Between Shadows and Flames

13

It had been a month since Seviathan, Charlie's abusive ex-fiancé, had come to stay at the Hazbin Hotel. Despite her best efforts to keep him at arm's length, he seemed determined to win her back and claim the throne of Hell for himself. Charlie, though outwardly composed and confident, was starting to feel the strain of his presence. One afternoon, as she sat in the bathroom of her and Alastor's bedroom, the blonde demoness couldn't escape the nausea that had been plaguing her for weeks. She knew what it meant, but she wasn't ready to face it just yet. Alastor, the King of Hell and her fiercely protective husband, noticed her absence and went in search of her. He found her hunched over the toilet, retching quietly. His ears lay flat against his skull in concern as he knelt beside her. "What's wrong, my dear?" he asked gently, his crimson eyes filled with worry. "I'm fine," Charlie murmured, forcing a weak smile. Alastor wasn't convinced. "Darling, you're certainly not fine," he insisted. "Please, tell me what's going on." Charlie bit her lip, her tired, fear-filled topaz eyes meeting his. She took a deep breath and finally spoke. "I'm pregnant." Alastor's expression softened, his concern turning to understanding. "How far along are you?" he asked quietly. "I've known for a month," Charlie replied, her voice barely above a whisper. As the news sank in, Charlie's mind raced with worry. How would they protect their unborn child and the three fawns they were already raising in the midst of Seviathan's threats and manipulations? Alastor could see the fear in his wife's eyes and knew he had to reassure her. "We'll figure it out, my dear," he said, placing a comforting hand on her back. "We'll protect our family, no matter what."
Charlie looked up at him, a mix of relief and gratitude in her gaze. "But how, Al?" she whispered. "Seviathan wants me as his queen and he wants your throne. How can we keep our children safe?" Alastor's eyes darkened with determination. "We'll find a way," he vowed. "We'll fight for our family, for our love. Together, we can overcome anything." With her husband's unwavering support, Charlie felt a surge of hope. She knew that their road ahead would be difficult, but she also knew that they had each other. And as long as they stood together, nothing could tear them apart. As they rose to leave the bathroom, Alastor wrapped his arm around Charlie, pulling her close.

