Alastor didn't know exactly when he fell in love with Charlie. He knew it wasn't instantly, although he did find her very pretty and exciting when he first saw her on the picture show. When he apporached her with his assitance, he saw it as nothing more as a means to amuse himself after decades of his usual routine, which by now had become boring. And he found his new work to be quite satisfying. Cleaning and redocrating the hotel, cooking meals like jambayla, and providing music and dancing for the guests and staff, he rather enjoyed his new position.

Then as Alastor did his work, his wandering eye began to pay attention to Charlie. Watching her plan out new ways to bring in potenital guests, watching her do things to make her world more cheerful like planting flowers and blowing bubbles, watching her sing and dance in order to lift her spirits during the most saddening times. And watching her do all those things, he couldn't help but think that she looked so beautiful. Why she looked like an angel.

She acted like an angel too. She was always so kind to her assoicates despite the fact that they were sinners condemmed to Hell. She always made sure that Alastor and the others were comfortable in their rooms, she would always ask them if there was anything she could do to make their stay more pleasant, and she would always include them in her activities and events. Alastor particularly amazed when she would constantly invite him to her parties and dinners and brunches, which greatly surprised him because in hell no one really wanted anything to do with him. Most people were afraid of him and the only time they would consort with him was if they wanted to make a deal with him. Sure he had one or two friends like Rosie or Niffty but they were, in the words of Lucifer, "Commoner Demons." No one royal or aristocratic would dare associate with him.

But the princess of Hell treated him like an equal. An equal and a dear friend. She would be there for him during the good times and the bad times. There were days when she watch him come back from his usual walks and somehow she could see past his smile and recognize that deep down, he felt melancholy because he had frightended away someone he merely wanted to say hi to. She would then approach him and ask him if he wanted to talk about it. Of course he would just repply,

"My dear I appreciated both your concern and perceptiveness, but I see no point in voicing my woes. After all, considering my actions, it's only natural that others fear me. It's the consequences of my choices. I brought this on myself. So I'll just quitely reap what I sew."

Then she would say.

"I'm glad that you take responsiblity for your actions and that you're willing to face the consequences. But that doesn't mean you have to be punished forever. You can be forgiven. Someday you can be loved again. Everyone has the opportunity to make things right. That's what my unlce Gabriel told me."

But he merely laughed her words off as wishful thinking on her part. Until one day, another extermination day, he was outisde on his usual walk when he was attacked by an exorcist. He fought hard and he refused to go down easy, but alas his powers were no match for the likes of them. He was brutally beaten, stabbed, and almost torn apart. And just when he was about to be given the final blow, Charlie appeared. She just came out of no where and in her demon form, clawing at the exorcists for trying to kill him. Defending Alastor. She fought to protect him and she fought well, but jsut like him, she was outmatched. They were brutal to her too and he found himself desperately wanting to get up and help her, but it hurt too much for him to move.

Finally she was thrown on the ground and completely battered. Still she tried to save him by throwing herself on to Alastor's injured body and tearfully pleading for the exorcists to stop. It was utterly astounding to him. She was risking everything for him. She was risking her entire existence for him. No one, no one except for his own dearly departed mother had ever been willing to make such a sacrifice for him.

Yet this selfess act did not seem to appeal to these so-called angelic beings. They were still going to slaughter them both. However it did appeal to someone in heaven.

"That is enough!"

Just as the exorcist's spear was coming down, his arm was caught by the hand of Archangel Gabriel. Charlie's uncle, and one of the few angels who believed in his niece's cause.

"You would dare strike one willing to lay her life down for another?" He said. "One who is willing to make a sacrifice similar to one made by the son of God himself? You are all a disgrace, and the lord is not pleased with your work."

Gabriel and the exorcists left, but not before her uncle saw to it that Vaggie and the others found them and brought them back. As their wounds were being tended to, Alastor turned to the princess and asked her,

"Why did you do that for me?"

"Do what?" She asked back.

"Risk your life to save me. I don't deserve it you know."

"You're my friend Alastor, and greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends."

Perhaps that was when he fell head over heels in love. Because that's when he found himself always wanting to make her smile. Always wanting to keep tears from staining her beautiful face. Always wanting to participate in her plans for bring happiness and redemption. Like helping her celebrate Halloween.

It was after that night he made those thugs sorry for ruining her hard work, that he finally decided to confess to her how he felt. The next time she was alone, he aproached her and told her everything that he felt for her. She was shocked, and at first very happy because she reciprocated his feelings. She had grown to love him too.

