* * * October 17 * * *

Rain gently pattered against the windows on that dark and hazy night. Matt was among the only members of the task force awake, sitting at his computer as he monitored Mello's mission. He watched the live video feed as his childhood friend planted more surveillance equipment in the suspects' offices.

The redhead sighed. "I'm really worried about her. She hasn't been herself since then – it's like Beyond all over again. I don't know what to do. I don't know how to help."

"Relax. She'll be fine," Mello insisted. "She's gonna be upset for a few days, maybe a few weeks, but she'll be fine. She's got you looking after her anyway. Hell, she's probably slept more than you have these past three days since you're being so stubborn about it."

Miles frowned and folded his arms as he looked off to the side. "I just want to make sure that she'll be okay after our teams split up. I want to do everything I can now because I probably won't see her again after this," he confessed as the rain caught his eye. "I've been trying not to think about it, but it's going to happen sooner or later – and given our progress lately, I'd go with sooner."

The blond scoffed. "You're such an idiot sometimes."

Matt's eyes went wide for a moment, taken aback by his friend's words.

Once fully processed, he scowled and snapped, "Is it so wrong to want her to be happy?"

"I never said that," Mello argued. "You're just too stupid to see that she has a huge crush on you."

The gamer furrowed his eyebrows, mind racing as he thought to all his previous interactions with Amy. Could it really be true? He shook his head. No, that's crazy. Sure, we have fun together, but she's just being herself – she's just being my friend.

His tone was uncertain when he finally spoke. "It doesn't seem that way..."

"You're both so oblivious," the blond groaned. "Think harder. Think about how she looks at you: her face lights up in a way that never happens when she's talking to anyone else. Think about all that time you spent together when you didn't have to – all that extra time you spent away or even just hanging out at the house. Hell, she even had the patience to help you quit. She's head over heels for you, even if she's too afraid to say it."

The rain finally stopped, the cloud cover clearing away with it. Matt's eyes went wide as his heart fluttered, the corners of his lips extending into a wide grin.

After a short silence, Mello chimed in again. "Go to that store I went to over the weekend and get yourself a nice suit or something – Bambi already has some fancy dress she got with Misa. Take her out and tell her before you lose your chance."

The redhead could only nod, speechless from his revelation. Outside, the moon shined brightly above.

* * * October 20 * * *

It had been nearly a week since Bambi's sister closed the door between them, the wound only just beginning to heal. Still, she was in better spirits this day than she had been. Sora had tried to pry into what made her so quiet those past few days, but the agent remained silent on the issue. Despite the lack of new information, the teen's coworker eventually dropped the subject, instead treating her to lunch in an attempt to cheer her up. Besides, like Matt said, she had all these great people in her life that were there for her anyway. Even Near had been surprisingly understanding, sharing that he had a similar experience when he searched into his own family. Although the thoughts still plagued her mind while she was alone, she could smile again – even laugh.

The rest of the task force had been diligently keeping an eye on the Kira meetings. Light interrupted it last week acting as L to save someone's life and offered Namikawa immunity from prosecution if he blocks Kira from killing Yotsuba's competitors. With today's meeting past, this method had proven itself successful.

Although Amelia had returned from work in time to witness the meeting, Misa eagerly dragged the brunette straight to her room to prepare her for the gala. Bambi couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the blonde's room – apparently, the model took out everything they bought on that trip together while she was waiting for the hacker to return. Amy changed into her dress and was sitting at her friend's table as the actress stood behind her. Misa pulled the brunette's hair into an elegant bun on the top of her head.

As the blonde worked, she commented, "We should really do this more often, but I want to come next time and you can do my hair."

The model pulled away and walked around to face Bambi, scrutinizing her appearance with pursed lips. Unsatisfied with some aspect of the style, she reached up to fix it.

"So, are you going to meet up with that fun secretary girl you work with?"

Amelia smiled. "Yeah, probably. She's the only person I know who's not a total creep or a suspect." The teen laughed. "She's pretty cool, though."

She nodded before grinning and standing. Without asking, Misa grabbed her hands and pulled her over to the full body mirror to show off her handywork. She stood behind the brunette and peaked over her shoulders to gauge her reaction in the mirror. Amy's dress was the long and flowing princess-style, as recommended by Misa. The only two accessories she had on were her surveillance necklace and a bracelet that the blonde insisted was the perfect match to her shoes. She was also wearing low heels that were classy, but easy enough to walk in. The brunette couldn't help the corners of her lips from curving into a smile as she recalled the shopping trip.

