Layla rolled onto her side and sat up slightly, bending her elbow to prop her head on her hand to better see the man laying beside her. She gazed at him, enamored by his absolute beauty. The hard angles of his face had disappeared, softening with the complete relaxation that comes with deep sleep. His tanned cheeks were lightly flushed due to him being a little overheated from being snuggled under the blankets with her.

The heat warming her heart seeped out into her chest and through her body as she studied every inch of his face. The stray lock of coal black hair laying over his forehead. His enviously long black lashes laying against his high cheekbone tinted a sweet pink. The rounded tip of his nose. His luscious full lips poked out slightly in a pout. God, how she loved this man and everything about him.

Her eyes lingered on his lovely and seductive mouth. His lips twitched at the corner as if he was about to smile. Among their handsome attributes, the Joestar men had some of the most gorgeous and kissable lips she had had ever seen.

Unable to resist the temptation of those delicious lips she had kissed many times, she lowered her mouth toward his. The tip of her nose bumped into his as her lips teasingly skimmed over his. There was a little electric thrill that prickled her lips in anticipation of the kiss before she pressed her mouth to his.

"Mmmm," Jotaro sighed, sucking in a deep breath through his nose when she awakened him with that tender peck on the lips.

Layla raised her head to watch as his eyeballs moved under his eyelids before those incredibly lengthy lashes parted to reveal his eyes colored like the Caribbean sea. She smiled down at him when his mouth lifted on one side into a drowsy but playful little grin.

"Good morning," she greeted him, kissing him again.

"Waking up next to you definitely makes it a good morning," he murmured, blinking up at her while his eyes adjusted to the dazzling morning light streaming through the wall of windows. "So what's the plan for today?"

"What makes you think I have a plan?" she inquired, watching his eyebrow quirk upward questioningly before returning to where it belonged.

"You always have a plan," he returned, touching her cheek with his fingertips.

"Well, we're supposed to have breakfast with your grandparents. Then - "

"Our," he interrupted her, placing his hand on the back of her neck.

"What?"

Her eyelid drifted down to close when he pulled her forward to press a kiss to her lips.

"Our grandparents," he clarified as if they were already married.

"Oh," she sighed, biting her lower lip as she smiled down at him to keep from simpering like a big, lovestruck dork despite being one. "First we are having breakfast with our grandparents. Did you bring a suit?"

"Of course. You asked me to didn't you?" Jotaro reminded her, running his fingers along the side of her face and pushing her hair behind her ear.

"Oh, darn, I was hoping to do some shopping," she mumbled, poking her lips out in a little pout.

He traced her lower lip with the pad of his thumb before raising his head from the pillow to kiss her.

"We still can. Don't you you need a new dress for the anniversary party? Women always need a new dress for some occasion. You can try on a few and model them for me," he suggested making her lips stretch into that overly wide silly grin she had been trying to hide. "Besides, I'm sure shopping is on your to do list for today."

"Stop it," she snapped, feigning being irritated. He already knew her so well.

"Breakfast and shopping. Are the grandparents coming along for the shopping trip?"

"We can ask them and let them decide."

"Good idea. The old man will probably say no but I'm sure Grandma Suzi will want to go. Then what?"

"Lunch with my Dad."

"You want me to meet your father?" Jotaro asked, propping up on his elbows.

"Is it really that surprising?" she returned.

"But you turned down my proposal."

"Was that a real proposal?" Layla retorted. "Jotaro Kujo you didn't even have a ring and get down on one knee. I thought we were just planning our future. Besides..." She kissed the tip of his nose. "I didn't say no. I said not right now, but someday."

"I'll make sure the real proposal is romantic," he promised her, plopping back down onto the pillow.

"It's not very romantic if you tell me about it."

"I wasn't going to. What are we doing this afternoon?"

"We can come back here and take a nap...or something." She walked her fingers up his bare chest while leaning over him to kiss him.

"Or something," he murmured against her lips. "What about a little or something right now?"

"Don't you want to hear about our evening plans?" she asked, her lips brushing across his with each word.

