Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It’s been a few weeks since the Hazbin Hotel reopened, the whole establishment shining bigger and brighter than ever. The only thing that didn’t appear to have changed was the staff. Of course, that was true, for the most part. Husk was still toiling away behind his bar, while listening to Angel Dust complain about the piece of shit that was Valentino, and Niffty was still at war with the pests around the hotel. Not as many as before, but still prezent nonetheless.

And, even though some people were missing from the picture, life, for the most part, was back to normal. That is, if you ignore the fact that the King of Hell has taken permanent residence at his daughter’s hotel.

Lucifer, while not exactly needing to stay there, still concluded that it was for the betterment of everyone if he moved in. It wasn’t at all because he wanted to make sure a certain someone with a red monocle and an attitude stayed as far away from his precious girl as possible. No sir, certainly not the case here.

Either way, it didn’t matter because, at the end of the day, no one cared who was sitting next to them at the bar. Be it a fallen angel or a porn star, the liquor was still the same. And the bartender's not about to judge whatever happened in Lucifer’s head that prompted him to decide that living with the sinners he formerly disliked was for the best. Not his circus, not his monkeys. Especially now.

“…and then she had the audacity to call me, demanding that I give her Charlie’s number, so they could set up another audience. Like that’s gonna happen. Not on my watch!” Lucifer continued ranting about his discussion with the High Seraphim that he had that morning, all while Husk kept pouring him glass after glass of some sugary concoction that only the Morningstars appeared to be able to ingest. Honestly, that thing had to be the reason diabetes was a thing in Hell too.

Angel chimed in, apparently really interested in what the King was saying. “If this goes like last time, we might as well tear down this joint ourselves. Just to cover our bases.”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

“I know, I’m a genius.” Angel took the glass Husk offered him, taking a sip before continuing. “In all seriousness, Your Majesty, is it really that bad they wanna talk? I mean, Heaven never reached out to us before. That has to count for something, right?”

Lucifer sighed. “I suppose so. And, whether I like it or not, this is what Charlie wants. A chance to convince those stuck up holier-than-thou idiots to listen.”

Husk took this moment to join the conversation. “So you’re giving the seraph Princess’ phone number?”

Taking a gulp from his drink, Lucifer turned to the bartender. “Oh, it’s a done deal.” He swirls his drink as he talks. “Although, I did warn Sera that Charlie is busy today, so don’t bother.”

Angel snorts. “Yeah, busy going on dates.” Which was true, Charlie and Vaggie were out for the whole day. The girls were itching to go on a proper date, the first one in months, and their friends and family assured them that the hotel will still be standing by the time they return.

While the two demons and an angel were having their conversation, Alastor watched from the shadows. The Radio Demon was in no way going to interact with that group, it wasn’t in his itinerary for today. And neither was the knocking coming from the front door. Honestly, how was he the only person hearing it? It was quite loud.

Never mind that. He was the host of the hotel, so he might as well do his job and open the door, let the new guests in.

Approaching the entrance, Alastor swung the door open, his perpetual smile accompanying his already rehearsed speech. “Well hello you pitiful sinner! Welcome to the Hazbin Ho—“ The face greeting him on the other side was definitely not someone he wished to see. The word slurred out of his mouth “—Oooo…”, then he abruptly slammed the door in the guest’s face, blocking it with his whole body, to make sure it stays closed. That perpetual smile Alastor was known for dissapeared, it’s place taken by a terrified expression.

That didn’t go unnoticed by the group at the bar. Angel Dust is the first to see Alastor in his sorry state. His eyes widened as he took in the scene. Then he tapped Husk and Lucifer on their shoulders. “Guys, look.”

The King of Hell Is the first to comment on it. “Guess the world is ending again.”

Husk, while more familiar with Alador than most, is taken by surprise by the complete disappearance of the Radio Demon’s iconic grin. “That’s certainly new. What the fuck do you think he saw outside?”

Angel took a second to think of an answer, eyes still on the petrified sinner across the room. “Maybe Hell froze over. That’d be funny.”

Husk snorted, while Lucifer added “If it’s snowing outside, I’m going home to get my sled.”

The porn star speared the fallen angel a perplexed expression. “Why do you have a sled? In Hell?”

“Oh, well, you see, there is this ski resort that Lily and I used to take Charlie to in—“

“—I don’t really care 'bout that right now. What I do care about is what’s hiding behind door number three.” The demon said, pointing at the Overlord.

Finally deciding that he’d rather deal with all of this at a later date, Alastor disappears in a clump of shadows, leaving the person who has ruined his day be someone else’s problem.

And, oh boy, how Lucifer wished he could do the same. But, unfortunately for him, he now has to deal with the mess left behind by the deer. Some things never change.

Downing the last of his drink, the King approached the entrance of the hotel, bracing himself before opening the door. What greeted him on the other side wasn't a blizzard, or another Exorcist army, but his wife. His estranged wife that he hasn’t seen in literal years.

“Hello, Lucifer. May I come in?”

Yup, definitely wished he could trade places with Alastor right now.

Chapter Text

After a chaotic few months, culminating in a battle won with more luck than skill, Charlie insisted on dragging Vaggie along for a much-needed date night. Vaggie, of course, didn’t complain. Why would she, spending time with her girlfriend was exactly what the doctor should have prescribed after what they went through.

But, because the Universe likes to play by Its own rules, it was obvious that the quiet moments wouldn’t last for long.

It started right as the two left the restaurant and made their way back to the hotel. Charlie’s phone started ringing, an unknown number calling. And, knowing Charlie would feel bad if she ignored it, Vaggie picked a bench that looked relatively clean out of the few that lined the street and sat on it, while her girlfriend answered.

While waiting for the princess to finish her conversation, the fallen angel checked her own phone. She expected nothing, so the text from Angel Dust was concerning, to say the least. But, upon reading it, she realized the sinner was bothering her for no reason other than being bored. At least, that’s what she assumed.

Angel Dust

wanna see the hottest bitch in hell?

If only Vaggie could strangle him through the phone.

Vaggie

Stop sending me selfies, Angel! I don’t need them and I don’t want them!

