Chapter 6: Discovery

"Everything ready?" asked Daniel, taping up the last box of his research into a box. The lab was dark and dreary. Two figures were slumped in a cage and Dante looked away from it.

"Yes dad. Are you sure you want to take this job?" asked Dante. He grabbed a box while he dad grabbed the last box and they walked up the stairs. Rose was waiting at the door, talking with a bird. The bird just tweeted and flew off. The twenty one year old looked at them and smiled.

"All packed up?" she asked sweetly, her green eyes big and happy. Daniel nodded. Her eyes turned a little sad and moved so Daniel could put his box into the moving vehicle. Dante put the last box in and closed the door. He turned to his dad and hugged him. Daniel hugged back, taking a deep breath. He was leaving his only child. He held onto him for a while, trying not to let tears come to his eyes. He was broken apart when Rose squeezed in between the two and latched onto Daniel. Daniel couldn't help but smile as silent tears streamed down his cheeks. He hugged her back and petted her on the head. She sank a little while he petted her head and purred. She looked at him with happy, tear filled eyes. "I'll miss you," she said.

"I'll miss you, too. I'll make sure I write to you two. Dante, keep the research up I'm leaving you alright?" Dante nodded and Daniel patted his shoulder. He made his was into the vehicle and he drove off. Rose leaned against Dante and waved with him. Daniel looked back and saw the two standing next to her each other waving and sighed. He'd miss them.

Daniel had been called away for bigger and better projects in a town miles and miles away, leaving Satan City behind. Dante continued the research on Rose's parents, many days slaving away downstairs leaving Rose by herself upstairs. The days began to get tiresome for Rose. She had nothing to do because she couldn't go out because she promised Daniel she wouldn't with Dante. She sometimes spent days on end playing video games she had, beating several of them. Months passed and Rose was finally fed up with it. She wanted to see what Dante was doing that he had to forget about her. He was beginning to turn into his father.

Dante was sitting in the lab, his head in his hands. He didn't know why he was still down there in the lab. He had nothing to do. His white lab coat was all wrinkly and covered up his blood stained pants. He ran his hand through his hair. He looked at the cage and sighed. It was dark in the lab until a line of light came down the basement steps. Dante's head shot up and noticed that Rose was coming down the stairs. He got up and threw his lab coat off. He ran up the stairs and cut Rose off before she got to far down to see anything.

"Rose! What are you doing?" asked Dante a little startled. Rose crossed her arms.

"I'm tired of having nothing to do! I want to spend time with you damnit! All the things you have done since your father went away was stay in this damn basement! I rarely see you unless its dinner time or when you have to go, or or for bed! I'm tired of it Dante!" she exclaimed, glaring at him. She sighed and shook her head. "Maybe I should have went with your father... Maybe he would have showed me some attention like he cared for me. It seems that you don't you pig." she spat. She didn't mean that but she was so upset she didn't care. Dante grabbed her hands and looked at her.

"Hey, lets play tag. Its a game we used to love to play. One person counts to ten and then the other person runs and then the person counting comes and runs after you. Once you are tagged you count to five and run after the other person. Come on Rose, what you say?" Dante asked, his eyes pleading. Rose thought, giggled, and nodded her head. She hugged him and giggled more.

"Now can I say no to a face like that? You are to damn cute," she exclaimed, running upstairs shouting not it!

They chased each other all over the house. Rose and Dante jumping on tables, counters, over the coffee table, on the couch, over the fire place, everywhere. Dante was in an ocean of happiness he hadn't felt in forever he forgot all about the basement. Rose giggled and dodged him and jumped over the couch and swung right and ran to a door. Dante laughed and stumbled like he was drunk and Rose ran into the room and closed the door and ran down the stairs. She was giggling and stopped. She noticed she was in the basement and looked over and noticed a cage. She flipped the lights on and gasped. She could hear Dante's laugh as he opened the door and stumbled down the stairs and fell into Rose. He laughed and looked at her. She pushed him off and walked toward the cage. Dante straightened up once he figured out where he was and kicked himself mentally. Rose walked toward the cage shaking a little. Thunder was heard outside and lightening flashed. Two figures laid still on the ground. Rose fell to the ground and something flashed in her head...

"Mommy! What are these?" A small child asked, looking up at her mother. The mother smiled at her child.

"They are forget me nots. Here, lets pick some so we can make a necklace." replied the woman, kneeling down next to her.

"Daddy! Lookie! Forget me nots!" exclaimed the child, running to a broad shoulder man. The man turned and the girl held up a necklace of forget me nots. He took the flowers and put them around his neck and smiled. The girl hugged him around the legs and ran off.

Rose rubbed her head. They all looked like... her. She kneeled down and looked at the dead figures. They smelt a bit old and they looked like her. She looked at Dante with a confused look. He was standing there, hair a mess and his shirt pulled to the side showing his shoulder. He sighed and walked toward her.

"They are your parents. My father was.. doing experiments on them to see why you are you. I know there are cat people out there already but, they aren't like you and... they can't change to a human form." explained Dante. Rose looked at him with tears in her eyes. He knew all along and he didn't tell her!

"You... you knew all along? And you didn't tell me?!" she shouted, looking at her dead parents and she looked back at Dante.

"Yes... I couldn't tell you because... because I promised my father," he said, lying. His father would have hurt Rose if he had told her, but he just couldn't tell her. He approached her and she turned around to run but noticed a wall. She turned around and Dante tried to grab her. She ducked under his arms and ran up the stairs, Dante hot on her heals. She ran to her room and grabbed a duffel bag. She heard Dante come down the hall and she rushed to the door and shut it, Dante pushing on the door. She struggled to get it closed and finally did and locked it. Dante kicked the wall.

"Rosalyn! Please come out! I couldn't tell you, my father would have hurt you! I don't want this to damper our friendship Rose! Please, open the door!" Rose could hear muffled. She began to go through her closet and dresser to get clothes and things that she wanted to keep. She zipped up the duffel bag and walked to the window. It was raining and lightning outside. She looked back at the door where she could hear loud thumps. Dante kept running at the door, trying to get in. Rose opened the window, kicked out the screen, and escaped out her window. She stood in the pouring down rain and closed her eyes. Her body tingled and she opened her eyes. She put her hands to the side of her head and felt human ears. There stood a female human with long black hair braided and pure green eyes. She grabbed her duffel bag and ran down the street. Dante finally busted into the room huffing. He looked around and looked at the window. "Damnit..." he muttered and ran to the window while the rain blew inside. "ROSALYN!!"

Dante backed up to the door frame of the bedroom. He looked around the room where there were the dresser was almost torn apart, things flung from the closet and the bed a mess. He shouted her name again and fell to his knees. What had he done? Why had he kept the truth from her this long? The better question was, what had his father done? His eyes glazed over and he looked down. His hands were clenched and his eyes squeezed shut. "I hate you..." he muttered. "I hate you father!" he shouted to the empty house. He leaned against the frame with his head casted down. The house was quiet but for the soft whimpering of sadness coming down the hall and the clashing of thunder. The heavens were crying in agony.