AN: I tried updating on my phone, then realised it wasn't possible. So apologies for the delay. Here's a long chapter to hopefully make up for that.
For the one reviewer who guessed the next character correctly, kudos (and cookies) to you!
WARNING: Foul language ahead, because this is the mafia.
The Golden Canary
High in the pine tree, the little turtledove
Made a little nursery to please her little love.
"Coo," said the turtledove, "Coo," said she;
In the long, shady branches of the dark pine tree.
Chapter 4: The Turtledove
It took him a while, and Signore Marchesi had to help him pull a few strings, but he finally managed to locate the vocal instructor they'd been looking for.
She lived in a traditional red-roofed condominium on the edge of town, and many of the houses here were old and run-down. But the potted plants and assortment of flowers around the door bespoke of a woman's touch, making the place look homelier than most.
In the cobbled alleyway, he turned to eye his captive critically.
Yesterday, Maso had taken some time to re-bleach and cut the boy's hair, and it was unsettling to see how much Leo had changed. His hair, while still messy, seemed to wilt instead of spike everywhere, even without the grey newsboy cap Maso made him wear. The clothes he'd gotten in Japan hung loosely on him, and he hadn't grown at all. And gone were the bright brown eyes, sunken and shaded with too many days indoors and a lack of food.
Most of all, he hadn't heard Leo sing a single note since that day in Signore Marchesi's office. In fact, apart from the garbled Italian he was forced to speak, the boy was pretty much silent, not even a hint of fight left in him.
It was harder than he'd like to admit to see what they were doing to an innocent child, but he was a Mafioso, and any form of kindness was weakness. And he will not be seen as weak; not if he wanted to survive.
He took a breath, and knelt so he was at eye level with the boy.
"Leo."
Dull orbs wandered over, and focused somewhere on Maso's mouth.
"I am now taking you to meet a new teacher." A subtle flinch; a sign he was listening. "She's a…retired musician, but she was one of the best before she quit. You will address her as Signorina, and listen to everything she tells you to do. Unless, of course, it goes against the rules we set back at the mansion. Do you remember the rules?"
Leo inclined his head in submission.
"Repeat them to me."
"…Do everything Signore says. Do everything Maso oni-san says, unless it goes against Signore. Do everything Enzo, Paulo, and Rossi oni-san say, unless it goes against Maso oni-san. If anyone but those five asks a question, don't answer unless allowed to do so. Don't tell anyone that Leo is a prisoner of the mafia, or else Leo dies." He recited everything in a voice barely above a whisper, and without complaint.
"And? What else?"
Leo looked a little stricken at that, casting his eyes about as if the air could give him the answer he forgot.
"Listen to the Signorina, and do what she says, unless it goes against all of the above. And if you tell her anything about your past or present, both of you will die. Capisce?"
Leo slowly mouthed the new rules to himself, then nodded.
"Good. Oh, and one last thing – since we have to keep everything a secret, I will introduce you as my younger cousin who needs singing lessons. And Leo," the boy caught the serious look he gave, "don't mess this up. Because if at any point she refuses to be your teacher, then it would mean you've failed. And you know what that means."
Leo's eyes dropped again, and Maso took that as a yes.
Maso straightened himself and took Leo's hand, falling into his "older cousin" persona, walked up the stairs and knocked on the door.
It creaked open, and Maso put on his best show of manners.
«Good morning, ma'am. May I please speak to Signorina Gokudera?»
Lavina gathered her silver hair into a simple bun, and hummed a whimsical tune while she watered the hanging plants on her balcony.
Oh what a beautiful mo-orning~! What should I cook tonight? Pasta? Rice? Or ramen? I haven't had ramen in a long time.
The knock on her door interrupted her thoughts, and she stopped to glance at the clock.
So early? Maybe it's the postman.
She put the watering pail underneath the plants to remind her to come back, then smoothed her lavender dress before opening the door.
A very tall stranger in a white polo shirt and black suit pants greeted her, and she blinked twice.
