Charlie was pacing the lobby waiting. She had a folder with all of her notes and arguments to try and get Ellen back. She even got ideas from everyone else to help build a solid case, hoping to get every possible thought, idea and reason there possibly could be.
Naturally she would have asked Vaggie to accompany her, but she couldn't bring herself to ask. If she really pushed, Vaggie would go to support her, but she knew Vaggie wouldn't be happy about it. So she had to go on her own. She was pretty sure she would be okay. She'd been to heaven to see the seraphims once before, so it shouldn't be too bad. At least she hoped.
She tucked the folder into her armpit and shook out her hands, trying to settle her nerves. She moved to push some hair from her face and accidently dumped her folder of notes all over the floor. She rolled her eyes and she got down on her knee with an annoyed groan, collocating the scattered papers. Of course.
She wasn't sure what to expect, but she had prepared for almost every scenario she could think of. If they challenged the idea of corrupting her soul, she would mention the marriage. Marriage wasn't corrupt, it was sweet and beautiful and an oddity in Hell that she did on her own. If they argued she would be more welcome in heaven, then she had the testimonies from everyone at the hotel on how Ellen was like family. Angel's was sure to make some cry, it was so beautifully written. It might look odd that Alastor didn't write one, but she had a hard time finding him, and she could probably push it off because he was her husband.
Just as she grabbed the last two pieces of paper, she watched Angel full on sprint past her like he was being chased by his worst nightmare. Before he could make it to the front doors, Alastor manifested blocking his path. He was clearly angry with a small pink ribbon in his hand. "ANGEL!"
Yeah she couldn't blame him, an angry Radio Demon was probably something many of Hell's denizens had nightmares of. What could he have possibly done to anger Alastor so badly?
The spider quickly skidded to a stop, turning to sprint the other way, his expression a mix of horrified and amused.
Charlie stood, watching as Angel sprinted past her a second time, heading up the stairs without so much as a word.
Alastor engulfed the pink ribbon in a flash of green flames.
"Come on man. No one else is gonna know. It's a simple prank, Al. It looks cute." Angel couldn't keep a straight face as he said it.
Alastor's eye twitched as he watched Angel disappear up the stairs.
Charlie thought about asking but decided she probably didn't want to know. Though she was a bit impressed with the self control Alastor was displaying. He very well could catch Angel without issue. Angel knew better than to call anything about Alastor as cute. She rolled her eyes with an amused smirk on her face. She made a mental note that she would have to have a word with Angel about messing with her hotelier. She didn't think Alastor would kill Angel Dust, but he seemed to be on a killing spree lately, so just to be safe.
She needed to focus on keeping herself calm and positive. She could get Ellen back, she had too. Sure she may not have been successful convincing heaven about redemption, but surely she could convince them to let Ellen return to Hell. She breathed out, not realizing she had been holding it at some point.
She returned to her pacing. The portal should be opening shortly.
"Are you quite alright Charlie?"
She pulled her gaze up to the Radio Demon's, her feet refusing to stop their march around the lobby. "I just have to make sure I don't blow this. No pressure, right? I just have to convince them that we know what we're doing. And then there's the safety issue." She laughed nervously. "Do you think they'll have checked her for wounds or cuts? How do I explain the marriage? There was a good reason behind it right? Should I just try to get joint custody?" She couldn't help but ramble as she started spiraling in her worries.
"I'm like, the least qualified person to talk about mortals. I was born here, how am I supposed to know what's best for her?"
Alastor's cane blocked her from passing, stopping her feet and thoughts.
"My dear, your portal is here." He moved his cane to point to the portal to heaven.
"Right." She couldn't hide the slump of the shoulders. She was terrified she was going to mess this up. She wanted more time to get her thoughts together. Could she really make a solid case for Ellen's safety in Hell? She closed her eyes, taking a steading breath and pulling her shoulders back, she stepped forward. She didn't have a choice, it was now or never. She stepped through the portal.
She found herself at the front gates of heaven. St. Peter in the same place he was, the last time she was here. This time, it seemed he knew of her arrival.
"Charlie! Welcome back. Emily asked me to guide you to the meeting. Oh Shit!" His eyes widened as he focused behind her. Confused, she turned around to find Alastor standing behind her, arms tucked behind his back, his face in his neutral smile.
"Alastor?" What was he doing here? The portal closed behind him. He was here now whether she liked it or not.
"You didn't think I'd let you go alone now did you? Someone must make certain this goes well and with your track record, my dear, that is evidently not you."
Her lower lip started to wobble as she smiled. She didn't want to do this alone. And while Alastor was a bit honest with his words, she knew he didn't mean them like that. Probably.
She never thought to ask someone else to join her, and Alastor was probably the… best choice? Her thoughts quickly shifted through numerous ways this could go to shit. There were a lot. She was probably going to have to lay out some ground rules. Though, Alastor was usually good at keeping composed. So she shouldn't be worried. Hopefully.
