THREE HOURS LATER

The real Verosika Mayday was far different to what Vaggie had expected, she could admit. After all, she was expecting a massive sexual deviant who would flirt at anything even remotely attractive.

What she met was… not that.

In fact, Verosika Mayday had acted like nothing more than a calm and kind, if sassy, woman. Sure, she had a smart remark lined up here and there, but even then, the succubus had been nothing but amiable ever since Vaggie had met the woman.

The entire time they'd spent at that table had given her a lot of new insights, taking nothing but a little bit of attention.

For example… Verosika clearly regretted breaking John's heart. Every time the incident was brought up, whether in passing or by accident or indirectly, the guilt that flashed across her face was almost instantly noticeable to the moth. Granted, it only lasted a split-second each time, but it was enough for Vaggie to see it.

So she wasn't the selfish popstar Vaggie had originally believed. That was good.

But Vaggie still felt an irritation towards the succubus that she couldn't quite explain. She could be civil, she could crack an occasional joke and join in on the conversations that would occur with everyone, but every time she looked at Verosika or even heard the woman speak, Vaggie felt a flash of anger surge through her.

She didn't like it. Not one bit.

Vaggie wasn't entirely sure if it was because of the fact that Verosika had hurt John the way she had… or if there was another reason. An instinct, maybe… something she wasn't aware of that put her on edge.

She doubted it, though. Vaggie hadn't seen or heard a single thing that would justify her irritation towards the popstar outside of… what she'd done to John.

It had to be that. In fact, Vaggie was almost positive that was the reason she didn't like the succubus too much. When Andre had told her that truth, Vaggie distinctly remembered the ironclad urge to brandish her spear and hunt Verosika Mayday down in that moment. She remembered the irritation she felt, the… protective instinct that rose up.

Which didn't make any sense. What kind of protection would John ever need? He was the fucking Angel Slayer for christ sakes. Trying to protect him of all people may as well have been an exercise in futility, he could take care of himself better than almost anyone in Hell, Vaggie herself included.

She'd spent the last couple of hours thinking over it whenever she'd have the chance, while Charlie dragged Angel and herself around the park onto a bunch of different rides.

Sidenote, never get on the Laid Train again.

But back to the point, Vaggie had vigorously run through her thoughts, her memories, trying to figure out why this protective instinct seemed so strong towards the one person who literally needed no protection from anyone. If anything, people probably needed protection from him.

Well, no, that wasn't true. Vaggie could say that much for certain. John was still an unknown factor in the moth's eyes, but he wasn't anywhere near anything resembling a threat. If anything, he acted more as an anchor.

Of course Vaggie would keep tabs, question everyone here and there about the behemoth. Had they seen anything odd, had they noticed anything strange, did he ever make them uncomfortable? Those were the questions she'd asked on a regular basis.

She wasn't stupid enough to think John didn't know, in fact she'd heard Vanessa telling him about the questions once.

But he'd just waved it off.

'I scared the hell out of her and she never really trusted me. She's just trying to keep ya'll safe.'

Those had been his exact words to the succubus. He'd… understood her intentions, even in what should've been hurtful and infuriating circumstances.

For the monster she'd seen once, John was certainly quite a different person compared to what she'd originally thought. She'd still see snippets, flashes of the teenager he really was sometimes. One second, he's a demon full of wise words and advice, trying to make sure everyone's comfortable.

The next, he's dragging both Charlie and Angel into a game of tag with himself and Vanessa through the halls of the Hotel. She'd even caught them playing hide and seek when she found John somehow hanging atop the lobby's chandelier with Vanessa hanging from his shoulders.

How the chandelier never collapsed under John's weight alone, Vaggie could never figure out.

Was that what it was? Some kind of maternal instinct? Vaggie seriously doubted that one too. John may always be stuck at the development of a seventeen year old, but he was wise beyond his years. He was willing to be an anchor for so many at the Hotel. He was always encouraging Charlie, he was willing to let Vanessa be the child she still was, and Angel saw him as a friend.

John even went out of his way to make sure Pentious felt comfortable at the Hotel, and that was saying something.

All in all, it was hard to actually see John as a teenager. Technically, he wasn't, and he acted surprisingly competent and mature for his age.

