Alice arched her neck, tilting her head back into the hot water, rinsing the shampoo from her hair. The water continued to spray down on her body, making her sigh in contentment.
After a few minutes have passed, she turned off the water and got out, her legs red from the heat and lifted a towel from the hook on the door. The mirror was fogged with steam.
A light yawn escaped her lips as she got out of the bathroom in a slow pace.
As soon as she entered her bedroom, a blank expression graced her face as she spotted a certain baby hitman, messing around with her CD's, random magazines and whatnot.
She didn't feel the least bit shocked, even though she was currently standing there, soaked to the skin and wearing nothing but a towel.
"Ciaossu." Was the only thing Reborn could say as Alice stared him down with a blank stare. "Hey." She replied in a calm tone of voice. "You're surprisingly calm for a girl your age." Reborn smirked as he scanned the posters on her bedroom walls.
"But then again, that's just what I would expect from a rock fan." "Not really... I enjoy music in general. I just listen to rock music most of the time. Depends on my mood..." Alice crossed her arms as she tapped her bare foot on the wooden floor.
"Anyways... What are you doing here?" She asked the smirking baby. "I'm here to inform you of a certain matter." "A certain matter?" Alice arched her brow. "A student of mine came all the way from Italy just to meet you. He's the Tenth generation boss of the Cavallone Family."
Reborn jumped towards the open window, landing ever so gracefully on the window board. "Wait... You mean to tell me that this whole mafia thing is real?" Alice questioned the hitman, in which he chuckled softly.
"Right now, you are a very important member of the Vongola Family. Your speed and graceful practice in... thievery will be put to good use, trust me." He smirked in her direction, holding onto his hat.
"Who told you about that?!" Alice freaked. "I assumed you got some other tricks up your sleeve. Stealing being one of those assumptions. With the way your acting, It looks like I guessed right." He continued to say while Alice was left speechless.
"Suit up for the occasion. I expect to see you at Tsuna's household in five minutes." Reborn looked her over, still with that smirk on his lips. "Make it fifteen..." He muttered out as he disappeared. Leaving no trace of him ever being there.
Alice placed her index-finger on her chin. "Me? Joining the mafia?" She spoke to herself. Alice's facial expression darkened as she grinned in a wicked manner.
"I'll suit up. I'll suit up good." She continued to say as she went through her wardrobe, throwing one clothing after another on the wooden floor. Her eyes gleamed upon spotting the right outfit to wear for the special occasion.
"Just perfect..."
-----------------
The living room smelled of pancakes and maple syrup. Tsuna flashed Reborn a warning look, before directing his gaze to Dino, looking ever so goofy at the moment.
"Relax Tsuna. It'll be okay." Dino tried to cheer the boy up, but it hardly worked. "Not really..." Tsuna muttered under his breath with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Why do you have to get Dino-san involved, Reborn?!" Tsuna exclaimed. "He just wants to meet the new addition to the Family. Right, Dino?" Reborn grinned as he glanced over at the clueless blonde.
"H-hey! Don't ask me. You're the one who told me to get down here as fast as I could. Don't drag me along with you Reborn." Dino defended himself. "After all the trouble I went through to bail you out of jail." Reborn sobbed dramatically as he took out a handkerchief and blew his nose.
"You're the reason why they threw me in jail in the first place." Dino commented, not fooled by Reborn's little act. "Urgh! Why'd you invite Pierce-san over! Haven't I suffered enough!?" Tsuna messed up his hair, getting quite frustrated.
"Reborn-san did what?!" Gokudera slammed his hands on the table, a look of horror evident on his face. "I guess they don't get along that well, huh?" Dino whispered to Yamamoto. The baseball boy merely nodded his head, followed by a wide grin plastered on his face.
"Like cat and dog they are." Dino sweat-dropped at Yamamoto's reply, expecting the worst. "He treats her that badly?" "He's the cat. Alice is the dog, sort of." Dino laughed in a nervous matter.
"It's the other way around! She has nothing on me!" Gokudera spat out, averting his attention to Yamamoto and Dino. "Does it really matter at this point?" Tsuna sighed.
"If you say so, Tenth!" Gokudera beamed as he sat down next to Tsuna.
"He's the dog." Dino and Yamamoto spoke at the same time, sweat-dropping at Gokudera's loyalty towards the Vongola Boss.
"Tsuna."
Tsuna turned to his senior pupil. Dino turned serious all of a sudden. "What do you think of this Alice person? What's your personal opinion of her? Do you trust her enough to let her join the Vongola Family?"
Tsuna averted his attention to Reborn. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to answer any of Dino's questions. "I think..." He glanced over at Yamamoto. He and Alice seem to be pretty close. It would be stupid to say something bad about her.
Unlike Gokudera who doesn't seem to mind much, since he's been mouthing the words 'She's bad news', nonstop to Tsuna.
"I guess... Eto... Ano." Tsuna stammered, his mind blanking out on him.
"Is it that bad?" Dino smiled faintly in his direction, not blaming the boy for messing up. "It's hard to explain. You'll figure it out once you meet her face to face."
"I see. So it's not a simple kid, is she? That's fine." Dino commented as he ran his fingers through his messy hair. "I wanna play!! I wanna play!!" Lambo cried as he gazed out the window, his face plastered against the glass.
"What is it, stupid cow!! Can't you see we're busy here!! No' one wants to play with you!!" Gokudera groaned in dismay.
"But Lambo-san wants to play outside with the others!!" Lambo continued to cry. He jumped down and ran at the front door, wanting to go out. "The others? Is anyone else out there?" Tsuna got up on his feet and walked over to the door as well.
"Not that I know of. My subordinates are out, though I doubt they would waste their time playing games." Dino laughed as he followed Tsuna's lead. Tsuna turned pale as soon as he opened the door, seeing Dino's subordinates cheering and clapping their hands as they stood in a circle.
"This can't be good." Tsuna muttered out. Lambo ran outside, overjoyed for some reason and made his way through the crowd of people. Gokudera and Yamamoto went out as well, Reborn sitting on Yamamoto's shoulder.
"What the hell? What's going on here, Bucking Bronco?! Can't you keep your subordinates under control?!" Gokudera retorted as a vein popped up on his forehead. "This never happened before. Who are they cheering for anyway?"
"That's for you to find out, clumsy horse!"
"I'm on it. I'm on it." He grinned, walking up to his subordinates.
"What's going on here, you guys?" His men averted their attention to their boss, still laughing. "You have to see this Boss. She's pretty good!" Ivan exclaimed as he wiped away the tears of laughter.
Dino's subordinates stood in line. As soon as they did so, Tsuna and Gokudera froze over upon seeing Alice, dressed up as a true mafia gangster. "Is it me, or is she smoking a cigarette." Yamamoto pointed out with a playful grin. Alice traced the brim of her fancy hat, grinning widely as soon as she spotted Tsuna.
"Yo Tsunam- I mean..." She coughed loudly, wanting to do it right.
