AN: This was a nightmare! I had this all finished yesterday, ready to edit today before posting, and my file corrupted! Luckily I had about a third of it saved in a different location so I didn't have to start entirely from scratch but still, it was so annoying. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter cause it nearly gave me a heart attack, lol. Also, just a reminder, updates are going to be every other day from now on. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch a musical to cheer myself up.
Disclaimer: Vivienne Medrano owns Hazbin Hotel. I own nothing but the plot of this story.
Touching down outside Rosie's emporium, Charlie ushered Husk and Vaggie through the door ahead of her, their fallen comrade cradled in the former's arms. Alastor's condition hadn't changed in the short time they'd been airborne and the princess wasn't sure if she should be relieved or not. While it's true he'd shown no sign of getting worse, he hadn't gotten any better either. He was still unconscious, his temp too high, and was covered in drying blood. It worried her greatly to see her friend in such a pitiful state.
Stepping through the doorway behind her companions, she urgently called out, "Rosie?" Before awaiting a reply.
"Upstairs, dear." The answer came moments later and the group swiftly climbed to the second floor where they met the cannibal leader on the landing.
Rosie wore an expression of great concern. Her normally tidy appearance was slightly less put together than normal, with wisps of hair escaping to fly about her face. She'd forgone her hat, leaving it abandoned on a nearby rack, and wore an apron over the front of her dress.
"This way, follow me." the woman commanded, walking briskly down a long hallway until they reached a room near the back of the house.
She rushed inside, not bothering to make sure they were following. Husk went first, careful not to jostle Alastor more than necessary as he moved into the room, Charlie and Vaggie entering after. The covers on the bed were already drawn back.
"Lay him down, quickly now," Rosie commanded, voice stern. "There's no time to waste."
Husk rushed forward to do as he'd been told, laying Alastor on the bed before stepping back to allow Rosie to take his place. Charlie and Vaggie waited nearby, watching as the overlord fretted over the fallen demon, placing her hand flat against his heated forehead for a moment before pulling it away with a startled hiss.
"Oh my, he's burning up." The shop owner replied and turned to look at them. "Charlie, be a dear and fetch that basin of water from the table for me. Better grab a few towels while you're at it, we're going to need them."
"Right," she agreed readily, peeling her eyes away from Al's still form for the first time since entering the room and hurrying to do as she was asked.
The table Rosie was talking about was filled to the brim with various medical supplies. There were towels, bandages of all shapes and sizes, bottles of disinfectant, tubes of antibiotic cream, needles and thread for sutures, and some other things she couldn't name. It was clear that the woman had prepared for the worst and Charlie felt a sense of relief. It had clearly been the right decision to bring Alastor here.
"Husker, I need you to sit Alastor up so we can get his coat and shirt off." Rosie declared and the feline stepped forward to do so without complaint. "Once we do, I'll be able to get an idea of what we're working with."
Grabbing the supplies she'd been asked to retrieve, the Princess of Hell walked over to the bed and set them on the small end table before stepping back once more. The two worked quickly and soon Alastor was lying on the bed, the only thing covering his chest being the pieces of cloth that served as makeshift bandages. Rosie had quietly thanked her for getting the water and immediately soaked one of the towels, ringing it out before placing it on the deer's head.
Moving over to stand beside Vaggie, Charlie leaned against her lover for some much-needed comfort while Husk retreated to stand near the wall. The weight of the situation was beginning to sink in now that the adrenaline was dying down and Charlie found herself feeling drained. Taking a moment to simply breathe, she watched closely as Rosie examined Alastor. She couldn't tell what the other was thinking but, judging by the frown on her face, she wasn't happy with what she saw.
"I'm afraid this cloth is going to stick." The cannibal said at last, worry etched on her face. "It's not going to be pleasant to peel it off. I'm honestly relieved that Alastor is unconscious. He won't have to feel the pain it will cause."
