A/N: NGAH. Worst timing of life. My laptop broke down the other day AND I have two exams left. So I apologize for any delays in the near future.

Disclaimer: This is just a fan fiction (:

Note: This chapter contains excerpts from DN Volume 11.

Chapter 38: Cracks

For a moment, no one said anything.

I saw Mello's sharp eyes dart back and forth between Matt's open laptop on the coffee table and the small teenager standing by the window.

So it was Near.

Near watched us, stroking a lock of his silver curls with one hand and grasping a robot action figure in the other. Mello was breathing loudly through his nose, speechless with rage. I could feel his shoulder muscles ripple underneath my palms as Matt and I held him back from diving for his gun, which was laying at the feet of the large man who had subdued him a minute ago.

Then Near moved. Catlike, he padded across the room toward us, his unreadable gaze never leaving Mello's face. "Is that any way to greet a friend?"

Mello's face contorted in disbelief, emphasizing the scar lines hidden beneath his makeup. "Friend?" he snapped, glowering at the younger boy. "Give me a break."

"I already have." Near inched closer to us, his pale lips tightening in disapproval. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you would be in right now if I hadn't stepped in?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the little stunt you pulled back in Los Angeles," Near answered, his dark eyes flashing with impatience.

My heart sank. I had completely forgotten about that until now. "What happened?" I blurted out. "Are my parents alright?"

Near titled his head and stared at me curiously, as if noticing me for the first time. "Yes... yes, they are."

"What did you guys do?" Matt piped up, confused.

"Mello deemed it necessary to open fire in a school classroom," Near said simply, his gaze flickering over to Matt. "However, I pulled a few strings and the FBI stopped the investigation before the LAPD could find any incriminating evidence."

The tension in the room increased tenfold as the grim reality of the situation sunk in.

The LAPD... the FBI...

"What about witnesses?" I whispered.

"We made arrangements," Near replied with a ghost of a smile. "Let's just say they're all too scared of Kira to talk to anyone. Ironic, isn't it?"

I released a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. "Near... thank you."

The SPK leader, my former best friend, simply bowed his head.

Mello blinked, and made a strangled noise deep in his throat. "Look, if you're expecting me to..." he broke off, his mouth working furiously. An awkward, sheepish expression briefly crossed his features. "How did you get in here?" Mello finally demanded.

"Commander Rester is skilled with breaking and entering." Near gestured at the silent, impressively built man hovering beside him. "He isn't my second-in-command for nothing."

The blond man coughed, clearly uncomfortable with the two-edged compliment. His formidable presence oddly reminded me of another man – a certain Japanese detective. Commander Rester seemed to fill the entire room with his sheer size and unspoken power, much like how Kanzo Mogi did, and his steely blue eyes burned with a familiar, keen intensity that I could only describe as... paternal vigilance.

"My my, our little Near's a rebel," Matt remarked.

Near smirked slightly. "I suppose that's correct. However, anyone trying to capture Kira is considered a rebel these days. Breaking and entering is insignificant."

Mello nodded, relaxing his stance. Surprised, Matt and I dropped our restraining holds on him. "So, Near. What do you want? Don't tell me you're thinking of making this place – " my place, Mello's voice hinted, " – your new headquarters."

"No. I only want to know whether or not you have discovered who Takada has been meeting."

Mello's eyes immediately narrowed into slits.

"Huh!"

Our heads whipped around at the sudden sound that had erupted from Commander Rester. His thin, lightly-colored eyebrows had shot up in undisguised astonishment. The large man rubbed his wide-set jaw. "Sorry, Near," he apologized. His voice was low and gravelly, just as I had imagined it would be.

"It's fine," Near said coolly. "I know you're trying your best, Rester."

"Well, he doesn't have to try any longer," Mello sneered at the smaller boy, his nostrils flaring in triumph.

Near froze, his fingers tangled and perfectly motionless in his thick hair. A few seconds later, his bloodless lips curled up in satisfaction. "You know who it is."

"We do. And it's all thanks to Allie."

Both Near and Commander Rester swivelled to look at me. The older man was scrutinizing me with the utmost suspicion, and I could feel my face flush from the sudden attention. "Uh," I spluttered. "If it hadn't been for Matt..."

Near's smile widened. Rows of tiny white teeth winked up at me. "Who is it?"

"Who else?" Mello interrupted. "It's Yagami. Light Yagami."

