Chapter Text
She made it.
She finally made it.
One by one, she showed them the light, the possibility of change, and they embraced it, proving her dream was possible.
Sir Pentious was first. Then Husk and Angel Dust. Then Niffty. Vaggie. And now him.
He was the last one.
The Radio Demon.
Everybody thought he was an irredeemable monster, a lost cause, and yet, she managed to make him better, despite everyone believing otherwise, proving her point there is good in everyone. She poured every ounce of her being into guiding him toward the path of redemption, breaking down the walls he built around his heart.
And she succeeded.
So why does it hurt so much?
Charlie is standing before the grand entrance of the Hazbin Hotel, a place she dedicated to redeeming souls. Her golden hair loose and fluttering in the wind as she watches Alastor's limbs slowly getting engulfed by holy light.
Alastor looks at his hands bathed in the soft glow with disbelief. He lifts his crimson eyes, usually so full of confidence and mischief, and looks at Charlie.
There is a new emotion etched into his features, a sadness, pain even. But it is not the physical discomfort of the holy light that torments him. The glow is quite warm and pleasant, actually. It is the prospect of bidding farewell to the one person who dared to see beyond the facade of the Radio Demon, who dared to love the broken pieces of his soul.
He doesn't want to leave this place.
No.
He doesn't want to leave her.
Not after everything. Not after she made him open up his heart to her.
Damn it.
He doesn't want to leave and never see her smile again.
The smile that brought him to this forsaken hotel and quickly became his reason to stay. His reason to wake up every morning.
He still remembers their accidental first kiss when she tripped on the stairs and he tried to catch her - a moment of shock that ignited a flame neither could deny.
Then the real kiss after he saved her from the gangsters she naively attempted to recruit into her redemption program.
He remembers the first time he trusted her enough to get naked in front of her.
How she giggled when she saw his tail for the first time, her laughter so infectious that he couldn't help but laugh with her.
And the night that followed.
And the nights after that.
Despite his reservations, despite his aversion to certain physical activities, he would do it for her. He would do anything for her.
He would do anything to keep seeing that smile.
Alastor's eyes remain fixed on Charlie, drinking in her presence as she stands before him in that ethereal white summer dress mirroring the purity of her soul.
He helped her pick that one out on one of their dates. He hoped one day it could have been a wedding dress if he only had the courage to ask her to be his forever. The ring he secretly bought remained untouched in his drawer, Alastor fearing what her answer would be. What if she rejected him? Was he even worthy of her love?
Charlie looks into Alastor's eyes, seeing the deep anguish reflecting her own.
She doesn't want him to leave, but this is no time to be selfish.
Charlie tries to suppress the tears welling up in her eyes as Alastor reaches out and gently touches her cheek. The light around him is almost blinding and yet it keeps getting stronger.
"Charlie..." He whispers, his voice unnaturally quiet and soft.
She opens her mouth, longing to tell him about the secret she's been hiding, but she cannot risk jeopardizing his salvation. She couldn't bear the thought of being the reason he would be condemned to an eternity in Hell. She is determined to sacrifice her own happiness for what's best for him.
And so, instead, she places her hand over his and musters up a smile.
For him.
For them.
"You made it, Al."
Her voice is cracking, but she remembers what he taught her.
And she smiles.
"Charlie..."
"I'll miss you. But I am proud of you."
She gives him the fakest smile. And yet, to him, it is as beautiful as ever.
Alastor looks into her eyes, the heart he didn't know he still had shattering into a million tiny pieces that stab him from the inside.
"I can't leave you here all alone," he protests.
Charlie takes a deep breath and shakes her head. "I will manage. I always have," she assures him softly.
Alastor slowly brushes a strand of Charlie's hair away from her face.
"Charlie… I..." He takes a deep breath, steadying his words. "Thank you. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for being the light in my darkness. Thank you…for everything."
Tears sting in Charlie's eyes as she lifts her hand, placing it over Alastor's, the touch a fragile connection between them. Their gazes are locked in a silent exchange of unspoken words as they drink in the sight of one another, knowing that it will soon be but a memory.
"Say hi to your mom for me, okay?"
Alastor gives a gentle nod. "I will."
