A/N: Hey, guys, thanks for sticking with this story! XD But, on a more serious note, this chapter might make you guys really, REALLY hate me. OK, you won't hate me per se, but you will hate what happens in this. T_T

Disclaimer: Don't own anything but V. I'm always saying the same thing in these!

Chapter 22: Sacrifice

"OK, now let's go over this one more time to know what we're doing," Mello told us on a slightly chilly January morning. But, luckily, it never became too overly cold in Japan in the winter, so I wasn't complaining. That aside, Mello, ever the leader, had planned a series of reckless actions to weaken Kira's power. He thought that kidnapping one of Kira's most passionate supporters, Kiyomi Takada, would do just that. However, I felt somewhat uneasy regarding this plot concerning the reporter. I doubted it would be enough to stop Kira, who would keep killing people until no threats existed. And I supposed this meant all three of us would die in the process. For, this wasn't a Japanese thing any more. It was a worldwide revolution against crime with Kira as leader.

He had gained so many supporters through his own version of justice that he almost served as an unstoppable force. Ever since L died, no opposition came close to his brilliance, though I supposed we all had to depend on Near now. He always seemed the calculating, superhuman genius type that might solve the case permanently. Mello would have despised me if I said such things, and I wasn't prepared for another huge argument with him. Besides, I would never say anything insensitive again; last time was enough.

"So," the blond continued, "Matt, you drive to that location I mentioned and fire off that gun of yours. The smoke should provide the perfect cover for me to take over and kidnap Takada."

With a practically eager albeit cocky expression on his face, Matt tossed his gun up in the air and caught it. "Fire off this thing? Will do."

I cast a concerned glance at him, for I had an ill feeling about what would take place. I honestly didn't want Matt and Mello to die because of this—they were the only two people I had left. I could not lose them. And the way Matt acted ready to risk his life...it frightened me. Proceeding to listen to the rest of Mello's recap of the plan, I hated it more and more with each word.

"Then, I'm going to keep her hostage probably until Kira shows up. I'll confront him from there. Matt, as soon as you do your part, escape as fast as possible. I don't want the cops on my tail, and you just might lose them—you're a good driver."

"You bet I am!" The redhead grinned as he leaned back against the sofa.

Wary of Mello's intentions since I wasn't mentioned, I drifted my sharpened eyes toward him. Did he expect me to sit there while he and Matt placed their lives on the line? I didn't want to be left out in the cold, wondering if they would survive. That was why I joined the task force two years ago—to not have to worry over L so desperately. In this scenario, I thought, the same thing would occur. I cared deeply for my best friend and the love of my life. Losing them would be the final blow for me, though suicide would not be an option. If worse came to worse, I would prove myself so much stronger than that. I got through two deaths before, didn't I?

"I don't want to stay in the apartment, Mello," I told him evenly. "Do you think I'm just going to sit there and do nothing? I can't do that. It was never in my nature."

Biting off the rest of his chocolate furiously, Mello glared at me, clearly objecting to my opinion. It was almost as though he didn't want me to risk my life, whereas I didn't want the same for him. As friends, we tended to be overprotective around each other.

"You're not going, OK?" he attempted to confirm this fact, though I could tell that he had second thoughts. He knew better than anyone that I had always possessed a stubborn streak.

"Look, you cannot tell me what to do," I replied firmly, pursing my lips tightly together.

"It's dangerous!"

"And I've put myself in danger how many times in my life?"

Before this could escalate into an ugly argument, Matt stopped playing his video game and tossed his handheld aside.

"Just let her go, Mello," he told him calmly. "I'll look after her."

I suppressed a smile as I moodily murmured, "I don't need looking after."

"Come on, V. Let me do this." Matt scooted closer to me on the couch, wrapping one arm around me. "A cute girl like you needs protecting. You know?"

Mello rolled his eyes as he shoved his pistol into his belt. "Will you two ever stop flirting with each other?"

"Nope," the redhead and I replied at the same, exact time before winking at each other.

Our blond friend appraised us brutally with a stony glare before smirking slightly. Opening the door to our apartment slightly ajar, he ordered, "Let's get ready. Hopefully, if things go well, Kira will be dead in a matter of hours."

"Go us!" Matt, ever optimistic yet jokingly sarcastic, grabbed my hand, and we took the stairs to head outside. Once there, Mello placed his helmet on his head while the two of us entered the car, where I was told to sit in the back. That went well with me; I had prepared myself for this adventure. And, if we played our cards right, it would conclude with the death of Kira.

The death of my brother L would be avenged today.

I basked in the ecstasy of our impending victory, though a lighter clicking interrupted that moment of bliss. Leaning forward, I noticed that Matt had list his customary cigarette.

"One for the road, I though," he told me, flashing a grin for my expense. Apparently, Mello had signaled to him to turn the ignition on, for he added, "Geez, Mello's impatient! Doesn't he know I always have to smoke in my car?"

"It's not your car, it's somebody else's," I corrected matter-of-factly. "And, besides, smoking in a vehicle is generally—"

"Whatever."

