A Bit of Hell in Heaven

by Katrina Potter

(Moments 10) When Adam went down to Hell under the orders of a nervous Sera to see why Lucifer has been ignoring her, he brought someone back with him by mistake. Now it's up to the Archangel Michael to figure out what they should do about this mysterious little girl Adam brought back with him without starting a possible war. (Rating has been upped for ch. 14)

15. Two Steps Forward

AN: Merry Christmas everyone and happy Hanukkah or Kwanzaa if you celebrate those. I hope everyone has a wonderful evening/day with the ones that matter to you the most. I'm curious how many of you all celebrate on the 24th or 25th. Being Danish, we've always celebrated on the 24 at night though this year we're celebrating a little earlier because my niece isn't even a year old yet. Which I'm happy about too because I remember getting really annoyed as a kid that I'd get to open some awesome presents only to get an hour with them before bedtime came around. It's easier as an adult and I'm curious as to how Christmas is going to be this year cause it'll be the first time I'm pregnant in December. The little fellow inside is pretty quiet still but when he kicks... oh lord does he kick hard. He's probably gonna love football/scorer when he's older.

Which will mean I'll have to force myself to be interested if he does. I'm not really a sports fan but if my son gets into it, I'll happily be that embarrassing mom in the crowd , screaming his name and number. I will however promise him that I won't be the mom that runs out on the field, picking fights with other parents because of 'My baby! My baby!'. I still remember in High School as a TA having to sneak 'Sports Day' slips out of backpacks because some of the kids parents would act like the peewee baseball game were try outs for the nationals. One dad was actually banned from coming because dude could not handle his kid not being the star player.

I never want to be that parent.

Chapter Fifteen

Two Steps Forward...

Silence.
Normally, silence makes others feel comfortable. It tells us that the day is winding down and all is well in the world around us. It is a symbol of peace and relaxation, where you can finally allow all your defenses to lower and close your eyes to let the world of sleep and dreams take you away.
Except, that isn't real silence.
True silence is frightening and unnatural. It's a warning of danger lurking closer, looming its deadly claws over you, waiting for the right moment to strike, snuffing out any hope you might have in seconds.
Lucifer hated silence.
Nothing good had ever happened to him when the world was silent. Silence was Sera glaring at him with disapproval and disappointment. Silence was when Uriel pretended to listen to his ideas or Jophiel humored his rambles. Silence was the sound of Raphael looking at him with a blank stare as he debated whether or not he was worth his attention and when Camael was struggling not to lash out at him in anger for his mistakes. Silence was what Adam had given him as he pleaded for him to help calm Father's ire when Lilith had started to distance herself from him.
But most of all, silence was what he had been left with for seventy years of binding while they pretended to be blind to their Father's cruelty.
And silence was what he had when he and Lilith fell.
For a moment, Lucifer wasn't holding his daughter anymore. He wasn't the Fallen Angel of Heaven and the ruler of Hell. He was back to being the same thirteen-century-old child who was told he wasn't old enough to join in on their meetings while pitiful gazes dismissed his pleas and arguments about how it was unfair that he was too young while Michael somehow wasn't. He was the ten-century-old angel whose brother Uriel was yelling at him in rage while Camael was crouched behind him, begging Raphael to tell her that her eye would recover from being slashed. Since was what Zadkiel had given him behind her locked doors when he had sought her out for comfort the bands on his wings tightened and burned as punishment for moving them. And silence was what he heard when Azrael had muttered at him in passing 'Why can't you just do as you're told?'.
Silence was never kind to Lucifer, but the warning before unspeakable pain would rip his nerves raw.
Lucifer felt small and powerless as his brothers and sisters towered over him. He felt like they were all waiting for the order to be given to punish him for trespassing into Heaven, his body quivering in fear as he knew they could each hurt him in unimaginable ways. And that they wouldn't question those orders for a second. They never questioned anything if it was Father's orders. That was the rule after all, that Father's word was final or else.
And what was worse, he would probably allow them to take their demanded pound of flesh from him. Or at least he was willing to do that as long as they didn't hurt Charlie.
Clutching her closer, Lucifer felt every muscle in his body tighten, ready to fight or flee with his little girl in hand as his mind desperately tried to think of an escape plan. Maybe he could rip a hole into the fabric of Heaven and teleport himself and Charlie back home? No, that wouldn't work. They would be able to follow him back to Pride and he was fairly sure that the wards on the upper levels were too strong for him to do that. Maybe one of the windows? But if he did that, would he be able to keep Charlie safe? What if she was cut by the glass? Or worse, what about the others? Camael was a soldier first and foremost, he had seen her in the past butcher creatures younger than Charlie because of 'Father's orders'. And Zadkiel could numb his emotions if he wasn't paying close enough attention. Azrael would even blind him with his shadows and if he got a hold of Charlie...
"Samael, you ne-" Michael's voice was soft but to Lucifer, it might as well have been a knife dragged across his arm. Locking his eyes on his doppelganger, Lucifer's wings flexed in warning, the soft feathers once more turning into deadly blades that sang softly as they rubbed against each other as he crouched lower. He could feel his teeth elongating in a threat, eyes slowly bleeding red when Charlie let out a whimper of pain.
'She's scared.' His mind supplied as his horns grew.
His daughter was frightened by the angels in the room sensing the danger they presented. A low warning rumble started to grow from his throat, letting out a low warning growl for all of them to hear. He needed to keep them away from them, to protect Charlie. Pain and punishment be damned as well as a holy war Heaven might suddenly declare because of it. He loved his siblings dearly, but he wouldn't hesitate in tearing their throats out if they were to lay a finger on his little duck-
"Lucifer stop!" Adam suddenly yelled, reminding Lucifer that he was there too. "You're crushing her!"
The growl instantly died in Lucifer's throat as he loosened his grip on Charlie. He hadn't realized it, but as he grew more and more tense, his hold on her had tightened like a boa constrictor, pressing her closer to him to protect. Except, Charlie hadn't understood that. To her it had all started as a hug that was slowly growing more and more painful, making it hard for her to breathe. Once he loosed his grip though, Charlie let out a little growl of her own, slapping her hand 'hard' against his chest in reprimand.
"Sorry Starfire," Lucifer whispered to her, hugging her close again but not as tightly as he kissed the crown of her head. He needed to calm down, collect his thoughts, and dawn his mask of being in control. "Daddy will keep you safe."
Taking a deep breath and ignoring the thundering of his heart, Lucifer steeled his spin and took on the role he had played for so many millennia. He couldn't appear before his siblings as their little brother who used to follow them with awe and wonder, nor the brother who would craft so many wonderful dreams together to entertain them. He couldn't let Sera see him anymore as the cowering fledgling who she would both comfort and tear down, desperately trying to bind him to her side like an eternal child. He couldn't be Samael before them, not anymore since Father's first punishment. He was Lucifer, the Fallen Golden Angel, father of lies and deception, lord and master of Pride, and ruler of Hell.
Giving Charlie one last adoring love as she started to babble away about all her newfound adventures, Lucifer cast a cold and what he hoped was indifferent glance at the Seraphim and First Man, refusing to acknowledge his twin any more than he already had. He had questions that demanded answering and he wouldn't allow Sera to use some form of fancy wordplay to avoid them.
After all, he was Lucifer Morningstar, King of Hell now, and whether Heaven wanted to accept it, that title demanded at least some respect.

* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *

Michael started in shock as he came face to face with his long-lost twin, unable to believe how much he had changed and yet still looked the same. A flood of memories seemed to come crashing down on him like a tidal wave. He remembered Samael's laughter as they played and explored, his encouraging smile as he would urge Michael to try something new and frightening.

But worst of all, Samael reminded him of the day of the Fall.

No matter how much Michael tried to push the memory aside and bury it under obligations, tasks, meets, and whatever nonsense he could convince himself, the day Samael fell with Lilith was burned into Michael's mind like Holy Flame. Even now he could recall the the most minuscule detail.

He could remember it was dark that day due to Father's anger. The air had felt heavy with the threat of rain as they were all forced to stand witness to Lilith and Samael's trial. It had barely been a year since Samael had been released from his binding, the pure white wings still marred with possibly infected wonders from having strained against the Holy bands. They had all pleaded with him to allow Raphael to treat the rub burns, but he had vehemently refused, shifting his form to escape them.a

He had been so small then as Father's rage loomed over all of them. Samael's eyes had been the same back them too, wide with terror at first before looking at them coldly. All except for Lilith who had been boldly talking back to Father, claiming that he was a hypocrite and cruel, treating Samael as if he were less. Michael had wanted to stop them, to silence Lilith and plead for Samael to plead for mercy, that he had just made an impulsive choice now that he was unbound and needed to reflect on his behavior, but as Lilith spewed one claim after another to point out Father's flaws, the final straw being when she call their father something none of them knew what meant at the time.

A demon.

Back then all of them had been confused by Lilith's words, wondering what it meant and where she had learned it. After all, she had never been outside of Eden, and anything that existed beyond its walls that she knew about was only what Samael had shared with her. Michael had at first assumed it was a makeup word that only had meaning to her just as their insults in Celestial had for them.

But Father seemed to know what it was, what the word meant. The air around him seemed to turn from a cold miasma to an icy cutting wind as he glared at the first woman with something Michael could only describe as absolute hate. Father had kept a stiff smile on his face, trying to appear friendly still but struggling to maintain his mask before without warning Lilith was snatched up in his grasp, screaming in pain as he held her tight.

Everything after that happened too quickly for Michael to really understand what had happened before it was too late. The world had fallen silent as he watched Samael crying for their father to let Lilith go as their father placed the curse of a barren womb onto her. He could remember Adam and Eve watching in horror as God showed them his anger and disapproval for being tempted, deeming them unworthy of Eden's gifts. He could remember the scorn in his eyes as to told Samael how disappointed he was that he had learned nothing during his binding and clearly he had allowed his Dreamer too much freedom.

That it was something he would remedy as soon as the humans were dealt with.

They had all stood in silence and watched as Adam and Eve were banished to Earth, the between place from Heaven and the Void which Camael and the others had been working on clearing for abominations for the last few many years. It wasn't cleared of the monstrosities but given a few more years of hard work, Michael and the others could easily cleanse the world for humans. If anything, they knew of a safe patch where Adam and Eve would be safe.

Lilith however wasn't given the same mercy.

Instead, Father had held her high above the edge of Heaven's gate, muttering about how she was flawed and corrupted. He had talked about how he should have erased her the moment she had started to show this 'ugly side' of herself that believed she knew better than the Almighty. And Lilith in her rage yelled something that Michael hadn't understood at the time. A name that made the winds their father conjured still instantly. Something that started with a 'U' or an 'R', he wasn't sure.

"You are a mistake I should never have allowed to be made," Father's words had been cold and emotionless as his smile faded and disgust marred his features. "A mistake I will now correct."

Those words still seemed to make the ichor in Michael's veins run cold.

Time had slowed then for him as he watched Father release Lilith and allow her to fall into oblivion. They all knew back then that it was unlikely that Lilith would survive the Fall. Her body wasn't made like theirs to fly or handle intense damage, the skin too soft and the bones too fragile. Father was expecting her to plummet to her death, taking back the life that he had given to her. That was what was supposed to happen.

Instead, though, Samael tore away from them, leaping out towards Lilith and catching her, trying to fly despite his still injured wings before they both fell.

Michael had to shake his head to clear it of the memory. He didn't want to remember this, to relive that day again in his mind. He tried to focus on the now as he could hear his other siblings rushing up behind him.

To say it felt surreal for them all to see Samael again would have been an understatement and yet, despite how much they all seemed to want to speak with him again, none of them knew what to say. Logically, Michael figured a sorry for in order somewhere in this messed up family reunion, but what kind? Sorry for not trying harder to stop you from disobeying? For not protecting you? Sorry for not stopping Father when he destroyed your workshop and bound you? Sorry for not following you as you fell? Could they even say sorry after such a long period of time had passed?