He was always honest with her and he would help her with all her projects. He shared her passion for music, dance, and theater. He would often serve as her shoulder to cry on and her ear to vent her woes and frustration. He was funny, charming, and she enjoyed spending time with him. But despite her feelings, she didn't think that they could work as a couple. You see, for life partner she needed someone who could be kind and warm and willing to open up like she could. Alastor was so wild, so unhinged, and do reluctant to talk about things that bothered him or how he truly felt. He just seemed too bottled up.

"Alastor I care about you very much." She said to him. "And I have strong feeligns for you but I...I honestly don't think we could make it work."

"Why not?" He asked.

"I need someone in my life who can open up to me. Who doesn't feel that he has to hide his true feelings from me. And I don't really know a lot about you Alastor. At least not the parts that make up the whole you. I only know half, and I respect that you don't want to tell me about that other half, but I can't really connect with someone if I don't know the whole person. Not just the smiling, swing dancing radio demon."

"I know dances other than swing you know?"

She giggled.

"Also I need to be with someone who can be kind and tender."

"I can be kind and tender."

"I believe you can be, someday."

"What makes you think I can't be like that now?"

"Last night was proof of that. You wanted revenge on those thugs."

"Not revenge, justice."

"Well you probably traumatized them for life."

"They're in Hell Darling. They were probably traumatized long before I came along."

"Still that proves to me that you aren't really the forgiving and copassionate type. Not now anyway. I just...I just don't think we should get together unless I'm sure that we can work. Can you understnad that?"

"I understand that." He said.

"And we're still friends?"

"Always." He smiled.

"Good."

She then left to finish up with her hotel duties.

"And I'll simply have to show you my other half." Alastor muttered under his breath.

A few days later, on October 30th, Charlie's parents invited her over for a surprise they had planned. Recently they had been arguing over Charlie's choice to open a hotel that offered redemption and that led to them not being on speaking terms for awhile. But Lilith missed her daughter and conviced both husband and child, to sahre a family lunch without arguing.

"I'm so glad that you came Charlotte." Lilith said pouring her tea. "I've missed you so."

"I've missed you too Mom." Charlie said. "And you Dad."

"Likewise." Lucifer said. "Your mother and I have been talking, and while we still think this whole hotel thing is ridiculous, we understand why you want it to work."

"You do?" Charlie asked.

"Yes. You want to shine a little light down here. Do something to make you happy. A happiness similar to what happens up on earth. Now we can't exactly grant you that all the time but we can give you something like that for one day."

"What do you mean?"

"Well tomorrow is All Hallow's Eve, and the gap between the living and the dead is weakest on All Hallow's Eve."

"Dearest they call it Halloween now." Lilith said.

"Well I think All Hallow's Eve is more refined sounding. Halloween." He scoffed. "What kind of dumb name is that?"

"Anyway." Lilith continued. "On Halloween demons can get a speical ticket that allows them to crossover on to earth and in human form for one day. And well...Happy Halloween Sweetie."

Lilith handed Charlie a ticket with a Jack-O'Lantern on it, and the words: Admit One Life.

"You mean..." Charlie paused unable to comprehend what she had been just told. "You mean I'm actually going to earth?"

"Just for one day." Lucifer said. "We've chosen where you'll be going. Friendship, Maine."

"Really?!" She said excited. "They have a town called Friendship?!"

"It was your mother's idea." Lucifer said rolling her eyes. "I wanted to send you to Los Angeles, but no, a big city would be too much for your first time. A boring small town would be more sutiable."

"For your information, Friendship is holding a Halloween Carnival and Costume Dance tomorrow." Lilith said. "She'll have lots of fun."

"Oh Mom, Dad." Charlie was touched by the gesture that she could hardly bear it. This was truly the best gift her parents had ever given her. Overwhelmed, she threw her arms around them both and hugged them tight. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"You really like it?" Lucifer asked hugging her back.

"I love it! And I love you!"

"We love you too." Lilith said returning the embrace.

"Going to earth has always been a dream of mine. I never thought you two would actually...Oh I'm just so happy and I am so grateful."

"Glad to hear." Lucifer said. "But remember just for the day. At Midnight on All Hallow's Eve you lose your human disguise andd you must return to Hell."

"And you mustn't tell anyone who you truly are." Lilith added. "I'm sure no one this day and age will actually believe you're Lucifer's daughter but, you can never be too careful."

"Got it." Charlie assured them. "Can I bring my friends with me?"

"No." Lucifer said sternly. "That ticket is just for one person and getting another costs an arm and leg, espeically for sinner demons."

"Okay, I understand."

"Before you go take one of my special jackets with you. The pockets are always full with limiltess money, and believe me you always need moneyo n earth. Even if it's just for a day."

"Oh that reminds me!" Lilith said getting reall giddy. "I have something that I thought you'd liek to wear to the costume dance. Charlotte, won't you come with me into the attic?"

