Fire…scorching, dancing scarlet flames….That was all Mello could see as he tried to escape the destruction he himself had caused. He coughed again, choking as the black, putrid smoke invaded his nose, causing him to stop for a moment as he tried to breath. He just couldn't find his way out. Mello barked out a laugh, despite the smoke making it sound more like a hoarse cough, as he recognized the irony- he had carefully planned how he would blow the hideout to kingdom come when the time came, but not how he'd get out when he did. Any ambition, any determination, anything to make him strive to stay alive was nearly gone. He was ready to be beaten, having no real motivation as he recognized the possibility of never getting out of here alive, only as a burnt corpse the firefighters would later find.

Only another fire scarred body and a memory to remind and to haunt Emily if she could see him now. Just imagining his potential funeral with her in the back row, crying…and knowing that Kira would be laughing at his death in relief urged Mello forward, even though he knew it was pointless. He coughed and groaned again as he leaned against a wall, feeling tired and almost…hopeless- a word he hated- as he closed his eyes and remembered that morning, long before he had reaped his own destruction as it seemed…. And wondering if Emily was sharing his thoughts from outside the flaming inferno that used to be a building…


And indeed, she was, as she stared at the building, something she was likening to hell as she felt the heat emanating from it on her face and as she smelled the malodorous smoke, hands clutched on her lap as tears tried to escape while she prayed and remembered not only that morning, but other instances when fire had caused her pain….but this morning's memory was taking a hold of her chiefly now….

"I'll leave for Japan AFTER I make sure you get out of that building alive! That's the only way I'll go!" Emily declared as she glared at Mello, the person who, for the past hour, had been insisting and demanding that she leave and go to Japan with Amy that very second. Mello glared back as he replied, for the tenth time at least, "We talked about this, Emily- you're going. RIGHT NOW!"

Emily scowled as she put her hands on her hips, glowering at him as she hissed, "And I'm telling you now- my way is the best way for both of us."

"Why do you say that? And why do you even want to stay to make sure I'm still alive? I thought you didn't care for me that much, Emily." Emily's cheeks heated extremely before she tossed her head and looked away from him, replying a bit coldly as she tried to hide her surprise, "I say that because then at least I'd know for sure- and I wouldn't get in your way. Therefore, it would work for both of us. And I want to make sure you're alive because…"

Emily was hesitating, unsure on how to answer…without telling him…what she felt. She felt so many things right then, among them being admiration, trust, fear…and love. She now flushed as she remembered to add "apologetic' to the list of things she felt towards him- she had yet to apologize to him for pushing him away when they kissed recently….her cheeks were burning hotter by the second now. Mello obviously noticed her hesitation as he started to get slightly impatient, saying, "Well? Spit it out."

Emily looked up at him, before she told only half the truth, the only half she could tell without being totally and completely rejected, "I know that I can depend on you to catch Kira. We both have our reasons for wanting Kira brought to justice. You want to beat Near and avenge L…I want to avenge Beyond and get this case over with…so I can forget anything and everything that has happened these past couple months…and just move on with my life. We both want to just forget all that has happened…and by catching Kira, we'd be able to do so…That's why I don't want you to die now…" She looked at him, unaware that the smile on her face was sad and a bit bitter, which, when paired with red cheeks and sad eyes, told the rest of the truth to Mello silently- I care about you so much it almost hurts to be near you…And if you were to die…if I were to lose you…I just wouldn't be able to bear it…

For those reasons- the spoken and the silent- he finally muttered, "You have to stay with Matt the whole time. And then, afterwords, you go straight to the airport, and get right on the next plane for Japan…" Emily looked up at him and smiled as sincere as she could, whispering, "Thank you…" as she nodded to him as she turned and exited his room, her fingers already laced together as she started to pray, intuition warning her that Mello was going in over his head…this time, farther before, perhaps past the point of reckoning, past the point of no return, to the point of an immediate and potential death….

Emily was still staring at the flames as she asked Matt a simple question- "Mello would call you if he needed help, right?" Matt looked up from his game, the only thing halfway taking his attention away from the ugly truth, that Mello may not come back, following her gaze with his eyes, towards the flames that raged at least 15 feet away. A simple question to her was a more complicated one for him, because he knew that Mello would be stubborn, that he wouldn't call for help unless he truly needed it in his own opinion.

Emily turned and glanced at the red-haired boy's eyes, recognizing the doubt and fear that lit them, and before she could stop herself, she reached over and patted his shoulder, murmuring, "He'll know when to call…he'll probably call soon…" They both were silent, hoping that her words were true. Emily sighed as she hopped off the car's hood, her seat for the past half hour, stretching just to do something to calm her nerves. She stared at the flames before shutting her eyes and letting her memories of fire display themselves, like pictures in a scrapbook, one page after another, pages that she longed to rip out and burn….

