Astrid returned to the hearing room to find it nearly empty, except for Alistair who, having just given the guilty verdict everyone was more than ready to hear, was putting all his files and papers back in his briefcase.

She watched him for a few seconds, and then took a deep breath, swallowing nervously and putting a hand on her belly as nervousness twisted her stomach in knots. It was the dumbest thing ever that he was making her feel this way! They were about to be divorced, for Steve's sake! She shouldn't feel this way about her ex-husband! He should not be giving her first date type butterflies. It was a new feeling for her since he had always been the pursuer. He'd always been in awe of her, referring to her very formally as Miss Astrid Larson (her human father's last name) until, at last, she'd convinced him to just call her Astrid, or, Steve forbid, darling. But he'd changed. Now he was a man had scruffy facial hair and bossed people around, and…she blushed as she'd thought of the extremely naughty sex they'd had in the bathroom not too long ago. That was new development too.

Raising her chin and straightening her posture, she strode over to him, clearing her throat until he looked up and met her eyes.

"Astrid? You're still here? I thought you'd left already with Eleanor? Is everything all right?" He asked worryingly. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

"No, she left and it's fine," Astrid shook her head. "I mean, Klaus and Angelica took her to get her things out of Lucifer's mansion. Then they'll drop her off at our-I mean my-house within the hour or so."

"Oh, all right," he nodded. "Makes sense." He continued to pack his briefcase.

"Yes," Astrid rubbed her hands nervously, not knowing what to do with silence between them. "I guess it does."

Alistair closed his bag and gave Astrid a smile. "Anything else you wanted?"

"Yes," Astrid nodded. "I would like to know why."

"Why what, Astrid?" His eyes knitted in concern as he sat up on the edge of a nearby desk/

"Why…why would you let me do this? Why would you give me such an important assignment like watching Eleanor after I've behaved so badly?"

"It's a fair question," Alistair nodded. "But the answer is very simple: Because you're the only person I trust to keep Eleanor safe until her baby is born. I think you're more than qualified and having something worthwhile to do will do wonders for how you feel."

"Oh," Astrid blushed and tried to avoid his eyes. "I…I still can't believe you trust me. It's…incredible. I don't feel like I've earned it."

"It doesn't matter," Alistair shook his head as he took her hand and looked her in the eye. "I said that I want you to do this. Why would I lie to you about it?"

"You think I drink all the time and I'm lazy and a mess," Astrid reminded him. "Why would you want to bring someone like that back to the Council and then let them do such an important job besides?"

"Well do you drink anymore?" Alistair asked.

"No," Astrid shook her head. "Not anymore."

"Well, there you go," Alistair shrugged. "I think it'll be good for you to have a purpose and make a positive contribution to the magical world again. Now, unless you truly feel you can't look after Eleanor, I would like that to be a settled matter."

Astrid looked eyes with him, a shy smile curving her lips as she blushed, noticing his smirk. He was thinking about what they'd done earlier, no doubt about that, since she couldn't seem to get it off her mind either.

"So…are we good?" He asked suddenly.

"Yes," She nodded and ran her hands over her leather dress.

Alistair then took a few steps, grabbed his briefcase, and came to stand in front of her, boldly looking her over before he grabbed her chin and whispered into her ear. "I love that dress on you," he said, then nibbled on her earlobe a little as she gasped and shut her eyes. "Make me proud, future ex-wife!" Then he gave her a gentle kiss that she barely felt before she opened her eyes and found herself staring at Sybil Mikaelson and her friend Gabrielle, smug smiles plastered on their faces.

"Yes?" Astrid questioned, crossing her arms over her chest. "What are you ladies doing here?"

"Car trouble," Sybil replied, suspiciously quickly.

"Well, that's unfortunate," Astrid returned. "I hope it's nothing that will take a very long time to fix! If you need it, I'm sure I could find someone around here to help you."

