Author's Note: I hope you guys liked the last chapter, sad as it was. This chapter was going to be quite a bit longer than all the others have been, but it ended up being over TWICE as long as the other chapters. I really only wanted to have 20 chapters; a nice even number you know. But I figured that people might not appreciate having to read over 6,000 words at once. So I decided to do what the anime did and break it down into two connected chapters :)

Also, to those of you who are reviewing/favouriting/alerting, you seriously make my day. It really makes me so happy to know that you're enjoying my story so much.

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

Spoiler Alert: This chapter contains material to episode 36.

January 28, 2013

It was a cold, dark and rainy day; I suppose it fit. Near insisted that I didn't need to come to the 'meeting' today, but it wasn't as though I had anywhere else to go. And besides, if this really was it, if Near was really and truly, FINALLY, going to be able to put an end to this Kira business, I wanted to be there; I NEEDED to be there. I had made myself a promise; I made Light Yagami a promise. Nearly six years ago I promised myself and Light that when he was finally proven to be Kira, that when his infamous reign came to an end, that when he was finally convicted; I would be there.

I was only half paying attention to Near's conformation call to Light, only giving the conversation my attention when my name was mentioned.

"...And I have a surprise for you L, an old friend of yours will be there. Her name's Jewel, although I do believe you know her as J."

I heard Light answer on the other end. It'd been less than six years since I last heard his voice, and already I was sick of it. Everything about Light Yagami made my blood run cold, made me taste bile in my mouth, made my sick to my stomach. I zoned out again and returned my attention to my own blank thoughts.

I didn't want to, but I found my thoughts returning to the past two days. The horror kept replying in my mind. I played over the goodbyes and my escape from my miniature cell. I replayed the fire and the trip to the hospital that followed. The doctors had stitched up my arms and washed the majority of the blood off of my skin and silver hair. After that though life became just one great hazy blur; driving in cars, great gloomy skyscrapers, flashing neon lights.

"Jewel," I didn't move, "it's time to go Jewel."

I walked comatose to a black Mercedes which was parked outside of the SPK headquarters. Near and I got in the back seat of the black four door. He picked up his cell phone the way L used to hold things and started a conversation with another person as we drove through the rain. My nerves were so shot and my mind was running double time to the point where I couldn't focus on anything. Before too long we pulled up outside an old building, something that looked like a really large barn or an industrial factory. We went inside, and waited.

I held my breath; it was going to end here today... one way or another.

Light Yagami and the remaining members of the Japanese task force arrived promptly at one, and let themselves inside. I stood to the left of Halle with the three other members of the SPK behind Near, who was wearing a mask of L. I couldn't decide on whether that was just bad taste on his part, or if it was just some childish game he was playing. Me on the other hand, I wore no mask. My black scarf, the one that Mello had given me all those years ago, it was wrapped around my neck; but it didn't cover my face, not anymore. Near had assured us that no one was going to die today; but even if I did... well in any case I wasn't going to run and hide.

All I had left in the world was Near, and if he was going to die, I was going to die too. There was no reason left for me to keep living if Kira won today. I wouldn't be able to avenge Mello's and Matt's, L's and Watari's death, not the way that would do honour to their names. Sure I could shoot Light Yagami, I could end Kira's reign just that easily; but that would not be avenging them. That would be a disgrace to everything they worked so hard for, gave their lives for.

Light and his team stood before us.

The remaining members of Light's team seemed surprised to see me standing with the SPK; or maybe they were just shocked to realise how much I resembled Near. But whichever it was, after a moment or two the collective unconscious of the group just seemed to accept it. After all, it wasn't as though they hadn't seen anything stranger than that these past years.

"It's them, those four are the SPK, and the one wearing the mask is Near... And we all know J." Mogi informed them from the corner.

"Hang on, am I the only one who sees something wrong here? He can go around accusing people of being Kira, but the fact that he's wearing a mask says he's only trying to protect himself, not anyone else," Matsuda accused. Somewhere deep down inside of me it upset me that Matsuda would dare to insult my brother like that, but I just didn't have the will to argue.

