“Daughter of Sparda?  Impossible!  He only had sons!” 
          She wrinkles her nose, sniffing the demon.  “I’m surprised you can smell anything through that foul stench.”

           “Do you think we’d ever let Buffy down?…other than the fact that we are am me.  …That sentence made no sense, but you know what I mean, given you’re me.”

           I was just keeping him calm!  Despite her stubbornness, he could literally feel her barely staving off exhaustion.  They were sharing a body, after all.
           Yeah, yeah, you deserve a medal.  The teasing was fun.  And the realization hit him with a shock, so much so that he had to fight her noticing, or even letting it affect their body.  He literally wouldn't give this up for anything.  Mentor-father-friend...his relationship with Alex was complicated, but he'd grown to love her-not in a I would totally take you if I had a body of my own way.  More like what he'd felt with Patty, except for more respect.  She was an equal, and he couldn't imagine her not being in his life.
           Dante!  she slapped him mentally, annoyed...but it was the kind of annoyed you'd have with a close friend.  Dante had never had a friend before, he realized.  Not really.  All of his relationships had to be so complicated, and it didn't help, to some level, that the main way he'd ever thought of interacting with women before was flirting.

          "Alex."  The voice was insistent.  The person in question just slipped to her side and mumbled a little.  Too early...
          "Alex!"  She sat up straight in bed, with an annoyance stronger than anything the devil hunter had felt before.  At this point, he wasn't sure whether she wouldn't have shot herself in the head to deal with him.  Not like it'd kill her, anyhow, even if it would give her a huge headache.  She had the full powers of a...daughter of Sparda.
          "What is it, Dante?" she snarked back, yawning at the end, showing off her canines.  She was tired, but still threatening.
          It was his turn to get annoyed.  "I'm just looking out for you, missy.  It's not like I have to do this, you know."  It was still kind of odd to hear his words coming from her mouth, in her voice.
          She rolled her eyes, turned over, and buried her head in a pillow, opting to just speak with their thoughts in her head.  All right, all right, don't go throwing yourself out an airlock.  What's the fuss, and why can't it wait until sometime decent?
          Blood, Dante answered grimly.  And I think it's coming from your body.  It wouldn't have been too bad, except he couldn't remember them having fought last night, and it hadn't stopped.  They should be healing by now, but the smell of fresh blood hadn't gone away.
          He didn't expect her reaction.  A moment of surprise that loomed silently, then a sardonic grin and a peal of laughter, muffled by the pillow.  Which just increased his own temper.  What's the big joke, kiddo? he half snarled.
          You really don't know much about women, do you?
          That confused him again.  What was she talking about this time?  He kind of expected those kind of remarks from Lady, Trish, but Alex?
          "Didn't you notice I put on a pad?" she muttered tiredly into the pillow, barely stopping herself from drifting off before they'd finished the conversation.
          He caught enough context from her thoughts to understand the idea-and be utterly embarrassed about the whole thing.  "I...don't watch when you're doing stuff like that!  You should know that by now!"
          Another chuckle met his ears.  "Such the gentleman..." she teased, then sighed.  "Sorry about this, and welcome to your first women's monthly."
          He grimaced as she settled around again.  "No wonder you gals are so touchy about it.  I'll never tease another woman about this, ever."
          Good.  He felt a small smile that pushed away the pain, just for a little, and then sleep pulled them both into comfortable oblivion.

( all's well that )

( Mission 5 )