Well, when he was hanging people on walls for trying to take the TV.

It wasn't because she cared for John, was it?

…

Well, that wouldn't actually be impossible. She may not have trusted him completely, but Vaggie would be lying if she'd said she hadn't developed a soft spot of her own for the behemoth. Hell, the day Charlie had made them stick together for a time had shown her that John really wasn't the monster she'd thought he was.

He understood what it was like. To feel pain. To bury it. To hide it away, to not let anyone see it. That, she had picked up on.

And despite herself, there had been times when she'd take a seat next to John when he was unbothered, and they'd find themselves pulled into conversations here and there. She distinctly remembered the day she'd joined him and Vanessa for a superhero movie marathon. Something they'd ended up doing for an entire week.

And it wasn't just specific series either. In released order, they'd started from the original 1978 Superman film, and the last film they'd made it through was Hellboy II. She remembered the surprise on their faces when they'd been in the middle of the Dark Knight, and Vaggie pointed out that Batman wouldn't have actually let Ra's die towards the end because he always tried to save everyone in the comics.

She will say one thing, Vaggie had finally found fellow nerds to hang out with.

But the point was… she did care about John. Even if she didn't completely trust him, she trusted him well enough that she knew what kind of person he was.

And that was honest. You had about as much of a chance in catching John in a lie as you died getting into the pants of a dedicated nun. He was honest, he was surprisingly calm, and though he was blunt, his words were almost always gentle unless the situation called for aggression.

Alastor was a key example of that. One second, John and Alastor worked just fine together, chatting up a storm about a variety of topics, including older culture that John was surprisingly knowledgeable in.

The next, John looked ready to knock the Radio Demon's head from his shoulders, or Alastor had that's weird radio feedback and voodoo stuff going on while giving John a sinister glare.

When it came to the Hotel's protection, when it came to doing his job… when it came to doing what was right, Vaggie knew she could trust John.

He really was a good man, and he didn't deserve the pain the Verosika had forced upon him.

Still… the anger towards the succubus was almost overblown, out of proportion. Verosika hurt John? Let's put her head in a pike.

That's what Vaggie's thought process was like when it came to the pop star, and she wanted to know why she felt so strongly about protecting the behemoth who, again, could protect himself better than anyone else ever could.

She'd think more on it later, but for now, she realized she'd have to put a halt to it as she spotted John approaching. The behemoth was easy to pick out among the crowd of smaller, more normal sized demons, and she immediately offered him a smile and a wave.

Although, her smile faded when she noticed the look of… nervousness?

Her hand fell to her side as her expression twisted into confusion and clear concern, while Charlie and Angel both noticed the behemoth as well as he approached.

"John!" Charlie spoke with her usual bubbly smile, that smile that Vaggie loved, bouncing on her hooves as she gave him a wave. "Did you lose the group your were with?"

"No." John answered, slow, sounding almost exhausted as he said it, his head flicking in a random direction for a few moments before meeting Charlie's own as he came to a stop. "I uh… I'm gathering everyone up. Place closes in ten minutes."

Wow, had they really been riding rides that long? Vaggie couldn't help the look of surprise on her face at that revelation, but it still didn't explain the nervous look on the behemoth's face.

"And while I have you here… you care if I ask a question?" John asked, his expression almost pleading now as he said it.

Charlie clearly noticed, her expression changing to one of concern as she stepped closer to the behemoth, resting a hand on his in an attempt at comfort.

"Of course. What's wrong?" Her voice carried concern as visibly as her face did, offering a gentle squeeze as she voiced the question.

"I uh… well, may as well get this out of the way. I lied earlier, about Leo being Ray's kid." John admitted, seemingly unable to meet Charlie's gaze as he spoke.

"That's Nea's family, right?" Angel recalled what he'd heard of the conversation, looking up at John in confusion. "Why lie about that?"

"Well…" John trailed off, seemingly looking for his own response as his gaze moved around, before his lips tightened and he let out a sigh. "Well, because Ray's not his dad. I am."

If it weren't for the crowd of people around them, you'd be able to hear a pen drop. The silence was so deafening, almost drowning out voices around them as Vaggie tried to process that.

John… was a father? An actual father?

