Chapter 4

Dante was settling into living in hospital nicely, of course he would have preferred to be at home and to be allowed pizza and beer, but they had ice cream. He'd also found out that if he pressed a button on the side of his bed someone had to come and tend to him. More often than not that someone was one of the rather good-looking nurses from downstairs. They didn't seem to mind looking after him either so as far as Dante could tell it was a win win situation. That was until one of the elder nurses obviously cottoned on and stopped them coming so much. He'd had a nasty shock when he'd expected to see that gorgeous blonde again and had been met by the hard stare of some old bag. What was more she had then insisted on taking his blood pressure and he swore she had been trying to seriously damage his arm.

She couldn't always be the one to check on him though, Dante had also figured out which times his favourite nurses worked and he had goaded the one currently with him into giving him a back massage. Hadn't been hard really, he grinned, this one obviously couldn't get enough of him.

His peace and quiet didn't last long however when the door banged open and Lady stormed in her bad mood only intensifying when she saw the pretty blonde looking after Dante and the devil hunter's smug expression.

"What are you doing?" She snapped closing the door and rounding on Dante.

"My back hurt, Lou-"

"Sara," the nurse put in not seeming to mind he'd gotten the wrong name.

Cheap slut, Lady thought disgusted.

Dante's smile broadened. "Sara was giving me a massage," he winked and pressed back into the girl behind him closing his eyes in bliss.

His eyes shot open in pain a second later when Lady grabbed his hair and forced him to look at her.

"Aw why didn't you just ask me sweetie?" She asked feigning concern and seriously worrying the demon hunter who swallowed slowly.

"You didn't hit your head did you?"

Lady smiled sweetly though there was an undertone of evil to it. "No, I'm perfectly fine, but you need taking care off and these nurses have a job to do." She glared at Sara who seemed to take the hint and stood up.

Dante gave the girl an apologetic smile, truly sad she was leaving though slightly glad to be rid of the company; she knew far too much about shoes for his liking.

He winked. "See you later babe," and the hand in his hair tightened considerably.

"Ow!"

"Still want that back massage?" Lady asked shifting to stand behind him; she was above sitting on the bed.

"From you? No not rea-OW!"

He tried to wriggle away, but she held him still kneading the strained muscles on his back with a strength which would bruise later if she didn't let up.

"Bloody hell stop it already," he moaned in pain trying to shove her off and failing. She was surprisingly strong now that he had none of his demonic strength – scarily strong; though hopefully it had something to do with the fact that he wasn't one hundred percent himself.

"Hey I'm an invalid you know?" He winced as she continued on oblivious of his complaints. "Ah stop! Geez what's wrong with you?"

She did stop then and moved back round to glare at him with her bi-coloured eyes. "What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? I'm not the one wasting people's valuable time by trying to get off with the nurses! And you're supposed to be resting!"

A grin twisted the corner of Dante's lips growing wider and obviously at her expense. "Aw, Lady, I didn't think you were the jealous type."

She punched him in the arm; hard.

"Ow!"

He rested back against his pillows folding his arms looking sullen and glaring at her acting like a child who'd just had their favourite toy confiscated.

"You wanna go get me some food?" He asked eventually knowing that it annoyed Lady to have to do anything for him now that his being bed-ridden was merely a formality. Well at least from his attitude it seemed to be though she knew it was unadvisable for him to be wandering around.

Dante groaned and he grinned wolfishly. "Or I could call that nurse back-"

"I'll get it, I'll get it," Lady replied quickly rising to her feet. Dante had her in a bind there and she knew it. She was seriously considering disconnecting his 'emergency' call button.

Dante sighed heavily and glanced at the walls he had seen for more or less the past six days. It was alright here when Lady was there to keep him company, or with the nurses around to entertain him, but when visiting hours were over and the nurses' shifts ended it was plain dull. He hated to admit it, but he knew that he wasn't ready to leave yet. Moving, even rolling onto one side hurt and getting up to tend to bodily functions was nearly impossible (hobbling around in the over-alls was also possibly one of the most humiliating things he'd ever had to do). Dante was beginning to appreciate just how much his demonic powers had given him, healing at this rate was a complete pain in the ass.

