A/N: Please keep ideas and requests coming if you can because I'm running out of ideas. Being in a work environment stifles creativity. Disclaimer: I do not encourage smoking.

[Meeting Dad]

Personality: Post-DMC5 Vergil

Vergil knew he was in for another complicated situation when Dante walked through the doors of the office whistling and cradling something between his palms as if it were fragile glass. Ever since the sons of Sparda reunited, it had been a cycle of Dante bringing back strange things that he had picked up during his missions, coming back to show Vergil, and ending them up in all sorts of weird situations.

There had been incidences where a leftover beast claw from a demon that Dante killed revived the beast in the middle of the street right outside the office, an enchanted handkerchief that cleaned every surface of the office without fail at any point of time. The handkerchief might have sounded like a good thing, but Vergil had not appreciated the piece of cloth rubbing everywhere furiously –including his body and places that he did not want to be touched. The worst incident of all, though, had to be that time when Dante brought back a wizard's staff that he happened to pick up during his mission, and broke the magic-containing gem while playing with it. Vergil had been cursed to be a woman for almost a week from that incident.

Vergil had tried to stop more incidences from happening by banning Dante from bringing anything that interested him from his mission back into the office, but Dante was unstoppable. Like a curious 5-year-old, the younger son of Sparda had never failed to bring anything as long as it caught his eye. It was just Vergil's dumb luck that the things that always caught Dante's attention would also be something unnatural, rare but usually unwanted or unneeded.

This time was no different, as he watched with a raptor's gaze while Dante walked up to where he sat at the table, brandishing his newest picked up treasure with a happy "tah dah".

"An egg timer?" Vergil questioned, looking up at the satisfied grin on Dante's face. The man was already fifty, but he still wanted to act as if he was five. Vergil honestly could not understand what went wrong in the mental wiring of this man that claimed to be his twin brother.

"Not just any egg timer. A time turner. It turns back time." Dante explained shortly.

"Its design shows terrible taste."

"What matters is if it works." Dante's enthusiasm refused to be affected by Vergil's bland comment. "Wanna give it a try?"

A few years and many incidences back, Vergil would have answered a straight 'no'. But he had gone through the routine so many times that he knew that answering his little brother would make absolutely no difference to the decision that Dante had already made. Thus, through experience, Vergil had learnt to rather just prepare himself for any possible contingent than to try to stop Dante from doing whatever the heck he wanted.

Thus, before anything could be done, Vergil left the book he had been reading on the table and rushed to get his sword. There was absolutely no saying whatever that could pop out from Dante's supposedly-innocent egg timer.

"It's no fun being safe, so let's crank it up all the way." Dante commented as he twisted the egg timer, the device making soft clicks to signal that it was working normally. Vergil watched as the small indicator arrow was twisted to point at the maximum number, which was 50. There was definitely something strange in how an egg timer would be timing for 50 minutes, but there was absolutely no possibility that Dante had brought in something normal anyway.

The two men stood side by side staring at the egg timer as it began to tick softly in the background in an indicator that it was working well. For two seconds, nothing happened. Then, without warning, their surrounding simply blinked into something else. There was no fancy mist or portal or crazy effects. One moment the two of them were standing in the middle of the office of Devil May Cry, the next they stood in the middle of a grassy, untamed field full of weeds.

The sun beat down on their backs brightly as the sons of Sparda exchanged looks of surprise at how sudden the change was.

"Look at that, it works!" Dante exclaimed happily, but Vergil was not so encouraged and rather, wary.

"If it truly Is a time turner, then this should be the exact same spot as the office in the past. This makes sense, the town of Ayrith was planned and built while we were in our teens. Before that, it was an untouched plain between Red Grave and Fortuna." Vergil analyzed. "If so, then this must be at least 40 to 50 years in the past."

"I put the timer to 50." Dante added, still studying the innocent device sitting on his palm. "50 minutes to 50 years. Makes sense."

Vergil remained silent, refusing to ask Dante what 'sense' meant to him if he went around picking up random things from his missions to put them into situations like these.

"Then if it is 50 years in the past, we should head to Red Grave. Perhaps we will be able to find our younger selves." Vergil pointed in the general direction where a small cluster of low buildings sat. Since the Vergil of 50 years ago had still been a child, he could not confirm if the small town in his view was Red Grave or not. Still, the two of them had to start somewhere, and thus the sons of Sparda began walking.

