Aha! I told you I'd be back...eventually. I'm still working hard on Nothing But Trouble, but long before that was even a concept in my head I promised you all this.

NOTE: This is a sequel to my story Bleed For Me. I would recommend reading it first, but then again I won't force you to do it...lol Just something to keep in mind.

Originally meant to be titled "Bleed For Me: Redemption" I decided instead to switch the name to Bleed It Out... Firstly because the lyrics to Linkin Parks "Bleed it Out" fit perfectly with the concept I have in mind for this story, and secondly it works because it somewhat matches the first stories name :D

Now I am aware that some fans do not like the Dante/Trish pairing. I've never had a problem with Trish except she was never given much depth, (unlike Lady) which is why I think so many kind of brush her off. I wanted to try and give her a little more color, and really look into the "what happened after" scenario. Dante was a lifelong bachelor after all, and Trish was a newly freed "pawn" who had never really lived. Once the glory of beating Mundus faded what would they have left? I hope to explore it more, and hopefully create a Trish that even her "haters" can see eye to eye with... We'll see.

Also, Amy will be coming into this story (in a non-over-the-phone way)...later on. Bleed for Me revolved around her quite a bit, but I wanted this story to be about Dante and Vergil. They've come to a crossroad where the things that once held them apart are no longer there. I feel the only way I can do this any justice is to make them the main focus and bring Amy in slowly down the road. I haven't written beyond this chapter (I have been grueling over it since the end of Bleed For me!), so from here out it's as much of a surprise for me as it is you. :)

The rating might change further down the road, depending on where I take it.

I am also going to work hard at replying to all reviews personally if it kills me. You took the time to review, so I'll take the time to reply. :) Constructive criticism welcomed always. Thanks again guys for all your continuing support.

Bleed It Out

Chapter 1

Ill-fated was how one could describe the life of a hunter. After all, it was a dangerous job filled with loss, violence, and a never ending string of enemies to overcome before they overcame you. A lot can change in the terms of years, even on the devil's time. An entire lifetime can be brought to a stand still with one single event. For Dante there had been several worth mentioning.

His building, the place he had actually stayed put, was hardly recognizable now to how it was then. In the place of broken down furniture, empty pizza boxes, beer bottles, numerous bullet holes, and cuts in the wall were now only a small part of his past. Sure, he didn't go all Martha Stuart, but he had a business to run and two females to keep him in check. Not that he needed it, or else would never tell them that.

He had found a quiet stability that he'd never even considered he could have. After all, when you spend so much time hunting the darker things in life it's very hard to be stable about anything. Dante found that he was no longer a viral young boy, but an older man who was beginning to see the promise in quiet. Well, maybe not too much quiet.

"DANTE!" A scream broke out from the loft above. Soft thudding could be heard from upstairs, but the sooner it came the more apparent it was that someone was stomping boots against the wooden floor. A woman strode into the hallway, leaning over the side to look into the room below. Her different colored eyes surveyed the downstairs as if she were looking for a fresh kill. When she didn't find anyone she pushed back from the banister and continued to stomp down the stairs. "Don't hide from me you coward!" She yelled again.

Dante held his breath, unable to make it to the front door before her boots were close enough to catch him. It was unlike him to hide, well, it use to be. Lady was the resident devil of this place, and his angel was currently out of town.

It had been a little over a month since Dante and Trish had returned from Mallet Island. Dante was still basking in the glow of defeating Mundus, while Trish was having difficulty adjusting to her new life with him. If the truth be told, he too was not sure how this whole "relationship" thing was supposed to go. He had been a bachelor for so long, it was odd waking up to the same person every morning.

At times he'd woken in a terror, feeling the same impulse to pull away, to run from her that he always did with the women he woke up with. When he looked at her beside him though, her hand resting at the back of his neck, cheek pressed to his chest he couldn't help but settle. It was so odd, but the fear was fleeting and replaced by warmth previously unknown to him. The feelings he felt for her could only be described as fragile. As if he could wake and find her not there at all, and for some unknown reason it frightened him to think of it.

Lately though, Trish had been having nightmares as well. He would wake up to find her sitting up on the bed, sweat making her hair cling to her shoulders. She was ice cold to the touch though. He would always pull her protectively back to him, saying nothing at all because he didn't really know what to say to her. He wouldn't sleep until he could feel her heavy against him, breathing softly. He partly wondered though if she pretended to be asleep for his sake.

It had finally come up though, and she had asked him if she could return to Mallet alone.

