Chapter Text
Of all the people Charlie Morningstar expected to show up on the Hazbin Hotel doorsteps right before the grand reopening, the last person she ever anticipated was her mother.
There have already been loads of visitors showing interest since the battle against the Exorcists just a week ago. Sinners are intrigued, rather than mocking, now that the Hazbin Hotel has proven it can give as good as it gets and repel even the worst of the angels that everyone fears. The gawkers and gossipers that gather around its gates don’t seem to have much interest in redemption, but they are fascinated and already calculating the strength and worth of the Hotel as a new political faction.
There are a few that seem genuinely interested in staying at the Hotel, at least. They’ve found their way to the doors of the hotel itself to ask about staying. Most don’t seem interested in redemption or going to Heaven even now; they don’t seem to believe Charlie’s enthusiastic speeches when she gives them. But they do seem interested in finding a safe place to stay, and a few cautiously willing to give the redemption exercises a shot if it’s the only payment needed for free, safe room and board.
Charlie finds it a little manipulative to let them in on those merits, but Angel Dust shoots her down with a laugh when she voices her concerns about taking advantage of Sinners. “Let’em come, Toots!” he hollers. “It’s what got me in the door, and look at me now!”
“He’s not wrong, hun,” Vaggie says. “Hell is all about give and take. They’re choosing to stay here willingly and give it a shot, even if it’s mostly for the room. That’s the important part. The rest will come with time.”
It still feels a little tricky, but Charlie agrees to go through with it anyway.
So when she opens the door, already taking her deep breath to begin her speech about how they’re not open yet but if they give her their contact information she’ll reach out when they’re ready, she’s expecting another Sinner knocking on their doors for safety. She does not expect to look up and see her own mother looking down at her, hands clenched almost nervously.
The deep breath Charlie had taken escapes with a wheezing hiss. She stares. Her mother stares back.
After a moment she squeaks in disbelief, “Mom?”
“Charlie,” her mother says in nearly a whisper. “Oh, Sweetheart. It’s so good to see you.”
“It’s good to see you too!” Charlie says, but she can’t keep the bewildered shock from her voice. “I don’t understand...why are you here? I called you so many times...I left you so many messages…”
Her mother’s face falls. “Oh, Sweetheart,” she says again, and she sounds so helpless. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t have my phone. If you’ve been trying to reach me, I’m...I’m afraid I didn’t get those messages.”
Charlie is stunned. Didn’t have her phone? But that didn’t make sense. “I don’t understand,” she repeats meekly. She’s so happy her mother is back, but it’s so out of nowhere that it’s taking her mind time to catch up with what she’s seeing.
In fact, now that she thinks about it, her mother looks just as off as she feels. Mom’s clothing isn’t as rich as usual, and there’s no jewelry or ornamentation. Her clothes are decent, but look disheveled and a little worn. Her horns look chipped and damaged, like they haven’t been cared for recently, and her nails are short and broken. In short, she doesn’t look like the Queen of Hell; she looks like an ordinary Sinner that’s had a rough day in the Pentagram.
“It’s a long story,” her mother says with a sigh. And now that Charlie’s looking for it, she can see how exhausted her mother looks too. She’s not wearing makeup, so the dark lines under her eyes from fatigue are obvious. She looks like she could use a hot meal and a comfortable bed.
“Mom,” Charlie whispers, reaching out to take her hand slowly and carefully. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“It’s a long story,” her mother repeats. “Is it...is it okay if I come in? I’d like to sit for a bit. I know you’re probably wondering where I’ve been, and it sounds like I’ve been gone longer than I realized, so I can understand if you don’t want to see me. But…”
“Yes! Yes, of course, come on in!” Charlie says hastily, stepping back from the door to give her mom room to enter. Mom enters gratefully, and Charlie shuts and locks the door behind her, definitely unwilling to attend to any hopeful hangers on at the moment. If something happened to her mother—if something is wrong, if there’s something she needs to know about—she’ll do anything she can to help.
At this time in the afternoon, most of the staff and residents are hanging about in the new parlor, or at the new bar. Husk serves drinks to Angel and Cherri Bomb, the last of whom hasn’t quite settled on redemption yet but has stuck around to help with the last of the building and repairs. Niffty is vigorously sweeping the new parlor, even though the building is still brand new and hasn’t had much time to accumulate dust. Vaggie is also sitting in the parlor, doing some maintenance on her angelic spear and occasionally lifting it out of the way so that Niffty doesn’t accidentally behead herself when she speeds past with her broom. KeeKee is curled up on one of the sofas, Razzle is hanging new photographs and portraits donated by everyone, and Frank—the lone Egg Boi that had survived—is holding Vaggie’s maintenance kit while sitting next to her.
For all that it feels full of life again, the absences are still woefully obvious to Charlie. It’s only been two weeks since they lost Sir Pentious, and his loss is still bitterly felt. His memorial is on the wall in the lobby when one enters, and Charlie leads her mother past it while giving the portrait a soft nod. It’s a shame to not see him here with the others, arguing with Angel Dust or trying his best to flirt with Cherri Bomb.
The other absence is subtle, but worries Charlie even more, if it were possible. She knows Pentious didn’t survive the battle, after all; she had seen Adam blast his ship into nothing. She has no idea what happened to Alastor, and the fact that she doesn’t know if he’s still alive or died in the fight is worrisome. They’d found blood on the rubble from the roof, blood that wasn’t hers, and Alastor had disappeared so suddenly…
Husk and Niffty both say he’s alive. The chains to their souls are still going somewhere, and they hadn’t felt anything snap or transfer. But Alastor hadn’t come back. And they hadn’t found his body, wounded or dead, in the rubble when they cleared it away. There had been blood in the shattered remains of the radio tower that had once been his, but no sign of Alastor himself, or where he’d gone.
Charlie hopes he’s okay. She doesn’t know how else to find him. The Radio Demon had disappeared so thoroughly for seven years that no one had known where he’d gone. If Alastor doesn’t want to be found, he won’t be. She just has to hope he comes back.
She really hopes he comes back.
She shakes her head fretfully as she takes her eyes away from Pentious’ portrait and back to her mother. She can’t do anything for Alastor right now. She can help Mom, who is right here and obviously needs her.
