Chapter Text
Charlie cupped the unharmed side of Vaggie’s face, her touch delicate. “You’re healing pretty fast.”
“Hm, I guess I got lucky,” Vaggie mumbled as she leaned into Charlie’s touch, the warmth of her hand consuming Vaggie, despite the coldness of the Morningstar mansion.
Charlie chuckled as her thumb gently rubbed up and down against Vaggie’s cheek.
There was something so comforting about Charlie that Vaggie couldn’t quite put a finger on. Maybe it was because she saved her from rotting in an alleyway two months ago. Or maybe it was because not even a soul in heaven could match the kindness Charlie exuded — whatever it was, Vaggie found herself wanting to guard the princess, though she knew Charlie didn’t need it.
The princess had yet to show her full power. Vaggie knew she probably couldn’t even comprehend the amount of power Charlie held as the princess of hell if it was shown to her.
She would see only bits of it when Charlie would heal her or summon something from the kitchen or medicine cabinet, but Charlie never made a move to try and intimidate her.
The logical conclusion that any angel with a brain would come to is that Charlie was toying with her, or had her under some sort of spell, but no matter how many possible scenarios Vaggie tried to come up with to try and find any hidden motives behind Charlie’s actions, she couldn’t bring herself to believe any of them.
Charlie was her savior. A saint. And Vaggie knew if she wasn’t hellborn, she’d be in heaven.
Distracting her from her thoughts was Charlie clearing her throat and looking away bashfully, a light blush coating her face. “So, uh—,” Charlie started.
Vaggie was so caught up in her own thoughts that she hadn’t realized how long they’d been just staring at one another, the quiet stretching between them. Though, Vaggie caught herself doing that more often than usual nowadays. It was easy to get lost in Charlie’s eyes.
The air between them was thick, and Vaggie could feel the warmth radiating from Charlie’s body, the faint scent of her apple-scented perfume mixing with the subtle hum of the room.
“—It’s getting late, I’ll get out of your hair,” Charlie’s warm hand left her face and brushed Vaggie’s wild short hair away from her remaining eye. “I’ll be in the room two doors down the hall from here, as always. Shout if you need anything and I’ll be here. Goodnight!”
“Goodnight,” Vaggie offered her a smile and Charlie’s blush intensified as she nervously brushed her own bangs out of her eyes and turned to walk out.
Vaggie’s gaze lingered on Charlie’s retreating figure. She was beautiful.
“Charlie, wait,” Vaggie called out just before Charlie could close the door.
Charlie quickly peered her head back in, about to ask if something was wrong, but Vaggie spoke first.
“Thank you—,” Vaggie started before pausing, her own nervousness starting to settle in. “—for saving me. I’ll find a way to pay you back somehow. I promise.”
Charlie smiled and scratched the back of her head. 'You’re welcome, Vaggie, but you don’t need to pay me back for anything!” A beat. Charlie’s fingers lingered on her hair, eyes flicking to the floor, before she looked up again. “Your healing and getting better is payment enough,” she added.
“No, no, I insist.”
Charlie sighed and looked off to the side thoughtfully. “Well, if you really want, I have this, uh, project I haven’t started yet. It’s still in the early stages—kind of a long shot, but for some reason, I feel more confident now that it could actually work!”
A project, Vaggie could work with this.
“Okay, okay,” Vaggie chuckled. “Tell me about it.”
Something lit up in Charlie’s eyes, like Vaggie was doing her a favor by returning just a fraction of Charlie’s kindness back to her.
Vaggie could give her every bit of kindness she had in her and it still wouldn’t make up for the amount that Charlie gave to her.
Charlie eagerly hurried back into the room, feeling around on the bed to make sure she didn’t sit on Vaggie’s legs before plopping down.
“Okay, well, it has a lot to do with you actually, uh—,” Charlie nervously stammered, her bangs falling into her face again.
“With me?” Vaggie wasted no time brushing Charlie’s hair out of her eyes with her hand. “How so?”
Charlie nervously smiled as her eyes met Vaggie’s.
“So, I want to make hell a better place for my people, to make it safer and reduce the violence, but it’s a little hard because of the yearly cleanse—”
Vaggie fell silent but nodded.
“—so I’ve come up with a Plan B! At first it was a scrapped idea because I’ve never met a sinner who was kind to me, until you,” Charlie looked away, smiling softly. “And since you mentioned needing a fresh start, I think this would be perfect for you! If you want to, of course.”
Charlie’s excitement was infectious. “And what’s this Plan B, Princess?”
“It’s silly, but,” Charlie chuckled before pausing. “Actually, this would make more sense if I just showed you my presentation about it!”
Vaggie giggled fondly. “You made a presentation for it?”
“Well not yet, but I’ll have it ready in the morning! You’ll love it!”
Vaggie loved her enthusiasm. “Alright, Princess,” Vaggie said with a smile. “I can’t wait.”
Charlie quickly hugged her and happily walked out of the room.
Once alone, she sighed. The princess was something else.
Vaggie hadn’t remembered her heart throbbing this way for someone since she was human.
Vaggie abruptly sat up from her sleep and squinted at the blinding light seeping in from the corner of the room. Her single eye struggled to adjust, the brightness almost too much to bear.
The sound of heaven was almost too recognizable. The near-silent whirl of the portal hummed in the distance.
Figures, blurry but familiar, loomed in the overwhelming glow. Vaggie didn’t need to see their faces to know who they were.
Exorcists.
Before she could react, she felt herself being lifted roughly, placed onto a levitating stretcher. She grunted, trying to shield her eye from the painful light as they pushed her through the portal, making barely a sound as the world shifted around her.
“Don’t worry,
Vagjie.
The seraphim will heal you.”
“Oh, fuck off, Tipsy,” Vaggie responded. They know her name isn’t fucking pronounced that way.
They giggled.
The place they brought her to was quiet, yet bright — almost sounding empty from the way she could hear her own grunts echoing across the room.
As her vision started to clear, the harsh light of Heaven finally began to soften, revealing two figures standing side by side. Lute and Adam. To her surprise, Adam was the one who looked apologetic.