Or should he just start with a simple 'Hello' and 'How are you?'?

Before Michael could make up his mind on what to do, Zadkiel stepped forward as she held out her hands to embrace her youngest brother. But just as she started to utter his name, Zadkiel faltered in her steps and froze. Like Michael, their sensitive sister had probably imagined their reunion to be a happy one, filled with warm greetings and warm tight hugs with tears of joy. Instead, she was met with the sound of soft feathers shuttering in warning, a soft sing of blades filling the air between them.

Lucifer wasn't going to welcome their embrace so easily.

Not that made the sting of rejection hurt any less.

* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *

Charlie cooed happily in Daddy's arms, enjoying the warm hug he was giving her. She still wasn't sure what was going on or where Doggyman and Tabby were or even Mommy, but as long as Daddy was here then she knew everything was alright.
Though, why there were two Daddies was utterly confusing for her to wrap her head around.
Looking over at the 'other Daddy', Charlie could see there were a few differences between him and the Daddy holding her, but there weren't many. The most obvious were their eyes. The Daddy holding her had the deep crimson-red eyes that Charlie knew all too well. She had seen them almost every day of her life, after all, staring at her with adoration and endless love. They were the eyes that sparkled with joy and pride whenever she discovered something new, like apples being yummy or how to get her tail to wrap around his arm. The other Daddy didn't have red eyes but blue ones that tended to look sad or worried.
On the other hand, the blue-eyed Daddy had nicer hair whereas the Daddy holding her looked like he had been running around a lot again. And now when she thought about it, the Daddy holding her smelled a little funny. A sort of sickly sweet and fish-like smell that reminded Charlie a little of the food she had gotten at Uncle Lev's house. It made her nose crinkle a little in discomfort.
Letting out a string of babbles, Charlie looked between the pair of them, trying to make sense of it all. Had Daddy split apart and made two of himself? He knew magic after all and loved showing it to her, but it usually appeared like golden dust that shimmered and shined in the red glow of their home. Then again, Daddy was amazing with his magic so who was she to question it? Was it so he wouldn't have to go away again and leave her alone with Tabby and Doggyman? Not that she didn't like them, but they weren't the same as Mommy and Daddy. No one could replace them after all. But if he had made another version of himself, which one was the real Daddy, and which one was copy Daddy?
And how the heck was she supposed to tell the difference between them?

* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *

Adam would have laughed if he wasn't terrified of it setting off the already nervous Devil before them. Even if Lucifer was keeping his voice calm and even while talking to his daughter, Adam could easily see the tremors that shook through the thin body, making the white and scarlet feathers sing in warning. One wrong move, one single ill-uttered word could set the fallen angel off like a badly stored powder keg and the whole mess downstairs would start all over again, only this time they were all far too close to avoid getting hurt.
And Adam didn't like how it felt like he was looking into a mirror of his mortal self.
Having twenty-eight children hadn't been easy, even with them all fairly spaced out in ages. Each new life, be it birth or growing up had come with their own set of challenges that had left Adam wide awake at night sometimes, worrying about how many ways he and Eve could fuck up their children. From allergies to curious minds and rebellious phases, regardless of them being girls or boys, every single one of his children had managed more than a few times to land themselves into trouble that was well over their heads and left Adam and Eve racing to rescue them.
Hell, he could even remember Able during his preteen years being convinced that he could hunt down the bobcat that was attacking the sheep. Even Cain had told him to leave it be and just watch out for the dimwitted animals, instead of running off into the woods that was still fairly unknown to them, but Abel had been confident that he could find the cat and deal with it.
It couldn't be that hard, he had said. What could go wrong? Well as it turned out, a lot of things. Like discovering that there's a difference between bobcat tracks and a God damn cougar.
And while cougars aren't the bravest of the large cats, they sure as Adam's golden wings, weren't intimidated by an eleven-year-old boy armed with a couple of flimsy arrows. It had been by chance that the boy had stumbled onto his father hunting at the time that the big cat hadn't managed to tear his son to shreds before Adam could drive a spear through its chest.
Not that it stopped him from tearing Abel a new one while the adrenaline and fear were still pumping raw threw his veins. His kids had been good kids, but he would never claim that any of them were perfect, just some were better than others.
But looking at Ava or rather according to Lucifer Charlie, Adam had to admit there was something comical in watching the baby's head twist back and forth in confusion as she looked back and forth at her father and uncle, trying to make sense of everything.
'If turns her head any faster, she's gonna get dizzy.' Adam thought with a chuckle.
"Sammy..." Zadkiel's soft voice broke the silence between them all as she looked hurt at her little brother and his protective stance, a thin hand reaching out towards him as if she were trying to calm a scared and wild animal. "You... really think we would...?"
There was another rustle his wings were all the answer she seemed to need and Zadkiel retracted her hand. Even Adam was taken aback that Lucifer was assuming Zadkiel of all angels to have nefarious intentions. She was God's Mercy, after all, the peacekeeper and the calming after a storm.
Then again, the last time Lucifer had seen any of them, things had gone pretty bad.
"Why are you here, Lucifer?"
Sera's firm and indifferent voice only seemed to add to the tension in the room. Cold golden irises snapped onto her face as a crack of a tail echoed down the hall, making a few of them flinch. Adam wanted to tell Sera to watch her step, to be careful about how she spoke and approached Lucifer at the moment as he technically had every right to start attacking them again. After all, there were more than a few witnesses now who could testify that they had given the Devil a reason to force his way into Heaven. Adam had to fight the urge to elbow Sera in the side to tell her to cool it or else they would risk Lucifer opening the proverbial Pandora's Box regarding Extermination day.

* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *

Sera felt a tornado of emotions mixing within her as she stared at Samael's crouched form. For eons she had dreamed of this day, waiting with bated breath that her little fledgling would realize his mistakes and return home to the fold where he was meant to be. She had pictured it so clearly in her mind, a heartbroken and repentive Samael waiting outside the gold gates, a pleading look on his face as he'd fought back the tears of a newly broken heart and fear. She had imagined how his voice would quiver nervously as he'd fidget nervously with his wings or sleeves or wings while he'd plead for them to let him come home again, just as he had when he was small and fit so perfectly in her arms.

And oh how she longed for the day when she could welcome him home again and hold him in her protective arms once more just as she had when he was small.

Except, that wasn't what happened at all.

Instead, he stood before them and Sera was utterly disappointed that nothing had gone as she had wanted it. Samael hadn't returned to them after realizing that the first whore never loved him but merely used him as her scapegoat to shoulder the blame for everything on Earth. That by tricking him into feeding Eve the apple, it would be his name that humanity would curse for eternity. He had not been crying to return as one of their own, but instead stood glaring at them coldly with crimson eyes. Rather than seeking the nostalgic comfort of her hugs and petting hands, his arms remained closed protectively around the thing in his arms, shielding it from whatever attack he believed was coming.

It was far from the meeting she wanted and Sera found herself begrudgingly accepting that Samael was still blinded by his belief that 'that woman' actually loved him.

Pushing her disappointment and longing aside, Sera met Lucifer's leveled look, ignoring the anger and malice that oozed off him.

'He's playing King again,' She thought disappointingly, dismissing any force of authority he was trying to show her. 'To think he's still playing the role after such a long time.'

That was one of the many traits Samael had that annoyed Sera to no end. His stubbornness. Sure it was good when he wanted to learn something new and focus on it right. But more often than not it was what made her but heads with him. And she had tried so many different ways to guide him back on the right path rather than running wild like his siblings allowed him to.

The first time had been when she had tried to block him from joining the council too early on Eden. Sera had never approved of God and Uriel's decision that when they turned thirteen centuries, the others would be old enough to join, but she could hardly argue against the great Creator without any good reasons. But with Samael, it had been fairly easy in the start to insist he was too young. He was too impulsive and too energetic to handle such an important task that required him to sit still and listen for hours on end, not to mention immature.

But just like whenever Sera tried to hinder Samael from getting his way, the young angel had forced his way past her, impressing God once more with his thousands upon thousands of insane ideas, and being the ever-loving Creator he was, God had humored his youngest so that he wouldn't break into tears.

So then Sera had tried to curve Samael's impulsive nature by insisting that he had yet to finish his schooling, embarrassing the little thing slightly by quizzing him in front of his family with questions she knew she had discussed with him countless times. And it had worked... for a while.

Then his curiosity had led him to explore Eden where that viper had gotten her fangs into him. And when God had discovered his disobedience, Sera had thought it was her golden opportunity to get Samael back under control. After all, he had proven himself too young to handle the responsibilities that the others had, though she personally felt Camael's facial scar had been proof enough back when he was eight. However much to Sera's dismay, having his wings and powers bond only seemed to push Samael farther away from her embrace and into Lilith's corruptive hold in the first harlot's embrace because she gave him the illusion that he was all grown up and ready to face the world.

But Sera knew better. She had always known better.

Despite the centuries and changes that had come with time, Samael was the same way as he always had been. A child. Stubborn, willful, and desperate for guidance, it didn't matter to her how many years or lifetimes had passed since she had seen him, he would always be her little trouble-making fledgling. And she loved him regardless of his faults, though she knew that she would need to be strict with him if he was ever to understand his mistakes.

Like following Lilith in the fall, and now creating this... thing which he was cuddling so close. It took almost everything in Sera not to sneer at the blasphemous thing in Samael's arms that was noisy babbling away as it looked between Samael and Michael. She refused to acknowledge it for anything else than what it was, an insult towards God and all his creation. And while the infant had a striking resemblance to her little fledgling, Sera could also see evidence of Lilith in it as well.

Shaking her head mentally to focus, Sera started to think about how she could best handle this colossus mess of a situation. To start with, the last thing she needed was for Samael to talk with his siblings. As in she didn't need him convincing them that everything was fine and dandy, sweet talking them over to his way of seeing things which wouldn't be difficult with his little prop. If the abomination in his arms was a product of himself, Sera knew that Michael and the others would be naturally attracted to it, wanting to show it with love and affection as it was their nature to want to love one another. The other thing was she did NOT want Samael spilling the beans as to what exactly Adam and his 'girls' were doing every year during their annual visit to Hell as there was no way any of them would ever have agreed to the Extermination Day. Not even Camael.

"Perhaps it would be best, Sa-Lucifer, if we were to go and speak somewhere private?" Sera decided to interrupt the reunion, though her voice did falter a little as Lucifer's gaze turned to glare when she nearly called him by his original name. By the Almighty Father's name above, Sera couldn't wait for Samael to cease with that childísh demand. "After all, I'm certain there's... plenty for us to discuss."

* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *

To say the sting of her baby brother's rejection hurt would have been an understatement though Zadkiel did understand it. But she had still thought out of all their siblings, Samael would have known she would never harm him, much less the babe in his arms whom he held so protectively.
As fledglings, Zadkiel had always played the part of peacekeeper when there was conflict and tempers were high. More than once she found herself doing her best to calm the others when they were upset, especially Samael when Sera was pressing him too hard or he was feeling left out. She had always offered him a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen to his woes or ideas.
That was... until the day he started to sneak into Eden.
Zadkiel couldn't exactly pinpoint when it had started but she believed that the catalyst to them drifting apart had to have started when he and Lilith had crossed paths. Zadkiel had never met the female human, not in person at least. Instead, she had observed Lilith and Adam from a distance as they talked and played with Samael, making her brother smile in a way she had never seen before.
Not to say Samael didn't smile around them, far from it, he was practically always smiling, but the smiles he shared so freely with the humans weren't the same as the ones he gave his siblings.
And none of them compared to the smile he would give Lilith.
She had meant to talk to him about it, to urge him to stop meeting with the humans before Father would get crossed, but she had been so terribly busy designing different pattern wings at Father's request. She had suggested a beautiful flower-like creature that would be full of grace and evoke tranquility, a sort of flying flower in a sense though later Adam would name the creatures 'butterflies'. They were simple creatures really with incredibly short lives compared to most creatures, but Father had thought them beautiful and wanted ones with many different designs which took up most of her time.
At least that was what Zadkiel constantly told herself to justify why she didn't tell anyone about seeing Samael in Eden.
The truth was however, Zadkiel hadn't wanted to take the secret smile away from Samael at the time. Maybe it was because she was so sensitive to the emotions of others that she had noticed it, but with every passing decade, Samael's smile had turned more and more forced like it was straining to remain on his face when he thought others weren't looking. It had been centuries since she had seen that carefree and joyful smile on his face like he had when Lilith would splash him with water from the lake or Adam would show him one of the many creatures he had named.
It was probably why she had dared to speak with Father about forgiving Sammy for his transgressions after the golden bands were placed on his wings.
And why she had hidden away from everyone too when Father had stroked her across the face for her efforts. He had even hit her hard enough to bruise her face and make her taste ichor in her mouth from where her teeth had cut her inner cheek.
Zadkiel had felt guilty that she hadn't spoken up sooner and confessed that she had been in Eden too though she hadn't talked to humans. She often wondered if it would have made a difference. If it hadn't just been Samael who admitted to his wrongdoings, would he have been more forgiving in his punishment? Or would Samael at least not been alone in his pain for the seventy years of self-induced isolation? Maybe if he had had someone to share the pain with, he would have spoken to them, and unloaded his burdens, he wouldn't have found comfort in Lilith's arms.
And yet, despite these thoughts, Zadkiel found herself mute once more and Sera ordered Samael to follow her. Samael stiffened as his eyes narrowed hatefully towards the seraphim, something that felt completely unnatural to Zadkiel to see on his face, reminding her bitterly that she no longer knew her baby brother as she once had. He tightened his hold on Ava, looking torn between taking the little one with him or leaving her somewhere else while he and Sera 'talked'.
Did he not trust them, trust her, not to hurt the child? It saddened Zadkiel that he thought so little of them now. They were angels, after all, God's original children and chosen ones to carry out his will. They protected the innocent after all and guided souls on their path to the afterlife. They would never hurt a child!
"S-Sammy?" She called out to him, ignoring the slight jerk his shoulders gave as she called him by his childhood nickname. "If... If you want, we can watch Ava for you. While you and Sera talk?"
"Ava?" He uttered her name in confusion, his attention turning to the baby girl in his arms who was still babbling happily away as she patted his red circled cheeks softly before he looked coldly at them. "Her name isn't Ava. It's Charlotte."
'Ava' cooed happily at her name, earning a soft smile from Samael despite the tension of the room. Zadkiel felt her heart melt a little. It was the same smile he used to give Lilith in the garden before everything went wrong. But just as quickly as the smile had graced his face, the scowl returned as he looked suspiciously at Zadkiel, holding Charlotte closer to his chest as the heat of Hell's fire started to singe the marble floors beneath his feet.

* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *

"Samael!" Uriel's voice rang through the hallways in protest, making all of the siblings jump except the small King. It was rare for him to use his 'big brother tone' as Gabriel had once called it, but it often rivaled Sera's scolding one, making them all feel like they had been caught messing with something they shouldn't have. "This is uncalled for. You know none of us would ever harm a child. Father would never allow it."

Adam felt himself nervously stiffen, sweat slowly starting to gather on his brow and run down his back. It was almost laughable how much Uriel actually believed his statement, that as Archangels, they were somehow infallible and the perfect judges of who was and wasn't innocent. Even if he hadn't lived on Earth to see all of them, even Adam knew of the Biblical stories where the innocent were tested or children were punished for no faults of their own. The plague of the Firstborns of Egypt when the Pharaoh refused to obey Moses' command to 'let his people go' was just one example that everyone tended to gloss over. Yes, Pharaoh's father had ordered the slaughter of thousands of children first, but the non-Jewish children of Egypt had done nothing to deserve paying for the sins of the past. Then there was the testing of Job and Abraham's faiths, while Issac was fine, the children were certainly traumatized afterward, not to mention when Elisha cursed a group of forty-two boys to be mauled by bears for calling him bald.

And if one simply dismissed those examples as mere fictitious stories to teach humans morals, then Adam had to wonder how they explained the young Winners that at times would run around the lower levels.

Not to mention what happened with Cain... And some of the Sinners Adam and his girls had killed during their annual culling of Hell.

'Or was Abigail Williams just panicking when she pointed her finger at anyone she had a grudge against?' Adam thought bitterly. And judging by Lucifer's face, he clearly felt the same.

"Jesting never was your strong suit Uriel," Lucifer muttered coldly. "I wouldn't suggest starting now."

Adam watched as all the other siblings except Camael looked confused at his insult and wasn't surprised. While Adam wasn't sure when the others had last been out on the battlefield, he knew that Camael had been a soldier long before he had first drawn breath in Eden and she had yet to pass that mantle onto anyone else. To Camael, age was just an imaginary number the enemy hoped would make one pause in battle so they could land a killing blow. Hell, he was sure that Camael barely bothered to question how old the abominations really were as she just couldn't keep up with the growth rates of the different species.

It was just easier not to think about it.

"You're welcome to bring... Charlotte with you, if you want Lucifer," Sera strained to say the child's name, her disdain palpable as she nearly choked on the words. "Or... you could entrust her to someone else here while we... discuss matters."

Adam frowned slightly as he looked at Sera curiously. He wasn't sure what she was playing at, but he didn't like it. Normally Sera tended to tell Adam a little bit of what she had planned, though to be fair he rarely listened to her. Her explanations were so often long-winded and convoluted that he either fell asleep during them or just felt like he had been struck by a rock. But this time he wasn't sure what she had in mind. He figured a possible 'sorry for grabbing your brat' was in order but with the tone Sera was using, it soundly more like she was throwing all the fault onto Lucifer.

Not that he had a problem with that, but he wasn't sure everyone else present would fall for her gas-lighting.

Lucifer looked uncomfortable and torn. He clearly wanted Ava-Charlotte, he needed to remind himself the kid's real name was Charlotte, where he could see her but at the same time, he wanted her as far away from Sera and the others.

It was a little weird honestly. For as long as Adam could remember, Lucifer had never spoken poorly of his family. Sure, he complained about them, who the fuck didn't? Even Adam had overheard his brats bitching about him and Eve being 'mean' or 'jerks' about stuff, Abel included. Kids will always complain about things they think are unfair. And yeah, he complained more about Sera than anyone else during their time in Eden, but Lucifer had always assured them and despite what he felt were their shortcomings, he still loved and trusted them.

"... Sera just worries a lot. I know she means well..."

"... Urie's always got his head in a scroll and ink on his hands but I know if I need help, he'd drop everything to help me..."

"... Cammy's just stressed. Father has her working hard with the outside. And I do get distracted easily. That's how her eye..."

"... Raph's just... different, you know? It's not a bad thing. You just need to think about how he sees things and not stress him..."

"... she scares easily but Zaddy always tries..."

"No matter what Mikey will always be there for me. He's my twin after all. I can always trust him just like I can trust you, Adam."

The last one still bothered Adam to this day. He could still remember how they had all been relaxing in the garden, enjoying the company of Eden's newest creatures that Adam had named 'ferret', field mouse' and hummingbird after Lilith's suggestion. Both of them had been lying with their heads in Lilith's lap as she stroked their hair while she hummed along with the tiny birds that were perched on Adam's hands and knees. Lucifer had taken his top hat off after the ferrets had tried for the fifth time to steal them, muttering to himself giving them a curious nature had been a mistake. The sun was bathing them in a warm glow as the wind softly sang through the leaves of the trees. Lucifer had been talking about some of the problems he was having with his siblings during their meetings, though Adam wasn't exactly sure what they were about since it was so long ago and he understood barely any of it them.

Things had been so simple then...

Adam was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts when he felt something firm yet soft being shoved into his chest. Looking down, he was surprised not only to find Lucifer standing before him but that he was passing Charlotte over to him as well. Not that he looked happy about it. In fact, the short angel looked positively irritated judging by the stiff wags of his tail, the seemingly boneless limb twisting and turning irately.

"Don't think it means anything," Lucifer growled as he gave his daughter a gentle nuzzle on her cheek with his hand. "I don't trust you. I just think you're the least likely to fuck shit up because you have experience. But if you hurt her in any way..."

The threat hung in the air unspoken, but the effect was there nonetheless. Adam understood as a fellow father that if anything were to happen to the little girl, come, Heaven, Hell, or even the unknown Void, Lucifer would inflict horrors on him beyond imagination.

Hell, he would have threatened the same if the roles were reversed, but that didn't mean that he wasn't insulted by it. So he was an asshole and loud-mouthed rude prick that enjoyed slaughtering Sinners whenever he and his girls visited, but for Lucifer to think after all this time he had been around the kid that he would hurt her?! Who the hell did this little wife fucker think he was?!

'You little cum sucking wife-stealing man whore! Who do you think kept your little twerp alive for the last few hours?!' Adam thought hotly before grabbing a hold of Charlotte a little rougher than needed. It didn't go unnoticed as he quickly found the point of Lucifer's tail pressing into his gut, the flexible limb surprisingly sharp despite its appearance. "Yeah, yeah, shithead. I'll keep an eye on her for yah."

Lucifer allowed his horns to grow just a tiny bit more as he glared at Adam, clearly unhappy with how roughly Adam had taken Charlie. If Adam didn't know better, he wouldn't have been surprised if he were to get very intimate with Lucifer's fist before the day was over. And that was fine too. Adam was pretty sure he could introduce Lucifer's scrawny ass to his foot before anyone would be able to stop their brawl.

But instead of two of them throwing hands at one another, Sera loudly cleared her throat, wordlessly ordering Lucifer to follow her. Adam watched as the Devil growled in annoyance as he marched off to talk with the one person he seemed to hate more than Adam in the room, making a clear point to ignore the other angels in the room. Adam was still contemplating whether or not to give Lucifer the two fingers when he heard whimpering below him, reminding him he was still holding the little tot.

Av-Charlie watched in confusion as her father stiffly walked down the hall, his massive wings retracting just in time to cut six long gashes into the doorway as he followed the High Seraphim. Adam wasn't sure if it was because he was distracted or if it was done in some form of childish protest against Sera.

"Hey, don't start that," Adam grumbled as he gently bounced the little Hellborn in his arms. "Shit head will be back before you know it. Just you wait."

Lucifer's kid or not, he couldn't bring himself to be a full-on dick towards her. Maybe when she was older and could defend herself, sure he could be a dick then. She's grown after all and raised in Lucifer's image with Lilith's confidence and Lucifer's insufferable arrogance. Lifting the little one up so that he could look at her properly, Adam mentally scowled as scarlet eyes peered curiously at him for reassurance.

Yeah, Adam could see it all now so easily in his mind's eye. In a few more centuries, the Princess of Hell would grow into a young woman, as beautiful as her mother and father and just as cruel and malevolent in nature. She'd grow up arrogant and cold, taking pleasure in the same depraved activities as the Sinners of Hell enjoyed.

'Oh yeah, she'll become the real anti-Christ alright,' Adam thought, ignoring the slight feeling of disappointment at the idea. He was trying to stay indifferent to the idea, but it bothered him that something so small and innocent in nature would get tainted by her environment and turn twisted with time. "...Fucking Cain all over again."

A squeal of random joy tore him from his thoughts as he suddenly felt a slight tun above his head and Adam suddenly realized that while he was holding Charlie up high and getting lost in his thoughts, Charlie had managed to grab a hold of his halo and was marveling in her tiny victory. Adam had to admit, it surprised him how gently she grasped, her tiny fingers softly wrapping around the ring of light as cooed curiously at it. He was used to little ones like her being rougher when they grabbed random things, not because they were mean or wanted to cause pain, but because babies and toddlers rarely knew better when it wasn't something that made them feel pain.

