CH 52: Let Me Go

(A/N: The song above plays when Esme is in the kitchen. Just to add more immersion 😊)

Esme sighs as the door closes and Vaggie leaves the group in solitude. "What the fuck do we do now?" Angel sighed. The demons all look at one another, some clearly conflicted. All but Nifty, who was happily scurrying about talking to the stains on the carpet.

"Don't worry, Fred, I'll be here to clean you!" She laughed hysterically.

"Yeah..." Esme says softly, "We'll be here." She repeats. Angel raises an eyebrow in her comment. She turns to them, "Are we really about to walk out on Charlie after she's done so much?"

"Why do you care?" Husk groans, leaning against the wall, "You don't have to fight, you could just control those angels to leave you alone. You're not obligated to save us."

"I never said I was..." Esme scoffs,

"And, so what?" He persists, "The big scary siren have a little change of heart?"

There's a pause before Esme rolls her eyes and sighs, "Listen, it's my job to protect Charlie." She says softly, "I made a promise to her father, and I intend to keep it. As for the rest of you, I think it'd be shameful for you not to stick by her after everything she's done." She narrows her eyes and glares at Angel, "And I'll especially be surprised by you and your loyalty if y-"

"Are you fuckin' nuts?" Angel interrupts, "You should know better than anyone that I wasn't raised to back down from a fight." The two smirk at one another, having a mutual understanding.

"If this means we go to war, then sssssooo be it." Pen says darkly.

With that, the group begins to prepare the hotel for battle. Husk and Angel work on boarding up the windows with wood, and Pen instructs his egg bois to prepare all his weapons. Esme scans the ceiling, contemplating the best way for her to ensure the hotel's safety. Then it hits her, something she remembered from back in the day.

Those runes. If she were to cast runes, only the person who cast them could use their magic. She could litter the boards, ceilings, and tiles with them encrusted inside to protect all that reside. Even if the foundation itself were to crumble, those inside would still be protected.

Esme sighs and begins to send power from her palms to the ceilings, laying the wood with her protection runes, making sure to send them everywhere. It's a wondrous sight as she fills the air with glittering green magic. "Esme!" A voice shouts, causing her to jump, her magic dissipating and her eyes becoming dim. She looks down to see Nifty jumping up and down, "Lemme see! Lemme see!"

Well, you are rather small... Esme thinks. She smiles as she sprinkles some of her magic over her, causing Nifty to jump trying to catch the sparkles. Each one of them has a protective layer within them. She is small after all, and doesn't stand much of a chance in battle.

"OOo it's so sparkly~" Nifty giggles.

"I suppose it is, Little Miss." Esme chuckles, bending down to watch her happily prance about. A saddened smile washes across her face as she observes Nifty's chaotic nature.

You remind me of her in a sense... She thinks to herself, Raising trouble in the town square, turning heads, and being your most authentic self.

She chuckles softly and stands back up, redirecting her attention back to the parlor. She had to give this fight all that she had. She couldn't possibly allow someone to steal her afterlife from her, truly leaving her daughter with no mother - not even in Hell.

Hours pass and Esme watches the others continue to board up the windows and fortify the place. She sighs and wipes her forehead, feeling drained from using all her power. She stumbles back, appearing weakened. Angel looks down, "Es, are you okay?" He asks. She takes a deep breath, "Yeah, I - I'm fine, just a bit tuckered out."

She quickly regains herself, smiles, and places a hand on her hip, "Now how about I fix you boys something to eat?"

"I don't think we have the ssssssame taste." Pen responds with a nervous shrug and chuckle.

Esme laughs and waves a hand into the air, "No, none of my usual. I'll bring it back old school tonight, a meal from my time~" She grins.

Angel lets go of the wood, causing Husk to groan and hold it on his own. He leans over the upstairs banister, "Ohoho don't tell me you're bringing it back to Mulberry Street, baby~" She winks and he dramatically drapes himself over the banister further, "Io morto di fame, Tesoro!~"

Esme giggles and sways her hips to the side, "Don't have to tell me twice, angeletto!" She gleams, walking towards the kitchen. "Penne or spaghetti?" She asks.

"Is that even a question?" He snickers while balancing a screw in between his teeth, holding the wood to the wall.