"Thank you, but it's all taken care of. The car is being checked over at a garage. But thank you for offering. Mikael is calling for a taxi as we speak," Sybil assured her.

"I mean we'd be home already if we'd called Uber, but…" Gabrielle pointed out with a roll of her eyes, which made Sybil laugh.

"Can you picture my husband just getting in some stranger's car? I think that hell would freeze over before the mighty Mikael Mikaelson did that!"

"I think you're right," Astrid agreed with a chuckle. Then she stopped and cleared her throat. "Sorry for laughing, but it's just such a funny image." She bit her bottom lip.

"Oh, I know," Sybil heaved a big sigh. Then she gave her friend a poke. "You know that you'd be home by now if you'd just accepted a ride home with Dorian Gray's son. Or was I imagining you and Arthur together?"

"I don't think it's any of your business who I sat with," Gabrielle replied.

"This is true," Astrid nodded. "I saw you sit with him too."

"Don't side with her, Mrs. Fale," Gabrielle said with a smirk. "You told Sybil and I to go sit elsewhere because you didn't want us anywhere near you. And Arthur Gray just took a seat near me, which doesn't mean anything!"

"But we do understand why you wanted us to move," Sybil assured Astrid with a small laugh. "Since no one was watching you, it gave you a chance to sneak off to the bathroom and do Steve knows what!"

"Yeah, did you really do it in the restroom?" Gabrielle added, making Astrid roll her eyes.

"You two are such bitches," she snapped.

"Thank you very much!" They replied, grinning as if she'd just given them the biggest compliment ever.

"All right, all right," Astrid said, because the women clearly wouldn't go away until she confessed. "Alistair and I had an intimate moment in the bathroom."

The other women smiled at the confession.

"Don't get too excited," Astrid cautioned. "I liked it. A lot. We both did. But he still wants to divorce me anyway."

"I don't believe that for a second," Sybil tried to assure her gently. "I think he's just as lost as you are."

"He's trying to avoid saying something you wouldn't want to hear," Gabrielle added, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Astrid started to pull away, but then decided that as long as the two women were here, it might be good for her to say something. It wasn't as if she could confess her worries to Alistair. "I…I don't know what to do with all this. I don't know what he's doing or what it means!"

"I think that he wants you to have a purpose again," Sybil guessed. "I mean, he knows that since you haven't been leading the Council, you've been lost. Now he's having you take care of Eleanor. That's not a bad thing for your relationship at all. It's huge!"

"He's definitely trying to reconnect," Gabrielle agreed.

"Thank you, both of you," Astrid told them. "For being so kind to me when I've been an awful bitch to you both."

"You don't even need to bring it up," Sybil told her with a shake of her head. "You've just been stressed out and lost. It happens to everyone."

"And if you…if you ever want to have coffee or something, Sybil and I are just a phone call away," Gabrielle added.

"Looks like the taxi got here," Sybil remarked, looking down at her phone, then back at Astrid. "Are you going to be okay?"

"For now," Astrid nodded. "I won't keep you any longer. Have a good day, ladies."

She watched them head for the door, then stopped them in their tracks one last time. "That offer for coffee: I might take you up on it sometime."

"We'll look forward to it," Gabrielle told her with a wink.

"Yeah," Sybil nodded in agreement. "We sure will."

After the hearing ended, Azrael retreated to the Council's biggest library to collect herself, still shaken by what she'd done to her brother, even if it had been for the greater good.

And now, she was standing and looking out a window, arms wrapped around herself as tears rolled down her face.

"If you're sad about what your testimony meant for your brother and the Council, you don't have to be. It's not like you could lie and say Mrs. Johnson's death was premeditated just because it's what Alistair wanted to hear."

She turned and found herself looking at Leighton Fale, who was leaning against a desk with his cane in one hand. "I'm surprised you're still here," she told him. "I thought you would have left already." She sniffled and wiped some tears off her face.