She opened her vest, taking out two guns out of their holsters and aiming them straight at Tsuna. "Hiiiiii!!" Tsuna jumped out of his skin in fear. Alice pulled the trigger. Water made its way through the barrels of the guns, hitting their target. Which is Tsuna's favorite shirt, unfortunately.
"I'll make you an offer you can't refuse." She grinned from ear to ear. "Oh God..." Gokudera slapped himself in the face upon hearing Alice's lame Don Vito Corleone impression.
"I guess it's true what they say about American and Italian people." He continued to say in a mere whisper. "What's that?" Yamamoto asked his Italian classmate.
"The Italians interrogate first, followed by a gunshot to the head. However... The Americans tend to shoot first, because their stupid." Gokudera explained, getting depressed just by laying his eyes on the American mafia member.
"Lambo-san wants to play too!!" Lambo jumped up and down. Alice handed over her water gun, putting the other away in the holster."Waaaiiiii!!! Lambo-san got it!!Lambo-san got it!!" Lambo exclaimed as his big emerald eyes sparkled in joy.
"You have real weapons... What do you need that for?" Tsuna sweat-dropped. "Prepare yourself Stupidera!!" Lambo aimed at Gokudera when his fist came crashing down his head. "You're the one who needs to prepare himself, stupid cow!!"
"Next is the Russian Roulette! Bono! Give me your gun!" Alice kept grinning as she held out her hand in front of Bono. He laughed and took out his gun, about to place it in her outstretched hand when Gokudera interfered.
"Cut it out, Babyface!!" He held onto her collar and shook her like crazy. "Must you make a fool of yourself yet again?! Your making us look bad!! And lose the cigarette for crying out loud!!"
"Hey!! If I feel like smoking, I'm gonna smoke!!" Alice retorted with a deep frown.
"Besides... It's made out of chocolate."She grinned after that, succeeding in pissing off Gokudera even more.
"Who cares about the cigarette!! Who cares about the suit!! Wear normal clothing for once!!" "But Reborn told me to suit up for the occasion." Alice pouted. Everyone averted their attention to the little hitman. He was amused to no end.
"Reborn!! Why'd you tell her to suit up?!!" Tsuna yelled out. "Why must you make things so complicated!!" "That doesn't matter. She's gonna pay the price for soiling our family's name." Gokudera took out a dynamite stave litting the fuse on fire as his facial expression darkened.
"Want me to ignite your fancy cigarette?" He mocked her.
"H-hey! It's made out of chocolate! I thought I told you that! It's gonna melt!!" Alice tried to wriggle free from Gokudera's hold on her. The sound of footsteps caused for Gokudera and Alice to look up.
Bono, Romario and Ivan gazed down at Gokudera, frowning disapprovingly at the young Italian. "It would be in your best interest to release young Alessa." Bono glared him down as he spoke his words in a deadly tone.
Gokudera let go of Alice, still staring at Dino's subordinates in shock. Looks like Alice made a good first impression with Dino's subordinates. Ivan extinguished the burning fuse with his fingers.
Romario turned to Alice, dusting off her shoulders. All the while, Alice couldn't stop grinning. "It's okay guys. I can handle him." Gokudera glared daggers at her. "She's all yours, Boss." Romario pushed her forward.
"Dino... Meet Alice Pierce, the American member of the Vongola Family." Alice took a deep bow, surprising Yamamoto, Tsuna, Dino and especially Gokudera at the scene.
"Pleasure to make the acquaintance, Tenth generation Boss of the Cavallone Family..." "You gotta be kidding me." Gokudera muttered under his breath. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" Dino asked Alice, in which she looked up at him.
"I dunno." She dropped her polite act, shrugging her shoulders as she nibbled on her chocolate cigarette.
"Chocolate!!" Lambo dropped the water gun, his attention elsewhere. Alice lowered herself to Lambo's height and gave him the rest of her chocolate cigarettes. "Enjoy." Lambo stuffed his mouth with the sweets. Alice sweat-dropped at the starved cowboy.
"Cute little kid." Alice pat him on the head. "I really think I've seen you somewhere. You seem very familiar." Dino pressed on. Alice got up on her feet and gazed at Dino. She walked up to him, scanning him from head to toe.
"Ano..." Dino muttered out under Alice's watchful eyes. "C-can you... possibly remove your hat?" Dino stuttered out, afraid that the American hoodlum will lash out at him for no reason. Alice shrugged, not really caring.
"You remove it. My fingers are all sticky from the chocolate." She grinned, showing off her pearl white teeth in the progress. Dino sweat-dropped at her answer. He reached out for her hat nonetheless and managed to remove it with care.
As soon as he did so, her pigtails made their way down from under the hat in a fluid motion. All the while, Alice kept her eyes on Dino. She held up her usual tough barrier, determined to keep him at bay. Much to her surprise, Dino flashed her a smile.
"You're the kidnapped girl from yesterday... What a coincidence, don't you think so, Reborn?" Reborn merely grinned in Dino's direction. "Do you like her so far?" He asked his former pupil. "It's hard to say. I guess Tsuna wasn't kidding when he found it hard to form an honest opinion of her."
Upon hearing that piece of information, Alice turned to Tsuna with a confused expression gracing her face. "Hey! What isn't there to say about me!" She spat out, feeling threatened for some reason.
"I'm just a pasta eatin', hard workin', super outgoin', attitude havin', hands gesturing, tradition keepin', cheek kissin', lovin and romancin' type of Italian!" Gokudera was about to jump on her, but Yamamoto managed to stop him in his tracks.
"She sure is fired up about joining Tsuna's Family. The way I see it, she's already a full-fledged Italian." Dino joked around. "Don't encourage her..." Tsuna commented, feeling tired all of a sudden.
"But I'm still not convinced."
"In that case, why don't you test her?" Reborn piped in, his smirk growing wider. "Bring it on. I can take on anything!" Alice exclaimed with her fist pumped in the air. Thanks to her sudden movement, she accidentally punched poor Romario who stood near her. He held his nose, clearly in a lot of pain.
"S-sorry..." She scratched the back of her head in embarrassment. "It's quite alright, Alessa." Romario muttered under his breath as Bono held out a tissue for Romario to use. He gladly accepted.
"Alright... Let's get this little trial started." Dino commented, a little freaked out at the moment. Alice just readjusted her hat,
"Yeah..."
-------------
Alice fiddled with the zipper of her red sweater, zipping it up and down in a nervous matter. She was very nervous. Who wouldn't be? Currently, she is standing on a rocky field, surrounded by trees as far as the eye could see. The thick still layers of air is suffocating Alice.
A lone falcon flew across the clear blue sky, letting out a high pitched cry. Alice didn't feel comfortable, to say the least. Also, the fact that Dino was inspecting her with hawk-like eyes didn't make the situation any better for her.