"Why the hell did you bring me back?" Vaggie’s voice was hoarse but sharp.
The pair stood still for a beat, until Adam nudged Lute with his elbow. She rolled her eyes, a sigh escaping her lips.
“It seems I... overreacted. You should not have been left in hell,” Lute said, though her tone gave away that she didn’t mean a word she said.
Adam fake-coughed the word “understatement”, with a smirk until he noticed that Vaggie wasn’t laughing.
“Look, Vagjie–,” Adam started, but Vaggie shot him a glare so he quickly changed his words. “Vaggie. If I knew what happened, I would’ve sent a search out to look for you the second we did a head count and realized you weren't here.” He pulled his mask off, revealing a rare sincerity in his eyes. It was strange to see.
Vaggie stared at him for a moment. “So, you aren’t upset I spared a sinner?”
Adam laughed and put his mask back on. “You must have forgotten, Vag machine. But we’re fuckin’ angels? We spare shit all of the fuckin’ time. Like, just the other day I spared —,” He paused to think, then waved his hand dismissively. “Never mind. Anyway. Mercy’s kinda our thing. It's one of the Seven virtues or some shit, right? Right?” He was genuinely asking.
Sera teleported in behind him, a quiet presence that cut through Adam’s rant. Vaggie knew she’d be waiting until he stopped talking, though she wished she’d stop him early.
He elbowed Lute for confirmation. “Right? Lute come on, you know this shit.”
She nodded. This seemed to satisfy Adam.
“So yeah, see, Vagj– Vaggie?” He put a hand on her shoulder. “We’re so fuckin’ holy that we give mercy to even demons who don’t deserve it! That's like, top tier angel shit. Can’t get holier than that. Right, Lute–” Adam tried elbowing Lute again but only now realized that Sera teleported in behind him and that Lute had moved. He jumped in acknowledgement of her presence.
“Shit, fuck, Sera you gotta say something next time,” Sera ignored him, and walked in Vaggie’s direction.
“I apologize on behalf of their negligence, Vanessa,” Sera reached forward with glowing hands. Vaggie almost flinched, it was weird hearing her human name after all these years. “Hm, I sense a faint reminiscence of angelic magic on your face, did someone already try healing you before me?” Sera turned at Adam almost angrily, probably thinking he tried to heal her before she got there.
“Yes, but not in heaven. Princess Charlie healed me during my time in hell,” Vaggie answered as the seraphim restored her eye and wings.
“The Morningstar?”
Vaggie nodded.
“Hm.”
Charlie! Fuck, she’d almost forgotten. She needed to go back and tell her what happened, let her know she hadn’t just disappeared without a word.
“Seraphim,” Vaggie called. “I...I need to go back to hell, I need to speak with the princess and—”
“No, I’m sorry but we can’t do that,” Sera answered almost too quickly. “It's too risky, people may start to get suspicious about the amount of portals to hell that have been opened in such a short timespan. It was risky enough opening the portal that you came through, we don’t need any reason for people to ask questions.”
She turned to Adam and Lute. “I need you to know how foolish leaving a hurt angel in hell was. What if the demons figured out that angels could be hurt?” Sera asked angrily, pointing a finger at the two of them that seemed mostly directed at Adam.
“Yes, the princess found her but imagine if it was someone else. Someone who’d take one look at her blood and know that she wasn’t a sinner. Then all of us are at risk because they know we can be harmed.”
“Fuck, don’t look at me like I did it,” Adam shrugged.
Sera took a step closer, leaning down to his level and his smug look dropped. “Then demote whoever did.”
At that Sera teleported off.
Vaggie was left staring at the space where she had sat. Her heart sank. She hadn’t even been able to say bye to Charlie, the angels didn’t even give her a chance to atleast give some sort of signal that she was being taken away. Everything had happened so fast.
Charlie speed-walked to Vaggie’s room, constantly readjusting the papers in hand so they didn’t end up falling all over the floor.
It was early, earlier than Charlie was usually awake. But she had been up all night working on her presentation, so it wasn’t like she had to force herself out of bed.
"Sorry, didn’t mean to bother you so early. I’m just excited to show you," Charlie murmured aloud as she pushed through the door, though she quickly remembered that Vaggie was up early anyway. Vaggie had told her about her time in the military, how she was used to getting up at the crack of dawn and pushing through despite everything.
Even now, after everything she’d been through, she kept the same routine.
Charlie couldn’t help but admire her strength.
"Okay, so I stayed up all night working on this! I’ll make it short—" She looked up, holding a paper with the word “redemption” written in all capital letters for Vaggie to see, but—
The room was empty.
For a moment, Charlie just stared. The bed sheets were scruffy, still the same way Vaggie had them when Charlie last saw her, yet the room was still, with no sign of Vaggie anywhere.
"Vaggie?" she said, a frown tugging at her lips. She glanced toward the door, half-expecting her to maybe walk in from the bathroom, but nothing.
A wave of confusion hit her. Where did she go? Had Charlie said something wrong last night? Enough to make Vaggie want to leave without even saying goodbye?
Charlie’s heart suddenly felt heavier, her eyes scanning the room again.
No sign of her.
She must’ve left.
“Hey, Cum Man! Did you hear—,”
“It’s Commander ,” Vaggie corrected sternly. Even after earning a new “name” after her promotion as Adam’s new right hand, they still found a way to turn it into some kind of sex joke.
Tipsy nearly bent over in laughter.
“Wait, no, wait,” they grabbed at Vaggie’s shoulder when she tried to walk away, holding onto her for support while they continued laughing. “I still have to tell you something, Cu—“
Vaggie sucked her teeth in frustration, minimizing their laughter to just a snicker. “ Cállete, before that name catches on with Adam. I don’t need him calling me any more stupid nicknames,” Vaggie whisper-shouted, looking around to make sure he wasn’t anywhere nearby to hear.
For some reason, this pushed them into another fit of laughter. Vaggie began walking off again, her expression deadpan as they tried to catch up with her again.
