Walls Came Tumbling Down

Mello decided that there was a lot to be said about a reunion conducted in near silence. There weren't streams of words to stumble over and get in the way. Instead their communication was conducted in touches, looks, gestures and kisses. Matt was in one of Mello's t-shirts now, with his cutting scars starkly on view, as the sleeves were only short. His muddy, grey top had been rolled up and stashed inside Mello's suitcase by Pwyll, when he took out the t-shirt and the manicure kit. Paper towels had cleaned the mud off Mello. A nail file had picked the lock of Matt's handcuffs. They lay now, under the quilt, with Mello's head on Matt's shoulder and Matt's arms holding him, listening as the drama played out in the room around them.

Ann walked in after about twenty minutes. She exclaimed, in hissed outrage, "What are you doing in here?"

Pwyll replied, cautiously, "I came to see Mello, but he's just using the bedpan."

"Out."

Mello called to her, "He's fine. He's helping me." He paused. "Any news on the others?"

"Hmphf." Ann replied. Mello lifted his gaze and met Matt's. Their expressions said the same thing, 'she knows'. A second later, her face peeped through the crack, despite Pwyll's strangled protest. She pushed herself between the curtains and came inside, whispering, "You must think I was born yesterday! Hal's going to have your guts for garters."

Mello gave her a plaintive look. "How are Lauren and Chrissie?"

"They're working on them," was all that Ann would tell them, then, "What are you doing, Matt? There's a search party all over this house after you. I'm not lying for you."

Mello glared at her. He asked again, emphatically, "Are Lauren and Chrissie going to make it?"

Ann raised her hands. "You know as much as I do."

"Go and see." Mello's eyes flicked towards the direction he wanted her to take. "They'll tell you. Then report back."

"They'll tell us when they're good and ready." But she looked worried. The distress flashed through her gaze, as she surveyed the curtain beyond Mello's bed. She muttered. "I do wish you kids wouldn't live such dangerous lives." Mello wished that he could reach back for her, but his right arm was under Matt and his left arm was currently useless. Ann bowed her head. "And Kato doesn't even know yet. Hal wants to be there in the telling, but she's busy with other things." Ann narrowed her eyes at Matt. "It's going to be awful." A thought occurred to Ann and she reached outside to pull Pwyll into the curtain enclosure. "Don't you go telling Kato anything!"

Pwyll blinked. "Nothing to tell her."

Mello smiled, "Pwyll, give Ann a big cuddle. She needs one." Pwyll's eyes opened wide, like such a thing was unthinkable, but he gave the housekeeper a hug anyway. Mello had asked him to. Ann held him for a long time, her eyes moist. They were all listening again now. Trying to determine progress from the murmurs of sound. "Ann, if Lauren needs me by her side, I'll be off this bed. If you get the chance, will you tell her that please? Chrissie too. Is Salvo coming?"

"Yes, he is." Ann replied, miserably. She stood up, releasing Pwyll and dabbing at her eyes. "Bringing Century with him, so he's not driving alone. Hal offered a helicopter, but he said that he'd drive."

"Couldn't risk you finding out where he lives." Mello explained, gravely. He was imagining what he would do in Salvo's place, but then he already did know. He would drive like a lunatic on his motorbike to get here. "Poor Sal."

Ann nodded, then leaned in conspiratorially. "Do you realise that I've nearly got you all back here? Only missing Near, Deontic and Fenian. Though, in these circumstances..." She sighed, shaking her head. "I'm going to get on. The children need me out there. I only nipped in to see if you needed anything." She paused. "And to follow a hunch."

"Ann." Mello gave her a beseeching look. "Please."

"They're going to find him eventually." Ann tutted, unsure. "And Hal doesn't need this."

Mello bit his lip. He said, very quietly, "I need him."

"Half an hour." Ann agreed with finality. She slipped outside and took Pwyll with her. They heard him protesting, as she shepherded him out of the infirmary.