"It's just a precaution," Near answered, "There is a good possibility that Kira has already seen the faces of everybody in this warehouse except for mine. In fact, he may be writing down your names as we speak. So I'd like to wait for one hour; no, make it thirty minutes. That should give us more than enough time to see if anyone is being controlled before they die." Near curled and stroked a length of his hair through his fingers.

"What! You're going to wait and see if we die!" Matsuda asked, panic evident in his tone.

"No, it's not impossible that Light really is Kira, especially since the rest of us are of no use to him anymore."

We stood in silence for thirty minutes. I'm sure if there had been an ounce of awareness left in my body my feet would've been hurting, but I couldn't feel them. I couldn't feel anything outside of the numbness that had taken over after Mello's death... after Mello's murder.

You could cut the tension in the air with a knife.

"Near!" Matsuda shouted, breaking the silence, "It's already been over thirty minutes and nothing's happened yet!"

"Of course not, that's because Kira's not here with us," Light answered, and the sound of his voice had me once again vomiting in my mouth.

"Very well, everyone seems to be safe," Near relented. "I'll remove my mask now."

Near and Light exchanged silent glances. "You're quiet Near," I wish Light would stop talking, "what's wrong?" As if Light actually cared, as if he had one considerate bone in his body. "Are you still waiting for something?" His innocent act was so infuriatingly stale.

"Waiting, that's an excellent choice of words," Near said, picking up the Kira finger puppet out of the many that were scattered before him. The Mello puppet caught my eye. "Yes I am waiting, for the arrival of the one who will solve everything once and for all."

"Someone else is supposed to clear this up?" Ide asked from the back of the group. I angled my head ever so slightly so that I could see him. For some reason, my eyes and throat were burning.

"He'll be here soon, it's only a matter of time," Near responded. "There's only one entrance to this building, and the only way to look inside is by opening that door." Everybody's heads turned robotically to the large, heavy red door in the side of the building. "That means he'll either walk through that door, or at the very least, open it and peak through."

I was zoning out again and vaguely wondered about my surroundings. I knew we were in a large building, I could look at it, but it seemed like I just wasn't seeing it. I could hear the voices around me, but I just wasn't listening. 'I'm sure it must be cold in here' I thought to myself. 'It looks all damp and mildew-y.' I should've brought Mello's jacket with me. I'd retrieved it, and all the other belongings that had been left behind at the abandoned asylum.

"And just who is this person anyway?" charged Matsuda, bringing my attention back.

"X-Kira, the one who is currently using the Notebook and killing people on Kira's behalf. He's bound to come here and bring the Notebook with him." Near picked up a freaky looking finger puppet with a long face and glasses, holding a Notebook, "And then, he'll see me and write down my real name," Near continued. "Or rather, he'll write down the names of everyone here who knows about the Notebook; and kill them."

Startled and panicked gasps sounded throughout the persons in the room. I wasn't sure if anything could phase me anymore.

"What! What are you saying! This doesn't make any sense." 'Calm down Matsuda,' I thought to myself. It didn't make sense to me either, but then 1. I wasn't paying attention, and 2. I'm sure Matsuda cared more about his life than I did about mine at the moment. "What are you trying to tell us Near?" I just realized Matsuda had gotten a hair cut; weird. "That some other guy is going to drop by with the Notebook, poke his head in and kill us all!" I couldn't take much more of this.

"And you want us to sit back and let this happen!" Ide chimed in, adding his two bits worth.

"Yes, that's correct," Near answered matter-of-factly; but then, EVERYTHING Near said was ALWAYS said with a 'matter-of-fact' tone. It used to drive me crazy when we were little... and I realised, it still did. "Now listen carefully; if someone comes into the warehouse through that door, just let him in without resisting. If the door opens slightly, simply act as if you don't notice anyone there."

"But, but that's just crazy!" Please shut up Matsuda. I'm sure you're giving me a headache... just because I can't tell at the moment, is no reason to continue with your outbursts.

"He's already here!" Near informed the group and I sensed it was taking every last ounce of strength that each of them had, to stop themselves from running scared through the concrete walls. The look on Light's face however... I was in part reminded of this movie I saw once: 'From Hell.'

