Note: I hope you like this chapter. I'm not really sure of what to say as to how it turned out. I'll leave that to you.
Sanctuary of Darkness: There is a reason for Virgil appearing so suddenly. I can't exactly explain it, but you'll find out in later chapters.
Asato-Chan: Thank you and I'll be updating probably as fast as before so you won't have to wait long for the next chapters.
LadyKadaj: I'm glad there are other people that believe Virgil is misunderstood. That's something I've always thought.
Bustahead: Because you're trying to catch up, I've been thinking of waiting a while before putting up the next chapter. Don't want to spoil any more of the story for you before you finish. And I will be careful if I do pair her with either of them.
Now, one last thing if I can remember what it was... I'll wait to see how things turn out before I consider a pairing. But I will keep your suggestions of Virgil in mind. And, just to let you know, I agree that he would need her more. Okay, on with the story. Please review.
Dante and Trish stood in the kitchen, arguing about where Rona should sleep.
"She can't always be near you, Dante. She has to have some privacy." Trish stated as she waved one of the only apples around to accentuate her point.
"Yes she can and she will. What she really needs is someone to watch over her for the rest of her life. And do you want to eat that or are you going to throw it at me?" Dante answers, watching the angry look in Trish's eyes.
"Don't joke about this Dante." She spoke lower.
"I wasn't joking."
"What's going on?" Rona asked as she walked in. "I heard you arguing. You woke me up."
"Did you understand what we said?" Dante asked, hoping he wouldn't have to explain. His hopes were answered when she said that she hadn't and didn't care. He watched her grab an apple and leave for his room.
"I'm going to take a shower." She muttered. "So I suggest you get in there soon before I finish my breakfast. Or you're going to lose your chance."
Dante smiled, waiting for Rona to see the surprise he had bought her.
Trish saw the look on Dante's face and asked him what he was grinning about. He only shushed her and told her to wait.
They waited for five minutes without anything happening. They waited five minutes more and nothing happened.
"What's taking her so long?" Dante asked when suddenly he heard Rona yell his name. "That's what I was waiting for." He added.
Rona came stomping in, the item of clothing Dante had bought her being flung around in her right hand. "You had better tell me you meant this as a joke." She growled, throwing it at him and watching it hit him in the face.
Dante took the piece of clothing and held it out to her with one finger. "I got it for you because it can get pretty hot here. You'll need it to keep cool."
"That's what water is for." She grabbed at Dante's "gift" and threw it at him again, this time getting it around his neck.
"You never miss, do you?" Dante calmly took it off and threw it back at her, hitting her chest. He gave a devilish grin and prepared to catch it if she decided to continue what he was now thinking of as a game.
Rona grinned back at him and threw an apple at him instead, hitting his forehead. "I guess I don't." She lowered her head to give him an evil look, narrowing her eyes a little to make it more realistic. Though she mainly succeeded in having Dante jump at her. She quickly stepped to the left and ran into a wall, barely being missed by Dante.
"This is war." He laughed.
"Come get me." She answered before running towards the bathroom.
Trish watched Dante run after her, wondering how something like this could be started over a simple top. Then again she realized that Dante seemed to enjoy these little games and started them whenever possible. It hardly ever worked with her, but sometimes she did join in his ridiculous antics. She had to admit; they were fun when the day just seemed too long and boring. But this game was between Dante and Rona; she wasn't going to interrupt this one, especially since there might be more fruit throwing.
Rona slammed the bathroom door behind her, soon finding out there wasn't a lock. "How could you not have a lock on the bathroom door?" Rona yelled, trying to keep Dante out.
"I don't have one because I never needed one." He shoved the door, pushing Rona back a few inches.
"You do now." She answered. Trying not to laugh, she let go of the door and watched as Dante stumbled in and landed in the shower. "I guess you needed to get in before me, then." She quickly ran out and slammed the door closed.
"I'll just get ready for my shower." She ran towards Dante's room, trying not to look back. She screamed when Dante suddenly grabbed her from behind and swung her around.
"Are you going to apologize for hitting me in the head?" He asked the wildly giggling Rona.
"With what?" She answered.
"The apple."
Rona tried to twist her head around to face him but settled with looking over her shoulder at him. "I'm sorry… that I didn't do it sooner." She let out a frantic squeal as soon as Dante began to tickle her.
"You two are going to give me a head-ache." Trish mumbled as she walked past.
Dante stopped and looked down at Rona who had also looked up at him. Both had a scheming look.
"Should we?" Rona asked in a whisper.
Dante set her down and silently counted to three before they both tackled her.
Trish let out a startled yelp. She went crashing down with Dante and Rona falling on her back. Shoving them off, she calmly yelled, "What did you do that for?"
"To give you a head-ache." Rona answered impulsively.
Trish looked at her questioningly, wanting to know if she was crazy. "And so you tackled me?" She asked with the tone of an angry mother.
Dante gently shoved Rona and answered, "It was her idea."
"I'm living with children." Trish muttered.
"Well, I am under twenty." Rona started before Dante pulled her into a bear hug. "I…can't…breath." She squeaked.
"Dante." Trish growled. "Let her go so she can take her shower." She watched, satisfied that they were listening to her, and patted Dante's cheek after he had released Rona. "That's a good boy." She said with a voice usually used on a small child.
Rona took the chance to hurry and grab some clothes and run into the bathroom before Dante could do anything else to foil her plans. She grabbed a T-shirt, which she didn't realize was also a belly shirt, and a pair of black jeans. She quickly ran back towards the bathroom and shut the door. Letting out a relieved sigh, she turned and screamed. There stood Dante in the shower. He still wore his pants but no shirt.
