Almost to judgment day!
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Charlie and Vaggie stood huddled over a desk going through papers, Katherine sipping coffee from a chair across from them. Alastor stood by the window, patiently twirling his microphone.
There was a flash of light and Nick appeared by the desk, more papers in hand. He looked around and quirked an eyebrow. "Whose office is this?"
Charlie gave him a bashful look and Alastor smirked to himself out the window. Vaggie rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you can guess who insisted on having the biggest office."
"Terrible isn't it," Nick muttered under his breath, giving Alastor a look. "Much too big and drafty. Perhaps we should move to the more…."intimate" space I've been using? I mean where are any of us going to hang our coats in here?"
Charlie's mouth opened and closed like a fish, unsure how to respond, and Alastor's shoulders shook with held back laughter.
Katherine looked around. Confused. "What are you goin' on about?"
Alastor suddenly looked more bashful than Charlie and Nick's eyes narrowed in amusement.
"Alastor's been making the detective use the coat closet for the one on one's," Vaggie bit, thoroughly unamused by all of it.
"Alastor!" Katherine scolded, "I know you've got better manners than-"
"Sorry mama, sorry," Alastor ducked his head sheepishly, his ears flattening back.
Nick snorted and Alastor shot daggers from his eyes.
"Can we PLEASE get serious here," Vaggie cut in.
"Oh yes," Nick dropped the papers he held onto the rest of the pile, sliding his now free hands into his pockets. "Just wrapped up with Nifty. Easy enough case. Funny, I've been trying to nail her down since we started this whole experiment but the moment I could get her to talk I'd say she's more than absolved."
"I assumed she'd be the easiest to make a case for," Alastor said flippantly. "One count of patricide and the rest I assume was just her deal with me. Sure there's a few indiscretions of things she did on my account but all pretty trivial. I'd never make a lady get her hands too dirty."
"Patricide?" Charlie cut in. "Nifty…murdered her father?"
"I remember it in her file," Katherine chimed in. "It was one of the reasons I wanted to get involved with helping you all. He was a horrible man. Very abusive. She set their house on fire while he was passed out drunk and was going to run away. It was an escape and she…" Katherine trailed off, her eyes drifting to Alastor, who was now looking out the window again.
"Ran into me," he finished. "I was on my way to take care of the man myself and the little darling beat me to the punch. She was so distraught. Couldn't stop crying." The room went staticy and suddenly they were all in an old run down house.
A young human Alastor crouching in the hallway, knife ready. He snuck up behind the slumped form of the passed out drunk. He raised the knife, hands shaking. This was only the second time he had done this. The first had felt easier. He had been in a rage, impulsive. This was more planned, and more difficult to make himself follow through than with the priest.
There was a loud pop and he swung his head back to the hall where he saw flames starting to lick their way towards him.
A fist connected with his face and he fell to the ground, glasses and knife flying. In his blurred vision he scampered away from the man on his hands and knees who was now awake and moving in for another punch. The smoke stung and teared up his already blurred vision and his left eye was already starting to swell as he sought desperately for where his things had fallen.
He felt the man's boot connect with his side and yelped, curling into a ball. Another kick. Another.
A loud crack rang through the room and he felt the man's full weight fall on top of him. He lay there gasping for breath, coughing.
A hand grabbed his shoulder and shook at him. "Sir," a high pitched voice urged. He felt someone help him push the man off of him. Someone put his glasses into his hands. He saw the young girl looking at him, a cast iron skillet in her hand, coughing, crying, terrified.
He hesitated, both of them looking like they were unsure of what to do. And then he lunged at her, she managed a small shriek before his hand clamped over her mouth, pinning her arms with his knees. He felt her squirm against him, eyes wild with fear as he tried to think of what to do. She had seen his face.
The knife was out of reach, its hilt poking out from under the ice box. He could choke her, he thought, but felt his stomach turn at the thought. He could knock her out or tie her up and leave her for the fire, but his constitution wouldn't allow that either. She couldn't be more than 16 or 17. Fat tears streaming down her temples.
He felt himself start to cry. He climbed off of her. She tried to get away but he scooped her like a bride, kicking and squirming, and took her to the window, pushing her out unceremoniously. He dropped beside her onto the grass coughing. She tried to run but he grabbed her skirt and yanked her back.
"I set the fire," she choked and coughed. "I hit him in the head. I was going to let him burn up in-"
"Shhhhhh." He pulled her in again, but this time in a kinder embrace. Felt her shaking and sobbing against him as she broke down, burying her head in her hands. "I'm not going to hurt you," he whispered, feeling relief wash over him knowing that it was true. She hiccuped and looked up at him from his chest. "Let's just," he felt himself shaking as well. "Let's make a deal." He pulled away from her and held out his hand.
With a pop they were back in the office. All eyes on Alastor.
"What was the deal?" Nick asked.
"Servitude for protection," Alastor answered meekly. "I'd be her new guardian of sorts if she kept her mouth shut. Helped me with…well she helped me with quite a bit, some without even being asked."
Katherine was looking at the floor and he felt shame wash over him.
