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The Morningstar household, unsurprisingly, was filled with chaos of the early morning. Charlie’s screeching alarm hadn’t gone off when it shouldn’t, and made her sleep in, leaving her scramble to get ready. Lucifer, despite being up for several hours, was running behind and was still getting dressed. Lilith, the only calm amongst the chaos, was in the kitchen, humming away to a small tune from the radio. During all of this, Vaggie sat alone at the dining table, leaning against the back of her hair.
Having been abruptly awakened by Charlie’s panicked movements, she had slipped out to avoid her muttered apologies and worries. Still dressed in Charlie’s oversized shirt and a pair of shorts, the lone human wasn’t having a good start to her day.
Resting in front of her, having been placed down by Lilith, was a small bowl of oatmeal, the last scrap of human safe food for her breakfast. She had promised to make a quick trip to Carmilla Carmine to pick up a few more items before leaving for her work trip.
While she hated the idea of being alone for the next day and a half, Vaggie was kind of relieved Charlie wasn’t nearby. The princess would have immediately zoned in on how she merely pushed her food around. She absolutely had no appetite.
Instead, Charlie, her soulmate, was getting ready for a three day trip to the pearly gates above Heaven. She hadn’t explained much about it except it was important. This would be the first time since they had been separated more than a few hours since she had arrived here three months prior. Any other place, Charlie would ahve her accompany her. But in heaven, once seeing she was human, they would try to send her back to the living world beyond the veil.
Having seemingly finished packing food for her daughter, ones she knew it would be half human-half demon safe, Lilith sauntered out to the dining table, holding a steaming cup of coffee. “Are you done, dear?”
Vaggie nodded. “Would it be safe to save it for later?”
“It should be,” said Lilith as she picked up the dish. “I’ll put it in the blue tub ware, on the top self.”
“You’re done already, Vaggie.” Charlie had just appeared as her mother slipped back into the kitchen. “It didn’t take me that long to get ready. Are you feeling okay? Do you need me to stay home?”
Any other time, Vaggie would have taken up her offer. But today, the thought of having Charlie hovering felt almost unbearable for her. “My stomach is bothering me a bit,” she explained, seeing the look of worry wash over the princess of hell. “But, its nothing to worry about, Char. It’s just the human thing.”
“You just had the human thing last month.” Charlie pulled one of the heavy chairs over, settling down. One hand coming to rest on her knee, the other pressed against her forehead. “You're a little warm,” she mumbled. “But hell runs warmer than your side of the veil. You don’t have a headache or flashes, cor?”
“Charlie..” Lillith came to stand behind Vaggie. “The fertility cycle that Vaggie has comes every month. She’s bound to feel a bit down before it comes. It’s only her third one.”
“I will be fine on my own, Charlie.” Vaggie pushed the chair back to allow herself to stretch out, hoping to help settle the light pain from her lower belly. It helped last time. “And, Carmilla said I could come over if I want.”
At the mention of her venturing out on her own, Charlie’s gaze snapped from her mother to her. The last time she ventured out on her own hadn’t ended so well. Lucifer had to be called, and Valentino had gotten a little visit later that night.
“Her place is a straight shot down from here,” she tried to reassure, squirming as Charlie held a trace of doubt. Glancing over her shoulder, Vaggie gave a soft pleading to Lilith. “You’ve shown me the path several times when taking me there.”
“She is not a little girl,” Lilith reassured as she took a seat beside her daughter. “And, Vaggie knows her way there.”
“I might just also stay here,” Vaggie said after a moment. “I know that the new episode of Sinner’s Cake is coming out this afternoon, and don’t want to miss it.”
“Do whatever you want to do.” Charlie pressed a kiss to her forehead as she took the bag from her mother, slipping the strap over her shoulder. “Razzle and Dazzle are around here somewhere. They’ll probably end up keeping you company, Cor.”
“I’ll walk you out.” Vaggie carefully stood up, one hand around her stomach before slipping into the princess’s side, stomach aching less from the warmth that radiated off of her.
A few hours later, not long before lunchtime, Lilith arrived back at the Morningstar estate with several bags in her grasp. Toting them to the kitchen and putting them away, she headed to Lucifer’s and her room. Her personal driver would be here in a half an hour to pick her up, and to take her to the location of her business trip.
Seeing everything was situated by the main doors, the demoness head back to the kitchen, just wanting to set a few simple prepared meals out for Vaggie. Her daughter’s human soulmate knew how to cook but was completely clueless with their version of the kitchen. It required to be fluent in Demonic, which Vaggie was just barely scratching the surface of.