Wait, wait—” Tipsy interrupted, still holding onto Vaggie’s shoulder, trying to catch their breath from laughing. “I’ve got something really funny to tell you.”
Vaggie sighed, clearly in a rush. "I don’t have time for this, Tipsy. I’ve got a meeting to attend with Adam at the courthouse. Don’t know what it’s about yet, but it sounds important.”
Tipsy waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, this is way more interesting than whatever boring courthouse shit you’re about to sit through. You know, a few months ago, Adam had a meeting with the Princess of Hell. I heard she sung his ears off and—”
Vaggie froze in her tracks, turning around to face Tipsy quicker than she thought she could. “What? He met with Charlie?”
It's like the whole of heaven went on pause for a moment. Vaggie’s pulse quickened and a familiar feeling began welling up in her chest.
It's been 5 years since she even last saw Charlie. Five whole years, yet Vaggie never forgot about her. Hadn’t forgotten about her promise to pay Charlie back for saving her.
There was never a day that passed that Vaggie hadn’t imagined what life would’ve been like if the angels never came back for her. Maybe she would’ve been happy down there, helping Charlie make hell a better place.
She knew she’d definitely be happier than she was up here.
When she was dragged back to be an exorcist again, she didn’t have the heart to kill demons, not again. Not after knowing that the demons she’d been trained to kill have a princess who cares so much for them.
As Vaggie started seeing them less as demons and more as the souls they are, she couldn’t help but see a little bit of Charlie in each of them.
If she could almost be left in hell for simply not killing a sinner child, who's to say that the souls down there deserved to be destroyed?
But Vaggie believed that these thoughts alone meant nothing if there was no action behind it, so she brought up her concerns to the Seraphim.
Honestly, she half expected to be dismissed, to be called foolish for seeing things the way she did.
Yet, to her surprise, the Seraphim actually empathized with her, telling her that she wondered everyday if allowing the exterminations was the right call and Vaggie’s concerns only heightened what she’d already been contemplating on.
This led to Vaggie being promoted, due to Sera’s encouragement to Adam. But between the two of them, Vaggie knew it was because the Seraphim had decided that the exorcists needed someone to look up to that had a less bloodthirsty approach to the exterminations than Adam.
Vaggie had to convince herself that this was a step in the right direction. That even though the seraphim agreed with her, didn’t mean that she’d stop the exterminations outright, for obvious reasons.
That’s why despite her promotion, she still couldn’t find it in herself to kill demons, so she used her new title to encourage the exorcists to be as humane as possible, trying her best to infuse guilt into those who found genuine joy in the killings.
It wasn’t supposed to be a fun activity.
Maybe one day if everyone saw things as they were, then—
“Hey!” Tipsy snapped their fingers near Vaggie’s face to pull her back to reality. “Are you good? You sorta zoned out for a minute there when I started talking about the princess.”
Only now did Vaggie realize the effect that Charlie still had on her, but she quickly shook her head. “Yeah,” She cleared her throat, trying to sound indifferent.“Yeah, I’m good.”
“Uh huh,” Tipsy narrowed their eyes. “I’ve never asked, what exactly happened in hell when you met the princess. Did you two, you know…?” They proceeded to make a hand gesture, mimicking the motion of fingering someone.
Vaggie’s cheeks burned with embarrassment and frustration. “What? No, we didn’t—" She cut herself off, face flushed with heat.
Tipsy’s giggling returned, clearly entertained by her annoyance.
“ Qué tonto ,” Vaggie muttered under her breath, turning away slightly, hoping her burning cheeks weren’t as obvious as she felt they were.
Vaggie couldn’t help but wonder what Adam spoke to Charlie about. She figured she’d find a way to get it out of him after the meeting.
“That’s quite the reaction from someone who apparently ‘didn’t fuck the princess’, Cum Man .”
Vaggie grumbled. “I told you not to call me that. Because lo juro por Dios , if Adam starts calling me that too—,”
“Cum! Just the badass I was looking for,” Adam yelled as he flew down, almost as if on cue.
Vaggie glared at Tipsy, “Seriously? You told him about that?”
Tipsy put their hands up in surrender, trying not to laugh. “It’s not my fault it’s such a good nickname.”
Adam floated casually, enjoying the moment before tilting his head, smirking as he took in Vaggie’s annoyance. “Nah, ‘Cum Man ’ is overkill, just Cum is fine.”
Vaggie sucked in a deep breath, her irritation mounting. "You’re lucky you’re still alive, Tipsy—”
“Uh, well!” Tipsy quickly interrupted, backing away awkwardly. “I gotta get going. You guys got a shitty meeting to sit through, and I... I got something, so, bye!”
Vaggie watched as Tipsy hurried off, rolling her eyes again. “
Qué tonta,”
she muttered under her breath again.
Adam folded his arms, chucking. “Come on, Cum. We’ve got a meeting to get to!”
Vaggie didn’t have the patience to correct him on her name again.
Vaggie hadn’t been to many of these meetings, so she wasn’t sure what to expect. The last time she’d been in one, a young woman had asked for an audience with the council. She had light pinkish fur, and about four legs — a spider angel.
She wanted to see her brother, who was stuck in hell. She needed answers from him, to understand what really happened when they were alive.
But the Seraphim shut her down right away, saying it wasn’t safe. Her safety was their responsibility, and if her brother turned violent, her fate would be on Sera.
But Vaggie knew that was bullshit.
The real reason they refused her request was simple, her brother might spill the truth. He might tell her about the exterminations, or worse — he might already be dead, taken out by an exorcist blade.
Vaggie hated how things were.
She sat in her seat next to Adam, feeling the weight of the courtroom’s silence. The courtroom was grand, with golden walls that reflected the soft light from the dome-shaped ceiling. High above, the higher angels and council members sat on elevated platforms, waiting with detached gazes as they chatted among themselves.
The chair closest to the ground, where the person on trial, or whoever wanted to speak to the council would sit, remained empty for now. Vaggie glanced at the elevator across the room, waiting for whoever was to arrive.
As the elevator doors finally opened, all eyes turned toward it, breaking the silence.
