Chapter 8
That night the two watched three movies until it was nearly four in the morning, one comedy, one action and a horror film that Charlotte really focused on, taking mental notes. She really enjoyed this downtime, though she did pout halfway through the first move that there was no more chocolate. During commercials, they talked lightly. Angel would tell her details about the movies, she'd question the commercials, and she listened to him tell jokes, being a little goofy and even throwing a pillow at her to which she threw one back and they did that a few times before a scene in the film grabbed her attention.
Angel looked towards the clock, noticing how late it was and was surprised. He'd spent his career and mission time being very attuned to the time, fully aware of what time it was but being here with Charlotte time disappeared. He only remembered feeling that way once before, with Amanda. Speaking up he announced it was time to get some sleep. He'd already paid for two nights so they didn't have to rush, and tomorrow he'd take her out so she could actually walk the streets, visit stores and feel visible. Charlotte at first whined but when that whine ended with a yawn, she grudgingly agreed.
Sleep refueled them and in the early afternoon, Angel took her out. They went shopping so she could pick up some clothing of her own choosing. Angel made a note to call Cassie for a small loan, as his funds were dwindling a bit quicker now that he had lady with him. He found a restaurant with a large variety and warned her to accept that others did eat meat and keep her cool. She assured him that she understood she couldn't save everyone, some were just destined to hell. Angel heard the levity in her reply but sensed it bothered her more than casually. She really did cherish all life.
They ate, talked and Charlotte's eyes were saucers when the server brought her a slice of 'Death by Chocolate' cake. Angel genuinely enjoyed her enthusiasm and happiness and he hoped that she would never become jaded like he had.
Over the next week, they traveled the back roads between towns, stopping at police stations to check on local reports. The couple ate, shopped, laid on their beds watching movies and doing the one thing Angel had truly forgotten to do; Live.
The weeks grew long, as the early months matured into the late summer, and in that time Charlotte began to hone her demon skills between missions. She had forgotten to tell Angel the night of the river rescue what she did, but was quick to rectify that the first week. Angel took it in stride but she could see both pride and awe in his eyes. With that trick, she could conjure anything she needed on a mission for her or him so Angel downgraded from a large duffle bag to a backpack, leaving out anything that wasn't necessary that she could call upon, later. He really appreciated this and told her so. She practiced her hearing, smell, and vision, wanting to see if her powers would grow so she could scent even further but there was certainly limits. She also began to call upon her physical features independently of each other. She had an idea she could since her eyes flared with her emotions. It took time and focus but eventually she could produce just her claws, tail or horns, and enjoyed sharpening her teeth to give Angel demonic growls if he irritated her. Mostly cause she caught him sneaking something called a hot dog once, and was not too pleased with him as he admitted what it was. Still, as with most things, she didn't harp him long.
As she grew more powerful, the missions came and clicked off quickly, and Charlotte got to utilize her scare tactics three more times, each time resulting in the safe rescue of innocent children. Charlotte still didn't completely like being told to go invisible before arriving to a scene or staying that way until they cleared out, but it was a necessary evil she accepted. Angel had sat her down and shared his misgivings about abusing her but she told him this was what she wanted and she trusted him to guide her. One thing he was learning about Charlotte was that she didn't think or act or expect the same things most humans would. Resolutions of the smaller matters were mostly smooth and just meant being honest with each other.
Then came the night Angel feared the most, as they'd gotten so comfortable with their success, it was extra painful when they'd failed to reach a young teen girl who'd been taken by her father who killed them both in a murder-suicide. Angel got the news from Cassie while they were en route to the home that the police had surrounded, and he pulled the van over, shoulders dejected. Charlotte wept in her chair, feeling helpless. He turned the van around and got them a room nearby.
The usual ritual of shower, food, jokes and movies were tossed away and Angel slumped into his bed as Charlotte pulled her covers up over her head, her soft hiccups from spent crying muffled by the blanket. Cassie had tried calling again, but he let it go to voice mail and sent her a short text that he'd call, tomorrow.
After a while, he heard Charlotte's soft breathing, telling him she'd finally fallen asleep. Slipping out of bed he went over to the suitcase he'd picked up last month and pulled out a notebook, worn at the edges and sat down at the desk. Turning on the lamp, he opened it and clicked a pen that had been nestled in the spine.