Preparing a few boxed meals, from the scant pickings that Carmilla Carmine had from her shipments, she grabbed a few coded containers, ones that Lucifer had gotten specifically for the 15-year-old girl. Opening the fridge and finding the barely touched oatmeal from breakfast still uneaten, the demoness frowned. While Vaggie, from the last two times, experienced her fertility cycle, had shown to have a depleted appetite, she always ate something between meals.
“Vaggie,” she called once the containers were stored in their proper place. Hearing no reply from the girl but hearing the faint rumbles of the TV across the estate, Lilith followed it to the sitting room. “Vaggie, are you hungry? I have just enough time to warm you up something before my driver gets here.”
Receiving no answer as before, Lilith popped her head into the seating room. Finding the speakers blaring loudly as some random little demon show played on the screen, she walked over to the table, switching it off. Picking up the labored breathing from the corner, she found Vaggie sprawled out on her stomach on the floor.
Having changed from her heavier nightwear, Vaggie now wore a light spaghetti strap tank top and a pair of shorts. Her red rested on a crumpled up blanket, on either side of her Razzle and Dazzle slept, sprawled out on their backs, small puffs of smoke rising from their snouts.
Having checked on her and Charlie the night before, the queen of hell knew that Vaggie had been restless, tossing and turning most of the night. Countless times, despite the covers being tucked back over, she had kicked the blanket off in her sleep.
Gaze softening, she carefully stepped over the sprawled arm of the girl, not wanting to hurt her. Humans, they had learned, was weaker than sinners, demons, and hellborn alike. Crouching down, she gently shook her shoulder.
“Vaggie, dear. I think you would be more comfortable on the couch.”
It took the human a few seconds to blink awake, grimacing as she propped herself up. “It’s hot,” she mumbled sleepily. “The floor is cold.”
“I know. But you’ll wake with a hurt back.”
“It doesn’t hurt,” she mumbled, starting to settle back in. “I’m tired.”
“I normally would let you rest without complaint.” Lilith grasped underneath the girl’s arms, tugging to her feet, as she had done when Charlie was younger and throwing a temper tantrum. “But the couch will be more comfortable, and there is a cooling blanket in the corner cabinet. I just need to fetch it.”
“Stupid demon strength,” muttered the tired girl as she stumbled forward, arms still coming to press over her lower belly. Over the morning, her ache had started to turn into a tight cramp, being a constant in the background. “Sometimes.. Odio esto aquí.”
Waiting until Vaggie was sprawled out on the couch, Lilith went to retrieve the cooling blanket from the cabinet. She knew the girl meant nothing by it outside of complaining about her grievances. The poor girl had been through much the last three months, and was still adapting to her new situation.
“I will be gone until the end of the week on a business trip. Lucifer will be back tomorrow morning, and Charlie two days after him. Carmilla knows that you’re home alone and promised to drop by if she has a free moment. Razzle and Dazzle are here, and the security will be activated when I leave.”
Normally, Vaggie would offer some response to Lilith, not used to be mothered so much. Between Charlie and her, it was almost smothering. Back on her side of the veil, it was only her, her father, and two older brothers. Being the baby, they always seemed to know where she was, who she was with, and what she was doing. There was no telling how they had been taking the three months of her disappearance.
“There are come premade meals in your containers,” continued Charlie’s mother. “They just need to be warmed up, which either dragons can do.”
“Thanks, Lilith,” mumbled Vaggie as the blanket was tucked around her, nearly causing her to hiss as the demoness dug into her right side. “I’ll be fine on my own. Dad, Roberto, and David worked nights a lot when I was younger.”
“You’re in a better situation now.” Lilith gently cupped the girl’s face, feeling her starting to drift to sleep. “But I will see you at the end of the week. My driver is here, Vaggie. Don’t forget to eat.”
Vaggie just offered a slight twitch of her hand before she dropped back onto her belly, already one leg hanging off the side of the couch.
Waking up to one of the dragons pawing at their leg with their talons and having hair in her mouth, Vaggie was miserable as she cracked open one brown eye, seeing the light had turned to a dark crimson color. The leg hanging over the side jerked as to shake the dragon off, trying to shift to get a better sleeping position, too tired to care for the stinging of her shallow cuts. Then feeling soft nips at her fingers, the lone human carefully sat up, gaze blinking. Jaw popping with a yawn, she saw that she had slept for most of the day, it being almost eleven at night, right before the sun went down.
