Chapter Text
All Vaggi wanted at this point was some normalcy.
For so long, there had always been something looming. An expedited Extermination. The threat of war with Heaven. Vox and his cronies threatening the hotel's reputation the second it actually started to work. Trying to manage all of that and keep her girlfriend sane at the same time.
Not that she really held any of it against Charlie anymore. She understood how much her partner had been struggling with all those same things, and how difficult it had been to stay level headed in the face of her mother's vision for Sinners being bastardized and used against her. But she'd hoped that now that they were past all of it, things would be okay again.
And they were. For like, two weeks.
Charlie thrived as head counselor much more then she ever had trying to manage the entire operation on her own. She'd never been all that good at the organizational side of things, but she could spend days talking about feelings without once wanting to slam her head into a wall. Letting Vaggi take the reins on the hotel itself, she had more time to focus on the things she excelled at, and the things that really needed her attention, like magic lessons with her father.
They'd made great progress since the claiming, with a few little setbacks and emotional flareups here and there. Something about Charlie's magic and emotions being so intrinsically tied that even as she actively worked to separate them, the process could occasionally dredge up some nasty feeling or other that would make her already notable temper particularly difficult to manage. But for the most part, they were doing good. No more feral outbursts, at least.
Except, ever since disarming Vox's weapon, something had been off. Not in any immediately apparent way, but something that eventually became impossible to ignore.
It started simple; with small complaints of pain. A headache one day, a backache the next, then nausea the day after that. Something always hurt, and while Vaggi wasn't entirely certain to what extent an immortal demon princess could get sick, she was becoming increasingly concerned. Her hands itched constantly to make it better, but nothing seemed to help. A massage would make Charlie wince and squirm. A meal made specially for her upset stomach would go uneaten.
Then came the quiet spells. Where she would normally have no reservations about jumping right into a conversation, she now had to be prompted. Sometimes she would flat out decline, sitting quietly on the sidelines or excusing herself to another room to sit by herself. It was so unlike her that Vaggi felt compelled to say something, but prodding at the issue only seemed to make things worse.
On top of becoming uncharacteristically reclusive, she was getting defensive. She shied away from the slightest touch and put up walls when pressed. Vaggi didn't know what to make of it; whether it was to do with her magic again, or if she really was sick, or if there was just something on her mind. Charlie just wouldn't tell her, and the more Vaggi pushed, the more fiercely she was rejected, until one night she raised her voice a little more than usual and suddenly Charlie was growling at her for first time since the claiming.
In Charlie's defense, the incident saw a swift apology, but she couldn't explain herself. Didn't know what was wrong with her, she said. Didn't want to talk to talk to her dad about it, she insisted. Any suggestion that her father might be of some use in getting to the bottom of things would cause her to shut down and exit the conversation immediately. Vaggi was beginning to wonder if they'd had some kind of fight she didn't know about, except for the fact that Lucifer seemed perfectly normal until she brought it to his attention.
The shifting in his face told her he knew something. The genuine smile that quickly fell into a look of what she could only describe as mild devastation, immediately replaced with a plastered-on grin with entirely too many teeth.
He laughed and waved his hand around like it was all a funny misunderstanding.
"Ah, I wouldn't worry about it, uh... Vanny? Vazzy? Vaggie? Did we settle back on Vaggie?"
"Vaggi with no e," she said. "So, you know what's going on, then?"
"I might have an idea." Lucifer put a hand on her shoulder. "It's a little bit of a sensitive subject, if ya know what I mean. Might be for the best if you leave this one to me."
Vaggi blinked incredulously.
"I'm her girlfriend," she protested. "What could be too sensitive for me?"
"I'm her dad," he replied softly, "and I'm telling you, I've got this one."
Vaggi wanted to argue. She'd been living with Charlie for nearly four years, sharing almost everything. There had only ever been one secret between them, and now not even that. There should have been nothing too shameful. Nothing they weren't willing to face together.
But none of that changed the fact that Charlie just wouldn't talk to her, and she didn't know enough about demon stuff to figure it out on her own. Much as she hated it, she didn't see much choice but to leave it to the expert.
"Fine," she sighed. "Just make sure she's okay."
