Charlie let the heat of the water from the shower permeate her form as the droplets beat against her body while she scrubbed away the dry black liquid of hellborns that stained her skin. As she solemnly got our after letting the heat thoroughly redden her skin, she put on her pajamas, and left to join her partners in the bedroom.

It was the break of dawn; she'd been out looking for Emily for the majority of the night. The orange light of the morning tickled the room through the shut curtains. Charlie slowly made her way to the bed, and smiled softly as she saw the thoroughly out of it Emily being spooned from behind by a sleepy Vaggie. She gave a light chuckle as she made her way to the other side of the bed, the one that was most typically Vaggie's, before pulling the covers back and slipping herself in with a sigh staring dryly at the cieling. Then she turned her head to look at the two girls on the other side of the bed.

Slow, and careful not to disturb either of them, she scooted to their side of the bed, wrapping her arms about the two of them, burrowing herself into the nape of Vaggie's neck. Then she let the quiet tears drip from her eyes as she weeped for them, silently. How had she let things go so wrong...

Emily slowly peeled her eyes open, feeling the intense warmth of too bodies behind her. And, the intense groginess, and overal horrid feelings battering her body all at once. Her throat felt like it was raw and burning from screaming and crying desperately for help while she was bound, as well as the puking earlier in the night. Charlie had brought her a bucket before going to the shower, and, despite it's decent size, it was almost half full. Her stomach still didn't feel like it was sitting right in her body, feeling like she was both starving to death, and that she might manage to fully fill her bucket if she tried to put a bite of food into herself. Her eyes felt heavy and full of sand, and the whole of her body was sore and tight and feeble feeling from the kicking and struggling and the shaking from the panic that had dominated her.

A raspy grown crawled its way out of her throat, and apparently the noise was enough to wake a lightly sleeping Charlie. She felt the princess shift behind her as the warmth of her hand pulled away. The blonde propped herself up on her shoulder so she could just see Emily over a still resting Vaggie.

"Emily..." She whispered softly.

"G- good-" Emily started before the pain in her throat caused her to ceize as she grabbed at it. "F- fuck..." she breathed.

"Don't strain yourself Emmy... Can I get you anything? Do you need anything? Anything I can do for you?" Charlie spoke, quiet but clearly frantic, searching desperately for some way she could be helpful.

Emily craned her head over her shoulder to see the face of the woman, disheveled hair and baggy eyes. "You could go back to bed.." She rasped with a humorless chuckle. "You look so tired..."

Charlie sighed our her nose. "I need to take care of you, Em. What do you need right now."

Emily sighed. "Rest... And you do too. Go back to bed, sweetie."

Charlie squeezed her eyes shut and sighed. "I don't think I can..."

"... For me?" The seraph spoke softly. That was enoughe to break her.

"... I suppose... if it's for you... maybe I could rest a little..." Charlie mumbled begrudingly, flopping back on her pillow.

"Good girl..." Emily spoke hoarsely in perhaps the least sexy way possible. Maybe not quite her intention. Charlie sighed a chuckle out her nose.

"You're so precious."

"I know," the seraph mumbled simply.

"What're we talkin' about?" Vaggie mumbled, voice heavy with sleep.

"How awesome I am," Emily dryly chuckled, the sound evolving into a fit of coughs. "Maybe I do need some water..."

"I'll go get it!" Charlie piped.

"Ah!" Emily yipped, making the princess freeze. "I can get it myself..." She swallowed briefly in a vain attempt to lubricate her throat. "I'm a big girl... Go to bed, dummy."

"Emily..."

"Go t'bed, Charlie..." Vaggie grumbled. Charlie flopped back down, glaring.

"Fine..."

"There we go," Emily spoke, as she slowly worked herself to get up and out of Vaggie's arms. She got just a hint of vertigo as she sat up, dangling her legs off the side of the bed, the unpleasent feeling making her breath a small moan.

"... You okay, hunie?" Vaggie spoke softly. "We can help you if you need..."

"You can't walk, Vaggie. Please just rest... Just-" The angel sputtered, before sighing and recomposing. "Both of you, stay. I'll be just fine," Emily spoke dryly, finally getting to her feet slowly and shuffling toward the door, every limb on her feeling like a thousand pounds.

"Emily?" Charlie spoke softly."Yes?" The seraph said with very little patience left, a combination of extreme pain and exhaustion making her rather short for herself. "Come back soon, 'kay? We'll miss you," the blonde chuckled. Emily snickered at that.

"Oh, I dunno if I could stay away for too long if I tried," she rasped, before opening the door and exiting the room.

"... You okay, hunie?" Vaggie spoke softly. "We can help you if you need..."

"You can't walk, Vaggie. Please just rest... Just-" The angel sputtered, before sighing and recomposing. "Both of you, stay. I'll be just fine," Emily spoke dryly, finally getting to her feet slowly and shuffling toward the door, every limb on her feeling like a thousand pounds.

