Before the Peppermint Puss even had its first customer for the day, Dominique was in a cheerful mood while she continued wiping down the bar. Her reason for being in such a happy mood: she heard that her sister had a wonderful time on her date. She didn't even need Desiree to tell her anything, the evidence was ALL there. The selfies she took on Sinstagram for one, and there was also the fact that she didn't come home until the early hours of the next day, and when she did, she had the most satisfied grin any Succubus could muster… Pretty similar to how Johnny looked when he came dancing through the front door that very same morning. His face twisted into a goofy grin and his mouth housing a celebratory cigarette.
"Aaaah, what a night!" he said with giddy glee.
"Date went well, did it?" Dominique asked playfully, though the look on Johnny's face was more than enough to give her the right answer.
"Last night was an absolute experience," Johnny answered happily as he waltzed towards the bar, feeling light as a feather as he spun across the floor. Had anyone else seen him, they would probably assume that he was drunk. "We talked… we danced… we drank champagne til the break of dawn!"
"You did pages 1 through 37 of the Kama Sutra!" Dominique blurted out, unable to contain her laughter.
Normally such a comment would cause him to be flustered, but today, he was so happy that he couldn't give more of a rat's ass even if he tried. Joking aside though, Dominique WAS happy for both Johnny and her sister. She would have to remember to congratulate her when she got off work later.
"Well, I suppose getting into a car chase with a pair of Hellhounds would get a LITTLE heat going, huh?" she commented.
It was only then that Johnny suddenly stopped dancing, his face contorted into a look of horror as he snapped his head over towards the other side of the bar.
"How'd you know about that!?" he blurted out, giving Dominique cause to smirk.
"Dude, my sister told me EVERYTHING when she came home," she replied casually. "Hell, she couldn't shut up about how amazing last night was…"
At that moment she suddenly looked down at Johnny's body, specifically the area between his legs.
"…ALL of last night."
Seeing his coworker wiggle her eyebrows at him, the bashful look on Johnny's face increased tenfold, and Dominique loved every second of it. He probably shouldn't be too embarrassed though. After all, he should probably expect these sorts of comments on the regular now that he was dating a Succubus, especially from her sister. Still… Dominique didn't have to ogle him like that.
"Oh man…" he uttered, his face beet red as he took a seat at the bar.
"Well, y'all seem chipper today."
Quickly reacting to the sound of that new, yet familiar voice, both Johnny and Dominique turned towards the entrance to see none other than Ember walking towards the bar with a smile on her face. Upon seeing her, Johnny's face quickly returned to normal and an eyebrow was raised.
"Ember, hey," he greeted as the pretty Imp took a seat at the bar next to him. "The hell are you doing here?"
"Had the day off, so figured I'd drop by and check out the place where Mick used to work," Embee replied casually before giving Dominique a small smirk. "AND I'm also here to collect my winnings."
Oh, come on! SHE was in on the pool too!? Well, from the sound of it, it appeared as though she was betting on Johnny getting the girl… at least that's what Johnny was hoping to be the case.
"Wait… what exactly did you bet?" he asked, unable to resist asking such a question.
Thankfully, Ember had no qualms in answering.
"30 Souls for your lady to say yes, and another 10 for your date to end in success," she said cheerfully before holding out her hand across the bar. "Odds were 2 to 1 so… money please?"
Dominique, of course, only smirked and rolled her eyes at the request.
"Yeah, yeah, just give me a moment," she said, reaching under the bar and pulling out a small metal box that Johnny assumed had everyone's money in it.
As soon as the Succubus undid the lock and popped open the lid, Johnny once again found his jaw dropping down to the floor. Even after Dominique picked out a large number of souls and handed them over to Ember, it was practically peanuts compared to what was left over. The sheer amount of bills and coins lining up the box's interior must have been enough to buy his van and then some!
"Jeez, is there anyone who's NOT in on this pool!?" Johnny exclaimed, feeling both exasperated and maddened by everyone betting on his love life.
Suddenly, something burst through the front door that increased his stress levels well past breaking point.
SLAM!
"The fun has ariiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiived!"
The instant the Greaser saw the familiar diminutive Imp strutting into the club, his entire forehead became littered with pulsating veins of rage.
"Get. Out!" he snapped, giving Buzz a glare that could kill a Goetia.
Stolas's Gardener, however, remained unphased by the outburst.
"Oh, hey, Johnny!" he greeted. "I thought you'd be in the ER."
Once again, the Imp was nonchalantly pushing every rage-inducing button in Johnny's head. In fact, it took every ounce of willpower to keep his clones from breaking off and fileting this little lunatic.
"The fuck are you even doing here!?" the Greaser demanded, only to hear Dominique sighing in response to his words.
"Oh, right… him," she uttered, awkwardly scratching the back of her head. "Yeah, you see he had the SPECIAL bet in the pool, so I had to call him for his winnings too."
The moment she said that, Johnny snapped and gave the Succubus a look of genuine disbelief.
"HE was in on the pool too!?" he exclaimed.
"HE won the largest pot," Dominique retorted, much to Johnny's further shock.
"Damn straight!" Buzz laughed, climbing up the barstool on Johnny's other side and giving the Succubus a shit-eating grin. "And I'll take my cash now please, and I'll take Mick and Octavia's winnings too if that's okay."
As if to add insult to injury, Dominique once again brought out the winnings. After which she took a small amount of money out of the box before sliding the whole thing over to Buzz, much to Johnny's further anxiety.
"You have got to be FUCKING! KIDDING ME!" he snapped, feeling like he was about to pop a blood vessel over how much the insane Imp won.
Needless to say, Dominique shared in his exasperation as she rubbed her temple.
