Alistair Fale entered his house and shut and locked the door behind him, then leaned against it with a big sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes tight, and then throwing his briefcase on a nearby table.

He then made his way to the living room, hoping to sit and have a good rest, but that train of thought ended when the first thing he saw was his wife Astrid, lounging on the sofa with a crystal glass full of wine in hand.

"Nice to see the same old Astrid," he told her dryly.

"What can I say?" She shrugged. "Why shouldn't I toast a successful marriage at least once a day? Or maybe I was thinking ahead about how you'd want me to toast your glory, oh, great head of the Council!" She raised her glass in the air, then rose to her feet, stumbling after taking just one step. "To my dear husband, who stole my career, my prestige, and my self-esteem, essentially ruining my entire life!"

"I didn't do that," he shook his head. "I would never, you know that. But it seems like you have no problem doing it on your own."

"Would you just admit that this is what you wanted all along?" She asked as she strode over to him, standing straighter now. "To become the one in charge of the Council? To be able to say you were the first man to accomplish it?"

"I would tell you that you're wrong over and over," he said simply. "But it doesn't matter. You can believe what you want. I won't deny though, that it's nice to be the one who's finally giving my fellow warlocks a voice in our world."

A pernicious smile curved Astrid's lips. Then she threw her head back and began laughing. "That's such bullshit," she told him. "Your speech about men finally getting their rightful place…it's more about you getting power for yourself and nothing else, you greedy son of a-"

"Stop!" He snapped, shaking his head and placing both hands on either side of her waist as he narrowed his eyes at the woman who, up until now had been the unquestioned love of his life, but was now the biggest bitch he'd ever known. "You're lucky I'm not the sort to lay a hand on the woman or I swear I would slap you, Astrid."

"Oh, go ahead and do it!" Astrid told him, a wicked twinkle in her eye. "I dare you." She leaned forward so her face was just a inch from her husband's and she waited. "Let's test if a demon or warlock is more powerful. Something tells me I'd win."

"May be you would," he shrugged. "But I'd still be head of the Council. And that, my dear, makes me the winner regardless, doesn't it?" He then gave her a mock bow in an effort to hurt her more, feeling some glee as she paled. Then he turned away and went to grab his briefcase off the table where he'd put it, pulling an envelope out. He held it out to her. "I think it's time for us to end all this. Stop making ourselves miserable."

Astrid stared blankly, hugging her arms to her. "What…what are those papers?"

"You know what they are," he said in a gently voice. Then he sighed. "I think it's time. I'm done. I don't want to fight anymore, and I know that in your heart of hearts, you don't either."

"You…you're serving me divorce papers?" She asked, her voice full of shock.

"It…it's the right thing to do," he nodded. "The sooner we stop this sham of a marriage, the sooner we'll be able to embark on new lives that will actually make us happy."

She snatched the envelop from his hands and slowly tore it to pieces as he watched, throwing the pieces on the floor as his eyes widened in shock. "You can take those divorce papers and stick them up your ass!" She snapped. "If you think that you can just give me divorce papers and I'll sign them without a fight and then go quietly without making your life hell, you are sorely mistaken!" She spat. "The last thing you deserve is a neat and tidy divorce on a silver platter."

He shrugged, unaffected by her tantrum. He had expected this. She wouldn't have been Astrid without it. I have many copies back in my office. I was just hoping we could handle all this quickly and peacefully, but apparently, you have other ideas. Whatever they are, though, I swear you'll sign the papers, one way or the other." He paused and cleared his throat. "You know what's amazing to me?"

"Your giant ego?" She raised her chin just a little and smirked.

"No," Alistair shook his head. "The fact that you are putting so much effort into hating me and everything you've become and so little effort into loving your son. Would you have acted differently if he'd been a daughter? A blue-eyed blonde like you?" He accused.

Astrid started, his insult making her go pale, although since it was his go-to insult by now, she shouldn't have been shocked by it. Filled with rage, she let out a loud grunt and slapped Alistair hard across his smug, bearded face.

Alistair swore under his breath, his eyes wide with surprise as he brought his hand up to the redness in his cheek as a growl of anger escaped his throat.

"Don't you ever imply that I don't love my son, do you hear me?" She snapped, poking him in the chest, although each touch was like an electric shock, especially as she brought her finger down, and then her whole hand, feeling rock hard muscle against her palm.

Alistair let this go on for a little bit, his breath picking up, until he grabbed one of her wrists and then the other, making her cry out while he locked eyes with her.

"Don't you ever lay a hand on me again," he hissed, feeling his eyes go down to her lips against his will, before he brought them up to glare at her and shake her as well as he could, given their position. "Do you understand me, woman?"

"Why don't you like me putting my hands on you?" She drawled. "Is someone already paying for the privilege to rub your dick the right way? Did you give that new secretary of yours, Leticia, a raise?"

