Author's Note: Welcome to the new chapter! Thank you xenocanaan for your lovely review; I really appreciated your kind and encouraging words.

Happy reading!

Suzi tapped on Layla's bedroom door. It was before dawn and still dark. She hated to wake the exhausted nurse who had only been asleep a few hours, but they had a lot of work to do. Preparations needed to be made. Her daughter would be waking up today.

When there was no answer, she smiled and wrapped her knuckles on the wood to make a louder sound. She was happy Layla was finally getting some sleep. The hard working nurse had nearly made herself sick and could use the sleep but Suzi required her help to get things ready.

"Coming," Layla mumbled sleepily, dragging her body off of the futon.

Since she had been getting sleep, her body craved more of it. The first order of business Suzi Q. attended to after her arrival was moving Layla's futon back to her bedroom. She did not argue with the woman about it either. She knew better.

"Good morning, dear," Suzi sang out to her merrily when she slid open the door.

"Good morning," she yawned in return.

Layla returned the big, beaming smile on Suzi's face. She wondered how the woman could be so cheerful. Today is the fiftieth day. They had not heard a word from Joseph or Jotaro. Holly's condition had not improved so they knew the men had not yet accomplished their mission.

"Wake the doctors, Layla!" Suzi ordered her joyfully. Her blue eyes sparkled brightly even in the dim illumination from the night light behind Layla in her room.

"Is something wrong? What's going on?" she inquired, but did not feel worried since Suzi had a smile on her face.

"No, there's nothing wrong at all," she assured the nurse taking her hands in hers and squeezing them. "Today is the day, dear. My Holly will wake up soon."

Layla smiled at her, doing her best not to allow doubt and unwarranted pity to seep into it. While she had always admired Suzi's perpetual optimism, there is a difference between being positive and having naïve, blind faith. She hoped the woman was not being overly optimistic and naïve, believing in a happy ending that is unlikely to come to pass. For once in her life, she prayed happy endings were not just for fairy tales.

"Gather the troops, dear! I'm going to make coffee. It's going to be a great day!" she called out as she bounced away.

The smile on Layla's lips broadened as the woman's positive energy and boundless joy seeped into her, bringing her to full wakefulness. How could it not when Miss Suzi is the embodiment of a ray of sunshine? She slid her door closed to get dressed.

"I believe in them. I believe in them," she chanted to herself as she put on her white nurses dress. She hurriedly brushed her hair and coiled it into a bun. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she told herself, "Joseph and Jotaro can do this. They will save Holly."

After her positive affirmations to banish all doubt for Miss Suzi's sake, Layla was off to wake the doctors as she had been ordered. Wrapping on the door frames with her knuckles, she called out their names as well. They shared two rooms, three men to each room.

"Wakey, wakey, gentleman!" she called, adopting a sing song voice to fake the positive energy she did not quite feel yet.

"Is something wrong?" the first doctor asked in a panic through the closed door.

"Has Holly taken a turn for the worse?" inquired the second doctor almost tearing the shoji screen door off the track he slid it open so violently.

"What's going on?!" bellowed the third grumpy MD who had only been asleep for two hours.

The other three doctors came out of their room next door after hearing the ruckus, yawning and rubbing their eyes.

"Yeesh," she muttered, thankful she did not act like a total bitch when she did not get much sleep. "Miss Suzi wants everyone in Holly's room."

"You know what today is right?" one of the doctor's muttered in a low voice.

"I'm aware. And so is she," Layla stated firmly, suddenly feeling quite defensive of Suzi Q. "Get dressed and put on your best smiles. It's going to be a great day gentlemen."

She sounded more like a grumpy drill sergeant issuing orders rather than someone trying to instill an upbeat attitude. Whatever. If Miss Suzi could suck it up and put on a brave face so could these jerks. They weren't in danger of losing their child - or possibly their whole family.

Layla gulped, pushing that thought out of her head. She could not bear the thought of anything bad happening to Joseph or Jotaro any more than she could Holly dying. She had allowed herself to get far too emotionally involved with these people. How could she not?