For a moment, Vaggie couldn’t tell if her heart had stopped beating, or if it was beating too fast. She could barely comprehend who she was seeing.
“Ugh, not this bitch,” Adam whined. “I see you went to my manager. Low blow, Karen!”
Charlie.
Vaggie’s mind went blank for a second, and she couldn’t help it — her gaze locked onto the princess as she stepped into the room, growling for a moment and glaring up at the two of them because of Adam’s comment. Vaggie swore that she was as beautiful as when she last saw her, the sight causing a lump in her chest. She's still as determined.
She swallowed hard, the weight of the moment pressing down on her. Should she tell her who she is? Should she give her some sort of signal? Take off her exorcist mask or do something to let her know she’s on her side? Her stomach twisted. She couldn’t, she knew that. What if she didn’t even remember her?
The sound of the Seraphim’s voice introducing Charlie to the council snapped Vaggie back to reality, but her attention was still drawn to Charlie, her quiet confidence and her demeanor made it almost impossible to look anywhere else.
Sera didn’t waste anymore time. She looked directly at Charlie, giving her the floor. “Proceed, Princess Morningstar” she said coolly.
Charlie took a deep breath, her hands shaking slightly giving away a brief flash of nervousness as she clasped them in front of her. She began talking about her “redemption plan,” explaining her vision for a better Hell and how she wanted to help sinners get to heaven.
So this was the Plan B that she was trying to tell Vaggie all those years ago. Vaggie never felt this proud of someone, seeing as this started as a “long shot” to now being presented to the heavenly council.
Vaggie tried to ignore the increasing anger she felt as Adam kept fucking interrupting Charlie everytime she tried to make a point. From calling her out for using dictionary references to saying that the souls she was guiding had no hope of getting redeemed because they went out drinking.
Vaggie rolled her eyes, Adam had literally been out drinking wine with Mother Mary a couple days ago. She could never understand how someone could complain so much yet have such a high fucking ego.
But as Charlie continued to speak, Vaggie couldn’t stop herself from thinking how genius her plan was. Despite a few things needing to be cleaned up, her presentation seemed pretty well thought-out. Her ambition was in the right place, it was undeniable. Even Adam seemed to be sputtering through his words.
“I presume Lucifer has been quite the help in your hotel?” The high seraphim questioned.
“Well, uh, no, actually. Until recently he’s been busy with…” the princess paused, another flash of nervousness seeming to overtake her, before she collected herself. “…other things. For the last few months, my friend Alastor has been helping me!”
Vaggie’s eyes widened. Surely she didn’t mean the overlord radio demon, right? Not the cannibalistic demon that’s been slipping under the exorcist’s radar for years even prior to her promotion.
Vaggie looked over to Adam and saw that he was already out of his seat, as if he’s been looking for the perfect opportunity to do something. He flew down over to the All Seeing Orb next to Charlie and summoned a projection of the radio demon in his worst form.
Adam put on a show of dramatically gasping and pointing at it like it could attack him from the screen. “People of heaven, we can *not* allow ourselves to be manipulated by the spawn of Lucifer. The proof is right in front of us, she wants to send murderers and monsters like the one here—“ The image started playing, showing the Radio Demon eating sinners right outside of Charlie’s hotel. “—to our heavenly place of peace and turn it into some kind of blood bath!”
Vaggie looked up to see all of the council members gasping and looking fearfully at the orb. Sera stared down sympathetically at Charlie who was sputtering and trying to explain herself to no avail. Vaggie’s heart ached for her, she wished she knew what to say to help her case.
“I’m sorry,” Sera started. “But this court finds that there is no proof—“
“High Seraphim,” Vaggie stood up, her voice louder than she intended. The entire room paused and looked in her direction “If I may interject.”
Sera looked shocked, yet interested in what Vaggie had to say. Vaggie never spoke out like this but she felt she needed to this time.
“Permission granted, Commander,” Sera answered.
Vaggie cleared her throat, glancing back at the other members of the council, then at Charlie who seemed to be staring at her, almost shocked with her mouth agape. As their eyes met, Vaggie felt a surge of nervousness hit her like a bolt of electricity trickling down her spine and across her wings. She couldn’t tell if she’d been sweating because of the heat rushing to her face or because of the exorcist mask overheating. Charlie’s eyes always found a way to pull her in.
Vaggie had to look away. She knew if she didn’t do so now, she’d get lost in those eyes that she’d been stolen away from all those years ago. “Well,” she started. “The princess came here to ask for our help. Why deny that because she wasn’t given help that we approve of?”
The high Seraphim sat back in her seat and thought for a moment. “What do you propose?”
Vaggie hadn’t thought this far into it.
“Oh, well, with the right guidance, we can help by, um,” she stuttered for a moment, slightly hoping that Charlie would interrupt with an idea of her own, but she stayed silent. Vaggie could tell from the corner of her eye that she was still staring at her.
“Oh! Fucking shit, Cum you’re a genius,” Adam yelled as he flew up back to his seat. Vaggie didn’t know whether or not being a genius was a good thing right now, especially coming from Adam.
“We need a larger presence in hell! More exterminations!”
“No, you know that’s not what I meant,” Vaggie deadpanned. “In what realm would exterminating her people *more* often help them get to heaven?” The words flew out of her mouth before she even realized what she was confessing to the entire council.
“Boooo, always the boring option with you, Cum—”
“What?” The younger Seraphim yelled. Vaggie’s hand quickly grasped the mouth of her mask. The damage was done. “ ‘Exterminating her people *more* often’? You go down there and kill human souls?” Emily nearly teared up as she flew down to the Orb, seeing it change to images of slaughtered sinners.
“You didn’t know?” Charlie questioned, seeming taken aback.
“Shit,” Vaggie and Adam muttered in unison.
The courtroom erupted into pure chaos, accusations thrown around as the anger built, voices clashing with each other. They were mad at Sera, mad at the
whole situation
, and Vaggie couldn’t bring herself to blame them. The exterminations were wrong.
But she mentally slapped herself. Why couldn’t she have just quieted Adam before he mentioned the exterminations? Why did she have to go and break the Seraphim’s only rule?
