The Flaw

Suggested Listening: Under the Sheets by Ellie Goulding

Part 12

~Catalyst~

The wait had been agonizing; though Matt knew it had probably been worse for Mello. It had been awkward sitting there after hearing that your male best friend just might be pregnant and even worse to listen to him say he didn't know whose it was; Mello hadn't said it in so many words, but when he'd said he didn't even know if he'd had sex...

Matt jerked in his seat, sitting up straighter, as the bathroom door creaked open and the light was turned off. Mello had been in there for nearly an hour. Mello was pale and shaky and he let the door swing open behind him. It confirmed what Matt hadn't wanted to admit; that Mello was pregnant with his child.

Absently he noted that the test wasn't on Mello's person, so Matt assumed the blond had dumped it in the trash. He would have heard if it had been thrown against something, even something so light as the test had appeared.

Mello didn't even seem to have noticed Watari's absence, the elder man having been summoned by L nearly fifteen minutes before, as he seated himself next to Matt. Matt tried to speak a few times but gave up after two failed starts. Really, what could he say? Especially without telling Mello everything?

More importantly, Matt had no idea what they would or even could do. Mello wasn't equipped to have a baby. He lacked the right parts to birth it, not to mention his body wouldn't naturally produce the right pregnancy hormones and a bunch of other things that the baby would need.

It was probably a miracle it had even survived that long in his body.

No matter how Matt looked at it, things were too complicated to keep it... but despite that, it was his and Mello's.

"I see that the test was positive, as are the results I hold in my hand. I can't tell you how it is possible, but you are indeed pregnant and there are many things that need to be discussed because of it." the man smiled sympathetically but Matt didn't think Mello appreciated or even registered it.

"That will not be necessary. L has requested to see Mello immediately and you are to leave now." Watari interrupted as he walked into the room looking more fatigued than Matt ever recalled seeing him.

Mello swallowed audibly and nodded, not even looking in the doctors direction as he stood; at least not until the man grabbed his arm to stop him. "L can wait; there are a great deal of things that need to be discussed about the preg-"

"L's request is absolute and is to be carried out now. Your services are no longer required tonight. You account will already have the money transferred into it, I will show you the way out." Watari's voice was void of all usual kindness and Matt felt dread creep along his insides.

Whatever L wanted to say wouldn't be good.

Would he tell Mello he was out of the running? Or that he couldn't continue the case?

None of those options would sit well with Mello and Matt didn't even want to know what the blond's reaction to any of those would be.

Mello didn't seem to be thinking of any of that as he walked from the room and Matt, as he saw it, had no choice but to follow. It didn't matter if he hadn't been summoned as well; he wasn't going to let Mello see L by himself.

Though when they arrived Near was there and seated directly at the foot of L's chair as the detective sat in his odd style and ate lemons. "Please seat yourselves." L said as though he was hardly surprised to see Matt, and perhaps he wasn't.

Mello sat dutifully, though he seemed nervous, but Matt simply stood by the blond leaning on the edge of the couch.

"I have come up with a theory regarding your unexpected pregnancy." L told them, voice muffled by the fruit in his mouth. Matt stared straight ahead. A theory, and so quickly at that? Something wasn't right... something he couldn't grasp just yet.

He didn't have to look over to know that Mello had his entire attention on the man crouched before them. Matt just hoped that Mello didn't immediately believe whatever the detective said as truth.

"I believe the Death Note may have planted a portion of itself inside of you, as you were the only one to have a physical representation of the changes the notebook made. But the notebook could not control you as it might have another human, you are simply far too strong willed, instead it used the sperm of whomever you slept with as an opportunity of sorts in which to grow free of it confines of the book. In which case, the fetus is actually made from a portion of the notebook, which Near and myself believe is, at least in part, sentient."

Matt couldn't believe it. The notebook implanting itself into Mello, and using his sperm, was able to take hold in Mello's body and grow? That just sounded insane. Completely nuts...

"Also, there is the matter of Mello's personality shift coinciding with the conception." L commented as though he were speaking about the weather.

