Chapter Text
Angel and Vaggie swiftly pulled Alastor and Charlie onto the boat. As soon as she regained her footing, Charlie rushed to embrace her four children, showering them with hugs and kisses. She expressed her deep love for each of them, promising that she would never leave them again.
"Oh Mommy, I knew you'd come back! I just knew you would!" Carrie exclaimed, clinging tightly to her.
"I'm here! I'm here, darlings! And I'm not going anywhere again!" Charlie declared, pulling Carrie close with one arm while wrapping the other around Aaron. The twins nestled in between them, a picture of familial unity. "I'm so sorry. Leaving you was the worst mistake I've ever made, and I promise I'll never do it again! I love you all so much. Can you ever forgive me?"
"Let's just call it even, Mom." Aaron said with a smirk. "After all the lying we did."
Charlie and Alastor chuckled at the older boy's playful remark. In that moment, she felt the warmth of her husband, her true husband, as he gently took her hand and pressed a loving kiss upon it.
"Oh, sweetheart, words can hardly express how overjoyed I am to have you back. And I promise, I'll never lie to you again. Not ever."
"Good, because I won't have our five children growing up to be liars." Charlie replied.
"Yes! We'll raise them to be completely honest- Wait a second, five? Last I counted, there were only four of them."
Charlie smiled and gently guided Alastor's hand to rest on her belly.
"Surprise."
Alastor's eyes widened in disbelief as he processed the news. A mixture of shock and joy washed over his face.
"You mean you're... I got you... We're having... The stork is coming?"
Charlie nodded in confirmation.
"Wow, Smiles, you've got some strong swimmers!" Angel exclaimed.
"What are you all talking about?" Louis inquired, curiosity evident in his voice.
"Duh! They're going to have a baby!" Ella clarified.
"Oh boy, here we go again." Aaron sighed, rolling his eyes. "But I guess I can handle another little brother or sister, just as long as it's just one in there. I can't deal with another set of crazy twins."
"Hey!" Louis and Ella shouted.
When the boat finally docked, they returned to the house where Charlie promptly called her parents to invite them over for an important discussion. After that, she reached out to the police to report Seviathan, only to discover that Moxxie had already taken that step and that he had discovered some other information about him that was extremely important.
"Let me make sure I understand this correctly." Lucifer said, his tone sharp after hearing the entire story. "You fell overboard, lost your memory, ended up in a mental institution, and then you were rescued by... Him."
He shot a piercing glare at Alastor.
"But he deceived you into believing you were his wife and the mother of his children, and you played that role for months. Then, after regaining your memory, you've made the decision to leave Seviathan for him? Is that the gist of it?"
"Also, Alastor is the father of my child." Charlie added.
Lucifer's eyes widened slightly, a mixture of disbelief and concern flickering across his face. He took a deep breath, processing the whirlwind of revelations.
"I see. This is certainly...A lot to absorb."
"Dad, I know this sounds insane." Charlie began, her voice steady despite the tension in the air. "But everything I felt for Alastor was real. I was lost, and Seviathan took advantage of that. I never wanted to hurt anyone, especially not you or Mom."
"I just don't understand how this could have happened. Seviathan seemed perfect for you."
"Perfect on the outside, but rotten to the core on the inside." Charlie replied.
"Exactly. Not only is he a liar and an adulterer, but he's also a cheat." Alastor added. "According to your butler, he doesn't actually own any of the plaza hotels; he forged all the deeds and accounts for them."
"I told you it was suspicious that he never invited us to any of the hotels he claimed to own." Lilith said to her husband. "And yet you called me paranoid for insisting on a prenup when they got married."
Lucifer rubbed his temples, clearly overwhelmed by the revelations.
"I didn't think it would come to this. I just wanted what was best for you Charlie. I wanted you to have everything."
"I do have everything Daddy." Charlie said. "With Alastor. He gave me back everything I lost. My friends, my dreams, my self-worth, my happiness, and my capacity to love. Admittedly, his methods were quite unstable, but I believe it was the only way to help me rediscover my true self. There was no way I would have come back willingly."
Lucifer looked at his daughter, his expression softening but still hesitant.
"Sir." Alastor began, his voice steady despite the weight of his words. "I know that you never approved of me, and I know I'm not anything special. But I have always loved your daughter, and I always will. I never wanted your money, your extravagant parties, or entry into your exclusive circles. All I ever wanted was her love and the chance to raise a family with her. I realize that back then, as teenagers, it may have been hard for you to believe that. But can you at least believe it now?"
"Yeah." Aaron chimed in from behind the kitchen door, where the children had been eavesdropping. "Dad really loves her, and we love her too. She loves all of us."
"We want her to stay and be our mom." Ella said earnestly.
"Our real mom." Louis corrected.
"She didn't have us the usual way, but she's been more of a mother to us than Mimzy ever was." Aaron added.
"I'm sorry, but who's Mimzy?" Lucifer asked, puzzled.
"My ex-wife." Alastor replied. "She left after Carrie was born. She couldn't really handle motherhood."
"Oh..." Lucifer said, momentarily sympathetic. "I'm so sorry."