Maybe this was for the best, she decided. Though, she didn’t mean to directly break her promise as an exorcist, maybe it was time that the truth came out.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the Seraphim raised her hand to silence the room.
“Enough,” Sera said, her voice summoning a sudden stillness over the council. “This court has decided—” She paused to take a breath, letting the words settle before continuing. “—we will help you with your hotel, Princess Morningstar.”
Vaggie watched as a calm settled over Charlie’s expression, a sigh of relief escaping her lips that turned into a smile, but before she could respond, Adam’s voice cut through the almost-peaceful moment.
“What?” Adam practically spat. “How do we know she’s not trying to send fucking evil demons here to hurt our citizens—”
“Quiet, Adam,” Sera’s expression hardened, her voice cold and commanding. “Speak out of turn one more time and I won’t be as kind. Is that understood?”
Adam shut his mouth immediately, a flash of genuine fear flickering across his mask. He quickly looked away, muttering something under his breath.
Sera turned her attention back to Charlie, her voice softer now, but still resolute. “One of our representatives will go back with you and monitor your progress. You can reject this offer, of course, but if you do, we will not be able to offer further assistance and the exterminations will continue as they have before.”
Charlie nodded solemnly, her eyes meeting Sera’s with quiet understanding. “I accept.”
“Wonderful,” Sera answered. “Then this court is adjourned.”
After the meeting, the high seraphim asked Vaggie if she could have a word with her in private. Vaggie mentally prepared a full apology, to beg for forgiveness after her outburst with Adam when they had accidentally revealed the exterminations to everyone.
But to her surprise, Sera wanted to speak with her about something else.
“You want *me* to be the representative of heaven?” Vaggie questioned. As delighted as she was to be chosen, she couldn’t help but wonder why, especially since there were countless other angels who were a higher rank than Vaggie was, and definitely picked more often for things like this. “I thought you’d go with another Seraphim, like Emily.”
“I did consider that,” Sera chuckled. “But Emily's never been to Hell. She’s… she wouldn’t understand.”
Vaggie hummed in understanding as the two of them stared out of a large window in the seraphim’s quarters, watching winners fly by. That was true, Emily had never been outside of heaven before. Vaggie didn’t know if the young Seraphim had even been to Earth. So a trip to hell would probably be beyond traumatizing, especially after learning what heaven had been doing to the souls down there. Emily didn’t need any more surprises.
Sera was quiet for a moment before speaking again. “As you know, Heaven’s made plenty of mistakes. I’ve made my own… trying to protect our people against what I believed could be a threat against us.”
She paused again, her gaze distant as if replaying memories she wished to forget, before looking at Vaggie. “But, I’m saying this to say, you have good morals, Commander. I believe you’re the right one to help make amends between heaven and hell. To do what I failed to do — be the fresh start that the souls need, show them that they could be beings worthy of redemption.”
This was it. She could see it now — the chance to repay Charlie for everything. She saved her, and now Vaggie could help her save Hell.
Vaggie nodded, a surge of pride flowing through her, making her fight the smile that threatened to break through. "I understand, Seraphim. If that’s what you think is best, then I will try my best to meet your expectations."
Sera’s gaze softened. "I know you will."
The wind was calm as Vaggie flew towards the towering gates of Heaven, the soft flutter of wings being the only sound that filled the air. Adam flew beside her, hands in his pockets, looking entirely too relaxed, not helping with Vaggie’s nervousness at all. He nudged her with his elbow, smirking.
“You ready for this, Cum? The grand entrance to Hell as Heaven’s representative?”
Vaggie shot him a look, annoyance clear in her eyes. She wasn’t about to let Adam ruin the gravity of the moment with his antics, but she was already bracing for what would come next, how Charlie would react to seeing her again.
"I wish you wouldn’t call me that,” she muttered, flapping her wings slightly harder to send a small gust of wind in Adam’s face.
They flew down as they reached the entrance, where Charlie was waiting for the portal back. Vaggie froze for a moment, her breath catching when their eyes met. A slow flush spread across her face, her heart giving a traitorous flutter at the sight of the princess. She hoped her blush wouldn’t show through the exorcist mask. She could see the same determination in Charlie’s eyes, a quiet strength that always seemed to pull her in.
After a beat, Vaggie cleared her throat and forced herself to focus. "It’s wonderful to be in your presence again, Princess," she said, bowing slightly, her wings shifting with the movement.
Adam raised an eyebrow, then elbowed her hard, nearly knocking her off balance. "Don’t bow, even though she’s hot, she’s still a demon, Cum."
Vaggie snapped her head toward Adam, her irritation growing. “Really?” she hissed under her breath, regaining balance, narrowing her eyes. "**
You
** can leave now."
Adam grinned and, without a word, shot up into the air, flying off as he laughed to himself. Vaggie watched him go, but the moment his figure disappeared into the clouds, her attention snapped back to Charlie, who was eyeing her with a curious look.
The silence stretched between them for a moment, thick with unspoken words. All of the words Vaggie had planned to say evaporated from her mind as she tried to figure out how to reintroduce herself. Yet Charlie's gaze lingered, her brow furrowing slightly as if she was trying to place something. Vaggie shifted awkwardly, her wings folding tighter to her body in an attempt to calm the growing tension.
Vaggie opened her mouth to speak, but Charlie spoke first.
"Thanks for standing up for me back there, uh... *
Cum*
, was it?" Charlie asked wearily.
Vaggie cringed, hating that Adam made it seem like that was her name in front of Charlie. She quickly shook her head, trying to mask the embarrassment. "Oh, actually, that isn’t my name."
Vaggie grabbed the horns of the exorcist mask, hesitating before tugging it off of her head, hoping that she wouldn't need to say her name for Charlie to recognize her. Her eyes snapped back up to the princess’s, watching as her expression shifted from shock to something softer — something that almost looked like recognition. Her eyes widened, and she took a step forward, her voice almost a whisper.
"It’s you…" Charlie said, her gaze flicking from Vaggie’s eyes to her face, searching for something. "I knew your voice sounded familiar but…how is this possible?"
