As soon as Alastor had left for the cabaret Beth set to work on her newest scheme. Charlie needed proof that humans were not all bad and her brother definitely needed some new relationships in his life. Beth's solution to both problems? Fix the two of them up. Now granted, Alastor didn't want a big social life but Beth could tell that he did want one special person to always be there for him and for years that had been Beth but she couldn't stay with him forever. But she also couldn't just leave him all alone. So that was why she was so determined to find someone for him.
But she was not one to pick just any pretty face to set him up with. He wasn't like other men who wanted to mess around with the ladies and "Get it on" as Angel put it to her once. He didn't need a girlfriend. He needed a true love. He needed someone who he could connect with and share a life with. And Beth's instincts told her that Charlie was just the right woman. After all she had everything that Alastor preferred in a woman.
1. Looks like an angel
2. Has eyes that are different colors
3. Smells like flowers without wearing perfume
4. Sings just as good as their mother did.
Okay maybe the fourth one had yet to be confirmed but she was willing to bet her life that Charlie possessed that wonderful quality. And if she and Alastor fell in love then her father couldn't possibly flood the earth or whatever. It was a perfect plan save for one issue.
"How am I going to get them together when she doesn't even have legs?" She thought.
Even if Charlie permitted Beth to reveal she was a mermaid to Alastor, she was certain that he wouldn't be interested in something with a fish tail. Not at first that is. Perhaps she could get a wheel chair, cover Charlie's tail with a blanket, and make it look like she was paralyzed or something? But where would she even get a wheel chair? For an entire she racked her brain for any kind of answer to her problem but nothing came up.
Knock-knock!
Beth didn't say a word or make a sound as she approached the front door. She looked through the peep hole to see Angel standing outside. She rolled her eyes in irritation and opened the door for him.
"Hello Angel." She greeted.
"Hello strawberry 'short' cake."
She glared at him. Once again he couldn't resist teasing her about her height.
"I brought you dinner." He held up a bagged meal.
"Give it to me and leave." She told him.
"Nope. Gotta let me in to get the goodies."
"I don't think so. Alastor just cleaned the place."
"Suit yourself. Go hungry."
"For your information I couldn't be more full."
On cue her stomach began to growl. Angel gave her a smug look. She huffed and eventually consented to allowing him insides.
"Thank you." He said handing her the bag.
"Why do you even want access to my house?" She asked.
"Well for one thing I have to take a whizz. It was either do it in your bathroom or in the grass outside."
"In that case I'm happy to have spared the world from extreme mental scarring that would come from seeing whatever hideous thing exists in your crotch area."
"Watch it squirt! You may be a kid but can I do terrible things to you without actually hurting you."
"Your threats are meaningless. I've already seen the horror that is you wearing just a pair of speedos. Ugh! I've never been so revolted in my life."
"Hey! This body is flawless and I have the many admirers to prove it."
"Alastor told me that all your admirers dumped you and that you're recent one almost had you arrested."'
"Damn it! How many times have I told him not to tell you about my social life!" He cursed.
"Well how many times has he told you not to curse in front of me?"
"Touche. You're growing up smart, aren't ya?"
"Is that a problem?"
"No but sometimes smart people get on my nerves."
"Why? Because they have a brain and you don't?"
"Brat!"
"Nimrod!"
"Twerp!"
"Moron!"
"Runt!"
"Ignoramus!"
"Huh? What the hell is that?"
"I rest my case."
"Look if you're going to insult me at least do it in English."
"That was English you half-wit!"
They probably would have spent the entire evening going at each other but nature called to Angel and he went to relieve himself. Once he was done he started checking around the house and making sure that Beth hadn't been up to anything fishy, per Alastor's request. When everything seemed to be in order, he made ready to leave.
"Well I'd love to stay and chat kid but I have plans." He said.
"Going to watch Alastor perform tonight?" She asked.
"No way. As much as I support the guy I wouldn't set one foot into the Clarie de Lune. Miss Rosie doesn't take kindly to people working at Val's circus."
"You're working for her rival?"
"Hey it's nothing personal. I just need money. Anyway I hope Al knows what he's doin working for her."
"Why do you say that?"
"She's a very intimidating woman. Intimidating and scary."
"She seemed very nice to me."
"That's because you don't piss her off like Valentino and anyone employed by him. I swear to you kid, she's Jekyll and Hyde. Sweet and ladylike one minute and then angry and psycho the next. Some folks say that she has a heart of ice and others even say that she's a witch or something."
"A witch?"
"Rumors say that her grandmother was some kind of voodoo lady or pagan or whatever. That she would preform these rituals and sell these bottles of liquid that she claimed to be potions. Sounded like a snake oil scheme to me. Anyway after the old hag croaked, she left Rosie some of her 'mystic items' and some paranoid loons think she's doing witchcraft or something."
"You don't believe that?"
"Meh...She's scary but not that scary. If you ask me that creepy junk is what's keeping the customers away. She keeps them in that cabaret you know."
"I didn't see anything like that when I went in there the other day."
"They're located in a room just next to the stage or so I was told. I've never actually been in there but Val has and sometimes I get the feeling that he actually buys into that voodoo, witch doctor crap."
"Why?"
"Every time he tries to send a snitch over he insists that they swipe something from that room. Greedy and crazy, go figure."
As she listened to Angel's words, another idea began to form in Beth's mind. An idea regarding Rosie's secret collection of "mystic items." Now on one hand they could probably be nothing more than regular knick-knacks. Items that serve no purpose except to be apart of decor or help Rosie hold on to the memory of her grandmother. But on the other hand, mermaids had just be proven to be real to her and also sea witches, and if Beth's plan was to work then she would need something mystique. No harm in trying to find out if the items were the real deal, right?
"Angel can you do me a favor?"
"I just did. I brought you dinner."
"Technically I didn't ask you for that favor, Alastor did. But here's mine. Would you mind driving me down to the cabaret? I want to watch Alastor perform."
"Why didn't you just go with him when he left earlier?"
"I didn't really think about it. Besides there's nothing interesting to watch on TV, it's took dark for me to go outside, and I'm not just ready to go to sleep yet. So could you please give me a ride?"
"Let me think. No."
"Why not?"
"I already told you, I have plans tonight. I have a date."
"With what?"
"Ha-ha, very funny and for your information it's two dates. A husband and wife who want to add something new to their intimacy if you know what I mean."
"You're disgusting."
"And you're annoying. Point is I can't take you anywhere tonight so goodbye."
"Fine. Be that way. I can always hear Alastor sing tomorrow and while I'm at it why I don't tell him who really gave me that X-rated video when I was eight?"
Angel became perfectly still and gave her a wary look. She in turn gave him her own smug look.
"You wouldn't." He said.
"Try me." She dared.
"Beth you know that was an accident! I would have never given you that tape if I had known that it came from my private collection and you didn't even watch it. Alastor read the label before you put the tape in! I didn't do anything wrong!"
"If that's true then why did you beg me to tell him that I got it from a hobo? Oh that's right. IT was because Alastor said that if he ever found the perverse scum bag who tried to expose such vulgarity to my innocent mind, he would use him to teach me all about circumcision."
Angel gulped.
"Like you said Angel, I'm growing up smart." She said.
"And devious." He added with a grunt. "Just like your brother. He wasn't above blackmail either."
"So do I have a ride to the show tonight?"
"Get in the car you little demon spawn.
"Thank you." She replied in a sweet tone.
She grabbed the spare key Alastor gave her, locked the front door when they went outside, and drove off to the cabaret in his car.