"How did it happen?" Near asked him, gently. He was a lot more tender then Nate had ever portrayed him - then again, they'd only ever seen his 'character' interacting with an angry Mello.

"...I'm okay, does it really matter beyond that?" Mello asked.

"He's not as...angry as often as I thought he would be." Mihael admitted. "He's not so tough acting and more...cool."

"Sh!" Missy hushed him, watching the two as if she was watching a romance movie.

"No," Near informed, frowning. "Because Mello hasn't told me if Matt and Nate are."

"...Matt saved my life." Mello shrugged. "I guess I hadn't expected that."

"Why wouldn't he?" Near asked. "Matt and Mello... well, they're 'friends', right?"

Mello blinked at Near- seeming a little surprised and slightly confused before he nodded.

"Yeah...I guess he is." Mello admitted.

"Matt was alive, then," Near breathed. "That is somewhat of a relief... Nate is the one that called... It is 86% likely that he stays in doors so that he is not recognized."

"You don't know Nate very well." Mello smirked. "I guess he's my friend in all this too."

These words made Near frown. The young boy turned away and pulled his leg up against his chest.

"That play into your little romance?" Mihael whispered to his sister.

"Hush!" She snorted, smacking him in the arm. "At least they have the balls to talk to the people they like!"

"Mihael went to another country for Nate, that is pretty brave," Near commented and Missy blushed, realizing he could hear her.

"...I intend to get him back and set this crazy shit right." Mihael replied firmly.

"Well good luck with that now," Missy sighed. "He's... what, 24 now? Probably grew out of his fan boy crush."

"I don't mean just meeting him here...I wanna get him back for real." Mihael replied.

"I don't know how that would work, so much is apparently different now." Mello sighed. "With Nate in Near's place, Near was safe from Wammy's House...if we change that..."

He looked over at Near.

"Safe from... Wammy's?" Missy asked with a frown.

"I can't protect Mello if I don't go back," Near informed, looking back up at the blonde. "That is the most important thing."

"Protect him from what?" Mihael asked.

"Near...you know that doesn't matter." Mello sighed.