He walked over to her side, placing his hand on her tense shoulder. She looked up at him, her eyes following his every move. "You okay? You look rather pale." Dino commented as Alice stopped her nervous habit of zipping and unzipping her sweater as her crystal blue eyes locked onto Dino's coffee brown ones.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I happen to pass through this mountain on the way to school. This is gonna be a breeze." She replied in a sarcastic tone of voice.
Dino didn't seem to realise she was faking it, leading for him to believe every word she just said. "I figured as much. According to Reborn, you're a natural, so I'm not really worried!" Dino laughed. Alice rolled her eyes.
"It's blondes like you that give blondes like me a bad name..." She muttered under her breath, in which Dino arched a brow at her words in confusion, his mouth agape at the moment.
"Well, that's ju-" "What will happen if I fail the test?" Alice cut him off. Dino sighed. She was getting impatient, that's for sure.
"Passing through Death Mountain will-" "What will happen if I fail?" She repeated the question. Dino kept his coffee brown eyes on Alice. She's not going to like the answer to her question. He knew that much.
He took a few steps near a tree, leaning against it. A handful of leaves made their way down. A gust of wind picked them up from the air before they could fall, letting them dance into the blue sky.
"You really want to know?" Dino asked Alice, his eyes locking onto hers. Not sure of wanting to know it herself now, she nodded her head ever so softly.
"You'll be shut out from the Vongola Family, never to speak to the Family members in any way ever again."He said, his tone ever so serious.
"In short, you'll be banished, sort of." Dino spoke, keeping a straight face. Alice felt like she's been slapped in the face by the blonde Italian.
"You gotta be kidding me! I get that you're part of the mafia and all that, but I can't avoid my friends! That's going a bit too far, don't you think?!" She spat out, shooting him a death-glare. Dino stuck his hands in his pockets, feeling her eyes on him.
"Do you rather want for them to avoid you? It'll be much more painful, I bet." Dino managed to say as Alice hid her face behind her collar, having nothing else to say.
"When you fail, your friendship with them will get you into trouble. You'll surely get hurt." "It's not like I won't be hurt mentally, y'know..." Alice muttered out, feeling the need to glare at Dino even more.
It's bad enough he brought her all the way to a mountain that seemed to be surrounded by death, hence the lame name.
And the fact that she didn't tell Tsuna and the others of her current location, because this is something she had to deal with on her own, according to the young Italian blonde standing before her.
Having to deal with the loss of her friends is really something she can't bear.
"Is this whole mafia deal that important? Do I really have no other option?" Alice turned to Dino. "The Vongola Family has long since been the most powerful Mafia family in all of Italy. It's serious business. Tsuna, the Tenth generation Boss of the Vongola Family has to rely on the members of his Family when times get rough."
Dino walked up to Alice. He stared into her crystal blue orbs, finding them filled to the brim with unshed tears.
Be that as it may, she still refused to cry in front of a person she just met today. Having lived a life of hardship caused for her to keep her emotions under control like no other.
"You're not worthy of being part of the Family if you care too much about oneself, and not enough about others. You will be depended upon, thus you can't afford to turn your back on them." Dino leaned down and wiped away her unshed tears with his thumb.
Alice took a step back. Somehow, she felt offended by the words he stowed upon her.
"How do you know about all that... You know far too much about me for someone I just met, Tenth Generation Boss of the Cavallone Family." Alice spoke, a cold tone resonating in her voice. Dino sighed. He ran his fingers through his silk blonde hair.
"I did some research... Don't take it to heart, but I don't think your suited to join Tsuna's Family."
"So this is all an act? I'm going to lose in the first round? The test was fixed from the start?"
"That's up to you to decide. The outcome isn't set, you know. You just need to show me that your capable of changing your ways. That's all there is to it." Dino replied.
Alice started to understand where this was going. This isn't a test about speed. It's to see if she's capable of throwing away her past life, along with her bad habits of running away and to think only of herself.
"So? What will it be? Will you throw the towel in the ring?" Dino questioned the American teenager. She lowered herself, tying up the laces of her sneakers.
"Like hell I will... I might be a stupid American, just like Hayato tells me multiple times. But I'm not a quitter." Dino smiled faintly at her answer.
"I'm not called the Black Racer for nothing. I might be very fast, I might flee and think of only myself, just like the Black Racer. But once I'm cornered in a situation like this..."
She got up on her feet, keeping her eyes on the road before her. "I'll put up a vigorous fight. One you won't forget." She finished off as she took a deep breath, exhaling shortly afterwards.
She scanned the rocky path before her, preparing herself for the test. "I can do this. I'm strong." Alice muttered out to herself. "Remember... The only way to pass the test is for you to reach the foot of the mountain."
He tossed her a satellite phone, not even warning her beforehand. She clumsily managed to catch it, heaving a sigh out of relief. "You should be able to reach me with that phone. Give me a call when you feel like bailing out on the mission." He grinned, causing for Alice to burn a hole in his face with the rising intensity of her death-glare.
"Must you throw it at me?! You're such a blonde oaf!" She spat out at him. Dino felt slightly offended by her comment. "I'll have you know, nothing bad happened to me on the way here." He replied with a pout to follow.
"And I heard you're not so handy to be around as well." Alice burned up at his comment."I'm not clumsy! I got here in one piece! I don't have a scratch... On me."
Realization dawned upon her as she spoke her last words slowly. The way he talks... The way he acts...He was the spitting image of her.
"Oh my God..." She looked at him, her eyes wide. "I'm gonna be just like you when I grow up, aren't I?" She said, her face holding a look of disgust. Dino suppressed his laughter as best as he could, feeling rather amused by Alice's comment.
"I wouldn't mind if you did grow up to be just like me." Dino ceased his laughter, simply standing there as he gazed at her in admiration, it seemed. She was caught off guard by his dazzling smile.
She turned red in the face, feeling embarrassed. Her embarrassment increased as soon as Dino noticed the blush creeping up on her cheeks, his smile widening at the view.
She turned her back on him, letting out a loud huff as she said something along the lines of 'clumsy Italian ditz'.
"You might be a tough cookie on the outside. But inside, your just a soft, caring, innocent little girl." He leaned in and whispered into her ear, her face burning up even more at his words.
"J-just give me the start signal and I'll be on my way!" Alice spat out while backing away, almost tripping over a branch. "Start signal?" Dino questioned in his confused state. "Yeah! Start signal as in firing a starting pistol?" Dino flashed her a goofy smile. He must have forgotten all about it.
"How do you expect me to finish the test if I can't even start?" A faint clicking sound reached their ears, making the both of them look down.
Reborn refilled his gun with a fresh load of bullets, aiming the barrel towards the blue sky. "Get ready." Dino placed his hands onto his ears as Alice got into position. A loud bang filled the surrounding area, spooking a flock of birds housing the trees.
Running footsteps could be heard in the distance as a cloud of dust was left in Alice's wake. The dust settled after a while. Reborn's eyes couldn't be seen, his black hat throwing a shadow over a part of his face.
In a split second, he turned his back on Dino and was on his way home.
