Reunion

Lilith watched on worriedly as Gabriel paced back and forth across her throne room. He had got into the habit of doing this recently and Lilith wished she knew what he was thinking about.

Gabriel was of course thinking about everything: The taste of blood, the beauty of Lilith, the feel of night air on vampire skin, but mostly he was thinking about God. In the months since he had become a vampire he had begun to hate God as he'd never hated anything. Maybe a lot of the hate was merely cover for the pain and hurt he'd felt at the Lord's hands but at least some of it was true hate. The very mention of God could send Gabriel into a violent frenzy which Lilith would eventually have to end. No longer did he fall to his knees praying for the beauty of Heaven or the forgiveness of God.

He suddenly noticed that Lilith was standing beside him. He smiled and she kissed him softly. "What are you thinking of, my love?" He closed his eyes and heard her make a sound of disgust. "About Him. Of course."

She walked away from him and out the door. Gabriel clearly heard the final comment she threw at him. "You're obsessed."

~*~*~*~*~*~

He found her later that night while he was hunting. She was feeding from a young blond girl when he stood before her. "I have been thinking about God recently." He admitted.

Lilith dropped the body she held in her arms and gave him a look that made it clear she was already bored of this conversation. "You miss Him."

Gabriel shook his head without hesitation. "No."

She frowned, her pale skin catching the moonlight. He explained for her. "I've been deciding. What's to be done." She still looked confused. "About God. And now I know. You and I are going to kill Him."

Lilith burst out laughing and Gabriel was sure everyone in the city would hear.

"You're insane!" she cried through her laughter. "I've driven you mad!"

Gabriel wasn't laughing. "I'm not insane. Together you and I will destroy Him."

"Oh, no," she said when she stopped laughing. "I am not part of this."

"But you must! You're the only one who can help me."

She moved slightly closer to him. Her voice now taking on its usual seductive softness. "You said that when you wanted to get back into Heaven too. That was only a month or so gone by. How quickly you gave up on that dream." She stared at him for a moment before brushing past and walking away. Gabriel stood still, merely turning his head to watch her go.

She stopped walking and turned around to face him. "There may be one who can help you- but it isn't I." She walked back to him and touched his face gently. "Would you risk everything to have this?" Gabriel nodded and Lilith smiled. "Good. That may be what he asks of you."

Lilith turned again and walked away. Gabriel stood for a second wondering who she spoke of, before he slowly followed in the path of his Black Goddess.

~*~*~*~*~*~

When Gabriel arrived home Lilith was in her bedroom. He could hear her moving around. He slowly wandered up the stairs and stepped into the bedroom they shared. Like the rest of Lilith's home it was a mish mash of styles and cultures. A bit of everything from all the times and places she had lived.

He walked across and sat on the bed and a moment later Lilith swept in from the bathroom. She was dressed in a long burgundy dress that accentuated her enticing body.

She stood before the mirror and pulled a brush of the nightstand. She began to run it through the blood red hair that fell to her hips and saw him looking at her. "What?"

He stood impatiently. "You said someone could help."

"Yes."

"Well? When do I get to see them?"

Lilith has finished brushing her hair and she casually shook it out. "Whenever you
want to see him."

She was so calm he felt like grabbing and shaking her. But that would have been a very foolish thing to do. He didn't even know how old Lilith really was but he could tell she was infinitely powerful and would not take kindly to being touched without permission.

Lilith saw his eagerness and sighed. "Alright. Let's go." She walked away from him and out the door and it took a moment for Gabriel to realise he had to follow her. When she reached the bottom of the staircase he expected her to walk out the front door but instead she kept on down the corridor.

Then abruptly she stopped and turned to him. They stood beside a door. He had never really noticed it before. Like every other door in the place it was unique. This particular door was a deep red much like Lilith's dress and Celtic knots twisted across its surface. Standing before the door Gabriel was suddenly anxious and afraid.

"Are you ready?" Lilith asked, raising one perfect eyebrow.

Gabriel nodded nervously and she took his hand. He smiled. Her hand in his calmed his heart slightly.

With her free hand Lilith reached out and pushed the door gently. The bright white light that immediately engulfed them made Gabriel shield his eyes.

When the light subsided he was horrified to find himself standing in a sunny field.

"The sun!" He screamed. In his blind panic he noticed that Lilith was standing calmly beside him.

She put her hands on his arms and held him still. "Gabriel!" she said sternly. "It's false sun."

When he words sunk in he smiled, feeling like a fool. It was strange to be in the sun again after many months of darkness.

Lilith seemed at ease and was clearly used to this place.

He looked around. Where was he?

He and Lilith stood in an immense meadow. The sun shone down on the place and trees dotted around created oases of shade. In the distance to the right there stood an expansive forest. For all Gabriel knew it could have gone on forever. In the other direction a splendid blue lake shone as the sun hit it. The grass beneath his feet was unbelievably soft and green.

Groups of people were dotted around the meadow. Some sat under trees reading or talking. Others ran about the meadow. In the distance he could see people breaking the surface of the lake as they swum.

