Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or any of the characters except for the OCs.

CHAPTER 9

New York, November 19, 2011, 04:33PM

Valerie

"Feelin' better?"

I looked up from my bottled water to see Matt's walking towards me. I was sitting inside his parked car with the door open. "A little." I gave a tiny nod.

"Here, I bought some more. There are some ice packs as well."

He handed me a plastic bag of several bottled waters and ice packs, which I accepted. "Thanks. That's very kind of you."

"Well, with all that's happening today, you'll need those," he grinned as he took one of the bottles and opened the cap, drinking the water while leaning unto the car. "Good thing we found this place. It's quiet and nice to cool our heads off. And only steps away from the convenience store, to my liking."

I took out one of the ice packs and held it against the sleeve over my bruised arm, letting out a sigh of relief when the coolness came in contact. My thoughts wandered off to the last few hours of my life.

After our last incident with the bombed-out building, we drove through the alleys until we finally found a quiet park in a neighborhood area and decided to stop there for a while. That was very relieving, at least for me, considering I had had more than only one incident today, and I really, really, really needed a place to just compose myself and breathe.

That time when Mello and I jumped off the fire escape, I really thought I was going to die; either because of the bombs or the height. I was shutting my eyes tight the whole process and there was a very loud crash and shake when we landed. Every inch of my body−my head, my neck, my shoulders, arms, and legs were all sore, but despite that, I didn't feel like I'm landing on a hard surface. Then I heard a groan and I finally had the courage to open my eyes.

To my surprise, I found that I'd landed on Mello's body, on top of Matt's car. Apparently, from what Matt had told me, he was looking for us when he heard our banter on the fire escape, and rushed to the scene at once with his car just in time Mello and I jumped off. If he came only one second late… I shivered on imagining the possible outcome. I knew, I had a hard time believing that myself. Either it was all total luck or we were actually given a second chance to continue with our lives.

As if that wasn't unbelievably surprising enough, Mello had used his body to prevent me from direct contact to the car's surface, even though my body weight that came in contact with his burns eventually making him groaning in pain, and I got off him as quick as I could in a moment of panic. That time I didn't have the chance to inspect whether or not he had other injuries, as he stepped to the ground as soon as I got off, ordered me to sit inside the car, ignoring Matt's bombarding questions, jumping to his bike, and led us away from the site until we found the park.

"By the way, where's Mello?" I asked the goggled redhead. Mello's bike was parked not far from Matt's car, but as far as I could see, I didn't see the ex-Mafioso anywhere.

Matt finished his last gulp of his water. "Knowing him, he might be somewhere on this park, alone, digging on his chocolates, and scaring the hell out of every bystander nearby with those evil eyes," he sneered mockingly and shrugged. "As always."

That actually made me chuckled. "Always a grump, isn't he."

"24/7, I assure you. Worse since he got the burns. Way worse since he knew about the fake drug." Matt crumpled the empty plastic bottle and threw it nonchalantly to a random direction. He shoved his hands into his vest pockets and gazed down. "Truth to be told, I think I've never seen him this... outraged," he said solemnly, lowering his voice.

I gazed down at the icepack in my hand. "I'm wondering if he's alright... That jump could've hurt anyone," I said quietly. That was rather a brash decision that he had taken. I was genuinely concerned about his condition, for real this time, and I would've lied to myself if I said I didn't feel grateful that he actually saved me in some sort of way. I had to admit: Mello was one tough man.

"Anyone, yes, but not Mello. That buddy of mine has done lots of more dangerous stunts than that." Matt turned his gaze to me. "Moreover, are you alright?"

I took a pause for several seconds at his question. Am I alright? I didn't know the answer myself. Today had been seven hells for me and in that case, I knew I wasn't alright. And I knew that Matt knew that perfectly. While it's true that I didn't suffer serious injuries, I did have a minor bump to the head plus bruises here and there even though they were nothing serious, and the icepack had helped ease the pain quite a bit.

I absolutely didn't want to be whiny here, but I decided to mask the truth anyway. "I don't know," I finally confessed as I shifted my sitting position, now facing outside of the door. "Today has been… too much."

Matt gave me a sympathetic smile. "Can't blame you, Val." He took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. "I understand that this isn't what you expect earlier today... and I wasn't either. And for that, I'm really, really sorry. I hope you can forgive me for bringing you into this mess." I looked up and saw Matt looking straight at me. "But if you can't, I completely understand," he continued.

Behind the tinted goggles, I was quite convinced he did look sorry. True, if it wasn't for him asking me to examine Mello this morning, I wouldn't have thrown myself into this mess. No, mess was an understatement—chaos was the right word. I knew I had every right to put the blame on him.