I giggled, knowing my boyfriend would never heed my advice. The power of nicotine definitely possessed him, and trying to convince him not to smoke in the car is a lost cause.

As Mello followed Matt as planned, I merely looked out the window to enjoy the sights. The sun had barely risen yet, which made me feel even more tired than I was. Indeed, I had gotten up at five o'clock in the morning along with the other two. They had planned this scheme for quite some time, and today served as the opportune moment to take Light down. Even if he might have seemed innocent those years ago, he still killed my brother—that could not go unpunished. I sensed that today would be highly eventful, maybe leading to a happy ending for the world...or at least tolerable. The world isn't perfect, after all. No one can change it, no matter how extensive their power—not even Light Yagami.

"So, what should we do after all this is over?" I asked Matt at one point.

"I don't know. Maybe catch a movie, get some sushi, and all that fun stuff."

I smiled in the knowledge that he would never think or plan too far ahead, whereas I wanted my entire life mapped out. But, that was another quality I found fascinating in him.

"You excited that we're doing this for your brother?" he asked abruptly.

"Most definitely. I just want all of this to be over, so we can move on with our lives. I have big dreams for the future."

Just as he reached a stoplight, Matt glanced back toward me, his emerald eyes lit up with teasing. Yet, an honest sincerity resided there, too. I wondered what he thought.

"I'm guessing you'd want to get married."

I smiled again. "Yes, that would be nice."

The lights turned green as Matt drove through while letting out another stream of wispy white smoke. "Won't be for like ten years, though. How many kids would you want?"

"Four."

"Why four?"

"It's my lucky number. And I want no more than that. Less would be OK. Why are we talking about this?"

I could tell he shrugged. "Just curious. I told Mello last night he should be a godfather."

I burst into laughter right then and there; picturing Mello with children on his lap like a mall Santa Claus was too hilarious.

"That's still not a good explanation."

"OK, fine, you wanna know? Last night, I dreamed we got married in Vegas and had twelve kids. You were a hot showgirl by th—"

"Take it easy!" I yelled, slapping the back of the seat. "I aspire to be a musician."

Matt winked at me quickly before focusing on the road. "It's video game tester for me."

"Big surprise."

Five minutes passed in which we regaled in random conversation that no one but us could hold. Laughter and jokes often brought spice to this conversation as well. I thought this would never end. Being with Matt made me feel so complacent that I could talk to him about almost anything. Marriage could wait, for I was having the time of my life with him. I was patient too, and as I allowed my dreams to take flight, I pictured the ideal wedding. Then, I proceeded to imagine the events beyond marriage; honestly, if Matt had never kissed me in the rain, I wouldn't have thought up these feminine things. My love for him would never die, I convinced myself, for we shared companionship and intimacy. Our relationship was the whole package, since we had something hardly anyone else can possess.

As much as I didn't want it to come, the moment of truth had arrived in which Matt would create the concealing smoke, and Mello would ensue with the kidnapping of Takada. Of course, Light/Kira would use a woman in his plot for world domination. He had done it before with Misa, who I admittedly (or I should say truly) missed. I hoped she would come out of this and find someone much better than her Light-kun. He never cared about her, or any woman apart from family, for that matter. I saw that as tragedy at its most painful. Meanwhile, Matt shot off his gun before quickly driving off.

"You might want to hold on, V," he warned as I noted that the speedometer read seventy. "Takada's bodyguards are gaining."

And they were, my heart beating incessantly the whole time Matt attempted to dispel them using the speed of his car. Unfortunately, I discovered that they surrounded us when he managed to keep the car under control. He rode out a tremendous spin before putting his foot on the brake pedal. I slammed back against my seat, courtesy of the seatbelt that restrained me.

"Close one," I managed to gasp, overcome with a mixture of fear and relief. At least we hadn't crashed.

"Damn, never thought there would be this many," Matt muttered while gazing at the many cars parked outside. "They've got us surrounded."

"What are we going to do?" I inquired, my ebony eyes anxiously darting toward him.

He sighed as he smoked with a contemplative, serious expression on his face that unnerved me. What would happen to us? It surely could not end like this, not when we were so close! We would wreak Kira's destruction, I assumed.

"V, stay in the car," I then heard Matt's stern voice instruct me. "I'm sure that I just have to answer a few inconvenient questions, and we'll be on our way. Promise."

This time (and the only time), I thought that Matt was being much too optimistic to venture that as a possibility. Nervously looking out the window, I noticed that these men had guns. They would shoot my love down while I had to sit and watch?!?

"At least let me come out with you, dammit!" I shouted, losing my placidity due to concern.

Matt gazed at me back, and though his eyes flashed impatience, they held a pained, reluctant look. I realized that he wanted desperately to protect me.

"I can't let you do that, and you know that."

"I don't care! I don't want you to—" Choking slightly due to a lump in my throat, I blinked back sudden tears that clung to my lashes. Smiling softly at me, Matt cradled my cheek in his hand.