Esme laughs, "Alrighty then~" 

She enters the kitchen and soon lavish romantic music in her home language pours out of the radio in the kitchen. She spends a couple of moments examining the space before snapping her fingers and conjuring a white apron around her waist. She ties her hair back into a low ponytail and reaches into the cabinet to pull out a box of spaghetti. She pulls out a pot and begins to fill it with water, placing it on the stove and dapping salt across the inside. She turns the fire on the stove and pulls out a cigarette from her coat, sticks it underneath the flame to light it, and takes a drag.

Esme puffs the smoke into the arm, using her free hand to fluff up her hair while she watches the water boil. Her fins pop out to the sound of the front door opening and voices coming inside, but she ignores it and turns back to her cooking.

~ Narrator ~

The door opens to the lobby and much to Charlie and Vaggie's shock, they see the rest of the group calmly working together to prep the hotel for tomorrow's battle.

"Look who decided to show up," Angel smirks, pulling Husk and Pen close, "We taught we was fightin' by ourselves."

Charlie looks up at them with pride and adoration displayed all over her face.

"Y-You're still here..." Vaggie smiles softly in disbelief.

"What, do you think we're a bunch of pusssssies?" Pen remarks, causing Angel to smirk.

"I just got used to you guys." Husk smiles, probably genuinely for the first time in a while, "I ain't finding no new drinking buddies."

Nifty pops out from Angel's back, leaning against his head, "I named all the stains on the carpet!" She points, "That one's Fred."

Charlie smiles proudly, "Well, looks like we have a lot of work to do."

Alastor enters the hotel and immediately recognizes the smell coming from the kitchen. He looks around to see that Esme has disappeared, so naturally he follows the scent to where he imagines she'd be. He opens the door slightly to see her chopping away at garlic and basil with her back turned. She has two pots next to her, one of pasta already made and resting, and the other of her homemade sauce shimmering. She turns and dumps the garlic in with the basil, taking another drag from her stick and turning her back once more. She sips on a glass of red wine as she hums along to the music playing on the counter, reaching up and taking down a few plates.

She was in her element. This was exactly what Sunday nights looked like in their home. It was the only day of the week that Esme could transport herself back to her little tenement building in Manhattan. She often pictured her mother beside her, chopping away or perhaps even making the pasta from scratch. If she had the time, she would have done that, but everyone had such a long day she didn't have the strength. She conjures a wooden spoon with swirls of green magic and grasps it in her hands, stirring gently.

It was a beautiful memory, one Esme cherished deeply with her mother. She learned all she knew from her and sometimes wished she could have taken her from New York away from her father. She would've stayed in their little house and would've gotten to meet Geneviève.

Geneviève.

Oh, how she wished she was here. Would she be rummaging through the hotel causing just as much mischief as Nifty, or would she be diplomatic and caring like Charlie? Would she have grown up or would she be frozen in time?

More importantly, would she have been attached to her mother's leg, peering up at the pot? Could she have taught her all she knew just as her mother did for her? Would they have spent more moments together? When she would eventually grow into her voice, who would she sound like? Who would she behave like? Who would she dance like? Who would sh-

Fuck!

Esme jumps back when the tomato sauce bubbles up and spits out at her, sending some boiling liquid onto her chest and burning her softly. She winces and turns the fire on low, turning around to get some cold water. She sees Alastor and freezes.

"It's not polite to stare, your mother taught you better than that." She grumbles, turning away from him and going to the sink.

He sighs and walks inside, removing the rag from her shoulder and wetting it underneath the cold water. He wrings it out and places it over the patch of skin, causing her to take a sharp inhale. "You should be more careful." He says softly, "Your mother taught you better than to have that fire so high." He smirks.

The two stare at one another and there's a beat before Alastor speaks up.

"Cher, I-"

He's interrupted as Charlie barges into the room, "Group meeting outside!" She shouts with a smile before going silent as her eyes fall on them. "Am I interrup-"

"No!" Esme smiles, moving away from Alastor, "Not at all, in fact~" She turns the fire down on the stove, "Dinner will be ready soon, so we should have this meeting pronto."

"Uhhhh, got enough for a few more people?" Charlie questions.

"How many?" Esme asks nervously.

