Welcome to Lambo's Corner!
I should really finish True Strength but I had this idea after watching season 1 episode 29. The last scene where the newspaper article says there was a paperwork error and Lambo has been transferred back to the Bovinos didn't sit well with me and BAM! This happened. I can't remember if at any time during the series Lambo was officially transferred to Vongola but eh, that's what fanfiction is for, right? Plus, you all know how much I love hurting, I mean, having Lambo comforted by his brothers. Hee hee!
In this story, the Bovinos are not the weak family we all know and maybe hate, they're cold blooded killers...Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I still don't own and I am still poor but I do accept reviews of all types! Hint, hint! Thank you in advance!
I used Grammarly to look through this but I added things afterward so any and all remaining mistakes are all on me. As usual, I'll continue to check this over and correct any mistakes as time goes on.
Update: Added some extra dialogue and fluff. Thanks ilovecartoonsgirl for the awesome advice!
WARNINGS: Language, beating up of a child, and typical mafia behavior. Carry on to fluffy angst!
Lambo's laughter can be heard throughout the street; the neighbors shake their head and continue what they're doing, already used to his antics. They didn't need to look at the time to know the school was out.
"Lambo, I'm going to kill you!"
Lambo stops running and looks back to where his classmate is pulling off his drenched jacket, "You looked a little hot, Handa! I was just trying to help you cool off on your way home."
"I'll get you for this!"
Lambo continues to run, only slowing down once he's sure his classmate is no longer following. Taking a deep breath, he comes to a halt and leans against the closest building to rest for a bit. The nine-year-old looks down the street; few people walking around in the area. He turns to the building he's leaning against and winces when he realizes he's further away from home than he's allowed.
With a sigh, he knows he's going to be late getting home. His brother is not going to be happy; Tsuna had already warned him about missing his weekday curfew. He straightens up and begins his walk home, pulling his phone out to let Mama know he'll be a little late. Luckily, Tsuna is off working on some mission so he won't find out if Mama takes pity on him and keeps this a secret.
"I'm sorry, Mom. I lost track of time but I'll be home in twenty minutes."
With the call out of the way, Lambo pulls his backpack closer as he continues down the street. Five minutes into his walk, he gets the sensation of somebody watching him. Not wanting to let them know that he is aware of their presence, Lambo continues his walk as casual as possible.
"Hey, brat,"
Lambo immediately tenses; the voice sends a shiver down his spine as fear completely takes hold of him. Lambo knows who's following him and it's not good. The Lightning Guardian slowly turns and looks up at the man in the dark suit. At almost six feet and sporting dark wavy locks, Francisco Goda looks the same he did five years ago; Bovino emblem tattooed on his left hand.
"Goda-san, wh-what are you doing here?" Lambo asks hoping his voice doesn't give away how terrified he feels. Even after all these years Lambo remembers the harsh training he was forced to go through; Goda being his personal tutor from hell.
"What, no hug for your old teacher?" The grin on the man's scarred face almost makes Lambo sick, making him wish he'd gone straight home instead of following his friend. He wants to answer but his mouth has gone dry.
Goda chuckles, "Don't look so scared, brat. I won't touch you…today."
Lambo can feel his legs shake, wanting to move but seeming to have forgotten how to do so. He pulls out his phone out of habit, wanting to call Tsuna for help, but it's yanked from his grasp from behind. Damn, he stopped paying attention to his surroundings...Gokudera will be so mad.
"No calling anybody just yet, Little Lambo,"
With a gasp, Lambo turns and his eyes widen at the sight of his older cousin; another bully from his childhood and now Bovino heir. He looks tall and intimidating as any regular Bovino does. "Timo, what's going on?"
"I'm glad you remember my name," He laughs, "I'll keep this short, Little Lambo; we need you to come home."
Lambo begins to visibly shake; there is no way he heard that correctly, "What?"
The 18-year-old sighs, tilting his head at his trembling cousin. He takes a step forward, taking pleasure in how scared Lambo is before him. It looks like his little cousin still remembers how much fun he'd had with him as children.
"We're here to take you home, Little Lambo."
"But-but I was disowned by Fath-eh, Don Bovino. He said he didn't want anything to do with me. I have a new family, I can't leave. I have obligations now and-"
Lambo is rambling, his hands shaking as he tries to figure out what's going on. This didn't make any sense, why now?
He pales when a hand lands on his shoulder; doesn't need to turn to know it's Goda.
"I don't think you understand, brat. We're not asking."
Lambo wants to cry. He's finally happy, he's wanted now. It seems he'd let his guard down too soon. He should have known they wouldn't let him be happy.
"And Don Bovino may have verbally disowned you as his son but you're still a Bovino. Your new boss never asked for the transfer, you still belong to us."