Before Vaggie could respond, one of Charlie’s hands, warm and gentle, reached up to cup her face. Vaggie froze for a second, Charlie held the side of her face that was unharmed from Lute’s blade all those years ago. There was no mistaking the way Charlie was looking at her — like she was seeing someone she had lost long ago, someone important. She remembered her.
Her heart beat faster as Charlie’s fingers brushed her skin, so soft, yet filled with such intensity. “Your eye, it's healed,” Charlie muttered in awe, her other hand coming to cup the other side of her face.
“The Seraph–” Vaggie tried to answer, but Charlie’s words rushed out, the confusion clear in her tone.
“Wait, you’re — how did you even get to Heaven? You’re an Exorcist now? Why? Why would they make you one of them? Did you — did you even have a choice? Oh my gosh, did you get redeemed and then get forced into being an Exorcist?”
Vaggie opened her mouth, then closed it, taken aback by Charlie’s rambling. Out of every way she’d imagined this moment going, this wasn’t it. But it was a pleasant surprise — Charlie's care for her, the way her questions tumbled out, and the warmth of Charlie’s hands cradling her face, far more soothing than anything Heaven had ever offered, eased the storm of nerves that had been churning in Vaggie’s chest.
Before she could stop it, a fond laugh escaped her. Charlie’s words faltered at the sound, and for a long moment, they just stared at each other.
It wasn’t until then that Vaggie realized how close their faces were. The scent of Charlie’s apple-scented perfume filled the air, making her stomach tighten with a familiar ache.
Longing.
But Vaggie had nothing to long for anymore, because Charlie was right here, holding her face while Vaggie could only stare, lost in her eyes.
"Princess, I—"
The air thickened, and a bright, blinding light erupted in front of them, cutting her off. The sound of the portal opening startled both of them, their bodies instinctively pulling away from each other.
Charlie’s hands dropped from Vaggie’s face as they both turned toward the portal.
Vaggie blinked, clearing her throat as she quickly found her words. “Looks like the portal’s here.” She shot a quick glance back at Charlie. “I promise I’ll tell you everything.”
Charlie gave Vaggie a small, knowing smile. “I’ll be waiting.” There was something soft in her expression — something unspoken that made Vaggie’s heart race again.
Vaggie, trying to mask the fluttering in her chest, nodded and gestured toward the portal. “After you, Princess.”
Charlie’s smile grew, her arm outstretching towards the portal. “I insist. You’re the one with all the answers,” her tone teasing yet somehow gentle, playful even, but the warmth was unmistakable.
Vaggie sighed, obliging to the Princess’s request, but just before she stepped fully into the glowing light of the portal, her eyes flickered down to the exorcist mask still clutched in her hand.
Without a second thought, she threw the mask to the side. It landed softly against the ground, forgotten. It wasn’t like she’d need it anyway, she thought. It wasn’t worth the risk of scaring Charlie’s residents, it was bad enough she had to meet them in her exorcist uniform.
The hotel was, well, definitely a hotel in hell.
Vaggie fought the instinct to wrinkle her nose as she took in the atmosphere. The building felt ancient, like it had been thrown together from the ruins of something that might’ve once been beautiful. The faint smell of mildew lingered in the air, mixing with something far worse, something rotten. She could feel the weight of Alastor’s presence, lingering like an oppressive cloud hanging over every room.
Jazz music hummed quietly from radios scattered throughout the building, filling every corner of the lobby. She never thought she’d say it, but she could almost understand why people hated jazz now. The sounds were sharp and jarring, maybe even a little menacing.
And then there was a shadow of him. She caught it out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned to look, it vanished. Alastor. Even now, he managed to make her skin crawl. He was everywhere, and yet nowhere. It made her feathers spike up in disgust.
Charlie seemed completely oblivious to her unease, leading the way through the lobby, her excitement radiating off of her as she gave Vaggie an impromptu tour. “Oh, this is where the guests hang out,” Charlie chirped, motioning to the gaudy furniture that was strategically placed around the room. "And over there’s where we do activities! Isn’t it fun?"
Vaggie’s eyes scanned the room, trying her hardest to hide her disgust. She focused on Charlie, nodding at the right moments, hoping she wouldn’t pick up on her growing discomfort. They passed by the giant stained glass windows, but instead of a beautiful, welcoming design, there was the unmistakable image of Alastor’s face — twisted into a wicked grin. An uncomfortable shiver went across her wings. His eyes seemed to follow her every move, she had to force herself not to grimace.
But that was the least of it. For every room they passed, Vaggie’s discomfort only grew. The iron balconies that lined the floors, dark and industrial, screamed of Alastor’s poor taste. She already knew he was responsible for them — the man had no appreciation for style. His handiwork was everywhere, from the heavy, unwelcome presence to the ugly cast iron structure that seemed to ruin the hotel’s vibe completely.
And then they passed the bar. A fucking bar. In a place that was supposed to be *
discouraging*
sin. She didn’t say anything, though. For Charlie’s sake. This was why she was here, she reminded herself. To help clean up the details.
The guests, thankfully, didn’t seem to mind her presence. In fact, they barely seemed to notice her at all. Most just glanced up at her with mild curiosity, one even lifting his eyes from his phone to say, “Sup.”
Honestly, Vaggie had expected more of a reaction, but she supposed it made sense. Charlie had built a sort of safety net for them, a sanctuary where the souls didn’t need to fear. She hadn’t expected it to feel so… relieving. The contrast from sinners running from her and screaming to them treating her like she was no different from them felt genuinely nice.
And there were only two real guests — well, four if you counted Husk and Niffty, who were part of the staff. The real guests were Angel Dust and Sir Pentious, Charlie told her. There was something almost familiar about the spider demon that Vaggie couldn’t put a finger on, though she quickly brushed it off as Charlie continued to show her around.
Alastor, of course, didn’t show up to greet her. For obvious reasons. The exorcists had him as a top target, but somehow, he always slipped away, undetected.
