So... Now What?
“Muy buena,” Vaggie encouraged, blocking yet another attack, if only just. “Let’s call it here for today.”
Stitches sighed with relief and stopped immediately to catch her breath, hands on her knees as she panted. Vaggie had been an excellent teacher, helping her build up her strength and stamina as she learned hand-to-hand combat and some basic weapon training. She wished she could learn to control her powers, but everyone was too worried about the consequences to even entertain the idea. So, she had to keep on the stupid, magically sealed bracelet that kept her powers in check. Everyone else can have their powers, but oh no, I might slip into a fucking coma.
Which, valid, she would never admit, but also, it had been six months since she came back.
“Ugh, ¿Por qué no puedo aprender acerca de mi poder?” she grumbled.
Vaggie chuckled. “Your grammar and pronunciation still need work, but at least I can understand you now.” She passed her a bottle of water, which she gratefully chugged. “And you know why you can’t learn about your powers yet. You need to-”
“Build up my body and mind first, yeah yeah, I am aware.” Stitches rolled her eyes. “You sound like Alastor. It’s been six months! I have been in Hell for almost a year. Nobody else is forced to contain their power unless they get suckered into a deal. So why must I?”
Vaggie grimaced. “First of all, don’t compare me to that demonio rojo. If you remember correctly, I was on your side about it during the last talk with Belphagor and the others.” Stitches huffed, but it was true. Vaggie had insisted that her body was in top shape last week during her checkup. “Second, you know they are just worried about you. You really scared everyone, and they just don’t want to lose you again.”
Stitches groaned and flopped down onto the grass of the garden. She knew it was true. Only counting the times she nearly died, twice in just over six months was kinda excessive. But so was their overprotectiveness now! She had been awake for just as long, no spirals, no fuckups. She was kicking ass, involved in everyone’s life, participating in every activity and exercise. Hell, she had even accepted the title of Magne and was leaving the Hotel now and then to help with running errands. Chaperoned, of course, but she was willingly and happily leaving the property.
So why do I feel so hollow? She wondered for the millionth time, subconsciously tracing the Magne tattoo on her right forearm.
She had been excited to receive the mark of a Magne. When Lucifer explained what it meant, how it was an informal, yet socially binding, way to officially induct her into the Morningstar family, she had felt so many emotions. Mostly good, so very good. She was loved and accepted and was now a permanent fixture in her Dad and Sister’s life. The feeling of always belonging somewhere, especially in a world so far removed from her own was as thrilling as it was terrifying.
She wasn’t naive. Not everyone respected the Morningstar name, especially the Sinners, who saw Lucifer as a King in name only. Being formally tied to the Royals in any way was bound to put a target on her back. Which is why it hadn’t been announced, just paperwork filed and the mark magically engraved on her skin. The less attention, especially as she adjusted to her new title, the better. Especially with her mental health being constantly questioned, even though she was just fine, thank you very much.
She sighed, raising her arm to look at the red and gold mark. It was an intricate sigil that was a combination of Lucifer's and Lilith’s seals, on a background of stars and encompassed in a circle. The colors shifted in the light, and when she touched it, it glowed with power, ready to defend or assist. Depending on how she touched it, and what intentions she was focusing on, she could summon portals, call for Lucifer, or even draw upon the magic of Hell itself.
Or she could if she was allowed to access her power!
So, really, all she could do on her own was activate the mark and alert Lucifer that she needed something, like a mystical pager. Unless someone else, with access to their power, activated the mark for her, which was literally anyone but her, of course.
She sighed and got off the ground, wiping the grass off her. Like more things in Hell, the grass was not like what it was on Earth, more like a taunting replica. It wasn’t as soft, almost itchy in texture, and had a musky, dead smell. But, honestly, in a place where the air had a constant undertone of sulfur and blood, the water always tasted metallic, and the food was either overwhelming or dull in taste and spoilt quickly… Yeah, it was Hell. Nothing was ever truly comfortable or satisfying, the flora and fauna usually tried to bite, and well, you kinda just got used to it. Which she had, quickly, and at this point, she didn’t even miss her old life. Much.
