Chapter Text
It started with pain.
Vaggie awoke to a fire across her back. She tried to cry out, but her throat was too dry to make much sound escape. She thought she heard someone speaking nearby, a girl’s voice, but she couldn’t make out the words through the haze of pain radiating from her back. She took several deep breaths through her teeth. The pain didn’t lessen, but she forced herself to get used to it and focus through it. She tried to open her eyes and was as successful as it was possible for her to be. It took her a moment to adjust and get a clear idea of her surroundings with only one eye.
She was in a bedroom. That in and of itself seemed a little odd given that she last remembered staggering through the streets of Hell after Lute had cut out her eye and torn off her wings. Even more bizarre though, she was in a nice bedroom. She had rolled over onto her side and could tell the bed she was in was at least queen sized. There were about a half dozen pillows and at least three layers of sheets and blankets, though these were currently pushed down toward the foot of the bed. She could see a large dresser, a full-length mirror, and a vanity, as well as a partially open door that seemed to lead to an on-suite bathroom. Heck, this place was nicer than her room in Heaven, even if the red coloring wasn’t nearly as common up there.
“I have some painkillers and some water,” a tentative voice said behind her. It was the same one she had heard a moment ago, though she hadn’t understood it the first time. She turned and saw a young woman, pale with blushing red cheeks and long golden blonde hair. She was dressed in a red suit with a white vest and…
And she was Lucifer’s daughter. Charlotte Morningstar, Princess of Hell. Vaggie recognized her from the exemption posters. Holy f*ck she thought, her eye going wide, What have I gotten myself into?
The princess of Hell didn’t seem to notice Vaggie’s concern, she just held out her hands, one holding a small glass of water and the other a collection of white pills. Tentatively Vaggie sat up, taking the pills and glass and washing one down with the other. The water felt amazing on her dry throat, and she drained the whole glass in one swig. Charlotte took the glass from her saying, “I’ll get you some more, just a second.” She stood from the comfortable-looking chair that was pulled up next to the bed and went into the bathroom to refill the glass. While she did, Vaggie did a quick self-assessment. There were bandages wrapped around her head and covering her missing eye. More bandages were wrapped around her chest, back, and shoulders…and she had no shirt on. Probably removed so that the wounds on her back could be examined and bandaged. Even so, it was disconcerting to know that someone had undressed her while she was unconscious. She looked around and saw her undershirt and bra lying against the wall and her spear leaning up in a corner. Both were near another door, which was closed, though it seemed likely that it would exit into the rest of the house. At least Vaggie assumed they were in a house, the room seemed too nice for anything else.
Princess Charlotte returned and sat back down in the chair, handing Vaggie back the refilled glass of water. Vaggie took another, more moderate drink, and set the glass down on the stand next to the bed. “What’s going on here?” she asked, not sure exactly how much danger she was in.
Charlotte seemed honestly surprised by the question. “You were hurt during the extermination,” she said, her voice a little hollow. “I don’t know a lot about medicine, but I’ve been doing what I can to help.”
That seemed odd. Why would the Princess of Hell help a wounded angel. “Why?” she asked before she could think to stop herself.
Again, Charlotte was surprised. “Because you were hurt. Why wouldn’t I want to help you?”
It was Vaggie’s turn to be surprised. She started to answer when something struck her. She didn’t have her halo or her wings and she ditched most of her exorcist uniform after her old comrades had returned to Heaven without her. A lot of demons look relatively human-like just like she did. Was it possible that the princess didn’t know what she was? “What happened?” she asked, keeping the question as vague as possible in the hope of drawing information out of her…captor? Savior? Whatever, the princess.
“I’m not really sure,” Charlotte answered. “I didn’t see you get attacked. At a guess you pissed off one of the angels when you managed to get ahold of that spear, and they came after you. Cut your eye out and did an awful number on your back. I don’t have any idea how you got away, but I found you collapsed down an alley. You were clearly in bad shape, so I brought you back here to help fix you up.”
That settled it. She didn’t know Vaggie was an angel herself. Well, best not the question the luck on that one. “So, where exactly is ‘here?’” Vaggie asked, glancing around the extremely well-appointed room.
“My house,” Charlotte said simply.
f*ck. If this was Charlotte’s house, that meant it was probably also Lucifer’s house. There was no way Lucifer himself wouldn’t be able to recognize what she was. She had to get out before that happened. She started to get up, but Charlotte leaned in putting her hands on Vaggie’s shoulders and gently pushing her back to the bed.
“Woah, woah!” she said, eyes were wide with obvious concern. “Stay down, you’re still pretty badly hurt. You seem to be healing quickly, but you probably should stay in bed at least for another day or so, until we can tell if the wounds on your back are going to open up again.”
Vaggie would have protested, but the surge of motion had sent pain burning across her back again even through the painkillers, and she felt a little lightheaded. Maybe still recovering from the blood loss as well. It wasn’t ideal, but the princess was right. She wasn’t going to be going anywhere for a while yet.
Once Vaggie had laid back down in the bed Charlotte moved back into the chair. “Oh!” she said then, as if suddenly remembering something. “I didn’t get the chance to ask before; you were pretty out of it. What’s your name?”
“It’s Vaggie.”
The princess reached out a hand and Vaggie shook it. “I’m Charlie. Pleasure to meet you, even if the circ*mstances aren’t great.”
“Charlie?” Vaggie asked, a little surprised. Then, her mouth apparently on autopilot, she added, “That’s cute.” Charlie smiled sheepishly in response and a very slight pink tinge colored her pale neck.
f*ck, Vaggie thought, a little heat rising up her face as well. She is cute.
