Chapter Eleven: Checkups and Reunions
Vaggie was moody over the next few days. She often went into deep depressions where she refused to get out of bed. And sometimes she was incredibly flirty and seductive with Charlie at the most inappropriate times. Then she got irrationally angry, screaming and cursing and threatening people. Then she was exhausted and laid down to sleep. She was eating like ten people. Charlie could hardly keep food stocked because Vaggie ate it all. And she craved the strangest foods. Charlie knew that was all part of being pregnant. Mood swings and strange cravings. But it was getting hard to handle.
She called Lucifer. Stella picked up.
"Hello? Magne Residence. Stella speaking. How may I help you?" Stella asked politely. Stella had been born of two Natural Nessian Hellhounds. She had never known anything but being a servant in the Magne Palace. She was fairly satisfied with her place in life.
"Hi… Can I please speak to my Dad?" Charlie asked anxiously.
"Oh, Your Majesty… Of course." Stella said, bringing the phone to Lucifer, who took the phone.
"Hello? Lucifer Magne speaking."
"Daddy? Vaggie is… Trying." Charlie sighed. She hated talking about her fiancée that way.
"I understand. Tell me a bit about what you're experiencing. What she is experiencing." Lucifer said, getting out a notebook to write down Charlie's observations.
"Intense morning sickness. It sounds like it really hurts when she throws up and there's blood in her vomit." Charlie said.
"Really bad mood swings. She doesn't seem to have much control over her mood. She can go from enraged and threatening to kill someone one minute to trying to seduce me the next." Charlie said.
The princess was really anxious.
"She's hungry. Eating everything in sight. It's hard to keep the hotel stocked with how much she's eating." Charlie said helplessly. She sighed as Lucifer wrote the notes down.
"Okay… I'm not surprised Ms. Vagatha is experiencing more symptoms than is normal for pregnancy. I wasn't absolutely sure of what would happen, but it's not uncommon for recipients of my alchemical treatments to experience more intense mood swings and accelerated appetites.
"The pregnancy is accelerated. Not by much at any one time. But it's likely that she's running mostly on adrenaline this early in the pregnancy. She's likely quite tired as a result of the accelerated growth of the embryo is happening even in her sleep." Lucifer said calmly.
"How much faster will the pregnancy be?" Charlie asked. Lucifer thought for a moment.
"It's hard to know. I've never seen a pregnancy for a Sinner. But it might just be the 9 months that's typical for a human." Lucifer said.
"Humans only have a 9-month pregnancy? How does the baby grow that fast?" Charlie asked. Hellborn Demon pregnancies lasted between 13-15 months on average. Different Demons had different pregnancy lengths. Vaggie's pregnancy was moving quickly because of the alchemical interference. But that didn't mean that Lucifer didn't want to know how long a typical Sinner's pregnancy lasted. He was assuming about 9 months. But it was difficult to say.
"Bring her down to the palace today if you're able. She would be coming by tomorrow anyway even if I didn't want to examine her a bit early." Lucifer said. Charlie nodded.
"Of course. You're sure that Vaggie will be alright?"
"I will send a limo for you. My special fortified one. It has magic inside that can be activated to accelerate healing in the event that the person inside it is injured. I recommend you do not avail yourself of that healing. The regeneration could terminate the pregnancy prematurely." Lucifer said calmly.
"I have to go. Vaggie sounds like she's about to hurt someone." Charlie said anxiously. She hung up and went out to the foyer.
"Vaggie! Vaggie! Stop! It's okay." Charlie said, sitting and cuddling with Vaggie, just helping her calm down, cooing lightly to her. She stroked Vaggie's hair lightly. Charlie looked around, subtly moving her hand, telling the others to calm down. Vaggie had been about to completely explode. Selene, Lorcan and Lupa had been about to get involved.
They'd been ordered by Lucifer to deal with anyone who posed a threat to the Hotel or its inhabitants. That included other hotel guests in their minds. They would have tried to do it without harming Vaggie, but they could tell that she was experienced in combat, especially with the spear that she had been holding. Vaggie whimpered lightly in Charlie's arms, leaning in desperately.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" Vaggie begged.
