Disclaimer: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn, to that Amano Akira has every right. I'm merely borrowing them for my own entertainment and make no money out of it. I do, however, own Arica D'Angelo, yay! (And any other characters you don't recognize.)

A/N: Sorry for the wait guys; if I had my own internet I'd probably upload a chapter once a week or so. But it's here now =D Anyway, I saw the page breaks I put in didn't show up in the first chapter so I apologize for any confusion on the switching POVs. A special thanks to Orpheus for being my very first reviewer and to Ill elemental and Shimoo for favoriting and following. You guys rock!

WARNING: This chapter contains domestic violence. In hindsight, I probably should've rated this fic M because of this and language… Ah well, I can change it later if it really bothers any of you – just let me know via review.

Without further ado, on with the story!

Chapter 2

The entire two minutes' walk to the roof, Arica felt a heated glare on her back. She didn't need to look to know who it was coming from. She frowned to herself as she wondered what could possibly have made this guy dislike – if not hate – her so much. They haven't even spoken a word to each other yet, he didn't know anything about her! When they arrived at their spot, Gokudera seemed to make sure that she sat as far away from Tsuna as possible while he took a seat close to the boy's right.

"It sure is a nice day today," Tsuna said, taking a deep breath of the fresh air and exhaling with a blissful smile. She just smiled and nodded along with Yamamoto, while Gokudera enthusiastically agreed with his 'Juudaime'. Arica found this very curious: he seemed so cold towards his surroundings, but when it came to Tsuna, he acted like an obedient, energetic little puppy. Interesting.

They took out their lunches and Arica stared at hers with distaste as she glanced at the note on top. Without reading it, she snatched it up, crushed it in her fist and threw it to the side. It got snatched up by the wind and was carried off into the distance. She felt an intense gaze on her, but ignored it.

"Aaah," Tsuna suddenly cried and her eyes snapped back to him to see what was wrong. "I could've sworn I packed my lunch this morning! First Lambo eats my breakfast, now my lunch is gone too! Why does it always happen to me?"

"That stupid cow, treating the Tenth like that!" Gokudera growled, clenching his fists in anger. "I bet he took the Tenth's lunch too! I swear I'm going to blow that fucking brat up when I see him again! I would offer you my lunch, but I didn't bring any today. I'm so sorry, Juudaime!" he exclaimed, his mood instantly changing as he began to bow so feverously that his head slammed into the ground a few times, making them all winch. That's gonna leave a mark.

Arica raised her brows at his behavior and language, but Tsuna didn't seem to notice much as he tried to prevent the apologizing boy from cracking his skull. Yamamoto frowned as he looked at his own food and said, "There wasn't much leftover sushi, so I didn't bring extra as I usually do… sorry, Tsuna." Gokudera was just about to pounce on the dark-haired boy, when Arica decided to speak up.

"You can have mine," she said as she held her food out to Tsuna who looked at her in surprise.

"Um, that's okay," he declined nervously, waving his hands in dismissal. "I'm not really that hungry, really! Anyway, there's just a couple more hours of school left; I'll get something when I go home. You guys don't have to–" He was cut off by his stomach rumbling.

Arica raised a delicate brow at him before placing her lunch in his lap. "You're a really bad liar and your stomach seems to agree with me. Eat it. I'm not really in the mood for food today."

Gokudera flew up from where he was sitting and hovered over the girl, a dark aura surrounding him. "Who are you to insult the Tenth like that? You have no right to order him around either!" His hand delved under his jacket and Tsuna seemed to pale as he quickly grabbed his friend's hand.

"G-Gokudera-kun! Stop, you can't do that here!" the boy panicked as he tried in vain to calm the temperamental teen down. "She'll get hurt and think about what Hibari-san will do if we destroy his school again!"

"Let the bastard come, then!" he snapped, but reluctantly took his place again, crossing his arms and bowing his head so that his face was hidden by the shadows of his hair.

