"Well, it's about time we head back home," Lin said, exiting Millie and Moxxie's apartment building.
Lin and Joe kept their word and came by to visit their daughter, leaving Sallie May in charge of the ranch while they did. Lin was catching up on how Millie was doing, especially with the pregnancy. Joe was simply crying on the couples' shoulders most of the time, overly happy that he was going to be a grandpa. Even a tough guy like him had a sensitive side.
However, their time to leave came. Millie and Moxxie helped put their luggage in the back of their truck before they said their goodbyes. "Good luck, you two!" said Lin, "Having a baby is tough, but I'm confident in y'all!"
"Thanks, Ma." Millie said, "And...about what I said-" She was implying about the conversation they had yesterday. She had told her parents that she and Moxxie would raise their kids their way, not based on what her parents or whoever else wanted.
"No, it's fine." Lin interrupted, "I know we might seem demanding sometimes. We've had expectations put on us too when we were your age, and we put that on you. But your Pa and I needed a wake-up call that you're a grown woman that can make your own decisions."
Millie smiled as she hugged her ma. Afterward, Lin looked at Moxxie with a smile. "Come here, Moxxie," she said with her arms spread out, waiting for a hug. "You're part of this family. If Millie trusts you this much, then you ain't so bad after all."
"Thank you, Lin," Moxxie said as she hugged her.
"And for fuck's sake, call me Ma!" Millie was a bit surprised about what her ma just said about him. Normally, her parents wouldn't give Moxxie the time of day. They thought he was just some weak city boy. But that conversation must have changed their tone, not just on her parenting, but on Moxxie as well. Maybe they didn't think Moxxie was strong enough to get Millie pregnant but were proven wrong. Maybe it was both.
After Millie gave her Pa a hug, he approached Moxxie and immediately cried on his shoulder. Moxxie hugged him while the wetworks fell. "Take care of my grandkids," Joe told him.
"I will, Pa," Moxxie said as they finished hugging. The parents eventually got into their car and left, with Millie and Moxxie waving goodbye as they drove off.
"Holy shit, Mox." Millie said, "I think they just approved of you."
"Hm, that's nice," Moxxie said nonchalantly.
"I figured you'd be happier about that."
"Honestly, I no longer give a shit about what your parents think. I love you, and I don't need anyone's approval for that to be the case," said Moxxie. Millie liked this new Moxxie. She loved the old Moxxie, but now he seemed more confident. He put his arms around his wife, giving her a passionate kiss before looking into her eyes. Moxxie felt like he could take on all of hell.
His phone then rang. When he pulled it out and saw who was calling, all the confidence escaped from him. It was the last person he wanted to hear from right now: his father.
"Oh, crumbs." He said, reluctantly letting go of Millie and answering the call. "Hello, father! …Yes, I was actually going to tell you about that…you want me to come over? …right now? Yes, I can do that, father. So long!" Moxxie hung up with a fearful look on his face.
"Fuck me." He said under his breath.
Moxxie's family lived in a large black 50 story building in Pentagram City. At the very top of the building was a logo of a red letter S with horns on its top and a tail coming from its end. When he and Millie entered, a secretary greeted them behind a large red marble desk before being escorted down a large hallway to the elevator at the end. They took it to the top floor, and when they exited the elevator, they entered a large lobby. It had chairs, tables, and drapes by the windows on the wall. In front of them was a large pink door with a pattern that made it look similar to those fancy Victorian couches. Millie broke the silence as they approached the door.
"Y'know you never really talked that much about your folks," she said. Millie knew little, or anything, about Moxxie's family. When she would ask about them, he would either give a general answer without going into detail or try to change the subject. She just assumed they were a sore subject. Millie knew he had parents and two brothers though, but this would be the first time she ever saw them.
"Well, there's a reason for that," Moxxie said with dread. Ever since the trip here, he looked like he had all the energy sucked out of him.
"Why's that?" Millie replied.
"Let's just say I would rather deal with your family 500 times over than deal with mine right now." He said before knocking on the door. The person who opened the door was a man who was quite large, about 2 meters tall. He also had a massive underbite. It was about 17 centimeters and shaped like half of a Viking ship. He had white freckles on the side of their cheeks just like Moxxie did, and horns from the back of his head. Millie saw he was well built, his white T-shirt showing off his muscular arms. He also wore a cap hat, red velcro shoes, and brown shorts that had an imp tail poking out of them.