"Did you think we were going to allow you to be happy after making us look like fools in front of the whole Mafia world?"
Timo snarls at Lambo's confused expression and slaps him hard across the face, leaving a red mark on his small cheek. "Don Bovino was laughed at! Everyone asked how we could have let you go to a rival family knowing how strong you were."
"St-strong?"
Timo kicks him hard, causing Lambo to cry out in agony.
"Did you suddenly grow a pair once you joined Vongola? Where was this strength when you were with us, stupid brat?"
"But I don't-"
He bends over in pain when Timo punches his stomach with more force than necessary; Goda pulling him back to his feet, "After all the training we put you through, you decide to show how strong you are under another boss?"
"You made us the laughingstock of the Mafia."
Lambo is quietly crying, he hurts too much and wants to go home. "I didn't mean to."
"Don't worry; everyone will know you came back now that you're finished with Vongola. Your rental period has officially expired. Welcome back, Little Lambo."
Welcome back? Lambo doesn't want to go back to a family of killers, a family where he knows he doesn't belong. He can picture his Mama and brothers all smiling at him. He can't leave them. Using all his strength, he glares up at his cousin.
"No, I'm not going back!"
Lambo stomps on Goda's foot and pulls away when he's let go off. He then tackles Timo as hard as he can, grabbing his phone back in the process before running off. He ignores the shouts ordering him to stop; running as fast as he can.
He's not sure where he's running to, all he knows is that he needs to get away. After several minutes, he runs into an alleyway and dives behind some trash cans; hoping nobody heard the loud crash. Breathing heavily, chest aching and body shaking, he pulls his knees to his chest, hiding his head in his arms as he thinks of what to do.
As much as he wants to go home he knows he can't especially if Tsuna isn't there. His former Famiglia will follow him and hurt Mama; he won't allow that. But even with Tsuna home, the Bovinos won't stop until Lambo's back with them and thanks to the stupid Mafia law, he legally belongs to them. They won't care who gets hurt or killed in the process especially if they're able to get away with it under that law.
Lambo knows what he needs to do. He needs to disappear from their life in order to make sure his Famiglia stays safe. Mind made up, he quietly stands and heads to the exit, making sure there's nobody around. He takes a shortcut home, one his brother warned against because of how dangerous it is but desperate times call for desperate measures.
He makes it to his street safely and without further incident, hopping the back fence into his home. He silently opens the kitchen window when he doesn't see anybody and jumps in. The second his feet touch the floor, the lights turn on and he falls on his butt.
"Do you have any idea what time it is?"
Lambo swears his heart is going to beat out of his chest if he gets any more surprises. He looks over his mom, making sure she's ok and sighs when he doesn't see any injuries. "I'm sorry, mom. I-"
"Lambo, what happened to you? Are you hurt?"
Oh, right. He must look terrible after all that running he did and the beating he took; not to mention the awful smell. He stands up, although a bit wobbly and tries to smile. "I got into a fight again but I won."
It's no secret Lambo likes to fight with his friends, trying to become stronger like his brothers but Mama never approves.
Once she's sure he'll live she sends him to his room without dinner. Not wasting a minute more, Lambo runs to his room and empties out his backpack. He needs to leave before his brothers see him; they won't believe his fighting excuse.
He shoves a few articles of clothing into his backpack along with some snacks and empties his piggy bank. He's got enough for a bus ticket and for a few days' worth of food if he's careful. He puts the backpack on then looks at his right hand, his Vongola ring feeling heavier than before.
Before he changes his mind, he grabs the notebook from his desk and scribbles a short note to his family then puts it on his dresser. Lambo had finally found the place where he belonged, he'd found his happiness, but it seems it wasn't meant to last. With a sob, he pulls off his ring and sets it down on the piece of paper.
Without looking back, he opens his window and jumps to the tree just as he's done many times before. He quickly climbs down then jumps over the fence just as his brothers' walk to the front of the house. Lambo runs and runs, tears in his eyes thinking of what he's left behind and will never have again.
He makes it to the bus station without any trouble. His legs feel like led, trembling from soreness but he's relieved he made it. He slumps into a bench, resting his head against the back and closes his eyes while he catches his breath. Now, he has to convince somebody to buy him a ticket to anywhere far away and he'll start his new life; alone.
Lambo wipes away the tears from his eyes and wonders if Mama will miss him as much as he'll miss her. He opens his eyes and looks up to the now darkening sky, thinking of what kind of job he'll need to get in order to survive by himself.
He hears a car come to a screeching halt and immediately turns to the sound; his heart just about stops when he sees his cousin and Goda step out, followed by three other men. He knows he won't go easy and knows they won't hold back, not caring who's around. Lambo stands and slowly makes his way to an empty area where nobody but him will get hurt.
