The whole room went silent, their mouths opened as they stared at the tall and muscular man with the beard who'd just come into the hearing room. But he took no notice of them, standing tall with closed fists on either side of his body.
"So…that's Julian Johnson?" Kol murmured. "Never seen him before based on the anger in his eyes and the way he's glaring at Lucifer, he can't be anyone else."
"You're correct," Mikael nodded as he nervously rubbed his hands together. "That certainly is my chauffeur."
John chuckled. "Are you serious about your chauffeur being Eleanor Morningstar's lover?" He smirked. "I've clearly missed a lot, haven't I?"
"Don't tell him who that is!" Sybil snapped at her husband as she lightly hit him in the arm. "It's none of his damn business!"
"What do you want me to say?" Mikael shrugged at her helplessly. "I wasn't even speaking to him. It was Kol who asked the question." He then turned to John. "I don't see why all this is so funny to you. It's not as if you've had any forbidden relationships before."
"I'm not saying there's anything wrong," John assured him. "I don't even blame the guy because Eleanor is a beautiful woman. I'm just laughing about all I've missed while I've been…out of commission."
"How about you go back under your rock?" Selina suggested in a clear voice from the end of the row. "We were doing perfectly fine without you."
"I have to say that I agree with my wife," Elijah added through clenched teeth. "Your absence would be very much appreciated."
But John ignored them both. "Selina, my dear," he addressed her. "I was just thinking that we're sitting much too far from each other." He leaned forward, hands on his knees as he grinned at Elijah for a moment. "Always a pleasure, Elijah."
Elijah scoffed. "For you, maybe. Certainly not for me!"
"What's he doing here?" Natalie asked once it was made clear to her who Julian was. "I thought Daddy had him chained up in the dungeon!" Her eyes were wide with shock and she instinctively grabbed for Milo, squishing him against herself.
"I'm sure he did," Elijah drawled. "Although, knowing your father as I do, I doubt he took every precaution he should have. It wouldn't surprise me if he somehow planned to have Julian Johnson come barging in here and surprise everyone." He sighed and rolled his eyes. "But if the young man is one of us now, and he seems under control, it's not like we can send him back now that he's found a way out."
Milo hugged Natalie hard, for once not caring if the close contact messed up his hair. "I…I don't know if I feel comfortable having him here," he got out, and then blushed, quickly turning to bury his head in Natalie's shoulder, hugging her back just as hard.
"I don't blame you one bit, Milo," Amy told him, her face full of sympathy like her daughter's as she put a firm and supportive hand on her shoulder, then giving him a smile as he turned for a moment to face her.
Meanwhile, Selina gave Natalie a supportive look. "Sweetie, I know your father can be…unpredictable at times, but in all the years I've known him, whenever he starts something like this, it's because he has a plan. A weird plan, but a plan, nonetheless. This will all work out, I promise."
"Yes, Milo," Elijah put a hand on the young man's back. "It seems my brother is talking to your sister even now."
Meanwhile, Angelica was looking at Klaus, her eyes wide with surprise as she grabbed Klaus' right forearm. "I thought you had him chained to the wall!" She hissed.
"Well…" Klaus began with a wince. "I did lock the dungeon, I can assure you of that. But at the same time, I thought that chaining the poor man to a wall was unnecessary. I mean by now he's fully transformed and is drinking blood like a good soldier. He's not out of control or anything." He then shut his eyes tight, knowing what would follow."
"Are you kidding me?" Angelica yelled. She then hit his arm with her fist. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"Calm down and don't upset the baby, Angel," Klaus urged in a soft whisper. "This situation might not be as bad as you think. It could be an advantage against your father." He gestured at Lucifer. "I mean, look at him. He's as white as a ghost. This is something he never saw coming!" Klaus smirked and gave Lucifer a little wave that was met with an eye roll.
"No we didn't!" Angelica lashed out, shaking her head as he grabbed her shaking hands to try and calm her down. "You just…this could make things worse!"
"Everything will be fine," Klaus told her firmly. "Stop worrying. It doesn't help." He then kissed her forehead and stood up as whispers and murmurs began to fill the hearing room.
"Where are you going?" Angelica demanded and grabbed his right hand to try and pull him back.
"I'm just going to talk to our new arrival," Klaus replied. "It's the polite thing to do, isn't it?" He gave her a wink and then made his way over to Julian's side, grabbing his arm and holding him at a distance. "What are you doing here?" He asked in a whisper.
"Don't be stupid," Julian shook his head. "Cut the bullshit about acting surprised that I'm here. If you'd truly wanted me to stay in the dungeon, you would have chained me to the wall."
"I guess I forgot," Klaus shrugged and grinned. "My bad!"
"Yeah, sure," Julian rolled his eyes. "You knew perfectly well that given the opportunity, I would come straight here to be sure that the lunatic who murdered my grandmother was duly punished."
"Unfortunately, we can't do a lot with him," Klaus admitted. "The devil himself is a bit beyond the Council's jurisdiction. But even if we can't do anything permanent, we can make him miserable for a while. I'm sure that's better than nothing."
"Well, as long as he pays somehow…that's all I want," Julian confirmed.