Her tiny fingers tightened just a tiny fragment as she gave his halo a gentle tug, trying to see if it would come loose, only for Adam to feel the slight phantom tug against his scalp when she did. It reminded him so much of Able when he had been about the same age.

* * * Flash Back * * *

Back then, Adam's hair and beard were fairly long and he tended to keep it tied back and out of the way. Even if it had been lifetimes ago, Adam could still remember having bundled the toddler onto his back while he helped Eve prepare some food for dinner, his muscles screaming from exhaustion as he worked the grinding stone to make flour, pausing only once in a while to wipe the sweat from his brow while Cain was sitting a little ways off to the side from him, stacking the firewood and sorting some of the food he and Eve had gathered earlier that day. Cain was about five years old then, whereas Abel was a year old and a few months old.
When Eve had handed him his youngest son, she had assured him that the boy would be easy to handle as it was time for his even rest and all Adam needed to do was keep him close like she did. She had told him that the child had spent more of the day totting after her and Cain, playing with his brother when time allowed it, and that he would most likely be sleeping the whole time Adam watched him.
The sudden painful yank of his hair seemed to tell Adam otherwise.
"Ow!"
"Abee no."
Although Adam couldn't see what had happened, he could easily guess it. Despite being tired, Abel's tiny fingers had found their way into Adam's long brown locks, and apparently after discovering his little fingers had managed to tangle themselves completely there, Abel had closed his fist and pulled.
Hard!
Adam let out another yelp of pain as Abel gave a surprisingly hard yank on his hair while giggling loudly. The little tot thought the sounds his father made were funny and didn't understand that he was hurting his father with every pull and tug. Adam quickly let go of the grinding wheel, reaching backward to try and untangle the baby's hand from his hair only to yell as Abel's other hand joined in on the fun and both small hands were yanking in different directions.
"Ow! Son of a-" Adam was pretty sure he lost a few strands of hair that time. He was certain he had felt a few strands snapping as Abel squealed with joy as he squirmed behind him and waved his arms in amusement. "Abel! Stop. Get go of Dada's hair!"
Adam had hoped that by some miracle his son was smart enough to understand what his father wanted, but to Adam's dismay, Abel only pulled harder as his small hands grasped ahold of even more hair to pull. Where was Eve when he needed her? Why hadn't she warned him that Abel liked pulling hair at the moment? She had told him when Cain was this young, warning him to keep his hair tied and away from the curious tiny fingers, and yet... not a word. Not a single uttered whisper in her greeting earlier when she passed Abel onto him while she took their clothing down to be washed in the river so they could dry by the fireplace.
"Abel, pleEEase," Adam pleaded again as he was sure he was going to end up with a few bald spots before he'd ever find Abel's fingers and pry them away from his hair. "Let go. Let go of Dada-"
He just needed to reach Abel's hands and then he could-
"Abee, no," Just as Adam was about to give up on finding Abel's hands, Cain came to the rescue. Adam stilled as he felt his oldest gently take hold of the baby's wrists, easing the little fingers to uncurl and release Adam's hair one at a time. From the sound of things, it wasn't the first time Cain was rescuing someone from Abel's surprisingly strong grasp. "Dat hurt Dad, Abee."
Abel cooed curiously as Cain gently pulled his hands away from Adam's hair, allowing their father to untie the wrap so that he could set the boy down. Once Abel was sitting on the floor, Cain made sure that the little one wouldn't topple over. Adam immediately started to run his sore scalp, trying to ease the stinging feeling away. He honestly wanted to scold Abel for yanking his hair but he also knew it would be pointless. Abel wasn't speaking yet and how could you explain to a baby what they had done was wrong when they couldn't answer you? It wasn't like he could yell at the baby either, Adam tried to keep his 'mad voice', as Eve called it, for when the little ones did dangerous things. Like when Cain snuck after him into the woods during a hunt. Adam had damn near shot the boy by accident, thinking he was a rabbit.
Needless to say, they had had a very long 'talk' after.
So how was Adam supposed to explain to a baby he couldn't just yank on people's hair? Yelling would only cause him to wail, and Abel was far too little for any 'talks', which this wasn't deserving of either. So what should he...
"Dat ow, Abee," Cain lightly told his brother off, mimicking their mother's lecturing pose for when she would scold him. "Dat hurts. Not nice."
Adam watched as Abel babbled slightly at him, clearly not understanding what his big brother meant. Adam watched as Cain gently guided his baby brother's hand to pet his hair. Cain still had a little trouble saying Abel's name correctly but he was trying hard every day as he did his best to fulfill his duties as a 'good big brother'. Slowly, Cain gently showed Abel how to touch his hair, his own hand slowly guiding the younger's movement.
"See, Abee? Dis is nice," The four-year-old said before gently making the small hand grab his hair lightly, tugging at it. "Dis ow. Bad. Okay?"
Abel let out a sound that was somewhere between an 'Ooo' and 'Uu', trying to mimic his brother's sound before petting his hair again.
"Das right Abee. Gentle. Like dat. Like how Mama showed us," Cain encouraged before looking adoringly at Adam, his eyes shining with pride. "I help, Dada. I do good?"
Adam blinked as he watched his two boys gently take turns patting each other on the face and hair.
"Ye-yeah, you sure did Cain," Cain beamed with pride at his father's praise while Adam gave him a lop-sided grin. Reaching out he gathered his two greatest prides and joys into his arms, earning a loud giggle from both as he nuzzled them both affectionately. "You did amazing, Buddy."
"Dada!" Cain squealed loudly as he tried to push Adam's face away from his cheek which somehow still retained a bit of his baby fat in them. "Stop! You're bread tickles!"

* * * Flash Back End * * *

Adam smiled as he recalled the memory, remembering the joy he had felt over how proud Cain had been over being a good big brother. It hadn't stopped Adam from cutting his hair the next day though, but that was because while gathering firewood with Cain, a squirrel had fallen onto his head and in a panic gotten tangled into Adam's hair.
Cain had thought it was hilarious though and kept telling Eve that 'Dada has squirrely hair'.
A gentle tug brought Adam's attention back over to the little girl in his hands and he slowly shifted her around so that he could softly pull her hand away from his halo before she could poke herself on one of its sharp points. He had expected to have to fight her on letting go of her prize, but Charlie seemed to understand what he wanted and instantly released her grasp and looked at him.
"Can't let you pull on that, Puppet," He told her as curious red eyes peered back at him. "It'll hurt if you pull it."
"Aaaaa uuuuuu?" Adam watched curiously the little princess tried to mouth the word but only managed a series of sounds.
Not that it was hard for Adam to guess was she meant as she broke off into a massive toothy grin with giggles. Hellborn or not, Luci-dick's brat or not, Adam had to admit he liked the sound of her giggle. It was rather musical when he listened to it and it reminded him warmly of all his children's laughter when they were small.
"Yeah, brat," Adam gave her a small smile. "Ow."
Cradling her a little in the nook of his arm, Adam decided he might as well enjoy the little Anti-Christ while she was small and innocent, tickling her tummy a little with a smile. He'd be a dick to her when she was older and could hold her own.
Not to mention he was fairly certain if he was cruel to her right now, the King of Hell might become the least of his problems what with seven jealous watchful eyes watching them.

* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *

Lucifer had had to bite back a growl as he glared at Adam. He knew it was a gamble to trust him with Charlie, especially since he knew the First Man had no problems killing Sinner children if he crossed paths with them. The only reason he had settled on giving Adam even an ounce of trust was because he knew the man at least had some experience with kids and he had been gentle with Charlie before.
He couldn't trust the others to care for Charlie. None of them had any experience in handling infants after all. Hell, Lucifer could even remember how he had panicked and stressed during Lilith's pregnancy about all the need-to-knows regarding babies. Thank Father for Paimon's wives as well as Thorn for being able to somewhat calm him down and give him some tips on what to and what not to do with the infant.
Though Lucifer had to admit not all their advice was useful. Depending on the wife they had spoken to, Lucifer had learned each of Paimon's brides had vastly different ways of dealing with child-rearing. Some were protective the way Bryhildr had been about Damien, though a lot less bloodthirsty, whereas some were watchful but calm. There had been a disturbing number of them though that felt all they needed to do was pop out a few eggs and then the hatchlings could be someone elses problem.
Preferably some random underpaid and overworked imp from what Lucifer had seen.
Thorn had been the most useful help when it came to some guidance regarding infants. She had shown Lucifer how to change a diaper, how to heat and test bottles as well as how to burp a baby using a doll.
Though she had been sneaky enough to use Damien to show Lucifer how to bathe a child when Damien appeared before them caked in mud. Lucifer still wasn't sure who got a bath that day, but it took him nearly a day to dry his wings.
Not that Lucifer could spare those memories too much thought at the moment, he needed to focus and keep his nerves calm.
As he followed behind Sera down the empty halls, Lucifer had to trample the haunting memories that threatened to engulf him. Peering at her back reminded him a little too much of the past when he was forced to trail behind her. In the beginning, it had been by his own free will, the halls echoing with his and Michael's laughter as they would tease one another or play little games. Sometimes they would even grab a hold of Sera's wings or hands to walk alongside her. But as time passed and Sera's control became more possessive over him, the laughter dulled to a murmur and finally silence leaving only the clicks of his hooves and her heels to fill the silence.
Glancing at her back, Lucifer bitterly remembered how it once had been a welcoming sight of familial comfort only to morph into this impenetrable wall that blocked him at every time. He had probably been ten centuries old when he realized that he no longer felt security and warmth when he looked at it but instead suppressed in a suffocating reminder of how small he was and how much older she was than him. Her all too familiar back didn't promise hugs or stories or gentle pats, but long-winded lectures, scolding about how immature or foolish he was, and finally long stents of silence as he was expected to repent and plead for forgiveness before punishment was given.
Which made him wonder where was she leading-
Lucifer felt his anger spike once more as he started to recognize the hallway they were walking down. No matter how many years had passed he could always remember the silver marble-lined walls and crystal chandeliers that cast rainbows from the ceiling in the sunlight.
This was his hall, his old corridor.
He had flown and walked this path countless times, hands weighed down with scrolls and cloth bundles and ink bottles while his mind buzzed with ideas. She was leading him back towards his old room, past his workshop to... to what? Unnerve him? Rub salt into his old scars? Frighten him?
Well like hell he would let her try and pull some shitty power move on him! He wasn't the small child she could bully about anymore! He was the King of Hell, after all, and maybe it was time for Sera to understand that she no longer held any sway over him!

* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *

"Trying to admire your masterpiece, Seraphim?"

Sera paused mid-step as she turned to look at Samael, a confused expression on her face. The truth was, she had been mindlessly walking down the hall, her thoughts elsewhere while Samael walked behind her. The last time Samael had walked behind her was when Uriel was leading him out to witness Lilith's punishment, an action she had always regretted. He shouldn't have been present that day, not with how that siren had her claws in him. Maybe if they had kept him locked in his room and told him instead, detoxing him from Lilith's manipulations everything would have been fine.

Yes, he would have been upset but with time he would heal and forget.

Sera had been sure of this.

"Pardon?" She was surprised by the cold ice-like tone he was using.

"And here I thought my sin was Pride," Lucifer sneered, flashing her his razor-sharp teeth with a hollow smile. "Tell me, do you take me for an idiot or do you just like seeing the carnage you made?"

'What is he...?' Sera thought before she noticed it too.