From the distance, there were several sharp knocks, booming through the silent house. Razzle let out several soft squeaks and rumbles, prancing around as waiting for their owner’s mate to follow. Taking a moment to realize what she wanted, she stumbled over her own feet to grab the blanket, draping around her frame.
“I was about to lockpick the door, child.” Carmilla Carmine stood on the front step, holding a casserole dish. Standing behind the overlord, her two daughters, Odette and Clara, stood. They each gave an awkward smile. This was only the second time they had met the weird little human that claimed Lucifer Morningstar’s daughter’s admiration. “Are you feeling alright?”
“Just a human thing,” she reassured in a rasp as Razzle and Dazzle skirted out beside her. “A fertility cycle.”
“A what?” Odette eyed her wearily. “Is that some kind of disease?”
“No,” rasped Vaggie as she shuffled back, beckoning the three inside. It was normal for residents of hell to make late calls at night. She had learned this through the three months being here. “Lilith explained it as a human shedding the lining of their body since they aren’t pregnant. She says I better keep having my fertility cycles until at least Charlie and I are in our twenties.”
“Ew!” Both girls wrinkled their noses. “That is disgusting.”
“Girls!” Carmilla Carmine gave her older two a warning look before setting the dish down. ”Go sit down at the table,” she instructed, leading her deeper into the house. “I’ll grab you a glass of water.”
Reluctantly following her orders, Vaggie sat down in Charlie's chair, drawing her legs up, finding the pressure against her abdomen eased the cramps slightly. Underneath her, Razzle and Dazzle had wandered back in, play fighting.
“Razzle, Dazzle,” said Vaggie as she beckoned them. “Go and grab one of Charlie’s flannels from the hamper please.”
Blowing out a puff of smoke, Dazzle disappeared down the hall. Soon, they returned with the flannel that Charlie slept in last night. Carefully, she slipped it on, finding the bitter herbal scent of her soulmate comforting.
“Ew-” Carla looked disgusted. “Why would you wear another person’s dirty clothes?”
“Odette, Carla. If you can’t be nice, head home,” shooed the overlord with a hard look. “I brought you here to keep Vaggie company, not antagonize her. Outside of Charlie, she doesn’t have anyone her age.”
“We’ll head home,” dismissed Carla. “We don’t want to hang with the human.”
Shaking her head as the two retreated and slammed the door shut, she turned to Vaggie. “Please excuse my two,” she said, placing the food dish and glass of water down. “But you don’t feel hot, or anything do you?”
“I’m not really hungry,” mumbled Vaggie as she stared at the mashed potatoes and some dried fruit in a baggie. “But I’ll drink the water though.”
“I know you haven’t eaten much today.” Carmilla Carmine crossed her arms and stared her down, giving her what Charlie dubbed the “mom” stare. She had explained that once that happened there was no room for fighting or backtalk. “Lilith called me while she was leaving town. I understand that you are feeling a bit under the weather. However, that doesn’t mean you can neglect your basic needs.”
“I guess I can to eat some dried fruit. Apricots are my favorite.” Freeing one hand from beneath the blanket, she grabbed the baggie, careful not to get any mashed potatoes on her. She didn’t know if she could keep anything down if she had to eat those too. The dried fruit were the safest option since there was no soup here. “Before coming here, my older brothers would always try to get me two three pound bags of apricots for my birthday and Christmas. They thought it would last me throughout the whole year, but I ate them so fast.”
“What were your family like?” She pulled up a seat, leaning forward. “The one on the other side of the veil.”
Every resident of hell knew of the story of how Charlie Morningstar’s soulmate, a human, had come to live here. A lowly overlord had managed to get ahold of a strand of her hair and use a tracing spell to get her location. Once realizing it wasn’t on this side of the veil, they had managed to perform a spell to get to the living world, and take her in the middle of the night. With only her home, there was no one to protect her as there was at the Morningstar estate.
It was during her second week that she had met Vaggie. After her being separated accidentally from Lilith, she had wandered into her store front, crying and upset. It had taken much to get her to calm down and figure out who she was. Having had Lilith a client in the past, it was easy to ring her up and inform her where the stray girl had been found.
Since then, if Charlie had to be away, Vaggie ended up at her shop, just following her around and soon, building a relationship with her. Now, several times a week, Charlie would walk her to her shop, and do whatever she needed for a few hours, and come back to get her.
“My Dad was a single father to my two older brothers and me. Roberto was in his forties and David in his late thirties. I was a very surprised baby from someone he had a one night stand with.” Vaggie didn’t know whether to cry or laugh at their thought. “Dad is almost sixty, and has a fifteen year old daughter. They are very strict and overprotective But I love them.”