Speaking of pains in the ass one had just walked through the door. Vergil would often appear with Lady or shortly after carrying a new book. Then he would proceed to sit in a chair in the corner and read completely ignoring his twin. Vergil mares well have stayed at Devil May Cry unless Lady had decided that he couldn't be left alone.

"Well hello to you too," Dante grumbled folding his arms and staring at his twin waiting to see any signs of acknowledgment from his brother. None came. "It wouldn't kill you to be a bit more talkative you know."

What Vergil did next Dante had most certainly not expected. Vergil normally ignored all of his attempts at striking up conversation and kept focused on his book. This time Vergil was up in a flash and at the side of the bed so fast that Dante could have sworn he had teleported though he knew it to be impossible. He hadn't seen Vergil move from point a to point b and now his brother's eyes were staring right into his their faces centimetres apart. Dante resisted the urge to gulp and tried to look anywhere but his brother's face, Vergil's eyes were on fire and he was half expecting to get hit by the sparks.

"Now let me get this straight Dante," Vergil hissed pulling back a little though his gaze only intensified, "because you're obviously deluded for some reason. I may be your brother, but I am not your friend. I won't hesitate to kill you if you get in my way."

"Yeah like you did the last time," Dante shot back he should have been expecting this speech from Vergil at some point but it still stung somewhere he thought didn't exist anymore. "Or do you not remember that I beat you, did that just slip your mind? And you're calling me deluded."

Vergil's lips curled into a sneer and he rested a hand on Dante's chest, Dante thought it had been inadvertent until pain seared through his side. He gasped and his eyes snapped shut, he forced them open a second later trying to remain impassive though it was almost impossible when Vergil applied more pressure to the wound. He didn't want to show that it hurt; reacting in any way would tell Vergil that he really was human, but his clenched fist was shaking as he fought the urge to smack his brother across the face.

"That was a slip up it won't happen again," he replied grinding his fingers into the stitching beneath the light hospital shirt. Dante had to bite his lip to stop a feeble cry escaping. He tried to shove his twin off, but the attempt was stopped as Vergil knocked him back and dug his fingers into the healing skin. It hurt, it really shouldn't have, but it did and he glared at Vergil trying to find his brother again in the steely gaze. "And I will kill you Dante once I have my power back; let me assure you of that."

Dante cried out as the stitches ripped open and Vergil smirked jabbing his fingernails into the wound one last time before pulling back.

"You son of a-"

Vergil raised an eyebrow and stopped Dante from finishing. Of course Dante wasn't going to insult their mother, which was why it was amusing to watch him quite literally choke on the words.

"Quit smiling, I'm bleeding you bastard!" Dante yelled at him a hand clutched over the wound. It wasn't bad compared to what he normally got, but he knew that he should be far more worried about the warm substance quickly soaking through the overalls. That and no matter how minor the wound seemed the pain was worse.

Dante wasn't entirely sure whether Lady's return just at that moment was helpful or not. At least she had the sense to press the emergency button which Dante had completely forgotten about. Thanks to his constant abuse of the system it took quite a while for a nurse to arrive and for once Dante was glad it was one of the elder more professional ones. Not the scary one though, he could bet she'd have let him bleed to death.

It didn't take all that long for the stitches to be re-done, but the whole time Dante was seething. He wanted to wipe that smug smile off his brother's face, but that was rather difficult when he was like this. Vergil was wounded too, but he doubted that he could use that to his advantage in the condition he was in.

His twin continued to gloat over him the whole time whilst they stitched him up. He tried to ignore it but something uneasy was knotting his stomach. Vergil had the upper hand here. Not only was he in a better condition than Dante he had knowledge at his disposal which Dante did not. Sure Vergil may not have been strong enough to take on the demon that had attacked them by himself, but Dante knew that whether he helped Vergil or not in the end it would come down to a fight between them again. He could tell Vergil knew this too, his brother would never willingly give him back his half of their power and so either way it would come down to a struggle. They needed to work together for now, Dante kept on trying to remind himself that.

When the nurses left Lady wanted answers her penetrating gaze flicking between the two before coming to rest on Dante. "What happened?"

Dante glanced over to his twin but Vergil was sitting back in the corner with his book. He should have hit Vergil when he was in close range…

"I was being… over-active," Dante replied as way of explanation. He wasn't planning on telling her the truth and he had a feeling Vergil knew that he wouldn't. "Just tried to get out of bed too fast and tore them open that's all."

