truly was the greatest detective in the world, then he probably had some equally powerful enemies. Needless to say, being paranoid would certainly help keep him protected. Michi also replayed their shared dance in her head. No matter how she sliced it, her heart always fluttered when she remembered looking into his eyes. They had been so chilling, but inviting at the same time. 'Oh Michiko. What have you gotten yourself into?' She stared off into the trees, hoping her answer would come soon.

L's train of thought was following closely behind Michi's. He too was thinking of their dance and he marveled at how the human body could pick up on silent cues so easily. He had not danced since he was sixteen, when he was forced to pick it up for an important case. Yet, when Michi danced with him, he didn't have to remember the moves. They just came to him effortlessly. He had even forgotten that they were supposed to be practicing for the upcoming party and had genuinely enjoyed himself. But the second he had looked into those hazel eyes, something inside him had lurched uncomfortably. He couldn't pinpoint it at the time, but after mulling over it at his apartment, he couldn't deny that his protective nature could quickly turn possessive if they continued down that path. 'And I certainly know what my possessiveness has cost me before.' Now, more than ever, Lawliet mentally resolved himself to stay true to the laws of logic and reason. Feelings and emotions could only make things worse for him. 'God forbid I would ever have to say goodbye to her. It's best I just stamp out these feelings now. Not that she would ever go that route. She is more honorable than that.' As he turned to look over at Michi, the car rolled to a stop.

Lawliet quickly opened the door and stepped out. He turned back and reached his hand inside for Michi to take. As she balanced herself and stepped out into the cool air, she looked up at the large mansion in front of her. A couple of kids played in the front yard as the towering home cast its shadow over them. She looked over at the man next to her and saw that his gaze was both wistful and determined. He glanced over at her and nodded towards the path that led through the gate and up to the double doors. They walked past the gate and up the steps, whereby Lawliet rang the doorbell.

"Home sweet home." he said softly as he heard the patter of little feet run to the door. As the door opened, two little blond haired children poked their heads out to peer up at their strange houseguests. The girl to the right had her hair braided in two pigtails while the boy had a shaggy haircut that all but obscured his blue eyes. 'They must be siblings.' L chuckled as he realized that these two must be new additions to the 'family'. He crouched down to their level and looked the girl in the eyes. "Hello. Do you know where I would be able to find Near? I'm an old friend of his and he told me that this is where I could meet him."

The little boy pushed his sister back into the house and looked L square in the face, "That depends who's askin'." The boy had a clear British accent as he spoke and his sister silently peered out from behind her brother.

"Just tell him that L is here to see him." Both children gaped in both fear and wonder at the man. They quickly opened the door and gestured for both L and Michi to follow them up the stairs. Upon reaching a set of high double doors at the end of a long hallway, the children quietly pointed to the door and scampered off to tell their friends about the legendary man that they had just met. L took a deep breath and knocked twice on the door. Before he could pull his hand back, the door was thrown open and both L and Michi were roughly pulled inside.

Michi stumbled and hit the floor, while L followed suit next to her. As the door was slammed shut, Michi heard the distinctive click of a hammer being pulled back from a gun. 'Oh no! What the hell is going on?' Michi moved her head a fraction off of the floor, only to stare down the barrel of a gleaming, silver pistol. She followed the line of the pistol up to the arm, followed the arm to the shoulder, followed the shoulder to the throat, and then looked into the face of its wielder. The man had crazed blue eyes and half of his face looked burnt. The orange hair set off the wild look in his eyes as he sneered at Michi.

"Who the hell are you?" The man said as he tilted his head and pressed the cold gun against Michi's forehead. Before she had a chance to flinch, she heard a loud THUD. Suddenly, the orange haired man was on the floor, passed out, with the imprint of a foot underneath his chin. She looked next to her at L, who was now standing and it dawned on her that he had been to one to attack the crazed gunman. 'And those quick reflexes come in handy once again' Michi thought as she quickly stood behind L. He looked over at her and quickly assessed her for damage. When she nodded that she was all right, he tilted his head and looked around.

"Well. That went better than expected."

Michi looked around for the source of the voice. Aside from the passed out attacker, she couldn't immediately see another person that could have spoken. She then stood on her tiptoes and looked over L's shoulder. She was shocked to see what looked like a teenager piecing together a puzzle. He was sitting in front of a dark mahogany desk with his legs neatly tucked under him. The floor to ceiling windows let in the sunlight that danced over his white hair and matching white outfit.

'Wait... white hair? Is that natural?' Michi looked to L for an answer, but he was staring at the figure. It was obvious that he knew this individual because his eyes did not register any hint of confusion. Indeed, they almost held a fatherly light for the person in front of them.

"Hello, Near. I suppose a belated Happy Birthday is in order." L spoke softly as he began to walk towards the young man.