She honestly hadn't meant to lead him down this way. It was just a deep-buried habit she apparently still had from when he was little and needed to reflect. In the last century of his time in Heaven, Sera had practically dragged him down this way daily when he refused to do anything she asked of him, no matter how small. Every lesson, even when it involved something she knew he already understood or loved was met with stubborn refusal and silence. At first, she had tried to run her lessons as normal only to discover if she didn't watch him, Samael would simply get up and leave, either by the door or window. The window had been the most frightening for her since he couldn't fly with his wings being bound but Samael didn't seem to care that he could get hurt. She'd then sit with him and watch him, but that only led to him pushing the parchments or scrolls away and turning away from him, even going as far as to stare blankly at the walls until it was time to eat. And when she tried to use the 'once you're finished with your work, you can eat' card on him, Samael just sat wordlessly and indifferent. In the end, it had been her hunger that had won out since she could leave him alone.

And to make matters worse, when Sera did give in, Samael barely took anything to eat and immediately left for his own room, locking the door without so much as a glance back at anyone. He just refused to be around any of them. Even when God had visited, which although had been more frequent but still rare, Samael barely spoke beyond a 'No father' or 'Yes Father' when asked something. He stopped completely from coming with any gifts to give or show God, not even a drawing and he didn't join in anything the others invited him to.

'Does he think...?' Sera thought before she let out a sigh and reached out to pat his cheek. "Samael I-"

The sound of Samael striking her hand away rang like a thunderclap through the hallway, taking Sera by surprise. Scarlet eyes glared at her with disgust as a low rumble filled the silence between them. It took Sera a minute to realize that it was Samael growling at her as she rubbed the sting from her hand.

The slap hadn't hurt, at least not physically, but emotionally Sera felt like Samael had run her through with a sword. Did he really think so little of her?

"Spare me your excuses Seraphim. I'd heard them all before," He snarled at her before tapping his cane hard into the floor and giving her an impatient and bored look. "And I'm growing tired of your games, so if you have a point make it."

Sera blinked as Lucifer started to command her, his tone low and brawling as it dripped with venom and dismissal. She had heard this tone before, many times in fact when they had their little meetings at the embassy. It was the tone he used when he was playing King, acting as if he was the all-powerful ruler of the realm and no one could question him. Plenty of times she had heard her little lost angel using that tone towards anyone who interrupted their meetings, the survivors of the purges and rejections of God's grace and love. She had seen him speak coldly to the leftover references of past Gods, like the little fox bee creature that none rules one of the seven rings of Hell. The little mistake of creation had snuck into the room once in the beginning, seeking out Samael for something and Samael hadn't wasted a second in ordering it to leave and never enter when Sera was present. He knew its existence offended her, its essence telling her that it was some leftover mess from one of the elder gods the Almighty had smited millennia ago.

She would have been proud of Samael chasing it away, had he not comforted it the moment it burst into crocodile tears, assuring it that he only did it for its safety.

But then again, her little Samael had always been such a gentle soul. So loving and forgiving. So curious and emphatic to others.

It was what made him easy to manipulate by all those unworthy creatures, keeping him from his family. His real family.

"Very well. As you wish," Sera peered down the hallways, ensuring that they were alone before she summoned two chairs in the hallway for them to face one another. She took a seat almost instantly but Lucifer remained standing, unwilling to give up what little height advantage he had, despite it being very little. "Let's talk then."

* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *

Adam was about ready to go insane.
It wasn't that he didn't understand the Archangels, he did. After all, he had been a father in his human life and he could remember watching enviously from the sidelines as his first grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on, were passed from their mothers to either Eve or an aunt or uncle or cousin, while he was forced to wait for his turn.
But if they didn't stop hovering over his shoulder in a minute because he was carrying their niece, Adam swore to the powers that be, he was going to punch someone.
It was suffocating really, like the sand glasses had reversed and they were back to yesterday when Adam had accidentally brought Av-Charlotte (He needed to remember that was her name or Lucifer would probably help him with a fist to the face) to Heaven. Did they think he was going to hurt her now after everything that had happened?
Then again, it wasn't helping that the little Miss Hell's Princess was being her adorable self, cooing and babbling at everyone while giggling at Gabriel for something. Knowing him, Adam was certain Gabriel was making faces at the baby, lapping up the attention his niece was giving him.
Adam had to bite back a growl as he bounced her lightly in his arms, patting the padded rear to check that she didn't need a change just in case, before he reached up and stopped her hand again from grasping his halo. He figured Lucifer must have taught her to be gentle with wings and likewise things because her touch was never rough or hard. She just seemed fascinated by it and therefore eager to touch it.
However, that didn't mean Adam wanted to risk her yanking it or getting slobber all over it.
"Alright, what is it?" He finally groaned, unable to handle the angel's stares anymore. It was like eating adult sweets in front of children drooling for a taste. "Spit it out already. You're driving me insane."
Just as soon as Adam had said that, he regretted it.
A cacophony of voices followed, each demanding answers or asking questions that he most likely could answer to start with. From what he could catch, Uriel wanted to know what was going on while Ariel wanted to know what had happened to her baby baby that changed his appearance. Zadkiel and Gabriel were demanding to hold Charlie again, Gabriel because he wanted to cuddle her and Zadkiel... Zadkiel looked like she was on the verge of a breakdown.
But it was Camael's voice that cut through the noise like a blade, her tone hard like tempered steel.
"When did you know?"
Silence spread between them as Adam avoided looking Camael in the eyes. He didn't need to know she was fighting to contain her rage, fists clenched tightly by her sides as she fought to contain her rage. Adam wasn't sure if she liked her niece or if her training as a soldier was urging her to purify the child from existence. He could remember when she had trained him in using angelic steel for the first time. She had stressed to him constantly how age and appearance didn't matter and he had witnessed her slaughter plenty of tiny beings that barely managed to plead for their lives as she struck.
Hell, she had led the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, using her unique ability to rain sulfur and fire down on the two cities, erasing them from the face of the Earth. Adam hadn't been present to see it, but he could remember how Azrael returned months later, angry and exhausted and ready to rip the head off anyone foolish enough to stand between him and his nest. The only souls safe from his wrath were Camael who could easily knock some sense into him if needed and Zadkiel who Azrael had immediately commended as his 'nest mate' to keep any bad dreams away.
It was the rudest Adam had ever seen the Angel of Death be and God have mercy on anyone dumb enough to disturb his slumber.
"I started suspecting it last night," Adam answered honestly. He might not have been the smartest being alive but he certainly knew better than to lie to Camael of all angels. "But I wasn't completely sure until Lucicu-Lucifer showed up."
Charlotte gave a tiny whine as she reached for the ground, the stuffed toy still firmly clutched in her hand. Sensing a possible tantrum on the way, Adam set her down on the floor, her tiny hooves clicking as she took several unsteady steps. Now that he was certain Charlotte was Lilith and Lucifer's kid, who knew what powers and abilities she might have but not control?
Adam had seen several Sinners in Hell develop special abilities once they came to hell. He had seen for example one Sinner who had been a bishop in his time and yet despite being a man of the cloth, he had manipulated, lied, and lived a life of depravity that could make a whore blush. As a Sinner, he had taken on a slimy eel-like appearance, green mucus dripping off his as he would lore lost souls to his side to do his bidding. It had taken one of his girls watching the slimy creep to discover he had what could only described as a 'silver tongue', both figuratively and literally. Despite his grotesque appearance, the man seemed to ooze charisma with unnatural ease.
Not to mention Adam really didn't want to get bitten again.
"Let her walk for a bit," Adam quickly blocked Jophiel from picking Charlotte up as the little totled along her merry way, showing them her toy as she babbled. He wasn't sure if she was talking directly to them or the toy but it hardly mattered. "She wanted down so we just need to make sure she doesn't go anywhere dangerous."
A bit of freedom probably wasn't a bad idea if it kept the little Hellion calm. After all, Lucifer was already here so what was the worst that could happen?

* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *

While Lucifer looked calm on the outside, inside he was a nervous wreck. He knew that Sera didn't really care about Charlie or hell or anything beyond her reputation. Experience had taught him that he was the proverbial scapegoat for his family and all their fuck ups, regardless of whether or not he had anything to do with it at all.

Michael's reports were late or full of mistakes? Samael was being too demanding for his attention and distracting him. Jophiel looked a mess? Samael was flying fast down the hall and messed with it. Uriel's records weren't in order? Samael had been messing with his library. Azrael and Camael were in bad moods? It wasn't his sister's temper or brother's lack of sleep. It was Samael getting into trouble and they needed to help him like always. After all that was how Camael almost lost her eye once.

It was probably why he embraced the name Lucifer so easily after the Fall. It was like he was shedding off the past sins in order to embrace new ones. To forget and bury his past and start a new one. It also helped that Lilith already called him that, being the name that humanity had given him. Back then, it was just a name that he had no negative memories with until humanity decided to make him their scapegoat for their own bad behaviors.

He was getting really tired of that role. He had never asked for it and now... now he wasn't willing to be Sera's.

Not that kept him from zoning out as Sera filibustered her excuses, trying to twist her words somehow to make him feel like it was his fault everything had happened. Looking bored, Lucifer pondered for a moment whether or not he should thank Mammon and Leviathan for teaching him when to listen and when to ignore the useless and irrelevant excuses people loved to make in order to come out as the rightful party.

He had just forgotten that Sera also knew how to tell when he was listening.

"Am I boring you, Lucifer?" Sera's clipped tone made Lucifer refocus his eyes on her. While she had been making excuses, he had been looking at the wall behind her, recalling how he once had painted it in a moral of colorful ideas and dreams just for Sera to erase it. He was fairly certain there was still a crack left behind from the tantrum he had thrown back then. "I can tell you're not listening."

"I'm merely waiting for your bullshit to end and for you to get to the fucking point Sera," Lucifer huffed as he finally sat down. Leaning back casually, Lucifer did his best to appear calm. Using the wide rim of his hat, Lucifer cast half of his face into the shadows, allowing only his eyes and teeth to stand out in a cold sneer. "I'm growing tired of your games Seraphim. They were asinine in my youth and they have only worsened with age."

He tried to recall what Satan had caused him about dealing with difficult negotiations. Hide your fears, steel your nerves, and never let them know your true thoughts. He could remember the demon practicing with him during the late hours as they were forming Hell, often after Lilith had gone to bed. Satan taught him to use what he had and when to use it. That shadows, pride, and arrogance could be just as effective as a blade and to use his angelic heritage as a final trump card if and when needed.

Lucifer knew that he couldn't threaten Sera the same way he could the denizens of Hell. So he needed to use other methods.

"So as you so loved to say in the past, 'why not stop these games' and answer my fucking question."

Lucifer could feel the remnants of his past self curl up in fear at Sera's disapproving stare. She had always been a stickler when it came to manners, though for some reason Adam was the exception to the rule. She loathed foul language to the point if she thought something was rude, she would scowl, yet the First Man could swear more than a drunken sailor getting his ears pierced. Hell, there were Sinner's who swore less them him!

'Don't let her know she has any hold over you Luc,' He thought to himself, refusing to bend to her glare. He knew she was waiting for him to say sorry, to apologize for his attitude and language like she had when he was a fledgling. 'You're an adult and you are not in the wrong. Don't let her get an inch.'

The silence seemed to stretch between them, a cold war over who would give into it first. In the past Lucifer would have caved fast, the silence unnerving him but after dealing with the Sins and Ar Goetia, Lucifer had learned to focus his mind on staying calm. Well, as calm as he could be. His mind kept drifting to Charlie being with his siblings and Adam. He was still questioning if it had been a wise idea to entrust Adam to watch Charlie while he 'talked' with Sera. She hadn't seemed scared of him from what Lucifer had seen, but that didn't mean that Adam couldn't be a vindictive shit and do something. Charlie was trusting after all. She had no idea how the world really was beyond the one time Lilith had taken her to that photo shot.

"Well?" Resting his chin on his hand with a bored expression, Lucifer kept his eyes locked on Sera's. "Let's hear it then. Tell me, what shitty excuse have you managed to think up in that pretty little head of yours."

