Recap: Out of nowhere, Ranking Fuuta visits Azalya's apartment in the middle of the night, bearing a gift for her help with Mukuro that confirms Chiara's alliance with the Varia and the dangers they pose for the Cavallone Family and its rightful boss. Azalya calls Dino to impart this devastatingly final proof of her treachery but finds that he has disregarded all previous warnings and is flying back to Italy to meet with Vongola Nono by the courtesy of none other than his mortal enemy! Using game theory as a basis, Dino tries to garner her support, but it is clearly fallacy. However, taking into account the sad truth that Azalya is essentially powerless to help her boss given the extent of the situation, she is forced yet again to accept Dino's executive decision and do the best she can with the unprepared Vongola heir he's left in her hands.

Chapter 14: Is This a Normal Life?

Bright summer morning sunlight filtering through the gaps in the window curtains woke Azalya at six before her alarm clock could fill the room with its abrasive clangs. Never one to laze about, the sleepy girl immediately rolled out of bed and into her morning routine. Like the typical junior high school student, in the morning, she showered, ate, brushed her teeth, and dressed–only with the efficiency of a soldier. After the mundane daily activities, Azalya began the rituals of a Mafioso. She switched on her computer, checking her inbox for any news from home while writing a brief report of the day before for Dino. It was seven when she put the computer to sleep and picked her bags up off the floor, much earlier than she usually left, but Azalya had a new detour to make before school.

When she reached intersection where turning right would take her to school, she headed left instead. To Azalya's credit, she strode straight past Takesushi and made a right. Unlike her hometown, Namimori's residential areas were built in a grid formation, and therefore, pathetically easy to navigate. She reached Tsuna's street in almost no time at all. In daylight, the people ambling by were less suspicious. Azalya recognized two girls hovering near Tsuna's house: one from her class, accompanied by an enormously fat dog that refused to budge from its comfortable seat on the sidewalk, and the other Tsuna's friend from the neighboring school. Azalya waved to both with false cheer as she approached the suburban home.

His mother answered the door almost immediately after the first knock. She wore a stained apron over her loose-fitting home clothes and an expression of bewilderment to seeing a young woman on her doorstep. Recovering herself and smiling, she welcomed, "You're… Azalya-chan from yesterday, right? Come in and sit down. Do you want some breakfast? The rice just finished cooking. Tsuna," she hollered up the stairs, "your friend is here!" Beckoning Azalya in and pushing her in the direction of the dining room, she called out, "Tsuna, did you hear me?"

"Okay, okay," Tsuna squealed.

Once inside, she remembered her manners. "Ojamashimasu," Azalya murmured belatedly, and Tsuna's mom beamed at her. [1]

"Exchange students these days are so well cultured! Go on, eat!"

When Azalya entered the dining room, she saw more bodies crammed around the rectangular wooden table that a physicist could have calculated. Yamamoto, Gokudera, Bianchi, Reborn, I-pin, and Lambo were gathered around a table meant to seat four.

Yamamoto, Gokudera, I-pin, and Lambo seemed to be arguing about a plate of purple rice that bubbled ominously, giving off noxious fumes. The two children, one with almost no hair save a single braid and the other with far too much hair, were trying to feed bits of it to each other and yelling playfully. Bianchi, half her face hidden by a butterfly mask, was happily "improving" the other dishes on the table. Reborn simply sat there, eating without a sign of having heard the commotion around him.

Lambo was the first to notice her. "Why's the ugly fat girl here?" he questioned in his aggravatingly loud whine. "If you're hungry, eat this!" Picking up a glob of poisoned rice with his cow-patterned hand, he lobed it at her face.

Azalya sidestepped his attack easily, and the rice bomb splattered against the floral wallpaper.

The others, excluding Reborn and Bianchi, looked up then.

"The annoying brat's first good idea!" Gokudera declared with a glint in his silver eyes, and he urged Lambo, "Try again!"

