So Much In Common: Book 2

Anya & Charlie

"It's okay, Anya. I've never seen up too either."  Charlie patted the little imp demon's head, trying to comfort her at least a little.

For someone so young, Anya was very intelligent. She knew neither of her dads would understand why she was so sad about never having seen the woods above. Charlie on the other hand, another demon who was born in Hell, she knew would understand her feelings perfectly.

"I know Hell isn't a very nice place, but at least we have the hotel, and our family." Charlie smiled down at her kindly, and Anya giggled, feeling a little better.

"Do you...wanna see it?" Anya asked suddenly, looking at her shoes nervously.

"...sometimes." Charlie picked Anya up and set her in her lap as she continued filling out paperwork at the front desk.

"What do you wanna see most?" Anya looked up at Hell's princess, her curiosity sparked.

Charlie gave a light chuckle, "That's easy. The sun."

"The sun?" Anya tilted her head to the side a bit, like a confused puppy.

"Yeah. Mom told me that it's this big star in the sky, and it makes the whole world bright and warm for the whole day, before setting in the evening so night can come."

"Wow..." Anya's little imagination started creating pictures in her head about a world that wasn't always dark every hour of the day, and it made a huge grin appear on her face.

"What do you want to see most, Anya?" Charlie asked with a gentle smile, her own child like curiosity sparked.

"Well...Daddy's already gonna get me a flower...so..." Anya thought this over in her head, before something came to mind, "Trees!" Anya giggled.

"Trees?"

"Papa said there like big sticks, with these green things called leaves. When it gets cold, they change color and fall off."

"Interesting." Charlie mused the thought of what that might look like.

Anya suddenly got an idea, and hopped off of Charlie's lap, "Thank you, Aunt Charlie, but I gotta do something!" Anya started off toward her dad's bedroom.

"Okay, Anya!" Charlie called after her, "Have fun!"

———

Furfur was very confused when he found Anya in a corner of the lobby, Angel Dust's bedside lamp in front of her with some tape, crayons, scissors, and paper. For a moment he watched as she drew something on a sheet of paper, then put it over her piece of cardboard. Whatever she drew, she didn't seem to like it, and crumpled the paper up before setting it aside.

"Cher, what are you up to?" Furfur sat next to her, and glanced over.

"I'm trying to draw a star, but I don't know what one looks like." Anya pouted, kicking one of her failed attempts away.

"Would you like some help? I know what one looks like." Furfur offered.

"Yes please!" Anya's happy smile returned, making Furfur smile back as he picked up a black crayon and drew the outline of a star in one of Anya's unused papers.

"There you go, Cher."

"Thank you, Grandpa!" Anya hugged him, her little arms not even reaching more than halfway around him.

"Anytime Cher, but uh..." The deer took one more look at everything Anya had in front of her, "What exactly do you need all of this for?"

"I'm making a sun." Anya picked up a yellow crayon and colored in the star Furfur had drawn for her. When she went to reach for the scissors, Furfur beat her to it."

"Let me-" He held his other hand out for the paper, which Anya promptly gave.

After the star was cut out, Anya took the tape and made a sticky tape loop, a trick she'd picked up from her Aunt Vaggie, and stuck it to the backside of the star. She then took the shade off of the lamp and stuck the star to the light bulb. After plugging it in, she turned it in and smiled at her little sun.

"It perfect!" Anya exclaimed, "Thank you for your help!"

"Anytime, Cher."

"What's going on here?" Husk came over with Nifty, who held their infant son, Andre in her arms.

"Grandpa helped me make a sun!" Anya giggled.

"What was that I heard?" Alastor came over with Angel next, and the two stopped. Angel blinked a couple times before realizing why he recognized the lamp.

"Is that my-"

"It's Anya's sun." Furfur quickly cut him off, Angel quickly understood and knelt down with a smile.

"It's beautiful, hun."

"Thank you, Papa."

"What's everyone over here for?" Vaggie came over with Charlie, very confused on what had stopped everyone from working all of a sudden.

"Aunt Charlie, look! I made a sun! Do you like it?" Anya grabbed Charlie's hand and dragged her over, smiling up at her with pride.

"Anya," Charlie picked the little girl up and hugged her tightly, "It's perfect."

———

Which hotel member should Anya hang out with next?