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-Lady Luce-
A/N: I wasn't gonna post this yet, but I got a review from some idiot claiming that I was bashing Lady (I may not like Dante/Lady, but I like Lady, I like all the DMC girls (minus Gloria)). Depending on whether you agree/disagree with abortion Lady seems like more or less of a bad person and to be honest I feel for Lady and the situation I put her in so I don't look on her aborting a child as badly as some people may. Now that I've said that I would like to say to this person who reviewed so rudely and made a fool of themself that I would appreciate it if they didn't review again. They've been leaving warped attempts at constructive critisim on all of my fics and it's bugging me. (How do I know it's the same person? The severe lack of punctuation and the same style of reviewing). I am sorry if this seems rude, but I this isn't helping my mental state right now, whilst I appreciate constructive critisism I do not appreciate these obnoxious reviews.
Tocophobia: Fear of Pregnancy
Chapter 2
Dante didn’t quite know how long he had been staring up at the ceiling fan, the blades spinning slowly as he lay on one of the over-stuffed sofas in the corner of his office desperately trying to sleep. The pale morning sunlight was spilling in through the picture windows which lined the front wall of his shop. He had been lying in more or less the same position all night, feet dangling over one arm of the sofa where he had thrown himself unceremoniously a few hours prior. After emptying a few bottles of his favourite beer dragging himself upstairs had seemed to be too much of an effort so he had collapsed onto the block of saw-dust and moulding fabric which called itself a couch.
His head was throbbing dully with the after effects of the alcohol and his mouth was dry. He must have slept at some point last night if only for a few hours, but he couldn’t recall ever dropping off. His mind had been whirring all night and still was; he could barely get a few moments of peace before the ordeal of only a few days ago returned to his mind.
Lady would be returning today. Even if she wasn’t going to stay she needed to collect her belongings. Currently he was in conflict; he didn’t want her to leave, despite their regular arguments – ranging between friendly banter and attempts at homicide – she was the first proper friend he’d had in a long time. The experience they’d shared in Temin-Ni-Gru had brought them together as friends and he didn’t know if he could bear to watch her go. At the same time though how could he ask her to stay? And part of him wanted her to leave. Part of him wanted to yell at her for not having the decency to tell him what had been happening. Dante knew that in the end he would leave it up to Lady to decide exactly what happened today, but he didn’t quite know how he’d ever be able to look at her the same way again if she stayed. If she left, his heart sank a little at the thought, he’d be alone again. He was used to the feeling; he’d just never been particularly comfortable with it.
It had been three days since he’d left the hospital and three sleepless nights accompanied by whatever form of liquor he could get his hands on. He wasn’t one for depressive binges, but he had needed something – anything – to get his mind off it all. His jaw clenched inadvertently at the thought. He could have had a kid; he’d never quite seen that happening in his life, he’d never really longed for children, never thought about settling down… that was until that night four days ago when he’d sat up awake all night at the hospital running it all through his head. A boy or a girl? White hair like his or dark like Lady’s? Would it have had traces of his mother and father in it? Hints of Kalina-Ann and… Arkham (he shuddered mentally at the thought). What would he have called it? What would its first word have been? He clenched his fist, nails digging into the soft skin of his palm. It hadn’t even lived, how could something die when it hadn’t taken a breath? Did one go to funerals for this sort of thing? Would there be a grave somewhere? Would he have to choose a name just so that it could be etched onto a head-stone? He pressed the back of his arm across his eyes feeling a head-ache rise in his skull. Or did they just throw whatever had been left of it away like surgical waste? Had Lady given them permission to do that? Would they have done that to something that was part of him... without his permission…?
Dante swiped for the bottle of beer he had left somewhere on the floor and downed the remainder in one breath. He knew it wouldn’t help his head ache – Lady would scold him for it if she were here right now – but he didn’t give a damn. How had this happened? How had he let this happen?
Swinging his feet from the sofa he waited for the spots to clear from his eyes before he made a move towards his desk running a hand through his hair. Exhaustion and inebriation was not a good mix. He knew that he hadn’t had that much to drink, but getting barely two hours of sleep for the past four nights seemed to have worn him down. It was a relief to finally get off his feet again as he fell into the leather chair at his desk. Immediately he began rifling through the draws in search of more alcohol, preferably something stronger than before. Right now he wanted to forget this had ever happened and at one point in his life someone had told him alcohol killed brain-cells. That seemed just perfect right about now.
