Gift fic for AChairWithAPandaOnIt for the RWCW Discord gift exchange ^_^ Merry Christmas!

A Bizarre Meeting

A JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Fanfic

Giorno ends up in Morioh on business—and to meet some distant relatives. Little does he know that a Stand battle might help him get closer to the side of his family he never got the chance to know.

The cab pulled up in front of the hotel and Giorno looked out the window, feeling a slight moment of trepidation.

It was odd, he thought to himself as the car pulled to a stop. He'd gone face to face with Diavolo and though he had of course been scared during that ordeal, he hadn't had a lot of time to think about it in the moment either. This whole situation had almost exclusively been a lot of thinking, which had given him time to actually consider what he was doing. He had to do it. It was his duty, just another mission tracking down a Stand user. It shouldn't have made him nervous, and yet, here he was, rubbing sweaty palms on his knees as he stared at the front of the Morioh Grand Hotel. Of course, he reasoned, it wasn't exactly the Stand user that made him nervous.

"This is your stop," the cab driver told him as a gentle reminder that he was still in the car. Giorno started and reached for his wallet, paying the man before he got out, grabbing his luggage and heading inside.

The hotel might not have been as nice as some of the ones he had stayed in back in Italy, but it was quite sumptuous for a small town like Morioh. He stood there for a moment before glancing around the lobby, wondering where he should go, or if there was someone he could ask.

"Mr. Giovanna?"

He turned to see a bellhop standing behind him, waiting patiently.

"Yes, that's me," Giorno replied.

"Dr. Kujo asked me to take you to him when you arrived."

"Oh, of course," Giorno said. He really felt out of his element here. He could run the mafia, sure, but when it came to anything else, he just felt out of his comfort zone. He was starting to wish he hadn't left everyone else back in Naples to take care of business in his stead. After all, he wasn't in danger here. At least not anymore than he usually was.

"Allow me to take your luggage," the bellhop said and Giorno found himself relieved of his bag before the bellhop led him through the lobby and into the hotel restaurant.

There weren't that many people there this late in the morning, but one table at the back was occupied by two figures.

"Dr. Kujo is back there," the bellhop told him. "Your room will be ready for you. Just go to the front desk for your keys."

Giorno nodded and took a deep breath, glancing toward that back table. There was no point in hesitating any further, though, so he simply put one foot in front of the other and walked toward the man he was supposed to meet.

Eyes were on him almost instantly, and there was a wary tenseness in Dr. Kujo's shoulders as he watched Giorno approach. Giorno felt Gold Experience stirring under his skin at the scent of challenge. He saw something flicker around Dr. Kujo as well, before the older man settled, and carefully stood up, stepping away from the table.

"Giorno Giovanna?" he inquired in a way that he obviously already knew who Giorno was.

Giorno looked up at the dark-haired man who towered over him and nodded. "Yes. Dr. Kujo, I presume?"

Jotaro Kujo nodded and looked Giorno up and down calculatingly, before he seemed to see something that put him at ease. Either that or maybe he just didn't see the reason to perceive Giorno as a threat.

"Thank you for coming," Dr. Kujo said and motioned to the table, meaning for Giorno to sit.

He stepped forward and finally focused on the other figure sitting at the table. He'd been silent this whole time, but was watching Giorno with a wary intent. Jotaro glanced over at him, and then back at Giorno, motioning to his companion. "This is Josuke Higashikata. A…relative of mine. Well, of ours, I suppose I should say. He'll be working on this case as well."

Giorno flinched a little at the mention of his own relation to the Joestar family. Not because he was averse to it, it was just…a somewhat uncomfortable topic. He'd received a letter from Dr. Kujo shortly after taking over the mafia, explaining everything and why Koichi Hirose had been sent to Italy. He still wasn't sure what to think of it. He'd always had questions about his father, but he'd never expected anything close to the truth Jotaro had informed him of.

