Author note - Welcome to another chapter! Keeping things brief this time. Thanks to the supporters, kind reviews, and casual readers, it is much appreciated! Also, some people deserve to be in Hell and it felt good to write someone get their comeuppance.

Chapter 61: A (Not So) Happy Day in Hell

At first, Taylor didn't see what all the fuss was about as they walked around Pentagram City. Sure, the streets were cracked, the air was smoggy and smelled of rotten eggs, but as long as they avoided the broken glass and trash, it wasn't so bad. They saw all manner of monsters stalk, slither, or otherwise amble down the sidewalk. Their appearances varied from mostly human to creepy to cartoonish, although even the humanoid-looking ones had different skin colors, extra eyes, or horns jutting out from their heads.

Kicking a pebble away, they soon realized this wasn't their best idea. They had planned to use their memory of the car ride over to the hotel to go stay with Antonio and Melanie, but nothing seemed familiar and they couldn't even see the hotel in the distance anymore. They were lost.

Taylor wrinkled their nose, smelling something metallic in the air. Glancing up, the area they had wandered into was neater and cleaner than other parts of town. Taking in their surroundings, they noticed the shops and the clothes being sold in the storefronts were very old-fashioned in appearance. A thin voice drew them from their surveying.

"You ain't from around here, are ya? Dressed all strange like that."

Turning to the critical voice, they were faced with a group of kids not much older than them. All wore long dresses and stockings or slacks with suspenders with button up shirts, but what really struck them were their sharp teeth and solid black eyes gazing scornfully at them.

Glancing down at their outfit, they didn't see the problem: pants with a skirt on top and a hoodie that covered their head. Putting their hands on their hips, they returned the contemptuous glare with their own.

"I'm not dressed weird, you look like you're from oldie-times!"

"Phsaw!" The leader, a girl with a side braid said derisively. "If ya know what's good for ya, you'd vamoose before ya get a bite taken outta ya."

Taylor was about to fire back, but they saw a few of the kids holding playthings and they forgot the slight thrown at them. These were the first kids they'd seen in this world, after all.

"Are you gonna play dolls?" They asked hopefully.

The group had an unspoken conversation before hiding said dolls behind their backs.

"You don't have a doll."

Taylor pulled out their own toy from their hoodie pocket and the others gasped in shock. It was a small soft doll that had a tuft of yellow-orange hair, crosses for eyes, a stitched mouth, and a horseshoe where its heart would be, bearing a slight resemblance to themselves.

"This is my voodoo doll or gris-gris, as Alastor called it. He helped me make it. It's supposed to protect me from bad things."

The leader narrowed her pitch black eyes and spoke slowly.

"That is the ugliest thing I have ever seen!" She said, to which her companions choired mockingly in unison.

"Yeeeaaaah!"

Taylor deflated some before the cannibal kid gave them a wide mischievous grin, "… I like the cut of your jib! Anyone with something that beastly can run with us, no problem!"

Taylor brightened as the cannibal children cheered and latched onto their arms, dragging them away to play.

The children welcomed them with open arms and for a time, Taylor enjoyed themselves as they took part in a bunch of games they'd never tried before, such as jacks, spinning tops with cords, and wooden hoops. At some point, one of the kids mentioned they were cannibals, but they didn't know what that meant and were having too much fun to care.

'This place is great! Maybe when I get back, I can convince Angel to bring me over again.' They thought happily, lining up their shot in a game of marbles. A cannibal boy sat up, gripping his stomach.

"I can't play like this, I need some grub. Hey Taylor, you want to come over? My ma's making a hearty stew with hot buttered fingers today."

As if on cue, Taylor's stomach growled. Thinking that the fingers mentioned were a savory version of lady fingers they'd had once, they nodded eagerly and got to their feet. Dusting themselves off, some angry-sounding snarls and growls from not too far off stood out to their ears.

A group of pitch-eyed monsters were shouting at another monster wearing modern garb. The modern monster argued back and made to leave when out of nowhere, inhuman cries and gnashing of teeth rang out. The group pounced as a unit, obscuring their victim from view before Taylor heard frenzied, starved voices cry out in elation as the cannibals began ripping apart and consuming their prey with fervor. The brutality made their stomach drop and they stumbled backwards, blood and guts splattering the ground and staining it red.

