A/N:

Hi everyone! New update here :) More spider sibling and RadioDust cuteness! Thanks for reading!

Partners

Chapter 73:

Planning Dates and Taking Breaks

Molly got herself upstairs and caught her breath outside of Angel's door. She didn't want to startle her brother by barging in, but frankly she was ready to dive on him in a hug and never let go. She had texted Niss while dashing up the stairs and Cherri too. Now her phone buzzed and she grabbed it, excited. She smiled at Cherri's reply that she would be by as soon as Angel was up to seeing more people. But then she frowned as she read her brother's reply…that he wouldn't be here until tomorrow. "Oh Niss…" she whispered, shaking her head. "I'll tell him you're not comin' yet, but ya need to get here — soon." She quickly texted him and Cherri back then eagerly knocked on Angel's door.

"Al, is that you? Or…Molls? Come in—"

Molly flung open the door and flew over to her brother's bed with a big beaming smile. "Tony! Oh Tony, I've been worried sick about ya!" She took his face in her hands, her eyes full of tears. "How do ya feel? Does your leg still hurt? Can I get ya anythin'?"

"Molly!" Angel laughed and released Fat Nuggets to take her hands in his own to release his face. "I'm okay, just tired. And…yeah, the burning in my ankle kind of comes and goes. But don't worry, I've got everything I need, and Al even said he'd bring us up lunch. How are you?" He squeezed her hands, and then his own eyes were a little teary too as his voice lowered. "I… Pops almost shot you, Molly. And then all your demon stuff happened. And now I left you alone the last two days…" Some of the tears fell.

Molly sniffed, her own tears falling too. "It's okay. And I'm okay. Not a mark on me. And I'm almost done fixin' the bullet hole in my dress. And I ain't been alone one second since the fight. Husky's been with me. And Archie…keeps in touch every day from the airship and sends down so much food. All your favorites too."

Angel swallowed and let her hands go. His look fell a little.

Molly watched him for a moment then sat on the edge of the bed. "I let Archie know you're awake. He…says he'll come real soon to see ya — tomorrow! He's just…I think some of what happened was a lot for him." She swallowed. "Do ya remember…everything?"

"I remember all the fighting stuff. And getting shot. And also Niss coming out on the airship and diving into Pen's arms, yeah," he replied, face blank and knees pulled in.

Molly waited in silence, wringing her hands, biting her lip, bursting with things to say.

Angel finally glanced at her and sighed, his look softening a little. "Molly, this is something I need to talk to him about alone. Not through another person, even you."

She took a deep breath and nodded. "I get it. I just…Tony, I know he hurt ya. But I also want ya to know he's been beating himself up about this a lot. He wants to be better, and he knows it's all complicated, and he's scared — about how your talk's gonna go and about upsettin' you at all when you're injured like this. He loves ya so much. He just wants ta do whatever ya need."

Angel laid back against his pillows, holding Nuggets again and petting his head. He nodded. "I get it. I do. But he's gotta come talk to me, Molly. He's at least gotta do that. We all wasted too much time being scared already. And I need to know he trusts me enough to see me."

She nodded and smiled again. "I know you want ta talk about the 'coming out' thing only with Archie. But as for the the fact that he's datin' Penny, just so ya know, that snake is an absolute sweetheart ta our brother."

"I do know." There was a small smile on Angel's lips now. When Molly raised an eyebrow, he explained. "I…overheard Archie a few days ago, on the phone with his squeeze. I didn't catch a name, but the way he talked… He sounded happy and loved and safe. That's all I ever wanted for both of you."

Molly beamed and hugged Angel again. Angel smirked a bit as she let him go. "Speaking of wanting that for you, are you and Husk officially moved in together now? I've heard some things…"

"Not officially." She blushed and beamed. "But…for the moment, yeah, we're spendin' every night together. I didn't want ta be alone, and he's a swell listener." She shrugged. "Maybe I'll get my own room up here — just a place near you that I can decorate and call my own. But Husk and I'll probably still end up spendin' a lot of time together…day and night." She giggled.

"You two are fucking adorable." Angel laughed. "I'm living for this whole damn passionate romance."

"Hmm, but don't ya have your own passionate romance to live for?" Her eyes hazed, lowering her voice to a playful whisper. "Husk told me about some things that happened at the battle — things you and I didn't get ta see. Things about Alastor. Wanna know?"