“Mom, welcome to the Hazbin Hotel,” Charlie says, leading her over to the bar. Her mother sits gratefully, and Charlie points around to her newfound family. “Um, let me introduce you to everyone! This is Vaggie, my girlfriend. Angel is one of our residents. Cherri is his friend, she’s been helping us with repairs. Husk is our bartender, and Niffty is our housekeeper.”
Everyone waves or says their hellos with polite interest.
“Everyone,” Charlie adds, gesturing towards her mother. “This is my Mom—”
“Lilith,” a voice gasps, and there’s a sound of shattering dishware from the direction of the kitchen.
Charlie whips around in surprise. And then immediately wants to swear. Crap. Not now—!
Dad is standing in the doorway leading to the kitchen. His arms are still open wide, like he’d been holding onto a tray—one that’s shattered at his feet now, with snacks scattered everywhere. He had mentioned pulling baked goods out of the oven right before the knock at the door.
There’s a long, pregnant silence as Dad and Mom stare across the room at each other, with equally wide eyes. Everyone else looks around awkwardly, glancing at Charlie as if to ask, should we be doing something?
In all honestly, Charlie has no idea. She knows her parents are divorced. She’d been a teenager when they’d split. But they’d always tried to keep her involvement as gentle as possible, and never fought in front of her if they could prevent it. And then she hadn’t heard from Dad in years, because he rarely reached out to her—and then Mom had disappeared for more than seven years—and she just has no idea if this is going to turn into a shouting match, a loving reunion, or something ice cold.
Angel Dust finally coughs and breaks the silence, saying, “Y’okay there, Short King? Didn’t hurt yerself, did ya?”
That seems to break Dad out of his reverie for a moment. “What? Huh? Oh!” He looks around wildly, then down at his feet, spotting the broken tray and the scattered, squished pastries and cookies. “Shit. I didn’t mean to do that—sorry.”
He snaps his fingers, and time seems to reverse, the shattered tray collecting itself back together and the sweets leaping back onto its surface before the whole thing flips itself neatly upright and into Dad’s hands again. He hastily scurries over to place it on the bar counter top, letting it go like it might burn him. The action also gets him closer to Lilith, and he immediately looks awkward and unsure about if he should move or not.
“Lucifer,” Mom says after a moment. “It’s been a while. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Dad flinches like he’d been struck. He starts to fiddle with the wedding band on his finger, a nervous tic that always seems to come up whenever Mom is the point of discussion. “Yes, well—I—that is, Charlie—”
“Dad’s been helping with the hotel, Mom,” Charlie interjects, wanting to smooth things over as much as possible. “He helped me arrange things with Heaven, and he protected me from Adam, and now he’s helping rebuild the hotel so we can open to Sinners again.”
Mom’s lips are pressed together, thin, but her eyes widen as Charlie speaks. “Protected you from—what did Adam do to you, Sweetheart?”
“He tried to break the First Deal,” Dad says with a low growl. “One of his lieutenants already did. I’m sure you saw the memorial to Dazzle out front.”
Charlie can’t help but flinch at that, but she tries to maintain her composure. An arm slides around her back, and she starts as she realizes Vaggie had come over from the parlor to stand next to her. Charlie leans against her slightly, grateful for the support.
Mom’s eyes narrow. “Did he now,” she says, sounding angry and disgusted, before sighing and shaking her head. “Despite our differences, I’m glad you were there when it counted, Lucifer.”
Charlie frowns a little at that, and several of the others wince. It sounded more like a backhanded compliment more than anything else, and there’s thinly veiled bitterness in her mother’s words. But Lucifer seems to take it in stride, perking up a little.
“Of course I would,” Lucifer says. “She’s our daughter. Charlie is the most important thing in the world. And she’s really doing something good here! I want to support her.” He’s vibrating a little in place, like he wants so badly to gush about Charlie to her mom, and is only managing to hold himself back because of the present company.
Even so, Charlie can’t help but flush a little with embarrassment, but also a little pride. Dad hadn’t believed in her cause at all just a few months ago. Now he was on her side, and wanted to support her dream of rehabilitating Sinners. She wishes he’d been around more often in her life, but the fact that he’s here now, doing his best to support her, still means a great deal to her.
Mom regards Lucifer with a look Charlie can’t quite place. It’s something analyzing, like she’s trying to figure Dad out, but Charlie can’t begin to imagine what for. They’d been together for so long...but then, with the recent divorce, maybe both of them had realized neither one knew each other nearly so well as they thought.
Dad seems to recognize it too, at least somewhat. He squirms a little under Mom’s scrutiny, before saying, “I hope you’ve been well, Lily?”
“Lilith,” her mother corrects immediately, which causes Dad to flinch a little again. “And...yes, you too.”
The silence grows even more awkward and uncomfortable. Husk studiously begins cleaning behind the bar on the opposite side of Mom and Dad. Angel and Cherri make a show of looking at their phones and pretending to not pay attention. Vaggie squeezes Charlie a little around the waist. The only one who seems indifferent to the whole affair is Niffty, who’s now vigorously dusting things in the parlor without a shred of care about the conversation.
Charlie doesn’t know what to say either. Dad is twisting the ring on his finger again, awkward and unsure, not quite able to meet Mom’s eyes. Mom is treating him politely, but there’s something cold and distant in it, and Charlie’s starting to get the impression that maybe Mom hadn’t expected Dad to be here at all. They’re keeping it civil, but not especially friendly.
Angel Dust finally coughs, loudly and obviously, and says, “Hey, Short King, been meaning to ask you for help with that thing.”
Dad’s head snaps up in surprise, and away from Mom. “Thing? What thing?”
“Remember?” Angel says, gesturing vaguely in the air. “I wanted to renovate my room some. Move some things around and get some stuff set up. With all the structural stuff you said I gotta take some extra precautions, remember? You gotta reinforce wall stuff, or somethin’. I dunno, I’m not the builder here.”
“Oh. That.” Dad glances at Mom again, shifting from foot to foot. He looks like he wants to stay and also like he desperately wants to run at the same time. “I—is now really the best time?”
“Why not? The lady just got in, let her get a drink and get settled,” Angel says. “We’re a lot to adjust to all at once, remember how you were when ya came to visit that one time?”
