Flash-Forward: Red – Three Years, Four Months Since the End

Mello's blood finally matured, a few weeks after he turned sixteen. He was thrilled by the concept; not only did he get to stay a teenager forever, but he was physically seven years older than Near! He'd be able to get a driver's license if he really wanted, he'd be able to go places and do things in human society without needing a grown-up everywhere… Life really couldn't get any better.

Back after the incident with Kira, just after Light was turned, L and the others had made a promise to Matt that when Mello's blood matured, they would turn him as well, so that the two could remain the same age. They weren't sure if he would actually take them up on the offer, but it was always there, if he wanted it.

"Mel?"

"What is it?" Mello flipped down to hang by his knees from the tree branch he had been sitting on. The two of them were at least forty feet up, sitting in the branches of an enormous oak. Face-to-face with his best friend, even upside-down, he could read the expression on Matt's face. "What are you thinking about?"

"Vampires…" Matt replied honestly.

"What about us?"

"Exactly. Us. I'm still human, Mel."

Mello frowned, completely confused. "Yeah… So? That's never meant anything here, you know that, right?" He dropped down to sit on the same branch as Matt, staring at the redhead. "What are you getting at?"

Matt hesitated. "…Beyond promised me, after L turned Light, that they would turn me when your blood matured, so we could stay the same age." He looked away, out over the sprawling grounds of Wammy's house. "Do you think that it's a good idea?"

"You're scared."

"NO!" Matt yelped, defensively. Mello blinked, and Matt amended, "Well, maybe… But that's not the point. Is… is it weird, being immortal?"

Mello's eyes lit with understanding. "Oh… Well… Not really. After all, my whole family is immortal too. I don't have to worry about any of them getting older and leaving me behind."

Matt nodded. "I guess you're right. You guys are my family, too. …Thanks, Mel."

"Sure." Mello offered his hand. "Let's go back to the house, okay?"

xXx

L and Beyond were playing War when Matt went into the playroom. The cards flashed on the table, too fast for the human eye to read. They stopped for a moment, and Beyond asked quietly, already knowing the answer, "What is it, Matt?"

"I… I want to be a vampire." Matt said, his voice barely a whisper. Beyond glanced at L, then got up to wrap an arm around Matt's shoulders.

"Come on, Matt. Come talk to me for a minute." He walked the redhead from the room, telling L briefly to wait, they would finish the card game in a little while. L nodded, waving. When Beyond was out of sight, he grabbed his twin's stack of cards, setting up all of his cards so that L would end with all of the aces. Sure-fire victory, even if it was cheating. L laughed.

Beyond took Matt up to the teen's room, making Matt sit before sitting next to him. "You want to be turned?" he asked.

"Y-yeah…" Matt said, not looking at him.

"This is a decision you can't go back from." Beyond said. "You look so nervous… I wonder if you're actually prepared." Matt seemed to crumple, and Beyond laid a hand on his shoulder, feeling him tremble. "It's okay, Matt. It doesn't have to be now. You'll be sixteen for a whole year."

"It's just… Kira…" Matt muttered. Beyond knew what he was talking about. L and Light had explained everything. Kira had kidnapped Matt, held him at knife-point, threatened to kill him to lure L out into the open, and constantly tormented him with the knowledge that, to Kira, he was little more than a meal, instead of a person. The red-eyed twin could understand Matt's apprehension.

"You know that none of us would ever hurt you, Matt." Beyond said forcefully. Matt nodded, taking a deep breath.

"I want you to change me." he said. Beyond didn't say anything in response, pulling Matt into a hug. Matt smiled, leaning his head back on Beyond's shoulder and baring his throat. He trusted them. He did.

Beyond bit him as carefully as he could. When everything was done, he tucked Matt into bed and left him sleeping there. As he shut the door, he turned around to see Light standing in the hallway. The auburn-haired vampire smiled at him, saying lightly, "It doesn't seem like it at first, but you're really a big softy, aren't you?"

Beyond growled at him, and turned to walk away. Light laughed, pushing off from the wall he'd been leaning on and saying, "No, I'm kidding! Matt's lucky to have you looking out for him."

"Mello is my fledgling in all but blood, and Matt is his best friend. It was my responsibility, and I did promise him." Beyond said. "I wasn't going to betray that. He's part of the family too, after all. Just like you."

"You're never going to give up the fact that I used to be human." Light sighed, rolling his eyes.

"No, I'm never going to give up the memory of you running screaming down the stairs like a lunatic!" Beyond giggled, turning around to face Light. "Mello and I still can't figure out how you had the breath to scream for that long!"

Light groaned. "No one's ever going to let me live that down!"

"Nope!" Beyond turned back to the hallway. "Mello's going to take Matt out later to finish the change. He's like Matt's brother, so it's only right." Light nodded, following him downstairs to watch the conclusion of the card game.

xXx

It was about three in the morning, and Light was in his room, reading, when Mello and Matt bounded through the open window. Light sighed, setting the book down, and asked patiently, "Don't you know how to knock, or use the door?"

Matt turned to him, pointing accusingly. "You could have warned me about the whole 'I-feel-like-I'm-on-fire' thing!"

Light smiled. "I could have, but I didn't." Matt growled at him, and he said placidly, "Beyond and Aisha are in the playroom on the second floor. Go bug Beyond. He could have warned you too."

Matt nodded, dashing out the door in a burst of his new speed. Mello laughed, going after him, and Light sighed again, returning to his book.

When Matt entered the playroom, he found Beyond and Aisha sitting with their one-and-a-half year old son, Ryuzaki. Aisha didn't usually let him near Matt, since he was born a vampire and wasn't old enough to know not to bite. When Matt walked in, the red-gold-eyed boy squirmed off his mother's lap and dashed across the room, shrieking, "Matty Matty Matty Matty Matty!"

Matt picked him up, grinning. "Hey, Ryu. What's up?"

"Matty!" Ryuzaki chimed. He had only started learning to talk a month or two ago, and at most could manage simple sentences, and garbled versions of people's names. "Pway?"

"I'll play with you, Ryu." He glanced at Aisha, who nodded. He smiled, turning to leave the playroom, saying, "I'll teach you to play Mario Kart..."

"Can an eighteen-month-old learn Mario Kart?" Beyond whispered sideways to Aisha.

"I don't know." she whispered back. "You've created a monster."

"Matt will be fine. But now that he's a vampire, we'll never be able to beat him at video games ever again." Beyond grinned. "The only reason we could sometimes beat him before was his human reflexes. Now we're doomed."

"If he turns my child into a gamer, I'll hurt you." Aisha muttered. She walked away to supervise, and Beyond grinned. Now they really were a complete family. Matt was happy, and everything was perfect.

LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

For Matt the Gamer, who reminded me to actually get off my ass and finish this chapter. :D

I don't like this one as much, for some reason... Oh, well. Next will be one we've been waiting for: Light telling his parents he's a vampire! Oh noes! XD

Enjoy!
Li