As they made their way upstairs, Vaggie’s had to fight the rising nausea that came with each step. The hotel wasn’t *
bad*
, but it was definitely haunted by Alastor’s touch. And it was hard to ignore it when it was so overwhelming. Stepping into Charlie’s room, the door slammed shut behind them with a bang that made Vaggie jump.
Charlie’s eyes widened, and she let out a nervous laugh. “Sorry! It’s the door — it always does that. I’ve been trying to fix it, but it’s a pain. I just have to tug on it a little harder when I need to leave.”
Vaggie just nodded with a forced smile. “It’s fine.”
Charlie’s smile was bright as she stepped forward. “So, what do you think?”
"Its, uhh," Vaggie began, her voice soft, trying to find the right words that wouldn’t hurt the princess’s feelings. She found none, so decided on just lying for the time being. “...Great, Your Majesty.”
Charlie waved her hands in dismissal. “Please, just call me Charlie!”
Vaggie nodded. She had so many questions, so many concerns, but she decided to go with the one that sounded the nicest, the one that may be easier for the princess to answer. “But, um, why is the Radio Demon’s face on the windows?”
Charlie’s smile didn’t falter, but there was a shift in her eyes, like she knew Vaggie was going to bring it up eventually. “Oh that! Well, someone tried to cause trouble here a while ago, so Alastor put his face on the windows. You know, as a warning. He wants people to know not to mess with us. Pretty smart, huh?” She laughed as if it were a fun little story, though Vaggie could hear the faint nervousness in her voice.
Vaggie nodded slowly, forcing a smile. It made sense, she supposed. But she hated how the place felt like it belonged to *
him*
more than Charlie. Was Charlie’s presence as the Princess of Hell not a warning enough. Did she have any say in her own hotel?
“What parts of the hotel did you design?” she asked, her tone gentle but curious.
Charlie looked around the room as if trying to recall, before shrugging slightly. “Well, to be honest, I didn’t really design much. I just sort of... let Alastor handle it. I was more focused on the redemption ideas and getting more guests to join! But I might change some things around since I’ve got some more time, now that the exterminations are cancelled!”
Vaggie smiled, the tension easing off her shoulders and wings slightly. “You should. It's your hotel, it deserves to feel more… *
you*
. It needs a more Charlie touch.” She could see the spark in Charlie’s eyes, her excitement building as reached for Vaggie’s hands, to her surprise.
“You know what, you’re right,” She cradled both of Vaggie’s hands in one of hers, with the other covering them. Vaggie had forgotten how much taller Charlie was, having to bend her neck up just to maintain eye contact. “Thank you, Vaggie.”
Vaggie’s mouth suddenly went dry as heat rose to her face, nearly getting lost in the princess’s eyes again. “You uh, you’re welcome, Charlie.”
They stayed like that for a moment, just staring at one another, the comfortable silence consuming the both of them, until Charlie blushed, averting her gaze and clearing her throat.
“So…” Charlie started, her tone quiet, like she was waiting for something.
Vaggie gave a soft sigh, knowing the moment had come. She had already promised to share, and she’d told herself this was the time. She couldn’t hide forever, not from Charlie, not when Charlie had shown her nothing but kindness, acceptance, and understanding.
"Right, I promised to tell you," Vaggie murmured, letting Charlie lead her to the bed to sit. Charlie joined her without hesitation, sitting beside her with an eager expression, though there was no pressure in her gaze, just patience.
She glanced at Charlie, her heart already pounding as she gathered her thoughts. Charlie smiled warmly, letting her take her time. Vaggie couldn’t help but smile back.
And so, Vaggie told her everything. About her time as an exorcist, how she always felt the exterminations were inhumane. Every detail that she could remember came rushing out. Her past before meeting Charlie, how the exorcists took her in the middle of the night up to her promotion and her conversation with the seraphim.
Vaggie’s gaze flicked to Charlie, seeking her reaction. Charlie sat there, quietly listening, her eyes wide but never judgmental. There wasn’t even a hint of disbelief. She was absorbing every word Vaggie said, her expression soft and attentive, as though Vaggie was telling her the most important story in the world. The warmth in her gaze made Vaggie’s heart flutter. It was almost too much, yet it gave her the courage to continue.
When she finished, she exhaled, feeling as though a weight had been lifted, though she wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because she had finally gotten everything off of her chest, or maybe it was because Charlie didn’t turn away from her. Yet Vaggie still apologized, all the same, feeling like she could never make up for her time as a working exorcist, despite everything she did afterwards to redeem herself.
Charlie smiled brightly at her, the soft glow in her eyes only growing. “Vaggie,” she began, her voice full of emotion, “You may not have realized it, but I only came this far because of you. If it weren’t for you, heaven probably wouldn’t even be on my side right now, and I’d just have to get as many sinners to join the hotel as possible before the next extermination.”
“No,” Vaggie added almost too quickly. Charlie tilted her head in confusion so Vaggie was quick to continue. “Even if I wasn’t there, heaven still would have been on your side. All I did was remind the seraphim of what she already knew. She would’ve come around eventually.”
Charlie just smiled warmly. “I’m still very thankful for you. It doesn’t matter what *might’ve* happened if you weren’t there, because you were, and I think that’s something worth mentioning.”
Before Vaggie realized what the princess was doing, Charlie leaned forward and pressed a chaste peck to her cheek, the gesture so quick that it almost knocked the breath from Vaggie’s lungs.
Vaggie’s face turned a faint yellow, heat flooding her cheeks as she stuttered, completely at a loss for words. Her heart raced as she tried to find the right response. She couldn’t — she didn’t know what to say.
Charlie just giggled. “Let’s go,” she said brightly, standing up and offering a hand to Vaggie. “We can pick out a room for you!”
Vaggie’s eyes followed her, still dazed and her heart still racing. With a nervous smile, she took Charlie’s hand, letting the princess pull her to her feet.
Over the next few months, Vaggie found herself growing more and more comfortable around the princess, not that she was ever uncomfortable anyway. The hotel had become their shared project, with Vaggie putting as much effort into it as Charlie had.
