Al was walking me home. I felt at peace. We walked past a homeless demon playing jazz and Alastor flicked a gold coin into their hat. I smiled at him.

"Wow...that was sweet, Alastor." He smirked down at me and shrugged. "I'm not...always a monster..." he mumbled, his grip on my hand tightening. The street lights made the sidewalk glow a comforting orange, and the red hue of the pentagram made the shadows dance like fire. I giggled and grabbed both of Alastor's hands, leading him to the pentagram square.

He stumbled slightly, chuckling and smoothing out his jacket. I grabbed his hands and put them on my waist, before wrapping my own around his neck. I stepped up onto his feet and laid my head against his chest.

He got the message and began to dance, leading me with his movements, spinning around the city square. I looked up to him, and in that moment I had never felt more in love. The way the light outlined his features made me feel complete.

And in that moment... I didn't feel like I needed to be redeemed anymore.

I had all I needed right in front of me.

-----------

Flashback

"Mama?" A 4 year old Emagine giggled as she ran around a picnic table. Her mother chased her, laughing as Emagine squealed and evaded her attempts at catching her.

Suddenly Emagine was scooped up by the strong hands of her father. His hearty laugh filled her ears as she snuggled against him and was suddenly sandwiched between him and her mother.

When her father put her down her mother took her tiny hand in hers and they all walked back to the small cottage in the woods that they lived in.

Her mother walked to her cauldron, and stared into the boiling liquid, the smile on her face looking tired, and worn.

She was a witch. She fell in love with a human man, and they lived together in the forest. They conceived a beautiful little girl, who also possessed magical qualities like her mother.

After dropping a few potions into the liquid, along with a drop of her blood, Emagine's mother used cast iron tongs to lift a small, delicate necklace from the concoction.

She bent down to her daughter, who had been watching her intently. She clipped the necklace around Emagine's neck, straightening it, and taking in a deep breath.

She was 300 years old, and her time on this Earth was coming to an end. She stored her power in the necklace, and laid it in the possession of her offspring.

Within the next few days... Emagine's mother had died. Her father was grief stricken, and could no longer raise his child. He took the small girl to the modern city, and left her with the orphanage there.

She was adopted, and within no time at all the memories of her fairytale life faded away as she adapted into the city.

The necklace, however, stayed. She always assumed her adopted mother had given it to her.

She never knew how powerful she truly was.

She never understood why she could touch a plant and make it bloom.

And most of all, she didn't understand why she felt like she didn't belong.

End flashback

------------

Emagine fiddled with the small charm on her necklace. She had never taken it off, and it was the only thing that had followed her to hell. She was sitting in her and Alastor's room, her hair laid over her shoulder as she studied the pendant.

It was a sun. And on the back, the words "you are my sunshine" were engraved in a handwriting she didn't recognize. It wasn't her mother's... she didn't have a father...this necklace had always been a mystery to her.

But she never took it off.

Shadow curled up around her waist and looked down at the charm, before looking up at Emagine with a curious expression.

"I don't know, Shadow..." she whispered.

Alastor noticed Emagine was not in bed, but sitting up.

"Darling?" He questioned groggily, wondering what she was doing. Emagine jumped.

"Oh! Nothing, love... I'm coming back to bed, go back to sleep..." so, he did. And Emagine laid back down, snuggled against her lover.

Shadow and Xozzen were curled up in the darkest corners of the room, sleeping soundly.

Meanwhile, a certain arachnid was stalking around outside the house.

He had one set of hands on his hips and the other set wringing nervously. "What am I doin'," he whispered, "this is... these are my friends..." he felt lost. He couldn't say no to big V. That meant death.

But stealing Alastor's woman? That meant... worse than death. But...Angel was more scared of Val than he was of Alastor, in the end. He just needed a plan. So he walked off, back to the hotel, to think.

----------

Emagine's POV

the next morning I woke up to the sweet smell of my love making something for breakfast.

I walked down to the kitchen, and saw Alastor singing while his microphone played the music.

"Hey Hobo Man,

Hey Dapper Dan,

You've both got your style..."

I decided to join him, waltzing up and taking the spoon from his hand, dropping the batter he made into the hot pan,

"But brother,

You're never fully dressed

Without a Smile!"

I finished the line and then smiled warmly at him. "You know Alastor, that's an awfully chipper tune, considering what you enjoy doing," I chuckled, flipping the pancake before I froze at his next words.

"It was my mother's favorite." He said, sadly but also with a happy undertone. Like he was remembering.

My eyes widened, and a memory flashed through my head. A forest, with a family. Laughing. I blinked and shook my head, before turning to face him. "Well, she taught you well, darling," I said to him, cupping his cheek with one of my hands, the other on his shoulder. His closed-mouth smile was sad, but seemed to perk up at my words.

"My mother left me this," I said softly, holding up my necklace. He took the charm in his hands, being extremely carefully with it. He flipped it and read the inscription.

"You are my sunshine." I smiled and took it back from him gently, looking over it myself.

"Yea..." I said softly, "my mother never said that to me... so I'm not sure why exactly she put it on here" Alastor simply hummed and then his eyes flashed red for a second as the fire alarm began to blare. The pancakes!

"Shit!"

----------

Later in the day, while Alastor and I were being lazy, I got a text. I picked my phone up, and Alastor raised his gaze from the ancient tome he'd decided to read today. "Who's texting, my love?" He asked curiously. I was also curious, I never got texts.

I simply shrugged, and opened it.

Angel: hi toots! We ain't seen each other in a while, I was wonderin if ya wanted to get drinks tonight? Lemme know, suga, love ya!

"Oh it's only Angel Dust," I said simply, and Alastor rolled his eyes, but just continued reading.

Emagine: sure! Sounds like fun. Just us, or is it a group outing?

Angel is typing...

Angel: just us, darlin! We ain't gotten any girl time since you's and smiles got all coupled up, haha!

I chuckled, oh Angel. I got the time from him and put my phone away, not thinking anything of it. A night out with Angel should be fun.

Now I just need to find something decent to wear.