I'm back with another Hearts of Gold story! This one is set after the Happy Birthday Bucciarati one because I had headcanons about what it might be like to be pregnant with a Stand user-so expect some cute sentient Stand stuff in this one :)

Bouncing Baby Stand User

A JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Fanfic

(Hearts of Gold Verse) Maria and Bruno are pregnant with their second child, but it's a little different this time around. Maria wakes up one morning to find that she can now see Stands and is also exhibiting several other strange abilities. The parenting books didn't exactly mention this.

Maria woke slowly, content and comfortable. She had finally seemed to get past the morning sickness phase so waking up in the mornings was becoming a lot less dreadful. Not that Bruno hadn't been the most doting husband in the world to hold her hair back and bring her whatever she needed while she lay in bed, and Fugo and Giorno had tried literally everything they could think of as a remedy. It had still been a lot worse this time around than it had been with Paolo. Carmen told her she thought it would be a girl since she'd gone through the same thing with Rose.

Still, it was all worth it, and every day brought Maria closer to bringing their new baby into the world.

Maria snuggled back into the figure who currently had his arms wrapped around her.

"Actually staying in bed this morning, mi caro?" she asked sleepily, bringing her hands up to place over Bruno's where they rested gently above her growing belly.

But when she looked down she didn't see her husband's hands. Shock and brief terror jolted through her as she sat up, whipping around to see a bizarre figure lying in the bed next to her, looking just as surprised as she was. Despite the fact that his eyes were covered by some sort of spiky helmet.

And then she recognized the figure from the drawings Narancia had done when she had first come to stay with them so he could show her what the Stands looks like.

"Oh," Maria said. "Sticky Fingers?"

The Stand nodded, still sitting there as if he too were not sure what to do.

The door to their ensuite bathroom opened and Bruno came out with a towel around his bare shoulders smiling at Maria. "Can I get you some breakfast in bed this morning, bella?" he asked.

Maria was distracted by Sticky Fingers fading away and turned to look at the spot. Bruno stopped, watching her with an odd expression. "Is something wrong, Maria?"

"I…" she said, still looking at the spot. "Was…your Stand just out?"

Bruno stopped mid-way through toweling his hair. "Wait…could you see Sticky Fingers just now?"

Maria nodded. "I…I think so."

The air around Bruno rippled and Sticky Fingers appeared again, smiling slightly at Maria. "Can you see him right now?"

Maria nodded, eyes wide.

Bruno stood there, looking completely perplexed. "Well, that's…odd," was all he was able to say.

Maria had to agree with him.

As soon as they had gotten dressed, Bruno and Maria made their way downstairs where Giorno and Leone were already in the kitchen, making the coffee for the day.

"Wondered when you'd get up," Leone said teasingly and greeted Maria, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Yes, please," she said, sitting down next to Giorno.

The blond looked between her and Bruno, seeming to notice their odd expressions. "Is…something wrong?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Bruno said, brows pinched as he leaned back against the counter. "But it appears Maria can see Stands now."

Giorno and Leone both spun around to look at her. "You, what?"

Maria shrugged helplessly. "I was able to see Sticky Fingers this morning."

Bruno turned to the others. "Would you two mind testing to see if this is more than a…well, if it goes further than just me?"

"Oh, sure," Giorno said and Leone nodded. Giorno turned back to Maria. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, waiting.

A similar ripple appeared around Giorno as it had with Bruno before another figure appeared over his shoulder. Gold with purple accents and a smooth head sort of shaped like a beetle shell. It was also adorned with the same ladybugs Giorno always incorporated into his outfits. She couldn't help but gasp, as the being stared at her with a soft curiosity, cocking his head to one side.

"Gold Experience," she greeted, holding out her hand to the Stand.

"So, you can see him then," Bruno said in confirmation.

Maria nodded, entranced as Giorno's Stand reached out to touch her hand before his fingers uncurled and revealed a flower sitting in her palm.

She smiled. "Thank you, Gold."

The Stand and Giorno alike looked pleased as she tucked it into her hair.

Maria looked up at Leone then. "Do I get to see your Stand now?" she asked.

Leone pressed his lips together. "I guess."

He also rippled and a purple humanoid shape appeared slightly behind Leone.

"Oh," Maria exclaimed with a smile. "Hello, Moody Blues."

The Stand made a sort of whirring sound and stepped forward to greet her.

Maria couldn't help reaching out and touching the space between the Stand's neck and shoulder where there was a sort of hood.

