Title: Little Lamb
Genre: Family, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Supernatural
Pairing:
Summary: All she wanted was to find her family again. She never expected waking up as a baby after her death, least of all, as the opposite gender. Well, at least her – his – goal of finding her family was not unattainable. They were there too after all.
Warning: Reincarnation, Strong! Lambo, Slash (Boy X Boy, Yaoi…), NOT Self-Insert, Deviating from cannon.

Chapter One

Waking up as a helpless infant after having spent a decade honing her abilities to become strong and independent was hard to take in. However, what else could she do but cry at the absurdity of her situation? So with a bitter taste in her mouth, she swallowed her fear and frustration with the skill gained from years of experience. She had been a cry baby when she had been younger but when her family had been taken so cruelly from her, she had had to swallow her feelings and fight to become stronger. Being a weak cry baby would not have helped in her self-appointed mission.

For months all she could do was lie in her crib, eat, sleep and poop. At least this time around she was not born to be left at an orphanage. A woman took care of her needs but she did not think that she was her new mother though since the woman's actions were mechanical and impersonal, as if she was only completing a duty among others. Then there was a man who came to see her often; he would pick her up at night and murmur things to her. He was warm.

However, with nothing to do days on end, she started poking at their bond. The bond was what had linked them together once upon a time; it was what connected them on a deeper level than they had been able to understand before. When they had died, her mind, her soul, had flailed, trying to find them again. And in a way, she had died along with them. For ten years she had not truly lived but she had survived. Her mind had been shattered while her soul cried for its siblings. They could not be without each other.

Then imagine her surprise, her relief and her happiness the moment the bond snapped back into place. Oh, it was weak and brittle, as if it had gone through a grinder but had survived.

At first she poked and prodded at the bond cautiously, not wanting to damage it more than it already was. Nothing happened but she received small feelings from her siblings (FakeFakeFake and a deep longing from Blue – anger and wariness from Red – fear and insecurity from both Orange and Light-Indigo – fake optimism from Yellow – Loneliness and protectiveness from Purple – hatred and terror from Dark-Indigo).

She quickly became worried. She definitely did not like the feelings coming from her siblings but she was particularly worried about Dark-Indigo, her oldest brother. Whatever he was going through could not be good. However, trapped as she was, there was nothing she could do to help. Physically at least. It did not stop her from trying again and again to reach her brother through their bond.

At first, nothing happened; he did not even notice. Then when he did, he poked back with a feeling of curiosity but no recognition like she had expected. None whatsoever. She became even more worried. Why did he not recognise who she was? So she poked and poked and poked again and again, sending him her feelings and warmth. At the beginning he was defensive and wary but curious, until she was able to wear him thin and he softened at her probing.

Then, one day, while she was only three months into her new life and had just learned that she had no longer a 'she' but a 'he', something happened that changed their routine. She – er, he – had been entertaining himself by poking at Purple, getting annoyed, defensive and suspicious poking back, when Dark-Indigo's side of the bond had snapped.

For a fraction of a second, he had frozen, before his mouth opened and he had screamed along with his soul screaming in agony. Even Purple's alarmed probing could not reach him but he did feel the others start for a moment before dismissing it and going back to normal.

He did not know for how long it lasted but suddenly Dark-Indigo snapped back into place, his part of the bond shaken, but there. He had immediately flung his consciousness at him, hysterically probing at him for assurance, worried and terrified.

Surprisingly, it took him a while before he realised that Dark-Indigo's consciousness was wrapped around him in comfort and familiarity, soothing his worries. Then he heard a whispered voice in his head that was more feeling than actual words but still there.

'It's okay, little one. I'm here. I'm back. It's okay.'

And he cried and cried, in relief and surprise, because Dark-Indigo remembered!

He did not even notice when Purple poked at them in curiosity before retreating.

