AN: This is a story about possibilities and how things could have gone differently due to different choices and chance occurrences. I've had this idea stuck in my mind since Byakuran talked about parallel universes and let me say that it is truly fascinating how many different directions the KHR story line could have gone.

I had trouble deciding who should play the antagonist parent, but I ended choosing Iiemitsu due to reasons I will reveal throughout the story. Don't worry, this is not your typical bashing story.

It's been a while since I've written so if some parts don't flow, please let me know and I will go back and fix it. Also, I will be integrating some Japanese customs and words in here just because I think it fits better. If there is anything that is confusing, please don't hesitate to ask. :)

General Warnings: AU, blood, violence, cursing, somewhat OOC!characters, smarter-but-not-genius!Tsuna, some OCs for plot support, Confident!Aware!Nana, realistic events (this is rated T for a reason; there will be humor and fluff, but do expect things to get serious sometimes)

Please do keep in mind that since this story is AU, the changes in events will cause the characters to develop differently. While most will retain the major aspects of their personality, there will be slight, but notable differences.

Summary: It is said that for each decision we make, another path diverges for the decision that we did not make. When Tsuna got separated from his mother at shopping district, instead of waiting like he was meant to, he decided to look for her. A near-successful kidnapping attempt forces Nana out of her obliviousness and leaves one Hibari Kyoya more interested than he was supposed to be.

Disclaimer: There's not point in me writing fanfic for KHR if I owned it. I don't own the cover picture either.

- 6 years old -

If there was anything that Sawada Tsunayoshi hated, it was being in scary situations. His mental list for what he defined to be 'scary' was extensive and his neighbor's chihuahua and the school bullies were on top of that list. However, Tsuna decided that being lost definitely trumped those two things.

A new store had just opened in Namimori's shopping district, and unable to resist the allure of a large, grand opening sale, Nana had dragged her son out of bed to head to the store. There weren't that many people on the streets, but as they entered the shopping district, the trickle of people became a mob and Tsuna was forced to cling tightly to his mother's hand so that they wouldn't get separated. Unfortunately, it seemed like that was all for nothing as they still ended up getting separated anyway.

Tsuna stood on the edge of the sidewalk, looking around him with dismay as he tried to look for his mother among the crowd of strangers. The faceless figures bustled by, not giving any thought to the child in the early morning rush as they looked for presents. Christmas was to be in two weeks and combined with the new sale, everything was in chaos. Tsuna bit his lips nervously as he shivered in the morning cold, rubbing his arms to try to get some warmth back in them. Should he just stand there and wait for his mother, on the off chance she would find him, or look for her? A sudden gust of freezing wind was the only response to his question.

He made up his mind when yet another person bumped into him, this time jostling him hard enough for him to lose his balance and fall to the ground with a cry of pain.

"Sorry!" The man called out before continuing on his path. That was it! Tsuna was not going to wait there any longer and risk being trampled by a mob of energetic shoppers.

The brunet quickly pushed himself to his feet before someone bowled him over in their rush. He did his best to ignore the stinging in in his eyes and wiped at them angrily as he felt the tears come. Now was not the time to be crying in the middle of the streets.

Letting himself be pushed along with the flow of the crowd, he glanced frantically around, hoping to catch a glimpse of his mother, but it was no use.

"Kaa-chan!" He called several times, hoping she would hear him, but his timid voice was drowned out by everyone around him. Straining his ears, he hoped to hear his mother calling him, but he could hear nothing but the cacophony of voices and loud footsteps.

Eventually, Tsuna was pushed to a more secluded area of the shopping district, where most of the shops ended and the main street led to the city's businesses. Slumping against one of the sides of the buildings, Tsuna crossed his arms in barely controlled panic as he debated what to do. He didn't have a cell phone. He knew no one nearby. He was too scared to ask someone for help. What if they got angry at him for bothering them? What if he never found his mother and continued wandering around until nighttime? Would the snow eat him alive...? He didn't think he tasted good. At this thought he nearly screamed out loud when a voice cut his train of thought.

"You look lost." Jumping in surprise, Tsuna looked up to see a brown-haired, middle-aged man looking down at him with a gentle smile. He was dressed in a dark coat, a navy sweater, slacks, and a pair of old dress shoes. A green scarf was wrapped around his neck.

"Are you looking for your parents? I can help you." The man asked and his brown eyes shone with nothing but concern.