"Hey! There's my little bro!" the person yelled, pulling Moxxie into the room and giving him a noogie.
"H-hello there, Primer," Moxxie said, trying his best not to look annoyed. Millie walked inside and looked around the room. It was a large room with a purple patterned carpet covering the entire floor. In the middle was an enormous pink Victorian couch, and above it was a chandelier. The right side of the room from the entrance had a grand piano, and to the left were portraits and other pictures on the wall. She could see a spiral staircase in the back, leading up to a walkway. Below the walkway was a wide black door. Millie was speechless at how fancy this room was.
"Hey, Stardon!" Primer shouted out into the room. "Guess who's here!"
Another imp appeared from the side of the room. He was a slender man that was about as tall as Blitz. He wore a black suit with a necktie and had white hair like Moxxie's between his long horns. "Is that our limp dick brother?" the imp said in a playful tone. After confirming it was, he pulled Moxxie away from Primer and gave him an uncomfortably tight hug. "Though I guess I should call you our little dick brother since you actually got a chick pregnant," he said before slapping his ass. Both of Moxxie's brothers were laughing, while Moxxie himself looked pissed off.
The imp that Millie assumed was Stardon approached her, looking over her as he did. "So you're the lucky lady." He said with a grin. "You're pretty cute. Tell you what, if Moxxie doesn't satisfy you in bed, and let's be honest, it's Moxxie we're talking about here, give me a call. I can definitely give you a good time." He then gave her his business card. "Can even give you my resume of all the chicks I banged to confirm it." Millie didn't appreciate getting hit on, but thanks to either Martha's breathing techniques and medications or wanting to look good in front of Mox's family, she kept her cool.
"Stardon, please stop hitting on my wife! She's not one of your fucking employees that you sexually harass," said Moxxie with a bit of anger in his voice.
"Aww, come on Mox!" Primer said, putting an arm around Moxxie. "This is how we welcome people into the family." He then whispered into Moxxie's ear. "By the way, she pegs you, right?"
"Fuck off!" Moxxie replied, not even trying to hide his annoyance anymore.
Moxxie eventually introduced Millie to his brothers. Stardon was the oldest and was the CEO of his own company. Granted, their father owned it, but Stardon likes to think he had some hand in its successes. Primer was the middle child and a running back for the Beelzebub Flies, a big bloodball team. Millie thought he looked familiar since she was a bloodball fan, but didn't much care for the Flies.
"Sorry, but I'm more of a Wrathian Spidersnakes fan," she said. This caused Primer to give Moxxie a disapproving look.
"I already don't like her, Mox." He said. Primer hated the Spidersnakes, but only because they beat his team one time. Not just beat, humiliate.
Millie tried to change the subject. "This a mighty fine place y'all got here," she said.
"Of course, only the best for the founder and CEO of Smithson Industries," Stardon responded. Millie looked confused, as she had never heard of them before. Stardon noticed, "Smithson Industries? One of the biggest weapons manufacturers in all of hell? Famous overlords use our guns? None of this ringing any bells?" Millie shook her head. She was more into the "up close and personal" approach when it came to weapons. Even when she used guns, she never paid attention to who made them.
"Seriously, you're married to my brother and you don't know any of this?" Stardon said, surprised.
"Nope, and to be honest, he barely talked about you," Millie answered.
Stardon gasped before going to Moxxie, who simply stood around, annoyed with his arms crossed. "Moxxie, don't tell me you've been leaving your girl in the dark about us. And after all the times we had together," he said as he pointed to the pictures on the wall. One of them was a picture of Primer in his gear on a bloodball field about to throw a ball. But instead of a ball in his hand, it was Moxxie tied up and screaming for his life.
"Look at this one," Primer said, pointing to the picture. "Moxxie helped me practice before my very first big game," Moxxie explained to Millie that Primer broke all the normal balls, so he used him as a replacement. That's how Moxxie became so resilient.
"Oh, how about this one?" Stardon said, pointing to another picture. It was a picture of all three brothers, Stardon on the left, Moxxie in the middle, and Primer on the right. The two brothers smiled in the picture while Moxxie looked pissed off, holding a black violin with the strings broken. "We were wishing Moxxie good luck with his musical dreams," said Stardon. Moxxie was especially pissed about that time because that violin was one of a kind, and his brothers ruined it.
