A/N: Happy fourth of July, people! The day of our [America's] independence! I figured that I'd upload this, since today is a holiday. But, unfortunately these last few days have been pretty hard. I got into a fight with one of my best friends so I've been pretty drained of all the energy I once had. However, I'm trying to get it back with writing this. So, hopefully it comes out alright.

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note or any of the characters used in this story.

Chapter 21: The Fall

I knew it… There was just nothing I could have done to prevent this from happening. Roger and his damn examinations! I just… couldn't find any other way that could successfully get Near out of them.

And I'd wanted to so bad.

I went to my own, painfully, knowing that after I was done, it would be Near's turn. I tried to make it last a while by prolonging my time in the infirmary with that doctor. I was stubborn about doing things, and asked him all sorts of stupid questions.

All in the hope that maybe I could delay it so long that he would have to leave for the day.

But that idea was absurd, and as I listened to him answer my questions I knew it was never going to work. It was still the middle of the day. I would have to prolong him for… I don't know, five or six hours to even begin to get somewhere.

And finally the exam came to a close. And I left the infirmary only to tell Near that he was next. It was hard to believe… that I was the one sending him to such a hell. And as he walked by me, he didn't even seem to falter in the slightest.

He knew there was nothing that could be done. And thus was simply putting back on his façade and facing what was happening. I had to give him credit for being able to do that so easily.

However, with me, it was not quite the same.

Matt and I were in the common room, and the entire time that Near wasn't there, I could feel myself going crazy.

What could possibly be happening in there? Maybe my examination would be different from his. I considered going and trying to sneak in again, or at least listening through the door. But I knew that if I was caught that would look way too suspicious.

So I forced myself to sit still, and just wait. Which is always hard for a person with no patience to speak of.

However, something suddenly caught my eye, and I looked up –towards the opening of the common room.

And there, I watched as Near and that doctor walked down the hall. Near's eyes were pointed down and he looked so… not there. As if his body was following, but his mind was somewhere else completely.

I wonder why he was like this. Where they were going. Why they were going there to do it.

I forced myself to walk over to the doorway, pulling out a bar of chocolate and bite into it. Partially to help calm me down, and also to help make my actions look as realistic as possible. "Near." I said; instantly getting his attention. "The hell is going on?"

He looked up at me and stopped in place, but he didn't say a word. His eyes were blank, but somewhere behind them I could see that he was trying to plan something. Maybe… trying to find a way to convey the answer I wanted to know.

"I have to go see Roger." He said in that normal, monotone voice.

My look turned to confusion as I asked, "Why?" 'What happened?' I thought to myself. There could be any number of things that could have caused this. But only one stuck out most in my mind. 'Did… you tell him, Near?'

But I already knew the answer to that. Near wasn't dumb enough to do something like that. He knew how to hide his reality –even if his body didn't comply sometimes, what with the shaking and what not.

So it had to be something else.

I watched as his eyes moved downwards, and in that moment I knew he was trying to show me something. Something to alert me. Something that he couldn't dare say aloud. I followed the look even when I felt his eyes move back to watch me. His left hand moved to his right arm –beginning to scratch at his arm. However, I could see his hand shaking, and the way his nails hardly even touched his arm.

'What are you saying?' I wondered, as the doctor called his name and they began walking again.

I could only stand there and wonder at what Near had meant. What was with his actions? I looked down at my chocolate bar after taking another bite as I began to think about it. 'What could that possibly…' My thoughts trailed off as I suddenly understood what Near had been trying to tell me.

His arms!

I remembered back to the first day that this had all started. Near had shown me the self-inflicted laceration that he had on his arms! And that's when I realized, the doctor must have had him remove his shirt, and had spotted the cuts and was now taking him to Roger to confront him about the situation!

My heart instantly began to race. What was I going to do? I couldn't let Near take the fall. Even if it was his fault that he had them, it… really wasn't. If they understood the situation they would see the truth.

But I couldn't even think of that. That wasn't even an option.

Without thinking, I began to follow after them –heading towards Roger's office. I wasn't sure what I was going to do when I got there, or even how I was going to do it. This was a delicate situation.

