Final Chapter: Redemption

One year and one month later…

L sat contentedly on one of the couches in the common room, smiling at the cheerful decorations. Despite the orphanage being burned to the ground and rebuilt, they had nonetheless been able to obtain twice as many Christmas decorations as any normal home would ever need. Three Christmas trees stood proudly in the common room, decorated with ornaments, lights, and tinsel. But the children had helped too. Linda, particularly artistic as she was, had led a team in making paper snowflakes, which now hung suspended in every window.

It was fairly late at night, about ten or so, and L shifted slightly, careful not to wake Mello. The blond-headed boy had been reading, and had finally dropped off to sleep against L's shoulder. Linda walked by the doorway, dressed in pajamas, and waved.

"Goodnight, L." she said. He smiled and waved as well, before she hurried off to her own room. L settled back against the couch, only to look up again a moment later as a tremendous thump disturbed the room's quiet. Light stood there, staring down at the box he had just accidentally dropped, a frown on his face.

"Good god, what's in here?" he demanded. "It weighs a ton!"

"Gifts." L said simply. "We wait until all the children are in bed to put them under the trees." He pointed to the four large, identical boxes stacked in the corner. "There are three more upstairs." Light grumbled, pushing his box over to the corner and going to get the other three. L shook Mello gently. "Mello. Mello, it's time to go to bed, or you don't get any presents." Mello responded with a sleepy 'No! My presents!', before getting up and heading for the door.

"G'night, L." he mumbled, heading upstairs in the direction Light had gone. L smiled, moving to the boxes already stacked and beginning to pile presents under the trees.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Light returned with the other boxes, he and L finished arranging gifts. Afterwards, they ended up on the couch; L clutching hot chocolate with extra sugar and Light with black coffee.

"Remember, Light-kun, we will be boarding a private jet tomorrow morning at exactly eleven o'clock to go visit your family." L reminded him. "It will be directly after morning festivities here are complete."

Light blinked. "I had completely forgotten. With how hard you've been working me, it completely slipped my mind. I don't even have gifts for them!"

"Having you there will be gift enough." L said. "And I hardly consider decorating as 'work', Light-kun. It is not my fault that there have been no interesting cases this year. Most criminals are apparently still fearful that Kira is merely lying in wait."

Light frowned. He still couldn't really remember his time as Kira. But L had explained everything to him, and at least he knew why he couldn't remember. L had shown him that final tape, and it had sealed everything. It was him, even if he didn't have any recollection of it. But he considered himself lucky. Misa, Takada, and Mikami were in prison for life, solitary confinement. He got to be here, with L, celebrating Christmas with the opportunity to see his family.

L was trying to analyze his expression, as usual.

"Does Light-kun regret making a deal with me?" he asked, his usual absurd innocence shining in his eyes. Light couldn't help but think that L was a hundred times happier at Christmas.

"No." he replied. "I'm grateful. Why? Do you regret saving me?"

"Light-kun is the only friend I have ever had. I was not going to commit my only friend to execution. I feel this is a better solution, especially since I no longer have Watari to help me. You've been very helpful, Light-kun. I… could never regret saving your life. After all… Justice, without mercy, is never truly justice. That is what Kira failed to understand."

It always made Light feel better when L referred to Kira as a separate person. He truly regretted what he had done. Setting down his empty coffee mug, he stood, nodding to L. "I'm going to get some sleep, if I'm going to be dragged out of bed tomorrow morning like I was last year." Light considered L to be the equivalent of a hyper five-year-old when it came to Christmas morning. "Goodnight, Ryuzaki."

"Goodnight, Light-kun." L watched him leave, smiling to himself. In the year that he had been with the boy, technically a young man now at nineteen, he had really grown to trust him. He was completely honest when he called Light his friend. There were no more secrets; now that Light knew his name and his home and his family, what more was there to hide? He had grown on Mello, Matt, and Near as well. He and Matt played video games together, Mello argued with him almost as much as he did with Near, and Near actually spoke more than five words to him at one time, unlike he did to everyone but L.

Interpol had called him multiple times in the weeks following Kira's downfall. They had at first demanded the right to a trial, which L had denied. He was going to handle Kira's 'punishment' himself. After that, they had moved on to at least demanding Kira's identity, which L had also denied. The world, and especially Light's family, did not need to know what he had done. All they needed to know was that Kira was gone. For good.

L smiled to himself. He was certain now, seeing Light's actions over the past year, that he had made the right decision. Apparently it was worth it to be selfish sometimes. He had never truly done much for himself, but his best friend was something he could not give up. The world was not enough to justify that. Everyone deserved a chance at redemption, even Kira. L stood, taking one last look at the Christmas trees twinkling merrily in their stands, before slipping upstairs to go to bed. Tomorrow would be a long day, after all.

"Happy Christmas, Light-kun…."

DNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDNDN

And they all lived happily ever after, the end. I couldn't resist a chapter 108, one-year-later type thing. Hope the Christmas thing wasn't too sappy an ending, but I wanted to write Christmas at the rebuilt Wammy's House in England. : ) And I like 'Good Light'. Really I do. He hates Kira so much in the book when he doesn't have his memories… The only thing that bugged me was that when he remembered, there was no mental struggle. He didn't freak out remembering the horrible things he'd done. He was immediately Kira again. I feel like a Light that knew, but didn't remember would be regretful of his actions.

OVER 100 REVIEWS!!! (crysobsniffle) I've never gotten over fifty before! (wailsobwhimpercry) I LOVE YOU GUYS SO VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!!! (dies of JOY overload)

It's over… I really can't believe I finished. If you had told me when I started that I would get a hundred reviews, I would have laughed in your face, really. I'm kinda sad to end, but…

I guess I'll see you all next story.
Love, hugs, and cake for everyone!
Li