Chapter Text
Charlie fell onto the couch, curling in a ball and screaming into the pillow she was clutching.
I looked on worried as Lucifer and I glanced at each other. I took a breath, sitting down next to her. "Hey... babe it's alright."
Charlie groaned flopping over. "They all hate meeee! Even NIFFTY avoided me today! EVEN NIFFTY! And if she's gone, then so it everyone else!"
Her dad crossed his arms. "Charlie... you know... maybe it's time to-"
She sat upright. "NO! Don't say it!"
He jumped. "WHAT?! SAY WHAT?!"
She glared at him. "Don't you dare say give up!"
Lucifer frowned. "No- Charlie we're past that honey. I was going to say maybe you need new staff and residents."
My girlfriend slouched again, laying her cheek on my shoulder. "But! But I thought we were all good! We rebuilt the hotel! And We all fought together- it-it was magical Dad!"
He nodded, also coming over but sitting with us on the couch instead of the floor. "I know you love them, Char I really do but! They really have been jerks the last couple months, you can't... I don't think that they are the same."
Charlie nodded quietly, sniffling. "I just wish it would've lased."
He wrapped his arms around me. "I know Charlie, I know."
I ran my hand through her hair, watching as her eyes closed. "Vaggie... I know what your doing."
I turned and kissed her cheek. "Yes, and you need sleep. You've been stressing yourself to hard to please other people. Take a break alright? Your Dad and I will take care of everything."
She yawned, nodding slowly. "okay... be nice to them okay? I know they're trying on the inside."
The king sighed, nodding. "Okay Charlie, we will."
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I punched the spider. "BE NICE TO HER YOU BITCH!"
Lucifer winced from the side. "Ma-maggie maybe we should not pummel her residents too harshly?"
I punched him again, earning a yelp. "Then MAYBE he shouldn't pummel her DREAMS!"
Angel shrieked and managed to flail enough to wiggle out from under me and immediately jumped the bar, hiding behind Husk. "Leave me alone you PHSYCHO!"
Husk rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. "Free drinks for eternity if you leave the idiot alone."
I brushed the white fur off my hands before throwing them in the air. "Oh- Oh no! You've all been absolutely horrible to Charlie and for what?! she just about cried herself to sleep last night before I convinced her that you lowlifes actually care! She's been stressing herself endless to please you all and the only thing you do is treat her like trash! What's your excuse, huh!? What reason do you have for making the one person who actually cares about your miserable lives feel horrible?!"
I let my arms drop, breathing heavily as an uncomfortable silence covered the room.
Angel looked at the floor. "It's not as easy as you think."
I snorted. "I don't care how hard it is asshole. You don't get to treat her terribly for it."
He rubbed his hand over the bare patches on his arm, sighing. "Vaggie... I'm sorry for making her feel horrible, truly I am, but your not the one who has to deal with the Vees every day, and then come home to someone who, sure! Is nice, but she overdoes it. She's like honey, sweet at first, but to much is just to much. That's all."
My eye twitched. "She is housing you Angel, The least you could do is give a few kind words before disappearing to who knows where for the rest of the day."
Husk chuckled.
I whipped around. "Oh WHAT?! What are you laughing about?!"
A hand set on my shoulder. "Just... leave him alone."
I turned, sighing as I followed Lucifer out the door. "Just know how much she thinks she's failed, when your really the ones who've crushed her."
he put a hand on my shoulder. "Vaggie, screaming at people won't solve Charlies problems."
I slid down the wall, burying my face in my arms. "I know. It just! It pisses me off so bad..."
Lucifer sat down next to me. "I know what you mean. But you can't be impulsive. See where that got me?"
I glanced at him, nodding. "I know..."
he set an arm around my shoulders. "It'll be okay, either we'll fix this bunch or we'll get her new residents and staff."
I looked up, smiling at him. "Yeah?"
He nodded. "No matter what, Charlie is first priority."
I took a breath, before stretching my legs, nodding. "Yeah."
Lucifer glanced down the hall, before pulling his arm back to himself. "I honestly don't know what to do though."
I tilted my head. "What?"
He shifted, scratching his neck before turning to me. "Can I tell you a secret?"
Now curious I nodded. "Of course."
The man looked at the ceiling, swallowing. "I-I don't know what to do."
I blinked. "Sorry, what?"
He laughed quietly. "Yes, I, the king of hell does not know what to do! Charlie is the most precious thing in my life, but... I barely know who she is anymore. Lilith raised her! For goodness sake I had her until she was six! I know nothing about parenting Maggie, I don't know how to tell her that it might not work! That... maybe these aren't the people she thought they were! Maybe... I don't know. I just got her back and I don't want to shove her away! I don't know how to do that..." He slammed his head into his knees. "I'm so clueless."
I felt like I had to assure him... but I had no idea how.
