A/N: I'd like to wish an early Happy Independence Day for all of the Americans out there! Here's another extra-long chapter.

Disclaimer: This chapter heavily references Mulan, which I do not own (along with DN)…If you're unfamiliar with Mulan, you should totally watch it.

Note: Catalina Jazz Club is a real "21 & over" place on Sunset Boulevard, downtown Los Angeles/Hollywood.

Chapter 26: Cosmos

"Allie, you look adorable today! Who knew you were such a huge fan of Misa-Misa?"

As I'd predicted, the clothes had worked in my favor.

I beamed at the older woman. "I'm your biggest fan ever! I love the work you did in Japan," I lied.

Misa smiled back at me, and then looked down at her plate of sliced strawberries. We had just finished a light lunch of garlic shrimp and rice, courtesy of Mogi.

"Misa loves…Misa loved it too," the blonde said, correcting herself.

"If you don't mind me asking," I inquired shyly, "why did you quit? I heard that you were just about to make your Hollywood debut."

"Light told me to retire to become his wife," she answered airily. I frowned at her overly cheerful tone. She misinterpreted my expression.

Misa leaned forward conspiratorially. "You're right, it's kind of boring. This school play of yours is the only excitement in my life at the moment," she whispered. Her brown eyes were wide with sincerity. "It's going to be so fun having another girl around here. You can stay with me for as long as you want!"

I felt a pang deep in my chest as my gaze swept the apartment. Obviously, Light wasn't home very often. Mogi seemed to be her only companion.

"I'm lucky to be here, Misa," I told her, hamming it up. "Speaking of the play, do you think…do you think you can help me with my lines?" I lowered my lashes, feigning shame. "If I screw up again, Mr. Jones will have to replace me."

Misa paused, her fork halfway to her mouth. "That's right…" she said guiltily, realizing her dilemma. "Misa is your understudy."

"You're also a wonderful assistant director," I added sweetly. "Everyone looks up to you."

Misa slammed her fork down. "Yes! So Misa will do her best to help you become successful. Let's prove your parents wrong!"

I gave her a genuine smile. She wasn't as bad as I'd thought. "Thanks, Misa."

"Although, Misa does have one condition…" the blonde said slyly, scrutinizing my face.

"Yes?" I prompted, dreading the rest of her sentence. I had a feeling I wasn't going to like it. Not one bit.

She wagged a manicured finger at me. "Misa will have to give you a makeover, first!"

"Sweet! Let's get started, Misa-Misa!"

I spat out my mouthful of chocolate. I had just opened a new bar to help calm my nerves after that dream, or nightmare, or whatever it was.

I also had to change into a fresh pair of leather pants.

"Girls," Matt grunted fondly. His handheld suddenly beeped, signaling that it was out of battery. "I was on level FIFTY! Damn it to hell," he swore, stomping over to his stash of equipment in search for a spare.

I merely rolled my eyes. "Boys," I added, just as affectionately.

Ten minutes later, I found myself sitting in a pink barber chair in front of the bathroom mirror. Misa was standing behind me, poised with a pair of scissors. She was ruffling my hair with her other hand, pulling at my long strands.

"How does seven inches sound?" Misa suggested.

I willed myself not to panic. "I usually just trim it," I said politely. "Two inches should be enough."

"No, no, no. The point of a makeover is to completely transform you! Do you want to be a Hollywood starlet or not?" the Japanese idol shrilled.

I reluctantly unclipped my hair, setting the flower-shaped hair clips on the counter. Mello and Matt must be having a blast compared to me, I thought morosely as I stared at the electronic bugs in disguise.

"Three inches, then?" I offered, nervously tapping my feet against the polished bathroom tiles.

"Six," Misa coaxed, "I want to give you a pixie cut. They're quite fashionable these days, are they not?"

I froze. I haven't had a pixie cut since I was twelve, ever since I was adopted. "Yes, Misa-Misa. But I don't like them."

