Amy's day at work for the Council had been a rollercoaster from start to finish. She was tired, and hungry, and just wanted to go to her apartment and have a bath and a snack. But of course, this would be the day that the elevator would choose to be slow to reach its destination! Sometimes it galled her to no end that such a nice apartment building had such a temperamental elevator. She looked around even though she knew she was alone, swore, then stomped her foot, pounding on the button repeatedly to get the elevator to stop at her floor, even though she knew better than to think that would actually help.

After several more minutes of no success, she gave up on the button and began pacing back and forth in front of the cursed contraption that was almost as frustrating as the one at the hospital, biting her nails until she had practically no nails left to bite.

Her period was late. Now, to be fair, that wasn't necessarily a sign of trouble. Her periods had always been irregular. But this was irregular even for her and she wanted nothing more than to get home and check her calendar, just see how long it had actually been since the last one, and she needed to do it ASAP.

When the doors finally opened, she breathed a sigh of relief and pushed the button to go to the penthouse level, where her and Natalie's apartment was just a few feet away from her lover, Kol Mikaelson! Not a good thing when she was trying her best to keep her mind off him.

This was a new development. For the past several weeks, Natalie had been out and about most nights, and Kol had used her daughter's absence to convince Amy to spend nights with him in his apart where, full of rich food and fancy champagne, they'd gone at it like rabbits in heat with no thought for the consequences of their actions.

Sighing with relief, when the elevator doors opened, Amy hurried out into her apartment, forgetting to shut the door behind her in her rush, reaching her small bedroom and grabbing the calendar from on of her desk drawers. "Let's see," she muttered to herself as she looked at it. "Last time it was on the…" she counted the days back.

"It was on the 28th," came a voice that almost made her shriek. "Forty-two days since your last period, darling."

Just the sound of his voice made her jump a mile with its suddenness and she turned around to glare at him. He was leaning against the right side of her bedroom door, his arms crossed over his chest, and a grin on his bearded face.

Amy blushed at the thought of him knowing such personal information and averted her eyes, although she tried to keep her tone nonchalant. "You don't know what you're talking about. You're just pulling numbers out of nowhere."

He shook his head. "Believe me, darling, I know exactly what I'm talking about," he told her, trying to get her to look him in the eye. "You're carrying my child. Our child."

She scoffed and turned away, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the open dresser drawer tightly. "You don't know. I still need to confirm it."

"If you want to," Kol shrugged, his gaze sliding over her much fuller figure. "But I don't need any confirmation other than the fact that your beautiful breasts are fuller, your hips are larger, you crave sex like…"

"Kol!" She interrupted with a shout. "Stop!"

"What?" He replied, unapologetic, and gave a shrug. "It's true. No reason to sugarcoat it, Amy. I'm very pleased about how naughty you've been lately. And ecstatic about you carrying my child."

"Oh, please," Amy scoffed. "You don't give a flying fuck about any of it! Look how fat I am! I'm a freaking elephant!"

He shook his head. "I love your curves," he told her. "I always have. And if there's more, there's more of you to love." He was unaffected by her mood, and it infuriated her.

"So, everything is fine with you, then?" Amy scoffed. "Of course, it is! You're not going to be the one that has people chuckling and whispering behind her back, calling her a slut for not only sleeping with three Mikaelson brothers, but having their children as well!"

"Oh, no, no!" Kol stepped closer, but Amy put up a hand and gently pushed him back. "You have it all wrong! This isn't just another child of the Mikaelson brothers. It's our child, darling! Yours and mine!"

"So?" Amy shook her head and threw up her hands. "I doubt people will care about that distinction. They'll just know that you put a baby in my uterus, and they won't look any further!" She stomped her feet. "I'll be a slut, a harlot, a whore…just when I thought I was ready to be welcomed back into polite witch society after becoming a vampire, this goes and happens! I get pregnant by a third Mikaelson brother!"

Kol smiled, trying to ease her frustration. "Third time's the charm!" He said with a wink." Then, he paused. "And if you'd realized this sooner, we wouldn't be making up for lost time now!"

"Well, it was hard to be with you when you were married to my sister," Amy reminded him. "That would have been unseemly!" She shook her head. "I might not be pregnant. It still needs to be confirmed!"

He narrowed his eyes as he gazed at her, taking a couple of steps forward and crossing his arms over his chest. "I've waited years and years to have you in my life and my bed, Amy Burke. And I know deep down, you would say the same if you didn't let yourself get so crazy for no reason. I won't let you throw our family away."

"Oh, yeah?" Amy said, arms crossed too. "If that's what I want, how will you stop me?"

"If you're worried that I've had my fun and will abandon you, I have no such plans," Kol told her. "We'll call Elijah and have him marry us in a small, quick ceremony. I won't have a child with you and not be married to you too."

Amy gave an ugly laugh. "Oh, that's precious! Have my ex-husband officiate my wedding to his brother! Are we going to just round out the set and invite Klaus to be the flower girl?"

"Are you done being a child?" Kol growled. "I don't see what the big fuss is about."

"No, I'm not done," she replied slyly. "And I am not yours, Kol Mikaelson. I'm my own person!" She pointed a finger at her chest.

