Hello sinners!

I never thought in a million years that I would descend into a fandom so fast and splunk! Creative plot bunnies formed inside my brain, and the creativity in this fandom is phenomenal. I've been writing on and off before I came here. However honestly, coming from my own personal life and seeing this show, I was a little intimidated. Even as old as I am, even some old demons will try to come and scare you. I have had moments where I felt like my stuff wouldn't be good enough, buy hey? Who cares what other people think? I know I have a good creative soul. Let's have fun with this.

Hazbin Hotel and its characters are owned by Viviepop.

The original characters I create for this story are completely my own.

Full Summary: "Tripping, falling with no safety net..."

Rory knew from the very get go growing up that the world was screwed up. It was complicated and messy, even harder in trying to belong there. However, for a while, Rory's own little world was enough. She was happy within her world for twenty-five years until it was snatched away. With that, she snapped. One car accident later, lost lives and blood on her soul, sends her gobsmack into the one place she never thought she would go to: Hell. Her mission: get back to her only family in Heaven no matter what, even if she has to go through the deeper parts of Hell to do it. Is it worth making a deal with something rumored to be worse than the devil?

Enjoy!

Prologue: the choice

In the future…

Rory stood at the fork in the road. Two paths were laid before her, and she didn't know which to take.

There stood the first road. It was easy, straight, and it led to the place she craved for so long. It became the light at the end of the tunnel for her. She worked so hard towards this and finished the endgame. The young demon redeemed and Heaven finally opened up the gates for her. The young demon put in the blood, sweat, and tears for months to be able to see her again. If she chose this path, the light would fill her world again and forever on. Heaven would be her home. Happily ever after, right?

Then the second road stood before her. The difficult and nightmarish road had so many turns she couldn't keep up. So dark that she could barely see what was in front of her. This couldn't be her first choice. It brought out things in Rory that she never expected to come out. Rory didn't know she possessed a dark that she didn't want to come to terms with, but she couldn't ignore it. The demon fought it as much as she could to no avail. She either had to survive or die. Dying wasn't an option. But somehow in all the chaos...it had grown on her. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She found a place that grew to be a safe harbor and the wayward souls in it worked their way into her heart. If Rory chose them, she knew that she had her new family and so much more. Surprisingly enough, Hell could be her new home.

But either choice brought a heavy price: no matter which one she picked, it would mean the other path would be cut off to her forever.

Her body froze with dread. Why couldn't this be simple?

"Rory…" her mother's sweet voice filled her ears.

Turning her head towards the light, those same pair of green eyes reflected her own. Her mother's eyes were filled with understanding and kindness that only a mother can give, which twisted the knife further in Rory's choice.

Make it simple, mama. Choose for me.

"No matter what you pick, baby, I will always love you. I'm proud of you."

No! Choose for me! I can't do this!

Her heart pounded in her chest so hard that she could still feel the aches. She fell onto her knees, anxiety gripping her like a vice. Hot tears fell down her cheeks, wetting her face and making her vision blurry. Rory desperately wanted to speak, but nothing came out. All that came out were unintelligible cries that she was trying to keep quiet. She tried to no avail to be brave, but her emotions kept sloshing over the dam.

"Sweetheart…" a familiar southern accent spilled through this time. Now, the knife twisted even further in her chest.

Alastor.

No, I can't do this. Not him too. Don't let me hurt him too.

Turning her head towards that voice, she regretted it immediately. Now, she's twisting the knife.

Rory didn't know how much more she could take.

"Please...don't…" she whispered brokenly, hiccupping as her cries turned more into sobs.

Her forest green ones met his blazing reds, and it took everything inside of them not to run to each other. This choice she had to make hurt so goddamn much. It hurt and burned like the fires from hell. They had too much respect for each other to fight the inevitable, but everything buckled. She needed to pick.

I need them both.

"You know what you need to do, darling." His dazzling sharp smile could fool anyone, but not her. She'd been with him long enough to know when he was breaking. Alastor. The Radio Demon. Her love. Her mate. Those red eyes were burning with tears despite the Cheshire cat smile holding him together barely. Those eyes said it all.

"I love you."

That broke her.

How can you smile when the world is breaking around you?

The sobs were coming hard and fast now. Her whole body shook and everything flooded.

"Please...I can't hurt them. I'll do anything. Please...don't make me choose between them." Rory pleaded, her face in her hands trying to cover her shame. She felt so fucking weak right now. Why after everything she'd gone through that she couldn't just do something?

