Later in the evening, Alastor manages to awaken from his unconscious state. He rests a hand to his head, and groans. His memories of the previous few hours run by his head.
'That fucking King...'
He sits up from his bed only to realize that he was even in his bed. He looks around the room—no damage—the buyou is untouched—he looks down to his body and sees the scar that is left from his previous injury. He stands up, but when he looks to the side he can see his microphone stand completely intact. He notices the note and reads over what was left behind by Lucifer.
He sets the note aside and sighs heavily.
"Well....at the very least I got to slam his face in, perhaps one day I'll do it again. For now though, I'd actually like to rest longer. Have not gotten any sleep since that damn day. Perhaps, I'll leave a note behind for him,"
His shadow forms at the edge of his bed with a small purr.
"Yes I know it has been a while."
He writes his own message and hands it to it.
The shadow grins and sinks into the floor. It slithers throughout the hotel until it finds the King. He was in the library looking through several books he had moved from his own at the castle, but only important copies. He's wearing a pair of oval shaped glasses, that were resting on his cheeks. He's growing frustrated with every book he scans through. He throws the current one in his hand and bursts out a wave of flames.
'I can't contact her right now, and nothing is showing up in any of these records! What kind of nonsense is this?! There's no way there is nothing recorded in any of these....! What the hell did they do?!'
He hits his head off the shelf and just slumps along against the shelf. The shadow snickers silently before howling to grab his attention. He jumps and forgets that he was only floating, and not flying with his wings. He drops immediately into a pile of books leaving for him to pop up with a headache from busting his head on several hardcovers.
"Ugh, what the hell?"
He rubs his head and looks up to the shadow figure that was grinning at him.
"Huh? Alastor's shadow...?"
He turns away a bit, but the shadow merely presses the note to his face before leaving with a howl. Lucifer watches it fly away before looking down to the note.
'Lucifer, I appreciate that you cleaned up everything, healed my wound, and restored my microphone stand. However, I'd appreciate it if you stay out of my sight for a bit of time. You should know better when it comes to respecting ones privacy. I don't care if you're a king. I don't care if you run all of hell. You purposefully threatened me, on the basis that because of my background I should not be trusted. While I agree with your notion of not trusting a character like me, your behavior is a reason why I would never trust you. People as entitled as you need to be humbled, but I suppose you were when 'SHE' had left. Clearly, you didn't learn. But enough of me poking at your sour bone, don't bother me for a while. And don't interact with me. I don't care about whatever you choose to do, just don't come near me. Although, thank you for choosing to keep your mouth shut. I will continue to rest for now. Good night, Alastor.'
Lucifer leans back a bit into the pile of books with a frown. He fucked up. He already knew this, but now it was setting in that he messed up horrifically bad. He just wanted an answer out of him to confirm, but he keeps turning away and acting like his answer didn't matter when it does. It matters way too much right now, especially if he was a winner before falling. He sighs and sinks into the pile.
'How am I going to really apologize for this...? Or even make up for it...? I don't think healing him and fixing his belongings will really do anything. Those are objects, and if he was thrown over then....if anything he probably sees me as he sees them. Entitled....selfish....and arrogant....'
He runs his hands through his hair and stays within the pile. For now he will adhere to his wishes and leave him alone. He won't talk to him. Won't be within his sights or anything—not like he could face him if he had the confidence to.
"I can't tell Charlie....then....there's only one other person I can turn to before I speak to Emily about anything...."
Meanwhile, in the lobby, Charlie is parading back and forth with her phone in her hand. She's far too ecstatic to deliver the news to her mother—she was hoping for it to make her happy. To make her proud. She takes a deep breath in and turns to the bar where the others sat together just watching her.
Angel gives her a thumbs up, Vaggie nods her head, Charlie just grins, and Husk just sets out a drink just in case if she needs it. She sighs and dials her mother's number. Her other hand hides in her pocket with her feet lightly kicking off the ground with her anxiety as she breathes. While her mother doesn't answer, her voicemail does play meaning that her phone was activated.
"Hey mom, um so I have some good news! Hehe! One, Dad's here and is in full support of the hotel! We managed to work things out between us, so now we are going to be making things work. And secondly! The hotel worked and a sinner was redeemed! Um, the hotel took a lot of damage during the extermination though but dad helped to rebuild it! We even have more sinners taking interest in it! So um, yeah that's all I wanted to update you on. Hope to hear from you soon. Bye..."