'Cannibal means they eat other monsters?!' Taylor thought in alarm as harsh realization hit them. Adrenaline snaked through their veins as their breathing grew shallow, and they took some more steps back from abject horror when they suddenly ran into someone. The two whirled around to face one another.

"Watch where yer walking, ya stinkin' ragamuffin!" A grumpy old lady wearing glasses in front of her black eyes, a hat with feathers, and a fox-fur wrap around her shoulders shouted at them.

"Oh great, it's Susan." A cannibal child groaned behind them.

"I-I-I-" Taylor stuttered, their brain both on overdrive and unable to compose a sentence as the sharp-toothed monster sized them up.

"What's the matter, cat got your tongue? Ah, I see, you're just an ill-mannered urchin! Won't even take off yer hood, like an uncultured guttersnipe!" The crotchety old woman sneered.

Raising her cane, she poked Taylor in their side. "Look at you, hardly any meat on your bones! Since you aren't using 'em, I outta squeeze the jelly from those big eyes to put on my toast!"

Everything felt hyperreal: the smell of blood overpowering, colors were too bright, black eyes boring into their very soul. Utterly terrified, Taylor bolted for it, scattering marbles in their wake as they ran for their life, not waiting to be next on the menu.

"Get back here! Show some respect for your elders and make things right!" Susan called after them, waving her cane angrily. A set of footsteps stopped behind the senile shrew.

"Susan, long time no see! How are you? And who was that just now?" The Darling Overlord Rosie greeted, looking ahead as a small figure rounded the corner in the distance.

Instantly, the hag's demeanor shifted, her abrasiveness switching to innocent delight.

"Rosie! So lovely to see you!" Susan replied cheerily before waving her hand dismissively. "As for who so rudely knocked into me, beats me! They didn't show their face. Just some good-for-nothing wastrel, I say!"

Rosie tilted her head in contemplation, wondering where she'd seen those eyes before, but ultimately let it go as the two cannibals made their way toward the Emporium.

- x -

"Where are they?" Angel Dust fretted desperately. "It's been hours. How could no one have seen one fiery-headed kid running around?"

"It's a big scary place for a kid, they must've figured that out by now." Husk said plainly as he kept his eyes peeled for any signs of the tiny Overlord. When Husk noticed that Angel Dust began hugging himself with a guilt-ridden expression on his face, he sighed.

"… Be strong, Legs. Taylor's a loser, just like us. They'll handle whatever's thrown at them." Angel Dust's eyes widen as Husk gave him a sidelong glance. "Look, I'm sure the grown version is still in there somewhere, telling them to keep to the shadows and not draw attention to themselves." Putting his hands on Angel's back to straighten his posture, he added. "Now, do us all a favor and stand up straight with your head held high, it'll make you easier to spot from their little kid vantage point."

Angel Dust grinned and out of sheer relief from the optimism, he lunged over and hugged Husk. The winged cat demon sputtered at first, but settled on patting his back.

"Thanks Husky, I needed to hear that."

After being released from the embrace, Husk readjusted his hat when something caught his eye. A red limousine with heart emblems emblazoned on the side cruised down the street toward the two demons, cerise heart-shaped plumes of vapor billowing out from the windows.

"Shit, it's Valentino." Husk bristled, wings and fur starting to rise up instinctively. He felt Angel's hand on his shoulder as he tried to pull him away.

"C'mon Husk, let's get outta here." He urged, voice panicked, but Husk didn't budge. Quickly grasping Angel Dust's arms, the cat demon stared at him square in the eyes with a crooked grin.

"No. You're going to give him nothing. This is a chance for you to start to take back your power." Reaching over to adjust Angel's bow tie and flick some debris from his blazer, he nodded in satisfaction. "It's time to show that fucker what the Pride Ring's greatest actor can really do when he doesn't have garbage scripts to work off of."

Angel Dust hesitated until he saw Husk's look of total confidence in him, making his eyes lit up. Standing to his full height, he ran his hands through his hair and put on his trademark smile.

"Let's do this."

