Katekyo Hitman Reborn

My Fate is Certainly Uncertain

Chapter 43: Dive

Warnings: Alice in Wonderland crap. Don't take drugs and don't talk to cats. Neither are in this chapter, so please, read on.

[Written to: The Story of Us - Taylor Swift]

~o0o~

His coat gleamed in the dark, as black as it was. When he strode, it gave off a varnished light, a fine material that must have been shiny of something, woven deeply in between the crevices. With a brown mop of receding hair, the barrel of his revolver caught the light, aimed right at my head. It was difficult to move freely as I wished to in this cramp room. Shrewn papers were lying on the piled books that lined the desk. I had my other hand supporting my right one as I kept the gun's aim. I couldn't circle him, like Reborn would.

"It's quite rude to break into a place that isn't yours." He said hastily, summoned his words with a quick breath. He strode to his desk, and ungracefully slumped into his seat. There were purple rings under his eyes, and the stubble only added to his weariness. Like buried gold, he sat there and waited, without thought or a consciousness of time. His gun was still in his hand, though he waved it stupidly; reminding me of what Basil did sometimes. That's why we never let him near one, and gave him a boomerang hybrid instead. "But you know, you're the first to get this far. Well done."

"So I've been told before." I said, slowly drawing out my words, lowering my gun in the slightest. I didn't feel too hostile when it came to this man, but I wasn't going to foolishly let my guard down. I made sure that my voice didn't betray my adoptive origins.

He smiled. "What does a pretty girl like you have with a businessman like me?"

And then it dawned on me how my luck appeared in the oddest fashion. How horribly ironic, that the man I had come to hunt didn't even recognise who I was. Though, when I thought back on all of the times when I had actually had contact with him, I could have counted it on both pairs of hands and toes. And even then I had tried my best to avoid any contact with him because I wasn't a sociable child. My nerves were starting to belittle themselves, but only then did I really start to imagine the severity of this situation. And I could look in his eyes right now and see a truth in them that I didn't want to. Because I bloody hated myself right now. My thoughts couldn't control themselves and that blocked everybody elses.

But this was a good thing. I had to act on my feet, making sure I didn't miss a beat. "Simple Mister. Heard from somewhere between the haze that you're lookin' for someone with a set of skills. Think of this like me handing in a CV or something silly. Imagination's on your side."

If I believed every word that came out of everyone's mouth, things would act a lot more smoothly. Thought they would be flawed, but I wouldn't know any better

"Interesting!" He peeped, smiling the same, making me more so uncomfortable. I didn't like the way his eyes crinkled, or how his mouth held bits of food between his teeth and his gums. "Never knew whether that sort of thing goes about now. Used to work down in the pit myself - " The pit, he referred to the underground network of cable calls that go unnoticed by the cops. Many meetings and auctions of all sorts are set up using the circumstances. " - but due to the high demanding job, as you can tell from my office, it's not often that I get out."

"Must get boring sometimes. Can't ever imagine myself being stuck indoors."

"You're right." Alex nodded, suddenly feeling confident and put his gun back in his holster. I noted how he didn't turn the safety on. 'It sucks, but it's something you have to put up with Doll. But, anyway, moving on to other things. You say tha'cha here for a job, but what are your set of skills? See, I'm a need to know guy."

"I've been in the field of medical or a while, for the Mafia." I wasn't sure whether I should have said the Mafia bit, but assuming that this is a Black Market community, it's unneeded yet optional. "Though that was more of a hobby than anything else. I'm a hitwoman, one of the best there is."

His posture said intrigued, and Alex leaned inwards. "You gotta stagename?"

I wasn't sure whether this was subliminal quoting was getting me anywhere. "What, you expect me to be like that jerk Reborn? Please. Let's be honest here. I do my job without attracting attention. I don't leave anything behind and I don't make a peep about it afterwards. That way, no stigma is laid upon my clients."

The man nodded thoughtfully. "Good mantra. Ties to any families?"

"Knowledge of families or actually being in a Mafia family with a considered position?"

"Both."

I lowered the gun in my hand so that it was pointed at the floor; scratching my head and looking upwards, as if looking back in time. "Hm. I know a lot about the families in Italy as well as in America, and some have called me for special purposes, but I've never bothered to stay in one place. Can't stand stupid people, you see."

"A woman who's straight to the point! After my own heart, are ya?"

