Hi there, all! I've been on a major Devil May Cry kick (on-going for six months, though I've loved the series for about four years) so I thought I'd do a series of one-shot word prompts. Each chapter will focus on Dante's relationship and interactions with the other characters, based on the chapter title. This chapter revolves around Mission 9 in the anime, "Death Poker".

Disclaimer: I do not own Devil May Cry, nor the characters. They are the property of Capcom. This fanfic is non-profit, and purely for entertainment purposes.

Love

"Patty, no!"

Dante dove across the room, and seized Ebony from Patty's hands, the crack of gunfire echoing throughout Devil May Cry. The bullet had grazed his right shoulder, but the renowned devil hunter had experienced much worse. The blonde ten-year-old collapsed in his arms, her face pale and damp with perspiration. Her eyes fluttered, but they did not open.

"What the hell just happened?" Lady exclaimed, standing right behind the red-clad half-demon. Dante turned, his icy blue eyes meeting Lady's mismatched ones. Patty was cradled in his arms, unconscious. The intensity of his stare, as he tossed the gold pocket watch to her, was all Lady needed.

"So, she was possessed..." she muttered, watching as Dante carried Patty over to the couch. He gingerly laid her down on it, and proceeded to wrap his long red coat around her. Though she was sweating, she was ice cold to the touch.

He exchanged a worried glance with Lady, and grabbed his desk chair. He dragged it over to the couch, and sat down. His eyes were fixated on the young girl, but the dangerous glint in them didn't go unnoticed by the female devil hunter standing by his side.

"Dante?" Lady asked tentatively. It was seldom that Dante was so serious, and so, she felt now was not a good time for her usual teasing of him. She laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, the devil hunter reaching up to squeeze it in return.

"We're going on a little cruise." He finally said, his eyes never leaving Patty's ashen face.

"So, you're accepting King's invitation, then? This could get ugly..." Lady sighed. "What's your plan of attack?" She removed her hand from his grasp, placing it on her hip as she shifted her stance.

"What else?" He replied, a humourless smirk upon his lips, "I'm taking this bastard down. Patty could have died because of that asshole's 'invitation'. He'll get what's coming to him."

"So the legendary devil hunter has a soft spot..." Lady smirked, Dante finally looking at her.

"Well, don't go spreading it around. I have a rep to uphold, y'know." He chuckled darkly, his gaze falling on Patty once again.

'Your secret's safe with me," Lady shrugged, "but if we want to get this guy, we need a better plan, then to just go in, guns blazing."

Dante exhaled slowly. Lady was right. If they wanted to put an end to the devil's reign, they needed to proceed with caution. Rumour had it that the demon took the lives of those who lost at poker. The fact that the arrogant bastard had sent Dante an invitation only proved to further aggravate the silvery white-haired son of Sparda. Anyone who knew him knew he was terrible, when it came to gambling.

But to have said invitation fall into Patty's hands? That was the final straw…

He should have known better. He should have kept a better eye on the pocket watch. What if Patty had-

No. He wasn't going to entertain the thought. Ever since meeting the orphaned girl, Dante had made it his primary objective to protect her. Sure, she could be a down-right pain in the ass at times...but she was just a kid; just a little girl, with a heart that was every bit as big as her mouth. No matter how many times she was mad at him, Dante knew she liked being around him. After all, why else would she come to the shop every chance she had?

And not that he would ever admit it out loud, but he liked having her company, as well. Despite all the bickering, he'd grown rather fond of her. If he could have had a little sister, Patty would be it.

"Dante? Hey, are you even listening to me?" Dante gave a start, breaking free of his reverie. Had Lady been talking to him all this time?

He looked at her, flashing an apologetic grin. Surprisingly, she didn't look miffed that he hadn't been paying attention to her. Her gaze softened, her eyes flicking between the devil hunter and the unconscious girl.

"I'm going to the library, okay? We need to know as much about this demon as possible. I'll be back in a few hours." she patted her hip, secure in the knowledge that her weapons were close at hand, along with Kalina-Ann strapped to her back. "Call me, if anything changes."

Dante didn't need to ask what she meant; Lady was just as concerned about the orphaned girl as he was. Giving her a casual wave with a gloved hand, he scooted closer to Patty. The sound of Lady's foot falls receded, a shaft of light falling over him and Patty as the door opened, and disappearing as it swung closed.

"Don't worry, Patty." Dante whispered, stroking the girl's cheek gently. "We'll get this devil. I'll pay him back, for what he's done to you."

For now though, he needed to keep a vigilant watch over her. If her condition worsened, he would call Morrison and the orphanage. At this moment, he trusted no one else to take care of her. After all, it was his fault, for not keeping a sharper eye on her and the watch.

He swallowed, his throat feeling tight and dry. A pit formed in his stomach, burning uncomfortably.

He stood then, snorting in disgust at himself; if he was going to take care of her, he needed to do more than hover over her like a mother hen. Taking quick, long strides, he bolted up the stairs, and went into his room. After rummaging through a few drawers, he came across clean wash cloths. Grabbing one, he headed back down stairs, and ran it under cold water from the bathroom faucet. Wringing it out, he returned to Patty's side, and placed the cloth upon her forehead.

The girl moaned. Her cheeks twitched, no doubt from the sensation of the cold cloth, Dante figured. He sat down, making sure his coat was fully covering her small body.

She let out another moan, and rolled onto her side, curling up tightly.

"Hang in there, Patty." Dante murmured, caressing her cheek once again, "You'll be alright."

He gritted his teeth then, the glint returning to his eyes. And when you are, we'll go after that sorry son of a bitch, and make him pay for this…