"Okay!" Trick cried, moving back into his seat and buckling up.

--Scene Change--

Near wasn't entirely sure how he wound up in the old grave yard on the other side of the forest behind Wammy's... he couldn't really remember stealing the ambulance or ditching it a few blocks ago, nor could he remember walking through the snow in his socks.

But somehow he had wound up inside the gated place, standing in front of a grave marked only as 'M'.

"Why did you leave me?" He found himself asking, but it wasn't as if he was asking it. It was like he was watching someone else do it... like a scene in a movie. "Why did you go...?"

The images flashed before his vision like a grainy movie reel rolling in front of him. In it, he could see him and Mello, standing face to face and talking softly.

"You're not just some tool...why do you put up with it?" Mello asked him and suddenly Near realized he was no longer watching it third-person, but from his own perspective now, through his eyes. "It's so stupid."

'When did he say that to me?' Near wondered to himself, frowning at the memory.

"He never said I was a tool," He replied in the memory, but the voice seemed strange to him. "He isn't like that..."

The shock was just now beginning to settle in while Mello blinked- looking shocked as well.

"...He's what!?" Mello breathed.

"He... he lied to me..." Near whispered, staring down at the grave in complete horror. "...He LIED to me!"

He turned, swinging and hitting the display of flowers that was on his own brother's grave, sending it flying to the ground. The vase shattered, glass glittering in the snow.

"...He lied to me," Near whimpered, sinking to his knees in the snow.

A hand fell on Near's head and gently ran its fingers through his hair.

You never had to settle for second rate.

He looked up to blink teary eyes at a blonde boy almost identical to Mello save for his bangs, which were died blue and blue eyes that were far too pale in color to belong to his husband.

"M... Maddness..." Near whispered into the cold, reaching forward. He could have sworn he touched the others skin and felt its warmth beneath his fingers, although he knew that wasn't possible.

Inwardly, he knew that it was the cold and whatever Beyond had given him, messing with his head... on top of it was the visions he had seen and his aching chest... inwardly, he knew that there was no way that M was actually standing before him.

But he still let the form embrace him and leaned in, crying on the man's chest.

...Why did your fragile heart have to be stepped on...why did you allow it to happen?

He felt M petting his hair- his warmth wrapped around him with his hold.

For a few moments, Near just let himself be held... then he started to realize that he could smell the faint smell of cigarettes and Axe body spray.

Slowly, the white-haired boy pulled back and wiped at his eyes, looking up at Matt in surprise. Trick shifted behind the redhead, looking nervously around the graveyard.

"...Matt?" Near whispered in clouded surprise.

"...Let me take you back inside." Matt offered softly- taking Near's hand gently in his own. "Back home Near."

Slowly, Near nodded. He didn't fight it as Matt scooped him up, burring his face into the redhead's shoulder and starting to cry quietly.

Trick stumbled after the two of them, looking over his shoulder as the sun started to rise to a new day.

--

"...I could have walked back to England by now Matsuda." Mello informed as he stood beside to Asian detective on the landing strip.

"It was the best I could do...hopefully Aizawa will get here with something for you from back home." The Japanese man offered.

Just as he said that a car pulled up and Aizawa stepped out, looking as Mello remembered him.

He stepped up and gave them both a nod, before turning completely to Mello. "It took some time, but I got a hold of Roger. He was out... there was a false alarm pulled at the hospital, taking he and Nancy out for the evening."

"Well then who the hell was watching the kids?" Mello demanded.

"It sounds as if he left a person named Indigo in charge?" Aizawa hummed, shaking his head. "He informed me that someone by the name of 'Zero' was just admitted to the hospital and that a girl named 'Linda' told him she wasn't sure where Near was... you children all have odd names."

"Oh shit, Zero WAS there!" Mello burst. "How long before the God damned plane!?"

Thankfully someone flagged them down then and they were climbing on board. Mello tried his best to reach someone before they got on, but no one was picking up, to his dismay.

"We don't have any time, we have to take off and land as close to Wammy's House as we can." Mello growled as the took his seat.

--

"...You know, there's slight possibility that maybe he's already on a plane back." C finally offered.

"It's entirely possible," Ender replied - still in the same gray dress as before - looking almost frustrated to someone who was looking hard enough. "But until we know, we can't simply leave the states. What if he isn't and we abandon him?"

"Good riddance," One muttered.

"Does he have a cell?" C asked with a frown before his eyes shot wide. "Oh crap...is Oliver holding his pills for him!?"

"I think so," Ender said and One winced heavily, looking horrified.

"...We gotta find him...FAST!" C looked alarmed now- more so than usual anyway.

"Where do we start looking, even?" One groaned. "How are we supposed to find out anything?!"

Ninja reached up and smacked the boy, who turned to gape at her.

"You're a god damn Wammy kid!" She snapped. "You don't need Mello or Near to lead your path- do it yourself!"

"...Thank you Ninja." C murmured. "Even if a little extreme, you're right, we are perfectly capable of handling this on our own, we just need to clear our heads and reorganize."

"And for all we know... Far could just land in our laps," Ender hummed.

"Yeah, we can't rule out that possibility." C nodded. "Okay...now...we have a plane that doesn't work and Matsuda may have handled our security issues...for now. Do have anyone else we can call to help us get off the ground?"

"We'll worry about that after we find Far," Ninja informed, firmly.

"Not to mention Oliver?" One offered.

"Why the hell hasn't he turned up yet?" C frowned. "I mean, I can understand Far, but was Oliver picked up or something?"

He moved over to a terminal nearby and started typing.

"I wish Matt was here." He mumbled.

Ender sighed, sharing a frustrated look with Ninja.

--Scene change--

"Someone help, please!" Next cried as he and Matt came stumbling into the emergency room waiting room, Near cuddled in Matt's arms, shivering heavily.

Nancy and Roger jumped up from where they were waiting to hear news about Zero and Beyond.

"Beyond's out in the car and Trick's just outside." Matt said quickly. "Near needs a doctor!"

Nancy rushed outside to get Trick while Next rushed up to the front counter to get help.

It was a bit of chaos before Near was being set onto a stretcher with Matt following him down the hall.

"Near, just relax." Matt told him. "The doctors will help...okay?"

It was partly a lie. Sure, the doctors could help Near recover from the shock and cold, but the rest...that was something else. You couldn't give him some injection and make him all better with the way he was.

Near looked up at him, but his eyes were clouded. It was a look Matt couldn't remember seeing on his face before... it scared him.

"This has all gone to hell," Nancy whispered to Roger as she came up, Trick sobbing against her chest.

"I'll see to it." Roger sighed. "Please take the little one's back home and I'll get back to you on Near."

One of the nurses came up and placed an oxygen mask over Near's face.

"Near..." Matt tried to think of something to say.

Slowly, Near reached out for Matt's hand, his eyes desperate for comfort.

"I'm right here." Matt took Near's hand immediately. "I'm not going anywhere...and we're getting Mello down here too."