After what seemed like hours, - but was really only a half-hour, according to Light's watch – L came out with an unconcious B in his arms, bound, gagged, and blindfolded. "Finally!" Light huffed. "We were starting to worry!"
L shoved B in the back with them, lying on the floor, and then got in the front with Watari. "Alright, drive us to the airport." He said calmly, pulling out his cell-phone and dialing a number.
Light looked at Near, who was looking at B with a mixture of fear and sorrow in his eyes, his hands shaking on his knees. He frowned, trhen reached over and unbuckled Near, pulling him close. "Don't be scared of him, Near. He's never gonna hurt us again." He smiled and brushed the younger boy's bangs out of his face, looking into his intense, gray eyes with a comfroting, brown-eyed gaze. "We're gonna be safe from now on."
Near smiled and clung to him. He could feel L looking over at them, unsure about the amount of affection Near was showing his fellow captive, but Near didn't care. He wanted someone to turn to, and if he could turn to Mello, he could sure as heck turn to Light.
It seemed like too soon, but they reached the airport and then Watari took Near from Light's arms and carried him to the private jet, Light following behind. L glanced at Light, unsure about this stranger. "You can tell your father that everything is alright, now. We're going to drop you off at your home in Japan, and then we're going to go back to our home."
"In England, right?" Light smiled, but it faltered when L's gaze shifted to look at Near in a scolding manner. "Hey, it's not like he gave me the address to your home or anything! Don't go scolding him!"
"I see. Near will accompany you to your home and make sure that you're all settled in, and then Watari will bring him back here." He looked away, still refusing to look at the teen directly. "Is that understood, Yagami-kun?"
"Yeah." He nodded, then buckled in when they were led to their seats. He noticed that L took the seat next to Near, with Watari behind them, and he shifted slightly, feeling very out-of-place in here. He couldn't think of anything to say, and so just looked out the window in silence.
Near looked over at him, then looked up as Watari came around and started to inspect his wounded feet, and then put on some sort of cream, most likely the same one Mello and Roger had been putting on his feet. He closed his eyes, then, and after a bit fell asleep against L's shoulder. The entire ordeal was exhausting for him, and he just wanted it all to be a bad dream, really.
After all, that's where all of his other bad ordeals went – to the back of his mind, to resurface as felt L's hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him, but then another hand went on L's, Watari's, and a blanket was put over him. After that, he didn't know what happened, he was too deep in sleep.
"Yagami-san, it's time to wake up." Watari's voice spoke, and Near looked up to see L gently shaking him awake before he picked him up to carry him.
L smiled and then walked outside of the private jet, Watari following with Light close behind. "I have to go on ahead and take care of some unfinished business. I've already arranged for a ride, Watari, so you just make sure that Yagami-kun gets home safely."
"Of course." Watari said, nodding as he opened the door for L to put Near in the back seat of the limo. Then Light climbed in and buckled them both in as Watari closed the door. "We'll be back soon."
L smiled and nodded, then turned and went back into the private jet. Watari watched it take off, and then got into the driver's seat of the car. "Now, Yagami Light-san, your address?"
About an hour later, they arrived at the Yagami household, and Light got out of the car, but stopped and looked at Near's hand gripping his shirt. "…Watari-san, can I please bring him in with me for a little bit? I want to give him something."
Watari nodded – this boy was trustworthy, he could see it in his eyes. "Be quick, though."
Light smiled, then went in. As soon as he went in, though, he eard loud squealing and Sayu ran over and hugged him tightly.
"Brother, brother, you're back, you're back! Oh, what's this? A doll? Can I hold it?" She said, and Near made a face when she looked at him at "this". "Oh, it moves? That's so cool! Can I hold it? Please? Please?" She reached up a hand to Near and Near swatted it away. "Ow!"
"I'm. Not. A. Doll." He said stiffly, clinging to Light. "Light, let's go get that thing you wanted to give me. This place is…it's not very…comfortable."
"Look what you did!" Light scolded his jumpy little sister. "You spooked my friend! Go back to your dolls, Sayu!"
She whined and then tugged them further in. "Come on, I want you to meet mom and dad! Mom! Dad! Light's home!"
Yagami Soichiro and his wife came out, relief and surprise washing over Soichiro's face. "Ah…Near?" He walked over, then frowned. "You can't walk?"
"B has been arrested. Your son and I are both safe, but we've both sustained a large amount of damage." Near reported with an emotionless tone. "Light was going to give me something, so I came in with him, but I have a ride waiting."