He found a bottle of whiskey in a bottom draw and unscrewed the cap flicking it across the room before taking a swig. His head-ache flared in protest, but he ignored it enjoying the tingling feeling slowly spreading through his veins. The room wasn’t quite spinning, but it wasn’t exactly still either. Somewhere deep down he knew he was being selfish. If he didn’t stop right now he’d be too far gone for Lady to even say good-bye to him properly. But then again so what? Had she thought about the selfishness of what she had done? Had she thought to tell him she was pregnant, to discuss it with him first before simply making the decision herself and throwing it all away? No, she hadn’t and so why should he care at all if he was being selfish?
With that thought clear in his mind he tipped his head back and began to drain the bottle. By the time Lady got back he’d be either unconscious or flat out drunk and then he wouldn’t have to listen to any painful good-byes; because god knew there was nothing at all good about them.
She shifted from foot to foot restlessly glancing about and knowing she couldn’t avoid the confrontation, but not wanting to see Dante if he was in a state. Lady fiddled with the keys in her pocket feeling unnaturally nervous. It was a most unusual sensation for Lady and she wasn’t fond of it. Truth be told though she was nervous – even slightly afraid – of Dante when he was like this (mainly because it was not a normal occurrence). He was angry with her though, he more than likely felt betrayed by her now that he knew the reason why she had wanted to do away with the thing so badly. She knew how much he cursed the demon blood in him too, though it seemed to have eased with time it was obviously still an issue for him.
Smoothing out the fresh t-shirt, which Dante had dropped off at the hospital reception two days ago, she tested the door to see if it was locked. It wasn’t; she hadn’t expected it to be. The blast of music as the artist – how they could have the audacity to call themselves artists Lady didn’t know – strangled some poor guitar nearly knocked her off her feet. Hesitantly she made her way over to the juke-box and turned the volume down until the music was at a low thrum then scanned the office for any sign of the half-demon.
Somewhere in the past hour or so Dante had migrated back to the sofa, though he appeared to have missed his target – or rolled off during some dream, Lady couldn’t tell. As it was he lay sprawled half on the moth-eaten red couch eyes closed and his breathing heavy, an empty bottle on the floor next to him. A few more were scattered about the office and Lady had to stop herself from going to clean up after him.
Lady knew that she could be packed and out of there before he was awake, but some part of her was rooted to the spot. She hadn’t quite realized the effect the whole thing seemed to have had on him even after he stormed out of the hospital four days ago. She had coped with the whole thing perfectly well – in fact she was filled with a sense of relief now that it was dead. She had never expected him to react like this and found herself regretting her actions once again. Not for the baby, there was nothing on earth which could have made her keep it, but maybe she should have told him, let it sink in, try to talk him into it. She knew, or at least hoped, that if she’d explained it rationally Dante would have seen sense… instead her plan had back-fired and they’d both ended up for the worse.
She took a breath and hesitantly brushed some of the hair out of his eyes. He was currently lying on his stomach with his head buried in a pillow making it nearly impossible to see his face beneath the snow-drift of hair. Lady had to resist the suddenly bizarre urge to stroke the smooth skin of his cheek or do something stupid. He looked so peaceful in sleep – even an alcohol induced sleep – like a child; he was even drooling on the pillow. Lady smiled and straightened up deciding to leave him for now. He probably needed the rest and if she packed first it might be easier saying good-bye, though there was always the danger that she wouldn’t have the guts and would just leave.
Lady was as quiet as possible as she made her way upstairs and packed quickly. The realization that she didn’t actually own much struck her as she carefully zipped up her suitcase and slung Kalina-Ann over her shoulder. Another padded shoulder bag carried her precious guns. She only owned the very basics one needed to survive; a few changes of clothes, one elegant dress which she was loath to wear, but owned for some strange reason, a few trinkets from her child-hood and some items which had belonged to her mother. Things she never looked at, but always knew were there. Her lack of material possession made her feel somewhat wistful, not because she felt lacking in life, but because her life had always felt somewhat full since Temin-Ni-Gru. Was it something to do with her unfinished business concerning her father, or had it been meeting Dante…? Her life now wasn’t a glamorous one, but there was never a dull moment. A sinking feeling in her stomach told her that it would all change if she left. Part of her felt that she didn’t really have the choice. It would be wrong to assume that she could just stay here after everything that had happened. If only she could turn back time; she thought as she shut the door to her room and made her way back down-stairs.
She was more than a little surprised to see Dante awake when she came back down-stairs. He was currently with his back to her, resting heavily against his desk rummaging through the draws and then fumbling with something he couldn’t quite seem to keep hold of. Lady was almost certain he hadn’t noticed her yet. She moved over hesitantly trying to make herself speak, but unable to do so. When he finally dropped what he had been holding she bent down and picked it up before he could fall over in any attempts to retrieve it.
