Title: Getting Away with Murder

Author: Ri-Ryn

Genre: Angst/Family

Word Count: 2795

Rating: M* (Content suitable for Mature Teens) / +T

Disclaimer: Katekyo Hitman Reborn belongs to Akira Amano.

Summary: Semi-AU: Tsunayoshi Sawada, who was ill and withering away, finally causes Nana and Iemitsu to snap, sending him to an orphanage at age four and choosing to keep his three-year younger brother. He was to die there; but, he lived and he started getting better somewhat. Tsuna "left", now retaliating for being forsaken.

Warnings: Coarse/severe language.

Chapter: Ignition

A/N: I know, I shouldn't be starting another story, but I couldn't help it! I've been reading some overused plots of 'Tsuna gets thrown in the orphanage and leaves to get his revenge' recently. But, these stories are usually dull, a grammatical and spelling nightmare, or rather poorly done period. This one was inspired by Papa Roach's song, "Getting Away with Murder." So, I'm giving my hands a chance at the reins. Ichirou means first son. I got the real information on Chronic Lung Disease in Infants from the website www. webmed .com before I twisted his condition to fit my purposes. The condition I came up with is completely fictional. Tell me what you think, leave a review. Should I continue?

Namimori Hospital – 7:57 p.m. – October 14 – 30 min. after birth at 7:27 p.m.

Nana could barely keep her eyes open as she held onto her new son, Iemitsu by her side. "He's gorgeous, isn't he?" she whispered, looking to her blonde haired husband.

"Absolute perfection, Nana, our little Tsunayoshi," The man replied, beaming at his wife plus one baby.

A small coughing sound caught their attention. Slowly, starting from the base of the neck, a pale shade of blue seemed to be seeping up their newborn son's skin tone. "Iemitsu, do you see that?" Nana's voice was coarse, horror shadowing her tone.

The Mafioso slowly bent down to eye level with his son, looking closer at the blue tint, another hack from the baby confirming it. "Shit! He can't breathe; we need a doctor now!"

Iemitsu lunged for the call button hanging off of Nana's bed as she watched the nightmare unfold. Iemitsu's noise had woken the boy up, causing him to try and cry; but, he couldn't. He could only choke as he tried to take in the appropriate amount of air for the task, yet not be rewarded for his efforts and turning bluer every second.

"Iemitsu!" Nana was panicking.

"They're coming!" He hissed, taking the baby from her and opening its small pink mouth, looking for any obstruction to his airway and finding none.

Iemitsu jumped when the door slammed open and the doctor and nurses ran in, their pediatrician claiming the boy before shouting orders, "We need oxygen stat, prepare a room in the NICU and get the monitors set up!" As quickly as they rushed in, the doctor and following nurses fled the room for the hospital's tenth floor, young Tsunayoshi in tow.

The new parents looked on, Nana with tears streaming and Iemitsu collapsed at her bedside, disbelief at what had transpired.

They (the doctor and nurses) had just said Tsuna was healthy, that their son was fine when he was born half an hour ago.

Why? How could they have said that when this happened!?

Namimori Hospital/NICU – October 15 – 8:00 p.m.

Iemitsu stood next to Nana in her wheel chair, both staring intently at the incubator housing Tsuna. Wires, tubes, and monitors hooked onto and into their son, as if he were a freak science experiment.

"Mr. and Mrs. Sawada?" Doctor Morimoto asked. The parents glared at him and he rubbed the back of his head in discomfort.

"What happened?" Iemitsu demanded.

Dr. Morimoto glanced at the couple's child, uncertainty in his eyes. "I'm not sure."

Iemitsu snapped, "YOU'RE NOT SURE!?"

The doctor backed away, "At first we thought it was a rare form of Chronic Lung Disease, also known as Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia or (BPD). And we were right for a few minutes after the diagnosis."

The Sawada's stared at him confused until Nana spoke up. "What do you mean? What is wrong with my precious Tsuna?"

