Disclaimer: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn, any of its characters, nor in any way do I profit from the making of this story.

This is the continuation of the last chapter in which Nana told Giotto she was pregnant. Rated T for G's language. Author's Note clearing up any possible misunderstandings and such at the bottom.

"I'm pregnant."

The world stopped revolving the moment those words left her mouth, Giotto's open mouth suddenly dry as he sat stock-still and stared at the brown eyes in front of him. Almost as if even his thoughts were miles away, he could distantly hear his own voice in his head telling him that the look in Nana's eyes right now were not the eyes of one who was lying, and all the previous signs in her behavior meant she wasn't going to be joking right now. For a moment, everything turned gray like a wash of paint and time seemed to slow down before it sped up all of a sudden, colors and images blurring while he flew backwards; far away from Nana as he could, without even thinking.

Pregnant, she had said. Giotto, I'm pregnant.

Nana was pregnant.

Images of swollen bellies and the shrieking laughter of children-tiny toes and toddling feet-suddenly flashed through his head and his breathing sped up.

He knew it could only mean one thing, and he suddenly felt sick to his stomach as if something dark had crawled down his throat and settled down there to fester nastily. Nana had never been in a relationship of any kind before him, and though it had been more than a few months since they separated, he remembered her stricken face on that stormy night and the way she rushed into his embrace with tears. While it was possible there was someone else involved, if she was letting him know like this it was most likely...

"It's my child, isn't it?" he rasped weakly, eyes wide as he turned to look at her and ignored the churning in his stomach.

Once more, Nana paused before nodding hesitantly, her hands twitching as if she resisting the urge to lurch forward and hug him.

"Yes."

Perhaps it was just that she had said in such a simple, matter-of-fact kind of way, but the answer hit him was even more devastating than her confession even though he'd already known, his eyes blinking rapidly as he went breathless momentarily. Fear pumped through his veins and his eyes were filled with horror-a child with his DNA, his blood running through their veins. God, he could already feel sick in the stomach.

After all this-the Vongola, those wars against other families, the blood on his hands-this child would never be safe as long as they lived. They hadn't even come into this world and they were doomed to a dark future. No matter where they went, they would be branded by Giotto's actions, his allies and enemies, living a life many would rather die than live. The idea of a child growing up with what he was trying so hard to get rid of-growing up surrounded by a cold-blooded world with murderers and monsters, killed him on the inside. Just getting to see the lights of the hospital would be a miracle for this unborn being.

No matter how many times he had wished for this, no matter how much it would give him, he didn't deserve to have a child. Not when he was a mafia boss, even one who was changing things. If Giotto raised a child and they died because of him or ended up hating him for what it was he did, for what he would never stop doing, if he lost someone after all this fighting-even he knew it would utterly destroy him.

Nana watched carefully as many emotions passed across Giotto's face, already knowing what was going through his head as he trembled and shook in front of her.

"Giotto, please. I know what you're thinking, okay? I get that-that this isn't easy, and the truth is that it never will be. You and I know both know that life isn't fair, that things won't always work out and that is something we can live with now. I'm telling you without a shred of doubt in my heart that when this child is born, they will love you; you and your family both. I understand what you're going through right now, I really do, but that doesn't mean that you should just give up on this baby before they've even had a chance to feel or taste or hear anything! And don't you dare even think about saying the a-word: I'm giving birth to this baby and you will love them more dearly than anything in the entire world because you've wanted this since we were children."

"Pretending is no use with me when I know you so well! This is your dream, Giotto, and anyone who knows anything whatsoever about you knows that you will love and cherish this child more than someone else ever could."

Inching closer to him, she firmly grasped his clammy hands in her own and stared at him fiercely.

"You're so good with children. Every child you've ever met has adored you beyond reason. You know exactly what it means to take care of a child and what it takes, especially considering the fact that you're constantly surrounded by so many if them. All your Guardians have children in their lives-why deny yourself one of your greatest wishes?"

Lowering her voice to a whisper, she asked him, "What exactly is stopping you from being happy, Giotto?"

"It's different! Hayato is G's half-brother, and Ryohei is Knuckle's nephew," he denied in a hushed voice, shaking his head vehemently. "And they have immunity, you know that. None of them are directly connected to the Vongola familia and its empire, Nana. People won't touch them unless they decide to join when they're older, but nowadays I don't even know if those things still count for all those out on the sidelines. For all we know, none of them are safe."