"I hear you, my friend," he put a hand on Julian's shoulder. "I truly do."
Elsewhere, Astrid took advantage of the lull in the action to get Alistair's attention, coming to stand beside the podium. "Hey," she whispered. "Hey!"
"What?" Alistair asked.
"You know this is the best chance you have to make Lucifer pay for all he's done, so don't mess it up!" She snapped, pointing a finger at Julian Johnson. "Something tells me this is Mrs. Johnson's grandson, who escaped from wherever he's been."
"Yes," Alistair nodded. "That must be him. And Klaus and Elijah turned him, I think. He's one of the supernatural community now."
"Put him on the stand," she demanded. "This is a golden opportunity!" She grabbed his arm and gave it a shake.
"Are you touching me now, dearest one?" He raised an eyebrow. "In public, where everyone can see? Was what you got in the restroom not enough?"
Astrid let him go, a blush coloring her cheeks. "I'm just saying don't be a fool."
"During the hearing?" He teased. "Or in the bathroom?"
"Either one sits me," she replied and made her way back to her seat.
Alistair watched her go and shook his head, trying not to look at Leighton and Helene, who had undoubtedly saw the interaction and were waving at him with large grins on their faces. "Whatever," he mouthed, shaking his head as the noise in the room got louder. He would have to do something about that.
"Silence!" He yelled. "Order! We'll take a fifteen-minute recess and then resume afterward."
Nico parked and turned off the engine of his 1979 Mustang as he looked around the mountaintop. Despite it being a popular make-out spot for everyone at school, there didn't seem to be anyone else around, despite Lucifer's hearing giving everyone the day off from school.
As he marveled in the thought of having the marvelous view all to himself, he slowly turned and took in another good view, the blonde bombshell Michelle Mikaelson, who was in his car and undoing her seat-belt. She wore cowboy boots and a floral dress with a corset that really got his blood going.
Sure, she was a bitch to him most of the time, but…that didn't stop him from asking her out when everywhere was almost deserted. They hadn't done anything fancy. Just gone out for tacos.
"You…you look good," she remarked at last. "Thanks for making the effort to dress up. I appreciate it." She took her eyes off her nails for a second to take in his black trousers and long sleeved, button-up shirt. He'd pushed the sleeves up his forearms.
"You don't look so bad yourself, Princess," he returned with a smirk.
"I always dress well," she returned primly. "I'm not some sloppy werewolf like yourself!"
"I maybe dirty," he remarked, getting close to her. "Dirt, even. But you're the one who likes to roll around in it." He gave her a wink.
"Don't think you're anything special," she reprimanded him. "Since everyone is busy with the stupid hearing and there's no school, I had to do something with my day!" She then turned back to her nails before he responded.
"Oh, come on!" He told her. "Stop making stupid excuses and admit that you wanted to come here with me to make out!"
"You wish!" She rolled her eyes, but he was pleased to see a slight blush in her cheeks. "I had plenty of dates this week."
"Is that so?" He pressed, pushing a strand of dark hair out of his eyes. "With whom?" He didn't really care. He just liked seeing her squirm.
"I…well," She hadn't expected him to be bold enough to push the subject. "I had…I had sex with Roger Flamming," she said. "And we were gonna do it again today. So there!"
"Gonna be kind of hard to do," he drawled. "Good old Roger had to leave for Texas a few days ago. Some family emergency. A death, I think."
"I would ask why he'd tell you such a thing, but I don't want to know," Michelle drawled and then turned to bang on the window, swearing under her breath.
"You know, he and I were friends," he tried to assure her. "But if we're talking about what I'm doing now, since you and I did it, you don't seem to want anyone other than me!" He was proud. "Not that I blame you. I mean look at me! I'm a stud!"
"You're just a normal guy with a big ego!" Michelle burst out laughing. "I don't even know how you get anyone in your bed at all."
"You tell me," Nico returned. "Why are you here in my car?" He smirked.
She shrugged once more and looked into his eyes. Then looked down as he slapped his hand on his knee, an obvious invitation to come have a seat. She nodded, pulling her dress up her thighs to make it easier to sit, straddling him as he grabbed her around the waist.
"That's more like it, Princess," he murmured against her ear as he pushed her silky blonde hair behind her ears. "Sarcasm aside, you do look very beautiful today." He then kissed her red lips ever so lightly.
She then chuckled. "You're not so bad yourself," she murmured, leaning her head down to kiss his cheeks, then down his scruffy face and neck.
"Michelle…" He growled as he raised her skirt to caress her bare ass. "I'm surprised you went commando, Princess," he chuckled. "Not that I'm complaining. Far from it."
"Well, I think it's easier when I don't wear panties," she replied, unbuttoning his shirt with shaking fingers to caress his chest.
"I see you're trembling," he remarked, grabbing her hands to kiss her fingers. "Are you nervous?"
"No," she lied through her teeth. Then, for some reason, she decided to tell the truth. "I…a little bit, I suppose." Then she gave him an adorably shy smile.
"You know, you don't need to be," he assured her. "I would never hurt you…never!" Then a wicked twinkle gleamed in his eye. "Unless…unless you wanted me to." He put a hand on her face. "You're too beautiful to be insecure. It drives me crazy how much I want you."