"You're going to pay for touching me, you little piece of shit," Timo growls and Lambo knows he'll be lucky if he makes it to the Bovino estate in one piece.
"Too bad you chose to be brave against us, brat."
Lambo swallows and tries to stop his legs from shaking. "I'm not going back."
The men laugh, reminding him he's got no choice. The three men run towards him and Lambo tries his best to fight back but it's pointless. His body is tired and hurt from the previous beat down and he's just nine years old. He's no match for them.
"You-you'll have to drag my cold corpse home, then." He mumbles, coughing in pain. He's about to summon lightning, hoping he's got enough strength to do so when he's shoved to the ground.
His head hits the pavement with a sickening crack, everything beginning to spin as it comes in and out of focus. A hand roughly pulls at his hair, his head forced to look up. Lambo blinks through the pain to see his former tutor glaring back at him.
"Nice try, brat. I'm going to enjoy tearing you limb from limb."
"Francisco, be careful with my little cousin, he's fragile." Timo laughs.
"My brothers are going to kill you when they find out."
They all laugh and Lambo wants to close his eyes but he refuses to give them the satisfaction of seeing him pass out at their hands.
"Is that a threat, Little Lambo?" Timo asks with a snarl then grips Lambo's chin hard, making the boy whimper, "I think I'm going to enjoy seeing this new side of you wither in agony. You're all mine, now, Little Lambo."
"He'll never belong to you."
Lambo's head falls to the ground with a thud. His head feels like it's going to split open and he's sure his body has been set on fire because he feels much too hot. He wheezes, forcing himself to lift his head to see what's going on.
He blinks, not sure if he's actually seeing what's in front of him or if he's hallucinating from a head injury. There's a fight going on; his brothers are fighting. Weird, he was sure he'd left them behind.
He watches his cousin fight against Tsuna, hand-to-hand combat it seems. It doesn't last long, though, not when Tsuna's flames burst to life.
"You don't know what you're getting into, Decimo," Timo states while spitting out blood. "This is Bovino business."
"Tell your boss that unless he wants a war against one of the strongest families, he will back off immediately. I will show no mercy to anyone who hurts my family."
Tsuna says it loud and clear, his voice eerily calm but deadly. He gives Timo a final hard jab which sends the man flying. The others follow their leader then they all climb into their car and leave.
Lambo is now sitting up, he watches Gokudera, Yamamoto and Ryohei walk behind Tsuna, making sure the Bovinos leave. They begin to laugh and tell Tsuna how cool he sounded just now which makes Lambo question their sanity once more considering they're hurt as well.
Gokudera walks towards him, pulls him up by the collar of his shirt and gives him a quick once-over before asking, "How bad are you hurt?"
"My head hurts..." Lambo mumbles while looking to the ground; not able to look at his brother.
Gokudera sighs but doesn't push the issue any further. He wipes away the blood dripping from Lambo's left temple with his own shirt, then, after assuming Lambo is not in danger of dying, he pulls him to their car where the others follow. Yamamoto gets in the driver's seat, Gokudera slides into the passenger side after he has placed Lambo in the back, between Tsuna and Ryohei.
"Are you ok?"
Lambo nods but doesn't look at Tsuna either, feeling too embarrassed to face his brothers after running away.
Lambo is tense all the way, not sure what to expect but his brothers laughing and acting like nothing's happened is definitely not it. He sits there listening to them talk about Yamamoto's earlier baseball game and he feels his nerves reach their limit.
The car pulls into a familiar street and he begins to cry, hiding his face in his bruised hands at the normality of it all.
"How can you be so calm?"
Tsuna pulls him to his side and kisses the top of his head, "Because everything will be ok."
Lambo snaps; the second the car stops, Ryohei steps out followed by a frantic Lambo. He looks to Tsuna who's just stepping out himself and yells, "Nothing is going to be ok! Do you have any idea what you've done? Now, they won't stop until you're all dead!"
His shouts cause the other members of his Famiglia to come out of their temporary base; Chrome looks worried, Mukuro actually looks upset for some reason and Hibari looks livid but that's probably due to the fact he didn't bite anyone to death.
Lambo begins to hyperventilate from the stress, "They'll kill everyone I know, even my friends that know nothing about the mafia. And Mama…oh God, they're going to kill mom!"
"Lambo, you need to calm down."
"You're turning blue."
"You need to breathe, damn it!"
Lambo ignores their concern and continues to ramble on until Ryohei kneels down and slaps him. It does the trick and Lambo takes a deep breath then starts to cry again, albeit more calmly.
"I was doing my job as your guardian, Tsuna-nii. I was leading the danger away from our family."
Tsuna takes Ryohei's place in front of Lambo and puts his hands on his little brother's shoulders, "Being the Lightning Guardian doesn't mean you have to deal with problems on your own, kiddo."