One woman was sleeping under a tree, her head resting on the flank of a magnificent tiger. As he looked around Gabriel saw there were other animals too. Bears, deer, horses and every other animal he could think of seemed to be living in this beautiful place. No one seemed to have any fear of the animals so clearly they were in no danger.

Gabriel couldn't believe it. He had never seen a place so beautiful.

He turned to Lilith in wonder. "What is this place?"

She turned to look at him. "Hell." She said simply.

Gabriel's eyes widened. "It can't be!"

Lilith was about to speak when a handsome young man interrupted them. "Lilith!" he said smiling before her embraced her. When he pulled back the smile was still on his face.

He seemed vaguely familiar to Gabriel somehow. He was tall with shoulder length black hair that fell softly around his face. He was one of the most beautiful beings Gabriel had every seen and he felt himself enchanted. He possessed the luminescence that only seemed to belong to Angels and Vampires.

The man turned happily to greet him. "Gabriel," he said in a genuinely happy voice. "You look exactly the same."

Gabriel still couldn't place who this angelic man was.

"You don't recognize me do you?" he asked.

Gabriel frowned and searched his memory.

Lilith and the man began to laugh. She put her arm around the man shoulder.
"Gabriel." she smiled and looked from him to the man she held. "It's Lucifer"

~*~*~*~*~*~

Gabriel looked around the room. It reminded him of the palaces men had made hundreds of years ago. This couldn't be Hell, he was sure of it. Lucifer took Lilith's hand. She smiled and followed him to his throne.

"But…" Gabriel began. None of this was what he expected. God had told him about Lucifer and how he ruled his nightmarish kingdom. Where was the fire? The torture? The pain?

Lucifer's voice broke his thoughts. "It's not what you expected is it?" he said with a slight laugh. "It's never what any of them expect. When people think of Hell it's always 'fire and brimstone.'" He leaned back into his throne. "I have to say most people are pleasantly surprised."

Lucifer beckoned from his throne and Lilith delicately perched herself on the arm. Sitting beside him, Gabriel could see the love between the two of them. The solace they took in each other. Gabriel felt a slight twinge of jealousy and realised that since becoming a vampire he had though of Lilith as his. Which was ridiculous. Lilith would never submit to being a possession. Wasn't that after all the entire basis for her expulsion from the garden? She refused to submit to anyone. She would love Gabriel absolutely but she would never belong to him. Lilith had to belong to the night. She loved Lucifer and Gabriel but if either ever tried to exert power over the Dark Goddess she would reject them. Lilith was like no woman Gabriel had ever met. She possessed an elegant, serene power that radiated from her pale body. He smiled as he realised again that Lilith would never try to break him as God had done.

The smile disappeared and again he was filled with confusion. "Isn't Hell supposed to be a place of punishment?" He asked

Lucifer shook his head. "No, I never made it to be that. No one here suffers."

Gabriel found that hard to believe. He remembered all the things his Lord had told him. "But what about the people who have done wrong on earth?"

Lucifer shrugged his shoulders and poured himself a glass of something red. Blood. Gabriel could smell it and it made his stomach growl. "Sometimes they stay on the planet. They become ghosts, doomed to wander till they somehow make up for they're actions. But more often they just disappear. When they die they leave no soul or spirit or whatever you wish to call it. It's simply gone."

"Why?"

Lucifer held out the glass of blood to him and gave him a withering look. "You ask a lot of a person who has never professed to know the answers."

Gabriel took the glass and continued. "But God said that Hell-"

Lucifer cut him off. "He only knows what Hell is like from what I told him." He said, "He asked me what it was like down here and after pondering that for a moment I replied that 'Hell was the absence of God.' He, of course, took that to mean it was a terrible place full of gnashing teeth and torture. He approved wholeheartedly." Gabriel furrowed his perfect brow, not sure whether to believe Lucifer.

Lucifer sensed this but continued. "He's never actually seen the place. I probably wouldn't let Him in if He showed up down here anyway."

There were so many questions he wanted to ask Lucifer. "Do you interfere with people on earth?"

Lucifer shook his head. "No never. Why would I? I have my kingdom here and I have no need to leave."

"But people say-"

Lucifer interrupted sounding a little angry and exasperated. "People say many things. More often that not when someone thinks something is my fault it's just plain bad luck. Sickness, anger, jealously. Everything evil is apparently from me. People don't understand that that's just how God created them. Imperfect. He's not unlimited in power, you know! He did the best he could and those people down there, on that planet their slowly destroying, better start realizing that." Lucifer leaned back on his throne frowning. Lilith stroked his face and he smiled at her.

Gabriel was not about to give in. "Well, when you tempted Eve-"

"When I tempted Eve? I never even met the girl till she showed up down here."

That stopped Gabriel dead. "Eve is in Hell?" He sounded like a lost child.

"You say that likes it a bad thing. You did look around you when you showed up right? Don't try and tell me that this place isn't far better than Heaven ever was."

Gabriel wasn't sure. It seemed that when he had been expelled from Heaven, the Lord had taken all his memories of the place. "I'm not sure," he said honestly.

