Chapter Text
Charlie had stopped crying by the time they arrived at the yacht, but her whole face was tear stained. She had been hurt many times in her life but the pain she felt from Alastor's betrayal and leaving him and the kids behind was the worst that she had ever known. She just wanted to die.
"My God, what I've been through." Seviathan had spoken dramatically during the whole ride, crying crocodile tears. "When I realized that you had gone overboard, I just want to pieces. I crumbled. The coast guard and everyone was sure that you had drowned. But not me, I kept it at for all those months. I combed the whole coastline for you."
"And my parents." Charlie suddenly remembered. "Oh dear God, they must've been scared out of their minds."
"Well not really."
"What do you mean?"
"I did something unforgivable, Charlotte. I lied to your mother.Every time she called I pretendedwe were still on our cruise, havinga glorious time." He pretend to make his voice break. "I just wanted to spare her and your father the...The anguish, until I knew for certain."
"Oh..." Charlie said. "I guess that's alright. Mom and Dad have been through too much in their lives already."
"That awful man, I still say we should have pressed charges."
"No! I just want to forget this whole thing! Erase it from my life! Act as if it never happened!"
"Very well."
Seviathan's staff members were already waiting for them at the dock. They escorted Charlie from the limo and onto the yacht. Once aboard, a smile was finally on her face cause the first thing that took place, was her mother and father embracing her tightly in their arms. Oh how she thanked God that what Alastor had said about her parents wasn't true. Her father wasn't in jail and her mother was still alive.
"Oh my darling." Lilith said kissing her cheeks. "Your father and I just simply couldn't wait for you to come to New York to see us. We've missed you terribly."
"I've missed you too." Charlie said, her smile growing.
"How are you Princess?" Lucifer asked.
"I'm fine Daddy." She quickly wiped her face with her hand so they wouldn't notice the tear stains.
"Well it looks like that romantic cruise you took with Seviathan did you a world of good." He took a moment to look at her.
"Yes Charlotte, you seem more beautiful than ever." Lilith agreed. "Practically glowing and-"
Then she noticed her clothes.
"What is this? Lumberjack chic? Seviathan what the hell have you been giving my daughter to wear?"
"It's nothing Daddy. Our luggage was stolen."
"Well then we must correct this error immediately. Millie! Be a jewel, and please bring Charlotte a much more suitable outfit and, call up my hairdresser."
"Yes ma'am." Millie replied.
Within an hour or two, Charlie was made up and coiffed, wearing an expensive yet glittering and gaudy evening dress. Gone was the soft look she had aquired during her timein the country. Her hair was now laquered, more severe. She was, in short, her old self again. Yet when she saw her reflection in the mirror, something just didn't feel right.
"You look radiant Charlotte." Seviathan said, admiring her.
"I feel like a Pomeranian who lives in someone's purse."
"But you always dressed like this."
He was right. This was normal for her, she knew that to be true. But again, something just didn't feel right.
"I'll meet you below deck for dinner." Seviathan then slipped a huge, gaudy, wedding ring on to her finger and handed what Charlie had previously been wearing to Millie.
"I want these rags tossed into the sea, never to be seen again." He ordered.
"Yes sir."
Seviathan left the room, Millie started to leave as well, carrying the rustic clothes Charlie had worn and two pieces of jewelry. The necklace of colored beads Carrie had made for her and the simple yet elegant wedding ring Alastor had gotten her.
"Wait!" She called, once she noticed them. "May I have the necklace and the ring, please?"
For a moment, Millie paused and looked at her utterly confused. Her mistress had never spoken so softly to her before,nor had she ever used the word 'please' with her.
"Uh...Of course."
She handed Charlie the necklace and ring.
"Thank you." Charlie replied.
"Please?" and "Thank you?" Millie never thought she'd ever hear those words come out of Charlotte Morningstar's mouth.
"You're welcome." Millie said, leaving the room.
Alone at last, Charlie took a moment to look at the necklace and the ring. Seviathan would have probably insisted that she throw them both into the sea and she couldn't fault him for feeling that way. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. Carrie had made that necklace specially for her and she was just a little girl, she couldn't be blamed for her father's deception. As for the ring, Charlie was nearly tempted to throw it away.
In fact, she headed outside on the dock and looked down at the deep blue below. She held the ring firmly in hand, ready to drop the band with a sweet-heart diamond into the water, letting it disappear forever. Yet for some reason, her fingers refused to loosen their grip. They just held on to it tighter.
"I don't know what's wrong with me." She thought, putting the ring and the necklace in her jewelry box. But then she paused and something told her that she shouldn't do that. So instead, she took them both out of the jewelry box and hid them in her pillow case.
She enjoyed having dinner with her parents. It was very nice to just sit down and talk with them face to face. Both of them. It had been such a long time since she had the pleasant company of conversing with her mother and her father. She never realized how very little time they had spent together.