Her goodbye is soft and low. She sighs with a frown as her girlfriend rests her hand to her shoulder with a light squeeze.
"It'll be alright okay...? Let's wait and see if she finally responds..."
Charlie nods her head. But then her phone vibrates immediately. She juggles the phone in her hand and manages to catch it. She turns to Vaggie with fear.
"It's alright. No matter what, you got us Charlie. We're here for you."
"Right..." She says and smiles. She looks to her phone and unlocks the screen to see a message left for her from her mother for once in seven and a half years. She opens it up and reads—
"Hey sweetie, I'm glad to hear that you're safe and that you and your father were able to repair your relationship. More than anything that is what's most important. But....huh....?"
Her smile dips to a frown.
"But...you shouldn't dwell on this passion project anymore.....sinners are in hell for a reason no matter what that reason may be. While I understand you want to help them move passed the pearly gates, but you don't even know if that sinner will somehow be sent back down as a response. So for your sake and everyone else's.....just forget about that silly dream and grow up......."
Vaggie's hair stands on end with rage, "What...the fuck...?"
Angel stands tall with his hands in fists, "How could she say that...?"
Charlie sinks to her knees with tears forming in her eyes.
"I–I—"
She drops her phone to the floor with her head to slowly follow.
"I...thought...I thought she would....be proud..."
"Charlie...."
Her thick tone in her voice cracks as her tears fall over her cheeks to the ground beneath her. Her hands grip tightly onto her sleeves in an attempt to stop the shaking motions of her body. She bites back her cries so as to avoid making too much noise.
Angel clenches his fists tightly and storms up the stairs. He knew where the King was as he had watched him enter the library on his own with a solemn expression. He might not be in the mood to hear anything of what he has to say, but he needed the King to get off his ass to do something. At the very least, stand up to his damn wife.
Vaggie helps Charlie off the floor, "Charlie...hey....look at me sweetie..."
Charlie lifts her head to her.
"Hey...we don't need her....and you don't need to prove anything to her. Whether she's proud or not, in the end the rest of us are proud of you."
Charlie sniffles, "But....that's my mom....Vaggie I started this because of her...and now...? She...She thinks it's just a silly thing...? Really...?!"
She grabs her phone again with her horns raising above her head with her rage and aching heart.
"Charlie you don't need to say more to her...! It won't change her mind...especially after seven and a half years."
Charlie's hand trembles with her phone in a tight grip. She wanted to release her frustrations. Release her emotions. Release everything to the people that deserved it. She dials her number again and calls and then waits for the ring tone to beep.
"You're telling me to grow up....?! How dare you....?!"
Vaggie flinches and steps back, and further toward the bar.
"Since when do you have the right to tell me that?! I'm beyond two hundred years old you...! You...! Urgghhh!! You fucking bitch!"
Everyone's bodies sink and hide behind the bar to avoid her rather, leaving only their heads to peak out from behind the counter. Alastor appears from a puddle of shadows in the wall from behind them and sighs.
"What is going on—?!"
"I literally did this entire thing to help our people and to stop the exterminations! And what did you do?! You left and abandoned us for what?! To get away from it all?! Oh I wish I could have done that! While you and dad sat back in your feelings, I had to take your places to figure out how to help my people! Who the fuck is the grown up now?! I may sound a bit emotional but fuck you maybe then you'll actually choose to answer the damn fucking phone when I call you! At least dad kept reaching out to me instead of acting like I didn't exist! And at least he answered when I called! Unlike you you ungrateful hag!"
Alastor's ears flicker with interest.
'Oh dear she won't be happy with this developement....'
"So you know what?! Fine! Stay where you are whereever that is! Me and dad will redeem sinners together, and you won't get any type of recognition for shit! Since you don't seem to need us, we don't need you! Fuck off and don't bother responding!"
She hangs up and throws her phone to the wall causing it to break into two. She storms off to her room without even looking at the rest of the crew.
Angel is in the library when the shouting begins, and it's there where Lucifer also hears the screaming of his daughter. He looks up to Angel.
"What the hell is going on?'
Angel folds his arms, "What's going on is your fucking wife just treating all of Charlie's hardwork as some silly thing. She called her and left a voicemail behind to inform her of what happened here. And all she got was a text message telling her to grow up, and to stop with her silly dream."
Lucifer's eyes widen.
"What...? Lilith said that...?"
"Judging by the heavy amount of rage bursting from the Princess as she storms off to her room, yeah. It couldn't have been anyone else. Now what will ya do about it?"
