Welcome to the Fallout.
Welcome to Resistance.
What Happens Next?...

"Veronica," Matt's voice is barely a shocked whisper. His warm breath fogs against the ice cold glass separating him and the small girl with chocolate brown hair. Veronica is sitting outside; feet dangling off the edge of the roof. Her head is bowed under the soft rain fall. Why is she doing this to herself! What is she thinking?! With a soft growl of frustration, Matt pushed the glass door open and steps out onto the rooftop. Rain quickly finds him and soaks him.

"Veronica!" He shouted over the sudden gust of wind. "What are you doing!?"

The girl didn't seem to hear him. She didn't even move.

Matt's heart is beating like he's just run a marathon. Why is he so scared? Surely she won't do what he thinks she will. No, not Veronica. She's just a sweet little girl; she's happy. Why would this even cross her mind? "Veronica!" He calls again, taking slow steps towards her.

This time, she hears him. Slowly, as if it's causing her great effort to do so, she turns her head in Matt's direction. Her chocolate brown curls are soaked and almost black now. Her short bangs stick to her pale forehead. She says something, but Matt can't hear what it is, only sees her lips move, but there is no doubt in his mind that she must have said his name.

'Matt?'

Matt shudders as another gust of wind blows, and he cringes as Veronica's whole body shakes as she coughs. "Veronica, lets go inside!" His steps are still slow and calm. He doesn't want to scare her. "Please! You'll get even sicker!"

To his surprise, the young girl slowly starts to get to her feet, and it's all Matt can do to keep his heart from bursting from his chest. 'She's going to fall, oh god, she's going to fall' "Veronica, wait! I'll come get you!" He's jogging now and Veronica is still getting to her feet. Oh, god. He can't let her fall.

"Matty," She whispers once he's close enough. "Why are you yellin' so much?" She's standing still right at the edge, her whole body shaking. "You're gonna wake up all the other kids and Roger." Despite the cold, and her fading voice, she sounds so calm. So at ease with her current situation.

Matt watches her, chest heaving. Why? Out of fear, probably. Fear for her. Fear for himself, for this poor girl is his one and only companion. "V, please..." He says. "Get down from there and come inside. You're all wet, and you still haven't gotten over your fever, please." His voice is almost hysterical. He just wants her to come back inside with him so that they can get her dry and away from the edge of the roof.

"Matty," Veronica smiles and it scares him so, so much. It's a sad smile that says so much more than she lets on. A smile that no little girl should ever wear on her beautiful freckled face. Never. "I don't wanna go back inside. I'm not gonna." Then, she giggles. "Matty, I don't belong here. This isn't Texas, this isn't my home. I miss my mama and papa. I...I should have gone with them, ya know? It isn't fair for me to keep on livin' while they're not here. It's not right." She smiled again and then turned her head away from Matt to look down at the wet, grass below.

Matt's heart is hammering in his chest. "Veronica, that's not true." He reaches out for her hand, but he quickly regrets it. She moves out of the way and slips a little on the wet cement. "V! Please, get down from there!"

"No, Matty. I wanna see my mama again. I want them...and according to the movies this is the only way I'm gonna do it."

"No...Veronica, wait."

"C'mon, Matt. You're going to be adopted! Smile a little."

"No, don't!...I don't want you to- NO!" Matt swore he felt his heart stop for a second. "Roger! Roger!" His cries echo through out the yard and grey roof top. He should have done this sooner! He should have called for Roger the second he saw Veronica out on the ledge. "Roger!" His whole body trembles and it's not from the cold rain. It's from seeing his only friend, two floors below, laid out on the grass in a heap. Unmoving. "Veronica!" And he can't seem to understand whether he's really crying or not...it is raining after all. "Oh my god...no..."

He's never felt this alone in so long. It's like he can almost feel her burn out, like a candle. She isn't there anymore. And in this orphanage, it will be as if she never had been to begin with.

"Veronica!"

