LDN's official disclaimer: Dante and Trish belong to Capcom. Her OC's Gabriel, Flame and Damon belong to LDN. Solely her, so don't use them without her consent. Thank you! ^_^

*LDN enters with Gabriel and they are both wearing Santa hats.*

LDN: Hello everyone.

Gabriel: Hi guys! ^_^

LDN: It's a few days till Christmas and I wanted to update to wish you guys all a Merry Christmas and a great holiday season. It seems like time flew this month. I guess it had to do with all the holiday franticness of shopping and whatnot. I wish you a fantastic day on Christmas. May your heart be light and merry and all full of holiday spirit!!! ^_^

Gabriel: Yeah, guys! Merry Christmas!!! ^_^

*Dante walks in* Dante: Finally I get to kick some more butt!! I am the greatest devil hunter in the world. No one can stop me!! Not to mention I'm devilishly handsome.  (LDN and Gabriel roll their eyes)

*LDN goes up to Dante and plants a Santa hat on his head*

Dante: *Whining* LDN I was in the middle of my speech!

LDN: You look fantastic with the hat on, matches your outfit.

Gabriel: *laughs* he kind of looks like Santa!

Dante: What? No way! I'm hotter then him.

LDN: oh brother!

Gabriel: ohhhh, you guys are standing under the mistletoe!

*LDN and Dante both look up. LDN blushes. Dante leans over to kiss her and with Dante still a few inches away LDN faints and falls to the floor.*

Gabriel: Dang dad you're good!!!

Dante: *grins*

Gabriel: with LDN out cold thanks to my father's charms, I get to do the comments again!! ^_^ So on to Gabriel's comments:

Athar-luna: Yup Athar, LDN loves her cliffhangers. She likes to keep you guys in suspense. Yeah, Trish got lucky the door missed her or did my dad get lucky, cause Trish would have beat his ass! LOL!! Yeah right now Flame is a mystery, but this chapter will clear some things up. Is that a new power of mine? I guess so. LDN is kind of fooling around with my powers still, but it looks like it is a new power. That line is funny, but I don't know what LDN was thinking at the time. I doubt Treebeard was in there, cause we all know who she fancies! ^_~ Yeah it was decent of Flame to do that, but I don't know about the part where she was staring at my body!! I feel dirty! Hey even full of vomit I look fine and don't forget it, Athar!! ^_~

PoisonousFlower: *laughs* Beats me where Bilbo went. Last time I saw him he was getting a big gulp at 7-11. LOL!! Yeah you guys were crying, but don't believe LDN. She was all sad too and she wanted to cry. I guess she didn't want to show her weaknesses. Oh course Flame will behave with me, because I'm LDN's precious!!! ^_~

Kikoken: Hey Kikoken and Darion!! Yeah, LDN loves her cliffhangers. Although this chapter doesn't end in a real big one, I think. ^_^ She updated this chapter rather quickly so please enjoy Kikoken! ^_^

Bustahead: *jumps back from Arson* is someone on a sugar high? Oh and I'm half angel, not quarter! ^_^ Wow, I'm flattered that you're addicted to this fic. I'm glad you like reading about me. I don't mind the crazy fans, because well LDN can be a bit nutty sometimes too. ^_^

Ms. Cornell: Merry Christmas to you too Ms. Cornell!! *puts a Santa hat on your head* Mixed emotions about Flame? Well this chapter should clear it up a bit. It will explain some things about her. Yeah, poor me, locked up and smelly. LDN loves to torment me, but the good thing is she brought me some clothes. So at least the funk was gone! ^_^

Bachus: hey there Bachus! Yes, LDN is an evil girl, a very evil girl. I think Flame will spill in this chapter, so that mystery will be cleared up. Tell M.M, that LDN (if she was awake anyway) wishes her a Merry Christmas! ^_^

HellRaiser: Thanks for your review, HellRaiser. Glad to know you enjoy the story. No worries LDN updates regularly. Actually this is the first story she's updated so fast! So keep your eyes open for the upcoming chapters!! ^_^

Gabriel: Yes it is so much fun to do AN's. LDN is still out cold so go ahead and read and don't forget to review! ^_^

Chapter 9- Flame's Truth and Dante to the Rescue

            "Don't keep him waiting." Damon insisted. "It's impolite."  

            Flame and Gabriel just stared at each other. Flame's lips quivered slightly. She opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out.

            Damon laughed as he walked toward them. "Well since she's tongue tied. I'll explain what you saw in that vision of yours." Damon said laughter still in his voice. "Well you see she's…"
            "Shut up!" Flame yelled fiercely. "Shut the fuck up!" A dagger sprang out from her wrist sheath; she twirled it in her hand and pressed it at Damon's throat.

            Damon chuckled. "Empty threats, sweetheart." He told her. "You know that you need me more then I need you." He reminded her.

            Flame glared at him but begrudgingly removed the blade from his throat and placed it back into its sheath. She stepped back away from him.

            "That's a good girl." He told her condescendingly. He turned his attention to Gabriel. "Now, where were we Gabriel?" He asked pensively. "Ah yes, we were discussing the lovely Flame."

            Gabriel's light blue eyes flicked to Flame, then back to Damon. "Enough with the games. If you know what I saw in that vision then spill it." Gabriel said with impatient annoyance.

