Part one: chapter ten: friendly faces

Unknown location

March, 1600

The forest was dark and eerily quiet. Silence hung heavily over the heads of the unwelcomed individuals that broke its stillness by crossing the hidden path. There was a certain dose of unreality in the air and its surroundings that made shivers run down the spine of any sane person that made a mistake of trespassing there. The animals were strangely absent, making the area seem as almost abandoned, making the sound of the hooves gently stepping on the ground to be much louder than they were in reality, their unwelcome presence much more pronounced.

Giotto had his times of being scared of his own shadows long behind him, not forgotten though, but the situation still made him strangely uncomfortable - he wasn't fully certain whether it was the aftermath of the fight or if there was something lurking around that made his senses go on a high alert all the time. Usually, once the danger was over and he was away from it, his adrenaline level would go down. But this time was different. While their situation seemed to improve slightly - they had means to travel to more safe locations and there was no longer a dangerous opponent lying in wait to kidnap Alexandra - he still was far from being at ease and relaxed. The place they were going to, while probably much safer than their previous one, was shown to them by a stranger who was not keen on diminishing his worries and concerns at all by providing any possible answer to the questions Giotto might have. Aside from the previous introduction, not many words were exchanged between them. He still didn't know the name of the man wearing fedora that was currently glancing at him occasionally and doing quite a good job at covering it, to the blond's discomfort. He would probably miss that if his senses weren't still at its peak - which he used also to keep an eye of their surroundings, trying to get a sight of any suspicious activity that could be a signal of another attack coming. What had just happened could not be repeated at any cost.

He had been off guard before, a fact that had him grit his teeth in annoyance when he thought of it. He hadn't expected such a lack of attention out of himself. Not after all the training he had done to be where he was now. If was to expect more of his Guardians and his men, he needed to be at his best as well.

Not knowing where they were was irking him even more. Looking ahead of himself, Giotto couldn't recognize anything, but it was almost impossible to expect it in the first place. The forests surrounding the local towns were enormous when it came to its length, covering twice as much space as the houses and other buildings. And while he usually enjoyed his time spent in nature by taking long walks in the area close to his Residence, the current path they were taking gave him nothing but anxiety and restless feeling. It was hard to estimate whether he had ever been in this part before or not and nothing gave him the indication of what place they were travelling to. It definitely didn't lead to the Cavallone Residence, that much he could say - they had changed the direction from the beginning, straying from the straight path that would lead them to Lorenzo and Claire.

"I thought Luce was still in Japan." he said suddenly, turning his eyes to the man riding in front of their small group.

In the corner of his eye he could see the way Lizzie jolted in surprise, riding on a horse on his left, not expecting any sound to break the silence. The young maid was doing her best to keep a brave face, but her lips kept quivering occasionally when she looked at her mistress. The brunette was resting, still unconscious, against Giotto as they made their way through the dark forest.

The man looked over his shoulder, not giving any indication of being startled or surprised himself. The movement brought Giotto's attention back to him.

"She came back a few months ago."

Giotto furrowed his brows, not certain what to think of it.

"The news didn't reach me." he said under his breath.

"It's not my fault how you keep track of your friends."

Amber eyes narrowed, though the man was already looking in front of himself once again, ignoring the blond's glare.

It didn't last long anyway, as Giotto got distracted by the feeling of Alexandra's body moving slightly as she almost slipped off the horse - keeping her lifeless form on the top of the animal was a bit problematic and he had to make sure his grip was strong enough to keep her in place. The prickling feeling on his skin when his hand accidentally brushed her ensured him that the events from before were not his imagination. The residue of the aura of her Flame was still lingering around her. It was as if he was touching tiny shreds of glass, he thought to himself, unconsciously rubbing his fingers against each other. Not sharp enough to cut the skin, but leaving the sensation that it could do so if necessary, a sense of warning. It made him curious about the exact nature of Carlevaro Flame - he had seen its strength and force before, but never studied it or asked about too intimate aspects of it to not offend Francesco. The aura of the Flame differed for every type of it. Lampow tended to emit small sparks of energy whenever someone came to the close contact with him after the activation of Lightning Flame. G in turn had a heightened body temperature for some time afterwards and the air around Ugetsu seemed to be much more refreshing than before.

His curiosity died when he took a close look at Alexandra's face. She seemed lifeless, the paleness of her skin contrasting with the dark blue colour of her coat and brownness of her hair that had fallen out of her hairdo during the accident. Ever since she had fallen from the carriage into his arms she hadn't moved a single muscle or given any indication she was going to wake up soon. And he really wanted her to regain her consciousness. Mostly to ensure she was healthy and there was no damage done to her during the accident and the following attack.

And partially because he had many questions to ask her. The fact that she had the power and strength to use the Flame surprised him - the occurrence of a woman using it was rare, if mostly non-existent. So far, he had heard only of one able to do so and he had yet to witness her doing it.

