Authors note: I really didn't want to write a 2nd chapter in my version, because Chris wrote his side for me. But, Vampy Sparda threatened me to write it anyway since I started it, and promised to do so. She really loves fluff. 2ndly, my friend Ki Ki wanted me to finish it off with my variation, wanting a female's touch to it. Either way, I thought Chris's version was great, and I'm happy he wanted to write it. I hope you enjoy my adaptation, even if it is just an extra bit for more Lady and Dante fun interaction.

This was written weeks ago, but couldn't finish it, because it was a pain in the butt to write.

The smallest feline is a masterpiece...Cat Quote by Leonardo da Vinci

Actually, cats do this to protect you from gnomes who come and steal your breath while you sleep. - John Dobbin

Lady Cat didn't stir for quite awhile, but it took Dante enough time to clean off the dried blood off of her soft fur. It was the best opportunity to brush her down, then realizing that the cat was a female, he chuckled, "You sure fight like a cyclone back there, little one. You would really like my friend Lady. Infact, she's a lot like you."

She didn't move, but he could tell that the little feline creature breathed, and Dante smiled at the thought that the cat would make it through the night.

He wasn't much of a pet owner, but he had a soft spot for animals. He had kept Cerberus on for a lot longer than his other weapons, keeping the ice nunchucks for play and fun. It was fun showing off with it. They were great for a good work out when there were no demons around to thrash and destroy. Dante was the only one who could conjure up the defeated guardian's soul from its voluntary prison. It was not really smart to have them all under one roof either, not to mention that Cerberus alone would freeze up his entire home. Beowulf, he couldn't really summon from his prison, because this was his brothers' kill. He ended up selling the Beowulf, getting a lot of money for that, and found to his disconcertment, the high price Nevan was asked for. His former drums were destroyed, along with the guitar that was smashed to pieces, and Lady was generous enough to give him back some items that he couldn't replace.

Still, he kept those weapons longer than he would like, finally selling them for needed cash. He was too damned proud to take money from Lady, even though she had a lot of money from her departed parents. Lady wasn't much in the generous mood when she found out he had also demolished her motorcycle. Angry as a hell cat, she insisted on another battle, and he allowed her to win this time. It wasn't enough, really, for she was insatiable, wanting to go with him on hunts and fighting alongside him. As he brushed the soft, sleek fur of the cat with his fingers, he couldn't believe how much he was thinking about her. Normally, he'd shrug off those thoughts as if it were nothing, going on with life as it always was, before and after Lady.

She never did tell him her real name.

He cradled the cat in his arms and walked into his bedroom, looking for a small blanket to set her on. Instead, Dante ended up placing the black and white striped animal on his bed, setting her against his pillows. Her paws were white, like she wore white boots similar to those of a Clydesdale. The half demon kneeled down, his face close to the cat, "Rest now, cause when you wake, I'll have a bowl of milk for you."

Dante stood up and gave the cat one last look before turning to the door. The sound of mewling stopped him. Turning around, he found himself looking at the awakened cat, her eyes a familiar, yet distant reminder of something…….

"Hey there, little one, you should be resting. But if you think you can handle yourself, I underestimated your will to heal."

This coming from Dante made Lady want to scream, You cannot know how much I'm hurting right now! And she was. Her body ached even in that animal body, and she was equally aware of the fact that for the first time, she was in Dante's room. Her nose wrinkled up with distaste, and she mewed loudly as to voice that aversion, lifted up a paw as if to offer something. The half demon chuckled, absolutely amused at this animal, a huge smile spread across his face, his light blue eyes sparkled, which shocked Lady.

He had always smiled, moreover, laughed at her, with her, gave her plenty of smiles, but this one, she never saw. It was warm and…..she shivered, realizing that she had to move around, get her blood moving. She hopped off the bed, ignoring the intense pain that shot through her body, knowing how much she had to find that parchment back home. There was no way she was going to remain a cat. Dante watched the determined little being struggle to move about, mewling loudly as she walked. He took pity and picked her up, "Hey now, I'll hold you until you're able to get yourself back on your feet a hundred percent. In the meantime, you'll just have to get used to being held."

Lady Cat was not happy at this bit of news and tried to struggle, but he tenderly held her against his body. The strength and gentleness of being held like that made her uncomfortable, among other feelings she cared not to feel. She loved Dante as a friend, and realized that she had to stop being the independent girl, and allow him take care of her. At least until she was healed enough to run back to her flat and get her almost ruined parchment. Then with an even greater disconcertment, the parchment spells probably had to be reversed by a human, which would be herself. Now how in the hell was she going to do that?

