It's time to get Heaven back in order but if you don't start with the little ones then you certainly don't have your priorities in straight. Those who literally got to feel their father and mother instincts knew they were dealing with a mama and papa bear here.
The Children looked at Alexander with uncertain eyes. He smiled at them:
"I'm sorry we haven't had time to get acquainted over the past two days. Get to know each other. That is unfortunately my fault and I would very much like to make up for it now."
A shock of surprise could be seen in their eyes. Not only did this God look so young and friendly now that he was not wearing weapons and battle gear. He was also kind to them. He was not gruff and blunt and always ice cold like the old God when he came to see them. This one spoke to them as if they were real persons. He had even apologized for not paying enough attention to them. Alexander began to fear the worst regarding the conditions in which these children had lived and got the exact same feeling from Samantha. In an attempt to keep things a little lighthearted and put the children at ease, he said:
"But first, are you hungry?"
The three faces nodded enthusiastically.
"I normally like to cook myself, I'm thinking of doing it myself again starting tomorrow if everything goes a little well today. But since I've only just got out of bed myself, I hope you guys don't mind if I cheat a little."
He said with a wink, with a snap of his fingers, the dining table was filled with more than enough food and drink for eight people. Waffles, pancakes and toast complemented by all sorts of sugary accessories, syrup, chocolate sauce for the kids, and various marmalades. For the adults, a more balanced breakfast. Everyone took their seats and Alexander noticed that Lucifer turned up his nose for a moment because there was no alcohol anywhere in sight. A look from Alexander and a barely noticeable nod toward the children caused Lucifer to quickly put away his disappointment. The children looked at the richly set table in amazement. When none of the three made any preparations to start their breakfast, Samantha said:
"If you are hungry then it will not pass if you don't start eating kids and you really don't have to wait for permission."
She had spoken with a sincere smile and words that reflected a warm maternal instinct that did not escape Jophiel and Ella. As an example, she took a piece of toast that she began to spread with marmalade. That was the moment when the three children hung their heads and the two girls began to cry. The oldest of the three said:
"We have never had anything to eat like this before. We don't know how to do what you do, we always had to eat with our hands from boxes they threw on the ground."
Lucifer knew all too well what a short fuse Alexander had. Just the night before, he had told stories about him to Ella and laughingly said that the whole of Hell literally shook to its foundations when it came to an explosion. At this moment, the three adults present in the room felt that not one but two short fuses were present and lit. That Samantha had an equally short fuse as Alexander and that they were apparently aligned. Lucifer feared that if both fuses exploded at the same time there would be a lot of traumatized Angels and a lot more repair work to do in the Silver City. Their words simultaneously made Samantha feel very sad, incredibly angry at the old God and a little disappointed in Alexander for not having dealt with the old lunatic once and for all. To his great surprise, this last feeling from Samantha entered his mind as words. He knew immediately that this was a side effect of his binding to the throne that he could communicate soundlessly with the love of his life without praying. Alexander said back:
"I know, I should have ended him!"
He saw from Samantha's eyes that his words had entered her mind too. In order not to show anything to the adults and certainly not to the children they extinguished their fuses quickly after which Samantha said:
"Tell you what. There are lots of things here you can eat with your hands. Why don't we start there? Let us help you put things on them that you might like and then you can reach in and try what you like best."
Samantha, Ella and Jophiel immediately began each with a portion of breakfast. Samantha the pancakes, Ella the waffles and Jophiel the toast. In no time there was a multitude of plates for each child, all cut into bite-sized pieces. Alexander had provided the glasses, orange juice, milk and chocolate milk. They stared their eyes out, they had never seen such a multitude of food. Alexander, keeping it to coffee for the time being, had lost his appetite and watched the children simultaneously worried and amused. These seemed to hesitate but had a look in their eyes as if they wanted to attack the plates. The oldest girl asked:
"Father, may I speak?"