Mello raised his face towards Matt. He was awarded a smile and a quick kiss, before Mello nestled his head back into the cruck of Matt's shoulder. Mello was tired, but determined not to sleep, lest anyone try to take Matt away. A little of the shakiness, still raw from that night in the manor house, had fled at the sight of his husband, but much of it still remained. Mello loathed feeling so weak, but if he had to be, then lying quietly with Matt was the only way he could do it. He kissed Matt's shoulder-blade and heard the soft sigh. Mello looked back up at Matt's face. He mouthed, "What?"

Matt simulated having a cigarette. Mello frowned, trying to think of any way that granting the wish wasn't fraught with the risk of discovery. He came up blank, which irked him. "S'alright." Matt breathed.

They both froze as the infirmary door opened, willing the footsteps to carry on by. Hal stepped inside the curtain. She didn't look surprised. "He can stay." She said, her tone heavy with annoyance. "Which is precisely what I would have said, if you'd just come into my office. Don't fuck with me Matt, especially in front of the children. How am I supposed to manage this place without their respect?"

Matt's lips formed around the word, "Sorry."

"Ella, Holiday and Daton have all lost their privileges for a week. Was that fair on them? Two seconds, that's all I needed, Matt." Hal glowered. "Near wouldn't have sent you here, if he thought there was danger in that! It's not secure enough!" She bowed her head, exasperated. Then glared back up, her eyes flashing. "In my office, I was going to unlock your cuffs and just have a few minutes with you, updating you on Mello's condition and seeing what you needed while you were here. I have all of your belongings from the chalet in our storage room. I just sent up a few things, in a bag, with Madeleine this morning." Her lips pressed together. "Why do you persist in thinking that I'm an ogre?"

Mello frowned, speaking quietly still, out of respect for the work going on across the room, "If that was the case, why bring him in wearing cuffs? That sent the wrong message."

"I didn't." Hal countered. "I drove the car that picked him up. All Stephen knows is that this is a potentially violent man, who tried to kill his husband and just killed a fellow prisoner."

Mello blinked. His heart pounded. Their mouthed and whispered sentiments of love and bonding had not passed as far as the particulars of Neuron's passing. All Mello had known was that Neuron had escaped and tried to reach Matt. That Lauren and Chrissie had just been in the way. That Neuron was dead and Matt was unharmed. Mello looked up in alarm. "Baby?"

Hal exhaled. "Look, we can't talk in here. We're being too distracting as it is. How about I ask a couple of caretakers to bring you on a trolley to my office? Would that be too tiring?"

Mello shook his head. "Too embarrassing." He stroked Matt's chest. "There's a wheelchair in the corner. It's folded up." He glanced at Hal. "Do we know how they are?" He meant Lauren and Chrissie.

"And the hostage?" Matt whispered.

"She fainted and sustained minor injuries. She was treated by medics at the scene. It's too early to tell with the two ladies here." Hal surveyed Mello warily. "I thought you were supposed to lie flat and no. Both alive. Both chest wounds."

Mello blinked at her, pained. Matt eased his arm from around his husband's shoulders. He slipped down, off the bed. "I'll carry you."

"Fucking won't." Mello growled. Matt was still looking at him. "You even need a reason?" He was getting louder, so Hal shushed him. She ducked out of the curtain. "I know it would look really heroic, in front of the kids. Mad chase and woot! I r got meh man. But no." Mello narrowed his eyes.

"I promise I won't drop you."

"My ribs are shattered. I can't put weight on my torso." Mello informed him curtly, as Hal returned with the wheelchair already unfolded. "You can help me off the bed and bring my drip." Matt unhooked the drip with a close look at the contents. Mello spoke quickly, "Painkillers." He reached for his chocolate bar and pushed it between his teeth. It would give him something to bite down on, because he knew that this was going to hurt. Matt jogged around the bed and slid himself between it and Hal. "Gently." Mello softly implored.

"Got you." Matt whispered in response.

Hal watched them, uncertainty clouding her expression. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

Matt had Mello lifted sidewards across the bed, his legs dangling off the side up to his mid-thighs. Mello's right hand was clenched in the fabric of Matt's t-shirt; his face was a mask of pain around the protruding chocolate bar. The cable of his drip lay sprawled on the bed. Hal hurried around to hold it aloft. Matt supported Mello, half-sitting, with his undamaged side pressed against him. Matt softly asked, "Ok? Want to rest?"

