"Oh no, I did," Near hummed, ignoring the looks on their faces. "As I said... I'm a liar."

"...Is he autistic?" Missy asked Mello.

"Something like that." Mello replied. "And he's an asshole."

"And Mello is a bully," Near informed, looking at the blonde. "...I missed you."

"Did he just say 'you'?" Missy whispered to Lawliet.

"Why?" Mello smirked. "You've only been gone...twenty-four hours max."

"Thirty seven hours and fifteen minutes," Near informed. "Adding in the time that I didn't see Mello before I was sent here. And I was supposed to be meeting Mello as it is, remember? Mello told me to meet him there because he had something to give me."

"...The photo." Mihael suddenly breathed.

"Photo?" Near asked, frowning at him in confusion, before he looked back to Mello.

"Yeah, the photo." Mello sighed. "I think that was the first thing that got changed."

"Mello was supposed to give you a photo of himself," Missy explained to a confused Near. "That you eventually give back to him... or, well, he asks for it back."

"At gunpoint." Mail nodded in confirmation.

Missy smacked the redhead upside the head. "You didn't need to add that in, Mail!"

"I would expect it to be at gunpoint," Near informed.

"...Really?" Mihael frowned at Near.

"Because I wouldn't give it back unless he was serious enough to use a gun," Near informed, calmly.

"But...it was, like...gifted back." Mail reasoned.

"Then the writers obviously didn't know me too well," Near hummed, still avoiding eye contact with Mello.

"You would." Mello replied. "You wrote it back to me."

"I never even got it in the first place!" Near snapped, making the cast members jump in surprise once more.

"...That was cool." Mello smirked again. "You're gone less than two days and this."

"I was gone eight years," Near informed, his calm facade breaking. "Eight years. Can Mello imagine walking into a world and finding out everyone he cares for has grown up without him?"

"...Or dead." Mello added darkly. "At least you weren't around for some things...and you get to meet up with us like...the next day to you, even if we're older. I did wait eight years...we all did."

"And I have to sit here and look at Mello, who is eight years older, scarred, and obviously doesn't remember that he was meeting me in the closet to give me the same birthday present he gave me every year - a kiss!" Near hissed.

Silence followed his words.

"...A what?" Mihael blinked.

"Seriously?" Mail laughed.

Near turned away and Missy smacked Mail, shooting him a glare.

"Ow!" Mail hissed- rubbing his cheek.

"You could get that kiss now." Lawliet offered Near. "It'd be late, but it's still a good gift...right?"

The limo pulled to a stop as Light pulled up to where the GPS had taken them. Near shoved past Lawliet and climbed out.

"Near!" Mello called as he pushed out next.

Pausing, Near looked up at the small house that stood in an area almost entirely surrounded by fields. He could hear tractors and cows nearby, but didn't think about it much longer as he headed for the front door.

"Maybe you should give him some time," Missy suggested as she climbed out after Mello. "Or assure him that you still care about him."

"Uh, ew?" Light offered. "That kids like... eight? And this guys like... 30?"

"You are so dense!" Missy snapped.

"But he kinda has a point." Mello sighed. "The minute I saw Near I knew that things were just...complicated now."

"Um... I read the script... they were complicated before," Missy snorted. "Would you rather they were that way, where you're pointing guns at him and murdering off his entire team and-" Light threw a hand over her mouth.

Near paused in the doorway and blinked in surprise as a shadowed form moved up to him.

"I really wanted to tell you a few things before we got here, but I just couldn't." Mello said as he came up behind Near- placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Its nice to finally meet you, Near," said the form as Nate slowly pulled the hood of his coat off of his head, revealing his dyed black hair and adult face.

"Nate!" Mihael breathed and ran over- barreling through Mello and Near.

Nate blinked in surprise, before he frowned and looked at Mello. "Why is he here- why are they all here?"

"It's a long story...and Ender's fault." Mello replied.

"Nate, what happened?" Mihael frowned- looking Nate over...he seemed so aged, even if he still looked young.

"It is my fault," Near informed, speaking slowly as he carefully studied Nate.

Giving a small sigh, Nate motioned for them to come inside and closed the door after they'd all piled in. "Make yourselves comfortable, I suppose... No use sending you back when you're so involved."

"Not just us." Mail replied. "Far...Zero and the kids?"

"...You met Far and Zero?" Nate asked in surprise, looking toward Mello again in confusion.

"My fault once more," Near informed. "Mail and I went to Wammy's to look for Mello and Nate."

"...He does talk cute, Matt was right," Nate hummed.

"Oh yeah, this is the first time you two ever met." Mello smiled before taking Near by the shoulders and pushing him a little closer to Nate.

"Nate?" Mihael called.

Near winced as Mello's hands touched his still tender shoulders and Nate frowned, reaching out and tugging the boy's collar down a little. "You told me that they didn't hit him!"

"He told me the same thing." Mello frowned. "He's a liar."