That… wasn't possible. It couldn't be possible. That was one of the many punishments sinners suffered. They couldn't reproduce.

"W-wait…" Charlie had to take a step back, looking at John with a baffled gaze as she tried to process that information herself. "He's… your son? Does that mean Nea is actually-"

"Yeah." John interrupted, nodding his head as his gaze once again fell to the ground before looking back up at Charlie. "See why I'm so fucking nervous?"

"H-how?"

"I don't know!" John looked almost desperate now, a terrified expression on his face as he answered, unintentionally spooking the three when he suddenly leaned closer to Charlie. "Charlie, we have spent a year and a half keeping this a secret from everyone. We don't know how it happened, it shouldn't be possible, and god only knows how Hell would react to the news that two sinners reproduced."

This… this wasn't the same John that Vaggie was used to. This wasn't the calm man she'd come to know, the gentle giant always ready to have a laugh. This wasn't even the Angel-Slayer.

This was a teenager who was scared out of his mind.

Vaggie… didn't like it. She didn't like seeing John like this. It almost hurt, seeing him in such a panicked frenzy, and the moth intended to put a stop to it.

"John!" Vaggie stepped forward, past Charlie, her hands raising up as she stood on her toes. Her hands came to rest gently upon John's face, tugging his panicked gaze to meet her own as she did so. "Calm down, alright? You don't have to be nervous right now."

"Vaggie, I can't help it-"

"Yes you can." Vaggie immediately replied, gently rubbing him down to her level as she interrupted him. "You've been through worse, we both know that. Nobody is mad, and you know better than anyone that nobody will put your kid at risk." Her voice was soft, soothing, reassuring him as she let her thumb glide across his cheek. "Alright?"

John continued to stare for a few moments, wide-eyed in disbelief, before he slowly nodded. "A-Alright… you're right." He agreed, standing back up as he did so.

"So what brought this up then?" Angel asked, putting a hand on his hip as he raised an eyebrow at John.

"After Charlie dragged you off, Nea pulled me to the side." John started, pinching the bridge of his nose as he let out a still frustrated sigh. "Ray and Leo are here, and Nea didn't have the heart to tell Ray to head back cause Leo's been looking forward to the trip. She wanted to talk to me, and figured it was time to finally open up." He explained further as his hand fell and he met Charlie's gaze once more. "I uh… I've gathered everyone else out by the front gate. Nea is with Ray and Leo at her locker. She's gotta put up her hat and badge and then meet us out there."

"Look, you don't have to worry, alright? None of us are gonna say anything, and I severely doubt anyone else will." Charlie assured, a reassuring smile on her face as she once again brought a comforting hand up to John's arm. "It's okay."

John stared at Charlie, taking a shuddered breath, before he finally cracked a smile.

"Anyone ever tell you people you're too good for Hell?"

"Not enough." Vaggie returned the joke with one of her own, smiling now that the behemoth didn't seem so worried. She liked it better when John was smiling.

That… handsome smile…

Wait, what?

Vaggie actually froze the moment the thought went through her mind. Handsome? Sure, John wasn't bad to look at, gashes or no gashes, but… handsome?

She was a proud lesbian. She was not attracted to men.

And yet, suddenly, things seemed to make so much more sense. Her sudden dislike towards Verosika, which almost boiled into a murderous hatred. It wasn't just concern, worry…

It was jealousy.

"Vaggie, you alright?" Suddenly, a pair of large fingers were snapping in front of her face, and that familiar voice rang through her ears as she found herself staring at the confused faces of John, Charlie, and Angel.

"You good, Vags? You just froze up all the sudden." Angel pointed out, raising an eyebrow at the moth.

"Uh… yeah." Vaggie nodded her head, offering a smile as she did so. "Just uh… a cold chill."

It didn't look like any of them believed her, but Vaggie found herself thankful when John merely shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright." He once again offered that smile, that smile that for some reason made Vaggie happy, before jerking his thumb towards the direction of the front gate. "Ready to go?" He asked, glancing at Charlie and Angel as well. "It's been a few months since I've seen my sonon, and I have to admit that I'm just as excited as I was nervous."

"Sure!" Vaggie wasn't stupid enough to believe Charlie of all people would leave her weird display alone. They would be talking about it later.