"Do it." Mello snarled over the chocolate. A fierce determination etched his features, as he glared at the wheelchair. Matt made to lift him, but Mello snapped, "Feet!" So he was helped onto his feet, then immediately into the chair. Mello's eyes were tightly closed; his head back. He didn't utter a sound. Hal held the drip in the air, giving Matt a significant look. Matt merely sauntered around to the back of the wheelchair and tipped it backwards, holding onto the handles. "Cunt!" Mello hissed, as Matt wheeled him out into the corridor like that. "Upright!"

"You're lying down."

Mello groaned, turning a sickly white. He gasped. "Upright, you fucking cunt, before I bastard tear your fucking..." He was slowly turned back onto all four wheels. "Thank you."

Hal walked alongside, still with the drip, "I don't think this is a good idea. Let's get him back onto the bed."

"No." Mello rasped. "Mail and I need to talk. Do it." They went on, threading their way through the interlinking corridors. Mello's head lolled back, against Matt's forearm. He gripped the side of the wheelchair with his good hand. They heard the voices of children and Mello immediately relaxed. His head rose and he stared fixedly ahead. The chocolate was melted between his teeth. He pressed down his bite to allow it to break away. The bar fell into his lap to be whisked up by Hal. Mello was all smiles, as soon as the children came into view. They called his name. He responded with a cheery hello. Hal signalled for them to go away. Thus they reached Hal's office.

Hal opened the door and helped Matt ease the chair through the narrow doorframe. Linda and Luigi were already in there, which elicited a sharp look from Mello. Luigi was in shock and Linda in tears. Hal closed the door behind Matt. "Mello, would you be better lying flat on my settee?"

"Lie against me." Matt said quickly. Mello's proud, half-spoken, 'no', turned into a 'yes'. Linda stood to help them, while Luigi sat stock still. By degrees, they had Mello sprawled against Matt on the settee, with the drip arranged on the backrest. Mello closed his eyes, feeling like he could sleep forever. He heard Matt's whispered, "He's fine." So opened them again.

Linda walked from their side, rubbing her forehead and exchanging an anxious look with Hal. The American bent down by her desk and returned with a box. "Your things." She commented to Matt. She reached in and brought out his goggles. He took them gratefully and put them on. It was the first time in nearly a week that he was able to see distances.

"Hal?" Mello's gaze moved sidewards to find her. "Mail is dying for a cigarette. Can he smoke in here?"

"No." Hal replied, indignantly. Then considered the implications of Matt moving any time soon. "One. But this isn't permission to always smoke inside the Institution." She fetched a saucer over the thanks of both men. "I'll open a window."

Linda scowled. "It'll be too cold. Open it later."

Mello sensed more tension brewing. He willed the strength in his voice, as he asked, "How are you, Linda? Luigi?" He didn't miss Hal's faint wince. "Situation?"

"Lu's just feeling a little fragile." Linda replied, in the bright tone of one keeping the atmosphere as unthreatening as possible. Matt had his cigarettes finally eased out of his jeans pocket. He lit one and inhaled with the relief of a drowning man finding oxygen. "But he's alright."

"Carl." Mello called out, strategically taking his breaths, so not to tax his ribcage overmuch. "I can't move very well. Will you please come and sit on this settee here, so I can look you in the eye while I talk to you?"

Linda sighed. "Mello. He's not up to..." But Luigi was standing, walking as a condemned man to the settee opposite Mello. As he slumped into the seat, Hal was waving her hands behind him and grimacing.

Mello found a smile. "You appear to be letting the bastards get you down again." His searching gaze took in Luigi's whole form. He saw no physical injury. "Why do our good ladies seem scared that you're going to top yourself?" There was a flickering jolt of emotion in Luigi's dull gaze. Behind him, Hal clapped her hand over her face. She peeped between her fingers at Linda, who was sitting out of Mello's view. "Ok. I've had enough of this. Carl, give me the name of the person who keeps upsetting you this badly and, assuming that I'm not married to him, you have my word that they will be totalled in word, reputation, thought and deed." He gave a most serpentine grin. "Which will teach them to mess with my kid brother."

