Clear to cloudy

Target 9: Kotsu's first decision

Everyone gathers around the dinner table while Kotsu is upstairs sleeping off his dying will burst. The table is packed with all the people. Quite honestly the craziest-looking gathering Ren's ever seen. Reborn, Ren, Tsugemora, Jute, Cane, Cocoa, Cotton though she's sitting ON the table while Masumi is in the kitchen making tea and snacks.

"Alright. Get on with it then Jute. What do you propose we do about the situation with this little pest?" Reborn asks leaned back in his chair calm and collected as always. Cotton pouts angrily at the rude way of referring to her.

"Well… it's a difficult situation isn't it? Being two large families, if we begin fighting our respective bosses will need to get involved which I'm certain neither of us wants," he says and Cane grits his teeth angrily.

"We could just kill'em all and no one'd know," He whispers mostly to himself before Cocoa hits him over the head.

"that's a terrible idea idiot!"

"Take her," Reborn says pushing Cotton across the table. Masumi puts the snacks down thinking it's a game, having heard about it from Ren.

"Isn't that a little sudden Reborn?" She says with a little nervous laugh.

"Not at all. They're related by blood. We're not," However at this point Cotton jumps up with tears in her eyes.

"We are NOT family! I HATE my daddy! All of us have different mothers! And I hate him for just throwing away my mommy!" She yells and jumps into Masumi's arms.

"R-really… is that true mister Jute?" She asks and Jute nods slowly.

"It is sadly. We're all halfsiblings. In our family the heads of the family have as many children as possible to make sure our burning hair is carried through generations," He says picking a little lock of his hair to show them. "I do not approve of this system either, but rules are rules," he says and Cotton pouts angrily at him.

"You're a meanie Jute-nii-san!" She yells and buries her face in Masumi's chest.

"Take her anyway. We have no say in it," Reborn says and Cane stands up.

"That's what I've been saying but none of you listen to me!"

"Everyone calm yourselves," Jute says sighing heavily. "But even I don't see another alternative for solving this. I'm sorry Cotton…" he says holding out his arm to take Cotton away from Masumi and the little girl holds on tighter to the woman, who's reluctant to let go, but it's the rules of the game.

However the exchange is interrupted by a certain someone rushing down the stairs having heard things from upstairs. Kotsu swings into the livingroom. "Then I'll make an alliance with the Rosa Rossa family!" Kotsu yells right after entering the room.

Everyone look at him very strangely. It's pretty evident that he JUST heard the last part of the conversation.

"What did you just say?" Reborn asks looking slightly annoyed at his student.

"If we make an alliance then Cotton doesn't have to leave!" Kotsu says and Cotton's eyes light up with hope.

"But why should the Rosa Rossa family make an alliance with you other than to get Cotton to stay with you!?" Cane yells and Jute places a hand on his brother's shoulder which almost seems to be a theme at this point.

"Calm down Cane. I must ask why you have authority to make an alliance with us? Only the current boss of the vongola is allowed to do that,"

"The current boss has chosen me as his successor. A-and I say that I want to make an alliance with the Rosa Rossa family! That HAS to count for something right!?" He adds sounding pretty demanding for once. Cane gets close to him, but before he can reach him completely Tsugemora pops up in front of him.

"Don't come close to Nii-san," Reborn nods slowly along with Jute.

"I will look into this proposal. I must call father," Jute says and stands up walking out of the room taking out a phone. The three remaining Rossa's all gulp at the mention of 'father'.

Reborn grunts. "I guess I'll see what neo-good-Primo has to say too," He says making a wordplay on the nickname no-good-Tsuna he always calls him and his status as Neo Primo, walking out as well also taking out a phone.

However, Kotsu gets up and walks after him. "Reborn… p-please let me speak with him,"

Reborn sends him an angry stare piercing his soul. "You know nothing about how a deal like this happens. Why should I let you talk to him?"

"Because Cotton is my friend," Reborn sighs and pushes Kotsu outside.

"Alright. Let me speak first," He says and dials up a number. As soon as he does an orange flame pops out of the phone.

"What is that?" Reborn holds out the pacifier around his neck and puts it into the fire and the flame disappears and he puts the phone to his ear.

"Hello. I would like to have a word with Neo Primo. This is Reborn," He listens for a few seconds. Then a voice comes through on the other side.

"Hello, Reborn-san. To what to I owe the pleasure?" Primo says from the other end sitting in a big chair in an office looking out a window to a large garden.