"It's alright, sweetie." Charlie whispered as a young male Nessian Hellhound walked in.
"My name is Aibek Rerzerd. I am here to take you and Ms. Vagatha to His Majesty's palace." Aibek said softly. Charlie nodded, helping Vaggie up and bringing her out to the limousine.
"I have bodyguards in the limousine. These are Skara Dibriakond and Zillah Enakon and this is Stella Rezered. They have been brought to ensure yours and Ms. Vagatha's safety." Aibek said, opening the door for the ladies and closing it behind them as they got in. He then got in the front and drove to the palace.
-0-
He checked in at the gate and was told to drive up and bring the princess and her partner in. The four guards surrounded the women in front and behind and to each of their sides and walked them in.
"I apologize for the claustrophobic feeling you are no doubt experiencing. There was a threat on the palace this morning. All known assailants have been captured, questioned and imprisoned. However, it is likely that there are still more with intent to harm the Royal Family. So please indulge our protective measures." Aibek said deferentially. Charlie nodded, looking around.
Suddenly, a flash seemed to breeze past the Hellhound bodyguards and hug Charlie tightly.
"Charred Fish!" Came a cheerful voice. Vaggie raised an eyebrow at the young man, especially given his strange choice of greetings for Charlie.
"Evan!" Charlie said excitedly, hugging him back, kissing him on the cheek.
"Wow! Evan! It's been almost 100 years since I've seen you! Where have you been! What have you been doing!" Charlie asked questions rapidfire. Evan didn't seem to mind though.
"Oh, you know, slaying knaves and staying with babes." Evan joked, chuckling lightly.
"And you! This must be the infamous Vagatha. Nice to meet you. From what I hear you and Char are crazy about each other. I can see why. You're quite beautiful." Evan said, winking at her.
"Um… Who is this guy? Old boyfriend?"
"What? Don't you see the resemblance? I've always said I was the better looking of the two of us." Evan chuckled. He could see that Vaggie wasn't amused.
"Okay, okay, okay… I'm her older brother. I'm about 560 years old. This little lady is still a child in my eyes, so it's just a little hard to reconcile that she's about to get married." Evan said.
"But let's start over. My name is Evanthos Magne. And I'm Charlotte's older brother. And for the record, all the rumors about my exploits, both social and romantic are probably true." Evan chuckled.
"Pardon me, Y-Your Majesty." Aibek said, seeming hesitant to contradict the prince.
"But Lucifer has ordered that we bring Ms. Vagatha to see him." Aibek said.
Charlie could see that Aibek was anxious to talk back to Evan. She knew some of what he had gotten up to, that he made sport of interfering with the social and political environment, largely in the Pride Ring and the turfs of Overlords. She didn't know why he did it, but it wasn't really her business why as long as he didn't try to interfere in the Hotel. Evan rolled his eyes.
"What's the old man up to now? Turning Vagatha into another one of his little 'science experiments.'?
"Careful Vags… Last Sinner that got roped into being a project of Dad's never made it out. They're still chained up in the dungeon, too insane to realize it's been over 200 years." Evan said. Vaggie gripped Charlie's hand tighter. That made her anxious.
"Well… Y-yeah… I'm pregnant." Vaggie said.
"And let me guess… He offered to treat you during your pregnancy out of the goodness of his heart." Evan asked sardonically. Charlie sighed, pulling Vaggie closer to her.
Charlie knew all about the bad blood between Evan and their father. She knew that they'd had a falling out almost 100 years ago and that he stormed out and as far as she knew, hadn't been back.
"Doggies… Shoo." Evan said disdainfully to the Hellhounds, bringing Charlie and Vaggie to see Lucifer himself. As they walked into the room, Lucifer's eyes seemed to light up.
"Evanthos. My Son… It's been almost a century since we've seen each other. Come, sit with me and I'll have our maid make tea. Vagatha, I'd like for you to meet my eldest and only son, Evanthos Magne."