It was silent all around them as they waded through the thick field to make for the town, but Dante seemed determined to spoil the peace by humming as they made their progress. It did not take them very long with their half-demon speed and Vergil's using of his sword to hack away at weeds blocking their path, and soon the sons of Sparda stood at the edge of the small town, by the low fence that marked the small farm-garden of the nearest house.

"Hey, I remember that." Dante commented, pointing to a toy rocking horse that still looked new sitting by the shed in the corner of the neatly tended garden. "That belonged to our neighbor. All of us kids used to fight over it until one of us broke the leg and it stopped rocking. It still looks new."

"It could be just another rocking horse." Vergil answered, though his suspicions were quietly being confirmed. "But if it really is the one of our memories, then we truly have come back 50 years in the past."

"You think we'll get to see Mom and our old man?"

The thought was very enticing, and Vergil had to admit that it had been an idea that had hung in the back of his mind ever since they made the hypothesis that they had truly come back 50 years in the past. Still, he did not get a chance to offer otherwise before the sudden realization that they had an intruder in their conversation made both sons of Sparda jump backwards in alertness.

"I'm not sure where the two of you come from, but heed my advice well: you will find nothing that you look for here." The intruder said, an aura released that was obviously out to scare and/or threaten. Unfortunately, the effect ran tangent to expectations as the pair of brothers exchanged looks with each other, Dante's grin returning as quick as it disappeared, absently touching his unshaved stubble as if in heavy thought while cool blue eyes turned back to inspect the intruder.

"We beg to differ." Vergil answered, unable to help his smile this time as he turned to study the man as well. "I think we have found exactly what we were looking for here."

"He's got that right." Dante backed him up, crossing his arms and mimicking the broad shouldered, straight-spine stance of their intruder that was supposed to scare. Vergil never thought he would ever see the day that his brother look so impressive, but the effect had probably something to do with the similarity both men had as Dante mimicked his stance. There was no denying blood and genes.

"I think we need to find a good place for a long talk." Dante said in a mock-serious tone that sounded rather close to their intruder's previous tone of warning. "I'm sure Old Man here would want to know about how we've been getting on with life."

"Old Man?" Sparda repeated in confusion. "What are the two of you-"

"Get your ass moving, Pops." Dante said, already having started his path towards the town proper. "You better hope that that house that sells ice cream is still there, or I'll make a fuss all over again."

________________________________________________________________________________

"Wait a minute. I need a cigarette to deal with this." Sparda stopped the conversation with a raised hand, preventing more from being said as he looked between his two grown up sons. Just one hour ago, Sparda had left his house and his two 4-year-old sons with Eva when he had felt the sudden shift in demonic power within the town. Now, one hour later, he was talking –and sharing ice cream –with his 54-year-old sons who had explained to him that they had come travelling to the past with an egg timer. A cigarette break was definitely sorely needed.

"You smoke?" Dante observed with surprise as Sparda brought out a pack from his pockets, smoothly lighting one. "I never knew you did."

"Your mother hates smokers, so I quit. But in stressful times like these, it helps me focus on the important things." Sparda answered, taking a big draw and holding the breath in his chest for as long as he could, feeling the burn in his throat and nose before letting it out in a heavy breath. "The last time I smoked was when you went cycling into a wall and I had to stay overnight at the hospital while you went through surgery. That was half a year ago."

"50.5 years ago for me." Dante answered, lifting his fringe to show the scars from the stitches. "All healed and scarred up even after 50 years."

"So, would you like to update me on what has progressed in your lives? An hour ago, you two were 4-year-olds who hadn't even seen the outside world before. Now you two are adults with your own lives, and I am already too long dead. What would you like to tell your father?" Sparda asked calmly after another puff of smoke.

Vergil remained silently observing with surprise how the father he thought he knew as a child seemed so different to the man he was currently talking to. Vergil's memories of his father were mainly Sparda being kind, gentle but strict. The Sparda that Vergil remembered was a man of responsibilities, always ahead of every situation and reliable. Of course, he knew that his father's image had been crafted from a child's point of view, and that Sparda as an adult man was definitely different, Vergil was still taken by surprise at how different his father actually was from his memories.

