Okay, I sort of lied. The final chapter for this particular arc will end at the next and will feature an Angry! Tsuna oh and retribution will be so very sweet to him.

Disclaimer: I don't own KHR

Mia almost wept for joy. Nagi probably wouldn't understand how much it meant to her that she was okay and most importantly alive. Perhaps no one would ever would. As she watched her new friend sleep with a fond smile her thoughts trailed to a darker route. As happy as she was that Nagi was well, it was impossible for her to be even awake. The body was like a mechanism, if one vital part was missing then whole thing wouldn't be working and Nagi definitely had her important bits missing – namely her organs.

But she had been able to take off the tubes on her own, the tubes that are supposed to be sustaining her life. There was no way that Nagi should be alive and moving around like she didn't lose her insides. Also… her eyes studied the previously caved in section of Nagi's stomach. It looked like she hadn't gotten into an accident in the first place. It was as if someone had stuffed her friend, she thought morbidly. But there was no other way to think about it. It was like in the short span that she was unconscious someone had magically given Nagi organs, regardless of the blood type. Mia leaned heavily against her chair. Soon it would be morning and if Nagi's mother was as heartless as she appeared to be, Mia could only imagine her pulling her friend from life support.

Nagi twitched in her sleep and rolled to her side facing Mia. The girl watched her friend a little longer before deciding to stand beside the window to look at the city beyond the glass. Perhaps it was little over an hour later, an hour before dawn showed, when Mia saw Nagi's rising form reflected in the window. She turned around to ask how she was when she stilled at the sight of the unsuitable smirk on Nagi's face. Her lips were twisted into an arrogant smirk, her whole demeanor being one of superiority and bemusement. This wasn't the girl she knew.

"Who are you?" she asked her voice oddly calm.

"I think you already know," the stranger replied in a silky mocking croon. The bangs covering Nagi's right eye fell as she tilted her head to the side, revealing the crimson eye of her nightmares. Her sickening smile widened further when Mia turned pale.

"Mukuro."

"Oya, oya, you don't seem happy to see me."

That arrogant tone, those silky woven words… that eye… Mia fought the shudder that tried to take over her. She couldn't let him see her fear or else he would have the upper hand on her. He would try to manipulate her, she knew. So to prevent that, she masked her fear with a look of disdain. Her usually bright features darkened into a scowl.

"What do you want you parasite?" she spat, contempt deep in her words.

"Not a single hello or how are you?" Mukuro replied in mock-hurt. When Mia remained silent, he or she – whichever – chuckled. Mukuro maneuvered Nagi's body to swing her legs off the bed. "I see you've finally learned to shut that impudent mouth of yours."

Mia couldn't help it. She snapped a retort, "And I see you're still going about like a leech."

"This?" he gestured over Nagi's body. "If you must know, Nagi would be dead if haven't 'leeched' off of her."

Startled, Mia said, "Wait. What? What the hell do you mean by that?"

Mukuro placed a hand over Nagi's stomach and closed her eyes. "I created illusionary organs to replace her lost ones with my power." Her eyes opened to watch Mia as she mouthed 'first path' in horrifying realization. He watched with amusement as Mia open her mouth then close it, resembling a toad. She scowled as she struggled to accept it. Her eyes danced with hope but it warred against suspicion, he could see that clearly. He waited for her to speak.

When she did, she let out a resigned sigh. "I thought you were in prison."

That incited a dark chuckle from the illusionist. "What makes you think that I'm not?"

Mia frowned at his cryptic reply while he inspected Nagi's delicate hands. "How long have you been following me? No wait – how did you know where to find me?" she asked, eyes narrowing even further when Mukuro merely raised a brow at her.

"My you've grown rather confident have you?" he taunted her breezily with a wave of Nagi's hand. "I see no reason why I have to answer to you."

"Then get the hell out of Nagi's body!"

"Would you really want that?" Mia was taken aback. They both know that if Mukuro left then Nagi would die. Mia closed her eyes in defeat. "I thought so," Mukuro murmured softly, no longer sounding haughty, instead he sounded almost exhausted. Mia glanced at him strangely.

Mukuro took a shaky breath. "I have not enough time. Mia Matteis, you owe me a boon so listen closely."

Mia, for once, didn't have a snarky reply ready. However she moved so that she was in front of him. No matter how she disliked Mukuro, that was still Nagi's body and right now, Mukuro was slowly draining of energy therefore her friend's energy by default. She held Nagi's shoulders to steady him and intensely stared back, waiting.