"Oh!" she said, delighted, as she realized it was pliable, almost like rubber, unable to resist a little squish which made Moody Blues make a sort of, mechanical trilling sound.

Leone grunted and Giorno and Bruno laughed.

Maria suddenly pulled her hand away, looking toward the goth apologetically. "I'm sorry, he just looks so… squishable. I hope it didn't hurt?"

"No, it just…kind of felt ticklish," Leone replied, rubbing his neck with a frown. "Stands and users are connected physically."

Maria nodded, remembering Bruno saying that before. She gently patted Moody Blues's cheek and went to sit back down at the table. "Well, I have to admit, it's certainly nice to be able to see them in real life."

"But there's still the question as to why that is," Bruno pointed out.

"Actually, it's probably a lot more straight forward than you think," Giorno said slowly.

"What do you mean?" Bruno asked.

Giorno glanced between them. "Well, Stand powers are hereditary, even if only one parent is actually a Stand user. Thus, it's entirely possible that your baby is a Stand user."

Maria and Bruno shared a look, eyes wide.

"And…I suppose if that were the case," Bruno mused. "Then it also stands to reason that while you're carrying the baby you would be able to see Stands as well."

Maria looked down at her stomach, settling her hands over it and felt the baby kick as if in agreement.

"So," she said slowly. "We have a little Stand user on the way."

"A bouncing baby Stand user!" Mista crowed as Maria watched in delight and amusement as Mista's Sex Pistols swarmed her, cuddling in her hair or pressing ears to her belly to try and hear the baby inside.

"That seems to be the case," she said with a smile, still getting used to the idea, but figuring it would just be another learning curve for her and Bruno as parents.

"I honestly didn't know it could be a possibility," Carmen said with a curious look.

"Well, seeing Stands is a lot more endurable than morning sickness," Maria said.

Carmen smiled at her. "I'm sure. Though I must say, I'm a little jealous you got to see Leone's Moody Blues and I didn't."

"He's very handsome, I assure you," Maria said teasingly just to get Leone to blush and grumble. Carmen kissed his red cheek fondly.

"I actually think it's nice the baby will grow up with the Stand power," Trish commented from where she and Spice Girl were playing with Rose and Paolo on the floor in the living room, the babies laughing as Trish's Stand turned their toys into rubber to get them to bounce. "I wish I had at least known about mine before I literally had to save everyone's lives with Spice Girl. It might make childproofing a nightmare, though. Depending on the ability."

"Well, there's plenty of us around who can see Stands, so I wouldn't worry too much about it at the moment," Bruno assured.

The front door opened as Narancia and Fugo came back from an early errand and seemed surprised to see everyone gathered in the middle of the living room so early in the day.

"Is something going on?" Fugo asked, guarded.

"Well," Bruno said with a small smile. "We think that the baby might be a Stand user."

"Whoa, really?!" Narancia cried, rushing forward to flop on the couch next to Maria, staring in awe at her stomach.

"How—how can you tell?" Fugo asked cautiously.

"I can see Stands now," Maria told him.

"Wait, really?" Narancia cried in excitement. "So like, you can actually see Spice Girl and the Pistols right now? Number 5 always hides in your hair like that, you know."

That must be why she sometimes felt a tug on her hair when there was seemingly no one around. "I can," Maria smiled.

"Wow, that's awesome!"

Paolo crawled toward Maria and Narancia bent to pick him up for her. She cuddled the toddler to her as he babbled happily as the Pistols turned their attention to him. Maria smiled at the scene as they hugged his little plump cheeks.

"How are you all so okay with this?"

Everyone looked up at Fugo who was still standing on one side of the room, eyes wide. "I mean, we have no precedent for this. We have no idea what this means? Will it complicate the pregnancy? Will the baby be able to actually manifest a Stand once it's born?"

"Panna, it will be all right," Maria told him gently, holding out a hand to him. "There's no reason to worry over what may not even be an issue. You're right, we don't have any precedent for this, but we also know that born Stand users are a thing, and if I wasn't around people with Stands I might never have known the difference."

"She's right," Giorno agreed. "But I would like to point out that Stand users are subconsciously attracted to each other, so I would feel better if you take at least two of us with you when you go out from now on."

"Agreed," Bruno said quickly and leaned over the couch to kiss the top of Maria's head. "We'll take this one day at a time like we have been. Whatever comes of this we'll figure it out together."