"Don't be cause now we have a mommy." Carrie said running up to Charlie. "I wished for a mommy on the evening star and it came true."
Charlie knelt down and scooped up Carrie into her arms, giving her Eskimo kisses. Lucifer watched the scene unfold, becoming further softened.
"Charlie, I just want you to be happy." He said. "I mean, is this what you really want?"
"Yes, more than anything in the world." Charlie said, sitting down with Carrie in her lap.
Lucifer paused to absorb his daughter's words, observing her as she interacted with Carrie. The warmth and love emanating from Charlie were undeniable, gradually softening his reservations. Just then, he felt Lilith's hand gently resting on his own. He turned to meet her gaze, which seemed to convey a silent message: "You know this is right."
"Oh, Charlie, I'm truly sorry. I didn't believe that what you and Alastor shared back then was real love. Your mother and I were just so afraid of seeing you get hurt in the same way she did. I was trying to protect you but I ruined your chance at happiness."
Charlie looked up at her father, her eyes glistening with tears of gratitude.
"It's okay, Dad. I understand that what you did came from a place of love."
"Sometimes, fathers become so desperate to protect their children that they make choices they later regret." Alastor said, empathizing with Lucifer. "When I thought I might lose my children, I was so scared and desperate. So much so I made a terrible choice to prevent them from being taken away from me, and now I truly understand why you kept Charlie and me apart."
Lucifer nodded slowly, the weight of his past decisions settling heavily on his shoulders.
"I just wanted to ensure you were taken care of and happy, Charlie. I see now that I may have been too controlling, too focused on what I thought was best for you. Charlie, Alastor, will you accept my apologies and my blessing?"
Charlie's heart swelled with emotion as she processed her father's words. She glanced at Alastor, who looked equally taken aback by Lucifer's unexpected shift in demeanor.
"Of course, Dad." Charlie replied.
Alastor nodded, his expression softening.
"Thank you, Sir. Your blessing means more than you know. I promise to take care of Charlie and our family."
"Now that we have that settled." Lilith said, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Does this mean I now have five grandchildren instead of just one?"
Charlie laughed, the tension in the room dissipating as her mother's enthusiasm shone through.
"Yes, Mom! You're going to be a grandmother to five wonderful kids!"
"Five! Oh my goodness, I can't wait to spoil them all!" Lilith exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with joy. "This is going to be so much fun!"
"Just remember, Mom, no spoiling them too much!" Charlie teased, a playful grin on her face.
"Too late for that!" Lilith winked, and the room filled with laughter.
Lucifer shook his head, a smile creeping onto his face as he watched his family come together.
"Well, I suppose I'll have to get used to the idea of being a grandfather too."
"Welcome to the family, Grandpa!" Aaron called out, still lingering by the kitchen door.
"Yes, welcome Dad." Alastor said.
"Don't push it." Lucifer warned.
"Yes sir." He said. "Well I'm starved! Who wants some jambalaya?"
The room erupted in cheers at the mention of jambalaya, the tension from earlier completely dissipating.
"I'll help you, Daddy!" Ella volunteered, her eyes lighting up at the prospect of cooking together.
"Count me in too!" Louis chimed in, eager to join the fun.
"Alright, alright, let's get this kitchen buzzing!" Alastor said, a grin spreading across his face as he moved towards the kitchen.
Charlie watched her children rush to help Alastor, her heart swelling with happiness. She turned to her parents, who were still processing the whirlwind of events.
"Thank you for understanding, Mom and Dad. It means the world to me." She said softly.
Lilith reached out and pulled Charlie into a warm embrace.
"I'm just glad that you're finally giving me grandchildren."
Charlie laughed, feeling the warmth of her mother's embrace and the love surrounding her.
"I promise, Mom, you won't be disappointed. These kids are going to bring so much joy into our lives."
Soon, delicious jambalaya was served, and everyone gathered around eagerly to enjoy the meal. As they enjoyed their meal, the conversation turned to their aspirations for the future. Lucifer proposed that they all relocate to New York, but Charlie and Alastor expressed their desire to remain in New Orleans, the city they had called home for so long. Despite this, Lucifer and Lilith believed their grandchildren deserved a more spacious living environment. In light of this, they decided to provide Alastor with the funds to remodel his house. As for the remaining money, Charlie had a brilliant idea in mind.
“Excuse me, what did you just say?” Alastor asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“I want us to buy and reopen Song of the Southlands. Remember, you mentioned that if you had a million dollars, you’d purchase it and bring it back to its former glory.”
Alastor's expression shifted from disbelief to excitement as he processed Charlie's words.
"But it's a huge undertaking! The renovations, the staff, the performances... it's a lot to manage.” Alastor said, still trying to wrap his head around the idea.
"I know, but we can do it together. We have the support of our family, and with your talent and the money, we can make it something special. It could be a place where our kids can grow up, learn about music, and be surrounded by creativity. Just like we were kids.” Charlie explained, her passion evident in her voice.
Alastor beamed as he wrapped his arms around Charlie, kissing her with an abundance of love and devotion.
"I love you. I love you so much.” He said, his voice filled with warmth.
"I love you too.” She replied, her smile radiant. "Always."