The Mansion

Chapter 12. Tennis Club

The restaurant was almost entirely quiet as the tenants ate before their daily routines. Only two groups appeared to be noisy: the sportsmen, who appeared to be having a great time; and the Vongola, which again had an inner fight, as Reborn had stolen Tsunayoshi's breakfast for the fourth time that week.

"It's your fault for not looking properly after us!" Nana yelled as she walked into the room, followed by the private eye, The others quieted down, unable to ignore the couple's quarrel.

"Not looking after you?" L asked her. "Nelli did not disappear because of that, Nana! Besides, the cases I'd been working in were far too dangerous to ..."

"That's not the point!" Nana replied "She left because she didn't want to be around you!"

Not again. Hiroto thought as he saw his adoptive parents quarreling in public. The redhead stood up, and approached them trying to figure out a way for them to stop. During the time he had been living with Nana and Nelli, he had barely met with the private eye. But after going to live with L, he had had more than enough time to get along with him. Listening to L and Nana discussing and fighting was a usual matter to him, a matter which he found annoying.

"She did not leave!" L reminded Nana "there are more probabilities on Nelli being kidnapped, than of her escaping from home."

"Mom! Dad!" The redhead called them. Nana looked at him, stopping her reply from arising. "Stop it already, what would Nelli-chan think of you? You know she doesn't like to see you fight."

He finally called us that again. The couple thought as they looked at him.

"You called me Mom!" Nana exclaimed hugging him.

"Took you long enough, Hiroto" L added, putting a hand on Nana's shoulder. "You've been a part of our family since the start."

"That's not what I was trying to say" The green eyed replied unable to get rid of Nana's hug. Great, I've made it worse.

"Come, Honey" Nana said, finally letting go of him "let's have breakfast together as a family."

"Actually, I'm with the rest of the team already." Hiroto replied "besides, we're still missing Nelli-chan."

"True" L nodded "Let him go with his friends, Nana. When Nelli returns..."

"If she does." Nana answered "because I'm sure she ran away."

"For the tenth time, Nana. Nelli didn't do that!"

"Stop arguing you two!" Integra called from the doorway, everyone looked at the blonde as she stepped into the room.

Sir Hellsing wouldn't have breakfast with the rest of them, hence their amazement. With unfaltering steps, the woman approached the Lawliets, the redhead thanked everything he could think of, even if he had to deal now with the blonde's overwhelming aura.

"Really, losing time with such petty fights." the blue eyed woman added upon reaching them "it is not time for the two of you to argue over this, L, Nana, but for putting your combined efforts in finding Annelise." The other two adults looked away. "By the way, L, Alucard found a new item in Luna's room last night, it appears to have clues as to the girls' whereabouts."

"Let's go then" The private eye answered.

The restaurant was as quiet as a graveyard even after they had left the place. Hiroto rejoined his friends while Nana hesitated a bit to decide who to sit down with. Slowly, the room regained a bit of its liveliness, though the recent event still lingered in everyone's minds.

"So," Midorikawa began. "those are your parents."

"You can say that again." The redhead sighed.