A/N: I know, I'm extremely sorry guys for not updating for almost two years! Things have got so busy IRL, and then there's writer's block, and also I'm working full time job right now. I understand how frustrating it is to wait for sooooo long for a new update of a story you've been following, so I apologize to you guys. For you who have been waiting patiently and still interested in reading the story, thank you very much. And thank you very much guys for leaving wonderful messages and reviews, I really appreciate it! ^^

As usual, reviews and constructive criticism are greatly appreciated.

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note or any other characters except for the OCs.

CHAPTER 16

New York, November 19, 2011, 07:26PM

Mello

"Well, that went well," Matt cheerfully said while he maneuvered the wheel through the streets of New York.

"Barely," a timid voice, yet with a clear tone of annoyance came from the passenger seat (Valerie ended up sitting on the passenger seat while I ended up sitting on the front seat to give Matt better direction to our destination). I looked back just so slightly and saw Valerie, leaning to the back of the seat, arms folded, gazing towards the outside of the windows.

I bit a chunk of the chocolate bar in my hand. Finally I could buy chocolate bars after we drove off from the goddamn hospital—or else I might had gone crazy. "Still, it went well at the end," I said in a matter-of-fact tone, "no need to look so pissed off."

"Well, excuse me for looking so pissed off," Valerie retorted, "I was forced to make up some false stories to my mom!"

I rolled my eyes. "Get used to it already, missy. You said yourself you'll cooperate and not making anyone else involved in our situation, didn't you?"

"If you're truly a genius, you could've helped me sooner! You could've taken care of such things better than me!" she snapped back, before maneuvering her gaze back at outside.

Ok, I see. Apparently she's still pissed because I didn't help her out sooner in making up a cover story to her mom.

"Yeah, she's right about the last part though," Matt chirped in with a snicker. "I absolutely loved that cover story you made up for the doctor—and how you made it as if Val and you have a thing? Ha! Genius!"

"Shut up, Matt," Valerie and I said at the same time. Matt only shrugged it off with an annoying grin and continued to drive. I got the feeling that he actually really enjoyed this situation. Stupid weirdo.

I turned to Valerie. "Ok, listen. I already saved your ass twice today, so you should at least be grateful," I said, ticked off with the fact that she didn't even want to look at me in the eye. Who does she think I'm talking to—the air? "And look at me while I am speaking to you, dammit!"

Right after I said that, Valerie turned her head so sudden that I almost (note, almost) twitch in surprise. Her hazel eyes were now looking directly into my eyes, her brows dug deeper, her entire expression literally screamed 'I'm-looking-at-you-right-now-so-what-do-you-want'.

But other than the unmasked anger on her face, I admitted she looked quite disheveled as if she had been running chores non stop for hours with no break. Well, that much was true after all. It's almost 7:30 in the evening and we were still out in the middle of the boulevard in the cold weather of November, and also we hadn't got the chance to clean up or properly rest.

Well, I guessed I couldn't blame her for looking so pissed off...

"As you wish then," the brunette sneered, then proceeded speaking in an over-exaggerated way, "Thank you for everything you've done for me, Mr. Michael Keith. I'm deeply sorry for your ankle."

My eyes almost bulged out. Ok, I took back what I just said. What's with the defiant attitude?

Oh great, she's getting cocky right now. A few casual chit-chats back at the hospital and now she thought she could speak that way to my face? Nope. Nuh-uh. I wasn't going to let her the satisfaction of having the last words. No fucking way.

"You're welcome, Miss Valerie Rousseau. Thank you for caring for my well being as well, you're such a sweet girl," I shot back with the same over-exaggerating mocking tone, drawling out the last two words in particular.

Oh boy, I almost laughed out loud on her dumbfounded expression if it had not been for my impressive self control. I could see her cheeks gradually turned pink in embarrassment. Even Matt's failing on his attempt to suppress his laughter.

"Who are you calling sweet girl?" Valerie's eyes narrowed even further, but her cheeks still remained the same shade of pink.