Angel's eyes widened and he blushed. "Sure. What, uh…what kind of things?"

"Oh, like how Alastor kept ya in his sights every moment possible durin' the battle. Like how he carried ya right up to the hotel front door and then up here with some help after ay got hurt, gazin' at you like you're his whole world…"

Angel smiled so much. "I…I, uh…didn't realize how passionate he got about the whole thing."

"Hmm then I bet ya also didn't realize this…" She leaned in close and whispered to him. "Husk said that when Alastor realized you'd been shot, he unleashed all of his demonic powers in full force ta become the strongest and fiercest radio demon he could be. He was terrifyin'!"

Angel swallowed and blushed.

"Then he summoned a superhuman surge of magic and teleported the entire airship down ta the street all to be closer to you…"

Angel's jaw fell open.

"Then he made tentacles and static and he was a mess of teeth and claws and magic, ready ta destroy whoever had hurt ya. And Husk only talked him down by remindin' him that you didn't need all of his fancy powers to help you now. You just needed him. Then Alastor want back to normal cuz he needed you too."

Angel's heart was racing at this point. Alastor…Alastor had gone through all of that for him?

Molly giggled at her brother's shy and amazed response and pulled back with a shrug. "Just wanted ta mention all that stuff in case you were still worrying about him lovin' ya. Because maybe he ain't said the words yet, but I think everything he's doin' shows how he feels pretty well. He's crazy about ya right down into his soul. And he's bound to find the words to express it all soon." She winked.

Angel let out a very deep, shuddery sigh, hugging Nuggets close. "That is…a lot to think about." He tried not to let the giddy sense of euphoria building inside of him take over at the idea of Alastor being so passionate all for his sake. He blinked a few times and realized there were some tears in his eyes… He wiped at them and smiled up at his sister. "Thanks for telling me that, Molly. I know Al's probably too shy and modest, but I…I really needed to hear that."

She sighed. "Yeah, I figured he'd try ta downplay the whole thing. But I really wanted you ta know." She giggled again. "Husk was so brave too, lookin' out for me to keep me in the fight to make sure I was safe, and talkin' down Alastor, and takin' bullets…" Her eyes hazed. "I got to sit with him in bed and remove every single slug and bandage his wings. With his shirt off, of course. It was a bondin' experience."

Angel snorted. "Yeah I'm sure you bonded your way right to feeling up every inch of those wings and more."

"I had to be thorough checking for the bullets." She held her head high with a proud smile as Angel chuckled.

Then Molly's phone buzzed. She checked it and bit her lip.

"It's Archie, isn't it?" Angel asked.

She nodded.

"No chance he changed his mind and is heading down now, is there?"

She sighed. "He just says ta say he's sorry and he loves ya and he'll bring you your favorite biscotti and espresso tomorrow mornin'."

Angel swallowed. "Can ya tell him…I'll be up and waiting for him? And that he doesn't have to make breakfast…but I'm glad that he is."

She nodded and typed back then slipped away the phone. "Tony, for real, do ya need anything?"

He shook his head. "No, just…" He breathed. "Any word about Pops?"

Molly's gaze went down. "Not a peep. I think he knows ta let it go now. So we're gonna let go too and not think about him anymore for a good long while."

Angel nodded. He swallowed. "Any news about…ya know, my boss Valentino? The one Pops had tied up?"

She scowled and met his eyes again. "Nothing. Studio looks closed too accordin' to Cherri — she says no one's seen him or those other two overlords he hangs out with in days. So we're gonna forget about them all too, I say."

"Yeah, I probably need to." Angel let out a deep breath and sniffed, suddenly feeling a deep fatigue come over him. He rested back against his pillows and hugged Nuggets close.

Molly smiled again and patted his hand. "I think it'll help ya feel better to just focus on lighter things now. Like you and me and Archie bein' together…and havin' our fellas. Maybe even plannin' that triple date we talked about?"

Some of Angel's smile returned. "Triple date with Sir Pentious. And Al and Husk… Oh this is gonna be chaos, I'm actually really excited."

She laughed. "I was thinking it'd be nice ta go out, but I know you and Alastor are still tryin' ta be discreet. So we could plan a swell night here instead. The hotel is so big after all."