Layla joined Suzi Q. in the kitchen to assist with loading trays with cups and saucers, cream pitchers and sugar bowls, as well as the pots of tea and coffee. The plates heaped high with freshly baked orange and cranberry scones and cream cheese danishes made her wonder just how long Miss Suzi had been awake. Perhaps she never went to sleep at all.

The women carried the trays to Holly's room where the doctors had just begun to gather. Once everyone had their drink and morning pastry, Miss Suzi called the meeting to order.

"The first order of business is to remove the breathing tube and ventilator," she said, lifting her steaming cup of black coffee to her lips covered with a fresh coat of red lipstick.

"But Mrs. Joestar if we do that Holly will d - OW!" cried out the doctor when Layla kicked his shin. He glared at her and rubbed his leg while she pretended as if nothing had happened, taking a big bite of her scone and keeping her eyes on Suzi Q.

"But Mrs. Joestar, I must advise- " another doctor started to offer his professional opinion but the words died on his tongue when he the nurse shot him a withering glower.

"Layla," Suzi continued as if she had not heard a word. "With your assistance, I will give Holly a bath while these fine gentlemen remove all of the equipment. One of you needs to bring a clean futon and fresh linens. Afterwards, we will clean the room together while Holly rests."

Silence. A long, pregnant pause with only the beep of the heart monitor and the whir of the machines keeping Holly Kujo alive filling the void.

"Gentleman, do you understand?" Layla inquired when none of the men made a sound of acknowledgement.

"Yes, ma'am," they responded enthusiastically in unison.

Suzi raised her cup to her lips to hide her grin. Her suspicions were confirmed that Layla was the one who was actually in charge here despite the doctors' fancy degrees and titles. Outnumbering her six to one did not intimidate the feisty little nurse one bit.

Perhaps Joseph was not misguided in his matchmaking efforts. Layla might be the kind of woman their grandson needs to keep him in line and motivate him as well. All of that romance stuff would have to wait. But is there ever a right or wrong time to fall in love? She certainly had not been expecting it when it happened to her.

"My husband and grandson will be coming home soon," Suzi Q. announced with resolve in her voice. "I want my daughter to be ready to greet them."

By lunch, all of the preparations had been made. The women cooked and served the food in the room that had been set up as living room off of Holly's room. There was even a new kotatsu to make the room more inviting for the men when they return. After cleaning up the dishes from lunch, they went back to Holly's room.

Holly was still alive, breathing on her own at the moment, and resting comfortably. There was nothing left to do but wait. The worn out doctors went to take a nap. Layla worked on her knitting while Suzi sat beside her daughter brushing her hair.

"What are you knitting?" Suzi asked, placing the brush on her daughter's make up table.

"A scarf," she replied, extending it for her mentor to see. It was not terribly creative but it was the easiest project for a beginner. The yarn she picked was primarily black with little threads of teal, purple, and gold mixed in.

"Those colors remind me of Jotaro," she said, smiling at the nurse who blushed from her hairline down to her neck.

"I had planned to give it to him for Christmas but..." The glut of tears clogging her throat cut off her words. Everyone had completely forgotten about Christmas. There had been no reason to celebrate anyway.

Suzi gave her a sympathetic smile. Although the scarf was not finished, she knew it was not because of that Layla appeared to be on the verge of tears. Christmas had been cancelled for the Joestars this year thanks to Dio. Their family, and their friends, had been separated from them. They were all too worried to even think about the joyous holiday that was supposed to be spent with family.

"But it wasn't done yet," Suzi said, putting down the hairbrush. She scooted over to Layla. "Let me help you. Then you can give it to him for his birthday. We haven't missed that. It will give us something to look forward to celebrating."

About an hour later, they were almost done with the scarf. They were laughing and having a lively conversation, tossing about ideas for Jotaro's birthday party.

"Mama?" Holly called.

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry we woke you up," Suzi apologized without thinking. Her eyes went wide as Holly sat up. "Holly! Are you strong enough to be sitting up?"