Maria smiled up at her husband.

"So, do you want to see my Stand then?" Narancia asked excitedly, practically bursting.

"Of course," Maria told him.

Narancia grinned and all of a sudden, a small red plane was circling around the living room.

"Just don't blow anything up in here," Abbacchio reminded him, as he bent to pick up Rose.

"It's Aerosmith!" Narancia said proudly.

"So, does your Stand fly around in the little plane?" Maria asked, trying to see into the cockpit.

Narancia's face fell slightly. "No, my Stand is the plane."

"Oh," Maria quickly backtracked with a smile. "Well I love…him?"

Narancia grinned again and allowed his Stand to dissipate again.

Maria then turned to Fugo who was still standing off to one side. "Panna, you're the only one who's Stand I haven't seen."

Everyone turned to look at him and he shook his head. "No, you don't want to see my Stand."

"I do," Maria insisted. "You don't have to be scared, Panna."

"It might not be the best idea," Mista said quietly.

"He has full control of his Stand now," Bruno commented, giving Fugo an encouraging nod. "But only if you want to, of course."

Maria watched Fugo with a soft smile as she handed Paolo back to Trish. "It's up to you of course, but I would love to be able to see everyone's Stands in person while I still can."

Fugo bit his lip, but he rippled and his eyes blew open as a figure appeared beside him. "Purple Haze! Stop!"

Maria watched the figure take a cautious step toward her. Everyone tensed, but she held out a hand.

"Maria, don't!" Fugo cried.

Purple Haze whined, halting, hands pressed to his chest as he looked between them.

"Purple Haze, it's all right," Maria said soothingly, holding out her hands.

Fugo tensed as his Stand cautiously reached out and placed one hand in Maria's. She smiled and settled her other on Purple Haze's cheek. The Stand made an almost purring sound and leaned into her hand.

"Aww," Narancia and Trish said as Fugo blushed furiously, looking completely befuddled.

"He's precious," Maria assured Fugo which only made him blush more. "I don't see what all the fuss is about, honestly."

"That's because you haven't seen him take out a room full of people," Leone said blandly.

"I would argue that most of you are capable of that," Maria said, patting Purple Haze one more time before she leaned back and the Stand disappeared.

Fugo let out a breath. "That was dangerous," he breathed.

"Pannacotta," Maria told him firmly. "There is nothing you have ever done to make me distrust you. Trust yourself a little more."

"She's right, you've done very well with your training the last few years," Bruno assured him.

Fugo flamed again and hugged himself. "I guess."

Bruno made a decisive sound. "Well, I suppose there's nothing we can do but wait to see how this plays out, so we should all get to our duties for the day. Maria, just let us know if anything else strange happens."

Maria nodded. Honestly, she had no idea how it could get stranger.

Until it did.

Maria was just working on arranging some stuff around in the nursery to make room for the new baby things when she reached for the closet door and—

Went right through it.

Maria honestly didn't know what happened at first, only that one minute she was going to open the closet door and the next, one arm was on the other side of it and she was stuck up to the shoulder, face pressed against the wood.

"Um…" she gasped, yanking to see if she could repeat whatever this was, but she seemed to be stuck fast. She cautiously touched the door with the free hand, pushing against it for leverage, but it was now, for some reason, completely solid.

Luckily, she could hear footsteps outside the nursery and called out.

"Can someone help me?"

Giorno poked his head in and his eyes instantly blew wide as he saw her.

"What happened?" he asked, running into the room, taking in the door and Maria somehow stuck through it.

"I…don't know, I just sort of…fell through it," Maria said helplessly.

Giorno blinked. "This…well, I guess it looks like your baby might be manifesting Stand powers early," he said lamely.

"I honestly can't think of another explanation," Maria agreed. "How do I reverse it?"

"I don't know," Giorno replied. "I doubt it's something you can even control."

"How am I going to get out of here then?" she asked, starting to feel claustrophobic.

"Hold on, Bucciarati's going to have to deal with this one," Giorno told her apologetically. "I'll be right back."

A few more minutes stretched on while Maria was stuck in the door before running footsteps sounded down the hall and Bruno and Giorno burst back into the room.

"Maria!" Bruno cried as he instantly crossed the room. "Hold on…Sticky Fingers!"

His Stand manifested and punched the door. Zippers opened around Maria's arm, freeing her with a sigh of relief. Bruno pulled her back, steadying her as she staggered slightly.

"Are you all right?" he asked, brushing her hair back from her face.

