October 26th, 1983
Edward & Lorraine Warren's House
Charlotte Warren-3
The room always gave Charlie a stomach ache. Whether she was walking past it or she happened to see her grandparents or her father open the door; it was always the same. She would often peek out at it from her own bedroom door, her eyes locked on the doorknob, willing it not to turn. Whenever she asked the others about it they would tell her not to worry, that it was something she didn't have to think about till she was older. She never understood it but she didn't question it, that being their answer for nearly all her questions.
The first time she went into the room it wasn't of her own free will. She had been walking by with the full intention of getting a cookie from the kitchen when she felt something wrap around her ankle. Letting out a scream that would have alerted the neighbors she was jerked back off her feet and dragged through the open door. Her screams grew louder when the door slammed shut and locked.
"Get off! Get off!" she yelled, kicking against the force as it dragged her to the back of the room. "LET ME GO!" she screamed before the grip disappeared from her leg and she came to stop. She was crying now, tears rolling down her cheeks as she sobbed openly. Letting out several coughs she lifted herself to her knees and looked around the room, scared at what she would find.
If it hadn't of been for the stomach aches it would give her, Charlie would assume that it was just a storage room. Shelves and bookcases were littered and lined with boxes and objects, each varying in size and shape, seeming to have no organization to it. Nothing caused her immediate fright until she looked behind her and spotted the doll.
Sitting in a glass case against the wall there was an antique doll. Her face was cracked and her dress was worn but what caused her to choke on her loud sobs was the doll's eyes.
"Charlotte?!" her father's voice shouted out before something slammed into the door. "Charlotte!"
She tried to look away from the doll but found that she couldn't move at all.
"CHARLOTTE!" her mother screeched.
Charlie was now finding it hard to breathe, the room growing smaller every moment. She was panicking, her mind racing to find a way to break free from the doll's control. Finally, in a desperate attempt, she recited the prayer she often heard her grandmother use.
Angeli custodiunt mihi,
Custodi me a tenebris,
Custodi animam meam in manu Dei;
Duc me ad lucem.
A bright light engulfed the room and Charlie felt herself being moved back towards the door. An almost overwhelming sense of peace and serenity washed over her as she looked to the light. The blurred outline of a figure seemed to be the source of the light, it's head turned just enough to watch her. She tried to speak to the figure but before she could she was pushed out into the hall and into the arms of her waiting family before the door slammed shut.
June 15th, 1984
Nathan and Sophia Warren's House
Charlotte Warren-4
Her mother and new baby sister had been home from the hospital for two days now. Charlie, fascinated with her new sibling, spent little to no time away from her sister's side. She would often sneak out of her room in the middle of the night to stand by her sister's crib to watch her sleep.
Tonight was no different.
Charlie's hands gripped the bars of the crib, her face pressed between the gap. She was stretched up onto her tip toes with strain, the effort making her legs shake.
"Hello, Charlotte."
She spun around with a quiet yelp, her back hitting the crib. Her eyes widened when the familiar feeling of peace and serenity swept through her. "It's you," she whispered.
The man standing in the center of the room watched her with a soft smile.
"You're the one who saved me."
He gave a subtle nod. "Yes."
She relaxed and allowed a smile of her own to spread across her lips. "Thank you."
A chuckle left the man. "You do not need to thank me, Charlotte," he told me. "Your safety is an utmost concern for me."
"Why?"
His smile widened and he kneeled down in front of her, his hands coming up to gently take her shoulders. "Because I love you and your sister."
Confusion pulled at her little face. "Why?"
"Because you're important to me."
"Why?"
He shook his head softly in an amused fashion. "The reason doesn't matter right now just know that you are."
She thought to question him further but something told her that there was no point to. "Have you seen Courtney yet?" she found herself asking instead.
The man's eyes brightened. "Not yet," he answered. "That is why I came tonight."
"Come on, you gotta see her," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him closer to the crib.
He peered down into the bottom of the crib, his smile widening even further. "She is beautiful, isn't she?" he asked.
Charlie nodded as she peered through the bars once again. "I love her."
"I love her too," he agreed, reaching into the crib to brush his fingers across her forehead. "She looks just like you and her mother."
"She does?"
"Yes, very much so."
"Huh," she hummed, looking back through the bars. "I want to play with her."
He patted her on the head. "She's a little too young right now," he told her. "You have to be patient."
She let out a disappointed groan but didn't protest. "Alright."
He laughed at that, the sound soft. "It will be alright, Charlotte," he assured her. "You two shall have a happy life together."
"Really?"
He nodded. "Yes."
"Charlotte?"
She looked to the bedroom door when her mother's voice sounded from the hallway, the door opening a moment later.
"What are you doing, Charlotte?" she questioned, leaning against the door jam.
"I was just-" she started, turning to look back up at the man but paused when she didn't find him there.
"Come on, honey, you can see her again in the morning."
Charlotte looked back on her sister as her mother lead her out of the room by the hand, her mind racing with questions of the man.
July 11th, 1987
Nathan and Sophia Warren's House
Charlie Warren- 7
Courtney Warren- 3
"Okay, I'm going to count and you're going to hide, alright?" Charlie asked, smiling down at her little sister.
She nodded eagerly.
Charlie covered her eyes and spun around several times before coming to a halt. "1…2….3…4…"
Courtney let out a peel of giggles as she took off for the trees, her mind racing to think of a perfect hiding spot. She dodged trees and fallen branches, her eyes wide with excitement. Charlie's voice was growing fainter and fainter and the urge to hide was growing more insistent.
Courtney stopped when she spotted what looked like the cellar doors at her grandparents' house. She ran over and managed to get one of the doors up and open wide enough for her to slip through. It slammed shut above her, enclosing her into complete darkness. Courtney made her way down the stairs, her eyes adjusting quickly to the darkness. She stepped down and spun in a slow circle, taking in the details of the room.