"I need to figure out where I come from." She said, idly turning her cup in her hand.

"What do you think you'll find there? Mundus told you…"

"Dante… I know what he told me, but I have memories of another life. Not as your mother, but of growing up. I don't know what I was before Mundus, but I'm hoping that maybe I can find out." She looked up at him with tired eyes. Dante knew better than anyone what tragedies went on inside a person's dreams. He wondered if that was what had been keeping her up at night.

"And if you find nothing?" He asked.

"I will come home." Trish put emphasis on "home", and Dante was grateful to hear it. He reached a hand out and took her hand in his. He didn't like it, her going back there alone, but how could he stop her? Dante had gone home once, to where this all began, and it did help even if it brought up painful memories. He leaned over and kissed her.

"When do you plan to go?" He asked, pulling her into his chair and grinning as a startled laugh met his lips.

"Tomorrow I guess. The sooner the better."

"Well then." Dante said thoughtfully, running a hand down her back, fingers twining into her hair as he went. "We should get started on a proper goodbye now then?" He practically tackled her to the floor. The warmth of her laughter filled him, and eased the trouble mind he hid so well as he lowered his face to hers. All the while hoping to God Lady didn't decide she needed to come into the kitchen anytime soon.

Dante stood now in his office, behind the door where he hoped Lady wouldn't find him. He grinned at the thought of his last night with Trish, who had been gone for two weeks now. Since then he and Lady were at each other's throats without her to mediate between them. He liked Lady, don't get him wrong, but she had been so brutal to him since Trish left. So he had borrowed a couple of her guns, walked in on her while she was in the tub… She had yelled at him about leaving the toilet seat up so many times he got angry and ripped it off.

"Problem solved!" He'd yelled.

Dante still hadn't heard the last of that one. What he didn't understand was why her temper was flaring at him so much. He mostly tried to stay out of her way recently, choosing to take on jobs himself and letting her do whatever it is she does. He'd never really asked, because she spent a lot of time locked in her room. Loud noises could always be heard late into the night and then she would appear suddenly chipper, usually with some new weapon she'd made. When she miscalculated an addition to Kalina Anne though, she snapped even when he tried to talk to her. He was beginning to think she was either bi-polar, or possessed by the devil.

"DANTE!" Lady repeated, and he could hear her approaching his door. Dante squared his shoulders and pressed himself behind it. However, the door suddenly flew inwards, coming directly for his face to squish him between it and the wall. Dante put his arms out and it flew back at Lady.

"Shit!" He said, trying to catch it before it hit her. Instead he saw Lady's clenched fingers holding the door in place. Good reflexes... For a moment all he could see was her fingers, nails digging into the door. He shuffled to the side and saw her nose to nose with it, a look of wild horror and shock on her face.

"Whew, I thought it hit you." He said relieved. He regretted it quickly though, because it seemed to bring her back to reality, and she glared daggers at him. She slammed the door shut and almost splintered the wood.

"I'm going to KILL YOU!" She yelled. Dante backed up, holding his hands out in a placating way. He bumped into his desk and found himself sitting on it as Lady brought a knife down, stabbing it in the wood, inches from his inner thigh. He felt he might faint. "What's your excuse this time?"

Dante lifted a leg over the knife and took a swipe at her with his leg. When she ducked down he found himself at a better advantage, at least now standing on his two feet. They both drew their weapons at the same time, standing a few feet apart eyeing one another.

"If this is about your Ramen, I was hungry and…" Dante began.

"It's about my pistol you asshole!" She yelled back. "You took it hunting again, didn't you?"

Dante searched his mind and paled. He had a really bad habit of borrowing weapons from Lady, because frankly he always managed to get his messed up. Ebony and Ivory seemed to be the only guns that could handle the torture he put them through, but they needed the occasional tune up/cleaning. So he would "borrow" some of Lady's for a bit. Trouble is that he'd usually leave them sitting around and forget to clean off the occasional blood, gunk, or nastiness he found his weapons accumulated. If Lady loved anything, it was her weaponry. Like some guys love cars, she just adored her guns, knives, and the occasional sword.

He had meant to clean her pistol after he used it, but he had put it off till the last second. She must've found it, caked with a black substance that smelled of sulfur, blood, and what Dante thought was urine.

"Look, I was going to clean it! We've just been busy!" He didn't like it when she pointed guns at him, especially because she knew it wouldn't kill him. It was like punching him in a way, just a LOT more painful.

