Author's Note:

I'm honored beyond words.

In less than 48 hours the first chapter of this story received 5 reviews (Thank you!), 1 community add, 65 favorites, and 100 alerts. One hundred. O.o Wow. Just wow.

Honestly, I'm speechless. I never expected such a great reception. You guys are the best. Seriously. And for that reason, here's the next chapter much sooner than I planned on.


Call Her Queen

Flames burned in her eyes, and it was as if the sky itself was on fire.

"I don't appreciate others harming what I consider mine."


Chapter Two: To Protect

"So, let me get this straight," Hana said between bites as the two friends sat on the school roof during lunch break.

"You've got a new home tutor who is actually a hitman, and he was sent here to train you to be the next boss of the largest mafia family in Italy because of blood ties through your dad's side. That's also why your dad rarely comes home and can't give you solid contact information, and because of your dad's position as this external advisor he can't inherit the position of boss. The other candidates have all been found dead, and that leaves you to take over."

"That's the gist of it," Tsunami nodded, wiping the corners of her mouth with a napkin. The silence lasted for a minute, both of them digesting the news. Well, for Tsunami it was more like still trying to come to terms with.

"Ugh, stupid Italian monkeys!" Hana cursed, stabbing at her food a little more violently with her chopsticks that was strictly necessary. "Why do they have to drag you into their mess? What do you even know about the mafia?"

"Nothing. That's why Reborn was sent here. They want to have me trained in secret away from the danger in Italy."

"Can't you just tell them no?"

"No." Tsunami had spent a few hours with Reborn last night asking questions after learning there was no way of getting out of it. She let out a sigh. She'd guessed her dad had a dangerous job, but she was thinking government spy or something, not Italian mafia advisor. He'd kept it a secret for so long. If the other three candidates hadn't been murdered, she's sure he would have taken the secret to the grave to keep her and her mom safe.

"Well, that sucks." Still stabbing at her rice, Hana shot Tsunami a look. "So, what do we do now?"

"We?" Tsunami blinked. She wanted to think, but hadn't dared to hope.

"Yes, we. Don't go being stupid like the monkeys. You didn't choose this, and as your best friend, I'm not going to let you face this alone. So, let's make a plan and get through this like we always do."

Words weren't enough to express her gratitude, so Tsunami threw her arms around her best friend, careful not to upset her food. "Thank you." Hana awkwardly returned the hug before pushing Tsunami off her. Blinking back tears, Tsunami shared a smile with her friend.

"The plan?" Hana pointed her chopsticks in Tsunami's direction. "There's no way you didn't find this out last night and not start making a plan, so spill."

Laughing, Tsunami felt lighter, knowing that Hana would still be her friend, and even help her out. "Right. Well, for starters, it's going to be a lot of memorizing. We need to know more about the mafia, and as the next boss, I need to learn more about my family and what's expected of me. Reborn said he'd start teaching me after school today, so if you want to-"

"I'll text my mom. It'll be fine. There's no school tomorrow, and the shrine isn't busy right now, so I can even sleep over."

"Great! Then let's start with that. I don't have enough information to plan much beyond that for now."

"Much? Spill all the beans, Tsunami. You've already knocked the can over." Cleaning up her bento since lunch would end soon, Tsunami frowned.

"I didn't ask much about it last night, but the mafia is dangerous, Hana. The other three candidates were murdered." Holding up a hand, Tsunami ticked off a finger for each of Nono's late sons. "Enrico was killed in a gunfight. Federico's remains were nothing but bones when they found him - cause of death still unknown. Massimo was drowned."

Clasping her hands in her lap to keep them from shaking, Tsunami eyed her best friend. "I don't know how, or what's the best way, but we need to be able to protect ourselves."

Hana frowned too, unsure how to answer. This wasn't something either of them had experience in. Checking the time, Tsunami got to her feet. It wouldn't do to be late to class.

"Maybe…" Hana trailed off as they walked inside. Tsunami nudged her shoulder, encouraging her to continue. Hana shot her a look that said she'd rather not speak what she was thinking, but she said it anyway. "...The best fighters we know are Hibari and the Loud Monkey."

