Better Days

Chapter 1

"Jojo...where are you, Jojo? Help me...save me, Jojo..."

Jotaro shot up out of his bed and scrambled back against the wall, doing his best not to scream. For a moment, just a split second, he could have sworn Kakyoin's bloody and broken body stood just inside his bedroom door before disappearing in a wisp of smoke.

It was a common occurrence now, dreaming of Kakyoin. Even a year after Egypt, it was all Jotaro saw when he closed his eyes. Kakyoin, broken and bleeding, pinned to the water tower with the water gushing through the hole in his stomach. All he could hear was his own voice promising that they would make it and always be friends. All he could feel was the regret that he'd never expressed how he truly felt for the redhead.

His mother and grandfather had begged him to seek help but the Jotaro Kujo didn't need help. He didn't deserve help. Not after letting the man he loved die alone.

School had become a pain he couldn't tolerate. Especially after the blonde kid. It had taken all of Josephs connections and influence to keep Jotaro from doing jail time after nearly beating the kid to death for nothing other than having blonde hair.

The doctors said it was PTSD and that he needed medication and therapy to get better.

But Jotaro Kujo didn't deserve to get better. So, he refused, violently when necessary.

He and his grandfather had come to blows more than once over his mental state. The old man had even asked Polnareff to talk to him, not that it helped. Polnareff had his own issues revolving around Egypt and Jotaro had no problem deflecting his issues back to his friend.

Then, it finally happened. He was out one night, wandering around town to get away from his mother's incessant hovering when he saw him.

It was Kakyoin. Jotaro knew it was Kakyoin. It had to be. Who else had beautiful cherry red hair, a slim waist and that ridiculous green gakuran? Jotaro just stared for a moment before running after him. The redhead evaded him, slipping through traffic and other pedestrians as if they weren't there.

Jotaro ran, desperately calling his name. He was nearly run over by a city bus and pushed more than a few innocent bystanders to the ground in his hurry to catch his friend.

Then HE appeared and Jotaro stopped dead in his tracks.

Blood-soaked fangs glimmered in the moonlight as Kakyoin's lifeless body hung from his hands.

"DIO!!!" Jotaro roared before launching an all-out assault on the demon that had taken away his life.

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"How is he?" Joseph asked as he watched his grandson through the tiny window in the door of padded cell that had been the young man's home for the last year.

Jotaro's last 'episode' had been a hallucination revolving around Dio killing Kakyoin. It sent him into a rage as he chased the figment of Dio around Tokyo, destroying anything that got in his way. Jotaro and Star Platinum did millions of dollars' worth of damage over a 6-block area of downtown Tokyo before an SPWF agent got off a lucky shot with a tranquilizer gun and knocked him out.

Since that day, Jotaro had been kept on heavy sedatives and a newly developed stand suppressant. Any time he was taken off the drugs, he became incredibly violent, attempting to harm himself and others the moment he regained awareness. He'd been kept in a full straight jacket for more than 2 months since his most recent suicide attempt.

"There's been no change, Mr. Joestar. He's injured 3 orderlies just this week."

"You lowered the stand suppressant as well?"

"No, sir. That was just him alone."

Joseph sighed, "Isn't there anything we can do? It's been a year since the incident in Tokyo. I don't want my grandson drugged up and in a padded cell for the rest of his life."

"Yes, sir. We are trying a new antipsychotic and plan to start easing him off the sedative again late next week."

"Alright, how confident are you this time?"

The doctor's hesitation told him all he needed to know.

"Uhhh, but there is something else we've been working on..."

Joseph raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Well? Go on then!"

The doctor shuffled nervously, "We...well, it's not exactly ready yet but..."

"Oh, come on, man! If you guys have something to help Jotaro, you have to tell me!"

The doctor nodded and lead Joseph away from Jotaro's cell, "Please remember, this is not ready. We have been working on this since Jotaro's initial break. We are close, but the final steps seem...difficult."

Joseph made a face, "What are you talking about?" he asked as they headed to the other side of the hospital.

The doctor stopped in front of a door, "Before I show you, you must know that things are not as they seem. I will have our genetic expert come explain things to you, but...well. You should see for yourself."

The doctor opened the door and gestured him inside. One step inside the door and Joseph froze.

"Kakyoin..."

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Hello all! i hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my new fic! 

As always, comments, questions and suggestions are welcome! Tell me what you think!