Author's Note: Well, I hope everyone had a fun Halloween! If you celebrate the holiday, that is. One quick look around my campus told me a lot of the foreign students' homelands don't go all bonkers over it like we do. Ah well.

Some of you may have noticed I threw up a new oneshot this week. I plan to write a few non-baby related stories, just to keep my creative juices all…juicy. Diversity is a major source of inspiration, at least on my part. So if you haven't checked out my second story, and if you don't mind adult themes and dramatic stories, check it out. Drop me a review. If you like the squeaky-clean adorableness of this fic, then stay right here- 'cuz we aren't done here yet.

Disclaimer? Disclaimer.

Last chapter, Matt and Mello finally made it to the conference with L and Near. Let's check in on them, shall we?

Chapter 21

The massive oak doors swung inward, revealing the familiar brown desk that had sat behind them for years. Roger, as always, sat stoically behind it. His face was set in stern lines, which were intensified by the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. Roger had aged quite noticeably since they'd graduated. Behind him stood L, hands in his pockets and slumping in the same manner he'd had since Mello could remember first meeting him. Near was absent.

Both Roger's and L's eyes rose from the computer monitor they were studying as the boys entered. Matt sheepishly shut the door behind them. They all stood there in silence as an understood moment passed between them. Each of them had lives separate from this, yet here they were; returning to a place they'd long since forsaken, to do a task they'd given up on.

L was the first to speak. His flat monotone was the same as it'd always been. "It's nice of you two to join us." The unfocused, disinterested look in his black eyes held no semblance of genuine welcome, but it was obvious the socially awkward detective was trying to be courteous. "Please, have a seat."

Mello nodded. "It was rather odd hearing from you earlier this year." He and Matt filed into the same seats they'd sat in when called for discipline years ago, a habit Roger noticed silently. "But we've talked about it. We are interested."

"It was likewise odd discovering your penchant for overthrowing a mafia crime lord just to take his place." L said. "But, I can't say we were surprised."

"Yes, Near mentioned something along the lines of that." Mello said. Matt was inspecting the walls and bookshelves of the room. Their whole childhoods had been devoted to this moment. Why was it so awkward?

"He worked hard tracking you down. Matt, it might interest you to know, was significantly harder to locate and communicate with."

Mello smirked. "It's that way on purpose."

"So…" Roger spoke up. His voice was strained, aged as much as his appearance. "I take it you two are still in regular contact?"

"If by regular contact you mean we share a bedroom," Matt smiled, "then yes. Very regular. Very."

Mello rolled his eyes. Not even fifteen minutes back, and Matt was acting like a child. He acted like a child normally, but the situation called for some sense of maturity. Matt was apparently refusing even that.

Roger coughed. L seemed unfazed by the news that their relationship had continued past graduation.

"In fact," Matt said, fishing his wallet from his jeans, "we're having a baby."

Roger choked a bit on the tea he was sipping. L's eyes widened, followed by a cocked eyebrow.

"Matt." L mumbled.

"Yessir."

"I'm not sure if you're aware of this- although, given your intelligence and education, I sincerely hope you are- the two of you do not possess the necessary organs to gestate a fetus."

Mello chuckled. "That was my argument in the beginning."

"We aren't retarded, L." Matt said. "We have a surrogate."

"Would my hopes that this agreement was reached legally be unfounded?" Roger asked.

Mello smirked. "I'm not a habitual criminal, Roger. Of course it was legal."

That seemed to calm Roger down a bit, but L was still fascinated by the prospect of them having a child.

"For two so young to make a decision like this;" L said, chewing his thumb. "Have you considered every risk associated with raising a child?"

"We thought it through from the beginning." Mello lied. It would be better not to tell his prospective superiors that this decision was made after a poor anniversary date and a hasty choice in his office. "The surrogate has been kept under constant surveillance, as well as furiously protected by both Matt and myself. No harm will come to her. When the baby is delivered, she has chosen to pursue a new life out of state, perhaps out of country."