Can’t miss what you don’t think about. The past is less sharp if you refuse to give it power.
Vaggie stretched, pretending to be oblivious to her pouting and sour mood. “It’s time for lunch. I’m going to go wash up so Charlie and I can go check out that new diner. You are welcome to join us if you want?”
Stitches giggled, her mood lifting at the kindness. “And interrupt my sister’s date? Yeah, no thanks!” She gave Vaggie a high five before following her inside. “Just bring back one of their filled croissants for me!”
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Stitches wandered into the kitchen after a quick shower and change of clothes. Refreshed, she tried to think about what leftovers might still be salvageable. The hotel was now home to around 200 guests, which also happened to be half-capacity. So, they only provided buffet-style breakfast and dinner to the crowds, while lunch was up to the guests to figure out. Staff could use the kitchen for lunch and snacks though, so Stitches had access as an honorary staff member, same as Angel and Cherri, who often helped out with chores from time to time.
Entering the kitchen, she saw Alastor making grits, and she frowned. Alastor was known for keeping to societal rules and had resisted on more than one occasion when “breakfast for dinner” was decided. So for him to make grits for lunch was… odd. She glanced around and noticed Shade (which is what she had named his shadow) was nowhere to be seen. Put the two together and…
“How long has Dad been in a spiral?” she asked quietly, walking up next to him. Alastor paused for a fraction of a second before continuing his task, a subtle sign that she had guessed correctly. However, when he didn’t answer, she sighed. “Come on, Al, I’m not stupid. I just want to help.”
Alastor turned and narrowed his eyes at her, but there was no heat behind it. If anything, there was a twinkle of pride for her in his eye. He hadn’t nicknamed her after a fox for nothing. “Astute observation as always, Vixen,” he begrudgingly relented, “but you know how your father feels about involving his daughters in his emotional difficulties. I would never go against his wishes, unless absolutely necessary.”
She rolled her eyes. “He knows I am not one to let shit go, Al. I am going to go see him regardless, so either tell me so I know what I am walking into or let me go in blind. Your choice.”
Alastor chuckled, and his features softened. “Alright, ma renarde, I shall tell you, but if he asks, I gave every ounce of resistance, deal?” She just smirked at him with an I don’t do deals but I agree kind of look, which made him chuckle again before sighing wistfully, his signature smile looking almost pained. “He started spiraling four days ago. He was putting on a good face around the hotel, but his appetite has been poor and his sleep even worse. Today he just… can’t even get out of bed.” Alastor’s ears lay back close to his head for a moment, the only sign of pain at the admission, before he forced them upright. Alastor had a soft side, but he also was too disciplined to show it more than absolutely necessary. Except maybe with Lucifer, but she wouldn't know what happened behind closed doors, and no matter what jokes she made with Angel Dust, she decidedly did NOT want to think about her Dad's sex personal life.
Stitches nodded, gently reaching for the tray he had prepared for Lucifer. Alastor stopped her, summoning another bowl and filling her up a portion as well, adding it to the tray. She smiled in thanks, having momentarily forgotten her own hunger, picking it up. “Say no more, Al. I got him. You just go ahead and get your hotelier stuff done. I’ll let you know if I need backup.”
Alastor nodded and bowed in thanks, and snapped some of his shadow moppets to clean the kitchen as he disappeared into shadows. Giggling at his dramatic exit, she headed upstairs to her Dad’s suite, taking the elevator since it was on the 13th floor. Shade opened the door for her when she lightly knocked and took the tray, so she stopped a moment to nuzzle the semi-corporeal shadow, who chittered happily in response, before turning to the bed.
