(Prince's point of view)

I stood at a crossroads. Four gates were around me. I recognized the one to Earth, but only in the deepest parts of my memory. I didn't know how I recognized it. Everything was white. There were two shot glasses full of different liquids. One was gold liquid in a plain shot glass with gold rim. The other was red liquid in a shot glass with a black flame shaped like a skull emblazoned on the side. I guessed that the gold was to turn me into an angel and that the red was for demon. I wasn't anticipating a choice in the matter.

"Welcome to the Great In-Between." A voice greeted me. A figure that looked like Stitches appeared, but it wasn't Stitches. The eyes were wrong, gold instead of blue and brown. The figure looked amused. "I am Choice. I took the form of the most important person in your life to help you feel like I'm not a bad thing."

"I know being able to choose is a good thing sometimes. But why do I have a choice. What even is my choice here?"

"You are to choose your fate."

"My fate?"

"Your afterlife."

"Oh. Okay."

"I suggest heading on to Heaven. You've done almost no wrong except a little thievery and rioting." Choice told me.

"But I wouldn't be with my husband anymore, would I? He hasn't died yet and he's a Hellborn Demon." I told Choice.

"I know what he is. The answer is I don't know, to your question about if you would be with your husband if you go to Heaven." Choice sighed. "The only guarantee of being with your husband forever is to become a demon."

"Then a demon I shall be." I declared. Choice sighed, shook its head, and gave me the shot glass with the red liquid in it. I took it and downed it quickly.

Instantly, heat spread through my body. It hurt. I felt like I was burning. I stood there and took it, showing no emotion.

"That would be your door." Choice indicated a black gate with red stones in it. I flung open the gate and stepped through. I made my way down, absently. I became aware that there were long blue claws on my hands and feet. I looked closely at my dark skin, spotting little sky-blue scales on my skin.

"Huh. The universe has a sense of humor." I muttered, absently going to tug on one of my dreads like I normally do as a fidget. My hand felt scales under it and my dread twitched. "Aw fuck." I said, becoming aware that I was now basically Medusa. Snakes. Snakes all over my scalp. They are much thicker than my dreads were. I just hope I don't turn living things into stone by looking at them. The snake that was right on my widows peak slithered down the side of my face and paused, staring into my soul. I stifled laughter as the little forked tongue flicked out of its mouth.

"Maybe this won't be too bad." I told myself before addressing the snake that was out of place with a small smile on my face. "Hey, please get back in place. I can't see through you." The little snake moved and I continued into Hell. I recognized a few things and managed to find my way to the Happy Hotel.

"Hi, uh..." I greeted Mercy, who was sitting in the lobby with Bones and a pair of identical blondes.

"Prince! I thought you died!" Mercy said, shooting to her feet and hugging me.

"I did die. Notice the snakes." I pointed out, hugging her back. I felt her lift a snake by its little chin and examine it.

"Interesting." Mercy said, adjusting her round glasses. She held me at arms length, taking in my full appearance. "Your clothes are ripped up so badly, holy shit." Mercy muttered.

"I noticed. I might also be cold-blooded, being a reptile." I said. Mercy stifled laughter.

"Stitches is gonna have a fun time trying to keep you warm." Mercy muttered. "He's also going to be excited to see you back, but he's also going to be pissed."

"No, he's not." I assured her. "He might fake it, but he's not going to be pissed."

"Betcha ten bucks he's gonna be pissed for real."

"It's on." I chuckled.

-----

Mercy dropped me off in front of the shop and I knocked on the back door. Instantly, I heard Chachi start barking inside. I guessed that Stitches was letting our blind dog run rampant.

"Chachi, shhhh. Stop barking. I need t-" Stitches interrupted himself with a gasp as his eyes took the sight of me in. "Prince?"

"Stitches?" I asked back, teasing.

"Prince!" Stitches lunged at me, hugging me tightly and covering my face in kisses. "Starry knight! Baby boy. Sunshine. I missed you."

"I missed you too! Sorry I took so long to come back." I apologized.

"You were gone for a whole week, but it felt like forever!" Stitches mumbled into my shoulder as he wrapped his long legs around my hips. My snakes started to flick their tongues at Stitches's exposed skin, like they were kissing him in the only way they could without lips. I shooed them off Stitches, mildly annoyed.

"You're a gorgon." Stitches said, trying to take it in.

"Yep. I have a forked tongue now too, but it's not much longer than before. And I have a bunch of scales all over my body." I told Stitches, wandering inside and closing the door.

"I'm going to have you model for me soon." Stitches told me.

"For what?" I asked.

"Pictures, at least one new sculpture, a new DnD figure of you, a painting. You know, most of my preferred mediums." Stitches shrugged.

"Nude?"

"Yes. Well, for some of them. A few nude pictures, a nude painting, you don't really need to take clothes off for the sculpture. It's just a bust. Y'know, your head and maybe shoulders." Stitches rambled, climbing off of me and walking to the private kitchen we have above the shop. He opened a cupboard and took out a bag labeled Courtney Jerky in calligraphy, probably Alastor's calligraphy. "Remember Bones's girl Courtney?"

"Yeah, she was a bitch to your sister and the fam."

"Bones broke up with her toxic ass and Dad hunted her to turn her into jerky and donate all of her organs to a hospital." Stitches said, offering me a piece of jerky. "Try. She was mean, but at least the meat tastes good."

I shrugged. Why not try eating the flesh of another demon when I'm already supposed to be in Hell? I accepted the jerky and bit down on it. Chachi somehow managed to make his little blind self go up the stairs without falling and he ran into the room, skidding across the floor.

I absently fed my snake hair little bits of jerky as Chachi regained his bearings.

"So...are you mad at me?"

"Why the hell would I be mad at you? You did nothing wrong." Stitches assured me. "But, I am curious: why didn't you take your chance to see your parents again by going to Heaven instead?"

"I was given a choice. I barely remember my parents and I consider Quincy and Warren to be my awkward found parents. Plus, you are literally the most important person in my life." I explained.

"Prince. That's so sweet." Stitches said, hugging me again. I hugged back, happy to smell his scent of vanilla lotion and coffee.

-----

Bonus:

"Pay up." I said, holding my hand out.

"Aw...c'mon. He wasn't mad?" Mercy asked.

"Not in the slightest. He did, however, make me model for him." I chuckled as Mercy grumbled and put a ten in my open hand.