Kol just sighed and shook his head, reaching for her hand, even as she pulled it away. "You're mine, darling. And the baby inside your uterus, to use your phrasing, is mine too, whether you like it or not. We'll get married as soon as possible. Since you're so afraid of disgrace, I won't have any more arguments with you about it. Understood?"

"Fine!" Amy yelled, trying to stay angry because it was the only defense she had against him. Otherwise, she'd cave and say and do a bunch of things she wasn't ready to do in front of him yet…well, at least not in a permanent 'we're in a relationship' sense. "Fine, I'll have your baby and I'll marry you, but that'll be in name only! I've learned my lesson and I won't put a foot or any other part back in your bed. Mark my words!"

A grin curved one side of his lips. "Oh, darling, don't make threats you can't back up. I know you're lying but I don't understand why." He took a few steps forward so he could whisper in her ear and nibble on the lobe just to hear her whimper. "Those hormones of yours will make you crave me even more. You'll want my kisses, the touch of my skin, but most of all, you'll crave me fucking you hard and being buried deep inside you! You'll see!"

Amy closed her eyes, goosebumps covering her whole body as she did her best not to think about his words while her whole body became warm with desire. Then she reopened them, a growl escaping her throat as she shoved him away from her. "Go to hell, Kol! That's what we'll see!"

He chuckled and turned, leaving the small bedroom and shutting the door gently behind him.

"Damn it!" Amy swore under her breath. "And damn him!" She then sat down heavily on her bed and buried her face in her hands.

Angelica got out of her car, shutting the driver's side door gently with her hip. Then she raised her eyes to the mansion and took a deep breath. She'd received a text from her father that didn't say much more than to meet him at his office at five P.M.

She put her hand on top her crossbody bag, then unzipped it to pull out Smokey, putting him over her heart and closing her eyes, hoping, praying that this meeting meant that her father was finally coming to his senses and choosing to have faith that she could have an independent adult life he played a big part in. She didn't want anything else, regardless of what he thought.

Putting Smokey back in the bag, she began to stride purposefully toward the mansion's front doors, but as she reached them, she came face to face with her mother for the first time since…the Incident.

"Angelica, here you are!" Ellie exclaimed in surprise, her hand going over her heart. "It's been ages! Where have you been?"

"Hello, Mother," Angie replied stiffly. "I was out of the country.

"For several weeks?" Ellie's eyes widened. "Were you in Europe with Klaus? I send you at least ten text messages and left you several voice—"

"No!" Angelica cut her mother off savagely. "I left for one week with Klaus. I took a vacation! From work, from you, from everything! Aren't I entitled to that? The rest was just work, work, work! I've been busy! I run two very large and successful companies, remember? Now, if you'll excuse me." She stepped aside and resumed walking.

Ellie promptly grabbed her arm in a grip of iron. "Not so fast."

Angelica gave a tug, trying to pull her arm out of her mother's unusually tight grip. She wasn't successful. "Please let me go, Mother," she demanded. "Dad wants to see me and for once I don't think it would be best to avoid him. It could mean the end to all this silliness." Her eyes narrowed.

"Your father asked you to see him? I know you love him, and you want to believe the best, but…don't let that blind you. He could be up to something! Planning a trap! I know you're too smart to all for something like that." Ellie shook her head.

"Well, at least I've made my stance clear," Angelica snapped. "I've decided what I want my relationship to be and I'm standing my ground instead of playing hot and cold with him. I live with Klaus now, except for the occasional overnight stay and visit to pick up my things." She knew she was lashing out. She knew it was cruel, but she couldn't stop herself. "As for me being 'smart', what goes on between Dad and me is none of your damn business! I thought you would be the one person who wouldn't put your nose where it doesn't belong but apparently, I was wrong!"

Ellie went pale and finally loosened her grip. "You…you don't think this is hard for me? This is practically the only home and family I've ever known. I take no pleasure in this. I've only been staying here while I wait for my Council job to come through, which it has now. I've also met with an Agent who is helping me look at new houses. I'll be leaving your father's home in a few weeks. The divorce papers have been singed and processed. Do I have to tell you anything else to get a little respect?"

"No matter what you tell me, it's hard to respect you after seeing you cavorting out in the open in my neighbor's backyard with your lover, Mother, dear," Angie spat.

"What?" Ellie took a few steps back as all the color left her beautiful face. "How? When…when did you..?"

Her daughter swallowed and lifted her gaze. "The morning Klaus and I came back from the island. I was in the kitchen making mimosas and when I happened to look out the kitchen window into Mrs. Johnson's backyard, I saw you and…and that man!"

"Oh, damn!" Ellie shut her eyes to calm herself. "His name is Julian, and…"

"I know what his name is, Mother!" Angelica told her slyly. "And frankly, I don't want to hear anything else about him."

"I see," Ellie nodded. "You have every right to be angry. I should have told you about me and Julian from the start. But at the same time, I don't regret what I'm doing. I'm not sorry and I have nothing to be ashamed of."

Her daughter felt sick to her stomach. "Nothing? Really? Are you sure?"

"Yes! Your father and I have been separated for a while now. And Julian…Julian is a good man who is everything I need to put myself back together." Her voice cracked.