"Believe me, we're just as shocked as you are," she pointed out. "I mean HIS bet had odds that were so high because no one else would even consider it. No one thought this one would actually WIN."
Hearing that, Ember couldn't help but raise a confused eyebrow.
"Sorry, y'all lost me," she said.
"That Imp was the only one who bet that my sister would say yes to a date but it would also end up in a car chase between a pair of pissed-off Hellhounds," Dominique elaborated. "I mean, who the fuck would see that coming!?"
Unable to get over the shock, both Johnny and Ember stared at Buzz with their jaws dropped, unable to fathom how the Imp could have predicted such an outcome.
"Meh, what can I say? Even a blind squirrel catches nuts from time to time," he stated with a shrug, counting up his winnings before pocketing some and rolling up the rest. "So where is the lucky lady anyway?"
"Day off," Dominique stated bluntly. "So… any ideas of what you're gonna do with your winnings, little guy?"
"Not sure," Buzz replied with yet another shrug. "Though there is that new flamethrower I had my eye on for a while."
Chuckling at his own words, Buzz only gave Johnny and Ember a small grin as he gave them even more of a reason to be disturbed. To be more specific, he rolled up his winnings, and shoved them inside a small balloon that he took from his pocket before tying it off and SWALLOWING it! Seeing that, both Sinner and Imp cringed in disgust, while the Succubus only rolled her eyes. After all, it wouldn't be the first time she had seen someone act like a drug mule in this pit. Suddenly, to everyone's surprise, Ember let out a small laugh.
"Wow, Mick really does have the most colourful friends, don't he?" she asked, choosing to ignore her unease and look upon the lighter side of this whole exchange.
At those words, Johnny couldn't help but smile himself.
"Yeah… can't argue with that," he said, giving Buzz cause to chuckle again.
"Yup!" the smaller Imp declared with a large smile. "And out of all of them, I'm the best buddy of the bunch"
Johnny, of course, could only scoff at that.
"Noooooo, I'M his best pal," he stated with a huff. "He's just stuck with YOU."
Once again, Buzz remained unphased over what was clearly an insult.
"Keep telling yourself that, greasy boy," he retorted, giving Johnny cause to slam his face against the bar.
"ARGH! How is it that after nearly 50 years of being in this shithole, YOU are the one thing that makes it actually FEEL like Hell!?" he exclaimed, only to receive one of Buzz's signature laughs.
"Just lucky, I guess," he cackled.
Once again, Ember couldn't help but laugh at the exchange, so much so that she, at first, didn't even notice when Dominique slid a glass filled with whiskey in front of her and then went back to work.
"So 50 years, huh?" she uttered with a curious tone, "Does that mean I should start calling you Gramps?"
Hearing that, Johnny could only give Ember a deadpan glare and bluntly say a single word.
"No."
"Ah relax, leather man, I'm just messing with ya," Ember reassured him, though not without stifling another amused laugh. "Still, I assume Mick hasn't been down here as long as you, right? I mean no offense but the getup and hair's a bit of a giveaway of what time periods you both come from."
Those words, however, only gave Johnny cause to pout.
"Hey, don't go dissing the do," he argued. "And for the record, I come from a time period where EVERYTHING was cool."
"Well, everything except YOU if your previous luck with the ladies is any indication," Buzz snickered… only to suddenly get his stool knocked over and send him crashing to the floor. "OOF!"
"That's strike 1, Sugar," Ember stated proudly as she retracted her tail from the leg of Buzz's stool.
After he realized what had happened, it was Johnny's turn to laugh.
"HA!" he exclaimed with a smirk. "I LIKE you, lady."
"Likewise, Snake Eyes," Ember retorted, returning the gesture.
After that, Johnny's mood took a much lighter turn. Even as the Imp climbed back onto the stool, something about seeing him in pain almost felt… therapeutic. With that one single act of revenge, Ember had fully gained the Snake Demon's respect. So much so, that he couldn't help but ask a certain question that had been on his mind since yesterday.
"So… you and Mick, huh?"
Hearing those words come out of Johnny's mouth, Ember's face immediately turned a deeper shade of red, still feeling sheepish over how she inadvertently blurted out such information yesterday.
"Well… only once," she admitted, much to Johnny's intrigue, "But don't think I'm planning on stealing him or nothing! I know better than to mess with another gal's man… without permission anyway."
"… Say what?" Johnny uttered, wondering if he heard that last part correctly.
At those words, Ember's sheepish look immediately turned into a smirk.
"Hey, I already banged the guy. It's only a matter of time before I bang his girl too… then hopefully the two of them together. Always wondered what royalty tasted like if you know what I mean."
Of course, everyone within earshot DID know what she meant, and as such, everyone had a different reaction to hearing such a statement. Buzz was, of course, indifferent since such a thing was practically commonplace from his own experience. Dominique gave the Imp a nod of approval, being a Succubus, she couldn't help but feel a certain type of respect for feats of sexual conquest. As for Johnny, he quickly found himself completely floored over how his best friend was able to have two women fall for him, one who was Demon royalty and the other an attractive lady who swung both ways… that lucky bastard!
"Oh, speaking of which," Ember continued, taking a sip of her drink. "I gotta ask. Has Mick ever... confided in you with anything?"
"How'd you mean?" Johnny asked curiously.
"Well… It's just that I promised Mick that I'd help him out with this whole thing with his Princess, and I feel like a little context might help me out a bit," Ember elaborated, taking another sip of whiskey.
Though somewhat taken aback by the question, Johnny could understand the logic behind it. So this country Imp was also trying to help Mick get the girl, huh? That Cat WAS one incredibly lucky bastard if he could score this kind of lady.
