Kyandi: Hey, everyone!

Roksana: Since we missed it, happy late Valentine's Day to all of you.

Kyandi: I celebrated Valentine's by being iced in.

Roksana: Yeah, we spent a week with both electricity and water going on and off due to a huge winter storm that blew through.

Kyandi: We're still waiting for food trucks to finally reach our stores so that we can have food.

Roksana: It's been a long week.

Kyandi: That it has, but all is good now. It got really cold, and us Texans aren't use to that, but we got over it.

Roksana: Her dog became her own personal furnace.

Kyandi: He was warm! Anyway, that aside, everyone enjoy and review.

Roksana: Kyandi-sama does not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn.

Chapter 99 Coming Together

With her brother now safely in her arms and the whole matter settled, Roksana rushed to get back to her family's estates. The entire car ride she kept Marc close, her knee bouncing as she stared fiercely out her window, watching the scenery pass. When they were waved through the gates and pulled up in front of the mansion, the car had barely came to a stop before Roksana was out of the car, taking her brother with her. Dre, Ellyda and Orsel followed her quickly, Tsuna and the others bringing up the rear.

The inside of the mansion, much like Roksana's home in Japan was grand and luxurious, though this was on a far larger scale. House staff were rushing back and forth, several yelling at others to get one thing or another. As Roksana burst through the doors, hurrying towards the stairs to the upstairs, many of them stopped, gasping out her name as she flew past them. Roksana didn't pay them any heed as she hurried up the stairs, her friends behind her.

She continued up past the second floor to the third where she found Ray waiting near the stairs. Ray had a grim look on her face, instantly sending Roksana's heart into a thundering beat.

"Natalia? Where is she?" Roksana was demanding as her friends finally reached the third floor.

"She's right over there. She's unharmed for the most part, just a bump on the head, but she's still in shock. I've already taken a look at her, so she'll be fine." Ray told her, gesturing over her shoulder.

Roksana peered past her, finding her step-mother sitting on in an armchair, her whole body trembling while a maid pressed cool hand towel to the back of her neck.

"And Ninette?"

Ray's mouth twisted at that, the woman shaking her head. "I've done about all I can do for her, Roks. I'm not sure she'll make it as she is. Nicoli didn't go easy on her."

Roksana's jaw locked so hard they could almost hear her teeth grinding together. Roksana looked from her baby brother, shivering in her arms, to her step-mother. Turning to Ray, Roksana held him out.

"Take Marc and get him dry and warm. Do not let him out of your sight. Call Maeve and have her mix up one of her herbal medicines for him. I don't want him catching a cold." Roksana told Ray.

"Got it."

Ray took the young boy from her, Roksana instantly turning on her heels to fly over to her step-mother. The moment Natalia's eye landed on Roksana, she bolted from her chair, instantly scooping Roksana up in her arms in one of the fiercest hugs any of them had seen.

"Oh, sweetie! I was so worried! When I awoke after bieng attacked, you and your brother were gone! I thought my heart would jump out of my chest!" Natalia sobbed into Roksana's hair, gripping the girl so tightly, it was a wonder she could breath.

"I'm fine, Natalia, just a little beat up and wet. Marc too. Just wet, but he's fine. Ray's getting him dry and warm. We're fine. I'm so glad you're alright." Roksana replied, gripping the woman back, more so she wouldn't fall over from relief that her son and step-daughter were alright.

Watching the two, Squalo turned his eyes to Tsuna.

"Who's that?" he demanded.

"That's Natalia, Roksana's step-mother." Tsuna replied.

They watched as Roksana held the woman back at arms length, checking the woman from head to toe before sitting her back into the chair. Roksana assured her that Marc would be brought to her as soon as he was dry and warm before she turned to Ray.

"Ninette?"

"Marc's nursery."

Before anyone could say anything to her, Roksana was hurrying off down the hall, vanishing through an open doorway. A few moments later, Roksana stuck her head back out of the room.

"Ryohei, Lussuria...I need you two. Quick." Roksana called.

