Risks and Rewards
Description: Elijah has a new year and a new mission, but this time Light won't be so cooperative. Let the battle of ideology begin.
Disclaimer: Death Note is still not mine. Go figure.
Epilogue
'Lij,
Thought I'd drop you a quick note to let you know I got back home to Japan safely. I'm going to be busy for a while tying up loose ends around here. I swear, sometimes it feels like this whole place will fall apart without me here to keep it together. Arrogant of me, I know, but it's how I feel right now.
Sayu sends her love.
-- Light
xXx
E --
Roger informed me of your new location and the change in your situation. I am glad to hear that you do not wish for your position back. I would not have given it up anyway.
I will commence the hunt for M and inform you of any progress. I will also investigate the subject you recommended and take actions that I deem appropriate.
-- N
P.S. Welcome back.
xXx
'Lij,
You're not going to believe this. After all this time, we were finally contacted by the people who used to work for L. They're headed by this guy who calls himself N. What is it with these people and letters? Anyway, they want their building back and everything in it as well. That pissed me off until N said that he is interested in setting me up as a private investigator as well. They won't let me have the title of L anymore, but he offered me Deneuve or Coil. I accepted the offer for help but rejected the names. If I'm going to build myself up as competition for the best detective in the world, I want to do it under my own alias, not under one of L's discarded ones. N seems to agree since he isn't going to take the L name either. They're going to make an announcement soon saying that L has decided to retire. I completely understand why they don't want to tell the world that he's dead, but even so, I can't help but feel a little sad about the whole thing. Even I don't fully understand why.
Give my love to Lily. You are still treating her well, I hope. Have you kissed her yet? Properly? Don't make me sic Charlie on you.
-- Light
P.S. I'm thinking of Tsuki Asahi for an alias. What do you think?
xXx
E --
Contact with Yagami successful. I will have Roger put aside one-third of your inheritance for him and another third for M when he is found. Nothing definite to report yet on that matter.
-- N
xXx
'Lij,
Remember that lawyer I told you about a while back? Mikami? I had lunch with him today. He's … bizarre. But very intelligent. Talking with him got me thinking about who I want for my team when N sets me up. I know I don't want the same investigation team that we had before. I wouldn't mind working with my dad, but it would be purely for emotional reasons to include him. I think it's best to let them go back to their lives and build a new team from the ground up.
If I do that, would you be willing to be a part of it? You're the first person I'd want on any team of mine, 'Lij. Hell, if it came down to it, I bet you and I together could solve any crime in the world just by ourselves. Let me know, all right? I'm not sure where I'd be based, but it'll be either in America on the east coast or here in Japan. N said he wants Europe and that the third guy, if he's found, will probably want the American west coast.
Oh, and why didn't you tell me you and Charlie were learning Japanese together? She tried talking to me in it last night when I called her. I laughed at her accent, though, so now I'm afraid to see her again. Promise you'll be there when I do, and bring lots of bandages.
-- Light
xXx
E --
M located. He did not believe me when I told him of your continued existence. Expect communication from him shortly.
-- N
xXx
You fucking bastard! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING STILL ALIVE??? I mourned you for a whole five minutes, you asshole.
This is such bullshit. I'm coming over there to make sure it's really you. And don't try to run. I'm not the innocent kid you remember anymore.
-- M
xXx
E --
M intercepted and detained. Please contact me to schedule a video conference.
-- N
xXx
Yo, Fearless Leader! Welcome back.
Signed, Matt
P.S. Mello's really happy you're back. He just doesn't want you to know about it. Don't tell him I told you.
xXx
'Lij,
I got my first case on Tuesday. Had it solved by lunchtime on Wednesday. N says that the first few will be easy until I can build up my reputation.
On a less cheerful note, one of my ex-girlfriends died last night. I probably wouldn't have found out about it except that, since she's a model and an aspiring actress, it made the paper. She died in her sleep, and so far no one can find a reason for it other than natural causes. I have to admit, her death hit me hard. Not because I cared for her particularly much -- I still can't figure out why I dated her in the first place -- but because she was so young. To think that someone my own age could just go to sleep one night and not wake up again, it's kind of frightening. Suffice to say, I've been feeling sort of depressed since this morning.
Hopefully things are better over on your end. Did you tell your parents that you're going to come work for me? What did they say?
-- Light
xXx
E --
Please find attached the information regarding the sale of the property you constructed in Japan. As you requested, the funds received will be split into accounts for each of the children currently residing at Wammy's. I will send copies of the appropriate information on each when I obtain them.
-- N
xXx
Hey.
Thanks for the cash. Near said it was a third of your "inheritance" or some such shit. I'm surprised he let me have my share. Anyway, Matt and I are going to use it to set up shop in CA.
Near told me about this Yagami guy and his kindergarten "let's all work together" idea. Can't say I'm happy about cooperating with either the shrimp or your new boytoy, but I'll think about it.
Later.
-- M
xXx
'Lij,
Worked through a couple more cases this week. They really have been pathetically easy, but N admitted the last time I talked to him that he's been shoving the ones he doesn't want onto me. At least they pay well. I should have enough soon for some decent equipment. I also need to decide where I want to build something more permanent. Mikami and I are here as is my family, but you and Charlie and everyone else I care about are over there. Since Mikami doesn't have any family, I'm starting to think about building something smaller over here and then making a larger headquarters over by you. I still need to think about it, though, and I don't have quite enough money to do it yet anyway.