Not really wanting to think about that uncomfortable subject at the moment, he turned his focus on Josuke. He was a few years older than Giorno and the young gangster could definitely see the family resemblance between him and Jotaro, especially the eyes. Though Josuke obviously prided himself on his hair because it was put up in a pretty elaborate pompadour. Of course, Giorno supposed he didn't really have anything to say about elaborate hairstyles.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Giorno told the other young man and reached out.

Josuke hesitated just slightly before returning the gesture and gripping Giorno's hand in greeting.

"Same to you," he said. "Welcome to Morioh."

Giorno offered a small smile and sat. Jotaro reached for a bag that was sitting next to his chair and pulled out several files, which he set between them on the table.

"This is everything the Speedwagon foundation was able to find out about your Stand user," Jotaro said.

Giorno took the folder on the top and opened it, seeing a photo of the man who he had chased from Rome all the way to Japan. Stand users were slippery to be sure, and this one seemed to be particularly so. Even with all of his connections in Italy, Giorno hadn't been able to track him down in his own country. And though slippery, Stand users also attracted each other. Which might have been why he had ended up, eventually, in Morioh of all places.

"There's next to no information on his Stand or how it works," Jotaro commented as Giorno looked over to the file to see if there was anything he hadn't already found out. "You know anything about it?"

Giorno shook his head. "I only faced him briefly once, and he wasn't interested in tangling with me. I was never able to pin down what his Stand ability might be, though I'm pretty sure it was a long-range one considering that I never saw anything when I faced him and he didn't try to attack me instantly. I thought at the time that he didn't want to, but now I think it might have been because he couldn't. That his Stand was busy elsewhere."

Josuke's face twisted grimly. "Then we're pretty much going in blind."

"We've dealt with worse before," Jotaro told him quietly before he stood. "Read up on the files. I have some things I need to take care of. You two will be working on this case together."

"I—Jotaro—" Josuke started, then snapped his mouth shut as the older man turned a baleful look toward him. Giorno sat there, feeling even more uncomfortable, wondering if this Josuke even wanted him working with him.

"Stick together on this. We still don't know exactly what this man is capable of," Jotaro informed them. "Keep me updated." And then he walked off, leaving the two young men sitting at the table, silent, staring after him.

Giorno turned back to the folders and cleared his throat. "Well, I suppose there's no point in wasting time. The longer it takes us to find him the more people he could hurt."

That seemed to snap Josuke out of whatever he was thinking, and he nodded in agreement as they reached for the files and each took one to look at.

The awkward silence was cured a bit by the work, but Giorno could still feel some unrest in Josuke like he wanted to say something and didn't quite know how to do so.

Giorno decided he should take the initiative and spoke first as he closed the file. "So, how exactly are you related to Dr. Kujo?"

Josuke looked up quickly, a somewhat awkward look on his face. "I…um…I'm actually his uncle."

Giorno's eyes widened a bit before he reined his surprise in. "Oh."

"Yeah," Josuke let out an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his neck. "But, I mean, you're technically like my great, great, great uncle or something, right? If you haven't figured it out already, this is a pretty weird family."

Giorno smiled slightly. "I was as surprised to hear it as I'm sure you were. It is a bizarre world. But, if I'm being honest, it's nice to know I have family who are decent people. I don't know more about my father than what Dr. Kujo told me, but I hope I'm not as cruel as he was. I like to think I might take more after the Joestars after all. And I'd really like to get to know you."

Josuke smiled, seeming a little more comfortable. "You know, I only met my dad recently. He's a good guy—I mean, aside from having me, but I guess I can't really complain about that. And I'm sure I don't know more about your dad than you do, but from what I've hear, you're probably better off not having met him." He gave an awkward look as if he realized he'd said too much.

Giorno was actually rather grateful for Josuke's frankness though, and nodded in agreement. Perhaps once he had wished nothing more than to meet his mysterious father, have him come for Giorno and take him out of his wretched life and into a better one. But as he got older, and when he finally found out the truth about Dio, he realized that he had been better off not meeting his father. He'd found others to fill that role, and a family of his own that wasn't there only to hurt him.

"I agree," Giorno said, perhaps surprising Josuke a little. "I'm glad that your meeting with your father went better than mine likely would have."

