Charlie gets down to breakfast the next morning, and finds Calli's usual spread…plus a heaping plate of Apple-Cinnamon Pancakes that's obviously for Lucifer. Once everyone's downstairs in their usual spots, bar Angel who's still at work with Hedwig, Calli looks around then runs a hand across her face before shutting the stove off and saying "Be right back, eat without me."
Husk asks "Something up?"
"Someone, more like. Who's missing?" Calli doesn't let anyone actually state the obvious answer - Lucifer - instead turning into green mist and seeping into the ceiling to get upstairs.
Lucifer groans to himself when there's a loud, insistent knocking on his door, wondering just who would be in the palace when he's sure it's just him now. Cracking open an eye when the knocking continues, he sees…huh, that's not his workshop ceiling. And he's not in the small bed he made for the space, either. "Lucifer! C'mon, time to get up! I made your favorite! Actually, I made everything. Again."
Calli's voice hits him like a bolt of lightning, quickly followed by memories of yesterday and everything that happened - Charlie's phone call, going to the Hotel, the Hotel being attacked, reuniting with Calliope, all of it. "Luce, if you don't answer in the next ten seconds-"
"Nono," Lucifer quickly calls out, "I'm awake! Give me a moment, Calli!"
There's a series of hissing - Parseltongue, he remembers she always called it - and Lucifer's fairly certain Calli's swearing in sheer relief. About thirty seconds later, Lucifer pulls open his bedroom door and sees Calli standing there in casual clothing and her hair in a messy bun - he remembers what that means…she's been cooking! And then the smell of cinnamon hits his nose, and he remembers the first part of what she said. "You made Apple-Cinnamon Pancakes?"
Calli slowly nods, saying "Uh, yeah, you still like the-"
Calli's suddenly cut off by a bone-crushing hug from Lucifer, who promptly declares her to be the best sister ever before portaling them straight to the kitchen. His expression drops for a minute when he sees she made eight pancakes with diced apples coated in cinnamon on top…and a small pitcher of maple syrup.
She really did remember that's his favorite breakfast, down to the last detail, even after all this time. And then Calli's putting a glass of apple juice into his hands, apparently noticing he's about to burst into tears suddenly.
Lucifer all but literally melts at the first bite - has Calli gotten even better at cooking than he remembers, or has it just been that long? Actually, doesn't matter, this is the best thing he's put in his mouth in well over a century!
"Uh-huh, yeah, she'll be there in three days. And, since it's already been insisted that she not go alone, Charlie will be accompanied by her girlfriend and her aunt for the duration of the meeting." Very well, Lucifer. We'll see them in three days.
Lucifer hangs up the phone, sighing to himself and running a shaking hand across his face, and asks "Is it weird that just talking with one of them on the phone is absolutely draining?" Sera sounded exactly like he remembered, voice just as even and neutral as ever...and it took literally every ounce of willpower, glancing at Calli every few seconds, and trying to focus on Charlie's whole goal - stop the Exterminations - to get through it.
Maybe, with Calliope there, Heaven will actually be willing to negotiate - all they did when he and Lilith tried to get them to stop was just laugh and tell them it was what was required after they introduced evil into the world.
Husk snorts from the bar, and says "No. From what I've gathered from Calli over the past five months, they're a pack of assholes."
And then Lucifer's phone starts buzzing with a phone call, and the caller ID says it's Sera - she just hung up with him, what could she possibly want now?!
Angel gets into the hotel right then, fucking exhausted - to the point that Hedwig did some kind of crazy-Familiar-magic and just teleported him back to the place, because he's fairly certain he would've fallen asleep for the first time ever on Calli's bike if she'd come to pick him up - and Niffty greets him at the door saying "You're a mess! What happened to you?"
Angel groans, rubbing a hand down his face, and says "It's who happened to me, Nif. And the answer is everybody in Pride Ring. Twice. Val had me working sixteen hours straight on a fuckin' whim…I'm beat." He flops onto the couch, completely ignoring the detail that Lucifer is sitting at the end of it, fully intent on just passing out right then and there…until the wall suddenly blows up. Everybody jumps, Angel bolting upright, manifesting his guns on a reflex, and incredulously asks "What the fuck is with that wall?!"
A female voice cheerfully says "What-up, whores?!"
