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be so wrong; feel so right

Aaliyah stretched her long legs as her arm reached out to the spot next to her, reaching further and cracking open one eye, staring at the frequently bare space. She closed her eye as she rolled over, curling up and ready to fall back to sleep.

Outside in the living room, Lucifer dismissed a demon from his home, hearing the front door shut softly. He slipped his hands into his pants pockets, gazing at his table just as a black cat appeared, sitting calmly. "She's relatively distressed that she couldn't find you in her apartment, or anywhere around that area."

"I knew she would react in such a way," Pooka answered.

"I found it unforeseen that you actually gathered up the valor to leave her. I got the feeling from you that you cared about her."

"I still do," he answered slowly, "but with the awareness of knowing that she was growing closer to you–"

"Ah, you hate me that much?"

"I never knew I could hate someone so much until you ruined my life. I made the choice to leave. I spent many years avoiding you–and just my luck; you meet and decide to have the woman that has been sharing her home with me for a few years. There is no way I could stand being near such a malicious bastard such as yourself."

His lips gradually formed a forbidding smirk; "I suggest you watch your tongue with me. It'd be effortless for me to bind yourself to this place, and you would have no choice but to be near me. So, you do not plan to return to her?"

Trepidation struck him, causing him to stand on all four and inch away, "…No. I have no intention to return."

§

"A few days ago, Vance asked me to move in with him," Aaliyah blurted, looking at Belle, "and I didn't really know what to say."

She let out an impulsive laugh, "The answer is clearly no. William asked you the same question multiple times and each time you told him no, so it's no with Vance Drake." Belle tilted her head when Aaliyah didn't reply from the passenger seat, both of them planning to see a new movie that came out. "Right?" She pressed, honking at the driver in front of them that chose to sit at a green light. She shook her head, pressing her foot on the pedal as the driver returned his or her attention back to traffic.

"I don't know, to tell you the truth."

"Why don't you know? You answered quickly whenever William asked you to move in with him, and you two dated way longer than your current time with Vance."
"I was scared to move in with William, scared that he'd relapse and screw everything up. I was always indecisive about him. How is...he? William, that is."

"He asked me about you a while ago too. I told him you were doing all right. I talked to him a few days ago. He's currently out of town since his aunt fell ill and she had to go to the hospital since it's serious and she's pregnant and all that jazz."

Aaliyah nodded, knowing exactly which aunt William had gone to see. While they were dating, of course she met his family, and they welcomed her with open arms. She loved his family, sometimes more than her own, not including Jessy. "I see..."

"Oh! About Pooka...have you seen any sign of him?"

"No," she answered despondently, leaning her temple against the window, "not at all. I haven't seen any black cats wandering around, I politely asked my neighbors if they would look out for him, and some reported back and said that they haven't seen him either. What if he's starving, or cold, or got hit by something? Why would he even run away?"

"I don't know...he was awfully attached to you. Are you sure no one cat napped him?"

"No, I always lock my front door...and when I got home that day, the door was locked and it didn't look like anyone got in. Besides, who breaks in and only steals my cat when I have a few more things to offer in my apartment? I think he possibly slipped out when I opened the door or something..."

"I don't know what to tell you. I never expected Pooka to ever run away from home, but hey, cheer up. Maybe, with any luck, he found a new home and someone is taking care of him, or maybe he'll find his way back home. Don't think negatively..."

"Yeah..."

"BUT back to what we were talking about, Mr. Drake, has he been pestering you about moving in?"

"No. He mentioned it once and I said that I would think about it, so he's left it alone. A big part of me is wanting to say yes—"

"Then yes it is, Aaliyah! I understand that moving in is a big step in a relationship, but hey, sometimes you just have to take that step and see where everything goes, and if it turns out to be a mistake, then so be it. Everyone makes them."

Aaliyah chuckled, removing her head from the window to look at her best friend, "And since when did you become so good at giving advice?"

The brunette shrugged, switching lanes, "It seems that everyone is always coming to me with their problems and stories, so I have to give something good back, right?" 'This guy is more serious about her than I thought it seems…' She smiled a bit, glancing at her, "Whatever decision you make, I'll support you on it."

§

Vance exited the boardroom, exchanging hand shakes with his business partners as he donned a small smile, giving his goodbyes as he motioned for Ajax and Aiden to follow. They submissively followed his order, Aiden stretching his arms and accepting a piece of gum from the blonde beside him. He popped it into his mouth, staring at Lucifer's back. "Man, that meeting was BOR-ing. I almost fell asleep."

"It wouldn't be the first time," Lucifer replied.

Aiden brushed aside the remark, "The meeting was silly. Those vampires act as if they couldn't call and say 'hey, we think it would be a great idea to put up more companies and place specialized windows that would prevent our fellow vampires from turning into dust.'"

"I thought vampires were content with lurking in dark places," Ajax spoke up softly, "why don't they just put curtains up and turn on all the lights?"

"That's exactly what I wanted to say! At least someone is on the same brainwave as me today. Lucifer, don't you agree?"