"Oh, we can't forget about this one!" Stardon pointed to a picture of Moxxie in a pink dress, looking embarrassed. "This one was when we helped Mox pick out his clothes for his first day of high school!" Looking back, Moxxie was actually quite proud of that dress. He made it work.
Millie noticed that the pictures on the wall had Moxxie either humiliated or miserable, something that she brought up to her brothers-in-law. "Not all of them are like that," Stardon said, pointing to another picture. "In this one he's happy." The picture he pointed to was of Moxxie showing his music award on a stage, the same music award he had on his wall at home. Just when she thought that there was one picture that celebrated Moxxie's accomplishments, she noticed the picture was taken moments before what looked like hog blood poured on him, possibly by one of his brothers. She always thought that the award had an odd smell.
"Oh, my goodness!" Millie heard someone say, coming from upstairs. On the walkway was a female imp with a white dress and long black hair. She had long black horns similar to Stardon as well. She hurriedly walked down the stairs and gave Moxxie a hug, as well as a bunch of kisses on the forehead. "There's my Moxxie Woxxie!" She said, her voice sounding elegant but excited.
"Mother!" said Moxxie, "This is the first time you've given me this much attention since I was six."
"Well, if I knew you were going to be the first among my boys to give me grandchildren, I would've given you more love." His mother said, who Millie would later learn was named Catherine. "Now where's your bride?"
Moxxie introduced her to Millie. When Catherine saw her, she had a look of disappointment on her. "Oh, this is her? I was expecting someone more...elegant."
"Howdy the-" Before Millie could finish her greeting, Catherine gaged, putting a hand over her mouth. When she finished, she looked towards Moxxie.
"You never mentioned her being a country girl," Catherine said in an annoyed tone, implying that she hated her accent.
"Well, ye-" Millie tried to speak before being interrupted again.
"Don't talk!" Catherine shouted, trying to fight the urge to throw up. "I despise demons who do not speak proper English. You might as well be speaking Spanish, which I also hate." She took a deep breath before facing away from Millie and going back to her cheery self. "Oh well, we'll just have to make sure the grandchildren don't end up like her. I'll go let your father know your home." She then left the room through the double doors under the walkway. If it wasn't clear to Millie why Moxxie didn't enjoy talking about his family before, it was now.
When Millie looked to her side, she saw Moxxie was gone. She looked around and found him in the room's side, opening a black nightstand. He pulled out a picture frame and looked at it with a smile. Millie approached Moxxie to see what was on it. It was a picture of a young Moxxie between two demons. The demon on his left was a man who had the form of a brown wolf in a cowboy outfit, with a hat and everything. He wore brown gloves with metal plates on the back of them. On Moxxie's right was a woman with a small duck beak and curly orange hair. She had the white fur of a duck as well and wore a blue dress. All of them looked happy in the picture.
"Who're those people?" Millie asked.
"These were my mentors." Moxxie replied, "The wolfman here, that was Jessie. And the woman there was Amanda, his wife. They were overlords, but not like Valentino and those other assholes. They cared about the people they ran over and wanted to make hell a better place. In a way, they were like Princess Charlie but without that hotel project."
"Wow, sweetie. How'd you get to know overlords?"
"Well, my father was hiring overlords to tutor me in the art of firearms. They were the only ones to agree to do so. Jessie taught me how to shoot, while Amanda taught me music. She's the reason I have a love for it. Both of them taught me the important things in life. To me, they were the closest thing to real family I had." As Moxxie was explaining, Millie couldn't help but put her arms around his and smile, as he looked so happy remembering the times he had with them.
Primer overheard Moxxie talk about the overlord mentors and interrupted. "Oh yea, those guys. The overlords that dad got pissed off at because they made you too soft. So he fired them." Moxxie's smile turned into a frown.
"Where are they now?" Millie asked.
"Dead, or more dead." Moxxie replied, "Killed by Exorcists during Purge Day a while back. They were trying to get all the homeless demons into a shelter so they could be safe. The exterminators came, and they tried to buy the demons some time." Millie could see a tear roll down one of his eyes.