The woman pouted. "Well, you should have short hair if you want to play the lead role properly. After all, didn't the real Mulan cut off all her hair just to look like a boy? And since this is an American version, you should go blonde, too!"

"I'm not dyeing my hair blonde," I argued. "But I can go with four."

"Five," Misa retorted triumphantly. "That's between four and six!"

"Alright then," I agreed weakly. My stomach churned. "Five it is."

Misa nodded eagerly as she began to snip away at my hair. "You're going to look great, trust me!"

I grimaced. I don't trust you any farther than I can throw you. It was only yesterday that I despised her for trying to take my role. It was only last night that I found out she was involved with Kira. Yet here I was, moving in with her, dining with her, and… letting her hack off my hair.

At least she hasn't killed me…yet.

Matt gave me a sidelong glance. He had finally taken off the aviator sunglasses he had borrowed from me, and was donning his usual yellow-tinted goggles. "You know, Allie isn't the only one who should be getting a haircut."

I bristled. "My hair is fine just the way it is. I don't have time for ridiculous things like haircuts."

Matt ran a gloved hand through his own, newly colored hair. "What's ridiculous is that you look like a – "

I chucked my half-finished Caramilk at his head.

"See how good it looks, Alice?" Misa squealed, yanking off the bib with a dramatic flourish.

I narrowed my eyes. Is she testing me? According to Near and Mello, the Second Kira had something called Shinigami Eyes, which allowed the user of a notebook to see their potential victim's true name and lifespan.

"It's Alexandra. Allie is short for Alexandra," I told her truthfully, getting up from the chair. I swiped the flower bugs off the counter and re-clipped my hair. "And yes, it looks great. Thank you."

I was pleasantly surprised at how it turned out. Misa had given me layered bangs, and she had shortened my hair until it just swept past my chin, above my collarbone.

"No problem!" Misa chirped. "It was fun." She grabbed the box of Perfect Blondissima from the open cabinet and shoved it towards me.

"I'm sorry Misa, but I don't want – "

"Keep it," she gushed, "in case you change your mind. So, let's get started on those lines of yours, shall we?" Misa skipped out of the bathroom and down the hallway, into the main room.

I followed her obediently, quickly ducking into the spare bedroom – Light's bedroom – to stuff the box of hair dye into my duffel bag.

The next five hours were uneventful, though entertaining.

"So you'll die for honor."

"I will die doing what's right!"

Matt and I listened in rapt silence as Misa Amane and Allie ran through the lines for their play. I managed to demolish at least twelve more Caramilks by the time they stopped for a break.

I set my current bar down on the table when a thought suddenly occurred to me. Matt looked up in surprise.

"Is there something wrong with the chocolate?" Matt asked curiously.

"No," I replied. I gingerly ran my bare fingers over the left side of my face. It had been just two and a half weeks since the explosion, but my injuries had miraculously scabbed and healed over as best as they could. All thanks to Matt. After I finished examining my scar, I pulled on my leather gloves in an attempt to get rid of the feeling of disgust that was crawling up my skin.

"Matt…I just wanted to thank you," I mumbled, "for everything." For I'd just realized I'd never properly thanked him for rescuing me.

He smiled, his lit cigarette dangling precariously out of his mouth. "There's no need to thank me," Matt responded. He paused before adding, "I'd do anything for you, Mello."

I know, I said silently. Me too.

"You shouldn't have to go!" I cried desperately. "There are plenty of young men to fight for us!"

"It is an honor to protect my family and my country," Misa intoned, not even looking at the script.

I shook my head in disbelief. "So you'll die for honor," I said bitterly.

"I will die doing what's right," the Japanese girl boomed in a husky male voice. "I know my place. It is time you learn yours."

A stony silence descended on the room. Then someone began to clap.

Misa and I whirled around to see Mogi's bulky frame filling the doorway. "Motchi!" Misa exclaimed.