With the distressed look that had taken over Roksana's expression, the two didn't waste any time in joining her, the three vanishing inside the room. Curious and concerned for Ninette, Tsuna followed them. In the doorway, he froze. The room beyond had once been a nursery, but now looked like a tornado disaster zone. The crib was smashed, the piece scattered across the floor, the changing table in the same state. Torn and ripped diapers and toys were littered across the room and the floor and walls were splattered with blood.

Laying in the middle of the room in a pool of her own blood, Roksana kneeling at her side to hold her hand, was Ninette.

The woman was pale, her chest a shredded and bloody mess. Lussuria and Ryohei both had their box weapons out, trying to heal the woman as best they could, but it didn't seem to be going too well.

"I'm sorry, Roxy, honey, but she's too injured. There's not much we can do for her." Lussuria told her after a few minutes.

"If only I had Tsukuyomi..." Roksana lamented, her grip on Ninette's hand tightening.

"Then take him back."

Roksana's head flew up when Tsuna spoke, the boy stepping forward to hold out the hand harness he had been holding onto since she had given it back to him.

"Tsuna?"

"It was always yours, Roksana." Tsuna told her.

Tsuna stopped on the other side of Ninette from Roksana, keeping his eyes on her face so he didn't look down at Ninette. Roksana's eyes went from his face to his hand and back before she took the hand harness from him.

"Thank you, Tsuna. I really don't deserve you as a friend." Turning back to Ninette, Roksana put the harness on. Tsukuyomi appeared in a flare of silver flames, the bird glaring at Roksana with an almost sulky look on his feathered face. "I'm sorry, Tsukuyomi. You can be angry with me later just, please, help me now. She's dying."

The bird turned to peer down at the woman laid on the floor before ruffling his feathers. A chirp left him and Tsuna guessed he had agreed to help because a relieved smile curled Roksana's lips. Redirecting her focus on Ninette, Roksana closed her eyes and concentrated. Soon, a silver glow joined the yellow of Ryohei and Lussuria's Sun flames.

Stepping back, Tsuna watched as the ripped skin of Ninette's chest mended itself, the damage healing under the careful touch of the combined flames. A fraction of her color returned to her face and soon, Ninette's eyelids fluttered before opening, the French woman staring up at the ceiling blankly for a moment before they shifted to Roksana at her side.

"Roks...I'm so sorry..."

"No. No, you have nothing to be sorry about, Ninette. It's me who should apologize. I drug you into this. I promise, we'll get you all fixed up and then I'll send you home." Roksana promised her.

"What are...you talking...about? I already...am home. This...right here...with you...is my...home. You have...nothing...to be sorry...about." Ninette told her, giving her a smile.

Roksana didn't argue with her, but her friends could see it in her eyes that she didn't agree with Ninette. Instead of arguing, Roksana focused on completely replacing all the destroyed tissue, vessels, and organs. While she worked on that, Ryohei and Lussuria healed the remaining damage. Working together, the three were able to stabilize Ninette's condition, the woman slowly filling them in on what had happened and how the assassins, lead by Nicoli himself, had snuck up on Natalia, taking her hostage before coming to the nursery.

The tale of torture for Ninette after that, had Tsuna feeling like he was going to puke up everything in his stomach.

Watching the way the information twisted Roksana's expression into one of pain and self-loathing, only made it worse for him. He didn't need to be a mind reader to know that she was blaming herself for it all. Catching his look, though, Roksana wiped her face of the expression and jumped back into boss mode, giving orders to have Ninette transferred to the hospital wing of the Raarone headquarters before ordering the room be cleaned and repaired.

By the time she saw Ninette off and had returned to check on her step-mother, who had Marc in her arms, Roksana's father came charging into the mansion. Tsuna and his friends cleared a path for the man, who obviously didn't see them past seeing the still sobbing form of his wife clutching his son and the beaten up state of his daughter. Seeing the three, Roksana standing next to her quietly sobbing step-mother and dozing brother, Alexei rushed forward, knelling in front of his wife to check on her and their son first.

When Natalia assured him that she and Marc were fine, the man rose to his feet, instantly fixing his eyes on his daughter. His jaw tightened as his eyes landed on the busted lip and bruises blooming to life on her skin.

