It's a Mafia Life (15) END--KHR Fanfic

[reidluver]

Title: It's a Mafia Life
Author: Reidluver
Pairing/Characters: Um...pretty much all of them (characters I mean)
Rating: PG-13
Warning: Spoilers for Future Arc, Varia Language, Long chapter is LONG

A/N: I am not making any points for pairings-just family fluff but of course you may see it any way you like.

Summary: As Christmas draws near, TYL!Tsuna starts thinking his Guardians would have been better off without him. But would they? Tsuna's about to find out when his Guardian Angel takes him for a ride, but why does he look so much like Reborn?
[1-2] [3-4] [5-6] [7-8] [9-10] [11-12] [13-14] [15]


Chapter 15: I'm Home

". . . Then I suppose it's time to show you my true form."

Tsuna held up his arms to shield himself from the bright light that "Reborn" was emitting, all the while wondering what in the world his Guardian Angel would look like. Once the light disappeared, Tsuna lowered his arms and tentatively opened his eyes. His jaw nearly hit the floor at the sight before him.

The figure smiled, the Dying Will Flame glowing brightly atop his blond hair. "I have always been watching over you, Tsunayoshi."

"P-Primo?"

The man stepped forward and put a hand on Tsuna's shoulder. "After all we've been through and you've done, I believe it would be more appropriate to call me Giotto."

Tsuna let out a nervous laugh as he furiously tried to blink away the tears that were starting to fall. Seriously-why was he crying about something like this? He decided to blame it on the emotional hell he'd just been through. "Then . . . Giotto, why didn't you just show me your true self? Why use a disguise?"

Giotto laughed, his voice light and cheery. Tsuna felt a little taken back at the man's laid-back attitude. In the Vongola Trial and from all the stories he had heard about the man, the image Tsuna gathered was always of a very calm and collected warrior, one possessing a power unlike the world had ever seen and a compassion for all living things that surpassed all men. Truthfully, Tsuna always found himself likening Giotto to some sort of God. Now, seeing him here and recalling how he had teased Tsuna just like the real Reborn would have done, he seemed . . . human. Not that it was a bad thing, but it was a bit of a revelation for him.

"Because I knew it'd be the only way to get the point across," Giotto teased. The Dying Will Flame disappeared and Giotto's eyes turned to a beautiful sapphire. "I know the effect that Reborn has on you. Now, you have to admit if I just showed up like this you would have been too afraid to complain about anything, am I correct?"

Tsuna let out a nervous laugh as he realized it was true. He would have been too intimidated in Giotto's presence and wouldn't have been able to focus on his friends as much.

"I guess so. But-why me?"

Giotto smiled again. "Because I know you're special, Tsunayoshi. Out of all my descendants, you're the one with the heart most like mine. I knew you would change Vongola back to what it was meant to be."

"But we're still fighting," Tsuna said, his body slumping forward in disappointment. "And things aren't exactly going smoothly."

Giotto reached out and ruffled his hair playfully. "Even as a vigilante group we had to fight, so there's no escaping that. And as for changing Vongola's ways-it'll take time. Nothing will happen overnight, and I want you to know that the progress you've made so far is exceptional." He pulled Tsuna into a tight embrace.

"I'm so proud of you."

Tsuna could only stand there for a moment, unable to process just what Giotto had said. Then sobs of gratitude accompanied his tears and he wrapped his arms around Giotto as well. That had been his greatest fear for quite a while now. He was afraid he wasn't making enough progress with the Vongola Family and didn't want to fail in Giotto's expectations of him. Now after hearing that Giotto approved of how things were going, an enormous weight was lifted off his chest. After a moment, Giotto's solid form started to fade away.

"Keep your Family close, and remember you're just as important to them as they are to you."

Then he was gone.

Tsuna spared a moment to dry his eyes, and cast a warm smile where Giotto had just stood. He really was lucky to have such a close friendship with his ancestor. Then he gasped and rushed out of his office in a panic. He had to see his Family! He needed to see them as they truly were and know they were safe. The images he had just barely seen infested his mind and he had to get rid of them.

He tore through the hallways, using his intuition to guide him to where they were. A quick glance at a grandfather clock let him know that he was only "gone" for a few minutes. He wasn't going to miss Christmas with his Family!

Tsuna was finally led to the doors leading into the expansive living room, but stopped just shy of the closed doors. There were voices coming from the other side, and Tsuna peered through the tiny crack. For a moment, he had the insane urge to giggle. It was like he was five-years-old again, eavesdropping on his parents.

When he couldn't take it anymore, he burst through the doors, proclaiming, "Hello, everyone!" He watched in amusement as they all whipped around to face him, zeroing in like they had their own personal Tsuna-Radar. Everyone was gathered in a group, and with the colorful Christmas backdrop and warm glow all about them, Tsuna was once again reminded about how wonderful his life was.

"Tsu-kun?"

"Tsuna?"

"Boss?"

Tsuna brought his attention back to the present and saw that Kyoko, Haru, and Chrome had placed themselves in front of him, each wearing a similar look of worry on their faces.

"Are you okay?" they asked in unison.

. . . Bruised and beaten, standing with lifeless eyes . . .

. . . Drunk and lounging around on a couch, looking for all intents and purposes like she wanted to die . . .

. . . A nameless grave that bore her body, overcome with weeds and forgotten . . .

Those images all melted away at the sight of the lively and healthy women in front of him. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. Suddenly, Tsuna's happiness grew to an uncontainable amount and he started acting on some sort of crazed impulse.

"Yes!" He kissed Kyoko on the lips. "Everything's fine!" He kissed Haru. "Everything's perfect!" He kissed Chrome as well.

Tsuna felt, rather than heard, everyone's collective gasps at such a bold action. In the corner of his eye he saw the three girls turn beet red as they cautiously touched their lips, no doubt in shock over what had just transpired. A little bit of Tsuna's brain was horrified at just what he had done, but the rest of him didn't care. He loved them all so much and had to show them. He was feeling uncontrollably giddy inside.

"T-Tenth? Are you all-Tenth!" Gokudera had started forward almost cautiously, but once he noticed the state of Tsuna's clothes (meaning, the slight singing, dirt, and rubble he had acquired through his travels, which was hardly noticeable but to his right-hand man it was quite apparent) he rushed forward and did his usual inspection for injuries.

"What happened, Tenth? Were you attacked? Are you all right?"

For some reason, Tsuna found the situation completely hilarious. He threw back his head and laughed. Gokudera's attention snapped back to his face with great worry.

