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And people are really reading this! I'm so haaaaappppyyyyy! T.T

Oh, I'm sorry if the update took so long.

Enjoy~

Meeting the Famiglia: The Sawadas

Veronica woke up the next morning feeling excruciatingly sore. "Stupid over-working, over-training, abusive best friend," she mumbled before getting ready for the big day.

She wasn't much a fan of overdressing. In fact, she actually wore comfortable clothes when on a mission. But the difference was, her current mission was a real mission, not a I'll-be-treating-you-as-a-maid mission. Lal Mirch and Iemitsu had insisted that she wear nice and formal clothes for a good first impression. A good first impression? More like an anti-disgrace excuse.

Veronica was about to wear her usual blue t-shirt with imprinted "Shit" in front and "Happens" at the back, black skinny denim and faded blue sneakers when she remembered the order, which made her groan in annoyance. She doesn't have any formal clothes except for her secretary outfit. It would be in her best interest to wear that, had she been fearless to Iemitsu and Lal Mirch's wrath. Wouldn't that be a dead giveaway of her identity? She was really itching to wear that, but she knew better.

The day was not in her favour. There's already a problem first thing in the morning.

She thought of a person closest to her size, and there's only one. Oregano.

Would it hurt to ask for a favour? She does have her pride, after all. Oregano was not actually her friend, but not her enemy either. It would be safe to assume that their relationship was just on a greeting basis; proven that every morning whenever they meet in the elevator they would give each other glances and recognition of each other's presence. It would be considered friendly greetings had Veronica smiled more, because whenever they see each other, her mood was always sour due to Iemitsu's constant lecture.

It would be a matter of time before her flight. Well this sucks. She thought as she left her room and wandered through the halls of the CEDEF headquarters.

Her mind took her to somewhere familiar. The place where stealing is compulsory to live. The place where street rats would accumulate and have their daily meetings. The place where poverty is rampant. The place where the black market exists. Carriche, the place where she was born.

That was all according to Iemitsu, but to her, Carriche wasn't such a bad place. In fact, it was where she had enjoyed her childhood, where she had perfected the art of survival: The Art of Stealing. It just happened that Iemitsu took care of all the illegal transactions that took place at Carriche, since it is under the jurisdiction of some hotshot Mafia: The Vongola. As far as she remembered, red surrounded her vision. Deafening screams and gunshots pierced the air. Lifeless bodies lay everywhere. The memory was vivid despite her being 5 years old at that time. It seemed like it was yesterday. No one was spared, except for her.

It was luck that gave her chance. Luck in the form of a dirty-blonde-haired man.

It seemed that it her mind was not the only involuntary thing because her feet also took part in messing her up. She snapped out of her reverie and found herself staring at a door. Oregano's door. I might as well give it a shot.

She knocked thrice and the door opened immediately. Well that was fast.

"Uh, Oregano, uh," Veronica started. "Would you mind lending me some formal clothes? A normal, formal-looking jacket and a white lady's polo would do. Err...if it's not such a trouble to you."

"Of course not! Let me just check if I have some. Wait, okay?" Oregano returned with the clothes faster than anyone can say Shubiluliuma. "I'm sorry this is all I have. Everything else's in the laundry."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I should instead be thanking you. You know, we never really hanged out, haven't we? Let's make a deal. In exchange of lending me your clothes, I'll spend a day with you. Just you and me. You know, girls' bonding time? That is, if you can wait after my mission."

"I wish the best of luck to you," Oregano said. "And of course. I look forward to our bonding time. I'll wait. Be safe, alright?"

" Don't worry. And thanks, again," Oregano closed the door and Veronica went back to her room. Well, that doesn't seem so bad.

Oregano gave her a long, black coat that reached her butt, a faded blue, midriff, plunging tank top and a pair of white shorts that came quite well with her faded blue sneakers, except that it wasn't that formal-looking. "Great. Just great," she muttered as she looked at herself in front of her mirror. "I have no choice."

She grabbed her suitcases and went to Iemitsu's office to say her farewell. She knocked and when she heard the usual affirmation, she opened the door and went in.

"Nice outfit. Very formal," Iemitsu teased her.

"I borrowed these from Oregano."

"Why didn't you just borrow from Lal Mirch, Vivi? His statement was like a lightning which struck her.

"Why didn't I think of that?! Ayayaaa, there's not much time left. I'll be late for my flight!"

"You're not planning to go in that state are you?" he inquired.

"Why? What's wrong with me?" Iemitsu just rolled his eyes and picked up his phone, in which he said over the line that he needed a certain person in the room that instant. Minutes later, the door opened and revealed Lal Mirch.

Lal Mirch looked surprised. "Oh? What are you still doing here, Vivi? And what are you still doing here in that state?"

She raised both of her hands, palms facing Lal Mirch. "Wait, wait, wait, waaaaaaiiiiiiit. What fucking state are you possibly be talking about?"

"Veronica, language," Iemitsu gave her the watch-your-mouth look. "What we're saying is that you need a disguise. You wouldn't want to blow your cover on the first day of your mission, would you?"

"Are you saying I should use my illusion prowess to cover up?"

"Glad you're on the same track as us. You really should've used your brain more often and remember your experience with Giannini's device," Lal Mirch rolled her eyes. "Now hurry up or you'll be late."

White. Blue. White. Blue. White. White. White. White.

