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[ How does he even begin to break something like this to her? A part of him is sorely tempted to lie, to retract everything that he had already said and implied, offer her up some beautiful alternative where they had both gotten the perfect happy ending they had both so wanted.

But- it wouldn't be fair, it wouldn't be just. Erina deserved everything and more and that includes the truth from him.

With a heavy sigh, Jonathan sits down beside her, immediately taking one of her hands in his own. He's counting on her to give him the strength to get through telling her this.

Sensing the sombre change in atmosphere, Pesto, for his part sits patiently at Erina's feet - of course he had taken to her. It had been inevitable from Jonathan's point of view. ]

You recall that we were planning on travelling to America after the wedding, do you not?

There was... an incident on board the ship. [ "Incident" feels like the biggest understatement of a word but he can't think how else to describe it without being ruthless - a tragedy? A massacre? He thinks of their fellow passengers with that last one.

He takes another deep breath as he looks her in the eyes, gently squeezing her hand. ]

It was Dio.

What little was left of him had been smuggled on board- I managed to halt his plot but I did not make it off of that ship, Erina.

[She is quiet, as Jonathan explained.

As far as she had known, Dio had died. Had been dead, along with his father. Especially so after Windknight's Lot. He'd crumbled to pieces like morbid confetti and he was out of their lives.

Her body feels equally hot and cold as horror replaced the worry and uncertainty. Erina didn't trust herself to speak. She would get married, have a brief happiness and then be consigned to black for years after. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair at all!

First he'd stolen her kiss, then he'd stolen her first and final love. She squeezes his hand, hard, as she tried to come to terms with it. It was hard for Erina to find her voice and she is quiet for a long while. But then, she does speak,]

How long? How many days do we get to spend together?

Five, my love.

[ No time at all in the grand scheme of things but he really, truly couldn't have asked for better ones.

Propriety be damned, he pulls her close now, arms tight around her while Pesto gently whines. Jonathan is quiet for a while, he just wants to hold her close and forget everything else, burying his nose in her golden hair for a moment before he takes a breath and forces himself to speak again. ]

There's something else.

I've met someone here, someone from the same world as us but even further ahead in our timeline. He told me that I have a grandson- that we have a grandson.

At the time of my passing you must have been with child.

[Five.

A blink of an eye, really. Her eyes full of unshed tears, Erina buries her face in Jonathan's neck. She ought to be stronger than that. If she could live in India, thousands of miles away from England, she could be strong enough to bear this terrible news.

But she isn't, right now. She's crybaby Erina again.

His other news strikes her like a freight train. A child. Their child? Her child an orphan before she's even aware they exist.]

Jonathan, how am I supposed to be without you? I love you more than life itself. I don't want to be without you.

[She pulls back, trying very hard not to weep, even if her tears begin to trail down her cold cheeks.]

Edited 2021-02-20 19:02 (UTC)

[ She's Erina, he adores all facets of her- whether she's back to being crybaby Erina or not.

Jonathan holds her close, fingers gently tangled in her hair. He lets her cry, lets her vent her feelings until he goes on speaking again, murmuring soft and low against the top of her head while he presses a tender kiss atop it. ]

You said something very similar to me in my last moments, you wanted to stay behind and die with me- but you left me, because you are stronger than you know and a baby needed you - and I'm not just talking about our child here, Erina.

An infant had lost their mother thanks to Dio and they needed you to get the both of you out of there and survive. We both needed you to go on.

And it sounds as though you succeeded.

[It is a cold comfort to know that she was willing to die with him. All the plans they'd made to restore the Joestar mansion, to fill it with the laughter of a large family... it made her heart ache. If Dio had the opportunity to kill Jonathan, then why hadn't he also murdered her? As usual, she imagined he didn't think things through. But that, she kept to herself.]

I'm glad that I was able to carry out your final wishes, my love. But I grieve for the family you won't get to know. We won't know.

I... I suppose then that you ought to marry me quickly, Jonathan Joestar, so that we may experience more than 5 days of marriage, this time.

[Her voice is still thick with unshed tears,, but at least there's an almost playful glimmer there. Erina Pendleton was not a quitter. She would make the most of this situation.]

[ His heart aches too, for everything he had lost and for everything he would never get to have, with her. He had made peace with his fate the moment he had told her to leave him on that ship but the pain is still there. ]

Marry you once more? [ He smiles softly. ] I would love nothing better, my love.

Fate brought you back to me once more, I don't intend to waste a second of our time together again.

Oh, Jonathan!

[Erina sniffles once, and then peppers his face with kisses. It was highly inappropriate in public, of course, but there were no others along the lane and when she was finished, she sits back and daubs at her eyes with a handkerchief.]

We'll need to see what we must do here... surely it is not similar to England.

[ Highly inappropriate or not, he's obviously completely delighted.

Meanwhile, Pesto has become impatient at the completely unforgivable lack of attention he has been receiving at this point and he puts his front paws up on the bench in an attempt to jump up at the pair and offer his own kisses. Jonathan chuckles. ]

Pesto, down!

Pardon him, Erina. But of course, I doubt it will be anything like England but I'm sure we can make the necessary arrangements. Truthfully, I care little for the type of ceremony - as long as it concludes with you at my side.

[ Erina gave Pesto a few loving pets, just to soothe the jealous dog. ]

I feel the same, though, I am sure you would've looked very dashing in your wedding attire. Perhaps - barring some calamity, of course - we could do so at the end of the month?