Angel Dust

appreciate the compliment toots but it ain't me this time

Without waiting for a response from her, Angel sent two pictures that turned Vaggie’s blood ice-cold. And not because they were disgustingly indecent or horrifically gory. Oh, how she wished that was the case, though.

No, the sight that greeted her was much worse. There, on her phone, staring back at Vaggie, were the King and Queen of Hell. As in, both of them. Together. At Husk’s bar.

And that was just the first picture of two. The second was of Lilith Morningstar on one of the couches in the lobby, Lucifer sprawled on the same couch, with his head comfortably laid on his wife’s lap. Angel captured a pretty sweet moment, if she were to look past the fact that one of them had been missing for the past 7 years.

Shaking her head to clear out the fog creeping into her mind, Vaggie quickly send another message to Angel Dust, asking him to explain how the Queen ended up in their lobby.

Angel Dust

she just showed up at the door, scared Smiles to the point he dropped that creepy grin, then Shorty jumped her and they've been sucking faces ever since

if u want to catch up w/ ur mommy-in-law u should hurry back toots; bet Charlie can't wait to see her mom

Great. That didn't help her at all. Now she just has to find a way to tell Charlie. And, because Vaggie is just so lucky today, her girlfriend happened to be done with her phone call now and was eagerly returning to her guardian angel's side.

"Vaggie, holly shit! You won't believe who I just spoke with!" Charlie was practically vibrating with nervous excitement.

Vaggie shifted her whole attention back to the princess. "Someone important, I'm guessing?"

"Yes!" Charlie took a deep breath to try and compose herself, before continuing. "It was Sera. She asked for a meeting at the embassy next week. This is the perfect opportunity to try and reason with Heaven again."

"That's great, hon." And, truly, it was. But between this surprising news and the shock from earlier, Vaggie didn't know how to better handle the situation.

At this rate she's going to end up at Husk’s bar too tonight.

Charlie sensed something was odd. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah." That seemed to be the wrong answer, as Charlie was still very much unconvinced. So Vaggie relented. "...Okay. Something happened. But can I tell you on the way home? Trust me, It's better this way." Vaggie was sure that once they were close to the hotel, Charlie will just drag her to meet Lilith. It's better to shorten that distance.

Chapter Text

After battling an army of Exorcists and spending the rest of the day half–mourning and half–working on rebuilding the hotel, everyone still at the construction site was pretty exhausted, to say the least. And as much as some people (*cough* Cherri *cough*) would rather work themselves into a second grave, instead of having respite to think about what transpired that day, that just wasn’t acceptable.

Not for Charlie, anyway.

No, the princess decided that enough was enough and they all needed to eat something and go to bed. To recover after the fight, if nothing else.

And her father was all for it. In fact, despite his initial reticence towards sinners, Lucifer was now more than happy to open his own home for the people that helped his daughter. (And this change had absolutely nothing to do with the apparent dissapearance of a certain deer demon. Nope, definitely no correlation between the two.)

As for the fabled Morningstar Palace, well...it surely was a sight to behold. Resembling an old baroque manor, the building was primarily dark in color, but not quite black. With red and gold accents and covered from top to bottom in the Morningstar family’s symbols, some more obvious that others, the whole place exuded an aura of power and wealth.

But, for those used to a more modern architecture, the palace looked ominous and creepy.

And the dark clouds hovering above weren’t helping either.

"Oh, you guys are going to love it here!" Charlie was giddy to show the others her childhood home.

"I'm sure we will, hon."

Vaggie seemed to be the only one who wasn't outright disturbed by the "haunted house" her girlfriend called "home".

"And my dad is making us dinner tonight. Oh, he hasn't cooked in awhile, but I swear his food is amazing! You're gonna love it, I promise."

Angel Dust raised a brow, sceptical. "I don't know, dollface. Looks to me like we're walking into a death trap with a sparkly "Please Enter" sign."

"You scared?" Cherri teased him.

"No. But I have one question before we go in."

Charlie was all ears. "Sure. What?"

Smirking, Angel asked "Which one of us is gonna be "dinner"?"

The smack upside the head that he got from Husk was totally worth it.

Lucifer was indeed a pretty good cook and no one complained when the king offered them desert as well, and after they were done Charlie showed them around a bit. Nothing much, just enough so none of them would get lost navigating around the castle. And once everyone was given a room for the night, the lights were off. For the majority, that is.

Husk and Niffty were out like the light. So were Charlie and Vaggie.

Lucifer dissapeared not too long after dinner, presumably to his room, but probably to his workshop. Cherri Bomb went to bed too, but whether she was going to be sleeping or not was anyone's guess.

As for Angel Dust, well, the sinner tried to sleep for all of two hours, until he give up the tossing and turning in favor of wandering the halls.

Somehow he ended up into the kitchen and, having nothing else better to do, started looking around and through the cabinets and the fridge. That was, until he heard something behind him.

Startled, Angel slammed the fridge door and turned to face the entrance of the kitchen. There stood Vaggie, the fallen angel just as surprised to see the spider as he was to see her.

"What are you doing here, Angel?" Vaggie had her hands on her hips, looking like a mother scolding her child for stealing from the cookie jar.

But Angel Dust couldn't care less. He answered the question, while turning back to rummaging through the fridge. "Can't sleep. Same with you, right, toots?"

She didn't answer, but it was clear he was right.

Taking a seat on a bar stool at the island, Vaggie watched as Angel took out a bottle of questionable content and, weirdly enough, a phone.

"Looks like his Shortness lost his phone."

Apon closer inspection, Vaggie realized that yes, that was indeed Lucifer’s phone. And Angel was about to look through it.

Not giving him any chance to do try and do something, she took the device from the sinner's hands. "Don't even think about it!"

"Hey!" Not giving up that easily, the spider demon lunged at the angel and, either by sheer luck or because she was too tired to see him coming, Angel Dust managed to yank back the phone. "I'm just looking through it, relax."

Huffing, Vaggie relented. "Fuck it! Do whatever you want, I'm not awake enough for this."

Angel swiped through some pictures, occasionally showing Vaggie some that he thought she'd want to see (namely those embarrassing photos of Charlie that he was expecting to find, as all parents tend to have bad pictures of their kids at the ready).