At seven months, he learned to crawl and at the same time he learned his new name. Bovino Lambo. That would explain why his room was full of cow print. Meanwhile, it would seem like Dark-Indigo had done something because at five months, his feelings were of anticipation and cunning. Then at six months, they suddenly changed to elation and the feeling of freedom. The newly dubbed Lambo did not ask as he was happy that his brother seemed safe.

The months went by and Lambo grew and learned. Dark-Indigo kept close to Lambo and they always made sure to check on each other and the others. It felt good to know that at least one of his brothers was back even if they could not meet face to face.

Purple also often poked at their bond and his initial feelings of defensiveness and wariness slowly change to acceptance and even possessiveness. Lambo knew that Purple most likely did not know what was going on and most likely also did not know what the bond was. However, Lambo was content with knowing that Purple did not reject them.

Lambo also checked up on the others, sending feelings of warmth, love and companionship through the bond. Even though the others did not remember like Dark-Indigo and Lambo, they were still family and one day they would remember. They might not know what the bond was but Lambo knew that they would instinctively accept. After all, their souls were connected since the very beginning.

So, time went by. Lambo grew from an infant to a toddler, learning to walk and talk again, even as he rethought how he would live his life. Of course, his first goal was to find his family and put them back together. But then what? He had to live and grow up, and unfortunately, Lambo was not reborn as the gender he was most comfortable with. Once he had learned to use and manipulate his body to get what he wanted; show some skin here, flash a coy smile, and bam! She had people wrapped around her little finger.

Now? Well, as a boy, she – now he – had no idea what he was going to do. Well, he did not need people to do his bidding anymore. After all, his goal in life was bringing his family back together and living happily like they had never been able to. No revenge was needed this time around. He would not have to get involved with the Underground anymore.

Well, that was what he thought until he learned that he was born as the son and only heir of the Boss of a Mafia Family. Again. Except, this time he was actually a legitimate child and as such he was expected to inherit the Family when of age. Oh, he could easily refuse but he did not want them to come after him later in life and put his family in danger.

Thus, again, he swallowed his feelings and prepared himself. This time around, no way was he going to be a liability to his family; he would become strong, strong enough to protect his family. So, when he reached a year old and his father sent him to be trained, Lambo did not whine, he did not fight but he accepted and went along with it, falling into his training with determination and eagerness.

However, with the body of a one years old, he was seriously limited to what he could do. His tutors taught him to be quick and nimble but most of his training was concentrated on the academic side of things.

He learned languages (Italian, French, English, German, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish).

He learned to read and to write.

Then as all of this was mastered and he proved himself to be something of a genius (He did not believe he was a genius. He believed that hard work and determination and the memories of another life where he had already learned all of this had done all the work), they sent him to learn with the Family scientists.

(The Bovino was a small Mafia Family content to remain in the background while they created and experimented with different technologies. The other Families never knew that most of the new and advanced technology the mafia had accessed to came from the Bovino. They preferred to remain in the shadows, occasionally showing something minor and unimpressive that they had created so that no one ever searched deeper to then steal their prized creations. But really, Bovino was much more than that. They were technicians, the best of the bests, geniuses after geniuses cropping up in the Family to join the research department, and Lambo was just another one genius amongst hundreds. The Mafia never even knew that their own Lightning Arcobaleno was a born Bovino)

It was in the research department that Lambo found his place. He took to developing technologies like a duck to water. For once, he found something that he liked doing that did not involve manipulating people and senseless killing. He learned to love the thrill of creating something and watching it work perfectly. Thus, months went by and he grew and learned.

He was two when one of the others finally poked back at his continuous probing. It was Red, angry, volatile and suspicious, but there and Lambo cried at the overwhelming excitement he felt (Dark-Indigo sent him teasing and amused feelings for weeks after that but he too understood because it was Red, their brother, and he might not remember yet like them but he was responding). Purple had mellowed out since the beginning and often sent curious probing, checking up on them even though he too did not know who they were and what he was doing. They were family though and it was pure instinct to reach out to each other.