Without warning, a gentle hand landed on her shoulder. She could feel the loving and gentle light from the aura of this person. Their familiar grace flowed through her body like a gentle electric current. Her head snapped up, tears blurring her vision. Wiping them away, she glanced back to see who she never thought would come to her. How?

The being's power hummed and ran over her not that different from her mate's static from his power, but this power wanted not to tear who threatened her. She could feel the current wanting to go deeper; it wanted to cleanse her.

The angel's black wings were spread out in a display of power, its face like stone. Those blue sky eyes bore into her as if they peered into her soul, judging her. Then in a moment, the stone-like eyes melted a little, and the angel brought a hand to her face.

"I am sorry for your pain, young one," a male voice comforted her with a sad smile. "But you need to choose. It's the only way."

So it came down to this: heaven or hell?

Current Time...
On Earth…
January 2019...
Santa Monica, CA

Rory stared out to the horizon, watching the oceans lapping against the shoreline to and fro, passing through her feet. The cool wind blew through her blonde waves, reminding her she should've brought a jacket with her before going to the beach in the middle of January. The sun was beginning to set and she was supposed to head home soon, but this was too good to pass up. She needed an escape. Just this once. For a brief moment, she felt at peace. Her heart stopped aching. The water washed away the dark nightmares plaguing her the last few months or at least that's the best way she had described it.

It was the closest way that she could be near her after all of the hell finally ended.

No. scratch that. Hell started once her mother left her alone.

It's only been a few months, and the pain still felt so raw.

She couldn't show this pain to anyone. It was just better for her to keep it all inside. She was too much into her head anyway, and it took too much to sort everything out. It was easier for her to bear it alone. Everyone kept telling her what she needed to do, but how do you do that when it takes everything out of you to get out of bed? How do you do that when all you want to do is be numb and sleep for the rest of your life and never wake up?

Keeping her head above the water took every piece of effort from her.

Rory's eyes burned from the stinging tears threatening to escape, finally coming through after holding it inside. Like a broken dam, everything flooded through. The young woman allowed herself to feel the pain just this once and get it all out.

"God, mama," she whispered painfully, tears falling as she spoke. "I don't know how you did it...being strong and crap. I'm trying to be...but it's not working right now. I...I feel like I'm at the end of my rope."

She wrapped her arms around herself, trying in vain to stop the onslaught of the emotional barrage hurtling at her for months. Rory learned to fake it all too well with everything that had been going on. Life around her was enough to keep her busy and shelve the emotional pain later. After all, she had a goal that needed a certain timeline to be fulfilled. Working all crazy hours, the drive was there to help provide the family she had left and give them the chance to start over and be free.

She allowed herself one minute to grieve. Allowing the dam to break, the tears flowed and her body shook from the crying and the cold Pacific winds nipping at her. Everything spilled out, and Rory knew this was the only way for her to get all of these emotions out and get herself mentally straight. Her family was relying on her, and she needed to recollect.

Speaking of family, it was about time to head home to them. It was getting close to their supper.

Sighing heavily, the blonde looked out to the horizon one more time. "Goodbye mama, hopefully, I'll see you soon."

With heavy feet, she walked through the sand and across the pavement, working to get to her car before dark. There wasn't much sun left getting closer to 5.

"Shit, they're going to drive Katie nuts," Rory muttered thinking of her crazy siblings, putting her car into drive, and trying to get home.

It wasn't long before the Bluetooth on her car was ringing like crazy with Katie's name popping up on the screen of her car. Still focusing on the road, Rory pressed the familiar button along the driver's wheel to accept the call - and the chaos belted out through the speakers.

"COME HERE, YOU FOUR-LEGGED DEMON SPAWN!"

She can hear Katie yelling in the background along with the chaos of the multiple barking due to her crazy trio of circus clowns that are her dogs. Her mother rescued the dogs from the pound and tried to raise them to be ready for adoption as a foster. Eventually, this wickedly smart yet lovable trio of siblings wormed their way into Hannah's heart and Rory's and became part of the family. Rory couldn't bear to part with them after her mother's death. Even amongst the grief and depression, her crazy mutts always made her smile.

The trio consisted of two males and a female. Honestly to Rory, they felt more like triplets to her than anything else. They were mixed breeds. From what the blonde could guess, they were a combination of a wolf/hybrid and a Doberman or a pharaoh hound. All three possessed their unique personalities and appearances.