[Call Her Queen]

The Sawada household was pleasantly average Reborn had decided after spending the morning observing. Nana and Tsunami seemed to have a set routine they followed with little variation, but they had seamlessly swallowed him into their rhythm.

Breakfast had been simple but delicious, with limited conversation outside of a brief outline of the day's activities from the two women. The quiet had allowed Reborn to relax as much as a hitman of his calibre could. He hadn't been able to put a finger on it the night before, but the house seemed to radiate a feeling of zen or peace.

"I'll be upstairs settling in if you need me, Maman," Reborn said as the front door shut behind Tsunami.

"Of course, let me know if you need anything."

Upstairs, Reborn didn't even spare a glance for his room, instead slipping into Tsunami's. A personal room could say a lot about a someone. Clean or messy. The objects they chose to keep close. So many things could be revealed without saying a word.

His first impression of Tsunami's room was that, like everywhere else in the house, it was very neat and tidy. The bed was made perfectly enough he could bounce a coin off the sheets. The magenta cover had white flowers stitched into it.

The closet was organized with nothing hiding in the corners or on the floor. The few boxes in the top were clearly labeled with their contents: photo albums, manga, and a few odds and ends. Her bookshelf held a few more manga - most likely ones she was currently interested in - a few romance novels, some historical fiction, and several popular fantasy titles he recognized. Nothing too out of the ordinary.

The last place he could really check was her desk. The top was cleared off besides a mug with a popular character on it holding a variety of colorful pens and some pencils. Inside the first drawer he found a few notebooks. Opening them up revealed different pressed flowers and a beautiful flowing calligraphy with an explanation of each flower next to it.

Both were fine hobbies, if a little old fashioned or outdated; though, a modern form of calligraphy had been rising in popularity lately. Looking at the graceful brush strokes, it was obvious that Tsunami's interest was in the classic art, and she was quite good at it too.

Returning the notebooks as he'd found them, he opened the second drawer. It was a simple filing system with multiple labeled folders. Most of them were for school, saving papers and assignments for various subjects. Finding one called finances, Reborn pulled it out, interested. Inside he found a budget sheet that was neatly kept. Apparently, Tsunami had nice handwriting even without calligraphy.

The sheet showed her allowance, and the few things she spent it on. Going back a few months, Reborn found an interesting trend. Every third week, an entry for cake day was present. Also of note was the save category. Above the total were the words: college fund. He frowned. While college wasn't an impossible goal, it was highly unlikely now that Tsunami was involved with the mafia.

The other files had random subjects of various things that had seemed to catch Tsunami's interest at one point or another. Overall, his findings put together the picture of an average girl with a mixture of old fashioned and modern hobbies who appeared to be a romantic at heart if the books on her shelf were any indication.

He'd been hoping to find a journal like a lot of girls kept, but Tsunami didn't seem to participate in that. Satisfied that he'd learned what he could, he decided to ask his next best source of information: Nana.

He found her downstairs, humming and dusting off the various trinkets in the living room. She certainly kept a tidy house. Like mother, like daughter he supposed. There's no way Tsunami's room could stay that clean unless she kept it that way herself.

Standing to the side so the dust wouldn't irritate him, Reborn cleared his throat.

"Oh, Reborn. Sorry, I didn't see you." Setting down the duster, Nana smiled at him. "Do you need something?"

Nodding, Reborn jumped up onto the sofa, putting on his best charm. Getting in good with the mom was a skill any true man should know. "Could you tell me more about Tsunami? What she's like? I want to be the best tutor possible for her."

"Hmm…" Nana brought her hand up to her chin in thought. "What she's like? Well…"

Sitting down on the sofa opposite him, she gave him a thoughtful look. "Before that, I'd like to know what goals you hope to achieve with Tsunami as her tutor."

"To make her a great leader." Even without his explicit instructions to keep Nana in the dark, Reborn wouldn't have wanted to tell this woman more than necessary. It's a man's job to protect. The mafia may be a dark place, but it still had a few rules.

"I gathered as much from my brief conversation with my husband yesterday, but I'd like a little more detail than that. You see, I want to know what kind of leader, and how you plan to get there." Nana smiled softly, her face aging before his eyes for a few brief moments.

