Chapter Twenty Love Isn't As Blind As I Thought

When I woke up next, everything was dark, and I felt awful. Groaning in pain, I sat up from my place on the ground, and looked around. At first, my hazy mind didn't understand what I was seeing. But as soon as it cleared, I realized I wasn't in a room: I was in a cell.

Panic filled me, and I scrambled to the door of the cell. It all seemed so real that I wasn't sure if I was still in the Task Force building. Surely Matsuda wouldn't allow this? Perhaps he thought it would be for the best...? I let out a shaky breath and prayed that maybe Nate would remember me and come help. But...I decided how slim those chances were and collapsed in a heap on the ground, a few tears leaking out of my eyes when I realized my hopes wouldn't be satisfied.

I would just have to wait, I thought hazily, and brought a hand to my forehead as a dull thud rang throughout my head.

When I brought my hand back, there was blood on it. Eyes wide, I brought it back up and rubbed some more of the blood off. It was then that I noticed just how contaminated the cell was. There was dirt and blood: I wondered when the last person was placed in this cell. It didn't seem like too long ago.

Where am I? I thought, unsurely, before grasping the metal bars in my weak hands and leaning against the door. I could see another door on the other side of the room, down a long hallway that seemed longer than it probably was.

Closing my eyes, I drifted off into a haphazard sleep.

*Page Break*

I wasn't sure how long it was, before help came. Hours, days...it all seemed so blurry. Like an unrealistic dream that I was only just coming out of: and had been for the past few days. Still, I was only awake for parts of the day. During the rest of those hours, I was unconscious: still suffering from the blow I had taken to my head.

So I was lucky when I just happened to be awake at the time of my rescue.

Sitting in the corner of my cell, knees up and arms latched protectively around them, I was dozing in and out of sleep when a loud clank resounded through the rooms.

I looked up sharply in anticipation, afraid and unsure of what was behind the door. Soon, it opened to reveal two shadowy figures coming toward me. My eyes widened in alarm and I backed to the farthest end of the cell.

It was then that I recognized who it was. I couldn't mistake that blonde hair anywhere: Halle!

Scurrying to my feet, I stumbled to the door of the cell as Halle began unlocking it. I strained to see who the other was: in my hazy state, I wasn't really sure of anything. But as soon as that white hair came into focus, my heart began racing. I grabbed the bars and stared at Nate with shaky eyes, due to the tears that were building up inside them.

Halle couldn't open the door soon enough: I was nearly trembling in irritation by the time she had finally managed to pull the door open, and when she did, I bolted out of the cell and threw my arms around my love's neck, hugging him as tightly as my weak arms allowed.

"N-Nate...Nate!" I cried, feeling his arms quickly wrap around my waist as he returned my desperate embrace.

He buried his face in my neck and inhaled my scent, re-memorizing me, "Alice."

Leaning back, I grabbed the back of his hair and did something that shocked him: I pushed my lips onto his in a passionate, mind-blowing kiss that sent us both in upward spirals of confusion, lust, and passion.

He didn't break away, like I had expected him to. He didn't reject me and walk away, like I had thought he would. No: he merely took my face in his hands and returned my kiss with a desire I didn't know he had.

It didn't stop there: he shocked me even further by slamming me into the outside cell wall and making our kiss even deeper. I held back a moan as his hands latched onto my hips, pushing me slightly up the wall with unbridled strength.

An awkward cough interrupted us from going any farther. We broke away, leaving much to be desired, and I looked around us.

Halle was standing about three feet away, staring at the ground in embarrassment. I moved my eyes to the person who had come in and immediately a grin washed over my face.

My eyes twinkled as I jokingly scoffed and said, "Rester. What are you looking at?"

The man grinned from ear to ear and shrugged, "Nothing much, Al."

I smiled at both his retort and my new nickname and turned to look at Nate, who was staring at me, his hands still wrapped carelessly around my waist.

I cupped his cheek with my hand and kissed his nose, before pulling away slightly and grinning cheekily, "So, what now?"

Commander Rester suddenly turned serious, "Now, we get you back to Headquarters and fix up your wounds."

I frowned, "Wounds?"

Then I remembered: my head was still beat up from the shards of glass.

I looked at the ground and muttered a soft, "...Right."

Nate calmly wrapped a protective arm around my slim figure, leading me forward.

I looked up at him, "What about the notebook-?"

But he just shook his head, glancing at me fondly, and murmured, "We'll talk about it later."

I nodded slowly and allowed them to help me back to the SPK building.

*Page Break*

Pots clamored loudly as I hurried to mix up everything exactly at the directions said. I narrowed my eyes at the directions and allowed my nimble fingers to pour some milk into the batter before vigilantly stirring.

It was about 9:30 in the morning, and I had an odd craving for a good breakfast...which I usually don't get to eat nowadays due to my job. But now...

Two arms wrapped around my waist, and, after softly kissing my neck, the man behind me chuckled and asked quietly, "What are you making?"

I scoffed, "Trying to make, Nate. I don't think it's working very well though."

He smiled against the skin of my neck and allowed one arm to abandon my waist as he reached for the directions.

"...Muffins?" I saw him peer over my shoulder at the mixture. He made a noise and murmured, "It needs more milk."