“Oh,” Dad says. “I...guess. That’s true. I, uh—you don’t mind, Lily—Lilith? Don’t want to be rude, after all—”
“It’s fine with me,” Mom says curtly. She bites the words out like she’s trying hard to stay patient and polite, but really doesn’t have the energy to deal with Dad. Charlie can’t help but wilt a little at that, and clutches at Vaggie’s hand. She knows her parents split up for a reason, and it was probably even healthy for them, but it still hurts to see them struggling to get along like this. Like even being in each others’ presence is difficult.
“Right. Right! Okay then! Let’s...let’s get those things set up in your room! Renovations, so good at those!”
“Sure thing, Short King,” Angel says. He neatly slips off the bar stool and slips one of his lower arms around Dad’s shoulders to discreetly steer him for the main staircase. Once Dad is being led away, still fiddling with his ring, Angel glances over one shoulder and throws a thumbs-up with a second set of hands. You’re Welcome, he mouths, before turning back to Dad. “Now let me tell ya what I got in mind. Ever seen a sex swing before, ‘cause I’m gonna need this thing sturdy—”
They disappear up the stairs. After a moment, Cherri Bomb says, “Y’know what, I’m gonna go with’em. I think I need a couple pics of the King outfittin’ all of Angel’s gear. Gonna be good no matter what.” And she hops off her own bar stool, hastily scurrying after the others and escaping the awkward vibes of the room.
Charlie breathes a sigh of relief. Even if she does not want to see any photos of her Dad helping with Angel’s bedroom reconstruction and the dubious equipment there, she still says, “I’m gonna have to thank him later.”
“Your friend is clever,” Mom notes. “I’ll need to thank him as well. In all honesty, I had...not expected your father to be here when I arrived. I wasn’t quite prepared.”
“He’s living here right now,” Charlie says. “So he’ll be around a lot, but, um...the hotel is really big! I could give you a room on the opposite side—we could have a talk about boundaries—or, um—”
“How about we start with a drink,” Husk interrupts. “Can I get you anything, Your Majesty?”
“Nothing alcoholic, please,” Lilith says, glancing at the bottles behind Husk. “It’s been a difficult time, and I’d rather have my wits about me.”
“Mocktail fine?”
“Certainly. Surprise me.”
Husk nods, setting to work collecting ingredients to mix the drink. Charlie and Vaggie take the chance to sit at the bar, taking the stools Angel and Cherri had vacated.
“What do you mean by it being a difficult time, Mom?” Charlie asks, putting a hand on her mother’s arm. “Is everything okay? Are you safe?”
“I am now, I’m sure,” Mom says. “It’s just been difficult to get away.”
“Get away? Get away from who?”
“Are you being followed?” Vaggie asks, more practically. “Do I need to set up perimeter defenses or a watch?”
“I don’t believe that will be necessary,” Mom says. “I’m fairly certain I’ve shaken the tail. Though I certainly appreciate the precautions.” She smiles, tired but genuine, at Vaggie. “Charlie introduced you as her girlfriend? If you’re this alert protecting her, then I think you’re quite a fine match.”
“Always,” Vaggie says firmly. Even now, she looks a little distracted from the converation, and Charlie can tell that she’s running through precautionary measures in her head anyway.
Charlie can’t exactly blame her. Vaggie is the primary defender of the hotel now, with Alastor gone. Dad can step in and intervene if he needs to, but he says he does have to be careful or risk major political scandals and upheavals. It’s a lot of pressure on poor Vaggie, and Charlie knows it’s been bothering her a lot recently.
“Thank you,” Mom says sincerely. “It makes me feel better than you probably realize to know someone is protecting and caring for my daughter so well. My Charlie has such enthusiasm, but as you’ve probably seen, it does make her a target in Hellish society…it’s nice to know someone has her back, even if her father and I aren’t around.”
Vaggie flushes a little. “Um. Thank you, ma’am. Your Majesty?”
“You can just call me Lilith,” Mom says. “Someone so important to Charlie need not stand on ceremony.”
Husk sets the drinks in front of them—a mocktail for Mom, and Vaggie’s and Charlie’s preferred drinks as well. He also puts the tray of baked snacks Dad made closer, before helping himself to his own drink. Apparently decorum wins out with Charlie’s mom, because he actually takes the time to pour his drink into a glass, rather than chugging directly from the bottle today.
“Mom, I’d be happy to catch up in a minute, and trust me I really want to introduce you to my friends better and show you around the Hotel and tell you all about my dream—but first, are you okay? Are you safe? Who was chasing you?”
Lilith grimaces. “It’s...complicated.” She glances cautiously at Husk, then Vaggie, like she’s not sure if she can speak.
“They’re family,” Charlie says firmly. “It’s safe to speak in front of them. They might even be able to help.”
Lilith hesitates for a moment, but then nods. “Alright, Sweetheart,” she says slowly. “If you trust them, then so do I.”
She’s silent for a moment, like she’s gathering her thoughts. Charlie lets her, even if she’s anxious enough to nervously tap on the sides of her glass. Vaggie reaches over to still her hand, and Charlie grips it reflexively for support.
Finally, Lilith presses her lips together and says curtly, “I suppose I can start by answering your question. I was being followed by the Exorcists, specifically.”
Vaggie’s hand immediately tightens on Charlie’s, and Charlie looks up in surprise. Even Husk chokes mid-sip on his drink.
“How?” Charlie asks after a moment. “Why? I don’t understand...why would they be after you?”
“How could they be after you?” Vaggie adds, frowning. “Lucifer’s entire family was exempt from the exterminations. They wouldn’t have been after you.”
“That would be true in normal circumstances,” Mom agrees tiredly. “Unfortunately, these were anything but normal circumstances.”
“Does...does it have to do with your missing phone?” Charlie asks slowly. “Or where you’ve been for the past seven years?”
Lilith nods grimly. “I’m sorry, Sweetheart,” she says. “I didn’t mean to be away. The truth of the matter is that I was kidnapped...by my ex-husband. Adam.”
Charlie breathes in sharply, and Vaggie’s eye widens in surprise.
