Mama Bear (Part I)

*Two Weeks Later*

A soft rap on Alaric’s father’s door made him look up from his work. "Come in Alaric,” he called out. He sighed seeing his son enter. Alaric smiled a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, "Let me guess. You’re here because-”

Eva stopped his sentence as she appeared from behind Alaric. Racing to her father-in-law, she punched him hard sending him flying into a wall. "I know you knew I was there, and you wouldn’t have let me hit you if you didn’t know you were being an utter asshole!”

He dusted himself off and stood. "Perceptive as always Eva, exactly why I chose you for my son.”

She glared at him, "How could you do that to them? I guess at this point I shouldn’t expect anything different…but they hate you and still you keep hurting them.”

He sighed again and sat back at his desk. "I know they hate me. I’ll take that and fully accept the reason why.”

Alaric arched his brow. "Stop. I know you well enough to know when you’re not being fully truthful,” he called out. "Lucifer get your ass out here,”

Lucifer appeared from the shadows. Swinging her legs as she looked at her brother, "I should have known you would know that I was here.”

Eva looked from one to the other, "What is it that you’re not telling us?”

Lucifer and her father looked at one another and finally, she spoke, "It was me. I influenced them to show their powers.”

Alaric’s eyes widened, "Why would you do that?!”

She shook her head, "There’s something that you both need to see.”

Pulling hell into their view, she pointed at the souls and demons.

"They’re uniting,” Eva looked at the vision, "But why?”

Her father-in-law pulled up another, showing fighting in the Heavens. Weaponry and armies forming, he looked back at them both. "Both sides are preparing…for a war on Earth and the destruction…of everything including Heaven and Hell. We’re running out of time. That’s why they had to reveal themselves. Their wives need to decide right now if this is worth fighting for because it’s only going to get worse.”

"...How much time?” Lucifer avoided Alaric’s eyes. "HOW MUCH TIME?!”

"Three months.”

“WHAT?!”

His father ran his hand over his face, "This entire thing got out of hand. It was supposed to be another cleansing of Earth…and then…it turned into something else. And by the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. This, your family from the beginning has been my way of stopping everything. I NEEDED to make sure that you both were strong enough, to raise sons strong enough to pass the final test.”

Eva inhaled sharply. "Are you telling me that the entire existence of EVERYTHING is dependent on our sons falling in love?!” She couldn’t believe it. Waving her arms around, she glared at him, "So, all of this, Alaric’s punishment…my parents…EVERYTHING was you two working together…”

He finally nodded and Alaric looked at his father and sister in pure disgust. "You used me.”

Lucifer flinched, "You were the only of us strong enough Alaric. You’re good…we both knew it, but we needed to make you see it. We needed you to see that you’re both, just like everything is. Eva was born into that, and she got you to make the first choice that could potential save us. But it had to be free will, you know that.” She reached out for her brother who immediately shoved her off.

"MY SONS! DO YOU UNDERSTAND HOW DESTROYED THEY’VE BEEN! OVER AND OVER YOU DESTROY THEM AND OVER AND OVER THEY STILL MANAGE TO RISE AND YET AND STILL, YOU ALLOW THEM NO SHRED OF FUCKING HAPPINESS!” He retched his head back, "Is that what you consider family? What you consider worth saving?”

For the first time in his entire life, Alaric saw his father cry. A wail deep that penetrated the walls of his office and carried through Heaven. "I have failed you all, but I need you to know I love you. Cleansing was supposed to help the Earth, but somewhere along the line, it turned into something else that would go beyond Earth. Something not even I can stop, something that is even affecting Heaven and Hell. EVERYONE EXPECTS THEM TO FAIL! No one thinks they have a true shred of decency in them. BUT I DO! I KNOW THEY DO! THEY’RE LIKE YOU TWO…they’re a mixture of Heaven and Hell and their hearts are good.” He sobbed, "They’re hearts are good…”

Eva thought about her sons and she walked over and change the imagery on the board. She pointed to the pure misery on their faces. "Your grandsons don’t see it that way.” She growled in fury, catching even Alaric off guard, "I’ll write in the book. We WILL complete these tests and our sons will prove to EVERYONE who they are, and when this is over, you will stop. You will leave us alone. Any battle after this, you both fight on your own is that clear?”

Lucifer nodded, "It is clear.”

Walking away, Eva paused. "Oh, and I truly hope your ego that caused all of this, was worth losing your grandsons and family.” Her father-in-law inhaled sharply, his eyes tearing again as they left.

Arriving back on Earth, Alaric looked at Eva. He could feel the anger permeating from her body and he pulled her in his arms. She cried silently, "We didn’t deserve this…they didn’t dese…” She couldn’t finish the statement. Her heart racing in her chest, she grabbed at it.

"Come on baby. I got you,” Alaric picked her up and carried her to the sofa. Laying beside her, he stroked her hair and hummed low. She slowly counted in her head, his presence helping her panic attack to eventually stop.

After a few moments, she sat up and laid her head on his shoulder, "I need you to do something for me.”

"Anything.”

"It’s time they got their own house. A big one.” She felt Alaric smile.

"What are you up to?”

She stood, "It’s time the ladies and I have a little chat."