Klaus slid his jeep into a parking spot in the Council building parking lot and turned off the engine before turning to look at Angelica, who'd been sitting silently beside him ever since they'd left home. He reached out and put a hand on top of hers in hopes of getting her to look at him, but she still stared out the window, not saying a word. He could feel her distress, her sadness, her rage at having to go through her father's hearing. He would have insisted she'd not come at all, if the Council hadn't summoned both of them specifically.

"Hey?" He shook her arm and then caressed the inside of her left wrist. "Are you okay? Do you need to get anything off your chest?"

The sound of his voice finally shocked her into movement, then she whipped around and turned to face him, wide-eyed. "What? Oh, yeah. Sorry. Thanks, I'm…I'm good. Thanks for asking." She squeezed his hand and tried to give him a reassuring smile.

"You know you don't have to be," he reminded her, moving some of her dark hair out of her eyes. "After everything, you don't have to be good or fine or whatever?" He gave her a smile.

"Thank you, but…I'm a strong, capable woman who can take care of herself. I'm not some damsel in distress!" She raised her chin and pulled away. "I can get out of this car, walk into the Council building with my head held high and do what I need to do at this hearing!"

"Yes, yes, yes, I know all that," Klaus rolled his eyes. "You're Queen Angelica Morningstar, an Amazon warrior who doesn't need help from anyone!" He teased her with a smirk. "Except you and I both know that you're not just showing up at this hearing, you're testifying against your own father, who you used to be very close to."

"I hope you're not mocking me," Angelica replied. "And you don't have to worry about me where Lucifer Morningstar is concerned. I don't care about him anymore. Just like he never cared about me. I'll state the facts of what happened and nothing more. I don't have to defend him or beg for his approval and love any longer."

"What, me, mock you?" Klaus cried, falsely outraged and pointing a finger at his chest. "Never!" He winked playfully. "And you're right. It's not your responsibility to deal with his crap anymore. Good for you!"

"I don't think it's funny!" Her eyes widened.

"I don't mean for it to be funny," Klaus assured her, raising a hand to caress her cheek. "I never would think that, Angel. You've been pushed down both literally and figuratively by your father in the most selfish way possible." He paused to brushed away a tear that had fallen down her eyelash. "I want to be sure that you know that regardless of how strong you are, it's fine to lean on someone when you're feeling sad, lost, and helpless."

"I'm not helpless!" Angie cried, then sat back in her chair, pouting, her arms crossed over her shaking body.

"No, you're not," Klaus agreed. "You're the strongest, most courageous, and, dare I say, most stubborn woman I've ever met! But when it comes to your father, you're stuck in his grip, just like he's stuck in yours. And to be able to free yourself from all that and regain your strength, you'll need to have someone to lean on, someone who will help you and be there for you. And…" He paused and grabbed her hand to kiss it gently. "I want to be that person. I hope I can be. The person you can trust, and who you feel you can give your heart to."

Angelica sniffled and locked eyes with him, giving him as much of a smile as she could manage. "You've already found a way into my heart, Klaus. Now do you want to be someone who can protect me from the devil, also?" She sniffled her tears away.

"Yes," Klaus nodded, kissing the top of her head. "And so, so much more, if you'll let me, Angel."

"Well," her voice shook. "I'll definitely need you today," she admitted. "It's gonna be a very hard day for me."

"I know," He nodded. "That is why today, I am Klaus Mikaelson: your man, your rock, your person!"

She paused her tears and chuckled, raising her hand to trace his jaw with the tips of her fingers. "You want to be my bad boy hybrid, you mean."

"Same thing," Klaus winked. Then he smirked as he grabbed her hand to gently kiss her wrist. "Angel?"

"Mmmm?" She murmured as she joined their fingers absentmindedly.

"I…I want you to know that what your father did to you, I'll never do that to our daughter. Never!" He was dead serious. When she looked up, she could see it in his eyes.

"I know that, Klaus," she nodded. "If you were that sort of man, I probably wouldn't have decided to have a child with you. But I've seen you with your daughters. I've seen you with your sons. And when I see you with them, you have the biggest heart a dad can have." She smiled back and wiped her tears away.