. . . Lost and alone, abandoning everything just to find a place to belong . . .

Tsuna placed both hands on Gokudera's shoulders. "Don't worry, Gokudera-I'm perfectly all right."

And then because he was on such a delightful high, Tsuna grasped Gokudera's face and kissed both sides of his cheeks. His right-hand man immediately went bright red. This type of greeting was normal in Europe, as Tsuna and his Japanese-native Guardians had come to learn, so it usually wasn't such a big deal-but Tsuna knew his Guardians had never expected to receive it from him.

"T-T-T-T-T-Tenth?" Tsuna never knew Gokudera's voice could be so high and shrill.

He merely laughed, pat Gokudera's burning cheeks, then walked to Yamamoto's side.

. . . Eyes that should hold laughter now dark and cold, killing without a second thought . . .

The dark-haired man looked at him as if he were unsure whether to laugh or be afraid, and Tsuna couldn't help but laugh again. It was a relief to see such a comical expression on his dear Rain Guardian. Tsuna reached up and kissed Yamamoto's cheeks, then turned to the next one in line.

. . . Overcome with grief, enthusiastic zeal for every aspect of life now beaten and downtrodden . . .

Ryohei was standing there with his mouth wide open, as if he were no doubt planning to say something about Tsuna's extreme actions, but it looked like the words wouldn't come. Tsuna mentally gave himself a pat on the back, rather proud at having been able to render the explosive Sun Guardian speechless. He flashed Ryohei a wide smile and kissed him as well.

What Tsuna wouldn't have given to be able to take a picture of everyone's faces.

. . . Personality and sense of being cast off like a burden in his quest for revenge . . .

Mukuro was next, and the man gave him a devilish smirk. "Kufufufu~ Is this your way of giving permission to take over your body?" he asked as Tsuna grasped his face. Tsuna just rolled his eyes and kissed both cheeks.

Next was Hibari, and the man had his tonfa in Tsuna's face the instant he turned away from Mukuro.

. . . Mad from sorrow and the destruction all around him . . .

"Kiss me and I'll bite you to death!" Hibari said, though if Tsuna didn't know any better, he would say there was a slight flicker of fear in the Cloud Guardian's eyes. Since Tsuna rather wanted to avoid a black eye on Christmas Eve, he first embraced the hitman tightly around the waist, throwing Hibari off guard long enough to quickly peck him on the cheeks.

The man was so shocked he dropped both tonfa, but Tsuna still had to avoid a well-aimed punch to continue on his . . . quest.

. . . Killed by the man he swore to serve in an attempt to preserve his humanity . . .

While Tsuna may have not witnessed it himself, Kusakabe's death at the hands of Hibari was no less saddening. And even though Kusakabe's first allegiance was to Hibari, he was still a member of Tsuna's Family and he cared for the man. As Tsuna kissed him the dark-haired man went stock still, hardly even breathing. The brunette briefly noted that hanging out with Hibari so much was probably having an effect on Kusakabe's ability to interact with other people.

. . . Beaten and alone with no one to turn to who loves him . . .

Lambo squirmed away from Tsuna as best as he could, claiming it would be gross to get a kiss from a guy, even if it was on the cheek. Tsuna ignored him like he did everyone else, kissed him, then went further down the line.

. . . His freedom stolen, body scarred from attacks no child should have to deal with . . .

Fuuta was unable to prevent a girlish shriek when Tsuna grasped his face. "Tsuna-nii!"

Tsuna laughed. "Quiet, little brother." Fuuta's face lit up at the reference and Tsuna kissed both cheeks. He always felt so happy whenever Fuuta referred to him as a older brother, because it meant that someone looked up to him, and Tsuna did his best to be worthy of the title.

. . . A childhood that never existed, no one to rely on but herself . . .

I-Pin followed Tsuna's movements warily. Tsuna knew the mindset for powerful fighters in a difficult situation was generally to attack first and ask questions later, and even though I-Pin had abandoned that lifestyle, it was still ingrained in her. Thankfully, he knew her well enough to know she wouldn't attack. He smiled at her warmly and gave her two quick kisses on the cheek.

. . . Dead body crashing with the ground, blood everywhere-

Tsuna quickly shook off that memory. He wasn't going to let it ruin his good mood. The important thing was that Shouichi was here alive. Tsuna's chest threatened to burst from keeping in his laughs at Shouichi's expression. The redhead was backing away slowly, incomprehensible protests sputtering from his mouth. The Decimo paid them no heed and kissed Shouichi, whose skin turned as red as his hair.

Spanner was looking rather amused, just enjoying the scene Tsuna and his Family were presenting to him. His expression changed, however, when Tsuna started walking towards him with the same intent in his gait. The man quickly put his arms up and took a step back.

"Vongola-san . . . I don't think . . . why would you . . ."

The brunette mentally frowned. He could hear the unspoken protests-Why care about me? and I'm just a mechanic. Like mentioned previously, not much time had elapsed since Byakuran was defeated, and as such Tsuna and his Family had been working around the clock to deal with the aftermath for the past few months. Despite this, Tsuna had found time to make sure that Spanner and Shouichi feel welcomed into the Family. They had already created a friendship with Fuuta, Giannini, and Bianchi seeing as how they interacted with them the most, but Tsuna wanted them to feel familiar with everyone else as well. It had to be difficult to get used to their younger selves and then suddenly have to deal with the older ones.

Plus there was the fact that Shouichi still felt guilty for misleading everyone about Tsuna's "death" and being second-in-command of the Millefiore, even though everyone had already made a point that they trusted him now and didn't hold any resentment. He was doing better though, and his increased efforts at being helpful as some sort of payback helped Shouichi develop bonds with the rest of the Family.

Things were a little harder with Spanner though. It's not that he was avoiding anyone on purpose, but that he rather felt like it wasn't his place. Tsuna remembered going down to the lab where Spanner was working one afternoon and inviting him to dinner. The blond hadn't been showing up for meals lately, and Tsuna feared the man was so engrossed in his work he forgot to eat. When Tsuna extended his offer Spanner looked genuinely surprised, like he wasn't expecting to be included. It was at that time that Tsuna realized Spanner hadn't been treated well enough at the Millefiore. Just because he was a mechanic didn't make him less deserving of attention or friendship. And so Tsuna dragged the man to dinner and resolved to let the man know that in his Family no one was considered below anyone else.

