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Vaggie wasn’t used to a family. Besides the exorcist in heaven; who for all Vaggie cared didn’t count anymore, she didn’t remember ever having parents or siblings or even someone to care about her. Until the day she met Charlie, it was almost like she was on her own. So, when Charlie suggested that she spend some time with Lucifer and Lilith she jumped at the opportunity.
After the who battle at the hotel Lucifer started to play a more active roll in Charlie’s life, and vicariously Vaggie’s. The goofy devil had become a much-welcomed distraction from the stresses of the hotel and the ever-looming threat of heaven’s retaliation. She loved how Charlie seemed to be smiling and laughing more as her father would help around the hotel. Not only did Charlie’s mood seem to improve but so too did Vaggie’s. She now had another fallen angel to speak to about the things she missed in heaven, or someone else who knew what she went through with being fallen. After one particular night where he had preened her wings; and she fell asleep and proceeded to drool on his nightshirt, she couldn’t help but feel that she had come to see the man as a father figure.
When Lilith had returned from heaven, she continued the same warmth that Vaggie could expect from the Morningstar family. Despite how Vaggie seemed to be in a standoff with the queen for the first few weeks, Lilith’s genuine caring broke down the walls Vaggie had set up. After that Vaggie found herself coming to the matriarch Morningstar for advice; she was even the kick in the pants she needed to confront her feelings about Carmilla which earned her the last name Carmine and the overlord proudly declaring she had a third daughter, something she knew got under the skin of Alastor.
Vaggie smiled at the memories of the past year as the played in her head. She finished applying her makeup and eyepatch before turning to her girlfriend “how do I look?” Charlie smiled as she took in Vaggie’s outfit. The fallen angel had opted for a red sundress with lavender accents “perfect babe, have fun with mom and dad. Oh and I know that it’ll be tempting for you to try and pay for stuff but let them spoil you for today.” Vaggie smiled and placed a kiss to her girlfriend’s cheek.
When she made it down to the lobby Vaggie was greeted to the sight of the king and queen standing in front of a very old looking car. Vaggie couldn’t name what type it was but the fact that it looked like it was from the 30s, bright red, and had a license plate that said “Apple” on it made her think that it would get under Alastor’s skin even more. Lilith was the first to notice her as she stepped out of the hotel “Hello dear, ready for a day on the town?” the demoness said with a smile. The woman had forgone her usual dress for a lilac skirt and brown blouse and sunhat. Vaggie could have sworn she saw that outfit before in an old photo Lucifer had.
Speaking of the devil Lucifer opened one of the rear doors to the car “ladies, I do believe a nice lunch awaits us.” Climbing into the backseat Lilith and Vaggie smiled as Lucifer took the driver’s position “My a royal chauffer, I didn’t know you learned how to drive Lucifer.” The demoness teased; Lucifer laughed as he turned over the engine “Oh it can’t be that hard, now which one is the pedal to make it go?” Lilith’s eyes widened at her husband’s comment before she reached out to grip Vaggie’s hand like a vice, a grip that the angel was all too happy to reciprocate.
After a brief drive with only a few near misses; and a lecture on why you’re supposed to stop at red lights, the trio had finally arrived at the restaurant. A rather upscale bistro that Vaggie remembered was run by a former mob sinner but she couldn’t remember his name. As the family entered the bistro Vaggie could feel Lilith’s hand resting on the small of her back; a comforting gesture that Vaggie could feel herself craving more and more with her found family. Before she could take in much more of the restaurant a rather portly sinner in a black suit stepped forward “Luci, Lili, so good to see you two again. And who might this lovely lady be?” Lucifer’s smile didn’t fade as he shook the man’s hand “Al good to see you too, this is Vaggie. She’s Charlie’s girlfriend and we’re taking her out for a day on the town.” The sinner smiled and extended his hand to her “Hello dear I’m Al, Al Capone. Luci and Lili are wonderful people and if you’ve won the heart of Charlie, you can win these two over easy.” The mobster ended the shake and turned to the king “your table is ready for you, if you need anything just let me know.”
The trio sat at the table, a bottle of red wine split between their glasses as they waited for their food. “I am glad you agreed to come out with us Vaggie, with how hectic everything has been for the past year we felt like we hadn’t gotten a chance to just sit down and welcome you in.” Lilith said as she sipped a bit of her wine. Vaggie smiled as she set her own glass down “I am too ma’am.”
“Vaggie, you don’t need to be so formal. We’re not going to grill you over your relationship, this day is just for us to make you feel more welcome into our family.” The demoness said as she gave the girl a small pat on her arm. Vaggie visibly relaxed as the woman’s words sank in “thanks, I’m just still trying to let go of my old military training. Gotta stop thinking of my in-laws as officers.” Lucifer perked up as he set his menu down “In-laws? Got a big secret you want to share?” The girl’s cheeks burned as she sheepishly looked down “well, not so much me. But I’m just playing dumb and pretending I didn’t see the ring box Charlie thinks she hid really well in her underwear drawer.” Vaggie looked up to see both Morningstars eyes starting to mist. Lilith was the first to break, laughing a bit as she wiped a few errant tears from her eyes “I’m glad to see Charlie is keeping the Morningstar women’s tradition of taking the cutest angels from heaven.”
