DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING OF THE DEVIL MAY CRY SERIES. THANK YOU.

Chapter Ten: Anguish and Solution

My Heat was finally over and I could breathe easy again. It had been over for three days now. We'd made less and less distance with each passing day due to my Heat getting more and more persistant. While the others had fought off the hordes that came for us, Dante and I had spent many of those hours entwined, unable to fight our arousal for one another. While neither of us understood why I would only touch him and him alone, we didn't question it, letting it happen. When we weren't entwined, we were simply spending time together, training, talking... resting in one another's arms... The insults had come less with every passing day as, no matter how I fought it, I began to really care for him, began to really like him. Even his attitude began to grow on me, his constant asshole comments and all...

However, once Heat ended, Dante and I had not touched other than my nightly tail-training. Now, though, I was better at resisting, but not much. I still fell against him, still got pleasure between his light touches and taunting voice. However, he always then sent me to bed before things got out of hand, always horny, always wet and ready to go. It drove me nuts! Then he would go and act like nothing had happened. We never spent time together anymore and he went back to treating me the way he had before my Heat hit, like we were complete strangers. It hurt a little, but I denied my pain and would always walk away.

We went back to our normal sleeping arrangements, myself rooming with Sika, Nero and Dante in a room, and the other girls in another room whenever we were in a hotel. Whenever we camped out, Dante always took first watch.

Tonight, we were camping out. I was just heading towards a nearby water source to do the dishes when I came across Dante training. I watched him for a bit, some part of me I tried my damndest to quench was impressed by his moves, even... entranced.

"Dante."

Trish walked out of the surrounding forest to him, interrupting his training, catching his blade with one of hers. I couldn't see his face at all, but I could definately see hers. After a short spar, he disarmed her completely and stood over her, catching her in his arm as she stumbled. From this angle, I could see both their faces... and hear every word said.

"You win again," she told him, her voice silky.

"I always do," he answered simply. She looked up into his face with a slight frown.

"Not when it comes to that feline, you don't," she said crossly. He frowned at her, all trace of good humor gone.

"A minor annoyance," he told her. "She's just a job."

For some unknown reason, those words struck me with tremendous force. What hurt more was when I watched him kiss her. The dishes slid out of my hands as I hit the ground on my knees, clutching my heart. Tears stung my eyes as I closed them tight in pain.

So... this is what heartbreak feels like...

I didn't even bother to argue with myself anymore. I knew I cared for Dante a great deal more than I ever dared to admit... and seeing him with her...

Unable to bear the pain, I left the dishes there and got up slowly. Trish and Dante were still fully making-out right in front of my eyes... unable to take it, I turned and ran. I didn't care where I was going, only that I had to get away. Once out of this forest, I covered my face with my hands, letting the tears run as I ran blindly.

Abruptly, I ran into something solid. I stumbled back, my hands flailing to try and catch myself, but two strong hands did. I looked up through my teary eyes to see the stranger...

"Vergil..." I said softly, then shook my head and threw myself against his chest, crying on him. "Please... just take me away..."

He didn't ask any questions after that, merely placed his arm gently around my waist.

"Come on, cat," he said, then gently led me away while letting me stay curled up at his side with every movement.

"She's gone?" Sika demanded, whirling on Dante. "What do you mean she's gone?"

"I found the dishes all broken up on the ground and her scent seemed to have up and disappeared," Dante answered. "There were also traces of salt, um, tears."

"But there were traces of Vergil's scent nearby," Trish added. Kyrie looked nervous.

"She once mentioned Vergil taught her how to hide her scent..." she began softly, getting everyone's gazes to shoot to her. "She also said she never fully finished her training with him... Maybe... she went back, to finish it."

"When did she tell you all this?" asked Nero, but Sika soon jumped in.

"No," he said firmly. "She would never have gone back to him willingly. Something had to be a driving force for her to run like that, to hide like that."

"But what?" asked Lady, completely at a loss. All of them were. Patty was crying again. She'd grown very close to Shetani in the time they'd travelled together. The two often spent time picking flowers, playing games, telling stories... Patty was the one hurting the most from her running off.

"With her running off, I say this mission is no longer our problem," Trish said. "This was an escort, not a search and rescue service."

"But it isn't complete until she is safely within the next compound!" Sika objected.

"We have to find her, make sure she's safe!" Kyrie put in.

"We have no idea where to look," Lady pointed out. "She could be hundreds of miles away by now. Cat-devils, she said, were known for their speed."

"We've got to try!" Nero said, backing up Kyrie.

The only adult not arguing... was Dante. He seemed... far away.

"Dante, what do you think?" Trish asked, bringing him back to the present. "Cut our losses or go find her?"

Dante looked from face to face, ending with the tearful Patty.