"She was eager to take me up on it. And nothing but a light after that. I'm afraid she saw me as some kind of saviour. But outside of that night she wouldn't have hurt a fly. And I never asked her for anything nefarious other than playing ignorant or to change some paperwork here and there when she wouldn't know the purpose of it. In turn I got her a job at the radio, made sure she was safe. Screened any of her suitors so to speak. She's a good person. She just had the misfortune of being involved with bad men."
No one seemed to know what to say, especially with Katherine looking so out of sorts. Finally Nick cleared his throat. "As I said, easy case with her."
Vaggie took his lead. "What about the rest?" She pushed.
Nick seemed to perk up and the room had life again. "Annie has shown amazing progress. A lot of self acceptance and owning her past. And I believe you've all seen a shift in her…vices."
Charlie chimed in, "Oh completely! Angel Dust has been home every night. No drugs no…well…you know."
"A great redemption story," Nick agreed.
"What about Husker?" Katherine asked trepidatiously, and Alastor's attention turned as well.
Nick gave a huff of a laugh. "I'm happy to say the same. His tresspasses went far deeper than any voodoo binding like our little dame Nifty. But I think we could make a great case that he made a turn at the end that shows he could have been a better man under different circumstances. For all his missteps he went out a hero, acting selflessly. A good sign that if he had more time he might have been a better heavenly candidate."
Alastor and Katherine eyed him curiously but Nick just smiled and said no more.
"Sara?" Vaggie pressed on.
"We're still working on it, but I have faith that we can get to a good place with her. She acted a lot out of survival and had a good set of morals despite her transgressions. Not as good of an open and shut case as the others but if I can get her to be a little less defiant I think we could get her on the straight and narrow."
"Good luck," Alastor smirked, immediately regretting it as he received a sharp look from Katherine.
"And that just leaves…" Charlie trailed off, her eyes drifting to Alastor.
Something seemed to turn on in Alastor as his normal grin sprang up, a radio laugh as he adjusted his monocle. "Afraid I'm not a part of this Princess."
Nick frowned at the display, recognizing the performative defense, but nodded all the same. "It appears we should all be thanking our Ali. The whole reason I'm here and this project is getting a chance is because he tends to stab himself in the back at any chance."
"What did you do, pigeon," his mom asked quietly.
Alastor held the smile, twirling his cane. "Old Lucy and I go way back. He couldn't bear to lose me so this whole experiment is contingent on me remaining in hell for eternity," no one responded but he didn't drop the showman's grin. "I suppose your father is losing his touch Charlotte. I believe me being removed from the equation meant the brashest integer was erased for you all as well."
"What's the trick," Vaggie pressed, skeptically.
"No trick!" Alastor said a little tighter. "I'll be damned either way. No sense in dragging everyone else with me." His eyes narrowed. "The real issue here is going to be our final contestant in this little game show."
Katherine didn't seem ready to move on but Charlie couldn't shake his comment.
"Final…who else is there?" she asked nervously.
All eyes turned on Vaggie who scowled.
"I told you I don't want to be a part of this," Vaggie hissed at Nick.
"And I've told YOU that it's pass or fail," he returned smartly.
"Wait," Charlie put a calming hand on Vaggie's arm. "Have you not been going-"
"Why would I?" Vaggie snapped. She immediately softened at the look on Charlie's face. "Look I don't…I don't want to leave. I want to stay here with you hon."
"Which is no doubt exactly why they made this pass or fail and exactly what Lucifer and Michael are counting on," Alastor said pointedly.
Nick snapped his fingers and pointed at Alastor in agreement.
"Well why would he want her daughter and her partner to be separated?" Katherine asked, confused.
Charlie squeezed Vaggie's hand. "She's not hell-born and she's not…well…Dad always wanted me with someone more of a royal standing." She smiled at Vaggie. "But I love you."
Vaggie smiled back. "And that's why I can't leave hon. Heaven would be Hell without-"
"Yes this is all very lovely," Alastor cut in flatly. "But the point is that you'll doom all the rest otherwise."
Vaggie glared but Nick agreed softly, "He is right my dear. I've shared the files with you. As a revolutionary you were on the line as it was. You're our best candidate for redemption without even trying. The catch for this little game is that they know you won't want to take it."
Vaggie fumed. Charlie squeezed her hand again before nervously asking for a moment alone.
Two flashes of light and the angels were gone. Alastor stayed behind, his smile dropping. "If it ups the ante," he said jovially despite his fallen face, "After the little news stunt there's a bit more at stake. Not only will this whole thing crumble if you decide to stay….but Angel Dust is promised to Vox if he can't ascend."
Charlie squeezed her eyes shut. Vaggie snarled. "You're a real bastard you know that?"
Alastor dematerialized just as she threw a stapler in his direction.
He rematerialized outside of the door, smirking to see Nick there with his ear pressed to the oak wood.
Nick gave him a wink and jerked his head to indicate Alastor should join him. Alastor shook his head and pointed to the radio down the hall. The two tiptoed to the radio and with glowing eyes Alastor broadcasted for them the goings on from the radio in the office. An argument turned into tears which turned into heartfelt and loving goodbyes. The angel gave him a thump on the chest in celebration before disappearing.
Alastor left a moment later after blowing into the speaker of his radio, sending a sad love song to the office.