"You can tell me later."

Layla giggled when he nuzzled between her breasts and clamped his hand on her hip to prevent her from wiggling away from him. Her fingers combed through his messy hair as he dropped many kisses over her heart and against the inner side of her breast, working his way over to the nipple. Hooking her leg over his waist, she pulled his body toward hers when his mouth enclosed her sensitive and stiffly peaked nipple.

Jotaro rolled her over onto her back, positioning himself between her legs. Without hesitating or indulging in further foreplay, he lowered himself into her. Rather than making love to her at that somewhat irritatingly slow pace, mercilessly teasing them both, he took her hard and fast.

He furiously shoved her back and forth, pushing and pulling her across the bed in a way that made her fear she would have friction burns on her back. In the end, he left her writhing under him while crying out his name, sore but thoroughly satisfied. She left him with scratch marks on his back and a bite mark on his chest.

"Holy shit," Jotaro muttered, examining the perfect set of top and bottom teeth indentations on his right pec in the bathroom mirror. "I had no idea you were so vicious."

"Me? You certainly didn't hold back. Not that I'm complaining," she added, leaning into the glassed in shower stall to turn on the water. She walked up behind him, putting her arms around his waist and pressing her forehead between his shoulder blades. "It's your fault."

"I'm sorry I made it feel so good," he apologized insincerely.

"Hah!" she scoffed, letting him go and slapping him on the back.

"Ow! Good grief," he muttered, his shoulder blade stinging where she smacked him.

"You're not sorry at all the you fucked me into oblivion, Jotaro Kujo," she said, flashing him a naughty little grin over her shoulder to invite him to follow her into the shower. "Wanna fuck me again and make me scream some more?"

"Damn...I forgot what a filthy mouth you have," he returned, his lips stretching into a lecherous smirk when he entered the stall to take her up on her offer. "But I like it."

~\'/~

"It's about damn time you two got here," Joseph declared irritably as their late breakfast guests approached the corner table in the restaurant. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Well, dear, I'm sure Jotaro was exhausted after his long flight from Japan and needed some rest," Suzi helpfully interjected.

"But he arrived yesterday, Suzi," he reminded her rather than letting it go.

Layla appreciated the save offered by Suzi. Although Jotaro's face never changed expression, his cheeks did fill with a distinct carnation pink coloration. She was positive hers was at least two shades darker, something more along the lines of an American Beauty rose. However, no one was fooled to the true reason for their tardiness- except maybe Suzi Q.

"Oh, my god," Joseph grumbled, picking up his menu to cover his face. "You should really get married before you give us great grandchildren," he admonished them.

Grandma Suzi never said a word as she continued to look over her menu. Layla and Jotaro took their seats to pick up their menus, using them to hide their faces before they could turn completely red.

"Is everybody ready to order?" the female server asked.

"I'll have the French Toast and coffee," Grandma Suzi ordered.

"I'll have the same," Layla piped up, folding her menu.

"Hey, Layla, are you sure you don't want sausage with that? A big, fat - OW!" Joseph yelped when she kicked him in the shin under the table.

"It's your turn to order, Grandpa Joe," she told him as he bent to rub his injured leg.

"I'll have the three eggs, over medium, sausage and bacon, and a double order of hash browns. Orange juice and coffee."

"Me too, but with tea," Jotaro said.

Layla glared at Joseph disapprovingly. She folded her arms and cleared her throat when he refused acknowledge her. His guilty green eyes shifted toward her.

"What?" he asked.

"You know what. Your triglycerides were high on your last blood test, Joseph Joestar. You're supposed to be watching your saturated fat intake," she chastised him switching effortlessly into her role as his nurse and caretaker.

"Oh, come on!" he whined. "It's a special occasion. The boy's here to visit and our wedding anniversary is coming up."

"Yes, it is, but you have to take care of your heart so you will be around for many more."

"I will be. I swear," he promised her. "I'm too tough to die. I'm not going anywhere for a long, long time."

