Me: Hi, guys! Super duper sorry for the late update. Besides the fact that my original intention for this chapter was for it to be updated on Christmas, there was also the fact that school has been quite the thorn on my side. So, this time, expect an update on or before Christmas!

Also, here's a reminder for you guys. The poll will officially close on JANUARY 15, 2015. So for those who want to vote, but haven't voted yet, please do so now.

And to the guest who reviewed in the last chapter: Yes, I know her name is Nagi. I named her Chrome because -. Well, that's going to be a spoiler. Naming her Chrome was completely intentional. You'll find out why later – possibly in Chapter 11.

I now present to you Chapter 8!

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Chapter 8: Christmas

Christmas.

Whenever I heard that word, I was always reminded of presents, hot chocolate, marshmallows, and laughter – Gabrielle's laughter.

She loved Christmas. She really did. It was one of her most favorite days in a year. Whenever the "-ber" months came, she would always be so excited about gifts, about the love she'd get from our parents, about the things she would enjoy.

Don't get me wrong. I was happy for her. As long as she was happy, I was happy.

She didn't deserve what I had experienced. I wanted her to live a life full of love. That was why I was so accepting of the fact that my parents would always choose her over me.

Christmas.

I remember that my cousins would drop by and play pranks on me and Gabrielle. We would retaliate, of course, discreetly. Christmas would always turn out to be rather fun and enjoyable. It was, after all, one of the few times that my cousins would drop by and bring 'fun' into our home.

Christmas.

I remember the Christmas tree in our living room, decorated with colorful bells and wreaths. I remember the stockings hung by the fireplace. I remember—

Why can't I remember anything else?

.

.

.

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The lights were shining down on them, as sweat trickled down their faces. To an outsider, they would have looked tired – maybe even stressed, but for those who knew, they could see that their hard work was paying off. It showed in the smiles that were starting to grow on their faces.

Now, I hope that you're happy with yourself

Cos' I'm not laughing

Don't you think it's kind of crappy

What you did this holiday?

When I gave you my heart

You ripped it apart

Like a wrapping paper trash

So I wrote you a song

Won't you just sing along?

And it goes Merry Christmas

Kiss my ass

(Merry Christmas Kiss My Ass by All Time Low)

"That is very inappropriate!" Bianca chided them, putting on her 'beast-mode' face. "You're just children! And Chrome, honey, you're only a year old. You're not supposed to say 'ass'."

"But Mom, physically, I may be one, but mentally, you know I'm mature enough!" I pouted.

Bianca shook her head disapprovingly. "Oh, Chrome, I know, but we have guests." She gestured towards Rosetta and Angelo, who were stuffing their faces with red velvet cupcakes, and to my grandfather and grandmother.

"But Mom, they all curse. I mean, they're in the Mafia. It's natural for them to hear someone else cursing. And, 'ass' just means 'butt'! It's not like the words they say." I reasoned out with wide eyes.

Bianca squealed and gave me a quick hug. "Chrome, you are so cute!"

I shrugged and glanced at my grandparents, who were playing a game of Go Fish.

"Do you have the seven of hearts?" Elaina asked Antonio.

Antonio scowled and handed her the card. "Gah, fuck you."

I then looked at my mother and raised an eyebrow at her. Her eye twitched and she sighed. "Fine. You can say 'ass', but that's it. No more inappropriate or curse words should come from my mouth, alright?"

I mock saluted her. "Sir, yes, sir."

"And Bel, dear, how are you liking it here so far?" my mother asked my blonde best friend.

Yes, he was here. In fact, he was the one who sang along with me. Surprised? So am I. I mean, I didn't even think he'd be willing to sing today, much less an English song, and with me for that matter.

"The prince finds the house to be smaller than what he is used to, but…" he hesitated, his cheeks turning slightly pink. "…the prince likes it here."

My mother squealed again and captured him in a tight hug. I laughed at my best friend, who was then continuing his conversation with my mother.

I sat on the corner and pulled out a pen and my notebook. The notebook was special. It contained the timeline of Katekyo Hitman Reborn – at least, what I remembered of it, and all the details I could remember about the characters.

Right now, I was merely a year old. There were around twelve years, I think, before canon starts, and that would be a rather boring wait. Then again, I could always use the time to train and plan. I needed – wanted – to prevent certain things from happening without completely screwing up the timeline, such as Byakuran's death.

I know he drugged Yuni. I know he was behind Tsuna's death. I know that he was the reason the Vongola was losing. I know he was the bad guy, but –

He deserved a second chance, as well. Deep down, I knew he was a good guy. I knew his friendship with Shouichi was real – he wasn't faking it. I know he truly enjoyed Shouichi's company.

That's one of the reasons why I want to save him…

"And what are you doing here all alone?"

I looked up and saw my sensei. He was wearing a red checkered shirt, black pants, and red and black shoes. Unfortunately, he was still wearing that goddamn mask of his.

