Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Misdirection of Energy

“Face it, Toots, you’re not on the same level as Papa Diablo.  You really should be asking him for help.  Hell, even Smiles could do a better job!” Angel Dust said from his place hiding behind the couch. Fire extinguisher clutched in two of his hands as he watched the demoness in front of him struggling.

“I know that!  That’s why I need to practice, and the book, I also need the book,” Charlie countered, gesturing with the book.  Her hair singed and sticking to her sweaty forehead.

The young demoness who managed the Hazbin Hotel was kneeling in front of a coffee table in the parlour with her grimoire in front of her, as well as a collection of herbs, candles, rocks and potions.  Charlie was trying to review a complicated and delicate spell that she had not looked at since high school.  It was to project someone’s memories within the circle she had set.  She reasoned that this way a sinner can review their sins and work towards their redemption, creating a more tailored plan to help them achieve their goals.

Unfortunately, Angel Dust was right.  She was not on the same level as her father, Lucifer or even her facilities manager, Alastor.  Both of whom could have finished the spell by now without the pyromancy that she seemed to invoke.  Everything on an incantation had to precise and perfect, and if one thing was out of place then the whole thing would fail.  And she had failed multiple times already.  So far, Charlie had set the bar, three tables, a couch, and several parts of the carpet on fire, not to mention several of the sinners in the hotel.  That was why Angel was there, with a fire extinguisher on hand.  Everyone had had a shift as Charlie tried and failed to get the spell right.

“Oh Charlie, Darling, are you still attempting this little spell of yours?  How many fires have we needed to put out so far?  Eight?  Nine?” came the silky smooth, radio distorted, transatlantic voice of the Radio Demon, Alastor, as he materialised from the shadows next to Angel.  His grin fixed on his face as he looked over the remnants of the Charlie’s attempt at spellcasting.

“Fuck you, Alastor!  At least I’m trying!  What have you done recently to help with anything, even though you said you were here to help?  I really don’t need your condescension on my spellmanship!” Charlie countered, her frustration bubbling to the surface as she flung her arms wildly.

Both Angel and Charlie were expecting Alastor to respond sarcastically, or to simple walk away, continuing to whatever destination he was heading out before.  Instead, Alastor did something that shocked both of them.  He turned towards the coffee table and looked at the arrangement with a critical eye.  Alastor gave a quiet hum and then moved a few things this way or that way.  Each were moved barely a centimetre, but the energy completely changed, and it began to flow in the correct direction around the table.

“What?  How?  What did you do?” Charlie asked, confusion etched on her face as she felt the magic flowing.

“My dear, not all my powers are demonic.  Some required decades of study and skill to master.  And this, this is very similar to my practices, even the way this book is presented is very similar to the book that I inherited and know inside out.  You merely had not aligned the flow of the magicks, you were blocking them at every point, and they needed a way to expel the energy.  Hence, the combustion.  You are still missing something though, so the spell will not work, yet” Alastor answered, barely looking up from the circle as he continued to move things a little here or there.

“Did your wife know about these ‘practices’?  And was she a practitioner too?” Angel asked, with a snarky smile, causing Alastor to freeze.

Ever since they had all found out that Alastor was married in life, and more shockingly, actually cared for his wife, they had all been trying to get more information out of him.  Angel had especially taken it on as his personal mission to find out every detail he could.  Much to the annoyance of the infamous Radio Demon, who did not want it spread around hell that he could have tender feelings for anyone, alive or dead.

Angel had been warned several times to stop pushing Alastor.  Husk was getting very concerned, as he knew what Alastor’s wrath could be and he did not want Angel to end up lost in the radio waves, being tortured for all eternity.  Unfortunately, the spider demon kept pushing.  He used every opportunity to ask Alastor about his wife, Elizabeth.  He had even gone back to Mimzy to ask more questions, but didn’t get anything useful.  The old flapper seemed to have a deep-seated hatred for the young woman who became Alastor’s wife and Angel knew to take everything that she had told him with a pinch of salt.

They were all pretty sure that Alastor’s wife, Elizabeth, wasn’t as big as a house.  And that she wasn’t so boring that watching paint dry was preferable, Alastor always said how much he craved entertainment so Elizabeth must have been entertaining to him.  They were also sure that she could carry a tune and could dance to a beat, as Alastor loved both of those things so much that there was no way he would marry someone who wasn’t also musically inclined, even just a little.  Angel had realised quite quickly that all of Mimzy’s complaints about Elizabeth seemed to be due to her jealousy, it was obvious that she was infatuated with Alastor and sore that he had not chosen her, even when they were in hell together.

Then Angel and Charlie had gotten the idea to go to Cannibal Town to ask Rosie if she knew anything, as her and Alastor were friends.  The friendly Overlord had invited the two in for tea and finger sandwiches, with real fingers, and a chat.  It was all going rather pleasantly with Charlie making small talk and trying to steer the conversation in the direction of their living lives, until Angel blurted out if Rosie knew anything about Alastor’s wife.

“Pardon?  Did you say, wife?  As in, Mrs?  Alastor had a wife!  And he didn’t tell me!” Rosie screeched, deafening Angel and Charlie as the room turned red, looking like blood was running down the walls as her anger seeped over.

That had been a day when they all thought Alastor might end Angel.  For Rosie, who was really pissed off that Alastor had not told her that he had been married in life, marched up to the hotel to yell at Alastor, followed by Angel and Charlie who were trying to calm the situation.  It would have been hilarious if it wasn’t so terrifying.  Alastor had looked like a deer in the headlights as Rosie unloaded on him.  No one had ever seen Rosie in her full demon form, as she preferred to do business in a more pleasant way compared to the other Overlords.  But, seeing her suddenly ten foot tall, with bloody claws, teeth and black glowing eyes had sent fear into the other residents of the hotel.

Once Rosie had been calmed down, with a lot of gin and promises of information, Alastor had rounded on Angel.  The spider had fled for his life, dodging shadows as he did.  He had not reappeared at the hotel until after he knew Alastor had taken Rosie back to Cannibal Town.  And only after assurances from every resident of the hotel that he would be protected from harm from the sadistic Overlord once he returned.  Alastor didn’t return for the rest of the afternoon or the evening.  He spent the entire day with Rosie, giving her all the information he was willing to share, and returned to the hotel looking homicidal.

After that, everyone had hoped that Angel had learned his lesson.  He had not though.  He had gone to Cannibal Town the next day to ask Rosie what Alastor had told her once they left and then compare notes over several gin and tonics.  So far, they had exactly the same information, and it was minimal.  It seemed that Alastor had tried to placate Rosie with as little details as possible to get her off his back, and it seemed to have riled Angel up even more.

Every time that Angel got any new information, he would collate it and add it to his investigation board that he had named ‘Mrs Radio Demon Board’, that he had written in giant sparkly pink letters.  It was a white board that police used to pin up their information about serial killers, he had gotten the idea from a killer/cop porno that he had filmed a few weeks ago where he was the killer and was fucked up against the board.  He had even divided his information into categories; information from different people and from Alastor himself.  Everything was colour coded by information source, with sting linking ideas and questions doted here and there.

Currently the board was sitting behind Husk’s bar, much to the annoyance of Alastor.  It had been in Angel’s room, but he had brought it down during his last presentation of facts to the rest of the hotel staff and he had yet to move it back.  Husk had asked him to move the board several times, concerned that Alastor was going to start blaming him for the mere presence of the offending item, but the sadistic Overlord had yet to really show his displeasure.  The lack of vengeance had seemingly encouraged Angel to keep going and to keep it within reach of anyone who wanted to add something.

So far, a few of the residents of the hotel had added to the board.  Vaggie had been having an argument with some sinner about his racist remarks against her, and Alastor had used one of his shadow tentacles to rip him apart, muttering about how his wife had been called a ‘mixed breed witch’ several times.  Vaggie had added that information to the board that day.  Another day, Husk had been standing at the bar when a new resident had made comments about ‘big, blue eyes and Alastor had commented that only brown eyes could work on him.  That titbit got added to the physical description of Elizabeth.  Then Nifty had dropped the bombshell that Alastor had a photo of himself when he was human with a very pretty girl in his pocket watch, holding up the pocket watch and showing everyone.

The picture was a black and white photo that looked like it was taken at a party.  It had both Alastor and who they assumed was Elizabeth, standing holding glasses of champagne as they smiled at each other.  And they all agreed that Alastor was looking at this woman as if she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.  Angel took the watch, ran upstairs to Charlie’s office and made a copy of the photo.  He gave Nifty the pocket watch back, telling her to return it, while he pinned the photo on the back of the board so Alastor couldn’t see it.

The board was sitting behind the bar while Charlie attempted this spell.  It had been singed slightly during the last explosion, but none of the information had been damaged.  Angel was relieved that the board survived Charlie’s spellcasting, as he had been working on that board for months, at great threat to his personal safety.

“Well now, if you’ll excuse me, one more thing is actually needed to complete this circle fully.  I shall be right back,” Alastor explained, ignoring Angel and putting one of his handkerchiefs down to keep some of the herbs together.  He then turned on his heels and started back towards the front door.

“It’s always creepy when he helps,” Angel said, looking towards the coffee table and then to Charlie, who was looking directly at him with an unimpressed look, “What?”