Lucifer curses.
"Dammit....first off the rest of you steer clear of her until she is able to cool down. Her temper is worse than you'd think. I'll check up on her first, and then I'll give Lilith a call....I don't think she'll answer...but seeing as how I don't know where she is, calling is akl I can do right now. Why don't you and the rest of the crew find a way to cheer her up at least for tomorrow."
Angel sighs.
"Fine. Good luck short king."
He leaves the room and heads back down to the others. Lucifer runs his claws through his hair and sighs. He waves a hand as the pile of books rushes back to their places on the shelves.
"Alright Charlie.....daddy's coming."
He teleports to her bedroom door and leans over to hear her sobs from the other side. He carefully knocks on the door.
She sniffles in response, "Go away...!"
"Charlie...it's me..."
The door opens and the Princess peaks through with black streaks falling over her cheeks.
"Dad..."
He steps into the room carefully and hugs his daughter tightly.
"Angel told me about what happened.....talk to me duckling...."
Charlie sniffles and sinks to her knees again and leans her head on his chest. She hiccups a bit and scrubs her eyes only to make a mess of her face even more. Lucifer flips his hand around, manifesting a handkerchief to clean her face with.
"I thought....I thought she would...be happy Dad...."
Lucifer gently pets her head as she speaks.
"But...she....she just...dismissed everything.....! Like us risking our lives for this...didn't matter...!" She cries.
She looks up to him, "I thought she cared about our people...! I thought she cared about us....! Or me...! But...!"
Her entire body shrinks in on itself with arms tightly wrapping around her body. "She doesn't give a damn......I should've know....after all...she never called...and never answered....."
"Charlie...."
She sniffles, "But you did.....even...even if you couldn't look at me..you still cared enough to call and I never noticed it....."
Lucifer sighs lightly, "I called....but could never face you because I thought you didn't want to see me after the split. I couldn't handle....myself....and couldn't face the facts. But even if I couldn't...it wasn't an excuse to not try and reach out even if I couldn't figure out how...."
Charlie silently listens.
"I didn't want you to feel like you couldn't count on me....and I let you down more times than acceptable during these seven years, but I'm here now. I'm here and I want to help...and I want to see your dreams come true. Hell...you already made part of it a reality. It's no longer just a dream no matter what your mother says....understand..?"
Charlie nods her head. Lucifer brushes her hair out of her face and kisses her forehead. He wipes up her tears and strokes her cheeks lightly with the tips of his thumbs.
"You don't need to prove anything to her. And you don't have to listen to what she says. You have a right to your own thoughts and opinions. So, if you want to continue in believing that this can work with the proof that's given, then keep going not for just the people of hell, but for yourself. Okay?"
"Yeah....thanks Dad..."
"Of course. Now then get some rest kiddo. And take a break for a few days...you deserve it."
Charlie nods her head in agreement.
"Okay...."
Lucifer puts his daughter to bed, tucks her in and is sure to remind Razzle to watch over her. The little dragon nods its head and curls up by the Princess's head. He leaves the room and heads downstairs where the others just finished explaining everything to Alastor who was merely scoffing at the notion of the Queen being so naive on her part.
When the two lock eyes the Radio Demon looks back to the others.
"Well I believe I can set up a little tea party at Rosie's emporium. She would love to her company."
Vaggie nods her head.
"Good idea. She's been wanting to visit for a while now after the battle,"
Angel notices the King approaching.
"How is she?"
"I managed to get her to calm down, she's asleep now. I told her to take a few days to take a break. I'll inform all of our guests tomorrow to have a free day, but to remember that they are here for redemption. If you'd like to try some things to cheer her up, please do. If it means taking her out into the city to meet with companions or to just get some air, then go for it. Anything to get her spirits back up. What we don't want is for her to close herself off in her room. Please...."
Angel nods his head.
"Gotcha King..."
Lucifer nods his head with a slight headache building up, "I'll attempt....to contact Lilith....but I can't guarantee that she will answer. But she has no right to say anything like that to Charlie...."
He chuckles softly, "Ah, I feel like I'm being humbled right now. This scene feels familiar..."
He turns away from them.
"I wish you all good luck and a good night, and I will let you know what happens...." He disappears once more through mists of gold and red dust.
Alastor disappears to his room with his mic stand disappearing into the shadows. His smile shrinks just a bit as his ears fall back over his head displaying his displeasure over the situation.
'This has now begun to get complicated....'