AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, we're over halfway through this particular story. I hope that you're enjoying it.
The next few chapters are a little heavier on the word count than the previous, but still under 5K so far XD
Next update will be: February 5, 2015.
Thanks for reading (and reviewing if you get a chance).
Target 07-03: Lull in the Storm
Haru stepped off the train in Namimori the following day and was tackled in a hug and her eyes widened. "Chrome? When did you get back?"
"A little over a week ago, are you all right? When you weren't there when I got back from my mission with Mukuro-sama…" Chrome trailed off and stepped back, looking up at her anxiously.
"I'm better than fine," Haru smiled. "I'd just like to take a long hot bath and put on some of my own clothes rather than the stuff that Lady Tomi provided me."
"How did your training go, Haru?"
Haru's eyes went to Reborn and she realized that Tsuna and Ryohei were also there. "Judaime," she greeted him and dropped into a bow. "I apologize for any trouble I may have caused you…"
"Haru? What's gotten into you?" Tsuna frowned. "You've never…"
"Lady Tomi is pretty strict on proper protocol," Haru said. "It's become a habit. I'll have a proper report for you by the next meeting."
"While you were training we tried to track down information on the threat to the Ninth, but we didn't run across anything," Tsuna said. "Dad doesn't seem too worried, but…"
"There was never a threat against Kudaime to begin with," Haru said. "The letter was a test and means to get me to Lady Tomi. Kudaime, Madame Cho, and your dad were in on it the whole time…"
"That bastard…" Tsuna growled.
"Tsuna," Haru took several steps forward and gently smoothed a finger down the furrow between the future Vongola Decimo's eyebrows, "everything is fine. There were things I needed to be tutored on that they determined were best taught to me by Lady Tomi. I'm fine and I will be stronger for the Vongola because of it. Please, don't worry."
"Haru…" Tsuna said.
"I'm still a long way from being able to match everyone here," Haru said, "but I feel like I'm so much closer to where I need to be now."
"Haru…" Tsuna seemed to want to say something, but was interrupted by Gokudera clearing his throat.
"It's getting late, Judaime, we should probably go eat and talk about the rest of this later," he said.
"Pops has a feast ready for us when we get to the restaurant," Yamamoto smiled; he'd called his dad before they left Kyoto and made arrangements and passed on the information to the others.
"Kyoko should already be waiting there too with Lambo and I-Pin," Ryohei added. "We managed to convince our parents to let her come tonight."
"Okay," Haru smiled.
Chrome and Akai fell into step beside Haru as they made their way off the station platform with Haru dragging a new rolling suitcase with her.
"You're really okay?" Akai asked quietly.
Haru looked at her friend and nodded, she'd spent the entire trip artfully dodging most of the inquiries Akai had tossed at her. "I might even be able to give you a real match up next time we practice together," Haru said with a smile.
"No practicing until you've been looked over by Dr. Tanpopo," Gokudera stated, he'd dropped back to where the girls were after reassuring himself that Judaime wasn't angry at him for going after Haru.
Haru looked at the silver-haired demolitionist and frowned. "I'm fine, Gokudera," she said.
"And I'm paranoid, so humor me?" he said. "The Scarlet Witch already stole you from underneath my nose; I'd rather be assured by a professional you're unharmed."
His fingers twined with hers and Haru sighed. "All right, we'll go to Dr. Tanpopo tomorrow," she said.
Gokudera looked like he wanted to protest, but was silenced by the stubborn set of Haru's jaw and sighed. "Okay," he said.
"So how are things going with you, Chrome?" Haru asked, directing a glance at the dark-haired girl.
"Good," she said. "I did a lot of training too. You might not be able to see through the illusions now."
Haru smiled and the conversation settled into general topics as the group drew in closer together and chatted on the way to the sushi restaurant.
#
"That's more like it."
Gokudera glanced up from the book he was reading the following morning and saw the smile on Haru's face. "Better results on the practice test this time?" he asked.
