"Enchante," Polnareff crooned, outstretching a bony arm and drawing Carmen's hand to his lips. She giggled, pulling away as Jotaro ushered him through the door of their new home. It was a five-bedroom Spanish Colonial, a bit of a stretch without Joseph's money, but it gave Jotaro a sense of relief, knowing where he would spend the rest of his days.

Carmen went to fetch some drinks, while Jotaro and Polnareff sat down on the living room sofa. "How do you know each other again?" she asked as she placed two beers on the coffee table in front of them. Polnareff scanned her from head to toe, a slight smile on his face.

"Family friends," Jotaro said quickly, giving him a dirty look.

"But you're French." She sat down in a wingback chair. "Did you live in Japan?"

"Of course not, I'm a-"

"Remember how I went on that trip my senior year?" Jotoro interjected in a stern voice, "We met then."

Carmen blinked. "That was years ago-" She stopped herself, flashing a smile at Polnareff, "It's really nice of you to come so far for our wedding."

Polnareff flipped his hand, grinning back, "Wouldn't miss it for the world." He winked, "Can't believe that Jotaro met such a lovely young lady."

Jotaro bristled as Carmen tittered, blushing. He wished Polnareff would stop looking at her. He was thinner than the last time they'd met, and scraggly grey stubble covered his hollow cheeks. His riveted eyes held a glint that lacked his usual good nature.

Polnareff rifled through his pocket, pulling out a photo. "Here's us all in Egypt."

Carmen traced each figure with her finger. "There's Jotaro, and is that Joseph? And his dog?" Her face fell as she reached Kakyoin, "That must be Jotaro's friend who died in the fire."

Polnareff's forehead creased. "What fire?"

Jotaro elbowed him in the gut. It had been such a mistake to bring him to meet Carmen. There had always been an unspoken understanding that you didn't discuss stands around women, let alone family who might worry. But of course Polnareff couldn't keep his big mouth shut.

"Didn't you hear how he died?" Jotaro said quickly.

"Yeah, I-"

Jotaro slammed his foot down on top of Polnareff's.

"I mean I - always wanted to know."

"I'll explain later," Jotaro grunted.

Carmen pursed her lips.

"I need a smoke," he sighed, glaring at Polnareff, "Want to come see the boardwalk?"

"Sorry," Polnareff said as he and Jotaro strolled down the slatted path by Miami Beach, "I had it all straight in my head, then everything came out wrong."

"It's alright," Jotaro grumbled, "Just zip it at the wedding," though he was already mentally sorting through the guests, planning to seat Polnareff with the ones who spoke the least English. "What have you been up to lately?"

"Lots," Polnareff said, his gaze not moving from the path in front of him, "Did you know the crime rate in Europe has gone up 20% in the past year? Assaults, rapes, even murders."

Jotaro gave him a strange look. "No, I hadn't."

"The year before too." Polnareff's shoes clacked on the pavement, "I've been investigating."

"Invest-" Jotaro started, then stopped himself. "You think it's Stands."

"What else could it be?" Polnareff flailed his arms. "You don't know what I've seen." His mouth scrunched in a way that was so wrinkled and pulled it didn't seem like him. "Women. Children. Old people." His boney fingers formed a fist. "In the face of stands, everyone else is a tiny infant, at the mercy of whoever holds them in their arms."

"That's awful to hear," Jotaro whispered, shuffling to the side, letting a bikini-clad woman pass.

She greeted the pair with a cheerful, "Good morning!"

Polnareff waved back robotically, staring at her with those hungry eyes.

Jotaro shoved his hands in his pockets. "Have you talked to Father Jackson?"

"It's happening here too. Though it's hard to tell from the usual American thieving and stabbing." Polnareff laughed oddly, like he thought he'd made a great joke. "Jackson and I are going to head to Yosemite after the wedding." He sighed, turning to look at the beach, placing hands on the railing and staring vacantly at the endless sea. "After I avenged my sister, I thought it would be over. But it's never over."

Jotaro put his hand on his back, and he flinched. He swallowed, his mouth turning dry. "I appreciate you doing this."

"Happy to help." Polnareff flapped his hand, but there was a lot of jerk in it, and Jotaro wondered if its sentiment might be false, "Not like I've got anything personal going on." He put his elbows on the railing, leaning out towards the ocean. "But if I meet a cute girl, you've got to cover for me."

Jotaro laughed louder than was natural. "I'll make sure to mark nothing on my calendar," he jibed.

Polnareff made a ridiculous pose, "I happen to have le natural charm."

Jotaro wrapped his arm around him, giving him a half hug as he laughed harder. It was the first time since they'd met that morning that Polnareff had really seemed like himself. "Call if you get into trouble. I'm serious."

"She's so glamorous!" Carmen gasped as Holly appeared at the entrance of the beachfront restaurant where she and Jotaro were waiting. "Now I know where you get your sense of style." Holly was accompanied by the boyfriend who had so upset Joseph, Han Nakamura.