"I never expected to run into you of all people," Mukuro chuckled. "But it seems it can't be helped. I propose a deal for you Matteis. Free Ken and Chikusa and I will keep Nagi alive."

For a minute Mia was still. Then with anger flashing in her blue eyes she hissed, "Is that a threat?". Mukuro stared back with Nagi's eyes defiantly.

"Swear to me to free Ken and Chikusa," he repeated. "Swear it!" Nagi's frail hand shot out to grip her wrist in a vice. Mia did not flinch even when nails dug into her skin. She looked into Nagi's eye - and even if he wasn't really there – Mukuro's as well. How could she agree to this? To someone who wanted to hurt Tsuna and everyone around him? To someone who was bargaining with her dying friend's life? Mia had half a mind to deny him right then and there because she knew if she gave him the opportunity, he would use her and probably backstab everyone else. Also, who was to say that if she helped him that Ken and Chikusa won't come for revenge?

He must have seen the growing rejection in her eyes and gripped her wrist tighter, bruising it. Mia clenched her teeth, unwilling to give in to the pain. She was going to glare at him but faltered at Nagi's face. Sweat beaded her brow and her face was contorted in exhaustion. A question popped into her mind, innocent and worried.

What about Nagi?

Yes, what would happen to the younger girl? Stricken with the thought of losing her, Mia floundered in her determination to deny Mukuro. Organs with a matching blood type would be rare and with the kind of mother Nagi had, she wouldn't last long in this world. A surge of passion bled from her heart. It was then that it was not her mind but her heart that decided what to say.

"Swear!"

Mia closed her eyes. "I promise." Nagi's hand fell away and through her, Mukuro chuckled once again, sounding lighter despite the pure exhaustion.

"You're a woman of her word that much I know." Nagi's body swayed and Mia quickly caught her. "One last thing, a warning… that man that's been chasing you…" Mia's breath hitched. "He's part of an organization that's been hiding longer in the shadows… longer even than the mafia." With that, Mukuro closed his eyes and a soft sigh escaped from Nagi's lips before slumping into Mia's waiting arms.

She lowered the girl back on to the bed and stared at the silent form for a while before slumping back into the chair, she wringed her wrists, nervous, before coming to a decision and taking out her phone. After finding the name she wanted to call, she waited for him to answer. When it picked up, a very groggy Eisen answered her.

"Hello?"

"Eisen-san? It's me, Mia."

"Wha – Matteis-san, do you realize what time it is?"

"I know," she said apologetically. "But I need your help."

Nagi woke to gentle but urgent shaking. Her eyelids were heavy, her body felt like lead and she was so, so tired.

"Nagi! Wake up!"

But why? Her mind sleepily asked. She liked being in the field of grass. Where the field extended for many miles as far as the eye could see and a sky so blue it twinkled with ineffable light as soft as the tender rays of the early sun. Here she was free. Here, she was free to be herself. But what she liked most was the young man that she met in that field. Mukuro-sama, she sighed in content. But she was suddenly dragged from her stupor when she was unceremoniously dragged off of her bed by her feet.

"Wahh!" she cried and her eyes flew open. Standing at the foot of the bed, a grinning Mia held her ankles. The faint glow of the hospital night light enlightened her mischievous grin that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Mia-san?"

Her grin widened almost diabolically. "Come on, it's time we go." Mia dropped her ankle and turned around to ruffle through her bag.

"Go?" Nagi repeated, dazed. Mia threw a shirt over her shoulder that Nagi fumbled to catch.

"Put that on," Mia practically ordered her following with a pair of long shorts at her direction. Nagi stared at the garments in her hands then at the strange girl as she was checking her phone with a small frown. The faint light luminated the other girl's face. Her expression was completely stony except for her eyes which darted left and right as she quickly scanned her phone with frightening concentration. Nagi was completely entranced by her expression until Mia shut her eyes and let out a long sigh.

"Is there something on my face?" Mia joked weakly. Nagi blushed and slowly got up to change in a corner after removing her needle. She was grateful that her friend – a small smile appeared at the thought of it – gave her some privacy to change although she was aware at how slow she was. But Mia didn't seem to be rushing except for waking her up.

"Oh, be careful with your stitches alright?" Mia reminded her.

