Never have I been so confused in my whole life. Xanxus planned this with Syoko. He must have been extremely livid when he couldn't get in touch with me. I guess I do deserve some form of punishment. Syoko slid a document to us with a warm smile.

"Now that the proper qualifications have all been met, all you two have to do is sign." Xanxus immediately signed. He handed me the pen.

"I have…so many questions." I said as I signed my name. I still wanted this, but everything before hurt my head. I couldn't figure it out. Maybe this brain fog was a side effect of time travel.

"We called your grandparents and your grandma went overboard and wanted to make custom kimonos for you two. She was late, so I took the liberty of teasing you."

"And you knew this?" I asked Xanxus.

"No."

"All he knew was today would be your wedding day."

"I knew something was up." I muttered, wrapping the white fabric around me. It reminded me of looking at photographs of my grandparents' wedding. I remember asking grandma to make me one when I got married before the Tokyo incident.

"You did, but I must say, you were impressive, Xanxus. I almost gave up pressuring you."

"You pissed me off."

"And you too, Shiori. If I refused for you two to get married and you eloped, when would you even have the time to do so?"

"Either tonight or tomorrow." It was everyone's turn to be surprised at my words.

"I thought you'd push it back later." Xanxus said with slight surprise.

"When you first asked to get married, I was a little unsure of my decision. Then, while I was away, I found that I missed you more than usual. It even hurt a little when the future you ignored me. I… felt like a kicked puppy to be honest. I don't think anyone other than you will ever know me like you. That's why I'm fine not pushing anything back. It feels right." The room was quiet. Did I say something wrong?

"Oh my. Even if you were serious, Syoko, surely you wouldn't be able to say 'no' to that." Grandma said happily.

"There would be no way anyone could."

The door opened and the Varia walked in. Elizabeth saw me and ran to me with open arms. "Mama!" She ran over and hugged my shoulders. "Why are you and papa wearing capes?"

"They're not capes. They're wedding attire." I corrected her.

"Did I miss it?" She asked with worry. She was more concerned with missing my wedding than she missed me.

"You didn't miss much." I could see three pairs of glaring eyes on me. I looked at them and grunted to make them calm down.

"Don't you want to introduce her to us?" Syoko threatened.

"This is Elizabeth, our daughter."

"I'm Elizabeth Bonilla!" She said excitedly. Kaoru's lip was bleeding from biting it too hard. He was having a hard time keeping his opinion in. He was always good about keeping his anger reigned in around kids.

"She's obviously not theirs, idiot." Syoko slapped her son which caused him to bite his lip even harder.

"We sort of adopted her." I commented while Elizabeth went to look at Xanxus' cape.

"Why did you adopt her?" Kaoru asked.

"Should it matter? Trust your sister and brother-in-law." Nikita said. She had a cigar out but wouldn't light it. She never smoked around kids that weren't me.

"It's official?" Squalo asked us.

"We just signed the paper." Xanxus replied. Elizabeth came to sit on my lap. She seemed content.

"I missed you, mama."

"I missed you too. Did you do anything fun while I was gone?"

"Uncle Bel taught me a new game." It seems like she's already got in the habit of calling everyone uncle. It was cute.

"What game?"

"Cut the shark tail." I heard Bel's snickering from behind me. "I won too! Uncle Squalo even wanted to play another game and he won." That's when I noticed a small chunk of hair going from her and Squalo's hair. She was good.

"Squalo, you got bested by a seven-year-old."

"I didn't think she'd cut my hair!" I was truly surrounded by idiots that just happened to be assassins.

"Bel, teach her another game like that, I will make sure we'll play one of my specialty games." Bel tensed up and took a few steps back.

"I want to play." Elizabeth said.

"I'll teach you when you get stronger." Her stomach started gurgling. "Did you not eat?"

"We did, but Uncle Levi got us lost." Of course, he did.

"Let's all eat then." Syoko said.

"Who are you?" Elizabeth asked with curiosity.

"I'm Syoko." Elizabeth's eyes started shining.

"You're my grandma? Where's my other grandma?" I looked at Nikita to see her reaction. She shrugged her shoulders before moving to approach Elizabeth.

"I'm here." She crouched down. Elizabeth stared at her scar. "What do you think?" Nikita asked. Elizabeth got off my lap and hugged Nikita's neck. We all silently watched. Nikita rubbed Elizabeth's back. Once she let go, Nikita smiled. "I see why your mama wanted to take you in."