"I should hope not," Suzi said, reaching for his hand to hold it. "You can't leave me, Joseph Joestar. I love you far too much to be without you."

"I love you too, my darling Suzi Q."

Joseph leaned toward his wife to press an adoring kiss to her cheek.

Layla jumped when she felt Jotaro's fingers gliding along her arm. Unfolding her arms, she slid her hand into his taking comfort in the strong fingers clasping it. Looking into his eyes made her want to melt. She had never felt like this before. And was positive she would never feel this for any other man.

"What else do you have planned for today?" Joseph asked looking directly at Layla.

She could almost hear Jotaro smiling as he squeezed her hand.

"We're going shopping uptown when we leave here. Would you like to go?" she inquired in return, giving him a devilish smile.

"Uh..." he mumbled, quickly searching his memory banks for an excuse - any excuse.

"Oh, sorry, dear, we can't," Suzi said. "We already have plans. We have to go back home to get a final count of the RSVPs for the party. Then I need to to call the caterer."

"I told you I would prepare the food," Layla insisted.

"And I told you that you are a family member and you are celebrating with us," Joseph fired back vehemently leaving her no recourse to argue. "You are not going to be working during our anniversary party. Do you understand me, little lady?"

"Yes, sir," she sighed, sinking back in her chair.

A smile pulled at the corners of her lips. Joseph Joestar would have been a great father. Her eyes shifted over to Suzi. Holly was her mother made over in looks and personality. She had Joseph's eyes though.

Layla cast a glimpse at Jotaro. What would their children look like? What color hair and eyes would they have? Would she have a boy or a girl? How many children would they have? She pictured a boy with her straw blonde hair and Jotaro's aquamarine eyes. Or maybe a little girl who is a mixture of them both with chestnut brown hair and hazel eyes, a light brown iris with specks of turquoise, green, and blue to encompass all the eye colors of her heritage.

"I'm meeting her father today," Jotaro volunteered.

"You're doing what?" Joseph and Suzi inquired in astonished unison with their coffee cups frozen in mid air halfway to their mouths.

"Already?" Suzi asked.

"Are you sure you want to do that so soon?" Joseph asked next.

"Is he that bad?" Jotaro's expression darkened with doubt, his eyebrows drawing together with concern.

"I wouldn't mention marrying Layla until you two are standing at the altar," his grandfather warned him.

Layla grunted and rolled her eyes before casting Joseph a withering glare.

"My father can be..." Layla hesitated noticing sweat droplets appear above Jotaro's upper lip. She would not have thought anything could make Jotaro Kujo nervous. "A bit much."

"A bit much," Joseph repeated in a low voice, lifting his coffee cup to take a drink as if to prevent himself from saying more.

What did Joseph tell him about my father?, she wondered. He would no doubt have put his own dramatic spin on what kind of monster her father is.

Joseph did have a flare for being, to put it nicely, theatrical, bordering on histrionic at times. If he had not chosen the path of adventurer, he would have been an amazing actor.

"I will admit my father is demanding, but he does not expect any more from others than he expects from himself," Layla said, taking a large gulp from her glass of water.

"In other words, he's a perfectionist, and you will never be good enough for his daughter," Joseph less than helpfully and quite rudely simplified.

Layla and Jotaro both cast the man heavy glowers.

"In other words," Jotaro began, purposely using his grandfather's phrase to make his statement more pointed, "he's being a typical father. As I recall, old man, you have a distinct dislike for the Japanese because my father, a Japanese man, took your precious daughter away from you."

Oh, he doesn't dislike the Japanese people as a whole. Joseph managed to put aside his hatred to make love to at least one Japanese woman, Layla thought, finishing off her glass of her water to quench her suddenly desert dry throat.

"Now listen here you little - " Joseph cut off his words when the server appeared with their food.

"Food is here!" Suzi announced brightly to halt the ensuing argument. "Let's dig in!"

Layla leaned over to whisper in Jotaro's ear. "You'll be fine. He will like you. Besides, he's a doctor. He took an oath to heal, not to harm."

