The Devil's in the Details.

[MadxHatterxTeapot]

“Well, isn’t that what all of those…you know “expert” child psychologists say? You gotta love and nurture your kids for them to even grow up remotely normal?” He removed his coat with ease and tossed it on the floor somewhere in the vicinity of his room. An arm wrapped around her and he used his foot to pull up the blankets on his bed. Listening to Iris talk about the future with their kid…or maybe kids, Dante tilted his head to the side and smiled fondly at the idea.

“I watched some segment when the cable box was working the other day. If we have a boy, just so you know, we ain’t namin’ him “Brantley.” He was completely serious in this aspect. “None of those “my daddy’s a lawyer” type names either. Like…Aaron or-or Paul. Definitely not Warner.” His brow knit together in annoyance before he rested his head comfortably against Iris’. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled and was back to himself again, less tense. “I still can’t believe we’re gonna be parents. I mean, what am I gonna do in a little town to support our family? I could go to one of those…Vocational Technical programs. You know?” He shrugged. “Work in mechanics…slay a few demons around town.”

Demons That’s right. He’d have to tell their kid about the monsters that existed in the world and how he was one of the good guys that stopped them. “…Our kid’s gonna have to know about my other profession, you know? I mean…not a whole lot of baddies are out there hunting Vergil and me freely. We got…like a few but…I just wanted to let you know so you’re aware. Regardless, I ain’t gonna let nothing happen to you or them.” He rubbed his hand against her stomach again and inhaled deeply and thought for a moment. His brow quirked slightly and he smiled at her before pressing a kiss to her lips. “Listen, I want our kid to do whatever makes ‘em happy.”

He tilted his head back when she reciprocated and he couldn’t help but chuckle when she mentioned Christmas Pageants. “That’s after hours at the local pub at “Adult’s Only Hour.” He purred. “Studly Claus is in the house…and he comes to bring Mrs. C some much needed affection because Mr. C has been neglecting her sexual needs, severely.” He pressed soft kisses to the nape of her neck. “Mmm. We make sure the kid is in bed with the babysitter and go out and have some fun for ourselves.” Moaning softly, he drew her up closer and gently brushed his hands over her back and arse.

“…And, when you’re ankles are sore and swollen, I’ll massage ‘em for you and order out for your favourite cravings and all that. You say: “Dante, I want a double-decker cheeseburger with hot sauce and onion rings on it dipped in ranch.” I’ll be on it. Or, you want the biggest sundae that you can consume but they put walnuts in it…and the baby hates walnuts and doesn’t want you to have ‘em, I’ll pick ‘em out for you.” Tapping her nose, he winked at her. “And, I’ll show up for every PTA meeting, school sing-a-long, and any other academic events I need to show up to. Even…” He paused for effect “Mathletes.”

Tilting her chin up he kissed her again and licked hips lips, nipping at her chin for effect. “…We’re gonna do just fine.” He assured her. “It’ll be hard as s**t, sure but…nothing we can’t handle. Getting my a** kicked is worse than raising a kid. At least when you take care of your kid, you’re rewarded in some way afterwards. Right?”

--

Her eyes never left him as he helped her settle on the couch. She relished in the warmth of his coat, bundling herself up in it and the blanket he provided. She watched him, carefully lifting each of her arms up and wiping away the dirt and blood that caked onto her skin. It was so surprising to see how gentle and delicate he was with her, Mara almost forgot he was even Vergil for a moment. Another smile touched the corners of her lips when he dried off each limb and took the cloth to her face, tilting her chin up and gently rubbing in circular motions to clear her face. Her eyes fluttered closed for a minute until she opened them again to glimpse his forearms and then the outline of his vest.

Get a hold of yourself Mara. He’s just righting his wrongs. He doesn’t like you like that. She tried to shake these thoughts off her mind as he returned with the shot of whiskey in hand and she accepted it from him. For a moment, green eyes stared at the shot before she gazed back up at him. “You can be quite charming when you want to be, you know?” She murmured and knocked the shot back, inhaling sharply before coughing at the vile taste. “Oh! Oh god…” She wheezed, lifting her hand up to cover her mouth as she coughed. “Oh it’s awful!” Waving the other hand, she silently gestured for the bottle of water to wash down the horrible taste.

“I thought…” She exhaled, gasping slightly after she downed half the bottle of water. “I thought…I told you, I don’t need alcohol to put up with you anymore.” At that, she couldn’t help but giggle slightly. “You were never really…that awful.” Not even an inkling of smile was on his face, but she caught his arm anyway before he could move from her side. “…Promise you’ll stay with me?” There was some obvious concern in her tone as she eyed him. “I’m afraid…I’ll have nightmares about him torturing me, only…this time maybe he’ll get my soul.” She gripped his sleeve a bit and bit her lip. “I know you won’t leave…but another part of me worries you will…and I’ll never see you again.”

[Minaarchangel]

"I was thinking Wren. I like that name."

She looked up at him, "Nobody is going to mistake you for a lawyer. I don't know any that run around without shirts on and act like it's no big deal."

Iris gave him a half smile, "I'm sure I'd have never figured out that a man who goes around killing demons might have an enemy or two. It's a good thing you told me. I might have gone around thinking that you were next in line to be a saint. After Mother Theresa, of course."

She let him pull her close, and breathed warm air on his neck, kissing there gently, "We'll find a good babysitter. Maybe your brother. We'll come home and our kid will be doing drills and telling us we're adequate parental figures. So are you ready for my body to go all fun-house mirror on you? Because I'm pretty sure this involves something growing inside me. That's going to change stuff."

Glancing down she shrugged, "But my boobs will get bigger. So, silver linings and all."

Leaning her head against his shoulder after he kissed her again, she sighed softly, "He'll be smart, and talented. So damn talented that we'll wonder where he got it from. And he'll do the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing, not because he thinks it's expected. If I can love him half as much as my mother loved me, I know he'll be just fine. I just wish I could share it with her."