They both shared the mystery bottle, that turned out to be champaign, and, at some point during the night, started judging Lucifer’s choices for contact names.

"Who even is "Wizard of Ozzie's"?"

Putting the bottle down, Vaggie stopped a second to think before taking her guess. "If Lucifer is anything like Charlie, that's probably Asmodeus."

Angel took a moment to debate if that was plausible. "Let's call and find out!"

"Do that and I'm hitting you with the bottle."

"Wouldn't be the first time, sugar." That was the last thing he managed to say before the room turned black.

Let it be known that a sleep deprived and slightly inebriated Vaggie can be even more dangerous than a rested, sober Vaggie.

Chapter Text

It was a calm day in Hell...Well, as calm as it can be anyway. The hell birds were screaming, the people in the street weren't, and even the traffic wasn't as bad as it could have been.

At Heaven's Embassy, in the heart of Pentagram City, a lone angel was playing solitaire, taking the occasional break to puff on a cigar. This particular angel was dressed in a nice black 4 piece suit, a golden eye in the center of the suit's tie. Complementing that particular decoration was a pair of golden dress shoes, a matching halo adorning the head of the angel. His hair was blonde and his face white, making his yellow eyes and the two matching yellow cheek marks stick out. His wings were nowhere in sight, having been tucked away in that magical pocket between realities.

Sufficient to say he wasn't exactly what you'd expect to find in Hell, holy embassy or not. And, to make matters more complicated, this guy wasn't even supposed to be down here. That's exactly what Charlie thought too.

When the Princess of Hell entered the conference room, she expected to find a hologram of the High Seraphim, having known they were suppose to have a meeting that day. So the presence of a new guy, who didn't look like he knew, or cared, what the meeting was about, didn't sit right with her.

Charlie decided to interrupt the angel's card game and get this whole thing started. She cleared her throat, then spoke. "Hi there!"

The man, upon hearing the cheerful feminine voice, turned his head towards the door of the conference room. Once he got a good look at the young woman before him, the angel's face split into the biggest smile Charlie has ever seen from an angelic being, maybe only rivaled by Emily's on the day they met. All excitement and no animosity whatsoever. That was a good sign, she decided.

The angel didn't give Charlie any time to properly react to his apparent gleefulness before he jumped from his seat at the table and appeared in front of her, crowding the princess. Even his wings sprouted from his back, a clear sign of intense emotions; a trait her dad and Vaggie also displayed, on occasion. And, as if that wasn't enough to garner a number of questions, Charlie also had to grapple with the fact that this random angel also had three pairs of golden wings. Like a seraph.

Definitely not just a random angel then.

Wanting the awkward situation to end, Charlie tried to introduce herself, but when she opened her mouth to speak, the angel cut her off.

"I don't believe it!" His voice was warm and deep, not showing any ill intent. He seemed...happy?...to meet Charlie. "You know, I thought I was meeting with Lucifer. That's what I assumed when all Sera wrote on her planner was "meeting with Morningstar", but I never thought it would be with little Charlotte. Well, not so little anymore, obviously. Man, how the years flew by."

Charlie was stunned, to say the least. On one hand, it became clear to her that this guy knew next to nothing about why Sera wanted to talk to her in the first place! And wasn't that just great?! Now neither of them will accomplish anything productive today.

But, on the other hand — "I'm sorry, you know me?" Realizing she might come off as a tad too harsh, the princess added "I mean, I don't remember us meeting when I visited Heaven."

"Oh." The angel took a couple of steps back and folded his wings away, straightening his back. "Right. No, we haven't met before. But yes, I know you."

Standing now in front of her, Charlie could see that he wasn't particularly tall and imposing, despite his bulkier build. She still towered over him, just as was the case with Vaggie and Lucifer, but this angel was maybe a smidge taller than her dad.

But the demoness was quite done with whatever this encounter was turning into. "That's...interesting. Now, could you give me your name. I feel like that would make this whole thing less awkward."

"Right! Of course!" He stuck his hand out. "I'm Gabriel. It's nice to finally meet you, Charlotte."

The princess shook Gabriel's hand, all the while racking her head for the name of the angel. It sounded somewhat familiar, like she'd heard it before.

Gabriel saw her brow furrow, so he decided to spare the girl the struggle of identifying him. "If you want to be extra, it's actually Archangel Gabriel. But who cares about that fancy title anyway?"

Shaking out of her stupor after a couple of seconds, Charlie started to piece together where she's heard his name. "Archangel Gabriel?...Like the 7 Archangels of Heaven?...That means that you're—"

"—Luci's brother, one of the big ones up there and your uncle. Personally, I think the uncle part is the real perk here."

Out of all the things Charlie tried to prepare for going into this, meeting one of her dad's siblings wasn't on her list. But Lucifer did tell his daughter some things about his old heavenly family (not much, but something is better than nothing), so she had an idea of what to expect from her uncle Gabriel. He was, in the King of Hell's words, "one of the more agreeable brothers".

That was something she could work with. "Wow...Hmm...Well, I didn't expect this." Charlie straighten her back, mimicking Gabriel's posture in a show of confidence. "It's nice to meet you, Lord Gabriel."

"No need for the whole "Lord" thing, we're not in court or anything." He chuckled a little, to ease his niece's worries. "Just call me Gabriel. Or Gabe. Or, if you feel like it – no pressure, really – I'd love it if you would call me uncle Gabe."

Charlie relaxed, seeing her company wasn't out to avenge Adam's death (yet?) or anything like that. "Well, if we're going for preferences here, I do go by Charlie. When I hear someone call me Charlotte, I feel like I'm back in school, getting in trouble for skipping class."

"Oh, I love your spunk, Charlie." Gabe made his way back to the table "I have a feeling we'll be getting along swimmingly."

He sat down, gesturing to the young woman to join him. The Princess of Hell and the Prince of Heaven now facing each other.

"Sooo...What did Sera want do discuss?" Gabe had a vague idea; more of a theory. But he needed to know what Charlie was told would happen today. "I don't want to start spewing nonsense and go off the rails, you know."

Charlie sighed, she knew this was going to happen. "I was hoping she told you. She didn't say much on the phone."

