The two mothers sat in a comfortable silence as the limo pulled into the hotel's parking lot. The two girls stepped out of the limo and went to grab the bags, only to find Alastor waiting for them with his trademark grin.
"Afternoon, ladies! I've been expecting you." He greeted with a bow. Harry couldn't help but tilt his head curiously at this new face.
"Oh, hi, Alastor." Charlie greeted with a smile. "We were just about to bring in the bags-"
"I wouldn't hear of it! Allow me to take this workload, ladies! Lunch is ready, and let me tell ya, the ladies went all out today! Special occasion and all."
"Aww, thank you, Alastor." Charlie said with a smile.
"Think nothing of it, ma'am!" Alastor replied as he opened the trunk. He looked inside and saw the massive bag before grinning at the princess. "Well I'll be! It's smaller than I expected!" Charlie pouted and looked away. Vaggie just smirked mirthfully. "You three go on to lunch. I'll have these to your room faster than Angel Dust on a muscular guy!"
"Thanks a lot, Alastor." Vaggie said gratefully. Alastor just nodded.
The other residents of the hotel were seated around the table, waiting for them. Baxter was going over the notes for his latest experiment. Niffty was humming cheerfully as she and Mimzy set the table. Angel Dust was once again trying to flirt with Husk. Crymini was sitting with a bored expression on her face, scratching behind her ear.
"Hi everybody! Having a good day off?" Charlie greeted cheerfully.
"I know I am." Husk replied with a nod, taking another swig of his drink.
"Husk, we told you to cut back on the drinking." Vaggie said sternly.
"I am! I'm only having one bottle a day!"
"The glass is taller than you."
"My point still stands."
Vaggie groaned and rubbed her temples, hoping to stave off the forming headache. "Husk..."
As Vaggie began to lecture Husk, Charlie made her way over to where Angel and Niffty were sitting, Harry held in her arms. Angel grinned as the child looked around curiously. "Well, well! The sleeping prince is finally awake!" Harry blinked and looked over at Angel curiosly, causing the spider demon to quirk a brow in amusement. "What's up?" Harry looked away shyly.
"S-Sorry..." Angel blinked in confusion before giving Charlie a questioning look.
"Oh, he's just really, really shy, Angel." Charlie rubbed Harry's head gently. "Don't worry, Harry. Angel's really nice!" 'When he wants to be.' She mentally added.
Angel waved a hand flippantly. "Eh, not really, but hey... I don't mess with kids, so ya don't gotta worry about that."
"Oh...Um...Okay..." Harry said softly before giving Angel another curious look. "Mr. Angel...?"
"Yeah, what's up?"
"Are...Are you a spider?" Angel grinned broadly.
"You better believe it! You're not scared of spiders, are ya?" Harry shook his head.
"No. Spiders are good. They eat up all the bad, mean bugs." He replied. Angel chuckled.
"Yeah, we're awesome like that. No bug on the planet that can outdo a spider. Sometimes they catch entire birds, ya know." Harry blinked.
"Wow! Really?"
"Oh yeah. Just ask Bax over there, he'll tell ya." Angel gestured to Baxter, who was still absorbed in his work. "And that's just normal, tiny spiders. I'm a demon spider, so I can take down some pretty big prey too. Hey...Ya wanna hear about the time I fought a monster?" Harry nodded his head eagerly.
As Angel told his story, Charlie was grinning from ear to ear as she watched the interactions between the child and the demon. Vaggie, who had just joined them,was also pleased with the way they interacted with one another, although she found herself dreading the day where she and Charlie would have to explain why Angel showed up at the hotel in a dress and started flashing the occupants. As she was in thought, suddenly she saw three plates set in front of her, Charlie and Harry.
"Heeere ya go! Mimzy and I worked EXTRA hard on it!" Niffty said with a wink, though with her one eye, it was hard to tell that that's what she was doing.
Charlie smiled at the one eyed demoness. "Aww, thank you, Niffty. Sorry about the kitchen earlier... I just...REALLY wanted to make a special breakfast for Harry." She said sheepishly.
"Aww, don't be silly! How can I be mad at that? I bet it was super good!"
Charlie opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Vaggie. "Angel, what did we say about weapons at the table?!" Indeed, the spider demon had six oversized guns, one in each hand.
"What? I needed some visual representation for my story."
"Drop...the...WEAPONS!" Harry's shadow snarled as it burst out from the boy's back. Angel scoffed, rolled his eyes and dropped the weapons, causing them to disappear on contact with the ground. "Fine... But yeah, those are the weapons I used to beat that big old bear!"
"Wow... That's really cool." Harry said with a smile. Angel shrugged.