“You know ‘what’, you really need to leave this alone.  One of these days he’s really gonna be mad at you, and we won’t be able to stop him,” Charlie said, pointing in the direction that Alastor just disappeared in.

“You’re telling me you’re not the least bit curious about her?  And what kinda relationship she had with Smiles?  I mean, how different could he have been to actually get a woman to marry him!” Angel exclaimed, also pointing in the direction of Alastor.

“Of course I am!  She could be the way to get him redeemed!  I mean, if he loved her then he does have love in his heart!  But it was really common to have arranged marriages back then, especially wealthy people and Alastor strikes me that he was wealthy, it might have just been that” Charlie reasoned, folding her arms and shrugging her shoulders.

“Nu-huh, Toots!  They had a secret relationship!  He proposed and they got married in less than week, maybe even eloped!  And her family disowned her cause of it!  I got that from Rosie!  And, and she was hot!  I got that from Rosie too!  Mimzy was just jealous when she called her dowdy, but Rosie said that she had a great figure, I mean you saw that picture!  She was an absolute fox!  And, and, and!  Rosie told me that they couldn’t keep their hands off each other!  Smiles didn’t tell her that, she read between the lines,” Angel explained, ticking off the information on his fingers.

That was when both Husk and Vaggie walked in, chatting about something until they saw the looks on their friend’s faces.  Both walked closer, looking over the table, and seeing the spell set up correctly and feeling the energy in the room.  Though neither noticed the argument that was happening between Charlie and Angel Dust.

“You figured it out!” Vaggie exclaimed, throwing her arms around her girlfriend’s neck joyously.

“Nope, Al did,” Charlie replied, popping the ‘p’, sounding disappointed that she couldn’t do it.

“Well, he does have all that voodoo, finally came in handy for something,” Husk said, plopping himself down and trying not to feel uncomfortable looking at all the sorcery set out in front of him.  Alastor’s magic made him uncomfortable; despite growing up in Las Vegas around magicians, he would never be comfortable with voodoo.

“So, can we just start?” Angel asked, grabbing old of the matches that would light the candle in the centre of the circle.

Before Charlie could tell him no, that they still needed one more ingredient to help with the projections, Angel had struck the match and lit the candle.  She looked at it horrified, as the full spell was not fully cast yet Angel had just started it.

For a few seconds nothing happened.  The four demons just watched as the candle burned with a yellow flame, casting off a smell of sage and hickory.  Each were holding their breath, waiting.

“Well, looks like Smiles ain’t as all-knowing as he thinks he is,” Angel said with a smirk.

Then the energy in the room changed and the candle lame changed colour from yellow to blue to purple and then to black.  The air was suddenly sucked from the room as a wind picked up, swirling around them like a tornado.

“What the fuck is happening!?” cried Husk, grabbing hold of Angel who had flung himself backwards.

“I don’t know!” Charlie yelled, grabbing her grimoire, trying to find out what was happening, as Vaggie took hold of her and pulled her down to the floor.

The winds were changing colour, with flashes of some sort of light, and were picking up speed.  There was little air in the middle, causing the four demons to panic, desperately clinging to their necks as they struggled to breath.

“Do something!” Angel rattled out, all eight of his eyes tearing as he felt his lungs on fire.

“I don’t know what to do!” Charlie cried, before being thrown down, the winds whipping her hair around.

Vaggie tried to extend her wings, trying to fly out of the winds, only to be pulled down constantly.  She was then sent whirling around, barely understanding which way was up as the others screamed and tried to grab her.

It was no use though; the winds were picking up more speed and they were getting lightheaded due to the lack of air.  They needed to get out, but they couldn’t, the wind had started to knock them down, throwing them around.

“Fuck!” yelled Husk, as his wings were filled with a forceful gust, and he took off.  Angel tried his hardest to keep him on the ground, but he was lifted with Husk.

The two demons were caught in the whirlwind of light and colours.  Vaggie tried to make a grab for them, only to be thrown into Charlie, knocking her off her feet and into the cyclone.

They were screaming, yelling and trying to grab each other, doing anything to keep together and get out of the whirlwind.  It continued to pick up speed, the lights changing and opening up flashes of pictures, of people dancing, of bursts of red, of a steadily approaching dusk.

Then, the colours of the dusk enveloped them all, blinding them as the light got brighter and brighter.  They all had to close their eyes, losing complete understanding of anything around them until the winds stopped and they all dropped to the ground.

All four gasped for air, filling their lungs as much as they could and practically kissing the solid ground that was beneath them.  Both Husk and Vaggie, gagged and vomited, their wings had caused them to spin uncontrollably in the whirlwind.

Charlie was instantly by her girlfriend’s side, dropping her grimoire as she went.  She flung her arms around her, trying to stabilise her while Angel stood up and looked around, confused about everything that he was seeing.

“Um, guys, I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore,” Angel said, wide-eyed as he looked around the trash strewn alley.

Chapter Text

An Invitation

“So, um, where are we?” Angel asked, getting to his feet and looking around before letting out a loud gasp.

He wasn’t the only one, bur both Husk and Charlie had gasped in complete and utter shock while Vaggie was deathly silent. Around the three demons and one fallen angel, was what looked like a park, complete with green trees, blooming bushes and fragrant flowers. Bees and butterflies bounced merrily between the vibrant plants, their buzzing adding to the sweet music of birds and happy chatter that was just out of the eyesight. The air, while hot and humid, was nothing compared to what it had been like in Hell. There was no smell of rotting flesh or the sickly stickiness of putrefying body parts, this air smelt fresh and fragrant, pleasant but heavy, like it was due for a rainstorm in the imminent future.

But what seemed to have dumbfounded the group, Charlie especially, was the clear, blue sky. The sun was starting to dip towards the horizon, and other colours had begun to appear. It didn’t take away from the truly breathtaking blue that was spread above them. Both Husk and Angel Dust were shedding silent tears at the sight. They had almost forgotten what a blue sky looked like, while Charlie had never seen a real blue sky before. The only sky she had seen was in Hell, which was red and the fluffy clouds of Heaven. She had only seen a blue sky in the picture books her mother had given her as a child. Those could not accurately capture the beauty above her, especially as it was staring to darken to a spectrum of colours.

“Are… are we… are we on Earth?” Angel eventually asked, his many eyes still fixed on the darkening sky.

“I haven’t seen anything like this in fifty years,” Husk whispered, afraid to break whatever spell had been cast, “I forgot how beautiful it all was. Fuck, did the sky always have that many colours?”

“I… I think we’ve been transported to, um… somewhere and sometime on Earth,” Charlie answered, her eyes watery as she finally looked at her friends.

“Sometime?” Vaggie asked, quirking her eyebrow.

“What do you mean, ‘sometime’?” asked Husk, also quirking his eyebrow and finally tearing his eyes away from the sky.

“I, well, I don’t think we’re in present times right now, it doesn’t feel like today, you know? It feels… off?” Charlie answered nervously, looking around, trying to find evidence for her gut feeling.

There would have been a longer discussion about her gut feelings, but the sounds of approaching hoofbeats and chatter had the obvious group of otherworldly creatures diving for cover. The four took off running towards a large shed next to a tall wall, knocking over benches and trash cans, and causing a resounding clatter to echo through the mostly quiet park. This had a ripple effect of making drawing the horses towards them quickly, who turned out to be police horses with officers riding them. They tried to run again, aiming for the exit, only to come up short, tripping over each other and comically falling onto the street. They were almost hit by a trolley car as they scrambled across the road into an alleyway.

“Shit! What the fuck are we gonna do? We look like something from a nightmare!” Husk growled, catching his breath and inhaling the smell of rotting garbage. At least that smelled more familiar.

“Wait! Wait! Wait!” Charlie called, quickly flicking through the pages of her old grimoire, trying to find something specific, “Here, ‘glamours’! I can enchant us so that everyone sees someone else, a human,” her excitement was not as contagious as she hoped, they had all dealt with her attempts at sorcery, “Just, um, concentrate really hard on what you looked like, when you were alive, and the charm should do the rest.”

Angel and Husk looked at each other, unsure and worried, while Vaggie scrunched her eyes closed. She hadn’t died or been alive, she was created to serve in Adam’s army. All she could do was hope Charlie was inept enough to conjure something from nothing. The three followed her instructions, hoping for the best, hearing the mild incantation being punctuated by echoing footsteps of heels. And they were coming closer. Angel urged Charlie to hurry, getting admonished by Vaggie.

“Alright!” Charlie said just as another voice cut through the scene.

“Hello? I saw what happened with the trolley. Is everyone okay?” the person who approached asked, concerned and not fearful being the presence of several demons and fallen angel.

“Um, yeah, yeah, we’re fine, just a bit shocked, you know, new place and all,” Charlie rambled, gesturing around.

The approaching woman cooed, checking they were all okay and giving them all a chance to look at her while she curiously looked them over. She tilted her head and squinted her eyes, as if she was trying to look at something they couldn’t see, and it made Charlie stress that she had messed up the glamours. But then she relaxed, as if she had decided that whatever it was must have been a trick of the light or something similar and smiled at them.

