Okay, so someone asked if I had done any stories for Cuphead The Delicious Last Course and I hadn't yet, but the more I thought about it, I got the idea in my head about how Angel would react if she met Chef Saltbaker and sensed he wasn't telling Cuphead, Mugman, and Chalice the whole story about the Wondertart. Well, this story sparked from that idea. :)

Now, this is a direct sequel to "The Purest Angel", which can be found on my page. :)

Cuphead belongs to Studio MDHR. I only own Angel, Aqua, Sky, and Star.

Also, quick note: Many of you have noticed that I never refer to the monster by his name in my Cuphead stories. This is actually a personal choice on my part due to him trying to steal the brothers' souls and Angel's soul. Anyone who tricks kids like that is a monster to me.

A Protective Angel

Chapter 1: Three years later

Angel was working on mending a stuffed animal for the little girl she and Specter were babysitting at the time. Some bullies had gotten hold of the stuffed octopus plush and tore off a few of the legs. Specter had scared off the bullies and taken the torn toy and the little girl, who had black hair and a pirate patch like her father and wore a purple t-shirt with black pants, inside the house, where Angel promised the child she'd fix the toy.

"There we go. One leg down a two more to go," the young woman said, smiling at the child. "Don't worry, Aqua. Your plush will be good as new when I'm done."

"Thank you, Aunty Angel," the little girl said as she watched her.

Specter came up to them. "I spoke to Brineybeard and he knows the parents of the bullies," he said. "He went to go speak with them and Cala Maria rose up out of the ocean in her sea monster form, scaring the bullies so much one of them fainted and the others went into hiding."

"Good," Angel said. "Serves them right for bullying our niece."

Cagney came out of the kitchen. "Alright, soup's ready for Sky and Star," he said, referring to Aqua's siblings.

"Hopefully they'll get better soon and the triplets can play together again," Specter said, gently ruffling Aqua's hair to make her giggle.

"I still feel bad they got sick because of me," the child said, sobering.

"Oh, sweetie, it's not your fault," Angel said gently. "Sometimes that just happens. One will get sick and once they get better, someone in the family will get sick."

"She's right," Cagney said gently. "Don't blame yourself, Aqua."

Specter saw the child was still a bit sad and he smirked. "Hmm, there seems to be a frown in here," he said.

"Oh, my. There is?" Angel said with a smile as she played along.

"We must find it and turn it upside down then," the flower said, smirking as he joined in.

Aqua looked curious. "What do you guys mean?" She asked.

"Well, there's a frown around here and we need to turn it into a smile," Specter told her. "Do you think you can help us find it?"

"I'll try," she said and began looking around, not seeing the flower and ghost come up behind her with grins until she turned around and saw them just before the ghost scooped her up into his arms.

"Well, well, to think that frown thought it could hide behind our niece," Cagney said.

"I see it too," Specter said.

"Where?" Aqua asked as they brought her over to the couch and set her down on it.

"Hold still and we'll catch that frown," the flower said before he and Specter began tickling the little girl, who giggled and laughed as she tried to escape, but they had her trapped in the playful attack.

"Oh, it's trying to get away," Angel said as she watched.

"Don't worry, it won't get far," Specter said before he blew a raspberry into his niece's stomach, making her squeal as Cagney tickled her underarms.

"I think we've caught that frown," he said to his friend. "See? It's here in my hand."

He pulled away one of his hands, quickly clapping his other hand around it as if he was holding something in his cupped hands. Specter smiled as he stopped the tickle torture and helped Aqua sit up and she was now smiling. "There's a big smile," he said. "That frown couldn't make that smile go away."

"And now this frown is going outside," Cagney said, going to the door and opening his hands in a throwing motion. "There! That frown is never coming back now."

Aqua giggled and Angel chuckled, amused at how her brother and her husband were being playful to their niece. She turned back to her work and finished the last stitch, smiling as she saw the plush was good as new. "Aqua," she said, to which the little girl came over and she handed the toy to the child with a smile. "All fixed."

Aqua hugged her. "Thank you, Aunty Angel," she said happily.

