A/N; I have finally updated! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and forgive me for any mistakes as it has not been beta'd by the wonderful VirtualDraconium, she has exams and I don't want to be a bother.

Please read and review!


Chapter three

Mello sat next to Matt quite astounded. For the first time since he had arrived at Wammy's Mello had lost to someone. Also for the first time in his short life he found he didn't care.

"What were you saying about winning?" Matt said grinning at him.

"Tch," Mello said simply, "It seems you do have brains in that skull of yours after all."

He then dragged Matt towards him and knuckled the top of his head slightly, enough to shock the other boy, but not enough to hurt. Matt just laughed at his actions.

"So, now that we have determined, that yes indeed Matt does have a brain," Mello said, "Why do you lounge at the bottom of the leader board?"

"I find the work bores me, I prefer gaming," Matt said shrugging, "I don't want to surpass L."

Mello attacked him again.

"They give you more difficult work and change your classes depending on how well you do, moron," Mello yelled.

Matt laughed and ducked away from Mello, the brash actions of Mello somehow did fill him with fear. Perhaps it was the sheer openness of Mello and the lack of any real violence towards him, of course protecting him from the bullies had helped. In his distraction he didn't notice Mello's hand shoot out, and in less than a minute plonk Matt at his desk.

"You now I can't see the screen from here," Matt laughed, going to stand up. Mello's hands pressed lightly on his shoulders.

"If you do the work, you can move up the leader board, and could even be in classes with me. It is based on ability not on age," Mello said quietly, "and no-one will are pick on you if you are near the top."

"Why do you think I will be near the top?" Matt asked, suddenly serious in the light of Mello's sudden change in tone.

"Because you were saved by L, just like me," Mello whispered.

Matt stared up at Mello in shock.

"How did you-" Matt began.

"I hacked the main computer," Mello explained, looking embarrassed, "I always do with new arrivals."

"So you saved me because you pity me," Matt said quietly, looking down.

"Did I ever say that?" Mello scoffed. Then, as he knew show and tell should be done in that order, he shrugged down the shirt he was wearing and turned his back to Matt. He pulled it back on as he heard Matt gasp, he knew Matt had definitely seen.

"We have more in common than you might think Matt," Mello sighed, as he turned around, "now do the work, I don't want to have to sit and put up with the maths teacher on my own much longer."

Without saying a word Matt turned to the pages in front of him and began to work through the problems.

Mello had been right about Matt. It took two weeks of just handing in the work for Matt to be moved into the same classes as Mello, and only one month of being in the same classes for his name to finish it's ascendance.

Matt stared at the board. He was second.

He smiled, he was only behind Mello now, and that was alright. He liked being there; it would keep Mello happy and keep everyone else off his back, the perfect place to be. Then Mello jumped him, staring over his shoulder at the board. Mello gave a gleeful laugh in Matt's ear.

"See I told you, you could do it," Mello stated.

"Yeah? Well don't get too full of yourself Mello," Matt scoffed, bringing his elbow back into Mello's gut slightly. He had found that this was the only way to remove the barnacle known as Mello; he would actually stay draped around Matt's shoulders as they walked. Much to all the other kids surprise Mello only laughed as Matt did this and pulled away. Matt neglected to mention that he spent only half the time on the work that Mello did… and then wasn't concentrating fully.

The one underlying thought Matt had though, was that he missed L. He had only had L's company for a week, since then L had not returned to Wammy's. He and Mello had hacked into the network together to find out just why their hero had not returned home; he was busy on a case. A serial rapist stalking through America, so he could not return to England. Matt and Mello understood, but they didn't have to like it, despite the seriousness of the crime.

In the past month Matt and Mello had developed a deep friendship, their mutual pain and feelings for L creating the first connection, and their mutual interests; namely wasting time and annoying others, the next. Neither of them could care less about the other orphans and students at Wammy's. That made them the perfect pair.

Since Mello had come to Matt's aid the first day they had met, Mello had kept on his protective role over him. Twice Matt had been approached by the others and each time, Mello came out of nowhere and placed them in the infirmary, the last incident being only a few days ago. Some people were slow at catching on, no matter how intelligent they were. Roger had been furious with them both for not coming to him about the bullying, but neither of them placed much trust in adults, why should they start now?

They ran along the corridor up to their now joint room. They had finally been put together after both had been caught sneaking around at night by most of the staff, and no amount of threats would stop them.

Matt and Mello very rarely played games together now, Mello much more preferred to watch Matt play, it could never fail to be interesting. Matt played each game as though he lived it, each move precise, each detail thought out. Mello loved watching Matt play, his friends face would brighten and a smile would actually form, a fixed and permanent grin, until he died of course. Then Mello would have to move back rapidly as Matt's arms rose in defiance at the game, waving about in anger.

So when Roger entered their room, without knocking, he found Mello lounged behind Matt eating more of his interminable supply of chocolate, his face propped by Matt's shoulder as Matt fought a particularly fiendish level boss.

"Mello," Roger said firmly, Mello ignored him, continuing to offer useless advice to his friend.

"Mello," Roger repeated, annoyance at the seven year old flitting over his face. Mello finally looked at him. "I need to talk to you."

Mello shrugged and slid off the bed, padding out of the room in front of Roger.

"I would prefer to talk in the room," Roger said.

"Matt is fighting a level boss, one of the last level bosses in that game," Mello huffed, "if is your funeral if you interrupt him now."

Roger raised his eyebrows at Mello; he had never heard the lad talk in someone's defence. Then he noticed Mello was looking at him expectantly, he gave in.

