Chapter Text
Alastor led the way through the trees, following the well trodden path under them. Charlie was in awe, and Alastor was pleased to be able to show off this aspect of his powers and the little slice of his human life he'd conjured.
Just behind the line of trees from the glen, the landscape shifted and changed. The lush grass wasn't as vibrant in the shade of the trees, flowers became more scarce, replaced by thick bushes and sprouting mushrooms. The overgrowth on the ground spilled over a slight drop into a narrow stretch of river. The sound of the water babbling over pebbles was muted but noticeable in the quiet of the still forest. Even more plants and trees sprouted up from within the water itself.
Opening his mouth to speak, Alastor hesitated when he saw something dark flit across the path ahead of him. A faint shadow darted forwards in the same direction they were walking, quickly disappearing past the treeline. Charlie didn't seem to have noticed it, captivated by the flow of water from the small stream just off to the side of where they were walking, so Alastor kept quiet. He wasn't going to bring it up to her until he knew what was going on in regards to the shadow.
It was only a short walk before the trees started to become more spare again. The stream widened, melding seamlessly into a large expanse of lake. Small bright fireflies hovered around the waters edge, the trees rustled overhead in the slight breeze, and the dirt path they'd been walking on led straight to an old dock, connected to a small rustic looking log cabin.
“Welcome to my home away from home.” Alastor announced fondly. Despite the fact he'd been here numerous times since his death, it still hit him to be surrounded by such a familiar sight. In his little illusion he could almost forget he was in literal Hell.
“Woah.” Charlie stared in awe, stepping forward on her own to take in the sights of things she might never have seen before. “Al this is…”
“It's something alright, isn't it?” Alastor didn't know what the rings of Hell contained, but he couldn't imagine any of them would compare to the Louisiana bayou in the autumn. The water was partly covered in leaves, colours ranging from brilliant green to rich red, and every colour in between. The cabin looked so cozy; the windows illuminated by a flickering light that Alastor knew belonged to the old oil lamps he would burn once the sky started to get dark.
“The view's much better from the cabin. Come on, I'll make up some coffee while we talk.” Alastor smiled, walking ahead, assuming that she'd follow behind him as he made his way towards the hunting lodge.
“If this place is a hunting lodge. There's not going to be, uh… Animal parts inside, is there?” She asked, clearly trying to be polite, even if she sounded a little concerned.
“Heaven's no. This is where we sleep when we're hunting. The worst thing we have in here is antlers and a deerskin rug.” Alastor laughed, imagining how it would go if he brought the sweet princess into a literal abattoir after saying it was his home away from home. “The tanning and processing shed is over there in the distance, you can just about make it out through the trees.”
Alastor pointed out into the distance where a slither of a much smaller, much more shabby and handbuilt looking structure was poking between the trees. It was far enough away to seem like it was completely unrelated to the little cabin in front of them.
He paused with his hand on the doorknob when he noticed his shadow, it was perfectly normal looking right now, but something still felt off about the way it pooled under the crack in the door.
“Why don't you keep taking in the view while I prepare coffee?” Alastor said, keeping his voice bright and cheery to not worry her.
“Yeah, okay. If you're sure you don't want my help?” Charlie smiled, seeming to not think it was an unusual request, turning back to step closer to the edge of the dock and look out over the water.
“I'll only be a moment.” Alastor said as he quickly slipped inside the cabin. He moved on auto pilot to place the family photos facedown, he didn't like to look at photos with his father in, but he physically couldn't summon this place without them. After placing down the first one, the dark shadow moved ahead of him and knocked down the rest, seeming to hover over one for a moment longer, before melting back into the floor. One of the frames was a bit close to the edge of the cabinet and fell to the floor with a dull clatter.
“What are you?” Alastor whispered quietly, trying not to alert Charlie that anything unusual was happening inside. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to be malicious at least, but it didn't seem to want to be perceived by him either.
Reaching down to pick up the photoframe, Alastor noticed that the corner of the rug had folded up, revealing a couple of the veves of the sigil underneath. He quickly covered it back up in case Charlie noticed and asked about it, accidently cutting his finger on a shard of glass in the process.
Hissing from the slight sting, Alastor stuck his finger in his mouth to stem the flow of golden blood, while he picked up the photo from the broken frame.
The frame contained one of his favourite photos of him and his mother, it was just a shame that his father was also present. Covering his father with his thumb, he smiled down at the black and white image.
.
