Beautiful.

She was always so beautiful. Weather she was dressed in her usual outfit of a shirt, pink jacket, and pants, or a regal society gown, or right now wearing only bed sheets, she was the most gorgeous being he had ever seen. Just watching her sleep peacefully in bed with her long blonde hair spread out on her pillow and her soft bosom rising slowly as she breathed. She was a vision.

Making love to her wasn't anything like he thought it would be. It was so much better. True it had started out a little awkward because he had never experienced sexual pleasures with anyone before but once he allowed himself to gaze upon and touch her lovely body, it led to the most magnificent feeling in the world. She was perfect. She was all he ever desired. He never imagined finding such bliss in this damned cesspool yet here she was.

"Good morning." She woke with a smile and her dark eyes fluttering open like a butterfly's wings. "Sleep well?"

"It was the best sleep of my life. Well the best sleep of my afterlife if you want to get technical."

She giggled and slowly moved to lay herself on his chest, her head resting in the crook of his neck. His arms slid up her back to gently secure her to him. His hand locked with hers and their fingers became intertwined.

"I'm so happy." He kissed her cheek.

"You're always happy." She responded. "You always have a smile on your face."

"But that doesn't mean I'm always happy. To tell you the truth I only smile to show power and dominance. To show that I'm not letting eternal damnation weaken me."

"So you use a smile to hide your true feelings? Since you've been here you've never once smiled out of joy?"

"No. Sadistic pleasure but not sincere happiness. But recently my sadism has become much more quiet and I find myself smiling because of your presence."

"I've noticed that your smile is different. It's more gentle and kind. Barely twisted and intimidating. I find that it suits you much more than what was there before."

She lifted her head from his neck and proceeded to kiss his lips passionately, just as she had done last night and many times before. He responded to the kiss quickly and was soon peppering her neck again.

"I love you." He whispered with each kiss. "I love you so terribly. I never thought that I would love anyone so much."

"I love you too." She kissed his lips again. "I love you. I love Vaggie and Angel and everyone at the hotel. You all are the closest thing I have to a real family. I wish we could all be together forever."

"Why can't we?"

"Because my hotel is working. You're all doing so much better. Becoming more honest, kind, loyal. You've acknowledged your mistakes and you're learning from them. It's only a matter of time before you all become completely redeemed and ascend into Heaven."

His hold on her tightened.

"Not without you." He said. "I won't go to Heaven without you. Either you go with me or I stay here with you."

"It doesn't work like that. I was born here."

"That makes you a thousand times more deserving of Heaven than any of us. You never had a choice like we did. Honestly natural born demons like you should be the ones given the chance of redemption. Not sinners like myself who purposely chose to commit evil acts."

"You're the farthest thing from evil now. You shouldn't have to suffer here anymore. You or the others."

"We won't go. Not unless you come with us."

"They may force you to leave."

"Then we'll kill an angel so we'll be damned all over again."

"No! Don't do that! Please!"

"I won't leave you here to rot for eternity."

"I can't join you. It's not fair but it's the way things are. There's no leaving this place for me."

"Yes there is."

"What do you mean?"

"I read about it in one of your father's ancient doctrines. There is a way, at the very least, the two of us can always be together."

"How?"

"Marry me."

She moved away and looked at him startled, not sure if he was serious.

"What?"

"If we're married then our souls will be one. My life will be yours, yours will be mine, wherever I go you'll have to follow because our spirits will be forever bonded. If I get into Heaven they'll have to let you go with me because we're connected."

"Or they'll have to let you stay here even if you are redeemed because I have been damned since birth."

"Either way we'll always be together."

"But marrying me might cost you your only chance at Heaven."

"You're my Heaven." He embraced her. "If you were taken from me then I would truly know eternal damnation. I'm begging you, don't stop me from at least trying to keep us together."

She wanted him to go to Heaven. She wanted him to have it even if it meant she'd never see him again. Yet at the same time she couldn't bear the thought of spending eternity away from him. She had been selfless for so long and God forgive her, she wanted to be selfish with just one thing. And that was him.

"Yes." She whispered tearfully. "Yes I'll marry you. I know I shouldn't want to but I- "

He hushed her with another kiss.

"Once you become my wife no one will ever be able to take you away from me." He sighed. "And I'll always protect you."

How happy they were. They had never known joy such as this and never thought they would. But they did. They had found their Heaven. They were each other's Heaven and nothing could take that away from them.

Or so they had hoped...

Suddenly he no longer felt her lips on his and he no longer felt her in his arms. When he opened his eyes he saw that they were now outside, clothed, and a shadowy figure was hovering over them.

"No!" She pleaded with the figure. "No please no!"

The figure seized hold of her and started to drag her away. He tried to save her but something came up from the ground and held him down. Still their hands desperately clung to each other, the couple held on for as long as they could and internally prayed that they wouldn't have to let go. Unfortunately her hand slipped from his and he felt his entire body suddenly impaled by various blades. Though he writhed in agony, all he could focus on was the cries of his darling.

"Don't cry." He choked on his blood. "It'll be alright. I'm going to protect you."

He weakly reached out to her. She was on her knees, screaming while tears were steaming down her rosy cheeks.

"I promise! I won't let anyone hurt you again!"

Her form started to change. She was still on her knees crying but now her hair was shorter, her skin wasn't as white, and her dark eyes were now blue.

"Please don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry."

...

"Don't cry." He kept repeating in his sleep. "Don't cry. Don't cry."

"Mom he's waking up!"

"Don't cry."

"Alastor." He felt gentle hands shake him. "Alastor wake up."

His eyes finally opened and he was relieved to see his wife's face.

"Charlie." He pressed his hand to her face. "You're alright."

"I'm alright? What about you?" She said hugging him. "I was so scared. You didn't wake for so long."

"Are you okay Dad?" His son asked.

"I think so Aaron." He sat up and pulled the boy over to join in the embrace. "What happened?"

"I think you were possessed."

"You were." Charlie said. "I didn't realize it at first but now that I know, it all makes sense. I knew that you would never actually-"

She stopped.

"Never actually what?" Alastor asked.

"You don't remember what happened after you were possessed?"

"No. I remember everything going dark and you...Charlie I heard your voice...You said that you loved me and you were crying...Why were you crying?"

"It's not important. I'm just glad you're back."

"What did I do?"

"Nothing. You didn't do anything. It wasn't you."

"Charlie what did I do? Or what did it make me do?"

"It doesn't matter because you...It never got a chance to do it. You forced that demon out of your body. You didn't let him hurt me or Aaron."

"Everything is so mixed up. There are some parts that are coming back but I just can't put them together and while I was out I saw the so many things."

"What things?"

"I can't explain it. It was just...So many images. It had to be a dream. It just had to be. But everything felt so real."

"Alastor what did you see?"

"I don't know how to word it. I don't even know what to make of it."

"We can talk about it later then."

Alastor put a hand to his head as he tried to make sense of what just happened. It hurt to think and he felt the urge to throw up again.

"Let's go to the living room." Charlie suggested. "We can all just sit and try to cool our heads. We'll get back to figuring things out when Husk arrives with the expert."

She and Aaron helped Alastor to his feet and the three of them made their way back downstairs, into the living room.