Alexander put his cup down and looked softly into her eyes:
"Girl, you may speak at any time. But first two things. First I am not the old god and so you should not address me as father. My name is Alexander or Alex whatever you like or find easier. Two, I can assure you that your breakfast tastes much better when it's warm. So breakfast first and I promise after that you may say or ask anything you want."
Their eyes got big as saucers because they were allowed to address God by his name. Their hunger won over their amazement for now. The first bite was still hesitant but then they just grabbed, tasting everything they could get their fingers on until they found a favorite. Under the table, Samantha gently squeezed his thigh showing her approval. After ten minutes, all the adults had wide smiles. It took effort for them not to laugh out loud. The faces of the three children were smeared with chocolate, syrup and various marmalades and their plates totally empty. The food had quickly filled their stomachs. Although they were a new kind of Angel and thus should also be immune to disease and human discomfort, Alexander hoped that this would also tone down the sugar high somewhat or else three kids would be flying across the room in no time. Samantha must have thought about the same thing and said:
"Now that we are done eating breakfast why don't we ladies go to your bathroom and freshen up for the new day. Alex why don't you take our young man here and show him our bathroom?"
Alexander merely nodded, not knowing how he would go about it as fatherhood was something totally foreign to him.
Once in the bathroom, something struck him. He could beat himself for forgetting this. In all the commotion since taking over power and saving the children.
"I know I haven't asked yet kid and I'm sorry about that but what's your name?"
As if it was something mundane the boy shrugged:
"We don't have names, just a number, I'm 11."
"Persons are not a number kid. Persons have a name and deserve to be addressed by their name."
Alexander looked at the little blond kid. For a moment he seemed to go back in time, some 2,000 years, this boy somehow reminded him of the son of Jesus. He said:
"You look like a David. Do you mind if we call you David? If you don't like that name you can always choose another one."
The boy's head lifted slightly to the side and a moment later he got a wide smile:
"I like David. Yes, I think I want to be David."
Alexander held out his hand:
"Well David nice to meet you, I am Alexander."
The newly baptized David looked uncomprehendingly at the outstretched hand. All alarm bells started going off simultaneously in Alexander's head. He should have understood at breakfast. These children were not used to most things a normal person considered mundane. Even though Raphael and his people in the infirmary had freshened them up they still looked somewhat wild, unkempt. These children had never been taught much. Suspiciously, he asked:
"David do you know how to bathe and shower yourself?"
Silently the kid shook no.
"Then how did you do it?"
"Once a week we had to take off our robe and then they threw buckets of cold water over us."
This answer made Alexander's short fuse shorten even more. It took the utmost of his mental effort not to show anything in front of the boy. Later someone or something would pay the price because he would not be able to stomach this just like that. Very kindly he asked David:
"Could you wait here for a few minutes for me David, I forgot something and then I will make sure everything is okay."
The kid nodded not understandingly as Alex more or less fled the bathroom.
In the living room Lucifer felt Alexander's inner rage and from the other bathroom came a similar wave of indignation. All he could say was:
"If those two don't watch out they will level the city to the ground sooner or later."
Jophiel still with her nose in her book said:
"Yep"
and clearly let the P plop. Suddenly she looked up and said amusedly:
"Oh, here he comes in three, two, one ..."
And right on cue with the countdown, Alexander came rushing into the room. From the sounds he now heard escaping from the other bathroom, he understood to his relief that Samantha seemed to be having better luck if the laughing girls' voices were any indication. With eyes wide open, he turned to Jophiel and Ella, who in turn looked at him with undisguised pleasure:
"Ladies, I need your help! David has never seen the inside of a bathroom or shower and I don't know what to do!"
"Who is David?"
Asked Jophiel played ignorant. Annoyed, he replied:
"The boy of course, who else! I need your help!"
Full of schadenfreude, Ella said:
"Oh no, this is a boys among themselves thing. Nothing for girls. Samantha seems to have no problem with her girls among themselves thing."
"But I'm a man, he's a boy and I wouldn't know where to start."
Jophiel was already gloating as much as Ella and said:
"You know how to use a bathroom, don't you? So teach him, show him and next time he can do it himself."
