Author's Notes:

Alright, before we being the chapter, I'd like to explain why I haven't updated in so long. First, I've been really busy IRL. Aside from work, I had a lot of things to do because I was applying for university. I had to get my requirements done before the deadline and then after that I had to prepare for the entrance exam (which was somewhere back in April). Then after that I'd been too restless/nervous to sit still and write for a month because I was waiting for the results, though by then I'd already had some parts of this chapter written out. Unfortunately, by the time I finally had the time to write, I was hit by writer's block and was occasionally getting sick (migraine is a b*tch, I tell you). Then, of course, June rolled by and that was when i actually got my muse back and I started to finish this chapter.

This was supposed to have been posted weeks ago, but then I had some stuff going on with my beta and then this huge ass storm passed by my country and pretty much messed up the power lines which resulted in no electricity for a couple of days.

I'm really sorry about the long wait. I'm also sorry for not reply to those who reviewed, I've been preoccupied recently and haven't been able to check my email for some time.

Now that we got all that done, on with the fic!

Beta'd by Danielle Luna Soulhart

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn, its plot, and characters belong to Amano Akira. Only the plot of this story is mine.

Chapter 22

The plaza was teeming with both life and noise as people – both tourists and locals – passed through the plaza that extended into specialty shops cafes and bistros that lined the city streets in the area. Among them was Tsuna who strolled down the plaza at his own pace; his pristine suit was replaced for a shirt topped by a hooded jacket matched with jeans and sneakers, and scanned the crowd with a look that was almost considered lazy, if not for the intense attentiveness reflected in his chocolate brown eyes. He had made sure days before this that he had complete memorization of this area. Every street, every house and restaurant and cafes and shops, and every little nooks and crannies that could be explored had been explored, tracked and etched into his mind as he made sure that everything he had planned would go off smoothly and without any incident.

A hand gently nudged his own before he felt it slowly reached out for his, entwining their fingers together as it did so. Averting his eyes from their surroundings, Tsuna turned to the person standing beside him, a questioning look sent along the way.

"Don't look so grim, Tsuna. I'll be fine." Kyoko spoke, a reassuring smile lightly curving her lips as she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. Tsuna blinked, his lips quickly turning into a thin line in an attempt to control his facial expression before opting to frown instead. "I know, I know." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more as he did so. "It's – It's just – I can't help it, okay?" he stared at her before averting his gaze and shaking his head. "We already talked about this – I know – and I understand the reason why we're doing this but-" he inhaled sharply as he turned back to face Kyoko. "I'm worried." He admitted, a lump seeming to form in his throat just as he swallowed. "And, I'm scared."

"This is too risky, Kyoko." He added, his voice almost imploring as Kyoko remained silent, her deep brown eyes staring directly into his as she continued to hold his hand. "We can still back out-"

"No." Kyoko spoke, cutting his words off as soon as he had uttered them with a tone that was almost stern. Tsuna felt himself flinch in surprise at the sudden response, but before he could find the chance to retort, Kyoko spoke once more. "No." She repeated, albeit in a tone much softer this time and she took a couple of steps forward before turning around so that she now stood directly in front of him.

A terse moment of silence passed between them before Kyoko once again decided to speak. "We have to do this, Tsuna-kun." She began, her deep brown eyes never breaking contact with his as she reached out for his other free hand and held it within her own. "There is no other way."

Tsuna wanted to shake his head and tell her no, that there was another was, that there will always be other ways, but he didn't; because he knew that those other ways would put so many more at risk, much more than just him and Kyoko and the few who knew the truth. It would drag everything he held dear into danger, and he didn't want to do that.

But even then, there was still a lot he was putting at risk.

"Tsuna."

Snapping out of his thoughts, Tsuna raised his eyes to meet Kyoko's once again – realizing only then that he had lowered his head as he thought – before lowering his head and letting out a deep sigh. "They are dangerous people, Kyoko." He uttered, his voice quiet but clear as he took a quick glance at Kyoko's face before lowering his gaze to their linked hands – to the ring he had given her – and lightly ran his thumb against it. "I don't want you to get involved with them in any way; especially when you're..." he faltered before closing his eyes in an attempt to tame the emotions whirring deep inside him. It wasn't worry that was eating him alive, no – it was the fear – the fear that something would happen, that something would go wrong. He was afraid that if that were to happen, he might lose the person that had become most important to him and he didn't want that.

They stayed like that for a moment, neither speaking as they brewed within their own thoughts, before Tsuna felt Kyoko tug one of her hands free from his grip until it was free and then soon enough, Tsuna felt her hand gently cup his cheek.

"I'm the same." He heard her say and he kept his eyes closed as he felt her thumb rub soothingly against his skin. "I'm worried too." She continued, her voice soft and quiet. "But I'm not afraid, Tsuna-kun. Do you know why?"

