DISCLAIMER: Obviously I do not own the lyrics, the band or anything from KHR! But the idea for this story came from listening to the song. This will be something of a short story/drabble and shouldn't be over twenty chapters and much less than that if I can help it. Oh, this is a TYL au-ish Squalo drabble/short story.

~ LYRICS ~

'What Might Have Been'

By Little Texas

Sure I think about you now and then
But it's been a long, long time
I've got a good life now, I moved on
So when you cross my mind

I try not to think about what might have been
'Cause that was then and we have taken different roads
We can't go back again there's no use giving in
And there's no way to know what might have been

We can sit and talk about this all night long
And wonder why we didn't last
Yes, they might be the best days we will ever know
But we'll have to leave them in the past

So try not to think about what might have been
'Cause that was then and we have taken different roads
We can't go back again there's no use giving in
And there's no way to know what might have been

That same old look in your eyes
It's a beautiful night, I'm so tempted to stay
But too much time has gone by
We should just say goodbye and turn and walk away

And try not to think about what might have been
'Cause that was then and we have taken different roads
We can't go back again there's no use giving in
And there's no way to know what might have been
No, we'll never know what might have been

PART ONE

It had been nearly six years since she put the dangerous, albeit exciting lifestyle of the Mafia behind her for good. Along with the man she loved more than life itself and the best of friends she would ever have.

It was unfortunate, but she had to break all ties to that world in order to truly be free and live a safe, normal life.

Every day the thought of returning to that life, to them, but mostly returning to him crossed her mind at least once.

She would twist and tug at the simple gold shackle around her left hand ring finger. Often nearly pulling it off, as her clouded gaze stared out into nothing, but seeing more than anyone could ever imagine.

She always saw him.

Her lips parted and his name passed though them unheard by anyone, but her and the silence of. "Squalo,"

She could almost feel the soft, teasing brush of his long silver hair as it ghosted over her hypersensitive skin and the warmth of his soft breaths that followed. His lips were usually pulled into a smirk, but his cool grey-blue eyes would smile whenever she was within his sight.

But then, the illusion would always be broken. It would fall away slowly, piece-by-piece, like shattered glass that was impossible to put back together.

By either a large warm hand coming to rest gently on her shoulder; the left hand bearing the same gold shackle as hers, or a soft giggle followed by an angelic voice calling out, "Mommy,"

Her restless hands immediately dropped and her arms opened wide and welcoming, as a little girl with hauntingly familiar silver hair and cool grey-blue eyes ran into them with a wide smile.

"I love you, my sweet little Aniela," She cooed softly and hugged the little girl as close and tight as possible, almost afraid to let her go.

"You'll suffocate her if you don't let go, dear Mia," A deep voice chuckled softly, lovingly and the two females turned to face the only man in their lives with bright, matching smiles of their own.

His hair was as dark as onyx and short, his eyes were a lovely sea green, his skin bronzed and smooth. Arnaud was everything that Squalo wasn't, and yet, that was the problem both ways.

"Oh, Arnaud," Mia whispered with a soft laugh as the little girl giggled and reached out, arms seeking and eyes bright yet pleading, "Daddy,"

Every time Aniela called out to him, her mother's heart broke and guilt nearly overwhelmed her. The ache grew worse when her husband took the little girl into his arms and was immediately hugged around the neck as a reward.

Aniela looked just like him and sometimes acted in a similar manner, but because her mother was a coward, she would never get to know her real father and he would never know that she even existed. He would never know that he had given her such a precious, irreplaceable gift: their daughter.

Arnaud loved them both with all of his heart, even though he knew the little girl wasn't his own and that Mia's heart and past would always belong to another man, whom he was undeniably jealous of and didn't even know the name of.

He was resentful of a stranger whom he had never met or even seen and yet he saw him, or rather, a part of him, every day. He hugged, kissed, loved, read stories to and even tucked a piece of that man into bed every night.

And that was more than enough to keep him content, because he had what that man did not.

That stranger, who had unknowingly given him everything he could ever ask for was nothing more than a phantom in their lives now, and Arnaud was certain he would eventually vanish from their lives forever.