Alexander knew his last chance in the room was an absolute watershed chance but before he could ask, Lucifer said:
"Nop, never done it, no experience with children and not interested in them either. You are all on your own almighty god."
Alexander shuffled back toward the bathroom but all three could clearly hear him say:
"I hate you three so very very much now!"
In the bathroom he looked at David and said:
"Okay I think we best start at the beginning. That means stripping and showering."
David pulled the clean robe he had been given in the infirmary over his head without a glance as if it were the most normal thing in the world. For him and the other children it was probably the most normal thing in the world since before they had to strip in group and get a few buckets of cold water all over them. Silently, Alexander started cursing again when he saw the boy's skinny malnourished body and again he imagined there would be someone to pay the price. At that moment he decided that Amenadiel seemed best suited for that. He stripped himself down to his underwear and stepped into the shower with the boy. A few minutes later the sugar was gone from his face, his hair washed and he had learned to wash himself by imitating Alexander. Once finished, he handed David a generous soft towel to dry himself off. For himself, Alexander simply snapped his fingers and was completely dry again and stepped into his clothes. David, meanwhile, was also as dry as possible and so Alexander wrapped him in the ample towel like a burrito because he knew no other way, idea or solution. He carried the boy into the bedroom and set him on the foot of the bed.
"Well now clothes. Which ones would you like?"
"No idea, we were always wearing the same thing."
The more of these answers he got the more certain Alexander became of his intention to really physically hurt someone.
"Okay David, but what would you like if you could choose?"
The boy didn't have to think long and pointed at Alexander. Surprised at this response, Alexander snapped his fingers and an almost exact miniature copy of his outfit appeared on the bed next to David. Only the gray shirt of his own had been replaced with a white one but on it a picture of a steer-looking Daffy Duck. In record time, as if the clothes could disappear at any moment, David had everything on. The only thing he briefly struggled with was the concept of buttons, which he figured out soon enough. Both of them turned to the large mirror that hung in the room. David proud and very happy about how different and better he looked. Even a little bigger because of the cowboy boots he now wore. Alexander on the other hand was utterly perplexed at how alike they looked. Not just the clothes but physically. David could be a small version of himself. The physique could be his although a few pounds could certainly be added. The strong face with shining green eyes, behind those there were the first signs of inner strength, eyes that could be his. Their blond wild curls were almost identical. If Alexander didn't know better he would swear he was looking at an image of himself from the past. Or maybe he saw his son in the mirror. Suddenly he knew Lot had made sure he could have saved this boy and the two girls. He put his hands on David's shoulders and said:
"Come David let's introduce you to the others, okay Sport?"
With a smile from ear to ear, the boy nodded and together they walked into the living room.
The three present who were engaged in a pleasant conversation fell silent. Their gaze went from Alexander to David and back. The always emotional and enthusiastic Ella jumped up and practically ran at the boy. She pulled him into one of her typical hugs. At first the boy was totally surprised, somewhat stiff and distant. But soon he melted into her arms, even though this was a totally unfamiliar feeling for him. It felt like more, so he surrendered willingly. When she finally released him and once again took him in from head to toe she said with a lump in her throat:
"Oh what a wonderful boy you are. You are now at home child and safe, perfectly safe."
She took a step back and held out a hand:
"I heard you are David. I'm Ella."
David neatly did what Alexander had taught him only minutes before in the bathroom, gently shook her hand and said:
"Pleasant to meet you Ella."
He turned to Alexander and asked:
"What is a home?"
"Hmmm, there's no short answer to that. Tell you what, let's wait for your sisters and Samantha then we can answer that question for all three of you."
