The Ghosts of Rome

A Gunslinger Girl fan fiction by:

Sintendo

Chapter 8

It was an odd feeling knowing that somebody else was in your house, sleeping in what used to be your office. It wasn't like the feeling one gets when they hear some sounds coming from the kitchen (which was, ironically, the sounds that rose me awake) because I knew that it was just Tobias walking to the bathroom. The only other way I can put this feeling into words is this: In the 15 or so years that I've been living alone, my house finally felt like a home.

…Or something like that.

Before we left the hospital yesterday evening, I was told that Tobias would have a bit of difficulty moving about since he was motionless for a few weeks. He had no trouble walking to and from my car, nor did he have any trouble eating the roasted chicken I bought for last nights dinner, but the shattering of glass from the bathroom reminded me, or rather proved to me that he was still getting used to reanimating himself.

"Are you alright?" I shouted out.

After a few grunts he answered, "Y-yes. I just tripped, that's all."

I knocked on the bathroom door, "May I come in?"

"Yeah."

The blood on the floor was the first thing I noticed upon entering the room. Second in my sight was Tobias who crouched over the bathtub, clutching his right foot in his hands. I winced with him as blood slowly trickled through his fingers and audibly pattered onto the ceramic tub. The broken glass was the farthest thing from my mind.

"Let me see that," I motioned from him to come toward me, or rather have him raise his leg for me to be able to see his foot. After examining the gash on his foot, I sat with him at the edge of the bathtub, quickly getting to work by cleaning the wound. He didn't flinch once as I poked and prodded the wound to make sure no glass was stuck within, "That doesn't hurt?"

"No," He said, "I'm sorry for troubling you."

"It's no trouble at all," I chuckled, "It's probably my fault; the doctors said you'd have a hard time handling delicate objects, so I should have replaced the glass cups with plastic ones."

"I'm sorry…" He said one more.

"Like I said, it's not your fault. It's mine," I reassured him. Then I realized that I was messing around with the wound a little too much, practically digging underneath the exposed tissue, "Are you sure I'm not hurting you?"

He shook his head, "It hurts," He said, "But since you're helping me, I'm not thinking about the pain."

What a strange child.

I don't know what possessed me to bring Tobias over to work today and I don't think anyone around my desk minded his presence, but I felt it was the right thing to do. The people that surrounded me were like my family and to leave them in the shadows about the existence of my "new" son (My god it's a strange feeling to say that) would only lead to some sort of conflict when the boy was inevitably found out. After all, during any type of sortie they were the ones who'd be watching my rear. Any kind of distraction reduces the chances of me finishing the day alive.

The trek to begin my day was that of a normal one. I had a cup o coffee, picked up required documents, and eventually found my way to my corner of the Government's cage; all in a day's work for a guardian of finance. It was beginning to feel odd to have Tobias follow and watch me all day as my silent shadow, so it was a blessing to have Lt. Vito stop by.

"Hey guys," He said with a nonchalant attitude, "Hey Tobias, nice to see you're up now."

"Hello," the boy said meekly.

"How are you feeling? Have any trouble walking?" Rico wasn't given a response from the boy, "The silent type, eh? Well, I can't blame you." He then said to me, "You know, I recall the doctor saying he'd have trouble with his memories. Did Tobias mention anything to you yet?"

I replied the truth, "No Rico, not really and I'd rather not ask him. In any case, I don't think it's worth bringing up right now. Is Tatiana around?"

"Hmm? No, she came by to pick up some new orders. Apparently the parents of one of the kids we found a while ago suddenly resurfaced, or something like that," He then whispered to me, "Don't worry, they didn't claim Tobias."

"Who said I was worried?" I recoiled.

"I'm just saying, is all. Hey, is it alright if I show the boy around? Let him meet the others?"

"I see no harm in that," I said, and then to Tobias, "Behave, alright?"

The boy peered upon me with sad eyes, "I won't mind standing around here for a while," He said, "I hardly know anyone here, and—"

"All the more a reason to take you around," Rico said, "No reason to be shy, boy, we don't bite."

"Go on," I encouraged him, "You'd get bored just watching me fill out a bunch of papers anyway."

And so after a little more persuading and a bit of arguing, Tobias agreed to take a small tour of the office building, at least for only an hour or two. When I finished with the first batch of papers needed to be signed—involving a certain medical leave for a certain someone—I began to wonder where exactly those two would be by now. No doubt Rico already passed by the entrance to introduce Tobias to the security guards and countless office ladies downstairs. There was a good chance that they've already been to the cafeteria, probably picking up a drink or a snack to go along with the tour. In any case their current position served only as a small distraction for me, so I shook off the ideas and continued work.

I hadn't realized how much time had passed until Rico and Tobias hailed to me just as I was signing the last set of my day's paperwork. It would be untruthful for me to say that I was able to get everything done without any trouble.

I assumed with the extra hours I unknowingly allowed to pass without notice that Rico took Tobias outside of the premises. A shopping bag filled with various goods was proof enough.

"Had fun?" I asked, ignoring the fact that they broke their promise of returning on time.

"Oh definitely!" The boy said with much enthusiasm.

I asked Rico, "She where'd you guys go?"

"Oh, here and there." He sweetened the lie.

"Right, here, there, and everywhere. You could have at least called me."

"I didn't think you'd be too worried about him."

"Well I should be. Doctor said he'd have trouble moving around."

Tobias chimed in, "I had no trouble at all! I had a lot of fun actually. Uncle Rico took me to the shooting range and we used some of his guns."

"Shooting range? Uncle?" I frowned. More-so with the latter reaction."

Rico laughed, "The boy's a natural. I started him off with a little plinker and by the end of the session he was firing .45 revolvers."

"You weren't hurt, were you?" I asked Tobias.

"No, it was fun!" He said, "Look, I even saved my targets."

The word "Impressed" wouldn't even begin to describe my reaction: almost every one of his 20 or so human silhouette targets had it's chest completely hollowed out.

"Impressive," I said nonetheless, "You like target shooting?"

"Yes." Tobias said.

"You should buy him a target rifle," Rico said, "He's a natural born killer, this one."

"He couldn't stop talking?" Tatiana said, "That's not a bad thing."

Thankfully we were on the phone, else I would have been scolded for my grimace, "He couldn't stop talking about shooting this and shooting that. I'll have to teach him the rules of firearms."

"That's all part of being a father."

I cringed, "Right."

"What? You think he's annoying?"

"No, no, it's not that." I sighed, "It's a pleasure to be around him. Actually brings a smile to my face sometimes. It's more of a feeling of…"

"Of?"

"Well, I could say I'm a little overwhelmed. Too much is happening all at once, you know? I just want things to slow down a bit."

"Are you regretting everything? Regretting adopting the boy?"

"No." I answered with confidence.

"Then what's the problem?"

"I feel like I hardly know him."

Her deafening laughter didn't help to raise my spirits, "Oh my god, Giulio! You don't know him! What makes you think you do?"

I had no response.

"You should take some time off; I'm sure they'll allow you a few days. Look, if you want we can take him around the city, or maybe out to the country."

"'We'?"

"Yes 'We'. I'll help you get to know him more than if you two were alone. A third person can act as a buffer."

"I suppose."

"Great," She yelped, "I have the perfect place in mind."

"And where would that be?"

"Bolzano!"