"Roksana," Alexei gripped his daughter's shoulder, pulling her into his embrace. "I'm so sorry I have allowed this threat into our home."

"It's not your fault, Father. Besides, we're fine. Compared to Ninette, we're perfectly fine." Roksana told him.

Holding his daughter out at arms length, he fixed his eyes on her. "Ninette?"

"Being looked after by medical professionals. She'll be fine after time to heal. I was able to retrieve Marc with the help of my friends who fortunately decided to come for a visit." Roksana told him, gesturing towards her friends.

Alexei spread them a sweeping look with fierce eyes so much like his daughter's. Giving them a grateful nod, he turned back to his daughter. Reaching up, he gently ran a thumb over her bruised cheek.

"And you?" he asked.

"Just bruised. I'll live. Sorely, but I'll live. And that is all thanks to my friends, too." Roksana told him.

She didn't bother clarifying exactly what was thanks to her friends.

Heaving a sigh, Alexei nodded and turned to Roksana's friends. There were several there, most of those gathered, that he had never seen before, but if his daughter liked them, than he couldn't see how they could be bad people.

"Thank you so much for your assistance with my family. Please, allow me to host all of you in our household. We have more than enough room and if it would make my daughter happy, I'd be more than happy to welcome you." Alexei told them.

"We would be happy to accept, thank you." Timoteo told him, accepting on the behalf of the group as a whole.

Alexei nodded before turning to his daughter. Leaning over, he lowered his voice to speak to her.

"Again, I ask...why are they mostly male and why are there men my age among them?" Alexei asked his daughter.

"Not all of them are male, Father. As for those older among the group...I told you I found family related to me through Mother while in Japan. Tsuna, his dad, and several of those men are distant relatives." Roksana replied.

She wasn't completely lying to him, but she wasn't about to explain to her father the whole truth. Just trying to entertain the thought of what her father would do if he found out, had her lips twisting into a frown. Instead, she was grateful when her father accepted her words. After all, as far as he knew, she had never lied to him before.

That he knew of, anyway.

With that settled, and the assistance of several members of the house hold staff, Roksana's friends were shown to their rooms throughout the large estates. Roksana, the only seemingly calm and unaffected one of her family, stayed with her parents and brother to make sure they were alright and calmed before she retreated to her own room.

Hibari barely stuck around long enough to be shown his room before he demanded the whereabouts of Roksana's room from a very intimidated maid. Scared of the dark glare being directed at her, the maid gave him the directions quickly. She was pretty sure that, should he try anything, her young mistress could handle anything Hibari threw her way.

Arriving at Roksana's room, Hibari found the door open, a maid leaving the room with a pile of wet clothes in her arms. Stepping up to the door, Hibari scanned the room. The room was completely different from her room back in Japan. It was smaller, more conservative with bookcase upon bookcase of study guides and text books crowded on their shelves. Hibari had a feeling that it reflected more the girl her father had tried to raise her to be and thought she was, than who Roksana really was.

At the current moment, Roksana had her back to him and was staring into the mirror of her vanity, running fingertips over forming bruises. She didn't look up until he stepped into the room and swung the door close behind him. Turning to look at him, Roksana's expression changed. Hibari could see the apprehension in her eyes as she straightened her back.

"You're angry, I get it." she said.

"Do you?"

Those two words held all she needed to know. He was so far beyond angry with her. She would be too after what she had said and done. Roksana had a feeling that her first ever "relationship": was about to come to a crashing end before it really began.

"Look, I know I screwed up. I did what I did for a reason, but that doesn't make it better. I completely understand if you're done with me." Roksana said then, her eyes drifting to the side so she wasn't looking at him. Because of that, she missed the shift in Hibari's expression. "When this is over, I really will resign as vice-chairman of the Disci-"

Roksana cut off, her spine going ridged when Hibari bolted forward. Expecting him to hit her, Roksana braced herself for it, but instead of an attack...Hibari scooped her up into his arms. He wrapped her tightly in his arm and pulled her flat against him.

"No. You're mine. You'll stay mine."

