Chapter 3: A Night at the House of Sawada

Normally, when you go to a stranger's house, you usually don't expect much. It's almost like going to your grandparent's place (unless that grandparent happened to be Tama's). Maybe a little tea, some cookies, and then you just meet people and talk for a while. It's supposed to be plain. It's supposed to be simple. It's supposed to be safe.

But, apparently, this time it wasn't any of that. No, instead, what Tama got... was this.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Tama sat cross legged in the center of the room, her eye twitching like nonstop from the current occurrence of that day: bombing. Her hair's fringes were slightly burned. Her clothing was torn up on the edges. Her skin smelled like crusty ash. Slowly, she breathed in and out, trying to get to a calmer place where every day wasn't something out of a complete living hell.

The headache swirling inside her brain wasn't really helping though.

"U-Um... Are you ok?" a timid voice asked. "You don't look so good."

Meanwhile, a pair of brown worried eyes peered down at Tama. She slit a glare up at him, getting a little annoyed. That same damned question was just asked two minutes ago, and the bubbly concern was getting on her nerves. Lowering her head, she muttered curses to herself before answering back.

"Yeah..." finally replied the young girl, who was digging her nails into her forehead. "It's just a migraine. Thanks anyways, Sawada."

Sawada Tsunayoshi, as the brunette had introduced himself before, gave a nervous smile and sat back against the wall. Though he looked weak, you could tell he understood people. Fixing the loosely fitting T-shirt on his torso, he had the sense to be quiet and leave her the hell alone.

It'd be nice if other people could take the hint too.

"Oi! Show more respect, you bitch," growled a low voice, threatening in every shade and manner. "Who do you think you are, showing your face here after yesterday? Any more disrespect, and I'll end you."

This comment came from a person in front of Tama, the punkish smoker with the white hair. His name was Gokudera Hayato, and he had sharp green eyes that, if they could, would burn her alive. For some reason, their vibes just didn't seem to mesh well together, and the only person he was nice to was Tsuna (who he called "Tenth" for some bizarre reason.)

He especially didn't like her for one particular reason.

Remember that time when she crashed into the bushes while roller skating on her first day? Well, apparently Tsuna was the unfortunate person she crashed into. It figures that Gokudera would be there with him too.

"I'd like to see you try," she replied dryly, folding her arms. She was getting really tired of this. The word 'sorry' must have been mentioned at least thirty times. How long did he hold a grudge for? "And I already apologized! Geez, just because you're in a PMSing mood doesn't mean that you can take it out on me, dork. "

Sawada sucked in some air, his cheeks losing color by the second. He had a good reason to be worried too. In no time at all, Tama's collar was yanked up, with Gokudera's scowl butting in front of her face. His face was tightened up and looked very pissed.

"You stupid bitch! You want to die?" he roared.

"Bring it on!" she hissed, feeling a nerve splinter.

Tsuna squealed as the two fighters got ready to duke it out. Then, the situation diffused as someone firmly pushed away Gokudera's fingers from her neck. It was a black haired boy, one that was really tall and had spiky hair. Oddly enough, there also was a cheerful grin plastered on his face that seemed way out of place. It was as if he thought they were all just mere two year olds at the playground and not fully grown teens ready to smash each other's skulls in.

"Ok! Ok! Calm down, you two!" he chided them. "It all worked out in the end, right?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Sawada added in, his face pale. "Please! It's ok, Gokudera. She did nothing wrong! Sawada, or even Tsuna's fine too! It's much better. Just.. don't fight... please..."

Gokudera hesitated. Then, he sullenly looked away to glare and hiss at the black haired kid, Yamamoto Takeshi. Armed with a goofball grin and a charisma that would put optimism to shame, he didn't look fazed in the least, and Tama almost found it amazing. She wondered how the guy could look so damned carefree in this situation.

"Fine," she and Gokudera grumbled.

Taking a seat, the little girl plopped back down on the stale carpet. Gokudera did the same, with Sawada collapsing next to Yamamoto in relief. So, with that now established, the three of them sat in an uneasy silence, like people awaiting for a bomb to go off.