"That's comforting," Jotaro mumbled, stabbing the barely cooked yolk of his egg to watch it ooze over the solidified white.

She had never known of her father to be a violent man. But obviously he had some fight of some sort in him. He had won the custody battle against Joseph Joestar. Perhaps there was a whole other side to her father she did not know.

Despite being trained in the ways of covert murder, Layla did not have the heart for it and became a healer herself to follow in her father's footsteps. She had heard it in a movie once that anyone can become a killer under the right circumstances. She hoped to never find out what it would take to flip her switch and turn her into a cold hearted murderer.

"Layla?"

Her fingers felt numb because Jotaro was squeezing them so hard. When her eyes met his, their blue green depths were full of worry.

"What's wrong?" she asked, wiggling her fingers inside of his palm when he loosened his grip a little.

"That's what I was about to ask you."

"I'm fine. Let's eat."

Despite not having an appetite any longer, Layla dug into the golden brown slices of French toast covered with fresh fruit and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

"Do you two have any plans for tonight?" Layla asked Suzi.

"No, we don't," she replied.

Layla grabbed the chain shoulder strap of her purse to pull it from the back of her chair. She opened it and fished out the tickets for that night's showing of Sweeney Todd to hand them Suzi Q.

"Here," she said, handing over the tickets. "You two should go have some fun."

"A musical? Are you serious? How the hell can that be fun?" Joseph grumped, raising his empty coffee cup to hail the server.

"It's actually a very interesting story. I think you'll like it."

"But there's all that damn singing and dancing," he groaned like a petulant child while receiving his refill.

He and Suzi should have a night out on the town whether he liked it or not.

"Oh, come on, Grandpa Joe, when was the last time you took Grandma Suzi out on a date?"

His mouth dropped open in shock as he stared wide at her. He was caught like a rat in trap and there was no getting out of it. Layla smiled at him.

"You also have dinner reservations at eight at Latham's," she added.

"I think it will be fun," Suzi enthusiastically chirped. "I even have a new dress to wear! Oh, JoJo, I can't wait!"

~\'/~

True to his word, Jotaro patiently watched the one woman fashion show as they visited each high end dress boutique. However, with their lunch date with her father looming close and hunger gnawing at his guts, his patience was beginning to where thin as they entered the seventh shop.

"What exactly are we doing tonight?" he inquired as she thumbed through the dresses on the rack.

"Well, we were supposed to have a night out on the town. Dinner and a musical," she answered succinctly. "I was going to give you a true New York experience of dining at a five star restaurant then going to watch a performance on Broadway."

"I'd be more happy with pizza and a movie at your place," he mumbled.

"I figured. That's why I gave those tickets to our grandparents," she said, giving him a wink.

"Sounds nice huh?"

"It does. I guess we're done killing time and should get to the restaurant," she said, giving her search and heading for the door. "After lunch we can go by the video store and pick out a movie."

"Is your father really a perfectionist like the old man said?"

"Yes," she sighed, giving him a completely truthful answer. "I've known of him to make employees cry during their evaluations. He says exactly what he thinks which can be harsh and a bit too honest."

"I know someone else who's like that sometimes," he rejoined, nudging her with his elbow.

Her expression remained dour, her lips turned downward in a severe frown.

"I wouldn't mention marriage like Grandpa Joe said. My father would lose it for sure."

"Noted. What do I talk to him about?"

"Well, your more present future plans. Going to university. Your chosen studies. Do you plan to get a doctorate?" she asked wanting to know herself.

"I do. Dr. Kujo," he announced, testing out the sound of it. He glanced down at her with a proud smile on his face. "I like it. How does it sound to you?"

"I love it. It's going to be great introduced to people as Dr. Jotaro Kujo and his lovely wife, Layla," she said, laughing a little at the end.

"I really like the sound of that. But I won't mention the wife part. Yet."

Jotaro noticed a man pacing outside of a restaurant. His short golden blond hair was smoothed back against his head with a single hair out of place. His skin was tanned as if he had spent hours in the sun all summer long despite it barely being spring. He glanced at his, large gold watch which most likely came with a five digit price tag to accessorize his pricy dark blue tailor made suit and brown Italian loafers.