Yamamoto just laughed at their antics as he began to eat. Tsuna heaved a relieved sigh and reluctantly took the lunch given to him. After another confirmation from Arica, he dug in and there was silence. What was Gokudera about to do? Destroy the school again? Who was Hibari? So many questions were swimming through her mind. She was glad to have had an excuse to get rid of the food though. Anything made by that pig made her want to throw up as soon as she saw it, or even thought of it. The stupid notes he added didn't help much with the 'throwing up' concept.

Lunch ended and the group made their way back to class. The remaining periods passed by quickly and uneventful and soon it was time to go home. Arica never looked forward to that, but she had no choice. If she stayed away, they were sure to have a search party out looking for her in a matter of minutes and she would be punished. If she arrived late, she was punished. When she came home, he would be all over her and that is as good as torture. Either way, it was bad, at least for her.

"See you tomorrow, Arica," Yamamoto called after her as she took the opposite direction of her newly acquired friends. She looked back to see the baseball player and Tsuna wave at her while Gokudera stood with his back to her. She replied with a small wave of her own before slowly making her way home. She was in no real hurry.

The girl walked through the front door about half an hour later and started for the spiral staircase that led to her room. She was stopped in her tracks by a voice from the opposite side of the room. "You didn't think you would escape before saying hello, did you?"

Jaw clenching for a brief second, Arica turned to face him. She forced a smile and stood her ground as he neared her. "Ricardo," she greeted stiffly when he reached her, grinning like he always did. If she didn't know any better, she would've thought he was related to Bel. His short, blonde hair seemed to glow in what little light made it into the room, his green eyes sparkling with twisted thoughts. (AN: imagine Orlando Bloom as a teen and you'll pretty much get the idea of what Ricardo looks like)

"Welcome back, my dear," he whispered in her ear as he cupped her cheek gently. His breath on her ear and neck sent a shiver down her spine – and not the good kind. "How was your first day at school? Make any new friends?"

"It was fine, and yes, as a matter of fact, I did. They seem nice enough. Well, except one boy who ignores me like the plague," she mumbled, not sure if she should have said that, seeing as Ricardo always misunderstood things. She pushed him away roughly, frowning. "Why don't you go to school, maybe you'll learn how to be more human." She knew she shouldn't have said this, but the temptation was too great – he was asking for it and leaving her an opportunity at every turn.

The boy's smile turned to a scowl, marring his handsome features. He lashed out and grabbed the front of Arica's uniform, pulling her closer so their noses were merely millimeters apart. She remained calm and just stared at him as he fumed. "Bitch, how dare you speak to me like that? And don't question my actions. We're in Japan on a very important mission; I don't have time for something as trivial as school. I'm only sending you there because you're in the way and because your father requested it. The only thing you're good for is keeping the alliance between our families…and an outlet for my anger."

With that said he pulled back his free fist and punched Arica right in the face. He let go of her shirt and the impact sent her tumbling onto the steps behind her. If he had put any more force behind the hit, it probably could've shattered her cheekbone. She didn't cry out; she wouldn't give him the satisfaction, and she was used to this. She just lay there, staring up at him, that disgusting grin back on his face.

"And what was this about some boy ignoring you? You sounded a bit disappointed… Don't go whoring yourself out to other men, otherwise there will be a few broken bones next time." With one last well-aimed kick to her side, he stalked off towards his office, hands casually stuck in his suit pockets.

A few seconds passed before another man came rushing to her side, bending down to examine her injuries. "Boss, are you alright?" he inquired in a panicked tone, as he examined her, trying to figure out if it was okay to move her.

She gave him a reassuring smile, ignoring the pain the shot through her face as best she could. "I'm fine, Andrew; just the usual. And how many times do I have to tell you not to call me 'boss'; Ricardo will kill you."

The dark-haired man scoffed as he lifted Arica in his arms and headed for her room. "I don't care what he does to me as long as it ends with me serving you, Boss. You can't honestly expect me to call him boss when I was employed by your father. He placed me at your side, therefore you are my boss." Andrew frowned in irritation and anger as his eyes fell on the forming bruise on her cheek. "Why do we have to cooperate with them anyway? Why don't you tell your father what this man does to you?"

