Diana Dove turned back to the elevator and leaned her head against the closed doors, her breath becoming erratic.
If Steve existed, if he was in fact God, she was willing to give herself up to him if he would just get him away from Lucifer Morningstar the asshole.
"You can shove your handcuffs up your a-" she began, but he cut her off before she could finish.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," he clicked his tongue and shook his head "You're neither polite nor well-behaved, young lady. Your parents didn't do a good job of educating you. He heaved an exaggerated sigh. "But then again, you can't expect much from a chauffeur and a whore, can you?"
Diana ignored him and turned back to the elevator doors, trying to part them.
"Now, if you're not into handcuffs," he continued, "maybe you'd prefer to have sex toys inserted into your behind." He stopped and smirked. "I'm the man of the hour. I would gladly refer you to some places in the city.
"Oh, I'm gonna be sick!" Diana spat, disgusted by his words.
"You poor thing," Lucifer replied. "Maybe an apple will help with that." He turned on his heel and headed to the counter, dropping the handcuffs, and grabbing a small knife to cut an apple he took out of the bowl. "You see, though you made me slip on a banana peel in front of people on the sidewalk, and it was horribly humiliating, I'm willing to let bygones be bygones and give you a piece of apple to get you through your time as my prisoner.
Diana looked in his direction, noticing that he had his back to her, giving her the opportunity to kneel in front of the doors, peering at the bottom to see if there was a way to get them open.
"Apple?" She turned and saw him holding a knife with a bit of apple through it.
She quickly snatched the knife out of his grip and bit fully into the apple and slid the knife in between the elevator doors in the hopes of opening them.
Lucifer sighed and shook his head, crossing both arms in front of his chest. "What in the world are you doing?"
"Well, I'm trying desperately trying to find a way not to breathe the same air as you." She kept trying to try and force the doors open. "Maybe if I give them one good, hard push, I can get them open."
"How do you plan to do that with a butter knife?" Lucifer questioned. He leaned against the wall, eyebrows raised. "And then what?"
"Well, do you have a better idea how we can get out of here?" Diana turned her fiery gaze on him. "Because if you do, tell me so I can be free of this horrible place!"
"I do actually have another idea," Lucifer nodded. "You could jump from the balcony and land on the sidewalk, your skull shattered in a thousand pieces, your blood spurting everywhere. That will make my day!"
"Granting you that wish will never be at the top of my list, Mister Morningstar. But I will suggest that you do the same to grant me mine." She tilted her head and smirked.
"We've been having a problem with this damn elevator for weeks now. Sometimes it stops for hours or even days!" He smirked. "But rest assured that if you have to stay here, I have plenty of food in the fridge." He grinned wickedly. "If you have the money to pay for it, of course."
"Please tell me you're joking," she said, marching to the counter and dropping the knife on it. Then she began pacing back and forth.
"Oh, come on, D.D.," he purred. "What's a few hours between mortal enemies, hmmmm?" He was very amused by how nervous she was around him.
She sped over to him, shoving a finger under his nose. "Don't you ever call me that! Do you understand? Never again!"
"What will you do if I do it anyway, little human?" He smiled.
"Oh, I'm half human and half everything else!" She snapped.
"I'm shaking in my pants right now, D.D.,", he chuckled and winked. "Now that you've mentioned that you hate it, I'm inspired to call you it all the time."
"Fine, I'll keep calling you 'Asshole,'" she snapped.
Lucifer got closer to her, eyes narrowed on his prey. "You do realize that I could easily end your life in a matter of hours or even seconds if I choose to. Or cause you excruciating pain."
"Mmmmm-hmmmm…" Diana raised her chin and breathed right into this face. "It's a tempting offer. I would gladly take you up on it if killing me meant that I would never have to see you gain." She smirked. "Except…people close to my heart would suffer too, like…your granddaughter Victoria, for example, who would hate you with all of her being for the rest of time."
Lucifer growled, hands balled into fists on either side of his body.
Diana spun around and headed back to the elevator doors, banging hard on them to the point where she thought her knuckles would start bleeding. She was surprised to find Lucifer beside her a few seconds later doing the same thing.
