Written By: Armina Qi Saxton

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Chapter 4: Fate And Hope

The weather hadn't tapered off as the months changed from November to December and started to move toward the end of the seemingly long year. There was more then enough snow on the ground to last Gaians several lifetimes at the least, some taking advantage of the piling snow during the breaks in between storms and found ways of releasing days of boredom that had been spent inside. Snowmen were built along the outskirts of Durem, snow angles made in Barton Square, and snowball fights were won and lost along Bass'ken Lake. It was cut short, however, by claps of thunder in the distance and an extremely cold chill moving through the valleys of snow.

The snow had started to fall once again, as the storm clouds came rolling in and the lightening and thunder clashed together along the underbelly of the dark storm clouds. The Gaians that were outside took the last few moments of freedom from the confines of their homes, before the low-lying force of wind chased them back inside. They scampered inside, looking up at the clouds that were moving from the west, glaring at the darkness that would cut out what little of the sun's rays broke through the grey clouds that were already above and wondering if the gods and goddesses were finding other ways of keeping them inside for the rest of winter. There would be more breaks in the snow and storms; when those breaks came, they did not know and hoped that they soon would come.

The new storm system didn't seem to affect those that were making their way through Durem, as several Gaians walked out of a tall building that stood to one side of the city, all of which were glancing towards the sky and muttering curses under their breath. This same building they had come out of, represented the temporary meeting hall of the Gaian Council, until they were able to use their station in the Guild Office once again. With the threat of winter's months being dragged out longer then what was expected, the Guild Hall served more then it's fair share of Guilds and Gaians then what was normally done in a few months time. The Council couldn't speak of matters all across Gaia and her Territories properly without others listening in on their conversations.

Johnny and Edmund followed after them a few seconds later, neither of whom even bothered to look towards the ever-darkening sky like the rest of the Council had. They were intent on going to their own homes, one of which was in the city and the other on Isle de Gambino. Most of the Council had already gone home for the day, or was still inside the building to do business with others. Neither one seemed to want to wait around for the rest that wanted to stay behind, wanting to go home before the next storm came rolling in.

There were several Gaians walking around Durem without the fear of being lost in snow, as the roads and back alleys were paved several times over and over again. There was enough salt upon the ground so that any new snow wouldn't form as well as past snow flurries and ice wouldn't form to slip upon. Edmund shivered in the wind that blew over the wall, fastening the last few buttons on his coat as he and Johnny walked away from the building without a look at it from over their shoulders.

"This is the time of the year that I wish it wasn't so damn cold outside," Johnny mumbled, pulling the scarf around his neck tighter. Winter had once been his favorite season, but with the absence of his son and the drastically colder weather, it was becoming more of a bothersome then something he had once been able to stare outside and watch from his mansion. "This winter doesn't make it any better."

"Too true, that is," Edmund said, with a short laugh. "I feel sorry for you, on having to walk all the way back to the island."

"I'm sure that you do," He replied, giving Edmund a side-ways look that was easily ignored. "I just hope that Liam has the transporters fixed by the end of the year, otherwise there goes some of the Council's profits and more of a hassle to work with once spring comes."

"I doubt he could even attempt at getting the wiring form underneath the snow without having to dig deep. It's bad enough that it is already waist-deep along the paths now." He paused for a moment, glancing up at the storm clouds for a moment before continuing on. "The next snowfall doesn't look like it is going to help any."

"This is one winter I want to be over with so that everything can go back to the way it was." There was bitterness in Johnny's voice, one that was masked by a smile and a nod to passing Gaians that were rushing to their homes like they were. They didn't need to read into his expressions any more then he knew they were.

"It will, eventually," Edmund said, pulling the top of his coat tighter. "When the last snow comes and goes, it will."

"Which reminds me. Anything else that the labtechs assigned to Gaia's weather have reported on the future conditions that I haven't seen? I haven't seen one in two weeks from them and have started to wonder where those reports are, if they have been done." There were only a few labtechs that were assigned to use G-Corps tracking devices that were normally used to keep an eye on all employees but had been programmed to also track different systems across Gaia. It had been an idea from the weather station's own radar devices and modified to be twenty-five percent more accurate. It had failed twice already, yet was still relied on by the higher-ups of G-Corp.