The kettle made a sound as it boiled by itself, and Alastor jumped in surprise, before sighing and pinching between his eyes. For the shadow to exist even here, in his illusion brought to life, it only confirmed to Alastor that it was something to do with whatever was happening to him since he'd been in Hell. He folded the picture and put it in his waistcoat pocket, before turning to continue brewing the coffee.
He kept an eye out for any other sightings, but his shadow was back to being a perfectly normal absence of light against the wall. He made up 2 mugs of coffee, hoping he remembered how Charlie liked it because he forgot to double check.
When he left the cabin, Charlie was perched on the edge of the dock, dangling her legs over the edge and seemingly deep in thought.
“Penny for your thoughts, darling?” Alastor asked gently, not wanting to make her jump and accidentally fall into the water.
Charlie did jump, but only slightly before laughing sheepishly. “Sorry, got a little carried away trying to think. It's actually really relaxing here, I can see why you'd like it so much.” She happily accepted the mug of coffee as he came to sit next to her.
After a few moments of comfortable silence, Charlie took a sip of the coffee and made an appreciative noise. “Why does this taste so good?”
“A little Louisiana secret.” Alastor chuckled, knowing that chicory root wasn't exactly common outside of New Orleans. “I'll brew it at the hotel more often if you like.” He promised, happy to get to share some of his home comforts with others.
“It's really good,” Charlie assured, brightening up at the idea of Alastor making it more often. She looked like she wanted to ask something, but changed her mind. Instead she said, “You didn't live here though, did you?”
“Ha! No, my mamman and I had a quaint little townhouse in the city. But I did come out here a lot. I used to come here when I needed time to myself, or to think without being bothered by anyone,” Alastor hummed around his coffee, he could feel his ears drooping into a relaxed state, it had been awhile since he felt he could let his guard down this much. “But enough about me. I got the impression that you wanted to ask me something?”
“Right.” Charlie took a deep breath, bringing up one of her legs and leaning back on the dock, her expression turning more serious. “I wanted to know if you could, maybe ask the seraphim if I could meet with her directly? Wait! Before you say anything, I just need to go above Adam, since I doubt he even told them about what we discussed, and I'm sure I can still get through to someone up there!”
Alastor listened to her getting flustered and worked up, before letting out a slow breath. “Charlie, I really don't have that kind of sway. I'm not supposed to be here, remember? I've been forbidden from being involved, and Sera has even kept this a secret from her fellow Seraphim.”
“But! What about the Seraphim that helped us before? Emily, was it? I'm sure she'd be willing to help us get a meeting!” Charlie asked, her voice soft and full of hope.
“Miss Emily is risking a lot just by keeping our little secret. If Sera even suspects she's going behind her back to help us, Emily would be in danger. Potentially danger of falling. It's too risky, I can't ask that of her. Same for my mother,” Alastor frowned, wishing there was something more he could do to help up. “They'd both need a reason to request a meeting, that wouldn't be suspicious. How did Hell get the meeting with Adam to begin with?”
“I guess Heaven just contacts my dad directly? Everything always goes through him… Not that he actually cares about our people.” Charlie added bitterly, sounding tired and annoyed at the apparent lack of support from her father.
“Would he at least try to contact them if you asked?” Alastor asked, still curious about Lucifer, and what he was really like. So far the only impression he got was that he was an absent father who didn't support his child's dreams. He tried not to let his own feelings about absent and dismissive father figures cloud his judgment, trying to keep a bit of an open mind until he could meet the literal devil himself.
“No? Urgh, I don't know! He calls me now and then, but usually only if wants something. The only reason I went to the meeting with Adam in the first place was because he didn't want to go… I just don't think he'd be a reliable source of help.” Charlie huffed, clearly troubled about her relationship with Lucifer.
“Okay. Then we keep him as a last resort. I assume Vaggie has asked you to talk to him too?” Alastor guessed, figuring that's probably where all this came from, and why she seemed nervous for no one to have seen her come into his room tonight. He wasn't surprised when she gave a short nod in confirmation. Alastor wasn't going to push her if she was uncomfortable trying to reconnect with her father. He understood that feeling all too well. “I'm afraid we really don't have many options. But maybe I could run it by my mother tomorrow night? See if she has any ideas?” He suggested.
“Thanks, Alastor. I really do appreciate what you're doing here. I just worry about asking too much of you. All of this is my problem to solve, not yours.” Charlie sighed, putting her mug down to wrap her arms around her legs, looking down into the lake instead of at the angel.
