A/N: This is a story with established DantexKyrie. My story that I wrote 'Lonely Hearts Club' gives more detail as to how they hooked up and all that fun stuff. It isn't necessary to read that in order to pick up this one but it would be nice if you did. Enjoy!
Married life wasn't all it was cracked up to be, Dante had realized that not too far out of the gate, but as soon as their twins were added to the mix it had made things far more…interesting. He sat scratching his head attempting to figure out the monthly bills plugging numbers into his calculator and scribbling on his note pad.
Kyrie paced the office floor with their son who was just beginning to settle. He was feverish, again, and had required a trip to the pediatrician which meant that he needed medication, this time it was ear drops, to alleviate his illness.
Dante glanced up at his wife before turning his eyes back down to his numbers. He sighed rubbing a hand across his forehead. It was hard to focus with the near one year old whimpering and wailing like he was.
"Kyrie, can you take him upstairs?" Dante asked clearly irritated. "I can't concentrate."
"If I do that then he'll wake up Hazel." She replied. "And I really don't want to deal with your daughter and your son right now."
"Yeah, sure." He stated. Of course when they were giving her trouble they were 'his' kids. "Damn it to hell."
"What's wrong?" Kyrie asked concerned. Dante threw his pencil down and placed his hands behind his head.
"With James's meds its left us short for…well, everything else." He retorted. "These kids are gonna send me to the poor house."
"Dante…there's something I have to tell you." She said biting her lower lip nervously. "I guess there isn't really a good time so I'll just say it…" Dante raised an inquisitive brow at his wife in question from underneath the fringes of his hair. "I'm pregnant."
"What?!" He ground out staring at her wide eyed.
"It's a bad time." She said quickly. "But I am and that's that."
"The twins aren't even a year old yet and now another one…possibly two again?" He rubbed a hand down his face annoyed. "Great."
"Look Dante, it isn't like I planned this." Kyrie replied defensively. "And it isn't as if you've been all that careful trying to prevent it from happening."
"Oh! So it's my fault?" He quipped angrily. "That's right, everything's always my damn fault. I'm the fuck up."
"Oh, you! Damn it Dante!" She shouted back. "That's not what I said!"
James began to cry at the sound of his parents arguing and a moment later they heard their daughter begin to wail from the nursery upstairs. "You know, it's not like you have to deal with the kids on a regular basis! You go on jobs, sometimes for days, and I'm here…all the time with no help!"
"Yeah and tell me babe, why am I on those god forsaken jobs?" He said meanly. "To support all of you!"
Kyrie stared at her husband incredulously. The way his tone had implied were as if they were a bunch of free loaders, as if they didn't belong there. It was the first time he had ever called her, 'babe'. It was a pet name that she had come to understand he called women that either didn't mean anything to him or he was trying to charm his way to get something.
"Okay." Kyrie said softly heading towards the stairs to their children's room. "Fine."
It wasn't hard to miss the pain in Kyrie's voice and Dante instantly felt awful. She was right, of course. They had decided from the get go that once they had kids Kyrie would stay home and Dante would work, he didn't want to put her in any unnecessary danger even though Kyrie was an excellent huntress.
"Sweetie…" He said sounding more like himself. "Kyrie…"
"I have to go check on Hazel." She replied her voice coming off as choked and Dante knew she was crying. He hit his hand on his desk irritated with himself.
"Stupid old man." He muttered to himself as he leaned back in his chair propping his feet up on it. He crossed his arms across his chest and leaned his head back slightly. "I'll make it up to her."
The phone ringing brought him out of his thoughts. With a booted foot he bounced the receiver from its cradle catching it in his hand. "Devil May Cry."
'Do you not wish for just one day, son of Sparda?'
"Who is this?" He asked going on high alert. The voice was crackly and rasping, he couldn't decipher if it was male or female.
'The fly on the wall.'
"Oh yeah?" He asked sardonically. "Then buzz off." Dante made to slam the receiver down. He didn't know if it was a prank, he got those from time to time, or what but the fact that the caller clearly knew who he was unsettled him. He really had to get caller I.D.
'One day. That's all you get. Make the most of it.' The voice said before the line went dead.
"The fuck…?" He questioned staring at the phone before shrugging and hanging it up. He knew that no devil or demon were stupid enough to attack him in his home, his nest. That would be suicidal on its part. He wasn't entirely sure what they meant by one day but knew that in the end whatever it was would work itself out, always seemed to turn out that way.