"Oh sweetie, I'm so sorry." She said, comforting Moxxie.
"Oh yea, I remember that." Primer said, "Man, what a bunch of dumbasses. Imagine risking your soul for some dumb demons that can't help themselves? And these guys were overlords? Fucking pathetic."
This was the last straw for Millie, who, until now, had tried her best to behave for Moxxie's sake. But Primer had crossed a line. So she approached Primer.
"What the fuck is wrong with you!?" she yelled, catching Moxxie's and Stardon's attention. "Your own damn brother is mourning them right now! Show some fucking respect!"
"Woah lady, chill out." Primer said, surprised by the attitude Millie was giving.
"Don't tell me to fucking chill out, you big dumbass!" She snapped back before grabbing him by the collar and pulling him down to her level. "You might be a big shot, but as long as I'm here, you will not treat my husband and his feelings like a joke!" They gave each other angry stares. Moxxie was happy for his wife, standing up for him and saying the things he wanted to say to Primer. She truly was the perfect imp for him. But at the same time, he was ashamed that he couldn't say these things himself. He thought he'd change, but he guessed not that much. Just as it looked like things were about to get bad, Catherine came into the room.
"Your father is ready to see you, Moxxie." She said.
Millie let go of Primer before giving him a double middle finger, a gesture he gave back. She approached Moxxie as she saw him put the frame in his pockets. "How are you doing, Mox?" she asked. Moxxie just gave her a hug.
"I'm sorry," he said, trying to fight back tears.
"Oh, don't worry," she said as she hugged back. "if I had a penny for every asshole cousin or uncle I had to deal with, I wouldn't have to work. But I would still work because I love my job."
"No," said Moxxie, letting go of Millie and keeping his hands on her shoulders. "I mean, I'm sorry that you had to stand up for me like that."
"It's ok, sweetie," she said as she put his hand on his cheek. "You don't always have to be the strong one. We're in this together, remember?"
This made Moxxie slightly happier. "Thank you, Millie."
"Y'know, we don't have to see your dad. We can just leave."
"No, I need to talk to him," Moxxie said. With his hand holding Millie's, he went through the black double doors. The room was sizable, and all that was in there was a large, black, crescent-shaped desk facing the doorway they entered. Behind the desk was a revolving chair facing a window wall that overlooked Pentagram City, and to the left of the desk was the portrait of an imp. This imp looked almost exactly like Moxxie, except he looked old and had slightly longer white hair and a white beard. He also wore a black bowler hat and glasses, along with a tuxedo.
Catherine stood to the right of the desk as the revolving chair turned towards Millie and Moxxie, revealing who was sitting on the chair. It was the same imp from the portrait. "Hello, my boy." the imp said with an elegant tone, not unlike Catherine.
"Hello, Father," Moxxie replied, sounding a bit reserved. Millie would learn later that his name was Smithson, like the company.
"I wish you would've told me about my grandchildren sooner. I had to learn about it through your boss's voxtagram. Do you know how much of an insult it is to my eyes reading his posts? I swear it's hard for me to believe he graduated primary school." Moxxie just silently cursed Blitz.
Smithson continued, "Honestly, I should be happy for you. But all I see in you is just disappointment. Even more so since you married this woman."
"What do you mean, Father?"
Smithson got up from his seat and walked towards his portrait. "Do you want to know how I became the founder of this company?"
"Is it because you killed your competitors and threatened investors?" Moxxie answered.
"It's because I was determined! Imps are the lowest in hell's hierarchy, but I was able to claw my way to the top and be respected by its denizens. That is how I'm able to make sure my children could be as successful, if not more than I was." Smithson slowly approached Moxxie. "I will admit, the moment you were born, you underwhelmed me. Stardon had brains and Primer had brawn. But you at first glance had nothing, except heart and passion. That is why I was so hard on you. Because I thought your special talent would show through adversity, much like mine did. I even hired those overlords thinking they would make something out of you, but instead they ruined you. "
Moxxie finally spoke up. "They didn't ruin me, Father. They gave me confidence and made me happy wi-"
"They made you weak!" Smithson interrupted. "Ever since then, you've squandered your potential. I let you run around Imp City, trying to chase your dream of being a musician. I thought the experience would strengthen you and make you realize how futile it all was. But then you join that backwater assassin group and marry this lowborn woman! She has made you complacent! You no longer strive for the top!"