"Brother?" Linda sneered. "God, he sounds like fucking Deontic."

"Linda." Mello clicked his fingers and pointed to the seat beside Luigi.

Linda stormed into view. "Am I a dog to be trained into doing your will?"

"No." Mello replied, as if the idea was preposterous. "You're still the woman who tried to get me killed by Kira. Sit down. I can't see Carl." She sat down. "Thank you. Talk to me, Carl."

Luigi was trembling. "I, er, Valerie was..." He stammered, then spluttered to a close.

Hal stepped forward, leaning against the side of the settee, close to Luigi. "Matt only saw the end of Neuron's rampage. I'm afraid that we've lost Valerie." She said it gently. Both Mello and Matt stared, while Luigi curled up on himself. "And I believe that Luigi and Valerie were in a relationship."

Life surged into Luigi's eyes. He shook his head rapidly. "No. No. No. Not at all," he shook his head emphatically, "that is quite wrong." Above his head, Hal narrowed her eyes towards Linda's back. "She h-helped me. She, she was very, er, g-good with me and..." His words petered out.

Mello's head rested heavily against Matt's chest. He could feel the pounding in it, through his skull. "I'm sorry to hear about Valerie. She and I had some unfinished conversations to have as well. But we will hire another two psychologists. One for Luigi and one for the rest of Wammy's House." He smiled, while Linda and Hal both gave him looks to kill. "What? No offence, but I'm lying here in agony, because I was shot twice and left for dead by my husband, who was possessed by the ghost of a 250 year old dead Satanist, and I'm still smiling!"

"That," Linda leaned forward, pointing, "is not proved."

"I can show you the bullet-holes, if you like." Mello offered. Luigi was crying, with his knees up to his chest. Hal mouthed, 'be nice'. "Carl, while I'm here, I will look at that enzyme, if you like, as I promised over the telephone. If it's as exciting as I'm expecting it to be, I will be singing your praises from the rooftops." He watched Luigi nod, turned into the back of the settee. "Ok, someone tell me exactly what happened with Neuron."

Hal and Linda looked at each other. Linda wrapped her arm around Luigi. Hal sat on the arm of the settee beside him. "The short version is that he blew the door off his cell, killed a security guard and took his gun. He took a cleaning operative hostage and used her to make it across the building. Valerie has been working with him. We finally have a valid certificate for him, stating that he was a violent sociopath, a fantasist with a hero fixation. Valerie thought that she had a rapport with him. She attempted to stop him killing another security guard. She succeeded, but only because he shot her dead instead."

Mello looked up to meet Matt's gaze. He smiled reassurance. "Ok?" He watched Matt nod. "Te amo." Matt smiled. "Sorry I wasn't there for you."

Hal snorted. "You didn't need to be. Matt took him down."

"That's my boy." Mello winked. "Hal, could I have the rest of the story please, but only after you give me the long version on the subject of 'Neuron blew the door off his cell'? The rest I can work out, until he's in the vicinity of my Mail. Then I want the minutest detail. Thank you." He furtively found his chocolate trapped between his side and Matt's thigh. Mello took a bite.

Linda whispered. "I didn't know that it was Matt who killed Neuron." She glanced at him. "Thank you for avenging Jonny."

Matt replied, softly, "Pleasure."

Hal scratched her side, through her blouse, then rolled her shoulders. "From what we can tell, things were a little stretched. There are routine guards and there are three trained for prison detail. They work shifts. But one was on annual leave and so the other two were working split shifts. However, there were now two prisoners, in opposite wings. While this was a temporary measure, Gevanni was there to watch the cameras and patrol guards were co-opted into the prison wings. Neuron was taken for exercise, while his cell was cleaned. By the time he was back, the cleaning lady..."

"Beatrice." Matt interjected.

