Walls Came Tumbling Down

"I was trying to fucking help you." Mello rasped. Matt hadn't said a word. He'd just sat there, at the end of the bed, turned away. One cigarette followed another, but Mello might as well been alone in this room. "I don't know what you want me to do. I can't get up from here and raise Hell." Mello pursed his lips, hating the helplessness and the dull ache beneath the painkillers. His eyes flickered towards his husband's unresponsive back again. "You know I can't. You shot me."

Matt flinched. Mello gained some satisfaction from that.

There was a rattling at the door, as the handle was turned. It was locked. There was a quick rat-a-tat of knuckles on the other side, then Salvo said, "I've got them. Open up."

Matt slid off the bed and unlocked the door. He held out his hand, but Salvo did not put the Seroxat into it. Instead the African pushed through into the room and shut the door behind him. Mello found a smile. "Thank you."

"Forget what I said before." Salvo told him, grimly. "It's insane out there."

Mello gave the smallest nod. "Guaranteed conditional treaty between your family and mine. We don't touch you, Chrissie and the kid; you neither instigate nor support anything that will harm me or Mail."

"Century and Fenian too."

"You're taking the piss." Mello narrowed his eyes. "Who's the trouble-maker?"

Salvo gestured that he didn't know. "Near's got everyone worried about the Institution." He waited, but Mello just watched him. Salvo shook his head. "Luigi has attempted or succeeded in suicide. Don't know yet."

Mello gasped. "You're fucking kidding me." He could see past Salvo to where Matt had leaned against the wall. The redhead wore no expression at all. He just smoked and stared at a spot just below Salvo's shoulder-blade. "So there's only Linda, you and Dee still standing out there? And a legion of potential mini-Neurons getting worked up." There was a flash of green behind Matt's goggles. He had glanced at Mello and looked away. "Near's just letting this happen? He's not reassured them."

"You know as much as I do."

Mello bit his lip. "You're getting Chrissie out of here." He saw Salvo's hesitation. "But she's too ill to move. Which is pretty much Mail's dilemma too." His husband did not react. "You said before that it was just a lot of paranoia. What's changed your mind?"

Before Salvo could reply, the door handle turned again and Ann bustled into the room. She had her handbag clutched in both hands and she was crying. All three men froze. Even Matt was looking at her. She tried to retain some dignity, walking forward with her shoulders back. She reached out to clutch Salvo's arm, as she stepped over the mattress, moving behind him. Matt kicked the door and it swung shut again. Ann reappeared on the other side of Salvo and stood beside Mello's bed. Her lips quivered. She was losing the fight over her emotions; and that threw them. Ann had always been a rock, an oasis of stability in an otherwise pressurised environment. They had all seen her weep before, but not like this. Not seeming so lost.

"Ann?" Salvo prompted, sliding an arm around her.

Ann swallowed and placed her handbag on the bed. Her voice shook. "I don't care what you think of each other. You've always been my children. All of you." She extracted an already sodden tissue from her sleeve and blew her nose. Salvo reached for a clean one, from the box on the bedside cabinet, and handed it to her. Against the wall, Matt shifted minutely and slapped a hand against the wallpaper behind him. Mello stared. Ann went on. "I can't bear it. I lost too many last time and the thought of that boy out there, on his own, hurting and scared. I can't bear it."

Mello switched his gaze back onto her. "Who?"

While Salvo asked, just a beat behind, "Is Luigi ok?"

Ann turned around and sat heavily on the bed. The mattress depressed under her and Mello grit his teeth, but didn't say a word. Ann blew her nose again. "I can't bear it. They've got Luigi out, but Hal doesn't think he's going to make it; and poor little Century! I've never seen him like that." She shook her head, tears falling. "Lauren and Chrissie and you." Ann reached out and rubbed a hand across Mello's knee. "Hal says that there's going to be another civil war and I don't know what I can do to stop you. I don't know what to say, what to do." Her hand trembled at her eyes, wiping tears away only for them to be replaced by more. "I mean, if I throw myself bodily in front of you all, would you stop? Can't you please just leave each other alone? Because I can't bear this. I can't."

Salvo glanced at Mello, before he squeezed Ann's shoulder. "There's peace in this room. Mello, Matt and I are good."

"I lost one yesterday." Ann sniffed and Matt watched her with a sneer. "And I could be losing one today. It's not right. It's really not fair."