After the lunch the three had begun to take a walk through an extremely well kept park, to Vaggie the multitude of flowers and plants along with how well kept everything seemed to be made her forget she was still in the pride ring of hell. “Its so clean here, there’s not even a plastic cup or anything littering the area.” Lucifer’s warm smile grew as he spoke “This place is one of my own projects, its so close to the palace that no one would dare try to mess with it. It also holds a special place in Lilith and I’s hearts.” As she rounded the corner Vaggie was met with the sight of a large apple tree.
To her it seemed odd to have an apple tree sitting in this part of the park, the myriad of other flowers clashed with the tree itself. Suddenly she felt it, a powerful gripping pull of divine magic. The fallen angel turned, wide-eyed she let an unspoken question escape her. Both Lucifer and Lilith nodded their answers “before we fell, we took a branch from that very tree.” Lilith said as she dragged her fingers along its bark “it was right here where we landed, we planted the branch here in hopes that something other than a wasteland would grow.” Stopping underneath a branch the tall woman plucked and apple from its stem “from here our lives regrew, a city, a kingdom, our family.” She took a bite, savoring its flavor before she offered it to Vaggie, looking at the apple and then back to the queen she became hesitant. Lilith let out a small giggle “don’t worry dear, you won’t gain the wisdom of the cosmos from eating it. And I’ve had all my shots.” Vaggie returned the smile, taking the apple she too took a bite from it.
As she enjoyed the flavor Lucifer approached from behind, taking one of the seeds from the apple he clutched it in his hands and blew on it. A holy golden light emanated from his palms as the seed went from a brown to a golden hue. Lucifer held the seed to his heart before he walked around the trunk guiding the two women with him. As they rounded the other side Vaggie saw a heart carved into the wood, an L+L in its center. Lucifer finally spoke as he ran his hands over the carving “You make Charlie so happy Vaggie, for so long we were afraid of how she would find someone who could love her as much as she deserves to be loved. How lucky we are that she got a gift from the heavens, literally.” She couldn’t help but laugh a bit “She loves you so much, with her whole heart. Even when the ones she loved broke it multiple times.” Lilith said as she cast her gaze down, Vaggie felt a pang of guilt as she soaked in the queen’s words. “But every time it broke you helped her pick up the pieces and rebuild it again, we want you in this family Vaggie. Its so much better with you in it, fuck Lilith and I had this whole plan about how we were going to give you our blessing to ask her to marry you but I think she beat us to it.”
Vaggie couldn’t stop the tears from coming now, she wept as the king and queen both embraced her “when I was cast out, I thought it was all over. That I had no one anymore, but then I met Charlie. And she helped me realize that I had family again, everyone at the hotel; even that asshole disk jockey. You two were so welcoming to me, even helping me get adopted by mama and…fuck I can’t stop crying.” The two demons laughed as they continued to hold the crying girl “I always wanted a family of my own, and knowing now that I have one… it’s the best feeling in hell.” Lucifer smiled at the girl as happy tears fell down his cheeks, taking the golden seed he gently placed it in her palm “this is for when you and Charlie decide to grow your home… and your family.” Vaggie held the seed in her hand as realization dawned on her “It won’t be an instant thing, you two might not feel ready for years, or decades, centuries, maybe even a millennia. But if you two decide that you are ready for it, you will always have the seed to grow it from.”
Vaggie smiled and whispered “thank you” as she continued to cry tears of joy. The three stayed in the park together for several hours more until the sun began to set. Making their way back to the car Vaggie jogged ahead and ran to the driver’s side door “Lucifer I love you but you are not driving us back.” Lilith laughed whole heartedly as the two climbed into the back seat. Grinning as they began to pull out onto the street Lucifer spoke “So what was Charlie doing all day?”
Elsewhere in Hell
Charlie groaned as she was knocked back for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Carmilla stood above her with the training staff still in her hand “Mierda princessa, put some effort into it. No future daughter in-law of mine isn’t going to know how to defend herself” offering her large hand the overlord hoisted the girl up “I use magic mostly when I fight, I’m not used to throwing punches.” Giving the girl a smirk Carmilla wrapped an arm around her shoulder “you seemed to know how to throw one when that asshole tried to steal the ring when we took you to go buy it. Speaking of which, have you decided where you’re going to ask her?” Charlie let out an even louder groan as she walked to her water bottle “I feel like I’ve answered that question 50 times already.” Glancing at her from behind her glasses Odette’s monotone voice chimed in “be thankful she’s not asking about grandkids.” Turning with a large smile on her face Carmilla beamed at the princess. Resigning herself to defeat Charlie thought aloud “I should just ask her when I get home.”