~ Time Skippy ~

Esme stands alongside Angel and Cherri, brushing Cherri's hair with her hand, "I swear, ya always look perfect~"

"Thank you, Es. But, ya know it's not forever. I'm just here for a good brawl that's it."

"Sure you are, kid." Esme winks.

"Listen up, sinners!" Vaggie shouts, causing Esme to turn and zone in on her words, "We got 24 hours before the extermination begins, let's get to work."

About half an hour goes by of the group practicing their strategies until Charlie taps Alastor's microphone, causing some feedback to move through the crowd. "Hello?" She tests.

Esme walks between Alastor and Pen, giving Charlie a thumbs up to signal her that it works.

"I want to thank everyone for coming..." Charlie starts, "Tomorrow the exorcist angels will face a Hell ready to defend itself and win!" She jumps in the air enthusiastically,

"Yeah we will, tell 'em baby!"

"Yes, and we are going to win!" She pauses, "But, in case we don't, I want you all to know that getting to know you has been the biggest honor of my life."

The group looks at her with appreciation as they listen to her words, Esme clasping her hands over her heart and tilting her head to the side. She tears up slightly, wiping her eyes. She was so very proud of her at this moment.

"Whatever redemption really means, I know you all tried. I have seen the good in all of you and I'm just...I love you all so much and...and..."

"Keep going." Esme whispers. Alastor ears perk up at her words, glancing over to see her expression.

She can't possibly believe this, can she?

"Live tonight however you want because..."

"We're all gonna die! Hahahahahaha!" Nifty laughs hysterically.

Vaggie claps awkwardly, "Alright, let's give it up for not dying. LOVE not dying.."

There's a silence from the group, "Uhhh, drinks?"

"Excuse me!" Esme puts a finger up in the air, "But I have just the thing~"

Angel jumps up and down in excitement and the two run to the kitchen hand in hand.

~ Small Time Skippy ~

Most of the group can be seen drinking near the bar area in the parlor, enjoying each other's company before their final night. Esme is sitting on top of the pool table, her legs crossed and her plate of food in her lap. She happily munches on her spaghetti while sipping away at her martini. Just a regular martini this time.

"What a way to go out, hey Es?" Angel chuckles.

She throws her arms up in a shrug, "Hey if I'm gonna go out imma go out eating some of my ma's sauce, right?"

The two laugh until Pen jumps up from the middle of the group, "Here's to being alive today and not dying tomorrow!" He cheers.

The group clinks their glasses in response.

Meanwhile, Alastor and Nifty are both resting on the upper mezzanine, leaning against the banister.

"Ah the celebratory night before a courageous last stand!" He looks down with his arms crossed beneath him, gazing at his peers with soft eyes, "It's been a surprising thrill to witness these wayward souls find connection. Almost makes one sentimental, aye Nifty?"

"I really like them, Alastor, they let me put on roach puppet shows without booing!"

"Ahhh an enjoyable collective to be around~" He nods, placing his jaw on top of his hands, "I admit one could get accustomed~"

He stares down at them, more specifically at her.

He's broken from his train of thought as Nifty jumps on his head, placing a crown of insects on his mop, "I dub thee, King Roach~"

She jumps off and he leans back, "Oh to understand your twisted little mind~"

Back downstairs, Esme finishes her plate of food and leaves it on the pool table, "Bambino, you're on dishes."

"Aww bu-"

She turns around to give him a stern glare.

"Got it!"

Esme ascends the stairs as Alastor and Nifty are in their own fit of laughter, finally making it up the flight and beginning to walk past them.

"Sweet Esme, enjoying your last night before this hopeless fight?" Alastor questions, nonchalantly.

Esme ignores him and continues to walk, causing his eyes to narrow. He follows her, "Come now, don't ignore me..."

"Why shouldn't I?" She sneers.

"Because I'll be awfully lonely, mon chérie~"

Esme's fists tighten at the name, "Lonely? You abandoned me, Alastor! I can't believe that someone who abandoned their spouse for 90 years would be so willing to protect them in battle." She huffs and begins to walk away, but he's persistent in his pursuit.

"I didn't abandon you, darling. That's a bit of an exaggeration."

"Pfft." The Siren rolls her eyes.