"Heya, Azalya." Yamamoto grinned and intervened. "Only bad kids waste food," he scolded, lifting the plate out of Lambo's reach.

"It's not food. It's poo!" screeched Lambo. "Lambo-san wants to play catch with it!"

"Catch? All right!" Yamamoto drew back his arm, eyes narrowed at the child dancing and hopping with outstretched hands.

"Poo catch, poo catch—Mmmpff!" Lambo yowled, rice and pieces of broken porcelain dribbling off his dampened afro. "Lambo-san out!" he cried out piteously, and promptly he keeled over, the effect of Bianchi's poison cooking.

Gokudera positively glowed at the small, motionless body lying in a puddle of what had once been food. "Good job, Sis and Yamamoto!"

Yamamoto scratched a mosquito bite on his face. "Oops," he said. "Poor little guy."

"Now it's quiet," Gokudera said with shameless triumph. "Too bad the 'ugly fat girl' is still here to bother us."

Bianchi suddenly rounded on the silver-haired young man. "What did you say about your beautiful elder sister, Hayato?" she demanded, hoisting him out of his seat with unhand and pulling the mask off with the other.

"Bleargh," Gokudera sputtered, convulsing at the sight of his beautiful elder sister's face. He joined Lambo on the floor in the world of unconsciousness.

"What in the—!" Tsuna had come up behind her, and his shocked exclamation caught all the whole room's attention. "Reborn," he wailed, observing the mess on the walls, floor, and table, "why didn't you stop them?"

Reborn hopped off his stool, ignoring his young charge. "Gochisousama." He walked away from the table, and Bianchi trailed after him like a love-sick puppy, leaving only the three teenagers to clean up.

"I'm gonna be so late…" Tsuna complained with dread, uselessly wiping the rice stuck to the wallpaper with a dishcloth. "Mawabi-sensei'll murder me…"

"If the Tenth is late, then as his right-hand man, I won't even show up," Gokudera said with unnecessary fervor.

"That's not good, Gokudera-kun. You gotta go for the lab practical."

"I'll transmit the answers to you telepathically!"

What a bunch of idiots. Only I-pin, chattering happily in Chinese while circling Lambo, didn't exasperate her. She pitied Tsuna's mother, who thanklessly had to cook and clean and babysit so many freeloaders.

Azalya wandered into the kitchen, spied a mop hidden in the corner, and carried it to the dining room where she used it to attack the stain on the floor.

Yamamoto said in a satisfied manner, "I knew you had good sportsmanship. Hey, you," he directed at Gokudera, "let's help, too. Then we can all get to class a little earlier."

"Hey, No Good Tsuna, catch this!"

"Oof!"

Azalya's sharp ears caught the derisive jeers coming from behind the gym over the talk and laughter in the storage room as she deposited a bag of footballs in the metal bin. Helpful students carting in the goal posts from the field blocked the doorway, so Azalya skirted around the girls gossiping in the corner and pushed open the heavy green door labeled EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY. The exit led her straight to the scene of the crime, and she jumped out in time to snatch a skillfully kicked soccer ball out of the air.

The three sweaty classmates gaped at her. She recognized the motley crew as Shou, Daisuke, and Takumi, to whom she'd never spoken but knew by reputation as troublemakers worse than the sort she used to be. "Whaddya want?" Shou, on the right, grumbled. "Give us our ball back."

Azalya dropped the football, then kicked it up again with her foot. It curved gently into Shou's outstretched hands. "Actually, it's the school's ball, and class is already over, boys," she said authoritatively to the bullies. "Don't you think you ought to run the ball inside instead of running out back here to play?"

"Play? That useless fishstick can't save a ball to save his fucking life," Daisuke sneered.

"Maybe not," Azalya concurred, recalling Tsuna's typical gym class as loser goalie that had allowed the opposing team to score on every shot. "Though I don't think his lack of skill in the goal really warrants a beating. Why don't you apologize to Tsuna, and we'll all go clean up."

