Published: 7/4/2016; Monday; 9:30pm; Unedited

Happy Fourth of July

Chapter 9

"What do you think you're doing?" her voice was cold as she held the knife to his neck, no actual plan on what she was going to do after seeing him find her journal. It had gotten silent in the house, she had honestly expected comments about the interior of her home from the snobby boy, but had received nothing of the sorts. That made her suspicious.

So she had put the lasagna in the oven, just as her grandmother had taught her, and silently looked around the first floor, finding no one, she traveled up stairs carefully, peeking into each room as she passed, she finally found him in her room, sitting at her desk. While she wouldn't have minded at first, her eyes caught what he was reading, she went over to her bed, grabbed the spare knife she kept with her (just in case someone broke in) from under her pillow and in a few strides, stood behind him and in a flash she held the knife to his neck.

Which brings us back to the current situation, Adrien tense, his Adam's Apple bobbing as he swallowed. Toto was outside, he had reassured him as he passed the window that he was alright, and right now, he could really use his help.

Lacie sighed, snatching the book from him and leaving the room, heading downstairs. Adrien scoffed, bewildered and confused, and somewhat offended, and went after her. "Hey!" He called after her, watching her set the knife down in the kitchen before sitting down at the table, he watched her from the doorway in disbelief.

"Maybe you should get your friend from outside before we start this conversation," she supplied dryly, making him freeze. She knew Toto was there? How long has she—has she always known? "Yes, the friend that's always using an illusion to hide himself in class and follows you around everywhere. Also the one I shut out before he could step a foot in my home."

She knew.

His mother was right, he should get this done and over with before she becomes a threat to— pause. A threat to who? Now that he thought about it, why did his mother see a normal civilian as a threat? Was she a normal civilian? Was she actually a threat this whole time and hid it from him so well to the point where even Toto was deceived?

He turned heel and went to the front door, opening it, Toto swiveled around from his trance of staring at the calming area around him and went from tranquil to serious, but he faltered when he saw his master's dumbfounded face.

"Come in, Toto," he ordered, going to the kitchen and taking a seat. Toto hurried in, closing the door behind him and going into the kitchen area, immediately tensing as their target, Lacie, looked at him unlike all the other times. "Sit down, we have things to discuss." Without questioning his master's order, he sat down in the spare chair which was in between Lacie and Adrien in the round table. "So, would you care to explain what I just read?"

"Not until you explain why you and you're friend are here," she leaned back in her chair, folding her arms. "He's been there since you showed up, but since no one could see him, I played along. He uses illusions, meaning you two are Mafia." They both blinked, how did she…? "I don't know what you would want with me though, other than the fact that I am related to a strong illusionist that is with Vongola."

"That's exactly why," Adrien raised a brow, folding his hands together and resting his elbows on the table, leaning forward, "Mother sees you as a threat. She wants you gone because you're a potential threat."

She shrugged, as if not caring, as if expecting that, "A potential threat that can't figure out how to use her illusions without almost killing someone, I can see the logic in that."

"You what?"

"I tapped into my illusions once," she admitted, pursing her lips and looking down at her lap, "I didn't mean to though, and I haven't been able to ever since."

"May I speak?" Toto asked, looking at Adrien for permission, who nodded. He looked at Lacie, hesitantly picking his words, "Miss Lacie, what did you feel when you created the illusion?"

"Rage." She answered immediately, "I was angry because the kid beat up Fran, it sent him to the hospital and he had amnesia. I was so…so mad, I wanted him to feel mine and Fran's pain. I wanted him to hurt, I wanted revenge."

"You had resolve, though dark resolve is the worst you can have, it did what you wanted," he nodded. "To create your illusions, you need resolve." Adrien wacked him on the head, eliciting a yelp from the boy who now cradled his head.

"Why are you telling her that, idiot!" Adrien hissed, but Toto looked at him in a way that made him shrink, like a chastised child.

"Master, you don't want to carry out the mission anymore, I can feel it."

"Why would I not—"

"Adrien," he looked over at Lacie, who looked at him in a way he hadn't seen her look at anyone before, "do you see me as a friend, or do you want to kill me."

"Of course I…" he trailed off, what did he see her as now? At first, she was just a target, he was to get close to her, then kill her when she was most vulnerable. But now, having getting to know her a bit better, he didn't want to.

He doesn't want her dead. He needs her in his life, because she's unlike anyone he's ever met. She knows how to shoot down his sarcasm with a bigger hit of sarcasm. She talks to him as if he's her equal, as if social status and family wealth meant nothing to her. To her, he was just another human being, a person. He wasn't special in anyway other than being her friend.

Friend.

"…I see you as my friend…" he finished, coming to the conclusion on his own. He would not continue obeying his mother's orders. He may be too young now, but he was still his own person. He was smart enough to make his own decisions and not have to be told what is right for the Famiglia when it only seems right to her.

Toto smiled, glad that his master was finally realizing with true worth, and glanced at Lacie who held a similar smile, though more miniscule, she happy. He was truly grateful that they had a target such as her to be able to show master the right path. But a quick thought about his master's mother made him frown.

She would not be happy when she finds out the news.