"I don't understand," Moxxie said to the three cherubs hovering around him on the roof of the I.M.P. building. "What are you talking about? I'm not heavenly. I'm an imp, a hell-born imp. I kill humans for a living."

"You were," Clement said gently and patiently holding Moxxie's hands in his own. "But you've changed. You've been changing since you tried to save that family on Halloween. God and everyone else have been watching you ever since."

Moxxie tore his hands away from Clement and protested, "But they died. They all died! You saw that. Didn't you? I also was the one who killed the mother. There is nothing heavenly about me!"

"What about everything that has happened since?" the sheep lady cherub asked. "All that you've done to try to help other humans?"

"Try," Moxxie snapped angrily before turning and attempting to walk away. "Tried is the key word! I've failed more times than I can count and have helped very few people and risked myself and my wife's safety in the process! Why that should get me publicity with the Man Upstairs and warrant a visit from cherubs is beyond me…"

"But that's just it," Clement interrupted, merrily flying in front of him. "Anna is right. Imps don't try to do anything good for anyone other than themselves and their own kind. You're different. You've always been a little different. I think you know that."

"Yeah, 'weak because I can't do what I need to and get the job done,'" Moxxie quoted his boss annoyedly.

"No," Clement said. "Different because you have a conscience."

That made Moxxie freeze in his tracks and start to fidget nervously.

"What are you talking about?" Moxxie asked.

"You have a conscience that compels you to go out of your way to help people even though that's not what Lucifer would want," Clement continued. "The imps and fallen creatures suppress it, and very few act on it…"

"SO FUCKING WHAT?!" Moxxie shrieked. "God, why can't you just leave me alone?! You've been stalking me and spouting shit about being 'heavenly or whatever' for almost a week! I've got enough on my plate with my boss and my job and Millie worrying sick about me and my goddamn blood pressure! I don't need this! So just tell me what you mean and quit fucking stalking me! I get enough of that from my boss."

Moxxie turned away angrily with tears threatening to pour through his eyes. What they were saying was true and he didn't want to admit it. He couldn't. It was unthinkable. That would mean…

Clement flew in front of Moxxie and said with a warm smile, "I was told that this isn't easy for your kind to hear, but you have to be taken."

Moxxie felt his mind freeze and his legs give out from under him. He practically fainted where he stood and only knew he didn't fall because the other cherubs supported him.

To be taken was almost unheard of for an imp. It was as bad as being sent to the void, maybe even worse.

An imp at his origin was a corrupted cherub that followed Lucifer in his rebellion to serve the master race of fallen angels and generally cause mayhem wherever possible. Since then, the imps had generations and generations of children all dedicated to the same purpose. To betray that purpose, to betray that calling, to betray their realm was unthinkable.

It was a scary story imps told their children to keep them from ever becoming "rebelliously good."

It was the worst-case scenario no one could ever imagine happening to them.

It was the point of no return. It had happened to only maybe few hundred imps over history at the most, which was a big deal considering their numbers and their eternal lifespan, with the last one having been taken before even Blitzo was born.

"Moxxie, wake up," Clement said.

"Yeah, Moxxie, it's okay," Anna said.

"No," Moxxie replied.

"Hey, he's waking up," the third cherub said.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" Moxxie said awakening from his stupor. "This can't be happening!"

"But Moxxie, Heaven is great!" Clement reassured him.

"That is not my home!" Moxxie said shaking out of their arms and getting to his feet. "I can't leave! There's no way!"

"But you can't stay here," Anna said.

"What?" Moxxie asked. "Why not?!"

"Because the elder demons will take you away," the third cherub said in a tone that was far too upbeat.

Moxxie's already fragile heart skipped a beat.

"What?" Moxxie asked sheepishly.

"Lucifer doesn't like it when imps go traitor, so he locks them away," the third cherub said. "They did just throw them into the void, but we kept getting them out. So, now, they're all just locked away for all eternity."

"Where?" Moxxie asked.

"In terrible dungeons..." the third cherub replied cheerily.

"Eustace, I think that's enough," Clement pleaded seeing Moxxie's tears.

Moxxie burst into tears and began sobbing uncontrollably.

"There, there," the lady cherub said rubbing Moxxie's back. "It's okay. You'll be plenty happy in heaven."

"No, I won't," Moxxie moaned.

"Why not?" Anna asked.

"Millie…" Moxxie cried.

The cherubs looked at each other sadly.