She could remember countless times people mistaking Roberto as her father, or on one occasion, thinking David and Roberto were a couple, and she were her adopted daughter. She had been six than, still small enough to be mistaken for a toddler.
“I can remember going to kindergarten, and all three of them came with.” She teared up faintly. “They didn’t want me to feel left out because I didn’t have a Mom. David went with me to the girl scout’s sleepover, let me put makeup on him, and strutted around in a dress and high heels. Roberto was the one who bought me my favorite plushie that is in mine and Charlie’s room. And every night when he didn’t work, Dad would watch some Disney movie with me and order from my favorite restaurant.”
“They sound lovely.” The overlord squeezed her hand, seeing her now dropping the baggie. She had only eaten a few pieces, but it was better than nothing. “I wish I could stay longer dear. But I have a few shipments that I get delivered before it gets too late.”
“Safe travels.” Vaggie carefully got to her feet and followed after the older demoness, blanket dragging behind her. “I’ll talk to Charlie about visiting later this week.”
“I’ll wait excitedly for your visit.”
Not long after the door was closed and the security locks slipped back into place, Vaggie felt her stomach lurch with a painful cramp. Feet lurching against the smooth tile and catching on the corner of the blanket, the teen wiped out, landing with a painful yelp on her stomach. Dizzy and throat burning, she barely managed to yank the blanket off of her before she lost the meager contents of the meal eaten moments before.
Pain spiking in her lower belly and shooting into her abdomen, Vaggie curled up on her side, pulling the blanket around her, shivering. Her entire body ached and throbbed, as if she had run a thousand miles, or did a marathon untrained.
As if sensing her distress, Razzle and Dazzle scampered over to her, trying to offer her some comforting snout boofs. But when that only drew a few sniffles and tears, they settled down, one sprawling over her hip and the other curling against their belly, heat radiating from their frilling scales.
“I want Dad, Roberto, and David.”
The teen longed for her father’s horrible attempt at Sopa de Gallina India. He could never get the soup to taste just right but it always helped when she was ever sick. Roberto would take the day off from work and take her to the doctors and bribing her to take the nasty medicine by buying her sprite and ramen, something she could only stomach if Dad couldn’t make her favorite soup. David, after taking Roberto’s place, would put on some trashy Tela Novela to watch with her.
But now in this strange world, there was no dad, Roberto, or David. Rather, there was only one person that Vaggie wanted. It had been the very first person that made her feel safe the moment she was in her arms, carried away from the burning bazeo that her father and mother dealt with.
"I want Charlie." Tears started to slip down her cheeks. "Charlie! Charlie! I want Charlie!"
Finding no comfort from Charlie’s old flannel anymore, Vaggie sobbed as she forced herself to give up, shivering curled up in the blanket. The entire room swam before her, spinning and turning, as if she had just stepped up from the Twirl Whirl.
Head screaming and pounding, the teen found it hard to stand while Razzle and Dazzle crooned and chirped, trying to coax her to lay back down on the floor. With how unsteady she was, it wasn’t safe for her to be wandering through the isolated estate. There was no one here except her and them.
“Stupid dragons, shut up!” Vaggie glared with a hiss as she broke down, pressing harder against her abdomen, just making the pain worse. "Just leave me alone! I want don’t want you two. I want Charlie!”
Slowly, swaying and stumbling, she came to the hallway, bracing herself against the hall. Vaggie did not move faster than a shuffle, despite her longing to curl up beneath the warmth of her’s and Charlie’s bed. She would lay on her side, using her pillow, hoping that her bitter herbal scent would ease her pain.
Somehow, without tripping or falling, she managed to make it to Charlie’s and her’s room. Finding the door propped open, once done for Razzle and Dazzle to get out freely, now was for her. The doors were too heavy for her to get out.
Blinking her glassy gaze, Vaggie could almost picture Charlie waiting for her to settle down for the evening. She would pat the bed and draw her close as she was about to slip off.
Eventually managing to take off her slippers and socks, Vaggie barely managed to pull the covers back enough to squeeze in. Seeing her favored plushie across the room, the teen almost decided to leave it before Dazzle popped in, dragging the large dog plushie over to her.
Tucking it beneath her chin and praying it would help her, Vaggie curled up beneath the covers, breathing in shallow breaths of her soulmate’s bitter clinging smell.
Beside her, Dazzle gave a large stretch and settled down with a circle, pressing against the crook of her legs, allowing her to slip into a pitiful and restless sleep.