“I’m not sure how he learned about my divorce with Lucifer,” Mom says bitterly. “But he never did like your father, Charlie...and he was always the type to want to prove a point and show he was better than anyone else. He took advantage of the situation, once I was outside the palace and your father’s immediate protection. And he’s never been restricted when it comes to traveling to Hell. He came for me when I was distracted and dragged me up to Heaven. I’ve been his prisoner for years.”
“What?” Charlie is outraged. She already knew Adam was an asshole, but if he’d been responsible for kidnapping her mother and keeping her away for seven years...it makes her almost glad Niffty had stabbed him in the back. And Mom wasn’t wrong. He was the type to always prove he was the best. It sounds like something he’d do.
But Vaggie frowns, cautiously exchanging glances with Husk. Husk’s ear twitches, and he says after a moment, “Didn’t he lead all them Exorcists? Wouldn’t they have known if he had the Queen of Hell captive?”
“It does seem weird,” Vaggie agrees carefully. “You’d think they’d have thrown a fit about someone from Hell being in Heaven.”
It’s almost strange to hear Vaggie talking about the Exorcists like some kind of other, but after a moment, Charlie understands why. She’s not comfortable letting Mom know she was one of those Exorcists, or even an angel, just yet.
But...Vaggie had been an Exorcist seven years ago. She’d kept her secret about it very recently, but Charlie and Vaggie had a long, difficult talk after that visit to Heaven. Vaggie had admitted why she’d been afraid to talk, and how she’d been ashamed of what she’d done. How she didn’t feel safe telling most people in Hell she was one of the same beings that had slaughtered them mercilessly. But Vaggie had promised to no longer keep secrets from Charlie, especially not about her time in Heaven or her former occupation.
If Vaggie had know that Charlie’s own mother was being held captive by her former boss, she knows Vaggie would have told her then. Or at some point shortly thereafter. Vaggie knows how long Charlie’s been missing her mother. She’s listened to her call that phone number and leave voicemails, over and over and over. If she knew how to fix that, she would have said.
But Mom shakes her head, toying with the little umbrella in her drink. “I don’t think most of them knew,” she says. “The only one I ever saw besides Adam was his second in command. I think her name was Flute, or Lute, or something like that. Adam kept me at a little ocean-side villa of his. It was private property, so I don’t think it was part of his…” She searches carefully for a word, and settles on, “...job.”
Charlie bites her lip, and tries to give Vaggie a subtle glance. Vaggie gives a halfhearted shrug, still frowning. She isn’t reacting angrily, or trying to call Mom out on a lie, so maybe it’s possible that Adam has some beach house that Vaggie wouldn’t have known about. Charlie doesn’t know enough about how Heaven works to know for sure, herself.
Charlie wishes she could ask directly. She’s certain her mom wouldn’t hold it against Vaggie for being a former Exorcist. But it’s not her secret to tell, and Charlie doesn’t want to reveal it by asking directly if any of that sounds reasonable. If her mother really could have been a captive in Heaven for so long.
Mom doesn’t seem to notice. “He seemed to think I belonged to him, since I was his ex-wife and ‘made’ for him.” She wrinkles her nose in disgust, but her eyes are furious. “I wasn’t able to get away. He had strong Heavenly wards on the whole house that prevented me leaving. He’d taken my phone, so I couldn’t call for help. And it was Heaven—I had no friends to rely on. Even your father wouldn’t have been able to reach me.
“But about two weeks ago, something happened. The wards just...stopped. For the first time since he’d taken me, I was able to leave the villa. I didn’t hesitate. I ran. I found a way to escape. Getting a portal to Hell took some doing, but I eventually found a way. And here I am.”
“And the Exorcists weren’t a fan of you breaking out, I’m guessing,” Husk notes.
“They weren’t. That second in command of Adam’s...she must have gone to the villa, and found I’d run. She sent her people after me. Getting away from them has been a nightmare...but I think it’s safe now.”
Charlie exchanges glances with Vaggie and Husk. “Adam was killed two weeks ago,” she says slowly. “When he attacked our Hotel during an accelerated Extermination.”
Mom’s eyebrows raise. “I’d heard rumors, but I wasn’t certain,” she says slowly. “They’re trying to keep it quiet in Heaven, I imagine. That would explain that second in command’s anger, though. She never did like me much.” She scoffs. “Jealousy, I think. I suspect she wanted Adam to notice her, not me.”
Vaggie snorts, but she doesn’t sound amused. “Sounds right,” she says. “And if he died, any magic he was maintaining probably went with him, which explains those wards vanishing.”
“Would they come here again?” Charlie asks anxiously. “So soon after we beat them?”
“They’d be fuckin’ stupid if they did try it,” Husk says. “The King’s here now. He could kick any of’em out, no problem.”
Vaggie bites her lip. “They might still try it if they were angry enough,” Vaggie says. “It’s not an extermination, just a prisoner recovery. It wouldn’t be an all out fight. And they’d know Her Majesty wasn’t in His Majesty’s favor anymore, so they might think they could get away with it.”
“I don’t need Lucifer’s protection,” Mom says shortly. “Besides—I’m quite sure I’ve shaken their tail by now. They lost me once I dropped into Hell. They couldn’t get to me now without difficulty.”
But Charlie isn’t so sure about that. “They know you’re my mom, though,” Charlie says. “And they know Dad’s here—he showed up during the battle and kicked them out. He even beat up Adam first, and he told Lute to get out directly. They could probably guess that you’d come here, right?”
“Wouldn’t be a stupid guess to make,” Husk says.
“Perhaps,” her mother concedes. “But it may still take them a while to realize I escaped Heaven at all. There should be time. And Lucifer and I may have our disagreements, but I’m sure he isn’t cruel enough to give me back to that...that bitch.” Mom scowls.
“Well, you’ll definitely be safe here!” Charlie promises, reaching out to put her hand on Mom’s arm reassuringly. “We made the Exorcists turn back once before. We definitely won’t hand you over to them again!”
“Though I’m gonna look into setting up defenses anyway,” Vaggie says, frowning. “I don’t like the sound of this. I’d rather be ready for them.”
“I can’t fault you for the caution,” Mom says. “You seem like the prepared sort. Once I’ve had a chance to rest and recover, I can help you, if you like. It is partly my fault that they might come here again...but now that I’m back in Hell, I’m not without my skills.”