"That's it? Aren't you gonna say something, Reborn?" Dino questioned his ex-tutor. Reborn stopped walking. "What is there to say?" He retorted as he faced Dino. "I don't know... Good luck, perhaps? A few encouraging words wouldn't hurt, you know."
"Keh... You really are foolish, Dino." The baby muttered out, much to Dino's dismay. Dino arched his brow. The baby hitman faced Dino, a smirk evident on his lips.
"Any words of encouragement will diminish the fire roaring within her. I place all my faith in her. She knows that..." Leon made himself comfortable. His green paw hanging down the brim of the baby's hat.
"That girl needs to be treated with caution and care." Reborn held onto his pet chameleon, patting him like an evil master brain would pet his cat.
"You've seen for yourself how complicated she is. Much like the wind extinguishes candles, it can also be used to fan a flame." "Right. You're comparing her with the wind now?" Dino retorted, his eyes holding a hint of amusement in them.
"Or is it fire..." He continued to say, his expression showing a look of confusion. The smirk on Reborn's lips faded as he stared at Dino, surprised by his ex-pupil's stupidity. "I'll be making my leave with the chopper." The baby stepped forward, muttering several insults under his breath.
"Don't worry Reborn! She's in good hands!" Dino waved as Reborn's retreating back got smaller and smaller. As soon as Reborn was out of sight, Dino was left all alone on a dangerous mountain.
"Wait a minute..."
A wild tiger roared in the background, causing for Dino to jump up in fear. "I only brought one helicopter!!" He ran into the direction from which he came, hoping to be on time before Reborn leaves without him.
-----------------
Several hours have passed since Alice started her trial of survival. Dinner was served at the Sawada household. Lambo, I-Pin, Fuuta and Bianchi practically stormed down the stairs, knocking down a clueless Tsuna who happened to be standing in the hallway.
"Lambo-san got here first!! Lambo-san got here first, Mama!!" The Italian cow climbed onto a chair, his eyes scanning the yummy treats lined up for him to eat.
"Go ahead and dig in. There's plenty for everyone." Tsuna's caring Mother replied as she added a final touch to the delicious looking dishes. "This looks great, as always Mama." Fuuta complimented her, making her smile.
I-Pin placed herself next to Lambo, placing her hands together in a silent prayer. "Nin chi hao." Her small hands reached out for a pair of chopsticks, but Lambo managed to snatch it away from her.
"Lambo-san won't let you take these chopsticks!!" He laughed. But I-Pin didn't see the humor in his actions. "Cut it out Lambo! Use your own chopsticks." Tsuna walked in the dining room, looking ever so pathetic. He pulled out his chair and sat across from Fuuta.
"What's wrong Tsuna-nii? You look rather blue." The boy asked Tsuna as he took a bite from his food.
"Oh nothing. It's just that I haven't seen or heard from Reborn for a couple of hours now. It's getting quite late." Tsuna replied, avoiding the dirty look Lambo was giving him when he took a hold of his chopsticks by accident.
"Lambo-san won't stand for this!!" He roared, only to be flattened by Bianchi. "What do you mean, you haven't heard of him. Did something happen to my poor Reborn?" Bianchi piped in, thinking of the possible situations Reborn might be in right now.
"If he's hurt, I'll hold you responsible, Sawada Tsunayoshi." She hissed as her eyes flashed dangerously, her facial expression darkening. "E-eh!? Me?! What did I do?!" Tsuna spat out in disbelief.
"L-lambo-san can't breathe..." Lambo managed to say under Bianchi's increasing weight on his head. "I'm sure he's fine, so there's no need to worry." "Are you sure?" Lambo held out his hand in an attempt to be noticed by Tsuna. But no success so far.
"I guess I could go out and look around." Tsuna tried to calm her down. "Yeah... You should do that." Bianchi replied, her eyes following Tsuna's every move.
Tsuna grabbed his coat and made his way out. He searched high and low for Reborn, only to wind up at Yamamoto's family restaurant. Tsuna walked in with a big sigh, showing his tired face.
"Hey Tsuna! What brings you here?!" Yamamoto exclaimed. He was cleaning one of the tables with a cloth when he noticed Tsuna. His soft brown eyes sparkled up in joy, momentarily forgetting about cleaning up the table as he walked over to Tsuna.
"Hey Yamamoto. Sorry to bother you at such a late hour. I'm just loo-" "If you're looking for the kid, he's sitting over there. He's got quite the appetite for a baby." Yamamoto laughed.
"H-he's here?!" Tsuna exclaimed, his face showing signs of both anger and relief. He ran up to Reborn in a hurry, slamming his fists on the table. "Reborn!! You were here the whole time?! I was looking all over for you!"
A faint click filled Tsuna's ears, making him reconsider his rude approach. This is Reborn he was dealing with. Reborn... The baby hitman with a tendency to beat the crap out of him.
"Have you no manners, Tsuna? If only Mama could see you now. She'd roll over in her grave." "My Mom isn't dead!!" Tsuna yelled at the hitman, momentarily forgetting about the gun.
"Speaking of graves... You keep disrespecting your home tutor and you'll be lying in your own grave." Tsuna inched back in fear. "Sit down." He did as he was told without making a sound.
"I'd like a refill of my espresso." Reborn turned to Yamamoto as his gun changed back into his trusty partner.
"Coming right up, kiddo." Yamamoto saluted the baby. "Since when did your Dad add espresso on the beverage menu, Yamamoto?" Tsuna asked his classmate a little ways ahead.
"Hey, don't ask me. I didn't even realize we had it on the menu. Thanks to the kid." Tsuna sweat-dropped upon hearing Yamamoto's response. "R-right..." Yamamoto disappeared behind the counter after that. "So?" Reborn began to say, causing for Tsuna to glare in his direction.
"What do you mean, so?! Bianchi was about to kill me once she noticed your absence at home! Geez... Can't you at least warn me beforehand?"
"A true mafia Boss needs to-"
"Enough about that, Reborn! We're at a public place. People will overhear our conversation." He whispered out, feeling countless pairs of eyes gaze at him from behind.
"Keh... You still have much to learn." Tsuna sighed as he slumped on his chair in exhaustion. "Well? What's the big deal? Why did you disappear without giving me the usual beating today..." Tsuna pointed out, feeling the bruises from the other day burn on his skin.
Yamamoto made his way over to them. He poured the steaming hot liquid into Reborn's cup. Reborn's eyes lit up, holding onto the cup as he took a few sips ever so softly. He placed his cup down on the table, staring intently at Tsuna.
"I'm afraid I can't tell you, Tsuna. My lips are sealed. "Came his answer. The boy sighed. He expected this much from Reborn. "Whatever... Bianchi won't kill me after she finds out you're safe." Yamamoto laughed at Tsuna's comment.
"In that case... Do you feel like getting into the danger zone again?"
"I have a bad feeling about this..." The young Boss muttered out, a shiver running down his spine. "I think it's time for you to repay Alice for protecting you from Hibari's wrath." Reborn took a hold of the menu, hiding his face behind the object.