Brows furrowing lightly at her words, Tsuna opened his eyes, the curiosity he felt upon Kyoko's words dissolving almost instantly as he saw the sight of Kyoko smiling at him, it wasn't the happy kind of smile, nor one that usually radiated reassurance, no – it was a smile that showed the same emotions that were eating at him: fear, trepidation, worry. And yet, within those eyes, beneath all the emotions surfacing to the top, there was a glimmer of hope flickering within – hope like the first rays of the sun after a long winter's night; warm and comforting like the birth of spring.

"Because you're here, with me."

Kyoko's smile grew bigger, the emotions conflicting her disappearing as it was replaced with warmth and affection and trust. "I don't have anything to be afraid of, because I'm not alone." She confessed as she brought up her other hand and tenderly placed it on the other side of his face. "I have you."

Tsuna stared at her, wide eyed and speechless, as her words seemed to chase away all the doubts and fears that were haunting him up until now, words that seemed to take root deep within his heart, warming him up with strength and confidence that quickly spread like wildfire upon his entire being; and the corners of his lips slowly began to quirk upwards until it became a smile. "Yes." He agreed, closing his eyes as he lightly leaned down onto Kyoko, their foreheads touching ever so slightly before he let out a small, breathy laugh. "Yes. You're right."

Kyoko smiled along with him and lightly ran her thumb across his cheek once more before leaning away. "Besides, we aren't alone. Onii-chan is with us." She said, her hands falling away from Tsuna's face and folded them behind her.

"Yes, Onii-san's with us." Tsuna agreed.

"And you said Gokudera-kun's coming along too."

"He is."

"Then there's nothing to worry about." Kyoko concludes, her smile unwavering and her eyes bright with hope.

Tsuna met her gaze and held it for a second before letting out a quiet breath. "No, there isn't."

Kyoko's smile turned into a tender one, one that never failed to reassure Tsuna that everything was going to be fine, and held out one of her hands in front of him. "Shall we go, then?"

Letting his gaze fall onto her hand, Tsuna's smile faltered ever so slightly as a sliver of his doubts and worries flickered to life before he quickly quashed them out and reached over and grabbed her hand in return. He still wasn't a hundred percent certain that nothing wrong would happen, nor was he certain that they would get their targeted result. However, he was not going to stand still and let all his worries and doubts and fears get the best of him. He was not Vongola Decimo for nothing. If he had the strength to defeat and overcome the people and challenges that came his way, then he certainly had the strength to protect the people he held most important.

Gripping her hand tightly, Tsuna silently swore to himself that he would never let anything hurt Kyoko.

It was a promise he made years ago.

And it was a promise he intended to keep.

Tsuna felt himself stir into consciousness as something warm and bright assaulted his face, the light bright enough that he could see red behind his eyelids, and he lethargically turned his head away in an attempt to be rid of the nuisance and return to sleep. However the warmth on his face was becoming a bit too much for him to ignore and with his abrupt awakening, his awareness of his surroundings slowly but surely became sharper and focused. With a deep breath that could pass off as a sigh, he turned over, burying his face into the soft pillow he had been lying on and stilled, hoping against hope that he'd still be able to return to sleep even when his body and mind were slowly waking up.

He had been dreaming, of that, he was sure for there was the familiar sensation of hazy images and voices flowing through him and he'd had enough experiences of that to know that he had been dreaming. Though as to what he had been dreaming about, he wasn't exactly sure. All he could deduce from what little fragments he could grasp onto was that he had been talking to someone and that they were going somewhere...

Groaning out in frustration, Tsuna pulled away from the pillow and lied back down on his back, lifting a heavy arm up and over his eyes as he allowed his body to sink into the soft bed, relishing the comfort and warmth brought upon by the blanket and duvet wrapped around him. He was about to give one last try at attempting to fall asleep when his mind suddenly came to a halt and realization finally dawned on him. Slightly alarmed, he slowly lifted his arm off of his eyes and opened them blearily, squinting for a moment as they adjusted to the bright afternoon light coming from the large bay window to his left and blinked.

"Boss?"

A quiet, timid voice called from somewhere in the room and he quickly propped himself up on his elbows to see Chrome looking at him with a mixture of curiosity and expectancy on her face. She sat by the large window where dark green curtains hung from and were pulled neatly to the side. There was a thick, hardbound book on her lap.

"Chrome-san...? What – Where am I?" he muttered groggily, voice slightly gruff with sleep as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He was in a large, king size, four poster bed, in a room he didn't know, and he couldn't remember what the heck happened to him for him to be waking up in it.

Chrome seemed to consider his question for a moment before closing the book and shifting in her seat so that she fully faced him. "You don't remember, boss?" she asked, tilting her head slightly to the side. Pushing himself up into a seating position, Tsuna shook his head as he tried to recall what happened. He had just entered the mansion and was meeting Gokudera and Yamamoto as well as the rest of the Guardians he had yet to meet. There was a lot of noise and a whole lot of moving around; and he could recall meeting all of them before his headache became too much and... oh.