The young woman was tall and well-dressed, her clothes were obviously well-made, and she wore them confidently. She wore wide leg trousers, with a high waist and a tucked in blouse, all in neutral colours and carrying a leather satchel. She had a lightly tanned skin tone with freckles in so many places and few bruises clearly visible in different places, marring the pretty skin. Her hair was long and a shiny mahogany in the sunlight, curling a little. Her make-up looked light except for the deep berry colour on her lips. In short, she was beautiful, smiling at them all with kind, brown eyes.

And she looked so familiar to Angel, but he just couldn’t place her. He wanted to ask everyone else if they recognised her too, but he didn’t get a chance. Her and Charlie were chatting so animatedly that he couldn’t get a word in. He did catch Husk’s eyes, the dark brown on the smooth mahogany skin distracting Angel from his thoughts momentarily. When he had recovered, he found Husk looking between him and the woman as well, as if he recognised her but couldn’t place her either.

“So, you’re visiting?” the woman asked, looking between them all. “Where’s your luggage?”

“We got robbed! We just got in today and we were robbed. Yeah, took everything,” Angel said before anyone else could try to give any other explanation.

“And that’s why you’re in the Halloween costumes?” asked the woman, a look of understanding passing over her pretty face, “Oh, you poor things. Well, don’t you worry ‘bout nothing. I live a few houses down, and y’all are welcome to stay with me and my husband until you get everything sorted.”

“Um, thank you, but we, um, we really couldn’t-”

“Be more grateful to you, ma’am, that is really friendly of you!” interjected Husk before Charlie could insult the Southern hospitality they had just been blessed with.

“Where are y’all from?” the woman asked, as she led them down the street.

“Um, we’re from up North, mostly. I’m from New York,” Angel answered, looking towards Husk and Charlie, hoping they would back him up.

The woman began chatting as she led them from the alleyway and onto the streets. The streetlights were beginning to turn on, the sky still darkening, but the streets were still full of people going about their business. They got several startled, strange looks from the passersby, all well-dressed and wealthy looking. There were whispers, mean words about the way they looked, their clothes, their skin tones, yet they still bowed their heads respectfully when their sweet tour guide gave them a look. She was obviously someone who was respected within the wealthy, upper-class neighbourhood they found themselves in. Otherwise, they would not look past her obvious biracial heritage.

While Angel and Charlie were talking to the young woman, Husk and Vaggie were taking note of everything around them, whispering between each other. Husk informed Vaggie that they were in a Southern state of the United States, possibly Mississippi or Louisianna, though he was more inclined to guess Louisianna. He could hear French more than anything else, and the wealthy street had a mixture of Spanish and French architecture. And, he was more than certain they had been transported back to either the late 1920s or early 1930s. The waistlines were higher in the women with dropped hemlines, but the fabrics still looked rich, but that might be because of the area rather than the time period. They would have to keep an eye open for more information.

“Oh, I love New York! My husband took me there for our honeymoon!” the woman exclaimed, smiling at Angel and leading them up the steps of a beautiful and large townhouse. She opened the door and gesturing for them all to enter, inviting them in.

“That’s great. Did you enjoy it?” Angel asked, looking around the luxurious house and seeing the astonished looks on his companions’ faces.

“Oh, it was amazing! I hope to go back for a longer visit, if he can get the time off work,” the woman replied, opening a drink’s cabinet and taking out glasses and a bottle of dark liquor, “I’m Elizabeth, Elizabeth Delacour, but you can call me Lizzy. Everyone does,” Elizabeth smiled, handing out glasses of the liquor.

“Oh, it’s wonderful to meet you!” Charlie said, taking the glass, “I’m Charlotte, but everyone calls me Charlie, and this is-”

“Anthony, Anthony Caputo,” Angel said, holding his hand out for Elizabeth to shake.

“David Husk,” Husk said, shaking Elizabeth’s hand gently then downing his drink.

“Uh, Vag-Vagatha, my name is Vagatha,” Vaggie stammered, looking to the two human souls for help.

“Well, it’s great to meet you all! I really hope you enjoy your time in the city and I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened so far. How long are you planning on staying?” Elizabeth asked, pouring Husk another drink.

“Um, not long, just, um, just until we, ah, figure out what to do next, you know,” Charlie stumbled over her answer, looking towards her friends, making sure that she doesn’t give too much away.

“I have a police detective friend, do you want me to give him a call, about your robbery?” Elizabeth asked, offering more alcohol around the room, with Angel and Husk accepting a fresh glass.

“No, that’s not necessary, ma’am, but thank you,” Husk replied politely, smiling kindly while Angel tried not to laugh, “We would like to freshen up, if you don’t mind. It’s been a long day.”

“Oh, of course,” Elizabeth replied, “And you can stay as long as you need to. We have lots of space, here. It’s just me and my husband,” her voice was nervous, gesturing around the large house, “I’m sure he won’t mind. I’m actually meant to be leaving soon, and he’s such a stickler for me being on time!” she let out a high-pitched laugh that sounded a little too shrill for her voice.

Charlie tried to decline the invitation, only to be stopped by Husk and Angel again, who thanked Elizabeth. She was smiling so brightly at them, chattering away as she showed them around the house and to the rooms, pointing out the shared guest bathroom and then collecting various items of clothing. She handed Angel and Husk suits, holding them up, trying to size them without making them try anything on. Then, when she was satisfied, handed the clothing over, telling them what items belonged to her husband and what belonged to her father.

She left the two men alone in the room, letting them get changed while she took the two women with her. Once the door was closed, Husk collapsed onto the one of the beds, the one closest to the door, relieved and exhausted already while Angel stood in front of the mirror. He was looking at himself from every angle, seeing a face and a body he had not seen in almost eighty years. The memory of his young face, his golden brown hair and green eyes almost brought him to tears.

“She was sweet,” Husk’s voice broke through his thoughts, “You look, kid. Figured you’d look like this.”

Angel turned around to see Husk sitting on the bed, his fingers going through the short afro hair, marvelling at the texture that he had not felt on his own head for decades.

“Don’t look so bad yourself, whiskers,” Angel said, smiling sadly.

“She looks familiar, right? I’m not going crazy? I mean, this whole thing is fucking crazy,” Husk asked, standing up and picking up the suit that he had been given.

“Right! I just, I can’t remember where I’ve seen her! It’ll come back though, hopefully. But at least we found ourselves in a good situation. This house is swanky!”

Across the hall, Vaggie’s eyes looked over everything, making sure there was nothing dangerous as Charlie and Elizabeth chatted happily. They were becoming fast friends, like Charlie had done with Emily when they visited Heaven and she was trying not to let her jealously take her mind places that she didn’t want to visit. From what she understood about the Southern states in the twenties and thirties, it was not a good idea to show that you were in a woman loving woman relationship.

“So, what do you do?” Elizabeth asked, opening the large closet and waving them in.

“Oh, well, I, um, I mean we, um we-”

“We’re students! We’re, um, students, at a university in New York, that’s how we all met,” Vaggie interrupted quickly, which seemed to be the right decision, as Elizabeth instantly started to talk about her master’s degree. And Charlie listened with rapt attention, asking so many questions and stopping Elizabeth from asking them too many questions in return.

“Anyway, this should fit you, though you are a tad shorter than me,” Elizabeth said, handing Vaggie a pleated, burgundy dress.

“Oh, um, thank you,” Vaggie said, not sure what to do next.

“You’re welcome, and this, this should fit you,” Elizabeth said, handing another dress to Charlie, “We can get some more clothes tomorrow. My cousin is a tailor, I’ll ask her to bring round some samples. You can get dressed in the room, or I can take you to the other guest room.”

“We don’t want to be too much trouble. We can just get changed here?” Charlie said, looking to Vaggie for her opinion.

“Here is good,” Vaggie agreed, smiling at her girlfriend who smiled brightly back. And she wasn’t the only one, Elizabeth shone a megawatt smile their way too.

“Oh, this feels just like my wedding morning, when my bridesmaids and I all got ready in this room!”

Elizabeth then reached up and pulled down a red dress that had been sitting separately. She quickly removed the clothes that she was wearing and began to change. The other two followed suit, though they kept on getting distracted by their reflections in the large mirror opposite. Neither had ever seen themselves as human, Charlie was Hellborn and Vaggie had been created in Heaven, those had been their true forms all along. Angel’s and Husk’s were based on their memories from life, while Charlie’s magicks had create these images from scratch.

“Oh, don’t you two look as pretty as magnolias in May!” Elizabeth sighed happily. She was wearing the very flattering red dress, it’s asymmetric hemline and plunging neckline complimenting her feminine shape.

Their host then brought Vaggie and Charlie into the main room and helped them to pin their hair. It wasn’t anything extravagant, most likely something that was a little more stylish for the time they were in. She then helped them with make-up and even let them wear a few pieces of her jewellery. Elizabeth changed her own jewellery for a long set of black pearls, matching the rings that she had on her left ring finger, her wedding rings. Her makeup looked darker than either Charlie’s or Vaggie’s, and her hair was left in loose waves, flowing down her back.

Once they were dressed, Elizabeth quickly showed Vaggie and Charlie to the other guest room, checking if they were okay sharing a bed. The two tried not to blush, knowing that the glamour would not hide it, and told her they were fine sharing. They were then joined by Angel and Husk, who had also changed into the outfits that Elizabeth had lent them.

