"You want me to what?" Cherri asked, sipping from her Malibu Sunset.

"I want you to help me find a woman." Angel replied, sipping from his Sex On The Beach. He and Cherri sat in a private booth in Mimzy's karaoke bar.

"Angel, if Valentino is as bad as you say, he won't like you doing something other than your work." Unlike Angel Dust, Cherri didn't have a pimp. She was a freelance prostitute.

"Valentino can shove it! I work harder than anyone else he's got, I'll be damned if he's gonna stop me!" Angel pounded down on the table, causing Cherri's eye to widen a little as she took a sip from her fruity beverage.

"Alright, Angie. If it's that important I'll help, but first I want to know why you want to find this broad." Angel stopped dead at Cherri's words, he hadn't thought about what he was going to tell her.

"Look Sugar Tits," Angel Dust let out a long sigh, "you're my best pal, I'd never lie to ya, but I can't tell ya why I'm doin' dis." Angel sipped solemnly on his drink. There was a long, awkward silence between the two friends before Cherri Bomb spoke again.

"Okay, I understand. Tell me what you know about the broad." Cherri sat her head in her hands, ready to listen. Angel thought about what Elizabeth might look like, remembering how blood related demons have similar appearances.

"First of all, she probably looks like a deer."

"Probably?" Cherri raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Moving on." Angel butted in before she asked anything else, "Her name is Elizabeth, I have no idea what her last name is, probably somethin' southern."

"Angel," Cherri blurted, "you do know that some sinners' names change after they die, right? I mean, mine did, and I now you weren't always named after a drug." Angel didn't reply. He knew the chances of finding Alastor's mom were slim, but seeing Alastor so sad at breakfast made something in Angel want to find her, to make him truly happy.

"Yeah, I know babe, but it's all I got. Anyway, she's a really good cook, so I think she may work at a restaurant or somethin' like that, I think it's possible she might have a southern accent, based in where she's from, and she had a son while she was livin'. I don't know anythin' else." Angel Dust took a big gulp of his drink. He hoped they could find her.

"M'kay. I'll ask around and see what I can find." Cherri's words put a smile on Angel's face.

"Thanks, Sugar Tits. I can always count on you."

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Angel Dust was surprised when he walked by Alastor's door on his way to get a midnight snack and heard a scream that sounded like a radio in-between stations. The crying was what made him knock in the door. Either Alastor was torturing someone, or he was the one being tortured.

"Just a moment." Alastor's voice came suddenly. There was a little click and Alastor's bedroom swung open, revealing a slightly disheveled Radio Demon, wearing a pair of crimson colored silk pajamas. "Angel!?" Alastor sounded shocked, "What are you doing up so late?" Angel Dust ignored the question, barging into Alastor's room and almost hoping he'd been torturing a demon.

"I heard a scream while getting me a snack and-" Angel cut himself off when he turned to face Alastor. Alastor still wore his regular smile, but it was visibly forced, and it only made Alastor's wet cheeks more obvious. "Alastor...were you crying?" Alastor jumped slightly at the question. He turned away from Angel and closed his door.

"I...I don't what your talking about, Angel dear. Why would I cry?" Alastor seemed to actually be asking, so Angel has him an answer.

"Because of your ma." That rewarded Angel Dust with a gasp from Alastor. Alastor stuck a hand out, using it to lean against the door for support. Alastor's nightmare flashed through his mind, making his shoulders quiver in a silent sob.

"Come on ya Strawberry Pimp, talk to me. I won't tell nobody, besides, who'd believe me anyways?" Angel's voice was caring and honest. He didn't like seeing Alastor like this, so weak and vulnerable. For some reason that Angel couldn't put his finger on, he wanted to stay hear and help Alastor until he was smiling his usual charming smile again.

"Angel..." Alastor's voice was now a broken whisper. He was now leaning his head against the door, "P-please....I-" Alastor stopped speaking as he felt two pairs of arms wrap around his midsection.

"Come on, Al." Angel slowly managed to turn Alastor to face him. Alastor's smile was barley in tact, and Angel could see tears forming in his eyes. "I don't like seein' ya like this. Let me help ya. Talk to me." That was all it took. Those few words were all it took for Alastor's smile to completely crumble away and for his tears to flow. For the first time since Alastor arrived to Hell, someone else saw the broken pieces hiding behind the dashing smile, immense power, and dapper manner.

"Oh, honey." Angel guided Alastor back to his bed to sit down. Angel didn't try to be flirty, slutty, or mean, he just sat there and let Alastor cry into his shoulder, feeling his heart break. He remembered back in his past life when he'd comfort Molly through a recent break up, this was so much worse. This wasn't a cracked heart that needed mending, this heart was completely shattered and strewn out for him to collect and put back together. Angel didn't know what to do, so he just rubbed Alastor's back, whispering that it would all be okay, and clinging to his hand until Alastor cried it all out.

"Ya wanna talk about it now, hun?" Angel asked when Alastor managed to compose himself. He started to sit up, but Angel tugged him back down, making Alastor rest his head on Angel's fluffy chest floof, which Alastor found surprisingly soft.

"It was a nightmare." Alastor whispered, his words slightly muffled by the floor, "A nightmare about the night my mother died." There was almost no radio static in Alastor's voice, so Angel was able to detect all of the raw emotion it held.

"Tell me about it, if ya don't mind." Angel said softly.

