A/N: Fanfiction's being annoying and sporadically bars me from logging in, so while y'all were supposed to get this yesterday, you've got it today. :D Read, enjoy, review!

XXX

"So, where have you been, Mello?" Kilik asked as the blonde passed by in the hallway.

Mello backpedaled and plopped down on the couch beside him. "Nowhere you need to know."

"You're gay, aren't you?"

Mello raised an eyebrow and looked at him with a scoff. "What makes you say that?"

The brunette shook his head from side to side as he played the mock instrument. "Maybe the way that Matt guy was hanging off you. Or, the kissing sounds coming from your room after I left."

"You bastard." Anger began to course through Mello's veins and he stood up, kicking the cords from the Wii and effectively stopping Kilik's gaming. He stared up at him with his distinctively light eyes full of fear. He pulled out his Beretta from his hip and pointed it directly at the other man, point blank. "You do not eavesdrop on me."

Next thing he knew, there was a defined, slightly singed hole in the leather sofa beside Kilik's head. He shuddered. "God, why haven't I learned by now?" He mumbled to himself as he dropped to his knees to plug the game console back in.

"I don't know. But I suggest you start soon," Mello sneered from the doorway. He swung around the corner, calling back after him, "Don't bug me. I'll be working."

"Yeah, we all know what you'll be working, all right," Kilik snorted to himself, flexing his arm with a smirk.

…

"Fuck! Another one, are you serious?" Mello shouted at the small sheepish boy across the video call.

"Indeed. We believe there is yet another Kira up an about. I'm calling him X-Kira." He added, picking up a small finger puppet of something that looked like a wild-west bandit. Near fiddled with his white hair, staring off at something unseen. Mello groaned, and had he been in the vicinity of a wall, one could be sure he was bashing his head against it. But, that required moving from his rather comfortable position on the couch in the living room adjoining his bedroom. "I also believe that this second L is in fact the first Kira."

"Great."

Near paused. "Mello, has Matt happened to cross your path recently?"

The blonde held his breath as his pulse surged at the mention of his name. "Yes."

"And where is he now? Sleeping?"

"No. He's with… a friend."

"So he's with Linda? She is the only 'friend' I imagine you two have in Los Angeles as of now," Near deducted flawlessly, setting down X-Kira.

Mello ran a few fingers through his blonde hair. "Yeah."

"What did he say about your appearance?"

"He didn't even mention the scar." There was a silence as Mello ran his fingers delicately over the burns coating the left side of his face. "I'd presume he thought it was older. Anatomy and physiology of the human body wasn't exactly his forte, so it's understandable that he couldn't tell it was new," He reasoned. "Then again, I only saw him for an hour or two at most."

"Tell him I said hello."

"I'm not a messenger, assmunch," Mello spat at the sheep. Something in his pocket vibrated, and he stood. "I'm leaving," With no further words, he disconnected his call with old Wammy's House classmate.

Checking the phone the inner breast pocket of his leather vest, what he expected greeted his eyes: A text from Kyle warning that Linda had just been carted off to a delivery room. He slid his laptop into its case and was off. He shouldered his way through the door of the apartment building and he was on his way toward the hospital.

…

The exciting part was over, and Linda rested in the hospital bed. Nora had arrived normally, and had already been cleaned up and checked. Kyle rubbed the back of her hand and Matt sat opposite him, just gazing at his childhood friend.

The exhausted artist looked up at him. "I hope this is all worth the twenty-seven hours of labor," she mumbled with a sigh.

"It is. Don't worry," The redhead reassured her.

Kyle pulled out his smartphone and glanced at the screen. He made eye contact with Matt and nodded his head to the side, toward the door. "He's on his way up."

Matt couldn't hold back a grin as he slipped out into the hallway and made his way down to the lobby. Sure enough, the blonde appeared from the elevator. "Well that was a waste of a trip. What was that, two hours?" He complained as the gamer took him in a hug.

"It's a sign," Matt hissed creepily, but returned to his normal voice. "Come on." He pulled him in the general direction of the nursery.

They stood before the glass window looking over a dozen or so sleeping babies. There was another man ogling at their newborn children with their daughter. He pulled his child close at the sight of the pair entering the room. Mello just snorted as they walked around them.

Matt pointed eagerly through the glass. "That's her. Nora Renee Wammy." A tiny, pink, dark-haired baby sat asleep, pink pacifier bouncing slowly in her mouth.

"I still can't believe she kept her last name," Mello commented, quirking his mouth. "It sounds odd when tacked onto hers."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. Let's go see her," He grabbed the other's hand and pulled him toward her room.

The pair slipped into the room. Kyle stopped whispering to Linda, the grin fading from his face. The artist looked up at her approaching friends. Mello smirked at her. "Well you look like shit."

"Just what I need to hear. Are you PMS-ing again, Mels?" She shot back at him with a chuckle.

He scowled and shoved his hands in the pockets of his feathery black jacket. He resisted the urge to unwrap a chocolate bar stowed there, in fear of possibly proving Linda's point.

Linda looked between the two men standing before her. "You two go catch up," She closed her eyes and nodded at them. "I'm going to go pass out." She looked up at Kyle and smiled, then directed her half-hooded gaze to Matt and Mello again.

"Are you sure?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, go. I'm not gonna be much fun here. When I get back home, I'll find a way to contact you, okay?" She closed her eyes again and started to drift off.

The gamer nodded as Mello took his hand. "Alright. Sweet dreams," He called as he was swept out the door.