The large Japanese man bowed his head. "That was very good," Mogi said quietly. "I just wanted to let you girls know that I'll be back in an hour."

"Okay," Misa responded in her normal, high-pitched voice. "Bye, Motchi!"

Before I could react, Mogi quickly left the apartment.

"Where is Mr. Motchi going?" I inquired.

Misa flopped herself down onto the sofa. "He's going to work. He's going to see Light." Jealousy oozed out of every word.

I sat down beside her. "What kind of work do they do, Misa?"

The older woman's eyes darted around the room, as if checking to see whether there were any spies lurking about. "Don't tell anyone, okay?"

"I won't," I assured her. "Why, is it supposed to be a secret?"

"Yes," Misa hissed. "They're investigating Kira! Motchi's on his way to their top-secret headquarters. Even Misa doesn't know where they are…"

My eyebrows nearly shot off my face. She was making this incredibly easy for me. "Kira?" I gasped loudly. "Are they crazy? They'll never catch him!"

"Light will catch him," the blonde said dreamily. "And then we can live happily ever after. Just wait and see. Oh, how I miss him." She leapt off the sofa in excitement. "Misa has an idea!"

I was startled by her sudden outburst. "What?"

"Let's follow Motchi," Misa giggled. "It'll be fun! Maybe Misa can introduce you to Light!"

My breath hitched as I stared at her, calculating the possibilities. There was no way she'd want to expose Light on purpose. Obviously, she didn't know that her fiancé was Kira himself.

"If you really want to," I enunciated clearly, "what are we waiting for?"

Matt and I sprung into action.

"This is our chance to find their headquarters," I informed him. "Get all of your equipment ready. If we pull this off, you can keep an eye on the Taskforce, while I watch over Amane."

Matt nodded, noticeably pumped. He snubbed out what had to be his millionth cigarette. "Awesome. It's about time we've had some fun, Mello!"

By the time we dashed out of the apartment building – Misa had insisted on a wardrobe change – Mogi was nowhere in sight.

Misa's bare shoulders sagged. She had changed into a strapless leather dress and a pair of crystal-encrusted heels. "Oh, we're too late," she simpered.

"Yeah," I said, trying to hide my disappointment. I glanced up at the complex across the street, where I knew Mello and Matt were keeping surveillance. Did you get that, you guys? I implored the window silently. I had done all that I could. I turned around to head back inside, but Misa grabbed my arm to stop me.

"Allie, do you want to, like, hang out for a while?"

I blinked at her. "Um…"

"Oh, c'mon! We're already dressed for a night on the town!"

I cringed. I wasn't keen on going out in public wearing my Halloween costume. Nor was I too enthusiastic about being seen with Misa. "But I left my wallet upstairs," I told her. Misa waved it off.

"Misa has her purse right here. Let's go to Catalina's! It's just a few blocks away."

I laughed nervously. "But Misa, that's a 21-and-over club. I'm only seventeen."

Misa raised an eyebrow at me. "Misa is almost twenty-five, and you look like you could be my long-lost twin sister right now. Let's go! No more buts!" Before I could protest, Misa hooked her arm through mine and dragged me away from the entrance. I winced as she tightened her vice-like grip around my forearm. For a petite person, she sure was strong.

Oh well, I thought. What's the worst that could happen? Mello has my back.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

"Catalina's?" I muttered. I peered through the blinds, watching Misa latch onto Allie before pulling her away. Matt was already hot on Mogi's heels; he had jumped out of the side window as soon as the Japanese detective turned the corner.

Before I pulled on my leather jacket, I quickly sent a text to Matt. Going to CJC. I snatched the fake NYPD badge off the table and tucked it into my pockets. I also emptied out my blank gun, loading it with real bullets instead. I had a gut feeling I was going to need them tonight.

I made my way to the other window, and waited until Misa and Allie had disappeared around the corner as well. Then I silently dropped three storeys down, to the pavement below me. I landed right next to my bike.