Cerce was easy. She was the only female of the group, and sometimes a little smarter than her other brothers. Her appearance had more of the pharaoh hound/Doberman influence; solid black with lean muscles and warm brownish-gold eyes. She was sweet for the most part, but she also had an independent streak. The dog hung around her, always kept a watch out for her as if the human was her sister. She loved running, playing with her toys, and enjoyed the pamper sessions on the coach that Rory would give her.

Berenger was the middle child of the trio. He was the biggest in terms of size. Honestly, Rory wondered if he had wolf blood within him too. He appeared to be a mix of Alaskan Malamute, German Shepherd, and Siberian Husky-that resembles a wolf. His fur was a variety of brown, white, and black reminding her of the giant sled dogs from the movies. She had gotten over the nervousness of when she took him on his daily walks, but the pet store still got shocked with how many pounds of food the blonde picks up when she orders multiples online. Berenger was a vacuum when it came to food and a whole lot of energy. He had been known to be reckless like a bull in a china shop, which constantly grated Katie's nerves, and had led Rory to make sure he had a giant yard for him to play in. While a big ball of fluff, he's been known to be a little wary of strangers and protective of both humans. Berenger loved playing fetch, being around Katie, and...his food way too much.

Rushan or Rusty for short was the quieter one and the smallest of the three. He was more similar in appearance to Cerce except for the dark brown coloring. Shyer than most dogs, he preferred not to interact with humans until he had known them for a while. But just because he's a quiet dog didn't mean he was going to let anyone walk over him. He and his brother - Berenger - got into tousles more than Rory could count. Nevertheless, once he got to know someone, he's loyal to a fault. Rusty generally loved to sleep in the sun right by the window, also liked being near his sister, and loved to sing and howl when music played.

It was almost comical, and it brought a small smirk to her face. Almost was enough hopefully. Rory promised Katie a huge favor after taking care of her dogs for the day. She knew it wasn't easy, but given the circumstances, it wouldn't be too much longer.

"I take that Circe is giving you a hard time," Rory remarked.

"GEEZUS, you think so?!" her best friend and roommate deadpanned. "I swear to God if you are not home in like twenty minutes-"

"I'm on my way home, Kat. I'll be home way before that."

Before Katie could respond, Rory heard another crash in the distant background, making her shoulders cringed a bit while focusing on the road.

"BERENGER! RUSTY! YOU LITTLE OVERGROWN SHITS! I'm going to skin you alive if you've broken one piece of my tech…" Katie yelled with the ferocity of a demon, almost making Rory imagine her fire-red hair go up in flames being so angry. "Rory, you are so lucky that these crazy animals are your family. Otherwise, they would be going to the pound."

Katie didn't normally have such a short temper. Normally, she's more of the friendlier one out of the two. Friendly and curious, she was more of a ball of sunshine compared to the shy (more technically selectively social) blonde. Out in the public, the redhead dragged the blonde in public for her to have some sort of social action. They were different yet the puzzle pieces meshed together well. Best friends since kids, they were partners in crime. You didn't see one without the other, especially after being there for each other through hell and back. She was the more reasonable one of the two.

Except when it came to one thing: her tech.

Their personalities couldn't be more different when it came to their jobs, but they did their shit well. Rory worked as a drug mule out in Cali, sometimes even working out of state to bring in more of the dough. The job came with dangers and rewards. What started as a way to pay off her late mother's medical bills faster now turned into a lifestyle she'd been wanting to get out of for a while. It was a simple choice: drug running or prostitution. No way in hell would she go into that life no matter how desperate.

While Rory was out and about running the contraband, Katie ran her operations at home hacking the system. Up to her ears in tech, the redhead was a genius at what she did. There was a personal thrill in taking away from the rich bastards drowning in the dough that they wouldn't share with others. Screwing them over-delivered such a rush, and it made her extra giddy when she could steal and use their assets for people who needed it most. Not to mention, she saved a portion for her and Rory's freedom fund.

They were so close to their goal, and the timing couldn't be better.

But God helps anyone if anyone breaks her gear; if so, they're dead.

And Rory's dogs are lucky they fall under their master's protection because Katie was about ready to deliver them to their deaths from how angry she sounded over the phone.

"You know I appreciate you for doing this, Kat," Rory said ever so grateful. "More than I can ever say."

