Disclaimer: Devil may cry not mine, ugh

Lady couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the café's outside deco.

With all the pink glitter and the giant sign boasting 'Riko's' in flashing purple neon's, it looked more like a strip club then a café.

Dante noticed the look "Okay, I know what you're thinking and I can tell you it looks nothing like that inside."

Lady was still sceptical "Uh-huh…" She murmured.

Rolling his eyes, Dante pulled her over to the entrance where he made the mistake of winking at a scantily clad, blue-skinned nymph.

Lady whacked him one.

Inside however, Dante was proved right; it really did look completely different then the outside;

It was almost like a living room, with over-stuffed white and pink stripped sofas and arm-chairs scattered around polished coffee tables on which were vases full of flowers.

Waitresses dressed in pink and white uniforms with frilly aprons took patrons orders, actually chatting with them too.

Cute, bubbly sounding music set the atmosphere along with soft lighting and the chatter of patrons.

"See? What did I tell you babe?" Dante led her over to a vacant table and almost immediately, Riko popped up from nowhere, scaring the heck out of Lady.

She grinned at them "Welcome! Onii-chan, Lady Onee-san, what can I get ya?" Riko passed them both menus then whipped out a little pad of paper and a pen.

Dante began his insanely large order while Lady stared at Riko's tail, which was wagging more like a dog's then a cat's a tail… A tail, I didn't notice that before… A tail…

"Babe? You gonna order or shall I do it for you?" Dante waved his hand in front of her eyes and when Lady didn't respond he shrugged "She'll just have the special and a glass of orange juice." He said to Riko who nodded so fast her head seemed to blur "Yoshi! Okay-desu, I'll be back in two shakes of a Beowulf's tail!" She then ran off, almost colliding with another waitress and leaving behind her trademark Riko-shaped cloud of smoke.

Dante shook his head sighing "Sometimes I think that kids part cat, part human, and part caffeine." He said, smiling fondly.

"She has a tail…" Lady muttered, fiddling with the tassel of a sofa cushion.

"What? Oh, yeah… Say, Lady… Riko is, well, I know she's really hyper and everything back she's really kinda sensitive." He looked over to the kitchen area, where Riko was currently apologizing to a bunny-eared boy who was on the floor, with a knife stuck in the tiles uncomfortably close to a certain part of his anatomy.

Lady stared at Dante with curious eyes, not fiddling anymore.

"See, her mom was a human and I don't know the details, but she was probably raped by Riko's father.' Lady looked at Dante in shock.

"When Riko was born, her mother rejected her, refusing to raise something that wasn't human… My mom… Eva… It's lucky she found her, or Riko probably would have died.' Dante leaned forward, rubbing his head like he had a migraine

"Virgil and me… Riko was… Is like a sister to us, but when mom died and he disappeared, I bought her here. She's happy, but some kinds of damage just can't be undone, you know?"

Lady did know, she had seen her own father kill her mother, and spent years training to become strong enough to make that bastard pay.

She also knew that it just wasn't possible for a wound of that size to completely heal.

"I know…" She whispered, placing her hand on top of Dante's.

He smiled at her and she smiled back, vision blurring a little…

"Watcha doing?" Sang Riko, staggering up to them with a few dozen plates and glasses, some of which were precariously balanced on her head.

Lady tried not to laugh "Um need some help?" Riko beamed at her "Help would be good!"

They managed to get everything down on the table without anything breaking, which was a miracle within itself.

Lady was amazed at the speed of which Dante ate, in fact, despite the amount of food he ordered, he managed to finish before Lady had gotten half-way through her French toast.

Riko bounced up to Lady's side "Nee, Lady Onee-san, Onii-chan's great isn't he?" She whispered.

Lady immediately blushed "Um… Err, he's alright…" She stammered, making Riko giggle "I really, really love Onii-chan, he's my only family… But you love Onii-chan too, right? But not the same way I do?"

Lady glanced over to Dante, who was reading a motorcycle magazine he picked up from the table.

She looked at his gorgeous face and smile, thinking about how much he had helped her out.

Riko noticed Lady's faint smile and blush "Heh, it's okay; you don't have to answer that… I think I know the answer."

She ran over to Dante, flinging her arms around his neck "Don't worry 'bout the bill, Onii-chan! It's on the house!"

As they left the café, Lady felt as if an enormous weight had been lifted off her chest.

But there was still a nagging feeling there, and she really didn't know how to get rid of it.

Dante's hand accidentally brushed against hers, and she gulped Oh god… Maybe I… Maybe I should say something…

She took a deep breathe "Da-"

She stopped as she saw his face, he was staring at something, and not in a friendly manner either.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly, not wanting to alert whoever or whatever he was looking at.

His frown deepened "That guy over there… God knows how he got in here…"

Lady spotted a well-dressed man with greying hair walking over to them.

Dante scowled "A freakin' warlock… God damn…" His hands went to his holsters as the man drew closer.

He stopped in front of them, violet coloured eyes sparkling "Greetings, I trust you know who I am."

Both Lady and Dante recognized his voice at the same time.

"The client…"

Heh, yes… Moving it along a bit now.

Questions will be answered in the next chapter, like; why the hell would he stick them together in the first place?

Let me just say, it has something to do with dancing… Muhahahaha!