Thank you Secretofserenity, GaarasMyBoyzz, Bordom Incarnate, devilmaycry1296 and Tacinn for the reviews/subscriptions/favorites and just flat out reading the story! :) Hope you like this next chapter! :3
"Hey, Patty, Rose went to the grocery store a few minutes ago. I'm going to take a shower and I ordered a sundae that should be here by the time I get out, okay?" Dante said as he climbed the stairs and the blond nodded.
"Alright. I'll tell her," she said, her blue eyes glued to the television screen and Dante cocked his eyebrows.
"Did you hear what I said?"
"Yeah...Rose went to the grocery store and you ordered a sundae. Although, it's amazing how you can afford all this ice cream and yet-"
SLAM. The bathroom door slammed shut, cutting her off and Patty whipped her head towards the stairs, startled by the sudden noise.
"Jerk!" Patty yelled and blew a raspberry, annoyed.
He always does that! One of these days...I'm gonna get him one day!
Patty huffed a hot breath and crossed her arms across her chest, cheeks puffing out in irritation and the screen began to become fuzzy.
"Aw man!" Patty exasperated as she growled and the screen froze then became boxy. The blond blew back her gold bangs, her face flushing a deep shade of pink as she stood herself up and then made her way towards the door. "DANTE! I'M GOING TO FIND LADY TO FIX THE T.V.!"
There was no answer and Patty rolled her eyes, the pounding of faucet water drowning out the ringing of her high pitched voice. Clicking her tongue with sincere irritation, Patty let the door slam shut behind her as she walked down the sunlit street towards Lady's house.
Flash to Rose...
I wonder why I can't talk...or remember who I am for that matter, Rose thought to herself as she walked back to Devil May Cry while supporting two grocery bags in her arms...poor Dante-sama...he's so annoyed with my silent treatment...but it's not like I'm doing this on purpose. Maybe I should see a doctor or something, but it's so strange...I just wake up one day and I don't have any idea who I am...
The sun beamed down on her, making her cool skin warm up and her dark green trench coat trailed behind her as she walked, her train of thought fading away as Rose tuned into the near by birds singing overhead. She inhaled deeply, the sweet air filling her lungs, relaxing her and she let her thoughts fizzle, reaching the office after turning around a second corner.
I hope the memories will return though...not knowing who I am is exceedingly irritating...
Rose stepped up the concrete stairs, pushing open the wooden barrier to allow herself back inside her home and placed the baggage down on Dante's desk. Her brown ringlets tumbled about her shoulders and her hazel eyes clouded with abyssal rationalizing, her head tilted ever so slightly and her lower lip curled beneath her snow white teeth as she ventured to comprehend her mangled assumptions regarding her shaded past.
The only traces of my past I can recall before waking up here are brilliant flashes of gold and white light...it's bizarre...
The thundering of wood colliding against concrete wretched the brunette from her thoughts, Rose whipping around to see the door being kicked open by Patty, who, followed by Lady, pranced over to the pegged television set. Rose observed, her eyebrows bending and Patty propped her head up on her elbows, blowing back her blond bangs.
"Hi Rosie-chan!" she recognized and the amnesic beamed, "Dante left a sundae for you."
"Huh?" Lady perked up, her red and blue eyes studying Patty and her mouth hung half way open, "Dante ordered a sundae for someone other than himself?"
Patty shrugged and Rose blinked, unsure of what to do. She glanced down beside the grocery bag and spied a strawberry sundae sitting next to the brown paper bag, making her tilt her head.
Well...Dante-sama ordered this for me...that was very sweet of him.
Rose lightly touched the covered dessert, admiring the ruby fruits decorating the pink ice cream and she picked it up delicately as if it were made of glass. Patty stole a glance at her and then her blue eyes returned to Lady, who struggled to repair the television.
"You know, it's a wonder Dante can pay for all his pizza and icecream but he can't find any money to fix his own appliances," she grumbled, nicking her hand on one of the silver nuts, "damn it."
Rose poked her head back in the room, observing the struggling Lady and frustrated Patty and wandered over to them. With her hand outstretched, Lady lifted her eyes to the silent woman's face, seeing the knowing expression in her hazel eyes.