"He hasn't told you much, huh?" the Greaser asked, only to receive a small sigh in response.
"'Fraid not," Ember admitted. "Compared to you folks, I'm still basically the new kid in town. So I don't think he told me as much about him as you."
Hearing that, Johnny could sense the honesty in Ember's tone, so much so that he felt no hesitation whatsoever in opening up with her.
"Well… there's not really much to tell if I'm being honest," he said, much to Ember's surprise. "The guy might have been down here for 14 years but I've only known him for three. Plus he never really talked about his life before we met. Hell, the only solid thing I DO know is that he died only a year after his mom did."
The moment Johnny spoke those last few words, it was Ember's turn to be taken aback.
"W-what?" she uttered.
"Yeah, he wouldn't say how, but I guess that her death became too much for him," Johnny elaborated with a solemn look on his face. "So I didn't bother questioning him about it."
Poor Mick… if that truly was the case, then it was no wonder he wouldn't want to talk about it; who in his circumstance would? Seeing the sympathetic gaze smeared across Ember's face as she looked down at her drink, Johnny couldn't help but sigh from his own words. Even Buzz found himself falling silent as such a serious topic was suddenly within earshot. Even if he WAS crazy, there was nothing funny about something like that.
"Yeah I know, it's horrible, isn't it?" Johnny continued. "It's kinda fucked up actually. I mean, his mom dies and he gets sent down here because he couldn't handle the grief? How the fuck is that fair!?"
"And people wonder why most of us hate the people of Heaven down here," Buzz added, bringing about the only statement Johnny actually agreed with since he walked into the club. "And don't even get me started on those Cherubs that do the fucking commercials."
"Ugh, those guys?" Ember muttered in disgust, knowing exactly what commercials her fellow Imp was talking about. "They really are the… wait…"
Suddenly Ember's words fell silent in her throat as one particular detail of Johnny's explanation rushed through her head.
"Did you say… 14 years?" she asked, giving Johnny a serious glare. "And his mama died a year before that?"
"That's what I said," Johnny confirmed, understandably raising a confused eyebrow. "Why?"
Now that she thought about it, Ember DID remember Mick mentioning something similar the night before he left the Wrath Ring after they both slept together. To be more specific, it was when the topic of his Rosario came up, that he told her that he lost his sister-figure 7 years ago… and lost his mother 8 years before that… 15 years! It… it couldn't be possible, could it? No! Ember needed more information before she started shooting accusations!
"Did Mick… did he ever mention anything about his pa?" she asked, confusing Johnny even further, especially considering the suspicious tone she was using.
"Well, no, he didn't like to-" the Greaser began, only for Buzz to immediately cut him off.
"He never knew the guy, apparently,"
"He told you that!?" Johnny exclaimed, shocked that his friend would confide in the Imp with such a detail and not him.
It was at those particular words that Buzz's usually deranged smile suddenly turned awkward.
"Well… no," he admitted, pressing his fingers together like a school girl trying to escape the scolding from a teacher. "I… MIGHT have been eavesdropping in the air vent when he and Octavia were hiding out in the Music Room a couple of months back. It was a... rough time, so they were both spilling their guts out… IT'S NOT CREEPY!"
Once again, the small Imp's exploits were cause for many, MANY concerns for everyone within earshot. So much so that one couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't been locked in an asylum yet. As disturbing as that sounded, however, Johnny couldn't help but feel a small bit of relief at that. Of course, it was Octavia Mick confided in, that makes SO much more sense than spilling his guts to THIS lunatic.
"So what did he say?" the Greaser asked, his own curiosity adding to Ember's as they both listened hard to what the Imp had to say.
"Uh… I'm not sure that I should-" Buzz awkwardly tried to say, only to suddenly be cut off himself.
"BUZZ!" Ember snapped, causing an immediate flinch in response.
"Okay!" the smaller Imp quickly retorted, snapping up his hands in surrender. "Apparently, his dad ran off with some whore when he was 2, it was just him and his mom ever since. Ya happy!?"
As fast and abrupt as the explanation was as it shot out of Buzz's mouth, it nonetheless gave Ember even more of a reason to be suspicious, and as such, a desperate need for even more information.
"When he was two?" she repeated, scratching her chin in thought before once again focusing her attention on Johnny. "How old was Mick when he died? Do you know?"
Needless to say, Johnny wasn't all that comfortable with answering such personal questions behind his friend's back, but given how serious Ember's tone was, he felt like he had no choice but to answer.
"About 17, I think?" he answered honestly, not really seeing the significance of the answer, at least not at that moment.
"17?" Ember repeated before she started muttering to herself as she tried doing a few pieces of math in her head. "So take away the 14 years he was here… 1 year between what happened to him and her… and the 15 before… that's an even 30… Holy fuck!"
"You have any idea what she's muttering about?" Johnny whispered, leaning close to Buzz as his unease began to grow with each passing second.
"Not a damn clue," Buzz replied in the same hushed tone.
Suddenly, the pair of them and Dominique were immediately startled as Ember shot up from her stool, knocking it over before she slammed her hands against the bar.
"HOLY FUCK!" she screamed, a look filled with shock and realisation spread across her face.
"Whoa, what's the matter!?" Dominique inquired, understandably unnerved by the Imp girl's outburst.
However, the only response Ember gave to that was finishing off the last of her whisky, slamming a few Souls on the bar and making her way towards the door.
"I gotta get back to the Retreat," she cried out. "NOW!"
Had it been anyone else who was there in the Peppermint Puss that day, they would have paid Ember no mind and chosen to continue their own personal business. However, since Ember's outburst clearly had something to do with their closest friend, both Johnny and Buzz had one of the rare moments where they actually agreed on something. Whatever was going through Ember's head, it was clear that Mick was at the centre of it, and as such, both Sinner and Imp couldn't leave well enough alone.