«Excuse me? Signorina Gokudera?»
«…Yes? May I help you?» she asked pensively.
«My name is Massimo Falco, and I would like to inquire about your music lessons. More specifically, your singing lessons.»
«Oh. I'm sorry Massimo, but I don't teach anymore. I hope you have better luck elsewhere.»
She tried to close the door, but he stuck out a hand and pushed back, easily forcing it open again. The man smiled apologetically, but he didn't look sincere.
She took a step back, a hand sneaking into her pocket for her pepper spray.
«Pardon the intrusion, but I insist. You see, I bring you a singing prodigy: one that can pique your interest into teaching again.»
Massimo pulled something behind him and stepped back to reveal a young boy who was staring at the ground.
The boy was tiny, and had dry blond hair sticking out from underneath a hat. He was wearing a light blue jacket and beige trousers that were a little too big for him, and when she looked closer she could see a white cast peeking out of his left sleeve. In addition, the boy was too pale and thin to be considered healthy, and her heart went out to him.
«This is my second cousin Leonardo, but we call him Leo for short. Leo, greet Signorina Gokudera.»
The boy called Leo lifted his head, and murmured «Salve, Signorina.»
She'd long forgotten her pepper spray when she looked into a pair of dead eyes, and she crouched down to touch his cheek, half in curiosity, half in utter horror.
Lavina didn't know what she was expecting, but certainly not the reflexive flinch as the boy shied away and ducked behind his cousin, trembling like a kitten out in the cold.
«Ah…I apologise. Leo tends to be a little jumpy.»
Massimo smiled the not-so-real smile again, and Lavina stood again, her thoughts and emotions churning.
«His family just moved from Japan, and his Italian isn't up to par. But I've heard that you can speak Japanese, so it'd be easier for him to learn. I'm trying to teach him some Italian myself, though Leo isn't the brightest of students. But he loves music and singing, and maybe learning some Italian songs will help him learn the language faster.»
The man nudged the boy forward again.
«Hey Leo. How about singing a song for Signorina Gokudera?»
The boy remained silent, and Massimo's grin twitched to a threat.
Lavina didn't like this. She didn't like where any of this was going, didn't like the giant in sheep's clothing, and she didn't care for the spoken and unspoken implications of this poor boy's situation. So she stepped in, standing as tall as she could against a 6-foot-3 man.
«I'll take him. I'll take him as my student.»
She almost laughed out loud at the dumbstruck expression on the man.
«…What? Wait. Don't you need to hear, like, an audition or something?»
He looked at her suspiciously, and she backpedalled a bit.
«Um, I meant, I will take him as my student if he fulfills certain…requirements. And I have conditions of my own,» she quickly added, her mind already spinning an intricate plan. This "Massimo" was smart, but she could still outwit him if she played her cards right. «Have a seat. I'm going to get a glass of water.»
«Excuse me?»
She shot him a withering look.
«It's hot today, and I'm guessing you didn't bring a flask or bottle to rehydrate the boy. It's difficult to sing well with a parched throat.»
His silence betrayed his guilt, and she tutted before whisking to the kitchen. She grabbed a clean cup from the dish rack, and filled it with a mixture of water and a few spoonfuls of honey. She then went back to the living room and pressed it gently into the boy's hands, smiling as she did so.
«Here you go, Leo. Make sure you drink slowly.»
The boy blinked in confusion at the cup that seemed to appear out of nowhere, then looked hesitantly at his cousin who had taken a seat on the couch.
«Go on. And remember to thank the nice lady.»
Leo whispered a small «grazie», sipping the sweet drink until it was gone.
She helped him place the empty cup on the coffee table, then sat down herself on the chair opposite to Massimo.
«Okay. Now you're ready.» She remembered what Massimo said, and switched to Japanese. She was a little rusty, but she could never forget her own mother tongue. "Leo-kun, can you sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star for me please?"
Massimo sputtered in his seat.