It was still dark by the time Lucifer had finished his final meeting for the day. Packing up his bag and staying long enough to grab his hat and coat, the ruler of hell stepped out into the humid, night air.
Red gaze glowing through the dark, he scanned the area before closing the door. It wouldn’t be the first time that there was someone waiting to ambush him when they mistaken him as defenseless. Despite being shorter than his wife, both of them knew who was stronger out of the two of them. While Lilith was strong in her own ways, it was him who had the more powerful forces.
Finding no potential danger, he allowed the door to close behind him, finding the unfamiliar streets greeted him as he approached where his driver was waiting. Slipping inside and abandoning his things on the back seat, the familiar smells of tabaco and oak balm soothed his senses, causing him to lean back. Lilith always loved wearing oak balm, so they had bought much as they could before the market sold out.
“Just straight home?” His driver, a stocky sinner, had turned down the window to glance back, gaze hidden behind his black sunglasses. “Or do you wish to stop anywhere, sir?”
“Gods-“ Lucifer almost considered stopping at one of the end shops, knowing one that carried his favored ichors and magazines that Vaggie loved flipping through. It would only add a few minutes to their drive. “Make a stop at Dust’s Thousands and run inside to get the unusual for me. And one of those magazines that Vaggie and Charlie like.”
Turning the window back up and pulling away from the curb, the radio played soft jazz through the speakers, curiosity of the remix of the Radio overlord’s slipping playlist. Lucifer and Lilith were the last few that kept it on the radio. If not, it would ahve been taken off light years ago. It wasn’t as popular as it once had been when Charlie was first born.
Seeing the driver come to a soft stop and climb out, Lucifer sat up to allow his back to stretch. Being hunched over the desk and staring at documents for many hours was never too good for him, even an immortal being as he was.
Whenever his wife saw him doing it, she would chastise him. She always complained how he would set a bad example for Charlie, and later Vaggie. Their daughter and her future wife didn’t have the same makeup as they did. If they messed up their backs, they wouldn’t recover as quickly as he did.
“Here you go, Boss.” The sinner handed the paper bag to him through the window. “They threw in a few oak balms for the misses, and an extra magazine for the girls. They know that Charlie’s seventeenth birthday is coming soon and thought it would be use as an early birthday present.”
"I will have to stop in the next time I'm in this part of the rings," sighed Lucifer as he placed the package on the seat next to him. "Dust has always been a little sweetheart to Charlie, and later Vaggie. Charlie is like a niece to him."
Giving a low nod to the ruler of hell, the driver rolled the window back up and continued drive to the morningstar estate. Being on the very last stretch of land before complete desolate, barren wasteland, it took almost another hour to get to the familiar gates. Waiting just long enough for the driver to open his door and grab his things, Lucifer stepped out, stretching his stiff limbs.
"I will not be going anywhere for the next few days," stated Lucifer, placing two copper pieces in his palm. "Enjoy the time off and rest up. After this, it will be back to the packed schedule again."
Walking up the long stretch of the driveway, he paused beside the door, grabbing the key beneath the doormat. They no longer relied on the fingerprint scan as before. None of Vaggie's prints could connect to the system with it being made for the inhabitants of hell, not for the living. Unlocking the front door and placing the key back, he stepped inside his cooler house, flipping the security back on once the door was closed. Hanging his coat and hat up, he stored his messenger bag in the nearby closet, made specifically to hold their work items.
"Vaggie, are you awake?" He knew that as a teen she tended to stay up later the Lilith and him. "I have a surprise for you."
Getting no response, Lucifer grabbed the bag and kicked his boots off beside the door. He barely took three steps in before Razzle appeared in front of him, chirping and growling worriedly.
Lucifer let out a soft curse as he took the small dragon off his pant leg. “Razzle, this isn’t the time to play. Now, shoo!”
Letting out a puff of smoke, the dragon tugged on his suit, gaze blazing through the darkness.
“What do you want?” The ruler of hell blinked tiredly, lacking his normal patience. “I know Vaggie let you out earlier. The security alerted me of that.”
Letting out a soft squeak and claws digging into the rolling granite, it jumped back pointing its snout in the direction of the hallway. Turning around it started to prance away, puffing out small burst of flame to get him to follow.
“Quit it!” He was quick to follow. Lilith would have a field day if the stupid beast burnt some of her prized items. “I will put you outside on a leash if you burned anything.”
Not waiting to tempt him more, Razzle made a mad dash to where Charlie’s room was. Pausing just long enough to see Lucifer behind them, it disappeared inside, crooning and puffing as he stopped in the doorway.