"Emily?" Charlie spoke softly.

"Yes?" The seraph said with very little patience left, a combination of extreme pain and exhaustion making her rather short for herself.

"Come back soon, 'kay? We'll miss you," the blonde chuckled. Emily snickered at that.

"Oh, I dunno if I could stay away for too long if I tried," she rasped, before opening the door and exiting the room.

As Emily limped down the final step of stairs, she was startled when she was suddenly pounced on, not quite registering who it was until she felt the second pair of arms and the floofy chest tickling her nose. She wrapped her arms around the individual, leaning into the softness.

"Hey, Angie..." she spoke out hoarsly. But she recieved no response. Just the four arms around her pulling her in tighter.

"... Was worried about you, Em. Glad you're okay..." Angel said softly. Emily chuckled.

"Okay as I can be..." She hoarsed. As Angel finally pulled away, he cleared his throat, and the vulnerability shifted back to his more usual teasing.

"Damn, babe. Ya sound as bad as ya look," he chuckled.

"Oh, hardy-har..." Emily chuckled as she continued toward where she knew the kitchen was, Angel following in toe with a smirk on his lips. "You're so mean to me," she teased.

"Oh, no, don't take it personally, sweetheart, I'm mean to everybody," Angel jested. Enough to get a dry giggle of sorts from Emily that wasn't too far distinguishable from coughing.

"You... doin' alright, feathers?" Angel said with concern. Emily nodded.

"Water..." she pushed out, gesturing to her throat for emphasis.

As soon as she said that word, Angel grabebd her by her shoulders, turned her around, and gently shoved her in the direction of the parlor. "Go sit on the couch, I'll get ya water."

"Wh- wha? I-" Emily stutted, before Angel was already well on his way at a pace she was in no way able to match right now. Emily grumbled as she slowly limped over to the nearest seat and flopped down in it: one of the armchairs. She glared off into the distance.

Husk, who had been sitting at the couch sipping a bottle of something he probably shouldn't be drinking this early in the morning, looked up to the angel as she plopped down.

"You okay, kid?" He said simply.

"Yeah..." Emily wheezed. "I- I mean... yes... I am..."

"Good," Husk said. "Cuz you look, sound, and smell like shit."

"I- I smell bad too!?" Emily glanced about and unsubtly wiffed herself, wincing. "Awe... man..." She sighed.

"And Angel still hugged you," the cat demon chuckled. "He... cares for you a lot, you know. Was worried sick while you were gone..."

"I'm getting the impression a lot of people were..." Emily sighed.

"'Course they were. People here care about you. Plus, you went through something probably... pretty fuckin' horrible. Surprised you're not struggling more this morning."

Emily sighed a laugh. "I probably am. Just haven't noticed yet." She grinned that her quip recieved a small chuckle. It was then that Angel came and handed a glass of water to Emily.

"Here ya go, feathers." He went to sit next to Husk on the couch.

Emily sighed. "Thanks, Angel..." She said before proceeding to pound back the whole glass in one swoop. She surprised herself with a little burp and shook her head. Her throat felt substantially better, but that wasn't much of a statement.

"Owe..." She grumbled, massaging the aformentioned part with the ends of her fingers.

"You need a cough drop, Em?" Angel asked with concern. Emily cocked her head.

"Cough... drop?" She spoke slowly, like the word was alien.

"Cough drop. It's this med you suck on, and it helps coat your throat."

"Oh! Like candy!" Emily beamed. Angel absentmindedly scratched his neck, looking as if he was considering the statement.

"I guess? Except they're fullla medicine and taste like dog-shit."

"... Ewe..." Emily cringed, now debating whether she wanted to just push out with the soreness.

"They really ain't that bad," Husk said flatly. The seraphim sighed.

"Well... Okay, I'll try one out."

"Sounds good, dollface. I'll go get them."

"You-" Emily yipped just a little louder than maybe she intended, a difficult task with how raw it made her throat feel "-can tell me where they are and I'll go get them. Ugh, Gosh!" The angel groaned. "Why does everyone keep babying me, I can do things myself!"

"'Cause ya just went through a horribly traumatizing experience and everybody's fuckin' worried about you!?" Angel sputtered, like it was shocking Emily would expect or want anything other than the treatment people were giving to her.

"I- I know that, but, even Vaggie's trying to help, and she can't even walk!" The angel exasperated.

"Prolly 'cause of her horrible self-worth issues givin' her a complex since you got hurt on her watch." Husk said simply. Emily opened her mouth to speak before shutting it again.

"Sh- she... does have those, yeah, that's true..." Emily muttered out. "Poor girl..." She shook her head. "Whatever, I- I'm just gonna go get that medicine and I'll head back to the room before those two start wrestling to decide which one wants to come to my 'rescue.'" She looked to were angel had been standing, now realizing he wasn't there anymore.