Shock was the least of what Roksana felt in that moment. She was surprised he cared so much, that he still wanted her after all she had put him through, but the joy of knowing that over shadowed everything else. It made her eyes burn with the desire to cry, but she refused to let them flow.

Relaxing into his hold, she let her body melt into his, heaving a sigh.

"Fine, you win. I'm yours." she conceded.

Hibari's grip on her tightened. "Boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend." Roksana felt his head drop onto her shoulder with her agreement...five seconds before she felt one of his hands settle on her butt. Roksana quickly grabbed his hand, pulling it away. "That doesn't mean I'm ready for that yet."

Hibari growled into her shoulder, but settled for the closeness of her hug for the time being. After all, now that he had gotten her to agree to their relationship, he planned for there to be plenty of time for that.

First, he planned to bite that uncle of hers to death.

-0-0-0-0-

Roksana joined her friends and her remaining guardians after finally getting Hibari to release her so she could go check on her family one last time. She found Natalia tucked into the large bed she shared with Alexei, Marc tucked into the crook of one arm while her face sat behind her, rubbing her back. Roksana dwelled in the door way, watching the way her father carefully cared for his son. As if feeling her eyes on him, Alexei looked up.

Seeing his daughter, Alexei motioned her over. Roksana abandoned her post at the door, entering the room quietly. She went to her father's side, the man reaching out wrap an arm around her and pull her into a hug. It was rare that the man ever felt the need to be openly affectionate like that and, if she was being honest...Roksana's soaked it up.

"How are you, moye solntse?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Father, really. A little beat up from getting Marc back, but it was worth it. He's safe now." Roksana told him.

Alexei gripped her shoulder then, holding her out to look up at her face. "Moye solntse, I love that you care so much for your brother, but...you could have been seriously hurt."

"I know, and that's why you put me in so many self-defense classes."

"No, Roksana. I put you in those self-defense classes in the event that those around you couldn't protect you...In the event that I couldn't protect you. No matter how I raised you, I did it always with the thought of protecting you in mind." Alexei's mouth twisted, the man finding it just as difficult as Roksana did to share this kind of information. "Your mother was always so sick. I was forever concerned that some little bug would kill her. Then you were born. I still remember the first time I laid eyes on you. You were so small, so fragile. I...I was scared you'd take more after your mother."

"Father..."

"As it would have it, you took more after me. Perhaps a little too much like me."

Roksana's brows furrowed, confusion painting her face. She didn't see how that was a bad thing. "How is that bad, Father? You're a great man."

"Your father is grateful you think so, but I believe you're a little biased." Alexei told her, a small smile on his face. "I have always put my duty to others before my own personal relationships. I kept a tight grip on my emotions and kept others at a distance because in the world, especially in the political world, it can be much like swimming with sharks. You never know when one might bite. Watching you grow up...I knew I had passed that to you."

"What do you mean?"

"As a child, Roksana, you never smiled or just played like other children did. At least...not around me. You were always such a solemn child, with the fiercest look of concentration on your face. You stuck close to your mother, took care of her when I couldn't. Even when she passed, you didn't shed a tear. Instead, you took care of me. Then Natalia joined our family and Marc came along and it was just like you decided that you had to bare all the responsibility of the family of your shoulders alone."

"I don't understand why that's a bad thing." Roksana complained.

"Roksana, moye solntse," Alexei took hold of his daughter's hand, giving it a squeeze. "I am overjoyed to see that you care so much for me, your step-mother and your brother, but...you're only fourteen. You should be having fun, making friends and enjoying your life, not worrying over the safety of your brother and Natalia and I. It's why I was happy to see you had made friends. Watching you smile and laugh with them at your birthday party...It was the first time I had even seen such an expression on your face aside from when you're holding Marc."

Roksana had been aware that her father had paid that much attention to her. She had been sure, after how he had raised her, that he had been grooming her to be exactly like him and that, most of the time, she flew below his radar.

"I thought you wanted me to be serious like you. You were always insistent that I was perfect." Roksana remarked.

