Disclaimer – Don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn, Amano Akira's.

Hey guys I couldn't reply to your reviews last chapter (because ffn decided to be a bitch), which is a shame because you all gave such nice comments. So I'm going to have shout outs instead:

Phantom R2, Crunch Berry Baroness, iEXIST, Lal Plaridel, scouz!, Conanfan15, Whitemagic58, Senna-X, Prince SuperSharky, MikaUchiha666, NatsuMichi, KHR LOVER, animelover41195, KhAeL, rei, TetsuHideyoshi

Also, NatsuMichi requested for the link for Elsa's picture which was posted on chapter 20. Don't forget to replace the (dot) with an actual dot.

http:/img840(dot)imageshack(dot)us/img840/7231/elsadeluca(dot)jpg

Major CHEESE up ahead.

Warning for Oocness, I try my best. Did not copy or plagiarize in any way.

Chapter 37

Elisabeth

If even there was a time Elsa could travel back to the past, she wanted it so badly to be now. When that door closed on her and all she could see was a blurry reflection of her disorientated self, she regretted so much: if only she had told him before he left her, that her feelings for him had never changed, and would never change. Now her regrets had left her sitting solemnly at the back seat of the car, with Luciano driving at full speed towards her hometown. The trip went for hours, and the closer they got to their destination, the more thinking Elsa had done. Luciano seldom spoke, occasionally glancing in the front mirror to check on her. He didn't want this either, but the Cavallone Boss had the final word, and this had been an ongoing discussion since Elsa had been moved from the Vongola base to the Cavallone base. After days of watching over her still body in the medical ward, Dino had decided it was time Elsa went back to her normal life. He told everyone it was only temporary, until the tension between the Cavallone and Cadavere died out, but who knows how long that would take? Most people had protested, but their Boss did not waver one bit. He insisted it was only short-term, and no one knew whether to believe it or not – except for Romario, who had simply accepted it, a little too quickly.

As Luciano drove into the main road of Elsa's isolated hometown, which was rather beaten up with cracks and road tar bits scattered everywhere. He looked at the address, written in Romario's handwriting on a post-it. He turned onto an unfamiliar street, the houses were lined up rather awkwardly. Many of them were old enough to be from the 19th century, with stone walls layered crookedly. The roads became narrower and narrower as Luciano drove around, until it came to a point where he had to reverse to a wider area and leave the car where it was. He got out and opened the door for Elsa. She didn't budge, but sat there with her arms crossed, staring blankly at the headrest.

Luciano sighed, "Come on Elie. Get out of the car, help me get your stuff out of the boot."

She sighed, loud enough for him to hear. Elsa stepped out onto the pavement. The streets were quiet, not a single person in sight, just like she remembered. She took one of her bags from Luciano's hands – they felt heavy, like everything had been pre-packed long before today. They walked for the rest of the way, neither of them saying a word. People started appearing after five or so minutes later, many faces had gawked at the new intrusion, others had smirked at the return. Elsa felt herself tremble at the stares and looks she was getting, she just hated coming back to these people. The run down shops were lined up in an orderly fashion. On the very last lot was a cream bricked house with jade moss clinging at the edges. The door was chipped and wooden, the knob a rusted gold. Elsa could hardly remember it anymore.

"Here we are, I'll bring your bags in. Is anyone home?" asked Luciano, moving the slanted gate to the side.

"I don't know, I just got here." Elsa replied bitterly.

Luciano scowled at her. It wasn't his fault, jeez. Now in a crabby mood, he knocked on the door and waited for a response. Elsa crossed her arms, moping at the hateful homey vibes the house was giving off. The latch opened with a click, and a woman greeted them with a warm smile, "Yes?" she peered over Luciano's shoulder, and cried out with astonishment, "Elisabeth?"

It was Elsa's mother, the one he'd been told was a secretary for a small company. She resembled her daughter in subtle ways, if Luciano didn't know it was her mother he would never think it. Her features were much too soft, and she had big doll, green eyes, a darker tint of brown hair (much longer than Elsa) that fell down her shoulders, and a lack of wrinkles. In fact, the only wrinkles Luciano could point out were some faint lines on her forehead. This woman resembledElsa in no way, she had a charm that reminded him of Yano and a smile that mirrored her's as well.

"You're back, Elisabeth!" cried Valentino.

