Chapter Five: Mother's Return
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Hey, everyone, hope you all enjoyed the family bonding last time. This time, guess who is back.
On with the Show:
Hotel Lobby
With Lucifer, Charlie and Vaggie visiting Heaven, Angel and Alastor were left in charge of the Hotel while they were gone. Alastor was busy elsewhere in the hotel, tending to guest needs, while Angel Dust and Husky watched the foyer.
They heard the door open, and turned to look at the new guest, with Angel rushing to the welcome desk to do his job. "Welcome, traveler, to the Hazbin Hotel. Here we rehabilitate Sinners to get into Heaven. Can I get your name?" Angel recited the script that Charlie had left for him. The woman walked up to him, smiled slightly. Something about her started to creep him out. He noted that she had blue eyes, long golden hair, and wore a long purple dress and a pearl necklace, and had large demon horns sprouting from her head.
"Tell me, is the owner in?" She asked Angel, her voice had a musical tone to it.
"Not currently, Charlie is attending to personal matters." Angel was not about to tell this guest where she was at this moment.
"Is the Facilities Manager about?" she asked.
"Yes, he is. I can call for him," Angel was growing concerned as to who this woman was.
"Do so," she said.
Angel turned to his intercom. "Alastor, please come to the lobby, someone to see you." He almost used one of his nicknames for the radio demon, but he was trying to maintain a sense of professionalism. "He'll be right down."
A cloud of shadowy smoke appeared and out of it rose Alastor. "You called?"
"Yeah, someone here to see you," Angel motioned to the visitor.
Alastor's eyes went wide in recognition, Oh Shit! "My lady, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I have come to see my family," the woman said.
"Well, they are not here at the moment, how about a drink?" Alastor offered. He was processing everything, and he was concerned that she was here now.
"I guess I could use one," the woman said.
"Oh, Miss, I did not get your name," Angel said.
"Lilith Morningstar," she identified herself.
"As in the Queen?" Angel stood in deference.
"Indeed, go about your business, sinner," she dismissed him as she and Alastor walked over to the bar. Husk already had a glass of rye on the rocks for his boss. Lilith ordered the strongest drink he had. He poured a glass of whiskey on the rocks for her. Taking a sip, she turned to Alastor, who dismissed Husk from the bar so that they could talk in private. Alastor did not need Husk to know that it was Lilith that held the chain on his neck. Husk grumbled and walked over to where Angel Dust was in the foyer.
"So, my dear, what do I owe your return to?" He repeated.
"A certain Exorcist forced me to come down and get things back to the way things were, in order to stay in Heaven." Lilith took a sip of her drink.
"How was it, up there?" Alastor asked. He had been with her for a time in secret, as she had dragged him with her when she left.
"It was good, aside from Adam calling in his side of the deal, but it was infrequent at least," Lilith sighed in thought about what she had to do to keep Adam pleased enough to let her stay up in heaven and not blow her in to God, Sera, or her brother-in-laws that would have sent her back down.
"So, Lute?" Alastor asked.
"Yeah. Have you been doing as I asked," she questioned him. Though not visible, Alastor could feel the chain on his neck get heavy.
"I have, I protect and look out for Charlie, and I have been messing with Lucifer," Alastor told her.
"Good," Lilith took a sip of her drink. She did love her husband and daughter in her own way. It was just some other things that got in the way, her career, his depression, the other Sins, the denizens of Hell in general and everything else. It just happened to push them apart. She just may have caused a few problems along the way, she may have given Charlie some daddy issues in trying to keep her away from Lucifer as much as she could, trying to protect her from the elements of Hell that were dangerous for her.
"Did Adam fall by your hand like you were supposed to?" Lilith asked, that was part of the deal Alastor made with her, part of why she sent Alastor to the Hotel, as he had the best chance short of Lucifer to take the piece of shit down.
"Not exactly, I was forced to retreat after being wounded, and Lucifer stepped in to fight Adam, and then Niffty, the housemaid, whose soul I own, drove an angelic blade through his back." Alastor could feel his leash get heavier when he told her that he had to flee the battle.
Turning away from the bar, looking out over the foyer, she asked the unspoken question. "So, where is my daughter and my darling husband?" Lilith asked the Radio Demon next to her.
