A/N: I had this written last night XD I just couldn't stop writing :3 

Chapter Twenty-Three

Dinner was extremely awkward. Abi's husband, Ed, had come home just as she was serving it up.

Now, I'm drying the dishes and Mello washes them up – something Mello had offered to do once we had finished eating.

"Where's their son?" I ask Mello, trying to start a conversation to end the awkward silence brewing between the two of us.

"He's at university, I'm guessing." Mello says simply, and doesn't add anything else. It's like I'm talking to Near – a comment I'm keeping to myself as I'm fairly certain Mello would whip out a gun from who knows where and point it at my head.

"So, what happened when you first met them?" I ask, silently praying that this time he'll keep the conversation going. I place a dried plate down on the side and grab the next. I notice a speck of dirt and pass it back to Mello, only to earn a glare in return. "Sorry, but it needs to be clean."

"Yeah, yeah, Miss OCD." He says bitterly under his breath. He re-washes the plate before handing it back over to me.

"So?" I press when I realise he didn't answer my question. I dry the plate and pick up a bowl.

"So what?" He replies and dumps a cup angrily onto the draining board. I finish drying the bowl.

"So, what happened when you first met them?" I repeat. I pick up the cup he brutally put down, treating it a lot more nicely as I dry it. He has anger issues that he needs to get sorted out.

"It's none of your business." He snaps.

I nudge him with my elbow "aren't I supposed to be your girlfriend?" I tease, bringing up the deal we had made earlier. He tenses up when the words register in his mind. Remembering what happened earlier that day, I feel my face heat up and I look down, letting my hair conceal my face.

The conversation dies as an awkward silence consumes whatever conversation we were having.

After everything is washed up, Mello leaves me behind on my own. I dry the rest up in silence and then find Abi to ask if she found a white notebook.

***

"I put it in this drawer, I didn't think you'd be comfortable sleeping with a notebook tucked under your top." She says and pulls the drawer out. "Cool notebook, is it full of life saving notes or something?" She passes the notebook to me and I take it. I give her a smile.

"Thank you. Yeah, English isn't my first language so I struggle from time to time. It has all the important words I need if I find myself not knowing what to say or how to say it. It's a life saver." I lie easily. She accepts the lie as if it was the truth and smiles.

"It's lucky you didn't lose it then." She says with a smile. "Is everything okay with you and Mello? I feel like the two of you had an argument or something."

I shrug. "We've argued a little. Nothing bad." I say and wave my hand, dismissing the matter. "It happens occasionally. We'll work it out."

"Mello seems so much happier now he's met you. I hope the two of you work things out. I feel like Mello is a second son to me." Abi says honestly. "My son was killed last year, I don't know if Mello told you that." The smile on her face falls as she recalls what must be a painful memory.

I shake my head. "He didn't."

"He was falsely accused of a crime he didn't commit, and of course he was killed by Kira." She explains. My eyes grow wide. If Kira killed him then doesn't that mean that I brought him back?

"Shouldn't he have been brought back?" I ask her and she nods.

"Yeah. His death didn't make the news and his case was very quiet. I don't know how Kira found out about it." She looks down at her lap, a frown pulling at her lips. Her eyes begin to glisten.

"I'm sorry." I murmur quietly. I didn't manage to save an innocent person.

"It's not your fault," she turns to look at me and offers me a pained smile. I don't return it and continue to let the guilt eat me.

I don't say anything more. Would she kick me out of her house if she found out I failed to bring her son back? Is that why Mello told me he went to university? So I wouldn't find out the truth? Why would he hide the truth from me?

***

"You owe me new clothes anyway." I reply to Mello when he starts complaining about having to walk around shops with me. I look at him, his face finally free from the bandages he had been wearing for the past few days. He begins to grumble under his breath.

We stroll past racks of clothes and I pick up a few t-shirts as we go along. I pick up a pair of black jeans and fold them over my arm.

"Please don't blow up my new clothes." I say jokingly, a smile gracing my lips. The joke isn't taken well as Mello glares at me, his blue eyes narrowing and the corners of his lips turn down.

"Just hurry up." He growls. I roll my eyes and pick up some more clothes, heading over to the underwear section where I quickly pick up anything I like that's in my size.

"Done." I say and look at him. His eyes are wandering around the shop.

"Aren't you going to try them on?" He asks and I shake my head, even though he's not looking at me.

"No, I don't like getting changed in public places. There's creepy people everywhere." I mutter. I walk over to the checkout and wait in the queue, Mello following closely behind.

"They better fit. I'm not coming back here with you so you can exchange them for clothes in your size."

"Jeez. Trust my judgement. I know what I'm doing."

Mello pays for the clothes and we leave the shop quickly. We then make our way to a different shop where I stand outside and wait for Mello to buy his clothes. He walks out not long after.

"We need to buy suitcases for our flight tomorrow." Mello says, breaking the silence. I look at him quickly before reverting my eyes back to what's in front of me so I don't trip on a twig or something.

"Flight?" I question.

"We're going to LA." He replies, his voice cold. "I need to see Near."

I feel so much lighter now, knowing that I can go home. A smile fights its way onto my face and I push any feeling of sadness away. I shouldn't be sad about going home. 

A/N: Vote and comment! 

Today's question: Favourite film? 

I think Howl's Moving Castle is one of mine, but then I also love Naruto: The Last :3 

I also wrote a future scene while writing this chapter XD idk when I'll post it though 

~ Alice