Author's Note: I'm back! We return to the story with a bit of tension and a lot of unanswered questions. To make it up to everyone, the next chapter will be quite interesting!. ***I don't own Death Note, only my OCs***

Chapter 8- Lunch & Numbers

Near and I walk into the dining room to find that almost all of the chairs are taken. I notice that the empty seats belong to the missing faces of the children who had been there for the late breakfast. A few have returned for lunch, despite having just eaten. The table is laden with different platters of sandwiches (ham, turkey, egg salad, et cetera), large bowls of chips, dishes of fruit, pitchers of drinks with labels on them, and a stack of condiments on either end as well as the center. I shake my head, ponytail flying, I'm impressed that the table isn't bending under the weight of it all.

Though there's a large number of children around a lot of food, I'm pleased to hear that they're all relatively quiet, passing trays and platters around politely. Seeing as how both Axel and Mello are at the same table, I doubt it'll stay that way for long. Axel is sitting next to Lady, talking animatedly about our 'near-death experience' with the cook. Poor Lady looks like she's been enduring this one-sided conversation for a while now; she isn't even attempting to pay attention anymore, patiently nibbling on an apple slice. Axel isn't deterred and continues with his story, waving a spoon through the air. He occasionally glares down the table at the boy he had been playing rock-paper-scissors with, his eyes burning with an unspoken need for a rematch. Mello and Matt sit at the far end of the table near the window, talking quietly.

Uncomfortable with the number of people in the room, my fingers flutter back and forth nervously. Fully preparing to sit this particular activity out, I jump slightly when a familiar hand wraps around mine. Near walks towards the far end of the table, gently dragging me along with him. I smile softly; Near doesn't have many friends, I know that feeling all too well myself. If I can sit with him and make his day a little less lonely, I will.

We walk past the chairs, listening to the gentle clinking of silverware on plates. Thankfully, most of the children are too busy with food to stare at the 'monkey'. I had noticed that nickname had been dying down as well. My actual name must be finally getting around. Shayna waves at me as we walk past, so I return it with a small smile. Hoping not to draw more attention to myself, watch Near's feet and hurry along.

We reach two vacant cream-colored chairs across form Mello and Matt. Near sits down without hesitation while I shyly slip into mine. Matt flashes me a friendly grin before going back to furiously tapping on his gameboy. Mello continues to talk to him, not saying a word to us, though I know that he's aware of our presence.

Near, however, doesn't seem to mind. He takes his armful of colorful action figures and begins to calmly set them up around the opposite edge of his plate. Once he's set them all down, he begins to twirl his snow white hair and examine his work. Mello roll his eyes; I resist the urge to kick him under the table. What I'm not bold enough to do, Matt does. Almost as if he had been watching the entire time, I see him sway away from Mello, who jerks back, glaring at Matt. I stifle a snicker behind my hand, covering it as a cough. Mello's blue eyes dart to me, but hurriedly return to Matt.

Since we're all sitting at the end of the table, we have quite a few sandwich platters, chip bowls, and fruit dishes pretty much to ourselves. Mello and Matt already have the remnants of sandwich crusts or crumbs on their plates. At this point, Mello is eating yet another chocolate bar while Matt periodically reaches forward and snags a chip. Near reaches forward, plucking a ham sandwich off of a platter, opens it to place a tomato on the cheese, and begins to eat.

Not knowing what else to do besides keep Near company, I simply watch the peaceful scene. It's been so long since I could just sit and not feel like I have to do anything. I don't feel like I'm an outcast here, like I'm supposed to be sitting at this table. It's almost as if I've been living here for years! I lose myself in my thoughts, watching the light refract off of the crystal in the chandelier. Maybe… maybe I am supposed to be here. Maybe this wasn't an accident… Uncomfortable with the lack of answers, I begin to unconsciously shift my bare feet side to side, back and forth, feeling out the soft carpet.

Children steadily begin to finish their meals and depart the room. Some remain, talking to each other or, in Axel's case, restarting the never-ending rock-paper-scissors battle. I quietly sit throughout the unbroken silence at our end of the table; I look back at the boys, who are all done eating at this point. I stiffen as I meet Mello's eyes, which don't look away this time. I quickly glance at Matt, hoping to find a respite from the glare. Unfortunately, even he's looking up from his game; Near has stopped playing with his toys.

I shift uncomfortably in my seat, twisting the fabric of the long red skirt in my hands under the table, "What?"

Matt speaks up, "Well, you haven't eaten anything."

I begin to trace the outside of my plate with my pinky finger. I shrug, "I'm not hungry."

Mello's eyes narrow, "You came here yesterday. You ran all throughout Wammy's House, hopped the fence, duked it out with L, had a concussion, and a late night interrogation. Lady says you and Axel flew out of here like a bat out of hell during breakfast. You mean to tell me that after all of that, you're not even a little hungry?"

I feel my stomach flop, I was hoping they wouldn't ask me about this. In a futile attempt to avoid the question, I smile, "Aw, Mello, do I sense an air of concern about you?"