"Oh? Do I sense concern coming from you, sensei?" I asked innocently.

"You wish, brat," he scoffed, sitting down on the seat beside me.

"It's Christmas, you know." I informed him.

"And so?" he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Maybe you should give me a gift." I suggested.

He chuckled. "Would a plastic bag suffice as a gift?"

I shrugged. "Sure, why not? Although, you could always take off your mask for me, if you want."

"Ha! Fuck no," he laughed. "You're years away from getting me to take my mask off."

"Why do you even wear a mask?" I asked.

"Oh? Do I sense concern coming from you?" he mocked.

I rolled my eyes. "No, you sense curiosity."

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"…Fuck you."

He smirked. "You can never win against me, brat. Just accept it."

"I so can beat you –"

"Shh, I know. It's hard to be in denial," he said, patting my hair. "But you can get through this. I'm here for you."

My eye twitched. "Get your hand off of my hair." I swatted his hand away.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, violence is never the answer, you know?" he sighed in mock disappointment.

"Whatever…"

"It's time to eat!" my mother called out to me and my sensei, whose name I still do not know.

Dinner with the family was something I… liked. Sitting at the head of the table was Antonio, with Elaina to his left and Bianca to his right. I was beside Bianca, with Bel beside me. Beside Elaina were Rosetta, my sensei, and then Angelo.

The adults were all talking about Mafia business – something about exports to Japan and Germany – which left us kids to chat.

"The prince wants more of these cookies," Bel told me as he nibbled on one of the cookies on his plate.

I nodded, getting some from his pile. "What can I say? Mom makes the best cookies in the world."

"I second that." Angelo told me as he burped slightly. "That was so satisfying… I want more."

We all nodded and ate quietly.

The original Chrome didn't have this family. Where did they go? Were they just never mentioned? Or… were they already dead when canon started?

I froze. No. No, no, no, nononononononono –

That couldn't happen.

Impossible.

Or maybe that was the reason why canon Chrome became the way she was.

But how? How could Bianca… how could Antonio and Elaina… how could Angelo… hell, how could sensei die? They were indestructible, weren't they…?

Bel and Angelo chattered on, oblivious to my zoning out.

Canon Chrome was never friends with Bel. So why was I? Would this screw up the timeline a lot? Was I never supposed to befriend him?

But—

I'm not Chrome. I may be in her body, but… I'm not her.

I'm Lily.

…Or am I both?

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"Thank you so much for dropping by! Are you sure you don't want to stay for a while?" Bianca pleaded with Antonio and Elaina, who both shook their heads.

"I'm sorry, but the Cuore have a meeting tomorrow with an important Famiglia." Antonio responded. "It cannot be postponed."

"We're sorry. Maybe some other time?" Elaina suggested with an apologetic smile.

Bianca sighed. "Alright. Bye…"

As they said their good-byes, I turned to Rosetta and Angelo. "Are you staying the night?"

Rosetta shook her head. "I'm afraid not. I, too, have business to conduct tomorrow. Angelo can stay over, if you wish."

Angelo nodded. "It'll be no biggie."

I chuckled. "Nah, it's fine. Go spend time with your mom."

Angelo clicked his tongue. "Then why bother asking in the first place?"

I shrugged. "You and your mom are kind of a package. Plus, I thought it'd be best if you spent more time with her."

He raised a questioning eyebrow at me. "You're… acting rather odd today. It's almost as if you're being… nice."

I snorted. "Yeah, now, shoo. Be gone."

Angelo lightly punched my shoulder. "Whatever. See ya soon?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Bye, Angelo, Auntie."

"Bye, Chrome," Rosetta said, giving me a brief hug as she and Angelo left.

I then turned to Bel. "I suppose you need to go back to your kingdom?"

He shrugged. "The prince will come back here soon."

I nodded. "Alrighty, then. Bye, Bel."

"Ja ne," he said as he disappeared in a flash.

I then turned to my mother. "Can we go in now?"

She nodded.

We sat by the living room, enjoying the warmth of the fireplace.

"Where's sensei?" I asked, noticing that I had not seen nor heard from the man since after dinner.

Bianca blinked. "Oh? I guess he disappeared again, as usual."

There was a certain fondness in her eyes when she spoke of him. Something she only showed to me. Was sensei… someone she knew?

"Do you know sensei?" I asked her.

She nodded. "Of course! He's your sensei, after all. I'd have to know the person who'd teach my daughter before they started."

I shook my head. "No, I meant – in a close way."

She looked at me for a second with some kind of unreadable emotion before chuckling. "No, no, I don't. And he's not your father, if that's what you're thinking. That would be disgusting if it was true."

"As if he'd be my father," I snorted. "I'm not going to have an ass for a dad."

Bianca looked at me quite heatedly at my mention of 'ass', but let it go.