Nagi paused halfway through taking her hospital gown off. She definitely felt better though. She couldn't even feel the pain after surgery. As if Mia could read her thoughts, she added "We better move before the drugs wear off Nagi. Your last dosage was eight hours ago."

She quickly changed after that, as much as she allowed herself to do, which was still slow. But Mia didn't rush her. In fact, the blonde girl had gone back to scanning her phone again except this time she was murmuring under her breath as if she was holding a conversation with herself. When Nagi was done, Mia's eyes finally flicked on to her form and she grinned.

"Ano… where are we going?" Nagi tentatively asked. She felt foreign in the clothes that Mia lent her. She presumed it was the other girl's.

"Somewhere safe." Mia tossed a pair of slippers at her and picked up her bag.

Nagi put them on. "But… isn't this a hospital?"

Mia opened the door a bit to look outside. "Yeah, it is." Nagi went to crouch beside.

"So why are we leaving?" she whispered.

Mia glanced down on her. Nagi felt a lump swell in her throat at the look that she was given. It wasn't condescending nor was it irritation but it was something. It was a meaningful look. She decided to look away. The other girl sighed.

"I'll tell you when we're out." She crouched and lowered her hand down to the ground. "Leon!" she called out in a whisper. Nagi was shocked when a green head emerged from Mia's sleeve, its yellow eyes bright in the dark. It crawled to the ground and scampered out of the door. Mia stood up once more and shouldered her bag. With one last look at each other, Mia pushed the door gently and stepped out cautiously. Nagi followed without a word and stayed close to the other girl as the slinked through the silent halls of the hospital.

It wasn't until they reached another hall when Mia decided to pull them into the shadows of a darker hallway that was less lighted. Less than a minute after hiding, the small lizard named Leon scampered past them. Nagi watched with growing curiosity at what it was doing and decidedly poked her head out a bit to see. Leon's green form was obvious in the hospital's white interior so it wasn't hard to spot him. He crawled up the wall and on to the ceiling where he made his way at a security camera. He clung to the lens then his body began to stretch over it until it was seemingly swallowed whole.

Mia pulled on her wrist. "Come on!" she said, not even the least shocked. But Nagi was and she was stunned. They continued this method until they made it to the fire exit where they were free to head to the garage and there, a rumpled young man stood waiting for them by a black car. He was older than Mia, his clothes looked like there were hastily put on and his hair was in complete disarray and needed a haircut.

"Thanks Eisen-san." Mia beamed and stopped in front of him.

Eisen nodded and glanced at the car. "I have some of the things you wanted and I told the guards that I was here to pick up a friend. If they see her," he nodded pointedly at Nagi. "They'll ask questions."

Mia waved it off. "Whatever. I have a plan for that. What about surveillance?"

"I parked in a blind spot."

"Thank you Eisen," Mia thanked the older boy.

Eisen let out a long drawn out sigh, as if her thanks weren't comforting or heartwarming in the least. "Okay, so how do we hide her?"

"Her name is Nagi and she can hide in the trunk." They both stared at her as if she were mad. She raised a brow at them. "What?" she said defensively. "I don't suppose either of you have a better idea?" Actually, no but Nagi was reeling at the pace things were going. Eisen didn't have anything else to say either and went to open the trunk. He took out all the things in it and dumped it all into the back seat where Mia tossed her bag in as well.

Nagi approached the trunk apprehensively. It didn't smell but as she pressed on to her side where her stitches were, she worried if the ride would be bumpy and quite possibly jostle her injury. Mia seemed to have expected something like it and pulled out a pillow and sweater that's obviously for a man. The pillow and the sweater were most probably Eisen's. Mia handed them to her with a smile.

"It'll be alright. Promise." And Nagi trusted her. She put on the thick sweater while Mia placed the pillow in the trunk. The sleeves were far longer than her arms and the excess dangled but she didn't mind. With an encouraging look from Mia, Nagi carefully climbed in with Eisen's help and doubtfully lied down. She was suddenly glad of Mia's foresight as it wasn't as uncomfortable as she expected.

"Sorry for this," Mia apologized as she held the trunk lid. "If there was another way to get you out I swear I would have done it."

Nagi felt herself smile warmly for the first time for a long while. "Believe me, you've already done enough. Thank you Mia-san."