"Uh huh…" She said doubtfully. "So instead you decided to let it soak in whatever the HELL is covering it to give it a glossy finish?" She shot at him and Dante rolled in time to miss it.

"Knock it off, I'm sorry, OK?" He moved forward, side stepping her bullets, and grabbed her wrist. He pulled it backwards and she let out a groan of pain. "Drop it and we'll talk." He said.

"Fuck you!" She hissed. He didn't let up on her wrist though, and even if Lady was a strong huntress he was still stronger than she was. Lady dropped the gun after a moment of struggling and Dante kicked it at a safe distance before letting her go.

"We good now?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Lady glared up at him, holding her wrist tenderly. He put a hand out to help her but she swatted him away and rose to her full height. "Look, we've been bickering all week long. Isn't it time we called a truce?" Lady gave a half hearted laugh.

"It wouldn't have had to have been this way if you would just leave my stuff alone. Hell, I'd probably like you more if you did."

"C'mon, you KNOW you love me!" He grinned, putting his arms out as if to hug her. She swatted them away and leaned against the wall, arms crossed in a posture of finality. She looked at him in a thoughtful way, as if suddenly getting an idea.

"Yeah, whatever. Just leave my stuff alone. Wouldn't want to make Trish a widow before she was even a bride." She waved at him dismissively. "Besides, you OWE me now, don't you?" Dante frowned at these words, because her face suddenly brightened in a way that made him regret ever taking her gun. He could refuse of course, but what she had planned for his refusal could be worse than what he'd have to do to placate her. Dante sighed.

"What will it be then? The rack, hot irons, or impalement?"

"Not now, I'll get back to you on that." She grinned with such girlish glee he was suddenly reminded of the lead chick from the movie "Audition" and he cringed. At this thought he partially jumped at the sound of the phone ringing behind him. He watched as Lady left the room, a new bounce in her step as she left. He rounded the desk, sat in his chair and let it ring for a moment. He was hoping it was Trish checking in.

She had called him once a day to let him know how things were going. He hadn't asked her to, but had secretly thanked her in his mind for doing it. It helped put his mind at ease, and so far she hadn't met with any trouble. She didn't find much in her search of the ruins, nothing that could help her with her troubled thoughts anyway.

Dante let the phone ring once more before picking it up.

"Devil May Cry, Lady's personal pincushion speaking." He said dryly, hoping for a little sympathy from Trish. Instead a loud snort of laughter came from the other end.

"You probably deserved it." The voice said jovially.

"I swear, your calls always foretell trouble Amy." Dante barked at her. "I should've known you would call. Just couldn't be a bad day without it."

"Don't go blaming me. Besides, I'm not looking for you. Can I talk to Trish?" She asked in a tone of sweetness. Somehow Trish and Amy had managed to make an odd connection in the short time Trish had been with him. It had all happened when Dante had stepped away from a phone call with her only to find upon returning that Trish had picked up the line and wouldn't give it back. The two had gone back and fourth selling him out by trading stories, Amy's being the most devastating and embarrassing.

On the other hand it had been good for Trish to find a friend outside of his and Lady's company. Someone not connected to hunting. Amy had grown oddly optimistic since they had last met face to face, and it rubbed off like a virus every time she called. He just wasn't in the mood for it right now.

"Guess she didn't tell you. She's going to be gone for a bit."

"She finally went back then, eh?" Amy inquired, but Dante narrowed his eyes.

"So she told you then, did she?" Of course she'd told her. They talked about everything, even if it was a bunch of boring nonsense.

"She mentioned it, but never said if she was going to do it." She replied thoughtfully, as if she could read Dante over the phone. "Said she wanted to talk with you about it first." Oh, you're good. Dante thought. Amy's response had the desired effect of calming his inner thoughts. "Do you know how long she'll be gone for?"

"Until she's satisfied I suppose. I'm sure she'll call you first thing." Dante looked at his desk, the picture of his mother turned towards him on the right side, and a new picture of Trish, Lady, and him on the other. It was taken shortly after Trish arrived, and she had been so different then from the woman he knew now. She knew nothing of being with anyone, and so she had been slightly aloof, even with Lady.

Despite going out with a bang as they left Mallet, Trish was quiet the entire way back. She would later attribute this to nerves on her part, but Dante felt that a wall was definitely there in the beginning. He was so use to jumping forward, and yet with her he had come to a standstill. She blushed easily at his advances, was easily flustered to the point he couldn't help but laugh at her innocence. In terms of his past, he had "courted" her. He had waited for her with a patience he had marveled at, and found that when she came to him willingly it had been well worth it. He knew then that he would not separate from her, and maybe some day he might…

"You still there?" Amy's voice broke his thoughts. He had been staring at the image with fuzzy, glazed over eyes. The three figures blurring together in the photo.

