Angel's Demon

by cwbitner

Charlie Morningstar is trapped on Earth, with no memory of who she is. She teams up with a Bounty Hunter & Witch to investigate and save lost, kidnapped & trafficked children. As her powers continue to evolve, they'll catch the attention of a vicious kingpin and his voodoo henchman, who seeks to take Charlie as their own personal demon.

22. Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21-41

The sharp sweet smell of fresh brewed coffee roused Angel from a rough night's sleep and he opened his eyes to a steamy mug being presented to him by Cassie. He smiled gratefully and sat up, accepting the cup as Cassie sat next to him on the couch.

"Did you get to talk to Charlie last night?"

Gently sipping the hot liquid and savoring it, Angel nodded, "A little bit. We were both really tired by the time she came back down from the roof, but I think we sorted some stuff out."

"And did you tell her?" Cassie prompted.

Smirking at the memory, Angel took another sip first, "She decided to have a drink with me and passed out before I could admit my feelings. I bet she could drink most under the table, but with the exhaustion from the mission and our fight, she was done for. I took her to our bed and tucked her in. I figured it was best to sleep on the couch, until we had a sober talk."

Cassie was silent and Angel looked over to her, "I will tell her, Cassie. I want her to know I love her, as much as she loves me, and I want us to work once we figure her past out. We tried putting it aside, but I believe what you said. If our love can help her fight whatever comes our way, I want her knowing how I feel."

Cassie smiled wanly but shook her head, "It's not that, Angel. I woke up early again and checked my E-mails and messages. I found some things out that worry me."

Sitting his cup on the coffee table by the couch, Angel turned to face Cassie directly, "Tell me."

"A few of my Wiccan sisters up in Baton Rouge have been gossiping about a strange, suspicious man who'd been visiting some of their shops over the past couple of weeks. Gathering supplies related to demon summonings, dark magic spells, including body manipulation and magics designed to cover a Wiccan's presence. He always paid in cash, so there's no records, but one of the sisters did get a name. Samedi."

"Samedi." Angel repeated the name, thinking, "What kind of body manipulation could those magics do, theoretically?"

"There are many kinds," Cassie admitted, "Including magically burning a body beyond recognition."

"Jesus." Angel rubbed his temple, "New in town, at least from what your sisters say. Gathering supplies and having magics that we've now seen in action. Charlie's gut feelings after seeing the dead girl, and what the children said. The puzzle pieces fit. We have a new player on the board working for Bible, and if he was in the warehouse at any point, he may have seen Charlie and knows what she is."

"We need to tread carefully here, Angel. Dark magics are not to be triffled with. Let's go to the shop. I want to show you some things, explain how it works. You have the necklace to protect you from Charlie should she lose control, but I think it's prudent you become more versed in my world."

Reaching for his cup, Angel took a long drink, emptying the cup quickly, "Six months ago I would never have thought I'd be interested or even eager to learn, but now? With finding Charlie? I want to know everything."

"Should we wake Charlie and tell her?"

Silent in thought for a moment, Angel decided against it, "No, let her sleep. She fought hard last night and deserves the rest."

"She is one of the toughest souls I've ever encountered, but I could sense she was drained last night from everything." Standing, Cassie moved to the kitchen to collect the coffee pot and her own cup, so they could fuel up on caffeine, "This should keep us going for a little while, at least. Will you grab the keys?"

Standing, Angel stretched quickly and let out a small yawn. Picking up his empty cup, he stepped to the entrance and fished out the keys from the bowl on the table beside the door. Cassie joined him and they left the apartment for the shop downstairs.