There were shelves upon shelves of boxes, the labels listing several foods with the words 'freeze dried' following. On the far wall there was a set of bunk beds, each sporting a blanket and solitary pillows. Looking back she found what looked like her dad's work bench, tools and other dangerous looking thinks cluttering the work top. She also recognized the toys her dad never let her play with hanging on the wall.
She hummed happily to herself as she wondered the space, a skip in her step. "Charwie won't find me here," she whispered, her smile splitting her face.
Pausing by the bunk beds she was more than pleased to find a coloring book and a set a crayons hidden under the bottom bed. Flipping open to a page she began her masterpiece.
*1 hour later*
Courtney frowned as she flipped through the book once again, hoping to find a blank page but having no luck. She blew out a raspberry and got to her feet, a little disappointed that Charlie hadn't found her yet. She climbed up the stairs and braced her hands against the door to push. She grunted and groaned as she tried with all her strength to lift the door. A distraught whimper escaped her as she gave up.
"Charwie?!" she called, hoping her sister was near. "Charwie!"
No returned call followed.
"CHARWIE!" she screamed. "CHARWIE!"
She was greeted with more silence.
"CHARWIE, HEWP! HEWP! HEWP!"
"Courtney."
A startled yelp left her and she spun around, her foot twisting off the step and knocking her off balance. A scream left her as she prepared to take the impact of the fall but was pleasantly surprised when a pair of arms caught her.
"Are you arlight?"
She looked up to the voice and found startling bright green eyes staring down at her. Her first reaction was to panic, to pull out of the man's arms but a sense of peace and serenity filled her.
"Are you alright?" he repeated.
She nodded and sniffed loudly. "I'm okay."
"Good," he said, righting her and placing her gently onto the stairs. "Courtney, what are you doing down here?" he demanded, his voice gentle.
"I was pwaying hide and seek with Charwie," she answered with a sniff. "I got stuck."
He laughed and brushed her hair out of her face. "I'm glad you're alright," he told her. "Lets get you back to your sister," he said before reaching up and pushing against the doors, the wood lifting easily.
Courtney scurried out and onto the leaf covered forest floor, surprised to see that the sun was going down.
The man followed after, letting the door drop back before holding his hand out to her. "Come on, little on."
Courtney took his hand with no hesitation, the warmth spreading through her once again. "How did you know my name?" she questioned, looking up at him as he lead her through the trees.
He smiled down at her. "I've known you since you were just a baby," he told her. "I don't expect you to remember me."
She squinted at him, her little face scrunching up as she struggled to place his face. After a moment of thought she shook her head. "Nope."
A startled laugh left him as he shook his head. "You remind me of your mother."
She seemed to perk up at the compliment. "Reawy?"
The man nodded. "You and Charlie are very much like her," he praised. "It's almost terrifying, honestly."
She giggled at that, finding the idea of her sister being tarrying funny. "What are-"
"Courtney?!" Charlie's voice rang out, echoing through the forest. "Courtney, where are you?!"
"Charwie!" Courtney screeched elatedly, pulling free from the man and running to her sister, arms up for a tackle.
Charlie turned just in time to see her sister throw herself forward, her arms raised just in time to catch her before they fell back. She let out a groan as her sister's weight crashed down onto her, her ribs protesting. "Where have you been?" she demanded once she regained her breath.
"Hiding!" Courtney answered, pulling away to prop herself on Charlie's chest. "I got stuck but he saved me."
Charlie's eyebrows pulled together in confusion. "He?" she asked. "He who?"
Courtney twisted around and looked back to where the man had been standing, her smile falling when she found that he was no longer there. "He was there," she stated.
A wide smile stretched across Charlie's face as she looked between the spot and her sister. "Don't worry, he disappears all the time."
She looked back down at her. "Reawy?"
She nodded. "Yep."
"Is he our guardian angew?"
Charlie thought back to the prayer she had recited when she first met him and nodded. "Yeah, yeah he is."
September 23rd, 1988
The 1966 Ford Mustang
Charlie Warren- 8
Courtney Warren- 4
The freeway street lamps flew past the car windows, the stars blurring along with them. The heater in the car had been cranked high in an attempt to counteract the torn back window of the soft top. A blanket was thrown across the back seat, covering the two huddled little girls, the youngest asleep.
"Dad, where are we going?" Charlie asked, keeping her voice low so as to not wake her sister.
Nathan glanced back at her in the rearview mirror. "You and Courtney are going to stay with a friend," he answered, his voice just as soft.
"Who?"
"Just a friend, sweetheart."
Charlie was quiet for a moment before she looked back up. "Where's Mom?"
He let out a sigh, his hands tightening around the steering wheel. "You already know, sweetheart."
Charlie's frown deepened. "I'm sorry, I forgot."
"That's okay, sweetheart," he assured her.
She looked down to Courtney, watching her for a moment, happy that her sister was finally able to sleep. "When will we get there?"
"An hour," he answered.
"And it's just me and Courtney staying?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because it's better for everyone."
"Why?"
"Because it is, Charlie."
"Why?"
"Charlie, sweetheart, please, Dad needs some quiet," he sighed out, his voice showing just how tired he was.
She trapped her bottom lip between her teeth. "Sorry."
A small groan left him as he looked back at her in the mirror once again. "Don't apologize, sweetheart, asking questions is a good thing. Dad just doesn't feel well."
Concern replaced her shame. "What's wrong?"
"My heart hurts."
"Because of Mom?"
Nathan swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah, because of Mom."
"Will it get better?"
"No, sweetheart, it won't."
"Why?"
"Because it's broken, Charlie, and a broken heart never stops hurting."
"Oh," she hummed. "I'm sorry."
"Me too, sweetheart, me too."
*1 Hour Later*
Charlie's worry peaked when they pulled off the road and up a graveled way, the rocks against the tires making a noise she knew she would never forget. Courtney's small body was still pressed against her side, their shared heat making the blanket over them a safe haven against the night air. Nathan hadn't spoken a word since his and Charlie's conversation, only glancing back at the girls in the rearview mirror whenever they went over a bump or took a turn. The guilty look in his eyes hadn't lessened but only increased the longer they drove. Charlie couldn't help but let that nag at her.