"I'll be all right, V. We'll be out of here in a snap," he assured, kissing my cheek.

When he emerged from the car, I immediately began watching him.

Luckily, I managed to hear Matt well as he spoke casually to the bodyguards that surely supported Kira. His manner of treating these events as though they happened every day compelled me to smile wryly. He seemed to test these men almost, teasing them with his words.

Yet, they were raising their guns slowly...

...Inch by measly inch.

"You won't shoot," Matt told them, which nearly sounded like a dare—oh no. He couldn't die, not like this. I swore to myself the day L died that I would prevent others I cared about from sharing the same fate.

Opening the car door as quickly as I could, I practically screamed, "Matt, no!" and bullets struck both of us as I tackled him to the ground.

I had sacrificed myself to try to save him.

I suppose all of you ask yourselves if bullets hurt agonizingly. Well, if you're like me, you disregard them showering onto you, especially on a rescue attempt such as this. As I mentioned before, my love for Matt would serve as eternal. Frankly, it would never die, even as we lay dying on the asphalt.

"I...told you...to stay in the car," Matt whispered, weakly drawing me close to him. "You...didn't have to...go all noble...on me."

"I wanted to," I gasped, sensing now the bullet lodged in my back. "It wasn't...out of...suicidal intent either. I only...care about you, Matt."

Cliché as that sounded coming from me, it was undoubtedly the truth.

Settling my head on his chest like I often did, I sadly heard an occasional thump of his heart, clearly not a good sign. Then again, I was going through this too, this feeling of draining life with each drop of blood. The holes on Matt's light brown fuzzy vest proved this, blood leaking horribly. If he looked like that, I must have appeared even worse from the attack of the bodyguards. Supporters of any type can go to such extremes. Heaving another one of my lingering breaths, I gazed into Matt's eyes. I worried that he might possibly be angry with me for disobeying his simple command.

However, he looked content, peaceful with his fate as though he didn't really care.

I knew it, I thought, he would react that way after all. Matt was never one to have excessive cares in his life.

"So much...for sushi, huh?" he asked, which, oddly enough, made me laugh hoarsely. Even this simple gesture brought me a coughing fit in which blood came out—not a pretty sight. At times as horrible as these, he joked to maintain a smile on my face.

"We can...only hope that...Mello will...bring Kira down."

"Yeah..."

We became so weak that long intervals passed between words, death gradually creeping up on us. If I hadn't interfered, Matt would have died instantly, but instead, fate granted us this one final moment together.

Caressing my cheek, he stared at me with adoration that filled those beautiful emerald orbs I loved to the brims.

"I love you, V," he murmured, his eyes never leaving mine.

"About time...you said that," I retorted sardonically, though smiled all the same. Leave it to jokester Matt to confess deep feelings at the last minute. However, I added seriously, "I love you...more than words...can ever express."

"So you...kill yourself...instead."

I laughed, despite the tastelessness of that joke. "I mean it."

He kissed me on the lips, a chaste, brief kiss at that.

It was then that I recognized that I didn't mind dying. If, in my case, I died with the one I loved, I liked this. It was a good death, however reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet it might be. Ironically enough, I always despised that play—too much nonsense and melodramatic drivel to suit me. And we ended up reading it in English at ages that ranged from six to eight.

"Ugh...we're Romeo and Juliet," I alluded to Matt, grimacing from both pain and the mere mention of the play itself.

"More like...Link and Princess Zelda," he countered, ruffling my hair shakily.

I deemed that a worthier comparison, for he didn't call me Princess Zelda for nothing. This made me recall that I had told him to stop addressing me by that nickname. But, since this was inevitably for old times' sake, it rather pleased me. I sighed yet again, counting the breaths I would take before death. I could hardly wait for the afterlife and see my loved ones. L would probably be there, along with Watari and even my parents, who I always wished to see. That is, before I forgot them; that was during a time when death remained far off.

"See you...later then," Matt told me, his breathing growing more ragged.

"At least...," I grinned weakly, "...you didn't say goodbye."

An invisible force seemed to lower my heavy lids, putting my body at its final rest.

And, according to later discussed people, I died with a smile etched on my face.

A/N: I shed a few tears after I wrote the death part--though, honestly, I wanted to sob. Killing V off was like cutting off my right hand, because I (and this is gonna sound weird) felt a kindredship between me and her. Yes, I was that attatched. And Matt...I hated killing him off, too. But, hey, at least V died in the noblest way possible: trying to save the one she loved. If she was going to die, I thought, she should go out heroically.

Guys, we're getting to the end here! Just two chapters and an epilogue left to go and for two reasons.

1) I didn't really want to go with a Romeo and Juliet ending on this one (sorry Shakespeare fans!).

2) Just having V say, "I died, the end" is not good enough for a story that, for you guys, deserves a much better ending.

All of you will find out what happens next chapter, which, I admit, bent the Death Note rules slightly. Or, I should say rule, and it's-- I guess--not major but it's still important. Review please in V's memory! Now, I admit, that sounded weird (sighs).