I don't own KHR. As always.

Chrome cautiously peeked around the corner and when she saw that the coast was clear, she quickly but quietly walked into the hallway. It was just before midnight and since Chrome had trouble falling asleep, she decided that she might as well sneak around and perhaps gain valuable information. Of course, she could turn herself invisible to decrease the chances of her being caught, but Chrome was wary of spending her stamina unless it was absoluetely necessary.

Not when she was finally completely recovered.

Not when she was going to need it when they get out of here.

The sound of footsteps suddenly filled the air. Chrome immediately dashed into the nearest room, which luckily had an open door. Once in the dark and thankfully empty room, she quickly pulled the door until it was open just a crack.

Chrome needed to see or hear if the person had left or not after all.

The footsteps came closer until without warning, they stopped. Then Chrome heard a knock on a door. Deciding that it was worth the risk, Chrome slowly peeked out of her hiding place, opening the door a bit as she did so.

She saw a tall man in a black trench coat standing quietly in front of an especially decorated door down the hall. He had platinum blond hair, eyes the color of ice, and a face that was completely stoic.

It was Alaude, Kyoya's doppelganger.

Because of course Kyoya had a doppelganger too.

Chrome met him earlier today and at first, she was...afraid of him. No, afraid was too strong a word, but she definitely felt more tense than she did with the other adults. Because while the other adults tried to make her feel at ease and smiled, Alaude just glared at her. Silently.

And she was reminded of the first time she and Mukuro met Kyoya. And blood and tears were definitely shed at that meeting.

But then he just patted her head and after muttering a single word, Alaude just turned and left.

The word was cute.

And now he was here, asking for permission to enter a room in the middle of the night. Then, with hardly any sound, the door opened and Alaude walked in without a word. Chrome stood there for a second, debating whether it was worth the risk to try to eavesdrop or not. Her original plan was just to get a better idea of the layout of the mansion, since she has yet to see all of it. Not to listen on a conservation that would definitely increase her chances of being caught.

But what she might learn...could very well be valuable. Very valuable.

Taking a deep breath to steel herself, Chrome tiptoed her way to the fancy door, ready to become invisible if it came down to it. Once there, she carefully placed her ear on the door.

"Well...he lied," she instantly heard Alaude say, at least she thought it was Alaude. She hadn't heard him talk enough yet to instantly recognize what his voice sounded like.

"Wh...what do you mean he lied?!" Welp, that was definitely G. And he definitely wasn't happy.

"Calm down G," said someone peacefully, who Chrome was pretty sure was Giotto (whose resemblance to Tsuna was honestly kind of scary).

"But Giotto!" G cried, proving Chrome was right. "You...you weren't there...you didn't see his face...there was no way the kid was lying!"

The kid? Wait, could they be talking about...

"At least let Alaude explain himself."

There was a sigh. From who, Chrome wasn't sure.

"That boy...his name is not Lucien Gokudera," Alaude explained. "His name is Hayato Ricci."

Chrome had to slap her hands over her mouth to keep from gasping or making any other kind of scared, startled sound.

They know...they know!

"Hayato Ricci? Wait...isn't that the name of Matteo Ricci's son?! The previous Ricci Don?!" G exclaimed.

As terror seized her heart in its icy grip, Chrome had to fight with almost all of her willpower to not panic.

"The very same."

"But...I thought that the poor boy died of a bad case of influenza a few weeks after his father's death!" Giotto pointed out.

Is...is that Hayato's stepmother told everyone?!

"That is what we were told."

Chrome, who still had her hands over her mouth, tried to get her erractic heart to beat normally again by taking deep breaths through her nose. If it was working, Chrome couldn't tell.

"You mean...his mother lied to the mafia community about her son's supposed death?" G asked, his voice low and the opposite of warm.

"Actually, as it turns out, he wasn't her son. Matteo had an affair with a pianist named Lavina, resulting in the child," Alaude continued. "Matteo took him as soon as he was born. Lavina died a few weeks later, due to a terminal disease that she was suffering from, though childbirth probably didn't help either. Due to my sources, if it wasn't for the fact that she didn't have long to live, Matteo would have divorced Martina and married Lavina instead."

Just...just how much did Alaude know?

"Those men...they were hitmen hired by Martina...weren't they?" Giotto asked coolly, though Chrome had a feeling that Giotto was already completely certain of the answer.

He just wanted to hear it out loud.

"Yes."

There was a moment of tense silence.

"And...and what about Chrome?" Giotto asked.

"I'm still looking into that, but so far, it really does seem like she was at the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Oh my...this is..." G breathed out. "This is just unbelievable..."

"I know, but I can feel it, it's the truth," Giotto stated. Then he sighed and continued, his voice just as icy as it was before.

"Looks like it is up to us to take care of him."

Horror shot up Chrome's spine, shaking her to her very core.

They're...they're gonna...

Not needing, or wanting, to hear anymore, Chrome took a few shaky steps away from the door before turning and walking quickly back down the hall. When she reached the end of the hall, she was tempted, oh so very tempted, to just run all the way back to the infirmary. But she couldn't. She still had to be cautious, to be careful, to be sneaky. Because if she was caught, then Hayato wouldn't have any warning at all when they come to kill him.

Chrome's heart flinched terribly at that. Because despite herself...Chrome had come to trust them. She couldn't help it. Elena and Daemon had been just so nice to her, and when Hayato woke up, they were kind to him too. And everyone else seemed to honestly care for her and Hayato's wellbeing as well. Chrome had finally come to believe that they really were truly nice adults, despite being members of the Vongola famiglia. Nice adults that would try to separate her and family if they found out they were runaway orphans, but nice adults all the same.

So to hear that they...were actually worse than the caregivers and her parents combined...it...it hurt. Their true colors were really as bad as Mukuro said they were.

Oh gosh, she has to tell Mukuro!

"Mukuro-sama! Mukuro-sama, are you awake?!" Chrome reached the end of another hallway and after checking to make sure the coast was clear, she continued to rush as quietly as she could. "Mukuro-sama! Wake up! Please!"

"Chrome, I'm awake, what happened?! What's going on?!" Chrome breathed a sigh of relief, fear, and maybe just a little bit of grief.

"You were right...they...they know! They know that Hayato used to be part of the Ricci famiglia! And I overheard them...they're...they're gonna kill him! I don't know when, but they're gonna to do it!"

Mukuro didn't answer for a moment, forcing Chrome to focus on how her heart was trying to burst out of her chest as she rushed her way back to the infirmary.

She was almost there, she was almost back to Hayato...

"Are you with him now?" Mukuro asked, his mental voice edged with an ice-cold rage.

"No, I'm not...I'm almost there though!"

"Good, once there, get him and you to the nearest and best hiding place that you can find. Don't use your illusions unless you absolutely have to. The rest of us are heading over there right now, and this time...we will get there before they find you. I promise."

"I believe you." Chrome always has. Mukuro didn't answer right away.

"Oh my dear sweet Chrome...tell me when you and Hayato have found a good place to hide. And where it is."

"I will." Focusing fully on her surroundings now, Chrome found with sweet relief that she was finally in the same hall as the infirmary now.

Just a few more feet! Just a few more fee-

The sound of footsteps instantly stopped the young girl in her tracks.

They were close.

The right-behind-her kind of close.

Yep...the cliffhangers are back. I'm not sorry.

So...what do you think? Were the characters in character, did Chrome's reaction make sense, what do you think is going to happen? Please let me know your thoughts and I will update later this month.

Till then, see ya and have a good day/night!