Chapter Text
Chapter Nine: Parental Love
Things were going smoothly for the Hotel, which was in itself a surprise considering it was normally a magnet for chaos. Fortunately, things were looking up as they were slowly filling rooms with Sinners that truly wanted to give redemption a chance thanks to the words of Sir Pentious over the radio with Alastor a few weeks ago. Now, it was time to get to work, with both the hellborn and heavenborn sisters working together, things were moving in the right direction. That was always the first big hurdle for new arrivals was the fact of having the Angelic sibling around to help out, which was fair given the history of Heaven sending an angelic army down to slaughter them. Fortunately, Emily’s sweet personality helps get Sinners to chill out a little, it also helps that they could tell that Charlie trusted her, the King trusted her, when he was around did much to quell their initial feelings about her. Sera had wisely kept to the embassy during the day, and would basically slip in and out with the use of a halo portal, but always made sure to hug her daughter in the morning before leaving, it gave them both some comfort in this endeavor, as it was stressful.
Things seemed like they were going to be okay, until, at least to Charlie, seven unannounced guests visited her lobby, which had caused quite the stir, as all of them were angels, and did not help that two of them came bearing swords on their hips, and one of those had his scythe in his hand as well. Of course, Charlie and Emily knew who they were, six of them were their uncles. Luckily not many of the new guests were in the lobby at the time, more so it was a staff meeting that was interrupted, but they did have to shoo the few guests that were about out of the area, just in case, and so they did not panic at the sight of Six Archangels appearing in the lobby.
“Uncle Micheal, and our other uncles,” Charlie greeted them, walking up and hugging her eldest uncle and then moved on to the others and Emily did the same. “What are you guys doing here?”
“Some business we have with your father, he knew we were coming, as for Abel here,” Michael gestured to the one angel that did not look like the rest. “He is here to see his mother, or your shared mother.” Michael shook his head in thought about how complicated things were to think about with the knowledge of where Eve ended up and who is related to you now.
“Right, my step-brother, half-brother?” Charlie asked, confused as to how that works given that Eve married her birth parents before she was even conceived, and Eve did help raise Charlie like she was her own, and only because of blood reasons was she not technically related to Eve due to her losing her ability to have kids when she became a Sinner, may have to do a blood ritual at some point to make it official. “Does that also mean that Emily is technically related to him as well?”
“I hadn’t even thought about that,” Emily’s eyes widened in realization that she and Abel had been somewhat distantly related through her father and half-sister.
“The more the merrier,” Abel said with a smile, happy to have more family to get to know that was not on his father’s side right now.
“Let me text Dad that you are here, and to grab Mom, as she and Mom should be at the Embassy right now, working on paperwork along with Lady Sera,” Charlie said, not even stopping to consider how confusing for others when she referred to both of her mothers. She pulled out her phone and sent a simple text to her father: My Uncles are at the Hotel, and I need Mom Eve at the Hotel as well.
Give me five minutes was the response she got back from him. Charlie turned back to her uncles. “So, in the wake of Grandfather having interest in my efforts here, are the Exorcists still a thing?”
“For now, yes. The Exorcists remain as Heaven’s Black Ops team, whose job, as of right now, is to wait for my orders. I assume that in the future, if need be due to some potential uprising or just a need to issue a second judgment to send redeemed singers up to Heaven, then they will come down and do what they are meant to do. However, with the fact that Abel here is now the new Commander of the Exorcists, things will be a lot more merciful and in line with Father’s will,” Michael explained to her.
“Thankfully, Lute did not get the position,” Vaggie commented, considering how bad things would get for Hell if that was the case.
“Indeed, Lute is currently on administrative leave of duty, though she did try to voice her opposition to my decision to make Abel the new commander before I put her on leave.” Michael shook his head in thought a few weeks ago, how that meeting went. Of course, that was part of the reason for why he was here, because of the conversation he had with Metatron after both Abel and Lute were out of the room.
“So, besides Abel being the blood heir to Adam, why did Lute get passed over for the promotion. She was always his right hand, and was his closest ally and I know she was next in line for command,” Vaggie asked, curious due to her past as a former Exorcist herself.