"What can I say? I'm an awesome guy." And then, abruptly, he was shoved aside, as now Niffty wanted her turn to meet Harry.
"Hi! I'm your Auntie Niffty, and I do the cleaning and cooking around here! It's SUPER nice to meet you, Harry! You are SUCH a cutie! Ooh, I hope we get along super well! Mimzy and I made this lunch special to celebrate you being adopted, so I hooe you like it! A lot of time and love went into mmm mmm mmm mmm...mmm?" Vaggie was now covering the cyclops' mouth.
"Niffty, not so loud. You'll scare him. And you're also way too close."
"Oh, and apologize for shovin' me, while you're at it." Angel grumbled as he dusted himself off.
Niffty pouted and backed up. "Sorry... But Angel was hogging him and I wanted a turn too." Angel grumbled and rubbed his head.
"Um...Thank you for the food..." Harry said softly, which immediately got him a big hug from the cyclops.
"Awww, you're welcome! I hope you like it~!" She winked and backed off to eat her own lunch. Vaggie chuckled.
"All right, you've all waited long enough. Let's eat lunch, and then the rest of you can formally meet Harry, sound good?" Sounds of affirmation were heard, and everyone began to eat.
The hotel's staff kept their antics to a minimum as they ate. Partially to avoid scaring the timid child, partially to avoid invoking the wrath of his mothers. Those women were terrifying when angered. All throughout the meal, Charlie and Vaggie took turns spoonfeeding Harry and getting him to try the different dishes that had been prepared.
The meal was nice and cozy, but it ended soon enough, so now it was time for the introductions. "Okay! Harry's met Angel and Niffty..."
"So how about you let me be the next one to get to know the little tyke?"
"Eep!" Charlie squeaked as Alastor spoke behind her. The blonde pouted. "Alastor! Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"Sorry! That just never gets old! So, whattya say? Wanna introduce me?"
"Well, okay." Charlie agreed with a small smile. "Harry, this is Alastor." Harry looked up at the grinning deer demon.
"Pleased to meet ya, kiddo! How're ya liking your stay so far? It's the best rated hotel in all the land!" Harry tilted his head.
"Um...Hi, Mr. Alastor... Um...You're really happy... Um...Jf you don't mind me asking, how come?" Alastor laughed.
"Ah, who needs a reason to be happy? Let me tell ya something, sonny, you're never fully dressed without a smile! Hey, there's an idea! Let's see your smile! C'mon, kid, show the world how happy you are!" Harry blinked owlishly and hesitated for a few moments. Then, he smiled the best he could. "Heeey, there we go! That's a winning smile if ever I've seen one!" Harry's smile widened, and Charlie and Vaggie giggled. "Say now, why don't I show ya something cool?" Harry blinked.
"Something cool?" He asked.
"You got it, slugger!" Alastor nodded, and, with a quick flex of concentration, his body began to change. His hands became hooves, his antlers became larger and more pronounced, and he was now hairier and on all fours.
Harry's eyes widened at the sight. It was...a deer...
Wordlessly, as if in a trance, he reached out and began to pet the demonic deer. Alastor looked slightly taken aback at the child's innocence, but made no move to stop him.
Charlie and Vaggie exchanged a sad smile as they remembered a tidbit of Harry's old life... He had a plush deer as his one possession before having it ripped away from him...
Eventually, the interaction came to an end, as Alastor changed back to normal and patted Harry's head with a chuckle. "Well, aren't you a fine young lad? Buuut I can't hog all your time to myself now, can I? Sooo...Mimzy, how 'bout you meet him?"
"Well of course, hun." The singer replied, approaching the trio with a smile. "Hiya, cutie." She gave Harry's cheek a gentle pinch. "Ya likin' your new home?"
"Yes...Um...,It's really nice." Harry replied shyly, bringing a smile to the woman's face.
"Aww, glad you think so. We work hard to keep this a...nice enough place." She smiled at the two proud mothers. "You two are settling into parenthood perfectly. Even if Charlie did go on a bit of a shopping spree." Charlie groaned and hid behind her hair.
Vaggie rolls her eyes slightly. "Oooooh yeah. The funny thing is she still only spent less than a quarter of her life savings, which makes me question just how much money she actually has on standby..."
"Well, I mean... I didn't really feel the need to spend a lot when I lived with mother and daddy, so...my allowance money just kinda...piled up? Either way... Money well spent." She smiled at Harry fondly as he hugged his little plushie.
"Well, I don't doubt that!" Mimzy agreed with a smile before stepping forward to introduce herself. "Hiya, cutie. My name's Mimzy!"