"You collapsed after defending yourself against Hibari-san." Chrome explained, unaware that he too, had finally remembered what happened. "We were all shocked when we saw you suddenly fall down like that. Everyone panicked." She continued, a small downward quirk on her lips. "Gokudera-san was especially panicked though, carrying you around and actually started running towards the medical ward. But we managed to calm him down and decided to just bring you here and have one of the doctors conduct a check-up." She met his gaze and frowned. "You should have told us that you weren't feeling well, boss. We were very worried."

Pushing himself further up into a sitting position, Tsuna smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. I did have a headache at that time but it wasn't very bad then, I also did get some rest on the flight back here so I thought I was fine." He explained and rubbed the heel of his palms against his eyes to rub off the sleep.

"How are you feeling now?" Chrome asked.

Tsuna pulled his hands away from his eyes and placed them down onto his lap and pursed his lips in thought and considered the question. The headache that had been throbbing dully at the back of his head had receded and now only left a feeling of grogginess brought on by sleep, and his body still felt a bit sluggish and heavy, but he was sure that once he got out of bed and walked around for a moment, then he would be fine. Although he was still feeling slightly tired, but maybe that was because of the jetlag.

"I'm fine now, Chrome-san. Please don't worry." He smiled at her reassuringly. Chrome nodded and smiled at him in return. "I see." The sound of something buzzing caught their attention and Chrome reached in to her pocket and retrieved a phone. She took a glance at the screen. "Oh, um. Please excuse me, boss. I have to take this call." She informed and Tsuna could only give her a nod in return before she stood up and headed towards the door standing on the opposite side of the room. She paused for a moment as if she suddenly remembered something and turned to him. "Please don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything. I'll be right back, boss." She added before continuing on her way and walked out the door.

Tsuna stared after her and watched as she walked out of the room, the door closing right behind her in a quiet click, before rubbing his eyes free of sleep once more. He couldn't believe he actually collapsed in front of everyone like that, making them worry and fuss about him and all that. Although he really did feel better after having a rest. He supposed having so many things happen to him all in the span of a day had been a little too much for him to handle.

A warm glow came from his Vongola ring and Tsuna watched as Natsu emerged from the ring and landed down onto his lap. "Gao." The cub mewled and quickly stepped closer as he gently petted its head. "Hey there, Natsu." He smiled as Natsu nuzzled its face against his hand and purred, its tail wagging side to side enthusiastically. Continuing to pet and run his hands through the lion cub's fur, Tsuna looked up from Natsu and finally took a closer look at the room he was in.

The room was large, probably three or four times the size of his apartment back in Namimori. There was a wooden desk made of dark wood with subtle carvings lacing the feet and the corners pressed against the wall opposite him with an equally subtly carved chair slightly pushed in. Several books and a couple of picture frames along with a few trinkets and a pen holder full of pens and pencils sat atop the desk and he made a mental to check them out later when he finally felt like leaving the comfortable nest of duvets pillows that was his bed. He then turned to look beside it where a chest of drawers stood a little farther than the desk and had a few more picture frames decorating the top. On the other side of the room, there was a large fireplace whose carvings were a bit more intricate and grand that the subtle ones on the desk, but wasn't too lavish that it could be called flashy. Surrounding it were two, comfortable-looking armchairs, the cushions a pale maroon colour with gold trimmings at the ends. They were angled just enough that whoever sat in it could bask in the warmth of the fire and still have a certain view of the rest of the room.

The mantle was, once again, decorated with several picture frames that surrounded the single ornamental piece that stood in the middle and Tsuna wondered exactly how many picture frames were in this room and who were in them. He'd never pegged himself to be someone who liked photographs – the fact that he was in this room was enough to give him the impression that this was, indeed, his room and that since there were a lot of picture frames then he must like them. The one's he'd seen at his own bedroom back at the Sawada house added with the one's decorating the room he was in now just cemented that fact.

Taking one more look around the room, he noticed something strange just as his gaze passed by the fireplace again. One of the frames on the mantle, one standing near the edge, was lying face down. He hadn't noticed it at first since it was rather dim, but now that he'd seen it, he couldn't help but be curious why it was positioned like that. It didn't seem to have just fallen down on its own, for if it did, it would have most likely knocked down the other frames standing beside it. No, this one had been moved slightly just so that it had enough space to be placed face down without disturbing the rest of the frames. Wanting to take a closer look and satiate his curiosity, Tsuna gently lifted Natsu off of his lap and onto the mattress before pulling the covers off of him and swung his feet to the side of the bed. He slowly stood up and quickly placed a hand upon the bedside table to support as a sliver of apprehension for dizziness still lingering in his mind. Once he made sure he was fine, he then quietly made his way to the fireplace, his feet sluggishly flopping onto the cool carpeted floor.

