More than just cake - Lawliet x OC -

North Star

Oh my God - here we are, at the horizon. This has been an incredible journey, and I've lived through so many emotions while writing this fic. I want to thank each and every one of you, who've made it this far, who've read and voted and commented. You have made this possible.

_____________________________________________________________________________

It was a cold, February morning in Winchester, England. The leafless trees stood black against the clearing sky, their long, bare branches like skeletal fingers. Still, there was a sense of early spring in the air. The scent of the moist grass, the sounds of the birds on the trees - it had an air of something new, something being reborn. The first rays of the rising sun that were now barely able to illuminate this grey landscape would grow in strength by the day, they would soon have the capacity to change this scenery, to wake the seeds that were still dormant in the soil, call upon the new, fresh grass and the thousands of flowers that would turn this hill into a sea of colors and life, in just a few months.

L knew that, of course.

He had spent the majority of his life in this place, in the old, silent, unchangeable manor that stood on the hill, his home, his prison. Wammy's house.

He had watched the seasons change for many years. He knew that the grey of this morning was a passing moment. That there would be summer, the hills and meadows would turn into a different world, full of life, flowers and all kinds of little creatures, bees, butterflies, caterpillars, and birds that fed on them.

Not that he had ever cared about those kinds of things. He had preferred to stay inside, behind closed curtains, in the dark. Solving crimes no one else could solve, mysteries that only he could see through, only he was capable of finding the answer to.

But Fay had loved the scent of the fresh grass on the first days of summer.

She had loved to run free amongst the flowers, screaming and laughing out loud so that her voice carried through the meadows, over the hills, into the groves - so that everyone in Wammy's house heard her joy, every bird within ten miles panicked and flew away.

And because Fay had loved it, L had loved it too.

He brushed off the memory of summer, returned to this grey February morning, and started walking down the hill towards the grove, following the family that had just stepped out of the iron gates of Wammy's house.

The small girl, with a huge amount of undisciplined black hair, was running and laughing as she went.

"Lily, wait!" Fay commanded. "Don't go too far!"

"I won't!"

"I mean it! Stay close!"

But the girl had already run down the hill, the wind in her hair, her sneakers in mud and dew. Fay frowned and turned to look at the man walking by her side.

"I swear, she's a force of nature and not a girl." she rolled her eyes. "I'm almost wishing I was still in Japan."

"Hah!" Matsuda gave a laugh. "She's a cutie. And she's so much like you!"

"Really? It's funny to hear you say that. When I look at her, all I see is her father."

That made Matsuda's face go serious again. L observed, how he turned to look at Fay, how his cheeks blushed as he took her hand.

"She's inherited the best of you both," he said. "And I think she's amazing."

Fay didn't reply anything to that, but L knew she agreed. She loved Lily, more than she had ever loved anything, including him. Fay's love for their daughter was as constant as the North Star, as fierce as the ocean.

In silence, L watched how Fay and Matsuda's fingers entwined. How Fay leaned closer to him, needing his warmth in the chilly February wind.

L wasn't sad, nor jealous.

It was as if those feelings had lost their meaning to him, as they had never existed at all. He only felt peace, quietude surrounding him like light, like wind, like time - passing through him as a steady stream. He felt the narrow thread that had tied him to this world, weakening and breaking, and let that peace settle into his soul.

It was time.

"Goodbye." He breathed into the wind.

Fay turned her head, looked up as if she had heard him, but her gaze glided past him as if he wasn't even there.

"What is it?" Matsuda asked, following her glance.

Fay frowned. "Nothing, I guess. I thought I heard..."

But she didn't see him, didn't even notice the shadow he cast in the bright light of the rising sun.

"Mom!" Lily's voice echoed in the clear air. "Look at me, no hands!"

She had climbed into a tree, hanging upside down from a thick branch. Fay's attention was instantly on the girl, the moment of confusion passed.

"Christ, Lily, be careful! Don't you dare to fall down!" Fay took a few running steps to reach the oak, turned her gaze to Lily, who was swinging on the branch like a little monkey.

"I won't, Mom! I never fall!"

"You'd better not." Fay frowned, then turned her eyes back at Matsuda. "You see what I meant? A force of nature. You sure you want to raise her with me?"

"I'm sure." Matsuda smiled. "And I wish we have at least three more, all as wild as she is."

"What? Are you crazy? Were you like that as a kid too?"

"Were you?"

"I guess."

"Hah! I bet I was worse! You know, our kids are going to be great - I can hardly wait."

Matsuda grinned and pulled Fay close. He placed a kiss on the top of her head, wrapped an arm around her slender form.

L felt a small smile on his lips watching that scene. He knew, finally, that Fay and Lily would be alright.

He turned his face to the sun, let the rays of light travel through him.

A heartbeat later, only the dew glimmered in the grass where he had stood.

_________________________________________________________________________

Also - I do have a sequel to this fic, that focuses on Fay/Matsuda and the challenges that they face. I also have a Matt/Mello spinoff fic. Neither one of those is finished, though. I do plan to finish them someday, but I'm not sure when I'll have time to do that. 

Are you interested in reading them, even if they aren't finished? Do you wish for me to post them here? Please let me know - I won't update them here unless there are readers. 

Now is your time to vote and comment  - and my time to say "Thank you!" You guys have been awesome. Hooray for fanfiction!