David slowly nodded yes, he could see the logic in that answer. Just then Samantha appeared in the living room with a girl on each hand. Although the girls looked different they were very similar at the same time. It was impossible to deny the sisterly connection and the bond with David. Alexander again saw Lot's hand in the rescue of these children. The oldest perhaps eleven seemed to be a carbon copy of Samantha including her choice of clothing. A summer dress of soft fabric with a floral pattern and a pair of comfortable stylish sandals. A young lady in the making. The smallest of whom Raphael had said that she could not be much older than three, seemed like a cross between Samantha and Alexander. His blond curls, her face, smile and a few freckles, his green eyes perhaps a little deeper still a little brighter. She was wearing a floral pink shirt, jeans and a pair of pink sneakers. That was the moment when Jophiel suddenly seemed to remember that she had to be somewhere, where she didn't know at the moment but certainly not here. Ella took the hint, immediately poked Lucifer in the ribs and the three made a hasty exit. But before Lucifer was out the door he heard Alexander ask with a made playful tone which he knew all too well but did not bode well, for someone in the near future:
"Lucifer, where is Celine?"
Lucifer heard very clearly under the playful tone something icy, something dangerous like a predator preparing to pounce on prey. If Alex addressed him as Lucifer in that way something was about to happen. Something that would absolutely not be fun for the victim he had in mind. With the children present he didn't quite know how to describe the situation so he just tried a matter-of-fact answer:
"Celine sent me a message this morning that she was going to look at a piece of property to see if the previous occupants might have left anything behind."
Alexander immediately understood that Celine had gone to the building where they had found the children. With a non-serious smile on his face, he replied:
"Please ask her to go and speak with the previous tenants. Be sure to show her where our poor Amenadiel is staying. We forgot the poor one in all the commotion and I'm sure Celine would love to speak to him. Oh and let her really push to get answers, but really push hard, very hard!"
Lucifer had heard and seen a great deal in his long existence but this beats it all. A God who gave permission, no ordered that a Demon had to crush a bunch of Angels, including Godfry's favorite son, to get answers. He knew Celine all too well and knew what she was capable of. Mazikeen did everything with brute force and for pleasure. Celine was ice cold and extremely calculated when it came down to it. Someone would go through an extremely unpleasant and painful experience. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and as he closed the door behind him. He almost, almost, felt sorry for Amenadiel and the zealots.
Samantha had clearly caught on to what the conversation between father and son was about and deliberately ignored it. After everything she had seen and heard this morning, including in the bathroom, she thought Amenadiel should get to know Celine. She did not only know the softer, more maternal side of Celine. She knew alto well why she was a feared Demon in Hell and why Samael and Micky had so much respect for her. After all that had been done to these children, she could not muster a shred of pity for anyone who had contributed to this. However, she could do nothing but smile at Jophiels and Ella's quick exit. They wanted the children to be able to spend time with her and Alexander. There was nothing else she herself wanted at this time. Alexander said:
"Okay, let's sit down and as promised you can ask us any questions and say anything you want."
Telepathically, Samantha and Alexander had decided to sit on opposite couches. Curious to see what the children would do. These, however, remained standing, not really knowing what to do. Samantha said:
"It's okay kids, just find a spot where you want to sit."
The oldest girl went to sit very close to Sam on the couch. It was immediately obvious that she was very timid. The youngest who had seen her sister walking toward Samantha's couch almost sprinted toward Alexander to sit very close to him. David was more cautious. He too chose the new God's couch but sat down a little diagonally in the corner, more wary and to keep a better eye on everything. It was Samantha who broke the ice:
"I heard that our handsome young man has chosen the name David. A really strong boy's name."
She said with a wink at the boy. And probably for the first time in his life the beginning of a blush formed on his face. Samantha spoke further:
"Well Alexander may I introduce you to these beautiful young ladies. This is Sarah."
Pointing to the girl next to her.
"And next to you we have Elise."
Alexander's eyes shot wide open upon hearing those names. He heard Samantha's soft voice in his head:
"It happened naturally Alex... It seems to be Lot who revived the name Aisha had when you were born."
He nodded and said:
"Well those are three wonderful names for three wonderful children."
He thought:
"Of course it's Lot. Sarah and David, the two children of Jesus and The Magdala and now Elise. Should definitely talk to Sam about this later."
The children's eyes lit up completely. The new God loved their names. It was little Elise who first found the courage to ask a question. Her chosen words clearly showed that she had been sorely lacking in her upbringing:
"Angels say God Father, you not Father?"
