In the week since Vanessa had arrived at the Hotel, she had slowly grown accustomed to the dynamic that seemed to be present throughout the place. Mainly in that everyone just kind of did their own thing.

Charlie's rehabilitation programs weren't exactly something to write home about, the succubus felt bad to admit. But that didn't change the fact that Vanessa actually had fun. Granted, the sessions of sorts seemed more like some weird childish group therapy, but it was oddly relaxing and admittedly rather fun to participate.

Vanessa honestly couldn't keep the smile on her face when she'd done the musical introduction thing.

So far, after getting to know everyone as best as she could, Vanessa had mixed opinions.

Her favorite people were without a doubt Angel, John, and Charlie. Angel had slowly returned to his flirtatious and sexual habits of downright harassing the staff, which mainly consisted of Husk. Vanessa wasn't exactly pleased with it, but she'd known how Angel was already. But knowing that she always had a friend present overruled her concern by a large margin.

John was… a gentle giant, it would seem. Albeit a blunt one, and Vanessa had witnessed for herself John's infamous 'wall ornament' punishment after Charlie had attempted to steal the TV from him for a session while he was deep into and already occupied with a game.

Vanessa felt a little mean, but she couldn't have stopped her laughter if she'd tried at the site of Charlie hanging from the wall by the collar of her shirt, pouting at how easily she'd been outdone.

Jokes aside, John had relinquished the TV for her session anyway, but it had still been funny.

As for Charlie herself… she was an enigma.

On sheer principle, Vanessa felt like she shouldn't trust the Princess. And yet, she couldn't help but to do just that. Charlie's sunshine and rainbows personality was extremely hard to dislike, and it went a long way in making Vanessa feel comfortable at the Hotel. Granted, she now understood why most of Hell saw Charlie as a joke, but… Charlie was a lot like John in that way.

Both demons, in a cesspool of sin and cruelty… and both had kind hearts.

When she wasn't spending time with Angel, she was usually in the lobby, watching or sometimes playing games with John, or sometimes she'd join Charlie in whatever the activity the Princess was occupied with if she was allowed.

Outside of those three, that left everyone else.

Husk was… Husk. Vanessa didn't really know how else to say it. The cat demon wasn't exactly friendly, per say. He made it clear that he didn't want to be at the Hotel, he had about as much patience as a three-year-old, and he had a foul tongue. Yet, he always seemed to be willing to be an ear.

Though, he absolutely refused to provide Vanessa with any of the alcoholic drinks from the moment he found out her real age.

Considering they were in Hell, Vanessa wasn't sure whether to be appreciative or insulted.

Next up was Niffty… yeah, not much to say on the little cyclops. Charlie might've been eighty percent sure she was harmless, but Vanessa was a hundred percent sure she was a Grade-A psycho.

Vaggie was… something. She seemed like she was always stressed or irritated about something, and it was apparent that she wasn't John's biggest fan anytime they were in a room together. She was always questioning anything John would say, and she was always giving him a look that showed nothing but distrust.

Why, Vanessa wasn't entirely sure.

But the moth demon wasn't exactly someone Vanessa disliked either. She tried to be nice to the succubus any time they spoke, though it was clear that she was on the fence considering Vanessa's occupation. And her age.

Turned out, more people had beliefs about age than she'd have thought. At least, considering the fact that they were in Hell.

But Alastor… yeah, Vanessa didn't like Alastor.

He was weird, he was creepy in all manner of ways, and it didn't help that the constant smile on his face was always unnerving.

But what really ate at her, was that Alastor was an overlord. A deal-maker.

It should go without saying why Vanessa didn't like that. It was part of the reason why despite Husk's gruff demeanor, the succubus still felt bad for him. Alastor owned his soul.

It didn't help that every time they were in the same room together, Alastor would occasionally steal a glance in her direction. And any time Vanessa would catch him, rather than turn away, he'd face her completely and both his eyes and smile would widen.