"Esme." He grabs her wrist gently, pulling her back and forcing her to look up at him with sternness in his eyes, "Stop acting like a child, you always do this when things don't go your way."

"Don't go my way?" She snatches her arm back, "You killed me!"

He pinches the bridge of his nose, "We've been through this, it was an accident that happened almost a hundred years ago. You have to accept that."

Esme growls and pushes past him, "You bastard." She hisses.

"Whenever something happens that you dislike, you throw a tantrum."

"You cheated on me. You killed the mother of your child, ignored me for 90 years, and showed no remorse?" She scoffs.

He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms, leaning against the wall, "I didn't cheat on you. That word implies that our marriage meant something to me at the time..." He fibs.

Esme's eyes glowed so bright they practically lit up the entire hallway. Every scale on her body shined with fury, "Stop lying to yourself, Alastor..." She growled, "Or I will very gladly make you tell the truth."

He stares at her, his expression never budging, "You can't make me do anything, dear. You know that."

Esme smirks wickedly, leaning up towards him as her eyes continue to glow and a green smoke pours out of them, entering his own. "Wanna bet?~" She echoed in an intoxicating melody.

As he feels his eyes sting with the smoke, Alastor shakes his head trying to fight the spell until his pupils dilate and become glazed over. He can feel her within his mind, peering around and tormenting him from within. His smile stretches slightly and twitches, "Damn it.." He mutters.

"Hmmm, what was that?" Esme taunts, leaning forward to him, her eyes never breaking contact.

He leans down to her face, bringing them nose to nose, his eyes still glazed over but staring at her intently, "I said...damn it, Esme." He repeats, challengingly.

"Oooo you're so hot when you're all flustered like this~" She sings as she pinches his cheek in a teasing manner. "Now..." She backs up, "...tell me again how our marriage meant nothing to you...go on~" She smirks.

"It...it meant." Fuck I don't want to do this, but she's so deep within my mind that I have no choice, do I? "It meant everything."

"Ah? What was that?" She cocks her head, her fins popping out of the sides, "C'mon, I didn't hear you." She puts a hand to one of them.

He was struggling against his subconscious to prevent the words from slipping out, but it's like a dam has been broken and they pour out like water, "Everything...you meant everything to me..I loved you."

Esme's smirk widens with a sadistic glee, "Loved? Past tense?" She mocks.

"Present tense."

"Bravo!" Her eyes turn dim and back to their original shade as Alastor stumbles forward from the release. She claps obnoxiously, "My what a performance, Alastor. You should be very proud of yourself." She walks away smugly.

He takes a moment, his fists clenching as he watches her walk away, noting her hips swaying playfully.

That wretched little temptress.

"It'll be the last time you dare do that again." He mumbles as he suddenly lunges for her, taking her by the back of her coat and pushing her up against the wall, pinning her in place. "You are the most annoying creature I've ever met, you know that?" He growls.

"You love me..." She smirks playfully.

He stares at her for a moment before he leans down to her slightly, his grip on her arms tightening a bit as a smirk appears on his face, "Unfortunately, I do."

"Unfortunately?"

"Yes, unfortunately. You're also the most infuriating, childish, stubborn person I've ever met. My life would have been a whole lot easier if you weren't so damned attractive."

Esme's gaze saddened at his words, her fins dropping slightly, "Is that the only reason you loved me?" She whispers.

He pauses for a moment, his breath getting lost in his throat, "Of course not. There were other...reasonings.."

"Get off of me." Esme squirms in his grip, her voice cracking lightly.

Hearing the change in her voice immediately causes him to lessen his grip, but still holding firm, "Why should I?"

She doesn't answer him, but soft tears form in her eyes and sparkle under the hallway light above them. She looks away.

Suddenly, he's brought back to that closet in the speakeasy. When she made that same face, he wanted to burn himself alive for causing it. Seeing her tears instantly makes him falter, the sight always managing to get to him both in life and in death. He sighs and relaxes his grip, raising a finger underneath her chin to bring her eyes to meet his,

"Darling..."

She keeps her eyes closed, refusing to look up at him, "Please..." She whispers.

