After Angel and my dad leave to head back to the hotel, I text Jessie to let her know that my wounds have all healed up and that I was going to be heading back to the hotel as soon as the doctors process my paperwork. How did I heal so fast? Well, let's just say it's one of my demon powers. I'm like a real X-Men.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few minutes later...

I'm finally back in my original black leather motorcycle jacket, green t-shirt, and ripped black denim jeans and have managed to find my motorcycle still at the bar. I kick start it a ride back towards the hotel. I park it in the back hotel parking lot and walk inside. I look at my phone and noticed that I had a text from Jessie stating that she got tied up at work because one of her new employees messed up on calculating the funds at the cash register. Since I knew it would be a while before she got back I decide to make the most of my time and talk with my dad about some things that have been bothering me.

I get upstairs and walk up to Angel and my dad's room. I immediately hear giggling coming from the other side. Feeling awkward I knock on the door. Within a minute or two he answers, "just a minute!" Knowing that my dad's not taking my knocking seriously, I decide to speak out in an elevated tone, "uh... dad?"

There's a short pause and then my dad answers me, "uh, hang on a second, Junior I'll meet you downstairs in five minutes." I acknowledge him before turning around and walking back downstairs, "uh... okay." I get downstairs and walk behind the bar and start washing some dishes that I had previously left unwashed. A few minutes later he walks up to the bar and sits in the bar stool in front of me. He expresses his concern regarding me being out of the hospital and isn't quite sure how I managed to get out so fast considering the extent of my injuries.

I explain to him that I heal a lot faster than other demons and am seldomly affected by normal weapons. "Would it have killed you to tell all of us that in the first place?" I flatten my ears and look down and over to the side, "I didn't really think it mattered." It was true. Since being here I didn't think anyone truly cared about me.

Why would they? It's not like I made any real effort to try and make friends with the other residents and I'm only just now trying to get to know my father better. He lets out a sigh, "why would you think that?" I look down and close my eyes for a moment, "well, I don't really know anyone here and none of you know me so, why would you care?" He flattens his ears and lets out a heavy sigh, "you know, Junior you don't need to know someone to have compassion for them."

I scoff at him before taking a sip of my whiskey,"sounds a lot like piety to me." He raises both eyebrows up at me before he speaks, "oh, there's a difference though, trust me. To feel piety, means that you feel sorry for someone with implied judgment. Compassion on the other hand, is caring about someone regardless of what they said or done without judgement." I let out a sigh, "I know it's a lot to get used to but you'll learn to trust everyone in time and vice versa."

I sigh and stare down into my alcohol, "I guess..." My dad looks up at me and lets out a sigh, "also, I've got something that I need to get out in the open while we're both here." 'Oh shit... now what? Do I have a an unknown twin floating around?' I raise an eyebrow up and take a sip of my drink before responding, "okay..."

He lets scratches at the back of his head and darts his eyes from side to side apprehensively, "well... I kinda bought your soul from Alastor." 'WHAT THE FUCK!' My eyes widened and I slammed my glass hard on the counter. My dad jumps up startled by the loud clang from my glass. I try to recompose myself and talk calmly however it comes out as cold hearted instead, "why would you do that?"

He flattens his ears down to his head, "well, before Alastor had ownership over your soul, he owned my soul. So I know firsthand what it's like to be his, 'property.'" Feeling a bit disappointed and disheartened I take a sip from my whiskey, "why didn't you even come and ask me how I'd feel about that firsthand?" He looks down and lets out a sigh, "I don't know. I should have asked you first but I was just so focused on trying to protect you."

Feeling my anger rise and my face getting hot again I ask, "by buying my soul?" He shakes his head at me, "no, by setting you free." The last sentence he utters stops my brain straight in its tracks. 'He... he wants to... Set me free?' I wasn't sure how to feel about that concept.

In life and in the time I've spent in Hell, no one had ever cared enough to think about me in that way. Not my bandmates... Hell I'm still convinced that the only real reason they wanted me to do this redemption shit was because they wanted to get rid of me, but that's a story for another day. Feeling stunned by this new revelation I ask, "how much did it cost you?" It was kind and thoughtful for him to think of me like that but I knew Alastor and he's never been the type to do something without getting something in return.

'I sure hope he didn't trade his soul for mine.' I thought to myself internally. He lets out a sigh which instantly makes me nervous, "I don't want you to worry about that—" I cut him off right there. "The cost, Dad?"

He lets out another sigh finally caving in, "I just have to kill some people. The people that attacked you, to be more specific." I raise my eyebrow in confusion, "but what about your redemption? Won't that set you back in your progress?" He shrugs his shoulders rather nonchalantly, "perhaps, but I've already killed one demon and that was his boyfriend.