—

Valentino sat in the limousine, phone in hand. The sounds of Vox's blathering mixed with the sultry saxophones of the background music of the video he was watching. A flare of irritation sparked in him as he held the side buttons of the phone, cranking up the music to drown the TV demon out.

"Turn that shit down, Valentino!" Velvette complained, "No one wants to hear that! Honestly, wait until we get back before you go and have a wank."

With a sharp glare toward his fellow Vee, he lowered the volume before returning to his hate-watching of a new porn program from a competing studio that was gaining traction.

"This backasswards mierda is popular? What degenerates get off to consensual pleasure anyway?" He uttered, taking an aggrieved drag of his cigarette. Adding insult to injury, the film in question starred his Angel Cakes, who was giving a significantly more enthusiastic performance than he'd ever seen in any of his films or private sessions together.

'How much more humiliation do I have to endure?' He ground his teeth as his anger spiked.

Speaking of enduring, if he had to listen to Vox prattle on about the Dealbreaker Demon much longer, he was going to go off the deep end. Ever since their last encounter, what began as a vested interest in acquisition had transformed into a poisonous obsession, one that had seeped into the boardroom and bedroom alike. Every day, it was Dealbreaker this or Dealbreaker that, wearing thin everyone's patience with his bitching. No matter how he tried to change the subject or distract Vox during their trysts, it always circled back to the Dealbreaker Demon, putting a strain on their already tumultuous relationship. He almost wished Vox would go back to fighting with Alastor.

Even now, the trio sat through a wine-and-dine event that was in reality a ploy to collect a sample from a prospective Dealbreaker candidate.

"I have a good feeling about this one! We'll have that fucker right where we want them!" Val could practically hear the smile on his boyfriend's face, nearly bouncing with sick ecstatic joy.

Valentino wasn't convinced; he vibe he got off the kitsune demoness that guarded the wannabe Overlord they'd met didn't match the little slut who made him lose face twice already.

No, the object of his ire right now was that bastard Taylor who snatched his Angel Cakes out from under him. If it weren't for the Princess, he would walk straight into that stupid Hotel and put an angelic bullet between their eyes before taking back what was rightfully his.

Wrenching his eyes from the phone, Valentino gazed out the window. Scanning the crowd for anything of interest, his smile curled in viscous glee when he recognized the swooping hairstyle and smile of his favorite piece of ass. While he couldn't directly interact with Angel Dust without inviting repercussions, if he came across him randomly on the street, that was a back door he could exploit. Besides, watching his Angel Cake's swagger crumble at the mere sight of him was simply intoxicating, and just the thing he needed to raise his spirits. Lowering the window, he waited as the limo slowly approached the slippery twink.

He watched as his Angel Cakes sauntered down the street, one of the Radio Demon's lackeys at his side, receiving wolf whistles or suggestive shouts from passersby, which he would respond in kind with a wink or a middle finger, depending on who was commenting. Closer, closer he drew until they finally were close enough to lock eyes. Angel Dust gazed at him, but instead of the wide-eyed and trembling capitulation he was normally met with, all Valentino saw was disinterest in his eyes. Like he didn't fucking matter. The limo passed him by without so much as a reaction from the spider demon. His blood boiled as rage and a newly familiar sense of humiliation churned in his gut, and he felt a gluttonous bout of violence was in order. He was about to rip the door off its hinges when Vox's unamused voice stopped him.

"Val, what do you think you're doing?"

"Need to remind some sack-less little bitches who the fuck I am." He seethed.

"Val—" the sudden scratch in Vox's voice made Valentino flinch in surprise. "— my man, what have we discussed about throwing hissy fits over whores?"

"Not in public." He gritted out with clenched teeth, slowly sitting back down.

"That's right! Now be a good boy and when we get back to the studio, I'll call up some more souls for you to have some fun with."

"But I really wanted to shoot someone right now." Valentino moaned impatiently as he leaned against the window to resume his scoping the streets for fresh talent.

As the limo made its way to the Vee Tower, Valentino watched the street signs pass as a blur. When they were close to their destination, the moth demon suddenly sat ramrod straight, eyes bulging.

"Stop the car!"