Josuke smiled a little at this and then looked up as a bellhop walked over to them.

"Higashikata-san, Dr. Kujo is on the phone for you."

Josuke glanced at Giorno and got up, hurrying behind the bellhop. Giorno followed, realizing it must be important.

Josuke grabbed the phone at the front desk and answered it.

"Hey, Jotaro, what's up?"

Giorno couldn't quite hear what was being said on the other end but he could read Josuke's expression well enough to guess.

"Okay. We'll go check it out," Josuke said and hung up the phone.

"The Stand user?" Giorno asked.

Josuke nodded. "Yeah, one of the Speedwagon agents spotted him. We need to go!"

Giorno sat in the passenger seat of the car, a pair of binoculars in his hands as he looked around at the surrounding area to see if there was any sign of the Stand user, or possibly the Stand itself.

Josuke sat tensely behind the wheel, looking around as well. "See anything yet?" he asked.

Giorno shook his head. "No."

"You think they were wrong?" Josuke asked.

Giorno focused on a man walking down the street before watching him go into a restaurant, and turned to look elsewhere. "I believe they saw him, but I chased him across half of Italy before I realized he left the country. I don't really know what his goal is, but he's good at getting away."

Josuke gnawed his lip. "I hate stakeouts. I hate just sitting around waiting to be attacked."

Giorno nodded in agreement, pulling the binoculars from his eyes and handing them to Josuke for a turn. "I don't like it much either. Unfortunately, we're going to have to do that in this case. I'll admit that I'm not really used to Stand users that don't simply want to attack me."

"Me either," Josuke snorted. He put the binoculars up to his eyes and began to look around. "You know, your Japanese is pretty good for an Italian."

"Oh, well, I'm not an Italian," Giorno said. "My…mother's husband was Italian so we moved to Italy when I was young. I'm actually half Japanese."

Josuke glanced over at him as if in disbelief. "Seriously?"

Giorno smiled. "If you're wondering about my hair, it used to be dark. Then when I came into my Stand power, it turned blond."

"Wow, that must have been a shock," Josuke said, running his hand almost defensively over his own pompadour. "I got a really bad fever when I was a kid, and after I woke up in the hospital, I could see Crazy Diamond."

"That's your Stand?" Giorno asked, realizing he didn't really even know what Josuke's skillsets were.

"Yeah," Josuke smiled. "I like to think of him as a pretty useful Stand."

He sighed and took the binoculars from his eyes. "I'm still not seeing anything. Hey, you want to listen to the radio? My grandpa was a cop and he said that when he was on stakeouts he would do that to pass the time. Maybe there's something good on."

"Sure," Giorno replied, having to admit that this was rather tedious.

Josuke reached out and turned on the car radio. Upbeat music came through the speakers, perking them both up. Giorno continued to search the streets as he and Josuke sat in companionable silence, listening to the radio.

The song cut out halfway through and was interrupted by static, causing Giorno to frown and glance toward the radio.

Josuke groaned. "Aw man, the signal's messed up."

He tried turning to another station but it crackled as well. Josuke frowned. "Okay, that's weird—"

"I see you."

Both young men jumped at the crackling voice that seeped through the speakers.

"What the hell?" Josuke demanded, voice strangled.

Giorno sat, watching the number display on the car radio flicker between channels until they read out "Radiohead".

"It's the Stand!" he suddenly shouted just as a figure materialized directly out of the radio, hand reaching out to grab Giorno by the front of his shirt. Before Giorno could even react with Gold Experience, the disembodied arm yanked him into the windshield.

Giorno's head exploded with pain as glass shattered around him and before he knew it he was tumbling across the hood of the car, and slamming into the asphalt below.

"Crazy Diamond!"

"Dora!"

Giorno rolled over with a gasp, trying to get up, but his head was killing him and he felt blood dripping down his face. As he reached up with a trembling hand, he felt glass stuck in his cheek.

More sounds of shattering glass pounded in his head, followed by an angry screech that was soon drowned out by the dizzying sound of the radio rapidly seeking through stations before there was static and then everything went silent.