"We're here."
She snapped out of her thoughts and looked up to her father. She looked past him and out the windshield, her eyes widening when she saw the house in front of them. "Wow," she found herself breathing.
The mansion stood at least 5 stories tall with enough square footage to house several football games simultaneously. The design of the place was something out of a fairytale, Cinderella coming to mind.
Charlie prodded her elbow into her sister's side, effectively waking her from her nap.
"What, Charlie?" she asked, her voice grouchy from her disturbed sleep.
"Look," she instructed, gesturing to the window.
Courtney did just that, her eyes going wide when she saw the wonder. "Wow," she breathed just as Charlie had.
Nathan slowed to a stop at the front entry way, throwing the car into park and turning the engine off. "Come on, girls," he said as he pushed open his door and stepped out.
Charlie opened her door and turned back to help her sister out. She reached back in and grabbed the blanket, wrapping it around Courtney's shoulders seeing as she was only wearing her Snoopy T-Shirt.
Both girls looked over when their father slammed the trunk closed, several suitcases and duffel bags burdening him. "This way," he said before heading towards the front door. Charlie looped her arm around Courtney and pulled her along, her eyes fixed on her father.
"Where are we, Charlie?" Courtney whispered, huddling closer.
Charlie hesitated, not sure on how to go about telling her sister that their father was leaving them with a stranger. "We're staying with a friend of Dad's," she answered, forcing herself to smile. "It's okay."
Courtney watched her for a moment, seeming to pick up on Charlie's unease. "Really?"
She nodded. "Yes."
"You're lying to me," Courtney accused.
Charlie let out a defeated sigh. "Yes and no," she allowed.
Courtney huffed and looked back to her dad. "Daddy, where are we?" she asked.
He glanced back at them, pausing on the steps. "At a friend's house, princess," he told her.
"Why?"
"Because you and Charlie are going to be staying here for a while."
"Why?"
Nathan chuckled, once again amazed by how much the sisters were alike. "Because it's better for everyone."
She pouted at that, her fists pulling the blanket tighter around her. "That's a stupid answer."
Nathan's eyebrows shot up but he didn't argue with her, simply giving a nod and continuing up the stairs.
"Come on," Charlie muttered, pulling her along.
Nathan grabbed a hold of the chain that hung by the massive door and pulled, a loud clang of bells sounding. He adjusted the straps of the bags as they waited, his shoulders tense and his head hung.
The silence that followed was nearly maddening, the silent questions of the girls and the refused answers of their father clogging the night air and creating a certain breed of anxiety. A relief swept over them when the door opened and a figure stepped out to greet them.
"Why hello!"
Both girls jumped at the sudden outburst, huddling closer to each other.
"I wasn't expecting you till the morning."
Nathan nodded. "I know, I know," he said, "but I need to get started. I hope its okay."
The man nodded. "Of course, of course," he answered, moving aside and waving them in. "Everything is taken care of."
Nathan marched forward and disappeared into the house.
The man looked back to the girls, a smile pulling at his face. "In you come, girls," he said, gesturing them after their father.
They did so with hesitation, their eyes locking on their father as they rushed to follow behind him. The parlor they found themselves in was rick in dark wood and furniture that looked like it belonged in a museum. A fireplace that would have comfortably cooked both small girls war roaring with a fire, the light swimming throughout the room.
Nathan dropped the bags beside the couch and turned his attention back to his daughters. "Girls, I want you to meet an old friend of mine," he said, nodding to the man who had answered the door. "This is Godfrey."
He was a tall man with a head of unruly curls and surprisingly warm brown eyes. He was dressed like one would expect the owner of a mansion to dress. He wore a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, a light grey waist coat over it. While his overall appearance was strange enough, the strangest part were the red and blue stripped socks peeking out from under his black slacks.
Pulling in a calming deep breath Charlie stuck her hand out towards him. "Charlie," she told him.
A bright smile stretched across his face as he knelt down in front of them, his hand taking Charlie's. "It is wonderful to meet you, Charlie," he stated.
"Godfrey what?" Courtney demanded, her tone challenging.
He let out a startled laugh and looked over to the smaller girl. "It's just Godfrey, my dear."
Her face scrunched up. "So it's Godfrey Godfrey?"
He gave a nod. "If you like," he allowed.
She didn't seem impressed as she stuck her hand out like Charlie had. "Well I'm Courtney. Courtney Warren."
"And a pleasure to meet you, Courtney," he said, taking her hand.
Her nose wrinkled. "You talk weird."
"I do," he agreed with a nod. "I'm from Scotland."
"I don't know what that is."
Another startled laugh left him at that. "Well we'll have to fix that."
Charlie once again glanced around the room, taking in as many details as she could. "You own this place?" she questioned, finding it hard to believe that it belonged to just one person.
He nodded. "Yes I do," he answered proudly.
"Why?"
He faltered slightly. "Why what?"
"Why do you own it?"
He blinked several times as he thought that through. "Because I wanted to," he decided, his eyebrows furrowed.
"It's huge," she accused.
"Yes is it."
"Have you been in every room?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Did you make a list?"
"Uh, no."
"Then how do you know if you've been in every room if you don't keep track of them?" she demanded, fixing him with a genuine curiosity.
Godfrey watched her for a moment before he looked up to Nathan. "You weren't kidding about them, were you?"
Nathan shook his head with a smile that could almost be called prideful. "You have to watch yourself with them, they'll talk you in circles."
"Well that keeps things interesting, doesn't it?" he asked, flashing the girls a smile. "We'll have intellectual conversations galore."
They awkwardly smiled back.
Nathan checked his watch and let out a sigh. "I should get going," he mused, having the common decency to sound reluctant.
Charlie and Courtney turned their attention to their father, solemn expressions on their faces.
He sighed as he dropped to his knees in front of them, his hands coming up to rest on their shoulders. "You two are going to be just fine. Godfrey's going to look after you and you're going to look after each other."
They nodded at that.
"I'll call and I'll visit whenever I can," he assured them. "You'll be good, won't you?"