"I bet he put you back together! Tell me something, Mom: did you and he start fucking after you and Dad separated or were you doing both at the same time?"

The slap came out of nowhere, making a loud noise as it hit Angie's cheek, her head snapping to the side.

Once she had time to get over the shock, she brought a hand to her cheek, staring at her mother, wide-eyed. "You…you slapped me!" It was the first time she'd ever laid a hand on any of her children.

"You had it coming for disrespecting me when you of all people should understand why I'm doing what I'm doing," Ellie told her, tears filling her eyes. "You think you're the only one your father is making things difficult for? When I found out about you and Klaus, even though I knew it would lead to trouble, I supported you! I never judged you or your relationship. Not once! Why can't you pay me the same courtesy?"

Angelica brushed away the tears that were rolling down her cheeks. "You're right," she had to concede. "You never have given me away."

"I know how much you love your father," Ellie continued. "Probably more than me, even.

"No, Mom, that's not…" Angie shook her head, her voice trailing off.

"Yes, it is," Ellie nodded, cutting her off. "You've put a lot of energy into that relationship, for probably more reasons than I know. But now that things need to change, be careful. Your father isn't a good adjuster, especially if he feels he's going to be abandoned. He'll feel threatened, especially since it's his favorite daughter who wants to pull away. And to get what he wants, to make you stay, he won't hesitate to ruin your life. It could only take seconds." She then turned on her heels, walking down drive to her car, getting in, and driving away without another word.

And on that note, Angelica took a deep breath and closed her eyes, pain and turmoil filling her soul.

Angelica knocked on her father's office door, opening it a little as he welcomed her inside.

"Darling!" He cried. "Well, if it isn't my favorite child! Come in, come in! It's been so long since I've seen you but I don't blame you for having to make your work commitments be more important than I am. It's truly a surprise to me that you took time to be here tonight." He paused. "Well, I guess we saw each other at the dance competition. That wasn't so long ago, was it?"

She nodded, closing the door behind her back, bravely taking a few steps toward her father's desk. She'd never felt truly uneasy around him before, but there was a first time for everything. She should have been better prepared for this, because her mother was right: instead of the usual, cheerful, indulgent smile that he reserved just for her, his smile was cold and calculated, his intent, no doubt, lethal and diabolic. The fact that he'd made a point to bring up the dance contest, her most brazen act of defiance in his eyes, made that clear.

"Take a seat," he gestured at the chair in front of the large desk. "You should feel like you can make yourself comfortable here, my dear child.

"What is the reason you summoned me here, Father?" Angelica asked, taking a seat and crossing one leg over the other.

"I didn't summon you, darling," he said innocently. "All I did was extend an invitation." His hands were folded as he peered at her. "I don't know why you're being so paranoid and saying such ridiculous things!" He paused. "You look well. Everything going smoothly at work?"

"Oh, yes," Angelica nodded. "I'm fine in my adult life, doing adult things, because I'm an adult! Now, stop it with the small talk and tell me what you want!"

"Yes, of course you are," he chuckled a little as her eyes moved to the pictures of her and her siblings on his desk. Hers was still the one from one of her toddler ballet recitals and while it usually sat front and center, it had been moved, probably recently, behind one of her sister Valerie.

Lucifer cocked his head to the right, which caught Angelica's attention. On a table nearby was a collection of weapons made of white oak.

Lucifer's grin widened when he noticed. "I see you're admiring my collection of wooden objects," he said. "Do you like them?"

"You're doing this on purpose!" She yelled, doing her best not to cry in front of him, gripping both armrests so hard her knuckles were white.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

She scoffed. "Would you just…stop being an ass and come out with it that you'll kill Klaus unless I do something for you that will spare his life?"

Lucifer's grin widened as he gracefully rose to his feet, striding over to the table full of weapons, pacing up and down in front of it. "You see, darling, watching you and Klaus Mikaelson together at the dance competition, any fool would be able to deduce that he was your lover. But that's going down a very dangerous path. Don't worry, though. Your father loves you enough to save you from all the heartache. You'll break things off with him and come back to be safe at home. You'll thank your daddy later."

"I will not thank you for spoiling my happiness and forcing me to follow your orders," Angelica cried, forgetting all caution. "I'm not your property! I'll do what I want and be with the man I want!"

"No, you will not!" Lucifer lashed out, his eyes turning red. "You're my daughter and entered into this foolishness without a word to me! Or at least not an honest word. I know you lied. Now you face the consequences, or your precious hybrid will meet his death before the week's end. Do you understand me?"

Angelica's eyes were wide, and she was breathing heavily, her hand on her chest. "I'm…I'm carrying his child," she confessed, hoping it would appeal to whatever little bit of humanity he still had in him. That or be a good mental slap.

And although his eyes widened in shock for a moment, his gaze soon became cold again. "Well, that's easily fixed, isn't it? I think I'd be doing the whole world a favor to have one less bastard of Klaus Mikaelson's running around."

"I won't end this pregnancy!" Angelica cried, absolutely horrified. "Do you hear me, Father? What the hell has gotten you so messed up that you'd even suggest something like that? I'll break things off with Klaus if I have to, but the baby's not going anywhere!"