“Rest first,” Vaggie says. “Then we’ll talk, once you’re feeling better.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through all this, Mom,” Charlie adds. “It sounds awful. I wish I’d known where you were...if I did, I would have found a way to help a long time ago.”
“There’s no way you could have known, Sweetheart,” Mom says. “This isn’t your fault.”
But Charlie can’t help but hug herself, clenching at her arms. “But I should have been able to do something,” she says. “Or known something was wrong. You’ve never just gone missing like that before. And for seven years! I should have known something was up.” She bites her lip. “And to think! I was in Heaven a little over a month ago, and I never knew you were right there! I feel so bad.”
“Babe, you couldn’t have known,” Vaggie says, putting a hand on her shoulder. “And you saw how big Heaven was. It’s not like we would have passed your mom on the street.”
“Vaggie is right,” Mom says, placing her hand on Charlie’s other shoulder. “I wasn’t held in an obvious location. There isn’t a way you could have known I’d even been taken from Hell. Not even your father knew, and this was his domain.” She frowns. “Though...I am curious as to how you ended up in Heaven. You weren’t taken…?”
“Wh...no, no! Nothing like that, I promise.” Charlie waves off Mom’s concern. “I was there by invitation, actually! Dad got me a meeting with the high seraphim. It was only a day trip, and we were sent back safe and sound afterwards.”
Vaggie gives her a look. And Charlie does have to admit, it is a tiny white lie. Adam had violently ejected them from the Heavenly courtroom after their appeal for the redemption of souls in Hell had been dismissed.
And after revealing to the Heavenborn that Exterminations happened on a yearly basis.
And after Adam had threatened to come for them directly.
Everything before that had been nice, though. And Emily had been really sweet. She doubts Emily had ever known that Charlie’s mother was being held captive, with everything else Sera and Adam had hid from her, or she’s sure Emily would never have stood for it.
Mom frowns. “And why is your father getting you meetings with the high seraphim of Heaven?” Her tone is familiar—the same undertone of mostly-hidden frustration that Mom would have in the past, when Dad let her have cookies before dinner or promised her they could get a new pet.
“For my project here at the hotel!” Charlie says excitedly. “I told you all about it in my voicemails—oh, but if you didn’t have your phone, I guess you never got any of those. It took a little bit to get Dad on board with the idea, but he’s really been helping with the cause.” Charlie gasps. “Maybe you can help too! I know you always cared so much about our people...it’s what taught me and inspired me to start this project to begin with. I’m sure you have some great ideas for how to improve it!”
“And what is that project, Sweetheart?” Mom asks patiently.
“Oh! Right! That would probably help.” Charlie takes a deep breath. “Well, I started this hotel—the Hazbin Hotel—to help redeem Sinners so they can go to Heaven!”
Mom stares at her in surprise. “Redemption? Heaven?”
“Yes! See, the excuse for killing all of our people was that Hell is overpopulated, right?” Charlie says. “So I thought, if we could teach people how to be better, we could rehabilitate those souls and eventually they would be cleansed enough to go to Heaven! Then no exterminations are needed, Sinners get a better afterlife, and Hell isn’t overpopulated. Everyone wins!”
Charlie opens her arms wide in excitement as she finishes. She really wishes she had some of her drawings, but Adam had destroyed those, and she hadn’t made more.
Mom blinks slowly. “And...has this been proven? Can a soul really redeem itself and escape Hell?”
“Well, we haven’t proven it yet,” Charlie says, a little flustered. “That’s part of the reason we had the meeting with Heaven, actually, although it got a little...complicated.” Which is the understatement of the century, but Charlie doesn’t think it’s quite the time to go into the details. “But! I still believe it’s possible. And our residents have shown real progress! Angel Dust passed all the evaluations Heaven set for a good soul. And Sir Pentious…”
Thinking of Pent causes her voice to stutter into silence. It’s only been two weeks since they lost him, and the thought of him missing still hurts.
He’d been doing so well with the hotel and the program. He’d made real progress cutting back on making weapons, at least until they’d actually needed them for the battle...and even then, he’d asked Vaggie if he could make them first! He’d been less maniacal and more open with his emotions, he’d been more willing to help the hotel members without needing something in return. He’d fixed their appliances and participated in redemption exercises. He’d even been surprisingly protective of Niffty, dragging her out of danger or keeping an eye on her on more than one account.
Mom tilts her head. “Sir Pentious?”
“We lost one of our residents in the Exorcist attack on the hotel two weeks ago,” Vaggie says, a little stiffly. “Until then, he’d been doing a good job in the program.”
“He was an alright guy,” Husk mutters, abandoning the glass to swig from the bottle instead. “Didn’t deserve to go out that way.”
“What way?”
“Adam.” Charlie swallows. “Our...another member of the hotel had been fighting Adam. Something must have happened, and when he wasn’t distracted Adam attacked the rest of us. Pentious tried to take him on to protect us.” She rubs her eyes. “It...didn’t go so good.”
Mom sets down her drink to give Charlie a hug. “I’m so sorry, Sweetheart. I can imagine how. Adam was a monster, but he was quite strong, unfortunately. I’m sorry that happened.”
Charlie returns the hug, before wiping her eyes again. “But! Before that, Pent was doing so good,” Charlie says. “So I know it’s possible for Sinners to be better. It doesn’t have to be like this, in Pentagram City. We just need to give them a chance, and then figure out what it takes to let them get into Heaven. I really believe in this, Mom.”
“I can see you do,” Mom says. “You always were a dreamer, Honey. This is the biggest dream I’ve heard from you yet, but I can see how much it means to you.” She smiles. “I’ll need some time to rest after the time I’ve had, but maybe I can start thinking on ways to help your hotel. Seeing how much you care about our people...it really is beautiful.”
And Charlie can’t help but notice the stark difference there, between her dad and her mom. Mom has always wanted the best for Sinners and demons. She took making this kingdom thrive so seriously, and Charlie had watched that in awe and developed the same compassion for those wretched souls her Mom always had. Compared to Dad’s first reaction…
I love that you want to see the best in people, but these Sinners? Y’know they’re just the worst.
Our people, Charlie, are awful! They got gifted free will and look what they did with it, everything’s terrible!
