So, one of the scenes I was not expecting to write up till maybe in two chapters, but felt for the flow of the story it was better to bring it in earlier : o. Especially since I will be soon showing how Adam grew worse in heaven in the past : )

Thank you Luna for beta reading and providing feedback and editing the chapter : )

I did not expect to get this chapter this soon, especially since my left elbow has been hurting from being in the same position for a while, but, mehhh, I had to write it up, hahaha

Chap is close to 5 k in words, enjoy~

Response to Guest Review - Yeah, I mean, the show wasn't clear when they started doing such a thing, so I decided for story sake to have an actual reason why it started and to have such reason to fit in the plot : o

Chapter 8

Emily glided gracefully through the largest city of heaven. Below, the streets seemed rather deserted. Only a few people were out and about, which was an unusual sight for the bustling evening hours.

However, she knew why everyone was inside their homes a lot these days; they were still mourning for Adam's death.

She landed in front of one of the tallest buildings in the city and walked in, strolling up the stairs to the uppermost floors. She quickly entered the apartment floor. "Oh, gosh, Sir Pentious, I'm so sorry I'm late," she offered, feeling bad for not arriving at the exact time that she had promised him the day before.

"No need to apologize, my dear," came Sir Pentious's voice from the kitchen. "You've arrived just in time. The muffins are ready," he declared cheerfully, withdrawing a tray of chocolate chip muffins from the oven, and placing them on the counter. "I hope you don't mind; I added some walnuts as well."

Emily smiled at him as she walked over to the counter. "Oh, wow, they look absolutely delicious," she exclaimed as she took in the fresh smell. A warm smile graced her lips as she turned back to the new heaven recipient. "That's incredibly thoughtful of you."

A subtle flush tinted Sir Pentious's cheeks at the compliment, still not used to genuine compliments, especially from a Seraphim. Yet, as he observed Emily's reaction to the muffins, he detected a fleeting shadow crossing her features before she swiftly masked it with a smile.

"Oh, do you not care for walnuts?" Sir Pentious inquired, a note of concern creeping into his tone. "Forgive me, I should have asked before adding them."

"Oh, no! The muffins are fine. I… I'm sorry, Sir Pentious, it's just… something has been on my mind," Emily said, the strange sensation, that had been stirring in her chest lately, getting heavier.

Sir Pentious observed her quietly. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"Oh, no, no, it's fine," Emily hurriedly replied. "I don't want you to worry about me. You already have so much on your plate, especially since you've been cooped up here for a week now and have been missing all you friends," she sighed, glancing around the apartment. "I don't understand why Sera doesn't want you leaving this apartment yet. I do hope I get the chance to show you around the city soon."

Sir Pentious continued to regard her before he slithered over to her, hesitantly placing a comforting hand on her arm, much like Charlie would do for others. "Though we've only known each other for a week, I like to think we're friends, if that's okay with you," he confessed softly. "You've been incredibly kind to me and supported me during this time, and I want you to know that I'm here for you too," he offered her a reassuring smile. "So, my dear, please tell me what's troubling you?"

Emily's gaze fell to the floor, her wings drooping slightly. "I… just came from visiting…someone," she began hesitantly. "I've been feeling things I've never felt before, and I suppose I've just been so confused."

"Oh?" Sir Pentious tilted his head curiously. "Who did you visit?"

"I... I visited Adam's grave," she finally admitted, looking uncertain if it was alright to tell him.

Sir Pentious stared at her as he recalled the news of Adam's death that had spread throughout Heaven. The media painted Adam as a beloved celebrity who brought rock and roll to people's souls, and an important figure as well among the angelic ranks.

Supposedly people in heaven were told that Adam had died protecting heaven against some evil demon. Of course, Sir Pentious doubted such a story, especially by the fact Adam killed him himself and he figured most likely one of his friends killed the first man as revenge. Yet, he kept silent on such matter, not wanting to upset Emily as he had noticed for a while how she looked saddened as well by Adam's death.

Surprisingly, he held no hatred towards Adam, despite the circumstances. Heck, he had almost gotten killed many times by Cherri Bomb and Alastor in the past and he became somewhat friends with them.

Alright, he had grown feelings for Cherri, even kissed her before he 'died' and well, Alastor… Well, at least they weren't trying to kill one another in the end.