A tense moment surrounded us and no one moved, but I heard a rat scream out from one of the shadows. Even the vermin of the world was afraid of Kira.

Matsuda panicked and pulled a gun. I always sympathised with him the most when I was working under L. He was young like Mello and I, maybe not quite so young, but after this case there wasn't any doubt in my mind that whether he survived or not, he had definitely lost some years of his life. Years that not even rigorous therapy would be able to recover.

Two of the SPK members beside me pulled their guns too and aimed them at Matsuda, "Hold it! Don't do anything!" one of them ordered.

"Everything is fine," Near spoke through the chaos, "you won't die!"

Near... Please be right Near! I can't lose you too! I just can't! I never told you, I never told you how much you mean to me!

"How can you be so sure Near!"

"Because I modified the Notebook," I heard more gasps around the room. You would think these people would just suspect stuff like that by now. How could they, after everything they've been through, still be surprised at anything! "We took possession of the Notebook and replaced the pages. The person behind the door has been doing the killings for Kira, he has also been using exactly one page every day. Based on that I was able to replace the page he would use today, as well as all subsequent pages so that no one else would die.

On the other side of that door is X-Kira; my guess is, in roughly forty seconds he'll look inside to see if we're dead. That's when we'll restrain him and seize the Notebook. Whoever's name is not written down, MUST be Kira."

"I-It's true. Kira would be the only one that guy wouldn't try to kill. But still..."

The logic behind Near's statement seemed to make sense to me; but was I really positive that I could be sure about anything in my present state?

The next forty seconds seemed to take an eternity, it seemed as though time had stopped altogether. And then just like that, it was over.

Relieved breaths were released from the men standing with Light just before he called out to the man on the other side of the door. "You there, outside, have you finished writing down the names in the Notebook?" Something about Light's question brought me out of my daze into the real world, and I bit down on my lip. There was something about it I just couldn't put my finger on.

"Yes, I've written them." Why would X-Kira have any reason to answer us? No, not 'us,' why would X-Kira have any reason to answer LIGHT. Ha, I've got it! And just like that the remaining pieces of the puzzle clicked together in my head. Of course it'd been apparent all along that Light was Kira, but now; this time we had some solid proof.

"Don't you think it's rather odd?" Sounds like Near had picked up on it too, "Why would he answer you so quickly, calmly, and honestly when you asked him if he'd written down our names yet?"

"Who knows? Maybe he's just honest?" Or maybe, you're a lying, cheating, murdering scum-bag who's been caught in his own web of deceit. "Or confident he'll succeed, or perhaps he's seen through your brilliant plan?" Cut the arrogant attitude Light, it's over.

"Uh, in that case we're in big trouble." Matsuda, I can't really blame you, I'm sure if I didn't trust Near with my life, as much as I was frustrated by him at the same time, I would be nervous too.

"Teru Mikami," Near called through the door, "if it's not too much trouble for you, won't you please come in and join us? I already know you're the one who's been judging and executing people for Kira. If you've already written down our names, then there shouldn't be anything to be afraid of; you can come right on in."

"Teru Mikami is it?" Oh my, like you didn't know Light. "He's correct, there's no reason to hide from us, you can come in.

The heavy, metal door slid back noisily. Sure, he listens to Light. He stood in the open doorway, the light behind him creating a silhouette effect. "How many seconds has it been since you wrote down the first name?" Light asked, his faked innocents oozing out of every pore.

Teru, a crazed look in his eye, checked his watch. "Thirty seconds," he answered, "Thirty-one, thirty-two..." as he neared forty I felt the people around me tense up, "...thirty-nine,"

"Well Near," Light cut in, "looks like I win."

"...FORTY!"

Author's Note: I really hope you like this chapter. Personally some parts seemed a little too busy to me, (i.e. when Jewel is having an inner monologue in-between when people are speaking,) but there was just so much I had to say for this chapter. So anyway, I hope it all made sense. The next chapter should be up in a couple hours. It's already written, I just have to touch it up a hair.