Only his chubby fingers could be seen, gripping onto the menu from the side. Tsuna had a look of confusion on his face. "Speaking of Pierce-san... Where is she?"
"Don't worry. She's hanging out with Dino..."
Tsuna relaxed after hearing that. "That's a relief. I thought for a second there that she got herself into trouble again." "She's wandering around on Death Mountain, determined to pass the trial Dino instructed her to do." Reborn muttered out, his fingers tapping against the menu.
Tsuna turned pale in the face, fearing for his friend's life. "WHAT?!!" His voice boomed throughout the restaurant.
"SHE'S GONNA DIE!!" Tsuna made a run for the exit, Yamamoto following his every move. "H-hey Takeshi! Where you goin'?!" Yamamoto's Father yelled out to his only son.
"It's an emergency!" Yamamoto answered as he tossed the moist cloth over the counter, hitting the old man straight in the face. "I'll be back before you know it!!" He took a hold of his baseball bat and was out the door, leaving his confused Father behind.
"Let's see how you will handle this one, Tsuna." Reborn muttered to himself, scanning the menu with his big beady eyes.
"Hmmm... I think I'll try the Grayfish sushi."
Tsuna's POV:
"Okay! Okay! Which way should we go?!" I panicked, running around in circles. After a while of running around, I made my way over to Yamamoto, placing my hands on his shoulders.
"Do you know the way to Death Mountain?! Please say you do!" "Sorry Tsuna. I was with Dino at the time." Was his answer. I slapped myself in the face. "How are we supposed to help Pierce-san if we can't even reach her!"
"I know!" Yamamoto exclaimed with a big smile dancing on his lips. "Maybe Gokudera knows the way. He's a smart guy."
"That's right! He is a smart guy!"
I smiled as well, agreeing with Yamamoto's wise suggestion. We hurriedly made our way to Gokudera-kun's place, ringing his doorbell countless times in a row.
The door opened, revealing Gokudera-kun standing in the doorway, looking puzzled. His facial expression lit up once he recognized me. "Tenth!! You came to see me today!! What can I do for-oh... He's here as well..." He broke down, giving Yamamoto a look that could kill.
"Hey Gokudera. Good to see you." Yamamoto grinned in his direction, dismissing the nasty look Gokudera-kun was giving him. "Gokudera-kun! We need your help!" "Of course, Tenth! I'll always lend you a hand whenever you're in a pinch! I'll walk through a raging fire!! I'll swim the seven seas!!I'll do anything for you, Tenth!!" Gokudera-kun saluted me like a soldier standing in line. I sweat-dropped at his actions, but there was no time to waste!
"Pierce-san is going through a trial on Death Mountain! We have to help her!" Gokudera-kun leaned against the doorframe, his excitement diminishing with each passing second.
"Yeah... I'm not helping out Babyface. She's on her own." He replied. I stared at him with my mouth hanging open. I can't believe this! "Why won't you help us out?!" I exclaimed rather loudly. "It's not you, Tenth! Really! I just can't stand her, is all."
"Believe me, everyone knows that. We all know you can't get along with Pierce-san. But please, be the bigger man here and forgive her manners!" I tried to convince him, but it didn't seem to work at all.
"I'm sorry Tenth. I would be soiling my Italian heritage for helping out an American soldier in battle."
"You guys aren't in a war!!" I spat out, feeling a headache coming up.
"Do you want her death to be carved on your conscience forever?!" I held onto his collar, my eyes wide as I waited for his answer. "That doesn't sound so bad..." He smirked, enjoying the mere thought of Pierce-san's absence.
"Forget it." I released him, turning to Yamamoto instead. "Let's go Yamamoto. We can find our way to Death Mountain. No problem." I whispered out, not too sure of myself if we'll get there in this lifetime.
"Kay!" Yamamoto followed me. I threw one last look in Gokudera-kun's direction, catching him having an inner conflict with himself. I can really imagine the devil and angel form of his conscience arguying over his shoulder on what to do...
After slapping himself in the face, he slammed the door shut, leaving for me to give up on him. "This is so unlike him." "Did you say something, Tsuna?" I shook my head. "It's nothing." I smiled at him.
"We should go. We wouldn't want to find Pierce-san in the claws of a bear." I muttered under my breath. "I think she can fend for herself just fine. So there's no need to rush." Yamamoto gazed at the road before him, avoiding my eyes. "Why's that?"
"No offense to Haru and Kyoko, but Alice isn’t like any ordinary girl we've met so far. She can fend for herself, much like Bianchi does." I arched my brow at his words. That's right... Unlike Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto seems to have a good relationship with Pierce-san.
I guess that's what you get for sitting next to one another in class. You tend to know your neighbor better than the rest.
"I'm just saying... If Alice can take on Hibari and survive, which many failed in doing so." He laughed. "She can take on a whole horde of bears, you know."
"Knowing her, she'll probably provoke the bears in attacking her..." I sweat-dropped dramatically. I don't understand how she can handle so much excitement on one day!
"But I get it. I know what you mean. She's tough." I said. Yamamoto flashed a smile in my direction. "But I just want to repay her for helping me, you know. She's a good person. Even though Gokudera-kun can't seem to get along with her..."
"Don't mind him. Gokudera's probably treating Alice badly because he's into her."
"YOU TAKE THAT BACK, BASEBALL NUT!!"
My ears practically exploded after hearing Gokudera-kun's loud protest. Yamamoto and myself turned around, only to see Gokudera-kun walking towards us. And might I say, he didn't look too happy.
"Hey Gokudera! You decided to help out anyway! Good for you!" Yamamoto called out to him. Gokudera-kun kept glaring at Yamamoto. He seemed to be holding onto a paper scroll, in which my eyes lit up in pure happiness. That must be the map that's gonna lead us through Death Mountain!
"Great to see you join us." Yamamoto began to say. Gokudera-kun didn't cease his glaring. It intensified tenfold... "You gonna be her knight in shining armor? Good for you!" Yamamoto didn't seem to notice Gokudera-kun's bad mood as he kept adding oil to the already roaring flame.
"I'LL KILL YOU!! I'LL KILL YOU DEAD!!" Gokudera-kun exploded as I held him back. "It's okay Gokudera-kun! He doesn't know what he's saying!" I tried to calm him down.
Yamamoto simply laughed, not getting why Gokudera-kun was getting so worked up for. After hearing my encouraging words of him being better that Yamamoto at everything, he calmed down. "I'll lead the way." Gokudera-kun walked ahead of us, scanning the map in his hands.
"You sure you're not doing this for Alice?!" Yamamoto didn't give it a rest. A dark cloud formed above Gokudera-kun's head as he grumbled a few insulting words under his breath.
"I'm doing this for the Tenth, not for that stupid American brat..." He chanted to himself, ignoring Yamamoto's words. I couldn't help but to smile at Gokudera-kun's behavior.