Allie, I'm right behind you. I hurried out of the alley, and into the quiet, evening streets of Los Angeles.

"We're gonna have to see some ID, ma'am."

Misa flashed a pearly smile at the host. "I'm Misa Amane," she purred. "And this is my friend, Allie."

"Oh, where are my manners?" the man stammered as he peered closely at the Japanese idol. He snapped his fingers, and a waiter immediately materialized by his side. "Francis, please seat Ms. Amane and her lovely friend wherever they want," he ordered briskly.

Francis jerked to attention at Misa's name. He was a scrawny man, and even under the flattering red-rosy lights of the classy jazz club, I could just make out his sickly pallor.

"Right away," the waiter gushed. "Follow me."

"We'd like a seat at the bar, please," Misa cooed as we stepped into the club. There was a multi-ethnic band playing on the stage. I relaxed a little, letting the smooth jazz notes wash over me in pleasant waves. I glanced over at the bar, and was dismayed to see that the bartender was a heavy-set, mean-looking man. I got the impression that he was on the lookout for drunks he could throw out.

Francis bobbed his head up and down. "Go right ahead. Enjoy your stay at Catalina's!" He vanished as quickly as he had appeared.

"So," I began awkwardly. There were several couples on the dance floor, swaying to no particular beat. That was the beauty of jazz. "This is a really nice place, huh?" I said lamely.

Misa plopped herself onto a jet-black bar stool. "It's very classy," she agreed, brushing imaginary dust off the gleaming, spotless bar counter. "So what do you want? It'll be my treat!"

I seated myself next to her, and a delicious shiver of excitement ran through me. Just two nights ago, I had told Rick that my first legal drink would be a margarita or a daiquiri. And here I was, about to order my first legit drink, despite being underage. "I'll have to think about it," I told her, grinning as if Christmas had come a month early.

"Can we have two cosmos over here, please? Without ice!" Misa waved her hand. The bartender nodded, and went straight to work. Less than a minute later, he placed the frothy pink drinks in front of us. Misa grabbed one and clinked it with mine. "Cheers!" she cried before downing the whole thing.

I couldn't help but stare at her, feeling a bit grossed out. "Er…"

Misa giggled. "What's wrong?" She snatched my untouched drink as well. "Oops, too slow!"

"Ms. Amane!" I blurted. I'd never seen anyone shoot vodka so fast. "I don't think…"

"Two more please," Misa demanded. The bartender narrowed his eyes at her. He, too, had seen Misa's incredible feat. "Sorry Allie, but I was really thirsty!"

I cringed. I jumped when the barman pushed another cocktail towards Misa, and a glass of brown liquid – rimmed with a lemon wedge – towards me.

"This isn't mine," I politely told the man, wondering why he hadn't given us the second cosmo.

He shook his head. "It's an iced tea. The gentleman over there ordered it for you. He said that you were underage. Now, I won't kick you out just yet, but if your girlfriend here becomes a problem, I will."

What the hell? What gentleman? I bent my head forward to peek down the counter. There, sitting on the far, opposite end of the bar, was a blond man shrouded in leather. A pair of aviator sunglasses covered more than half of his face, but I knew who it was.

"Mello," I quietly seethed, knowing that he could hear me because of the electronic bugs in my hair. "What's your problem?"

A/N: That may have seemed like it was a filler, but OH HO HO HO. We're getting closer and closer to the inevitable moment you've all been dreading…

Special shout-out goes to xYourDearlyBeloved, who was first to review the last chapter! Check out her profile, and her three awesome stories!

Thanks also to all the readers, alerters/favoriters, and to the amazing reviewers with your wonderful words of encouragement (in reverse alphabetical order): VeryWithdrawn, Usagi323, TopGearGirl, ShadowedSerenity, Rainbow Rant, MasaJeevas, Kira the Wolf, I Love Bleach, eternalsnowfox, Escaping Dreams, Dr. Who's There, DeathNoteManiac, and AnimeGirlZoe!