"All right," he smiled and put a finger over her lips. "It's just between us though. Don't tell anyone my secret!"

"I won't," she promised and kissed him gently, then squeezed him tight, staying in the cozy cocoon of his arms for what seemed like forever, until finally, she found the courage to pull away from him for the moment and grab the door handle. "Let's get this over with."

"What? Wait!" Klaus reached out and grabbed her by the arm. "Before you go, what are you wearing on your neck?" He narrowed his eyes on a small pendant she wore.

Angelica's eyes widened and she blushed, touching the "K" pendant lightly. "It's…it's nothing, really."

"Angelica Morningstar!" He grinned and gently pushed her hand away to get a better look at the necklace. "Are you wearing my initial around your neck?"

"What? No! Yes! Maybe! I…I called Ricky and, after swearing he wouldn't breathe a word to Aunt Remy, he told me he's really busy, so it'll take a few weeks to get my tattoo removed. And since you don't like my tattoo, I thought…I thought…I don't know. Never mind. It's stupid!"

Klaus smiled. "You're wearing my initial around your neck! It's not stupid, it's freaking adorable!" He cupped her face and kissed her soundly. "Thank you. I know you probably think my feelings about your tattoo are stupid, so thank you for this."

"Oh, don't you make a big deal about it," Angelica blushed as she pushed him away. "Now, enough of this. We need to go!" She finally opened and passenger door and got out.

"It's a big deal, Angelica Morningstar, and you know it!" He shouted for everyone to her as she rolled her eyes and continued to walk away from the car, although she wore a wide smile on her bright red lips.

Meanwhile in another part of the Council parking lot, Elijah Mikaelson parked his BMW, heaving a loud sigh and taking the key out of the ignition. His wife gave him a glance to see that his arms were crossed in front of his chest as he pouted like a six year old who had just been told he wouldn't get dessert for a week. This wasn't an entirely false analogy as they hadn't had sex since he'd fussed with her about going to Lucifer's mansion with Amy.

"How long is this cold shoulder of yours going to last?" She finally questioned her husband, crossing her own arms and leaning back in her seat.

"I don't know what you mean," Elijah shrugged, then went back to looking out the window.

This made Selina roll her eyes and sigh "You've been as silent as a tomb since we left the farm. Considering that we're here for Lucifer's hearing, I can only guess that you're throwing this fit because you're still mad at me for going to Lucifer's mansion."

"Please don't presume to know my feelings about that, or anything else, Miss Selina Warren!" He muttered between clenched teeth.

"Oh!" Selina's eyes widened. "So, look at this now! I'm Miss Selina Warren again! This is real news to me, especially when you consider how many times your dick has been inside me and how I've been pregnant at least a gazillion times, thanks to you!"

Elijah bristled. "I beg your pardon, woman?" He finally turned to stare at her in shock. "This is neither the time nor the place for your to talk about our marital business or my manhood! As for our children, you know we're far from that number!"

Selina scoffed. "It never bothered you before that I named your precious, Elijah Mikaelson!" She chuckled. "And now you consider me your wife again! And while we might not have a gazillion children yet, we're about to add another number to the total, anyway!" She gestured at her belly.

"Don't push me!" Elijah warned. "I had no idea that it was such an inconvenience for you to carry our children."

"You mean your entire football team?" Selina corrected and stuck out her tongue.

"It's very childish of you to bring that up, Selina!" Elijah rolled his eyes. "And I thought you loved our children!"

"I don't care if you think I'm childish or not, Elijah, 'I know everything' Mikaelson! She spat. "You're not the boss of me, you're not entitled to order me around, and you certainly can't tell me who I'm allowed to see. On one last note, how dare you suggest that I don't love our children! Nothing can piss me off so much!"

"Fine," Elijah shook his head. "I apologize for that. I know you love our children. But I'm angry that you didn't listen to my warning about staying away from Lucifer. I wasn't trying to be rude or pushy. I just wanted you and our child to be safe!"