Angel nodded, eyes lighting up a little at the possibilities. "I think we could do something really special here too. Thanks for understanding, about me and Al." He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Though if we end up in too many more situations where he's got me clinging to him in the middle of the street, our thing together might end up public whether we like it or not."

Molly kissed her brother's forehead. "Don't worry about that now. No matter what happens, you'll be all right. We're all stronger together."

He nodded. Then he blinked and grinned more. "Hey, we also gotta work out the details for that shopping trip we talked about once. We were gonna do it with you and me and Archie's girl but…"

Molly smirked. "You know, I was thinkin' we might switch things up a little with that. Maybe the spider siblings can go out together and our fellas can do something together here. You and me would get a chance to make sure Archie has a fun wardrobe for datin', and the fellas would have a chance to bond and get used ta each other more."

Angel's smirk matched her own. "It's like you read my mind, Molly. But let's not tell any of 'em what the new plan is til right before it's time. That's the only way to make something like this happen with those four stubborn demons."

She nodded and giggled. "I've missed secret twin plans."

Angel giggled too. "They always are the best."

There was a knock on the door now. "Anthony? Molly? I have lunch! May I come in?"

Angel sighed, grinning. "Alastor, it's my room, you can come in always. Especially if you have food."

The door opened and there was Alastor with two trays bearing gumbo and rolls and water and sarsaparilla. "Ha, I'm afraid I'm still inclined to check darling, especially when you're with family. I never want to intrude."

Angel and Molly shared a little smile and a raised eyebrow at each other, clearly communicating amusement that Alastor still didn't seem to realize he was family too.

The Radio Demon set down the trays for them and even snapped up a small plate of scraps for Nuggets. "Enjoy your repast, I'll be up for the plates later, ta ta!" He bowed to Molly then glowed and blew Angel a small kiss before departing.

Molly watched him go. She glanced at Angel. "Tony…mind if I have a little talk with Alastor about a couple of things? I promise, nothin' too heavy, especially after everythin' we all went through. I just…I think he's still a bit nervous around me and Archie. I wanna let him know point blank that we like him a lot. That he's doin' good. That we're already thinkin' of him as family."

Angel nodded. "I think that'd be really good for him to hear. Thanks, Molls."

They shared a smile and then began to eat, catching up on things Angel had missed over the last couple of days and working out the details of their upcoming dates.

Niffty had been bringing in laundry from the clothesline outside when she heard Alastor in the lobby tell Molly and Husk that Angel was awake. She knew the spider probably still needed some quiet and rest, and he definitely needed some time with his sister and brother first, so she resisted the urge to squeal and dash upstairs with Molly to tell Angel how happy she was he was okay. But when Alastor went into the kitchen following Molly's departure upstairs, Niffty had followed after him and quietly asked if she could at least tell Baxter the spider was awake.

"Baxter's been working on so many different medicine formulas, trying to find something to help Angel wake up. I just want to him to know that he can take a break now," she explained. "We won't visit him until he's ready, promise."

Alastor gave her a soft smile as he started heating up a pot of gumbo — she liked and trusted those soft smiles. He nodded to her. "You may tell Baxter. And give him my deepest thanks." Then he added, a little glint in his eye. "Er, in fact, why don't you leave the laundry and your other afternoon tasks to me, Niffty? Now that I don't have to watch Angel so closely, I'll certainly have some more free time, ha. And you can spend some time with Baxter if you like."

Niffty blinked at the sudden offer. "I…That's very nice of you, Alastor." She hesitated though, biting her lip, wringing her hands.

The deer tilted his head at her response, then he leaned down toward her. "Is something wrong? Because you know, if Baxter or any fellow has made you sad, I simply must know so I can strike fear into their hearts, ha!"

She knew he was kidding. But instead of laughing like usual, she swallowed and shook her head. "No, not sad. We just…" She tried to ignore the swift beating of her heart at the memory of Baxter's confession two days ago. "I think it's complicated." She blushed.

"I see. Well, I am always available to talk should you need me." Alastor swallowed but straightened up and shrugged shyly. "I know I'm not as skilled at Angel or the ladies at emotional moments, but I am working on becoming better at them." He considered. "Baxter…seems like a nice fellow…who has taken quite the shine to you. And perhaps you to him as well?" He managed awkwardly.

