A/N: The amount of word documents I have open on my computer right now is a little silly… but it'll feel so good to close all of them when I'm all caught up… After this I'll be two thirds of the way done!

Disclaimer: I've told you once, I've told you a million times, I don't have any rights to this.

Time and Again

It had been a week since they had shared their first kiss and for the most part things had remained the same, Amelia went to work and went to the few remaining classes that she had to become a nurse proper and Vergil stayed in her home, training, reading, trying to not think about the connection that he'd been quickly fostering with the young woman who's home he was staying in as his sword continued to point it out to him again and again that he was just like his father, though that was something that made the young half devil rethink the whole thing. He aspired to be like the Dark Knight and this was something that brought him closer to the old devil…

The two of them had hardly changed any of their routines but they did occasionally brush a bit closer together, a hand might be held while they read or a shoulder leaned upon. Each night was closed with a quick, chaste kiss and a long look, each wondering if the other might go back for another. Amelia sighed as she cleaned up at work, the motions of folding the sheets back into place on the bed being done completely from memory. Her friend looked over at her as she restocked the supplies in the drawers.

"What's got you so dreamy-eyed lately?" she asked, shoving the pack of tongue depressors into the drawer. Amelia looked up at her friend in surprise.

"What?"

"Don't try to deny it." she said with a laugh. "It's been several weeks and all you've been doing is sighing and looking out the window with a wistful look on your face." Amelia blinked, she hadn't even realized that she'd been doing that…

"I…" she sputtered, thankful for the hood that she wore as it kept her blush from being so obvious. Ashley knew her too well though and gave a small gasp.

"Amelia! Are you seeing someone?" she asked and Amelia quickly looked to the door to make sure that no one was walking by in that moment.

"Shh!" she hissed "It's… it's more complicated than that!" she said, looking down at her hands and then to the bed that she was in the middle of dressing. "I…"

"Did you do the deed?" Ashley asked conspiratorially and Amelia blushed harder

"No! It's not like that! I don't want to talk about it here!" she said, looking to the door.

"Then how about I come over for dinner? It's been ages since I've been to your place, I want to hear all the juicy gossip." she said and Amelia sighed, she knew that there was no way that she was going to be able to convince Ashley to not come without a really good excuse and she was a terrible liar on the spot, especially in front of her friends. It would be easier to explain with Vergil standing right there, she didn't intend to tell her friend about the whole half devil thing… that wouldn't go over well. But the rest of it… it'd be good to tell someone, she just hoped that Vergil wouldn't freak out too much when her friend just showed up…

-Rise-

The pair slowly made their way back to the small house and Amelia tried to keep up with the small talk and gossip that her friend was spouting off, trying very hard not to be freaking out with the fact that she was revealing her… friend's? location and the fact that he even existed without his permission. The crested the hill to the small house and Amelia unlocked the door and stepped inside to the warm smell of soup. It was a wonderful smell to come back to after the slightly chilly walk that they had had from the hospital. Fortuna didn't get that cold in the winter but the wind did bite a bit when the month's got later, Vergil had told her about the snows that he had experienced as a child and the fun and trouble that he and his brother had gotten up to as children. She hung her hood up on the hook in the hall and Ashley did the same, taking a deep breath through her nose.

"That smells amazing, who's cooking?" she asked and Amelia blushed as she prepared herself to explain.

"That's the complicated part." she said and her friend's eyes widened

"No way!" she hissed "You have a man in your house? I thought you told me that you didn't do the deed!" Amelia looked back at her friend

"We haven't!" she grumbled and then looked to the rest of the house. Vergil hadn't stepped out of the bedroom and wasn't in the living room that meant that he was outside, probably practicing with Yamato. "Vergil!" she called, walking toward the back door. She could see him off, nearly in the forest, Yamato a blur in his hands as he worked his way through his set. She opened the door even though she knew that he could hear her just as well if she didn't. That got his attention as it was, usually once she got home she would change first and by then he would be done, he turned, pausing in the motions. "We have a guest." she said as her friend appeared behind her, smiling and waving.

A/N: Slightly awkward point to leave, I know, but I'm about to pick it right back up so…

Till next time,

-Winged Element