"I know that, Elijah," Selina heaved a loud sigh. "And I appreciate the thought, but I'm capable of taking car of me and our child. And Lucifer has never scared me!"

"He's gone mad, Selina!" Elijah cried. "Do you realize that?"

"Yes, I'm quite aware of that, E-li-jah! That's why he's in trouble with the Council! That's why we're here!"

Elijah shook his head, a laugh escaping his lips. "You're as stubborn as you can be! You've never listened to a word I've said over the years!" He began cursing under his breath. "You never listen to me, but you always listened to your husband, Dorian Gray!"

"Why are you bringing up Dorian?" Selina cried. "Why is he relevant?" She was dumbfounded and speechless.

"Because, like I said, you always listen to him, and you never listen to me!"

"Are you serious, Elijah Mikaelson? Are we fighting over him again, even though it's been ages since I've had anything at all to do with him? Dorian is my past! I'm glad he's alive and well again and I wish him the best, but that's all! Because I love you, you stupid man! I chose you! I've been carrying your children for years! Because I'm madly in love with you, even if you can be the most stubborn, boring, irritating man I've ever met!"

"You love me?" Elijah murmured, his lips curving into a grin. "Even if I'm the most stubborn. irritating bore you've ever met?"

Selina smiled and pointed at her belly. "What do you think?"

"I'm sorry," Elijah shook his head. "I don't know why I had to go bring Dorian Gray into this. Probably because you were always all about him before." He paused. "As for me, if I never hear from or see Dorian Gray ever again, I'll consider it the biggest gift in the universe!"

Selina chuckled and put a hand on his chest. "I might have been all about Dorian Gray at one point. He may have been what I needed once. But you're so much more to me. Challenging me as well as enraging me!" She winked.

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "And that's good?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded and winked. "Kind of good. Why do you think I'm pregnant all the time?"

Elijah chuckled. "I think you're exaggerating."

"Not much, Elijah," she winked. "Are we done with this now? Can we walk into the Council now?"

"Can I hold your hand while we do it?" Elijah questioned with a sigh. "Or would it be too macho of me?"

"No, you can hold my hand while we walk," Selina assured him, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek.

He gently grabbed her chin and turned her head to kiss her lips. "Can we make love tonight?"

"And now you know why I'm always pregnant!" Selina rolled her eyes and laughed before pulling away and grabbing the handle of the passenger side door.

"Well, think of this," Elijah replied as he followed her. "There's no way you'll get pregnant tonight!"

The Land Rover came to a halt in another part of the Council parking lot. Kol Mikaelson then pulled the key out of the ignition before leaning his head back against the seat and sighed loudly.

Amy moaned, pursing her red lips. "I…thank you for driving me to the Council today, Kol." She then reached out and tried to ruffle his dark hair, but he turned his head away without saying a word. "Well, do I bore you? I'm sorry if I'm bothering you by speaking!"

"Amy Mikaelson Burke, I wouldn't have you as my wife, or in my bed if you were boring me," he told her, his eyes staying closed. "I'm just taking time to reflect and calm my angry mind about where we are and why."

"I…" She closed her eyes to regain her calm about the man sitting by her side, her alpha, always- right husband, could be so exasperating when he wanted to be. But damn, he looked so sexy, and so good in a blue two-piece suit. "Okay, I know you don't like the idea of my being involved in this, but…"

"Don't like the idea?" He repeated suddenly, his eyes opened wide before he turned to stare into her eyes. "I despise the damn idea of you being mixed in the affairs of Lucifer Morningstar! We are so past 'I don't like'!"

"So, if I understand you," Amy snapped in return as she crossed her arms in front of her red A-line dress. "The whole 'let's have dinner as an apology to my wife' that you did the other night before you stormed away and into our niece's apartment was just for show?"

"I stormed into my niece's apartment because I wanted to be sure that Morningstar Junior wasn't taking advantage of her," Kol defended himself dryly.

"Milo Morningstar is one of the sweetest boys I have ever met! How would he take advantage of her?" Amy asked. "How did you explain storming there like some villain out of a horror movie!"

