New and Strange (Alastor x Angel Dust)

Chapter 5: Mother's Love

Alastor sat by the front desk in the lobby, whistling an old jazz toon, when Charlie came jogging up.

"Hey, Al! Any now guest?" Charlie was filled with her usual cheer which Alastor so admired.

"Two actually. Vaggie took them up to their rooms and gave them hotel schedules." Alastor stacked a few papers into a neat pile and put them into the top desk draw. "Is there anything you need my dear, Charlie?"

"Actually, I came to tell you that Angel Dust texted me and wanted us all to meet up in our personal living room pronto." Charlie pulled out her Hellphone, which Alastor didn't own, and showed him the text. Alastor still wasn't up to date on all of the latest technology.

"What exactly does, "pronto" mean, dear?" Alastor didn't know all of the latest speech either.

"It means right away. He didn't say what for though." Charlie tucked her her phone back into her pocket.

"Very well then. Whatever Angel wants us to meet for must be important." Alastor rose from the desk and walked with Charlie to the elevator. As the stepped out onto the top floor where the Hazbins lived, Alastor heard Nifty, Vaggie, and Husk were already in the living room.

"Whatever Angel wanted better be good, I was busy with new guests." Vaggie fumed as Charlie and Alastor entered the room.

"I'm sure it was important, Vaggie." Charlie reassured as she took a seat next to her lover. Alastor remained standing. It was a solid ten minutes before Angel Dust returned to the hotel, looking extremely nervous.

"Hey, guys." Angel raised a hand to wave.

"Why the fuck did you call us here, Angel?" Husk grumbled, taking a swig of his cheap booze, which seemed to magically refill itself.

"I wanted to introduce you guys to someone." Angel cast his eyes around the room, "Everyone, meet Elizabeth." Angel stepped to the side, revealing a woman of about Charlie's height, with scarlet hair and deer ears, pale grey skin, a simple, crimson dress with a dark red skirt and matching heels. She wore an opened suit jacket that was the same color as her hair, a little, scarlet deer tail with a black tip stuck out from the back of her dress, her hair was done in a braid that reached to her lower back, and her eyes were a glimmering red with pale red irises, and a giant grin. All in all, she had a striking resemblance to Alastor. As Elizabeth and Alastor locked eyes, Alastor's smile melted to a look on shock, as did Elizabeth's. Alastor not smiling raised a few gasped out of the other Hazbins.

"Alastor..." Elizabeth mumbled quietly with a heavy southern accent. A mother can always recognize her child.

"Mother..." She may not have looked the same, but Alastor would always be able to recognize the eyes of his mother, even if they weren't the same color as before.

"Wait!" Vaggie quickly pointed at Elizabeth, "That's Alastor's mom!?" Vaggie was ignored by the two deer demons, who walked up to each other slowly. Elizabeth stretched a long fingered hand to Alastor's cheek, caressing it like a mother caressed her child's face. Alastor leaned his face into the touch, putting a hand over his mother's hand. Elizabeth gazed at her son, tears if relief flooding her cheeks.

"When I heard about a powerful demon named Alastor, I thought it was to good to be true." Elizabeth whispered, smiling through her tears. Silent tears dripped from Alastor's eyes, causing the others to go entirely silent.

"I'm so sorry, Mother." Alastor's voice was dripping anguish.

"There's nothin' to be sorry for Cher. I was already diein', and I wasn't gonna let ya die too." Elizabeth pulled a handkerchief our of her jacket pocket and wiped away Alastor's tears. "Smile, Cher. Ya know how much I love yer smile." Alastor did as his mother said and gave a smile, it was probably the most genuine smile he'd given in a long time. Elizabeth stuffed her handkerchief back in pocket and opened her arms, offering Alastor a hug, which Alastor greatfuly excepted.

"You must be so disappointed, seeing me here." Alastor whispered into his mother's ear.

"Alastor, I don't care of yer an evil gris-gris demon, or the most righteous of angels. Yer my son, and I will always love ya." They stayed in their hug for a moment longer, unaware to the eyes staring at them. When they parted, Alastor still held his mother's hand.

"How on Earth did you find the hotel, Mother?" Alastor asked, not yet realizing the truth.

"I didn't, he found me." Elizabeth pointed to Angel, "He brought me to you." Alastor looked up at Angel, a hint of disbelief in his eyes.

"You...you found my mother?" Angel shrugged, a tiny smile on his face.

"Of course, we're pals after all." Before another word could be spoken, Angel found himself enveloped my a pair of thin, yet strong arms.

"Thank you." Alastor whispered. Angel wrapped his four arms around Alastor and hesitantly patted the deer's shoulder.

"No problem, Al." Alastor parted from the hug and cleared his throat. His usual grin returned to his face as he turned back to his mother.

"Let me introduce you to everyone, Mother." Elizabeth took her son's arm with a smile as Alastor began introducing the Hazbins.

"This is my business partner and the Princess of Hell, Charlie." Charlie held out a hand, which Elizabeth eagerly shook.

"It's nice to meet you Ms.-" Charlie was cut off by Elizabeth's scoff and waved hand.

"None of those formalities. Y'all can call me Auntie Eliza, hun." Charlie grinned and gave a nod before sitting down again. Alastor moved to Vaggie.

"This is Charlie's significant other, Vaggie." Vaggie was was greeted with compliments instead of handshakes.

"My, my!" Elizabeth pointed at Vaggie and Charlie, "Y'all two have gotta be the cutest couple I've ever seen down here. Y'all are mighty beautiful too! It's nice to know that even in this awful place, there's still lotsa love!"

"Uh..thanks." Vaggie was having a hard time believing that this incredibly friendly woman was Alastor's mom.

"This is Nifty!" Alastor continued. "She's the cleaner!"

"Hi! I'm, Nifty." Nifty gave a cheery wave and a big smile, "It's so nice to meet you!"

"Nics to meet you too!" Elizabeth shook Nifty's tiny hand, "You have a lovely dress!"

"Thank you!" Nifty sounded like she might burst from happiness.

"The charming winged cat over there is, Husk!" Husk glanced over his cheap boozes bottle at the smiling woman, knowing that he couldn't be his usual self because Alastor would kill him.

"Nice to meetcha, darling!" Elizabeth gave a simple wave. She could tell when someone didn't like people.

"And of course," Alastor flourished an arm towards Angel Dust, "Angel Dust, whom you've met!"

"So that's ya're name!" Elizabeth wrapped Angel in a hug. "Nice to finally meetcha Spider Boy!" Angel have a tentative hug. Even though Alastor had told him about Elizabeth's kindness, he hadn't expected her to be this kind to him, especially since she'd found out he was gay on their way to the hotel.

"Now Alastor," Elizabeth cheered, turning around to face Alastor, "Why don't me and you cook up some grub for dinner? I'm thinkin' jumbalia!"

"Agreed!" Alastor led his mother to the kitchen. Once they were alone in, Elizabeth sprang an unexpected question.

"So how long have ya had a thing for the Spider Boy?" Elizabeth's face took on a sudden Lenny Face appearance, even though she'd never seen a Lenny Face.

"What!?" Alastor almost dropped a pan at his mother's question.

"I said," Elizabeth spoke with her and crossed, motherly authority filling her tone, "how long have ya been crushin' on the Spider Boy?"