Angel gasps in delight, putting the guns away, and says "Holy shit, Cherri Bomb?! Long-time, no-see, baby!"
"Angie, ya bitch! You've been texting me depressing shit all day!" She socks Angel in the lower shoulder, adding "Figured we could tear things up like we used to - it's been fucking forever! Here, hold this."
Charlie panics at being handed a live grenade, but Vaggie tosses it well away from the Hotel via the hole Cherri Bomb made in the wall.
Angel yawns, saying "I love seeing you, Cherri, but I'm about to pass out."
Angel turns back towards the couch, only for Cherri Bomb to catch him before he can even start falling forward, saying "You can sleep when you're double-dead, fuckhead!" Angel smirks slightly at Cherri Bomb at that, and doesn't interrupt as she says "C'mon, what you really need is a recharge! A re-invigoration! A re…"
Charlie says "-esponsible night on the town, that sounds like a great idea!"
Charlie introduces herself, saying it's great to meet one of Angel's friends since he never brings anyone around - he mostly doesn't because none of them would be into Charlie's redemption deal, and he doesn't particularly want to get her down in the dumps - and Cherri scoffs and says "I wonder why…"
"Yeah, me to."
Calli rolls her eyes, and says "Because most of Angel's friends would just laugh at the idea of redemption, Charlie. Sanctuary, maybe not. Redemption, though, definitely."
Cherri smirks, saying "Oh, a little more down-to-earth, then. Who're you?"
"Name's Calli, Charlie's aunt. You…know we have a door, right? Right over there?" Waving her hand, Calli fixes the wall yet again, much to Cherri Bomb's amazement.
"Uh…Angie? Did that wall…"
"Yep, you get used to it."
"Ok, who's she? Really?"
Angel says "Eh…most powerful woman in all of Hell. She's got some seriously awesome magic, Chers. Shit just happens around her at a thought."
Charlie says "Well, I think a night out for everyone would be a fantastic idea! Everyone's been working so hard lately! Hey, uh, Dad? You know you're phone's blowing up with stuff, right?"
Lucifer checks his constantly buzzing phone, and sees he's missed ten calls from Sera in the past few minutes, and now she's resorting to texting him. Calli asks "Freaking out about me?"
Lucifer reads over a few of the messages Sera sent him, and says "Probably."
Calli just shrugs, saying "Good. Let 'em. Maybe they'll behave at the meeting if they stew in their panic for the next few days."
Angel asks "Seriously? They're that scared of you, Calli?" That's absolutely hilarious, honestly.
Lucifer chuckles nervously, and says "I brought Calli up to Heaven a few times when I'd go to give some ideas for things…it never really went well."
Calli rolls her eyes, and says "Please don't try to downplay it, Luce. They gaslighted you every single time, and every single time it ended in a screaming match between me and them. And that was before your Fall." At everyone's stunned expressions, Calli shrugs and adds "I certainly made an impression up there."
Vaggie chuckles, and says "Sounds like it. What are they even sending you, your Highness?"
"Call me Lucifer, really. And, uh…" After a moment, he just turns the phone around to show everyone.
LUCIFER!
SOS!
PICK UP!
EMERGENCY!!
IT'S NOT HER, IS IT?!
SAY SOMETHING!
LUCIFER!!
Everyone, including Cherri Bomb, cracks up when they see the texts - which are still coming in nonstop - and Calli just takes the phone from his hand and silences it. Then she glances at everyone, and says "Have fun, sorry I can't join you guys tonight. I've got some stuff I've gotta take care of down below." Namely, scouring the lower Rings for any trace of Lilith. "Clubbing's not really my scene most of the time, anyway." Only time she goes to anything of the sort is when Beelzebub wants to meet up for something.
Emily and Gabriel watch as Sera frantically types on her cell phone, muttering "Pick up, dammit. PICK UP!!"
Gabriel clears his throat, tugging at the tie on his suit and adjusting his cuffs before saying "Emily summoned me. Said I might be able to help?"
Sera's head snaps up so fast she should have whiplash, and she makes an obvious attempt to compose herself before nodding her head. "Yes…Lucifer contacted me. Set up a meeting between Heaven and…and his daughter."