A little later Tsuna had confronted Shouichi about the issue, and the redhead explained how in the Millefiore, fighting skill was everything. As such, the mechanics were always looked down upon by those of higher rank despite the fact that without them the base wouldn't be operational. It had actually been a bit of motivation for Shouichi to reach the rank that he did, because it could get ugly at times.

And so Tsuna gave Spanner a wide smile as he grasped the man's face, halting him in his tracks. "You're Family, Spanner. That's all that matters." Then he gave the man two light kisses and Spanner nearly swallowed his lollipop.

Finished, Tsuna then turned around to look at his Family, beaming like a fool as they continued to struggle with just how they should react at the moment. Just then the door opened.

Everyone's attention snapped to the two figures and Tsuna's smile grew even wider.

"What's going on here?" Reborn asked, sounding ever so rarely confused. He was sitting comfortably in Bianchi's arms as the woman glanced around as well with a quirked eyebrow.

"Reborn! Bianchi!" Tsuna said. He rushed over to them, and to everyone's shock, the Decimo scooped the little Arcobaleno out of Bianchi's arms, kissed him, then put him back. To everyone's amazement, Reborn just sat there, looking up at Tsuna with a blank expression. The brunette looked rather pleased with himself, then bent down and kissed the tip of Leon's head.

"Tsu-na?"

Bianchi was staring at him in confusion and Tsuna just smiled back. He hadn't learned about what happened to her in the timeline where he didn't exist, but he knew she would have been devastated over Reborn's death as she had been in this one. Only difference was that Tsuna was pretty sure she wouldn't have a Family as supportive as his to fall back on, so she could have been unable to cope.

"I'm fine," he said, then leaned forward and kissed her cheeks. Then before he could step away he felt a familiar tiny foot collide with his chest, sending him backwards. Someone caught him, and Tsuna glanced upward with gratitude.

"That was extremely crazy, Sawada," Ryohei said with a smirk.

"Well, it's Christmas," Tsuna said by way of explanation. The Sun Guardian helped him to his feet.

". . . Be careful who you show weakness to, Dame-Tsuna." It was a rather weak argument coming from Reborn, but everyone was too busy trying to hold back a laugh to say anything. They didn't want to get shot.

Suddenly there was a lot of noise coming from the hall, sounding like bickering. At everyone's confused look Reborn seemed to give a little sadistic smirk and merely said, "We brought some guests."

"VOOOIII! Now we're late because you had to go back to get your shitty presents from the limo!"

"Eeyaa! That's mean, Squ-chan! It's traditional to give presents on Christmas Day, you know~!"

"Maa, Lussuria-we've never given presents to each other."

"Ushishishi~! That's not true, Froggy. The Prince gave you that hat for a present."

"Fallen prince senpai, there is no way that stupid ass hat is a good present-"

Thud

"Ow."

"Yare, yare. Bel would you stop throwing knives at Fran?"

"Only because you asked so nicely, Mammon. Shishishishi!"

"Shut the hell up, scum! You're giving me a fuckin' headache."

"All of you be quiet! Don't annoy the Boss!"

Everyone but Tsuna slightly paled as the Varia came into view, all except Xanxus reluctantly carrying a bag of gifts.

It was Gokudera who found his voice first. "What the hell, Reborn-san? Why'd you invite them?" he yelled, gesturing rudely to the assassins.

Reborn just shrugged, the shadow of a smirk still evident on his face. "They're part of the Family, aren't they? There hasn't been much time for bonding and I thought this would be a perfect opportunity."

Gokudera looked dangerously close to bringing out some dynamite, so Yamamoto quickly slung an arm around the irate bomber. "Maa, maa! The kid is right. This is a time for Family."

"Kufufufufu~ Then I shall thank you Arcobaleno for letting me see my dear apprentice once again."

Fran waved. "Yo, shishou!"

Haru and Kyoko giggled. "Hi, Lussu-chan!" The Varia Sun Guardian squealed and waved enthusiastically at the girls. Unsurprisingly, the two had bonded the most with the flamboyant man.

"This is going to be an EXTREME party!" Ryohei exclaimed, raising his fist into the air.

Hibari merely glared at everyone, causing an oppressive air about himself. He was already in a bad mood from Tsuna's actions earlier and the arrival of the overly rambunctious Varia (which in turn made the other herbivores even more annoying than usual) made it worse.

Kusakabe extended a tentative hand, noticing the Cloud Guardian's anger. "K-Kyo-san . . ."

Shouichi gulped and took a few steps backward while Spanner merely "hmmmed" and nodded.

As everyone expressed their less than conventional greetings/threats, Tsuna merely watched the Varia members with happiness, soaking in their normal murderous gazes. It was quite a relief to see them no longer drinking blood or playing House with corpses or any similar manner of lunacy. Sure they were a handful but they were Family.

"Welcome, everyone!" Tsuna said enthusiastically. Then he started rushing towards Xanxus while everyone but the Varia watched on with horror, wonder, and mild amusement-all wondering if their Boss was actually going to do what they thought he was going to do.

Unaware of the impending danger, Xanxus merely sighed. He had long since resigned himself to the fact that no amount of bullying would deter the Vongola brat from greeting him with a hug from time to time. The scum was the only one who bothered, and Xanxus had learned that the best way to deal with it would be to allow the brat to hug him once and then he'd be left alone for the rest of the time.

He did feel a small flicker of . . . something though (no way in hell it was fear) when he noticed that the brat's sickening sweet smile (which to his disgust was even more happy-looking than usual) had a hint of deviousness in it. Almost like-

No one dared to breathe. It was like time itself was frozen. Numerous people were slack-jawed at the scene before them. Xanxus just stood there, eyes as wide as saucers after instead of receiving a hug like he expected, he got two small kisses on his face. No one had ever dared to do something so suicidal in all the years he had been alive. The only thing going for Tsuna apparently was that Xanxus was too shocked to tear his head off.

And Tsuna had the gall to laugh.

It seemed like part of his brain was still intact though, because he quickly made his way down the line while the Varia was still in shock and thus unable to kill him. Tsuna struggled a little with Levi's height, but he stood on his tip-toes and kissed the Lightning Guardian in the same manner. Then he did the same to Squalo, who could only stand there, sputtering words that didn't make sense as he stared at Tsuna with something akin to horror.

Fran took it all in stride, actually rotating his head to the side to make it easier for Tsuna to kiss his cheeks. Bel's mouth kept opening and closing, but no words came out as Tsuna kissed him. Mammon (who had been previously levitating via Phantasma) had collapsed on Bel's head from the shock. Tsuna merely laughed, picked the infant up, kissed both cheeks, and placed him back with a small pat on the head. The Arcobaleno was too shocked to issue some sort of fee.