They nodded again.
"I love you girls, you know that, don't you?" he asked, his voice going soft.
Charlie could have sworn that he had tears in his eyes. "I love you too, Dad," she said.
"Yeah, I love you, Daddy," Courtney agreed, moving forward to throw her arms around his neck.
He let out a long sigh as he wrapped an arm around her waist, his other arm pulling Charlie to him. He held onto the sisters for several moments before pulling away and getting back to his feet. "Thanks again, Godfrey, for doing this," he said, stepping forward his had hand extended.
Godfrey returned to his feet and took Nathan's hand. "It's my pleasure. They're wonderful children."
Nathan nodded with a weak smile and cleared his throat. "I'll call ya when I get there," he promised.
"Be careful."
A small chuckled left that man at that. "I'll try my best," he said before looking back to his daughters. "Bye, girls."
"Bye," they chorused, little to no enthusiasm in their voices.
He watched them for a moment longer before he pulling in a deep breath and all but marched out of the room.
A feeble whimper escaped Courtney as her eyes welled with tears.
Godfrey let out a sympathetic groan when he saw her and gestured to the curtain covered windows. "You can watch him leave, my darling," he told her, his voice soft.
The small girl sprinted over, Charlie not too far behind her, and threw aside the curtains blocking her view. She pressed her face to the glass, her panicked breathing fogging up the glass.
Charlie stood behind her sister with the curtain clutched in her hand to keep it out of Courtney's way. Her jaw was clenched tight and her eyes were narrowed, a valiant effort to keep the tears from appearing. Her free arm came up and wrapped around her sister's shoulders when her sobbing became more apparent, regretting that it was the only comfort she could muster at the present.
The two girls watched with their first taste of abandonment as Nathan started the engine and peeled off down the driveway, leaving a cloud of dirt and gravel in his wake.
December 23rd, 1993
Bridgeport, CT Godfrey's House
Charlie Warren- 13
Courtney Warren- 9
The youngest Warren woke to the familiar sound of the Mustang. She leapt out of bed with a gasp and ran out into the hall, her little fists pounding of the door that was across from her own.
"Charlie! Charlie, wake up!" she shouted, the excitement clear in her voice.
A frustrated groan sounded from inside the room before the door flew open and an irate Charlie stood in front of her. "What? What is it?" she demanded.
Courtney smiled up at her. "Dad's back!"
Charlie blinked several times before a small smile pulled at her own face. "Alright, come on," she said, stepping out into the hall.
An excited laugh escaped Courtney as she took off running towards the front door.
Charlie rolled her eyes and followed after her, amazed that there was that much energy in the little body. She took her time on the stairs, making sure to grip the railing so she didn't trip herself and fall to her death. She shuffled across the front foyer towards the door the parlor only to stop when she saw Courtney standing in front of the closed door with an expression of pure shock. "Courtney?" she asked.
She shook her head and pressed a finger to her lips.
Charlie grimaced and rushed down the stairs, making extra sure to keep quiet. She stepped up behind her sister and pressed her ear to the door.
"You should have told them, Nathan."
"How do you tell them something like that? How do you tell them that the man who raised them, the man who's supposed to take care of them; isn't their father?"
"What?!" the word had left both girls before they had time to think about.
Courtney, figuring that they were already caught, opened the door and barged in. "What?" she repeated.
"Real smooth, Court," Chrarlie muttered to herself and stepped into the room, fixing a glare on both men.
Nathan's mouth was opening and closing in a rather impressive impression of a fish out of water. "G-girls," he stuttered out. "I, uh…."
Courtney folded her arms across her chest. "The question was 'what'," she reminded them.
Godfrey let out a sigh and shook his head. "Just tell them," he implored. "They deserve to know."
Charlie raised an eyebrow at that. "Is this the part where you tell us that we're adopted?"
A defeated laugh left him at that as he shook his head. "No, you two aren't adopted."
"Then what? Mom had an affair?"
"Not exactly."
"What?!" Courtney exclaimed once again.
A humorless snort left her. "Yeah, how did Mom 'not exactly' have an affair?" she defended, going as far to make the quotation marks.
Nathan looked to Godfrey, a pleading look on his face.
Godfrey threw his hands up as he dropped down into one of the chairs.
He glared at him before looking back to the girls. "She….she didn't know."
Charlie paled at that as a knot started in her stomach. "Shifter?"
"What?!" Courtney panicked.
Nathan rolled his eyes. "Do either of you show characteristics of a Shifter?"
The sisters looked to each other, both analyzing.
"You're not Shifters," Nathan told them.
"Demon spawn?" Courtney asked.
He shot her a surprised look. "What? No. You're Nephilim."
The two girls looked back to him with wide eyes. "Nephilim?" they asked together.
He nodded. "They're-"
"The children of Humans and Angels, yeah, we know," Charlie stated, fixing a glare on Godfrey. "We just finished a report on them."
Nathan joined Charlie in glaring at the man. "A report?" he questioned.
"I'm sorry!" Godfrey burst out. "They're starting to hear and see things! What was I supposed to do?"
"Godfrey!" both girls snapped.
"I'm sorry!"
A moment of tense silence took over the room, giving the four enough time to calm down.
Nathan pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "The doctors told us that we couldn't have kids," he said. "Sophia wanted to keep trying so we did and months later we had Charlie. I didn't understand it and neither did the doctors but your mother couldn't have been happier. Four years later we got Courtney too."
"Now hang on," Godfrey spoke up. "Angles need consent before taking a vessel."
Nathan nodded with a sigh. "Before we had Charlie I was having these dreams," he explained. "I would have this conversation with myself and it would always end with me asking if I would do anything to have kids and I would always say yes. Does that count as consent?"
Godfrey considered it for a moment before pulling a face. "Eh, in a pinch maybe," he allowed.
"In a pinch?" he asked. "It went on for months."
"I've never claimed to understand them."
"To get back on subject," Charlie interrupted. "If you didn't know and Mom didn't know then how did you find out?"
