A/N: I'm sorry, I honestly am. I had the first half of this chapter written since Aug. but life got in the way. I'm currently in my senior year of University so my stress levels are high while my time is short. On top of that, I'm working two jobs, helping my sister financially with her children because she is a newly single parent, and helping my mother take care of my father who, recently, found out he has cancer. I know that none of theses are excuses but I'm informing my readers what the situation is.

Another thing to apologize about, after this chapter is posted this story will be under hiatus. In all honesty, I shouldn't have waited so long to do it. I don't know where to go with this story, I've been at a stand still forever. This story does not want to be written by me so I'm forcing word out and I don't like writing like that. This story should come out as naturally as my other ones. Hopefully I can pull this story out of the hiatus box before I feel the need to discontinue all together.

On the, one and only, bright side: I'm actually writing a new story. please be looking forward to it. It's a little different then what I normally do but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Chapter 5

Awkward.

It's the word Lady would use to describe her current situation. No, scratch that. Any word meaning more than awkward would fit more accurately.

When Lady had finally finished with her mission she had expected the man standing in front of her to still be sleeping. The last thing she expected when she walked into her house was to see Trish leaning against stair rail, hands clutched over her stomach, laughing at a blushing Dante. Yes, blushing. Lady didn't know what had happened between the two but she knew it was enough to embarrass the man.

It was a weird sight, seeing a blushing Dante. Lady couldn't really be surprised though. Lady's eyes gazed at the man's form. He looked tired. No, not tired. He looked a few minutes away from death. His skin was nearly white, whiter than normal, and his cheekbones were prominent. He looked as though he hadn't eaten in months. In retrospect, Lady concluded, he probably hadn't.

Lady looked between the two and waited before Trish's laughter died down, "What's going on?"

Trish wiped the tears forming in her eyes away before crossing her arms over her chest, turning to watch as Lady made her way slowly up the stairs. Her body was aching from the mission and Trish could tell. That's normally what happened when you spend months without having to deal with the physical demands of a mission.

Trish waited until Lady came to a halt at the top of the stairs before glancing at Dante and back at Lady. They had a lot to talk about it and Trish vaguely wondered if she would need to play mediator for the two. Trish didn't think she would, with how sick Dante looked she figured Lady would go easy on him, at least until he healed completely.

"Nothing really, the kids are outside playing."

Lady nodded in response and kept her eyes focused on the blond. Lady wasn't ready to face Dante yet, she wasn't expecting him to be awake so soon. With what Virgil had told them he needed much more rest.

"Well, I'm going to take the kids out for ice cream. Dante go lay back down and Lady go take a shower. We'll bring back some food since I'm sure you two are hungry." Trish waited in the silence for a few more seconds before sighing and moving past Lady and down the stairs. Lady's voice halted her.

"Don't worry about the food, there are leftovers from last night that I can heat up. I don't think I can wait that long to get some food into my system."

Trish looked back with a nod before making her way completely down the stairs. Lady's eyes connected with the floor as the two listened for the sound of the front door opening and closing.

The awkward tension between the two had increased without Trish there with them. Neither knew what to say, or even how to start.

Dante looked at Lady's tired form and slowly leaned against the door frame. His energy was becoming low again and he figured he might have to lay down again soon. "Lady"

Lady's eyes snapped up at the mans voice. She didn't remember it sounding so horse, how long had it been since she last heard it? How much about him had changed?

Dante smiled nervously at the brunette as he waited for a reply. Her face was voice of any emotion so he wondered what thoughts went through her mind.

"Go lay down, I'll bring you some food." With that, she turned on her heels and made her way back down the stairs.

Dante watched as the disappeared into, what he assumed, the kitchen. Dante wanted to follow her but he couldn't, he barely had the energy to make it back to the bed. 4 minutes of struggling to turn back into the room and walk across the room proved to be worth it as his body connected to the beds soft comforter.

Dante buried his face into the black pillows and listened quietly to the sounds in the kitchen. He could hear Lady's heels clacking on the ground as the opened the fridge before the sound of a slamming cabinet took place. Dante was either getting cold food or a beverage.

A minute later, Dante struggled to sit up in the bed as Lady made her way up the stairs and into the room. A tray was in her hands and the smell of freshly warmed up food lingered into the house. It smelled like Chinese food, Lady's favorite.

Lady focused on the food as she made her way over the man. Gently, she placed the tray onto his lap before grabbing her own plate and placing it onto the table, along with their beverages.