"You sure you'll know what you're doing?" Lady asked cautiously, the action of handing an electric appliance and a screw driver to someone who couldn't talk or even remember who she was just screaming disaster to her.
Rose nodded her head and Lady cautiously gave the wrench and screw driver to the brunette, she kneeling down and turning to T.V. to where she could see clearly. She was motionless for a minute or two, Lady growing impatient and Patty curious of what Rose was going to do, and then twisted a screw or two and adjusted a wire.
"Is that honestly all the was wrong?" Lady exasperated as Rose set the television upright and bent over the top to double check the repaired screen. Her curls fell over it as Patty settled herself on the couch and Rose gave her a thumbs up before retreating back into the kitchen.
"I feel a bit stupid," Lady muttered and Rose scurried back in with a pad of paper and a pen in her hands. She handed her friend one of the pieces and then disappeared back into the kitchen to put the groceries away.
When you're a gamer, you tend to pick up a few things, the note said. Lady couldn't help laughing a little at that.
In the Kitchen...
Rose sat at the table, contently nibbling on a strawberry. She crossed her ankles under her chair, humming to herself and toyed with another one of the red fruits, it swaying in the creamy, pink treat, and footsteps sounded on the stairs. Rose turned her head, her innocent eyes watching the door frame and she heard Dante enter the living room.
"Hey, where's my sundae?" he asked Patty and the blond pointed in the kitchen. Dante growled and walked into the kitchen, wiping the shower water from his white hair and Rose gulped.
Uh-oh...
Dante opened his pale blue eyes and glanced at Rose, whose face turned bright red. Not only did she have his precious sundae in her clutches, Dante was shirtless and she was liking the upper half of his body a lot more than she should've been. Dante froze, his eyes slowly traveling back to his brown haired companion, the towel dropping from his hand and next to the cuff of his pants. They stared at each other for a minute, Rose's eyes searching up and down his half exposed and very toned body, his eyes on her slender hand, lightly gripping his sundae.
"Rose," he said sternly and the brunette inhaled deeply, taming her thoughts.
Wish he walked around like this more often...
Rose's hazel eyes glided from Dante to the sundae and then back to Dante, very slowly. She swallowed the bit of strawberry lingering in her mouth and she looked back down at the ice cream, sighing, rather crestfallen. She set her spoon down and pushed the sundae more towards Dante, leaning back in her chair, her back resting against the blank wall. Her large eyes studied him, the spoon over her lower lip and Dante plated his hands on his hips.
"Well, I don't want it now. You ate off it!" he glowered and Rose's eyes narrowed.
Really?
Rose blew her breath out through her mouth, stuck the plastic covering back on the sundae and proceeded in setting it in the freezer. Dante's bare back faced her and he stood at the sink, once again drying his dripping hair. She watched him for a moment, seeing his snow white hair wasn't getting any drier because his towel was already soaked. hesitating for a second, Rose reached out and took the wet towel from Dante's hand and walked out, tossing it into the laundry room in the process, then returned to the kitchen with a warm, dry towel.
"What are you up to now?" Dante asked her and she shrugged then draped it over his head. His blue eyes stared at her and he leaned against the sink, allowing Rose to aid him in drying his hair.
Rose's hands were gentle with him, the warm towel absorbing the cold water in his hair and dripping off his face, and she worked carefully, as if he was made of glass.
"You know, you don't have to be so careful with me," he murmured to her and Rose tilted her head again, her gentle hands pausing. She shrugged her shoulders, a soft smile crossing over on her face and Rose pushed the towel to around the back of his neck. Dante kept his blue eyes on her, his expression softening and he cast his gaze down on the floor, Rose pulling the towel from his neck and dabbing it cautiously across his damp forehead and the side of his face.
"Thanks," Dante muttered and Rose smiled, not saying a word. "You know," he added and Rose cocked her eyebrows, "I'm taking you to a doctor. I can't take the silent treatment anymore."
Rose opened her mouth as if to protest but Dante grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the kitchen.