"Don't make him apologize," Tsuna prayed from behind her.

"Like hell I will," he spat. Stepping forward, out of the triangle formation to confront her, Daisuke seized the ball from his friend. "And seeing's how it's none of your business… Think fast," he barked, feinting a throw at her face. When she didn't so much as flinch, he tossed the ball back with a frown and drew closer until they were eye-to-eye. Looking his meanest with his eyebrows furrowed and his pierced lip (against school regulations) pulled back in a snarl, Daisuke tauntingly flipped her ponytail over her shoulder so a few strands of hair whipped her in the face. "I don't hit little girls, so buzz off."

Then his eyes went wide with shock, and his lame attempt at a menacing growl evolved into a sharp yelp as Azalya reached out and twisted the offending limb behind his back with a quick, practiced ease.

Daisuke fell to his knees, face and body contorted as he struggled to free himself. "Lemme go, bitch!"

"That's not a very polite way to ask," she said, raising her foot above the hand splayed out on the cracked concrete. "Would you like to try again?"

Daisuke's wary black eyes focused on her white sneaker and drifted up her leg, gauging how much strength the skinny body disguised. "Let me go," he mumbled.

"I think you skipped an apology."

"Sorry," Daisuke said shortly. "Now let me up."

"Do I hear a please?" she asked sternly.

"Let me up, please, Cavallone," Daisuke said, his humiliation written plainly on his red face.

Azalya obliged, helping the bully to his feet instead of pushing his face into the cement, as she was sorely tempted to. "That's still rude but better," she chirped. "Take that ball back inside, boys, and I'll take Tsuna to the nurse."

Daisuke looked ready to try his luck with a protest, but Shou and Takumi took one look at her smile and dragged their friend away. "I'll get you," he promised, his empty threat eliciting a soft sigh from the girl.

"How childish to hit someone over a lost game," Azalya commented, examining the damage done to Tsuna's face.

Thanks to Azalya's impeccable timing, he was more tousled than hurt. The injuries the three bullies had managed to inflict before Azalya's intervention were minor: a bruised cheek, puffy lips, and scraped elbows that oozed blood.

"Come on, Tsuna," she said bracingly. "I'll walk you to the nurse's office."

Don't bother. It's no big deal," Tsuna mumbled through his swelling lips. "It happens all the time. I'll just go to class…"

"Sensei won't care if we're a little late."

"Are you kidding me? Mawabi-Sensei'll flip out!"

Azalya laid a restraining hand on his shoulder as he slouched past. "Let's—"

The crash of a metal door smashing against a brick wall and a frantic bellow of "Tenth!" cut her off. Gokudera didn't pause for a millisecond when his silver eyes fell on her, and she saw the misinterpretation clearly in the blaze of anger that lit them. He lunged and grabbed her by the collar with his left hand while his right went for his bombs. "You wanna die?" he growled.

"Heee!" squealed Tsuna. "Wait a sec, Gokudera-kun! Azalya-san didn't…!"

Frozen in the act of lighting a stick of dynamite, Tsuna's loyal lackey glanced at him, confusion and disappointment evident on his face. He wanted to fight her. "Er, Tenth?"

Azalya freed herself from his slackened grip and smoothed out her disheveled white t-shirt. "Now that Hayato's here, I'm going to go and change. Keep a closer eye on your boss."

"You—!"

Ignoring his griping, Azalya headed off towards the locker rooms without another word to either of them.

True to Daisuke's threat, Azalya ran into more trouble straight after P.E., trying to persuade Mawabi against giving her supplementary reading on top of detention for lateness. The strict teacher still hadn't quite forgiven her truant student for the weeklong absence or her tardiness that morning and, though she dropped the thick book back on her desk, would not be deterred from assigning Azalya cleaning duty after school.

Daisuke smirked at her as she walked back to her seat in defeat.