It was so strange to see everyone looking so human. Charlie had never thought about what Husk or Angel would have looked like in life, but it seemed she was getting a glimpse. Angel looked the most comfortable and confident in the clothing that he had been given. If they were in the 1930s then he had worn something similar in life, while Husk seemed a little unsure. He had died in the 1970s and the clothing would have been much different. They were both looked good though, with their hair styled with borrowed pomade, and their clothes looking freshly pressed.

“Now, I’m supposed to be at a club, meeting my husband, and he is a stickler for punctuality. If you are amenable, would you like to go with me? I’m sure he won’t mind,” Elizabeth said, looking towards the clock on the mantel.

“We don’t want to put you out, ma’am. You’ve been so kind already,” Husk answered politely, sounding so sincere and kind, unlike any of them had ever heard.

“Not at all! Hopefully, it’ll make up for the terrible reception you’ve had so far. I’ll just go and call a car,” Elizabeth smiled, accepting no more arguments from anyone before she left the room.

“So, what the actual fuck?” Angel said, once he was sure their host had made her way down the stairs. He didn’t want to insult her by swearing loudly in her presence.

“I know! What the fuck happened? How did we get hurled upstairs and back in time?” Husk demanded, crossing his arms and looking angrily at Charlie.

“I don’t know, I really don’t,” Charlie admitted, sinking onto the bed, “Nothing in that spell should have transported us anywhere! I was sure that Alastor had fixed it, it felt right!”

“Well, at least you did the glamour right, I mean, this looks fucking legit,” Angel said, looking at his arms. He could feel the other four, could feel the shoulder blades that continued down his back, but he could see them.

The other two nodded, Husk begrudgingly, which perked Charlie up so that she gave them all a watery smile. She was about to suggest they find a solution to their problem, or open the floor up to suggestions, when the door opened again. Elizabeth walked in, carrying a handbag, smiling brightly at the group. She told them that their car would be downstairs soon, offering them another drink before it arrived. When she served the bourbon, she explained how she had tried to call her husband’s work so that his secretary could put them all on the guest list, but everyone had left already. The only person left was one of the porters, who ordered the car for them.

“It should be fine, he’ll just be happy I’m there. And, well, no one’s going to stop you coming in, not if you’re my guests, so everything should be fine,” Elizabeth explained, her voice getting slightly higher and quicker as she did.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

The car ride wasn’t terribly long, but Charlie was fascinated with everything that they drove past. She had never seen anything like what they had on Earth and was awestruck by the colours of the trees and flowers. If the door hadn’t been closed, then she would have likely bolted from the town car to get a closer look. Lucky for everyone else, Elizabeth assumed that she was just impressed with the city’s landscaping and had never seen so much southern horticulture before. Otherwise, they would have run into difficulty explaining to the young woman why Charlie was so enamoured by the colour green.

“Good evening,” Elizabeth said confidently to the doorman, once they had arrived, “Mrs Delacour, and guests. I believe my husband put us on the list.”

The large doorman looked them all up and down, then glared down at Elizabeth. He slowly raised the book that must have held the list, narrowing his eyes at her again. When they had gotten out of the car, they had walked past the crowds, Elizabeth waving to the security. Wherever they were going, it was obviously filled with people who were either rich or famous, or both.

“I don’t see your name,” the doorman said, glaring down at her, then looking over Husk and Vaggie. Everyone but Charlie managed to understand the implications very quickly.

“Well then, perhaps you can get the owner of the club, Mr Landry? Or perhaps the manager of the station, Mr Pearce? Or the owner of the station, and most of the surrounding businesses, Mr LeBeil? Or maybe just get my husband, I’m sure any of these men would love to know that you’re refusing me entry,” Elizabeth said icily, narrowing her eyes at the doorman.

The large man glared back at her, looking like he was about to start a fight then thought better of it. He shrugged and turned towards the door, calling in for someone and turning back to continue the staring contest with Elizabeth. In no time another man came out, wearing a very expensive looking suit. He gave Elizabeth one look, opening his arms wide with a smile fixing itself firmly on his face. He sounded nervous as he stumbled over apologies, taking the guest list from the doorman with a menacing glare.

“Ah, yes, Mrs Delacour, you and, um,” he counted quickly and quietly, “Four guests. Of course your husband’s secretary informed us ages ago, this is the list that was typed out before that,” he shoved the guest list back into the doorman’s arms more forcefully than needed, “I do hope you’ll let your husband know that this was all managed with the utmost haste.”

“Of course, I’ll be sure to sing your praises when I see him. Hopefully they’ll be a fresh bottle of bourbon waiting for us at our table,” Elizabeth said sweetly, “Though, he is more partial to rye. I prefer something sweeter and bubbly.”

“Of course, I’ll get all that sorted for you. Let me show you to your booth,” the man said, offering his arm to Elizabeth.

Gesturing for them all to follow, the club owner escorted them into the dimly lit club while he continued to glare at the doorman. It would not surprise them if that man ended up unemployed by the end of the night. It was exactly how they expected a club from this time period to look. The art deco features, the red accents, the secluded booths, the live band playing variations of jazz and swing music. The dancefloor was completely full of men and women moving so effortlessly and gracefully to the beat, almost like they had previously practiced every step, but it was clear they were just moving to the music. There were women dressed in the skimpiest of costumes, handing out drinks and selling cigars and cigarettes while being manhandled, laughing it off as if it was a funny aspect of their job and not sexual harassment.

“Fuck, this takes me back,” Angel whispered, looking around with wide eyes and a look of shellshock.

“Deep breaths, kid,” Husk replied, discreetly squeezing his hand. There was no way of knowing how hostile the crowd would be to a man showing another man affection, and they weren’t willing to take the chance.

“Here you are, we reserved this booth for you and your husband. And,” the man clicked his fingers and two servers appeared, “Compliments of the house, for the misunderstanding.”

“Thank you, I really appreciate it, and I will definitely let my husband know,” Elizabeth smiled, delicately sitting down on the plush seat as the drinks were set out.

“Wow, that was impressive,” Angel complimented, once the servers had disappeared with the owner. He leaned forward, taking the bottle of bourbon and pouring out drinks for him and Husk, while Elizabeth opened the bottle of champagne.

“Thank you, I don’t usually name drop like that, but I couldn’t stand the way he was insinuating, I’ve gotten those looks so much since I’ve been more willing to… well, since I’ve been with my husband. He’s mixed as well, but everyone looks past it, because of his fame and last name,” Elizabeth explained, pouring the champagne into the bowl like glasses.

“My dad is a big deal, sometimes it helps in situations, having that kind of authority. But I don’t like using it either, I want to do things on my own,” Charlie said, accepting the glass.

“That’s admirable. Wanting to do things for yourself. It must be so different up north, I would never be able to do that here, being mixed and a woman!” Elizabeth exclaimed, “Anyway, to new friends!” she held up her glass, for a toast.

Everyone echoed her words, smiling warmly at their host and clinking their glasses together. If they were going to be trapped in some random time and place on earth, then there were worse places to be than with this sweet, kind young woman. Plus, she had a massive house and was providing a cover story for them while they tried to work out a way to get home. So far, Elizabeth had introduced them to everyone who stopped by as her colleagues from northern universities.

Elizabeth was doing a master’s programme in Literature and had explained that she was corresponding with several other master’s students through the mail. Charlie asked her several questions about her studies, intrigued that she was a student in the time period they were in and planning to pursue her doctorate once she had finished her masters.

With a big, infectious smile, Elizabeth enthusiastically went into every minute detail of her course and how her husband was the one funding it. She had nothing but praise for him, saying how wonderful and sweet and progressive he was, how encouraging he was of her goal to become a professor of literature, teaching at university level.

“Wow, and how long have you been married?” Charlie asked as she looked over the dark rings on Elizabeth’s left ring finger.

“Not long, we got married in my final year of my degree,” Elizabeth blushed, brushing her hair behind her ears.

“Think there’s a story there, toots,” Angel smirked.

“Well, it was a very, um… short, engagement,” Elizabeth blushed even more, averting her eyes, “When we get back to the house, I’ll show you the photos. If were not too tipsy, that is!”

They all laughed at the joke, pouring more drinks while Elizabeth and Charlie talked about everything they could think of. If they all didn’t know better, they would swear the two had known each other since they were children, instead of just meeting that evening. The two seemed to have a similar temperament, smiling and laughing at the same things, encouraging each other’s stories and anecdotes, while the others were just along for the ride. But when Elizabeth started to talk about her husband, it was Angel who encouraged her to divulge more than what was polite in the society of the time.

“Fuck!” Husk suddenly hissed, his eyes widening in horror.

“What?” Vaggie asked, as she was the only other one not in the current conversation.

“It’s him, it’s fucking him,” Husk growled, gesturing out to the crowd of people, “It’s Alastor.”

Vaggie instantly turned her head towards the side of the dancefloor that Husk was gesturing to, seeing a man that absolutely had to be the human version of the Radio Demon. He was tall, with wavy, dark brown hair slicked back and a pencil moustache. He had a pair of oval glasses that were on a silver chain, and a darker complexion than Vaggie expected. He looked lean and muscular, like a swimmer or a marathon runner, rather than bulky like some of the men around them. The clothes he was wearing were fashionable for the time, and similar in colour and style to the clothes he wore in Hell, red and pinstriped. Though, he was wearing a shirt with rolled up sleeves and a waistcoat in that style, the trousers he wore were plain black.