"Help!" She cried. "Someone, anyone! Let me out of here!"
"Dexter, get up here!" Lucifer cried. "I know you can hear us! Come get us out!" He paused as Diana gave him a look. "What?"
"Well, the man's not your servant," she said. "Call him again and say 'please', Your majesty!"
Lucifer's head began to throb just a little. "You sound exactly like your mother. Please stop talking."
"Don't you have a phone or something that we could use to call someone? This Dexter person?"
"What about you?" Lucifer asked. "Don't kids carry their phones everywhere?"
Diana gave him a look. "I just grew up! I got my first set of clothes not too long ago. I'm sure that was on my parents' list before getting me a phone!"
They stared at one another for a couple of seconds and then burst into loud laughter.
"Fuck," Diana wiped tears from her eyes. "I hate you so much that my brain can't function normally when you're around me."
"I feel the same about you, Diana Dove Johnson," Lucifer shook his head, smirking.
"Well?" Diana asked. "What are you waiting for?"
"I don't know," Lucifer crossed his arms over his chest. "I could make you wait a couple hours just for the pleasure of seeing you lose your nerve."
Diana craned her neck to give herself a better look at his cell phone on the counter. Then she rushed over to grab it, her foot catching the edge of the rug, causing her to lose her balance.
Lucifer reacted almost immediately, sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her against him.
Diana let out a cry, her breath picking up, both hands on his chest. "What are you doing?" She asked, wide-eyed.
"You would have fallen on your ass, D.D., he whispered, his gaze going to her parted red lips.
"Well," she breathed deeply, dark eyes buried in his. "Thank you for your help, but I'm okay now so you can take your filthy, wandering hands off me." She squirmed and kept herself at a distance. "How about you feel up one of your escorts downstairs?"
"Are you jealous, Diana?" He smirked.
Before Diana could respond, both of them jumped as the elevator dinged, making her forget what she was going to say.
Dexter waited for the elevator doors to close on the tall brunette before he looked at Lucifer. "This is Diana Dove Johnson, isn't it?" He pointed at the elevator.
"Very perceptive, my friend," Lucifer smirked, heading back to the counter to pour himself more scotch.
"Well I have eyes, Lucifer, and I would have to be blind not to notice that she's the spitting image of Eleanor." Dexter sighed and shook his head.
"Is she? I didn't notice," Lucifer grinned into his glass. "A bit taller and definitely not as well-dressed." He winced.
"Oh, for your father's sake!" Dexter rubbed his eyes.
"Do you have a problem with her presence in my humble abode?" Lucifer questioned, tilting his head and smirking.
"Why was she here? Why would she even meet with you?" His right-hand man asked, hands on either side of his waist.
"I've known you forever, right?" Lucifer continued to drink. "I'm sure, as an intelligent man, you can figure it out all by yourself."
"She followed Victoria here to protect her from you!" Dexter rubbed the muscles at the nape of his neck to relax them.
"Exactly!" Lucifer nodded.
"What did you do to her?" Dexter asked dryly.
"Oh, believe me, my friend, when it comes to Diana Dove Johnson, it's more what she could do to me than the other way around!" Lucifer barked.
"Good!" Dexter said firmly and nodded.
"What do you mean by that?" Lucifer cried. "I thought you would be on my side!"
"When it comes to Eleanor, Angelica, or Diana Dove Johson, no I'm not!" Dexter stood his ground.
"So you prefer to side with the woman who cheated on me," Lucifer asked slyly.
"Yes!" Dexter nodded. "You treated her so badly she had to find another man to make her happy. She was miserable with you!" Dexter replied, tit for tat.
"What miserable life?" Lucifer exclaimed in shock. "She lived in a mansion! She had designer, clothes, bags, shoes…everything she could have wanted!"
"And yet, you couldn't love her the way she needed to be loved since you were too busy looking at yourself in the mirror!" Dexter pointed out.
Lucifer startled. "Well, I tried," he muttered, looking away.