"Normally, BPD occurs in premature infants along with a few more circumstantial conditions, and even then it can only occur as early as three days after birth. But, none of these apply to your son. Thus, we thought it was a rare case of the disease, one where a newborn breathes meconium into the lungs during delivery. This causes lung irritation and inflammation that damages lung tissue and can lead to chronic lung disease. Once again though," Dr. Morimoto tapped his watch, "it usually takes time. In BPD, the lungs trap air or collapse, fill with fluid, and produce extra mucus. Most children outgrow this condition."

Dr. Morimoto walked up to the incubator, grabbing a clip-board report from beside it. He flipped through a few pages before he reached the seventh page. He scanned it and turned his head to the sick child. "Your child has already exhibited these symptoms, minus the collapsing lung we were able to prevent. That's where the similarities end and Tsunayoshi's condition deviates from the norm. Added to the aforementioned symptoms, the inflammation to his lung tissue is severe enough that eventually it will bleed. I wouldn't be surprised if your son coughs up blood as he ages and the condition worsens. If he breathes hard from exercise or crying later on, the motions could tear his lungs apart because the tissue will be so weak. Whatever your son has," Dr. Morimoto tossed the clipboard and watched it land with a thwack on the table, turning to Iemitsu and Nana, "It is fatal."

Nana clutched her arm, letting red dots appear as Iemitsu cursed. "But," Nana asked, bordering on hysteria, "You said if he exercises excessively or cries. He won't cry as much as a toddler, and we just won't let him exercise normally like other kids. We can prevent this, right?"

Dr. Morimoto let out a short, bitter bark of laughter. "And what? By the time he makes it as far as adult hood, the simple action of breathing could kill him. I know I'm speaking about some pretty distant speculations, but I don't think your son will survive."

The doctor sighed, running a hand through his hair, "look, I'll give some advice many doctors give to parents with these 'lost cases,' okay? Don't get attached and drop him off at some orphanage where you won't see him again. He'll pass away semi-peacefully with the matron and his orphaned family, and you won't have to watch his slow decay. In about six months, Mrs. Sawada, your womb will be healed from giving birth and you can try getting pregnant again-"

The doctor was cut off as Iemitsu's right hook connected with the physician's face. "Don't you dare say that." Nana reached out to clutch his arm in support. "We will raise him, our Tsuna. And he will live." The blonde looked murderous as he spoke.

Dr. Morimoto swiped his arm along his lip, wiping away the blood from the laceration. "Fine," he growled, standing up. "But let me tell you this. I've seen parents like you, the 'strong, I have faith' ones. Every time, they wait until their child is at their death bed to dump the kid off at an orphanage. Those kids suffer till they fall dead. Do you know why?"

His gray eyes glinted, "All they know is abandonment. They live the last part of their existence thinking themselves unloved. They think of all the lies their parents said, of every "I love you," "We'll always be together," "You'll get better": all the lies you all said before breaking. And they will die bitter, depressed, unloved, and in resentment."

Nana eyed him in defiance, "We won't break."

Dr. Morimoto laid a hand on the glass of Tsuna's incubator, "I'm sorry," he apologized to the infant. He then returned Nana's eye contact, "I don't believe in you two."

Sawada Household – One Year Later

The doctor was right: living with Tsuna was difficult. He was to be constantly watched when playing and had nightly checkups periodically to make sure he wasn't suffocating. The medicine, although expensive, Dr. Morimoto prescribed was helping some. Tsunayoshi was healthy so far, and hadn't had a repeat of the incident.

But, they were happy, and Iemitsu took some time off, instead of doing field tasks, performing his paperwork from home with the permission of the ninth and support of the CEDEF.

Sawada Household – Two Years Later

Tsuna coughed more now as a toddler. It was difficult to keep the young boy from running around after he learned how to walk. It stressed his parents out, but they kept their hopes up and faith strong.

Nana got pregnant again near the end of Tsuna's second year of life.

Sawada Household – Three Years Later

At three years of age, Tsuna's condition worsened further. He was an energetic toddler and virtually impossible to keep up with at times.

Nana gave birth to his little brother and her second son.

