[A note from the author: I updated two chapters today. If this one doesn't make sense, you may have missed the last one by accident.]

Tommy had never been in a limousine before. It was the cleanest place he'd seen since coming to Hell. And there was air conditioning. Sweet, merciful air conditioning. The demon called Alastor made Tommy wear his seatbelt. Tommy was too scared to argue. Alastor didn't wear a seatbelt.

The limo had a mini fridge. With water. Clean, cold water, without any weird floaty-things in it. Tommy drank three bottles. Alastor stared at him, unnervingly still, like a deer staring at some unknown thing in the woods. He was creepy, but he was the first demon Tommy had spoken with who hadn't immediately tried to kill or assault him. Tommy didn't know what to think.

While the little scout tried to relax, he awkwardly attempted to talk with Alastor, "So… uh… who's your girlfriend?"

"Someone very powerful," he answered vaguely, his eyes flashing bright.

"Is she going to hurt me?" Tommy wrapped his arms around his chest, trying to comfort himself. He didn't fully trust that this demon wasn't planning on doing something awful to him. Tommy had seen things. Horrible things. Alastor could very well be taking him somewhere that would be worse than death. Would he be tortured? Sold as a slave? Eaten? Would they touch him like the demons in the naked pictures touched each other? Tommy's body shook with nerves.

The demon laughed in a way that caught Tommy off guard. It was cheerful; almost goofy, even. "Ha ha ha! Heavens, no! My doll is easily one of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. Do try to relax, Tommy-boy."

"Does she know the angel?"

"Which angel? There are a number down here, if you count the cast outs."

"There are?"

"Oh yes. Even the king himself is an angel. But Lucifer likely wouldn't bother with a little thing like you. He's always too busy with this and that, or so he claims."

Tommy's eyes widened, "You know Satan?"

"I've practically adopted his daughter. Anywho," Alastor ignored Tommy's recoiling, "If you'll be patient, I think you'll be in for a pleasant surprise."

"I don't like surprises anymore."

"What a shame. I do. They can be such fun! Like strange little boys on secret missions showing up in thrift shops."

"It was supposed to be a quick trip. The secret agents told us we'd be here a day at most. They lied. A lot of people lied to me."

"Oh, don't you worry about that. I'll make sure they have an extra fun time when they die."

"How are you supposed to do that?"

"Where do you think they'll end up after knowingly sending an entire troop of innocent orphan children into the jaws of Hell? Souls have been condemned for less."

"So why are you down here, then?"

Alastor only winked and grinned wider. Tommy decided he didn't want to know. He already knew more about the world than he'd ever wanted to see. He stared out the window, watching the violent wasteland of gore and fire pass by them. A strange instrumental music played quietly from somewhere in the limo. It took a few minutes for Tommy to realize it was coming from Alastor, not the car. He was like a walking Bluetooth speaker. How weird.

Eyes still out the window, Tommy quietly muttered, "Sorry about your radio."

"Apology accepted."

They drove for a long time. When the limo finally stopped, Tommy climbed out to see a grand building with the words "Hazbin Hotel" prominently displayed in lights.

He gasped, looking up at the impossibly tall Alastor, "This is where the angel lives! The one I saw on TV!"

"Ahhh, so that's the one you were referring to," Alastor's grin grew amused. Clearly, the demon knew something he wasn't telling him. "That would be Elida."

"Elida…" Tommy tasted the name of his salvation on his tongue. She could save him. She had to.

The door was locked, which Tommy assumed was for security reasons, but Alastor had a key. He opened the door, allowing little Tommy entry. He walked in cautiously, glancing back at the shiny red limo as it drove away. Maybe Tommy recognized Alastor from when he'd studied the angel? The name rang a bell that he couldn't quite place.

When Tommy saw just how many demons were inside the hotel, he froze in terror. He wanted to run again. He tried to turn away and leave, but his feet still wouldn't move. When the initial panic subsided, he realized that the room was a completely different vibe than he'd come to expect. The demons here weren't fighting or staring at him like their next meal. They were relaxed. Peaceful, even.

They were definitely staring at him, though.

"What the fuck? Is that a living kid?" A red bull-man said in a deep, gruff voice.

"Found the little lad vandalizing my property," Alastor explained cheerfully. "Where is my darling deer?"

Another demon wrapped up in bandages like a mummy spoke up, "She just left. Said she was meeting with Shakespie at one of their factories. She probably won't be back for a few hours."

"Oh dear!" Alastor said tapping his chin with a grin, "Well, I suppose you'll just have to wait then, Tommy-boy."

"I want to see the angel!" Tommy said to the mummy-demon. "Where is Elida?"

"The fuck did I just say you little sh-"

"We'll be getting you cleaned up first," Alastor interrupted, walking off with his nose in the air. "Come along, boy."

Tommy was forced to follow, taking in the oddity of a building without mold and icky pictures of naked monsters. A smaller demon, one not much different in height from himself, came running up with a sharp knife in her hand. She had madness in her eye and was laughing maniacally. She looked like she was going to stab him.