"You…" Michelle's eyes widened. "You do?" She was shocked.
"Well, duh," Nico replied, one corner of his mouth going up. "I mean, have you looked in the mirror lately?" He brushed her lips gently with his.
"You know, you're not so bad yourself," she admitted, smiling and kissing him back.
"Is this why you're shitting on me every chance you get?" He smirked, his hands cupping her breasts over the fabric of her dress, first lightly, and then, when she didn't bite him or slap his hand away, cupping and squeezing, which made her moan as he reached for the small buttons of her dress, swearing under his breath. "Why did you have to wear a dress with such stupid tiny buttons?" He growled. "They're driving me nuts! It's making me want to just rip the damn thing off you!"
Michelle chuckled and put a finger on top of his lips. "You'll have to work harder than that if you want me naked, Mr. Werewolf!" Then she gave him a wink and licked her lips before sliding off his belt and undoing the zipper of his trousers so she could slide her hand under his boxers and rub his hard length.
"Oh, yes," he murmured, a growl escaping his lips. "Harder, princess, harder!" Then he let out a growl and ripped the bodice of her dress, causing the buttons to fly all over the car.
"Fuck, Nico!" She cried, slapping him gently and then kissing him hard as her breath picked up. "Watch it! This dress is expensive!"
"Do you think I care?" He asked. "You have such beautiful breasts!" He lowered his head down to suck on her erect nipples.
"Nico!" She yelled his name as her fingers threaded through his dark, curly hair, her hips bucking upward as he buried himself inside her with one hard thrust after another as he made noises of pleasure into her shoulder as she cried out his name again and again.
They began to go faster and faster as she braced herself by putting her hands on the ceiling of the car, laughing as he buried himself deeper and deeper. It didn't take long for them to climax and collapse in each other's arms.
"Damn," he got out, gently kissing her forehead as she rocked in his arms and cuddled up against him.
"Damn is right," she agreed, a full smile curving her lips as she felt him kiss her hair and savored the feeling of his warm body against hers. "I hope it was as good for you as it was for me."
"Mom!" Astrid raised her head at the word to see both of her children, Leighton and Helene, coming to sit beside her.
"What are you two doing here?" She asked. "If you felt you needed to keep me company, it's sweet, but there's no need. I can take care of myself."
"No, it's not that," Leighton shook his head. "We saw that there were two free seats near you so we wanted to come and say 'Hello'. Isn't that right, Helene?" He grinned and set his cane down next to him.
"You are so right, Leighton," Helene agreed, giving her mother a smile.
"It's very sweet, but I can't help wondering…what do you two want?" Astrid eyed her two children with suspicion, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Helene and I were just very concerned," Leighton answered with a smirk.
"Very concerned," Helene added teasingly.
"I mean, you and Father left the hearing room for a very long time, and when you came back, you seemed…very disturbed."
"Very, very disturbed," Helene agreed with a smile.
"You…you two are seeing things that aren't real," Astrid said, even as she avoided their gazes and blushed. "We…we simply exchanged a few words in the restroom. That's all. Nothing for you to worry about."
"Oh, Helene, did you hear that?" Leighton asked. "Our parents exchanged words in the restroom. I've never heard it called that before." He nudged her. "Do you ever 'exchange words' with Ludovic?"
"Well, now, I'm not sure," Helene bit her lip to keep from laughing but her dark eyes were full of light. "Mom could mean something totally different…and it was in bed rather than a bathroom."
"Did you hear, Mom?" Leighton smirked. "Helene exchanged a few words with her husband last night…in bed!"
"What's gotten into the two of you and what have you done with my children?" Astrid fumed.
"It's still us," Leighton told her. "We just wanted to have a little fun."
"But don't worry," Helene added. "We're done now. Your secret is safe with us."
"What secret?" Astrid cried, stomping her foot. "There is no secret! I simply shared some ideas with your father about how to conduct the trial since I'm much more experienced than he is!"
"Oh, sure," Leighton nodded, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "What do you think of that, Helene?"
"Complete and utter bullshit," Helene grinned.
Astrid looked back and forth between them, but neither seemed to have any shame. "Oh, just shut up about this," she ordered. "And sit back down without causing any more trouble. The trial Is about to start again."
They nodded and got up without another word, but then Leighton gave his sister a wink behind their mother's back, and Helene returned it.
Klaus and Julian gave each other one last nod before Klaus went back to his chair and Julian took the seat at the front of the room that Alistair indicated…opposite of Lucifer.
"Please state your name," Alistair told him politely.
"Julian Johnson."
"Your last name is Johnson? Are you any relation to Mrs. Johnson, the elderly woman whose death is the cause for this hearing?" The question made Lucifer growl in frustration and ball his hands into fists.
"Yes," Julian swallowed hard as he kept his eyes on Alistair. "She is…was…my grandmother."
"My deepest sympathies for your loss," Alistair told him. And he meant it.
"Thank you," Julian told him. He couldn't say any more.
After giving him time to collect himself, Alistair resumed his questioning. "I know it's difficult to talk about, but would you please explain to everyone present what happened the day of your grandmother's death?"