"That's the problem, it seems. I have been trying to get at least one of the reports done every Friday, but it doesn't seem like they want to take the time to do them." Edmund shrugged. "Waste of time, they say, when there are more important things to do."

"Johnny nodded in agreement. "I have gotten the same..."

His voice trailed off suddenly, stopping where he had been walking and his mouth hanging open on the words he had been about to speak. Edmund stopped at the same time, his eyes wandering forwards, towards the entrance archway of the city. Standing in the middle of it, blocking anyone from entering or exiting Durem, his face hidden underneath the hood of an old, worn, grey cloak that was pulled over his face so that only his mouth and nose was showing. He wore tattered grey clothing, that of which was common among the few peasants that lived in Central Gaia and didn't look like he had been there long, perhaps a week or less. There was a bag draped over his right shoulder, indicating that he had either traveled a great distance or was about to go but had wanted to look at Durem one last time.

This stranger stood where he was, not moving, not speaking, not doing anything. Johnny and Edmund exchanged glances, wondering what this man wanted with him or had even noticed that they were there, one waiting for him to move so that he could go back home. With the way that the hood of his cloak was draped, it didn't seem like he had noticed that there were two others that wanted him to move. If he did know that there were several Gaians standing in front of him, then he most likely was waiting for one or both of them to hand him some gold before he would let them pass.

"Can we help you?" Johnny asked, giving the man an honest stare of annoyance.

"Yes, perhaps you can. I am looking for someone, someone that I haven't seen in a long while." The man's voice was soft yet was strong and did not waver in the coldness. "This was the first place I have looked and was hoping to find that person."

"Have you tried the Guild Office? There is a registry there and it might help you," Johnny offered, hiding his nervousness as best as he could. He wouldn't mind helping the stranger out as much as he could, as he knew how hard it was to go through the winter months without any place to go, but there was something about him that he just didn't like.

"No, I am sure that Leon can't help me." The man's lips turn into a half smile. "Besides, I think I have found the person I am looking for."

Johnny looked over at Edmund once again, who only shrugged as he turned his head back to the stranger. "I know I will regret asking this, but who are you looking for?

"You, in fact," He said with ease. Silence followed the three words, as both stared at him with more then surprised looks. There were few Gaians that came into Barton, much less Durem, who knew Johnny or his name at least, this request coming at a surprise for both of them. Johnny had to think of the few Gaians that he knew outside the Council, the shopkeepers, and the Von Helsons that would want to meet with him on a day like this.

"What do you want with Johnny?" Edmund asked, the surprise still lingering on his face from the question. The man seemed to ignore his question, even though his head turned slightly towards him. The stare from underneath the hood seemed to last forever, as the man moved his right hand from his side and reached to his hood, where he slid it back and pushed it back enough to show who he really was.

If the shock of having someone ask to meet with Johnny was surprising, then the shock of seeing the young face of a ghost was greater. It only took a second to register the piercing gaze of him for Johnny's face to lose all color in it, his eyes going wide with surprise before they became relieved, and his breath catched in his throat. He felt as though his legs were about to give out on him, as he looked into this Gaian's face for the first time in over four years and everything seemed to come flooding at him all at once. There didn't seem to be anything else around him that could bring him out of this, not even the cold wind that blew harder.

"Gino?" He asked, his voice shaking as he took a step forwards. "Is...is it really you?"

"Hello father," Gino answered, his head tilting to the side. There was amusement on his face, like he found something funny in the way his father had acted only a few moments before and it was still lingering on his mind. There was nothing much shock and happiness on Johnny's face, before the realization that his son was actually standing before him, alive and well enough, had sunk in to a point that he could actually move.

He rushed forwards before Gino could react to it, pulling him close to his body in a hug that was more then four years overdue. There was no emotion that could show how he felt at the moment of knowing his son was okay, no words that could remotely tell what he had always wanted to say to him. There was a loss of words during the first few seconds of the hug, just to know that this was reality and not just a figment of his imagination. Even without Gino hugging back and Johnny seeing the smile vanish from his face, it was good to have him back to where he could see him again.

