Godfather Death: Part I

All of a sudden, he felt like he was in middle school again, playing the game he always loved—baseball. Eyeing the batter who stood a couple yards away from him, Yamamoto was ready to deliver his killer curveball. It didn't matter to him at all that his opponent was only ten years old and a novice at the sport; showing him something that could happen in a real game would teach him a thing or two, right? And so he pitched, sending the ball flying towards the batter at breakneck speed…

Thwack! The sound of connecting impact, music to the Vongola swordsman's ears. Angelo, who was outfitted in the baseball gear Yamamoto had sent him for his birthday, took off his helmet momentarily to watch the ball soar in the other direction. It remained in the air for some time until finally dropping down to the ground just a few feet away from the one who threw it. Jogging over to it, Yamamoto retrieved the ball before making his way back to Angelo. "Not bad, kid," he said, smiling as he ruffled the boy's hair. "At least you didn't dodge it this time, right?"

However, Angelo didn't quite share his sentiment. Frowning, he looked down at his bat in disappointment. "Yeah, but it still didn't go as far as when you hit it."

"Ah, that's okay. You're still pretty small, after all," he chuckled, grinning down at him. Despite the fact that the kid had grown since their first meeting in Japan, Yamamoto still saw him as the three-year-old boy who was almost always clinging to his mother."Don't worry, though. Someday you'll get bigger and stronger. Till then, I'll teach you everything I know about baseball!"

Angelo giggled, the lightness of it reaching all the way up to his eyes. Seeing him like that, it was hard to believe that he was Xanxus's son. However, in his head, he will always be Mira's son and his little brother due to a promise he made to her a long time ago. "That'd be great," the boy exclaimed, looking up at his mentor. "Of course, you'd probably have to fight Uncle Squalo tooth and nail for it."

The Vongola swordsman smiled sheepishly. "You're probably right about that."

Getting the kid out of the Varia mansion wasn't exactly a cake walk, considering how Squalo had been against it at first. However, when Angelo pitched in, practically begging the long-haired man to let him go, he had to choice but to cave in. Especially when the kid was already raring to go to Xanxus and get permission from him. Sour-faced, Squalo himself delivered Angelo to him the next day, saying something about returning the kid in one piece…or else. The Japanese swordsman merely waved it away with a laugh, finally glad to be able to spend some quality time with his little brother.

After a couple more rounds of pitching, they finally ran out of baseballs so they decided to gather the ones they scattered all over the park and put them back in the bucket they came in. "Alright, I think this is the last of them," said Angelo as he dropped an armful at Yamamoto's feet. With a sigh, he too, dropped to the ground and just stayed there.

"Oi, Angelo, what's wrong?"

"I'm starving," he whined, sounding a bit like Lambo. "Can we go eat already?"

As if on cue, Yamamoto's stomach rumbled quite audibly. "No arguments here," he said, chuckling as he patted his midsection. "What do you say we get some pizza?"

If there was anyone else he admired more than his parents, it was probably Yamamoto Takeshi. He was nice, strong, funny and at one point, he even asked his mother if she could adopt him so they can officially be brothers. Back then, she refused his request with a laugh, saying something about how his father wouldn't appreciate it if she adopted a Vongola Guardian to be her son. When he asked why, she only said that it was a rather complicated situation to deal with. She'll explain it to him someday, she said.

Of course, she wasn't around to do that anymore.

Sitting across from him, he watched as his big brother annihilated his half of the pizza. Finally noticing that a pair of blue eyes had been staring at him for quite some time, Takeshi stopped at mid-chew and looked at Angelo quizzically. "What's wrong, kiddo? I thought you liked pepperoni."

Angelo looked down at his plate, which still had three slices left, as opposed to Takeshi's which was virtually empty save for some crumbs. "Oh, I love it. Thanks, by the way," he said, picking out the small red circles and popping them into his mouth one by one. "Hey, Takeshi?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you been to Mom's grave lately?"

The Vongola swordsman nodded. "I go there every chance I get and leave her those white flowers she used to love so much."

"Lilies, right?" Angelo remembered how his mother used to always have them in her study. Freshly-cut and soaked in a vase, she said she liked how they smelled; he did too because soon enough, the scent clung to her skin and she seemed to leave a trace of those flowers everywhere she went. Sometimes, he would go into her study and sit in her old chair, imagining that the scent was still in the room. But alas, the lilies there have already wilted. Dead, just like the woman who used to love them.

Just then, the sound of a ringing cell phone snapped the kid out of his musings. "Sorry, that's me," Takeshi apologized as he fished around his pockets. Finally when he came up with it, he excused himself for a moment and took the call outside the restaurant.

Angelo wondered what was so important that Takeshi had to answer elsewhere. It was strange considering how he usually didn't mind talking in front of him. Who could it be? The boy wondered. A few minutes later and the Vongola swordsman returned with an offer the child simply couldn't refuse.

"Would you like to go visit your mom's grave?"

Everything was going as planned; per his instruction, Yamamoto had Angelo, and he believed his old friend was ready with the one thing that might be able to help them.

Now if only Xanxus would just cooperate…

It was a long shot, but Reborn was willing to try. If her death had been a normal circumstance, perhaps the Arcobaleno with the yellow pacifier might have just moved on. However, there was one thing that he'd never been able to put out of his mind.

Her body was never found.

Her grave smelled like lilies, a scent that Angelo had been so starved for that as soon as they got there, he sank to his knees in front of her headstone, careful fingers running over the white marble as if he was touching her face. Behind him, Yamamoto stood back, hands deep in his pockets. Even he couldn't lighten up a moment like this because he felt the same way. She'd always been like a mother to him and losing her felt just as bad as losing his own father. The Vongola swordsman couldn't help but wonder how the kid was holding up, so he placed a hand on his head as if to say, I'm still here.