"We are here."

Giotto shook himself out of his thoughts hearing the words, surprised. The building that came into view was of a moderate size - nothing close to the residences built by the nobles, but more spacious than the houses built by middle and lower classes. The more Giotto looked at it, the more unreal it looked with every passing minute. The clearing it was built on was quite big and the parts not taken by the house and the outbuildings were greatly cared for and covered with plants differing between herbs, vegetables and decorative flowers. Only a wooden fence was separating it from the spacious forest surrounding it, more as a protection from forest animals that could destroy the flower beds than the unwelcome visitors.

The lights visible through the windows seemed to be much more inviting than ever and Giotto wasn't certain whether it was because of their surroundings or the need to find safety for his companions.

He recognized the figure that came out of the house to meet them straight away. He couldn't see her clearly, not with the eventide taking over the clear light of the day, but the enormous hat on the head of its owner was quite an indication as to who exactly was it. It was hard to forget a person like Luce Giglio Nero. Though he wasn't certain who exactly were the two men that followed closely behind her.

The man in fedora hat reached her first, already mounting down off his horse. Giotto watched as he closed the distance between them, stopping in front of the woman.

"How did it go? Are everyone safe?" Luce asked.

Her voice sounded worried, as if she wasn't certain what answer she was going to get, her blue eyes scanning over the three figures still on the horses, stopping for a longer period of moment on the only one that wasn't moving.

The answer given by the man didn't reach Giotto's ears, but it seemed to calm Luce greatly as she sighed in relief and patted his shoulders with a smile.

"That's why I trusted you with the task." she moved her attention back to the others. "We should get you all inside, it's getting cold out here."

The men accompanying her moved quickly, reaching the newly arrived guests. One helped Lizzie off her horse, taking the reins of the animal as soon as the girl was safely on the ground. When the other one reached his side, fully intent on helping him with Alexandra, Giotto hesitated, his arms tightening around the unconscious woman.

The idea of having her out of his sight after what had happened was making him uncomfortable. At least until they were back in the Residence, surrounded by familiar walls and Guardians to ensure there was no danger reaching her.

"You don't need to worry, Giotto. I will personally make sure she is well taken care of. "

The embarrassment he felt hearing amusement in Luce's voice covered his other emotions for a split second, though it still didn't go away as he lowered Alexandra and quickly climbed off the horse himself.

It took a moment before he was enveloped in a warm and tight hug that brought him a sense of temporary comfort and peace, taking away all the worries he had resting on his shoulders. It didn't last long, but it was enough to help him clear his head from the chaos that followed the adrenaline heightened by the Flame.

"It's been some time. I'm glad you are safe and sound." Luce said, taking a step back and looking him up and down. "But it seems you couldn't avoid getting into a fight."

"As much as I wanted to, it was inevitable." He confirmed.

A movement over her shoulder caught his attention and he looked at the man carrying Alexandra as he made the way into the house. Following his line of vision, Luce nodded her head, indicating for him to follow her inside as well.

"I already called Dan here, he should be arriving shortly. There are rooms prepared for you to rest. The events must have taken a toll on all of you." She said once they crossed the threshold, her voice taking on a worried note.

The warmth that enveloped them was a welcomed difference from the cold air outside, the smell of freshly baked bread and herbal tea taking over the senses of newcomers. There were few people waiting already for them in the corridor, prepared to take any actions as soon as they were required, eyes taking in the state of the arriving guests as the staff tried to assess what exactly would be needed of them.

"Thank you. You are a lifesaver. As always." Giotto replied.

He didn't even try to ask just how she knew about what had happened to them before he was able to recall the events in detail for her benefit. It was Luce's secret power and best kept secret. The one time he had seen her closed off and offensive was when someone tried to pray the truth out of her, asking too many unwanted questions.

Aside from her daughter, it was the thing she was most protective of.

"I'm only doing my best to help." The woman replied with a smile.

He watched as Luce exchanged some words with the awaiting staff, the people moving as soon as the tasks were assigned to them, eager to help her.

When he noticed the man carrying Alexandra moved as well, Giotto went to follow him.

"Where do you think you are going?" Luce's words stopped him short and he turned towards her in confusion.

"After him." he pointed to the man.

"No. You are going to your room to wash and change, as well as the young miss here." Luce smiled at Lizzie who didn't even try to cover her blush at the sudden attention. "In the meantime, I will check and help our patient over there as much as I can before Dan arrives."

As much as the offer seemed tempting, Giotto furrowed his brows, not satisfied with it.

"I'm not leaving Alexandra alone."

He knew he was done for when Luce put her hands on her hips, her usually gentle eyes turning stern.