“I will leave the answer to that to Abel as it affects him more than me, however, I will say, she did try to use the right of blood to take the position,” Michael answered her question. Vaggie’s face gave away that she was not surprised at all by this information, as one of the few that knew what happened between the two of them when off duty, it was no shock to hear that they were married. If she was honest with herself, that was probably why Lute cut her eye out and ripped her wings off when she had shown mercy to that one sinner, it was because she was one of the few that knew about Adam and Lute banging.
“If you wanted to know what Lord Michael was talking about, Lute is pregnant with my half-sibling on my father’s side,” Abel told them. Vaggie once again was not surprised by that, Charlie was a mixed bag, as well as Emily, but she was a bit more happy about the idea of someone becoming a parent.
“Well, as long as that keeps her away from coming after us for now, I will take it.” Charlie tried to process that information as best as she could, but could only imagine what Lute would be like as a mother. She already felt bad for that child. Her line of thought was interrupted by a halo portal opening behind her, she turned to see her father and second mother step through it, obviously Lucifer had to go and pick Eve up like Charlie had requested.
“Alright, where’s the fire that requires both of us?” Lucifer asked, half joking as he already knew that his brothers were coming down that day. He looked over the group of visitors and his eyes fell on Abel, and he understood now. “Ah, that explains it. Brothers, follow me, I have a room here we can use.” He led the girls’ uncles out of the lobby, leaving Eve to handle that situation in the lobby, not wanting to hear about any possible lies that Adam probably had told Abel about him being responsible for what Cain did, when it was Satan that was behind it.
Eve looked upon her favorite son, with motherly love in her eyes. She had missed him so much. “Hello, Abel,” she greeted him.
“Hey, Mom,” he said, a bit speechless to see her again, but he was glad that she did not look like the rest of the demons down here, that she still had her human form. “It’s good to see you.”
“You too, I missed you,” she held her arms out for him to come and hug her, which he did after a moment of hesitation, wondering if it was a trick or not. Charlie had to nudge him to indicate that it was indeed her standing there. Mother and Son embraced for the first time in a long time, since Abel was sent up to heaven by Cain.
“I have missed you too, Mom. I can’t believe you are here. Yes, I know you ate the Apple and not Dad, but still, you did not repent enough or something?” Abel asked her, inquiring why she chose to go to Hell and not Heaven.
“Abel, my son, I made my choice, I willingly disobeyed an order from the Lord when I ate the Apple of Knowledge, and I stood by my choices. The only regret I have was the fact that I was possessed by an eldritch being of utter evil and that is why my hair is dark, not gold like Lily’s. Oh, I tried to live rightly after Eden, best I could, and I guess you could say I succeeded as you and Seth managed to make it to Heaven. I am sure I could have repented when I got here and gotten up there, but there are some people here that need me more than Heaven does.” Eve’s eyes flicked up to look at her only daughter for a moment. “Hell is my home now, it is where I belong, my son, just as Heaven is your home and where you belong.”
“I understand, Mom, as difficult as it is, I understand.” At last they broke apart. “Have you seen my older brother down here?” Abel asked, a bit worried if he was around at all.
“Not yet, and for that I am grateful. Cain was always your father’s favorite, while you were mine, and I haven’t forgiven him for what happened. I do know that he is down here, but I don’t know where. He has been laying low, somehow, and I think I know who has been protecting him: Satan,” Eve’s voice lowered a few degrees as she said the name of the Sin of Wrath.
“Dad always said that Lucifer was responsible for what had happened,” Abel told her, confused as to where his mother was going with this.
“Of course he would blame Lucifer, after losing Lily, Me, and Eden to his actions. Well, he did not lose me until I died, but still.” Eve shook her head in disgust at her ex-husband blaming her current husband for Satan influencing Cain to murder Abel.
“Just to be sure, Lucifer is not either mine or Cain’s father, is he?” Abel had to know just when his mother became romantically involved with the King of Hell, due to having Charlie as a step sibling.