"Were you… hum... close to him?" Sir Pentious asked her delicately, which he had been wanting to ask her for some time now.

Emily fell silent for a moment, her gaze distant as she nodded slowly. But then she averted her eyes, a hint of mistiness clouding her gaze. "I… like to believe we were friends," she admitted softly. "Actually… I think it was more than that, even though… Sera and the others did not approve the relationship we wanted to have."

Sir Pentious regarded her with confusion as she silently recalled a memory that even now continued to weigh heavily on her soul.

Throughout the meeting with other high-ranking angels, and Adam, Emily maintained a calm smile while she listened closely to the subject at hand. Across from her, Adam sat on his seat, leaning on one of the armchairs with boredom, his demonic mask adorned his face; he rarely showed his actual face these days.

As the meeting drew to a close, a few of the angels excused themselves. Wimdor, Moro and Sera delved into another conversation, providing Emily with an opportunity to talk to Adam. "Hey, Adam, when are you planning your next concert?" she inquired curiously. "You used to hold them weekly, but it's been a few months now. Many people have been 'dying' to know when you're playing again," she giggled from the modern term she had just used.

Adam's mood perked up, and he leaned forward on the table with a grin. "Ah, so, people have been thirstin' for a piece of the legend, huh?" he remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "And who could blame them? I mean, who wouldn't want more of yours truly? Well, great news 'cause I've been workin' on some killer songs. Two weeks from now, Saturday night, tell everyone to mark their calendars, Em. It's gonna be fuckin' epic."

"Unfortunately, Adam, that evening is already booked for you to coordinate with another angelic squad for practice routines," Wimdor interjected calmly.

Adam's grin faded into a scowl. "Damn, slipped my mind," he muttered, arms crossed as he slouched in his chair. "Fine, I guess I'll do it on Sunday instead."

"Sundays are reserved for your other obligations," Wimdor reminded him. "Must I remind you what they are?"

Growing increasingly frustrated, Adam raised his voice. "Well, fuck. Friday it is!"

"Isn't that the day you and your squad are scheduled to inspect equipment?" Wimdor countered.

Adam shot Wimdor a sharp look but held his tongue, visibly seething. Instead, he turned away, his mask's sharp teeth clenching in irritation.

Emily immediately felt bad for Adam for the burden of responsibilities he now bore as the leader of his own squad and other tasks relating to monitoring Heaven, duties that seemed to have escalated since a few years after his return from Earth. She couldn't comprehend why he had been saddled with such responsibilities all of a sudden. Before his journey to Earth, he wasn't expected to do much.

Determined to uplift his spirits, Emily recalled something else that had been in her mind lately. With a bright smile, she began, "Oh, Adam, guess what?"

"What?" Adam grumbled, still frustrated.

"I was talking with some human souls a few days ago, and they taught me something super interesting. They brought up how some humans back on earth would have half siblings and how they usually worked, and this got me thinking, and I've had an amazing realization!"

Adam turned to her, allowing her to continue.

"You know how my brothers and sisters created you?" Emily continued.

"Yeah?"

"Well, in a way, they also made me, though, of course, they created me by using heaven's light just like how other seraphims were created, but, I was thinking, since both of us were created by the seraphims and archangels, and you, well, when you died, the angels used the same light to make you partial angel like the rest of us, we're like-"

"Emily!" Sera's voice rang out sharply, cutting her off, her stern gaze fixed on the youngest angel in the room.

"Hold on, what?" Adam asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

Emily blinked, casting a glance at Sera before returning her attention to Adam. Wimdor and Moro wore disapproving expressions.

"You... didn't know...?" Emily's voice trailed off, sharing his confused expression now. "I assumed you did, considering you're the only human soul capable of using angelic powers."

Adam stared at her, then turned to the other angels, wanting an explanation. Wimdor rubbed his eyes with annoyance.

"I thought you guys just gave me angelic wings," Adam said, since his wings were far more powerful compared to the ordinary weak ones those other human souls had in heaven.

"That was the plan, but we're not entirely sure what happened when we allowed your soul to merge with some of heaven's light," Moro confessed. "We didn't realize it until you began casting illusions a few hundred years after your arrival."

Adam fell into an unusual silence, most likely that the realization that he was not just a mere human soul anymore was probably either a surprise or a shock, especially since the angels had kept the truth from him for thousands of years.