...Charlie won’t deny, it’s nice to have Mom so willing to be on her side from the get-go. Dad’s turned his view around, and Charlie knows why he was so opposed, but it’s nice to have one family member she doesn’t have to fight to convince of her dream so hard.
“That would be really nice,” Charlie says, relieved. “Being able to work on my project with your help would mean the world to me, Mom.”
“I’m delighted to hear it,” Mom says, finishing her drink and gently pushing the glass towards Husk. He collects it silently, raises it to ask if a refill is needed. Mom shakes her head.
“I can give you a tour of the hotel, if you like!” Charlie offers excitedly. “We had to rebuild it after Adam destroyed the last one, so everything is new. But we’ve got some state of the art facilities—there’s an arts and crafts room now, and a music room, and a theater—oh, and we have a big ballroom like we had in the palace, I want to host special events and dances there soon—”
“That all sounds very nice, Sweetheart,” Mom says. “But for now, if you don’t mind, I think I’d like a chance to rest. Escaping Heaven isn’t exactly easy, and I’m a little tired.”
“Oh! Right. Of course. Stupid of me, obviously after escaping Heaven after being kidnapped for seven years you’d want a rest,” Charlie says, slapping herself on the forehead. “We can save the tour for later! For now, I can set up a room for you? We have plenty of spares, and they’re all well cared for. Niffty is really good at cleaning things.”
“That would be lovely, Sweetheart.”
“Do you want me to come with you, Hun?” Vaggie asks. “I want to get started checking our perimeters and getting defenses ready in case those idiots come back, but if you need my help—”
“It’s not a tour,” Charlie says. Although the fact that Vaggie is willing to leave her alone with her mother at all is definitely a point in Mom’s favor. Vaggie doesn’t trust nearly as much as Charlie does, but the fact that she seems genuinely concerned about setting up protections against infiltration from Heaven means it’s probably a real threat. “I’ll just get Mom set up in a room first. I can go get Dad after to help with protection stuff, if you want?”
“That’d be great,” Vaggie says. She gives Charlie a peck on the cheek before sliding off her stool and nodding to Lilith. “It’s great to finally meet you. Don’t worry, this place will be more than safe by the time we’re done.”
“You’re very dedicated, Vaggie,” Mom says. “I appreciate it.” Vaggie looks sheepish but pleased as she heads off, collecting her spear from against one of the couches as she does.
“If you’re all set, I can take you to your room?” Charlie offers.
“More than ready,” Mom says. She nods to Husk. “The drink was delightful, thank you.”
Husk shrugs in answer, but the way his ears twitch slightly up suggests he’s pleased with the compliment, even if his grumpy expression never changes.
In truth, Charlie’s glad this isn’t a tour, because with just her mother present, it already feels a bit empty. Last time she’d had Vaggie and Alastor with her while escorting Dad around and explaining the features of the hotel and their plans for redemption exercises. By herself, a tour would be a lot more...forlorn.
Even so, she does take the time to point out the most important necessary features for day-to-day use on the way to the elevators and the upper rooms. The kitchens (“you’d count as staff, of course, so you can use them whenever you like!”). The hall to the laundry rooms (“Niffty takes care of everything and she bites if you don’t let her, so don’t worry too much about doing it yourself”). The office and staff quarters (“if you ever need me and you can’t find me, I’ll probably be there!”). Mom seems appreciative, at least, although she does look quite tired, so Charlie keeps the stories to a minimum for now. There’ll be plenty of time to share those later, anyway.
Charlie chooses one of the suites on a higher floor, on the left side of the building. “How’s this?” she asks, as she unlocks the door with the room key she’d grabbed at the front desk.
“Quite cozy,” Mom notes, looking around. Besides the main room, the suite has two bedrooms, a kitchenette, and a private bathroom. For now it’s decorated in the hotel’s style, largely done up in reds, whites and blacks. There’s a nice view from a large window that overlooks the city, and plenty of plush chairs and couches. Everything is absolutely spotless, because Niffty is an extremely thorough housekeeper.
“Great! Of course, you can personalize it however you want,” Charlie says. “Especially if you want to stay for a while. You’re welcome as long as you like!”
“I appreciate the offer, although it might be a bit awkward if your father is also staying,” Mom says, as she walks around the room and examines it.
“I put you on the opposite side of the building from him, if that helps,” Charlie says. “This is Al—”
She stops. Bites her lip. She’d been about to say this is Alastor’s side without even thinking about it. When they’d first put the building together and made the initial designs, and Dad said he’d wanted to stay, it seemed prudent to make sure he and Al stayed far apart wherever possible. They bickered terribly otherwise—they even had a whole duet duel about who was better—and Charlie hadn’t wanted to exacerbate things until they learned to get along better.
But Alastor hasn’t come back. He doesn’t even know they made him a new radio tower, modeled off the one in the rubble. Or created a side dedicated to him, so that he didn’t have to be pressured to interact with Dad if he didn’t want to. He might not even now they’ve been thinking of him, or looked for him.
Charlie still doesn’t know if he’s even okay. She’s had no closure, and it’s so easy to slip and mention him like he’s still here without knowing if he ever will be again.
Mom turns around at her abrupt silence. “I’m sorry, Sweetheart?”
“Nothing,” Charlie says quickly. “Um, Dad’s on the right side. You can’t miss it, he has a whole tower to himself. It’s the apple shaped one.”
“Of course it is,” Mom says, with a roll of her eyes. “Him and his apples.”
“If you want to stay for longer, we can have a talk about boundaries and what’s okay between you guys,” Charlie offers. She wishes they could get along better—they’re her parents—but she understands if it’s not a realistic thing to ask for. They’d split up for a reason, and maybe it had been better for them both in the end.
“That might be a good idea. For now, I’ll be fine as long as he’s respectful about keeping his distance,” Mom says.
Charlie nods. “I can let him know when I go ask him to help with the defenses,” she promises. “And I’ll fill him in on all the other stuff too, so you won’t have to. If that’s okay?”
“That’s more than fine,” Mom says. “And for what it’s worth, I don’t blame him for what Adam did, either. Your father and I have our differences, but I know he wouldn’t have let Adam do what he did if he’d known. He does have some decorum and respect.”