This is how he shows his affection towards Pierce-san. Not as a lover. But as a close friend. He cares for Pierce-san. He just has a different way of showing it.
----------------
The night was beginning to fall. The three of us were wandering on Death Mountain and so far, we managed to avoid the wild animals, thus keeping ourselves in one piece.
"I can hardly see anything." I muttered out as Gokudera-kun, who walked ahead of me, let go of a random branch, smacking it straight in my face. I yelled at the top of my lungs as I felt the intense pain of the branch, but I instantly stopped once I heard the distant growl of a tiger.
"You okay, Tsuna?" Yamamoto asked as he ran up to me, along with Gokudera-kun. "Y-yeah. I'm fine." I replied, shifting my eyes in a paranoid state. "Let's keep moving." Gokudera-kun piped in.
"But I can't see anything. It's too dark to see." I muttered out. "In that case, use these, Tenth!!" Gokudera-kun threw a lit up dynamite stave in my direction. I juggled the object in my hands as I squealed in horror.
"W-what is this for?!! You trying to blow me up here?!!" I stuttered out.
"It's gonna blow!!"
I threw it away in a batch of branches, litting them on fire. "Nice thinking Tenth! I didn't even think about using the dried up branches around us as a torch! I'm so proud of you!" Gokudera-kun complimented me, the sparkle shining in his eyes making the torches look like useless tools.
Yamamoto extinguished the fire before it could spread out. He handed me a torch, passing another one to Gokudera-kun.
"Better, Tsuna?" Yamamoto grinned, in which I scratched the back of my head.
"Sorry... I just don't like to walk around in the dark." I spoke, feeling embarrassed. "Who knows what kind of creatures of the night might pop out of the darkness..." I muttered out, taking a look around.
The sound of branches breaking could be heard, accompanied with a loud squeal. I jumped up in fear as Yamamoto and Gokudera-kun got into a fighting position with their torches at hand.
"It's a monster!!"
The rustling of the leaves filled our ears as the so called monster revealed itself to us. Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto let down their guard upon seeing a bear cub, gazing at them with mild interest.
"It's just a stupid little bear." Gokudera-kun glared at the animal.
"Hey there little fella. Are you lost?" "You’re talking to that thing?" Gokudera-kun piped in as Yamamoto stretched out his hand, causing for the tiny bear to walk forward.
"Don't lure it in our direction!" Gokudera-kun freaked out.
"Where's your Mommy little buddy?" Yamamoto continued his conversation with the bear. The animal got along with Yamamoto, allowing for Yamamoto to stroke his tummy as he rolled over on his back, resembling a playful dog.
A loud roar broke the silence as a pair of red glowing orbs could be seen in the dark. Heavy footsteps followed soon after, revealing one hell of a big grizzly bear, looking down at us.
"H-hey Yamamoto... I think we found his Mother." I gulped.
Yamamoto looked up, spotting the new threat before us. "Great! Go to Mommy and don't leave her side." "Just don't leave my side, Yamamoto..." I whispered out, not wanting to anger the Mother bear. Her teeth were gleaming in the light, her eyes burning up in anger.
The bear was about to attack, when Yamamoto took a powerful swing with his bat. The cub saw this coming and dashed in-between Yamamoto's legs, causing for him to trip. His bat connected with poor Gokudera-kun's upper arm.
"Learn how to aim, you moron!!" Gokudera-kun yelled out in pain, tripping over a lone branch as he crashed into me. Before the two of us tumbled down to meet our doom, Gokudera-kun managed to hold onto Yamamoto, dragging him with us. After several feet of falling down, a soft patch of grass broke my fall.
"Lucky me..." I groaned, a little bit shaken up by the fall. I looked up to see Gokudera-kun has yet to fall down. It would be futile to move out of the way, so I just sat there, awaiting his fall.
"This is gonna hurt..." I muttered out under my breath. Gokudera-kun crashed down onto me as he groaned in pain. As did I.
"Y-you alright Gokudera-kun?"
"Tenth! You saved my life!" Gokudera-kun beamed.
"Not really... I just broke your fall."
He got up on his feet, stretching out his hand for me to hold. As soon as I did so, he winched in pain. What is it, Gokudera-kun?" He held onto his upper arm, being careful not to apply too much pressure on it.
"It's that stupid idiot. He can't even swing his bat properly." Gokudera-kun grumbled, clearly pissed at Yamamoto. Speaking of Yamamoto... "Where is he anyway?" "Hell if I care. We gotta focus on getting out of here."
Gokudera-kun walked up to the closest tree when Yamamoto managed to surprise him, dangling upside down much like a bat would. "Ano... Before you guys plan on ditching me, could you help me out here?"
"Y-yamamoto! How'd you get up there!" I ran up to him, running past a pale looking Gokudera-kun. After Yamamoto stood on his own two feet, he dusted off his jacket.
"What the hell are we supposed to do now?" Another loud roar interrupted Gokudera-kun as Yamamoto looked down at his feet just to see his furry little friend.
"What are you doing here?" Yamamoto spoke to the bear, grinning as he scratched the bear behind his ear.
"You and your stupid bear are going to get us all killed!!" Gokudera-kun managed to say as the Mother bear stormed down the hill, her powerful paws making the earth beneath us shake.
"Lose the bear, you dimwit!!" "The little guy must have followed me down here. He probably missed me, you know." Yamamoto laughed.
"Tell that to the eight feet tall grizzly bear that's storming in our direction as we speak!!" Gokudera-kun spat out as he held onto Yamamoto's collar. "HIIIIIIIIIII!!" I yelled out in fear of being eaten.
"Let's get out of here!!" Gokudera-kun yelled out as he pulled me along for the ride. Yamamoto followed us, already making his way before us. My eyes widened in horror as I took a closer look at Yamamoto's backside.
"For the love of God, dump the stupid bear already!! It's because of the bear that she's following us!!" Gokudera-kun cried out. Yamamoto seemed to be unaware of the little bear hanging on his back, making me panic even more! To make matters even worse, I ended up tripping over a lone rock, landing flat on my face.
"Tenth!!" I struggled to get back up, but my busted ankle wouldn't let me. "I'm going to dieeeeee!!!!" I cried out in despair.
Gokudera-kun stood before me, prepared to take on the bear with his bare hands. "Don't worry Tenth! I would be a lousy Right-Hand Man if I didn't protect you!" "You can't take on that bear!! You're gonna get killed!!" Was my response.
"This is bad." Yamamoto said as the cub whined. He was only looking to have some fun... But his Mother apparently disagrees! The adult bear got up on her hind legs, increasing her height, as did my heartbeat!
That split second, my life was flashing before my eyes. I hardly have a life, but I don't want for it to end like this! "I didn't even got the chance to ask Kyoko-chan out!"I freaked out.
"DRAMATIC ENTRANCE NUMBER FIFTY FIVE!!!"
A yellow flash later, accompanied by a loud battle cry, the bear received damage as the faint blur kicked the animal straight in the face!!
