Hello again everyone! I'm on a writing high at the moment and I came up with this idea out of the blue and might make it into a longer series. I'm unsure just yet so I'm gonna be posting this on its own as a separate entity just in case I get any more ideas for this version of events.

The prompt idea that made this all come to be: What would happen if Charlie saw what happened to Vaggie? Or at least the end of it. I figured it would change some aspects of their relationship or how they would interact initially so I figured I would give it a shot lol

Anyway! Rambling aside, please enjoy!

I screamed in agony as I felt the flesh attached to my wings rip in response to Lute's ruthless pull on their attachment.

"Stupid bitch!" I cried out as she slammed her boot into my back to hold me down as she tore the rest of the wing apart from my skin. Gold blood dripped from my eye as I felt as if my bones were being pulled apart from my spine. "You had one goddamn job. You used to be good at this but one little shit makes you forget your place? They're a sinner. Just like the other thousands you've killed, you worthless skank."

"They," I coughed as I felt her put more pressure on my back. A crack could be heard deep within me as I cried out in pain once more. "A child!"

"A sinner all the same. The worse in my book."

"Quit taking your time, Lute. Just kill the bitch and get moving. I want us to beat last year's quota."

"With pleasure." I could hear the sinister smile that must have been on Lute's face as I felt the cold of her blade touching the back of my neck.

At least I die with a purpose this time around.

I closed my good eye and released a shaken breath as I felt a hand grip at my head to bring my head up for a cleaner slice.

Maybe there will be peace with my second death. Something good on the other side.

Suddenly a loud bell could be heard in the distance and my head was dropped suddenly which caused it to smack heavily into the ground. A groan escaped me as a voice called out in the distance.

"Hey! Your time for the Execution is over! Leave them alone!"

"Shit," I heard Adam hiss as I heard a loud thud fall beside me. "Lucifer's little bitch is right and heading this way. Don't need them making the situation any worse than it already is."

"What should I do then, sir?"

"Leave her bitch ass here. They want us to stop, they can deal with the mess. Not like she'll likely live in this state anyway." I groaned as Lute took her boot off my back and their wings fluttered as if gearing to leave. "Enjoy, the damned, bitch. Since you wanted to spare one so badly, you can stay and learn from your mistake." I could feel the swoosh of wind that came from them flying off into the air as I finally took a full breath for the first time in what felt like years with my chest no longer being pushed further into the ground beneath me. I coughed and could taste the bitter iron of blood in my mouth as hurried footsteps ran up beside me.

"Whoa whoa whoa, don't move so much! You lost a lot of blood!" A worried voice rushed through her words as I felt gentle hands place themselves on my back to steady me. "Just relax. They're gone now. They can't hurt you anymore." The tone of her voice was soothing. It reminded me of an enchanted chorus that humans would compare to an angel's choir. I turned my head slowly to look up toward the woman to take in her pale skin and deep red eyes. "I've got you." Her long blonde hair was tied behind her with three hair ties as if it could keep her golden mane in place, but a single lock of hair slipped out and danced in her face as she worked on gathering something out of her red suit jacket.

"Who," I spit to the side to rid my mouth of the bitter taste of my blood as I felt the demon work at moving pieces of my armor away. "Who are you?"

"I'm Charlie." I glanced over to see a soft grin take over her lips before wiping a little sweat off her forehead with the back of her forearm. Little traces of my blood on her hands as she gave me a small giggle before she spoke once more. "And I guess I'm your guardian angel." She shrugged before moving back to the gapping wounds on my back as I could feel her dressing my wounds with gentle little motions. "Or I guess a guardian demon in this situation. Odd, but I guess whatever helps." I felt my face warm as I stared at her focused expression as she covered my open wounds. "It's gonna be okay though. I'm gonna take care of you, okay? Lucky for you, my father always insists on me carrying angelic supplies in case something like this happens. He always held out hope he wouldn't be the only angel to push back against the Heavens." She stopped for a second to look off toward the side with a quirked eyebrow before continuing. "Though, I can't tell just yet if he's going to be happy about not being the only one or if he's going to want to burn the Heavens after what I saw them do to you. Probably the latter, knowing dad, actually."

"Lucifer," Adam's words finally made sense as whatever Charlie was placed on my back made the ache numb away. "You're a Morningstar." I tensed under her hands as she aided me to an upright position. "What-. What do you want with me?" I watched as her eyebrows knitted together with a sense of sadness in her eyes as she moved my short hair away from the gaping hole where my eye once was.

"No one deserves to die more than once." Her words were barely above a whisper and I watched her take a gauze pad to soak up the excess blood that poured from my eye socket. "I never thought I would see them turn on their people. What they did to you is unforgivable. It's a worse sin than any of my people have ever committed." Her fingers were so precise yet light with every stroke. As if she was afraid I would break with too much pressure with the state I was in before her. My chest piece disregarded on the ground and in such a vulnerable state before a demon, but she treated me like I was a fragile piece of art that needed to be restored. "When I saw the boy run as if he was given a second chance to live from this alley, I knew something happened down here." Her voice was so light yet filled with such pain for my situation. "I never thought it would lead me to this."

"Did he make it then?" The words escaped me without hesitation as Charlie's hand suddenly stopped its movements. "The kid?"

"You-." Her voice sounded as if it was dripping in awe despite being quite silent in the wreckage of the Execution. "You saved him?"

"He," I took a shaky breath as Charlie watched me intently. "He reminded me of someone I used to know. He's just a kid. I couldn't find it in myself to kill him." Silence filled the air between us as the softest look I have ever witnessed, living or dead, took over the demon's face as she took her hands away to grab a kind of wrap from her little kit.

"Wanna know what I think that makes you?" I held my breath for what felt like an hour as she moved my chopped hair out of the way once more before taking the wrapping and covering the wounded socket. "I think that makes you more of an angel than of them."

For a demon, her voice could be mistaken for one from the Heavens.

I felt something in my chest flutter as an ached smile took over my lips.

"Thank you, Charlie." A blush seemed to take over the demon's face as a wide toothy grin spread across her face. Her fangs were showing but despite the little demonic features, I could swear she was an angel in her own regard just by the look of her. I guess that's what happens when your father is a fallen himself.

"All I do is to help others. Especially my people." She raised to her feet before holding out a hand toward me. "And I guess now you're one of them too." I glanced between her face and her hand for a split second before taking it without a hint of worry in my system.

"I guess so too."

I'm thinking of making this the sort of thing where it's that kind of relationship-building story lines leading up to the events of the hotel with alternating perspectives! I don't quite know just yet but you know, I'll figure it out as I go lol Never been good at those story-planning things... Blame the ADHD lol