Taking a towel, Rosie soaked it with water before gently wetting the makeshift bandages until they began to come loose. Then, taking the utmost care, she began peeling them away to reveal the gruesome wound beneath. The cloth tugged at the raw skin, causing Charlie and Husk to wince in sympathy. Vaggie stood there impassively, if she was uncomfortable at all, she didn't let it show. After what felt like ages, the cloth had been completely removed, allowing full view of the cut across Alastor's torso.
"Oh dear, that's quite the gash, isn't it?" Rosie murmured and Charlie fought back a gag as she saw the extent of her friend's wound for the first time.
"Well, best get to work, this is going to take quite a while." The woman spoke with resolve.
"Can I help?" Vaggie offered, surprising Charlie as she approached the bed with a determined stride. "Alastor risked his life to protect Charlie's dream. I owe him for that. The least I can do is clean away the blood and take care of anything minor, that way you're free to focus on the injury he received from Adam."
Rosie stared at the other woman for a short while as if sizing her up, then nodded.
"It would be much appreciated." She accepted and, without further ado, the two got to work.
Charlie watched from the sidelines with Husk, neither wanting to get in the way. Vaggie was slowly but surely washing the dried blood from Alastor's chest while Rosie attended to the wound itself, doing her best to clean out any dirt that had found its way into the cut. It was almost startling how efficient the two women were, and while she was thankful for it, Charlie couldn't help but feel as if this was her fault. After all, she'd been the one to piss off Adam... and Alastor had paid the price.
"It's all my fault." She whispered, guilt filling her heart. "He got injured while defending my hotel."
She hadn't meant for him to hear, she'd simply been speaking her thoughts aloud, but Charlie saw Husk's ears twitch. Hunching into herself slightly, she waited to see if the other would speak or choose to remain silent. Several minutes passed, neither making a sound as they watched the proceedings before them. Finally, the bartender sighed wearily and spoke.
"You can't blame yourself, princess," Husk said, his deep voice gentle as he wrapped a comforting wing around her shoulders in a sort of side hug. "That bastard never does anything he doesn't want to, you know that. He chose to stay and fight because he cares about you and your dream."
"He does?" Charlie asked, astonished.
Tears quickly filled her eyes, overflowing to trail down her face in rivulets until they silently dripped from her chin. She knew Alastor never did anything without reason and, to her, wanting entertainment simply didn't cut it. But it was Alastor, the Radio Demon. No one knew what he was thinking. She'd simply summed it up to his quirks and maybe that's what it was in the beginning... but who's to say he hadn't changed since then? That thought filled her with hope. If the worst sinner in her hotel was changing for the better then maybe redemption wasn't so far-fetched as others seemed to think.
"It's true," Husk spoke again, smiling fondly. "I've never seen the boss care about something this passionately. Maybe I just never took the chance to know him though, that's something I regret. Seeing him like this is putting a lot of things into perspective."
After that statement, no one spoke for several minutes... both demons lost in thought. Finally, Charlie glanced toward the bed and smiled.
"I'm glad Vox managed to reach him in time." She said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I can't stand thinking of what would have happened if he didn't."
"Vox was there?" Rosie piped up, having overheard their discussion... a small smile appearing on her face even as she concentrated on the task before her.
Charlie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she nodded. Realizing the other demon wouldn't be able to see, she spoke up once again.
"Yes," she confirmed, watching closely as the woman disinfected the wound. "He saved Alastor's life. If it wasn't for him, he might not be alive now."
Vaggie paused, cloth falling still for a moment before resuming her work.
"I'm still not sure we can trust him, though. All we have to go on his word," Vaggie spoke, her eye narrowing skeptically. "Just because he says he's Alastor's friend doesn't mean it's true."
"Oh, it's true all right." Rosie chipped in, carefully wiping fresh blood away from the cut. "Those boys have been thick as thieves for years."
