Our attack force planned by the CEDEF and Timoteo was gathered in the dark of the night. Loading up and going over the last minute plans, I realized that Dino and Squalo were the same height. I smiled to myself. Little Pipsqueak Dino was definitely a man now.

Squalo hadn't changed on the inside one bit since I met him. He was yelling at Dino with all his heart, "You think we're going to be dropped off after you?! Hell no! I've got a whole squad itching to kill. If we have to wait for you guys to get dropped off and then head over, we'll kill you before we get there!"

"Bu-But Lal Mirch said-!"

"I don't care what she said!"

"Heh." I grasped Dino's shoulder, grinning at Squalo menacingly, "Fine. We'll do it your way but that means you have to hold out longer if they overwhelm you."

"Feh. Like hell we'd be put in that position." Squalo snorted at me, "We aren't you guys."

Irked, I shoved Dino aside and put my hand out for Squalo, "Fine. We'll drop you off first then and you can walk to the next two locations you have to hit since we'll be taking soooo long."

Clearly, he hadn't thought about it. If we get dropped off first, they get to take the copter but if they get dropped off first, chances are they would have to head to their two other locations on foot.

"Fine!" Squalo slapped my hand away, retreating without taking his eyes off me. He yelled every word at the top of his lungs, "You get dropped off first!"

Laughing quietly, I shrugged when Dino mumbled question after question in disbelief. Squalo was a prideful man. I could probably get him to do anything I wanted if I poked at his pride over and over.

Squalo's squad just got the news. I heard them complaining, Lussuria was the loudest of all, "She's just a little girl, Squ-chan! March back there and tell her off! We're the main fighting strength here! Where does she get off telling us to-?!"

"SSHHHHH!" Squalo had to wrestle the man into submission.

"Heh." I sneered at them, laughing fully when Lussuria screeched and tried to escape from Squalo's grasp.

They were definitely a colorful bunch. Lussuria was as prideful as Squalo himself. Of course he was… He had to be if he wanted to stand among the best of the best like he was tonight.

"LOAD UP!" Squalo roared and his force lazily began to move onto the helicopter. He dragged Lussuria up onto the vehicle by force right behind them.

"Let's get ready too." I murmured, motioning for Koge and Romario to enter first. I turned, checking to see if Alpha was done prepping our first aid and communication devices. Only after I got the thumbs up did I usher Dino into the helicopter, "We just need to do big damage. We can take our time since we've only got two locations to get to."

Big damage was an unnecessary understatement. When we got off the copter, I went wild. Everything I wanted to say was pushed through my fists.

I am not weak.

I am not an herbivore.

I am just as strong as Squalo and more.

Location one was decimated. Our second hit was equally thorough. I didn't stop until I was forced to stop. They had to physically wrestle me away from the last corpse after it was bruised and beaten and mangled beyond recognition.

"Too easy." I grumbled, "They gave us the easy shit."

"They owe us for the last time." Romario huffed at me only when he was sure I wouldn't go nuts, "They used us as a sacrificial piece and we survived. They're putting more value in us now."

I ignored him, pressing the button on my headset, "This is Kira reporting in. The Cavallone Family has minimal damages and maximum success. We're ready to head home."

Visconti was the one to respond, "We're already en route to pick you up. Stay low and expect retaliation if you are found before you reach the rendezvous point."

I didn't bother responding. We wouldn't be found and if we were… Well, I'd hate to see what happens to the people who find us. We're in an extremely celebratory mood and everyone was in top condition today.

"Let's split up and hide until it's time. Stay close. Hover around the rendezvous point." Dino suggested, "If we're all clumped together, we'll be spotted easily."

"Yes, boss."

I didn't care much for the plan but I didn't protest. For me, it was less baggage. I thought about this time and time again but if I hadn't been with Dino on the day I ended up calling for help… I would've been fine. I would've gotten out even if I had gotten out alone. But what does that mean for the Cavallone Family?

Getting out alone was meaningless for the Cavallone Family. This famiglia was centered around Dino and so I had done the right thing and stayed with them. I had called for help like an herbivore.

Today, I'm getting picked up after having done all the work. Today was a success. If I had many more of these days, I wouldn't have an issue with my current life but life isn't that simple.

We went home that day. We celebrated. We feasted. We had proved ourselves to the alliance again.

And then we were made to fight again. We came in, we raided with the Vongola, and we left as victors. Whispers of the Cavallone Family led by the Bucking Bronco Dino spread through our mafia world. No one spoke of me. I suppose they didn't think the only woman in the force was good enough to contribute to our victory.

But I digress. In these small victories, we had nothing worth celebrating but we celebrated each victory as if we had just barely survived. For me, celebrating was humiliating because we were never the main force. We were a squadron put on the side. One of many small groups the Vongola Family thought was too weak to succeed more often than not.