He looked back to them, that startled sadness back in his eyes. "It told me at the hospital," he answered. "Just after your mother….." he trailed off to clear his throat. "It told me that it had answered her prayers; that Heaven wanted you two born."
Courtney's eyebrows shot up. "So we're miracle babies?" she asked, sounding skeptic.
"You hear voices? See things?"
She nodded. "The voices repeat themselves mostly. Like a broken record. Most of the time what they say doesn't make sense but sometimes we'll see some of the names they say on the news. They're usually dead."
"Some people's faces don't look right," Charlie chimed in. "They're distorted, sometimes blurred. We'll see shadows where there shouldn't be and every now and again we'll see what I hope are Demons."
He didn't seem too pleased but it didn't seem to surprise him. "When did this start?"
"After Mom died," they both answered.
Now that surprised him. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"We thought it was normal because of Grandma," Charlie answered with a shrug.
A defeated sigh left him at that, nodding slowly. "Technically it is normal; at least for you two," he answered. "Nephilim are powerful. Some legends say even more powerful than their celestial parent, but there haven't been enough born to really find out."
"So, we're not Human."
The statement had been said by the youngest Warren, her voice a tone of acceptance that no nine year old should have.
Nathan shook his head. "No, princess, not completely."
Charlie watched her sister for a moment before turning her attention back to Nathan. "What was the Angel's name? Did it tell you?"
He sighed. "Zadkiel."
"The archangel who stopped Abraham from killing Isaac?"
He nodded with a shrug. "That's what he said."
"Maybe he has a soft spot for kids?" Courtney suggested, sounding almost hopeful.
Charlie shook her head. "No, no, he told you that Heaven wanted us born?"
"That's right."
"Then he didn't just answer Mom's prayers," she stated. "They knew us, they knew us before we even existed."
"Charlie-"
"Nephilim are rare, right?" she asked. "And Angels aren't supposed to have any earthly desires so there had to have been a reason they made sure we were born. They know something."
"Charlie-"
"You're thinking the same thing," she protested, pointing at him. "It's why you never told us."
Nathan floundered once again before looking back to Godfrey. "A little help?"
The man looked between his friend and the girls several times before letting out a sigh. "There's nothing we can do about it," he said. "If they wanted to cause you harm then they would have before now."
"But-" Charlie started.
"This is Heaven we're talking about, my dear, I doubt they mean you or your sister any malice," he assured him.
Her jaw clenched as she thought that through. "But they have plans for us," she stated.
"Undoubtedly, yes."
"Godfrey!" Nathan snapped, glaring at him.
He threw his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry! But there's no use in lying to them at this point, is there?" he asked. "They're able girls. They can handle themselves."
"I know they're able girls. They take after their mother."
Small smiles twitched on the girls lips at the praise.
"So we're just going to wait and see what happens, then?" Charlie asked expectantly.
The two men nodded.
She let out a disappointed sigh. "Fine," she allowed. "Courtney, any closing questions?" she wondered, looking to her little sister.
Courtney seemed to think for a moment before she shook her head. "No. Not about that," she answered.
Charlie nodded. "Agreed. What topic would you like to discuss now?"
The youngest Warren looked up to her father and fixed him with that no-nonsense stare of hers. "What killed Mom?"
Nathan had visibly froze at that, his eyes widening. "What?"
She folded her arms across her chest. "What killed Mom?"
"It's a fair question," Charlie stated with a shrug. "You brought her up first."
Nathan seemed to understand that and nodded slowly, his eyes dropping to the floor. "We were on a hunt," he started, clearing his throat, "and it wasn't what we thought it was. It looked like just the typical cross roads deals, you know? It should have been easy. It was a Lessor Demon. Just an exorcism."
Charlie's stomach had begun to knot. "What was it?" she asked, her voice softer than she had wanted it to be.
He shook his head. "I still don't really know," he answered with a slightly bitter laugh. "It was a Demon and it had yellow eyes but…." he trailed off.
Courtney shook her head. "That's all you know?"
"Yes."
"That's practically nothing."
"I know."
Charlie let out a snort. "Well we need to change that," she stated.
His head snapped up to her. "What?"
"We're going to help you figure out what the Hell this things is," she stated. "And hopefully, at some point in one of our lives, we can kill it."
He shook his head. "No, no I can't ask that of you," he denied. "This thing has destroyed enough of your lives already, I won't let it-"
"We're going to help whether you let us or not," Courtney butted in with factual tone.
Charlie nodded in agreement. "Cause like you said, this thing has destroyed most of our lives," she mused. "We're not going to let it destroy the rest of it."
Nathan floundered.
"It's just like they said, they're going to help whether you let them or not," Godfrey said with a sigh. "And knowing those two they're going to hold true to that."
Nathan ran a hand over his face before nodding in a reluctant manner. "Alright, fine," he allowed. "But we need to set up ground rules if we're going to do this."
Both girls nodded, bright smiles on their faces.
"Okay," he sighed. "Uh, why don't you girls go back to bed and we'll talk about this in the morning?" he suggested.
Courtney was about to protest but stopped when Charlie let out a rather loud yawn.
"Come on, Court," she said, reaching to ruffled her little sister's hair. "It's too early to talk about Demons."
The younger Warren sighed. "Fine," she relented before rushing forward and throwing her arms around Nathan. "Goodnight, Daddy. I'm glad you're back."
Nathan's smile spread across his lips as his arms came up and pulled her to him. "I'm glad I'm back too, princess," he told her, bending down and pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"Goodnight, Uncle Godfrey," she said as she pulled away from her father and stepped over to him.
He smiled warmly and pulled her into a hug. "Goodnight, my dear."
She looked expectantly at her sister as she headed towards the door.
"I'll be up in a second, kiddo," Charlie told her, flashing her a smile.
Courtney nodded and continued out the room.
Charlie watched her go and only looked back to the men once she was out of ear shot. "So besides the obvious, everything's okay?" she asked.
Her father seemed to nod out of reflex. "Yeah, everything's fine. Besides the obvious."