Lucifer was covered in blankets, only a few tufts of his hair visible. He was silent and still. Too much for it to be believable that he was asleep. Stitches sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the lump for a few minutes before sighing, gently reprimanding his possum act. “Dad, I am the wrong daughter to try that on. I know you aren’t sleeping. Either you are coming out, or I am coming in, so don’t fuss and just choose.”
The lump didn’t move for a moment, but then a black hand slowly lifted up the blankets as an invitation. Stitches smiled softly and kicked off her flats before sliding into the bed. She didn’t get too close yet, keeping about a foot of mattress between them as she rested her head on a pillow, but she could see the half-lidded eyes staring up at her from the safety of the blankets. The way his eyes glowed slightly in the darkness was kinda cool in her opinion. But she just continued smiling softly at him, waiting for him to speak.
Finally, the eyes closed and he whispered, “Aren’t you going to ask me why?” His voice was trembling, if ever so slightly, but held a hint of prideful resignation like he was expecting her to reject him somehow. Not that she ever would, but the idiot wasn't the Sin of Pride for nothing. He could convince himself of nearly anything, and his damn ego would tell him he was right, merely on principle. A volatile combination when someone is so self-deprecating.
She thought for a moment, then shook her head. “The why doesn’t matter. All that matters is that you know you are loved and not alone. We can worry about talking it out later. Sometimes, we just need to take a moment and allow ourselves to find comfort. So, I am going to just lay here, and if you want cuddles, I am totally open to it.”
There was a pause before yellow and red eyes looked at her wetly. “How did you get to be so wise?” Lucifer sniffled.
Stitches giggled. “Oh, I can’t take all the credit. I have a really amazing Dad who taught me that- Oh!” Lucifer had reached out and pulled her to him, the embrace firm yet gentle, but absolutely what he seemed to need. It always amazed her how strong the little man was, especially given his lithe build. She wrapped her arms around him, and gently ran her fingers through his hair, humming softly as he wept quietly. “It’s okay, Dad. I’m right here.”
____________________________________________________________________________
Lucifer wasn’t sure how long he cried, but eventually, his tears ran dry, and finally, for the first time in days, he felt like the worst of the spiral was over. Even Alastor hadn’t been able to get him to cry it out, no matter how gentle or understanding he had been. The apathy had just been too strong. But here was his youngest daughter, only six months free from her own major spiral, helping him break through. Maybe it was her warm, gentle empathy, or maybe it was the fact that they shared so much in common, allowing for unspoken understanding. He honestly didn’t even care, because now he was feeling again, and he felt he could face life once more.
His stomach growled and he groaned in embarrassment. “Ugh, what time is it?” He would have sat up, but he was just much too comfortable to move yet.
Lucifer felt Stitches giggle before he heard it, his little songbird. “Looks like it is just after 3 pm. Alastor made some grits for us, so if you have the energy to reheat it with your magic, we can eat that. Otherwise, Shade can get us some snacks.”
“You know Alastor is kinda pissy you named his shadow, right?” Lucifer smirked, remembering the discontented rant his partner had gone on when he had found out. Leave it to Alastor to be offended that someone named an extension of himself.
Stitches huffed. “Well, too bad. Shade has its own consciousness. It might be an extension of Alastor, but Shade has thoughts and feelings and deserves its own identity. Isn’t that right, Shade?” He heard the shadow chitter excitedly, so he pulled back enough to look up and saw the shadow watching them happily from above them on the bed’s canopy. He smiled at it fondly and blew it a kiss, and it preened happily, little shadow hearts radiating off it. Stitches laughed. “See? Told you so! Alastor would never be so adorable and open about his feelings!”
If you only knew, Lucifer chuckled to himself.