"This is ridiculous!" Lucifer cried, rising to his feet. "That man had an affair with my wife! What would make you think anything he says is the truth?"
"Did he now, Mr. Morningstar?" Alistair replied, biting his lip on a smile. "It seems like you weren't so sure of that a few minutes ago!"
"Well, it isn't something you want to shout out for the whole world to hear," Lucifer returned dryly. "But my wife and I have reconciled and are waiting on the arrival of yet another child."
"This is such bullshit!" Angelica cried, even though she'd made a solemn vow to herself to keep quiet. She then rose to her feet, hands on her belly. "Mom's not even here to say that you're wrong! I bet you locked her somewhere dark and cold and unpleasant! You give as much of a damn about this new baby as you did about the rest of us, which is to say not much unless we're kissing your ass!"
Lucifer grinned and shook his head slowly. "Poor dear. You're probably nervous, aren't you? Frightened that you're going to destroy the bastard child you're carrying because you're incapable of loving anyone."
"I'm not!" Angelica cried, even though she was, to a degree. "You're lying! I love this baby with all my heart. Like I used to love you before you threw me away like garbage! And like…like I love Klaus, my future husband!" Her voice broke on the word as Klaus' eyes widened and his jaw hit the floor.
"Excuse me, love, your what?" He swallowed. "Angel, what in the world?"
"Shhhh!" She put a finger to her lips. "It's nothing."
"Oh, I'm sure it's a big something," he replied with a twinkle in his eye.
"No, it's not," Angelica shook her head furiously. "Just something to say, like your big family comment earlier.
Lucifer paled as this exchange went on. "While I'm on this earth," he growled, "you will never, ever marry that bastard hybrid! Do you hear me?"
"Oh, yeah?" Angelica got out. You just watch me! If you wanted that kind of control over my life, you shouldn't have told me to get out of your life and not come back! Because now that I've discovered the benefits, I have no intention of going back under your thumb…ever!"
Chaos overtook the room again, and while Alistair shouted for order, Klaus got a reluctant Angelica back to her seat as Lucifer sat too, very reluctantly.
"Now," Alistair cleared his throat and turned back to Julian. "As I was saying, could you summarize for us what happened the day your grandmother died?"
"Yeah," Julian nodded and lowered his eyes for a moment. "I learned that the woman I was seeing…"
"You mean Eleanor Morningstar?" Alistair prompted.
"Yes," Julian nodded. "But during our relationship, I knew her as Eleanor Mikaelson." This made the room gasp in surprise.
"I see," Alistair nodded, noticing Lucifer going pale. "Interesting. Please continue."
"I found out that she was married to that man," Julian pointed at Lucifer.
"Didn't your grandmother tell you that it's not polite to point at people?" Lucifer spat.
"Oh, shut the fuck up, you murderer!" Julian muttered under his breath.
"Mr. Morningstar," Alistair added. "When you're not asked to speak, I must repeat the words of Mr. Johnson: shut the fuck up." There was an anger in his voice that wasn't usually there.
"Fine, whatever," Lucifer rolled his eyes.
"You were saying, Mr. Johnson?" Alistair questioned.
"Her husband drove to my neighbor's home that day," Julian continued. "His intent was to bring his wife back home. I couldn't believe that the woman I had fallen for was married and, to add to my misery, my neighbor's girlfriend was her daughter!" Julian's voice was hoarse by now ad he had tears in his eyes.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Alistair told him. "Any idea why she lied to you?"
"No, and it doesn't matter to me now," Julian shrugged. "What's done is done."
"And…where does your grandmother come into all this?"
"She came back home after taking care of a sick…relative, friend…someone close to her. Naturally, when she saw all the fighting going on, she felt the need to come and investigate, thinking that Eleanor, who she'd previously met, was mixed in with the man who was causing all the trouble."
"Did Lucifer Morningstar push your grandmother and cause her to die?"
"Yes, he did," Julian nodded and wiped a tear away. "He gave her a push and she lost her balance, hitting her head on a stone."
"And what do you have to say about the Angel of Death's decision that it wasn't premeditated?"
"In all honesty, and I hate myself for having to admit this, as far as my grandmother is concerned, I would agree that her death was an accident because he didn't know she was even going to be at the house."
Lucifer grinned as he watched his wife's lover admit defeat.
"But…" Julian continued. "While he may have accidentally killed my grandmother, I myself am a different story entirely." He got up and made his way to the row of chairs, then pulled up his shirt, showing a large scar over his heart that was slowly healing due to his new vampire nature, but still visible. "He brought a knife with him, intending to stab me to death for what happened with his wife. That's premeditation if I ever heard it!"
Exclamations of shock and screams of surprise met the sight of the wound. But before Alistair could say anything else, there was another bang as the door to the room opened once more and Eleanor staggered into the room, panting heavily and covered in blood.
"I'm here!" She got out. "I'm here to testify against my husband, as promised." She then took a few steps to reach Julian, looking up at him in shock. "Julian, is that you? What are you doing here?" Then she closed her eyes and collapsed, with Julian catching her just before she hit the floor, obviously not in any state to testify or do anything else for the moment.