"Get out." Rona opened the door and pointed for him to leave.
"You don't want to have company?" Dante asked with a fake pout.
"For one thing, I shower alone. Another, you're still dressed." She paused and realized what she had said.
"So you'd consider it if I wasn't dressed?"
"That's not what I meant." She tried to fix her earlier statement. "I meant that I… I… I don't shower with men that I'm not married to."
"So you would if I was your husband?" He took a step closer to her, enjoying the game of making her dig herself a deeper hole.
"I… Just get out." She grabbed his arm and shoved him out, slamming the door afterwards. She shook her head and turned on the water. Little did she realize that Dante had switched the shirt she had chosen to wear.
Dante waited on the couch and watched TV while he waited for Rona to come out. Trish sat on a desk chair, reading a book on demons. She could sense Dante's uneasiness about having Rona out of his sight and hoped she could find some way of helping Rona out of the house some time.
The bathroom door opened, letting out a puff of steam. Dante looked over to see Rona wearing the top she had vowed never to wear again. His eyes drifted over her bare skin and back to her glaring face. He smiled, knowing his idea had worked without interruptions.
"You have five seconds before I kill you." Rona said with an eerily calm voice. "You had better use it well. Like to explain why you did this."
"I thought you might want to try it on one more time." He answered, turning back to the TV.
Rona suddenly leaped at him, falling over the back of the couch and being caught by Dante. He laughed as she tried to hit him but only succeeded in being caught even more. "What was that about?" He asked jokingly.
"I am not going to wear this… this… thing! You're going to give me my shirt back." She answered.
Dante looked to Trish and asked, "Do you think she should wear the shirt she chose?"
Trish looked up from her book and looked at Rona who was still struggling. "I think she should stop fighting you before she isn't wearing a top."
Rona suddenly stopped and turned over on her side. "I'm not moving until you give my shirt back."
"Fine with me." Dante whispered, gently brushing her hair off her neck. He then began to massage her neck and listened as her breathing became steadier and more relaxed. "Maybe I can get you to go to sleep." He added.
"You're getting close." Rona mumbled, her eyes closed and enjoying the massage. "You can massage my back if you want." She hinted.
Dante smiled and stood, moving Rona so she would be lying on her stomach. He rubbed her back and soon commented, "You're back is tense."
"I know." She answered. "Why else would I have you giving me a massage?" She soon heard her back crackle. "That is not a massage."
"No but it'll help your back." He answered.
Trish watched all this with a smile. She had never realized how sweet Dante could be when he wasn't being sarcastic and annoying. But then she had never seen him with many girls.
Stepping out of the house, Trish felt that something was watching, something or someone. She searched for what it could be and soon saw a trailing black fabric disappearing around a corner. She ran after it, forgetting that she was the only out there. She ran around a few more corners before realizing she was on a wild goose chase. Nothing was there, and if there was, it was gone.
"I'll be back." Rona spoke as she lifted herself from the couch. "I'm going to get some sun."
"I'll go with you." Dante immediately answered.
Rona tried to keep herself from yelling at Dante. She knew he meant well, but he was getting a little obsessed with her safety. "I'm going alone. And you aren't going to stop me."
She quickly ran out the door and disappeared from Dante's sight. She didn't know why she wanted to get out so badly. She could feel something calling her again. It seemed like it was urgent with how fast she was running to meet it.
Finding herself in the same dead-end as the night before, she calmly stood facing the brick wall. She knew he was there.
"Is this what he's forcing you to wear?" Virgil asked behind her, lightly running his fingers down her back.
Rona shivered and answered, "He didn't force me to." She turned to him. "Why did you call me?"
Virgil turned to the side, took her hand and led her to a wall. He leaned against the brick and gently pulled Rona to him, having her turn around first. Her wet hair soaked his shirt, something he didn't seem to mind. "I wanted to be with you again." He answered after the long pause. "I know what's happening to you."
"So you know I'm not a demon any more." Her voice seemed more depressed than his ever could have been.
"Yes. It's because you used the power that was left in the crystal. You're vulnerable now. You should be protected."
She pulled away and turned to face him, searching his eyes for a clue as to how he could have known. "What do you suggest?" She asked suspiciously.
"I suggest you come with me. Only I can stop the demon that attacked you last night."
How could he have known? Rona asked herself. Her dream suddenly played through her mind, the dream of Virgil threatening to kill her. Could it have been true? "I have to go." She started to leave the alley when Virgil grabbed her hand.
Looking into his eyes she saw a mixture of hatred and love. "If you leave now, I won't be able to protect you from him." He whispered.
"I'll take my chances." She pulled her hand from his and left.
Banith stood in darkness, waiting for his master to come as he said he would. He thought of what he had seen happen with Virgil and Rona. What did it mean? Would he have to fight the ex-servant of Mundus? Would he be put into such great danger?
"You did not follow my orders." The voice boomed. "You were supposed to wait until they were all weaker from her betrayal."
"Is Nelo Angelo a threat?" He asked, ignoring his master's words.
"Ignore him." The voice roared. "He is no threat. He will be the cause of her betrayal. If she chooses to follow him, that will leave Trish and Dante to mourn over her absence. And he will succeed."
Banith bowed low and asked, "May I see your face, master?"
The voice was silent for a moment before answering, "No one can see me. Now go."
He turned and walked towards the exit before hiding in the shadows. What he saw gave him the answers he sought most of all. Who was the voice that commanded him? He now knew and understood the craving for revenge.