Think, Lady, you can get yourself out of this mess, but now……Now she was hungry. The grumbling sound from her tummy was making her most uncomfortable, even though she was just in the body of her cat self, embarrassment would have stained her cheeks at the noisy reminder that was heard quite clearly. Dante smiled at her, his strong arms held her like a baby, and she was amused at the way he was so natural at this. It's not as if she was a baby or an expensive, fragile, porcelain doll exported from god knows where. Purring loudly, she allowed herself the luxury to cuddle against his tummy, and giggled inwardly at the noise there. He was probably as hungry as she was. Dante liked to eat, and most healthily too; she realized, and is most eager to see what kind of food he would conjure up for her.

Peeking out from under his arms, her bi-colored eyes scanned the kitchen. Oh dear, she sighed inwardly, it's not a wonder she hated to go in there. The place was a mess, with plastic and paper plates and glass bottles of empty tomato juice, smeared pizza stains on the counters, the smells of stale food nearly making her want to crawl back into the haven of his arms. But, curiosity killed her as Dante opened up the refrigerator, revealing to Lady the near empty contents. There was a half filled bottle of something that looks suspiciously like milk, one tomato juice, and two slices of pizza, topped with cold cheese and pepperoni.

"Heh. I guess you and me will have something after all. I can only offer milk right now, and I'll go out and get you some cat food."

His deep voice sounded like an echo chamber against her ears, her cat ear against the naked belly of her protector. She didn't complain, and purred noisily. When Dante took out the milk and searched for a paper bowl, he poured the milk out. It went out in clumps and he squinted, gritted his teeth and finally sighed, looked down at the injured cat, and started to apologize, "I'm sorry, it looks like I'm going to have to go out and buy you some fresh milk. But you're going to have to stay here so that I can make a quick run on my motorcycle, okay?"

If Lady could smirk right now, she would, because the need to laugh was great. She couldn't wait to tease Dante later about how he liked to talk to animals. She should name him Doctor Doolittle.

The smell of curdled milk made her wrinkle her nose, realizing that it wasn't that much different than the smell of his room. He had a lot of dirty socks lying around. It reminded her of what the mens' locker room would have smelled like. Not that she's ever been in one, but that she's always heard about how sweaty athletic men smelled like reeking old socks, strong under arm odor, and other unmentionables. This quelled her stomach even more. Lady was not a woman who would tolerate stinky men, and if she ever got with Dante, and that would be the day, she thought this with disdain. She would make sure he had clean socks, place small air fresheners in every corner of his room, and bathe him good. But, she was not his mother. He would have to learn to do that on his own. He was old enough for christ's sake! Still, without any motherly guidance, how would he know how to care for himself in those areas? Especially a guy like him. She'd known his type before, only to appreciate there were more depths to him. Feeling a sense of kindred emotions with Dante as they both lost parents to evil, she cuddled closer, purring against his taut belly, and if she could hold him, she would.

Dante grabbed the pizzas, placing them on the paper plates. Lady also knew he wasn't the kind of guy who would bother with dishes, buying the disposable plates and cups for his benefit. He really didn't need them either, as he continued to eat his pizza, at least once a day, a bottle of tomato juice for B1, metabolism, energy, and preventive prostate cancer. She realized with his healing abilities, he was only capable of healing his injured body, but diseases were another matter. Lady waited patiently as he headed back out to his desk, planting his feet up, set Lady Cat on his tummy, and broke up pieces of cold bread to feed her.

She eagerly ate them, recognized how good it was to eat one of Dante's pizza. Besides, it's not like she had any choice. He ate his other half and after they had consumed their dinner, Dante caressed her fur, with long slow strokes. Lady purred madly, her eyelids slowly slipped closed, and she enjoyed this feeling of being a cat. Stretching out her body, her claws retracted, and the half demon jumped slightly at the feel of their sharp ends.

"I see you enjoy this. You have such soft fur. Looks like it's time you get some rest. I'll go and head on out to the store to grab a few things while you sit tight."

He saw that the cat appeared to agree willingly, Dante got up, placed her down, her tail swished as she looked up at him. Watching him grab his red jacket, he headed out, and then after a few moments, Lady heard him start up his motorcycle until it faded away from a distance.

Dante was back instantly, one hand held a box of pizza, the smells of it emanating out, causing Lady Cat to purr. His other hand had a bottle of milk. She ran to him and started to jump around with eager anticipation. Finally, after they had settled down again for some fresh food and drink, Dante leaned back, smacked his lips together, burped, and rubbed his taut belly. There were still a couple of slices of pizza left.