She was dressed perfectly, her gold and silver dress flashy enough for the early Miami evening, revealing enough for the warm weather, yet right for her age. Mr. Nakamura wore a dark blue suit which seemed too large for him, despite its designer cut.

"Jotaro!" Holly sang, pulling her son into a warm hug, which he returned stiffly. "And you must be Carmen." Holly embraced her like she was an old friend. "A baby. I'm so happy for both of you." She formed a deep grin.

Holly chatted with Carmen as they were seated. As soon as drinks were served, she proposed a toast. Jotaro tried not to get drawn in as she gushed. She was sweet. She was genuine. She clasped her heart. She touched his arm. She kissed his cheek, praising him. And he hadn't seen her face for two fucking years.

Han Nakamura was famous for three things: he was a champion tennis player, and had won a bronze medal in the Olympics, he owned Nakamura tower in Tokyo, and his wife had been murdered by a notorious serial killer three years before. Jotaro thought he looked deflated as they strolled the marina near his new home, Carmen and Holly exploring a pier ahead. Mr. Nakamura's suits were too big. His face sagged. Even his posture was crooked.

"I'm sorry about your wife," Jotaro said, letting the awkwardness hang in the air. Americans avoided and euphemized, treating you like a pariah if you mentioned the needles you were walking on, but with a Japanese man, he felt it was better just to acknowledge his tragic fame.

"Thank you," Mr. Nakamura said. "It's been hard." He wrung his hands, twisting his fingers' sagging skin. "Growing up, Holly Kujo was my favorite. I had her poster on my bedroom wall. I loved her spread in Rolling Stone. Nearly wore those pages out." He chuckled oddly, "It's been everything I ever dreamed. But I still miss my wife."

Jotaro nodded, straightening a frown.

"I say this so you don't think I'm heartless." Mr. Nakamura peered at Jotaro, "In the most difficult of circumstances, your mother's helped me move on. She's been good for business too. I think she can smooth anything over." He forced a laugh, then inhaled. "I want to bring her into the family." He raised one hand, "Though I promise we'll do it quietly. It's very important to us not to steal your thunder."

Jotaro nearly laughed. He was sure his mother had never given it a single thought. But an idiom like that was way beyond Mr. Nakamura's stilted English- it was clear he had. Jotaro looked at Holly and Carmen, who were far in the distance, frolicking as they took turns looking through a set of mounted binoculars. Holly looked so much better than he remembered. Her skin was smooth, her cheeks were rosy, her hair, which had always been broken and dull, was coiffed and shiny. He didn't think he'd ever seen her so happy. Jotaro swallowed. He'd been so fixated on whether she'd cared for him, he'd never considered whether she could care for herself.

"I don't have a problem with it, if she's willing," Jotaro said. He paced forward to catch up with Holly and Carmen before Mr. Nakamura could say any more.

Jotaro steeled himself as Trent and Camilo led him towards the church's sanctuary. Though he'd run it over many times in his mind, he dreaded the moment his eyes caught the pews. Carmen's side would be packed: family, high-school classmates, old neighbors, people she knew from church, meanwhile he was expecting three guests: Holly, Mr. Nakamura and Polnareff . At least he and Mr. Nakamura looked enough alike that he wouldn't have to suffer the indignity of people questioning the whereabouts of his father.

But this was the last fight, the last obstacle, then those people would be his people. Her family would be his family. And Carmen would be in his heart forever. The thought of her love gave him the courage to look out into the church. Holly was in a blue silk dress, next to a suited Mr. Nakamura and Polnereff was wearing one of his better muscle shirts. But who were all those other people? A guy he'd worked on his Environmental Systems project with. A girl he sometimes chatted with at the keggers. The lady he handed his shift off to at the aquarium. The owner of The Midnight Anchor.

Jotaro's body felt lighter as Carmen appeared. She was incredibly beautiful. A ray of light, moving towards him, standing at his side. She was accompanied by Melissa and little Catalina, who walked with an adorable gravity, taking her bridesmaid's duties very seriously. Jotaro shot Melissa a grateful smile. He was sure the extra guests were her doing. She raised her eyebrows as she shuffled into place.

Father Jackson appeared, smiling deeply at the couple. He led a prayer. Then Blanca read a Psalm, then Oscar, then … Polnareff?

"Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm," his voice rattled, "For love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave."

Jotaro's chest buzzed as he listened to those ancient words. How many other humans had heard those words, and been married in this same church? The choir sang. Gloria. Then Jackson spoke again. Their eyes locked, Carmen and Jotaro recited the same words couples had for generations.

Jotaro slipped a simple gold ring on Carmen's delicate hand, which was shaking. They stepped to the altar, where a candle was waiting, etched with a dove. Jotaro gazed down at his bride and he couldn't stop staring. Her face was soft and beautiful. Tears stood in her loving eyes. Jotaro blinked as Jackson handed the couple lit candles. Their fingers intertwined, Jotaro and Carmen pressed them to the wick above the dove. The flames jumped and flickered, slowly becoming one.

I'm baaaaaaaaaaccccccck!

This is the end of the first arc of this story, so I'd appreciate any comments. Thanks for reading!