"If you were paying more attention in the meeting, you would've heard the reasoning for why they want more of those spell influenced windows. The vampire species may enjoy darkness, but many of them wish to be able to see the sunlight every now and then."

"What a sob story," Aiden murmured, tossing his gum wrapper on the ground as they exited the building. Both of them stopped walking when Lucifer stopped dead in his tracks, standing beside the limo wordlessly. Aiden and Ajax exchanged looks at the abrupt stop, Aiden opening his mouth to ask what the problem was, but was cut short when Lucifer sent him a look over his shoulder.

'It's been four weeks and she still isn't over that stupid cat.' "I need you two to do something."

"As if we could say no," Aiden replied, smiling faintly. "What is it?"

"I need you two to search and fetch me a cat."

"...A cat?" Ajax asked, raising a brow.

"Preferably a black kitten," he added, the driver getting out and opening the door for Lucifer as he took a step closer. The demon sent a smile at both Ajax and Aiden, the two of them nodding at the demon. Aiden scratched his head, "A kitten? For what?"

"If I wanted you to know, then I would've given my reason to begin with. Find one; bring it to my office. I give you two an hour. It shouldn't be that difficult."

"Ugh! Why a time limit?"

"Because if I didn't give you one as if you were some child, you would screw around and blow off my order."

Ajax nodded, getting a look of bother from the red headed demon standing next to him. "But why do I have to go with him?"

"To make sure he actually does something right and doesn't get sidetracked." He climbed into the limo, the driver shutting the door and rounding the car to get into the drivers seat. Aiden and Ajax shared baffled looks before walking off together in search for a pet store after the limo sped off.

Aiden scratched the back of his neck, making a face of displeasure, "A kitten. What a waste of time. Why does he need one anyway? I could be doing something else much more worth my time."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Probably you," he said candidly.

Ajax let the innuendo slide, changing the topic back without missing a beat, "Didn't that cat—Alexander, leave Aaliyah?"

Aiden rubbed his chin, "Oh...right...I'm pretty sure Aaliyah mentioned it a few days ago when she came in. Hm. Lucifer giving something to someone else? He hardly ever gave me anything good for my birthdays growing up...but then again, it's Aaliyah and he seems to favor her over me...and he raised me for crying out loud!"
"Yes, but he doesn't refer to her as a pain in the ass."

"It doesn't help that you side with him..."

§

The next night, Aaliyah skipped out on the opportunity to attend a banquet alongside Vance Drake, taking the offer to spend dinner with her brother when he asked. Her step dad had mentioned that Jessy wasn't eating much, but they were helping him as much as he can to get attuned back into the lifestyle of being in his wheelchair. Her mother had nothing to say to her as they all sat at the dinner table.

In the back of her mind, Aaliyah pondered what happened to the woman that wanted to 'fix things' when Jessy became able to walk. Their mother kept conversation short and sweet with the two males sitting at the table while an uncomfortable blanket loomed over their heads. Jessy finished his food first, pushing away from the table and excusing himself quietly, a smile coming onto his face when Aaliyah did the same, scooting away from the table in her chair. Following Jessy into his room, she shut the door, sitting down on his bed and crossing her legs.

"So, how's school?"

"Boring, teachers are jackasses…you know, the norm," he said with a smile, watching as she picked up some of his artwork. "Art has the only bearable teacher. She's cool. She doesn't treat me like a kid—and she doesn't treat me like I'm disabled. What about you?" He wiggled his eyebrows, "And Vance Drake? Aaliyah, I still need to meet this guy."

"And you can. He has an elevator."

"Are you staying with him?"

"He's asked me to move in with him…but I haven't given an answer," she replied, flipping through his sketches of scenery, a few memorable views of the high school he went to since she once attended the same school. "I'm over there a lot, so I may as well, right?" She finished, laughing a bit, their eyes flying to the door, as it swung open, cutting their time alone short. Her laughter ceased when the open door exposed their mother, and she sighed, placing his sketches down beside her.

"Vance Drake, that womanizing pig? How come I never heard of you seeing him?"

Aaliyah scratched near her ear, her eyes roaming around the room. "Usually, mom, when people eavesdrop, they do it while keeping themselves unnoticed…"

She crossed her arms, a frown coming to her mouth, "Don't get smart under my roof, Aaliyah."

A look of uncertainty crossed Jessy's feature as he glanced between the two, sensing an argument, and when Aaliyah argued, things tended to fly out of her hand and at other people. "Then don't invite me to this house."

"I didn't invite you, it was your brothers idea."

"And you could've said no to him. Simple as that," she mumbled, "and since you never bothered to help me money wise, never took and still doesn't take time out to call and check up on me, or bothered helping me move my things into my apartment, I don't really see the need in telling you anything about my life and what I'm doing with it."

Jessy cleared his throat, "Um…mom, don't you think Vance Drake is handsome?"

"Handsome, but his ways make him look repulsive. He's probably crawling with sexually transmitted diseases and here you are, Aaliyah, dating the bastard. He's your boss, none the less—what a slutty, cliché situation."

Jessy threw his hands into the air, exasperated, "Mom, come on, don't say that—I invited Aaliyah over to have a good time and you're fucking it all up!"