"That's my job," Lucifer beamed. "I'll go find her, alright? You just focus on your hotel. You're running a very tight ship, if I may say."
His goofy little grin admittedly did something to lift Vaggi's spirits. Despite their last bout of conspiring not exactly working out in their favor, she was glad they got along. It was nice to have him.
Lucifer wandered off in search of his daughter, leaving Vaggi to her tasks for the day. She tried not to be too worried when guests started coming to her with complaints that Charlie had not shown up to their therapy sessions.
"Last minute schedule change," she told them all, hoping that Charlie was simply with her father working out whatever she needed to work out and not holed up in a room by herself. "So sorry about that. She'll be in touch soon."
Charlie was not, in fact, in touch soon. By the time dinner rolled around, she was still a no-show, and Vaggi felt that she'd been patient enough. Either Lucifer had managed to do some good, or he hadn't and she was needed. Regardless, the urge to check on Charlie that had been nagging at her all day finally won out, and she made her way upstairs.
Naturally, she checked their room before anywhere else, figuring she'd go to Lucifer's after if that turned out to be a bust. But, lucky for her, when she turned the corner, she found a familiar stark white, rosy-cheeked face waiting for her.
Not the right one, though.
Also, actively bleeding
"Holy shit!" Vaggi exclaimed and ran to him at once. "What happened?!"
Lucifer, scratched under the left eye and slowly dripping blood down his face, seemed to be taking his injury in stride. He smiled, albeit nervously, and raised a hand to greet her.
"Heyyyy, Vaggi," he said. "Nothing to worry about. Just a scratch. Charlie's, uh... she's a little upset."
Vaggi's blood went cold. "She did not."
Had Charlie attacked her father? Was she having another episode? Vaggi had hoped they were done with all that. If her girlfriend was in there going feral again...
"It's not her fault," Lucifer said earnestly. "It's really, really not. She's gonna be fine."
"What is going on?" Vaggi demanded.
Lucifer sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and wiped at the blood like tears. "It's a little hard to explain. It's like... growing pains."
"Growing pains?" Vaggi echoed incredulously.
"Yeah, sort of," he replied. "Charlie wasn't born with all of her demon traits. They grew in when she was a kid, and every time that happened, she'd get a little weird. Lots of tantrums, little bit of biting, a lot of blood. I mean, you should've seen her when she first got her horns. Terrible week. She'll be fine once it's over."
Vaggi blinked at him. So, Charlie had been cagey and off and hurting for two weeks because she was growing new body parts like baby teeth. Sure. Why not?
"Is that... normal for demons?"
"Not really," Lucifer sighed. "Just her. Never really knew why. Her mother thought it was because she's technically half-angel, and maybe our genetics didn't mix all that well. But-"
He looked away from her as his face twisted with shame.
"Honestly, I've always felt like she inherited a part of my punishment. When I fell, the change hurt me all at once. Now she has to feel it bit by bit. I hoped it was all over now that she's grown up, but with her developing her powers so much and the way she pushed them to stop that tv guy... I guess she still has some growing to do."
Vaggi directed her gaze toward the closed door, imagining what sort of state Charlie might be in on the other side. Lucifer had mentioned blood. Her heart seized at the thought of her sweet girl laid out in pain like that.
"She's in there?"
"In the closet," Lucifer replied, and when Vaggi gave him a confused look, he added, "she tends to like dark spots when this happens. Took all the blankets with her."
Vaggi was reminded of a better day, when Charlie had taken all the blankets she could find to make a little love nest in which to end their prolonged argument. It was cute, how she liked to hoard soft things like that. Less cute to think she might be bleeding all over them.
"I'm going to see her." As she reached for the door, Lucifer put a hand out to stop her.
"I don't know if you want to do that," he said. "This one's a little worse than usual. She doesn't want to see anyone."
"Did she say that?"
Lucifer gestured flatly to his bleeding face, which he had neglected to do anything about. It did nothing to change Vaggi's mind.
"I have to at least make sure she's okay. If she wants me to go, I'll go, but until she tells me that herself, I'm not letting her suffer alone."
Lucifer sighed and gave her a reluctant nod. "I'm glad she has you."
Vaggi nodded back and wasted no more time.