"I didn't want you to be perfect, Roksana. No one is perfect. I just wanted you have everything your mother had struggled to have. She wanted the absolute best for your future. I also didn't want to give others a reason to further look down on you when I knew just how special you were. I admit, now, that perhaps I pushed too much. My point is, moye solntse, that I don't want you to feel like you have to protect this family all by yourself. I want to know that, no matter what, you're safe."

It really touched Roksana's heart, but she knew she couldn't give up the fight she had taken on years ago. Not until they were all safe from Nicoli.

"Oh, papochka," Roksana gave her father's forehead a kiss. "I promise, you don't have to worry. I have my friends looking out for me now."

"And I am glad to hear it, but, Roksana...do they mostly have to be boys?"

Roksana couldn't help the small laugh that left her then, the girl shaking her head at the look of distress on her father's face.

"I do have female friends, I promise. They just stayed behind this time. You have no worries, I promise. I'm going to check in on Ninette and then make sure everyone is settled in." Roksana told her father.

"Alright. Tell the doctors that whatever Ninette needs, we'll pay for it."

"I will. Take care of Natalia and Marc."

Roksana gave her father another kiss on the forehead before she left the room, pulling her phone out of her pocket. On the way to meet up with Tsuna and the others, she called to check in with Ninette, hanging up as she entered the library where they had all gathered. Tsuna was the first to speak as she entered, tucking the phone away.

"How's Ninette and your step-mother and brother?" he asked.

"Natalia and Marc are fine and resting. My father is with them. He'll be handling work from home for the next few days so Nicoli won't be so quick to pull another stunt like that. As for Ninette...she'll live, but she'll be scarred." Roksana replied, rubbing the bridge of her nose as if a headache was pulsing behind her eyes. "Just another person scarred for life because of m-"

Before Roksana could finish that sentence, Dre stepped up to her and...slapped her across the face. Gasp rang out around the room, Ray letting out a cry of Dre's name, as Roksana's head snapped to the side. Dre ignored Ray and directed a glare at Roksana, the younger girl pressing a hand to her overly abused cheek.

"I don't need your pity for my scars and neither does Ninette. Each scar we've gained protecting you is a badge of honor for us. None of us regret a single one. Stop wallowing in self-pity. You and your brother could have drowned today, so you don't have time for it." Dre told Roksana.

"I'm well aware of that and it's not self-pity. I do have to think about lives for the six of you after all this is said and done. Nicoli won't be here forever, and nor will I for that matter." Roksana told her tartly. "Eventually, you will find someone you like and will have to think about lives of your own instead of mine."

"We'll worry about that when we get to it. Besides...who cares what any man has to say about my scars? I don't. If he can't accept me, the scarred mess that I am, then he can kiss me where the good Lord split me." Dre replied, flicking her hair over her shoulder, her chin rising into the air.

"Not to change the subject, because more power to you sister," Orsel gave Dre a round of applause. "But speaking of the Lord...have you contacted Father Labed since being back in Russia? You're out of holy water again."

"I did." Roksana replied. "He'll send more over tomorrow."

"You went through a lot of it in Japan. What were you using all that holy water on?" Ray asked.

Roksana's hand instantly came up, one silver nailed finger pointing at the grinning face of Mukuro. "That."

All eyes turned to Mukuro, who, despite the grin on his face, had a small twitch in his eyebrow to betray his annoyance. For a moment, Roksana's guardians started at him before they all quickly agreed that it made since. Which only further annoyed Mukuro.

"All joking aside," Roksana dropped to sit in a plush, winged armchair, looking like she hadn't had a good night's sleep in a while. "There's more pressing matters to deal with. In all of his attempts, Nicoli has never been this brazen before. It's not hard to see that he's preparing for his end game now."

"Then we need to strike first." Aisling said.

"Thank you for that, Captain Obvious." Dre retorted.

"Pog mo thoin."

"Ais!"

Orsel, Ray and Ellyda all three turned on Aisling when the woman spat something at Dre that the others didn't understand.

"Do I want to know what she just said?" Gokudera asked.

"She told me to kiss her ass." Dre replied, waving off the fuming Irish woman.

