The next day found all three boys waiting by the front door with Roger standing over them with clear disapproval written across his face. Mello had already been warned that if got sent back here and Roger found out he had not been on his best behavior he would be confined to his room for a month.

Mello had just rolled his eyes at the threat and continued to stare out the window. Wammy should be there to pick them up at any time.

Near was as quiet as always. He was sitting against a wall and playing with a toy robot while Matt was staring down at his handheld game, goggles firmly in place on his face. Mello tried not to be irritated at the two boys and their lackluster attitudes. They hadn't lived through what he had, they didn't know just how bad things were going to get if they couldn't stop Yagami. He had told them the story but nothing could compare to the horror of living through it. He didn't have the right to be upset that they weren't as stressed as he was.

Mello jumped to his feet the moment a car pulled through the front gate. He grabbed his duffle bag quickly and tried to make his way toward the door, only to be stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder. "Let him get in the building at least, Mello."

Mello scowled in irritation and placed his free hand on his hip, trying to ignore the fact that Near was now analyzing him with those dark eyes, the robot forgotten in his lap. Matt had glanced up from his video game to take stock of the situation for only a moment before looking back down. "Mello should calm down. He will see L shortly," Near said and, if Mello didn't know any better, he would have thought the younger boy was actually trying to make him feel better.

"We don't have a lot of time," Mello snapped before he could stop himself. He grabbed a chocolate bar and snapped a piece of it off with his teeth in irritation. He chewed frantically as his eyes followed Wammy as the older man slowly made his way inside the building. Why was the old man taking so long?

Wammy stepped inside the orphanage a moment later. The man let his eyes travel over the three boys before they came to a stop on Roger. "Are we prepared to leave?"

Mello pulled his shoulder away from Roger and pushed his way out the door and toward the car. He heard Roger muttering something behind him but he didn't stop to check what it was. It would have just pissed him off anyway. He didn't need to say something that would make Roger want to keep him there. He pulled open the back door and slid inside the car as he impatiently waited for the others to join him.

Matt opened the door on the other side of the car. Mello glanced up at him but the other boys attention was still on the game in his hand. "Bag, Mells," he said, reaching out with his right hand as he continued to play the game with his left. Mello pushed his duffle toward him, letting the younger boy throw it in the back of the car as Wammy placed Near's and Matt's with it.

Near crawled into the middle seat and let Matt perched on the seat beside him. Mello was about to demand an answer to why one of them hadn't sat up front beside Wammy before he snapped his mouth closed. That wasn't important, getting to L was. And besides, he was trying to get along with Near, right? Matt would just shrug him off but Near would have some logical statement that would piss Mello off. No, better to just let it be.

It was easier said than done.

Near's right side was pressed completely against Mello's left and the boy couldn't stop wondering if Near took the time to eat anything or if he just spent all of his time playing with those toys of his. He felt…fragile pressed up against Mello. Like a strong gust of wind would be able to push him over.

Not to mention how warm the other boy was. Mello tried to subtly move away from the heat but he couldn't move very far before hitting the door. Near didn't seem to detect the motion, or if he did he didn't mention anything as he continued to mess with his robot.

Mello stared at him for a moment, noticing just how concentrated Near was on the toy in his hand. He suddenly remembered Near's headquarters, all the toys that had been lying around, the buildings made of dice. He had never thought about how much patience and concentration those must have taken. How did Near have time for anything else, much less solving the hardest cases in the world?

He pulled his gaze away from Near and glanced at Matt only to see the other boy staring at him in confusion. Matt looked from Near, to Mello, and back again before raising an eyebrow suggestively at Mello. Mello scowled, turning to look out the window and snapping off another piece of chocolate. Stupid Matt, thinking he knows everything.

Truth was, Mello had no doubt that Matt would be able to push him out of the second place if need be. Matt didn't care about his position at Wammy's and he didn't want to be L's heir. So, third place was perfect for the boy, still being known as one of the smartest but never having to deal with the pressure of the top two positions.

Sometimes Mello wondered just how intelligent Matt was. Would he be able to take over first if he actually studied? Mello couldn't remember ever seeing the boy pick up a book.

"Mello is thinking very hard. Did you remember more about the case?" Near questioned, still looking at the robot.

Mello turned back to the boy, startled. He hadn't thought Near had been paying any attention to his surroundings. "No, I told you everything I could think of."

Near's eyes flickered to Mello before looking away just as quickly. His fiddling fingers began to move more quickly. "A written timeline would be helpful. Perhaps Mello could use this time to do so."