"is that him?" Jotaro asked since Layla seemed to be distracted again.

"Oh, yes, that's him," she confirmed, waving her entire arm to get his attention.

The man looked her way, his smile spreading until it separated his lips showing two flawless rows of teeth so white they almost glowed. He jogged toward them. He was graceful, long limbed and lithe, athletic but not bulked up with muscle. The man looked more like a model or a tennis instructor rather than a doctor.

His eyes flickered downward to where Layla's other arm still twined around Jotaro's holding onto him tightly. Those intense but kind glacial blue eyes met Jotaro's.

Although they were the same height and Jotaro probably outweighed the man by at least fifty pounds worth of pure muscle, this man intimated him. This man is her father. He would prefer to have his permission to marry Layla rather than her be forced to decide who she would turn against and disappoint between the two most important men in her life.

"You're Jotaro Kujo. I'm Eric Clapton," he introduced himself, bowing in the customary Japanese greeting before extending his hand for a handshake in the typical American fashion.

His down to earth approach when introducing himself shocked Jotaro. The man did not even use his title, a well earned title after many years of studying and more years of hard work putting that knowledge into practice.

Jotaro took his hand, receiving a firm but welcoming handshake rather than a pain inducing iron hard grip to threaten him as he had expected. He already liked this man in that he was willing to set aside his differences with Joseph Joestar to accept his presence without hostility.

Layla let go of Jotaro to move forward in order to give her father a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Hi, Daddy."

"Well, shall we go in kids? I'm starving," her father remarked, opening the door and allowing them to walk into the restaurant first.

"Doctor Clapton your table is ready," the hostess informed them before even gave his name.

After picking up three black leather bound menus, she led them to a corner table beside a fireplace. There was no fire burning but a brass gate and giant bouquet of white, blue, and pink spring flowers had been set in front of the gaping hole as not to ruin the aesthetics of the restaurant.

The napkins were folded into what looked like little sailboats and positioned in the middle of the place settings containing two forks, a spoon, and a knife along with a crystal goblet for water.

"This place is nice," Jotaro remarked, glancing around the restaurant with white tablecloths and small bouquets on every table even at lunch.

Layla could feel the heat rising to her cheeks as she glanced at her father who held out her chair for her to sit.

"Layla tells me you're going to be in New York for two weeks, Kujo," he said, using Jotaro's last name to refer to him which once again, pleasantly surprised him. "My little girl has told me a lot about you. It's obvious she adores you and is hopelessly in love with you."

"Daddy!" Layla hissed, her face darkening to a crimson.

"I hope we have a chance to spend more time together to allow for me to decide for myself what I think about you."

Despite being said in a velvety smooth baritone with a smile on his face, there was an underlying paternal threat in those words. Just when Jotaro was beginning to relax and think this man was not as bad as his grandfather had made him out to be, he was instantly on edge again. Whatever he ordered for lunch, he was positive a side of indigestion was bound to come with it.

The conversation paused while they looked over the menu, discussed their favorite dishes and made suggestions to Jotaro as to what to order. Once their orders were given and their drinks arrived; water for her father, white wine for her, and tea for Jotaro - the conversation resumed. This is why Layla ordered wine - the interrogation was about to begin.

"What do you plan on doing with your life, Kujo?" Dr. Clapton asked, sitting back in his chair and elegantly crossing one long thin leg over the other. He folded his hands and placed them on his belly, waiting for the answer.

"I will start classes at Tokyo University at the end of the month. That's why I can only stay for two weeks. I have to get back and confirm my schedule before they begin. Otherwise," he said, pausing to take Layla's hand in his, "I would have stayed all summer."

"Oh, yes. My daughter has told me that the Joestars are planning a trip to see you at the end of the summer," he stated, tapping the pads of his thumbs together. "I'm sure she's looking forward to seeing you as well."