"Why you little fecker...!"

"That's quite enough, you two." Aisling came to a stop, turning to look at Roksana as the girl rubbed at her temples. "We have far bigger fish to fry than your constant rivalry."

Though her nose wrinkled and a frown tugged at her lips, Aisling cast Dre one last glare before she walked away. Watching the two, Tsuna couldn't help but to somewhat see the relationship between Gokudera and Yamamoto.

"Remind of anyone?" Tsuna asked her.

"Completely. Why do you think I was so adept with handling it?" Roksana replied. Aisling and Dre gave them questioning looks, but Roksana waved it off. "By the way...thanks for the beating."

Tsuna gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry, but we knew it was the only way to win."

"So I've gathered. It was Dre's suggestion, wasn't it?" Roksana didn't need an answer. The looks they shot each other told her all she needed. Roksana slumped back in her seat, crossing her legs as she heaved a sigh. "Of course it was. She's the only one that is both well aware that I couldn't take all of you at once and willing to defy me in that manner."

"I'm just doing my job by making sure you're safe by any means necessary." Dre replied.

"You'll be lucky if, at the end of this, I don't fire your ass and send it back to Brazil." Roksana retorted.

Dre wasn't particularly worried though. She had known Roksana for so long that she knew the girl wouldn't fire her and send her away. It was during this exchange that something finally clicked for Squalo, the man suddenly flying out of his chair, sending it clattering backwards onto the floor.

"Wait a second! Raarone...you're the organization that's interfered with some of our missions in the past! Damn it! That's how you knew about Luka back when we battled over the Vongola rings!" Squalo snapped.

"Well...look who finally figured it out." All eyes turned to Roksana, some in disbelief, others slapping their hands to their faces because of course Roksana had known about the Varia before ever encountering them in the ring battle. "Raarone is an anti-assassination organization. For the right price we will sell our services to select people. There's been quite a few missions of the Varia's we've stepped in the way of. In face, when I was only ten, one of your members even picked up a hit on my father that I had to step in on. Granted, that one almost got past us given everything else that was going on at the time."

"That wasn't long before Lady Misuki died. Your father was all over the place back then. Tracking him was difficult enough without having to step in the way of assassins to boot." Dre added.

"Exactly." Roksana propped an elbow on the arm of the chair, dropping her chin into the hand as she watched Squalo silently fume at the realization. "Honestly, you should think for a moment. I do a lot of things without my father being the wiser. Something that couldn't be accomplished if I relied solely on his money. My organization's infamous for our prowess in ruining the attempts of assassins, even ones as great and well trained as the Varia. Our services are highly sought after. I'm been able to might quite the fortune in my own right."

"If that's true, then why'd you throw such a fucking fit when you ended up in our base in Italy!? You could have gotten home on your own!" Squalo snapped.

"I could have, yes, but that wasn't the point." Roksana confirmed.

"Than what was it?" Lussuria asked.

"Reborn and Ninth are both incredibly clever men. I knew that Reborn was well aware of my situation with my father. As far as he was concerned, I live off my father's money. If I suddenly didn't have any concern of him finding out I spend money on a plane ticket then, reasonably, Reborn would question how I would cover that up or where I got the money from. It was best to just pretend I had no other means to get home. Didn't hurt that I didn't have my wallet on me and I was curious as to what it would be like to live among the very assassins my organization, at one point, had stopped. I learned quite a bit." Roksana explained.

The revelation that she had played the majority of them for fools for so long, had several of them staring at her. Roksana, despite being only fourteen years old, truly was a person to fear.

"We could have told you that she's not as innocent as she looks." Ray told them.

"Of course I'm not. That, along with my childhood, was ripped away from me. I had to grow up quick and grow up smart. You can ask me a thousand questions, pick apart everything I've ever said to you or done around you, but most of it will come back to the same answer." Roksana told them all, her jaw working for a moment. "The ability to trust others has been torn from my hands. Despite how much I wanted to trust any of you, I just couldn't. I always had to be ready for the other shoe to drop. So I lied and deceived and hid things. Anything to keep the truth from you. I..."