"Oh, which movie?" Kol grinned. "I loved Nightmare on Elm Street!" He paused. "And you know perfectly well that he would take advantage of her by having sex with her!" He sighed in exasperation.

"It's Natalie's business who she sleeps with," Amy reminded him. "She's a grown woman who can make her own choices!" She paused. "Did you castrate Milo?"

"I never thought of that!" Kol chuckled. "I should have. But no. I just had a long chat with him. He knows he needs to be careful and stay in his lane. And as far as the dinner is concerned, it was most definitely not for show, Amy." His voice was calm because he knew he was speaking the truth. "That truly was to apologize for how I behaved when I came back from Africa. That being said, I still hate the fact that you mixed yourself in Lucifer's business. The man is a nutcase, and I don't want you near him."

"Fine," Amy threw up her hands and turned back to the passenger window. "I've been summoned here by the Council so there's nothing we can do about it."

"Yes," Kol nodded. "And because it's necessary, I'll be sticking to you and our son like glue." This made Amy roll her eyes.

"What?" Kol cried. "You're both very important to me!"

"And just what do you think will happen at this hearing?" Amy asked with a shrug. "You think Lucifer will try and kill me in front of a bunch of witnesses?"

"You never know with him!" Kol answered stubbornly.

"They sat in silence for a few second and then Kol glanced at his wife, a smirk on his lips. "I know it was a while ago, but…did you call it 'our penthouse', Amy?"

Amy started at the question, blushing as red as her dress. "I…I don't remember that." She lied through her teeth and bit her lips.

Kol grinned. "You look quite tempting in that red dress, did you know that? I honestly thought you would wear one of your dark suits to keep me under control."

Amy snorted. "Red dress, dark suit, nothing will keep you under control if you don't want to be, Kol Mikaelson!" Then she blushed as the full impact of his words hit her. "That would have been a better idea than this, I suppose, but…I just didn't know what to wear!" She slid her palms over the skirt nervously.

"Well, you clearly knew what pair of shoes to wear," Kol continued, looking pointedly at the heels he'd bought her. "It's as if we were going on a date rather than to a hearing." He then winked and slid his right hand up her left thigh, making her shiver as she fabric of the dress slid up her knees.

She let out a cry, then grabbed his hand because it wouldn't be a good idea to slap him right there in the parking lot. "Stop that! People will see! The Council parking lot is not the place for…that sort of thing!"

"Are we doing this in the Council parking lot?" Kol whispered in Amy's ear. "I don't give a shit!" He shrugged, pushing her hand away to slide the fabric higher up her legs before slowly sliding his hands between her legs to reach her core.

"Kol!" She shouted his name and bit her bottom lip hard enough to draw blood, then closed her eyes and moaned as she felt his fingers touch the silk of her panties.

"I just wanted to make sure you were wearing panties this time, Amy," he whispered and bit into her earlobe. "But the thought of you not wearing them is giving me the best sensual images in my head, I want to be alert and able to focus on you, my son, and any dangers that could pop up during this hearing."

Amy then opened her eyes and turned her head to meet his dark gaze.

"I would totally fuck you in this car, Amy. If we were anywhere but here." Then Kol kissed her softly. "But we need to go now." Then he gently slapped her hip, giving her a wink and opening the for his side of the car. "Up we go, darling!"

She opened her eyes, speechless. She was as red as a tomato, and her whole body was hot and bothered by that wicked man. Now she needed to get a grip on herself, get out of the car, and walk with dignity into the Council building as she ignored Kol. Damn him! Damn that Kol Mikaelson!

Klaus Mikaelson walked beside his lady love Angelica Mikaelson, holding her hand and smiling at her from time to time to give her courage as they made their way toward the Council building.

Suddenly, they ran into Kol and Amy. "Brother! I would say it's a surprise to see you, but I would be lying," Klaus teased. "But Amy, it's nice to see you, for sure," he nodded to his ex-wife.

"Klaus," Amy nodded and gave him a smile.

"No surprise there indeed," Kol drawled. "Angelica," he nodded to Angie. "I'm sorry for you. Your father is a jerk and even if it offends you, I'm standing by it."