"I'm not so cruel," Lucifer replied. "Even though it's best to get Klaus Mikaelson out of the way, I'll find a more suitable man for you and tell everyone that Klaus has run off with someone else or some other such thing. It won't be hard to get people to believe." He shrugged as if he didn't like the color of the curtains or something.

"You are disgusting!" Angelica cried, her eyes filling with tears as her voice broke. "Is this what you're really like? Was the man who took care of me, loved me, showed me how to take on the world…only there because you knew that's what would get you my attention? Did the man who swore never to lie just…manufacture my whole life for his own personal gain?"

"Don't be melodramatic," Lucifer told her, although luckily for her, some of her accusations had hit home hard. "Just give it time and all this worry about Klaus Mikaelson will pass. Now, onto your mother."

Angelica was startled by him bringing her up. Then she began to sink into the armchair as she remembered how much she'd disrespected her mother because she'd believed her father was being hurt. That was all for nothing, and she hoped her mother would forgive her. The thoughts distracted her from the urge to faint, which she would never do, especially with her father just watching for signs of weakness he could exploit.

"Leave Mom alone. You clearly don't want her anymore, since your only concern in life seems to be ruining or controlling mine. Let her make a new life for herself!" she said between clenched teeth.

"I don't think so," Lucifer shook his head. "The divorce wouldn't make me look good at all, and your grandfather would never let me hear the end of it if I let his ridiculous attempt at matchmaking fail. Besides, it's nothing serious, really. She's with a human man named Julian Johnson, isn't she? I suppose that I could just wait for him to get frightened of what she is and try and kill her himself. Then I'd look very appealing by comparison."

He heaved a fake sigh. "But I'm feeling merciful, so she won't have to experience that. It's easier to kill a human than a hybrid, anyway."

Angelica's jaw dropped. "And h-how do you know about Julian Johnson?"

Lucifer smirked. "Oh, darling. Your mother is more of a fool than I thought if she believed she could hide the affair forever. And if Dad is siding with her, he forgot how intertwined the spell he had me put on her to make her grow actually made us. When I was at the bar with him during the competition, it didn't take me any time at all to detect your mother's scents on him. I figured out right away that she had been unfaithful to me."

"Well, and why are you surprised?" Angelica wanted to know, despite not wanting any more details about her mother's scents or her parents' sex life or lack thereof. "You've basically abandoned her. Did you expect her to just wait around for you until you'd beat me into submission?"

"That was my plan," Lucifer nodded. "But beat you, no…" He reached out and moved some hear out of her eyes while she tried not to flinch. "I raised you with the utmost care. You weren't meant to just go anywhere with anyone. And neither was your mother! Yet when I followed that man who was covered in her scents, I eventually saw him kissing her in the parking lot! Just out in the open, where anyone could see! I could have killed them then and there, unlike in your brother's club, where there would have been witnesses."

"Yeah, I know, right?" Angelica was snapped out of her terror for just a moment. "I saw them out in the open too. No sense of caution or propriety at all!" Then she realized what she was saying. "You…you're a horrible man! I can't listen to this anymore!"

"I've been called worse, and I know you're in shock from the abrupt way you found out what your mother was up to. Don't worry. She'll be back in my arms soon enough and we'll all be a happy family again!" He put his arms around her in a tight grip and she didn't hug back.

He was grinning too, and Angelica felt sick as she thought of the words she'd yelled at Klaus when she'd first seen her mother and Julian together. Yes, she wanted her family together. But definitely not like this. And the cost was not a price her mother should have to pay.

She got up after he finally let her go, and made her way to the door on shaking legs.

"I hope you're intending to stay tonight," he told her as she gripped the doorknob. "You don't look well, and it would make me very sad if you had the audacity to go back to Klaus Mikaelson. Then I would get angry, and it would be a shame if some of these weapons just happened to find places in his body!"

Angelica froze for a moment, shut her eyes tight, and then ran into the hall, slamming the office door behind her as she made her way to her room.

As she ran, she wasn't paying attention to where she was going and bumped into someone.

"Sorry," she quickly apologized. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"It's no trouble," came Dexter's calm voice as he put his arm around her. "Are you all right? What's wrong?"

"I…I can't talk here. Let's go to my room."

"All right," he said, worried for her. "Let's go."

They headed to Angelica's room, and she shut and locked the door behind her. "Not that that'll help much," she said. "But at least we have the illusion of safety." She pulled Smokey out of her bag and sat down on her bed, holding him tight. "Daddy…I think Daddy's finally gone mad," she told the demon who was her father's right- hand man and basically the most mature person in their entire house.

"Well, if you're actually saying that out loud, he must've done something awful," Dexter remarked. "Did he…did he hurt you?"

"No, but…I'm…I'm in a relationship with Klaus Mikaelson. I go to his house when I'm not home, and now I'm pregnant with his baby. Dad wants to kill Klaus and have me abort the baby so he can have me all to himself!"

She was surprised to see that Dexter wasn't surprised at all. "What? Say something! Be shocked!"

"I'm not, sadly," Dexter shook his head. "Remember, I've known him a lot longer than you."

"Is the crazy person he is now what he's really like?" Angelica asked as she held the dragon close.