"A kid's song?"
She shot him a dark look. Curses. He can understand Japanese.
But she continued as if his bilingualism didn't faze her.
"Yes, Massimo. He is a child, so why not sing a children's song?" She turned back to Leo and gave him an encouraging smile. "Go on, dear. Pretend that no one's in the room, and sing your best."
Leo's eyes darted from Massimo to Lavina and back again, and seemed to be having some kind of internal struggle. But the adults stayed silent, one with a gentle expression, the other with apprehension.
He took a breath, and sang the song in a very quiet, very nervous voice. And Lavina noticed that throughout the entire song, he was looking more at Massimo than at her.
When he finished, she clapped politely.
"Alright! I think that's good enough."
She beamed a smile at the startled guys, and beckoned to the child. "Leo, can you come over here please?"
She saw him look back at the man again, who waved his assent, and he plodded over to her.
"Through that door is my study room, although I prefer to call it my music room. I need to discuss some official things with your cousin first, and while I do, feel free to sit on the piano chair and play the piano. I'll call you back when we're done."
He gave her the barest of nods before Massimo added a "Keep the door open Leo."
Hm. Doesn't want to let him out of his sight. I wonder if it's out of concern for Leo, or concern for himself?
But she kept her speculations to herself, and turned to address the bigger problem.
Okay Lavina, it's now or never.
«Massimo.»
«Yes?»
«While I do not mind all too much at being forcefully pulled out of retirement, I must ask: why do you want me to give him vocal lessons?»
«…Because you're the only one who can?»
She shook her head. «No; I didn't mean "why me", I meant why even bother giving him lessons.»
He frowned. «But I thought you approved of his voice. Don't you like his voice?»
«It doesn't really matter what I think, Massimo. What matters is what Leo thinks, and I think it looks like he doesn't know what he's doing here. Do you know why I think he thinks that?»
She caught Massimo's uneasy look, and forged on.
«He's being abused. Did you think I can't see it in the way he reacts, in the cast he has on his arm, to the clothes he's wearing despite the summer heat?»
Massimo's eyes narrowed dangerously, but she stood her ground. I've nothing to be afraid of. Not here, in my own home.
«…What are you saying?»
«What I'm saying is, we take his parents to the police. No parent should treat their own son like…like this."
She gestured towards the general direction of her piano room, and saw Massimo's face tighten.
«I…don't think that's a good idea.»
«What? Why not?»
«Because if his parents get convicted, then he'll end up as a ward of the state, or in an orphanage somewhere.»
«Can't one of his relatives take care of him?»
He shook his head. «Unfortunately, his relatives are either too poor, or have passed away already.»
«Oh. But how about you? I can see he relies on you, to some degree.»
Massimo looked surprised at that, but shook his head again.
«No can do. I can barely support myself, let alone a little boy. I'm just trying to help out as much as possible by taking him out for some singing lessons. Gives him something else to do than stay cooped up at home.»
She clicked her tongue in disappointment.
«…Look. Give me some time to save up a little more, and when I'm done, I swear I will turn his parents in myself. Honest to god.» He gave her a solemn look, and she considered, weighing her options. «Plus, he really does have a gift for singing. I can vouch for that myself. I think he's just not feeling it today.»
She gave him one last scrutinizing glance, then sighed.
«Very well. I will hold you to your word. But I still have a few conditions I would like to discuss.»
«Yes?»
«First,» she held up a finger, «Leo will come here to have an hour-long singing lesson every day except on Sundays. Mornings will be best.»
«Alright. I'll bring him here each morning at nine, and we'll leave an hour later. I don't start work until eleven anyway.»
«…You're staying for the lesson?»
«Well, at least until he gets used to the new routine. Is there a problem?» He gave her an analyzing look, as if challenging her to say otherwise.
«No; not really. But I'll have to ask you to sit outside, or else I'll charge you too.» She giggled sweetly, throwing him off a bit.
«U-uhh…sure. Outside is no problem.»