Leighton sighed. "I saw you run from the hearing room and I didn't want to leave until I knew you were all right."

"I'm fine," she replied. "There was no need for you to follow me in here." She raised her chin and watched him with challenge in her eyes.

"Yeah, I bet you're fine," Leighton nodded. "Except for all the—" He broke off and waved his hand in front of his face. "Swollen eyes and red cheeks from all the crying you've been doing."

Azrael lowered her head in shame. "What's wrong with that? Can't the Angel of Death cry from time to time? Considering my line of work, I think I deserve to more than anyone."

"Do you…do you remember a baby boy about this long?" He held his arms out to indicate a small size. "He wouldn't stop crying because he was in such pain. He would just cry and cry."

"Of course I remember," Azrael nodded. "You don't forget something like that."

"And do you remember that you took pity on that poor baby and took him in your arms to comfort him, sitting with him until he stopped crying?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Would you give me the chance to return the favor?" Leighton asked, holding out a hand to her. "Come into my arms. Please."

She stood frozen, shaking her head as tears rolled down her cheeks and neck.

"I know you want to," he pressed. "And I just want to help. Please."

Azrael closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then ran toward him, throwing herself in his arms as all the weight she'd been carrying seemed to lift as he put his arms around her small figure.

"I…I'm sorry," she sniffled and looked up into his eyes. "This…this isn't anything to cry about. I don't know why I'm making such a fuss."

Leighton thought she would try and pull away, but instead she buried her head in his left shoulder. "I know why you are," he told her. "Because you are a kind, sensitive, and loving person." He began to rub her back as he kissed her forehead gently. "You can't take all the blame for what your brother did. That was his choice to make. You didn't condemn him and it's not your job to save him, Azrael."

She sniffled and raised her head to stare into his beautiful blue eyes. "I…I felt like I let everyone down and betrayed my brother all at once. It's silly, but…it's true." She shook her head. "I'm not good with things like this. I'm used to cut and dry. You die and I come and get you, or you live, and I don't. This medium ground stuff where I still feel bad even though there's nothing to feel bad for…I don't like it."

"I know," Leighton grinned and gently caressed her left cheek. "That makes you…you, my beautiful, sexy Azrael."

"Oh, I'm none of those things," Azrael blushed and shook her head."

"You're all of them," he chuckled and booped her nose. "As well as a fool for not seeing it yourself."

Kol slipped his key card in the penthouse door, then opened it, went inside, and threw it down on the table. Then he took off his blazer and threw it down on the sofa before pouring a glass of scotch and downing it in one gulp.

Amy then came in behind him and shut the penthouse door softly and made good and sure that it was locked as she watched her husband, eyes full of concern. He definitely wasn't happy at the moment.

"Are you hungry?" She asked in an attempt to ease the tension in the room. "It wouldn't be hard for me to make some pasta? Or sandwiches." She gently rubbed her belly and waited for his answer.

"Thank you, but no thank you," he said without looking at her. "I'm not really hungry." Then he downed another glass of scotch.

"But you're obviously thirsty," she crossed her arms. "It's not good to drink that much when you're angry!"

"Oh, you have no idea what angry is, dear wife of mine," Kol growled.

"What are you angry for?" Amy wanted to know.

"Why do you need to ask?" Kol wanted to know. "Why are you surprised that I'm angry cause my wife will be serving a lunatic like Lucifer Morningstar, and with the Council's encouragement, no less! You're completely ignoring my feelings!"

"I won't be serving Lucifer Morningstar," she chided, waving a finger in her husband's face. "I'm going to be giving him therapy in the hope it will help him get over whatever the hell is wrong with him and report his progress to the Council. I'm good at it! The Council has asked me to look after Lucifer before, so this won't be my first rodeo. I know all his tricks!"

"I have no doubt you do," Kol drawled. He held up a glass. "Drink?" Then he chuckled. "Oh, that's right, you can't! I had too much fun with you and got you pregnant with yet another Mikaelson baby!"