"Well, you should have tried harder!" Dexter insisted.
"Look at Angelica! I loved her with all my heart, and she chose that rat Klas Mikaelson over me!" Lucifer slammed his fist down on the counter, his eyes flashing red.
"No, she didn't pick him over you. There was always a space for you in her life, you just didn't trust her and didn't want to share. Hell, there probably would be now if you got down on bended knee and apologized. But since you won't, and I see no reason why she should make things easy for you, I've never seen her happier than she is when she's with Klaus. Not in a long time. And she doesn't deserve to have that ruined, so stay away from her and Victoria! They don't need you, and good for Angelica for finally realizing that." Dexter smirked.
"I didn't have anything to do with Victoria coming here. She did that one her own, much like how her mother was curious about Dad and wanted to see him for herself." Lucifer sat down and smiled a little. "I doubt she'll be able to stay away now since we made a connection."
"Oh, she'll stay away if I have something to say about it," Dexter threatened, eyes narrowed. "I'll do what I have to do to keep her away from you. That'll be better for everyone."
"Are you threatening me?" Lucifer asked, eyes narrowed.
"It's not a threat," Dexter replied, coming closer. "Leave Victoria alone!"
"She's quite a knockout, wouldn't you say?" Lucifer smirked and tilted his head. "Tall, blonde hair, long legs, untamed. Is that something that would interest you, Dexter? It wouldn't be the first time you've looked in my gene pool for a date.
Dexter chuckled and shook his head. "That is so you. Changing the subject to avoid your own problems. Victoria is a child!
"I have eyes too, Dexter. I saw you two exchange before she left. She seemed even more intrigued by you than me. How long will you be able to stay away from her?"
"You saw nothing!" Dexter replied dryly, poking his chest "You're a sick man, Lucifer!"
"You seem to forget…" Lucifer leaned close to whisper in Dexter's ear. "I'm able to sense arousal. "And you were both full of lust, weren't you? One of the seven deadly sins?"
"Funny," Dexter shot back. "That's exactly what I felt when I got out of the elevator, but between you and Diana Dove Johnson." He looked down at Lucifer's crotch briefly to make sure he was correct. "Isn't she your type of woman? Seems like it."
Lucifer paled, taking a step back. "I couldn't care less for that bastard child! She is nothing to me but a nuisance." He lied and blushed just a little. "I could have easily pushed her from the balcony, so she fell to her death. But I didn't because of Victoria."
"Stay away from Diana and Victoria or…" Dexter growled, waving his hand before he turned and headed back to the elevator.
"Or what? You'll jump in bed with my granddaughter?" Lucifer laughed.
"Go to hell, Lucifer! And stay there! It would do us all a lot of good!" Dexter entered the elevator once more. It's time for the club to open. Your guests are waiting."
Victoria shut the door behind her and threw her keys on the table, noticing right away that the lights were dimmed, the room lit only by candles and a table lamp or two. But she didn't see anyone around.
"Mom?" She called. "Where are you? Is anyone here?"
"In the kitchen, Vic!" called her mother's voice.
Victoria smiled and headed into the modern kitchen, hands buried in the pockets of her ripped jeans, a wide smile on her face. "Hello, Mom," she greeted her, giving Angelica a kiss on the cheek.
"Hey yourself," Angelica returned with a smile. "Not to step on your independence or anything, but I was beginning to get worried since it's dark now."
Victoria sat down on a bar stool and watched her. "Sorry I didn't call," she apologized. "I didn't mean to worry you. I was having fun and I guess I lost track of time."
"Don't worry about it, sweetie," Angelica replied, getting out the tea pot and a couple of cups. "Did you and Diana do anything special?"
Victoria shook her head. "Not really. We had our milkshakes and then left the restaurant to walk around for a bit." She knew it was wrong to lie to her mother and found it hard to look her in the eye. "I mean, I was just so happy to see her."
"Makes sense," Angelica nodded, rooting around for the box of tea. "I was happy to see her too. She's your best friend and my sister." She paused and put the tea things on the table. "You want a cup of tea too?"