"I suppose this is true. Turning eighteen is no different from any other birthday. Though I must say, this is a very interesting turn of events." As they got closer, Michi noticed that the puzzle was completely white, with no variation between the pieces. And yet, this Near person had put them together into some semblance of a picture (or lack thereof).

'Oh shit. I think I'm the dumbest person in the room right now.' Michi then looked over her shoulder at the man that was still unconscious on the floor. 'I take that back: I'm the second dumbest person in this room.' Michi looked back and saw that L was crouched in front of Near. She took that as her cue to also take a seat and knelt in front of the young man, with her legs tucked beneath her. Once Near had placed the final puzzle piece in its place he looked up at Michi. His eyes mirrored those of L's. The darkness of them almost fooled Michi into thinking they were black until she saw the light ring of grey around the pupil.

They continued to stare at each other. After a few uncomfortable minutes passed, Near's gaze rested on L. There appeared to be an unspoken dialogue passing between them. This was why Michi hated hanging out with friends of friends. They always had a hidden way of speaking that she never understood. It made her feel very left out. After awhile, Near smiled at L.

"It's very nice to see you again. I was getting pretty tired of picking up the slack that Mello would leave in his wake."

"Yes. He can be pretty impulsive at times. Especially when it comes to meeting new people." Near shrugged at the comment.

"None of us are very well trained in the art of social skills." Here, Near looked at Michi. "As such, I will have to ask for your forgiveness, Nakashima-san. I'm not quite sure how to conduct myself in front of new people. As I'm sure you might have noticed." Michi watched as Near began to twirl a strand of white hair around his finger as he looked at her. He was certainly displaying a normal nervousness tic. Then again, it could have been similar to L's thumb nibbling habit. It could be a way to focus ones mental state. Either way, Michi was endeared by the habit and smiled at Near.

"Please, call me Michiko. If I'm going to be working with you as often as I am with L, we might as well be on first name basis." Near's eyes widened slightly and he tilted his head.

"Michiko, eh? Interesting name. If my memory serves right, that means 'beautiful wise child.'" Near then looked at L. "Though with your surname, I still have no idea where that came from." Michiko looked over at L.

"How do you spell it, exactly?" Once Lawliet had spelled out his name, Michiko closed her eyes and ran through her mental database. She then opened her eyes and glanced between the two men. "Are you particularly religious?"

"By no means. I believe religion is a human invention that is used to bring comfort to someone's life. You will find, statistically speaking, that people turn to religion more often in times of crisis than they turn to logic and reason." L shrugged. "I find no fault in someone wishing to find comfort, but I feel it is unreasonable to blame or pray away your faults when you can simply examine them more closely. Self-reflection is uncomfortable for most people, though. Hence, religion can be used to bring these people some solace."

Michi smiled. "Unfortunately for you, your name has a very religious meaning. If you break up 'Lawliet' into 'Law' and 'Liet', you will find that both names are used in various religious texts. Since the first syllable, 'Law' is pronounced as 'Luo', I will have to take that into account. That particular pronunciation is found in both China and Kenya, but the meaning is the same. In China, it was the surname of a particular warrior family and can be linked to the Diamond Sutra in the Buddhist religion. In Kenya, it is the name of a particular spiritual practice that has no written records, but is passed down through generations. 'Liet' is less common, but it can be traced to some form of religious texts like the Quran, the Bhagavadgītā, or the Bible. In those contexts, and with those pronunciations in mind, both 'Law' and 'Liet' translate loosely to 'the Grace of God'."

L and Near stared at Michi. The fact that she had been able to bring to light the meaning of Lawliet's name with no problem was astonishing to both men. Not to mention that she had done it so seamlessly and with almost no effort on her part.

'I think L might have finally met his match.' Near thought. He looked between L and Michi. They certainly were a good-looking couple to say the least. Both of them appeared to be fighting their feelings, however, and that could make things complicated for all involved. Near cleared his throat to get the conversation back on track.

"So, L. May I ask how I can help?" L stuck the end of his thumb in his mouth before proceeding.

"Yes. I figured Michiko might want to learn the whole truth about the previous Death Note cases. Since I can only fill in up to 2007, I thought you would be the right person to turn to in order to fill in any gaps." Near nodded as L began the sordid tale of Light Yagami and the insanity he had inflicted. When he got to his own 'death', Near was surprised to discover that the successor known as Beyond Birthday had not died in the prison as it had been recorded. Rather, he had taken L's place once Misa Amane had been identified as the second Kira. L had felt that his self preservation was more important than Birthday's, and had struck a deal to give Birthday a job replacing L in exchange for his freedom and 'death' in prison. Little did Birthday know that his freedom would be so short-lived. Sure, he had been able to fool everyone in the Task Force, but at the cost of his own life.

Once L finished with his end of the story, Near filled in the last bits. Michiko was amazed at how intelligent both men were. To have such control over their mental faculties and play off of each other the way they did certainly took a lot of things into consideration. Looking at the age difference, she could also tell that there was a hint of brotherly affection between the two men. After the tale was finished, Michi rocked back on her heels and took a deep breath.