"So you rushed here in the middle of the night because you were having a crisis about not telling us you're only technically half our father?" she asked, sounding far from convinced.
He nodded again. "Yes."
She pursed her lips before letting out sigh. "Whatever. It's too early for this," she stated. "Goodnight, all," she said, giving a halfhearted wave and following after her sister.
"Goodnight!" the two men chorused after her.
She closed the door the parlor and leaned back against it, her eyes slipping closed for a moment or two before she went up the stairs. She shuffled down the hallway and stopped in the doorway of Courtney's room, a smile pulling at her lips when she found the younger girl reaching for a book on one of the shelves. "Come on, Munchkin, back in bed."
Courtney looked back at her. "But I just remembered this book I found a few months ago. It had a bunch of Demon names in it," she explained, her tone almost pleading.
Charlie sighed and stepped into the room. "Which one is it?" she asked.
"The red leather one," she answered, pointing to a book that was at least a foot too far for her to reach.
Charlie pulled it down and read the title. "Court, this is the Book of Enoch."
She nodded and took it out of her hands. "I know that," she stated, walking over to her bed and plopping down. "There's a bunch of Demon names in here and I want to show Daddy and Uncle Godfrey."
Her eyebrows had raised but she nodded nonetheless. "Okay, but it's gotta wait till morning," she told her, taking the book back and setting it on the nightstand. "Promise you won't stay up and read it?"
Courtney huffed, as if insulted at the accusation. "Yes."
"Promise?"
"I promise."
"Good, now back in," she instructed, grabbing hold of the covers and pulling them down.
Courtney threw herself back into the middle of the bed and settled in, her arms going around the floppy eared stuffed dog she often slept with, Gruff, if Charlie remembered correctly. "Do you think Daddy will really let us help?"
Charlie brought the covers back up and tucked them around her. "Yeah, I think he will," she answered.
"Do you think we'll find it?"
Charlie let out a soft laugh. "There aren't any 'if's about it. We're going to find it and we're going to kill it."
"For Mom?" she asked, her eyes wide and hopeful.
Charlie didn't hesitate to nod. "Yeah, for Mom. And for Dad, and for us."
Courtney nodded at that and snuffled further down into the bed. "Goodnight, Charlie."
"Goodnight, kiddo," she said, leaning forward to kiss her forehead before she turned off the bedside lamp and walking to the door. "See you in the morning," she whispered as she pulled it closed. She made the short trek across the hall and into her own room, kicking the door closed before flopping face first onto the bed. "Why didn't you tell me?"
The room remained silent.
She let out a suffering sigh. "I know you can hear me," she stated. "You always do."
A soft glow filled the room before it quickly faded.
"Hello, Charlotte."
"Hello, Zadkiel," she greeted back, turning her head enough to look at him. "So when I told Courtney all those years ago that you were our Guardian Angel, I wasn't lying?"
"No, you weren't."
A humorless laugh left her. "Then why didn't you tell me?"
He fixed her with a knowing look. "Would you have believed me?"
Her eyebrows pulled together. "I just said that-"
"Really believed me?" he cut in. "You're a skeptical person, Charlotte. Even if you believed what I said there would always be a part of you that wouldn't."
She hated how right he was. "Well I believe it now," she stated.
"So it seems," he mused. "May I?" he asked, gesturing to the bed.
She shrugged the best she could, scooting over to him enough room.
He walked over and sat heavily onto the side of the bed, a sigh leaving him. "I've wanted to tell you since I first spoke with you," he admitted, his head lowering as he looked at the floor.
"Why didn't you?"
"You know why, Charlotte," he stated.
She grumbled and buried her face back into the pillow.
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine," she said, her voice muffled. "It could be worse. I mean, we could be half Shifters. Or Demons."
He nodded. "That is true," he mused. "I don't suppose you would want to learn?"
She looked back up at him. "Learn what?"
A soft smile pulled at his lips. "To be who you are," he answered. "A Nephilim."
She arched an eyebrow at him. "There's a manual?"
Zadkiel chucked at that. "Some things will come naturally but not everything," he told her. "Some things must be learned."
"And you're going to teach us?"
"If you wish."
Charlie pursed her lips in thought before she nodded. "I wish it," she stated.
"Then I shall," he said, his smile going wider.
August 7th, 2004
Bridgeport, CT Godfrey's house
Charlie- 24
Courtney- 20
It was well past midnight and Charlie still couldn't sleep. She had been in library since the early morning, spending the day going through book after book and only slowing down to eat whatever Courtney decided to bring her. The table she had chosen was covered in leather bound books, some stacked as high as five while others laid open. She was halfway through her twentieth book when the doors swung open and Godfrey swept in, a man she had never seen before following behind him.
He was tall, standing at least 6'1. His dark clothes were well worn and his boots were surprisingly well taken care of, the leather shining in the dim light the fire and lamps provided. He had salt and pepper hair with what looked like a week's worth of stubble covering the lower half of his face.
Charlie had never seen a man who looked so mentally heavy.
"Please, have a seat and I'll go fetch refreshments," Godfrey said, gesturing to one of the armchairs by the fireplace.
The man gave him a small nod and took the offered seat, slumping forward with his elbows resting on his knees as he stared into the flames.
Godfrey retreated from the room, the double doors closing behind him with a soft thud.
Charlie watched him for a moment, taking stock of every sigh and uncomfortable shift of weight. "What's your question?" she found herself asking.
The man startled and jumped up from his seat, his large body moving into a defensive stance as he spun to face her. "What?" he asked, his voice gruff.
She tilted her head to the side as she studied his stance. "People come to Godfrey because they want an answer to a question," she told him, flipping closed her Parapsychology textbook and reclining back into her chair. "So, what's your question?"
He hesitated, watching her just like she had him before he relaxed slightly. "I want to find the thing that killed my wife."
Charlie considered it for a moment. "That might take a while," she warned him
"I've waited 21 years," he told her. "I can wait a little longer."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "You don't seem like a patient man to me."
A humorless laugh left him as he shook his head. "I'm not," he agreed, "but I don't have much of a choice, do I?"