Emily felt a pang of disappointment toward the other angels for keeping Adam in the dark. Nevertheless, she was determined to uplift him in that moment with the big surprise she was now ready to share.

"As I was saying," Emily resumed, drawing Adam's attention back to her. "Since you're like one of us, you're what humans would say, my half-brother," she said, smiling brightly. "Isn't it wonderful, Adam? We're family," she declared, her eyes sparkling.

Adam's anger softened, replaced by surprise as Emily's words sunk in. An array of emotions flickered across his masked features, followed by a hesitant smile.

"You're such a goof, Em," he attempted to deflect with humor, though there was a glimmer of hope in his eyes, one that Emily had never seen before, and it moved her soul.

"I'm serious, Adam," Emily said, still holding on to her smile. "We're family. And you're like an older brother to me. You're funny, very cool, and—"

"Emily, that's enough," Sera interjected firmly.

Emily frowned, meeting Sera's gaze.

"Adam is not your brother. He is not your family."

"Of course he is! How can you say that?" Sera's words astonished Emily. "If he's not family, then what is he to us?"

Adam appeared uncomfortable, glancing hesitantly at the older angels.

"He's our great Adam," Moro stated matter-of-factly, his blue eyes fixed on Adam. "The example all his descendants should follow. Our greatest..." Moro trailed off momentarily, eliciting a sick sensation in Emily's stomach. "You know very well what he is," Moro concluded, with a hard smile.

Emily frowned, her brows furrowing as she glanced between Moro and Adam. Adam, for his part, briefly resembled a lost child, his wings limp, before mustering a grin and a laugh.

"That's right, baby," Adam boasted, puffing out his chest with pride, but now completely avoiding eye contact with her, his wings pulling close to his sides. "I'm the one and only Adam, the OG human in this heavenly paradise, the man who started it all."

Emily emerged from her memory and could still feel the pang in her chest that had haunted her since that fateful day. Now, with Adam gone, the pain seemed to have grown worse. Regret gnawed at her for not defending him, for not standing firm on what she believed in, for allowing Adam to conceal more with just a physical mask. And honestly, it confused her why he would lie to them, because shouldn't he have felt safe to share his feelings with them?

But then again… Was that notion true? Were people allowed to share their actual feelings in heaven? Did they feel safe to feel any sort of negative emotion?

She recalled how one girl named Pam, many years ago, cried for her family who had gone to hell. Emily had held her in a warm embrace. She had tried comforting her, while other angels and Adam had lectured her for grieving over "sinners". Emily felt shocked by how the other angels and Adam had handled the situation, which made her start questioning things in heaven, specially made her wonder how her siblings viewed the human souls, of course such thoughts she kept to herself.

She had also seen Adam so unhappy when he was kept from playing concerts many times, and it had further fueled her doubts. Heaven was supposed to be a happy place and a safe one where everyone felt free to be open about their feelings.

Then again… here she stood, withholding her own feelings from Sir Pentious, trying so hard not to feel anything over the loss of her rebellious, older brother… and every day, it was getting harder to do so.

Especially since many things reminded her of Adam… especially as she grabbed one of the muffins with her two hands ever so carefully and took a small bite.

"I never had a movie 'night' before," Emily said with excitement as she sat down in front row of Adam's personal movie theater. "And never seen a scary movie either. I'm so excited!"

Adam chuckled as he flopped down next to her as Lute pushed a cart in front of them with countless of goodies to eat. Emily stared at them with wonder. She never actually ate anything like what Adam would consider as delicious 'junk' food.

"Pet Sematary is a pretty cool movie," Adam said to her. "Got someone to make me a copy of it."

"Sir, are you sure this is a good idea?" Lute asked Adam who snorted, grabbing a muffin from the stack of food, and handing it to a very curious Emily.

"Can't hurt if they don't know," Adam said with a mischievous smirk and quickly added for Emily. "And no, we're not lying, we're just not telling Sera about this, is all. Hey, we don't stare at food, we eat it. Now, take a bite of it, it's one of my favorites, it has chocolate chips and some sort of nuts."

Emily took a bite out of the muffin and her eyes widened with delight. "Oh my, this is good!" she exclaimed before she continued eating it.