"Iemitsu rarely makes it home because of work. Tsunami is my only daughter -only child- and the biggest part of my life. You can't blame me for wanting to know the details that will affect my daughter's future, can you?" The look she pinned him with would have frozen a lesser man on the spot. It wasn't just Tsunami he needed to learn more about. Nana was more than just the perpetually happy wife that Iemitsu talked of it seemed.

"Of course not, Maman." Staring into her eyes, Reborn continued, twisting the facts as they suited him. "I'm planning to make Tsunami into the kind of leader that others want to follow - one that cares for those around her, but leads them without hesitation towards the best course for the group as a whole.

"My tutoring will include learning leadership skills and several foreign languages so she can be successful wherever she goes. The rest will need to be more finely hammered out between Tsunami and I as to what her interests are." That made Nana smile, a large dazzling smile that he'd only heard of. Her smile was one of the reasons Iemitsu loved her so much.

"I'm so glad to hear that. Tsunami doesn't take well to simply being bossed around, so it's good that you'll be consulting with her. She was wondering if you'd be able to help her with subjects outside of school; though, she didn't mention what those might be."

"Oh?" Reborn tucked that bit of information away. "What else can you tell me about her, Maman?" Iemitsu had the observations of an outsider, but Nana knew Tsunami better than anyone except the girl's closest friends. This morning was turning out to be a very profitable one.

[Call Her Queen]

Tsunami could remember the one other time the four of them had purposely gathered. It had been much less subdued than the current atmosphere, but even Ryohei had sensed the seriousness and settled down. Sparing a glance at Hana who nodded minutely, Tsunami regarded the two boys. Hibari was sitting in the window, while Ryohei was standing in front of them.

"Hibari. Ryohei." Nodding to each in turn, Tsunami continued on. "Hana and I need your help."

"It would be Extremely uncool if we didn't help. What can we do?" Ryohei asked, keeping his voice at a normal level. Hibari didn't say anything, but Tsunami knew he was listening.

"Hana, and specifically myself, have found ourselves in a situation where we need to know how to protect ourselves." Hibari's eyes narrowed, and Tsunami shook her head, Reborn wasn't the trouble. Pulling her phone partially out of her pocket, she tapped it twice, letting Hibari know she'd text him later with details.

"Not herbivore, my fighting style wouldn't suit either of you. I will bite anyone who disturbs the peace of Nanimori to death." Tsunami knew that was his way of saying he'd keep an extra eye out for them. Whether for their own safety or for the chance of meeting someone interesting to fight was a different story.

"I will also Extremely help to keep you safe!" Ryohei's voice was gaining volume again, making Hibari twitch. "Unfortunately, I extremely also don't think boxing will fit either of you, but I can help you get in shape for whatever style you find that does fit you!"

Tsunami and Hana shared a look. It wasn't a way to defend themselves, but it could help, and it was a start. Tilting her head, she raised an eyebrow. She was okay with it as long as Hana was. Sighing, Hana pinched the bridge of her nose. Tsunami took that as a yes.

"Thank you, Ryohei. We'll do our best."

"Not herbivore, I'll look for a fighting style. It would be interesting to fight you." The strange look in Hibari's eyes wasn't exactly comforting, but Tsunami had accepted this might happen before she and Hana gathered the two boys to ask for help.

"I'll do my best not to disappoint."

Hibari nodded, satisfied, and was about to leave via the window when Tsunami felt it, and this time, she wasn't the only one. Hibari stiffened at the window, eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Not herbivore -"

"Ciaossu!" Tsunami blinked at what she assumed would soon become a familiar greeting. One moment the desk in the middle of them had been empty, the next Reborn was standing there as if he always had been.

"Baby," Hibari growled, launching himself at Reborn who easily dodged the attack.

"Hibari, hold!" Tsunami's voice was hard, making Hibari stop in his tracks, a scowl on his face. "Please," she added, voice softening. With a nod towards Reborn, she continued; "Hibari, Hana, Ryohei, meet Reborn. He's going to be my new shadow for an undisclosed amount of time."

"Fight me," Hibari growled again. Reborn regarded him with cool eyes.

"I will, but not now. The difference in our strengths is too great. Grow stronger and I'll fight you." Straightening up, Hibari kept his gaze on Reborn for a long minute while the others watched on. At last, Hibari relaxed and returned to his spot sitting on the windowsill, obviously interested in what Reborn had to say or he would have left.