She grinned and turned the paper over and displayed her ninety-eight. "Yes, as long as I get that on the actual exam this winter there is no doubt which school I will be attending in spring. I just needed to slow down a little bit and be careful. Are you, Judaime, and Yamamoto just going to try for Namimori?"
Gokudera shrugged. "I'll probably take tests for both, but I don't think Judaime is going to be able to qualify for the waiting list for Takanamori and I'm going wherever Judaime goes. I don't know what the baseball idiot is planning."
Haru nodded and Gokudera reached out and wrapped his hand around Haru's. "What do you think about Hanaki for lunch after we stop by the clinic?"
"Sounds good," Haru smiled.
They arrived at the clinic and Dr. Tanpopo chased Gokudera out of the examination room while she looked Haru over. Tanpopo emerged a while later and smiled at Gokudera. "She's fine, Gokudera, she's got some bruises that are still healing from her training, but there's nothing seriously damaged. I've cleared her for practice whenever she's ready."
Gokudera nodded and Haru came out of the examination room and gave him a smile. "Satisfied now?" she asked.
"Yeah," he said, "but I'll be damned if I ever let you get taken like that again."
Haru smoothed her hand over his cheek, drawing him down for a soft kiss while the doctor turned away. "I won't let myself get taken like that again if I can help it," she assured him. "Now then, lunch?"
"Yeah," Gokudera said.
After lunch, they made their way towards Haru's house and her cell phone rang. After a murmured apology to Gokudera, Haru picked it up.
"This is Miura."
She stopped as the voice on the other end spoke. "Yes, I can meet you tomorrow evening," she said finally.
Gokudera watched Haru's face go still as the conversation continued in a vein he couldn't quite identify and it irritated him. Haru nodded at something that was said on the other end. "Of course," she said. "The same conference room as last time? Yes, we will be there. Good-bye."
She hung up and put the phone away before glancing up at Gokudera. "The Hermosillo Familia again?" he guessed.
Haru nodded. "I missed our last meeting due to training, so it got moved to tomorrow."
"As far as I know there's nothing going on tomorrow, I'll escort you," Gokudera said.
"No, you won't."
Reborn seemed to appear out of nowhere pacing alongside the wall next to them.
"What the hell do you mean I won't?" Gokudera snarled at the toddler.
Reborn jumped and knocked Gokudera to the sidewalk and stood on his chest. "That is one reason," he said. "You haven't learned to think before you act yet Gokudera. When two Families are negotiating things can get rough and you'll react first and put everyone in danger."
"Like hell I'd put Haru in danger," he growled.
"It wouldn't be intentional," Reborn said. "You regard everyone older than you as an enemy, Gokudera. You're quick to speak and quicker to pull out your weapon at the smallest hint of an insult, even more so if it's directed at one of those whom you regard as a friend or more."
Reborn jumped off of Gokudera and landed to the side as the silver-haired demolitionist got up, dusting himself off. "I can control myself," Gokudera said.
"Can you?" Reborn asked skeptically.
"Of course I can," Gokudera stated and Reborn shook his head.
"It's too much of a risk," Reborn said. "Things need to be settled in Namimori, we don't need a battle with another Family right now."
"So you'll send the baseball idiot with her again?" Gokudera demanded.
"Yes," Reborn said. "Yamamoto, Haru, and myself will be going to the negotiation table. You will stay with No-Good Tsuna and help him study so that he can get into high school."
Gokudera glared down at Reborn and the toddler watched him for a long moment before he walked away.
The low string of curses would have turned Haru's ears red if she hadn't been cohabitating with Gokudera for nearly two months now and heard just as bad or worse. She continued walking, figuring that Gokudera would eventually catch up to her when he realized she'd moved away. As expected, a few seconds later the sound of Gokudera's boots hitting the ground echoed and he caught up with her.
"Do you think he's right?" Gokudera asked.