"Sure, why not." He mumbled, blinking his eyes and sitting up. "Anyway, I should go."

"Trying to get rid of me, eh?" She replied in tone of fake sadness. "I see how it is; you have Lady to fight with now. You don't need me anymore."

"Trust me; I'd rather be beaten up by you than her any day."

"You mean it?" Her voice was high, childlike and it made him smirk.

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Quit bothering me, I have work to do." He heard a small breathy tone come from the other end.

"I'm sure you are... I'll let Lady get back to beating you up then. Seeya." And without so much as a pause she hung up the phone. Dante considered this for a moment and then hung up. He was disappointed; he had hoped it was Trish calling. At this thought though the phone rang again.

"I told you to quit bothering…"

"Dante" Trish's voice cut in. Dante felt a nudge in his abdomen at the sound of her voice. "It's me, Trish."

"Is everything OK?" He asked, not liking her tone.

"I don't know Dante. It's just…" She sighed, and there was a tremble in her voice.

"Take it slow, where are you Trish? Are you in danger?" He asked seriously, sitting straight in his chair. She softly chuckled.

"I'm fine Dante, but I found something and I don't know what I should do."

"Tell me where you are, I'll come."

"I'm outside Dante." There was a long pause, and Dante tried to grasp this. "But I'm not alone, and I need your help." Not alone?! What the hell is that supposed to mean?

"What's going on? Just spit it out!" Dante said, a little harsher than he meant to. There was another pause, her breath coming in nervous waves.

"I didn't know what to do, so I brought him with me." She said after a moment, reluctant to get to the point he wanted to hear. "I found him Dante, I found Vergil."

She didn't know why she had brought him along, but Trish regretted it as soon as Dante went quiet on the other line. He rarely talked about Vergil, if at all, but she had seen enough to know that Vergil's "death" had affected him deeply. Of course Dante would never say it, as if doing so made his death real, and he wasn't willing to go there yet. Trish had watched Dante when she herself was roused by nightmares, and had heard Vergil's name called more than once.

This had all been a bad idea. If only Amparo had never found him...

The trip back to Mallet, her reason for going had all been a lie. She felt her stomach churn. How could she have betrayed him again? It had been for him she left though. He had saved her from her own personal hell, from death itself. All she had ever given him was her betrayal. She wanted to do something for him, to prove that she was more than just Mundus' pawn. She may have started out that way, but through his close affection she had finally found peace.

The nightmares she had were for the similar reasons he slept restlessly.

Before Dante, before her first mission, when it was just her in that dim old castle Trish had met an old woman named Amparo. She lived on an island close to Mallet, and would come to the shores to pick odd roots and plants for her medicines. Their first meeting had almost been fatal, as Trish had caught the woman trespassing. She was about to kill the old woman when she said the oddest of things.

"While you're standing up there, will you pick me that flower?" The woman asked, large, dark eyes looking up at her. The stranger thing was when Trish began to bend over to pick said flower. She stopped partway though, giving the woman a cold stare.

"You are not welcome here." She said in a low tone.

"I came in with the tide, and you can't stop the tide from coming in now can you?" The old woman continued as she bent to pull at a root. "Damn water, drowns some of them out." She continued to mull around on the shore, not paying Trish any mind and talking to herself.

"Seashells... Need more seashells..." She grumbled.

Trish had found her funny, especially when she yelled at a small crab for attempting to clasp a claw on a root she was going after. "OH NO YOU DON'T!" She yelled, bringing a cane down right quick to smash the little bugger. "Crab on the menu tonight." She said happily, tossing the lifeless thing into her pouch.

Trish, who was normally bored to tears when Mundus was away, sat down and watched the strange old woman. She hunched over in a painful manner, every breath taken in was more of a wheeze. Her graying hair tumbled in limp wisps from under her dark bandana, and she had a partially toothy smile. Her eyes though were mischievous and childlike as she swept them over the ground.

Trish had allowed her to leave the island without incident, and found the woman came back at least 2 times a month for more "supplies". Despite her ultimate mission, Trish appreciated the old woman's company.

