"Especially since if it gives out, Naveen's will too," Next said, only to have everyone look at him. "...What?"

"I'm dead, aren't I?" Near whispered after a few moments.

"Near, I didn't die and I'm here." Mello offered- slipping onto the bed beside the ivory-haired boy and holding his shoulders.

"But..." Near looked between his husband and his brother slowly, before he climbed off of the bed.

The rest of the Wammy's House kids parted slowly, watching as Near slipped over the red carpet toward his dark-haired twin. To him it almost felt like he was walking toward his death... like Naveen was there to take him away... but everyone else in the room was still very much alive and unless a bomb had gone of at Wammy's, there was no way they were dead as well...

Slowly, the albino stopped and reached out, gently touching Naveen's face. The dark-haired boy let out a slow breath and Near jumped again, feeling the warm skin beneath his fingertips.

"...Naveen... really is..." He whispered.

"And well." Matt said with a nod.

Mello slipped off the bed- watching both boys carefully as he came up behind Near.

"...How?" Near said, slowly. "Naveen was... I saw... I..."

"I can't tell you now," Naveen said. "But I-"

He jumped in surprise as Near suddenly pulled him into a hug, burring his face into the dark-haired boy's shoulder.

"I don't care!" Near cried, his shoulders shaking. "I don't care how Naveen is here... he is and that's all that matters!"

It was the first time they'd all seen him break down and cry since his brother's death.

Mello wanted to hold Near while he cried, but kept himself still- ignoring the burning in his own eyes. Near and Naveen needed each other right now- when would something like this ever happen again? No, he wasn't going to interrupt.

Ender and Next moved and began to scoot everyone from the room... to their surprise they weren't met with any resistance, save for a certain redhead.

"Near needs Mello and Naveen right now," Next whispered to his boyfriend, frowning deeply.

Matt sighed and looked back at the three.

"...It's hard not being able to do anything." He muttered.

"I know," Next whispered, taking Matt's hand. "But if it makes you feel better... I could really use a shoulder to cry on right now, too..."

Matt looked down at the boy and blinked- his face suddenly filling with concern.

"Next, why?" He asked softly.

Next glanced over at the trio before he tugged Matt out of the room and closed the door. "Well, how would you feel if you found out something about yourself that you never knew? Something... well... this big?"

Matt stared down at Next a moment before he scooped the boy up and hugged him close.

"...Let's go back to our room...okay?" He said softly.

Next nodded and let himself be carried away by his lover.

Back in Mello and Near's room, Near finally pulled away and touched his brother's face once more, as if trying to prove once more that Naveen was there.

Taking note that everyone else was gone, Naveen laid his hands on top of his brother's. "Mello wished me back, Near... He wished me back for you."

Mello shuffled were he stood- crossing his arms and looking away.

Near slowly looked toward his husband, as if to confirm Naveen's claims.

Although Mello didn't look back, he seemed to approve. He moved forward and pulled Mello's arms out from their crossed position, pressing himself against the blonde's chest.

"My thanks to Mello," The little boy whispered. "But it's Mello's Birthday, not mine..."

"I don't care about that." Mello hugged Near tightly. "If I could make you smile Near...just once for a moment...You were so sad after Naveen...and I just couldn't deal with how everything turned out and what you knew."

"I love you," Near told his husband, his shoulders shaking once more. After a moment he pulled away and grabbed Naveen, tugging his twin into their hold, as if afraid to let him go.

Mello hesitated a moment before he lifted his arm and wrapped it around Naveen as well- holding both boys against him.

Near wanted to ask if it was a temporary thing... if Naveen was only back for a day... but he couldn't find the heart to do so.

Because the answer scared him... because he didn't want to face the fact that he might have to let his brother die all over again...

--Scene Change--

"I'm proud of you," F told Far as K looked over Zero. "For bringing him back."

"...It's my husband." Far murmured as he held Trick close, Treat sitting beside Zero. "...Where's Beyond?"

"...When did you get married?" F wondered aloud, looking over as K shook her head, frowning. "I don't know where Beyond is, Far."

"Yes you do." Far said- narrowing his eyes at the Asian man and holding Trick a little closer- as though worried F was going to take the boy from him.

"K only told me that he was being sent to another hospital," F explained. "She didn't tell me which and I wasn't interested in knowing."

"Where is he K?" Far asked- not taking his eyes off his former mentor.

"Away," She informed. "And comatose. Nowhere that he can hurt any of you ever again."

"Why is it so important that I don't know?" Far asked suspiciously.

"He's sick." Treat whispered to K.

"I know, sweetheart," She assured, gently. "Far, I am going to take the children to get something to eat. You can let me take them, or I can sedate you and force you to be in your own room away from Zero."

"What?" Far frowned.

Treat slapped his own forehead and groaned.

"What are you talking about?" Far held Trick and scooted back on the bed.

"Far, be reasonable," F said, gently. "You need your medication... K and I are just trying to make you better. Please let them go so we can give you your medication without anyone getting hurt."

"Yeah does everyone think I'm going to hurt someone?" Far cradled Trick and hugged the boy. "...If anything happens to them...I can't."

He shook his head.

"If they're away, I can't protect them." He told F.

F looked at K, before he looked back to the young man.

They'd known each other for years... Far had been around when F had brought Near and Naveen in from the disaster with K. He had always had a soft spot for the boy and felt almost like the bottle-blonde was his son.

Holding up his hands, the Asian man sighed. "To be fair, Far... you have hurt people in the past, including Zero. We just don't want that to happen again... we wont take the boys out of the room, alright? But let us give you your medicine and move them out of the way, just for their protection... we both know that you couldn't forgive yourself if something happened to them."

The words were left unsaid, but Far could hear them.

You don't want to hurt them like you did Zero.

Far was quiet- not looking at F as he held Trick protectively.

"...Trick, I'm going to give you to F...okay?" Far told the little boy. "He's a very good person that's taken care of me for a very long time...okay?"

Trick gave a slow, small nod, before he allowed Far to hand him over.

"This is just an IV," K informed, holding up the different parts to show Far - and that it hadn't been opened. She knew fully that the bottle-blonde didn't trust her from the incident that had caused Near and Naveen to join Wammy's, despite the fact that it had been years ago. "I can have F check it over for you if you prefer, or have a nurse give it to you."

"Too bad your protege isn't here." Far sighed. "I trust that drunk."

He looked at all the pieces and even red some of the fine print on things. He did this quickly enough.

"...Side-effects?" Far asked the doctor, but he looked at Trick cradled in F's arms.

"Drowsiness," She informed. "Your vision will be hazy and your thoughts fuzzy. Your limbs may feel heavy and you may find it hard to communicate... we will only keep you on these sedatives for about two days, until your anti-psychotics can kick back in."

"You said you wouldn't sedate me." Far frowned.

"But if the medicine isn't working yet, you need to stay still." Treat pleaded.

"I also promised to protect Zero and the twins, no matter what it took," K reminded, gently. "In a few days you'll clear up and it will all be alright again... Zero's voice is healing better then I thought it could. Beyond is gone away... I just need you to take this last step."

"...I don't want to be isolated...I don't want to NOT see them." Far told K firmly.

"You have my word," She assured. "That they will be in here at all times."

"Mine as well," F offered up, softly. He turned to look at Zero, who gave a nod to confirm that he wouldn't leave.

Far was silent as he looked between them before nodding. He could feel his breath labored, his heart racing and all his muscles tense- his mind screaming at him that something was wrong- that he was to bolt for it- grab the kids and Zero and just go, but he fought these down with every ounce of willpower he had left.

"...Hurry." He said quietly.