Namimori Hospital – 9:45 a.m. – May 10

Nana once again lay exhausted with a newborn in her arms. Iemitsu sat faithfully beside her with Tsunayoshi on his knee, toddler leaning over the rails of her bed and staring in amazement, his little mouth hanging open.

His mother giggled, "See him, Tsuna-kun? This is your little brother; you're his aniki now."

The brunette looked up at her with doe eyes, "Anwikii?" He struggled to say the word, working it around his tongue. "Aniki?"

Iemitsu's face glowed with pride, "That's right son!"

Dr. Yatsuda watched in amusement at the happy family, failing to understand why Dr. Morimoto refused to preside over them at the hospital like he did before.

"Imma' aniki!" Tsuna squealed in delight before a cough wracked his body, different from many of the other attacks he had experienced. Tsuna ducked his face, coughing away from his parents. He turned his head to his father after it had passed, "Wight?"

Nana and Iemitsu stiffened, fear clawing at their hearts. Slowly, Iemitsu brought a thumb up to Tsuna's face, roughly rubbing away the trickle of blood from his son's mouth as the boy squirmed in discomfort at his father's treatment. This wasn't happening.

"Daddy?"

Iemitsu winced at his son calling him 'Daddy' in such a normal fashion after that, "Yeah," he breathed, "right."

"Honey," Nana's brown eyes met his own, "he was…"

He was bleeding.

"Sorry to interrupt," Dr. Yatsuda frowned, wondering at their reactions and not seeing the blood. Their son only had BPD, which was relatively common and non-fatal. Regardless, "What will you name him?" he questioned, clicking his pen.

"Uhm." Nana was at a loss, her brain numb.

"Ichirou," the Italian father responded. Nana set her wide eyes on him, but didn't disagree. She was still scared and unsure now. This was just in case, a precaution: they could always change their son's name later.

Dr. Yatsuda raised an eyebrow at the out of context name, glancing towards Tsuna first, then the newborn in Nana's arms. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Nana blurted out.

Dr. Yatsuda said nothing more, inking in the name onto the birth certificate. 'What and unusual name,' he thought, 'first son?'

Sawada Household – Four Years Later

Everything hit rock-bottom after Ichirou's birth. It was stressful caring for the one year old, like any other new addition to a family. Tsuna, almost four years old, was fascinated with his younger brother, often trying to get him to laugh. It resulted in constant attacks with more and more blood bubbling from the sweet child's lips afterwards.

Nana couldn't handle both at once, so Iemitsu decided to stay home permanently and help.

Money was tight now with Nana a housewife and only his paycheck, which took a blow without him taking 'jobs' in Italy anymore. Tsuna's medication was expensive still, added to the cost of raising Ichirou and the amount it took to pay bills, food, and clothing.

They were breaking.

They did break.

Namimori – October 13

It had happened, the worse attack yet, a week ago. Tsuna lay in his bed like usual, pale and sickly. He had only wanted to play with his brother, to calm him. Because big brothers protected their little brothers.

{His parents were in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Tsuna looked at his little brother, about to erupt into tears. "Don't cry!"

Young Tsuna tried to give him toys and sang the nursery rhyme his mother taught him. Nothing seemed to calm the one year old.

Finally Tsuna stood, laughing. Alright, he would perform! The uncoordinated three year old ran around like an airplane making noises as he tried to distract Ichirou. He dove for the floor, dodging enemy attacks and listened excitedly as Ichirou cried out happily at his performance. Tsuna finished his rounds, winning the plane fight and took a bow.

He felt dizzy, really dizzy.

Tsuna fell to his knees as the sound of Ichirou faded out of his ears. He opened his mouth to call for mommy and daddy, but it didn't come.

Red, it was all his sight could see as he spewed the crimson liquid all over the floor. Everything hurt as he cried, he wanted it to stop. He couldn't breathe.

Ichirou started crying, sensing the discomfort of his older brother, and drew the attention and presence of his parents from the kitchen.

Tsuna looked up at them, wiping his eyes because daddy said boys don't cry and that he had to be strong.