And then it happened. The chain of events that led me to my next place.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

I glared Dino down as Romario came in with a dress. I just got word that we had been invited to the first Vongola Christmas Party of the year. It was held on the first day of December without fail and it was the first party in a chain of balls and banquets for our alliance.

"I have attended all your previous events in a suit. Why on earth would I need that?" I grumped, crossing my arms over my chest as Romario shook the bright red dress in my direction, "I refuse."

"You're not going in a suit! It's unheard of for a don to take their date to an event if she's not properly dressed!" Romario scolded me, "The rest of us will be suited up and armed so you can take a break for the night! It's just one night!"

"Exactly! Just one night like any other night. I've been to plenty of events dressed how I'd like to be dressed so why is tonight any different?!"

"It's our family's first invitation to the Vongola Family party! This is a big deal!"

"Then I just won't go." I grumbled, turning away from a gradually panicking Dino, "Or I'll sit in the car and do what Koge usually does and he can go inside with you."

"Time to turn up the charm, boss." Romario grumbled, handing the dress to Dino and stepping away.

A dazzling smile was Dino's solid start as he held up the dress, "You don't like the color? You can pick a different dress but I need you! You're my wife-to-be! I can't just go with a bunch of men! People will think I'm still single. Please just save me the trouble."

I narrowed my eyes in a deadly glare that would have sent anyone else running for the hills. Dino was oblivious. We had been together for too many years, known each other for too many stages of life. I sighed and snatched the dress from his hands and the shoes from Romario's on my way out.

"I'll wear it but that means I'm unarmed." I huffed, pausing in the doorway to glance over my shoulder, "That means you'd better fight enough for both of us if something bad happens."

Dino's voice echoed off the walls in joyous but incoherent promises. Romario's laughter followed shortly after. That man is going to be the death of me.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

The bustling of mafia men around me made my situation very clear. I was a woman and no more today. My heels clacked awkwardly as I walked beside Dino with my hand clenching his elbow in a vice-grip. I was going to trip and fall on my face if I had to go anywhere alone in these heels.

Introductions went by quickly and in my head, all the names and faces were scrambled up. I only realized a handful of things in the mess of the evening. Dino was strangely popular. People flocked to him. … I guess it's actually not so strange.

Dino is attractive and silver-tongued. He makes people feel good about themselves more often than not but no matter how good he was at giving compliments I was still exhausted before the hour had passed.

"Alright." He murmured, gesturing for Romario to take me, "You take a short break. I'm going to greet just a few more people. Hopefully make at least one more ally."

I sighed, "Suit yourself. I need to take these damn shoes off."

"That's too bad." Dino grinned, leaning in to kiss me, "I like them."

Cheeks pink, I shoved him away, "Then you wear them."

"I highly doubt they'd look attractive on me." He chuckled, making his way out to the crowd without looking back.

I stared after his backside for a long moment until Romario offered me his hand. I spared one last look at his broad back and tore my eyes away, placing my hand in Romario's, "I'm going to kill you if you make me do this again. Ever."

"It was a one time thing." Dino's right hand man chuckled, pulling me towards an open veranda, "But no one will stop you if you want to do it again."

"I'd have to be crazy to want to put these on again." I snorted, taking off my shoes the minute we were out on the veranda. I dangled them in Romario's face for a moment, "I'm surprised I didn't break my leg yet."

Chuckling, Romario pushed them away and gestured inside, "I'm going to find us something to drink. Wait here."

I shrugged, gesturing to my swollen feet, "I won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

In the silence of the night, I watched Romario enter the bustling party and disappear into the crowd. I reached up, pressing the button on my earpiece, "Koge?"

"Yes, boss?" Koge's voice was ever present.

"I'm here as well, milady." Alpha's voice crackled and fizzed out with background noise. Alpha was still inside the party room.

"Any abnormalities?" I murmured.

"No. Everyone looks normal." Koge declared, "Can I come inside now?"

Normally, I would've said no but today I felt strangely generous-stupid, "Fine. You can come."

Excitement crackled as Koge's muffled voice passed the duty of guard dog to the driver of the vehicle. What was his name again? Mike? Michael. He was one of Dino's new recruits. We get new recruits daily now. It was impossible for me to keep up.

I sighed, leaning my elbows against the railing. I stiffened, spinning around on my bare feet when I felt a presence come up behind me. I came face to face with Superbi Squalo. I narrowed my eyes on him, waiting for an explanation.

Squalo was dressed for his part as well (suit and tie), "So it is you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I huffed, relaxing when he offered me a drink. I put my hand out for it but didn't take it, "Alcohol?"

"You don't drink?" He snickered, putting the glass in my hand. In his other hand was a glass nearly half-empty, "Never would've guessed."