"Why, now you're pissed because I called you a sweet girl?" I asked back, playing innocent. "Missy, you are difficult to please, aren't you?"

"Can't you just shut u—"

And then suddenly, a growl sound erupted inside the car. Followed by a pregnant silence.

Then Valerie, eyes widen, looked down to her stomach.

Valerie

I was pretty certain I turned completely red now.

"Oh. Is someone hungry?" Mello teased again, not even bothering to hold out a smirk that was currently growing wider on his lips.

This is SO embarrassing. Dear Lord, why must my stomach growled at this very moment?

"Whoa, Val," came Matt's voice from the driver seat, sounding genuinely concerned, "if you're hungry you don't need to keep it from us. Shall we go find some food then?"

I didn't bother to answer both of them and glanced away, keeping my mouth shut, struggling to keep my cool. Of course I was hungry—the only thing I ate today was bread and jam for my breakfast and I even skipped lunch!

Even though to be honest, I wasn't feeling hungry at all a few hours ago, not with the whole shit I was currently in. But, now, now that the tension had died down a little, I wasn't only hungry—I was starving.

Mello scoffed. "I'll take that as a yes," he grunted, yet thankfully didn't say anything to mock me further. "What do you want to eat?"

I turned back at the blonde man. Did I hear that right? "Huh?"

"I said, what do you want to eat?" he repeated, still holding his blue eyes upon me.

"Come to think of it, I'm also quite hungry," Matt quipped in. "So what will it be? Pizza? Chinese? Thai? McDonalds? And don't worry, Mello will pay for it."

"Wha—?!" Mello shot a glare to Matt, but then sighed exasperatedly and looked back at me. "Fine. Ok, whatever, it's on me. So what do you want?"

"Uh…" I thought about it for a moment. They offered me to eat. These criminals offered me to eat. Huh, they were surely different than the typical criminals I usually read at news or mystery fictions. "I'll have McDonalds if that's ok."

"Junk food! Nice one!" Matt exclaimed cheerfully. "I can already smell the fried chicken and fries. Onto McDonalds drive-thru then! Thanks for paying, Mels!"

Mello rolled his eyes at Matt's remark and even I managed to chuckle. I felt grateful that Matt's here; he could always act as a balancer between me and Mello and also lighten up the moment, which made me feel less tense.

Then at the corner of my eyes I saw Mello reached inside his jacket pocket and, unexpectedly, stretched out his hand to me, a new chocolate bar in hand. "So that you don't die of starvation," he said plainly. "It may take a while before we arrive at the drive-thru."

I looked at the chocolate bar in his hand and took it, disbelieved that Mello had actually offered me one of his precious chocolate bars.

Hmm. Perhaps he wasn't a total monster after all.

That brought up a smile on my lips.

"Thanks."

Mello

We stopped at McDonalds to order at the drive-thru. I was already pissed at Matt for making me pay for lots of food (how many person did he think sitting inside this car? 10?) but at the end there was no leftover. Apparently each of us was really starving, and that included Valerie. Who would've thought such a petite belly could take in 3 pieces of fried chickens and 2 large portions of french fries?

Right now Matt was driving us to the last place we would stop tonight. I could only hope this plan wouldn't backfired at me. It's been years since I last saw Hal...

"I'm curious, Mello," I heard Matt spoke, disrupting my trail of thoughts, "808 Columbus Ave. That's like a luxury apartment building, right? I hear the cheapest rent is around $3000 up to $5000 per month."

"Yeah," I said while looking outside of the window, taking in the view of New York City at night.

"So this Hal… I imagine she's a rich, successful lady for being able to afford such place. Who is she and how did you know this person?"

From the rear-view mirror, I saw Valerie glanced away from the window and stared at me, also paying full attention.

I sighed, not wanting to expose too much of my past in front of the girl. "Let's say that me and Hal go way back. I first met her a few years ago when I was still in the mafia. And you're right, I suppose you can say that she's a successful woman, a high ranking officer for the government," I explained without telling too much.