Mello told her, coldly, "Mail was acting in self-defence."

Ann nodded, wildly, "I know! I know that! And so was everyone else!" She bowed her head, almost overcome and having to splutter into the tissue before she could go on. "Who will mourn Neuron? I had that boy in my care. And Hollow? So lonely and scared. I sat with her, like I sat with all of you, listening to all those fears and," she struggled for the words, "pain! Just children, coming here, thrown into all of this and giving up your lives in vendettas and saving the blooming world. Let the world hang! I don't want it to take another of mine! Haven't I given it enough?" She sat, slowly shaking her head, the grief stark on her features. "Andrus, Claire, Zhanna, Simon, Naila, Lawliet, Beyond, Alberto, Genki, oh God!" A fierce keening rose from her throat. "Am I the only one breaking her heart over their loss? Those poor children. And you!"

"Ann." Salvo started, but stopped. He had no words for her.

Mello tried. "It's the way it is. We knew."

"No! It isn't!" Ann gasped. "I'm not having it! I'm not having it anymore!" She reached into her handbag. Salvo flinched away, while Mello tensed at his movement. She brought out a small cardboard packet and threw it at Matt. He caught it down near his thigh. "Go on!" Ann snapped. "Kill yourself with your bloody drugs, if it's going to stop you attacking Mihael!"

"Ann!" Mello gaped. "What the fuck?!" He saw Salvo back away. His foster brother had lost his bargaining tool. "Salvo. Stop. Wait. Ann! What...?"

"All I'm hearing from those out there is that Mail is freaking out and ready to bring the walls down over our ears. It's got to stop."

Mello tried to sit. He couldn't. "Ann." He said, urgently. "Don't reject him. Don't."

Ann gave him a scathing look. "I'm not rejecting him! You bloody idiot!" She turned her attention to Matt. "Are you happy now?" Matt froze. He made no attempt to open the packet of Seroxat. Ann watched him with the horror of the situation stark in her expression. Her voice broke as she said, "I don't know what to say to you. You stood in that cell and you promised me!" She saw him flinch, but she turned, sniffing loudly, and reached into her handbag again. Then she hesitated, her fingers clasped around a rectangle slip of paper. She shook her head, the tears coming again. "Oh God."

Salvo swallowed. "I should be getting back to Chrissie."

"No!" Ann's head shot up and she gave him a pleading look. He grimaced, but stayed. She glanced back at the paper in her hand, still concealed inside the bag. "I know how much you're all worth, but I'm not a rich woman." She took it out. It was a cheque. "I've squirreled a bit away, over the years, for my old age, but..." She gestured her surrender. Her voice became slightly shrill. "I haven't got a million pounds!"

"Ann." Mello surveyed her, hiding how shaken he was. "Put your money back in your bag. Already paid in full. What do you need?"

"I want my Fenian found and back safe and sound where he belongs." She looked tearfully from one to another, until all three had been subjected to her devastated stare. "Please. You don't know what he's like. Deep down. Beyond all that bloody fuss and palaver. I've held him in my arms, a terrified little boy, like I did all of you. Mihael, you're not so tough under it all. Kamwala, oh God! I wanted to go to that blasted Congo and give them a piece of my bloody mind! No child should have gone through what you went through! And you came out of it such a sweet boy."

Salvo shifted onto his other foot, embarrassed, "Thanks. But Century and I are going to work on Fenian. We'll get him back."

"I'm so scared for him. For him and Carl. I can't think." She shook her head. "Mail, why are you even on drugs now, poppet? I thought that was all over. I don't know what to do with you, I really don't." She fixed him with a plaintive look. "You found Mello! Why do you need them?!"

Matt shook out another cigarette and lit it. Salvo glanced at him, then at Mello. "I'm getting back to Chrissie."

"Ann." Matt spoke quietly, but instantly gained all of their attention. "You said Near thinks there is a civil war. He is shit-stirring. He's ordered Hal to put up these cameras and restrict our movements to instigate a civil war. There's none. I was only after Roger. Mello and I are going home."

Ann shook her head. "You are not! He is not moving from that bed until he is good and well enough!" She pointed her finger at him. "And if you think you're going to try, Mail Jeevas, it will be over my dead body!" She rose from the bed and Salvo instinctively leapt back a couple of paces.

Mello watched, incredulous. "It's not his..."

