Jane Grey

Chapter 49: Defendi Morte

The three of us hopped on the first plane back to Japan, Harper relished in the idea of being on a private plane and made it extremely apparent - evidently grinding the gears of both me and Harrison. She ended up drinking way too much champagne and became quite vocal about her past escapades, what these escapades were? I have no clue because Harry deemed it too 'inappropriate' for his baby sister to hear. In the midst of her declarations of love for a psychopath, the flight attendant came to me and meekly stated that there was someone on the phone for me. I gave her a charming smile, thanked her, and followed her to the phone.

"We're joining you in Japan,"
"Well hello to you Nate,"
"I told you not to call me that," he grumbled and so I laughed and taunted him for a good minute or so.
"Sorry did you say you're coming to Japan?"
"Yeah, we've already got a place set up and everything."
"Nope, absolutely not. You're too young to be in such a dangerous situation, don't even think about it," I scolded,
"I'm the same age as you," he reminded me. I often forgot about that, the kid was so short and pale that everyone confuses him for a thirteen year old. It explains how astute he is, and yet I still refuse to let him have a hand in the investigation head on especially with everything else going on.
"Still no Nate,"
"Jane there's no changes to this. I just thought I'd let you know." He then hung up the phone and I huffed some curses under my breath, shuffling back to my seat in mock anger. Harry gave me a look as if to ask what the problem was, but I ignored him and curled up in my seat with a blanket grumbling to myself.

Harper, being the responsible adult she is, offered me a glass of her champagne to and I quote 'Ease my stress'. Harry being the actual adult took it away from her before she could hand it over to me and yet ironically he was the one who got into the most trouble beforehand. "But she needs to relax," her words slurred, dashing her heels to hit Harry and yet being so intoxicated she had sharpshooter level aim. Being hot headed by our DNA, you can imagine that a physical fight was about to ensue but I like to think that the fact that I was giggling snapped them out of it.

We landed a few hours later absolutely jetlagged and Harps was on the verge of beginning to sober up. Now, the issue at hand was how to get Harper into the complex 1) Without Light seeing her 2) Without Misa seeing and 3) Without anyone from the outside world who amy have access to the news seeing - Harps is very noticeable especially as a criminal. Though miraculously Harrison suggested bringing her to his place and laying low until we could establish a plan. And so I was to continue carrying on as if my dead sister wasn't somehow alive and that our entire family isn't affected by the death note when wielded by a human. Just casual. I gave them both a big hug before leaving, we muttered 'Defendi Morte' before splitting up and I walked up to the lobby of the complex with my bags in hand and suitcase in tow. Even before entering the elevator I could just tell something was wrong. The vibe of the building felt...off. Darker, more suffocating.

"Welcome back Jane!" Light was the first to greet me, taking me in his arms and hugging me tightly. My mind almost immediately snapped back from the doting little sister to the depressed and passive girlfriend. He paints me in this image of a Goddess in need of rebuilding and if thats what he wants me to be then thats what I'll be to him. So I let him, I let him hug me and unravel my tie pressing a loving kiss to my forehead, "How was your trip?"
"It was fine," I lent my weight onto his chest, allowing the suffocating feeling envelope my heart.
"How was Harry?" The air suddenly went thick, the other members of the task force had come to greet me and almost immediately regretted making their presence known.
"Harry?"
"You know, the boy you was away for a week with. Alone," I saw what he was doing. He was baiting me into a corner unlike the Light that I knew not that long ago. I scoffed at him, rolling my eyes and telling him "Harry is gay and my brother, idiot," flicking his forehead. Now, I don't know if Harrison is gay but he certainly has no qualms against being with men in the true Moreaux fashion. Nonetheless, it got Light off of my ass about where I was and who I was with. Before he could ask anything else, my phone started ringing with an unsaved number but I knew it to be Near.

"Hey Nicole," I faked. I used to have a friend called Nicole so it was believable enough for Light to back off a bit.
"Nicole?"
"Yeah I just got home, What's up?"
"Is Kira with you?"
"Yeah I remember him," I managed to feign some innocent gossip between me and a friend.
"Okay, this is the address of our new complex. Come at your earliest convenience," I tried my absolute best to memorise it, it was pretty easy but still I worried over my memory.
"Oh yeah, I'll be there. How about...Thursday?"
"Perfect. Stay safe Jane,"
"Can't wait. See you then!"

My heart was pounding out of my chest, adrenaline coursing through my veins so much that chewing on my sleeve felt appropriate in my fear. Light, I thought, was none-the-wiser and yet something in his eye told me otherwise. I spent the remainder of the evening catching up with the task force whilst in Light's arms dressed in comfy clothes. I was so close to falling asleep, getting too comfortable once again in a familiar place, but the way he fiddled with the ring on my pinkie finger and then whispered in my ear kept me wide awake.

"Defendi Morte, Queen Jane?" my eyes widened, I tried in all of my might not to tense or show fear, and all signs of drowsiness fled from my body.
"Protected by Death, Jane Moreaux?" at this point, he was gripping my wrist with determination.
"Light, love, you're hurting me" his grip eased, but he kept repeating that Latin phrase that bound my family in perpetuity, "You could see shinigami's long before we could. Is it because of this?"
"I don't know,"
"Defendi Morte..." He dropped my hand back into my lap and pulled me closer in his lap, arms tight around my waist and face buried in my neck, "You can never die, Jane Moreaux,"