Stone Children

A/N: Demon’s Sinner- So any one else wondering what happened to Beyond?

A/N: Karaage- Our lovable little hacker is back online… *giggles*



Ch. 27 Follow The Leader

Mello ran to L's door knocking on it and bouncing around. "L? May I come in?"

L opened the door. "Oh Mello. How are you? What's got you in such a good mood?" He asked with a warm smile as he let the blonde in. Mello hurried over to him but stopped at the sight of the room. "What is going on?"

The usually clean room was hideous. Plates of old half eaten sweets were piled up everywhere in the room. A postage box with a small wara ningyo popping out, papers and files were everywhere. Gory murder scene photos hung from the wall and two laptops were running at the same time. One with files and encryption the other white with a large black old English L, a huge chalkboard was next to the desk, filled with words and formulas. In the bottom right hand corner, BB was written in red chalk and circled.

"Oh, just another, case nothing much." He said shrugging.

Mello looked at everything with a sense of dread. L never brought cases to his room. "B..." he whispered.

L froze. "No, not B." He said tiredly. His circles around his eyes were more pronounced then ever and his white shirt has stains on it. The blond looked at the files and found a letter with the postage box.

'Come foLLow the Leader Lawli.'
BB

It was written in red ink with stains on the paper. "Lawli?" he asked turning to look at him. "Is that your name?"

"No, Lawli isn’t." He said a little too rough. "You had something to tell me?" He said his voice exhausted.

"Umm... I moved up in the rankings... I'm now number two above Matt." He moved his hair behind one ear as he looked at his feet.

L perked up and smiled at the boy. "Number 2 above Matt? Did I miss something?"

"Umm no I got a 98 and he got a 95."

L smiled even more. "Congratulations! I'm so happy for you."

Mello gave him the biggest smile he could, making his eyes squeeze shut. "Yeah I mean I knew that if I studied hard enough I could do it! Now I just have to beat Near and I'll be the number one! I only want to be the best for you L!" he cheered.

L blinked, then stared at Mello with his mouth open, eyes wide and unblinking for a whole minute. A...

"That's great news! I’m sorry, I’m really busy, can you come back later after dinner and we can have tea then?"

"Sure. I'm sorry I didn't mean to interrupt you. Later L!" He skipped out waving. He went to find Matt for lunch in the dinning room. He walked into their bedroom with a smile that rivaled the sun. "Hey Matty! Come on let's go to lunch!"

L got over the shock and started to think. Matt... Why? Why would you give up being Number 1? His smile got wider, oh yeah, the reason just skipped out the door. L laughed.

Matt grinned and got up from his bed. "Okay." He said as he got up and tried to adjust his sling, his shoulder blade was also quite itchy.

Mello bit his lip laughing at him. "Here I'll help." Mello climbed onto the bed and scratched his back. "Better?"

Matt blushed a bit. "Thanks. Um.. can you adjust my strap while your back there?"

"Sure do you need it tighter or looser?"

"It got loose during my nap." He said as he sat there, blushing deeper.

He tightened it and leaned over resting his head on Matt's good shoulder. "L's working on a big case... I think B is involved."

"How do you figure? We haven’t heard anything from B in almost 2 years." He said relaxing into Mello.

"I saw his files... and there was a note from him." His arms moved to rest around Matt's waist as he breathed.

Matt rested his good hand on Mello's arm. "Do you think L is regretting letting B go? I don’t think the guy was insane.. He just had issues, like all of us." He said his body getting more relaxed.

"He had to... They were going to commit him to a mental hospital..."

"I know. I feel bad for the poor guy..." Matt sighed.

"There isn't much we can do..."

"Yeah.. sucks ass too.." He sighed again. "You okay?"

"I'm just worried for L..." He leaned back and moved away. "We better go get something to eat. Hannah will throw a fit if I miss a meal."

"Yeah, she gets mean when that happens and its sooo not pretty." He laughed and got up.

Mello walked in front of him giggling as he took his hand. "So let go!"

Matt blushed and smiled. "Right behind you." He said as he let Mello lead him out the door.

They went down to the kitchen and Mello Happily told Hannah about his new rank. "Can you believe it! I mean it was only like two years ago I couldn't even read!"

Hannah exclaimed with joy. "OH SUNSHINE! THAT’S GREAT!" She hugged him tightly and gave him extra sweets. "I’m so happy for you!"

Matt just smiled. Mello laughed and ate happily as he talked about things in class. His eyes fell on Matt asking him what he thought they should do after eating.

Matt shrugged. "I don’t know, whatever you want to do." He said as he ate his soup awkwardly with his left hand.

"How about we go outside."

"Umm... the sun is out." He stated raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. That's the point."

"Why?" He asked the idea so foreign to him.

"Because if we don't go out in the day light it will be cold."

"That’s what hoodies are for." He stated as he looked over and broke off a piece of cookie on Mello's plate and ate it.

"I don't own a hoodie." He took the cookie from Matt and flicked him in the head. "What's the matter Matt? Afraid you'll get more freckles," he teased playfully and smiling at him.

He pouted over the cookie. "You can borrow one of mine. Leave my freckles alone!"

Mello started to tease the other more. He made comments about how he could play connect the dots with Matt's freckles while dragging his finger across them. Matt blushed and squirmed. "Stop it! That tickles!" He whined.

"Hold on I think I can make a sail boat!"

"Nooo... stop!!" He squirmed more. He grabbed Mello around the waist with his good arm and pulled him into his lap laughing. "Pwnage." He said with a grin.

The seven year old blond squeaked as he fell face first in Matt's crotch. He twisted to get up. A slight moan escaped Matt's lips before he blushed bright red. "I’m sorry I didn’t mean for that to happen!" He said as he helped Mello get up as best his could. Shit! Now was not the time to get a boner. Fuck! He sat up and brushed his hair away from his eyes. He pouted and leaned in close to Matt's face. "You shouldn't do that. I almost fell."

