Hi guys! I'm back with Chapter 2! I'm really happy so many people seem to enjoy things so far. I always get so paranoid whenever I start something new...

Anyways! I hope you continue to enjoy it. And I do apologize for the wait. I had some family emergencies that came up.

Chapter 2: Adjusting

Dante wasn't able to get much more useful information from Nero the rest of the night. He was a pretty stubborn and uncooperative little brat. He didn't want to talk about his mother (Dante still couldn't quite figure out who she was), he didn't want to tell him where he was from, talk about his wrapped up arm at all, or pretty much give the devil hunter any useful information at all.

He did find out Nero like watching professional wrestling. Dante didn't exactly have any toys or any kid friendly stuff hanging around, and the brat was becoming bored quite quickly so he flipped on the crummy old TV and flipped around for some cartoons only to be stopped by Nero when images of guys in brightly colored spandex flashed on the screen. The older man laughingly told him it was all fake, the brat yelled at him, called him a liar and threatened to suplex him if he ever said it again.

The rest of the evening went fairly smoothly, Nero was quite engrossed in the TV (apparently there was a wrestling marathon on) and before long he was obviously getting quite tired, yawning and rubbing at his eyes. Dante only looked away from him for a moment and by the time he looked back the boy was out like a light.

He couldn't help but quirk a small smile as he scooped up the tiny frame, careful not to wake him. Nero talked big for such a little guy but in the end he fell asleep early like any other kid. Dante had a spare bedroom upstairs, which he supposed wasn't exactly spare any more, that he dropped the kid off in. He tucked him in nice and snug under the covers (he didn't worry about pajamas, kid hadn't come with a thing aside from the letter and the clothes on his back, he'd have to do some shopping tomorrow). He brushed the silvery bangs away from his newfound son's face, watching him sleep and studying him closer now that he wasn't a pouty little ball of angry. This was still all so hard to believe, surreal almost...

"Night, kiddo."

As he turned to leave he though he caught a strange pale blue glow in the corner of his eye coming from the bed he'd just set Nero down in. However, when turned to look nothing was amiss.

"Huh... Must have been seeing things."

The next morning Dante woke with a groan. He hadn't slept much the night before. His brain was just on over drive trying to figure out everything he had to do with his new kid. He needed more information on Nero's mom that was for sure. He wasn't planning on sending him back to her or anything but he figured he should at least try and set up some sort of legal adoption or whatever it was you set up in this circumstance just in case the chick tried to claim kidnapping or something.

He poked his head into Nero's room, intending to wake him up, but the bed was empty. For a brief moment an awful feeling wrenched in his gut and he thought the boy might have run away in the night. However as soon as he rushed down the stairs he caught sight of a little silver head. Nero turned around from his spot on the couch watching Saturday morning cartoons to give him a glare.

"Hey old man! There's nothing around for breakfast!" he frowned. He'd ransacked the kitchen and found nothing!

"Good morning to you too, kiddo," he sighed and grabbed the pizza box from the previous night and plopped it on the coffee table, "I haven't been shopping in a while, just have some pizza for now."

"I want Fruit Loops!"

"Well all I got right now is pizza," He plopped down on the couch next to Nero and reached over to ruffle his hair. Nero sulkily gave into his fate and grabbed a leftover slice.

"Now we have to talk for a little bit, I know you don't want to, but it's something we gotta do," Dante picked up a slice of his own and gave the little guy what he hoped was an 'And I mean business' look. Once Nero gave a sullen nod, Dante continued.

"What's you and you mom's last name."

Nero responded with a slight shrug. When Dante's eyes narrowed he finally piped up.

"I really don't know! I'm always just Nero... and Mommy never said her last name and we never got any mail," his cheeks were tinged in red from embarrassment. He didn't like not being able to answer.

"Well... what did your teachers call you in school?" Dante felt like this was a loosing battle.

"I never went to school. Mommy didn't want anyone to see me. The old lady in the apartment down the hall taught me how to read and stuff..." he fidgeted in his seat and picked at the pepperoni.

"And where did you live?"

"...Fortuna Island."