A heavy sigh came through the speakers. "I know, sis. It's been hard on us both."

"We won't need to be doing this much longer. I finished the delivery this morning, and I have the payout safe."

"Really? How much was the payout?"

"You'll see when I get home, babe. And after this, no more of Aurora and Katie in California. We start with brand new lives and away from this hellhole."

"As long as your dogs have their yard to play in and they stay away from my tech, we are good. They almost broke my stuff earlier playing chase like a bunch of children." Katie remarked, muttering under her breath as from what sounded like her feeding the crazy children. Once the kibble reaches the bowls, they go into a shark frenzy mode. "Before you come home, can you grab some dinner on the way home? We can celebrate."

Finally, it sounded like Katie finally calmed down. Rory released a sigh of relief. "What are you craving, kit-kat?"

"Hmmm," her best friend hummed. "If you can get some quick food from Taco Bell, I'll make the drinks at home. And man, I would so love some-"

"Pringles in the salt and vinegar flavor." Rory finished for her.

Katie happily squealed. "You're the best, sis!"

"Anything for you, kit-kat."

"Hurry and come home safely, okay. Love you!"

"Love you too." Rory finished before hanging up.

She owed it to Katie, and this wasn't a huge favor to ask of her. Without Katie and her dogs, Rory wouldn't be alive. Life was empty without them in it, and there was no exception. She needed to keep going for them, even if she had thoughts of suicide floating around like shadows in her brain. Rory never voiced them to Katie, but that redhead was sharp as a whip. She probably had her suspicions no doubt.

All that mattered now was they were getting out of dodge and away from the hellhole of memories. Both of them were done with this place.

It took a few minutes to get everything she needed. A quick stop to the store and then a run to Taco Bell, and everything was set. The last thing she needed to do was drive back to home base.

Soon enough, the blonde drove out onto the road and resumed the path back home. The fast-food smell lingered in her nose, and her stomach rumbled eagerly. Yep, time to hightail it home.

Getting some music on, she swiped the music on her iPhone until she found something that could work. The lyrics floated around her as she tried to make her way back. The bass filled up her car as she turned the speakers.

"She was always dealing with the devil
She was always into taking those chances, yeah
She said she met a couple other women who were into going late night dancing, yeah
Then she fell in love with a pill that could take away all her pain, yuh
Then she fell in love with a whole new drug that could fill her veins
And then…"

"She's high
She lives in the sky
Tonight, she's satisfied
Rolling back her eyes
But then she starts to cry
Everything is turning to black
All in one night
She just went to heaven and back…"

"Enough of this crap." Rory almost growled out, her emotions brimming to the surface again, swiping the volume button down to silent as if it offended her. Her mind shouldn't be listening to this stuff anyway. Her mind wasn't back like it should have at this point.

The grief and shadows came into her mind again, whispering sweet nothings to her. It would be sweet bliss if she died. It only would take one instance of death. Just one push and she could be done.

Rory just wanted the pain to end.

For one moment, Rory wished death claimed her. She allowed it, but she knew it was impossible. Not with all she had on the line.

However, be careful what you wish for.

All it took was a second.

Taking her phone to her ear, she called Katie again. "Hey, I'm almost home-"

She didn't pay attention to the light. She didn't see the light shining red above her. Neither did she see the other light going green and waiting for the minivan moving forward with the right of way. Rory didn't see the family inside the minivan unaware of the doom and tragedy coming for them.

The only thing she was aware of was that she forgot to put on her seatbelt.

All it took was a second.

CRASH!

Everything went black.

Here are a few fun facts. :D

1) What started the plot bunnies was really two stories that I would recommend:

a) Dapper Dressed by AppleDaddyo, Caffinatedkitti, NotBrooke and Heart at the Hazbin Hotel by Animegreywolf95. Both of these were the first stories I read when I got into the fandom. Definitely check the authors out. These are on AO3.

b) The one on FF that I truly enjoy is I Am A Fool To Want You By: DisneyFanatic2364. She's like a legend, and I suggest checking her other works too. She puts a lot of creativity into her works.

2) The lyrics in this chapter are from "Heaven and Back" by Chase Atlantic. Checked out this version on YouTube:( watch?v=O2P-JJz72r0)

3) The title of the story was inspired by the song "Safety Net" by Ariana Grande on YouTube. ( watch?v=Eo0dqFENrQs)