"No," Dexter shook his head. "I…I think the man who gave you the dragon and wrote the nice note inside the little pocket under the wing is who he really is. And you…you and your mother especially brought it out for the first time in a while. And now he's just terrified of never getting it back. And when he's terrified and backed into a corner, of losing something he loves, you see the worst of him."

"But…but how can it be hard to let things go?" Angelica asked. "Especially if you'll probably get something better after?"

Dexter chuckled and put an arm around her, flicking one of the dragon's wings. "Do you remember why you got this?" He asked.

"No," Angelica shook her head.

"Well, you're probably going to hate me for reminding you, but when you were a little thing and it was time for you to get rid of your pacifier, you would just…you would not go along with it. Every day was a fight between you and your father especially, and it was the first time I saw him even come close to losing his temper with you."

Angelica's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yes," Dexter nodded. "One day, he just took it and hid it away and somehow you knew he was responsible so every time he would come into a room you were in, you would get up without a word and you would just…leave. You knew he hurt you somehow, and you didn't want anything to do with him. And your dad didn't back down either. He stood his ground…at least until he couldn't take your silence anymore and brought home Smokey and Sparkle one day as a bribe."

"Let me guess," Angelica drawled. "I liked him again after that."

"Yeah, pretty much," Dexter nodded. "Your mother and I were a bit put off with him but…on the bright side, you were so enthralled with Smokey especially that you completely forgot about the pacifier, so in a weird way it all worked out."

"So, the point of that story is that I was better at setting boundaries when I was a toddler than I am now?"

"Yes, I guess," Dexter nodded. "You're just as mad at him now as you were then. I think it's time for you to get up and leave without a word again, for both your sakes, at least for now. And if you…if you ever need anything or just miss home, you know my number. I won't tell your father anything you say to me."

"Well, it'll be much easier to leave without a word this time," Angelica sighed. "At least emotionally. I don't think Daddy's in the mood to bribe me with a pony or whatever. And even if he was, I wouldn't want it." She hugged him. "Thank you so much, Dexter."

He gave her a hug and kiss and once he was gone, she shut the door behind him, grabbing her phone and calling her mother.

"Hi, Mom, it's Angelica. I understand if you don't want to pick up because I was rude and disrespectful before and I'm sorry. You were right about Dad, and I need you to call me ASAP. He's angry and crazy, knows things you don't want him to know, and, most importantly…you're in danger."

Elle paced back and forth in the small examination room while she waited for the doctor.

It hadn't been an easy day, that was for sure. First, she'd bumped into Angelica on her way out the door and her daughter had been anything but civil, and while Ellie understood why Angelica would be angry about her parents' impending divorce and the affair her mother was having to keep her mind off it, it was still rude carry on so much about how it was ruining everything, and she was some sort of adulterous whore when Angelica herself was indulging in an affair as a way to avoid her father and find her own happiness.

But that wasn't even the worst of it. Hiding the affair had been hard enough, and who knew if that was still a secret, but now it was possible she'd have to hide a pregnancy too! That's why she was here in this hospital room: for confirmation of whether or not there was a baby. How could it have happened? Sure, she and Julian had had sex repeatedly that day at his grandmother's house. But it had just been the one day! Apparently though, that was all it took!

She sighed. They hadn't seen each other since then because he'd been busy driving Mikael and Sybil all over on a vacation, which, along with how busy she'd been setting up her new job at the Council, had only left time for phone calls and the occasional video chat.

The door to the exam room opened and she steeled herself to face the doctor, breathing a sigh of relief when it was her father who appeared.

"Eleanor!" He smiled. "How are you, baby?"

Then it hit her what she would have to tell him. "Daddy!" She exclaimed, wide-eyed. "What are you doing here?"

"Not you too," he groaned. "I don't know why people are so shocked to see me at the place where I've worked for years all of a sudden. Are you okay, sweetie?"

Ellie laughed uncomfortably. "Yeah, sure, I'm fine. All I meant was that I wasn't expecting you to be my doctor today, that's all."

"Well, that's fair," Sean conceded. "You wouldn't have seen me, but I agreed to fill in for a sick colleague, so…to business. What's going on?"

"Oh, nothing alarming," Ellie swallowed nervously and rubbed her hands. "Can't a girl come and say 'Hi' to her father from time?"

"But you said you didn't know I would be here," Sean reminded her, feeling very confused.

"Right! But I took a chance that you would be…and here you are!"

Sean sighed. "I've been having the weirdest appointments lately," he muttered to himself. "And they all seem to take place in this room." He cleared his throat and pointed at the exam table. "Have a seat."

Ellie boosted herself up. "Not that I want specifics, but…what do you mean by that?"

"Elijah and I had a very strange consultation a few days ago," Sean replied.

"Everything okay with him?" Ellie asked worriedly. "You know Selina would be devastated if there was a problem."

Sean shook his head. "Well, given the fact that she doesn't take her pills regularly, maybe those two could stand to have something happen for a while. Not that that's any of my business, of course. But."

"But?"

"But nothing," he shook his head. "Elijah is more than fine. What's your actual problem, sweetheart? Because as sweet as the gesture is, I know you wouldn't come all the way over here just to say 'Hi'. And don't try to lie to me. It's never particularly been your strong suit."