"You really should visit more often." Charlie said. "I can't remember the last time we ever had dinner together."
"It has been a long time." Lucifer agreed. "Too long. I'm sorry for not keeping in touch sweetie, it's just that work and the social calendar got in the way."
"It wasn't always like this though." Charlie said. "Back when we lived in New Orleans, we always had time to at the very least, have a sit down dinner. Like a real family."
"Darling, we're still a real family." Lilith said.
"But we don't really act like one anymore."
"Where is this coming from Charlotte?" Lucifer asked. "You know that your mother and I have always been there for you. Even when we're busy, we've always given you everything you wanted and everything you needed."
"That's what I meant Dad."
"Then what did you mean?"
Charlie just sighed, thinking he probably wouldn't understand anyway.
"Nothing. I just miss you, that's all."
"Your dinner, sirs and madames." Moxxie said placing four dishes on the table.
The meal consisted of matsutake mushrooms, caviar, and escargot. Her husband and parents just went to digging in, but Charlie just looked at her plate with disappointment. She was starving and this did not look particularly filling. Suddenly she found herself craving something thicker and more flavorful.
"Excuse me, everyone."
She stood up from her chair and left the upper deck. She went down into the kitchen where Moxxie and the cook were just putting things away.
"Oh, may I help you Madame?" Moxxie asked her.
"Yes, could you show me where we keep the frozen meat, the vegetables, and the spices?"
"Of course."
"And do we have white rice, corn meal, and the ingredients needed for baking bread?"
"I believe so."
"Good, cause right now I am just so hungry for jambalaya and corn bread, I can hardly stand it."
"I'll get started on it immediately."
"Oh no, that's alright." Charlie said getting down a pot and several mixing bowls. "I'll make it myself."
"You?" Moxxie replied, him and the cook both looking at each other confused.
"Yes, is that alright?"
"If that's what you want Madame, then it's perfectly fine."
For the next hour and a half, Moxxie, Millie, Blitzo, and all the other staff members watched in sheer amazement as Charlie thawed out chicken and shrimp, cut up vegetables and herbs, boil rice, measure spices, and stir it all together in a pot on the stove followed by mixing up cornmeal, flour, yeast, milk, and eggs in a bowl, then baking that mixture in the oven. Even more amazing was that once the jambalaya and the corn bread were ready, she turned them all and asked,
"Would any of you like some? There's plenty here for everyone."
Moxxie, Millie, and Blitzo looked each other and then back at her.
"You're offering to serve us food?" Millie asked.
"Yes, is that a problem?"
"No, it's just that you've never done that before."
"You've also never cooked before." Moxxie added. "Or come down into the kitchen before."
"Well I learned some things while I was away. Cooking being one of them, and I realized that not only do I actually like to cook, but I like to cook for other people. But if you don't want any-"
"Hold on, nobody said that!" Blitzo objected, grabbing a dish and spoon. "Fix me a plate Mrs. V."
"Make that three plates, please Madame." Moxxie requested.
"Oh boy, jambalaya and cornbread." Millie said, getting excited. "I haven't had that since Ma's last birthday."
Charlie smiled at how eager they were to eat her food and her smile grew at seeing how much they enjoyed the taste of it all. Each and every one of them practically licked their dishes clean, and at times were moaning while they chewed. Though they couldn't decide what was more astounding, the food itself or the fact that it was Charlotte Morningstar who had made it.
"That was truly delicious Madame." Moxxie said, wiping his lips with a napkin. "Wherever did you get the recipe?"
"Well my husband-...I mean...Someone I used to know taught me the recipe." She momentarily paused, having realized that she had almost called Alastor her husband.
Why would she still refer to him as that? He was a liar and a deceiver. He had tricked her, he had used her. She should hate him. She had every right to hate him. She wanted to hate him. But she couldn't. Even after everything he had done, after all the lies, the tricks, and the deceit, she just couldn't hate him.
Not just that, but she couldn't stop thinking about him or the kids. Their sad, broken faces, pleading for her to come back had still not left her mind. She had been trying to block them out ever since she first left there and came here but her efforts to do so were in vain. The notion seemed impossible.
"Are you alright Madame?" Moxxie asked, upon seeing the shadow of melancholy fall upon her face.
"You seem sad." Millie concurred. "Is there anything we can do?"
"Oh no, I'm fine thank you." Charlie assured. "It's just been a very long and exhausting day."
"If you say so Madame."
"Now then, who wants seconds?" She asked, wanting to change the subject.
The staff members all nodded and held their dishes out for a second serving. Charlie quickly obliged, with a forced smile on her face.
"I just need to re-adjust myself." She thought. "Get back into the routine and this will all go away. Everything will be as it should."
Despite her thoughts though, she wasn't entirely sure if that would be the case.