"I'm fine, it just…startled me," Maria admitted, staring at the door as Sticky Finger's zippers closed it, leaving it looking flawless again.

"Of course it would, you're not supposed to fall through doors," Bruno said with a wry laugh. "It seems the little one might be a bit more powerful than we thought."

Maria nodded, but inwardly she was starting to feel more and more apprehension about this pregnancy. If they couldn't figure out how to control the baby's power, then what else might it do? What if Maria were to get stuck somewhere and no one was able to find her? Or what if it happened while they were out? Could she phase through the floor too? Should she be worried about falling through into the living room at any second?

"Maria?" Bruno asked softly, placing a hand on her upper arm and rubbing gently. "Why don't you come sit with us in the office for a while?"

She nodded again and forced a small smile, gathering some toys for Paolo and going to retrieve him from Narancia and Carmen before she set up a play area on the floor of the office.

Thankfully there were no other incidents that day but Maria couldn't help feeling like something was impending the whole time and it sent her into a sort of depression. She was supposed to be excited about her pregnancy—had been up until this point. Even being able to see everyone's Stands had been exciting more than anything. But with the unknowns that could possibly put her baby or both of them in danger, she wasn't comfortable being alone. If only they could find someone to give them answers.

"I'm doing all the research I can," Fugo assured her, looking like he was trying not to be worried for her sake. "But again…"

"I know," Maria told him with a smile. "Just let me know if you do find anything that can help."

He nodded, squeezing her shoulder briefly before he left her at the kitchen table, watching while Bruno and Mista made dinner.

Later that night when she went up to put Paolo to bed while Bruno was still finishing some paperwork with Giorno, she was surprised to look up from changing Paolo into his pajamas and see Sticky Fingers accompanying her.

"Hi, Sticky," she said with a small smile, feeling a little better to have her husband's Stand there with her.

The Stand smiled and held his arms out. Maria cautiously handed Paolo over to him and Sticky Fingers cradled Paolo in his arms.

"Ari-ari," Paolo babbled, raising his little hands to grab at one of the zipper pulls on Sticky Finger's chest.

Maria was shocked for a moment as she watched. Paolo could see Sticky Fingers too? Was it just because babies and animals had the tendency to see things others couldn't, or was their son also in possession of a dormant Stand ability?

"Maria—oh, is it Bruno's Stand?"

Maria looked up as Carmen came into the nursery to start getting Rose ready for bed.

She gave a soft laugh, taking Paolo back from the Stand, realizing how strange it must be to see him pretty much levitating there. "Yes. I think Paolo can see him."

Paolo waved to Sticky Fingers who waved back. Maria settled Paolo into his crib and the Stand leaned over, tending to the toddler.

"Well, that's not exactly so weird to think about."

"But does Rose see Moody Blues? Or Spice Girl? Trish told me she lets her Stand play with the babies all the time."

"I don't know, honestly, but I don't think so," Carmen said. "Trish probably would have mentioned it if she thought she did." She set Rose down before reaching for her pajamas. "I can only imagine how scary this is for you."

"It's rather unnerving," Maria admitted, placing her hands over her stomach. "But I can't think of anything I want more than to have this baby. I just…"

"It's a risk you're willing to take; that doesn't mean you're not scared," Carmen told her with a kind, knowing smile. "I get it. But you have support. And you have other people with weird abilities to help you. You'll be okay, I promise. Bruno won't let anything happen to you or the baby."

Maria let out a long breath and turned back to see Paolo blinking sleepily as Sticky Fingers spun the mobile around above him.

"You're right," she said.

Carmen set Rose on the ground and took her hand. "Come on Rosie, let's get your teeth brushed. Say goodnight to Auntie Maria."

"'Night-night," Rose said, waving to Maria.

"Goodnight Rosie," Maria smiled.

She stayed until Paolo fell asleep, rubbing his back as he drifted off and then went to get ready for bed herself, honestly exhausted by recent events. She dressed in her pajamas and slipped into bed, getting comfortable as she tried to read.

Bruno came upstairs sooner than she had expected with two mugs of tea. He handed her one and leaned in to kiss her temple.

"How are you feeling mi amore?" he asked.

Maria sighed, closing her book. "I'm feeling fine, I just…well."

"It's a little overwhelming," Bruno admitted. "I'm nervous too, but…I have every faith it will all be okay."