Tommy reached for his machete, but it wasn't there. He prepared to defend himself, only to be lifted into the air at the last minute. He shouted in surprise, kicking and wriggling until he realized it was Alastor again, holding him out of the knife-wielder's reach.

"Nifty, darling," Alastor said patiently, "this one is not for stabbing." He patted her on the head.

The crazed gremlin-lady looked up at him, the knife in her hands, "Hehehe, kay!" before running off again.

Alastor set Tommy back down, "That would be the maid," he explained casually before continuing toward the elevator.

Tommy took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. If the angel lived in this hotel, how dangerous could it be? Maybe Alastor was telling the truth, and Tommy would be safe here. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. So many demons were staring at him…

Alastor put Tommy in his own room, instructing him to settle in and get cleaned up. Tommy checked every inch of the room, making sure the door was locked and that no one was hiding in any dark corners. No one was there. He was alone.

Tommy wanted a shower. There were already tiny soap bottles stocked and ready, so he scrubbed. He scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed. Months worth of dirt, blood, and soot dirtied the water at his feet. He scrubbed until the water ran clear. Then he sat down under the cold water, allowing it to rain over his head. He cried. He hadn't let himself properly cry the entire time he'd been there. It felt good.

Sometime later, when his tears were thoroughly spent, he pulled himself back together again and got up. Strangely, as he was drying himself off, his door knocked. Throwing his tattered clothes back on, Tommy carefully peeked out the door.

A weird-looking voodoo doll brushed past him, holding a bundle of cloth over its head. It delivered the bundle onto Tommy's bed, and then left without a word, running down the hall and around the corner without explanation.

Tommy locked the door again and approached the bundle cautiously. There could be anything in there. A bomb, a carnivorous animal, a poisonous powder, a swarm of spiders... There was no knowing without checking. Bracing himself for the worst, Tommy reached slowly for the bundle. He quickly flipped the top piece of cloth over to get a better look at it.

He released his breath. It was just an outfit. The voodoo doll thing had brought him a set of clean clothes. Tommy put it on, only too happy to leave behind the tattered and crusty rags he'd lived in for the last several months. It was a little baggy, but not too bad. He felt a little better. Maybe he'd be okay after all.

A few minutes later, his door knocked again, and two more voodoo dolls showed up. They were each carrying one side of a large tray of food. Depositing the tray onto a table, they once again ran off down the hallway. Tommy examined it hungrily, salivating. He hadn't had real food in ages. It smelled incredible. He scarfed it down like he'd never eat again.

For a moment, Tommy almost forgot he was in Hell. His room was comfortable and safe, and he had more space to himself than he'd ever had at the orphanage. He treated himself to a proper nap, then scrolled mindlessly on his stolen phone for a bit, savoring the rare quiet. The pillows were soft.

Tommy jumped when he heard a voice coming from right beside his bed, "Tommy-boy, why don't you come join us down in the lobby?"

He pulled the covers up over his head before realizing how ridiculous that was. Blankets didn't protect you from the monsters, all they did was make them harder to see. Peeking out from the comforter, Tommy searched for the source of the voice. All he saw was a radio.

The radio spoke again, "Well, come along. Don't keep us waiting."

It was that Alastor guy. Tommy's panic subsided. "Coming," he said, not sure if the demon would be able to hear him through the radio or not.

Before leaving the safety of his room, he checked the suite's kitchenette for anything he could use as a weapon. He managed to find a butter knife. It was better than nothing, so he hid it in his pocket. Steeling his nerves, Tommy peeked cautiously out the door, then walked as calmly as he could to the stairs. He didn't want to end up trapped in an elevator with someone. Stairs were easier to hide or escape if it came to that.

Hugging the walls, he avoided interacting with any demons by ducking into corners and hiding behind furniture whenever one walked by. Eventually, he managed to find the lobby again. Ducking behind a large decorative plant, Tommy found Alastor standing beside what looked like some kind of drink shop. He was talking to someone Tommy couldn't quite see from his angle.

"Welcome home, dearest. How did your meeting with Shakespie go?"

He called them dearest. His girlfriend must be back. Tommy kept listening.

A sweet, gentle voice responded, "Pretty well. The confusion from the acquisition is starting to settle, and our workforce policies are being implemented fairly smoothly."

Tommy only understood about half of those words. He tried to get a peek at the demon with the pretty voice, but he couldn't quite see them. He decided it would be smart to keep listening, just in case one of them let slip what they were planning on doing to him. If they said anything about hurting Tommy, he'd find a place to hide until he could figure out a way to escape despite the magic keeping him in place.

"I've got two presents for you," Alastor said, leaning on his staff.

"Oh! I love presents. What are they?"

"One is sparkly, and the other is dramatic."

"Two of my favorite things," the voice said with a musical, tinkling giggle.

Alastor pulled the necklace from the thrift shop out of his pocket, "I happened across this this morning and thought it would look positively ravishing on you."

"Oh, it's beautiful!" she cooed.

He held out his hand, "May I?"