Her smile got sad, but it stayed, "She was so kind and warm. We didn't have a lot, because she was just working a part time job at a florist's shop and living off dad's pension, but we always had enough. I never felt like I was going without, I never felt like I couldn't have what I wanted. I guess from her example, I learned not to want much, really. I didn't care if the other kids had cell phones, or designer bags. All the stuff I have now doesn't mean much because I couldn't give it to her while she was still alive. But now I can give it to you. And our baby."

~~~~~

"Yes, I imagine any booze Dante could afford would be less than satisfactory," Vergil said dryly, but he made her finish it and took the shot glass from her, then gave her the water and let her drink as much as she wanted. "It is to calm you down and to help you sleep, not to deal with me. I am the least of your problems this evening."

She caught his arm, and he nodded that he would stay with her, "I promise."

He sat down next to the couch, his back to her, but he was on guard, Yamato in his lap, even if he was still. He wanted her to sleep, but he turned his head slightly before her breathing had evened out.

"...I will never let anything happen to you again, Mara."

With that, he turned his head away from her and settled in, to keep watch over her, and to go upstairs and beat his brother into a bloody pulp if he could not keep his hands off that angel for one damn night. Nobody needed to hear that, and Vergil did not need to think about his brother naked and thrusting only a staircase away. It was not his choice of background music. But he would stay by Mara's side, and listen for any change in breathing patterns, and wake her if necessary.

[MadxHatterxTeapot]

“Hey, the Pope owes me some kind of sainthood since I put up with all this bullshit. The church doesn’t exorcise demons, I do.” He pointed at himself and scoffed. “I do a damn good job of a field barely anyone gets into and nobody thanks me for it. They just expect me to pay for the damages and I don’t get paid for doing my job, when I do I have to give a majority of it for the construction anyways. It’s almost like they gotta take it out of my taxes anyways.” Rolling his eyes, Dante sighed and nestled Iris comfortably against his chest. His hand lingered on her a** for a moment and he gently rubbed up and down the soft contours before trailing it up her back.

He listened to her prattle on about being able to give him the things he could never afford or even have the money to take into account. “…I don’t want you to have to use that money on me if you don’t have to. The reason why is because I never accepted help from anyone because I was always cynical of it. You know, foster families…they get paid by the government for taking care of the kids they have in the house. I never knew if they were doing it for the money or for me. Half the time I never stuck around to find out…you know, you can only be little for so long until you grow up into a punk and then nobody wants to help you because, you’re too “independent” for their tastes.”

Sighing, he stroked his fingers through her hair. “I started…this job for you because of the money at first. I needed the security, I needed extra cash…but then I realized it wasn’t about the money anymore. You needed help and I wasn’t gonna take advantage of being paid over the precedence of your life. So…I don’t want you to feel like you have to give me anything, because I want to be here…because I…do love ya and wanna you to stay in my life.”

His head tilted back against his pillow, fondly envisioning Iris with a little baby belly and him making sure to give her adequate attention, kisses, and of course as little stress as possible.” Hmm. You know, I read somewhere that pregnant ladies tend to get really horny during sex, you know? It’s like…perfectly normal that couples have sex with each….what is it? Trimisters? Yeah.” He nodded. “Sounds about right. So…” He reached down to rub his other hand over her stomach. “I think I’m gonna handle your body’s 180 just fine.” Winking at her, but it faded and he sighed. “I think the only thing that’s really going to keep me on my toes is gonna be the mood swings and, well my brother…he’s a perfect example of that. I dealt with him in it two years ago.”

He relaxed against his bed and rested his forehead against hers. “Look…everything’s gonna work out. Your moms would be real proud of you right now. You got your dad here to look out for you, and then there’s me. I’m gonna be dad of the year. Best dad in the world. You’ll see.” He held a hand up in the air and pretended to fire off one of his guns. “Fenix comes back…I’ll ******** him up and bust his knee caps. Vergil can cut his head off after what he did to Mara.” He was starting to wonder if his brother was even the same guy that he knew anymore. The brother he knew wanted no part of saving humanity whatsoever. He desired the keys to heaven to obtain more power, but instead…he was catering to a meek little violinist downstairs. “…Do you think he’s smitten?” A smirk touched the corners of his mouth. “Ya know…with her?”

After a while, Dante relaxed enough in his bed to fall asleep, but he woke occasionally in the night to check on Iris curled up next to him. The occasional car horn being in the distance and someone fighting in the street made him tense occasionally before he went back to slumber.

By the time morning rolled around, he was completely reluctant to get out of bed, his half-sleepless night only proved to him just how overprotective he would be now that he was going to be a dad. “Mmm…” Groaning, he stretched himself out a bit and glanced at the alarm clock on his nightstand underneath a few socks and boxer shorts. The clock read 9am but it felt more like 6. “s**t…did we call Benny last night?” He grumbled.
--

The alcohol burned on its way down but after she felt warm inside. Her eyes fluttered closed as she settled in against the leather couch. Her arm outstretched to rest on his as she settled, inhaling the scent of cologne and mint. Green eyes watched him through drowsy lids as he sat, statuesque in the chair beside her and kept an eye out. Her fingers would occasionally grip and then slacken against his arm. “…I trust you.” She murmured in her sleep before rolling over onto her side away from him, finally comfortable enough to rest while clutching the violin close to her.

When morning came, there was a dull ache in her muscles and it felt almost impossible for her to move out from underneath the covers of her warm blankets. It took her a moment to wonder if last night had all just been a horrible nightmare before she opened her eyes and saw Vergil sitting beside her and her heart began to race a mile a minute.

“…Where?” She murmured, breathing erratically. “Where is he?” She stammered, gripping the violin in one hand and shakily grasping onto Vergil’s arm with the other. “Where’s Fenix? Is he…is he dead?” Though this information was passed onto her last night the torment was still fresh in her mind from the night before.

[Minaarchangel]

"I want to take care of you. I know I don't need to buy your love. It makes me happy to give the people I love the things they need and want. Besides, why in the world would I spend it on myself? I can walk into any designer's showroom and walk out with a free gown, free jewelry, free shoe. I can give a company a sound bite and walk away with phones, computers, televisions. I will never want for anything except the love of someone I can love in return, and I already have that."

Her hands moved up to his cheeks, and she laughed softly, "Of course you'd be a studious philosopher about what hormones do to a pregnant woman. Don't worry, I'm sure by the end you'll be telling me you're tired and you have a headache and an early morning tomorrow."

Iris nestled her head under his chin, "I don't know. I've never seen Vergil act that way before. He wasn't even one for physical contact, from what I could tell. But it would be good for him. It would be good for them both, to tell the truth. Mara needs someone to love her, and something to do while we're together. She and I used to spend all of our time together, but now it's different. I need to be with you too."

She was drowsing in his arms, under the blanket on his bed, and Iris fell asleep, listening to his heart beat under her ear, as if it were a drum beating a soothing pace just for her. When they woke up in the morning, Dante muttered something about calling Benny, and Iris promptly rolled over, taking the blanket with her, curling into a ball of colored hair extensions and fabric.

"Don't care. Sleepy time."

~~~~~

Vergil eventually got some sleep, but he was the last to do so out of all of them. He slept in his chair, as he always did, and when Mara woke in the morning, he was already awake. He turned his attention to her, and reached for her hand, holding it tightly so that she would pay attention to him when he spoke.

"He is gone. He will not harm you again."

His voice got lower, "I am here."

Letting Mara take her time, he allowed her to hold his hand until her fingers relaxed a bit. Then he got up and brought her a fresh bottle of water, knowing she was probably dehydrated. He had a second in hand, though it was not for himself, it was for her. He helped her drink the first one down, and then held the second for her in reserve for when she wanted it.

