Chapter Text
The last night before the entire army of Heaven came bearing down on the Hazbin Hotel, the souls determined to stand their ground and fight took the words of the Princess of Hell to heart. They were downstairs, living however they pleased on what could very well be their last night to exist. From the most disagreeable cannibal to the hotel’s very first patron, they were enjoying themselves to their hearts’ content, paying no mind to the two women who had disappeared from their midst. Whether they hadn’t noticed, or they had and were either minding their own business or making conjectures about how they were spending tonight behind their backs, none of them would come looking. Safe with that knowledge, Vaggie didn’t have any hesitation about letting her girlfriend pull her closer, settling comfortably into the body she knew better than her own and losing herself in a soft kiss.
Charlie was the one to pull away, slow and reluctant but driven by the need to catch her breath. Vaggie took the opportunity to wrap her arms around her partner’s waist and lean her head against her chest, pressing her ear over her heart to listen to its fast, strong beats.
“It’s really happening, isn’t it?” Charlie asked, subdued. “They’re coming for us. Not for Hell, but for us.”
“Yeah,” Vaggie confirmed softly. “But we’ve done everything we can to prepare. We can win this, Charlie. I know we can.”
“But even if we do win…people are going to die. My people. Because I’m leading them into the fight. Because they’re putting their trust in me. And the people from the hotel…my—my family…” Charlie took a shuddering breath and took a step backwards, breaking away from Vaggie’s embrace. “I want to send them as far away as I can, Vaggie. I want to get them somewhere safe, so they’ll make it through tomorrow.”
“They’d resent you for it. You know that,” Vaggie pointed out gently. “They all chose to stay here, because they love this place. They love what you’ve done for them. They love what we’ve all built together. If you treat them like kids and say they can’t choose for themselves, they’ll resent you for it. And they’ll come charging back here no matter where you send them.”
“I know,” Charlie acknowledged with a sniffle. “I know Alastor can take care of himself, but Niffty isn’t used to fighting. Husk is, but not against the entire Exorcist army. And Angel and Pentious—Vaggie, they’ve been doing so well. They’ve come so far! If they fight tomorrow, then even if the angels in charge of Heaven change their minds about redemption…killing Exorcists might mean Angel and Pentious can never get into Heaven, no matter what.”
“Charlie…I’m not saying this for sure, but…have you ever thought that maybe they don’t want to get into Heaven?” Vaggie suggested hesitantly. Charlie stared at her, eyes wide in shock and confusion.
“What? But they’ve been working really, really hard on redeeming themselves! Look at how much they’ve changed!” she protested. Vaggie nodded.
“Yeah, they’ve changed,” she agreed. “When they got here, they were miserable in their own ways, both drowning in their problems. They didn’t let anyone in. But they’re so much happier now. They’ve formed deep, real bonds. They’re improving themselves, and they’re feeling better for it. So maybe…maybe they’re not doing it to get out of Hell. Maybe they’re just doing it for themselves. You put them on this path, but maybe they don’t want it to lead to Heaven. Maybe they want to stay right where they are, because this is where they want to be. Here, with each other. With us. With you. Charlie, you’ve done so much for them. This hotel means so much. Angel and Pentious—Husk and Niffty too, even if they’re not actual guests—have come a long way. They’re happier than I ever thought they could be. That’s why they’re still here, even knowing what’s coming tomorrow. They want to fight for what you gave them when you opened the door to this hotel and welcomed them in, because what you gave them is a second chance to live.”
“I…” Charlie stared at her with watery eyes. Vaggie smiled and stepped forward to cup her face in her hands, catching her tears as they fell.
“When I was at my lowest, when I’d lost everything, you came and saved me. Not from my injuries or from danger, but from myself. If you hadn’t found me, Charlie…I would have drowned myself in vices and suffering. And even though I didn’t think angels could die, I would have tried everything to make it happen. Since falling on my own spear would have been at the top of the list…well…” Vaggie smiled sadly. “Let’s just say, there would have been gold blood in Hell way before Carmilla Carmine put her foot through an angel’s neck.”
“Vaggie…” Charlie looked positively heartbroken, and Vaggie ran her thumb across her cheek.
“Shh, it’s okay,” she soothed. “It’s okay, sweetie. It’s okay because of you. You gave me hope and taught me what love—real love—is. Even if all of Heaven begged me to come back, I’d laugh in their faces because this is where I belong: with you, no matter what happens. Is it so crazy to think maybe I’m not the only one who wants to be by your side?”
“But I…I’m just…I’m just me,” Charlie protested weakly. Vaggie smiled and took her hands, squeezing them gently.
“Yes, you’re you. Charlie Morningstar, Princess of Hell. The first person since your dad’s act of rebellion in Eden to dare to question how Heaven does things enough to act on it; the first person ever to stand up and argue and fight against this broken system, all to protect the people you care about; the first person to look at Sinners and tell them they can have more than suffering in Hell; the person who saw a stranger half-unconscious in an alley and didn’t hesitate to bandage her wounds and take her home, no questions asked. That’s why we love you: because you’re you.”
“Second,” Charlie murmured, pulling her hands back.
“What?” Vaggie frowned in confusion.