"Heaven, Lucifer and Charlie are visiting Sera and Emily, Lucifer's other family," Alastor told her, figuring this would be the time to use that information he had overheard.
The glass in Lilith's hand shattered in her closed fist. "What?" She asked, as her devil horns sprouted larger than before. She knew about Sera being Lucifer's first love, but second family?
"Lucifer and Sera apparently conceived Emily before he met and fell in love with you. He called off his romance with Sera and well, you know the rest as you were there," his hands mimicked the fall. "I will say, now that he knows he has a second daughter, he has been much more lively around here, and has been trying to get Hell in order, for better or worse. Better for the people, worse for Overlords like me."
"I see," Lilith said. This was going to be a problem for her. It may be harder to get her husband back under her thumb like she had him before she left him and then disappeared. Even before they separated, she had him wrapped around her finger, despite being a depressed recluse, and she did love him dearly at the time.
As if by fate, a portal to Heaven opened in the foyer, and through it walked Charlie, Vaggie, and Lucifer. Alastor motioned to Lilith to stay at the bar a second out of immediate sight, as he picked up his microphone cane and walked out into the foyer, hoping that neither Angel Dust or Husk ruined it early. Much to his chagrin, that is what happened. "Yo, Charlie," Angel called out. "You are gonna be so surprised. Your mom is back." He motioned over to the bar Alastor had to grimace a little. He had wanted to handle this more tactfully.
"Mom?" Charlie asked as she looked over.
"Lily?" Lucifer asked as he looked over. Lilith took a heavy breath through her nose, downed the rest of Alastor's drink. Put a smile on her face and stood up from the bar stool and gracefully walked into the foyer to greet her family.
"Hey, Charlie, Luci, I am back," she cheerfully greeted. Charlie and Lucifer were hesitant a moment to greet her, due to not seeing her for a while. After a moment, both father and daughter hugged the woman, to which she returned.
"Where have you been?" Lucifer asked, happy to see her.
"I missed you so much," Charlie said.
"I missed you too, my darling daughter," she said to Charlie. "I was taking a sabbatical in Heaven."
"Heaven? How? I would have heard that you were up there," Lucifer asked as they broke the hug, confirming to Lilith what Alastor said that Lucifer was welcome back in Heaven.
"I made a deal with someone to allow me to lay low for a while," She said through her teeth, somewhat regretting making the deal.
"Adam, you made a deal with Adam, didn't you?" Lucifer already had it pieced together.
"That asshole?" Charlie asked, surprised that her mother was willing to make a deal with him.
"He was the only one that would accept such a deal." Lilith said, concerned now about how this was going to go. "So, tell me, how did you get welcomed back into Heaven?"
"Charlie happened to redeem a sinner and by extension, due to Dad's wording, the barrier keeping me out was broken. Then, Sera had invited me up to see Emily and then when Dad came back, I had to talk with him. He forgave me and welcomed me home," Lucifer told her everything that had happened recently.
"Yes, so I heard about the other family," Lilith grew a bit cold in thought about it, and Lucifer picked up that she was not happy about that, hints of jealousy in her voice. His eyes shifted over to Alastor, who began to shrink away from them. The Radio Demon had overheard him tell Charlie about Emily and now told Lilith. He will deal with that later. A hand hovered over the hilt of his sword in threat to the overlord. Lilith also noticed that Lucifer had his Archangel Sword back, which was definitely a concern for different reasons.
As an attempt to get them off this line of thought, Charlie grabbed Vaggie by the arm and brought her in front of Lilith. "Mom, this is Vaggie, my girlfriend." Vaggie became as bashful as she was when Charlie introduced her to Lucifer.
"You're a fallen Angel, aren't you?" Lilith saw it immediately.
"Is it really that easy for people to know that I am an angel?" Vaggie asked, confused.
"I mean, I knew when I laid eyes on you. I did almost try to find your halo and wings," Lucifer said.
"I have seen enough of the Exorcists in my time in Heaven to be able to recognize one on sight. The pale skin, and long white hair, plus Adam and Lute have spoken of a fallen member of them around me before." Vaggie took that information in stride, apparently it was easier than she thought, despite her attempts to hide it. She unfurled her wings to confirm it to Lilith.
"Well, if she loves you, I'll support it," Lilith said, but did have some reservations about it, even if she had thought about dabbling with it herself. It was more the idea that her daughter was dating someone that had participated in the annual slaughter of their people, that was concerning.