He gave his daughter one last squeeze before letting go and sitting up, grunting at the ache in his body and exhaustion that fell over him. The aftermath of such a spiral was always difficult, even though it would be fixed in no time, thanks to his natural, superior healing ability. “So, how quickly did Alastor fold when you figured out I was spiraling?” He glanced at Stitches who gave him a smug look, and rolled his eyes fondly. “Oh, melted that fast, huh? Fucking got him wrapped around your little finger, don’t you?” He nudged her playfully with his elbow.
Stitches shrugged, but he could see how much she loved it, and he loved that the two of them had become so close. “What can I say? Not much can get past me, and he knows it was futile to try to stop me once I figured it out. He did great hiding it for three days, so I think you should let him off the hook for breaking on the fourth.” She brought the tray from the nightstand into her lap and Lucifer used some magic to heat the bowls back up and took one in his hands. He nodded and started eating, suddenly realizing just how hungry he was.
After they ate, he got up to use the bathroom and freshen up. When he came back out, Stitches was playing Go Fish with Shade, and losing from the looks of it. He smiled fondly, watching them for a minute, before looking at his phone. He could take a nap before dinner, but Charlie had a staff meeting planned soon, and he wanted to be there for that. He could always just call it early after they ate, and sleep longer tonight. Sleep sounds so good right now, he thought, stifling a yawn.
“Wanna head to the meeting now?” he asked, heading over by the door to retrieve his coat and hat. Stitches frowned with concern, looking from him to the bed in question. Too smart for her own good… “I’ll be fine for a few more hours, Brandi. I will go to sleep right after dinner, I promise. If you are still hungry, we can swing by the kitchen and get a snack on the way. I really should eat some more.”
Stitches perked up immediately. “Sure! Shade is cheating anyway…” She stuck her tongue out at the shadow, who was miming out mock offense, so much like Al, though it was too smug to be truly offended. Lucifer had seen it use some sleight-of-hand tricks, just in the few moments he had watched the game, so yeah, it had been cheating (which was very much not like Al, who thrived on winning by his own merits). She slipped her shoes back on and grabbed his hand, grinning. “Let’s go see if Angel still has that cookie stash! I’m craving those tin box butter cookies!”
Lucifer laughed and shook his head, following her and Shade out the door. The shadow waved as it melted away, no doubt to rejoin its master. “I think you are the only person to ever crave those things," he mused fondly.
____________________________________________________________________________
Stitches stuffed another butter cookie into her mouth, the mild flavor and dryness of the biscuit complimenting well on her tongue. Angel had acted upset when she walked into the meeting with the tin, but she knew he only bought them for her. What better way to keep her from snacking on his stash of treats than to keep something specifically for her in there? Besides, she loved collecting the tins, and Niffty also liked to use them for holding her macabre puppets in for her roach shows. Honestly, she was surprised that the flavor and texture of the treats were the same as on Earth. It was Hell, so why were they- oh, maybe Lucifer was right. Maybe she was the only one who enjoyed them... Huh.
She glanced over at Lucifer, who was sitting on the loveseat with Charlie, talking animatedly with her between bites of leftover gumbo. He looked much better, and she was glad to see he really was on the recovery end of his spiral. Alastor was half-leaning, half-sitting on the armrest next to him, pretending to be inspecting his staff, but she knew better. Homicidal maniac in the streets, doting softie in the Hotel. Ha, simp! Finally, the last stragglers (Cherri and Husker, bickering as always) arrived, so Charlie jumped up to get the meeting started, Vaggie flawlessly taking her place beside her and Alastor using his shadows to move onto the loveseat next to Lucifer. Stitches stifled a giggle and turned to focus on her sister’s speech.
“Okay, everyone! I am so grateful you all made time to be here! We have a lot to discuss, so let’s just jump straight into it, so we can get to dinner on time. Vaggie, do you want to start with the statistics?”