"There isn't much, actually. You died young, Verge and I separated, then we were reunited again after when we were already old men. He's still unmarried, I'm still unmarried, and we're both still living together. He is basically supporting me and I'm just passing one day at a time." Dante's nonchalant shrug came to Sparda's surprise.

"The both of you are 54, but has no woman caught either of your eyes?" Sparda commented in surprise, taking another puff. "Your mother will cry if she learns that the two of you are going to grow up and old without marriage."

"I wouldn't say that for sure for Vergil." Dante's answer had Vergil pursing his lips in preparation. The secret that Vergil wanted to keep silent didn't seem to be much of a secret at all whenever it was hung on Dante's lips. In fact, it appeared to him that his younger brother did not seem to understand the meaning of 'secret' most times. "You know, he actually has a grown-up son out of wedlock. Nero is a handful, and Verge here is a bad father. Your grandson pointed his middle finger at me, and hangs vulgarity at his lips all the time."

The speechless surprise written on Sparda's face would have been amusing if the topic of surprise was not about his son.

"Before you begin, at least I have a proper heir to continue the bloodline." Vergil defended, pointing an accusing finger to his little brother now. It was rather unfair if he were to allow Dante to hang up all his dirty laundry without him trying to report some back anyway. "Your son over there has been alternating between phases of heat where he doesn't bother who he puts his genes in, and phases where he is basically an asexual insect who seems to intend to grow a descendant out of his decomposing corpse."

"Hey, stop using big words." Dante protested quickly. "You know, Vergil stabbed me in the heart once when we were teenagers."

Was Dante out to report every single thing that Vergil did to him? Well, two could play the same game.

"Your idiot son almost killed me and stole the amulet that Mom gave us." Vergil reported. "And he left me alone, injured and dying in Mallet Island while he had his fun with Mundus. Then when he was done sending that bastard back to Hell, he left the island with his ex-girlfriend without me."

"I thought you were dead!" Dante defended hotly. "You came at me three different times in that ugly-ass armor!"

"You chased me all over in Temen-Ni-Gru." Vergil stated with crossed arm.

"You stole my amulet!"

"BOYS, can the two of you stop fighting!" The strict tone of voice was something Vergil could not believe he had actually missed as both sons of Sparda startled in the realization that they had been arguing and reporting every single thing that they had wanted to keep a secret from their father. "And what is it that I hear about you stealing Dante's things? And Dante, what is this whole incident of you leaving him behind?"

"It's Vergil's fault. I had to go around wiping his ass because he was being a douchebag all over the place."

"Try repeating that one more time." Vergil closed his palm over the hilt of his sword.

"You. Douchebag. All. Over. The. Damned. Place." Dante emphasized every word infuriatingly, summoning his sword in his palm.

"Enough, the two of you."

Demon Sword Sparda sliced through the air in between the two sons of Sparda, its tip buried deep on the ground acting like some sort of physical barrier. Vergil could not deny the impressive force of aura that his father was now releasing from his being, immediately understanding with greater depth why Sparda had been a name spoken with part admiration and part contempt by the other demons in Hell. The demons might have despised Sparda for sealing them in Hell and closing the gate, but all of them had to admit that Sparda was the only demon (with exception to Mundus) with the ability and power of doing so.

"Just yesterday I had to separate the two of you to different corners of the house because you two were fighting over a toy. I assured your mother just yesterday night that the two of you would grow out of these childish fights as you grow up, but today you are still at each other's throats. With the swords I ordered yesterday for your next birthday." Sparda declared angrily, glaring at both his sons. "I am not exactly clear what happened to the two of you in your own timelines, but while the two of you are here and still my sons, I intend to see you getting along well no matter what. Now, get rid of your swords and shake hands."

Shake hands? Vergil stared at his father.

"54-year-old or not, if you intend to act like a pair of 4 year olds, I will treat you exactly the way you behave." Sparda answered the unspoken question in Vergil's gaze.

Vergil hardened his jaw. Anybody else in the world would be sliced to tiny pieces if they ordered that out of him, but the person doing the ordering this time was his father. He had not heard this order ever since Sparda sealed away the demons along with himself. It had been almost 50 years since.

"Fine..." Dante sent away his sword, grudgingly extending his hand past the Sparda sword still buried on the ground.