“No, you, Cain, and Seth are all of Adam’s blood and mine. I only started loving Lucifer and Lilith once I was down here.” Abel looked at his mother with a confused look when she said that she loved Lilith. “I am bisexual, Abel, besides, Lily would not have accepted me loving Lucifer if I did not include her in it.” Eve sent her daughter a sly wink, as she knew what her mothers were like.
“Mom is right, my birth mom would not have allowed it otherwise, and I am glad she did things the way she did, as I would not be the same person I am today without her in my life.” Charlie backed up what Eve had said, and was pretty sure she was bisexual because of the fact she had two loving moms and her loving father. “Oh, before we continue down this reunion, Mom, how is Mom doing with Lady Sera?” Emily’s ears perked up a bit in interest.
“Last I saw, they were getting along just fine, now that Sera has agreed to put the past behind her. Just sorting through all the paperwork, a lot of paperwork.” Eve rolled her eyes, and blew out a breath. It was going to take a few months to get it under control, to even be able to work on the current projects that needed to be dealt with. “Here, let us sit and talk for a bit.”
“Mom, I need to tell you something, I have a new Step Mom.” Able said, cautiously, not knowing that she already knew of whom he spoke.
“Oh, I already know about Adam and Lute being fuckmates when not on duty, Lady Sera told me when she and Emily came down as the new Ambassadors.” Eve told her son, surprising him that she already was aware of what he wanted to tell her.
“Did you know he married her?” Abel asked, and once again she did not seem surprised.
“Yeah, I know, she is the third wife, which makes sense. So I hear, she was the new me in his eyes, and he was a loyal husband to her. Good for them, I suppose,” she could not be angry at Adam for marrying Lute in secret, when she did the same thing with Lucifer and Lilith.
“He used your ring from when you were married to do it,” Able told her. Now that was a bit surprising to her, finally striking a nerve with her.
“Okay, now that is a low blow,” she looked at her own ring on her finger that was engraved with her new husband and wife.
“He did melt his down with it and reforged them,” Abel said, trying to salvage this.
“Well, at least it is not as bad as just redoing the engraving,” Eve shook her head in disappointment at being told that, but it did not matter much to her anymore, she had her new family, and they needed her more right now.
“There is one more thing, Mom, I will soon have step-sibling from her,” now that was interesting news to Eve.
“So, it seems Adam’s bloodline is not quite finished as it were, I am not entirely surprised, as redeemed souls retain their abilities to procreate, while us Sinners can’t have kids, the Hellborn can, but not us Sinners.” Eve told him, in a manner that implied that he had no other step-siblings besides Charlie from her, her eyes shifted over to her only daughter as she said it, wondering if Charlie planned to have kids at some point or not. “I can only hope she raises that child right,” and that was the last they spoke of Lute and Adam’s relationship. While they waited for Lucifer to finish his meeting, Eve and Able caught up about everything else that had happened since they last saw each other, and Abel got to know his step-sister and whatever distant relation Emily was to him, they settled on Cousin to make it easy.
With Lucifer
Lucifer led the other six Lord Morningstars into the Den, which served as his meeting office when away from the Palace, so that he could get work done while also being available if his little girls needed him. Once all of them had filed in, he walked over to the cold fireplace and with a simple motion of his outstretched hand, he sent a ball of flame on to the logs, lighting them immediately and the room was bathed in soft yellow light. With a snap of his fingers, enough plush chairs appeared for all of them. He offered Michael the one he would normally take as the biggest of them, who initially was confused as to why Lucifer was giving him his own seat, but the look in Lucifer’s eyes told him all he needed to know, and there would be no pretending anymore. Michael took the largest plush chair, and Lucifer pulled up another one next to him. Before he took a seat, Lucifer walked over to a nearby table, uncorked his favorite brand of wine and poured seven glasses, and with a wave of his hand, sent five of them out to the five younger siblings, and carried the ones for Michael and himself, handing his older brother his glass before sitting down next to him. There they all sat in silence for a moment, sipping their glasses.
At last, Michael spoke. “We all know why we are here, to discuss what to do about talking to Our Father about how things were when we were kids.” Michael let his guard down, as he was among family and only family, and the younger five saw in his eyes how exhausted he was, and the bitterness that went with it. Bitterness that has been brewing for millenia, old grudges die hard as it were.