But as I had composed myself back, looking back, I actually had the option to back off. Matt didn't exactly force me to examine his friend, but I did him a favor nonetheless. So even though I didn't like it, I had to admit the responsibility was on both of us.

I finally let out a long sigh. "You asked me a favor, and I decided to do it. It's both on us." I stared right into his eyes and gave my best attempt to smile. "Besides, you've been kind to me since the beginning. So... apology accepted, I guess."

I saw that Matt's expression turned into a relief. "I can't thank you enough."

"Apology accepted, for now."

The smile on his head faltered and he glanced away. "Sure, I understand… And I hope you can forgive Mello as well. I know his actions are... questionable and unacceptable, but I want you to understand that he didn't mean to harm anybody. He only did what he had to do under minimal options."

My smile vanished in an instant. "Yes, including threatening to kill me," I retorted, emphasizing the word.

Matt looked uneasy, like he was also uncomfortable with that fact. "I know. I said his actions are unacceptable," he cringed, "but mostly it's because he prefers to stay on guard all the time. You know, that time when you're inspecting the Vicodin, Mello scolded me over bringing over a stranger. He doesn't want to involve any other people into his business because he knows it's dangerous for both parties. Please trust me, Val."

I mused on his words. I had a hard time believing what Matt said, considering how both of them were total strangers and what I'd been through around Mello. For heaven's sake, that man had pointed his gun at me for many times as I could remember and I couldn't really say that his actions or words had been friendly either. Still, Mello had actually saved me from the condemned building in fire.

"Look, I know you're just looking out for your friend, Matt," I replied after a while, "But I need to hear that from Mello himself. Only then I'll... I'll think about it."

Matt nodded. "Okay. I promise I'll make sure Mello talks this through with you—ah, and here comes our guest of honor."

I turned around and saw Mello emerging from around the corner, walking to our direction and stopped few feet away. His gloved hands were stuffed deep into his jacket pockets and he wore the same bitter expression. From what I saw, other than his burns he didn't have any visible injuries from the earlier incident. I couldn't be so sure since he was covered up with his jacket and I couldn't really inspect him clearly from here. But the way he walked told me that there might be something wrong with one of his legs.

"Hey, man," Matt greeted the blond ex-Mafioso casually with a wide smile. "So, how many people have you mentally terrorized this afternoon?"

Mello chose to ignore the last remark. "We need to talk," he spoke tersely and beckoned Matt to follow him before retreating a few steps further, limping as he moved.

Matt straightened up and turned to me. "Ok, wait here, Val," he told me. "And please, for your own sake, do not attempt in running away. Mello won't be pleased."

I shrugged half-heartedly. "One unarmed girl and two armed men? I learned my lesson."

His expression had guilt written all over. "I'll talk some sense to Mello, I promise," he stated. "Oh, and if you're cold, there's a blanket back there, feel free to use it. I'll close the door if that's ok with you?"

I gave a weak nod, before Matt closed the door and walked away, leaving me brooding in silence, alone inside the car.

Mello

I wasn't gonna lie. Today had been one fucking long day. And the last incident with the bombs didn't make in any better.

That bold decision to jump off the fire escape that I took didn't really bother me. Really. Back when I was still a fully-fledged member of the Mafia, I had encountered worse situations than that. Entering dangerous enemies' basecamps? Check. Running away and dodging bullets at the same time? Check. Escaping from a building full of explosives? Hello, see these burns?

But escaping from a dangerous situation and acting heroic at the same time? Well, that was new.

Almost all my life in the Mafia, I had taken part in dangerous encounters mostly in the company of my men, if wasn't alone. And they, though being the fucking wimps they were, were still Mafia members and were trained to act quickly depending on the situation. If one went down, the others wouldn't act like some Good Samaritans and helped the said person. They would've left him to meet his end and retreated as quickly as they could, saving themselves—well, unless you're one with an important position, that would be a different case.

Yeah, that's how rotten they were. That's why said I couldn't trust any of them in exception for the late Don and my so-called-loyal underling Jack, who ended up being the same fucking scum like the others.

So when I dragged Valerie with me that time, I only did it by instinct. I just knew that I couldn't just leave her to her doom in that building—I didn't want another victim under my watch. That brain of hers and the intellect she possessed could definitely be put to a good use, as once again her act had helped clarified the mystery surrounding Jack's death and might've clarified some other things related.

Hell, I even shielded her from direct contact to Matt's car with my own body and look what it had cost me? Intense pain from my own healing burns, multiple bruises and cuts over my right arm and my right side that might need stitches, which I had only came to know when I took a look at them half an hour ago. I surprised myself that I didn't break my ribs, but I might have a bump on the back of my head that left stinging sensation for minutes now, and sprained my right ankle though it was nothing severe.