"Alaude has a child! A child and a wife, Giotto," Nana pushed forward, edging even closer.

"A child he's never been able to meet, all for good reason. You know what it's like, Nana. Out of all of us, Alaude would be the most secure, and he's sacrificed so much so that his son can grow without the threats we survive every day. If you knew-" Giotto abruptly cut off with a violent shudder, struggling to control himself. It wasn't for her or anyone else to know unless Alaude said something himself.

But Nana wouldn't give in, not when it was for Giotto and for the little unborn being growing in her stomach. She bit her lip and shook her head, mirroring his action from before and moving on. This was not something she was going to let him blur or sabotage, even if he had logical arguments. He'd need a hell of a lot more than that for her to believe him.

"And Daemon? Out of all people, Daemon Spade has had two beautiful twin children who he loves dearly. Look at him with Elena and the kids and tell me straight to my face that he hasn't changed, that he hasn't made this work no matter what got in the way. Daemon Spade, who they used to call 'Hell's Joker'.

He made a pathetic attempt at a wry smile, eyes misting over slightly.

"And look at where I got him, Nana. Because of me, he's lost so much. God, I don't even know how he can stand to look at me anymore. Every day, every moment, I wonder if I could have done something, if maybe I figured things out sooner or listened to my instincts-maybe all this wouldn't have happened. And now all of them will have to live with what my mistakes cost them. I can barely stand knowing what happened to them; what do you think it would do to me if something like that happened to a baby of my own flesh and blood, Nana?"

"You're allowed happiness, Giotto," she argued fiercely as she shook his limp body by his shoulders, trying to get through to him. "No one blames you for what happened, least of all Daemon and Elena. You shouldn't give up your own happiness out of some twisted attempt at repentance for a sin you didn't commit!"

"And if you don't look after him," she continued with a dark look on her face, "you'll be abandoning your own child to life more cruel that either of us could possible imagine simply because they could have had the chance to be so happy and you took it from them. They will grow up in Italy, at some orphanage in the middle of a time where wars are constant without parents or anyone to love them the way they deserve. Not knowing a mother's love or a father's guiding hands, you'll be condemning your own blood to a fate you so desperately try to protect others from every day!"

At her last few words, Giotto's head shot up from the slump he was previously in, alarmed. "What do you mean parent-less? Orphanage? Nana, you can't possible be thinking of giving up the child! I can't raise the child, but you could!"

She shot him a wry look and he scowled, shoving her hands away and raising his voice a decibel.

"They would be safe with you! No one else knows about you anymore and I'd take care of everything you need: money, a home, even a job later if you want one. Just because their father can't be there for them doesn't mean you have to leave them too. I could even make a place for you in Japan again, find you your own little nook for a life away from this."

"Giotto..." Nana began, instead turning to look at their entwined hands for some kind of easy way to say this. "I can't-I can't raise a child. The only reason I can even go through with this if because I know what it would mean to you and everyone else in here. Things haven't been quite the same for a while, and I know that you blame yourself for it, but this is something I think you all need. I don't even know what I'm doing right now, much less what I would do with an actual baby. I can't do this, and I'm not the same girl I was before...it isn't right for me. Maybe one day, a decade from now, I'll be willing to think about it, but I can't and won't raise a baby."

"You need to calm down and listen to me," she continued, drawing in a deep breath, "and realize there is nothing wrong with wanting a child and having one. I'm not that kind of person right now, and maybe I never will be again, but you have always lived for this. I may not be raising this child with you, but I'm sure as hell not going to disappear on you either. I'll be a phone call away. Your friends, your family, are inside this building right now, all of them here for you because they believe in you and love you."

"You won't ruin them, Giotto, or your baby," she whispered, raising a hand to stroke his turned cheek.

He had stopped struggling and was now slumped over, her last words taking all the fight out of him. Slowly, he turned to grin hollowly at Nana, eyes glassy with unshed tears and filled with anguish.

"You always see right through me, huh?"

Their eyes met and those normally cheerful azure eyes were filled with so much uncertainty, so much fear, that she wanted to lean over and hug him, swearing promises she knew she wouldn't be able to keep.

