Disclaimer: Nope. I don't own Devil May Cry. I do, however, own all rights to Heather, Michael, Aeva, and Loren.

Summary: A former apprentice of Dante's and ex-lover of Vergil, Loren, comes back from a decade-long gig in Europe to find that her man has wed another women. Consumed with jealousy and twisted love for him, she vows to kill Heather and her kids, and take back that which is hers. Meanwhile, Heather is with child once more, and both Dante and Vergil are nervous about the identity of the father. Which is it this time? The elder twin or the younger?

Queen's Quornor: Yep, that's right. I'm back (cue the flame extinguishers). I'm not finished with Heather and the kids yet (besides, Dante won't let me just keep writing my FFVII stuff alone: he shoved a controller in my hands last night, loaded up DMC3SE, pointed to the television, and told me "Play it." So the muse has returned from its drunken spiel, at long last). So here's a new one that I was mulling over before I started "Happy Anniversary." I've modified the time frame, but the plot is still basically the same. Hope you all enjoy it!

Return of the Alu-Fiend

The demon raced down the long alleyways, occasionally teleporting in short hops in an attempt to throw the wicked hunter off its trail. A hunter would normally pose no problem for a being such as it, but this one was the exception. The hunter had cut down all of its forces, their chilling wails of agony ringing through the night in waves as they crumbled. The others had thrown themselves at their adversary, and died screaming.

It was not going to take that chance.

The gateway to the Abyss was just ahead, the hunter far behind, and almost certainly lost in the labyrinth of twisting brick walls. The demon slowed and called out the words to open the gate, believing itself to be home-free.

It was wrong.

A slender form dropped down in front of it, silhouetted against the hellish red light of the open portal. The demon skidded to a stop, momentarily stunned by the hunter's sudden, unexpected appearance. The hunter's weapon flashed out, wrapping tightly around its scrawny neck.

The last thing the demon saw before its head was ripped off was the hunter's glowing poison eyes.

Loren swung her blade-chain around a few times to get the sand off it, and coiled it back around its loop on her waist, sighing in satisfaction. The demons were dead and the hellgate would close momentarily, with the human world none the worse for the wear. Her job was almost done.

Leaning against the wall, watching the gateway slide closed, one would not think she was anything more than a normal, everyday hooker. Loren was taller than most men, with glossy red hair that cascaded down her back in waves and a body that just wouldn't quit, in more ways than one. Her eyes were the color of new grass, and her skin was moonlight pale. She was clad in black leather of the shiny, dominatrix variety: pants with slits up the sides, a corset, and knee-length boots. Her slim hands were sheathed in long gloves and a chain-draped choker was fastened snugly about her long neck. Loren was as lovely as any magazine model, and in fact had been approached by talent scouts on numerous occasions to pose for fashion mags.

But she had no interest in such a lucrative, cutthroat trade. Her interests were more…specialized.

As the gate closed, a flash of poisonous green light enveloped her, momentarily transforming the gorgeous female into something far more sinister. A beautiful woman with reptilian scales covering her naked arms and chest, black feathered wings reaching towards the shadow-clad moon. Her eyes, the pupils now slitted, glowed with the light that had changed her.

A moment later, the terrifyingly beguiling visage was gone, leaving the huntress leaning against the wall, as human as before. Too bad nobody saw that, she thought with a twitch of her ruby lips. I could really use some fun.

She was done. Time to go collect her fee and figure out what to do next.

Business has really been slowing down here in Europe. Too many hunters taking out the big guys and leaving only the small fry. Demon summoners have been laying low, or going to the states.

She lifted her head against the moon as a strong wind picked up, blowing her blood-red tresses out behind her in a cloak of harmless flame. A smile graced her countenance again as memories came to the front of her musings. Memories of two men she had left behind almost ten years ago.

Perhaps I should do the same. It has been too long since last I worked with Dante, or spent a night in Vergil's bed. Won't they be surprised to see me?

DHVDHVDHDVDHVDHVDHVDHVDHVDHVDHVDHV

Heather looked around the table to her mates, both of whom were eating their dinners and steadfastly refusing to acknowledge the other's presence. Dante had evidently done something to piss his older twin off again, resulting in a sort of contest to see who would break down and actually talk to the other first. Heather hated it when they did this. She loved her mates, but they could act so damn immature sometimes that it made her head hurt.