«Okay. Next,» she held up another finger, «I require a fee. Since Leo will be coming so frequently, I can offer you a discount: fifty euros per lesson.»
Massimo face-faulted.
«Fifty?! At that rate, I'll never earn enough for anything, let alone…take custody over Leo!»
«Then, what would you suggest?»
He gritted his teeth. «Thirty.»
«Now I feel cheap, Signore! Forty, and not a cent less.»
«Thirty-five, and not a cent more.»
«…Deal. I will send you an invoice at the end of each month. Now, thirdly, and most importantly, you need to help me help Leo.»
«What do you mean?»
«Have breakfast with him, and if possible, lunch and dinner as well. I'm sure you've noticed how skinny he is, even for a child his age. He can't sing if he barely has the energy to walk. And trust me; singing takes a lot more energy than most people realise.»
He nodded with some reluctance.
«As for me, I will make sure to look after him during the lesson.»
«Very well; sounds reasonable enough. But I have a few conditions of my own.»
«Go on.»
«Try not to coddle him too much by speaking Japanese all the time. He has to learn to live here, in Italy. Also, please keep these lessons as much of a secret as possible. No entering competitions and whatnot. His…Leo's parents would have my head, and Leo's, if they found out. They think I'm out playing with him right now.»
«Understandable. Anything else?»
«One last thing. I'd like for you to teach him as many lullabies as possible, in any language you know.»
She blinked her eyes, puzzled at the unusual request.
«…Okay. May I ask why?»
«Look lady,» he scowled, finally fed up with all the bargaining and demands, «just don't pry too much, okay? For all our sakes.»
«Sorry, sorry.» She held her arms up in a placating gesture, then walked over to the music room, tapping gently on the door. "We're finished, Leo-kun. Can you come over here please?"
The boy appeared, shifting from one foot to the other. In the back of her mind, she registered his nervousness when she got too close, and the fact that he hadn't even touched the piano didn't escape her notice either.
Hm. I'll have to fix that later.
She knelt down, looked into the beautiful honey-brown eyes, and said in her kindest voice, "Sweetie, I'm going to ask you one question, and I want you to know that it's fine to say no."
He looked up in surprise, and blinked an okay.
"Do you want me to be your teacher?" Please say yes. Please say yes.
Leo's eyes lingered on hers, as if he were searching for something. And apparently, he found it.
«Si, Signorina.»
She beamed, clasping her hands together in absolute delight.
"Wonderful! Thank you, Leo-kun. I look forward to working with you."
He titled his head as if he didn't seem to know how to respond to her enthusiasm, but he nodded anyway.
"Well, Massimo. I guess that means I'll see the both of you starting from Monday."
"Wait, you won't start teaching today?" Massimo interjected.
She chuckled at his eagerness. "I'm afraid not. I need some time to figure out a lesson plan and curriculum for Leo-kun. I'll also have to do some research on the songs you want him to sing, and buy suitable books and sheet music, which reminds me – you'll be covering for all those, right?»
He opened his mouth in protest, but Lavina interrupted with a dangerous smile.
"Right?"
"Uh-um, sure. Can't be too expensive," he stammered.
"Great!" She was all smiles again, and showed them out the door. "See you soon!"
She kept waving until they reached the alleyway and turned the corner, then went back inside and collapsed onto her bed, exhausted from all the impromptu scheming she had to do. But it was worth it. Oh so worth it, and she giggled to herself while replaying the whole scene in her mind.
He had no clue; no idea that he played right into my hands! Lavina, you've still got the magic touch, and it's not confined to the piano.
She revelled in her sense of triumph for a few moments, then sobered up when she thought of her new charge Leo-kun.
Something terrible is definitely happening to the boy, and it's not all caused by his so-called 'caretakers'. I've done all I can for now, but I'll have to find out how else I can help him without them finding out. To think there are people out there torturing an innocent child no older than my own…absolutely disgusting.