The three friends sent the female overlord astounded glances. Charlie bounced on the balls of her feet, excitement radiating off her in waves at the thought of learning more about her mysterious business partner.
"So Vox isn't leading us on because he wants Al to owe him or something?" Vaggie asked, utter shock on her face.
"Heavens no," the taller female laughed, smiling fondly. "Vox would rather bite off his own foot than ever cause Alastor harm. It hurts them both deeply whenever they're forced to fight."
"Then why hide it?" The demon princess questioned, feeling bad for the pair. "If it causes them pain, why keep it a secret in the first place?"
"Cause there are those out there that would seek to use their friendship against them." The overlord revealed, sorrow shadowing her features as she took a moment to wipe the hair away from Alastor's face, being careful not to leave a streak of blood. "For example, someone could capture Vox and use him as leverage to draw the Radio Demon into a deadly trap and do you know what would happen?"
"He would go," Husk spoke from where he leaned against the wall, ears flattening at the thought. "Even knowing it was a trap, that fucker would march straight into it with a smile."
Charlie felt horrified as Rosie nodded, her stomach twisting painfully.
"That's right." Rosie sighed, reaching for the needle and thread she'd set nearby now that the wound was cleaned and disinfected. "Now, I ain't saying Vox is a pushover, far from it, but he tends to grow reckless whenever something upsets him... and that can be deadly given the right circumstances."
Charlie's mind was swirling in a hurricane of mixed emotions. The idea of Alastor knowingly walking into a trap in the hopes of saving his friend was simply too terrible to comprehend. And yet, that's almost exactly what Vox did this morning. He risked everything for Alastor. Even knowing he would be up against Adam, he'd still shone up to save his friend. The thought was enough to make her breath catch in her throat.
"I see," the princess spoke quietly, a new respect for the two blooming in her heart at her realization. "They decided to keep their friendship secret to protect one another. That's so sweet but at the same time... I can't help but feel bad for them."
Movement at her side drew Charlie's attention and she turned her gaze to her girlfriend. Vaggie had finished her task while they'd been talking and washed the blood from her hands. Now, she stood beside Charlie, deep in thought.
"How do you know about this?" She asked at last, eye narrowing in suspicion. "I mean, if they kept it such a secret isn't it strange that another overlord knows about it? Even if you are close to Alastor what's to stop you from someday deciding to take him out of the equation?"
In that moment everything stopped, almost as if someone had hit the pause button on a remote. There was complete silence save for the uneven breathing of the demon resting on the bed. Then, in the blink of an eye, Rosie had Vaggie pinned to the wall by her neck, lifting the smaller female nearly a foot in the air. The hand around her throat tightened as Vaggie struggled, kicking her legs for leverage as the others stood nearby, too shocked to move.
"Don't you dare say such a thing!" The shop owner growled, finally releasing her hold and allowing the other woman to fall to the floor, choking as she gasped for breath. "I would never do anything to hurt Alastor, he's like a son to me! Now, I'm mighty glad for your help and all but if you ever again imply that I would turn on him... I will tear you limb from limb and feed your remains to my cannibals."
The enraged woman glared down at Vaggie, teeth seeming sharper than usual, before turning her ire toward the other two, dark eyes full of righteous indignation. At that moment, Charlie understood why so few demons risked angering the Cannibal Queen.
"Have I made myself clear?" Rosie demanded, each of them nodding in turn.
"Yes, ma'am." They agreed, attempting to calm the overlord so as not to incur her wrath.
Rosie smiled a toothy grin, her pleasant attitude returning as quickly as it had left.
"Good," she said, clasping her hands together as she returned to the deer demon's side. "Now, why don't you all head downstairs, I need to finish stitching this and don't want any further distractions."
Recognizing the dismissal for what it was the trio exited the room. She only stalled long enough to mention Alastor's broken rib and get a nod in return before Vaggie pulled her away. Following Husk and her girlfriend, Charlie let her mind wander. She'd only known Rosie for a short while but, in that time, she'd never seen her that upset. Vaggie must have really hit a nerve. Making a mental note to remind her to apologize later on, the princess settled in to wait for their other friends.