Aeva and Michael tried to draw their fathers/uncles into the conversation of what they had done in school that day, but the two men were so intent on not speaking to each other that they silently overpowered their offspring's attempts to talk to them. The twins slumped back in their chairs and picked at their food half-heartedly, disappointed.

This had to stop. Heather had been waiting to break her news to them after the twins had gone to bed, but their behavior left her no choice. If this didn't get them to talk to each other, she didn't know what would. She laid her fork down and folded her hands on the table. "Dante, Vergil, I have something to tell you."

They looked at her. As always, the intensity of their wintry eyes gave her chills.

"I'm pregnant."

There was a brief silence, then Dante's chair shot back across the carpet like a rocket as he stood up, faster than Heather had ever seen him move. A split-second later, she was smashed against a wall of iron-hard muscle. He had hugged her, and was exclaiming something about how he was going to be a father. From under his armpit, Heather could just make out Vergil. He had dropped his fork and knife into the middle of his steak and mashed potatoes, but he was smiling. It was a tiny one, but it was there nonetheless. For him, it was akin to his twin's celebratory song-chant of "I'm gonna be a father! I'm gonna be a father!"

"But Daddy, you're already a father," Michael pointed out. "You've got me, remember?"

"Well yeah, but I didn't get to watch your mother while she was pregnant with you and your sister." His arms tightened, forcing all of the air out of Heather's lungs with an audible woosh! "This time, I can!"

"Um, Uncle Dante?"

"Yes Aeva?"

"You're killing Mommy."

"Oh. Sorry." The red-clad half-demon let go of his mate and grinned sheepishly at her. "Guess I got a little carried away."

"It's all right," she coughed, one hand on her throat as she reaccustomed herself to breathing. "I'm used to it by now."

"How far along are you?" Vergil asked, refusing to comment on his brother's activity. That alone spoke volumes about how serious Dante's offense, whatever it was, had been.

"I missed my period yesterday, and bought a pregnancy test today. The strip turned blue."

"So it could be anywhere from a month to a day." Vergil shrugged. "We'll have to find you an obstetrician. You didn't have one before."

"So… You're not upset?" she ventured.

Two sets of icy blue eyes met her green ones. "Why would we be mad?" Vergil inquired.

"Well… You both got pretty upset the first time I got pregnant." Heather looked at her hands. "I was just afraid… I mean…"

The blue-clad twin got up from his chair and took her in his arms, stroking her hair soothingly. "Angel, the circumstances have changed. You are our mate; why would we be upset about an unplanned pregnancy now? We have no reason to."

"He's right, babe," Dante chimed in. "Besides, we wouldn't let you go away again. We need you to help us look after the brats."

"Hey!" the aforementioned brats protested.

"So it doesn't matter who the father is this time?" That was a worry that had been plaguing Heather's mind the moment she had seen the blue tint of the pregnancy test. The reason she had run away before, while carrying Michael and Aeva, had been because Dante and Vergil had nearly killed each other arguing over which one of them had fathered her children.

"No. No it doesn't, angel."

"Of course it doesn't, babe."

Heather, reassured, snuggled against Vergil's chest and closed her eyes happily. She didn't see Dante and Vergil's eyes meet above her head challengingly.

Ever was her fertility a source of contest between them.

DHVDHVDHVDHVDHVDHVDHVDHVDHVDHVDHVDHVDHV

Queen: As you've noticed, I'm back. I promised Nowshin I'd be doing another Heather fic soon, and I keep my promises. So, here's this one.

Dante: Queen, you've had this fic in your head for a few months now. Weren't you planning on doing one called "Baby Blues?"

Queen: I know, but I had this one first. So, I decided to kill two birds with one stone.

Vergil: Queen, I think you really do need to send your muses on a vacation or something.

Queen: They just spent about three weeks drunk with Dante, Reno, and Zack. Don't blame me for this one.

Vergil: You mean those two from the Final Fantasy fanverse? The carrot-top and the black-haired idiot?

Dante: That'd be them, bro. My buddies.

Vergil: Oh dear God… If you need me, I'll be commiserating with Sephiroth.

Queen: As you can see, I have some new freeloaders hanging around the property. Not that I mind, though. They're great entertainment and really good friends. Anyway, I'm sure you all know the drill by now. Read, review, and no flames please. I'll be back with the next chapter soon. And when I am, I'll explain exactly what an alu-fiend is.

(transmission ended)