Broken glass by my feet, soapy hands that burned a bit from the hot water that had lead to the plate's destruction…and they were angry at me again…

A younger me is crying, crouching and trying to disappear in the corner I had ran into, trying to escape their anger, sobbing harder as my fake father pulled me by the arm out of my pathetic hiding place roughly, without mercy as my equally enraged "mother" screamed at me… "You little brat! You broke my best dish! You selfish, careless girl- you did it on purpose, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU!" I remained silent, my eyes wide as sobs convulsed throughout my small frame as "father" smacked me, shouting "Answer her, you little bitch!"

More tears poured as I softly begged, begged the best a scared four year old who had lost everything could, "D-don't hit me, daddy…I-I didn't do a-anything b-bad! I-I'm s-sorry…I-I didn't m-mean to drop the dish, Mommy…I didn't!" I screamed as she grabbed me and shook me until my teeth chattered as she called me a liar…I was used to this…I was about to shut down and wait it out…until they began to tie my hands to the door frame and light cigarettes and matches…all I could do is scream as excruciating pain is being burned into my back, scream as I cry harder before they untie me and drag me outside, shoving me roughly into the car trunk…where I curl into a ball and continue to cry as my back is raw and still feeling as if its burning, wishing that I could cool it down somehow, wishing….for someone to care about me.

Someone to protect me. Someone to take care of my boo-boos and put a band aid on every cut or injury…someone to at least care!

But it's all pointless…the last thing I whisper before I fall asleep that night in the dirty car trunk- "But the water was so hot, mommy…and the soap was so slippery…it was an accident…honest…"

"Only an accident, honestly, mom…" Emily mumbled to herself numbly before her head snapped up as she heard the flames roar as they grew larger, engulfing the entire building and making it look even more like hell… There's no way…that Mello could possibly survive…let alone escape! She gasped to herself when that thought came to mind, only that thought urging her to say to Matt, "We need to go find him. NOW."

Matt glanced up at her, a bit surprised at the tone in her voice. He had only talked to her once or twice without Mello present or Amy dictating the conversation…and Emily had come across to his as unattached and quiet, someone who loses themselves in their task to get away from people and problems…someone like him. Not someone like Mello, with his feelings exploding everywhere and always talking, not like him at all in the aspect of working strategy- Mello focused on one task at a time and lost himself in it only to get it done perfectly the first time around; Emily and Matt were forever doing odd jobs, as well as their original assignments, and they allowed themselves an occasional mistake. (Although, Matt knew it was harder for Emily to allow the mistakes- he could tell by how she acted that she was used to getting barked at about doing something wrong, that she was eager-to-please and a perfectionist…someone who, if you told them to run, would run as fast and as far as they could, until they collapsed…) She never gave orders, or even suggestions- she usually followed them. That was why he had a little trouble taking in her declaration- it was very Mello-ish. Not that he'd tell her that…she'd probably get pissed if she was told that…

It was when Matt looked to the building and realized just how much the fire had grown did he understand why a bit of action was required. "Emily..WAIT!" Matt shouted as he saw the girl bolt for the building, sprinting after her as he saw her start to kick a caved in door,desperate to open it. 'Emily- wait! You can't go in there yourself!" He yelled as he pulled her away from the door. She looked back at him and replied, scared, "But Mello…if he's in there any longer…he'll die!" " I'm going in after him- but you need to stay here- got it?" Matt told her, kicking down the door the rest of the way, not expecting her to run past him when he finished. "Emily-no! Shit!" he cursed, sprinting after her, now having to look for both Mello and Emily. "Stay alive until I can find you...please you guys..." He mumbled as he continued to run.


A burst of heat formally welcomed Emily into the burning hideout that she had called home for the past several months, as she entered the building, fearing the worst- that Mello was dead. Despite the intense heat- and the hesitation caused by her fear of getting burned- Emily plunged into the flames, pulling her shirt up over her nose to protect herself from the smoke, but the fabric didn't muffle her as she screamed the only words she cared to scream at the moment- "MELLO! WHERE ARE YOU? MELLO, PLEASE ANSWER!"

"Please…answer…" Emily whispered to herself as she let tears fall into her hands as she nodded to Matt when he suggested that they split up, to cover more ground that way. She turned and ran deeper into the flames, careful to ignore the heat and the memories of the pain the heat's source caused…

Mello slowly opened his eyes, wondering if he was hallucinating as he heard Emily screaming his name.

Emily? W-why is she in here? Is she really…looking for me? Why?

Mello urged himself to walk and then to run towards Emily, wondering all the while why. Why she was even in here, trying to save him...why did she even care to look for him...

It didn't matter- that's what he decided as he continued to run towards the sound of Emily's voice, run until he saw her up ahead.

