Disclaimer: Nope. I don't own Devil May Cry. I do, however, own all rights to Heather, Michael, Aeva, and Loren.
Summary: A former apprentice of Dante's and ex-lover of Vergil, Loren, comes back from a decade-long gig in Europe to find that her man has wed another women. Consumed with jealousy and twisted love for him, she vows to kill Heather and her kids, and take back that which is hers. Meanwhile, Heather is with child once more, and both Dante and Vergil are nervous about the identity of the father. Which is it this time? The elder twin or the younger?
Queen's Quornor: It has been more than a year since last I updated this fic. Please don't remind me of how badly I've neglected my beloved twins; I already feel bad enough as it is! Since I updated "Danse Macabre", I figured I'd try another chapter of "Tainted Love" and this is what came about. I hope the muses don't abandon me again. I still remember what I want to do with this fic, but the challenge is, as always, getting from Point A to Point B.
A Long-Awaited Meeting
The bartender finished placing the last chair on the last table, glancing around his watering hole wearily. Tonight had been a good night, with most of the tables and booths filled and the bar itself occupied from open to close. His register was filled with money, moreso than usual, and a good deal of his stock was depleted.
Busy nights meant good business. And good business meant even better money.
With a pleased sigh, the bartender grabbed his broom to begin sweeping up. As he pushed some dirt and broken glass into a small pile, he heard the door open. "Sorry, but we're closed for the night. Come back at nine this evening."
"Oh, I'm not looking for a drink. Just a little help," a husky female voice purred.
He turned around to question her further, but his protest died on his tongue. Approaching him was a statuesque knockout with long crimson hair and alabaster skin, dressed in tight black leather. Her corset strained to hold back the ample, milky globes adorning her chest, and her bright green eyes glowed with a sultry light. The heels of her boots clicked against the wooden floor as she glided across to the bar, lazily settling upon one of the round stools. Her long fingers traced slow circles upon the polished wood as she leaned back against the bar, her back arched to raise her breasts even higher.
"How can I help you?" the bartender managed through a mouthful of saliva. There was something deeply unsettling about the woman, but her allure vastly outweighed the inexplicable alarm. She almost emanated waves of sexuality, so strong he could scarcely dream of resisting her. Whatever she wanted, he would do without question.
"I'm looking for this place, and I'm a little lost. Could you help me?"
"I know almost everything about this town," he boasted, unconsciously puffing out his chest.
"Well..." she began coyly, eyes downcast as if shy. "It's called Devil May Cry."
The bartender found himself nodding. "I've heard of it. But why's a gorgeous lady like you interested in that dump? You're not in some kind of trouble, are you?"
"No." She inhaled deeply and crossed her legs, still tracing nameless shapes on the bar while her eyes found his. "The owners are old friends of mine, and I haven't seen them in a long time. But silly ol' me forgot where their shop is." She laughed merrily, the sound bringing a smile to his own lips. "I lost their phone number, or I would have just called them. And I'm so afraid of getting lost in this big city. Can you give me directions?"
Her bright green eyes were so wide, so pure... The bartender was unable to resist her harmless request. He heard himself giving her directions to Devil May Cry, but it was as if he was floating in a dream, his voice distant and echoed, hers clear and hypnotic. It was almost like he had had gotten drunk off the sound of her voice, the sight of her beauty. All he could focus on was her.
"Thank you, sir," she purred, rising languidly from her seat. "You have been most helpful."
"Glad to be...of service..." he slurred, feeling his feet leave the ground and darkness cloud his vision. He knew he was falling, but the floor never rose to catch him.
When he came to several hours later, the sun was shining through the windows, the register was empty, his stock was gone, and all that he remembered were glowing cat-eyes above a smiling red mouth.
DCMDCMDCMDCMDCMDCMDMCDMCDMCDMCDMC
Soft laughter filled the air as Loren turned a corner, remembering the hapless man's face as he fell beneath her magic. He had told her how to get to Devil May Cry without any resistance, even informing her of a few choice shortcuts along the way. It was always amusing to charm human males; they were so susceptible to the powers inherited from her incubus father.
Dante and Vergil had never approved of her seductive methods, but she found that removing a man's free will gave her all of the information she needed in far less time than the questioning and intimidation they preferred. Sure, it virtually enslaved her informant temporarily, but Loren didn't mind. It didn't harm them, after all. And they rarely remembered her once she released the enthrallment, so no possibility of being discovered existed. What was the harm in it?
Her poisonous green eyes lit up as the rosy sign of Dante and Vergil's shop came into view, and her pace quickened. She had waited until noon, the time they had usually opened up shop, and with the sign on they had to be in right now. Soon she would be in her beloved's presence once more, a meeting she both desired and feared. But even if he still hated her for fleeing ten years ago, she would make sure he changed his mind quickly.
Nobody could resist her forever. Vergil had never been an exception.
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"Devil May Cry. A missing puppy? You don't say. Sorry kid, but I don't do animals. Call the ASPCA."