"Hold on, girl!" Johnny called out after her, following the Imp towards the door. "I'll give you a ride!"
"I'm coming too!" Buzz added as he followed suit. "No way I'm missing this."
After that, all three of them left the Peppermint Puss, leaving a very confused Dominique behind the bar to sigh and rub her temple with exasperation.
"I don't get paid enough for this shit…"
Soon enough, Johnny's van once again pulled up in front of the Rustler's Retreat and all three of its passengers disembarked and proceeded to rush inside the building. After she had informed Johnny and Buzz of her suspicions on the drive over, it was no surprise that the pair of them wanted to aid Ember in her pursuit of confirmation. With such a bombshell like this, how could they not? The moment all three of them burst through the front door, the trio quickly scanned the entire area for the one Demon they were looking for.
"There she is!" Ember snapped, pointing a finger towards the bar.
Sure enough, their target, AKA Shelly the Squirrel, was standing behind the bar, wiping a few glasses dry. The moment the trio saw her, they rushed towards that bar so fast, that they kicked up a cloud of bust by the front door.
"SHELLY!" Ember screamed, startling the Squirrel Demon back to reality.
"GAH!" she yelled, dropping the glass and shattering it on the floor before giving her employee a furious glare. "Damn it, Ember!"
"Sorry about that, Shelly," Ember apologised, still caught up in her excitement yet regretful for startling the elder Demon. "But we need to ask you something. It's kinda important."
"It better be," Shelly retorted, seemingly uncaring about the Imp's reasoning. "Otherwise that glass is coming out of YOUR wages."
This was it, no turning back now. The one piece of information that Ember needed to confirm her suspicions was about to be laid out before her. All she needed to do now was ask that question to bring everything all together.
"Your son…" she said, trying to make her tone as gentle as possible. "What was his name?"
Needless to say, being asked about such a personal, if not extremely private matter, felt completely out of the blue for the Squirrel Demon.
"Wha-what!?" she uttered, somehow feeling both perplexed and mortified at the same time. "I'm not telling you that!"
"Please, Shelly," Ember pushed. "I know what I'm asking may be invasive, but trust me, it's important."
Alas, Shelly remained reluctant to speak. That was when Buzz immediately lost patience before hopping up onto the bar, grabbed Shelly by the front of her shirt and pulled her close.
"TELL US, LADY!" he screamed in her face.
"NICK!" Shelly yelled back, her face filled with fear as she suddenly felt like she was being mugged. "My son's name was Nicholas Michalakos!"
Upon hearing the name spoken aloud, all three younger Demons were taken aback.
"Your son's name was NICK?" Ember uttered, soon finding herself under Shelly's hardened gaze.
"Yes," the Squirrel Demon confirmed, pulling herself free from Buzz's grip and giving the trio a hurt yet angry look. "Now what's this all about!?"
However, Ember couldn't bring herself to give her an answer. Had she been wrong this whole time? Were her suspicions just a wild theory she momentarily had going on in her head? No… no, that can't be right… could it? Before Ember could start overthinking the subject, Johnny suddenly placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered into her ear.
"Hang on, Ember," he said, his own tone remaining somewhat confident. "Sinners change their names after they die all the time… it MAY still be possible."
Clearly, Johnny hadn't given up just yet, and frankly, he was right to do so. Of course, there was still a chance! Ember didn't know why, but the curdling feeling in her stomach must have been a sign that the trio were still getting closer to confirming the truth… they just didn't ask the right question, that's all.
"Shelly," the Wrathian Imp started, giving the Squirrel Demon cause to give her a suspicious look. "If you don't mind us asking-"
"HOW DID YOU DIE!?"
Alas, once again, Buzz had suddenly grabbed Shelly by the front of her shirt and yelled in her face before Ember could even finish speaking, much to the latter's irritation.
"BUZZ!"
"What!?" Buzz retorted shamelessly. "Screw you guys, tact was getting us nowhere!"
As much as Ember wanted to scold Buzz for being so blunt and aggressive in his approach, she had to admit that he did manage to get to the point without beating around the bush… and what's more, it did seem to get results. Though it pained her to see Shelly so uncomfortable, Ember couldn't blame her for doing so. After all, who wouldn't look depressed after being forced to look back on one's own demise… and the people they had left behind? Seeing that neither Buzz, Johnny, nor Ember had any intention of dropping the subject, however, it wasn't as if Shelly could stay quiet no matter how much she wanted to.
"I… I don't know why you would ask me such a thing," she said hesitantly. "But if you must know… I… I died of pneumonia about 15 years ago."
At those words, both Johnny and Ember snapped their heads to look at Buzz, who stood there on the bar with his jaw dropped before he gave the two a fast, positive nod. With her suspicions finally confirmed, Ember almost broke down in tears of joy and awe right there and then.
"No. fucking. way," Johnny blurted out, feeling just as shocked as everyone else.
It was at this point, however, that Shelly had finally lost her patience with the three.
"Okay, seriously, what the fuck is going on!?" she snapped furiously, feeling personally attacked by this whole exchange.
Ember, however, only responded with a smile.
"Shelly," she said. "I believe there's someone you need to see…"
A fair distance from the Rustler's Retreat, in the staff Kitchen of the Goetia house, business went along as usual. While many of the staff continued their duties upstairs, the Chef continued to hum to himself as he continued to stir a huge pot of beef tenderloin curry, the current staff meal for this evening's dinner. Given it was the weekend, meaning that only Stolas remained in the house, his duties had fallen short as of late. While he may have been able to create grand meals, the Prince wasn't up for anything extravagant while his daughter was away, choosing mostly to stick to sandwiches, cereals and other simple things he could whip up himself. As such, the former pirate had taken it upon himself to put his culinary skills to good use in other ways to avoid getting rusty, namely putting a bit more panache into the meals he made for his colleagues. Such as it was for every weekend this past month.
