Chapter five:

"Mello." Matt speaks after the silence comes to an end. "Surely you can't be thinking about doing anything after you hear that."

"I don't know." Mello sighs softly letting his shoulders slump. "I mean if all of that was true then there's probably some misunderstandings right? Do we help them or just leave this whole h thing alone? I very well can't go after this in a way of getting to Near. I'm not that kind of a monster."

"Well I say we get to make sure that we know the right facts about it all." Matt suggests and Mello gives the other a blink feeling like he might be stating the impossible.

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Mello questions rather bluntly in an unimpressed tone.

"Well as we both know if this story is true then it's likely that it was indeed very quickly covered up. Not leaving us much to work with looking such an event up. Plus it's not likely that they had readily accessible internet out there. Though it is possible. The research angle is still leaning towards not being worth the effort. So." Matt slightly smirks to Mello who isn't so sure that he likes that look on the other. "I saw we go right to the source. We ask Near about it."

Mello knew his instincts were right. "Right. Because he would totally tell us about what happened." He sighs after sarcastically saying those words. "Likely the only way that would come up with anything is a confrontation between them. Yet the details will likely be left out as they'll talk in a way that they both know. Not that I actually want to force a confrontation right now."

"True. True." Matt scratches and rubs his chin in thought over this dilemma. "There has to be a way to perhaps trick him into revealing the truth. Maybe you could ask if what you heard was correct?"

"Hm. Maybe. Though I'd have to make sure that he isn't lying about it if I do that:" Mello nods his head softly.

"So. Is there a plan?" Matt stares at Mello clearly not sure what to expect from him about what a plan could be after hearing that information.

As far as they know that story is the true story about what had happened to the two who were once good friends. So if it truly is a real story then it makes it hard to do something cruel like force the two together.

"I don't know." Mello gets ready to head out. "I'll think about it for now. See what I come up with. Let's leave it for now."

"Okay. That works for me." Matt nods his head and waves as Mello heads off for now.

Mello heads to his room and as soon as he closes the door he looks up and jumps about ten feet upwards. "Near!"

Near turns to him from where he stands by Mellos desk.

"What the fuck!?" Is all that Mello can think of saying as he tries to process that Near is actually in his room.

"I know you and I know what you're trying to do. So I figured I'd come to you." Near explains and Mello wonders if Near observes him or if he's predictable. His eyes don't give it away as he keeps up his emotionless look.

"Okay." Mello makes sure his door is closed so they aren't interrupted. He crosses his arms across his chest as he looks at Near. "So. What are you going to say about the whole thing?"

"The truth." Near sits down on the floor after letting out a breath.

Mello can actually see a little defeat in Nears expression as if the other really wants to explain the true story. He sits down letting his arms rest on his legs instead of being crossed. "Okay. I'm listening." He is really really curious about what Near has to say while being actually truthful to him.

"We lived in a small village in Thailand. There wasn't much but me and Ra-Ra hung out a lot. We even went to the library where the librarian loved to get books from around the world. We learned a lot there and we both became very good friends finding ourselves the most educated in our village. We did everything together. She was like a sister to me. She helped me with my little sister when I didn't know what to do. My mother was usually unable to help due to needing her wheelchair that wasn't that greatly built so she spent most of her time in bed. Our family treated each other like we had always been family. However things changed pretty quickly after a small sickness came to town. Her father got a medication that was supposed to help with it. She didn't do her own research into it before also approving it. She didn't share that part with me before she let my family take it to help. I thought she had checked to make sure that it would be safe. My mother, my little sister, and my twin brother got really sick. The sickness spread so fast that the two of us ended up being the only ones not affected. We looked into things and that is when we discovered that it was in the medication. I was really upset with her though we kept trying to find a cure. She helped saying she wanted to fix it. We couldn't find anything and my family died from it. All I could do was watch them slowly perish. She didn't come to even give me support. Too focused on trying to find that cure. I was left all alone to deal with it by myself. A man who had tried to help told us how he came from out of town. He told us that he knew of a place we would be safe. Ra-Ra didn't want to leave insisting that a cure had to be found. Then the government not long after her own family died of the illness. They didn't care about anyone there. Just the data they could collect. We watched them even kick someone who tried to beg them for help. The man grabbed us taking us to safety. We watched as the place we called home was bombed into nothing."

Mello can't imagine how hard that must have been to see. He can't imagine the place he was born being bombed with him being forced to just watch it happen.

"The man, F who was a graduate from this very orphanage, gave us instructions so L could get us to the orphanage. He hid us in bushes and drove away leading the government chasing us away. He disappeared in an explosion and they thought they killed us too. We lost everything and there was no way I could forgive her. She let me go to the orphanage and left to go her own way. I was still upset so I just walked off and tried to bury all of that in the depths of my mind. When Ra-Ra came here it all came forth again. That is why I was still upset with her. Do with this information as you please."

Mello is stunned not sure what to say at first. He snaps out of it when Near gets up to leave. "Wait." He meets the other's gaze when he is looked at again. "Now that you can truly process everything. Will you ever forgive her? I mean she made a mistake but she tried to fix it. Even if she missed some things she shouldn't have. What do you plan to do now that she is technically back in your life?" He isn't actually sure if Near will answer him though he has to try since this may be his only chance to know.