Lussuria was the first to recover, though no one was really all that surprised. He squealed and reached out for Tsuna. "Aren't you the sweetest thing~!" He puckered his lips and tried to kiss Tsuna full on the mouth, but the Vongola Boss expertly evaded the man's advances and kissed both cheeks. Lussuria looked a little disappointed but nonetheless happy.

The rest of Tsuna's Family were either choking on their own spit or in Mukuro's case, laughing up a storm.

"Ah!" Fran said, breaking the silence. He slammed a fist into his hand as if he had made an amazing discovery. "Vongola-san likes me more."

"What do you mean by that?" Bel asked, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Because he kissed me before you," Fran said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Ushishishi~! How naive, my little kohai. Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'saving the best for last?'"

"If that's the case then it means he likes Lussuria best," Fran said. Bel scowled and in the blink of an eye there were seven knives protruding from Fran's arm.

"Ow. Senpai that hurts."

Their little fight seemed to be the magic that brought everyone out of their shocked stupors, most particularly Xanxus. Those watching could have sworn there was steam coming out his ears and the Varia boss turned as red as a tomato, though whether it was out of anger or embarrassment they couldn't tell.

"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR, SCUM?"

"Kufufufu~ It seems our Vongola has a bad case of the Christmas spirit," Mukuro said, still shaking with unsuppressed laughter.

"It was very EXTREME!" Ryohei yelled, nodding his head in agreement.

"He's probably just gone insane," Lambo sighed. He leaned against the fireplace mantle in apparent disinterest, though his legs were quaking from the powerful killer intent permeating the room.

Fuuta paled considerably and rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't need to call upon the Ranking Planet to know that Tsuna-nii was the very top of most of the Varia's hit list at the moment.

Chrome just smiled brightly. "I think that Boss-"

"Look out!"

In a mad rage, Xanxus had pulled out his two guns and fired them at Tsuna. Everyone shielded their eyes at the bright light of the Sky Flames. They collided with something and the light dissipated to reveal Gokudera standing in front of Tsuna, with a pure flame shield made up of all five of his flames.

"If you think I'm going to let you hurt the Tenth you've got another thing coming!" Gokudera growled, drawing back his flames and pointing a handful of dynamite at Xanxus.

"VOI! Well I'm gonna kill him!" Squalo brandished his sword and took off, but soon found his way blocked by Yamamoto's sword.

"Long time no see, Squalo," the swordsman laughed.

Squalo growled and pushed his weapon even harder against Yamamoto's. "Get the fuck out of my way, brat!"

Chrome rushed forward and placed a hand in front of Levi, who was declaring his undying devotion for Xanxus by promising to kill Tsuna for him. "Stop! This is nothing to hurt Boss over!"

"Oi, Shouichi," Spanner said, tilting his head behind him somewhat. The redhead had taken refuge behind the other technician. "Aren't you going to help?"

Shouichi laughed nervously. "A-Are you kidding? That would be suicide! Why don't you trying stopping them with your Strau Mosca?"

Spanner sighed and pulled out his lollipop. "Because I was strictly forbidden from bringing him on Gokudera-san's orders," he said wistfully.

As the fighting progressed and more and more people joined the fight, Haru and Kyoko were ushered off to the side by a wary I-Pin.

"They sure are lively, ne, Haru-chan?" Kyoko laughed.

Haru gave a nervous nod, watching with slight fear and concern as Hibari jumped into the fray with an almost deranged look on his face, followed closely by Mukuro who was still cackling.

Suddenly there was a gunshot and all those fighting found themselves rendered immobile by Mammon's tentacle illusions (with the exceptions being Fran and Mukuro).

"There will be no fighting," Reborn said, his voice dangerously low. His smoldering gun was raised at his side and the fedora cast a shadow over his face. Mammon levitated nearby.

"While I couldn't care less if you kill each other, I won't stand by while you wreck the mansion. Repairs would cost a fortune and we've already spent a lot on the party," the Mist Arcobaleno said in a bored voice. Once everyone relaxed enough, Mammon dispelled the illusion.

With the air still tense, Yamamoto and Tsuna glanced at each other and the swordsman smiled. "All right! First item of business is dinner!" Yamamoto announced emphatically. "Let's all move into the dining room!"

"Excellent idea!" Haru and Kyoko said, quick on the uptake. They rushed forward and started ushering people towards the door. Chrome joined them, and together they were able to help guide the partially appeased Varia. Mukuro laughed at their eagerness and merely joined Fran and the two of them began conversing all the way down the hall. Hibari looked ready to leave, but after some prodding by Kusakabe, Ryohei, and a brave Shouichi, followed the group that was leaving. Fuuta and I-Pin then helped a shaken Lambo regain his footing after being frozen stiff with fear. Reborn just smirked and let himself be carried out of the room by a lovestruck Bianchi who practically skipped out.

Soon the only ones left were Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto. The latter two turned towards their friend in concern.

"Are you sure you're all right, Tsuna?"

"There's nothing bothering you, Tenth?"

Tsuna just smiled and nodded. He walked forward so he was in the middle and draped his arms around his two closest Guardians. "Don't worry," he said softly. "Everything's perfect."

Gokudera and Yamamoto beamed, unable to keep the contagious grins off their face. Whatever had been frustrating their boss over the past couple of days was resolved and they couldn't be happier.

Dinner was, of course, a crazy affair. It was to be expected, with the horde of people trying to eat in the same room. Tsuna had sometimes felt the enormous table was a bit much, but now he saw the practicality behind it.

As the food was brought out, he was pleasantly surprised at the identity of two of the cooks. His mother and father had come to help with the preparations. Tsuna quickly kissed his parents on the cheeks and gave them a tight hug. Nana giggled and Iemitsu clapped him on the back for good measure. Tsuna insisted they sit down to join them, but his efforts were pushed aside. As they continued serving, Reborn explained that his parents had been adamant that they help with the meal this evening, and everyone couldn't help but be pleased. Top-rate chefs were understandably high caliber, but most of them had learned there was nothing that beat Maman's cooking.

The meal adhered to Italian tradition, with meant that on Christmas Eve there was to be no meat, though Xanxus was the exception to that rule. He had politely requested steak (Tsuna knew that if it were anyone but his mother it would have gone differently) and it was promptly prepared for him.