She reached over to pick up the picture on her bedside table of a young silver-haired boy pouting next to a grand piano, and her heart ached for him too.
Hayato…I'm sorry mama can't do anything for you. But I can do something for Leo, and I will. I promise.
- 1 week ago, somewhere in southern Italy -
The blond sat in silence, trying hard not to fidget or eye the bandages and the wheelchair that surrounded his superior. He'd always known Nono's knees were giving him trouble, but the whole incident with Xanxus had unsurprisingly aggravated his condition.
«I'll be fine, Iemitsu.»
The current head of the Vongola famiglia, also known as Timoteo, seemed to sense the younger man's turmoil despite his efforts to hide it.
But then again, we've all been thrown into chaos.
Iemitsu sighed, lifting his eyes to inspect the deceptively frail-looking man sitting behind a desk full of paperwork.
The damn Apocalypse can come and go, and there'd still be paperwork to do.
It felt like it had, especially when he came back almost a month ago. Xanxus and the Varia had practically razed headquarters to the ground, scarring the earth and leaving wounds that will last forever. He'd been in the mafia long enough to be used to violence and death, but he wasn't immune to it all.
When he surveyed the damage for the first time, he'd felt a strange mixture of relief, grief, and boiling rage at the sheer damage that had been done. Even visiting Turmeric and all the injured CEDEF members in the makeshift hospital ward was enough to make him put several holes in the previously untouched forest to the west of Vongola's land, and that was before he'd read the list of deceased.
It was during these times when he loathed his job with a passion.
The questions were always the hardest. Everywhere he went, he was faced with questions he either didn't want to or couldn't answer.
«I heard more explosions coming from the Vongola headquarters again. Wonder what they're up to this time. Care to fill us in, CEDEF?»
«Where's my son? My daughter? My brother/sister/father/mother/lover/family? I thought you promised to look out for them!»
«I'm sorry, boss. I…I couldn't. I couldn't do anything. Why? Why? I'm not strong enough to be a part of this famiglia, am I?»
He'd go crazy with loss if he didn't remain detached. He'd go crazy with despair if he stopped moving. So he remained detached and kept moving, organising and cleaning and tidying and fixing and ordering and order; he just wanted order again (and wasn't that ironic), until Nono himself, injured and all, had to step in and stop him before he collapsed from fatigue.
You're needed here, he'd been told, so don't run away. Even when he's old and hurt, Timoteo could still read Iemitsu like an open book.
So imagine his shock when Iemitsu upped and left the next week, and no one, not even his own subordinates, could tell Nono where he'd gone. All he'd left was a note that said, I'll be back as soon as possible.
Which resulted in the current situation.
«So. Are you ready to tell me what happened?» Timoteo said gently; bless his soul. Always willing to give the benefit of the doubt, even when it led to being betrayed by a child he called his own.
Iemitsu cast his eyes about, glancing at everything from the locks on the new window, to the new floors and the new shelves, before settling on the picture of Nono's family sitting on the desk.
«My son. Tsu...Tsunayoshi. Do you remember him?»
Timoteo blinked at the sudden question, and thought back to the times he spent in Japan with the Sawada family. He remembered a small child with bright eyes and a beautiful voice, especially when he was tickled in just the right spot.
«Of course I remember Tsunayoshi-kun. Why?»
He'd regretted the question the moment before it left his mouth, and he could see Iemitsu's soul bend to a breaking point.
«He…he…he's been taken. Oh god, Timoteo! My son was kidnapped a whole month ago, on the same day this crap all happened, a-and I can't find him!»
Everything came up and out as the haunted man stood so quickly that his chair tipped back with a crash, and Timoteo listened to everything with a growing sense of guilt and horror.
«I apologise for going back to Namimori earlier than I should have, but I couldn't let the trail go cold. Not when all our operatives were here, dealing with the…the 'Cradle Affair'.»
The incident with Xanxus was bad enough to be named, and Iemitsu wished they hadn't so he wouldn't have had to spend four precious days and nights trying his best to bury it.
