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Act I

Scene III

~X~

The old security commander stared blankly at the frowning storm guardian. Despite the cool glass of bourbon sitting in his hands, Fache couldn't help but to feel nervously hot around the neck. Quietly, he opened his mouth to speak-

"S-Sir," he blurted, "I don't know what you're talking about."

The storm guardian sighed and glanced at the Rolex that was strapped to his wrist, "It's nearly half past one in the morning, Captain," he remarked, patience running low, "I suggest you start talking."

"B-B-But Sir!" Fache protested, setting down his glass, "I have nothing to say! I don't know anything-"

Gokudera scoffed, "These pictures speak otherwise."

Fache paled upon and looked down at the series of photos that were spread out before him. He paused, "This must be some mistake sir," he muttered.

"A mistake?" Gokudera leant forward and hissed, "You think that I didn't know there's twenty-four security cameras installed around the west wing?" he glared, "There's one above the boss's head for goodness sakes!"

The captain gulped, sliding his eyes away from the storm guardian. He knew there was no longer a way to talk things out.

Seeing that Fache had no response, Gokudera straightened his posture before reaching into his blazer pocket, "Alberto," he called.

In an instant, the office door swung open and the young storm subordinate walked in, "Yes Sir."

"Take Captain Fache here to the interrogation rooms," he ordered, pulling out a packet of cigarettes, "And make sure he spits out everything he knows."

Hearing the storm guardian's orders, Fache jumped to his feet and panicked, "Sir!" he cried out, "Sir please!"

"Captain Fache," the older man stiffened after feeling Alberto's hand wrap around his arm, "This way please."

Eying the old security commander carefully as Alberto lead him out, Gokudera lit a cigarette and listened as the protests from Fache slowly disappeared down the hallway. A minute later, he was once again alone in his office.

~X~

Masako awoke to the sound of knocking that echoed through the villa. Opening her eyes, she blinked at the sunlight that spilled through the window and canopy. Realizing that her head was awkwardly positioned against the headboard, Masako felt her muscle's groan in pain as she attempted to move her neck.

The knocking continued, and without any option- Masako forced herself to sit up. Taking a short glance around sun filled master bedroom, the twenty-two year old quickly jumped up from the bed before throwing on a thin cardigan. Making her way down the flight of stairs and ignoring the cold marble floor beneath her feet, Masako soon arrived at the parlor of the villa.

Opening the wooden door to her house, Masako peered outside to see who was knocking on such an early morning. A young girl, probably a few years younger than Masako herself- stared back and greeted the landlady in quiet Italian.

"Sorry," Masako replied back in raw English, "I don't speak Italian."

Recognizing the accent in her voice, the young girl immediately switched to Japanese, "Could you be Masako-san?" she asked.

The twenty-two year gave a nod, "Yes that's me," she answered, blinking at the sudden change of languages, "And who might you be?"

Looking up, the younger girl sighed with relief, "My name is Estrato Aya," she introduced, "I was sent by Bianchi-san to serve you as a housekeeper."

"Oh," Masako paused to assess the girl, "Bianchi-san sent you?"

"Yes," she gave a firm nod, "She said you spoke Japanese and needed help around the house."

Masako blinked, "Well, come in first Estrato-san," she insisted, opening the door wider.

Giving the landlady a quick bow, the half Italian-half Japanese girl entered the villa. Hearing the wooden door close behind her, the young girl took a moment to glance around the parlor. Mesmerized by the beautiful sculptures and artwork that donned the walls and roof of the salon, Estrato Aya was only brought back to reality upon hearing Masako's voice.

"Estrato-san."

Turning around, the younger girl beamed, "Aya will be fine, Ma'am."

"A-Aya-san then," Masako stood to think for moment, "I don't know what Bianchi-san might've said to you, but I'm more than capable of looking after this villa myself," she remarked, "So there's not much you can do, really."

The smile on Aya's lips didn't fade, "Well I can't do that, Ma'am," she replied, "Bianchi-san had strict orders, and so did Master Gokudera."