"I'd finished my last year if highschool a year early, and had about a month before I went to the finest college in New Orleans. My mother was so proud, she decided to take me to a restaurant to celebrate. We couldn't do that much because we weren't very wealthy." Angel was slightly surprised by how easy it had been to get Alastor to talk to him, but kept his mouth shut and continued to hold Alastor's hand as he spoke.

"It was a restaurant my mother worked at. I'd never been to it, but it was pretty good. Since the staff were my mother's friends, they came out with my favorite, red velvet cake, with white buttermilk frosting and a big sparkler on top, singing "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." Our waiter even preformed a jazz number on his saxophone for me because my mother told him jazz was my favorite music. I can't remember ever feeling so happy."

"That sounds really nice." Angel felt dread hanging over him. He knew something terrible must have happened afterwards.

"On the way home," Alastor continued on, "it was dark and there weren't many people around. Just the kind of might for something dreadful to happen, and something dreadful did happen. We were so elated that we didn't realize we were being followed. Soon enough, a group of people cornered us in an alley, knocked us out, and took us to a cave." Angel could feel the wetness from Alastor's fresh tears.

"When I woke up, I found myself in a dark cave. I heard my mother say my name just a few feet in front of me, I looked up to see a group of people in robes, a cult. My mother was at there feet, reaching for me, withering in pain. I could see the glint of a ritual knife right in front of me. My mother told me what they had done to her, they had injected her with Thallium, a very painful and very slow acting poison. They said that if I did not stab her with the knife, then she would die a very painful death."

"Alastor, that's horrible!" That was cruel, even to Angel Dust. What kind of people force a son to kill his own mother.

"That's not all. They told me if I didn't take a bite out of her heart, they'd inject me with the same poison, leading for me to have the same fate. Of course I said no, well, screamed it." Alastor's voice hitched with a sob, "But my mother told me to do as they said. She didn't want me to die here, not when there was so much for me in my future. Of course, being the obiediant son I was, I did as she said." Alastor took a shaky breath, feeling close to breaking down again. "I wasn't letting my mother die with me disobeying her, so I took up the knife and trudged to her. I got down in my knees, and right before I made the killing blow, my mother said something that I'll never forget, "Give me a smile, Alastor. You have such a heartwarming smile." So I smiled for my mother, I smiled at her as I plunged the blade I to her chest. She died quickly, but I knew it was painful. After I was sure she was dead, I carved out her heart...and bit into it." Alastor had to stop momentarily as he started sobbing again.

"Alastor, ya don't have to tell me anymore if ya don't want to." Angel Dust felt like he was also close to tears. No wonder Alastor never talked to anyone about his past, it was so horrifing.

"I'm okay now." Alastor muttered, "I can go on." Alastor took another shaky breath, "The sick part is, I liked the taste. The heart was warm tough, but I liked it. It was all I needed to become hooked...to become a cannibal. I was disgusted with myself that I screamed. The cult laughed at me as I screamed out in horror.

"What happened after?" Angel was scared to know.

"I felt rage consume me, and I slaughtered the whole cult. The were so busy laughing that I was able to take down to off them and injure the test so they couldn't escape. I tortured then with the knife until they died. I enjoyed seeing the suffer like they had made my mother suffer. After they were all dead, I carried my mother out of the cave and buried her in the woods. It wasn't long until I found my way home and washed up. Then I grabbed the extra money my mother hid under her matress, packed a bag, and headed to college. From that day forth, I slaughtered those who harmed others, and consumed them." Alastor broke down into another round if sobs. Angel stayed until he calmed down again.

"The one person I truly loved," Alastor mumbled just loud enough for Angel to hear, "and I destroyed it."

"It's not yar fault." Angel insisted, "Yar ma was sufferin', and she didn't want ya to die. You didn't have a choice, Al." Angel felt Alastor shift his head so he could gaze at Angel. Alastor lifted a hand up to the side of Angel's face, caressing it gently. Alastor's head slowly rose from Angel's floor, cheeks wet and a small, sad, closed lip smile on his face.

"Thank you," Alastor whispered, "for listening." Angel Dust let out a surprised sound as Alastor leaned forward and planted a kiss in Angel's cheek. They stayed like that for only a moment before Alastor realized what he had done and quickly pulled away, blushing and embarrassed.

"Um....I'm sorry, Angel I-"

"Don't worry about it." Angel quickly butted in before it got to awkward, "I don't mind." Angel's head swiveled towards to clock on the nightstand, "Jeeze, look at the time. Id better get my ass back in bed if I'm gonna get up in the morning." Angel stood up and did his usual saunter towards the door, but Alastor beat him there.

"Allow me. It's the least I can do." Alastor buttered as he opened up the door.

"Thanks, toots." Angel put on his nest, flirty smile so Alastor couldn't see the fluster beneath. Angel was already a few steps away when Alastor called his name again.

"Angel, dear."

"Yeah?" Angel turned around.

"Thank you, again." Alastor gave a smile as he spoke.

"No problem. Night." Angel gave a wave I've his shoulder as he continued walking. When he heard Alastor's door close, Angel's blush broke through as he lifted a hand to touch the cheek Alastor had kissed.

"The Strawberry Pimp kissed me." Angel whispered. He wasn't used to sweet little affections like that. It was a nice change if pace from what he was used to. Just the thought of Alastor's kiss made him smile.

"He fuckin' kissed me." Angel said with glee, thinking of how nice it would be for Alastor to kiss him like that again. Maybe on the lips next time.