"I've missed you. You don't know how much I've wanted you to come home." It took a minute more for Gins revelation to sink in fully before his reaction to change. He pushed Gino to arms length from him, a flash of anger going upon his face and eyes. "Where have you been? Do you know how worried I've been about you? I didn't know if you were dead, alive, or what have you. I haven't heard from you in four years. What the hell were you thinking, not keeping in touch with me so that I could know that you were alive?"

Gino's mouth dropped open at the sudden change in Johnny, then closed his mouth completely. His jaw set firmly together, his eyes moving along his face like he was trying to read his expression and place the tone of voice to this man. He couldn't find the reason behind the sudden change of emotions by Johnny's face alone, his eyes turning to Edmund for those answers. Instead, he found him laughing at the serious expression on Gino's face.

"Gino, what your father is trying to say is that he is glad that you are home and are alive and safe. It's been," Edmund paused, glancing over at Johnny before continuing, "well, I'll let your father explain. Besides, you two have enough to catch up on without me standing here."

Edmund didn't say anything else, giving a quick, short nod to both Gambino's before turning slightly and walking towards the Salon where he could get out of the cold. He left them standing there together, watching him go in that direction without even bothering to ask why he was leaving in the first place. It would give father and son a chance to get everything straightened out, but Gino had wanted to do it where there was more then his father standing there. Johnny wasn't about to call his friend back to help him out on this occasion, his hands falling back to his side as his eyes fall back upon Gino once again.

His son had changed, Johnny could see that without even having to ask. Gino's little body had become more muscular and toned since the last time he had seen him, his face still holding a tan from the summer months of working hard in fields of corn, and his hair was more golden then a light blonde. His eyes held no more of the innocent and far-off look that it once held in it, becoming more harden with the days that had passed. Johnny knew that much had changed during the four years, yet he didn't know what else had changed emotionally. He wanted to know if Gino still felt anger towards him for not being the father that he was supposed to be or for the things that he had done to him. Only time would tell if there was still that anger in him or if that, too, had changed.

"Gino, come to the mansion to get warmed up and something to eat at least. I don't think it is a good idea to be standing out in the cold like this. It looks like it is going to get worse." To confirm what he was saying, a clap of thunder exploded overhead and the snow started to fall harder then what it had been before. "Unless, of course, you just came here to see the city again and happened to see me along the way. If that is what you came here for, I understand and won't keep you any longer."

His voice dropped into a low tone, the full effects of the last four years showing upon his face. It took several moments for Gino to see just how aged Johnny had become, his eyes moving along the few lines of wrinkles that were on his face and how much smaller his father seemed to have become. The imposing man that he had known before, had shrunk and looked as worn and tired as the sky above seemed to become. The tones in which he had used were not in his usual booming voice, even when he was out in a public place such as Durem. Even his eyes lacked the drive that had once been there, the drive that he had seen during the fateful Easter that changed everything.

That was what he had come back to see, the changes that he could detect without even talking to his father. Gino had gotten what he wanted, to a small degree, and was satisfied that his father had changed to a point that he didn't feel afraid of what his father was going to do. He wasn't going to head back to the small farming village that he had left behind so soon, not when he had to find out anything else he could about what his father was doing now and anything else that could show what the man already showed on his face. It would take time for him to fully understand everything that was new and out of place before he could finally be happy with whatever changes that may have happened.

His silence only confirmed what he thought, but Johnny took it as that his son was not standing before him because he wanted to see his father again but because he was just passing through. His shoulders shagged slightly, his heart dropping into his stomach, and thoughts of finally being defeated entered his mind. A forced smile came onto his face in an attempt to hide the disappointment on his face that his son wasn't staying. He didn't say anything in return of the silence, walking past Gino and towards the entrance of Durem without even a look behind him.

"Where do you think you are going?" Gino demanded, turning around quickly. He hadn't expected his father to walk away without an explanation, his face scrunching up in the demand of his question. Johnny stopped and turned halfway around to look at his son. "Aren't you going to stop me form leaving?"

