When Lilly opened her eyes Cain held her against his chest. She blinked up at his yellow eyes and worried expression for a moment until her senses returned then she struggled out of his arms and scrambled towards Thomas. “Is she alright?” She snatched her and held her close.

"Whose baby is that?" Thomas demanded.

Lilly held the child closer and took a step back. John appeared in the kitchen and leaned up against the counter. His shirt was ruined with seams busted along the arms, though he’d shrunk down to his usual size. There was blood on his hands and face, and it looked like the hound had gotten a bite in on his side, but he didn’t baby it as he moved to the fridge for a beer.

"I'm not messing around Lilly, whose fucking baby is that?" Thomas closed on her.

She stared at him helplessly. "I don't know." She confessed. "I don't know, but Abraxas was going to... I don't know do something terrible to her and I couldn't leave her there!"

Thomas's eyes bulged and his fists clenched, "You stole a sacrificial baby from Abraxas on a fucking whim? Woman! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Ooookay," John pressed an open beer bottle into Thomas's hand and turned to shove the other one at Cain, whose face was a grim mask. "Lilly, just tell the story."

She looked at John gratefully and rocked slowly to keep the baby calm. "I went to the hospital to poke around and Mr Abraxas was there, and-"

"Wait," John interrupted, "How could you know him from any other Armani-wearing asshole?"

"You talked about him," Lilly said, “He’s in half your stories and I heard the name and..."

"Why wouldn’t you say you were investigating a demon?" Thomas interrupted.

Lilly rolled her eyes. "I wasn’t! I swear I wasn’t."

Thomas rolled his eyes right back at her. "You just saw a demon and started stalking him, Lilly what the-"

"Shut up, Thomas." John gestured for Lilly to continue.

"I was poking around for the accounts department because all the best stories are about money and I just," she looked down at the baby and frowned, "I heard the name and couldn’t help myself.” She looked sheepish when John snorted his beer and looked horrified. “I don't know, okay I just followed him and the longer I followed him the weirder I felt. Like I was in an electrical storm or something and then he went into the NICU and there was a Doctor there and the baby and... He'd lied to the mother. She thought the baby was dead and then he said the Doctor was going to get his money and he shouldn't ask questions he didn't want the answers to and then he left and..."

"And? What!"

"Tom!" the others hissed together.

"And I just walked in." She said, her eyes fixed on the sleeping baby.

"You just walked in? What about the Doctor?" John asked.

She shook her head. "He was there. He was just looking at the baby, and I picked her up and the Doctor looked really sad and then-" she frowned trying to piece it all together. "Then I backed out of the room and he put the place in lockdown... and I ran."

Cain's expression had changed to one of concern and wonder, "uh guys?" He pointed at the muted TV. The hospital had been evacuated due to a fire in one of the NICU rooms. One known casualty. Doctor Lisbon. "Well, that escalated quickly."

"You think the Doctor torched the place?" John asked.

Thomas shook his head, "It's hard to get a fire to stick in a modern public building. If that thing's still on fire it wasn't a human that started it." He looked back at Lilly. "What the hell have you dragged us into, babe?” He shook his head and picked up his keys and wallet off the counter.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“Where are you going?” Cain asked.

“Shop.” Thomas went to the door. “Muscles over there dropped dinner in the hospital and that baby isn’t going to want anything we’ve got in the fridge.”

Lilly’s defensive expression softened, “Thank you, Tom.” She sat on the couch and looked down at the face of the little girl in her arms. “It’s okay honey. It’s gonna be okay.” She leaned down and whispered against the baby's tiny perfect ear. “I know they look kinda unreliable, but they won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Thomas stalked through the streets and muttered to himself under his breath. Abraxas was a son of a bitch. Hellhounds were inbred mutts. Women were stupid. Babies were trouble. He squeezed his keys tight in his fist and winced when he relaxed the grip.

“That’s not overly safe,” a voice interrupted his mumbled diatribe from off to his left.

A tall, handsome figure leaned against the brick wall of a bakery with his arms crossed over his chest. Thomas stopped and glared at him. “What do you want?”

The figure pushed off from the wall and sauntered towards Thomas, who glared at him coldly. “Airing your dirty laundry in public?”

“What’s it to you, flyboy?” Thomas turned and continued up the street, but the other man fell into step with him.

“You’re in something of a situation here, Thomas.”

Thomas didn’t stop walking. “I don’t see how it’s any of your business. Demons are scrappers. We had a fight, it’s hardly worth divine intervention is it?” He stopped abruptly and turned to glare up at his companion. “Maybe you’re a dirty little overachiever mate, but around here we leave each other alone. The war is over, we’re all just trying to get along.”

The taller man leaned forward until their faces were close together, “Your friend rescued a Nephilim baby from one of the generals of hell,” he smiled calmly. “And then you, your brother, and your beer-swilling friend fought a Hellhound to ensure their escape.”

“And how exactly do you know that Telemachus?” Thomas took a half step forward and glared.

“I know because I was there.” Telemachus smiled.

“You set fire to the NICU.” It wasn’t a question.

“I did.” Telemachus shrugged. “The Doctor saved his soul in a last-minute act of selflessness, and the fire has confused Abraxas. It will take him some time to determine that the child did not die in the fire. Assuming, of course, you killed the Hellhound?”

Thomas swore, “It got away.” Telemachus raised an eyebrow but Thomas waved him off. “Hey, you want guaranteed dead dogs, you help out next time.”

“What were you doing there, incubus? You’re not known for hanging out in hospitals.”

“Our friend needed us, ” Tom said defensively. “She saw the hound and called for the only ones she thought could help.”

Telemachus's eyebrow shot up. “She knew? She knew what you were and you let her live?”

Thomas kicked Telemachus hard in the crotch and when he doubled over, followed with a sharp elbow to the angel’s kidney. Once Telemachus was on the ground with all the wind knocked out of him, Tom sat on his chest and punched him in the jaw. “You do not threaten Lilly, you understand?” He hauled an arm back to hit the prone man again but Telemachus put both his hands up in defence.

“I meant no threat to her!” He slowly lowered his hands and looked Tom in the eye. “I meant only to enquire why you and your brother spared her.”

“That’s none of your business!”

“That’s an interesting thing for you to believe, demon.”

Tom rolled his eyes. “There’s no more war, we’re all just here. I don’t know about you but I haven’t had an order of any kind for going on 80 years now! Live and let live, mate. We’re not interested in gettin’ all up in your shit, we’re not causing trouble,”

Telemachus snorted and Thomas slammed his shoulders back into the pavement. “Seriously! We don’t possess, we don’t corrupt any more than they already are. We drink too much and we watch some iffy porn, but this fight isn’t a thing anymore unless you want to make it one. Whatever the Morning Star wanted, he either got it, died trying, or he’s in a hole someplace feeling sorry for himself.”

“That doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to go around telling humans about your demonic nature.” Telemachus did a half sit up at glared at Thomas. “For some, the war will never be over, Thomas. I’m not interested in making your life difficult, but you have a Nephilim in your possession and a human who seems as well versed in demonology as Abramelin!”

“She’s not a sorceress,” Tom hissed. “She needed us so we talked her through a simple summoning, that’s all.”

Telemachus let himself flop back to the pavement and laced his fingers together behind his head arrogantly. “You’re putting her in danger, and now she’s wrapped up in something she can’t possibly be ready for… unless you’re lying.”

“So help us, we don’t want to be responsible for your stupid illegal baby!” Tom growled. “Why don’t you take her?”

Telemachus shrugged. “We could if you can get her to meet us.”

“Fine. But I need to finish the shopping trip first. Babies need a lot of things.”