Yet...for some reason, Tsuna felt really uneasy around this man. He glanced at the man's green scarf, and couldn't help but be reminded of a snake.

Edging slowly away, Tsuna said, "N-no. It's okay, thanks for offering." But the man quickly blocked his path and Tsuna hurriedly backed up in response. Internally, he was screaming in panic, not knowing what was going on.

This time, the man's eyes flickered with a darker emotion that Tsuna couldn't identify. "I insist. It's a bad idea to let a young boy like yourself wander around. It would be terrible if anything bad happened to you."

Tsuna only looked at him warily.

"Don't worry," He raised arms in a placating manner. "I know where you can find your kaa-chan."

"Really?" Tsuna asked hopefully, straightening in relief. He had only let his guard down for a moment when something in his mind suddenly yelled Lies!, the word sending a jolt of shock through him.

Stumbling backwards, Tsuna spun around to run away only to trip over his feet. He would have fallen if not for the large hand that clamped around Tsuna's arm like a vice. Immediately, the boy tried to jerk away in response, trying to ignore the bruising grip around his arm.

"Wha-" The other hand clamped around his mouth. Tsuna's eyes widened in panic and he kicked out at the man who merely dodged and quickly dragged Tsuna down an empty road. Tsuna swiftly realized with horror that all the stores down this road were still for rent since the area was recently built. With renewed energy, Tsuna screamed and fought, trying to break loose, but his screams were muffled and his flailing barely did anything to slow the man down.

The man looked down at him coldly, all trace of his earlier kindness wiped clean. "It's alright...where you're going, you won't need your kaa-chan. You'll be provided for anything you need and if you behave, we'll have no problems." He chuckled, his breaths fogging up in the frigid air. "With your face and physique, you'd sell for a pretty penny." Tsuna shook his head wildly as tears streamed down his face, refusing to accept his fate. Blinking the tears away, he swept his eyes across his surroundings hoping to find anything that could help him. He froze when he spotted the black car down the road.

A horrible feeling twisted in his gut. He somehow knew that if he got in that car he would never return to Namimori. He would never return home again. He would never see his father again.

But most importantly, he would never see his kaa-chan again.

Suddenly, the world seemed to slow down as a hot, but soothing sensation enveloped his body. His surroundings sharpened, as if bathed in a warm light and Tsuna narrowed his eyes in focus as an unnatural calm took hold of his mind.

With a burst of strength he didn't know he had, Tsuna yanked his head away from the man's hand and bit down on it. Hard.

Tsuna nearly gagged at the taste of the man's disgusting blood, and the man yelled in agony, but Tsuna held on, refusing to let go until he did.

"Shit! You little fucker!" Screaming with pain, the man threw Tsuna against one of the buildings with a thud, his head slamming against the brick wall. Dazed, Tsuna gazed blearily up at the man as he advanced furiously. "You'll pay for that, you little brat! I don't care what he says about not damaging the merchandise!"

He scrambled to his feet only to fall against the wall, his energy spent. The world spun crazily and Tsuna could only close his eyes in fear when the man raised his foot to kick him. Only...instead of pain, all Tsuna heard was a clang.

Blinking confusedly, he stared at the scene in front of him and gasped in surprise, his vision starting to fade. "H-Hibari-senpai...?" Tsuna whispered in astonishment before slumping over in a dead faint. Hibari spared Tsuna a glance before returning his attention to the herbivore in front of him.

Raising his tonfas threateningly as the man stumbled back in shock, Hibari glared at the man before coldly saying, "For disturbing the peace of Namimori and attempting to abduct one of its citizens, I will bite you to death."

- A few minutes earlier -

Only eight-years old and Hibari Kyoya had already made a reputation for himself as a merciless and cold-blooded fighter. Adults spoke about him with uneasiness and hesitant laughter. Children avoided speaking about him at all. Rumors circulated around that he was a demon-in-disguise set upon the town of Namimori as punishment for any wrongdoings. Others stated that he was some kind of avenging angel. The rumors were endless and he heard them all.

"Don't look into his eyes, you might have your soul stolen!"

"Shh...you don't want to catch his attention, bad things happen..."

"He must have come from the forest."

"What's with all that blood!? Did he kill someone?"

"What a monster."

But really, he didn't care what ignorant fools thought about him. He was Namimori's protector, that was it. As long as those ridiculous stories didn't get in the way of his duty, he let the people believe whatever they wanted. He had more important things to worry about than people's blinded beliefs.