"That's a start I guess," Dante was silent for a moment. The name rang a bell but he couldn't decide if he's ever actually been there or not. He could have always met the kid's mum somewhere else and she could have moved there later. He just made a mental note to try and get some info on it later.

"Now... you wanna tell me how that arm of yours got hurt?"

Dante had really begun to think he was beginning to get somewhere with Nero but the question made him clam up immediately. Building up a real solid trust would take some time... but he had hoped he'd at least gotten the beginnings of it.

"Come on Nero, I really need to know," he reached over to brush some of the unruly silvery strands from the boy's eyes. It was odd. Instead of the pouty and angry look he had been expecting... the boy looked almost sad, maybe fearful. What had happened to him? "If it's bad I need to know so I can have a doctor or someone look at you."

"It's... it's not hurt..." he replied after a few long moments. He spoke in a near mumble, not even looking up at the hunter.

"Then why's it all wrapped up like it is?"

"It's ugly..." Dante had to strain his ears to even catch that part.

"Can you show me?" he had no clue what Nero meant by 'ugly' but he still wasn't entirely convinced he wasn't hurt. But he wouldn't know until he had a look under those wrappings.

A few minutes passed in silence, Nero fidgeting uncomfortably next to his new father on the couch. He didn't want to take them off... but from the few glances he stole of the older man he began to figure that he couldn't get away with not showing him either. Finally without say a word he pulled the sling up over his head and off, and then began working on carefully pulling the bandages off.

Whatever Dante was expecting to see, it certainly wasn't what actually lay beneath. As the white gauz slipped away a complex pattern of crimson and royal blue scales and horny ridges was revealed. The few areas that weren't covered in the armor like scales weren't exactly soft or skin like either, and instead a leather looking surface of a deep dark blue. The patterns grew more complex the closer to his hand he got, and each finger on the hand itself was tipped with a small, curved almost delicate seeming claw. The hunter had fought a lot of demons over the years but he had never come across anything so remarkable looking. It was like a work of art.

He couldn't help himself and he took the tiny demonic hand in his own, examining the fine detail of it. The leathery parts glowed with a very faint blue light when he touched it. That must have been what he'd seen last night.

"You know, kiddo your hand," he lightly touched on of the claw tips, glad he didn't press any harder then he did. Those little things were even sharper then they looked, "It's not ugly at all."

"You're just saying that," Nero frowned , tugging his hand away, cradling the arm against his chest im imitation of how it was usually held with the sling, the blue glow fading.

"No, I'm being serious! I've never seen anything like it."

"Mommy always said it was ugly though, she didn't like to see it..."

"Well... your mommy doesn't know shit," Dante couldn't even remember the woman but he couldn't already tell he didn't like her, "And if anyone else ever gives you a hard time you just come and tell me. I'll set them strait."

"Why? You gonna punch 'em for me?"

"If that's what it takes."

"Stupid old man," the boy grumbled, flexing the fingers of his demonic hand. They were stiff from never having really been used before, "I can punch my own jerks. I don't need your help."

Dante couldn't help but grin a little. It had been gone for a moment but that fiery gruff little spirit was back. And the hunter also just couldn't help it when he pulled the scrappy kid in for a tight hug, despite much flailing, protesting and flung insults. And a nasty scratch. He was going to have to be careful now.

"Hey, how about we go out for ice cream? We should officially celebrate this reunion," he loosened his grip to let the little head pop up for air.

"...It's nine-thirty in the morning," Nero gave Dante a dubious look, one eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"Yeah? So what. I know a place."

"...I want a Strawberry Sundae!" the youth's face lit up, "It's my favorite!"

"That's my favorite too you know," Dante laughed at Nero's enthusiasm.

"Nuh-huh! You're just saying that because you wanna be as cool as I am!"

"No one can be as cool as you, kid."

And that's that~ Nero's arm at this age isn't on constant glow because the powers in his arm have not yet been fully awakened! At least that's my story and I'm sticking with it.

Next Chapter... let's see how Lady reacts, huh?

It'll be a lot more fun then this Chapter, but I had to get some of the serious discussion times out of the way.

If you enjoyed this please leave a review!