"Giotto, part of checking and helping includes undressing her and changing her clothes for comfort. And cleaning, as you are all a bit dirty. You may be engaged, but until you are married you are not going anywhere close to her while she is in any state of nudity." She said in a voice that left no place for argument. "Not under my roof, at least. I have no jurisdiction when it comes to your place, but I really hope you are behaving respectfully."

He went red almost instantly at the indication, quite certain he heard a snort of short laughter somewhere behind him.

"Take my advice and just walk away from the argument, boy. It will only cost you time and dignity."

Giotto glared at the man in fedora who seemed greatly amused by the conversation. He couldn't express his frustration at Luce – he doubted anyone would really when it came to her – so the man was the perfect target for that.

He hadn't been called a boy ever since he had been a teenager and on his way to leave the life on the streets behind him.

"Now that it's settled, we will meet downstairs to eat once we are all ready."

He could only admit his defeat when Luce smiled at him, already passing him on her way to follow Alexandra.

Dungeons of unknown location

March, 1600

"Explain to me, please, just how is it possible that two of, allegedly, the best assassins in the country failed to kidnap one woman?"

He was angry.

Furious, to be specific, and quite in a murderous mood. He had been in quite a good mood before, certain that there would be no more delays when it came to having Carlevaro's younger daughter in their not-so loving care. The news that she was out there with only her fiance and the two assassins were free for the task made his day much better. He had even prepared the cell for her already.

And now he was glad that he didn't have time to send a message to the others involved. If he didn't need the two idiots in front of him, he would probably follow his urge and dispose of them in the most gruesome way that would give relief to his overwhelming anger.

But he couldn't – despite their failure, they were still the best in their field. Perhaps he would find someone stronger when it came to sheer physical power, but he preferred to work with people that actually used their brains occasionally and would plan their actions not only based on the strength of their fists. Not to mention, it was hard to come across a Flame user in their occupation without any connection to the existing Houses in Mafia Organization. The fact that he had gathered so many of them into one dysfunctional group gave him an upper hand on the gruesome market and much better jobs than standard thugs would ever receive.

"You never told us the guy is a skilled fighter. And a Sky user to top that." The redhead answered, a deep scowl on his face.

That caught the man's attention as he leaned back in his chair.

He had expected many things out of their opponent – they had already encountered one Mist user after the failed attempt before Christmas and a Cloud user who was guarding the perimeter of the Residence, making it impossible to reach the girl when she was inside. They had yet failed to meet the Storm, Sun, Rain and Lightning users, but he expected that to eventually happen. Their employee gave them a lot of the information about them, though he had noticed before that the man had either downplayed their true strength or was unaware of the extent of it in the first place.

The Sky, though, was a surprise of completely different scope.

"Are you certain?" he asked and the men in front of him nodded their heads. "It wasn't some sort of illusion or anything that would give you the wrong impression?"

The redhead growled at him but backed off with one glare from his leader.

"I would read through the illusion. It was a pure Sky Flame. Even if he was a skilled illusionist, he wouldn't be able to simulate the aura of the Flame, not this one." The hooded man said, rubbing his sore arm.

"I thought only royalty had it." The redhead said, his previous anger gone as he looked questioningly at their leader.

"That's true. But no one from the royalty has ever been known for celibacy. Or constancy in their partners when we are at it." The leader replied thoughtfully.

The existence of royal bastards wasn't a secret – the current scandal in the Capitol was a clear proof of that.

But he had never heard before about any of them actually inheriting the power of the one that gave them their existence. They tended to be similar in looks. Blond and amber eyed children of the royalty brought the attention to themselves and while no one dared to loudly throw such an accusation, when a maid or a prostitute suddenly returned home with such a child from a palace or the workplaces connected to it, the conclusion was clear.

They were not as common as before anymore, though. The women in such a position learned from the events that took place during the reign of the previous King. Known for his infidelity and great stamina, the ruler was believed to have a new lover every day. How much of the exaggeration was in it, no one was able to say, though the quantity of bastards increasing with every passing month was quite an indication that some truth lied in there.

That was until the Queen had enough of her husband embarrassing her. There were rumours of the Queen becoming quite unhealthy on her mind, her husband's actions only driving her over the edge more and more and the events that followed her outburst of rage and thrown threads only proved that. When the children of the King born out of wedlock kept falling mysteriously ill or were found murdered by an unknown individual, the whispers were spreading. Many of the staff working in the palace heard the loudly yelled promises of the Queen towards her husband and his lovers and it seemed she was making them true - whom she had paid to fulfil the task remained forever unknown, as neither she nor anyone else involved in it had shared the identity even despite the torturous investigation. The triumph on her face whenever the news about another little life perishing from the world reached the Throne was sending shivers down the spines of the ones witnessing it.