Reborn looks at Kotsu almost angrily still. "There's a certain chosen brat who wants to talk to you about something,"

"I see… I was wondering when he'd ask to speak to me. Took longer than I expected," Reborn hands Kotsu the phone and Kotsu gently puts it to his ear, almost afraid of dropping it as it IS Reborn's phone.

"Um… hello. This is… Kotsu… I don't really know how to address you… sir…" Kotsu starts and Primo chuckles hearing Kotsu's voice for the first time. He sounds quite gentle and kind. Just as he wanted.

"That's quite alright Kotsu. You can call me whatever you wish. I don't ask to be called anything. What can I do for you, Kotsu?" Kotsu gulps hearing so much kindness, authority and almost a fatherly tone in his voice. A voice that can be trusted one hundred percent.

"O-Okay… I'll just call you Primo-san then. So um… Primo-san… H-have you heard about… um… the Rosa Rossa family?" Primo slowly nods and makes an approving sound knowing that there's no way Kotsu can actually see him nodding.

"Mhm… I have. Have you gotten in trouble with them by any chance?" he asks in a more serious tone.

"Wha-n-n-no! I mean… no Primo-san… I haven't… sort of…" he says realizing he has to speak formally to this important man.

"Sort of?"

"Well… About a week ago I was um… 'attacked' by a member of the Rosa Rossa family. One of its heirs named Cotton. But… she's only like… five years old and she said she didn't want to be with her family…" Primo nods approvingly again.

"Okay. Was she taken out?" He asks and Kotsu shakes his head frantically. Even if they can't see each other it's as if they can feel each other's gestures.

"No. Not at all Primo-san. I befriended her and she lives with me. She really likes my mother's cooking and laying on Tsugemora. Anyway, that's WAY off topic. So just earlier today I met her three halfsiblings. Cane, Cocoa and the first heir to the family: Jute. They said they want Cotton to come home with them," Primo keeps nodding and tells someone off in the background.

"Yes… what seems to be the issue then?"

"Cotton doesn't want to go back and she's my friend! I don't want her to go back if she doesn't want to. S-she may have tried to kill me a couple of times but still! So… I kind of… suggested an alliance between the Rosa Rossa family and the Vongola family…" Primo suddenly laughs incredibly loudly much to his guards' surprise at the sudden outburst from their boss.

"Hahahaha! I see now! I figured my first call from you would involve something of that nature! You are quite impulsive when it comes to your friends aren't you?" Kotsu nods, almost embarrassed that he put it so bluntly.

"Y-yes, sir… So I wanted to ask you if it would be possible to make this alliance?" Primo stops his laughing and Kotsu feels that he's really serious now, even without seeing him.

"Kotsu. You realize that you are asking me to make an alliance with another very large mafia family, just so your five-year-old friend doesn't have to go back because she doesn't want to, despite orders saying that she must right?" He says and Kotsu sighs disappointed.

"Y-yeah. I understand. It's just… important to me that she's feeling safe. I'm sure you can understand that right Primo-san? But I guess it's a no then…" he says feeling a little down at the moment.

However much to the young boy's surprise Primo begins chuckling. "You remind me a lot of me when I was your age. Go ahead! I give you the green light. If you believe it's for the best then I'll trust you. I will have it arranged on this side and I'm sure the other half is doing the same as we speak. GOKUDERA-KUN!" He yells to someone else and Kotsu hears the door open up.

"T-thank you so much Primo-san!" Kotsu says, beaming smile plastered on his face.

Primo chuckles one final time. "You are the next boss. If it's important to you then it's important to me as well. But you're most welcome Kotsu," He says and hangs up the phone and Kotsu lets out a sigh of relief and Reborn takes back his phone.

"I'm guessing he gave you the green light, by that look on your face?" Reborn asks and Kotsu nods.

"Yeah… he was… a lot kinder than I thought a mafia boss would be," Reborn suddenly transforms Leon into a bat and hits Kotsu over the head, but not as hard as he could… since that would kill Kotsu for sure. "Itee! Why'd you do that!?"

"Don't ever ask me to talk to Primo again. I'll let you speak with him if it's necessary," He says and walks back inside.

Kotsu sits down at the table again and Tsugemora jumps at him too excited to contain himself. "How'd it go Nii-san?!"

Kotsu smiles a little. "He agreed. He said if it was important to me then it's important to him too," Cotton jumps at them too, laying herself on Tsugemora's head.