            "As you wish." Damon bowed mockingly. "The big secret about Flame is that she's already dead."

            Gabriel's eyes went wide with shock. He turned to look at Flame and her hazel eyes were already staring at him. "It can't be true?" He asked breathlessly as he stared at her. She looked so alive, so animate. It just couldn't be true. He had seen those dead creatures at her house, now they were dead.

            "I can assure you she's dead." Damon added. "I killed her myself."

            "Then why is she standing here?" Gabriel asked irate. This was a game they were playing with him and it was a sick game. "Explain that to me?"

            "Of course," Damon complied. "It happened a year ago when my body began to rot away. I had stumbled upon a small town and I proceeded to kill everyone in it, including Flame's parents. I was using human essences for a while you see, but well they don't work so well. Anyway, our dear Flame arrived just when I was leaving and well you saw what happened." Damon concluded.

            Gabriel stood silently letting everything he had just heard process through his mind. One thought stood out clearly in his mind. "If she was dead, why did you bring her back?" Gabriel asked him. "Why didn't you just let her die in peace, huh?"

            "That is an easy question to answer." Damon replied easily. "I was already feeling weak and I knew that she would be a powerful asset to me."

            "You've just been using her." Gabriel said disgusted.

            Damon chuckled. "How do you know that she didn't beg me to keep her alive?" Damon told him. "No one wants to die. Everyone wants to hold on to that fragile thread we call life, including me." He turned to Flame. "That reminds me we have to get ready for Gabriel's dear old dad."

            Flame nodded and silently she walked out of the room with Damon. Just as she was almost out of sight, she turned back and looked sadly at Gabriel. Gabriel's face mirrored hers completely.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

            Dante paced on the wooden floor of Devil Never Cry while Trish sat at his desk wearing an expression of worriment on her face. They were in absolute silence; there was nothing to talk about. Nothing to do, but wait in the utter silence. The ringing of the telephone, sprung them into action, but Trish reached the phone first.

            "Devil Never Cry." She said into the receiver. "It's Flame." She whispered to Dante. "Ok, let me write this down." She grabbed a paper and a pen and wrote down an address. She hung up the phone and waved the paper at Dante. "We got it."

            "All right, let's go and kick some major ass!" Dante replied.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Some time later)

            Dante and Trish stood outside looking at an abandoned one story warehouse. The full moon high in the sky illuminating the warehouse.

            "Who the hell would build a warehouse out here?" Trish asked looking at it. They were in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by trees and dirt and sounds from nocturnal animals filled the night sky ever so often.

            "I don't know." Dante replied. "Are you ready for this?

            "Oh yeah, I'm ready." Trish replied.

            "Then let's do this." Dante said with a smirk.

            They walked along the dirt and grass toward the small warehouse. There was no one around and that was a bit unnerving for the demon hunters after all they were expecting a welcoming party. As they reached the warehouse doors, Trish's booted foot tripped on something and she almost stumbling. Luckily for her Dante grabbed onto her to keep her from falling.

            "What the hell happened?" Dante asked her.

            "I don't know. I tripped on something. Maybe an upturned tree branch or loose stone or something." She told him.

            Dante turned around to see what Trish had tripped on. "Trish, it wasn't a stone or branch." He said as he let her go. He pulled out Ebony and Ivory. "It was him."

            Trish turned to see a zombie rising from the opening ground. Grey clammy skin with an armor and a sword and behind him other zombies were popping up like daisies from the ground. Trish pulled out Sparda from her back and brandished it in front of her. "Hello handsome." She told the nearest zombie. She walked forward and raised her sword. Just as she was about to swing Sparda, the zombie's head exploded.

            "Dante!" Trish complained. "He was mine!" She turned to see a mischievous look on Dante's face.

            "Ah well, he's all yours." Dante pointed behind her at another zombie that was coming toward them.

            "Well thank you." Trish said gratefully. Dante simply nodded. Trish turned and swung Sparda in a high arc. She cleanly took off the zombie's head. The zombie's body fell to the ground with a thud.

            "Nice," Dante said approvingly. "But too clean for me." He raised Ebony and Ivory at the remaining zombies and pulled the triggers on his beloved guns. A stream of bullets tore though the zombies, especially their heads. This caused zombie bits and fluids to splatter everywhere.

            "Ew, zombie brains." Trish said in disgust as she side stepped away from the flying bits of zombies heading toward her. She watched Dante shoot off his guns with a look of sheer enjoyment on his face.

            At last the last zombie was dropped and the silver haired hunter's guns fell silent. Smoke seeped out of the ends of his twin handguns. "Is that it?" Dante asked disappointed, a slight frown on his face.

            "I think so." Trish told him. "You made quite a mess too." She added as she observed the ground littered with zombie parts.

            "You could always offer to clean it up for them." Dante quipped.

            "Ha! Ha!" Trish said sarcastically rolling her eyes at him. She headed for the warehouse door. "Come on funny man, we still have to rescue your son or did you forget about that?" She opened the door of the warehouse. 

            "No, I know what I have to do," Dante told her, his tone serious. "And believe me those bastards are going to pay for messing with me and my son." He walked past her and into the warehouse.

Gabriel: Another chapter complete! LDN is still out. LOL!! My poor creator! Well everyone please review and Have a Merry Christmas! Later everyone!!*starts singing Have yourself a merry little Christmas and walks away*