"Val— "

"I SAID STOP THE GODDAMN CAR, NOW!" Valentino roared as the car screeched to a halt and he got out.

Taylor followed the crush of monsters until the street they had been wandering on spat them onto some main square. There, they saw a white spire with a giant hourglass and a tall pink tower with a wall of TVs at its base. Wherever they walked, fights between monsters seemed to break out, sending them scurrying off in fear.

As they meandered slowly down the street, a car suddenly slammed on the brakes beside them and the door swung open.

"You there!" A very tall moth-like monster with a bright red robe and heart-shaped glasses snapped aggressively in their direction.

Taylor stood frozen like a deer in headlights as the moth monster made a beeline to them, the nerves in their body igniting in a potent mixture of fear, dread, and some other emotion they couldn't name, but that kept them rooted to the spot despite their brain screaming at them to run.

In a blink, the moth was in front of them, and his grin crinkled up wickedly.

"Move it, pipsqueak!" Valentino hissed down at them, kicking Taylor out of his way to move past them. As he introduced himself to a demoness that had caught his interest, Taylor was shaken from their stupor and turned tail and ran, weaving their way through the crowds to avoid being pulverized.

- x -

By the time the sky darkened to a shade of maroon, Taylor was on the verge of breaking down. Cold, exhausted, and starving, they were no closer to finding their way out of their predicament.

'Miss Charlie and Vaggie were right. This place is awful. I wanna go home.' They thought miserably as they hugged themselves tighter and trudged on. After taking some detours around some streets completely buried in rubble and debris, they found themselves in a place where the lampposts used firelight instead of electricity to illuminate the streets and the storefronts sold things that looked even more out-of-date than the cannibal area. The streets were pretty desolate now, with most probably in their homes for the night.

Passing by an alley, Taylor didn't notice a pair of blue glowing eyes and yellow teeth observing them with ill intent. They had almost made it to the corner when Taylor heard rushed footsteps behind them, and their hair stood on end. Fight or flight kicked in, but before they got far, a sharp pull on the back of their neck wrenched them back and they yelped, their hood falling to their shoulders. Whipping around, Taylor began to shake like a leaf when they craned their neck up.

Leering down at them was the biggest roach they'd ever seen, and they wished Niffty was with them now. Hungry glowing eyes roved over them and the roach's mouth seemed perpetually agape, resulting in a steady stream of radioactive-looking yellow drool to dribble from his maw.

"You lost, babygirl?" the roach asked, voice low and raspy like he'd smoked a whole chimney's worth of cigarettes. Taking a step back, Taylor shook their head.

"Seems pretty fucked up a sweet little thing like you ended up down here." The roach eyeing them up and down with a sharp grin, sending goosebumps prickling over their skin. "What'd you do, steal some candy from the store?"

Taylor's breathing quickened when the roach leaned in, his rancid breath making their nose scrunch up.

"How about you an' me go have some fun?

I got all sorts of games we can play. They all feel really nice too~"

Taylor's stomach twisted inside-out as their skin felt hot. Their heart beat like a war drum, making their blood buzz in their veins. Gulping dryly, they shook their head in refusal again and kept backing up.

"I need an adult."

The roach laughed, taking a step forward in response.

"But babygirl, can't you tell? I am an adult."

There was a rush of movement and Taylor was suddenly held aloft by their hoodie, feet dangling in the air.

"Let go!" They exclaimed before they lifted their arms wriggled out of the jacket. Landing on their feet, hot terror flooded through every cell in their body as they tried to make a run for it.

A hand wrapped around their ankle, knocked them off their feet, before it pulled them backwards on their stomach into the alley. Terrified screams tore from Taylor's throat as the roach chittered in excitement.

A startled cry erupted when the roach gripped their shoulder, flipping them over. Out of desperation, Taylor latched onto the arm and bit down hard until they tasted blood, earning an irate scream from the roach. Throwing them to the ground, Taylor's head knocked back with enough force that they saw stars and they went limp.

"Like to play rough, do ya?" The roach said, slightly breathless, "All right then, let's play rough."

'Miss Charlie, Vaggie, Angel… help.' Taylor whimpered, still in a daze.