Just as he was turning down the heat and sprinkling some fresh coriander into the pot, the Chef suddenly heard the oncoming clattering of china as two figures suddenly entered the kitchen, namely the two attendants and/or bodyguard of Princess Octavia, the pair of them looking a little tired from carrying the large stack of dirty bowls between them while Snowflake ran across the floor beneath their feet.
"Okay, seriously, how much emotional eating can one Prince do!?" Mick exclaimed, placing his half of the stack on the counter near the sink. "Seriously, this is like the third bunch of dishware we've brought down today."
"Is that really a question at this point?" Linda pointed out with a huff, adding her own plates to the pile.
"No use in complaining, you two!" the Chef called out from over his shoulder. "You know how Stolas can get when he's in a state like he's in now."
Both Linda and Mick, of course, let out a solemn sigh at that.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right," the Sinner admitted, scratching his head and leaning against the counter. "Can't say I blame him for it… he has been pretty down lately."
"I know what you mean," Linda said in agreement. "Ever since Lady Stella started taking Octi away to her brother's place for the weekend, the poor guy hasn't been able to see her as much… I kinda get where he's coming from, actually."
Hearing that, the Chef wasn't surprised in the slightest. Ever since the incident at the Triton Resort, the Lady of the house practically made it her mission to exclude those closest to Princess Octavia from their weekends away, which sadly included her father AND her two closest friends, leaving all three of them to wallow in the house until they came back. Not even the Kitsune pup she had grown fond of was allowed to come along, meaning that practically everyone was suffering except for the Queen Bitch herself… this may have been Hell but even the Chef found that sort of thing needlessly cruel.
"You're not still upset with Octi about what happened back at the Triton, are you?" Mick asked curiously, unable to resist the question now that the subject of said Goetia had been brought up.
"A little," Linda admitted with a frown. "I mean, she has been trying to earn my trust back since we got home, but it's not exactly like I can sweep everything under the rug."
Hearing that, Mick couldn't help but look back on how many times Octavia tried to set things right between her and the Imp since that night. Whether it was with the occasional gift or the comforting talk, nothing seemed to make the situation any less tense between them. Though given Linda's circumstances before she was sent to work here, Mick could certainly understand how she felt. Having been freed from Seth's control, only to risk going back to such an awful place due to the decisions of someone you trusted, of course, that would be upsetting. And no amount of special treatment was going to make up for that instantaneously. In all honesty, it was practically a miracle that Linda was still even talking to Octavia after that.
"Don't get me wrong, I understand that she was caught in an inescapable scenario," Linda reassured the Sinner. "After all, if she didn't take that bet, then Googoo or Seth might have just attacked all three of us right there and then. Still, it's… It's gonna take a little more time for things to go back to normal between us… if it ever does."
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Suddenly, everyone found themselves snapping their heads towards the door, their faces immediately shrouded in confusion.
"Are you expecting any deliveries today, Chef?" Mick asked, receiving a perplexed shrug from the giant crustacean.
"Not that I'm aware of," the Chef answered honestly, unsure of whether he actually had put in an order for something and forgotten about it.
Getting a sense of deja vu, Mick cautiously made his way towards the door and looked through the peephole. Upon seeing the familiar face on the other side, he instantly gasped and yanked the door wide open.
"Ember!?"
Sure enough, the individual standing before him at the base of the stairs was none other than his friend from the Wrath Ring… along with Johnny and Buzz for some reason… Wait, what!?
"Am I missing something here?" Mick uttered, understandably confused by the current scenario. "Since when have you guys known each other?"
"It's a long story, buddy," Johnny calmly said, desperately trying to hide how anxious he was currently feeling.
At that moment, Linda came walking up to the door from behind Mick, her curiosity matched only by her sudden surprise upon seeing some familiar faces.
"Buzz? Johnny?" she uttered, her face having a small blush upon seeing Ember for the first time. "Uh, Mick… who's the sexy country girl?"
Hearing Ember slightly giggle at that remark, Linda's blush immediately intensified due to the sudden embarrassment. Though at the moment, no one felt more awkward than Mick did.
"Oh… um, Linda, this is Ember, a friend I made during my time in Wrath," he answered, anxiously scratching the back of his neck.
"So YOU'RE Linda, hmm?" Ember added, unable to keep herself from acting all gushy upon seeing the skittish kitten of an Imp before her. "Well, aren't you the most adorable little thing!"
Needless to say, Linda's embarrassment increased tenfold upon hearing that, so much so that she couldn't help but bury her blushing face in her palms and hide behind Mick for comfort. As cute as the display was, however, Ember's gushing didn't last long. Right now, she had something much more important to prioritize.
"Mick…" she said, her tone suddenly going from soft and bubbly to stern and without hesitation. "You went by another name before you died, didn't you?"
Not liking where this subject was leading to in the slightest, Mick immediately scowled under his mask.
"I don't see how that's any of your business," he said bluntly, turning his attention towards Buzz and Johnny. "Didn't take either of you for a pair of Nosey Parkers either."
"Hey, come on, bud," Johnny stated softly. "I know it's personal, but you can tell us, right?"
"Yeah, we're your pals," Buzz added.
However, Mick harshly refused to back down.
"None. of. your. business!" he snapped, deciding to nip this subject in the bud right here and now before something he didn't want revealed came to light. "Now, I don't want to be rude but-"
"NICK MICHALAKOS!"
