Rosie took a deep breath to steady herself before knocking on Alastor's door. "Al, dear, can we talk?" No reply. She turned the nob only to find it locked. Undeterred, she took a pin from her hair and picked the lock until she heard it click. Rosie pushed the door open and poked her head inside. "Alastor?"

The room was equal parts swamp and luxury suite. Rustic, yet quaint, like The Radio Demon himself. Rosie stepped through the entry and the door swung closed behind her. Another sharp click told her the deadbolt was in place. She kept moving her heels clacking against the dark hardwood. Two plush chairs sat in front of a giant marble fireplace, the wall above adorned with a set a massive antlers and picture frames whose portraits were half hidden in shadow. Fire crackled and hissed, a myriad of white, orange, yellow, blue, and red licking at the grey stone hearth.

Alastor occupied one of the armchairs, a glencairn full of homemade whiskey in his hand.

Rosie sighed. "Oh, Alastor…" She closed the distance between them and took his hand as she lowered herself into the empty seat beside him. "Turn to me, baby, not the bottle."

Alastor stared at the dancing flames, their pale light casting dark shadows across his strained expression. "What was she thinking? The sheer audacity of that child…"

"Charlie means well," Rosie said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Is it really her you're upset with, or your father?"

Alastor bristled. "Don't—" His face became a twisted blend of sorrow and fury. "Rosie, please…"

"Al, you're nothing like that bastard," she persisted. "You're not abusive or neglectful and you'd never abandon the ones you love. He wasn't a real man. You are."

"Have you forgotten my seven year sabbatical?"

Rosie grimaced. "That wasn't by choice. That bitch forced you to leave. If not for that damn deal I'd—"

"Let's not speak of it. Just thinking about her makes my head ache."

Rosie reached out and gently eased the cup out of his hand. "We need to decide what to do about Charlie. She wouldn't have come to us unless it was necessary."

Alastor tilted his head to look at her. "You want this…don't you?" It wasn't a question so much as a realization slamming into him like a full speed freight train running off its track.

Rosie wrapped her arms around herself rubbing her arms more from anxiety than a lack of warmth. Alastor always kept his room toasty. It was a nice contrast to her own skin, which was always cool to the touch. "She's offering us the chance to start a family. It's what we've always wanted, something we thought we'd never have."

"The child would be Charlie's heir—not ours."

"Her heir in name only," Rosie corrected him. "Charlie doesn't know the first thing about being a parent. She'll be too busy with the hotel to raise a kid. We'd be the main influences in the baby's life. Al, our child would be the next king or queen of Hell."

"And what do you think that vile woman will do when she learns we've conceived? That our progeny will inherit Lucifer's throne? You and the fawn would never be safe."

Rosie tsked. "Alastor, sweetheart, you're not thinking straight. We wouldn't be doing this out of the goodness of our hearts. You made a bargain with the princess, didn't you? Use that to cancel your agreement with that slithering skank whore."

If Alastor could've frowned, he would have. "Charlotte's not powerful enough to nullify a soul contract—not from a demon that strong."

"She isn't," Rosie replied, "but her father is."

Alastor's eyes widened. He hummed in thought, the look on his face pensive. Rosie had a point. Charlie refused to embrace the darker side of her nature. This hindered her abilities. Lucifer had no such qualms. He was the devil. His power absolute in Hell. "Rosie, darling, you're brilliant!"

"Oh? How kind of you to notice," she teased.

He leapt up from his chair, pulled her into a tight hug, and twirled her as she laughed before pulling back to look at her with what was likely the first genuine smile she'd seen from him since his return to Pentagram City. "I'll regain my freedom. We'll have our family. And that harlot can go fuck herself!"

Rosie giggled. "You promise?"

Alastor rested his forehead against hers. "I promise."

Rosie peppered his face with kisses. It'd been so long since they'd been affectionate. Any time Alastor showed even the slightest bit of positive emotion, the cunt at the other end of his leash would give it a painful tug, a reminder that he'd never be happy or free so long as he was tethered to her. Rosie hated that woman more than anyone else in heaven, earth, or hell.

Alastor cupped her cheek and leaned in for an actual kiss. Rosie wrapped her arms around his neck moaning against his lips. He only stopped when the need for them to breathe forced him to.

"I love you," he whispered.

Rosie opened her mouth to reply, but paused when she felt him tense in her embrace. "Al? Honey? What's wrong?" He began to choke and wheeze.

To her absolute horror, a glowing collar and chain appeared around his neck, each thick, heavy, and made of black steel. She grabbed the metal in a futile attempt to remove it only to let go with a hiss, her hands blistered from mere moments of physical contact.

Alastor raked at his throat with his claws fighting for air. The person holding the other end of his chain jerked him upward where he dangled in midair. Rosie screamed Alastor's name as he clung to the chain to avoid being strangled.

The door to his suite burst open. Charlie ran in first followed by Lucifer and the rest of the hotel residents. Charlie gasped while the others froze horrified by what they were seeing. It was Lucifer who acted. "His contract—was it signed willingly or under duress?"

"She tortured him and threatened to kill me if he didn't submit," Rosie cried.

"Good enough for me!" Lucifer cracked his knuckles then unfolded his wings. He flew toward Alastor pinning him to the nearest wall. "Hold still, Antlers. This is gonna sting." Lucifer wrapped his hands around the collar. An electrical current tore through Alastor's body making him shriek in agony.

Three harsh yanks from the king of hell shattered the collar like glass. The chain whipped back disintegrating as it disappeared into the darkness along with the collar shards that had littered the floor.

Alastor hit the ground hard enough to break bone. Rosie ran to him rolling him onto his side so he wouldn't suffocate on his own blood in case there was internal bleeding. "Alastor, are you okay? Speak to me!"

All she got in response was a groan.

Lucifer landed nearby livid. "Who the fuck was on the other end of that chain?"

"She…she said her name was Roo," Rosie said. She was afraid he'd harm her or Alastor if she didn't answer.

Lucifer's eyes burned red and yellow as they narrowed "Eve." He turned on his heel and headed for the door.

"Dad? Where are you going?" Charlie asked.

"I need to get in contact with heaven," he told her. "Someone needs to catch Adam's wife before she causes any more trouble. Stay here and make sure no one enters or leaves the hotel until I get back."

"Okay."

Charlie waited for her father to leave before she hurried over and knelt down beside Alastor. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"We couldn't," Rosie explained. "That was part of the deal. He wasn't allowed to tell anyone. Eve would've killed him if either of us spoke up."

"You should've come to me anyway," Charlie protested. "I would've helped—protected you from her."

Alastor pushed himself up into a sitting position his body still trembling from the onslaught. He looked exhausted and his voice was breathy when he spoke. "Forgive me, Charlotte, but while your powers are admirable, they're nothing compared to the monster on the opposite end of that chain."

"Is that why you and Rosie refused the surrogacy?"

"About that," Rosie began.

Charlie shook her head. "We can discuss it in the morning if you want. Right now you and Alastor need to rest. Get some sleep. We'll have breakfast ready by the time you wake up."

Rosie nodded. "Alright. Thank you, Charlie."

The princess left their room with the others in toe. Husk was the last to leave closing the door on his way out. Rosie examined Alastor for any visible injuries. There were none that she could see.

"I thought I was going to lose you forever this time," she confessed, her voice breaking under the weight of unshed tears.

"I'll be fine," he assured her. "You'll never lose me, Rosie."

She helped him undress and get into bed. Nothing else was said. They just held each other close and waited for sleep to claim them too worn out to do anything else. For the first time in seven long years, their dreams weren't plagued with images of Roo or the torture they'd suffered at her hands. They were free.