I couldn't let you guys think I'd forgotten you on one of my favorite holidays, now could I?

I wish I had a full oneshot or chapter to give you today, but due to my mother taking ill prior to Thanksgiving I have been at her beckon call to insure she gets better, making writing impossible except in small increments. This is also why I am behind in responding to reviews.

So I'm using this set of unfinished stories to present you one more that I WILL be finishing, but feel there is enough to give you guys a teasing taste. It also was never my intention to hold off almost 3 months in posting anything, so I do apologize for that!

I miss writing and chatting with you guys, but once the holidays are over I should have time to finish both Killing Moon and Devotion as I have nearly finished chapters of both. It's just finding the time to actually write them.

So, however you guys spend today whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or not at all. Make it a good day to be shared with those you love. Talk to you in 2010 and as always... enjoy! :)

Winter's Night

The wind howled out of control, spurred on no doubt by the Frost demons that were following close. They were hesitant to attack because the two figures in the snow had proved themselves formidable opponents...

Even if one of them now lay passed out.

Lady pulled Vergil through the snow, never taking her eyes off the creatures always just beyond the white out around them. His blood dragged in the snow, staining it pink as she did her best to find shelter.

They'd come to this small town to kill every last Frost that had recently caused the normally sunny farming town to turn into a winter nightmare. People were huddled in their homes and quickly running out of food. If it hadn't been for a brave man managing to break through and get help the entire town would've died from cold and starvation.

Neither knew just how many demons had taken up refuge here though. While both were strong fighters it was apparent when the snow storm kicked up at the demons approach that there were too many for just the two of them. Even with Vergil's stubborn mindset that he could vanquish them all. Instead they knocked her into him, coming out of the white out like ghosts, breaking the devil's concentration enough to descend on him.

She only managed to survive because she had guns on her, whereas Vergil preferred Yamato. So when they came to descend on her she managed to shoot them away before their massive claws could tear through her.

Vergil was not so lucky. She turned her back, not really sure how he'd been knocked out but terrified non-the-less by her partner's steady flow of blood.

Lady pulled with all her strength and still the creatures lingered. She raised a gun and fired into the snow, hearing a growl and a shriek that followed.

Then out of nowhere her back hit something solid, startling her into dropping Vergil down into the snow. She turned and was relieved to see an ice shanty.

When she turned back, raising her weapon she noted she heard nothing. Either they had left to regroup or they were waiting patiently. Either she didn't care about so much as getting Vergil inside.

Her teeth chattering, she reached down and grabbed his jacket at the shoulders tugging him around. Once she found the door she kicked it in and pulled him in before shutting it behind her. She found a chair and wedged it in place to keep anything from coming through before turning with a heavy sigh.

The room was cramped with a hint of smoke and stale beer hitting her nostrils. Luckily there was two blankets folded in the corner with some foldable chairs, but not much else. Not even a small stove to heat the place.

Lady tossed her duffle off her shoulder, having almost forgot about it in the panic of moving Vergil before kneeling to open it and pull out a battery operated lamp. Without hesitation she went to Vergil and unbuttoned his jacket, ripping his shirt open to see better what damage there was.

It looked bad, like three of them had slashed him one after the other. Maybe the loss of blood had caused him to collapse? It made her wonder how long would he be like this before he regenerated.

"Damnit," she growled as she reached back into the duffle and pulled out her satellite phone. She dialed Dante and ground her teeth as she waited for him to answer.

"You didn't kill my brother did you?" Dante teased once he answered the phone.

"What?" Lady asked.

"We're twins. I can always tell when someone's knocked him on his ass. So what he do? Did he try and put some moves on ya?"

"No! He got himself hurt like the moron he is and left me to deal with his sorry carcass. I don't know the first thing about treating him since he's of a different species." Lady snapped.

"Technically half a different species, but the devil trumps the human side I guess." Dante continued thoughtfully. "What's wrong with him?"

"He got slashed pretty bad. You never told us there would be this many Frosts out here!"

"Why? How many were there?"

"Too damn many," she replied in an annoyed growling tone.

"Easy there kitten, don't go blaming me. I offered for Trish and I to come, but you and Vergil assured me you could handle this. Apparently that was a lie," he said snorting.

"Can we please fight about this after I've saved your brother's life?" Lady asked tersely.

"Sure thing. So what, you looking for over the phone doctorage?"

"I don't know how to heal him Dante. Surprisingly you just heal right away and brag about it. He's knocked out and still bleeding."

"We both have different abilities. Vergil always focused on his fighting abilities and ways of escaping, like teleportation. But of course we can't have everything. He figured he'd never be put in the situation where he'd be injured, smug bastard. Me? I look out for my ass, because with all my devil may care fighting I tend to get swords through the chest. Or bullets through the cranium," he said smugly with a hint of nostalgia.