But she seemed far too eager to meet John's son to really care about that at the moment, if the way she began tugging John towards the entrance with a smile was any indication.

Angel followed with a slight chuckle and a smile of his own, while Vaggie stayed rooted in her spot for a few seconds.

She… she was a lesbian… she liked girls… she wasn't attracted to John… she couldn't be… she wasn't…

Was she?

This was… a lot of people.

It had felt that way when they'd first arrived, Vanessa could admit, but now that the rest of Verosika's crew had joined them at the gate…

"You okay?" A comforting hand fell on her shoulder, causing her to instinctively tense at the contact, before she processed the familiar voice and turned her gaze up towards Bee.

The Sin looked at her with a soft smile, offering a comforting squeeze as Vanessa slowly relaxed, causing the succubus to offer her own, albeit nervous, smile.

"I'm fine, just… nervous around a lot of people." She admitted. And unfortunately, it wasn't anything new. Around large groups of people she'd always been nervous, even while she was alive. It had always made the school assemblies suck.

"You get used to it." Bee assured with a small giggle, crouching down so that she was at Vanessa's eye level. "And even if you don't, there's no reason to be nervous so long as you know everyone."

Except she didn't know everyone. To be quite frank, it was a surprise that she was as comfortable as she was, even with John present only three feet away.

But there was a sense of comfort there. At the very least, she was comfortable with or trusted everyone there. The only exception was Verosika's crew, but even then, they were on the other side of the crowd babbling with each other.

Speaking of…

"Why are we waiting for Nea?" Vanessa asked, glancing up at Bee in confusion. "It's not that I don't like her, but doesn't she have to get home?"

"I don't know." Bee admitted, offering a smile and a slight shrug. "But it sounded important to John, and he looks… kind of fidgety, actually." She pointed out, smile falling as she looked at the behemoth in slight confusion.

Vanessa turned her own gaze to the behemoth, and after a few moments, her eyes widened. John did seem rather nervous. His foot was tapping against the ground with the noise of a running fan, a constant thud as he stared at the entrance with a look of apprehension.

And clearly, she wasn't the only one who noticed. Everyone seemed to be giving him gazes of confusion and concern, with the notable exception of her fellow Hazbin Hotel residents. Vaggie stood off to the side, gaze towards the ground with a confused and nervous expression, while Angel stood off to the side with a… proud smile? That's what it looked like.

And Charlie, as usual, was that comforting hand everyone needed. She too stood next to John, a hand on his arm, offering a gentle squeeze every once in a while to the obviously nervous behemoth. A comforting smile was on her face, and John would occasionally meet her gaze with a small smile of his own.

What had John so nervous? He was the one who'd wanted them to wait on Nea, and it wasn't like he was nervous about the shark herself. That much was apparent.

In fact, why would John be nervous? What reason did he have? By all accounts, he was the most powerful person present, bar Charlie. And even then, he was far more dangerous than the Princess would ever be.

What, on Earth or in Hell, could make someone like John nervous?

"They're coming." John abruptly spoke up, taking in a heavy breath as Charlie's hand fell away from his arm. All gazes shot towards the gate, and Vanessa found herself squinting in the hopes to spot the shark sinner.

After a few seconds, she did.

Nea stepped out, hand in hand with a short hellhound, around Razor's size. The hound was missing an eye, and he had dark, crimson colored fur and piercing yellow eyes. He wore a red vest with an intricate golden pattern across it over a black skull t-shirt. A pair of black jeans covered his legs.

But Vanessa's sight focused more on the person in Nea's arms.

Sitting in Nea's arms looked to be a child, no older than five-years-old. And Vanessa honestly wasn't sure what kind of demon she was looking at.

It was a young boy, a bright and gleeful smile on his face. His hair was blue in color, cut short so that it stuck up right. His eyes were a piercing green hue, matching Nea's own, but his skin was such a pale green that it may as well have been gray. A pair of bone-colored horns poked out of the top of his forehead between his hair, and Vanessa could see a series of underdeveloped spikes on each knuckle if she squinted.

The boy wore a plain black t-shirt, a pair of jeans… and a pair of cowboy boots tucked under his pants.