The phone let out another ring as it was thrown back in its cradle, cutting off the girl's tearful protest. Dante linked his fingers behind his head, leaning back to contemplate the ceiling. He really didn't want to be here at this time of day, but Heather had insisted, claiming that he needed to get out of the house because he was driving her crazy.
Really, what was so wrong with worrying about her now? She was in a delicate condition, being pregnant and all. And he hadn't been able to help her out when she was carrying Michael and Aeva. Was it really so wrong to want to accompany her everywhere and carry her up and down the stairs?
He'd been booted out of the house at ten in the morning, when he'd much rather have been sleeping. He could actually crash on the couch if he wanted. But the damn phone wouldn't stop ringing!
Ring ring!
Speak of the devil.
He banged his heel down on the desk and caught the receiver, bringing it to his ear with a disgusted sigh. "Devil May Cry."
"Hey there, handsome," a throaty female voice purred. A familiar throaty female voice. "Long time no see."
Dante felt a chill race down his spine as he brought his legs down, eyes wide open. "Loren?!" he asked incredulously.
"The one and only. Why are you so surprised to hear from me? I did say that I'd be back eventually in that letter I left you. Did you think I was planning to stay in Europe forever?"
"Well, no. But it's been ten years since you left! You could have called or something, let us know you were okay!"
"I'm calling now, aren't I? Still, nice to know you were worried about me. So what have you been up to? How's Vergil?"
Dante licked his lips. Loren...back. Hoo boy, this could get messy. "Just the usual. Hunting devils, killing summoners, all that crap. How'd you get this number, anyway? We had to change the number when we moved into the new shop."
"A little birdie told me how to call you. Oh, and you might want to see about changing your password. It's really too cliche, Dante."
"People remember it, don't they?" he pointed out. "So what're you doing back in the States? I thought business was too slow here for your tastes."
"Things got too crowded in Europe, of course. Too many hunters, not enough demons. Bad for my bank account, you see. And I'm rather high maintenance, as you know. So I came to where the work is."
"So I'm guessing you want to see Vergil again, right?"
"Well of course. And you, too. But mostly him."
"Thanks a lot," he mumbled. How was he going to handle this? "Well, Vergil's out of town right now. We got a call for a job in Alaska, and he went to take care of it. If you come back in a couple days, he should be back by then."
There was a pause on the other end of the line, then "You know, you always were a lousy liar, Dante. Your voice says you aren't lying, but that hand running through your hair does."
He jumped and looked at the phone for a moment before putting it back to his ear. "And how would you know that?"
There was a knock at the door, and he looked up to see Loren standing outside, waving at him with a cell phone to her ear. She grinned and ended the call, strolling inside a moment later. "I spent enough time with you to know your little idiosyncrasies, Dante. When you run your hand through your hair, it usually means you're lying."
"How long have you been there?" he asked, hanging up the phone and tipping his chair back, his feet once more finding the top of his desk.
"Only a few minutes. I just got into town last night." She strolled over to the desk and perched on the edge, beside his feet. "Now then. Since he's not in Alaska, where's your brother? He and I have a lot of catching up to do."
Dante shrugged, feeling his heartbeat speed slightly. When Loren found out about Heather... "He's sleeping at the house. I would be too, but my mate wanted me to get out and give her a little peace for the day."
"So you finally settled down, eh? Congratulations, Dante. Who's the lucky lady?" she asked, playing with the buckles on his boot.
"Just this human I met. She's pretty cool."
"Human, huh? Thought you had better taste than that," Loren remarked off-handedly, paying no heed to the scowl that crossed the white-haired hunter's face. "Anyway, so when's Vergil going to get here? I know he'll be here later. I've really missed him, and I'm sure he's missed me."
Dante shrugged again. Might as well take the bull by the horns. Sort of. "He'll get here around six. But I'm not sure how he'll react to you. You hurt him pretty bad back then, Loren."
She flashed him a quick grin, and he felt a certain part of his body stir as she put on the charm. "He'll get over it, Dante. I guarantee, when I'm through with him it'll be like I'd never been gone."
"No seduction around me, Loren," Dante warned. "I don't want to put up with that shit. I've already got a mate."
The alu-fiend pouted, but complied. "You're no fun."
"How about you come back at six? Like I said, that's when Vergil will come in for work. There's a little motel a couple blocks down that you could stay in."
Loren smirked again, and rose to her feet. "I know. Where do you think I've been since last night?" She lazily slipped across the floor to the door, casting him once last smile over her shoulder. "Don't tell Vergil I'm back, okay? I want our reunion to be a surprise. See ya later, handsome!"
Dante merely shrugged as she left, then pulled out his cell phone once he could no longer see her through the doors. Hitting Vergil's number, he nervously tapped his fingers on the desk until his brother picked up. "Vergil? Yeah, we have a problem."
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(crackling noise, audio recording picks up)
Audio recording: Deepest apologies, people. But the transmitter seems to have stopped working at the moment. A message has been sent to Queen, and a repairman has been dispatched to her location. This transmitter will be working again by the next posting. Have a nice day.