"'Cours she didn't tell you. Why would she?" The displeasure in his tone wasn't lost to Charlie, though whether it was directed at Sera or at herself, the princess wasn't entirely sure.

The demoness thought for a moment, then said "I suppose the High Seraphim wanted to cover what happened on Extermination Day."

"You mean what happened to Adam?"

"...Yeah." And she was more than ready to defend her friends, if Heaven wanted justice for the First Man's death.

The angel took the cards he was previously playing with and started to pack them, just to keep his hands busy as he spoke. "He had it coming, honestly. Adam was a prick and his arrogance was going to be his downfall one day. It was just a matter of time."

Charlie was, again, surprised by Gabriel's attitude. She silently agreed with her uncle.

He continued "And don't even get me started on the "extermination business"." He took out a new cigar. "Mind if I smoke?"

She shook her head. He smiled. "Thanks." He lit up the cigar, than leaned back in his chair, puffing a couple of times. "Where was I? Ah, yes, Extermination. That whole thing is a shit show, let me tell you."

Gabriel went on, his hands wildly gesticulating as he spoke (another family quirk, it seems). "Sera and Adam did whatever they wanted and, up until your court hearing, no one knew it was even happening. Well, Michael knew, but the hypocrite always had a habit of allowing shit to happen without consulting with the rest of us, so I don't know what I was expecting. So, long story short, now Sera is being questioned about that mess." Looking at Charlie, he added "Which is great, because it means your people won't be slaughtered anymore."

Charlie’s eyes widened in surprise and bewilderment. "Wait! So now you're hearing us out?! Now you decide to stop the Extermination?! After Adam was killed?"

"It's not just that, Charlie." Gabriel snuffed out his cigar, putting his whole, undivided attention on his niece. "Angels all over Heaven are voicing their concerns for their family members stuck in Hell, and what might have happened to them. What the Exorcist Army and Sera allowed to befall them." Gabe dared to reach towards Charlie, holding her hand gently as he spoke. "What you and Emily revealed to the council that day, it changed the game. You revealed the corruption and deceit from within."

The princess frowned, expression resolute. "Good." She managed a small smile, as she locked eyes with her uncle. "That means we can change things now. For the better." She sighed, looking at their locked hands as she squeezed Gabriel's hand a little tighter. "Hopefully."

"Eh, I'm sure you'll be heard from now on." Gabe took his hand back, crossing his arms and leaning back into his chair, casually adding "After all, now you actually have proof that redemption is possible."

Charlie’s head jerked up, looking at the angel like he grew horns and a spade tail. "What proof?!"

"Your little serpent friend, Sir Panties, or whatever his name was. I don't remember, I only saw him once."

"SIR PENTIOUS IS IN HEAVEN?!!" Her heart leaped from her chest. The chair she was sitting on flew back a good distance, as she jumped to her feet in pure shock.

Gabriel, on the other hand, kept acting like this was all perfectly normal. Like he didn't just reveal a major information that will have huge ramifications in the near future.

He snapped his fingers. "Pentious! That's the one. Nice guy, Emily definitely took a liking to him. She was showing him around when I left."

Sufficient to say, that's when the dam broke and the tears started leaking from the princess's eyes. She ran around the table, tackling the angel into a crushing hug. A hug Gabriel was more than happy to return.

She couldn't believe it. Sir Pentious was okay! He was alive and he was REDEEMED! It was everything Charlie could've asked for. Not only did that prove that she's been right all along, but it meant her friend was safe.

"Take as long as you need, honey."

Her uncle comforted her until Charlie was able to pull herself back together. It took a few minutes, but after a good cry, Charlie was back to her usual self. Mostly.

And, since they still had about an hour of daylight to kill, the archangel suggested that his niece tell him everything about her project. "This way, I'll have something to report back to the council."

"Are you sure you want to. It might take some time."

"I've got plenty."

"And it involves singing." And Charlie was all too familiar with people not wanting to hear her songs.

"I'm a showman, Charlie. Who do you take me for?" Then again, this was her dad's brother. Of course he would appreciate a good performance. "Sell me this Hazbin Hotel of yours. Let's hear it."

By the time Charlie’s presentation was over, it was pitch black outside. Not even the red moon was visible through the thick smog of the city. A truly hellish night indeed.

But it give the princess an idea. "Uncle Gabriel? Would you like to see the hotel?"

A wicked smile creeped on Gabe's face. "A sleepover in Hell? That sounds like my kind of fun." He went to the doors of the conference room and pushed them open. "Lead the way, dear. I'll write a text to Mike and let him know I'll be back in the morning."

Chapter Text

Vaggie was pacing around the hotel's lobby, her nerves engulfing the space like the toxic clouds over the Doomsday District. The thought of Charlie going to the Heaven Embassy alone, after everything that's happened, filled her with dread. And, despite the princess's reassurance that everything will be fine, her girlfriend couldn't help but worry.

As the hours ticked by, and the night approached, the fallen angel's panic grew and her nervous walk around the parlor started wearing at the carpeted floors.

Across the room, at the bar, the only other residents still awake were observing her.

Husk was cleaning shot glasses, more as an excuse to remain close by. Just in case. After all, as much as he prefers to be perceived as aloof and uninterested in what happens to the other residents, the sinner can't deny that he has grown attached to their ragtag group over the last few months. And, as such, he too can't help but hope that Charlie is alright. Because, if she's not, then he will be more than willing to go toe–to–toe with the Exorcists again.

Angel Dust, on the other hand, is unapologetically there for the possibility of witnessing any form of drama. Be it the disappointment of another failed meeting with Heaven’s assholes, or something else. Though, privately, he can’t help but understand Vaggie’s situation right now. Her girlfriend is MIA, not answering the phone, and it’s night time already. Couple that with the fact that Pentagram City is one of the most dangerous places around and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

At some point, Angel got fed up with watching Vaggie walk in circles, so he reluctantly got up from his bar stool and went to stop the poor woman in her track. He stopped in front of the angel and put two hands on her shoulders, causing Vaggie to cease her nervous pacing.

"Relax, toots! I'm sure Charlie’s fine." He guided her to the couch, still talking. "Besides, you digging trenches in the carpet is not gonna make 'er show up any faster. So just take a breather and sit down. I'm getting dizzy just looking at you."