"I'm taking Rose to the doctor's office to figure out her whole silent treatment ordeal," Dante stated to Lady and Patty, both of them focusing their attention on the two others.
"Dressed like that?" Lady asked and Dante paused with his hand on the door knob. Rose giggled and he turned to see she was holding his coat up and he slipping into it.
"Okay, now let's go," he ordered and Rose followed him out of the office, waving good-bye to her two friends.
At the Doctor's Office...
Dante paced around outside in the waiting room, impatiently and grudgingly waiting for Rose or a doctor to come back out. Two hours had passed by without word and Dante watched the sky transform from red, orange, gold and pink to a navy blue, the stars sprinkling across it, sighing heavily then sitting down on a green chair. He took no interest in the out dated sports magazines and an elderly woman eyes him as Dante covered his face with his hands.
"Is everything okay?" she asked, "I saw you weren't allowed in that room."
Dante uncovered his face, his eyes meeting the older woman's and he nodded.
"Yeah...mostly."
"Is she your wife, I'm presuming?"
Dante stared at her, unsure of how to answer. He certainly didn't feel like explaining the whole story, so he just simply answered,
"Yes."
Before the woman could open her mouth to speak again, a doctor dressed from head to toe in white, strode into the waiting room, clip board in his tan hand.
"Dante Sparda? Can you come back with me, please?" he asked and Dante stood, following the doctor back to the check up room. Rose perked up when the door opened and she smiled when she saw Dante, knowing all the boring tests were over.
I'm saved!
"Mr. Sparda, I'm going to have to ask you some questions. Please come back here," the doctor instructed casually and Rose's shoulders slumped.
"I'll be right back," Dante assured her, wanting to leave as much as she did.
The doctor lead the demon hunter to another room, a one way window showing Rose sitting patiently on the bed, her eyes gazing at the painted picture of a castle on the wall beside her. Her eyebrows creased and Dante watched her, curious as to what she was doing.
"She seemed to become very serious when I hung that up on the wall," the doctor said and poured two cups of coffee, "she couldn't give me any verbal answers but something clicked with her when she saw it."
Dante cocked his eyebrows, wondering, and then asked,
"What about her inability to talk? Will she be mute for the rest of her life?"
"Well, to be honest, I don't know what's causing that...shock maybe...but she'll be able to talk eventually. She's capable of it."
"So, she's just being quiet to be annoying?"
"No, but I think in her condition right now, curious as it is, her silence is caused by shock or by her own subconscious will."
Dante sighed and the doctor handed him a cup of coffee.
"On that note," he said, sipping his drink, "has she been through anything that would cause this?"
"Not that I've seen," Dante admitted and the doctor studied him.
"She's your wife, isn't she?"
Damn it...why can't people just assume sister or cousin or something? This is so awkward!
"Y-yeah, she just went out grocery shopping and then came back...and was like this," Dante lied and his companion eyed him.
"Also, she's been struck by lightning from the test results and suffered severe head trauma. No human would be able to survive the intensity of the wounds she recieved and if they did survive, they wouldn't be nearly in this good of condition."
Dante paused, almost dropping the cup in his hand, and rushed out of the confined area, the doctor not following.
"Dante-?" Rose asked when he re-entered and he grabbed her hand.
"We're going home...I need to talk to you," he said and Rose stumbled after him.
The two of them hurried out of the doctor's office and outside into the calm, cool night, Dante's hand practically crushing Rose's. They turned down into an alley, Rose being totally oblivious to the conversation he and the doctor had, abandoning her in an exceedingly confused state. Dante stopped walking, Rose bumping into him and he whipped around, pushing her up against the building wall.
"Alright, the results were you're able to talk any time you need to but that's not why I'm...like this..." Dante paused and Rose's large eyes filled to the brink with questions. "He also said the injuries you suffered from where ever a mere human could never survive and if they did, they'd be a vegetable. You're not human, are you?"
Rose tilted her eyebrows, then shook her head and Dante fought to not let his jaw drop.
"Then...what are you?"
