Loona really did appreciate Octavia's help in all this, truly, but she still felt embarrassed to have cried like that. She hadn't sobbed that hard since--Loona shook her head. No, she wasn't going to think of those fucking scumbags now. She didn't need to add more depressing thoughts to an already painful day. Being unable to sleep, Loona made her way around the halls, trying to find the kitchen in this big palace or at least a place where they keep the liquor.

Eventually, she stumbled upon the kitchen (which had to be as big as their entire company floor) and made her way to the huge-ass fridge filled with various meats, fruits, chickens, fishes, and lots of birdseed, but no wine or beer. Grumbling, Loona took a soda and opened it before chugging the thing down with vigor.

"Thirsty?"

Loona nearly spat out her drink before turning around to see Prince Stolas, in a red bedroom robe with crowns and pentagrams on it, leaning on the counter. A small smirk decorated his beak before he made his way to a cabinet where he took out a box of tea leaves. "I happen to find myself needing a drink as well. Though I doubt soda will help you get to sleep faster."

"I was looking for beer," Loona answered before burping. "Got any?"

"No, I'm not into that kind of stuff. There is a wine cellar, but from what Blitzo tells me, you'd wipe it out in five hours," Stolas said.

"Please, I can do it in three," Loona bragged before taking another gulp of her caffeine. She then looked at the soda in her hands for a bit before turning to Stolas. "Hey? Um, Stolas? Thanks for helping."

"Of course, Loona," Stolas answered as he began to stir the tea in his hands with a magical teaspoon working on its own. "Blitzy is very important to me. He's kind of like family. That means you're family as well. Along with Moxxie and Millie."

"Yeah," Loona muttered, leaning against the fridge. "Dad's always going on about how the company is a family. I never saw it that way until...well..."

"Recently?" Stolas asked, motioning to a nearby chair and table set that the two soon sat at.

"Millie's been really supportive in all this," Loona admitted, even if it was hard to do so. She had her pride, and the fact that she had been comforted at all was just embarrassing. Yet, a part of her found herself not caring. "And Moxxie? He's actually got balls after all. I'm surprised he's kept his cool under all this while I'm just unsure what to do! Besides, kill the fuckers who did this."

"Perhaps that's why Blitzo hired them?" Stolas suggested as he took a sip. "He saw something in them that made them reliable not only as employees but friends as well."

"I always thought it was because there was nobody better," Loona admitted, tapping her claws on the table. "But...maybe I was wrong about them. I just thought it would be Dad and me, but with you, them, and Octavia? It feels like we're..."

"We're your pack?" Stolas asked, using familiar hellhound terminology. It turned out to be the wrong thing to say as Loona froze up for a few seconds before unleashed a fierce growl.

She glared at Stolas, who looked surprised upon seeing this. In the back of her mind, Loona knew that she shouldn't be acting like this to a prince, but she couldn't help it! She hated that motherfucking word!

"Never. Use. That. Word. " Loona snarled as she tossed her soda can away. "Never use that! I hate that word! It's all bullshit!"

There was a long silence between the two as Loona tried to calm down, and Stolas just sat there in stunned silence. Covering her face with her arms, Loona pushed her anger down before muttering an apology. "Sorry, I just...please don't use that word. Use family. Or anything else. Just not that."

"Okay," Stolas agreed before taking a long sip. "Does this have to do with your...origins?" Loona went silent again. "I've asked Blitzo before, but he always told me he never wanted to tell your story without your permission. I know you told Octavia, and I'm glad you two have a good friendship. You don't have to tell me, but I must admit I am curious."

Closing her eyes, Loona debated heavily about what to tell the owl demon. It wasn't that she didn't trust him. If anything, Loona owed him for all of this effort to help find her father. It just was such a painful memory. One that had yet to be fully healed even years later. Still, what the fuck did she have to lose?

"Get me some of that high-class rich wine you privilege cunts always have, and I'll tell you," Loona said while leaning back against the chair. A second later, a very fancy wine bottle in silver lacing appeared in a poof of smoke. She turned her gaze to a smirking Stolas.

"Fucking bullshit magic." She chuckled before taking the wine and popping the cork out with one of her nails. She decided to skip the glass and just drink from the bottle, feeling that warm honey tasting liquor down her throat.

"Goddamn," she gasped, pulling it away from her mouth. "You fancy-ass demons really know how to make a good drink."

"Wine is more of my wife's taste. I prefer vodka and gin," Stolas said, summoning up his own glass and a second bottle. Loona raised an eyebrow as he began to pour himself a drink. "What? I can't get drunk at night as well? Although I usually like getting drunk with a certain red partner in my bed."