"I was trying to pull you over my lap but it didn’t work as well with only one arm. Sorry." He said, his blush deepening. Mello giggled and stuck out his tongue. "Now you know better."

"Yeah, you do too. Don’t go teasing about my freckles or your head will up end up places." He smirked.

"You'd like that wouldn't you," he teased jumping down and running off.

"Hey! What’s that’s suppose to mean?! GET BACK HERE!" He yelled chasing after him.

Mello laughed as he ran off. "Got to catch me Matty!"

"MELLS! GET YOUR BLONDE ASS BACK HERE!!" He shouted gaining on him.

The blond ran straight outside away from him. Matt didn’t slow down at all and soon caught up with him and tackled him. "Caught ya, Mells." He said breathless from running. Mello rolled over so he was lying on top of him. Matt smirked and reached back with his good hand. "This is for teasing me about my freckles." he said then slapped the blonde's ass cheek hard.

Mello's eyes fell shut and his body tensed as a loud "AHHH!" left his lips. Matt's eyes got wide. "I don’t know that person but can I?" He said shocked. The blond jumped up and blushed a dark red. "Don't do that!"

"Alright. I won’t. No sweat." He said Holding his hand up to him. "I didn’t mean to upset you."

"I'm not upset... That just surprised me."

"I’m sorry." He paused. "Here take my hand, so I can pull myself up."

He helped him up and stuck out his tongue. "Well we are outside."

Matt pulled him close. "Yeah, you got me right where you wanted me." He said with a smirk.

He pushed him away laughing. "Stop being weird."

"I wasn’t being weird. You wanted me outside right?" He looked at him questioningly.

"Yeah so let’s play." He ran to grab a soccer ball and tossed it at Matt.

It hit Matt's chest and he winced. "Ow. I can’t really do anything with my arm. Would you swing with me?"

"I guess that would work but can you hold on with you arm messed up?"

"If I don’t go too high. Would you push me?" He asked heading over to the swing set and sitting down handing the chain with his good hand.

"Can't you push yourself?"

"No." He said kicking dirt with his combat boot.

"Why?" He walked with him to the swings and sat down in one. "It's not hard you just swing your legs."

"I can’t. I just need a push to get started."

"Fine I'll start you off."

Matt smiled warmly at him. "Thanks." Mello pushed him twice before going to sit on his own swing. He swung there as best he could with one arm in silence looking at his feet.

Mello kept a slow pace so they were side by side. "You know what Matty? I think we could be the best of friends."

Matt looked up and grinning brightly at him. "I think so too."

"You think that I can do it? Be number one I mean."

"Definitely." He said with conviction.

Mello smiled at him. "I will do my best then."

Matt smiled wider. "I’m kinda tired, wanna go back inside?"

"Sure that works for me." He hopped off and moved to stop Matt. "How come you’re afraid of Hospitals?"

"Um...I don’t think I’m allowed to say." He said as he stopped the swing with his boot and hopped out.

"Oh... Right I forgot..."

"It’s okay. Maybe I'll tell you when we're older and can get away with it." He grinned as he started to walk back to the main door.

Mello followed him and took his hand. "Come on, I'll get you something to eat."

"But I’m not hungry." He said as he let the blonde lead him.

He looked back at him with a smile. "Then we can just talk."

"Okay." He said as they reached there bedroom. He walked in and there was a huge pile of clothes and chocolate bars on Mello's bed and a new laptop on Matt's bed wrapped in a pretty red bow and ribbon.

Matt ran over to the bed and climbed up, his eyes popping out. He ran his hand slowly over the glistening case. He picked up the note.

I know what you did, and I’m proud.
Way to go.
~L

Matt blushed. Mello squealed at the sight and ran over spinning around while holding up a designer black shirt. "This is amazing!!"

"Yeah." Matt said as he opened the laptop and set it up.

While all the files were loading he looked over at Mello. "So whatcha wanna talk about?"

The blond was holding up the shirts in the mirror with a chocolate bar in his mouth. He took out the bar before speaking. "I don't know. How about what part of the Emerald Isle you're from?" He said smiling at himself. "I am so trying these on."

He chuckled. "South side of Dublin." He said with a grin as he watched the blonde. "What part of Mother Russia are you from?"

"I'm from Moscow I think." He pulled off his shirt and began pulling on the new one.

He nodded. "Never been there, but I hear it’s nice."

"Only if you have cash."

"Well that goes for any place you go to." He said with a chuckle.

"Yeah well I didn't get see much of Russia really." He snapped off the top left corner of the bar. He let it melt in his mouth before chewing it and then talking. "I like this... wonder what else I get for scoring so high."

"It just depends. I didn’t really ask for much. Just games." He shrugged as he watched the laptop.

Mello giggled as he lay down on Matt's bed grinning. "What are you doing?"

"Setting up my laptop." He said watching it as the files uploaded and moved to their proper folders.

"You any good at computers?"

"Yeah, I love them. More then games actually." He said with a smile.

"That's cool. I'm not that good at computers."

"It’s easy. Do you want me to teach you?" He said taking the card from under his laptop and tearing it up into little pieces then placed in the trash next to his bed.

"Sure."

"Okay. It’s just going to take a while to program." He said his eyes following everything on screen.

"Okay." He watched for a while until he got bored. He got up and went to the door. "I'm going to see how L is. He looked way too stressed."

"Okay." Matt said his face falling.

Mello looked over at him and smiled. "Hey I'll see you tonight and you can show me how to work a computer."

Matt smiled. "I'll hold you to it." He said as he watched the blonde.