"You may continue to rest if you wish. Dante and Iris have not emerged from upstairs, and I highly doubt they will for a while. It was a difficult evening."

[MadxHatterxTeapot]

It was days like these that Dante felt like he could have really used a cellphone. Benny Craimer was probably shitting himself right now and wondering where his star singer could have been at this moment. If anything, this was bound to be a cover story for a celebrity tabloid if word got out thePandora was fooling around with her bodyguard. The reality of the situation though was they were really together.

As Iris rolled away from him, Dante realized that he could have probably used a shower and a change of clothes anyways. The Armani suit that cost an arm and a leg was ruined for good. The Arachnes had seen to making certain to scratch and claw at him in an attempt to get to the “angel” that was his girlfriend. Running a hand through his hair, he glanced at the beautiful girl bundled up in his sheets and in his band t-shirt and a fond smile crept onto his lips before he leaned over her and kissed her cheek. “Mmm…I gotta get a drink, I’ll be right back.” He murmured softly in her ear and got up to leave the room.

The reality of the situation was a bit more serious than he thought. While Dante trusted that Vergil incapacitated Fenix long enough to rescue Mara, he knew this wasn’t going to be the case. The b*****d was still out there and likely survived. There had to be a way to keep tabs on him somehow so he opted for a different approach in order to be at least be in step with the slime ball. He exited the room for a moment, in time to see his brother tending to Squeaky and keeping her sane.

He imagined after the hell Fenix put her through, she was going to need a bit of TLC in order to recover from the ordeal. Quietly, he came down the stairs and rubbed at his eyes a bit before acknowledging Vergil. “Hey.” He said quietly before plopping down at his desk to grab for his phone. Hopefully the company hadn’t shut off his line yet and when he picked up the receiver he heard the dial tone. “Oh thank ********…” He whispered to himself before punching in the number, occasionally glancing in Vergil’s direction.

The line rang for a few seconds before someone finally picked up and a disgruntled, tired, voice growled over the line. ”I thought I told you people I’m on the ******** Do. Not. Call list.”

A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. “That’s funny, last I checked your still one the: “Dante’s list of assholes that help him out.” There was silence on the other end before he heard a slight gasp. Enzo hadn’t forgotten him after all.

”Holy s**t, you’re actually up at this hour?” It sounded like he was rummaging around before he knocked something over. ”s**t. Uh, what can I do for you man? You need a job?”

“I’m good in the job department actually…” He glimpsed the photograph of his mother on the desk and averted his gaze from her for a moment, almost ashamed to look at her. “Do need a favour though. Need you to get any records of this guy, name’s…Lionel Fenix. He’s a demon. I just need to know where he shops, where he visit. This place is a small city; he’ll probably see the same people going to work every day if he’s slumming the area. Keep yourself as discrete as possible.” Scratching the top of his head, he looked behind his desk at the staircase to his room. “It’s for my job, keeping a client safe but he’s tricky. It’s hard for us to keep track of him. Can’t catch his scent either.”

”Oh.” Enzo sounded like he understood. ”One of those baddies, huh? The nasties that take on human forms? They’re pretty powerful guys, Dante. Look…say I help you with this…what’s in it for me? I mean, you got any money to pay me with right now?”

Scowling, the devil hunter leaned back in his seat. “I got time to come over there and shove my foot up your a**. You’re only up the street from me, you know.” He could feel his teeth sharpen in annoyance. “You do this for me Enzo, or I’m gonna make you regret it. You’re a pal, but you’re also an a*****e. I’ll get you your money, but this s**t better get done man.” He paused for a moment, concern in his tone. “…It’s important, all right?” There was no way he could trust himself to tell Enzo that he was gonna be a dad. The guy was his friend but he didn’t trust him that much.

”Okay Dante, I’ll see what I can do. I know a priest I can get to keep an eye out for me because he owes us from last time.” Enzo sighed and shook his head. ”This is a deep job huh?”

“Yeah it is. Thanks. Look, you need to get in touch with me, call here or this number. I’m staying at a hotel in town, I just thought I’d call you from here. It’s much safer.” With that, he hung up the phone and stood up from his desk to grab a small bottle of orange juice from the fridge. He opened it and took a swig before approaching his brother, making sure to keep his distance to not stress out Mara. “We got eyes on the lookout right now for Fenix. Figured I’d do a little something so we can get this s**t in order.” He clenched the bottle a bit tighter, still not feeling great that Iris was going to hand over the key to Vergil. He wondered how Prentiss would feel about that.

Giving a small nod to Mara, he cleared his throat. “How are ya? You scared us yesterday when…well, you disappeared.”

Mara dipped her head low a bit and silently sipped on her water before hoarsely responding. “…I feel like I’ve been through hell. I don’t know whether I’d rather go there than deal with Fenix again or die.”

Dante frowned and shook his head at her and watched her shift under the blankets. He subtly noticed how she’d squeeze Vergil’s arm to make herself more comfortable. “Is…Iris okay?”

“Yeah, she’s fine. She’s upstairs sleeping. Look, if featherhead comes back inside with new information, let me know. I’m gonna go check on Iris.” Turning, Dante went back up the stairs and back into his bedroom, making sure to say nothing to save his brother’s ego.

Once he closed the door behind him, he crouched at the end of the bed where Iris slept and leaned over her to kiss her again. “Mmm. Can I have some of the blankets back, promise you can use me for warmth.” He teased.
--
His touch was a welcomed aspect to her state of mind. Considering the hell she’d been through, Vergil immediately calmed her with his presence. She squeezed his hand gently and moved a bit under the covers so she could sit up. The water was cool on the back of her throat and she could feel her vocal chords moisten slightly enough that she could speak again. Before she could utter her thanks, the sound of Dante’s footsteps echoed on the staircase and once more she squeezed her guardian’s arm.

She drank her water in silence, watching him converse with someone he knew on the phone before approaching and making some light assurances before he disappeared again. Slowly, she let her hand fall from Vergil’s arm before she gazed down at herself and noted she was alone with the half-demon again. “I want to rest…but I can’t help but think about how I was too weak to defend myself.” She confessed, her fingers wrapped around the neck of the violin. “…Sometimes, I wonder…if my father had forsaken me when the violin lost its power.” She ran her fingers over the strings and bowed her head. “You must think me foolish…for wanting to become stronger so I can protect myself…knowing I’m only human.”

Shaking her head, Mara chuckled bitterly and looked up at him, trying to fight back her tears again. “Biology is both cruel and funny Vergil.” She whispered softly. “They say some genetic mutations are the reason why some survive…but for others…they are easy to spot in the wild…and therefore more susceptible to predators.”

