Chapter Text
Alastor cursed lowly.
He’d only looked away from the child for a single second, but in that time, the child had managed to climb to an unreasonable height on one of her bookshelves and was now falling.
He quickly jumped into action and caught the child as she was still crying out in fear.
He cradled the girl close to him as he attempted to calm her down, but it was not working very well.
He couldn't help but tense when the door to Charlie’s room opened and not just one, but both of her parents were standing there, and now glaring at him.
He shuddered under their harsh gazes.
He did not fight back as Lucifer approached and gently took Charlie from his arms. He gritted his teeth as Lilith followed behind her husband and gently patted Charlie’s head before she faced him again and harshly gripped his arm before she dragged him out of the room.
~~
Charlie sniffled as her dad cradled her and soothed her.
That had been very scary.
She sniffled and looked around as she questioned her dad, “Where’s Al? He saved me from falling! I was so scared!”
She watched as her dad’s brow furrowed before he hummed and responded, “Ah, your mother took him out into the hall to talk to him for a minute. Why don’t you stay here for a few minutes. I’ve got to go talk to him and your mother for a little bit. No more climbing on shelves either, little miss!”
Charlie nodded as her dad gently sat her down on her bed and she wiped tears out of her eyes.
However, she was curious as her father left the room. She crept to her door and poked her tongue out the side of her mouth as she pressed her ear to it so she could hopefully listen in on whatever her parents were talking about. She hoped that they’d get done soon though! SHe wanted her toy back! She already missed Al so much!
She could hear her mother’s stern voice before she heard her dad command, “Stop, Lilith. He may have missed seeing her at first, but he did catch her. He didn’t upset her. The fall did.”
She teared up a bit as she listened to her mother’s scary tone say, “He still made her cry, and I WILL NOT tolerate that!”
She then heard what sounded like a smacking sound alongside a small ‘oof’.
Her eyes widened as she realized that her mother had just struck someone! Why would she do that?
She heard her mother say, “Keep better watch over her, Alastor. One more mistake and you will join our daughter’s other retired toys regardless of how attached she gets. Understand?”
She heard Alastor call out cordially, “Yes, my Queen.”
She then rushed away from her door and jumped back onto her bed.
Her parents were always the ones to bring her new toys. But, she was confused. Alastor hadn’t sounded like a toy there. Were her toys not just manifestations from her parents?
Were they real?
She was brought out of her musings as the door was opened again and her dad ushered Alastor in in front of himself as he said, “Sorry we took your toy from you for a bit, Char-Char! He’s back now, though!”
She smiled softly as she said, “That’s ok, dad. Thank you! Let’s get back to playing, Al!”
She softly gripped Alastor’s hand as her father nodded in approval as her mother watched from the doorway.
As soon as her parents were gone, her smile dropped and she looked up at Alastor as she questioned, “Do you feel pain?”
She watched his eyes widen in slight surprise before his face went neutral again as he answered, “I am capable of feeling pain, yes. But not to worry, dear.”
She scrunched up her face as she said, “You’re not something my parents conjured for me, are you?”
He questioned, “Whatever do you mean, dear?”
She teared up a bit as she said, “I heard you three in the hall. You sounded real. You’re alive, aren’t you?”
Alastor hesitated before he sighed and confirmed, “Yes, dear. I am real.”
She sniffled slightly and he bent to her level. She almost immediately launched herself onto him and hugged around his chest as best as she could as she questioned, “Do you even want to be here? Are you going to leave me?”
She felt Alastor pat her head lightly before he answered solemnly, “I did not choose to be here, dear, and I cannot leave you, but know that regardless of what brought me here, I have grown to care for you.”
She sniffled again as she wiped her face on his shirt and questioned, “Why would they do this, Al? Why? I could be happy with real toys. I don’t want to force a REAL person to be my toy!”
She curled closer to him as he hummed lightly before saying, “I don’t know, my dear, but I shall grin and bear it. So shall you, dear. I am still the same Alastor that you have known since I arrived in your life.”
She sniffled again as she said, “But you don’t want to be here!”
He sighed as he said, “Never you mind what I want, Charlotte. It’s getting pretty late, why don’t I read you a story before it’s time for your bedtime routine?”
She nodded as she rubbed her eyes and glanced up at Al’s face as he stood and carried her over to her bookshelf so she could choose a story.
She ruffled her brow as she said, “I don’t want one of those stories, Al. Can you tell me a story about you?”
She felt him stiffen before he answered, “I suppose, but it shall stay between the two of us, dear. How about I tell you the story of my first adventure into learning magic with my mother?”
She grinned as she said, “I’d like that!”
He sat her on her bed and began the story.
She was still confused, but for now she was getting sleepy.
She dozed off before her normal bedtime to the sound of Alastor’s voice telling her about the first time he’d been able to perform magic.