A/N: Finally feel just a bit more normal today! Although I'm not exactly supposed to be writing anything - I really should be resting - boredom sets in pretty fast, and... well... boredom breeds chapters I guess. I still won't be posting more than maybe a chapter a day, but if I'm making a recovery as fast as this, then maybe you all won't have to wait all week like I'd said. :)

As always, enjoy the chapter, thank you all for sticking around, and please review if you can!

(Mello P.O.V)

"You realize that if this wasn't Misa I really wouldn't be helping out, correct?" I asked irritably.

L scoffed. "Mello, if it wasn't Amane, I wouldn't be helping out. It's just our unfortunate luck that it is indeed the blonde herself."

Light elbowed him. "Stop it, the both of you. I know this ruins our holiday a bit, but we can start it up again once we're done with this. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if a friend got hurt because I wanted to sip coconut milk on the beach."

Near shivered a bit. "I'm all for helping Misa, but it's colder than Mello rejecting Matt's advances here!"

"Hey!" Matt warned, then took a few seconds to think about it. "Okay, maybe you're right."

I rolled my eyes. I was still a little miffed at having to help Amane when we were supposed to be in Hawaii, getting tan and surfing. However, she was a good friend to L and Light and she helped me to discover my confidence again. Still, it was December, close to Christmas, freezing cold, and I wanted to be back in Hawaii in the warm weather.

The limousine that Watari was driving heated up at a slow rate, and by the time we'd made it to Nan and Sofu's house, it had only just gotten warmer.

Nan was waiting by the front window and the moment she saw us she ran to greet us at the door. We were going to find a hotel soon, but Sofu insisted we visited them first. Fine by me since Nan always made the best hot chocolate for me and I was more than craving it now, what with me dying to get warmed up.

We made a quick run for the door, considering the small blizzard that was starting up, and Nan rushed us inside. The warmth of the house was well appreciated.

The moment we were all indoors, Watari included of course, Nan started hugging and welcoming us into her home.

"You poor things, having to travel in this kind of weather for Misa. Oh, but you're such good boys for doing so."

I shivered a bit, not keen on taking off my coat. "I should hope so."

Nan rolled her eyes but gave me a hug anyways. "My sweet Mello, please don't be so angry. I know you were enjoying Hawaii but you're doing a good thing."

I sighed, hugging her back. "Fine, I'll try not to be so angry." I then smirked a bit. "But I'd be in a better mood if you made that hot chocolate I love so much."

She chuckled, pulling back a bit and pinching my cheek. "In the kitchen, on the counter."

I kissed her cheek. "You're the best, Nan!"

I then quickly ran to the kitchen with Near and Matt fighting to get ahead of me. I could tell they were just as desperate to be warm as I was, and Nan's hot chocolate would help a great deal. Within moments we settled down and had our drinks and soon L, Light, Nan, and Sofu joined us. Sofu had only just come from upstairs and hugged each of us the moment he saw that we'd arrived.

I was the last one to be hugged, "And how are my boys doing? I know it must be hard leaving Hawaii for this kind of weather."

Matt shrugged. "I'm okay with it. I've been meaning to bean a few snowballs at Mello's head."

I scoffed, letting go of Sofu. "Good luck hitting a black belt in martial arts."

"Your black belt can't save you from my awesome aim!" Matt exclaimed.

Near scoffed out a laugh. "Whatever you say, Matt."

"See, Near knows I'm the best."

"You wanna take this outside, blondie!?" The red head said, standing up from his seat.

I sipped my hot chocolate. "How about when I've warmed up for longer than five minutes?"

Matt sat back down and L began.

"So, when will Misa and the others arrive?" He asked.

"Soon," Sofu answered, "when they came to me asking for help yesterday I wasn't what to do. I'm glad to see they thought ahead though and called you two first. I'm happy to help in any way I can, and I'm more than able to put a team together in hopes to help you catch this murderer."

"Thanks dad." Light started. "Do you have any evidence or photos of the victims?"

"In the study. Teri brought them over yesterday and I've kept them for you two to look at."

"Shall we go take a look then?" L suggested. "It's still early yet and it would be best if we started right away."

Light nodded then looked at us. "You three stay down here with Nan. We'll come up with a plan for you when we've got more information on what we're dealing with here."

We agreed and with that they were off, Watari joining them just in case. While we waited for them Nan was more than happy to keep us company.

She hugged Near once again. "Oh, sweetheart, you've grown so much since I last saw you! Finally had that growth spurt, huh?"

Matt and I snickered. It was more than true what she was saying. Near had finally grown up just a bit more to be considered adult sized, but he was still shorter than us by a few inches. Not to mention he had the body type of a scrawny boy.

Nan looked at me, a smirk on her face. "Something you want to say, my dear?"

I cleared my throat. "No, ma'am. Nothing at all."

Just as her smirk widened a bit, the front door opened and closed.