Her mouth dropped open, appalled, "Watch your language, Jessy!"

"Well—Jesus, can't Aaliyah just stop by without having you bitch and moan at her?"

She rubbed her temples, and Aaliyah hid her grin with her hand, knowing that his language was just adding fuel to the fire. "And I bet you get this attitude from your sister. She was the exact same way as a teenager, but more of a screw up because she chose to live in sin."

"Oh, yes, mom, I'm quite the screw up," Aaliyah put in, "I graduated high school with decent grades. I got into college, I have a high paying job as a secretary to a billionaire—"

"That you're probably sleeping with," she spat out rancorously, Jessy groaning as he let his head fall back with his hand on his forehead. Aaliyah got up from the bed, needing to leave the house before someone—most likely her mother—earned a slap to the face.

"Yeah—actually, I am," Aaliyah replied, kissing Jessy's cheek, "and I love every minute of it." She ignored the sound of disgust that left her mother, smiling at Jessy, "I'm gonna get outta here, but I'll call you and you can come by his place and meet him, okay?" Jessy nodded, giving his mother a small glare before rolling his way out of his room, following Aaliyah to the front door. She grabbed her coat, sliding her arms through the sleeves, her brown eyes wandering over to her mother as she stood a few feet away, and a thwarted look on her face.

Jessy handed her purse over to her, glancing at their mother as Aaliyah continued, "I won't bother coming by anymore. What's the point, right? You never have anything good to say to me, if anything at all. Try contacting me when you pull your head out of your ass, and maybe we can work something out. Nobody's perfect mom—even you, so stop acting as if you're all high and mighty." Jessy murmured his goodbye to her after she stood for a few seconds, waiting for her mother to say anything—to stop her from walking out of the door at least, but that never happened.

Jessy closed and locked the door, sighing loudly as he leaned his cheek against his palm, "You know mom, it'd help if you'd look past the wrong things she's done in life and actually got to know and accept her. I don't think she's as bad as you make her out to be."

"Please," she grumbled, "her new mistake is ever getting together with that man. I won't accept anything she does, because she never thinks before she acts."

§

Aaliyah frowned as she stopped at a red light, searching through her purse for headache medicine. Only her mother could succeed in giving her a headache so quickly. She found the medicine, popping the top off and dumping one pill on her palm, popping it into her mouth and swallowing it dryly. She placed the top back on, glancing at the light and reaching for her phone, checking her missed calls, finding a missed call from a friend.

'Where are you?'

She jumped in her seat, dropping her phone and whipping her head around her car to see where the voice came from. The light turned green and she slowly pressed onto the pedal, calming her heart when she realized whom the voice belonged to. 'Can't you…get a hold of me like a normal person?' When Lucifer didn't reply, she rolled her eyes, 'but wait, I forgot, you're not what I would call normal. You scared me. I'm not use to this…telepathic crap yet!'

'Why not?'

'…It's creepy! The whole concept of someone getting inside like that-' Her heart skipped a beat, her fingers tightening on the steering wheel as she felt fingers weave themselves through her hair, her head turning sharply as her car swerved, her brown eyes snapping back to the road when she saw Lucifer in her passenger seat, "I—damnit, you almost made me hit that taxi! Why are you just popping up everywhere?!"

"You said that you didn't like the telepathic 'crap'," he spoke in a dry tone, his fingers trailing leisurely to her neck.

"That whole demonic talent of teleportation is just as creepy," she said, loosening her grip on the wheel, his fingers gently massaging the base of her neck, "and you nearly gave me a heart attack. Next time, at least give me a warning until I become completely use to you…just appearing."

"How am I to warn you if you dislike me in your head?"

Laughter erupted from her mouth, "What a silly question. You could always try using a phone," she pointed out, sending him a smile. "I thought you had a banquet to attend."

"I decided to leave early." He removed his hand from her, "I have something for you," he said, her smile remaining on her lips.

"A present? That's somewhat unexpected."

He wordlessly agreed, his eyes traveling out of the window to land on a group of teenagers outside of a building, the group consisting of lower class demons that were laughing together. "Let's head to my place-which reminds me of what I had asked you."

"About moving in, right?" She turned a corner, biting her bottom lip lightly, "Okay," she added with a shaky voice, looking at him for a short time. "Okay," she reiterated, a smile lighting up her face again, but he picked up on the slight hesitance coming from her. "…I'll move in," she finished, "it's a big step for me, but I'm willing to take the chance and see how things go."

In the past, a variety of women had stayed at his place, but as soon as Aaliyah vocally agreed to move in with him, a feeling came over him that no other woman had accomplished in pulling out of him.

§

Aaliyah removed her coat as she sat down on his couch, placing it on her lap, "My brother would like to meet you sometime soon."

"Is that so?"

He headed down the hallway, listening to her as he entered the guest room, "He may not openly act concerned and overprotective, but he likes to check out the men I date to make sure they treat me right. I think that all brothers are like that, though." She blinked when she felt something tickle her cheek, turning her head to come face to face with large blue eyes and a tiny face of black fur. The black kitten cried in her face, its little body starting to wriggle, as it got restless in his grasp. Her hands slowly reached out, taking the kitten away from him and staring at it before her wide eyes returned back to him.