Messy, dark, waves of chocolate fell in her face and she looked up at him again. "...You're an enigma. I may never figure you out...but maybe I have plenty of time to do so." Cautiously, she leaned closer to him in his chair and set the instrument aside. Her hands outstretched to cup his face in hand, making sure Dante was gone. "...Thank you for saving me."

[Minaarchangel]

Iris pulled the covers closer as he leaned over her and told her where he was going. She wondered if it was tactful to tell him she did not care where the hell he was going, or if that was a little too far. But it was the truth. She just wanted to go back to sleep and had just about gotten there when Dante came back upstairs. She had heard him talking to someone, but it just melted into the background noise of the city and she was just fine with that.

He came up and kissed her cheek gently, waking her again, and then he began asking her for more of the covers. Iris opened her eyes, letting him have all the fires of hell at the same time in that cold, deathly stare that Vergil would have been jealous of, "You can have a kidney if I can just ******** go back to sleep. I. Am. TIRED, Dante."

She was not particularly sweet or pleasant when she was sleep deprived, so she turned over then and gave some of the covers back, but she shivered a little, because they were not wrapped tightly around her, waiting for him to get under the covers and either pull her close or at least warm up the blankets. He churned out heat like a furnace and that was reason enough for Iris to put her cold feet on him. She wanted to sleep another three hours and then get up.

~~~~

Vergil nodded silently to his brother when he came in the room and sat quietly when he was making his phone call. While he had injured Fenix, he knew it was useless to hope he was dead. But he would tell Mara so, just to make her feel better about things. Traumatized did not seem to cover how she was acting, so he was going to do what he could to soothe her. Even if it meant not telling her the entire truth. He had indeed cut Fenix down. Whether he was dead or not was unknown.

When Dante went upstairs, Vergil turned his attention back to Mara, shaking his head, "You do not have the proper bow for your instrument. You cannot expect a sword to cut through flesh that has not been sharpened, nor a bow to fire an arrow without a string. Suggesting that you are foolish for being unable to protect yourself against things that are far more powerful than you without the proper ability or instrument is defeatist and I will not hear it."

He frowned down at her, "And you do not need to protect yourself. I will keep you safe. But we will still retrieve that which belongs to you. So you may feel the connection with your father that you miss."

Her hands came up to touch his cheeks, and at first, Vergil wanted to pull away. That warmth was nothing he wanted any part of. But he knew they were alone, so he allowed it, closing his eyes, an act of trust if there ever was one. He leaned his cheek into her palm slightly, taking a slow breath.

"I will always come for you. Never doubt that."

[MadxHatterxTeapot]

For a moment, Dante was concerned she wanted to kill him. Her glare was all but deathly and he slowly quirked a brow at her before he slid into the bed. Using the warmth of his body, he pressed her back against his chest. One arm came to wrap around her and he used his other to bring up the rest of the blankets around him. “All right, grumpy pants,” He chuckled softly, resting his head against hers. His hands snaked up her middle and he gently rubbed her stomach in an attempt to lull himself back to sleep. Yet, despite all of his best efforts…he couldn’t. There were too many things running through his mind. While he was certainly confident in most things, he had his doubts about becoming a father. What if he was more like his own than anything?

His heart began to beat faster in his chest, his mind racing a mile a minute at the very notion he could abandon his kids at any minute…for simply no reason. He shuddered to even think about it that he could only pull Iris in closer and bury his face into the crook of her neck and breathe deeply. His eyes shut tight and he tried to erase the thought of the picture on his desk, of his mother. He even wondered what she would even think of him, knowing he’d knocked some girl up and been so irresponsible.

”You don’t deserve herrrr….she means nothing, but her flesh is so warm and delicious to indulge in. Keep her, but be done with her. She is…simply an angel, forbidden fruit but too delicious to let go.” He gritted his teeth; a fine sheen of sweat covered his forehead as he fought against the demon within that tormented him for her body, for her sex, and to possess every fiber of her being while at the same time still associating her as inferior.

“No…” He murmured into her soft skin, kissing at her flesh. “Mmm…love ya.” He held back the whimper almost in his tone and the frustration in his voice.
--

This…this was so unlike Vergil. For a moment, Mara thought he might shy away from her touch but was completely surprised when he leaned into it. Her hand tensed briefly as he tilted his head against her pam and gently she stroked her fingers down his cheek, inwardly marveling at his strong jawline. A small smile twitched at the corner of her lips. If Dante had been in the room, she as certain he wouldn’t have behaved this way. “I never, in all my life, thought I heard you say those words.” She giggled and became quiet again.

Her gaze traced over his expression and she wondered, momentarily, if Vergil was more private than he made himself out to be. He was one type of personality in public or around others but with her…she had seen a different side to him. She brushed her fingers down his cheek again and leaned in a bit closer.

“He taught me how to play…when I was little, and I took a shine to it. I liked it. I thought…he made beautiful music and I wanted to be…just like him. I wanted to…write and perform. I wanted…to make people happy the way he did.” Her eyes fluttered closed. “But he also taught me…so I could protect myself with it one day.” She bowed her head and smiled fondly at the instrument in my lap. “…Otherwise, why would he have…invested so much time making it necessary…I take it with me everywhere. Practically sleep with it.” Reaching for his other hand, she placed his fingers against the strings and rubbed them up and down the length of the neck. “…Sometime I feel a part of him never left me.”

Warily, she glanced at the staircase and hoped Dante wouldn’t come out of the room again before she pressed her lips to his, but briefly before pulling away. For a brief moment, she could taste mint and a hint of vanilla and she could relish in that tiny victory. “…I will hold you to his promise.” She smiled at him, but it was weary for she still felt weak.

Mara inhaled deeply before pulling away from him. It was only to save his pride though as she settled back in against the couch and her stomach growled something ferocious, considering she hadn’t eaten anything last night but hors d’oeuvres. “I’m starving…”

[Minaarchangel]

Iris was satisfied when he got into the bed with her and pulled her close to keep her warm. That was enough to lull her back to sleep, and she drifted into a quiet sleep, so much happier when she was left alone to snooze. Whether she was aware of Dante's struggle against his demon or not was hard to say, but she curled up with his hand in her own, as if she wanted him unconsciously to know that she loved and believed in him. She was also curled protectively around her stomach, already knowing that she would do anything to keep her child safe.

In a few hours, she woke up and sat up, rubbing her eyes gently before she looked down at Dante and smiled. Now that she was not sleep deprived, she was in a better mood, if a bit queasy. Grimacing a bit, she looked down at her stomach, patting her stomach gently, shaking her head.

"None of that for a few weeks, little one."

She leaned over and stroked his hair away from his cheek and kissed it gently, rubbing her cheek against his afterward, "Good morning. Or..."

Iris leaned over and found her clutch, getting her phone out, "Afternoon. Oh dear."

Dialing Benny's number, she called him and quickly explained that after all that commotion, she had just slipped away to calm down, she was fine, with her bodyguard, and Mara. When that was over, and she promised to be back to the hotel so she could be up bright and early for shooting the next day, she lied back down on the bed and looked at Dante.

"I'm hungry. We should order food."

