Jychan: I don't own Katekyo Hitman Reborn! I'm just an ordinary fan who loves doing fanfics for KHR.

Summary: She disappeared from their sight the day after they graduated High School. Five years later, she appeared at one of the Vongola Function Parties as the Boss of the Rose Noire Family. Was she still the Haru that they knew? TsunaxHaru

12

The first time he had seen Haru was a bit awkward. He had undeniably flirted with her in the airport. He was assigned to bring her back to the mansion, but he had no idea that she was the daughter of the neuvième. Nevertheless, he was amazed with the girl since she had just brushed him off gently. She had this sad atmosphere around her when she had first arrived, and yet he didn't ask her about it. It seemed personal especially with the sad look on her eyes whenever her past was mentioned. Was she abused or something in the past? He looked at her arms and saw no bruises. When they arrived in the mansion, he was surprised that the neuvième had greeted them personally and had hugged the woman. That was the moment he found out that the woman he was assigned to pick up from the airport was his boss' daughter.

His family had been part of the Rose Noire Famiglia even in the time of the première. They were Italian by blood, but they were in a French famiglia. Their family was laughed upon by different people. They said that his family was incompetent to start their own mafia, that they were pathetic. Rico hated that and yet he couldn't detach immediately from the neuvième. The neuvième was a very gentle and diligent boss. That is why he decided that after the term of the neuvième, he would stop everything related to the Rose Noire Famiglia. He was getting him and his family name out of the Rose Noire Famiglia and start another Famiglia of their own. Besides, the next boss was going to be that guy - Andre.

That guy was very insufferable and insolent. Rico hated that guy so much, especially with the way he treated everybody. He was very gentle when he was in front of the neuvième, but he showed his true colors when the neuvième was out of sight. Rico hated him a lot. Thus, he was getting out the Famiglia once Andre was going to be proclaimed as Dixième.

One day, the neuvième suddenly disappeared without a trace with her Guardians. They had looked far and wide throughout the whole lord in search for the neuvième and they could not see her. Nevertheless, a new boss was going to be proclaimed. He knew that it was time for him to leave. He was about to leave on the very day of the proclamation when the daughter of the neuvième stopped him and asked him to stay and then leave once the celebration was over.

During the course of the celebration, different families were invited. Many prominent Famigia Bosses in Northern Europe were present. He knew most of the people around, except for five people - There was a red-haired green-eyed woman, who looked Italian. There was another woman who was wearing a trench coat, she had jet black hair that was tied up. Another woman he didn't recognize was this Chinese woman, she had brown eyes and was wearing a red Cheongsam dress.

Moreover, there was this man who was taller than him by an inch or so, his raven black hair and black eyes were striking. Lastly, there was this fair-skinned lady who had ash blonde hair and blue eyes. The person who was with them whom he recognized a lot was the daughter of the neuvième. It seemed that they were visitors of the daughter of the neuvième, eh, but it was weird, considering that this was the proclamation of Andre as the Dixième, unless...

"Rico! You're really here!" Haru called out as he went near, "I never expected that you would really stay behind until the end of this." He chuckled and replied, "It was a lady who asked me to do so, right princesse?" Haru chuckled on his remark while she gave him a box. "If that is the case, then please do not let this out of your sight until the end of this program. At the same time, don't look what is inside this."

He raised an eyebrow as he received the box after she had handed it out to him. "But, isn't that unfair princesse that you're going to let me keep something and I don't know what the contents of this box are?" He asked as she simply gave him a smile and nodded. "It is unfair, but think of this as a last favor from me, Rico." He sighed and nodded. He couldn't contradict what she had said. Besides, this was the last favor he was going to have to do for her.

Rico grimaced as he remembered that memory. True, that was going to be the last favor of Haru because after that, they were going to be orders. He shook his head as he tried to remember the events that took place that time. He continued his steps towards the back exit of the Rose Noire Mansion. He was going to do some reminiscing before he fought in this battle.

"Rico!" Haru called as he was still eating some food. He felt hungry for a moment and had decided to eat the food that was prepared for the guests. Well, he was hungry and there was food to eat. So, he was eating. "Come here first." She called as he sighed and got up with the box on his hand. He was going to have to hand over the box because the ceremony was almost ending. In a few minutes, they were going to proclaim the Dixième and he was going to sulk since Andre was going to be the boss of the Famiglia he had grown to love so much.

"Yes, yes. I was still eating, you know." He said as he went near the brunette, who had a small smile on her face. "You know, I'm going to introduce you to everybody. This is Rico Compagnucci." She introduced him to her friends. He looked at her. Was it possible that- "No. I do not have a crush on you. If I will, that would be the time when hell freezes over." She immediately said to his face as he blinked. She was really something. He would have stayed with the Rose Noire Famiglia if she was going to be the Dixième. Unfortunately and fortunately at the same time, she wasn't going to be the Dixième.

"This is Violeta Ricci, an Italian. Antoinette Régis, a Frenchwoman. Tan Li-Chen, a Chinese girl. This lad would be K. And lastly, Elizabeth Ashford, a British. Oh. You can call her Lizzy." Haru introduced them to him as they either nodded, smiled, and waved at him. He sighed. "Are there anymore details that you would like to share, princesse?" He asked as Haru chuckled. "It would be better if you got to know them better, Rico."

He nodded, but he remembered that this was going to be his last day. What was the use of knowing them? Besides, they did not look mafia material. So, they weren't going to be helpful in his aim to start a new Famiglia. It was sad, they seemed great, especially the women.