"…M…Maybe." She blushed completely, looking down.

"Well, that's…quite nice, yes?" One of his ears went down. "It's…nice. But also…confusing." Niffty bounced on her heels and finally made herself as the question before her nerves could have her running circles around the hotel. "Alastor…do I want to remember why men make me nervous?"

Alastor instantly hesitated, eyes wide. The corners of his smile turned down. "I…I don't think you do. You were very clear about that request when we made your contract. But, if you would like, we can work on restoring some pieces of those memories — ones that might be less jarring to you than others."

Niffty considered then shook her head once and looked back up at him again. "No… I still think this is better. I trust me." She tried to smile, but it was hard, and she crossed her arms to hold herself. "I just…wish everything hadn't ended up so complicated. Life and death and hell."

Alastor's ears went down a little. "Would you like to try for heaven? Redemption? If you would, and if we learn it works, just say the word and I will find a way to scorch your contract from existence so you can go."

She smiled. He was good deep down, even before coming to this hotel. An offer like that was one Alastor never made to demons in his service — trying to undo his own magic would take so much of his time and energy and might even be risky for his safety, especially since she knew he would take on as much of the burden as possible to prevent any harm from coming to her in the process. She appreciated the offer, but she shook her head. "Thank you, Alastor. But I wouldn't go to heaven unless all of you were going too. You're my family. I want to be here, where I can help you. I appreciate the thought though." Her smile grew and so did his. She laughed a little, arms shyly behind her back. "Baxter really is nice. I do like him. And I'm really glad you like him." She found herself blushing again, but it was sort of a comforting warmth instead of a scary one.

"I'm glad you like him too," Alastor assured with a wink. Niffty popped forward and hugged his microphone and arm holding it. Then she set her laundry basket onto the kitchen table and headed to the door.

"Er, Niffty, wait!"

She paused and turned back to him.

Alastor smiled nervously. "Sometime soon…may we have a chat, you and I? About, er…whatever's next for us all in this wacky hotel, ha?"

Her eye hazed and she nodded. "Anytime, Alastor. I love when we talk."

"I do too…" left him quietly, his smile gentle.

Niffty giggled then headed out the door and skipped upstairs to the third floor. She was starting to feel so much better. She knew what she wanted to do now.

She found Baxter in his lab, mixing chemicals and checking equations on a chalkboard. "Baxter!" She glanced around to make sure no one was out in the hall to overhear her then announced in a loud whisper. "Angel's awake!"

Baxter gasped with a smile and dashed right over to her. "Really? Superb! Oh, I'm very glad." He glanced back at his chemicals. "Even if I had come up with a decent formula to bring him back to consciousness, without proper testing, administering it was going to be risky."

"You tried — that matters so much. And Alastor's really grateful!" she assured. "Angel's not ready to see people yet — just Alastor and Molly and probably his brother for now — but I'm sure once he's feeling all better and once he realizes how much you've been trying to help him, he'll appreciate it a lot too.

Baxter smiled and blushed. "Oh, I just…wanted to do what I could."

Niffty's smile warmed. "You did great." She swallowed…and made her decision. "Baxter?"

He was just standing there shyly, looking ready to go back to his beakers, but all attention went back to her at once. "Yes?" His voice cracked a little. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I mean, er…yes?"

She clasped her hands and felt herself blush. "Would you like to have dinner together tomorrow night?"

He blinked a few times. "Dinner! Like…dinner! Ah, well, yes, I mean, I do have to eat and you do have to eat and we could eat together in the mutual eating area. Like friends do!" He swung a fist through the air, knocked over a beaker, and scrambled just in time to catch it in mid air.

Her eye hazed. He was sweet. "Actually, I was thinking we could eat alone…in my room…like a date?"

Baxter dropped the beaker, and his lantern glowed so brightly. Then he took a deep breath. "I-I-I would like to do that very, very much."

Niffty clapped her hands together and beamed. "Great! I'll…I'll make dinner."

"I'll bring something too! I-I'm not sure what yet, but something!" he quickly replied, a beaming smile overtaking his features.

She gazed up at him. "Even if you just bring yourself, Baxter, that's enough."

