By Blood Connected

A Fanfiction by VirM.

Chapter 20:

"Phone-Call Conversations"

"Get caught in a wood chipper?"

My head shot up. It was Eric.

"Well?" He asked. He was standing over me, hands on his hips, scowl plastered across his face. It was my first day back at school after my one-week absence succeeding the demon incident. I had taken the leave in order to recover a bit before returning. Now I was able to actually walk, at the very least...

"Not quite." I replied, blushing. I had been waiting for him beneath the tree. "Nothing quite that dramatic, at least..." That was a lie, but he didn't need to know.

I bet I did look a fright, though. My left foot was in a cast that extended all the way up to my knee, and my face was covered in scratches I had sustained from the branches whipping across my cheeks and nose as I ran from that beast. My hands and arms were covered completely in bandages: I had banged up my hands very badly when I had slid down that slope, and had gotten copious amounts of gravel and dirt in the scrapes. Those self-same bandages covered most of my torso as well in order to bind the slash across my back, though they were concealed by a sweatshirt. I felt like I had been hit by a train.

"Sure." Eric said, plopping himself down beside me. "You're banged up, yeah, but why were you gone a full week?" His gaze was steady, firm. I sighed.

"It hurt to move." I said truthfully. "Look! I have a cane! Isn't it neat?"

I did indeed have a cane to aid me in walking, and I was pretty much immobile without it. Vergil had gotten it for me somewhere, and it looked like an antique. It was made of heavy black wood with a sterling silver dragon wrapped around the shaft. Its head formed the hand grip.

"It is kinda cool..." Eric admitted, eyeing it balefully. "But I'd rather you not need it, really."

"Me too." I concurred.

"Care to fill me in on what happened?" He asked again, words more of a statement than a question. I grinned sheepishly.

"Fell down a hill." I muttered. "A rocky one." He quirked an eyebrow, and I continued.

"Me and Verge went hiking." I explained. "I wore the wrong shoes."

"Ah." He said, nodding at my newly-scuffed converse. His brown eyes turned suspicious. "Who's Verge?"

"Er..." I stuttered. Why was I embarrassed?

"Your boyfriend?" Eric asked casually. His look was apathetic.

"Oh, no, nothing like that." I laughed, raising a hand. "He's my guardian."

"Oh, okay." He brightened considerably. "Cool. What's he like?" He looked genuinely interested.

"Well..." I took a deep breath. "He's cold, really... towards strangers, anyway. He's nice if you get to know him." I thought for a moment, I'd never really thought about him like this before. "Smart... and controlling." I met Eric's eyes. "He freaked when he saw you." Eric's brow furrowed.

"Freaked? Why?" He looked confused, and I laughed.

"You could say Vergil's overly protective, at best. Scared another guy'd hurt me or something." He looked appalled.

"Me? I wouldn't hurt a fly!" He did his best to look innocent.

"I know." I giggled. "It tried to tell him that, but..." I sobered, and stared at the cane I had clutched in my bandaged hands. "He doesn't like to share me, I guess."

"Hm..." Eric sat quietly for a long moment before looking at me. Then he brightened. "You like music, right?"

"Yeah. Why?" I wondered absently at the out-of-the-blue remark. What had brought this on?

"I have a gig on Friday!" He announced. "I'm in a band with some older dudes I know, and I'm the guitarist." He grinned. "Wanna come see us play?"

"Of course!" I smiled. "Where're ya'll holding it?"

"'The Hole,' a metal/techno club down on Main and 3rd Street." His brown eyes were clear. "Anybody can come, but they don't serve alcohol unless you're of age and have an I.D."

"That's cool." I said. "No drinking then."

"I've already told m'mates all about you!" He chattered. "They wanna meet you. I told 'em you were cool."

"Did you, now?" I asked, surprised. He blushed slightly.

"Well..." He muttered. "My friends are all outta school, so having a friend my own age is different, to say the least..." He rolled his eyes. "They were convinced I'd remain friendless 'til the end of high school." I laughed at that.

"Hey!" Eric sat up straighter, eyes sparkling. "Can you sing at all, J?"

"A little bit." I admitted. "I can carry a bit of a tune, but nothing totally spectacular or anything..." I shrugged.