Amy closed her eyes and took several deep breaths to try and stay calm. Kol was hurting and lashing out to try and make her angry, just like Lucifer would. It was a good time to practice dealing with it. "It's our baby, Kol," she said calmly, reaching out and then thinking better of it, pulling her hand away.

He had just swallowed as she spoke, spitting it out as he looked at her, wide eyed.
"What did you say, Amy?"

"This isn't just another Mikaelson baby," Amy said firmly. "It's our baby, the child of Amy Burke and Kol Mikaelson, who will be very loved!" She finished with a blush in her cheeks.

"Are you sure you've slept enough? Because for the past several days, you can't seem to do anything but remind me about how you were pregnant with another Mikaelson baby!" Kol reminded her through clenched teeth.

"I know, and I'm sorry," she apologized. "It's just felt like for the longest time, so much of my life has been out of my hands and it drives me crazy, but…that's no excuse to take it out on you." She gave him a small smile. "I hate seeing you angry like this. How can I make it better?"

"Why does it need to be made better?" Kol lashed out. "Is it because it reminds you of my brothers who you married?"

"Oh, you're nothing like them," Amy promised. "You're a man unto yourself!" She spun on her heel and began walking away from him to head to the kitchen. "I don't know who you need to be mad at right now. If it's me, Alistair, Lucifer, or anyone else…but I'm really not in the mood to fight with you."

"Of course you're not, Amy Mikaelson Burke," Kol scoffed. "Why should my feelings matter? They're obviously not important enough for you to care about!"

She turned to face him, mouth open. "Not important enough for me? Are you crazy? For Steve's sake! You're my husband and the father of my baby! Of course, you and your feelings are important! But what about mine, Kol? Did you ever think to ask me how I'm feeling? No one really does. They just expect me to breeze in, wave my hand, and save the day, like I'm some sort of super woman robot!"

"Oh, all right," Kol shrugged. "Please tell me about your feelings, Amy."

Amy eyed him suspiciously. "You sound sarcastic, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Ever since I became a vampire and lost my place in the supernatural community, I've felt…lost and undervalued." She sobbed and did her best to avoid his gaze.

Kol sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry you've been feeling that way," he told her. "And that I've been so thick-headed that I didn't even think of asking you. But I guess it was because I've always been in awe of how extraordinary you were. It didn't even occur to me that such an extraordinary witch would lack confidence."

Amy shook her head. "I'm a person, just like anyone else. I don't deserve to be on anyone's pedestal. But you…you always made me feel like I had some sort of value, as a witch, and now, too. But when Alistair gave me my old job back…when someone in the magical community needed me, it made me feel like my old self again.

"Even if it puts you in danger?" Kol pressed. "I would just…I would be scared as hell if anything happened to you in the presence of that man."

"I'm stronger than you think," Amy promised. "Please give me a little credit."

"I'm not doubting your strength, Amy," he assured her. "I would never do that. I'm just trying to get it through your head how messed up he is and that by taking this job, you're putting yourself at risk!"

"Don't you think I know that?" Amy asked, putting a hand on her belly. "I'm not stupid, Kol! I was there! He's hit rock bottom! He pushed that old woman and it killed her. He wanted to murder Julian Johnson and would have succeeded, if not for Klaus. And not only that, he hurt Angelica, who you'd think would be safe from his wrath. And it seems like he locked Eleanor away in the mansion. None of these things are the actions of a man who is right in the head! He needs someone to evaluate him week after week and help him through whatever the heck he's got going on before he becomes an even bigger threat to the supernatural community!"

"Why does it have to be you?" He asked her, his breath picking up. "Why can't someone else take the risk?"