It was a surprisingly normal meal, in the sense that no mass amounts of food were thrown. Tsuna had to guess everyone was refraining from using their food to fight since it was Nana herself who prepared the food, and even thought they were a collection of murderous assassins and hitmen alike, they had the decency to act proper in her presence. Tsuna would continue to be baffled by his mother's influence 'til the day he died.

Just because they weren't engaging in a food fight didn't mean they chose other forms of "entertainment" though. Insults and cuss words were thrown left and right with practiced ease, and Fran ended up with a few utensils embedded in his back, courtesy of Bel. After observing his unorthodox family for so long, Tsuna was willing to subscribe to the notion that it was an unspoken rule in the mafia to express your love to one another through verbal abuse. Or it could be that they were all emotionally stunted. Tsuna decided that both were true.

Once they were all finished stuffing their faces, Haru and Kyoko excitedly announced that the next activity would be decorating Christmas cookies.

Decorating. Cookies.

Tsuna found it cute that the two girls were so excited about something like that-don't get him wrong, he liked making his own Christmas cookies-but it somehow didn't seem like something anyone else would like. Perhaps his immediate Family, but the Varia . . .

Never mind.

They were actually excited. Everyone was. The two girls found themselves bombarded with questions about what kinds of cookie cutters they had available. Tsuna was starting to think something was wrong here and the image of skilled mafia members doing something as domestic as making cookies was both horrifying and hilarious to behold, but then once he heard exactly just what everyone wanted to decorate did he calm down slightly.

There obviously weren't the type of cookie cutters that everyone wanted, but Haru and Kyoko cheerfully suggested that everyone design the cookie shapes they wanted themselves. Soon everyone was hard at work in the kitchen, concentrating heavily on carving out their cookies with a thin knife.

Bel was using one of his many knives as an outline, and soon there were a number of deadly cookie blades on his sheet. Gokudera made sticks of dynamite, Reborn made a few guns and one of Leon (Tsuna fought against remarking about how cute that was or else he'd earn a kick in the shins for his efforts), Xanxus merely made a number of scraggly X's that were apparently works of art that deserved to be sold if Levi's praise about them was any indication, and Mammon made simple squares that were supposed to be bars of gold.

Yamamoto made a few baseballs and a baseball bat, as well as a hastily carved sword at Squalo's insistence. As for the loudmouthed Varia member, he used up all of his cookie dough and made a rather intricate looking sword. Tsuna was quite interested to see how he was going to eat a cookie that big. Lussuria used up all of his dough as well and made a beautiful peacock. The other Sun Guardian, however, didn't possess his counterpart's ability and simply made two blobs that he called boxing gloves, and Tsuna decided to let Ryohei call it what he wanted.

Levi actually did use some of the prepared cookie cutters and made cookies that spelled out XANXUS in Italian. Fuuta made a collection of assorted planets, Lambo made . . . cow horns and hearts, I-Pin made a beautiful Chinese dragon, and Spanner made cookies that closely resembled his oddly shaped lollipops. Shouichi had a hard time coming up with something to make, but eventually settled on headphones. Chrome made a few skulls that resembled the one on her eye-patch and Gokudera highly praised them.

Fran loudly complained that he had no idea what to make, so Bel insisted he make "little froggies" just like him. The illusionist was obviously not amused, so in retaliation he made a stick-figure with a tiara on top and then snapped the head off. Mukuro made a beautiful Lotus Flower and two other cookies that looked suspiciously like Chikusa's yo-yo and one of Ken's teeth chargers. Tsuna asked where the two men were, and Mukuro said that they were busy doing something for him. The brunette deeply resisted the urge to say how nice it was of Mukuro to make them cookies. Instead, he settled for turning around and breaking into a beaming smile.

He looked over to where Bianchi was working and quickly turned away again. He did not want to get involved there. Purple deadly fumes were gathered around her and Tsuna was ever so grateful for Haru and Kyoko's foresight. The two had manipulated the older woman into a corner where no one else was with ease, claiming true chefs needed to be away from amateurs. He caught the eyes of the two girls and gave a quick bow in their direction. They laughed and beckoned him over. They were working on their cookies in between Bianchi and the others, being very careful not to let their dough get too close.

Kyoko and Haru showed him all the true Christmas cookies they were making (meaning, ones that actually had something to do with the Christmas holiday) and explained that they were making a few extras as well just in case something happened. Tsuna praised them for being so thoughtful and finally returned to his cookie dough area. As he finished making his last cookie, he glanced to the side to see what Hibari and Kusakabe were making. The second-in-command was making simple rectangles, but he explained to Tsuna that they were going to be flags decorated in Namimori colors.

The Cloud Guardian was, of course, making a few tonfa (which Tsuna knew would probably be decorating with red sprinkles to simulate blood, given Hibari's . . . "Hibari-ness") and then a small, oddly misshapen ball. After a few seconds of pondering Tsuna understood that it was modeled after the yellow bird on his shoulder. Hibari brought up the cookie as if to seek Hibird's approval, and the little bird hopped up and down, saying Hibari's name over and over. A small grin made its way onto Hibari's face but Tsuna pretended not to see it.

As for Tsuna . . . he made a little scraggly tree and a few tuna fishes. Yes, he was quite aware of how pathetic that was, but dammit they were good tuna fishes! The joke had grown old a long time ago, but it was an easy shorthand for spelling his name (on the instances where he would forget how to spell his name Tsuna was ashamed to admit-not that it happened now but it did during his pre-Reborn days as he liked to term it) so needless to say, he was pretty good at making them.

The girls all found it cute, Gokudera praised his skill (Tsuna could see the slight quirking of his lips and knew his right-hand man was trying his hardest not to laugh), and Yamamoto and the rest just gave into the temptation and doubled over in laughter. Normally, this sort of experience would make Tsuna turn beet red but tonight he just let the laughter wash over him like a comforting blanket. It was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

Finally they were all finished shaping their cookies and the dough was shoved into the oven. Everyone moved into one of the living rooms and made small talk while they waited. Tsuna was in the middle of talking to Shouichi when he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Yo! How're you doing, little brother?"

"Dino!" Tsuna whipped around and to his delight saw Dino, Romario, and . . . Lancia?

Oh well. No matter. Tsuna politely excused himself from his previous conversation and rushed towards them. By now, everyone else was so used to Tsuna's strange mood that they merely sat back to enjoy the show.

. . . His Family all dead, given up on life . . .