"No, not really," she mused.
"I just want this to be over," he sighed, dropping back down into the chair, a hand coming up to scrub across his face.
Charlie pursed her lips and considered tact but as per usual she decided against it. "How did your wife die?"
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat again. "It…." He trailed off to clear his throat, "it pinned her to the ceiling and burned her alive."
A knot twisted in her stomach at the familiarity of it but didn't allow herself to speculate. "What did it look like?"
He shook his head. "I never saw it."
"Then what do you know?" she pressed.
He cleared his throat again. "Demon," he answered. "I know that sounds-"
"How did you find out it was a Demon?" she interrupted. "If you never saw it?"
He shrugged. "Process of illumination," he explained. "I've been all over the states, talked to a lot of people, a lot of psychics and all of them are telling me it was something demonic. I've never believed it but I'm getting desperate."
Charlie tilted her head to the side. "Why have you never believed it?"
"Because Demons aren't real."
It was Charlie's turn to laugh. "Oh that's unfortunate."
"Why?"
"Because Demons are the cockroaches of the supernatural world," she told him. "They've been on Earth as long as the Human race has and they've been causing chaos just as long," she explained. "I'm surprised you've never had to exorcise anyone."
"I've seen exorcisms," he stated.
Charlie raised an eyebrow at that. "And you still don't believe in demons?"
He shrugged. "I just assumed that Hunters called something a Demon when they didn't know what to call it," he explained.
A snort left her at that. "If only that were true," she mused shaking her head. "No, Demons are very much real and it honestly wouldn't surprise me if it was a Demon that killed your wife."
He seemed to brighten at that. "Do you think Godfrey can find it?"
Charlie sighed. "That depends," she told him.
"On what?"
"On how far you're willing to go."
He shook his head. "I'll go as far as I have to."
Charlie flashed him a wide smile. "Then there shouldn't be a problem," she assured him. "You didn't see the Demon?"
"No."
"Then what did you see?"
His brightened expression dropped into a glare. "My wife pinned to the ceiling on fire," he answered, his tone hard.
She glared at him. "And there's no chance that you saw something else? Something you don't remember seeing because your wife was on fire?" she challenged.
He bristled at that but didn't get defensive like she had expected him to be. "I've learned that anything is possible," he allowed.
Charlie pursed her lips at that. "Would you mind me seeing?" she questioned.
"Seeing what?"
She hesitated. "It's something I can do," she started, putting on a soft smile, "something that allows me to see people's memories untarnished."
His eyebrows shot up. "You're a mind reader?"
She wrinkled her nose at that. "Not in the traditional sense," she told him. "It's just a matter of going as far as you have to."
"It'll help?"
She shrugged. "It has the potential to."
His jaw clenched at that but after a quick moment of consideration he nodded. "Fine."
Charlie pushed away from the table and walked over to him, taking a seat on the cushioned bench that rounded the fireplace. "I'm not going to lie and tell you that it's not going to hurt because it mostly likely will," she told him. "The farther back the memory is the harder I have to dig and there's also a chance of me having to repair it."
"Just do it."
She gave a small nod and raised her hands to press her hands to his temples, her eyes locked with his, the dark brown reflecting the glow that emitted from hers. Charlie pulled in a deep breath before mentally pushing forward.
She was suddenly standing in a living room clearly from the 70's. The TV was showing some war documentary, the sounds of guns and explosions filling the otherwise quiet house. She looked behind her and found the stranger asleep on a recliner, his face considerably younger and less taxed. A jolt shot thought her when a scream erupted from upstairs.
The stranger jerked away and threw himself out of the chair. "Mary?" he called as he ran for the stairs. "Mary!"
Charlie followed after him, the dread already building in her stomach.
He burst into the room on the far right. "Mary?" he asked, looking the room over for any danger. A soft sigh left him when he didn't find anything and walked over to the crib that sat in the middle.
Charlie stepped over and looked down at the baby laying there, a small smile twitching at her lips.
"Hey, Sammy," the man greeted, smiling down at his son. "You okay?"
The baby smiled and continued to wiggle under the blanket.
Charlie almost considered being relieved when she spotted the spot of red next to Sammy's head.
The stranger noticed it to and reached out to dab at it, confusion pulling at his face. It wasn't till several red dots of his own appeared on the back of his hand did he become worried.
Knowing that the blood could have only come from one place she looked up and resisted the urge to scream.
Plastered to the ceiling was a rather beautiful blonde woman, her white nightgown sporting a belt of red from her sliced stomach.
"No! Mary!" the man yelled, having found what Charlie had. He fell to the nursery floor in shock.
Charlie flinched when the flames sprouted from behind her, quickly engulfing her and the ceiling.
The stranger jumped up when Sammy had begun to cry and scooped him out of the crib.
She was forced to follow him back out into the hallway, the scene in the nursery getting vaguer and vaguer.
"Daddy!"
She jerked her attention back to the man when the voice sounded, finding herself a little surprised when she saw the young boy standing in front of his father.
"Take your brother outside as fast as you can! Don't look back!" the man told him, handing the boy his brother. "Go, Dean! Now!"
The boy did just that, taking off down the hall with a slight panicked calm. The watched him go before rushing back to the nursery.
The fire had crawled down the walls and Mary's body was all but gone.
Charlie raised her hand and the scene before her stopped. The flames froze and the stranger became still, the look of panic on his face now looking permanent. She scanned the room, taking in every detail she could, anything she would consider odd. Disappointingly the room seemed normal enough till a pair of eyes in the flames caught her attention. Her stomach rolled as she stepped across the room towards them, silently praying that she was just seeing things. She was having trouble breathing by the time she was standing in front of them, the air stuck in her throat.
"Yellow eyes?" she asked, surprised that she had spotted them against the colors of the flames.
The flames jumped to life again and she was engulfed.
The man let out a gasp as Charlie jerked her hands away from him. He shot up from the chair and paced over towards the windows, his hand coming up to run over his face.