Vanessa would feel much better if Alastor were out of the picture completely, but even with the creepy deer demon, she still felt far safer within the Hotel than she ever had at Val's studio. The Hotel offered a place of rest, some peace, a sense of safety and comfort that Vanessa hadn't had in what felt like forever.

She'd give anything to be able to stay at the Hotel for good.

Although… there was one issue that still remained a constant.

Sleep was as hard to gain as ever for Vanessa. Trauma didn't just go away, and no matter how much she'd wished for a peaceful night's sleep, it would never come. She'd gotten her own room, but there had honestly been times where she'd thought of asking Angel if she could sleep with him, or at least talk to him for a bit.

However, she'd never do it. Angel finally got his own sense of peace and some decent sleep, and Vanessa didn't want to interrupt that just because she was uncomfortable.

So, in the dead of night, Vanessa would usually find herself jolted away from some horrific nightmare that her trauma would manifest, upon which she'd lay there and try to think of something else or simply return to sleep.

It would seem that tonight would be one of those nights.

"AAAAHHH!" Vanessa found herself bolting awake, flying into an upright position atop her bed as yet another nightmare reached it's climax. She found herself thankful that the Hotel's walls were rather thick, as she was not in a hurry to wake anyway.

Her quick and heavy breathing was a struggle to bring back under control, staring into the darkness of her room with wide-eyes as her mind struggled to process her return to the world of consciousness.

Her head slowly twisted towards her nightstand, where she spotted her digital alarm clock sitting atop it.

3:15 AM

Vanessa found herself sighing as she saw the time. Once more, she'd failed to gather a full night's rest. As much as she'd like to attempt a return to sleep, however, the nightmare she'd just experienced had been far more… upsetting than she'd like to admit.

Her pajamas stuck to her skin from the sweat that drenched her, and with the flurry her mind seemed to be in at the moment, she needed something to calm it.

…

She wondered if anyone would notice or care if she… yoinked some alcohol from downstairs…

From what she knew, it might at least make her feel better and get her some sleep. Even if the morning would suck.

Well, no, that wasn't right. Vanessa wasn't exactly comfortable with blatantly stealing anything, but at the same time, the allure of a possible bit of sleep was hard to resist.

Then again… maybe she could just tire herself out once more?

One thing the succubus knew, she was getting nowhere sitting upon her bed, and she wouldn't be returning to sleep anytime soon. With a sigh of disappointment at her own inability to even sleep right, Vanessa threw her covers off herself and twisted herself so that her feet were hanging off the bed, before standing up.

Even with her bout of restlessness, it was obvious her body was still rather drained as she let out a yawn, but she made her way to the door nonetheless.

Cautiously, the succubus cracked her door open and peeked her head out, making sure the coast was clear. Ignoring the fact that she didn't want to wake anyone, there was an irrational fear of getting in trouble for being up this late. Mostly because Val's studio was far, far different to the Hotel.

Once she was sure nothing was present except for dead air, Vanessa stepped out of her room before closing the door, twisting the knob and slowly closing the door in an attempt to make as little noise as possible.

She made her way down the hall, her feet meeting the wooden ground with nothing more than a soft tap that was barely audible. It had become a habit ever since the day she died. The less attention she drew to herself, the better.

Even if there was nothing to fear, habits like that were nearly impossible to break, and Vanessa would more than likely hold said habit for an eternity.

As she slowly made her way through the hall and towards the steps to the lobby, sounds coming from the lobby became more and more audible. It sounded like somebody had left the TV on.

Vanessa didn't have the slightest clue as to who the last person in the lobby would've been, and with hesitation at the possibility that it was Alastor, Vanessa poked her head out from behind the wall at the top of the steps to see if there was anyone even there in the first place.

Rather than the lanky, red dressed deer demon, a certain goliath occupied the couch, sitting down with a controller in his hand (of course, Vanessa noted to herself), occupied in yet another game.