The silence stretched between them awkwardly, neither really knowing what to say to bring back the more lighthearted atmosphere they had before. The bayou was great for clearing your head, but it could trap you in your own thoughts too, with little here to distract you from your own mind.
“You know. The lake is much prettier at night.” Alastor mused, leaning back on his hands and giving a lazy smile. Maybe a slight change of scenery could help pull the princess out of her melancholy mood?
Charlie rubbed at her eyes, even though she hadn't been crying. “You can do that?”
“Of course. I remember how it looks in the dark more than the day if I'm being honest.” He chuckled, glancing up at the twilight sky. He closed his eyes and focused his magic, being able to tell it was getting darker even behind his eyelids, until he heard a soft gasp from beside him. Peeking open his eye with a smirk, he noticed that Charlie was no longer hunched over herself, but leaning forward on the dock.
The pale moonlight danced across the water in shimmering patterns, reflecting light around the edges, illuminating the trees and vegetation with flickering light. The dim glow of the fireflies shone even brighter against the dark, drawing lazy patterns in the air around them.
Alastor held a hand out to watch the light from one of the pseudo-bugs dance around his fingers with a smile. “I used to catch lightning bugs like these in jars when I was a child. Used them as a nightlight, then let them go in the morning” He hummed, letting the nostalgia wash away any lingering doubts of if this was a good idea or not.
Charlie smiled, and there was a silent acknowledgement in her eyes that let Alastor know she saw when he was doing, and she was thankful for it.
“Come on. The views, better from the roof.” Alastor grinned, getting to his feet and holding out his hands for Charlie to take. Before she could ask what he meant, he flapped his wings and pulled her into the air with him.
Charlie yelped in surprise as she was pulled off the ground, “Al! Some warning would have been nice.” Her words quickly melted into a giggle as Alastor flew her into the air, swinging her playfully over the lake by her hands.
“Now where would the fun be in giving you a chance to say no?” Alastor teased, his own laughter bubbling out of him, feeling a little silly now he'd successfully lifted the somber atmosphere that had overcome them.
Alastor didn’t use his angelic wings often, not really having the need to, or feeling the urge to soar above everyone else like some winners did. But the motions were instinctual, as if he'd always had them and known how to use them.
He didn't keep them in the air for long, before he flew backwards until their feet could touch the wooden shingles of the cabin, finally letting go of Charlie's hands so she could stand on her own.
There was already a tarp and a lantern on the gently slooped roof, showing that this wasn't a new or uncommon place for him to sit.
“Without wings, I used to have to climb that tree and drop down.” Alastor said with a grin, nodding to a nearby tree. “My ma used to have a fit when she found me up here, thinking I was going to break my neck. But it was worth it for the view.”
Charlie smiled, settling down on the tarp and agreeing with Alastor about the view. From up here you could see much further across the lake and through the trees. The hut he pointed out earlier was now fully in view, as well as a small clearing nearby that was scorched, clearly being used for some kind of bonfire judging by the ring of stones with wood piled in the centre.
Looking up, Charlie's smile faded slightly in confusion. “There aren't any stars.” She realised, looking up into the sky that was empty apart from the moon and a few distant and static clouds.
“No. I'm afraid I never was any good at remembering the constellations. Definitely not enough to project them in the sky.” Alastor sighed, feeling bittersweet about that himself. “The stars in heaven aren't the same, and I expired so long ago, I can't picture them anymore.”
“You can't just, make some up? Even if they aren't right?” Charlie asked curiously, not sure how exactly his powers worked.
“That's not how it works. I think you're father and the lord itself are the only ones who can create something out of nothing at all.” Alastor chuckled, shaking his head. “No. I'm afraid all I can do is create, hmm what did Emily call it? Ah yes! A ‘bubble’. Memories turned corporeal. It's no different to the radios I summoned, or the bar downstairs really.”
Charlie's face was painted by surprise and then understanding as she looked back over the lake and scenery with a new-found curiosity. “I thought you just recreated somewhere familiar. I didn't realise these were your actual memories.” She said softly, her voice taking on a new tone of appreciation for everything around her.
“Mmmhmm. Look a little closer and the illusion is broken. This place is as close to the real thing as I can get, but it'll never be perfect.” Alastor admitted, not seeming terribly upset about it. “A close facsimile of reality, but nothing in it is actually alive.”
Now that Alastor mentioned it, Charlie could see what he meant. There was a gentle breeze, but the trees swayed in perfectly repetitive motions. The fireflies were just specks of light, not actual insects. Outside of their immediate area, the horizon seemed to flatten, as if it was a highly detailed backdrop in an old movie.