I pulled the glass to my nose, sniffing it tentatively, "What do you want?"

He took a sip of his drink, eyes shifting into the crowd and then back to me, "I heard the Cavallone Family is doing well. Never thought you'd show up dressed like that."

"Again. What does that mean?" I growled, pushing the glass he had just given me back into his hands.

He chuckled, taking a sip of it before returning it to me, "It's not poisoned. I was just saying you can't fight if you're here dressed like that. I can't invite you to spar."

"You want to spar on the night of a party?"

"You don't?" He shot back, coming to lean his arms up against the railing beside me, "Don't tell me you're done with fighting now that your famiglia is moving up in the ranks."

"Hell no." I scoffed, finally trusting him enough to drink what he had given me. The burn of liquor down my throat had me sputtering and coughing the next minute. I blushed darkly at the sound of Squalo's condescending laugh, "Shut up!"

"Cavallone never taught you how to drink?" He said between laughs, holding up his nearly empty glass, "You're not supposed to taste it. Just gulp it down. It's hard liquor not wine."

Just as I was about to do so, someone joined us on the balcony. He sang rather than spoke, "Squ-chan~ I lost Bel-chan. I swear if he gets too far and kills someone I'll-?! Oh shoot! Am I interrupting?"

Squalo cleared his throat a couple times awkwardly, muttering, "Nah."

I shuddered at the way this man sauntered right up to me and looked me up and down, his sunglasses glinted in the moonlight. I could tell just by the way he walked that this man was strong.

Finally catching his bearings, Squalo gestured to his companion, "This is Lussuria. You've met a couple times. Err… Seen him a couple times."

"Ara~ I can't remember! I would remember a lover of yours if I met her." The man (Lussuria) leaned down, boldly gesturing at my dress, "Especially one who wears such a boldly erotic color."

Squalo was now bright red, "Luss!"

Lussuria was laughing as he backed away from his partner in arms. He held up his arms innocently as he regarded me once more, "But really! Where have we met?"

Narrowing my eyes, I put out my hand, "Hibari Kira. I was the one who gave Squalo our helicopter landing order."

"Helicopter?" He took my hand, thinking about it momentarily and when he finally recognized what was going on, he shrieked and threw my hand aside, "You're the little girl who pushed back our hit! I oughta teach-!"

"Okay!" Squalo snagged his ally by the arm and began to pull him away, "We're leaving Lussuria! Gather the others. We've stayed too long anyways. It's time to work."

I flipped him off as he was dragged away but that Lussuria did not leave a good first impression on me. Squalo has some strange friends. Although, I suppose I'm the strange friend in this case since Lussuria's on the same squad as Squalo.

Finding Dino towards the end of the night, we took our leave saying goodbye to Don Vongola Nono on our way out. We drove home separately. Dino and I went in the first car and Romario, Koge, and Alpha went in the second. The later group had somewhere else to be and I had to go home and change before joining them on our mission.

We had agreed to start the investigation of a drug/prostitution ring tonight. This would be our first solo investigation of a big illegal famiglia dealing. This was something happening near the Cavallone estate.

Arriving at home, Dino and I headed upstairs. I didn't notice he was acting a little strange until it dawned on me that he was hovering even after I told him to go change for our mission.

"What's the matter with you?" I looked him up and down after having kicked my heels off. The death traps were now far away from me and I was very happy.

He was a big, blushing mess when he realized I had asked him a question and he hadn't answered, "Y-You know, you look good."

"Huh?" I looked down at the dress and paused.

Lussuria's words from earlier echoed in my ears, "Especially one who wears such boldly erotic colors."

I was now the blushing mess, "Y-You picked it!"

"I-I know but you're wearing it and…" He paused, unable to continue. He just stared at me for a long while until it became unbearable.

"And what?" I whispered, trying not to run away when he stepped up into my personal space. I almost wanted to go get the heels again when I realized how tall he was standing in front of me.

Redder than a tomato, he reached around me. His fingers clasped the zipper in the back and he muttered, "And the whole party I was just praying that you'd let me take it off for you at the end of the night."

My heart was pounding in my chest and I fought the urge to look away from his earnest eyes. Slowly, I nodded and closed my eyes. I accepted the kiss and the hands removing my clothes and I accepted him.

It was an impressive first night together. The pain, the pleasure, and the emotions we shared that night would probably never be forgotten for as long as we both lived.

The next day I would find out that this had been planned by Dino. Romario and Koge were both in on Dino's plans so they took a separate vehicle back and began the investigation without us. Alpha was oblivious but only because Koge was sure Alpha would try to stop Dino out of an absurd desire to protect me.

But this night was spent quietly in Dino's arms. It was just one night of peace before a storm.