Alexander thought for a moment and Samantha looked at him with interest. She too wanted to hear his answer. However, she was looking to see if there would be a deeper meaning in his words. From her Alex, as she had called him in her heart for years, she expected there to be:
"Hmm That's a very good question Elise. Well you already know I'm not the old God. He has treated you very, very badly. But not only you. He treated almost all the Angels badly, hurt them and often punished them very severely. The old God required everyone to call him Father because he kind of was their father, their creator. But he did not deserve to be called Father. So I am not the father, the creator of these Angels. I did not grow up in the Silver City but on Earth. On Earth, a lot of people think that father or mother is a special, an honorary title that you have to earn. The old God never earned that title. A real father and a real mother do not treat their children in such a bad way. All Angels are brothers and sisters. My father is also an Angel so all the other Angels are all uncles and aunts of mine. It would be a little strange for my uncles and aunts to have to call me father. I myself do not call them uncle or aunt because I want to treat them, as much as possible, as equals."
"But the Angels call you by your name! Why is that allowed?"
David asked puzzled. Alexander and Samantha were glad that this seemed to end the children's fear of speaking and asking questions.
"Because Alexander is my name is like yours David, and yours Sarah and yours my little one, My honeybee, Elise."
And he playfully booped her nose causing a wide smile to appear on her little face and she shifted even a little closer to him.
"The Angels don't always call me Alexander you know. In the throne room or my office or when we talk about work they call me My Lord, that makes it clear we are working. There are a few exceptions like Michael, Gabriel, Celine, Raphael and Anthony who usually call me boss and I don't mind that at all. Here at home I don't really like it when people call me My Lord or boss. Here I prefer it when they say Alexander or Alex."
A small voice next to Alexander said:
"You not bad? Me dreamt?"
He put an arm around her and said:
"No, honeybee."
Her whole face lit up as she felt the love when he had now used her new pet name for her the second time. She never had a pet name before.
"We, Samantha and I, will do everything we can to protect you. To make sure that you can be happy. That you can be children. To be able to give you a warm home. The old God is gone along with his evil Angels and they will never come back. So you will always be safe with us."
Sarah who had been listening to everything very carefully asked:
"If father was a title that the old God demanded and on Earth it is an honorary title you have to earn. What is the difference and what does a person have to do to earn that title?"
Alexander was momentarily off balance. Samantha almost immediately began to answer in his place:
"The place I come from is sometimes very similar to the Earth where Alex grew up. I have a mom and dad there I still address them as mom and dad or sometimes Mommy and Daddy, even now that I'm an adult. A real father, a real dad, is someone who loves you, who cares about you, who gives you a warm home, who teaches you things, who is always there for you. But a daddy is also there to forbid somethings. Children, like you, need to learn things to be ready for life as an adult. That includes encouragement but also learning, demonstrating and explaining things so that you know that certain things are allowed and belong and other things do not."
Alexander took over for a moment because he had only heard Samantha speak of a father and not a mother:
"A mother or mommy as Sam addresses her mother sometimes does exactly the same thing as the daddy. This cooperation between the mom and dad, the parents, creates a healthy home where children can grow up and be happy."
Elise now snuggled all the way up against Alexander, and he heard the fear in her little voice:
"We no daddy or mommy. Where go?"
Alexander instinctively pulled her to him so she would feel protected and safe:
"Don't worry about that Honeybee. You stay, all three of you will stay here with us for as long as you want. No one will force you to go anywhere else. I promise you that."
With those words, the little one began to cry. He gently pulled her onto his lap, as she lay with her head against his chest he kissed her softly on top of her head. Alexander looked at Samantha with an apologetic look in his eyes. As if his words had flown out without thinking and he wouldn't or couldn't possibly take them back. He heard Samantha in his head and felt that he had said exactly the right thing and that she was proud of him. The last thing he felt hit him like a sledgehammer blow. He felt that she really would stay with him even if he could not resolve the mess between two universes. She would stay in his universe with him. David who had been watching skeptically for a while asked:
"We are not real Angels. How are the real Angels going to react to us?"