"Speaking of my father…" I started, watching her closely. She wasn't showing any signs of being cautious or anything, so was it safe to ask? "…who was he?"

She looked at me, sadness clouding her eyes for a moment. "Why do you ask?"

I shrugged. "It's been a year. I haven't seen him at all. It's either he's dead, he's super busy, or he's somewhere else. I crossed out the first one, though, which leaves the second and the third choices."

"What makes you think that he's not dead?" she said carefully, her expression turning blank, making it hard for me to tell what she was thinking. I guess the Mafia made you that way.

"If he was dead, you'd or we'd have visited his grave. You know I'm mentally prepared for it, so I assumed that since you or grandpa or grandma never talked of anyone dying, he was alive." I responded. "Did I assume correctly?"

She pursed her lips, trying to think of an answer that could appease both me and her. "Let's just say that… he's fine… wherever he is."

"So he is alive?" I pressed.

She didn't respond.

"Excuse me," she said after a while, stepping out of the room and closing the door softly behind her. I'd be deaf if I said that I didn't hear the soft sobs coming from outside.

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I felt guilty.

I didn't have to ask her.

I really didn't, but I was curious.

"Curiosity killed the cat."

Dammit, sensei, I know.

"Let's just say that… he's fine… wherever he is."

I knew he was alive, even if she never confirmed it and simply settled for a vague answer. I just knew it.

But if he really was alive, why wasn't he here?

Divorce, they were never married, he had someone else, he was on a business trip…

So many reasons, so many possible answers, but I didn't have a definite one, nor did I have clues as to which one was the most plausible.

I eyed the shelves on the mini-library we had. I scanned each title, occasionally pulling a book towards me and pushing it back in its place as if I never touched it.

They were the Mafia. Surely, they, too, had some secret passage that opened due to a book being pulled?

I heard a soft click when I pulled a book about photography. A slot opened on top of the books lined in the second row and I grabbed whatever was in there – a photo album.

It wasn't just your plain ol' photo album. This one was entitled 'High School Days' – property of Bianca Cuore.

This was it.

This would give me some clue as to who my father was.

But before I could open a page of the photo album, a loose photo from the slot fell down into my hands. I picked it up and saw Bianca with two identical looking males. One male was considerably younger than the other, but both had the same hair and the same eyes.

Who were they?

I felt as if I knew them, but I had never seem them before, so what had brought on the familiarity?

I looked like them.

Technically, I had their eyes and my mother's hair. Could I be related to them, or were they simply my mother's friends or acquaintances?

Looks can be deceiving, so maybe I have no relation to them at all.

I heard my mother walking towards the door, so I hurriedly placed the album and the photo back in the slot, closing it quietly and returning to my original position in front of the fireplace.

Bianca went in and sat down next to me.

No words were spoken.

They weren't needed.

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Extra: The Opening of Presents

"Aww, you gave me knives? I love you, best friend!" I squealed after I finished opening (read: violently tearing off) the blue wrapper of the gift I received from Bel.

"But who doesn't love the prince?" Bel smirked, twirling a knife in his finger.

"Ugh, get a room," sensei groaned from the other side of the room. "Honestly, aren't you too young to be flirting?"

"Who invited you, sensei?" I groaned as well. "Besides, it's not flirting. It's called being nice. You should try it some time."

"Don't take that tone on me, brat. Are you asking for more training?" sensei huffed as he drank more wine. "Brats these days…"

"Oh, come on, sensei. Don't be a Scrooge." I told him.

"Bah humbug to you," he half-heartedly chucked a paper ball at me, which I dodged.

"Mom, sensei's being mean again." I whined.

"Just be nice, and everything will be alright," Bianca said, giving a thousand-watt smile that blinded, as flowers appeared in the background.

"I'm scared," I admitted.

Sensei nodded in acknowledgement. "Mothers…"

"…terrifying creatures."

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Sneak Peek

Chapter 9: Bonds

Silence.

Her eyebrow twitched until she sighed again, massaging her forehead with her thumb and index finger. "Fine, don't. Just please, at least show some concern for her."

"If you won't do it for me, at least do it for your father."

"I won't do it for that son of a bitch."

"Then, at least keep your promise. Please…" she said desperately.

He walked out, slamming the door behind him.

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Me: Sorry for the sneak peek for this chapter ending up as an extra scene! I had the plot planned out already, but I couldn't find a place to insert the sneak peek because I wanted to build the story up a bit. So now, we have Chrome finding out she may or may not have a father who is still alive.

Will she ever find out about her father's identity? Will she ever meet her father – dead or alive?

Since it's Christmas break, I shall see you either on Thursday or Saturday next week! (Maybe. But I will definitely update before January starts. I'm just not sure if I still have plans with my friends or homeworks to finish. I mean, who assigns homework on Christmas?)