Stirring from a collage of dreams, most lost to her as her eyes opened, Charlie moved subtly under the covers as she rolled from her side position to lay on her back, her hair falling over her face. Breathing softly through the strands, she held onto the one dream she didn't want to ever let go. In it, Angel had told her he loved her, and it was so soft and sweet and real, Charlie felt it actually had happened. Reaching out to feel Angel, she discovered she was alone in the bed, but didn't feel loss. She immediately realized he probably decided to sleep on the couch since they'd not completely healed from their fight, and getting drunk didn't really help the issue. A dull ache became apparent once she remembered drinking the Scotch. Looking at the clock on the nightstand, Charlie double blinked at the time. 12:26 P.M. stared back in bold red numbers. Angel let her sleep in. Charlie turned back to look at the ceiling through the curtain of her hair and sighed. She supposed it was the right decision, but they had so much they had to do, and she wanted the air between them cleared. Using her feet, Charlie pushed the blanket down and away from her body so she could kick the excess away. Clear of the constraints, Charlie slowly sat up and turned to sit on the side of the bed and the full impact of a headache greeted her. Groaning, Charlie decided in that moment that binge drinking was not her thing. Especially in such an emotional state. Taking a deep breath and opening up all her senses, she determined that both Angel and Cassie were downstairs in the shop. Standing, Charlie took a couple of steps towards the door to go shower when a thought occurred to her. Taking a step back, she turned ninety-degrees to the full length mirror hanging on the wall by the dresser. Pulling at the power in her core, Charlie transformed into her full demon form and concentrated. Her body began to glow as she brought forth her healing power, and let it cascade over her for a few moments before retreating back to her human form. Shaking her head, Charlie smiled as the pain from her oncoming headache no longer existed. So, she thought, maybe she could drink as often as she desired, if she could magic away any hang-overs, but then she recalled Angel didn't drink and scolded herself. Sighing, Charlie turned to go shower when she suddenly cringed at a sharp sudden itch emmenating from her shoulders. Cursing the human body for not being able to reach the one place a determined itch would attack, she propped her back against the door frame and wiggled to try to scratch the annoying itch. Barely relieved, Charlie decided to scald it away under the hot water of a much needed shower. She would go join the siblings in the shop after primping herself a bit.

As the One O'clock hour chimed on the old grandfather clock in the corner of Cassie's shop, Angel closed the cover on the eight book his sister had propped in his lap, sipping at his coffee, having lost track of the number he'd downed since the early morning, "So, if I've been reading correctly, many hauntings and unexplained occurrences around the world are from demons, ghosts and poltergeists either summoned or escaped from Hell and any of it's seven rings?"

Cassie nodded as she separated various items apart on the main counter by the register, where the amulets laid below, "Some, yes. Most are stories and urban legends, like the Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia or the Jersey Devil. Though I wouldn't be surprised if they had real demon origins at first."

"And how many do you think are used to commit crimes and cause trouble?"

"There's no accurate statistics, but most who call demons to Earth aren't philanthropists."

Scratching his chin, "Perhaps Charlie and I need to open up our playbook. Especially in instances where demons may be attacking innocents."

"Let's get current things under control first, Kevin." Cassie softly admonished.

"You're right. I just can't ignore this now that I know it exists."

A chime distracted them as the shop door opened and a couple with two kids walked in. Cassie stood up straight and smiled warmly, shifting into her shop keeper persona, "Welcome, wayward souls. Do you require guidance?"

The mother smiled back and shook her head, "No thank you, we're just browsing."

"Of course, please take your time and call upon my wisdom should your curiosities bloom."

The mother smiled again and turned with her family to look at the various charms, incenses and books. Angel smirked, "Poetic."

"I enjoy welcoming those who are curious into my realm. It's fun, too. I especially love it when someone who'd been blind by it comes around."

Seeing her wink at him, Angel gave a small laugh, "I'm on board, now, sis. I really am sorry for all the years I mocked you or thought your ideas were silly. I regret not standing up for you to our parents before you left."

"I was never angry with you, Kevin, just sad. I missed you the most when I left. I joined the service to find myself, and to eventually fund this shop and live the life I wanted. I was genuinely excited when you asked me to join your unit when you were promoted to the Rangers Special forces and got to choose your own team. It was the first time since I left that I felt like a family again with you, and it meant a lot. It was also great that we got to do a lot of good for others."

Angel fidgeted, "Yeah, until…"

"I'm sorry!" Cassie jumped in, "I didn't mean to bring that up."

"It's okay. Charlie knows, anyway. I told her. It was a bit therapeutic to share it with someone special. I never meant for you to leave, as well. That was my call, and mine alone."

"Kevin. In no way was I going to serve under Colonel Tag again after what happened. The others stayed through the end of the tour because they felt there was more good they could do staying in service."

"How are the others? Have you talked to them, recently?"

Shaking her head, Cassie sighed, "It's been close to two years since I spoke to any of them. I keep tabs though, through the Frequencies. Brute runs a repair shop and co-owns a wrestling school, of all things. Snapshot's got a studio. Shrapnel is working for the NYPD in the bomb squad and Panther's married with two kids, keeping herself busy in the reserves. They're never far from my thoughts, though. You really should call them and stop being a nomad."

Tapping the book he'd closed, Angel looked up at the ceiling, thinking of Charlie, "Ever since Charlie became my partner, I started to remember how important being part of a team was. I wish I'd asked any of them to join me, but this was my burden to bare, my repentance to seek. I didn't want to weigh it on them."