The lantern was not only glowing now but practically standing up straight.

Niffty really found it pretty. She short of wanted to touch it. She would ask him some day if that was okay. "I'll see you tomorrow at seven."

"Seven, yes!" Baxter gave her a thumbs up with both hands and accidentally disturbed several more beakers but didn't care.

Niffty giggled then waved, already eager to plan the menu. "Bye, Baxter!"

"Bye, Niffty!" He waved with his whole arm and nearly knocked over the chalkboard too but just laughed as he righted it and himself.

Once Niffty got back into the hall she rested against the wall and grinned. She felt happy. And she figured that was a good sign that she had made the right decision by asking Baxter out.

Alastor strolled up the stairs to Angel's room about an hour after dropping off lunch for his beau and Molly. He figured that amount of time should be ample for them to finish their meal. He would remove the plates and let them keep talking, especially if Niss might join them too. Besides, he had Niffty's remaining chores to attend to (he glowed a little and hoped things would go well for her and Baxter).

He did still long to be back at Angel's side, watching over him and tending to him. And he knew they needed to address his burn soon. But he wanted to resist for the sake of giving Angel time to unwind and settle in with his family now that the danger of their father had passed. They mattered so much to him, which meant they mattered so much to Alastor too.

He was surprised, upon walking down the hall, to find Molly standing outside of Angel's closed door with the two empty meal trays the floor beside her. She waved as he approached. "Hiya, Alastor!"

"Molly, dear!" He blinked. "Done talking already? Oh, or perhaps you're waiting for Niss?"

She shook her head. "He's gonna stop by tomorrow. He's a little nervous about talkin' ta Angel about…ya know, the whole gay thing."

"Ah. Understandable. You know, I only recently realized I was gay, and it was quite the surprise, ha!" Alastor felt himself sweating. Perhaps he was approaching this topic too facetiously?

But Molly Just smiled more and tilted her head. "Really?"

Alastor nodded, arms shyly behind his back. "Yes. It was a bit…complicated. Your brother helped me." She giggled. "I'm sure he did."

Alastor's eyes widened, and he glowed considerably. "I…that is…I meant…"

She came closer just a little closer. "Shh, it's okay. I was just teasin'. But I'm sorry if I flustered ya."

He nodded, heart still racing a little. "I…I should collect the plates. They need washing, and mother always said the only time food should linger on dishware is while a person is eating, ha!"

Molly, however, didn't smile or nod or step away so he could get to the trays. "Well, if it helps, we pretty much picked the dishes clean, heh — all the food was so good. I never had gumbo before — I love it." She laughed. Then she sat on the floor against the wall and patted a space beside her (but still a couple of feet away from her). "Would ya sit with me for a sec?"

Alastor's ears flicked to different sides. He couldn't help his eyes drifting nervously to Angel's door.

"I just wanna talk," Molly explained gently. "It's nothing bad. But if you're not comfortable yet, that's okay."

Alastor's eyes turned back to her. "I'm…I'm comfortable." He came to the wall, turned around, then sat down, back ramrod straight." There was quiet between them for a moment, then he couldn't help clearing his throat and adding, "I know that was a joke, what you said before. But…I would still like to explain…about understanding I'm gay because of Angel."

Molly nodded. "If you want to, I'd love ta listen."

He gripped his knees, eyes down. "I…have never fancied people in the way others seem to — not in life or death. I thought it was because I was wired wrong — I am a killer after all, ha. But, erm…Angel helped me realize that people can be drawn to each other in different ways and with different intensities. And once I realized there was nothing wrong with my lack of desire for…with my preference for less carnal connections…" He blushed so much — Molly was kind but she was still mixed company, and speaking on such subjects in that situation always flustered him. "For the first time I could really think about who I might have a preference for on those rare occasions when I did have a preference for someone. And I realized I preferred men. Angel was very supportive when I came to the conclusion." He managed a glance at Molly. "So what I meant to say before is, I understand how discovering a new aspect of yourself later in life or in afterlife can be jarring. I sympathize with Niss's dilemma."