...

"So..." Yamamoto finally brightly started, directing his attention that the newcomer. "Your name's Tama-chan, wasn't it? It's nice to meet you. What brings you here?"

Tama looked up briefly, with the "-chan" sort of putting her off. It was weird to hear it at the end of her name. Not many people called her by that anymore. She was too used to "-san" or just simply "Subaru." The cuteness of the other suffix though didn't seem to really fit her at all.

"Well, it's kind of a long story," she sighed, going back to the original question. "I guess... I'll start with Chrome. She's your friend, right? Well, we kinda met when I got lost. I asked for directions, and she brought me here instead. Sorry to just barge in like this, but I'll take any help I can get."

"No no. That's fine. It's not like we're not used to visitors or anything," Tsuna awkwardly laughed. Somehow, it seemed to Tama like those 'visitors' weren't the good kind either, from the way he said it. "But where do you live? Is it here in Namimori?"

Tama put her arms behind her head and nodded. "Ah huh. I transferred schools 'cause my old one sucked. But it's too far from where my old home was. So, I'm renting an apartment here for now."

"I see," a pipsqueak's voice suddenly butted in, almost smoothly. "Well, welcome. Make yourself comfortable here at Tsuna's expense."

The sound made everyone's heads lift up, and (quite awkwardly, might Tama add) the four of them found themselves staring at a... kid.

No. Scratch that. A baby.

Yes, as hard as it was to believe, (and trust me, Tama was having a bad time of it) there was a two foot high little baby sitting in front of them, with a mischievous smirk that came right out of the Godfather. He had the outfit to go with it too, dressed to the nines in what looked like an Italian suit and showing off cute curled side-burns. The little brat looked like casino pit boss from Atlanta with a crazy spin. The only things out of character were the pacifier hanging around his neck and the chameleon staring at her from the rim of the hat.

But. More importantly:

WHEN THE HELL DID HE SNEAK IN?

"Ciossu," he greeted with a friendly smile. "Welcome to the Sawada household."

"Reborn!" Tsuna yelled, with Yamamoto grinning in the background. "Don't scare us like that! You could have given us a heart attack."

The young brunette shoved his head in his hands and grimaced. Tama couldn't help but notice his pained expression too, as if he were seeing death incarnate itself. The poor kid looked like he just wanted to crawl into a deep, dark corner and just cry for a bit.

"Is he your little brother?" she asked curiously. If so, then she could definitely relate. All of her relatives were a pain and completely nuts. In fact, the entire damned family tree was so screwed up that she felt like she was adopted sometimes.

"Something like that," was the reluctant reply.

"Anyways," the kid named 'Reborn' smirked. "I overheard your conversation with Dame-Tsuna here. So I take it you've already met Hibari, Tama-chan?"

Tama glared sorely back, hoping to scare him off. It bugged her that the little snot was being so familiar with her. Again with the damned "-chan." Kids were such trouble. Butting into the conversation like that... and who the hell was 'Hibari' anyways? What rotten luck to come when Sawada was babysitting.

"Never heard of him," she gruffly replied, propping her chin up with her hand. "Why should I?"

"He's the king of pricks at the school." Surprisingly, Gokudera was the one to answer this time. He made it sound like she was stupidest person for not knowing. "The head prefect too. Even if you're a newbie, you should know him."

You never saw Tama's head pop up faster than it did. Her ears were twitching at the word 'prefect' like she was one of Pavolv's dogs, and she stared at Gokudera. The image of her current stalker floated to mind. Maybe... Maybe she did meet him!

"Black hair? Slanty eyes? Tonfas?" she asked, not stopping for a single breath.

"Huh. So you do know him then."

Oh, yes. They were very acquainted. Her lips curled over, and a low hiss escaped from between her teeth as Tama suddenly got a murderous look on her face. Everything tightened up inside, from her muscles to her damn bones. All of the sores from earlier seemed to come out in full force too, searing under her skin.

It didn't take a rocket scientist for the boys to know that it was a touchy subject.

