Author's Note: The first part of this chapter I had originally planned to have end the last chapter. I was going to leave you guys with an uber cliff-hanger; it would've been more exciting that way I think. However the last chapter was getting a little long as it was, and this one was a little shorter, so I had to make an executive decision ;P

Disclaimer: I do not own Death Note, or anything remotely associated with it.

Spoiler Alert: This chapter contains material up until episode 30.

It was three a.m. before we finally made it back to my apartment. It was the most reasonable place to take him; second only to a hospital of course.

"Mello!" I whispered and shook him gently. His breathing was much smoother than it had been before, and I took that as a good sign. "Man you're going to have such a headache," I told the unconscious boy as I hauled him up to my room. I was lucky he was so small.

I stood for a while in my doorway, just staring at Mello, once I'd gotten him lying comfortably in my bed. I tapped my foot impatiently and dug in my pockets for a pack of gum that wasn't there. What was I going to do about this? The base and the mafia were in ruins, Mello was injured, Kira was onto us... What a lovely predicament we'd gotten ourselves into. It was just Mello and me now, we couldn't do this alone. The obvious option to me was to go join Near, but I'm sure Mello would rather sell his soul to Kira before he did that. I leaned into the doorframe and went to pinch the bridge of my nose. I was mildly freaked out when I felt a warm, sticky substance on the side of my face.

I left Mello on the bed and made my way to the bathroom. After flipping on the light on I stared into the mirror. Apparently Mello wasn't the only one who'd been injured in the blast. I delicately ran the tips of my fingers along the right side of my face; being careful not to disturb the tiny shards of glass that had embedded themselves in my flesh; I hadn't even felt them. There was no question about it; we'd be done inside of a week if we didn't get some help.

I went back down to my car and took my purse from the backseat, thankful that I'd forgotten it in the back and hadn't taken it into the base that day. I fished my cell phone out of the side pocket and Virginia out of the main compartment. I held her close as I dialled 999 on the speed-dial. I placed the phone next to my left ear while it rang, as my right ear was still bloody.

"Hello?" came an old voice on the other end.

"I need a number." I said flatly.

"Who is this?" the voice asked with concern; I didn't respond. There was a long silence between us before the voice sighed and asked, "Which number?"

"Number three."

"Number three?" the voice asked in disbelief. Another long pause before, "Let me see if I can find it." I waited silently for a moment before the voice came back and read it out to me.

"Thank you." I made a move to hang up the phone.

"Jewel," I waited, "just be careful alright." I let my silence be my reply as I ended the call.

I waited a moment and then dialled the number I was given.

"Hello?" this voice was not as old but just as familiar; and it sounded just as tired as I was.

The person on the other end yawned as I replied. "I need your help."

The voice was more awake now, I'd gotten his attention. "Who is this?" Again I remained silent. There was a shorter pause than last time as the voice on the other line figured out the answer to his question. "Where are ya hun?"

"Is the line secure?"

"It is on this end." I gave the guy my address. "I'll be there in a couple hours."

"Thanks Matt."

I waited stiff as a board and scared out of my mind, on my love seat for the next two and a quarter hours. A watched pot MAY never boil, but a watched clock DEFINITELY doesn't move. It felt like I'd been staring at the clock for days before I finally heard my door creak open.

"Matt!" I sighed as I raced to greet him. Matt dropped his bag to the floor and enveloped me in a tight hug as I barrelled into him. "Oh Matt! Thank God!" I sighed into his chest. I couldn't hold back the tears any more after that. "I... I don't know what to do anymore," I wailed, "it's like I can't think at all."

"Shh, shh, it's going to be okay Jewel, I promise." He took my chin in his hand and forced me to look up at him. He had that ridiculous grin on his face, the one that always got him out of trouble at Wammy's and the one that never failed to brighten any room. "Now, where's our blonde-headed nut bar?" he asked when my sobs had turned into little more than sniffles. I pointed to the bedroom where Mello was still sleeping soundly.

We looked in on him for a minute and then Matt looked back at me, "C'mon kid, we've got to get you cleaned up."

We walked together to the washroom. He took the tweezers and the first-aid kit from the medicine cabinet, I turned on the vanity lights, and we both sat down on the edge of the tub. We sat in silence as Matt plucked and pulled, and dabbed my face with peroxide.

"They're not too deep at least," he said after a while. When I didn't say anything back he continued, "You know, I'm really glad you called me. I missed you guys." I finally turned towards him and found him wearing an angelic grin.

