Chapter Text
For the first week, Charlie insisted that her father was bluffing about leaving.
Then his key appeared on the front desk. The Princess used it to open the apple tower and peered in. “Dad?” she called out. But the room was dark, and when she found a light, she found it clean and devoid of ducks.
Alastor manifested behind her, his hands clasped behind his back as usual. “It starts with sorry!” he taunted in a sing-song voice.
During the second week, Charlie started to notice how hard it was to keep up with repairs on the hotel. She groaned and looked out a broken window. “Who’s gonna fix this?”
“Dear Charlotte,” Alastor said as he strolled by. “Had you not noticed it was your father who was doing this for you? Perhaps you’ll notice what he was doing when you have to live without it.”
During the third week, Charlie called her father from the lounge. She was relieved to hear him pick up immediately, but his voice was more subdued than normal. “Hey, Char,” he said flatly.
“Dad, I wanted to apologize.”
The king was silent, and Charlie continued. “I’d been taking you for granted. You’ve done so much for me that I didn’t appreciate the effort you put in. You’ve been so much better than I gave you credit for, and I wanted to say I’m sorry for–for demanding so much of you. And I’m so, so sorry you got hurt.”
Lucifer paused. Charlie awkwardly filled the silence. “Are…are you ok now?”
“Um, yeah. Um. Thank you, Charlie. It wasn’t your fault I got hurt. You’re still my daughter, you know? I love you and nothing you could ever do will change that. I–I’ll help you if you need anything, ok? My phone’s always on for you. And, don’t worry, the cash is still going to your account. I wasn’t going to cut you off.”
Charlie smiled a bit as Angel Dust entered the room and sat across from her, opening his phone to check his texts.
“When are you coming back to the hotel, Dad?”
“Is that Short King?” Angel asked, excited. He cupped his hand to his mouth and called out like a cheerleader, loud enough for Lucifer to hear him through the phone. “We miss you, Big Daddy!”
Charlie smirked and rolled her eyes. “Angel misses you,” she confirmed. “And I do, too. Can you come back soon?”
Silence, as though Lucifer was caught in a complex thought. “I–well–you see…” he stammered. “I still have the spell. So, if Vox is there, me being there would push him out, you know? We can’t be in the same building, basically. Or within a mile of each other.”
“Vox isn’t here!” Charlie insisted.
“Ok. Char-char, I’d be happy to visit and help you fix some things. How about Saturday morning?”
“No, I–” Charlie stammed, too. “I wanted you to stay.”
…
“...you do?”
“Yes, please, I promise I’ll never give you an ultimatum or try to kick you out again!”
Another pause. “I’ll think about it, Ducky,” he said. “But it’s ok if you’ve already reassigned the Apple tower. If you have some sinner you prefer, they can stay. Plus, I’ve been getting a little busy with the sins.”
Despite the somewhat fruitful conversation, it was not enough to get Lucifer to come back to the Hotel.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
“Something on your mind, Lu?” Asked Angel Dust as the pair walked the gardens of the mansion.
“I have an awkward question,” the king replied, looking down at the red and yellow marigolds lining the pathway.
“I have an awkward answer,” the spider joked.
Lucifer smirked and continued. “You’ve had a lot of…successful relationships, like, friends and family too, right?”
“Weird way to put it, but yeah, I’m Mr. Popular.”
Lucifer put his hands behind his back to mitigate fidgeting. “Could you give me a read–and, I’m not asking you to make a formal statement, I’m not asking you to take a side or boycott anything!”
Angel nodded. “What are you asking?”
“Can you tell me–what you thought of what happened with Charlie in the kitchen? And the other stuff I told you about? I–I just want to know because…I know everyone makes mistakes and it’s good to be forgiving. And I know there are times when I’m being too sensitive. But can you tell me if…if it’s normal for people to do those things? Because if they are, ok, I understand. I’ll go back to the hotel and forget about it, and I’ll expect it regularly from everyone or most people. If something upsets me, I’ll deal with it as a ‘me’ problem. That’s ok, I’ll understand that I have to move through this world with the knowledge that this is how people treat each other. I’m already – well, Al says ‘anxious’ but I say ‘careful’ – about a lot of things, so that’s just one more thing to be careful about.
But if you think it was out of line, then, well, I’ll respond differently.”
Angel nodded as they moved through the garden. “I’ll never know everything that happened or when and why and how and if you should forgive her. Or how much forgiveness she'll get. But if you just want to know if her expectations of you were normal: they’re not. You don't gotta get used to that kinda exploitation.”
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During the fourth week, Charlie noticed Alastor was showing up less and less.
After five weeks, she noticed him regularly wearing red and yellow marigolds in his jacket pocket.
After six weeks, Alastor handed her the key to his room. “I’ve found myself with other accommodations,” he said. “Thank you for your time and hospitality, Charlotte. I’m sure we’ll see each other.”