"Well, it certainly explains quite a few things. But there is one bit I don't understand." She pointed behind her. "Who the hell is that guy?"

"Oh. That's Mello." Near stated.

"The one that you were going to sedate?"

"He was sedated. I laced his morning chocolate bar with Luminal. You should meet him when he is his normal self." L quickly shook his head and Near retracted his statement, "Actually, that may not be a good idea. He doesn't get along with women terribly well. He still blames a woman for his scars. Not that she was the one that blew up the building, but that is neither here nor there." Near looked over his shoulder at the afternoon light streaming through the windows. The time had certainly flown by with the retelling of events. He didn't wish to keep L longer than necessary.

"Michiko, if you wouldn't mind leaving the room for a moment. I have something I must discuss with L in private." Michi nodded and stood up. As she walked towards the door, she made sure to step lightly over Mello's unconscious form. Once the door was firmly closed, Near looked at L. "You have read her whole file, I assume."

L nodded. "Yes. I am waiting for her to bring up the information on her own accord. She is not hiding anything that is detrimental to this case, but I must admit I'm surprised that she is not being as forward as I would have thought."

"Everyone has their skeletons, L. You know that better than anyone." Near stood and shuffled to stand behind the desk. As he looked out the window, he could see Michi pushing one of the blond twins on the swing. "I can only hope she brings it up soon."

"She will. I give it a ninety percent chance it will come up within a month." L walked over to stand by Near. As he watched the scene below, he could not help but smile. Michi was clearly laughing and smiling at the children as they fought for her attention. The children at Wammy's house had been in desperate need of a maternal figure for many years. L himself had once wished for the comforting hug of a motherly being when he was young. But now, he was hoping for something more. 'No. Stop it. You know that can't happen. Not with her, at any rate.' L sighed and turned to Near. "Thank you, Near. I will make sure I stay in better contact with you." Near nodded and continued to stare out the window. L took that as a cue to take his leave and walked towards the door.

Once the door was shut, Near closed his eyes. He desperately hoped that L would get up the courage to admit his feelings for Michiko. If he could do that, then it would be proof enough to Near that he himself was also capable of such feelings. Near certainly lived vicariously through L, but it was because he had lived in the man's shadow for so long. Because their mental capacities and social skills were on the same level, Near used L as the scientific control by which he could test his own abilities. In simpler terms, if L could do it, so could Near.

'I just hope it happens soon. For both their sakes.'

Meanwhile

Michiko slid into the back of the car and relaxed. She hadn't realized how tense she had been through the meeting. She leaned back and closed her eyes, waiting for L to get into the car. She slowed down her breath and began releasing tension from her shoulders, her chest, and on down her body until she felt like a puddle of mush.

She heard the door shut and opened her eyes. L sat in his crouched position as he leaned forward and tapped once on the diving glass. As the car began to move, he glanced over at Michiko.

"You look tired." Michiko chuckled at the man's obvious statement.

"Yes, it has been a tiring few days. I hope you don't think it rude if I sleep on the way back." L shook his head.

"Feel free to do whatever you need to. I know the party is tomorrow, so I don't want you under any more stress than you need to be." Michiko nodded and reached into her coat pocket. She pulled out her iPod and scrolled through it. Once she settled on a song she plugged in her headphones and leaned back. However, she couldn't seem to get into a comfortable position. After squirming in her seat for a few minutes, she opened her eyes and sighed.

"I just can't get comfortable. I haven't been much of a car sleeper." As Michi lamented her situation, she suddenly felt L's arm circle around her. He pulled her closer to him and gently pushed her head to rest on his shoulder. She gently smiled and pulled her legs up onto the seat to get more comfortable. Her heartbeat picked up as she breathed in L's familiar scent, but she quickly calmed down and her breathing slowed to a soft rhythm as she fell asleep.

L felt funny as Michi slept on his shoulder. It didn't feel strange to have her there. On the contrary, it felt as natural as breathing to have her so close to him. And that was what disturbed him. What if he got close to her, only to have her ripped away by another man, familial obligations, or worse, death? He sighed and leaned his head back.

'What am I going to do? Watari, I need some help. Guidance. Anything.' On instinct, L looked down at Michiko's iPod. The song she had chosen to fall asleep to was strangely appropriate for L's situation.

''Never Thought That I Could Love?' Well. If that doesn't spell things out, I don't know what does.' L tightened his grip on Michiko and leaned his head on hers. 'Are you as uncertain as I am? Or am I alone in this situation? Even worse, am I finally ready to open up again?' L closed his eyes.

If ever he had wished for the grace of whatever god was up there, now was certainly that time.

END Ch. 9
- 8
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- 10
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All is Forgotten, All is Forgiven