"What's taking him so long?!" hissing came from the library that late afternoon.

"What's the matter my lord?" Pucci stood looking up at the ladder leading to the towering bookshelves. at the very top was Dio. Glancing between the books and the grandfather clock below.

"He's not here yet, is he?!"

"No. there's been so sign of Jotaro or any of his friends near here.

Dio stopped time. A moment. A breath. Compose. Collect. Letting his anger get the better of him was a sure route to failure.

Time resumed and Dio was at the bottom of the ladder. Pucci stunned for a moment.

"Do you think we should speed this up a bit? Jotaro sure does like keeping his adversaries waiting." Soar tones seeped through his words.

"I suppose we could go and find him. And I'm sure Jonathan-"

"Jonathan has already joined their side by now. Probably. So, he wouldn't want to come back."

"I think he would."

"What makes you think so?"

"He loves you, doesn't he? He owes you his life for bringing him back. And maybe he'd consider joining us on our heaven venture?"

"He's a very righteous man. And what we are doing he may consider to be a sin."

Dio stormed out of the library. Grabbing his cape and checking for his stand to follow. It did. but regret lingered in his eyes.

"Would you like to come with me?"

Pucci took a heavy sigh. "If I may, I'd like to stay here."

"Very well."

Kakyoin hadn't gone even as far as a street before Polnareff yelled at him.

"Hey! Kakyoin!" His face turned to horror however as he realized what stood behind him.

"Kakyoin! Behind you!"

Kakyoin and Jojo stood right in front of him.

"You don't need to shout. Where are the others?"

But Polnareff could hardly speak. His eyes fixed on scanning Jojo up and down. His stand hesitant to point his sword at him.

"This is Jojo. He's a friend."

"Hello. So sorry that I scared you. My mind was somewhere else for a moment there. May I know your name?"

His tone of voice threw Polnareff for a loop. Such a polite, gentle voice coming out of such a strange human like being.

"Introduce yourself. Don't be rude." Kakyoin whispered harshly.

"Oui. Hello. My name is. You know what just Polnareff is fine."

"Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet who?" Joseph waved. Avdol, Iggy and Jotaro came strolling up to them. Jotaro stared at Jonathan. That mark on his shoulder.

"This is Jonathan Joestar. Do you have any relation? Mr Joestar?" Kakyoin's voice filled with eager yet inquisitive tones,

"Mr Joestar? You must be my relative." Jonathan's eyes lit up.

"Hehe. Wait Jonathan? That was my grampas name. Yeah." Joseph stood in deep thought.

All Avdol, Polnareff and Iggy could do was stare at Jojos bizarre form. Iggy dared not bark at Jonathan. His form may be out there but his voice and personality way far from malicious or even annoying.

"Guess I got to meet my grampa all along." Fear swelling in Joseph's voice but he kept his cool. Trying to be nonchalant about it all.

Jotaro stayed silent. Only inspecting the birthmark on this rather large man's shoulder.

"Hope you don't mind."

"Please have a look. All Joestars have that star, don't they?"

"Who did this to you?" Jotaro muttered. Th others talked among themselves about it all.

"Do you know someone named Dio?"

Jotaro's heart raced. Raced with fury. That name. The one he was trying to find. and stop.

"He did this to you?"

"Yes. But I don't think it was entirely out of malice."

"And you are just ok with this? What he's done to you? Given you this kind of body to live in?" Jotaro stared Jonathan down.

"I'm not sure really. But I have no other body to use so. And at least he didn't turn me evil? You need to fight him, don't you?"

"To save-"

"To save my dear Holly. How could he have hurt her this way!" Joseph butted in.

"Aren't we forgetting that we need to stop him from. Oh, I don't know killing loads of innocent people!" Polnareff pushed Joseph aside.

"And taking over the world!" Kakyoin pushed in. Iggy barked in agreement. His mind changed however when he saw the gum sticking out of Jotaro's pocket.

"Its sadly not just Ms Holly in trouble here." Avdol shook his head. Still keeping a distance from Jonathan.

"I knew he hadn't changed."

"You knew him before your um resurrection?" They all stopped at Jotaro's question.

"Yes. He is my brother after all. We grew up together. I had to stop him before. And failed."

"Well even though you failed before, we can win this time. Right?" Joseph turned to the other Crusaders. All nervously standing around. Maybe still uneased as Jonathan's stature and visage. Or maybe-

"I'll be taking him now, if you don't mind."

Iggy barked relentlessly as Dio stood behind them.

"No. I won't let you! You'll just turn him evil!" Kakyoin bursted out. Even he was unsure of where that came from. He'd only known Jonathan for mere moments but would still defend him.

Dio laughed sarcastically. His eyes narrower than usual. Glancing between the Crusaders before hesitantly looking away from Jonathan.

"You think he'd be evil? Jonathan is too soft even for that"

"So why do this? If you aren't going to use him for evil!" Polnareff readied his stand. All eyes glared at the monster behind Jonathan.

"He'll rule the world alongside me of course you simpletons."

"I agreed to no such thing."

"Too late. Jojo. You are to spend eternity with me. As we rule this world together. Making a beautiful heaven. A heaven they are not a part of."

Dio pointed to the Crusaders. All eyes glaring at the fiend as he offered his other hand to Jonathan.

