Remeniscing about the past - Maritsu and Gabriel POV

The fact that he didn't know how they would feel made it a lot harder for him to return to a place he once called home than it should have been. Taking Maritsu with him helped ease his emotions, though.

He had told Maritsu about his fallen comrades over these years, about their personalities and quirks. Their dreams and hopes, and how much sadness and loss their departure brought.

Now it was time that he went and introduced Maritsu to them. Maritsu had worked hard alongside him on the long and narrow road towards their goal, and faced death threats and life-threatening injuries more than once.

The suffering they went through to make their goal a reality was unimaginable.

During that struggle, Maritsu had grown from the boy, he had found inside the office that one night, into a man he could trust with his life. Someone he could build and rely on.

At moments when it was really quiet in his life, in the middle of the night or moments he was just lost in thought. Gabriel was never happier that he had given Maritsu the benefit of the doubt.

By giving that benefit of the doubt, he had gained him an amazing younger brother!

Now it was finally time for his younger brother to meet his older brothers. Those brothers made him who he was today, therefore he found it important that Maritsu knew who they were and paid his respects to them at their ultimate resting place.

Just like years ago, Maritsu had taken him to Jason's grave and introduced them.

Knowing that Jason's body was never recovered, his grave had just been a memorial place for him and his mother.

The grave, however, had showed looked well taken care of, and Maritsu had told him that it was a place he often went to when he needed to think or talk to his brother.

Therefore, bringing Gabriel to Jason's grave and "introducing" him to Jason had been a solemn affair. They had approached the situation with respect and a serious attitude, which the introduction called for.

When they had arrived at Jason's grave all those years ago. Maritsu had talked to the grave like Jason was there. That was a habit he developed over the years. After all, when he needed to be quiet or when he needed to talk, he would always come accompany Jason. Trying to find inner peace or someone to talk to.

Therefore, when Maritsu introduced Gabriel, he did so out loud. Then Maritsu joked that after all he had told Jason over these years, it was time that they finally met in person.

That the meeting should have happened many years ago, since they were both his brothers. Just hearing Maritsu talk about either of them to the other wasn't enough. It was time to meet.

Gabriel had been solemn and introduced himself as well and thanked Jason for having such an awesome and that he was willing to share this awesome brother, so he could be his big brother. He also said that he never wanted to take Jason's place, they would be Maritsu's big brother together.

He also thanked Jason for showing Maritsu the way, before he had passed away, and that now since Jason could not do so in reality, he would make sure to protect his younger brother with his life if necessary. However, he was convinced that if there were spirits it wouldn't be necessary. Since he would take great care of his brother himself when he was watching over him.

And since he believed in spirits and guardian angels, he was sure that Jason had keeping Maritsu safe all this time. So that he could please keep watching Maritsu and watch him to grow in the person Jason would be proud of, because Gabriel was sure that would be the case.

While they were at the grave, Maritsu had shed some tears and clenched his fist, the affirmation that his brother was watching over him and was and would be proud of him touched him deeply. It was proof of the person he was, and he was really grateful that he had taken the time to introduce Jason to Gabriel.

It had eased a tension inside of him he hadn't even known was there.

Maritsu hoped he could do the same for Gabriel this time around, that he finally could let go of some tension, worry and guilt which Gabriel had been carrying for far too long.

Therefore, for Maritsu meeting Gabriel's brothers, was a necessity, but it would also carry the same solemnity; If not more so, the whole situation was nerve-wracking for Gabriel and that made the situation even more tense.

Gabriel didn't know that Maritsu found meeting his brothers a necessity. All he knew was that it was time that after all the stories Maritsu had heard about them, he would go and pay his respects to them.

In Gabriel's mind, Maritsu would become their younger brother, after introducing Maritsu to them. Although Maritsu already had Jason as a guardian angel, one could never have too many in their line of work.

Therefore, Gabriel hoped that if they didn't blame him, they could keep an eye on their little brother and protect his safety.

Gabriel also hoped that those comrades in arms would show them the way forward. Maritsu had carried so much for so long, from such a young age. The idea that he would have more guardian angels watching his back cheered up Gabriel.

On the flip side of that Gabriel brought Maritsu to pay his respects to his fallen brother's, because he hoped that someone would honor his brothers, besides him, so that if there ever was a day, he wasn't around anymore their contribution would be remembered, and that someone besides him would carry their memories forward.

His brothers, his comrades, should never be forgotten. They should forever stay in our memories and be honored, after all the contributions they had made was unimaginable.

Gabriel didn't know that Maritsu had remembered everything Gabriel had told him about his brothers. He didn't need to meet them to remember them. He had almost engraved every memory Gabriel shared of them into his soul.

Why would he do that, you ask? Because Maritsu was grateful for them, and paying his respects didn't change those facts.

Maritsu would be forever be grateful to them. After all, if their death hadn't changed Gabriel, Gabriel wouldn't have changed his life, and if Gabriel hadn't changed his life, he wouldn't have met Gabriel; And Maritsu didn't dare to guess where he would have ended up if he never met Gabriel.

Therefore, even without paying his respects, Gabriel's fallen comrades had already had a special place in his heart. A place that would never be forgotten and encroached on, it had become a part of the pillar of the man he was.

Simply, because Gabriel had guided him and they had guided Gabriel, they would forever be a part of him like they had been of Gabriel, and he would make sure to never forget them or the memories Gabriel shared about them.

So, where Gabriel was still worried if Maritsu would understand his thoughts, he didn't know Maritsu found paying his respects to them the most obvious thing in the world.

Apparently, kismet was happening once again. Just like when Maritsu once took his notebook to decide his future path, now they once again sat in their car, with their goal returning to basics. In the hope they would find the right way forward, after returning to basics once again, like so many years ago.

However, there were differences this time. Differences hadn't existed when the same situation with the notebook happened so many years later.

Right now, however, there were differences from the same situation so many years ago.

The difference being that Maritsu was no longer a delinquent. This time it was an atonement for actions done by Gabriel, not actions done by Maritsu.

After all, in Gabriel's eyes returning to that place, honoring the deceased and explaining everything to them, held an attitude of seeking atonement for his actions and deeds.

Looking for atonement was never easy. It takes courage to atone for once mistakes, even if it's mistakes someone perceives.

The emotions got the better of Gabriel during the entire drive to their destination. However, when they were five minutes away from reaching their destination, Gabriel noticed it right away. Simply, because of the change in surrounding. He gathered his emotions and, once again, became the Stoic officer.

It was time to face his demons.