"Because Alistair knows how well I dealt with Klaus before," Amy reminded him. "And there was a time Astrid asked me to be Lucifer's therapist before. I know how he works, so it would be much better for me to work with him than to risk some poor new person run into trouble because Lucifer was able to take advantage of their ignorance of him." She paused. "And hey…it won't be until after the baby's born, remember? Alistair was kind enough to give us that." She looked down at her belly. "And that won't be long now."

"No, it won't," Kol winced, unable to be entirely happy.

"You want to come with me to his first session?" Amy asked, thinking that it might ease his fears.

"Why?" Kol finally gave her a smile. "If things don't work out, do you want me to kill him?"

Amy couldn't help but laugh a little. "No, not exactly. I just…I thought that if you were able to see my process, it would help you feel more at ease." She paused. "So…will you come?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Thank you."

"And just so you know, Kol Mikaelson, that is called compromise."

"Really?" Kol grinned, putting a hand around Amy's waist and pulling her to him. "We usually don't do that. Because I'm a gentleman and let you have your way."

"No, you don't," Amy shook her head. "You're too stubborn!"

"And you're not?" Kol countered, kissing her lips gently just as the baby gave a good strong kick. "Looks like our son agrees that you're stubborn!"

"Or maybe he agrees with me that you're stubborn!" Amy countered, throwing her arms around his neck.

"How about he's happy because his parents finally have reached common ground?" Kol rested his chin on top of her head and savored the precious moment.

"It's good to feel him move inside me," Amy said. "And to be in your arms."

"Be careful," Kol teased with a wink. "Or you could get used to it."

She raised her head and locked eyes with him, giving him a smile. "Are you sure you don't want pasta? Because it seems like our son does."

"Good," Kol winked. "What the lady wants, she shall have."

Milo opened the door to his and Natalie's small but very comfortable and homey apartment, throwing the key on the table and throwing himself on the sofa. Then he took a deep breath and buried his head in his hands. He stayed in this position for a few minutes as his brain went over every detail of his father's trial, his thoughts only being interrupted by the sound of the front door closing again.

"Milo?" Natalie called. "Are you here? Are you hungry?" Without waiting for an answer, she stepped further inside the small apartment. "After all the craziness today, Mom wasn't sure we'd have time to eat so she made us some pasta. We can just reheat it. It won't take long at all."

Milo raised his head up and gave her a smile. "That's wonderful, I love pasta. I'll have to remember to thank her for being so generous." He paused, then narrowed his eyes. "Before I eat any, did she assure you that Kol had no part in the preparation? Like, say, sneaking poison in it that would kill me?"

"Why would you say that?" She burst out laughing while setting the pasta on the kitchen Island and letting out her breath and coming to sit by Milo. "He likes you more than he lets on. Truly."

"Oh, sure," Milo drawled. "You can just feel the good will and love between us when we're in the same room together."

"Okay, I wouldn't go that far yet," Natalie conceded. "He's very protective of me and my mother, for obvious reasons. Especially now that she's pregnant with my sibling/cousin." She shrugged. "If you give him time, maybe he'll be like that for you one day."

"I doubt it," Milo shook his head. "There aren't many people who feel that way about me and I don't expect your uncle to change his mind. I don't blame him."

"Hey," Natalie smiled, then gently grabbed his right hand in hers, squeezing it tightly and giving Milo a kiss on the cheek. "How are you after the circus we just saw? Talk to me."

"I'm fine," he lied through his teeth. "The man who fathered me is getting what he deserves, right? And Mom will be safe with Mrs. Fale. So why wouldn't I be fine with an outcome like that?"

"You make a good point, but…" Natalie pulled him close. "I wasn't asking about them. I was asking about you. You're what matters the most to me." She brought his hand to her lips and gently kissed his knuckles.

Milo swallowed hard, setting his shaking hand in his lap as he scooted away from her on the sofa. "Maybe you should be careful about how much you allow yourself to care about me," he warned her.

"Milo, why would you say that?" Natalie asked, reaching out to touch him, but quickly thinking better of it. "Please, tell me why."

