Miss Alma LeFay Peregrine: One Shots

Deal With the Devil (Part 2)

You sighed as you held the letter in your hand. Lucifer had written you, begging you to at least visit the underworld. You grumbled something under your breath and set off to locate your oldest child; Atticus.

"Atticus, where are you?" You called through the silent house. Ever since the death of your wife, fifteen years ago, the loop hadn't been the same. You had been able to preserve it, pulling some strings and making it so you didn't have to reset it. But without Alma, it would never be the same again. "Bud, I need you to watch the loop for a while." Your son finally poked his head round the corner and grimaced, his pointed canines glinting in the filtered sunlight.

"What for?"

"I'm going to visit your grandfather. I won't be gone more than a week, but you know how he is," You explained briefly. He nodded, stepping toward you and giving a halfhearted smile.

"If you see mama there, tell her I miss her. We all miss her." He breathed out heavily and you cupped his cheek and nodded. The nineteen year old leaned into your touch, which you were forever grateful for- He still loved you as he always had.

"I won't, honey. She's in a much better afterlife than hell." You kissed his forehead and pulled him into your embrace. "I need to say a quick goodbye to the others at dinner, and then I'll have to leave immediately. I want to get this over with as soon as possible."

~~~

You sighed as you crossed from the realm you had grown so comfortable in to the kingdom of your father. You were embraced by the all too familiar, somehow simultaneous sweltering heat and biting cold. It didn't bother you anymore but you saw damned souls shivering and panting, the sweat beading on their foreheads freezing immediately. Striding past them you reached a large set of gates set into a dark brick wall and shoved past the guards who knelt instantly as your frame towered over them. You entered the palace and inhaled the scent of pipe smoke with a pang of remembrance. You had kept your wife's pipe after her death, preserving the smell and reminiscing over it every now and again, though it would never be the same as smelling it in her breath or tasting it on her lips.

You rounded a corner into what you knew to be the throne room and stumbled when you saw a woman shrouded in darkness seated on the throne in the center of the room. Unable to make out any of her features except her slender figure, you scoffed and crossed your arms.

"Are you Luc's new arm candy?" You rolled your eyes and shrugged. Your father wasn't exactly known for being too loyal to Lilith. You furrowed your brow as you saw her shake her head silently. "Let me see you."

She waved her hand and you fell to your knees as the darkness melted away. A bright white grin graced her delicate features as your Alma watched you collapse in front of her. "Are you alright, my love?" Your wife stood and approached you, her signature heels clicking against the tiled floors and echoing through the otherwise empty room. She knelt beside you and you flung your arms around her neck. You vaguely registered that she had been restored to the age she had been when you met her, as opposed to the old woman she had been when she died in your arms.

"I'm wonderful, bluebird. My darling." Your voice cracked as you buried your face in her warm chest. You realized she was the source of the smoky smell. You felt the quick pitter patter of her birdlike heart. The rhythm that had grown so familiar and comforting to you. "I missed you so much," You whispered, closing your eyes against the soft fabric of her suit. "We all did. The kids miss you so much. I miss you so much."

"I missed you so much too," She sighed, burying a clawed hand in your hair. "By the way. You did a very good job raising our children."

Your head snapped up and you gave her a questioning look.

"I've been watching you, my little dove." She threaded her fingers through your hair and you leaned into her touch. You finally leaned up and connected your lips softly, the taste of smoke overwhelming your senses. She giggled against your mouth and your hands fell to grasp her hips, pulling both of you up to your knees and pressing your bodies together. The saltiness of your tears flowed freely in your mouths and only encouraged you further.

"What a touching display of love." A male voice sounded behind you. You pulled away from her lips and turned to face your father, a wild grin on your face.

"You planned this," You laughed and wiped your tears away. "You planned for me to see her again." He nodded and you kissed Alma's cheek.

"Take her with you," He said softly, placing a hand on your shoulder. You sat there, taken aback, as the devil himself smiled down at you. "I watched her. She stood over the lake of reflection and watched you every single day. And I watched you, too. The two of you share the truest love I have seen in a long time. I can't keep you away from each other. When you return to the over world with her, she will have everlasting life. She cannot die."

You stood on shaky legs and she stood with you. Both of you had tears streaming down your faces as you looked at each other, joy overflowing, and you hugged Lucifer Morningstar.

"Thank you, daddy." You said quietly against his cold chest, your voice breaking as you slipped your hand into Alma's. "I love you." It was barely a whisper of a breath, but it made the fiery man beam ear to ear.

"I love you too, y/n. And don't you think for a second that I'm not coming to meet my grandchildren soon." He crossed his arms and you laughed.

"If that's all you want in return for this, you can come every week," You said.

"Truly, thank you Mr. Morningstar. You cannot possibly know how much this means to me." Alma whispered, stepping forward to hug him herself.

"I think I have an inkling of an idea." He winked.

"Now what are we waiting for?" The ymbryne turned to you with a bright grin. "I am itching to see my children again!"

"Our children." You nudged her playfully.

"Our children."

~~~

You stepped inside the dead silent house, hand in hand with the love of your life.

"Children." You called out, met quickly with the thudding of several sets of footsteps. The first around the corner was your youngest girl, seventeen year old Rue, who came to such an abrupt stop that Atticus bumped into her from behind.

"Mama?" Rue whispered, and Atticus brought a hand up to cover his mouth as Robyn and Emma came through the door from the parlor. Robyn dropped the potted plant she was holding in order to race to Alma's side, the eighteen year old tackling her mom to the ground in a fierce hug. Alma made a sound on impact, a mixture of a laugh and a groan, and you rushed to her side as your other two children joined the pile.

"Let her breathe, you three! I know you're happy to see Mama but don't hurt her!" You laughed out as a hand tipped with dark sharp nails reached out of the dogpile and searched for you. You took it and pulled, attempting to rescue your wife, but she was stronger and instead pulled you in too.

"You can't hurt an immortal, my dear."