He became irritated after a minute of staring, his eyes narrowing, "What? You don't want it?"

"Uh—yes, I do! It's adorable," she murmured sincerely, her gaze dropping down to the black kitten in her lap, innocently chewing on her finger. She estimated that he was no older than five or six weeks old. "You really got this for me?"

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes," she replied directly.

"…" He stood in place behind the couch, his hands resting on the back of it. "Aiden and Ajax picked it up for me, but I," he was fleetingly at a loss for words, and she noticed, "it would help getting over your missing cat, correct?"

She glanced up at the man, carefully placing the kitten on the couch as she stood, rounding the couch to stand next to him, soundlessly kissing his cheek, "It was thoughtful of you." Her eyes caught sight of the abundant cat toys in the hallway, along with a toilet paper roll that was torn to shreds. He followed her stare, finding the amount of toys absurd, but Aiden got carried away, and he was none to happy to find a few things already chewed on and torn apart.

"He's already proving to be a bit of a nightmare," he observed with a monotone voice.

She couldn't help but to smile, looking back at the unnamed kitten as he stood on the edge of the couch, his rear wiggling before he chose to leap off of the couch. "Thank you," she said softly, "will you help me pick a name for him?"

"I'm not too good with naming things," he said nonchalantly, "so I think you're on your own when it comes to naming the troublesome creature."

"You're being dramatic. If he's such a troublesome thing," Aaliyah bent down with a teasing smile on her face, picking up the explorative kitten, "then you shouldn't have gotten him. He'll be trained to behave in no time." Beginning his squirming once again, ready to look for more things to get into, she placed him down.

"I wanted to do this, Aaliyah," he divulged, grabbing her full attention. "…Does it make you happy?" He had forced the words out, still getting use to the idea of allowing his heart get the better of him. He wanted to withdraw his question as soon as it slipped from his mouth, having an infrequent moment of thinking out loud, but pushed that all away when she nodded, her beautiful smile that he couldn't get enough of lighting up her face. He was warming up to her, and it made her insides dance around satisfyingly.

His lips met hers, and she gave into his kiss, pressing her body against his as he relished the sweetness of her mouth.

He cared about her, and Aaliyah realized this. Was it love? She wasn't sure, but perhaps it was heading in the direction she desired. She knew that he wanted her around, wanted to take pleasure in her company, and he didn't yearn for any other in the meantime.

For now, where they were, they could both say that they were content, and that was enough.

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§

Aaliyah sat in silence on the park bench, a tender smile on her pink lips as her eyes scanned the playground. Boisterous laughter and giddy squeals filled the air as children ran around, entertaining themselves. Her brown eyes settled on a small four year old boy in a sandbox, his black and red uniform making him stand out among the crowd of casually dressed kids. A hint of a smile graced his lips as well as he patted the sand gently, attempting to make a sand castle. Little girls nearby giggled and watched him, far too timid to approach him as he played by himself. He was in his own little world. He paid no mind to the humans surrounding him.

She watched as a part of his castle crumbled, the smile slipping from his face almost instantly. His dark brown eyes lifted to his mother, his messy bangs falling over them. The smile sprung back onto his face and he stood, brushing off his hands on his pants before running in her direction. As he made his way across the grass, and his feet met the cement, he stumbled, gasping as he fell. Aaliyah stood, startled as she hurried to him, bending down and helping him stand, checking the damage done to his small hands.

"Cole...you're so clumsy," she teased, her eyes flickering to his.

"Father says I get it from you," he shot back with an innocent smile, his eyes falling to his hands. Aaliyah watched as the scratches closed, leaving behind gravel and a bit of dirt.

"All better," she murmured, kissing his forehead before wiping what was left on his hands. She stood and he took her hand, pointing down the path that led to an ice cream stand, trees outlining the pathway.

"Please?"

She couldn't defy his chubby cheeks, his seemingly innocent eyes, and his big smile that always won people over. "Okay, but let's not make a mess like last time!"

He tugged on her hand, "It wasn't my fault the sun melted it so fast! Oh, mama, is Aiden coming over today?"

"Possibly." Aiden adored Cole, seeing him as a little brother that could be a pain in his ass most of the time.

"Hm…what about aunt Belle?"

Her eyes darted down to her son after he mentioned her best friend, recalling the incident that took place a month ago. She never told Belle about Vance Drake and who the billionaire truly was. But she knew she would find out somehow, and she found out through Cole.

"Oh, shit!" Belle let more curses come out of her mouth after clumsily knocking over the vase on her island when she placed too much stuff next to it, causing it to be pushed off. She grumbled, her eyes lifting when she heard small feel patter on her floor, her mouth opening to stop the small boy before he entered the kitchen, but she was too late.

He cried out as the glass pierced his skin painfully, his foot throbbing as he sat down, lifting his foot up to his face to see the injury. Tears pricked at the corner of his dark eyes, looking at the brunette as she rushed to him, "Shit! Um–your mom is going to kill me and blame me for not keeping a careful eye on you," she hastily let out, taking his foot in her hands tenderly to see how bad the wound actually was. The piece of glass sticking out of his foot caused her lunch to toss in her stomach, placing his foot down carefully and ignoring the blood that had gotten on her floor and hands.