Despite her comfort around him, Vanessa hid herself back around the corner, out of his site.

Even with the knowledge that there was nothing inherently wrong with being up in the middle of the night, her instincts that had developed in response to Val's studio urged her to simply make her way back to her room.

Considering all that was waiting for her there was a couple of hours just tossing and turning on her bed in an attempt to go sleep, Vanessa opted to wait and see if John would return to his room or leave the lobby at all anytime soon.

With the exception of the TV audio, silence rang loudly through the Hotel as Vanessa stood behind the wall with an irrational sense of nervousness, apprehension building as each second ticked by.

Then…

"Why don't you come on down instead of hiding away behind the wall up there?" John's voice echoed out, and Vanessa couldn't hold back the small yelp that escaped her at being called out so blatantly.

How did John even know she was there? There he didn't see her, Vanessa was sure of that, and she was positive that he didn't have any sort of outside awareness ability.

John was powerful, that much Vanessa had heard already, but most of that capability was physical to her knowledge.

After a few moments of silence, Vanessa let a sigh escape her and decided to appease John's request, moving away from the wall and making her way down the stairs as her head turned towards the behemoth.

"How'd you know?" Vanessa asked with a curious gaze as she made her way down the stairs and to the couch.

"I've got good hearing and an unbelievable nose, Ness." John replied simply without even turning in her direction as she walked up behind the couch, around it, before taking a seat next to the behemoth. "I heard your door open, and I could smell you the whole time."

"That's… creepy." Vanessa couldn't help but to say, eliciting a chuckle from the giant in response.

"Why do you think I don't exactly advertise that?" John asked with a raised eyebrow, sparing her a glance for only a second before refocusing on his game. "'Oh yeah, just so you know, I can hear your heartbeat and smell the shit up your ass.' That'd go over real well, don't you think?"

Vanessa let a soft laugh escape her at John's words. She had to admit, she had a point.

"What are you doing up, anyway?" Vanessa asked as she looked at John, who chuckled in response.

"I could ask you the same thing." John joked with a small smile. "This is a usual thing for me. I try to head to sleep at ten, but I'm usually up around one in the morning." He explained to the succubus as his eyes narrowed at the TV in focus. "It's been that way since showing up. Probably won't sleep again till around six."

"You can't sleep an entire night, either?" Vanessa asked, giving the behemoth a sympathetic gaze, but John shot her a small smile in response.

"Difference between me and you is why." He commented as he turned back to the TV. "Hotel only allows alcohol, to my knowledge. Till I came here, I used weed to help me sleep. No dreams, and it knocked me the fuck out." He admitted as his smile faded. "I wasn't proud of it, but what's done is done. Now, I'm just trying to break that addiction."

"But… weed isn't that bad." At least, compared to anything else from what Vanessa knows. Heck, upon the living world, marijuana may as well be the equivalent of smoking alcohol.

John shook his head in response, however. "Maybe not, but I'm not exactly eager to ask Charlie if I can smoke here." He informed the succubus with a slight chuckle. "So, why are you up?"

At the question, images from the nightmares flashed through Vanessa's mind, and she couldn't stop from shrinking on herself. "Nightmares. Can't sleep." She admitted as she averted her gaze from the behemoth's own.

She honestly expected some kind of admonishment for letting nightmares get the better of her night, because why wouldn't she? It was pathetic. They were only nightmares, they couldn't hurt her.

"Ah." Was John's simple response. There was no judgment in his tone. If anything, a simple word conveyed a surprising amount of understanding. "I feel that."

Silence befell the two after that simple exchange, and Vanessa found herself choosing to simply watch John play whatever game he was playing at the moment. It wasn't one she recognized.

Well, she didn't recognize the game itself, but she did recognize it's characters.

"Ben 10?" Vanessa couldn't help but to question, prompting another chuckle in response.

"Used to play this with my mom before she took off." John explained with a fond smile. "It was a long time ago, and I don't think too much of her now. But I had some good memories with her when I was a kid."