She sighed, averting her eyes.

"Come on now, Ellie-bean," he prompted gently, giving her a smile and taking her hand. "It's me. You know you can tell me anything!"

"Oh, Daddy, I think I'm pregnant!" Ellie burst out, her voice breaking as tears fell down her cheeks.

"Honey, come here," Sean murmured and put his arm around his daughter. "I'm so sorry. I know things haven't been going well between you and Lucifer lately, and you thought the best course of action was to get the divorce but…this could help put things between you back together!"

"Um…" Ellie refused to look at him, keeping her eyes on her shoes. "I…I don't think it will. I think the divorce will go on as planned."

"Wait, this isn't Lucifer's baby, is it?" her father asked, eyes wide.

"No," Ellie sighed, full of shame. "I…I cheated. Only once, but apparently, that's enough."

Sean sighed. "Well, what do you want to do? Do you want to keep it? Or…terminate?"

"No, no," Ellie shook her head. She'd already ended one pregnancy and that had been hard enough. She didn't feel like this situation warranted a repeat. "Julian is a wonderful man, and even though we haven't been together very long, he…he makes me very happy. I'm…glad to carry his baby."

"Julian?" Sean raised an eyebrow. "Is that the father's name?"

"Yes," Ellie nodded. "His name is Julian Johnson."

"Wait a minute!" Sean's eyes widened. "The only Julian Johnson I know about is Mikael Mikaelson's driver."

"Yep," Ellie nodded, knowing what was coming next and just wanting to get it out in the open.

"And he's a…"

"A human man, Daddy. Exactly."

Sean shook his head. "Not that I'm against humans, especially good ones like Julian seems to be, but Eleanor Charlotte, do you know how complicated relationships between humans and supernatural creatures can be? I'm not trying to shame you by any means. I just want you to know that when you go through with this, it won't be easy."

"I know," Ellie nodded. "I've known since we started our relationship. But…he made me forget what a vulnerable place things with Lucifer put me in. He made me smile. He made me laugh. That's not to say I know for sure how he'll react to the pregnancy news, but I don't think it will be awful." She sniffled and tried to give him a smile.

Her father smiled back, wiping tears from her cheeks. "Any man who can make my little girl smile and laugh is a keeper. I can't wait to meet him, although I realize that given the delicacy of the situation, that might take some time." He paused and kissed his daughter's hair. "Don't worry, though. I'll ask nurse to get the test ready. You'll know soon enough, and we'll go from there."

"Oh, I already know," Ellie nodded. "After you've gone through it as much as I have, you just know. All the test is for is for confirmation. And…thank you, Daddy. For listening and for discretion."

"Of course! Would you like me to tell your mother?"

"No, not yet," Ellie shook her head. "I want to know for sure, and then get my head wrapped around it, and then…then you and I can tell Mom. Okay?"

"Deal, honey," her father winked before giving her a hug. "And good luck."

Lucifer was sitting on the stairs coming up from the basement wine cellar, a bottle of whiskey in hand, which he was drinking in big gulps. He'd meant to wait until he was hidden away in his office, but it had become too much and he'd just opened the bottle right there on the stairs.

"I knew I would find you here." It was Valerie, his second favorite child. Well, first favorite, now.

"Yes, me and my good friend whiskey are here!" Lucifer chuckled and held the bottle in the air while giving her a shy smile.

"Here, why don't I take that?" Valerie took the bottle from him and chugged some herself as he moved some hair out of her eyes. She was so much like him. How had he not noticed before?

"Are you okay?" He asked

"Well," she took another gulp. "I heard my dear sister, Angelica rummaging around in her room. Don't tell me she's back." Valerie pouted. "I thought she was gone for good."

"I had no idea this bothered you," Lucifer remarked. "But it does, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, because when she was gone, I had you all to myself…like how it was before she was born, and Vincent was more attached to Mom."

A sad smile curved Lucifer's lips as he realized she was right; he had been so unfair to all his other children just because Angelica was the neediest and gave him the most attention. He'd put her on a pedestal for way too long. And yet, it had been Valerie who had supported him as he dealt with her sister's betrayal, never asking for anything in return, even as he indulged in drinking and sex to forget. She had been there. To listen, to lean on. Without judgment, even when he was being insufferable.

"You still have me," he whispered and kissed her hair, leaning his forehead against hers. "And I'm very sorry you ever felt otherwise."

"Thanks," Valerie replied. "We're gonna be okay, you know? Who cares if Mom and Angelica are out of our lives? I mean honestly, who really gives a fuck? They treated you real nice until it seemed like you were asking for too much. Then they just threw you away like garbage! Who needs them?"

"You're not completely wrong," her father told her as he watched her put the whiskey bottle down on the step. He started to reach for it, then stopped himself. "But I won't make myself feel better by just sitting here, will I?" He asked. I need to get revenge on them both. It's the only way to keep the pain away."

"I could set them on fire for you, if you want," Valerie offered. "You know I've never liked hell all that much. Never needed to go down and take part in it all. But now I would not hesitate to just stick them down there and burn them or slice them up or wring their-" She stopped and growled, showing fangs and vein-y eyes.