The man smiled at him; a thin lipped, forced smile. Jotaro would swear there was a sudden chill in the air as the man stared at him with marble hard eyes. This is the treatment he had expected; restrained animosity with a hint of malice.

"Do you have another question for me, sir?" he asked, undaunted and no longer unnerved because his temper had been piqued.

"What is your declared major?"

"Marine Science. I will be attending the school of Ocean Sciences and Marine Biosciences for my undergraduate. My long term plan is to attain my graduate degree from the School of Marine Science and Technology."

"Oh, so you want to wear the title of doctor as well."

"I do."

"And you plan to achieve this by studying how to swim in the ocean and play with dolphins?" Dr. Clapton challenged him with a derisive tone in his voice.

Layla picked up her glass and took a long sip, almost emptying it. She signaled the server to bring another glass.

"I believe our oceans hold a wide array of untapped resources that can prove to be useful in many realms of science, especially medicine. Seventy five percent of the earth is covered by water after all. Ninety seven point five percent of that water is salt water," Jotaro said, squeezing her hand which he held under the table.

Layla picked her full glass, keeping her eyes on her father's face while he listened. Jotaro spoke with passion and conviction as he continued to explain why he chose Marine Science.

"There are plants and animals in those unexplored waters that can hold treatments and cures for many deadly diseases. We won't know until someone swims in those waters to find them. We could learn new ways of rehabilitating stroke victims or war veterans if someone plays with dolphins to discover how they learn or their possible therapeutic qualities. The oceans could provide answers to questions such as how do we cure cancer or prevent Alzheimer's? Don't you think, sir?"

Dr. Clapton sat up straight, leaning forward with his hands clasped into one single large fist which he held under his chin. His almost glowing icy blue eyes zeroed in on Jotaro's face.

"Tell me your plans for my daughter," he demanded rather than requested.

"Oh, my god," Layla muttered, drinking the remaining contents of her glass of wine as if it were an extra large shot. Perhaps she should have ordered whiskey.

"I want to marry her, Doctor Clapton."

"Oh, shit," she muttered, exhaling noisily but neither man noticed.

"I would marry her tomorrow if she would say yes," Jotaro confessed, feeling her squeeze his hand back. "But she won't. She's already told me she won't marry me until I graduate with my bachelor's degree."

"At least one of you is thinking clearly. Do you really think you have what it takes to go through school to get your master's while supporting a wife?" her father questioned him. His words sounded like weapons being lobbed at his target.

The server arrived with their salads but none of them were interested in eating.

"I do," Jotaro resolutely confirmed.

Layla's fingers were going numb because of his powerful grip, but she held on to him just as tightly.

"What if you have a child? Or two or three?" Dr. Clapton's eyes never moved away from Jotaro's face. It was if he was sizing up an enemy or trying to judge his true intentions. "Will you leave them and their mother alone to pursue your educational endeavors?"

"I certainly hope to have a big family, sir. When we do have a family, I will still be there for them while I study for my doctorate," he replied.

At last, her father broke eye contact, sitting back while exhaling a lengthy breath. He picked up his napkin and shook it out to lay it in his lap as he prepared to eat.

"I believe you mean what you say, Kujo. However, I think you lack the ability to back up those words," Dr. Clapton said, picking up his salad fork.

"Daddy," Layla gasped, mortified by his brutal assumptions which she would deem as groundless.

"Honestly, I see you forsaking your family, abandoning them to chase your dream and go after what you want."

Tears burned her eyes.

"Daddy, how can you say that?" she asked in a whisper as the emotions she could not exactly comprehend bubbled up.

She wanted to be angry with her father and come to Jotaro's defense but she could do neither. She was numb, dumbstruck by his words that were far too frank.

"I'll admit I don't know you Jotaro Kujo but I know your family. Your grandfather abandoned his wife and child to travel all over the world to go on these grand adventures. Still needing attention, he went on the lecture circuit, once again, leaving her and his child alone for months at a time," he stated barely masking the underlying outrage in his voice. "Suzi Q. is a strong woman who raised a wonderful daughter. I love and admire her greatly. I have no doubt my daughter would be the same type of woman. However, I do not want her to be a married but single mother with an absentee husband."