"I- son of a-!" She started, before a little plastic bag was dropped on her lap, angel towering behind her chair.

"There ya go, feathers," Angel chuckled. Emily gave a little growl she was unprivy to do typically.

"I am one inch away from biting you right now..." she grumbled.

"Should save that for your gals upstairs," Angel chuckled. Emily craned her head up to look at the spider.

"Why would I... bite them?"

Angel snickered. "You'll find out. Vaggie's super into that shit, I've seen the marks."

Some gears shifted in Emily's head. "Ohhhhhhh. It's a sex thing," she said simply, before narrowing her eyes at Angel. "Gross, Angie." As the demon cackled, Emily stood up from her seat, cough-drops in hand.

"Anyway, I- Thanks... I suppose. For helping me... I shouldn't leave the girls waiting much longer for me." Angel gave her an earnest smile.

"Don't mention, babe." The demon went over to the standing angel and ruffled the already notted and disheveled mop on her head. "For the record? Glad you're back safe."

Emily sighed, and smiled at him. "Yeah... me too..."

Emily finally opened the door to the bedroom with a sigh. Vaggie looked to be sleeping relatively soundly. Emily gave a soft smile at the little angel. However, her expression quickly flickered to a stern one as she saw Charlie, half out of bed one set of toes already on the floor. She snapped her fingers and pointed resolutely.

"Bed. Now."

Charlie yelped and pulled her leg back under the covers, giving Emily a forced look of innocence. Emily shooke her head at her with flat eyes, unamusedly. The seraph shuffled her way over to the bed, crawling up in and between Charlie and Vaggie. She snapped open the zip lock, inspecting one of the very candy-like shapes quizically, before glsncing bakc to see Charlie staring at her, still sitting up in bed. The hand holding the medicine to her eye slumped flatly into her lap.

"Charlie," she said flatly.

"Hm?"

"Go to bed."

"... But I'm not tired..."

"Your body is."

"Nuh-uh."

"Did you seriously just nuh-uh me?"

"Mmmhm!" The princess beamed at her. Emily groaned.

"Sleep. Now. Just... try, please." The angel grumbled.

Charlie sighed. "I honestly can't, Emily, I've been trying... I'm sorry..."

Emily silently unwrapped the little candy-like object and popped it into her mouth, cringing at the flavor. Angel was right. Not great. She looked to Charlie with gentle eyes.

"Wanna talk about it, hunie?"

"About what?" Charlie quizzed as if it wasn't obvious.

"Everything..."

Charlie sighed. "I'm just... I'm worried about you, Emily... And... I feel a little guilty too... I should have gone with you two, I-" She shuddered a sigh. "I could have stopped it... now, y- your hurt because of me. You were drugged, and bound, and- h- heaven knows what else... because of me... And I- I just-" Emily placed a hand firmly onto Charlie's thigh.

"Charlie. Sweetie. No. It's not because of you. It's because of them. We were ambushed by them, I was taken by them, it was them... and... and me..." She grimaced, staring down at her lap. "I- I'm a seraphim. But... Vaggie was there, and I was caught of guard and... and scared. I- I could've protected her. I could have snapped my fingers and taken them all out. B- but I didn't..." Emily sighed. "Then Vaggie got shot. And I got taken, and... that's it. It's my fault, okay!?" Emily barked, and the suddenness of it caused Charlie to jump a little. The seraph squeezed her eyes shut as she shuddered. "And I... part of me... was scared... I didn't want to kill them. I... that's how I fucked up and got all of us in this position in the first place! I had the opportunity to... to kill Lute, and I- I squandered it, and she took advantage, and that's why I'm here. I lost heaven. I killed my sister, and Sir Pentious is probably dead because of me too. You are all in danger because of me! Every person who will eventually die on the day Lute brings her armies to Hell will be my burden to bear! And what if one of them is one of you two!?" Emily hadn't noticed, but she had begun to cry. "Or Angel!? Or Husk, or anyone else who I've begun to treasure, I- You people are all I have now, and you might die and it'll be my fault!"

"Emily," Charlie grabbed the woman and pulled her into her, squeezing her tightly and burrowing herself into the disheveled mane of hair. "No. Don't you dare speak that way about yourself. You can't go around feeling bad about the past or the way you handled things, it just is. You did not 'cause Lute to be a crazy bitch and overthrow all of Heaven... you did not create Crimson, or offer for him to try and hurt you... You did not invite yourself to fall... You're... you're a gift, Emily. The... the single blessing to come out of this whole mess. You are kind, and gentle, and more heavenly and holy than any single other angel actually up there... You're... you're part of our family now, okay? Just like everyone else who walks through those doors... What I've seen... is a wonderful, beautiful girl who's been to Heaven and back, and stood up for what she believed in. Stood up against the corruption, and the hate... But... not everyone wanted to hear her..."