I blinked unaffected, with a monotone, unemotional composure to offer him. This was disgusting. The flirting made me sick to my stomach,

He popped his mouth open, a small sound emitting from it. Abruptly, he stood, and nodded to himself. I wondered what on earth my Mother saw in him. "I've decided! I have, I have! You're in Doll, 'cause I've got a couple of jobs for you~!"

"That's great." I said, smiling. "But first, I'd like to suggest a few adjustments to your security, seeing as how I got in here. I don't know what the heck you do to earn your 'living'-" I made quotation marks in the air, with my fingers. " - But I'm not stupid. I can tell by the way you carry yourself that you're tiptoeing into some bad-ass stuff."

"You gotta point Doll. I do."

Guns drew up again, quicker than the last and I didn't bother to hold up this time. He hit the ground in a terrible moan and as I bound his limbs, I told myself that I shouldn't have acted so quickly. I should have taken the time to put on the silencer before shooting. No doubt that there was the guard station on ground floor. I felt disappointed in his lack of will to fight. He was a larger man.

"Bitch." He spat, and I twisted to dodge the flying phlegm ball. It drooped down the books, soiling their covers. They looked expensive. "Damnit! I'm going to fucking rip your head from your spine!"

"I bet you say that to all the boys."

I removed his gun and ripped out the magazine case, letting it all fly on the floor. I had to work quickly now. I heard his a female's nagging, shrilling voice in his head, so fully epitomising the horrible Mother out of Matilda;"God damnit Alexander, what have you gotten yourself into!" I could see the flossed mani-pani and layers of eyeshadow.

My nose felt runny, and I snorted loudly. I made sure that outside was clear, and then gagged him tightly, saliva running onto my hands. He breathed onto the floor and I ran my tongue over the back of my teeth, feeling the awful, dryness that came without drinking water for a long period of time. Sighing at the fact that there was no other way around this, I somehow lifted the man onto my back with pieces of cloth to hold onto, his back against mine. It hurt my knees to carry him all the way up those flight of stairs. I had to carry my bag on my chest and power onwards. There was no way I could block the door to the roof physically, so I lifted a shield around its edges and hid behind what sounded like the output entry of an air duct that protruded from the ground.

I dropped him on the ground and stretched, making a snarky remark on how he should cut back on the pies that I remembered he ate. He smelt horrid wherever Momma and him was in the house. I took out my black gloves and rolled up my sleeves, cutting off his gag.

He coughed and jerked to the ground. I put one foot on his chest and opened the rest of my bag.

"I wasn't lying when I said I was a hitwoman, nor when I said I had a hobby of a medical style." I removed a scalpel and some tweezers from my pack. "I doubt that you haven't heard of what happened to the Head of the Hong Kong Dragons a couple years back?"

By the paleness of his face turned, I didn't need a reply. Short story even shorter, Basil had a little misunderstanding when we went to train with Fon one day and we almost lost both of our lives. He was foolish enough at the time and I had barely come of age. Netherless, the man was despicable and it was by Iemitsu's orders, so I did what he asked. I could still hear the cracking of a whip and my eyes blinked, neck jerking.

"Well, as you've probably heard, he was left limbless by the end of that fiasco. Now, I don't think I can be nice in this instance. I feel offended that you don't remember me, so it justifies itself."

Breathing heavily, his head rolled to the side, looking out from behind the duct, towards the door. His frightened eyes returned upon me and he spoke.

"Oh no, you mistake me for a fool. I-I, I know too well who you are. L-Let me go, and I swear, I swear you can s-"

I kicked him hard.

"I'm not here for personal reasons, I'm here on a request of the Vindice. Do you realise how serious this is now?" He gulped. I didn't smile. I didn't think it was appropriate, nor did I feel like it. I could hear someone scream from inside. My instinct was right. "I'm going to ask you some questions and you're going to answer articulately. No smartass actions or lies, or I might be persuaded to be more horrible and drop you."

He cried and nodded and I pitied him. Pitied the way he acted and the way he saw me. I certainly didn't like the way I looked in his head. I looked terrifying.

"One, BMS. Explain."

When he didn't answer, calling me awful names and threatening what friends and family I had, threatening all I ever knew, I took off his shoe and sock, tossing it off the edge. I jabbed the syringe under his big toe, ripping upwards as he howled. Oh this man could howl like a husky.

"I'm sorry, I thought we had an agreement. Hurry up, I'm working on the clock here."