"Mom!" Angelica cried, her voice full of fright as she rose to her feet, her body rigid. "I need to go help her. What if something happened to the baby?"
Lucifer rose too, his hands on either side of his waist, his eyes narrowed on Julian, even as he made no move to help his stricken wife.
"I know that you want to help," Klaus replied, putting a hand on Angie's arm. "But let's let Julian handle this. He might be able to figure out what's going on."
But even though Angelica was ordered to stay put, Milo was not, and he was the one who made his way toward his mother.
"Oh, dear lord, Eleanor!" Selina cried, in shock.
"Wait!" Elijah cried out, stopping Milo just in time because he had the same idea Klaus did as he watched Julian pick Eleanor up. "Your mother will be taken care of, my boy. No need to overwhelm her now."
"That man is gonna take care of her?" Milo asked, pointing at Julian. "Call me crazy, but I'm not entirely comfortable with a man I don't know being alone with my mother when she's so vulnerable."
"Better him than your father," Natalie replied bluntly, hand on his shoulder.
When she was settled comfortably in his arms, Julian carried her out of the hearing room and into the hallway, away from the noise and agitation of the crowd.
"I need to go, Klaus!" Angelica insisted once more.
"Angie, listen to me," he told her calmly but firmly as he cupped her face and looked into her eyes. "Even though you haven't known Julian very long and didn't meet him in the best of circumstances, you have to realize by now that he is a good man. He won't let anything happen to your mother. She's safe with him."
"Oh, I guess you're right," Angelica replied, heaving a big sigh, but sitting back in her chair, much to Klaus' relief.
Meanwhile, Alistair was trying to figure out what to do next when a whistle made him jump out of his skin. Then he turned and saw Astrid gesturing for him to join her.
"What?" He asked warily. "Do you have any thoughts? Remember that I'm running this hearing, not you."
"Well, it's obvious that Lucifer kept Eleanor locked up somewhere, isn't it?" She asked
"Of course," he nodded. "I mean, just look at her."
"So that means you have to put him behind bars for good!" Astrid glared at Lucifer, who noticed almost immediately and gave her a cheeky wave. All the time dealing with Eleanor had allowed her to forget how much she hated him, but now, Astrid's hatred of the devil was coming back full force.
"You know I would love nothing more than to lock him up or have him done away with after all the trouble he's caused," Alistair assured her. "But I can't! The only person who can really do anything impactful is Steve!"
"But you can't just let him walk out of here with no punishment," Astrid bit her bottom lip. "How are you going to punish him?"
"Well, don't you worry, I've thought of ways to make him suffer," Alistair assured her as an evil grin curved his lips. "Now that Julian Johnson has proven without a doubt that Lucifer is guilty of an attempt at premediated murder, I have all I need to make sure he can never pull something like this again.
"Good," Astrid grinned. "You know, you're really not so bad at this after all." She put her hand on his arm. "Make me proud, okay?"
Alistair smirked. "You mean you want to actually be proud of your future ex-husband?"
"Whatever," Astrid blushed before turning to go back to her chair. "Can't you just take a compliment?"
He burst out laughing and then turned to the crowd to try and calm the insanity that had taken over. "Order!" He shouted. "Order in the court! Everyone calm down! In light of recent events, once more, we're taking a five-minute recess!"
Julian Johnson carried the unconscious Eleanor down the long corridor until he finally noticed an open door leading to an empty office with an empty leather sofa. As he looked down at her, he shook his head, wondering why he'd picked her up and taken her away from the hearing room. Could it be because he'd loved her as a human once upon a time? It hadn't been so long ago.
He made his way inside and set her down on the cushion, sitting next to her and examining her bloody hands. The blood didn't seem to be hers, he realized with a sigh of relief. Then, he gently checked her in a very clinical fashion to see if she had been wounded, but when she didn't cry out in pain, he decided she was all right. But he kept his hands on her belly for a few seconds longer, a grin on his lips. The baby had kicked hard when he'd touched her there. She had life inside her, even if that life had been made by her and Lucifer Morningstar as opposed to her and…no. He paused, shaking his head as he pulled his hands away like he'd been burned. That never would have happened. She'd never have his baby. No sense in thinking about it anymore.
Julian jogged over to the sofa and set Eleanor down, taking up some space next to her to examine her bloody hands. It didn't seem like it was her blood, which filled him with relief. Then, in a very clinical way, began running his hands over her body to make sure she hadn't been injured anywhere else. And to his surprise, when he put his hands on her belly and kept them there for a few seconds, the baby kicked hard in response. This made him smile. Eleanor had a life growing inside her, even if the man partly responsible for the creation of that life was Lucifer Morningstar. He quickly pulled his hands away as if he'd been burned and backed away, taking a deep breath. He was letting himself get too involved in something that wasn't his business anymore! It seemed like she wasn't harmed and that was all that mattered. He then crept forward and pushed a loose strand of hair from her eyes, giving him a good view of her angelic face. Damn it, he thought, against his better judgement. Damn it, she was beautiful!
Then Eleanor slowly opened her lovely brown eyes and stared at him. "Julian," she whispered as she tried to prop herself up on her elbow.