Lucifer seemed gratified that Evan was back. Charlie didn't know exactly what had caused the falling out. She just knew that she'd missed her brother terribly in the time that he was gone. Rumors of his doings were almost legendary now. Charlie didn't know exactly how he had done some of the things he'd supposedly done. But the powers that he'd have to have had if he did those things would be unquestionable. Lucifer called for the maid, Stella.
"Stella, make some tea for my guests and myself please." Lucifer said.
He stated it politely. But his 'requests' were never requests. They were orders. Stella bowed and went into the kitchen, boiling a pot of water and bringing it out with a selection of tea leaves for them to choose from.
"Enjoy." Stella said softly, bowing and leaving them to talk.
"So, Evan, my Son. What brings you back after such a long time?" Lucifer asked.
"I came to see Charlie and Vaggie. I heard from a source that they would be here today." Evan said.
"A source? You have sources within my palace?" Lucifer asked, his voice polite, but a probing tone shining through underneath. If Evan had a source, that meant that others could theoretically have them as well. Evan simply nodded, not elaborating on the name or even the nature of the source.
"Well, regardless, it's a pleasure to have you back. Have Charlotte and Vagatha told you the news?" Lucifer asked. Evan smiled brightly.
"Yes. Vagatha is pregnant. It's certainly surprising news. I knew that Charlotte was intersex. But I don't think that any of us suspected that she would be able to impregnate a sinner of all people." Evan said. It seemed that while Evan had a great deal of natural charisma, he didn't have much concern for how what he said sounded to Vaggie. Charlie seemed a bit put off by what he was saying.
"Sorry, sorry, Sis. I don't mean to put you or Vagatha down. I guess my surprise is making me a little loose tongued." Evan said. Lucifer nodded calmly, but seemed to be assessing the situation.
"Well, your room is still available for you, Evanthos. If you wish to go and get settled, you may. I need some time to talk to Vagatha and Charlotte." Lucifer said. Evan nodded, gulping down his tea and heading to his room. He probably wasn't going to stay very long. But he definitely wanted to be able to see Charlie and Vaggie, be a thorn in Lucifer's side and see if the rumors of a sinner's pregnancy were true. He'd accomplished all those goals just with a little farcical nonsense, acting a little more loose tongued than he really was and chatting the party up a bit.
"Now, Vagatha…"
"Hold on. Is it true that a former experimental subject of yours is still insane from the experiments?" Vaggie asked. Lucifer sighed. Evan had been more loose lipped than Lucifer had feared.
"Yes. But also know. That particular subject was insane to begin with. He was a would-be assassin. He made an attempt on Charlotte's life about a century ago. Until today, Charlotte didn't even know that she was the intended target. I suppose she has the right to know though." Lucifer said.
"But I had him interrogated and sentenced. And I gave him an option. He could be a test subject for some of my more… Risky alchemical processes, or he could be sent into the Cave of Zanepshup't. And I feel I don't need to say that nobody has ever returned both alive and sane from that cave. If he accepted being a test subject, there was at least a chance he would come out with his sanity and his life. As it turns out, the experiments made him very powerful. He was a simple Sinner, a Salamander Demon. He gained the power and physical and mental abilities of a higher order Hellborn Demon to potentially a Noble."
Lucifer seemed unconcerned that he was giving away these secrets. Charlie was sure there was much more to it than just what Lucifer was saying.
"However, the intense magic and alchemy involved pickled his brain in a manner of speaking and he's been utterly and irredeemably mad ever since. I have to keep him in a power suppression chamber just to keep him from breaking loose. I've considered entering him in gladiatorial combat for the entertainment of those who go to see it." Lucifer said with a light chuckle.
"However, there is no guarantee that he will not either break free, slaughter the opponents and harm the guards or otherwise create more trouble than he's worth. I have been concocting alchemical serums to suppress powers that I can load into bullets. But until such a time as I can ensure that he will be safe to put in an open ring, I cannot in good faith let him out of his holding cell." Lucifer said.
"So you see, my dear… You have nothing to fear. These processes, while never performed on Sinners, have been done before on other Demons and done safely." Lucifer said.
"And I am taking absolutely every precaution to ensure no undue harm comes to you, the child or those around you." Lucifer said. His candor seemed to put Vaggie at ease. She nodded.