Masako blinked at the name, "My husband?" she repeated, "He sent for you as well?"

The girl nodded, "Bianchi-san gave me the orders, but Master Gokudera was the one who made the final decision."

Feeling her head spin, Masako sighed and lowered her head with dejection. She'll never get use to the works of this family.

~X~

There was an unsettling atmosphere within the Vongola boss's office as Gokudera spoke of the Fache Incident. After nearly eleven hours of vigorous questioning, the old security commander still refused to give any detail about his behavior towards the Vongola. Despite being in a rather good mood this morning, Sawada Tsunayoshi pulled a frown and poked the remains of his smoked salmon.

"How did this happen, Gokudera-kun," he demanded, looking up from his leftover lunch, "What did we ever do to him?"

His right-hand man plastered grim look, "We suspect so far that he might be working for a rivaling family," Gokudera responded, "Bribery is common within this world."

Tsuna sighed and swiveled around on his chair. Glancing beyond the glass window and further into the distance, the young Vongola boss admired the Italian city sitting below him. Sworn to protect the people of this city and provide them with jobs, education and a fair economy- Sawada Tsunayoshi felt a sprang of disappointment upon realizing that he couldn't even look after members of his own family, yet alone a whole city.

"Gokudera-kun," he spun back around to face the storm guardian, "Can you look into this for me?"

The forever loyal right-hand man bowed back, "Yes sir."

"And-"

Tsuna paused as a pair of maids entered the office and cleared the table before serving an espresso. The Vongola boss stirred sugar into his coffee slowly, then looked up at his storm guardian.

"Don't be too harsh on the captain," he ushered, "I'm sure he has reasons for his doing."

Gokudera lowered his head just in time to hear a gentle knock against the office door. Straightening his posture, the storm guardian joined his boss into adverting their attention towards the rich Italian oak entrance. Stepping quietly into Tsuna's office revealed to be Vongola's very own Rain Guardian.

Yamamoto Takeshi at the age of twenty-two, still held his goofy smile and happy-go-lucky attitude. Despite finally understanding the real story behind the 'mafia game' a few years back, the Vongola Rain Guardian nevertheless stuck with Tsuna through thick and thin. Today, his position within the family was only little behind Gokudera- but just like any Guardian serving under the name of the Vongola, Yamamoto Takeshi held his own office, a team of subordinates and his own wealth. Entering the office with his sword swung across his left shoulder, the Rain Guardian offered both his boss and co-worker a friendly smile.

"Tsuna," he beckoned before turning to the storm guardian, "Gokudera's here to!"

"Don't sound so laid back, baseball idiot!" Gokudera roared back, "This is the boss you're addressing!"

Decimo raised a hand, "Gokudera-kun," he urged, "Please calm down, Yamamoto is a Guardian just like you."

"That's right Gokudera!" the rain guardian grinned back in a teasing manner, "You always get so fired up!"

"What did you just say?"

Tsuna sighed- after all these years, the rain and storm guardians still continued to fight like cats and dogs. Turning his attention to Yamamoto, the young Vongola boss pondered upon the unexpected appearance of his rain subordinate.

"Yamamoto," he gestured for the baseball lover's attention, "Did the family representatives get everything they needed after the meeting?"

The rain guardian bobbed his head, "Yes," he replied, "Expected that Basil-kun stayed behind and still insists on seeing you."

"Basil-kun?"

Ignoring the hot-tempered storm guardian for a moment, Yamamoto quickly pulled out a small note from his breast-pocket and unfolded the paper. Sliding it across the table, Tsuna soon found himself looking at a formal annotation stamped by the CEDEF. After scanning his eyes across the paper, Tsuna glanced back at his rain guardian.

"Send for Basil-kun please," he ordered, "I'd like to see him."

Receiving his boss's command, Yamamoto disappeared from Tsuna's office in less than a second. Leaving the storm guardian to blink at his boss, Gokudera searched the young Vongola boss's face for any trace of trouble or panic.