The woman herself was soon found falling with the mysterious sickness and after her passing the string of tragic events ended, but the lesson was learned. It didn't mean that the members of the Royal Family refrained from infidelity, but the women that found themselves carrying their children made sure to disappear from the Capitol as far as possible in fear of the situation repeating itself.

Or making sure that the pregnancy didn't reach its culmination, but it was a dangerous and often lethal operation in consequences when done in shady locations. And not many were brave enough to go to the King himself for the remuneration of it in fear an unwanted ear could accidentally hear them.

"There is not much known about the Vongola's past." The hooded man said suddenly, bringing the leader out of his thoughts.

"It would be good to know more than we do now. Apparently, there is even more to the man than we assumed in the beginning."

"Are you going to ask our dear employee about it?" the redhead asked, a strange edge in his voice.

"I will breach the subject. I am not certain what exactly he knows himself, but the more information he gives us the better." The leader confirmed with a nod of his head.

"You can also ask him why the fuck he didn't tell us the girl has a Flame as well."

He watched the two men in front of him with a blank expression for a second, not certain if he heard correctly. The redhead snorted, both in amusement and impatience, motioning to the hooded figure by his side.

"Who do you think gave him all the bruises? The Carlevaro brat blasted him away when he tried to take her."

"It's not possible." The leader whispered, straightening back in his chair.

"The Flame of Illumination was quite real, thank you." The hooded man replied, glancing at the holes in his robe where the direct impact hit him.

"She has never shown any sign of it before." The leader said, more to himself than to his companions.

The situation was growing much more complicated. While their other targets were quite easy to obtain, even with the protection their families ensured for them in the light of the looming dangers, the Carlevaro younger daughter continuously caused them trouble.

They had assumed she was protected by her father's men, as they were around her during the attacks - the point only showing how unskilful the previously hired thugs were. And none of them returned home to share the news of what exactly had occurred. The man leaned on his desk, resting his chin on joined hands.

No one had taken into consideration that the girl could actually protect herself.

"Do you think it's better to resign from her?" the hooded figure asked, bringing the attention to himself.

It was a bit problematic to recognize his emotions without seeing his face or his eyes. But they all had their quirks and the leader wasn't going to the one to judge him.

"No. If anything, this makes her even more tempting." He replied honestly, his fingers drumming on the surface of the table as he straightened. "If she can activate the Flame, there is a higher possibility of her passing it onto her children. Do you know how much it will be worth, to have a child with a Flame of the Founding Family?"

The girl was already priceless, with her origins and connection there were many that would pay a not-so-small fortune for her. Now, she would turn to be their most expensive goods offered for their awaiting customers. And he didn't really care anymore just how many people she would cost him to have her kidnapped and brought in front of him.

Resigning from kidnapping her only because it turned out to be more problematic than they assumed originally was out of question. He wasn't going to back down from a challenge only because of that – especially if it was going to bring him so much wealth in the end.

He just needed to get a meeting with their employee to get him to admit everything he had been holding away from him.

And that would be just as problematic as kidnapping the girl herself.

Giglio Nero Residence

March, 1600

Giotto kept looking at the portrait in the frame hanging over the fireplace in the dining room of the Giglio Nero Residence, warming his hands around the cup of tea provided by the maid already awaiting him. After the bath, he had gone to the room appointed by Luce as the meeting point, hoping she would be there already, though it seemed she was still occupied. He could only hope that it didn't mean Alexandra's state was much worse than he expected it to be. The reason behind her unconsciousness still bothered him greatly.

The portrait itself wasn't anything surprising itself - it was a standard for most families. Not so much for the ones of lower class, as it was hard to spare money for such decorations. Usually, only the ones lucky enough to have a familiar person with a talent willing to do it for a much smaller price could afford it. He had done a few for himself when he had been looking for a way to earn bread in the past to feed himself. And while he was nowhere close to G's talent when it came to drawing, it was enough to help them get through the hard days. It was only after he had ordered his own portrait and his Guardians to hang around their Residence that he learned just how much such a thing could cost in reality in certain circles - it had cost him a small fortune that had made G almost blow up at him after the Storm Guardian had found out the truth.

But the art hanging in Luce's Residence was something else. The usual family painting included all members of it standing stiffly in the appointed order, posing for the painter for hours to have it done. They were serious, strict even, lacking any form or indication what the relationship of the people on it was in reality. It tended to be almost impersonal and cold in reception and Giotto couldn't shake the feeling that the more pressing the impression was, the better job the painter was believed to do.

It was a portrait of her and her daughter, that much Giotto could recognize - he had never seen the child before, but the uncanny resemblance the girl had to her mother was eye catching, down to the same birth mark on the cheek. The flower-like shape was supposedly passed down from one Giglio Nero generation to the other, but he had never considered that it was really looking identical. Instead of posing next to each other, looking straight at the painter and awaiting his job to be done, the daughter was sitting on her mother's lap, smiling widely and pointing at the book her mother was holding and reading to her. They were both illuminated by the soft light falling through the window they were sitting next to.