Alistair took a deep breath in through his nose and crashed his mouth on his wife's, over her brief cry of protest, before he held her arms over her head to keep them still. Then he slowly raised her leather skirt to slide it between her thighs. He knew he'd be damned for this. Maybe they had a special place for people like him. But he knew that no matter how much he despised the way Astrid was acting, he was still very, very much sexually attracted to her. He still needed her physically.

Since she had become a demon, she had begun dressing differently, and everything she wore now made her even sexier than she'd been before (and that had been plenty!) Now she was almost more than he could handle.

She finally opened her lips with a moan of pleasure, opening her mouth and letting his tongue in so he could taste her in a deeper way as his hand slid under her skirt.

"Since when do you not wear panties?" He asked in surprise as his fingers stroked her wet folds.

"I…I don't know," she stammered with a slight blush as she tried to avoid his gaze.

"Don't get me wrong," he whispered against her ear. "I'm not complaining. I like it." He then slid his fingers the rest of the way inside her.

Their kiss deepened after that, her loud moans showing she was close to release. She threw her head back, allowing him to kiss the soft skin of her neck and notice her now red eyes. She'd always though that was a turn off for him, but apparently not! She called out his name the moment she reached her climax. Then he stepped back and caught his breath before speaking.

"Sign the damn papers, Astrid!"

He then turned on his heel, a hand covering his crotch as he made his way to his own bedroom, where he'd laid his head since he and Astrid had separated. Damn it, she'd made him come in his own pants!

He was so focused on reaching his bedroom that he didn't notice the tiny woman standing in the shadows, who stepped back to hide behind a large plant. She put a hand over her mouth to stifle a cry of surprise. It seemed that poor Leighton's parents were in an…unexpected place, and she had just seen something that no one else but them should have seen.

When she was sure that Alistair was safely locked in his room, Azrael tiptoed to the nursery, heading inside and gently shutting the door behind her back. But as she looked into Leighton's crib, she began to feel sick. It was empty!

Where was baby Leighton? It was like he had disappeared! Like he didn't exist! There was no sign of life anywhere, curtains closed, no toys on the floor…even though as far as she knew, Leighton had never left the nursery, even with his babysitter! Nor could he walk without crying, as far as she knew. Of course she hadn't seen him in a while because she'd been busy, but…

She backed away, narrowing her eyes as she looked in every corner to try and locate the baby. Finally, she spotted a young man sitting in the dark, in a nearby armchair. As her eyes met his, her chest rose and fell as her breath picked up. He was probably a burglar. Or a kidnapper who had infiltrated the house and taken baby Leighton hostage!

She turned on her heel and sped over to the nursery door, a cry of fear escaping her as she saw the door closing in front of her eyes, and two hands on either side of her, trapping her so she couldn't leave the room as a muscular body pressed against her back.

"What have we here?" He asked. "Not so fast, little one. Explain yourself!" His lips were against her ear as he spoke, and his warm breath caressed her skin.

"Who…who are you? Where's Leighton? Please tell me! He's just a baby!"

Whoever the man was, he was playing with all her senses. She felt like her whole body had been set on fire.

He chuckled, and as he stepped away from her, she felt herself finally being able to breathe. "You know, I'm hurt deeply by the fact that you don't recognize me, Azrael."

"How do you know my name?"

He grinned. "I know much more than your name." He turned and limp over to a small dresser, grunting in pain from his left leg, turning on a lamp and grabbing a cane as the room lit up. Then he looked at her and waited.

Now there was no mistaking his identity, eve though he was much taller and had a full head of dark blond, curly hair, along with a five o'clock shadow. She realized he could be no one other than Leighton Fale himself, all grown up!

"I…"

"I know that you're the Angel of Death and were sent here to bring me to heaven." He leaned against the dresser to release the pressure on his leg. "And since I'm clearly not going anywhere, I have no idea why you've chosen to spend ours and hours with me, taking me in your arms every night since I was an infant to help me through unbelievable pain."

Azrael sighed loudly, then rubbed her hands together in an attempt to distract herself. "I…" It was all she could say. She couldn't explain why she hadn't helped this poor baby die, like she'd done for so many others who were suffering. She couldn't explain why she wanted so badly to help him live instead. It wasn't her purpose. It wasn't her life.

"Please don't think I'm a fool by denying who you are. I would recognize your scent anywhere," Leighton challenged. "And your presence too. I suppose there's a reason people don't ignore death."

"My scent?" Azrael shook her head. "You're making a mistake. I don't wear perfume." She raised her chin a little and stared at him.

"I'm not talking about perfume," he said, shaking his head as a grin curved his lips. Then he grabbed his cane and advanced toward her, making her blush with his insistent stare. She buried her trembling hands in the pockets of her jeans.

"Tell me," He said once he reached her, closing his eyes to try and get rid of the pain in his leg. She saw it right away.