The kid looked like an odd fusion of John and Nea, down to the shark teeth his joyful smile exposed. Teeth which heavily resembled both John and Nea's own.

It didn't take much to realize what they were seeing, in Vanessa's opinion. But anyone who didn't immediately understand definitely did in the next few moments.

All nervousness faded in place of a fond smile as John lowered himself down into a crouch, meeting Nea's gaze with a smile before it moved to the boy.

Nea had a similar smile upon her own face, gazing down at the boy with a look of love only a mother could give as she spoke up.

"We have a surprise for you, Leo." Nea spoke softly, smiling as she brought a finger up and gave the boy's nose a playful bop.

The boy, Leo, shook his head with a giggle, playfully pushing against Nea's chest as he met her gaze. "What is it?" He asked with an eager smile. Of course he would, what child didn't like the prospect of a surprise?

Nea didn't respond, instead simply smiling as she crouched down and placed the boy on the ground. If Vanessa's guess was correct, it was obvious why a boy who looked no older than five seemed to be the size of an eight year-old. Nea's gentle hands slowly turned Leo around, and the boy's gaze switched to confusion for only a second…

And then he spotted John.

The surprise lasted for barely a second, if that, before a smile of pure excitement took over with a gasp.

"DAD!" The boy took off like a missile, making a mad dash towards the behemoth as John opened his arms, a loud joyful laugh coming straight from the throat as Leo slammed into him in a hug with a jump.

"Hey, Leo!" John wasted no time in shooting to his feet with the boy in his arms, hugging the child to his chest in a firm, needy hug. "How are you doing, bud?" He asked as Leo pulled away, meeting his father's gaze with a bright grin.

"I'm doing great! Ray and Mom took me to Lu Lu World!" The boy answered eagerly, bouncing in John's arms as he waved a finger in the direction of the park. "I didn't know you were here!"

"Well, you do now." John replied with a chuckle. "I see your horns are growing."

Compared to his father's, Leo's horns weren't anything remarkable. They were about half the size, but they were still noticeable at first glance.

Leo looked prideful at the words, smiling as he brought a hand up his own horns with a grin. "Really? Mom said it would take a bit of time before they're as big as yours!"

"You're momma's right." John replied immediately, reinforcing those words as Nea and the other hellhound, whom Vanessa assumed was Ray, approached with smiles on their own faces. "How about your teeth?"

"Oh, they've gotten sharper." Nea immediately responded, a sly grin on her face as she let a small chuckle escape her. "And no, I will not elaborate."

"I think that explains everything anyway." Angel commented with a chuckle as he eyeballed the child in John's arms. "So, this is the squirt, huh? Thought he'd be bigger." He teased, earning a chuckle from both of Leo's parents.

"Hey!" Leo clearly had no idea who Angel was, which was good, but he still didn't appreciate the remark as he turned towards the spider. "I am a big boy."

"Yeah you are." John assured with a grin as he bounced the boy in his arms, getting a playful giggle from the child in response.

Vanessa had noticed both Charlie and Vaggie watching the scene with fond smiles of their own, while everyone else seemed to still be either in a state of shock or disbelief.

Vanessa herself, though…

Vanessa had always had a weakness for anything and everything wholesome. From fun little family moments, to gleeful children playing with each other, to seeing newborn babies when she'd go somewhere.

Honestly, it was a surprise that she'd held out as long as she had.

"Oh, he is so ADORABLE!" Vanessa all but squealed, zooming up to the behemoth with a speed even she didn't know she possessed as she bounced on her feet in excitement, all while giggling like a mad woman.

"Heh, that's one word for it." Vortex piped up, eyeing the boy as well as he too approached, before glancing over at John. "How long have you been keeping this a secret?" He asked as he came to a stop next to Vanessa.

"Since he was born." John answered with a shake of his head. "So about a year and a half now, right?" He asked, turning to Nea for clarification. When the shark nodded her head, still watching the scene with a fond smile, he turned back to Vortex with a grin. "Forgive me for being a bit scared to tell anyone about him."

"What's there to be scared of?" Andre piped up, stepping forward with a raised eyebrow, while Leo began to notice all of the people currently gathered, staring with an awed and curious gaze.

"We're sinners, Andre." John replied with a small sigh. "By all accounts… the stork should never come, if you catch my drift."