He grinned a little mentally as he watched Sera bristle at his jab. Apparently, it was all he needed to get the small win over her because Sera's demeanor crumbled as her irritation showed.

"You didn't leave me much of a choice, Lucifer," She bit out his name like a bitter tonic as a few of her extra eyes opened in anger to scowl at him and Lucifer had to remember himself this was just another power play. She paused for a moment, probably hoping he would say something but Lucifer remained silent. "You weren't answering my summons. At all. The least you could have done was give me a reason as to why."

"I don't answer to you, Seraphim," Lucifer answered, looking at his claws while his mind wandered a little. How long was this going to take? Why did everything involving Heaven in one way or another have to feel like he was pulling teeth from a shark? Was Charlie alright? He would be able to hear her crying if she wasn't right. "And because I refused to dance to your piped pipe, you felt it was your given right to send Adam unannounced to my realm?"

"Would you have answered if I asked?" Sera huffed as she sighed. "I was worried about you, alright? Whenever you are silent, it always means you're up to something... which clearly you were..."

"And you felt that justified Adam coming unannounced and out of the allotted time to Hell, attack my servants, and kidnap my child?" Lucifer couldn't keep the anger out of his tone as a deep rumbling growl caused bits of flames to flicker from his mouth. He still didn't know if Charlie's nanny was alive and all right or how badly Flare was injured. He'd have to check on them after and have Belphegor treat them if possible. He owned them that much for doing their best to protect Charlie. "We had an agreement, Seraphim."

"And you refused to answer any of my calls!" Sera snapped, her cheeks flush gold though he wasn't sure if it was because she was mad or ashamed. Her reason sounded childish, even to him. Sighing, Sera leaned back in her seat, deflating a little. "Sa-Lucifer, listen. I never meant for any of this to happen. Adam was only supposed to investigate why you weren't responding. I was worried, alright? What if you were hurt or ill?"

Lucifer had to give a small snort of disbelief. Like she cared if he was alright! Where was she when he fell? Where was she when he and the Sins struggled to create some form of order in Hell with what few rules and laws they had? Countless lifetimes had passed and never once in the many meetings he had had with her had Sera ever once shown worry for how he was or his health. All she cared about was whether or not he was ready to gravel at her feet and abandon the new family he had created.

"Do I look like I need a wet nurse anymore Seraphim?" Lucifer knew calling her by her full name stung and it helped him maintain the invisible wall between them.

"You left me no choice," Sera justified. "I... Heaven needed to know why you were silent."

Rising to his feet, Lucifer dismissively brushed off his sleeves. He was ready to be done with this conversation since he could tell Sera wouldn't apologize for what had happened nor admit she was at fault. He should have known better than to expect it. Sera was after all the perfect caregiver, created by Father himself for the task. It was impossible for her to make mistakes.

"I'm the King of Hell, High Seraphim, ruler of the Seven Rings," He brawled. "It's a kingdom that you have no idea how it works and aren't even willing to understand. Sinners to deal with and subjects to care for. Excuse me for not entertaining your cries for attention to feed your need for attention, but believe it or not, some things are far more important than you or... this place."

"Don't you dare say something so blasphemous!" Lucifer nearly jumped as Sera yelled at him, raising to her full height and wings spread wide in anger. He hadn't been ready for that reaction, to feel her full anger suddenly thrust upon him like a tidal wave. "Do you want to evoke his wrath again?! Nothing is more important than your father's kingdom and orders."

"Of course there is!" Without wasting a moment, Lucifer instantly met Sera's anger with his own and while he couldn't tower over her, Sera hadn't been ready for him to take flight. He could feel his form twisting again as his multitude of eyes all opened and glared at her. "My daughter will always come first to me, Seraphim. Come to Hell, Heaven, Heaven's Flame, or even Father and all the fools trapped in the void, Charlie will always come first."

"Do... do you mean that?" Sera gaped at him.

"I'll watch the universe burn to ashes first before I let anyone harm her."

* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *

Sera stared in order up at Samael, the ichor in her veins running cold.

She didn't believe him, he had to be lying. Her Samael would never speak such blasphemous words to her, claiming that he believed there was someone out there who was far more important than God himself. Her Samael knew better and understood the phrase 'Honor thine Father', she had raised him that way after all. She knew her little fledgling better than anyone else in the universe. Better than his siblings, better than the First Whore, and even better than God since she had been tasked to care for him ever since the first day he opened his bright blue eyes to stare up at her with awe.

'This is all her doing,' She thought hotly, her rage immediately turning towards Lilith, cursing the day God had created Adam his unfaithful partner. 'She's corrupted him along with Hell.'

Samael had never questioned any of them until his path crossed with the bitch, never switched his loyalties. Sure he would argue with her and his siblings, but all children did when they didn't understand something was for their best. That was normal. And she had always thought with time, despite his pitiful attempts to replace them, Samael would realize that the Sins and Lilith were poor substitutes for his real family. Sera was even sure he was close to realizing it.

And that Lilith had realized that too.

Surely that was it, right? The reason Lilith had managed to bear him a living child, something an Angel wasn't supposed to be capable of, and yet, here it was. A living, breathing... thing.

'She did it to bind him to her,' Sera thought with disgust. 'Just another excuse to keep him away. Unless...'

Sera didn't like the idea of being manipulative, that wasn't her nature after all, but sometimes desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Then why don't you want what's best for her then?"

Mentally smiling, Sera watched as the confusion overtook Samael's anger. Truthfully she didn't care for the little Hell beast. It was an abomination, after all, a visual slight against God and his will. But it clearly meant something to Samael, something important. More important than his little silly dreams or made family or kingdom. So if she could use that against him to make him understand...

"What are you talking about?" Lucifer looked baffled, his eyes losing their scarlet glow.

"Your daughter. Why don't you want what's best for her?" Sera pressed on, biting back her disdain for the baby for the sake of luring Samael home. "Honestly Lucifer, raising that little dear in Hell? Do you really believe that that's in her best interest? And I thought you said she was important to you-"

"Charlie is important to me!" Lucifer snapped. He was trying to use his anger to disguise his doubts but Sera managed to catch the tiny glimpse of it and it was all she needed.

All she needed to do now, was nurture that little flower of doubt to erode his resolve.

"And that's my point, Samael," she answered with false concern and sympathy. "Sorry. I mean Lucifer. Old force of habit. But think about it. She's a part of you, Lucifer. And Hellborn or not, Fallen or not, that makes her a part of Heaven."

Sera paused for a moment, letting the words slowly sink in before weaving her hand in the air. Magic had never been Sera's strongest ability. She was a caregiver, organizer, and teacher at best. Uriel had always been the one to instruct the others on how to use magic before each sibling would go off to explore their special talents. She just helped treat any injuries they might get and encouraged them to keep trying.

But that didn't mean that Sera could use her grace as well as the Archangels.

While she couldn't produce it as quickly as Uriel could, Sera was pleased to see the sphere of light taking from her palm. Using a bit of flare as well as Samael's curious nature against him, she discreetly lured her little fledgling closer to peer into the golden surface. Focusing her mind a little, she managed to project several images of the little girl superimposed over young Winners she had seen in Heaven's Gardens.

Sera watched with a slightly smug smile as Samael leaned closer to look, his eyes widening in awe as he saw image upon image of his precious daughter exploring Heaven and enjoying all the gifts it had to give. It showed images of Charlotte playing in the gardens with other Winners, flying about with imaginary wings, giggling and smiling as she was surrounded by her Aunts and Uncles who all would cuddle and hug her happily.

"Just picture it, Lucifer. She could grow up here safe and sound, basking in Heaven's light, surrounded by kind and compassionate souls with good morals. She would be able to see all the wonderous things you and your siblings have created and gifted to humanity and fall asleep underneath the stars you created," Sera continued, weaving her gentle fairy tale of an ideal life that could be theirs if he would just take the necessary steps. "Just imagine how happy she could be here, Lucifer. Wouldn't that be nice for her, Lucifer?" Twisting the sphere a little, Sera changed the images to show the Pride Ring. Immediately Lucifer was bombarded with images of Sinners running wild, murdering, and committing all sorts of acts of debauchery for anyone to see. "Hell is not a place for one of Heaven's children. You know that."

* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *

Lucifer slowly deflated at the depictions of Hell. He knew that Hell wasn't a great place for children. He would be a fool not to. Sinners saw it as the perfect excuse to go hog wild with any and every twisted wish and impulse they had, and many of the Hellborn were more or less still fairly wild, their nature mixing with the culture and 'civilizing' of the Sinners. The Sins weren't perfect either. Lucifer knew that too. Mammon had proven that when he 'borrowed' Charlie for an outing.

"Just imagine how happy she would be here, Lucifer," Sera continued in her honey-sweet tone. "Happy... safe..."

But at the same time, Lucifer thought about all the Sins had done for Charlie. How Ozzie and Bee had babysat her and how she always smiled brightly when she saw them. He thought of how Satan despite his sometimes explosive rage, was as gentle as a lamb when he held her and how Damien was so attentive to her. He thought of how Leviathan for all his misgivings protected Charlie and insisted that she at the very least befriend his children, and how Belphegor prioritized Charlie's happiness and well-being about all else, including her sleep. Even Mammon, as greedy and dull-witted as he was, had only taken Charlie because he wanted to show he could be a good uncle too.

And Charlie loved the little bouncing swing he had made her.

"Just imagine it Lucifer," Sera urged again. "Charlotte could have a happy and safe childhood here in Heaven. Just like you did. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Lucifer blinked as he recalled the early years of his life. He could remember running around and playing, laughing happily with his brothers and sisters as he explored to his heart's content. He could remember the joy of feeling the wind under his wings and the warmth of the sun as he napped in the afternoon.

But he could also remember the pressure and loneliness. He could remember being reminded daily of his shortcomings, how he wasn't good enough, focused enough to act like a proper angel. Every little mistake was held against him and whether he was ready or not or agreed with them, responsibilities and obligations were forced on him constantly only to be judged for falling short.

But most of all, he remember the hollow emptiness he felt when his powers were taken away and how none of his siblings had come to his aid.

Could he risk that? Could he accept the idea of allowing Charlie to experience the wonders of Heaven and at the same time ask her to risk paying that sort of price? Yes, she was half of him, but she was part of Lilith too. And Hell. She was born with her tail and horns, and that would never change. Would the Winners be able to accept that difference in her so easily? Would Heaven? And if they did, would they accept allowing Charlie to develop at her own pace or try and force her into a mold she didn't fit?

Looking up for a second, Lucifer noticed Sera's smile and immediately knew his answer.

"No," Pushing the sphere away, Lucifer took a slow and deep breath and looked firmly at Sera with determination. "I won't let Charlie suffer. Not like I did. I want her to grow up safe and happy, feeling the love of her family. And what about Lilith? Would you welcome her back as well?"

Sera stiffened at the mention of his wife which didn't surprise Lucifer at all. After all, while he fell with Lilith, it was technically only her that had been banished, so Lucifer could already guess what Sera's answer was going to be.

And just like Lilith hadn't abandoned him in his hour of need, there was no way that Lucifer was going either abandon her or take her daughter away from her.

"Charlie belongs with her family," His voice was steady and firm as he stared Sera in her silver eyes. "And her family isn't part of this guilted cage you call Heaven."

The shock on Sera's face was almost palpable as he fixed his hat and readjusted his hold on his cane. Clearly, Sera had thought the allure of being welcomed back into the fold would be enough to agree, but it couldn't be farther from the truth. Heaven might be 'paradise' but if there was one thing Lucifer was certain about it was that it came with a long list of stipulations that could easily surpass any Sinner's list of wrongdoings. It was as if Heaven just loved making up all sorts of rules and then twisting them to fit their narrative whenever they felt it seemed fit. And what was worse, they rarely made sense! At least when the Sinners came to Hell they generally understood why they ended up there. But as for the requirements to get into Heaven...