"Are you all right?"

He straightened, then leaned over a little, sniffing her hair. "Yes," he told her when he stood up again. "I'm fine." He sighed and then reached up to move some strands of hair out of her eyes, tucking them behind her left ear. "Tell me, Azrael: Why me? Why did you choose to look after me when so many others could have used that kind of attention before you took them to the afterlife?"

Her jaw dropped and she tried to keep calm as she found herself looking into the most beautiful pair of blue eyes that she had ever seen. If her father had anything to do with this because of his stupid matchmaking, he would hear from her! Why did she have to experience this? Why did one look from those eyes make her tremble from head to toe?

He lowered his gaze and gently brushed her cheeks with his fingers.

"Please don't do that," she begged. "Don't touch me." She raised her head and gently pushed his hand away. "I don't like to be touched like that."

"What about other ways?" He countered. "Like holding a baby in your arms almost every night?" He grinned.

Azrael looked down again, blushing bright red, because damn him for bringing that up!

"When…when did this happen?" She asked, gesturing.

"You mean, when did I become an adult? About two weeks ago. You stopped coming. Lots of deaths, I assume?" He winked.

"That's not funny!" She spat.

"Well, when you have an expiration date, like we both know I do, what else is there but to look at the bright side of things?" He shrugged, then plodded over to sit in the armchair again. But something happened along the way: somehow, he lost his balance and stumbled, crying out in pain.

"Leighton!" She cried, rushing to him and putting an arm around his waist to help steady him.

Granted he was a giant and she was tiny, but she summoned every bit of power she had to help stabilize him so he could stand upright once more.

"I'm fine!" He growled at her as he pushed her at arms' length so he could sit in the chair himself. "I'm not a baby anymore! Stop fussing over me!"

"Well, I'm sorry that accepting help you clearly need bruises your ego so much!" She retorted, raising her chin just a little.

"Excuse me?" He stared at her, open-mouthed. "Oh, believe me, Azrael. I know I'm very near my own death. I don't have an ego. I just want to have as much independence as I can."

Azrael looked down and sighed. Damn him for making sense! "Well, all right, then. Since you don't need me, I'll just leave you to things. Good luck." She turned on her heel and made her way to the door.

"Not so fast, little one," he called, causing her to pause in her tracks. "I want to make a deal with you."

"What are you talking about?" She asked, "What kind of deal?" She turned to gaze at him, wide-eyed.

"Well," Leighton chuckled ruefully. "Call it…the last wish of a dead man. Something like a cigarette or a final meal that you can actually provide." He paused. "Cause I don't have much time left, right? You know it and I know it."

"I don't want to talk about this," she lashed out. She then pulled the nursery door open and headed out into the hallway.

"I'll be waiting for you, Azrael," Leighton called after her, his voice sounding surprisingly sweet, even as he mocked her with his own mortality. Then, his laughter rang in her ears. "Whenever you want to hear me out, you know where I am!"

She growled in frustration, not liking to think about the death of one of her favorite people, even if it was inevitable, given his condition. Fuck him for making her think of it. Fuck her job that would make her have to face it…just fuck everything!

Mikael Mikaelson folded the cashmere blanket that had covered him during the night before placing it neatly on the leather sofa. It had taken him much longer than usual to get to sleep, which meant that he woke up even later, the hard sofa making every muscle in his body ache, night after night. Standing up, he yawned and dragged his feet into the kitchen, pausing as he saw his wife, Sybil, who seemed to be preparing vegetables for a soup. A large pot was nearby on the stove.

He cleared his throat. "Good morning, my sweet Sybil." He tried to make his voice sound as sweet as honey.

Her shoulders tensed, and she turned to face him, eyes narrowed. If looks could kill, he'd be dead! They were like two daggers wanting to stab him. But all she did was head over to another part of the kitchen, to grab a cutting board and knife. She was so stubborn, his wife.

"I…I hope you slept well," he continued, trying again to connect, pushing his luck and heading into the kitchen, the sound of a knife cutting carrots very clear to him. "I was wondering if I could sleep in the guest bedroom tonight. Is that all right with you?"

Sybil raised the knife in the air and sighed loudly, responding to him at last through clenched teeth. "Did I say you could sleep in the guest bedroom instead of the couch? Did I?" She turned her head as her eyes became red. "I said you would sleep on the sofa until you've learned your lesson and believe me, Mikael Mikaelson…I don't think you've learned it yet! So, I've decided you can't come back!"

"It's my bed too!" He cried stubbornly, his aches and pains motivating him to finally fight back. Crossing his arms over his chest, Mikael continued. "And that stupid couch is hurting my back!"

"What did you say to me?" Sybil questioned. She dropped the knife and stabbed a finger in his direction.

"Nothing, dear. You didn't hear a thing!"

"That's what I thought!" She raised her chin. "'You didn't hear a thing…what?"