~~~~

Vergil let her lean up and kiss him, and for some reason it was the most natural thing in the world. He let it happen and he was okay with that. Not quite sighing, he looked down at her and wondered why he cared so much. Aside from her beauty, she wanted to fight for the people she cared about, and she got so righteously indignant when he was being callous. Mara was his opposite, and that was fine with him. Nobody would want two miserable bastards running around together.

When she said she was hungry, he reached under the blankets to his tuxedo coat and pulled out one of his protein bars and unwrapped it for her, looking at the packaging, "Toasted nut and cranberry."

The second best flavor in his opinion.

He had the spare water for her right there, and he knew she would need more to eat than that, but it would take the edge off and let her get used to food in her stomach. Vergil was wary about giving her too much before she had a chance to really recover. Upstairs, he could hear Iris threaten Dante's life with her tone of voice, and it almost made him smile. Then there was more silence and he went to check Dante's fridge.

Inside, there was some orange juice, much like what Dante had drank before, so he brought another bottle of it over to Mara, in case she wanted something else, "We will have a real meal after you rest more."

[MadxHatterxTeapot]

The commotion started early in the morning when he was still asleep in bed. A gentle shake jolted him awake and when he opened his eyes; his brother was pulling roughly on his arm. “Dante, get your butt out of bed. We have to go, Mom said so.”

With a grunt, the stubborn little boy rolled over form his twin before a sharp slap hit him in the back of the head and he jumped right up to raise a hand to his face. “Hey! Vergil, you’re gonna pay for that!” Dante growled scrambling out of bed but stopped short as his brother scrambled towards the bedroom door. He wasn’t running from his brother though, much to his twin’s chagrin. “Where are you going? Get back here.”

“Run, you idiot! Mom says we gotta go!” At this point, Vergil was facing him at the bottom of the staircase, hissing through his teeth and placing a finger to his lips. Blinking in confusion, Dante made a face and hurried at the base of the stairs to gaze down into the massive foyer. “…Where are we going?”

From behind him, he could hear scratching on the windows to his bedroom and when the silver-haired little boy turned to gaze back down the hallway, a large dark shadow darted into his parents’ bedroom. “Mooooom…” He ventured warily and ran down the staircase just in time to see Eva hurrying upstairs from the basements, the black and silver guns in her hands before she glimpsed Dante in her peripheral vision.

Blue eyes widened at the sight of her confused son and she darted towards him, grabbing him by his wrist and looking around frantically for the other. “Vergil! Vergil, where are you?!” A loud roar echoed from upstairs and Eva’s eyes averted towards the ceiling and the crumbling debris falling over her head into blonde curls. Her lower lip quivered and she glanced down at Dante who gripped her hand tightly.

“Mom! Mom, what’s going on?!” The boy asked, his mouth parting open in fear. “Why are there monsters upstairs?”

Eva’s lips parted in an attempt to explain but she knew there was no time. The demons had come for them and Sparda had all but abandoned them for…whatever reason. Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes and blood-curdling scream caught her eyes. “MOOOOM!!!!” It was Vergil.

“Oh god…” A hand clasped over her mouth and she bit her lip in an attempt to gather herself together. “Honey,” Her voice shook as she hurried over towards the hallway closet and she opened it and quickly placed Dante inside. “…Your daddy’s gone away and…you have to stay hidden. You have to be strong for mommy.” Her eyes clenched shut tight as his little hand only gripped her harder. Taking off the amulet around her neck, she placed it over her son’s head and cocked the guns she held. “…You stay here. You stay here until mommy comes to get you, okay? You stay hidden…I have to go get your brother.”

She bit her lip, feeling as if it would be the last time she’d ever see him and she kissed Dante’s head. He grabbed for her as she pulled him off. “Mom! No, don’t go out there-“

“Hush now!” Her tone became firm, and she frowned at him, fighting back her tears. “…You stay so quiet, and so still sweetheart.” She whispered softly and pushed the door closed. “…Remember how much I love you.”

With that, she locked the door on him and hurried down the hallway towards Vergil’s screams. “MOOOOM!”

“I’m coming Vergil!” Eva called out, as the sound of gunfire erupted throughout the house and the sounds of demons screeching resounded throughout the foyer.

“MOM!!!” Dante screamed rattling the doorknob, only for it to be ripped off its hinges by a looming, boar-like monster. Its jowls dripped with saliva as it reached inside for him.

“Here’s…mommy…”

--
The brush of Iris’ fingers startled him awake and he bolted upright from the sheets, soaked in a sheen of sweat. His heart was racing a mile a minute and his gaze was haunted by the awful nightmare of his memories. “Ugh…” He hadn’t felt this sick to his stomach since the day he’d separated from Vergil again after Temenigru.

He could barely hear Iris over the ringing in his ears and his head turned briefly in her direction and he stared at her, making sure that she wasn’t a part of his dream. As she spoke to Benny on the phone he was able to gather himself together but Dante was still troubled by his nightmare. He flopped back against the bed as Iris followed suit and discussed something about food. His arms immediately came up around her and he buried his face into her hair. He squeezed her tight in his grasp and inhaled deeply her sweet scent. She was here, she was real, and this wasn’t some horrible hallucination.

“…Right.” He chuckled, attempting to shake off his haunting memories. “Uh, anything you want, babe.” Running a hand through his messy hair, pieces of it stuck to his sweaty forehead and he got up to fumbled for a change of clothes. “How you feel about Chinese? You like that? Before Vergil showed back up in my life I went on a binge at this place that has pretty good takeout. So…What’s your MSG?” He asked her with a grin. “And…should we ask the other two downstairs if they want anything? I can tell you this right now, my brother isn’t gonna want jack s**t.”

--

“You didn’t flinch.” She grinned at his reaction to the kiss but she quickly averted her gaze as a blush crept to her cheek. “I mean, I hope you…um, liked it.” Her response was him fishing beneath the blankets for his coat and from the folds of the jacket; she was presented with one of his silly protein bars. He never seemed to go anywhere without at least one and a fond smile crept to her lips.

“I promise…” she reached to take the wrapper from him. “When this is all over, I will reimburse you for these.” She was grateful for something to nibble on at least until she could manage richer foods. The taste was a godsend and a sigh of contentedness left her as she ate; taking small bites so she would not make herself sick by eating it too fast.