Misa was the first to break the silence with starry eyes. "Wow, you look so pretty, Bambi. You should totally give up this whole secret agent thing and become a model."

The hacker burst out laughing. "Maybe one day. You never know."

The model grinned excitedly as she bounced up and down. "I'll totally hook you up with an agent. Just let me know when you're ready."

Amelia smiled at her friend's reaction, though she had no intention of actually following in her career path. The teen glanced up to the clock on the wall before her eyes went wide.

"I've got to get going!"

Bambi rushed across the hall to her room before grabbing her handbag and keys, Misa following closely behind. After making sure that her earpiece was snug in her ear, the agent made her way downstairs. The elevator doors opened on the main investigation floor, revealing everyone but Mello.

Misa pulled the brunette out and gestured to her as she announced, "I give you, Bambi!"

Everyone turned to the young women and took in the youngest's appearance. While Near and L seemed relatively unconcerned, returning back to their conversation, the other young men were not unaffected.

Matt's cheeks soon matched his hair as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Y-You look amazing."

The corners of her lips curved into a soft smile, her own cheeks warming to a rosy hue. "T-Thanks."

Light frowned before faking a cough to get her attention. "Near will be listening in case you run into one of the suspects. Let him know if you need any help. The rest of us will be going through the data again."

She nodded at the former suspect before turning to Matsuda. "Ready to go?"

The Japanese investigator nodded and pulled his keys out of his pockets. "Yes."

Bambi followed him back into the elevator and down to the garage where he was parked. Once she was safely seated, Matsuda quickly headed out and toward the gala. The hacker couldn't help but reminisce to the last time she was in this car. It was hard to believe that she was on crutches and still not mentally right when this seat was last claimed as her own. So much time had passed and so much had changed since then.

When they finally arrived, Amelia noticed Mello's motorcycle already in the parking lot. Matsuda let the teen out and reminded her that he would be back later to pick her up. She was quick to thank him before he drove off.

The foreigner looked around as she stepped inside the huge venue – the mandatory attendance showing how truly big the company was. People were all around the ballroom, sitting at the tables, dancing in the center, talking in groups, and hanging around the refreshment table as they listened to the live band and awaited a speech from the company's president that would come during dinner. According to Sora, people generally start to leave once the speech and dinner is over, and that was exactly what L wanted her to do.

Someone bumped into the teen, apologizing profusely before making his way to a table. With her attention returned to herself, Bambi stepped away from the doors she was nearly blocking and started to look around to find some place to go. In one corner she could see Mello standing in his suit with a group of men away from the others. He glanced over to her for a brief moment before returning his attention to his social group. They must have been the other maintenance workers.

As Amelia continued to survey the ballroom, she realized that the executives who attend the Yotsuba Kira meetings were all spread out, not interacting with one another. It wasn't long before a familiar face made her way to the brunette.

Sora was wearing a short dress, grinning as she cried out, "Oh my gosh, you look totally amazing, Lola!"

The agent thanked her, but took a mental note of the alcohol she could smell on her breath. With not much else to do, the teen spent some time conversing with her coworker, listening as the Japanese woman gossiped about the employees who happened to be out of earshot. After some time passed, they both became somewhat thirsty and moved to the refreshment table.

The older secretary took a hefty gulp of her drink before letting out a long sigh and smiling fondly. "You know, if there's one thing I'll miss about Yotsuba, it's that they sure know how to throw a party. Just wait until the food gets out – it's always incredible!" A moment passed before the tipsy woman explained, "Once the New Year comes around, I'm gonna quit and finally start traveling the world."

Shortly after that unintended announcement, Amelia noticed Yuko Noguchi walking by with a slight frown on her lips. The teen froze as the blonde made eye contact with her, pausing for a moment before narrowing her eyes and brusquely stepping away. It was clear that she made the connection between their similar appearances and the emails from last week. The younger of the half-siblings tightened her lips into a thin line as she averted her gaze. Still, this exchange didn't go unnoticed by her drunken coworker.

Sora leaned in as she commented a bit too loudly, "Wow, what a stuck up bitch. You didn't even do anything."

Amy took a deep breath. She was okay. She had everyone else. Most importantly in this moment, she needed to keep her cover.