I frowned, following his gaze and nodding sarcastically, "Yeah, yeah...damn muffins. Maybe I should just go out and buy some."

Nate chuckled softly and kissed my neck again, this time nibbling lightly on it.

I blushed lightly and smiled, leaving the muffins and turning in his arms to place a gentle kiss on his lips.

It was about a month since I had returned to the SPK force, and since then, Nate and I had become more intimate with each other. I enjoyed being with him: our relationship seemed to take quite a load off both of our shoulders.

In return for me, Nate had traded his Death Note to Light. At first I had practically begged him to take me back and get the Death Note back, because of how terribly guilty I felt. But Nate had just laughed and shook his head, and I knew my suggestion sounded absolutely ridiculous to him.

I was lucky to have him, and after all that time away from him, every moment seemed to have a very big effect on me.

Nate smiled softly and encircled his arms around my waist, leaning down and returning my kiss. As I tunneled my fingers through his soft locks of hair, a voice interrupted us.

"You two need to get a room," Halle sighed as she walked in.

Nate began pulling away, but I merely grabbed his shoulders to prevent him from leaving and grinned cheekily, "We are in a room."

Nate laughed quietly and looked at Halle, breaking away from me and heading for the door, "I'll be working on the case," he called, and disappeared.

I smiled lovingly and leaned against the counter as Halle got a cup of coffee.

"What are you making?" she asked, coming over and looking into the bowl I had forgotten about.

"Muffins," I answered, turning to the counter again and taking the spoon, "But they aren't coming out very well."

The blonde woman just laughed, "Probably because you need more milk."

An exasperated expression took a hold of my features, "...Right."

With that, I grabbed the milk carton and poured some liquid into the batter.

"Third times the charm," I muttered, beginning to stir the improved mixture.

Halle just laughed lightly and walked away, leaving me to my thoughts.

*Page Break*

A loud snap was heard in a discrete room below the streets, followed by innumerous beeping noises and annoyed grunts.

"Matt," a black clad figure said lazily from the couch, "Calm down."

Matt merely made a noise and muttered an almost incoherent jumble of words, "...Easy for you...to say..."

His eyes were fixated on the screen as his fingers eagerly pushed the buttons of his game console, forcing his character to bring down it's weapon on the opponent. The number 58 was seen in the left hand corner. Though the game itself had only just come out the previous week, the levels that had been beaten were incredible.

Mello sighed and laid his head on the back of the couch, popping another piece of chocolate into his mouth. He closed his eyes in content as he savored the taste, before swallowing it and glancing at his friend. Matt had been sitting in his exact spot on the corner of the couch for two hours, ever since Mello had returned to the base and found him. He knew Matt had probably been here long before Mello even showed up.

Matt never could tear his eyes from that screen.

"Do you know what I'm planning?" Mello suddenly asked, breaking the peaceful silence just as Matt's character took down the other. Mello watched in lazy disinterest as Matt's character did a small victory dance. The green numbers changed to 59, signaling that Matt had beat yet another level.

Matt glanced at his friend and frowned, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cigarette as he answered, "You mean about Alice?"

Mello nodded delicately picking off another piece of chocolate and biting into it.

Matt made a noise, returning to his game as he pressed a few more buttons and raced off to the next level.

"I don't think it's a good idea, using her like that," Matt smirked, "She never could take a joke."

Mello scoffed, "She's our inlet to Near. The Trump Card."

Mello had been using those words a lot lately, much to Matt's annoyance. The Trump Card who would help them get their much deserved share of the glory.

Matt answered with a defense of his own, "She and Near are together now, ya know? It'd be cruel to take them away from each other."

Mello looked at his friend in dark surprise, "...You're not going soft, are you Matt? It doesn't matter anyway. Even if they are together, they have to realize how much danger this puts them in."

Matt evidently had no retort for that: he merely shrugged and began fighting yet another man with his character, "So what's your plan to kidnap her then?"

Mello leaned back a little, staring at the ceiling as he thought it over, "She leaves sometimes to shop. One of the SPK goes with her, of course," he said, scoffing lightly, "I'll get her then, when her defenses are at their weakest."

Matt looked at Mello from the corner of his eye, "Am I coming?"

"...No. You'll stay here and make sure the others don't get into any fights," the leather clad man replied, referring to the mafia men he had working for him.

Matt nodded and allowed himself to return fixated to the screen, fingers never slowing as they hit the game console. Mello rolled his eyes and stood, deciding to leave his friend to his games.

Sorry it took so long to update ^-^' I'm going to Massachusetts tomorrow for my brother's college indock thing so that's what's new for me =]

School starts up tomorrow as well (though I'm missing the first day Mwahahaa Take that, society!) Anyway, I'm looking into fashion designing and it's a bitch BUT I realized that I have a huge schoolgirlish crush on Austin Scarlett (haha) and I'm loving his teaming up with Santino Rice for their new series (I'm obsessed, I'll admit!) Whyyy isn't there any good fanfics for him? I might write a short story up for him but there's so much I have to do with school and...life haha so I don't know if I'll get around to it...=\

Review and all that jazz! Thanks to kindacravingshortcake, ShizukaLawliet13, Broken-Becca, XxX-Curly-Wurly-XxX, and ThexWorld'sxAxBrokenxBone for reviewing! =D So many names! Haha have a fab day loves