It was a few minutes into her walk to the rendezvous that Bayonetta realized someone was following them. "Now who's sneaking around?"

The culprit was fairly easy to spot. A tall, robed person was striding about with a stick, which was pointed unerringly at them. He kept waving it every few seconds.

"Well now, we can't have that!" She traced a circle on the ground with one foot and placed Harry inside as a barrier sprang up. "Stay here little one. I'll be back soon." She stepped back and tapped her feet to the ground, cocking Toccata and Nocturne. Then she opened a gate out of Purgatorio and launched herself forward.

Outside of Purgatorio, the man resolved into a tall figure in jet black robes with a stark white mask. He raised his stick and started to shout something, pointing it like a weapon. She could see a glow beginning to form on the tip, and she transitioned into a roll, activating witch time and causing the jet of red light to go wide, as time seemed to slow to a crawl. She came up and launched a kick that sent the stick spinning out of his hand into the night. Then she brought her foot down in a stomp, summoning Madama Butterfly's foot through a portal and bringing the man crashing to the pavement.

He groaned and rolled over as she placed a foot to his head, Nocturne's barrel aimed at his face. "Who the bloody hell are you?"

Bayonetta just pressed her foot down harder. "I think I should be asking you that. Not many people can track me when I'm in Purgatorio."

The man shoved uselessly at her foot. "I wasn't after you! I don't even know who you are! I was after the Potter's spawn! The Dark Lord wants him dead!"

Potter…Her mind flashed back to the letter. That was Harry's last name if she remembered it correctly. Well, no sense taking chances, she thought. "In that case I'm afraid that makes me your enemy. Say goodnight and do give Inferno my regards." The man let out a shout as she shoved her foot, discharging the gun and shattering the mask along with his face. She waited until he stopped moving before producing a handkerchief and cleaning off the blood.

Throwing the ruined scrap away she sighed. "This is why I prefer killing angels. Everything dissolves when they die." She traced a sigil and stepped back into Purgatorio. Picking Harry back up, she frowned. "From the sounds of things, the sooner we get you out of here little one, the better."

Harry just burbled something at her and blinked.

Bayonetta smiled and adjusted her grip before hurrying back towards the rendezvous.

To her surprise, Enzo wasn't alone at the plane. Rodin himself was there, looking somewhat harassed.

"Tell me you got something figured out baby." Then he spotted her cargo. "What the hell is that?"

Bayonetta smirked. "Funny you should say baby. I've…acquired a little one of my own."

The cigar dropped from Enzo's mouth. "You?! A mother?!" The portly man shuddered and picked it back up. "Fuck. That gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinking about it!"

Bayonetta ignored him. "One of the angels said that the balance of power has shifted, and that the chosen is corrupted."

Rodin's face twitched, ever so slightly. "Beautiful."

"I don't think this is like when Da-Balder died. There were a lot of angels flying about, but none of them were very high ranking." She paused. "And I ended up killing a human. He was tracking the little one somehow while we were in Purgatorio."

At this, Rodin looked more closely. "There's something different about him. Someone's rammed their soul into him. Someone strong. Whatever's in there ain't a run of the mill demon soul."

Enzo grinned as Harry blinked up at him. Cigar twisting sideways he tickled the baby, grin widening as he laughed. "Eh whatever, cute little fucker, ain't he?"

Bayonetta gave him a look. "Of course he is."

Noting the possessiveness, Enzo backed away.

Rodin frowned as he caught sight of the baby's scar. "Bayonetta…That ain't a normal mark. It's got something nasty in it, something to do with the other soul. And it's gonna send him straight to Inferno."

Even Enzo froze. "You're fucking kidding right?!" He waved a hand around. "He's barely a year old, if that!"

Rodin shook his head. "Speaking as a former resident of Paradiso, I can tell you it won't matter to them. He'll never get taken up there. The Infernals might not take him right away, but it'd be a damn sight better there than being forced to wander around Purgatorio for all eternity."

Enzo eyed Bayonetta. "And I thought you had bad luck! This poor kid's been fucked over before he can even make a choice!"