"Have you told her that we're spending the night at her place?"

"Not yet."

"Well then, how do you know she wouldn't flat out drive us out?"

"She wouldn't. That much I know."

"And if she isn't home?"

"Then we could just broke in. I know which one her apartment is. Then if she comes home I can simply talk to her and explain everything."

"Hmm. You seem to know a lot about this Hal lady," Matt drawled, his chesire-cat grin grew wider, "So… care to share your secret love life with us, Mels?"

I threw my best friend a glare as a response, which as usual didn't affect him at all.

"Is she your ex-girlfriend?" Valerie asked after staying quiet for so long.

I eyed her. "Why, missy? You jealous?"

She simply rolled her eyes. "No. I mean this is another stranger for me and now I have to spend the night in her place," she said. "It'll make things awkward if she's your ex, yet she sees you bring in another girl to spend the night at her place."

"I would've been happier if you said you're jealous," I responded nonchalantly, satisfied at how Valerie shot me a fierce glare. How I gradually came to enjoy teasing this girl. "Just kidding. No, she's not an ex or anything like that, and no, Matt," I turned to the goggled redhead, "I have no secret love life whatsoever. Satisfied?"

"Aw… too bad, man," Matt sighed. "I was looking forward to make fun of your love life. Or may I say, your nonexistent love life."

I clicked my tongue. "It's not that I need a love life of my own. And speak for yourself, you insomniac weirdo."

"My relationship with my dearest laptops and game consoles are the only romantic relationship I will ever need in my life."

"Nerd." I turned to the brunette girl. "And you, missy? Got a better love life than any of us?"

Valerie let out a huff. "Stop calling me 'missy'. And why do you care about my love life anyway?"

"Because now you know how ours are and it's only fair if I know how yours is," I shrugged, a playful smirk grew wider on my face looking at how uncomfortable she became with my last question. Valerie merely deadpanned at me.

"You'll just keep nagging at me if I don't answer, won't you."

"Look at that. You've come to know me so well."

She clicked her tongue impatiently. "Fine, I don't have one. Now shut up."

I chuckled at her response. "With that attitude no wonder you got none. God, I feel sorry for the guy you will end up being together with."

"SHUT. UP."

808 Columbus Ave, November 19, 2011, 09:44PM

A woman with wet platinum hair just came out of the shower when she heard the bell rang from her apartment front door. Her perfectly shaped eyebrows furrowed slightly. Who's visiting at this hour? She didn't remember making appointments with anyone, especially at this hour where she usually had prepared to go to bed.

The woman wrapped out her bathrobe around her body, and after making sure that she was decent, she walked up to the front door. She peeked through the peephole, yet no one was outside.

It must've been a prank, she thought to herself. It wasn't uncommon for neighbor's kids to sometimes made a prank like that, even though she didn't like it.

She was just thinking to go back inside when she heard the bell rang again and mentally growled. Oh God, I really need to teach these kids a lesson, she thought and opened the door, preparing to berate the naughty brats.

Although there weren't any naughty brats outside her apartment.

Instead, the sight that greeted her was the last thing she could ever imagined.

In front of her was a gun, pointed directly to herself, by a tall figure clothed entirely in black leather from black to toe whose face covered by the hoodie of his red leather jacket. Behind this stranger there were two other people; a redhead man wearing goggles and a brunette girl who looked worn out.

Amidst her surprise she could still take a look on that gun model, courtesy of her sharp instincts. Beretta 92FS, she noted, before her eyes traveled to the rosary this person was wearing around his neck.

And that was when she came into recognition.

"Mello," the woman said coolly.

The mysterious stranger lifted up his face just a little bit. The lights from inside the apartment now illuminating his face, revealing the burns covering the left side. The man's piercing blue eyes, which were partly hidden beneath golden strands of his bangs, never left hers.

"Long time no see, Hal Lidner."