On the wall above them, a small black and green fuzzy spider bore witness to the assault, four of its eight eyes gleaming green.

—

Zestial set down his cup of tea onto its saucer when he felt a mental tug from one of his spiders.

Unlike most in the Pride Ring who depended on VoxTek equipment for security, Zestial preferred the simpler method of his own powers. His spiders were far more inconspicuous and unlike mounted cameras, mobile, giving him greater access to more places with ease.

This specific spider had crafted its web on a wooden pub sign that hung from an establishment of one of the many souls he owned. Using four of the spider's eyes, he watched as a large disheveled insect demon menace a much smaller Sinner. The locks of hair reminiscent of open flames gripped him.

"Draw closer." Zestial ordered.

The spider wasted no time, skittering along the wall until he could get a better look. The situation only proved to intrigue the Spider Overlord more as high-pitched screams of terror rang out in the alley. This smaller Sinner resembled his fellow Overlord, Taylor, but could this perhaps be a younger relative that also fell? He thought back for a moment to their previous conversations and recalled that the fire demon was an only child, so that couldn't be the reason. But perhaps…

The struggle came to a swift end when the insect incapacitated his victim and began undoing his belt.

His questions would have to wait. He needed to stop this now.

"Who dares to snatch this scream from me?" Zestial's haunting voice growled. Rising from the shadows, he came to his full height, eyes narrowed on the pathetic creature in front of him.

The roach demon's eyes snapped up, startled at the powerful voice that echoed through the alley.

"W-What the fuck?"

Zestial slowly grew in size, his red irises appearing as his green eyes glowed bright. The roach demon scrambled back, trying to put as much distance between him and the growing Spider Overlord that stalked towards him. Zestial's devilish smile grew when the roach hit the back wall of the alley, trapping him in like a bug in his web. Leaning forward, he towered over the shivering roach.

"This one belongs to me. Thou shall regret the folly of thine actions!" Zestial informed, putting an effort to ensure his tone was more haunting than normal. He did so relish the terrified looks of those he played with.

"Listen, I didn't know! There's got to be something I can do? I'll give you anything!"

"Anything?"

"Name it, it's yours!"

Zestial chuckled darkly.

"Then I merely request thine soul." Raising his arms, hundreds of spiders spilled out from his cloak. The arachnids swarmed the roach demon, sinking their fangs into his skin. The demon opened his mouth to let out a horrified pained scream.

"Ah, I do revel in the sound of screams." Zestial mused in satisfaction as the spiders flooded the roach's mouth, muffling his shrieks. Soon enough, his pets would devour the wretch, soul and all. None would mourn him.

Turning around, the Overlord focused his attention back on the cause of his intervention. The small Sinner had started to come to, blinking their eyes slowly and groaning as pain no doubt washed through their head. With a gasp, he watched them sit up and stare at him with wide eyes, panic putting them on full alert.

"Be still, young one. I mean thee no harm."

"W-where is the o-other monster?" Taylor stammered. Zestial noted their golden eyes held no hint of recognition before shifting behind him to where the mass of spiders feasted.

"Thou needn't worry. I vow to thee: thine safety is assured." He held out an arm, shielding his arachnids from their eyes with his cloak.

"Mayhaps introductions art in order. I am the Overlord Zestial. Pray tell, what is thine name?" He greeted, giving a slight bow.

Taylor tilted their head, puzzling together the meaning of his words.

"My name? It's Taylor. You talk funny."

Zestial chuckled amusedly at the child's candor, his suspicions proven correct. He knew not how, but his fellow Overlord stood before him.

"A pleasure, verily."

"Mister Zestial, do you know how I can get home? I don't want to be outside anymore."

Zestial stared at the child for a moment, uncertainly filling his mind. Even when he was alive, he'd never had any interactions with small children, as his profession left little room for such things. A solution came to him, and he reached down to help Taylor to their feet.

"I hast an idea. If thou would'st permit, I knoweth ones who art better equipped to assist thee."

With that, the eldest and youngest Overlord left together, hand in hand.

- x -

Opening the door, ruby eyes met green as the tall figure stood in the doorway.

"Zestial?" Carmilla scanned her mind, trying to recall if she had scheduled a meeting with the Spider Overlord. "What brings you here?"