Molly looked at him with wide eyes, fully engaged. "You don't feel…Ohhhh…" Her smile grew — many things made sense now, especially regarding Angel's concerns about Alastor loving him romantically and the fact that Angel had admitted that even just hand holding in bed was big for them. During her time in purgatory she'd sought out a lot of queer souls — hearing their stories had reminded her of Angel. She had learned a lot about all the different kinds of sexualities and orientations. "I'm so happy ya got ta know yourself better and that my brother could help, Alastor."

Alastor's smile grew. "I am…delighted every day that I came to this hotel and that we found each other."

"I think he feels the same way." She giggled then leaned in a bit, lowering her voice to a playful whisper. "And ya wanna know somethin' else? I'm delighted too. And so is Niss. Cuz we think you're just swell for Tony."

Alastor's eyes widened and his ears went up straight as he froze, a glow building in his features.

Molly's observed him, her voice was soft. "You are…a very unique person in hell, Alastor. There's a lot about to ya take in…and also a lot about ya ta love. No matter what problems you face, I see that you care for my brother. And you care for the other people in your life. And ever since me and Niss got here you've shown nothin' but care for us too." She wiped away a tear. "Seein' my brother with a fella who respects and adores him — that's been a dream of mine since I was a kid. And you made that dream come true. You helped give him a family when he was missin' his old one so bad. So now we can all be a big family together. And we are so happy ta have you, Alastor."

Tears were burning off at the edges of Alastor's eyes.

She laughed a little and raised an eyebrow. "You're always smiling, so it's hard ta tell sometimes exactly how you're feelin' but…I hope right now you're feeling' good."

"I'm feeling…perfect." Some words began to tumble out of him — words he knew he would have only said if he trusted the person before him completely, like family (many words he had been meaning to say to Angel for some time, in fact). "I have to smile to make my powers work with their fullest effect, and to maintain my radio voice and accent. If I stop, I lose my glow and my natural accent comes out and my powers dim too."

She looked fascinated. "Really? You're so interestin' ta learn about. Did ya figure all that out about your powers right away? What's your natural accent? Do ya lose the smile with Angel sometimes?"

"The powers took some trial and error to understand. My accent is southern — Louisiana, to be specific, with a hint of creole French. And I stopped smiling for Angel once…when he was asleep… because I'd suddenly realized I couldn't live without him." Some of the tears were falling now. "Ha! I…Pardon, I don't know why I'm opening up like this. I keep my secrets held very close. I haven't even told Angel yet about my smile and my voice…because I've had some special plans and I've been waiting for the right time and…"

"Shh!" She held a finger to her lips. "I won't tell him either, promise. And it's okay, Niss and Angel always said I was easy ta talk to. But I'm real good at keepin' secrets. And you're…a good man, Alastor." She bit her lip. "I don't wanna pressure ya, but if there's any chance one day you'll feel comfortable with me huggin' you, I'm always ready and I'd love ta very much."

He turned to her. "You can hug me now, if you'd like. Just…slowly and not too hard. Touch overwhelms me sometimes…"

With a respectful nod and her eyes beaming, Molly she came forward and gently wrapped him up, patting his head.

Alastor sighed and closed his eyes as he rested against her. Being held by a lady like this…he never even let Rosie coddle him so much. It reminded him of hugs from his mother. He felt happy.

When she let him go he let out a sigh and looked to her before she could speak again. "Molly, I am going to have a very serious talk with Husker soon."

She blinked, eyes wide. "I… Alastor, I didn't mean ta make ya think I was anglin' about—"

Now he held up a finger to his own lips. "No, no, my dear — this matter has actually been on my mind for some time. I believe I've finally got the details worked out as well. I merely just decided I wanted you to know it was coming. Because…while my experience has taught me that it is possible to 'own' a soul to an extent…that doesn't mean all souls 'should' be owned. Or at the very least, not permanently and completely. Circumstances have changed and contracts should change accordingly. Honestly if I wasn't such a stubborn creature I probably would have done it years ago. He has been…one of the best souls in my service. And his efforts have been more appreciated than he knows." He swallowed. "My time here has been humbling in a good way. I intend to extend the good fortune I've found as a resident of this hotel to the residents here when I'm able and especially to Husker for all he's done. He's quite the decent fellow, after all."

Molly just sat there, tears in her eyes, overwhelmed with emotion. "He is. I…I love him."

Alastor nodded. "Yes, and might I say as someone who knows him well, you have excellent taste."