Haru paused and turned to look at her boyfriend. "I think diplomacy is something you're going to have to work on a lot before you can be the second I heard about in the future," she finally said. "You'd had ten years to get to that point then and I'm sure you'll be fine in this timeline too."
He reached out to touch Haru's face gently. "I'll get there faster," he vowed. "Then I'll be able to be your second when it comes to these things."
Haru smiled and leaned into the touch before casting a quick glance around to make sure they were alone and stood on tiptoe to kiss him. Pulling back a moment later, she smiled. "But if you work that hard to be my second, who will be Judaime's?"
Gokudera froze.
"Instead of working on it for my sake or Judaime's sake, why not work on it for your own sake?" Haru asked him. "And turn into the best right hand man the Vongola Famiglia or the mafia as a whole has ever seen?"
#
Haru slipped up beside Gokudera the next morning and kissed his cheek as stormy green eyes glared at the rain lashing at the window. "Coffee will be ready soon," she said. "Judaime will be here at about ten or so. If things go well, I'll be home around one and then we can go down to the Underground together. Spanner e-mailed me last night and told me that he and Irie-san had done what they could with my laptop."
He turned and caught her arm, bringing her against him in a tight hug. He burrowed his face in her hair, narrowly dodging the kanzashi and took a deep breath.
"I still don't like it, you know," Gokudera said. "You're going into a dangerous situation and I'm not allowed to go with you."
"Reborn will be there and so will Yamamoto," Haru said. "We'll be fine."
"Do you really think I'm going to trust the baseball idiot to take care of you, you're hard-headed and stubborn and he's too easy going," Gokudera mumbled. "He'll let you do anything you please…"
Haru laughed softly. "Even if he would, I doubt Reborn would allow me to do anything to put this in jeopardy," she said. "Kudaime will be here in four days. We've already settled one threat; I don't think they would take it very well if I were to create a new threat by screwing up these negotiations."
Gokudera released Haru and she stepped back and he took a moment to admire her trim form dressed in a black skirt suit. "I'll see you later then," he said reluctantly.
Haru nodded and gathered her briefcase and headed for the door. Gokudera had returned to the Miura house when Haru returned from Kyoto, but it felt strange to be sharing the space with both Chrome and Haru.
The coffee pot chimed its finish and Gokudera moved to pour himself a cup and prepare for another long tutoring session with his Boss.
Haru popped her umbrella open before she left the shelter of the overhang and stepped onto the wet pavement of the walkway that led to the gate. Outside the gate, Yamamoto was already waiting for her with Reborn riding on his shoulder and the umbrella the baseball player held over his head was a familiar bright green color. "Ready for this?" Reborn asked Haru.
"Haru's always ready," Haru grinned, using her old third person address, and then sobered a bit, "or at least as ready as I can be. Let's get this done and over with for now."
They made their way to Plaza Hotel where they'd be meeting the Hermosillo representatives in a conference room. Waiting outside of the conference room was a familiar figure wrapped in the ornate red silk of a kimono and Haru's eyes widened. "Why…" she began.
"My presence was apparently requested last time you met with these people, so I figured I wouldn't disappoint them this time," Akai smiled and produced her kitsune mask from her sleeve.
"But it's a Vongola matter," Haru frowned.
Akai shrugged. "Madame Cho decided that I should accompany you today and Reborn agreed, so I will," she said. "That's an order from my Boss."
Akai slipped the mask on over her made-up features and held a finger over her lips indicating that she would be a silent presence today. Haru nodded and Yamamoto opened the door after knocking and preceded her in with Reborn and Akai followed her.
"I see you brought the fox today," Victoria Hermosillo said, her gray eyes going to the form in the kimono.
Haru nodded and moved to her seat at the table. "You seemed particularly anxious to see her last time, so I was given permission to bring her with me by my Boss and Madame Cho," Haru replied. "I do apologize for my absence at the last meeting. Something urgent came up and I was unable to pass word along to reschedule."
"We have been dealing with your companion Yamamoto," Victoria said. "I assume you've been given the revised contracts?"