"I'm sure there's something we can do to help you talk to her," Clement said gently. "But you really can't stay here. Lucifer knows when an imp turns good. He has already sent demons after you..."

Meanwhile back in the office…

"Stolas, what the fuck are you talking about?" Blitzo asked the owl demon prince standing in his office. "I know Moxxie's a fuckup, but he's no heavenly creature. You can't take my employee!"

"I'm sorry, Blitzy, but rules are rules," Stolas replied sadly. "The king said that Moxxie was a traitor, so I have to take him away before the cherubs do."

"You're wrong!" Millie protested. "Moxxie has made mistakes, but he's not gone heavenly! You can't take him! I won't let you!"

"Millie dear, if I don't, Lucifer will, and Lucifer won't treat him quite as well, I can assure you," Stolas said with a sad smile crossing his beak. "Keeping Moxxie under house arrest with me is the best chance that he has. He doesn't even have to sleep in the dungeon. He can sleep in a guest room, wander the grounds as he pleases, and have whatever he wants. I can imprison him how ever I see fit since I have taken it upon myself to be his warden. I won't be cruel to him. I assure you, Millie. You can see your husband as often as you like. You can even move in with him if that's what you wish."

"Stolas, this is bullshit!" Blitzo protested, standing up from his desk and running around to get in the demon prince's face. "That dumbass imp is my employee and my family, and family does not put family under house arrest!"

"You know what would happen to me and my family if we let a traitor slide, Blitzy?" Stolas asked with a sigh. "We'd suffer a fate worse than the would-be prisoner. Besides, I'm sure you can hire another employee…"

"I won't work here without Moxxie," Millie snarled.

"Make that two more employees," Stolas said.

"No fucking way," Blitzo growled. "Moxxie is not getting locked up in your castle of non-stop fuckery and that's final!"

Stolas sighed deeply and snapped his fingers. Shadows suddenly emerged and restrained the two imps.

"STOLAS, WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!" Blitzo yelled viciously thrashing against the bonds of the shadows. "LET US GO!"

"Your majesty, please!" Millie pleaded as she struggled in the shadow's grip.

"I'm sorry, Millie, but if you won't turn Moxxie over to me, I will need to hunt the little imp down and take him home myself," Stolas said, standing up and leaving the room with a sad flourish. "Loona, have you seen Moxxie?"

Loona barely looked up from her phone as she sat in her desk and pretended to be uninterested.

"No," Loona said. "Can't say I have."

"Can you really say you haven't?" Stolas asked, pushing the phone down with one finger. "You know I can have all of you put in my dungeon for hiding a fugitive."

A bead of sweat formed on Loona's brow as she searched for an answer.

On the other side of the window, outside the office, the three cherubs were holding Moxxie up while they flew.

"Oh, my God," Moxxie muttered. "What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?"

"You have to come home with us," Clement said. "You don't have freedom here anymore. Jesus will cover your sins with his blood, you can be forgiven, and you can be a cherub like us!"

"But Stolas will imprison everyone," Moxxie replied. "Loona, Blitzo, and even my Millie!"

"We can't do anything about that," Anna said. "I'm so sorry! I really am, but we're like you. None of us have the power to take on a demon prince."

Moxxie looked sadly at the window and said, "Let me go to him."

"What?" Clement asked. "Are you crazy?"

"I can live with being under house arrest," Moxxie said resolutely. "I couldn't even live in heaven if anything bad happened to Millie."

"That is so beautiful," Eustace said.

"Yeah, you really are a noble soul," Anna said.

"Yeah," Moxxie said with a warm smile crossing his face. "I guess I am."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Clement asked nervously. "Living with Stolas sounds really scary. Heaven would be a lot better. Besides, your friends might not love you the same when they find out you've gone good. You'd be all alone."

Moxxie hesitated for a moment and replied, "I'm sure. If Millie and everyone else are free, that'll be enough."

Clement smiled widely, rubbed his fingers together, and summoned a rosary.

"If you ever need a way out, hold this and pray," Clement said. "We'll come to get you in a jiffy if we can."

Moxxie smiled and slipped the rosary into his pocket.

"Thanks, guys," Moxxie said with a bittersweet smile. "Now, phase me through."

The cherubs smiled sadly and phased Moxxie through the wall right as the interrogation with Loona was starting to pick up.

"I'm here, Stolas," Moxxie said, instantly getting Stolas's attention. "I'm ready to go."