Charlie winces a little. She’s sure Dad probably will feel a bit guilty when he learns Mom had been kidnapped, probably for the same reasons she had. But even so, that had still felt a bit like a backhanded compliment.
“Well, I can leave you to rest then, unless you need anything else? There should be bathrobes in one of the closets—I can ask Dad for a portal to the palace to get you some of your old clothes for later. Or if you ring the bell there Niffty will clean your current clothes for you while you rest, and they’ll be back really fast.”
“That sounds lovely, Sweetheart,” Mom says, but she sounds distracted. “I did want to talk about one more thing before you go, though.”
“Oh? Is something wrong?” Charlie gives her mother a worried look. “Are you hurt? Do you need help besides protection from the Exorcists?”
“I’m not hurt, but this is a delicate matter,” Mom says. “Can you close the door, Sweetheart?”
Charlie does so obligingly, before crossing over to her mother by the bed. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay?”
“Not exactly,” Mom says. She takes both of Charlie’s hands gently. “I haven’t been entirely truthful with you about why I came here first, Sweetheart.”
A cold tingle runs down Charlie’s spine. Mom can’t be lying, she insists to herself. After all, Vaggie wouldn’t have left her alone with Mom if she’d thought something was strange about her story. And Dad wouldn’t have left Charlie alone with Mom at all if he’d thought something was wrong. He was so protective of her, and so desperate to help her with her dream.
And Mom looks as sweet and kind as ever. Her expression is tired but gentle as she holds Charlie’s hands, and squeezes them softly, and looks her in the eye. She can’t be lying. She’s too kind for that.
“I don’t understand,” Charlie says slowly. “You...weren’t in Heaven?”
“Oh, no, Sweetheart,” Mom says. “I was in Heaven. I was Adam’s captive. I wasn’t lying about that. But being there...well, it gave me access to information that you wouldn’t have here. Adam wasn’t shy about bragging, and he talked to Lute all the time about his plans. And when I was running...well, they’ve tried to keep everything very quiet, but the rumors circulate in Heaven just as fast as they do in Hell.”
“What rumors?”
“That Hell is destabilizing the very foundation of Heaven,” Mom says softly, squeezing Charlie’s hands again. “That things are changing.”
Charlie presses her lips together for a moment, but then she smiles. “But that’s a good thing, Mom!” she says excitedly. “It means the hotel is working! At least a little bit!”
“You still have no proof that your Sinners can be redeemed,” Mom reminds her.
“But if Heaven thinks so—”
“Heaven’s rumors don’t say they believe in redemption,” Mom stresses. “They say that Hell is destabilizing what makes Heaven. That isn’t a sign of positivity, Charlie. Those words are practically a declaration of war.”
“But it doesn’t have to be,” Charlie insists. “I’ll talk to Dad! I’m sure he can get me another meeting with Sera and Emily. We can talk things through again—”
“After what, Charlie?” Mom says, leaning over her. “After you killed their soldiers? Do you think killing angels will put you in Heaven’s good graces?”
“They were going to kill us first!” Charlie protests. “We were just protecting ourselves. And Dad sent them home as soon as we were able. We spared as many as we could.”
“Too little, too late, Charlie,” Mom says urgently. “Heaven doesn’t like change. It’s set in its ways, it has its rules, and it won’t permit otherwise.”
And Charlie can’t say Mom is wrong, exactly. Her meeting with Sera and the court of Heaven had certainly proven they were stubborn and didn’t want to budge without absolute proof.
But Charlie can’t give up so easily. “I know this is possible, Mom,” Charlie says, twisting her hands to clasp her mother’s in turn. “I know we can do this. Angel Dust and Sir Pentious showed such promise. Angel still is. I know Sinners can be better, and I know once we figure out how souls make it to Heaven, we can help Sinners be redeemed.”
“And even if you’re right, do you think Heaven will honestly accept that?”
Charlie’s eyes widen in shock. “Why wouldn’t they?” she says, aghast. “I know Adam liked to say that Hell is forever, but Emily agreed with me that it isn’t, and it’s not fair!”
“Maybe it isn’t,” Mom says. “I’m not saying it’s reasonable, Sweetheart. I’m saying, think of how Heaven, with all its rules, works. I’ve been there. I can promise you, the outcry from those souls, those upper echelons, will be loud and angry. Nobody will want to accept the Damned into their golden city.”
“Why not?” Charlie cries angrily. She tries to pull her hands away, but her mother grips her wrists, refusing to let her escape.
“Because they’ll think it isn’t fair,” Mom insists. “Imagine spending your entire life being a good little God-fearing human, turning aside temptation, and succeeding by finally being rewarded the right to walk through the pearly gates with your comfortable afterlife guaranteed. And then imagine your terrible, cruel neighbor that indulged in all the Great Sins gets to walk through those same gates fifty years later, because he went to Hell, discovered it hurt, and decided to be better after seeing there were actual repercussions for what he did. Wouldn’t your own efforts be completely invalidated?”
“No!” Charlie says. “No, it wouldn’t! Because he still went to Hell and suffered for it! I know we always had it easy, and the Hellborn live here, but those are human souls. No matter what kinds of things Pentagram City has to offer, they live in fear and in pain and alone constantly!”
Charlie finally manages to tear her hands way from her mother’s, pacing and gesturing wildly. “I’ve seen what Angel and Pent had to put up with, here,” Charlie says. “And maybe they deserved to come here for the things they did when they were alive. But Hell makes it worse! Angel gets hurt every day by his boss and I can’t do anything about it even as the princess of fucking Hell! And Pent was alone for so long he didn’t even know there was another way besides conquering territory! But even despite all of the things in Hell that make them suffer, and make it easy to just keep sinning, they both still tried to be better! And if they can do that in this kind of place, then they deserve the right to go to Heaven!”
Mom regards her sternly. Despite the exhaustion lines under her eyes, her bearing and her expression are regal, and she is undeniably the Queen of Hell. “You’re quite set on this, aren’t you?”
“Of course I am,” Charlie says. “I know souls can be better. I’ve seen that souls can improve. I’ve proven it to the high seraphim of Heaven.” She gives her mother a helpless look. “What I don’t understand is why you aren’t agreeing with me. You’ve always loved our people, Mom! Don’t you want things to be better for them?”
