Silence hangs between the two teens as Phoenix processes what Gokudera had told her. Phoenix is breathing deeply, waiting for Gokudera to say that it was all a joke or something but it never came.
"What? No...no! You...you're lying! Wha-What do you think this is! Some kin-kind...kind of joke! I...You...How could...This is not funny Hayato! Not even in the slightest sense! Tell me you're lying. Just tell me this is all a...a bad joke and we'll laugh and go on with our lives..." Phoenix's voice catches. "and kick Reapers ass...and...and...Why would you tell me this! What possible reason could you have to lie like this! The Vongola killed my parents? Nicky? The Vongola don't...they don't...no..."
"I'm sorry Aydan. I really am. The Vongola...they really did...They killed your family. Even little Nicky too."
Though Phoenix doesn't know it Gokudera is pleading with her in his thoughts.
"Please Phoenix. PLEASE, look past this. Figure it out!"
The girl's anger rises and spills over the edge and before Phoenix knows it she's yelling at Gokudera.
"YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO USE MY NAME! NIC-NICKY WAS TH-THREE YEARS OLD AND YOUR FAMILY MURDERED HIM!...And I...I almost fell for yo...I...I...trusted...WHAT THE HELL! What kind of family are you apart of? How long have you known about this! How long have you known that you were protecting a man who would inherit the family who KILLED MY PARENTS! MY NICKY!" Phoenix starts to cry, hot tears spilling down her cheeks. "You better get out of Japan and take any person even remotely connected to the Vongola with you, or I am going to kill them. Slowly."
Gokudera is silent for a minute and Phoenix takes the time to try and get her anger under control.
"I just found out. But i-it's not true! Come on Phoenix, you're a smart girl! You can figure this out! Please..." Phoenix hears a thump, figuring that Gokudera punched a wall. "DAMN IT! I knew this was going to happen, but Reaper's threatening to kill Juudaime's family and friends. You have to understand...FOR FUCK'S SAKE PHOENIX, FIGURE IT OUT!"
"Figure what out? That your family killed my mom, and my dad, and my...my" Phoenix starts to cry again, ragged heartbreaking sobs. "My Nicky...I miss them so much. Why would anyone kill them? They were good people. They never hurt anyone, my mom played guitar and my dad owned a pizza shop and Nicky...Nicky was perfect in every way. He was kind and happy and the best three year old comedian in Chicago. Why would someone kill him...and why didn't they kill me to?"
Gokudera takes a sharp breath at Phoenix's last words but as Phoenix is crying hard she doesn't notice.
"Listen Aydan, you have to trust me when I tell you that none of this is true. Reaper told me everything. About who really killed your family and the Vongola's role in all of this. Please...I can't tell you. But please...JUST FUCKING FIGURE IT OUT WOAMAN!"
"YOU EVER TRY THINKING WHEN YOUR SOUL IS BEING CRUSHED! If it wasn't true then why did you tell me! Was it all just a joke to you! Was whatever the hell we are a joke to you! The Vongola's role was that they KILLED MY FAMILY! I know who killed them! And why the hell can't you tell me whatever the hell you want! AND DON'T CALL ME WOMAN!"
"AYDAN! DAMN IT AYDAN, LISTEN TO ME!" Gokudera takes a deep breath. "Okay, I'm sorry that I called you woman, but you have to listen. Remember when I told you Reaper was threatening the life of Juudaime's family? Well to keep them safe, I had to tell you what I did. This," Gokudera points between himself and the phone. "This is not a joke. I care about you Aydan. And I trust that you understand why I'm doing this. It's not because I want to. Hell, it's not even the truth! But I have to do it because of Juudaime. Reaper is black mailing m. That's all I can tell you. Just, please, trust me."
"Why should I? You just admitted to lying to me." Phoenix's voice is cold and she knows it. "Gokudera I can't do this right now. Whatever 'truth' you can't tell me, there is no way in hell that it could ever overshadow what you told me today. I'll continue to help you out against Reaper but this...whatever it is...it's over."
Phoenix hangs up her phone and half runs to the cemetery where her family is buried.
Gokudera stares at his phone, Phoenix had ended their friendship and this cut at Gokudera.
"DAMN IT!"
The teen stands over his table, he head bowed against his chest. He tried to tell himself that the sacrifice was needed, that in orders to protect Juudaime the loss of a single friend was a justifiable loss, but he couldn't convince himself. He hears his phone ringing and quickly picks it up.
"Phoenix?"
"That never stops being cute." Reaper laughs. "I imagine Phoenix is having a personality shift right now. Poor girl will be back to the O-Loughlin's before day break."