As she stood up, her eyes swiftly scanned around the kitchen for the phone, wanting to let Aaliyah know she would be taking him to the hospital. She went and picked it up, glancing over her shoulder to comfort Cole, although he was no longer making any pained noises. Her panic was traded with bewilderment as her body froze, the glass leisurely moving out of his foot and dropping onto her floor. Her eyes locked on the wound, she watched, her body beginning to tremble as the large opening closed, blood left behind.

Cole lifted his eyes.

A small amount of words were exchanged between the both of them, and Belle unconsciously kept her distance from the boy until Ajax came to retrieve him to take him home. He didn't waste any time in telling Aaliyah how his day went when he arrived.

"Mama, I stepped on a piece of glass today!"

"Wha–"

"But aunt Belle made sure I was okay. She was so worried."

"You mean...she saw–"

"She stared at me until Ajax came to get me! Like I'm some monster or something." His eyes lowered, a touch of sadness coming into his eyes, "And when I tried to get near her, she looked so scared."

Ever since the episode, their relationship was put on hold. Belle was frightened and upset that Aaliyah hid the secret for so long. Belle never got a good vibe ever since she was introduced to Vance Drake, but she kept her mouth sealed about her feelings. Sure, she believed that demons truly existed, but she never wanted to come face to face with one. Aaliyah was still working on explaining everything to her.

With Cole, he knew he was half demon. Lucifer made it clear to him. He was not to tell humans, nor use any of his abilities in public. Without Aaliyah knowing, there was a private school that strictly allowed demons, the society unaware of everything that was directly in front of them. She had to give Lucifer credit. He was behind numerous companies, many of them owned by demons.

"Three scoops!" Cole ordered, looking at the man behind the cart.

"Three?" Aaliyah questioned.

"I guessed that four would be too many..."

"You're such a little piggy," she said softly, tapping his nose with her index finger before giving her attention to the man as he accepted her money.

"Father says I get it from you."

"...He does, huh?"

Cole grinned before looking at his ice cream, catching that look of annoyance that flashed across his mothers face. Aaliyah grumbled underneath her breath as she led him through the park, her eyes briefly darting to the paparazzi a few feet away, only three of them snapping shots of Cole and herself. She was already use to it after all of the years with the secretive Vance Drake that people couldn't get enough of. She had also gotten use to the many demons that she ran into daily.

Few male demons didn't approve of Lucifer being with a human, let alone having a child with one, but they weren't foolish enough to voice their opinions. Those that did, Aaliyah never saw them ever again and didn't feel like asking what had happened. She had a clue.

She didn't get along very well with most of the female demons, which were jealous on the inside, but would never act upon their jealousy towards her. Some were very beautiful, and in the past, Aaliyah found it hard to believe that Lucifer didn't fool around with them, until Cole set the record straight.

"You don't have to worry about father and other ladies," Cole suddenly spoke, concentrating on staying in the lines as he colored in his thick coloring book. Aaliyah lowered the magazine in her hands, quickly recovering from her look of surprise. Her brows wrinkled, "Cole, what did I tell you about using that ability?"

His hand stopped, and his eyes lifted when he heard her stern tone. "I was worried," he admitted, "so I wanted to see what you were thinking about. You were thinking about that big boobed demon that was flirting with father."

She crossed her legs, leaning forward as she placed her elbow on her knee and her chin on her palm, "Yeah..."

"How do people get fake boobies? And why do they get them so big?"

Her face fell, "Aiden, correct?"

"Yes, he said she had fake boobies."

Whenever Cole brought up something he shouldn't be talking about, everyone knew that it was because of Aiden. "...Back to that ability–no more, okay? It's not polite."

"So, you never want to know what father is thinking?" He didn't give her time to answer, "He doesn't think of others, just you mama. You're very beautiful! I think you're beautiful than all the others too!"

So, maybe it didn't count when he read Lucifer's thoughts. It was their little secret anyway.

She stopped in her tracks, her grip loosening on Cole's hand as she stared ahead, staring at the memorable blonde a few feet away from her. He stared as well, his eyes darting from her head to her feet before snapping back up to her face, a smile sliding onto his face.

"It's been...a long time, Aaliyah," William spoke, his grip tightening on the leash that kept his Siberian husky under control. "A really long time," he added softly as he closed the distance between them, his eyes dropping down to the shorter person next to her. His smile lingered as he bent down eye level to Cole as he finished off his ice cream, his face unresponsive as he eyed the anonymous man. William stretched his hand out, but Cole kept his eyes locked with his own eyes, making the older man uncomfortable. "You must be the Cole I hear so much about from Belle. I'm Will."