Dino, misinterpreting Tsuna's actions, laughed and held out his arms. As much as he tried to hide it, he couldn't have been more relieved to learn that his little brother didn't really die. When Shouichi announced that the death was faked in the Choice Battle, Dino had to fight very hard to not collapse on the ground in relief. If their lives weren't in such danger he would have done just that. When he finally did get to see Tsuna though, Dino simply clung to him, futilely blinking back tears and told Tsuna to never do that again. Now-

Well. That was different. Tsuna had bypassed his open arms and greeted him the Italian way. It was rather shocking to Dino because he recalled teaching Tsuna about the Italian customs in the first place. He had kissed Tsuna on both cheeks and he, his men, and Reborn laughed at Tsuna's embarrassed sputtering. Dino tried to explain to Tsuna that greeting people like this was a very cultural thing, similar to how the Japanese would bow. Despite his assurances that it was perfectly normal, Tsuna nonetheless expressed his abhorrence for it.

Since the Japanese culture tended to be a bit more private, Dino could understand how odd it would be for Tsuna. Nevertheless, his little brother was forced to get used to it as much as he needed to, since he was entranced in the mafia world. Now to see him embrace it so openly . . .

"Holiday spirit, huh?" Dino teased, ruffling Tsuna's hair.

The brunette smiled. "Guess you could say that."

. . . Killed while protecting his Boss . . .

Like with Dino, Romario didn't seem all that surprised by Tsuna's new found "touchy-feely" nature. He just smiled after Tsuna kissed him and gave a slight bow.

"Buon Natale, Decimo," he said in his deep voice.

. . . Utterly lost, his sense of freedom and identity cruelly wrenched from him . . .

Lancia, on the other hand, looked rather scared by Tsuna's boldness. The brunette sadly realized that Lancia's reputation and appearance most likely discouraged anyone to get closer to him than they had to. But Tsuna knew of the man's true nature and saw how he would always play with Lambo, I-Pin, and Fuuta whenever he had an opportunity to. Lancia had the physique and abilities of a killer, but not the heart of one.

Tsuna laughed. "No need to be so worried, Lancia," he said. Then he kissed the dark-haired man on the cheeks, making him turn a deep shade of pink.

"So what brings you here?" Tsuna asked, taking a few steps back and directing the question to Dino. "Shouldn't you be in Italy?" He was grateful to see them, don't get him wrong, but shouldn't Dino be with his Family?

The blond laughed. "Christmas Eve is tomorrow for us, little bro. You guys are ahead of us, remember? We were just on our way back from a little mission and I thought I'd drop in to wish you a Merry Christmas!" Then he slung a friendly arm around Lancia and continued, "I asked for Lancia's help on this small assignment since he's had previously dealings with the Family, and now he's agreed to join us for Christmas!" Lancia broke into a wide grin and his cheeks were slightly flushed with embarrassment.

"Really? That's wonderful!" Tsuna said. And it was true. He was so grateful that Lancia would have someone to spend the holidays with. He had invited the man to join them in the past whenever he could, so Tsuna was pleased to see Lancia was taken care of. He then noticed Lancia's eyes flicker over to Mukuro for a moment, and the Decimo was ever so grateful that Mukuro had the decency to not look back. They really didn't need to deal with any fights of revenge at the moment. In fact, if Tsuna didn't know any better he would say that Mukuro looked more tense right now than he had been all evening, and Tsuna was proud to see that Mukuro felt uncomfortable.

"Well before you leave, why don't you join us for a little bit? We were just about to decorate cookies," Tsuna said.

"Really? Sure!" Dino said. Then he dragged Romario and Lancia forward and the decorating began. Haru and Kyoko's extra cookies actually found some use after all. A little while later though, Tsuna began to doubt the intelligence behind having this many people decorate cookies. In any other family, this would be a simple bonding activity but . . . this was the Vongola Family. His Family. So naturally, what should have been a calm, decorating exercise morphed into a frosting chucking/sprinkles throwing/cookie smashing free-for-all.

Tsuna was just relieved that it hadn't turned into a typical Vongola contest headed by Reborn where he would have to judge who decorated the best cookie. The Decimo wouldn't put it past Reborn to do something like that, but Tsuna just couldn't deal with that kind of contest at the moment. Gokudera had whispered in his ear that they made sure Reborn was left out of the planning to prevent just that.

Dino, Romario, and Lancia left once the cookies were decorated, waving their good-byes with globs of frosting and sprinkles still in their hair.

After they left it was time for a classic A Christmas Carol movie while everyone ate their cookies and other assorted treats, but by the end of the movie there were only a few who watched it all the way through. There just weren't enough people who could just sit still for that long apparently.

Inevitable scuffles broke out, and Tsuna spent a good deal of his time trying to break them all up. Thankfully they were able to avoid any irreparable harm to the mansion (Mammon's threat earlier must have made an impact) but it still involved a great deal of negotiating on his part. Normally this would frustrate and exhaust Tsuna, but right now he was just so happy they weren't truly trying to kill each other. Now Tsuna could really see the difference, so he could handle this.

Now, when everyone first started decorating the mansion, Tsuna had expressively forbid any form of mistletoe. However, it seemed like someone (perhaps Bianchi) had ignored his request and Tsuna had to pay for it. At one point during the movie, Lussuria had found the wayward plant and chased him around the room for a bit, trying to dangle it over the Decimo's head and force him to adhere to tradition. As much as it freaked Tsuna out though, he was able to understand that it was Lussuria's strange way of expressing his happiness that Tsuna was brought back to life.

This was the first time he had seen the Varia since waking up from his "death." When he heard that they helped out in the fight against Byakuran he was eager to see them, but apparently his younger self had pissed off Xanxus so much that they left immediately, so Tsuna had to settle with a phone call. (He was unable to hear anything out of his right ear for a full day afterward)

It seemed like the other members of the Varia were expressing their appreciation as well, though none were as apparent as Lussuria's. Bel hadn't stabbed anything with his knives (aside from Fran) and didn't bait Gokudera like he usually did (well . . . sort of). But in comparison to all the other times their group had met, the Varia Storm Guardian was being quite mellow. Xanxus only called him "scum" or "trash" fifteen times, and even used his real name once. Mammon didn't issue any fees all night, Squalo looked to be trying to control his volume (and failing), Fran gave him an awkward pat on the back at one point, and Levi complimented him on something before he complimented Xanxus. Bel teased him terribly about it to the point where Levi prostrated himself on the ground and begged for Xanxus's forgiveness, which the older man did with a quick flick of his wrist and an annoyed sigh.