She sniffed and smiled, wiping at her eyes. "Oh…I just know Husky would really like to talk to you too…one ragazzo to another." "Er, ragazzo?" Alastor tilted his head.

She giggled. "Means boyfriend. And Angel and Niss and I really did find some sweet ones."

Alastor beamed. "I'll go over everything tonight one final time before I speak with him."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate all the thought you're putting into this." Molly stood up and held out a hand. "Come on, why don't I help ya bring these dishes downstairs? Angel's resting again now, and I wanna go spend time with Husky again anyway."

Alastor took her hand and stood up, feeling such comfort again in his life at someone actually wanting to hold his had for a moment with no fear of deals. He gathered both trays, handed one off to her, then bowed and gestured forward. "Ladies first."

"Ah, you're a gentleman too. I know my brother's gotta love that."

"Ha!" Alastor followed after her as she headed forward, smiling brightly. "He deserves no less."

"He's gonna go crazy when he hears that accent of yours, I bet." She grinned.

Alastor swallowed, glowing. "I've had some hopes…"

She giggled. "I've got two swell brothers, but I'm happy to have you as one now too, Alastor."

The Radio Demon beamed. "I am…honored to be one. I have never had a sister. Quite delightful…" As they headed downstairs together, Alastor experienced a level of elation and belonging he had never before experienced. They were like family… His heart felt full.

The Cannibal Colony had been abuzz ever since Alastor's spectacular performance fighting against the underbelly mob of hell itself. Though of course Alastor and the rest of the hotel had kept the great confrontation very hush hush, the Cannibals had listened to Rosies's radioed check-ins with Cherri and the others, and there had been a special little broadcast from Rosie recounting the highlights of the affair just for the Cannibal Colony residents. It had been decades since the Radio Demon had gone all out in a public battle (as opposed to his usual one-off killings and radio shows these days), and his supporters ate up every second of his prowess. Even now two days later Alastor was the talk of the colony more so than usual. And Rosie and Mimzy could barely keep up with answering questions and running affairs and making sure word didn't get out that Alastor was not around at the moment for sentimental reasons.

To help, Cherri had been staying at the colony for the last couple of days, in Niss's room in the Emporium. Her squeamishness at the whole 'cannibalism' thing had finally subsided enough that she could handle going out and about regularly and keeping an eye on things. She liked being helpful. And she liked giving Alastor and Angel a chance to be together. And she liked keeping busy…because frankly seeing Angel almost killed had really done a number on her. He was her best friend. He was already hurt enough on a regular basis by all the daily bullshit hell threw his way. He didn't deserve to take a bullet too, and definitely not from his waste of a dad — not when he had finally found some happiness and just wanted to enjoy himself. So she kept busy but also kept her phone close, because the second he was awake and okay she wanted to know. Her nerves felt shot, and him getting better was the only thing that would help.

When she finally got a text from Molly, she jumped in the air right in the middle of the street, lit off a firework with a big grin, then raced down the block and into the emporium. She texted Molly back on the way, letting her know she'd be by as soon as Angel felt up to it. She then dashed inside the Emporium behind the counter where Mimzy and Rosie were working. "Angie's awake!"

"Oh wonderful!" Mimzy beamed, clapping her hands together.

"Thank hell for small favors," Rosie let out a sigh of relief. "That boy was starting to worry me, and I just know Alastor's nerves were becoming shot to pieces."

"When can we go see him?" Mimzy asked eagerly.

"Now dear," Rosie smiled at her, "we still have responsibilities here, and we do want to give Angel some space…and to give Alastor as much time as possible to occupy that space, remember?" She winked.

Mimzy giggled. "Oh yes, of course." She winked back.
Cherri smirked. "Okay, what's up?"

"Oh nothing," Rosie replied with a cheeky grin, "We just…have a feeling Alastor might be ready to express certain feelings to Angel rather soon, and we'd like to give him every chance."

"And the aftermath of a harrowing ordeal like the one they went through really is the perfect push to make it happen." Mimzy sighed dreamily.

Cherri laughed and leaned on the counter. "Ah okay, I read ya. Sounds good to me. Besides, Molly says Niss is gonna go visit and talk to Angel tomorrow…" She rubbed the back of her neck. "I figure I should give the three of them privacy until that conversation's over at least."

