An SPK Christmas

CONTAINS SPOILERS OF UNRELEASED-IN-AMERICA CHAPTERS, NAMELY 92 While busy on the Kira case, Near finds that he has some waiting time in Japan and ends up getting Mello a present, and waiting for him to come receive it.

THIS DOES CONTAIN SPOILERS BETWEEN CHAPTERS 92 SPECIFICALLY.

I don't remember the specific chapters they were mentioned in, but in one of the chapters in around the 9th or 10th Japanese volume, somewhere in there, Near is playing with toys at a Christmas tree, and I had this idea. It was cute, and very random, and this appeared in my mind. There are just a few things you should know before hand (for those who probably are reading this because of the characters, and to get a small timeline established):

The SPK (Special Provisions for Kira) is acting on its own apart from America because the United States doesn't want Kira to kill their political leaders. They have temporarily relocated in Japan to focus on Kira's origins, and there are only four: Near, Rester, Gevanni, and Hal Lidner. Mello has been to the headquarters in America and knows of Near's presence in Japan, but Near hasn't informed him of their specific location.

And now, with that taken care of... on with the fic!

Oh wait. Disclaimer, I don't own this. Characters belong to Gods Takeshi Obata and Tsugumi Ohba, the Kiras of today's youthful mischief. Oh, do I worship them...

Now, with the fic!

That Wonderful Time Of Year Again

by Darkness Princess

:x:x:

Plans

Rester thought it was odd. He sat in one of the swivel chairs of the headquarters, blonde hair combed neatly in his usual style, white shirt pressed and clean as possible. He always wore the same pale-blue tie, with a pair of dark brown or light khaki slacks. For some reason, Near preferred if things were so constant, so predictable; Rester believed it was so he could focus on things out of the ordinary. It seemed plausible, for he wasn't always the only one in such normal clothes. Hal always wore a simple suit, and Gevanni always wore a dark suit and a black tie. Always.

And Near... he wore pajamas. Sometimes, it made Rester wonder if the boy wore them because he didn't want to change, or if he had fears of change. The white-haired kid was just a kid, so small and frail, surrounded by his toys, despite his age. Many times, Rester looked in his direction and watched him guide around his toy jet in the air, listening as he mildly chuckled upon watching the model aircraft crash into a Transformer.

'Is he eighteen or eight?' Rester asked himself numerous times.

"Woooo, rarrr."

They were soft noises, rarely escaping his pale lips, but escaping nonetheless. Near sure liked his toys. They made Rester wonder if the boy was sure he was in reality and not some abnormal dreamworld. It all just seemed to fit. Especially with his awkward requests given at random times, like earlier today.

Near lifted himself from the ground after around an hour of playing silently. He hadn't spoken to anyone since his earlier request of Gevanni to monitor his current suspect. Hal was out of headquarters, playing bodyguard to Miss Takada, and it left only Rester with the white-haired boy and the small gathering of toys.

"Rester... do you know how to decorate a Christmas tree?"

The question sent Rester off guard, and he looked up with confusion at the boy sitting on the ground near his chair. He stared at the boy calmly, his brows furrowed as he tried to connect the question with anything. The date - December twelfth, two-thousand nine. That made... some sort of sense, he figured. It didn't touch the Kira case at all. But with Near, many things didn't always connect at first. "Yes," he answered, "I do."

Near's head of pale locks bobbed up and down lightly, and he turned back to the toy in his hand. "Please, Rester. Could you buy a Christmas tree? For here?"

It had been very confusing, but Rester had gone out that evening and bought a tree, as well as quite a few ornaments, which he carried in a box under one hand while struggling with a six-foot evergreen under the other. Somehow, he managed to get it in and had it situated in a corner of the SPK headquarters. Near sat in front of it on the first night, slowly placing decorations on.

At first, they were small, ornamental, spherical items hung upon them, in colors red, gold, silver, blue, green, and the occasional magenta. Near wasn't much of a fan of pink, but he had no problem placing the few on the tree. Rester, Hal, and Gevanni watched him in confusion as he hung them one at a time, first at the bottom, then stretching his hand up, until finally he required some assistance.

The next day, twelve days before Christmas, Rester was presented with a list. After he just sat about and listened for clues on the news, he was confronted by the small child, who looked up at him with his dark eyes and held a sheet of paper.

"Near... you don't eat chocolate..." Rester found himself saying. Well, then again, Near didn't seem to eat anything, ever. It was a bit alarming, for the boy was so frail and thin it made a person wonder how he was still alive. Of course, he wasn't going to deny the list, but he had to comment, as he scanned the paper. Seventeen different brands of chocolate, from specific bars to decorated shapes to variety boxes. Those weren't the only things on the list, but also a cross-shaped necklace, a leather jacket, and a silver necklace.

Near looked at him calmly. "Get those for me. They're for Mello."

Rester was confused, but nonetheless nodded and rose.

It was a present under the tree by the sixteenth. Actually, five presents, with tags all marked "For Mello". The three of them watched him quietly as he sat by the tree, playing like a grade-schooler with his tiny toys, now and then manipulating one, rearranging sets of others. They weren't sure what he wanted, what he could do. He wanted Mello to visit for Christmas.

That was highly unlikely. This was a race, between Mello and Near, on who would catch Kira first. They couldn't just put that on hiatus because it was the holiday season, especially when they knew Kira wasn't one to let days go by without doing something. They knew Mello was in Japan, but one thing they hadn't told him was that they were as well. Possibly, Mello didn't know they were across the globe as he was, yet possibly they did. They couldn't just find him and tell him to come, so the offer of an open door stood.

One afternoon, Rester finally decided to question Near's belief in his new rival.

"Near..." Rester spun around in his chair, the seventeen television screens muted as he called the young detective's name.

"Yes, Rester?" The boy didn't bother to look up.

"A question. How are you sure Mello knows you're here?" he asked. "Nobody told him we were here."

And for once, Near's eyes turned upward, and a small, cunning smile found his lips. "Because," he replied, "I know Mello. He'll come."

Rester and the others couldn't help but doubt. Mello, though brilliant, was fairly unpredictable, spastic as a sugar-hyped child given a city to roam in - hell, he was that sugar-hyped child, given all of Japan to search through. Hal sighed one afternoon and told Rester to let him be, knowing Near had to have had some method in knowing this.

After all, Near wanted Mello for Christmas, and he usually got what he wanted.

.oneEND.

Okay, do you guys like? Hate? What?

I think I'm on a roll with this, and hopefully, all of it will be up by, you guessed it, CHRISTMAS 2006!!!

Of course, that leaves me... ONE DAY!!!!!! If not two; but I've only got one gift to open and high chance is I'll be online anyway. I don't really wanna spend all Christmas working on fanfics, but if that's what it takes to finish it, I will!!!

:Darkness Princess. On a roll! Doused in Chocolate! Yummy!