Gabriel drops his staff in utter shock, throat suddenly dry as sandpaper as he asks "His…Lucifer has a daughter?" He's got a niece?! He, Michael, and Raphael are uncles?! Since when?!
Sera nods, saying "She's coming here in three days' time to discuss certain ideas…but that's not the issue." Gabriel's about to ask what the issue is when Sera adds "The issue is who's coming with her."
Gabriel very nearly asks who when a thought strikes him…and his nose starts throbbing in remembered pain even as dread runs through him. "Oh no…Sera, please don't tell me…"
"Calliope? Yes, I fear so."
Emily asks "Who's Calliope?" And why is the mere idea of her enough to make Sera and Gabriel, two of the most level-headed people in all of Heaven she knows, lose their minds?
Sera runs a hand over her hair, and says "Lucifer said Princess Charlotte's girlfriend and Aunt would be accompanying her. I don't know who the girlfriend might be, but the only person I can think of for an Aunt would be Calliope Peverell, as she called herself."
Gabriel grimaces, and says "She…we were never sure where she came from, to be honest, Emily. My brothers and I first met her outside the Garden of Eden…and it didn't go so well. Most of us never saw her again after that initial incident, but one day Lucifer turns up in Heaven with another idea to present with her in tow. And then it comes out he'd secretly been visiting her for weeks at that point, eating her food and sometimes spending days at a time with her. And then, when he Fell…" Gabriel swallows, saying "She was there, tried to interfere with the trial. Broke Raphael's foot and my nose for holding her back, screamed our ears off before that, and hit Michael with another beam of her magic before diving headfirst into the portal to Hell. Michael believes it was her influence that eventually led to him Falling in the first place."
Emily asks "Did…did she ever actually do anything to him? Did he change suddenly?"
Gabriel shakes his head, saying "No. Not that we're aware of, anyway. He always seemed like his usual self, always coming up with new ideas for things. Calliope, though, she was what would be called a 'lone wolf' now - lived away from Heaven with none but her bird for company, away from the Garden. Lucifer was the only one she ever regularly interacted with, Lilith joining them eventually. The few times I interacted with her, she was…distant. Aloof. She may have wings similar to ours, but she acted nothing like an Angel. To this day, I don't know what Lucifer saw in her."
Emily hums, then says "If she's coming with, then maybe you could get to know her, along with Princess Charlotte!" Maybe it's all a misunderstanding about this Calliope - if she never did anything harmful to Lucifer, then perhaps she was never truly malicious in the first place.
Gabriel grimaces, and says "Not likely. She's got a temper to match her magic." Chances are, she won't let any of them anywhere near Charlotte Morningstar.
Sighing, Gabriel says "I'd best go tell Michael and Raphael."
Sera nods, saying "I'll prepare a welcoming party. If it's truly Calliope, then we need to at least attempt at keeping things civil."
Michael actually drops the sword he was sharpening in utter shock, and Raphael's wings practically buzz in his distress as he incredulously asks "We've got a niece?!" Their youngest brother has a child, and they never knew?!
Gabriel nods, running a hand through his hair, and says "Apparently. We never did find Lilith...I suppose Calliope took her to Hell after all."
Michael scowls, golden eyes narrowing as he does, and says "She'll have been-"
Raphael whirls around, green healer robe nearly smacking the eldest brother in the face and golden armor as he says "Don't even finish that sentence, Mickey! If she really is Luci and Lilith's child..." Then...Calliope Peverell didn't kill their brother, for whatever reason. Her gigantic 'cottage' - as she and their youngest brother put it, according to Gabriel, the one time he visited - had been basically torn apart, there were dead Angels everywhere, and no sign of Lilith or Calliope Peverell's whereabouts when they finally found the place. There was food scattered everywhere, the place was an absolute mess...but they never heard from Calliope, Lilith, or even Lucifer ever again after Lucifer's Fall. The three brothers had assumed he'd either been killed down in Hell or was being controlled somehow, until they got wind of a King and Queen of Hell.
But, if this Charlotte is truly Lucifer and Lilith's child...could they have actually been wrong about Calliope?
Michael scowls, and says "That...she's the reason Lucifer Fell! If it weren't for her..." He never would've given Eve the Forbidden Fruit, Hell never would've been created...their family never would've been broken. Broken at his hands, no less.