"Well, of course, Mama, don't be silly," she giggled throwing back the comforter.

Layla crawled around to the other side of the futon, standing up quickly as Holly easily got to her feet. She did not try to touch her since the woman appeared strong enough to stand on her own despite being an invalid for almost two months. However, she stayed close to Holly in case weakness or dizziness should unexpected make her stumble or faint

"Oh, hi, Layla," the perky blond so much like her mother said, waving at the stunned nurse before running past her.

Holly flung open the door and raised her face to the brilliant but cold winter sun. She squealed with joy to see the crystal clear blue sky. It was indeed a beautiful day.

"Holly! Holly! Be careful," warned her concerned mother as her daughter ran outside onto the porch.

Layla stood transfixed to the spot, her jaw dropping as she watched Holly throw up her hands, and spin in a circle. She jumped when Suzi put her arms around her and embraced her heartily in a sideways hug as they watched Holly giggle and dance around like a little girl. This woman had been hours, or possibly only minutes, from death.

"They did it," Suzi stated in an excited and rushed whisper as tears of joy formed in her eyes. "I never doubted them."

Layla wished she could say the same thing. The smile on her lips wavered as she patted Suzi's arm with one hand and hugged her back with her other arm around the older woman's still tiny waist.

"Daddy and Jotaro will be home soon!" Holly exclaimed, holding on to the banister and leaning off of the porch so she could get an unobstructed view of the sky.

"Holly, no!" Suzi shrieked, lunging forward as if to grab her daughter to keep her from falling.

Layla held on to Suzi to keep her from moving.

Holly put a hand over her eyes as if searching the sky for the airplane on which her father and son would be returning.

"She'll be fine," the nurse assured the tense mother staring at her questioningly.

"You're right," she sighed. "Everything will be fine. My daughter is alive and completely well. Jojo and Jotaro are coming home."

~\'/~

The two men did not arrive at the Kujo home until late the next day. Holly ran out to meet them first, followed by Layla holding Suzi's arm to help her down the stairs. Layla hung back, sitting down on the porch at the top step as she observed the family reunion from a distance.

Joseph had barely gotten out of the car when Holly flung herself into his arms knocking him back against the vehicle.

"Daddy!" she screamed happily, dotting his face with happy kisses like she did as a little girl.

"My girl!" he hollered with delight, hugging her tightly and lifting her off of her feet to swing her around in a circle.

"Hey, watch it!" Jotaro snapped after almost being kicked by his mother on a rotation.

Joseph set his daughter down on her feet, giving her a kiss on the forehead. He smiled down at her, holding her face between his large hands. He kissed each of her cheeks then gave her another hug before letting her go so she could greet her son.

Holly went to her son who stared down at her without registering any kind of emotion on his face. To her great surprise and joy, he opened his arms for her to walk into them in order to receive her embrace

"Mom," he sighed, holding her gently as if she might break. "I'm so happy to see you."

"I've missed you son," she sniffled.

"Jojo," Suzi sighed, rushing forward into her husband's arms as more tears of pure joy streamed down her face.

"Suzi Q., my love," he said in his deep rumbling voice, folding his arms around her to pull her into his chest.

"I never doubted you for one second, my darling."

And she never did. Suzi Q. had unwavering faith in her husband during his entire absence.

The winter wind blew across Layla's face freezing the damp tracks of her tears making her aware she was crying. Her hands clutched at her pink cardigan, pulling it more tightly around her body as she began to shiver from the cold. A lock of her hair blew across her face tickling her nose. She pushed it behind her ear with her icy fingertips.

But she was so warm inside as she watched the family reunion. A precious family reunion she was not sure would happen. She would be loathe to admit it, but her faith had wavered and even deserted her completely at times.

Joseph alternately hugged his wife and kissed her. He smiled down at her as he spoke to her. Her small white fluttering hands would gingerly touched his face as if reminding herself he was really here and not a dream. He caught her wrists, bringing one her hands to his lips. Placing a kiss on the back of it, he lowered it to pull up the other hand and do the same

Watching them was so sweet, it made Layla's heart hurt from the warm, fuzzy feelings filling it. She loved seeing how much the couple still adored each other after almost fifty years of marriage.