"Hmm." L mumbled. "And what of the danger you work activities presents?"

"No one aside from Matt, myself, and a doctor supplied by my organization's head know of her identity. Public exposure has been minimal."

"I'm sure L has many more questions about your….baby…." Roger said, "but it appears Near has arrived."

Mello and Matt strained to look out the window behind Roger's desk, but no cars were pulling into the circle drive. Suddenly the sound of helicopter blades became audible. Near was landing on the room of Wammy's, apparently.

"I fuckin' told you to get a jet…." Matt whispered to Mello, who just smiled.

"Actually," L said, "I wouldn't mind discussing this at length with the two of you. This is by far the last thing I was expecting."

Matt grinned, proud. "Do you want to see a picture of him?"

"It's a boy, then?"

Matt opened his wallet and retrieved the snapshot from their last sonogram. "We're going to name him Kyle."

"Kyle…" L mumbled, inspecting the small photograph. "That seems an appropriate name."

Ten minutes later, Near entered the room. Still ridiculously thin, it seemed that only Matt and Mello had bulked up since they'd left. He had donned his traditional white clothing, but had replaced his pajama pants for white slacks. No shoes covered his feet, but unlike L, he'd worn socks.

L and Roger instinctively look to Mello for his reaction to Near's presence. Unfazed, the blonde relaxed in his chair. Matt fidgeted with his fingers, waiting for the new awkwardness to fade.

"Greetings, Near." L said with as much enthusiasm as he had mustered for Matt and Mello earlier. "I'd suggest you take a seat, but they're all occupied."

"No bother." Near said. His voice had only slightly matured, still holding the airy childishness Mello remembered. Not quite low pitched, but not sing-songingly young. "If you may recall, I prefer floors anyway." He squatted in the middle of the floor then, right in front of Roger's desk, like he'd always done as a child. With Mello and Matt in their respective chairs and Near in the floor, the scene resembled many a childhood memory. The impact of the moment was not lost to Roger, whose face had relaxed to a warm, fatherly pose.

"I hadn't realized how affected I was going to be," Roger said, emotion coloring his words, "seeing all of you grown up."

"I agree." L said. "They still hold their same mannerisms, but it adds a certain realism to one's age, seeing them like this."

Looking at them, Mello felt a new respect for Roger. He'd hated the man for the better half of his life, caused no limit of chaos and trauma for him, and yet he was the only man in the world close to resembling his father. He'd always adored L, worshiped him practically, looking to him for guidance and wisdom, when in reality the parenting force he'd craved was always there. Roger had punished him for the tantrums he threw, but he was also the one who comforted him when he'd had nightmares. Roger was the one who'd explained the world, who'd tried his hardest to answer questions Mello had about his parents and why he couldn't seem to make friends. Roger was the one who suggested he room with Matt, recognizing the two had a bond as soon as he noticed Matt was the only kid on campus that didn't run away when Mello threatened him.

All his life, he'd been an ass to Roger. Caused him stress for the fun of it, often entangling Matt in the process, when he owed everything he had to him. A pain set in Mello's chest; before he left, he planned to apologize to Roger for his terror of a childhood. Matt noticed the conflicted expression on Mello's face and reached out to squeeze his hand.

Near noticed the gesture, and lost his mind. "Are you two still…ahem..dating?" Condescension dripped from his voice.

Matt's brow lowered over his goggles. "Isn't it obvious?" He clutched Mello's hand in his own. "Why?"

"I had hoped the two of you had overcome such a pathetic emotional involvement."

"Excuse me?" Mello said, unsure if Near was serious. Near hadn't joked their whole lives, but surely he wasn't deliberately being this offensive?

"It was different when we were younger, Mello. Expected even. But everyone has seen you, you've had your moment of attention. Please return to the normal, accepted relationship paradigm and spare me the indignation of seeing two men embrace."

Matt was growing angrier with every word Near said. "What the fuck, Near? We graduate and you turn fucking homophobe?"

