The taxi ride back to headquarters was unexpectedly quiet. Jubilee and L spent a few minutes discussing—in English, lest the driver become disturbed over talk of angels and demons—what else had happened in the warehouse, Light's upcoming trial, and how the Task Force Members and Wammy boys were doing. After that, conversation between the two of them died. Hellenos remained a faint shimmer in the background in order to, she assumed, continue giving her a sense of privacy. But for what? Now that the case was solved...what was there left to talk about? Her fingers tapped against the window frame as she stared out at the Tokyo streets whizzing by. Where do the two of us go from here?

She snuck a glance at L. He, too, was gazing out his window. For once, he was seated normally, his feet on the floor of the car and hands gripping his knees as though to keep his legs in place. Unusual. She racked her brain for something to say. "So...how are things at headquarters?"

He didn't turn to her. "I couldn't say for sure, as I have not been there," he said, gaze still out the window. "But I imagine the others are wrapping up details on the case report. They'll be glad to see that you are well."

"Anything I can help with?" she asked. "In the case report, I mean."

"No need. You've already contributed more than enough, and I can convey the rest of what you've shared if needed. Police reports usually only require the tangible facts, anyway."

Her heart sank. If there was no longer any use for her, then...what now?

As if echoing her thoughts, L suddenly asked, "So then, what are your plans?"

She blinked. "Huh?"

"You did have a plan, didn't you?" He finally turned to her, his gaze as piercing as ever. "When you first joined the case. You were eager for the day when it'd finally be over so that you'd be free to go."

She considered him uncomfortably. "I guess I was, back then."

"Well, now that day has come. So, Jubilee Jenkins...what is next for you?"

She stared back at him, not knowing what to say. What could she say? That what she wanted back then was no longer what she wanted now? That what she wanted now was...

What did she want now, anyway?

"I'm not exactly sure." She looked down at her lap. "I guess, back then, I'd always assumed I'd go back to Wakahisa. But now—"

"But now your visa is about to expire," L interrupted.

She whipped back to him, her eyes round. "What? It is? Wait—how did you know that?"

L looked towards the roof of the car. "I like to keep tabs on my colleagues."

She stared at him, the implication of his previous sentence finally hitting her. "I—I guess that means..." She swallowed, her heart sinking further. "That I'd have to go back to the States."

He measured her for a long moment. "You miss your old place of work, I take it?"

"I—" Memories of Meirin and the other children flashed through her mind, making her heart wrench. "Well, yes. I miss the kids. I didn't get to properly say goodbye to them when I started working on the case."

"I'm sorry," L said quietly.

"No, no." She waved her hands. "We're past that, remember? I just meant that I would've liked to at least see them again, to clear things up. And for closure. There was one little girl, in particular...she's probably still upset that I disappeared." Jubilee smiled down at her hands as she remembered all the times Meirin had grasped them with her own tiny fingers, or when the little girl had fallen asleep against Jubilee during story time, her pudgy arms wrapped around Jubilee's waist. "We had a pretty big bond."

L was still watching Jubilee carefully. "I see," he said, turning to look back out the window. After a moment, he continued, "You know—you need not return to the States, if that isn't what you want."

Hope leapt in Jubilee's chest. She looked up at him. Was he about to suggest...?

"I could easily get your visa extended for you," he continued. "So that you could stay and return to Wakahisa, if you wish."

"Oh," she said. "Um...thank you." L didn't say anything further, and she took a deep breath, mustering up her courage. "Are—are you staying in Japan, as well?"

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"No. I will be returning with Mello to England."

The hope in her chest stuttered and died. "Oh."

There was a long moment of silence.

"I'll see to it then that your visa is extended," L finally said. "That way you will have plenty of more time here."

She bit her lip. "Thanks." She was grateful for his thoughtfulness, and she did want to see the kids again. But...was she also never going to see L again?

It seemed that that was entirely up to him. And, as far as she could tell, he didn't intend to continue their acquaintance once the case was wrapped up.

Turning back to her window, she tried to ignore the ache in her chest. The remainder of the ride was silent.

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

Fifteen minutes later, they walked through the entrance of headquarters together. The other Task Force members looked up, shock filling their features at the sight of Jubilee.

"Miss Julie!" Matsuda raced over, followed closely by Mello and the others. "You—you're walking! But you shouldn't even have been released from the hospital yet! How did you—"

"I got better." She waved a hand dismissively, then smiled. "It's good to see you all again."