I couldn't help but smile, he just always brought out the best in people. "I missed you too Matt; so much."

After Matt patched up my face as best as he could, we both decided it was time for some much needed sleep. Matt insisted on the recliner, so I took the loveseat and I swear I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

There was a quiet knock on my door. "Jewel," Matt called from the other side of the wooden barrier.

"Go away Matt," I whispered, just loud enough so that he would be able to hear me.

"I brought you some lunch kid," I didn't respond. "You have to eat something Jewel, this isn't healthy. You need to keep yourself together if you want your leg to heal. You want to get better don't you?"

"No," I sighed honestly.

"C'mon Jewel, don't do this to yourself."

"I'm fine Matt, just leave me alone."

My door creaked open. "Can't do that luv, it's my assigned duty to make sure you eat your vegetables!" Matt strode in with a tray carrying a bowl of soup and a plate of salad. "It's homemade veggie soup; your favourite." Matt smiled goofily.

"I'm not hungry Matt," I said exasperated.

Matt's shoulders slumped and his Cheshire grin evaporated. "Look, no one blames you for how you're feeling, but everyone's worried about you; especially me!" I still didn't answer him. "Look, they were all my friends too okay, but you've got to pick yourself up, this isn't healthy!" He placed the tray of food on my desk and sat down on the end of my bed next to my broken foot.

"Was it healthy to start smoking after Mello left?" I asked him cruelly.

"I use smoking as an outlet for my emotions, and quite frankly, I think you need an outlet too. Maybe not smoking, but hun, you haven't smiled, you haven't cried, you haven't done anything but sit in your room since it happened."

"I have a broken foot Matt, what do you want from me? You want me to get up and run a marathon?"

"I want you to eat something smart ass."

"And I want you to get out of my room!" I said coldly. Matt nodded and got up to leave. He left the tray of food and closed the door behind him.

I woke up with a splitting headache and the right side of my face felt like it was on fire. At least the smoke alarm wasn't going off like last time. I sweat there was something wrong with my eyes too, because even though I'd fallen asleep with my glasses on, and I could still feel them on my face, my eyes couldn't seem to focus. It was like I was trying to look at the world through a glass of water... and that's when I realised it WAS a glass of water.

"Here," Matt said as he shook the glass of water he had hovering in front of my face.

"Thanks Matt," I expressed gratefully. Just like at Wammy's; Matt was there to take care of me. I'd treated him so badly back then, I recalled as I took the water. He was so diligent; everyday he would come to bring me food, sit with me, and try to cheer me up. He was really something else.

I sat up on the couch as Matt went back into the kitchen.

"What did I miss?" I called after him.

"Not much," he seemed to consider it for a moment. "There was a sweet old lady from downstairs dropped by. She was a little worried about the commotion you were making last night. I told her that there wasn't a problem," he winked. Oh dear.

I checked the clock on the wall and was more than shocked when it only read 8:36. Matt and I had both only slept for a couple hours. "What're you doing up so early?"

"Ha, do you ever remember me sleeping Jewel?" He had a point.

"Nope you were up to all hours of the night playing video games," I stuck my tongue out at him and he just smirked. I put my hand behind me to hoist myself up off the couch but it rested on a soft, fluffy object; Virginia. After staring at it for a moment, something clicked inside my head. "Hey Matt, you want to stay here for a bit? Watch Mello, I've got to do something!"

"Uh yeah, sure," he seemed a bit concerned.

"I'll be back in a while." I made it to the door with my keys, but turned back to Matt before left. "Thanks again Matt, I owe you one." He just smiled. "And oh, there's a PS3 in the entertainment system," it was my turn to wink.

I made it back to Los Angeles in record time. I was on the lookout for law enforcement as I drove past the burned out base. There didn't seem to be anybody around which was lucky for me. Obviously last night the police and fire department had come by, for there was caution tape surrounding the whole area, and everything was still soaked.

I parked a little ways away for safety and snuck over to the building. I heaved a sigh and looked around. If memory served me (which it usually did,) Mello's room would've been over here... I paced out fifty feet through the crumbling concrete. I was left standing in the middle of nothing distinguishable. There were chunks of concrete and rebar, iron girders and bent I-beams; what a mess. When Mello set his mind to blow something up, damn did he blow it up.