Lucifer was the one to drop all pretense of pretending that they were all siblings, which while true in the eyes of the Lord, in reality, it was a lot more complicated. Lucifer took his brother’s hand to be supportive of Michael as this was difficult for the both of them. “Kids,” Lucifer started, with a sigh. This was going to be difficult and that alone set the tone. “Your father and I have been talking, and it is clear that dear old Dad messed up with us, making it so that Mikey and I had to raise you, most of you, as you Gabe were shared between Mikey and Dad, and then I replaced him toward the end.” Lucifer said, holding his brother’s hand as he looked over the other five Morningstars. While they had only referred to the other Morningstars as their sons with each other, it was time to address the elephant in the room as it were.
As the third brother, it hurt Gabe to admit that his renegade older sibling had a point, even though he had come to see Mike and Luci as his fathers more than the one who made him and made him His Messenger. “You are right, Luci, you are right.” Gabriel had seen what Mike and Luci had seen, just to a lesser degree, how God had withdrawn from raising them to focus on other projects.
“Raph, you were the first one that was ours in any sense of the word of parenthood, and we could not be more proud of you,” Michael spoke up, his voice a bit shaky. He had to face the past, that he long kept buried to all, but Lucifer.
“Thanks, Mikey, you both did a good job.” Raph, as the Archangel of Medicine, which included Childcare, knew there were things that they had messed up on, and could have told them as such, but also knew that they did the best they could and got better at it with practice. They were the dads that stepped up when their actual father grew distant, and for that fact alone, they had his eternal love and respect, even if one of them later rebelled against Heaven.
“We are proud of all of you. Yes, we raised you to be what the Lord wanted you to be, but we also encouraged you to yourselves.” Lucifer looked over both Uriel and Azrael as he said that. Some of them had needed more support from one parent then the other due to what they were to be the Archangel Patrons of, and others fully needed both of them.
“Yeah, you always were the one to help me with art projects, and the ones who taught me to forge a blade and such,” Uriel said with a fake smile, trying to put up a brave face. It was due to Lucifer having abilities to conjure objects from nowhere, that gave him an innate knowledge of how to make said objects.
“Zads,” Michael began to address the sibling between Uriel and Azrael in order of creation. “I think it is you that benefited much from both of us.” Michael had taught Zadkiel about ethics when it came to military engagements, and Lucifer taught him more personal ethics, and both taught him the concept of Mercy, a most needed component in Creation.
“I did, and it was because of you both, that some of the greatest acts of mercy and compassion have been overseen by me,” Zadkiel thought about all the times he intervened in mortal affairs to stay people’s hands, usually for the better, most notably when he held Abraham’s hand from offering his own son Isaac as a sacrifice to the Lord. Of course, God had ordered him to do so, as it was merely a test of Abraham’s faith in God, which he had succeeded. Zadkiel was not happy about that when he returned to Heaven that day.
“AZ,” Michael called out, his eyes a bit teary eyed, this one hurt. “I taught you the ways of war, I taught you to kill, to take life from creation, wherever it was commanded unto you to do so. I wish in my heart that I didn’t have to do it.” Both of them were thinking about the same event, the one that ended with Azrael flying right past God and into the arms of Michael.
“But, you both also taught me that timing was everything and the importance of mercy. I have stayed my hand more than many think, and people who should have been collected have gotten better.” Azrael’s heart was heavy, in his time, many who die deserve life, and many who live yet should have died many years ago. He knew not to be so quick to deal out death in judgment, and never liked having to take the souls of children, or even women who die in childbirth. Yes, in many ways, giving one’s life so that another may live is honorable, but he still did not like those situations, he may be the one who shepherds the departed to the other side, but he took joy in seeing Life itself in action, people enjoying time with each other, raising new life up, better than the last generation, as it should be.
“I have done many things I have come to regret in my life, but one of the few things I will never regret is how we raised you all. If there is one thing, besides my little girls, that I cherish in this life it is that fact, that you all turned out how you were supposed to.” Lucifer was getting a bit misty-eyed himself talking to them.