"Good evening, Carmilla." Zestial greeted as he glided into the foyer of the Carmine Mansion, Carmilla following at his side. "I beseech thine forgiveness if I hath arrived at an ill time, but I come bearing something, or rather one, of note."

Turning to face Carmilla, Zestial opened his coat, revealing Taylor held in one arm, lightly dozing against his chest. At the sudden noises, bleary golden eyes blinked awake with a yawn before meeting red ones with curiosity.

Carmilla stared at the child with an unreadable expression. Her red eyes shifted from the childlike form of her adopted family member to Zestial's own green.

"Alastor?" She guessed.

"'Twas my first suspect as well."

Before more could be said, another voice came from the top of the stairs.

"Hey mom, do you know where I can find— holy shit!" Clara stared in disbelief at the sight before her. "Odette, come check this out!" She shouted to her sister before rushing down the stairs.

"Good evening, Clara." Zestial nodded to the curly haired demoness. "How fare thee?"

"Sorry, Zestial, I got distracted. I'm well. But more importantly, what happened? Why is Taylor so tiny?"

"Who is tiny?" Odette came in. "Oh, hi Zestial… and Taylor?!"

"Delighted as always, Odette."

"This explains why Taylor's been ignoring our messages, Odette. Glad to see the rumors weren't true." Clara said, waving warmly at Taylor. The child smiled back at the eager demoness.

"Zestial," Carmilla spoke up, getting back on track. "How did you come by Taylor in this state?"

The Spider Overlord set Taylor on the ground, where Carmilla's daughters wasted no time to crouch down and welcome their adopted sibling.

"They had run afoul with another in my territory when my spiders alerted me of thine presence. It remains unclear as to what means their current form hast occurred."

Carmilla glanced down, zeroing in on Taylor's puffy eyes, their ripped clothes and bloodied knees. The many scrapes that peppered their body stirred up a sense of wrath and protectiveness only a mother felt.

"My friend, I implore thee, calm thyself. The culprit is no more." Zestial assured her, sensing the impending swarm of thoughts.

Taking a breath, Carmilla took comfort in knowing the one who committed crimes against her loved one paid with their life.

"Thank you, Zestial. I'm sorry you had to get involved."

"'Tis not of concern. I must take my leave now. Little Taylor, thou art in good hands." He gave a small bow toward all. "Pleasure as always, Carmilla, Clara, Odette. I bid thee adieu."

Taylor ran toward the Spider Overlord, wrapping their small arms around his legs

"Thank you, Mister Zestial! You're my hero!"

Zestial chuckled, patting their head lightly before he dissolved into the shadows.

- x -

Carmilla and her daughters cleaned Taylor up and made sure they were comfortable. The quartet stood around the dining table, Taylor ravenously digging into their first meal in what felt like forever as Clara snapped pictures of her diminutive sibling.

"Clara…" Carmilla warned.

"I know, I know. I won't post it anywhere. Get close and smile, Mom!"

Odette put a finger up for silence as someone on the other line picked up the phone.

"Hello, is this the Hazbin Hotel? … Excellent, this is Odette Carmine … Yes, that Carmine. Anyway, I'm calling because we found something of yours and thought you'd like to know … What? No, this isn't a ransom call!" Odette rolled her eyes, shifting the phone from one ear to the other. "Look, will you calm down? We're not holding Taylor prisoner or anything … I would pass it to them, but they're busy wolfing down their body weight in pasta right now … Yes, they're fine. A little banged up, but nothing serious … No need, we'll bring them back to you first thing in the morning … They'll be fine, you got nothing to worry about … Okay, bye now!" Odette sighed as she disconnected the call. "Your family sounds exhausting, Taylor."

It didn't go unnoticed by Carmilla that the little fire demon stopped their noshing to begin tugging on the hem of the oversized shirt serving as their pajamas, their eyes downcast. The ballerina Overlord rested a hand against their back.

"Cariño, are you alright?"

