A/N: Sorry about the wait everyone. Thank you 'Amon-100' and 'likeitmatterstome' for reviewing the story.
"This is it?" She said observing the vessel. "A child's lullaby," She said almost unimpressed with the children's toy she was grasping. "What's so special about it?" She asked him.
The Devil grinned once more and slid over a file to Andi. "Meet your first soul," he told here.
Andi opened the file and her heart nearly stopped. "This can't be right. You're messing with me!"
"Am I Andi?"
"Andi who is it?" Sam curiously asked.
"It's…it's…my mother."
"Let me see that file," Sam said; she passed it to him and he took a look inside.
Jessica "Jessie" Prendergast
Age at time of death: 40
Cause of Death: Building fire
"But that's impossible! My mother…"
"If you're going to finish that sentence with the words 'a saint' you are sadly mistaken," The Devil interrupted her mid-sentence.
"How the fuck would you know that!" Andi spit out; face scrunched up in pure rage.
"I'm the Devil. Duhhhh," he answered. "I know everything."
"No you don't."
"You don't want to challenge me, Andi."
"Well then how about you explain why my mother is in Hell?" Andi said; hands on her hips.
"I was hoping you'd say that. Why don't the three of us take a little trip down memory lane?" He placed his hands on Sam and Andi's shoulders and they braced themselves for what was about to come.
"Um. Nothing happened." Sam pointed out.
"We're still here." Andi said.
"Wait for it."
"And now gentlemen: The main event!" A beautiful woman wearing nothing, but a black leather jacket stepped onto the stage. The men threw money at her and she hadn't even started to strip yet. She wickedly smirked at them and undid the clip to her hair. She wildly shook it out and then unzipped her jacket.
"Mom!" Andi shouted.
"Yep. About fifteen years younger to be exact."
"This can't be real. Why would my mother do this?" She asked breathe almost taken away.
"Hey Sam. Take a picture; it'll last longer," The Devil said to Sam; mouth agape at Andi's mother spinning around the metal pole for the twentieth consecutive time. "Your family never did have much money. Am I right? And things got even worse when your dad died when you were only six. As the bills piled up your dear, sweet mother grew desperate and turned to the one thing she swore she'd never do. Ironically enough she found great success as your two are witnessing right now. Turns out all those years of gymnastics had their advantages for Jessie. So she does the gig for about 3 or so years; keeping herself in shape so that she wouldn't look a day over 30. After a while she grew tired of this life and wanted to get a more healthy profession. Apparently she didn't want to set a bad example for you. Sorry. Is this story upsetting you?" He asked noticing the scowl Andi was giving him. When she didn't answer the Devil shrugged and went on.
"She tried to quit, but her superiors were less than enthusiastic and got to her the only way they could. They threatened you if she quit and determined to protect you at any cost, your mom made the choice that sealed her fate. Luring those scumbags to an abandoned building, she covered most of the place in gas. When the guys showed up she attempted to knock them out cold and leave them to die in the fire she was about to start. They got the jump on her and I believe you know the rest of the story; don't you Andi?" He asked. Taking her silence as a 'finish the damn story already' he went on. "The attempted murder counted as a mortal sin and she was sent straight downstairs; till just a little while ago that is. So can I count on you to get the job done?"
"What happens if I refuse?"
"Do you really want to know the answer to that question Andi? I said this to Sam and I will say it to you. I don't accept failure. Ever; is that clear?" He asked giving her a serious look.
Andi returned the look and nodded. "Crystal."
"Well now that that's settled," The Devil said returning to his usual personality, "I think you too should head back to work before Ted discovers you two made it past his guards."
"Wait a second. Did you have anything to do with this?" Sam questioned.
"So long, kids," He said and snapped his fingers.
"Where did you guys disappear to?" Ben asked as the two entered the storage area.
"Devil teleported us to a strip club," Sam answered dryly.
"You get all the fun," Sock complained. "What'd he bring Andi for?"
"Long story," Sam replied as Andi walked over to a table and slammed the file on it.
"What's got her in such a bad mode?" Ben asked and Andi threw the file at him smacking him in the face. "This your latest soul?"
"It's not mine. It's," Sam took a deep sigh, "her's."
"Her's?" Ben repeated.
"Yes. Now that the Devil owns her soul he's decided to screw her over. It gets even worse. Open the file." Ben opened the file and looked inside.
"Jessica Prendergast. Prendergast. Ohhhhhhh."
"What? Am I missing something here?" Sock asked not getting it.
"Prendergast. Andi's last name."
"Ohhh. Man the Devil is one sick bastard."
"Tell me about," Andi said; head in hands.
"So did the prince of darkness give us any Intel on where to find her? And what's the vessel this time around?"
"This," Andi said placing the vessel on the table.
"A lullaby huh?" Ben said looking over the vessel. "How's it supposed to work?"
"I don't have any idea besides trapping her in a crib and holding it over her head," Sam admitted.
"That just might work," Sock said.
"No Sock. It wouldn't. Sometimes I wonder if the Devil just gives us these hard to figure out vessels just so we'll all wind up dead."
"Well we've had less straight forward vessels before. Remember the bird that you kept as a pet?"
"Yeah Sock. As a matter of act I do and I've never been able to look at birds the same way ever again." Ben said with a shudder. "So where are we supposed to find her?" He asked to get off the subject of the bird vessel.
"The Devil revealed to us that my mom used to be a stripper back when she was alive. I'm guessing we'll have to check some of the local strip clubs to see if she's around."
"How many strip clubs does this city have?" Sam asked.
"Fifteen," Sock answered.
"Fifteen!" The gang shouted in unison.
"Well not counting the shoddy one down the block."
"How do you know that exactly?"
"Hey. I have a life outside of helping you catch souls." Sock said defensively.
Later that night
Andi sat on the edge of her bed; vessel lying on the bed next to her. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the file. Her mother; her own mother. How can she send the woman that gave birth to her back to Hell? There was a knock at her door and Andi stood up to answer it.
"Hi Andi," Sam greeted. "You look great tonight." He complimented her.
"Thanks," she said.
"Well Sock and Ben are in the car. Are you ready for this?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," she said putting the vessel in her purse.
"You don't have to do this Andi. I can do the job for you."
"You heard what the Devil said. The vessel will only work for me."
"If you're sure."
"I'm sure," she said and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "Now let's go," she said and the two of them headed for the car. "I'm sorry mom." Andi thought getting into the passenger's seat.