She sighed and closed her eyes as they finally arrived at her room and she was placed gently on her bed. Andrew pulled up her shirt a fraction to inspect the second bruise on her side, making sure nothing was broken and no vitals have been damaged. "You think I haven't tried already? Father doesn't believe me, he doesn't believe that Ricardo can do anything wrong. All he cares about is the alliance between our families. He believes the Mariani Famiglia has turned over a clean slate, and all because of Ricardo's nice words, supposed manners and charming smile. He thinks the boy is an angel sent from heaven. More like a soul of the damned kicked out of hell itself."

"But we – your subordinates – can speak to your father as well, Boss, as witnesses," Andrew insisted. "If we all tell him what he does to you, he should believe us. He can't ignore–"

"That won't change things. He will just think I ordered you all to tell him this. It's useless," Arica sighed again, thankful that these people were willing to stand up for her, but she knew it was a futile attempt to reason with that stubborn man.

"What about running away?" Andrew tried again. Arica smiled to herself at the man's insistence. "I know it would look cowardly, but it's something. We could easily overpower the Mariani forces in Japan if we launch a surprise attack. We–"

"Ricardo knows I hate it here, he would be prepared for an attack. He might think I'm good for nothing, but he still doesn't overlook me as a threat. And if we manage to get away, where would we go? He will hunt us down and not hesitate to kill us, and he's a great liar, which means he will spin a very realistic tale to my thickheaded father. Staying here is the only option. At least this causes a few bruises, sometimes broken bones, but it's better than being dead."

"You've made up your mind, haven't you?" the man grumbled, only to receive a sleepy smile. He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "One thing I still don't understand though is why Ricardo is in charge of this house and mission, and not you. The Rinaldi Family is, after all, higher ranked than the Mariani Family. You could order a full out massacre on them if you wanted, or at least on those in this house."

Arica turned on her good side, her back to the man. She did not have the strength for this right now. "I'm tired. Will you bring my dinner up to my room later, Andrew?" Arica closed her eyes again and cleared her mind of all unpleasant things, falling asleep within minutes.

Andrew stared at the sleeping form of his boss for a few more minutes before whispering to himself, "Why do you let him hurt you, Arica? Why don't you at least fight back like we all know you can?" He shook his head and exited the room, planning on calling the rest of the Rinaldi Famiglia to a private meeting. He can't let this continue. They had to come up with a plan. He wasn't sure if his boss had already thought of this – and if he had to take a wild guess, she had – but it wouldn't hurt to make sure everyone else knew before he confirmed with her.

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Tsuna was sitting in his room along with Gokudera and Yamamoto. The bomber was helping them with their math homework, which struck the young Vongola as strange; Gokudera hadn't snapped at the baseball player once since they left school. Tsuna knew there was something bothering his friend, but wasn't sure if he should intrude on his privacy.

"Gyahaha! Lambo-san wants to play!" the five-year old yelled as he came bursting into the room, jumping onto the table and scattering some papers.

"Lambo, stop!" I-pin said as she chased her friend, trying to drag him away from the teenagers.

"Ahodera! Lambo-san wants candies! Gimme, gimme, gimme!" the little cow yelled while he ran circles around the Storm who was sitting closest to the door Lambo had come in from.

Tsuna stood ready to pry the kid from Gokudera's hands like he usually had to, but the bomber just glared at the cow. He got up, caught the little hitman by the scruff of his neck and threw him out the door before closing it and going back to his seat. Tsuna exchanged a glance with his Rain guardian before watching Gokudera reassemble the papers.

He cleared his throat awkwardly before trying to speak. "Erm… G-Gokudera-kun, a-are you feeling alright?"

The teen glanced up at his boss in confusion, seemingly unaware of his own actions. "Of course, Juudaime, why do you ask?"