Aaliyah bit the inside of her cheek, hoping that Belle didn't bring up the unpleasant incident with Cole, but she calmed herself down, knowing that she wouldn't do such a thing to her. "He's an old friend, Cole," Aaliyah said, Cole shaking his hand and pulling away as William stood up, "and he has a dog! When did you get a dog?" She laughed, "I remember that you were constantly whining about wanting a dog–"

He laughed as well, "But you wouldn't let me because Pooka hated being around other animals and if we were to move in together, I still wouldn't be able to get a dog. I got him three years ago." Their laughter died down, William glancing down at Cole when he reached for his dog, getting his hand licked, "I heard from Belle that your cat disappeared...did it ever end up coming back?"

Her smile became tiny, "...No, he never did." A breeze blew gently; William watching as loose curls were swept across her face, her hand coming up to brush them away. "What's new with you, Will? Last I heard from a magazine, you were engaged to some actress, but I didn't know if it was true or not."

"That story, for once, was actually true, but I'm afraid things didn't work out. We broke of the engagement, and we're seeing different people. And you! You're still with Vance Drake," he tried to sound enthusiastic with that last sentence, "and you had a kid with him. Congrats."

"Thanks...you look good, Will."

He gave her a crooked grin, "And you still look good too, Aaliyah."

"If I may ask…how are you doing-sober wise?"

"Actually…three years ago, there was a bit of a setback—but it was a tiny setback! Everything was put back on track after getting more help, but ever since then, yes, I've been sober."

"That's great to hear…"

"I try my best." He looked down at his watch, "I have to get going because I have somewhere to be, but...it was great running into you after all of this time. I never knew if it would be all right to call you and just hang out as friends, since we share the same circle of friends and all. Besides, I didn't want to make Vance Drake upset or anything."

She shook her head, "I'm sure he'd understand...and it'd be great to be friends, Will. Let me give you my cell phone number," she offered, both of them exchanging phone numbers. Aaliyah placed her phone back into her purse, giving him one last smile, "I'll see you around then, sometime soon maybe. We should spend some time catching up more."

"Definitely." Cole removed his hand from the dog when William tugged the leash gently, passing them by with a wave. Cole only stared while Aaliyah looked down at him, "What was he thinking?"

"That you were still beautiful, and a part of him wishes that things never–"

"Aha! I told you not to read minds, Cole!"

He made a face, looking up at her in frustration and snatching his away from hers, "That wasn't fair! Trick question!"

§

Ajax entered Lucifer's office with a blank expression on his face, his eyes fleetingly landing on the man that Lucifer was speaking to. "So," the business man continued, "I'm hoping that Frank Moray will sign the deal with me to merge companies. Can you imagine the money that will roll in?"

"I imagine quite a lot," Lucifer answered as Ajax placed coffee next to him. Interest sparked in Lucifer's eyes, "You seem to really want that..."

"Hell yes! We're talking...millions here, Mr. Drake. My company also needs the publicity. Things are starting to slow down, so to say."

'Humans can be so greedy.' "And what would you do for that?"

"Damn, I'd do anything. I've already kissed ass, but heck, I'd even toss in selling my soul. I really want this deal to happen."

Identical, knowing smirks suddenly appeared on the faces of Lucifer and Ajax.

Lucifer leaned forward, "Oh really?"

§

Lucifer entered his home with a dull look, meeting silence as he shut the door. His once preferred dark themed home was now splashed with colors and pictures that didn't match with the gothic paintings on every wall. Every picture was of his son, smiling and enjoying himself. He didn't understand why Aaliyah took so many pictures of him in such a short time. He didn't look any different, but her excuse was that she liked capturing memories. He simply rolled his eyes at the silly reason, a reason that he heard multiple human mothers say.

His trench coat disappeared from his arm, appearing on the coat rack several feet away. He heard a cupboard shutdown the hall and he headed in that direction, his eyes briefly eyeing a picture in the hall of Cole on his first day of school. He was upset, his lips twisted in a scowl, his eyes narrowed, and the background scenery cloudy and dark. He was miserable that Aaliyah couldn't attend school with him. Aiden dubbed him a 'mama's boy', and Lucifer didn't like that. He didn't want him to grow up soft.

He pushed the bathroom door open slowly, his muscles relaxing as he was welcomed with the sight of Cole in the tub, Aaliyah kneeling down with her back to him. She was wearing one of his large shirts out of habit, her hair thrown into a messy bun. Cole was laughing while he splashed water, the splashing ceasing quickly.

"Ow–Cole, you got soap in my eye," Aaliyah whined, using the back of her hand to rub her burning eye.

"Oops–" He spotted Lucifer, a smile full of delight spreading across his face. "He's home!"

Aaliyah looked over her shoulder with her one eye, returning her attention to Cole as he stood up.

"Am I done? Am I done?"

She poured water over his head to rid of all the soapsuds, pulling him out and handing him his black robe. He struggled with tying it shut, deciding to leave it open as he ran over to his tall father. He bent down, tying Cole's robe shut before picking him up. As the tub drained, Aaliyah made her way to the sink, rinsing her eye out as Cole rambled on about his day, who made him upset, and accusing him of missing dinner yet again. She grabbed a washcloth, wiping her face as she watched Lucifer with Cole.