Bayonetta eyed him before taking Harry back from Rodin and cradling him in one arm. "Well then, we'll just have to see to it that he gets a proper turn up here. Purgatorio is not the sort of place one should wander about in for very long. You stay there for too long, and you'll really lose your way." She looked at Rodin. "There's nothing you can do?"

Rodin shook his head and blew out a cloud of smoke. "I will get the other soul out, I want to tinker with it. But that won't change the fact that he's been marked."

Bayonetta hissed out a curse. "Wonderful." She turned and jumped into the plane. "Come Enzo. We should get home and do some baby shopping."

Enzo grumbled something but got into the pilot seat. "You and your fucking ideas."

He yelped when she pinched his ear. "Come now Enzo, enough of the language. There are delicate ears aboard."

"Bayonetta." She glanced up as Rodin threw his cigar away. "You get to explain this to Jeanne."

She smirked. Ignoring Enzo's muttered expletives, she said, "Leave it to me."

As turned out, Jeanne was relatively easy to convince. Once she was sure the child hadn't been outright stolen, at any rate. "Cereza!" She sounded scandalized. "You kidnapped a child?!"

Bayonetta clutched at Harry. "Of course not!" She pouted. "I wanted him, and his aunt didn't. She was more than happy to give him up."

Jeanne tossed her head, looking exasperated. "You make it sound more like you found a puppy somewhere, rather than a child." She eyed the tower of boxes that was being carried by a puffing Enzo. Deftly catching one that slid off the top, she tossed it in one hand. "Rodin made it sound worse than it was, I suppose. And how did you even find him?"

Bayonetta tossed her head, readjusting her rose laden hat. "I spent the night killing angels, and watched him get left on a doorstep."

Jeanne paused. "A doorstep."

"With a note."

"A note?" She took the proffered item and read it, her expression slowly growing blanker. Finally she handed it back. "Given the options, I can see why you did it. What's that made out of anyway?"

"Parchment. Odd thing for someone to be writing on."

Jeanne made a face. "That seems familiar, but for the life of me I can't remember why." She flung the box back on top of the pile. "We'll meet back at the house then. I'll help you with the paperwork."

"So you agree."

"From what Rodin told me, he's better off with us. Has he taken the other soul out yet?"

"It's on the agenda." She shifted Harry to her other arm, grinning as he watched Jeanne's hair sway. "Rodin says that the sooner it's done, the better, before it has a chance to properly settle in."

Jeanne shrugged. "He's the weapon smith. I suppose he should know."

Bayonetta's lips twisted. "The actual process is a lot less romantic than it looks, believe me." She frowned. "Right now I'm more concerned about Luka. He's dropping by the Gates of Hell tomorrow. I'm not even sure how to begin to explain things to him."

"Leave it to Rodin."

Bayonetta turned and eyed the walking mountain of boxes. "Why Enzo, that's the most sensible thing you've said all day."

"Yeah, yeah." He grumbled. "We done here? If I miss dinner, the wife's gonna let me have it!"

"One last stop." She promised. To Jeanne she said, "I'll see you tonight then. I don't suppose you can talk Rodin into dealing with Luka?" She gave Jeanne a pleading look.

Jeanne rolled her eyes. "I can try. Fine. I was going there for a drink anyway. The things I do for you Cereza."

She sauntered off, leaving Bayonetta to guide Enzo into another shop.

Stumbling over the threshold and dropping a few boxes, he shouted, "You two witches are real pieces of work, you know that!"

AN: chapter 2 hot off the presses! Or key board anyway. There's a reason Bayonetta kept Dumbledore's letter. It has some pretty important stuff in it which will be explained (And revealed) next chapter. It's also the primary reason Jeanne is okay with taking in Harry. Also Jeanne is vaguely aware of the wizarding world, but it's the same sort of awareness that someone has in a crowded room, There's people you know somewhere, but you aren't sure where.

also, i should have mentioned this last chapter, but this takes place after the events of Bayonetta 2. The timeline is somewhat nebulous for Bayonetta, as the exact date is never actually specified, but judging from new york, it's fairly close to Harry's time, so we can work off of that.

also Tocatta and Nocturne are the guns from the Love is Blue set she wears on her feet.

Until next chapter!