Giorno called out Gold finally and had his Stand touch one of the pieces of glass still stuck in him, slowly changing it into undamaged flesh.

"Giorno!"

Josuke vaulted out of the car, and Giorno looked up woozily, still trying to make it to his knees. It was a mistake though because his head only ached more. Did he have a concussion? He wondered just how much damage he had taken.

"Holy shit, are you okay?" Josuke demanded as he skidded to a halt in front of Giorno, bending to grab his shoulder.

"Just…just give me a minute," Giorno forced out, trying to urge Gold to hurry before he passed out.

To his surprise, Josuke manifested his Stand again and the huge blue and pink figure reached out, phantom fingers touching Giorno's forehead.

He blinked, and just like that the pain was gone and he could see clearly again, staring into Josuke's worried face.

"You good?" Josuke asked.

Giorno reached up, shocked to find smooth skin, not even a scar or any trace of injury. Even the glass was gone.

"Yes, actually." He glanced at the Stand that was now dissipating behind Josuke. "So you have a healing ability?"

Josuke shrugged. "It's not so much a healing ability, as it is the ability to restore something to its original form, or change something's form—it's more straightforward than it sounds," he laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm not used to explaining Crazy D's abilities. Don't have a ton of people to talk to about it."

Giorno smiled. "I understand. And, thank you. But…where's the Stand?"

Josuke stood up and pulled Giorno with him. "Ran away. Don't think it's incredibly strong because after a couple punches it decided it didn't want to play tough anymore."

"That probably means the user is pretty far away."

Giorno walked back to the car, shattered glass crunching under his shoes. "So, it travels through radio waves…interesting."

Josuke pressed his lips into a thin line. "Yeah, kinda reminds me of this one Stand I fought a few years ago that could travel through electricity. Killed my friend's brother. Tried to kill my dad. Real bastard."

Giorno noted the tenseness in Josuke's jaw and felt for him. He could understand not wanting to be reminded of that.

"At least we sort of know what we're up against now, though," he said and sighed as he leaned over and carefully swept glass from the car seat. Giorno watched in awe as Crazy Diamond appeared again and the glass began to form back into the windshield and driver's side window until the car looked completely whole again.

"That is quite the useful ability," Giorno commented as he got back in the car and Josuke started it. He quickly turned off the radio. He had the suspicion that Radiohead might only be able to travel through radios that were already in use.

Josuke smiled. "It's actually kinda great. You have no idea how many times it's saved me from getting into trouble with my mom for breaking something."

Giorno smiled back, but felt a twist in his stomach at the same time. How he would have given anything to have that ability as a child. Maybe then he wouldn't have incurred the wrath of his stepfather so much.

"We need to tell Jotaro," Josuke said as he pulled away and started driving down the street.

Giorno reached into his pocket for his phone. "I'll call him."

Josuke nodded. "Tell him to meet at my place—and tell him not to turn on any radios."

A little while later they pulled up in front of a house. Jotaro was already parked outside, leaning against his car.

He came to meet them and Josuke and Giorno got out of the car.

"You have no idea where he went?" Jotaro asked.

Josuke shook his head. "No. As far as we can tell the Stand travels through radio waves and we didn't see any indication of the user nearby."

Jotaro looked grim. "Alright, let's go talk. We need to make a plan. Is your mom home?"

Josuke bit his lip. "Yeah…maybe we should…"

"Josuke are you coming in…oh, Dr. Kujo."

A dark-haired woman stood in the doorway and Giorno looked up as her eyes met his and narrowed. Jotaro stepped forward quickly.

"If you don't mind Ms. Higashikata, Josuke and I have a few things to discuss."

Josuke's mother folded her arms over her chest. "And I guess this has something to do with your business?"

Jotaro's face hardened but Josuke stepped forward, and took her arm gently. "Mom, it's important."

She still looked skeptical. "And who is that?" She jerked her chin toward Giorno.

Giorno stood awkwardly next to Jotaro as Josuke said, "That's Giorno Giovanna. He's a relative, mom. He came to help us out. Giorno, this is my mom. Tomoko Higashikata."

