GAH! Sorry, I've been so busy I just haven't gotten around to updateing. But Finaly we have the 4th chapter.

Partially immoveable forces

Zita sat with her brother in his room, the lights on now. It was a rather nice room, with fine furniture and some grand paintings on the walls, the bed a four poster with elegant silk drapes. Zita's room was just across the hall, the only difference the paintings and the hangings on her bed, pink sheers she'd gotten from Lussuria.

Savio was still stuck in bed, his leg slowly healing. Since he couldn't leave Zita had taken to having meals with him, though they both knew she would rather be eating with Xanxus. Savio took every opportunity to try and convince Zita to leave with him when he healed. She blatantly refused.

She liked the Varia manor, it was nice and Papa was there. She could eat anything she wanted, the servants all liked her, and she was becoming friends with Lussuria and Belphagore. She and Lussuria liked to talk about all sorts of things, from fashion to martial arts, and Bel would play chess and other games with her, enjoying the challenge her intellect presented. Of course, she just glanced over these reasons with her brother, since he didn't like any of the Varia or the manor. Her main argument with him was that she was finally safe. Someone would have to be clinically insane to try and attack someone protected by the Varia, especially inside Varia Manor.

"They're a bunch of blood thirsty killers," He said over lunch, several days after his argument with Xanxus, "That Belphagore guy is creepy, and that one with the long hair has a sword attached to his arm. He almost slit my throat with it."

"Actually it's attached to his fake hand," Zita stated, eating her French Onion soup, "he lost the real one in a crazy duel with the previous Varia boss. And I like them, they're interesting."

"They're insane!"

"I know," Zita smiled, "Isn't it great?"

Savio slapped his forehead. "You're just as bad," He grumbled, "But seriously, Zita, I've told you what he said to me, why he disappeared. How can you just forgive him?"

"Because I understand...kind of. He felt betrayed, lead to believe he was going to become something he couldn't. You'd be upset too."

"No I wouldn't," Savio said, slamming his hand on the bed making his juice jump a bit on the tray, "I would have counted myself lucky to have been given such advantages instead of being left on the street."

"That's because you're fresh from it," She went on, whipping up what he'd spilt, "You can still remember what that life is like. He hadn't lived like that for so long he probably can't remember much of it. If you were given that kind of hope, that you were entitled to a better life, then discovered it wasn't true you'd be upset."

"He couldn't understand why someone would take in someone that wasn't their kid," Savio pressed, moving onto a different argument.

Zita shook her head, still not convinced. "He wasn't thinking of you when he said that, just himself. I know that sounds stupid, but men are stupid when their emotions come in. That includes you, by the way."

"I do not let my emotions impair-"

"Vienna." The word's died in his mouth.

Two years ago they'd been in Vienna looking for some quick work. He'd meet a very pretty girl there and made some stupid decisions that almost got them captured. Zita never let him forget. It seemed to have fortified her belief that men were-more often than not-morons; something taught to her by a woman that had helped them out over the years.

"I'm still not forgiving him," Savio said, folding his arms defensively.

"You can say that," Zita said, draining the last of her soup, "But I know you will eventually."

"Why's that?" He asked as she got up to leave.

"Because that's what Mama would have wanted," And with that she left, leaving Savio to mull that over.

After leaving Savio, Zita went to find Papa. She quickly found him in his office, moping behind his desk. At first he'd shot a dark glare at the door, but the moment he saw her his expression softened and he smiled. She smiled and skipped over, hugging him and placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Hi, papa," She said, folding her hands behind her back, "Did you have a nice lunch?"

Xanxus nodded, his smiling falling a little. "Did you?"

She shrugged. "I guess, he still wants me to leave with him, but I don't think he will leave in the end."

"Why not?" Xanxus asked, surprised. Savio had seemed dead set on leaving when they'd spoken.

"He's pretty much over you being gone. Nothing we can do about it so why dwell? We've both learned that holding onto things like that just causes trouble. Now he knows why he can move on. It's the other part he's upset about now."

"What?" Xanxus asked, trying to hide how desperate he was to fix things with Savio, "What's upsetting him now?"

"It's what you said," She said, fidgeting a little, "About not understanding how Granpapa could raise you without expecting you to become his heir. He was hurt by that, because he couldn't become your heir. If you couldn't understand how the Ninth could do it, how could you?"

Xanxus covered his face, ashamed. "How could he even think that? Our situations are completely different, he had no expectation to take over someday, I wouldn't have allowed him to be deluded."

Zita sighed and shock her head. "Papa, he doesn't care about that. He thinks, because you can't understanding the Ninth loving you, you can't love him."

"That's ridiculous," Xanxus snapped, angry, "Familiga isn't about blood."

Zita raised her eyebrows pointedly, as if he'd just hit some point. "No it isn't," She agreed, "And given time he'll realize that, before he leaves most likely. You're the real problem."

"Me?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The whole reason we're in this situation is because you forgot the true meaning of Famiglia."

"He lied to me my entire life," Xanxus snapped.

"From what I've heard that isn't that uncommon in families," Zita said with a shrug, "You need to get over it or we're going to be a very awkward family, especially at the party."

"What party?" Xanxus asked sharply, noticing the way Zita averted her eyes.

"Well, I called Grandpapa and told him you were adopting us finally, and so he wants to have a party to celebrate. And you have to come since it's your party too." She rushed the last part, hoping to soften the blow.

"No," Xanxus said sharply.

"Please, Papa," She said, clasping her hands and giving him her biggest puppy dog pout, "It's really important to me."

Xanxus tried to say no, but then the door opened.

"Zita, come on," Bel said, poking his head in, "Lussuria's got the- Gah!" He ducked, just avoiding a pencil that would have stuck in his forehead.

"Papa!" Zita said, swatting his arm.

"Lussuria has the car ready," Bel said, mostly hidden behind the door.

"I'm coming," she said to him, "Please agree to the Party, Papa," She said to Xanxus, hugging him, "I want us to be the family we were going to be."

"...I can't promise I'll enjoy it," He said gruffly.

"Thank you," she said, kissing his forehead before running to Bel.

"Where are you going?" He called after her.

"Lussuria's taking me shopping for cloths," She said, just about to exit the room, "I can't keep wearing Bel's shirts can I?"

Xanxus had to agree. She'd had to barrow shirts from Bel since her own cloths had been burned in their house. They fit her well enough, but they were more like dresses then shirts and didn't really suit her. But he had one question.

"Why are you going as well, Belphagore?" Xanxus asked, Zita already having left the room, "You dislike shopping."

"Yes," Bel agreed, "But I like Zita. And you don't want him choosing her cloths, do you?"

Xanxus thought about what Lussuria might choose for his daughter. He shivered at the prospect.

Bel laughed. "Who's better at dressing a princess then a prince? I'll make sure she looks lovely."

"You'd better," Xanxus said threatening.

Bel quickly nodded, frightened. He yanked his head out and snapped the door shut. Xanxus shook his head, wondering why he kept those fools alive. Then his mind wandered to another matter: Zita's words. Could he ever forgive the Ninth for what he'd done?

Progress! Kinda...

We're addressing the problems and stuff. This chapter is really light and I love it, hopefully you do too.

I can't say when I'll get the next chapter out but it's almost done. We might be half way through the story, but since I haven't written the rest yet I don't know...sorry.