"A visitor will be coming to Wammy's tonight, he has requested your presence," Roger explained.

"Don't be coy Roger," Mello sighed, "L has finally come to visit hasn't he, and he wants to see me, because I am the first in line."

Roger frowned at Mello, he could never quite cope with this sort of conversation with a seven year old. Quite often he found himself regretting that he had ever taken this job opportunity when Quillish had offered it to him.

"Yes Mello, L is returning home," Roger said.

"And he just wants to see me? No one else?" Mello asked, he was shocked, he had thought that L would want to see Matt.

"I do not know," Roger admitted, "I received a memo from Mr Wammy about his return, and as you are on the top of the leader board it is to be expected that he would wish to see you. The meeting has been set for 8 o'clock tonight, in his room. Don't be late Mello."

"Fine, fine," Mello replied, managing to keep his excitement out of his voice. He slipped back into the room before Roger could say anything else.

Matt was celebrating his victory, albeit only Mello would have noticed, but Matt had leaned back and had that certain smirk on his face. The smirk only appeared when he had done particularly well.

"Congratulations," Mello smirked, "though was your victory ever in doubt?"

Matt laughed, the controller shifting from his lap to the floor as he did so.

"No I don't suppose it was, all pixel demons fall before me!"

Mello laughed, it wasn't often Matt made jokes.

"What did Roger want?" Matt asked suddenly.

"L is coming to Wammy's," Mello stated simply.

Instantly Matt looked at him attentively obviously waiting for more information.

"According to Roger he will be here this evening. Wammy sent word ahead, so Roger has made the assumption that he will want to see me. He has set a meeting for 8 o'clock." Mello sighed and slouched onto the bed.

Matt said nothing, he wondered why L had not asked to see him. Did he not care about him? True they had met by accident and L had ensured he came to Wammy's… he didn't owe Matt anything at all… but still…

"Of course I won't see L without my shadow coming with me," Mello said quietly.

"Your shadow?" Matt said shifting to look up at Mello.

"Yes Matt, namely you," Mello replied, "an apt name I feel considering you always follow me around walking just slightly behind me, like a shadow." Mello smiled then, a genuine smile belying any hard feelings from either of them at this.

"Thank you," Matt murmured, moving to hug Mello.

"Hey, geroff me!" Mello yelled; he didn't do hugging. The arms that briefly encircled Matt back though told a far more different story.

Matt hesitatingly followed behind Mello as they made there way up to the room that belonged to the fabled L. He was panicking that there was a reason L didn't want to see him and he would anger him by turning up.

He didn't show it but Mello was just as nervous as Matt, he had not seen L for far longer than Matt. In fact L's rescue of him always seemed like some dream from another lifetime. He knocked on the door, which caused Matt to snort slightly in amusement. Mello glared at him over his shoulder, which just caused Matt to snigger at him.

"You don't scare me," Matt murmured.

The sound of the door opening stopped all conversation. They turned to stare at the big, panda like eyes that stared out at them in amazement

"Mello?" L said, he sounded astonished, then his gaze slipped down, "Matt?"

"We were told to meet you by Roger," Mello said quickly. L frowned, he looked annoyed.

"Does he never stop trying to plan my life without my permission?" L sighed, then at the downcast and wary expressions on Matt and Mello's face his gaze softened, "you can still come in, I am not annoyed at either of you. In fact I had hoped to surprise you both tomorrow, but it seems that my plan has now failed."

He moved back and allowed Matt and Mello into the room. The two young boys ran into the room and ensconced themselves on L's bed.

"Make yourselves at home," L muttered as he saw them, then he said louder, "how have you both been?"He moved to sit in the chair by the bed.

"I have decided the maths teacher hates me," Mello sighed, "and Matt here has become my shadow." He pushed Matt's face into the mattress as he said this and laughed.

"I am NOT you shadow," Matt growled, "someone needs to follow you to make sure you don't break something."

"If you are referring to the tray of pipettes that accidentally fell near me in chemistry last week, then you are severely mistaken. I had nothing to do with it."

"Mello, I saw you push the box off the counter, at the teacher."

"He insulted me."

"Telling you off for adding your solutions together too quickly was not an insult, if the temperature went above ten degrees you could have ended up with TNT!"

"So?," Mello sighed, "I like explosives."

"Mello I-"

They stopped arguing when they heard a small amused chuckle from the other occupant of the room.

"No please continue," L said smiling, "don't let my presence put you off your dispute. I shall merely observe."

Mello and Matt looked down sheepishly, they had just argued in front of L.

"Has the bullying stopped?" L asked suddenly, his gaze on Matt.

Matt nodded slightly, looking down at the mattress.

"Mello saved me," Matt admitted. L's gaze turned to Mello, his face unfathomable.

"If you tell me there names they will be dealt with, this place does not exist to teach people to bully those seemingly weaker than them or different than them," L said quietly, standing and moving over to a table loaded with cakes.

"I believe they have learnt their mistake already," Mello replied.

"Oh?" L asked turning around.

"The four who were a bother are currently in the local hospital," Mello explained.

"I thought we agreed Mello that you would not fall back to your old habits," L chastised slightly.

"I find it difficult to hold back when a friend is in danger," Mello said, he sounded upset, "I am sorry L."

Matt looked at Mello in shock, never had he heard Mello apologise, he didn't seem the type.

"Old habits?" Matt said slowly.

"I see you didn't tell him," L said quietly, the cake behind him forgotten.

Then much to Matt's horror Mello burst into tears.