"Well, from what you told me about her, she doesn't seem like the type to want to be here anyway," the teen suggested. "She's probably just in a bad mood."

Her coworker pursed her lips for a few moments. "Yeah... I guess that's possible..."

And as one issue passed, another presented itself.

"Well, well," a familiar voice purred from behind as Amelia felt a hand on her back. "If it isn't my little Lola."

Near chimed in through her earpiece, the memory of what happened last time clear in their minds. "Get away from her. If you can't, we're going to send Mello over."

Rin rested her chin on the teen's shoulder as she began to snake her arms around Bambi's waist. The brunette forced a laugh as she twisted away and tried to play it off as a joke.

The older woman narrowed her eyes slightly before forcing another smile as she sauntered toward the teen again with her arms outstretched. "Now, now, Lola. You still owe me that lunch date, remember? It was so rude of you to rush out before – it's only fair that you make it up to me with a dance."

Sora furrowed her eyebrows together as she glowered at the seductress. "Hey, leave her alone!"

Rin's expression darkened as she narrowed her eyes and sneered at Sora. "That's rather bold of you to suggest given your situation. It must be the alcohol." She smirked as she added, "Perhaps you should be a dear and find somewhere else to spend your time."

Sora's expression fell as she backed away slightly. Still, the older brunette hesitated for a moment as she clenched her fists together. Rin stared her down as if silently commanding her last comment.

It was then that Amelia heard her boss' voice. "I see you're bothering my secretaries again."

The perpetrator whipped around to face him, a fierce glare in her eyes as she growled, "Higuchi."

"Tamura." He glared back. "I thought I made it clear where your territory ends. Perhaps I need to remind you?"

Rin scoffed before walking off, glaring at the man as she went. Higuchi smirked at his success as he watched her go. Bambi couldn't help the lopsided smile that tugged at the corners of her lips. Never in a million years would she have ever expected to be relieved to see Higuchi. It seemed that dealing with the man who was likely the Yotsuba Kira creeped her out significantly less than dealing the Yotsuba's shadow CEO.

With the auburn-haired woman gone, Higuchi grinned and turned to his youngest secretary. "You know, Lola, I still don't know much about you. Of course, you're a good secretary, but I don't know you as personally." Amelia could smell the liquor on his breath as he leaned in and added, "What do you say? Care to dance?"

The agent hesitated as she waited for the input from Near that she had gotten so used to in each interaction with the executive. Strangely enough, she heard nothing. Left to her own devices, the hacker knew that she needed to make sure that she kept this job for another month to retrieve her program, so she couldn't risk being fired. However disgusted she was with the idea, she would have to agree to guarantee job security.

Bambi forced an awkward smile. "Sure..."

Higuchi took the teen's hand in his as he began to lead her to the dance floor. She looked back toward Sora to gauge her reaction and noted that she was clearly distracted, frowning as she gazed off in the distance. A short distance away, Rin was smirking.

Back at headquarters, Near frowned slightly as he removed his headset and approached L. The head detective paused his conversation with Light to await his successor's words.

"Bambi's necklace is still broadcasting, but I have lost communication with her earpiece," Near explained. "She is with Higuchi right now and he's questioning her."

Matt turned around with furrowed brows as Light's eyes widened.

The latter frowned as he argued, "She shouldn't be left alone with him. If he's really Kira, then anything she says can be used to find her true identity and her connection to the case."

Near mentally noted the irony of his statement while Matt offhandedly commented, "Now you know how we felt whenever she was alone with you all through To-Oh."

So he believes that Light isn't Kira and never was Kira, the youngest investigator deduced.

The brunet pursed his lips before glancing down and nodding slightly.

L finally chimed in, "We must repair the device, but in the meantime she needs a replacement. Matt, tell Mello to keep an eye on her until then."

The redhead complied with his instructions before turning back to the group.

This time Near faced the techie. "Do you still have the systems that you used with Bambi over the summer?"

He jumped up from his seat. "I should have it in my room."

"Someone will have to bring it to her," L added.

"I'll do it," Matt immediately offered. "I know where it is anyway."

Light frowned.

"You will need to blend in," Near pointed out.

"I have a suit at home," the brunet interjected. "I'll bring it to her."

"But I have one here and I have a car," the redhead argued. "I'll be able to get to her faster."

"What about Mello? You can't just abandon him."

"You don't know him like I do. He'll be fine."

Near chimed in. "I'll monitor him for you."