"How about I tell the story before you start going off about my Dad's dick?" Loona smirked before taking another swing. Sighing, she continued, "So, did Dad ever tell you where he found me?"

"I believe he found you shortly after killing a target," Stolas answered after a small sip. "This was before I.M.P? When Blitzo was a regular assassin against demons, yes?"

"Yeah, I was found in Hangman's Forest," Loon answered, shaking her head. The place lived up to its name as a lot of suiciders ended up hanging there by the neck for days when they first came into Hell before finding some way to get loose. "I have no real memory of it, but Dad found me starving and howling in the woods. According to a doctor, I had barely survived and would have perished if he didn't find me in time. I always wondered why Dad did it, but he just said he couldn't leave me there and took me in as his daughter."

Usually, Blitzo liked to make fun of or pull pranks on the homeless and starving in Imp City, but for some reason, he saved Loona. Even after all these years, she didn't know why Blitzo saved her and made it one of the questions to finally ask him when they got him back.

"He raised me on his own for sixteen years. I won't say I was a perfect child. I got suspended from school more often than I could count. I didn't get fully expelled because Dad always had blackmail on that dick of a principle. Seriously, whose bright idea was it to put a formerly convicted pedophile on earth in charge of a kids' school? Even if it is for the children of the damned? And before you ask, no, he never did anything to the kids. Hell decided to take his libido away as punishment for his crimes."

Loona took a few more gulps before continuing to the hard stuff. "I always knew Blitzo wasn't my real dad. I wasn't stupid. Fuck, I was better at doing my homework than he was. How he managed to pass school as a kid, I'll never know," Loona chuckled, remembering the times when her father struggled to understand long division before throwing the calculator away. "But he always took care of me. He loved me. Always sticking up for me whenever I get in trouble." And encouraging her to never get caught. "Spending no expenses paid for my birthdays." Except for that one time they went to see a horse ranch. She found them too delicious to not eat one, and it was one of the few times she actually got grounded. Never get between her father and his weird obsession with horses. "He even stood by my bedside whenever I got sick." Except for her full moon days. She might have let loose a bit too much if the police reports were any indication. "I couldn't have asked for a better caretaker."

"But I assume you were curious about your real family?" Stolas asked.

"Yeah," Loona whispered while closing her eyes. "Dad never stopped looking for them ever since I asked when I was eight. Then one day...he found them..."

***3 Years Ago***

Loona had never been more excited and nervous in her entire life. Not since Middle School Prom when she went out with Duke Devil (and then dumped him when he found out he was into cats) or saw her favorite metal band: Vectalica!

Because after eight years of wondering who her real family was, her adopted father had finally found the pack she was supposed to belong to. All hellhounds were different based on the pack they were from, and her pack, the Silverfangs, were nomads who usually traveled around the nine hells and never stayed in one place for too long. But finally, they were going to be at a hellhound reserve where she hoped she would find her real mother and father. Maybe even siblings if she was lucky.

Adding the final brushes to her tail, Loona got up and took one more look at her outfit: Ripped blue jeans with a hole for her tail, Vectalica shirt with no sleeves, spiked dog collar, black leather ass-kicking boots, and fingerless gloves with spikes on the knuckles. Approving her clothing design, Loona finished combing her long silver hair and walked out of her room. She made towards the kitchen where Blitzo, wearing his heart covered apron, was flipping the last stack of pancakes on a plate.

"Morning, sweetie! Breakfast is ready!" Blitzo greeted before sliding to the table. He placed the plate on the center of the table before it cracked, and its legs slid off, resulting in it falling to the floor. "Oh, Goddamnit! I thought that super glue would last longer! Stupid cheap ass hardware store!"

He knelt down and picked up one of the pancakes before wiping it with his coat. Handing it over to Loona, who leaned back, he asked, "Well, five-minute rule and all that jazz. Want some, Loony?"

"Uh, it's five seconds, Dad. I think I'll just get breakfast on the go," Loona answered with an amused smirk before getting up and getting her car keys. "Besides, I don't think I can wait any longer."

"You sure you don't want me to come with you? I mean, so long as there isn't any butt-sniffing as some kind of weird-ass cultural dog greeting, that is," Blitzo said, shivering. "Seriously, I'm hot and all, but a guy's ass isn't supposed to be sniffed at unless they're having sex with eproctophilia as the foreplay. And that kinky shit isn't as great as they make it out to be!"

"How do you know that?" Loona asked, eyebrows raised.

"I'll tell you when you're older," Blitzo muttered, crossing his arms. "Needless to say, never accept a skunk demon whore's discount. Not worth it."