As if things could not get worse for Lilith at that moment, another portal to heaven opened and Emily and Sera walked through the portal. They had stayed behind a moment earlier as Sera had to fill out some paperwork.
Turning to look at them, "got your paperwork done?" Lucifer asked.
"Yep, your father does love his paperwork," both older angels laughed. God had been busy going through everything while he had been gone and managing everything else.
"When is Sir Pentious next coming down?" Charlie asked, hoping that Sera had some news on that.
"Within a week, it's been complicated to get that through," Sera told them, they had been working on a system to allow Sir Pentious to come visit back and forth on his own, but it had been slow as God processed everything on his desk. Sera then noticed the other woman in the room, growing stern in the face upon seeing the First Woman. Lilith was the woman that she had lost Lucifer to, the Morningstar name was to be her's and Lilith stole that chance from Sera.
"Oh, right, Sera, Emily, look who's back," Lucifer gleefully introduced his wife.
"Hi, I'm Emily the Seraphim. I have heard a lot about you," Emily greeted the Queen of Hell, with her usual joy. Lilith forced a smile as she greeted the young Seraphim. In her eyes, Emily represented a chance that Lucifer could leave her for his first lover.
"I am sure your mother and father have told you all about me," Lilith looked over at the elder Angels in the room as she said that, and turned to the girl's mother.
"Sera," Lilith greeted first, a hiss on the first syllable. Lilith had long been concerned that Sera would come try to steal Lucifer back after he had broken their relationship off for her. Not to mention the last time they saw each other was at the cliffs of Heaven on that fateful day that they were kicked down to Hell, Sera was less than pleasant to her verbally that day, admittedly a bit deserved.
"Lilith Morningstar, so, you finally came back down from Heaven," Sera greeted, showing her suspicions were right after all.
"You knew I was up there?" Lilith asked, surprised.
"Adam was bragging about something to do with you one day, and based on how he was speaking, I was able to figure it out," Sera said, coldly. Emily looked over at her mother confused by her tone. Sera's eyes told Emily all she needed to know.
"Of course, I should have known he couldn't keep his mouth shut," Lilith rolled her eyes. Not wanting to continue this conversation, "Lucifer, Dear, I am returning to the palace. Do what you need to do, and we will talk when you return." Lilith forcibly smiled at the High Seraphim, turned on her heel and left.
"Oh boy, I am in trouble with her," Lucifer sighed, he knew how Lilith was when she was mad at him.
"She left you, remember?" Sera told him, whether it was her unknowingly trying to insert herself into the mix or not, he did not know.
"You're right, but," he looked at his finger bearing his wedding ring. If his father was wanting him to get back with Sera, what was the plan to handle his current wife? As Dad did not like it when divorces occurred, which is why he usually tried to get these people remarried as fast as he could. Lucifer also still loved Lilith in his heart. He would need to discuss that one of the next times he had a meeting with the Lord. He made sure everything was set around the Hotel and escorted Sera and Emily to the Heaven Embassy in the center of Pentagram City, and once they were settled, headed for the Palace.
Palace Throne Room
Upon returning home to the palace that was once her home, she was surprised to see a visitor on Lucifer's throne. A woman dressed in a black tube top and pants, and an open, sleeveless, red overcoat with checkered pattern in the inside and a large wide-brim black hat, covering flame-like auburn-black hair. A woman she knew well: Roo, Mistress of all Evil.
"Lilith, It's been a while," Roo greeted.
"It has," Lilith was on guard, seeing the Origin of Evil.
"You are troubled by your husband's other family, aren't you?" Roo said with a smile, showing several of her sharp teeth.
"Yes, I am. How did you…" Lilith began to ask, then stopped, Roo had powers that no Demon or Angel had, short of the Lord himself.
"Then, shall we make a deal?" Roo cut right to the chase of what she wanted.
"What do you want?" Lilith asked, just like other demons, dealing with Roo was always a gamble.
"A body to inhabit, cause a little chaos, that sort of thing, as you know, I am not so much a person, but an entity. In exchange, I will lend you my power, and I will help you get what you want. You will barely know I am there, aside from my occasional whispers, do we have a deal?" Roo grinned at her. Seeing that Lilith was on the fence, she continued, "Think about it, Lucifer and Charlie back under your control, Sera and Emily gone, Hell bowing at your every whim. Queen, feared and loved by all her subjects." Roo smirked at Lilith.