He can feel his senses slowly slipping away, the pull of Heaven growing stronger with each passing moment. The process is almost complete, and they both know Alastor's time in Hell is drawing to a close. His soul will be gone soon.
Unable to hold herself back any longer, Charlie throws her arms around Alastor, clinging to him as if trying to stop time itself. "Please, don't think that I don't want you here, that I don't need you. Because I do, more than anything. You have changed my life in ways I never thought would be possible. But I also know that you need this, and if that means letting you go, then I'll do it. Because I love you, Alastor, and I want you to be happy, even if it means being apart from you."
Alastor returns the embrace, trying to stay strong for her.
"Promise me you won't mourn for me," Alastor murmurs, his voice choked with emotion. His smile disappears for the first time ever. "Promise me you will find happiness."
He locks his eyes onto Charlie's, searching for confirmation.
"I will never forget you, Al. My heart will always belong to you," she whispers and, with a heavy heart, presses her lips to Alastor's, savoring the fleeting taste as she tries to memorize every detail of his presence.
It is a hungry kiss filled with a lifetime of shared moments, a testament to the depth of their connection. A moment of intimacy before their paths diverge forever.
They hold each other for what simultaneously feels like an eternity and barely a second, neither wanting to let go. But eventually, the inevitable cannot be delayed any longer.
"There is something in my drawer I want you to have," Alastor murmurs as their lips part, his forehead resting against Charlie's, a bittersweet smile on his lips. "Promise me you'll get it."
Charlie nods silently, unable to speak.
She knows that once he is up there, he will forget everything, her included. That is the price of redemption.
She wants to scream, she wants to beg him not to leave.
But she doesn't.
He wants to ask for an excuse to stay, a justification to defy the laws of Heaven and remain by her side.
But he doesn't.
This is her triumph, after all, and he couldn't take that away from her.
Alastor opens his mouth one last time.
"I love you," he whispers, his final words hanging in the air, a testament to the love they share and the sacrifices they have made.
As the holy light envelopes him, his voice drowns in the roar of the celestial energy surrounding him, and his hand slowly slips down from her face.
"I love you too," Charlie replies, her heart breaking as she watches Alastor disappear into the light, his form fading away until he is nothing more than a memory.
Did he hear her?
There was so much she still wanted to say, so much she wanted him to know before he left her forever.
She wanted to tell him how she knew from the start there was good in him. How she never gave up on him. How she would cherish every second they spent together. How she had never loved anyone the way she loved him.
She wanted to tell him, that...
But she can't anymore.
She knows she had to let him go, even if it tears her apart from the inside out.
The light disappears, and all that's left is emptiness. And as the emptiness engulfs her, Charlie realizes that some things are better left unsaid, their weight too heavy to bear in the final moments of parting.
This was for the best, right?
Charlie stares at the spot where Alastor was standing just minutes ago, and she finally lets her tears flow freely.
She sobs and sobs, hot tears streaming down her cheeks, her shoulders convulsing with the weight of her grief. She clutches at her chest as if trying to contain the silent ache for all the moments they will never share, all the words left unspoken.
He's gone.
Truly gone.
And Charlie feels as though a piece of her soul was ripped away with him.
Tears stream down her cheeks as she collapses to her knees, her wails echoing through the streets of Pentagram City. Time seems to stretch into eternity as she kneels there, lost in her heartache, with no one left to soothe her pain in her darkest hour.
Little did Alastor know that as he ascended into Heaven, he left behind more than just memories.
Charlie finally stops crying and wipes the salty tears with trembling hands. She slowly rises to her feet, forcing herself to stand tall as she lifts her puffy eyes to the sky, her grief replaced by a quiet resolve.
Charlie's hand instinctively drifts to her stomach, where a secret is nestled, a gift born from the love she and Alastor shared. She didn't tell him about the baby, fearing that he would try to stay with her in Hell. But now, as her fingers trace the faint swell beneath her touch, she can't help but feel a sense of bittersweet comfort. She finds solace in the knowledge that a part of him will always be with her.
She can't change what happened, but she can carry on, for both herself and the precious life growing within her.
With a heavy heart, Charlie whispers into the empty air, bidding farewell to the man she has loved more than anything.
"Don't worry, Al. I won't be alone."