I twisted the metal tool and he screeched again, hurrying to an answer. "I-It's short f-for Biomedical-science, I-I swear!"

"Then what's this black market deal you have going on?"

"I-It's just stock market stuff! I-I was planning to sell the plans off in J-Januar-hee!" He cried out again, and I stood. "We w-were t-t-t-testing on clones!"

"Keep going." I ordered, cutting the back of his ankle, knowing that would hurt. I bit my lip and breathed out, waiting for him to calm down again. "Explain further."

"T-There's a market out there for p-people, like slave trafficking, but different. There's men always dying on the frontlines and not enough to fill those s-spots." Alex coughed up blood, and I allowed him to keep speaking. He wheezed. "The project begun with the doct-tor, doctor M-Marchelli, supplying his knowledge of the area. I-I met your mother as it begun, a-and you know, things happened."

I glared at him. "Oh yeah, I know. Has to happen for my brother to be here, yeah? Keep talking, you're on the record."

"W-Well….." He was reluctant to.

"They know." I replied, being honest. "I know about my Mother as well. You obviously know about her powers, and while I've been gone I've met so many people. So I'm just wondering out of curiosity -" I grabbed his dress-shirt and knocked him right into the brickwork. " - Who killed my Mother? And don't you dare lie to me. I'm in a foul mood and I can't stand it when people lie."

He kept his mouth shut, only opening it to cry out in pain further when I stabbed him in the leg. But that silence was enough for me. And I fucking hated myself. I couldn't believe I left my little brother with the man who murdered my Mother. I was played into his hands!

"Alright, seeing as you don't want to answer that one." I wrenched the syringe out, blood spurting upwards. "You don't have to say, I already know. Tell me what your relationship was with Doctor Mar-che-lli. And don't miss any of the gory bits either. The Vindice want you and if you answer the first question, I might save you from them."

"F-Fine! I did it! I ordered the hit on her!" He yelled, his voice cracking as I pulled the syringe closer to his toes. He was really pitiful. The HKD's Boss was far more patient with the pain. "My f-father and him worked t-together on the M project! When h-he was wiped out, he handed the c-company to me! S-She tried to run, so I tried following! S-She threatened M-Mason and so I called the hit, I swear! I swear! Please, oh god, I'm begging you, please don't let them get me!"

Bastard.

"I don't believe you." I hissed, pulling him closer to the edge. I had enough strength to throw him over the guardrail, if need be. "Momma would never try and hurt Mason."

He chuckled, spitting blood. "You'd be surprised at the things s-she did…."

"And what of my son?" I whacked his face. "Were you the one that ordered that hit as well?"

"..."

"Answer me dammit!"

"D-DROP HIM."

Against all instincts, all control of my mind, my hand complied, and dropped him on the ground. He was starting to get woozy, blood leaking out even more. He groaned, and as I turned my head, my mouth became drier than it was before, the cold wind blowing lightly. There were no leaves up here, but I could not see the stars behind where Mason stood.

His hair was gold.

"G-GET UP A-ALEX." He ordered, his hands shaking as the gun tried to stay focussed on both of us. I found it surprising, how he could lift himself in the state he was in, to continue standing. My mind focussed on his, and it was difficult to concentrate on one thing. Mason must have some sort of control over him. I thought back to Al, dying in my arms, and wondered what this influence had done on me. Was I being controlled back then too?

"Y-You!" He cried, the gun shaking more. I turned to face him, my hands above my head. "Why the heck are you here?!"

"I ask myself that every day." I said automatically. I felt lucky that he hadn't tried to shoot yet, but his patience was faulting.

"IS THAT TRUE ALEX?!" He yelled, now pointing the gun at his Father, tears breaking away. I couldn't stand to see him like this. "DID YOU KILL MOM?! ANSWER ME!?"

"I did." He said, straight away. "W-What am I saying, of course I didn't! Son, kill her! She's been tainted!"

"Don't try and pin this on me." I growled. "I'm fucking furious about this but you're fucking lucky the Vindice is holding me back! Mason!" I looked at him directly and I saw him flinch under my words, under the tone I urged him with. Was I really that scary? I couldn't contemplate that now. I didn't have the time to. "Mason, please believe me when I say I'm sorry."

"How can I?" He spat, choking through tears. "How can I forgive you when you left me with a man like him!? DO you KNOW WHAT HE'S DONE?!"