"Maybe you can get permission to have dinner with us?" Yagami Sachiko smiled. "You look like you haven't eaten in days!"
"That would be an accurate assumption." Near said calmly. "Light, let's go ask him."
Light nodded and then carried Near out to the car. "My family wants Near to stay for dinner. Can he?"
Watari thought a bit. Would eating with a happy family affect Near's performances at Whammy's House? Smiling, he shook his head. "Go ahead, have fun. You need all the strength you can get to recover from what you've been through, Near."
Light beamed, then carried Near back inside, taking him to the dining room. He gently sat him down in a chair and then sat in his own, chuckling at Near's confused expression as he picked up the chopsticks. "Do you want a fork, Near?"
"No, I want you to demonstrate." He looked at Light's hands, seeing how he used them, and then imitated it perfectly, eating quietly.
Sayu couldn't stop staring at the small boy. "I still can't believe that you're not a doll…"
He closed his eyes and continued to eat, then opened them and glanced at Light as if to say "Do something about her". Light chuckled then looked at Sayu. "I think you're annoying him, Sayu. You just eat up."
She blinked, then looked at Near to confirm that accusation, but all she saw was a blank, emotionless stare from him. She then went back to her food, feeling bad about being so noisy.
After dinner was finished, ice-cream was served out to them and Light and Near took them up to Light's room, where Sayu couldn't jump in and bother Near again. Light locked the door to ensure this, then put Near down on the bed, watching him eat the ice-cream from his desk chair as he ate his own. Near had picked Chocolate, while Light had picked Vanilla.
"It's funny." Light chuckled.
Near glanced up at him, silently asking him to explain.
"Well, I got the ice ice-cream, and you got the brown one. We switched colors!" He laughed.
'Mello would make some sort of crude reference, I'm sure.' Near thought, rolling his eyes at Light's comment. He then lowered his ice-cream cone and smiled a bit. "Your family is very…lively. I….enjoyed their company, and yours."
"Thanks." Light smiled as he finished his ice-cream cone, then stood up and walked over to his closet, rifling through it.
Near leaned over slightly, wanting to see what he was doing, but his feet prevented him from walking over.
"Ah, here it—oh, Near!" Light laughed, walking over. "Hold on, I'll go get napkins." He chuckled, then went out of the room.
"What is it?" Near blinked, then looked at the open closet door, which had a mirror. When he'd leaned over, he'd ended up dipping his hair and cheek inhis ice-cream, and he chuckled a bit.
Light came back up, then took the ice-cream and put it on his desk."Hold still, I'll clean you up." He smiled, then gently cleaned up the mess from his face and hair, his eyes half-closed in an adoring smile. Even though he acted all big, Near really was so much like a child.
Near watched his progress in the mirror, then brushed his hair away when he was finished. "So, what did you want to give me?"
Light walked over to the closet, tossing the napkids in the trash as he passed it, and pulled out a lion stuffed animal. "Leo." He walked over and handed it to him. "I used to have nightmares, but when I slept with him in my arms, the nightmares stopped coming." He grinned. "I'm sure it'll help you, too, and I don't have nightmares anymore. You can keep him."
Near's eyes lit up when he saw the toy, and then he hugged it close when Light handed it to him, smiling as he listened to Light's story. Then he looked up at Light. "Thank you, Light."
"Near?" Sayu came to the door. "A 'Mister Watari' is saying that you have to go now!"
Near sighed, and then looked at Light. "Carry me to the car?"
"Sure." Light picked him up, then carried him downstairs, smiling as he helped him in and buckled him up. "Hey, Near? Do you think we'll ever meet again?"
Near smiled. "Of course, silly. We promised that we'd work together when I was the new L and you were the new Chief of Police, didn't we?" He saluted, then closed his eyes, hugging Leo close. "I'm sorry that we can't keep in contact any other way."
"L's pretty strict, huh?" He smiled, then stroked Near's bangs, so he could see his eyes. "Take care. I hope we meet again soon."
"Yeah." Near said, and then Watari came over to shut the door, so that he could go. They'd spent too much time here as it was.
They drove off, and Near looked over at Light from the window as they turned a corner. Once he was out of sight, he sighed and hugged Leo tightly. 'My first friend…will we ever meet again?' He thought, closing his eyes.
*~~**~~**~~**~~*
This story is so tragic, I just realized. Poor Light. Poor everybody in it.