"What the..." Gokudera-kun managed to say as he stared at the scene. The Mother bear was unconscious at the moment, with Pierce-san's foot standing on top of the bear's head. Pierce-san grinned in our direction, her blue eyes sparkling in excitement.
"Alice! You're alright!" Yamamoto was the first to break the awkward silence as he ran up to the American female.
"Did you really have to be so hard on the bear, though?" Yamamoto stared down at the bear, her eyes whirling about. The cub ran up to his Mother, nudging her ever so softly.
"She was only trying to protect her cub."
"I guess I should have taken it easy on her... My bad!" Pierce-san mention in a shy matter as she scratched the back of her head, the two of them laughing in unison. I really didn't see the humor in this situation...
"I wish I could laugh at a time like this." I sweat-dropped. "What the hell was all that about?!! You stole my thunder, Babyface!!" Gokudera-kun walked up to her, ignoring the bear lying at his feet.
"Hey! You should be thanking me!" Pierce-san spat out, her eyes were set ablaze. "Don't make me laugh, you pathetic little brat!! If anyone needs to be thanked, it should be me!!"
"Thank you..." Pierce-san spoke with a blank expression gracing her face. "Don't say it like that!! You're just playing around with my mind!!" He freaked out.
"That's it!! Let's have a battle!! Just you and me!!"
"Bring it on, ya spicy Italian meatball!!"
Gokudera-kun and Pierce-san's forehead's were pressed against each other, accompanied with loud growls as they glared each other down. Suddenly, my muffled laughter could be heard as I did my best not to laugh out loud.
Somehow, seeing the two of them getting in an argument over nothing really lifted my spirits. "Tenth..." Gokudera-kun grew worried upon seeing me laugh. Yamamoto merely smiled in my direction. Pierce-san gazed at Gokudera-kun, grinning widely as she wiped the dirt off her cheek.
"Come on. I've set up a camp a little ways ahead." She said as the Mother bear groaned in pain, regaining her consciousness. "H-hey! You're not gonna leave me here, are you?" I said, pointing at my sprained ankle. Pierce-san helped me up, wrapping my arm over her shoulders.
"Easy now."
"Thanks." I sighed. She stopped for a while, staring at the cub.
"You okay?" I asked her. She seemed a bit off. "Yeah... Let's go. You guys better not slow me down, kay?!" She turned to Gokudera-kun and Yamamoto.
"Yeah right... You're the one supporting the Tenth, so you shouldn't say stuff like that." Gokudera-kun muttered out, feeling the need to help me out instead, I'm sure. But he can't risk damaging his arm even more.
After a few minutes of walking, we reached a lit campfire. Rocks formed a circle around the fire, keeping it under control in fear of spreading it out. A large blanket was placed a few meters away from the fire. It didn't seem like much, but it was better than nothing.
"Have a seat close to the fire. It's gonna get even colder by nightfall, so you'd best enjoy the warmth while you can." Pierce-san warned us as she dusted off a log, making me sit on it.
"Let me take a peek at that ankle of yours." I didn't argue with her and did as I was told. "HIIIIIII!! That hurts!!" I yelled out in pain as soon as she held onto my foot. "Okay... I guess you really can't use it after all."
"What the hell are you doing!! You're supposed to be helping the Tenth!!" Gokudera-kun spat out in a rage. I sweat-dropped at his words... Not only did we came all the way down here to help Pierce-san out, she's the one who's giving us a hand... How pathetic.
"Take it easy, Poochy. I'm on it." Pierce-san took out a backpack that seemed to trigger my memories. "Isn't that..." "Yours? Yeah. I found it dangling in a random tree. As soon as I saw the spare clothing in the backpack, I knew it was yours."
"Must be from the last time we climbed this mountain, huh Tsuna!" Yamamoto exclaimed rather loudly. I turned bright red in embarrassment. Pierce-san fixed my ankle as best as she could. She even ripped a piece of her sweater and wrapped it around my ankle, momentarily being held in place by two wooden objects.
"Aren't you cold?" I asked her, feeling guilty all of a sudden. The scratches on her face became visible in the glow of the fire. Her sneakers were covered in dirt, and the clothes she wore were in shambles.
"I'm fine!" She replied as her eyes lit up.
"There... All done."
Before I had the chance to thank her, she made her way over to the grumpy Gokudera-kun, focusing on his arm. As I sat there, simply staring at Pierce-san, I caught a sad glimpse in her crystal blue orbs. But as soon as I did so, her eyes lit up again, laughing at something Yamamoto said.
"Knight in shining armor?!" She exclaimed, laughing at Yamamoto's words.
"Shut it! Who in their right mind wants to save you anyway!" Gokudera-kun began to say.
"It's not like anyone would miss you, ya know!"
Pierce-san gazed down at the ground, not finding the strength to look Gokudera-kun in the eye. He didn't expect this. He thought she would yell at him some more, much like they always do whenever they fight. But it didn't seem to go that way this time.
"H-hey... You okay?" Gokudera-kun asked her after seeing the sad expression on her face. She smiled, trying to hide her sorrow. But her eyes betrayed her.
"I'm fine!" She laughed, slapping Gokudera-kun on his wounded arm. He flinched at the sudden contact, glaring her down as he inched away from her.
"Idiot..." He muttered out for her to hear, feeling somewhat embarrassed for actually worrying about her.
After a few minutes of gazing at the fire, I averted my eyes to take another sneak peak at Pierce-san. How she was able to fight her way through this harsh trial is beyond me.
"So, Pierce-san. What are the plans for tomorrow?" I asked her, breaking the silence. "Yeah. We should head home." Yamamoto piped in. "How the hell are we supposed to leave this place?! Maybe we should ask your little furry friend to help us out." Gokudera-kun retorted, holding a sarcastic tone in his voice.
"Yeah! That's a good idea!" Yamamoto exclaimed after Gokudera-kun slapped himself in the face.
"We're dead meat."
Suddenly, Pierce-san got up on her feet, her bangs covering her eyes as she did so. "Pierce-san?" She unzipped the backpack, taking out a satellite phone.
"Great idea Pierce-san! With that phone, we can get out of here in no time!" No more wandering the mountain for us!" "Looks like you come in handy once in a while, Babyface." She dropped the phone, letting it clatter against the ground. In a swift motion, she lifted her foot...
"Pierce-san? W-what are you doing?" I stuttered, afraid of what was next to come. Without a doubt in her mind, she stomped heavily onto the phone , reducing it to mere rubble.
"What the hell did you do that for!! That was our only chance to get off of this accursed mountain!!" Gokudera-kun made his way over to Pierce-san. She simply looked him dead in the eye. Her aura seemed different, somehow.
"I want to pass the test..." She whispered out under her breath.
"Who cares about the stupid test!! That loser of a Horseman can jump off the highest bridge for making you go through with this!!" Gokudera-kun continued to prove his point.
"Hey, take it easy Gokudera." Yamamoto intervened, seeing Pierce-san's angry expression. "The phone's dead, and there's nothing we can do about it. So just chill." "How can I just chill when she's the cause of our problems!!"