"Sure," Victoria nodded. "Is there any peppermint left, or do I need to stop off and get another box from Aunt Charlotte's store?"
"No, we're good," Angelica replied, getting a bag of peppermint out for Victoria, and a bag of apple cinnamon for herself. Then she made both cups and put Victoria's in front of her, then took a seat on a bar stool next to Victoria. Then they drank their tea in silence for a little bit.
"Where's Dad?" Victoria asked out of nowhere.
Angelica put her cup down. "He and Julian Johnson took Nico out for a drink."
"Why did he do that?" Victoria asked. "Isn't Nico underage?"
"That's what I said!" Angelica nodded, rolling her eyes. "But he just smirked at me and said, 'If he's old enough to get my granddaughter pregnant, he's old enough to have a beer!'" Angelica sighed,
"That's Dad, all right," Victoria chuckled. "And you love him, right?"
Angelica blushed. "If I were simply in love with your father, it would be easier! But I'm crazy about him." After the admission, she rubbed her hands together nervously.
"That's what I love about our family. It's unconventional," Victoria remarked. "I mean, take Diana. She's my best friend and my aunt at the same time, which makes it special. Plus, there's Grandma Eleanor, and Elise, and Froy, all my aunts and uncles…I'm sure if I thought about it, we'd all be related one way or another."
Angelica chuckled. "Don't think about it too much or it will give you a headache. In fact, at one point, your father and I thought we were related to each other."
"No, really?" Victoria exclaimed and then burst into laughter. "That is so fucked up!"
Angelica frowned. "Victoria, that's not a good way for a young lady to talk."
"Right," Victoria rolled her eyes. "Sorry. Anyway…tell me more."
"Well, we realized that your father is not related to Mikael by blood," Angelica explained. "Therefore, even though he's related by blood to his siblings through their mother and bears the name Mikaelson, he has no Mikaelson blood."
"Right," Victoria sighed. "Grandpa Mikael." She nervously tapped her fingers on the counter. "One of my grandfathers."
This made Angelica tense up and get to her feet to go put her teacup in the sink. "Don't expect much from either of your grandfathers. They won't be a part of your life. It's much better that way.
"And when you say 'both', that means Lucifer won't be either." Victoria took a big drink from her cup and then looked back at her mother.
"Oh, especially him," she replied dryly. "He's unable to love and support his family. He doesn't want us. So, he's not part of our family anymore."
"I see," Victoria nodded. "I don't need to ask why. I know he caused Grandma Ellie and Diana's father a lot of pain. And you too, obviously. I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay, sweetie," Angelica gave Victoria a smile and a hug. "I'm finally at the point where I don't need him or miss him anymore. I'm very lucky to have you and your father because you're the ones who make me feel loved and happy."
Victoria continued to nervously tap her fingers on the counter and bite her lip. She needed to know more about someone else to be happy! And already, she'd like to her mother about where she'd been. And asking about her grandfather's right-hand man in addition to that? Wouldn't her mother be suspicious why she weas asking about Dexter? Probably. But she needed to know about him like she needed air!
"I know you'll do what you're gonna do," Angelica told her. "But I would prefer it if you didn't try to contact my father."
"Sure, Mom," Victoria nodded. "I understand that you don't want me near him." She was lying again, of course, with her fingers crossed behind her back. "I'll do my best."
"Thank you, sweetie," Angelica smiled and ran her fingers through Victoria's curly hair, then came back with a plate full of fruit and cookies. "Here. Have a snack."
"But I'm just curious…" Victoria bit her bottom lip, trying to think of a subtle way to learn more about Dexter without letting her mother know she'd seen him just recently, which would be difficult because her mother was a very perceptive woman.
"What are you curious about?" Angelica asked, grabbing a piece of pineapple and biting into it. "If it's something about your grandfather, you know to ask your dad. I know it's selfish of me, but if I tried to tell you, a bunch of crap that isn't yours to deal with will come pouring out of me and I just…I don't want…"
"No, no, I'm just curious why you're eating that pineapple when you hate them!" Victoria replied.