Lost in writing, he didn't hear the quiet rustle of sheets nor the soft gliding of feet of Charlotte, who'd woken up to the light and saw Angel writing. She gave a soft cough to announce herself and Angel's haunted eyes looked to her, "Did I wake you?"
"It's okay. What are you writing?"
Angle closed the notebook, "It's my journal of failures."
"Angel?" pain in her voice, she puts her hand on his shoulder.
Putting his hand on top of hers, he leans his head to trap his and her hand against his shoulder, needing the touch in the moment, and he sighs deeply, "I don't let them go, Charlotte, I don't let them be forgotten. I don't let myself forget I fucked up."
She saw the size of the notebook, whispering "How many?"
"Since I started this job, or since the beginning?" He didn't realize he'd added the last part.
"The beginning." She wanted to know.
Angel looked at the book. He opened it at the first page. It was dated one week after he'd left the service. She recognized the date only because he'd told her when he left, not why.
"I guess this is the time to tell you." Angel resigned himself to opening his memories up and immediately the pain stabbed his heart. He looked at the words on the paper, let go of Charlotte's hands and stood. He motioned for her to sit on her bed, and he took a seat on his. Clearing his throat, Angel began to read from page one of his journal.
.
.
When he was finished, Charlotte was crying, not only for the events he shared but for how his soul had been rend asunder. She now understood his core, his very being, who he was and why he was. She saw the angel that swelled inside of him. She had already dedicated her life to helping him, but now she wanted to dedicate her life TO him. Standing, she shuffled over and took the notebook out of his still hands and placed it delicately behind her on the other bed. He looked up at her, eyes wet with memory and she bent and pressed her lips to his. The kiss was soft, comforting and inviting. Angel felt his arms go up and embrace her, feeling her body melt to his. The kiss grew heated and she pushed gently, asking him to lay back on the bed and she crawled upon his form, feeling her body meld with his. This felt so so good. Her body was responding to him, much more intense than any of her shower sessions, and those had been frequent lately.
Her euphoria was short lived as Angel suddenly broke the kiss. She looked at him, worry in her soft black eyes. "Angel?"
"Charlotte." He swallowed, "I don't think this is a good idea."
"Why?" She blinked, unsure she heard right.
"You're not human."
The statement was fact, but it was also the most insulting, cruel, mean and utterly despicable statement she'd ever heard Angel say to her. She bolted up and her eyes turned crimson which she knew only proved his point, but as intense as her sexual arousal was, it was nothing compared to a demon scorned.
"FUCK. YOU!" She growled deep, her demon voice coating her softer voice like crude oil.
Angel had more to say, but she deserved to feel this way and he let it play out, having learned that her control was so much better than the first night. He knew, for a fact, if she wanted to hurt him, she would have full control over it and there was little he could do as he was completely unarmed.
As quickly as her rage rose, it fell to be replaced by deep hurt at his rejection and she bowed her head, fresh tears from what should have been a dry well, pouring out.
"I have more to say."
She sniffed. She should shut him down right there, that was her right, but their relationship was based on honesty. With her control back, she would listen, but she didn't think anything he said would sooth her.
"I regret what I said, but not the reason behind it. We've still not even really tried to find out where you came from, exactly how powerful you are, what would happen if your memories came back and.. "He paused, "If we're even physically compatible or if by making love, something otherworldly happens. We're just not.. informed for this."
It was sensible, intelligent reasoning, Angel had convinced himself as he said it, but it was covering up the fact that he didn't want to tell her how much he loved her, too, or that reasoning would be countered with their desires, and he couldn't risk hurting her, himself or what might result from such a union. That was the driving force behind holding his emotions inside, but now Charlotte had shown her desire for him, her love and to reject her deserved a notebook of its own.
Charlotte was silent for longer than he was comfortable with, but there were subtle movements telling him she'd listened and was having her own internal monologue. He waited, and soon she looked up to him. Her black eyes fierce with a decision. "I want to know who I am. I want my memories back. I will fight for your dreams, Angel, but I want to remember mine!"
Taking a deep breath, Angel stood and walked over to Charlotte, who tensed at first, but let him lift her chin up to look him in the eyes. "Then tomorrow, I'll take you to New Orleans and introduce you to my sister. I knew it would have to happen eventually, but you're right, we can't put this off any longer."