With no Alastor to keep them there, Husk and Nifty left the hotel.
Without Nifty, Baxter left.
Without Husk, Angel left.
Without Angel, Cherri left.
Activity hours were reduced and floors closed as they got too dirty and broken to be habitable. Charlie scrambled to find someone to take over their duties, but they fell to the wayside. The bar closed, and Charlie had to assign chores to the residents, resulting in many of them leaving.
Without Lucifer’s spells keeping away the people who had attacked him in the past, some particularly nasty demons arrived, and more fights broke out than what was manageable. Frustratingly, the sinners who left were the ones Charlie felt were closest to redemption. It was as though a keystone species had disappeared, leaving the ecosystem to slowly devolve into chaos.
Charlie’s positive attitude was being challenged every day by the abnormally cruel and violent sinners in her midst, and more than once she found herself unleashing her demon form and streaming at some of the residents to get the fuck out, as they stabbed and assaulted each other.
Exasperated, Charlie called her father on the phone again.
“Hi Char, how can I help you?”
“Hey, Dad,” she began. “I have a question.”
“Shoot.”
“Why don’t you want to stay here any more?”
“Do you need me to?”
“I…want you here.”
“OK, I can find a way to come back if you need me, but you have to know that if I undo the spell and let the–the sinners that warranted the ban–if I’m staying in the same building as them, there could be issues that hurt you. They’ll–they’ll come for me, Charlie, they’ll break down doors and bring in weapons and create issues for you. And if they can’t get to me, they’ll threaten you. And that’s the last thing I want. I don’t–I just don’t know what to do,” he stammered, looking for a solution.
Somewhere in her mind, Charlie had expected her father to beg her to let him come back, and here it was almost the other way around. It started to sink in how much it hurt to have someone you love hesitate to be around you.
“The first time you built the apple tower and I asked you to stay, you were so excited. What changed? What made you want to stay here so badly before?”
Lucifer thought, searching for the words. “I–I was excited to help you, Charlie. To spend time with you and support you and to see your smile. And, I mean, I’m so glad I got to do that sometimes. I’ll never regret the time I got to spend with you for a while. But at some point it felt like I wasn’t helping you.”
Charlie wiped away a tear, too silent to hear any sniffling over the phone. “But you were helping me.”
A beat of silence.
“It didn’t feel like it.”
·· ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
Charlie fell onto the bed in her and Vaggi’s room, face-first, with an exasperated groan. “This is so messed up.”
“I’ll say,” Vaggi added absentmindedly as she examined something on a bookshelf. “It’s amazing how long it must have taken to make this, and it just broke in, what, a second?”
Charlie lifted her head. “Well, it’s been a few months–oh!” As she turned her head, she saw Vaggi running her hands over the designs on the music box her Dad had tried to give her. Charlie’s heart wrenched in guilt. “I was talking about the hotel,” she added. “I think it’s my fault. I pushed Dad away again, and it just had this domino effect ruining everything!”
Vaggi nodded and carried the box over to the bed. She put it on the mattress beside her and turned the key in the back. As she released it, it played the song, and Charlie sat up. “You know,” Vaggi offered, “It can take a long time to build something, and a short time to break it, and even longer to fix it.”
“Are we talking about the box?”
“We could be talking about lots of things. How about your relationship with your dad?”
“I already said I was sorry. It didn’t work.”
“Hmm,” Vaggi said, tapping her finger on her chin and looking up as though deep in thought. “I thought you said ‘it starts with sorry.’”
“Well, what do I do next?”
“I’m not sure, Babe. It’s going to take some work and some time, but I know in his heart your dad wants nothing more than to be there for you. The only reason he’d stay away is if he thought that’s what you wanted.”
“I told him I wanted him to come back.”
Vaggi shrugged. “Maybe he didn’t believe you.”
“How do I make him believe me?”
Vaggi laid down with her hands behind her head. “You know, I think being used as a battery for Vox’s machine impacted him more than he’d admit.”
Charlie laid beside Vaggi, curled on her side. “I never thought about that.”
“Aside from the literal torture, I wondered if it made him feel like some kind of tool. Like something to be used and exploited, rather than a person. Maybe you could try talking to him more like a person, and less like a source of power to fix your projects.”
“And that will get him back?”
“I think the only way to get him back is to let him know you care regardless of whether he has something to give you. See if you can help him. Don’t force anything, and make sure he feels safe around you and the hotel. And, if he comes back, don’t lose him again. You have to be a little more careful what you say and do around him. I get the sense he has a lot of triggers.”
Charlie reached out to touch the broken box. “Do you believe I can fix this?”
Vaggi sighed. “I do. But it will be different.” The fallen exorcist turned toward Charlie. “If anyone is worth forgiving, it’s you. He loves you, babe. He wants to make it work. More than anything.”
·· ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
One day, Charlie met up with Alastor for lunch at a nearby cafe. After small talk, she maneuvered to her important questions.