The love and bond they shared was almost blinding and Giotto was strongly impressed by the talent of the painter to portray it - and curious to find out who it was. It looked as if a person drawing it spent enough time with both of them to have the scene engraved into his memory, deeply enough to make it possible to move it to canva with every small detail.

He liked it much better than his own portrait, even though it had been painted by the best painter in the area. While he couldn't disagree that the painting bore great similarity to him, he was rather taken aback by how serious and strict he looked.

"It was made by a friend of mine. I would recommend him, but he rarely agrees to do commissions. Never, more like it."

Giotto turned rapidly when the voice reached his ears. Luce glanced at the portrait as she entered the room, her eyes softening for a second when she watched her daughter there.

"How is Alexandra?" he asked the most pressing questions straight away.

"Miss Carlevaro is still unconscious, but there doesn't seem to be any injuries to her that would raise Dan's suspicions. He is still going to come here tomorrow. Hopefully, she will be awake by then, as it would make the examination much easier." she replied, standing next to him. "There is no need to worry for her, I'm sure she will be fine after she rests."

The words brought some relief to him, but there was still anxiety in his mind that couldn't be gone until she was awake, talking and walking around, confirming the words.

"Thank you. It would be hard to get away from there without your help." he said, making sure his voice portrayed exactly the gratitude he felt.

"It was my pleasure. You know I will always try to help however I can." she replied. "But from what I heard you managed quite fine on your own."

He hesitated. While he trusted Luce with his life, after everything she had done to him so far, Alexandra's powers were still her own secret and something was telling him she wouldn't be very thankful if he shared it for her with a person she had never met before.

"The second guy was a surprise, but it turned out alright in the end." he replied eventually.

Luce threw him a contemplative look, a humour sparkling in the blue eyes.

"I heard. Reborn saw some of your fight. He was supposed to help you, but apparently decided you are handling matters on your own."

He felt like a little boy caught in a was a partial truth, even if he was in his twenties at the point. Somehow, the possibility of the man witnessing everything had escaped his memory - or maybe he was ignoring it in hopes Alexandra's secret hadn't been exposed to so many people.

"His name is Reborn?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

Luce nodded her head, sighing.

"He is a good guy, deep in his heart, but his manners can be a little rough." she said under her breath.

"I don't doubt your judgement." he promised.

They hadn't exchanged much words during their short journey to Luce's house, but the man had somehow rubbed him the wrong way. Giotto wasn't certain what exactly it was, but there was no trust between them.

A movement made him look at Luce and he observed as the woman made a way to the closest chair, sitting down and getting comfortable there. She was missing her signature hat at this point, taking it off when indoors for comfort.

"How is everything going for you?" she asked, an honest curiosity lacing her question. "Is everything alright with the family?"

She gestured for him to take the seat as well. He would prefer to stand, as the adrenaline was still buzzing in his veins, making him much more energised than he usually were. But he didn't want to be impolite by refusing the invitation so he obediently sat on the chair opposite her.

"Good. Great, even. The investments paid off faster than I expected and we now have quite a stable standing. Something I didn't expect to happen so fast." he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "And Demon got engaged, I'm not sure if you have heard. Elena is living with us, she became a part of our family. You will like her, once you meet her."

"That's really good news. And I'm certain she is great, seeing as she is part of your family. Give my congratulations to Demon." Luce said with a smile. "It's also good to see that the Vongola is gaining some feminine touch. I'm sure that with Miss Elena and Miss Carlevaro your uncontrollable bunch will become a bit more placid."

Giotto honestly doubted it. Elena had lived with them for a few years now and her presence didn't change the Guardians much after they became accustomed to her. And while they still held themselves back with Alexandra to some extent, their true colours were showing up more often recently, something he didn't miss.

"You got used to the Ring, if today's was any indication." Luce said suddenly.

Giotto nodded his head, glancing down at the Vongola Sky Ring on his finger.

"I will never repay you for that gift." he admitted honestly. "The power they give and the way they transmit the Flames is incomparable."

"The Rings were awaiting the proper bearers. I was simply a mediator between you and them." Luce said, a mysterious smile gracing her lips.

There was nothing simple about it.

Giotto had felt the difference the moment he had used the Vongola Ring for the first time. He and the others had been using the Flame Rings bought from Talbot, as the man always had a stash of them hidden safely behind his shop. They had trained with them and learned how to use their powers. And while they served their purpose, there had always been a feeling of something being missed - the theory had been confirmed with Luce's unexpected appearance in his life as soon as he had taken over the Lord of the Vongola House title.

She hadn't given him the Rings straight away. That would be too easy and naive of her. It was only after she had ensured they wouldn't be used for the wrong purpose and that he was worthy of wielding their powers that she presented it to him. And they surprisingly fitted all of his Guardians, even the ones that joined him later on.