Occasionally, Mara would glance up at him while she nibbled and reached for the orange juice he offered her, taking small sips here and there. “You’d make a wonderful nursemaid, do you know that?” She teased him, giggling. “I mean it…I don’t…I don’t think I’ve ever been this taken care of except when my parents were alive. I mean…I…I’ve managed fine without them but it’s nice to know you care.” Nodding to him, she finished off the rest of the protein bar and set the juice aside to take up her water instead. “…We have to wait to go get the bow, don’t we?” She asked him, looking down at the violin warily. “Fetching it right now is…out of the question, huh?”

[Minaarchangel]

Iris could hear his heart pounding, his breathing a bit labored, and she turned in his arms, taking his face gently in her hands, "Are you okay?"

She leaned forward and placed little kisses on his nose, his mouth, his cheeks, his forehead. There was a feeling of dread in the air, and she frowned and she held Dante against her, moving up so that her head was on top of his for once, his soft hair against her chin. Iris then began singing to him softly, his song, in an attempt to make him feel better, to make him calm down. She knew that it helped, and that was all she wanted to do. To hold him close and let him know that she cared deeply about him when the doubts reached him.

When she finished the song, she looked down at him, "General Tsao's chicken, crispy, with asian noodles, egg rolls and don't forget the chopsticks."

Smiling, she leaned down and pressed her mouth gently against his, "I love you. And we are going to have a baby together. Which means you're stuck with me. Because I want this baby to know both his or her parents."

Sitting up, she found the shorts she had discarded the previous night and pulled them on, letting her legs swing out of bed. She smiled at Dante, wiggling her bare toes at him with their pedicured pale purple nails decorated with little silver butterflies, "Got a pair of socks I can borrow for a bit? I'll put my gown back on when we head back to the hotel, but for now, this works for me."

~~~~

Vergil frowned, "I do not flinch."

He shook his head, "You do not have to. I can provide for myself and another if necessary."

His life in the human world had showed him how easy it actually was to make money with the right set of skills, and he had taken advantage of it, so that he need not ever worry about funds, unlike his brother. Vergil was more concerned with just making certain he never had to think about those things, so he was not absorbed in it like so many humans were. Like the way his brother seemed to be.

At Mara's comments, he glanced back at her, "I do not think nursemaid is the correct term when all I am doing is caring for you."

Shaking his head, Vergil gave her the orange juice, "No, we cannot. You are recovering and that alone is reason to wait. We will go in a few days, when you are feeling better, when you can manage the trip."

Vergil heard someone coming, and he got up, heading to the door and checking outside as if he had intended to do so all along. Iris came downstairs in an almost comically too-large for her t-shirt that must have belonged to Dante, and a pair of shorts that practically fell off her hips. She came over to the couch and sat down, smiling at her friend gently.

"How are you feeling?"

[MadxHatterxTeapot]

The taste of her lips was so sweet. Groaning softly against each tender kiss, he leaned into her touch and squeezed Iris close, almost lulled by the song. He rocked gently in her arms, reveling in the almost natural feel of her maternal instinct. When she pulled away, his heart rate had lowered considerably and a smirk twitched at the corners of his mouth. “You’re gonna make a great mom, just so you know.” Leaning over he captured her lips in his before dragging himself out of bed.

He was in need of a shower and pronto. The last thing he needed was for her father to call him “filthy” and accuse him of defiling Iris in the bed last night. Running his fingers through his hair, he fumbled for a red t-shirt hanging around his room and pulled it over his head before going downstairs. He’d need access to the phone again if he was going to order anything for lunch.

He glimpsed Vergil again out of the corner of his eye and once more was surprised by his brother’s attentiveness to the violinist. Despite all of his twin’s yearning to stray from his human roots, he couldn’t escape them. Mara’s annoying, yet, warm heart reeled him in and Dante could always tell when a man was hooked. A smirk twitched at the corners of his lips when Iris became a welcome distraction and he looked over the Chinese menu in his desk. “Hey,” He called out and waved the piece of paper in the air. “You want anything?” He asked, nodding to his brother curiously. “Maybe get something easy on Squeaky’s stomach?”

Even though the violinist was recovering from her ordeal, he still couldn’t help but wonder if she was going to need some kind of therapy. Nobody just came out of being tortured completely “okay.” He was pretty sure that half of the population of POWs was all psychologically screwed up one way or another. Mara was no exception to this. He just hoped Vergil knew what to do for her. “Hey, babe…” He called, pencil between his teeth as he sketched down a few of the items that he was planning to order. “I figure if I’m gonna get into your old man’s good graces, might as well start by treating to lunch. Right?”

Outstretching his arms, he saw Mara eying him moodily from the couch. Speaking of his eventual father-in-law, Dante wondered if Prentiss even had a contingency plan in order to deal with the likes of Fenix. He was sure he hadn’t seen the last of the guy, but Vergil had his traumatized ward convinced he was dead, or at least wouldn’t bother them anymore. He’d have to speak to the angel in private about this when he went to pick up their lunch.

After Dante got the order he put on his pants and slipped on his boot before stepping over to kiss Iris goodbye, daring a playful pat on Vergil’s shoulder. “Have fun babysitting, dear.” There was amusement to his sarcasm as he pretended to bat his lashes and cry. “Oh you’re growing up so fast. Hahaha…” He was abruptly cut off by an empty orange juice bottle hitting him in the head as Mara chucked it in his direction. “What the hell? Jeez…”

Slamming the door behind him, the half-demon grumbled in frustration before wincing at the afternoon sun considering it had been dim inside. His nose tingled a bit and slowly, he cast his gaze up towards the man on the roof of his shop, hanging over his sign. “Hey, daddy-o.” He called up to Prentiss, standing in the middle of the street. “I’m picking up lunch, what do you want and can you come down here a minute? It’s so I don’t look like I’m shouting up at some guy working on my sign?” Placing his hands behind the back of his head, he gave the angel an impatient look. “…Babe’s hungry. I thought…it’d be nice to ask ya if ya wanted something.”

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he clicked his tongue and made a face. “...I also need to ask you something else.” Rubbing his nose, he sniffled to get rid of an impending itch. “Was Fenix dead when Vergil rammed him through last night?”

--

Mara finished the rest of the Luna bar quietly before balling up the wrapper and setting it on the table. Finally able to compose herself and speak, she smiled at her best friend and scooted closer before hugging her. “…I’m okay. Knowing your safe…it helps me feel better too.” She lifted her head up from Iris’ shoulder and sniffled. “…You’re pregnant?”

Her question was filled with both joy and concern. “Iris…Iris that’s wonderful. Oh…” But her smile faded and she gasped. “Oh my god…” She was quiet for a moment before giving a hoarse chuckle. “You…you know you’re going to marry a giant man-child, right?” She said in reference to Dante.

Her fingers twiddled against the violin on her lap and she pushed it aside to hug Iris tightly. “…I was so scared.” She murmured softly into her best friend’s shoulder. “I didn’t want him to hurt you…I never…” Her lip quivered. “I never wanted this to happen, I-I should have stayed in the room. I was…I was so selfish, I just wanted to go home and…” She trailed off, only squeezing the other girl tighter. “…I’m so happy you’re safe. I’m…I’m just glad to be back with you…and know you’re here. Iris…”

[Minaarchangel]

Vergil shook his head as Dante asked him if he wanted anything, but he looked over at Mara then spoke quietly, "Miso soup. Anything else and she'll probably get sick."

With that, he went back to silent mode, not particularly caring to sharing in the bonding moment Mara was having with Iris, nor did he care what his brother did. He watched him leave the office and glanced at Mara and Iris, who were talking about womanly things. As if it was any of his business that his brother had knocked up a potential angel. In fact, Vergil was surprised it had not happened earlier, Dante impregnating someone.

Iris smiled at Dante with a nod, "My credit card is in my clutch. Please use that to pay for lunch, don't pay for it out of pocket, okay?"

She then turned her attention back to Mara, "I am. I already feeling a little odd, even if I'm only a few days along or so. But I have to figure on things being different for me than most mothers. Dante isn't exactly a normal man, and I'm not exactly a normal woman. We'll take it as comes, and in a week or two I'll go to the doctor and make certain that everything is going as it's supposed to and I'm not having some kind of strange mutant baby born in four months instead of nine."

Her lips curled into a smile, "He's going to be a good father. If only because he'll love this baby very much. I might have to remind him that we don't leave the guns lying around with a toddler, but we'll cross that hurdle when we get there."

Reaching over, Iris took Mara's hand, then held her close when she pulled her into an embrace, "I would have come for you if I didn't have beefy men holding me back physically. Dante made me trust in Vergil and my father, and what do you know, here you are. Of course you didn't want this to happen, nobody wanted this to happen. So don't worry about that. Besides, we have better things to think about. Like planning an epic pop star wedding."