Oh! They would celebrating their fiftieth anniversary this year! In less than three months! They had more reasons than most people to have a joyous celebration. Layla made a mental note to speak with Holly about planning an anniversary party for her parents.

Her eyes switched over to the mother and son. Astonishingly, Jotaro accepted his mother's affection and even returned a few of her hugs. He held her while she cried.

Layla was glad she was sitting down when Jotaro placed a kiss on the top of his mother's head and patted her back as she soaked his t-shirt with her tears.

Reading his lips, Layla saw he told Holly amidst several pauses, "It's okay, Mom. I was worried about you too. I missed you. I love you too."

Beginning to feel out of place and a little like a voyeur as she observed the family, Layla decided she should go to the kitchen to prepare hot drinks for everyone. As she boiled water for tea and heated milk for cocoa, she heard them pass by, laughing and talking which made the corners of her mouth lift from a frown into a smile.

When everything was ready, she took the loaded tray, almost too heavy for her to carry, to the living room. Layla carefully edged open the door with her foot to enter the room where they were gathered around the kotatsu to get warmed up.

"Oh, Layla, there you are!" Joseph exclaimed as she sat the tray down on the table.

"I thought everyone could use a warm drink," she said, bowing deeply and backing toward the door.

"Hey, where are you going?" Jotaro demanded, grouchy as ever.

"I was just...leaving." She glanced around at each of their faces. They all seemed confused as to why she was leaving. "I think I should go... to give all of you time to talk and be a family."

"Nonsense," Suzi chastised her. "You are family. Come join us."

"Sit here," Holly invited her, indicating the spot beside her with a nod of her head. As if just noticing her son already occupied that spot, she said, "Move over Jotaro."

"No, really I - " Layla tried to protest.

Jotaro stood up, stomping over to her. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward almost jerking her off of her feet.

"Whoa!" she cried out, stumbling behind him and almost smacking into his broad back.

Positioning her between his body and the low table, his big hands lay heavy across the tops of her shoulders. The warmth from his palms penetrated the material of her sweater and her dress to reach her skin which instantly heated her entire body finally ridding her of the chill she had been unable to escape.

"Sit," Jotaro commanded her gruffly. His strong hands cupped her shoulders and pushed down with light pressure until her knees bent.

Layla sank down into a sitting position, folding her legs to the side to press her knees together in order to maintain her modesty. She scooted forward to cover her legs with the blanket and receive more warmth from the heated table.

Pouring herself a cup of hot chocolate, she stayed quiet while the family talked. She noted they steered clear of mentioning anything about the events that took place over the last two months.

"How about we go cherry blossom viewing ?" Suzi suggested.

"I'd rather not," muttered Jotaro. "I've seen them a million times."

Layla watched the way his jaw tightened giving his face a strained and tired appearance. His fingers clutched the cup in his hand until his knuckles turned white. She feared he might crush the ceramic teacup, grinding it into pieces, at any second.

"It's not something all of us get to see," Joseph retorted.

"I just don't want to, okay?" he snapped, bringing his cup to his lips indicating he would no longer talk about the subject.

"Jotaro's birthday is coming up soon," his grandmother announced to change the subject. "We were already making plans today."

"I don't want a birthday party. Good grief, Grandma Suzi. I'm not a kid," he complained.

"Dammit, boy, you are such a brat," his grandfather piped up to defend his wife. "Don't underestimate your grandma. I'm sure she knows you don't want party hats and pin the tail on the donkey!"

"Actually, we planned to have a family party here. Nothing special or fancy. No guests. Just us. Holly will cook Jotaro's favorite meal. I will bake his cake. Layla will - "

"Oh, no, Grandma Suzi," Layla interrupted her. "I can't help out. I won't be here. I have to return to New York and the hospital and - "

"Uh...about that..." Joseph cut her off, scratching the beard under his chin.