😈 Two months later 😇

Charlie and Alastor entered the office of their personal physician, Dr. Morrow, hand in hand. They were both filled with excitement and anticipation to check on the progress of their unborn fawn. Cherri and Vaggie had graciously offered to babysit Liliana, Aurora, and Alarik at the Hazbin Hotel so that the royal couple could have some alone time.
As Dr. Morrow performed the ultrasound, Charlie and Alastor watched in awe as the image of their little fawn appeared on the screen. But their joy quickly turned to shock when Dr. Morrow made a surprising announcement. "I have some unexpected news for you both," Dr. Morrow said with a smile. "You're not just expecting one fawn, you're expecting three. Two boys and one girl." Charlie and Alastor were speechless. Three fawns? It was more than they had ever dreamed of. They looked at each other with wide eyes, trying to process the information. As Dr. Morrow excused himself to let the couple process the news, Charlie turned to Alastor, her fear-filled eyes meeting his crimson ones. "What are we going to do now, Alastor?" Charlie asked, her voice trembling with emotion. "Seviathan is still staying at the hotel, threatening to hurt everyone I love. He wants me as his queen and my dad's throne, which rightfully belongs to you now that we're the new King and Queen of Hell." Alastor wrapped his arms around Charlie, pulling her close. "We'll figure something out, my dear," he said reassuringly. "We won't let Seviathan come between us and our growing family. We'll protect our children at all costs." Charlie nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She knew that with Alastor by her side, they could overcome any obstacle that came their way. Just then, the door opened and Dr. Morrow re-entered the room, a warm smile on his face. "Congratulations, you two," he said happily. "You're going to have a beautiful family." Charlie and Alastor exchanged a glance, their hearts filled with love and determination. They knew that no matter what challenges they faced, they would always have each other and their precious fawns to protect and cherish. As they left the physician's office, hand in hand, Charlie felt a sense of peace wash over her. She knew that with Alastor's love and support, they could face anything that came their way. And as they walked back to the Hazbin Hotel, ready to reunite with their children and face whatever challenges lay ahead, Charlie couldn't help but feel grateful for the love she shared with the radio demon by her side. Together, they were unstoppable, their love stronger than any darkness that threatened to tear them apart.
A couple hours later Charlie was back at the hotel spending time with her and Al's fawns while the radio demon was at the castle in a meeting with the Overlords and Princes of Hell, when a loud explosion was heard, startling the blonde demoness, just as Vaggie and Cherri came running towards her. "Vaggie, What is going on outside?" Charlie asked as Liliana, Alarik and Aurora came running over, holding their big sister's hands and the twins' ears flat against their red and black ombre hair. "The hotel is under attack, and we can't reach Alastor. You, Lily, Rory and Alarik need to go find somewhere safe. Husk, Angel, Cherri, Velvette and I will try to hold off the intruders." Vaggie replied her eye hard with determination. Charlie's stomach dropped as she looked down at Liliana, who held onto her younger siblings tightly, fear evident in their eyes. She knew she had to stay calm for their sake. "Where's Alastor? Where's my husband?" Charlie asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Vaggie shook her head. "We don't know. He was supposed to be at the castle for a meeting with the Overlords and Princes of Hell." Charlie's mind raced as she tried to process the information. She knew she had to trust that her stag could take care of himself, but she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that washed over her. "Charlie, you need to go now," Vaggie said firmly. "We'll do everything we can to protect the hotel, but you need to keep your family safe." Cherri stepped forward, her red eyes serious. "You're three months pregnant, Charlie. You need to think of the triplets you're carrying. They need to be protected." Charlie's hand instinctively went to her stomach, her eyes widening with realization. She knew she had to put her children first. But leaving the only place she had ever known was not going to be easy. "I. I can't just leave," Charlie said, her voice filled with determination. "I'm the Queen of Hell. I have a responsibility to defend my h-." Vaggie cut her off mid-sentence. "You also have a responsibility to your children, Charlie. You need to think about their safety." Charlie's shoulders slumped, and she let out a defeated sigh. She knew Vaggie was right. She had to do what was best for her family. With a deep breath, Charlie shifted into her full demonic form. Her six snow-white wings unfurled from her back, and she summoned her golden trident. She focused her energy and created a portal to the castle, where she knew they would be safe. Charlie had never felt so exhausted in her life. Flying through the portal with her three children in tow had taken everything out of her. As she landed in the empty hallway of the castle, her six snow-white wings and demonic form disappeared, leaving her feeling drained and weak. She leaned heavily on her gold trident, trying to catch her breath as she glanced down at her six-year-old daughter, Liliana."Mom, are you okay?" Lily asked, her red eyes filled with concern as she glanced up at her mother. Charlie managed a weak smile and nodded. "I'm okay, sweetheart. Just a little tired. Can you take your siblings and go find Daddy? He should be in the throne room with the Overlords and Princes of Hell." Lily nodded eagerly, her blonde and red ombre hair bouncing as she took her two-year-old twin siblings, Aurora and Alarik, by the hands. "Come on, guys. Let's go find Dad. Liliana held tightly to the hands of her two- year-old twin siblings, Aurora and Alarik, as she led them through the grand halls of the palace towards the throne room. The echoes of their footsteps reverberated off the marble floors, creating a sense of urgency in the air. The heavy oak doors loomed before them, and Liliana took a deep breath before pushing them open with all her might. The voices within the throne room fell silent as the three children entered, drawing the attention of their father, the radio demon and King of Hell, Alastor, as well as the Overlords and Princes of Hell who were gathered around him in discussion. "Daddy!" Liliana called out, her voice tinged with fear as she ran towards her father, her siblings toddling behind her with identical looks of apprehension on their faces. Alastor rose from his seat and moved to kneel in front of his children, his ears laying flat against his head in concern. "What are you doing here? Where's your mother?" Alastor asked, his voice filled with worry as he gazed at his three young children. "Mama's weakened from opening a portal to bring us all here to safety," Liliana explained breathlessly. "Auntie V, Vaggie, Cherri, Niffty, and Uncles Husk and Angel are defending the hotel." Alastor's expression darkened at the mention of someone attacking the hotel, but he quickly composed himself. Turning to one of the Princes, Asmodeus, he instructed him to watch over Liliana, Aurora, and Alarik before hurrying off to find his wife.