"Kol," Angelica nodded. "I can't say I blame you. He hasn't been the best to me lately either."

"You look very happy, dear Amy," Klaus remarked. "You and my brother seem very well-suited." He gave her a wink and Amy turned bright red.

"Why would I not suit my own wife?" Kol asked his brother. "She's with the right man now. I can make her happy."

"I never said otherwise!" Klaus replied seriously.

"Be nice, Kol," Amy warned through clenched teeth.

"You look very relaxed too, Klaus," Kol returned perniciously. "It's nice that your girlfriend of the moment is able to keep you on a leash."

"To be frank, Kol, it's your brother who is keeping me grounded. We balanced each other out very well," Angelica shot back, tit for tat.

This made Amy chuckle.

"Is that so?" Kol asked her. "I had no idea such a woman existed in the world!"

"Okay, you two, we aren't here to start a family war. There'll be one soon enough in the walls of the Council without us adding to it," Elijah chided as he reached the group while holding Selina by the hand. "Plus, we have three pregnant women with us. Be civil!"

"Thank you, but I think we'll be okay," Angelica said, crossing her arms. "We're not porcelain dolls, Elijah!" She crosse her arms and glared.

"I agree!" Amy nodded.

"Oh, look, another one of Nik's exes is here!" Kol exclaimed, not holding back from another remark, even as Amy elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "Be careful, Angelica; you could end up another notch on the bedpost!"

"Actually, I don't think I have to worry about that," Angelica told him, unmoved by his teasing. "Klaus and I have decided traditional marriage isn't for us." She smirked back at the youngest Mikaelson brother, moving closer to Klaus.

"Oh, that's not true, brother," Klaus shook his head and met Selina's eye. "Selina and I aren't just exes anymore. She's become my best friend." He met Selina's eye. "Don't you agree, Selina?"

"Klaus, Kol," Selina looked back and forth between them. "I'm…I'm really hormonal at the moment, so if your plan is to stick me in the middle of all this bullshit, I'm gonna kick both your asses so hard you won't be able to move to attend this hearing!"

"Believe me, I would love nothing more than to be somewhere else besides this hearing," Kol replied with a roll of his eyes.

"I would want to be somewhere else too," Klaus told Selina. "But Angelica needs support, so I'm not going anywhere." He gave Angelica a smile and squeezed her hand.

"Unfortunately, since our wives decided to stick their noses in the devil's business, and now we're stuck in the middle of it."

"I wouldn't argue about what an unfortunate situation this all this," Elijah said approvingly.

"I know you mean well, but you shouldn't mix yourself in all the devil's shenanigans," Angelica warned the women. "No one should, even if you mean well." This last sentence was said as tears filled her eyes. "No one should."

"Oh, sweet Angie," Selina cried and gave her niece a hug. "We only hoped to make your father realize the error of his ways. But he seems too stubborn to listen to us or anyone else!"

"Well, let's hope the hearing will do what you can't and put him back in his place," Elijah remarked. "Shall we walk?"

"Yeah, let's get this started…" Klaus began before Kol cut him off.

"…to finish it as soon as fucking possible!"

Alistair kept his eyes on the paper he held in his right hand, the heels of his Tom Ford loafers clacking on the floor as he made his way to the room where Lucifer's hearing would be held. Since his eyes were on the paper, he didn't notice when he bumped into someone with full force.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Malachai apologized profusely as Alistair caught his eye.

"It's all right," Alistair told him. "My mind was somewhere else. I wasn't looking where I was ging so it was my fault."

"It's understandable, considering the big task that was ahead of you with this hearing," Malachai told him, his voice full of compassion.

"Yes, I have to admit that it will be something of a thrill to prosecute Lucifer Morningstar in front of the most prominent members of our community. Would you like the job?" He asked with a teasing arch of the eyebrow.

"How kind of you? I never thought you would offer me something like that." He smirked. "I'm afraid I must decline, though."

"Oh, what a shame," Alistair smirked back.

"Once you thought I was stealing your wife from you. I don't want you to think I'm going to steal your job too," Malachai explained.

