Back, back, back, back, back! Yes. I'm back! Hurray! throws confetti

The Bianchi-Reborn relationship has held my attention for quite a while, and so it was irresistible to eventually write a fanfic for this pairing – and so here it is!

Enjoy!

(warning: may be a spoiler for those who haven't gotten to the Future Arc)

Bianchi

Looking Back: All in the Name of Love

"Bianchi nee-san, Bianchi nee-san!"

Leaning against a cold stone wall, concealed by the shadows of the alley, head drooping, Bianchi was on the verge of sleep.

"Bianchi nee-san!" Futa lightly shook her by the shoulders. "Ne, Bianchi-nee-san!"

Smiling warmly, yet wearily, Bianchi waved his hand away. "I know, Futa." She made a small yawn, as though to breathe away her fatigue. It was odd. She had never been so tired before. A reconnaissance mission was extremely dangerous and difficult, to be sure, but it differed little from the assassinations she carried out in the past, and besides, as a veteran member of the mafia, she should be used to the danger by now.

Then maybe it's because of Reborn.

"Are you really alright?" Futa looked dubious.

"Yes," Bianchi answered in her best mothering voice, as though calming a three-year-old child. But inside she couldn't reassure herself of that. Lately, everything she did had become more and more exhausting. Why?

A little thought nagged at her. It's Reborn, isn't it?

"Well then, let's go," said Futa, still with a trace of doubt. He peered cautiously into the streets, and then, turning his head suddenly, he spoke tentatively, "Bianchi nee-san, if it's too hard on you, let's just – "

"No." Bianchi glared. Did the boy just say what she thought he was going to say? That he thought she was too weak to go on? That he would rather have her stay where it is safe than moving about and risk the Millefiore's wrath? That she was – She checked herself. It was foolish to vent her frustration on Futa. If only Reborn was here! Oh, what she would give to see Reborn again!

But Reborn wasn't here.

Reborn wasn't here. She would never see him anymore. Never.

He was dead.

Romeo was dead.

Romeo was killed in an accident five days ago. An accidental food poisoning, to be precise, and the keyword here is "accidental," period.

Despite the fact that he was her former lover, Bianchi was at the present very happy, and about the only thing she remembered about Romeo was the horrified face of his corpse as it lay in the coffin. Such a nice coffin. What a waste.

"Poison Scorpion?"

Driven out of her reverie, Bianchi looked down and was shocked, but she quickly masked her surprise with a practiced smile. "How do you do, Reborn-san?"

The dress of her partner-in-crime was neat, with all the requirements of a member of the mafia, and that hat, what a hat! There was also an odd specimen of chameleon perched on his shoulder. A strange taste in pets, but nevertheless refreshing.

She held out her hand, or rather, held down her hand, and the Arcobaleno hitman shook it with more grace than she had ever seen in a gentleman ten times his size. "Ciaossu!" was the greeting.

"Well, Poison Scorpion-san, how do you propose we accomplish this mission?" He smirked, as though he already knew everything she would say.

She returned his smirk. She didn't want a partner. She didn't need one. She could singlehandedly kill the target and all his henchmen, but the man who hired her saw her as inferior, and would not have her do the job without a partner. Her pride was hurt, and she replied haughtily, "In style, of course."

"Ah," the Arcobaleno looked as if his predictions were confirmed, "Well, then, I will leave it up to you."

"You trust me with this job, Reborn-san?" Bianchi was puzzled. It was impossible. Never had a male partner ever suggested giving her so much freedom in carrying out an assassination. Those men were always trying to control her every move, tell her how she should kill the people, what was within her ability to do and what was not, as though they knew all the ins and outs of her strength.

He tipped up the brim of his hat. "Show me your skills."

Bianchi had heard about the Arcobaleno from her father, had expected to see an infant Mafioso, and yet nothing could have prepared her for the classy little gentleman that stood before her. He was so different from anyone she ever encountered. He took her breath away.

She smiled, a true smile this time. "Please, call me Bianchi."

It was love at first sight.

"Ne, Bianchi."

Bianchi could feel the breath of the little Arcobaleno on her neck. After all, he was riding on her shoulder. "What is it, Reborn?"

"Our target is on the tenth floor."