I sighed again and started digging, tossing aside seventy-five pound hunks of debris. Forty minutes later I'd cleared myself a nice little patch and was head to toe dripping in sweat. Thirty minutes after that I'd actually found what I was looking for. I couldn't believe they had survived the blast. After heaving another dozen blocks aside I was looking down at five badly, mangled boxes. I opened them one by one and discovered clothes, completely unsalvageable electronics, and one worn out rabbit.

I left the bits of mangled wire and software but took the clothes and bunny back to my apartment.

"You look worse than you did last night," Matt said as I dropped the boxes in the doorway.

"Gee, thanks," I replied wryly, noticing that both Matt AND Mello were now sitting in my living room.

"Where were you?" Mello asked; the blast had obviously done nothing for his temper. I just narrowed my eyes at him and sulked to the washroom. I felt so gross, I needed a shower.

*Mello's POV*

Matt actually put his game down, and walked over to the boxes Jewel had dropped when she'd come in.

"What are those?" I asked.

Matt bent over and dug through the boxes for a second before he said, "Looks like your junk man."

"What?" I leaned forward on Jewels mini sofa. "My junk?"

Matt stood back up, a tattered rabbit in his hands."

*Jewel POV*

I stared blankly at my wall as water dripped from my wet hair onto my bare shoulders. I hadn't had enough energy, or even the desire to get myself another towel from the closet. The only one I had at the moment was preserving my modesty.

I yawned loudly. I was sure going to pay for my little 'mining trip' tomorrow. I hadn't had a serious workout like that since before Japan, and now I was pretty sure I'd strained every muscle in my body. I yawned again.

Suddenly there was a knock on my door and Mello strode in.

"EH!" I threw my arms across my chest, which was thankfully covered by my towel. "I could've been naked jackass."

"I knocked."

"You're supposed to wait until I answer before you come in." He just shrugged.

"You know, that was pretty dumb, there could've been cops, you could've been hurt..."

"I checked the place out before I went in there," I said, knowing right away that he was referring to my little excursion in Los Angeles. "Besides, don't tell me you're not grateful," I teased.

"That's not the point," I said, coming over and sitting on my bed. Sitting REALLY close to me on my bed. I was hyper aware that the only fabrics between the two of us, were my flimsy towel and his tight leather. His REALLY tight leather.

Mello leaned forwards and crossed his hands over his knees. "The two of us almost got blown up last night; you got hurt. I don't want..."

"Hold everything!" I interjected, "we've been through this about a billion times already!" I placed my hands on his shoulders and pushed him gently so that he was facing me. "Mello, you need to shut up about this 'you're going to get hurt business'." I leaned into him as close as I dared. "I'm here for you Mello, you're not going to have to do this alone. No one should have to go up against Kira alone.

Now get out I have to change."

"'Get out'? What are you, four?"

"If we were four I wouldn't have to worry about changing in front of you! ...No, even then. Now turn around!" He didn't budge and we stood in a faceoff for a good five minutes before I said, "Fine, if you're THAT desperate for free porn." I don't think Mello appreciated my insinuation.

"HEY!" Matt called from the living room. "Get out here! You two are going to want to see this!" Mello and I glanced worriedly at each other for a nanosecond before charging into the other room; me still in my towel.

It was an address to the nation from the president.

"Good afternoon, I am going to try and keep this brief." The three of us glanced quickly at each other; there was no way this was going to be good news. "The United States, will no longer oppose Kira." Reporters jumped at this announcement, all of them rapid firing questions at the president. My jaw dropped and Mello and stiffened beside me. "...Justice? No, I never said, that. But because of Kira war and conflict have ceased to exist," Yes, because what happened the other night definitely wasn't a conflict. There was still war alright; it was us versus them, the good guys versus Kira. "...Criminal organizations are in a state of ruin," Well at least THAT was true, "...anyone who defies Kira head-on will be killed, that is a fact," Yes Mr. President, it certainly was. "We are not acknowledging Kira as a symbol of justice; we are simply saying that as a country, we will not take any actions against him." The reporters went crazy again, but the president walked off his glorified soap box.

"Great," I started, "we're in the middle of World War Three and AMERICA has already folded? Not a good sign."

Author's Note: Alright, one more chapter down, who knows how many more to go ;) Let me know what you think of my story; how I can improve it, what you like or don't like about it.

Also, this afternoon when I was in town, nowhere near my computer or recording devise, I came up with a really cool idea to add to this chapter; I forgot it by the time I made it back home. I'm not impressed because as much as I remember, I remember that I really liked my idea and nothing else.