"…My sweet Sybil," he whispered, repentant.

She sighed, turning away and continuing to chop carrots.

Mikael then came t stand behind her, putting his left hand on the counter near the cutting board. "I know I've done wrong, but…don't you miss me a little at night? I miss you."

The knife came out of nowhere, the sight of it taking several years of his eternity and giving him some gray hair as the blade grazed his fingers.

"Are you crazy, woman?" He cried, bringing his hand to his chest as he tried to catch a breath. He was quick to nice a small bit of blood. "You could have cut off all my fingers just now!"

"Oh, really?" Sybil tilted her head and grinned wildly for a second before it disappeared. Then she got in his face. "You're lucky I only went after your fingers and no other part of your anatomy!"

Mikael's breathing picked up when he heard this. He met his wife's eyes as they jockeyed for power. "I know exactly what you could have chopped off, but if you had, you really would miss it, wouldn't you?" A grin curved a side of his lips as he said this.

"You wish," she murmured, getting close to him. "I could easily find a replacement for you…and your dick!" Then she grinned as he went pale. "I am a beautiful, intelligent, sexy woman! I could have any man I want!" She turned to head bac to the sink, then gasped as she felt an iron grip on her arm as Mikael pulled her against his chest.

"You could," he agreed. "But do you think any other man could make you shiver with desire like I do?" His breath caressed her face as he talked, his lips nearly touching her own.

Sybil bit her bottom lip, her breathing picking up as she wondered if she was losing control of the situation, even as she kept her eyes locked on her husband's. "You have particular skills," she confessed. "I won't deny that." She paused to pull her arm from his grip. "But you're also a selfish, petty, crybaby! And all the skills in the world don't excuse that!" She then turned and threw knife and cutting board in the sink, where they clattered loudly.

"Really?" Mikael raised an eyebrow. "A selfish, petty crybaby. That's all you have to say to me, woman?" He straightened up and spoke through clenched teeth. "All that after you just told me you'd find another man to replace me in your bed."

"And that's me being nice to you!" She spat furiously. "You can be a sweet, loving, adorable man who has my heart, Mikael. But you can also be the biggest asshole I've ever laid eyes on!"

"Well, all right, so now I'm an asshole," he shouted. "Anything else? Just get it off your chest all at once!"

"Sleeping on the damn sofa is what's next!" She cried, pointing at it. "I'm sure you'll be very comfortable all night!"

Mikael looked her over, even as she scolded him. Damn, she was sexy! She wore a very tight pare of jeans and a white tank top with no bra (which was obvious because he could see her nipples very clearly through the fabric,) and her hair was done up in a loose bun, some loose strands encircling her beautiful face. Last but not least, her feet were bare. Sybil was his dream woman. Here was no way he could deny it!

"Why are you so intent on making my life miserable, Sybil?" Mikael asked, putting a hand on either side of his waist.

"Why?" Sybil cried, her jaw dropping a little. "You have the audacity to question why I'm mad at you? And you wonder why you're still on the couch! That thick head of yours is not going to improve your situation! How can you not remember that you acted like a complete boor at Klaus and Angelica's house when you went to help that poor human fellow?"

"That?" Mikael sighed loudly. "I'm sure Niklaus isn't losing any sleep over it! Although I promise I will apologize to Angelica, should we see her again. Is that what you want to hear?"

"No!" Sybil shouted. "And even if it was, if you were just doing it for me and not because you really meant it, what's the point? And it doesn't matter if Klaus didn't mind!" She turned and poked him forcefully in the chest. "You made me feel like absolute shit in front of people who invited us into their home! You were disrespectful and acted like an absolute pig! I've never been more embarrassed."

"Oink, oink, oink," he grinned and gave a small laugh.

"You think you're funny?" She hissed, eyes red. "Is it supposed to be some sort of romance tactic to make a fool of me?" Sybil growled, hoping to scare him, just a little. But her hopes weren't high.

But Mikael said nothing. He couldn't stop thinking about how sexy she was when she let herself be a demon. And coming from him, that was saying something, considering how much he used to hate those creatures!

"No, it's not," he shook his head and spoke at last. "Why are you acting like my behavior is a surprise to you? You know who you married. And you know my feelings about my stepson, for fuck's sake! What did you expect me to do when I saw him? Kiss him on the cheeks?"

"No, I expect you to act with civility toward people who let you into their homes. If not for yourself than at least for me so I can look my friends in the eye and not feel embarrassed!" She pointed at herself for emphasis.

"You're so beautiful," he complimented, caressing her cheek and tucking a few loose strands of beautiful blonde hair behind her ears.

"What?" She asked. "What are you saying? That's not even what we're talking about!" But her heart was picking up in her chest anyway.

Mikael took another step forward, cupping her face in his hands, bending down to kiss her lips. "Tell me, what were we talking about?" He grinned.