"Light Yagami," Near repeated, appearing unfazed. He resumed his hair-twirling, but this time, his fingers moved more erratically than before. "How do you know?"

"Er...we spied on them last night," I explained, causing Commander Rester to furrow his brow at me. "Yes?" I asked nervously, directing my question at the bulky man.

"Takada is better protected than the President of the United States," he pointed out. "How did you get past her guards?"

"We didn't have to," Matt jumped in. "We crawled up the air vent. Our bathrooms are connected."

Near arched a brow at me. "A vent? Interesting..." he droned.

I nodded. "We got it all on video."

Commander Rester looked impressed. To everyone's surprise, he stepped toward me, extending a large hand. I hesitated before accepting the handshake. His hand was firm, rough and calloused. "Anthony Rester," the man stated, his light blue eyes roaming over my face.

"Alexandra Robinson. It's nice to meet you, " I replied politely, hoping that the layer of bronzer on my skin was enough to hide my blush. Without a doubt, the SPK second-in-command was an imposing figure. Yet, for some reason, I found myself strangely at ease with this man.

He had the same frost-blond hair as Halle Lidner, and the same icy eyes as Stephen Gevanni – yet, somehow, Anthony Rester had a warm aura that seeped into the very air that we were all breathing. Like the rest of the SPK, Near included, he looked as if he had been carved from stone. But at the same time, his forehead was wrinkled with age and unmatched experience, making him appear more human than the others.

"Likewise. Near has told me all about you," Rester responded. "I look forward to working with you."

I gulped, dazed by the commander's heavy pronouncement.

"And you, too." He shifted his attention onto Matt.

"The name's Matt," Matt said airily. He stuck a gloved hand out and eagerly pumped Rester's massive arm up and down. "I've heard many great things about you..."

Mello snorted, tapping his booted feet against the plush carpet. "Can we move on now?"

"Mello, heartfelt introductions are quite necessary," Matt declared. "If we are to work together, as you all apparently agreed to do, then it's important to get to know one another."

"Bullshit." Mello glanced at me guiltily before hastily saying, "I mean, whatever. Let's get back to business."

Near frowned at him, nonplussed. "Yes, well then. Thank you Matt, for passing along my message. I had faith in your persuasive abilities, and in Mello's initiative."

Mello twitched at this, but Matt merely shrugged. "We did what we had to do. So, do you want to see the proof now?"

"Of course. Rester and I have been waiting here for a while now."

"And you just couldn't wait any longer, could you?" Matt sighed, referring to Near's failure to break into his laptop.

"No," Near said serenely, eyeing our shopping bags. "I had, and still have, other things to do."

"Alright, come with me," Matt drawled. He unlatched himself from Mello's side and strutted over to the computer. Near followed him, his expression indecipherable.

My heart fluttered as I studied the blank yet confident mask that was his face. Unemotional, as I recalled Mello's words on the plane.

No, I thought decidedly. Unemotional wasn't the word for him, for the boy who was acting indifferent to the danger we were all in. I was sure that his composure was nothing more than a front to shield, to squash, to numb the fear and urgency that had to be stirring within him.

Commander Rester joined the two teenagers at the coffee table, leaving me and Mello standing by the closed doorway.

"Allie," Mello muttered, watching his best friend and rival pore over the surveillance feed together, "doesn't it bother you that Near got us to do the dirty work, and here he is, reaping the benefits?"

"No," I said automatically.

Mello shot me a skeptical look. "Why not? We were the ones risking our lives last night. Near didn't even thank you properly."

"Because he was the one who covered both of our asses back there in L.A.," I reminded him gently. "And that's what friends do. We're a team now, Mello."

Mello's face softened, looking once more at the scene unfolding before us.

"I am going to confront L with this."

Allie's mouth dropped. I could only stare at Near in shock, as did Matt. Commander Rester, on the other hand, didn't seem fazed at all by Near's bold announcement.

It had taken Near a mere three minutes to go through the footage. Once Rester had caught a glimpse of the Japanese man, he confirmed Light's identity, comparing the video's image to an old photograph that was provided to him by a graduate student of To-Oh University.

I am going to confront L with this.

Just hearing L's name used in conjunction with Kira's made me feel sick. L's title, my... no, I have to stop thinking like this.

Matt was the first to find his voice. "I see," he breathed. "And then what?"

"And then," Near mused, "I will bait him."

"How?"