Taylor looked up at her, tears starting to form in their eyes. They rubbed their eyes, trying to wipe them away. "I just wanted to play outside. But I didn't listen. I—" their voice broke. "I said some awful things to Miss Charlie, but I didn't mean any of it! I just got really mad…"

Carmilla nodded sympathetically. "The Princess only wanted to protect you. Hell is a dangerous place."

"I know that not, but… do you think everyone hates me?" They shook as they tried to keep from crying, tears spilling despite their efforts. "What if they all decide to throw me away for being a bad kid? I don't want to be out there all alone again!"

"Of course they won't!" Carmilla's response was instantaneous. Gathering the child into her arms, she then sat them on her lap. Placing a finger under Taylor's chin, Carmilla gently lifted their head up so they could see the honesty in her next words. "There isn't anything that would make your family hate you. They all truly love and cherish you. Trust me."

Odette handed them a tissue and Taylor dried their eyes.

"What do I do, though? I don't want Miss Charlie to be sad anymore."

"Maybe start with a sorry, then tell her what you told us."

"Okay… I'll try." Taylor said, wiping their face again. They leaned over, wrapping their arms around Carmilla's neck as they rested their head on her chest. "I love you."

Carmilla froze as she processed what Taylor told her. She knew they cared for her, that much was obvious, but this was the first time the declaration was made.

Recovering from her shock, she returned the hug. "And I you."

"Plus, if things do go south, you can always come and live here with us!" Clara tacked on.

"Clara!" Odette scolded.

"What? We all were thinking it! It'll be like having a pet, a cute one at that!"

Taylor laughed a little, feeling a bit better.

"Thank you, Clara."

"No prob, Bob!" She said brightly with a silly wink.

Taylor stared at her, perplexed.

"… It's Taylor."

Clara and Odette shared a glance before breaking out in laughter. Taylor frowned, not understanding what was so funny, when Carmilla stood, settling the child on her hip.

"That's enough, mijas. Let's go to bed, it's late and you have an early morning delivery."

- x -

As promised, the Carmine sisters took Taylor back to the hotel, where the residents, Antonio, and Melanie were awake and anxiously awaiting their return. Barring Alastor, Taylor was swarmed upon their arrival into the lobby, with Charlie pulling them into a tight hug, tears of relief and worry freely flowing. Antonio and Melanie admonished them for being so reckless and making everyone worry, to which Taylor promised not to do it again. To their relief, Taylor was not thrown out onto the streets after they gave a whole-hearted and tear-streaked apology for hurting Charlie and running away, thereby forcing everyone to search the city for them.

After being forgiven, Charlie and Taylor sat on the couch, wrapped in an embrace as the two bawling their eyes out in shared joy. Odette and Clara then began to fill the others in on what Taylor had gotten up to while missing. Alastor's ears flicked back in disdain at the mention of Cannibal town's worst resident. Angel Dust felt physically ill at the thought of Valentino being so close to snatching up Taylor. For once, he was thankful for the moth demon's poor vision and one-track mind. The group's faces paled in shock and horror when Clara described Taylor's attack and subsequent rescue. Niffty drew her knife, ready to go out and kill the filthy bug that dared lay a hand on her friend, only to deflate upon hearing that the scummy demon wouldn't bother anyone ever again.

Giving Taylor a goodbye hug and slipping them a paper with their number with clear instructions to call if needed, the Carmine sisters left to begin their deliveries. Antonio and Melanie followed soon after, having to return to running a territory now that the pint-sized Overlord was safe and sound.

With that, most of the residents dispersed to get some sleep or otherwise attend to their daily tasks. Vaggie told Taylor to stay in the lobby for the day so someone could keep an eye on them. With a nod, the fire demon set to drawing some apology letters to distribute as Charlie settled herself on the couch to get some work done.

By lunchtime, Husk sensed something was up. Moving over to the parlor, he kneeled next to Taylor. They sat on the floor beside the table, face flushed red and breathing shallowly despite not doing anything strenuous.

"Kid, you doing okay there?"

"Mm-hmm." Taylor answered half-heartedly.

Unconvinced, Husk lightly pressed his hand to their forehead, recoiling and waving it around to cool instantly.

"Jeez, kid, why didn't you tell anyone you were feeling shitty?!"

"Miss Charlie says that's a bad word…" Taylor muttered; their eyes unfocused.