"Well, I'm glad you didn't exclude me. Being your ears has always meant a lot to me, brother, and with my sources and powers, and your skills and strategy, we've made a hell of a team. I just hope you'll accept repentance before it's too late."

"When." Angel smirked, "Not if. After we take down Bible, and we will, I want to take Charlie somewhere for a long while and lose myself in her."

"You're different." Cassie let out a breath of relief, "The little brother I remember is coming back. Charlie is your soul, and I really hope that when she's rediscovered herself, you two can have a life together."

"I mean for it to be," Angel said with a serious tone, "And I'll make sure she knows it. But, we've gotten off track here. What else can you?"

Angel stopped as the mother of the family walked up to the counter to ask a question about the various types of incense. Cassie gave Angel an apologetic look and walked around the counter to attend to her customer. Angel pulled another book over and flipped it open, looking at the chapters when the door chimed again. Cassie's voice carried over, carrying an undertone of warning, "Angel, you have a guest."

Turning on the stool, Angel watched Amanda walk through the shop, having given Cassie a soft smile, and stepped up to the counter by Angel, "Hey."

"Hey." Angel returned the greeting and noticed the bags under Amanda's eyes, "You didn't get any sleep, did you?"

"Not nearly enough and that was too much, as it was." Amanda leaned on the corner of the counter and crossed her arms, "How about you?"

"More than I expected. It was a rough night. I'm sorry for messing things up in the warehouse."

"I'm just glad I got there on time, Angel. You were almost killed. How did you get so distracted?"

Unable to correlate words to cover for Charlie, Angel tried to change the topic, "I'm human? There were more sentries than I'd accounted for, and messed up."

"You don't mess up, Angel. That mind of yours is a puzzle solving machine on overdrive. No, something's been different since that night in West Virginia, and now that I'm suspended for covering for you, I think I deserve some answers."

"They suspended you? Why?"

"Director Stefon didn't exactly believe I was able to take out the warehouse on my own. He knows I called you in, that you were the one to canvas and eliminate the various threats before the task force could get there. And that is exactly why I know you're covering for someone else. You're good, but not that good in such a short time. Someone's been working with you, and it's fucking obvious, Angel."

"Amanda, it's not easy to explain." Angel started.

Outside the side door to the shop, Charlie stood silent, hand on the knob. She had just come down a few moments before and was going to go in when he'd heard Amanda's voice. She listened as Amanda told Angel about the night before, being suspended and having suspicions about her. She heard the concern in Angel's voice and that he was trying to deny having a partner. For some reason, this riled Charlie's emotions and pissed her off. She was tired of hiding from the people in Angel's life, especially this Amanda Sims. She wanted answers, she was going to get them.

"Explain it any way you want, Angel, but stop lying to me. I lost my job because of you. I managed to get the gun information changed to my name and Ethan is going to call off the Director's dogs coming for you, so tell me the fucking truth for once."

Before Angel could respond, the side door opened and Charlie stepped through, looking directly at Amanda all but saying aloud she was the one Amanda wanted to know about. Amanda turned in surprise to Angel who was giving Charlie a look asking why she revealed herself. Cassie appeared beside Angel, "Guys, take this upstairs. My customers are watching you!"

Standing, Angel motioned for Amanda to follow him and he walked up to Charlie and took her hand into his and lead them both to the hallway. Shutting the door behind him, he turned to Charlie, "I know you heard us. Why?"

"I'm tired of hiding."

Sighing, Angel nodded in defeat. Amanda looked at them both, "Okay, who is she, Angel?"

"She is right here and you can ask her, yourself." The snap in Charlie's voice caught all of them off guard, as Charlie realized her jealous side was poking at her. She pushed it down adding, "Sorry, I'm just tired of being kept in the shadows. My name is Charlotte. I work with Angel."

"Work with?" Amanda looked at Angel, eyes showing anger, "Kevin! She's a child! What the fuck are you thinking?"

"I'm not a child!" Charlie glowered, "Do I look like a fucking child to you?"

"Sorry." Amanda held up her hand, "But you're young and you don't look like you're trained for what Angel does. How the hell have you been helping him?"

Charlie turned to Angel and the look that she gave him told him what was about to happen. He also knew there was no stopping Charlie once she made up her mind, "Do you trust Amanda, Angel?"

"I do." Angel's words held the permission Charlie unknowingly craved in the moment, despite having already made up her mind.