Light furrowed his eyebrows as he turned to L.

The head detective nodded at his youngest successor. "That will do."

With that decided, the computer genius rushed off.

Higuchi's questions had gone on for long enough with no input from Near. It was clear to Amelia now that her earpiece was malfunctioning and she was on her own.

"So, Lola, what was it like where you grew up?" Higuchi asked as she danced with him.

She mentally compared what she assumed was the climate of Mexico against her own hometown. "Hot. Too hot."

"I see. What brought you to Japan?"

Now, this she distinctly remembered being a part of her fake backstory, but what was it again? Still, there was no time to think mid-conversation.

She sheepishly grinned. "Honestly, it was so long ago when I came here that I often forget that I'm not Japanese."

"Oh, that's right," Higuchi commented with a grin. "You mentioned something like that during the interview process. Speaking of which, remind me: why did you choose Yotsuba?"

"I needed to support myself and Yotsuba gave me the best offer."

"Of course. How could I forget?" The corners of his lips curved into a smirk as he added, "You know, we have quite the range of interesting people here. Are you into men or are you one of those people who's open to anything?"

"Uh..." Maybe this was her chance to make him back off. "I'm attracted to women."

The corners of his lips dropped slightly. "Really? I wouldn't have guessed. You should give men a shot too." He fully frowned as he added, "You should take extra care to steer clear of Rin Tamura."

Bambi pursed her lips as she nodded. Clearly this shadow CEO had a reputation for targetting both sexes – though, from her two sources of this assumption, it could just be Sora that she initially set her sights on.

As another song ended, they separated.

Higuchi fixed his tie as he asked, "Are you dating someone right now?"

"Yes."

Maybe he would get the hint now?

He raised his eyebrows as he scrutinized the teen's expression. "Really? I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

With that said, he headed toward the refreshment table. Amelia turned and started to search for Sora, but she was nowhere to be found. As the brunette began to wade her way through the crowds, she felt a hand on hers, stopping her as a familiar object was pressed into her palm. Her eyes went wide for a moment, not expecting him here. She turned around to see Miles standing before her, dressed in a full tuxedo. The corners of her lips tugged into a smile as her cheeks flushed a light pink. Still, she was on a mission. Acting as if to push a stray lock of hair behind her ear, she replaced the old earpiece with the new one.

The brunette looked him up and down before locking eyes with him. "Y-You look very handsome."

A light blush dusted the redhead's cheeks as he thanked her. In the background, a slow waltz was beginning.

The corners of his lips extended into a grin as he offered his hand. "May I have this dance?"

Her heart fluttered in her chest as she nodded, unable to will any words from her lips. She put her hand in his as they stepped closer, moving their touching palms to the side. Matt carefully placed his free hand on her waist as she reached up and gently draped her hand on his shoulder. Taking the first step, he guided her into the dance.

There was a comfortable silence between the pair as Amy followed his lead, stepping in tandem with the redhead and the tempo. Butterflies flooded her stomach as he smiled down at her.

"You're really good at this," she commented. "Have you danced before?"

He nervously laughed. "Yeah. It was a fun class even though it was kinda weird that we had to take it in the first place." A few moments passed before changed the subject. "There's something I wanted to talk to you about..." He glanced down before adding, "It's... more of a personal thing."

The brunette followed his gaze to see that it was on her surveillance necklace. She reached up and flipped the hidden switch on the accessory, cutting off the live feed that it had been sending to Near in headquarters. She looked back up at him with a raised eyebrow.

Miles took a deep breath before confessing, "I've been thinking a lot lately about how we'll probably be done here soon and that we'll have to split up again. I... I just wanted you to know how much I care about you, but not in the same way I do about Mello. You're my friend, but I see you as so much more than that – it just took me a while to realize it." He hesitated before his cheeks flushed pink and he added, "I really like you – in a romantic kind of way."

Amy's heart skipped a beat as the corners of her lips extended into a wide smile, her cheeks a rosy hue. "I feel the same way, and I have for a long time. It just took me until summer to recognize my feelings for what they were. I thought you didn't like me that way and I was too afraid that I might ruin our friendship if I said anything. " She laughed before realizing, "That must have been what Mello was talking about when he said you and I were oblivious."

"Wait, he said that to you too?"

They shared a short bought of laughter before Matt recomposed himself.

He smiled lovingly at the brunette. "So, to make things official: would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"

She returned his expression. "I would love to."