Charlie did as her mother requested. When Charlie was a girl, she had spent many days playing in the attic. Going through the countless things her parents had pocketed from being alive for centuries. Why they had something from almost every time period. Egyptian treasures, parts of a Viking ship, Medieval weapons, one of Lilith's particular favorites were the clothes from 18th Century France. She even had a trunk full of gowns from the era and she walked right over to it as soon as they entered the attic.

She opened the trunk and combed through the various garments inside, looking for one in particular.

"I wore this when I was your age." She explained during her search. "It was at one of Marie Antoinette's many balls, Lord did she know how to throw a good party. I was very young back in those days and I had yet to develop the voluptous figure you see today. Also your father and I were courting at the time but he wasn't ready to settle down. Even though we had been going steady for three-hundred years. So I decided I'd do a little flirting at the party, and shared a slow-dance with Robespierre. Unfortunately that made your father so jealous that he manipulated his entire downfall."

"All because he danced with you?"

"You think that's bad? You should have seen what he did when Henry the 8th flirited with me. Just randomly fell from that horse huh? A fall that led to him becoming a pot bellied mad man."

At long last, Lilith produced an 18th century style gown made from light pink taffeta, and with lots of trim. The gown also came with a pink, fur-lined cloak and a pair of lavish slippers made from glitter and gems. Now Charlie wasn't normally one to wear frocks and gowns, especially extravagant ones like what her mother was offering her, but it was Halloween and that's when you don't dress as you normally would. Also, Charlie loved pink and sparkles.

"What do you think?" Lilith asked.

"It's perfect." She said.

"Wodnerful. Now all we need to do is make alterations and find a suitable wig."

"I'm not wearing a powdered wig."

"But that's what sells it."

"No wigs Mom. They're so irritating. They make my scalp itch and I think the French kind look silly."

"Alright but you have you to wear something in your hair. I'll come up with something more sublte and I'll work on alterations to the gown. It should be ready by tomorrow night and when the time comes, summon Rzzle and Dazzle with the ring we gave you. They'll appear with the costume and help you get ready for the dance."

"Thank you Mom."

She hugged her mother again, grabbed a light-weight, Autumn red jacket from her father's closet, and said goodbye to her parents before returning to the hotel. Once she was home she excitedly told Vaggie everything.

"I just can't believe I'm actually going to earth tomorrow. I'll get to meet real humans and experience their customs for Halloween."

"I'm really happy for you." Vaggie said. "After everything you've put up with, you deserve this."

"I just wish you all could come with me."

"Charlie we don't really care to go back to earth. We've been there, done that."

"I know but it's a holiday. There will be a carnival and a dance and...It just won't be as much fun without you guys."

"That means a lot Hon, but we couldn't go even if we wanted to. Remember what your dad said?"

"I know. I know." She sighed.

Vaggie smiled softly and put her hands on Charlie's shoulders.

"Hey don't worry about us." She said. "You go on up there and have the time of your life. Not everyone gets an opportunity like this, and honestly, you deserve it more than anyone in this entire cesspool."

But this made Charlie's want for her friends to come, grow stronger. All in all ,carnivals and dances were no fun if you're experincing them alone. Still, there was nothing she could do. A ticket for all her friends at the hotel was just too expensive. She had to accept that, and she did.

The very next morning, Charlie woke up real early and readied herself for the big trip. Along with the jacket she brought, she also wore a white blouse, black jeans, and brown combat boots. She then went to Hell's gates and showed them her ticket. A light from above suddenly shined down on her and she was sent flying up and up and up, until there was a flash and she was on the ground.

The first thing she saw was a leaf. A red leaf that had fallen from a tree. She carefully picked it up and held it as if were made of glass. She couldn't believe her eyes, a real live leaf. Next she saw more red leaves but she also saw yellow ones, orange ones, and purple ones. She saw the blue sky and the white clouds, she saw the trees and the grass, she a saw a creek and could hear the water running, she could smell the season of Fall and she could feel the cool Autumn wind flowing through her hair.

Wait, her hair seemed much shorter now. Not as long as it normally was.

She put her hands to her neck and found that her hair had been shorted to a shoulder-length bob and a red head-band had pushed back her bangs. Another thing she noticed was that her milk-white skin had now changed to just ivory-fair. Her fingernails were no longer black and her height had decreased a little. She quickly bent down by the creek and looked at her reflection in the water. Her lips had turned from black to pink, her black nose was now the same color as her new skin tone, her red iries had turned blue and her light-yellow scleras had turned white. She looked just like a human woman.

"Wow." She said taking a moment to really admire her disguise. Almost everything was gone. The only original features she retained were her feather-like eyelashes, her blond hair, and her rosy cheeks. "I wish Vaggie, Angel, and Al were here to see this. I wonder what they would think?"