"I DO!" I yelled, loud as I could. "I'VE FELT THE PAIN WHEN MOMMA DIED, I WAS THERE AL! MASON, I WAS THERE WHEN YOUR FUTURE SELF DIED IN MY ARMS AND I WAS THERE WHEN MOMMA'S FATHER KILLED HIMSELF. I'M SORRY, OKAY, I MADE A FUCKING MISTAKE BUT I'M HERE TO GET YOU HOME, OKAY?!"

He lowered the gun, looking at me with such strange eyes. "Eh?"

"Ah?" I was a natural response for me to fall back onto my butt, since my knees were shaking. I never imagined that I would actually find him. But now that he was here, my heart pounded till it hurt. It swelled, and it hurt to see how tall he was. It only reminded me of my guilt. I wasn't brave enough to face it. "I said, that I've come to get you."

"I don't have a home, Phillipa." The way he said my name, it stung. I was half-complied to just release the shield on the door. I wondered how on earth he got here, since there was the protective barrier covering the edges. I stopped, when I noted the hole in the brick wall. "And I don't have a family either. You're not -" He pointed at me. "And he's not. He's just the man that allowed me to be alive."

"Nonsense, you can live with me!" I stood, fists clenched, fully determined to complete what I set out to do. I promised myself that I would come and get him when it was safe. "You don't have to be afraid, Mason. This man," I pointed at him. "He's not going to get away with this! I can promise you that! Please!"

The look in his eyes was one of utter, deafening betrayal. I could see, that he would never trust me again. I deserved that, I knew that too well. I didn't want it to be that way, but that wasn't for me to decide. My past was my fault.

And it wasn't that I didn't love him, that I hesitated to leave him there, all those years ago. I was so incredibly selfish, but to think, if I had taken him, he wouldn't have been any better.

"Please!" I called, one more time. "Please believe me!"

The clanking of chains was my first alert to run towards him and disarm Mason. Could you imagine my surprise, in a sense of euphoria when my little brother actually fought back? It was quick, but I managed to get the gun out of his hands and kick it to the other side of the roof. I tried not to hit him hard, but undoubtedly slammed him on the ground, covering my body over his, begging him to keep quiet, or at least, behave.

"Please listen Mason! You can't mess with these people!"

"L-Let me go! I-I'll - "

"Quiet!" I ordered, quickly pulling him away. I was right to, because one of the Vindice slammed his chains down on the top of the roof, breaking the concrete. I swore out loud, considering myself lucky. "What the fuck Jager?! What the f- OI YOU!"

Alexander was trying to climb the guardrail, failing terribly, as his hands were still tied together. I pulled him back on the ground, and then ran in between the unnamed guard and Mason, spreading my shield wide.

"Here he is!" I yelled, showing them Alex. I dipped into the collar of my shirt and pulled out a wire. "And here's the recording, are you happy?! Leave my brother out of this!"

Jager asked me to put the shield down. I refused. Rather scared, Mason stood behind me. He would have been around Tsuna's age. I couldn't even remember that, I was terrible.

"We need him for interrogation."

"You have him!" I pointed at Alex. "You don't need Mason!"

"Will I be in trouble?" Mason asks abruptly, peeking out from behind me. "You won't hurt me?"

"No." Jager replied, holding the other officer back. "You are not involved in the offence, so we only wish to collect information about this company and the circumstances around your family. We don't know everything and we wish to straighten the record out."

"Looks like you guys need straightening out." He mumbled, and I whacked him over the head.

"Don't backsass them." I whispered. "They're the Mafia fuzz."

His mouth dropped open and Jager belted the large man over his shoulder, hefting him around like a sack of potatoes, all of the weight transferring to his hips. He screeched, and instinctively I covered Mason's ears, just like I would when Momma came home drunk.

"Stop it!" He yelled childishly, swatting them away.

They took the man I wished to kill away, and it wasn't till years later, that I found out that he hand made himself go blind while in incarceration. It showed how much he didn't want to see anymore. I felt nothing towards him, not even pity or anger.

I felt a lightness in my heart that I hadn't had for an eternity, and I couldn't stop the happy tears.

"What the hell are you l-" He was going to go into a bitch off, something I think we both inherited from Momma, when I cut him off with a hug. He tried to wriggle away but that only made me hug him tighter. I held him tight, realising all of the years I had let slip past, so carelessly. He swore in my ear, oh such colourful words, I smiled so happily, crying my heart out.

"I-I'm so happy you're ali-hiiiiiiiiiiive! Ma-hason!"