He only succeeded in smearing the tears and blood around his face, adding more gruesome detail to the already morbid sight he created.

"Mommy, daddy," Tsuna whimpered, letting his arm fall back into the scattered puddles of red surrounding him. They landed with a wet, heavy splash while small droplets jumped. "Tsu-kun hurts." He could feel those things that allowed people to breathe, according to his mommy and daddy. They felt like they were on fire, a burning inferno in his chest. He wanted them out.

He lifted one hand to his chest, dully clawing at the cloth that protected his soft skin from his blunt nails. He couldn't reach the things making him hurt.

Tsuna lifted his doe eyes, pained, open wide with fear. "Make it stop," the young boy whispered. "MAKE IT STOP!"}

Nana was crying outside his door as Iemitsu paced. The blonde could only voice his frustrations, "I can't do this!"

Nana cried harder, nodding her agreement. "No more Iemitsu. I, we, can't keep struggling like this. I can't stand not knowing if he'll live. And Ichirou, I need to take care of him too! We can't even afford Tsu-kun's medication!"

"We have to give him up." The Italian set his stormy eyes on his wife.

"Go grab Ichirou and start the car." His wife didn't move. "Nana! I have to make a phone call and let them know we're coming!"

The brunette jumped, startled, before running to the nursery. Iemitsu pried his son's door open, gently walking over, bending to pick him up. "Daddy?"

Iemistu smiled, cringing. "It alright, Tsuna, you'll be okay."

Tsuna smiled back, lifting his arms for his father to pick him up.

The duo met Nana and Ichirou in the car five minutes later where Iemitsu belted Tsuna in the car seat in the back. Nana refused to look, keeping her eyes on Ichirou who sat on her lap.

Every time the one year old made to grab at his brother, she moved him further away, puzzling Tsuna. The older child decided not to say anything as to the odd behavior and seating arrangement. Normally, Ichirou sat beside him in another infant seat, but he was too excited for the car ride for it to bother him. He hadn't left his house in a week. Maybe they were going to the park?

Orphanage

It was a long, silent two-hour drive to the next three towns over and their destination. Tsuna had fallen asleep, still worn out and recovering from his attack.

Iemitsu parked the car, already able to see a larger, kind looking woman wobble her way over. Iemitsu exited the car and removed Tsuna from the back seat, cradling him as his son snuggled further into the warmth.

"Mr. Sawada?" The woman, although 'kind looking', was cross with him. Her voice dripped with hate and distaste as she confirmed his identity.

"…Yes."

"Hand him over." Iemitsu hesitated before complying. Tomoya Higurashi had never seen a more beautiful child, cooing silently as to not wake him. "You're a despicable man, Sawada."

Iemitsu glared. She had no idea what they were going through...and he wasn't making her the wiser. "Yeah," he glanced away. "May Nana and I say good-bye?"

Tomoya sniffed, "Like hell you will. It's easier this way. And I never let a 'parent' lie to their child after their in my care."

"What?" Iemitsu glanced to Nana who had fresh tears prickling in her brown eyes. "I'm not lying, why can't we say good-bye?"

"Because everything you disgusting people say to the children isn't true. Otherwise, little Tsunayoshi wouldn't be in my arms right now."

She looked disdainfully at Ichirou in Nana's lap, who hugged the younger boy closer to herself as if in protection. "There better not be a next time. Have as many children as you can take care of and love to the upmost degree. Obviously, you only have room in your heart for one child."

Iemitsu opened his mouth to argue, but Tomoya growled in her throat softly, keeping in mind the sleeping child. "And even if that isn't the full story, I don't care."

Tomoya turned on her heel, walking back to the orphanage. "There will never be a good excuse to abandon your own flesh and blood."

She inclined her head backwards toward the distraught parents, "And just like all the other supposed parents like you two, I wish that you would rot in Hell. Get out of here, don't come back, and never look back when you're driving away with your filthy, lighter hearts and precious, only son. You won't see this child again on my watch, not now, not ever. You don't deserve that privilege, never have."