After ten minutes of looking over her new form, she proceeded to walk about and explore the town known as Freindship. It was a very cute town, one by the sea where there were lots of boats parked by the docks and the most adorable little houses and shops. She could see orange pumpkins and red apples being sold at some of these shops. The apples looked particualrly sweet and tempting.

"Irony." Charlie thought with a laugh.

She slowly approached the man selling the apples. He was white-haired and bespectacle, skinny, but bore a bright smile. He seemed happy with his position. Something that Charlie rarely saw in Hell.

"Good morning." He greeted kindly. "Would a lovely lady, like to start the day by biting into a crisp apple?"

"Yes." She msiled back. "I would thank you. How much?"

"One dollar."

She placed her hand into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a one dollar bill. She handed the money to the old man who gave her the apple.

"Thank you." He said. "Have a good day and Happy Halloween."

"You too sir."

She bit into the apple and continued with her walk. Doing so, she noticed how a lot of the humans were setting up decorations for the holiday, and they were all so excited. As excited as she had been when she first decided to celebrate it in Hell. If only such joy and excitement could exist back down there.

When she finsished her apple, she spotted the Halloween Carnival which was just down the road and set up in a large, empty square. She quickly went down that road and toward the carnival. Her eyes were pratically glowing when she saw the rides and the games, and all the children and families eagerly waiting in line. It was a scene that had little to know anger or sadness.

"Hey no cutting!"

She was suddenly haulted by a stocky looking guy . He was waiting in line for the ticket booth and Charlie had thoughtlessly moved in front of them.

"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't see the line." She said stepping back. "I'm new here...Hi my name is...Claire. Claire Harris."

"I don't care what you're name is. Get to the back of the line."

"Okay."

Charlie went to the back of the line, standing right behind two girls around her age. Well, around here physical age that is. They seemed nice, so Charlie decided to introduce herself and try to make friends.

"Hi." She greeted.

One of the girls turned around to see who was talking to her.

"Uh...Can I help you?" She asked.

"Hello my name is Claire Harris."

"And I care why?"

"Well I just thought I would introduce myself. I'm new here, just for the day, and I don't know anyone so I thought that maybe-"

But the girl just turned around and went on talking to her friend, ignoring Charlie completely.

"Alright then." Charlie said. "Sorry to bother you."

She was only trying to find someone to spend the day with. But maybe she was going about it all wrong? How exactly did humans make friends?

For the next fifteen minutes, she tried to strike up a conversation with anyone who came by, but they were either too busy, too much in a hurry, or just too rude to even acknowledge.

"Hello I'm...Good morning, my name is...Oh excuse me, do you think that...Hello...Hi...I'm..."

No good.

"I guess making friends on earth isn't as easy as I thought it would be." She thought, disappointed. "Maybe this was a mistake. Maybe I should just go home."

She started to pull away from the line and walk back, but she was so wrapped up in her own disappointment, that she didn't pay attention to where she was going and bumped right into a young man heading for the line, knocking his glasses right off his face.

"Oh my goodness! I am so sorry! I am such an idiot!" She gasped in horror.

"Oh no, it's fine." He said bending down to retrieve his glasses. "Accidents happen."

"But I should have been looking where I was going and I...I'm just so sorry. Did I break them?"

"No they're fine." He placed the glasses back on his face. "No harm, no foul."

He was a very handsome young man. One with rugged brown hair and matching brown eyes. His skin was a slightly darker tone and his body type was slender and tall. His outfit consisted of jeans, a black t-shirt, and a long-sleeved brown jacket.

"Let me guess, first time at a carnival?" He asked.

"How did you know?"

"You're actually standing somewhere between in and out of the line." He chuckled.

"Oops." She blushed a little. "How embarrassing."

"Not really. Happens to a lot of us. But where are my manners? Adam Bosco, at your service."

He held out his hand to her. She was thrilled, and happily shook it. He smiled at her, she smiled back, and for a moment she thought there was something very familiar about his eyes and his smile.

"Claire Harris." She said. "I'm very pleased to meet you."

"I could say that same. So what brings you to Friendship? Moving in?"

"No. I'm just passing through. I came just for the festivities."

"What a coincidence, so are myself and my associates. We're normally a very solitary brood but we figured that today, it was time for a change. Time to get out of our comfort zone and try something new. What about your company?"

"I'm actually here alone."

"Really?" He acted surprised. "Going to a carnival by yourself? That doesn't sound very fun at all."

"I know but my friends can't really be here with me and I don't know anyone here."

"Well if you'd like, you can spend the day with my group."

"You wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all. The more, the merrier."

"Thank you. I'd like that."

Adam smiled and offered her his arm to escort her. She accepted his offer, hopeful that things would be much better from now on.