He had stopped just in front of the fireplace and was already lifting up a hand to reach for the frame when the sound of a door slamming open was heard and he quickly turned towards the door where Chrome had stepped out of that still remained close. He wondered for a moment if someone came out into the hallway but then he remembered that old mansions like the Vongola's usually had larger sleeping quarters. He wanted to see if his theory was right and was just about to head towards the door when he heard Chrome's voice from behind it along with someone else – a man, judging from the deep voice.

"Iemitsu-san?"

"Is he awake?"

"Eh – Ah, yes, but-"

"I'm going in."

"Ah! Wait, Iemitsu-san!"

The door to his room slammed open so fast and so forceful that the door actually flew back and hit the wall. Tsuna flinched at the sudden intrusion and was about to run back to his bed when his eyes locked onto the man standing at the door.

Deep brown eyes, a shade darker than his, stared at him with a mixture of shock, relief and something he couldn't discern before it brightened in relief and happiness. The man's face split into a large grin and he immediately took large, long strides towards him and pulled him into a tight embrace. "You're back. You're really back. Oh God I've been so worried. Thank goodness." The man spoke against his ear, his voice trembling in the slightest and Tsuna could feel the man's shoulders and arms shaking ever so slightly as he was pulled into the embrace.

"U-Um, uh..." Tsuna stuttered, his arms unconsciously rising in response to the man's hug but stopping halfway through as he became overcome by nervousness. His eyes flickered onto his view of the man's shoulder and Chrome who was standing by the doorway, the look of shock on her face slowly turning into a smile and he ended up awkwardly wrapping his own arms around the man in return in complete and utter bafflement. There was something familiar about the man and he could feel something stirring in the back of his mind. However, as soon as he tried to grasp that something, it quickly disappeared like sand falling through fingers.

The urge to groan in frustration came strong but he knew that it wouldn't do any good if he did since the man might get offended. So instead, he cleared his throat and began to speak. "Um, it's not that I don't necessarily like what you're doing, but, uh... who exactly are you?" he asked.

The man stilled for a moment and Tsuna worried that despite trying to sound polite he had still managed to offend the man; well, until the man snorted and let out a small laugh, that was. "Ah, sorry 'bout that. I just couldn't help myself when I saw you standing here like this." The man said as he pulled back from Tsuna and rubbed his chin. Choppy blond hair cut short, deep brown eyes and a stubbled chin, the man grinned at Tsuna in a way that could only be described as goofy. "Name's Sawada Iemittsu, husband of Sawada Nana, still the current head of Vongola's CEDEF and Vongola's External Adviser ." The man said, his grin turning into a genuine smile as he looked at Tsuna straight in the eyes.

"I'm your father."

Silence reigned upon the meeting room as the Guardians sat around the long conference table, an air of unease permeating each one as they all seemed to try and keep themselves from falling into their thoughts. Ryouhei sat on one of the two chairs situated along the left side of the table, his knee restlessly jerking up and down beneath the table while he had his arms crossed in a manner that immediately gave off the impression that he was holding in his impatience. Across from him, Yamamoto sat quietly, idly leafing through some documents from a folder he had somehow procured from somewhere on the way to the meeting room. He had his signature carefree smile curving his lips into that usual cheerful grin, as usual. However, it was evident with just one look upon the swordsman's auburn eyes that the man was more worried that he'd let on.

Beside Yamamoto, Lambo sat slouched against his chair. He had his phone out, and, from the way he had his brows furrowed together into a frown accompanied by the frequent sounds of explosions and the monotonic voice announcing his defeat, it was obvious to note that the teen was distressed enough to be unable to focus on his own game. In fact, Lambo seemed to be too preoccupied to notice the fact that Hibari Kyoya, famed for his inability to tolerate mingling within the presence of other people, had been sitting beside him, silently brooding, for nearly half an hour already. The skylark's features remained its usual aloof facade, calm and seemingly undeterred by the other's distressed states as he continued to sit on his chair, arms loosely crossed against his chest as he kept his eyes glued to the opposite wall and seemed to not acknowledge the existence of the person sitting directly across from him.

Mukuro sat upon his chair, his body leaning laxly against his chair while he rested his chin upon his palm – his arm propped up on the chair's armrest – while he had his other arm draped across his lap. He had his typical cool expression accompanied by the usual upwards quirk of the corners of his lips – an expression that would typically ignite the annoyance of a certain skylark had said skylark be acknowledging his presence – but had an unreadable expression in his eyes. There was an empty seat beside him to his right, separating him from Ryouhei, where Chrome usually sat. However, since his female Mist counterpart had offered to stay by Tsuna's side until the brunet regained consciousness, the seat remained empty.

At the ends of the conference table sat Gokudera and Reborn, the right-hand man seemingly busy as he conversed through his phone while the hitman merely sat back and observed the occupants of the room.