~~~~~

Outside, Prentiss was on the roof of the building, and when Dante came outside to speak to him, he jumped down, crouching a bit before straightening up. The angel looked no older than Dante or his daughter, but he eyed Dante with the kind of ancient eyes a protective father had for his daughter. At least this time he was not sporting the massive war hammer when he straightened his coat and put his hands in his pockets.

"Iris. Her name is Iris. Not babe," he corrected him coolly.

"I saw Fenix go down, cut practically in half by Vergil. Whether he died or not, I do not know. We were far too busy getting Mara out of there to go check. So it's possible he's not dead. I strongly suggest making certain that Iris is protected at all times because of that possibility. I am not interested in something to eat. Mostly because I already went to get myself something. But I do want to discuss what you're going to do about this situation."

Prentiss took a step forward, "More accurately, I want to know when you are going to propose to my daughter properly, considering you got her into that mess."

[MadxHatterxTeapot]

She blinked at Iris awkwardly at the mention of mutant babies. A hand lifted up to hold Iris’ hands and Mara gently patted the back of them sympathetically. “…You’ve read Breaking Dawn I see.” There was almost a look of pity and she shook her head. “I’m pretty sure you’re both relatively human.” A small smile twitched at the corners of her soft lips and she scooted closer to rest her head against Iris’ shoulder. “I don’t think there should be any problems. Now…me on the other hand, should it happen, I might be the one with the awkward pregnancy.” She tapped her forehead. “Genetic mutations are very strange, considering…well, my father wasn’t exactly the standard, normal, dad.”

Green eyes glanced at Vergil and she briefly wondered what kind of father he would be. Her cheeks flushed a bit at the idea of them even being remotely so intimate. He had allowed her to kiss him and hug him tightly, as for sex and…the idea of being in a relationship, she was not quite certain. One thing did not necessarily mean the other.

Speaking of weddings, her head perked up curiously and Mara tilted her head to the side. She gave Iris a skeptical look before shaking her head. “You…You don’t think that, he’ll really go for the whole flashy kind of wedding do you? Squeezing him into his suit was just painful enough. You’re not planning to dress him up too, are you?” Oh god, that would just about kill Vergil. Considering all of the digs that Dante had given to his pride, how could he not take advantage of the opportunity?

Despite how normal their conversation seemed Mara still seemed very weak. Her gaze would stray from Iris to glimpse the shadows. Every little movement, she would tense a bit. Delicate hands idly fumbled for Vergil’s arm so she could squeeze it to assure herself. “Um…” Her gaze averted from Iris for a moment, trying not to think too much at the moment. “Maybe…we could talk about something else besides the wedding right now?” She suggested. “My…my mind is going a mile a minute and…I-I can’t think about that, not…because I don’t want to. It’s just…so much already.” There was some regret in her eyes as she pushed aside the notion of wedding plans for right now, but she tried to keep things on a lighter note. “…Can I…I-I mean…if it’s okay. Can I be…the baby’s godmother?”

Her grip on Vergil’s arm slackened a bit and she was able to comfortably rest her hand against him. Her stomach was churning a bit and she briefly made a face. “…I should have asked him to pick up some tea bags on the way back.” Her voice was a soft murmur as she glanced at her guardian, briefly glimpsing the sword. Mara fell eerily silent as she gazed at it before turning her attention back to Iris. “Fenix cannot be the only one out there out to get the key to heaven,” Nodding to the swordsman next to her, she made a face at him. “Excluding Vergil.” She was so desperate to get back to her old self and tease him, call him “grumpy pants,” and make tea like she used to for his stoic persona. “…If Lionel Fenix is gone, how are we to tell if there is anyone else out there?”

--

Typical, he should have known Prentiss was going to be a bit of a harpy about marrying his daughter. “This “mess?” There was some obvious apprehension to his tone and he scoffed at the angel. “You know, my mom getting pregnant with my brother and I was deemed a “mess” too…by other demons. I don’t need to hear this from you, featherhead.” A scowl graced his handsome features and he was biting his tongue from letting a stream of foul obscenities escape him. “Last I checked, in religion and s**t, it’s not your place to pass judgment on me. Don’t tell me you’re not, most dads that have seen me with their daughters have that same look you got there on your face.”

Pointing at Prentiss, Dante let his hand drop to his side and he gritted his teeth when he was corrected on her name. “Yeah, I know her name but it’s very rare I actually have someone to call my own girlfriend, considering my record with women.” He probably wasn’t sounding very convincing to the angel at this point so he took a step forward, confident. “…I am going to take care of your daughter, Prentiss. It’s not my decision what she wants to do with the baby. That’s up to her, but it is my decision on what my relationship status is with Iris.” He shoved his hands in his pockets, to keep himself from feeling the need to take a swing at his future father-in-law. “…She’s mine, man. She’s my girl and…I’m going to take care of her.” He could feel the anger and bile burning in the pit of his stomach. He felt like he was being compared to his father, Sparda.