"Shut up." Gokudera slams his hand down on the table. "SHUT THE FUCK UP! I trust her. Phoenix...I trust she'll know when I'm lying and when I'm not. If Phoenix joins you once again, then I'll still have to protect my Boss, but I will find a way to get Phoenix back. Together with Juudaime and the others, we'll find a way. There's always a way."
"Did you know that her little brother was three when he died? Yeah, his birthday was the day before and Phoenix was just playing hide-and-go-seek with him. A five year old seeing her family die is one thing, but a five year old watching her beloved little brother, her dear little Nicky, be shot in the face is something else entirely. Even now she carries around a lock of his hair and I have caught her more than once crying over it. I don't think she will be rational enough to look for lies."
"Shut up. Shut UP. Shut. The. Fuck. UP! I'll tell her one day. Even if that day won't come soon, I'll let her know that it was your family that ruined hers. That it was your doing that broke her. That it was your manipulation that made her surrender her emotions for so long. And I just hope that when you die, and trust me you will die, that you'll be shown the cruelest after life or hell that exists. And I'll make sure that I send you there myself."
"Oh and her mother, she didn't have a real job but every day she would take Phoenix and Nicky to the zoo or the park. She played guitar, so sometimes the three of them would perform on the streets and her mother always swore that when Phoenix sang or played, the birds would stop singing and listen. Phoenix loved her mother; she took up guitar as a way to honor her mother. And now she thinks the Vongola took that relationship from her." Reaper laughs. "I wouldn't be surprised if she's after Tsuna already."
"SHUT THE FUCKING HELL UP! I did what you asked now LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"Sorry, I can't. There's one more family member. Phoenix was daddy's little princess. Every day when he would come home from work, Phoenix would run into his arms and he would spend hours just playing with her and Nicky. And when the Vongola hit-man came for him, her father knew that Phoenix was in the closet and he didn't tell the hit-man was there. The last words Phoenix ever heard out of her father's mouth was 'I don't have a daughter, just a son. Please don't hurt my wife and son.'"
"I'm going to kill you. I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU HEARTLESS BASTARD! Phoenix doesn't deserve this shit. She doesn't deserve to be fed lies! She's a smart girl; she'll figure out that everything you made me tell her was a lie. She'll find out. And when she does, we'll personally come and find you and we'll castrate you. We'll castrate you and we'll give you all sorts of hell. You can count on it. Scum like you doesn't deserve to live."
"Wow, heartless bastard...is that the best you can come up with? I have been a hit-man for years longer than you and trust me when I say, heartless bastard is a compliment. And without Phoenix, you will never find me. But I'll find you...all of you. Did you know that Phoenix was hiding you all from me? I couldn't even find your school! And you just made her hate you!" Reaper laughs. "Thank you. Phoenix is lost already...she won't figure anything out."
"FUCK! I knew I shouldn't have trusted you. Fucking SHIT! DAMN IT! I'll get you. I fucking will find you and bring you down. And Phoenix...I'll get her back. I have to!"
"You are so stupid! Of course you should never have trusted me! I am a hit-man! I lie cheat and steal to make sure my job is done right...And again with Phoenix...You sure there's nothing there?"
Gokudera's heart jumped at the mention of him and Phoenix together, it had never done that before. Once again Gokudera wondered what Phoenix was doing to him.
"S-Shut your damn trap. Phoenix is just a girl I met, nothing more."
"Sure, whatever you say. Good luck with getting the girl back...Oh wait, is that my other phone...of look it's The Boss, one second please."
Gokudera hears Reaper put down the phone and start talking to someone else.
"DON'T JUST TELL ME TO HOLD ON! Tch...Pompous bastard."
Gokudera runs through ever insult he knew as he waits for Reaper to get back, ready to use them all against the man who hand manipulated him into turning Phoenix against him. Reaper picks up the phone again but before Gokudera can begin to cuss him out, the older man speaks.
"Well the price on your heads just went up. You can go and tell Phoenix the truth now if you want. I know where all of you are now and she can't hide you anymore. So go have a tear-filled 'I'm sorry' fest. Go on! I no longer need you.
"FINE! WHAT-THE-FUCK-EVER! We'll kick your ass and you won't even see it coming. Asshole."
"Yeah good luck with kicking my ass. You can't hide now, my men will find you and kill you off one by one saving Phoenix and yourself for last."
"Tch. I'd like to see you try!" Gokudera sighs and places a hand over his eyes. "Just leave. GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! You've don't enough damage, so just fucking LEAVE!"
"I won't leave until you are all dead and gone."
"Assuming you're not dead first, dick-weed."
Reaper laughs and hangs up his phone.