Moral of the story? Never again I'd play hero.

I saw Matt crossed the space between me and his car and stopped right next to me. He patted my shoulder. "Hey, you ok?" he asked quietly.

"I'm ok," I lied through gritted teeth. Matt didn't look so convinced. Dear God, sometimes I hated the fact that he always knew whenever I didn't tell him the truth.

I gave a snort. "Cuts all over my right side. Nothing I can't take."

Matt didn't give any response and I knew he waited for me to say more. "Fine, and a bump on the head." Still no response. I clicked my tongue in annoyance. "And I sprained my ankle—geez, for fuck's sake, Matt, do you really have to make me spit it all out to your face?"

He let out a long laugh as a response and only struggling to stop when I threw him a glare. "Sorry, that was hilarious," he said between his laughter. "You can always tell me everything, Mels; you know that. So, let's get you cleaned up in the hospital."

"No," I quickly replied. Treating my injuries could be done later; it wasn't something I couldn't deal with. Besides, like I said earlier, I'd be more likely intimidating the nurses and the doctors at the clinic. There were more important matters as for now.

"You sure? You really have to take care of your injuries as soon as possible, y'know?"

"I will, ok? So quit bickering NOW."

"Fineeee. What do you wanna talk about?"

"Let's start with how you found out about the time bombs."

Matt's easy-going attitude faded and turned serious in an instant. That's one of the things I liked about Matt—he knew when he needed to be serious despite that cocky nonchalant nature of his. "I found the first one behind one of the shrubberies outside," he muttered, his expression grim. "I was waiting for you and Val outside the car when I noticed something on the shrubberies. Turns out to be one. I quickly inspect the surrounding areas and when I found three more outside, I called you right away."

I folded my arms, staring at the ground while letting the information sink in. "I see."

"And by the way, what took you both so long? Did you find Jack?"

"We did." I bit my lower lip. "But he's already dead."

I watched as Matt's jaw dropped and his eyes grew wide as plates. "Dead? But… how? Why?"

I told him everything that happened, not leaving any single detail.

After I finished, Matt placed his fingers on his chin, eyebrows furrowed. "So let me get this straight: Jack might've come to New York in secret and called you to give you something inside the suitcase. But without him knowing, Rod had followed him and finished him right after he made that call, before tracking it down to my apartment, and that's how the Mafia found you?"

"It's the most logical explanation," I cringed in disgust. "I have no idea what he wanted to give me though. The suitcase is empty. At best, maybe it was only a fucking set up arranged by that big rat by using Jack to lure me into his hand. Maybe Jack didn't have anything inside the suitcase from the start."

"Well, I wouldn't be that sure," Matt stated, making me raised an eyebrow. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out something he then handed to me. "When I was searching the area, I found this."

I looked down at the thing in my hand. It was a small plastic bottle, and there were familiar white pills inside. I brought the bottle closer to my face, and my eyes narrowed.

"Vicodin?" This was the last thing I expected.

"Yup."

"But why would Jack…?"

Matt stayed quiet for several seconds. "The best explanation I came into, after listening to your story, is that Jack came to New York in secret without the Mafia knowing," he uttered slowly, sounding astonished as well. He then looked up to meet my eyes. "Maybe… the Mafia did make him send you the heroin, assuming you'd be addicted and become too weak to face them, but then maybe Jack decided he wouldn't go on with their plan anymore and planned to give you the legit Vicodin. But Rod found out and… we know the rest."

I didn't say a word at Matt's theory. That was a probability, but was that the real story? "How can you be sure that this isn't the same heroin?" I taunted.

"I said maybe, I'm not entirely sure either," Matt replied and placing his hands on his hips. "But then I remember what Valerie did back at the apartment, so I took out one pill and threw it to the ground, and it doesn't get smashed like before. Then I picked it up and tried to snap it with my hands. Quite a handful, but when I did, I saw the content is in the same white color. Solid, not powder. Here."

Matt handed me the broken pill that he initially kept inside his other vest pocket. I secured the half part of the pill between my fingers and inspected it from all angles. Matt's right; it definitely looked different from the Vicodin in the apartment.

I handed both the pill and the bottle back to him. "It does look legit."

"Told you," Matt stored them back into his pockets. "Well, I know we couldn't be sure but still, turns out we could learn one or two things from her."

I shoved my hands back into my jacket pockets and cast a glance toward Matt's Camaro. From what I saw through the front window, Valerie was sitting still inside. "Alright, she's smart, I take it," I said under my breath.