"Right," Loona said, rolling her eyes. "I'll be fine on my own. Besides, you need to take out that rival pimp Valentino hired you to do. Because I want to have hot water in my shower again."

"Ugh," Blitzo grumbled as he crossed his arms. "I swear to all the circles of Hell this is the last time I do a job for that fucking piece of shit. You know the cock sucking bitch tried to offer some handjob by that spider tranny of his as payment instead fucking cash? When I rejected it, he smacked the kid in the face and kicked him for not being sexy enough to 'woo' me. I swear if I didn't need the money, I would have ripped his face off and shoved it up to his ass."

Taking a few deep breaths, Blitzo walked over to his adopted daughter and held her paw. "You sure you want to do this alone? I mean, I know this is a big deal and all...finally meeting your real family...forgetting about little old me."

Loona smiled before she put her paw on Blitzo's cheek. "Dad, you'll always be my dad. I'm not going to run off into the woods or something. I'm just finally going to meet the pack I came from."

She had a lot of questions too. Like who were her parents? Why did she get separated? Where have they been these sixteen years? She didn't know if all her answers would be good or not, but Loona still wanted to hear them.

Wiping a tear from his eyes, Blitzo hugged Loona before rushing over to the ruined table and started eating the dirty pancakes. "Well, you have fun, dear! Tell me if we're planning dinner or something with you're real folks! I gotta eat these pancakes in two more minutes, or else they're ruined according to the rule!"

"It's five seco-you know what? Never mind," Loona chuckled before she closed the door behind her.

***Seven Hours Later***

Loona kicked the door open so hard that it came off its hinges. Blitzo, who she didn't see at first, nearly jumped off the sofa and pulled out a shotgun before sighing in relief. "Oh, Loony. It's you so how-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Blitzo's eyes widened as Loona glared at him with rage and bloodlust in her eyes. Her outfit was ruined by evidence of slash marks, paws, and blood. Some of it hers and some of it others. Other hellhounds, she had to fight just to get them to get the fuck off of her. Loona knew she killed a few of them before she made for her car, and the teenage hellhound was glad she always had a pistol or two per Blitzo's paranoia. But right now, instead of thanking him, she just wanted him to go away.

She wanted everyone to go away!

"Loona wha-" Blitzo didn't even get a chance to finish as a screaming Loona made for the TV and smashed it with her fists before throwing out the window. "Hey! I had to steal that from a target! You know what-"

"SHUT UP, BLITZO!" Loona shouted, staring into her father's confused and hurt eyes. She never once called him by his real name. Just Dad. Daddy. Or Father.

Never just Blitzo.

And Loona didn't care.

She continued to howl and scream while trashing everything around her. The chairs were thrown across the wall. The table was smashed (again) in half. The dishes shattered and the walls covered in scratch marks. She kept imagining that everything in her path was the faces of those of her so-called pack. Her so-called family. The family that tried to fucking murder her!

"Loona! As your father I demand-"

"YOU'RE NOT MY DAD!"

If Loona had been calm, rational, or even sane of mind, she would have noticed what she said. She didn't care that the big red idiot in front of her was scared. Nor did she care for the tears that were appearing in his eyes. The look he gave was one of shock and heartbreak, but Loona gave not a single shit.

She didn't care about anything anymore.

Because nobody cared about her.

And that was the fucking truth.

"Just leave me alone! Just leave me the. .. fuck ...alone..." Loona muttered. No, she couldn't cry now. Not yet. Not in front of him. She made for her door and slammed it shut before unleashing a final cry. "FFFFUUUUUCCCCCCKKKKK!"

She pounded her bed. Ripped her sheets. Smashed her childhood memories and pictures. All of it was nothing compared to the rage inside of her. The pain she was feeling. Her heart demands blood and suffering from everything around her. She wished she smacked that bitch of a whore that gave birth to her when she told her to fuck off and die. Or wrap her jaws around her sperm doner who said she should have just died all those years ago like the weakling she was born as. And she would give her entire tail just to have killed more of those bastards and bitches when they tried to kill her for daring to assault their precious alpha couple.

When she finally could take no more, she fell to her bed and wailed. Words from those she wanted to know for ages whispered in her ears. Those who she wished she never met ever in her life.

"Worthless."

"Weak."

"Pathetic."

"Useless."

"Nothing."

Her family. Her pack. They didn't lose her.

They abandoned her because she had the unfortunate luck of being born the runt of a litter.

And they didn't care at all.

***

Loona didn't know how long she slept, but she imagined it was afternoon by now. Despite everything she did yesterday, the hellhound still felt a deep dark pain in her heart—the utter rejection from those who didn't once feel any joy that she survived. Instead, they were ashamed and felt dishonor for her not dying because her existence was an insult to them. It was hard to know that your family utterly wanted nothing to do with you, but it was another to learn they would have preferred if you had died in the first place.