Giorno stepped forward and gave a bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Higashikata. I apologize for intruding, but it is important."

Her face seemed to soften as she probably realized just how young Giorno was, and stepped aside. "Well, come inside then. I'll make coffee."

They all dutifully came inside, and sat in the living room while Josuke's mother went to the kitchen to make coffee.

Josuke turned to Giorno, voice low. "She doesn't really know about Stands and everything, though I think she knows more than she lets on. It's just…I try to keep her out of it as much as possible, you know?"

Giorno felt a warmth toward Josuke begin in his chest at his genuinely earnest expression, showing that all he really wanted to do was keep his mother safe. He could tell even from the brief meeting that Tomoko was a mother who was worth that concern. Her protective attentiveness had been there the instant she saw a stranger. Giorno would have given anything to have had a mother like her growing up. He was glad Josuke seemed to realize just how lucky he was.

"I understand," he assured Josuke.

Josuke smiled in relief before he turned back to Jotaro. "So, here's what we know so far. The Stand is called Radiohead and it can travel through radio waves."

"It's also obviously a long-distance Stand, since we couldn't find the user anywhere nearby," Giorno pointed out. "Not very strong when facing other Stand users which is probably why he didn't try to attack before."

"Which begs the question: why attack now?" Josuke asked.

"Probably because he knows we're after him now," Jotaro spoke up. "Even weak creatures put up a fierce fight when they're cornered. He's probably feeling threatened and decided it might be better to try and take you out before you found him."

"But now that's he's shown his ability, he made a big mistake letting us go," Josuke commented.

Jotaro gave him a look. "Be careful assuming things about Stand users. A lot of them tend to pull tricks when you least expect it."

Giorno nodded in agreement, then looked up as Tomoko came in with a tray of coffee and some cookies.

"Here's some refreshments for you." She put the tray down on the coffee table, leaning close to Giorno as she did. When she pulled away, she looked down and let out a sharp inhale. "Is that blood on your collar?"

Giorno reached up and twisted his collar, seeing that there was still a bit of blood there. Josuke twisted his face in annoyance.

"Are you hurt?" Tomoko asked him, and her sudden concern surprised Giorno.

"Oh, no," he replied. "It was just, um, a shaving cut." Even as he said it he realized that the spot of blood was too large for that, and he obviously didn't have a scab on his chin—or any stubble for that matter.

Tomoko obviously saw through him in an instant and she narrowed her eyes, casting a swift glance between Josuke and Jotaro before she sighed and gave Giorno a soft look. "Well, if you need anything, just let me know. I'm going to do a little cleaning." She left the room and Josuke sighed softly before they went back to discussing the elusive Stand user and potential ways they could capture him.

Giorno sipped the coffee and took one of the cookies, finding it to be delicious. He was about to take another before he saw Jotaro suddenly sit up straight, looking out the window.

"What is it?" Josuke asked, suddenly on alert.

Jotaro was on his feet, his Stand aura already rising around him. "Stay here. I'm going to check it out."

Josuke and Giorno were both of their feet as well.

"What is it? The user?"

"I don't know yet," Jotaro growled. "That's why I told you to stay here. It might be nothing."

Josuke opened his mouth to protest but Jotaro was already on his way toward the door, leaving Giorno and Josuke to stand there in silence.

That was until Giorno heard something coming from upstairs. The faint sound of…

"Is that music?" he asked.

Josuke frowned, then his eyes popped wide and he clapped a hand to the back of his head. "Oh god, Mom always turns the radio on when she cleans!" He was already rushing toward the stairs, Giorno right on his heels.

"Mom!" Josuke shouted, pounding up the stairs. "Turn off the radio!"

Tomoko came out of one of the rooms rolling a vacuum cleaner. "What? Why? What's wrong, Josuke—"

Even as she spoke, there was a shadowy figure looming behind her and Josuke shouted out, vaulting up the last couple steps.

Radiohead grabbed Tomoko from behind and slammed her head against the wall. She fell with a gasp, seemingly unconscious.