Rose pondered how to let him know who and what she was without the assistance of her voice and proceeded to gnaw on her lower lip. They paused, Rose staring down at their boots and Dante exasperated, letting his hands drop back down to his sides.
"Fine...explain when you actually have your voice. Don't bother now," he grumbled and began walking again towards his office.
"D-" Rose attempted.
"Don't strain yourself, Rose, let's go home."
"Dan-"
"Rose," Dante instructed and she followed him, hanging her head, feeling irritated with herself. "Did the doctor give you any medicine to help with regaining your voice or something?"
The brunette rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a prescription for Dante to see and then slipped it back into her pocket.
"Dante," Rose said finally and the demon hunter froze in his place. He turned slowly, Rose being a few feet behind him, smiling from ear to ear, hands relaxing behind her head.
HAHA! I'M BACK!
"You just-okay then," Dante exhaled and Rose proudly walked by him, her brown curls swaying around her shoulders and back, her smile shining brightly on her face.
The hunter caught up to her, slightly bewildered and they walked in silence, side by side. Rose kept her eyes cast to the side, curiously observing the dark buildings along the moonlit street, and a glare of golden flame caught her eye. Dante continued walking then sensed she was no longer following him and faced her.
"Hey, Rose, what-?"
Rose's entire face was consumed in fascination and a slight remembrance, her eyebrows cocked, head tilted.
"Fire-?" she wondered, lifting her long finger up to the complete mural on the brick wall, Dante striding back up to her.
"Hey, what is it?" he interrogated but Rose didn't answer, her finger tracing over the gold and orange flames in the painting.
"Fire..." she whispered and trailed off, her eyes drinking the colors and style of the mural. The gold, scarlet and orange flames raged through a forest, destroying everything in its path, the once green trees now swallowed with the merciless force of the fire. The castle in the foreground crumbled, charred black, and gold blazes poured from the open windows, doors and broken chunks of the castle, reaching up for the grey sky. Animals scurried about, attempting to avoid being burned to death, Rose's pale finger drawing over the flames of the trees to the castle.
"Okaa...sama...?"
"Hey," Dante intervened and stepping in front of her, taking her hand from the painted wall, "come on, let's go home."
Rose met his eyes, the remembering emotion slowly draining away and she nodded.
"Sorry," she murmured to him and he pulled her away.
"No need to apologize...it's just getting late and you need some sleep," Dante told her softly and Rose followed behind him, her hand still wrapped in his. She studied their intertwining hands for a moment, her cheeks blushing a faint shade of pink, Dante keeping his eyes ahead of them, and then smiled to herself. Her fingers closed over his hand, Dante not noticing right away, and Rose kept a few paces behind him.
Even if I don't know who I am right away...at least I know I have Dante-sama now...and that I'm so very grateful for...
Roseangelo...
"Alexandria..."
"Okaa-sama!" she cried, smiling brightly, ecstatic to see her mother again.
"Alexandria, my angel," her mother welcomed her into an embrace, the princess clinging to her mother childishly.
"I miss you, so much!"
"Why don't you remember me?" the queen asked and Alexandria gazed up at her.
"What do you mean?"
The queen smiled sadly, caressing her daughter's face and battle cries rang in the princess's ears.
"Mother?"
"I'm sorry, Alexandria," the queen whispered and flames fell, catching onto her mother's body, the princess gasping.
"No-! No, you can't leave me again! Mother! Don't leave me! MOTHER!"
The queen burned, her body degrading into mere ash and Alexandria could do nothing but watch and sob as her mother's body disintergrated in her arms.
"B-but I can't live without you! Mother! You can't leave me! Your the only family I have! MOTHER!"
No answer...the queen was dead.
I'm not sure when I want to have Rosie-chan remember her whole past. I just thought I'd throw in some nightmares to add a darker side to the story. :P By the way, what do you guys think of the new name? I searched "Amaranth" once to see how popular the name was (I like my titles to be original) and got like, 3 pages of results. XD Reviews would make Silver very happy. :P Hope you're (so far) liking Rose! I promise much depth to her. ^-^ I like the idea of someone displaying innocence in the story cause both Lady and Trish kick ass already. XD