This is getting out of hand...
"I understand what you're saying, Hayato. I just want to pass this test. I really want to be a part of the Family." Pierce-san spoke, not even blinking her eyes. "All I'm asking is for you to be patient. Bear with it, for no-" "You're being selfish!! You don't care about what happens to us!! You just want for us to join you in your misery!! That's the kind of person you are!!"
"Gokudera." Yamamoto stepped in-between them, trying to stop them from fighting. But Gokudera-kun pushed him aside.
"It doesn't matter if you pass the stupid test. You won't be accepted in the Family either way. No matter how hard you try, you'll never be part of the Vongola Family!"
"Gokudera! That's enough!" Yamamoto raised his voice, getting Gokudera-kun to back off.
Pierce-san just stood there. She didn't say a word. She didn't make a sound.
"Pierce-san?" Still nothing...
Her clenched fist trembled slightly, her eyes remained hidden under her bangs. Suddenly, she raised her head, revealing the dangerous glint in her eyes. Without a single warning, she throws herself at the young Italian and sends a brutal punch towards him. He takes the hit, not expecting for her to actually punch him.
Alice's POV:
"G-gokudera-kun! Pierce-san! That was uncalled for!" Tsunami yelled out from his sitting position. Hayato refused to crumble, and manages to stand up on his feet, however there is an intense burning feeling where I managed to hit him. The disgusting look on his face... His grey eyes filled with hatred for me as he stared me down.
"You punched me..." He began to say in an icy tone of voice.
"You actually punched me..."
"Take it easy Gokudera." Takeshi held him back. He seems to be the only person capable of doing so. "I didn't mean to punch you." I whispered under my breath as I showed signs of regret.
"I really, really want to be a part of the Family. I want to be a part of something! I don't... I don't want to be alone." I glanced over at Tsunami, my eyes holding a sad glow in them.
"Not anymore."
Hayato wiped away the dirt on his cheek.
"When I first came to Japan, I felt like the world was against me. I felt... Betrayed by my old man." I felt their eyes, staring me down as I stood there.
"To be honest, I still think this country sucks..." Hayato muttered out a soft keh, still in a foul mood.
"But I'll bear it. As long as I can hang out with you guys, I can bear the agony of being so far away from home!" I cried out, hoping they would see the light.
You'll be shut out from the Vongola Family, never to speak to the Family members in any way ever again.
Dino's words echoed in my head. That can't happen. My brother made me feel so pathetic. He made me feel so alone. That horrible feeling of not being useful to him. I never want to feel that way again.
"I don't want for you guys to ignore me. I don't want to be left behind, all alone. I don't want to cause trouble anymore. I'm through with all that!" "You really want to join the Vongola Family?" Hayato interrupted me, making me look up at him.
"Yes!"
Hayato walked up to me, and for the first time, I feared him like no tomorrow! As I closed my eyes, readying myself for his violent action, I felt his hand being placed on my head, making me look up at him in question.
"Then start by getting us out of here!" He smirked as he messed up my hair in a harsh matter, looking like a bully pestering a nerd. "O-okay!" I stuttered out as I gathered all the stuff around the campfire. All the while, Takeshi grinned at Hayato.
"So you let her get off the hook for punching you, huh? Mister Nice Guy." "Zip it." Hayato walked over to Tsunami's side and helped him up. Soon enough, we got all of our stuff and made our way down the mountain.
Dino's POV:
I gazed at the moon hanging in the night sky. A cold breeze passed me by, making me shiver. "It's late... She still hasn't called, so I hope she's alright up there." I muttered out, fearing for the worst. If she doesn't survive, I'll be held responsible for her death.
"I don't want to spend my life in jail." I muttered out, feeling depressed at the mere thought of it.
Suddenly, a loud explosion filled my ears, making me jump up in shock. "What was that?!" "Boss!! The bridge to Death Mountain just blew up on us!" Bono ran up to me, along with Romario and Ivan.
Once I made it to the bridge, I could see that it was indeed true. As I looked around for the cause of the explosion, only to hear a faint help call out to me.
"Dino-san…" A familiar voice cried out, making me look down.
"Tsuna!? What are you doing here!" I exclaimed as I saw the boy dangling on the broken parts of the bridge. I pulled him up in a hurry. "Gokudera-kun... Explosion… Blew me away…" He cried a waterfall in my arms.
"That explains the damage on the bridge. But where are the others?" As if on cue, Takeshi came walking out of the bushes, his clothes a mess from the fall. He was rather dazed, but other than that, he seemed okay.
"Yamamoto! You’re okay!" Tsuna piped in, his tears never stopped flowing. Must have been a wild ride… I got up on my feet. "Well, I’m glad the two of you are still in one piece!" I exclaimed as I stretched out my hands. That moment, a weight landed in my arms, making me look into a pair of very familiar crystal blue orbs.
"Huh?"
"Nice catch Boss." Bono grinned from ear to ear. A little after that, Hayato crashed onto a grinning Bono, serving as a cushion for Hayato’s fall. "Owww." Hayato muttered out as Romario and Ivan helped him up. Realization dawned upon me as the blonde girl in my arms stared into my coffee brown orbs.
"You’re alive!! I don’t have to go to jail!!" I yelled out as I placed her on the ground. I pressed her shivering body against my chest in a warm embrace, a content expression on my face as I did so.
Alice remained speechless, allowing for me to embrace her like a proud Father would embrace his loving child. I felt her hands sneak up my back as she returned the embrace, making me arch my brow in confusion.
"You’ll still be send to jail for seducing a 15 year old girl." Hayato commented after he recovered from his fall. Romario gave Tsuna a helping hand as Takeshi just stood there with a grin dancing on his lips.
I panicked upon hearing Hayato’s words. I tried to remove myself from Alice’s embrace, but she stuck on me like glue!
"I love you, Dino." She sighed in contentment as she squeezed the air out of my lungs.
"Jeez… Talk about a change of heart. I thought she didn’t like me at all." I spoke to myself in utter amazement. "A little help here, guys?" Bono and Ivan held onto Alice, pulling her away from me. She managed to hold onto my coat, not planning on letting go any time soon.
"Noooooooooooooo!! You can’t keep us apart, for our hearts beat as one!" She screamed her lungs out, making Tsuna, Takeshi and Hayato sweat-drop at her actions.
"And she’s gonna be a part of the Vongola Family?" Hayato muttered out, feeling ashamed of the fact that he knew Alice. "The more, the merrier, right?" Takeshi placed his arm over Hayato’s shoulder.
"Don’t touch me."
As Dino took off his coat and threw it in Alice’s direction, she jumped onto the blonde Italian, wrapping her arms around his slender waist. She was like some kind of parasite, sticking onto Dino in order for her to survive. "She’s filled with a lot of energy, still…"
In the end, Dino made use of his 5,000 subordinates to pry Alice off of him. Not like they had anything else to do, ne?