"Is everything alright, Juudaime?" he questioned.

Tsuna waved it off, "Just some leftover paperwork Basil-kun and I have to sign," he answered, "Nothing big."

His right-hand man nodded, "Would you like me to stay behind?"

A smile fell across the boss's lips, "No need, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna encouraged, "I'm more than capable of handling paperwork."

"But what-"

Decimo lifted a hand, "I'll be fine," he assured, "You should get some rest too Gokudera-kun, Masako-san must be worried about you."

The storm guardian was silent, thus allowing for his boss to press on, "I still have Yamamoto and Onii-san left around the mansion," he poised, "And if worse comes to worse- there's Hibari-san."

Gokudera scoffed at the last name mentioned, but nonetheless obeyed the boss's orders and gave a bow, "If there's anything you need, Juudaime," he persuaded, "Please let me know."

"Yes, thank you Gokudera-kun," Tsuna beamed and watched as his right-hand man exited the office.

~X~

It was already late afternoon by the time a luxurious white Mercedes AMG GTS pulled up along the driveway of the Italian villa. Switching off the sports car engine, the twenty-two old Gokudera carefully peeled off his Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses to peer at the chateau seated before him. Having the roof of the convertible open, the scent of nearby Mediterranean shoreline mixed with gentle olive trees was floated through the air. Pushing the car door open, the Vongola Storm Guardian stepped out onto the cobblestone driveway. Turning around, he was instantly greeted by a pair of warm and tender hazel green eyes that belonged to his wife.

"Welcome home, Hayato."

He gave a nod of acknowledgement, "Masako."

"Everything alright at the mansion?" His wife pressed as the duo entered the villa.

Gokudera scoffed, "Somewhat," he mumbled, taking off his Armani blazer.

Carefully taking the expensive blazer off her husband's hands, Masako offered a smile, "Would you like some tea or coffee, Hayato?" she questioned.

"Bourbon."

Her lips stretched, "A bit too early for that."

The storm guardian scowled and turned around, "Coffee then," he replied before heading up the wide spiral staircase.

Moments later, Gokudera found himself situated in the comfortable villa study. Seated behind a beautifully handcrafted mahogany desk, the twenty-two fished out a packet of cigarettes and quickly lit one. Eying the wisp of smoke that drifted into the air, he quietly glanced around the room. To his left, a large sliding window revealed the dazzling seas of Sicily and to his right, a vintage fireplace accompanied by two identical armchairs on either side. Directly behind him, a series of bookcases were lined exactly next to each other.

Leaning to the far right of the desk, Gokudera carefully reached into the breast-pocket of his crimson shirt and pulled out a small key. Placing the key into the hole of a drawer, he gave it a small turn before a soft click was heard. Pulling the drawer open, a large yellow envelope was found. Taking out the envelope and quickly unwinding the strings attached, Gokudera extend a hand into its yellow sleeve.

The first thing that came back was a slick Beretta 9mm. With the silencer attached to barrel, the hardened black plastic felt cool against the guardian's hand. Putting the gun aside, the next thing Gokudera pulled out was a series of bound documents. With the Vongola crest sitting in the centre of the cover page, the storm guardian glanced at the Italian letters written directly underneath the emblem.

Documenti Ufficiali Della Vongola. Official Documents of the Vongola.

"Hayato?"

Hearing the gentle knock on the door and the voice of his wife drift through, Gokudera immediately reflexed and knocked the gun back into the drawer. Slamming the wood back into the desk, the Vongola guardian made it just in time to see the door open and the white material belonging to his wife's dress float in.

Walking into the study with a metal tray carrying an antique tea set, Masako smiled at her husband, "Look at you," she chimed, setting the tray against the table, "First time home and you're already cooped up in the study."

"Just some paperwork," he mumbled back, taking the cigarette from his mouth and blowing out a puff of smoke.

Masako chuckled, "The Vongola gives you no rest," she remarked, carefully pouring freshly brewed Italian coffee into a cup.