"U-Um... Tama-chan," Tsuna hesitantly asked. "Are you-"

"Hibari. So, that's his name then, huh?" she muttered darkly. The brunette quietly took a step back and ducked Yamamoto. Even Gokudera looked surprised, staring with some terror at a pitch-black aura that had suddenly sprouted around her. Funny. It almost looked like something out of a really weird anime.

"H-hey... " he voiced, the cigarette falling out of his mouth. "Is that supposed to happen?"

Tama completely ignored him, too busy wishing death threats under her breath. With the added fuel of his name, her hatred rose along with the aura. She still couldn't forgive him, after all. Everything was his fault. The crappy end to her first day, the trip to the principal's office, the part where she got lost in the woods, the self-loathing... all his fault.

His wretched existence was a pain. She had to end him!

"So, I take it you've been acquainted?" Reborn interrupted, with a hint of amusement.

Tama's aura fizzed away as he smirked up at her. With a sigh, she slowly nodded, huddled up into a curled ball of vengeance.

"Yeah. Pretty much," she grumbled. "Ugh... I can't stand him either! All I do is give him the finger, that's all! And yet, the little psycho decides to come running after and murder my ass. And who cares about a damned nap anyways! I should call the cops on... what's with those looks?"

Her rant fell short when she caught sight of their faces. The largest range of them too, by far. Reborn had a pleased smirk. Gokudera looked like he had swallowed a bug. Tsuna nearly fainted from being so pale. Yamamoto's scared her though. His smile wilted to an uneasy frown, and he tried to hide it with a laugh but... no go.

And if the king of optimism was looking bad, then she knew that something was wrong.

"W-What..." she defended.

Tsuna took a deep breath and placed his hands on her shoulders. Firmly. His eyes also were coated over with a pity-laced film, and the other two boys nodded grimly. It was as if they were saying "a shame the good die young." Needless to say, they weren't giving her good vibes. Not at all. Tama shifted nervously, getting a really bad feeling about all this.

"Tama-chan..." Tsuna said, his puppy dog eyes drooping. "I think we should tell you some things."

Forty minutes later...

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

For the first time in a very long time, the house was completely silent. There were no bombings. No screams. None of the chaos that had raged before. Instead, the four teens sat around the comfy table, all quiet like the inside of a funeral home. Tama, who was the most stunned out of all of them, stared at her tea numbly, watching the green liquid swirl around. It kind of looked like how the pit of her stomach felt right now: swaying, disturbed, and rocking uneasily.

Yep. She knew it. Bad feeling all around.

"You're shitting me," she breathed, trying to not hyperventilate on the spot.

"We're not," Gokudera heartlessly informed, looking somewhat irritated. "There's no other way to put it: you managed to piss off the worst person possible. I suggest you start making your will now, stupid woman. I'll even help with the wake, if you'd like."

"Gokudera!" Tsuna exclaimed with horror.

"Now, come on," Yamamoto chipped in, trying to make the situation lighter. "Hibari's not that bad. He's just... misunderstood. I think."

"Baseball idiot, I think that's the understatement of the year," the smoker deadpanned. "He's just deranged. No other way to put it."

While the two of them bantered, Tama unconsciously swallowed the bitter leaves in her tea. It really felt like some crazy dream to her. Like Alice in Wonderland, but the Mad Hatter wore a fedora and the tea party was in Japanese. Oh, and the evil Queen of Hearts somehow changed genders too.

Seriously, though. I mean, how many people can say that they've just flipped the finger to the scariest man on the face of the planet? Forget just being a prefect. That guy was the king of whole Namimori! The head delinquent, the ruler of the underground, the face of evil... and she just flipped him off.

Swell. Really swell.

"Tch!"

Throwing her head up, Tama downed the tea like sake, her cheeks turning a rosy red from the steam. She didn't like the way this conversation was going. At this rate, just the rumors themselves were gonna crush her. She had to get her confidence back. So how?

Simple: boasting.

So, blowing out a long sigh, the midget of a girl boldly declared, "So what! Then I'll just beat him"

All of a sudden, all the bickering fell silent. Tsuna choked on a riceball, and Gokudera, who was in the middle of insulting Yamamoto, looked at her as if she were insane.