"Is something wrong, Husk?" Charlie asked, looking up from her work.

"Kid here is running a temp and no one fucking noticed! Niffty!" Husk shot back, picking Taylor up and setting them on the couch just as the cyclops demoness appeared. "Get some fluids for Taylor here, they've got a fever!"

With a salute, Niffty darted to the kitchen while Charlie settled Taylor's head on her lap.

"Oh no, you poor thing! It must have been from yesterday's stress!" Charlie cried, wearing a worried frown. "It's okay, we'll take care of you until you're all better." She soothed, making Taylor relax into their makeshift pillow.

For the rest of the day, Taylor slept on the couch, Charlie and Niffty working in tandem to dote on them as they rested. When night fell, Angel Dust volunteered to keep watch over them in his room. Even if they were not feeling the best, Taylor was happy to be home.

- x -

The following morning, Charlie awoke to the smell of darkened flour and melted butter. Assuming Alastor had prepared a special breakfast, she pulled Vaggie downstairs to grab some of the delicious-smelling food while it was still hot. From the other side of the door to the kitchen, she heard some familiar voices.

"I'm telling you sir; it was a freak accident. I don't know how we'd even recreate it."

"Aww, come on! I just want the chance to have a little do-over with Charlie's childhood, even temporarily! And what have I told you about calling me sir? What am I, your boss?

"Aren't you, though? You're a king; wouldn't that make you the boss of everyone down here?"

"Oh ho, touché! But seriously, go ahead and call me— Char-Char!"

Upon pushing the door open, Charlie spotted all the hotel residents standing around and listening to Lucifer, his eyes glittering and a huge smile splitting his face at the sight of her.

"Dad?!" Charlie questioned, surprised at the sudden visit. Then her eyes locked on the person beside him and she gasped.

Taylor, back in their adult form, smiled softly back before carefully placing their "Fuel for my Fire" mug on the counter, as if anticipating the next series of events.

"Hey Charl—"

Swept up into a bone-crushing embrace, Charlie squealing in delight as she stared at them with bright, sparkling eyes.

"Taylor! You're back! That fever must've been the last catalyst for the potion to wear off!"

"So it seems!" they grunted in her arms. "Didn't even realize I left until this morning."

Charlie released them and Taylor leaned back against the counter.

"It was quite the surprise. I thought I had cashed in my freebie with Angel without remembering."

"You act like it'd be a bad thing, Fuoco!" Angel said, sounding mildly insulted. "I finally got you in bed and first thing you do is run out on me, leaving me alone like a jilted lover!" He waggled his eyebrows at them. "Ya could have at least given me a bit of eye-candy and let me see you streaking around the place."

"For the last time, I never streaked my way through the halls. I went across the way to my room and I wrapped myself in a blanket. No nudity to be seen." Taylor deadpanned.

"Wait. You don't remember your time as a kid?" Charlie inquired.

Taylor scratched the side of their head, eyes crinkling in slight embarrassment.

"… Sort of? Honestly, it kinda feels like it was all a dream. I've been getting flashes of recollection every so often, so in time I should be able to piece it all together." They sighed, cringing a bit. "Please don't tell me I was as much of a little shit as I think I was?"

"No—" Charlie and Sir Pentious began.

"Yes." The other hotel residents said at once.

Taylor dipped their head, laughing lightly at the frankness.

"Sorry 'bout that. Truly." They collected themselves and cleared their throat, gesturing toward the King of Hell. "Anyway, your dad has graced us with a visit because he has some news! Don't you, sir?" They said with a slight nudge toward the spaced out fallen angel.

Pulled from admiring the sense of camaraderie his daughter had built among the Sinners sitting in the room, Lucifer was quick to recover.

"What now? Oh, right! The news! I finally got my stodgy former brethren to agree to schedule your day in court! I know you'll knock them dead, sweetie!" Lucifer said joyfully.

There were whistles and cheers all around in celebration as Vaggie reached out and squeezed Charlie's hand, proud of her but still uncertain.

"Yeeesss!" Charlie cried, flames of determination burning bright in her eyes. "Let's go prove to Heaven that redemption is possible, everyone!"