Alex and Sam were barely sitting at the breakfast table, with the children and Jo for a light snack because a full breakfast for the kids would follow later, when Lucifer and Ella stormed in. Even before they could say anything, Alex said in a rather serious tone without looking up from a file he was reading:
"Sit."
As he pointed to a couple of empty chairs. For a moment, Ella and Lucifer couldn't quite estimate what mood he was in. This was until Samantha nodded at Alex with a warm smile. That was the moment his sneaky smirk reappeared, and he spoke:
"In the tradition of Doctor King, Mr. And future Mrs. Morningstar, let me tell you about a dream I had. I was sitting on my throne and there was a small group in front of me. The youngest one wanted me to make her an Angel and she wanted to explore Mars. I made her an Angel and told her not to limit herself to Mars, that there was an entire universe waiting for her to be discovered. Then two Demons and an Angel stepped forward and I elevated them to Archdemon and Archangel. I did so because they would be on equal footing with the rest of the Archangels in the council that governs Heaven, Hell, and Earth. An Angel and a Demon wanted to marry so I blessed their marriage. A beautiful woman was in love with an Archangel and that Archangel would be totally lost without her. So, I elevated her to Archangel and blessed their marriage. Finally, there was my father who blessed my marriage to Samantha. The best thing about this dream? It all happened in one day!"
He took a sip of his coffee and asked:
"Good, now that I have told you about my dream can you tell me what I can do for you?"
Lucifer held Ella's hand tightly and in her case some tears ran down her cheeks. Honeybee suddenly asked:
"Gama El, kay?"
She looked at the girl and said:
"Yes, little Honeybee these are tears of happiness. Happy to have your Grandpa Lu, happy to have you six, and happy because your mom and dad gave us something unimaginable."
Samantha said:
"We are going to have to sit down with Azi and Anthony to get everything together but it will be a wonderful day for everyone."
Alexander sat there smiling and added:
"Well if I can't do anything else for you guys at this time, you need to fuck off, Five to six assemble!"
A few minutes before six, Samantha, Alex, the kids, Jo, and Maximus stepped out of the palace. To the surprise of those already waiting, Alex was dressed not in his usual jeans and T-shirt but in a perfectly tailored suit and Samantha was dressed to the nines as well. Gabriel and the two Michaels simultaneously felt a throbbing headache coming on. They knew their Goddess and God had figured out something special again. They heard Micky say:
"Ah for fuck's sake..."
Alex took pleasure in his exasperation and asked:
"What is it Micky? I see you have your lovely date Muriel with you, did you forget something else?"
He replied:
"I just give up. If it was just Celine alone, she would indeed rock the city and break a few Angels here and there. You and Samantha, that's another story! And where you two are then Celine is not far away and Dad is sitting on the sidelines to cheer you on with his glass of cognac and a cigar and enjoying every second of it. So please for us poor Angels don't destroy the city. Samael will have a heart attack!"
Samantha replied with a devious smirk:
"No worries, Micky, that's why we have Fuzzy and Raffa with us."
To which Gabriel sighed:
"Ah come on, now they both have smirks like that."
Alex said equally devious:
"People, don't look so despaired, this could be a lot of fun. At least we think so..."
Samantha and he looked at the Angels and Demons present and the two humans for the moment. The only ones who seemed to be eager were Ella and Trixie. Maximus also seemed to be enjoying himself as much as his master's and let out his Scooby-Doo laugh.
Alex snapped his fingers, and the party was suddenly in the square in front of the palace where Samantha had grown up. Dan, who was absolutely not used to that kind of travel, had to take a deep breath and trembled on his legs. Laila thought Alex had been right the night before. That she was accompanying Dan to prevent him from having a panic attack. She quickly grabbed his hand and squeezed it reassuringly and he immediately calmed down considerably. There they were met by Sam's parents, Samael, Laila and Haniel. The latter two were particularly happy because for them it had been five years since they had seen Alex. The Goddess said:
"Alex, Samantha, we didn't expect such a large group. What can we do for you?"
He had put an arm around Samantha's waist and said with his typical smile:
"Red and I want to discuss something with you Mom and you Robert. Is it okay if everyone waits in Fuzzy's garden for a while, while the four of us talk in my old war room?"
Robert already had an inkling of what this conversation would be about and just like Alexander had done with Samantha, he put an arm around his Goddess' waist and replied:
"Yes, I think it is time for this conversation between the four of us."