"P-Phillipa, stop!" He cried, reddening. "You're getting snot on my shirt!"

"I don't care!" I snapped quietly, pulling away a little. "You don't know how many times I've wanted to come find you. I was so afraid that -"

"I get it! You're happy to see me!"

"Of course I am!" I wiped my nose. "I wish you would be too, but we don't have time, okay? We gotta get off this building, quick!"

He pushed me away. "I never said I would go with you."

"What?"

Please. Go home. I want…

"What did you come to expect, huh?" His blue eyes were burning, hands moving in front of himself, emphasising his own despise. "That everything would be fine, that I would be okay with you plucking me out of my known existence?! How many years has it been since I've been truly able to say that I'm okay? By the way you look it's been an eternity. I don't want to jump to another town and think that things have changed, when I know that's not true."

I knew what he was trying to say, but I didn't want to accept it so easily. I didn't want to at all, but I didn't want to anger him at the same time. It was difficult to keep calm, when he was apparently talking to a stranger.

"I know I can't change what's happened." My insides were rolling onto each other, feet tingling. I really, honestly, did believe that I was past my mother's death, but only now did I fully realise that it wasn't the case. No sane person would have held a grudge like I have, or secrets like I have. This wasn't going as I'd like it to. "And I know that you probably have a life here that you don't wanna leave behind, and I realise that! I really do, but I didn't before. I didn't realise that he was the one that killed Momma."

"Please stop." He whispered, whimpering into his palms. "I don't want to hear this….."

"I can't, don't you see? I've been in this permanent state of hate since the day I came back home from school! I wanted to make sure that everything was safe, when I was to bring you to my home." I stepped closer. "Please come back with me. And, I'll bring you back here, if you want when you've decided that you hate me enough. And I won't hold it against you, but you've been gone and I want my little brother back!"

I saw a wobbly smirk emerge from behind his palms, and then, a straight face. "Don't call me little!"

"I'm allowed to!" I snapped. "Because I'm the big sister, 'kay? That's the one fact that I know won't change!"

There was a silence between us, as my voice echoed off of the edge of the building, dropping off into the darkness, away with the wind. I couldn't see the moon, or stars in this coldness, and I found myself wishing that I'd packed some warmer clothes. It had been a while since I've been here. I forgot a whole lot about it. Strange.

His eyes were as bright as I remembered them, despite it being in the middle of the night. I could lose my mind in them for hours, and be just as surprised as I could be to read his, anybodies mind. That sense of calm was overwhelming, but it was dampening. I had missed my little brother and I wished that I'd never drove him to that house. Ten, a thousand times over.

His lips were trembling when he spoke, so softly and not like before. This sounded more like him. He sounded more polite than when I left him.

"Alright." Softly, he whispered. "I-I'll go with you."

Mason, I thought and I kept repeating his name. This was more than I'd hoped for.

My face dropped, when he paused to gulp. "What's the matter?"

"I-..." He breathed out, still thinking to himself. He nodded, as if deciding what to do. I thought it would be rude to read his mind right now, when he was trying so hard to speak those words himself. "Yes. There's something in the sub levels you have to see, but I don't think you'd like it."

Mason, I don't like a lot of things. But I can handle a lot as well.

"It's okay." I told him, reassured him. "I've seen many things. I can handle it."

"Good. I'll show you the way."

I grabbed his arm, just as we were about to leave. "W-Wait! Wait Mason, how long will this take?"

He shrugged, not overly sure. "Um, I'd say about twenty minutes."

We were really pushing the limit here, but against my gut, I said okay because he really wanted to show me. I neglected to say that were were on the clock as well as the bombs.

He led me down into the sub unit, linked by clasped hands. I could feel his pulse, and the back of his head was looking right at me. His hair swished, bounding fluorescent light off. The brickwork got unsteady, and I wasn't too happy to be down here. I didn't like to be underground, period but I sticked to my word. We reached the end of a hall and he opened a door with the swipe card I nicked, taking a big breath before assuring me to be ready.

I really thought I'd lose it in there. I was lucky I didn't. There was a girl lying on the bed, air mask over her face, unconscious. A human. Her hands rested beside her blanketed body, crinkling the sheets. Hair sprayed out. There was a radio playing, but it didn't lighten the mood. I didn't want to hear the beatles when a younger version of my mother was lying there. This didn't feel real.