“Leave her alone,” he hissed, seeing Razzle preparing to jump on the bed. Vaggie was curled up beneath the covers asleep. “She is asleep, Razzle. Don’t wake Vaggie up.”
Lucifer sat the paper bag on the floor and carefully approached, hoping to catch Razzle before they could jump. “Now, if you want to sleep somewhere. You can sleep in my bed tonight.”
“No dragon-“ Vaggie spoke slurred, voice sounding monotone, opposite of what it normally was. “Razzle go lay down.”
“I got them, Vaggie.”
Mumbling too softly for him to hear, Vaggie tugged the blanket down, brown gaze blinking as Lucifer summoned a soft light, not wanting to blind her. Head not moving from where she lay, she stared, gaze unfocused and distant.
“Dad?” she rasped; voice raw. “H-how did you get here?”
“I’m sorry, Vaggie.” Lucifer’s heart broke at her mistake. “It’s Charlie’s dad, Lucifer.”
“Oh,” she mumbled, head laying back down. “What are you doing back so early? It’s what only midnight, or one I the morning? Lilith said you wouldn’t be back until this afternoon.”
Blinking Lucifer took a moment to recall the earlier conversation with his wife. Lilith had warned of Vaggie being a bit out of it and asking to check over her occasionally when he arrived in the morning. Stomach dropping, the ruler of hell that something had happened when he was gone.
They had been so careful of keeping her close with leaching season came and was in full force. Never did they want to risk her getting any common ailments that would knock down Charlie or other residents for a few days. They had no idea of how it would affect her.
“It’s around give in the morning,” he supplied at last, choosing to approach the girl. “Are you okay, Vaggie?”
“I-I need to use the bathroom.” Vaggie blushed as she tugged the blanket off her further. Having her legs free, she slowly lowered her feet to the floor and stood. Eyes widening and losing balance, Vaggie nearly crumpled back into the bed by the time Lucifer caught her. “Ow,” she whimpered, tears slipping down her cheeks.
“Did you eat anything that you weren’t supposed to?” He tried to think of any rational cause that could make this happen. “Did anyone besides Carmine drop by?”
“I-“ Her eyes watered. “I want Charlie,” she pleaded, face growing tight as she curled into herself. “Can Charlie come home early?”
“Her hellphone is turned off.” Lucifer took a gentle step forward, coaxing her back into the bed, seeing her hiss and swat his hand away when he accidentally brushed against her right side. “I-is this a human thing?”
“I don’t know,” she sobbed, starting to break down. “But it hurts really bad, and I can’t keep anything down. I want my Dad, David, Roberto, and Charlie.”
“It will be okay.” Lucifer knew what he needed to do. “I’m going to go to my office to grab something. I will be right back, Vaggie.”
He turned around and stepped out, forcing himself to keep calm until he was out of her sight. Now, rushing through the halls and grabbing the needed items, he slipped on a pair of casual shoes, his night slippers, before returning back to the bedroom.
“Okay, its going to take a hot minute,” he explained, pawing through the pages for the right incantation. “But I will get the help you need. And, if is something simple that can be treated back on this side of the veil, we will leave right away. If not, we will get you treated and leave as soon as you are strong enough. It will be okay.”
While it didn’t take long to get Vaggie and him to the living side of the veil, it did deplete any extra powers that he had in him. Nearly collapsing for a moment, he quickly recovered to steady Vaggie as she sank down, shivering and trembling.
Unlike their side of the veil, it was freezing and had several inches of snow blanketing the ground. Mentally cheering at having grabbed his suit jacket at the last minute, he slipped it off, wrapping it around the shivering girl’s shoulders. Vaggie was barely coherent as Lucifer coaxed her to stand, supporting most of her weight.
Despite being human, she was several heads taller than, making it a tad difficult to keep her standing. While he could carrier her with ease, Vaggie was stubborn on walking towards the direction of the hospital.
From what the signs read, and he could understand, they were only a few blocks away. They just needed to keep walking and they would be there soon.
“Don’t worry-“ Lucifer gently rubbed her back, trying to coax her into a faster walk than a shuffle. “We will be there soon, Vaggie. The other humans will know what to do.”
“M-my Dad-“ She coughed, voice rough. “H-he would have reported me missing. T-they’ll put my creds in the system, and I will pop up as missing.”
“It will be okay.” Lucifer quickly scooped her up as she starting to buckle. “You will come home fine. Charlie would have my head if I let something happen to you.”
“Will Charlie be there when we get back?” Vaggie shivered. “I want her there, Lucifer.”