With a snap of his fingers and everyone was standing in the garden. And again, Dan was shivering on his legs. This time Laila wrapped her arm around his waist, and she just about felt by instinct his heart rate go down. Alex said:
"Manifest a table and chairs for breakfast for those who didn't bother to have one. I don't think this will take long. Celine, could you introduce everyone to Haniel and Laila? Hanny, Laia I promise after breakfast we can catch up a bit."
The four Gods stepped into the infirmary and the war room where Alex had been working on his preparation for five years. Samantha and her parents let him look around for a while. Fuzzy had not allowed anyone to change this room in the least. This room belonged to Alexander and would always belong to him according to the healer. For Alex, it had been six thousand years since he had been in this room. Memories exploded in his brain. After a few minutes, Salome pulled him back to the present and asked:
"What's the matter darlings?"
Alexander looked at Samantha, who nodded with a warm smile and a twinkle in her eyes. Alex tried to speak seriously and sternly, but one could see the pleasure in his eyes as he answered:
"MyLord, MyLady, I have a confession to make. I regret to inform you that your original decision to leave me on Earth was the right one and that Samael was right from day one that I was a danger to Samantha and this universe. In my master plan, I first seduced your daughter and made her completely dependent on me. What Samael missed in that, however, was my lust for power. I wanted to seize power not only in my universe but also in yours and now with the new universe added I am going to take full power in all three. Hence this bloodless coup, at least bloodless MyLord if you accept my condition."
Robert embraced Salome a little more tightly and asked with equal pleasure in his eyes:
"And what might that condition be young man?"
"That's simple MyLord, you will retire with immediate effect and become full-time grandparents to your grandchildren, present and future, and believe me you will see them all, including those that will be there during our trip because you are coming along!"
Salome took a sharp breath and got tears in her eyes. Robert asked softly:
"You found a solution for everything?"
Samantha said softly:
"Yes Daddy, for the thrones in all three universes and your throne in Hell. Remember when you said we had ten years to get it done because then the clock started running when Alex solved the clusterfuck in his universe? Well, he kept his word. If you really want to hand over the thrones, then we are ready to ascend them."
Her parents became emotional at these words. Salome looked at Robert as tears ran down her cheeks. Robert nodded to Salome. For a moment they stood there forehead to forehead. Finally, Robert said:
"MyLady, MyLord the thrones are yours. Thank you for being willing to take over from us."
Samantha and Alex had also become emotional. Sam herself cried a little when she had seen her parents so emotional. The four stood there in silence for a while in a group hug until Salome said:
"I am going to address the entire Angel host later to announce our abdication and announce that we have a new God and Goddess."
After another minute of silence, Alex said:
"Let's go face that gang in the garden and give Samael a stroke."
That provoked a laugh from the other three and they walked toward the garden:
When the four Gods stepped into the infirmary, Samael had asked his brother:
"What on earth is this about Michael?"
The latter looked at him with a desperate look in his eyes and said:
"We are talking about Sam and Alexander, brother! Who knows what crazy idea those two have come up with now? I fucking sure don't!"
After a while, the four Gods came out again and remained at the head of the table. Salome spoke:
"Children, ladies, and gentlemen, from now on Samantha and Alexander are also the Gods of this universe. Robert and I are retiring with immediate effect."
Everyone stood looking at the four Gods with open mouths until Robert said with pleasure audible in his voice:
"I expected everyone to be a little more enthusiastic."
Her Micky was the first to find his voice again:
"For fuck's sake, now they got the keys to tear down Heaven..."
Alex said with pleasure he could not hide:
"But Micky, I thought you had more faith in your little sister and myself."
Samael's brain also decided to come back online but was not yet working at full power:
"But...but...but...how...how can that be? Alex your whole universe is shattered, and you have to build a whole new universe. But how?"
"Okay, if everyone would like to sit down for a moment Sam and I will explain."
Everyone took their seats in excitement. Samantha and Alex with their Honeybee on his lap at the head of the table as the de facto Gods. Alex looked at Samantha for a moment and then said:
"You all know that I want to connect three universes. First, my universe that is imploding and our new universe that is in the making and only then Sam's universe. The last step is to shed the old universe when it becomes too unstable. Samantha and I decided to change that order a little bit. First her universe and my universe and after our little trip the new universe."
Samael cut him off:
"Alex, you cannot be away from the throne for five hundred years! If you lose connection with the thrones, then the universe will cease to exist. It is impossible to be away from the throne for that long!"