Vaggie nodded and slammed her hand on the whiteboard that had a bunch of information, diagrams, and notes on it. “Alright, everyone, pay attention!” she ordered in her drill sergeant tone. “Our guest numbers have been steadily inclining since we announced Sir Pentious’s ascension. We are now at 203 guests, putting us at just over half capacity. Having only 400 rooms set aside for guests, we have estimated that if we keep receiving them at this current rate, we will be at max capacity in as little as 6-9 months. Seeing as we are currently 7 months into a two-year contract with Heaven, we need to figure out how to get these Sinners redeemed so we can start turning over rooms. We also need to start looking into hiring more staff, because it is already difficult to maintain everything with just us, and it is only going to get worse.”
Angel raised his hand and waited impatiently for Charlie to call on him. “So, whatcha tryin’ ta say ‘ere? That yous are already stressin’ ‘bout the due date? Why aren’t we usin’ our greatest asset, then?” Everyone turned to him in confusion, including Stitches. “Oh, come on, people! Stitches knows ta future!” Immediately all eyes fell to her, and even though they were all friends and family, she felt way too self-conscious.
“Uh, Angel?” she laughed awkwardly. “I don’t see the future, I just know of events that were in the show and stuff. Not really the same thing…”
“Nah, Ange is right!” Cherri exclaimed excitedly. “Ya know ‘bout a lotta stuff, so surely ya know how souls get redeemed, right? Come on, mate, spill!”
Stitches frowned. “I mean, I kinda do, or at least there were theories, but-”
“Wait wait wait!” Husker narrowed his eyes. “Did anyone besides Sir Pentious get redeemed on the show? How far along was this show when you died?”
There was the question no one had ever bothered to ask, and one she had kinda hoped wouldn’t come up. However, it was dropped now, so like tearing off a bandaid, she sighed heavily and decided to just get it over with. She stood up and went to sit between Alastor and Lucifer, who readily made room for her. Lucifer gave her knee a reassuring squeeze while Alastor allowed Shade to wrap around her from behind and played some soft jazz from his staff, just loud enough for her to pick up. The comfort was grounding, calming her nerves.
“Okay, so, several things, because if we are going to talk about this topic, I’m just going to lay everything on the table.” The others nodded and waited quietly. She sighed again. “First, the easier question. The show was only two seasons long before my death. The third season was about two weeks from premiering when I died. Production was always super slow… Hell, it took over four years to get the first season after the damn pilot came out! Then we had to wait almost two years for season two, and nearly as long for season 3… They were signed on for a fourth season, but everyone was hoping they would continue for-”
“Uh, doll, no offense,” Angel cut in. “But ya fangirl is showin’.”
Stitches rolled her eyes but stopped babbling. “Right, sorry. So, the pilot and season one covered from Charlie's news interview to the rebuilding of the Hazbin Hotel after the battle with Adam. Season two covered the aftermath, explored some Heaven and Hell lore, involved conflicts with the Vees, Lilith making an appearance, and Lute’s vendetta...” She shivered, remembering the confrontation nearly 8 months ago. Shade chittered softly and stroked her hair, calming her. “But, there were no new redemptions during that season, though both Heaven and Hell were looking for answers. Hence the increase in theories among fans. We all assumed that season three would finally reveal the answer and we would see more souls going to Heaven.”
“Wait, so you knew Lute was going to attack the hotel? And that Mom was in Heaven and would come to visit?” Charlie looked more curious than anything, but her voice carried the hint of an accusation. “Did you-”
“No!” Stitches shook her head emphatically. “Lute didn’t attack like that in the show, and the timeline for Lilith showing up, and especially how she showed up was completely different. The Vees have also been super quiet and should have made a move by now, but they haven’t. If I had seen any sort of sign that the events were happening the same as the show, I admit that I would have hesitated to warn you, not because I didn't care, but so as not to ruin the future, as I had originally planned. But, it was obviously too late for me to protect the timeline, so believe me, had I known, I would have warned you. Or at least, I wouldn't have let Lute take me hostage that day.”
Vaggie stepped forward this time, her gaze uncertain. “Stitches? What are you trying to say?”