“You are our sons, and we love you like proud fathers should.” Michael smiled with both real and fake happiness at them, because he was about ready to cry. Lucifer realized it, and took his brother to his shoulder, and just in time as the dam that held the Lord Commander’s emotions in place broke open. “It should not have been our responsibility, Luci!” Michael said, as he cried on his brother’s shoulder.
“No, it shouldn’t have been, but we succeeded where He did not,” Lucifer said, bitterness in his voice. It was just one of the many things that he had been angry with the Lord about to the point of launching the rebellion. In short order, the two of them found themselves being hugged by the other five Lord Morningstars. They just held each other for a bit, they needed this, they long needed this.
When Michael was finished venting his emotions that he had long kept under lock and key, he separated from his brother and wiped his face off. “Thank you guys,” he said to the younger five, as they stood up straight. “Something I never told you all, and Luci will back me up on this, is that I had forewarning that the Rebellion was coming, and if you were curious as to why I kept you all loyal, cause I know some of you would have joined Luci if given the chance, is that Luci told me to.”
“I knew after Eden I was not going to be allowed to stay, and I wanted to spare you all this place, so I made the choice to protect you, my sons, and gave full custody to Michael,” Lucifer smirked a half second at his joke.
“Could have told us it was coming,” Zadkiel said, a bit angry that they were kept out of the loop for so long on this information.
“Trust me, it is better that you didn’t so that Father would not get suspicious of you, as if you knew, at least half of you would have been secretly helping Luci, if not outright joined his army, then you would further tear this family apart more than it already was. We made the decision together to protect you, and so that only one would fall, and believe me, even I would not be able to defend you from being cast out had any of you joined Lucifer.” Michael explained, now the full truth was out there, about why things went the way they did during the Rebellion and the aftermath.
They all needed a minute to process things, and when that time had passed, it was Gabriel that spoke up first. “So, what do we do?”
“We confront dear old Dad and make him see what his negligence has wrought!” Azrael said, fired up by this, as he would have been one of the ones who sided with Lucifer if given the choice.
“And risk us all being cast down?” Zadkiel being the voice of reason, as was typical. Zadkiel was right, any action discussed here would have to weighed against the punishment of the Wrath of God coming down on them.
“That a line you afraid to cross? I am sure our talents could be put to use down here,” Uriel countered, he was right of course, Lucifer had to admit to himself, he knew he could put his sons into positions that would help a lot down here, but he was very much reluctant to embrace that idea, for good reason.
“No offense to one of our real fathers, but I have no intention of being damned right now,” Zadkiel argued back.
“I agree with Zadkiel, I am needed where I can do the most good, and right now that is Heaven.” Raphael firmly stated, he did not want to consider what counted for medicine in Hell right now.
“As do I, I still am the one that spreads the Word on Earth, and I run all of the communication grid in Heaven,” Gabriel voiced his objection as well, though he saw where the others were coming from.
Seeing that this was going to get a lot further heated if they did not step in, both Michael and Lucifer stood up. “Children,” Michael’s voice was firm, just to get their attention and settle them down, before it softened back to the way it normally was. “I think the best idea right now is that we take a bit of a breather, think things over, let me and Luci talk about what to do going forward, and we will make a game plan. What is clear however, is that at the least is that we need to have a meeting with Our Creator, and explain things to him. Now, how we go about that is for us to decide as a family.” Michael played the peacemaker, and that got them to settle down. “Agreed?”
“Agreed,” all of the younger five said in unison, glad that it did not further descend into heated debate, as with their powers, things could get ugly real quick.
“Good.” Michael leaned down to pick up his glass of wine, and shot the rest of it down his throat, to everyone’s surprise and a couple of them’s concern, mainly Lucifer and Raph were concerned by how fast he got that glass down, and it was not a small amount in the glass either.
