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“Why do you still insist heaven is the answer when you know first hand what they are capable of?”
The words felt like a punch in the gut for the fallen angel. Not because she felt insulted, not even close to that. No, because she was right. The exorcist training had been ruthless and, at times, beyond cruel.
Those words, spoken with a malice that Vaggie hadn’t heard from Carmilla before, brought back some of the worst memories of her time in heaven.
Having to stay in formation while her partner was slapped across the face for showing emotion, not risking to step in out of fear of facing something worse happening to her. Her partner being ripped away from her comfort as Adam harshly held her arm back to stop her from following the lieutenant that took her. Standing in formation next week only for her partner to be missing from the line up. Never seeing her partner again after that.
The words brought the worst pain she ever felt. The sensation of an angelic steel sword, digging into her socket before gouging the eye out its place as swiftly as one would scoop out ice cream at a parlor. A boot pushing into her shoulder blade and pushing her into the cold cement under her. Her wings pulled back as the blade sliced most of them off. Her hands trembling as they reached for what remained of her wings, using the limited amount of strength she had left to rip the stubs from her body, pulling away flesh and tearing at nerves, fresh warm ichor pooling from the torn skin and down her back. It had been a miracle that she still had enough strength to get rid of her uniform and move away from the scene. It was a bigger miracle that she hadn’t died from the amount of blood she lost. And while Charlie had saved her from any more possible harm from sinners, the blood loss could’ve still killed it if it hadn’t stopped before the princess had found her.
Vaggie felt her eye twitch as she felt a pain she hasn’t felt in the months since she got her wings back. A ghost of pain that seemingly surrounded her back. Had the angel not been accustomed to this kind of pain, it would’ve dragged her to her knees. Instead, a groan escaped her throat as her face twisted into a grimace, subconsciously wrapping her arms around her body as she felt herself trembling from the memories.
She tried to calm herself, her breath hitching with every sharp inhale she took.
Any average onlooker could just say that the memories were getting to her. That her body was shaking in fear. That her body didn’t feel as though it’s on fire. That she couldn’t still feel a pain that shouldn’t exist anymore with her wings back.
But Charlie wasn’t an average onlooker. Charlie was the princess of hell who had always been there for her whenever the pain started. The one to help her and comfort her through the worst of it. The one who seemed to always know the signs that Vaggie showed when she was in pain. The one who could just tell how bad it was on any given day without even being told. Almost as if she could tell how bad it is herself.
The one who was currently looking at her with eyes filled with concern, watching how badly she trembled under the overlord’s gaze.
Charlie let out a breath, smoke escaping from her mouth as she turned to glare at Carmilla. “Because we should never-“ She took a step closer to the overlord but staggered for a moment with a grunt, her straightened posture now slightly hunched over. “Let out ourselves become them.”
Carmilla took a step back with narrowed eyes. The princess grunted again. “Shit, okay.” She cursed under her breath before turning and moving to her girlfriend, any anger she felt towards the angel washing away the instant she saw her attempt to curl into herself. “Vaggie, baby?” The angel’s head snapped up the princess who softly placed a hand on her shoulder, her eye wild and still somewhat lost as she was pulled away from her memories. The princess just took her right hand in her own, her thumb rubbing the back of it and turned to the confused overlord. “We need to leave. She needs to sit down.” She winced for a moment. “And a heating pad too.”
Carmilla crossed her arms and raised a brow at the royal. “And why is that?”
Charlie flinched as she turned to Vaggie again. “Her back flairs up and this is a bad one.” She informed the overlord before crouching down and hooking her arm under the angel’s knees, lifting her into a bridal carry.
“I get that you want to protect your daughters, really I do.” The princess turned to look at her slightly. “But if you help Vox and he succeeds? Then Vox still has a weapon to use against anyone he wants. What will stop him from using it against you? What will you do then to defend yourself and your family then?” With that she adjusted the angel in her arms, holding her close and moving towards the exit of the warehouse, leaving behind a stunned Carmilla behind her.
It took about ten minutes of walking to the hotel before Charlie staggered for a second. “Shit, this is bad.” She groaned, making Vaggie look up at her with concern. “My phone is in the inside pocket of my jacket, think you can grab it?” The princess asked the fallen angel with a weary smile. The angel nodded and carefully reached into the jacket for the phone, wincing slightly at the movement. It didn’t take long for her to pull the phone out and relax back into Charlie’s hold, looking at the Hellborn expectantly, waiting to be told what to do next. The princess gave her smile that didn’t fully reach her eyes. “I need you to call dad, put him on speaker.” Vaggie nodded and quickly did as she was told. Charlie leaned down, pressing her lips to the angel’s head. “Thanks, hon.” She praised.