"S-S-Shut up, that's not my name." Elsa spat, but despite her insolence, the woman came to her side and hugged her. In that very moment, Elsa had lost the warmth of Dino's arms when he had held her, she had been keeping it until now – she felt devastated. She struggled free from Valentino's hold and took a step back, "Get off me, ugh how revolting!"

"Should you really be saying that to your own mother?" Luciano chided.

"Don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong, just go home and help that airhead before he kills himself," Elsa took her bags from him.

"Wait, aren't you going to let me in?"

Elsa glared at Luciano, and for some reason it looked very unwillingly.

"No," she said, and shoved her mother inside the house. The door slammed shut and nothing more was said.

She wasn't happy, at all. Luciano knocked on the door and cried out, "Elsa, when Dino says he'll see you again, he means it!"

There was no reply, so he tried knocking again, "HE MEANS IT DAMN IT!"

He stood there in silence, staring at the chips and scratches. After a while, it was clear Elsa was not coming out, and this was her way of saying goodbye arrivederci. It was such a shame, Luciano thought, things were ending like this before they even started. He wanted to believe in his Boss that one day he'd come back for this girl. She was the only one that understood him, and he didn't want to lose that. In solemnity, he sighed. But before he left, a note was slipped under the door. He picked it up.

Hey.

I know he'll come back for me, I never doubted it, but seeing myself still so hopeless after all these months together (at times, apart) I've decided to do something about it. I'm going to change myself for Dino, tell him that for me. And tell him I'm thankful that he's given me so much, and that I love him.

Elsa.

P.S. Ah, sorry for the half-assed goodbye.

Luciano let few tears fall down his cheeks. He began snivelling and thought this was the worst love story he'd ever heard of. Elsa and Dino were very much ready to become a couple, but something kept getting in the way, a stupid thing too – their own personalities. The biggest obstacle in their road wasn't even Yano, she was just a road block that could easily be knocked away. He'd read a lot of shoujo manga in his life, but never did he think the real thing would affect a bystander so much. No…their story wasn't anything like shoujo manga, there was too much sincerity in their feelings, nothing a bunch of drawings could describe, not even words. All these two younglings needed to do to fall for each other was to meet, and that was all there was to it.

Luciano rubbed his moist eyes. He tucked the note into his pocket. He sobbed, "Stupid bitch. Leave me out of your lovey-dovey relationship." He left through the gate, got back into his car and drove home with a heavy weight in his heart and a message for his Boss.

xxxx

A few days earlier…

Dino had not kept his eyes off her sleeping face. Judging by her restless look, being confined to a hospital bed with tubes attached here and there was stopping her from showing her usual sleeping habits.

It was his fault she had to go through all that mafia chaos, but even if that was true, he couldn't bring himself to force her back home, because for one: it was a stupid idea and she would be even more miserable, for two: he still hadn't told her the truth about why he chose to distance himself for her, and for three: he wanted to fix things and start fresh.

Romario came in with a smile on his face, "Still not awake Boss?"

"It's Elsa, she's a sloth." Dino grinned.

Romario came to his side and offered his Boss a mug of coffee, Dino took it gratefully. He leaned back in his chair and sighed exasperatedly. When Elsa was back on her feet, there were so many things he'd want to do to her and with her. First he'd tell her everything, then he'd hold her, then she'd probably kick him or something absurd, then he'd whisper sweet nothings to her because words were ridiculous compared to what he really felt. Dino, are you becoming a wuss? probably, but what did he care? he was going to stop at nothing to be with—

"Boss, I have something to tell you."

Dino snapped out of Elsaland. He looked up at Romario, his smile dropped at his right-hand man's grim expression, "What's wrong?"

"I found something while doing some last minute research on Miss Luca…I think you should see this."

Dino saw something in Romario's hand, a file of some sort. Romario hesitated for a moment, unsure whether or not he should be doing this. Before he handed it over, he said to him with eagerness, "I'm not sure of its authenticity, please don't jump to conclusions."

"I've done enough of that," Dino chuckled, taking it and opening it up, "It's time I follow some of Reborn's advice."

Romario hoped his Boss would not lose that amiable face, it pained him to even find such a thing lurking around Elsa's portfolio. No, maybe he should take it back and pretend it was never there, maybe he should—

Dino froze. He had only pulled out an inch of what was inside. He was at a loss for words. What he saw was beyond what his current self could take:

Death Registration

Elsa de Luca