Layla's belly tightened with apprehension. He always did that when he had done something wrong and been caught. A guilty conscience she supposed. What have you done Joseph Joestar?

"You won't be returning to the hospital," he said, clearing his throat as all eyes turned to him. He took a sip of his tea.

"What?" Layla laughed nervously. "Why not?"

"You don't work there anymore," he said.

"WHAT?!" all three women shrieked at once.

"Now calm down it's a good thing. You haven't been fired. It's a job change. Nothing more," Joseph assured her, holding up his hands palms out in s gesture of supplication. "I talked to your supervisor at the hospital and requested that you become our private, full time live in nurse. You work directly for us now," he announced proudly, putting his arm around his wife.

"Private. Full time. Live in," Jotaro said, carefully enunciating each word. He cast a glimpse at Layla. "How private?"

"Oh," she gasped, punching him in the shoulder as she jumped to her feet. "Asshole." She pointed accusingly at Joseph. "I'll deal with you later."

Layla stalked out of the room. She could not slam the door behind her with it being a shoji screen only slide it along quietly until it was closed behind her. They heard her issue a screech of frustration as she stamped her feet on the porch then walked away.

"Way to go, Gramps," Jotaro muttered.

"Shut up, boy. What did I do wrong? What the hell is she so mad about?" Joseph mumbled, spreading his fingers in a supplicative manner. "I'm doing her a favor, dammit!"

"Oh, honey," Suzi murmured, patting his shoulder. "I know you meant well. But you should have discussed it with her first. Nursing isn't just a job to her. It's her career. Her life. She lives to help people. This is a major life decision for her."

"Right. Exactly. So why wouldn't she want to spend her life with us? She was already like a member of the family. Even more so now," Joseph said, still not understanding why there is a problem with his unilateral decision.

"Daddy, the doctors told me what she did for me," Holly chimed in. "She slept beside me every night in case I stopped breathing. She bathed me and spoon fed me. She went without food and water and sleep to make sure someone was always right beside me. She didn't want me to be alone and afraid if I suddenly woke up."

"That's why I wanted her to come here. She's a great nurse, and I knew she would take care of you," he said with a "duh" intonation.

"She has a gift, Daddy. Even when I wasn't awake, I could still feel her there. Her spirit calming me, watching over me, giving me strength to hang on."

"Doctors diagnose. Nurses heal," Joseph murmured under his breath.

"What?" Jotaro asked, leaning forward.

"I overheard Layla telling a doctor that once when he reprimanded her for overstepping her boundaries and telling her she was just a nurse and he was the doctor. She kept him from killing a patient by accidentally administering a drug to them that they were allergic to," he said, in a low voice. He guessed he really should have talked to her first. "Perhaps she would do more good at the hospital."

"Don't worry about it, Jojo," Suzi said, taking his hand in hers. "Just discuss it with her tomorrow, and we will see what happens."

"Well, I think I'm going to take a shower and go to bed," Jotaro announced, standing up.

"Good night," his grandmother and mother sang out in unison.

"See ya later, kid."

"Later, old man."

~\'/~

Layla lay in her bed staring at the ceiling in the muted light given off from the night light in the corner. She was in the habit of using a night light in case she had to get up in the middle of the night. Since Holly was better, she no longer needed it. But she did not feel like moving to turn it off.

She was angry with Joseph Joestar but thrilled at the same time. He should have asked her first. She adored the Joestar family and would view it as an honor to take care of them as their private nurse, but she would have liked to have input on such a drastic and life changing decision.

What happened to them out there? All she knew was that their plane had crashed. Other than that, she knew absolutely nothing about what occurred on their trek to Egypt to hunt down Dio. What should have been a week long journey at the most had taken them over two months. At least they had accomplished their goal and Dio was finally destroyed.

There was a soft tapping sound on her door that made her jump. After inhaling sharply, she pressed her hand over her heart which slammed against her ribcage. Rolling onto her side, turning her back to the door, she clutched the comforter to pull it up to her chin. She would pretend to be asleep until whoever it was went away.