"Oh...Um...Hi, Miss Mimzy..." Harry greeted politely yet shyly, waving his little hand in greeting. Mimzy giggled.
"Polite little guy, aint'cha? I'm thinkin' some of the other residents could learn a thing or two from you." She gave Angel a pointed look and got flipped off in response.
"Oh...Um...Thank you..." Harry said shyly. "It's good to be nice to people... Cause they'll...sometimes be nice back." His choice of words raised a few brows. Mimzy gave his head a pat.
"Aww, well, some people are just like that, hun. You can't please everyone. Some people just can't be satisfied, so it's important that you don't let them bring you down. They're just jealous of you." She winked as she said that last part.
Harry, somehow, felt a bit lighter inside at her encouragement. He looked up at her with a small smile. "Thank you..." He said softly. Mimzy's smile widened.
"No problem, hun." She said before returnjng to Alastor, who smiled and looped his arm through hers.
The next to step forward was Baxter, who was waving several beeping devices at Harry while glaring at the screens in focus. Vaggie sighed and massaged her temples. "What's the big experiment this time, Baxter?"
Baxter looked up. "Ah...Yes, well, I'd been wondering about the lad's shadow, so I put this device together to get a better read on it. However, now it's picking up something else within him, and I can't put my finger on what it is."
He showed them the screen revealing an outline of Harry with a ball of energy in his chest, right about where his heart would be. "I haven't the foggiest idea what this energy is, but I can tell you his body is producing it on its own." Several other demons peeked over his shoulders to take a look at the screen, and among them a few could faintly remember something similar, either during their time in Hell or during their life as humans.
"Oh...Um...Is it bad...?" Harry asked timidly. Baxter blinked.
"Oh, yes, how rude of me. Nice meeting you, m'boy, I'm Baxter. And to answer your question...no. Quite the opposite, in fact. This energy seems to radiate warmth and light. A stark but welcome contrast to the darkness your shadow gives off."
Harry tilted his head in confusion, not entirely sure what he had just been told. Charlie giggled. "Don't worry, sweetie. Mama doesn't really get all that sciencey talk either. But hey... He's the mad scientist we told you about."
"Oh yeah...He made something explode, right?" Harry asked. Baxter winced.
"It was only the eighth one this week..."
"And the fact that that's an improvement is unbelievably sad." Vaggie chipped in.
"Well, at the very least I've learned how to contain the explosions."
"Yeah, now they don't cause the whole damn building to go flying three feet in the air." Husk said gruffly.
"Ah, that rocket fuel was absolutely PERFECT." Baxter said with a fond smile. Harry was still confused, and Baxter cleared his throat. "Well, erm... Science is an acquired interest. Certainly not something everybody is going to be interested in. But if you have any questions about my work, I would be more than happy to answer them." Harry nodded.
"Thank you, Mr. Baxter..." Baxter smiled and stepped back. For a moment, no one stepped forth, until Alastor gave Husk a shove.
"Geez, all right, all right..." The cat-like demon grumbled. Then he took another swig, causing Charlie to glare and Vaggie to roll her eyes.
"Husk, why are you drinking in front of Harry?" Charlie asked in exasperation.
Husk looked down at the bottle in his hand. "Fine, fine..." He grumbled as he set the bottle down. "So uh...I'm Husk."
"Kitty?" Harry asked, tilting his head.
"Not by choice, that's for sure.
Charlie giggled and rubbed his head. "Aww, you like kitties, Harry?" She cooed. Harry nodded his head eagerly.
"Uh huh, sometimes I got to stay with Ms. Figg and she had lots of kitties. Really big and fluffy ones! Sometimes they were a little grumpy but they never scratched me."
Charlie looked at Husk with a massive grin on her face. "Grumpy cats?" Husk glared at her.
"I'm not frikkin' Grumpy Cat, woman." He said gruffly. "Crymini's got ya too into that new, over fancy internet nonsense..."
"Aww, but you're just a grumpy kitty!" Charlie teased.
"Crap like this is why." Husk retorted.
"Husky! You should show Harry a magic trick!"
Charlie felt Harry flinch slightly at the word 'magic' in her arms and looked down at him with a small, worried frown. She'd...have to ask about that later...
Husk, for his part, was about to protest, when he noticed Vaggie giving him a stern look. Rolling his eyes, he straightened up and pulled out a pack of cards. He shuffled the deck with one hand, still looking annoyed, but when he saw Harry beginning to look enthralled, his brow quirked slightly. The feline held the shuffled cards out to the child.
"All right, kid, go on and pick a card."
"Oh, um... Which one...?"