"You're doing it again!" Sybil snapped and grabbed both his wrists. "Stop it!"

"I think…" He sighed. "I think it's time for us to stop fighting, go to bed, and fuck enough to make up for lost time. It's been a while. Are you driving yourself crazy at night without me?"

"What?" Sybil blushed. "No, yes, I…I mean…no!"

Mikael chuckled, his lips against her ear. "Yes? Or no? Which is it? Although I think we already know. I can smell your arousal. And your nipples are hard as rocks right now." He grinned deeper after pointing it out.

"No," Sybil shook her head. "Stop!" She was breathing heavily but he could tell she was so close to giving in to him. "I hate you Mikael Mikaelson!"

"No, you don't, woman." He shook his head and picked her up, even as she cried out in surprise. "No matter how much you deny it, right now, you want me as much as I want you." He began the walk to their bedroom.

"This…this…whatever we do in bed now is not changing the fact that you're still sleeping on the sofa tonight!" Sybil warned her husband.

Mikael just rolled his eyes. "Whatever you need to tell yourself to feel better, Sybil, dear," he told her with a chuckle as he crossed the bedroom threshold and shut the door behind them with his foot.

Amy stepped into her and Kol's penthouse, then sighed loudly, dropping her keys and purse on the console table.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that it had been an incredibly hellish day at the Council. Practically every office clerk they had was doing some sort of preparation for Lucifer's hearing, and since she'd been around him lately and knew more facts about it than anyone else, Alistair made sure that her version of the events were written down for people to see and read.

She pulled off her Louboutin heels and carried them to the living room, setting them down by the door, then froze as she looked up and saw a stunning vision ahead of her: Melodious jazz music filled the room, giving everything a sensuous air. All the lights had been dimmed with candles creating a soft glow, set in bookshelves and on a table covered with a white tablecloth.

Then, she saw her husband Kol, standing by the table, hands in the pockets of his dark pants as his gaze met hers. He looked amazingly sexy, damn him!

Damn him and his over the top sexiness! It was so hard to be mad at him when she found him so attractive!

Above those dark pants, a white shirt was open, exposing his chest His sleeves were rolled up, exposing his forearms. Who needed dinner when she could have him instead?

"What…what's all this?" She asked, chin raised.

"Your handsome husband has prepared dinner for you," he shrugged. "I thought you could use the surprise of a good meal after a hard day's work."

Her gaze found a bag from a well-regarded Italian restaurant, which was sitting in a corner of the table. "You didn't prepare it for me at all," she pointed out. The bag says 'At Carlos'. You ordered dinner for me, so don't try and tell me you made it by hand!"

Kol raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Come on now, darling. Doesn't the thought count? I've been busy all day myself! Regardless of if I made it myself or not, you still didn't have to cook!"

"Perhaps," Amy shrugged. "Why are we having this dinner?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her foot tapping loudly on the floor.

"Don't I get credit for trying to make my wife happy?" He asked with a grin and a wink.

"Sorry, that's not enough," Amy shook her head, her red hair bouncing on her shoulders. "I need more from you."

"You just want to make me suffer, don't you?" Kol shook his head at her and sighed sadly.

"Yes!" She cried. "You deserve nothing more after treating me so badly!"

"Oh, all right," Kol sighed. "I apologize for my terrible behavior regarding your part in the Lucifer situation. I won't make trouble about it, anymore." He gritted his teeth. "Even if it kills me to know hat you'll be near that man."

"Go on," Amy urged, raising her chin up a little more.

"What else do you want from me, woman?" Kol snapped at her, then ran his fingers through his hair. "You're carrying my son! I want you safe and sound. Don't you understand that?"

"Oh, it's nice to know I'm an incubator for your son so you can be part of the competition with your brothers!"

"No!" Kol cried. "That's not why I want you safe! Yes, I want us to have a family, but it's because you're the most precious damn thing in my life, and Lucifer Morningstar is dangerous! If he can do what he did to Angelica, someone he loved, what's he going to do to you? It's a nightmare for me to think about."

"Really?" Amy asked, feeling surprised as her jaw dropped a little. "Well, you could have said that!"

"I suppose," he nodded. "Maybe I should have. Do you want to eat?"

She grinned, one side of her mouth curving up. "It all depends on what you ordered from At Carlos."

He snorted. "You're lucky you're pregnant or I would spank you right here, right now." He pointed at her and grinned back. "It's spaghetti Bolognese, your favorite!"

Amy groaned. There he went again! It really was her favorite kind of pasta, and that asshole knew it! "And…for dessert?" She was intrigued but tried to maintain her uptight attitude.

"Well, I know that the idea of even gaining so much as a pound bothers you, no matter how many times I tell you that I love your curves, so I thought you could have…me for dessert!" He winked playfully.

