Azazeal became adorably annoying, fiercely protective, and exceedingly gentle over the course of the next few weeks. He seemed apparently physically incapable of being away from her for more than a few hours, much to Cassie's amusement. She quickly decided that there was no reason to discourage him, despite the fact he was being so silly, and so would generally go over to him to get a few kisses before going back to what ever she had been doing. She was happy for him because he had really missed this with Malachi, and so had she in a way, and looking back on his behavior the few times she had seen him while pregnant, he actually wasn't much different except that she had pushed him away then.

He had set Ardousius to look after her and act as midwife of sorts for she had somehow been involved in childbirth. She went with her to her regular doctor's visits and made sure she ate and rested, which Cassie did forget to do sometimes when she got busy. Ardousius told her that this pregnancy would progress similarly to the first and would be completed in about a third of the time of a normal human pregnancy, but assured her that there was nothing to worry about. Ardousius had a wealth of knowledge on this subject which comforted Cassie since this would be the first time she actually had a baby.

There had also developed a kind of unspoken set of "office hours" at their church. Since they had moved their bedrooms back into the depths of the church the front had become the bustling meeting place for the angels and you could expect to find at least one or two of them there 24 hours a day. Now no one was there after 10pm and no one dared enter before 9am. She could only assume this was due to her "condition."

"Ramiel," Azazeal roared from their bedroom as he finished putting himself together.

Cassie smiled to herself and shook her head at him. As her pregnancy had progressed and she had grown bigger, he had grown snappy at everyone but her. No matter how many times Ardousius and Cassie told him that it would be okay and no matter how much he desired her, he would not allow himself to make love to her and it was beginning to effect his mood. Despite how much wicked pleasure as it would have given her to tempt him, she mercifully let him be.

Tonight, the "boys" had insisted on taking him out on the town and hopefully this would ease some of his tension. They were all very proud of how human this type of activity was but Azazeal really didn't want to leave her so close to her time. She had had to practically order him to go, so she and Ardousius could enjoy a quiet night to themselves.

Predictably and yet unknowingly, the boys took Azazeal to the same club where he had seduced Cassie, where they proceeded to get him and themselves intoxicated in almost everyway possible. There was much laughter and mischief as they all relaxed. There were also, of course, many of Azazeal's "old friends" at the club who he deftly handed off to his angelic brothers one by one.

In the early morning, he awoke to find himself and his friends strewn around the club on couches, chairs, and the floor. For a moment he fondly remembered the debauchery of last night but quickly realized that he'd left Cassie alone all night. He flew home in a rush, only to find her sleeping peacefully, and with a smile he curled up next to her and fell back to sleep.

As crazy as it may sound, Lucifer, the Prince of Darkness, was in Los Angeles, California…dating. Well, sort of. Really his activities mostly consisted of haunting clubs and the streets of LA and occasionally picking up a girl for sex. He wasn't really taking this seriously yet because the new town and supply of amusement had distracted him from his original intent.

One evening was he was sitting at the bar in one of his favorite clubs, two girls entered who he was familiar with: a striking redhead and a pretty sun-kissed blond. The redhead was a diehard regular while her friend accompanied her only occasionally. It amused him to watch them because as the redhead held court and toyed with all of the men in the place, the blond allowed her attention-seeking friend to act as a filter in order to find the best of them. The redhead lured them in with the promise of sex and the blond would take a closer look to see if she found anything worthwhile.

Despite the fact that she was only pretty and not beautiful, the blond simultaneously gave off the impression that she was open and available but that she was just slightly too good for anyone in the place. She would rarely talk or dance with anyone she didn't appear to know already and almost never allowed anyone to buy her a drink. She also had this curious way of protecting her friend from unwanted suitors by sort of acting towards them in a manner that a man might who was protecting his sister. But he had to admit it was effective and she obviously must have proved herself previously because many of the men only needed a look from her to back off.

Although, this might give you the impression that she was haughty, she was not. This was simply her way of dealing with this game that they were all playing. She was fun, well liked, and though she didn't know it, secretly the desire of many of the men there, because while her friend offered sex, she unknowingly exuded the possibility of seduction. And while her friend traded favors for drinks and attention, she had this way of, sometimes…just sometimes, getting one of them to do a favor for her simply to make her happy.

She walked over and pressed up to the bar next to him to get the bartender's attention. She ordered a Whiskey Sour and a Vodka Gimlet.

Lucifer turned to her and smoothly said, "Let me get those for you."

She turned to him, considering, and then responded, "If you can guess which drink is for me, maybe."

"The Whiskey, you're not as pretentious as your friend."

"Interesting," she smiled, "Pay the man," she said and walked back to her friend.

As Lucifer finished his drink and the last of his cigarette, he casually decided that he wanted her this evening, if only to have what so many these men wanted. He walked over to where they where sitting and she looked up to greet him, but her friend noticed him too and said, "Hello there," before she could speak.

"Do you want to join us?" Her friend asked.

"Yes, I believe I do."

He purposely picked a spot next to his conquest but the red-haired friend, Tiffany was her name, immediately began the questioning. The name he used tonight was Luke and the rest he invented without much consideration as she made conversation. He glanced at the blond, Elizabeth, who had originally been listening, but to his dismay, he'd lost her attention. As the music changed to a new song, her face lit up and after finishing her drink, she leapt up to grab one of the guys to dance. He should have known better than to pay too much attention to her friend, because he had noticed that, unlike most women who were made jealous by a man noticing her friend, she just discarded them.

He watched her as she danced and enjoyed the way she moved as if it were the music, and not herself, that determined each movement. Tiffany was still chattering, but a little mental suggestion directed to one of her nearby suitors got her mercifully pulled away and he barely acknowledged her leaving. When the song was finished, Elizabeth came back to their table where 'Luke' had replaced only her drink with a fresh one and lit a new cigarette. She immediately noticed the drink and glanced at him with a smile. She settled herself back in to her spot next to him and said, "Luke, right?"

At her invitation, he followed her home in "his car" and she took him to a nice little house south of the city. She let him in and told him to make himself at home while she changed and he wandered around the small four-bedroom house looking at her things. The living room and dining room were decorated with a mix of antique wood furniture and newer artistic furniture, while the walls featured French impressionist paintings next to Asian art and kimonos. The wall of hallway that lead to the four rooms, prominently displayed pictures of a man and a woman who he assumed were her grandparents which were surrounded by rosaries, religious medals, old scapulars, and crosses with milagros hammered into them. In the spare bedroom, at the back of the house, he found her book shelves filled with all types of fiction and non-fiction, in addition to bibles and other religious text right next to books on witchcraft, the Kabbala, and magic. He smiled to himself and her choice in reading material. As he went back down the hallway towards the front of the house, he stopped by the room she had set aside for her office and he glanced out the windows which looked out on the front lawn. As he turned to make his way back to the living room, her guardian angel made him presence known to Lucifer but indicated only that he would not let him hurt the girl, to which Lucifer laughed out loud, and responded that he had no intention of doing so. This was definitely a first. He had never had anyone's guardian angel let out so much as a peep when he was around, but there was a first time for everything.

He may his way to the living room and was soon met by Elizabeth, who was now dressed in a light silk robe. She took him by the hand and lead him to her bedroom.