A/N: Umm, I do not know how to properly make up from my... year long absence, but I am really sorry about it.This is actually an unfinished version of the ninth chapter that I've had on ice for the last year - gosh that sounds worse and worse every time I hear it - but since it has been so long, I've decided to post it, as is, as a humble peace offering. Please accept it and do what you will!
~ PART NINE ~
Arnaud made it home, not even ten full minutes after Squalo and Belphegor had left. Nicola was still reeling from the unexpected pointblank encounter with her past. She was shook up to be sure, but she was dealing with it, she had to because there was no other option. However, when her husband entered the kitchen only to immediately walk up to her with a bright smile and laid a sweet, loving kiss on her lips before going off to play with Aniela in the living room, she nearly broke down and cried. If Arnaud ever found out about her ghost of an ex-lover coming back into her life, into their lives, she knew that she would probably lose him forever.
There was no way Arnaud would accept Squalo into their lives and vice versa. She truly was a horrible person at heart, and so damn selfish. She would always love and lust after the Varia assassin, but she needed the simple, unselfish love that Arnaud gave to her so unreservedly. He and Aniela brought out a better part of her that she never knew existed before their arrival. They were, without a doubt, heaven sent. She would not, absolutely could not, lose Arnaud. He held her together and stopped the darkness from swallowing what little remained left untouched in her tainted soul. Without him, she would be lost to the dark eternal abyss and she was not willing to return to that ever again, or at least not yet.
'I'm not Nicola DeSare anymore,' she silently reminded herself. 'Nicola's dead, she died the moment Aniela came into my life all those years ago in that small clinic. I'm Mia Poverelli, nondescript housewife to Arnaud and loving mother to our daughter Aniela, nothing more; never again.' Mia ingrained those words into her mind demanding, forcing them to become truth. By the time she called her family into the kitchen announcing that dinner was ready, Mia was completely herself again, or at least as much as she had ever been. "This looks great," Arnaud announced as he observed the full, set table before turning to Aniela who he held snugly in his arms. "Don't you think so, Aniela?"
"Yep," Aniela nodded enthusiastically a wide smile brightening up pretty her face. Mia smiled at them, her family, forcefully pushing away the image of another man standing in Arnaud's place that tried to override the present. Mia gave a short, soft laugh that was only partially forced. "I hope it tastes as good as it looks. It's a new recipe; I've never it tried before, though it did come highly recommended by the ladies down at the market." She told them conversationally as they settled down at the table for a family dinner. After that, the conversation flowed smoothly like it always had in between hefty forkfuls of their delicious dinner, which everyone agreed was well deserving of its high rating approval among the housewives.
Despite reassuring his mini female lookalike, he was still reeling over the discovery that he was in fact a father. Squalo knew that going back to that small town too often would only endanger their lives and his own, especially now. They were a liability to him, to the Varia and to the Vongola. Nicola had almost always been a liability, but back then her skills were razor sharp and he hadn't yet acknowledged just how much she meant to him.
Things were different now and even more dangerous due to the rising conflict with the mysterious Millefiore Famiglia. Nothing too severe had happened, yet. But he could sense something dark coming in the near future, and when it happened he knew instinctually that it wouldn't end easily and that many lives would be lost in the process, possibly even his own.
After years of being normal, Nicola may or may not still have her assassination skills up to Varia standards. Seeing her like that, as a seemingly harmless civilian and mother, had caused him to doubt. However, he, the Varia's second-in-command had mercilessly and painstakingly trained her himself. So to doubt her skills, even now, was basically insulting himself. Even if she was rusty, he had little to worry about. She would still kill, with vicious expertise, especially if their daughter was threatened in any way.
However, there was one other liability: the husband. His jaw clenched at the reminder. While Nicola could protect their daughter, she may not be able to protect that civilian as well. Honestly he still had a pressing urge to turn around and go properly introduce himself to that man. A devious, almost bloodthirsty grin quirked his lips upwards as the image of such an encounter passed through his mind.
He managed to refrain from doing so, if only for Aniela and Nicola's sake. Besides, Nicola really would try to end him if he ever attempted such a thing. That woman had a truly nasty streak when pissed off. He would know better than anyone, because he had once had a substantial hand in refining it. In the 'old days', as it were. Still, he would introduce himself to Arnaud Poverelli soon enough, but for now he would be patient.
Things were different now, the situation much more complicated than he could have ever dreamed, and he had to err more on the cautious side of things than he was accustomed to. He would let things settle, but he wasn't going to disappear. That just was not an option. Now that he knew about them, it was his responsibility to keep them safe, even the substitute he supposed. Not that he cared even the slightest about the man's health or wellbeing.
What's more and quite unfortunately Xanxus now had to know about this… situation. He would of course take responsibility for this, but plans needed to be set just in case the Millefiore situation became more than just a possibility. The Vongola brat however, was on a need-to-know-only-when-absolutely-necessary basis and he currently did not need to know about any of it. This was strictly a Varia matter after all.
~ To Be Continued ~