"Daddy, stop this," Layla begged but he did not hear her.

"Is that why you fought so hard to make sure he could not adopt, Layla?" Jotaro asked, stubbornly holding the furious eyes boring into his. "Or was it more to put Joseph Joestar in his place? To show him he could not have it all?"

"Jotaro!" she gasped, snatching her hand out of his before he pinched her fingers off.

Neither man seemed to hear her. They were too focused on each other, their presumed enemy.

"What about your own father? Sadao Kujo, the famous musician who is more intent on catering to his fans than being with his family," Dr. Clapton continued, his voice a low somewhat menacing monotone. "How many times have you seen your father in your entire life? I bet you can count them on your fingers and have some left over. How many birthday parties has he missed? How many Christmases was he home to open presents with his family?"

"Stop it!" Layla screamed, jumping up from her chair.

All eyes in the restaurant were on her after her shrill outburst. All conversations ceased, including the one that had gotten far too out of control and wandered into emotionally damaging territory.

"I knew things would be tense between you two but this is ridiculous. This is bullshit. How could you say those things to him?" she asked her father. Then her teary, angry eyes fell on Jotaro. "How dare you bring up my adoption. I'm leaving."

Layla grabbed her purse and ran for the door. She hoped she could hail a cab and escape before either one of them caught up with her. Luck smiled on her today as one happened to be pulling up to the curb to let out a passenger. As soon as the man hopped out, she slid in. She slammed her hand down on the door lock to engage it when Jotaro approached the car.

"Layla! Hey!" Jotaro yelled, trying the door handle but it was no use. Beating on the window with his open palm, he continued to holler her name. If he hit it with his fist he would undoubtedly break it.

"Hey, asshole! Stop hitting my cab!" the driver yelled. The tires squealed when the driver hit the gas to drive away when her father ran up to the car as well. He picked up the microphone to the CB radio in his car. "Are you okay? Do I need to get my dispatcher to call the cops?"

"No. That's my boyfriend and my father," she sniffled.

"Oh, first meeting didn't go to well, huh?" he inquired, replacing the mic after gaining a whole new understanding of the situation.

"Hah!" Layla scoffed, swiping at her tears with the back of her hand. "That's an understatement."

"Where to lady?"

Layla give him the address of her apartment.

Back on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, the two men stared in disbelief at the cab as it quickly disappeared among the dozens of other yellow taxis and cars on the crowded street.

"Dammit," Jotaro growled.

"You should go to your grandparents' place," Dr. Clapton suggested, raising his hand to hail a cab. "It's not a good idea to go after her. She needs time to cool off so she won't say something you will regret."

She gets that talent from her father I'm sure, Jotaro thought bitterly, glaring at the man who had the nerve to act civil and polite as if he had not just inflicted emotional trauma upon his daughter.

"Do you regret anything you just said to cause this?" he questioned her father with a razor sharp edge to his words.

Dr. Clapton gave him that disturbingly calm and self-assured smile. He shook his head.

"I meant every word I said, Kujo. I feel sorry for the woman you marry someday. You're going to hurt her and hurt her badly...even though i think you don't intend to it," he added quickly when Jotaro opened his mouth to protest. "I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that woman won't be my daughter."

A cab pulled up and stopped with an ear splitting squeal of brakes. Dr. Clapton opened the door, gesturing for Jotaro to get in.

"Think about everything I said." He narrowed his eyes is if concentrating on something, tapping his temple with his forefinger. "Think about it real hard. Don't forget I kept your grandfather from adopting Layla. I have ways of getting what I want...or preventing what I don't want."

"Are you threatening me? I'm not afraid of you," Jotaro shot back.

"I'm not threatening you." He shrugged. "Consider it a friendly warning. Now, get in. The least I can do is pay for a cab to your grandparents' apartment."