"Seven floors left to go!" Bianchi replied sweetly, and kept running. Behind her, a dozen mafia men took aim and missed.

"Hmm, a bunch of idiots," said Reborn happily, glancing back at their pursuers, "all the more people I can use for target-practice." And he fired a mere two shots from his gun, bringing down half of their chasers.

"Oh, Reborn! You are so wonderful!" Bianchi exclaimed, just as she sent a giant plate of poison cooking crashing into the face of oncoming mafia men. She was gleeful, as gleeful as she could ever be. Never had she worked so well with a new partner on the first job. And this job was so, so – romantic! Reborn really did let her do whatever she wanted, trusting her so much as to ride on her shoulder and not even interfering in the job. A fire was burning in Bianchi. With each passing second, each gunshot, she fell deeper and deeper in love with him.

"Ne, Bianchi."

Bianchi turned, blushing, to look at the infant-sized hitman riding on her shoulder. "What is it, Reborn?"

"Duck."

And bullets flew over her head.

Bianchi laughed wildly in her heart. She loved Danger and loved Love.

It is important to never enrage a woman on issues concerning the safety of her lover. A woman worried about her beloved partner will do anything in the name of Love. Mental traumas, lost limbs, and death may be incurred from ignoring the above advice, especially when the woman is Bianchi and the lover is Reborn.'What about Romeo?' you ask?

Who is that again?

"What do you mean he won't be returning for a long time?!?" Bianchi slammed her fist on the desk, scaring the new mafia recruit out of his wits. She was in the lobby of a Vongola family branch, and it was empty but for the two of them.

"I, I, I, I, I'm so, sor, sorry!!!!!" His eyes fastened on the desk as a hissing noise arose. Where her hand hit, the wood was melting into a purple slush.

"But why?!? Is it a new assassination? Tell me who it is! I will go help him!" Bianchi was close to screaming. "Nothing can keep me away from my Reborn! Where has he gone?!?"

"That, that, that, but the boss told us not to – "

"The Ninth? Very well then, let me see him." Bianchi turned to go.

"You can't!" Terrified, the young man stood up and blocked her way.

"You want to die?" Bianchi growled, raising a plate of bubbling poison cooking menacingly. No one, absolutely no one, not even the Ninth, can stop her from finding her dear Reborn. So she seized the young man by the throat and held the poison an inch away from his nose. "Do you see this? Even touching this will burn the skin off your entire body in an hour, and then the poison will eat into your flesh, get into your organs, burn you from the outside in and inside out for six days before you die. You see this? You smell it? Well, would you like to taste it?"

"HE'S IN JAPAN! HE'S IN JAPAN!" the young man wailed finally, edging back as far as Bianchi's grip would allow.

"Japan?" Bianchi frowned, loosening her grip, "What for?"

"To, to, to train the Tenth." He was crying, and he had pissed in his pants.

Bianchi let him fall to the floor. Japan! The Tenth! At least when he went to train the successor of the Chiavorone Family, he was still in Europe, but now he has left the continent altogether, and to think that this "Tenth" might be every bit as incompetent and stupid as that brat Dino was!

Her brain composed the plan quickly. She had made her decision even before she entered the lobby. She would follow Reborn wherever he goes, even if it is to hell. So be it. To Japan she goes.

Bianchi had never really thought about whether Reborn returned her love. To her, it didn't even matter if he had any such feelings for her. It also didn't distraught her in the slightest that he had three or four other lovers. Things like that can be easily forgiven in a man, especially when Bianchi could kill any other woman who approached Reborn with such passionate feelings.

It was enough for Bianchi that she had a place in Reborn's heart.

It was enough that she could partner up with him once a while in the most dangerous jobs.

It was enough that their love, though one-sided it may indeed be, play out with gunshots and explosions as the orchestra.

Bianchi had Love on her side.

Sawada Tsunayoshi had stolen her Reborn.

At least, that was what Bianchi thought.

The successor to the Ninth was wasting Reborn's precious time and energy, time and energy Reborn might otherwise have spent going on a romantic walk with Bianchi. Bianchi was extremely jealous, not because she thought that the Sawada brat had taken Reborn's heart. No, it was because Reborn now most certainly thought more about the brat than he did Bianchi. The brat's place in Reborn's heart was probably greater than her place. She couldn't allow that. She won't!