Seeing her this way made his heart ache in a way he couldn't explain or fathom. He leans closer, taking in her sweet scent. She smelt of fresh seawater and vanilla, "Darling...look at me."

She opens her eyes to stare up into his, small tears leaking out and onto the apples of her cheeks.

He gently wipes one away, "Stop crying, Esme. You know I can't handle it when you cry."

"You left me..." She whimpered.

He's frozen, his face dropping as he hears her small whines, "You know why I left. You know why I had to..."

"No, I don't." Esme protests, her voice shaking.

Guilt began to wash over him as he saw how much his actions had affected her. Why did she always have to do this to him? Why couldn't she just trust him? This is exactly why he avoided her for so long, to prevent her skin from becoming damp with her tears, and to prevent the innocent yet betrayed look in her eyes.

"Esme, please, you know why. You're smarter than this." He can feel her body beginning to shake lightly.

"Please, let me go..." She pleads, causing his ears to immediately stand up at the words, "I promise I'll be good..."

Unknowingly, almost on impulse, she repeats one of the final phrases she ever said to him on that fateful night when he inadvertently ended her precious life.

As soon as those words meet his ears, a pang of horror and despair hits him in the chest, so hard it makes him stumble, "Esme, stop...stop doing that. You stop that right now." His voice trembles as he tightens his grip around her, resembling more of a desperate cling rather than a firm hold.

"Please...just let me go..." She continues.

Hearing her say those words again made him feel even more distraught than he could imagine. His heart bled for her. He couldn't bear it and suddenly he was back in that kitchen on that cold evening all those years ago. As she turns her head to the side to avoid his gaze, Alastor can clearly see the large gash on the back of her head where she received her blow. The sight makes his blood run cold, and a flood of memories come back to him rushing all at once. He can feel his throat beginning to tighten and his jaw tenses at the sight.

A series of memories enter his mind, mostly of her lifeless body on the floor in his arms and the blood pouring out of her skull.

"Dammit, stop...stop saying that.." He muttered under his breath, his grip on her wrists growing tighter. Esme winces as she feels him subconsciously bruising her skin. It hurt, and not in an enjoyable way.

She squirms in his grip, "Alastor, you're hurting me."

He snaps out of his memories and looks down to see her wrists slowly turning purple. He instantly drops them. "Shit." She raises her wrists to her eyes and examines them, rubbing softly as she sniffles away some tears.

He continues to watch her, still reeling from the memories. His body tenses up as they continue to play on an endless loop in his mind, memories from centuries ago that still haunt him to this day. He clenches his fists, his claws digging into his skin, and he begins to breathe more erratically.

Esme looks up at him and notices a change in his demeanor, jumping back slightly at the sight, her head almost bumps into the light on the wall.

A rush of panic runs through Alastor as he sees her head come into close contact with the light fixture. He instinctively grabs onto her waist and pulls her to him, causing her to crash along his chest.

Esme gasps and looks up, noticing his chest rising and falling frantically, "Alastor?"

He has his eyes shut, but that damned smile still remains, although he could feel the strings along his skin begging for mercy. His breaths are heavy, if he can get any in, and it feels like he can't breathe. He hears her voice and his eyes snap open, looking down at her.

"A-Are you okay?" She whispers.

He pauses for a moment, feeling more guilt build within him. How could she be concerned for him after all this time? How could she be showing kindness to him at this moment?

"I..."

Esme sighs and smiles sadly at him, gaining her composure, "Come, you should rest..." She takes his hands into hers and calmly guides him to his suite. 

~ Author's Note ~

We're finally almost at extermination day! Also, not Alastor having a panic attack. 🥺

To lighten the mood, here are a couple of songs that remind me of them. Some of them were going to be inspo for original concepts that got scrapped. 

⬇️This song gives me hella Esme and Alastor vibes. At least Esme! 

https://youtu.be/Ruy1eogw2rQ

⬇️Originally Alastor approached Esme to leave the Vees and join him at the hotel. It was very much this coded, but quickly got scrapped. 

https://youtu.be/Wk008ADh4iY

⬇️Sad Esme vibes 💔

https://youtu.be/bdBdtm9pukY

We're gonna get a lot of fluff, smut, and action ahead so get ready! 

🖤Words: 4099🖤

~ Artemis 🦌💗