Dante glanced up the staircase waiting patiently for Kyrie to come back down. He smirked to himself at the thought that they were having another kid. He had loved watching his twins grow inside his wife, even though the second baby had been a surprise during delivery.
He mused to himself thinking about how cute she was when she was heavy with his children and glanced back down at his desk the numbers glaring back at him. They would make it work, just the same as they had been doing. When Kyrie came back downstairs he'd apologize to her and go from there. Maybe even get some awesome make up sex out of it.
Dante grinned to himself leaning back in his chair even further and closed his eyes. He thought he heard the door to the upstairs open at one point. Lightly he felt his wife's fingertips grace his forehead but he was too far asleep to rouse himself.
'Dante…'
"Dante!" The voice demanded as his feet were knocked off his desk. His eyes shot open widely as his chair came crashing down onto the wooden floor. "Lazy asshole."
"Fucks sake Lady!" He shouted.
"Drinking again on the job, for a change of pace…" She quipped sarcastically.
"What the hell are you talking about?" He asked rubbing his eyes. "I don't drink like that anymore…haven't in a while."
"Since when? This morning?" She asked staring at him. Dante scanned his desk and furrowed his brow. Empty whiskey bottles littered around him along with beer bottles. His eyes scanned the room finding it crammed with pizza boxes shoved into corners and dusty wooden crates.
"What the…?" He whispered standing quickly. He turned around on his heel opening the door that led to his bedroom that he shared with his wife. "Kyrie!"
"Dante? Are you okay?" Lady asked clearly concerned. Dante stared at the room that he had made into their bedroom shortly before the twins were born. Before that it had been a storage room piled high with wooden crates full of devil arms he had collected. He walked into the room placing a hand on one of the boxes and took a deep breath.
He bolted out of the room and up the stairs taking note that the kitchen wasn't remodeled, Kyrie had fixed it up a few months after she had begun staying with him, and into the nursery finding only his bed and dresser. The door to the roof was still accessible, he had blocked it off when they decided upstairs would be the safest for their babies.
Dante felt sick, he was confused and angry. He ran his hands through his hair knowing that this had to be a dream, a nightmare. He shook his head and bolted back down the stairs.
"Patty, I'll call Patty and I'll talk to Nero and the kid'll set me right." He muttered.
"Patty?" Lady wondered. "What do you want with Patty? And who's Nero and Kyrie." Dante more or less ignored her dialing his friend's home number. One of them was usually always home with Nina, their daughter.
"Hello?" The cheery voice answered.
"Patty." Dante said breathlessly into the phone.
"Who is this?" She asked hesitantly.
"Dante. It's Dante." He replied feeling his stomach knot painfully.
"Dante? Wow! Long time no talk!" She exclaimed. "How did you get my number?"
"I've had your number…listen Patty, Nero around? I need to talk to him." He replied.
"I…I don't know anyone named Nero." She stated sounding confused.
"Nero…yeah ya do." He said. "He's your boyfriend or husband or whatever the hell you two are to each other, you have a kid together…Nina."
There was silence on the other end of the line. "I think I'd remember that Dante. You must have me confused with someone else. Are you alright?"
"Patty, please just…stop kidding around and put Nero on." Dante said his voice near to breaking. He cleared his throat quickly and took a deep breath.
"Listen, Dante, I have to go. I'll be by the office later to check on you." She said concern clear in her voice. "Bye." The line went dead leaving nothing but a buzzing in his ear.
He stared vacantly ahead of him before hanging up the phone absently. This was unreal, he knew that something had happened. Someone or something had taken his family from him no not just that, had erased not only his life with Kyrie but also Nero and Patty's as well but why?
His eyes refocused on Lady who had taken off her sunglasses and put Kalina-Ann down to rest against his desk. She stood in front of him not in the cocky way she normally did but pin straight, she was worried about him.
"I'm not crazy." He said to her.
"Dante, we've known each other for forever it feels like." She said. "I know you're not crazy. I just don't understand what's going on."
"I'm married, to a woman named Kyrie from Fortuna." He said. "I met her and Nero during a job that you sent me to do. They were together but shit happened and the kid left, Kyrie went off on her own and ended up in the city. That's when I found her, offered her a place to stay and things just went from there."
"Okay." Lady said encouraging him to continue.
"You're friends with her, you and Trish and Patty. You were all there at our wedding, you and Trish delivered our twins on the floor there…" He motioned towards the side of his desk. "Nero and Patty, they hooked up…have a little girl, we're all family. Nero is my family, he's my nephew…we've all been through a lot of shit together the last few years but we manage…"
Lady held her friends gaze and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "If what you say is true then we need to get to the bottom of this. There are quite a number of devils who have this type of power, to alter the course of events."