“What the fuck is he doing here?” Vaggie whispered, wanting to sink into the plush seating but too afraid to move in case she caused a scene.

“Fucking balls, we’re in the South, in the thirties. This is New Orleans, this is his time, his city,” Husk replied, just loudly enough that Angel caught what was being said.

He looked over, to ask what Husk and Vaggie were talking about, spotting the human Radio Demon in the crowd. The poor demon, not expecting to see a human version of the demon they were all still terrified of, let out a loud gasp, making Charlie and Elizabeth turn to look. Then Alastor looked right at them, making eye contact.

The man they all assumed was Alastor tilted his head, giving them a strange look. He took off his glasses, polishing them with a cloth from his pocket then looked at them again and smiled. It wasn’t a smile they were used to, this one was something new and it made them all nervous. Alastor turned to the people he had been talking to, an older man and woman, shaking the man’s hand. He waved them goodbye and began to make his way towards the booth.

“Holy shit, is that…?” Charlie asked, her voice’s pitch getting higher in shock.

“Yep,” Angel replied, downing his drink and then pouring another one. Elizabeth was also pouring another drink, this time a glass of rye, a calm smile on her face as she did.

They all held their breath as Alastor got closer, smiling and greeting other people on the way, but a decided course towards them. When he arrived, he leaned against the back of the plush booth, just behind Elizabeth, taking the drink she had just poured. Then, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, he leaned down and kissed her while she leaned up. His other hand gently cupped her face while hers gripped the lapels of his waistcoat, keeping him close.

“You’re late, ma méchante coquine,” Alastor whispered, his lips ghosting hers, looking lovingly into her eyes and causing everyone else to stare.

“Sorry, mon mari bien-aimé, it couldn’t be helped,” Elizabeth answered, smiling up at him.

“I’m sure,” Alastor smirked, suddenly looking across at the others in the booth, causing Husk to almost jolt out of his glamoured skin, “And, who are your… guests, my Darling Doe?”

“Oh, oh, it was the most awful thing,” Elizabeth started, gesturing towards them as they kept their eyes on Alastor, watching him as he hopped over the back of the booth and dropped into the seat next to Elizabeth. He casually threw his arm over her shoulders, listening as she explained and he poured another drink, “They just arrived in town, and they were robbed! Isn’t that terrible. So, I invited them to stay with us.”

“You what now?” Alastor asked, his eyes momentarily leaving the assembled demons to look at Elizabeth.

“Well, we have that big house and I couldn’t just leave them to fend for themselves, after everything was stolen,” Elizabeth said sweetly, leaning her head against Alastor’s arm while the assembled demons waited for the inevitable calm rage to come over the man who would become an Overlord.

“And, pray tell, where are you visiting from?” Alastor asked, narrowing his eyes as he turned back towards them.

“Uh, from the North, New York mostly,” Angel answered, trying to smile and the other’s nodded along.

“Hmm, I would have been sure you were from somewhere more… southern,” Alastor smiled while Elizabeth looked curiously at them again, “But, if you, my sweet dove, are sure you want to… invite others in… then who am I to protest. Are we telling people that these some of the friends you’ve been corresponding with?”

The demons knew, from the egotistical smirk and self-satisfied attitude, that this was the Radio Demon in human form. They had managed to land themselves in the middle of his life, and the woman who had shown them kindness, giving them a safe haven in an unknown world, was the woman they had been investigating. She had looked familiar because there was a picture of her hidden on the back of the whiteboard in the bar. That picture didn’t do Elizabeth justice, giving no indication of how bright and luminous she was in the flesh. Her smile, now directed at her husband, lit up a room and even made his smug smile soften.

They wanted to ask questions, their minds filled with so many conjectures and possibilities, but were frozen into shocked silence when Alastor suddenly let out a little yelp of fright. The man who would become one of the most fearsome overlords then slipped onto the floor, moving so that he was hiding behind his wife’s skirts. They all looked towards each other, mouthing various exclamations while trying to figure out what was happening. Elizabeth, on the other hand, just laughed, trying to ascertain what was going on, losing all composure when Alastor’s hands reached up, grabbed his glass and the bottle of rye, and returned to hiding on the floor.

“Oh, Miss Lizzy, you’re here,” a snotty voice said, breaking through the hilarity and making Elizabeth take very deep breaths.

“Indeed I am! With friends too! But you wouldn’t know what they are, would you?” Elizabeth said brightly, making Charlie gasp in shock and Angel guffaw loudly, “Allow me to introduce you. This is Miss Charlotte, Miss Vagatha, David and Anthony, they’re visiting me from New York,” she smiled, gesturing to each in turn, “And this, is the wife of the station manager, Miss Susannah.”

Miss Susannah gave them all a sneer, while Elizabeth still beamed a megawatt smile. Whatever beef was between the two very well-dressed women, it was obviously juicy. Angel leaned forward to try and find out more but got pulled back by Vaggie and shot a warning glare by Husk. Charlie’s eyes had not left Elizabeth’s legs, still shocked at seeing prim and proper Alastor practically lying across the floor, swigging rye straight from the bottle. She could see his hands on Elizabeth’s legs, lightly stroking up and down, his wedding ring glinting in the dim light.

“Have you seen Alastor? I was sure he was over here. Though, I didn’t realise you were here now,” Miss Susannah sneered, looking down her nose at Elizabeth, “I was wanting to dance.”

“Well, your husband is around, maybe you could dance with him, instead of my husband,” Elizabeth answered, providing an answer to why there was beef between the two.

“But I wanted to dance with Alastor. No one can dance like he can,” Miss Susannah smirked, insinuating something they all knew was untrue.

“He’s in the bathroom. He cooked something earlier and it just didn’t agree with him-Yeow!” Elizabeth yelped, her leg shooting away from her hiding husband as she rubbed a large red mark on her calf.

Miss Susannah didn’t like that answer, nor the looks she was getting from the group of strangers. She huffed then stomped away, leaving the demons alone with the married couple who instantly started a hushed argument. Alastor still on the floor, but his head had popped out from around Elizabeth’s leg, his hand firmly gripping her around the ankles.

“You bit me!”

“You insinuated I gave myself food poisoning!”

“That’s what you took from that!”

It devolved into laughter pretty quickly, especially when Alastor pulled Elizabeth onto the floor as well. She landed in his lap and was kissed thoroughly, still smiling and laughing at each other. He then nimbly leapt to his feet and pulled Elizabeth up, excusing them as they made their way to the dancefloor, still laughing with each other. The demons watched as the couple twirled and moved on the dancefloor, still laughing with each other. Then, most surprising for the time period and what they knew of Alastor, he grabbed Elizabeth, held her close and crashed his face to hers. She threw her arms around his neck while his arms held her across her back, the two not caring about the dirty looks or whispers being shot their way.

“Okay, I’ll say it,” Angel eventually said, “What the actual fuck is happening? How is that Alastor and why the fuck are we here?”

“Alastor’s handkerchief!” Charlie gasped, everyone’s eyes flicking towards her, “He put his handkerchief down, to cover some of the herbs, keep them safe. It was an added element to the spell! It sent us here, to this time and place, because it’s Alastor!”

“Well, fuck! How are we supposed to get home now, Princess? You already couldn’t work that spell when it was written down as is, now we gotta figure out how to work an unexpected complication? And the one who figured it out in the first place, was that smug bastard who’s twirling around the bitch who’s invited us to stay! Oh, we are so fucked so many ways,” Husk exclaimed, collapsing back onto the plush seating, his eyes not leaving the dancing form of Alastor. He was not risking losing sight of the bastard.

With a sigh, Charlie collapsed back as well, throwing her arms over her eyes as she tried to come up with a solution. The grimoire that brought them to this place was safely hidden in the bedroom Elizabeth had given them. She would have to search it carefully, cover to cover, to find anything that could help them. If she couldn’t, then she didn’t know what she was going to do.

“Do you think he knows?” Vaggie asked, breaking everyone’s train of thoughts, “The way he looked at us, it was the same way she did, earlier. Do you think, do they both know?”

“Nah, no, no way! Charlie may not be the most accomplished sorcerer, but she can do a glamour correctly,” Husk replied, Charlie gave him a half-smile accepting the tiny compliment, “Besides, he’s human. He can’t be nearly as powerful as he is in Hell. Can he?”

That was a question they didn’t want to know the answer to. They knew that Alastor had been a dark arts practitioner in life, there was no other explanation to why he had appeared in Hell that powerful. And he had made comments here and there about learning magicks, improving and honing his skills. Overlords didn’t do that, their powers increased with the number of souls under their control. Husk had seen it himself, when he had made his deal with Alastor. All of his souls were under Alastor’s control, and he could feel the surge in power from those. But Alastor prided himself on his knowledge, his abilities, he wouldn’t just rest knowing that his power increased with the souls he acquired.

Plus, they had never seen someone with powers like Alastor’s in Hell before. Lucifer had even commented on the uniqueness of Alastor’s range. The only logical explanation was that he had gotten those powers before his death. Which would make him more powerful than they all gave him credit for, a truly terrifying concept. He had breezed past that comment when he was helping Charlie set up her spell, saying that it was similar to his studies, refusing to give an answer as to whether his wife also studies magicks.