Placing the saucer against the mahogany desk, Masako leaned over and quickly plucked the cigarette from her husband's fingers. Stamping the end of the stick into the ashtray nearby, Gokudera opened his mouth to protest.

"Oi, what're you doing-"

"It's a killer for your health."

The storm guardian frowned. No one had ever taken a cigarette from him so easily.

"And besides," Masako continued, turning to slide open the window, "I'd rather not be widowed at the age of twenty-two."

Gokudera was silent and took a slip of his coffee, "What's for dinner?" he suddenly questioned.

His wife's smile widened, "We still have some tempura left over from yesterday," she replied, "If you'd like, I can make some-"

"Let's eat out."

Masako raised a brow, "You have a place in mind?"

"Some place the stupid turf-head recommended," Gokudera growled, leaning back against the chair, "Apparently it's nice, to the extreme."

A twinkling laugh was heard, "I'll get changed then."

~X~

The Cutilisci was a small, but neat Italian Restaurant located along the northern beaches of Catania. Surrounded by the distant sea with warm winds during summer, the breeze that welcomed the young couple into the restaurant held a somewhat fishy scent. Nevertheless, after shown a comfy table on the balcony of the restaurant, the couple took their seats. Directly below them, a group of tourists posed and took snaps of the famous Italian beach with the sunset glowing in the background.

A waiter in his mid-thirties came and greeted the couple in fluent Italian. After lighting a small candle for the duo, the waiter handled down the drinks menu before reciting all the famous wines and champagnes the restaurant had on offer this evening.

"Argiano Rosso Di Montalcino."

"Si signore." The waiter then took the menu and left.

Masako blinked, "That was exceptionally fast," she gave a teasing chuckle, "This isn't the bourbon you've been waiting for all afternoon is it?"

Her husband snorted, "No," he grumbled, reaching into his pocket for a cigarette.

"Hayato," the storm guardian stopped halfway and glanced at the warning expression his wife held.

Gokudera scowled, "Don't tell me what to do, woman-" he felt a sharp kick against his leg and dropped the cigarette he was ready to light up.

"Oi!" he watched as a skinny hand reached over to take the cig away from him, "Are you serious?"

Masako smiled, "I'll kick you again if you pull out another one," she threatened, "So don't blame me if you wake up with bruises along your leg."

Dropping his mouth to argue, the storm guardian was suddenly cut off when the same waiter returned with a bottle of red wine and two glasses. Carefully pouring each glass with the same amount of liquid, the waiter gently placed the wine against the table before pulling out another menu. After another few minutes of conversing in Italian, the waiter left and allowed for the couple to return to their conversation.

"By the way, Hayato," Masako began, "Who is this Estrato Aya girl who you've sent to work at the villa?"

Gokudera looked up, "The half Japanese, half Italian?" he recited, "It was aneki's idea, she thought you'd be lonely by yourself."

"Bianchi-san?"

Her husband nodded, "She's a daughter from the Estrato family, they have a good record with the Vongola," he insisted, "So she shouldn't cause any trouble."

"But she's only nineteen this year, Hayato," Masako protested, "We can't have her working like a maid around the villa."

The storm guardian sighed, "She studies at the University here in Catania," he chimed, "So she'll only be able to work some days and not others."

Masako turned away to gaze at the beach. By now, the sun had already set and the sea next her was covered in darkness. The sound of an elderly man strumming against a guitar beside the beach was heard, while chatter in Italian drifted around the restaurant. All was rather peaceful until a sudden buzz was heard, followed by the sharp shrill of a ringtone. Glancing back at her husband, Masako watched as Gokudera pulled out his phone before pressing it against his ear.

"What is it Alberto?"

A few quiet second passed and Masako could just make out a slight frown starting to form on the storm guardian's face. Suddenly, he snapped and a burst of anger appeared across Gokudera's face. He roared into the phone-

"What do you mean Fache escaped?"

-End of Scene III-

~X~

A/N: Thoughts and Ideas?