He chuckled as he remembered that parse of his memory. It was funny that he had thought of them as weak, when they were very strong. Violetta Ricci. She was strong enough to be the Right Hand of the Boss. She had a feisty personality, but her loyalty was extreme. She wasn't also the type to abandon her comrades when in danger.

Antoinette Régis was a very sweet Frenchwoman. She was cute, but she was not his type though, especially when she would let out those lame and petty jokes of hers. Nevertheless, her expertise with the darts was superb and she was certainly a force to be reckoned with. She was very friendly and she never underestimated anyone.

Tan Li-Chen was cowardly, but she was their Ace. She would win in every match and she would never fail to win against any enemy. She was not always at the Rose Noire Paris HQ always, though. Well, she was free as the Wind, which matched her element. Too bad that she was missing. Yes, she was simply missing. She was not yet dead. She might be lost right now somewhere in Mainland China with her partner.

K was a very easy-going person. You could easily strike up a conversation with him, but he had sadistic tendencies. His past continues to be a mystery to everyone, but he was a good person. Well, that was what his instincts told him. He also is completely loyal to Haru. He is also a very strong Guardian of the Rose Noire Famiglia. In fact, he was only second to Tan Li-Chen...

Lastly, the tame and very meek Elizabeth Ashford. She was the oldest Guardian, but she always was gentle with everybody, which sometimes made you think whether Vio was older than Lizzy. Nevertheless, she was always smiling and she would never hesitate to help anybody in need, but whenever she held her guns, she would transform into a very vicious and merciless person, that was why it was best to not let her touch her guns, especially when there isn't any need of one.

"Rico, are you near there already?" Haru's voice rang over his headphones. He smiled, "Yes, Haru-chi. I'm nearby already. Stay calm." And now, what part was he already?

"What?" He shouted as Haru handed him the Wood Whip. Did he just hear it right? Was Haru just proclaimed as the Dixième and not Andre? And was he just called forth as the Wood Guardian, while the rest of the people he had met earlier were also fellow Guardians? This must have been a mistake.

"What's the meaning of this?" He and Andre had chorused with each other. They glared at each other before they looked back at Haru. "I thought I was going to be the boss!" Andre said as Rico said another thing, "Why was I chosen as the Wood Guardian?" There had to be come kind of mistake. He was about to leave the Rose Noire Famiglia.

"The Rose Noire Famiglia Bosses need to have the blood of the Première. In other words, I had to inherit my mother's post." Haru told Andre whose eyes had widened, "and Rico, I deemed you worthy to be my Wood Guardian. The Wood that roots up and becomes the strong base. You were able to keep a strong front earlier, not looking what the contents of the box were, despite the big temptation." She added as Rico's eyes widened.

"So, you mean, if I did look at the contents of the box, I wouldn't have been chosen?" Rico asked as Haru chuckled, "Perhaps, yes, but I knew deep inside that you weren't going to, judging the type of person you are."

The words said by the Dixième had stuck in his mind. He was surprised by the words that Haru had told him. He didn't know that that was how she had seen him. He smiled and smirked. "Well then, Dixième, please be careful not to fall for me." He said with his swooning gaze as Haru rolled her eyes and replied, "When hell freezes over, that would be the time I will fall in love with you, Rico." She chuckled as she handed out the other Element Weapons to the other chosen Guardians.

The Italian woman had the Fire Sword. The Frenchwoman had the Water Bow. The Chinese woman had the Wind Fan. The lone man had the Metal Daggers. The Englishwoman had the Light Orb. He smiled. He was going to have to stay, after all the woman had become the Dixième. He chuckled. His plans of having to start another mafia Famiglia had to wait for a moment.

He opened the doors that led to the back exit of the Rose Noire Compound. He saw Antoinette Règis panting and was almost dropping to the ground with her tattered clothes. Antoinette and her three opponents looked at his arrival.

"Oh my. Three versus one. Isn't it unfair?" He said as Antoinette chuckled, "Oh. It's just you, Rico. I thought it was someone else." Rico chuckled as well as he took out his weapon.

"That other woman present there was the one who had killed Li-Chen." Antoinette pointed to a woman who was wearing a blue Cheongsam dress. "Oh my, how did you know?" The woman asked as she took out the Wind Fan. "Oh yes. This. The Éventail du vent, was it? If I remember the way she called it..."

"Well then, it's about time I make my proper appearance. There was this girl who kidnapped me earlier and had placed me somewhere, which would be the reason for my late arrival. I am Pierre Molyneux. The real one." A lad in a white suit that made him look like a Casanova introduced himself as he pointed at Rico. "You are the Wood Guardian, right?"

Rico nodded. "Well then, let us have the fight of our lives." Pierre said as he took out his weapon and clashed his with Rico's weapon.

jychan: WOAH! IT'S RICO'S PAST! AND Li-Chen's opponent (see Of Skylarks and Plums for more details) appeared! What is going to happen now that they're three to two! OH MY GOSH! Reviews make my day. I'm just saying... So, what do you think will happen?

EK12: Yes. Yes. I wholeheartedly agree. Cakes are my comfort food. XD

Spirit kagome: Probably when this is all over, then I can write something about that, eh? :)

10th Squad 3rd Seat: Yes. Wood is next. Actually probably on chapter 13. :)))))

Dark Gothic Lolita: Yes. I just wish there would be the time when Haru would say 'desu' and 'Hahi' once again! :)))))) Let's just wait and see. ;)