The instant that Ember screamed that name in his face, Mick's eyes shrank in horror. She… she had learned the existence of that name… HIS name. But HOW!? He hadn't used it in so many years, and he sure as hell didn't tell anyone about the change since he started going by "Mick Nikos". It shouldn't even be POSSIBLE!
"Wha… where did you…" the Cat Demon babbled, unable to form proper words due to the shock.
This was it, the final confirmation Ember had been looking for. Now to put all the pieces together.
"We were told… by someone you know."
The moment those words left Ember's mouth, she, Johnny and Buzz stepped aside, allowing a new individual to make their way down the stairs, someone… familiar. Of course, while Linda may have known her from the Rustler's Retreat, Mick found this new Demon familiar for a whole different reason. True, as a Sinner, her appearance had changed a lot, but there were things that Mick would know anywhere. That long, silky hair, the round, tinted glasses and the gentle face that looked back at him with tear-filled eyes… no… it couldn't be… could it?
"N-Nicky?" Shelly uttered, her voice being the final nail in the coffin that caused Mick's heart to once again stop beating in his chest.
…
"Mom?"
That was the last thing the Cat would say before his eyes suddenly rolled back, followed by a loud thud as he collapsed to the floor.
"Huh…" Buzz uttered. "He actually took it better than I thought."
When word spread around the Goetia house about who had suddenly arrived, the entire staff were instantly in an uproar. After Mick had collapsed on the kitchen floor, both Johnny and the Chef carried him upstairs to the main house. Given the circumstances, they figured that resting him on the sofa in the Goetia's living room would be a lot more comfortable for him than a bed in the Servant's Quarters, Lucifer knew he was going to need it. After that, everyone in the house practically swarmed the room demanding answers. Thankfully, the Chef was there to put a stop to all of that by his mere presence alone.
By the time everyone had calmed down, Jewel, Jessie, Chef, Johnny and Buzz were all waiting outside the living room doors, all of them eager to listen in on what was going on inside. With this being his day off, the only one who appeared to be absent from this group was Pringles… undoubtedly enjoying himself in the Lust Ring again. When Mick finally began to flutter his eyes open a couple of hours later, only Linda and Snowflake remained in the room with him.
"Ugh… What happened?" he uttered groggily, rubbing his sore head as he tried pulling himself up from the sofa.
"Easy, Mick," Linda said gently, helping Mick balance himself while Snowflake rested her head in his lap. "You took a bit of a bump when you collapsed."
"Collapsed?" Mick repeated, only at that moment taking a look at his surroundings. "Why are we up here? Weren't we in the kitchen?"
"We figured you needed some time to rest properly," Linda answered, not even bothering to go into details.
Mick couldn't help but groan at that, though he was nonetheless grateful for the assist.
"Where's Stolas?" he asked, noticing the absence of said Goetia almost immediately since this room was where he and Linda saw him last.
"The Prince had a sudden change of plans for the night," Linda replied, unable to resist smiling at the memory of how giddy said Goetia looked when he was getting ready earlier. "Big plans too, given the starry getup he had on."
Rolling his eyes at that, Mick couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"Probably something to do with his favourite pastime," he commented, knowing full well that there was only one out of two individuals who could make him act like that these days. "Well, at least he's happy. But why am I…"
Only then did Mick suddenly remember the reason why he collapsed in the first place. At that moment his eyes shrank once more and appeared to be on the verge of a panic attack. Having first-hand experiences with stressful situations, Linda immediately sprang into action. Grabbing a nearby glass and pitcher she had brought up earlier, she quickly poured out a cold glass of ice water. With how grateful the Imp was for Mick, who had helped her a lot since coming to this house, now it was her turn to help HIM, even if it was through something as simple as this.
"Here," she said, offering the Sinner the glass. "Drink."
After taking a few gulps of water, Mick slowly began to calm down, even if it was just by a little. Thankfully, Snowflake was also better than any therapy dog, meaning that all it took was a gentle nuzzle against her cheek to quell Mick's anxiety that much more… at least enough for the Cat Demon to regain his ability to form a complete sentence.
"Linda…" he uttered, almost pleading as he looked deep into the young Imp's eyes. "Please tell me that I was just hallucinating earlier."
Alas, Linda's look of unease spoke louder than any verbal response she could have come up with. As such, she chose to give Mick another moment to calm down before she began to inform him of everything she knew about the current situation.
Meanwhile, peeking through the gap in the door leading to the adjoining room, Ember let out a small sigh of relief upon seeing Mick finally up and about. After giving Linda a minute to explain everything, the Wrathian Imp stood up straight and turned to the only other Demon in the room with her. Seeing Shelly pacing across the floor with her hands gripping her hair, it didn't take a genius to see how much this whole scenario was stressing her out. Not that Ember could blame her, of course. After all, she was about to reunite with her son after 15 years, someone she had never thought she would ever see again no less.
Given the seriousness of the situation, it was no surprise that Ember had to clear the two rooms of everyone bar Mick's fellow attendant. While most of them meant well, surely it was better if mother and son could have the area to themselves without interference from the resident gawkers. The only reason she allowed Linda to stay was because she needed someone on Mick's side of the door to ease him into what was about to happen next. That being said, Ember herself wasn't having the same amount of luck when she tried doing the same with his Squirrel Demon mother.
"Okay, he's awake," she said calmly, softly closing the door. "You ready?"
Of course, it was pretty clear that the elder Sinner was FAR from being ready.
"I… I don't know if I can do this!" she exclaimed, much to Ember's frustration.
"What!?" she snapped. "Shelly, come on, that's your son in there!"