"Hey," Jotaro called, using his knuckles to knock on the wood of the door. "I know you're in there. Open up."

"Go away! I'm asleep!" she called out, pulling the comforter over her head.

She heard the door slide open and sat up to glare at her unwanted visitor. Jotaro's huge, hulking frame filled her doorway. Good God he was like a monster, just as big and growly, and only a little less scary.

"Did you really just do that?" he asked her indignantly. "Sleeping people don't yell 'I'm asleep' moron."

"I was hoping you would get the hint to go away."

He stepped into the room and closed the door. Her less than subtle hints were still not getting through to him.

"Would you please go away?" she sighed, flopping back down and pulling the cover back over her head.

Jotaro lowered his gigantic frame to sit on the futon at her feet. His knee brushed her foot as he folded his long legs to sit cross legged.

Layla sprang up again, the comforter falling down to her waist. She was glad she had put on her flannel pajamas. She had not been expecting a guest. When her eyes focused on him through the low illumination in the room, she could not stop herself from staring.

She had never seen him out of that damn school uniform. Not even with the jacket off. She had started to think he did not own any other clothes. Presently, he was wearing an olive green t-shirt which stretched to its limit over his wide and muscular chest. He also wore black sweetpants which comformed themselves to his thick thighs and calves.

Even more shocking was that he was not wearing his hat. She would have sworn it was part of his hair and head. Jotaro Kujo had the most fabulous mane of wavy, messy tar black hair. Still damp from his shower, it bordered on curly. A few random locks, one much longer than the others, hung over his forehead.

"What do you want, Jotaro Kujo?" she demanded, fluffing up her pillow and leaning against it.

She got the impression he would not be leaving any time soon so she might as well make herself comfortable. His massive body seemed to take up the entire room, and definitely took up nearly half of her bed even sitting with his legs folded up.

"My mom told us what you did for her. I just wanted to say thank you," he said, gazing at a spot over her head to avoid eye contact.

Layla immediately felt a little bit guilty for being furious with him and wanting him to leave. But he could have waited until in the morning to express his gratitude. Unless...

Jotaro opened his mouth as if to say something else then closed it. He lowered his eyes to the comforter, tracing one of the cherry blossoms with his finger. His pause extended into a long silence that became uncomfortable.

"Is there something else you want to talk about?" she questioned him taking great care not to sound snippy.

"I don't know when the old man will break the news to Mom and Grandma, but I wanted to tell you myself."

He paused again which made her nervous. The breath he hauled in wavered slightly at the end. When he raised his eyes to meet hers they were glassy, shimmering in the muted light.

Are those tears? She gulped as a sick feeling of dread swam around in her stomach and threatened to crawl up her throat. Leaning forward, she rolled up on her knees to edge forward to get closer to him. His watery eyes latched on to hers as she knelt in front of him and sank back on her heels.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Kakyoin is dead," he said, the words warbling slightly.

She would swear her heart stopped for a few beats from the shock before restarting. Although she had only had a single encounter of a about twenty minutes with him, she knew Noriaki Kakyoin to be a thoughtful, caring man.

He was also Jotaro's friend. She had no doubt their friendship had grown even stronger through the trials and tribulations they experienced together on their journey. She hoped there had been good times along with the bad.

Tears stung her eyes. Kakyoin was dead. How can that be?

"I'm so - " she began.

"Don't!" Jotaro cut her off with one sharp word. "Just don't say it...please."

Out of instinct, having dealt with many people grieving the traumatic death of a loved one, Layla reached out to place her hand over his that rested on his knee. When his eyes flickered downward to look at her hand, she pulled it back.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I didn't mean to overstep."

"It's okay," he assured her, reaching for her hand this time.

The muscles in Layla's belly contracted as his large calloused fingers slid over the back of her hand resting on her thigh. His fingernails scraped her thigh lightly through the material of her PJs as his fingers curled around her hand to hold it.

