AN :

Hey everyone !

First time writing for this fandom. I fell down the rabbit-hole (again) and have too many ideas.
I had not read the manga for years but love it so much.
I hope you'll like it.

PS : English is my second language and I did not Beta this work, if there are mistakes just tell me and I'll correct them.

N.

"You WHAT ? Tsuna's voice echoed. Hayato and Lambo stopped in their tracks as they were passing in front of their Boss's office. The ten year-old hid behind Hayato's as Tsuna stormed out of his office.

The Vongola Decimo had grown up. At now eighteen he was more confident than he had been when he had discovered the mafia world. Right now, in his formal suit, he looked serious and angry. The Storm Guardian tried to think fast. Hibari was supposed to be working with Kusakabe-san, Takeshi and Ryohei were spending the week with the Varia and weren't due before later this evening, Mukuro… Well no one knew where he was and Lambo was with him. Chrome ? She was supposed to be on her way back from school. He looked at his watch. Oh, she was supposed to have been home for forty minutes. He frowned, it was not like her to be late.

He patted Lambo on the head and stormed after Tsuna. If Tsuna was shorter than him, he still had troubles keeping up the pace with his angry Boss.

"What happened Ten… Tsuna ?" He corrected himself. After years Tsuna really insisted he called him and everyone else by their names. He listened carefully at the mumblings he got for an answer. Something about an attack and a police station. Gokudera stilled for a second before running after his friend again. "Is it Chrome ?" He asked, worried. If someone had happened to her it would explain his wrath.

"Yes." Tsuna said nothing else as he grabbed his car keys and wrenched the door opened. Hayato jumped in the car the second Tsuna's foot crushed the pedal.

He didn't dare ask anything during the short ride. When they reached the police station Tsuna was still fuming. He opened the door, his face a mask of calmness, but Hayato knew him better than that. He walked to the desk with a frown.

"Hello. I am Sawada Tsunayoshi. You called me about fifteen minutes ago."

The man in front of him looked surprised. He had not expected a young man to be the one in charge.

"Hum yes, indeed. Huh.." He stood up and motioned for them to follow him. "Come with me, she's just there." Gokudera frowned. He had been right, something had happened to Chrome. What he had not expected had been to find her in a cell. She was sitting on a dirty bench, her legs crossed, and visibly pouting.

She had grown up too. Well, she was still short but she didn't look like the kid she used to be. At sixteen, soon seventeen, she was now a young woman who held herself with grace. She was still shy around strangers though.

"Miss Dokuro, someone's here for you." The man announced and she looked up at Tsuna, unimpressed. The policeman opened the lock and she stood. She dusted her skirt and left the cell, her head high.

They walked back to the hall and waited for Tsuna as the officer was telling him something and showing him pictures he couldn't see from his place. Chrome was sending daggers at whoever met her gaze. He had rarely seen her that angry too. Tsuna signed a paper, without a word and they left. When they reached the car Hayato snatched the keys.

"You're too angry to drive Tsuna. I'll handle it." The truth was that he wanted something to busy himself with during the ride. he was surprised when his friend did not argue but said nothing.

They sat in silence, both men at the front and Chrome in the back. She stared resolutely outside, avoiding eye contacts with them both. Gokudera sighed as he left the parking lot. He had been waiting for their Boss to unleash his anger during the ride but nothing. Not a word.

He was growing more and more anxious with each passing second and he could see Chrome fidgeting on her seat in the rear mirror. He entered the Vongola property and parked just in front of the door. He could see Lambo looking at them from a window and nodded at him discreetly.

"In my office. Now." Tsuna's voice cut his thoughts as he slammed the door of the car shut. He saw Chrome rolled her eye before she followed him. Even if, as their Mist Guardian, she was perfect at hiding things he knew she was just faking her carelessness.

He decided to follow them. He wanted to be there in case he'd need to calm them down. To this day, Tsuna and Chrome had never fought. The Vongola Boss had always been protective towards the younger girl. She had also liked him, always trusted him when she trusted no one else yet. No one knew what to expect if they were to fight, but no one ever expected them to fight at all.