Vaggie sat down, reluctantly agreeing with the sinner. As much as Charlie not answering her phone worried Vaggie to no end, she had to have faith in her girlfriend. Everything was just fine. Surely there's a perfectly plausible explanation for the radio silence.

Vaggie let out a deep sigh. "It's not like I don't trust Charlie to take care of herself out there."

"It's the angels that you don't trust." Husk voiced everyone's colectiv thought, receiving a nod from the former exorcist as the only reply.

And, as if answering some unsaid prayer, the voice of a certain demon princess echoed from just outside the front door. With that, the tension from Vaggie’s shoulder ebbed away; But only for a second, as the instant she realized Charlie was having a conversation with someone else, the stress returned. This time for a different reason: Who exactly was speaking with Charlie? A new guest she picked up from the streets on the way back? Possible. But still...What if it wasn’t that?

Eh, what does it matter? Her questions were about to be answered anyway, as the door swung open and a bubbly Charlie Morningstar walked in, followed closely by...AN ANGEL?!

The princess opened her arms with a flourish, ushering her angelic guest inside the hotel. "And this is the lobby. And that off to the side is the bar. And over there is—"

"—Charlie!" Vaggie’s startling shout cut the tour off, making the demoness and the mysterious angel turn to face her.

"Oh! Vaggie! You're still awake! That's perfect. I can introduce you two." Charlie dragged the mysterious angel over to the couch, giving Vaggie a chance to get a better look at the man.

In that fraction of a second, alarm bells started ringing in her ears, as the ex-exorcist recognized the face in front of her. There, stood one of Heaven's Princes. One of the highest ranked seraph behind the Pearly Gates, the Archangel Gabriel. His black suit, blonde hair, pasty white skin and golden cheek marks made him instantly recognizable to Vaggie, whose entire life used to be devoted to maintaining the order the Archangels dictated.

Charlie seemed to be oblivious to her girlfriend's inner turmoil, as she started making introductions. "Gabriel, this is Vaggie."

The Archangel extended a hand, a warm, easy-going smile on his face. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm—"

"—Lord Gabriel. I know." She wanted to slap his hand away, but it might send the wrong message. So, for the moment, being cordial with the angel was for the best.

That got the princess's attention. "Oh...Right...I forgot you used to live up there."

"It's okay, hun. No harm done." Vaggie let go of Gabriel's hand and went to stand besides Charlie, choosing to change the subject from the awkward introduction. "I thought something bad happened after the fourth missed call."

"Shit! My phone!" Scrambling to fish out the device from her pocket, the Charlie continued to ramble. "The battery must have died. I am so, so, sooo sorry, Vaggie! I didn't mean to worry you, but the meeting ran longer than we thought, then we decided to walk back, and uncle Gabe can't exactly blend in, so we had to be careful and—"

"—Charlie, it's fine. I promise." With the reassurance out of the way, that only left the other dozen–or–so questions to be answered.

Questions that Angel Dust decided it was up to him to ask. "So who's the hot new blond here?"

The girls turned to the spider sinner with twin expressions of utter bewilderment and affront, on behalf of their angelic guest. But, surprisingly, Gabriel seemed totally fine with being flirted with.

He shot Angel a dazzling smile, not at all bothered by the less than respectful greeting he got. "I'm Charlie’s uncle, Gabriel. And you must be Angel Dust."

"Oh, you heard about me?" Leaving aside the flirty attitude, Angel was genuinely curious about this new guy. "Never thought Shorty had any family left in Heaven."

"Eh, can't exactly blame Lucifer for not talking about us." He shrugged, the smile on his face waning just a little, but enough to be noticeable, if one paid close attention. "We're not as close knit as we used to be."

"Aaanyway..." stepping in to spare her uncle the hurt, Charlie diverted the room's attention back on her. "There's so much I have to tell you all!"

"How about you start with why one of the 7 Archangels is here." Husk abandoned his post at the bar, having had enough of wiping glassware for the night.

Normally, he likes to stay out of the way when stuff tends to gravitate towards Heaven related bullshit. But tonight, his interest has finally been piqued. "It's not every day your lot comes to Hell with peaceful intentions."

So that warranted an explication. "I won't dance around the subject then." Gabriel sat down on the couch, taking the place formerly occupied by Vaggie. All eyes were on him, though his niece already knew what he was going to say. "I highjacked the High Seraphim's meeting, in part thinking it would be with Lucifer, which would give me an excuse to see my brother. But also because the situation between Heaven and Hell has changed. And someone had to step in to check on your current state after that battle."

"So Heaven only now decided to have a civil conversation? After we fought back?" The suspicion in Vaggie’s voice was palpable.

"It's not just that." Gabriel looked at Charlie, silently asking her if she wanted to take it from there.

Luckily, she was more than happy to continue for him. "Heaven is willing to listen this time, guys."

Vaggie wanted to trust her girlfriend's words, she really did. But on what grounds? "What makes you think this time will be different? We tried going there, we tried pleading our case. It didn't work then."

Charlie took Vaggie’s hands in her own, speaking with more conviction than she's ever shown before. "It will this time."

"Oh, yeah, because now we'll have the power of nepotism on our side, right?" As much as Angel wanted to believe it to be true, nothing good ever came from wishful thinking and believing the word of those beyond the Pearly Gates.

"And the power of a redemption plan that proved fruitful." Instantly, all eyes were again focused on Gabe. Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut.

Slowly, the bewilderment faded from the sinners and fallen angel's eyes faded, giving way to a whole new array of emotions. And the first to snap out happened to be the bartender. "You've got to be shitting me."

"No way!" Angel Dust's whole demeanor changed in the span of a couple of seconds, from his usual disinterested, flirtatious persona, to a gleefulness that not even he believed to still be able to exhibit.

"Yes way!" That was the moment the wannabe poke face that the princess tried so hard to maintain fell, her joy on display for everyone to see. "Sir Pentious is alive! And he's redeemed! That is why this time things will work in our favor." Her pride was as clear as day. She was proud of them all, and their colectiv accomplishment. And, above all, an unbridled happiness washed over them, knowing that their dear friend was alright.