"Dio killed him. The old man saw the whole thing," he went on, lowering his eyes from hers. He squeezed her hand, his much larger one engulfing it completely. "He said Dio killed Kakyoin with a single punch right through his gut."

Layla already knew she did not want to hear more, but she kept her mouth shut. She would let Jotaro say whatever he needed to say to feel better. Waiting for him patiently to continue, she carefully edged closer to him.

A single tear streaked down his cheek and hung like a diamond from his chin. Her fingers trembled as they reached out to wipe away the droplet of concentrated pain. When his eyes met hers, she could see they were bloodshot and swimming with tears he fought to hold back.

"Before he died, he was able to communicate a vital piece of information. He was the one who gave us the key to killing Dio," Jotaro told her, keeping his eyes on hers.

"That sounds right. He was thinking of those he cared about more than himself," she said, barely above a whisper.

Layla watched as another tear broke free and rolled down his cheek. Placing her palm along his jaw, she brushed over the wetness with her thumb.

"Avdol is dead too. And Iggy. They even killed the damn dog," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

She did not ask questions about the dog. Her curiosity could wait. Jotaro's willingness to talk to her about his misery, to mourn in front of her, kept her silent. He could say what he wanted to say, when he wanted to say it.

"Layla, don't tell mom or grandma what I'm about to tell you," he stated in a low voice, inclining his head toward hers. "It's about Gramps."

Stop, please!, she begged him silently. I don't want to hear anymore! But he desperately needed to say more. Considering the Speedwagon Foundation had picked them up and treated their wounds, she would find out what happened sooner or later. Maybe hearing it from Jotaro would be better.

"Dio actually killed him. He was dead and gone for..." He paused again to think, rolling his eyes toward the ceiling. He closed his eyes and shook his head. When he reopened his eyes, they immediately reconnected with hers. "I don't know how long he was dead. Dio drained all of his blood. He was a shrunken corpse. Like a mummy."

Layla flinched away from him when he ran his thumb along her jaw. She did not realize she was crying until more tears streamed from her eyes and dripped from her chin.

"Layla," he whispered, leaning toward her.

She willed herself not to wince when his cheek grazed hers. His warm skin was silky smooth. Being close to him actually felt nice and comforting. Her eyes fluttered closed as he positioned his lips close to her ear.

"To save him, I suggested we do a transfusion...from Dio's dead body," he whispered.

Layla's eyes flew open, and she pulled back from him. He held onto her hand, refusing to let her go when she tried to snatch it free of his viselike grip.

"Jotaro! How could you?!" she hissed in an exaggerated whisper. "What the hell were you thinking?"

The sadness and hurt disappeared from his eyes to be replaced with rage hardening them into shiny aquamarine marbles. Jotaro seized her biceps, and she immediately bent her arms between them to keep him from pulling her closer. Her palms flattened against his pecs and pushed.

Undaunted and so much stronger than her, Jotaro pulled her forward, folding and trapping her arms between their bodies. He brought her almost nose to nose with him, leaving her no choice but to meet his blazing eyes.

"I was thinking I would do whatever it took to save my grandfather. I was simply taking back what was his anyway. Dio stole it from it from him. I wanted it back. I wanted my grandfather back," he growled, his eyes switching back and forth between hers. "That bastard Dio had stolen so much from me. The old man was the only one I could get back."

"Oh, Jotaro," she whispered, tears streaming from her eyes. "I'm...I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything," he murmured, closing his eyes.

Layla emitted a muffled yelp when his lips pressed to hers. She did not pull away despite the shock of his intimate show of affection. His kiss was gentle, a tentative meeting of their lips.

Jotaro was seeking solace in an intimate touch. He wanted to feel close to her. His fingers dug into her upper arms making the muscles pulse. Her fingertips rested along his jaw as he continued kiss her so sweetly while holding her captive in the awkward position.

"I'm sorry," he apologized after breaking the kiss. He released her arms and rolled up onto his knees. "I should be going."

She caught hold of his wrist as he was trying to stand. "You can stay if you want."

"Are you sure?" he inquired, staring down at her.