"Thank you Alastor. I would love the company." She tried her best to hide her unease behind a smile.
St. Peter just stared, unsure of what to make of the current situation. "Um, and you are?" He lightly gestured to Alastor. Charlie opened her mouth to try coming up with an explanation but Alastor beat her to it.
"Alastor. Pleasure." His showmanship on full display as he bowed deeply. "I'm here as Miss. Morningstar's advisor."
Charlie looked at him in confusion. "Advisor?"
"Well of course, my dear." He planted his staff in front of him. "You said so yourself. You don't know anything about mortals, and while I myself may not be the most versed in that field, I am the one best suited to judge what would be best for Ellen. I know her well. So I shall be here to advise you."
"Hmm." She turned with a smile. While he may not have been her first choice he wasn't wrong. He knew Ellen best. She gave St. Peter a confident nod. "Alastor is my advisor."
"Right. Well. Okay follow me then." St. Peter gave Alastor one more nervous glance before leading the two of them down the promenade.
They carried on in silence, and it was starting to stretch on longer than she would have liked. Not to mention she was very aware of all the glances they were getting. She glanced up at Alastor to find he seemed to be enjoying the looks of horror and confusion as they passed heavens denizens. It didn't bother him in the least that most gave them a wide berth. The same sort of reaction he had in Hell, only Heaven had no idea what he had done or what he was capable of. She stared a bit too long, Alastor had to pull her closer to him to avoid being hit by two guys passing who had their eyes glued to Alastor in shock.
"As your advisor might I suggest you start by paying attention to where you are going."
"Right. S-Sorry." She quickly pulled herself together. Did she need to remind him to play nice? Surely he knew he needed to be careful up here. Was she more nervous with him here? He would definitely make things easier when trying to get Ellen back. He wanted her back as much as she did, probably more. But until they got to the meeting she would have to keep an eye on him. She started to fidget with her hands.
"So earlier with Angel…" She glanced up at Alastor, this time making sure it was only a quick look. "...everything okay?"
"Not a concern."
She tilted her head to the side. "You seemed a bit umm…angry?"
His eyes moved to watch her. She could feel the weight of the stare. "I assure you, I have it handled."
"Riiight." She turned back to look ahead. He didn't want to talk about it. She pressed her lips together. So much for filling the silence.
She remembered some of the places she passed. It seemed they were headed to the same Hotel she had stayed with Vaggie, when they were here last. Her stomach twisted at the thought. Would Vaggie be upset if she found out that Alastor had come with her? Vaggie would understand. It's not like she invited Alastor to join her, he kind of just showed up. Though it would probably still upset her. She tried pushing the thought away. Focus. She needed to be focused on her goal. The reason she was here.
The rest of the way was in silence. There was a bit of scrambling to have a second room set up for Alastor, seeing as they didn't know he would be accompanying her, but it was all settled relatively quickly.
She fell back onto her bed with a large sigh. She didn't like all the uncertainty of the next day or so. She would be glad when this would be all over. She just hoped the outcome would be a happy one.
There was a knock on her door and before she could even sit up, Alastor had let himself in, moving to sit in the small desk chair. He crossed his leg, staff resting beside him, fingers knitted together staring at her.
"So. What inspiring speech do you have for this meeting? You've prepared well, so let's see what you've got."
She let out a small huff but she couldn't hide the smile. Alastor hated listening to her ramble, but it's what she needed to help her with her nerves. Maybe he wanted a distraction too. He didn't show it, but he was probably a mess of nerves too. She gave him a nod.
"Okay." She pushed to her feet, grabbing her folder of notes, spreading sheets across the bed. At least she didn't have to worry about Adam being a jerk this time.
She cleared her throat. "Mortals go through their lives making decisions that get judged to determine their afterlife. Ellen is still mortal meaning her life hasn't been decided to either heaven or hell. The choice should be her-"
"-That argument is moot. Unless of course you're trying to make a point to send her back to her mortal again." He rolled his hand.
Charlie tried not to let the sudden interjection shake her. She cleared her throat and picked a different approach.
"We are like a family-"
"-No." He stood. "Family means nothing. That won't be good enough." His arms were behind him as he started pacing the room.
Her shoulders fell. She didn't know what would be good points. She thought she had a fairly good case, but it seemed she couldn't even get her opening right.
"Her arrival in Hell surely meant something of importance. If she were to indeed be here in heaven, she would have been here since day one. That's not the case, so the path to her earthly return is found in Hell. Thus she must be returned there if we are to get her home." His eyes moved to her.
She nodded. She had made that argument to her dad and Vaggie when Ellen first arrived at the hotel.
"You need to present the hard facts. Bend the truth to our advantage."
"But what if heaven is the best place for her?" It was a possibility she knew she couldn't ignore. She wanted to do right by Ellen. If heaven knew how to get her home, maybe she should stay.