No matter what happened, they couldn't be convinced that Near had done this to himself. If they did, they could opt to take him to some kind of mental hospital. And I knew instantly that Near would never be able to deal with a place like that.

The door was closed when I got there. And just standing in the hall all I could hear was silence. I moved closer till I could lightly press my ear to the door. I needed to listen and to hear how Near dealt with this. If he could get it under control, then there would be no need for my interjection.

I listened to the doctor and Roger talk for a while. The doctor pressed his side of the story, as if trying to persuade the old man into thinking what he wanted him to believe. Thankfully, I knew that Roger was smarter than that, and wouldn't take it so simply.

Then, after being instructed by Roger to tell his side of the story, I listened carefully as Near began to speak –his voice horribly quiet. "What he is saying is a lie." He started. "I merely fell onto some broken glass, as I told Dr. Addison before."

'Not bad.' I thought to him. 'But it won't convince them so easily.'

"Where was this broken glass?" I heard the doctor ask, as though he was trying to interrogate Near. I knew, based on how well I knew Near, that this would put him on edge. Near didn't like having people think they were better, or higher power, than he was. He'd instantly want to shut him down and reinstate his position.

However, I wasn't sure if that would work in his favor this time. It would just make him sound like he was being defensive.

"Are you covering up something, Near?" Came Roger's voice not too long after the doctor had spoken. I wondered what Near was thinking now. Was he weighing his options? Or still trying to formulate his lie? It was hard, not being able to see those grey eyes work.

"It was in my science class." He said. "I fell while carrying some glass beakers and when they broke, I fell onto the pieces. And no, Roger," He added, "I'm not trying to cover anything up.

"So there were witnesses, then?" Dr. Addison asked again. I was really beginning to hate this guy. He was just a simple doctor, brought here to make sure all of us were healthy. If anyone was going to be asking questions, it should be Roger.

"No." He said. "It was after everyone had left."

"Why didn't you go to the clinic, Near?" Roger then asked, and I could hear the suspicion in his voice.

"I knew I could take care of it myself." Near was doing good. But, if Roger was beginning to sound suspicious than the doctor obviously had the upper hand. Neither of them really had any evidence to support their claims, which meant they only had their stories to go off of. Near was a good liar, but at this point, I wasn't sure if it was getting through.

I instantly began to plan. If it came down to it…what could I do? I couldn't just let that doctor win and let them take Near from here.

"This doesn't add up." Roger said quietly.

I felt my heart begin to slam against my chest as silence took over the room. It felt like now was the deciding factor. Like Roger was deciding which person's story he was going to believe. And Near hadn't yet built up a strong enough case for himself. No one had really given him the opportunity.

I had to do something.

As I stood up straight, I realized, it didn't matter what would happen to me. If it got Near out of this bind, then it really didn't matter what Roger would do to me.

Without a second thought, I slammed the door to Roger's office open. My eyes were locked solely on Roger –the man here who would ultimately decide what would happen to Near. My fists clenched as I tried to run through what exactly I would say.

"Mello?" Came Near's quiet voice suddenly. I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. Maybe he was mad that I was getting myself involved. But I didn't care, he would thank me later when he realized I'd gotten him out of this.

For right now, though, I needed to be realistic. So I let my anger, and annoyance, take over what I did. "Shut up, Near." I said as I stepped further into the room and slammed the door closed. "Don't say a thing." 'Just let me take care of it.'

"You idiot have got it all wrong!" I stepped forward so I was in front of Roger's desk.

"Mello, what are you talking about?" Roger asked, and I could clearly see how surprised he was. He probably never thought I would do such a thing. And, quite honestly, neither did I. But I could deal with that thought later.

"What I mean, Roger, is that I'm the one that gave Near those cuts." I stated seriously. I didn't want to give them any reason to doubt me right now.

"You?" The doctor asked, in quite the condescending manner. Maybe if we weren't in Roger's office, I would have let myself hit him once or twice for that.

I looked over at him instantly. "Yeah, me." I said simply, and firmly.