-

"I'm sorry, Matt. But that is life. There was nothing you could have done to save that poor girl. She was sick, mentally as well. Her actions confirm that."

Mentally sick? She was a little girl! She was nine years old for Christ's sake! Matt felt the tears run down his cheeks. He was so angry. Why was Roger so damn calm?

Veronica was dead...a nine year old had committed suicide and he was acting as if he was waiting for it to happen. As if it were normal for kids to jump off the side of buildings! Did he think it was a joke? Because he didn't recall seeing Veronica jump up and laugh afterwards.

"No more tears, Matt. You'll never find a good home like that." Roger says in his old, tired voice. "Wash your face. A lovely couple will be coming in to get you. You'll see, you'll like them."

No. He didn't want a lovely couple to come get him. He didn't want any parents! He wanted Veronica!

"I don't want a family."

"That is not for you to decide." The old man's bones creaked as he stood up off the bed. "Clean up, child. You look like hell." And with that, the old man took his leave, closing the heavy mahogany door behind him.

Out of anger, Matt picks up the pillow resting on his bed and tosses it away. It just slumps on the floor with little noise. Why did Veronica have to go? She was his safe place. His friend. He told her about all his dreams; about Mello. Now, who was he suppose to talk to? Everyone would think him a nut job. Veronica was the only one he could turn to. The only one he could really be himself around and not have to pretend to be the eleven year old they all thought him to be.

Mello

Matt gasped out loud, like something had burned him. Mello. He was real, right?! What if he went to find him?! Would...would he take him in? Would he save him from a life in the orphanage; Save him from some strangers that he'd have to call parents? Of course, right? Mello loved him! And sure, maybe he himself didn't remember the blond stranger all too well, but he did know that Mello did, and that there was obviously a time where Matt had loved him too.

So it was decided. He had to leave.

He had to find, Mello.

- - -

Music is blaring, colored lights touch over every warm, sweaty body on the dance floor. The air is thick with the scent of drugs and sex. That's what everyone present is there for. Drugs, beer, and lots of sex.

The party is held in one of the fancy lofts somewhere deep in the heart of New York. Why no one has called to complain about the loud music, is unclear. Not that anyone is really lingering on things such as that. They're all too busy caught up in their body heat. Their high.

"Fuck, yes..." He groaned to himself. His head felt light as he pulled the needle from his forearm. It felt like his veins were on fire, with a delicious burn. His eyes fluttered shut and he felt his lips part in a low moan before a wide, euphoric smile spread over them. "Mm," He looked to the young woman sitting beside him, she had the same glazed eyes that he did; the same high.

"c'mere, babe." His voice is low, sultry. The woman is all too willing to lean in closer. Their lips meet and he reaches up to cup one of the woman's breasts. All the while, he can't help thinking; 'This feels odd' It's not something he's use too. He isn't use to feeling the swell of breasts. He isn't use to the sickly sweet smell of perfume. He isn't use to women.

Yeah, this isn't right. Everything about this isn't right. But honestly, with this high, he can't bring himself to care. All he wants, is to release all his pent up anger, hurt...everything, he wants to release it into this body. This woman.

"Shh," He whispers to her. His hands trail lower, lower, under her skirt and he smiles to himself when he hears her suck in a breath.

He's lost himself. This is what he wants. What he craves for day after day. He wants to lose himself, his thoughts. He wants to lose Matt because the pain of having him, but not having him, is just too painful. Too confusing. Too frustrating. Like Light said: 'It's been two months. It's time to move on.' Yeah. That's exactly what he's doing.

He's moving on.

A/N: I hate Mello right now. Haha, because he's screwin' chicks. Blah. So, we say good-bye to Veronica after only knowing her for one chapter. GOD I'm worse than J.K Rowling! 'Nywho, she has an accent, its not my bad spelling, stfu. Short chapter, I know. Deal with it. I don't reread my shit, because I'm paranoid, so I do have mistakes. Spell Check can only do so much.

Still Interested? Let me know. Don't like wasting my time.

~ Matt.