Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.

Credit: Original idea by Yami Yugi Alexander the 4th.

Chapter 14

Distractions

I'm not sure what to call you,

Mello was missing from Wammy's, it was obvious that he came to Japan looking for me, and probably L too, but me.

The problem was the place in Japan that he had gone, I couldn't remember anything he had told me that might be a clue to the meeting spot...

My birthday's on December 13th, just so you know.

As far as I knew he had never been to Japan and he didn't have any relatives that he could be staying with, L had already checked that angle for me.

So where was he? I'm sitting on the bed that was supposed to be for L but I was using much more often. That makes it mine to me.

The note was printed out now and I was spending every moment of my time pouring over the three sentences on the page.

I'm not sure this'll reach you but no one else will be able to track you down with it so it won't matter.

Mello...

He was worried about the people at Wammy's tracking me down if he left too much information in his note... so if there was a meeting place it was probably hidden so only I could understand it.

Of course that meant that the world's greatest detective couldn't help much.

Thanks for the bear, I'll return the gift.

How? By scaring me to death? I bet he's trying to give me a heart attack before I catch him so he doesn't have to buy me a bear...

Wait... if the bear was the gift... he'd return it... does that mean that the bear...

- - - - - - - - - - - -

L was watching the footage of Yagami Raito as he got dressed for school, Yagami-san was sitting in a chair next to him, also watching as his son left the house to walk with a friend to his academy.

Mello's disappearance was having more of an effect on his concentration then he ever would have thought, but that wasn't because he was thinking too much about Mello personally, in fact if he had been alone he wouldn't have been distracted at all by it. Worried of course, but not distracted.

It was Destiny that was distracting him, she was worried sick over the boy and hadn't left the bedroom since she had figured out he was gone, Watari had been bringing her cake and juice at meal times, obviously girls– or maybe it was children in general– had three meals a day, each at set times.

Luckily she hadn't been crying because L had no experience with crying... people actually... so a young girl crying in his room was not something he would be able to deal with and there was only so much that Watari could do for him.

The girl had insisted on studying the note overnight and over the next two days, now it was January 9th and cameras had just been installed in the Yagami and Kitamura households.

Finally, because he had needed his laptop back, L had printed out the note for her and hadn't seen her since. That had been yesterday.

Obviously she blamed herself for not being able to find a message but she would never just say that. Women were a mystery even L couldn't solve and it would only get worse with age.

Yagami Sachiko left the house to buy groceries so there was no longer much of a point in watching the empty building.

L sighed with frustration that had nothing to do with the case and walked to the kitchen to grab two slices of cake. It was time to talk to Destiny.

He crossed the room to the back door and placed one plate on a nearby table as he reached for the handle...

However, it was not meant to be.

At that moment a frantic young girl came rushing through the door, which caused said door to fly open into the face of the distracted detective. The plate of cake went flying and landed in a mess on L's white shirt.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

"Ryuzaki! I figured it... out... What happened to you?" I asked as I looked down on the cake-covered legend.

"Nothing." he grumbled as he crawled to him feet and passed me into the bedroom to find a clean shirt.

"Well, I found the meeting spot!" I beamed at him but he only seemed annoyed... the door had hit something...

Oops.

"Sorry, I hit you?" my tome made it obvious that I wasn't sure what to say.

L pulled a clean shirt over his cake-spattered hair, effectively defeating the purpose. He notice this and frowned.

"L, I'm sorry, can we go get Mello now?" I asked, trying to pout as effectively as he does.

"Don't be sorry, I should know to be more careful when approaching a seemingly innocent door." he mumbled.

"L! Please can we go now?" I begged– though I would never admit to it– grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the main room and, thus, the exit.

He sighed and followed me through the main room, Yagami Soichiro asked if he was alright, he must have heard the crash that I missed. Or seen the door attack.

We left the hotel and walked towards the meeting spot.

"Destiny, where do you expect to find Mello?" L asked, getting over his cake trauma.

"The last sentence in the note said 'thanks for the bear, I'll return the gift' I had bought that bear here in Japan and sent it to him for his birthday, but what that sentence could have meant was 'I'll bring it back to the store' instead of 'I'll pay you back on your birthday' like I'd first thought." I explained, feeling proud of myself in spite of how long it had taken to figure out.

"Destiny, how would Mello know where you got the bear if it was a gift? He's wasn't even in the country if he got it last month and I doubt you sent him a receipt." L pointed out.

"The store I got it from was family owned and everything was home made, they sold a ton of stuffed animals and they all had labels that advertized the place. Plus it wasn't a franchise so he could find that address online if he researched the name on the tag." I explained, Mello was the type to put an undue amount of thought into something like this.

"I suppose that would make sense but what if you're wrong? I want you to promise that even if we don't find Mello here you won't lock yourself in the bedroom again." L frowned.

I stopped and turned to look back at him. "Why? Were you worried?" I asked.

"You forced yourself onto the investigation team, if you're going to insist on being included you can't be dead weight." he brushed my question aside.

Jerk.

The shop wasn't far, I turned away from L and continued walking towards my only chance at finding Mello. Rude or not, L was right– of course– I wanted to be on the investigation team more then anything and now all I was doing was moping around in my room as I searched for Mello.

But Mello had to be here, then he could help too.

The shopfront was colorful and made me feel a little better for just a moment before the empty benches out front killed my mood.

I stopped in my tracks and slid my hands into my pockets, watching the melting snow on the ground.

"He's... not here..." I mumbled, I had been so sure.

L stopped behind me and sighed, he didn't sound like a person who could deal with an upset girl.

"Mello can take care of himself, he'll be just fine..." was the unsure reassurance I received from the great detective.

The store's bell tingled merrily and I glanced up to see a head of yellow-blonde hair looking around the entrance.

"Mello!" I shouted, sprinting at the boy and nearly knocking him off his feet as I hugged him.

"Hey, get off!" he groaned as I snuggled into his neck.

"You couldn't think of an easier clue? You're lucky I managed to figure it out before you froze to death!" I shouted at him, he frowned at the switch from 'happy to see him' to 'lucky I showed up.'

"I would have left an address I'd known how bad you were at picking apart clues." he teased, I smiled, pretending not to care.

"Mells, this it stupid, why do we have to spend all day in a store full of dolls? They don't even sell video games and– hey, you found her..." Matt noticed as he left the store only to be blocked by Mello and I.

A sigh from behind me ended the reunion. "Destiny, you found him, can we get back to the hotel now?" L almost whined, but he was barefoot outside. In the snow.

"Yeah, we can go." I smiled, not letting go of Mello's arm.

"You found–" Mello started but cleared his throat to cut off the name, we were outside.

"Yes, you were right, too, I admit it." I answered his question. I found L.

"I told you." Mello bragged, completely over the fact that I was attached to his right arm and wouldn't let go.

L turned away and we followed him back to the hotel. L in the lead, Mello and I still linked together wether he liked it or not and Matt in the back playing a video game as he walked.

"Hey, whatever your name is." Mello whispered to me.

"Destiny."

"Yeah, Destiny, I... missed you too." he admitted.

I smiled and gave him a quick kiss. It was just fast enough for L not to see.

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Author's Note: I hope that wasn't too soft for Mello, I really tried to make this in-character. Thanks for reading and thanks for the reviews!