"Mama said we're the same. I don't know what she means, but she loves me and that's all that matters!"

Food started coming out from the kitchen. Elizabeth followed her stomach and sat down where the first plate was put down. "She's not even your kid but she has your stomach." Kaoru mentioned.

Syoko nudged me. "You two can leave. There's food waiting at the guest house in the compound."

"Why would we leave?" She looked past me and winked. Oh. Xanxus picked me up without warning and walked out of a side exit that was conveniently right behind us. He might not have planned much, but Syoko definitely did with the tiniest details in mind. "Do you even know where you're going?"

"We stayed there for the night when we arrived." And that's probably when he started planning. I leaned against his chest and smiled.

"Well, I was getting tired. Can we take a nap after we eat?"

"Anything for you."

"What about you?" He smirked.

"I'll get it eventually."

"Ah." I knew exactly what he wanted to do. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together. "Tomorrow then." He stopped.

"What?"

"You heard me. I'm fine with tomorrow." He quickened his pace. If we get there faster, eat, and then nap, there's a chance tomorrow will come quicker. "You don't need to rush, Xanxus." His grip on me tightened.

"I'll rush if I want to." I let out a dry chuckle.

"Oh my. My husband has no patience."

The entire room was full of chatter. It was a bright environment despite the room being full of assassins and yakuza members. Kaoru panicked and let out a yell. "He forgot the ring!"

"What are you whining about now?" Syoko questioned as she helped Elizabeth cut her food up.

"He didn't give her a ring! It's one of the most important things about a wedding!"

"It's fine. Let them worry about the ring later." Kaoru went to get up but was stopped by Nikita.

"I'd advise against going after them." She warned.

"Where did they go?" Levi asked. No one noticed Xanxus and Shiori's missing presence until now.

"Kaoru, if you even step a foot in that house, you will be scarred probably for life. Do you really want to catch them?"

"N-no. Shiori isn't that type of person."

"You haven't heard? The quieter a woman is, the more desire she has. Your sister is no exception. Plus, if I recall, she had a thing with her best friend years ago. She's far from innocent. Besides, it's her wedding night. She's allowed to let loose and do whatever she pleases." Kaoru sank down and held his head. He didn't want to picture any of that.

"Mom…"

"Did mama and papa go home?" Elizabeth asked.

"They went to eat somewhere else." Syoko answered sweetly.

"Why?"

"Mama is very tired since she got back from an important mission. She needs to sleep right after she eats. Where she is, she'll be able to do that." Elizabeth frowned deeply.

"What if I have a nightmare while they're gone?"

"I still have your mama's stuffed bear from when she was your age. That helped your mama when she had nightmares."

"Can I use it? Will mama be okay with that?"

"I'm sure your mama won't mind."

Xanxus stared at his now wife sleeping deeply in their bed. He could see how exhausted she was. The lack of sleep must have finally caught up to her. Maybe that was also an effect time traveling had on the body. All that mattered was she was here with him. Looking at her peaceful face calmed him down. She wasn't supposed to be alive right now. He couldn't imagine his life differently without her.

If someone told him a year and some months ago, he'd be married to a woman that he met by chance, he wouldn't believe them. He'd just scoff. There was no way in hell he'd be fine with marrying anyone. Yet, Shiori was the only exception. She was an exception to this world, a treasure worth more than all the world's jewels combined. And she was his. Did it give him a sense of security knowing she was his? Yes. However, that made him even more scared to lose her. That dream he had of the future was empty. That's how he felt. Shiori groaned in her sleep and reached out. He took her hand and she relaxed with a smile.

When he finally got under the covers, he gave his wife a kiss on her forehead. "Go sleep." She slurred. Despite looking like a deep sleeper, she could be woken up rather easily.

"I am." He reassured her. She clung onto him with a pout on her sleeping face. He couldn't help but quietly chuckle. Maybe it was a good thing for her to go to the future. All of his worries and anxiety melted away the second she found herself in his arms. She took in a deep breath and released it with a content sigh.

"Home." She slurred out quietly. He was home to her and that made him genuinely happy.

"Welcome home, Shiori."

My face felt warm when I woke up. I opened my eyes and winced. The sun was warming me up and it was Xanxus who had me in a bear hug that was tighter than usual. I turned and snuggled into him, taking a deep breath. I was home. "It's tomorrow." I heard him say.

"And good morning to you too." There was no hesitation as he dove for my lips.

"We forgot about that."

"What did we forget?" I asked.

