By Any Other Name

C.26

After a few days, I was feeling better, and some of the kids had even gotten together to make cookies for us after they saw the speech I gave on TV. They knew I was hurting, and tried to make me feel better.

"Aw, you guys. I love you all so much." I knelt down and gathered them in a hug as they presented the cookies to us.

"You were crying and sad, and we wanted you to feel better." A tiny girl said, making me beam.

"I already feel one hundred times better thanks to you all. Thank you." I said and kissed each of their foreheads before taking a cookie. "And they're delicious! Even better!" I exclaimed and they all looked overjoyed that I liked them and I was happy.

They ran off and I went into the kitchen with some others.

"You don't have to eat them just because they made them for you." Mello said.

"Mello." I gave him a look, and he looked away guiltily. "They actually are good. And they're chocolate chip." I said and held one out to him. He bit into it and hummed.

"I guess they're alright." He said and I smirked.

"Are you okay, though?" Matt asked and I looked over at him and nodded.

"Yeah, I just needed a little time to bounce back after everything." I said and he nodded and Near hugged me, and I lifted him up and onto my hip.

"We just want you to be happy, Aurora." He said and I kissed his forehead.

"And I am extremely grateful for that, Near, thank you." I smiled and he rested his head on my shoulder.

"He's thirteen. Why...?" Mello asked and I shrugged.

"Do I give a shit? You are all still my kids, and I don't care how old you are." I said and set Near down.

"Yes, mom." Mello rolled his eyes and I raised my eyebrows at him, then Lawliet walked in.

"What'd I miss?" He asked.

"If we're Aurora's kids, that makes her our mom. So since you're marrying her, does that make you our dad?" Matt asked, looking at him.

L just looked at me. "Aurora, what the hell."

"They're my kids." I shrugged, looking innocent. "You know goddamn well I helped raise half of these kids."

"I know." He said and grabbed a cookie.

"You do swear a lot." Near said and I grinned.

"I do. And if I ever hear you say a swear word, you better run." I said and ruffled his hair. "I'm already taking responsibility for Mello's swearing, I don't need to be at fault for anyone else." I said.

"Fuck." Matt said and I gave him a look that made him shrink back, and L laughed a little.

"Isn't it getting near your birthday's? What are you going to do?" Mello asked.

"Have you even started planning your wedding yet?" Matt asked.

"One, I don't know, and two, nope." I answered and L smiled.

"We decided the wedding would be small, just the orphanage is invited." He said.

"Like, really small. I probably won't even get a dress." I said and L stared at me.

"No. You're getting a dress." He said.

"Why? Unnecessary, and expensive. Besides, I don't care. I'll marry you in sweatpants if I want." I shrugged.

"Yeah, I'm not allowing that." He shook his head.

I took a breath and looked at Matt. "This is why we're not planning."

"I just want the best for you, Aurora." L said, elbowing me slightly.

I rolled my eyes and smiled at him. "Not even I want the best for me. I want our wedding to be simple, not a lot of work. Get it over and done with and onto the honeymoon." I said.

"Why?" He asked.

"I don't know how you see it, but from how we used to act before the six year thing, we've been married for years now." I said and he took a moment to think, then he nodded.

"I guess you're right." He hummed.

"This is just an official wedding, but we all know we've been a married couple years before now." I smiled, taking a bite out of another cookie.

"The only thing I do wanna spend a shitload of time planning..." I swallowed that bite. "Is the honeymoon."

"Oh, I'm with you there." He said and I looked at him, narrowing my eyes.

"Shit, does this mean we should actually start planning?" I asked.

"Probably." He nodded and I left the kitchen with a groan.