“I will try contacting her.” Lucifer nearly sagged in relief as the hospital came in view. “We are almost there now, hun. Just a few more minutes.”
Lucifer had barely stepped into the hospital before the humans were rushing around. Plucking Vaggie from him and separating them, he was given a clipboard with paperwork to fill out. Not understand half of it, he sat in the corner, nervously watching the time as he scribbled what little he could grasp onto the pages.
After filling much as he could, he approach the nurse’s station, handing it back. Seeing how little there was, the nurse was about to respond before another came forward, plucking the paperwork out of her hands. Asking for him to follow, they stepped into a private consult room.
“You were very lucky to bring her in as you did.” The nurse took a seat at the table, prompting Lucifer to do the same. “Her appendix was very close to rupturing. My colleges have prepped her for surgery, and she is currently under. But, I would like to help you fill this out, Mr. Morningstar.”
“English is not my first language,” he tried, speaking slowly. The common language, that all spoke through, outside of Demonic, of hell was something close to English, so easily Vaggie had picked it up swimmingly. “I don’t understand all.”
“I can help you.” The nurse reached into her pocket to grab a pen. “But I did have a question, though. You see when we get underage patience and have strange circumstances, it is protocol to run prints through the missing childrens’ data base. And, Miss Vaggie Moringstar had a report come up for her.”
“She is my daughter’s girlfriend.” Lucifer knew that was a very touchy subject for humans. “And, she showed up covered in bruises, burns, and cuts on my front step. Vaggie looked like she was on death’s doorstep.”
“Well, the police are on their way to question you.” The nurse got up, taking the half finished paperwork. “After that, it will be up to them of what they wish to do with you.”
“I will not be here long enough for them to do that.” Lucifer quickly summoned Razzle and Dazzle from his bag. “Now, you two, get all the meds that Vaggie will need. Be ready to leave when she is out. We need to be ready, so we don’t lose her.”
Razzle and Dazzle gave a low puff before disappearing, slipping out as the door reopened.
Lucifer had lost track of the time of being questioned by the inferior humans that kept demanding why Vaggie had been with him, and why he didn’t take her back to her parents. He just leaned back in his seat and rolled his eyes. They had no idea who they were speaking to. If he wanted to, their lives could be made miserable in seconds. But, his main goal was to make sure Vaggie got the treatment that she needed and to get her back to his familial estate to recover.
After the clock shifted to the seventh hour, the police finally stepped out to speak, leaving him alone. Sitting up and listening, not even straining his sense, he could hear them talking on the other side. In what was supposed to be hushed voices, they spoke of the girl’s brothers and father being on the way. They finally managed to get ahold of them at their workplaces. All three were overjoyed and relieved to find she was safe and sound.
Now, sitting up straight, this did worry him. Lucifer knew that if Vaggie got separated from his daughter, she would slowly die. There would be nothing to stop it. Not only would it be Vaggie but also his daughter. Once they came in contact with each other, they couldn’t be separated in the long term, as they planned.
Dazzle, seemingly phasing through the door, hopped up onto the table, scales flaring with relief. It had been sent to keep an eye on Vaggie until she was stable and out of surgery. And finally, with relief, Lucifer, was reported she was out and placed in a room. She could be removed now.
“Put on a show, Dazzle,” he said, face flashing a bright red. “And make all the fires you want. I need a big show to get to Vaggie.”
Growling in excitement and leaving the room, Lucifer was soon greeted with chaos, sirens, and water spraying from the ceiling. Quickly, running out of the room, meeting Razzle at the door, he took the bulging bag of stolen human medicine. Following the room to where Vaggie was, he slammed the door shut and locked it.
Carefully approaching the human teen, he carefully took off the wires, knowing to be careful. He may not know a lot of humans but did know that having surgery just recently would leave her tender and very easily to pull open the stitches.
Carefully picking him up from the bed and wrapping the stolen blanket from the hospital around her, Lucifer quickly stepped out, calling Razzle and Dazzle to him. Easily slipping out an emergency exit, he summoned his wings and took off, needing a secluded place to return to their side of the veil.
Charlie was in the middle of listening to another speaker when her hellphone sounded shrilly in the silent building. Cursing under her breath, she quickly fetched it out of her bag. The princess of hell had forgotten to turn it off before the seminar.
“Dad!” The half demon-half human girl hissed into her phone, ducking her out with a chaperone following. “Why are you calling? You’re going to get me into trouble.”
