Disclaimer: Note that none of these characters belong to me. I an merely borrowing them for use in the fanfic.

Note: This story will contain Yaoi/Shounen-Ai.

Another Note: I'm really horrible at writing humor. If you have any suggestions, PLEASE, don't hesitate to leave them in a review or message!

Day 32

"We can't give up, can we?"

"No. If we do, we might lose each other. I don't think I could live without you…"

"Mello…" Matt leaned forward towards the blonde. Strong hands grasped the back of his jacket and pulled him closer. Warm eyes glowed down at him as the boy smiled. His breath, hot and sweet, intermingled with Matt's. Chocolate was a strong part of the scent. Cold, winter air swirled around the couple.

Pulling Matt even closer, sealing the gaps between them, Mello leaned forward and pressed his lips to the red-head's. More than anything, he loved him. More than anything, he wanted him.

The love of his life, standing before him on that cold, winter day.

"Matt!"

His mind was foggy, as if a veil covered it.

"Matt! Wake up!"

Something was shaking him violently, but he couldn't place what it was.

"Matt! Please, wake up!"

The voice sounded choked and painful, as if the bearer was crying. Seemingly to prove the point, a strangled sob came from above.

His eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the light painfully slowly.

"Finally…" Something hit the ground, sighing, still with tears in its voice.

The sun of early morning was harsh, stinging his eyes as they opened. Finally sitting up, Matt groaned. His head was throbbing, and he was freezing to death.

"Well, knowing that he's alright, we should get a move on. Time is precious now that one of us has fallen ill."

"Huh? What do you mean, Near?" Matt mumbled, rubbing his head.

Mello stood up, extending a hand to Matt. At the sight, Matt's memories of the winter day came rushing back. Had that all just been a dream?

"You almost died, Matt. I was so scared that we were going to lose you."

Matt stared up at the blonde, dumbfounded. He had almost died? Of what?!

"I know what you're thinking. A fever. Apparently, the outdoors decided to make our trip a bit more difficult," Near muttered, picking up Matt's share of the rucksacks as well as his own.

"I hate the outdoors."

Midday found the trio resting in the shade, Matt a bit worse for wear. Mello was brooding over him worriedly, as if he actually cared as more than a friend. The thought made Matt smile. His fever had returned, and Near had decided the situation was becoming urgent. He'd halted the journey temporarily so Matt could rest. Even he didn't want to lose the red-head. Apparently, Near really was warming up to the two, no matter how stupid they both were.

"No food, no water, Matt's sick…Could things get any worse?" Mello complained very loudly, amplifying the crudeness of the situation.

"We could still be on the other side of that river and it could be snowing." Near didn't even look up from his work as he spoke. He was weaving two leaves together, forming a small bowl. It was a great alternative to his usual toys, which he didn't feel like unpacking and getting dirty.

"You two are giving me a headache. You especially, Mello." Even when complaining, Matt's voice was tainted with love towards the blonde.

Mello seemed hurt, and so sat down, keeping his mouth shut aside from a mumbled 'sorry'.

The rest of the afternoon, the three sat under the tree, Matt slowly recovering as the night cooled down. Near had decided they would travel fastest by night, resting a portion of the day as to keep the red-head healthy.

"How long will it take to get there?"

Near stopped his weaving. Nineteen bowls sat in a ring around him. "About another day."

"That's not too bad," Matt murmured, trying to be positive.

Mello kept his mouth shut, but wanted with all his heart to yell that it was. He didn't, for Matt's sake. Near continued his weaving.

L paced from one side of the room to the other, albeit very slowly. His feet scuffed the floor. The ground in the building wasn't the best for bare feet. Sometimes, due to this, he wished he was back in the headquarters he'd used for the Kira investigation. Light could only watch as the days grew longer. It had been eleven days since the trio had left the orphanage, and L was growing more worried by the minute. He was strangely convinced they'd died on the trip. Light thought otherwise. They weren't weak, or sickly. There was no reason for them to be dead. It just didn't make any sense. Why were they taking so long?

A wolf howled outside. Being in the middle of nowhere really had its perks. The forest, not far away, was much more tranquil than the vast prairies to the east. Light just hoped the three had made is across the river in one piece. It was very wide at points, reaching over ten feet in diameter. In other areas, the deepest it reached was ten inches. Yet it could easily sweep someone off their feet and drown them. This was what worried both of the two.