"I'm not just some girl, Amanda. Will you two please join me up on the roof? I want to show you something. Just, promise me you won't be afraid?"

"Wha?" Amanda stuttered and this caused Angel to smile slightly. He motioned for Amanda to follow him as he followed Charlie up the stairs to the door leading to the roof.

The three took the stairs to the roof and Charlie stepped ahead of them into the confines of the oriental walls of Cassie's training dojo. Angel stepped to the side and let Amanda stand in the center with Charlie, alone.

"Amanda. Whatever you do, don't scream."

Amanda gave Angel a questioning glance, but Charlie's voice brought her attention back, "Amanda. Angel found me that night in Virginia. I was injured and I had no memory of who I was. He treated me very well, dressing my wounds and promising to keep me safe. He then told me how he found me, and why. He told me about the Pry brothers, that they'd kidnapped two young girls with devious intentions. When I heard this, I felt something inside me snap."

"Snap?" Amanda's tone was weary.

"Yes. Then, this happened."

Before Amanda's eyes, Charlie's form changed. What was a gentle looking young woman with blonde hair and admittedly unusually colored eyes became something straight out hell, itself. Glowing red eyes, sharp teeth, horns and a spade like tail adorned the thing that now swayed before her. Amanda took two steps back and reached for her piece which was no longer there and jumped with a single sharp squeak as Angel took her by the shoulders and held her in place.

"Amanda, Meet Charlotte Morningstar, Princess of Hell and my own personal demon."

Amanda stood frozen, eyes wide and heart beating into her throat. Whimpering, she turned and pressed her face into Angel's shoulder. Charlie watched and felt sadness and regret for scaring her, but also satisfaction that she could show her true form to Amanda. A hair of that satisfaction soothing her jealous bits. What woman would dare get in the way of a demon and its lover, right? Immediately, Charlie hated herself for the thought and regressed into her human form, "Amanda, it's okay. I won't hurt you. Ever. I am the reason Angel's able to use scare tactics in our mission. I'm the reason the Pry brothers are in an institution and not in prison. I'm the reason those sentries fell so quickly last night and I'm the reason Angel almost got killed."

Angel didn't expect her to say the last part and shook his head, "No, Charlie. You did what you thought was right. I'm not angry with you about it, anymore."

Charlie nodded once, accepting that was now a closed book and grateful for it. Now, she just had to get Amanda to trust her. Walking up to Angel holding Amanda who still held her face against his chest, Charlie reached out and touched her softly. Amanda shrank into Angel more, and he gently pushed her away enough for Charlie to be seen, "Amanda. What I am isn't who I am. I fight with Angel to save lives. I don't take them. I look scary to the bad guys. I want to look amazing to my friends. I know it's a big ask, but will you trust me?"

Swallowing hard, Amanda turned around but leaned hard against Angel for protection, "You…you're a demon?"

"Sort of? We think I'm something a bit more than that."

"More?"

"We think," Angel interjected, "That she may be the daughter of Lucifer, himself."

Amanda pushed away from them both and reached into her purse and pulled out her pack of cigarettes. She took one out, shoved it into her mouth and flicked open her lighter and tried to get a spark but her hands with shaking badly. Charlie gently stepped over and Amanda watched in awed silence as a flame of orange fire appeared at the tip of her forefinger and she lit the cigarette for Amanda.

Stepping back, Charlie shook her head in playful admonishment, "Smoking's bad for you, you know?"

Taking three long drags in silence, Amanda began pacing around the dojo, shaking her head and whispering to herself. Angel looked concerned but Charlie could understand every word and knew Amanda was piecing things together. Charlie went to lean against Angel, who put his arms around her and they waited. After a few more moments of pacing and smoking, Amanda turned to them and saw the way Angel held her and it all clicked into place. "She's more than your partner, isn't she?"

"Let us tell you everything. Then you tell us what you want to do." Angel motioned for Amanda to sit in one of the chairs Cassie kept and Amanda nodded shakily, lighting a second cigarette from the remains of the first, not at all wanting to see Charlie's trick again. Angel and Charlie brought Amanda up to speed on the events of the last few months, and then Angel told them both what Cassie told him about Samedi.

Charlie's face looked stricten at the news, "He killed the girl, didn't he?"

"We believe so, yes, and if he's working for Bible, we may have to deal with other supernatural situations going forward."

"If I ever see him," Charlie felt her rage boiling and her eyes took on the all too familiar red glow as her demon side bled forth, "I don't think I'd have any qualms ripping his head off!"