“The stronger the memories attached to it, the more real I can make something.” Alastor explained with a lazy smile. He liked to be able to show off his abilities to people who appreciated them, and Charlie was so reactive that nothing was held back. “The radios I summon are the first model I purchased with my own paycheck. And the bar? Well, that bar could tell some tales, I'll tell you that. The little lady who owned it is probably still cutting it up down here I'd imagine. She was a riot, but always in with a bad crowd… Heh, now I'm just rambling, aren't I?”
“No. It's nice to hear things that bring you so much joy. Memories are precious, and they're often the things we hold onto the most when things change around us.” Charlie said in a bittersweet tone of voice that spoke volumes that she was speaking from experience. “But, if this place means so much to you. Why doesn't the bubble start here? Why the clearing in the forest?”
“Unfortunatly that is my strongest memory, and it overrides any others I have of the bayou. So I use that as a focus and work outward from there.” It was Alastor's turn for his smile to turn bittersweet, debating whether to say anything at all, or refuse to elaborate. After a moment he exhaled heavily and glanced in the direction they had come from. From here you can barely see those flowers. A half truth would be safer. “It's where my memories come to an end. Where everything came to an end for me.”
Everything in more ways than one. Two separate events, both signaling the end of a life, and in the exact same location. The fact he died within feet of the unmarked grave of his father was a bitter poetic irony. Fate really did have a twisted sense of humour.
“I am so sorry. I didn't… I wouldn't have said anything if I'd-”
“It's quite alright, I came to terms with my demise a long, long time ago. It was probably partly my fault anyway. I was out without a Lucifer -Heh- without a light, that is.” Alastor couldn't help but chuckle at that turn of phrase, especially given his present company, who also seemed to find it amusing. “I didn't realise hunting season had started, though strictly speaking no hunters should have been out that late without a light either. I guess I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, and the hunter mistook me for prey.”
He'd been drinking that night, and feeling down and bitter, had gone to visit the grave. He's not even sure why. Maybe he'd gone to curse out the man for everything he did? Or maybe he was just feeling a little melancholy and wanted to wallow with his sin. Either way, it had been the last decision he'd ever make.
Alastor subconsciously ran a hand through his hair, his bangs unintentionally parting enough to give Charlie a brief view of the death mark above the place between his eyes.
“When I arrived outside the gates of heaven, My mother was there waiting for me besides St.Peter.” Alastor said with a more genuine smile at the memory. “All in all, I'm sure many had a worse experience than I did. I didn't feel a thing, and got to reunite with my dearly departed mother in heaven.”
Charlie listened with her own bittersweet smile, hearing Alastor focusing more on the positive sides than his actual death, which was probably extremely rare compared to sinners recounting their death.
“Is your mom a deer too? Or is that related to the hunting thing?” Charlie asked with a soft smile.
“Yeah, that's something we share. It was always a bit of a family joke. Her name is Dorothy, but she prefers Doe, as in a female Deer. So growing up she'd call me ‘her little fawn’, and I suppose it now fits.” Alastor said, his cheeks flushed slightly golden at admitting to the sickly sweet nickname.
“Awww!” Charlie's eyes were wide and shining with cute aggression, and Alastor just laughed. Charlie's grin was so wide when she spoke next. “I wish I could meet your mom. She sounds great.”
“If we manage to get you up to heaven, I'd be happy to introduce you. I'd warn you though, she can be a lot.” Alastor chuckled, knowing full well that Charlie was also a lot. He just hoped that they calmed each other down instead of hyping each other up, he's not sure he could handle both of them being over excited at the same time.
Suddenly remembering, Alastor took out the photo from earlier, carefully folding the side to hide his father from the image. “It's old, but she hasn't changed that much.” He smiled, showing it to Charlie.
In the photo Alastor was sitting on a chair in the centre of the frame, much younger than he was now, only a young teenager. He had a wide smile that hadn't changed much over the years. His hair was a mess of dark curls on his head, spilling over one of his bright eyes, which were framed with large round glasses. Behind his right shoulder, leaning down close to him, was his mother. She wore a softer smile, and her longer curls framed her round face perfectly. She was smartly dressed, with a flower-shaped fastener visible in her dark hair.
Alastor rubbed his thumb across the image and, with a flicker of thought, the image shifted into colour. The deep browns of their hair came alive, Doe’s darker skin colour contrasting with Alastor's more tan complexion. There was a paler hand on Alastor's other shoulder, the only hint of someone else being in the photo. If Charlie noticed, she didn't comment on it.