She hardly spent actual time alone with Adam. If only Sera and the others were not always keeping her by their side so much, she would be able to sneak away more often and hang out with him.

Adam chuckled before he turned to Lute, waving her off dismissively. "Now, shoo, the movie is about to start."

Lute rolled her eyes and walked out of the room, leaving Adam and Emily alone.

Emily would occasionally look scared through the film, but she was taking it as a champ, at least Adam would say to her through the movie. She did feel a bit better whenever Adam would laugh during the terrifying scenes, as if showing her that there was nothing to be afraid of. Though, she looked at Adam sadly during some instances of the movie, especially when the little boy died and how it deeply affected his family.

She didn't want to think of what losing someone close was like, and she reminded herself she didn't have to worry of such a thing. They were in heaven, and everything was perfect.

Emily, though, was horror stricken later during the movie by how the humans, after being buried in the burial grounds, were coming back to do terrible things. Supposedly the dead came back as monsters and were no longer the same person? As if the theme of the movie was basically telling her how the dead should stay dead.

She wanted to hug Adam's arm, to feel him, to remind herself she didn't have to worry of such things, that she wouldn't ever lose anyone, but… Sera and the rest of her older 'siblings' stern faces flashed in her mind, so instead, she reached out to eat another muffin, to keep her hands to herself.

Suddenly, a single tear trailed down Emily's cheek, jolting her out of her memories. She reached up with trembling fingers, brushing against the wetness that felt so foreign on her skin. Confusion clouded her mind, and she accidentally dropped the muffin on the floor in shock, making more tears escape from her eyes.

Her thoughts drifted back to Adam, recalling the way he laughed so loud, talked a lot, made her laugh more than anyone could. She thought about all the missed opportunities to express her love and affection. She wished she had hugged him, just once, or held his hand tightly at least. If only she didn't allow the rules of heaven to have gotten between the two to have had something special. But now, Adam was gone… and she had forever lost her opportunity to ever hug him. To ever see and hear him again.

"Ms. Emily..." Sir Pentious' voice broke through the silence, filled with more concern now.

"I'm sorry, Sir Pentious," Emily's voice trembled, failing to stop the tears from flowing as she tried wiping them off as best as she could with her hands. "I... I don't know what's wrong with me."

Sir Pentious regarded her with a sad expression.

"I..." Emily's voice caught in her throat, her hands clenching tightly as she pressed them against her chest, where the ache was growing unbearable. "I want my brother back..." she sobbed, her voice cracking as she looked up at him sadly.

"May I?" Sir Pentious asked softly, a gentle warmth in his tone as he extended his arms towards her.

Emily nodded to him silently, her gaze dropping to the muffin lying on the floor. She let out a series of small, choked sobs the moment he pulled her into a tight embrace.

The hotel was quiet, not much stirred within its walls, then suddenly, with a shimmering burst of energy, a portal materialized in a dimly lit room.

"You're doing great, Adam," Charlie murmured, her voice comforting as she guided the towering fallen angel through the portal she had requested her father to create. "Just a little further, we're almost there."

Adam's steps were heavy and unsteady, and Charlie did her best to help him move with one arm around his waist while his right arm rested over her shoulder. Fortunately, Charlie was strong, so even though he was on the heavier side, she had no problem helping him to the side of the bed. He kept his head bowed, his arm, the skin charred and blackened from third-degree burns, limp on his side as he sat down. He let out a shaky breath; the blistered flesh on his chest made it painful for him to breathe. His sobs had subsided before they left his 'prison' and the tears had stopped, but his fingers on his right hand still trembled.

"Dad," Charlie called out softly to her father, who stood nearby after closing the portal. "Could you please bring our doctor?" she asked, her gaze shifting to Adam's badly burnt and broken arm, as well as the worrying injuries on his chest and wings.

Lucifer remained silent for a moment before teleporting away, leaving Charlie to mentally berate herself for forgetting to ask her father to dry Adam off, considering he was still soaking wet.

"I'll be right back," she assured Adam, but before she could move away, he quickly grabbed her arm with a trembling grasp.

She turned to him with confusion, noticing his eyes glazed with unshed tears, staring at her weakly and terrified. Tear tracks stained his cheeks. Much of the eyeliner he had before was now smeared across his face, making the dark circles look worse. His dampened hair hung in disarray, clinging to his forehead, and falling in loose strands over his eyes. The sight made her heart swell.