Mortals often thought it meant just following the Ten Commandments but there was more to it than that. It wasn't just not using Father's name in vain keeping the sabbath holy or honoring your parents. It was easy to go against them without knowing it. Taking pride in your child succeeding in something where others have failed? That's the sin of Pride and can condemn you. Work hard so you can provide better for your family? Thine sins name is Greed and you convening what you don't have. Get married but notice a beautiful woman or handsome man but never act on any of your thoughts? That counted as crimes in the names of envy and lust in Heaven's books and when you'd pass away, damnation was all that awaited you. Lose your temper and never say sorry? Congrats, Satan's set his claws into you.

Hell, Lucifer was even sure there had been a time when just wearing two different types of fabric was used against the souls in judging them. What sense did that make?!

No, Hell might not be perfect, far from it, but at least Charlie had her mother and her Aunts and Uncles who loved her for who she was and wouldn't judge her for her mistakes like Heaven had his. Positive that he was making the right choice, Lucifer turned on his heels and started to head back to Charlie. Being back in Heaven was making his skin itch with discomfort, urging him to claw at it. He could appear weak against Sera, not when he needed to appear in control, to be calm to be-

"And what will you do when Hell turns on her?"

He froze mid-step.

"She may have been born in Hell, but look at her. Your daughter looks like you to the point where Adam mistook her for a Heavenborn," Sera continued, her voice no longer kind but firm cold. "And she'd nothing like the damned down there. She's sweet, loving... trusting. What do you think will happen when her angelic sides start to develop grace? What then, Lucifer? Do you think those Sinners down there will embrace your child so easily?"

"What are you-" A chill ran down his spine as he turned to look at Sera, unaware of the fear in his eyes.

"And what if she develops wings Lucifer? Hm? What then? When your little princess starts to look more and more like an angel... do you really think Hell will embrace her when she's a reminder of what they can never have?"

'Yes.'

At least that's what Lucifer wanted to say. He wanted to tell Sera not all Sinners were bad, well completely bad. There was that spider-like guy and Rosie, they were kind to Charlie. And then Ms. Waltz who had gotten hurt trying to protect Charlie when Adam took her. And there were Sinners with wings so surely they would just-

"And more importantly," Sera continued with an almost cruel smile. "Do you believe that they will let her go back now that they know she's their niece?"

Fire scorched the floor beneath his feet as Lucifer snarled with rage.

"I won't let that happen! She belongs with her family. I would be there to keep her safe!"

"Even if he orders otherwise?" Silence fell between them again as Sera discreetly pointed upwards. "I'm sure the Almighty would be very interested in knowing he has a... what do they call it now... a granddaughter? Do you really believe that he would allow her to stay in Hell where it can corrupt her?"

"They... they would never do that," It sounded like a lie even to his ears, but Lucifer desperately wanted to believe it. "There's no way Michael would let-"

Sera just raised a brow at him as if to say 'Are you sure?' and Lucifer felt a nervous tremor run through his body. Was he? Michael had seemed scared at the idea of him hurting Charlie and it was in their nature to want to flock around family and protect each other. Was there enough of his blood in Charlotte's veins to trigger that need in his siblings too? Sure he was protective of her but he was her father. It was only natural that he loved her and wanted to protect her from anything and everything, right? Even the most basic of humans had that instinct.

… most of the time.

"I'm going home, Seraphim. With Charlie," He wanted his voice to sound firm and indifferent but Lucifer was fairly sure that the tremor or fear was obvious in his tone. "Goodbye, Seraphim."

Lucifer tried to keep his pace calm and confident but the farther away from Sera he got, the faster his pace started to get. What if Sera was right? What if his siblings got attached to Charlie and wouldn't let her go? Or what if Father heard about Charlie and wanted him destroyed for being a slight against? Or worse, what if they convince Father to keep Charlie in Heaven, taking her away from everyone she knew?

Lucifer shook his head as he tried to calm his breathing and calm his heart down. He could feel the panic attack coming on slowly. He needed to calm down or else Raphael would want to do something to help him and he couldn't risk that. Not that he would ever think Raphael would give him anything harmful, but much like the last time Belphegor drugged him, Raphael probably forced something strong down his throat and unknowingly knocked Lucifer out for a year. He certainly wouldn't be sorry about it, not if he believed it would help his brother, and if the others took advantage of the situation, there was a chance someone might get Lucifer to agree to something he didn't want.

And that was if the Sins and Lilith didn't rage war first!

He had already been gone for a good while now, and while he doubted anyone had told Lilith about Charlie missing it was just a matter of time before someone would constant her and tell her what was going on. And Lilith was smart so she could easily guess what had happened and then...

Then Heaven would understand what a woman's wrath really was.

Nope, he needed to get Charlie back home, and not a moment too soon. Perhaps if he was lucky Bee, Mammon, and Leviathan were still in Lust's Ring, waiting for a sign that everything was fine or not.

He just needed to get Charlie first.

* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *

Charlie giggled as tried to run away from the small group of adults that seemed to herd after all. Well, all except the man called Adam. Her favorite game had always been 'Keep away' or 'Chase me, catch me'. Daddy was the best at it while Mommy was the sneakiest. Even now, Blue Daddy was tripping over himself and the others as she would pretend to go one way only to change wobbly steps in a new direction. Adam however looked like he was trying to not laugh at them as he sat still and waited. So maybe he wasn't playing along either with her and the dragon-
"Gotcha, Pipsqueak!" Without warning, Adam suddenly reached out and snatched Charlie up in his arms, earning a massive squeal of joy from the tiny tot. The sudden movement sent a funny tickle through her stomach, the same kind she got when Auntie Beebee would toss her in the air. Her laughter only grew wilder when a set of wiggling fingers started to tickle her sides, only stopping when her tail managed to wrap around Adam's wrist. "And that, everyone is how you catch a mischievous toddler."
Charlie grinned up at the many tired faces around her, slowly understanding now that the ones that looked like Daddy would chase her around will the man who looked a little like Mommy was sneaky. Mommy did the same thing after all when Charlie would try and escape from her. Somehow, Mommy always knew to wait until Charlie was distracted or would try and run past her before she would strike.
It wasn't exactly fair in Charlie's book, but she was laughing so it was okay.
"Where does she get the energy from?" Gabriel gaped as he looked at her wiggling feet while Adam adjusted his hold on her. "I thought she'd get tired between running and crawling but it's like she hasn't used any at all."
"Don't let that fool you," Adam smirked as Charlie fidgeted in his hold. "If anything, I think she's getting overtired and fighting a nap."
Charlie gave Adam an angry pout. She didn't like that word, nap. Nap meant she had to sleep and miss out on all the fun stuff adults did while she slept. What they did, she wasn't sure, but she was sure it was fun like jumping on the bed or playing. And almost like Tabby and Mommy, Adam seemed to read her mind as he lifted her under the armpits again to adjust her before cradling her in his arms, taking care to tuck the dragon toy close to her side.
"Yeah, yeah. I said the mean word. I'm an asshole," Adam smirked as he watched her snuggle into the toy. "I bet you give your Mama the same look too when she bosses yah around."
Adam honestly wanted her to fall asleep before Lucifer could return. He didn't need the guy who fucked up his life to catch him being sweet on his brat. Prick would probably think I had forgiven him or some shit that would never happen. No matter how much time passed, Adam still blamed Lucifer for the whole Apple and Eve incident as well as Cain.
He just refused to use Lucifer's kid to get even, that's not. Not like she was cute or anything, no. Adam was immune to that sort of shit after 28 kids.
"Do you think he'll let her visit us?" Ariel asked softly as Charlie started to chew on the toy a little, soaking one of the horns in drool. "She's our niece after all."
"It would be wise," Raphael nodded in agreement as he watched the tiny girl in Adam's arms. It wasn't the same warm expression that the others had, but a more eager one. It was rare for Raphael to discover something new and unknown and he was itching to study his niece closer. "Her developments would interesting to examine further."
"Raph, she's our niece," Gabriel lightly scolded, reaching out to rub Charlie's cheek a little. "You can't just put her in a jar and study her."
"How would I place her in a jar?" Raphael asked puzzled. "She's far too big to fit in one. Observation should be enough."
A few of the others giggled a little, unable to stifle their amusement at Raphael's confusion. They knew he couldn't help taking Gabriel literally. Using a little bit of his grace, Azrael made several little dancing figures to entertain her. He smiled as her eyes widened in awe as the shadows took form over her and twirled around, capturing her attention.
"She's just like Samael was when he was little. All smiles and curiosity," He mused aloud, recalling how Sammy had never been scared of his shadow magic like others had. "It would be funny to see what grace she'll be gifted with."
"And flying," Gabriel grinned as Charlie reached for one of the different figures, giggling when it slipped through her fingers. "I bet she would love flying and learning how if she got wings."
"You think she could get those?" Zadkiel asked in awe only for Raphael's answer.
"It's possible. She's still in her growing phase and there are markings on her back for so while not probably it is possible," He hypothesized. "Though if and why is still unknown."
"We could make a room for her here," Jophiel suggested. "And we could take her to the gardens and the libraries-"
"And we could teach her about Heaven's history," Uriel grinned at the idea of putting the massive amounts of records he kept to use once more. "And tell her stories about Samael when he was-"

* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *

Before Uriel could finish his statement, Lucifer immediately swooped in and 'took' Charlie out of Adam's arms. He did a once over on her to be sure she was fine before hugging her close, the fear making his body quiver again. He hadn't heard everything the others had said from the beginning but he had heard enough. Uriel had been talking about teaching her about Heaven and they had mentioned making her a room to stay in.

Which meant Sera had been right.

His siblings were getting attached to her and wanted to keep Charlie. They wanted to keep his little girl, to steal her away from him and Lilith and everyone she knew. He couldn't allow that. He couldn't let Heaven do as it pleased with his daughter, not like him. And it wasn't just about keeping her safe. It was about keeping the peace too. If Michael and the others kept Charlie, Lilith would surely erupt into a rage unlike anything the world had seen.

And if she pulled the rest of Hell into it too... Lucifer didn't want to imagine the blood bath that could follow.

"Come on Starfire," He whispered to her as he held her close, his feet immediately making their way out of the tower to head outside of Heaven's Gates. He just needed to get her there and he'd be able to open a portal back to Pride. "Let's get home to Mommy."

He just needed to get her home and everything would be fi-

"Sammy?"

Lucifer paused at Michael's voice. The confusion in his voice sounded just like it did that day when they had brought him to witness Lilith's punishment for disobeying Father. He could still remember that all their father had planned to do was denounce her as one of his creations and cast her out to fend for herself against the evils outside of Heaven's Gate. At the time, Lucifer knew that his own punishment for the apple would follow once the humans were gone, imagining being bonded once more or worse, but when Lilith yelled back at Father calling him a liar and coward, Lucifer felt his heart freeze in fear. He had seen up close his father's anger before and he could see the Almighty's patience reaching its breaking point when she had uttered five small words that sealed her faith.

"Roo was right about you."

He didn't know who this Roo was, even now. It was a secret Lilith kept close to her heart and refused to discuss beyond telling him Roo was the reason behind how she had learned to use magic and that it was thanks to Roo, that his seventy years of isolation from his siblings had allowed him to meet with Lilith for comfort.

But Father had known who it was and apparently, Roo was all he needed to hear before his full rage was released. Lucifer watched as he cursed the only being in the world who hadn't abandoned him to his sorrow, who never mocked him for his dreams or height before he threw her over the cliff and sent her falling towards Earth with no possible way to survive it.

His feet had moved before his mind had realized it, and he didn't even feel himself tear from Sera's hold. He barely noticed that he slammed into Adam's side as he pushed him out of the way while he lept to catch the falling Lilith in his arms and held her close.