Veronica sat near the window, her thoughts filled with nothing but worry while she was watching the clouds pass by and the fields beneath which was surrounded by the vast ocean. It was her first real mission, after all. Would they buy this illusion? What if they find out? What if...

A female's voice led her back to reality.

"—like some juice, miss?" the stewardess said.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Would you like some juice, miss?" the stewardess smiled at her. "You look very worried. May I ask why a girl of your age is travelling alone?"

"W-well, I'm meeting my mother back at Japan. I came from an exchange student program, and yes, I would like some juice," Veronica returned the smile.

"Would you like some fries with that?" They laughed.

After the stewardess handed her some juice did she actually had a look at herself. Her butt-long ponytail only reached her shoulders, her legs shorter and her face more round. Her olive-green eyes were replaced by ruby-like lenses, which she had preferred to wear to hide her Italian lineage. The coat Oregano had given her now reached below her butt.

I can't believe someone didn't notice. I guess the illusion works, huh?

She drifted off to sleep.

It was a rainy afternoon when she got to Japan.

"We are now at Chifu Airport, Japan. Please ta...," Veronica nearly fainted when she realized that she really was, indeed in Japan. For some unknown reason, she felt very anxious, but dismissed it off as a first-time-to-go-to-a-mission nervousness. After getting off the plane, she fetched her belongings and fished for her phone. She checked for messages and indeed, she had one from Iemitsu.

I forgot to tell you. Nana and Tsuna will fetch you from the airport. Remember, you mustn't let them know, or else, a punishment for you.

I wish you the best of luck, agent Ashitaba*.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Veronica slammed her phone shut, having the urge to throw it at the nearest person. But instead, she just pocketed the thing. She scoffed. Her eyes quickly scanned the crowd for a spiky, brown-haired teenage boy—as far as she remembers from Giannini's device—and soon she found one, and the boy's with a middle-aged woman with a shoulder-length hair. Jackpot. Let's get this over with.

It was 14 years since Veronica had seen Nana and yet she hadn't even aged a bit.

Her eyes were still as shining as ever, so full of joy, so full of hope. Something Veronica wished she had. Nana's skin was still as young and smooth-looking. It would even be on par with Veronica's. Nana still had that same smile when she would teach Veronica writing and reading.

But along those years, something must still change.

Nana's hair reached her shoulders. As far as Veronica remembers, Nana had it ponytailed and it reached just above her butt. She liked it before than now.

Nana saw a short, ebony-haired girl approaching them. "Tsu-kun, I think there she is," she motioned for Tsuna to approach the girl. "Mom, what would I say to her?" he nervously asked.

"Just say we're the family of your dad. Go, Tsu-kun! I hope she can be your friend."

Tsuna slowly approached Veronica and soon they found themselves in a staring contest. After several minutes, "How long do you intend to stare?" she was the first one to break the ice.

" Hiiiii! I didn't mean to stare like that! I-I was just nervous that's all," he fidgeted under Veronica's harsh stare.

"Relax. Hey, are you by any chance Sawada Tsunayoshi?" Tsuna looked up only to see that her previous demeanour left her face, not leaving a trace, as if it wasn't there before. She was smiling now, her hands extended for a handshake.

Tsuna held her hand and they returned handshakes. "Ah, yes. He's my father. M-My mom is also here. Let's go," Tsuna led her to where Nana is.

" Hi honey! I'm Sawada Nana, and I assume my son here introduced himself?"

"Yes, Sawada-san," she curtly answered.

"Just call me Nana or mom! Oh yeah, dear, what's your name?"

"Kinomoto Ayumi," she hastily replied. Shit, where the hell did come from?!

"My, what a wonderful name! Ayu-chan, you must be tired. Come, let's go home. Tsu-kun, please help her carry her things."

"All right," Tsuna proceeded to carry one of her suitcases.

"Thanks."

They soon left the airport and took a taxi to Namimori. Nana was beside the driver and the two teenagers were at the back, positioned at the two ends of the seat. Veronica had no intention of speaking until Nana broke the heavy silence in the vehicle.

"So why did you decide to stay with us?" she asked.

"Eh? Uhm," Veronica racked her brains for possible reasons. "My parents were always busy in their business but one day they told me that they'll be away for a year or two because of the business, and they didn't want that. So they entrusted me to Sawada Iemitsu, one of dad's trusted friends. So here I am," she effortlessly lied and her eyes attempting to close by itself.

There were two things that Veronica is good at. One is stealing. The other is lying.

"Oh, is that so? Reminds me of the other kid I took care back then," Nana reminisced. "Do you remember it Tsu-kun? The little girl I told you about?"

"Yes, mom. You also showed me her picture, right?" Tsuna said, smiling.

Their statements were enough to keep her eyes open for a couple of days.

"May I ask what her name was?" she badly wanted to confirm if Nana still remembers her. Maybe she had another kid to take care of all those years? So she curtly asked, not wanting to seem obvious.

"Her name was Veronica," Nana told her while looking at the road.

It was a good thing that Nana was facing forward because she thought she can't stop herself from tearing up and smiling.

Nana still remembers.

*A kind of herbal plant. I just saw in reborn wikia that some of CEDEF members' names are from herbal plants. So I gave her one. Well, Veronica kind of insisted that they call her Veronica or Vivi. She and Iemitsu had agreed that he can call her the codename when she's on a mission.

Again, reviews are appreciated! :D