They were the missing element that allowed them to reach the top of their potential.

"And that only proves my point." he pointed out with a smile.

Luce smiled back at him, but didn't continue the subject at hand, seeing as the more she would negate her personal impact on the matter, the more Giotto would insist on highlighting it. There was no sense in prolonging the pointless discussion.

"How was Japan?" He changed the subject himself.

"As refreshing as ever. Aria loved it there as well and was inconsolable when it was time to move back here." she admitted. "Most probably we will be heading back there once our task here is done."

"I thought you were going to stay there permanently. At least that's the impression I got the last time we talked."

The decision about Luce's departure to Japan had been shared soon after he had received the Rings as a gift from her. It had taken him by surprise back then - it wasn't a very popular destination for Europeans to travel to as there happened to people not even aware of such a country existing in the first place. There had never been any indication of Luce being there before, but the way she had spoken about the places she had planned to visit had made him believe she must have spent a lot of time there.

He had been a bit jealous of her, if he was to admit it honestly. A great part of his heart ached to be back in the place of his birth, but the role and duty he had taken on himself proved it to be impossible to return there for a longer period of time. And the last time he had the opportunity to do so had turned out to be a chaotic and rushed visit which resulted in Ugetsu following them back to Italy.

Luce hesitated, her eyes glancing to the side as she took a brief glimpse of the painting on the wall, reassuring herself she had made a correct decision, before replying.

"That was the original plan when I thought I fulfilled my duty. But it turns out that the future always holds something up in its sleeve to surprise us with." she replied, her eyes taking on a thoughtful expression for a moment before she shook herself out of it.

"Something is bothering you."

It wasn't a question, but a simple statement of fact. Giotto would be lying if he said that he knew Luce in and out, but they knew enough of each other to tell him that the suddenly clouded look in her eyes wasn't an indication of the upcoming trouble.

"There is always something bothering me. You can't have a power of mine without that small consequence." she replied with a smile.

Giotto didn't know that much about Luce's powers. Aside from the fact that she possessed a Sky Flame not having any blood ties to the Royal Family. Which is why she had always been very careful with the people she let around herself, not wanting to gain too much attention from the ones she wanted to avoid. And there was a list of them, apparently, though Giotto was not certain just how many names there were in the end. But he was quite certain there was more to her than she had felt comfortable sharing yet.

But Luce had an uncanny ability of knowing things and taking actions in the perfect moment of time and place. And the happy coincidence could be a convenient excuse only to some point.

"Is it concerning the Mafia?" he asked, the worry and curiosity taking better of him.

"It always does, one way or another." she confirmed with a nod of her head. "There is nothing to worry too much about. Not yet, at least. You can say I just wanted to be close to the events in case something goes awry."

"You are as cryptic as ever."

Luce smiled brightly, the words apparently causing her a great joy for some reason unbeknownst to him. She had always been like this – despite being the most friendly and gentle person he had ever known, she seemed to greatly enjoy dodging direct questions and giving clues instead of straightforward answers.

Giotto still had a hard time deciding whether she was doing it intentionally or not, but the occasional glimmer in her eye told him it was the first option.

He more sensed than heard the person approaching behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he wasn't even surprised to see the man in fedora – Reborn, as strange as the name was - entering the room, his hand straightening the black jacket he was wearing as the dark eyes settled immediately on Luce.

"The perimeter is clear. There is no one around the close vicinity of the house." He said.

The woman tilted her head, but despite the obvious surprise on her face, her voice still held a humorous note in it when she spoke.

"You didn't have to do that. We have capable men brought here especially for such tasks."

"I'm much more comfortable ensuring on my own that there is no danger at your doorstep."

Luce smiled brightly at him, nodding her head with gratitude despite her previous assurance that there was something he didn't have to do – the man was and probably always would be the person she trusted the most with the safety of her family and her own, so receiving such a confirmation from him calmed her down considerably.

"That means that the people that attacked you didn't follow you here." she turned to Giotto, her face turning serious. "I didn't really expect them to, but it is still good news to hear."

Giotto couldn't agree more with her. While grateful for the help they had received, he would never forgive himself if he brought any danger to Luce and her household with his presence there.

"I need to contact G. They may try to get to us again, so it will be safer for you if we are gone." he said, his forehead scrunching at the thought.

"You don't need to worry about that. There are enough people here to protect you in case of danger." Luce said, watching him closely.

"Who was their target?"

Giotto looked at Reborn, a bit surprised that the man addressed him directly, considering the way he had been ignoring his presence mostly up to this point. The dark eyes were unreadable and held no emotions that could give any indication about what the man could be thinking about.

