Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It had been two weeks since the final extermination, things in the hotel where relatively silent, aside from Vaggie and Lute fighting occasionally. Though that was par the course for those two, Lute and Adam only being in hell while Adam's wounds where being tended too, a 3y/o can't really do much damage but she can do damage.

The night in the hotel was relatively quiet, the occasional chatter from Angel and Husk at the bar downstairs but nothing other than that. Atleast until thunder struck extremely loudly outside the hotel, causing a few patrons to wake up unexpectedly, one of those patrons being Niffty. Niffty jolted awake to the loud thunder, she looked around her dark room, whimpering slightly in fear, she silently climbed out of her bed and went on exploration of the hotel, looking for someone to bring her comfort, and tonight that person just happened to be Rosie.

Rosie was peacefully sitting at the bar, chattering with a few other patrons in the hotel when Niffty tugged on the hem of her dress, trying to get her attention. "Hm?- Oh! Well hello there!" Rosie chimes brightly as she picked up the scared Niffty. "Oh sweetie you seem quite scared tonight is everything alright?" Rosie asked, gently setting her hands on Niffty's cheeks, wiping a few tears off her face, Niffty shook her head, Rosie's bright smile faltered a bit as Niffty shook her head. "Was it the thunder?" Rosie asks gently running her fingers through Niffty's hair, Niffty nods. "Awh.. you poor thing.." Rosie sighs slightly as she gently kisses Niffty on the forehead, unintentionally leaving a black lipstick mark. "Husk can ya get me an apple juice for this one?" Rosie asks Husk, pointing down to the spooked Niffty she was holding. "Yep." Husk says, sliding a plastic cup of apple juice across the counter to Rosie, she nodded a silent 'thank you' as she gently handed the cup to Niffty.

After a few minutes of chatter and Niffty silently drinking her juice, she yawned slightly, causing Rosie to look down. "Ah, looks like someone's tired" Rosie said as she stood up holding Niffty. "Back to bed with you little one." She said with a smile as she headed towards the stairs with a tired Niffty, humming a quiet tune. As Rosie made her way into Niffty's room the lyrics to her humming became a bit more clear "Let's go in the garden.. you'll find something waiting, right there where you left it lying upside down.." Rosie's voice was quiet yet soft, she gently sat down on the edge of Niffty's bed still holding her "When you finally find it, you'll see that its faded, the underside is lighter when you turn it around..." Rosie had a gentle smile on her face, she carefully swayed side to side as she held the slowly dozing Niffty. "Everything stays.. right where you left it.. everything stays.. but it still changes.. ever so slightly.. daily and nightly.. in little ways.. when everything stays.." Niffty had fallen asleep by now, Rosie gently set Niffty down in her bed and covered her up, gently kissing her forehead before turning on a dim lamp and standing up to leave.

Chapter Text

Thunder and lightning crashed in the afternoon sky, Niffty quietly skittered down the stairs, the chatter between Angel and whoever was on the other end of his phone line was interesting. "See 'Niss that's what I'm sayin'! How come Molls ended up in heaven she was as shitty as we w-" Angel was cut off by the quiet whimpering of Niffty, who was now hiding under the bar.

"Hold on 'Niss.. I'll call ya back." Angel hung up the call and gently picked up Niffty "What's up with ya today kid?" Angel asked as another bit of thunder clapped outside "Ah, that." Angel murmured. "Ya want me to read ya a story?" He questioned as he sat down on a chair with Niffty in his upper set of arms "ye.." Niffty mumbled quietly through her tears. Angel nods as he walks over to a bookshelf and starts digging through it "C'mon.. Charlie's gotta have some kids books.." he mumbled as he picked up a book, the bright silver of the title seemed nice Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 it read "Huh Charlie reads Twilight?" Angel inquires opening the book and seeing writing on the inside "Oh nope that's Vaggie's sisters." He said as he put the book back.