Stitches closed her eyes and sighed. “In time travel, it is called the ‘butterfly effect’. The theory is that when traveling in the past, even something as small as accidentally stepping on a butterfly could cause a domino effect, irrevocably changing the future and sending the timeline off course. I isekai’d, yes, and there are different circumstances and rules for that, but the time-travel theories do still apply since I know what was supposed to happen after my arrival.” She looked at everyone and then down at her feet. “But the timeline was altered my first day, though I only recently figured it out.”
Everyone was silent for a moment, each absorbing the information at their own pace. Stitches fidgeted with her fingers, picking at the stitching on her right finger joints. Alastor’s large hand fell over both of hers, surprising her into stopping. Saying nothing, he gently maneuvered her hands to where the palms were facing up, then used shadows and summoned a fidget toy from Stitches’ collection. Belphagor had suggested them as an alternative to her more mild bouts of self-harm. He closed her fingers around the object, silently encouraging her to use it, and then pulled his hand away. She shifted her body weight slightly so she could lean against him, both in silent thanks and for the comfort, and started playing with the toy.
“Okay, so, I’ll bite,” Angel finally asked, breaking the silence. “What ‘butterfly’ did ya ‘step on’?”
Stitches looked up at Lucifer and then Alastor before answering. “There were several that day, but two main ones: Valentino and Alastor.” Everyone, even Alastor, seemed shocked by this. But this time, she just rolled her eyes. “Okay, this is obviously going to take some explaining, and the Valentino one is more of a theory, but bear with me.” She waved her hand between the two men sitting on either side of her. “See these cheesy lovebirds?” Alastor let out a burst of static, but Lucifer just hid laughter behind a cough. “Yeah, not canon to the show. Never happened. They had slowly built a friendship of sorts, but there was ZERO romance. That was only seen in fanfics.”
Charlie frowned. “But they got together way later-”
Stitches sighed loudly, interrupting her, and turned to Lucifer. “Dad, when did you first notice an attraction to Alastor?”
“I…” He frowned and thought for a minute. “I guess the first time I heard his voice without the radio filter… Which was that day we made waffles for the first time, when I went to confront him in the hall after he upset you.” He looked at her, expression puzzled. “But that was the third day you were here, not the first, right?”
Stitches rolled her eyes and looked at Alastor, who was watching her with a knowing look. She grinned, knowing he had already figured it out. “Alastor, care to explain what had you so distracted you dropped your filter?”
Alastor gave a theatrical sigh. “Oh, I suppose there is no sense in hiding it, since everyone already knows about our entanglement. Besides, if this information leaves the room-” he turned to the others, his eyes turning into radio dials and he let out some of his more demonic energy “- the traitors will be dealt with.” He reverted back and grinned at Stitches, his smile wider than necessary. “I do believe it was a moment of, let's say, 'indiscretion' at seeing His Majesty all flustered while failing to be intimidating.” He laughed as his partner growled in protest. “But, I suppose the real reason was due to our conversation the first day, Stitches, my dear! You made quite the impression and it had me rather… occupied.”
Stitches smiled coyly. “Uh huh, that was what I thought.” She turned back to everyone. “If I hadn't made that connection with Alastor on the first day, he wouldn’t have been distracted. If he wasn’t distracted, he wouldn’t have dropped his voice filter while talking to Dad. If he hadn’t done that, Dad wouldn’t have fostered an attraction to him, and they would have likely never gotten together.” She paused and thought for a moment. “Then again, if Dad hadn’t begun to feel protective of me, he wouldn’t have confronted Alastor in the hall and gotten flustered. So, I guess I stepped on a lot of butterflies over time…”
“Okay, that explains…” Vaggie waved vaguely at Alastor and Lucifer. “That. But what about Valentino?”