"I apologise that I didn't know her name." Hal waited, but Matt had nothing more to say. "She had finished in his cell and was cleaning the one next door. When she came out, Neuron called to her to say that she had missed a bit. He offered to do it, if she pulled her bucket up to the bars and gave him a cloth. There was a security guard standing right there, so presumably she had no worries about doing that. Unfortunately, he was a patrol guard, so didn't know to prohibit this." She stopped as Luigi gave a slightly hysterical snort. Linda was shaking her head, while Mello and Matt were both smiling. Hal looked weary. "Wammy's House taught him how to do that, didn't we?"

Mello gave her a pitying look. "So she delivered him a bucket full of explosive chemicals, right up to his door, he walked off into his cell with a cloth and wrapped what? There are a dozen ways to do this. I don't know what he had access to."

"In truth, we're yet to narrow it down. He went over to the area with his toilet and sink, which is also where he kept his toiletries. He initially cleaned down the side of the toilet and accidentally knocked his toiletries shelf with his back, as he stood up. His toiletries rolled all over the floor. He picked a handful up, with his back to the camera, apologising throughout, then strolled over to the door. He threw the cloth into the bucket and within a couple of seconds, the whole thing exploded. Neuron just had time to run, leap over his toilet and crouch in the corner beside it. Unfortunately for the security guard, he had taken the place of the clean..." Hal corrected herself, "Beatrice, in order to tell Neuron to return the cloth before picking up his toiletries. He died in the explosion. Neuron ran out of his cell, grabbed Beatrice, who was fleeing, and held a weapon to her throat."

Luigi whispered. "Something with compressed oxygen in it. An aerosol. Or a match."

They waited. He was done. Hal went on. "We don't know how he concealed it. It was a pencil with a slit in the wooden stem. He had glued the razor out of a pencil sharpener in it. Only about three inches long, the whole thing. No idea how he made it, concealed it or fetched it. He's searched upon leaving or entering his cell. His cell is regularly searched too." She looked annoyed, like this was a personal failure. "I used to do it." She could see four minds working out how they would do it. "Please do submit reports on this. I'd be fascinated to know."

"Patently down by the toilet." Mello commented.

Linda nodded, "Made it in bed, under the covers." She shrugged. "Pencils and pencil sharpeners are just stationery."

Mello slightly inclined his head in agreement. "Perhaps a loose bit of carpet down there?"

"Tiles." Matt muttered.

Luigi blinked, owlishly, up, "Under the rim of the toilet?"

Mello pointed at Luigi. "Genius!" He smiled. "Go on, Hal. I think that we have Neuron out of his cell, hostage taken, armed to the hilt now. Sadly, Valerie has been caught in the crossfire and, inexplicably, no-one has shut down the security doors, sealing him into the hub. Carry on."

Hal's tone iced. "Stephen feels terrible about it. He had just spent time escorting Madeleine into Morien Williams's cell, where he received his medication." She smiled at Mello's startled expression. "A guard told Stephen that Matt and Lauren were conversing in a foreign language. He was expecting Spanish, but that's ok, because he had just hired a Spanish translator." Hal didn't react to Matt's faint smile. "Nevertheless, he wanted to check it out. So he asked the guard giving him the message to accompany Madeleine. Then Stephen went to alert the translator. It wasn't Spanish. Chrissie said that she would have a word, but Stephen wasn't comfortable not knowing what had been said. He was busy sending the section to Near..."

"So," Mello interrupted, "Neuron escaped because no-one was watching him, on account of Gevanni being too busy eavesdropping on my husband."

"He was being watched! Stephen isn't the only person at the cameras! Soon as the explosion happened, Stephen closed down the hub. But he could see what you evidently haven't." Hal snarked. "He had shut Madeleine into that wing, with just one security guard, who wasn't trained in prison detail and therefore had no experience of Neuron! Not to mention the unknown quantity of Morien."

Mello wrinkled up his nose. "Ok, where's the other prison guard? The one whose job this actually is?"

"He's in the other wing, checking a bag of clothing that Chrissie is about to give Matt, to ensure that there was nothing in it that Matt could use as a weapon."