With a gentle touch, she tenderly cupped Adam's cheek in her hand, feeling the cold dampness of his pale skin. She brushed aside the wet locks from his face. "Hey, it's alright," she said softly. "I'm just going to get some towels to help you dry off." Attempting to lighten the mood, she added, "I wouldn't want you catching a cold on your first stay at my hotel. That would make me a terrible hostess." Despite her efforts to humor, Adam didn't relax his grip, and the fear in his eyes remained.

Softly caressing his cheek with her thumb, she felt him lean into her touch, though he averted his gaze with shame. "I promised I wouldn't leave you like they did, and I'm not the type to break my promises," she reassured him. "I won't be long, okay? Just going to the closet and then the bathroom. It won't even take me a minute, I promise."

Adam continued to hold on to her, his grip trembling.

Charlie stayed there, waiting patiently, still caressing his face before finally he closed his eyes and released her. True to her word, Charlie swiftly retrieved towels from the closet and dampened one in the bathroom before returning to Adam. Placing some of the dry towels beside him, she placed a large one over his shoulders, and she gently lifted his chin with a hand, causing him to open his eyes halfway, still clouded with exhaustion and fear.

Charlie tenderly began to wipe the smudges of eyeliner from Adam's lashes with the warm, damp towel, her touch light and careful, making Adam's chest ache.

A gentle silence settled over the room. Outside noises were muffled by the thick walls surrounding them. The hotel's air conditioning unit softly hummed in the background, joined by the occasionally faint ticking of a nearby clock.

While Adam avoided eye contact with her, he tried to understand why Charlie was doing this, why she was showing him such kindness, as if she truly cared. The gesture was also so unfamiliar to him, stirring so many emotions within him. While others in heaven have touched and embraced him in the past, those gestures felt different, like they lacked something, and it just made the confusion and sadness he was already feeling grow worse.

Though, her softness reminded him of Lilith… before everything had gone so wrong.

Feeling overwhelmed, tears welled up in Adam's eyes while Charlie continued to wipe his face with gentle strokes. He turned away as a couple of warm trickles trailed down his cheeks.

"Hey, it's okay," Charlie murmured softly, wiping away his heartache ever so carefully, her thumb caressing his cheek as well with her other hand.

More tears made their way out from his eyes, his lower lip trembling as a surge of shame washed over him since he felt so weak and pathetic. "It's okay, Adam," she whispered. "You don't have to feel bad. It's okay to cry."

Adam shut his eyes, and after belittling himself, he managed to put a stop to his tears while Charlie did her best to clean his face. She exchanged the damp towel for a dry one, gently patting his hair dry with it, while doing her best to avoid the small wounds he had caused himself earlier with his claws.

As she worked, her father reappeared in the room, accompanied by their family doctor, who was half the size of Lucifer and was an actual imp. Adam regarded the doctor with hesitation and confusion.

The imp, with a practiced eye, assessed the extent of the injuries that Adam's body held before going over to a nearby table and placing his bag on it. Opening it, he prepared a syringe with a mysterious substance. He then walked over to Adam.

Sensing Adam's immediate unease, Lucifer, without a warning, conjured golden magical sort of strings to appear from the walls to latch around Adam, keeping him firmly in place. Panic flashed in Adam's eyes as he struggled against the restraints.

"What are you guys doing to him?!" Charlie yelled at her father with concern, running over to him. "Dad, let him go!" But Lucifer ignored her as the doctor administered the injection on Adam's uninjured arm.

As the unfamiliar sensation of the needle pierced his skin, Adam's panic intensified, his breath quickening, leaving him trembling with uncertainty and fear. "Relax, it's merely to keep him compliant," the doctor reassured Charlie, but Adam's breath quickened, his gaze desperately pleading for Charlie's help.

Gradually, a heavy sensation shrouded his body, his eyelids drooping. Lucifer released him and Charlie rushed to Adam's side and embraced him before he could drop to the floor.

"It's alright, you're safe," Charlie said to him quietly, her fingers caressing his head as she had done earlier. As she held him close, her arms wrapped around his trembling form, she felt a stirring in her heart that she couldn't quite explain—the same feeling she had experienced when she first held him as he broke down, though she had paid little attention to it before, it was as if there was an invisible thread connecting her to Adam, and it felt oddly familiar. "I'll be here when you wake up."