She blushed bright red and did her best to swallow a lump in her throat. She definitely wanted him for dessert, but there's no way she'd say that to him out loud!

Kol laughed. "It makes me smile when you blush that way. Talking about sex makes you uncomfortable, but for some reason, that makes doing it more wonderful, and you are very desirable to me."

"I'm not blushing!" Amy snapped. "I'm just hot because of my hormones!"

Kol chuckled. "Sure, you are." Then he grinned. "I'm joking. We're actually having cannoli if you want it!"

She gasped and tried not to smile. She loved cannoli more than anything! It was almost as good as having Kol himself! Of course she didn't tell him any of that, keeping silent instead, wanting him to beg her.

"I see you're still wearing the shoes," Kol pointed out. "Tell me truly: does that mean you forgive me, even just a little bit?"

"Well, they are my shoes after all, and that's what you bought them for, right?" She shrugged. "I don't want to just throw them away. I don't see you giving me any apology! Just an invitation to have an Italian dinner along with a vague admission you were sorry."

"What else is there?" Kol wanted to know. "Do you want me to kneel in front of you and beg?" He was dumbfounded. "Be careful what you wish for, darling. Remember that every time I kneel in front of you, it doesn't take long for my head to get between your thighs." He winked and licked his lips seductively.

She blushed even redder, her breathing picking up very obviously, even as she tried to hide it.

Kol laughed. "Your blushing is still adorable!" He gently pulled out one of the chairs from the table. "Come on! Let's have a romantic dinner."

She shook her head, as stubborn as ever.

Kol just shook his head. "If you don't sit, how do you expect me to formally apologize for my bad behavior? That's what you want, isn't it?"

Amy slowly made her way toward the table and reached the chair he held out for her. Soon, she felt his five O'clock shadow rubbing against her skin, which made her close her eyes as goosebumps covered her body.

"You're beautiful, Amy," Kol murmured as his nose brushed her earlobe. "Why don't you have a seat before I change my mind and have you rather than the spaghetti."

"You have to pick one or the other?" Amy asked. "Why not both?" Then she gasped as she realized what she'd said, then quickly shut her eyes so she wouldn't have to see Kol's smug reaction.

"You want both?" He told her. "All right. That can be accomplished."

"No, please ignore what I said," Amy shook her head. "I didn't mean to say it!"

"If you want me to taste you, who am I to refuse?" Kol asked before kissing her gently. Then she looked down as a full plate of pasta was placed in front of her. "Eat up before it gets cold. Then we'll have dessert."

Although Amy wanted to inhale everything on her plate, and have one helping after another (she let herself get away with having two plates, then blushed, thinking that she was depriving Kol and refused a third plate.)

"Are you sure?" Kol pressed. "You can have it if you want to. It really isn't depriving me of anything."

"Are you sure?" Amy wanted to know. "Just because I'm hungry, that doesn't mean I can just eat all your food."

"You aren't depriving me of anything!" He assured her. "Just eat your fill, please!"

So she had one last plate, and even one or two cannoli before she noticed that Kol had a naughty twinkle in his eye.

"What?" She asked. "What are you thinking?"

He whispered it in her ear, and her eyes widened. "Well, I don't know how comfortable that will be fore you," she remarked. "But if you want to, go ahead."

"You won't regret this, darling," he assured her, sneaking under the table as she scooted forward. Then he removed her panties and rubbed her until just before she was about to climax, harder when she called out his name. Then she felt him lick her gently, over and over until she came hard

"Yes!" She cried and fell forward against the table just as Kol, with hair tousled and shirt rumpled, poked his head out from under the table cloth.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes," Amy panted, trying to catch her breath.

Clearing his throat, Kol sat across from her and grabbed a cannoli, licking some of the filling that was spilling out in such a way that Amy had to shut her eyes and make her hand into a fist to stop from rubbing herself as she watched.

"Can you just eat like a normal person?" She snapped. "Please?"

"Sorry," Kol apologized and ate the cannoli in three bites. "You probably need a bit of a rest, don't you? That's okay with me, darling. At least for a little while. Then we'll have round two."

"Well," Kol cleared his throat after throwing away the bag from the restaurant that was now filled with trash and then coming back to wipe his lips with his napkin. "That was truly a delicious dinner, wasn't it?"

"Always very good," Amy agreed while wiping her own mouth and looking at Kol ou of the corner of her eye. "Than you for ordering it for me…I mean, us…to enjoy."

"You're welcome, darling," he gave her a wink. "I know I needed to make amends for causing you to believe I didn't think you could keep your beautiful self safe."

"Do you really mean it?" She asked hopefully. "Or do you just not want me to be mad at you anymore?"

"Of course I mean it," he told her with a comical wince. "I'm trying! Give your husband a chance!"

She lowered her eyes and let herself have a chuckle at his expense. "Well, I can't deny I really appreciate the effort."

"So I'm forgiven?" He asked with a grin.