Matt snorted. Mello smirked. "I can see where the general fuck-ups are. We will return to Morien in a minute. Stephen unlocks the doors again, allowing Neuron to venture into the central area, then failed to initiate a lock down again."

Hal sneered, "What would be the point of that? The lock-down is designed to stop people getting into the central hub, not to lock people in. Even in a lock-down, you can open the doors from the inside. It seals off the access in, not the escape routes out."

"Design flaw."

"His best strategy now is to wait for Neuron to carry straight on through. He thought that this was an escape plan. He was expecting Neuron to head for the exit, so he had people stationed out on the stairs and in the elevator. There were more at every street level access point. Neuron shouldn't have even known that Matt was there! We still have no idea how he knew." Hal looked pained. "And even if he did, then he shouldn't know where the other cells were. But he went straight into that wing. Coincidence? I don't know."

Luigi sniffed. "Would he not, er, just have to see? In the central, um, area? Cameras with Matt talking."

Hal considered it. "It felt more premeditated than that. Neuron has a Mello fixation." She glanced up, at Mello's horrified expression. "You knew that. Before he ever committed a crime, he hero worshipped you! But in prison, it changed. There were times when he thought he was you. Fantasist."

Linda shook her head. "I thought he was going to kill another batch of Letters, while he had the chance. You make it sound like he was going to collect the ultimate in Mello accessories. Matt."

Matt gave a pronounced shudder. He was smoking his third cigarette, but Hal hadn't said anything. "No thanks." He said, quietly. "Already have the original."

"Yeah, baby." Mello grinned up at him. "Missed you." Matt bowed his head to kiss him.

Linda tutted, "So then what? Neuron ends up in Matt's wing, now the lock-down can happen?"

Hal shook her head. "It would have separated all of the security detail from Neuron, as well as locking him in with Lauren, Chrissie and Matt. Stephen was between Neuron and the door now. All they needed was a clean shot. He also paid you a grim compliment. He said that he knew the situation was less than ideal, but he had now corralled Neuron in with three Letters. He has enough experience of you all to expect that you'd all be able to think your way out of tight situations. He said that neither Lauren nor Chrissie appeared scared; in fact, Lauren told Neuron to grow up."

"But they are human beings." Linda challenged. "It doesn't matter what your IQ is, your skin still isn't bulletproof."

"Yes." Hal breathed. She paused, thinking of those in the infirmary. "Matt, Stephen said that you were outstanding, but Chrissie made a fatal error." She watched Matt give the minutest shrug. "You treating Neuron like he was Mello was a brilliant strategy. Stephen said that, as soon as you called him Mello, Neuron started to make mistakes."

"Hey!" Mello complained. "What, bitch?"

Hal gave him a withering look. "Mello, did I say that you make mistakes? No! But you'd make mistakes trying to be Linda or Luigi! He's not acting as Neuron anymore. He's acting as Neuron thinks that Mello would." She queried the reasoning with him, in a look.

Linda added, "How would Mello act? He'd drag an innocent woman up a corridor with a razor to her throat. I can see the logic."

Mello glared. Hal glanced at Luigi, who was holding himself absolutely rigid. She placed a hand on his arm and fixed Mello and Linda both with warning looks. "In Neuron's warped mind, Matt is no longer a threat, because he's Mello and Matt watches Mello's back. Matt played a blinder. From the second Neuron was in the corridor, Matt spoke to him as if he was addressing Mello. Stephen hoped that Neuron would face the bars for a kiss or something, then he would have exposed his back and they would have had a clean shot. Instead, right up at the gates, Matt's still talking to him like he's Mello, so Neuron leaned against the bars."

Mello had been gazing upwards, suspiciously, at Matt. Now he directed a razor stare at Hal. Venom lashed at his voice, "And did what?"

"Leaned back against the bars. Let Matt watch his back, because that's what Matt does for Mello."

"Wait." Mello clarified. "Neuron, of all people, Neuron, turned his back on Mail? My Mail? He deserved anything he got for utter stupidity." He caught Hal's small smile and the sweep of her gaze along his body. "Yes, I know that I have my back turned to him too. But that's not stupidity. That's comfort."

