Chapter 10:

- Interesting… – he muttered as he watched his brother being impaled by the bug demon through one of his portals – apparently all I needed to kill Dante was mess with his mind a little

Vergil snickered amused at the scene unfolding before him, he never thought killing Dante would be so easy, without him there wouldn't be anyone on his way, he would finally become the ruler of both humans and demons.

But his expression turned serious when he saw the demon's attack was interrupted, giving Dante the opportunity to devil trigger and come off victorious.

- Sir, why didn't you go after the girl? This was the perfect chance – one of his subjects said

- There's no need to hurry, I still have to decipher the last part of the manuscript and I don't want to deal with Dante while I'm still doing research.

- I see… and what else is needed?

- Besides from the girl, there's two more keys… - he said placing his hand on his chin

The two remaining keys lie within my heart…

Vergil remembered that line from the manuscript his own father Sparda had written. He then proceeded to close the portal he was using to spy on Dante and left to continue with his investigation, there were more secrets surrounding their family than he and Dante knew at the time.

The morning after the fight, when Helena woke up she was surprised to see Dante was nowhere in sight. It was the first time he woke up before her, she was amazed of how well she could sleep now; there was this thing about Dante that made her feel safe and protected to the point she no longer had night terrors.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened and an almost naked Dante came into the room. He had just taken a shower and was only wearing a towel wrapped around his waist.

- I almost came out naked thinking you were still sleeping – he said sounding amused as he walked to the closet – that would have been quiet the scene…

She couldn't help but stare at him for a couple of seconds, she was getting a little nervous seeing him like that so she just shook her head trying to simply ignore it. She then remembered what had happened the night before and sighed in relief seeing Dante was back to his old handsome self.

- I'm glad you are ok now

- Yeah me too, can you believe someone tried ruining this face? – he said faking indignation

- What a crime, isn't it? – she said playing along while laughing

- Yeah – he said as he chuckled too

Helena then noticed the symbol on his back, it looked like a tattoo. It caught her attention at first because it was very similar to the symbol on the necklace she always wore, but while Dante's had a sword in it, hers had something that looked more like an arrow pointing down. Nevertheless, she didn't pay much attention to it because she thought that given his favorite weapon was his sword it would be reasonable that he had it tattooed and her necklace was just that, a simple necklace with no big story behind it.

- How did you sleep? – she said breaking the silence

- Uhm… not very good actually

- Because of the poison?

- Not really

- Then?

He stayed in silence for a second

- You are not the only one that has nightmares – he said looking at her

She just stayed in silence thinking about what he said, wondering what a guy like him could possibly have nightmares about, it perhaps had to do with his brother and what he told him the night before. She was about to ask him about it, but he had already locked himself in the bathroom to get dressed. Something told her he did that on purpose so she couldn't ask him about his dream.

That day they went to have lunch to the same restaurant as the first day. For the first time in a while Helena felt hungry and couldn't wait to get to the restaurant.

- Come on Dante! Hurry up! Walk faster

- You truly are hungry, aren't you? – he said happily surprised

- Yes! I'm going to eat a full pizza, and ice cream, and… - she said exited almost sounding like a child

- Woow – he said impressed – I thought models didn't eat that much

She laughed at his remark.

- Well, I'm not your typical model

- I like that – he replied with his typical half smile

She turned to look somewhere else so she wouldn't blush, there was something about that smirk that would always make her nervous, in a good way.

When they got to the restaurant Helena was expecting the same waitress to come to their table to attend her favorite customer, but instead another one came, and yes she also seemed to have a crush on the demon hunter.

- Hi Dante! – She greeted with a flirtatious look on her face - let me guess, a big pizza with no olives and just water, right?

- Yeah – he said this time at least looking at the waitress, he was evidently in a better mood than last time

- And you? – the waitress asked Helena clearly annoyed to see Dante with someone

- I'll have the same please, oh and a strawberry sundae – she said smiling at the waitress

Dante couldn't help but smile at Helena because she finally seemed to have a normal appetite, it was not the healthiest of foods, but it was a start.

The waitress annoyance however only seemed to increase when she saw him smiling at the girl sitting in front of him as most of the time he was a pretty serious guy. Besides, it had been months since Dante last came to eat with a girl, he used to be always accompanied by another girl, but one day he simply started coming alone and completely drunk, and then only alone. Remembering that made the waitress wonder what could have happened to that other girl…

She left the table with that thought still in her head and immediately came back with the drinks.

- Your meal will be ready very soon – the waitress said winking at him

Dante just nodded once to let her know he had heard her but just like the other time, with the other waitress, he didn't seem to care about her flirtations at all.

- Oh my god… - Helena muttered annoyed once the waitress left

Dante just shrugged.