"Because if you care about me too much, I could easily become a possessive lunatic and keep you hostage in this apartment if things go wrong for us!" He told her through clenched teeth.

"Well, if that happens, Uncle Kol would kill you and take me away like my dad did with your sister, so…" She shrugged. "I don't think I have anything to worry about." She gave him a smile, but quickly sobered as his eyes flashed angrily.

"Do you think…do you think this is funny?" He demanded as he paced the length of the rug in front of her.

"No," Natalie shook her head. "I don't think that anything that happened today is funny! I don't think the fact that you're hurting is funny. I just wanted to tell you that I'm not worried about you becoming your father. That's all. I don't think it's even possible!"

"Oh, it could still happen," Milo replied. "Not that I'd go out of my way to make trouble, but…remember all the people I've been with? All the girls I've used and dumped? Haven't found a guy I'd think about being with that way so far, but that's all the better for the male population, isn't it, that guys only get me for a night or two at the most?" He paused and ran his fingers through his hair. "There it is! A sign that I could become my father…staring me right in the face!"

"You had crazy hormones in your bloodstream and were horny because of all the hormones!" Natalie brushed off his concerns. "I wouldn't expect anything else. It doesn't mean you'll turn into your father, or hurt me like your father did with your mother and sister."

Milo sighed. "I suppose you're right about the hormones thing."

"Is this…" she trailed off, a blush coloring her cheeks and clashing magnificently with her red hair.

"What?"

"Is this a way of reminding me that the first time we had sex, we haven't…" she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

"No, no!" Milo's eyes widened as he shook his head and got close to her, cupping the back of her head with his hand and leaning his forehead against hers. "I promise it's not. I don't even care about it." He paused. "Well, yeah, I do, and when we did it, it was amazing, but…not today. I'm just grateful that you're here with me and that I don't have to go through this alone."

"You don't," she shook her head gently and kissed him, then started unbuttoning her shirt with shaking fingers.

"No, stop," Milo shook his head, moved her hands, and did up the couple of buttons she'd undone. "I don't need sex to feel better. I just want to be with you on the sofa, with my head on your lap as you run your fingers through my hair. Would you do that for me?" He asked as tears filled his eyes.

"Of course," Natalie nodded, about to cry herself as he rested his head in her lap. Then, as she ran her fingers through his hair, his breathing steadied, his eyes closed, he mumbled a thank you, and then fell asleep as she kissed his forehead.

After taking a shower and getting dressed, a giddy Klaus made his way down the stairs to the first floor of the hacienda, a huge grin on his face. Lucifer had been found guilty of trying to kill Julian Johnson and now had to serve time wearing an ankle monitor. The man had gotten what he'd deserved, and Klaus couldn't be happier.

The shower had been warm and relaxing, a nice change from the chaos of the hearing and having to look at Lucifer the Asshole's face all day long. But he knew that as hard as it had been for him, it had been harder for his woman, even if she was doing her best to be strong and keep her turmoil from him, he knew that she was still suffering. Now that he'd had time to gather his thoughts and have a little peace, he was going to be there for her.

He stopped by the hallway mirror and looked over himself, at his tight bleached jeans and Henley t-shirt that clung to him like a second skin, and hoped that would be enough to give Angel some distraction that she sorely needed.

Turning on his heel, he made his way to the large living room, freezing as he caught a glimpse of Angel on the sofa with her legs tucked under her butt. He shook his head, grinning wider. What in the name of her father, grandfather, and anyone else on that side of her family was she wearing? A pair of neon pink footie pajamas that he hadn't seen in her wardrobe before today. It was really the most horrific thing he'd ever laid his eyes on.

But the horror didn't stop there. Oh, no! She held a large bowl of pasta in her lap that was drowning in red tomato sauce as she inhaled pasta without even seeming to chew it first, a damn good impression of a hell-bound glutton if he ever saw one.