"Mrs. Yagami?" Called a female voice. It didn't sound like Misa, but I could only guess it was one other woman.

"In here, Teri!" Nan called back.

Within moments, three woman made their way into the kitchen, and squealed happily at seeing us.

Of course they ran to hug us, but it was mostly me they were happy to see. After my success with the case a few years back where I'd befriended Misa, Takada, and Teri, they'd kept in contact with me as best as they could. Misa was more than happy to see I'd stopped wearing such baggy clothes in exchange for quality leather.

Teri hadn't squealed like Misa and Takada, but was ecstatic to see I'd come out of my shell.

After I was bombarded with hugs and a few kisses to my cheek, I chuckled at them. "I'm glad to see you still recognize me."

Misa giggled. "Of course we remember you! You were the best project we ever had!"

Teri chuckled with her. "Speaking of which, stand up princess and let's see that new outfit of yours!"

"Quit calling me that!" I demanded, standing up. "Honestly, you thrive on my being annoyed!"

She only grinned. "I do. Now turn, princess."

I rolled my eyes as I made a single turn for her.

She looked impressed. "Not bad, bitch. Love the leather coat and pants, but I'd switch out the vest for something silky, maybe a long-sleeved shirt. The best curves to work with are your butt and waist, so work on the tops a bit more."

I groaned. "I don't exactly need fashion advice from you. I like what I wear."

Misa clapped a bit and ran to hug me again. "And you should! You're a sweet and beautiful young man, and you have every right to like what you like!"

I heard Matt snicker again from behind me.

I looked at him. "You want that snowball fight now, or do you want to put on your panties before I kick your butt?!"

"Bring it, blondie!"

Nan sighed. "Not while company is over, boys."

I took a chance to glare at Matt before agreeing to Nan's request.

With that we were all gathered together to plan out our next move. Before that, however, Light and L had to decide on what to do. Somehow, though, I knew in my gut that we'd have to go undercover yet again.

I shivered for a quick second and Nan caught this.

"Darling, are you alright?"

I blinked, then nodded slowly. "I just felt a disturbance in the air. I think L and Light are planning something. Something I'm not going to like very much."

Right as I'd said that, the detective himself popped in and looked at me. "Mello, could you come with me? We need to speak about your part in this case." He then noticed Misa and the other women. "You three as well."

I shuddered again, beginning to follow him. "See? What'd I tell you?"

Once we'd made it to the study, L and Light began explaining their plan on the situation.

"As we've discovered, this murderer is in fact going after well-known models and designers. The deaths are too frequent together and too well placed to be accidents." Light began. "And it would seem that his next target is going to be Misa Amane."

The blonde woman beside me shrunk a bit at the thought.

"However," L began, "we can protect you, Misa. In fact, we may have to disguise you for a while until this person is caught. However, we can't just let this person wait in the shadows for Misa to show up at some point. So, we're going to have to draw them out with a new target…"

I held up my hand to stop him right there.

"I'm just going to guess the rest of your plan here." I said, not even blinking. "You're going to dress me up as a model, male or female, parade me around until I get famous, have Matt and Near as my entourage – a.k.a protection – Teri and Takada will be my photographers and make up people, Misa making sure I rise to fame with her online support and many followers on her pages, and you and L will be my bodyguards, and we'll use all this to lure the freak out in hopes he'll want to kill me, I'll stop him, L gets paid, and we go back to Hawaii." I took a long, silent pause for dramatic effect.

I relaxed a bit. "Am I in the ball park here?"

Light and L both blinked.

"Um… yes." Light admitted. "Well done."

"But will you agree to it?" L asked

I sighed. "Fine, I'll do it. But might I make a small suggestion?"

"Shoot."

"I say we have Misa out in the open, no disguises, but promoting me to the most of her ability. The faster we do this, the faster we can get back to Hawaii and relax for a bit."

Both L and Light looked at each other, debating whether or not that was a smart idea.

Light hummed a bit. "Well, if she can get you to become more famous in a quicker and easier way, and we got some kind of guard for her as well just in case, then I suppose we could do that."

"Perfect," I announced, "and I also demand that I stay as a male. When you dressed me up as a girl for that high-school case, I got a goddamn rash from that water-bra, and the makeup gave me zits like no one's business."

"You have pretty sensitive skin there, Mello." Teri chuckled out.

"Because I take care of my skin, Teri." I implied to the woman.

She scoffed. "And you don't want to play a woman, why? You're quite good at it now anyways." She quipped, walking out of the room to go tell the others of our plan.

I glared at her, jaw slightly dropped. I then looked back at Light. "Seriously? How is it she always one ups me?!"

The man shrugged. "I don't know. I just learned to roll with it. It can be quite entertaining sometimes. Especially when she's battling L."

The detective scoffed. "I still have a score to settle with her after our last little quip contest."

"Not much of a contest when she kicked your butt." Light snickered out.

L crossed his arms. "She's going down next time, I swear it."