A knock came at the door and Specter opened it to see Brineybeard there and he nodded to him. "Good afternoon, Specter," the captain said.

"Good afternoon, Brineybeard," the ghost said, letting him in and leading him to the living room. "Aqua, your father's here."

The little girl gasped happily. "Daddy!" She squealed, running up to him with open arms.

Chuckling, Brineybeard scooped up his youngest daughter into his arms. "There's my little Aqua," he said. "You ready to go home?"

"Yes, Daddy," she said.

Cagney handed him a container of the soup he had made. "This should help Sky and Star get better soon," he said.

"Thank you, Cagney," the pirate said gratefully. "And thank you for watching Aqua for me and Maria."

"Of course, Briney," Angel said. "You know we love to babysit our nieces."

"With how good you are to my daughters, I hope you and Specter one day will have children too," Brineybeard said to her before turning to the flower. "And you will find a mate and have a child too, Cagney."

"Have to find a girlfriend first," Cagney said with a chuckle. "But I'll wait on that."

Smiling, the captain and his daughter left while Angel smiled at her husband and brother before noticing the time. "I wonder where Cuphead and Mugman are," she said. "They usually stop by for a visit by now."

"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen them either," Cagney said.

Just then, a knock came at the door and Angel opened it to see Elder Kettle standing there. "Grandpa," she said, hugging the kettle who had taken her in when she first arrived on the Isle with amnesia.

"Hello, my dear," he said, hugging her back. "I do wish this was a more pleasant visit, but I'm a bit worried."

"What's wrong, Elder?" Specter asked, coming up behind his wife.

"Are the boys with you?"

At the worried question, the flower, ghost, and young woman shook their heads before becoming worried. "When did you last see them, Grandpa?" Angel asked.

"They went to go visit Beppi, but I just left the carnival and he told me he hadn't seen the boys," the kettle said.

Cagney got worried. "You don't think they've been kidnapped, do you?" He asked.

"I don't know," Elder Kettle said. "And that's why I worried. I know the monster is supposed to be gone, but he did return and almost kidnap our Angel."

"But we've been checking around and there hasn't been any sign of him," Angel said.

"She's right," Specter said. "Dice even had that area torn down and built it as a storage room for the casino."

Just then, Hilda Berg came up to them and she looked worried. "Guys, I just saw the boys on the far island to the west," she said.

"What?" Elder asked in shock. "What are they doing there?"

"I'm not sure, but I think one of the boys was a ghost like Specter and there was someone I didn't recognize with them, thought she did look familiar. She had two handles on her head, like a trophy almost."

Specter's head snapped up and he quickly left the room, returning with a picture in his hand. "Did she look like this?" He asked, showing her a picture of himself and Legendary Chalice, his sister.

"Why, yes," Hilda said with a nod. "I think...I even saw her and one of the boys switch bodies, but I don't know how."

"What could the boys and Chalice be up to?" Cagney asked.

"And how did they get to that far island?" Angel asked. "I didn't even know there was an island to the west."

"I saw a boat with an inhabitant with a compass for a face near the edge of the island where the boys are," Hilda said. "I think he took them from here to the island."

"What if the boys are in trouble?" Elder Kettle asked.

Angel at once made up her mind. "Grandpa, I'm going to find out what's going on," she said. "You stay here with Cagney and Specter."

"But my dear...," he began to protest, but she took his hand and gently squeezed it.

"I'll be okay, Grandpa," she said. "If it is that monster, I'll kick him into the nearest black hole in space."

Cagney took a deep breath. "Be careful, Angel," he said. "I'll get some supplies packed for you."

"I'll keep an eye out and keep you guys updated," Hilda promised, taking to the sky.

Specter kissed his wife lovingly. "Be careful, my love," he said.

"I will," she said, kissing him back before hugging him and her grandfather. She then hugged Cagney as he gave her a small bag of supplies and she nodded. "I'll be back as soon as possible," she promised before she headed off.

Her first stop: Djimmi's pyramid.

Looks like Angel is on a quest to go find her nephews, but what does she need at Djimmi's pyramid? Stay tuned to find out. :)

And please leave a review, but no flames!

GoldGuardian2418