Adam slowly fell unconscious, his body growing heavier against Charlie. With her dad's help, she gently laid him down on the bed.

Charlie frowned at her father. "That was not cool, dad. You should have given us a warning."

"I doubt he would have been okay to be sedated," Lucifer sighed. "And I seriously doubt he has ever gotten any kind of injections up in heaven, so he would have freaked out either way."

"Going to need you to remove his clothes," instructed the doctor, preparing additional supplies.

Charlie nervously bit her lip, turning to her father, who avoided her gaze now. "I guess, I should step outside," she murmured, as she didn't think Adam would be okay with her seeing him stripped down. "Dad, I know you're… not okay with this, but could you please watch over him? I don't want him left alone, especially with someone he doesn't know." She disliked having to ask, aware that her dad was extremely uncomfortable with the situation, but at this moment, she couldn't trust anyone else with Adam. Well, she didn't fully trust her dad with him either, but she felt that at least he wouldn't go against her wishes for now.

Lucifer offered a silent nod of assurance, which made her feel a bit at ease. Her gaze drifted to Adam, that even in slumber, he appeared utterly drained. She couldn't blame him. He had endured so much in such a short span of time, both physically and mentally. And she knew that this was just the beginning of what lay ahead.

With a heavy heart, she excused herself from the room. She stood outside in the hallway and leaned against the closed door, the back of her head against the wooden frame as she let out a tired sigh.

"No, Charlie, he's too dangerous. He literally was just trying to kill us!" Her father's words replayed in her head, making her close her eyes as the memory from earlier replayed in her head.

Charlie stood her ground, her expression not changing at the slightest.

"The angels will never allow it!"

"Dad… you know I can't just leave him here…"

"Damn it, Charlie, you can't save everyone!" Lucifer's voice rose with a mixture of frustration and anger. "Not everyone can be saved!"

Charlie felt her chest twist and her eyes moisten up from his words. "I'm not leaving him."

"Charlie…"

She gazed at Adam, who was now looking away from them, holding his broken and burned arm close to his trembling body. His injured wings lay limp on his sides, far off the obnoxious, proud angel from a week ago.

She never wanted him to end up in such a broken state. She recalled the way Sera and the other angels had talked down to him, looked at him with such disapproval and annoyed gazes. They didn't even bother to heal his wounds, as if they didn't care how much pain he was in both mentally and physically.

The way he had promised Sera and the others he was willing to be better, though, a lot of the promises he had made disturbed her, made her feel so angry at them and feel so sad for Adam at how they just ignored him. And it aggravated her that her father wanted them to push Adam aside as well.

Yes, Adam had attacked them, but it had looked like he had done it out of a blind rage. Now, he just looked scared as a lost, hurt child.

Charlie knew that many believed her to be naïve, but… her heart screamed at her to do what was right, even though it would be hard for everyone to endure.

"Look at him, dad," Charlie said quietly, barely above a whisper, and turned back to her father with a softened expression. "He's hurt and scared. I can't turn my back on him. I won't. I know you're worried about me, but he needs us. I have to do this."

She opened her eyes once the memory stopped, and she slowly retrieved her phone. Dread settled in her stomach as she stared down at her screen, but she knew she had to do this. She had already decided she was going to help Adam, no matter what. So, without more hesitation, she called her girlfriend.

After notes

I got the rough draft for one of the next scenes already written out, just need to rewrite it and write up two other scenes, or maybe three other ones... we shall see if i can pull it off before i head out of town for a week o.O. maybe ill bring my laptop and write on the plane, hahaha

Anyways, yeah, poor Emily. What ya guys think of both scenes? Did I make anyone cry this time? I did not expect one of my beta readers to but it happened : ), yeah, i am proud of it too, hahaha x.x. but yah, was debating so much to include both of these scenes in the same chapter, but, again, for story telling I had to do it

Thank you peeps for all the comments/reviews/feedback/kudos 3, totally appreciate them : D. Let me know what ya all think of the chap and the revelations~

Please leave a kudo if you like the story at Archive of our own, guests can leave kudos too : ), of coure, if you got access to it cause I know not everyone can thus why I post this story here : )