Inside, all the lights were off, and the bed had been stripped completely bare. Razzle and KeeKee, who tended to hang around here so long as Charlie was nearby, had seemingly cleared out for the time being. The closet door stood slightly ajar, failing to muffle the soft growls and groans from within.
"Charlie?" Vaggi approached slowly, her chest aching. The poor thing sounded so miserable. "Hey, baby. How are you feeling?"
She managed not to gasp when she peeked her head inside, but just barely. Charlie had bundled every blanket, sheet, and several of Vaggi's shirts into a cushion underneath her and stretched out across it, almost naked. Her exposed back was red and angry, slits torn down her shoulder blades and slowly peeling themselves open in a wildly grotesque display. It occurred to Vaggi suddenly that she'd never actually asked Lucifer what Charlie was growing, but the answer was clear now.
Wings.
She wanted to be excited, and she was sure Charlie would get a lot of joy out of them once they were in, but right now her princess was curled in on herself, claws sinking into a pillow, covered in blood from the neck down. Her face was wet with tears.
"Oh, Charlie," Vaggi breathed.
Charlie's eyes fluttered open, glowing bright red. Instantly, her lip began to curl upward, exposing her wicked fangs.
"It's me, sweetie," Vaggi murmured. "It's just me. I'm here to help you."
Charlie snarled at her, and Vaggi struggled not to remember the night of the claiming. This wasn't the same situation. Charlie wasn't sizing her up or looking to hurt anyone. She was just in pain.
"Charlie." Calm and level as she possibly could be, Vaggi slowly reached out a hand to smooth her girlfriend's hair back. Charlie began to shift, and Vaggi recognized instantly that she was going to bite. Her reflexes demanded one of two responses, and she'd be damned if she started flinching from her partner now. "Charlotte Morningstar, you put those fangs away right now."
Charlie reeled back for a second, her brow furrowed. Whether it was the full name or the bossy tone she loved that gave her pause, Vaggi didn't know and didn't care. The important part was that she'd stopped growling and started blinking rapidly like she needed to clear her vision, and by the time she was done, the red gleam had gone.
"Vaggi...?" Charlie squinted up her, voice tiny and strained.
"There's my girl." Finally, Vaggi was able to touch her, gingerly brushing the limp hair out of her face. "I'm here, baby."
"It hurts..."
"I know, sweetie. It's okay. I'm here, and your dad's right outside. Do you want him back in?"
Charlie recoiled like a feral cat, flexing her claws and hissing. Why, Vaggi could only guess, but given the state of things, she presumed the reason was arbitrary. Maybe he'd gotten too close. Said something that pissed her off while pain dulled her ability to regulate.
"He just wants to help," Vaggi murmured. "Like I do. We could probably do a better job if we worked together."
"No!" Charlie snarled. "I don't want him here!"
Agitated, she began to writhe around, perhaps trying to find a more comfortable position. She only really succeeded in tearing the flesh of her back further.
"Hey, hey," Vaggi took her by the shoulders to still her. "You're gonna hurt yourself. Why can't your dad be here?"
Charlie shoved her nose under her arm like she sometimes did when going to sleep, then groaned and uncurled herself. "I want my mom."
Vaggi sucked in a breath through her teeth. What the fuck was she supposed to do with that? Well, she's not here, was most certainly the wrong answer, but Vaggi couldn't exactly go get her either, no matter how much that pitiful voice and sweet face twisted with pain made her want to move mountains to make it better.
"Your dad knows this stuff," she tried.
"I know!" Charlie snapped at her. "And he's never fucking helped!"
Vaggi took that as her cue to shut up. That was straying dangerously into childhood trauma territory, which Charlie was in no state to properly discuss. It would only upset her, and Vaggi didn't need anything setting her off right now.
"Okay," she murmured. "It's you and me, then."
Except she had no idea what she was supposed to do. Still, Charlie needed her, so she had to do something.
With her best chance at a guide firmly locked out, Vaggi was left with only her instincts to follow. By their decree, heedless of the occasional hiss and snarl, she took Charlie's head in her lap and just held her, trying to be as comforting a presence as possible. This would pass eventually, and until it did, she would be here, figuring things out as they came. Making sure her princess didn't have to suffer alone.
To the tune of her sweet whispered nothings, she settled in for a long night.