"What do I do!" Lady demanded.

"He's part human, so just stem the blood flow. He won't die as long as he's kept warm."

"Warm?" Lady asked as her eyes flit to the window where the storm was still raging outside.

"Well, yeah. Being devil's we can stand the cold, but when injured it's not good for our healing abilities. It actually slows it down. Considering his aren't the best to begin with it slows it down even more."

Lady could see her breath as it grew more ragged.

"We're caught in a blizzard Dante with no heat and he's already ice cold!"

"Oh. That sucks."

"Ya think?" Lady snapped.

"It's cool. You got anything to cover him with?"

"I have blankets, but not much else."

"Perfect. That's all you need. Well, that and you of course." Dante said easily.

"Me? What about me?"

"You're alive and kickin' ain't ya? Get nekked and snuggle with my bro."

"Ha ha, very funny asshole." Lady said mockingly.

"I'm not joking. You've seen the movies right? Use your body heat to keep him warm under the blanket. Get him out of his wet clothes too because that won't help."

"No way!" Lady yelled into the receiver as she pulled it away, staring incredulously at the phone as if it were Dante.

"Fine, then let him freeze to death, bleed out and his open wounds to crystallize his blood as the cold air seeps in. He'll be pissed if you let him die." Dante added the last part as an afterthought.

Lady turned and looked at Vergil who was still passed out and beginning to shiver in sleep.

"There has to be another way," she pressed.

"Yeah. If you had a fireplace or a heater."

Fuck.

"You know, considering all the times he's saved you the fact you won't return the favor is pretty shitty."

"You are far too calm about all this!" Lady seethed. His voice was playful and seemed not the least bit concerned.

"Because I know you'll do the right thing. You wouldn't let my bro die, would you Lady?"

Lady rolled her eyes up towards the ceiling in annoyance and mouthed her frustration. Of course she wouldn't let him die, but...

"He's passed out. He won't even know what's going on. You just have to do it till he feels warm again and then you can get dressed before he wakes up. No harm, no foul right?" Dante said as if that somehow made the prospect any better. "But you better make up your mind soon because the longer you wait the worse off he's gonna be and the better his chances are of waking up during."

Does he have to make it sound like we're going to do something? Lady thought annoyed.

"Keep me posted on his health and we'll head on over to kill the demon's and knock a hole in that storm. You two just stay put and keep warm." Dante continued, undeterred by her silence.

"Fine... Just hurry your ass up." Lady finally managed to say feeling defeated in her present predicament.

"That's a good girl. Oh, and Lady?"

"What?"

"If he gets a stiffy, don't worry. It's a natural react--"

Lady hung up the phone.

--

"Heh."

Dante chuckled as he pulled the phone back from his face to grin at the words Call Ended on the lit screen.

Around him sat Trish and Artemis, whom he had been speaking with when Lady called. In particular, Artemis had come to tell him Vergil was injured having sensed it despite the fact Dante too had known his brother was down for the count.

"You-- just lied to her. Didn't you?" Artemis asked with wide eyes.

"Moi? Lie?" Dante asked innocently.

"You know Vergil won't die of freezing to death. Your demonic side makes you adverse to both extreme heat and cold." Trish broke in with a wide grin on her face as she sat on the corner of his desk.

"Oh yeah. Guess I forgot about that. Oh well, too late to call her back." Dante said.

"You truly are a chaos demon, aren't you?" Artemis asked with a great sigh. "Is there nothing you will not do for entertainment?"

"Donkey shows man." Dante replied with a deep shudder.

"Donkey?"

"It's best not to ask Artemis." Trish cut him off just as Dante opened his mouth to answer. "We'll get ready to go and save them before things go too far."

"Hold up now. We'll chill for a bit. No sense in pulling this on Lady and have nothing entertaining come of it." Dante interjected once they moved to leave.

"You do realize if Vergil should wake up and find them... like that he might harm the girl correct?" Artemis asked.

"Not a chance." Dante said smugly as he sat back in his chair, his arms above his head looking as comfortable as can be. "If anything it'll be incentive for him to finally come clean."

--

Lady sat looking down at Vergil with a wide eyed expression on her face.

She'd managed to get his shirt and jacket off, pulled his boots and socks away and even took her time on removing his amulet from his neck. Now she stared at his pants as if they might bite and poison her. Treating them like an angered snake and of course the visual did nothing to calm her of what the pants were hiding.

After the earlier conversation with Dante she had, for a moment, considered it. Then of course when he added the tidbit before she hung up it only set her more on edge.

Natural reaction my ass... If that happens I'll show him a natural reaction with my fist.