End Games

Chapter 26:Runaway

While L was preoccupied at the trial, Watari drove Misa to the hotel to gather her belongings before leaving. For the first time in over a year, she would be completely free of L. At first, she felt numb. Then she cried, pouring her eyes out the entire ride back to L's hotel room. Even though she was bitter, angry, and crushed, part of her was in denial about being done with L. Any moment now, she expected to eat her words, run back to the ICPO headquarters, jump into his arms and tell him that she'll never, ever, leave him. It would be so easy for her to do that. But it would be wrong.
She sniffled and wiped her eyes as she went about the room, picking up her bags. Once she had everything, she stepped into the shower to wash off the stress of the previous day. The warm water rushed over her like soothing hands massaging her tired body. She held back the urge to bawl again, though it didn't matter if she did; her tears had run out.
'Why?' She asked herself bitterly. 'Why does shit like this always happen to me? First my parents, then Light, then L and all this...my life is a joke.' She thought, watching the water run over her belly. She was so big now, she could no longer see her toes. She sighed.
She already regretted her decision but only because it hurt her to leave him. She didn't want to. She knew she would miss his stupid panda eyes, his disheveled appearance, his quirky habits, his elusive smile, and even his stubbornness. She loved him. But he was bad for her, and most importantly, he just wasn't ready to love her or have a family with her. And that was what she needed from him. She needed him to be a father, and maybe even a husband...her lower lip quivered with her muffled cry. She fought it with everything she had and slid down to the floor of the tub, where she sat, curled up against the edge. With her head hung, Misa felt the water soak through her hair and run over her face as she thought back on what she'd done.
-flashback-

She saw him leave the auditorium. Now it was just her and the ICPO. Misa turned back to President Ferraro who was studying her carefully, and stepped closer to him.
"I have a favor to ask" She said. The President burst out laughing, with the others soon joining him in laughter. He leaned forward over his post and grinned while staring her down.
"You must be jesting." He said. When she didn't respond, he looked at the sea of representatives and said "This girl has barely escaped with her life and now she wants to make demands!"
The room filled with laughs again. Misa looked around nervously. She felt embarrassed to be in a spotlight with hundreds of people laughing at her but she was determined to get her point across. The young mother-to-be swallowed her nerves, and turned to them with a serious look.
"Please, listen! I think you will be interested" She pleaded. The room slowly died down into modest chuckles. President Ferraro rubbed his temples and sighed.
"I highly doubt that, but go on. We don't have all day" He told her with a wave of his hand.
Misa took a moment to collect her thoughts. She wasn't sure that her plan would work, in fact she knew it was going to be a stretch, especially since she would have to exaggerate. A lot. She would also have to throw L under the bus a little, but to hell with it! He'd done it to her plenty of times! She cleared her throat and began.
"As you all heard earlier, detective L said that I'm an important member of the Kira taskforce. I personally helped him plan and carry out all of the missions that led to Kira's capture, and without my help, I doubt they would have caught Kira and the others as quickly as they did. L vouched for my great investigative abilities and he complimented my skills" She said.
"Yes, yes, we heard all of this from detective L already. What's your point?"
"Well...my point is that I could be useful to you. I want to remain under custody of the ICPO, but not as a prisoner. Instead, I'd like to give you my services as a detective!"
The room was dead silent as everyone wondered if she was serious.
"...you wouldn't even have to pay me! I would do it for free as payment for my actions...I have enough money to live off of from my modeling and acting career. Please, please, please, consider it! Catching bad guys is the least I can do to make up for what I've done, and I know I can be really useful to your organization with my experience and all that I learned from L."
The room then erupted into side conversations and mini-arguments.
"Everyone, silence please" Said President Ferraro. Once the room quieted down again, he addressed Misa.
"And tell me, why would we want you?"
"...Well...because I'm almost as good as L..." She lied blatantly. Watari looked on helplessly as Misa dug herself into a hole.
"...And I won't hide from you! That's important because as soon as we leave here, L will just disappear like he always does! You won't see him again, maybe ever. And good luck getting him to take just any case because he's really picky, but I'm sure you all knew that. I'll take any case that needs solving, you name it, I'm your girl!" She finished enthusiastically. There was an awkward pause. No one said a word and Misa's face dropped a little, thinking that she'd lost them.
Then one of the ICPO representatives spoke out.
"She has a point! L is extremely arrogant and he only takes cases he finds interesting!"
Another one interjected and said "Yes, but L is the best there is. What proof do we have that this girl is as good as she says?"
"L himself said that she was a huge help." Said another representative.
"Yes! Clearly she must be good or else he wouldn't have come here himself to have her pardoned!"
Misa looked around as people throughout the auditorium broke out into arguments over her. Before long, President Ferraro was forced to stand and call them to order once more. Misa knew that sooner or later she would have to prove her worth as a detective, but for now, this was her only chance to put distance between her and L. And who knows? Maybe she could be a decent detective. President Ferraro sat back down in his chair and looked at her.
"Alright. And what would you ask in return if we agree to this?"
"Only one thing." She gathered all her will power. "I don't want to see detective L...ever again." She finished shakily. She felt a pang of regret as soon as she'd said it. Her heart clenched under the weight of her words. What was she doing? She loved L with all her heart! She looked up and saw that Watari was quite shocked. Surely she'd broken his heart too.
"Hmm...interesting." Said President Ferraro. "That is a very curious request. Unfortunately, we will have to address the issue of why you want to hide from detective L at some other point...right now, I'm more concerned with who will be responsible for ensuring that you do not kill again. Obviously, if detective L doesn't know where you are, he cannot be held accountable for your actions."
"Ehh...good question." She said nervously. She hadn't thought about that small important detail. 'Well, there goes my brilliant plan' she thought. Part of her was relieved, and part of her was terribly disappointed. Then someone spoke out for her.
"I will make myself responsible for her actions. Please hold me accountable." Everyone in the room turned to look at where the voice came from. It was Watari.
"Are you certain?" Asked the President. Watari nodded. Misa was shocked that Watari would do that for her and she mouthed a "thank you" to him. The old man smiled sadly at her, and just like that, Misa was no longer L's but a detective for the ICPO. When all was said and done, the guards escorted her out of the auditorium with Watari following closely behind. Once they were outside, the old man caught up to her.
"Misa" He said. "I hope you know what you're doing."
She looked down and shook her head. "I don't..." She said in a broken voice. "But he's not ready...and I've tried but this isn't working out..."
"Do you want me to talk to him?" The old man offered gently.
Misa's head quickly lifted to look at him with hopeful eyes.
"Yes! please..." She pleaded. Maybe if Watari talked to him, L would change...
-end flashback-