A woman in love can become jealous at the most trivial of things, and when that woman is Bianchi, oh boy –

So she tried to kill Tsuna.

Japan was peaceful.

Bianchi had never lived so peacefully as she did in the Sawada house. Everyday she could eat meals with Reborn, everyday she could see him, hear his babyish voice, and admire him in his various cosplay attires. And how handsome he was when he cosplayed!

She had only eyes for Reborn then, her love barring anyone else from her view. And so when Lambo forcefully moved her attention by stealing her food…well, let's just say that he learned who the demon queen was fairly quickly.

But Bianchi did gradually become fond of the kids. It was with Reborn's help, of course. Only because Reborn approved of them did Bianchi allow herself to show warm emotions toward them. There were Kyoko and Haru and I-pin. Lambo and Futa. Mama. Yamamoto Takeshi. Her little brother, Hayato. Tsuna. It was the first time she felt herself surrounded by so many people whom she could call friends and family, though she would never openly admit it.

Bianchi also fell in love with Japan.

So when Rokudo Mukuro declared war on Tsuna, Bianchi went forth to fight. But this time it wasn't just to be close to Reborn. She fought to protect Hayato, to help Tsuna, to restore peace to the ones she loved. The Bianchi before she met Reborn would never have even thought of this. Reborn changed her. Love changed her.
"Bianchi nee-san."

"What?" Bianchi had dozed again. They were now hiding in a deserted warehouse, having successfully traveled ten miles closer to the base without being detected by the Millefiore. She knitted her brows as she observed Futa. He had certainly grown a lot over the past ten years, grown into a handsome young man, that is, it was almost a waste to make him the katekyo of that useless Lambo, but Reborn had made the suggestion, and that was enough for Bianchi's acquiescence.

Hayato, Tsuna, Yamamoto, I-pin, Haru, Kyoko had all grown up. Even that scary Hibari and that idiotic Sasagawa nii-san had grown up. Bianchi couldn't help but feel proud of them. They were all like younger siblings to her. And in watching their growth she had gained a bit more of the motherly tenderness and care.

"We are only a few minutes away from the base," Futa whispered to her, "once I make sure it's safe, let's go."

Bianchi nodded absently. Yes, they had all grown up. But then Reborn was robbed from her. Reborn. Killed. Dead! She would never dance with him in balls again. She would never eat in the Sawada house with him again. She would never be able to kiss him again. She would never dodge bullets with him again. She would never hear him say "Ciaossu" again. He was gone, out of her reach, forever.

Only the thought of protecting Hayato and the others prevented Bianchi's mind from collapsing entirely. Only her love for them!

And suddenly she realized: yes, she should stop being so weary all the time. She needed to become strong. She had to protect the younger ones. Looking at Futa's back as he stole stealthily to the door, she smiled. Yes, she must, MUST protect them. She could not let Reborn's death drag her down.

"Show me your skills," Reborn had said to her on the first day of their meeting. And she could not disappoint Reborn. She would not let herself disappoint Reborn.

"I will protect them," she vowed silently to herself.

And Bianchi stood up, her weariness eaten away by the new sensations that blazed throughout her body. Hayato and Yamamoto were in the base. Haru and Kyoko had probably been safely escorted there by Lambo and I-pin.

After Reborn's death. After Tsuna's death. They would finally be together again. And this time, Bianchi would be strong, surpassing herself as an assassin, surpassing her role as a big sister. She would be their protector, their comfort. She would be strong. The sorrow felt by a woman when she loses her lover sometimes strengthened her more than anything ever could. Bianchi would be strong despite her grief. She would be strong. For the children Reborn left to her charge, for the family she found in Japan, she would do everything and anything.

She murmured softly, lovingly, as though speaking to Reborn.

"All in the name of Love."

END

Author's Note

And so the fanfics keep on getting longer, and longer, I noticed. coughs

Bianchi's a pretty cool character: mature, beautiful, elegant, and has the feeling of the loving big sister written all over her, if only she wasn't the Poison Scorpion.

But when the storyline progressed into the Future Arc, it seemed as though she gained more of a motherly feeling about her? Am I the only person who sees that?

Oh well.

Review please! .

Thanks for reading!!