"It's not." His eyes narrowed.
"How do you know?"
Had Ellen mentioned something to him that may be important? Her eyes opened wider as the realization hit her. Whether it was or wasn't, Alastor needed it to be. She got so worked up about Ellen she had forgotten about him.
He looked away. "I know."
Alastor had been a mess. Or at least the one time she found him on the roof. He clearly didn't want anyone knowing how bad this had shaken him, and if she didn't know better, he would have fooled her too. She remained silent, unsure of what to say. Her thoughts escaped her before she could stop them.
"You love her."
Her cheeks heated. It wasn't really her business, but she did kinda want to know. She knew Ellen loved him. She may have never said those words aloud, but Charlie knew just by how she looked at him. How she acted around him. It was almost painfully obvious. The thought put a smile to her face. It was the same look she got from Vaggie.
Alastor was a bit more difficult to read. And there was no way he would admit to those kinds of emotions. He may love her. It was hard to tell, but there was no way he could deny that he cared for her. Not after he 'accidentally' attacked her. He didn't even bother hiding the fact that he was absolutely miserable. So maybe he did love her. She liked the thought. She decided whatever his answer was, she was still going to believe that he did.
He turned his back to her, arms folded behind him. "I don't know."
She scrunched her face up confused. It was obvious, how didn't he know? Was this a pride thing? He didn't want to admit it because he is supposed to be a big scary overlord? He could still do that and love Ellen. She decided she would try to pry for answers.
"How could you not know, Alastor? It's obvious."
He shook his head. "It's a complicated matter."
"What makes it complicated? You feel happier when she's around, don't you?"
"Well, yes I-"
"And you miss her when she's not around?"
"Yes."
"Your stomach gets all knotted and your heart races just looking at her?" Her eyes sparkled with each answer.
He turned abruptly. "Is that what that is?"
She pushed on, the smile building on her face. Did he seriously not know what love was like?
"You find it hard not to stare when you're in a room together?"
"I don't- is that a symptom?" He looked like he was thinking.
"The thought of losing her absolutely crushes you?"
The tight lipped grin slipped at the thought. It was all the answer she needed.
"It may."
"Then I think it's safe to say you love her, Al."
He reached behind him to find the chair before falling into it.
"It can't be that simple."
She took a few steps toward him, a sympathetic smile on her face. This looked like something he had been struggling with for awhile. Had he not tried talking to Ellen about this? Surely she would have been able to help him. Her stomach twisted a bit. He didn't have the past few weeks, nor when she was unconscious. Maybe he never got the chance to ask. She shook the thought. She could help. She liked all things happy and cheerful and love definitely fit into that category.
"Simple? No. Love is full of acceptance and joy, admiration and respect, understanding and compromise. It's not a simple thing, but it's not all that complicated either." She let out a happy sigh. "It's a warm fuzzy feeling in your chest. It's sweaty palms, racing heart rates and butterflies in your stomach. It's getting nervous over the little things because what she thinks and her opinions matter." She sat on the end of her bed watching him.
"It's getting over any arguments and disagreements because you care more than whatever upset you in the first place."
"It doesn't make any sense."
Charlie giggled. "No, I suppose it doesn't happen right away, but in time you'll get it. It kinda grows on you."
He looked up to her eyes. "She has been growing on me. Despite my attempts to stop it. She is quite the handful." He muttered the last bit more so to himself.
"See? Simple. Admitting it is the easy part. Finding out what it really means to you is the complicated part." She shrugged letting out a satisfied sigh. This was the distraction she needed. And she was glad she could help.
"What do I do with this information? How do I proceed from here?"
She paused in thought. She didn't know much about their relationship. They both seemed happy with each other, but everything else was a mystery. No doubt something Alastor insisted on.
"I think you have that conversation with Ellen. You guys are a team now so communication is super important and knowing how to compromise with each other is key."
The two sat in silence for a while. Charlie could feel her nerves slowly creeping back. This waiting was killing her. She stood and started pacing the room, trying to refocus on points she had gone over before arriving in heaven. Alastor was correct, she would need to be precise with her wording and smart with her arguments. She started to nervously fiddle with her hands.
"The young Seraphim, she won't be a problem. The other one, you've met them, yes?"
"Sera? Yeah she um." She let out a nervous laugh. "I couldn't persuade her to give redemption a shot."
"Hmm. Interesting. I think this meeting will be quite entertaining."
Charlie wasn't sure if she liked the look of his grin when he said it. She knew what his version of 'entertaining' was and she really hoped this meeting would be nothing like that. Her stomach started knotting in nervousness again.
AN: Hey All! So I know the last few chapters have been a bit slower than usual, but I promise the wait is worth it! The next few chapters will be the big court meeting. I'm so excited to share it with you all. I had a blast writing it. Stay tuned!
Cheers!