"I have ways of getting what I want too," Jotaro said, sitting down in the cab. Before the car pulled away, he rolled down the window to say something important. "I love your daughter. I want her to be my wife. Consider that a threat."

Dr. Clapton grinned at him with tranquil, self-assurance.

"Trust me, I do."

~\'/~

About nine o' clock that night Layla was half way through her second pint of coffee ice cream with chocolate chips mixed in and the beginning of her third rom-com. Everyone got a happy ending in a romantic comedy with a few laughs along the way. But she wasn't laughing. The movies made her cry instead.

She never imagined today would take such a horrible turn. She would apologize to Jotaro tomorrow for leaving him at the restaurant with her father.

The knock on the door startled her almost causing her to drop her pint of ice cream.

"Who is it?" she yelled as she shuffled to the door in her favorite bunny slippers and worn fuzzy pink robe.

"Pizza delivery."

Layla recognized the voice as Jotaro's.

"Pizza delivery? What the hell?" she muttered, peeking through the peephole.

Jotaro stood on the other side holding a pizza box. Well, he had suggested staying in with pizza and a movie. Two important parts of that plan were no longer missing.

Layla took off the security chain, pulled back the deadbolt, and twisted the knob. Unable to stay angry with him because it really was not his fault the conversation went so badly, she opened the door to invite him in.

"Are you okay?" he asked her which caused the floodgates of tears to reopen.

She shook her head, rendered mute by the sudden onslaught of tears.

Jotaro put one arm around her, pushing her back toward the kitchen so he could put the pizza down on the counter. He put both arms around her shoulders to hold her as she cried.

"I-I'm s-sor-sorry," she stuttered between her hiccupping sobs.

"Don't apologize for something that's not your fault," he said, hugging her close. "You don't have to worry about be me leaving you or giving up on you. Even he can't separate me from you."

Layla could not be so sure about that. Her father had ways of getting things done apart from the Speedwagon Foundation. He had been able to block Joseph Joestar from adopting her after all.

"How about that pizza and movie like we talked about?" he suggested, ushering her to the couch. He noticed the empty and half empty ice cream containers on the coffee table. "Looks like you've already had your dessert."

"What kind of movie do you want to watch? I have quite a few here to chose from," she said, pointing at the cabinet under the TV.

"Holy shit," Jotaro muttered upon seeing the three shelves packed full of VHS video tapes.

"Watching movies is my favorite way to relax. Often I'd pop one in and fall asleep right here on the couch," she explained, a little embarrassed by her large collection.

"I guess it's kind of a good thing for all of you that you live with my grandparents most of the time isn't it?"

"I suppose it really is."

"What about your mother? You never talk about her," he said, turning to look at her.

Layla was no longer crying. Her face had gone ghostly pale, making Jotaro wish he had not asked the question. He had not meant her birth mother though. His grandfather had told him about her.

"My father has never been married. He was a single father, but he was always there. Every holiday, every recital, every school function...just everything. He made sure I never felt like I was missing something by not having a mother in my life," she said, standing up to go to the kitchen. "Just pop out the movie that's in there and put in whatever you pick."

Jotaro did not press the issue since she diverted his attention back to movie. He choose the first thing he laid his hand on as she walked back to the couch with the pizza, paper plates, napkins, and cans of soda. Once the movie started, he went to sit beside her on the couch.

The tension between them made both of them fidget and shift in discomfort.

"How do we get past this? Pretend like it never happened?" Jotaro asked, flipping open the pizza box.

"That won't change that it did happen and could cause more problems later. Let's just acknowledge that it did, it hurt like hell, and move on," she said, exhibiting that weird coldness, a complete absence of emotions, that he hated.

"Hey, look at me," he requested, placing his fingers on her cheek to gently prod her to turn her head.

When their eyes locked, her dark brown irises immediately softened with the warm and tender feelings she held for him. She cupped his jaw with her hand, leaning forward to press a quick and innocent peck on his lips.

"I love you, Jotaro. My father can't stop that. Whatever obstacles get in our way, no matter what happens or who tries to come between us, we'll find a way to be together."