"Then why am I the only who seems to remember?" He asked breaking her gaze feeling utterly defeated. He couldn't remember a time where he felt so dejected.
"Generally the people who are at the epicenter, if you will, in these situations do remember. Where as everyone else doesn't." She replied knowledgeably. "Can you recall anything weird happening before things changed or what was going on at the time?"
"Kyrie and I had a fight." He whispered out. "Over the kids and money…I felt like an ass for it afterwards."
"Anything else?" She asked nodding her head taking down personal notes.
"Yeah, actually." Dante said. "I got a weird phone call, couldn't tell if it was a man or woman on the other end. They knew who I was, called me by the popular 'son of Sparda' moniker. Said that they'd give me one day, to not waste it or enjoy it or some shit like that."
"Huh." Lady bit her lower lip in thought. "And this was right after you fought with your…wife?" The word sounded foreign on her tongue pertaining to Dante. His gaze went back to hers and he nodded slightly. The way his eyes held hers told her that he was serious and she felt terrible for him. "One day…sometimes these things aren't permanent. Other times there are rituals involved that have to be done and sometimes…"
"There's nothing that can fix it." He said knowing where her train of thought was going.
"But if it said just one day I mean, maybe we should just ride it out and wait." She replied. "I know it will be difficult but we can research this and figure it out. If nothing else then we can go ahead and take action."
Dante let out a sigh. "You know that's easier said than done for me." He retorted.
"Yeah I do." She stated sitting on his desk stretching out her shapely legs. "You are after all a man of action. At least you've kind of settled down with old age."
"Babe, come on, old age?" He replied with a smirk. "Do I look old to you?"
"You're older than me and I'm pretty damn old." She said jokingly.
"Nonsense. You don't look a day over fifty." He quipped receiving a well-deserved punch to the arm. "Okay, okay…forty"
"That I'll take." She said pleased.
"Thanks Lady, for just…being my friend." He said grateful she was there to help him through this, forever in her debt for understanding him.
"Yeah well, someone has to look after you." She stated sweetly. "So, tell me…about your wife…Kyrie."
"She's a real sweetheart." He said. "Not a bad bone in her body. Younger than me, a lot younger, but that never meant anything to us. Like I said she came to live here and we just became attached. Over time we started to care for each other more and fell in love."
"Oh Dante." Lady said feeling his admiration for this woman that she wanted so desperately to remember. "That's beautiful."
"You and Trish were the ones that helped push us in the right direction, to each other. Hm, if it weren't for you girls then we may damn well still be fumbling over one another trying to figure out if she likes me or if I liked her." He said smirking. "You know what the worst part of this is…there's no trace of them. It's like Kyrie was never here, my kids don't exist."
"We'll fix this." Lady assured. "No matter how long it takes, we can get Trish on board and we will fix this." She grabbed her longtime friends hand as he hid his eyes from her underneath his snowy hair but Lady knew he was crying silently, the way he always had done.
They poured over the texts and books that Dante had in the office while Lady had went off for an hour to get her own. Trish had felt his distress and hauled ass to the office agreeing whole heartedly to help in any way she could once the story was relayed to her.
"There are devils who have good intentions." Trish said as she skimmed the pages of a manuscript. "Maybe this one decided you needed a break."
"Yeah well, the little shit better not show face or else I'm gonna break its neck." Dante muttered in response.
"Did it say anything else to you?" Lady wondered tossing a book aside and rubbed her eyes. It was already getting late and her eyes were becoming tired but she be damned if either Dante or Trish saw her put on reading glasses.
"Come to think of it, yeah." He said narrowing his eyes in thought. "I asked who it was after it addressed me, said it was a fly on the wall."
"Fly on the wall…" Trish mirrored her eyes darting slightly as she scanned her memory, it sounded familiar. It was there, she knew it was…her friends stared at her expectantly. "Damn it, it's right there…on the tip of my tongue."
"Oh well, no rush or anything sweets." Dante retorted sarcastically.
"Shut up Dante." She said in her mothering tone that she used with him. "Got it." Trish walked over to the desk and grabbed a heavily bound volume. She carefully turned the leather cover and flipped the yellowed, tissue thin pages stopping a quarter of the way in. "If I'm right then this is the devil that decided to help you."
Eagerly Dante grabbed the book from her and read the description. "'A benign devil, gives the receiver what they most desire', Well, that's bullshit."