"Hey," he said, coming to stand beside her as he tried not to laugh. "Mind if I sit here, Angel?"

She shrugged, not even giving him so much as a word as she continued to stuff her face with pasta as sauce covered her face, got in her hair, and dripped down her chin and neck.

He sighed. She was definitely in bad shape, his woman. That was for sure.

Sitting down carefully beside her, he put an arm around her shoulder and watched her for a few seconds before speaking. "Why are you eating yummy pasta without me?" He asked, playing with her hair. "Can I have some?"

"It's mine!" She proclaimed, slapping his hand away and holding onto the bowl for dear life.

"The bowl or the pasta?"

"Both," she replied and glared at him suspiciously.

"I see, but…the bowl has the letter K on it, see?" He pointed out.

"And what's your point?" Angelica wanted to know. "What's yours is mine and what's mine is mine."

"True," he chuckled, even in the face of Angelica's inner brat rearing its ugly head. "But it can't be your bowl if it has my initial on it, can it?" He gave her a smile. "As for the pasta, I was the one who bought the pasta with the rest of the groceries and cooked it."

"Fine," Angelica replied. "Have all you want. I didn't think you would be the sort of man to deny a baby food, though. She had a craving for pasta and I'm at her mercy, so…" She held out the bowl to him and waited.

"Oh, no, I wouldn't dare," Klaus shook his head and leaned away from her. "So, your explanation for all this craziness is that our baby girl had such a craving for pasta that you were forced to play the role of a terrible glutton?"

"Oh, bite me," she hissed and resumed shoveling food in her mouth. "I'm already as big as an elephant, so what does it matter if I just let myself eat all I want?"

"Where do you want me to bite you?" he asked, leaning close enough to smell the rosy scent of the skin of her neck before giving her a playful wink. "I dare you to tell me. As for you being fat, it's a complete lie!"

She rolled her eyes and continued eating as he got to his feet and ran to the kitchen glad that she couldn't see what he was doing. All she could hear was the opening and closing of the utensil drawer.

When he came back, he was holding a fork tightly in his fist and looking gleeful. "Time to eat some pasta!" He proclaimed and stuck the fork in her bowl.

"Hey!" She cried, pouting like a child. "I told you this was mine, and if you want to keep your hand, I suggest you get your fork out of the damn bowl!"

"Bite me!" He grinned cheekily before shoving pasta in his mouth. "Mmmm! This is so good!"

She rolled her eyes and kept eating because encouraging him would be a bad idea at this point.

"Love, could you please explain something to me?" He questioned before taking his own bite of pasta and swallowing.

"What?" She asked through a full mouth.

"Well, I was wondering, what the fuck are you wearing?" He took another bite and waited for her answer.

"Why wouldn't I wear it if it's my favorite pair of pajamas?"

"Is it really?" Klaus exclaimed. "That's funny cause I don't think I've seen them before today."

"My closet is bigger than yours," Angelica returned primly. "You can't possibly know everything I have in there!"

"You don't keep PJs in the closet, Angel."

"I just wanted something that would keep me cozy, warm, and safe!"

"I could do that very easily too," he reminded her. "And you know, I read the best way to keep warm is to be naked and skin to skin. If you're cold, maybe we should try it!"

She blushed but said nothing since she still had pasta to finish.

Klaus sighed and shook his head at how stubborn his woman was being, then stuck his fork in the bowl once more.

Angelica was doing the same and eventually, they found themselves eating the same piece of pasta, which caused their lips to meet. She opened her eyes wide, and he gave her a wink, biting down on the pasta so she could take it as she laughed and wiped sauce off her mouth with the back of her hand.

"I loved watching Lady and the Tramp when I was a little girl," she told him.

"You did?" He grinned and tucked some loose curls behind her ear.