With a thick smile and in a soft conspiratorial tone to draw the children's attention to himself, Alexander said:
"Let me tell you a little secret.... I'm not an Angel either."
The children's mouths fell open and their eyes almost bulged out. Samantha found it comical and said in a similarly conspiratorial tone:
"It's true. He is half Angel and half human, what is called a Nefilim. And now, now he is the new God. And you are special too, you are real Angels but just slightly different, just like Alex is different you understand?"
In his normal soft voice, Alexander said:
"Don't worry about the Angel kids. I'm sure all 9,000 of them are ready to welcome and protect you. They will see you as family and they are really very protective when it comes to children."
Samantha added:
"And remember Alex is the new God and he is your greatest protector and will never let you down."
Alex got a mischievous smile on his face and asked:
"Do you want to see how all these good Angels are going to react when they see you?"
They looked at him with big eyes and Elise asked:
"Will see all?"
"Samantha and I should be in the throne room in half an hour. That's where all the Angels will be gathered. Unfortunately, I will have to say a lot of things there because a lot of things in Heaven are broken. But if you want to and really think you are ready, you may certainly come along for part of that conversation."
All three nodded vehemently, even Elise whom he felt nodding under his chin.
"Okay, then I'll just call my friend Gabriel."
He closed his eyes for a few seconds and then said:
"He'll be right there."
The children looked at him in amazement. As if he had just performed a miracle. It was clear that no one had ever taught them to pray, probably on purpose so they could not communicate with anyone. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door and Alexander called Gabriel in. The latter took in the situation on the benches but showed nothing and simply said:
"You needed me Alex?"
"Yes Gabe. Would you please let everyone who will be at the meeting know that we are bringing the children."
He pointed to the children one by one:
"Sarah, David and Elise here would very much like to meet the rest of their Family."
The children, of course, could not hear the rest of his wordless communication with Gabriel but Sarah caught snippets of his feelings as he very briefly, in an unguarded moment, allowed his eyes to ignite:
"Gabe, I don't give a shit what they think of me afterwards or look at me askew afterwards but the first one who looks at MY Samantha or OUR children the wrong way can expect a heated and unpleasant conversation in my office. I swear to you, I will kick him or her so hard in the ass they will be able to taste the leather of my boot for the next few weeks."
Gabriel, who had heard Alexander's choice of words about HIS Samantha and THEIR children very well decided to wisely ignore that at the moment. He was not fond of the taste of leather so he merely said:
"Of course Alex, I'll let everyone know that the kids will be there. I will see you all later in the throne room."
Gabriel turned and left the suite to give the seemingly newly formed Divine family some space. Before sending his message warning all the Angels, he knocked on the door of Ella and Lucifer. It took no time before Ella pulled open the door and practically dragged Gabriel inside. Her energetic self she fired off a few questions in rapid succession:
"How are the two of them doing? How are the kids doing? How are the five of them together?"
He could not quite place the first of the three questions but he had a strong suspicion based on what he had seen and that was waiting for confirmation so he asked before answering the last two questions:
"What about those two?"
With a broad smile Ella replied:
"Samantha and Alexander came out of his room hand in hand together this morning! So he has made it through the last two thousand years for him well and they are still together!"
Gabriel felt a huge headache coming on even though that should be impossible for an Angel. This was a situation that involved two universes. Apparently the God of one universe still had a relationship with the future Goddess of another universe that was absolutely unbreakable. Not only that, apparently in record time, one night, they had formed a family with three children. This had all the elements to become a protocol nightmare. When he said this out loud to Lucifer and Ella, Lucifer couldn't resist:
"I've heard of quickies but this quickie sure beats all records."
Which earned him a slap on the shoulder from Ella. She was so impatient that she practically shouted:
"Well tell..."
Gabriel said:
"With those two as you said all is apparently going well. Whether they realize it or not they will possibly spark a protocol riot. With the children everything seems to be going well. They are slowly starting to come out of their shells. All five of them together are also doing fine, they are forming a bond that seems to be very powerful."