Roksana paused, snapping her mouth shut and her back going straight as, for a moment, she looked like she was about to be sick. As if she was biting back bile, Roksana leaned forward, breathing through her nose. Ray hurried to her side, rubbing circles in her back.

"You don't have to say it, Roks. I really don't think the maids would be pleased to have to clean your breakfast up out of the carpet." Ray told her.

"She really gets sick?!" Gokudera asked.

"She really gets sick." Dre confirmed.

"I kind of thought it was a joke." Gokudera remarked.

"It's not. She really will puke." Aisling said, her nose wrinkling.

"I have to learn to get past this eventually." Roksana gritted out. Taking a deep breath, Roksana swallowed the bile forcing itself up from her stomach. "Even knowing how strong all of you are, I...I was scared of losing you. Nicoli has taken a lot from me. I didn't want to see him do the same to all of you just because of me. This whole thing is a big enough mess."

Roksana pressed a hand to her face, the words leaving her slowly as she fought back her body's response. Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, waiting for her stomach's protesting to subside. When it finally settled down, Roksana relaxed, slumping against one arm of the chair.

"As long as we can finish this and deal with Nicoli, you won't have to worry about it!" Tsuna told her.

"First we'll need a plan." Iemitsu remarked.

"With Nicoli no plan is the best plan. I've thrown everything I have at that man and have never been able to come close. He has too many resources through his connections. That'll need to be the first thing to go in order for us to do anything about him." Roksana told him.

"Perhaps that's doable." Roksana turned her attention to Timoteo as the old man eased himself into another chair. "The Vongola has some connections to the Turgenev Family. Their boss is actually a rather reasonable man. If I explain the situation to him, he might pull support from Nicoli if for no other reason than he has to be aware that attacking a Vongola guardian would bring about a war he can't afford."

"You think he'll side with the Vongola, sir? Nicoli has quite a few resources that he brings with him. The whole family is able to avoid several raids and other plans against them because of Nicoli's connection to my father." Roksana remarked.

"That might be the case, but the Vongola can be a greater threat to his family than the Russian government. I, at least, want to speak to him." Timoteo told her.

"I appreciate it, Ninth." Roksana told him. "Until then, patrols in and around the estates and headquarters are going to have to be doubled. I don't know how Nicoli got past the other guards to make it to Ninette, but it won't happen a second time. Especially with Father working from home."

"Do you want me to question the guards that were on duty?" Dre asked.

"Yes. I have a bad feeling we just might find one of them missing." Roksana told her.

"I'll handle it. As for headquarters...Ais?"

Dre turned to Aisling, who nodded. The Irish woman jumped down from her perch and followed Dre out of the room, the two already talking in low voices, their earlier squabbling forgotten. When they were done, Roksana turned to the remaining three members of her guardians.

"Orsel, get to work on the security system. Give everyone here the access they need and go over the footage during the attack." Roksana ordered.

"Yes, ma'am."

Orsel hurried from the room, pulling her phone from her pocket to contact her own men. She apologized to Yamamoto when she almost ran over the boy in her haste to leave the library, giving him a smile as she vanished out the door.

"Ray, Elly, you're in charge of keeping an eye on my parents and Marc." Roksana ordered.

"And you, Little Miss?" Elly asked.

"I'm going to actually attempt to get some decent sleep since coming home. Even if that's only an hour or two." Roksana replied, rubbing at her face.

"Is that your way of saying you actually trust us to keep a vigilant eye out?" Mukuro asked.

"Not exactly. Trust me, if you try anything...Elly will castrate you before you know what hit you. I've yet to meet an illusionist that can see through her illusions before the damage is done." Roksana told him, Elly giving him a grin from where she stood beside Ray. "No. I haven't been sleeping that well since coming back and my favorite pillow was just delivered to me from Japan. I'm going to take advantage of it."

"Favorite pillow...?" Ellyda and Ray shared a look, trying to figure out what she meant because, as far as they knew, Roksana didn't have a favorite pillow. Then it hit them, the two's eyes widening. "Ohh! That pillow!"