“What should we do?” Angel asked, not sure who he was directing the question to.

“I don’t know,” Charlie answered, “Wait and see? If nothing else, we need to have somewhere safe while being stuck here.”

“Anywhere near Alastor, human or not, does not strike me as somewhere safe. And we don’t know her, she might be just as dangerous as he is,” Husk answered, his eyes focused on Alastor who had just dipped Elizabeth, both still laughing brightly.

The two kissed deeply again as Alastor let Elizabeth find her feet on the floor. They broke apart and then made their way back towards the booth, Alastor twirling her occasionally, or speaking to someone else. When they got back, he took another drink of rye, almost finishing the bottle and getting an unimpressed look from his wife. They were arguing about the amount that he had drunk before she arrived when an older man made his way to them. He greeted Elizabeth warmly, giving her a kiss on the cheek while the woman who was very rude to her earlier lurked in the background.

“And, who are these, um, people?” the man asked.

“These are my wife’s friends from up North, I believe they were already introduced to your wife,” Alastor answered pointedly, pouring another drink, “This is the station manager, Monty Pearce.”

“Oh, my, wonderful! More of Miss Lizzy’s friends! And from up North? What brings you to New Orleans?” Monty asked, smiling widely and sitting down next to Vaggie. He was handed a drink by Alastor who pulled Elizabeth into his side so Susannah couldn’t sit next to him.

“We’ve been corresponding for a project,” Elizabeth lied, smiling as Susannah stormed off again, “So, they came for a visit before the next term starts.”

The older man, who was clearly drunk and very jovial, gleefully asked for more information which Elizabeth and Angel managed to make up on the spot. It was impressive the level of details that they were able to give. It did make sense that Elizabeth was able to lie about the master’s programme, as she had been corresponding with other students in other universities, while Angel was able to talk about a city that he had lived in during this time period. Charlie joined in sporadically, saying what she wanted to visit, which was the complete truth. She had never been to the mortal realm before and obviously wanted to see everything while she had the chance.

“Mr Delacour!” came the voice of an older woman, stopping behind the booth and looking frantic.

She was wearing a plain skirt suit, with her hair pinned up in tight curls. She looked so grandmotherly, and gratefully accepted the drink that Alastor offered her. Her face lit up when she saw Elizabeth, complimenting everything about the young woman and getting distracted from whatever calamity she had come from.

“Mrs Evreinov? Imogene? What’s the problem?” Monty asked while Alastor just laughed, “That’s his secretary,” he then whispered to the demons, “The scariest old battleaxe I have ever met. I think she’s threatened to cut my balls off more times than I can count without actually using those words.”

“Well, Mr Pearce,” Mrs Evreinov said, making the manager jolt and Alastor laugh loudly again, “There asking for Mr Delacour, to talk about the Olympics again.”

“Then off we go!” Alastor replied, leaping from his seat and pulling Elizabeth with him, “Another round for the table, lets keep everything light and merry!”

“I can’t wait to see this bill,” Monty groused, standing up and following the young couple and old secretary, leaving the demons to their drinks.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Slipping through a nearly concealed door at the back of the club, Angel leaned against the wall and let out a near silent sigh. It had been a lot, coming back into the living world at a time that he knew so well. He had not expected to keep seeing things that reminded him of his life, his family, and his home. There had even been a set of twins, a boy and a girl, serving at the bar. They were dressed so similarly, much like he had done with his sister at that age. And to see himself, truly see the face that he recognised as his own that he hadn’t seen in eighty years, it was tearing into his soul. After so long in Hell, he had forgotten what he looked like, the dimples on his cheeks and the freckles over his nose.

What he hadn’t expected was to see Alastor, smiling genuinely, laughing and having a good time. He knew it was stupid, thinking that the Radio Demon had always been a fucking creepy demonic presence, even in life. He had gathered so much evidence to the contrary, but to actually see it was a complete and utter mindfuck. And to have seen the man speaking politely to so many people, holding conversations, having people want to engage him in various topics, not to mention seeing him leaning down and kissing his wife, that was something that he couldn’t wrap his head around.

It was going to be strange, seeing Alastor acting like a normal guy, getting breakfast in the morning and going to work. Angel couldn’t believe he was going to be sleeping across the hall from the sadistic psychopath. He just hoped that Alastor didn’t have as much control over the shadows as he did in the afterlife. But that would be absurd. He was just a guy in this world. A very creepy guy, but just a guy.

It did give him an opportunity that he never thought he would have. He was actually going to see what Alastor was like in life. He was going to witness the most mundane things, getting to know the enigmatic and terrifying Radio Demon in a way that no one possibly could. He was going to see him being a normal guy. Alastor was going to go to work, do his job, and come back to the house that he shared with his wife. Angel would be able to ask him questions and get answers to all those mysteries that had been keeping him awake for weeks without the threat of having his soul torn apart over the radio waves.

With that thought swirling around his mind, chasing his fears and apprehensions and replacing them with even more questions, Angel pushed himself off the wall. He turned to re-enter the club when he heard a high-pitched breathy sigh. Angel knew exactly what that sigh was, he had spent decades in the porn industry to know that someone was getting very close to the ‘big O’ and the slurping sound that his ears perked up to meant that someone was using their mouth and tongue to get them there.

As quietly as he could, to not disturb whatever couple was getting it on, Angel peeked around the dark corner. It was nice to know that even in the fancy and upscale place he found himself in, there were still people losing themselves to sin, just like in Hell. It did take all his self-control to stop himself from shrieking loudly when he saw Elizabeth, her head thrown back against the wall, eyes scrunched shut and biting her lip. She had one hand over her head, sprawled against the wall, while the other was fisting into the dark brown, previously perfectly styled hair of the person who kneeling between her thighs that Angel instantly recognised as the Radio Demon’s human form. One of her legs was resting on the shoulder of Alastor while his arms were wrapped around her thighs, keeping her close as his face worked against her.

“Al!” Elizabeth hissed, gripping his hair tighter. Angel could see her garters and stockings, the skirt of her dress pushed so far up her body that he could see the bare skin of her hips and the bruises that covered it.

“You made me wait,” Alastor groaned against her, followed by the squelching sound of fingers thrusting in a wet cunt and the sucking sound of lips on a clit.

Angel wanted to look away, wanted to run and wash his eyes out with bleach, but he couldn’t. It was like driving past a trainwreck, you had to keep watching to know what had happened. And what was happening was that Alastor was giving oral to his wife in a dark corner of a club, while everyone else was busy. It also looked like he was actually good at it, if Elizabeth’s reactions were anything to go by. She was panting, barely getting a breath in, trying to move away from the stimulation only to be held firm against the wall.

“Al! Oh, oh, fuck, I’m gonna, oh, I’m gonna-”

“Come on, my darling little songbird, sing,” Alastor replied huskily, making Angel feel a stirring in his crotch at that instruction. He had no idea the Radio Demon could sound that filthy.

A second later, Angel watched as Elizabeth clamped her hand over her own mouth to muffle the sounds of her orgasm. She was thrashing and jolting, her core rocking against Alastor’s face as she climaxed. She wasn’t given much time to come down from her high. The human who would become a fearsome and untouchable overlord, stood up and unzipped himself, letting his cock spring out of his trousers. Angel’s eyes widened as he saw the size of Alastor’s package. If that’s what he had been packing as a human, what was between his legs in Hell was going to be massive.

“You made me wait, you left me here, surrounded by all those worthless cretins,” Alastor groaned, caging Elizabeth against the wall.

“It, it-ah-ah-ng, couldn’t be-ah-ah, helped,” Elizabeth cried as Alastor seemed to get closer.

“Shit, he’s gonna fuck her against a wall,” Angel whispered to himself, watching as Alastor pulled his wife’s thigh over his hip and began to rock into her.

“What are you going to do to make it up to me, my Darling Doe? Leaving me all alone with these imbeciles?” Alastor whispered, kissing up her neck before he crashed his face into hers, smearing her fluids all over their faces.

“Doe?” Angel mouthed, unsure what to do with that information but then completely forgetting it when he heard Elizabeth muffle a scream and Alastor practically growl. He looked over to see that the future Radio Demon was now slamming into his friend, his trousers dropping to around his ankles, while Elizabeth’s legs were locked around his hips. They were really fucking hard, he could hear the slapping of wet flesh against each other over the sounds of the music from the other room.

Those two didn’t seem to care. They were clawing at each other. Elizabeth had fistfuls of Alastor’s hair and clothes, while his fingers were raking down her thighs, almost drawing blood. They were whispering words to each other, which Angel tried to hear. Most were pleas from Elizabeth, begging for more as she got closer to another orgasm. And it seemed like Alastor was listening, unlike so many other men. He let go of her thigh and his hand disappeared between their bodies, his arm moving rhythmically and making Elizabeth’s cries get higher pitched. He was rubbing her clit, stimulating her more and getting her to that next orgasm, showing that he knew how to please a woman.