After some more grilling from Vaggie, for the most part, with Husk and Angel chiming in every other question, Gabriel ran out of intel. All conversation topics depleted, he was free to go, but not before being given a full tour of the main shared spaces in the hotel. Only after Charlie was sure he won't get lost in the morning, attempting to find the kitchen, did Gabriel finally got to kick up his aching feet and turn in for the night. Turns out, walking around for a whole day instead of flying is quite exhausting. Who knew?

The next day found Gabriel in the kitchen, brewing coffee, at the ungodly hour of 6 AM. So much for sleeping in. "I can’t even blame the time zone difference for this.” Between yawns and clumsy steps around the unfamiliar layout, the archangel barely had enough spacial awareness to not step on KeeKee. The demon cat was still wary of the newcomer, so there was no way of keeping her away, unfortunately.

Shortly after taking his first sips of the surprisingly good quality coffee, Gabriel heard steps inching closer. And a distinctly feminine voice that he hasn't heard in thousands of years.

"I think this the first time in years someone woke up before me. Charlie, is that you?"

"No. But you're not far off." The figure stopped at the door, eyes betraying the surprise that the woman made en effort to keep hidden. "Good morning, my favorite sister–in–law!"

Lilith was so glad Lucifer wasn't up yet. Because he wouldn't have been happy with the company they will, apparently, have for breakfast.

"It's been awhile, Gabriel. What brings you here?" It was obvious by his bed head and fluffy pajamas that he spent the night in one of the guest rooms.

"I'm playing ambassadors. Charlotte was so kind to let me crash here after our meeting at the Embassy ran longer than we originally planned."

He offered her a mug, which the queen accepted gratefully. As much as she hated what Heaven did to her and her love, she couldn’t hold on to grudges forever. Unless, of course, she was given a reason to.

"I take it Sera was indisposed and you graciously took over for her?" The subtext wasn't lost to Gabe. As he nodded, Lilith searched his face and, finding what she was looking for, she continued. "I hope this will be a lesson she, and the rest of the Angelic Court, won't forget anytime soon."

"We're on strike two, aren't we now?"

"You will be. Once my husband hears that Charlie’s idea works."

And, as the saying goes, speak of the Devil and he shall appear. Not a minute later, Lucifer popped in. "Who wants pancakes? I'm craving some. What do you say, Lily?"

His jovial step was cut short when he realized who was sitting at the table with his wife. Gabriel, although thrown off by his brother's disheveled appearance, couldn't help but smile and wave. Despite the time that passed, he was still pretty much the same.

Lucifer blinked once. Twice. Then he shook his head and rubbed his eyes for good measure, but the image didn't change. Definitely not a dream then.

Reluctantly, the king approached his estranged brother. "Ahm...wh-what brings you here, Gabriel?"

Lilith linked her arm with her husband's, as he took a sit at the table, waiting for the angelic prince to answer his question.

"Michael send me to the Embassy in Sera's place."

"Oh...cool...great..." Still avoiding to look his brother directly in the eyes, Lucifer walked away from his company, to start making breakfast.

Lilith took the rains of the conversation, speaking softly to her lover. "Luci, my love, maybe you should pay attention to what your brother has to say. It might surprise you."

"I doubt it." The fallen angel focused on mixing the pancakes batter, not really wanting to acknowledge the fact that Gabriel invaded his sanctuary so early in the morning. "But sure. What did you and Charlie talk about, Gabe?" Under his breath, he added "Must've been pretty big, to convince her to bring you here."

Pretending like he didn't hear that last bit, Gabriel answered. "Oh, nothing much. Just about the hotel, the Extermination being officially called off, and about Sir Pentious getting redeemed."

Upon hearing that last part, Lucifer dropped his bowl, the batter spilling all over the kitchen floor. He was stunned. Charlie’s sinner friend was alive. Not only that, but he defied the laws they thought were absolute. The rules of the Universe that he thought were unbreakable. Redemption had been possible all this time. If only he held on to that hope a little longer, maybe things would have turned out different.

But, most importantly...it meant that he spent years undermining his daughter's dream...for nothing. She was right. Sinners were not beyond salvation.

And, as always, Heaven only listens now, when they are undeniably proven wrong.

Lilith was at Lucifer’s side in seconds, tugging him gently away from the shattered bowl. She guided him back to the table, urging him to take a sit, but Lucifer refused the offered chair, instead choosing to approach the archangel.

His smile was as sharp and as fake as it could get, and his voice was clipped. No warmth left for his brother, after finding out that all the suffering in Hell was for nothing. "And now Michael wants to hear what we have to say, huh?"

"Look, Lucifer, it's not like that—"

"OH, REALLY?!" He took a breath, to try and calm down. A fight wasn't worth it. Not now. "Just...don't do it. Don't give me a fake speech rehearsed a thousand times over."

"I'm not." Gabriel stood from his seat, looking at his brother and sister–in–law with sincerity in his eyes, pleading for them to listen. "I thought I was going to have a meeting with you two. Instead, I got to meet Charlie. She's amazing. Such a brilliant, bright star, shining in the darkness. And her project is full of hope for a brighter, better future. And, with her friend ascending, the question on everyone's lips right now is "where do we go from here?".

With Lucifer finally bringing himself to look at Gabriel, the archangel could see the eons of pain that his brother was still enduring. He promised himself, right then and there, that he will do anything to right the wrongs done to his brother, and those close to him.

"I swear to you, Lucifer, I had no idea how bad things were down here. None of us, except for Michael and Sera, knew the Extermination was even a thing." Too late to find excuses, but it was better to get it out there. Just to have some pace of mind. "Souls in Heaven are rising up, protesting the atrocities that were allowed to befall their loved ones down here in Hell."

"Good." Lucifer returned to the kitchen counter, starting a new batch of batter. The shards on the floor vanished at the snap of a finger. No need to leave it there for Niffty to clean later. What if someone steps on them?

Lilith turned black to Gabriel. "I'm assuming what you're telling us is still not public knowledge." It was not a question. After all, the Heavenly Court is known to hide their most controversial secrets. As evidence by what her brother–in–law has just revealed.