"But he thought I was in HEAVEN this whole time!" Shelly retorted. "How could I face him like… like this!?"
Hearing the shame oozing from the Squirrel Demon's voice, Ember's expression immediately softened. Clearly, this reunion was a lot more stressful and delicate than she initially realized… and a good chunk of that stress was being fueled by shame and regret.
"Shell…" the Imp uttered, only for her words to fail her once she saw the tears dripping from Shelly's eyes.
"15 years, Ember… we've been apart for 15 years!" the Sinner spoke softly, her voice breaking with every syllable that struggled to come out of her mouth. "And all this time, he was all by himself… my little boy's been here in this pit all by himself…"
Unable to hold back the tears any longer, Shelly immediately began to break down, causing Ember to rush over to her and wrap her in a small hug. Feeling the wet sensation of the tears soaking into her shirt, the Imp gladly accepted all of them as she let Shelly cry into her shoulder. In fact, given how much emotion there was in the air, she almost let a few tears drop herself.
"You couldn't have known, Shelly," she uttered softly, gently rubbing her employer's back as she continued to melt into the hug. "Neither of you could."
However, that statement only seemed to enrage the Squirrel Demon, given how quickly she pulled away and scowled.
"But I should have checked!" she snapped, her eyes puffy from the crying. "There are ways to check in on the living world, aren't there!? If I'd have just found a way, I could have… oh fuck, I'm a disgrace as a parent!"
As Ember stood there, feeling baffled that Shelly would even say such a thing about herself, she quickly began to feel a tight sensation in her chest. With every self-destroying word that came out of the Sinner's mouth, the heartbreak in her voice quickly became too much to bear.
"No, you're not!" Ember eventually snapped, grabbing Shelly by the sides of her cheeks and forcing the Squirrel Demon to look her right in the eye. "None of this is your fault, ya hear!? This is just one of those things where NOTHING was in anyone's control!"
Suddenly feeling at a loss for words, Shelly couldn't even argue, no matter how much she believed she needed to. Alas, being so overwhelmed with emotion, all she could do was shut up and listen as Ember continued to speak.
"Besides, he weren't alone," the Imp said with a light smile. "That Cat has made a great many friends down here. And he cherishes them all almost as much as he cherishes you!"
Sadly, Shelly only scoffed at that last part as she once again pulled away.
"Cherish me?" she repeated. "As far as my son's concerned, I might as well be the bloody Ghost of Christmas Past! He probably HATES me!"
As if Shelly's previous self-loathing wasn't bad enough, that last sentence felt like an Angelic knife stabbing straight through Ember's heart. There was no possible way she could leave things like this. If she did, then Shelly would probably try to run away and all her efforts would be in vain. Time to bring out the big guns of comfort and hope.
"Hate ya?" Ember repeated with disbelief. "Shell… that couldn't be further from the truth. I know this for a fact."
Hearing that, Shelly could only give the Imp a confused glance.
"W-what are you saying?" she asked, wiping away a tear.
Good, she was hooked, time to real her back in.
"Look… I may not have known him for as long as these other folks," Ember continued, "But from what I hear, Mick has nothing but fond memories of you. Every time you're brought up into a conversation, he always talked about how good you were to him… if anything, he probably hates HIMSELF for not doing more for you when you were alive."
Gasping at such a revelation, Shelly could only cover her mouth in shock. Her son, a young man who had every right to despise her for forcing him to wait all of these years… hated HIMSELF!? How messed up was that!?
"But-" the Squirrel Demon tried to argue, only for Ember to cut her off.
"Shelly…" she said. "That man in there… he loved you more than you realize… and he STILL does."
Quickly realizing that she had no argument against Ember's words, all Shelly could do was stand there and listen.
"Look, I'm not saying that there won't be wrinkles to iron out," she continued. "But there ain't a man in all creation who wouldn't tear down the world for the people they love… and from what I've seen, Mick definitely can and WILL if it came to it."
With that final statement, all of Shelly's defences crumbled, leaving her to only sigh in defeat and nod her head. Despite the circumstances, she couldn't help but smile too, grateful that her son had some really good friends looking out for him. However, that wasn't to say that she still didn't have her reservations.
"But… what would I even say?" the Sinner asked, her voice shaking due to how scared she was.
"Just… keep it simple, keep it sincere," Ember replied after giving herself a moment to choose her words. "Whatever happens, always speak with your heart, Shell."
As cliche as that sounded, Shelly was nonetheless grateful for the attempt. And she was right… despite all her arguments, all her hesitation… that was her SON in that other room. She had to see him… she NEEDED to see him. Wiping away a few more tears and straightening herself out, the Squirrel Demon tried her best to regain some composure before she nervously walked over to the door and raised her knuckle over the wood.
"Simple and sincere," she muttered to herself, trying to use those words as a mantra even as her whole body continued to tremble in fright. " Yeah… it's just the most important moment of my afterlife."
Finally choosing to bite the bullet, Shelly clenched her eyes shut and gave the wood of the door three small knocks.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
The instant he heard that noise coming from the nearby door, Mick immediately stiffened in terror. Daring to turn his head, he saw said door open up… revealing the woman from before… the one who claimed to be his mom… But that shouldn't be possible! Michelle Michaelakos was practically an Angel among mortals. She was so kind and loving that she should have been sent first class to Heaven after she died. THIS woman, this… stranger, it couldn't be her! This HAD to be some kind of mistake… right?
And yet… she knew his real name… a name that he hadn't used in the last 7 years. As far as he was aware, only a handful of people knew of such information, and most of them were long gone before Mick even came to this house. With that in mind, maybe this woman COULD be someone from his past… but his mother? No! He refused to believe it! This couldn't really be who everyone claims it to be… could it?