"Look at you!" he teased at her, "You eat like a….well you may eat like a dainty cat, but you sure have an appetite!" He saw her eye the last two slices and he shook his head, pulled out a hand from behind his head, shaking a finger at her. "Nuh uh, you're not having any more. It'll make you sick. Besides, those last two are mine!"

"Hey, you know, you're pretty good company, I wish I could keep you." Then regretted what he said, "Nah, can't have a pet with my life the way it is. I have a hard enough time trying to protect Lady from getting herself into scrapes. Not that I think she couldn't handle herself, it's just that I get a bit too protective….."

Lady became immediately amused at how he talked about her, and sat herself next to his mother's portrait. Dante stared at them--the cat with bi-colored eyes and his mother's image. "You both are the women in my life, you know that?" He raised a bottle of tomato juice at her and drank it.

Lady blinked, didn't know whether to be offended or be flattered. After all, he didn't know that she was a cat. Did he even forget her? The girl whom he claimed changed his whole attitude about family? The person who brought him to his senses, appreciating there was more to life than just emptiness and lost family?

With her slyness, she would teach him, alright, and she made a move for the pizza.

Deftly picking up the food when he wasn't looking, the warm breaded side of the slice of pizza between her teeth dangled from her mouth. She jumped off the desk with quick agility.

"Hey! Get back here with that pizza! I told you that you've had enough, you stubborn little feline---!" Dante got up clumsily in his rush to get at her; she was too quick for him, as she darted away to and fro. He gritted his teeth; his white bangs hung over the light eyes, which were now shining with a mischievous glint, anger and amusement notable in his voice, "Come on, now! Get back here!"

She dived under the coffee table as Dante nearly scooped her up, barely catching her. With agile footing, Lady jumped up and down counters and chairs, avoiding Dante's hands.

"Do I have to devil trigger to get you!" He joked, not really enjoying the fact that he was being bested by a little cat. Dante tripped over a box that was in the way as she made a u-turn, hopping over boxes to avoid the devil hunters grasp. He went down on the ground in one clumsy fall, and he lay there for a moment, grumbling out obscenities. Lady paused, the pizza still dangled from her mouth. She ran back to him and laid the pizza on top of his head. Laughing inwardly, she was really enjoying the temporary body.

The half devil groaned aloud on the floor, the warm pizza on his head.

When they had settled down, he took her up in his arms again and she allowed him to pet her, cuddling her against him. It was very late. Dante murmured to her, stroking her soft, smooth fur, "Little hell cat, what do you say you and me go to bed?"

Her cat self mewled as an agreement to his spoken words, and allowed him to lay her on his bed, ignoring the smells of his room. As she cuddled closer to his pillow, it smelled of him. The strong masculine scent of him tickled her nose.

She slept for quite awhile.

The next morning, she stretched her body, cuddled up to the warm body next to her. Her eyes flickered open. Lady looked at Dante's face, inches from her cat self, and sighed. She desperately wanted to be herself again. He had woken up moments later, aware of the little animal next to him, he reached over to pet her fur and rumple her ears. "G'morning, bright eyes. You know, your pretty eyes look like….." He stopped petting her to scratch his head; furrowed brows knotted his expression. "I can't seem to place it, but I got good news. I can make you a fresh breakfast from last nights' milk." He winked.

Lady raised her paw and in a gesture of thankfulness, she glided them on his shoulder with gentle precision and mewled softly.

He gave her a gentle smile. The corners of his eyes made soft crinkles that accentuated his light azure eyes, causing Lady's heart to beat faster. She liked this intimacy they had, even if she was just a cat, the gentleness he gave her was an entirely different Dante she was used to. Sure, he was rough on her, played with her, teased her all to hell and back, and she was no different. Lady gave him back every inch of what he gave her. They were like that, fighting, making up, friends again, pretend enemies when Dante aggravated her. She was sure she irritated him as well. But, in the end, they laughed together and backed each other up.

Loyalty was something they both fiercely possessed.

She watched him as he got up and pulled back the blankets. To her horror, he was naked. She mewled and turned around with embarrassment. Lady heard him chuckle, "What's the matter? You act like you actually…." He paused, narrowed his eyes disbelievingly and then shook his head, "Nahh, you're not a demon, I would know instantly. But you sure act as if you're not a cat."

Lady jumped down from the bed, and proceeded to run to the door, desperately trying to claw her way out as he searched for something to wear. He was laughing at her now, could hear the way he had always laughed at her when she was being stubborn. "Come on now, you're not that desperate to get at some milk are you? Just give me a second to find some pants."