Within ten minutes of arriving downstairs, a limo pulled up to the curb outside and her father and friends stepped out. They glanced around, smiling when they caught sight of her waving them over from the entrance of Rosie's emporium.
"Charlie," Angel called out as he rushed over, the first to reach her side. "How's Smiles doin'? He okay?"
"Yes, how is the has-been?" Lucifer added sarcastically, stepping close to his daughter's side.
Choosing to ignore her father's unnecessary comment and Husk's angry hiss, Charlie smiled sadly.
"There was no change when we came down here to wait," the princess replied, getting worried looks in return and quickly rushing to reassure them. "But Rosie's been working on his wound since we arrived. She should be able to give us an update once we head back in. Hopefully, it will be good news."
Gaining nods from the gathered group, Charlie allowed a small smile to grace her face. It was nice to see everyone come together like this... she just wished it hadn't been a result of Al's misfortune.
"By the way," she asked, taking another glance at the gathered demons only to realize someone was missing. "Where's Vox? Isn't he with you?"
"Nah, that fucker took off the minute you left." Cherry piped up, moving closer to Angel. "Disappeared in a flash of light like he was a damn superhero or something."
"We thought he'd already be here." The porn star added, furrowing his brows in concern. "After everything he was saying, it's surprising he hasn't shown up yet. Maybe he was lying about being friends with Al."
"No, that part was true, Rosie confirmed it," Vaggie spoke before anyone else could voice their opinion on the matter. "According to her, they've been friends for a long time."
Straightening up from where she'd been casually leaning against the open doorway, the woman blew hair out of her face before turning away in slight embarrassment.
"Also, do not, under any circumstances, question Rosie's loyalty to Alastor." She warned, eye narrowed as she reached up to rub at her sore throat. "I learned that the hard way."
There were sounds of confirmation from the gathered demons, the newcomers shifting uncomfortably as they wondered what could have caused Vaggie to be so uneasy. It was quiet for several seconds before the smallest member of their company rushed up to Charlie, tugging on her shirt to gain her attention.
"Can we see Alastor now?" Niffty chirped, her little face drawn with worry.
"Of course," the princess stated kindly, turning to lead the others inside. "I'll take you there now."
Waiting until everyone had passed through the door, Charlie closed it with a quiet click and headed toward the stairs. Just as she was about to set foot on the first step, the deafening sound of the door slamming open startled everybody present. She whipped around, surprise washing over her. In the open doorway stood a panting Vox, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. Quickly racing to his side as the others got over their fright, Charlie placed a soothing hand on his forearm, surprised when he didn't pull away.
"Vox, are you alright?" The female demon asked, concern flowing through her as she took in his ragged appearance. "What happened?"
It looked as if the overlord had just run a marathon. His normally pristine suit was sticky with sweat, clinging to his thin frame and his eyes were wild. A small bandage rested on his head and Charlie seemed to recall him having a small crack when she'd spoken to him earlier. At the time, she had been too distracted by Alastor's condition to pay it much mind. Now she felt bad for ignoring the fact that he had also been injured.
"I'm Fine..." He answered her question, finally getting his breathing under control enough to regain his composure. "Where's Al?"
A shocked smile appeared on her face as she heard muttering from the gathered demons at her back. She was clearly able to make out Angel's confused voice asking "Did that asshole run all the way here?" and had to force back a squee at the sheer cuteness. So that's what this was all about? He was simply worried for his friend. That thought made warmth settle in her heart and Charlie gently took the other demon's hand to lead him further into the shop, closing the door behind them once more.
"He's upstairs." She revealed, looking toward the stairwell. "We were just about to check on him. You should come with."
Gently pulling his hand from her grip, the TV Demon nodded, his face serious.