I think that's why he attacked you. I think he heard our conversation through the security cameras and found out that you're my son." I let out a sigh feeling relieved that my dad didn't sell back his soul, "well, I just wish you would have talked to me first." He lets out a sigh, "I'm so sorry, Junior." I shrug my shoulders finally coming to terms with everything, "I guess what's done is done.

So I guess I have to do whatever you say now?" "Well, technically yes but, I don't have any intentions to make any deals with you or force you to do anything you don't want to do." My eyes started watering up as I was still shocked that he bought my soul just so he could set me free. Then on top of that he wasn't even going to make me do anything against my will. If that isn't the purest form of love, I don't know what is.

I shake the sentimentalities from my head and wipe my tears away with the back of my hand. I quickly change the subject, "so, uh, I needed to talk to you about something else." He sat straight up in his seat, "may I have a glass of water, please?" I nod my head before reaching over and grabbing a glass and pouring him some cold water. I then sit the glass down in front of him.

He takes a sip from his glass, "okay, so what did you want to talk to me about?" I let out a sigh and slump down into my seat, "Jessie Hart." He grins and takes a sip from his water, "let me guess, you're catching feelings for her, aren't you?" I blush bright red and scratch at the back of my head and look side to side awkwardly, "catching feelings,' for her is a bit of an understatement but I didn't realize that everyone else was aware of it,' I think to myself. "Is it that obvious?"

He chuckles in response, "uh, to put it lightly, yeah it's pretty obvious. I've noticed you staring at her constantly from the very first day you met her and every day since. It's practically the ONLY time I've seen you interested and interacting with anyone or anything. Well, with the recent exception of Angel and I." I let out a sigh before groaning slightly, "oh wow... that's pretty bad then."

He raises an eyebrow up at me, "how so?" I let out a sigh, "don't laugh or judge me too much if I tell you this, okay? He smiles back at me, "no, I wouldn't dream of it, Kid." I let out a sigh of relief feeling glad that I have someone that I can talk to about this stuff finally, "well,... I've been with a lot of girls, even as a teenager I was always messing around but... this feels different and I'm not so sure that I like it. It's terrifying. Actually, she's terrifying."

He smiles back at me,"so what is it that feels different exactly?" I sigh and prop my head up in my hand, "well, I have that warm and fuzzy feeling in my stomach when I see her but when she notices me across the room, or calls my name, I feel like I'm about to throw up or something. Then at the hospital, she got really close to my face and I thought my heart was going to explode. Also her room is right across the hall from mine and... She and I,... well we get these PTSD nightmares and wake up screaming in the middle of the night. So we both gave each other a copy of our room keys so that we could check on one another.

Normally if a girl gave me a key to her room, I probably would have just fucked her brains out and been done with it. But with her... yes I find her attractive and sure I have my fantasies but,.. she's the first girl that I feel like I could just be in her presence all day, everyday and never be bored. With her it's like,... I don't know like— it's like she's changed me somehow. I like the man that I am when I'm with her. I feel like I could just listen to the sound of her voice all day.

It's just... everything about her. Her eyes, her smile, her laugh, the sound of her voice, the way she walks and then talking to her it's like talking to a wise soul. I start to stare off into space after that last sentence as I start to feel like I'm bathing in my feelings for her. That was until I remembered that my dad was still sitting right there in front of me.

I shake the day dream from my mind, "but anyways, she's just so sweet, innocent and... just so perfect. Someone like me would only dampen her fire. I'd just corrupt her." My dad lets out a heavy sigh, "yeah, I used to think the same thing about Angel." I give him a puzzled expression.

He smiles, "yeah. With Angel he just— he always had this light about him. I mean, when I met your mother I loved and adored her and sure, she made me feel invincible. But with Angel, I was terrified. It didn't help that he was harassing me nonstop but, the moment he brought the walls down and I was able to truly see him as he truly is, I just, I felt like I couldn't even breathe with him in the same room."

I smile, understanding perfectly well what he had meant, "yeah, that's how I feel about Jessie." He smiles and stops to take a sip from his water, "it's okay to be in love." I look at him baffled, 'holy shit. So then... she's the real thing?' I wonder internally.

"In— In love?" He nods his head toward me, "it's obvious that she's your soulmate. It's not the same feeling as some of that high school, puppy love crap. It— it transcends beyond that. When you find, 'the one' it almost feels like the world has stopped spinning and everything is frozen in time with the exception of them.

Then, I don't know. Your heart just knows." The truth behind my situation sinks in as I try to process it all, "I— I 've never been in love before... Is there a way to make it stop?"He laughs at me and I flattened my ears. "I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you, I swear.

I just find it ironic and refreshing how much you take after your old man." I grin a boyish smile feeling thankful for once that I take after my father.