"I don't know," Lilith said, Roo was a different breed to make a deal with than an Overlord.
"Hey, It was because of me that got you into Heaven," Roo reminded her.
"Yeah, after the failed uprisings caused Adam to send the exterminations down on us, and I had to make my deal with Adam to get up there," Lilith reminded Roo.
"To be fair to him, He did have two wives stolen by your husband," Roo said.
"If I remember right, the Eve thing was your idea, old friend," Lilith said.
"True, but it is not like you and Lucifer bothered to care about the Sinners before," Roo did have a point there.
"True," Lilith said. While she had civilized Hell and organized things, she, like Lucifer, saw the depravity that had come from their choice to give the apple of knowledge to Eve. She was just better at not letting it affect her than her husband.
"So, do we have a deal?" Roo asked again.
"No harm must come to Charlie or Lucifer," Lilith made her one condition with Roo.
"You have my word," Roo said as she held out her hand, lighting with the same power Overlords like Alastor did when making a deal. Lilith extended her horns to full length and lit her own hand with the same power and took Roo's hand. It was done, the bargain was struck, Roo laughed an evil laugh and entered Lilith's body, bonding to her soul and nestling in her mind.
So, what is your first idea? Lilith asked the entity.
Seduce Lucifer, Roo told her. Lilith sighed, she has had enough sex in the past seven years for a long time, but she had to agree. If Lucifer was banging her, he did not have his eyes on Sera.
Very well, Lilith told Roo. Roo went dormant in Lilith's mind, like she promised. Lilith went to Lucifer's bedroom to wait for him to return.
Bedroom
Lucifer returned to the palace after making sure that Sera and Emily were settled and such. He knew he and Lilith needed to talk. "Lily?" He called out from the throne room. He did not get an answer and he started to head for their rooms to see if she was there. He opened the door to his room and beheld quite a sight.
There Lilith lay, as nude as the day she was created, tempting her husband, as part of her plot to bring Lucifer back under her thumb. To her concern, Lucifer was not interested in sex. "Throw some clothes on, Lily," he said as he sat on the edge of the bed with a sigh, laying cane and hat aside. Now, Lilith was definitely concerned that Sera had indeed stolen him from her. She got up and threw her clothes back on and sat next to her husband.
"What's going on with you? I come back, wanting to spend time with you and you are like this?" She questioned him, hoping that he was not banging Sera.
"It's been years since we have been together. We separated due to your life and mine, taking our Daughter with you and and then you disappeared from Hell for Heaven," He began, there were a bunch of things that were between them now.
"You cheated on me," Lilith began to explain why she left him.
"If I remember right, Eve was disguised as you, and led me to believe it was you. Only revealing the ruse when it was said and done," He defended himself.
"True, she was," Lilith did not mention that it was her and Roo's idea for that, and used that plot to justify her leaving Lucifer due to her free spirit.
"Also, don't be accusing me of my infidelity, considering we both know what Adam would ask for to let you stay in Heaven under his protection," Lucifer's tone grew hard with his wife. She grit her teeth, Lucifer had her on that one. Adam did indeed ask to be able to bang her whenever he felt like, while she would be free to live as she wanted any other time. "Look, I am grateful and happy you are back and will be active in Charlie's life, but I have two daughters that need my support, and they take precedence in my life now. I am sorry." He grabbed his cane and hat and headed for the door. "I'll have your room cleaned for you to use." He put his hat on and left the room.
Lilith grit her teeth, so it seemed that Sera and Emily were absolutely going to be problems. You only have one daughter that should matter. She intended to give Sera a piece of her mind. She wanted the two Seraphim gone from Hell, and out of Lucifer's life for good. If talking to them did not work, she may have to take some drastic measures, like giving a certain demon's leash a tug.
Hey, everyone, hope you enjoyed that chapter and are looking forward to where we are going. Also, may have gone a little deep on what character I pulled in: Roo, the Root of All Evil. she will be instrumental to my plans. Also, Lilith is not happy with Lucifer having a second family, which is fair, but there are dark things in motion, hehehehe. I can't wait to show you all what my plans are.
See you all next time.