“I had to take Vaggie to her side of the veil.” Lucifer was short and to the point, still trying to get Vaggie settled in before she fully stirred. “I already sent my driver to pick you up. She was asking for you before she had surgery, Duckie. She needs you.”
“I will be there.” Charlie was nearly panicking as she shoved her hellphone into her bag, turning to the chaperone. “I have to go,” she explained in a quick ramble. “My girlfriend is really sick, and I need to be there. I have a driver coming to pick me up.”
“You can’t just-“ The chaperone had begun to protest.
“My dad sent his personal driver!” Charlie was fuming as she tried to remember if there was anything important in her room. Anything sentimental had been kept in her purse. The personal things in her room were just clothes, nothing too important. “I will be leaving, and that is final.”
The chaperone didn’t offer any further protests as Charlie made a beeline to the door. Tightening her hold on her bag, she nearly cried in joy as the driver pulled up.
Ducking inside and slamming the door shut, the princess of hell ordered the driver to get her back to the estate as soon as possible.
Vaggie slowly came to with a slow whimper as her brown gaze blinked open. Her belly wasn’t hurting as it did before, but it still ached strongly. There was a constant pressure that didn’t seem to ease.
She lay on her back, arms spread out. One clung to her favored plushie as if she was a child. The other clung to the familiar hands of her..her girlfriend, reassuring her whatever was happening, she was safe.
“Charlie?” Her voice was raspy, almost cracking as she spoke, causing her to tear up. “Charlie, are you awake?”
Curled on her side, Charlie slept soundly, one arm holding her hand. Her head rested on the other. Sleeping between them, Razzle and Dazzle snored, unaware of her being awake.
Letting out a surprise hiss at a sharp pain in her side, the bed shifted as Charlie jerked up, red gaze glassy from sleep. For a moment, it took the princess of hell to realize that she was awake.
“Vaggie!” Charlie was to her knees, careful not to make the bed move too much. “Are you okay? Dad told me that you had to go to your old side of the veil and get surgery. Do you need me to get him? He has the listed amount of medicine you are supposed to get if you’re in pain.”
“Not yet.” While grimacing with pain, she didn’t want to be alone yet. “C-can you-” Vaggie held her hand up, wanting Charlie.
“Of course, Cor.” Charlie settled with her head on her shoulder, thumb rubbing soothing circles on her palm. Faintly in the background, unnoticed by the two of them, Lucifer entered the room, Lillith pausing beside the entrance to the bedroom.
Not wanting to disturb the now dozing Vaggie, the ruler of hell read through the papers, finding the correct tonic and carefully injecting it as directed into the small drip that was hung on a makeshift hook.
“Your mother or I will be back in a few hours to check on you two.” Lucifer paused at the entrance of the bedroom, gaze soft. “For now, get some rest, Charlie. She will take a while to recover. The paper says it can take four to five weeks to four months, depending on how bad it was.”
Later that night, after the floor was properly cleaned and the girls were checked on one final time, Lucifer and Lilith retired to their room, hoping to get some scraps of rest before another round of medications was needed for Vaggie.
Lilith had already changed into her nightwear as Lucifer started to change into his. He was moving slower than earlier, his two trips through and back to the veil were starting to catch up to him.
“I can take the next dosage shift for Dear.” Lilith hadn’t seen her husband so exhausted before. Even after the three days with Charlie, he still had energy. “The papers are on the table next to the bed, and the tonics are all properly labeled?”
“Everything that we needed to know is in the packet.” Lucifer pulled his covers back and collapsed onto the bed, sprawled out. “Gods, I hope never to have to face this again.”
“There are many things that we don’t know for Vaggie.” The demoness sighed. “We barely know anything about humans, and there is one that is destined to be at our daughter’s side for always.”
“We almost lost Vaggie today.” The ruler of hell sighed. “The hospital found out she was missing kid, and had contacted her human family. She was almost taken by them. Only thing that stopped that was Razzle and Dazzle.”
“They didn’t get her.” Lilith grasped his hand, giving it a firm squeeze. “She is safe here. Vaggie is asleep with Charlie in their bedroom. No one from her side of the veil can reach her here.”
“What about in the future?” Lucifer was frustrated. For being a strong all mighty being, how could something simple as an organ leave him scrambling to figure out what to do. “We don’t know enough about Vaggie or her species ailments. What are we going to do in the future when Charlie and Vaggie want to start their own family? Human pregnancy is nothing like demon pregnancy.”
“We will take it one day at a time.” Lilith reached over to yank her lamp off. “Now, it is your turn to sleep. And I will take the next tonic shift for Vaggie.”