"Mom!" Josuke shouted, Crazy Diamond exploding from his frantic figure and rushing the other Stand. "You bastard!"

Radiohead didn't stick around, simply disappeared like it was being pulled back, and Giorno watched as Josuke knelt by his mother's collapsed form.

"Is she okay?" Giorno asked, coming up to meet him.

"She'll be fine," Josuke said, Crazy Diamond's aura dissipating from Tomoko, and gathering with full force around Josuke again. "We need to get this bastard."

"Agreed. Let's get that radio off first, then we can control when and where he comes from it."

Josuke nodded and pointed toward the room where the radio was on. Static crackled and Giorno called out Gold Experience, getting ready for another attack.

"You can't stop me!" The distorted voice came through the static.

Radiohead popped through the wall and kicked Josuke in the chest. He cried out, tumbling backwards and over the railing of the stairs. Giorno heard the smashing sounds of wood and pottery as Josuke fell on top of a table on the landing, smashing it and the pot that was sitting on it.

"Josuke!" Giorno cried as he had Gold throw a punch at Radiohead who dodged out of the way too quickly. The Stand might not have as much power as either of theirs, but it was fast, Giorno had to give it that.

Giorno glanced down as Josuke and saw him pushing himself shakily onto his elbows with a groan. He looked down and realized there was a splinter from the table sticking from his side. "D-dammit," he gritted out.

Giorno pressed his lips together but knew Josuke had a healing ability, so he wasn't too worried. He needed to stop Radiohead before anything else. That was their priority right now.

"You think you can take me out, boy?" Radiohead sneered again. "You chased me all the way here in vain. I gave you a chance, but now you've made me mad by coming after me. I would have let you go before because you weren't worth the trouble, but now you're my problem, which means I'm gonna do everything in my power to take you out!"

Giorno growled and as soon as Radiohead showed himself again, Gold Experience rushed the Stand and slammed his fist into its face.

Radiohead staggered and disappeared again before reappearing behind Giorno and grabbing him around the throat.

"There, see? No chance now, Giovanna."

Giorno struggled, gagging as the oxygen was cut off from his lungs. As he weakened, he was no longer able to keep Gold Experience manifested and his Stand faded away, as his sight did. Giorno craned his head to see where Josuke was, wondering what was taking him so long when it had only taken him a fraction of a second to heal Giorno earlier.

And then suddenly, when Giorno's vision finally began to black out, Radiohead released him, jerking backwards as blood spurted from its face. A screech came from the Stand as the radio static intensified before the Stand simply disappeared. Except this time, Giorno didn't think it would come back.

He dropped to his knees, coughing and gasping for breath.

The front door slammed open and he heard Jotaro in the entryway below.

"Josuke! Giorno!" he called.

Giorno coughed again. "H-here," he dragged himself to his feet and started staggering down the stairs, horrified to see Josuke still lying on the landing, blood soaking his clothes, Jotaro crouching next to him with a curse.

"Is he okay? Why isn't he healing himself?" Giorno asked, getting down the stairs as quickly as possible.

"Because he can't," Jotaro said darkly. "His ability works on everything but himself."

Giorno stared at the older man in surprise. "So, he has no way of healing himself?"

"No; we need to get him to the hospital, now," Jotaro said, reaching out and putting a hand on Josuke's shoulder as the young man moaned and tried to shift, wincing. "Easy."

"We don't have to take him to the hospital," Giorno said firmly as he got to the bottom of the stairs and crouched on the other side of Josuke, looking up at Jotaro. "Gold Experience doesn't have a direct healing ability like Crazy Diamond, but it has the power to create living things out of objects." Giorno reached out and carefully unbuttoned Josuke's coat and lifted it off the shard of wood stuck in Josuke's side. The other young man groaned and flinched when Giorno pulled his bloody shirt up, noticing briefly that there was a spot just above the splinter where another long, nasty looking scar resided in the flesh of Josuke's side telling of a prior injury even worse than this.

"Wha—what are you doing?" Josuke grunted.