Lucifer chuckled and got a good look at her. The vampire face wasn't something Angelica had let him see very often. Thought she was too good for it. And while she'd seen his devil face, he did his best not to show it to her. But maybe he should have. Maybe it would have been better, at least for him, to let himself get angry at her once in a while. "Thank you, darling, that's very touching. But this is my battle to fight, not yours. Entirely mine. I won't let anyone else fight my battles for me ever again."

Valerie raised her head and met her father's eyes. "How could they do it?" She asked, stunned. "How could they choose Klaus Mikaelson, the fucking bastard hybrid, and a stupid human over you?"

"I have no idea," Lucifer shook his head and pulled her to him. "But they made their choices. And lost everything by doing so."

Amy swore under her breath and let out a growl of frustration as she lowered a white cotton and lace night gown over her body. She was hot and bothered, that was for sure. And it seemed like no matter what she did, even an ice-cold shower, she couldn't stop feeling things for, well…him! Kol Mikaelson! But it was all in her head and if she could just get herself together and maintain the self-control she was famous for, her brain would have mercy on her and allow her to stop thinking of Kol Mikaelson and his big-enough-to-fill-her-to-the-hilt cock!

Gosh! She felt her cheeks start to warm as she brought her hands up to her face. It wasn't like her to think of such things, especially in an incredibly vulgar fashion!

She'd started with her vibrator and even after what seemed like ages, she still felt as if she'd done nothing to help herself at all. Then she'd hopped in the shower, but although it had provided some temporary relief, the second the water was off and she was in the bathroom, she was hot and bothered all over again.

And she bet he knew it too. That fucking cheeky Mikaelson knew it! She was surprised he hadn't stopped by to lord her desire for him over her. Damn that asshole!

Shaking her head, her red hair covering her face, she ran barefooted to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of ice cold water and downing it in just a few gulps. Still nothing!

Screaming and stomping in frustration, she put her hands on either side of her tense body and growled again. What had she expected? Why did she think this would be easy to just stop her seeming addiction to him? He'd infiltrated her bloodstream like no one else before. Not that she'd admit that to him. Or even to herself. Not seriously.

But he had, and now she pregnant. Again, with his child, nonetheless. She couldn't pretend so easily now. He would know.

Grinning, she looked down and smiled at her small belly, supporting it with her hands for a moment before blinking and shaking her head. No! She couldn't let herself like this or want this or anything, even if it were her and Kol's baby. She couldn't go down that road again!

Taking a deep breath, she looked out the window at the black night, deciding that maybe a walk out in the corridor would calm her nerves. She began to pace in the dimly lit corridor, barely able to see as she strode back and forth and back and forth.

Then she paused in front of his penthouse door. She started at the doorbell, biting her lip as she considered whether or not to push it. If she did, he would come to the door almost immediately, before she had the chance to change her mind and run away. Then they (but mostly she,) would exchange harsh words, even though in the back of her mind, she knew somehow that that just turned him on more, leading him, of course, to fuck her sooner rather than later. So why was she risking it? Why was she still standing here? Then she grabbed both sides of the archway, growling in pain, her eyes on the floor as her long red hair fell over her face. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction. She wouldn't!

"You know, you're right on time, but I've saved you the trouble of having to ring the doorbell. I'm sitting right here, darling."

Amy jumped out of her skin before turning to face the owner of the voice, who was chuckling at her fear.

"What…what are you doing out here, Kol?" She got out. "And stop laughing! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Oh, darling, I'm so sorry," he stopped laughing but shook his head, a grin on his lips as he sat cutting an apple into pieces with a knife. He was only wearing a pair of pants, nothing else, and she assumed that now that she was here, they wouldn't be on for long either. "I've just been waiting here for you. Enjoying this lovely, delicious apple." He bit into it and Amy couldn't look away from the juice dribbling down his chin. "Let me guess: cold shower didn't help any?"

She narrowed her eyes and glared at him, her fists going to her hips, and her whole body tense again. "No idea what you're talking about, but I don't want to disturb you, so I'll wish you a nice evening and go back to my room."

"Oh, but I wouldn't want you to be lonely," he purred. "Why don't you come join me in my room? And if you ask me really nicely, I could take you hard on the wall in a matter of seconds. Or I could stretch it out. You know I'm not a two and done sort of man, don't you?"

Amy watched him and tried not to let a whimper escape her lips.

"Plus," he continued, "what better time to do it than now? It isn't like you can get pregnant, since you're already carrying my son. Now's the perfect time to have all the fun we want!" He gracefully rose to his feet and approached her like a panther would a helpless deer.

"What?" Amy asked, her jaw dropping. "What did you just say?"

"What? That you couldn't get pregnant?" He asked, sticking another apple slice in his mouth.

"No, not that!" She cried. "The other thing! You know, I hate it when pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about just to annoy me!" She stomped her feet on the cold, hard marble. "What did you mean about a son?"

"Oh, I see," he exclaimed, nodding slowly. "Suddenly you're interested in knowing the sex of our baby."

"How…how do you know it's a boy?" She asked.

"Witches told me," he shrugged. "And unusually honest ones at that, probably because I'm not some pushy witch matron wanting to know that her daughter will bear another girl to carry on the family name." He chuckled. "Not that we won't get there some day, mind you. I always knew you would carry my son someday." He paused to finish his apple slices. "Always. It would have been nicer if it had been sooner…but. Better late than never."

