Chapter Text
Valentino and Velvette were just hanging out when Velvette started laughing.
“What's so funny, babydoll?” Val asked, as Velvette held her phone up to his face.
“Isn't this the nag you sent to the muppet?” Velvette asked. She'd been scrolling through social media and found a picture of Prince Stolas and his imp boy-toy, the imp sitting happily on a hellhorse.
“The fuck?!” Val yelled. “That horse was expensive, and that ungrateful nina lisiada didn't even accept it?”
Velvette shrugged, having already scrolled to something else. At least Val wasn't nagging her to send clothes to the brat anymore. The girl never wore them, to Velvette's knowledge, so it was a waste of time and fabric.
“No, Mr Valentino,” a Voxtek scientist said tiredly. “We've already told you that we cannot create a unicorn.”
“We have more important things to do,” another scientist added more bluntly, “not creating fairy tale shit.”
As Val started to berate and threaten them in both English and Spanish, the first scientist said, as if talking to a cranky child, “Mr Valentino, our souls are owned by Mr Vox, not you. You have no power over us, whether by simple authority or soul contract.”
Val stormed off, still grumbling to himself. He'd find some pet the kid would have to accept. Then she would really appreciate her papi. If Stolas could win back his own brat of a daughter, so could Val.
Lucifer had just wanted to relax, today, and watch a nice documentary about wood ducks. It was amazing how tiny wood ducklings could be so brave and jump out of a tall tree to get to the water.
But then, there came a strong tug as if by something invisible, which he recognized: danger!
Without even bothering to change out of his housecoat, not even with magic, Lucifer teleported himself downstairs, where his little ward Bella was starting to slowly fly towards the hotel's front doors.
“Hey, kid, where are you going?” Husk called, eyeing the half-finished plastic cup of Bella's favourite apple juice.
“Wait a minute, sweetie,” Lucifer said quickly, flying down to intercept the little girl before she could open the doors. “This might be something a grown-up needs to look at.”
“But I wanna go outside, Grandpa!” Bella protested. “I want to hear what's making that pretty music!”
Music? Oh no, it may be worse than Lucifer had expected. The invisible tug got him again, and he went outside.
About twenty feet from the doors, there was a pink carrier, and inside of it was something with dark purple fur.
Normally, Lucifer was careful with his language around Bella, but now he yelled, “OH SHIT!”
“What's going on, Dad?” Charlie asked, having shown up at the front door with Angel Dust. Angel had picked up Bella, who was crying that she wanted to hear the music.
“Honey, what music?” Angel asked anxiously. He knew his daughter had sensitive hearing, but-
“GET HER INSIDE!” Lucifer roared, his eyes glowing red and his full power coming out. It was strong enough that even his pink housecoat was looking intimidating. “NOW!”
Angel ran inside with Bella, and Charlie followed them. Charlie closed the door, but a bright orange flash went through the door cracks, along with a loud bang. Bella started to cry.
“Shhh, shhh,” Angel said. “Va tutto bene, Bellina.” He took her back over to the bar to finish her apple juice, hoping that would calm her down. Husk also offered her a plain biscuit.
Lucifer came back inside, panting.
“Dad, what was that?” Charlie asked, as Vaggi showed up with her spear.
“I got it,” Lucifer said, trying to take a deep breath. “It was a creature that eats Hellborn kids. Lures them in with its cuteness and singing that only kids can hear...like with dogs and whistles, I guess.”
Charlie gasped, while Husk dropped the glass he was cleaning. Angel held Bella more tightly, and Bella flung her upper arms around his neck.
“Valentino,” Angel growled. “Musta been another one of his presents.”
And Angel thought the quieve and the fiery hellhorse had been scary (seriously, what was the appeal of quieves? They looked like a chihuahua had fucked a fly). At least the quieve and the horse had been safely rehomed (the quieve with Asmodeus and the horse with Prince Stolas). But if Val could send such a dangerous animal this time, what horrible thing could he send to their daughter next time?
Bella cried harder as Lucifer approached her.
“It's okay, sweetie,” Lucifer said slowly. “Grandpa got rid of the monster.”
But Bella cried even louder and hid her face in Angel's chest fluff.
At the same time, Alastor made his appearance, and Lucifer scowled. This creep sure wasn't going to help.
“Well,” Alastor said dryly, “it looks as though I missed quite the show.”