Mello opened his mouth to respond, angry that Near was trying to tell him what to do, but snapped it shut once the truth of the statement settled in to him. He couldn't expect Matt and Near, hell, even L, to remember everything the way he did. To them, this was just a story. Nothing more.

"I don't have anything to write with. Or on," Mello muttered, looking out the window once again.

There was the sound of something opening and closing up front and Mello was surprised to see a pen and small notebook in front of his face a moment later. He followed the arm, seeing Wammy was holding the items to him while keeping his eyes on the road in front of him. "Thank you," Mello mumbled, taking the offered items and slowly getting to work. It was actually much more difficult than he imagined. He would start to write something, only to remember something else that happened or was more important and needed to be written first. He had torn out multiple pages of the notebook before letting out an irritated sigh and just marking through various passages or drawing arrows to dictate where certain events should have gone.

Maybe the written report wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Dammit.

He was only halfway through the timeline when Near spoke up once again, "How does Mello know when the Death Note was found?"

Mello winced at the question. Trust Near to point out the one thing he was completely unsure of. "I don't. We know the Death Note was used first on this day," he said, motioning to the timeline he was working on, "so we always thought it was found around that time. The information L gave to us said he believed Yagami found the Death Note around the 23rd, though he didn't give us the reasons for that deduction. Truthfully, Yagami could already have the thing and just hasn't used it yet or he might not have found it until the 28th."

"Something we will need to look into," a calm and utterly unfamiliar voice stated, making Mello and Matt jump.

"Hello, L," Near said emotionlessly his eyes peering at the review mirror at the front of the car. It was then that Mello noticed the small camera.

"Near," L greeted, "Mello, Matt, I would advise you to study your surroundings more closely. Now, first thing to do is see if Light Yagami already processes this… Death Note. It seems Yagami is currently in his final year in high school. We will be heading to Japan as soon as you arrive at the airport. Mello, continue with the timeline and be as meticulous as possible."

L's voice cut out and Mello felt his face heat with embarrassment as he thought of L reprimanding him. He had gotten lenient. Two days back here and he had already broken the multiple year's long habit he established during his time with the Mafia.

"Kira killed the FBI agents thirteen days after them arriving in Japan," Near said, still playing with the robot but eyes flickering to the notes Mello was writing, "it is obvious that Kira would be someone one of the agents followed within those thirteen days. Yagami was one of these people?"

Mello nodded, motioning to the name Raye Penber. "He tailed Yagami and L believed he is the one Yagami got the FBI list from."

Near didn't comment again. He continued to look at the notes as Mello wrote, his eyes narrowing further and further as he read. When he finally got to the part about his and Matt's deaths, Near stopped messing with the robot and focused on the paper fully. "With Yagami being close to L, L's death was inevitable. At that point, Yagami could not be apprehended. Matt and Mello's deaths should have been avoided."

Mello's hand tightened around the pen. "We needed to make sure the Death Note-"

"Another option could have been found. Matt and Mello's deaths were not necessary," Near said firmly, staring straight into Mello's eyes for the first time Mello could remember.

Mello felt his breath leave him as those gray eyes stared into his own. He wasn't going to agree with the other boy. He didn't want to think that Matt's death hadn't needed to happen. "You two need a room?" Matt muttered, making Mello break eye contact with Near and shoot the smirking boy a glare.

The car stopped and Wammy opened his door. The boys followed him quickly to the back of the car and reached for their bags. "The plane will be leaving shortly," Wammy informed them as they walked toward a private plane. "L is onboard, please get settled in so we can leave."

The three climbed the stairs into the plane and all three stopped in surprise at the sight that greeted them. There was a young man there, perched in a hunched position in a chair, dark hair hanging in front of his pale face, with dark circles under his eyes. All three knew who this was instantly. There was only one person it could be.

"Hello, L," Near said once again, sinking into a seat and taking another action figure out of his bag. Matt gave a small wave to the man, falling across from Near and keeping his eyes on his game. Sometimes Mello really wanted to destroy that thing.

"L," Mello greeted slowly, taking a step forward.

"Please hand me the timeline, Mello," L said, dark eyes fixated on Mello's face. Mello held it out instantly, letting L take it from his hand with two fingers. Mello blinked at the peculiar gesture but slid into the seat beside Matt. He watched carefully as L flipped through the pages and peered at the information they held.

"We will check into a hotel and find Light Yagami," L spoke clearly, his eyes still trailing over the papers, "please take this time to rest as you won't have much time once we land."

Mello quirked a brow toward Matt, whose lips twitched in response before he looked back at his game. Near merely nodded and somehow managed to sink even lower in his seat. Mello sighed and closed his eyes, leaning his head back. It was going to be a long flight.