"Bruno, a baby that phases through things…" Maria stopped and bit her lip, not sure whether she should actually voice her true fears or not. "What if something happens and I just lose her?"

Bruno reached out and took her hands. "Well, so far, the baby's abilities seem to be manifesting through you so as long as that continues we have no need to worry about that. But if that were to happen, there's no reason that the issue couldn't be rectified between Giorno and I."

Maria winced, trying not to imagine the details and Bruno looked a little pale even speaking of it, but it was admittedly a bit reassuring that she had family who also had bizarre powers to help with her seemingly powerful baby.

"Paolo can see Sticky Fingers too, you know," Maria told him.

Bruno nodded as he sat on the bed. "I know. I wasn't sure at first, but when he got a little older, he was obviously acknowledging him."

"Do you think that means he has a Stand ability as well?"

Bruno shrugged helplessly. "Who can say? They don't always manifest early."

"I hope he waits then," Maria sighed, taking her mug of tea and sipping at it. "Do you always leave Sticky Fingers to watch over him?"

Bruno smiled. "Sometimes. I'll have Sticky check on him during the night, or watch over him to let you sleep."

"So that's why he's always been such a well-behaved baby," Maria said with a fond smile.

"I suppose so," Bruno laughed softly before he got up to dress for bed.

Maria turned down the lights as he crawled into bed next to her and she turned to curl up against Bruno's chest, forehead resting in the crook of his neck as she sighed. Bruno wrapped his arms around her and tugged her closer to him, rubbing her back gently as she tried to relax. She was exhausted, but at the same time, had too many worries swirling around to allow her to sleep. What if something happened while she was sleeping? If she phased through the bed, or worse…

She pulled away slightly and looked up at Bruno, slightly sheepish. "Would it…be okay if Sticky Fingers stayed here as well tonight? I would feel better to have someone watching—unless that means you won't get a restful night's sleep," she quickly added.

Bruno smiled, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "I'll be perfectly fine if Sticky Fingers stays out all night as long as it makes you more comfortable. He'll alert me if anything strange happens."

Maria slumped in relief. "Thank you."

Bruno nodded and he glowed briefly as his Stand aura flared in the darkened room, and Sticky Fingers appeared, crawling behind Maria and wrapping his arms around her, placing his hands on her stomach as if to protect the baby inside.

"Is that okay?" Bruno asked as he settled back down, cocooning Maria between him and his Stand.

Maria nodded against his chest with a small smile. "Yes. It feels like you're holding me twice."

Bruno returned her smile and kissed the top of her head. "That's how it feels to me too."

Maria sighed in relief, finally feeling herself relax. She drifted off to sleep, knowing that whatever came, she would take it one day at a time, and she certainly wouldn't be alone.

Epilogue

Beams of moonlight fell across the bed as the sounds of the city faded in the darkness. Maria could not stop staring at the tiny figure curled against her, thumb firmly placed between rosy lips, sleepy flush on plump cheeks. She leaned in to kiss the wisp of soft dark hair that the little one had gotten from her father.

"She's perfect," Maria said with contentment.

Bruno, lying on the other side of the bed with Paolo cuddled against him, smiled with a look of such love Maria felt herself flood with warmth and joy. "Of course she is, mi amore. Her and Paolo are both perfect."

Maria smiled and buried her face in the top of their daughter's head. "Mariolina," she whispered before looking up at Bruno. "What do you think of Mari for short?"

Bruno smiled in agreement. "I like that. My little star of the sea," he leaned over the other sleeping baby and kissed the rosy cheek. "I'm so glad I could be there for the birth this time."

Maria smiled in agreement. Paolo's birth had been chaotic at best, happening on a rescue mission to warn Bruno against a looming enemy, the car breaking down on the side of the road as she went into labor, leaving them no choice but for Paolo to be delivered by dear Leone and a bunch of teenage gangsters. But he had been healthy and doted on by everyone and his little sister would be no different.

Bruno moved closer so he could reach an arm over both babies and Maria. "I wonder when she'll start showing Stand abilities."

"I don't know," Maria replied, admittedly a little nervous about the idea that their infant daughter might even now be able to use a Stand. She knew Mariolina would have plenty of tutors, but she just hoped it might be a little bit longer before they had to worry about that.

"Whatever happens, we'll do this together," Bruno assured Maria, putting a stop to all her fears. His face softened as he rubbed gently at her waist. "I love you, Maria, mi cara."

Maria leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips, wrapping an arm around him as well. "And I love you, my darling."