Giorno met his eyes. "I'm sorry, Josuke, I thought you could heal yourself. But I'll do it for you this time. It's not…it might hurt a little, but just hold still." He turned to Jotaro. "You might have to hold him."

Jotaro took hold on Josuke's shoulders, pressing him flat, then they both watched as Gold Experience appeared and touched the splinter still sticking from Josuke's side, beginning to transform it.

Josuke tensed and gasped, clenching his teeth against the pain, but keeping his eyes glued on his side as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.

When Gold Experience finally finished, Josuke sat up and reached down to touch his side.

"It will still hurt for a couple days," Giorno explained. "Gold Experience replaced the damaged flesh instead of actually healing it, but it won't take long to heal."

"Thanks," Josuke breathed, hand still resting against his side. "That's a pretty useful skill too."

Giorno smiled then he and Jotaro helped Josuke up.

"I have to get Mom," he said and hurried up the stairs with a slight wince.

Giorno and Jotaro followed quickly. "What are you going to tell her?" he asked.

Josuke knelt by Tomoko's unconscious form again before he slid his arms under her and rose with a wince. "I'll just say she hit her head while cleaning."

Jotaro snorted as if realizing she wouldn't fall for that at all. And he was probably right, but Giorno had a feeling she probably wouldn't ask questions either. People who didn't see Stands rarely ever did.

"What happened to the user?" Josuke asked as he carried his mom to her bedroom and laid her down.

"I took him out," Jotaro said. "Saw him lurking across the street. Good thing I did."

"Yes, it was," Giorno agreed. Another couple seconds and he would have been dead or nearly so. Maybe he'd gotten too out of practice since cleaning up after Diavolo. Stand users were a lot less prevalent in Italy now. Maybe, he thought, it wouldn't actually hurt to take on a few cases like this for the Speedwagon Foundation. After all, it was no good for the boss of the mafia to get rusty when it came to Stand battles.

"I'm going to go get cleaned up before she wakes up," Josuke said to them. "She hates it when I get hurt."

Giorno again saw the real affection in Josuke's eyes for his mother, and the want—no, the need—to protect her.

"Thanks again, Giorno," Josuke told him with a small smile. "I don't know about you, but I think we make a pretty good team."

Giorno smiled back. "I agree."

Jotaro turned aside but Giorno thought he might have seen a small smile cross his lips too.

Giorno stood in the lobby of the Morioh Grand Hotel after meeting with Josuke and Jotaro again to finish up the paperwork from the mission. The Stand user had been incarcerated and thankfully, he seemed to be working alone.

Jotaro had to go see to other business, leaving Josuke and Giorno alone.

"When are you planning on leaving?" Josuke asked.

"My flight is tomorrow morning," Giorno told him. "So, then, I suppose."

Josuke nodded. "So you still have the day," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets with a smile. "How about I show you around Morioh before you go? There's a lot of places and people I think you would like to see."

Giorno smiled. "I'd like that a lot. This really is a bizarre little town."

"Yeah," Josuke said fondly as they started off down the sidewalk, shoulder to shoulder. "It is, but I love it here. It's my home."

Giorno nodded, completely understanding. He may not have been born in Napoli, but that place had been where he'd first found his freedom, and met the people he had come to see as his family. He knew the streets just as well as Josuke knew Morioh, and despite the bad that had happened there too, he wouldn't trade it for the world, and thanks to his position in Passione, he didn't have to.

"You know," he said as they walked. "If you ever want to come to Napoli, I would love to return the favor. It's a great city and I'd love to show you around."

Josuke grinned. "That sounds great! I'd love to go to Italy sometime. Maybe I'll have to make it sooner rather than later."

Giorno smiled back. "I'd love for you to meet my Famiglia. And remember, if you ever need anything, all you have to do is send word to Don Giovanna. Passione is at your service."

"Wait…Don Giovanna…what?"

Giorno grinned and walked ahead of Josuke as the other man rushed after him with confusion. Giorno found himself feeling a lot lighter than he had been in a while.

His family was growing, and he honestly couldn't be happier.