Dante seemed slightly confused before catching on that there was someone else in the room. Lady hesitantly placed the aspirin on the table for him as his eyes widened considerably. He tried to say something, but couldn’t get the words out and instead snatched at the packet of pills knocking them back onto the floor clumsily. This time he bent down for them and Lady did the same when their hands touched he snatched his away as though he’d been burnt.
“Dante…”
“I don’t need your help,” he replied through gritted teeth catching hold of the packet and then standing up again, leaning against his desk for support.
Lady watched him silently uncertain of what to say though the words somehow found her lips as she reached out to steady him when he tripped over his feet in an attempt to get to his chair.
“Yes you do, you’re drunk,” she replied firmly trying to use her best ‘do as you’re told’ tone of voice. It had worked before, though she had half known it wouldn’t this time.
He shoved her away roughly and gripped the desk to hold himself upright. “I’ll be fine; I don’t need you to look after me.”
“But-”
He rounded on her then eyes burning so brightly Lady was certain she’d get hit by sparks. “Just leave!”
Lady backed up half a step, but folded her arms across her chest none the less. “I’m not leaving you like this.”
“It’s your fault I’m like this in the first place,” he snapped words slurring slightly.
Lady bristled at the comment angry at him for the selfish attitude. “No, this is your fault! I’m not letting you blame me for the state you’ve gotten yourself in because it’s nothing to do with me. What on earth did you hope to achieve by doing this?”
His lips quivered a second as though he were about to speak, but no sound came out. He turned leaning heavily on the desk as he finally fell into his chair resting his head in his hands.
“Answer my question dammit!” Lady yelled finally loosing it. She’d had enough of him and his bad habits. Dante either thought himself invincible to the effects alcohol had on humans, or he honestly didn’t care about his own well-being. All she knew was that his ability to burry himself at the bottom of a bottle had been the beginning of this affair and it was getting on her nerves.
When she got no reply her fury only intensified. “I’m having a hard time too you know! Do know how long I had to stay cooped up in that place with stupid people asking me stupid questions? I had to endure days of being told what my problems were and what I should do with my life. And I was worried about you too, even if you don’t believe that, and you know what I knew you’d do this. Because that’s what you always do! You proclaim yourself to be an almighty demon hunter, but you’re too much of a coward to face your own problems!”
Her voice lowered a little as she suddenly realised she’d been shouting. “Look I know your problems are bigger than most peoples, but you have to get over this Dante, it’s not the end of the world. I was selfish; I admit that, it was wrong of me… I should have told you, but can’t you understand that this was hard on me too?”
“Yeah that’s why you killed it,” came the morbid reply tinged with sarcasm.
“I couldn’t have kept that baby don’t you understand that?” Lady asked resting on the edge of the desk and trying to reach his eyes through the bangs obscuring his features. “It didn’t matter that it was yours I couldn’t cope with a child right now.” She was lying and she knew she was. She may not have been able to cope with a child, but she would have considered it… if it hadn’t been his.
He snorted shaking his head slightly, obviously seeing right through the lie after their encounter in the hospital.
“What do you want me to say, Dante?” She asked softly wishing that he’d just look at her if only for a moment. “I won’t lie to you.”
Dante lifted his head finally and met her gaze with his icy blue eyes. “Why don’t you just kill me?” He held something out to her in his hand and Lady’s eyes widened in shock.
“What?” Lady exclaimed unable to comprehend what he had just said.
“You obviously still have a problem with me, with what I am. I’m surprised you managed to hide it so well. So maybe you should just kill me and get rid of one more demon, eh? Doesn’t that sound like a good idea?”
“Shut up!” She yelled smacking the knife from his hand and sending is spinning across the room. “I’ll make you wish for death if you don’t stop acting like this,” Lady threatened leaning over the desk to stare him in the eye. “For god’s sake you need to snap out of this!”
He merely stared at her dumbly and she turned away quickly unable to stop the anger flaring through her. His attitude was quickly trying her patience, it was pathetic, he was pathetic!
“We can talk when you’re sober,” she said finally. “Until then I’m staying here.”
A/N: Yes there will be another chapter after this. If it seems as though I'm repeating myself I apologise I was going to leave it as is, but quite a few people asked for another chapter so I decided to write, but at the same time I wasn't certain of exactly what to write.
I was really considering cutting that last bit out, but I left it because people act rashly in strange and stressful situations and yeah.
Oh and I keep on considering a prequel for this too err not sure what's gonna happen on that front.
Constructive critisim is welcomed!
-Lady Luce
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