“So…how’s dad?”
Alastor wiped his mouth politely. “He seems a little busy with some legal work with the sins, but he makes time to socialize with them, too. They are quite a group of characters!”
“That’s good to hear,” Charlie responded politely, but her heart pumped. If Lucifer was going back to work with the sins, he wouldn’t be so desperate to stay with Charlie anymore. “Do you think I should do something to make it up to him?”
Alastor's smile grew slightly and he cleared his throat. “If you're looking for his forgiveness, you've long had it," he explained. "That man would do anything for you if he believed you really, really wanted or needed it. But if you are looking to atone for your own redemption, take a note from the sinners who have ascended: they had to account for their original sin. What was your original sin?”
Charlie answered quickly. “I scared him by yelling too much and grabbing him the way mom used to. And, I guess I didn’t thank him for the way he helped me.”
Alastor nodded. “I think there might have been more to it, but you should ask him. I see it this way. Current status notwithstanding, you’ve done amazing things with this hotel. And you believe that part of that is accepting everyone into the redemption program. But how important is universal admission to you in the scheme of things? Would you feel that bad if one or two of the most difficult sinners were…deprioritized over other concerns?”
Charlie thought for a moment. “Well, opening salvation to everyone is important to me.”
Alastor nodded. “And your father’s safety is important to him. And, let me be clear, he is in significant danger wherever he cannot use his protection magic. He only pushes away those who have actively and severely harmed him, enough that, given the chance, I would happily slaughter these people permanently.”
“So,” Alastor continued, “We are at an impasse if you won’t compromise on this. But Charlotte, is his safety important to you? If you wouldn’t…allow some temporary limitations on one teensy, tiny part of your goal, then you are saying Lucifer’s safety, security, mental health, and even perhaps his life are less than a teensy, tiny concern to you.”
·· ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
Lucifer brought the lunch sandwiches and water glasses to the garden table where Alastor was sitting and pulling off his gardening gloves. “Thank you, dear,” The Radio Demon said as Lucifer sat down to join him, smiling.
Lucifer’s phone rang and he pulled it from his pocket, frowning slightly at seeing who was calling, and quickly answering. “Charlie?” he said quickly. “Are you ok?”
“Yes, fine! Just calling to check in,” she responded. Alastor raised an eyebrow as he watched the conversation.
“Oh,” Lucifer replied, relieved. “Oh, well, I haven’t heard any news from Heaven about your hotel, if that’s what you mean?”
“No, no, I’m just checking in with you. I was wondering if you wanted to meet up soon?”
“Of course!” Lucifer said, a little bit of pep returning to his voice, making Alastor’s expression grow fond. “What did you need me to fix? I found a way to temporarily disable the spell for you, as long as I’m not there too long, and as long as no one knows I'm there. I’ll be over right after lunch!”
“No, nothing to fix, and you can keep the spell on. You were right, it’s not great having the worst of the worst around. I got rid of the sinners who had previously been kept at bay by your magic. It’s safer for everyone that way.”
Lucifer looked up at Alastor, eyes wide with surprise. “You did?”
“Yes, and I’m sorry I didn’t trust you about that. I’m–I’m working on my own redemption, here, and I promise I won’t disregard you and your feelings like I did before. Anything you need to keep safe is fine with me.”
Lucifer put a hand to his chest. “Thank you, Charlie…that means a lot! But you don’t have to change anything for little old me. I’ll still help you, either way.”
“Thanks Dad. I’m thankful you’re always so willing to help. But, really, that’s not what I called for. I was just wondering if you wanted to do something fun together soon? Maybe Lulu World Saturday morning? Or, didn’t you say there was a duck pond over in Sloth?”
Lucifer looked absently at the table. “You want to go to Lulu World?”
“If you want to,” Charlie replied.
Lucifer put a hand to his mouth and looked up at Alastor. He wanted so badly to hope. Alastor gave him an encouraging smile and quietly mouthed the words, “go for it. You’ll have fun together.”
Lucifer grinned. “Yeah! Yeah, absolutely! I’ll get the tickets and text you ASAP!”
“Thanks! Can’t wait. And…I love you, Dad.”
Tears welled in Lucifer’s eyes, and he tried to keep the emotion from cracking his voice. “I love you too, Duckling. I can’t wait to see you again.”
After their conversation, Lucifer sat back and looked out at the plants in the garden. If you squinted, it almost looked like Eden.
In his heart, there was a nagging reminder that hope had so often led to pain.
But, he thought as he looked over to Alastor, who looked back with a smile, all the best things in his life had come from hope, too.
His relationship with Charlie hadn’t been shattered. It was damaged, but repairable. Or, still functional, in a way. The music box still played. A trip to LuLu World is just a small step, anyway. What’s more, Charlie was important.
Charlie’s love was tumultuous, but if anyone was worth redeeming, it was her.
She was worth hoping for.