Amy closed her eyes at his words, a swirl of emotions filling her. She was going to bring another male Mikaelson into the world! As if his father wasn't enough for her to deal with! Hopefully he'd be more like her. That would be all right. She paused and smiled just a little. Although, a little boy who was a mix of herself and Kol. That would be nice.

Goosebumps broke out all over her body the second his lips gently touched her forehead, and his arms went around her waist, gently pulling her to him. "It's a boy, darling. Our baby boy, yours and mine." His voice was a lovely, soothing whisper. "Soon, your belly will grow bigger," he continued, gently massaging her abdomen in a way that was surprisingly sensual. "Your hips will get larger…and that will be delightful when I grab them as I bury myself deep inside you…" He gave her a naughty grin.

She gasped and gripped his forearms. Those wicked grins of his, especially if she wasn't prepared for them, always a number on her, and fainting in his arms right now just wouldn't do. Not that he needed much more evidence of how much control he had over her mind, soul, and heart, but it wouldn't do to give him more. Especially not now!

"And have I told you about your breasts?" he continued, gently biting her earlobe. "Rounder, softer. I could suck on those nipples day and night. They're like the sweetest berries." He slowly raised the knife to cut the ribbon that was holding her night gown together so that it fell to her waist, and he had full access to her perky breasts.

A guttural cry escaped her throat as she threw her head back, no longer in control of her mind, body, or soul. He had it all.

He fell to his knees to bring her body in contact with his bare chest, hungrily capturing her nipples between his teeth and biting gently.

A moan escaped her as she grabbed fistfuls of his hair to pull him closer, and he pushed up the skirt of her night gown to cup her full bottom as he continued to bite and suck on her nipples. She had no doubt an orgasm would come soon!

Suddenly, Kol rose to his feet, pushing the gown down so it lay in a puddle around her feet. Now she was naked in front of him. Then he gestured for her to turn and face the wall, and when she did it, he raised her arms over her head, placing her open palms against the wall.

"Open your legs, darling," he murmured. "I need to bury myself inside you. And don't you try and say you don't need this, Amy Burke." He gave her bottom a squeeze. "I know you do." Then he frantically began to undo his belt and unzip his zipper.

She did as he asked, a cry of surprise and satisfaction escaping her lips as she felt him fill her to the hilt with one good, hard thrust.

"Yes," she heard him whisper as his arm went around her waist to control his deep thrusts inside her. "Darling, I love that you're so fucking wet for me."

"Kol," she murmured, moving her hips to help him fill her deeper. "Kol, I want more!"

"Yes," he cried. "You were meant to be mine, darling. Now and forever." He pinched her breasts, making her cry out.

Soon, things got even more animalistic. His thrusts were insanely fast and hard, and as Amy saw their blurry reflection in the doors of the elevator, it hit her that they were both naked in an open hallway, and he was taking her from behind. Everyone could see everything!

But at the same time, she was surprised to realize that she liked it! No one had ever taken her this way. Not Klaus, and certainly not Elijah! Not that she was thinking of his brothers right now, but… the fact that this man, Kol Mikaelson, was able to have complete control over her, and she didn't care because he made her feel like she was his whole world…it was so wonderful, and yet…it scared her to death!

At last, the buildup became too much and with one thrust, everything in Amy's world seemed to explode all around her as she felt his release. Soon, they were holding on tight to one another and panting. He held her close cause he knew that her shaking legs wouldn't support her, otherwise.

"My Amy," he whispered, holding her tight. "My beautiful Amy!" He paused to kiss her deeply, then whispered in her ear. "Mine, all mine!" Then he pulled up her night gown and covered her with it.

She turned at last to face him, fixing the gown herself as redness covered her cheeks.

He kept his eyes on her as he did up his zipper. Then he whispered in her ear. "It was a pleasure, darling. Whenever you want me inside you, you know where I am. Except next time we'll do it differently. I like looking into those lovely eyes of yours."

She growled in frustration, pushing him at a distance. "This…whatever the hell this was, be it backward, forward, sideways, or upside down, will never happen again! I will not be treated like an animal in a public hallway!"

"Oh, I suppose you're right. Inside is much nicer anyway." He chuckled and gave her a spanking. "Oh, and by the way," he added as he grabbed the door handle, getting ready to enter his penthouse. "Just so you don't think I'm a total cad, Elijah has agreed to perform a wedding ceremony for us. Just him and Selina. Nothing big or fancy, but very intimate. They'll tell you the date soon enough. Have pleasant dreams, darling."

He then entered the penthouse and slammed the door behind his back.

"Oh, yeah?" She yelled. "You have pleasant dreams too, you stupid, you dumb….ugh!" She stomped her foot. After those orgasms, being mad at him was difficult. She hated him so much, even though he was agreeing to marry her like a decent man would! Or did she hate him?

"It's too late to think about this," she muttered, running her fingers through her hair as a yawn escaped her. Now she was tired. Time to tuck herself in bed and forget everything that had happened. But, in the deepest part of her mind, she knew that was easier said than done.