"Well, uhm…you seem to be a bit…distracted today," Tsuna answered as he scratched his head. "You're pretty quiet and didn't yell at Yamamoto or Lambo so far…"

The Storm frowned as he seemed to realize the same. The frown deepened into a scowl and he started to fiddle with a cigarette. "I'm sorry, Juudaime. I think I should get going; I…don't feel so good, maybe I should just go lie down." He stood and gathered his things and with a final goodbye strode out of the house, the cigarette now lit in his mouth. Tsuna knew that meant that he was either expecting a fight, or that he was going to vent his feelings by blowing random stuff up. Whichever it was, neither were good.

There was a minute of silence before Yamamoto decided to voice his thoughts. "He's been acting weird since this morning, even weirder during lunch… Do you think it has anything to do with Arica?"

Tsuna blinked at him in surprise. He sounded so serious for once. The young boss couldn't blame him though; they were both concerned over their friend, even if said friend usually just insults and threatens other people, like Yamamoto. The other thing that surprised him was the suggestion the baseball player had just made.

"Eh? Arica-chan? Why would she be the cause of this? She's just another girl like the others in our class, which he all treats the same," Tsuna said slowly, not knowing what made his friend say this. Arica seemed pretty normal and kind to him, just like Kyoko-chan and Haru.

"So you haven't noticed?" the swordsman asked in disbelief as Tsuna shook his head in confusion. "The way he acts when she's around, all defensive and aggressive. He never threatens any of the other girls like he did her today. And at lunch, he kept staring at her, as if trying to figure something out – like those puzzles and mysteries he always likes to solve – or like he was expecting her to attack us or something. It all started when she was introduced to the class."

Wow, was all Tsuna could think as he stared dumbfounded at the other boy. He knew Yamamoto was really smart if he only tried, but he didn't expect him to be this observant and knowing towards others' feelings. But now that Tsuna thought about it, he did notice those things; he just didn't pay any closer attention to them. He had caught the slight stiffening of Gokudera's body when Arica had introduced herself, though he didn't connect the two. What kind of friend and – as much as he loathed it – future boss was he if he didn't even pick up on his friends' problems and feelings? Should he chase after Gokudera and try to find out what was going on, or should he leave the bomber to figure things out on his own? He thought that leaving Gokudera to his own devices might force him to do something reckless, like the training for the Ring Battle where he almost blew himself up countless of times, or when they were sent to the future and the bomber spent countless sleepless hours trying to figure out the Sistema CAI.

Tsuna's thoughts were interrupted by a tiny, commanding voice calling his name. "Oi, Dame-Tsuna! It's almost dinner time; Mama wants to know if Yamamoto will join us."

"He's right there, why don't you ask him yourself?" he asked the baby, annoyed. The hitman just smirked and waited for an answer.

Yamamoto, as usual, just laughed, his serious demeanor all but forgotten. "Thanks, kid, but I promised the old man I'd help with a large order for tomorrow." He gathered his things and rushed out the door, "See you tomorrow, Tsuna."

They watched him go and Reborn turned back to face Tsuna, his smile gone. "Just leave him be for the moment. He'll probably come to you on his own if he really wants to talk. Normally, I'd say it's your duty as a boss to take care of your Family, but sometimes they have to learn from their own mistakes and feelings." He turned and headed to the kitchen, leaving a stunned Tsuna staring at the spot where he had been a second ago.

He knew who Reborn meant, but half of what he said didn't make any sense. During the countless months they had spent together, he came to accept the fact that the small hitman knew things he wasn't supposed to and that 80% of what he said didn't make any sense. Trying to figure any of it out gave him a headache, so he went down for dinner, deciding that Reborn was probably right. But he knew Gokudera would most likely keep to himself, because he wouldn't want to bother 'the Tenth' with his 'menial problems'.

Tsuna sighed and decided that he'll give the hot-blooded Italian a few days, and if he still acted strange he would ask him about it. For now, he just had to wait and observe.

A/N: End of chapter two! Please review! If you do I might update a lot sooner (I'll figure something out). Hmm, maybe I'll sneak it onto the school's computer… *evil smirk*

Oh, and should any of the characters say 'gods', like in the plural, it's because I'm a huge fan of Greek myth and Percy Jackson, where they use that form a lot, so…yah, I pretty much got used to using it. Until next time, ciao ciao!