"Oh, no, I love pineapple!" Angelica clarified. "Just not mixed with ham on pizza! I don't know why your father likes something so gross!"
"It's not so bad," Victoria said and grabbed her own piece of pineapple. "So?"
"So, what, if it's nothing about your grandfather?"
"Why isn't he in prison?" Victoria blurted out. "He should be in jail or have someone to watch over him and make sure he behaves!"
"The council slapped an ankle monitor on him but that's not going to be there forever. But for everyone's sake, the devil was put with someone who can make him behave."
"Oh?" Victoria tried to look surprised. "And just who is that?"
"His name is Dexter. He's a demon."
"Does he have a whole name?"
"If he does, I never asked," Angelica replied, blushing with shame. "I don't know his birthday, or his favorite color, or…but I should have tried because he's the only person besides your grandmother who stopped me from turning into that kid on the Twilight Zone who stuck people in cornfields and made people think happy thoughts all the time."
"So you don't know anything about him?" Victoria chuckled. "Did he fall from the sky?"
"Your great-grandpa Steve, back when he was known as God, chose Dexter to basically be Lucifer's lackey," Angelica explained.
This made Victoria choke on some pineapple. "Really? He doesn't seem like the lackey type to me!"
"What?" Angelica stared at her daughter as Victoria quickly looked away. She needed to be more careful!
"I mean…" she blushed. "You seem to have respect for him, so he has to be someone who is dark, tall, and well-dressed. Not just a servant, you know?"
"Well, you have a good imagination cause that's exactly what he's like," Angelica smiled. "He kept things peaceful a lot by making sure Lucifer didn't do anything crazy." It was weird to refer to her father by his first name, she knew. But it made her feel better.
"Does Dexter have a wife? A family?"
"Well," Angelica swallowed. "He and your aunt Valerie were a couple for ages and broke up and got together so many times. But I feel that that's over now."
Victoria choked and grabbed her teacup, taking a drink.
"Oh, gosh, are you all right?" Angelica asked and gave her a whack on the back.
"I'm good," Victoria tried to reassure her mother. "I'm fine. Thank you, Mom." She gave her mother a timid smile and then looked away. "So, Aunt Valerie and Dexter were a couple? Wow. I don't know her cause she hasn't come to Uncle Noah's club or anything, but…wow."
"Yeah," Angelica nodded. "I think Dexter wanted to have a baby, but Valerie couldn't and though he was okay and got her a dog instead, she just…she couldn't accept the situation herself."
"Well, all right then," Victoria got to her feet and wiped her mouth.
Why was she so pissed off? She couldn't care less if Dexter had dated her aunt for a long time.
"Does…does it bother you you'll never meet your grandfather?" Angelica asked, tears filling her eyes. "Cause you seem to be really mad, and I don't want you to be. I don't want that man to cause any more pain."
"No, no!" Victoria shook her head and gave her mother a kiss on the cheek. "I'm just tired, you know? I'll go to bed." Then she turned to leave the kitchen. "Thanks for the tea and the fruit."
"You're welcome," Angelica told her. "And Victoria?"
"Yes?" Victoria turned to look at her mother.
"I didn't say yes to the guitar!" Angelica gave her a look.
"But you didn't say 'no', either!" Victoria gave her mother a wink and then headed to her room.
Klaus Mikaelson was lying on his bed, glasses perched on his nose as he read emails on his tablet.
Then he looked up as Angelica stepped out of the bathroom, wearing a dressing gown with a matching black lace night gown that left little to the imagination.
She paused at the foot of the bed and let the dressing gown fall in a puddle at her feet.
"Do you like what you see?" She asked Klaus seductively.
"You have my attention," Klaus smirked and put the tablet on his lap.
Then she pushed the straps of the night gown down her arms, causing the gown to fall at her feet too, leaving her naked. "What about now?"
"Now…" He looked over her naked body. "I'm all yours!" He grabbed his glasses and tablet and put them on the bedside table.
"Interesting," she tilted her head. "Even if I'm humongous?"