"What do you mean by protocol riot? You've said this twice now."
Lucifer asked warily.
"What do you think yourself Luci? It is for the first time in the existence of this universe that we have contact with the Gods of another universe and visa versa. Now everything is still hunky-dory. But he is the God here and cannot leave here unless a successor worthy of the throne is found. And you know this can't just be the first best person. Samantha is the Crown princess of the other universe and destined to become their Goddess and I'm pretty sure the same rules apply there in terms of succession for the throne. So the only possibility for Alex and Samantha to be together is Samantha refusing the throne in her universe! It looks like those five as Ella put it have formed a family unit, dad, mom and the kids. Unless my eyes have deceived me and I have completely misunderstood Alex's threat which I don't think and which I have yet to spread by the way."
"So what did you see Gabe?"
Asked Ella as if she had already forgotten the whole protocol thing. He looked at her in disbelief:
"Are you going to tell me you didn't get a good look at those kids? The oldest girl, Sarah, is a small copy of Samantha. The youngest Elise is a cross between Alexander and Samantha and the boy, David, could easily be the boss' son. The oldest was pretty much in Samantha's arms, the youngest was pretty much crawled into the boss and the boy was sitting there like a young version of the boss. Watching and analyzing everything quietly like the boss does before making a decision. You know him Luci, you know how the boss is when he is brooding on a problem. Well David is exactly like that. A leader, a general in the making. That all that is holy may forbid him to get as short a fuse as Alex or there are going to be accidents."
Ella was practically dancing on the balls of her feet and clapping her hands softly:
"So Lot put those five together!"
"As much as I want to dismiss the whole Lot thing as just coincidence or superstition, I have to say that this is pretty strong in so many ways."
Replied Lucifer.
"Oh that's nothing yet. You haven't even heard his not-so-hidden threat yet."
Said Gabriel as he put his hands over his eyes as if to exclude all light. Apparently he had been mistaken that Angels cannot get a headache or perhaps this was the infamous self-actualization.
Lucifer squeezed his eyes shut a little and spoke with the authority of the King of Hell:
"Tell!"
Gabriel felt his headache increase quite a bit more. A God and a Princess with a short fuse and now the Lightbringer was going to get involved which of course meant that Michael would not be far behind.
"I think it could be a slip of the tongue. He said he didn't care if all the Angels looked at him crookedly but that the first one who looked at HIS Samantha and HIS children the wrong way would not be so happy after a visit to his office. Something about a kick in the ass and that they would taste leather for weeks."
Lucifer smiled proudly:
"Well apparently Heaven has a new King after all."
"Yep"
Gabriel said briefly and complemented:
"And not just a King but a Queen, two Princesses and a Prince. I knew you Morningstars are fast but this is really starting to get ridiculous."
He saw that Lucifer was praying for a moment and knew with certainty that he was right and that Michael would be included.
"But it's the protocol that's going to give me a fat migraine. I've already figured out that an Angel can get a whopper of a headache so why not a migraine too."
Lucifer smiled fondly:
"One problem at a time Gabriel. Let go of that protocol for a moment and wait for it to present itself. Now just do what he asked and we'll see what comes out of the meeting. Oh yes Gabe slip up or not, use his literal words and add that Michael and I are the personal protectors of Samantha and the kids!"
Gabriel sighed deeply for he knew all too well what those last words would trigger. No Angel was crazy enough to cross the General's line. No Angel wanted to be around when the Lightbringer was pissed, that had been so, long before the fall of Lucifer. But the general and the Lightbringer at the same time, for that someone really had to be suicidal. God's messenger went to work and a few seconds later every Angel knew what Alex had said with Lucifer's added bonus. Now it was waiting for the reaction as they gathered in the throne room.
He had barely finished his message or Michael stormed into the Suite and his face was not exactly friendly:
"You said what now? Mind to repeat yourself! If somebody even looks at those kids funny I will fucking their them to pieces!"