I'm also starting to accept the fact that I'll need a liaison at some point. I'm not as paranoid as L was (and as N seems to be), but I still understand the benefit of anonymity. Do you think -- and this is just a spur of the moment idea, I haven't thought it through completely yet -- that the girls would be interested? Either one on her own is unacceptable, but they each balance the other out in such a way that they would be quite effective as a team. I'm not sure they'd be interested though.
I have a lot of things to think about, don't I? Well, I'll get by somehow. Of course, any opinions you have on any of these matters would be welcome.
-- Light
xXx
Yo, FL!
Do you have any idea how easy it is to hack into your piece of shit machine? I was bored so I thought I'd try it. Took me five seconds, dude. Seriously. All I did was read your email, but I could have done, like, anything I wanted to it. You need to upgrade your anti-spyware. I'll send over mine. It's customized, of course, so it'll do the job right.
BTW, you have a girlfriend? For real? Jesus, if Mello finds out about it, he's gonna freak. He's already all jealous and shit over this Yagami guy. How about this: you pay for Mello's chocolate for a month and I won't tell him about your chick. Deal?
Signed, Matt
P.S. You fucked her yet? I want details, man!
xXx
E --
M's funds frozen as requested.
-- N
xXx
Dude, that was cruel. Mello's super pissed at me now since Near said it was MY fault the money's been cut off. Fine, I'll keep your stupid secret. And fine, I apologize for being crass. Now tell Near to give us our money back or Mello's gonna kill me.
Signed, Matt
xXx
E --
M's funds reestablished. Also, please find attached the information for the Wammy children accounts.
I have been communicating with Yagami regularly and find him to be acceptable. Should either he or you wish to join forces with me in the future, I will be happy to assist.
-- N
xXx
'Lij,
Three more cases down, and the last one wasn't one of N's cast-offs. The client actually requested me! It looks like my name is finally getting around. N said he'll field requests for me for a bit, but I need to get myself finalized soon.
Before I do that, though, I'm coming to visit. I can't take it anymore. I miss you all too much. I'll send you the details later, but I'll be there next week. Don't tell Charlie that I'm coming. I know it's kind of suicidal of me, but I want to surprise her.
-- Light
xXx
Feeling a bit tired, Elijah closed down his email and put his computer into sleep mode. A quick glance at the clock revealed that he had a little over fifteen minutes before he and his mother would have to leave for the airport to pick up Light. Afterwards, they would drive to the ice cream parlor where an unsuspecting Charlie and Lily would be waiting. The reunion to come would certainly be memorable. He would have to remember to ask his mother to stop off at a drugstore beforehand for first aid supplies.
A few minutes later, just before he left the room to go downstairs, Elijah paused at the door and glanced over at his window as if to check something. Satisfied by what he saw, he smiled, turned out the overhead light, and left his room, shutting the door behind him.
Left behind, a basket of three dozen apples sat on the floor beneath the window and waited.
A/N: Thank you to all my readers who stuck with me this far. I realize I made it hard for everyone with such long stretches between updates. I truly appreciate all of your continued support.
Thanks in particular to my reviewers:
ActionFry -- aisling13 -- allaboutcontests -- Anon -- Aoidragon -- AsterGray -- BlueRyuu -- broken-and-beautiful77 -- Bronze Eagle -- Canderjack -- Ceirwy -- Chester Sellars -- Chucky1982 -- Cookie Ninja Girl -- DarkAmber112 -- Darkspine Shadow -- demented_hinkypunk -- Draconic-Master -- Draculina17 -- Dragonrider99 -- Elaienar -- EnvyChan -- EscapingxXxReality -- fantasies4eva -- Fantasy93 -- Fast -- Ferret Love -- FlyingWyvern -- Furvacatta -- Gepetto -- HerVictory -- heya-gurl -- hollowFAERIE -- Houtori -- hullabalooh -- ImperialJedi -- JayleeJ -- JediMasterWithAPen -- judikickshiney -- Just Akiko -- Kaito Aozora -- kasai tenshi -- Kat -- Katnoelle -- Kiseki no Tenshi -- kitsune -- kitsunechibiko -- kiwigreen -- kori hime -- L'OpalNoir -- Larissa-chan -- lazy*sourbum -- Legatos -- lorei -- love lawliet -- Lurel -- May a.k.a. Shin's voice -- Minikimii -- MoonlightShadowLovesQow -- Namesake -- nazgurl -- Nightwing Gurl -- Niilan -- Nubial Sheep -- ochibi-chwan -- Opacus -- perfidiouspink -- phoenixral -- Pluto -- rain angst -- randomismyname -- recipe for insanity -- rianu -- Rozell -- sarah -- Shadowsole -- Shinimegami7 -- skogen -- Skyaze -- Skyhe -- Sora Fx -- Spotofpaint -- Stella -- Steven P.P -- Strawberry Choclate Cake -- The Lost and Found Box -- The Sleeping Creature -- thexamimi -- Viskii -- Voldanita -- WESTMAN AND L -- WithABunny -- xXDeidara-chanXx -- xxlostdreamerxz -- Yei -- yoahn -- Your Kidney -- YurimiLawliet -- Zedin
With this, I am done with the Death Note fandom for a while. I'll probably be back eventually, but not for a long time. My brain needs to recover. If you want to know where I've gone, look for me first in the Kingdom Hearts area. I practically live there these days. At some point, I'll pop up in the Gravitation fandom and might possibly even do something for Bleach, but KH is your best bet.
Again, many thanks and much love to you all.
-- Karai