"We're a family, we help one another," Yamamoto adds.
"But they want me!"
"They can't have you!" Tsuna angrily replies then grabs the back of Lambo's neck and brings their foreheads together; noses almost touching. From here, Lambo can see the fire, the intensity in Tsuna's gaze and he begins to settle down.
"You are my brother. You belong here with us. You. Are. Vongola. I thought that was pretty obvious after everything we've been through."
"But…it's my fight. Nobody else needs to get hurt." Lambo hopes nobody can hear how defeated he sounds.
"Lambo, you're one of us which makes this our fight. You're not alone, little brother." Tsuna sits back and smiles at Lambo. "We're not letting you go. If you try to run away again, we'll find you and bring you back home."
Lambo sniffs and wipes at his eyes, feeling like a heavy burden has just been lifted. "So I don't have to start a new life?"
Yamamoto carefully ruffles Lambo's hair, knowing his baby brother has a head injury, "No matter what kind of trouble you're in, don't ever feel like running away is the best thing to do. We're here for you, Lambo."
Lambo nods and gives him a watery smile in return. Gokudera throws a piece of paper towards the boy and Lambo picks it up, recognizing it as his goodbye note.
"What kind of goodbye is this anyway, 'Going on vacation, don't follow me or else you'll get hurt,' total bullshit. Were we supposed to just continue life without knowing what happened to you?"
"I'm sorry, Haya-nii. I guess it was pretty stupid, huh?"
"EXTREMELY stupid! You don't leave family, ever! You can always count on us, got it?"
Lambo sheepishly nods then freezes when Chrome hugs him. This is the first time she's ever initiated a hug. "I was really worried, Lambo-chan; don't scare me like that again, ok?"
"If you scare my precious Chrome again, you will know true fear."
"Mukuro-sama…"
Lambo gulps then nods but stops when he feels dizzy. Hibari, in his usual fashion, glares at everyone then leaves but Lambo knows he cares; probably.
"Let's go inside, Shamal will take a look at your injuries and make sure you're ok."
Tsuna extends his hand which Lambo gratefully takes without hesitation. "Tsuna-nii, they really won't stop until I go home."
"You are home, Lambo." Tsuna states at the same time Reborn says,
"Tsk, have some more faith in your family, idiot. Where do you think we've been all day?"
Lambo causally shrugs at Reborn's question which makes the baby pull out his gun in irritation.
"Reborn, put that away. He's had enough pain for today." Tsuna kneels down once more to look into Lambo's eyes. "We just finished all the paperwork for your transfer. Don Bovino knew we were almost done, that's why he sent them after you. He wanted to hurt you while you were still a part of them knowing full well we couldn't declare war."
"As if that would have stopped us from kicking ass..." Gokudera mumbles.
Tsuna continues, ignoring the interruption. "He won't try it again, though, he knows I won't hesitate to declare war now."
Lambo takes a minute to process what he's been told then nods. He begins to walk towards the door then stops. Had Tsuna just said...Lambo looks up at his brother who is grinning from ear to ear.
"Wait, does that mean…" He looks back to the others who are now smiling back at him. He can feel his heart about to burst from happiness. This means…
Tsuna laughs, "You're officially and legally one of us."
Lambo begins to cry once more but this time it's from pure joy. He hugs Tsuna and thanks him over and over again for not giving up on him. "Thank you so much, Tsuna-nii!"
Tsuna pulls something from his pocket then hands it to Lambo. The youngest guardian smiles gratefully as he slips his ring back on his finger. He's finally home.
Lambo has always known this is where he belonged but to have it be official and know his father could never claim him makes him incredibly happy. He's not stupid, though. He knows that the Bovinos will try to get revenge but Tsuna and the others will keep him safe. They'll make sure nothing happens to their family; to his family. And Lambo will stand up to anybody that tries messing with his true Famiglia.
"Damn them all to hell! Boss, we can't let them get away with this, our honor is on the line."
The Bovino Boss cuts a piece of his steak, calmly putting it to his mouth and chews. Once he's swallowed, he takes a sip of his wine then throws the glass against the wall, the shattered pieces falling all over the floor.
"Timo, I think it's time we reminded Lambo of who he really is. Don't worry, dear nephew, Lambo will beg to return to us the second he sees his precious family getting hurt. Once that happens, we will make sure the world knows just who the strongest Famiglia really is."
And that's a wrap! Whoa, that was pretty intense, right? I hope so at least. Please let me know your thoughts which, as you know, motivate me to keep posting these puppies up! Also, if you have any ideas of what I can write next, I'd really appreciate the help. Not promising anything but I'd like to try and challenge myself a little. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time on Lambo's Corner. You do not want to miss it!