They were supposed to be in a meeting – one that was scheduled to be started a couple of hourse ago, to be exact – however after Tsuna had collapsed without so much as a warning shortly after he arrived at the mansion, none of the Guardians seemed to be in the mood to proceed with the Rain, Sun and Thunder Guardians seemingly restless with worry, the Cloud and Mist Guardians eerily silent, and the Storm Guardian nearly ended up blowing his own office down as he tried to calm himself down. Though, Reborn supposed that it was understandable. It had been a year since some of the Guardians had seen Tsuna, and to see him again only for him to fall unconscious like that without so much as a bat of an eye, it was to be expected that the Guardians would react the way they did.

"Alright, then I suppose- wha-! Hey!" Gokduera's loud voice seemed to break the silence as he suddenly sat up straight in his chair, pulled his phone away to stare at the screen for a second or two before returning it to his ear. "Chrome? Are you there? Hello?" he asked, looking a bit startled as he did so, and waited for a few more seconds before he sighed and tapped on his phone to end the call.

"What? What happened, Gokudera-nii?" Lambo asked, his phone currently forgotten in his hands as he looked at Gokduera curiously. Gokudera huffed. "The call got interrupted. It seems that Jyuudaime's father finally arrived back from CEDEF and headed straight to his room." The bomber explained and ran a hand through his hair as he sighed. "Luckily, Chrome managed to tell me that Jyuudaime's awake and seemed to be alright, if not tired, before the call got cut off."

"Really? That's great! Haha!" Yamamoto laughed, the worry lurking within his eyes dissipating. "Extremely great!" Ryouhei parroted as he punched his fists into the air. Hibari, though it was barely noticeable, exhaled in relief and Mukuro chuckled, resulting in Hibari glaring at the illusionist who levelly met his glare with a smirk.

"Now now, let's not get too carried away." Yamamoto said lightly as he sensed the beginning of another fight brewing between the two Guardians and raised his hands in a calming manner to pacify the illusionist and skylark. "But seriously, I'm glad Tsuna's okay." He said with a smile.

"He probably just got too shocked with how we all came and greeted him earlier though. He did just come back from being chased by assassins back in Namimori." Lambo pointed out and fished through his pockets for a grape candy.

"Indeed." Mukuro hummed; his lips quirking upwards even more.

Gokudera snorted, narrowing his eyes at both Mukuro and Hibari's direction. "If there's anything to be shocked about, it was with the way you two just went up and surprised him. Especially you, Hibari!" he pointed a finger at the Cloud Guardian. "Why the hell did you suddenly attack Jyuudaime like that? You know he doesn't remember anything so he can't anticipate your attacks and you go and do it anyway!" he shouted and slammed a hand against the table.

"I wanted to see if the herbivore can still fight." Was the skylark's noncommittal answer.

"The hell with your excuse! It's unforgivable!"

"Now now, just calm down Gokudera. We wouldn't want to have another room destroyed now, would we?" Yamamoto chimed in, once again trying to pacify his fellow Guardians in a manner of that of a parent chiding his children.

"Che, I still find it unforgivable." Gokduera grumbled under his breath and crossed his arms while Hibari merely ignored him.

"Though, to be honest, Sawada did an extreme job at evading Hibari's attack!" Ryouhei exclaimed to which Lambo nodded to.

"Haha! Yeah! Tsuna does seem to still have the ability to fight when the situation calls for it; even back then in Namimori. Isn't that right, Reborn?"

The hitman in question looked up at the table, all eyes turning to him, and he smirked. "That's right. Even though he has no memories of his past, it seems that Dame-Tsuna still has enough sense to know how to get his self out of trouble." He answered. His words seemed to have appeased Gokduera as the silver-haired man sighed and relented. "Well, Jyuudaime did manage to escape those assassins who were trailing after him that other day." He muttered before adding. "But that still doesn't mean anything since he still hasn't recovered his memories."

"Indeed." Mukuro agreed. "With the way Tsunayoshi is, he still cannot intervene with the current happenings. Nothing has changed aside from the fact that it is now easier to keep track of him given that he is now back here. Everything else is still the same. Tensions are high among the famiglias due to what happened to the Cavallione, there is an unknown group randomly attacking famiglias, an unknown hacker that has managed to elude us whilst spreading information about Tsunayoshi, and the fact that we still don't know why he even disappeared in the first place only to appear in Namimori without any knowledge of who he is." He elaborated; the unreadable expression from earlier returning as he spoke. "This is, indeed, quite a predicament." He concluded, a quiet chuckle passing through his lips as he leaned back into his seat.

Silence fell upon the meeting room as each Guardian took in and let Mukuro's words sunk in. The worry that had dissipated upon news of their friend and boss' awakening resurfacing as they were reminded of the current situation they were facing.

"I agree with what you said, Mukuro." All eyes turned to Reborn as he spoke, his black eyes turning towards the illusionist to stare levelly at him. "However there is one thing that you're wrong about. During the ride back here to Italy, Tsuna had told me that he had been having dreams – dreams that, once he explained to me, gave me the impression that his memories are starting to return."

"What?" Gokudera blurted, his eyes widening in surprise as the rest of the Guardians gave their own reactions to the statement.