Mia's blue eyes grew bright and she smiled just before closing the trunk. She waited outside of the car for a moment while she waited for Leon. Her friend crawled towards her from the shadows. She picked him up and carried him into the car where Eisen had already started the car.

Once she leaves this car, she thought, there was no going back.

Getting passed the guards was easy. Just mentioning the name Hibari and Eisen hardly even needed to pay the parking fee or be stopped for that matter. The drove in silence and Mia felt a distinct impression that Eisen was very wary of her. It was obvious from the way he kept glancing at her from his mirror. She expected that much, considering what they were doing was pretty much kidnapping.

"You didn't write any of your records did you?" Eisen asked her worryingly.

"I came in dressed as 'Hinata Sui' and came out as Mia Matteis. So no, I tried not to let myself be known." Mia smiled wryly. "You weren't what I was expecting."

Eisen smiled with equal wryness. "Well… I didn't know what to expect at all."

She laughed, though it was tense. "Really though, thank you for letting me and Nagi stay."

"Yes well, I see you're a capable girl and we had an agreement right?"

"Ah, I forgot you were a Hibari." Mia shook her head with a smile then leaned on the car door to watch the street lights passing by. "Have you thought about what you want?"

Eisen stared ahead for a while then glanced at her briefly. "I'll let you know when I find out."

"Eh?"

"What about you? Have you done what you came here to do?" he made a right turn.

"I'm almost done," Mia said quietly. "After I make sure Nagi is alright, I'll finish what I came here to do."

And she will. She had waited too long. If she waited any longer, who else was going to be hurt as well? Ian wasn't exactly a menace to the public but he had a personal grudge against her and nothing, absolutely nothing was going to stop him to exact his revenge. He could care less of the innocent people involved. As guilty as she was, she was angry too. Angry at him for letting his hatred blind his empathy for other people. Perhaps he was already like that but Mia didn't care. She wouldn't forgive him for that and because of that she was going to make her move first between the two of them.

Eisen didn't comment and the rest of the ride was spent in silence. When they finally arrived at Eisen's apartment, the sun was already rising. Mia pleasantly found Nagi asleep in the trunk.

"Huh," she grinned. "I think the drive must have been better than I thought." She woke her friend up. Bleary eyed and still very much tired; Nagi followed her into Eisen's apartment.

"You can sleep on the bed," Eisen nodded towards his bedroom. Nagi quietly thanked him and went back to sleep. Mia lingered by the doorway, seemingly thinking of leaving but was stopped as Eisen shut the door. "You too."

"What?"

"Sleep on the couch at least. You look awful." Mia began to protest but the older boy steered her away from the door and towards his modestly comfortable couch which he promptly pushed her into. He batted away her protests with a stern look. "My home, my rules. Take a nap at least. If I had to guess, you haven't slept at all."

"I'm not tired!" she insisted rather tiredly but in truth she was anything but. Her eyelids began to droop as her body was finally taking its toll. It was heaven, she thought sighing happily. She heard Eisen mutter something disapprovingly before she sunk into the couch, the fight and all the energy, completely spent. His couch wasn't the softest thing but it was comfortable enough. He muttered something about breakfast and disappeared from her sight. Finally, her eyes slipped to a close as her body succumbed to its needs.

The first to wake up was Nagi and when she rose, it was midday, nearly half a day had already passed since her accident. She remained seated on the bed, a thoughtful look on her pudgy face as she thought about the conversation she shared with Mukuro-sama in her dream land. She felt better, like she was a whole new person. When she told as much to Mukuro, he smiled and said that to go along with that, the new girl that wasn't Nagi but…

"Nagi-san?" Eisen poked his head into the room. "Nagi-san?"

"My name isn't Nagi anymore!" she suddenly blurted out and blushed.

Eisen blinked at her owlishly. Obviously confused but he humored her anyway even if she sounded a bit off of her mind. Slowly, he asked "If it's not Nagi then what is it?"

Nagi paused. This was her rebirth, Mukuro-san said and her name in this new life would be... "Chrome. Dokuro, Chrome."

Author's Note:

Sorry for the shortness but I must regrettably end it here. Didn't feel right to continue it from this point. Really sorry but after one more chapter we will be back to our usual KHR schedule and lots of fluff romance! It was fun writing Chrome - I really thought Mia needed a best girl friend, one that wasn't Haru or Kyoko - that she could honestly be close to without being judged.

Thanks for reading!