"Excellent. Then let us go to the lab and we'll take a look at you. You were about 4-6 weeks along when last I saw you. If my calculations are correct and you've been sleeping an average to slightly above average amount, you should be about 8-9 weeks along now. After this, the process will slow slightly. You'll be past the point where morning sickness is a thing." Lucifer said reassuringly.
-0-
He brought her down to the laboratory and had her lie down on the table. Partien came out and smiled at them.
"A pleasure to see you again, Princess, and Ms. Vagatha. You're looking healthy. Have you been eating properly?" Partien asked. Charlie chuckled, holding Vaggie's hand.
"Yeah. I've been eating pretty ravenously." Vaggie said, blushing slightly.
"Well… There's nothing wrong with that. Better to overeat than undereat during a pregnancy, especially one this complex." Partien said, putting on a pair of goggles and scanning her stomach.
"Hmmm… I see… A combination of the amount of food you eat and the amount of sleep you get largely determine how fast the fetus will grow inside of you. This is not like a typical human pregnancy, you see. Certain precautions have been taken to prevent it from growing too fast and thus parasitizing too much of your own energy. However, you seem to be somewhere between 10-11 weeks along now.
"Your fetus seems healthy… And… Oh, my… Did you know you're having twins? It's not possible to tell gender just yet, but the fetus is definitely twins." Partien said, seeming rather excited.
"Twins?" Vaggie breathed, seeming anxious. Her own children when she'd been human, Luis and Lisbeth had been twins. She was having twins again. She was excited in a way. And in a way, she wanted to name them Luis and Lisbeth. But in another, she didn't want to dishonor her children by naming two Demons after them. Did that mean she was ashamed of being a Demon? Was she ashamed of her children?
Vaggie was starting to feel anxious. Partien seemed to notice her increase in body signs.
"Shhh… Deep breaths, Ms. Vagatha. We'll do everything within our power to make sure your children come out happy and healthy." He said, helping Vaggie up and having her sit down in a comfortable chair while he spoke to them. He handed Vaggie a strange looking and smelling alchemical serum.
"This will enhance your own energy. I'm sure you've noticed yourself feeling sluggish and fatigued. That's because, whether intentional or not, the fetus is feeding off of your energy.
"This will provide you with an external source of energy. I recommend you drink at least one every six hours." Partien said. Vaggie nodded, gulping it down. It tasted funny, but she chugged it anyway, feeling the difference almost immediately. She sat up straighter.
"You may feel a bit of manic energy for about 15-20 minutes. Don't worry about that. It's perfectly normal." Partien said as he escorted them back to see Lucifer.
"Ms. Vagatha. Thank you for coming in. any good news about the child?"
"We're having twins, Dad!" Charlie said excitedly. Lucifer smiled.
"Twins. Wonderful. Have you any ideas on names for them yet?" Lucifer asked.
"Well… I've been considering Apollyon and Abaddon. But I haven't asked Vaggie what names she wants for them." Charlie said. Vaggie thought for a moment. She would go for it.
"Can we make their middle names Luis and Lisbeth. I mean, assuming they're a boy and a girl." Vaggie asked. Charlie nodded. Those had been the names of her children when she'd been a human.
"I would be honored if our children had those as their middle names." Charlie said. Vaggie smiled, hugging Charlie, resting her head against Charlie's. Lucifer smiled genuinely this time. They really were in love. He was happy to see how happy Charlie was.
"Skara, Zillah… Escort Charlotte and Ms. Vagatha back to the limo and make sure that they have a guard on them as they go back to the hotel." Lucifer said. Skara and Zillah bowed, taking the two women back to the limousine. They were intercepted on their way by Evan again.
"I'd like to go with you… If Father hasn't forbidden it?" Evan asked, winking at Skara, who blushed slightly. Charlie smiled. She wondered if Evan was just playing with Skara to get her to agree or if he really liked her. Either way, she could ask him later. They all went to the limo and loaded in, traveling back to the Hotel, where Evan went in with Charlie and Vaggie to see what it was exactly that Charlie was doing at this Happy Hotel as she called it.