.
“Is that you?” Charlie asked with a huge grin, trying to take the photo for a better look, but Alastor didn't let it go, so she leaned in instead. “Oh my god, you were adorable! I always wonder how different people looked when they were still alive.”
Alastor could only imagine how little Charlie actually knew about the living world, and how different it was to Hell. Alastor was learning the differences between heaven and Hell, but he at least had a foundation about how all types of humanity worked. She'd presumably only met the worst of humanity.
“I don't have many photos of me much older than this. I was never one for photographs, and I was the only one making use of this place for many years.” Alastor admitted, pocketing the photo once again. “I know you don't want to talk about your father. But there's a lot of family photos around the hotel… I can't help noticing that you haven't mentioned another person who features heavily in them.”
“Yeah… No one knows where mom went. Seven years ago she just left. And no one's heard from her since. I call her. Every time something happens. She never responds, but it rings, so I guess she's just ignoring me.” Charlie sighed, leaning back against the tarp to look up at the empty sky. “I just wish I had her help. She loved our people. And she was all for fighting back when things got bad, she was so strong.”
“You're doing great all by yourself.” Alastor said firmly, feeling strangely protective over Charlie when she was being vulnerable like this. He was an only child, but he imagined this was what an older brother might feel towards a sister. “Honestly. The fact you care so much counts for a lot. You're willing to challenge the status quo when it's not being fair, and despite the resistance you're facing, you aren't breaking down and giving in. Don't sell yourself short, Princess. That's pretty strong, even if I do say so myself.”
Charlie looked genuinely surprised at the praise, as if she wasn't used to people thinking she was doing a good job, or telling her that she was brave and strong without her parents name attached to it.
“Heh. You're really good at comforting people, you know that?” Charlie said with a little laugh, some of the tension visibly leaving her as she relaxed slightly again.
“I'm just saying what I've seen. You're the one who's being hard on yourself.” Alastor grinned, happy to be able to help in some way.
“You'd probably do pretty well if you wanted to run some therapy sessions.” Charlie said with an honest smile, fully believing that Alastor would be a good fit for helping people in that way.
“Oh no. I'm afraid I'm woefully under qualified to deal with other people's problems.” Alastor laughed, flattered, but clearly declining the offer. He couldn't work through his own issues, let alone anyone else's. “I've just learned a few tricks on turning frowns upside down over the years.”
“Well, I'd say you're pretty good at that.” Charlie agreed, before suddenly covering her mouth as she yawned. “What time is it anyway?”
Alastor frowned, summoning his pocket watch to check the night. “Time flies doesn't it?” He said sheepishly, showing Charlie the watch, revealing that it was gone midnight.
“Oh shit! Vaggie is going to be wondering where I am.” Charlie realised, quickly jumping to her feet and only hesitating when she remembered she was still on the roof and not the ground.
“Best not keep your amore waiting any longer then.” Alastor chuckled, realising that this was going to be goodnight for the two of them. He wrapped an arm under Charlie's shoulders as his wings started to beat behind him, carrying them in the air to half glide back down to the dock.
“Thanks Al, for all of this.” Charlie said as they made their way back down the well trodden pathway. “You didn't need to show me any of this, or be so open about your past.”
“I know. But I'm in this just as deep as you are now.” Alastor shrugged, as if it wasn't a big deal. “It seems counterproductive to encourage our guests to open up, when I can't even open up to you.”
Before long they were back in the hotel room and Alastor slipped the disguise ring back on before unlocking the door. “You can tell Vaggie I kept you busy with paperwork if you need a scapegoat.” He half joked, holding the door open for Charlie to step out into the corridor.
“Thanks. I'm sure she won't hold it against you too much.” Charlie grinned back, trying to stifle another yawn.
“Worry less about me, and more about getting some sleep.” Alastor rolled his eyes, leaning against the threshold of the door with a smile. “Breakfast won't wait for you if you're too tired to come down in the morning.”
“Ha! Now I know you keep the good coffee to yourself, I'm not going to miss it.” Charlie giggled, her tiredness catching up to her quickly now she was walking around and back in the hotel.
“Goodnight Charlie.” Alastor laughed, before disappearing back into his room and locking the door again.
The concealment ring was slipped off his finger, and he let his smile drop slightly as he glanced at his shadow again. He needed to sleep too, but he couldn't help but think about everything that had happened.
Tomorrow he needed to speak to his mother again, perhaps she would have news, or answers for him.