"Mello," Roger's voice drew my attention back to him. "Why are you confessing to this? It's not like you at all." He sounded surprised. Something in his tone said he had been convinced towards the doctor's side of the argument.

My eyes narrowed on him as I quickly figured out my answered. "Because if he gets in trouble for something he didn't do then I won't get to mess with him anymore. I'd get bored if that happened, and God only know what would happen then." I paused to let Roger imagine it.

"Why would you do that?" The doctor asked from the side. He sounded sickened; horribly sickened by the thought that I would hurt someone purposely. I thought about telling him to turn on the news and listened to how many people were murdered every day. Seriously, how could anyone be surprised anymore.

"Mello and Near don't have the best relationship." Roger said, and I watched as his eyes drifted over to where the doctor was.

"I hate him." I said, thinking about all of the times Near had done better than me and letting it fuel my anger to make this more believable. I felt like I believed it, now, too. I wondered if Near did too. I wanted to look over, but I held myself back.

"But why would you… and why did near give us the story with the beakers?" The doctor asked.

"I hate Near." I answered venomously. "I despise him. I threatened him afterwards that if he told anyone I would kill him." It sounded believable enough, and part of me could imagine myself doing it, too.

There was a long silence after that where Roger went into consideration. 'Come on, old man, you know how I am! I get mad and do stupid shit like that! Take the blame off of Near and punish me instead!' I urged mentally.

"Is this true, Near?" Roger asked Near.

I couldn't help but look over to him instantly. 'Don't do anything stupid, Near. Let me take the fall for this. You'll get off the hook and be able to do whatever it is you want to. I'll get in trouble, but it's a lot better that way.' I hoped that somehow he could hear my thoughts. His eyes were laced with confusion, and some guilt. My heart was still racing, but I could no longer tell if it was because of the adrenalin, or the worry of what Near would say.

Part of me was assured that he would go with what I had said, though. Near went with the facts and never his emotions. He knew that this would solve the problem. It had to be his guilt that was holding him back from just answering.

But, finally, he let out a sigh, and nodded.

Roger was the next one to sigh, this one loud enough to draw everyone's attention back to him. I didn't want to look away, but I had to. I had to see what he was going to do now.

"Alright, Mello, what punishment am I to give you for this one? This is certainly one of the more severe things that you've done." I breathed a sigh of relief. This is what I wanted. I knew I wouldn't get out unpunished, but at least Near was. "If there was any before, there's no doubt now that you and Near just cannot get along."

I looked over to Near –partially to just see what his expression was. But he didn't look back at me this time. The guilt must be getting to him, after all. I never thought I'd see him so… emotionally driven.

"So what am I to do with you?" He folded his hands on the desk and rested his chin on them, then let his eyes close as he began to think it all over. Finally, he spoke again. "Alright, Mello. You will be on severe restriction for the time being. Your free time will be severely limited and in it's place you will be given more work. The number of chocolate bars you are permitted with be cut back, and you are to not be in the same room as Near under any circumstances. Do you understand."

Well…that wasn't so bad. The chocolate limitation definitely was, but I knew I could just steal some more from the kitchen. I had honestly thought Roger would deal out something worse. Perhaps he was feeling merciful with me for coming clean instead of having to track me down.

However, now that I thought about it, I realized that not being in the same room as Near would definitely be a problem as well. What if, at night, he had a nightmare and someone heard? I tried to hold back my shudder at the thought. I'd have to plan something later.

I then nodded in response. "Can I go now?" I asked firmly, wanting to be out of the room so I could gauge the situation and rearrange how I did things.

Roger nodded, and, without looking at Near anymore, I left from the office. I swear, if anyone says I'm selfish again, I'll kill them on the spot.

A/N: That wasn't so bad. This chapter is called 'The Fall' because I can only use two words, but if I had the third it'd be called 'Taking the Fall' I thought it was a good title. Anyway, I think this chapter came out pretty well. Please be sure to let me know what you think, because those are the thoughts that matter to me!

Please review!
-Forbiddensoul562