"Our job is to get her to the compound," he answered finally. Sika, Kyrie, Nero, and Patty all looked happy with that decision. Lady didn't appear to mind in either case, just felt it was a wasted effort. Trish, however, looked thoroughly unhappy, not that all of them (save Patty and Sika) didn't know why.

"Put aside your emotions," Lady whispered to her in a very quiet voice. "Remember, it's just a job. Dante is still yours."

Trish bristled for a moment, then nodded, swallowing her emotions.

"Where do we begin?" Lady asked.

"We find Vergil," answered Trish. "He's the only other scent that was there. If his scent mysteriously disappears as well, we can safely say Shetani went with him willingly."

Everyone nodded and Nero and Dante put their noses to work.

I was curled up on the windowsill, tears once again leaking out of my eyes. The weather seemed to reflect the pain and sadness in my heart, the rain beating on the window.

"Haven't you mourned long enough?" Vergil asked, walking into our hotel room. "It's been over a week, Shetani."

I nodded, wiping my tears as I turned to look at him.

So much had changed in that time. Since I'd run into Vergil, the two of us had wasted no time vanishing off the face of the globe. I had even made efforts to hide his scent, but I couldn't erase memories. People would remember seeing us travelling together. I knew Sika (at the very least) would be looking for me. However, a large part of me never wanted to be found. I didn't want to see any of them again, didn't want to be reminded of my pain again. Vergil, fortunately, never asked what had happened to upset me so, merely let me mourn and suffer, though he tried to be a source of comfort... well... as much of a source of comfort as was possible for him. He wasn't much of a... touchy-feely guy. He also called me by name now, never cat. In a way, I think we understood eachother and so, we were able to get along with little to no effort. I no longer leapt away when he tried to touch me and often found myself purring in his embrace at night, lying in bed while he played with my tail. However, I still had refused to give myself to him, not that he really pushed the issue. He seemed content to let me come to him.

"I agree," I told him. "But my heart does not."

This time, he looked at me quizically. I sighed.

"It's nothing," I told him, but he still didn't look away. I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall. "I just... gave my heart to the wrong person... that's all."

"And he refused you?" he asked. I could tell he really didn't care to hear this story, but knew I needed to get it out before I could move on.

"Not exactly," I replied, opening my eyes to stare at the other wall. "I never told him... but... I suppose it was all just a side-effect of my Heat."

"It's the man that satisfied you?" he asked, now interested. I nodded weakly.

"We... we spent so much time together, talking, training... just... together," I explained. "Then... when Heat ended... it was like nothing ever happened... He was as cold to me as he'd been when we'd first met..."

"And that drove you to leave?" he asked, his voice telling me he thought that sounded pathetic. I shook my head.

"No," I answered. "I could bear that much... being ignored and all... but..."

I looked down as both hurt and anger surged through me.

"But that blonde bimbo..." I began, my emotions in my voice as it came out as more of a growl. "Seeing them together was too much to bear."

I heard him take in a quick breath and my eyes snapped over to him. He was looking at me in disbelief.

"You fell for Dante?" he asked, his voice incredilous. "You told me he disgusted you!"

"He did... at first," I answered, looking away again. Then my eyes hardened, just like my heart. "And I was a fool to think anything else of him."

I thought things through. I had Vergil, what on earth did I need anyone from that group for? Sika could take care of himself. Nero and Syrie could finally start the family she longed for. Lady could get back to killing devils and badgering Dante about how much money he owed her. Patty... Patty would find a new friend, I was certain. It would hurt for a while, but she'd be better off without me around, messing up her life. And Dante...

A low growl came from me as I clenched my fist tightly.

Dante could rot in Hell.

"Vergil, let's not stay here tonight," I said suddenly, my voice deathly calm... and cold as ice. "I want to cover as much ground as possible this night. I know a place we can go that they cannot follow."

"And where is this?" he asked, but diligently replaced his weapons and grabbed his coat.

"We're going to the Shorai Cliffs," I answered, looking at him. Immediately, I had his full attention. "Unless you're with a feline, you'll never get there, let alone out. Our scent will be completely hidden by the anti-devil wards around that temple."

"But I will not be so easily welcomed there," he pointed out. I gave him a somewhat devilish grin.

"But they won't argue if I'm taking in my lover, now would they?" I answered. His expression changed to one of his usual calm as I slowly rose and walked to him. "Unless, of course, you object."

His hand captured my chin, his hand firm, his eyes looking down into mine.

"If you plan to take me to your bed, Shetani, we go all the way," he told me. I swallowed, knowing well what he meant. "I will not simply be a rebound for you."

"I wasn't asking that of you," I answered. "I was asking you to play a part. I have no intention of taking anyone to my bed anytime soon."

I jerked my chin out of his grasp and walked towards the door.

"And, may I remind you, that the only reason your brother got me in his bed was because of my Heat, not because I wanted him there," I stated coldly, then walked out. Soon, he fell in step beside me and we left that town, never to return.