"MOXXIE, DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE!" Blitzo screamed.

"Moxxie!" Millie cried.

"Millie!" Moxxie cried back. "I'm so sorry! I should have told you sooner."

"Told us what?!" Millie replied.

Moxxie breathed in and out and replied, "That I've gone heavenly."

"Told you," Stolas chirped in.

Millie, Blitzo, and Loona stood there with their jaws practically on the floor.

"Moxxie," Blitzo replied after a minute of stunned silence. "That isn't possible. You're an assassin for hire for Christ's sake. You're not good."

"Yes, I am, sir," Moxxie admitted, staring at the floor. "I've been going out of my way to try to help people during our assignments for a while. It started last Halloween. I called the earth authorities to try to save those kids from their psycho Dad, but it didn't work…"

"So, you weren't jerking off?" Blitzo interrupted.

"No," Moxxie said sadly. "I was trying to help. It didn't work though because the cops killed them all. But ever since that night, I've been trying to help other people and I've slowly completely lost my interest in killing. I like helping people more than I ever did killing. I don't even remember the last time I didn't kill in self-defense. It's weird. I don't even regret doing it. I just regret having to lie about it. I'm so sorry."

"So, you lied the whole time because you thought you'd be hated?" Loona asked. "That's pathetic but kind of understandable."

"I still love you, Millie," Moxxie said, completely ignoring what Loona said. "You too, Loona, and even you, Blitzo. I mean, yeah, you piss me off and are unbelievably hurtful with your words and your actions sometimes, but I don't want anything bad to happen to you. That's why I'm here. I couldn't go to heaven knowing that you would suffer."

"That's pretty cool of you," Loona said with a small smile.

"Thanks," Moxxie said with a sad smile. "That means a lot."

Moxxie looked up to see the reactions of his friends.

Blitzo's mouth was still on the floor, and for once, he was completely speechless.

Millie's eyes were brimming over with tears. Moxxie couldn't look at her for more than a second.

Stolas looked over at him and smiled sadly.

"You know what I have to do then?" Stolas asked.

"Yes," Moxxie replied with a nod. "Just let my wife and my family go."

"Done," Stolas said, snapping his fingers and releasing his captives with one hand and flicking some magic over to Moxxie with his other hand. "Come along now."

In an instant, shackles attached to an iron collar formed around Moxxie's neck and wrists.

Moxxie's expression fell pitifully.

"There, just like that," Stolas said, snapping pictures with his phone. "Keep up that miserable and pathetic expression! You look just perfect! And, there! Now, I can send these photos to Lucifer and get him off my ass."

Moxxie sighed sadly as Stolas sent the pictures to their destination, desperately trying to hold back tears of his own.

"And, we're done," Stolas said, shoving his phone into his pocket and using his telekinetic powers to pick up Moxxie and fly him into his arms. "I'll talk to you later about arranging visits, Blitzy. Now, I've gotta get some shots of Moxxie in my dungeon to satisfy Lucifer. You would not believe what a hard ass our king is about dealing with traitors. Yet he's a complete hypocrite. Never mind the fact that his own daughter is trying to help sinners. He won't do a thing about that, but he can't accept a single imp returning to heaven. Satan knows why. It's not like we're running low on them. Anyways, I'm rambling…"

Stolas held Moxxie under one arm and said, "Say goodbye to your loved ones, Moxxie."

Everyone stood there still completely speechless but with tears at the corners of their eyes. Even Loona looked like she was hiding a few.

"Moxxie…" Millie muttered.

"I love you, Millie," Moxxie said. "I guess I love you other guys too. I hope you come visit a lot."

"See you later," Stolas said turning and leaving the office. "Please send some of his things later, Millie. Not many of my clothes fit little imps."

Moxxie's sad eyes filled with tears as Stolas carried him down the elevator, out of the building, onto the street, and into his limo. He ignored the surprised gasps and shocked stares of the other imps who saw him. He couldn't even bring himself to see if his wife and co-workers were following them.

Once they were in the limo, Stolas sat Moxxie comfortably beside him and said, "Are those shackles fitting okay?"

Moxxie shook out of his thoughts and said, "They feel like shackles, your majesty."

"Don't sound so pathetic," Stolas said as the limo drove away. "I only have you wearing them for the pictures I'll send to Lucifer and 'to make an example of you to other imps.' I have to let him think I'm torturing you at least a little bit before I make you a permanent, pampered house guest. I'll take them off as soon as we get on the main road where no one can see you."