John was… twenty-one, if Vanessa remembered correctly. That would put his actual childhood in the mid 2000's.

"This is a PlayStation 2 game?" Vanessa guessed, to which John nodded his head in response. It was clear that it wasn't intended to be anything more than a simple tie-in game. Fixed camera, area to area where you fought enemies at different times. It wasn't exactly meant to be a game that someone would see as a best-seller.

"It is two-player if you want to play." John informed, gesturing to the controller, but Vanessa shook her head.

"No thanks." It didn't really look like something she'd play, if she were honest. John seemed to respect that, shrugging as he returned his attention to the game.

For what felt like a while, there was silence as John worked his way through two levels of the game, and Vanessa noted that John's favorite alien appeared to be Four-Arms. Considering the behemoths own abilities and physique, she found that a little amusing.

After finishing his second level, however, John exited the game and offered her the controller. "You wanna play something? It's not a normal console, any game ever released on consoles is on it if you want to try something new."

"Really?" Vanessa couldn't help but be surprised at the information, taking the controller from John as she went to the home menu. "This isn't a PlayStation, then?"

"It's a VoxBox." John answered with a small smile. "If I remember right, Angel's mentioned before that he's one of the three Vees, but all I know him for is this." He admitted as he gestured to the console. "It's basically an emulation system. Play any game you want, no flaws."

That… made sense. From what she knew herself, Vox wasn't a gamer in the slightest. But any tech to sell was his specialty, and that included gaming. So it wasn't exactly a surprise that he'd have his own game console.

She did note one thing, however.

"This looks like a PS4 home menu." Vanessa commented as she took in the familiar layout, causing John to nod his head.

"You can go into the settings, change the home menu layout. Any home menu since the 360 and PS3 days."

Wow. That was… actually kind of neat. Vanessa had to give Vox some credit, he definitely didn't slack when it came to his tech.

With the newfound information, she found herself thinking about what kind of game she wanted to play. She definitely had her favorites, but now that she knew what the console was really capable of, she wanted to try out something new.

However, when she tried to think of games she had been interested in playing, her mind found itself drawing a big fat blank.

"Do… Do you know of any decent games?" Vanessa asked, turning to look at John with a furrowed brow. "I'm wanting to try something new, but I can't really think of anything at the moment.

John shrugged. "Not off the top of my head… ever played A Way Out?" He asked as he glanced at the succubus.

Vanessa shook her head. She'd didn't think she'd ever heard of that game, as a matter of fact.

John smiled and held out his hand for the controller. Vanessa handed it back to him, watching as he took the controller and navigated his way through the home menu.

"So, it's a two player game. Emphasis on cooperation. Basically, we work together throughout the story." John explained as he navigated to his personal library, hunting through before finding the game he was looking for.

"Like a prison break?" Vanessa asked when she saw the poster for the game itself, which showed two men standing back to back in front of a prison.

"That's only a part of it." John replied as he glanced at Vanessa with a raised eyebrow. "Want to play?"

Vanessa thought it over for a moment. It sounded like an interesting concept, and it was something to do. A nice distraction from the nightmares that had plagued her. She really saw no reason not to accept.

"Sure."

Vanessa wasn't sure how long they played the game. She found it was actually rather interesting, and the humor was on point considering the laughs she and John shared. The mechanic itself was actually rather fun, and she found herself surprised by how immersive it was.

Sometimes she would be in the middle of a cutscene, while John was actually playing the game. Sometimes, John would be distracting a guard while she retrieved whatever tool she needed for them to progress.

She wasn't really sure how far into the game they'd made it. But as time passed, Vanessa found herself nodding off every time a cutscene would play. When she was actually playing, she managed to pay full attention in order to not screw anything up, but since her focus wasn't required during the cutscenes, her exhaustion would begin taking hold.

Eventually, she was out like a light.