"Now wait a minute," he urged. "You fainted not too long ago. Just rest, would you?" He gently pushed her back down and picked up a nearby carafe to pour her a glass of water.
"Where am I?" She asked, wincing at the light and then putting an arm over her eyes for a moment.
"Council building," he answered, giving her the water glass and sitting down beside her. "Drink this, please."
She nodded and took a few gulps. "I…yes, I remember now."
"You made quite the entrance, you know," he drawled.
"Sorry, I was…I was busy ad scared that I wouldn't be able to get here in time and tell everyone the truth about…about your grandmother's death," She apologized and then rested again on her side.
"Even if it means that the father of your baby has to pay for his crimes?" He asked, jaw tense.
"Oh, yes," Ellie nodded. Mostly because she knew the father of her baby wouldn't pay because of what she had to say. He had paid enough because of her actions. She considered herself extremely lucky he was sitting by her side right now!
They sat in silence for a bit and then he shook his head. "Are you waiting for a 'thank you'?" He asked tonelessly.
"Oh, never," she shook her head as tears filled her eyes. "After all I've put you through, I know I don't deserve one. I'm just trying to make up for what I did."
"Well, it's good you realize how much you've screwed up my life," Julian told her after having a big sigh.
"Julian…" She murmured his name and lifted a hand to stroke his bearded cheek. "I like your beard. It suits you." She gave him a shy smile and traced his jawline with the tips of her fingers.
Meanwhile, he swallowed hard and tried to stay calm as his body reacted to her touch. Just one of the fun new perks of being supernatural! He let it go on until he could barely stand it, then pushed her hand away. "Don't do that anymore," he told her. "Please."
"Right," she murmured, feeling horrible. "I shouldn't have touched you. I'm sorry."
They lapsed into silence once more before she finally found the courage to speak again. "I know this might sound crazy, but…while I was unconscious, did I feel your hands on my body and belly?"
"Yeah, sorry," he blushed. "I…I was just checking to see if you'd been hurt anywhere, and when I put my hands on your belly, the baby kicked…very hard."
She closed her eyes and smiled, very pleased by his words. It was so good to know that the baby recognized her father!
But before she had a chance to speak, they were interrupted by a commotion outside.
"Get away from my wife!" Lucifer yelled as he made his way into the room. "You no longer have anything to do with her!"
"Oh, you mean like you're going to pretend you have nothing to do with my grandmother's death?" Julian demanded, standing up with hands on his hips.
Soon Alistair joined them, followed by Klaus, Angelica, and Milo.
"No one gave you permission to come on here," Alistair told Lucifer firmly. "Go back to the hearing room this instant!"
"Oh, but this is my wife who is having such trouble," Lucifer reminded him with glee. "You can't forbid me to stay away from my poor, sick wife. Dear Eleanor, I hope you're all right! You had me so worried!" Then he leaned down to whisper in Ellie's ear. "Say one word against me and I'll make sure that one day your precious Julian will die!"
Ellie paled at the threat but got a little bit of strength from the sight of Angelica shoving her father away and taking his place instead. "Will you get the hell away from her, you manipulative, conniving jackass?" She snapped. Then she turned and spoke to her mother, in a much gentler voice. "Mom, are you okay? When you collapsed like that…I was so worried!"
"You see how my daughter is treating me?" Lucifer pointed out to Alistair as he regained his balance and straightened his blazer.
"Frankly, I think she was incredibly restrained, all things considering," Alistair admitted. "I would have done much worse in her place."
"Oh, are we doing bad things to him?" Klaus grinned wickedly. "If you need help, please ask!"
"Go to hell, Mikaelson!" Lucifer spat. "I wish I could send you there myself and make it so you could never leave!"
Meanwhile, Ellie took her daughter's hand. "I'm fine," she said, ignoring the men's bickering. "Just disoriented and weak." She gave Angelica a smile.
"You really gave us a scare!" Milo told her, squeezing her hand.
Ellie looked at the son she'd given up so much for and put a warm hand on his face. "I'm just fine, I promise. There was…there was a soul in hell who had done many bad things…committed all the sins. And punishing those types of people, well…it took a lot out of me, but I wanted to be sure I didn't miss the chance to say my piece at your father's hearing." Then she met Klaus' eyes. "Nice to see you too, Klaus."
"Likewise, Eleanor," he nodded. "Happy to see that Julian took such good care of you and that nothing has happened to make things worse." He glared at Lucifer.
"Yes, Julian," Alistair nodded. "Thank you so much for taking care of Mrs. Morningstar."
Julian shrugged. "It's what any good human would do." He paused. "I mean any…whatever, you know what I mean." He waved a dismissive hand.
"Thank you, Julian," Angelica told him firmly, "for looking after my mother."
"I would say you have a good soul," Milo added.
"Thank you," Julian nodded. "I'll take it."
"Stop fawning over this fool!" Lucifer cried. "You're him much more attention than he deserves!"
"Oh, I would be thankful for there being someone else to take attention away from you, Lucifer," Alistair told him as everyone turned to see Astrid standing in the doorway. "I've reached a decision about what to do with you, so I would like everyone to return to the hearing room now." He took Ellie's hand. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but…you don't seem to be in any condition to move or otherwise participate in the hearing. If it's all right with you, Astrid will keep you company until the hearing has concluded."