"Now I wish you had," Alistair told him, rolling his eyes and giving a loud sigh.

"I'm sorry," Malachai replied, putting a hand on Alistair's arm. "I heard that you and Astrid are having problems with Astrid and…if there's anything I can do to help…don't hesitate to ask."

"No, no, I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said anything. You don't need to be dragged into our problems." Alistair waved a dismissive hand. "She's…we…I mean, it's complicated."

"I see," Malachai returned. "I want you to know we'll have some stenographers present in the court room to make a record of all the proceedings."

"Good, good," Alistair nodded. "We want to make sure we get down everything Lucifer says so he can't try and pull a fast one." He paused. "Anything else?"

"Well," Malachai cleared his throat. "Your son Leighton has arrived."

"Leighton?" Alistair's eyes widened. "That's a surprise."

"Yes," Malachai nodded, he arrived about ten minutes ago. He's waiting for you in the hearing room." He gestured over his shoulder at a nearby door.

"Thank you," Alistair nodded, passing Malachai by.

"And…one more thing?"

"Yes?" Alistair questioned, pausing and raising his head.

"Leighton is a fine young man and much stronger than you think." Malachai gave Alistair a squeeze on the shoulder.

"Thank you," Alistair said, then turned to head into the room to meet his son, who immediately raised his head and met his father's eyes as he heard Alistair's heels hit the floor, setting down the law book his was reading to greet his father.

"Hi, Dad!"

"Leighton, I had no idea I would see you here," Alistair told him before setting down the papers and his briefcase on a nearby desk.

"Well, I thought it would be disrespectful to miss your big moment prosecuting the devil himself," Leighton replied, grabbing his cane to stand up and limp toward his father, trying not to show that he was in pain, even though he growled under his breath anyway. "I wanted you to know that you had my support."

"I guess people would wonder about your manners if you hadn't shown up," Alistair teased. "But I can see that you're in pain. This could be too much for you. You should have stayed home."

"Don't patronize me, Father," Leighton told him, narrowing his eyes as he tried to stand up straight. "I hate it when you do that."

"How much does it hurt?" Alistair asked worryingly. "Have you taken your medication? You don't have to be brave and pretend you don't need it."

"Yes, I took it," Leighton assured his father with a roll of his eyes. "Like I have every fucking day of my life. I took the whole fucking bottle. So, if I get sick in the middle of the court room, don't worry. It'll just be another thing that happens in the circus of this trial."

"How do you know it'll be a circus?" Alistair asked with a smirk. "And even if it were going to be a circus, I wouldn't need you adding to it!"

"You're right, I don't," Leighton agreed. "But I can certainly hope that there's some soul out there brave enough to make things interesting!" He winked. "I think that after all my suffering, I deserve at least a little amusement!"

Alistair rolled his eyes. "Young man, if I didn't know you were being funny, I'd have to slap you," he told his son.

"You'd never!" Leighton shook his head, a twinkle in his eye. "Slap a man with a limp in front of all the witnesses?" Then he smiled innocently. "Would you really want to redden my pretty face?"

"Well, you look like your mother," Alistair told him. "You remind me of how she used to be before she…changed." He then stopped talking, lowered his head down, and pulled a file from his briefcase.

"So," Leighton told his father as he lowered himself into a chair, obvious pain on his face. "Tell me more about all this nonsense."

Alistair cleared his throat. "Well, it is and it isn't," Alistair shrugged. "After all, Lucifer killed an elderly human woman and we need to prove it."

"But it won't really mean anything, since you can't punish the devil and put him in prison, can you?" Leighton shrugged and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"You're right about that," Alistair nodded. "He's above his all. His father, who is going by 'Steve' now that he's here on Earth. But that doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't reprimand him."

Leighton laughed. "He goes by 'Steve'? I don't know. If I were him, I would have picked something else."

"Something like Leighton?" Alistair teased.

"Yeah, thanks to you and Mom for giving me such an unusual name that no can pronounce or remember." Leighton rolled his eyes.