"I'm the mafia boss of the strongest mafia Family in all of Italy. Their very existence puts them at risk of danger, all the time, everywhere they go. I don't want my child to have to worry about their life constantly, always looking over their shoulder for threats. I don't want them growing up in the mafia itself-I don't even want them to know what the mafia is. I never want them to know what it feels like to lose someone important to them and have to keep going on or else they could die. But most of all, the very last thing I want-I don't want to be hated because it was my fault," he whispered, eyes filling with tears as he dug red, crescent-shaped marks into his hands. Nana leaned forward and pried his hands apart slowly, holding them in her own and letting his head fall to her shoulder as he cried.

When his tears had stopped falling and the tremble in his shoulders faded, she ran a hand through his hair and pressed her lips to his head.

"You never used to cry when we were kids," she murmured nostalgically and almost a tad wistfully. "Well, except for that one time when we were five and you-"

"Don't you even dare," he mumbled against her shoulder, smacking her arm weakly and turning his face so that he was no longer buried in the hollow of her neck."I've still got pictures of your seventh birthday, and we all know that was way worse. I'm pretty sure I still have nightmares."

They both made faces at the same time, their eyes meeting before they laughed quietly, the tension slowly evaporating from them. Pulling himself away from her embrace, he stared at his limp hands and traced the pink marks he'd left from his nails.

"Sorry about that. I just-"

"You don't have to explain yourself to me," Nana said, shaking her head softly. "I get it, Giotto, I really do. But this is good for you, for all of us. And I actually came to tell you something else too, part of the reason I can't be a mom."

"Let me guess," Giotto said with wry humor, scrubbing his face with his right sleeve. "You have twins. It's not just a pregnancy, it's a double pregnancy."

"Maybe," Nana said thoughtfully as Giotto's jaw unhinged slightly. "We won't know anything for sure until later. But no, that's not it. Remember how I told you I was seeing someone? And how I thought that this guy might be it for me?"

"Yeah," Giotto replied with a nod, moving so that the two could recline comfortably against each other, Nana's head on his right shoulder.

Tracing the ring finger on Giotto's hand slowly, she took a moment before she said, "He proposed. We're engaged now."

"Really?" Giotto asked, looking down so he could see her face. "It's only been a few months! I know you guys were thinking of seeing each other a long time before we separated, but is this maybe a little too early right now?"

"We're not getting married right away," she replied, snuggling into him even more. "And I know it in my bones, Giotto, that this is the guy that I want to be with, the guy who can make me happiest. We could date for longer, but it'd still be the same end result-we're going to get married, I can feel it."

"Well then," Giotto said, settling back against the couch once more. "You're a grown woman who makes her own decisions, and I trust you. We'll have to meet him eventually, though. I promise we won't scare him off, really."

"I know you won't."

"Is he okay with all this, though?" Giotto asked, gesturing to himself and her belly, which didn't seem at all swollen at the moment, though it no doubt would be eventually. "I mean..."

"I told him that I wanted this; not for us, but because this would mean so much to you and I couldn't give it up while knowing that. He was surprised to say the least, but I think he realizes that this baby won't change the way I feel about him or how we are together, so he's fine with it for the most part. We're leaving after this, you know."

"What do you mean, leaving?" the blond asked, eyebrows furrowing.

"He's going to ask for a job transfer, and we'll be going to Japan. He's a half who was born over there but raised in Italy, and we both want to start our lives together somewhere that's not here we can both appreciate. Plus, his boss has a huge branch over there."

Something about the way she said it made Giotto pause for a second, but he shrugged it off. For a few minutes, they sat still in the silence that followed before Giotto slowly stood up, brushing imaginary dust off himself.

"I'll miss you a whole lot," Giotto began as he pulled her up with a firm grip. "But if you're happy, I'm sure it's worth it. For the record though, if his boss rejects the transfer, let me know. I'll figure something out for you guys. After all, you're giving me a baby-the least I could do is give you two a place to live."

"Somehow, I don't think that's going to be a problem," Nana said, an amused edge creeping into her voice as they moved towards the door. Shooting a confused glance at her, Giotto winced as his tear-streaked skin tightened and stretched uncomfortably.

"Come on," he said with a wave of his hand as he reached for the gleaming handle. "I want to wash my face and tell the others."