Never did she expect him to be so gentle with another. He wasn't one to show emotion either, but when it came to Cole, displays of numerous emotions were let out. He smiled more often, laughter even occurred when Cole blurted random things or tripped over his own two feet, and the look of worry entered his eyes when Cole was hurt, despite the fact that he knew he would heal soon after.

Handing Lucifer a small towel, he placed it over Cole's damp hair, water droplets dripping from the tips of his inky black hair. Cole reached up, drying his own hair as Lucifer exited the bathroom and headed down the hall to his room, nudging the door open with his foot, placing Cole onto his feet and watching him run over to his large bed, reaching for Rigby, their black cat. He patted him on his head twice before hurrying to his dresser, pulling it open and pulling out a pair of bottoms and a long sleeve shirt, stripping out of his robe and putting his pajamas on.

He struggled with his shirt, getting his arm lost in the wrong hole, Aaliyah fixing his top correctly and watching his head poke out, his hair wild. "I want a dog!"

"A random request," Lucifer spoke lowly, remaining at the door, his lean figure leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. "I thought you were satisfied with the cat."

"Yeah," Cole replied, looking to his bed and watching Rigby stretch his limbs, "but Rigby can't chase sticks and bring them back to me."

A grin full of mirth came to Aaliyah's face, a slight smile nearly cracking on Lucifer's lips at the bizarre answer. Cole made his way to his bed, climbing onto it and sliding underneath his covers, looking at Lucifer, "Think about it while you sleep. Tell me tomorrow when we wake up," he commanded, his head dropping to his pillow. As a yawn escaped his mouth and his bedroom darkened, he stopped his parents by speaking up, "Promise?"

Lucifer looked over his shoulder to his chatty son, "Promise what?"

"That you'll think about it! My birthday is in six days!"

"Yes."

"You promise?"

His brows wrinkled, "I—"

"You have to say 'I promise', or it doesn't count," he interjected, "a girl at school said so."

He fought the urge to roll his eyes, murmuring the two words that Cole wanted to hear with a faint smile on his lips, closing his bedroom door until there was a small crack when he got a simple 'okay' as a reply. Turning off the hallway light, he entered his bedroom, closing the door, his eyes on Aaliyah as she sat on the edge of their bed.

She released her silken hair from the messy bun, her locks of hair falling to her mid back. "He's rather demanding when he wants to be. I wonder who he gets it from."

"I think he inherits most of his traits from his mother, personally." Aaliyah grinned, knowing that Cole for sure inherited his sometimes-tough behavior and looks from Lucifer, looking like a miniature Lucifer whenever he glared or got angry.

Lucifer faintly heard the creak of Cole's bedroom door, soft thuds sounding as the black cat ran down the hallway, heading in the direction of where his food and water were located. "What's with his sudden need of a dog?"

"We ran into William today after picking up Cole from school, and he had his dog with him. Cole took a liking to it right away."

"William…that ex boyfriend of yours?" He removed his clothes from his lean form, the clothes vanishing to the hamper in the corner of the room, walking to his bed and climbing in, sitting up against the headboard, "Any feelings reawakening since you saw him?"

"Don't be ridiculous…that relationship with him ended so long ago," she said, crawling over to her spot next to him, folding her legs underneath her as she sat, facing him.

"You still find him attractive."

She rolled her eyes brown eyes, "Oh, as if you don't find gorgeous models and actresses unbelievably gorgeous?"

"It's all smoke and mirrors at the end of the day, and I'm positive that they're relatively hideous up close and without make-up." Aaliyah laughed at the guileless answer, the way he was so serious when he spoke.

"Like any other human, I do notice when a good looking person is in my presence, and William is a good looking man, but it doesn't mean that my feelings have come back for him just because I ran into him. You have nothing to worry about. I won't leave and run away with him."

"I'm not worried."

'Mmhm…'

"Your brother called after you left to take Cole to school. I forgot about it."

She looked at the time, pulling the covers up to her waist, her bare legs developing goose bumps, "I'll just call him back tomorrow…did you speak with him?"

"He said something about a birthday—"

Her smile started to fade from her face, the upcoming birthdays including Cole and her mother. After their dispute years ago, her mother never tried to patch up their relationship. When Aaliyah found out—by surprise—that she was with child, she called her mother to let her know of the news, and all she received was another lecture, getting told of her new wrongdoing that she wanted no part of, even if Cole was going to be her first grandchild. Her mother hung up, and despite how many times Jessy tried getting the two together, their mother never budged, and never saw Cole or asked about his well-being whenever Jessy visited home.

"Are you listening?"

His deep voice broke her from her thoughts, and she nodded a little, "My mothers birthday…it's a few days after Cole's birthday."

"Jessy said that it wouldn't be so bad to send her a birthday wish or something like that for once, to help mend things, but," the lights went off in the room, "if you ask me, there's no need for you to continue hassling someone that doesn't want anything to do with you." She silently agreed with his words, feeling his lips brushing against her temple, than her lips, her lids sliding shut as she cupped his face in her slender hands, feeling the stubble on his cheeks due to a few days of skipping shaving.