“The second person since my dad,” Charlie clarified. “Somebody else acted against how Heaven does things before me.” She gave Vaggie a meaningful look, which only made her more confused.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Is it someone I know?” she asked, trying to think of who it could be. Charlie seemed surprised for a second, then sad.
“You did, Vaggie. You questioned Heaven enough to act on it by letting a Sinner go,” she explained. “I wish you’d give yourself some credit for that.”
“Oh.” Vaggie took a second to process that, then shrugged. “My point still stands, though. You do things that so many people would call impossible, and you’re always doing them for other people. You don’t do all these amazing, brave things for bragging rights or to prove you can; you always have the motive of helping someone else out. And you never ask for anything in return. You give and give and give when so many people either push you aside or do nothing but take.”
“You don’t,” Charlie mumbled. Vaggie smiled.
“You’re right, I don’t, and neither do those idiots downstairs. Well, they don’t anymore.”
“I’m so proud of them,” Charlie whispered, crossing her arms tightly across her stomach as fresh tears spilled down her face. “I love them so much—I love you so much. I just…it’s just…” She took a shuddering breath. “It’s so hard, Vaggie.”
“I know.”
“I’m so tired.”
“I know.”
“I’m scared.”
“I know, baby. I know. It must have been hard for you to keep that big, pretty smile on your face all day,” Vaggie soothed, resting a hand on her cheek. “You’re so strong. You did amazing today, keeping everyone’s spirits up. You’re a great leader, Charlie. But you don’t have to be. Not for tonight. You told us to live tonight however we want, and do you know how I want to live tonight?”
“How?” Charlie’s voice was hoarse. She was crumbling, the last bits of her composure finally, painfully giving way. Vaggie smiled, soft and reassuring.
“I want to live it with you. And not the strong, brave, inspirational Princess of Hell who’s been putting on a smile and running on adrenaline all day; I want to spend tonight with my girlfriend who’s scared and tired. No masks, no pretending. Let me take care of you,” she said gently. Charlie was always putting so much weight on herself, always pushing through for everyone’s sakes, always trying to fix everyone else’s problems at the expense of her own. All that pressure constantly built up, becoming heavier and heavier until she eventually collapsed under its weight, falling to pieces no matter how hard she tried to hold herself together.
Tomorrow’s extermination would be a battle, and Charlie would be on the front lines, leading her people and her friends—her family, she’d called them—into the violence. She was a pacifist, unready to experience the gruesome reality of war, but it was upon her nonetheless. It wasn’t fair, but then again, nothing Heaven did was ever fair. (Vaggie knew that better than anyone.) After a month of putting on a brave face to prepare everyone for tomorrow’s emanant bloodbath and the uncertainty about who—if any of them—would make it out, Charlie’s breakdown tonight was inevitable. Maybe Vaggie could prevent or minimize it, but fuck, Charlie needed to let everything out. If she didn’t do it tonight, she’d be carrying it into battle tomorrow, and no way was Vaggie letting that happen. It was better for Charlie to break down now, where she was safe and her partner could take care of her. She’d helped Charlie through more breakdowns and bad days than she cared to count; she knew how to handle this, and it needed to happen. She held her breath, hoping Charlie would understand and agree.
“Please,” the princess whispered brokenly, eyes almost glassy. Vaggie pressed a reassuring kiss to her cheek.
“Do you want me to carry you?” she offered. Charlie’s eyes slid off to the side—that was a yes, then. “It’s okay, hon. I’ve got you,” Vaggie promised, easily sweeping her into her arms and cradling her against her body. Her girlfriend was taller than her, but she had more than enough strength to carry her without effort. Charlie buried her face in the crook of Vaggie’s neck and let out a shuddering breath that ended in a sob, her hands clutching at the angel’s shirt.
“Vaggie…” she whimpered, desperate for comfort.
“I’m right here, Charlie,” Vaggie soothed. “It’s okay.” She heard footsteps and fought the urge to tense up; Charlie wasn’t in a state to pick up on the sound, and she didn’t want her girlfriend to realize something was wrong. Vaggie just hoped it was someone who would take the hint in the glare she was already aiming at where they would appear and keep their mouth shut. (In other words, not Alastor or that one cannibal lady Vaggie had nearly killed at least a hundred times this month for being an insufferable bitch.)
For perhaps the first time ever, Vaggie was nearly ecstatic to see Angel Dust. He took in the situation and stopped, frowning worriedly. He opened his mouth but quickly closed it again, not making a sound. Vaggie gave him a questioning look, wondering why he’d left the party, and he pointed at his bedroom door.
“Fat Nuggets,” he mouthed in reply, then held up all four of his hands and added “I’ll wait,” as he backed away, careful to keep his footsteps silent. Vaggie could have cried; a few months ago, Angel would have thrown out a comment without considering how harmful it might be even if he didn’t intend it as such, but now he was taking in the situation and understanding that the last thing Charlie needed was to know someone other than Vaggie had seen her like this.
“Proud of you,” she mouthed back at him, careful to adjust so Charlie wouldn’t feel her jaw move. Angel’s mouth fell open, then curved into a soft smile of understanding. He mimed zipping his lips and throwing away the key, silently swearing to never mention this encounter, and Vaggie smiled back at him before heading to her own bedroom, the princess in her arms none the wiser to the member of their family fondly watching them disappear down the hall.