"Whose side are you on? I need to know." A slight twinge of fear in his words. Fear of what? Jonathan may have been alive for a few months now but that doesn't mean his life is meaningless. At least no longer to Dio.

Jojo glanced between both Dio and Jotaro.

"I know its hard cuz your related but he's still evil!" Polnareff tried to reason. But Jotaro and Joseph just gave him a glance.

It was Jonathan's choice. They couldn't influence him. Couldn't change how he felt. Dio did all these malicious acts and yet Jonathan could still see a slither of compassion in him. Or mutual understanding at least. Even if he did only care for a grand total of 1 human and a strange resurrected head from days gone by.

"We don't have all day."

Jonathan sighed. Joseph new that sigh. Jotaro knew that sigh. One that held the world in their hands. Having to do the right thing even if you weren't prepared to.

"Jotaro. I know we haven't known each other long. But I'll know you - all of you - will do the right thing when the time comes." Jonathan turned to Dio. Hesitant to walk forward. "I will entertain you Dio. But I will not help you. Nor will I stop them from defeating you when the time comes."

"Very well." No more words uttered between Dio and Jojo. He gave a last look of hope and determination to the crusaders before time ceased.

It resumed.

Only the crusaders stood together on that barren street. The wind gently rustling as the night air filled the void.

Back at the mansion. The baren halls. The stench of decay and melancholy. The tears Jojo wiped away before Dio could notice.

"You just left me there. On the street. Alone. Though I don't know why I expected anything else."

"You think I wanted to leave you there?" Dio slung his cape to the floor. A click of his fingers. The World placed it back on the hook.

He turned to Jojo; eyes almost enraged. "You think I wanted to leave you there?"

"I don't know. Did you?"

"I can only carry one person at a time during my time stop."

"You chose Pucci."

"Oh, someone's jealous, are they?"

"It just doesn't make sense to me. I'm the stand out. The weird one. It would make sense to take the thing that was provoking them away from there."

"Pucci was more in danger than you. You're older wiser. You've lived through a lot of rat piss. Enough to know how to handle yourself. Pucci is a mere 15-year-old. He hasn't mastered his stand yet and can barely hold his own in a fight."

"They weren't going after him. They would have left him alone."

"I couldn't take that chance."

The stood facing each other. Eyes locked. Dio's dominating, assertive. Jojo's more disappointed than angry.

"I see."

"I need to tell you something. It won't go away unless I do."

"What is it?"

"Jojo. I have accumulated something I thought I had long forgotten. They have come back to me more and more ever since you came back to me."

Jojo only looked upon his brother with concern. His heart still torn that he was in the wrong for once. Maybe Dio did do the right thing? By saving Pucci and not himself? Maybe Jojo was being too selfish?

"It seems my tongue wants to betray me." Dio muttered. Not able to find the words for once.

"Can tell or ask you something?"

"While we walk."

"Do you still have those dreams?"

"What dreams?"

"I heard you a while ago. In your sleep. You were mumbling to someone. You don't seem to be doing it recently."

"That is none of your concern. Besides you have your own dream to worry about, don't you?"

Jojo grew rather nervous. For someone so large you'd think he couldn't be nervous. But it enveloped him all too often as of late.

"I actually don't dream."

"You must've had at least one dream since you came back."

"No. I find it hard to sleep too."

"You tell me now?"

"I didn't think it was a big issue."

"What do you need to sleep? I can provide it. You'll need your strength to 'entertain me' don't you?"

Dio's almost cocky grin facing Jojo's stern facade.

"What was it you wanted to tell me? Anyway. You never followed through."

"I- um. I-uh." He grew rather tense just thinking about that simple sentence he wanted to spew out of his mouth. Those 3 words.

"You can't say it? Can you?" Jojo touched his nose in line with Dio's. So playful and sweet.

Dio's face grew only redder.

"I thought you were mad at me anyway?! For leaving you behind!"

"Things like that can be forgiven. And maybe I was wrong."

Jojo unknowingly let Dio's hands rest in his as they looked at each other faced to face.

"I find not everyone shows their emotions in the same way. Maybe you could show me what you wanted to tell me. Since you can't say it?"

"But the way I'd show you I lo- care-. It'd just come across as wrong or evil to you." Dio turned away unable to show how red his face had somehow become.

"I get it." A warm smiled came over Jojo. A strange sense of ease around Dio. One he hadn't really felt before.

"You know I could make you look more appealing?"

"How?"

"I think you're only half vampire. You can't heal nor do you have similar powers to what I had. The only vampire thing you do is sleep through the day. Or supposed to. If I made you a full vampire. Your ugly stitches and vile skin tones would even out."

"But I wouldn't be myself anymore, would I? I'd end up like your zombies."

A quiet unease arose.

"I'd lose you."

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Besides I think you'd be far uglier as a full vampire anyway." Dio waved his hand as he directed to his gaze to the setting moon.

"I think I'll go to bed now."

"You need anything to help you sleep?"

"I do but I don't think-"

"Tell me."

"A kiss."

"Huh. A kiss. huh?" Dio smiled. An uncanny smile. He didn't give Jojo a chance before he clasped his hands on either sides of Jojo's head and forced their lips together.

Dio gently turned away. "That's all your getting!" He shouted as he ascended the stairs to his room.

Jojo stood silent. His hand on his own cheek as he looked around for answers.

There were none.