Vanessa's eyes cracked open, blinking as her groggy mind began to wake itself. There was a comforting warmth atop her, and her head was resting against something soft.

She slowly sat up, trying to regain her bearings as she smacked her lips in order to salivate her dry mouth. Though her eyes were open, she wasn't actually processing anything her eyes were seeing.

She sat there for a moment, swaying back-and-forth as she waited for her brain to actually begin functioning.

Slowly, she began to figure out where she was.

It was her room. The comforting warmth had been her covers, and her head had been resting atop her pillow. And with how tired she currently was, she was tempted to snuggle back into bed rather than actually wake up.

So she'd actually managed to…

Vanessa's eyes slowly widened, her brain beginning to pick up traction as realization struck her.

She… she hadn't had a nightmare. In fact, she didn't remember a thing. Either it was a decent dream she didn't remember, or she dreamt nothing at all.

Either was a favorable change compared to her usual struggles with sleep.

She couldn't help the smile that came onto her face as it hit her. She'd slept comfortably. She'd slept peacefully. There wasn't a thing within her mind that had burdened her, nothing to give her terror while she was asleep.

Now that Vanessa thought about it, why was that? It's not like she'd actually done much to try her sleep better. She'd just intended to tire herself out until she had no choice but to sleep. Maybe games with John were just that relaxing- wait.

As the events of the prior night returned to her memory, she came to a realization.

When exactly had she returned to her room? She remembered nodding off during the cutscenes of the game last night, and then nothing.

Had she actually fallen asleep on the couch? Or did she just not remember walking to her bed? Considering the walk between the lobby and her room, she's positive she'd remember stumbling to her room in a sleepy daze.

Had… Had John actually carried her to her room? That was the only explanation Vanessa could find. Everyone else was asleep, and she knew that she couldn't have walked back to her room since she didn't remember leaving the couch in the first place.

Someone had carried her. Without her consent.

And yet… Vanessa felt no fear. No discomfort. No anger.

For having only known John a week, she was fairly positive that she had a grasp on what kind of person he was. For a rather intimidating behemoth, John wasn't anyone to fear. She… felt safe in his presence. So long as John was at the Hotel, Vanessa felt safety, and she didn't fear him trying to harm her in any manner.

Rather than assuming that John had some nefarious reason… Vanessa found herself smiling at the behemoth's kindness.

He could've just left her on the couch and went to bed himself, but he actually carried her to her room. And from the way the covers sat over her, he covered her up, too.

It was… comforting, honestly. To know John either cared that much, or was just that kind.

Now that she thought about it… John really went above and beyond the call of his job. He was only supposed to protect the Hotel and its inhabitants, he wasn't obligated to make sure they got a good night's sleep, or felt safe within the Hotel.

A part of her wondered how good John really was at his job. Ignoring how powerful he was, John really hadn't done much that she'd seen in terms of actually fulfilling his job. As a matter of fact, he acted less like a security guard, or even an employee in general and more like a roommate.

Vanessa couldn't keep the smile off her face as she slipped her covers off, standing up off the bed as she made her way towards the closet in order to change her clothes.

Charlie really had gone all out with the Hotel, considering all the rooms had walk-in closets.

As much as she liked the outfit she'd worn the other day, she opted to instead try some more of her new clothes, choosing a plain blue shirt and a pair of jeans along with her new sneakers.

Once clothed, the succubus left her room and began making her way down the hall once more.

What time had she woken up, anyway? She hadn't checked her clock this time, but she honestly felt like she'd woken up a bit late into the day. She really hoped she hadn't wasted any of it away.

As she reached the staircase and began making her way down the steps to the lobby, she glanced down at the couches in the lobby, honestly expecting to see John in his usual spot.

When all she saw was empty air, she couldn't help but to feel a little off. Unless the lobby was occupied with Charlie's rehabilitation sessions, John could almost always be found on the couch either watching movies or playing video games. In fact, Vanessa had gotten so used to his presence in the lobby that it was kind of jarring to see him nowhere in sight.