"I'm glad Niss let himself be honest about who he is. I could see how he was struggling." Rosie frowned a little.

"I'm sure the talk will go well." Mimzy patted her shoulder, frowning too. "It'll probably bring Angel and Niss even closer together."

Rosie's smile returned and Mimzy's did as well.

Cherri nodded. "They'll work through it. They're in a good enough place now that things'll be okay." She sighed and put away her phone. "Well, I guess I'm not needed there yet and things are pretty squared away here for the day. And I'm guessing Alastor will be back soon to help you two. So I've gotta find something new to do." She shrugged, frowning a little, tapping her fingers on the counter. Normally she did things with Angel, but he was obviously bed bound right now. Otherwise she would usually go bomb Sir Pentious's ship for fun, but she wasn't about to touch that place with Pen and Niss all cozy up there finally. "Maybe I'll…do some scouting? Go check on the studio again to see if Val or any of those fuckers is back? Then I should head back to my hideout probably. Maybe run some errands, figure out if there's anything I can bring Angel…" She turned to the door and put a hand to her head. There was so much to take care of.

"Oh, do you have to go right now?" Mimzy frowned.

"Cherri dear," Rosie smiled warmly, "you know I admire your vim and vigor but also…the ordeal with the mob was a lot for you to process too. It's nice that you're keeping busy, but maybe you could use some rest as well. And we like your company. Why don't you continue to stay here, at least for one more night. We'll have a cozy evening in and a hearty dinner and then a fine breakfast, and in the morning and you can decide what to do from there? We'll all just chat, unwind, share…"

"…Prepare for the boys' future wedding," Mimzy couldn't help but joke in a whisper while Rosie grinned and nudged her.

Cherri smiled a little, looking down in thought. "I…I don't really rest much. So that would be…good, probably. And yeah, after everything…maybe I do need a minute. A long one." She tried to ignore the weird feeling of a tear pricking at her eye. She did have a reputation for energy and being tough. People usually didn't check in with her about how she was or if she needed a rest. But right now she really did need one. So much had happened.

"Splendid!" Rosie clapped her hands together. "Now then, if we're going to have a nice meal together I say we dress up! I'm going to find us matching scarves — Mimzy, come help me, you do have the best eye for complimentary color combinations."

Mimzy eagerly nodded and dashed off with Rosie into the racks…probably to help but also to make out a little too, Cherri figured. She grinned and shook her head. With a moment to herself, she decided tot check her messages also and scroll through her social media feeds.

An ad came up… Ugh, it was for those news anchor fuckers who had ratted out her and Angel's turf war antics way back when by plastering it all over the airwaves.

"Hi I'm Katie Killjoy! And that's Tom! And we have a VERY prestigious, VERY inevitable, VERY regal new exclusive coming up for you soon! Tune in at the end of the week for an interview you don't want to miss!"

"Yes, Please watch 666 news for—"

"Tom, shut up, I'm talking!"

The ad ended.

Cherri couldn't help staring at the screen for a minute, brow furrowed. Yeah, 666 was the main news station in the pentagram. And yeah, they were always hyping up stories. But something about the words Katie had used were sticking with her…prestigious, inevitable…regal. She bit her lip.

"Cherri dear, do you prefer sequins or feathers?" came Rosie's voice from the racks.

She blinked and looked up from the phone. "Oh, uh, I prefer leather, but in a pinch sequins work!"

Mimzy laughed. "Told you, Rosie!"

She smiled at the reply. Then glanced at her phone once more. Then she put it away. She was probably just paranoid after the mob stuff. Dumb Katie should not be allowed to get to her with hype — that overbearing anchor was barely better than one of the more pompous overlords. At the very least Cherri felt like she needed to sleep on this weird feeling before she did or said anything about it, so she wouldn't worry anyone right when they all finally had a chance to relax. But…she decided she would still keep an eye on the news ads for any other weird announcements, just in case.

She rested her head on her hands and closed her eye for a moment as she waited for Rosie and Mimzy to come back. A quiet evening and a good meal and an early night sounded perfect right now.

A/N:

That's all for now! A little more drama is coming but I promise lots of fluff is happening first ^w^ Thank you all for reading!

Take care!

-Azure129