The teacher's ire found a new target before starting the class: Hayato and Tsuna, who'd attempted to sneak in while Mawabi was occupied. "You two," she barked at them, "can scrub the mold from the pool walls, and Cavallone-san can scrape bird excretions from the roof. Come see me in the office after school."

"You're outta your mind, lady," Gokudera scowled, kicking over his chair. "As if I'd stay for your shit." And he stomped out.

Mawabi glared at her student's back but made no move to stop him. With the class entirely silent, the teacher's eyes roved over each shocked teenager, gazing levelly at Azalya and Tsuna for a moment longer as if daring them to follow Gokudera's example. Neither moved from their seats, and Mawabi finally turned back to the board and began the day's lesson.

"I think," Seiko said with supreme superiority, "that whenever you get involved with No Good Tsuna, you get in trouble."

"That's not right," Hana said fairly. "Azalya gets in plenty of trouble on her own."

"No Good Tsuna always makes things worse for everyone!"

Azalya turned on her friend seriously. "Don't call him that. You're better than those bullies."

"Okay, I'm sorry. But we were going to go kimono shopping after school today," Seiko wailed. "The Tanabata festival is this weekend, and Asa-chan has nothing to wear!"

"It's probably going to rain this weekend, anyways," Azalya said, returning her attention to her sandwich dismissively. Wasn't she far too busy for frivolous, girly things like shopping and festivals?

"No, no, don't say that," Seiko cried, flapping her hands at Azalya in dismay. "I feel so bad for Orihime. And the festival is the perfect time for you and Yamamoto-kun to…" Seiko's loud voice trailed off. Azalya thought at first that her friend had finally decided to stop teasing her, but then Seiko shrieked, "Don't tell me you're defending Tsuna-kun because you want to go with him instead!" [3]

"What?" Kyoko, returning from serving lunch in the cafeteria, joined in surprise.

"Azalya wants to invite Tsuna to go with her to the Tanabata festival," Hana betrayed her friend by explaining.

Kyoko's brown eyes went wide with innocent shock. "But what about Yamamoto-kun?" she asked Azalya sadly. "Don't you like him anymore?"

"I'm not going with anyone," Azalya said firmly and patiently. "I'm too busy. And like Seiko said, I won't have anything to wear. Pity."

Kyoko offered, "My mom has lots of kimono."

"They won't fit me."

"Kimono fit everyone!"

"I can't wear them," Azalya insisted.

"Why not? My mom has good taste in clothes," Kyoko wheedled. "Doesn't she, Hana?"

Hana chewed on her mouthful of rice slowly. "Yeah. Don't you think Kyoko's clothes are cute? Her mom picks them out."

Stiffly, Azalya replied, "I can't say I've seen you out of your uniform."

"Oh my god," Seiko exclaimed. "You've been here for months and we still haven't done anything outside of school! That settles it; you're going to the festival."

"I'm busy—" Azalya started.

"On the weekend?"

"I'm busy everyday." She sighed.

"You're not working illegally are you?" Suddenly concerned, Seiko dropped her chopsticks and grabbed Azalya by the shoulders. "Is it money? You don't have enough to go?"

"I am quite sound, financially," she reassured Seiko. "But we have exams to study for and—"

"You are worrying about exams?" Hana raised her eyebrows.

"No, I'm not, but… I'm tutoring, uh, Yamamoto-kun, so…"

"He won't want to study on Tanabata! He's probably going with Tsuna-kun and that scary-face Gokudera. I'll go ask them now!"

"If you dare—" Azalya threatened, but Seiko bounded away fearlessly before the mafioso could list her impressive methods of torture. "Hide me," she implored Hana. "I'll die if you guys keep doing this."

Hana chuckled. She didn't tease Azalya as often as Seiko or Kyoko, but her interjections were usually the worse for that. "If you're bothered by it so much, it must mean you have some feelings," she philosophized.

Azalya choked on her next bite and did not legitimize Hana's faulty logic with an answer.