She touched her wet cheeks and realized she was still crying. She shouldn't be crying. She shouldn't be acting so weak like a... like a runt! Loona hadn't been expecting hugs and kisses at first, but this...this was too much. How could they do this to her? Was this normal among hellhound packs outside of the big cities, or were they the exception? No, they were not her pack. She had no pack. No family. Nobody.

Nobody except...

"Loona?"

Gasping, Loona slowly turned to see Blitz opening the door. His eyes were both fearful of her and yet concerned at the same time. Memories of what had happened and what she said quickly entered her mind as she looked away in shame. "Go away."

"...No," Blitzo said firmly. He walked in, his face stern and stoic. "Not until you tell me what's wrong."

"Why do you care?" Loona grumbled before snarling at her. "I'm just a pet to you, aren't I?"

"Who said that?" Blitzo asked, narrowing his eyes.

They said that. They told Loona that being raised by an imp of all things made her even weaker. One of the mighty hellhound races was raised by the lowest and most pathetic beings in hell. It made them laugh and spit at her with disgust.

"Well, it's true, isn't it!" Loona shouted as she stood up. She looked down at him, showing her teeth as he just stared at her without fear. "I'm just a weak and little doggie to be petted and babied like some toy ! You don't love me! Nobody loves me! So why don't you just get out so I can pack up some clothes and le-

SMACK!

Loona just stood there. Her cheek stinging as she slowly touched the area where Blitzo slapped her. He never slapped her before. Spanked her a few times when she was little but never slapped. Loona felt all her anger suddenly just wash away from that one single hit, but Blitzo wasn't done. He grabbed her by the shoulders and glared at her while a tiny whimper escaped her throat.

"Loona. I'm going to say this just once to you. So you better fucking listen well," Blitzo said, softly and yet with such anger in that low tone that it drove a chill down her spine. "Every day, hour, and a minute since we first met all those years ago, I have always thought of you as my daughter. Not once have I ever seen you as some kind of pet or animal or beast. I've always seen you as my pride and my joy. I have spent these sixteen years working my ass off to make sure you were fed, educated, and safe. I threatened, blackmailed, and paid off those teachers and principles just to make sure you weren't kicked out. I didn't take those life-risking jobs, some that would give you nightmares, just so I could fill my wallet. I did it so I could give whatever I could to you! I didn't fucking pray to God, something no demon EVER DOES, when you were sick with Kennel Cough when you were nine years old because I was bored! I did all of that because I FUCKING LOVE YOU!"

He slowly removed his hands from her shoulders and then wrapped them around her. Pressing his head against his chest, Loona stood there with utter shock before he whispered to her. "I lost my family when I was your age years ago. I lost everything until I met you. You are all I have left in this world. Whoever the fuck told you these things, or whatever part of you is trying to convince you such thoughts, can kindly get fucked so hard they bleed out of every pour. You're my daughter, Loony. And I promise you from here until Judgement Day... I promise I will never abandon you ."

"D-D-Da-Dadddaaaaaahhhh!" Loona wailed as she fell to the floor in tears. She hugged him so tight that she never wanted to let go. "I'm...I'm so-so...so-"

"Shh," Blitzo said, rubbing her back. "It's okay. It's okay."

The two just sat there, together in the ruins of a ruined room. Yet, all that mattered was the love they were sharing between them.

A love only a real family could have.

***Present***

Loona finished the last of her wine and shook her head. "I won't lie and say I became more of a bitch after that day. I don't think anyone can blame me. After all, who recovers easily upon learning that your real family let you die off in the woods alone as a baby because they deemed you weak?"

"...I'm sorry you had to go through that," Stolas apologized as he looked at his glass with sorrow. "To be rejected like that? To learn such a horrible truth...if I knew that such practices among hellhounds existed, I would have put an end to it."

"It's not common, at least not anymore," Loona muttered, her speech a bit slurred. That fancy stuff really was strong after all. "But some fucking dipshits still practice it. Well, fuck them. I didn't die. I'm still living. And I have one of the best assassins in Hell as a father." She then stared at the ceiling with a sorrowful look in her eyes. "Blitzo's done so much for me...I'm alive because of him...I don't care what it takes; I'm going to save him. I'm going to save my father ."

Stolas slowly got up and put his talons on Loona's shoulder. The two looked at each other, both with understanding and determination. "We're all are going to save your father."

With a small whimper, Loona rested her head against his talons as the two silently comforted each other in the dead of night.