At the word impossible six people at the table shot into real laughter, Salome, Robert, Fuzzy, Michael, Celine, and of course, Samantha who playfully asked:
"MyLord, please tell us how you are going to do the impossible."
"Well now that you ask my beautiful Goddess, I don't think your brother paid very close attention in class. Don't you think he should be in detention?"
"Hmmm, now that you mention it, I believe that would be an appropriate measure."
"Sam, Alex shut the hell up with your eternal wordplay and explain it to us!"
Said Samael with a red head. Alex said to Samantha:
"I'm glad we brought both Fuzzy and Raffa darling because he's already starting to turn red, I'm starting to fear for that heart attack."
There were soft giggles around the table and Samael got a little redder still. Alex said:
"Samael, we're not five hundred years away. We are maybe an hour or two away, maybe just a bit more, I have yet to do the exact planning, but four hours should be the maximum. Time travel between universes remember. As far as this universe and thus the thrones are concerned a couple of hours of no contact is not problematic as your mom and dad have proven many times. So again, nothing is impossible, nothing."
Samael thought about it for a moment and asked:
"What about the thrones? How can you bind with the thrones when you are already bound with the thrones in your universe? And no, I'm not going to use the word impossible dammit!"
Ella was giggling and said:
"Thrones 2.0!"
Both Samantha and Alex were smiling broadly as they looked at Ella. Alex said:
"See Miss Lopez is the smartest in the class. That is why she is my favorite pupil. You should take an example and worship the ground she walks on. My father already does it in ways I absolutely don't want to know anything about. So, someone give Miss Lopez a cookie!"
From his lap it suddenly sounded with great interest to the amusement of everyone:
"Cookie Daddy?"
Samantha manifested a cookie and said:
"Indeed Honeybee a cookie for Grandma Ella and a cookie for you."
After which she handed Elise the cookie. Alex looked at Samael:
"Sammy, if I bend both universes so that the thrones coincide then we can also be bound to the thrones in this universe. The only thing that changes is the fact that there are not going to be any more secondary thrones. Only primary thrones. So perfect equality between Samantha and myself in both universes."
He nodded:
"And what about the throne in Hell? Mom and Dad said we should leave that problem to you guys. Who will sit on that throne?"
Samantha took over:
"We're going to do that the same way as is happening now in Alex's universe. Belios and Bearus are the managers of Hell there. Lucifer may be the king but for some time he has been king in name only because he is tied to the primary throne. If it is possible in that Hell for that Hell to be run more or less by the Demons themselves then it should be possible here as well. Look at what Alex and myself have accomplished in Dis in five years. Alex and I are going to sit on the throne or rather thrones ourselves because we are going to manifest a second one. With the help and the thousands of years of experience of Bearus and Belios, among others, we are also going to establish a counsel in this Hell by which the function of King and Queen will become a ceremonial function. From time to time spend a day or two days in Dis and we are only about four hours away from Heaven. A few hours in Dis to attend a meeting is not even an hour here. Our Hell is ready for it Sammy so we are going to allow our Demons to govern themselves."
Samael slumped back in his chair. His head was spinning. Celine addressed him sarcastically:
"You spent five years with that kid Samael. I had to spend six thousand years with that little brat. I can recommend a full bottle of Advil and a few bottles of good rum..."
And with this, everyone at the table laughed. Samael too got a smile and said:
"MyLady, MyLord, how can we be of service?"
Samantha said:
"First of all, we are going to take Freya with us. Mother and daughter are supposed to be together, and Alex and I are very very fond of the both of them."
Freya blushed, and Maila got a rather wide smile.
"Second, we need your help. Mom must have already told you, and everyone else as well, that Alex and I are getting married. But two more marriages will be performed on that day. Ella and Beatrice will be elevated to Angels. Azi to Archangel and Celine and Anthony to Archdemon. There has never been such a ceremony in our universe and neither in his universe. As for the blessing, we need to sit down with Lucifer because we want to set up something uniform. There are more weddings to come if you look around this table, they will be far from the only ones in the future. Hence a uniform ceremony. When Alex asked me how we would do it for ourselves, I didn't have to think for a second. He is half-human and grew up, well if we can call it that, on Earth. I want a wedding that largely matches the Earthly tradition where he grew up. And for that, we need your help."
Her mother asked:
"What help exactly darlings?"