Having had the time to digest all she'd learned, Amanda saw Charlie's demeanor and remembered what it felt like to hold rage against those who sought to harm the innocent. Realizing now that so many of Angel's recent successes were thanks to Charlie, she felt her fear settle into a form of weariness, but it let her articulate, "We can't judge without evidence, Charlotte. But given what you've both told me, if he's involved and was responsible for that poor girls death, have at it."

Angel blinked, "Amanda?"

Standing and dropping her cigarette and crushing it under her heel, Amanda shrugged, "We've lost so many children to men like Bible. I'm sick of the fucking beauracracy. They want to suspend, fire me? I don't care. What you two have done is remarkable and I want in."

"Even though I'm a monster?" Charlie asked softly.

"Because you're a monster, Charlotte, because you use it the way you do. I don't want to be stuck on the sidelines. Ethan is going to send me as much information he can from the bust last night, to see if anything got through before being redacted. I expect to get the materials by days end, or early in the morning. I'm also going to call everyone I know that owes me favors or will do things even though I'm suspended to get any other leads there may be. Once I do, I'll bring it here and we can all pour over it, together."

"I appreciate it, Amanda." Angel said, then added, "And I welcome you to the team."

"We welcome you." Charlie added, sincerely, "I'm sorry for scaring you. I couldn't bare you not trusting Angel."

"I'm still scared, Charlotte. This is all new to me and I have a lot to work out in my head. I believe Angel though, and that's enough. If I can help us catch that bastard, I'll work by your side, no matter what form you take."

Amanda readjusted her purse on her shoulder and stepped past them, reaching for the door, she turned and addressed Charlotte one last time, "Take care of Angel, okay, Charlotte?"

"I will, I promise," Charlie gripped Angel's hand to show Amanda how serious she was, then added, "And my friends call me Charlie."

"Charlie." Amanda said in farewell and gave Angel a soft look, mixed with understanding, sadness and a sense of loss she didn't expect to have, and closed the door behind her as she left.

Charlie leaned against Angel, "I know you didn't want me to do this, Angel, but I had to."

"I know. I understand and it's okay." Angel guided her to turn around to face him, "Just please confer with me before we expose anyone else to you. The more that know is less we have control over what gets out. I couldn't bare it if the wrong people discovered you."

"Trust in me, Angel, please?"

"I do, I really do. But now that we know that Samedi or someone like him may know about you, we have to be extra careful. Until we can go over whatever Amanda brings to us, we need to stay low. Take a few days off and focus on research and rest."

"So, I still have to be invisible."

Charlie's voice held a bit of anger and Angel tried to quell it, "I know you don't like it, Charlie, but you know it's the right call."

With a sigh, Charlie resigned herself to it, "You're right. I don't. I want to live n this world with you, not in a cage in the back of your closet."

"Whatever makes you think like that?" Angel scoffed.

Charlie pushed away and took a few steps into the dojo, "I didn't mean it like that, Angel, I guess I'm still feeling a bit of last night. I'm sorry."

"We humans have feelings that don't get put into tidy boxes, huh?"

"No, we humans don't." Charlie allowed herself a small smirk.

"Listen, I know we still have a little bit of irritation from last night. I don't want us to get into another fight, not now or ever." Angel took the steps to reach Charlie and took her hands into his, "Let's both take a little bit to calm ourselves. We need supplies. Both for the kitchen and for our equipment. I'm going to go on a long day shopping trip and collect them. Why don't you help Cassie in the shop and share with her what Amanda told us? When I get home, tonight, I'll take you out to dinner, just the two of us. Okay?"

"That sounds good. I agree we both need a little room to put our feelings in order. I don't want to fight anymore, either. Go. Enjoy shopping. I'll give Cassie that hand and let her know."

Leaning in, Angel brushed his lips against hers. Charlie mmmed at the unexpected but welcomed kiss. Angel debated in that moment to say the words to her, but wanted it to be more special. Tonight at dinner, he'd admit everything to her, so they could try to start a life, together, even if was to be without sex. As long as he could hold her in his arms and protect her from the world, that would suffice.

"I'll see you, tonight, my Princess of Hell."

"Tonight, then, my precious Knight."

Sharing gentle smiles, Angel left Charlie on the roof to go grab the car keys and head out. Charlie stood lost in thought, feeling her inner songstress stir and she let it out in full, releasing all the tension that had built up and instead, focused on the dream she had the night before, giving harmony to the feelings in her heart.

It would be the last time she sang.