"I read them as soon as I returned from Kyoto," Haru said. "I'd like to discuss a few of the items with more depth to make sure everything is set."
The meeting dragged on for what felt like forever, but Haru maintained her amiable mask even as she insisted on changes. She'd sat in on a few meetings Lady Tomi had scheduled and allowed her to attend and watched as the older woman had dealt with difficult negotiations. Filing away what she learned, Haru now applied it to the situation she found herself in now.
Finally as it dragged on to two o' clock, they finalized the details and shook on it and Haru watched Victoria leave the room first, waiting to stand until the door was closed behind all of the Hermosillo representatives. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath and exhaled slowly before opening them. "Did that go better this time, Reborn?" she asked.
"You did well, Haru," Reborn said with a smile. "I see your tutoring has done you some good."
Akai shifted her mask up and smiled at Haru. "They gave a lot away in the meeting if you knew what to look for," she said. "I think I made them nervous. You do know, of course, that the details of the meeting are going to make it directly to Madame Cho's ears."
Haru nodded. "Yes," she said and stood and stretched. "I think we'll call it a day."
She reached into her bag and withdrew her phone and saw two missed calls and five text messages and shook her head. "Give me a moment please?" she requested and dialed the number on her phone and stepped through the door to hear the phone ringing less than ten feet down the hall.
She laughed and shut her cell phone and turned to see Gokudera bearing down on her. "I can't exactly text in the middle of negotiations to let you know that it's going to be longer," Haru pointed out.
"Judaime sent me," Gokudera said. "He's waiting in the restaurant downstairs with his father."
Haru blinked. "They're that worried?" she asked.
Gokudera shrugged. "Don't know. You're all right though?"
"Yes, I'm fine, I had good company," Haru said and the door of the conference room expelled the other members of the group.
"Why was Akai allowed to attend and I wasn't?" Gokudera snapped, his eyes going to Reborn.
"Akai knows how to control herself and it showed a solidarity between the Vongola Famiglia and the Hanatachi Clan," Reborn replied.
"But, she's not Vongola," Gokudera frowned. "Won't that compromise things?"
"Not particularly," Akai said. "Haru sent me to go get tea at opportune moments. What I did see, of course, will be relayed to Madame Cho. It's my job."
"You're all to come down to the restaurant," Gokudera said.
With a start Haru realized that Gokudera was wearing a black suit like Reborn's and nodded slowly.
"I will have to decline," Akai said. "I have some other matters to attend since I'm all decked out in my official finery anyway. Thank Vongola Decimo and Sawada-san for the invitation."
Akai departed and the rest of them caught the elevator down and Gokudera led the way to the restaurant. They were immediately ushered to a table towards the back of the restaurant and Iemitsu rose and pulled out a chair for Haru while the others settled around the table. Haru turned her attention to Tsuna and handed him the sheaf of papers. "The contracts, Judaime," she said. "If you have any questions about them you can ask Reborn or me. At present, things are settled with the Hermosillo Familia and they won't be a threat for Kudaime's visit."
Tsuna accepted them with a startled look on his face.
"You're the Boss, No Good Tsuna," Reborn said, "so you're the first to see them after negotiations are complete. You'll have to sign them and affix your seal. I'll teach you how to do it when we get back. For now…"
The hitman glanced at Iemitsu and the man nodded and reached into his own suit and pulled out three black envelopes and handed one to each of the teenagers.
"Hahi!" Haru gasped and nearly dropped the envelope when orange flame burst out of the wax seal.
She scrambled enough to manage not to drop it and blushed at the amused look that Iemitsu gave her. "I suppose it's the first time you've received an invitation sealed with Nono's Flame?"
"Y-yes," Haru said and drew in a deep breath and scrambled to recover her equilibrium.
She opened the envelope and withdrew the invitation and read it:
Haru Miura
Your Presence is Required
On
This Saturday, August 31st
At
Namimori Plaza Hotel, 7 PM
Formal Evening Dress is Required