He closed the door behind him quietly. Tsuna had sat in his chair behind the huge desk and Chrome was sitting in front him, visibly tensed and annoyed. He decided to be neutral and stood next to the desk, his eyes moving from one to the other worriedly.

He heard noises from behind the door. He recognised Lambo and… Hibari ? The Skylark must have arrived while they were out.

"What the Hell were thinking ?" Tsuna cut the silence. He sounded annoyed even if he tried to hide it. "You don't come home and while I worry I got a phone call from the police ! Telling me you're in a cell !"

"It's not my fault." She sighed tiredly. It impressed Hayato. She never rose her voice.

"Not your fault ?" Tsuna cut her before she could say anything else. "You're in jail but it's not your fault ? They showed me the picture Chrome ! Three of them are going to spend the two weeks to come in an hospital room ! The other two can't even eat anything solid ! Tell me how all of this is not your fault now. Humour me." Chrome's frown deepened and Gokudera winced. He couldn't believe she had sent people to the hospital.

"They attacked me first !" She stood up in anger, bracing her hands on the edge of the desk. Columns of ice and fire rose behind her, piercing the roof. "They started this !" Hayato thought her eye was shining more than it usually did. The fire and ice behind her shone for a second more and vanished, leaving the floor burnt and frozen and the sky visible above their heads.

"That's not what the police told me. They told me you attacked them." Tsuna remained in his seat, frowning. "They just had troubles believing a young woman like you could beat five men their size." He scoffed.

"Well, here the truth," She almost screamed. "I was coming back home when they tried to talk me into following them. As if I was stupid enough to do that." She rolled her eye dramatically. "Except those dumbasses"

"Language." Tsuna cut her. She rolled her eye again.

"Except those dumbasses" She insisted on the word, looking at him in the eyes, daringly. "grabbed me and pushed me into the alleyway." Tsuna frowned. That was not what the policemen had told him and no matter what he believed his friend more than them. Gokudera was frowning too, his eyes never leaving Chrome. He didn't like where all this was going.

"I tried to push them away and run, but they were too fast." Hayato could see her hands trembling against the desk. "They blocked me. I did just like Kyoya taught me. I kicked and aimed for painful body parts." Well, the Skylark could be proud of his student. "But there were six of them and I was alone. No matter how good I am at close combat I was no match. I am not Kyoya." She dropped her head and her hair hid her face. Tsuna stood up and walked around the desk to her. He stopped next to her but didn't touch her.

"Did you use your flame Chrome ?" His voice was low and Hayato could almost hear all the unsaid things. Had she shown her powers to strangers. Has she used her powers to harm someone who was not part of the mafia.

"I panicked." Her voice was so quiet, they almost missed it. She raised her head and looked at them, tears in her eye. "I panicked. They were holding me, grabbing me, pushing me into the walls, into their arms. I couldn't escape." The men's jaws clenched. From Tsuna's look, that was not what the police had told him.

"Chrome…" He said softly, but she was not listening at him.

"I knew too well what they wanted from me." Her fists clenched at her sides and Tsuna and Hayato breathed in sharply. They remembered all too well that December night two years ago when she had already been attacked in a dark street on her way home. Takeshi had arrived just in time. That was the time they had unanimously decided she couldn't live alone at Kokuyo anymore. Suddenly Hayato noticed how her jacket was still closed tightly around her.

"I couldn't let them. They tried to… They tried." She breathed. "And I lost it. I tried to hold it for as long as I could, I only used my fists but it wasn't enough, they were winning. I… Yes, I used my flame." She hung her head in shame, shaking in from of them. From fear, disgust, shame. They didn't really know.

"Chrome" Tsuna's voice was soft.

"What was I supposed to do ?" Her voice broke as her eye met her Boss's and he almost winced. Behind him, Gokudera gulped. They couldn't know the fear she had felt, but they knew she had been right. Hayato walked to stand by her other side.

"I'm sorry Chrome." Tsuna leaned forwards and wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened at the contact and the men's eyes met. She had not tensed when they hugged her for two years. Of course at first it had been terribly difficult, she had hated physical contact, she had not been used to it. No one had hugger her before.

