It had taken several grueling hours for Lady to successfully coax Missy off the roof of Devil May Cry and confiscate her gun in the process. I had retreated back into the office where I sat slumped into my desk chair, trying desperately to fully grasp and understand where last night had gone horribly wrong.

My gaze periodically shifted around the room trying to determine where I could have been when I had been possessed by the Incubus, why I didn't feel its presence, and how I couldn't have possibly fought off the offending thoughts I'd clearly acted out. The answers proved infuriatingly elusive. I simply could not recall ever truly losing control of my own body. Getting out of bed and approaching the door leading up to my own bedroom where I knew Missy was sleeping… And then… The act itself.

As I was lost in determination to seek answers to my questions I heard the faint footsteps approaching the doorless entrance, the sound soon took shape into Lady who walked cautiously towards me.

"Dante…"

"Lady, I swear I didn't know what was happening." I implored avoiding her gaze

"I know." She reassured coming around the desk to place a consoling hand on my shoulder, "But Missy's..."

"Is she alright?" I asked suddenly staring into Lady's two-toned eyes.

She shook her head, "She's pretty traumatized, she explained what had happened from her point of view, and it was clear when she described it to me that it really wasn't you in there doing the deed."

Apparently Missy gave Lady great detail of the events of the night before… She'd been sleeping soundly when she heard footsteps approach the bedroom door and was surprised when she saw me standing there, soon advancing towards her. She chronicled the fact that when she screamed out into the air that I'd forced her into immobility by burrowing deep into her eyes with an inexpressive gaze. And that's how she knew that it was another Incubus attack, their soulless stare was something she'd become accustomed to seeing during her attacks, and Lady was aware of this common trait…

"It used you because it knew damn well that if Missy made any indication that she was in danger, that its head would be right alongside the rest that I'd managed to slaughter. It used you, a half demon to do the deed while it stayed in a close and controlling position, out of harm's way." She explained it thoroughly and seemed to hope that I would just simply accept it, and nullify any kind of responsibility on my part in this whole event.

But the blood… There was so much blood.

I felt a hot burning sensation in the back of my throat as I remembered the bloody graffiti plastered in my bathroom, unable to fend off the disturbing images and feelings they conjured within me. Unable to fight the thoughts that I'd passed off as a subconscious imagine that in fact had truly happened. I buried my head in my arms unable to face knowing that Missy would leave forever without giving me a chance to ask for forgiveness.

"Dante, It wasn't your fault…"

" I fucked her for hours…" I trembled trying to hold myself steady my elbows on the desk and my hands against either side of my temples my eyes staring off into oblivion, "I allowed myself to take Missy repeatedly over and over again to the point where blood was drawn." Painfully my voice chocked out "What kind of Demon Hunter am I if I can't prevent myself from turning into the creatures I live to kill…"

"DANTE!" Lady bellowed now grasping my shoulder and shaking me out of my train of thought, " No one would have been able to fight off that kind of possession, not even you. What happened happened there is no point in blaming yourself."

I stood up to walk around the room trying to shake out the images and stopped short at the footprints outlined in dried blood, I looked up at Lady and asked, "Have you seen My Bedroom? The Bathroom…?"

She responded with a puzzled look and instead of answering she marched upstairs where I heard a faint gasp followed by a brief moment of silence, I imagined the look on Lady's face was that of shock and understanding at how I felt now… Like a monster.

She slowly walked out of the room and avoided looking at me until she found herself in the washroom, again a few moments of silence and she came back into view walking towards me, our eyes met momentarily until she stopped and stood at my shoulders, cupping her hand against my arm.

"This will probably be the hardest thing you do, Dante… But you're going to have to eventually forgive yourself, you had no real conscious part in this. I know for a fact that you would never willingly do something like this."

"Lady, There is a Child's BLOOD IN MY BED!"

"I didn't say it would be easy…"

I shook my head damn near stumbling back to my desk, I slumped over and held myself up staring through it, "I can't forgive myself until… Until she forgives me."

"I already explained what really happened, she never really gave me any response to it other than saying that She wants me to take her home."

"Then go."

She'd made her way to the exit when she turned back and said calmly, "Don't beat yourself up, Dante. Not even you deserve this kind of torture."

I remained in my stance long after the roar of Lady's motorcycle faded into the city streets. The sun had soon gone down and I'd realized that I'd been standing at my desk plunged in darkness for hours… not really sure what I was waiting for. A call? Lady? Missy?

The thoughts were on replay in my head, the dream… the awakening, the discovery of what had actually happened… Missy leaving without the chance to express my deepest apologies …

That burning sensation in my throat returned, and my vision blurred considerably and became clear again as I watched tears cascade onto the desk, a small puddle had soon formed when I finally collapsed onto it pounding violently enough to knock all articles onto the floor. Phone, picture frame, guns… The wood began to buckle under my fist and soon a huge dent formed damn near cracking the desk in two.

I than fell completly to my knees in unalloyed defeat. I knew I'd have to come to terms and think about trying to get my life back on track again… But how?

My feet found their means of supporting me and taking me back to where I'd committed the gruesome act, the bed now stained with dark red spots. I reluctantly reached out to touch the very place I'd done possibly the most horrible of things in conceivable memory. I ripped off the sheets and pillows and brought them down to the washroom where I threw them into the bathtub, reached into my pocket for the Lighter I'd given Missy the night before, and threw the opened lighter onto the pile and set the offensive bedding aflame, illuminating the bathroom walls which still bore Missy's graffiti written in her own blood. Seeing these words again fetched the tears back to my eyes and the sting in my throat. I fell to the cold floor trying to drown out their gut wrenching meaning, but it was no use… It was a painful reminder that the events of the night before were very, indisputably real.

All I wanted in that moment was for her to return… To give me a chance to make amends.

Get real Dante… the only conceivable form I saw her coming back through my doors was through a class action lawsuit.

I'd never, ever see her again.

Hope everyone had a very merry Xmas! Comments are always loved an appreciated =3