Klaus chuckled and shook his head. "You're not that at all, love. Come here, please?" He pushed the sheets aside and tapped the mattress.
"I don't know," Angelica told him. "You said I was fat and now you're drooling like a dog when you look at me." She didn't move a muscle.
"I told you I loved your curves," Klaus corrected. "I neve said you were fat."
"So you say," Angelica crossed her arms over her full chest.
"Are you coming to bed?" Klaus asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Only because I'm tired," Angelica answered, bending down to grab both her dressing down and night gown off the floor before putting the gown on again.
"Why are you getting dressed again," Klaus asked.
"Because I have no intention of having sex with a man who called me fat," she replied, lying down beside him and tucking herself in.
"Oh gosh," Klaus sighed with a grin. "You're such a pain when you want to be, Angie."
"Thank you," She smirked back before her head hit the pillow. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Klaus rested his head on his pillow, grinning at her smiling face.
"How was your night with Julian and Nico?" She asked.
"It was great," he replied, pushing a few loose strands of hair behind her ears. "We played some pool and had a few beers."
"But Nico is underage!" Angelica cried out, her voice full of concern.
"He's gonna be a father soon!" Klaus reminded her. "He can take it! How was yours?"
"Quiet," she shrugged.
"Did you spend time with Victoria?" he asked, frowning.
"She didn't get back from her day with Diana until nighttime."
"I think there's something you're not telling me," Klaus said, eyes narrowed. "What is it, Angelica?"
Angelica sighed and closed her eyes. "Okay if I tell you, you have to promise not to freak out."
"See?" He wagged a finger at her and sat up. "If you want me to be calm, that's not what I want to hear."
Angelica swallowed and began munching on her nails. The woman loved having pretty manicures so if she were willing to nibble on them and wreck them, something must be wrong.
"Are you okay?" Klaus asked. "Why are you biting your nails like that?"
"Well, I don't want you to be mad, but…I think Victoria lied to me about where she went today." She watched hm carefully to gauge his reaction.
"What do you mean by that?" He asked dryly.
"Well, I mean not that she has to tell us every little thing she does with her time cause we're not Big Brother, but…" Angelica took a deep breath. "But she didn't look at me when she told me. Or she was trying not to look. I think she went to see my father in secret." She closed her eyes, frightened.
"I'm gonna kill him!" Klaus cried out, pushing the sheets aside and jumping out of bed so he could put on a pair of jeans. "I promise I'll make it quick for your sake, Angel. He won't suffer."
Angelica sat up straight and tried to calm him down. "You know that normally I would side with you without hesitation, but you can't kill him now because a. there's no proof this is what happened. It's just my feeling. And what if he didn't initiate the meeting? What if it was all her? There are a lot of things that have happened that are his fault, but if Victoria wanted to meet him and he had nothing to do with the planning of what she did…he's blameless, and I don't want to start a fight when there doesn't need to be one."
"What part of 'I don't want our daughter to see him' are you not hearing?" Klaus barked.
"I know," Angelica nodded. "And I feel the same way, but…" she buried her head in her hands for a few minutes before looking at Klaus again. "If we try to stop her from seeing him, she'll feel like we're trying to control everything that she does, and she'll want to see my father even more." She hoped she sounded reasonable. "Remember how you were at her age? Isn't that what you would have done. I can honestly say I wouldn't have listened."
"I still don't always listen." Klaus laughed and dropped his jeans on the back of a chair.
"Me neither," Angelica smiled and chuckled to herself.
He sat down on the bed beside her. "What do we do, Angel?" He grabbed her hand. "I don't want him to mess with Victoria's head."
"I don't want that either." Angelica grabbed his hand and kissed the knuckles. "I'll talk to Dexter. If this really happened, or if it will soon, Dexter will be able to tell me. I know he'll keep an eye on her if I ask."
Klaus nodded. "And now?"
"Now what?" She questioned, her voice full of surprise.
"Can I see you naked? Because I have just been traumatized by what you told me, and I need to recover." He winked teasingly.
"Oh, all right," she giggled and kissed him. "I suppose this once I can make an exception."