The rest of the afternoon passed quite easily for the trio, Dante occasionally joking at the new young couple's expense while they either ignored, berated, or teased him back.

Several hours later, Dante had left just moments before Eva and Sparda returned home.

"Hi you two." Eva greeted them warmly. "Ailie, dear, you've been all right?"

"Bout the same as usual." The raven haired teen answered nicely, mossy gaze flicking to Vergil slightly. "Today was a good day."

"That is good to hear, it's nice to have a day off, yes?"

"Yes ma'am, it is."

"So, what have the two of you been up to today?" Sparda asked them.

"Mostly just spending the day together." Vergil answered.

"We went to the mall and arcade, then we went hiking...somewhat, and then Vergil introduced me to herbal tea." Ailie explained.

"And you liked it, so all in all, my good deed for the year is done." The teen boy replied.

"I said I didn't hate it, and it wasn't terrible." Ailie countered. 'That doesn't mean I actually like it."

"But it is close enough for me."

Eva chuckled a bit at listening to them.

"You two are adorable." She told them, laughing softly.

"Adorable is for kittens, puppies, and other baby animals." Ailie said, trying to look like she was joking while looking serious, and failing as a light flush crept upon her pale face.

"So are new and budding romances." The elder woman countered with a wink before turning around to start cooking supper, leaving Ailie to stare at her back, wide-eyed and slightly slack jawed.

How did-

She didn't get much of a chance to freak out before she felt a finger on her chin, and then her mouth was closed. She reached out to slap Vergil's hand away.

"Stop that!" She hissed at him, trying not to laugh as well. "I can close my own mouth, dang it!"

The parents laughed at that.

"It appears you are adorable regardless." Vergil told her.

"Oh jeez..." She face palmed, her cheeks turning a bright pink.

"So, now that you two have made it official-"

"Eva, let the kids be." Sparda interrupted, smiling slightly. "They probably don't even know yet, let them explore and learn."

Explore and learn? What the shit did that mean?!

"I was going to ask...if they let each other know yet, is all." The blonde mother answered.

"Know?" Ailie asked, now confused. "Know what?"

"..."

"..."

The parents looked to each other, then to the teens.

"Um...Ailie, there's something we've been meaning to ask you." Eva started. "Your parents...they were James, and Elizabeth, yes?"

Ailies eyes widened. How did they know that? She'd never told anyone her parents names. Not Vergil, not Dawn, not her foster workers... No one.

"Thought so." Sparda answered.

"How did you..."

"Your parents were friends of ours, years ago." Eva said. "We lost contact shortly after the boys were born. I knew you looked familiar when we met you at the school. You look just like-"

"I know who I look like." Ailie cut her off quietly as she rose to her feet. Now she was upset. Not mad upset, but like, confused and sad, maybe a little mad. "You must be the caretakers I should have gone to, but they never got to tell me. And the house was completely destroyed...there was nothing left."

"Dear...we didn't even know until it was too late." Eva said, coming forward and wrapping the girl in a hug. Ailie didn't move to return it, but she didn't try and get away either. "By the time we heard the news, all we knew was that you were missing, but we didn't know anything else about you, not your name, we had no documents or-"

"I ran away..." Ailie said. "I saw them...I heard the sirens, and I ran. I ran to Noelleton, and became a street urchin before I got picked up. Then I came here." She explained. "No big deal."

Vergil frowned. No big deal? She was acting like none of this was a surprise to her, or that she didn't particularly care too much.

But, she was okay, so maybe that was why?

"Well, now you're here, and you've been all right all this time, so all is well, yes?" Sparda questioned as Eva let go of the girl.

"Yeah, I'm good. Alive, healthy, all that good sh- stuff."

"That is good." The man replied. And quite a stroke of luck the girl was dating his son. She was in excellent hands.

"Ailie would you like to stay for supper?" Eva asked as she began to put up the groceries, Vergil rising to his feet to help her.

"Um...yes ma'am, if it isn't-"

"No no, no trouble at all." The mother answered. "I should probably keep making dinners for four, I imagine you'll be coming around more often now."

Ailie smiled a bit at that.

"If Vergil wants me around, yes." She teased.

"As if you had to ask." The boy replied as he reached to place something on a top shelf in the pantry.

"Good!" Eva said beaming at the pair. "Has anyone heard from Dante today? He was supposed to call or come by."

"He stopped by earlier." Vergil spoke. "He did not stay long though."

"Ah, good. Do either of you know how's he's been?" She asked. "He says he's fine but-"

"I'm sure he's fine dear, Dante may be a handful, but he can take care of himself." Sparda assured her.

"He's been busy, a lot." Ailie added in. "Apparently his work is going good."

"That's what he was telling me. Though he won't tell us what it is he's doing."

Aw crap, Ailie hoped they wouldn't ask. She didn't want to be the one that outed him.

"Some kind of hunting work, I believe." Vergil replied. "He did not specify."

Sparda raised a brow. That was worrisome news.

"Hmm...I do believe I owe our youngest a visit..." He stated, turning toward the living room.

Vergil and Ailie exchanged a knowing glance before looking away from each other.

"Bring him those books too, dear." Eva piped up.

"I'll call him first, he may have fallen asleep." The man said as he disappeared upstairs to his study.

"Mrs. Eva, do you need any hekp with supper?" Ailie asked, getting to her feet.

" Hm? Oh, no dear. " the woman answered wirh a smile as she went about getting some pots and pans and setting them on the stove. "You and Vergil can spend some time together. Just, if you go into your room-"

"Keep the door open, yes mother." Vergil replied , getting to his feet as well and holding his hand out for Ailie to take if she wanted, which she did with a happy smile.

"Now, run along you two."

" yes ma'am. " they sai before beginning to head up the stairs.

Meanwhile, across the city. Someone was busy cleaning out a mausoleum in the Greenewood Cemetery, and muttering to themselves.

"Bullshit, that wasn't in the plans, now i have to move things up a few years. Dammit!" He was cursing to himself.

" Agh, why is this place so damn big?! " he growled. At first he'd thought it was perfect with its size, being so tiny. But then he'd found the sexret stairs that led to what appeared to a place for the dead person's famil's coffins and some veey important looking items that looked oh so valuable.

But material things are not what interested him at the moment.

No, he wsnted something far more valuable and it wasn't something to own. No...it was something to see, and to hear.

And he would. Evven if it took months for his plans to come to fruition.

A twisted smile came to his face, bare!y visible in tje dark in one were to be tnere to look at him.

He could picture it already...the sound of screaming, the scent of panic and blood, the sight of the chains as they bit into skin... It was absolutely amazing.

And he would final get-

The sou d of a phone ringrone blaring seemed suddenly so loud in the lsrge, echoey chamber and he fished it out to check the notification.

A text...

"Shit...I'm late for work!" He swore, dropping his current duties to beat a hasty retrest. Damn. .. He'd been so focused on this task he forgot about his normal life.

Not that it felt much like one.

Ever since his brother had been murdered... Even if he'd ran away and left home... Life had not felt the same. At lest he'd been alive. And now... Nw he wasn't, hadn't been for the past few years.

But don't worry bro, I've got tour back. Ill make sure you're avenged. Your soul will rest in peace again...