Weighing his option, he wandered for a spare second about the possibility of not putting to much attention of the unknown man to Alexandra, making himself a target instead, but that would arise much more questions than he wanted to deal with - a Flame user attacking a nobility with no contacts to Mafia wasn't as common as one could think. Reborn already knew too much, after witnessing what had happened next to the fallen carriage, and Giotto didn't really want to give him the opportunity of finding out even more.

"They wanted to kidnap Alexandra." he replied eventually, clearing his throat after realising the silence was prolonging for too long. "From what I was made to believe, she is their next target."

"Next target?" Luce repeated questioningly.

Finding someone who wasn't aware of what was happening lately was surprising - and a bit refreshing, as knowing that there was still someone not influenced by the dark atmosphere of their hometown brought a strange sense of normality. Though it was gone the moment he tried to think of the best way to pass the news to them without too much details, minding Luce's presence in the room.

"All local towns have been experiencing a series of kidnappings in the last weeks. Followed by discoveries of corpses with the signs of different range of torture. Despite everyone's effort, the culprit hasn't been found yet."

He didn't want to add anything more - not when he remembered the descriptions of the wounds inflicted on the victims by their killer. It was enough he had to read every single report of it, mesmerising the cruelty and pain they had to go through in their final moments of living.

There was no sign of gasping or any other audible form of reaction for his words - the only indication that his words were registered was the worried scrunch of Luce's forehead and a worried look that showed in her eyes as she took a moment to think about the news

"How many?"

There was no difference neither in the man's voice nor expression as Reborn watched him, awaiting the answer. Giotto returned the look for a second, trying to see any other reaction, though he wasn't successful. And he wasn't certain what to think of it. It was to be suspected of anyone to look at least shocked or surprised by such information. The fact that the man showed none of it was worrying and suspicious.

And didn't make Giotto any more friendly towards Reborn.

"Five so far from my town. I am not exactly sure how many towns were affected as well. At least a few of the closest ones." he replied nonetheless.

The information wasn't confidential - considering how widely the subject was discussed and how many details despite Gabriel's best efforts had managed to leak so far, that could be heard anywhere on the street upon small inquiry. Which was both helpful for him in gathering some additional intel and problematic, as the news could help the culprit as well.

"Are you looking for the culprit?" Reborn asked again.

"Carlevaro House is the one running the investigation. Everyone is doing what they can to support them, but they are the most skilled ones in such fields."

He wasn't going to admit going behind the backs of his befriended House and doing his own investigation to a stranger, though the calculative look in Luce's eyes as she watched him told him that she was suspecting something out of him.

"Isn't that the surname of that unconscious girl? Are you sure they are really that good?"

"Miss Carlevaro is Giotto's fiancee, Reborn, be respectful." Luce chastised him gently.

"I'm just curious. The count of victims is quite high to not have any culprits at this point. Especially if they are so skilled in their job." the man replied with no sense of wrongdoing, shrugging his shoulders.

"Carlevaro House is the family responsible for handling investigations for the Royal Family. I doubt you will find anyone better at this than Francesco and his men." Giotto pointed out.

He couldn't stop the tiny spark of hesitation. While he trusted Francesco fully in running his family business, Gabriel was a completely different matter - which is why he had decided to run his own investigation without consulting with the man first. If he had discovered anything that went unnoticed by Gabriel, he would obviously share it with him, anonymously to cover any possible tracks that would lead to Vongola's name participating in any form in the discovery of it.

But so far Alaude had come as empty handed as Gabriel, which brought him only additional worry, instead of calming him down. He had hoped, somewhere at the back of his head, that a mistake or omission had been done accidentally and they could put the investigation on the right track. Otherwise, the person behind all the tragedy that had been happening was good enough to not leave any trace behind - and that was a scary possibility.

Which was becoming a more glaring reality with every passing day.

"If they are so good and still weren't able to come up with anything, perhaps the killer is just better. Or experienced enough to know how to cover his steps."

Giotto considered the man's words, amber eyes watching him thoughtfully.

Reborn's suggestion wasn't a shocking revelation - Alaude had the same idea after the third victim was discovered.

"There were no records of anything like this happening before." he said eventually.

The officials' files, as scarce as they were, brought no evidence to the Cloud Guardian once he had put his hands on them, as well as the conversations with older law enforcements had done nothing in supporting the thesis.

"Just because it didn't happen locally doesn't mean it didn't happen at all." Reborn shrugged his shoulders.

Luce cleared her throat, gaining the attention of both men on herself, though her eyes were settled on Reborn, her brows raised and a gentle smile present on her face. The two stared at each other for a moment, a conversation running between them with no words exchanged.

Or maybe a discussion ended with Reborn's defeat, as the man let out a long, painful sigh, before breaking the contact.