It was this thought that he had in mind as he weaved through the crowds of the shopping district. Normally, he hated crowding with a passion, but since it was the holidays, he knew there would be much more idiotic herbivores than usual that would disturb the peace. His suspicions were proven right when he spotted a man dragging a struggling child away (never mind the fact that he counted as a child himself).

Curling his lips in distaste, he stalked forward only to be blocked by several shoppers.

Narrowing his eyes in annoyance, Hibari pulled out his tonfas. "Out of my way."

The people who recognized him screamed in fear before pulling their friends and family members out of his way. He was quickly given a clear path. Dodging the last few stragglers, Hibari dashed down the road just in time to see the small animal bite down on the herbivore's hand, refusing to let go. Hibari's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He didn't think that the boy had it in him to retaliate that strongly and were his eyes orange before?

Snapping out of his thoughts, Hibari sprinted forward just in time to block a kick from the spineless herbivore.

"H-Hibari-senpai...?" Hibari glanced over his shoulder and quickly identified the boy. Sawada Tsunayoshi, 1st grade, age 6, under the tutelage of Nakamura-sensei. A student of Nami-Shogakko, his territory . Which meant that this situation was Completely. Unacceptable.

Turning back to glare at the herbivore, Hibari said, "For disturbing the peace of Namimori and attempting to abduct one of its citizens, I will bite you to death."

Grimacing, the brown-haired man shook his hand out, his blood dripping down his fingers, before returning the glare with eyes as sharp as nails. "That's what you think. I've heard about you, you know." He pulled out a pair of brass knuckles. "A lone wolf who fights for the thrill of blood!" He charged forward and aimed a fist at Hibari's head.

Quickly ducking under the man's arm, Hibari curved his tonfa towards the man's solar plexus. Dodging to the side, the man crouched down and swung his leg out in a low spinning sweep kick. Hibari swiftly leaped over his leg and spinning on the spot, the skylark round-house kicked the man on the side of the head as he attempted to block.

The man grunted with pain as he slammed against one of the shop windows, smashing the glass. Alarms immediately started blaring.

"Fuck." The man spat out in panic as he yanked his bloodied arm out of the glass window. "Forget it, I don't have time for this!" The man growled as he attempted to make his way back to the car only for Hibari to block his path. "Move it, brat!"

Moving much more swiftly than before, the criminal threw out several punches as Hibari backed away. One of the punches managed to graze him on the cheek, but Hibari ignored the pain as his eyes narrowed in on the opening the man left. There. Pretending to stumble to the side in disorientation, he let the man advance before drawing on all his considerable strength. As the man pulled his arm back, Hibari swiftly smashed his tonfa in an uppercut to the man's jaw with a crack. Screaming in pain, the man flew up into the air before landing in a crumpled heap. He didn't get up.

Looking down frigidly at the man as he caught his breath, Hibari whispered, "You're wrong...I don't fight for a stupid reason like that...I fight to protect Namimori." Absentmindedly rubbing his cheek, Hibari turned his head to the side when he heard the pounding of footsteps.

"Freeze! Put your hands up in the air where we can see them!" The two policemen blinked at the scene and Hibari blinked back at them with a deadpan expression. Already, there was a crowd starting to form at the opening as two other policemen hurried to tape off the area.

One of the two policeman, a young, black-haired man with sea-green eyes, sighed before lowering his gun. "Oh, it's you again, Kyoya. I still don't understand why your father lets you run around like this no matter how many times I see you at a crime scene."

"Herbivore." Hibari greeted back, coolly, ignoring his other comment. The other policeman, an older blond with sharp, blue eyes and a beard, walked forward warily, his gun still held tightly in his hands.

"What happened this time?" The blond glanced down at the downed man, at Tsuna, then at the man again before frowning heavily, probably piecing the incident in his mind already.

"I saw this man trying to abduct Sawada Tsunayoshi." Hibari replied succinctly. The younger policeman widened his eyes in response as he ran over to check on the unconscious boy. His partner was busy calling an ambulance. "Sawada Tsunayoshi, you say? His mother came into the station earlier looking for her son. So this was where he was..." The raven whispered regretfully before standing up, thinking that it was better not to move the boy in case he was injured.