Angel continued to dig around the bookshelf before he pulled out an old dusty book, it seemed to be a book targeted at kids Niffty's age as it was a touchy feely texture type book "Uhh- here kid knock yaself out." Angel says as he hands Niffty the book. Niffty was seemingly enthralled immediately touching wherever she could in the book that had a texture. Angel set her down on the floor and sat down next to her watching Niffty point at the different animals and chatter made Angel smile. He knew that though Niffty would still be spooked by the thunder, she was atleast distracted, for now.

Chapter Text

Lute sighs, rubbing her head tiredly, she hadn't slept at all the night prior, she dug around the fridge for a moment before pulling out an energy drink, she leaned against the counter as she silently drank it, Niffty quietly walked up to her and tugged on her sleeve, Lute looked down with a head tilt, Niffty pointed at the drink "Try?" Niffty asks tilting her head "Uh.. sure..?" Lute mumbles tiredly, crouching down to hand Niffty the drink.

Niffty took a sip of the drink before blinking, she was a bit confused at the taste, a mix of mango and tropicality, "Like it?" Lute asks gently taking the can back from Niffty. "It's.. weird.." Niffty mumbles, Lute nods with a slight chuckle "Yeaaah it does kinda taste a bit funky huh?" Niffty nods, Lute gently pats her on the head "Don't worry the weird taste will go away in a few minutes" she says standing up straight again "Just uh.. don't tell your parents I gave you caffeine, okay?" Niffty nods in reply.

Lute gently picks Niffty up "Ya know.." Lute starts "Maybe I will get along with you better than I thought." Lute says with a soft smile.

Chapter Text

Alastor took a deep breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose, it was about 2 AM, he'd been up for hours trying to get Niffty to fall asleep, nothing he had tried was working, he tried to think of what he could do to get Niffty to fall asleep, then it dawned on him, singing, Rosie had done it the other night to help Niffty fall asleep, maybe he could test it out.

Alastor gently held Niffty in his arms, Niffty seemed rather frustrated with being held, Alastor took another deep breath as he began to sing in his radio tuned voice " Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile
I watch her go with a surge of that well-known sadness
And I have to sit down for a while" Niffty seemed to begin to calm down, so Alastor continued. " The feeling that I'm losing her forever
And without really entering her world
I'm glad whenever I can share her laughter
That funny little girl" he gently booped Niffty's nose as he sung, Niffty seemed to be getting a bit sleepy, so once again, Alastor continued.

"Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see what's in her mind?
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time" Alastor carefully sat down on the floor as he continued singing to Niffty. "Sleep in our eyes, her and me at the breakfast table
Barely awake, I let precious time go by
Then when she's gone, there's that odd melancholy feeling
And a sense of guilt I can't deny" as Alastor sung, Rosie poked her head into the doorway, Alastor noticed and waved her over.

Rosie sat down next to Alastor and leaned her head on his shoulder, she decided to join in on the singing. "What happened to the wonderful adventures
The places I had planned for us to go?
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Well, some of that we did but most we didn't
And why? I just don't know" Rosie's voice was much softer than Alastor's, though it also helped Niffty a bit as Niffty seemed more sleepy by the second, so the two continued, together this time "Slipping through my fingers all the time
I try to capture every minute
The feeling in it
Slipping through my fingers all the time
Do I really see what's in her mind?
Each time I think I'm close to knowing
She keeps on growing
Slipping through my fingers all the time"

Niffty's eye slowly began to close, though remained slightly open as her parents continued singing to her. Rosie gently reached her hand out and brushed some of the hair out of Niffty's face as her and Al continued singing to Niffty. "Sometimes I wish that I could freeze the picture
And save it from the funny tricks of time
Slipping through my fingers"

Niffty was nearly asleep by then, it wouldn't take much longer until she had fully fallen asleep, so Alastor and Rosie continued. "Slipping through my fingers all the time
Schoolbag in hand, she leaves home in the early morning
Waving goodbye with an absent-minded smile" As they stopped singing, Niffty had fallen asleep, Rosie smiled slightly as her and Alastor stood up, Alastor set Niffty down in her bed and covered her with the blanket.

And just like that, Alastor and Rosie quietly left the room, shutting off the light and closing the door behind them, leaving Niffty to have a peaceful sleep.