Alex replied:
"As you know, my Angels are quite busy right now. Saddling them with the ceremony preparations as well would be totally unfair. By and large, what we need is this garden as a starter."
Robert said:
"Alex, Sam, every Angel will want to attend this. Their little sister getting married, giving their universe a new God. Not to mention the Angels in your universe, they will definitely want to attend as well."
Sam and Alex were nodding, and he said:
"True and we are going to give all twenty thousand of them and both cities in both hells exactly what they want. That's why I asked Haniel to attend this because I have a little idea."
The latter got a wide smile because he already knew Alex and his ideas and many of the others present were already groaning because Alex had yet another little idea:
"And what can I do for our new God and Goddess then?"
Asked Haniel and with his typical sneaky smirk Alex replied:
"Oh, not so much Haniel. I want you to go to Earth and master the technology of those huge television screens at sporting events and of course, don't forget the cameras needed to get images and sound to those screens. The rest is a piece of cake; hang a bunch of those screens in strategic locations around town and that way everyone can join in the celebrations. Especially if a lot of tables, drinks, and food are manifested at each screen."
"I assume there is a time limit this time?"
Asked Haniel eagerly:
Samantha replied:
"Unfortunately there is Hanny and not much time. In seventeen days, we have to make the jump. So maximum one week, ten days at most."
"Don't worry little sister, we will make sure everything will be perfectly fine."
Laila asked:
"Since I'm here I assume I can be of service too?"
Samantha got watery eyes and had a lump in her throat as she answered as Alex pulled her against him:
"Laila I desperately need your help. I promised Alex an Earth tradition, but I don't know anything about it. I must have lots of pictures of what such a tradition looks like, what is needed, how this garden should be dressed, dress code. Ella, Azi and I can then go through that and pick out what we want."
Laia who had also grown watery-eyed replied firmly:
"For you my still, my always baby sister everything. I'll take care of it!"
Samael asked:
"How do the Angels go from one universe to the other if the place where both universes meet are the thrones? I don't see it, sorry."
"No problem, Sammy. Yes, the exact point where the universes meet is the thrones and yes, they will go from universe to universe by way of the thrones. But not in a traditional way. It's just time and space bending. I am going to create two portals in both squares in front of both palaces. A portal to go to the other universe and a portal to come back. The thrones control these portals and so our Angels can travel, all the Angels of both universes. Later on, we will extend them throughout the city so that our souls can also travel freely between universes. Think of it as a huge subway network. You can get from anywhere in the city to any location you need. Public transportation if you will."
Salome asked puzzled:
"You want all the souls to be able to move freely in the city?"
Samantha replied:
"Yes Mom, as little segregation as possible between the three races. What I started ten years ago with Molly we will finish with both cities and all souls. Just as Samael so elegantly stated in his gift to Alex on his first birthday with us. Angels, Humans, Demons working together, living together, existing together."
They heard Robert say:
"When are you going to bend the universes, Alex?"
He replied:
"The day after tomorrow at exactly noon. Everyone must stay out of the throne room for an hour or so. The appearance of both palaces will be exactly the same as they are now so nothing will change in that matter. Only the throne room will change, become larger and thus absolutely unsuitable as a working space for us. That is why I am going to change the layout tonight after the working day so that we can continue working after the fusion. Two new doors will also appear in the throne room just for senior staff and the intimate circle around us. One door leads to your palace, the other door leads to our palace. That way no one has to move either. Step through the door and you are in the other universe just as with the portals in the squares."
"How do you want to be in charge of both universes at the same time?"
Asked Salome and Samantha replied:
"We are going to continue the way we are already working. Only the council will practically double. The only reason we now have a meeting every day with just about every department every morning is because we are preparing everything to make the jump. Once that is done the daily meetings will be over very quickly for most departments. Education, the arts, Azrael, Azi, Anthony, Zadkiel, Metaron, all those departments can absolutely work pretty autonomously. One meeting a week with me and Alex together. Other departments in turn will have enough with one short meeting a day. Let the heads of the departments work autonomously as much as possible, they know what they are doing and how to do it, no micromanagement."
Robert said:
"I assume that the day after tomorrow at 1 pm we will hand over power to you?"
Samantha and Alex said nothing and only nodded.
"Nice"
Said Robert:
"Because I damn well want to see my grandchildren very often and spoil them rotten!"
"O no you don't"
Exclaimed Samantha and Alexander simultaneously.