"Yes, it's all right," Ellie nodded as Astrid put an arm around her. "Thank you, Alistair. I'll stay right here."
Elijah strode back to his seat, excusing his family for any interruption, even though they didn't seem the least bit bothered by it.
"Elijah, finally! What did you learn?" Selina yelled as her husband approached.
"Yes, son, don't leave us in suspense, for fuck's sake!" Mikael snapped, worry in his voice.
"Please tell us if you learned anything," Sybil added.
"Oh, I want to know too, this is better than TV!" John added with a chuckle.
"I don't recall anyone asking you to be in on our conversation," Mikael remarked dryly.
"You have to love my brother," Kol drawled. "So drunk with power that when he knows something that he can keep from the rest of us, he doesn't hesitate to do so." He then rolled his eyes and got a better grip on the drinks in his lap.
"Bite me, Kol," Elijah snapped.
"He's trying," Amy scolded her husband. "Don't yell at him."
"I'm sure he's trying very hard," Kol drawled and held up a bottle of water. "I bought this for you if you want to drink it."
"You know, you're my husband and I love you," Selina said, elbowing her husband gently. "But spit out what you know, or else!"
"All right, all right," Elijah rubbed his arm. "No need to hit."
"I didn't hit you," Selina protested. "I barely tapped you!"
"Do you want to hear what I know or not?" Elijah snapped.
"Sorry." Selina sat down heavily and shut up.
"Well, the good news is that Eleanor is fine, and the baby is fine," Elijah began. "She is staying in another room with Astrid until the trial ends, which will be soon."
"It's a good thing Eleanor is okay," Selina hissed. "Steve should be grateful this isn't yet another occasion where I feel the urge to punch him in the face."
"I'm glad too," Sybil nodded. "She seems to have endured a lot and it's time she be allowed to heal. As for Astrid…" She trailed off and grinned.
"Yes," Amy nodded with a wink at Astrid and Selina. "It's nice to know Astrid is looking after her."
"Wonderful that she's helping her husband," Selina smirked.
"Whatever you're implying with your euphemisms or sneaky talk or whatever you call it, I think it best if you all keep your noses out of other people's marriages," Elijah warned them.
Selina shrugged. "Well, if I knew what you were talking about, do you think I would react well to being bossed around like that, Mr. Man?"
"Everybody quiet," Amy said. "Looks like they're coming back!"
It was then that Alistair entered the hearing room, followed by Lucifer and some others, taking their seats at the podium and the front of the room.
Azrael came by her sister Avery, who was uncharacteristically nervous and chewing on her usually perfect nails. "Are you okay?" She asked.
"Not really, as you can see," Avery said. "Please tell me how the baby is. And is Eleanor all right?"
"Eleanor is all right," Azrael promised her sister as she took her hand and gave it a squeeze to give her courage. "The baby is all right too. Ellie's just really tired and Astrid is looking after her in one of the offices until the trial ends."
"Oh, thank goodness," Avery breathed a sigh of relief, not knowing how much her father had to do with anything going on these days.
"Now I need to get back to my place because I think Alistair is about to announce our brother's sentence." She gave Avery a weak smile.
"Not a minute too soon, if you ask me," Avery called at her sister's retreating back.
Azrael paused, nodded over her shoulder, and then went to sit down, waiting with bated breath for the verdict.
"Everyone please sit," Alistair announced politely before turning to Julian Johnson. "Mr. Johnson, now that you have given your immensely helpful testimony, you may sit with everyone else now. Thank you for your assistance."
Julian nodded, taking a seat in the back under the exit sign, his back glued to the wall.
As everyone sat down, Lucifer sighed loudly at the theatricality of the proceedings as Astrid and Ellie made their way back to the hearing room, Astrid keeping a firm grip on Ellie's arm to keep her steady as she walked.
"You really should have stayed on the sofa," Astrid said. "You've had a terrible shock, and that requires rest to recover from." It felt like the hundredth time she'd mentioned it.
"And normally, I would be more than happy to follow your advice, but…do you really think I would miss my husband being prosecuted by yours? Not to mention the look on Lucifer's face when Alistair passes sentence."
"Well, good point, I don't want to miss it either," Astrid chuckled. Then she paused and pulled Ellie a little closer. "I know it's none of my business, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but…why are you with Lucifer still when he's become so horrible? You deserve better! Is it…is it because of the baby?"
"Yeah," Ellie sighed and then gave Astrid a forced smile, not wanting to bring anyone else into this mess that was her own fault. "It's the baby…and some other things. But you don't have to worry about me, please. I've already made a big enough mess without dragging someone else into it."
They reached the hearing room just in time for Ellie to meet Julian's eye and give him a shy smile, which she was sure he saw. But he didn't return it, instead turning away from her.
"Come on, it's all right," Astrid said, not noticing the moment between the two lovers. "There are two chairs over there, next to Avery. Let's grab them."
"Are you all right, Eleanor?" Avery asked her sister-in-law as she helped her sit down.
"Yes, thank you, Avery," Ellie promised. "But thank you for your concern, truly."