"Doesn't matter. Any one's fine." Harry nodded his head, and carefully picked out the Queen of Hearts. "All right, now remember that card there... Look at it closely... Got it memorized?" Harry nodded. "All right, now put it back." Harry nodded and did as he was told. Husk began to shuffle the cards at a blinding speed. "All right, your name's Harry, so that's five cards for five letters..." Husk flicked four cards off the top of the deck before holding up the Queen of Hearts. "This your card?"
Harry's eyes widened. "Y-Yes...!" He says with wonder. "You got it right...! How...?" Husk chuckled.
"A good magician never reveals his secrets." Harry clapped his hands and Husk chuckled. It had been a while since he had last done magic solely for the purpose of entertaining. Usually it was used for cons and swindles.
"Ya liked that? Here's another one." He took out a penny. "See this?" He put the penny in his palm and covered it with his other hand. And when he lifted his hand, the penny was gone. Harry blinked.
"Huh? Where did the money go?" Husk shrugged.
"Who can say? Maybe it's...I dunno...Right here?" He reached over and took the penny out from behind Harry's ear.
"Wow! I didn't even feel it!" Husk smirked.
"That's magic. Huh... I got something in my hat. Lemme check that real quick..." He pulled off his hat and reached inside, pulling out a small white rabbit-like demon.
"Wha-How-Dammit, again with this?!" The demon snapped at Husk.
"How'd ya get in my hat there, Frank?" Husk asked with a wide grin.
"Just put me down, ya jackass!"
"All right, lemme get your ride ready." Husk pulled out a handkerchief and threw it into the air, causing it to turn into a large white dive that swooped down and carried Frank off.
"DAMN IT HUSK, I HATE YOOOOOOOOU!" The rabbit yelled as it was carried off.
Harry was clapping enthusiastically, and Husk chuckled before patting his head. "Y'know, you're okay, kid. You're the first one in a while to appreciate the classics. All these other demons just want all those fancy flashy lights and colours..." Husk shook his head and stepped back as Crymini stepped forward with a smirk.
"So I take it you guys haven't let him outta your sight once since you got him, eh?"
Charlie pouted and tightened her hold on Harry. "And we plan to keep it that way."
"Yeah, we're new moms, so...that's natural." Crymini shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Man you guys are gonna be smothering... It's not like he can't take of himself, y'know. I mean really, who's stupid enough to mess with a giant shadow snake that looks like it can rip a tank to shreds?" The spotted canine crouched down to get a better look at the child, who winced slightly.
"H-H-Hi, Miss Puppy..." Crymini blinked and stuck out her tongue.
"Blech! Miss Puppy? C'mon, little guy, I'm not old and crusty like Husk over there." Husk shot her a death glare. "How about you call me Crymini, or Mini?"
"Okay Ci...Cry...Crimy... Um... Mini." Harry couldn't quite pronounce her full name, so he settled with Mini, causing her to grin.
"Ah, ya get the hang of bigger words eventually." She said with a shrug.
"Thank you Mini... You're a nice puppy... Not like the other ones at my aunt's house...They were big mean bulldogs..."
"Well, I'm definitely no bulldog. Guess dalmatians are nicer, eh?" Harry smiled softly and reached out with his hand, gently rubbing her head. Despite trying not to enjoy it, Crymini's tail began to wag back and forth. "...I am not living this down, am I?" She said mirthfully. Harry stopped.
"Oh...Sorry..." Crymini chuckled.
"Y'know you remind me of my little bro. Before...Y'know...I came here."
"Didn't you have, like, twelve little brothers?" Vaggie asked.
"Yeah, that was a pain in the neck, but hey...Gotta appreciate the quiet ones, right?" She nuzzled Harry slightly, and he giggled and hugged her head.
"Charlie, I think we have our go-to babysitter." Vaggie said with a small smirk. Charlie nodded with a grin. Crymini's ears perked up.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure, I can do that. Not like I have anything better to do."
"Yep, that's a part of why we asked you specifically." Vaggie replied, smirking slightly.
Harry then interrupted the scene with a soft yawn, causing Charlie to giggle. "Aww, looks like someone's a little tuckered out." She stood with Harry in her arms and leaned in to kiss Vaggie's cheek. "I'm just gonna take him up to our room for a nap, okay, sweetie?"
"Okay, babe." Vaggie replied with a nod, quickly giving Harry a kiss on the forehead. "Have a good nap, kiddo."
"Thank you, mommy..." Harry mumbled sleepily. Charlie smiled as he nestled in closer to her, entirely at ease and content.