"No change has taken place, Matt." Near said calmly. "In truth, I was never comfortable with your involvement with Mello. I saw it as a pitiful cry for attention on both your parts. I am sincerely upset that it has progressed even farther than a high school fling."

Roger cleared his throat. L was staring out the window, unconcerned with the conflict. "Near, Matt," Roger said. "this is not the time to wage personal wars. Please, let's return to business."

"Agreed." L and Mello said at the same time. Matt was fuming, glaring at the white-haired boy from behind the orange tint of his goggles.

"L," Roger said. "you may take over from here. I'm as excited as they are to hear what you have planned."

"Very well." L mumbled. He cleared his throat rather dramatically, shuffling his feet as he walked to the middle of the room. "The three of you were the top three of your graduating class. When I was considering graduates of Wammy's to form this investigative force with, I contacted Roger to see if he had any suggestions. True to his recommendation, your individual intelligences outweigh any class before yours, and all that have come after.

"My vision is a detective force that spans the globe, ideally solving cases I am otherwise too busy or disinterested in to work on. The four of us, in cooperation with the nations' police forces, will work to end crime and solve the most challenging mysteries."

"So.." Matt interrupted. "who gets what country?"

"It isn't 'country' so much as 'continent'." L said. "I had suspected that you and Mello would remain at the very least distant friends, so I have assigned you North and South America, with their respective islands and territories. If you choose to accept this offer, you will be referred to the leaders of every country on those continents with my blessing. They will be instructed to go to you for help when they need it, as opposed to contacting Watari and asking for me."

"That sounds pretty good." Matt said, looking at Mello. "We live there anyway."

"Unless the assignment is contested by Near, we will accept the Americas as our jurisdiction." Mello said. They looked to Near, who shook his head.

"Excellent." L said. "From there we move to Near's assigned area. I have chosen the continent of Africa, as well as the countries of India, Australia, and their respective islands and territories for you. I will take Europe and Asia, as well as Russia and the middle east."

"That seems an even division." Near said. "I accept my assigned countries as well."

"Very well." L said. "You will each be in charge of establishing your own headquarters. The expected rules of anonymity and invisibility will apply, of course."

"Well, wouldn't want to think they gave us these aliases for nothing…" Matt said with a smile to Roger.

"We will convene again after dinner," L said, turning away, "but these are the basics."

They all left the room then. Mello and Matt went for a walk around campus, relatively silent in their own ponderings until Matt couldn't get a reply from Alice.

"I've sent her 6 messages, Mells, and called her twice. Why isn't she answering?"

"She's probably asleep. It is late back home, and she usually sleeps all day anyway. She's fine."

"Call the bodyguards just to be sure?" Matt pleaded.

"My cell's battery is dead. I'll check on her when we get back to the hotel."

Matt frowned. "Okay…I'm just worried, you know?"

"I understand, Matty. But we can't assume something's gone wrong just because she isn't answering. Honestly, how likely is it that something has happened just because we left the country? She's been fine since we met her, she'll be fine when we get back."

After they'd eaten, they all returned to Roger's office to finish the meeting. Nothing actually remained to be said on the matter, but L never was prone to leaving loose ends. Everything was discussed at length to ensure complete understanding. Watari came in and offered refreshments about half way through, and politely suggested L come speak to him outside for a moment.

When L left, the room fell into yet another spell of awkward silence. Matt, being a natural ice breaker, felt led to lighten the mood. His choice of material wasn't well considered.

"Hey Near." He said.

"Yes, Matt?"

"Mello and I are having a baby."

"…..I fail to see the humor in such impossibility, Matt. Please stop prompting unwelcome visuals in my mind."

Matt glared, then crossed his arms over his chest. "We are. Ask Roger, he's seen the sonogram picture."

"I assume you've surrogated an embryo, then? Or entered into an adoptive agreement with an already-pregnant woman?"

"To put it blatantly," Matt smiled, "we kinda just came in little jars and spread our man juices all over her lady bits. But yeah, we have a surrogate."