Honestly, she wasn't sure. She had no idea what the hell she was doing right now. All she knew was that he was hurting and needed someone although he would never say so. She also knew an awful chill had begun to permeate her body the longer he talked, and he was big and warm.

"is it really okay for me to sleep here?" he inquired, glancing at the bed and back at her face.

Jotaro's face was emotionless again, stoic as ever. His gorgeous blue-green eyes were almost angry. Looking at him this minute, Layla would never guess this man was just crying in the tormenting throes of grief.

Layla rolled her eyes and huffed in aggravation but smiled at him.

"Just because we will be sleeping in the same bed doesn't mean we're required to have sex. We will both be fully clothed. If it makes you feel better, you can sleep on top of the sheet. Besides, this is hardly sexy," she remarked, pulling at her thick red and black plaid flannel pajama top.

"You're right about that," he agreed, the corners of his mouth pushing upward - just a little. The spectral smile faded making her think it was a figment of her imgination and was never there at all. "Don't think this means I like you or something."

"I wouldn't dare think something so silly, Jotaro Kujo," she rejoined, shaking her head.

Layla covered herself with the sheet and tucked it around her body. Jotaro lay down on top of the thin covering with his back to hers, then she pulled the puffy comforter over both of them. She grasped her pillow with both hands and scooted to very edge of the futon. She was not sharing the pillow.

"Good night, Jotaro."

"Good night."

Layla lay in the dark for what felt like hours. Her mind would not stop running Jotaro's words on an endless loop. The images of the tears in his eyes kept reforming in her head. The tears made the teal color so vivid they seemed to glow. He had permitted himself to be vulnerable in front of her. She did not take that lightly and would keep everything said or seen tonight between them.

And the kiss...the tender kiss to form a connection to soothe his aching soul as he struggled with a heartache so overwhelming he could not fully express his pain. Her lips still tingled from that unexpected kiss.

Jotaro being next to her was also making it nearly impossible for her to relax. She found his presence disconcerting in that she wanted to roll over, and put her arm around him to hug him. Under different circumstances, she could see herself throwing her arm and leg over him using him as massive body pillow while snuggling up to his broad back to soak in the heat of the human space heater.

At some point during the long night, Layla's mind began to give into the tiredness her body already felt. She was close to dropping off into sleep when...

"Layla?" A few seconds passed. When she did not say anything, Jotaro asked, "Are you awake?"

"No," she replied, hiding a giggle behind her hand when he huffed.

"Don't be mad at the old man," he said, his shoulder blades moving against her back. "I think he hired you as their private nurse because for the first time in his stupid life he realized he is going to die some day."

That makes sense. Nothing like death to put life into perspective for some people. Joseph Joestar had so many brushes with death and skated by to live another day he might have started to think of himself as being immortal - or invincible at least.

"I think..." Jotaro inhaled deeply, his back pushing into hers as his chest expanded. "I think...he doesn't want something to happen to him and leave Grandma all alone with no one to take care of her."

Jotaro sure has been thinking a lot. He probably always thinks too much which why he does not say a lot. Also explains why he's always grumpy and stony faced if such deep thoughts go on inside his head all the time, she mused to herself.

"I think you're right," she agreed wholeheartedly.

"Are you going to do it?"

She exhaled the breathe she was unaware she had been holding. "Yeah."

"Good night, Layla."

Good grief, Jotaro, she thought, but said, "Good night."

Author's Note: A few notes about important family celebration dates...

Joseph and Suzi's wedding date is sometime April since it is said they showed up at his funeral in April of 1939. I believe the 1st would be the absolute perfect day with it being April Fools Day. Joseph appreciated a good (and sometimes really bad) prank such as showing up to his own funeral alive (although that one was not his fault) and pretending he was possessed by Dio when he came back to life (totally his fault).

Also since we don't actually know what Jotaro's specific birthdate is, only that he's an Aquarius, I've decided to place it in February. I will most likely make his birthday February 14th. I think it would be a little bit ironic but sweet making him a Valentine's Day baby.