"Yeah," she nodded, a grin on her lips. "I would watch it with Daddy, sit on his lap, and feel like the most special girl in the world!" Then her lip began to quiver as she burst into tears. "That and The Invisible Man and The Creature From the Black Lagoon. He didn't tell Mom about those though because he knew she would think they were too scary. But I liked them."

"Oh, love! You're hurting. Come here…" He took the bowl of pasta from her and set it on the table, taking her in his arms as she cried into his t-shirt.

"He…he called me a spoiled brat in front of everyone!" She wailed. "He never called me that and in fact would have wrung anyone's neck who tried. But I guess…I guess that was only when I mattered, and I don't anymore…"

"Hush," he murmured as he rocked her back and forth. "I don't believe that had anything to do with you. Your father is angry and hurt and he's taking it out on everyone else."

"You…are you saying you don't think he meant it? That he just said it to feel better, like when he kicked me out and told me n…never to come back?"

"I honestly don't know, Angel," Klaus shook his head and wiped tears from her cheeks. "But…I think he was more about saving his own ass than being kind to his family."

"You won't treat our daughter that way, will you?" She sniffled. "Please promise me you won't!"

"I don't have to promise you that because It would never cross my mind, Angel," he said. "I might not be the best father a hundred percent of the time, but no matter what, I love my family with all my heart." He kissed her hair and held her tight.

"Thank you," she sniffled. "That makes me feel much better."

He smiled. "You're welcome, my love."

"I don't even want her to have his name," Angelica continued.

"What do you mean?"

"I just want her to have your family name," Angelica clarified. "No Morningstar at all. I don't want her to bear that burden until she chooses to. If she chooses to."

"You want her to have my family name?" Klaus raised an eyebrow. "But it's your family name too."

"You mean on my mom's side?" She frowned.

"Well, yeah…isn't your mother a Mikaelson somehow?"

"Oh, no! Oh, dear Grandpa, no!" Angelica's eyes widened. "Are you and I related? I never even stopped to think…did we commit some sort of incest?" She began to hyperventilate as she sat back on the sofa. "We'll go to hell! And as much as I'm used to it, I don't want my baby there!"

"Maybe," Klaus gave her a playful wink. "But I'm fine with it! I've done worse than fucking my great niece, right? You're too sexy to pass up!"

"Oh, god, I'm your niece?" Angelica lost all color in her face and looked like she was about to pass out, so Klaus decided to be merciful.

"Calm down," he said, bursting into laughter as he held her close again. "You and I are not related! Technically, I'm not even a Mikaelson! As messed up as your grandfather is, do you think he would set you up with someone you were related to?"

Angelica breathed a sigh of relief and punched him in the chest. "No, I would think he wouldn't. But don't you scare me like that again! Do you understand me?"

Klaus laughed and grabbed her around the waist to pull her close. "Are we getting physical now?" He teased and nibbled on her earlobe.

"No!" Angelica shook her head and squirmed in his grip for a little while before narrowing her eyes at him. "No sex for you because I'm fat and you're rude! You stole my spaghetti and lied to me!"

He chuckled and kissed the side of her neck, gently licking off some of the tomato sauce that had ended up there. "You're delicious!" He told her. "You taste divine for a fat lady!"

"There's nothing divine about me," Angie snapped, trying not to laugh as he struggled to open her pajamas. "Do you need help?"

"Damn it, Angel," Klaus gave her a desperate look. "Are these fucking chastity PJ's or something?"

Angelica's mouth twisted, but she had a twinkle in her eyes. "Well, I suppose if you bring me to the bedroom, I could show you the key to opening these footie pajamas. Maybe. If you're nice to me, we could try that naked body heat thing you were talking about."

He laughed. "You know, that's the best offer I've had all night!" Then he picked her up and got to his feet.

"Don't forget the spaghetti bowl!" She reminded him. "I'm not done yet!"

"What makes you think I would forget about it?" He asked, moving her closer to the table so she could carry it as he headed toward their bedroom while their joyous, flirty laughter filled the hacienda.