"Well…" She paused and 'thought about it' just to irritate him a little, taking a sip or two from her glass.

"You're pushing it," he warned with a roll of his eyes. "My patience won't last forever, even for you."

"Oh, all right," she told him. "You're forgiven!"

"Lucky me!" He cried with laughter and a shake of his head.

"Exactly," Amy nodded. "Lucky you. It's lucky I decided to share this dinner with you when I could have so easily refused."

"You wouldn't have done that," he countered. "Simply because…." He trailed off, smirking. "Because I'm simply irresistible to you and we both know it."

She chuckled along with him at the joke, a blush coloring her cheeks as she lowered her head and looked at the floor.

"More 'dessert' now?" He asked, winking as he always did when he wanted to be all scandalous and see her blush.

"Well," Amy cleared her throat. "As you know, I ate an awful lot of spaghetti," she remarked, putting a hand on her belly. "I mean, look at me!"

"Oh, come now," he gestured at himself. "Do you want dessert to go to waste?"

She smiled back, heaving an exaggerated sigh. "Oh, all right. I'll take dessert."

"Good," he nodded, leaning toward her and gently sliding his fingertips under her chin. "I would ask you what you wanted for dessert but since we ate all the cannoli, you only have one option."

"Oh?" Amy asked playfully. "What's that?"

"Well," Kol slid his thumb over her bottom lip. "I think you know what it is, don't you?"

"I…I…" she opened her mouth just a little and he poked his finger inside, getting a gentle bight from her. "You…" she got out, her gaze becoming blurry as it met his dark eyes.

They stared at each other for a minute or so, her breathing and heart rate picking up, as a guttural growl escaped his throat. Kol then slid his hand behind her neck to pull her to him, lips crashing on hers.

Amy let out a cry, then reached up to cup his face. Then the kiss deepened. He put his hands on her hips and pulled her to sit on his lip as she moaned softly and buried her fingers in the curls at the nape of his neck.

He couldn't look away from her face as his hands caressed the roundness of her belly and then moved to unbutton her white silk blouse. "Fuck me," he murmured. "You're so beautiful, Amy!" After getting her shirt out of the way, he then cupped her full breasts, pinching one nipple and then the other.

"Kol…" Amy took a deep breath, eyes closed tight as she called out his name.

He chuckled and then began kissing down her neck. "Natalie's occupied at her apartment, right?" He murmured before sliding a hand under her skirt. "She won't pop in unannounced and interrupt us?"

"Oh, no," Amy shook her head and giggled at the feeling of his whiskers against her skin. "She's too busy for us." She kissed his bearded cheek. "She's with Milo. They've been inseparable since he moved in. They're probably having quiet time…watching a movie…" She kissed his lips but felt him go still, his hand sliding out from under her skirt. "What?" She asked, noticing his frown.

"Who moved in with my niece?" He asked. "Tell me again. I hope I didn't hear you correctly."

But her sinking face told him he had. "Milo Morningstar," she confessed as he gently pushed her back on her chair.

Kol groaned and pulled away, the mood broken. "Not a fucking Morningstar! I thought she had better sense than that! Now I'm going to kill that punk, and I'm going to enjoy it!" He stood up and ran to the door to pull it open.

"Kol!" Amy cried, knowing that she had a murder to stop, even as she struggled to chase after him and do up her clothes at the same time. "What are you doing? For Steve's sake, come back here!"

Milo Morningstar grabbed Natalie Mikaelson's hand, trying to pull her away from drying dishes that could wait. "Come sit on the couch with me," he begged, continuing to pull on her gently.

"Milo," she heaved a big sigh. "You know I would, but there are so many dishes that have to be cleaned!"

"Are you avoiding me?" Milo asked her bluntly.

"What?" She asked, wide eyed. "Have you last your mind? How can I avoid being with you if we live together?"

"Yes, I know that, but…" he blushed. "I don't mean…"

"Oh, that!" She blushed herself as she realized what he meant.

"Yeah, I mean…we did it the one time, and we haven't done it again. I was thinking it was because you took pity on me, and…"

"I could never take pity on you, Milo!" Natalie cried, her voice full of outrage. "I mean, I know you're used to having a partner in bed, but you're also a big boy who can take care of himself. Did no one ever teach you how to masturbate?"

"Well, yeah, duh!" Milo nodded. "But…I like you being with me from time to time."

"Thank you for that," Natalie smiled shyly. "I…I suppose I've avoided being with you. You're right."

"But you said you liked it!" His voice was full of shock. No one had ever avoided the chance to be in bed with him before.

"Of course I liked it!" She stomped her foot on the carpet. "But I can't forget that compared to everyone else you've been with, I'm the least experienced."

"Maybe, but I don't care about them!" He shook his head. "You are all I care about. It's always been you, Natalie!" He confessed and then pulled her to the sofa, sitting and then tapping his lap as he grinned at her.

