Emily and Velvette remained standing at the door, staring at each other as the wind blew from outside of the hotel.

'Is this...really Velvette?' Emily thought, shocked beyond believe at the sinner standing before her.

It had been five long years since that day at the Vee's Tower and almost as long since Emily saw Velvette forcefully cater Charlie and Vaggie's wedding.

The doll sinner looked... like shit, like really... she still had no hands, her hair was overgrown and tangled, no longer in any trendy hairstyle, her eyes had bags under them, she was incredibly thin, and her clothes were dirty and torn... overall, this did NOT look like an overlord should look.

"You look-"

"Yeah, I know, I look fucking hideous." Velvette said, uncaring of the self-insult. "That's what happens when all your power comes from your hands. Vox may be half blind, and Valentino may no longer be able to jack himself off, but at least they still have some power. Without my hands, I can't do anything."

"Oh come on, that's not....really true, is it?" Emily said, a bit nervous and awkward right now. "Maybe you could....learn to type with your feet?"

"Tried it...didn't work out." Velvette said, lifting up where her hands used to be. "And it's not just social media I can do anymore. Without my hands, I can't use my fashion powers; don't even know if I still have them anymore."

"O... kay... Uh... come on in." Emily said, moving aside for Velvette.

Velvette smiled a tiny, like VERY tiny bit, as she walked into the hotel past Emily.

"So, you've hit rock bottom and want to try and climb out of the shallow grave?" Emily asked, shutting the front door.

"Is it that obvious? Plus...hitting rock bottom helps you see some things you blinded yourself to." Velvette said, gazing at the ground.

"Well, I would believe that IF you didn't kidnap me and nearly kill my sister." Emily said, walking next to Velvette. "If you're gonna stay here, you have to prove to me that you actually want to change."

"I do. And I never fully agreed to that plan, that was mostly Vox and Val. They always did like the more AGGRESSIVE route than subtle." Velvette said as they made it to the den/main lobby.

"Yeah, I can assume as much." Emily said, scratching her head a bit.

'Now I feel guilty about cutting off her hands.' She thought.

"Why don't you have a seat and I'll get you something to eat?" Emily asked, gesturing to the couch by the fire place. "... After I find my niece."

"Your what?" Velvette asked in surprise.

"My niece? Charlie's and Vaggie's daughter? The SECOND hellborn of a fallen angel and demon in Hell? The new princess of the Pride Ring? Ringing any bells?" Emily asked with a cocked eyebrow. "Do...do you not watch the news? She's literally been the talk of hell for five years."

"Not a big news person." Velvette said before holding her numbs up. "Plus, social media has been out of my reach for some time now."

"Yeah, I can only imagine." Emily said, turning away to find Lucy.

'Yeesh, now I'm really feeling guilty about cutting off her hands. Velvette seems like she can't fully without a phone.' Emily thought.

Her guilt went away when she remembers that she did kidnap and nearly kill her sister. And even if she did feel bad for how Velvette is now, the former overlord only had herself to blame because she didn't use her power for others instead of just for herself.

"Alastor, can you come here?" Emily called out.

Alastor appeared and smiled at Emily.

"What may I do for you, my dear?" Alastor asked.

"Watch her, I have to find Lucy." Emily said, jabbing a thumb at Velvette, "And try not to kill her, she's the first person in five years that actually wants to give redemption a shot."

"Hmm... very well, I supposed I won't dismember her." Alastor said.

"Thanks!" Emily said as she walked away.

"Not much left to dismember, anyway." Velvette said blankly, gesturing to her malnourished body and lack of hands. "So go nuts."

"Hmmmm, tempting but still no. I like a meal with some meat on their bones." Alastor said as he walked over to the fireplace and sat in a chair.

'Ugh, this is not how I saw my day going.' Emily thought, going to look for her niece.

It was supposed to be just spending the day with Lucy, playing games or watching tv or making more baked goods together.

But now with Velvette, a possibly homeless and former overlord, wanting to give redemption a try; Emily has to change all of her plans for today. But first she has to find the young princess.

"Now, which one of her usual hiding spots could she be in?" Emily asked as she looked around. "Maybe the kitchen?"

Emily went to the kitchen and opened the door, looking around and only finding Razzle and Dazzle eating the chocolate snickerdoodles with rainbow sprinkles and powdered sugar.

"Nope, not here." Emily said before turning to leave but paused to look back at the goat demons. "Don't eat all of those cookies, Lucy and I made those."

Hearing Lucy's name, the goats stopped eating the cookies and stood up with salutes. The last thing they EVER wanted was to make Lucy upset.

"Good." Emily said before leaving the kitchen as continuing her search. "Maybe in the foyer?"

She ran to the foyer and looked around.

"No." Emily said before searching somewhere else.

Emily went all over the hotel, before she heard giggling and saw a tail sticking out from behind a curtain.

'Bingo.' Emily thought as she smiled.

"Well, I guess she's not here." Emily said, walking away before shapeshifting into a snake. "I guess I'll check somewhere else."

She quickly wrapped herself around a plant next to the curtain and waited.

A few seconds later, Lucy poked her head out with a victorious smile before Emily returned to normal.

"Got ya!" Emily said, picking up Lucy.

"Hey! You cheated, auntie!" Lucy said before giggling as Emily tickled her stomach a bit.

"Nuh uh! There were no rules against shapeshifting, Lucy." Emily said with a smile. "Now, I have some work to do, someone wants to be redeemed. So why don't we go see them?"

"Okay!" Lucy said as Emily stopped tickling her.

Emily carried Lucy down the stairs and back to the den, where Velvette was sitting on a couch as Alastor reads from a newspaper. Being set down so Emily could head back to the bar for her things, Lucy stared at Velvette and asked the question all five year olds would ask.

"Why don't you have hands?" She asked.

Alastor tried not to chuckle as he flapped his newspaper a bit, using his shadow to watch as Velvette turned her to face Lucy.

"So, you're the little tyke that is going to be queen one day?" Velvette asked, dodging the question.

"Nuh uh! Mommy and mamí are the queens and they're the best ever!" Lucy said with a smile. "I'm already a princess and I'm gonna be the best princess I can be!"

'Dear god, she's worse than her mum.' Velvette thought with a blank lip.

"Lucy, please go play with uncle Husk and uncle Angel." Emily said, holding a clipboard. "I think I need to speak with Velvette. Alone."

"Okay!" Lucy said, as Alastor led her away.

"... So why are you REALLY here?" Emily asked, "Why would an overlord want to redeem themselves?"

"Why do you fucking think?" Velvette asked, holding up her arms, "I can't do ANYTHING with these. I can't eat, I can't open doors, I can't use my power! I can't live for eternity like THIS!...I am not looking like a holocaust survivor because I think it's trendy, I am looking like this because I can't do anything without my hands!"

"And what about Valentino and Vox? Can't they help you?" Emily asked, glaring at Velvette.

"No...because they threw me out." Velvette said, looking down in genuine sadness. "I thought they were my friends but it seems like I was just a business associate in the end and they cut me out. So I'm here because this is my last possible shot at anything."

Emily didn't change her look, but she did write something on her clipboard.

"Then welcome, to the Hazbin Hotel." Emily said, "Let's see if we can change you before the next extermination."

"Good luck with that, there's only three months until then." Velvette muttered as Emily helped her from the couch.

Downtown, at the Heaven Embassy, the number of the clock were changing as they did for the yearly Extermination...but stopped halfway from 89 to 88.