AH! Long time no update for this story. Poor, poor neglected thing. *pats invisible air*

Chapter 8

Mello:

The lights were swimming above me, in all pretty swirls of white and orange-yellow. I was aware that my lips had formed a drunken smile and I repressed the urge to reach up and try to grab the swirling lights.

Someone came in the room. I forced the smile off my face, trying to look angry or something remotely it. It was Matt. Human-Matt, I mean. If it were my puppy, I would have glomped it(And perhaps squishing him in the process...oh, dear...) and plus, he wouldn't have had been able to open the door. Dogs don't have opposable thumbs. Duh.

I'm rambling. Pain makes me ramble. God, my hip hurts.

Matt was looking meek. "H-hello, Mello."

I wasn't amused by the rhyme.

He seemed to know I wasn't. "Are you okay?"

"What do you think?" I spat.

Then he did that thing with the puppy eyes again, where his eyes lowered to the floor in guilt. He'd forgotten to put his goggles on so I had a clear view of those beautiful emerald eyes. Fuck, what am I thinking?!

"Sorry," he murmured. The effect was immediate. I felt bad, and figured I shouldn't be so hard on him. After all, he was helping me get my puppy. Which, by the way, wasn't with L. His butler, Watari, assured me, and I thought I could trust the old man, so.

"Did you find your puppy?" Matt asked.

I shook my head. "No. He's not here."

Matt sighed. I wondered how he could be so empathetic. "I think I have an idea of where he might be."

I perked up, sitting upright. "Where?" I queried, wincing a little as rolling waves of pain traveled from my hip to my brain.

"I figured that since you and Light didn't exactly get started on the right foot, that he might have him," Matt said slowly, sounding doubtful. "We could always call him and ask if he has Matt."

I smirked. "Do you really think he'd admit to the crime?" I sneered. "Light's a prideful guy, not to mention egotistical."

I swear I heard Matt mutter, "Hypocrite," but I ignored him. "So, if he does have my pup, he'll want me to come over so he can make me grovel and embarass myself," I concluded.

"So...you're going to do just that?" Matt asked blankly.

I grinned. "No. I'm going to make use of that shotgun I've got sitting back home..."

...

After thanking L(or, more like, Matt thanked him on both of our behalves) Matt and I found ourselves on the road again. Deja vu, anyone?

"This car is so sweet," Matt said wistfully, running his hands over the dashboard as I drove this time. L had given him this car to use while his Camaro was being retrieved and fixed. Matt, being the nerd he was, was enjoying this experience.

I rolled my eyes. "Please wait until I'm out of your sight when you do that. You make it sound like you want to have sex with it."

Then Matt blushed, and I saw him look away in peripheral vision. "I'm not sure L would like that," I said pointedly, my sadistic nature coming back at me with full force. I grinned, glad that I had control over this boy. Or man. Psh, whatever.

Fifteen minutes later I was bored. "Why does Light have to live so far?" I complained.

Matt snorted, not looking up from his game. "We're almost there."

I nearly strangled him for not giving me something to stop my boredom. "Entertain me!" I demanded.

"Okay, okay." Matt finally put away that fucking game. "Okay, knock knock."

"No way," I groaned. "No way in hell am I responding to that joke."

"Knock knock," Matt repeated, more firmly.

"My shotgun's right in the backseat, I could reach over and shoot your brains out," I snarled.

Matt whistled playfully. "But you wo-on't," he said in sing-song. "Because we'll crash again, and you'll never find your puppy, 'cuz by then, the poor thing would be dead because Light knows shit on how to take care of living things."

The very thought of it made anger boil inside of me. I stepped on the gas pedal, gripping the steering wheel tightly. "Take it back. Matt won't die."

"Whatever, man." Matt didn't follow orders. "Just saying the truth."

"Take it back!" I commanded, speeding up more.

Matt finally noticed that the trees were now a passing blur through the window. "Slow down, Mel," he said.

"Do I recall giving you permission to call me that?" I growled, whipping my head to the side to face him. He was looking at me fearfully behind orange goggles, frantically gesturing at the front of the car.

"Eyes on the road!" He screamed. "Eyes on the road!"

"Take back what you said," I told him.

"Okay, your puppy isn't dead! Just keep your eyes on the road, please, Mel! Mello, Mello-chan, Master, whatever!"

I liked the sound of 'Master,' I thought, licking my lips. I returned to a normal sitting position, bringing the car to a slow halt in front of a house. "Is this his house?" I asked boredly.

Matt scrambled to look at the mailbox, at the number engraved fancily on the wood in gold. "Y-yeah, it is," the redhead stammered.

"Good." I grabbed my shotgun, cocked it, and walked out of the car, towards Light. I heard the faint barking, and knew it could only be my puppy.

I was going to kill Light.