- It's not my fault! I can't help it!

- You know, it must very hard being your girlfriend Dante, with all the girls coming at you like that

- Maybe that's why I've only had one

Helena raised a brow in disbelief

- You've only had one girlfriend? – she said raising her index finger emphasizing on the low number

He nodded.

- Don't get me wrong, I've slept with tons of girls, but I've only been in one serious relationship

- Of course you have, you are that type of guy… and what happened? Let me guess, you cheated on her – she said sure that because of the way he carried himself he couldn't be a faithful man, but she was wrong

Dante's expression rapidly turned sad, as if remembering something really painful

- She died – he said looking down

Oh God Helena you just fucked up…

- I'm so sorry Dante! I didn't mean to be rude… – she tried to apologize since he truly seemed wretched about the memory of that girl

- Whatever – he simply said trying to forget about it – What about you? How's your love life?

He wasn't really interested to know her answer; he was beginning to feel that pain in his chest again so he just wanted to change the subject to clear his mind. Helena was not only surprised by his question but also at how good he was at pretending nothing had happened because his expression soon went from gloomy to his usual serious one.

- My love life? Not very good… - she said looking down, now she was the one with the sad expression - My last boyfriend dumped me after I was raped…

Dante almost choked with the water he was drinking.

- What?! – He asked after coughing a couple of times - What a fucking jerk!

And people think I am a jerk, jeez…

He then noticed Helena had a couple of tears on her face.

- Hey don't cry! Not for that asshole – he tried to calm her down

She slowly wiped the tears away and nodded, she knew he was right, it just wasn't worth it.

- I can beat him up too if you want – Dante wasn't exactly sure why but he really wanted to knock the guy's teeth out, the idea making him smile

Helena actually found his suggestion funny and laughed a little.

- No thanks – she said giving him a slight smile

Damn it

He was really hoping she would say yes.

She found it curious how a couple of days ago, if someone had asked her about her ex-boyfriend she would have probably cried her heart out, but now that Dante asked, she just didn't feel that sad anymore, everything simply seemed to be better around him.

Oh no that sounds like I am… no no no Helena it can't be, you can't like this guy… for him you are just a random girl he decided to help, that's all, he would have done the same for anyone else.

Helena tried to shake off her thoughts and to convince herself that she only wanted him as a friend and nothing else.

It was at that time that the waitress finally brought their food and noticed Helena looked like she had cried so she couldn't help but smile since she thought the couple was having a fight.

- If you need anything else Dante just call me ok? – the waitress told him winking at him again before leaving

Helena rolled her eyes, irritated by the waitress's insistence.

- Don't give me that look, I haven't done anything… - Dante tried to explain, but Helena didn't look convinced at all - Ok, I may have flirted with the waitresses here a couple of times, but I was probably drunk at the time…

- Only flirted? – she asked still looking skeptical

- Fine, I may have slept with them one or two times…

Helena just looked at him dumbfounded

- But again, I was drunk, so it doesn't count – he said in his defense

- And you dare to come regularly to the place they work at?! – She said sounding mad – How can you be so cynical?!

He just shrugged

- The pizza is good here – he said innocently

- You are unbelievable… - she looked furious at him

- Like I said, I was drunk, and I also was kind of depressed at the time so I wasn't really thinking straight… Besides, I don't know why you get mad, I'm sure you get a lot of attention yourself

Not even she knew why she was getting mad at him, it was his life, and he could do whatever he wanted with it.

- Yeah I used to, but thankfully for me, men won't come close because you are with me, you are kind of intimidating

- Thanks - he said smiling

- It was not a complim… forget it – she really didn't want to talk to him anymore

See Helena? That's why you don't want to fall for this guy, he is an idiot…

They remained in silence while they ate until Dante remembered he wanted to talk to her about something very important.

- On a more serious matter, I have the feeling there's something you are not telling me – he said looking at her straight to the eyes

- Something like what? – she looked at him confused

- If Vergil is after you, then it means there's something serious going on, he wouldn't just be after any random human girl

- I swear I have no idea why your stupid brother is after me. I told you, I don't even know the guy

- Well, you can start by telling me about that necklace – he said pointing at the mentioned jewelry

She looked down to take a look at it, thinking he was intrigued by it because of the resemblance to his "tattoo".

- I think I already told you the night I met you it was my mother's

- Yeah but… tell me more! – he was beginning to feel frustrated

Helena thought for a brief moment and then shrugged

- I don't know anything else about it, my mother gave it to me before she was murdered, that's all

- Who killed her?

- I don't know

- Was someone after her?

- Uhm… I don't know…

- But she knew she was going to be killed, that's why she gave you the necklace just before that happened, right?