He kissed me again, slowly climbing on top of me. He slipped in between my legs to get a better angle. His arms wrapped around my waist to slightly lift my lower half off the bed. His lips slowly went down my jaw and to my neck. Hands grabbed my hips roughly as if telling me he was restraining himself for my sake. I could feel him nibble lightly against my neck. Once he found a specific spot, he bit down harder forcing me to let out a mixture between a gasp and a moan. I heard a low growl of approval and felt him bite even harder. This time, I let out a small yell.

"N-not that hard!"

"I'll leave that for later." His hands went underneath my shirt at my sides. His hands were cool, sending goosebumps everywhere. A moan stopped in my throat the more his hands went up my torso. There was a knock at the front door stopping everything.

"Breakfast." A voice spoke from outside. I went to move but Xanxus wouldn't let me.

"Later."

"I'm hungry and I can't have fun when I'm hungry. I'll be distracted."

"Fine." I kissed him before getting up from the bed.

My legs were weak, shaking with a combination of nerves and excitement as I walked to the door. There was a large lunch box sitting right outside the door. I took it before locking the door behind me. I don't think it'd be a good thing for Elizabeth to come crashing into here. The poor thing would be scarred. That's when I had a brilliant idea.

Xanxus was getting irritated and slightly worried. Was Shiori eating without him? He would have thought she would have brought the food right in. He left the room and saw a stack of bento boxes. Upon taking the cover off the top, he could tell they'd have a feast. Shiori wasn't anywhere to be seen. So, he decided to unpack breakfast. Syoko seemed to have gone all out with preparing it too. Everything seemed professionally crafted as if she was a trained chef. Xanxus heard light footsteps sneaking up behind him. He felt fingertips lightly glide from his sides to his chest, a warm body pressed against his back.

"There you are. Let's eat." He turned his head and froze. From the corner of his eye, he saw Shiori wearing nothing but the white kimono. It wasn't even closed the entire way.

"What's wrong, Xanxus? You froze all of a sudden." This woman did this on purpose. She knew exactly what she was doing. He could tell by that sly smile of hers. It was his turn to be on the bashful side. It was him that was supposed to catch her off guard, but he couldn't lie to himself. He didn't mind this side of her. He turned and with a single motion, closed the kimono.

"Let's eat." She wasn't impressed. She clearly wanted a better reaction, but he refused to give her what she wanted. The two silently ate. They were both hungry. The second Shiori finished swallowing her last bite, Xanxus picked her up. She let out a yelp.

"Let's see if that bite is as big as your bark." Her face got increasingly red. There was no escape for her and she knew that.

"I…" He threw her onto the bed and got on top of her like the night after the party so long ago. Her bashful side resurfaced.

To everyone, Shiori is a cold-hearted killer. She's a ruthless woman that will do everything in her power to make sure someone suffers in the name of the Vongola and in his name. To Xanxus, Shiori is the complete opposite. He loved her professional side, but he found himself loving the softer side even more. The way she'd let her guard around him, the soft and comforting touches she'd give, and even her pouts were things he treasured. And now that he finally had her, he'd never let go. Xanxus finally understood what his feelings were. He felt stupid for just realizing it now of all times. His timing has always been off, but maybe now was the right time.

"Shiori."

"Yes?"

"I love you." Shiori malfunctioned. She was beyond embarrassed and Xanxus prided himself in the fact only he can get this reaction out of her. "I love you, Shiori." He repeated softly. Her eyes slowly made their way to his and with the softest voice, she replied to his call with a small, bashful smile.

"I love you too, Xanxus."

The next day, the two of us left the house to go eat breakfast with everyone. Surprisingly, Nikita was helping Elizabeth with chopsticks. It was adorable to see the determination painted on her face. Kaoru was the first one to notice us and only glared at Xanxus. I looked at Kaoru and shook my head with a sigh. Xanxus, on the other hand, had the cockiest smirk on his face. He really was prideful like a lion. The two men were glaring at each other. I'm glad we'll only see Kaoru on special occasions. They'd end up in a fight and I wouldn't be sure exactly who would win.

"Good morning, you two." Syoko said as she brought us our breakfast. We sat down where our food was placed.

"Good morning." We replied. The Varia looked at us before going back to their meals. I'm glad no one decided to say a thing. I'd probably kill them by accident out of embarrassment and that was something I didn't want Elizabeth to see. She loved her uncles and it'd break her little heart.

