Author's note: Here we go. Story two. The first two chapters are without the main Lucifer characters. I apologize. I wanted to focus more on some of Persephone's background and the other side of the family. Grandpa Lucifer will be making an appearance shortly, don't worry.

"Can I go with you?" I said to my husband. He was getting ready for work. I longed to go with him. My doctor had put me on bed rest. I was getting cabin fever. I was getting restless. Three days overdue I was ready to get the baby out of me. I wanted to hold him.

Bryan sat on the bed and kissed me. "You know you have to stay."

I sighed. "I know."

He looked at his watch. "I have to get going. I love you."

I nodded. He left the room. I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. My mother's face flashed across the screen. Three months ago I had gone to Los Angeles to see my father. I was charged by my uncle to try and get him back to Hell. I didn't succeed at that. But I did succeed at learning the truth about my mother's death.

My mother was a famous actress named Joanie Lynn Collins. She had died when I was six. For years it was believed to be a drug overdose. But I discovered a cover up. Her former manager had murdered her. Days after he was arrested he hung himself. The coward couldn't even face the consequences.

"Knock-knock." My mother-in-law, Sally was standing there. She had a tray of food. "Are you hungry?" I nodded. The food smelled good. She walked over and set the tray down next to me. "How are you feeling this morning?"

I was already digging into pancakes. Oh they tasted good. It was nice having home cooked food. I patted the bed, inviting Sally to sit down. She sat down. "So, how are the pancakes?" She said with a smile.

"Excellent as always, Mom." My mother-in-law was staying with us. She felt she needed to help out while I awaited the birth of the baby. We got along for the most part. Though she had moments where she could be bossy or sanctimonious. She liked pushing her religion on me. I just took it in stride. I just wanted peace in the family.

I had inherited it from my mother. I tried to live a humble down to earth life. I sought clothes from thrift stores. I shopped at discount stores. When I had moved to New York after leaving the Marine Corps I had learned that I owned this penthouse. My mother had spent little time here. I was tempted to sell it. IT was worth a lot of money. But I sort of fell in love. So I made it my own.

Sally stood up. "I have to go clean the kitchen."

She left the room. I finished breakfast. I sighed. There was nothing on television. I hated just sitting here. I couldn't find a comfortable position. I started to get out of bed.

"What are you doing, Persephone?" My Aunt said. My shoulders slumped. I was almost successful.

"I have to use the bathroom." It wasn't a complete lie.

"And then, back to bed, right?"

I sighed. "Yes." My tone was impatient and laced with irritation.

I waddled slowly to the bathroom. My belly was huge. This was going to be a healthy baby. I had been on desk duty at work but complications arose. I was ordered to bed rest. I was only allowed to leave bed for short periods of time.

I got back to my bedroom. Aunt Karen was sitting on the bed watching TV. She was watching the news covering my mother. They were still analyzing what had happened. I would get daily phone calls from reporters. Paparazzi had a new interest in me. I was partly glad I was stuck in bed. They couldn't even get in the building.

Aunt Karen shook her head. "Even in death they won't leave Joanie alone." She changed the channel to some cooking show.

"I know."

Sally walked back into the room. She eyed Karen. The two women didn't get along too well. My Aunt Karen, liberal thinking agnostic environmental lawyer. My mother-in-law Sally, a conservative devout Lutheran homemaker. They argued often about just about everything. It drove me nuts.

"Oh I love this show." Sally said.

"Oh me too." Karen said.

I was surprised. They actually agreed on something. We watched the show. Then my cousin Cody poked his head into the room. "Hey Persi, can I borrow your car?"

Cody was the youngest son of my Uncle Charles. He was only eighteen. He had lived with me for two years. I found him on the street at sixteen. His father had kicked him out of the house after finding out he was gay. So I took him in. I helped him get a high school diploma. And now he was pursuing a degree in acting at NYU.

"Why?"

"Some of us want to drive out to Long Island."

I sighed. "How many friends?"

"A few."

I smiled. I nodded. "Okay. But no speeding tickets. You still owe me for the last one,"

He smiled at Aunt Karen and left the room. "He is a good kid." Karen said.

"Well, mostly." Sally said snidely. She wasn't comfortable being around him. She made comments about him being gay. She made comments about me not being a Lutheran. I tried to ignore most of it. But I did not like her putting Cody down for being who he was.

Aunt Karen glared at Sally. "Cody is a great kid. He is bright. He is creative."