"This has something to do with those weird eyes of yours, doesn't it," Mello said, looking her up and down like a lab specimen. He reached out a finger to poke her in the side—earning him a death glare from L. "Does it even still hurt?"

"Nope," she said. "Thanks for worrying about me, though."

The boy's cheeks colored and he scowled. "Well, obviously. We all did."

"Yes," Aizawa agreed, as Mogi patted Jubilee on the head. "We're all relieved that you are well, Miss Amachi."

"Thank you." She looked around. "Where are Aiber and Wedy? Are they okay?"

"They're fine," Mello said. "Just moved on to other jobs. They said to tell you goodbye."

"Oh." The sinking feeling that she had before returned.

"It's good that you made it back today, Miss Julie," Matsuda said. "We wanted to get to say goodbye to you, too. Those of us who were living here just finished packing our things and are ready to move out. We were just waiting for Ryuzaki to get back so that we could say goodbye to him first. I'm so glad that he brought you with him!"

She smiled wanly. Of course. Packing. She'd have to do that, too. "What's going to happen with this building?" she asked, both because she didn't know what else to say and to stall for time.

"It'll be converted to a hotel," L answered. "Good area for it."

She nodded, a little numbly. "Sounds like a good business move."

"It'll make a killing for years to come," Aizawa affirmed with a snort. "But I can't be too jealous. We're all coming out of this with excellent pensions, after all." He nodded at L and added gruffly, "Thanks for that."

L dipped his head in acknowledgment, then stuck out his hand. "It was an honor to work with the Japanese police force."

Aizawa hesitated for only a moment before grasping L's hand and shaking it firmly. "The honor was ours."

Mogi and Matsuda came forward to shake L's hand next, the latter with much enthusiasm.

Jubilee, unable to take it anymore, decided to make her exit early. "Well, I better start packing my things too, while you all are still chatting. And if you're gone before I'm done..." She stepped forward and gave each of the Japanese policemen a perfunctory hug. "Goodbye, you guys. Take care of yourselves."

With that, she rushed to the elevator, so that no one would see the the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

Five minutes later, she leaned against the door inside her room, hand over her eyes. With a sigh, she dragged herself upright and headed to the closet, pulling out her suitcase. Might as well get this over with.

Hellenos remained a vague glow in the background as she packed. Perhaps it was to give her a sense of space, as she brooded over the fact that she was about to part ways with the man she'd fallen in love with and would probably never see again. It never would've worked out anyway, she told herself. She'd always known that this day would come. It was inevitable that she and L would have to say goodbye once the case ended.

Perhaps it doesn't have to be that way.

Jubilee paused in her packing. Where had that thought come from? Sitting on the bed, she rubbed her temples. "Dad," she muttered after a moment, "What are you trying to say to me?"

Silence.

She sighed again and flopped back on the bed. She was tired. Tired of losing people, tired of feeling rejected by those who were once her friends, and tired of being scared of the future. Tired of constant risk and danger—whether it was as large a scale as losing one's life, or as seemingly minor as rejection. Was she really up for putting her heart on the line again?

L would likely never the feel the same way about her as she did about him. Even if there had ever been a remote sliver of hope for that, her checkered past was sure to have obliterated it. Who could want to be with a woman with a history like hers, who'd doled out as much damage as she'd been dealt? She was nothing if not the epitome of having baggage.

On top of that, L was his own special breed. He probably wasn't even capable of feeling romantic interest in the first place. After all, solving cases was his first love. Or maybe that place of honor went to sweets. Jubilee put her head in her hands. If it came down to choosing between a woman or a piece of dessert, that man would most certainly choose the dessert.

She groaned and kneaded her temples. In the corner, Hellenos' glow dimmed a bit, but remained steady as another thought lingered in her head. L is someone worth knowing.

Regardless of all the above, L was a person who, if nothing else, was worth having in her life—even as a friend. That she was sure of. She'd never known anyone quite like him, with the same level of wisdom, work ethic, and devotion. After all, she'd first started admiring him as a person, then a colleague, and finally a friend, before developing feelings for him. That friendship didn't have to end.

Coming to a decision, Jubilee rose to her feet and made her way to the door. She was about to yank it open and race back down to the main floor, when a quiet knock sounded from it. She froze.

"J?" L's voice came from the other side. "Can you spare a moment?"