Grabbing a chair from the corner or the room, she dragged it to be next to the bed and took her seat. Grabbing her plate from the nightstand, she crossed her legs and stared at Dante as he took his first bite.

Dante would have laughed at the situation if it had been any different. Lady always had the habit of waiting on another person to take the first bite before eating herself. Becoming a mother must have strengthened that habit. Gingerly, Dante's eyes connected with Lady as he picked up his fork to take the first bite of his reheated fried rice.

It was good, Dante was glad to finally be eating a real meal. He hadn't eaten during his stay in Hell so he was more than willing to eat anything, even if it wasn't pizza. "It's good."

Lady nodded at the comment before eating her own meal. The two ate their meal in an awkward silence and Dante couldn't take it anymore. He had dealt with enough silence while in Hell, he needed some form of communication. "So, you moved?"

Lady froze in her seat before picking at a pea with her fork. "Yeah."

Silence settled before Dante tried again, he was determined to get Lady to have a full conversation with him. "What happened to the office?"

"Still there, just couldn't live there anymore."

Lady mumbled. She hardly ever mumbled and they both knew it. Dante knew instantly that the office was a topic Lady didn't want to talk about. "Oh, well, this place is nice. At least, what I've seen is nice. Not really a fan of brown but we can-"

"We?" Lady's eyes narrowed at the word. "You've been gone for years, there is no 'we' anymore. What I choose to place in my home is my choice"

Dante winced at the tone, that answered one of his questions. "Okay." They were obviously not together anymore, Dante felt foolish for thinking that they were. His trip to Hell took way longer than expected and Dante didn't even know if he could fix the problem it had caused in their relationship.

Lady glanced back to her food before looking at Dante's plate. He had only taken a few bites. "Are you done?"

Dante glanced at his food before nodding at his lap. He felt like such a child talking to her. He had never felt so insecure in his life. "Yeah, I can't really eat much."

"Did you eat while you were…" Lady trailed off as she stood from her seat and grabbed the tray from Dante's lap.

"No, there was no food."

His eyes watched as Lady moved and Lady began to feel uncomfortable under his gaze. Since he had some food in his system his focus had become more alert. His eyes were no longer dull but resembled the eyes of the Dante who left her all those years ago. Quickening her pace, Lady placed her plate and her cup onto the tray and made way for the door. "I'll be down stars if you need me, try to get some rest. And finish the water."

"Yes, boss."

Lady froze at the comment and tears came to her eyes as memories returned. She had tried so hard to forget all the good times they had, she had 5 years to do so. Why did one comment have the ability to bring it all back? Anger and irritation flooded through Lady's veins. She was sick and tired of crying, she couldn't take it anymore. Turning to place the tray of dishes and food on her dresser, Lady turned to face the hunter.

"Is this a joke to you?"

Dante was stunned by the hostility in her voice. Did he step out of line? He didn't think so. Regardless, Dante was grateful. Now they could finally talk about the important things instead of tiptoeing around each other. Dante always hated waiting, especially on important things. "No."

Lady mocked a laugh before glaring at the man, "What right do you have to return here after five years of abandonment? You left Dante, Left. You had no reason to leave your family, no right to leave me."

Dante remained calm as he watched Lady pace the room. She was mad, he knew she would be. He needed to be calm about his words and think them through to not add fuel to the fire, "I had to leave Lady, it was for my family."

"Leaving your family was the best thing for us? You think going to hell without any reassurance that you would come back would be helpful to me? Or my children? They could have grown up without a father, hell, they are growing up without a father!"

Dante winced at that, "I plan on being here for them from now on."

"What if they don't want you? You left them before they were even born."

"Then I'll fix it."

Lady scoffed at the idea, "Fix it? Like you plan on fixing us? I'm guessing that's why you came back. One conversation doesn't fix five years."

"I didn't know I would be gone that long."

"Fuck you Dante."

It hurt more than having a hole blown through your chest watching Lady storm out of her bedroom and slamming the door behind her. It didn't go like he had planned, it never does when it comes to Lady. He sighed as he leaned back onto the bed and made himself comfortable.

Dante assumed that her not mentioning him leaving the house was a good sign but he wouldn't hold his breath. Lady could come back and kick him out anytime she wanted to. Dante signed at the situation.

Regardless of how shitty things seemed Dante had to think positively about things, they could get through this, they had been through worse. Dante eyed the tray still sitting on the dressed and almost applauded his luck, she'd have to come back for it, she can't stand a mess. Dante just hoped he was up when she returned, they weren't finished talking.