"Is this…?" Hana trailed off, raising an eyebrow at Tsunami who nodded back to her. "Hmm...I see what you meant."

"Can someone extremely explain what is going on?" Out of all of them, Ryohei looked the most confused at the situation. Tsunami shared a glance with Hana. They hadn't planned on involving the boys this deeply, but they may not have a choice.

Reborn made the decision for them.

"Maman wasn't lying when she called you crafty, Tsunami." She watched as Reborn looked at and, most likely, mentally assessed each of her companions. "To already have three guardians is quite impressive."

"Guardians? You mean how Tsunami and Hana need protecting?" Ryohei asked, face contorted in a puzzled expression. "But, there are only Hibari and I unless you're counting yourself as a guardian, Reborn."

Reborn gave Tsunami a look, making her quietly sigh. "You interrupted before I could finish explaining." Honestly, she had been finished explaining, but now Reborn was forcing her hand, and she didn't like it. She had minimal knowledge of the guardians from talking to him last night, not nearly enough to explain it to the others. Reborn seemed to sense this, nodding his head in her direction.

"I'll pick up where you left off then. I'm here under the guise of being Tsunami's home tutor, but I'm actually known as the world's greatest hitman. I'm not one of her guardians -that falls to you three. My real purpose for being here is to train Tsunami up to be the next boss of the Vongola family."

Hibari stood up abruptly, glowering at Tsunami. "Not herbivore, you've brought mafia ties to Namimori. If this disturbs the peace, I'll bite you to death." The tip of his tonfa appeared, enforcing his point.

Meeting Hibari's gaze head on, Tsunami inclined her head. "I'll accept responsibility for anything that is reasonably my fault." Somehow, it didn't surprise her that Hibari knew the name Vongola. Rumor had it that his family had ties into the underground -they must have some truth to them after all.

Without another word, Hibari brushed past them all and out of the room, done with the conversation.

"Mafia? As in?"

"As in guns and money and blood and killing," Hana snapped at Ryohei -upset enough that she forgot to call him a monkey. His face took on a deeply contemplative look the girls weren't used to seeing. "And this is why Tsunami needs these guardians? To keep her safe?"

"Yes, among other things," Reborn answered, seemingly unconcerned that Hibari had left.

"Ryohei, you don't have to-" Tsunami began, but her friend cut her off.

"No, Tsunami. You've been an extreme friend, not only to me, but to my sister too. I extremely can't call myself a man anymore if I don't help you in your time of need!" Seeing the resolve in his eyes, Tsunami backed off, accepting his will for what it was. Part of her was grateful to have him on her side.

"Thank you, Ryohei. Just promise me that you'll stay safe, not only for mine and Hana's sake, but for Kyoko too. I don't want her to learn about this." If there was one way to keep Ryohei from acting foolishly, it was to bring Kyoko into the picture. Holding her hand up in front of her, Tsunami waited for his response.

"Of course!" Clasping hands with her, Ryohei gave their raised hands a squeeze. "I extremely don't want to worry Kyoko, but I'll still do my best to help you."

Reborn chose that moment to jump up onto Ryohei's head. "I like you." The silent tension that had been building shattered in an instant. Laughing, Ryohei tried to look up at the top of his head.

"I like you too, Reborn. You're a real man."

"Stupid monkey, Tsunami wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for him."

"Hana, that's not true." Placing a hand on her friend's shoulder, Tsunami gave it a squeeze. "Reborn's just the messenger, you can't shoot him for that."

"...Watch me," Hana muttered as she turned away. Tsunami could feel the tension in her shoulders.

"If you're worried about Tsunami, it's my job to keep her safe as long as she's my student." A gun appeared in Reborn's hand, gleaming dully in the light. "The title world's greatest hitman isn't just for show, you know." Turning back, Hana eyed the gun before raising her eyes to meet Reborn's, a silent showdown going on between them until Hana let out a long suffering sigh.

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"Of course. I'm a man, Hana. I always keep my word."

"I Extremely told you he's a real man!"

"Shut up, Loud Monkey!"


A real woman can do it all by herself

...but a real man won't let her.