At that very moment, his Guardians appeared on the other side of the door he'd just opened.

"I guess you won't have to tell them much," Nana whispered obviously after a moment, staring at the faces around her, all wearing varying expressions.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Giotto eyed Daemon and Alaude with a pounding heart before asking, "How long have you guys been here?"

"For quite a bit," Asari said honestly from where he stood next to G, a reassuring, if tiny, smile on his face. "We all came running when we heard loud noises."

"And you stuck around 'til now, huh?" Giotto murmured, a strange smile forming on his face.

"We were going to come in, but it didn't seem like it was appropriate at the time," Lampo said from where he was slouched against the wall, his one open eye focused on Giotto through his shock of green hair.

"Yeah, I kind of fell apart in there," the blonde said ruefully, his eyes turning away from his Mist and Cloud Guardians to look at Lampo. "It took a while to remember I wasn't alone, I guess. Stupid me forgot that you guys would always be here for me, no matter what. Nana told it to me straight, though."

"And thank fucking God for that," G muttered angrily from right by the door, his first words since Giotto had come out of the room. He glared at his best friend with a righteous fury, his arms crossed tightly. "I have half a mind to smack you upside the head right now, but I doubt it'll do any good."

Stepping forward, he dropped his arms from where they hung across his chest and Giotto almost flinched, blinking when G brought him in for a tight hug.

"Don't you ever doubt our feelings for you," G whispered viciously in the blond's ear before stepping back quickly, the harsh frown on his face softening slightly. "We all walked into this with our own two feet and have no regrets, despite what you may think. Always remember that."

"He's not wrong," Daemon spoke up, his eyes swirling with something Giotto couldn't place as his gloved hands flexed. "None of us are angry with you or blame you for anything you think might be your fault."

Startled, Giotto turned to Nana quickly before looking back at Daemon. As he stared into his Mist Guardian's dark blue eyes, he realized that Daemon was telling him he didn't blame him for what happened-probably never did in the first place.

With a growing smile on his face, he looked at Knuckle and Alaude, saw the priest's worried frown, the searching look in the CEDEF leader's eyes.

"So," Giotto began after clearing his suspiciously full throat, "who's ready to raise us a Vongola Secondo? I'm warning you right now, it's not going to be easy."

Grins spread all around, a tiny quirk of lips appearing on even Alaude's lips.

"Well, I think they did pretty well with Vongola Primo," Nana spoke up, a small smile on her face as her hand moved to touch Giotto's elbow reassuringly. "After all, what's G's motto for the family again? 'Expect the unexpected', and all that."

"I don't think anyone could have expected this," Giotto said truthfully, surrounded by his family and the woman carrying his child.

Expect the unexpected. Well, what was the fun in that?

Yeah, so that's the third chapter! If you've noticed with all the editing updates I've been doing for this series (again) I'm actually sort of rewriting more than editing. When it comes to writing with me, I will always try to better myself and fix my mistakes the best I can because learning from your mistakes is one of the greatest things a person can do, but acting on them and going back is even better. Anyways, I'm having HS lean towards a more serious direction. That isn't to say that there won't be humor or fluff and light-heartedness, but a thing that gets to me sometimes when reading stories is how people tend to forget that life is not all drama and emotions nor it is full of happiness and sparkles. There is not always a way to fix things. Actual real life people are not always amazing. Sorry doesn't always fix your problems, and humans are some of the most complex organisms on the earth. Life is full of ups and downs, laughter and tears, all of which will be in this story.

I myself will try to work to the standards I have and make you guys happier while reading this.

AN: So just to make sure everyone is on the same page, Giotto and Nana were going out, but neither cheated on each other towards the end. The two simply drifted apart slowly and Nana started falling for another, which led the two to officially end their relationship when they realized they still cared for each other, but not romantically. Thus, Nana only began a new relationship after they'd agreed to split. Her fiance is iffy about this pregnancy, but understands clearly that she needs to do this and has agreed on the condition that they can get away from Italy and focus on each other for a while, maybe for the rest of their lives. She agreed and it was in no way a forced decision on anyone's part.

AN: So I edited this later than the first part of the prologue because of some unexpected trouble (the irony) and I hope you enjoy the new and improved version!

~ForeverBlackSun

Edited: 11/12/2015