"Thanks, Takeshi," Angelo mumbled. Finally, the boy sat back, knees pulled up to his chest as he examined a silken petal that had fallen from the bouquet. "These are fresh, right?"

Yamamoto nodded, taking a set beside Angelo. "Yep. Just the way she liked them."

"I see."

The Vongola swordsman watched as the boy began to speak to the headstone as if she was still alive. "Hey, Mom. Sorry I haven't been here in a while now. Uncle Squalo and the others have been pretty busy. Uncle Lussuria says Dad's probably still sad, that's why he hasn't been here to see you. But it's okay now. I'm here; Takeshi's here too."

When Angelo looked back at him with a smile, Yamamoto knew the kid was going to be just fine. "Hi, Mom," he said, slightly waving at the headstone. "Nice to see you. Again."

The child continued to speak. "So guess what, Mom? I'm ten now. I got lots of presents from a bunch of people. This one's one of them." He gestured towards his baseball clothes and gear. "It's from Takeshi. Oh, Uncle Lussuria got me something too." Reaching for the gym bag behind him, Angelo pulled out a red leather-bound book.

"So that's why it was heavy!" Yamamoto chuckled as he playfully massaged his shoulder. Ever since their little practice session ended, he'd been carrying the bag for Angelo. "I knew there was something other than the bat and the helmet in there."

The boy smiled at him sheepishly. "It's with me whenever I can bring it. But I'm glad I have it with me today so Mom can see it."

The Japanese swordsman had never been a book-loving guy, but he couldn't help but wonder. "What's it about?"

"Stories by the Grimm Brothers. They're actually pretty cool. Hey, Takeshi?"

Blue eyes looked up at him expectantly. "Hm?"

"Will you read me a story? I don't care which one. I just want Mom to hear at least one of them."

Yamamoto had always found it a bit hard to say no to the kid. And so it began…

"A poor man had twelve children and had to work day and night just to feed them. So when the thirteenth came into the world, he ran out into the highway, intending to ask the first person whom he met to be the godfather. The first person was God who he turned down because he thought he gave to the rich, and let the poor starve. The man didn't know how wisely God divides out wealth and poverty. Then the devil came to him but the man also turned him down because he deceives mankind and leads them astray." Then finally, he met Death, the one who makes everyone equal. Then the man said, "You are the right one. You take away the rich as well as the poor, without distinction. You shall be my child's godfather. Death answered, "I will make your child rich and famous, for he who has me for a friend cannot fail." The man said, "Next Sunday is the baptism. Be there on time." Death appeared as he had promised, and served as godfather in an orderly manner."

After the boy came of age his godfather appeared to him one day and asked him to go with him. He took him out into the woods and showed him an herb that grew there, saying, "Now you shall receive your godfather's present. I will turn you into a famous physician. Whenever you are called to a sick person I will appear to you. If I stand at the sick person's head, you may say with confidence that you can make him well again; then give him some of this herb, and he will recover. But if I stand at the sick person's feet, he is mine, and you must say that he is beyond help, and that no physician in the world could save him.

However, his gift came with one last warning. Beware of using this herb against my will, Death said, or something very bad will happen to you."

Xanxus absolutely abhorred guests. It was already enough that he was in the company of five fucking pieces of trash better known as his Guardians. So when his subordinates told him that an Arcobaleno had paid a visit to the Varia mansion, he was…well, surprised, to say the least. Which was absolutely rare, especially for a man like him. Still, he couldn't say that he didn't give a fuck about it. He was curious without being eager. What could that cursed baby want from me?

He sat on his favorite armchair in his study, waiting for his guest to arrive. In his hand was a glass of wine that had been refilled at odd intervals, thanks to incompetent underlings. For some reason, it always took about three or four of those useless wastes of fucking space to bring him some booze. Back then, it had only taken one and she was pretty damn good at her job. Of course back then, he didn't drink as much considering how she kept him rather occupied at times. On the floor, on his desk, on the very chair he sat on, even against the walls…

He barely even noticed the door opening a small gap, giving entrance to an infant with a fedora. "You're looking well, Xanxus," he said, moving to stand before the Varia Boss.

Reborn. Other than Mammon, he was the only other Arcobaleno that he acknowledged, because to use the word 'respect' would simply be a stretch for him. "What do you want, Reborn?"

"Cutting to the chase already? Well, that's fine too."

Xanxus closed his eyes in a feigned attempt to sleep, but there was just no way to filter out what the cursed infant was saying to him. Reborn went on about how Giannichi, Giannini's father, had developed a new invention and that he would explain it in further detail once he's garnered his cooperation. But even the world itself left a bad impression on the Varia Boss's mind. "And why the fuck would I want to do that?"

"For her. For your son who's visiting an empty grave at the moment." At Xanxus's piercing glare, Reborn added, "Don't worry, he's safe with Yamamoto. I haven't told him a thing about Giannichi's new invention."

Clearly the Arcobaleno planned everything out. And his son was to be kept in the dark about it, just as he was when they buried a casket weighted down by rocks. Only he, Reborn and the Ninth are haunted by its secret. They would've just left it alone, but nothing about it made sense. On the day of the accident, Mira was on her way to deliver something to the Vongola Headquarters when her car apparently collided with a gas-hauling truck. According to accounts of those who witnessed it, the impact caused an explosion that incinerated both drivers. However, when the fires have died down, only one burnt corpse was retrieved. 45, male, Italian, ordinary.

Definitely not his wife.

"We could bring her back, you know," said Reborn, snapping him out of his musings.

Could, he said. It wasn't a guarantee, but it was better than what they've had in the last two years—nothing. "You trash had better be onto something," he growled, rising from his chair. "Or else I burn that weapon tuner and his whole goddamn workshop along with him."