"By telling him how many of us are in Japan right now," Near said casually. "There's no way he can avoid us anymore. I am sure that Kira will make a move to try and kill the four of us."

At this, Matt and Allie both let out strangled gasps.

"So we're going to expose ourselves," I murmured, my mind racing. I could follow the logic in Near's plan. By purposely telling the fake L – Kira – who was after him, he would be luring him out into the open and forcing his hand in the process. To say I was stunned was an understatement. Just a moment ago, I had been seething about how Near did nothing but hide behind the scenes – like a puppetmaster – and now, it was as if he had done a complete one-eighty.

I was pleased.

I liked it, this idea of finally going head to head with Kira. I was tired of waiting and watching as the world fell deeper under his toxic spell. But, I berated myself, as long as I have Matt and Allie to worry about... I clenched my fists, torn between my duty to L and my... personal feelings. A part of me wanted my two companions to back out before they were in too deep, before it was too late... no, it was already too late.

"It's about time Kira knows what he's up against," I admitted out loud. "This should be interesting. The four of us..."

"No, not you," Near clarified. "Just me, and the other three members of the SPK. Your name has already been discovered, so you should just lay low for the time being."

"What?" I snapped. "We didn't come this far for nothing..." I inhaled sharply as the realization hit me like a bucket of cold water.

That bastard.

"You...!" I jumped to my feet.

Commander Rester immediately leapt to his feet as well, blocking Near from my view.

"Mello, sit down. Rester, you too."

"You're just trying to play the hero here," I spat out accusingly. "L's little hero. You're going to try to take all the credit for this. Isn't that right?"

Near's voice was heavy with disdain. "Don't be a fool. You're making it sound as though you wish to be found out by Kira. Do you really want that, Mello? Do you want to die?"

"If that's what it takes," I shot back.

Beside me, Matt groaned. Behind his goggles, his eyes had widened with vague terror.

"Mello, don't say things like that," Allie said uncomfortably.

"Why not?" I ranted, refusing to feel chastised. "We're all aware of how this is going to end, anyway. Either we die, or Kira does. And I'll do whatever it takes to have his head!"

Allie flinched. "Who's playing the lone hero now?" she demanded, jutting out her chin at me.

What the hell?

I could hardly believe my own ears. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Allie asserted fiercely. "We're all putting our necks on the line here, but no, you have to stick your neck out a little bit farther than the rest of us."

"Allie, please stay out of this," I said silkily.

"It's too late for that," she argued. "You're too stubborn for your own good, Mello."

"I agree. Mello shouldn't let jealousy cloud his judgment."

That was the last straw. Fury washed over me in pounding, relentless waves, and I gritted my teeth to choke back a full-fledged growl.

"Get out of here," I snarled at Near, "before I do something I'll regret."

In the blink of an eye, Commander Rester had whisked his superior out of the suite - but not before the younger boy could get the last word in edgewise. "I'll keep in touch," Near called back over his pajama-clad shoulder. They both disappeared, and the door swung safely shut behind them.

Expletives flew out of my mouth as I hammered my fists against the table in frustration. There was an ominous crack when my hands connected with the smooth glass surface.

"Mello..."

"Don't talk to me."

"Mels..."

"Leave me alone, damn it!"

Allie and Matt, visibly hurt, averted their stricken gazes. I retreated into the bedroom, where I flopped down on one of the futons and closed my eyes, willing myself into the dark, dreamless subconsciousness that claimed me.

A/N: Pivotal chapter, though I must admit that it wasn't very action-packed. Hope you liked it, anyway ^_^

Shoutout: To mima1216, who was first to review the last chapter! Thanks for the great review, and yes, if you want to see Mello in a ponytail, you can google "Mello with a ponytail" xD. It's so cute!

Thanks also to all you other awesome alerters/favoriters/readers, and all those who have reviewed so far: AnimeGirlZoe, Axel IIX, C. Holywell-Black, Dai Uzimaki, Dani AnneMarie, Dr. Who's There, Echo1317, EpicAnime77, Escaping Dreams, eternalsnowfox, I Love Bleach, Kira the Wolf, MafiaGirl14, MasaJeevas, -patterns-at-dusk-, Rainbow Rant, RikuLayke, ShadowedSerenity, the one who loves pickles, TopGearGirl, Usagi323, VeryWithdrawn, and XxEnvyWrathXx!

I appreciate all of your wonderful feedback! (: