Dante flew through the portal, wind rushing past him. He found himself flying through nothingness in complete darkness. There was a strange floating sensation that he couldn't place. A bright light appeared and they all stepped out back in the human realm.

Dante looked around, catching his breath for a moment before speaking. "That was a hell of ride, huh?" He looked to see where they were, and saw the shop just in front of them. He smirked, looking at the others. "You guys wanna check on Anshin? We must have been gone a while."

Anshin didn't wait for them to come see her. She came out of the shop folded up beneath a coat with a blanket over the hat on her head. She had her head down as her little form stood rigid on the door of the shop. Her skin had changed moderately over the time they were gone. Her skirt was pulled down farther, with the blanket she had abducted wrapped tightly around her legs. Her little ankles were barely showing but they were covered with goosebumps all the same. The horns on her head also protruded more, making the cat hat stand up a bit.

They had been gone for quite a while, but the close portal had cautioned the Capricorn into hiding in the shop for a moment. When she saw Dante, she slowly approached, her boots clonking noisily on the ground. Off the small entrance, she slowly crept towards Dante, her eyes locked with his. She wasn't paying attention to the others, just him. She walked all the way to him in a slow, cautious state before looking up at him with sad, almost tearful eyes. Lifting her arms, the towel fell away, revealing her little child self, her human looking self, as she nearly cried to be held. Her arms were extended up with her teeth gently on her bottom lip, nipping it in pain. She sniffed a little just wanting to be around someone.

She had felt completely petrified when she had emerged from the shop. At first, she didn't recognize Dante due to his new smell from the other world, and his new feel from it, but as she watched him and approached, the blanket she had been laying on clung to her little form. She recognized who he was, her eyes lighting up only slightly, still retaining their sadness. Tottering forward, she glided along cautiously wondering if it was a tricky demon. It wasn't until she reached him that she chose to relax, accepting that it was him. She felt extreme loneliness from her time away from people, protecting the shop from countless demons. She just wanted someone to hold her and care for her. She didn't say a word, as none were necessary. She never had made a more pitiful face.

Dante looked down to see the little girl at his feet. He reached down, picking her up and holding her as if she were his own daughter. He looked at the others, jerking his head toward the shop. "Let's head in," he said softly. He turned, heading into the shop with Anshin in his arms.

He stepped through the heavy wooden doors, looking around. Everything was just as he left it, save for a few missing weapons which rested on his person at the moment. He sat down in his chair at his desk, resting Anshin on his knee. He looked at her, hearing the door open as everyone filtered into the room. "You did a very good job watching the shop for me while I was gone. Thank you for that." He didn't usually play the nice guy, but the child was fragile, and he had a very small soft spot for kids.

He didn't realize he had become so attached to the small girl, not wanting to let her go. But he knew that the shop was no place for a child to live. She needed a more substantial home, with real parents who could care for her and be there when she needed them. Someone to love her completely and provide for her when she needed it.

He thought a moment, a wry grin crossing his face. He looked at Rayven and Hiro, a scheme forming in his head. Hiro had more than once hinted to him that he had wanted a daughter when they had gone out drinking during the down time between jobs. He nodded. "Oi, Hiro. Come here for a sec."

Hiro smiled very widely as he walked over to Dante. "I can read you like a book, my friend. I'd be more than happy to." He scanned the scene, seeing that it was full of faces, tired, but happy. Hiro had an idea. "Hey, we just won a great victory for the human race. We should celebrate properly. Let's go to my club. Drinks are on me. Oh, and I'd be more than happy to make you a sundae, Anshin." He smiled warmly. "It's only a block away. Shall we?"

Rayven walked slowly up to Hiro and Anshin, taking her place next to Hiro. She was still a mess and really didn't want to scare the little girl. She smiled warmly at Anshin, not really knowing what to say to her. She was new at the whole motherhood gig, but figured she would learn as she went. She was ecstatic about adopting Anshin, just nervous as to her own abilities as a parent.

"I want hot chocolate," Anshin squeaked as she struggled from Dante's grasp, going over to Rayven. She wrapped her arms around the woman's waist and looked at the men. She had just chosen her mother. She, although not quite sure what Dante was planning, was more than happy to get another mother figure in her life. They were few and far between, yet the last one she had was brutally murdered. She was going to be ten times more protective of Rayven than she was of Rose. That meant that Rayven was never going to be alone. She was going to have a little girl by her side no matter where she went and Hiro would never get her alone unless Anshin accepted it first. It wasn't like the child was naive, she was just unwilling to act informed. "Dante, don't let the cops dig in your back yard, no matter what they hear," She said as she smiled innocently, leaning her head more toward her new mother. Looking up at the woman, she changed the subject. "Can I have some hot chocolate?" she asked sweetly.

Dante was taken aback by the child's remark. "What did you put behind my shop? Never mind... I don't wanna know," he said, running a gloved hand down the front of his face. She had done her job, and he couldn't question her methods, having not set any ground rules for body disposal. He shook his head, looking at Hiro.

"A drink at the club sounds great, old friend. I'm gonna need one if the police are stopping by tonight." He cast Anshin a look, which she returned with a sweet, childish smile. He rolled his eyes, looking back to Hiro. "Are the usuals around? If so, we might be able to unwind a bit." He smirked as Hiro nodded.

He started walking in the direction of the club, the setting sun meeting his eyes as the others began to follow him. He had survived yet another trip to Hell. And there was still the matter of his pay, but that would come later. He just needed a night to relax, another night of normalcy.

Copyright 2008 Kevin Sims