"'Or what the devil thinks the receiver wants'." Lady said continuing to read. "It says here that the effects vary and it can change its mind on how long the events play out."
"So basically I'm at this fucking things mercy." Dante growled out. "Things are so much easier when I can just go shoot something."
"Agreed." Both women said in unison.
"It said it was giving you one day." Trish said. "So it's almost up, you're already mostly there."
"Yeah well, hopefully it decides I've had enough fun and gives me my family back." He stated.
"Well if it doesn't then we find the fucker and start shooting." Lady said cheerfully.
"I second that notion." Trish replied smiling. Dante couldn't help but smirk.
"Thanks ladies, I owe you both big after this…even if you don't remember any of it." He replied. The phone rang shrilly throughout the shop. Lady grabbed it since she was closest.
"Devil May Cry." She answered screwing her face up. She placed the receiver to her chest. "I think it's the thing we want to go and shoot." Quickly Dante pressed the speaker button on the phone.
"Listen fucker, you better give me back my damn family or else…" He nearly shouted into the speaker after Lady hung up the receiver.
'Or what son of Sparda?' It whispered out the same way it had before. 'I gave you a whole day and you wasted it.'
"Wasted it?" Dante questioned. "Wasted it! I've been trying to figure out how to fix this!"
'Fix what? Nothing needs to be fixed. You need to be more appreciative of gifts given.' It replied. Dante was fuming. He felt his blood boil as his eyes flashed crimson red. Trish laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"The son of Sparda truly does appreciate this most, magnanimous gift that you have given him." Trish inclined in her most formal tone. "A small holiday if you will was exactly what he needed. If I am not mistaken you offered your services for but a day."
There was silence from the other line before a sound that resembled a sigh. 'Yes, this is true she devil. However I feel as if the son of Sparda was in fact not grateful for what I have bestowed upon him. Perhaps he needs more time…"
"No." Dante whispered out. "Please…I don't want this. This, this isn't my life anymore. I want my wife…my children…"
'A week.' It replied and the line went dead. Dante said back in his chair with his mouth slightly agape and breathed raggedly. He brought his hands up to his face feeling the pin prick of tears before they fell. At that moment he didn't care if his friends saw him cry. He felt warm reassuring arms embrace him followed by another pair. He buried his face against Lady's shoulder as Trish settled against his hair and stroked his back in a calming manner.
"We'll fix this Dante." Lady said sadly feeling her friends anguish making her heart break.
"We won't let you down." Trish added. Dante felt the sob rip from this throat and couldn't stop the tears from falling.
The thought had crossed his mind to drink himself into a stupor. He hadn't done that in a long time, not since Kyrie had started staying with him. She had filled that unsatisfied void that he tried to fill with one night stands, alcohol and late night jobs. He took a couple of shots of whiskey and chased it down with a beer but that was it.
Trish and Lady retired to the couches late into the night wanting to feel refreshed for the next day, whatever that may bring. Dante couldn't sleep, he stared up at the ceiling fan and listened to its whirring. His mind drifted and refocused as he attempted to piece together a coherent plan.
Lady had said that he had been in the middle of everything hence why he hadn't forgotten his life. Was it possible that Kyrie remembered as well? If so was she trying to get back home to him? He didn't know and that was what ate him up inside.
He wanted to go find her but didn't necessarily know where to start. She had left Fortuna after Nero broke up with her, not that he had wanted too but because he felt he didn't have a choice and given that circumstance he didn't blame the kid at all…Nero had done what he felt at the time was right.
Fortuna had been abandoned after an alleged mine explosion wiped out half the island after both Kyrie and Nero had been long gone from there. Dante scratched as his face absently and sighed. It was the only place he would know where to look for either one of them.
Before dawn Dante packed Rebellion in his guitar case along with Ebony and Ivory in their proper holsters before heading out. Fortuna was at least a day and a half away driving, not to mention if the ferry was running which it never seemed to be…he always had to bribe some fisherman to give him a lift over to the secluded island, so that in itself would take another day or so. Dante sighed as he sped down the roadway. He had to find Kyrie, even if she didn't remember who he was.
He had more than half expected the island to be abandoned as it had been the last time he was there. It had been surprising to say the least that it had been empty but now with people bustling around it was more so. Dante felt as if he had stepped into an alternate reality, which in all intents and purposes it was, as he walked down the cobbled streets.
He walked into the inn figuring he could get some information out of the front desk as he rented a room. "So you know a woman here, goes by the name Kyrie?" He asked casually.