They remembered the first time Takeshi had hugged her after an attack that was aimed at her all those years ago. They had been terribly worried and he had hugged her tightly, without thinking much about it, that baseball freak. She had tensed up and almost had a panic attack. It had taken time but now she didn't mind anymore, she even hugged them for time to time. Actually she was the only one that could hug the mighty Hibari Kyoya without being bitten to death. So of course, her tensing up like that when Tsuna touched her was worrying.

"I'm sorry I ever doubted you. I'll ask Takeshi to get these men's records." He glanced at Hayato above her head and his right-hand man nodded.

"He should be back by tomorrow morning at the lastest." He lightly put his hand on Chrome's shoulder and to their utter concern she flinched. They quickly let go of her, keeping their hands to themselves. Tsuna walked back to his desk and rummaged through the drawer. He took out a handful of grape candies with a grimace. They were Lambo's favourite.

"I don't have any chocolate left, I'm sorry…" Tsuna sighed. Hayato's eyes widened and he reached into his pocket.

"Here." He showed her a wrapped candy. "It's chocolate." He smiled and put it into her hands. She took it hesitantly but did not eat it.

Tsuna sat again and took his jacket off with a sigh.

"It's hot in here, don't you think ?" He asked as he turned to open the window behind him, ignoring the holes in his ceiling. Hayato nodded. He wasn't even wearing a jacket. Chrome shrugged uneasily and avoided their gazes.

"Chrome, could you take off your jacket, please ?" Hayato asked softly in that older-brother-ish tone he knew she couldn't resist to. She fidgeted uneasily and he reached for the fabric of the high collar himself. He slowly pulled the jacket off of her shoulders. She did not try to stop him but fixed her gaze at his feet.

When he revealed her arms he breathed in sharply. Tsuna suddenly stood up, almost knocking off his chair. Bruises were showing on the pale skin of her arm and her neck. Tsuna's hand lit up in orange flames and without even realising it Hayato had a stick of dynamite in his hand. There will be hell to pay.

They had dared touch her. Hurt her. It made it more real now. They had guessed what these men's intentions were but the handprint-shaped bruise on her arm was a clear reminder of these men's twisted desires.

Chrome was like their little sister. She would mostly likely kill them if she ever learned that they did their best to keep her safe because she was a girl in a man's world or because she was a year younger than they were. This year they were all turning eighteen, they were officially be adults. But not her. She would turn seventeen in a few weeks. She was their responsibility and they would never forgive themselves if anything was to happen to her.

In a second the bruises disappeared and she tried to put her jacket back on but Hayato refused to give it back to her.

"I'm alright." Her voice was soft. The harsh contrast between her previous fierce behaviour when she had been screaming at her friend and her shy words now was striking.

Her ring glowed indigo and she disappeared before they could say anything. They knew she was going to use the window as an escape but didn't try to close it.

Tsuna felt bad for yelling at her. Sure they had this one rule about not showing their flames to civilians, no matter what, but she definitely had good reasons to do so. They knew everything would be alright in the end, it was a quite dulb rule. He sighed, his head in his hand.

"Why is it so hard ?" He mumbled. Hayato sat in the chair in front of him, tiredly.

"I don't know, Tsuna. I don't know."

x0x

Later in the night, when Takeshi learned about the evening's events Hayato had to physically restrain him as he wanted to go to the hospital to take care of the men himself. Kyoya had also threatened to go there if they didn't tell him where Chrome was at the moment. They had no idea where she was but suggested him to check her bedroom, just in case.

The baseball freak was enraged that anyone would dare attack her. If they were stupid enough to touch a Vongola there was hell to pay.

He accepted his mission of finding the men''s records before they decided to act with a devilish smirk and had left as soon as Tsuna has officially asked him.

The next day, the three men in the hospital had a few more broken bones and had been joined by the two that had been able to go back home. Surprisingly enough the police found a naked man attached to a pole and badly beaten, just in front of the station. They said nothing as they took him in after having read the note attached to him.

Two days later Tsuna received a letter. The six men had been found guilty of one too many crimes and would not see the light of day for a long, long time. The mafia Boss smiled. He'd have to send Dino and Xanxus a very good bottle of win as they visibly had been very convincing with their friend, the judge.

With a smile he left his office, today was a good day.