Charlotte turned her eyes away, as the feeling of rejection still bit at her heart, even though her mind was agreeing with him. Human emotions sucked, she repeated frustratingly, but not all of them. When she kissed him those feelings were like a cocoon, a shroud guarding against their grief. She thought back to all he had shared with her, dropping the last of his shields for her and suddenly she felt incredible guilt. She realized that she had taken advantage of him in the moment. She turned her sad eyes, full of regret, back to face him, "I'm sorry I pushed you, tonight. It was selfish of me."
"For a few moments, I felt normal, safe and wanted." He told her, "and for that, I thank you."
Unspoken was the agreement that their feelings would be cast aside, neither getting to tell the other how much their love had grown, and they secretly shared that pain.
"We should get some sleep. It's a long drive and we'll have to leave early if we're to get to my sister's place before midnight."
Charlotte nodded solemnly. She walked to her bed and picked up Angel's notebook, letting her fingers slide over the cover, fresh sadness making her sigh. She turned and handed it back to him, and he took it gently and put it on the other pillow on his bed.
"Good night, Angel." Charlotte chastised how curt it sounded to her, but she was too tired now and just slipped under her sheets and rolled herself to face the wall, her back to Angel.
Angel gave a silent reply, and went to the desk and turned off the light and crawled into his own bed, mind racing on what he was going to tell his sister tomorrow. He already knew she had an inkling that he'd been hiding something big. She was about to find out how big that secret was.
END ACT ONE
Author's Notes: With the end of Act One, I wanted to take a moment to thank every reader who has found an interest in the story I'm trying to tell. The fact is that it got out of control a bit between the 'idea' I had in mind, and the 'reality' of putting it to paper. The premise wouldn't make much sense in the real world even if demon's actually existed. The core seed to this story began with two specific ideas; 1) Charlie on Earth teamed with someone out to 'save the world' and "What if the monster under the bed was your protector, not your undoing?" I really appreciate the suspension of belief to focus on Angel & Charlie's dynamic, or if you're enjoying how ludicrous it is, as long as the ride's been fun.
I had a lot of ideas and fantasies laying in bed about all those horror films but that the haunting was against antagonists and not protagonists. Unfortunately, translating them into a series of 'missions' for Angel & Charlie wasn't really viable if I was to keep Charlie incognito long enough to get to the climax of act one, so all that got glossed over, sadly. One haunting rescue, one missing person rescue and one failed mission that I decided at the last minute to put into backstory, seemed enough to run the gambit of her emotions. Plus, I did not want to drag the story on with and having you wonder where this was all going. Apologies to SA Amanda Sims who I intended to have more interactions with them in the first act.
Act One was much more character building, discovery and developing connections between Angel and Charlie, as they took up the very core of the entire first act, and I went with a serious, emotional tone.
Also, If anyone went 'wtf' when Angel finally told Charlotte about his past and it wasn't shared with the audience it's because it hasn't happened in my head yet beyond the end result of it. It also requires the development of new characters that will be introduced in the second half of act two. This part of his story is not clear to me yet. How Charlotte reacted to it, is.
With Act Two, the tone of the story is going to change. While the seeds I mentioned about Charlie on Earth as a heroic demon gave growth to the story, it was the music of Hazbin Hotel that served as my muse for set pieces that the rest of the story frames. There will be scenes and motivations directly inspired by some of the songs⦠as like I'm sure many of us fans have done, imagined a different take on the lyrics and feel of them. I had a lot of fun blending a few of them into the text.
And the villains of the story will make their grand entrances and provide the main conflict for Angel & Charlie, and they will make quite the impact. Act two will be fasted and action packed.
In closing, I again thank you all for reading this far and I hope you'll be pleased with how it wraps up. I've enjoyed riding along with Angel & Charlie so far, seeing their dynamic grow, and discovering things about them I didn't know when I started. Charlie? A vegetarian demon? Who knew?
If you have questions concerning a plot hole, feel free to ask. I will be revising the story after its complete and if I there's things that def don't make sense, maybe I will be able to fix them in post.
Yes, Angel Dust, I do know what that means.