“Certainly,” Mom says. “Better for them here. It’s not worth risking a war with Heaven, Charlie.” She shakes her head firmly. “Sweetheart...you need to shut down this project.”
“What? No!”
“I must insist,” Mom says quietly, but firmly. “It’s for everyone’s sakes, Charlie. It isn’t a light thing, to destabilize the very foundation of Heaven and its rules. To do that breaks Hell as well.”
“Things need to change! The system is broken!” Charlie slashes her hand angrily. “They don’t even know what sends a soul to Heaven or Hell! People could be deserving but fall into Hell because of a mistake! Or they could be like Adam, murdering thousands and calling it entertainment and still allowed to fly in Heaven! It shouldn’t be a one-and-done thing!”
“Charlie. You don’t understand what you’re messing with.”
“I think I do!” Charlie says hotly. “I can tell when something is or isn’t right. I’m going to stand up for what’s right. And I know I’m not the only one.”
She thinks of Emily’s hopefulness, the way she’d fought for Charlie in the debate, her horrified expression when she learned about the Exterminations. She thinks of her Dad, so opposed to the idea but so willing to believe in it now. About Vaggie, who turned her entire life around to help Sinners instead of killing them when she saw the other side. And about the Sinners that had come to her to try, the ones who were even now thinking about trying, willing to fight temptation and sin in a place designed for it in order to be better.
Those people believe in her, and her dream. She’s not going to give up on them so easily.
Even if it means arguing with her mother. Even if it hurts, to yell at Mom like this. Her and Mom...they’d always gotten along so well. Charlie shared her mother’s passions, her love for their people. She’d inspired the Hazbin Hotel. It makes her feel sick, to think Mom wants her to stop it.
Mom sighs. “I was afraid of this,” she says softly. “Oh, Sweetheart. I love you so much. You’ve been our little miracle since the day you were born. You have your father’s idealism and my love for our people, and it’s so inspiring to see.”
Charlie frowns. Her mother is smiling, and the words should be kind and loving. But there’s something cold in her voice, in her expression. She’s never heard her like this before.
“Mom? Is...something wrong?”
“Yes,” Mom sighs. “I love you so much, Honey. Which is why it hurts me that I’m going to have to do this. But I will protect you however I can. Even from the wrath of Heaven itself.”
“Mom, what are you—”
An explosion rocks the room as the exterior wall smashes inward. Rubble and broken glass cascades past Charlie, who shrieks and throws her hands over her head to protect herself. Everything is awash in brilliant golden light, blinding and bright enough to make spots dance before her vision. The air smells like dust, smoke, iron, and sickly-sweet incense.
Charlie coughs, trying to blink dust and smoke out of her eyes. “Mom!” she howls. “Mom, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Sweetheart,” Mom says, from right in front of her. Charlie’s eyes widen in shock as her mother steps out of the debris and dust and smoke, crunching over glass and broken foundation and shattered decor and shredded curtains. She doesn’t look injured, but that cold expression on her face doesn’t go away.
“What’s happening?” Charlie coughs again. “We have to get out of here—”
“You will be, Sweetheart,” Mom says. “Until you see sense, I’ll need to put you somewhere safe. I can’t risk you challenging Heaven, Charlie. I can’t risk losing you—and oh, you don’t understand how badly they want you dead.”
For one moment, her hand reaches out, gently swiping an out of place strand of hair away from Charlie’s face, stroking it back behind her ear, like when she was five. Charlie trembles in bewilderment, because the gentleness and care in that single hand movement doesn’t match the cold sternness in her mother’s expression. This isn’t the same person. It can’t be the same person—
But then Charlie knows without a doubt it is, when her mother shoves her backwards, hard. Charlie trips on a shattered bedpost, and throws her hands out in a panic, reaching for her mom to catch her—but her mother doesn’t. She watches that hand outstretch towards her, pleading, helpless, and she looks back to Charlie’s eyes, and she lets Charlie fall.
And Charlie falls. Not just to the floor of the hotel suite. She falls through the air, through the world, past thin walls in existence and into darkness, darkness, darkness. She falls and falls, screaming, and hits ground she can’t see with a yelp of pain.
“Mom?” Charlie howls, frightened and confused.
She looks up, back towards where she’d fallen. Just in time to see, ten feet above her, a hole in the air closing. Her mother’s cold eyes meet hers, and then the hole in the air melds together, and Mom is gone.
Gone, and left her alone and in the dark and the unknown, and Charlie doesn’t understand why, and she’s never felt so betrayed or scared in her life.
“Mom!” Charlie yells again, frantic. “Mom, wait—come back—Mom, help me—please!”
But no matter how frantically she looks around the spot the hole in the air had existed in, Mom doesn’t respond to her cries, and the strange door in the air doesn’t come back.
“Mom! Please!” Charlie begs again.
She tries to scramble to her feet. It’s difficult. She can’t see anything in here, wherever here is; it’s pitch black and absolutely lightless. Not even her eyes, which always glow faintly and can see in the dark, can penetrate this level of sheer emptiness and blackness. She’s never seen anything like it before, and it’s terrifying.
It also makes it difficult to see what she’s doing. But she does manage to feel around. The floor seems smooth and level, and she’s able to pull herself shakily to her feet. It hurts, doing that; she must have twisted an ankle when she fell, because putting weight on it feels awful. She definitely aches all over from other things, too, possibly from the explosion.
But she’s on her feet, at least. She feels around frantically for something—a wall, a staircase, a window, something that she can use to reach that little hole in the air. Or at least, where it had been. Maybe if she can find it—if she can find it, she can—she can—
“Mom,” Charlie whimpers, pleading. “Mom, please. Come back. We can talk. It doesn’t have to be like this. Mom, please. Help me.”
And in a very tiny voice, so tiny she feels like she’s five again, she adds, “I’m scared. Please.”
Mom doesn’t answer. No matter how much she screams or pleads. Maybe she can’t hear her.
Maybe she’s just not listening.
But someone else does answer. In a voice that’s familiar, and terribly unexpected, and sounds just as shocked as she feels. “Charlie?”
Charlie whirls around to face behind her, and meets the strained smile and astonished eyes of Alastor, the Radio Demon.