"And living an unholy lifestyle."

"Unholy lifestyle." Karen snorted. "Who are you to judge?" My aunt stormed out of the room. She was very much involved in gay rights. My cousin Jessica was a lesbian and had recently married her longtime girlfriend. I loved Jessica. She was more of a sister to me. We talked about everything.

Sally turned to me. She shrugged. "She gets so testy sometimes."

I rolled my eyes and laid against the pillows. I wondered how my in-laws would react upon meeting me father. It amused me to think about. My father Lucifer Morningstar, the Devil himself. Of course Sally and Bryan's father Hank did not know yet. I wasn't sure how to address that. It was bad enough that their younger son had married a Marine. Bryan came from a long line of Army veterans. Not to mention the fact that I wasn't religious.

I tried to explain that I definatly believed in God. I just didn't follow any religion. I didn't like how they used my Grandfather's name to spread lies. But simply believing in God was not enough for them. They insisted that Bryan and I baptized the baby. I didn't want to. Bryan didn't want to either. But all of their other grandkids had been.

Hours later I awoke from a nap. The room was quiet. I enjoyed the peace. I sensed someone watching me. "I know you are there Malachi."

The angel stepped into my vision. "Hello Persephone." He looked a little like my Father. Same dark hair and dark eyes. He kept his hair a little longer. He dressed a lot more casually than my dad did. Today he was wearing jeans and a t-shirt under a plaid shirt.

"What's going on today?"

"Just here to say hi."

Malachi had started to visit me shortly after my suicide. He was sent by God to keep an eye on me. A child of Lucifer roaming the Earth did not go unnoticed by Heaven. There had been other sons and daughters of my dad's. They had done some bad things. They had to be taken care of. So it was a rule that we had to be watched. As far as I knew I was the only child of Lucifer to currently be alive.

"Really?" I asked the angel. At first Malachi annoyed me. I would dread his visits. He would lecture me about not using my powers for bad. But soon he learned I was not like some of my siblings. We became friends.

"Yeah. How are you feeling?" He sat in the recliner by the bed.

I patted my large belly. "Like I am going to burst."

He laughed. "I bet."

Sighing I was little relieved that he was there. Aunt Karen and Sally's constant bickering was getting to me. There was also the stream of other relatives. Bryan's brother and sisters and their families all came over daily. Nieces and nephews were running about. It was chaotic. I wanted peace.

Our moment was interrupted when Bryan walked in. My handsome detective husband. He was wearing a black suit with a tie. He had his jacket draped over his arm. He paused when he spotted Malachi. "Oh uh…Malachi?"

The angel nodded. He rarely showed himself to humans. But right now he allowed Bryan to see him. "How is it going, Bryan?"

"Oh long day." He sighed and walked into our bathroom.

My mother-in-law soon entered the room. "Did I hear Bryan's voice?"

"I'm in here, Mom." He shouted from the bathroom.

She paused when she spied Malachi sitting in the chair. He smiled at her. "Who is this?"

I was surprised that Malachi was allowing Sally to see him. I looked at the angel for a second. "This is friend of mine. This is Malachi."

She looked him over. He looked like a hippie. The plaid flannel shirt over a white t-shirt. His long hair pulled back in a ponytail. Holey jeans. He held out a hand. She just stared at him.

He frowned at her. standing up he looked at me. "I have to go. I will see you soon Persephone."

Bryan walked out of the bathroom. "Leaving so soon Malachi?"

"Yeah. I'll see you soon." He and Bryan hugged before the angel left the room.

I frowned at my mother-in-law. She shrugged. "He could use a haircut." She sat on the bed. "Is he another one of your special friends?" I knew she meant gay or lesbian friends.

"No. He is just a friend." I wasn't about to tell her that he was my uncle on my dad's side. I was not ready to reveal my divine bloodline to her.

Bryan nodded. "They have known each other since they were in high school." Bryan winked at me. I was so relieved that he was understanding of my family. He should have been afraid of me. Instead he embraced it.

She shrugged. "Dinner is almost ready." She turned to Bryan. "Your Dad and Megan should be here soon."

I sighed. More people. I just wanted it to be me and Bryan. I didn't need all these people here. Even this huge apartment seemed small with so many people in and out. Bryan must have seen my face. He sat on the bed. "It will be alright, honey."

"I know." I closed my eyes and soon fell asleep.