Angel had to slam his hands over his mouth again, or else he was going to burst out in shocked laughter. If anyone would have asked him earlier, he would never have guessed that Alastor would be doing everything he could to make his wife climax before him. Whenever Angel had to do straight porn, which was more often than he would have liked, he would have to listen to his co-stars complaining about men never getting them to the big ‘O’, that they couldn’t find their clits with a map. But Alastor knew exactly where his wife’s clit was and had already made her come once before he started fucking her. She was probably completely strung out with pleasure and would be climaxing again in a matter of moments.

“Alastor!” Elizabeth moaned loudly, throwing her head, “I’m, fuck, please, I’m-” she then bit down on his shoulder, a lewd groan leaving his mouth as she did.

“Sing, sing for me, my Dove,” Alastor moaned, his thrusts looking sloppy and uncoordinated.

But Elizabeth didn’t want to ‘sing’ too loudly. She grabbed his face harshly, slamming her lips into his. It wasn’t enough to stifle the noises the two of them made as they climaxed almost simultaneously, Alastor still thrusting harshly into his wife until he rode out his orgasm. His toned and delicious backside had become visible as he was thrusting, Elizabeth’s feet pushing up his shirt tails during his movements.

That was another thing Angel had not expected from the Radio Demon in human form, for him to be as attractive as he was. The display he had just witnessed had already gotten him semi-hard, something that rarely happened from seeing straight sex, and seeing Alastor’s arse was an added bonus. Angel would have definitely loved to have snorted a line of coke from those milk chocolate buns. He had to think about the Radio Demon he knew to get his boner under control again.

“Lizzy, my Lizzy,” Human Alastor whispered, “You are spectacular.”

And Elizabeth laughed breathily. The compliment must have been something she heard all the time. The way that Alastor was staring at her was something that Angel had never seen from the elusive and terrifying demon. He looked so goofy and lovestruck, almost sickeningly sweet, not like someone who had murdered at least fifty people. That was the number Angel had heard years ago, but he was starting to think it was overexaggerated. There was no way that this Alastor was a brutal and sadistic serial killer. It must have been just a rumour.

“Did that make it up to you, mon mari diabolique?” Elizabeth whispered, kissing his face lightly. They had not made a single move to break apart, and Angel realised suddenly that they also had not used a condom.

“Not quite, got a lot of questions right now, ma merveilleuse épouse, so many questions,” Alastor groaned, rocking against her again, “Once the blood reaches my brain again, I’ll ask them.”

“You can’t possibly still be hard, Al? Not even you have that much stamina!” Elizabeth gasped again, her voice trailing off into a moan as Alastor started rocking again.

“You kept me waiting, and waiting, and waiting,” Alastor groaned, emphasising each syllable with another thrust, “And you left our bed so early this morning. Did you expect me to take care of myself?”

“No, no, oh, oh-ah, Al,” Elizabeth moaned, her dress being pulled from her shoulders, exposing her bouncing breasts to the cold air. And Angel took that as his cue to make a hasty retreat before he could see any more flesh than he had already seen. If they were to ever get back home and Demon Alastor found out that he had seen his human form and his wife naked and fucking against a wall, his screams would be broadcasted for all of Hell to hear.

With as much care as he could muster, Angel slipped back into the noisy club, carefully closing the hidden door behind him. From this side of the wall, he couldn’t hear the moaning that was echoing in his ears. He looked around, hoping no one else spotted him, letting out a sigh of relief when no one even looked his way. Angel quickly made his way back to their table, grabbing two glasses of bourbon from a passing waiter without a second thought. He dropped into his seat, his mind still racing after what he saw, and was met with a multitude of questions from his friends.

“Why do you look like you just saw something horrifying?” Vaggie suddenly asked, her eyebrows raising into her dark brown hair.

“I just saw Alastor fucking his wife against a wall,” Angel answered, looking into the eyes of everyone assembled.

“No fucking way! That bastard wouldn’t know what to do!” Husk answered, disgusted and angry.

“Oh, trust me, he knows what to do!” Angel smirked, “He ate her out then he fucked her, and get this, he blew his top and was still hard. He’s still screwing her right now! Had to leave before they both got naked!”

The argument would have continued if Charlie had not shushed them all, waving her hands energetically, trying to get their attention. They all stopped talking just as Monty Pearce, who was the station manager and Alastor’s boss, dropped onto the couches with them. He smiled brightly, offering them another bottle of bourbon and asking how they were finding his ‘little’ party.

“Oh, it’s wonderful! Everyone’s been so nice!” Charlie answered, smiling brightly, looking desperately at Angel to stop him from saying anything he shouldn’t.

“That’s wonderful! Gotta show that famous Southern hospitality to all you Yanks!” Monty beamed, “Say, have you seen Alastor? I haven’t seen him for a while. Actually, I haven’t seen Miss Lizzy for… for a while… either…”

Monty looked around, his face telling a story, going from jovial to suspicious to unimpressed in a matter of seconds. And Angel caught on quickly, knowing exactly what Monty thought, smirking as he looked at the other demons. He could see that Husk had caught on, rolling his eyes and looking utterly disgusted, while Vaggie just looked angry at the world.

“He’s fucking her, against a wall, round back,” Angel whispered, leaning in conspiratorially, a smug smile on his face that he had been proven right.

Charlie exclaimed, horrified, that Angel had said something so vulgar to a man they had just met, and Vaggie rolled her eyes, still looking annoyed. But Monty’s reaction was priceless, his shoulders slumping, tutting loudly, simply uttering ‘again’. Like it was something that happened so regularly.

Husk reached for the bottle of bourbon that had appeared next to the rye. He did not want to hear the rest of the story unless he was very drunk. Monty then began to tell them all the sordid tales of Alastor and Elizabeth, using the term ‘fuck like jackrabbits’ multiple times. And when Mrs Evreinov decided to join them, also very drunk, she added so many more details to the story that even made Angel blush.

“And they were just outright fucking, in the conference room?” Angel asked, rapt attention on Mrs Evreinov.

“Oh yes, and that was nothing to what they do in his office! I swear, the number of times I’ve heard Mrs Delacour screaming in pleasure, why, if I had a nickel, then I’d be a millionaire about now!” Mrs Everinov said, finishing her drink and signalling for another, “And then there were the times when we heard them over the radio!”

“Hey now, Imogene, those were not proven to be, well, that! And don’t you go spreading it around that it was!” Monty scolded, going red-faced and worried.

“Oh, oh Mr Pearce, we all know what we heard!” Mrs Evreinov laughed, finishing that drink and signalling for another.

“I’m sorry, they had sex, over the rad-di-o… shit! That was him, the 1932 Olympic broadcast, the 100m final! I, I, I thought it was an urban legend, but I knew I heard someone coming! That was Alastor coming on the radio! During a live international broadcast! He was getting sucked off by Lizzy!” Angel frantically exclaimed, flapping his hands and gesturing wildly and failing to notice said radio presenter was standing right behind him. Until he let out a very loud cough, making everyone turn around.

Somehow, Alastor had managed to straighten up his appearance enough that it wasn’t apparent that he had just had a sneaky fuck against a wall. His hair, while slightly out of place, was still styled impeccably, his clothes were sitting correctly, and his face was devoid of makeup or arousal fluid. However, his arms were covered in scratches and there was an obvious hickey blooming just under his right ear. Then there was the semi-circular bloodstain that was noticeable on his left shoulder, though he was trying to hid it with his waistcoat.

“There you are! Whatever you’ve been doing, I don’t want to know, as long as it’s not in the paper tomorrow… again,” Monty said, standing up and downing his drink, “We have more people to talk to and you are going to stay with me, while your wife stays with Imogene,” he turned to Imogene and the embarrassed looking Elizabeth, “Keep an eye on her and I’ll keep an eye on him!”

Before Alastor could say another word, he was dragged back towards the crowd while Elizabeth blushed furiously, watching as her husband was taken away. She then looked towards the assembled group, accepting the drink from Mrs Evreinov and fidgeting nervously with her hair. She sat down, the entire group silent, as they pretended not to notice her very kiss bitten lips, or how her hair had been entirely restyled. Her dress was also sitting differently, like it had been stretched rather than taken off and her stockings were missing, most likely torn, but there were now several deep scratches down her thighs.

Angel handed Elizabeth her bag, so that she could reapply her lipstick, waiting until she had finished before asking where she had gotten to. The poor woman tried to keep a straight face as she brushed over the question, asking instead how they were finding the club. It led to Mrs Evreinov laughing loudly again, taking the bottle of bourbon and almost downing the entire thing.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

“Well, old girl, looks like you’ve had a bit too much to drink,” Alastor slurred, trying to get his secretary back on her feet.

“Oh nonsense! I’m not so think as you drunk I am!” Mrs Evreinov replied, swatting Alastor’s hands away and not noticing the rippling of giggles around her.

“Oh, Al, she can’t get home herself,” Elizabeth said, trying to get the older woman to drink some water, only for her to grab the bottle of rye. Which she then shared with Alastor.

“No, don’t worry, my darling doe, I’ll get her home!” Alastor replied jovially, attempting to kiss his wife, missing, and stumbling.

“And, uh, who’s going to make sure you get home?” Elizabeth asked, unimpressed.