"Okay, let's go." He said and, needing no further prompting, Charlie led the group upstairs.
Coming to a stop in front of the room they'd left Alastor in, the princess took a deep breath and knocked. She hoped Rosie had had the chance to calm down and, as footsteps sounded from within the room, she felt herself holding her breath. Within moments, the door swung open to reveal an exhausted Rosie. The cannibal's mouth twitched into a small smile upon seeing Vox and she swept him into a bone-crushing hug that the other returned just as fiercely. After a moment or two the overlords separated, taking a step back from each other, though Rosie still kept her hands on Vox's shoulders as she examined him, as if worried he'd disappear. Her eyes lingered on the bandage at the top of his screen for a moment before apparently deciding he wasn't in any danger and smiling in relief.
"Oh, Vox! Thank goodness you're safe. After hearing that you were the one who saved Alastor, I was beginning to worry why you hadn't shown up yet. You shouldn't go scaring me like that, you know," the cannibal exclaimed brightly as she hugged the man once more, though Charlie couldn't help but notice a lingering sadness in her eyes. "Where have you been? Oh, no matter, no matter, why don't you go in and sit with him? I'm sure he would appreciate the company... even if he's not awake for it."
"Thank you, Rosie," Vox said softly and Charlie noticed his eyes kept darting to the bed just visible through the opening. "I think I'll do that."
Without saying another word, he walked past Rosie and entered the room, closing the door behind him. Turning her attention to the female overlord, Charlie was worried to see her shoulders slump as if a heavy weight had settled on them. Before she could say anything, however, Rosie spoke once more... turning to face her with a serious expression.
"Charlie, may I speak to you in private, dear?" She asked, voice giving nothing away.
"Of course," the princess agreed instantly, fear coursing through her as she turned to address the rest of the group. "Stay here, everyone, I'll be right back."
"Charlie why don't I come..." Her dad tried to interject but she cut him off.
"No Dad, stay here." She told him, voice firm. "This is a private matter. If it weren't Rosie wouldn't have asked to speak to me alone."
Before any more could be said, she turned and followed the cannibal down the hall, fear coursing through her veins like wildfire. What could have happened while they'd been away to cause the older woman such distress? Was it Alastor? It had to be. Had his condition worsened somehow? He hadn't died, she would have said something if he had. So what was going on?
Entering a room with a large desk in the middle, Rosie moved forward and slumped down in one of the plush chairs, her head resting in her hands and shoulders shaking. Charlie realized immediately that the overlord was crying and rushed to her side, kneeling on the ground before her.
"Rosie, what's wrong?" She asked, voice laced with concern. "Please, if you tell me, I promise I will do everything in my power to help."
All the princess got in return was a choked sob. Wrapping her arms around the taller woman, Charlie ran her hand against the other's back in soothing circles, offering what little comfort she could. After several painstaking minutes, Rosie finally seemed to calm down a bit. Pulling away, the cannibal took a handkerchief from the pocket of her dress and dabbed at her eyes.
"Now then, can you tell me what's wrong?" Charlie spoke once more, her tone patient and kind. "Is it Alastor?"
She was met with a jerky nod, more tears falling from Rosie's eyes as she took a trembling breath.
I can't believe I missed it... why did I miss it... it's so obvious now." She mumbled, causing Charlie to strain in order to hear the quiet words.
She didn't know what to think, concern washing over her in waves.
"Missed what, Rosie?" She pleaded, voice wavering. "Tell me what's going on."
The other woman met her eyes, resignation seeping from her like water through a crack.
"I... I can't save him, Charlie." Rosie whispered, her breath hitching painfully at the admittance. "Alastor is dying and I can't do a damn thing to help."
Charlie sat there in stunned silence as Rosie broke down once more. There were so many thoughts racing through her head but only one escaped her mouth.
"WHAT!" The Princess of Hell shrieked, unable to comprehend how things had gone so wrong in the short time they'd been apart.