Her heart soared when he sent his uncommon smiles in her direction, her heart swelled when he gave tender looks to their son, and her heart beat madly whenever he was intimate with her. She was in love with someone she should've never fallen for, and though he never spoke the three words that women adored hearing from a man, his statements proved very well what she meant to him.

"I'm not one to get sentimental, but you want certain things from me, such as how I feel. I find myself sitting during meetings; imperative meetings mind you, and the only thing I can find myself thinking about is you. You annoy the hell out of me when I can't get you out of my head, when all I want to do is be near you. You're…important to me, Aaliyah."

Before he could take the kiss further, feeling his hand sneaking underneath the covers, she separated from his lips, her eyes staring into his smoldering eyes, "You know...many people—humans and demons—would say that none of this is right."

"Do you agree?"

She thought the words through, carefully putting them into place as she answered after a moment of stillness, "In the back of my mind, I know that all of this isn't right..."

His response was to smirk his devastatingly handsome smirk, his hand working on pulling the covers away from her body, the look in his eyes predatory. "All I can say to that, love, is that from time to time, the wrong thing can feel so pleasantly right."

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fin

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Q: aaliyah didn't ask what happened with the situation between william and the woman, and if vance had anything to do with it?
A: she came to realize it wouldn't matter to find out. if lucifer did have a part in what happened, what could she do? she made a deal, and she can't and doesn't want to leave him anyway.

Q: sequel?
A: no :O( perhaps a spin off one-shot (?) since people seemed to like the spin off one-shot (first attempt there...) of jayce from sweet music.

Q: what if aaliyah dies? lucifer is immortal, but aaliyah...
A: i didn't think it needed to be discussed. you know, whatever happens, happens. maybe lucifer will give her the option of immortality. it's a bit of a cliffhanger and you can end it the way you want to. i know that the ending has loose ends and i think that sometimes, not EVERYTHING needs to be pointed out. there's been movies, books, that has these 'loose ends' and 'unanswered questions', and it just lets your mind wander at the end. 'i think this happened' or 'i'm pretty sure they lived happily ever after', those type of thoughts.

Sadly, we have reached the ending. I may go back and edit some of this chapter. To me, it seemed rushed, but that may just be me. Anyone agree on the rushed bit? Little Cole was introduced, and I really liked him even if he did have a small role. He's said to be four, and I don't know if you did, but if anyone thought that he can talk quite a lot for a four year old, he's modeled after my little cousin who talks like a little adult! It's crazy.

I enjoyed doing this story. This story was fun, my imagination was free to run wild, and it was an idea that I haven't seen around a lot. I want to thank everyone who has reviewed, whether the review was bad or good. It was nice to see what people did and didn't like about the story, because I always like hearing what I can improve in a certain story. I also want to say sorry for any mistakes!! They bug me too.

For any information on future projects, or other stories of mine that you are reading, always feel free to drop by my website, because it's updated daily or every other day with status of stories and whatnot. As always, reviews are appreciated. If there's any other questions, feel free to leave them in your review and I'll PM the answer to you. I'm always up for talking with people.

Lulu Jones: i'm a female! lol. thank you so much for the reviews, and it's awesome that the story pulled you in and you seem hooked :)
Moons-and-Stars: to hear that the plot is original is just awesome. sometimes i hate using the same plots since it gets a bit old, and i haven't seen this type of plot around really. it's great to hear that you're a fan of my other stories as well. thanks for the review!
LilionTheUrbanFairy: yeah, a few people also thought the walking thing was a bit harsh, but hey...things happen and this story isn't all bubbly and lovely i guess, but it's good to hear that you like vance! and on if aaliyah thought of the relationship in the long run...hm, good question. i didn't even think about that, but she probably isn't. she's taking it all as it comes.
sdf: haha, thanks.
zenni: i'm glad that you liked the awkwardness of the whole situation. i wanted it to come out as that way. thanks for your review.
Among-the-Vampires: i like lucifer too. i think he's my first attempt at a 'bad boy', something a lot of people have been calling him. thanks for liking the story.
LetMeWriteYouAStory: i think your question will be answered!
cassie. : wow, thanks. i don't think i ever made someone speechless. i like how lucifer has more fans when in the beginning, a lot of people were unsure about him!
Out-Spoken-Runaway: i can only answer questions so far! i don't want to give anything away, and sometimes i have the habit of slipping up in answers, so i try to keep answers short and i ignore questions that may cause me to talk too much, haha. prefetal position, huh? i'd probably just...run? if jessy were to give his soul to him, no, lucifer wouldn't hurt him, but aaliyah doesn't want her brother anywhere near the point of giving his soul away. it's just something that bothers her in the back of her mind. she wouldn't be comfortable letting jessy doing that.
eye-kandii: thanks :)
xSecretRainx: i was a little confused by your review. you said you hate it when crap like that happens...what were you talking about? lol
Lady R: thanks :)
emotionless-stares: 'aw'...everyone found him saying sorry quite sweet :) i'm taking it that you did as well.
Da Mihi Basilia Mille: thanks! means a lot to me :)
Serendipty Through Time: thanks :)
mischalovers: thanks for your review :)
pop-yur-fcukn-collar.: bad boys...yeah, they can be pretty irresistible.