"We'll… leave you two alone," Linda muttered, sensing the immediate tension building up as she picked Snowflake up, and carried her away before joining Ember in the next room.
The instant the doors closed, Mick and Shelly fell into an uncomfortable silence, neither one of them able to utter a single word. At first, Shelly felt so scared that she wanted to just back away and run back into the other room… but then Ember's words came rushing back to her the moment she saw her son's eyes looking at her through his mask, almost as if he were a stray animal eyeing a potential attacker.
"Simple… and sincere," she eventually muttered, finally plucking up her courage and taking a few steps closer to Mick, who in turn only snapped his head away and chose to fix his gaze on the sofa cushions. "Hello, Nicky,"
…
"I must look a sight, huh?"
Alas, it seemed that no matter what Shelly said, Mick refused to even look at her, much less talk back. As much as that broke her heart, however, she refused to give up. If there was one thing she knew about her son, it was that he wouldn't be able to stay silent for long when being directly talked to like this.
"Won't you at least look at me?" she said, her tone slightly more stern than before, though still trying to be gentle in its own way.
Thankfully, that statement did seem to get some results.
"Go away."
It was small, but it was a start. Though Mick was clearly uncomfortable, as evident by his stubborn refusal to look back and his claws anxiously digging into the sofa he sat on, it was clear that some progress was being made.
"Son…" Shelly uttered, daring to reach out her hand towards the Cat Demon's shoulder.
"You're not her… no… no, she's in Heaven," Mick rambled as he tried scooching away. "It's impossible!"
The more Mick tried to deny it, however, the more Shelly began to notice how quickly his defences seemed to be dropping. Perhaps deep down… he actually WANTED it to be true. In any case, no matter what happens, Shelly HAD to get through to him. And all she had to do was push further.
"Nicky, please, I…" she began, only for Mick to suddenly stand up from the sofa.
"NO!" he finally snapped. "No way! I'm not buying what you're selling, lady! You CAN'T be her! This has to be a scam or a hallucination or… or…"
Alas, no other words came out of the Sinner's mouth, only small sobs filled with denial, fear and uncertainty. Unable to see Mick so vulnerable, all Shelly could do was reach out her hand once more, this time caressing the cheek of Mick's mask. Freezing at her touch, only then did the Cat Demon dare to look into the gentle eyes behind the woman's glasses… eyes that he actually knew… long ago… when he was just a boy.
At that moment, flashes of memory began to flood through his mind, the delicious hand-cooked dinners… the gentle touch of her hand upon his head and cheek whenever he was sick… the smell of the strawberry shampoo whenever she hugged him… None of that could be faked. And this woman… she was there for all of it.
"Nicky…," she said. "It's me."
And so, every defensive wall came crumbling down and withered into dust. With tears flowing like waterfalls out of the eyeholes of his mask, Mick finally let out a single word… one which he had feared to say since the beginning.
"M-mom?"
With a relieved smile, Shelly could only nod.
"MOM!"
Having nothing else to say, the young Sinner immediately rushed forward and wrapped Shelly in a tight embrace, to which she returned with full force. Neither of them wanted to let go in fear that the other might disappear if they did.
"I'm sorry," Shelly sobbed, fresh tears running down her face and soaking into her son's shoulder as she held him tight. "I'm so sorry!"
Watching all of this from the gap in the door, Johnny and the rest of the Goetia staff were unable to contain their own emotions, as evidenced by Buzz suddenly feeling a trickle of water drop on his head from above… straight from the eyes of the only other Sinner on staff.
"Chef… are you crying!?" Jessie gasped, seeing the otherwise tough-as-nails crustacean act so emotional.
"NO!" the Chef snapped defensively yet unconvincingly since he was clearly wiping away his tears with a loud sniffle. "You're just seeing things! I'm… I'm just gonna go stand over there!"
After that, the Chef chose to walk away, rather than let his coworkers see him blubber like a baby over such a heartwarming sight. The others, on the other hand, weren't quite as secretive about their feelings on the matter, in fact, one could practically fill a pool with all the tears that were being shed.
"Excuse me guys," Jewel spoke up, wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand. "But I think I need to give my mom a call!"
"Me too!" Jessie added, sniffling into her sleeve as she followed Jewel away from the door.
Not that anyone could blame the two, of course. Given what they were seeing in that room, the need to hear a mother's words was too much for one to bear. Furthermore, they weren't the only ones unable to contain their reaction to such an emotional moment. In fact, Johnny had to lightly poke himself with his switchblade to stop himself from blubbering like a baby. As for Buzz, it was said that as soon as the first tear fell, he locked himself in the garden shed for three hours so he could ball his eyes out, screaming the words "Mommy" while hugging a moth-eaten teddy bear.
Inside the adjoining room, even Ember was of the same mind as Jewel and Jessie, having already placed her Hellphone to her ear with a tearful smile.
"Hey Granny," she spoke. "Just thought I'd check in… I really miss you."
Meanwhile, one lone Imp continued to watch Mick and his mother as they embraced, hugging Snowflake tightly in her arms with a solemn smile. Seeing her fellow attendant hold onto the elder Sinner so tightly, to be held on with the same amount of love in return, Linda couldn't help but feel a little jealous… what she wouldn't give to know love like that.
"Well… what do you know," she uttered, wiping a tear away with a smile. "There ARE miracles in Hell."
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Thank you all for following this story and for all your comments. However, due to time restraints, upcoming compulsory overtime of my day job, and the desire for some much-needed R&R. The next chapter of Owlette and the Catwill be postponed until January 12th. After that, my cowriters and I shall resume our normal schedule. Until then, here is wishing you all a very Happy Holidays