Fate Alteration

Father Serra held clasped his calloused hands in front of himself firmly, but the way his thumbs dug into his skin betrayed his nerves in daring to ask the question. “I’m asking on behalf of my son. He’s young…around your age, in fact.” He smiled briefly at Hitomi as she appeared around the corner of the van. “When the world…changed, he was at sea. One of my old friends was teaching him how to navigate. He’s not come back since.”

“I’m truly sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, we haven’t really been at sea since any of us have been…you know….puttering about.” Reigen rubbed the back of his head. “Can you tell us what he looks like?”

“He’s got a unique look to him,” Father Serra laughed. “Rather striking pink hair, if you can believe it. You may not believe me, but he was born that way.”

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aoihitomi

Hitomi immediately spun and looked at Doppio, her eyes wide.

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Reigen reached the same conclusion at the same time as Hitomi, but his shock was even plainer.

‘No.’

‘Really?’

He should have spoken so as not to leave the kind man hanging, but that stopped mattering when Doppio rounded the corner.

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Doppio’s legs had moved before his brain could think. When their eyes met, His mouth moved but no sounds came out. He suddenly felt like a child again, small and lost.

The raw fragmented memories poured out into his awareness. The smell of incense clinging to his clothes. The slow chiming of bells. The heavy fabric of his cassock. The flickering flames of a hearth.

Doppio saw the man cover his mouth, his eyes screwing up with pure emotion. It was for him. He knew this man. This man knew him.

“Patri meu?”

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aoihitomi

"Your father?" Hitomi hadn't intended for the words to slip from her mouth, but they spilled before she could even stop them. She turned her eyes away from Doppio and towards the priest in front of them. "You're Doppio's father?"

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The way the man embraced their mysterious companion without reservation answered Hitomi’s question. Doppio’s eyes were wide but softened with familiarity that grew by the second.

Reigen sidled up to Hitomi, careful of intruding in on the moment. “I…can’t really believe this is happening.”

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princechid

Chid joined Hitomi and Reigen. He looked back nervously at Doppio with the priest.

"Does this mean Doppio is leaving us?"

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Reigen suppressed a pained wince at the small boy’s question. “Well…”

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“Caspiterina! Doppio! Your hair…” Doppio’s braid was jostled. “When on earth did it get so long?”

“Um…awhile?”

“And these—tattoos?” Doppio looked down as his sleeve was pushed back for the priest to inspect his skin. “Did Piras really give you these already?”

“No way!” Doppio snapped, feeling a rush of indignation. “I asked him over and over, and he…um…” He trailed off. ‘He what? Who?’ The name sparked a feeling but the memory cut off before he could fully recall it. He suddenly shrunk back as if worried the priest would be angry with him, but Father Serra only laughed a full-bodied joyous laugh.

“Don’t look so guilty. I knew you were trying to get tattoos for awhile. I figured you wouldn’t miss your chance on your first excursion away.”

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“Oh.” The priest bowed towards the rest of the group. “Please, forgive my inattentiveness. You all must be terribly road-weary.”

“No, please don’t be sorry.” Reigen reflexively bowed back at an even deeper angle. “If you and Doppio want to go up ahead, the rest of us can wait. One of our friends is down at the beach right now, but she should be back soon.”

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"Were you all talking about me?" Max asked with a slight smile, her hands on her waist. She hadn't heard much, but she had heard Reigen mention her being down at the beach.

It didn't take long for her to notice the new addition to their hardy crew and her eyes narrowed slightly. "What, did we get a new addition while I was gone? That didn't take long."

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‘Oh thank God.’ Reigen cleared his throat. “Father, meet Signora Max Caulfield. And, likewise…meet Reverend Gavino Serra. He’s Doppio’s father.”

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"Wait, priests are allowed to have kids here?" Where was here, anyway? Italy, right? That's where the Vatican was. This guy had to be Catholic.

But this guy also looked nothing like Doppio. So maybe...

"Or did you take our little Doppio in?"

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'Our little Doppio?' Doppio repeated it in his head, slowly processing that he was being called that in front of his own dad.

"Yes, you would be right. I took Doppio in as an infant. It's been almost 16 years to the day, in fact..."

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"Wow," Max said. Sure was weird thinking of Doppio as a pastor's son.

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aoihitomi

"Um," Hitomi started. "Is there a place we can stay in town?" She was just as worried as Chid that Doppio would stay here. If he was, she at least wanted more time with him.

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"You'll stay with us, of course!" Doppio piped up as if it was the most natural thing to offer. He paused after he said it--after all, he didn't really know what home was. Self-consciousness overtook him again. He was sure he looked crazy with his visible seesawing between certainty and confusion.

"Of course. There's plenty of room in the rectory for guests." Doppio's strange demeanor didn't slip by Father Serra, but the comfort of him and his friends would come first for now. Especially since there was a small child among them.

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"Ah, of course..." Reigen trailed off, making sure he was appropriately gracious as he bid farewell to the dream of his beachside villa.

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Doppio's eyes flitted around to everyone nervously before his eyes fell on Chid. This was sudden and confusing for everyone...but it had to be extra confusing for him, didn't it? Doppio put on his best brave face.

"Hey, Chid...do you wanna ride with me in the back of the truck to town? It's pretty fun!"

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princechid

Chid nodded, his blue eyes gleaming with excitement. "Yes!"

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Reigen climbed into the driver seat and waited until Hitomi took her place shotgun and Max crawled into the back before starting the van up. His eyes went to the truck ahead and the first thing he saw was Doppio helping Chid up into the bed. Right away, Doppio began chattering to the kid. He couldn’t hear what he was saying, but the brightness in Doppio’s expression said it all.

Reigen wished he could say the same for the van. It already felt strangely empty. Still, he was the Captain. He had his role to play.

“This is a good thing,” he said as he jerked the shift into drive.

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"If you say so. Can't say living with a priest would be my first choice." Okay, so maybe Max was being a little bitter. But now that she watched Doppio cheerily chatting with Chid... "But I guess you're right. If this is where he belongs, he should probably stay here."

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