Last he checked, he didn’t plan to leave some random girl pregnant to raise his kid all on her own. “…I’m not The Dark Knight.” He uttered, refusing to acknowledge the demon as his father. How could he after his mother had all but been abandoned. It didn’t matter the reason. “Vergil and I, unfortunately, have to clean up after him. Sorry to inconvenience the world.” He kicked the concrete a bit with the toe of his boot.

The idea of marriage didn’t quite set well with him as he knew he wasn’t the “settling down type.” He had to be strong for Iris though. He loved her and she had made it clear how precious he was to her. How could he leave such a sweet girl? “…I’m gonna…marry her. Okay, but I want to do it right. You know, I can’t…just let her pay for everything because she has money. It doesn’t matter if she wants to use it on me. Guys don’t let girls pay for their own diamonds. It ain’t right.” He inhaled sharply and looked away. “You know, I barely know you, and It feels like…I’m not gonna be good enough for her, whether she’s happy or not. At least not in your eyes, so hopefully I can prove you wrong. For now, I’ve got some food to pick up so Iris can eat because if your best friend was kidnapped you wouldn’t eat anything either.”

[Minaarchangel]

"I was thinking something quiet. In a garden somewhere. Just the people we love and care about attending."

Iris smiled and let Mara change the subject, nodding, "Of course you're going to be the godmother. Who else would I ask?"

She glanced at Vergil, "Besides, I was going to ask Vergil to be the godfather."

The half demon turned his face away, if only to hide the slight blush that had crept into his cheeks. It seemed as if Iris had misconstrued the relationship he had with his brother, considering she was thinking of such a thing. He cleared his throat a bit, but knew there was no reason to refuse. Besides, it was Dante that irritated him. Not Iris, or her unborn child.

"I suppose the child would require a male figure to look up to."

Iris grinned at Mara, "That's Vergil for yes. Well, that's all settled."

Her smile faded a bit as Mara began talking about Fenix and the key. Iris took one of her hands in both of her own, and squeezed gently, "Dante is never going to let anything happen to me. And my father's here now. I know he'll protect us as well. All three of us. Vergil too."

That last part was added in because he glanced back at her to make certain she knew to include him as well. Dante could get his a** kicked from his office to the depths of the demon realm and Vergil would do nothing about it. But his lover and his niece or nephew was a different story. Somehow, he found himself with more people on his hands than he had ever had in his entire life, but it was not particularly a horrible thought.

~~~~

Prentiss lifted an eyebrow, "Well if you keep getting that expression, one might think there was something to it."

The angel frowned, "Allow me to make myself perfectly clear. She is my daughter. No one is going to be good enough for her. This isn't particularly about you, though I imagine it might seem that way considering she's carrying your child. I don't care what your father did, I care about what you do. You are the one bringing up Sparda, not me, so kindly remove your head from your a** for five seconds to realize that your father could be Santa Claus and I would still see the man who knocked up my little girl."

He turned to get back onto the roof, taking the fire escape instead of climbing up the way he had in the darkness last night, "Do right by her and my opinion of you will gradually change. But the first thing a man discovers about a daughter he hasn't been allowed to see in twenty years shouldn't be that she's pregnant by someone who seems like he'll only get her into worse trouble. Some day you'll understand where I'm coming from."

Hands on the fire escape, Prentiss pulled himself up and climbed to the top, going back to watching over the building. He could have told Dante that while he slept, the angel had slain a few demons creeping around the building. But he kept that to himself. Prentiss was honestly trying to give Dante a chance, but it was difficult.

[MadxHatterxTeapot]

“Vergil has a unique type of language to understand. You have to listen very closely; otherwise it’s very hard to interpret everything he says.” Giving the swordsman a small nod, she slowly let her hand move from his arm to Iris’ lap and squeezed the soft palm of the other young woman. Her eyes downcast again and she lifted her head. “What about work? I have…so much to do in terms of making up the next album with you.” She glanced at the door and her breathing quickened a bit. “I…I know I shouldn’t worry about work right now, but what about all those people at the party last night? Did Benny say if anyone was badly hurt or…?” Or worse. A lump formed in the back of her throat. “And what about the other band members? We…we’ll need new ones in order to complete the rest of this tour.”

That was right. They had yet to finish the rest of their work. “I…I know I shouldn’t be thinking of this stuff at a time like this…but I, I just don’t know how what else to think of right now.” Anything was better than lingering on her torture. While she had slept soundly that night, she knew further ventures into her dreams would bode nightmares and the notion that her father’s power had failed her…all because she was human.

Her hand left Iris’ and she clenched her fingers around the neck of the instrument, the strings were warm under her touch but it felt like the life had gone out of it. “…It didn’t work.” She murmured, sucking on her bottom lip. Despairingly, Mara shook her head. “There…there is a way to get it to work but…the power it held over demons before, but it’s gone.” She inhaled a shaky breath. “I have to wait to go get it, Vergil says…” She turned her head in his direction when she heard Iris mention him as the godfather. “But…if we find it, maybe it could help to keep…all of us safer.”

For a moment, the worry left her pretty face and her brows knit together curiously before she smiled. Was that a tinge of colour in his cheeks? Choosing not to say anything about it, she fiddled with the blankets covering her and Vergil’s coat. She was still inwardly marveling at the fabric and the texture of it between her fingers. Her worries faded away and she could briefly smell his cologne. God, why does he have to smell so…so good?

Snapping out of her thoughts, she moved to get out from under the covers and stand a bit, but her legs felt like Jello. The rush of pain and agony from her trauma hit her and she staggered a bit, gripping onto Vergil’s chair to keep herself upright.

She was able to glimpse herself in the reflection of the window and winced at her haggered appearance. Her hair had blood crusted into it, she smelled like fire, and dust. Her beautiful gown was torn to tatters. She felt practically indecent. “I need…I need…a bath.”
--
Do right by her. How can I do that when you abandoned her half the time? He thought to himself in annoyance about Iris’ father. Giving a shake of his head, he left to go down to the Chinese place, opting against using Iris’ money so he could, for once, treat her to something he could pay for.

A 5 minute walk took him around the corner to the carryout place where he paid for the meal and brought it back to the shop. The neighborhood had gotten considerably nicer in the years it took to reconstruct. He paused on the way back though at the window of a jewelry shop and gazed at the line of diamonds and engagement rings on display. Inwardly he could feel his gut churn at how much one of these puppies would cost him.

Knowing, deep down, he couldn’t afford it right now, Dante had to find some way to get Iris her own diamond. He wasn’t going to get help. He just wasn’t and he doubted Vergil would lend him the money to take care of it.

Kicking the doors open to the shop, he had a big stupid grin on his face. “Daddy’s home and he’s brought lunch!”