"And quite a brave young lady," Matt added as he followed my gaze. "From what you told me, it's quite amazing how she handled a bloody corpse and taking such risk at the fire escape."

"Heh. Perhaps a bloody corpse is nothing than a cadaver's innards to her. And at the fire escape she obeyed only after yelling at me all the time." I rolled my eyes back at my companion. "What's amazing is how she managed to put up with us after all this shit."

Matt didn't give any response and stayed quiet, but I knew he agreed with me. At first, I would expect Valerie wouldn't last a second after the first shot back in the apartment. As I noted from the start, she looked like an ordinary vulnerable girl. Even in the midst of us escaping from Rod and his men, I spotted her crying without her knowing. But boy, who could've known that she could be such a handful when she lost her temper at the most unfortunate moment.

But so far, intentionally or unintentionally, she had helped clearing out one or two things that had been bugging me. After all I still owed her an apology. And gratitude.

"Speaking of Valerie," Matt's voice turned my attention away, and I found him looking at me right in the eyes, "don't you have something to say to her?"

I mentally groaned. Why Matt must had the ability to read my thoughts whenever he wanted and fucking pointed that out right to my face? "I'll apologize," I retorted impatiently in response. "Later."

"Not later—now. We finally have the time to rest and she's calmed down. What else are you waiting for?"

"Exactly—she's calmed down. What if I speak to her now and things getting out of hand again?"

"That would depend on how you'd behave in front of her."

"So? I tried to help her back there and she called me a bloody monster."

"She was terrified. And we both know we're the reason, and that we have to fix it."

"Then you fix it, genius. I'm done."

Matt rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "Can't you just at least be nicer to her, for one fucking time?" He cocked his head. "Hell, after all that shit we've been through I really need a smoke, but did I do that when I was with her a while ago? No, since I suspect cigarette smoke is the least favorite thing on her list. Which, by the way—" Matt reached over his back pockets and pulled out a cigarette pack and a lighter, "I can no longer hold back by now," he said hastily while taking out one of the cigarettes, lit it, and started smoking."Ahhh, finally…"

I wrinkled my nose. "Have you forgotten that I hate that as well?"

He replied with a nonchalant wave. "You've endured that for a long time since you know me, so don't start complaining. Now go."

Exhaling exasperatedly (and cursing Matt inwards for scolding me like I was some brat, I had to return him the favor later), I spun at my heels and slowly approaching the car. Pain shot through my right leg every time I put weight in my foot. I really had to take care of it while I could still walk.

When I was only two steps away, she seemingly noticed and turned her gaze to my direction. I stopped right in front of the door and knocked the window, waiting for a few seconds before the door opened just so slightly. I found myself staring face to face with her, and from a close inspection, I didn't miss the alertness showing on her eyes as I saw her grip on the blanket covering her body tightened.

I supposed she wasn't all comfortable with my presence but I was really not in the mood of pushing her anymore right now. Enough trouble for today.

So instead of doing the conversation on the spot, I chose to walk over my bike and sat down on the seat, careful enough not to give my leg more pressure than it could endure. There was at least a safe distance between me and the girl. Valerie's eyes followed my every movement in vigilance.

For a while then, there was only a moment of silence. Nobody said a word. And as fucking troublesome as it was, apologizing to someone wasn't something easily done, for me. But in this situation, I knew I had to. I promised myself to give her a proper apologize and I would.

Still, it felt… weird. Especially to a person you had only known for less than half a day but who was with you through every shit on the same day. And as a bonus, called you a monster on the same day.

I took a deep breath.

"You—"

"Are—"

I stopped. Valerie blinked. In a completely different situation this would've been hilarious. "You first," she eventually said awkwardly.

"Ladies first."

"Thanks, but… you go first." She then pushed the door open just a bit wider.

I grunted mentally. For God's sake, Mello, get it over with. As I was battling with my inner thoughts on what proper words I should use, Valerie eyed me silently, waiting for me to speak up.

Fuck it.

When I finally opened my mouth, instead of a proper apologize I came out with,

"For a French girl, you sure lack the elegance, don't you?"

A/N: I know a perfect New Year gift for Mello: a book called "Apologizing for Dummies".

Just me rambling here: I've been noticing that the numbers of the reviews have gone up since the last chapter, but for some reason I can't see the newest reviews. I found out that it also happens to everyone, and that apparently it's a glitch that spreads over the site and has happened several times before. But from what I got after browsing through the forum, usually the admins fix it just in a couple of days, while it's been four days as for now. I just hope they will fix the issue ASAP.

EDIT 1/6/2016: Reviews come back to life! Woohoo! I really love your enthusiasm, you guys are awesome!

Coming up next...

Did she just fucking tell me to shut up?