"W-What..."

"If you got a situation, you face it," she explained. The edge of her blouse's sleeve was used to wipe her mouth, which still felt warm from the tea. "If I can't escape him, then I'll just break him. Simple as that."

"Hey, do you even know what you're saying?" Gokudera scowled. "What can a pipsqueak like you do?"

Surprisingly, before Tama could retort back, her support came from the most unlikely person: Reborn. He held up a hand for silence, and everyone shut up immediately. Almost respectfully even. Tama would have had a good giggle about it if the serious attitude didn't put a damper on things.

"I think she can handle it," Reborn smirked, reaching inside his coat. "However, if you ever need help, we're experienced when it comes to Hibari. Ask Dame-Tsuna, and he'll come to your rescue, ok?"

"Don't drag me into this!" Tsuna wailed.

He was dutifully ignored as Reborn gave her a piece of scrap paper with seven numbers scribbled on it. She nodded, and for the first time that day, that confidence she looked for was found. Maybe it was because of how sincere he sounded. Or that knowing look that seemed way too old for a mere one year old. But either way, it worked.

"Thanks, kiddo," she murmured, pocketing it. "I'll keep that in mind."

The weight of the paper felt light in her pocket, kind of like her heart right now, and once again, the four of them sat around the small, short table. This time, though, the atmosphere was much brighter and less like someone had died (or was going to, for that matter).

"Well," Reborn stated, giving a little cough. "It's far too late for us to walk you home now. Stay here for the night. You can take Tsuna's bed, if you want."

The brunette glared at him, looking like he wanted to strangle the kid from the neck.

"Reborn. Stop talking! PLEASE," Tsuna moaned, sliding his head into his hands once again.

Everyone laughed, and Tama became swept by the whole light atmosphere. She looked out at the pitch-black night, which was lit by only stars and the crescent moon, and nodded in agreement. For now, she'd stay. After all, rest was needed. Hibari was probably going to show up early in the morning, and it was going to be another looong day.

But at least now she didn't feel nearly as bad as before. So what if her opponent was a demon straight from hell? She could handle it. With a wide grin, she clutched her hand close to her heart, which beat with a new resolution. Then, while everyone chatted once again, she whispered under her breath:

"I told you, old hag. I'll be the best."

Chapter 3 end.

Tada~ Hope you liked it. Btw, this is a super long omake that I was originally gonna put in the story, but it didn't seem to fit too well with the flow of the plotline. Please enjoy it.

Omake #3: Epic Ranking Fail

So.

With the now official statement from Tsuna's mom that she was staying the night, ("Oh, of course you can sleep over! It'll be fun, like when Tsu-kun brought his little friends when he was three!" "Mom...") Tama hunkered down in the spare guest room. She was a bit uncomfortable, though. Not that anything was wrong with the room itself. The decor was pretty, with blue washed walls and dainty white curtains. The beds were soft and very cosy. Even the carpet was nice and soft, perfect for bare feet.

No. The problem was... it was just a bit crowded.

"Guypaii! Lambo-san is here!"

Tama stared as a little brat in a cow jumpsuit started running around the room, with a 'fro that puffed out of his head at least two feet. He was really annoying, and a little Chinese girl around the same age chased him, calling after in a broken Japanese. The other boys were here too, all watching the ruckus from a distance.

"Lambo! Stop disturbing guest!" the girl ordered, finally jumping him.

As they wrestled, Yamamoto noticed Tama's blank expression. He offered, "Hahahaha... Kids are lively as ever, huh?"

"Yeah," Tama replied back, still a little bewildered. It looked like things were only going to get even crazier. Still, what was even more amazing was the fact that they could fit this many people in one house. Guess that explained all the noise. "By the way, are all you guys Sawada's relatives?"

"No, but you're on the right track," he grinned, scratching his head. "We're Tsuna's or the kid's friends. Gokudera and I live at our own places though."

"Wait, so why are you still here?"