"We're keeping it under wraps for now. But those residing here should know." As Charlie made it clear that Pentious was well loved and missed by the other guests of the hotel, Gabriel agreed that the former sinner's friends should be made aware of his ultimate fate.

But, that wasn't for him to share. Having met Angel Dust, Husk and Vaggie, Gabriel knew that those left were either wild cards that he should avoid for the time being. Or they were too close to the "dearly departed" for him to be the one to share the good news. *cough*cough* Cherri Bomb. Sooo...yeah. Not Gabriel's place to speak.

And, as for the aforementioned Lord Michael, the guy was becoming more insistent by the hour. Ever since Gabriel texted him about spending the night in Hell the day before, his older brother had been insufferable, always calling and texting back, like an overprotective father urging his teenage child to come home before their curfew. So, ultimately, Gabriel had to bid his other family goodbye.

He got to see Charlie and Vaggie come down for breakfast, and Lucifer was kind enough to pack him something to eat on the go. But the rest of the Hazbin Hotel crew he'll sadly have to greet some other time. And there will be another time, that he was certain of.

So, with a final wave, and a warm hug from his niece, Gabe conjured up a portal and left. Looking back, he probably should have changed his clothes before going home, because the welcome committee (i.e. his other siblings) didn't appreciate his less than formal attire.

Chapter Text

It has been some time since Charlie’s last attempt to coerce the sinners of the hotel into participating in one of her "exercises". Well, it wasn't really coercion, seeing as they were willing to give it a shot more often than not, if only to shake up the routine. Although, knowing that Heaven wasn’t so out of reach anymore certainly helped sway certain individuals. It's just, some people were more inclined to participate than others.

Now, for instance, the only one that needed a bit more convincing was Cherri Bomb. She didn't really want to get roped in another one of Charlie’s "trust exercises". It just wasn’t her style. Nothing against the princess though. Only Cherri being herself and preferring a night out, drinking and having fun. Charlie’s idea of fun rarely aligned with Cherri's.

This time though, the sinner got to pick...within certain limits. But that's better than nothing. So, to show that she appreciated the trust placed on her, Cherri picked something simple. Something that could be clarified as "innocent fun". A game night. Basic as fuck, but it had the potential of ending up being enjoyable enough.

Or, at the very least, that’s what they hoped.

While Charlie scrambled to find all the games she had in storage, with the help of Niffty, Cherri was out buying a dartboard. It was her suggestion for the night, and so she was in charge of getting one. In the meantime, Vaggie and Angel Dust were left in charge of snacks for everyone, while Husk took care of the drinks. Obviously.

It was team work at its finest...if you ignore the fact that the only staff member not present made himself scarce the moment he got the chance.

"If it was me running for the hills, I bet you'd drag me back."

"Let Alastor be, Angel. It's not like you want to play board games with him, do you?" Vaggie really care if the radio demon joined them or not.

Angel Dust, on the other hand, was mumbling curses directed at the overlord every so often. It's true that he didn't want the creep around, but the preferential treatment he got was starting to piss him off.

"I'm just sayin'. If I had pulled this shit six months ago, you would've glared at me like I just licked your toothbrush."

Vaggie sighed. "That's because you're suppose to try and improve yourself. Alastor is a lost cause." She took the bag of candies from the sinner and ripped it open a tad too forcefully, spilling the contents on the floor.

Groaning, Vaggie began cleaning the mess. Not wanting to step on her toes, seeing as the fallen exorcist seemed to be more than a little annoyed with how her day was shaping up to be, Angel Dust left to help Husk at the bar.

"Make sure you get the good stuff. Someone definitely needs it to relax tonight." He angled his head to subtly gesture towards Vaggie.

Husk nodded silently in response. He wasn't one to ask why, but he could guess she was playing cool for Charlie’s sake. But, underneath it all, she clearly didn't completely trust the truce that Heaven extended upon Sir Pentious' ascension. But, that is something they won't deal with right now.

Cherri returned from her errand after about an hour, carrying a dartboard in one hand, and a fancy looking letter in the other. "Oi, dickheads! Which one of ya was gonna tell me we get mail send to this dump?"

It was an imp postman that dropped off — or, at least, tried to drop off — what appeared to be a very official letter, addressed to Lucifer. How did the post office knew to deliver it there, that wasn't exactly the focus here. But the contents of said letter though, that was a different story.

"Let's open it!" Angel lunged at his best friend, taking the envelope to tear it open. Cherri didn't really care for that piece of paper, so she didn't put up a fight.

As soon as she was rid of that thing, she left Angel to his own device, choosing to focus on picking up the perfect spot on the wall to hang up her board. But, much to the spider sinner's chagrin, Vaggie took the letter from him before he could open it.

"Don't even think about it."

"Oh, come on!" Angel pouted. Actually pouted, like a little child who's being denied sweets. But his complaints fell to deaf ears. "Aren't you curious who's writing to Shorty?"

Vaggie raised an eyebrow, her hand firmly clutching the letter, keeping it out of reach from the sinner. "The wax seal has a sigil. That means it's from the Hellborn royalty."

"Which also means it's none of your business, Legs." Husk walked past Angel Dust, a tray full of shot glasses carefully balanced in his hands. His passing comment was also ignored, much to his and Vaggie’s annoyance.

Fortunately, soon after they little squabble, Lucifer showed up, as if summoned. Maybe they talked about him too much for the devil to ignore.

Vaggie wasted no time handing him the envelope, which the king opened immediately. "What's this? Hmm...blah, blah, blah...Princess Octavia...blah, blah, blah...birthday party..."

Angel Dust hurried to read over Lucifer’s shoulder, raising a surprised eyebrow as he saw the contents of this apparent invitation. "It's in Lust ?!"

"Who's throwing a teenager's birthday party at a strip club?" Lucifer remembered Ozzie's restaurant catering only to couples. And strictly adults. So to hear he was apparently lending it to an Ars Goetia for something like this was perplexing, to say the least.

He was about to discard the piece of paper and forget about it, as he usually does with any invitation from the Goetia, but Lilith had to come downstairs and stop him, didn't she? The queen heard the commotion going on in the lobby and, like her husband, couldn't just ignore it. And, once she saw the letter Lucifer was about to throw away, there was no getting out of it.