Once the movie was finished, it was apparently time for drinking and socializing. It turned out that Xanxus had rather graciously brought a few cases of tequila, whiskey, wine-Tsuna really didn't want to think too much about what else. The Varia Boss had, of course, forced Levi to bring it in for him, and soon everyone was lounging around getting drunk. It always amazed Tsuna how the simple act of drinking was able to get the two conflicting factions of his Family to behave so well together. Not particularly wanting to get drunk this evening, Tsuna merely nursed a small glass of wine and sat back on a couch to enjoy the show.

As always, Gokudera and Yamamoto were at his side, holding similar drinks. Yamamoto wasn't usually one to get drunk other than right after a mission, so his behavior was normal. Seeing as how his precious Tenth was in the same room as a drunken group of assassins, Gokudera held back on the liquor as well. The three of them then spent the next couple hours watching the scene unfold before them, alternating between amusement and awkward horror.

The first hour or so had been plain and uninteresting, but then things started getting out of hand. Somehow, Ryohei had gotten Hibari drunk. No one quite knew he managed it (though it wouldn't take much because it was an unspoken secret that the Cloud Guardian was a lightweight) and they weren't too keen on finding out. Ryohei was certainly no lightweight, but the way he had been chugging down the alcohol earlier it was a surprise he wasn't passed out flat on his back yet.

Anyway, the point of the matter was that for some reason, Ryohei pulled a drunken and giggling Hibari onto a coffee table where they began to sing the Namimori Anthem. Well, Hibari was the only one who sang it properly, despite being drunk. The EXTREME boxer on the other hand, wouldn't have been able to get the lyrics right even if he was sober. Then, wonder of all wonders, Squalo jumped onto the table with them and started singing as well. (Tsuna was amazed at how sturdy the furniture had to be) It was difficult knowing just what he was singing because of his horrible tone quality and the way he slurred the lyrics together, but they did catch phrases like "undo this hurt you caused" and "uncry these tears" which made them actually glad they didn't know what he was referring to.

What made it even worse was that somehow, Squalo got the other two to start dancing, if one could call it that. They basically swayed back and forth like the drunken idiots they were in some semblance of an actual dance until they finally fell off the coffee table. The three landed in an undignified heap and giggled uncontrollably until they passed out.

Shouichi and Spanner were sitting in a corner, laughing hysterically about various robotics jokes that made absolutely no sense to Tsuna. Lambo was passed out on the floor, being fretted over by I-Pin after he had foolishly accepted Xanxus's challenge to a vodka drinking contest. The latter was already on his fifth bottle. Fuuta was calmly speaking with a nervous Kusakabe, who kept stealing worried glances at his hopelessly intoxicated boss.

Tsuna, Gokudera, and Yamamoto were nearly rolling on the floor laughing as they watched Xanxus interact with Haru and Kyoko. The Varia Boss had been drinking regularly for quite some time, and as a result he had mellowed out so drastically it was like he was a different person. The two girls had watched their alcohol intake, but it didn't stop them from giggling like hyenas. The three spectators had to wipe tears from their eyes as they watched Xanxus proudly show off his feathered hair accessory. He even let Haru and Kyoko touch it! What really threw the others into a laughing fit though, was the sight of Xanxus listening intently as Kyoko and Haru discussed what feather colors they thought would look best on him.

As time dragged on, more and more people passed out from intoxication, exhaustion, or a mixture of both, until it was just Tsuna awake in the expansive living room. He carefully extracted himself from the sleeping forms of his two Guardians, and did his best to make them comfortable on the couch. They had both passed out against him, though Tsuna knew it had to be from exhaustion more than anything else. He knew they were responsible for a major part of the planning.

Tsuna then made his way around the room, making sure that no one would get cramps from awkward sleeping arrangements in the morning. After all, it was Christmas, and no one wanted to be stiff on such an important day. He carefully adjusted some of their sleeping positions, draped blankets over some, and turned off the lights like a loving parent would. Tsuna found it difficult to keep a fond smile off his face as he did so. Everyone looked so peaceful as they slept, and Tsuna found it amusing (and in some cases adorable) how some of them had chosen to fall asleep.

Bel lay sprawled out on the floor with one hand on Mammon's head, who lay curled up on the blond's chest. Mukuro sat in the middle of one of the couches, his head leaning against the back while Fran lay across one side of the couch, his head resting in the other illusionist's lap. Ken and Chikusa were there as well (Tsuna had no idea when they joined the party, but he was grateful they came nonetheless) and Chikusa was snuggled up to Mukuro on the opposite side while Ken lay curled up against Mukuro's feet.

Chrome was asleep on the ground, with her back resting against another couch. Her arms were slung around I-Pin and Lambo, who snuggled up against her on either side. Lussuria lay on the ground on his side, curved inward while Haru and Kyoko rested against his chest, giving the illusion of a mother and her pups. Bianchi was curled up in one of the chairs, a sleeping Reborn in her arms.

The Decimo cast one final glance at his slumbering Family, then poured himself another small glass of wine and walked out to the balcony. It was a bit cold, but after being in a room full of people running about the nice chill was welcome. Tsuna took a deep breath and released it, watching the small tendrils of smoke vanish into the air. It was the early morning by now, and the faintest gleam of a sunrise on the horizon cast an almost heavenly glow against the snowy landscape. Everything was peaceful.

"Thank you, Giotto," Tsuna whispered.

"How have you enjoyed your Christmas so far, Tsu-kun?"

Tsuna turned around to face his mother, a bit alarmed to see her still awake. "Mom! You should be sleeping! Did you forget where the guest bedrooms are?"

"Silly, Tsu-kun!" Nana reached out and tapped Tsuna's nose. "It's Christmas Eve, isn't it?" she said with a wry smile. "Santa has been busy putting out all the presents for the good boys and girls!"

Tsuna flushed a deep red. "Mom! I'm not five anymore. And you don't have to do that! You've already done enough with the cooking and-"

Nana shook her head with a bemused look on her face. "How many times do I need to tell you? You will always be my little baby, no matter how old you are. And besides!" she said with a laugh. "I'm Maman to everyone else and I can't let them down now, can I? Christmas is a special time of year and I'm honored to be able to spend it with your new family."

She kissed Tsuna's cheek. "I'm so proud of all that you've been able to accomplish." She smiled and brushed some of Tsuna's hair behind his ear. "You're the best son I could have asked for."