"But father, I have been improving, and I'm good at what I do!"
"It's not always about skill, Moxxie!" said Smithson. "It's about the prestige it gives you. Yours will never grow as long as you stay with them. Yet you do, partially because of ignorance of your own potential and partially because of your wife keeping you there! That is why I'm disappointed in you, and I will not have my grandchildren follow the same fate!" Moxxie clenched his fist in anger, while Millie was trying her best not to rip this guy's head off. She wanted to let Moxxie handle this.
Smithson sat back down. "But I am willing to give you a second chance. So, here is what you are going to do. First, you are to quit I.M.P and work with another assassin I know that has a better reputation. You will grow better under him. Next, you will divorce your wife. We'll hire lawyers that can charm the horns off of Satan himself to make sure you get custody of your children."
Millie couldn't hold in her anger anymore. "You pube-faced snotty mother-" Before Millie could finish, Moxxie put his arm in front of her. He then gave her a look that let her know that he's got this. He walked up to his father's desk and slammed his hands on it, much to the surprise of his parents.
"Let me make something clear, Dad! My life may not look good to you, but I've been happier now than I've ever been with you! This woman made me feel special and loved, whereas you treated me like a fucking puppet! And she's not the only reason I stay with that 'backwater assassin group.' I stay there because, unlike you, they treat me like a fucking adult and respect me for who I am rather than making me someone I'm not. Now, let me tell you something! We are going to raise our children the way we think is right, not what you think is right! Better yet, don't get involved with my life at all! I don't need you, and to drive the point home I'm going to say something I've wanted to say since I graduated high school: Fuck you, Dad!"
Throughout his whole tirade, Smithson didn't say a thing. All he did was give a scowl. Millie couldn't have been more proud of her hubby. Moxxie's attention went from his father to his mother, who was still shocked. "And fuck you too, Mom! Millie's accent is the cutest thing ever. You have no taste!"
Catherine gasped, "How dare you! I did not raise a badmouthing-"
"It's fine, dear," Smithson interrupted. "If our son wants to waste his life in mediocrity, then so be it. Just know Moxxie, the moment you leave this room you will be disowned!"
Moxxie gasped sarcastically. "Oh no, I'm being disowned? Boo fucking hoo! Honestly, that's probably the best thing you've ever done for me!" Moxxie opened the doors for Millie before looking back at his parents one last time. "By the way, I had a dream about you two being murdered one time. It was the best dream I ever had!"
Moxxie left the room with Millie at his side. He saw Stardon and Primer on the couch talking and decided that he had a bit of anger to share with his brothers. "And you two!" he said, giving the middle finger to both of them. "You two can go suck a big one!" Moxxie and Millie then left the room into the lobby. Just when they thought he was gone and they could discuss what the fuck just happened, he peaked his head back in to yell some more.
"And yes! I do get pegged, and it feels amazing! You should try it sometime!" He then shut the door for the last time.
Moxxie walked into the middle of the lobby and stopped to pant. Millie came by him and put a hand on his back. "How're you feeling, Mox?"
"Honestly, I feel fucking great."
"That was a real brave thing ya did there,"
"Thank you, dear. I'm sorry I've never told you about them. I just didn't want to drag you into their bullshit."
Millie kissed Moxxie on the lips. "Remember what you told me on the rooftop. We're gonna get through this together." She said. Moxxie smiled.
"Thank you for reminding me, dear." he said, "You know, ever since I married you I told myself that if we ever have children, I would not be like my parents."
"Is that why you were so confident in raising our kids?"
"In a way, yes. I might not have known how to be a parent, but at least I knew how not to be one." He then pulled out the picture frame from his pocket. "Come to think of it, I might have had a role model or two."
"They would've been so proud of you," Millie said.
"And I think they would've liked you. Jessie would've anyway." Moxxie put an arm around Millie. "Now let's head home. I need to satisfy you. Doctor's orders."
Millie giggled, "I'd love that, hubby." As they walked into the elevator and went down, she asked Moxxie a question. "Do you think your dad's gonna do anything?"
"Eh, he's an asshole, but he's reasonable," Moxxie answered, "I doubt he'll do anything more than disowning me...probably."