John Constantine recalls how he first met the succubus Chantinelle in 1984. Four days before Christmas of that year, a knock had come at his door, and there had stood a young and attractive couple. The woman was pregnant, and the two begged for his help. John was no doctor, and when he questioned them, they revealed that he, Tali, was an angel, and Chantinelle was a succubus. The opposing forces of Heaven and Hell had coupled.
It had been Ellie's fault. As a succubus, it was her imperative to seduce. The greatest challenge for her would be to seduce one of God's own angels. She had succeeded. However, as an angel, Tali's virtuousness transformed Ellie's lust into love, and the inevitable culmination thereof had led them to this problem. Both Heaven and Hell had a stake in catching the lovers and taking the child. The union between them could have caused a war.
John planned to kick them out, but some flattery got them a long way, and finally, John agreed to help. He had Chas Chandler drive them up to an empty home, where John drew symbols and runes to protect them from the sight of demons.
In the meantime, John visited the Whitechapel Hospital for the Criminally Insane, where a convicted rapist under the influence of a shit-demon called Gout could fill him in on what the situation was in Hell. John casually suggested that the romance must have been causing quite a stir in Hell, and demanded to know who was on the case of resolving it. Strangely, Gout knew nothing of the romance between Ellie and Tali. Apparently, Hell had not found out yet.
John left without revealing any more to Gout, and returned to the house to the sound of screams of agony. Thinking that someone had found out, John rushed in, only to discover that Ellie had gone into labour. Unfortunately, neither John nor Tali had any experience with bringing lives into the world, and Ellie was forced to birth the child herself.
Unfortunately, though his protective spells had prevented Hell from discovering the birth, there had been nothing done to prevent Heaven from stopping it. The seven archangels appeared and slew Tali. Heartbroken, Ellie had to finish the birth herself while the seven angels - including the angel of mercy - watched and did nothing to help. Not long after John heard the first birth scream of the hybrid offspring, the archangels took it away, leaving he and Ellie alone. John prayed that they would kill the child - but he hoped that it was still alive.
Ellie returned to Hell afterwards, and no one was the wiser, but from that point on, she owed John. He feels guilt for what happened that night, but there's nothing to be done about it. Now, she needs his help again, and wonders what he might like in return. She tries to seduce him, so that he doesn't ask a legitimate boon of her, but he's too wise, and brushes her off. For now, there's a war coming, and John needs to be ready.
In Hell, the First of the Fallen has heard voices speaking against him. Nergal believes that John Constantine's soul belongs to him. The First of the Fallen responds by turning Nergal into a mortal, and torturing him. For all the years it took Nergal to become a demon, all of that has been undone now.
The First prepares now for his vengeance against Constantine, unable to shake the image of the occultist flipping him the bird from his head.