She seemed satisfied with that and turned lifting up a tray of something before placing it across his lap. "There's your food."

Dante stared morosely into the sea of green goo which had once been vegetables and poked it tentatively with his spoon. He was beginning to remember why he shouldn't ask Lady to get him food; she'd probably picked out the most 'healthy' thing for him.

"What on earth is this?" He asked not even bothering to try it. "Don't they have normal food?"

"It's soup and it's healthy," Lady answered matter-of-factly.

Dante raised an eyebrow and lifted his spoon from the gunge watching as the viscid liquid slowly dripped in strings back into the bowl. "Yeah, healthy…"


A few days later Lady lead a disgruntled demon slayer through the doors of Devil May Cry. Dante thanked her as she opened the door leaning heavily on a crutch thankful the doctors had bi-passed the idea of a wheel-chair.

His mood soured immediately once the door of his shop closed and his eyes adjusted to the dingy lights. Vergil was sitting at his desk, on his chair with his feet propped up on the polished mahogany. A growl started low in his throat. Vergil didn't even look up as he entered, Dante knew he was baiting him and that he shouldn't rise to the challenge, but he couldn't help it.

"Out," he hissed, it had meant to sound threatening, but with the crutches he probably just looked pathetic. At least he had something to beat Vergil over the head with.

Vergil raised his gaze from the book in his lap, but apart from that he barely flinched. "Excuse me?"

"Out," Dante repeated the ire dripping from his voice. He felt Lady tense besides him, he didn't care. "Get out; get out of my shop before I throw you out."

"Now Dante I hardly think you should be exerting yourself in your condition," Vergil commented idly turning a page.

"I don't give a shit," Dante growled moving into the room and throwing the crutches down with a clatter. He didn't need them, he wasn't an invalid, he wasn't human and if Vergil needed throwing out he'd be happy to oblige. "Now haul your ass out that door and get on with your life as far away from me as possible!"

That got Vergil's attention. The elder twin let his booted feet drop to the floor with a thud; he closed his book with a contrasting quietness and slid it onto the desk. Lady was still standing at the door transfixed, she knew a storm was coming and she saw no way to prevent it. She remembered what had happened the last time she got in between these two. But now... now could they really hurt her like before? Should she intervene...?

"So you want to fight Dante? You can handle all this on your own is that it?" Vergil asked sardonically as he stood from the stuffed leather chair. The pair were only meters away now and the tension in the room was growing steadily with Vergil's every word. "I don't want to be here, that little... girl-"

"Watch your mouth," Lady glowered finally moved from her frozen position by the door.

"Oh both as hot tempered as each other," Vergil smiled turning to face Lady, "well aren't you two the happy couple. You deserve each other and if," he glanced back to Dante, "if you don't want my help then that's fine. I'm gone."

"Vergil," Lady hissed. She could see the situation unfolding before her, but she was powerless to stop it.

"What?" The elder twin snapped, "you still need my help?"

"No we don't," Dante interjected. "Get out."

"Dante," Lady groaned. "We need him, if you can't see that-"

"We don't need him Lady, the only thing we need is-"

"You Dante? The crippled demon slayer?" Vergil laughed condescendingly and staring his twin down. Oh he loved baiting his brother; he had almost forgotten how fun it was.

"Shut up," Dante growled. "Just shut up. You leave I have nothing more to say."

He stopped, folded his arms, but he felt his body tensing under the strain. He hated Vergil he remembered that now and wished he could take back all those times he had regretted maybe even mourned his twin's plunge into hell. Now he would throw Vergil off that waterfall himself.

Vergil paused then straightened a crease from his shirt. "Well if you wish," he grimaced, "it's not like I want to stay here in this pig-sty. Some of us however understand that we have to be civil to one another-"

"We'll be fine without you thanks," Dante cut his brother off resting against the desk in a nonchalant fashion successfully hiding the fact that his body was maybe not fighting fit quite yet.