"Yes, well…you'll be happy to know that your mother was against you being called that from the start but since you were a son rather than a daughter, I decided I had the right to choose your name. To call you a name that meant something to me." He lowered his eyes to hide his true feelings.

"I know you might not believe it, but…Mother is trying," Leighton murmured.

"Yes, I'm sure," Alistair replied dryly. "People who are trying abandon their sons all the time."

"She's with me more than you think," Leighton defended his mother. "Just because you don't see it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. She doesn't want you to know."

"How convenient," Alistair drawled, raising his head. "You don't have to lie for her, you know."

"I'm not," Leighton insisted. "I swear!"

Then they both started as people began coming into the room with them. "Looks like I need to get this hearing going," Alistair remarked and kissing him gently on the forehead. "I know you'll be here because you feel you need to, but if the pain gets to be too much for you, please go home. Don't sit here and suffer!"

"And miss the circus? Never!" Leighton replied with a smirk. "Go get 'em, Father!"

"I'll do my best, son," Alistair promised.

A petite brunette entered the room, holding tightly to a Chanel clutch bag and making her way over to her sister, Avery, who was standing near the committee's desk. This was Azrael, the Angel of Death. She reached out and gave Avery a poke. "Avery?"

Avery started and then turned to face her sister and taking a deep breath. "Oh, hello, Azrael, you're here! Good!" She then began biting into her red nails.

"Where's Dad?" Azrael asked as she looked around the room for Steve.

Avery closed her eyes and sighed loudly. "He's in hiding. Not answering the phone or the doorbell. Probably downing glass of rum after glass of rum. Mom's trying her best to help him, but even she isn't getting anywhere. So she finally just left."

"Dad's out of it?" Azrael cried. "But…but he's part of all this! He needs to be here!"

"I wish I was joking, but…no, he's not coming at all."

"And where did Aunt Gwen run off to?" Azrael questioned desperately.

"Witches' convention in Dallas," Avery explained. "She asked me if I wanted to come too, but I thought at least one person from our house should be here. And it gave me an excuse to get away from Dad, which I sorely needed. He's truly a mess."

"Oh, dear!" Azrael put a hand on her heart. "Our world needs Father more than ever now!"

"Tell me about it," Avery nodded, gazing at her sister, the bag catching her eye. "How did you…is that the latest edition Chanel clutch bag?"

"Maybe," Azrael replied and held it possessively to her chest. "And it's mine. I earned it!"

Avery looked her sister over and let out a whistle. "Wow, Louboutin high heels, a Chanel blazer and pencil skirt…Sister, look at you! You look like a million bucks!" She chuckled and crossed her arms in front of the low neckline of her black silk dress. Then she saw a young man staring at her sister out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, thank you," Azrael told her. "I like pretty things." She brushed off the fabric. "Plus, you know, I needed to look good for this hearing. "Not every day we get to watch our brother be prosecuted for killing a sweet, elderly human woman, right?" She sighed.

"You don't have to tell me," Avery shook her head. "You don't have to talk about this if you don't want to. It was probably hard enough to pick her up after she died! The idea of you having to be part of that just makes my blood run cold! It's freaking me out!" She began shaking her head, her hair flying everywhere, as if that would make all the bad images disappear. "Poor woman! It wasn't her time! What could have possessed our brother…?" She trailed off, speaking between clenched teeth before turning her gaze back to the man who was intently looking her sister over with a very hot gaze.

"It's my job to take the souls of the dead wherever it is they're meant to go," Azrael sighed sadly. "I should be used to it by now, but it was very hard to have to take Mrs. Johnson, even if she was heaven-bound. You know, she asked me if she could have a garden there? I almost started crying!"

"It appears you have a very handsome admirer, Azrael," Avery told her with a smirk, glad for a change of subject. "He must like how you look in Chanel very much!"

"Stop it!" Azrael hissed, a blush coloring her cheeks. "No one is looking at me! And it's awful of you to tease me like that!"

"Well, 'no one' is a tall, sexy, blond-haired man," Avery informed her sister. "And he's looking at you like you're appetizer, dinner, and dessert! He looks…hungry." Avery chuckled.