The world was strangely silent as he twisted about to see all their confused and horrified faces, while Michael stared in shock at him. Lucifer knew it was impossible to have heard him at the time, Lilith had been screaming as she fell and yet it was the only sound Lucifer could hear that day.

Michael had sounded just as confused back then as he did now.

"Sammy are you... are you leaving already?"

Lucifer paused. Was Michael joking with him now? Trying to distract him while someone else snuck up and took Charlie?

"Ye-yeah... we need to get home," He needed to sound calm. He needed to or else they would know that he was on to them. "I... we can't stay here."

"Surely you can stay just a little-" Zadkiel started to say.

"No!" She flinched at his sudden yell and it left a bitter taste in his mouth. Zadkiel had always been the sweetest of them, kind and gentle. A voice of reason when Lucifer felt things were unfair. But where had she been that day when he fell? Why hadn't she spoken to Father for him? "No... I'm sorry. We need to go home. Being here... it's already caused you all a lot of trouble."

"Samael if it's about Father, I'm sure-" Uriel tried to urge him but Lucifer once again cut his siblings off.

"Don't call me that! It's not my name. Not anymore," He needed the distance. Distance from them and his old life and the pain and... It was Charlie's whining that stopped his mind from spiraling. Thinking about it, he had no idea when she had last eaten and what. "I need to get Charlie home... We need to go home."

"But you are-" Ariel tried to encourage him to stay. She hadn't seen him in years and they hadn't even had a chance to speak together before he was to disappear again.

"Our home. Mine and Charlie's. Lilith is waiting for us." Lucifer quickly cut her off. Looking at the toy in Charlie's grasp, he blinked in surprise. He remembered the little dragon he had made. It had been based on some fanciful idea that he, Lilith, and Adam had shared during a twilight visit to Eden. He had thought it had been destroyed with all the other models he had created when Father had taken his workshop away. 'It's one of Heaven's creations now...'

Being as gentle as he could be, he slowly pulled the toy from Charlie's hands. It had paled with time and he could see some of the stitch work needed fixing, but all in all, it was in fairly good condition with the except for a drool-drenched horn.

"I should probably return this."

He didn't look at them. He couldn't risk it. Lucifer was afraid if he did he would give into Sera's idea. That he would beg them to forgive him and let him stay. He missed them all after all. He always would. But the idea of Charlie suffering the same childhood as he had...

"No. Keep it," Uriel assured him, slowly stepping over to the father and daughter and gently passing the toy back into Charlie's arms. She squealed with delight, hugging the toy tightly before immediately sinking her teeth into the horn once more. "It was your originally and now it's Ava... Charlotte's."

"Are you sure you can't stay?" Gabriel asked, looking hopeful at him. Lucifer just shook his head. "Then... can you at least promise you'll visit."

"I... I promise," Lucifer answered softly, risking a tiny glance at the many faces of his siblings. "We'll visit when we can."

They all looked hopeful, even Raphael in his own special way, but in the end, Lucifer caught Adam's expression. The First Man had wisely kept quiet this whole time, probably biting his tongue so as not to say anything that would get the angels mad at him or cause a fight. Not that he needed to say anything. His golden eyes said everything that Lucifer was thinking at the same time.

'Liar.'

Lucifer was giving them an empty promise, one that he never intended to keep. Turning his back to them, Lucifer slowly made his way out of the tower before any of them could stop him or suspect anything. They honestly shouldn't be surprised after all, he was the Father of Lies and Deception according to the mortals.

What was one more?

* * * Hazbin Hotel * * *

No one stopped Lucifer as he walked out of Heaven's Gates. No one dared to. He used his wings to hide Charlie from sight. He didn't want her to see the frightened and scornful glares he was being given. Not that he blamed them. Just walking down the pathway to the gate, Lucifer looked at the wreckage and carnage he had left in his anger. Even if he hadn't killed anyone, there were traces of ichor and feathers scattered about the ruins of the low level of Heaven. He wondered for a moment how badly hurt some of the soldiers were from his bite or tossing them, but he couldn't make himself regret it either. He had done it to get Charlie back after all.
If the Winners knew that, surely they would understand... right?
He only paused once during his walk and that was when he passed Saint Peter who was getting treated for his injuries. For an angel and saint who wasn't a fighter, the man certainly could take a beating. His face was practically swollen to twice its normal size, covered in black and purple bruises. It looked like he had lost some teeth too judging from the ichor dripping from his mouth, though thankfully it looked like his wing feathers were just ruffled badly and not broken. That was at least a good thing in Lucifer's book. The man had after all only been doing his job as Gate Keeper. It wasn't Peter's fault it had set him unknowingly on the warpath of a very worried father.
Looking at the Winner who was cowering in fear, Lucifer muttered a small 'Sorry about your face' to him, unsure if it sounded sincere, mocking, or like some silent threat to the Winner. Once he was outside the golden gates again, Lucifer waved his hand and melded the mangled metal back to how it was before ripping a portal back to Pride. He felt it was the least he could do given he had used poor Peter like a battering ram to get in.
Once he stepped through the portal though, Lucifer felt utterly exhausted. It felt like the stress of everything had aged him thirty millenia in a single moment and all he wanted to do was curl up in bed with Charlie tucked safely to his side and never wake up again.
"What a mess, huh Char Char," He whispered to the little bundle in his arms. Charlie looked curiously up at him for a moment before smiling brightly, her tiny tail sprouting out for a moment to wrap around his wrist. "Thank Hell you're alright."
He wanted to sleep so badly now, but there were a few things he needed to get done. To start with, he needed to contact Beelzebub, Mammon, Leviathan, and Belphegor to tell them Charlie was alright and safe now and for Bel to do everything in her power to treat both Flare and Tabitha for their wounds. Then he needed to swear them all too secretly from Lilith.
"We need to keep this a secret, Starfire," He nuzzled Charlie's hair, breathing in her sweet scent to help himself calm down more. "We don't want Mommy to-"
"Don't want me to what?"
Lucifer had never been more thankful for the porcelain white skin he had than he was at that moment. He could feel the ichor drain from his face as he turned to look behind him and found none other than his gorgeous wife quickly walking up towards them, a soft frown on her face. Did she know? And if she knew, how much? He wasn't sure as he quickly plastered a smile on his face.
"Lilith, my love. What a surprise," He cried out as she neared them. Behind her, he could just make out one of the servants imps struggling to carry one of her many bags, "You're back early."
"Belphegor contacted me that something had happened but wouldn't what. I was worried," Lilith answered before looking curiously around. "Where are Flare and Ms. Waltz? Are they having a day off?"
"Well no, not exactly," Lucifer answered nervously as he tried to think of how he could tell Lilith the truth without starting a holy war. "The thing is, something happened and..."
Lucifer floundered as he tried to think. How could he explain any of this without Lilith exploding? He didn't want to lie to her after all. While he was struggling to explain to Lilith what had happened, Charlie who had been gnawing on her newest toy, paused to look up. She had been so focused on chewing on the horn and calming her slowly growling tummy that she hadn't noticed Daddy wasn't talking to her anymore. Someone else was there now. Someone whose voice she knew very well. Looking up, Charlie's smile widened brightly at the sight of her mother. She hadn't seen Mommy in forever, at least by her understanding of time. Instantly, she started to tell Mommy about everything that had happened while she was gone, though it only came out as a string of baby babble to her parents' ears. Mommy just gave her a soft smile before turning her attention back onto Daddy.
"Something happened?" Charlie frowned. Mommy wasn't paying attention to her at all. That wouldn't do! "Lucifer, what happened?"
"There was an incident and well... Ms. Waltz and Flare were both hurt while protecting Charlie and-"
"Are they alright?" Lilith looked horrified at the news. She didn't bother asking if Charlie had been hurt because she knew if that was the case, Bel wouldn't have told her anything regarding Flare and Tabitha.
"I... I'm not sure. I haven't checked on them yet," Lucifer sheepish admitted as he shifted Charlie a little in his arms. She was starting to wiggle around too much and he was worried he'd drop her. "But Lilith there's something else you need to know. Charlie... well... she-"
*THWACK!*
"MAMA!"
Before Lucifer could say another word, the dragon plush in Charlie's hands suddenly swung up and whacked him in the face as Charlie let out a loud and annoyed yell. Both Lucifer and Lilith stood frozen for a moment as they stared perplexed at their pouting daughter.
"Did she just-" Lilith started to ask. She wasn't sure she had heard her right.
"Mama!" Charlie yelled it again, her arms reaching up towards her and in that moment Lilith forgot about everything else. With a smile that could blind the sun, Lilith plucked Charlie immediately out of Lucifer's arms and lifted her high in the air. Happy to have her mother's full attention, Charlie screamed with laughter as she was twirled around. "Mama. Mama. Mama."
Lilith was on cloud nine. Surely that was what Lucifer was talking about. Her first word! Charlie had finally started talking and her first word was 'Mama'. Laughing with joy, Lilith felt an unknown weight finally lifted from her shoulders. For a long time now, Lilith had been worried that she would miss out on too many milestones with Charlie because of her work. Even more so, she was afraid she wouldn't be as important to Charlie as Lucifer was since he spent the most time with her. And yet, her first word was 'Mama!'
Lucifer stared in shock at the pair and felt a little cheated again. Not that he was upset that Charlie's first word was for her mother, but that he couldn't take any joy in it. He still needed to tell Lilith about what happened. He owed her that, but at the same time... he didn't want to take this from her. They both looked so happy with Lilith praising their little girl for how bright she was. Could he really ruin this moment for Lilith?
Lucifer thought for a moment and sighed.
Maybe it would be fine if he waited a bit to tell her. Maybe it would be better to wait a bit. After all what was done was done so whether he told her own or later wouldn't matter, right? And he needed to write the Sins too to tell them Charlie was alright now and to set up Flare and Waltz care.
"Isn't it wonderful Luci!" Lilith cried out as she showered a giggling Charlie with kisses. "She's talking. Our little Spitfire is finally talking!"
Yeah, it waited a little while longer before he'd tell her. It wasn't like he was going to hide it from Lilith after all. There was no need to ruin the moment between them.
"Yeah..." Lucifer gave his two most precious girls a loop-sided grin and went over to join them. "It's wonderful, Lilith."
Although... he did make a mental note never to bring up her exposing Charlie to the Sinners ever again.

* * * The End... for now... * * *

AN: Goodness me this chapter was not easy. I really struggled with the conversation between Lucifer and Sera to get it to feel organic. I especially wanted to play on this idea of depending on who's perspective.

So now Lucifer is keeping a secret from Lilith. Oh boy, not that wises choice to make Lucifer but to be fair, how the heck do you tell someone that? And to be honest, sometimes we all choose to wait a little bit to give some bad news when something wonderful happens.

Originally this was suppose to be two chapters but since everyone's been so wonderful in waiting for an update, I decided to make it one whole chapter so I hope everyone likes it. Things are still a bit hectic but it's slowly calming down. I'm currently visiting my parents as well for New Years so that will help a bit with not having to deal with the mess at home.

During the move as well while my computer was packed down, I've been drawing a little again so I've drawn a few pictures for my past stories. I'm going to post them on my Twitter as well as on adding them to the stories/chapters they belong to when I can. I will say really quickly that Satan, Leviathan and Belphegor aren't going to look like their canon versions since when I started writing and drawing, they hadn't appeared yet so I was getting inspired by other's art on line for it.

Anyhow, I hope everyone out there had a wonderful festive season and meet the 2025 safe and sound. We're going to be setting off some fireworks with the kids and playing some silly games like 'Cards Against Humanity', New Phone, Who Dis?' and "Dad Jokes". Remember if you live in a place where you can set off fireworks, to be safe and wear protective goggles. Believe me, you don't want 2nd and 3rd degree burns or spending the night in the ER because of cornea burns. I know from experience that 2nd degree burns suck. At lot!