The guests' activities, initially a jumble of ideas that Charlie would think up on the spot, slowly started to take shape with Charlie's vision, and Vaggie right there beside her, lending an ear or sharing her thoughts when she felt it was necessary.
They spent so much time together, often being side by side for the majority of the day as Charlie bounced ideas off her, claiming that she did her best brainstorming when Vaggie was nearby.
Vaggie couldn't argue with that logic, though. She didn't mind being close to Charlie at all. The feeling of standing together, of working side by side in the glow of the dim flickering hotel lights, felt... right. She often found herself smiling without realizing it, watching Charlie's excited movements, the way her hands fluttered when she was on a roll.
There was something so comforting about Charlie’s company, the unspoken warmth that filled the air when they worked in harmony.
As time went on, there were small moments that Vaggie began to cherish, like the way Charlie would walk her to the portal every time she had to go back to Heaven for her report. It became a routine, one that Vaggie came to look forward to every two weeks. Every time, Charlie would stand by her side, a quiet sadness in her eyes as the moment to part came closer.
The first time Vaggie had to leave, Charlie seemed almost heartbroken. Her face faltered for a moment when the portal appeared. Vaggie felt her chest tighten, unsure how to handle the look on Charlie's face.
"I'll be back soon, I promise," Vaggie reassured her, not sure why it felt so important to say. It was silly, but she wanted Charlie to know that this wasn’t like the first time she was taken away, that she'd always come back.
Charlie blinked at her, then slowly nodded, her eyes softening. “Okay, I’ll be waiting.”
Since then, every time Vaggie left, Charlie would walk her to the portal. She always made sure to see her off, her hand lingering in Vaggie’s.
Vaggie couldn’t deny it — the warmth of those moments, the way Charlie held on just a little longer than needed, made her heart swell.
One evening, Vaggie caught Charlie asleep at her desk, papers strewn around her as the princess’s soft snores filled the silence. Charlie’s head rested on her arms, her blonde hair free from its bands, falling messily around her face.
For a moment, Vaggie considered leaving her be, but the thought of leaving her there to rest under the hotel’s freezing air conditioning didn’t sit right with her.
Quietly, she retrieved a blanket from a nearby couch and draped it gently over Charlie. As she turned to walk away, Charlie’s hand shot out, grabbing her arm with surprising strength.
"Wait," she murmured, her voice groggy yet warm, shifting her hold from Vaggie’s arm to her hand. "Don’t go."
Vaggie froze, a bright blush rising to her face, but turned back around to face her with a soft reassuring smile. “You can go back to sleep, princess, it’s okay.”
Charlie’s eyes fluttered open, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. “I wasn’t sleeping.” Vaggie gave her an unconvinced look. “I was just resting my eyes, really! But wanna help me finish brainstorming?”
Vaggie’s heart skipped at how cute Charlie looked in that moment. The way she still had that soft, sleepy look in her eyes that Vaggie kept getting lost in.
"Finish brainstorming?" Vaggie raised an eyebrow. "You were sleeping literally five seconds ago, princess."
Charlie just waved it off, and rather than answering, she just urged Vaggie to sit in the chair next to hers — showing all of her previously written ideas.
Vaggie shook her head fondly. The princess was something else. Vaggie couldn’t help but swoon.
Charlie walked Vaggie to the area where the portal usually showed up, holding some of her papers for her.
“Oh! Did you remember to write down that Sir Pentious *didn’t* blow up any part of the hotel this time?” She asked, resting her head on Vaggie’s shoulder.
Vaggie chucked, muttering an “mhm” and pointed to a bullet point. She worded it as “Decrease in violent tendencies in guest ‘Sir Pentious’.” Charlie nodded, agreeing it sounded much better when said like that.
The air thickened, and a bright, blinding light erupted in front of them, the portal arrived.
“Wait,” Charlie called, as Vaggie looked towards the portal, forcing her to look back at her. “Did you remember to add that Alastor hasn’t terrorized sinners, or as many sinners as he used to—”
“Charlie,” Vaggie cupped Charlie’s cheek, shutting her up immediately. She seemed like she had to lean up a little to reach, so Charlie instinctively leaned down a little closer to her height. “You’ve done more than enough, trust me, the report looks great.”
Charlie frowned, leaning into the comfort of Vaggie’s angelic hand. “Okay… I’m just worried that heaven won’t think these are, you know, big accomplishments. What if they’re looking for more?”
Vaggie’s thumb only rubbed against Charlie’s face, chuckling like she just knew everything was going to be okay, like worrying was the silliest thing in the world. “I promise it’ll be okay, Charlie. These things take time, and we’ve been making lots of progress. Heaven will see that too.”
Charlie had no idea how someone could be so comforting, making her worries ease away like they weren’t ever there. Vaggie must’ve noticed the effect her words had on her, because her lips twisted into a full grin, and her cheeks turning a faint yellow – Charlie had learned that it meant she was blushing, having originally thought she was sick or going pale. Charlie rested a hand on the underside of Vaggie’s elbow, her gaze lingering on Vaggie’s lips, her smile. Some little voice in the back of her head urging her to just lean in and—
The portal’s faint hum buzzed a little louder, as if urging Vaggie to just go in already, much to Charlie’s disappointment.
Vaggie’s hand slid from the side of Charlie’s face to under her chin as she walked backwards towards the portal, a fond smile in her eyes that nearly drove Charlie insane. Charlie could barely fight the urge to follow her back into heaven, could hardly even stop herself from chasing after her touch, her chin following Vaggie’s hand to just feel her angelic warmth for even a second more.
Vaggie began turning around towards the portal, walking through. "See you later, Charlie."
Charlie could only wave back awkwardly, a lovesick smile plastered across her face. She couldn't deny her growing feelings for Vaggie. Or, maybe “growing” wasn’t the best way to describe it. It was as if the feelings she felt for her all of those years ago never really faded, just went on pause then came back in full force the second she heard Vaggie’s voice when she defended her case to the heavenly council.
Her heart had grown soft for the angel — but another organ refused to.
The growing tent between Charlie’s legs was evident, she hoped to any entity on her side that Vaggie hadn’t noticed it before she stepped through the portal.