"Mortal-kun! Cotton-heika will make you executive of your own branch when she takes over the world!" She yells with teary eyes clearly trying to be nice to him in her own way.

"I just… didn't want to see you sad Cotton,"

Cane slams his fist into the table again, furious. "Well, our father would NEVER agree to something like this! So don't get your hopes up!" He yells and Cocoa nods.

"Yeah… he tends to be incredibly strict about whom we ally ourselves with."

-NII-

After a couple of minutes more of awkward silence, Jute finally enters the room.

"First off I would like to make this very clear! He was NOT happy about this proposal," Kotsu frowns along with Cotton.

"See I told you!" Cane says and Jute suddenly stomps on the floor.

"CANE! I said first off! I wasn't done!" Cane slowly sits down.

"Don't tell me…" The young boy says almost in disbelief and Jute nods.

"He agreed. I mentioned potential downsides, but due to the Vongola's sheer power he believed it would be the best course of action would be to form an alliance. It would also grant us access to information grids as well as potential favors from a much larger family. He really hated to admit it, but the vongola family IS more powerful than the Rosa Rossa family,"

Reborn grits his teeth. "Annoying…"

Jute sits down. "His condition was that we always have a spokesperson from family with the new boss at all times. He said we should choose wisely. Therefore…" Everyone awaits hesitatingly at his next words. "I would have liked to be the one to stay, however father has asked me to return. Therefore we'll leave Cotton as our spokesperson until the finer details of the alliance are in place. We have people who're much more suited for the job, but until it is official we can't send someone more suited here. Which I also made father aware of. Cotton will also be the official channel between the Rosa Rossa family and the Vongola family," Everyone cheers and Cocoa and Cane, just look a bit strangely at the whole thing.

"If it's what father wants then who are we to get in his way?" Cocoa says and Cane grits his teeth but just agrees anyway, not wanting to anger his father.

Jute claps his hands getting his siblings' attention. "Cocoa. Cane. We have no more business here," The two twins get up and the three of them go to put their shoes on. Masumi hands them a bento each which she's been making in the kitchen while the alliance was being made.

"Here you go you three. You're welcome to come back anytime," she says and Jute takes the boxes of food.

"Thank you miss Niruo," He says as they walk out the door with Masumi kindly waving them off.

-NII-

They walk away down the street and Kotsu is quite impressed with them. They look incredibly powerful yet handled their problem with words only. As they walk away Kotsu notes a little red ball comes running and Cotton stops right before them and the three of them stop to look at their little sister. She's panting from running so hard all that way which isn't very far for them. She points to them with an angry pout.

"C-Cotton-heika will make you three executives when she takes over the world!" She yells as loud as she can with eyes closed and Jute kneels down in front of her extending his fist for a fist bump.

"You got it Cotton. We'll look forward to seeing you blossom," Cotton punches his fist as hard as she can.

"HiJAAAAA!" but when she hits, Cotton instantly jumps back and blows on her hand since it kind of hurt. "A mighty foe to overcome… but Cotton-heika will not give up!" She yells and Jute just smiles as he stands and walks away with his two other siblings. Cotton tears up a bit and her nose starts running. The three of them raise their hand.

"Good luck little rosebud!" Jute yells and Cotton sniffs up her snot and forces her tears back and Kotsu comes out and picks her up.

"So that's your family huh Cotton?"

Cotton nods slowly. "Cotton-heika misses her mama," Kotsu carries her back inside the house where everyone is waiting for them.

"That's understandable, but this will have to do until you can visit Italy alright?" Kotsu says with a smile and Cotton jumps off Kotsu's hands and into the air. Everyone holds out their arms to catch her except for Reborn. Obviously.

"Cotton-heika will make this her headquarters once she rules the world!" She yells happily laughing her signature 'evil' laugh.

-NII-

While everyone is celebrating Cotton getting to stay, Reborn and Tsugemora are out the back of the house. Reborn leaned against the wall looking just a tiny bit worried for once. "Tsugemora. You saw that tattoo on the thugs didn't you?"

Tsugemora nods clearly tensing up. "No way I couldn't… but… is 'he' ACTUALLY coming here?"

However much to the bodyguard's dismay Reborn nods. "I had Murphy look into it. With his unluckiness he found them the hard way in no time at all. He got a glimpse of him. Keep your guard up from now on. Your cousin's coming to town," He says going back inside and Tsugemora gulps heavily. If there's one person in the entire world that he's afraid of… it's his cousin… Geraldino Gagliardi.