A/N: Okay, gonna finish this up and then work on some D&D stuff, gotta prep cause I'm dming this upcoming weekend, and it's always like exams. I have the best intentions of doing stuff ahead of time but then… end up cramming right before anyway ^^;

Disclaimer: I now own a Saw Cleaver replica that transforms? Does that count for anything?

Notreadyfojojo: I could but I'm pretty busy person and it would be longer between chapters if I did, these are bite size enough that I can sit down and punch them out in one sitting. I wasn't planning on bringing Dante into this one, but maybe I'll do a short one sometime when I'm feeling some romance. I hope you're enjoying it though and thanks for the review!

I Didn't Ask for This

The Hunter opened their eyes in the dream once more, and heard Nero gasp out behind them. They looked over their shoulder and saw the devil hunter shudder once, a cold sweat glistening across their forehead; at least they seemed to be healed from the damage that they'd taken earlier.

"Did you see that?" he asked, the wing-like structures appearing over his shoulders, it seemed to be an unconscious reaction, the Hunter made a mental note.

"See what?" they asked, tilting their head and offering a hand. Nero took it and rose to his feet a bit shakily.

"That… thing. I… I don't know how to describe it." he shuddered again "I'm not sure I could…" his blue eyes burned into the Hunter's "It spoke. Said something to me. Do you ever feel like you're trying to remember something but it slips away, like a dream upon waking?"

"All the time." the Hunter smiled, pulling their mask down from their face, they were safe here. "But no, I did not see the thing you're trying to put words too. Though I think I may have an idea of a similar thing. There is not much that can be done by us mere mortals, our eyes are yet to open to the possibility as it were." they said with a shrug, making to head toward the Doll. They heard Nero follow behind them with a soft.

"What…?" he said nothing else, seeming to still be recovering from the first arrival in the dream. Katherine knelt in front of the Doll, offering their wrist and the Doll smiled warmly, channeling the bloody memories of the recent kills into the strength that Katherine needed to continue forward in the waking world, or the Nightmare, whichever it may be… Upon standing back up the Doll looked to Nero and bowed graciously, and much to Katherine's surprise, he returned the gesture.

"Hello, Good Hunter. I am a doll, here in this dream to look after you. It has been a long time since more than one spirit has come from the Waking World." she spoke softly and Nero gave her a strange look.

"Yeah… my name's Nero." he said, turning to look over at Katherine. The Hunter merely waved him up into the workshop. Nero glanced back at the Doll, who stood unmoving at her post, before following slowly. Katherine saw him look around, trying to take in the sights of this strange dream.

"What is this place?" he asked as they went into the building. Katherine ran a hand gently along the table top of the workbench, wondering what to work on next, what would help the most with the next obstacle…

"It is the Hunter's Dream." she answered, glancing up from the stained and dented wood. He moved a pile of books off a chair and sat down on it, glancing around the small room before he sighed and said.

"So that's not exactly an answer…" Katherine looked up at him as he spoke, the confusion plain in her gaze. He must've noticed because he continued "I mean, why is it just this small place, what's going on over the fence, what are the weird pillars in the distance?" he was starting to look frustrated.

"It's a place to recover, a pleasant dream to rest in when one cannot survive in the Waking World, it is connected to those marked as Hunters, it allows one to awaken from death as though it were little more than a simple Nightmare." Katherine explained with a small smile. They tried to avoid thinking too hard about it, it didn't seem to help with their own sanity.

"Wait, this is why you reappeared after I shot you?" he asked

"Yes. And if you are here, you are also connected to the Dream." she explained carefully, pulling out the stool and her blunderbuss to work on it. They wanted to remove the blood gem that had been installed but the last time she'd tried to remove one it had been… tedious.

"Are you saying that if I died I would just end up here?" he asked, she nodded without turning around.

"How do I get back to where I'm supposed to be?!" he continued. Katherine shrugged, beginning to manipulate the edges of the gem.

"Who's to say that you are not already where you are most needed?" she said, focused on her work. She had often wondered whether she was supposed to be here in the beginning. It was far easier to dismiss a previous life when one couldn't remember it and the snippets that drifted in were of pain and illness and misery.

"Don't give me that, I didn't ask for this shit." he snapped, his hand slamming down next to the gun. Katherine growled when the gem shifted back into place and glared up at the devil hunter.

"So do not judge those of us that did. Perhaps it was better than the alternative." she snapped back, standing. "I have few answers and more questions when it comes to getting out of this Nightmare and you think that it is going to be as simple as opening a door and killing a few beasts you are deeply mistaken." she could feel her blood pounding in her veins, the inner beast begging to be allowed to surface, to maul and rip and tear and- She whirled, taking a few deep breaths, trying to get it under control again. She could hear Nero sigh and sit back down.

"Sorry, Dante's always gettin' on my case about being hot-headed. I just… I don't know what to do about all of this. Maybe you can share what you know? A new set of eyes might help put things in perspective." he said. The flair of their blood had calmed somewhat and Katherine turned around, a breathy laugh escaping her lips.

"What?" he asked, an annoyed expression on his face.

"Another set of eyes may be just what we need." she said, thinking of Willem in his chair outside the lake. She turned the desk stool to face him and sat herself.

"The most straightforward instruction I received stated to 'Seek Paleblood to transcend the Hunt'..."

A/N: Alright, got friends coming over to catch up on His Dark Materials so… gotta get off :)

Till next time,

-Winged Element