His cheeks go a bit pink before he stands up from his chair, flustered. His rosary swings towards me, "Tha-that's not it!" He realizes how loud he's become; he brushes his shoulder-length hair back, crossing his arms. He remains standing, glaring down at me, "It's really not that hard to feel your ribs practically stabbing anyone who touches you! Anyone would think that you've never eaten in your life! L is interested in how you got here, so we're obligated to look after you!" Unable to control himself, the last phrase climbs back up to a soft roar. Near stops curling his hair, glancing in my direction.

I flinch at the words 'we're obligated'. They're familiar. Feeling the burning of tears that I already know won't fall, I look down at my hands in my lap. I lean backward, slowly sinking into my chair. Mello only ever knows how to yell, but if he thinks that making me feel guilty would get him anywhere, he's wrong.

Matt doesn't even look up from his game as he mutters, "Wow, Mello."

Mello realizes how harsh his words are, but has no idea what to do about it; he simply sits back down. A tense silence stretches between the four of us until I break it. I finally look up, directly into Mello's eyes, speaking in a hoarse whisper, "I'm sorry to be such an inconvenience."

Mello opens his mouth to say something, but is cut off when the bell rings once; all of the children begin to rise. I turn to Near with a questioning look to see him, once again, picking up his action figures. "That means lessons are going to begin." I nod quietly; I would have laughed at the sight of the tiny-yet-dignified Lady dragging Axel by the ear away from the table, that is, if I didn't feel so awful about Mello's comment.

Mello and Matt are already walking towards the door with the rest of the children. I feel a bit of satisfaction as I see Mello's cheeks are a bit pink in his embarrassment. It helps even more that Matt smacks Mello on the back of his blonde head. I sit in my seat and look back down at my empty plate. I won't tell them, I can't tell them!

A small white-sleeved hand places a peach on my plate. I look up into Near's gray eyes. He remains seemingly unemotional as he says, "All of us may make as many theories as we wish, but we won't truly know if they're true until you tell us. Whenever you do, we'll be here. Despite all impressions, we'll ALL be here. In the meantime, please eat that."

I feel a nervous, panicked shiver run along my limbs. He knows… They all know… No, calm down; like he said, they can't know unless I tell them. I want to cry, all I want to do is break down and tell Near everything… but I've had practice at choking down my emotions for years now. Instead, I stand, hugging him yet again. I feel him stiffen, but not as much as before.

Without another word, he shuffles to the doorway, his too-long pajamas catching underneath his feet.

Wanting to honor his request, I pick up the peach. It's a beautiful color, probably perfectly ripe. I slowly bite into it. It tastes sweet, incredibly good. I feel my stomach drink in, yet at the same time, resist the rare intake of food. Despite my body's rebellion, I know that I do need some food in me. Determined to conquer at least one of my problems, I continue to eat the peach.

Even though I try to shake off Mello's words, I still feel the uneasy tingling in my limbs. Knowing what will happen if the anxiety builds too much, I need to distract myself. I remember that there are quite a few unopened doors in the main hallway, I decide to go exploring. I place the core of the peach on my plate, feeling a bit nauseated yet accomplished. I tighten my ponytail and set out.

Peeking my head through the kitchen door, I scour the room for the 'vicious' cook. Seeing that the coast is clear, I dart for the hallway. I walk to past the door to the playroom, skirt swishing softly against my legs. I'm about to open the next door on the far wall when I hear voices from behind it. Even though I hadn't walked through it, I jump back from the door. Crap! They must be having a lesson in there! I hurriedly move on, I'm sorry!

The next room sounds quiet so I gently open the door and look inside. It's a library. Ceiling to floor, rich brown-colored shelves covered in books of all sizes. Not a one looks dusty or unused. The two walls that form the back-right corner of Wammy's House have windows exactly like the playroom, draped with curtains so green they're almost black; the main difference is that there are forest green cushioned window seats on all of the windows that face the empty backyard.

I see the oak tree from which I fell only yesterday. Suddenly, a phrase Mello said echoes, unbidden, through my mind, "-we're obligated to look after you!" I wince, hugging myself. If you were going to hate me so much, why didn't you just let me fall? I think bitterly. Before I can delve into further depressing thoughts, I continue my observation of the room.

A small ancient-looking desk rests against a window, looking out on the right side of the lawn. A cup upon it holds everything from simple plastic pens to long feathery quills. A few sheets of paper lay ready for use.

I would have appreciated it further, but I'm running out of time. Trying to keep the anxious tingling down, I quickly enter the room. I need to find a distraction, quickly! The shelves are all labeled with the genre of their contents. Luckily, I find a book of sudoku puzzles on a low shelf. I straighten up, brightening. I've always loved sudoku, burning through every puzzle in record time. Every puzzle has one answer, everything fits into place. It makes me very good at spotting patterns and solving codes. I flip through it, noticing that only a few in the beginning have been completed.