"Ah." Andre nodded his head in understanding. Vanessa, however, found a new appreciation for John.

Not necessarily in the fact that he had a kid, as even she was admittedly trying to wrap her head around how that even happened. No, it was more to do with the fact that John wasn't some deadbeat dad. His main priority was his son's safety and happiness, as he'd kept the boy a secret for his own safety, while also making sure to be a part of the boy's life.

"Who are these people?" Leo poorly whispered to his father, glancing around with a curious gaze at everyone as John turned his gaze to the child.

"Well, these are all friends and family." John explained, a sly smirk coming onto his face as he turned to face Andre. "Here's your grandpa Andre."

That one got a good laugh out of everyone, Vanessa included, as the hellhound gave a playful roll of his eyes with a small smile on his face.

"Yeah, yeah, make fun of the old man."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with being old!" Charlie immediately retorted, making a genuine joke rather than her typical childish antics as a joke as she turned to face the boy in John's arms. "It's so nice to meet you, Leo!"

"You too!" Gone was any sense of shyness or nervousness. Leo was now smiling brightly at the princess, his own joy just as contagious as Charlie's. "You're the princess, right?"

"Yep!"

"So your mom tells me you've started school?" John asked, turning back to his son with a grin. "How's that going?"

"I can write my name, now!" Leo replied, holding a hand to his chest in pride as he boasted. "And mom's teaching me addition and subtraction!"

"Good." John commented with a laugh as he nodded his head. "That's good to hear." He turned back to his son with a fond smile on his face, looking both proud and simply… happy, to see his son. "You want to meet everyone properly?"

Of course, Leo nodded without hesitation, grinning in excitement.

John… had a son?

Verosika wasn't sure how to take that. Don't get her wrong, she was happy for John. He'd gotten a chance his death should've robbed him of. But… at the same time?

It. hurt.

How was it supposed to feel? Wonderful? Joyous? She'd made a mistake, she'd broken John's heart. She knew better than to have expected him to simply mull over her until she either returned or he drove himself crazy.

But it didn't change the fact that John had found another woman, at least for a time… and had a child.

A new life. An excitable little boy who looked so much like his father that Verosika was sure it'd be easy to mistake the two at first glance were it not for the size difference and Leo's blue hair.

When they were together, Verosika remembered times when she'd wished they could have kids. A baby of her own to take care of, to raise, to love and nurture. Much like Arya had done for herself.

But John being a sinner… reasonably, both of them had disregarded the idea. The concept itself should've been impossible.

Yet… living proof sat in John's arms. All eighty pounds, smiling brightly at all the faces introducing themselves.

And yet… Verosika stayed rooted to her spot, watching as John let his son down in order for Beartrap to introduce himself.

Verosika knew she had no right to feel this way. Their breakup was her fault entirely, and she couldn't blame John for moving on. Whether seeking mere solace or genuine love in someone else, John deserved to be happy.

She knew that more than anyone.

But the fact that John had managed to have a child with someone else, a sinner nonetheless, by complete accident really struck her heart. It felt like there was a bridge between herself and the behemoth, narrow and fragile. And that bridge was shaking, ready to collapse as time passed by.

Was it selfish of Verosika? To wish that it had been her?

To wish… that she and John were still together?

Maybe… but she'd made her choice, and no matter how much it hurt to see it, to simply know… Verosika had no place or right in trying to re-insert herself back into John's life. The best, the very best she could hope for… was that John truly did wish to have her back.

Even if not as a lover… she'd settle for a mere acquaintance.

Still, despite all that, it was a heart-warming sight to watch Leo and Beartrap playing together. She pushed her heartbreak down, buried it, and instead focused on the joy she felt as she watched her little brother chase the sinner-born demon in an impromptu game of tag.

"Hey, watch what you're doing!" John called at the two as they began running circles around Andre's RV, Beartrap clearly trying to tag the larger boy with a gleeful grin on his face.

It was nice to see Beartrap having fun with someone closer to his own age. There really weren't enough children around the hellhole, and it wasn't often that her little brother got to spend time with peers.

"Keep an eye on him?" John's voice caught Verosika's attention, and she turned to see the behemoth looking at Nea with a smile. "Today's been eventful, and I wanna get one last thing out of the way before we all head home."