Linda snapped at him, "Can you please stop joking about this? This is my Jonny's murderer! Who seriously injured one of my best friends today, as well as another woman, before he was brought down!"

Mello inclined his head. "My apologies."

Hal continued. "But Chrissie obviously hadn't realised what Matt was up to, because she said something like, 'Matt, you know that this isn't Mello?' That upset Neuron and that is why he shot her and Lauren." She grimaced and the others were silent, in their own thoughts.

"Mail?" Mello eventually spoke, the question hovering in the air. Matt bit his lip. Mello, looking up, saw it. "Thought so." His eyes narrowed.

Everyone was looking. Matt shrugged. "The place was in chaos. There were explosions and bullets going off. It was an honest mistake to make." Across the way, Linda gasped, while Luigi covered his head with his arms. Hal wore a rictus grin, in the realisation of her faux pas. "I'd have sussed eventually, but Chrissie did give me time to prepare."

Hal frowned, "You were looking right at him, when she said it."

Mello replied with a question. "So what did Mail do to the deluded, psychopathic arsewipe?"

Hal told them. There was a short silence, as Mello rubbed his hand up and down Matt's thigh, before Hal went on. "He was left in his cell, while Chrissie and Lauren were given First Aid. He couldn't stay there though, as it is now a crime scene, with a corpse in it. Stephen called Near, who told him that Matt was free to go and to give him a lift to Wammy's House."

"Free?" Linda looked confused. "But..."

"Chrissie was going to defend. Century has been working like a Trojan trying to ascertain all of the facts pertaining to it. He's been sending evidence to both Chrissie and Near as he slots it all together." She interpreted Mello's fierce look. "Because Chrissie was going to defend him and Near was going to prosecute."

Mello roared, "Over my dead body!" But his rising had hurt, so he lay back, breathless and arched, on Matt's chest. "Fuck." He exhaled loudly. "'ing Hell, that hurt."

Hal was unsympathetic. "You need both for a court case. Who would have the guts? Who else, amongst your peers, would prosecute Matt, knowing your reaction? Near took the role, because he knew that if he didn't, Matt would be in his cell right up until the moment when you kicked off." She dared Mello to deny it. "But this meant that Near had read the evidence. He's now stuck with a prisoner with no cell to put him into, who he believes is innocent of his charges and who is unlikely, in the circumstances, to disappear into the ether. He took the decision to allow him to come to Wammy's House, where the truth is likely to out anyway."

"I agree with his decision." Mello declared. "Though I think it's churlish that Mail was brought here in cuffs. All that served was..." He saw how pointedly Hal was looking above his head. Mello closed his eyes in dread, then opened them and bellowed, "Mail! What happened?"

Matt was chewing the stumped remains of his thumb-nail. He replied, calmly and matter-of-fact. "Saw them take Lauren and Chrissie out and knew that they were going to Wammy's House. Saw my chance to get to you, but needed to pick the lock." He paused as Mello sighed, but Hal was urging him on with a rapid nodding of her head. "So I was searching Neuron's body for something to use for that and," he sniffed, "place getting cordoned off, so I knew I was going to be moved. No-one immediately outside, then Gevanni comes and tells me to step back from the door."

"Because he needed to come inside, in order to tell you that you were free; but to explain the scene outside your cell and how to safely navigate it, offering assistance if necessary."

Matt shrugged. "He opened the door, but there's all this blood, so he jumped over it." He grimaced. "So I smacked him over the head with a PSP slung in a shirt and ran." Matt saw the tiniest smile on Mello's lips. Hal wasn't impressed though. Mello opened one eye and surveyed him. "But my feet were all slippery with the blood on them, so I went arse over tit up the corridor and a security guard re-arrested me."

Mello bit his lip very hard, with his eyes closed again. His hand never left Matt's thigh. A few seconds passed silently, before Mello asked, "Is Mr Gevanni alright, Hal?"

"He has a large lump behind his ear and a terrible headache. Hence he is lying down on my bed right now." She stared fixedly in disapproval. "He's had a very bad day."