She closed her eyes, thinking madly, Don't even think about turning around! I know you liked what you saw, but control yourself; you're not like those girls! The ones that go insane over the looks of him WITH his clothes on!

Dante pulled on a pair of trousers he found, and a pullover sweater that Lady had given him for his birthday present last year. She glanced over at him anyway, because damn her, she was a cat! Cats have a terrible irresistible urge to be curious as hell!

When they were downstairs, Dante poured her a fresh bowl of milk. Lady purred, lapped up the milk, and later, sidled up to his pant leg. She was feeling a whole lot better, and it was time to get out of his home when he wasn't looking, jet out of there and find her way back inside her home.

Instead, she listened to him dial the phone, called up the police department to report a missing animal. NO! She climbed up on the desk with one swift move, pounced on the receiver, causing Dante to mutter a curse, "What the heck are you up to?"

Lady jumped off, ran to the door, clawed on it, and mewled loudly. Dante shook his head, "Damn, you're just as demanding as Lady! Where do you want to go? Gonna show me where you live? Is that it?"

She mewled in reply. He nodded, "Alright, show me the way."

Comprehending that he had to take her to her home, so that he would utter the parchments written words of reversal spells, she just hoped that he wouldn't make any wishes! He was about to stroll away from his bike, an indication that he thought they were going on foot. Lady Cat jumped up on his motorcycle, and lifted her paw to point in the direction where she wanted to go.

Dante widened his eyes, "What the--?" He didn't question anything, but proceeded to get on his bike and steer his vehicle towards the way. When finally they arrived in front of Lady's home, he sputtered, "Hey, this is Lady's home. Are you---?" He looked down at the cat that was now making her way up the stairs to the front door. She pawed at the door and mewled loudly.

"Lady never told me she owned any pets."

He knocked on the door, but found that Lady Cat was smacking his pant leg with her paw. She ran towards to one of plants and knocked it off, revealing a small key beneath dirt and broken pieces of ceramic pot.

"How the---" He exclaimed out loud. Dante didn't say anymore as he opened the door.

When they entered, he was greeted with the smell of cedar and soft perfume. Lady's perfume. Dante glanced back to the cat, his furrowed light colored brows marring his expression, "Ok, what's up?"

Lady Cat ran to where the scroll last lay and she picked it up with her teeth. Showing Dante the delicate piece, he picked it up, read it, and after a few moments, laughed, scratched his head and winked at her through his curtain of white bangs.

"A wish, huh?" Then as if he had just woken up from a deep sleep, understanding dawned on him, "Lady……" He whispered.

She closed her eyes, mewling loudly, her paw pawed the air.

There was a roguish grin on his handsome face, "Why would I make a wish to have you back as you were? I, for one, would like to make a wish myself. After all, there's one wish for each person."

He was greeted with a bite to his leg. "OW!" Dante looked down and she hissed at him. He chuckled, "Now, why would I make that wish now? After what you just did?"

Lady Cat started to panic. No! Oh come on, Dante! Don't even think about it, or I swear, I swear…..she knew that he was in complete control. Again.

If she could cry, she would, but she didn't, she wouldn't, not for him, not for anyone. If she could scream in anger, she would do that too. And all she could do was to wait in agony; Dante slyly gave her a side glance, walked over to her couch, and purposely set his dirty boots up on the arms. He glanced at the disapproving look Lady Cat gave him. Then allowed his lean, muscular body to fall back on the furniture, Dante became utterly relaxed as he set his hands behind his head.

"Let's see, I've always wanted…..yes, I've always wished….." He continued to tease her mercilessly, watched the poor cat mew until she could no longer convince him to read the incantation.

"Ok, okay, I will do this, but in one condition!" Dante raised a finger at her.

She was willing to do anything at this point, even to go as far as clean his dirty socks and underwear! Lady saw her opportunity to be on top, she pounced on his stomach and dropped one paw down upon him. Hard. He yelped loudly, causing his body to move forward. "Damn! That hurt, woman! You're equally pitiless as a cat!"

Her bi-colored eyes challenged him, but he wasn't fazed one bit. Chuckling with the greatest pleasure, he continued, despite the pain in his abdomen. Gritting his teeth, he said through them, "All I ask is a kiss."

She stopped her slow torture of pawing his stomach and nodded her head. It was only a kiss after all. If that's all this macho devil hunter wanted, he'll get it alright.

Dante gave her one last wily look, winked, and then uttered the incantation. Within moments, she felt her body change; the fur started to disappear and was not being replaced with human flesh. Looking down, her body grew and grew, glad to be gone of the inconvenient small shell she was in, and Lady was back as she was, birthday suit and all!