"Moreover, you need to be more careful. I know your father taught you how to fight, but there are still opponents you can't handle yet. You were lucky this time, but next time you may not be." The raven-haired policeman scolded, brushing his hand gently against Hibari's bruised cheek.

Hibari scowled and slapped the hand away. "I can take care of myself, Yukimura. I don't need you hovering over me all the time." Yukimura let out a long-suffering sigh in response, bringing a hand to his head in exasperation. "Trust me, I wouldn't be if you actually took care of yourself better."

Hibari ignored him and looked up when he heard the sirens in the distance. "I'm leaving." Taking one last glance at Tsuna, Hibari headed toward the road entrance ignoring the two ambulances as they pulled to a stop.

"Just let him be. You know no one can control him." The blond placed a hand on his friend's shoulder as a brief gesture of comfort. They watched as some paramedics carefully loaded the criminal in one of the ambulances, a policeman accompanying him to the hospital.

Yukimura frowned as he watched other paramedics gently place Tsuna on one of the gurneys. He hated seeing children get hurt in his line of duty. Just thinking that there were monsters out there who exploited and endangered children without a care made him clench his fists in anger. It was for this reason that he decided to become a policeman despite the dangers: to protect the people of Namimori from being victimized by others' cruelty.

Nana had mixed feelings when she received word that her boy had been found. On one hand, she was extremely relieved and glad that she would be reunited with her son. On the other hand, she was extremely terrified to hear that he was at Namimori Central Hospital. She didn't want to believe in what she overheard from some policemen at the station.

Running straight from the police station, she rushed into the hospital, startling the woman at the reception desk as she gasped for air.

"Tsu-kun..." The reception lady looked at her blankly. "Sawada...Tsuna...yoshi...My son. W-what room is he in?" Nana gazed worriedly at the woman as she quickly searched up the file.

"Room 371, Third Floor." The woman had barely finished speaking before Nana dashed off to the nearest elevator. She only slowed down when she reached the room. Looking silently at the covered, glass window in front of her, she steeled her nerves before opening the door. The doctor and the policeman inside paused their conversation.

"Oh! You must be Sawada Nana, Tsunayoshi's mother?" The doctor enquired. Nana nodded quickly in response.

"How is he?" Nana asked as she rushed to Tsuna's side, tearing up when she saw her son's bandaged face.

Hmm-ing in thought, the doctor flipped through the documents before speaking. "Fortunately, he did not receive any serious injuries during the scuffle, mostly receiving cuts and bruises. However, he does have a mild concussion and I would like him to stay here overnight for observation just in case there are any complications. From what I found through tests, he only fainted due to shock and exhaustion. We won't know how he is mentally until he wakes up, but if needed, I will find a therapist if he suffers from any kind of trauma due to this event."

Everything was spoken in a clear and factual manner, but Nana didn't know whether she should feel happy or concerned about what she heard.

The doctor examined Nana through his glasses and smiled reassuringly as if sensing her thoughts. "Your son will be fine." Looking at the clock, he started to make his way out the door. "You are welcome to stay here for the night and if any complications come up, have one of the nurses contact me. I'll be tending to other patients." He closed the door and the room plunged into awkward silence.

Yukimura glanced at his notes, clearing his throat and preparing to speak, but was interrupted by a quiet voice.

"Who was it?"

Yukimura turned to stare at her blankly. "Sorry, who was who?"

Nana slowly sat down in the visitor's chair as she held Tsuna's hand. "Who was it that saved my son?"

"Ah...that would be, Hibari Kyoya, the son of the chief police."

Nana smiled briefly. "I see...I must remember to cook him something as thanks." Nodding absently, Yukimura thought that Hibari wouldn't even understand what the woman would be thanking him for. Hibari never quite realizes when he does kind things for people Yukimura thought with fondness. Even if his methods were unorthodox and brutish.

Nana's bangs shadowed her eyes as she tightened her grip around Tsuna's hand, as if he would disappear if she let go. The heart monitor beeped reassuringly in the background as she spoke up once more. "And...who was the one that tried to take my son away from me?"

Yukimura fidgeted uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid that that is-"

"Don't tell me what's classified and what's not classified!" Nana yelled as she turned to glare at the policeman. His eyes widened in surprise. Lowering her voice, she choked out, "He's my son, my boy. I have a right to know what could have happened to him just because - just because I wasn't paying more attention to my surroundings. B-because I was too oblivious too notice that anything was wrong."