"Kyrie? Of course." The woman said happily. "She helps out with the local charities and at the orphanage."
"You know where I could find her, she's um, an old acquaintance of mine." He replied feeling his heart speed up.
"Generally this time of day she's at the orphanage." She said. "I can give you the address if you'd like." It was scribbled down on a piece of paper and for the first time in a few days Dante felt elated.
"Thanks babe." He winked at the woman watching her blush.
"I have to ask. Are you related to Nero?" The woman asked as he made to turn. "You look a lot alike."
"Yeah, actually…so Nero lives here too…still?" He wondered clearing his throat.
"Mhmm." She replied with a small smile.
"Great." Dante felt his old mask returning to his face to hide his pain. As he walked out of the inn he felt his happiness begin to wane. If Nero still was in Fortuna than maybe that meant he had never left. If he had never left then there was a very good chance that Kyrie was still with him.
Dante glanced down at the paper in his hand finding the building easily. Children ran around the front of the lawn yelling happily and climbing on the swing set that was there. He felt a pang in his heart thinking about his own children.
Hazel was able to walk already while James still needed some help. He loved watching them toddle around the downstairs and make a general mess of things. He always complained about the toys and baby things lying around but still loved it all the same.
Dante closed his eyes tightly taking a deep steadying breath. He could see them sitting on his desk talking in their twin language and laughing at one another. He reached out his arms in his mind's eye scooping them up into his arms, he didn't want to let them go.
"Dante?" The soft voice reached his eyes causing him to snap his eyes open. He stared at the woman standing in front of him. He knew those eyes and the smell of her hair. His eyes rested on hers and he swallowed hard. While there was recognition there that was all, there wasn't the love and admiration he was accustomed to seeing…she didn't remember him the way he remembered her.
"Kyrie." He said softly feeling his heart tear in two.
"You remember me?" She asked with a sweet smile. "It was so long ago and we met so briefly…you have a good memory."
"Yeah, so I've been told." He struggled to find his voice.
"Well, what brings you to Fortuna?" She questioned in a friendly tone.
Dante cleared his throat. "Just some business, nothin' serious…just I was in the general area and thought I'd pay a visit, see how things were since I was here."
"You were in the general area of an island?" She asked playfully. Dante smirked and looked off to the side with a small chortle. "Things have been fine. Since you destroyed the hell gates it's been more or less peaceful. There have been a few instances but Nero takes care of them."
"The kid, huh?" Dante said crossing his arms. "You two still together?"
"Yes." She said happily. "We're married now." Dante felt like he would vomit but as long as he kept his mask on he was fine, just make sure it was in place and everything would be alright.
"Congrats sweetie." He said his tone in complete defiance to how exactly he was feeling.
"Thank you." She said smirking. "You should come over for dinner, that is if you plan on staying for a while. I know Nero would be elated to see you."
"I uh, don't know if that's…" He began when Kyrie took his hand in both of hers.
"Dante please, I never properly thanked you for helping us." She interjected. "I never can, we are always in your debt. At least let me cook for you." He felt his mask crack somewhat and he offered a smile and a nod.
"Sure honey." He said softly wrapping his fingers around her hand before letting go.
"Great." She replied happily. She grabbed the paper with the address of the orphanage on it and took out a pencil she had tucked into her ponytail jotting down her own street and number. "How does four sound?"
"I'll be there." He replied taking the paper from her.
"See you then." She said happily bouncing away as if she didn't have a care in the world. Dante watched her go and clutched the paper in his hand tightly. He felt like an intruder, as if this was how her life had meant to be all along. His devil was incensed, enraged that its mate not only no longer bore his mark but was with the kid.
Dante knew it wasn't going to be easy watching her and Nero together but maybe there was some way he could make her remember. Maybe he could speed up the process of this whole situation or maybe it would only make things worse. He scratched the back of his head wishing he just had something to shoot and be done with it all.
The house was small but cozy. Dante had hesitated on the front stoop not really wanting to knock but finally did. The least he could do was make sure the kid was taking care of her, even though he knew Nero was…worse case if this was permanent he knew she would be alright. Mentally he slapped himself, like hell it was permanent.
The front door opened to reveal Nero behind him. "Hey! Kyrie said you'd be by!" He exclaimed happily. "Long time no see old man."
"Yeah kid, long time." He replied although in his memory it had only been a week before.
"Kyrie, Dante's here." Nero called out from the hallway.
