A/N: Yay I'm back with a new chapter :D I almost updated yesterday but then I remembered that it was Monday and I could have a break... XD 

I spent my whole day at college watching anime... 

This chapter has been so difficult to write D: 

Chapter Twenty-Four

"It's your last night tonight!" Abi says cheerfully as she sets our plates down in front of us. We murmur a 'thanks' in unison and watch her as she grabs hers and Ed's plate from the kitchen side and joins us. "Are you looking forward to going back to LA?"

"Yeah, I've gotten a little homesick." I admit to her and I look over at Mello to see if he's going to say anything. I turn back to eat the food, if I take my time it'll get cold and won't be as nice.

Last night we both agreed what the story will be, Mello is coming back with me to LA as we're planning to move in together. It's kind of true, since I'm allowing Mello to stay until he finds his own place to live.

"Mello?" Abi presses, attempting to get the blonde's opinion. Mello looks at her and then at me, before returning his gaze to Abi.

"I'm excited," he mumbles. He eats another mouthful of food.

"I'm forcing him to meet my parents, he doesn't get on well with my dad." I lie. I shoot a glare at Mello.

"Ah, explains." Ed comments.

The rest of the dinner passes in silence, Mello barely saying anything. I can only guess that he's running through his plan carefully. He barely explained it to me last night, I'm still unsure of what he wants to achieve. Mello seems so out of character, I can only pray that it's because he's worrying about the next few days.

"I'll take you back to Near. I have information to give him regarding the Death Note. After that, I'll leave and find somewhere to stay, so if I don't return to your apartment when you get home then presume that I found somewhere and be happy you'll never have to see me again." He explained.

The logical and sensible part of me prays that he finds somewhere straight away; but then the stupid part of me hopes he doesn't. I have two conflicting sides. Half of me wants him to stay and never leave my side, the other wants him to stay far away considering all he's done to me. The other side, the stupid side, argues that he also saved me. The times when he made sure my name wouldn't be visible to Snydar, when he grabbed me from my room during the raid, when he dragged me to safety after he blew the base up, when he carried me to Abi and Ed's after I fell unconscious. Then that could all be argued that he did that to protect the Life Note and not me. If that's the case, then why didn't he just take the Life Note from me and protected it instead? I was just pointless weight that he had to carry around - especially considering he carried me when he was badly burnt.

I just can't think logically anymore.

Can I really be related to L? Would L have a problem with understanding Mello's motives? Probably not. He was probably the smartest person in the world. He was unbeatable. Until Kira got him – that is.

I run my hands through my hair and sit on the edge of the bed. I lean back until my head touches the mattress and I let out a sigh.

What is Mello up to? What's going through his head? I really wish I could read his mind. Why has he kept me alive this whole time? Does he know I'm L's sister? Is that why? Or are there other reasons?

There are knocks at the door and I jolt up. I walk over to the door and open it to see Mello standing there.

"Do you have everything packed?" He asks as he leans against the door frame. "Our plane is in twelve hours, I'd rather that you get plenty of sleep than none. I don't want to be dragging you through the airport."

I roll my eyes. "Of course everything is packed." I reply. I step away from the door and beckon for him to enter my room. He does and I shut the door. "Mello? We need to talk." I begin. He looks at me with slightly wide eyes, I can almost see the gears in his brain turning at my question as he tries to figure out what I want to talk about.

He sits down on my bed and looks up at me. "Of course." He looks slightly worried, I wish I knew why.

"Why didn't you just take the Life Note? Why have you protected me so many times from death?" I ask him. I clench my hands into fists and prepare myself for his answer.

Why do I want to know? Will he ask that?

I want answers. That's why. I want to know his reasoning for his actions.

I try to see through the storm occurring in my brain.

Why do I hope that he likes me? Why do I hope that I'm more than a stranger to him?

"You're C. We were told about you, L had sent us documents about you before his death. You're his sister. I need your intelligence, if Near has you then I won't win. So I had to keep you alive. I needed you to use the Life Note so Kira doesn't suspect that I have it. If your patterns were to change then he'd notice something was up. I thought that if I had both the Death Note and Life Note, chances are I won't be able to be defeated that easily." Mello explains, a smirk on his face. I feel my heart fall into my stomach.

I feel so stupid.

Of course.

Why heart? Why feelings? Why do I feel this way? Why do I feel so disappointed that I have no value other than being intelligent and have a Life Note in my possession?

"Then why are you sending me back to Near?" I ask. My heart thudding in my ears. I can hear it clearly. Can he hear it too?

If he took me to stop Near from using me, then why is he handing me back? It doesn't make sense. There has to be a good reason for it. He went through the trouble of kidnapping me and keeping me safe all this time. Why would he just throw me back at Near if he took me to stop Near from having an advantage?

Mello's POV

"Then why are you sending me back to Near?" She asks me, her voice is quivering. Why is she scared? I watch her carefully.

Truthfully, I want to be better than Near and L by using my own intelligence. I don't want to rely on her. Doing so would mean that I'm incapable of capturing Kira on my own.

"I want to catch Kira on my own." I say truthfully. An emotion flashes across her face, too quick for me to catch it and know what it is. She runs a hand through her black hair, and her black eyes look around the room.

I need to keep her safe. She's L's sister. I wouldn't endanger someone's life just to win. I've endangered her enough already. I won't admit that to her though, I just can't. I'd rather I just abandon her and let her live her life. I'd rather she hated me then get pulled into whatever mess I'll drag her into.

She'll be safe with Near. As much as I hate to admit that. I can't keep protecting her. I'll cause her to die. She almost died when the Taskforce broke into the base. If I hadn't pulled her from her room then they may have broken down the door and killed her. Yagami could have killed her, he could have revealed her name for everyone to hear. He could have written her name down. She ended up badly injured because of me. Because I was selfish and took her for my own selfish needs.

Because I want to defeat Near.

Plus, I'm sure L wouldn't hesitate to let Near be his successor if he was still alive and knew what I put his sister through. We were told to protect her, not to use her.

Benihime's POV

I feel so stupid.

"Of course." I force a smile onto my face. "I just wanted to clear things up, just in case Near questions me when I get back. I don't doubt that I'll be interrogated." I say, a forced cheerful tone in my voice. "I didn't want to say something that wasn't true."

See, heart, he doesn't like me. I'm just a pawn to him. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm not a queen, or any other important chess piece.

But then why did he save you? If you were a pawn he'd have thrown you away ages ago. Pawns are disposable.

See, heart, a pawn can be used to bring a valuable piece back. I'm the pawn. I can bring back people he may need. I won't be exchanged like a pawn, but it's the same concept.

I'm being exchanged now though. I'm being exchanged for the satisfaction of capturing Kira without help.

I'm just like a pawn.

A/N: I'm really not happy with this chapter but I don't have the energy to re-write it. 

I'm worried I made Mello OOC D: please let me know if I have so I can fix it :/ 

Idk what to write XD I just want to go back to watching Naruto Shippuden :L I'm excited for the next chapter though, I need to get away from this chapter (I hate it). I feel quite negative today, maybe that's why I hate it. 

- Alice