Charlie pecked a kiss to the seraph's hair and sighed. "So... some people hurt her... and took away the things she loved from her... and they sent her away... And since then, she's done nothing but fight for what she believes in. She came here... she's looked after us... both of us... through all of this... she's been there to carry both of us when we were at our worsts... and... we're here to carry her, when she needs it..." She gave the angel a gentle squeeze.

"And... after all of the cruelty she's experienced... she's still just Emily..." Charlie slowly led the angel by the chin to look her in the face. She had bags under her eyes due to lack of sleep and stress. Her hair was tossled and knotted and greasy, and strands of it were still stuck to her forhead due to the excessive heat from the women who were cuddling her, and most of all, adverse reactions to the drugs Crimson put her on. Her eyes were somewhat bloodshot due to excessive crying, and tears stained her cheeks, as well as the numerous fresh ones trickling out.

But she was still gorgeous. Maybe it was just a thing with angel's that they always looked beautiful no matter what. Or, maybe Charlie just thought she was that pretty. Or maybe Charlie just had a thing for angels... she definitely had a wing kink...

'Focus, Charlie, you dumbass..."

"She's still just Emily. Kind, beautiful, gentle, and holy... And I know she's doing her best... I just wish she could appreciate all she's doing as much as we do..."

Emily sobbed, folding into the other woman and burrowing herself in.

"Wh- Why, Charlie? Why are you being so nice to me..." Charlie chuckled softly.

"I just said why, sweetheart."

Emily gave a humorless chuckle.

"I- I suppose you did... I just... It's so hard to believe that..."

"It's true..." Vaggie spoke softly. Emily craned her neck to see the woman rolled over and propped up on her shoulder. "You've been nothing but good to us, Emily... And... it might seem like a short while... but it's not, is it... You've been clawing tooth and nail for us ever since you met us that first time in Heaven sure, it's a months time, but... you never stopped. You still are..."

Emily looked between the two, smiling between her tears. "Th- thank you two so much... I..." Emily sighed, shakily. "If I can take care of you and... and make you feel those ways then... I guess I'm doing pretty alright," she chuckled meekly. Vaggie scooted up behind her and wrapped an arme over her.

"You're doing wonderfully, baby." From the angels back, her two wings sprung fourth, and, as she shifted to tuck the other in close to her body, she drapped the other over Charlie and Emily, a fluffy, downy extension to the blanket already over them. Charlie gave a lofty giggle.

"Yayyyy, you're doing the wing thinggg!" She cooed. Vaggie snickered.

"Yes, sweetie, I know you've got a thing for wings. Though I have no idea why," she chuckled, teasingly. Charlie blushed.

"N- no- I- No... shut up..." She pouted. Emily gave her own tired giggle.

"You like wings huh? Well, I've got five of those," she purred seductively, and despite the exhaustion of all three women, and the disheveled form of the seraph who was now tracing a finger teasingly on the fabric of her top, she felt a burning heat between her legs.

"F- fuck..." She mumbled involuntarily. Emily gave an airy little giggle covering it elegantly with her hand. Well, at least as elegant as she could given the state she was in.

"Wowzers, Vaggie, you're right, she does have a thing for them."

"I don't have a thing for them, I just-"

"Charlie," Vaggie spoke blankly. "Considering all the other things you're into, this is one of the tamer ones. No need to be coy about it."

Charlie loudly cleared her throat. "I can't believe I'm getting this lecture from my little rope bunny." Charlie oozed smugly. Vaggie let out a little meep as her face dyed gold.

"Y- you knock it off, missy!"

"What's a... 'rope bunny?'" Emily cocked her head not unlike a confused puppy. Both the other angel and the princess's face both dyed their different shades of embarrassment.

"W- we should go to bed..." Charlie chuckled out, "N- none of us have slept very well.."

"I agree..." Emily said softly. "But, I do feel a little gross... I might go shower first..."

"Fair. You are a lil stinky," Charlie teased. Emily gave a scoff of mock offense at her.

"You're telling me you're not hot for a girl who smells like sweat and dingy storage closet?!"

"That," Charlie snickered, "is actually, in fact, something I don't have a kink for." She gave the girl an earnest smile. "Go and clean yourself up, Emmy. We'll be waiting."

Vaggie opened her wing to allow the seraph to, 'escape,' and she did so thusly, giving a tender smile back at her partners, slowly shuffling out the bedroom door so she could head to her room where her clothes were kept.

As Emily finally entered her bedroom, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She gave a glance around as if making sure nobody was watching her before opening the search engine and typing in her query...

What is a rope bunny?

Her face yellowed richly as she read the results.

"Oh... Oh my..."