After what seemed like a thousand years, Seiko skipped back towards their shaded area under the tree. She beamed at Azalya as she picked up her bento and chopsticks. "They're going! And don't worry, Seiko-sama asked so cleverly that Yamamoto-kun didn't suspect a thing. So what's your excuse now?"

Azalya resolutely turned her face away. "I am not going, and that is final."

"By the way, he wants to know why you didn't meet him in the library. What's going on that the best friend should know about?"

"Crap, I forgot I was supposed to tutor during lunch. I'll apologize before practice."

"You have cleaning duty because you were sneaking around with Tsuna-kun and scary-face," Seiko reminded. "Poor Yamamoto-kun—his girlfriend is always cheating on him."

"…I hate you."

After the last class ended with a flurry of motion—teachers rushing to leave their demon students behind and students hurrying to tidy up the room before club activities—Azalya closed her textbook with a sigh. "See you," she muttered to her friends as she headed towards the faculty room.

Mawabi was sitting on the couch with a book in her hands. She looked up to see Azalya standing in the doorway and smiled dryly.

Azalya saluted smartly. "Azaya Cavallone, reporting for duty."

"Good afternoon, Cavallone-kun." Mawabi fished a ring of keys out of her pocket and flicked through them until she found one labeled "Roof," which she pulled off and handed to the student (or slave). "Next time, don't be late."

Azalya accepted the key with an ironic smile. "But hey, I get to go to the roof, which is restricted access ever since Yamamoto-kun fell and broke his arm. So it's worth it."

"Cheeky brat. Hurry and go unless you want to clean windows tomorrow."

With a graceful curtsy and a grin to counter Mawabi's forced glower, Azalya left in search of a broom and dustpan. Despite her chirpy appearance, the last thing Azalya wanted to do was spend half an hour sweeping the roof. Who knew when it'd last been cleaned? There were probably piles of bird poop that the rain hadn't washed away. There were probably cigarette butts and—she shuddered to imagine it—evidence of unspeakable activities.

With a sigh, she unlocked the door leading to the roof and pushed it open. A gust of wind caught the heavy door immediately, sending it slamming against the outside wall. Her hair flew across her face, momentarily blinding her, and while she struggled to clear her eyes and mouth, she heard someone speak.

A low voice she hadn't expected dictated in a baleful murmur, "The roof is off-limits to students."

My Favorite: Footnotes!

[1] Ojamashimasu
You say this when going into a person's house.
[2] Gochisousama
You say this when you're done eating.
[3] The mythical lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi whom the Milky Way divides may meet once a year on July 7th (Tanabata). However, if it rains on Tanabata, the magpies that form the bridge that reunites the lovers will be unable to come. Check wikipedia for more information, if wanted :)

The Q & A

1. Will Azalya and Yamamoto get together!
Who can say? Keep reading to find out :)
2. How the hell was Azalya undercover if she skipped class, smoked, and picked fights? Did she think that was normal?
Erk. That's hard. I'll say that in my middle school experience, people like Tsuna and people like Azalya generally don't interact. She wasn't supposed to be a complete wallflower invisible to the whole school but just to be discreet enough that Tsuna himself wouldn't catch on. As for whether or not she thought that was normal student behavior... no, I don't think her perspective is quite so skewed. But we have to remember that as a high-ranking member of a powerful mafia family, Azalya is accustomed to authority despite her young age. Perhaps her rebellion is a manifestation of role loss? [Goodness, stop me now... I hope you're not sorry you asked. ^-^;;;]

Rants (Aren't I done yet?) ~

Wow… this chapter turned out to be a lot longer then I thought it would be. And still managed to be very clippy... how did that happen? Some helpful reviews have even commented on that in the past, but I went back to my horrible ways...! Gaah~ Despite that, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Send any questions or comments my way! I always respond eventually lol...
Also, can I take a quick moment to mention that I was so touched by how many of you read and reviewed the comeback chapter? I think I know how JKR feels when people line up to buy her HP books lol!

Most importantly, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Best wishes to all you lovely people whom I so appreciate :)