"There is a group of small towns on the east, maybe four days of fast travel away from here. When I was there a few years back they were struggling with something similar. Series of kidnappings, followed by deaths, Mafia nobles mostly." he said, moving his attention back to GIotto.

"How do you know that?" the blond asked in turn.

Reborn seemed ready to evade the direct answer, but refrained from it once Luce shifted on her chair.

"I was there during that time for… business matters. Couldn't stay long enough to see how it ended, but it had everyone on edge. For more details, you will need to check it yourself."

Giotto was torn.

While the information was useful and potentially the most fruitful one since the beginning of investigation, he was still reluctant to trust a complete stranger. Sending one of his Guardians out to check on this would mean delegating him away for two weeks, more or less, considering the distance. With everything going on, such an absence was enormous. Though they were at the point of chasing a goose anyway. Even slightest information or clues could be groundbreaking for them and save some lives.

And hopefully return some of the kidnapped victims back home alive and in one piece.

"If you want to send a word out, I will have one of my men deliver it for you immediately." Luce's words brought his line of thought.

The woman was watching him, an understanding in her eyes as she nodded her head at him.

It was a signal to convince him to trust Reborn, he recognized it. And while he would usually heed her advice without questions, there was still a part of him that hesitated to do so. He wasn't certain whether it was caused by the same untrust he felt from the man himself, or something else that he wasn't able yet to recognize, but it was too obvious to simply ignore.

But he trusted Luce, and for now it had to be enough.

"If I could borrow a piece of paper and pen as well it would be helpful." he requested. "I need to let the guys know what happened as well, before they will panic."

Lorenzo would send out a person to search for them if they didn't show up on an agreed day - and they would come across the fallen carriage and no sign of its passengers. Giotto wanted to avoid a situation where his Guardians would set out a full scale rescue mission not knowing where they ended up. That could have mixed consequences.

He watched as Luce stood up and turned towards a door, a maid entering as soon as she straightened, apparently waiting all this time nearby to be ready when they needed her.

"You can go to my office, Aby will lead you the way."

"I expected more of him."

Luce turned towards Reborn when he spoke as soon as Giotto disappeared behind the door, following the appointed maid, clearing her throat lightly to cover a smile that threatened to show on her face.

"You are prejudiced. I doubt you would state differently even if he took over the throne." she said, a spark of humour in her voice.

"He is supposedly the most powerful out of all Vongola bosses ever to be." he reminded her with a raised eyebrow.

"Out of ten. You don't know what comes later."

"Apparently nothing, as the Vongola ended with tenth."

The words were spoken harshly, though Luce knew better than to be offended by it. The anger was not directed at her, it never was. What she hadn't seen with her powers, Reborn reluctantly shared with her after much probing once they had found each other in this world. As well as the blame the memories of their previous lives brought him would never go away, never diminish his distrust and disappointment he held towards his last pupil. The one he thought would exceed the blond they were discussing.

"What you know about Giotto comes from the records written down after he became Primo. He isn't there yet. And won't be for some time. For now, he is still a young man raising his family to the point where they can even be considered to enter the Mafia." she said, deciding not to continue his line of conversation. "And he could use help, you know. History doesn't need to repeat itself."

The glare Reborn sent her held not much power and she only smiled at him gently in return.

The moment he had discovered that the person he was supposed to help was GIotto Vongola, he had been on the defensive, reluctant but yet unable to refuse her. Curiosity played its part in it as well, even if Reborn was adamant on not admitting it. He had been staying clear of anything that could have been connected to Vongola - not from the Mafia itself, as it was in his blood, but he had even refrained from checking on Cavallone House occasionally, to Luce's surprise and a bit of worry.

"As if you haven't seen it yet." he said under his breath, trying his best not to sound childish.

"As the matter of fact, I haven't."

That caught his attention, diverting it from the memories of the past that haunted him daily in every second of his being.

"What do you mean?"

Luce's Power of DIvitation had never failed her yet. She could see the future and what it held for them, which also gave her the ability to get accustomed with the unknown surroundings faster than any of the other Arcobaleno that had shared their faith.

She had been the one that tracked them all down, being by their sides when the memories started coming, flooding their minds to the point of breaking.

"Ever since Miss Carlevaro took over the position of Giotto's fiancee, I can't see the Vongola's future. Before, everything was on the same path as we know it. Now, I can barely see it with only a few hours of advance, at best." she admitted, glancing at the fire thoughtfully.

"Great. We won't make it past the first generation this time."

The sarcasm was dripping out of Reborn's words and she sent him a scolding look.

"Or maybe it's a sign of change. Remember, the future isn't always set in stone." she pointed out.

"I will believe it when I see it."

Author's note: Hello all. I just wanted to thank everyone who took time to read, review, favorite and follow the story so far - it's a gret pleasure to know you like and enjoy it! I also wanted to apologize for taking so long to update the new chapter. I will try to do better next time.