“Got a drinking problem brother?” Raph asked, out of concern, for multiple reasons, not the least of which was their Lord Father’s intolerance of drunkenness. Very few people could shoot that much alcohol and not have a problem
“No, I have a stress problem, as you all just witnessed. Just to take the edge off.” Michael defended himself, knowing that Raph will not let this go soon. “I don’t drink as much as you are thinking, I still stick to the interval I had when raising you all, actually I drink less than that, just once in a while I need a stiff glass, mostly after dealing with Dad.” Michael thought back to the day he took Charlie up to see her grandfather, and how as soon as they got to his house, the first thing he did was pour a half glass of wine and slammed it before filling two full ones for both of them.
“I can back that up, needing a stiff glass once in a while,” Lucifer said, coming to his brother’s support. “When we were raising you, as we were already adults by the time you came around, Raph, Michael and I actually used to drink more until Azrael became an adult. Lot of nights we would put you guys to bed and then have a glass and watch something to relax, but we both cut back after that.” Seemed like a lot of family secrets were getting revealed that day.
“Did we really put you two through that much chaos?” Zadkiel asked, out of curiosity and concern.
All Michael did was pull his phone out, and opened his gallery, and found the family portrait he was looking for, the one that sits on his desk. First he shared it with Lucifer, who merely nodded in agreement, and then he turned it to show them. “You five don’t know half of it,” both of them said. Each of them saw themselves when they were younger, at various stages.
“Sorry,” Gabriel said, for the group of them.
“Don’t be, if I could go back, I would do it all over again,” Michael said, he had made his stance clear, he may have hated having to do it, but he would willingly make that sacrifice a second time to make sure they turned out okay.
“As would I,” Lucifer said, backing his brother’s claim up, there would be a few things he would have done differently, but raising them was not one of them.
“Alright, I think we should get back before Dad begins to wonder where his Six Archangels are. Luci, I will be in touch later about what we will do about Dad.” Michael hugged his brother, and then each of the younger five did as well, Lucifer messing with Uriel and Azrael’s hairs like he used to do with a smile on his face at seeing them again.
“Here, let me lead you out,” Lucifer grabbed his cane, but not his hat, and walked the group back out into the lobby. They looked over at where the girls were with Abel and Eve.
“Abel, time to go for now,” Michael called out to the Son of Adam.
“Yes, sir, right away sir,” Abel sprung to his feet. “Well, Mom, it was good to see you, I hope to see you again soon.
“I hope so too, my son,” Eve stood to hug him goodbye.
Turning to Charlie, “Sister, I wish you luck with your endeavors, as it would mean I don’t have to do the job I have been appointed for.”
“I hope so too.” This was her path that she was set on, and had the backing of her family on both sides of the split, and she could not turn back now. They heard someone say something in the angelic tongue behind them, and they turned to see a golden halo portal appear in the lobby.
“Okay, gotta go, stay safe,” Abel took off after the Lord Archangels, the portal disappearing as soon as he was through it.
Lucifer walked over to his family, with a particular look on his face. Charlie noticed it as the look he got when he was in deep thought. “What is it, Dad?”
Her voice shook him from his thoughts. “Nothing for you and Emmy to worry about right now, Char.” However, it was stuff he had to worry about right now, the way things are turning were not going as he liked, but he would make the most of it, whatever comes his way. “Just some stuff is going on with me and your uncles, and we are going to have to figure out how to solve it all.” Right now, there were only two ways he saw how this was going to end and one of which he would like to avoid right now, but if push comes to shove, then he had an idea of what to do from there. “Alright, Eve, do you want to head back to the embassy or stay with the girls for the time being?”
“I think I will stay here with the girls for now, let Lily and Sera work together without me for a bit,” Eve stated, wanting a break from the paperwork, and to see if Lilith and Sera can truly get along without her in the room.
“Okay, I am going for a flight, I need to work some things out, and I will catch you all later. Girls have a good day working, I will check in later.” With that, he walked up to the door, left his cane on the hook, and walked out. Once outside, he spread his six white wings and took off, and took several hours to fly around the Pride Ring of his Kingdom, both the Pentagram and IMP City, thinking about all that he had worried about.
In the coming months, Charlie and Emily would get a decent number of sinners redeemed. It was a slow process sure, but it was progress, and that was a good thing. As for the girls’ Uncles, they would take the next little while to decide what they were going to do, as whatever was to happen would have big implications for both Heaven and Hell.