"I'm not-"

"Why the hell is there a limo parked outside my god damn house!?" Came a voice that made Near freeze, before the front door flew open and a young woman with curled brown hair stormed in. "Are you guys ordering expensive hookers again!? What have I..."

She fell silent and her eyes slowly widened.

"Again?" Mihael repeated.

"C'Mon, Linda," Nate laughed as he helped himself to a plate of pancakes. "Those hookers were for you! How were we supposed to know they were gay!?"

"You shouldn't eat those in your condition," 'Linda' said, as if automatically, as she slowly approached. Nate ignored her and she didn't seem to notice, eyes locked with Near's. "Is this... is it really...?"

"Well, get over here and find out." Matt laughed.

Dropping the back of groceries on the floor, Linda moved closer and fell to her knees in front of Near - almost eye-level with him as she stared up at the boy. "It is... you're really here..."

"Hello, Linda," He said.

Letting out a weak sob, the woman wrapped her arms around her brother and pulled him into a hug.

"Funny, Mihael had that same reaction earlier." Matt pointed out.

"Shut up for a few seconds!" Linda snapped. "I just want to enjoy this..."

A few moments passed by before the rest of the show's cast came back in from one of the rooms.

"Oh gosh!" Missy gasped. "Its Lisa Brown!"

"Lisa who?" Nate asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"The producer of Death Note," Light scoffed.

"Oh, right," Nate hummed. "I forgot to tell you guys... We kind of produced the show. Had to keep the reality rolling and all that."

"No wonder this piece of shit is still on the air." Mihael snorted.

"Lisa, when were you gonna tell me you had a cute brother?" Mail chuckled.

"Lisa, when were you going to fill us in on the truth?" Lawliet asked- almost seeming hurt.

"I couldn't exactly tell you what was going to happen until it did," Linda snorted. "Or risk it not happening."

"That woul'a sucked!" Nate mumbled from a mouthful of pancakes.

"Why aren't you making him spit that out!?" Linda snapped at Matt.

"Cause he wants to eat for a change." Matt replied.

"...What's wrong with the pancakes?" Mihael frowned.

"She's crazy, that's what's wrong with- OW!" Nate whined as a pillow hit him in the face. "Matty, Linda's picking on me!"

"Linda, do you wanna sit in timeout again." Mello warned with a smirk.

"What the hell is going on here!?" Mihael suddenly burst.

"This kids really high-strung." Mello sighed.

"Mihael, calm down," Nate sighed. "Linda is just babying me because of what I told you outside."

"What did you tell him outside that would make her baby you?" Missy instantly cut in.

"He's..." Mihael looked at Nate- his face just so deep with sadness suddenly.

"Not close enough to you to feel it should be any of your business," Nate admitted. "But I do want to tell Mail. Sorry, Missy."

"I understand," She assured.

"Tell me what?" Mail asked. "I don't like secrets."

Mihael got up and left the room.

Sighing, Nate pushed his plate away and stood up, heading up the stairs and pulling Mail with him.

"I feel ill," Near admitted, causing Linda to hug him again.

"...Linda, why don't you show Near to his room." Mello offered. "And someone go get that other kid before he throws a fit."

"I'm right here!" Light huffed, rather angrily.

"Come on, you look exhausted," Linda said as she tugged her brother down the hall, toward the master bedroom.

--

Nate took a seat on the bean-bag chair in his and Matt's shared room, motioning for Mail to find a seat.

"I really hope it's not 'sit down' news." Mail murmured beside the door.

"Just sit, please?" Nate sighed. "And close the door behind yourself..."

"It's really got Mihael upset." Mail closed the door and sat on the bed.

"I'd imagine so," Nate sighed. "It will probably upset you, too..."

"...Then...why tell me?" Mail asked.

"We're friends, right?" Nate asked, frowning.

"Of course we are...so if it was something about...about you..." Mail attempted.

"I'm going to die," Nate said as gently as possible.

Mail was quiet before he nodded and got up.

"Okay." Was all he replied with.

"Mail!" Nate cried in surprise, getting to his feet as well.

"Yeah?" Mail turned from the door- where he had been headed.

"Why are you walking out?" Nate asked, looking a little hurt.

"...Was there something else you wanted to say?" Mail asked- turning to Nate completely.

"You're not even going to ask what is wrong, or how I know?" Nate whispered.

"I trust you enough to think you would know." Mail replied. "Because you're my friend and I trust you. Why would you lie about that or even bother telling me something like that if you didn't?"

"You're not even curious?" Nate whispered. "About how I'm going to die?"

"...Are you seriously asking me that question." Mail's voice was so serious, without any of its usual cheer or lax quality that it was almost like a completely different person. "That I would I would hear news like that be curious? Is that the kinda person I seem like?"

"I didn't mean-" Nate groaned, before he smiled weakly. "Look at us... eight years since I've seen you and we're already bickering like a married couple..."

"...Yeah...I wouldn't know anything about being married." Mail replied. "It's really too bad. I wish could look at you and feel the same...but that's different now. Now I'm just gonna feel bad and that sucks."

"Feel bad for what?" Nate asked, frowning in confusion.

"Before, I would have looked at you and felt light...maybe uplifted like everything was okay." Mail replied. "Now I'm gonna look at you and think...you're gonna die."

He shrugged.

"I don't know if you'd feel differently about that if it were me." He said.