"Are you certain about this?" Hibari asked and Lambo, who was sitting beside Hibari, turned to stare at him with a bewildered look. The aloof Cloud hardly ever spoke during meetings unless it was necessary.

Reborn met the skylark's questioning gaze but neither nodded nor shook his head. "I'm not a hundred percent sure, and currently, I can only theorize about it. But back in the plane, Tsuna had fallen asleep and started... crying." He paused and took a look at the Guardian's reactions at his statement before continuing. "Once I saw it, I woke him up and questioned him about it. At first he seemed confused and slightly disoriented, however when he'd had enough time to collect his thoughts, he told me that he had been having a dream and that he could hardly remember anything about it; except for one thing." He turned to Ryouhei, his black eyes meeting the boxer's silver ones.

"Kyoko's ring."

Everyone fell silent as Reborn's words rang through the air before it was broken as a choked sound came from Ryouhei. "W-What? Kyooko's..." the boxer stuttered, grey eyes wide with surprised and seemed to be a bit taken aback as his words trailed off followed by the closing and opening of his mouth for a couple of times before finding his voice again. "You mean to say that Sawada... He – He remembers...?" he asked, voice sounding unusually strained for Vongola's loud and brash Sun Guardian.

"No. He still doesn't." Reborn refuted, pausing shortly as he gauged Ryouhei's reaction before adding. "At least, he doesn't remember the whole thing."

"What do you mean?" This time it was Gokudera who spoke. "Are you saying that aside from what he'd dreamt, Jyuudaime only remembered the ring?"

Reborn nodded. "That's right. When I further asked him about what else he could remember, he said that seeing Kyoko's ring was the only thing he could recall. Everything else that had made him react like that during his sleep was forgotten."

"So..." Lambo muttered loudly, a look of confusion on his face. "...you're saying that Tsuna-nii probably remembered a memory with Kyoko-nee, but forgot about it when he woke up except for the ring he gave her?" the teen concluded uncertainly.

"Fragmented memories that resurface as dreams." Mukuro murmured quietly and hummed; his lips quirking into a smirk. "Interesting." Gokudera glanced towards him with narrowed eyes. "You sound like you're plotting something." He said and Mukuro chuckled. "Oh? What made you think that?" the illusionist asked and chuckled again when all he got from Gokudera was a glare. "I didn't think showing my interest in the functions of the mind would be a cause for concern." He commented lightly and smirked when Gokudera bristled.

Yamamoto, ever the carefree person that he was, once again right there in the moment to intervene. "Now now, Gokudera, Mukuro, there's no need to look like you want to kill each other. Let's just get on with the meeting, okay? Haha!"

Sitting in between the bristling bomber and the taunting illusionist, Ryouhei was silent, for once. He mulled over the words Reborn had uttered and a look of contemplation shone in his eyes. After a moment, ignoring the bickering going on between Gokudera and Mukuro, he turned to Reborn and asked. "Is that why you told Sawada about Kyoko?"

The two Guardians sitting beside him fell silent as the rest turned to either Ryouhei or Reborn, waiting for an answer.

"Yes." Reborn confirmed. "After telling me about it, he realized that the ring he had been holding on to along with the Vongola ring was the same one that he saw in his dreams. When he further asked me who Kyoko was, he had managed to figure it out by himself. After that, I couldn't avoid the question any longer and told him what happened."

Ryouhei remained silent after Reborn had explained to him the situation, his grey eyes clouded with thought. He lightly shook his head after a few seconds had passed and looked back towards the hitman. "Okay. I extremely understand now." He spoke but not without adding quietly. "I'd probably do the same thing if I was in your place, too."

"Were you hoping to be the one to tell Tsuna-nii about her?" Lambo chimed in curiously and Ryouhei vigorously shook his head. "Nah! I don't mind! Let's just say it's extremely for the best that Reborn was the one to tell him! I extremely think I won't be able to do so anyway!" Ryouhei exclaimed loudly all of a sudden, the grin he pulled on his face clearly looking strained.

An uncomfortable silence fell on them afterwards and in an effort to fan away the tense atmosphere, Gokudera cleared his throat. "Anyway, as Reborn-san was saying;" he turned to the hitman "You think it's because of that, that Jyuudaime's memories may by starting to return then, is that it, Reborn-san?" he asked and earned a nod from Reborn "It's possible. After all, such cases in the medical field have occurred before. It could be the same with regards to Tsuna."

Gokudera rubbed his chin and hummed. "Well, we certainly can't say that it isn't impossible, but we should probably consult one of the doctors we have so we can be sure." he paused before frowning. "Though we still have no clear idea as to how he lost his memories in the first place." He added as an afterthought.

"That's true." Yamamoto conceded before a thoughtful look overcame him. "By the way, are we going to let the others know that Tsuna's returned here with us?" he thought aloud and Gokudera whipped his head towards the swordsman. "No! We can't let the other famiglias find out that Jyudaime's back in Vongola!"