I walk over to the desk, borrowing a plastic pen from it. My satisfaction with the discovery is short-lived: I'm not supposed to leave L's room without an escort! Feeling guilty about my unintentional betrayal, I turn towards the door.

A wave of dizziness hits me. No… I wasn't fast enough! The tingling consumes my head, clawing it's way into my mind. My limbs go limp and I fall to the floor; my world passing into darkness as I faint.

I slowly blink the dots out of my eyes; I put my left hand to my head to try to ease the thumping. Oh yeah, concussion. I'm relatively pleased to see that my head had collapsed on my right arm, cushioning it from the wooden floor. I sit up slowly before collecting my sudoku book and pen. I know that a lot of time hasn't passed; my fainting spells are typically very short. I'm just glad no one had witnessed it; those would be some questions that I just can't answer.

I stand, brushing off my skirt, shirt, and my hair (which had fanned out on the floor). I look gingerly out the doorway, checking that the coast is clear; I gently close the door behind me. Keeping a hand to the wall on my right, I slowly walk down the hall. I pass the room where the lessons are being held, but now I can hear soft music playing behind the door. I make a mental note to explore that room later.

My pleading to the Lord pays off when I see that the cook is still not present in the kitchen. I walk through the dining room, noticing that all of the dishes have already been cleared away. My footsteps echo in a lonely sort of way off the floors of the main hall, This house is way bigger than they made it sound!

It seems like it takes me forever and a day to ascend the stairs. I occasionally sit on the carpeted stairs, taking a breather. My fainting spells may be short, but it fatigues my body. I reach for the large doorknob at the landing, but stop as I'm overcome with nervousness. My hand hovers there in mid-air, I'm not sure I'll ever get used to the idea that L is behind this door and that I'm supposed to go see him. Composing myself, I brush one last bit of lint off my shirt before opening the door as quietly as possible. It opens without a single creak from the ancient hinges.

The room is so dark that it takes me a while to view my surroundings, even with the monitors' assistance. Everyone is facing away from the door, looking at a code that's repeated on three monitors; two others in my view are on profiles of some grubby looking men. I see the strap of Matt's goggles on the back of his shaggy head that peaks up from behind the couch. I get the sick feeling in my stomach all over again as I see Mello leaning against the back of the couch. I feel a bit better when I see a hunched figure on the floor, slowly twirling his hair. L's chair is now positioned next to the couch, facing his successors. He crouches in it, his hands on his knees.

I let my eyesight adjust to the brutal contrast of the monitors, quietly watching everyone. No one says a word, all of them watching the screens (although L's gaze darts back to his successors, occasionally). Not wanting to disturb them and really not wanting to talk to Mello, I begin to walk towards the bedroom. I'll just do the sudoku puzzles in there.

As my feet silently walk across the carpet, my eyes wander back to the mysterious detective one last time… and I wish they hadn't. L is looking at me; in his eyes I see a million questions and a million theories. Most of all, I see that he knows. The boys had clearly told him of the quarrel at lunch and about how I wouldn't eat. He raises a thumb to his lips, without breaking eye contact. I suddenly know that they had been discussing me before I came in; the codes on the monitors may belong to a real case, but they were talking about me like gossiping schoolgirls.

My heart clenches with a sense of betrayal, But why? Like Mello said, it's their job to find out how I got here. L is doing everything he can to help me when he could have, just as easily, imprisoned me. They aren't trying to hurt me at all, I'm just being sensitive. I take a deep breath in, attempting to calm myself.

I turn myself to fully face L. I give him a calm look that tells him that I know he knows, that I don't want to talk about it, and that I wouldn't talk about it. I let my eyes dart to the bedroom, a silent plea to let me leave; I see him nod oh-so-slightly. Breathing a sigh of relief, I hurry into the bedroom.

For the next couple of hours, I lose myself to the numbers, not thinking of where I am or who's in the next room. The numbers circle my head before I finally let my head rest on the book, a dreamless sleep enveloping me at last.

Bare feet pad up to the bed before dark eyes studied the sleeping girl. It had been a long day with less than fruitful results. Though his successors studied the data with him, they still had yet to crack the code he had intercepted from the drug bosses. He raised his thumb to his lips as he looked down at her.

Despite M spending a lot of the day with Near, they hadn't been able to really discover anything about her. L found himself worrying about her health; her arms, the unconsciousness, the lack of food- He hesitated, stunned by his own thought process. He analyzed his feelings only to discover that he was indeed worried about her. He frowned slightly; he would have to gather information himself.

Long fingers reached down and plucked the sudoku book out from under her head. Looking through the dozens of pages she had completed, he noticed that she hadn't written down any small numbers that most people used. He looked in the back of the book to find that the answers had been ripped out. He chuckled softly; she was more intelligent than she gave herself credit for.

He drew the blanket over her and placed the sudoku book on the pillow next to hers. He then shuffled towards the door, ready to take another look at the code.