The look on Near's face was one of disgust. "You never were one for subtlety. "

Matt just smiled and took his phone out, trying to contact Alice again.

"That's not exactly the way it happened." Mello said.

"I have no interest in how it came to be." Near said. "It is an abominable act against nature. No part of the natural order of the world implies homosexuality; it's illogical and unnecessary."

Roger cleared his throat. "Near, this is not a forum for you to express your own opinion. Please be professional." The irony that Near was losing his composure in the face of a calm, collected Mello was not lost on the man. "Every man is beneficial to this project; try not to offend half of them at once."

"I'm the one who's offended." Near asserted from his place on the floor. "I'm having to work with these two..these….homos, without the right to express my disapproval?"

Mello stood. "Near." He said. His voice dropped dangerously low. "If you have a problem with us, so be it. But I will not sit here and be disrespected because of your insecurities. One more word and I'll break your jaw."

Near's face remained stubborn, but fear flashed in his eyes. Satisfied, Mello returned to his seat. "If you have any doubt about which of us is more of a man, that should answer your question."

Matt laughed quietly, offering his hand to Mello who took it in his own. The room fell silent again until L returned.

"Matt, Mello," he said, opening a cabinet in the bookshelf behind Roger's desk to reveal a small box television. "I believe this may interest you." He turned it on and switched it to the news channel, where headlines proclaimed in large capital letters:

California Senator Nathan McAllan Assassinated. Police have no leads.

Reading the words, Mello jumped from his chair. "Shit. We need to leave."

Matt frantically called Alice's cell phone again, cursing when she didn't answer. "L, Roger." He said, panic in his voice. "Would you let us use the Wammy's jet?"

"Is something wrong?" Roger asked.

"Mafia business has caught up with us, it seems." Mello said. "The safety of our surrogate is in danger. We need to get back of Los Angeles as soon as possible."

"You may use the jet." L said. "Watari will fly you. Would you like us to ship your luggage from your hotel later?"

"I don't care." Mello said. "We need to leave now."

Matt called Alice again, begging for an answer. The other end picked up, but Alice wasn't the one speaking. It was a man.

"Hello, Mello."

Matt growled. "It's Matt actually. Who are you and what do you want?"

The rest of the room listened intently. Matt put the call on speakerphone, so they could hear.

"It's me, Matt. Your friend from the mall that day. Ron Gibson."

"Alice's exboyfriend." Matt scowled. "If you so much as fucking touch her, I will kill you. In fact, I'm going to kill you anyway, but things will be better for you if she's alive when I get there."

"Relax, Matthew." Ron said sinisterly. "My conflict with you isn't important. I want Mello, let me talk to him."

Matt handed the phone to Mello, running his fingers through his red hair and biting his lip. Every fear he'd had was coming true.

"This is Mello."

"Ah." Ron said. "Finally, the man who's responsible for all of this."

"What do you want?"

"It's simple, really. I'm the leader of the Diamonds now. You screwed us out of a political alliance. You've undoubtedly saw how that ended up for Senator McAllan. Come to L.A., get your own portion of the consequences for messing with the Diamonds. If you aren't here in two days, Alice and your little baby here get your share."

"This isn't going to end the way you've planned, Ron Gibson." Mello said.

"Come to your office. I'll be waiting." The line went dead. Mello threw the phone across the room. It shattered against the wall and fell to the floor.

"You have any assistance you need." L said.

"Just get me a jet. You don't want to be involved beyond that." Mello said. His face was grave, the face of a killer. Logic had left him. He saw only one image, and that was Ron Gibson's body lying lifeless on the carpet of his office.

Author's Note: Haaa. Near as a homophobe? Sorry NxM fans, but Near seems more asexual than L to me, and I see him as completely blind to matters of emotion. Hence his inability to accept Matt and Mello's love because it's not evolutionarily ideal. The next chapter should be up soon, probably before next week. I'm excited about the way this is going to go down. Review!