Stitches frowned and fidgeted with the toy in her hand. “Well, Angel saved me from him while he was pressuring me for a deal. I was refusing, but I have a feeling he would have ended up using his smoke or saliva to force me into it, if Angel hadn’t stepped in when he did.” She shivered at the thought. “But he looked… angrier than someone who had just lost a normal deal. His body language was dripping with rage, like he had lost a huge prize.” She looked at Angel who was suddenly pale. “Angel, what’s wrong? You look like you just connected some dots. What did that moth do?” If that freak hurt him because of that day, I swear I'll-
Angel shook his head, his persona dropping in his frustration. “I don’t know why I didn’t see it before! I figured it was just Val being Val…” He looked up and stared into her eyes, crestfallen. “Val was beyond furious that next shift, which, I figured was cuz I interrupted the deal and took ya to the hotel. But he was interrogating me, asking all sorts of things about ya, how long ya had been in the hotel, all of it! He eventually gave up when I wasn't givin’ him anymore, but he’s asked me about ya almost every shift since then. I don’t tell him anything, just vague things like what ya ate for breakfast or ya favorite drink, but he keeps asking.”
Stitches nodded. “It’s okay, Angel, it’s not your fault. I figured that may be the case, and if anything, it confirms my theory.” She smiled at him reassuringly, which seemed to ease some of his tension.
“And your theory is…?” Charlie pressed, her body rigid with concern. Oh, yeah, I keep forgetting she's met Val.
“The Vees. They didn’t make a move like they originally planned because of me. Whether they are simply trying to get me for Val’s collection or for some other more complicated reason, they have incorporated me into their plans. Whatever they are planning has altered the timeline more.” She looked at Charlie. “Your mom and Lute showing up when and how they did must be a result of some other thing I unknowingly did. Or maybe the two things I did change were enough to start having an influence on things. I don’t know, but it is too late to stop it now.” She looked down and lowered her voice. “I can come up with theories based on what I know about everyone's history and personalities, but I no longer know what to expect, because the timeline is no longer following the show’s script.”
“Is there any way to confirm whether the future has been altered throughout the universe, or just with those already involved?” Alastor asked. “So far, it appears that only those directly connected to you or the hotel in some way have been altered.”
Stitches paused. “I… Lilith and Lute I had no direct contact with, until Lute attacked, which is different already. It could have been their close ties to the Hotel, which I am so directly involved in, but it still looks like they are part of the domino effect, in some way. I just haven’t figured out how it happened, with them being in Heaven.” She thought for a moment. “There is one way to test it, involving a spin-off show of the one involving all of you, but I would need to look into it more.”
“Can’t you tell us?!?” Niffty scurried into her lap, holding her face, excitement glittering in her eye. “Does it involve more bad boys? Please tell me yes!!!” Stitches chuckled and patted her head. The little woman was buzzing with thoughts only she (thankfully) would ever know, because even Stitches, who adored her, often found her thoughts more complicated and twisted than was comfortable. Alastor reached over and plucked her up by the collar, handing her off to a shadow tendril that dropped her off on top of Cherri.
“I can’t reveal it yet,” Stitches confirmed, “without risking affecting it before I can even look into it. But when the time comes, I will let you know.”
Lucifer, graciously, changed the topic to hiring more staff and brainstorming ideas on how to figure out the mystery of redemption. The meeting adjourned soon after as they all headed to dinner. No one else talked about what had been revealed, but Stitches knew the information was going to haunt everyone for a long time. It had been haunting her since she woke up six months ago, and she was determined to sort it out. But for that to happen, she would need to make a move, and as long as she was being coddled here, she wasn’t going to be able to make that happen.
“Excited for your one year anniversary party tomorrow?” Lucifer asked, handing her some apple pie for dessert, bringing her out of her thoughts and internal strategizing as she realized dinner had come and gone. He was looking more and more tired, and Alastor was already pushing to wrap up dinner so they could go rest. She smiled up at him, shoving her thoughts aside.
“I wouldn’t miss it, Dad!”