So I just awkwardly patted his shoulder and muttered a "sorry" before we sat in silence for the rest of the afternoon.
I finished the task of making dinner and set the table, noticing the lack of seasonings.
Ah whatever!
It was a simple job, really it was.
to reach up and grab the salt off of the very top shelf, but alas my health refused to make anything simple these days.
My vision fuzzed white and I had to brace myself on the counter, grinding my teeth as I squeezed my eyes shut.
Just a couple of seconds, it'll pass by then, just a couple of minutes, how about hours-
The door burst open. "Is dinner finally ready or what?"
Of course....
I sucked in a breath and spun, smile wide as ever and narrowed my eyes at Vaggie. "Such a peculiar question my dear! It probably would have been answered if you had been patient just a tad bit longer."
Vaggie rolled her eyes. "I shouldn't have to be patient if you worked in a timly fashion!"
I laughed, tilting my head. "If you want to hire a cook you are very much welcome to."
She glared at me. "JUST-" she forced herself to stop, then continued. "Just Is it ready, Or not?"
I gestured to the table, keeping one hand planted on the counter behind me. "You know, I am not quite sure! What do you think? What does it look like to you?"
The girl put a finger to her chin. "Huh! Looks like an arrogant ass to me."
I nodded, trying to ease more of my weight onto the counter discreetly. "We aren't talking about the food anymore, are we darling?"
Vaggie scrunched up her face, shaking her head. "No, no I'm not."
Was it purely impossible for the girl to leave me alone for one day?
No?
To much to ask?
I gave a light laugh, shaking my head. "You are funny, dear. But I'm afraid I must be going!" I forced myself to shove off the counter and stand straight, smiling through the burning pain in my chest and walking across the floor.
Vaggie spun. "Oh that's it? Every time you just deflect and retreat? Seems pretty weak to me."
It was at that point my knee chose to lock up and I stumbled, catching myself on a chair.
By this, the angel was confused. "What? Can't take that? That you're weak?"
The axe came back to mind, and I forced myself to move, walking straight out of the room as fast as my now inevitably shaky legs would take me.
She could NOT find out.
No one could.
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Dinner was silent. To be fair, Charlie tried to start anything of a conversation but it wasn't good enough. Nobody spoke, and everyone ate in silence.
As if that wasn't the most awkward part, Angel left halfway through, and every other employee slowly slipped away from the table after that.
It was finally just Charlie, Lucifer, and I.
I set a hand on her shoulder. "Um... I'm sure it's fine Charlie-"
She shifted away from me, curling in on herself and burying her head in her hands. "I've failed."
Both Lucifer and I looked at each other, then to Charlie. "WAit- failed?? No- no Charlie you have 't failed you just... are working on it."
She shoved her Dad's words out of her head, shoving away from the table. "It's useless! Dad, Even Niffty, NIFFTY! She's still half insane but she hasn't talked to anyone in ages! Not even Angel! If that's not failure I don't know what is!"
I reached out to catch her hand. "Hon! Calm down, I promise it's not as bad as it seems..."
She turned to me, tearing up. "And how Vaggie, do you know that?"
I opened and closed my mouth, trying to find any words at all.
She stared at me, then slowly sat back down on the bench, curling in a ball. "I used to think we had something, a family of sorts, maybe even trust between us all. But... it was just me being delusional. Face it Vaggie, this was a bad idea from the start. And today just proved that."
I stared at her. "Charlie..."
Lucifer got up off the bench, taking to standing in front of her. "Charlie. I need you to know something."
She slowly looked up, one tear sliding down her cheek.
He took a breath, then knelt in front of her. "You. Are. Not. Failing."
She opened her mouth, but he cut her off. "No! You're not. What you just said was my words ringing in your head. You are smart, and hopeful, and beautifully positive. Some may see it as naive, but to others it's a breath of fresh air. You know in your heart, there is a second chance waiting for any sinner who's willing to try." More tears slipped down her cheek, and I grabbed her hand, leaning my head on her shoulder.
He cupped her face in his hand. "Charlie, the problem here isn't you. You know this will work, you've been willing to come this far to prove it so why not prove it? Why get caught up in people who push you away? What's happening, is that they are hurting, and because they're in your life, they use you as a punching bag. It's not your fault honey, it never was. You are young, and strong, and brilliant. You are not failing them, they are failing you."
She leaned into his hug, her tears staining his vest. "I love you Dad."
Lucifer hugged her back. "I love you more."
It made me happy to see her happy for once, it broke me that she rarely ever was since everyone started drifting.
And I couldn't do anything about it.
all the yelling never got me anywhere, and it was driving me crazy.
I let out a sigh, patting her back. "We'll figure it out, okay?"
she nodded, reaching out to take my hand. "thank you both."
Lucifer and I looked at each other, and he smiled.
Well at least we were making more progress than we were earlier.