"Mr. Morningstar," Alistair began when everyone seemed ready for him to continue. "After much thought and deliberation, I've reached a verdict."
"Well, it's about time you told me I was cleared of all charges," Lucifer rose to his feet before Alistair could say another word. "I have places to be, and things to do. And I hope the Council will send out a letter of apology to everyone here for wasting their time with this…this display of theater!"
"Oh, you mean taking care of your poor wife?" Alistair asked perniciously.
"What goes on between me and my wife is none of your business," Lucifer murmured between clenched teeth.
"Very well," Alistair nodded as he buried his hands in the pockets of his trousers. "On the count of the premeditated murder of the human woman Mrs. Johnson, you are, unfortunately for everyone in this room, not guilty!"
"It's about time!" Lucifer cried, beginning to rise to his feet. "Like you were going to say anything else. "Now can I go?"
"No, you can't!" Alistair snapped narrowing his eyes on the tall man. "Sit back down until you're given permission to leave!" He paused and cleared his throat, ready to deliver the final blow. "On the count of the attempted murder of her grandson, Julian Johnson, who was only saved by the quick thinking of Klaus Mikaelson when he turned him into a vampire, along with the help of Mikael and Elijah Mikaelson, you have been found…guilty!"
Gasps of surprise filled the room as Lucifer went pale. "You don't have any proof of what you allege I did to that human!" He cried.
"We have more than enough witnesses, plus the testimony of the victim himself," Alistair reminded the devil. "Now, thanks to supernatural law, and the fact that you technically are not one of us, we can't punish you as severely as you deserve by putting you in prison or having you killed, but…we can put you under surveillance to make sure you don't cause any more trouble." He grinned, eying Amy sitting in her seat.
"Why is he looking at you like that?" Kol asked Amy when he noticed this. "I don't think I like it. He's up to something and wants you to take part!"
"Oh, please," Amy scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, Kol! What would he want me for?!"
"Give me your hand," Kol ordered. "We're leaving now."
"No, I want to see this finished!" Amy scolded him, pushing his hand away. "If you want to wait in the car, go ahead. I'm not going anywhere."
"You can't do this to me!" Lucifer shouted, outraged. "I'm not a child!"
"That's rich coming from you when you needed me to mother you my whole life!" Angelica shouted. "If you don't want to be treated like a child, then stop acting like one!"
"Don't say another word, you heartless, spoiled brat!" Lucifer cried, making Angelica go pale and sway on her feet until Klaus held her steady.
"Ignore him," he whispered. "You're no such thing. He's just acting out because he lost. It has nothing to do with you."
"Furthermore," Alistair continued. "To help Mr. Morningstar deal with his…issues, he is ordered to undergo therapy sessions with Amy Mikaelson for a period of six months after the birth of her baby, after which time, we will evaluate his progress and see where we should go from there."
"Wow!" Amy grinned, light in her eyes. "Didn't see that coming!"
"Is there a way you can stop this?" Mikael asked Kol.
"Well, I don't know one at the moment, but you can be certain I will find one, Father, no matter how long it takes!" Kol replied, baring his teeth.
"That's all?" Lucifer chuckled. "That's my sentence? It will be a pleasure to pass time with Mrs. Mikaelson Mikaelson Mikaelson!"
"Oh, that's not all," Alistair shook his head. "Far from it. Your wife Eleanor will be put in the Council's custody for her own protection and that of your baby, and watched by my wife, Astrid Fale."
"What the fuck?" Astrid raised an eyebrow and turned to Ellie. "Did you hear that? I'm back in the game! For some reason, my husband wants me to do something useful with my time!"
"And not only that, it involves getting me the hell away from Lucifer." Ellie was just as shocked.
"Finally," Alistair grinned, his voice full of barely disguised glee. "An ankle monitor will be placed on you for six months so we can track your moments, day in, day out, again, to make sure you don't cause any more trouble." He smirked and motioned at the guards, who immediately grabbed Lucifer's arms in a tight grip. "Thank you, gentlemen. Please escort Mr. Morningstar to the back room so he can have the tracker put on and we can all breath a little easier tonight because another lunatic has been stopped from being allowed to roam the streets and cause trouble without consequence."
As Lucifer struggled against the guards and yelled and swore, the audience reacted with surprise at actually seeing him convicted and taken away.
"Brilliant, Father!" Leighton cheered as he leaned against his cane.
"Did you see what he did with Mom?" Helene pointed out.
"I sure did," Leighton grinned. "He missed her and wants her back in the game with him." He paused. "I think he's still very much in love with her."
Meanwhile, Angelica looked at Klaus with shock, and then burst into tears as she hugged him tight.
"Yeah, that's right," he said as he held her. "Your father is toast and I'm as happy about it as you are."
"This is unacceptable!" Lucifer shouted. "I won't be tagged and tracked like some…some farm animal!"
"Then stop acting like one," Alistair spat.
Then he turned his attention to Julian. "Mr. Johnson, on behalf of the Council, please accept my deepest apologies for the loss of your grandmother and the fact that these events caused you to be brought into the supernatural community."
Julian nodded, gave Ellie a quick glance, which she returned with tears in her eyes, before he pushed open the door of the hearing room and left without another word.