Curious looks were directed at the two but they quickly excused themselves when Roksana shoot them a hard look. As they rushed out of the room, Maeve entered, greeting them all with bow of her head.

"Maeve?"

"Miss Tsukiko, there are some people here to see you. They're waiting in the drawing room." Maeve told Roksana.

"Alright. I'm coming." Roksana rose to her feet, turning to look at her friends. "Like my father said, make yourselves at home. Let me know if there's anything you need, though, if you ask the household staff, we should have everything you need. Ask Maeve if something that might upset my father. Many of the staff are under my paycheck, not my father's, so they'll get you whatever you need."

Timoteo thanked her and Roksana headed for the door. She paused as she drew even with Tsuna and, in a low voice, she thanked him. Giving his shoulder a squeeze, she left the room. Leaving the library Roksana made her way to the drawing room. Opening the door, she was expecting one of her people, something along those lines. What she found, though, surprised her.

"Sorry for keeping you waiting." Roksana said, without immediately looking up to see who it was.

"Hello, Roksana."

Roksana looked up when she recognized the voice speaking to her. Her eyes swung up, landing on the four infant forms sitting a glass top table in the middle of the room.

"Fon, Verde, Colonnello, Skull? What are the four of you doing here?" Roksana asked, surprised to see them.

"I called them here."

Turning back towards the door when someone spoke behind her, Roksana found Reborn, Yuni and Mammon standing in the doorway. They had probably followed her when she had left the library.

"Reborn?" Roksana asked as he walked past her to join the other Arcobaleno. "Why?"

"Like I said, everyone here has some kind of relationship with you that we aren't willing to let go off. That includes us Arcobaleno. After all...you wouldn't let us die, so we won't let you." Reborn told her.

Reborn was rewarded with a look that was mixed wide eyed shock and embarrassment, the girl instantly turning her face away from him as if that would hide the blush that stained her cheeks red.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I was just going along with Tsuna." Roksana told him.

Of course they knew that wasn't the case. Roksana just couldn't admit that she was touched or that she cared as much as she did. It put smiles on several of their faces.

"I was already on my way here, anyway." Verde remarked then, refusing to admit whether he was worried about Roksana or not.

Hearing this, Roksana perked up. Turning back around, she fixed her eyes on Verde. "You finished it?"

"Of course I did." Verde replied, pride coating his expression and tone.

Roksana approached the table, dropping to her knees beside it as Verde produced something from a bag hung from his shoulder. He passed it to Roksana, the girl taking and turning the little sphere in her fingers.

"What is it?" Yuni asked, looking over Roksana's shoulder.

"The center point of my next plan against Nicoli." Roksana answered. "With this, and hopefully the cooperation of Turgenev's boss, we might actually be able to end this whole thing with Nicoli. Thank you, Verde, you're the best."

Verde was surprised when Roksana leaned forward, planting a grateful kiss on his cheek. Leaving him to sputter over the sudden show of affection, Roksana turned to Reborn.

"Reborn, could you help me to gather Tsuna and a few others for me? I think I might have a good idea on what to do. Tsuna might not like it, but then again, he likes very little that risks anyone's life but his own." Roksana remarked.

"What's this plan?" Reborn asked.

"Hmm, I think..." Roksana trailed off as she held the little device up to the light to look at it. "I think I just might have to die."

A devious smirk curled Roksana's lips in that moment. None of them knew what Roksana had going on in her head, but if she was able to grin like that, Reborn had a feeling they were about to see the true extent to just how cunning Roksana could be.

And only Nicoli would hate the end result.

END

Kyandi: It's a scary thing when you smirk like that.

Roksana: Just wait until they see why I'm smirking.

Kyandi: Yep, and, yes, it has to do with the device she had Verde make.

Roksana: Let's just say that Nicoli isn't going to like it.

Kyandi: Not one bit.

Roksana: But yes...I'll have to die.

Kyandi: No more spoilers. We're getting down to our last few chapters now, so they'll just have to read.

Roksana: Yes they will.

Kyandi: So, everyone, enjoy and review.

Roksana: We'll be back as soon as possible.

Kyandi: Bye-bye!