- I guess…

Dante's face showed pure and utter frustration

- You guess?! – he pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath trying to calm himself down - Look, if you don't tell me everything you know, I won't be able to help you

- I don't remember Dante! I was only six and I can barely remember my parents! – she said nearly shouting

He just froze as that story sounded kind of familiar.

- Don't tell me you lost your memory and you were told you had meningitis or some shit like that – he asked in shock

- What?! No! I do remember my childhood and my parents, its normal you don't remember things that happened in the first years of your life, I just… sometimes feel there's some blank spaces…things that I should remember from my childhood but I can't… important things.

- Oh – he said sighing in relief as her story wasn't actually like his – So, what do you remember about the day your mother gave you the necklace?

Helena closed her eyes trying really hard to remember that day, it was difficult for her as many of the blank spaces she was talking about came from that precise night.

- I lived with both my parents, we were at our house that night, and I think someone broke in, so my dad went downstairs to check out…. my mother took me to the attic and told me everything was going to be alright… it was as if she knew something like that was going to happen, the previous two weeks she had been acting weird... now that I remember… it was after we received the visit from someone that she began acting weird… being twice as cautious, things like that… then she told me something else, I can't remember what, and then she took off the necklace and gave it to me telling me it was very important and that I should never lose it… then… for some reason she… cut her finger with a small knife and lightly pressed her fingertip against my forehead while she said something… I believe it was in another language… and then she told me to hide in a little room we had in the attic and… I think I passed out because I can't remember anything else about that day, the only thing I know is that my parents were killed that night.

- When you woke up you found them dead?

- No, I was woken up by policemen, I was still there in the little room in the attic, they had already taken the bodies and I remember them saying it was a miracle that whoever broke into my house hadn't found me.

- They never found the killer?

- No…

Helena now understood the necklace meant something but she couldn't remember what her mother had told her, it was as if someone had intentionally taken those pieces of memories out of her mind, and if Dante's brother wanted the necklace then it meant it had something to do with the demons, but she didn't recall her mother ever mentioning or acknowledging their existence.

Dante found the story weird, what Helena's mother did definitively sounded like she was casting a spell, but with the little information he had it was difficult to tell, besides he was no expert on the subject.

- Do you know if your mother was a medium? – he finally asked

- A medium? No… she never mentioned anything about that or demons…

He was really confused about the whole thing, every time he seemed to be closer to the truth, more mystery began to surround her, his only option was to keep asking and try to get as much information as he could.

- Do you remember why the necklace was important?

- No, sorry…

- You said your mother started acting weird after you received the visit from someone, who?

- I… I don't remember… I told you, I feel like someone purposely made me forget some things…

Dante was doing his best to try and be patient with her, he knew it wasn't her fault, but still he was starting to feel exasperated.

- You didn't have any more family?

- No

- And your childhood with your parents was normal?

- Yes…

- Nothing weird?

- No

- You had never seen a demon before all of this?

- No! – she was also getting frustrated with Dante's endless questions

- You are not very helpful you know? – He finally said – I can't fucking understand why would Vergil be after you! And why you all of a sudden can be dragged into Limbo! Demons have dragged me into that fucking place since I was a kid, but you tell me you had never been there until I found you that night…

He was evidently upset because nothing made sense

- What if he only wants the necklace? – she said thinking that the resemblance between it and the symbol Dante had on his back could not be a mere coincidence

- I don't know… but I don't think so, yesterday that demon said you were "the one", he didn't mention anything about the necklace

- So… your brother was the one that sent that bug demon after me?

- That's a good question, I don't know if he sent it or if that demon was also after you. Anyways, since you seem to know as little as me, I guess our only option is to wait and see.

- If your brother comes, you are going to fight…you are stronger than him, right? – she asked feeling afraid Dante might lose in an upcoming battle

- Of course I am! He may be a little faster but I already beat him once, how I wish I would have killed him then… - he said looking really angry

- Why didn't you?

Dante stayed in silence for a couple of seconds remembering that moment.

- It's a long story…

- Let me guess, you don't want to tell me, you never tell me anything Dante, you want to know everything about my life but you don't want to say anything about yours – Helena said sounding really annoyed

He sighed as he tried to find the right words.

- We had a friend in common that asked me not to kill him… - he tried to summarize the whole thing as much as he could

- Wait… if he is as evil as you say he is, how could you even have a friend in common?

- Vergil wasn't always like that… when I found out he wanted to take Mundus' place, we fought and that's when I almost killed him, even then I could see good in him, but I saw him again around five months ago, he has changed, now he is a sadistic fuck, it's all you need to know.

- Ok… - she said nervously because something inside her was telling her that sooner or later Vergil was going to come for her