"Thanks," Moxxie said sadly, looking out the windows into the red sky wondering if his cherub friends could see him.

Stolas looked over sympathetically and said, "Please do remember, Moxxie. This is nothing personal. I wouldn't be doing this if Lucifer wasn't breathing down my neck about it. If I had my way, I'd let you run free. You don't deserve this."

Moxxie looked back at Stolas and nodded sadly before looking back out the window.

Stolas gave him an understanding smile and dissolved the restraints. Moxxie thanked him and continued staring out the window.

As soon as they arrived at the castle, Stolas took Moxxie to the dungeon to get a few photographs of him on his torture devices to convince Lucifer he was being adequately punished. Once they were done, Stolas took Moxxie to the guest room, laid the ground rules, put a magical tracking bracelet on his foot, and left him alone to get habituated until supper.

Moxxie spent the hours laying on his bed, crying about the freedom he lost, the job that was gone, the mistakes he may have just made, and the imps who might never want to see him again.

When dinner was brought to him, Moxxie didn't move from his position. He let the food grow cold and continued crying into the night.

Moxxie was still crying when he heard a familiar voice.

"Will you stop crying, ya little bitch?"

Moxxie started in surprise and looked up to see an interdimensional hole on the head of his bed with Blitzo leaning on it.

"Sir?" Moxxie asked as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing here? Does Stolas know you're here?"

"He called us cuz you wouldn't stop crying," Blitzo said. "So, we thought we thought we'd give you a call."

"We?" Moxxie asked, hopefully.

"MOXXIE!" Millie squealed, jumped through the portal on top of Moxxie.

"Millie?!" Moxxie said with tears in the corner of his eyes as he squeezed her in his arms. "You're all here."

"Yeah, sorry about not saying anything earlier," Blitzo said. "It was a dick move. We were all a bit shocked, but still...Anyways, what we wanted to say was…"

"Moxxie, we don't hate you for going heavenly," Millie said, allowing Moxxie to sit up.

"You don't?" Moxxie asked.

"Nope, we wish you told us sooner, but we still love you," Millie said planting a kiss on Moxxie's cheek.

"What she said," Blitzo added. "I always knew something was off. Like, I thought you were mentally challenged or some shit like that, but this is something else. It's weird, but I kinda don't mind it."

"You don't?" Moxxie asked, skeptically.

"Yeah, not being a total asshole in hell is kinda nice," Blitzo said. "Like in the same way a lover letting you take a shower after a good fuck instead of throwing you out in the rain is nice."

"Weird metaphor, but I accept it," Moxxie replied.

"We also appreciate you turning yourself in instead of escaping to heaven and allowing us to get imprisoned!" Loona called out from the other side of the portal. "That was a ballsy move. You're not the whiny bitch I thought you were."

"Anyways, wanna go out to eat?" Blitzo asked.

"I can't sir," Moxxie said sadly. "I'm imprisoned."

"Stolas has given you a free pass for the night," Millie said.

Moxxie froze with his jaw open.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes," Stolas said, slamming the door open. "Now get out of my house and stop crying!"

"I knew you were listening in, you bird-beaked bastard," Blitzo said.

"I have to monitor all prison communications," Stolas said. "Although with some incentive, I could look the other way."

"I'm not going on a date with you outside of the full moon, jackass," Blitzo replied before looking at Moxxie and hesitating. "Unless Moxxie gets a free day out of it."

"He can leave for the night if you come warm my bed," Stolas said seductively.

"Deal," Blitzo said.

"But sir!" Moxxie protested.

"But nothing!" Blitzo said, hopping through the portal, picking up Moxxie, and looking him in the eye. "This is what family does! Now, go enjoy your jail break with your wife and I'll see you tomorrow."

Millie squealed and pulled Moxxie through the portal with him.

"Thank you, your majesty," Millie said. "I'll have him back by curfew."

"Don't worry about it," Stolas said, seductively stroking Blitzo. "You can take him home. I won't miss him."

"Have a good night, you two," Blitzo said with a sigh.

"Thank you so much, Blitz!" Millie said happily trying to lead Moxxie away before he stopped and looked back.

"Blitzo?" Moxxie said, prompting Blitzo to look back.

"Yeah?" Blitzo asked.

"I love you, too," Moxxie said with a smile.

Blitzo's shocked expression turned into a smile as Millie led Moxxie away and the portal shut behind them.