"L." Light put a hand on the worrying detective's shoulder. "You need to calm down. I'm sure they'll be here soon."

Without warning, L wrapped his arms around Light, hugging him, thanking him for his attempt at consolation. True, it had helped a bit. He only wished, though, to hear the 'click' of the main door opening, seeing his successors in good shape. But he knew, with the eleven days they'd been gone, that the trio would be in less than perfect condition. No doubt, with all the rain, one of them was sick. The river may have taken a life as well. They would be dirty and hungry, miserable, scratched and bruised… But that wasn't something he should think about. He pulled Light closer, worried out of his mind. He couldn't focus on finding new cases. But more than the trio, he was wondering What Light's feelings were towards him.

"Are you sure this is the right place?"

Thunder cracked as lightning lit up the night sky. Illuminated, the massive building stood before the three like a monster waiting for its chance to eat them. Matt stood, huddled against Mello, holding onto him tightly. He had never liked lightning, and was actually quite scared of it. Mello smiled, despite the trio's haggard position.

He was going to kill Kira the moment he laid eyes on the bastard. But would Near get in the way? He hoped not. The pest…if he did anything to stop Mello, he'd kill the ghost along with Kira. Feeling the gun in his pocket, Mello grinned even wider. He couldn't wait to hear Kira's cries of anguish and misery. He felt the gun in his pocket, making sure it was still there. Matt shivered beside him.

The red-head's condition had not improved that day, but it hadn't declined either. Maybe that was a good thing?

Another flash lit the sky. Matt inched closer to Mello.

"Let's go," the blonde mumbled, his voice grim with his intentions. He stepped towards the building, up to the main door, and entered in the old combination. A distinct 'beep' ensued, but the door refused to open. All three stared at the door, waiting for something had happened.

"He must've changed the combination."

"We'll just have to search the area. Roger will have told him that we were gone, and he probably left a clue or something."

Near nodded.

Rain pattered on the ground, harder than a waterfall. Every square inch under Mello's feet was pure mud, squelching whenever he took a step. Wet and frustrated, not watching his feet, the blonde all but tripped on a small mound in the mud. Growling furiously, Mello thought about kicking the offending bulge, but decided against it. Maybe whatever had almost tripped him was just the clue covered in mud. Maybe it was a rock. There was only one way to find out.

Reaching down, Mello fished around the mud pile until his fingers closed around something hard. The mud created an audible slurping sound as the bundle was torn away. The package's mud coating was washed away by the rain within a minute. It was revealed to be a small, tan box, tied together with crude strings. Mello, curious, tore the strings apart and unfolded the bundle. Immediately, a tiny letter dropped to the ground. Mello bent down, still holding the original package, and picked the paper out of the mud. He unfolded the sliver of paper and read the contents speedily for fear the pounding rain would wash away what little text adorned the message.

Matt, Mello, and Near;

I assume you have made it in one piece. Now, if you've been looking for this and have, obviously, found it, then you've probably discovered that the passcode to the main building has been changed. For security reasons, I cannot directly place the new code onto this slip, nor can I tell you other ways to get in.

Just below the letter was a complex message in a different language. It definitely wasn't Russian or any other language the trio knew. Figures. A code. Also, a complex mathematical equation. Probably to find the actually passcode. He would let Near take that one.

Sorry for the inconvenience of forcing you to solve the code, but I assume you completed the simple task within five minutes. Now, what I wanted to say was that there is a key inside the rest of the package. If the passcode does not work, since Watari and I have been having difficulties with it, use the key.

Good luck.

L

Indeed, inside the package was a small, brass key. It shimmered in the dim light, letting off indications of text. It didn't matter what the key said. In such weak light, he'd not be able to read it anyway. Besides, there was too little time and none to waste.

Trotting back to the main entrance, Mello found Near and Matt waiting, huddled against the door. He handed the letter to Near and told the other to solve the equation. In moments, the answer had been found. 37921804685. Simple enough. Near typed it into the keypad. Clicking, the doors slid open. There had been no use for the key.

The main room was very dark. Mello had half expected L to be awake, typing away at the computer, working on a new case. But then…where was he?

Near had vanished. Perfect. The ghost had probably gone looking for L, but why not bother to tell the others? True, it was Near…but still. If he'd found the detective, Near was not likely to come back anytime soon. He'd stay and talk instead.

A dark shape inched closer, hidden by the shadows.

"I've finally found you…" Mello grinned, pulling out a gun…