=== YOUR POV (Beyond Ending) ===

When I finally stop laughing, Lawliet and Beyond are looking at each other sadly. L looks back down at me first. "Well..." I shake my head. "I can't do this. I'm sick! Or, um, hurt. My decision-making processes are all messed up. I'm not... I can't... If I choose one of you, I'll lose the other." Beyond's eyes harden and Lawliet's soften. And that's the point. The one difference. The last thing I needed. Lawliet is compassionate. Emotional. Vulnerable. But I also know he can handle himself. I know Beyond can handle himself if he needs to, but he'd prefer not to. He needs me. So I turn to Beyond. Hold out my hand. Pull him in for a hug, and whisper, "I choose you." He backs up, surprised, his eyes full of shock, and looks at L, whose eyes fill with sadness. "Hey." No response. I put my hand on his cheek, force him to look at me. "HEY." "What?" "I love you. I always will. Beyond needs me." "I need you." "And me you will have. We'll stay here. And work on the Kira case with you." His face lightens up a bit but he's still very clearly upset. "Hey. It'll be ok. You'll still have to put up with me every day." They scoff at the same time and I try to smile. "We should probably go. You need to rest." "Or you could stay and I'll rest." "Not a chance. I have to talk to Beyond about his pardon anyways." "Fine." They both leave and Beyond closes the door behind himself. "Not what I expected." I jump at the voice, turning my head to look at Ryuk. "Hey." "How ya feeling?" "To be honest... not great." "Why not? You got what you wanted." "Well... I did just get hit by a car." "That you jumped in front of." "If I had known..." "Well, I could've told you." I glare at him. "What?" "I could've told you that he was alive." "WHAT?!?! AND YOU DIDN'T DO THIS WHY?!?!" "He didn't want me to." The door opens and Beyond looks inside. "What's going on? Who're you yelling at?" Then Lawliet's voice sounds, shaded with anger. "What are you doing back here?" Ryuk turns to him. "I came to visit the kid I helped raise." L looks almost... shocked. "What?" "Yeah. Has (Y/N) not... told you yet?" Ryuk looks at me and I shake my head. "Whoops." "Whoops indeed. (Y/N)?" Everyone looks at me, so I sigh and start talking.

--- TIME SKIP CAUSE I'M LAZY <3 ---

When I wake up, Ryuk is hovering in the corner of the room and Beyond and Lawliet are asleep on the couch. Which reminds me. "Ryuk." "Oh, you're awake." "In my bag..." He looks confused but goes over to it and picks it up. "I got you an apple. I was going to give it to you before... but you disappeared." He reaches inside and pulls it out excitedly. "How did you know?" "Light's always giving them to you. And I remember one day at the orphanage you ate a whole bushel all by yourself and I drank all the apple juice." "Oh, yeah! That was a great day!" "Yeah... until they found out. Then it wasn't so great." Ryuk and I both wince at the memory and I automatically reach for my upper arm. "Does it still hurt?" "No, it's healed by now. It's just a reflex at this point." He nods and we fall silent as I lapse back into sleep.

--- SLIGHTLY BIGGER TIME SKIP CAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WRITE NEXT---

I try to fight the rising panic as the sirens get closer and closer to my location. I can barely breathe Beyond's name into my microphone in the tight space. "What's going on out there?" "They're almost here." "I'm almost done. Just hold on for a couple more seconds." I wait, the only audible sounds the sirens, getting closer with every tick of my watch. "Ok, go!" I burst out of the alleyway, darting in front of the police cars, and connect the wires in the open hood of the car Beyond set up for me, putting the hood down as I jump in the driver's seat. "A convertible? Really?" "Yeah, they're really popular right now." "Shut up and let me drive." I put the roof down, pull out of the parking space, and speed down the road in front of the cops and right past Beyond's hiding place; they all come after me and forget about Beyond. I swerve around a few corners, then jump out of the car just before it hits a traffic light, running down the nearest alley and circling around the back roads to meet Beyond. When I get there, he's looking worried. "Where were you?" "Getting rid of your stupid convertible." "Fine, but we need to go. Now." I nod and we turn to go back down the alley to the main street when a car pulls up in front of us, stopping two feet away. I already know who it is.

--- TIME SKIP FOR EXCLUSION OF IRRELEVANT INFORMATION ---

I stumble forward as the hand on my back pushed me into a concrete box and locks the iron gate preventing my escape. I whip around and rush the bars, slamming my shoulder into them. Obviously, it doesn't work for anything other than hurting my shoulder. But Beyond is across from me. I glance and him and can't help but burst out laughing; he looks so worried. And then I can't stop. I fall to the ground, my hands wrapped around my stomach to protect it from the invisible hands; they're tickling me. I can't... It hurts! "B-Beyond!" "What... are you ok?! I can't do anything! Calm own! Just breathe!" "HELP ME!" I'm still laughing, I can't stop, I'm panicking, I don't know what to do, I can't even call out for help. I vaguely hear the door creak open and then there's a quick, sharp pain in my neck but I still can't stop laughing as the world blacks out.

When I wake up, everything is soft and yellow, and I can't move my arms. I squint against the lights; it's glaring off everything. Why did they pick such a neon yellow? I still can't move my arms. I can feel myself starting to hyperventilate and try to slow down my breathing. Where's Beyond? Where am I? What's going on? Did they put me back in solitary? I can't be here, the hands will find me again! Where's Beyond? I can't focus on anything. Everything is gone, all of my thoughts scattered, over and over. I can't form any coherent thoughts. And then the music starts playing. "Baby, I don't feel so good, six words you never understood." I can already feel my body automatically calming down, relaxing. And getting sadder by the second. This song reminds me of-- "Feeling better?" I jump and turn around to see my friend. Or he was. Right? Is he still mad at me for picking Beyond? There are two men standing by him, probably for security, and I feel something tugging at my side. I look over, and there are two men, one on each side of me, undoing my restraints. Soon enough, my arms are free. I stand still for a second, then rush Lawliet with the intent of putting him in a chokehold until he told me where Beyond was. His guards move to stand in front of him and he waves them off. What an idiot!

And then my arms are around him and I'm crying. I can swear I hear Ryuk laughing, but... That shouldn't be possible. He's gone... right? I back up and wipe the tears off my face. He offers me his hand and I gladly take it, the long sleeves covering my hands. We're walking down the hallway when my head starts hurting. I try to shake it off, but it gets worse very quickly. The last thing I remember is collapsing on the floor.

Everything blurs into view, and it's still really bright. Instantly, I remember Beyond and Lawliet and sit up; there's a doctor next to my bed and he stumbles backwards at my sudden movement. I glare at him. "Where's Beyond?" "W-Who?" "Beyond! Beyond Birthday, my best friend and companion for life. That Beyond. And L! Where are they?" "Are you... talking about... the Death Note characters?" "I don't know what that is, but they were just here!" "Miss, that's not possible." "Well, why not?" I can't move my arms. The room is too bright. This shade of yellow is really annoying. He's taking a very long time to answer. "Miss (Y/L/N), those aren't real people."

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MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! So, I might have been a little salty toward anyone who would ever pick... not L, but that's only one of my many problems that we're not going to get into right now :). So, this was the final chapter and we've run out of Strawberry Jam. Fortunately, I am coming out with a new L x reader soon, so stay tuned! A shoutout to my cousin, @cerise772. I'm not sure whether she has any good stories out yet, but I'll check :). You are all fantastic! Thank you, and if you liked it, please be sure to vote on it and suggest it to your friends.

Crystal <3