Alastor waved her off, once again trying to help Mrs Evreinov to her feet with the aid of Husk. Once the old secretary was standing, bottle of rye in hand, he kissed Elizabeth’s forehead and told her to take the car, reiterating that he would make his own way home. His wife tried to argue but was silenced with a look and a firm grip on her hand. And while Charlie didn’t notice this interaction for what it was, Husk did. He had seen Alastor’s violence and sadism hidden by pretty words so often that he was able to pick up every instance of it. It was a defence strategy, being hyperaware of his boss’s moods in case he was going to be on the receiving end of his violence.

Their car pulled up, with the same young driver as before. He was introduced as Alce, and the poor boy couldn’t look Alastor in the eye but was still very respectful and polite. The radio presenter then opened the door, helping Charlie and Vaggie into the car, which felt very strange. He then grabbed his wife, holding her close and kissing her soundly again, helping her into the car when they broke apart.

“Home please, Alce,” Elizabeth said, waving at her husband.

The car pulled away, leaving Alastor to flag down another with a very drunken older woman. They looked out of the back window to see the two, still drinking from the shared bottle of rye, waiting. Hopefully nothing was going to happen to that sweet old drunk lady, from what everyone had said, Mrs Evreinov seemed to be an important person in Alastor’s life.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive back at the house, and Elizabeth, the perfect hostess, offering them all a nightcap. She pulled out a bottle of brandy and several glasses. She smiled as she poured the liquor, asking the assembled demons what they thought of the nightclub. There was a quick moment when the lights around the room seemed to change and a strange, contemplative look came over Elizabeth’s face. But it was over quickly, and her bright smile returned.

“So, what do you think you’ll be doing?” Elizabeth asked, sitting on the couch and kicking off her shoes. She curled her feet under her body, practically curling up on the comfy seat, smiling prettily at them. That was something they could all agree on, she had a very pretty smile and was very welcoming, putting them all at ease.

“We’re not sure, we don’t have a way to, to get home at the moment,” Charlie answered honestly, though choosing her words carefully.

“If there is anything I can do, just ask. And, well, you’re more than welcome to stay here until you have a plan,” Elizabeth replied, smiling warmly.

“Thank you, ma’am, you’re very kind,” Husk replied politely, “But is your husband okay with that? He didn’t look too thrilled.”

“Oh yes, he’s just a little protective of me since… he’s just a bit protective. He’s come around to the idea,” Elizabeth said, her smile dropping and the sparkle leaving her dark eyes, “I will have to remind him tomorrow, he’s drunk as a skunk right now! No idea how he is going to get home without getting into some trouble!”

“Hopefully not too much trouble,” Angel joked, but the laughter he was expecting didn’t come.

A look of fear passed over Elizabeth’s face. Just as before it left as quickly as it arrived, replaced by the smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. It was a mask, something that Husk knew Alastor hid behind. It seemed his wife also used a smile as a shield, hiding her true thoughts and feelings. But her mask wasn’t as polished as Alastor’s, or she just couldn’t hide as well as she thought she did.

When the drinks were finished, Elizabeth collected nightclothes for the assembled demons. She wished them all goodnight and then retired to her room, leaving them alone in their rooms. As soon as the door was closed the first thing that Angel did was collapse again, flopping down on the bed and letting out a long sigh of ‘fuck’. He threw his arms over face, trying to process everything that he had learned that evening, including what the Radio Demon’s dick most likely looked like.

“He’s just as twisted here as he is in Hell,” Husk said, breaking the tense silence, sinking down next to Angel.

“You think?”

“She doesn’t mask nearly as well as she thinks she does, and nowhere close to him,” Husk replied, looking Angel in the eye now that he removed his arm, “She’s scared of him. She knows that he’s dangerous.”

“Maybe, though he seems to be doting if nothing else. And what did she mean by the ‘protective’ line? And since when? Why is he suddenly protective?” Angel asked, sitting up.

“So many fucking questions and no fucking way out!” Husk exclaimed, flopping down on the bed to lie next to Angel.

Across the hall, Vaggie and Charlie were going through their own debrief. Charlie was in the middle of a panic attack, trying to figure out what to do to get them all out of the strange situation they had found themselves in, while Vaggie was trying to get her girlfriend to take deep breaths. It didn’t seem to be working, as Charlie continued to panic, panting shallowly as she rambled about the mess she had made.

“Well, have you thought about summoning? Surely you could still contact your mom or dad, or maybe one of the other sins or Goetia? One that you trust? They might be able to help?” Vaggie suggested, knowing that due to the time travel aspect of their predicament, there was a Vaggie in Heaven and a Charlie in Hell, with an Angel and Husk running around Earth. It was headache inducing.

“I can’t! Can you imagine what they’d say? I’d never be allowed to conjure again! I mean, my mom wrote half these spells and I’m pretty sure all the sins wrote the other half! They’d never live it down!” Charlie explained, tears in her eyes as she thought of the shame.

“Come on, you know your dad only wants to help you.”

“Yeah, dad in present time. Past dad, he might have thought differently. And mom, fuck, I have no idea,” Charlie replied, dropping her head into her hands and fisting strands of her own hair.

Not knowing what else to say, Vaggie suggested they get some sleep, claiming that things would look different in the morning. They changed into the nightclothes that Elizabeth had provided, simple cotton nightgowns which were very flowy, and tried not to think that those garments might have gone to bed with Alastor. They curled together in the large, comfy bed, both a little chilly. New Orleans summers might have been hot and humid by Earth standards, but they would never compete with the oppressive heat of Hell.

They were both dozing, halfway to sleep, when they heard the sound of doors opening. Due to Vaggie’s training she was on high alert instantly, automatically reaching for her spear until she remembered she didn’t have it. She made a mental note to arm herself with a knife from the kitchen, just in case, and looked around the room for anything that could be used as a weapon. Her worry was only calmed when Charlie put her hand over hers, smiling warmly and making her feel safe again.

Listening carefully, they could hear the telltale voice of Alastor. He was singing lightly, his words slurring slightly as he made his way up the stairs. His footsteps echoed in the large house, his voice bouncing happily off the walls. It got louder the closer he got, before he became quieter, likely when he opened his bedroom door. He was considerate enough to try not to wake his wife, but they could hear his voice as he moved around his room. Their window was open, letting in the almost non-existent breeze, and the master bedroom’s window must have been open as well.

“Can you believe that’s his wife? That this is Alastor as a human?” Charlie beamed, yawning widely, then snuggling back into the pillows.

“No, it’s too crazy. I mean, we’re here, in the house of a notorious serial killer, getting hosted by his wife, who he didn’t want to tell us about. I mean, what else could he be hiding? What if, what if he does know what we are and he’s gonna try to do something? He’s deranged and dangerous, we really need to keep our guard up, babe,” Vaggie rambled, getting no reply from her girlfriend, “Babe?”

At some point during her long-winded conjectures, Charlie had fallen asleep. She was so peaceful and beautiful, sleeping in her human guise. Her hair was still long and blond, but instead of peach highlights, it was strawberry blonde. Her skin was so pale, and her lips were so red, like the character of Snow White in the fairytales. Vaggie had not been prepared for how blue Charlie’s eyes had turned, like the clearest sky. She knew Lucifer’s eyes had been blue, like Michael’s, when he was still in Heaven, and Charlie’s magic must have latched onto that.

Now that her mind had been calmed by her sweet and snuggly girlfriend, Vaggie made herself comfortable, hoping that she could find peace soon. She was not prepared for the high pitched moan that broke the silence of the room. Or the muffled masculine moans.

“Oh no. No, no, no, no. Please, by all that is sinful or holy, no,” Vaggie whispered, making a conscious effort not to wake her girlfriend. Charlie did not need to hear what she was currently hearing.

“Fuck, Al!” Elizabeth’s voice moaned, “I was sleeping!”

“And now you’re awake, whatever should I do with you, my delicious little temptress,” Alastor’s voice practically sang out, “Tell me what you want me to do.”

“Please don’t tell him, please don’t,” Vaggie begged to the night air.

“I would rather hear your voice, mon amour, your sexy, powerful voice. Tell me what you want to do to me,” Elizabeth purred back, her voice accompanied by a lot of rustling fabrics.

“Please don’t, please just go to sleep,” Vaggie pleaded, “You’re drunk, it’s late, you should just be passing out. How are you up for this? Oh fuck, don’t be up for anything.”

Unfortunately for Vaggie, her pleas landed on celestial deaf ears, as Alastor describe in slurred, vivid detail what he was going to do to his wife and how what she did to him. She had no idea Alastor even knew the word ‘cock’ or ‘cunt’, least of all what to do with either. It was made worse by the sounds of moans, gasps and groans, the wet slap of flesh, the rustle of fabric and the rhythmical banging of a headboard and the squeaking of a bedframe. When Alastor finally cried out his orgasm, Vaggie thought he was done, but that mercy couldn’t even be bestowed on her. With barely a ten minute reprieve, Alastor got a second wind and started again.

When they got to a third round of noisy, drunken fucking, Vaggie was willing to rip her brain out of her skull to erase the memory. She wanted to just throw Charlie over her shoulder and take her into the other room, or go downstairs, but that would have brought too much attention to her plight. Instead, she grabbed an extra pillow and pressed it onto her head, trying to muffle the sounds from the next room. She prayed they eventually ran out of steam and that she would never have to hear Alastor utter the word ‘cock’ ever again.