Surrounded by flames and frozen with fear as her wide eyes saw the burning ceiling beam start to fall as she let out a scream of terror...


Emily stared around her, ready to give up. She felt her heart being squeezed tighter and tighter as she tried to even imagine the possibility. The possibility...that he may never come back...

"No...no,no, no,no,no,no! He's going to come back...Mello doesn't quit...he's a fighter, like BB..." But she knew that even BB, her protector, her guardian, her first love that stemmed mostly from gratitude...had practically gone up in flames...she knew that people weren't flame proof...

She had discovered that on the first day that Beyond opened his eyes after getting burned...

Beyond shuddered as he woke up, his eyes becoming wide in shock, not from being unable to adjust to the florescent light of the hospital. His eyes...the only things truly untouched by the flames, darted about the room, trying to look for a familiar face...until he found mine.

I stared at him numbly, hating how his smile was childishly sheepish and ashamed, as if he was embarrassed, when in all reality, that was his apologetic smile. I continued to stare until his shame took over and he averted his gaze, mumbling, "Don't look at me..." I didn't obey as I reached for his hand, feeling how calloused and warm it was the flames...I sighed, whispering, "I told you that fire was dangerous...you didn't listen..."

I sighed again as I pulled my hand away and set it on the book in my lap, a book that caused Beyond to smile sardonically at me as he read the title "Crime and Punishment." He then sighed as well, asking, "Is that you're reading material for the Wammy entrance exam?"

I sighed as well, smiling bitterly as I whispered, "Yup- you're looking at B, the second generation of Beyond Birthday...at least, that's what I'll be when I get to Wammy's...If I get in..."

"Of course you will- you had to be bumped up several grades this year...and last year and the year before..." "I'm running out of grades to skip...so yeah, maybe I'll make it." We both smiled at each other, both of us in pain, both of us trying to avoid the elephant in the room- BB's arrest and his upcoming court date, the day when he'll be formally accused of murder...and taken away from me forever...

I get up and turn towards the door, saying, "I have to go- Miss Misora said only for a few minutes..."

"Deathie?" Beyond asked, and I turned away from the door, my blood running ice cold through my veins...He never used my pet name, unless his words were to be painful or cryptic.

"When I die...I want to be cremated...After all, I'm half-cooked anyways...heh heh..." He tried to joke, but his chuckling stopped as tears, weaker than their precedents, the tears that had been shed last night in sobs, ran down my face as I whispered, "You shouldn't talk like that...you shouldn't be talking at all... Bye, Beyond...I'll be going now..."

And I walked out the door, eager to hide my tears...I surrendered to them when I got to the car, wondering if he knew how much it actually hurt to hear him say that...when he said that, that was when I realized that I could lose BB...permanently...

Never again would I lose a loved one to fire...never again would I submit to that...

EMily opened her eyes slowly, feeling as if she was letting herself- or at least Beyond- down by wanting to give up looking for Mello...he didn't deserve a quitter on his team...

She was brought out of her thoughts by the cracking of burning wood over her head...Her head snapped up in time to see a ceiling beam make its descent...she hated herself for it, and yet, she screamed in terror and shock, closing her eyes, ready to feel the burning wood pin her to the floor and leave her to die among flames.

"I'm sorry...Mello, forgive me...I...l-loved you..." she whispered only loud enough for herself to hear, wondering where the words had come from in her heart- and also why. She knew it didn't matter as her own namesake- Death- came to take her for itself...

That was until she felt something- no, someone- run to her and ultimately tackled her, pushing her out of harm's way as she now found herself on the ground, Mello next to her, panting and nearly unconscious.

"Mello!" Emily cried out, surprised, rolling over and crawling to him, wondering if he was going to be ok.

"Aghhh..." He groaned in reply, his eyes glancing into hers, exhaustion making them slightly glaze over before he shut them, letting out a breath as he let himself fall unconscious, having used up the remaining bit of energy to save her.

Emily, sighing in relief, pulled out her phone and called Matt, looking at Mello's scar and grimacing as she did, her relief and happiness of finding Mello (as well as the now reoccurring thought that she owed him, BIG TIME) covered her worry as she declared into her phone "Matt...Mello's alive...he's with me. He's alright, thank god..."

Shoving her phone back in her pocket, Emily stood after gently leaning Mello on her shoulder as she started to make her way to the growing inferno's entrance, all the while wondering what had provoked Mello to run, to waste precious energy, and to save her. She glanced at his face and smiled, despite herself, thinking of how peaceful he looked when he slept...even with his new scar, that marked the left side of his face, a scar that would remind Mello of the night he escaped the hands of death...and would remind Emily of the night she discovered the unthinkable.

She was in love with her savior, Mihael Keehl.