"Morning, kid." Husk's gruff voice came from over at the concierge, and Vanessa turned to face him with a small smile.

"Morning, Husk." She greeted the cat demon, offering a small wave. Husk gave a small nod in response.

"You're up early." Husk noted, causing Vanessa's eyes to widen in surprise.

"Really?" She asked as she walked up to the bar. She knew Husk wouldn't give her anything to drink due to his own morals, but that didn't mean she couldn't talk to the demon. "I honestly thought I'd slept in later."

"Nah, it's about eight, right now." Husk noted as he pulled out his pocket watch and took a look at it. "Well, eight thirty, anyway. People oughta start getting up soon."

"John too?" Vanessa couldn't stop herself from asking. She honestly wanted to ask him what had happened after she'd fallen asleep, and to thank him. Regardless of how she wound up in her room, John made sure she had gotten a proper night's rest.

Husk let a chuckle of amusement escape him at that. A genuine chuckle, rather than a sarcastic or chiding one. "John's been up since seven. He talked to me for a bit, then he went to make breakfast."

Vanessa perked up, her eyes widening as she found herself licking her lips in anticipation.

John was a god in the kitchen.

"Probably still in there. If he ain't still cooking, he's probably eating."

Vanessa would have bid him farewell and taken off like a bullet at that moment, had it not been for the sound of footsteps and the tired yawn that came from down another hallway, before Angel Dust trudged into the room.

"Morning." He greeted the two with a small wave, smiling at Vanessa as he did so. "I'm surprised you're up already."

"So am I." Vanessa admitted with a shrug as the spider made his way over to the bar. "I woke up at about three last night. Ended up playing some video games with John until I fell asleep again."

Angel's face fell slightly at Vanessa's words, easily guessing why she'd woken up in the first place. "Nightmares?" He guessed.

Vanessa's face fell as well as she nodded in confirmation. "Yeah." Her smile returned full force, however, as she looked back at Angel. "But I actually slept peacefully when I went back to sleep."

Angel smiled and gave the teen a pat on the shoulder. "Good." The spider then turned his attention to Husk, raising an eyebrow. "I'm surprised you ain't in the kitchen."

"John's cooking. I already ate." Was Husk's simple response, shrugging his shoulders as he did so. He had nothing to hide and no reason to care what anyone thought. Well, unless your name was Alastor.

Angel nodded his head, before turning to face Vanessa with a friendly smile. "What do you say we go join him? I don't know about you, but I could use some breakfast." He said as he nodded his head towards the kitchen.

Vanessa nodded her head in response, a smile on her own face as well. She was more than eager to dig into some of John's epic cooking.

The two left the bar, Vanessa giving Husk a farewell wave, as they began walking in the direction of the kitchen.

As they approached the kitchen, however, Vanessa found her brow furrowing in confusion as they heard sounds coming from within. Not sounds of cooking or even eating, like they expected, but as if somebody was working on machinery.

When they turned the corner into the kitchen, they found out why.

The site awaiting them was… not what they expected.

Within the kitchen stood John and Alastor. Alastor had his coat removed for once, the article of clothing sitting atop the unoccupied kitchen table along with his cane… microphone thingy.

What was really astounding was what they were doing.

The kitchen stove had been pulled out of its place between the fridge and the counter, John having lifted it up in his grip while Alastor seemed to be underneath it, doing… something.

"You figure out the issue?" John asked the Radio Demon, who made a noise of affirmation.

"Indeed I-." Alastor interrupted himself with a grunt of exertion, before pulling out what appeared to be a tank of some sort. "-did." He finished his earlier sentence as he backed out from under the stove, allowing John to set it down as the deer demon showed the behemoth the tank. "It would appear that the gas tank has ruptured."

"Explains the leak." John nodded as his gaze fell down to the stove itself. "Fucking thing. We told Charlie that it needs to be replaced."