It came to no surprise when the next to respond to the poking was Blue. After all, the last time around wherever Red was, Blue followed, and it would seem that even in this life where they might or might not have met each other yet, those two were still attached at the hip. Blue's responding probes were more eager than the others though he retained a certain caution for a while until he became used to the bond.

A few months later, when Light-Indigo responded, Dark-Indigo was the most excited. After all, last time they had been brother and sister by blood and Dark-Indigo had missed his little sister dearly. Light-Indigo felt insecure but held hope and a certain longing for companionship. Maybe that was why she was so quick, quicker than the others in any case, to accept the bond. Lambo was around three at the time and he had just finished creating a time-traveling bazooka (he always wanted to know if he would finally get to meet his family and that wish was what pushed him into making a time-travelling device of all things).

Dark-Indigo felt enraged with how Light-Indigo approached them, and Lambo had a feeling that the oldest of his brothers was going to use the bond to track her down. Lambo did not mind. He too had a feeling that something was wrong with their sister, maybe not to the extent of what had once been wrong with Dark-Indigo but she was their sister, their gentle, beloved sister who would not harm a fly if the fly did not come after the family. And she was most likely young and neither of them liked the feeling of insecurity and longing she projected. Lambo could not do anything with the way he was so he let Dark-Indigo do as he wished to protect their sister. She was theirs after all and they had always protected each other to the end.

A few months later, Lambo knew when Dark-Indigo found their sister. The momentary feeling of rage from the oldest of them was telling enough, and added to the sudden surprise from Light-Indigo, Lambo knew that they were together again. And then, something seemed to snap, and she remembered.

The comforting feeling of love and comfort she projected at Lambo made him burst into happy tears and he spent hours that day wrapping his consciousness around Dark-Indigo and Light-Indigo. Their family was finally coming together!

Extra – When Lambo first uses the Bazooka

Lambo was four when his father let him use the bazooka – which he had made himself by the way – for the first time. A handful of other people in the Family were the first to test it, Bovino Nono not wanting to endanger his heir and son. After a long lecture about being cautious and careful from his father who Lambo did not even bother to listen to, he finally jumped into the bazooka and pulled the string.

The feeling of suddenly floating in a kaleidoscope of colours was disconcerting and a little nauseating but Lambo was too excited to know what he was going to find to really mind. Then he felt the ground beneath him again (or what he thought was the ground at the time) and his vision became obscured by pink. He blinked, surprised, as the pink smoke dissipated… and he found himself standing on a large chair at a round table where other people were sitting at.

For a moment, Lambo stood there, stunned, before one of the people, a brown-haired man, stood up and approached him. Strangely enough, Lambo did not feel any wariness when faced with him. Curious, little Lambo watched as the man knelt in front of his chair and gave him a warm smile, a smile that sent a sudden sense of familiarity through him. Then as six others stood and came to him, he smiled, because he knew.

The brown-haired man chucked at him, "Hello, Lambo," he said, a hand reaching inside a pocket and getting out a small grape candy that he gave the four years old. Lambo giggled and accepted the small gift, popping the candy into his mouth and watching as the man's warm smile widened.

As the others gathered around him, Lambo lunged into the arms of the man in front of him and basked in the feeling of being home, safe and loved.

When five minutes after having first appeared in the future Lambo disappeared back to his time in an explosions of pink, he held tight to the knowledge that everything would work out; his family would be together again one way or another.

Author's Note: This story is just a trial, you could say. Depending on the feedback, I'll continue to update. However, it's not going to be too long, maybe reaching 20000 words but that's it. That is if I do not find another idea to include here.

Pairing is undecided, so if you guys have something in mind, do tell, and the reason why. (Slash, of course (yaoi), as I don't write het.)

Thanks for reading and do leave behind a review to tell me your opinions.

Leight