"Right on time." She said from what he assumed was the kitchen. "Can I get you anything?"
"Uh, just water." He replied.
"Coming right up." Her voice rang out as Nero led him into the living room. Dante took a seat in a chair next to where Nero had sat.
"So, what you been up too?" Nero asked companionably.
"Not much. Same shit, different day." He said. "How about you kid?"
"Same." Nero stated with a smirk. "Every once in a while there's been a small problem but its been real quiet since you were here last. Oh, there was an issue with a mine…some dumb ass kids tried to summon a demon but I nipped that in the ass."
"Ya don't say." Dante said intrigued. He knew it hadn't just been an accident, the only difference was Nero had been there to save everyone. "So, I heard a rumor that you uh, took off for a while…had some trouble with some devil after Yamato."
"Damn, you heard about that?" Nero asked clearly embarrassed as she swiped at his nose.
"Travel in the same circles kid, word gets out." He replied even though it had been Nero himself who had told him.
"Yeah, that makes sense." He stated. "It was a huge fuckin' mess old man but I managed."
"How'd Kyrie hold out?" Dante wondered knowing that that instance was what had pushed her to leave Fortuna in the first place.
"I tried to chase her away but she just wouldn't have any part of it." He said with a wistful smirk. "When I got back here, after it was all said and done, she was waiting for me."
"When it was all said and done…you found out who was after Yamato?" Dante questioned.
"Yeah…honestly when I saw him I thought it was you." Nero replied. "Don't know the guys name but he told me the sword wasn't mine yet because he wasn't dead, whatever that meant…I laid waste to him though." He flexed the talons on his bringer.
"It was Vergil. My brother…he's your father." Dante said quickly not wanting to get into the specifics of it all over again.
"Wait, what?" Nero asked much the same way he had initially when they had both found out.
"Yup, we're related kid." He said smirking to himself.
"Well I knew we were but…why didn't you tell me that the last time you were here?" Nero questioned curiously.
"I didn't know but based off of what you just said it makes sense." He replied.
"Yeah but…" Nero said as Kyrie came into the room with a glass of water in hand giving it to Dante.
"Here you go." She offered.
"Thanks sweetie." He said feeling his heart continue to shred. She gave a small smile and a nod.
"Dinner will be done soon. I'll let you boys know as soon as the table's set." She said leaving the room. Dante watched her walk out of the room feeling his face draw down.
"You married?" Nero asked taking in Dante's expression. Lost and forlorn.
"I was." He said taking a sip of water. "But uh, a devil took her away. I'm trying to get her back."
"Seriously?" Nero asked with wide eyes. Dante only nodded with a sigh. "Dante, if there's anything I can do to help…I mean it's the least I can do after what you did for us here."
"I don't know kid…I just don't know." He replied feeling the aching and hurt start to bubble up despite his best efforts to keep it under tabs. Nero opened his mouth when Kyrie's voice called out to them. Dante closed his eyes tightly knowing this would be the most awkward meal of his life.
As soon as he walked into the dining room he knew what she had made, chicken parmesan with pasta and alfredo sauce along with garlic bread.
"Don't order pizza." Dante turned around to face her with a perplexed expression.
"Why's that?" He asked innocently. Kyrie poked at his bare chest next to where his amulet hung down.
"Just don't do it or I won't be happy." She stated smiling up at him turning back to the stairs. "I'll call you up when everything is set."
Dante scratched at his head thoroughly confused. "Okay, Kyrie." He replied as she sprinted up the stairs.
It was the same meal Kyrie had made for him the first night she had cooked for both of them. Dante swallowed hard before taking a seat at the table across from Kyrie, next to Nero.
"I know it isn't anything fancy but I hope you enjoy it." She said with a small shrug.
"No this is, perfect." Dante replied. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." She answered. Dante ate even though he had no appetite. He declined the wine however and opted for more water. Kyrie's cooking was just another bullet to add to his chest, a reminder of what he may have lost. After the table was cleared Nero informed Kyrie about Dante's missing wife.
"Oh no, that's awful." She said sincerely with hurt in her eyes. It was almost more than he could bare. "Dante…"
"I'll figure it out, don't you fret honey." He soothed as if she understood what he meant. She offered a small sad smile of encouragement.
"What did this devil want with her?" Nero asked concerned.
"From what I gather it had more to do with me than her." He replied. "I don't think it necessarily meant to any harm but I'm goin' outta my skull trying to fix this or at least hang in there until it resolves itself."