"Likewise." Vergil wrapped cold fingers around Dante's hand and shook as briefly as he could, withdrawing his hand almost immediately as if he had touched acid. Expectedly, Dante did the same thing on the other side of the Sparda sword.

"Good." Sparda dropped his cigarette butt on the floor, stamping out the small leftover glow with his shoe. "If this is the situation that's going to continue between the two of you in the future, I think I'm going to pick up the smoking habit all over again."

"Mom will murder you." Dante informed.

"I have ways of hiding. Besides, I've been able to take a few hits in between without her finding out; I'll be able to figure my way around it." Sparda excused, bringing out another stick.

"No, you won't." Vergil answered, snatching the stick out of his father's fingers before it could be lit. Picking the lighter too, Vergil lit up his own stick and took a long draw, puffing it out in front of the horrified faces of his father and little brother. "What? I learnt to smoke after I found out about Nero. I shared a few sticks with Nico."

"That's why your coat smells of smoke sometimes when you go visit Nero?" Dante asked, face full of realization.

"You're going to learn when you get yourself a son." Sparda added in support, lighting up another stick that he had brought out in a smooth, practiced movement. "Being a father is hard work, especially when I'm getting surprise visits from their future versions, and learning that they have been ruining their lives while I wasn't around."

"God forbid I find a 50-year-old Nero knock on my door." Vergil nodded.

He didn't say it out loud, but inside he was extremely glad to be able to share a light with his father. There were so many things that he and Dante could report to Sparda, but now that all three of them were of almost the same age, there was no other better way to bond than to share a light. The simple act of smoking actually made Vergil finally feel the 50 years that had passed between the last time he had seen his father again.

"I feel like I'm missing out on something here." Dante took the lighted stick from his father, taking an experimental puff. It was completely understandable that the man began coughing and choking almost immediately at the sudden intake of nicotine.

Vergil and Sparda simply shared understanding chuckles while Dante complained about the terrible taste and smell of the smoke, thrusting the stick back to his father while coughing and wheezing from that one breath.

Their happy moment did not last long as the sudden loud sounds of ticking took their attention all of a sudden. Reproducing the egg timer from his coat pocket, all three watched on Dante's palm as the arrow moved closer to the zero, barely a half inch away from it.

"I don't know what is going to happen, but I'm going to assume our time is up soon." Dante announced, as Vergil took in his last puff, snuffing out the light quickly to join his brother's side. Much as he wanted to stay conversing with their father as a grown up, Sparda needed to return to his sons –their actual 4-year-old selves in this timeline.

"If I don't ever see you two again, or if I don't remember the next time this happens, I have to say that I am very glad I was able to see you two in all your grown-up version."

"Old men versions you mean." Dante corrected with a grin.

"Adult and independent version." Sparda stood corrected, smiling gently at the sight of his adult sons standing across him. There were scars and signs of age written in places, but Sparda could still see the mixture of his features and his wife's features in the pair that stood in front of him. "Please still watch over each other when you return to your timeline. Fights and arguments are fine, but both of you are still my sons. Through each of you run the same blood, and even if your soul says different things, remain beside each other."

"Until I get Vergil a wife and chase him out of my life." Dante added.

"You were the one who said you wanted to keep an eye on me." Vergil reminded, then turned back to Sparda as the ticking in the background got louder as if in warning of time running out. "Thank you, Father."

"Goodbye and don't die early, Pops." Dante waved in easy farewell, just as a loud 'ding' sounded.

The sight of his father leaning easily against the low fence under the shade of a tree, small cottage-like houses in his background and a lit cigarette balanced expertly between his fingers was the last thing that Vergil saw. In a blink, Sparda was gone, the fence was torn and the cottages were in ruins –destroyed when the Qliphoth had first burst up on the town, then when the branches fell from the sky.

"Well, I've got okay news and bad news. Pick your poison." Dante announced beside him.

"Just say it."

"The bad news it is. The egg timer doesn't work anymore." Dante answered, twisting the device in his hands a few times, but no ticking sounds could be heard. "The okay news is that we are very probably back in our time."

"Then let's go home." Vergil answered, having already more or less expected the time turner to be a one-time-only device. Besides, he never truly had much expectations from an egg timer even if it could turn back time.

"I'll find another one." Dante promised as the pair of brothers turned to back it back towards their home. "And when we meet dad again, I'm going to smoke with him too."