When Dante and Trish had left the island it was Amparo who took them in. She gave Dante a sideways glance, eyeing him up and down as if she were only 15, and adding thumbs up for emphasis. Trish had almost choked on her water, and Dante was in a hurry to get away from the overly "affectionate" woman. It didn't help she enjoyed pinching his butt.

It was Amparo who had called Trish and told her that Vergil had washed ashore. Trish was sure she had heard her wrong. Her old mind had still been set in place after all, and Mundus would never have let Vergil go. But Mundus is dead now, and has no hold over anyone anymore.

She could've told Dante, but she knew how sensitive the subject was to him. What if it wasn't really Vergil? She couldn't let Dante's hopes get raised so high to be let down because the old woman saw another guy who's bum she undoubtedly enjoyed pinching. She had to be sure before Dante knew about it.

This was what kept her up at night, her subconscious weighing the pros and cons of what exactly she should do. In the end she had made up her mind to go back and see if the old woman was right, and she had been.

Vergil lay in the backseat of the car, having not woken up at all since he was washed ashore. He looked like a sleeping Dante, except a much worse for ware Dante. Even his perfectly gelled hair hung down over his head like Dante's had in his younger days.

Amparo had taken care of him for some time before calling Trish. She said that when Vergil awoke he would no doubt need lots of help in his full recovery. She didn't know why, but she had actually volunteered to bring Vergil home instead of calling Dante and having him come to them. She had been sitting there for almost an hour before she finally got up the nerve to call Dante.

It was amazing how something can seem like such a good idea at the time, but the long drive home had given her time to doubt herself.

"Dante?" She asked breaking the humming silence coming through the phone. She heard him take a breath.

"I'm here." He answered in a tired voice. "You're outside?"

"Mhhmm" The line went dead and she felt very hollow suddenly. She closed her phone, got out of the car, and began taking the steps to pull Vergil from the back seat. She heard the front door open, but she didn't turn around till she had an arm up under Vergil. When she did turn the look on Dante's face was unreadable in the dim light. She steeled her back with a deep breath and walked to stand at the bottom step.

Dante's face came in to view the closer she got. He looked almost mesmerized, glued to the spot and holding his breath. She searched his eyes for any signs that he had even seen her. His eyes were fixated though on Vergil.

"Welcome home." He said softly. Whether it was meant for her or Vergil was anyone's guess.

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He stared at them both as Trish came walking up the steps, her small frame supporting his brothers. Dante stood in the doorway, his face still, eyes wide as he watched the white hair bob with each step. Trish looked like she was having a tough time carrying him, but Dante found his feet were too rooted to the spot to help her. Was this real? Was it really Vergil? He couldn't move until he knew for sure, until he looked into this man's eyes and saw himself looking back. It terrified him, the idea it wasn't and also that it was Vergil. He could feel his pulse at his neck; hear it thumping away inside his head as the two drew closer.

She came to stand on the equal step to him and Dante bent low to look into the sleeping face of his brother. It was like a ghost of cold air passed through him as his lungs tightened and then released.

"Here." He had said the words, had heard them at least, but all he realized he was doing was holding his arms out to take the burden of Vergil off of her. Almost slowly, Trish deposited the tall figure to lean up against Dante. Vergil's head drifted backwards to lay against Dante's shoulder and he felt his face reddening. His weight was real; it verified that this was not a nightmare. Dante cradled an arm around Vergil's waist, passing his arm over his shoulders to support him. God, he felt like nothing. He could tell that Vergil had lost a considerable amount of weight just by holding him. He didn't know what to do with him now though. He should've taken him somewhere to set him down, but Dante found he could not let him go just yet. He turned towards him and wrapped both arms around him, holding him up not by the shoulder but a full hug. It was the first time he had been able to do it since they were children. He felt his eyes prick slightly as he buried his face in Vergil's shoulder, realizing for the first time in years how much he had missed him.

Trish stood by the door looking uncomfortable and nervous. Dante watched her over his brother's shoulder until he was finally able to capture her attention. She looked as if he might yell at her, as if bringing Vergil back with her was wrong.

"Thank you." He whispered to her. He watched as her inner turmoil broke into a small relieved sob. She let out a groan before coming over and wrapping her arms about the only side of him that wasn't currently attached to Vergil.

"Well…" A voice said from the stairway. Lady was standing partway down with her eyes locked on them questioningly. After all she was looking at one nervous wreck that was Trish, one uncharacteristically emotional Dante, and one totally oblivious Vergil unknowingly caught in a lopsided group hug. "This is going to be an interesting night."