"Back to the island, that's where I am going. I can't force you to stay here, Gino. Not when it is apparent that you don't want to be here. I've kept you here long enough and you've made the decision to leave long before you did," He said quietly, looking down at the ground. "You are more then old enough to make your own choices, and I can't keep you from leaving. I would want you to stay, but that is just a hope that I can't force on you."

"What makes you think I don't want to be here?" He asked, glaring at his father. The assumption of him not wanting to stay, he knew, was his fault, but he wanted to see what his father would say.

"You would have come back a lot sooner then today," Johnny answered. "It's my fault that you left, nothing can change that, and I am the reason that you haven't been back since."

He looked back up at Gino, his face saying more then what his words ever did. He turned his back upon him, as he tried not to show the pain of Gino leaving then returning so suddenly. Johnny felt torn on trying to keep his son from leaving again and allowing him to leave; the only option he wanted was to have him stay and not leave again, yet that was not what he was about to force down upon him. Gino was old enough to decide if he wanted to stay or if he wanted to go, something that his father couldn't decide for him.

"I thought losing your mother was the worst thing that happened but when you left, it felt as though I had nothing else to live for. The mansion was empty for the first time in seventeen years and there was nothing I could do about it." Johnny steadied his voice, trying to keep it at the same level he had before, while keeping his emotions in check. There was no need for him to start crying now, even with his son's return. "I tried looking for you, to see where you went and if you were okay, but there was nothing there. Not even Leon could find you and half of his guard was out looking for as far and as long as they could go before they had to stop searching. I gave up shortly after that, knowing that you were lost to me." He turned his head, looking at Gino's expressionless face. "I don't expect you to forgive me for anything I have done or said to you. Just knowing that you are alive and have a life somewhere else in Gaia is all that I could ever want. Thank you."

What little of Johnny's face he saw, Gino could tell how much his leaving affected his father. His wavering voice confirmed that much, as he turned around back towards the entrance and continued on with his trek back to Isle de Gambino. Gino stood there for a moment, tempted to let his father leave just like he had left him, but that was not what he had gone through just to spend ten minutes with him. No, he was not going to leave so easily, as he walked forwards and grabbed Johnny by the arm. He stopped, looking down at his son with a confused look on his face. The blank expression had changed, becoming more soft as a smile came onto his lips. There was still a serious undertone to that expression and it was overlapped by the eyes that gazed into his fathers.

"You have until Christmas Day to prove to me the difference in the father I left standing in the streets four years ago and the father I see standing before me now. Do we have an agreement?" Gino asked. Johnny was at a loss for words with this, his mouth opening and closing to find the words that he wanted to say. Gino stared up at him without even blinking, waiting for the answer.

He found that he couldn't answer Gino right away, not because this was something that he wanted but because he didn't know how he could prove himself. So many different possibilities went through his mind on how to keep him from leaving again to the reasons he could give to him for wanting to stay. There was so much that they had to catch up on that he didn't know how they could do that in a few short weeks and less time spent together then there should be. Even if he had to be absent from G-Corp for a day or so, he could do it, but would have to pull longer hours later in another week. There was so much to do in such a short amount of time that it would be near impossible to show the changes from the person he once was to the person he was now. Still, it was a challenge he wasn't going to back down from, not if it meant keeping his son. He could always work on other things at a later date.

"Yes, we do," Johnny answered finally, taking in a deep breath. He knew what he was getting himself into, even if he had to cancel everything else in his life to make time. He was still confused, trying to get all of this thoughts and emotions together before he could do anything. This had happened all of a sudden and still was a shock to him.

"Good, because I could use something to eat right now." Gino's smile returned to his lips, something that his father could return as he placed his arm around his son and lead him towards the few feet to the entrance of Durem. This was one of the few smiles that he could return to another person that wasn't forced or fake, a manageable smile that would only haunt him as the smile that sealed an agreement between father and son. He didn't know how he could do it, but there would be things rearranged and things canceled. There always was, so that he wouldn't lose anything else that was important.

More important then anything else.