"Mello. Shut it." Ann warned. Her gaze never shifted off Matt and her finger didn't fall. "All I'm hearing from you is revenge against Roger. Will you take away these children's home for that? Hurt Mello for that?! Roger's gone!" She jabbed her finger into the direction of the back wall. "He's left! He has nothing to do with this place anymore and you know what? I'm glad! I've held my tongue over some bloody ridiculous decisions, since Mr Wammy died, God bless his soul! But I'll not have you hurting everyone just over some childish, silly vendetta!"

Matt ignored her. He stooped down to pick up the PSP from the floor near to the mattress and switched it on. Mello exhaled, "Ann."

Ann rushed suddenly across the mattress and slammed the game machine from Matt's hands. "Are you even listening to me?" Matt stood stock still.

Mello tried to yell, but it emerged as a rasp, "Ann!"

The housekeeper clasped her hands down on both of Matt's shoulders and bellowed into his face, "Are you listening to me?"

"Wow." Salvo breathed, staring.

"Ann!" Mello croaked, willing himself to slide to the edge of the bed. He was struggling to his feet, when Matt replied.

"Yes."

Ann nodded, "Good!" Then she hissed, still staring into Matt's eyes. "If I could swap places with you, I would do that, Mail. All of it. You've broken my heart more times than the rest of them put together, the things you've been through." He started to duck from under her grasp, but she simply moved to the side and shook him once, before holding him in place again. "But I will not, I cannot, let you hurt Mihael nor any of them."

Mello was sitting on the edge of the bed, clammy skinned and panting, he managed to gasp out, "He was possessed." Mello wanted to say more, but he had neither air nor energy to carry on speaking.

"I'm watching you, Mail. I'm watching every move you make." Ann informed the redhead, fiercely. "Just you mark me."

Salvo poured Mello a glass of water, but the Slav didn't take it. Mello looked across the room with heavy eyes. He mustered all of the strength he had to growl, "Get your hands off my husband."

Ann did, but only to reach behind Matt and grab him by the scruff of the neck. She frog-marched him to the bed and deposited him beside Mello. Matt sat unmoving, his complexion blotchy with shock. Mello glared at Ann, but reached up, exhausted, and curled his fingers around Matt's collar. He wanted to order Ann and Salvo out and to sympathise with his husband, but his mouth was dry and he felt faint. The atmosphere was tense and awkward around them, as Ann exhaled and turned to close her handbag.

Salvo spoke, calmly, "Mello, mutual peace treaty. I'll vouch for Chrissie and Century too. You vouch for Matt." He watched Mello nod. The Slav's hand loosened on Matt's collar and slid down his back. Salvo touched the housekeeper's arm, "Ann, I'm going to look for Fenian, don't worry about it and keep your money. Keep me informed about Luigi. Right," He blew out his cheeks, "I'm going back to the infirmary."

There was silence while Salvo left. Mello was truly worried that he was going to pass out. He slumped against Matt, who finally did hold him. Ann sighed, "I'm sorry I lost my temper, but it had to be said. All I'm hearing out there is that Matty's on drugs and it's sending him loopy enough to start a civil war."

Matt licked his lips and supported Mello's weight with an arm around the Slav's back. "'kay." He whispered.

Ann skirted their feet, picking her way alongside the mattress. She took the glass of water abandoned by Salvo and held it to Mello's lips. This time he gratefully drank it, even while Matt pointedly took it off Ann. She looked lost. "There are children out there, nine, ten, eleven years old; and little Kato, who just lost her entire family! Scared out of their minds. And Luigi." She shook her head. "Do I owe any less to them?" She eyed both men, but they were silent, staring at the carpet. "I'm doing my best. God knows I'm doing that."

Mello licked his lips. "They're saying that Mail is starting a civil war."

"Are you doing that?" Ann demanded. "Is that what you're doing?"

Matt just held Mello with one arm, while rubbing his own forehead with the other hand. His red hair momentarily rose revealing eyes that just gazed at the floor. He didn't reply.

Mello swallowed. "I need to lie down." Both Ann and Matt helped him recline on the bed. Tension stung the air. "Mail, lie beside me. Get some sleep. Ann," Mello contemplated his exhausted command, "keep them away from us." He fixed heavy eyes upon his husband, until Matt climbed onto the bed, between Mello and the wall. Mello sought for and found his hand, then held it. "Ann?"

Ann blinked from her reverie and looked at him. "What do I do out there?"

"What you always did." Mello forged a weak smile. "Care."