"I concurred. Mello's strange behavior only began when the notebook was placed in his and Matt's room. While we have gotten clarity he has become unstable." Near said, an odd gleam in his eyes as he caressed a strand of hair.

What in the hell were they talking about?

Mello hadn't become unstable in any way shape or form! And Matt had yet to see either Near or L act like they should. He began to wonder, really wonder, if he had been right. If L and Near had been tainted so much by the corruption of the notebook that they were the ones becoming unstable. Their actions and personalities had changed subtly at first, L's harder to see, and Matt hadn't really wanted to believe they couldn't be trusted.

But between Mello and them, Matt would trust in Mello all the way. He knew the blond. And the only things that had changed were in the physical and that could be explained by the period and the newly found pregnancy.

"However, it is alternatively possible that because of the period you have been suffering from due to the notebooks mark on you, you have been given the ability to bare children, though I believe the former is more likely and it is prudent to get rid of it and your unwanted uterus at the same time. Who knows what might be unleashed if it is allowed to be born." L stated calmly, moving to snatch another slice of lemon and stuff it into his mouth whole.

Matt wasn't sure what to think.

"And what if it's not the death note, what if it is just a normal fetus?" Mello asked, surprising them all. Matt turned and openly stared at the blond, trying to read his expression. But Mello had seemed to have gained some control over himself, burying his emotions for the time being.

"Then it is an acceptable loss." L stated immediately, not even blinking. Matt lost all respect for the man in that moment.

"Fine." Mello replied, and in that moment Matt wasn't sure who he was more angry at. And yet, there had been something in the blond's tone that had suggested it wasn't the end of the issue, that he wouldn't go along with it. Maybe that was just what Matt had wanted to believe.

"It should be taken care of as soon as possible so there will be an appointment set up for you tomorrow. I believe it is said that one should not eat or drink twenty-four hours before surgery, so please make sure you do not consume anything else for the remainder of the day."

Mello nodded and though Matt wished the blond would fight the decision, he followed Mello from the room never-the-less. But it soon became apparent that Mello was anything but happy. The second they reached their room, not where Matt had expected Mello to go, Mello began to pace, an unreadable expression consuming his features.

Matt simply sat on his bed, game in hand though it wasn't even on, and watched him.

"Damn it... Goddamn it!" Mello swore violently, though it had come out as no more than a whisper. Mello was struggling, that much Matt could tell. But was it the fact that L wanted him to get rid of it, or was it that L had discussed things over with Near first and come to those conclusions?

Matt didn't know which way Mello's thoughts were going and it kind of worried him. On one hand, if what L had had said were true and it was a piece of the Death Note, then it was for the best. But if it weren't... then it was something he and Mello needed to discuss.

He couldn't keep it to himself. He couldn't let Mello make whatever decision without telling him. No matter the outcome and no matter how much his own thoughts were in turmoil over it.

"Mello... I need to tell you something." Matt forced the words to leave his mouth even as Mello seemed to have ignored him; and he just wished he didn't dread the next portion of it.

"I remember mostly everything...from the night we got drunk." It was so much harder to tell Mello than it was to think of telling him. "We were groping each other as we danced, and when we got back here... We had sex Mello." he admitted, daring to keep his eyes on Mello, who froze mid-step.

Mello was silent for a long moment before he spoke almost silently. "I know. I could never forget your eyes, that exact color of green..."

Mello had known. The entire time, Mello had known.

"Why didn't you say something...?" Mello was never the type to keep silent about something important like that, health problems aside.

"I'm not the only one who kept what they remembered a secret." Mello whispered, his fists clenched at his side. Matt hated seeing Mello like that, hated that he was the cause.

Matt sucked in a small breath and moved over to Mello. Shoving all the warnings in his mind away he pulled Mello into his arms. Mello didn't struggle, didn't do much of anything for the first few moments, but when he buried his face in Matt's neck and returned the embrace Matt knew things would be alright.

-End Part 12-