"If worse comes to worse with Nero's help I'm sure that you'll figure it out." Kyrie offered. Dante smirked at her wanting nothing more than to tell her everything, to take her in his arms and just break down but he knew that would only make matters worse. Who was to say that the 'fly on the wall' was watching, which it probably was, and would decide to extend his little 'vacation'.
Dante left walking out to the streets not really wanting to leave but knowing he had too. At least he had had the foresight to rent a room but all the same he found himself standing outside the center square next to the large fountain.
He stared vacantly at the spot where he had officially first met Kyrie and a few years later had stood in that same spot with her in his arms wanting to go back home with him. They had already been married for a while at that point, mated for longer.
He blew the air out of his lungs forcefully thinking maybe it would have been better if he had stayed put at the office but knew he would have been to restless for that. There was no way he could have just sat back and waited, it wasn't his style…at least not when it came to his family.
"Dante what are you doing out here?" Kyrie asked startling him. He spun around quickly eyeing her.
"Could ask the same of you." He retorted. "It's late."
"I have trouble sleeping sometimes, walking around helps." She said.
"Yeah, I know what you mean." He agreed. "Nice night out."
"Yes…it is." She said glancing up at the sky. "Do you ever feel, out of place somewhere?" Slowly Dante turned his head to her. Maybe she did remember everything and hadn't said anything for whatever her reasoning was. "I've lived here my entire life, Nero left for a while and I thought about leaving but I just…I didn't. I wonder what things would have been like if I had."
"I think if you had then you would have become a different person, not in a bad way just…different." He replied carefully.
"That's true." She said gently. "Who knows, maybe we would have met up along the way."
"Kyrie…" Dante said wondering if she did remember and was testing him. "What if I were to tell you that you did leave here and for a while you were on your own." He watched her as she listened intently. "And one day I walked into my favorite diner and I found you, crying into your coffee missing Nero. I offered you a place to stay and you never left."
"Why wouldn't I leave?" She asked with an amused smirk and small giggle in her voice. Dante smirked closing his eyes.
"Because we got closer, more attached…" He said cutting himself off abruptly.
"Closer? As in…together? A couple?" She mused. Dante gave a small shrug feeling his tongue dry up in his mouth. "That's quite a story."
"Yeah, it is…isn't it?" He whispered. "Doesn't end there though. We become mates, get married and have kids."
"Do we?" Kyrie questioned her voice softening considerably.
"Yup. Twins, with another on the way." He replied.
"Some story." She said after a few moments had passed. "But I can't have children so that's where there's a loophole in your tale."
"We fixed that. It was hard and we thought at times that it wouldn't work but we went through with it and…" He stopped himself again staring at the ground. "Kyrie, you and Nero had a kid…didn't you?"
"How did you...?" She asked shakily staring at him with big eyes.
"It was the water that killed him. They poisoned the water here in order to stop the orders plans of having an army of half breeds." Dante said. "After you lost the baby they fixed you so you wouldn't have any kids with Nero. Nero was chased away from you, they fed my brother information about Yamato in order to get him out of town."
Kyrie glanced away from him stupefied. "W-what?"
"The only difference from what I gather is that you didn't leave. You waited." He said gently his voice thick with grief. "And he came back to you."
"What…how did you know all that…the baby and Nero leaving…how?" She asked breathlessly trying to piece her fragmented thoughts back together.
"Oh Kyrie…because this, baby this isn't real." He said. "The devil that took away my wife…"
"No." She said taking a step back.
"Kyrie, honey…" He said reaching out a hand to her.
"Dante, I am not your wife." Her words were exact and to the point. "I don't know why you're here but I think you should leave." Quickly she turned and walked away briskly. Dante lowered his hand to his side and felt the tears slide down his face.
He hadn't bothered going back to the inn. Instead he sat by the pier and stared out at the water blankly. He shouldn't have come here, he screwed up…badly. Kyrie didn't remember him and who was to say now she ever would. It would have been better if maybe he had just drunk himself stupid at the shop and waited until this cleared over.
Dante closed his eyes and sighed wistfully. Why couldn't things ever work out for him? Every time he tasted a little bit of happiness it was ripped away from him. Why? Why couldn't he just be like everyone else, he was part human after all. Not only that but with all the good he had done, or at least hoped he had done, in his life didn't that amount to just small slice of good karma?
He placed his head back against the building he was sitting against feeling nauseated. He could feel Kyrie's hands on his face and he could hear his babies happily chattering to one another in his mind. There was no way in hell that that was over with and if it was he knew he wouldn't have the strength to go on…not anymore.