«I had to go back to look for him. Practically made Kokuyo Land shut down by exposing their lack of security, then took a look through their so-called 'security tapes', then found out it'd been long enough for the cameras to record over the previous recordings. I tried following the trail again, but it ends in the parking lot. I tried asking all my yakuza contacts about whether they'd seen or heard anything, anything at all, but it's like Tsuna and his kidnapper just disappeared into thin air!»
The blond was breathing hard now, and Timoteo couldn't even begin to imagine what the man was going through.
«But the worst thing is…is the silence,» he whispered in admission. With morbid fascination, Iemitsu stared down at his trembling hands gripping the edge of desk. «I…I keep expecting…dreading…hoping that the figlio di puttana will send me a ransom note, or a list of demands, something, anything to at least show me what happened to my son. God forbid, I'd even settle for a body. But…» He finally looked up again, and Timoteo had to restrain himself from tearing away from the deep, deep void that had somehow crept into his external advisor's black eyes.
Nono's sense of dread and guilt worsened until it made his stomach cramp, because he knew that, as the head of the Vongola, he could not give Iemitsu what he so desperately wanted – no, needed.
«I'm sorry, Iemitsu.»
To his surprise, his CEDEF leader just grinned, yet looked like he wanted to cry at the same time.
«You're apologising. You're not foolish enough to believe this is your fault, do you? So…what are you sorry for?»
Nono took a fortifying breath. Better now than never.
«From the looks of it, whoever has Tsunayoshi-kun doesn't know who he really is. Otherwise, you'd have heard from him one way or another already. Because he is a potential heir of the Vongola, no matter how many sons I have.» He saw Iemitsu nod, all blank and detached again. «A bigger problem is that we don't have any idea where the boy is to narrow our search. If he's not in Japan, he could be anywhere in the world.»
«So…we should hack airport security footage. Shit, why didn't I think of that sooner–»
«You can't. We can't.»
The silence was enough to make the tension in the air spike.
«…Excuse me, sir?»
«People are asking questions, Iemitsu! People within our famiglia already find it strange that you only stayed for barely a week, let alone our allies and enemies. If you let it out that your son is missing on top of the previous affair, then everyone will be thrown into an even greater chaos than before, not to mention that if whoever took Tsunayoshi-kun found out who he really is–»
«Then tell them I'm on a different emergency mission, o-or that I'm looking for an important asset! All we need is a front–»
«I am not inclined to lie to our own famiglia, not so soon after this…affair.» Timoteo clasped his hands together, almost as if he were begging Iemitsu to understand. «I'm sorry, I truly am, but the timing is bad all around. Everyone is still working on repairing the damages done, whether they are physical, emotional, social, or political. I can't send them off on missions all over the world with only the vague details of looking for a child, nor can I trust everyone to be discreet about this matter if we did tell them everything. And apart from your subordinates and my guardians, I doubt anyone else even knows you have a son, as you wanted to keep him in Japan and out of the reach of the Mafia. Are you prepared to reveal the fact that Tsuna-kun is a potential candidate for the Vongola seat? Are you prepared to spend every day trying to prevent assassination attempts and infighting among your own flesh and blood?»
«Then just let ME go, by myself!»
The blond practically yelled, the all-too familiar feeling of desperation returning with a vengeance.
«"Famiglia over family", Iemitsu! You know that.»
Iemitsu could hear the desk crack under the weight of his burning hands, but he was barely holding himself together as it is.
«Don't say that. You have no f-cking right to say that to me, not when I prioritised picking up the phone when I should've been watching my son. And NOT when I have to come back to a slaughter of my CEDEF members, all because a certain boss endangered the entire famiglia because he couldn't teach a child he called his own son!»
Iemitsu spat out the last few words and stormed out, slamming the door behind.
The boss of the Vongola sighed shakily, feeling many more years weighing his shoulders as he bowed his head into his hands, praying for forgiveness.