The phone only rang three times before it was answered. “Charlie!” The king exclaimed from the other line. “My daughter who I love and miss. What’s uh…what’s poppin?” He spoke hesitantly, worried about saying the wrong thing.
Charlie’s brow furrowed, a wave of guilt crashing over her. “Dad, I’m sorry.” She started. “You were just trying to help, both of you were, and things got out of hand. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.” Her voice was small as she apologized.
The king sighed on the other end. “Charlie, sweetheart, it’s okay.” He tried.
“It isn’t.” She protested. “I know it isn’t okay. Things haven’t been ok for a while.” Her eyes drifted from the phone to the woman in her arms. “Vaggie was right, and I swear I will make it up to both of you.” Vaggie looked into Charlie’s eyes in understanding, nuzzling her head into her shoulder. They were all silent for a moment. “I love you guys.” She started, a tear running down her cheek. “I’m sorry I pushed you both away.” The demoness voice strained to hide a grunt as she held the woman just a little tighter.
“I love you too.” Vaggie muttered into the hellborn’s chest.
“Love you too, Duckie.” Her father called from the phone. “Is someone hurt?” He asked suddenly.
Charlie just swallowed thickly. “Vaggie gets back pains that flair up sometimes…” she muttered.
“Scale of one to ten?”
“…8”
“Are you at the hotel?”
Charlie bit her lip. “…No.”
“Charlie!”
The princess winced. “We’re not too far from the Carmine compound.”
“Charlie…” the king started. “Please tell me you haven’t been walking like this.” He was met with silence as Charlie looked everywhere but at her phone or her partner.“Where’s your girlfriend?”He tried again. Silence again. “Jesus, Char.” He muttered.
Charlie whined at his chiding tone. “I thought I’d be fine.”
“You and I both know that’s bull shit.” The king said plainly from behind them, phone in hand as he ended the call.
Vaggie just looked between the Morningstar’s, confused. “Am I missing something?”
Lucifer sighed. “Remember how I told you that hell is a punishment?” He asked, receiving a nod in return. “Well Charlie here,” he gestured his hand to his daughter who flinched at the attention. “Is not exempt from that.”
Vaggie’s eye widened, her head whipping up to her girlfriend who was just staring to the side sheepishly. “I can feel the physical pain of anyone within 50 feet of me.” She muttered her explanation.
The fallen angel's jaw dropped. “Why didn’t you tell me?! God, Charlie, put me down!” She pushed against Charlie until the princess reluctantly set her feet to the floor but made sure to still hold onto her.
“Hey, you didn’t tell me you were an angel for three years. I’d say we’re pretty even now.” The hellborn argued, scratching the back of her neck. “And to be fair, it’s not like it’s too big of an issue when we’re at the hotel.”
“Charlie.” Vaggie ran a hand down her face before perking up. “Is that how you always knew when I had a flair up.” Charlie gave a small chuckle. “My god, Charlie, how bad was it when we fought Adam?!”
The hellborn avoided her gaze.
“Don’t worry, she already had a talk with me on that one.” Lucifer stated, grabbing their shoulders from behind. “Right now we need to get you two home and in bed. Once you’re both rested we can talk more.” The king assured.
The next thing Vaggie and Charlie knew, they were back at the hotel, the fallen angel practically pushing them into their bed. “Wanna talk about why you get these flair ups?” He asked, walking over to their bathroom to pilfer through their medicine cabinet for pain killers.
Vaggie looked down. “Not exactly…” she muttered, tucking her head into her girlfriend’s shoulder.
“That’s ok.” The princess muttered, fingers combing through the fallen angel’s hair, subconsciously undoing the bow keeping her hair up and tossing it aside. “Tell you when you’re ready, okay?” Vaggie just nodded her head.
“I can work with that.” Lucifer said, coming back with a bottle of Tylenol and a glass of water. Setting down the cup, he opened the bottle, getting four pills into one palm before closing the bottle and handing Vaggie two and the cup first, doing the same for Charlie once the fallen angel was taken care of. He set the cup on the bedside table before taking a seat on the edge of the bed. “Anything else you two need?” He asked softly, ruffling Charlie’s hair slightly.
The princess chuckled at the action before responding. “Heating pads?”
The king nodded, snapping his fingers and making two heating pads fall into his free hand. He plugged them into the wall sockets, turned them on and gently placed them on their backs before reaching towards the end of the bed and covering them in a blanket. “Get some rest you two.” He gave his daughter a light kiss on the head and gently squeezed Vaggie’s shoulder before making his way out of the room.
Leaving the princess and fallen angel to fall asleep, all warm and cozy in each other’s arms.