"We are also aware of Charlie's appreciation for sentimentality." Alastor retorted as he sat the tank down.

Now that it had been spoken aloud, Vanessa realized that she could indeed smell the scent of gasoline within the kitchen, her face scrunching in disgust once it hit her.

But that paled in comparison to the sight of Alastor of all people doing any kind of physical labor.

"I didn't know you did anything yourself, Smiles." Angel commented, making their presence known to the two as both sets of eyes turned in their direction.

"Well, I am the facility manager, Angel." Alastor reminded the spider-demon, holding a hand to his chest in pride. "Besides, John asked me to help, and good manners must be rewarded."

John let a small chuckle escape him at those words as he looked at Alastor. "You're a fucking psycho, but all it takes to get on your good side is manners." He noted the irony of Alastor's words, causing the Radio Demon to meet his gaze with a look of amusement.

"Indeed." Alastor didn't even deny it as he moved over to the sink and turned it on, beginning to wash his hands. "I suppose I shall explain the situation to Charlie. If you would be so kind as to dispose of that piece of junk, John?"

"No problem." John replied as he lifted the stove up off the ground once more, holding it to his chest as he made his way around the kitchen table and towards the kitchen entrance. "Excuse me." He said as he moved next to Angel and Vanessa.

As John left the kitchen, Angel made his way over to the fridge, looking for something to eat there instead of the cooked breakfast he was expecting. Vanessa, however, turned and made her way out of the kitchen, choosing to instead follow after John as he carried the stove to… wherever.

"Hey, John?" Vanessa spoke up, catching the behemoth's attention as moved to walk alongside him.

"Sup?" John asked, glancing down at the succubus with a small smile. "Enjoy your sleep?"

"Yeah, actually." Vanessa couldn't keep the grateful smile off her face as she looked up at him. "I'm guessing you carried me to my room?"

John nodded his head in confirmation, a chuckle escaping him as he did so. "Of course I did. I figured your bed would've been more comfortable than the couch. Especially with the grove I've worked into one end of it." He joked with a small laugh.

"Well, I just wanted to say thanks." Vanessa said, honest and earnest in her words as she looked up at him. "You… you didn't have to do any of that. But you did, and I appreciate it."

John nodded his head as she spoke, before chuckling as she finished her words. "Most demons like us pick a new name when they die, but in the four years I've been here, I've never been interested." He revealed, before looking down at the succubus. "Wanna know why?"

"Why?" Vanessa asked, because she was genuinely curious about that.

"Because I'm not ashamed of who I am." John answered, shooting a confident smile at Vanessa as they came out back into the lobby. "I'm no saint. Never was. I got my flaws, just like anybody else, and if we're being honest, I can be a real monster. But in the end… nothing's gonna change any of that." He explained, before stopping next to the Hotel entrance, nodding towards the doors. "Uh, can you…"

"No problem." Vanessa nodded, opening up the right door for John to catch with his foot, before opening up the other one so he could walk outside. Vanessa opted to follow after him, honestly interested in hearing more. "So… you never chose a new name, because you didn't see a point?"

"Nope." John shook his head as he tossed the stove as he made his way towards the dumpster next to the Hotel. "A lot of sinners change their name, take on new personas because they're either ashamed or they want a new start. But the real person inside never disappears, even if it can be chained down."

That was… an interesting bit of wisdom, and it made Vanessa rethink her decision. She'd never quite decided if she wanted to take on a new name or not, but John's words made her wonder if there was even a point in the first place.

"Huh… I never thought of that. But… what's that got to do with you carrying me to my room?" Vanessa asked, as she realized that the conversation really had gone off-topic.

"Because it doesn't matter whether I'm a dead man or a living one." John answered as tossed the stove down onto the ground next to the dumpster, the heavy piece of machinery violently shaking and pretty much falling apart as the behemoth turned back towards Vanessa. "Whether I'm in Heaven, Hell, or alive on Earth, none of that changes who I am. I'd have taken you to your room if we were just good friends having a sleepover." The way he said it, as if his deed wasn't anything meaningful, astounded her.