Azrael slowly turned her head to convince herself that her sister was lying but found herself blushing as she looked into the beautiful blue eyes of none other than Leighton Fale!

"Who the hell is that?" Avery asked. "Not someone near death, I hope? That won't make for much of a relationship."

"He's not dying yet," Azrael shook her head, rubbing her hands together. "It's...complicated. That's Leighton Fale. No more questions, please!"

Avery's dark eyes widened, and she squeezed Azrael's shoulder so hard the Angel of Death winced. "That hunk is baby Leighton? No way!"

"Would you…would you lower your voice, please? Or not say another word? I would prefer the latter but either one suits me," Azrael told her sister.

Avery chuckled. "Well, well, well…it appears baby Leighton has grown up. Wants to play with you more than toys." She smirked.

This made her sister scoff and blush. "You're imagining things!"

"I don't think I am," Avery insisted. "I think that man wouldn't mind if you took him in your arms…not to put in his crib, but to take him to bed!"

"You're insufferable!" Azrael hissed. "Can't you just keep your nose out of my business? I'm going to go take a walk to get away from you, your big mouth, and your wild imagination!" She turned on her heel and started to walk away.

"What? Oh, come on, Azrael, what did I saw now? I thought we were on our way to becoming friends!" Avery shouted at her sister's back.

"Not if you're going to keep laughing at my expense," Azrael told her without giving her a look.

"Oh, sister, if only you knew!" Avery chuckled, speaking more to herself than anyone, and biting her lip on a smile as she settled in a chair and began to file the nails she'd chewed on.

As Azrael rushed down the corridor, she bumped into people several times and continually begged their pardon. She saw a door, then tried to open it. Luckily for her it wasn't locked. She entered the room and turned on the light, then locked the door behind her, taking a deep breath.

"You know, you can run, but you can't hide from your destiny," a hoarse voice said, startling her.

She let out a cry, then turned to face him: Leighton Fale, leaning nonchalantly against the wall, cane in hand, his burning gaze locked on her.

"What are you doing?" She asked, backing toward the door. "How did you get in here?"

"Azrael, Azrael, Azrael," he shook his head and clicked his tongue, light in his eyes. "Have you forgotten that I'm the son of a powerful witch and a powerful warlock? I can make myself disappear, then reappear wherever I want. To whomever I want, especially if I desperately want to see them."

She swallowed. "I have no…no idea why you would want to see me," she told him as she nervously wiped off her skirt. "Since you clearly have no desire to come with me to heaven like you're supposed to…unless?" She finished hopefully.

"No," Leighton shook his head and grinned, looking her over. "You look very sexy today. Love you in high heels." His gaze slid unapologetically over her. "You really have a way of whetting my appetite."

"I…I didn't do this for you," Azrael told Leighton as she gestured at her outfit. "It's for my brother's hearing and I wanted to look decent. And don't say things like that to me!"

"Right," Leighton nodded. "It would distract from everything if you were in your black robe and all…I think it looks very appealing, although most of the time I find myself wondering what you wear under that black robe of yours instead…nothing?" He blew in her ear.

"Can you be serious?" Azrael snapped. "Stop playing with me!"

"Of course," Leighton cleared his throat. "I'm here for my father and for you. I want you to know that you have my support…my dark angel." He kept his eyes locked on hers, his intense gaze sending chills down Azrael's spine.

"That…thank you, but it's really not necessary," Azrael tried to reassure him as a deep blush colored her cheeks.

"But you really need it, don't you?" Leighton remarked, then slowly began limping toward her.

"What…what are you doing?" She asked as her heart began to pound in her chest.

"Coming toward you to eat you up in one bite!" He teased and gave her a wink. Then he stopped just in front of her to brush some dark hair from her face. "We need to talk."

"I don't see why," Azrael shook her head. "I know what you're thinking, and…" she trailed off and grabbed his wrist to push his hand away.

That was a bad idea! He immediately grabbed her hand, then brought it up to his lips, kissing down the inside of her wrist as goosebumps broke out all over her body.

"I have a proposition," he told her as a wicked grin spread over his handsome face. "And I really think you're going to like it."