The Guardians and Reborn turned to the Storm Guardian, questioning gazes directed his way.

"Why not?" Yamamoto asked and Gokudera let out an all-suffering sigh. "Listen," he began, leaning slightly over the table as he spoke. "Most dons and donnas believe that Jyuudaime's disappearance is because of some unknown group that aimed to capture him and thus, crippling Vongola with the disappearance of their leader. This assumption is further fuelled by the fact that no matter what we did between the time of his disappearance up to the time he appeared in Namimori, we haven't been able to locate him at all. The attack on Cavallione is what probably certified this assumption for them." Gokudera paused and released a breath.

Moreover, with the recent happenings around the mafia underworld, tensions among the famiglias are probably sky high right now. And given the assumptions I've just mentioned earlier, it can be said that most famiglias have probably rationalized that someone is threatening the mafia underworld; beginning with the famiglias that act as its pillars."

"So, why shouldn't we let them know that Sawada's back?" Ryouhei asked.

"Because." Gokudera snapped, an annoyed looked taking over his features. "Once they hear about Jyuudaime's return, they'll be given hope that with Jyuudaime's return, Vongola will be able to fight off this supposed group that we're not even sure it exists, and immediately demand to meet him, only to find out that Jyuudaime has no memories of his previous role as Decimo. This can result to either an impression that Jyuudaime's current condition that makes him unable to lead Vongola could then lead to Vongola's collapse or the fact that Jyuudaime's return to Vongola entails that he's much easier to target given the fact that he's currently clueless and is at a much closer proximity that compared to Japan. Either way, it can leave us susceptible to attacks or a cause to engage in battles with other famiglias who will want to take advantage of the situation." Gokudera concluded, the annoyed expression on his face now replaced by a serious one. "That's why we can't let anyone from the outside know of Jyuudaime's return."

"Understandable." Reborn commented after a moment and turned to Gokduera. "What about our allies, though? The Shimon and the Giglio Nero?" Reborn asked.

Gokudera considered this for a moment as he folded his hands together before giving a small nod. "We can inform them, but only those who we trust. Uni and her closest men as well as Enma and his Guardians, but that's all. No one else." Gokudera confirmed before sighing heavily. "I know it would seem rude to their famiglias, but I cannot allow Jyuudaime or Vongola to fall under the risk of attack." He paused and sent a glance at the other occupants of the table. "I'm sure everyone here feels the same way."

"Of course!" Ryouhei shouted as he slammed a hand on the table. "Sawada's safety is more important than what the other famiglias would think!" Yamamoto grinned cheerfully. "Tsuna is always our first priority; he's always above everything else." he said while beside him Lambo nodded eagerly in agreement.

Gokudera then turned to the end of the table where Hibari merely huffed in exasperation and Mukuro chuckled lightly; then with a small nod, Gokudera sighed. "Good."

A short pause fell over the occupants of the room at the tone of finality of his words and Gokudera scanned the room in silence before he continued. "Well, now that we've agreed upon what to do about Jyuudaime, I guess we should start the actual meeting." He turned to Hibari. "You said you have something important to discuss."

Hibari ignored the irritating smirk coming from Mukuro and the curious ones he got from the rest of the Guardians as he met Gokudera's stare. "It's from one of the reports submitted to me by the Foundation regarding the investigation on Cavallione." He paused, the aloofness in his eyes suddenly replaced with utter seriousness.

"It's about the identities of the herbivores that attacked the Cavallione."

Timoteo sat upon his bed, silently turning a page of a book he held in his hands as he languidly lied against the headboard of his four poster bed. Silver wire-rimmed glasses perched carefully on his nose framed tired, ecru coloured eyes and his face, though obviously etched with the lines of old age, was pallid and tinged with a sickly yellow and his breath came out in slow, deep breaths. To the side of the bed, a silver pole stood tall with a bag of IV hanging from one of its arms, the tube connected to it falling down onto the duvet in a lazy sprawl before trailing up towards Timoteo's thin arm where it pierced through frail-looking skin.

Four years after he had retired from his position as head of Vongola, Timoteo's health had begun to deteriorate. The cause for such were numerous, most causes being vices he had indulged himself in back when he was younger; vices he knew would bite him back when he became much older. And though he had expected such a situation to occur someday, he hadn't exactly expected how fast such consequences could suddenly appear. It had begun with the lethargy and exhaustion from his daily activities, then came the difficulty in breathing; and now his body had become so weak and frail that he could barely get out of his bed and walk out to the beloved gardens he had so carefully – and secretly – tended to during his free time.

He was dying.

Heaving out a heavy sigh, Timoteo placed the book down onto his lap and raised his glasses upwards while his other hand gently rubbed against his face. Of all the ways he expected to die, dying of illness had never crossed his mind.

A knock came from the door to the far side of the room, breaking Timoteo's train of thought and he looked up towards the door, returning his glasses on his face before responding.

"Enter."

The sound of the door knob twisting was heard before the door swung open, revealing the person that had always stayed by his side even in his current condition.

