Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, you know that.

A/N: I cordially apologize for my lack of updates, but unfortunately I haven't been inspired enough to want to write. Oh and I feel like death. Yep.

What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse 10

Halves

~Mihael~

"What. Do. You. Want. Lithium?" My voice was sharp, stressed to the point of breaking as I looked at the certifiable psychopath on the screen. She laughed, head falling back and her teeth glinting slightly in what must've been firelight.

"Oh you silly munch, you never change do you? Always concerned with motive, a regular disciple of Kantian ideals aren't you?" She chuckled, looking back at us and still all I could see was her outline and the reflection of her eyes, the lighting cast shadows over most of her but my mind filled in the details.

One brilliant blue eye, a color so pure it was unnatural, one a shade of brown so swirling it made you dizzy, grey-blond hair to her waist on one side and only just past her chin on the other, skin pale as moonlight down half her body and dark as pitch on the other due to an unfortunate birth-mark. If I knew her she was also sitting naked in a room that was split perfectly in half, one side light and airy and the other closed and dark.

" If you…." I choked and tried again, "If you even touch him before I get there, I'll hunt you down and make your life hell."

She smiled, I knew because suddenly half a set of teeth were revealed. Lithium had long since mastered having dual expression and I knew the other half of her lips were probably frowning. "Oh Mello, that would be cheating! If you get to him before it's his turn to be my play-thing he's all yours, I won't touch him until then!"

My breath caught, I'd forgotten she'd taken three things from me, Matt was the most important but that didn't mean she'd leave him for last. I shuddered, "You….You…."

Lithium laughed again, the sound torn between true happiness and bitter darkness, "Mmm, me. I'm just terribly good aren't I?" She sighed, "Fine, I'll give you a hint, Kira once buried his power a mile off the road that runs past the place your little love is being kept."

I didn't dare to speak, I knew my voice would give away my triumph, she didn't know that Light who had been Kira was standing in the room with me.

She leaned forward, her whole face suddenly in the light and I seen why she'd done this, more of her body had been taken over by the dark skin, leaving less moon-pale flesh visible. "Catch Kira and you'll have Matt."

The line went dead and the room was silent for a heartbeat before Light's soft voice permeated the air, "I know where he is, Mello can you pull up a map so we can pinpoint the house?"

I nodded, fingers flying across the keys as hope bubbled in me, "Here, Light how long will it take to get to that area?"

Light shrugged, " About an hour, maybe more if traffic is bad." Beside him L bit into his thumb carefully, "Mello, you head toward the area now, I'll tell all police to allow you through without stopping you, you'll be driving Matt's Camaro and Light will contact you when we have the location narrowed down." His eyes were determined and I was thankful that he was behind me.

I nodded mutely and took off.

My hands shook as I slid into Matt's "babe". He freely admitted that he loved the car, but not as much as he loved me.

I shook the fear that I wouldn't be fast enough, that Light wouldn't be able to figure out what building he was in, out of my head and turned the key, shifted into first and shoot out in the street.

~Lawliet~

I allowed my head to fall on Light's shoulder as he scanned the map, ignoring the scandalized sound his father made behind me, the mess that we'd created could be sorted out once our family was safe. I bit my thumb carefully, mulling over the simple fact that Sorichio really had no right to be offended by the small show of caring after the way he had treated Light.

I knew I was avoiding thinking about Lithium's involvement in this. So my successors had another rouge in their midst, it was bound to happen sooner or later and this time it was only fitting it was another codename L.

I shoved these thoughts away too, looking at Light's concentrated expression as he crossed off places before finally turning his head slightly and murmuring, "This building here….L what if-?" He didn't have to finish I understood because Light loved my heirs just as much as I did.

"There is no what if Light. Connect with Mello. I'm going to organize the team to go out as his backup." I would not allow Matt to be lost, but…

"Near, a word." He stood as Light opened a line with Mello giving him the coordinates quickly and offering reassurance. I looked to the team, "The rest of you get ready to go." I didn't stick around to monitor them.

Near followed me into the next room and when I was silent for more than a beat prompted me to speak, "Matt has no love for me nor I for him but, Mello and I have always been friends on a level neither of us understands and I do not wish to see him hurt. L this is a mess and rather pathetic of you."

I took those words and turned them over in my mind and heart, "Yes, it is, I understand now what it is to be blinded by personal matters, Light's fear of his father and Japan kept me from preforming as I should have and because I let him leave when I should've stopped him I created an opening that Lithium exploited. She has a twin who she hates and she craves my attention, therefore I believe that she is also the killer who simply grew tired of waiting for me to move in on her and took drastic measures. This is not why I pulled you aside when there is little time for dallying, rather I must have a backup at all times, you understand this?"

He nodded, pale fingers stilling in his hair, "Yes L."

"Good, in the event that we do not manage to save Matt I would have you provide Mello with a way out that will not be noticeable nor messy, it is imperative that we appear to have no knowledge of this. I would suggest a poison made from the suicide trees in Africa." I gave him a long look waiting for the nod of confirmation that came only moments later.

"Give it to him only if Matt is definitely dead and after his funeral."

…

I could hardly keep from fidgeting, Light and I were in the van, the team splayed appropriately around the building that we had decided Matt was likely in all we needed was a signal from Mello. I kept looking at Light who was staring with glazed eyes at the structure and suddenly I felt the need to add some ray of light to the situation.

"Light-kun when this is over I plan on taking a vacation, just you and I someplace where I can bend you over anything I please anywhere I please anytime I want and not have to deal with pesky laws getting in my way."

There was a beat of quiet and then he laughed and turned to me, " Really? Damn L, I feel like you should've just said, 'prepare your anus' and left it at that."

I returned the laugh, feeling some of our tension drain as we smiled at each other and I reached out to touch his cheek gently, love and concern the only things in his eyes as he looked at me.

The moment passed and we both sighed, returning to the very real situation we were in, Light glanced at his watch, "Mello's been in there an awful long time do you think we should go in?"

I didn't get the chance to reply as at that moment the front door of the building flew open, Lithium was shoved out of it and then came Mello's, his gun shaking in his hand as he screamed unintelligibly at her, spit visible from here.

"Go!" Light half-shouted into the mic and I watched the team move forward as Mello emptied his gun into the woman before him before turning and running full-tilt back into the building.

I could see the looks of relief on several faces, including Light's, but it was relief I did not feel because Mello would not have shot her if Matt was safe, not like that. I got out of the van despite Light's concerned attempt to stop me and ignoring everything sprinted into the building, instinctually heading down into the lower level and skidding to a halt before the third room.

The sight that greeted me will be forever burned into my memory.

A/N: Holy fuck. Okay so I decided to take a break from writing for a bit because of all the shit going on around me so I simply became a reader, but hopefully I'll be able to update more! This story have one more chapter and the epilogue. Also happy April Fools to anyone in the proper time zones... yeah.