The memory of Shouta resurfaced at her words and Tsuna couldn't stop the few grateful tears that came to his eyes. "Thank you," he said, his voice filled with emotion. He wrapped his arms tightly around his mother and resisted the urge to cry like a little child. He was adult, dammit!

Nana just smiled and said nothing. She merely stroked her fingers through Tsuna's hair and hummed the lullaby she always sang whenever her son had a nightmare.

Once Tsuna had calmed down sufficiently, he gave his mother a loving kiss on the cheek and told her how much he loved her. Then Nana said good-night and left to go catch a few hours of sleep before the rest of the festivities commenced.

Tsuna returned to staring at the landscape when barely a moment later his father came onto the balcony. The man said nothing, merely joined Tsuna in watching the sunrise, a peaceful look on his face. Tsuna lifted his gaze towards Iemitsu. "Thank you for watching out for mom," he said quietly. Iemitsu laughed.

"No problem, son." Then his eyes narrowed and all humor was eradicated from his expression. "Though I can't say I approve of the way you went about handling things." Tsuna flinched at the harsh tone in his father's voice. He had been dreading this confrontation. Ever since he had been "brought back to life," he hadn't really had the time to sit down and discuss things with his father. He had sent his parents away on purpose, only explaining to his dad that with things heating up with the Millefiore he needed his mother to be safe. He even ordered Iemitsu to do so as a sort of mission, just in case anyone protested. Tsuna would be the only one who knew of their location aside from Hibari, in case something went wrong.

"I know it was a rash decision," Tsuna began, "but it really was the only way-" He stopped when he felt his father's hand on his shoulder.

"Tsuna . . . you're a grown man now and fully capable of making your own decisions. I don't have much say anymore in how you conduct your affairs but-" Iemitsu choked on his words and inhaled sharply. "I'm just so glad you're alive." He pulled Tsuna in close and Tsuna was unable to stop a few tears from escaping as he felt his father's own fall onto his hair.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, just gaining comfort from each others presence.

"Your Cloud Guardian explained everything that happened when he gave us the call to come back," Iemitsu said. "Of course your mother doesn't know, but she could tell something was wrong. I'm just so happy you're all right."

"Thanks dad," Tsuna said, tightening his grip around the man. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Tsuna." Then Iemitsu broke away and gave his son a playful nudge as his tender, fatherly visage was shattered by his new expression. "Time for Santa and Mrs. Claus to have some quality time together after some hard work~"

"Oh, ewww!" Tsuna moaned, covering his ears. "Dad, keep those things to yourself!" Well, there went their touching moment. Tsuna knew it wouldn't last too long, but as he shoved his father back into the mansion in mild disgust, Tsuna couldn't help keep a fond smile off his face. As embarrassing as they were, they were still his parents.

Now that he was alone once again, Tsuna sighed and sipped his drink, returning to his previous thoughts. Only he wasn't alone for long.

"I used to think you'd never be able to pull a fast one on me," a childish voice said from the shadows, "but I have to admit that tonight you surprised me." Tsuna turned towards the Arcobaleno and smirked.

"Are you actually admitting to the fact that I shocked you, oh great one who's supposed to be able to read my mind?"

Reborn huffed and took a small sip of wine, the wide-rimmed glass held delicately in his tiny hands. "You're lucky it's Christmas or else I'd throw you off the balcony."

Tsuna laughed nervously, knowing it was completely true-Reborn had made it clear many times before that age nor title meant little to him, at least where Tsuna was concerned. The Arcobaleno then joined Tsuna, standing to his left on the balcony rail. Content, the two just stayed there in the early morning twilight, nursing their drinks. Reborn cast a sideways glance at Tsuna and watched as his student gazed at his passed-out Family through the window with pure love and adoration.

"What happened to you in the time I was gone?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing much," Tsuna said softly. He turned to look at Reborn. "I've just . . . truly come to realize how lucky I am. And I have you to thank for all of this, Reborn."

"Oh?" Reborn said with a small smirk.

Tsuna nodded, his expression serious. "If it weren't for you throwing my life into chaos, making my life a living hell, forcing me into things I didn't want to do-"

"All necessary." Reborn took another sip.

"True, but . . . I really mean it, Reborn. I owe you my life." Tsuna then placed his glass on the balcony rail and crouched so he was eye level with Reborn.

"I promise you, here and now, on my life-that I will do everything in my power to free you and the others from the Curse."

Reborn's eyes widened and he nearly dropped his glass. It was only due to years of practice that he was able to keep his tiny hands from shaking. He gave a harsh laugh. "Do you have any idea what you'll be setting yourself up against?"

"No, but I know that with my Family at my side I can do it. You're my Family, Reborn, and I'm not going to let you suffer anymore." With that said, Tsuna gave the hitman a wide smile, pat Leon on the head, and resumed his position against the railing.

There was silence for a while as Reborn gathered his thoughts and Tsuna waited patiently. "Be sure to get some sleep, Dame-Tsuna," Reborn finally said. He leapt down from the balcony railing and made his way back inside the mansion, hiding the soft smile he wore.

"Of course." Then Tsuna was unable to keep a teasing grin off his face.

"So then that's twice I've been able to surprise you in one day, isn't it?" He quickly dodged the empty glass that was thrown his way.

The Vongola Decimo chuckled. Even now, he still had no idea how he was able to attractive such colorful, rambunctious, insane, hot-tempered, caring people into his life. There was never a dull moment and sometimes the craziness he was now entrapped in made Tsuna want to tear his hair out and scream his throat raw. He felt like the only sane person left on earth. . .

But he wouldn't have it any other way.

Holy crap this chapter was insane! It just kept growing and growing. (I swear someone must've used the Cloud propagation ability on it or something) I squeezed in as many characters as I could without making a mess. I do hope you enjoyed the craziness! This is the Vongola Family, so that's to be expected. XD I also hope this was a fitting end. I really tried to give everyone equal consideration, which is hard with a crapload of characters like this.

And that whole thing with Reborn just sort of . . . happened. I figured it was the best Christmas present Tsuna could give Reborn, and I feel it's a very promising thing for the Vongola Family to focus on next, don't you? (Is it apparent what arc I want to have happen next? It would be EXTREMELY EPIC!)

A great BIG thank you to all that have read and reviewed throughout the course of this story. You have truly made this a memorable experience for me! When I got the idea for this story and started planning, I had no idea of the amount of fun I would have, and a large part of that is because of you! :) I'm so sad for it to it to be done though. But that's what more fanfiction is for, right? See you later!

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