As this is the Epilogue, there won't be any excitement. As stated before, this is just my way of wrapping everything up in as tidy of a bow as I could. :)
Thanks to all of you again for reading, reviewing, and adding this to your favourites. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, etc. and A Happy New Year!
Disclaimer: I don't own Devil May Cry, or the characters; they are the property of Capcom. This fanfiction is non-profit, and solely for entertainment purposes.
Epilogue
Upon leaving the park, Dante, Nero and Patty headed directly to the Devil May Cry, figuring that it was as good a place to start as any. As it turned out, it was the only place they needed to look; Trish and Lady had all of the people rounded up inside of the spacious office, the two women keeping busy as they tended to any wounds the victims may have sustained.
When they had first set foot through the double doors, the trio had been greeted by the barrel of Lady's missile launcher; the female hunter lowered her weapon when she realized it was them, but not before cuffing Dante along his jaw when he made one of his usual cheeky remarks.
From there, the hunters got to work; Dante, Lady, and Nero took on the task of escorting all of the victims to their homes, dividing them into groups in case any of Dominus' minions were still lurking about.
Trish remained with Patty at the office, the demoness spending a great deal of time on the phone, informing the municipal government offices of neighbouring towns and cities that the danger had passed. When she finished doing that, she got a hold of the media; after all, who better to confirm her claims as indisputable proof than an overflow of news vans and helicopters?
Despite her exhaustion, Patty set to work on cleaning the office. As far as she was concerned, she had no right to relax until everyone else did, too. And since they were all still working so diligently, she would do the same. Besides, there was something cathartic about performing such an ordinary task after everything she'd been through over the last four days. If anything could help her readjust to normality, it was cleaning Dante's office. It always brought her back to those earlier days, before she had officially been swept up in all of the madness that came with knowing the 'Legendary Devil Hunter'.
Donning her apron, Patty rolled up her sleeves, and set to work, determined to polish the hardwood floor to its former glory.
That evening…
"I'm fine mom, don't worry."
Dante leaned back in his high-backed, gothic style chair with his feet propped up on the desk, the devil hunter listening idly as Patty assuaged her mother's fears over the phone. Over in the sitting area, Trish, Lady, and Nero partook in a silent game of poker, the younger hunter having just gotten off the phone with Kyrie moments before.
Dante smirked; judging by the strained expression the part devil had worn, he had received a fair bit of admonishing from the red-haired songstress-however mild it may have been. The conversation had ended well from what the half devil could see, however, since Nero had reacquired some of his colour by the time he'd hung up.
"Yes, I'll be home soon."
Patty's voice brought Dante out of his reverie, the hunter cracking an eye open curiously at the strained patience in the teenaged girl's voice.
"Yes mom, I'll tell him…Okay, I'll see you soon…'Bye." Patty hung up the antique phone with an irritated sigh, the trainee pinching the bridge of her nose as she leaned wearily against the mahogany desk.
"So…" Dante said after a moment, breaking the silence, "how was her business trip?"
Patty met his playful grin with a scowl, the teenager sighing again as she folded her arms across her chest. "Oh, it went just fine," she replied brusquely, "you know, except for the parts where all she could do was pay attention to the News Broadcasts about everything happening here."
Dante squirmed in his seat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "Uh…how much does she know, exactly?" His grin faded as he looked warily at the teenager through his bangs.
Patty must have sensed his trepidation, for her lips pulled into a faint smirk. "She knows enough." The teenager replied with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. "Oh, and just FYI, she's probably going to want to have a…talk with you."
Great…just what I need.
Dante ran a gloved hand over his face with a groan. "You've got to be kidding me. She left you in my care while she went away on business; my care! Do you mean to tell me after all of this time, she suddenly doesn't trust me to keep you safe?"
Patty giggled at this, startling the half devil out of his grousing. "Of course she trusts you! She's still my mother, though; she's going to worry, no matter what. It's just what they do."
The devil hunter let out an irritated huff, slumping in his seat as Patty gently laid a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He mumbled, crossing his arms with another sigh.
Dante was startled out of his surly mood when Patty leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, the teenager giving him a playful wink as she squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry. I'll soften her up a bit so she doesn't give you too much of a hard time, okay?"
"You'd better," he teased with a poke to the teenager's ribs, smirking when he was rewarded by her startled yelp. "Otherwise, she might not let your training continue."
Patty paled at this, Dante chuckling softly as he got to his feet. "It'll be fine, Patty." He ruffled her hair, chuckling again when she scowled. "Nina wouldn't want your training to stop, not after all of this. If anything, she'll want you to do more of it."
It was the trainee's turn to groan helplessly. "Just great," She grumbled, "As if I'm not already swamped enough between training and school…"
"Look on the bright side, Patty." Nero strode over to the desk then, the younger hunter's lips quirking into a grin. "The timing couldn't have been more perfect; at least this time you got to do some real demon hunting over the course of the long weekend, instead of having to catch up on your homework, for once."
Patty cast a baleful look in the part devil's direction, causing both white-haired men to break into laughter.
"If you guys are quite done tormenting Patty," Lady sidled up them, resting a sympathetic hand on the teen's arm, "I should get her home before Nina worries any more than she already has."
"Yeah, I'd better get going, too." Nero declared, playfully elbowing Dante in the ribs. "You're still giving me a lift to the airport, right old man?"
"Keep calling me old and I'll make you walk there." the half devil growled, elbowing the younger hunter back. As Nero glared at him, rubbing his side, Dante turned his attention to Trish. "You sure you're okay with holding down the fort, babe?"
The demoness stretched languidly on the couch, her ruby lips pulling into a smile. "Oh, I'm more than okay; I'm sure I'll find something to occupy myself with while you're gone."
From the heavy drooping of her eyelids, Dante could well imagine just what that 'something' would be. He let out a soft chuckle, the sound echoed by the others as they glanced Trish's way.
"We won't be gone long," Lady smirked at the demoness, "Try not to strain yourself."
Trish's retort was cut short as Lady headed out the door, Dante chuckling to himself at the demoness' grumbling as he followed the others out into the cool evening air. Nero had already gotten into the passenger seat of the convertible, his window rolled down as he chatted idly with Patty, the teen sliding in behind Lady on her speed bike.
As the motorcycle roared to life, Patty grinned at the half devil through the visor of her helmet, her voice coming out muffled. "Same time next week?"
Dante opened the driver's side door with a chuckle. "I certainly hope not," he smirked at her as he slid into his seat, "after this whole mess, I need a real vacation!"
The convertible purred as he turned the key in the ignition, the half devil patiently waiting as Lady pulled out ahead of him.
The occupants of both vehicles waved to the other as Dante turned the corner, Nero settling more comfortably in his seat for the half hour drive to the airport.
After several long moments of driving, Nero cleared his throat, breaking the silence.
"You know, if you really need a vacation, you could always come visit Kyrie and I in Fortuna."
"What, you haven't gotten your fill of me yet, kid?" Dante exchanged a look with the younger hunter, grinning.
Both men shared a chuckle at this, Nero tilting his head against the headrest, his eyes half closed.
"On the other hand," Dante murmured, startling Nero out of his groggy state, "that might not be such a bad idea, after all."
~Fin~
Well, it's officially over…excuse me while I go into writer's withdrawal, now. :'( On a positive note, I'll be returning with more writing after the Christmas holidays. See my profile for details.