"I wanted to talk to you about that for a second." Nea admitted, turning to the behemoth with a furrowed brow. "He's only a year and a half old, and he looks like he's five. We won't get as much time to enjoy with him as a kid."

"I know." John nodded his head with a sad sigh, looking heartbroken. Verosika hadn't even thought of that.

The boy who was so big, so much like his dad, playing with her baby brother… he wasn't even two years old? Beartrap was five years older than the child, and yet, they looked to be almost the same age. She couldn't imagine having to watch a child of her own grow that quickly.

Now that she thought about it… was the child immortal? Or would did he have a finite lifespan like hellborns?

Wow, now Verosika understood why John had kept the fact that Leo was his kid a secret. There were plenty of people in Hell who would go to great lengths just for those answers.

"Well, I wanted to know if you'd like to take him for a couple weeks?" Nea offered with a smile, causing John to look at her in surprise. "Keeping the secret was one thing… but now, there's no reason you can't have your son with you. Make some memories of your own."

John stared at Nea for a moment, processing her words, before his gaze slowly turned to watch his son playing with Beartrap, a small smile slowly forming on his face.

"Alright." John agreed as he turned back to Nea. "I'll take him off your hands for a couple of weeks. But… can you-"

"I'll watch him, don't worry." Nea assured, resting a hand on John's shoulder and offering a gentle squeeze. "Go take care of what you need to. I think we'll all be watching him for a bit."

Verosika couldn't help but to agree. Regardless of her own mixed feelings, not even she could keep the smile off her face as she turned to see Leo having somehow ended up on top of the RV.

"Leonardo Harrison Gallagher, you know better than to climb onto someone's vehicle like that!" Nea immediately admonished, her expression turning stern as she marched towards the RV, leaving John to watch in amusement with a chuckle.

And then he turned and began approaching Verosika.

"Wanna step away for a minute?" He asked, a small smile on his face, though it was shrouded by an expression of apprehension. "I'd say we've put things off long enough."

Oh. Right.

Verosika was not eager for the conversation that would no doubt follow, but John was right. Regardless of what the conversation would hold… they had a lot to talk about.

"Give me a second." Verosika said, holding up a finger in a gesture for John to wait as she moved past him, walking up to Kiki and resting a hand on her shoulder to gain her attention. When the succubus turned to her friend, she had an amused grin on her face.

"This was not how I expected to end the day." She commented with a small laugh as she stole another glance at the two boys playing, before turning back to her boss. "What's up?"

"If anyone asks, let them know that me and John needed to go talk about some things." Verosika explained to Kiki. The succubus nodded her head, smiling, to which Verosika was thankful for. Kiki wasn't aware that there was any bad history between the two of them, so she thought nothing of it. In fact…

"Ah, going for the big man, huh?" Kiki teased, misunderstanding what Verosika's intentions really were as she gave a playful punch to the shoulder. "Alright then, go have some fun. Just make sure you can still walk after you're done."

Verosika shook her head, opting to laugh off Kiki's words for the time being. That was an explanation that would come at a later time. But for now…

"Thanks, Kiki." Verosika's gratitude was genuine as she smiled, before she turned away and walked back over to John with a nervous smile.

Whether he had his own misgivings or not, John offered a smile of his own in return as he rested a comforting hand upon her shoulder. "We uh… we got a lot to talk about. But we'll make it through it."

"You really think so?" Verosika couldn't stop herself from voicing the question as she looked up at him with a slightly hopeful look. "Let's be honest… this isn't going to be a happy conversation." She noted, her gaze falling away as she rubbed her arm in nervousness.

"Maybe not." John agreed, his own gaze falling, before his hand slid down to her back. Rubbing comforting circles across it, he smiled once more. "But today's been a relatively good day so far. Who says an unhappy conversation can't have a happy ending?" He asked with a small shrug, before waving her along. "Come on. We can walk the parking lot while we talk."

Verosika stared after him for a few moments, contemplating whether she really wanted to have this conversation, before letting a sigh escape her.

She didn't want the conversation, but it was another step closer to fixing things.

Her feet began to carry her forward after the behemoth.

Time to set things straight.