"Well, 'cause we originally planned to have a get together here for the night. Don't worry. We're sleeping in Tsuna's room."

"Oh."

"Speaking of which, I should probably introduce you to everyone," he grinned. "That kid with the afro over there is Lambo. The girl is I-Pin. Oh, and this one's Fuuta."

"Huh? Who's Fuuta-"

That was when she suddenly found herself staring down at a little, brown haired runt. Not just any runt either. Out of all of them, he definitely was the cutest. A huge, oversized scarf was wrapped around his neck, and his big puppy eyes immediately gave her the impressive that he was Sawda's illegitimate son. (She'd never say that of course) He was also carrying a huge book with him, one that looked even bigger than the kid himself.

"So, you're Tama-nee?" he beamed with sparkly eyes.

"Um... yeah... I think," she replied hesitantly. She really didn't know what to say. First "-chan" and now "-nee." It was kind of adorable, though, to be called "big sister" by such a cute human being. Even her grouchiness had its limits.

"Wow! It's just like the rankings say!" he giggled, earning a blank stare.

"He does ratings for people," Tsuna explained. "It's a way for him to pass the time."

"Really?" Tama smiled, getting interested. "Tell me mine, won't you?"

"Sure!" he chirped happily. "Since you're Tsuna-nii's new friend and all."

A hazy look suddenly fell over his eyes, like he became disconnected with the world. Then, something really freaky started when everything started floating.

Upward.

WHAT?

She panicked as her body got lighter and flew to the ceiling and nearly collided with I-Pin's and Lambo's. Meanwhile, all the boys down below were watching stupidly as she flailed.

"W-WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON?" she managed to spit out. "HELP!"

"Just go with it!" Yamamoto laughed from down below, not noticing her terror too well. "You're probably so light that you got caught up into the wind turbine. He uses it for effect. Kid's toys are so realistic these days!"

"That's not-" Tsuna practically screamed, his voice drowned out by Fuuta's talking.

"Tama-nii is ranked twentieth out of two thousand for the most reckless and headstrong personalities..." he said in a drone-like voice.

Well, that was sort of possible. When she found Tsuna staring up at her, she gave a shrug and left it at that.

"She also is number two in the 'People who would cry during Jane Erye category..."

Covering her hands with her mouth, Tama became floored that this little half-pint actually found her weakness: cute, girly-soap opera like movies. She wondered what gave it away. Damn, he was sharp.

Gokudera snickered in the background.

"And finally," Fuuta went on, his eyes still blinking. "the number one person destined as Tama-chan's soulmate is... "

Everyone waited on the edge of their seats. Well, what was left of them, anyways. Tama was currently clutching the remaining stool as she stared at Fuuta.

"Rokudo Mukuro."

"!"

"!"

"!"

"!"

At that moment, it was like a declaration of death was given. Tsuna's eyes pinched into small, horrified marbles. Gokudera, who was previously sipping some soda, spat it out in a fit of shock. Even the kids looked stunned, all the bickering from before now utterly silent.

Leave it to Yamamoto to start laughing his ass off.

"Hahahaha... Wow! Who would've thought?" he chuckled cheerfully.

"I-It's not funny, you baseball idiot!" Gokudera sputtered.

THUD.

Of course, all of this was ignored as the unlucky girl plummeted to the ground. It could have been her imagination, but she thought she heard some bones cracking in the process. Being hers, of course. She didn't even pay attention to all the commotion, missing Tsuna nearly swoon from horror.

"Rokudo Mukuro..." he echoed, his face as pale as a sheet. "Of all people... please tell me it was raining outside. PLEASE!"

Gokudera quickly yanked the curtains aside to a magnificent downpour flooding the streets. There was thunder, rain, lightning... all the good stuff that usually scared the living crap out of people. Yet, after they saw that, all of their shoulders sagged down in relief. Tsuna, most of all. The poor kid looked like he was going to die from all the excitement.

Tama took that as her cue to go beddy bye.

"Ok..." she declared, putting her hands up. "Screw this! I'm going to sleep!"

And that was how her night at the Sawada household ended.