I don't own KHR.

To say Mukuro was feeling a rollercoaster of emotions right now would be an understatement. Relief, anxiety, joy, fear...they were all just swirling and twisting together like a bunch of cobras had decided to nest right inside his chest.

But he couldn't focus on that right now. Chrome, thank the stars, was alive and talking to him through their connection. Mukuro needed to stay calm and listen to what she has to say.

Well...as calm as he can be considering all that happened in the last day or so.

"I'm okay Mukuro-sama...and so is Hayato. He is going to live."

Mukuro may or may not have shed a tear in joy. And even if he did and someone else saw it...Mukuro actually wouldn't care...that much. His brother, despite being shot, was still alive. Hayato was going to live! Both of them were going to live!

"Mukuro, what's going on?" Ryohei asked in a rare hesitant tone. Kyoya, standing beside him, also looked hestitantly hopeful. Before Mukuro could utter a single sound, Chrome spoke up, forcing Mukuro to silently tell them to wait with a lifted index finger.

"But he hasn't woken up yet and is in no position to move and...we need to. If I remember correctly, the man with yellow pacifier actually...saved us and drop us off with...a group of people that took care of Hayato's wound. They seem nice but if they find out that Hayato and I are orphans and worse yet, about the rest of you, they will snatch us all up and put us in different orphanages and..."

"It's okay Chrome, that's not gonna happen, I swear it," Mukuro ended her rambling as confidently as he could, though his mind was whirling with all the new information.

The man with the yellow pacifier saved them? Why? Why save them but try to kill Tsuna? Was Chrome mistaken?

Maybe...though something told Mukuro that wasn't the case.

At least, Chrome and Hayato were in a safe enough place...for now. Sure, the adults will most definitely try to intervene in their lives in the worst way possible but they saved Hayato. They also didn't know the truth yet and as long as Mukuro and the others acted quickly and quietly, Chrome and Hayato should be back home without much difficulty.

However...now that Mukuro thought about it...who were they?

"Now...what do you mean by a group of people? Are they doctors?"

"One of them is I think but...not all of them. They say they are the Guardians of Vongola."

Mukuro's heterochromatic eyes widened in recognition as a seed of anxiety began to sprout in his heart again. Vongola...he knew that name. The Estraneo often cursed that name as they exprimented on him, often saying that the Vongola must pay, no matter the cost.

Vongola, the strongest and most powerful mafia family in the world.

And his siblings were in their hands.

Mukuro had to fight to keep his fear and hatred under control. He couldn't afford to frighten Chrome.

But she had to know. So his darling sister wouldn't find herself falling for their dirty tricks before Mukuro and the others could get to them.

Because it didn't matter if it was a group of evil, yet weak doctors, or some members of the strongest famiglia, Mukuro was going to have his family be whole again.

And if he gets to rid the earth of some digusting mafioso, the people he hates the most, while he is at it...

Then that is just a bonus.

"Chrome...the Vongola is the strongest mafia family in the world."

"Wha...What?! But...they geniunely seemed so nice..."

"Yes, because they want you to drop your guard. They pretend to be nice to manipulate you to telling them everything, and once they get what they want, that is when their true colors will show."

"I...I won't tell them anything Mukuro-sama! I swear it! In fact, I haven't even spoken a single word to them! I pretended that I was too tired to answer their questions and they bought it!"

Mukuro couldn't help but smirk a little. That's his sister.

"I'm proud of you my little sister. Do you think you can keep up the silent act for a little longer? Like you are just too traumatized to speak?"

"Yes Mukuro-sama! I won't fail you!"

"I believe you. Now rest Chrome, I know you must be tired. Just stay silent, recover, and update me on Hayato's condition, as well as tell me as much as you can about the mafioso, the layout of the building you in, etc. I'm going to tell the others you're alive and together, we will find a way to get you two back."

"I believe you Mukuro-sama. And...I'm sorry that I cut off our connection. I...needed as much power and concentration as possible but...it still wasn't enough..."

"It's okay Chrome," Mukuro stated honestly, having forgiven her a while ago. "I know that you did what you thought was best. Just as I know that you did your best."

"O-Okay Mukuro-sama."

While Chrome didn't sound as sure as Mukuro would have liked her to be, he didn't press it for now. He has plenty of time to reassure his sister that none of this was her fault.

Mukuro is going to make sure of it.

"Well...goodnight Mukuro-sama. Or rather since it is still in the middle of the day...I will talk to you after I wake up."

"I look forward to it, my darling little sister. Rest well," Mukuro told her with a warm smile. Then, sure that was the end of their conversation, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them and facing his brothers.

"They're alive. Both of them are alive and will remain so."

"Ex...Extreme!" Ryohei yelled in a very loud and elated voice, with no trace of sadness in his misty gray eyes (he startled some bystanders but Mukuro and his brothers didn't care one bit). While Kyoya didn't say a thing, he did let a shaky sigh of relief like a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Though...they are still in trouble," Mukuro told them, not wanting to end their happy moment but knowing he really didn't have a choice. Instantly, Ryohei quieted down and Kyoya narrowed his eyes.

"Tell us everything."

Hey, look at that, I updated before December ended! Heck yeah, I cut it close, but I fulfilled my promise! And yes, Mukuro still hates the mafia in this AU. He isn't planning on instigating a world war (his family is to thank for that, especially Chrome and Tsuna) but he still thinks the world of the mafia is a disgusting place. And to be fair, it can be in this AU and in the anime.

So what did you think? Were the characters in character, did their beliefs and motivations make sense, etc? Please leave a review and I will update in January. Till, have a Happy New Years!