"Aww, let's get you into some of your new PJs, okay, honey?" She cooed as she carried him of. Vaggie watched them go with a fond smile, then turned to see everyone looking at her.
"...Okay...What do you wanna know?"
"Well, first of all, how'd the kid kick the bucket?" Angel asked. Vaggie clenched her fists.
"Well, his family was...REALLY abusive. So abusive that he...he couldn't take it... So...So he..." She fell into silence, but she really didn't need to say anything else. The others got the point.
Angel Dust narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. Alastor actually frowned and narrowed his eyes. Mimzy clapped a hand over her mouth and gasped. Niffty stood with her jaw hanging open in disbelief. Baxter looked up from his devices with wide eyes. Husk's ears pressed against his head and he gritted his teeth. Crymini let out a feral growl and clenched her fists.
The demons all began speaking at once, each one expressing their rage. None of them would ever, under any circumstances, condone harming a child, any child, much less a sweet one like Harry.
"All right, all right, everyone settle down, one at a time!" Vaggie barked, silencing the angry chorus.
"...What are the names of those scumbags? I'll tear 'em to pieces when they get down here." Crymini snarled, cracking her knuckles.
"They're in for some REAL hell when I get my hands on 'em." Angel chipped in.
Baxter grinned and rubbed his hands together. "I'll finally have the perfect guinea pigs for my big project." He said.
Vaggie smirked slightly before shaking her head. "That's not important right now. The important thing is that Harry's been through a lot, and he needs help getting over it all. He was out there on his own for two weeks when he first got here... Charlie and I are counting on you guys. We need your help to make sure he can...finally be happy..."
Mimzy, seeing the woman about to cry, stepped forward and gave her a hug. "Honey, you don't even have to ask us." She assured her.
"Yeah! I mean, we're already one big happy disfunctional family! What's one more?!" Niffty agreed enthusiastically.
"Yep, he's a good kid. I can get used to having him around." Angel said with a shrug.
"You bet your pretty little head we'll help out!" Alastor agreed. "The boy won't even remember what it's like to be sad when we're done with him!"
The others chipped in their affirmations, and Vaggie smiled.
"Thanks, you guys... You're the best..."
Back upstairs, Charlie had Harry dressed in some blue footed pajamas that she thought looked adorable on him, and tucked into bed up to his tiny chin. "There...All nice and comfy." She said with a small smile.
"Um...Mama...? Do you have to go back downstairs...?" Harry asked timidly. Charlie tilted her head and smiled.
"Awww, you want mama to stay until you fall asleep, sweetie?" She cooed. Harry nodded his head slowly.
"Yes please...If it's okay..." Charlie giggled.
"Who can say no to that little face? Sure!" The princess took a seat on the bed next to her newly adopted son and ran her fingers through his hair gently, humming a soft tune in an attempt to lull him to sleep.
Soon enough, Harry's soft snores were heard throughout the room. Charlie giggled softly and kissed his temple. "Sleep tight, honey." She cooed, stroking his hair. She quietly plugged in the night light she bought, then tiptoed out of the room, making sure to securely lock the door behind her so no one could get in. Just as she was about to turn around, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and saw some familiar white hair out of the corner of her eye. She smiled and turned to look at her lover.
"Hi, sweetie."
"Heh. Hey to you too, babe." The two exchanged a kiss.
"Harry's fast asleep. I guess the shopping tired him out." Charlie said fondly.
"That and he's about two weeks behind on a good night's sleep." Vaggie replied. "I have everyone else all caught up, and they're out for blood now. So...His family is in for a horrible time when they get down here."
Charlie clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes. "...Vaggie... Before anyone lays a finger on that monster... I want to have words with him." She said in a cold tone of voice.
Vaggie squeezed her shoulder gently to calm her down. "Of course you'll get the chance. We just need to be sure to keep an eye out for him... Maybe if we put a bounty on his head... No way he can hide with all of hell looking for him."
Charlie sighed softly and smileed before realizing something. "He's gonna have to meet my parents at some point. Oooh, I hope that goes well..."
"Well, your dad's a big goofball, so he's no problem. And your mom will come around. She always does eventually."
Charlie giggled softly. "I just hope mother doesn't decide to...toughen him up..." Charlie's relationship with her mother was strained for the longest time because her mother was terrified that her naivete and eccentricities would get her killed down in hell and she it took a while for her to accept that she knew what she was doing.
"If it comes down to it... we'll lay down the law with your mother." Charlie sighed and rubbed her face, her relationship with her mom was just starting to get better. Vaggie sighs and gives her one last squeeze, "Come on, lets go check on Baxter's latest mess and make sure it actually got cleaned up."