The corner of Vergil's mouth quirked awkwardly like he couldn't make up his mind as to whether he should smile or spit; deciding on neither he bent slowly in a way which made both Lady and Dante flinch in case he would attack; instead he simply picked up a worn bag from the floor. "I'll be leaving then." Vergil said brusquely, but as he reached the door Vergil he paused his hand resting on the handle. "Shame really it just doesn't seem right returning home by myself. You know the old place is still there Dante?"

"Yeah," Dante grunted then his head snapped round to look at Vergil. "Wait... what?"

"Oh I don't suppose you'd remember it, just the mansion where we spent the first eight years of our lives," Vergil said sardonically raising an eyebrow at his twin.

"It burned down," Dante said his tone clipped. He wasn't liking where this was going. He didn't need Vergil in his life anymore. His brother always did this, screwed everything up and messed him around baiting him with scraps of their past.

"Well I can understand that since you were traumatised you probably wouldn't remember it..."

"Don't pull that crap on me Verge! That place burned to the ground I saw it," Dante snarled he was ready for a fight again. He would drag Vergil down to the ground with him if his legs didn't support him for the whole thing.

"You obviously didn't because if you did you would know only half the house was damaged irreparably. But I suppose you spent the whole time hiding in a cupboard so I don't blame you if your memory is a little vague."

The words had barely left Vergil's lips when Dante flew at him. In an instance Vergil had drawn Yamato on instinct and Dante ducked snatching up one of his crutches from the ground and swiping Vergil's legs out from under him. Vergil went head over heels and smashed to the ground completely surprised by his twin's sudden move and feeling the effect of his slowed reflexes. Dante raised the crutch for a strike, but instead his body buckled and he cried out in pain the crutch clattering to the ground as he fell onto his hands and knees.

Lady had seen enough. She drew a gun, stepping in between the brothers before their fighting could continue.

"Lady," Dante growled seeing her standing between him and his twin. The gun swung to point at him. "Put that away and let me finish him."

"You think you could possibly beat me?" Vergil snarled having regained himself somewhat, his hand moving for his sword.

Lady kicked Yamato out of his reach. "This is pathetic! Both of you look at yourselves."

Dante's gaze dropped from the gun to glare across at his brother. Perhaps she was right; they would kill each other fighting like this let along that demon.

"Woman move out of my way," Vergil hissed not liking that he had been outsmarted by his brother or that he was being forced into submission by a girl

"Look Verge," Dante sighed, he was going to regret saying this for the rest of his life. "I'm sorry okay I over-reacted, but we've gotta kill that sonovuabitch who stole our powers... and if that means working with you so be it."

Vergil smirked. "That's awfully grown up of you Dante."

"I've had a lot of growing up to do." Dante glanced back up at Lady. "Put the gun away okay babe? We got the point."

Lady eyed them both suspiciously then holstered the gun moving away towards Dante's other crutch and picking it up. "So this mansion of yours...?"

"It's still standing," Vergil replied standing up and dusting himself off. "At least the parts I'm interested in."

"And what are you interested in Verge?" Dante asked pulling himself to his feet in a less fluid motion than he would have liked. He leant heavily on his heels watching his twin from the corner of one eye.

Vergil swallowed, it was more information than he wanted to divulge, but he supposed he would have to. Still talking about his old life always put him on edge. "Father's library," he explained. "We need an entrance to the demon world..."

"And since Temin-ni-gru is a permanent fuck up I guess you need a new key huh?" Dante asked raising an eyebrow.

Vergil nodded. "Something like that."

"Right then," Lady grinned making her way to the desk and leaning over it in order to fish a set of keys out of Dante's draw. "I'm driving."

"What?" Dante's eyes widened as he turned to her. "It's my car."

"Well you're too injured," Lady replied straightening up and twirling the key-ring around her finger. "And you," she jabbed her hand towards Vergil, "can you even drive?"

Vergil opened his mouth to respond then closed it again. "I can, but I suspect you would need someone to navigate."

"Good, let's get going then," Lady announced stalking past the pair to the door.

"Hey wait," Dante protested as Vergil began to follow Lady. "Why does he get to navigate?"

"I trust him not to get way-laid by his stomach," Lady replied smiling.

"But-"

"Come on Dante," Vergil smirked. "Or we'll leave without you."


A/N: OMFG update much? Who knows when you'll see another - all I can say is NaNoWriMo soon.