"It's good to see you again, Brownie." Timoteo greeted.

The former Storm Guardian* stood by the door for a moment, eyes taking in Timoteo's state before looking back up at him and nodding back. "You look well today, Nono." He said as he stepped into the room. "And you're reading again." He noted as he entered the room, soundlessly closing the door behind him as he made his way towards the former don.

"It's the only thing I seem able to do nowadays." Timoteo answered back with a small shrug before reaching out towards the nightstand for an ornate-looking bookmark and placing it onto the page he had been reading before closing the book.

"So, what were you reading today?"

"Fortunato and Montresor*"

A smile made its way to Brownie's face. "Again? Haven't you ever gotten tired of that story? It's not even a novel."

Timoteo chuckled weakly as he watched the man pull up a chair beside his bed and sat. "As short as it is, it is quite the interesting story, my friend." He remarked before placing the book down onto the nightstand beside his bed. He then leaned back against the pillows propped up on the headboard and folded his hands together in his lap. "So, what brings you here, Brownie? From what I remember from your last visit, you said you wouldn't be able to come this week for personal matters." Timoteo watched his right hand man, casual smile still on his face as Brownie averted his eyes for a moment of thought and turned back to him as he spoke.

"It's about Sawada Tsunayoshi." The former Storm Guardian admitted and sighed as the corners of Timoteo's mouth quirked upwards ever so slightly. "I've heard that he's returned to the Vongola mansion."

"So I've been told." Timoteo commented lightly. "According to his Guardians, he'd suddenly appeared in Namimori a few months ago; though they have no idea how or ever where he had been prior. It seems that Tsunayoshi has lost his memories." At his words, Brownie perked up, his brows rising slightly in surprise. "So it is true?"

Timoteo shrugged. "I've only had reports from his Guardians about the situation as basis. However if the manner the Guardians have been reacting to the subject is any proof, then I can say that it's most likely true." If Tsunayoshi had indeed lost all of his memories, then that would mean that Gokudera would still continue as the acting head for all of Vongola until his successor finally regains his memories and becomes capable of handling his duties once again. Though as to how long that would take... Well, that was the real question.

"Nono?"

"Yes, Brownie?"

A glint of hesitation flashed across Brownie's eyes that caused Timoteo to raise a brow at the man. "What is it, Brownie?" he asked, though it sounded more like a casual demand by his tone of voice.

Brownie coughed in his hand. "Well," he began, pausing for a second as he looked like he was debating with himself before he continued. "I was just thinking. Isn't it better that Sawada Tsunayoshi had lost his memories?" he said, meeting Timoteo's stare head on for a moment before averting them with a sigh. "Well - I mean, after all-"

"Sasagawa Kyoko."

Brownie fell silent as Timoteo eyed him with a knowing look. It took a few seconds before Brownie heaved out a sigh. "Yes." He admitted. "Although he is currently unable to handle his duties to Vongola because of his condition, I'd like to think that forgetting about Sasagawa kyoko would be for the best." Brownie continued; his eyes never leaving Timoteo's as he explained. "After all, what happened to him after her death was beginning to affect not only Vongola, but also his health and his relationship with his Guardians."

Timoteo hummed with a thoughtful look in his eyes. "Yes." He muttered. "Yes; I suppose, looking at it from that point of view, it can be said that it is better." he said as he brought his hands together once more and began to twiddle his thumbs as he thought. "After all, the most effective weapon against our selves is our very own memories. Just imagine." he paused, his eyes turning a shade darker as memories of his own suffering flitted through his mind. "If a single death can lead any man down into the path of darkness..." he turned his eyes back to his right hand man. "What more for the death of a family?"

*For those who aren't familiar with this, Fortunato and Montressor are characters from Edgar Allan Poe's short story The Cask of Amontillado. I needed something for Timoteo to be reading and I didn't want to make up some half-assed story that most likely wouldn't even be that interesting to a don like Timoteo, so I ended up using this one.

Author's Notes:

Um, okay. I know this might sound bad(though I hope it doesn't), like what I've continued to say in my A/N's in the two previous chapters, the next update for TLS is unfortunately still indefinite, meaning that I don't know how long it would take me to write up and finish the next chapter. This would most likely be because I'll be starting school again this August and combining that with work, I will pretty much be preoccupied.

However, that does not mean that I will stop writing this story. Honestly, iIm too invested in this story to just stop it when it's not even reached the good part yet (yes, this story still has a long way to go). I'm just letting you guys know that it will take me some time before I get the next chapter out here. And for those who've been waiting a very long time for updates, I'm really sorry. I know you guys waited such a long time, and I'd understand if waiting for an indefinite amount of time for the next update might be too much to wait for, but if you'll still stick with me, I'll be really grateful.

Okay, I think i've said all I needed to say. Once again, I'm sorry for the long wait and thank you for reading this story. All the reviews/likes/favorites are all very much appreciated.