Breakfast was quiet all around. However, it got tense once Syoko and Kaoru took Elizabeth into the next room. Nikita's right hand man came in and handed her a folder. There were a few sticky notes peeking from the top which made my stomach churn. I knew how Nikita organized her things, and the number of sticky notes I saw was concerning. She must have found quite a bit of information from that flash drive.

"Shall we get started?" Nikita asked. Our deafening silence was all she needed to start the debriefing. "It took a while to get through the flash drive's security. Those bastards might have been sick, but they were smart enough to hide their tracks. In the files we found, most of it was useless information and things we already knew and found out about. However, there were names and addresses of all potential subjects and employees. That information isn't important since we took the liberty of interrogating all of them."

"What about Verde?" I questioned.

"He is definitely the one behind the research, but he had no hand in the incident. It was mostly Verde's hypothesis for a specific goal. That goal was to create more flame users. There was a small note telling of a fantasy where this family would come to power if they had an army full of flame users. If a child could successfully handle the experiments, adults would be able to with an increased dose. However, they couldn't get to the second phase of their experiment." Nikita looked me in the eye. "Their most hopeful captive killed them before they could continue with the rest of the experiment."

"It makes sense the experiments were unfinished. Is that why my body hasn't fully healed yet?" I questioned.

"Possibly. We can't tell by the papers. The rest of the information was instructions written by these scientists. Fortunately, they were never used. You were the test subject. So, nothing can be completely certain."

"Did you get a hold of Verde?" Mammon asked.

"It took a while. That bastard had the audacity to ignore my messages. I even went through every loophole possible. Fon took care of things and dragged him to Japan. He took a look at your files and your current blood work Shamal had done. He's willing to cooperate. When do you want to do things, Shiori? We're doing this on your schedule."

"I'd like to do this as soon as possible. I know there's a chance he'll look at me and say there's nothing he can do. I've even considered the possibility of him needing to research more about what can help me and that can take months. I've even accepted him having to do more experiments on me. Even if his answer doesn't align with my own hypotheses, I'd rather get it over with now rather than later." Xanxus squeezed my hand, reassuring me. He hasn't let go since breakfast ended.

"Well, let's go now. He should be at my office."

"Huh? Now?" I questioned.

"Yes, Shiori. Now. I know you well enough to know how you like to roll. Getting things done early is something you've always done. God knows the number of times you've complained about my own work ethic when I was purposely stalling on something."

"Not even a 'thank you' for trying to help?" I joked which made Nikita's lip twitch. She wanted to smile but didn't want to give me the satisfaction.

"I'm giving you five minutes to get ready before I leave."

In those five minutes, Xanxus and I went back to our place and changed into regular clothing from the yukatas Syoko let us use to lounge in. At the entrance, the entire Varia were waiting. I was a little perplexed. I didn't expect everyone to go.

"What's everyone doing here? Wouldn't you guys rather explore Tokyo than be in a meeting?" I asked.

"This is the beginning of the final chapter of the Tokyo incident. We want to be there to guarantee you an ending no matter what it may be." Squalo said seriously.

"We'll do everything in our power to make sure Verde answers your questions." Bel commented.

"And if he won't answer your questions, we'd love to show him Varia quality." Lussuria said with a sadistic smile on his face. This would either end really well, or with the Varia destroying Tokyo.

"Let's try not to cause an international incident. I hope you're all aware that I'll be the one stuck with the paperwork afterwards for both the Varia and the Vongola. Not to mention, we'd most likely get banned from Japan and I will not have that happen. So, you all better behave. Got it?" They straightened up and nodded before getting into our cars.

My mind was on Verde the entire time. Would he even be able to help? Would he tell me it's impossible to fix me? I'd even be content if he could fix my back so it could finally heal. Everyone in the car could tell I was anxious. Hell, I was more than anxious. It was more like a cocktail of negative and hopeful emotions mixing together. Drinking it would have the initial burn of depressing hopelessness with an aftertaste of bittersweet hope. I could only hope that there would be some salvation for me in the end.

Everyone was right. This is the beginning of the end. Whatever outcome I end up facing, I'll have to accept and move on with the next book. I'll have to go forward, to take the next step. Maybe that's the real reason I'm nervous. I wouldn't know how to start anew, but it would depend on how this ends first. I felt something cover my hand. It was Xanxus' hand. I couldn't help what I felt, but I needed to keep my promise with Xanxus. I needed to rely on him during times like these. With a slight squeeze, I knew everything would be alright as long as he was with me.