With the sun starting to rise over the water it cast various reds and oranges that seemed to reflect back up to the heavens. He had already been in this hell hole for three days and had just sat at the pier waiting for the ferry to arrive to bring him home or at least as far away from there as possible.
Suddenly he felt eyes on him as if he were being watched. He glanced over to his side startled to see Kyrie standing a good distance away wringing her hands as if she were nervous.
"Tell me, honestly, how did you know about…everything." She said wearily as if she hadn't slept in days. Dante remained mute staring back out at the water. He didn't have the strength to be rejected again by the woman he loved. "I went to the mainland yesterday, you were right. They…did something to me here Dante, to make sure I wouldn't have children."
"How the hell'd you get to the mainland?" He asked curiously. "I've been waiting days for this damn ferry."
"I know someone who has a boat." She replied curtly as if it weren't important, which in the scheme of everything wasn't. "How did you know?'
"Because we found out together." He said.
"And fixed it?" She questioned receiving no answer from him. "We had children, twins' right? With one on the way?" Dante s wallowed hard and took a deep breath. "What did we have?"
"A girl and a boy." He whispered out. "Hazel and…"
"James?" She asked causing Dante to whip his head in her direction. "I've always liked that name." He felt his sorrow rise up in his throat.
"I yelled at you. James was sick, again…for the millionth time in his life it feels like. I was trying to work out the money and bills and you told me you were pregnant and I…." He stammered out covering his face ashamed of himself. "I yelled at you."
"What did I do?" She asked her voice flat as birds began to chirp some distance away from them as the sun rose.
"Yelled back at me." He gave smirked sadly and let out a breathy laugh. "We fight, sometimes…you know it happens but we always work it out, it always turns out in the end."
"So, then a devil changed everything?" She questioned.
"Yeah." He replied simply taking his hands away and wiping at his eyes.
"If I had left then that road would have led me to you." She said slowly. "But I stayed and it set us down a different course."
"Seems like it." He replied.
"Why did you come here?" She wondered suddenly. "Were you trying to fix it? Win me back?"
"I just…I had to see you." He replied sincerely glancing in her direction before turning his eyes down to the ground. "If nothing else, then just to see you again."
"Do you think that this will resolve itself?" She offered. "You said things always work out for us, if everything you've said is true then maybe…"
"I hope so sweetie. I really, really do." He said. Dante didn't notice that Kyrie had walked closer to him until she was next to him, kneeling in front of him. She looked as tired as he felt. She took both of his hands in hers causing him to shudder slightly.
The way she watched him with her eyes sparkling in the morning light broke his resolve completely. He dropped his head down to his chest and sobbed. Alarmed Kyrie brought her hands up to his face resting them against his cheeks. "Please…don't…no more…"
"Dante…" She said gently.
"I just want to wake up…please, just let me wake up."
"Dante." Kyrie's voice was more urgent than before. He jolted awake nearly toppling out of his chair. Kyrie let out an alarmed noise as he straightened himself out. He stared at the office taking note that there were no liquor bottles in sight and the twin's playpen was set up next to the sofas.
"Kyrie." He whispered out relieved standing quickly and taking her into his arms.
"Dante?" She asked worried.
"The kids." He said suddenly bolting up the stairs and into the nursery. He breathed a few sighs of relief as he rested a hand on their backs as they slept. "My angels."
"James's fever finally broke and he settled when I put him in with Hazel, they both did." She said coming to stand next to him. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I just…had a bad dream or something." He replied. "Kyrie, I'm sorry for earlier. I'm happy about having another baby."
"I am too." She said. "Bad timing though."
"No." Dante corrected taking her into his arms. "It was meant to be. Just like us."
Kyrie smiled widely at her husband. "So, are you going to tell what your dream was about?"
"Tomorrow." He said. "Right now, all's I want is to go to bed and hold you."
"I won't object to that baby." She agreed as she led him out of the room. "Oh, Nero said he's stopping by tomorrow. Patty's getting rid of Nina's baby clothes and wants to take me shopping. We figured that would give you guy's day."
"Sounds good but right now I just wanna be in the now…with you." He replied stopping on the top steps and laid a gentle kiss against her lips.
A/N: Thank God it's out of my head! I started writing this at six fifty in the morning and finished at eleven fifty seven in the morning…same day. Only twenty two pages later and a lot of dialogue..so...much...dialogue. I dreamed this last night and I couldn't get it out my head. Dante and Kyrie really wanted their story told.