Natalie smiled and straddled him, wrapping her arms around his neck as a wide, goofy grin filled his face. "Well, that's more like it, Miss Natalie Mikaelson!" He gave her a wink and kissed her soundly.

Natalie moaned and rubbed against him repeatedly as Milo unbuttoned her shirt and cupped her breasts.

"Baby, you're so beautiful," he murmured, which filled her with pleasure as he bit her nipple and she moaned.

"Morningstar!" The shout that interrupted them filled the room and was loud enough to wake the dead, as was the sound of the door hitting the wall as it was flung open.

Both Natalie and Milo separated as quickly as they could, then scrambled off the couch as Natalie held her shirt closed.

"Didn't you lock the door?" Milo asked her nervously.

"I think I forgot," Natalie admitted with a shrug, then turned to the intruder, her uncle. "Uncle Kol, how's it going? Mom told me you got back from Africa. How was it?" She tried her best to avert his attention as Milo hid behind her and prayed for his life.

"I'm going to kill that punk Morningstar!" Kol cried. "That's what up!" He pointed a finger at the young man, who flinched and reached for Natalie's hand.

"Why…why would you…do that?" Natalie questioned, her voice full of nervousness as she did her best to keep Kol at a distance from her boyfriend.

"You!" Kol hissed at Milo. "My niece is an innocent girl! I bet you couldn't help but use this opportunity to take advantage of her, like you've done with all the others!"

"What?" Natalie made a face. "Uncle Kol, I may be many things, but I'm not an idiot or an innocent, inexperienced though I may be." She stared her uncle down, chin raised.

"Kol Mikaelson! Leave them alone and come back to the apartment right this minute!" Amy lashed out as she stomped into the room, causing both Milo and Natalie to breath a sigh of relief, although Natalie didn't want to think about why her mother had to keep her blouse closed with her hand.

"Amy, stay out of it," Kol ordered.

"I will not!" Amy shook her head. "This is my daughter you're all upset about!" her voice was angry, with a tone Natalie seldom heard.

"And I am her Uncle, and…and her stepfather, I guess," Kol replied. "So I say, stay out of it." He was stubborn and resolute. "I won't let some playboy abuse her."

"Can I just request that if you're gonna kill me, do it gently," Milo begged as he peeked out from behind Natalie.

Kol gave him a smirk. "Don't you wish?"

"Oh, lower the testosterone, please," Amy shouted. "Kol, you're acting like a caveman! I pity any woman our son will bring home. Just what sort of woman would meet your approval? A novice nun?"

"That wouldn't hurt," Kol told her dryly.

"For Steve's sake, Uncle Kol, Milo is not abusing me! I invited him to stay here! I want him in my apartment!" She paused. "Well, actually it's kind of…our apartment now."

Kol looked at his niece in shock. "What did you just say?"

"You have to know that his father is a loose cannon these days," Natalie continued. "Surely Mom must have told you at the very least."

"Oh, I've heard," Kol nodded and gestured at Milo. "But what does that have to do with him?"

"Well, his father has threatened to kill him! Milo overheard the whole conversation his parents had."

"Asshole," Kol murmured, sighing and rolling his eyes.

"I know, Mr. Mikaelson, but still…I truly like Natalie, and I swear I would never hurt her."

"Not you, you punk!" Kol sighed. "Your father!"

"Well, I can't say you're wrong," Milo told him and finally came to stand beside his niece,

"He's my friend," Natalie continued. "Was I just supposed to leave him at the mansion with his crazy father?"

"Did you know about that?" Kol asked Amy.

"Yes," Amy nodded. "She told me a little bit ago."

"I know you probably don't want to hear this in the state you're in, but…Milo and I would have gotten intimate even if he hadn't moved in," Natalie informed her uncle, after deciding honesty was the best policy.

Her uncle growled unhappily, but didn't protest further, knowing that his niece was stubborn enough that nothing he said would change her mind. Instead, he turned to face Milo, while the young man gulped nervously and looked terrified.

"You," he growled. "Come with me." He gestured for Milo to follow.

"Why?" Milo questioned. "Are you gonna kill me in a basement where there aren't any witnesses? You're not the only one who wants me dead, as you know, and frankly, if I have to die, I'd rather have it be by your hand than my father's."

Kol opened his mouth, unsure of how to respond, then shut it. "No, of course not," he rolled his eyes. "But we need to have a chat at my place, you and I."

Milo turned and gave Natalie a look and she nodded to give him courage, along with a gentle push forward.

They slowly left the apartment, one right after the other. Then, once the door was closed, Natalie's gaze met her mother's and they both sighed with relief as Amy continued to do her best to keep her shirt closed.

"Look at us," Natalie grinned, eying her mother's bare feet and untidy clothes.

"Yeah," Amy laughed. "What will we do with those two?"