"OH MY GOD!"She screamed out, because now she could talk. Covering herself with her hands, she realized it was a fruitless task, and he stared at her with his mouth agape.

"Close your mouth, Dante, you wouldn't want to get flies in there!" Lady ran to her bedroom, closed the door with a resounding noise. Left alone, Dante managed to close his mouth and gulped, his adams apple moved up and down from all the gulping. He was so looking forward for that kiss.

When finally, she emerged from her room, Lady was wearing a thick sweater, a jacket over it, a pair of pants, and her signature faded red laced boots from underneath.

"Where's my kiss, Lady?" He said immediately, ignoring the fact that she deliberately put on a lot of clothes.

"You're incorrigible; you do recognize that, right?" She huffed at him, her arms folded, and she had tapped her booted foot noisily against her hard wood floors, "You act as if you've never seen a girl naked before! You have a poster girl on the bathroom door for crying out loud! Not to mention, your girly magazines in your desk!"

"Come here, Lady," He whispered hoarsely. She gulped and sighed, unfolding her arms. He was right. He deserved a kiss and more.

When she went into his arms, she purred involuntarily, tensed as she heard it. Dante chuckled against her hair, inhaling her feminine scent, "But I've never seen you naked, Lady." He grazed his lips against her soft cheek, closed in on her lips, capturing them as she parted them under his gentle urging. Within moments, Lady wound her arms around him and they ended up kissing longer than she originally wanted. Her one leg bent, one foot on tiptoe, she moaned against his lips.

They parted their kiss and looked at each other. Dante searched her bi-colored eyes, "I think I can make you purr again…"

"If you think you can make another wish, and assume you can make me a cat again, you're mistaken, Dante," She breathed, her heart still hammering against her chest. This was just one kiss, she thought to herself, and then they'll go back to being partners, fighting side by side, against evil, against everything that threatens their world.

"I wasn't talking about wishing you into a cat again, Lady." He grinned.

"Oooohhh!" she pushed at him, and he fell back against the couch, laughing at her innocence and feisty naive love.

Later that day, Lady told Dante about her ordeal, about how she got that artifact from Egypt from one of her adventures. They chatted and joked together like they always did, enjoying each others company. She even bought him two boxes of pizza after they rode their bikes to a shady part of town, where they shot down a hundred or so lower demons in a scant few minutes. Lady raced him back to his office on her bike. Winning by a few yards, Lady turned her bike in one fluid motion, and faced him with a mischievous glint in her eye. She revved up her bike, the way she did a few years ago when they first met at the gates of Temin-nu-gru. Dante sat on his bike, had put on the brakes in front of her. They stared at each other for a few minutes, and then Lady broke the contact by making a funny face at him, her tongue stuck out, "Stop looking at me like that, you fool!"

Lady hopped off the bike and ran to the office, laughing, "Last one is a smelly sock!"

She barely made it through the door first as Dante used his super strength to reach her, and with quick reflexes, she grabbed hold of him, wrapped her arms about his neck, bringing them both at the entrance of his establishment.

"We're even!" Lady panted, "I guess that means we're both smelly socks or……"

He leaned in, surprising her, to steal a kiss, "How about if we just make out upstairs in my room among the smelly socks I own?"

She chuckled and shook her head, "You're so romantic, Dante. How could any woman resist you?"

"They don't, only you….but, I think, I'm making progress."

The next morning, Dante came downstairs to find Lady in his kitchen. He had given her the keys to her home, as she did with him. They trusted each other, and since they had no family, they were left to be the only ones. Until the day Dante would find his mother and brother, but not until…..for now, he had her, and she had him. The smell of fresh coffee wafted from his kitchen, and found to his delight, a Lady who had cleaned up his mess and made him coffee.

"It's Brazilian coffee, the best kind." She winked at him playfully.

"You're awfully sweet to me lately, Lady. You should be a cat more often."

She sat down across from him on the kitchen chair, her hands held a cup of coffee, "I thought that, well, it's my way of saying thank you, Dante, I mean, Doctor Doolittle."

"For what?" he smirked at her comment, took the coffee and sipped it. He then grabbed the sugar bowl and dipped five full teaspoons of raw sugar in, causing Lady to wrinkle her nose at the amount of sugar he consumed. He drank up and smacked his lips together, "Mmmm, Waking up to a fresh cup of coffee and a beautiful devil hunter……can life get any better?"

Lady knew that he liked to say things to her to make her roll her eyes. This time she just smiled back at him, appreciated his silly humour, the cheesy lines when he encountered a demon, but most of all, because he was her best friend.

She lifted the corner of her lip, "Nope."