It won't be a stylish marriage, [ Erina sing-songed at him and laughed softly. She gave him a few smaller kisses, this time properly on his lips. ]

Thank you, too. For telling me what's to occur. Perhaps we have someone throw Dio in the sea instead.

If the authorities here allow us then I would love nothing more.

[ There's sadness in him, because deep down Jonathan knows that even telling Erina all of this wouldn't change what's to occur. If he hadn't perished on the ship then it would have been somewhere else, such was Dio's ruthless pursuit of him.

Still, he chuckles softly at her idea, pressing a soft kiss atop her head. ]

No doubt I should have trusted you to have disposed of him in such a manner, my love.

You must thank the Erina who spent several weeks traveling to India and having very unladylike thoughts.

[Children hurt one another in all the worst ways, but Dio in particular was both hurtful and unnaturally cruel. Erina makes sure to pet Pesto, while she thinks.]

Still, I have no reason to believe they wouldn't allow us to. After all, they were very keen on the kizuna we output previously.

[ Pesto loves you. Erina. Many tail wags. ]

That's true.

Bonds seem to be most important to the people here and surely there can be no better way to show our bond than this?

[ He pauses a moment, suddenly awkward, embarrassed. How does he put this delicately? ] And I can be closer to you again.

Ah...

[Erina leans into Jonathan slightly, and slips her hand into his pocket to keep it warm.]

Forgive me for saying so, but I was eager to experience married life. I know it must sound simply terrible of me, surely a gentlewoman shouldn't have such thoughts.

One could say the same for a gentleman, my love.

[ He really does feel like a "Naughty Man" - this place only seems to make everything worse on that front.

He reaches into that same pocket, gently squeezing her hand within its confines. ]

But. . . I have already experience it with you once before, as you now know. I cannot pretend that I am no less eager to share it with you again.

Edited 2021-03-13 09:16 (UTC)

[ She flushes until her ears are pink. That he's experienced their marital life is no surprise, of course. But the fact that he has more intimate knowledge of her body than she does... ah, embarrassing. ]

I was told that it is somewhat painful.

[ Erina looked up at him, panicked for a moment. ]

N-not that I believe you would ever, ever harm me, of course.

[ Oh lord, where to begin with that? It's the strangest situation, being in a time and place where your wife isn't up to speed with you and her and your bedroom activities.

Jonathan swallows, feeling his face growing hot again. ]

I can't lie to you, it is. . . At first. So you told me. The first time was perhaps a little awkward in general but. . .

We soon forgot about that. [ ahem ]

O-oh. Well... I would imagine it is all somewhat awkward.

Ah. Knowing one another. Like that.

[ If she continues speaking, Erina knows she is liable to put her foot directly into her mouth. ]

I am glad it is you.

[ Jonathan chuckles a little at that, soft and gentle as he reaches to squeeze her hand- the one that isn't still fussing an extremely happy Pesto.

Jonathan can't help but be glad that the dog doesn't understand what they're talking about. ]

It could only be you for me, Erina.

[ He gently squeezes her hand again. ]

I should walk you back to your quarters soon, my love. I don't want you catching a chill.

Edited 2021-03-18 19:02 (UTC)

You do have a fair point... and it won't do for you to become ill, either.

[She gives his a squeeze in return - not that she can squeeze very hard, considering their differences in strength. Erina presses a soft, chaste kiss to his cheek.]

Not that I wouldn't be delighted to nurse you back to health again, [She smiles teasingly, and gives Pesto a pat.]

Well, Lord Joestar, shall we go home?

[ Jonathan chuckles softly, rising to his feet and still holding her hand to help her up from their bench. ] I cannot pretend that I did not enjoy you nursing me - as useless as I felt. Still, it brought you back to me.

[ If he hadn't been in such a state after all would they have ever been reunited the way they were? ]

Yes, let's La-- Miss Pendleton.

. . .I must confess that I had already grown rather used to calling you Lady Joestar at home, in my time.

It does have a very pleasant ring to it. [She agrees with a light laugh as he helps her up.]

I admit I thought of writing you many times while I was in India, Jonathan. But then I was concerned that my letters would be intercepted.

[She doesn't need to say the name; Jonathan likely knows of who she speaks.]

I would like to think that wouldn't have been the case. [ Despite everything Jonathan had been put through, he still somehow tries to see the best in people, to give them the benefit of the doubt. Even the person he knows she's hinting at. Often to his own detriment some people might say although Jonathan would argue that it just comes with being a gentleman, and trying to be a good person. ]

But I'm afraid I cannot say your concern was unwarranted.

[ They're walking back in the direction they came from now and Pesto recognises that, happily tugging on his lead, tail wagging away. ]

I did miss you.

[Erina hummed in thought, but decided better about it. Dio Brando hardly deserved to be thought about in any degree.]

I missed you. But I think you would have loved India, Jonathan, like I did.

[Knowing that he would never be able to experience it saddened her, but for Jonathan's benefit, she kept her tone light.]

We shall have to find someone that serves Indian-style curry! Provided, of course, the ingredients don't turn into their uncooked forms, that is.

[ Jonathan is all too aware of all of things he will never get to experience but- to have Erina back with him, here in this place... He feels nothing less than the luckiest man alive to have a second chance at a life with her like this. Travelling, experiencing other places, all of that missed opportunity truly pales in comparison in Jonathan's mind. This more than makes up for all of it. ]

I would like that very much.

Perhaps if we cannot find somewhere that serves it we could find a recipe and try making it instead? ... I've never really cooked anything before but I ought to get used to not having a cook and servants around. Life is very different here. It wouldn't be so unusual for me to do these things for myself.

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