A pale blue hand, glowing and dainty, took his, "Of course."

He pulled her closer to him with a melodramatic flourish and turned her around so he could clasp the jewelry around her neck. Tommy got his first glimpse of her. He gasped in excitement. It was her! The angel from the TV! She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

Without thinking, Tommy left his hiding spot, running up to hug her as if she were his long-lost mother. "It's you!" He wrapped his arms around her legs, sobbing with relief, "It's you, It's you!" It was all he could say. He buried his face in her skirt.

The angel Elida looked down at Tommy, her face unreadable. "What in the name of Saint Peter? Is this a living kid?"

"Surprise!" Alastor laughed with a pair of goofy jazz hands.

"Oh, you poor thing," Elida knelt down, hugging the sobbing boy. "What is he doing here?"

"The hubris of the American government knows no bounds," Alastor said, examining his nails.

"Please, Miss," Tommy sobbed, "I want to go home!"

She petted his hair comfortingly, "It's alright, sweetheart, we've got you. You're safe now. We'll get you home."

He sobbed harder.

"A deal's a deal," Alastor said to Tommy, "You're free to run away now if you'd like."

Tommy collapsed to his knees, all the pain and terror from the past several months crashing down on him. He shook his head. There was no way he was leaving the angel's side until he was home. He couldn't. He wouldn't. She held him while he cried, muttering soft words of comfort into his ear.

"Let me get a look at you, honey," Elida examined Tommy's face. "So many bruises… Allie, can you-"

He handed her a vial from a nearby shelf. She hadn't even finished her sentence. They must know each other pretty well if he knew what she was going to say. How could a scary demon like him be with someone like her? Tommy didn't know, and he didn't care. He was saved.

"Here, sweetie, drink this. It'll help you feel better."

She opened the vial and held it to his lips. He drank obediently. It tasted odd. Not bad, but not something he'd ever had before.

"Look at this," Elida said with a smile, holding his arms up for him to see.

He watched with awe as all the bumps and cuts from his ordeal disappeared before his eyes. The splitting headache he'd endured since Sam's death eased into nothing. He felt as fresh and new as if he'd never fought a battle in his life. He sighed with relief. He'd been pushing the pain aside for so long, he almost forgot how much everything hurt.

"Allie, love, why don't you properly introduce me to your little friend," she said, looking up at Alastor.

"Of course, dearest! This tiny fella is Tommy. A real resourceful little guy, it seems. Tommy-boy, this is my doll, the Ambassador of Heaven, Overlord of the Vee's corner of the pentagram, business owner, Hell's Sweetheart, and immensely powerful angel-witch: Elida McCarthy. I believe you mentioned you were looking for her already."

"That's a really long name. Are those titles like… merit badges or something?"

That earned a giggle from Elida, "Something like that." She patted his cheek. Her hands were really cold. It felt nice after all the stifling hellfire. Tommy had nearly collapsed from heat exhaustion multiple times. A little ice was just what he needed. "So, you're a scout? That's fun. Tell me about your coolest merit badge."

Tommy was only too happy to tell her everything that had ever happened in his life. He went on and on about scouts, the orphanage, his late parents, his favorite video games, his friends, his secret climbing tree, everything. She sat him comfortably on a couch and listened with a soft smile on her face while he rambled for hours. Alastor sat beside her, holding her hand, reading a newspaper, and humming quietly to himself.

Her eyes flashed with interest when he mentioned the government agents, but she didn't interrupt him. She just let him talk, nodding in all the right places. "My my," she said, "what a brave boy you are!"

Tommy nodded. He was a brave boy. Very brave. The bravest! He told her about his machete, and how smart he was for figuring out how to chop demon's ankles at just the right spot to make it so they couldn't run after him. He told her about Sam. He missed Sam.

He looked up at the angel's glowing face, fascinated by her doe-ears and wings. She let him touch them. While he ran his hands curiously over her halo, he quietly asked, "Are my friends all stuck in Hell?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Their souls were already down here when they died. So, are they stuck here forever now?"

"Even if they ended up down here, which likely wouldn't happen unless they did something evil, they could find their way up to Heaven if they wanted to."

"Really?" Tommy looked hopefully into her eyes, "How?"

So, Elida explained what the hotel was, and why it felt so different than the rest of Hell. She told him about all the demons who'd been redeemed, and why she was down in the pit in the first place. It was incredibly comforting to Tommy. With the hotel's existence, that meant that even if Tommy wasn't good enough to get into Heaven by the time he died, he'd still have a way of getting to see his dad one day. He wouldn't be trapped there, despite all the stealing and killing he'd had to do to survive. Sam wouldn't be trapped there either. His friends would be okay.

"I need to make a few calls and prepare some things," Elida said, squeezing Tommy's hand, "So it may take a few days to get you home. But if you stay in the hotel until then, you'll be safe. Allie is very big and very strong, and he doesn't let any bad guys hurt our guests, okay? Can you stay put for me?"

"Okay," Tommy promised, "I'll be good."

Elida kissed his forehead, and Tommy smiled for the first time in months.