Charlie crammed her eyes shut as she worked through the memory once again, the twisted knot that ahd become her stomach getting tighter the more she thought about it.
"I leave you alone for five minutes and you've already upset out guest."
She cracked an eye open and found Godfrey striding back into the room, a tray holding a tea set clutched in his hands. "You're the one who took his time fetching the refreshments," she shot back, her voice heavy with sarcasm.
He ignored her comment and turned his attention to the man. "Are you alright, John?" he asked, setting the tray onto the desk Charlie had previously been at.
The man, John, pulled in a shuttered breath and nodded. "I'm fine," he answered, sighing heavily before turning back around and looking to Charlie. "What are you?" he all but demanded.
She glared at him. "That's rude," she stated.
He glared back at her. "I just let you dig around in my head," he said, sounding awfully defensive. "Your eyes glowed for fucks sake!"
"Now, John," Godfrey warned, frowning at the man.
"Are you a witch?"
Charlie snorted before she could stop herself. "No, I'm not a witch."
"Then what?!"
The rustling of large wings was the answer.
John's eyes widened as he took in the wings that were suddenly attached to the woman's back. They stretched nearly twenty-five feet from tip to tip, the feathers a cardinals coloring. "You're an Angel," he breathed.
"Only half," she corrected, her wings folding down against her back before disappearing once again. "Do you feel better now?"
He shook his head. "Angels aren't real."
"Don't be so one sided, John," she chastised. "If evil exists then the good has to as well, it's a simple balance. Besides, thanks to me I know what Demon you're looking for."
John seemed to like that fact. "You do?"
Charlie nodded and looked over to Godfrey. "We need to show him the War Room."
Godfrey's jaw dropped open as he looked between her and John. "Really?"
"Really," she repeated with a sigh. "I'll grab Courtney and meet you down there," she said, getting up and heading for the door.
"Right," Godfrey agreed.
"And you're sure it's the same Demon?" Courtney asked for the hundredth time.
Charlie rolled her eyes and pulled open the gate for the elevator. "How many Demons do you know that have yellow eyes?" she demanded.
"Well we don't know, do we?" she countered back, stepping and leaning against the back wall. "There could be a whole species of them. Or a family!"
"Demons don't have families, Court," Charlie denied, sliding the gate closed once she stepped inside. "We know that much," she said, grabbing the handle of the motor and jerking it down.
The elevator shuttered before it began to lower, the gate disappearing as the elevator shaft appeared.
"Do we?" she challenged, her eyes cramming shut as her grip on the railing tightened. "We're not exactly Jane Goodall with the Demons."
"No," Charlie agreed, "but you don't exactly see Demon children running around, do you?"
"What if becoming smoke is a learned ability? What if they have to be a certain age before they're able to do it?"
Charlie pulled in a calming breath and let it out slowly. "Courtney, it is far too early to be discussing the reproductive theories of Demons," she stated. "Let's just focus on the one at our front door, alright?"
A snort left the younger Warren. "Sis, here's a queue at our front door."
Charlie shrugged. "Well, first come first served."
"'cause that's not fucked up at all."
Charlie couldn't help but agree. She pulled the back to the middle when the zero lit up, the cart slowing down before coming to a shuttering stop and setting itself down onto he bottom of the shaft.
Courtney was out the gate faster than she ever had before, her face pale and slightly green.
Charlie chuckled lightly and followed her out. "I'll never understand where that fear came from," she mused, looking her sister up and down.
She shot her a glare over her shoulder. "That thing is a death trap," she stated, twisting her arm back to point to the elevator.
"Then why do you ride in it?"
"Because it's the only fucking way to get down here," she answered with a sneer. "Why don't we move the room upstairs?"
"Because this is the most secure part of the house," Charlie stated, stepping past her sister and towards the door at the end of the hall. "Plus, moving the room means a lot of elevator rides and I really don't want to push that thing any harder than we already do."
If a look could kill Charlie would be stone cold.
Charlie's smile at her sister's discomfort widened as she paused in front of the door, her thumb hooking under the chain around her neck to pull it free of her shirt, a silver skeleton key hanging from it. She slipped it into the lock located in the middle of the door and twisted it all the way around. A spark started in the keyhole and soon four more were traveling across the door to the four corners. The door popped open once the sparks reached the far corners. Charlie pulled the key back out and let it fall to her shirt before pushing her way into the room.
Courtney's curiosity found her again when she stepped in behind her sister and spotted the man who had caused the night's trouble.
"This is every bit of information Nathan and the girls have managed to find about the Yellow-eyed Demon," Godfrey said, gesturing to the wall that was completely covered in lore pages, drawings and scraps of paper, all connected some way or another with red string.
John shook his head as he looked it over. "This is impossible," he stated, the wonder in his tone obvious.
Courtney couldn't help but smile at that. "Not if you're persistent enough," she stated.
The two men turned back to look back at them.
"That's 16 years of work," she continued, nodding to the wall.
"It's impressive."
Charlie smiled at that. "John, this is my sister Courtney. Courtney, this is John," she introduced, gesturing between them.
John looked the younger Warren over, the unease flashing across his face. "So you're like…." He trialed off, pointing to Charlie.
Courtney cocked an eyebrow before a pair of Blue Jay colored wings spread out from her back.
They were smaller than Charlie's had been but John chalked it up to being the age difference. "They're….pretty," he managed out.
"He's handling this well," Courtney mused with a laugh.
"Yeah, you got a compliment," Charlie said, rolling her eyes. "I got asked what I am."
Courtney snickered as her wings folded back into disappearance. "You always get asked what you are," she mused before turning her attention back to John. "So you're looking for a yellow-eyed Demon?"
John seemed to sober at that and nodded. "I am."
"Do you think it's the same one?" she questioned, pointing to the wall.
He glanced back to it before nodding slowly. "I do."
'The we have a lot of work to do."
Charlie let out a laugh. "Fucking understatement of the century."
This is the rewrite of my old story: The Valentine Twins.! I hope you all enjoy and stick with me to the bitter end!
Looking forward to hearing from you all.
Reviews=Love