Partners in Crime

17: The Story

Lucifer's POV

We walk through the streets of New Orleans. I hold Charlie's hand as she looks at everything in awe. Alastor makes a beeline to the flower shop. He buys a beautiful bouquet, consisting of light purple roses and white freesias. After the flower shop, we stop by Rosie's. She gives him a hug and a few words of encouragement. He thanks her and we leave. Charlie likes her. She likes anyone really, as long as they don't hurt the ones she loves.

We walk to the graveyard. Alastor stops for a moment and takes a deep breath. I look up at him and give him a soft smile.

"I'm right here if you need me. Just look my way and I'll come right over. Okay?" He nods and gives me a short kiss. He walks a few yards away before stopping at his mother's gravestone.

I look down at Charlie. Her face starts showing that she's understanding what's going on. She frowns and her eyes filled with tears, a few escaping. She wipes them away with her sleeve. Her hand slips out of mine.

I look back at Alastor, who's on his knees, talking to his mother quietly. The bouquet lays in front of the gravestone. The silence in the air threatens for me to start crying too. Although I may not know Alastor's mother, I can see she was someone he cared for very much. I just know she was a kind and beautiful soul. Charlie starts walking towards Alastor. I don't try to stop her. I watch her. She reaches Alastor and he looks at her. He gives her a soft smile. She hugs him, she plants her face in his chest. Alastor hugs her back. My heart right now. Alastor looks at me and I start walking towards him. He shifts so he holds Charlie with one arm. I sit on the opposite side of him and hold his hand. I rub my thumb against it. I notice a tear run down his cheek and onto the grass beneath us. We all stay silent. All we need is the calming sound of nature around us. I rest my head on his arm. We stay like this for a while. I hear Alastor take a few deep breaths. He stands up, carrying Charlie, so I stand up with him.

"Farewell, Ma. I'll see you next year." Another tear leaves his eye. I reach up and place my hand on his face and wipe the teardrop away with my thumb, standing on my toes a little bit. He looks at me with a soft smile. He leans down and plants his lips on mine. I feel his mother's presence next to us. I look to my left and there she is. A transparent woman smiles at us. She's from Heaven. Curly hair and a bit shorter than Alastor. Her halo floats above her head.

"What is it, Lucifer?"

"I can see her. You have a very beautiful mother, Al. She looks so kind."

"She was very kind, such a sweetheart. I wish I could see her for again. Even just for a small moment." I think for a moment. I look at Alastor's mother, then back at Al. Hmm. I could-

Lightbulb moment.

"I think I can arrange that... I might be able to pull a few strings."

"Really?!"

"I know you don't like Azrael very much, but he's able to play around with a few things in Heaven."

"I wanna meet Papa's mother!" Charlie squeals. She gasps. "Does that make her my grandmother?!"

"Charlie, we aren't marrie-" I say before she cuts me off. She's just excited and overjoyed.

"I'm going to have the best grandma ever!" She shoots her arms straight up in the air. I sigh as Alastor chuckles. Alastor's mother laughs a little too. This child. She hugs Alastor's neck. "I love you, Papa." Al looks at me a little worried. I tilt my head. His mothers awes at the sight.

'What do I do?' He mouths to me.

'What do you mean 'what do I do'?' I mouth back.

'I don't know! I'm not used to children loving me. Much less thinking of me as a father figure!'

'Say it back!'

"I... love you too, Charlie." She squeals and hugs his neck tighter. "Too tight dear. Too tight."

"Sorry." She loosens her arms. "When can we see your mother?" Alastor looks at me. I need to give Azrael a call.

~Time Skip~

One long walk and a phone call later, we lay on the couch in my living room. Azrael says he'll be here with Alastor's mother in 30 minutes to an hour. Charlie is coloring on the floor. I lay on my stomach between Alastor legs. I stare into his pretty eyes. He plays with my hair as he stares back at me. I love it when he plays with my hair. Imagine if he was pulling it as he is ramming- ack no! No no no. I shake the thought away. I feel my face heating up.

"Why the sudden blush?" Alastor asks.

"N-No reason." I can see he's curious but he doesn't pry into it. He gives a simple hum and continues playing with my hair. "Is your mother going to hate me? Because of who I am?"

"She doesn't have the ability to hate anyone, dear. Doesn't matter who you are." He brushes some hair out of my face. That's what Father said before He casted me down to Hell. I lay the side of my face on his chest, looking at Charlie coloring on the floor. A couple pictures are already done. One is all three of us holding hands. Charlie in the middle of Al and I. Red hearts litter that page. One big red heart above Charlie in the middle. I smile to myself at her drawings. She looks around her, then gets up and runs away. Must need another color she didn't bring out.

"How... How did she die? Wait!" I lift my head and face him. "Don't answer that. I know it's a tough subject. I'm sorry."

"I'll tell you dear. Don't be sorry. You're just curious." He takes a deep breath. "Where do I start? Well. My father wasn't the best father out there. I wouldn't say the worst but most definitely not the best. When he'd get off from work and back home, he would get really drunk. And when he's drunk, he lashes out. One day, about 7 years ago, I came back home and he was home early. She was..." He gulps. "Stabbed, multiple times. With a large kitchen knife. I'll just say that my father was my first murder. I rushed my mother to the hospital. I was told they'll take care of her. A few days later, I got the call."

"Al. I'm so sorry." I hug him.

"Are you...crying, dear?"

"No, y-you're crying." I wipe my eyes. Now his shirt is wet. That's okay. He chuckles dryly and pets my head. "It's just so sad. She was a good soul and died so young. She didn't deserve any of that."

"You're right, she didn't." He places a finger on my chin and lifts my head up. "But she's in a better place now."