She hunched over the bed as she shook with sobs. "You seem too young to have children, but I hope you understand that nothing, nothing can scare a mother more than being unable to protect her children, not knowing whether they are safe or not or if you can even do anything to help them. So please...if there's anything I can do to be a better mother, I want to learn it now. I need to know just what could have happened to my son." Nana gazed imploringly at Yukimura, her teary eyes striking deep into his soul.

Gazing back solemnly, he slowly turned his head to look out at the semi-cloudy sky. It seemed that there was going to be another snow storm tonight he noted as he tried to organize his thoughts.

He spoke up, softly but firmly, not quite daring to look at the woman whose eyes shone like molten lava."He is a criminal that we have been looking for for the past several months. His name is Akamura Masao. He worked together with another man named Kagetori Shima, whose whereabouts we have just discovered through his partner, in a human-trafficking trade. Twenty-four children in Namimori were kidnapped by these two men...only nine have been found...your child would have been the 25th if Kyoya had not arrived in time to stop the man. We're hoping that these two scum bags will finally reveal where the rest of the children are with enough persuasion."

He finally turned to look at Nana, gauging her reaction. Nana merely gazed unfocusedly back at him, pale-faced and trembling. She was sure that if she had not been sitting already, she would have collapsed to her knees on the spot.

"Ma'mm...are you...?" The young man cut off his question. Of course she wasn't alright, it was a stupid question to ask. He lowered his hand and stood there stiffly wondering what he should do. Maybe he shouldn't have told her after all...?

"Thank you."

Stiffening in surprise, Yukimura gaped at the woman in shock. Nana shook her head to clear her mind then gazed back at him with a weary, but determined expression. Her eyes shone with resolve and understanding. "Thank you, for telling me." She chuckled bitterly. "I needed a wake-up call after all. I just wish my husband was here right now to have that same wake-up call with me...I don't even know where he is at the moment..." Nana sighed wearily.

"...I do what I can." Yukimura intoned, feeling out of his element with this woman. Thinking that Nana needed some time with her thoughts, the policeman made his way to the door. "Then, I will take my leave. We will discuss if you want to press charges another time." Besides, this incident would definitely make headline news and the victimized families would appear soon after, seeking their lost children. There was no way that the two bastards would come off clean even if Nana decided not to do anything.

What happened today was just a catalyst for future, chaotic events.

He silently closed the door on his way out. Listening to his footsteps fade away, Nana stared at her son, trying to memorize every feature of his face. To think that today could have been the last time she saw him, and not even clearly because she was too preoccupied with a stupid sale. She would need to call her darling husband and tell him about the situation. Surely, he would come home at once and hopefully find a job closer to home after this.

And...she needed to get her act together; today's incident taught her at least that much.

"Kaa-chan...? Why're you crying?" Jumping in shock, Nana looked down at her son who gazed back at her with unfocused and confused eyes. "D-did something happen?"

Trembling, Nana held out for a few seconds before grabbing her son and hugging him tightly to her chest, mindful of all the wires. Tsuna yelped in surprise. "Kaa-chan? What's wrong?" He asked concernedly, panicking and trying to calm his mother by patting her on the back.

Nana choked out a laugh. "It's alright, everything's alright, Tsu-kun. I'm so sorry, I h-haven't been a good kaa-chan at all. Once you get out of the hospital, I'll make it up to you."

Tsuna stared drowsily at the wall. Why was he at the hospital? Oh well, he'll probably remember when he wakes up, Tsuna thought as he drifted back to sleep. But before that he had something to say.

"Tsu-kun doesn't understand...Kaa-chan is the best mom ever..." Tsuna yawned and fell back asleep, not noticing the effects those words had upon his mother.

Nana smiled through her tears, weeping with how kind-hearted her son was. She didn't deserve someone like him as her son, she thought. "T-thank you Tsu-kun, I'll make sure to be the best kaa-chan from now on."

"It's a promise."

She remained by his side for the rest of the night.

AN: Lots of crying, and lots of emotions, yes I know ^^. I hope I haven't traumatized any of you, but this is my writing style. Yes, there will be humorous moments, but I tend to write in a way that develops characters and their relationships though it may come off as dark or emotional. Next chapter should lighten up and have more fluff, don't worry. Not all of the chapters will be as heavy as this one.

Please leave a review on your way out! :) I'd love to know what you guys think, what mistakes I made, and what I can improve on.