Mason coughed, pointing to the girl. She looked to be around four. "Uh, this is Margo. S-She's Momma's clone, the only surviving one….. Though, that won't be the case, I don't think. She had a brain aneurysm last week."

"Why did you show me this?" I asked, the room getting very cold.

"I-..." His voice broke off. "I….She's not Momma, I fucking know that, but I can't leave her here alone. What if this place gets raided and they find her?!"

"It won't. I'm going to blow this to smithereens before I leave."

"What?" He sharply breathed in. "Like, bomb blowing up?!"

"Yes, controlled though. That's why I said we had to act quickly."

He shook his head. "I can't allow you to blow it up while she's in here! I….Margo's still family. Yeah, they used different DNA samples from Momma's, meaning that she's not fully her clone, but I can't turn my back on her. She's like a little sister."

I growled. I didn't want to see this, but I couldn't leave him here. I didn't want to bury an innocent - yuck, the word tasted vile - and yet I didn't want to take her back to Italy. I had no idea what that would do to Reborn, mentally, and I wasn't ready to watch her grow up in front of my eyes.

"Can she move without the gas-mask?"

He shrugged. "I think so. What are we going to do?"

I fought against my gut. My plan was to get him home, and that's what I was going to do. Nobody could deny me that. Nobody was going to stop me.

I put the bag down, and reached in for my wallet. I made sure the pen was still in my pocket, definitely had to be careful with that. Then, I switched everything off and picked her up carefully. She was delicate in my arms, slowing breathing into my shirt. Against everything that was telling me to leave her here, I couldn't. I didn't have that cruelty in my heart. Her blond hair reached her hips, and I made sure to carry her right so that she wouldn't have trouble breathing.

"Let's go."

~o0o~

There was a report about the collapsed building on the tv set in the plane, on the way back home. I didn't have a passport for her, nor enough money to get us all back home. I figured that I shouldn't use my cards, since that would be avoiding the people who were, undoubtedly, looking for me. When I turned my phone on, I cringed, and ducked my head down. I ended up calling Dino, talking to him in a whisper, my hands shaking. I was a little scared to go back home, but he agreed to pay for the airfares back home. I managed to convince the airline that Margo was just sleeping, tired from an earlier plane. They said I had a cute daughter, and my nose twitched.

They both were asleep when we landed. Mason cried himself silently to sleep, angry that he believed his father's lies. They told him I'd killed Momma and then ran off. They told him that they were creating the world's first clone from her ashes, that everything was going to be safe. When I told him otherwise, he accepted and didn't talk to me for the remained of the flight.

I fully expected what I got when we walked off the plane. We were stopped at customs, and I squeezed Mason's hand when the images of black suited men were standing at the end of the terminal. I saw Dino's scowl, his crossed arms and Reborn's deathly aura. Leon wasn't all that happy either. Air travel wasn't well on him either.

"Let me do the talking." I said to Mason, after taking a moment to ready myself.

"Why do they look so mad?" His eyes squinted. "What did you do?"

My stomach was unsettled. Margo was silent. "I didn't tell them that I was leaving."

Reborn's gonna kick my ass.

Speaking of Reborn, his look went from - "Oh, there she is." to "Oh yeah. You're gonna get it." in a second's notice. I asked Mason to stay behind me until I introduced him to them. I took his hand, and walked over there.

I was met with a barrage of words. I expected as much. Dino was furious. Reborn was better at keeping his cool, but inside, he too wanted to strangle me for being such an idiot.

"What the heck! I get home and you're missing?! Then I get a phonecall from you asking for airfares back from America?" He blurted, trying to remain calm. We were still in a public area. "What the hell were you doing? Do you have any idea how panicked the family's been?"

Reborn remained silent, but his finger twitched, waiting for me to explain.

I was left with a pain in my chest, breathing out.

"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't say that, because I'm not, but I ask that you please," I ducked my head in a bow. "Please let me explain things before you jump to conclusions. You can be mad at me all you want. I can accept that."

"Who are they?" Reborn asked, his head moving over to the left, as Mason continued to stay behind me, trying to stay out of sight. He was intimidated, poor kid.

"They're the reason I went." I said, being honest as I could. "Well, he was. This is my brother, Mason."

Reborn's eyes widened dramatically, but the rest of his body remained unmoved, still in position. Dino binked widely, innocent in his surprise. Suddenly, that anger was subdued for the time being, as he tried to look at his brother-in-law. The thought excited him. I remembered that he thought of Tsuna as his little brother as well.