He stayed like that until a ring coming from his private phone interrupted his self-inflicted penance, and he answered with a tired «Pronto.»
«Ciaossu.»
The voice of a child crackled through, and his heart sank even further than he thought possible.
«Salve, Reborn.»
«Salve to you too» was the sarcastic reply. But the voice took on a more serious edge, as if Reborn could pick up the leftover tension through the phone. «I heard what happened with Xanxus. Do you need me to return to Italia?»
Nono shook his head in defeat.
Trust the greatest hitman to find out things others so desperately want to hide. But I guess I would've told him myself if he didn't.
«Thank you for your concern, but we need you more in England than over here. How are things on your side?»
«Fine.» More static, as if the hitman didn't care to elaborate, which he probably didn't. «I'll be done by the end of this month, unless the negotiation falls through. In that case, I'll be done by next week.»
Nono could picture the baby complete with a black fedora and even blacker smile. He suppressed a shudder.
«Thanks Reborn, but please try your best not to kill anyone who isn't the target.»
«Hm. No promises.»
But he knew Reborn well enough to know he was thinking of all the various ways to complete his mission while minimizing the aftereffects. He still couldn't tell if Reborn did things his way because the hitman respected his wishes, or whether it was because of the thrill of a challenge. After all, wanton destruction was always easier than covert assassinations.
«Anything else I should know about, Nono?» His tone was suggestive, as if he was trying to unearth everything that was bothering the Vongola boss so he could shoot it to death.
It seemed like Reborn's sixth sense worked over the phone as well, and he was sorely tempted to tell him about the lost child he'd come to see as his own grandson, but he didn't. He couldn't. He'd already asked for too many favours from the freelance hitman, and his current priority was to pull his famiglia back together.
However, he knew Reborn was an excellent lie detector, so he tried to distract him from finding out about Tsunayoshi.
«Actually, when you've finished with the negotiations in England, I was thinking about giving you a different contract.»
«Oh? Who's the target?»
«…He's not a target, per se. Because of this recent incident, a rift has appeared between the Vongola and Chiavarone famiglia.» He recalled their solemn meeting held inside the private hospital, and winced. Even on his deathbed, a father's love could never rest. «Chiavarone Nono's son and heir, Dino Chiavarone, was caught up in a fight with Squalo. Needless to say, he didn't fare so well, and hearing about his son's admission to the same hospital nearly sent the Don into another heart attack.»
«…Dino? The kid with the worst grades in the school for mafia children?»
Trust Reborn to keep tabs on their allies' children as well.
«Yes. I heard later on that he willingly jumped in to help the struggling CEDEF members, but he was still heavily injured. He did surprisingly well to hold Squalo off for so long, but honestly speaking, he could very well have died. And if that happened, I'm afraid we would lose quite a formidable ally. We can't let that happen, especially not now. We have enough enemies as it is.»
«Hm.» Reborn agreed, but he still sounded a little wary. «What do you propose then?»
«I was hoping you could…well…teach the child. Just until he finds the strength to lead his famiglia,» Timoteo hurriedly added. «If you can do that, then I think it will let Chiavarone Nono rest in peace, and restore their trust in us.»
Silence reigned for a few tormenting heartbeats, before Reborn huffed out an amused breath.
«You always present the most interesting of challenges, Vongola Nono.»
With that, he hung up, and Timoteo let out a breath of his own.
Now, to get back to all this paperwork. He looked at the dreaded paper towers and groaned. Maybe after I tell the Chiavarone about their newfound 'fortune'.
AN: A whole chapter about distractions, because even though some characters appear invincible, they're still human, and can only be in one place at one time.
It took me a while to figure out what Lavina's last name is. Since she's half Japanese, half Italian, and she's not married, her son Hayato must have gotten the "Gokudera" surname from somewhere. Since his father is full Italian, there's no way it came from him.
For those who thought it would be Tsuna's storm guardian, then...sorry? He'll come eventually, I promise.