"Okay… I think I get what you mean." Vanessa nodded her head. Basically, John would've done it for anyone. Because that was just the way he was. "I… I'm curious about something." She admitted as she met his gaze.

"What's up?" John asked, his attention still on her even as he wiped his messy hands upon his shirt.

"How are you… How are you so confident?" Vanessa finally asked, looking up at John with an almost desperate gaze. "My first day, I was so desperate for a safe place to stay that I sold my soul. But… here you are, in Hell, and you make it sound like it hasn't changed you."

John let out a chuckle as he walked forward, his now clean hand coming up and resting upon Vanessa's back as they walked.

Vanessa tensed up on instinct at the contact, and she was sure John had noticed every time it happened, but he never said anything. Rather, he began speaking while she slowly relaxed after a few seconds.

"Vanessa, even when I was alive, I didn't often deal with bullshit very well." John explained, eyes moving to stare off into the distance with a fond smile on his face. "Sometimes I try to mince my words, but in the end, I'm a blunt man. And I do what I feel is right, say what I feel is true. If people wanted to pick a fight with me, I'd respond, but I was usually more annoyed than truly provoked." His gaze fell back to Vanessa's, and he gave her back a gentle pat. "Hell didn't change me because I refused to let it."

That was… surprisingly profound. Vanessa honestly wasn't sure what to say to that. Sure, not many could force him to do anything he didn't want too… but John had remained the same person he apparently always was simply because he had that strong of a will, that strong of a drive to do the right thing.

John was… a literal demon who simply wanted to help, because he liked to help. That was… not at all what she could've expected.

And yet, despite how much it surprised her to hear it… it didn't faze her in the least that John was just that way.

The first day she'd met him, John had taken her clothes shopping merely because she was obviously scared and uncomfortable, and he took every measure he felt was best to eliminate those negative emotions.

And he always did it so casually too, as if he thought it was normal to do things like that.

In Hell, John wasn't just a rarity. He may as well have been one of two literal needles in a haystack, the other being Charlie.

"What I'm saying, Vanessa, is that I'll always be me." John assured the succubus, offering a smile and patting her back once more before letting his hand fall back down to his side. "You need help, feel free to ask. I'm not here just to sit on my ass all day."

Vanessa found that she appreciated John. His words, his actions, him in general. He was a beacon of light in a world of darkness, that much was apparent. She wanted to say something back, something honest and meaningful.

What came out… was not that.

"But you do sit on your ass all day."

John's head whipped back as he found himself laughing like a mad man at Vanessa's unexpected remark, and now that she actually processed what she'd responded with, the succubus couldn't help but join in with the contagious laughter.

This… this is what Vanessa had missed so much. Not just someone to confide in, to be there for her, but someone to just… talk to, have some fun with.

That's what John had given her within a week. As much as she appreciated Angel, saw him as her friend, John had given Vanessa the first honest friend she'd had since she died. Not just an outlet, but… a real friend.

She didn't know what spurred her do it, she had no idea where the instinct even came from… but Vanessa found herself moving closer to John, before her arms wrapped around his stomach as she pulled him into a hug, stopping him in his tracks.

"Thanks, John…" Vanessa expressed her gratitude once again with a soft voice, a small smile on her face as she hugged the surprised behemoth. "I can't say it enough, thank you."

"Uh, I…" John found himself at a loss for a moment, before letting a small smile come onto his own face as well as he returned the hug. "Anytime, Ness."

For once… Vanessa didn't tense up at his touch.

Hell was a shitshow, no two ways about it. Vanessa was still contracted to Val, and likely nothing would change that. At least, not for a long time.

But maybe… maybe there were some good things in Hell too.

A/N: DISCLAIMER: I am not an expert on kitchen stoves.