By that time, the sinners lost interest in the whole thing and retreated, leaving the royal couple and Vaggie alone.

"Lucifer, dear, this says it's tonight. If we leave now, we might just make it there in time."

"But do we have to?"

"Of course we do, my love."

"Why?"

"Because this is for Paimon's granddaughter." Lilith wanted to believe her husband could at least make an exception for one of his most loyal subjects' kin. And, if that wasn't enough, well..."And it would be good for our public image if we were to honor a formal invitation from the Ars Goetia."

With a few caresses and a gentle kiss on the cheek, Lucifer caved. "Fine. Let's go to that damn party."

While Lucifer opened a portal for the two of them to leave, Lilith turned to Vaggie. "Please let Charlie know we left."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you, dear." And with that, the king and queen departed.

With those still left in the hotel present and the accounted for, Charlie declared their game night officially underway. And, as previously promised, Cherri Bomb's game of choice was first.

"Alright! This is my favorite darts game. I call it "Headshot Or Take A Shot"." As she began to explain, the sinner approached the dartboard and taped a small picture on it. "It's simple. You aim for the fucker's head and, if you miss, you down a shot glass. Easy." She flipped off the photo as she returned to the couches to retrieve the darts. "That's one of my exes, by the way."

Cherri threw the dart without even looking at her target. Even so, her aim was impeccable, hitting the mark right in the middle. "Feel free to add to the board."

Angel Dust was next, taping a picture of Valentino right next to Cherri's ex. He too hit his target with ease.

"Way to go, Angie!" Cherri Bomb was firm convinced that the others will just watch the two of them play. And she was fine with that, honestly.

But it seemed like she was in for a surprise, as Charlie got up from the couch and went to the board to place her own victim on the unofficial chopping block. Not even Vaggie expected that.

"Now who's that?!" Angel was all ears once he saw the princess join them.

Charlie took a dart in her hand and got ready to shoot. "My ex-fiancé." She missed.

After gulping a glass offered by a speechless Husk, she tried again. "Who cheated on me." This time, she hit her mark. Right in the eye.

Satisfied with her second throw, Charlie sat back down beside Vaggie. "That felt good."

Vaggie squeezed her girlfriend's hand, even though the princess didn't seem to be in any kind of emotional distress. And, while the former exorcist knew about the whole debacle with Seviathan, and Charlie assured her it was all water under the bridge, it still didn't hurt to let her partner know that she was there for her. Should she need the support.

If it were up to Angel Dust, he would have grilled Charlie for all the juicy gossip she had on her own love life, but Vaggie stopped the spider before he could get anything out of the demoness.

They gradually began adding more holes in to the photos, and drinking round after round of liquor whenever someone missed. At one point, they replaced the pictures with handwritten names messily scribbled on napkins and, by the time they finally had enough of it, even Vaggie and Husk had joined the game. Their victims were either out in town, in Husk’s case, or dead and buried, in Vaggie’s. Either way, this proved to be a great icebreaker to get things started.

Next on the list was Poker. Which, giving the fact that they had a gambler among them, it should have never been an option. But, then again, as long as they weren't planning on betting money, what's the harm, really?

The first few rounds were more or less an introduction for those who have never played before — Charlie and Niffty — but, after that, everyone fell into a comfortable silence, as the chips and cards were dealt. And, by then, it was clear that some people had more luck than others.

"I'm out." Vaggie folded, losing yet another round. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to not show her growing frustration.

Charlie laid her cards down as well. "It's okay, Vaggie. I don't have any good cards either."

Husk watch his remaining opponents closely before he turned to Angel. "You better fold too, Legs."

"What? Why?"

"Cause you're holding a pile of crap."

"What makes you think that, huh?" He was not about to lose this round.

Husk turned his eyes back to his own cards, answering. "Cause even if I couldn't read you like a takeout meniu, which I can, you've been fidgeting since we started this round." And, to prove his point, the bartender pointed at Angel's hand, still tapping uncontrollably on the table.

Huffing, Angel Dust threw his cards on the floor. Another five chips down the drain.

Niffty suddenly jumped, yelling "Yahtzee!".

"We're playing poker, Niff." It was already the fourth time Husk had to remind her that. Maybe the poor girl had too much to drink.

Cherri Bomb leaned over to peek at the maid's cards. "Holly shit! She's got full house."

The spider sinner turned his head to gape at his friends, a baffled expression on his face. "What?!"

After a round of congratulations for Niffty, Charlie decided it was time for the last game of the night. Her pick, this time. So, she got up and went to retrieve the dusty board game she's spent the entire day looking for in the attic.

"Mam–mo–nop–o–lli?" Angel started at the green box like it would give him hives just from breathing near it. "I think you bought a knock-off, doll."

"It's not a knock-off." She opened it, blowing dust everywhere. After a short feat of coughing, the princess continued. "And it will be fun! You'll see."

It was nearing dawn when the king and queen of Hell returned to the Hazbin Hotel. And, as they walked in, the sight that greeted them was...well...curious, to say the least. There were bottles and various empty bags all over the floor, one wall was full off holes, enough to rival the dartboard they surrounded. And, at the foot of the lounge couches, laid the residents of this fine establishment, fast asleep. Well, all but two.

Vaggie and Angel Dust were surrounded by fake Mammonopolli money, dark bags under their eyes.

Lucifer approached the pair, being careful not to disturb the others. "What happened here?"

The sinner smiled lazily at the king. "I became a millionaire." He was covered in the fake bills. They formed what almost looked like a blanket.

"He cheated." Vaggie leaned her head on the cushion thrown behind her.

"I did not! You're just salty you lost to me!"

At the closers inspection, it was clear they were inebriated. From the slurred words alone, as well as the smell wafting off of them both. How they were still awake was a mystery.

Lilith summed a blanket over the two, silently dragging her husband away. Better not to question how their daughter's innocent game night turned into this mess. At least they seemed to have had fun.

"Let's go upstairs, my love. Let them rest."

The royal couple will have plenty of time to share the details of their eventful excursion to Lust with their daughter and her friends, once they sober up.