"B-Brother?"

I nodded. "I went back to get him."

"And the girl?" Reborn inquired, not fully believing that was all I did. He was right to do so.

"Her?" I lifted her small body a little, as if to point to her, sadly smiling. "Margo. Wait, Mason, how old's she?"

"Five?" He replied, shrugging. "I didn't meet her till late last year."

Dino frowned. "So you went to America to pick up family, and you didn't tell us?"

"No." I sniffed. "No, I went because of the Vindice's request. But I can't talk about it here, the walls have ears."

I literally got punched by Reborn after that. Luckily, Dino caught Margo and Mason ordered him to back off, to which I had to go into detail, explaining more things I didn't really know much about. At least they agreed to give us a ride back.

Jenny was in tears, and I could hear Sammy screaming his lungs out. The nanny was with him, but apparently, nobody could calm him down, it was even difficult for Dino to. They took Margo to get her checked and Mason went with them, just so that he'd feel safer, knowing that she wasn't alone.

It was very emotional to explain what had happened. By the end of it, I was a crying mess, Dino was holding me, his eyes very wet and Reborn looked out the window with crossed arms, not speaking a word. I couldn't hear his mind. He'd shut off from everyone in the following week and when I called Tsuna to check on how he was doing, he said he was fine. Asked why I asked that. And I replied, "No problem. Can't a daughter worry about her father?"

The worst day was having to watch my brother cry in the hospital, as we were told that Margo wasn't really alive. Being brain dead broke Mason's heart, and I held his hand, not crying at all, but not being fully detached either. It was such a odd melancholic feeling. I tried to cut myself from her, but it wasn't that easy. So they let her die peacefully. While Mason was thankful she didn't die inside the building in America, I felt sick to my stomach, knowing that I was thankful that she was dead. I was horrible.

It took me a month to get Dino to forgive me. He was stricken with the hurtful twang that I never told him the full story. I told him that I couldn't and when I did, he stopped communicating. He worked later, avoiding meal times. It was only when that I told him that I was going out to get a swimsuit for Sammy - abruptly deciding that while I hated water, my son should not and therefore should be taught how to swim - that he really respond.

"Why are you calling to tell me this?" He asked patronisingly, obviously sounding tired.

"Because you asked me last time to tell you when I was going out and where. I'd thought you'd like to know, but obviously you need more sleep. Get out of that office Dino and go to bed, I don't want you collapsing randomly."

"No!" He said quickly, cutting me off. I heard the squeaking of his chair, Dino abruptly standing up. "I-I'll come!"

"You wanna come?"

"Y-Yeah! And…..and I want to make things better." His voice was soft, and I blinked my eyelashes. "I don't want to be like this anymore."

"I know baby. I don't either."

"So then….Raspberry slushies?"

I smiled. "You know it."

~o0o~

"Mommy!"

I was the only one up at this time of night. I felt sick, but that was normal these days. At least it was planned, this time. Dino wasn't easily awoken nowadays, since becoming used to hearing Sammy's cries in the night. But I always woke up, so I went to check on him. I guess he was nervous about starting kindergarten soon, because while he loved to interact with people, he didn't push himself into meeting them. The kid caught my contradictious ways.

"What's up?" I asked the wind, rubbing circles into his back. He breathed slowly, his little red nose sniffling. He looked up with those wide innocent eyes, eating the world up. "You're supposed to be sleeping."

"I can't!" He cried, getting upset. "The voices keep waking me up!"

I sighed. It seemed that with my powers being hereditary, so were the voices. It was painful to watch him suffer like this. Reborn and I helped him the best we could.

"Please stay here! If you're here, they can't speak!" He smiled widely, hopeful. "You're like a magic princess!"

I sighed again, curling up next to him. There was hardly enough room in the bed, so we all fitted snugly. "Well alright my darling, but I can't do this every time, okay? You gotta learn how to sleep at night properly."

I don't know if I fully belong here yet, as a mother. Reborn told me to get my act straight, since another child was coming soon. This time, I wanted things to go okay. They didn't have to be perfect, but I wanted to be better. Mason was close to us, and he decided not to go back to America, since there wasn't anything there for him to go back to. I couldn't let the feelings of my Mother's death go just yet. Each time that I tried, I wanted nothing more than to have her here. She wasn't a good mother, but she was a soothing comfort.

But I get the feeling I will, soon.

Certainly.

~o0o~

Triple update, so no thingys here! :D