"Maybe you could do a number with us or something." He looked serious. "Girl singers are wicked in rock bands." He thought for a moment, eyes intense. "That'd be cool."

"I'll think about it." I said slowly. In truth, I thought it would be rather fun. "I might chicken out though, I'm a shy girl." He laughed at me.

"You, shy?" He chuckled incredulously. "Right... just trying to get out of it, I understand."

"No, that's not it–" I tried to amend, but he cut me off.

"No, no, really, if you think we're just dumb, dead end rockers, I'll understand–" His eyes glittered in mock hurt.

"Fine, fine, I'll do it." I snapped.

"Yes!" He pumped his fist into the air. "Shaming you into it worked..."

He grinned. I glowered.

"Be grateful, you ingrate." His smile widened.

"Come to my place after school. The guys'll be there, and we can see what you can do." My heart fluttered.

"Can't I sing for just you first?" I asked, suddenly apprehensive. He thought a moment, then nodded.

"Fine. They'll show up after a while." He rose to his feet. "You'll like them, I'm sure." I took his proffered hand and allowed him to help me up.

"I'll have to call Vergil though..." I said slowly, dreading it. He shrugged.

"Call from the office during lunch or something." He offered. I nodded.

"I somehow doubt he'll be thrilled..."

He wasn't.

"No."

"But Verge–"

"I said 'no!'"

"But why not?" I asked for the millionth time, peeved. I was currently leaning against the principal's desk with one hand, phone in the other. Eric held my cane, and I glanced at him while making a face that expressed the hopelessness of the situation. "He's just gonna listen to me sing a number or two, and–"

"It's not proper to have you go to some strange boy's house without a chaperone." His voice was patronizing.

"Hypocrite." I sniffed.

"... just what is that supposed to mean?" He asked slowly.

"Think, Sherlock... I live with you."

"That's different!" He growled, appalled. I laughed.

"Sure." I grinned into the mouth piece, knowing I had struck gold. "Whatever you say, Verge."

"Jira..." I could just see him standing there in the kitchen, running his hand through his hair, face stony but eyes desperate. "I just don't like him–"

"Must I remind you? You've never even met him!" I was getting pissed. "You've no right to judge him!" There was silence on his end for a long moment, then:

"Fine. I'll meet him, if only to put your mind at ease if nothing else." His words didn't process right away. I waited for him to continue, stupefied, and when he did not, I spoke:

"Huh?"

"Eloquent as always, aren't we...?"

"Shut it, Vergil." I snapped. I heard him sigh.

"I'll pick you up after school--" He said wearily, voice crackling slightly over the phone's connection. "–and I'll take you over there; you can't ride his motorcycle in your condition."

"How did you know he had a bike?" I asked, jaw dropped but eyes narrowed. He didn't answer me, just continued:

"You'll introduce us. Then I can at last judge for myself." He took a breath. "Sound good?" I chewed my bottom lip for a moment.

"Lemme run it by Eric." I turned to him then, muffling the phone against my shoulder.

"He wants to meet you." I whispered. Eric looked startled.

"What? Why?"

"I dunno." I snapped. "Just does. He'll take me over to your house after school, then meet you, then scram, I guess... sound good?" Eric nodded.

"I'll draw a map later." He said with a grin. I smiled back, then lifted the phone to my ear.

"That'll do, Verge." I said to Vergil cheerfully. "See you later."

"Stay safe, Jira." Vergil said in a curt voice, though not an unkind one. I heard a click and then the dial tone, so he must have hung up. I set the phone into its cradle slowly, reaching out to Eric for my cane.

"We're all set." I smiled. Eric grinned as he handed me my cane, shooting me a thumbs-up.

"C'mon, invalid. Time for class." His smile was a comfort. He led the way out of the office, and I hobbled after, feeling good about the day to come.

AUTHOR TIME

Blah blah blah next chappie is better. Actually has some sort of plot-ish mess. Thanks for all the reviews/favs/etc guys! You all rock!

You guys are insane! INSAAAAAAAANE!!!!!! Ya'll have given me 2359 hits on this thing! Dammit! I feel so grateful, you guys have no idea!!!

VIRM. is the creator of JIRA&ERIC

CAPCOM is the creator of VERGIL&DEVILMAYCRY