"Of course," Lucifer said sympathetically. "You can't remember. Well, I can."

Gabriel was silent now. Still questions flooded his mind but he didn't know which ones to voice first. He wasn't sure if Lucifer would answer anything more.

Lucifer smiled, clearly seeing the questions that threatened to burst out. "Go ahead."

Gabriel though for a second. "Who meets people when they come here?"

Lucifer took a sip of his drink and Gabriel realised his still sat in his hand. "Sometimes it is I. More often it is a family member or friend. Sometimes it is one of the other Angels." Gabriel had begun to drink but on hearing the word 'Angels' he'd looked up in shock. Lucifer saw this. "Yes, we still call ourselves Angels. Black Angels. It is what we are so it what we are called." Lucifer looked at him to make sure he'd had understood before he continued. "Every so often when a person arrives here I will make them an Angel. They will help people here and on earth."

Gabriel wished he could remember Lucifer from when he was an Angel. But he must have been evil after all. He had wanted to be more powerful than God was.

"That wasn't the reason I was thrown out." Lucifer had heard his thoughts.

"What?" he asked, wanting to make sure he'd heard him right.

Lucifer attempted to explain. "I never wanted to be higher than God. I never cared about power at all. I just wanted to be a human."

"You did?" Gabriel was suddenly utterly fascinated. Yet more that God had lied about.

"Yes. They got so much. He loved them more than he had ever loved us. Don't tell me you didn't feel hurt when he threw us aside? Abandoned us for newer, better toys."
Gabriel didn't answer. Yes, it had hurt.

"All I wanted was to be with them. Spend my time on that beautiful planet that they slowly destroyed. I pleaded with him to make me a human. I said that I was all I desired. I wanted to be loved by him again. And after many months I finally disobeyed him and went down to earth in a human form. I was human for almost a year before God found out and banished me. He said I should live for eternity with no angels or humans around me. Some of the angels disobeyed God with me and they too were thrown into the pit. I began work creating Hell and making it like the planet I adored. From here I was able to watch the humans as well. And unknown to God I saw the woman who I had married. She was with child. I have followed my daughters descendents since they were born and I will continue to do so forever." He fell silent after this and took a sip from his glass.

Gabriel didn't want the conversation to end and so continued to question. "Are they in Hell?"

For the first time since they had met, Lucifer didn't look so powerful. It seemed to Gabriel that the powerful god had dissapeared and in his place a child had been left. "Never has one of them come to Hell. I think God knew how happy it would make me if they did."

Gabriel said nothing. He didn't want to hurt or anger Lucifer. He sat back and was silent before he realised something. "Wait, why are there people here? You said God refused to let you be around them."

Lucifer smiled. "Well, back along time ago, as you probably remember, anyone who died and wasn't a Christian their soul was annihilated " Gabriel nodded. He had thought it was unfair and cruel. "I struck up a deal with his Almighty-ness and voila."

Lucifer looked to Lilith and sighed, clearly done with answering questions. "Now, don't think I'm not glad you’re here. -I am. It's been too long. - But why bring Gabriel? I doubt he came here to hang out."

"Hang out?" the goddess repeated.

He smiled and shrugged. "I like the human slang," he said simply.

Lilith nodded as if to say 'very well then' and looked over Lucifer's shoulder at Gabriel. He returned her stare and Lucifer tuned to look at him. "Why did she bring you here?"

Gabriel stood; hoping he looked regal and self contained. "Because I need your help."

Lucifer look amused and perplexed all at the same time. "With what, exactly?"

Gabriel swallowed. Lucifer would help surely. All the things he had said since Gabriel had been there proved it, didn't they? Lucifer was still looking at him expectantly and Lilith smiled. Gabriel stood tall. "I want you to help me destroy God."

Lucifer's eyes went huge and he laughed. Lilith nodded as if she'd expected that reaction. Lucifer made his way over to Gabriel, tears welling in his eyes from the laughter. He rested his hands on Gabriel's shoulders -a movement that seemed strangely familiar to him- and tried to stop laughing.

"Are you insane?" he finally asked.

"No," Gabriel said quietly. Why did everyone laugh at his idea? Was it so ridiculous? The Dark Lord walked away from the Vampire and sat on his throne. Gabriel moved toward him insistent. "Can it be done?"

Lucifer shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know. I've never heard of anyone trying." He looked to Lilith like she had said something but Gabriel didn't even bother to find out what. Lucifer turned back to the Vampire who kneeled before him. "If I were you I wouldn't try. He'd kill you without a thought."

Gabriel felt sick. A horrible defeated feeling clutched at his still heart. "But…" he couldn't even finish. He was vaguely aware of Lilith's boots clicking against the stone floor and the sweep of burgundy fabric that filled his vision before she was kneeling beside him. She placed a cold hand on his cheek. "Lucifer is right, my love."

Gabriel eyes sought hers. "You would even care if He killed me?"

She almost laughed. "Of course."

Lucifer stood suddenly, startling the two Vampires. "I have the thing that will make you forget about the pain that God put you through." He turned to the door. "Raven!" His voice echoed off the walls of the stone room.

A raven? A raven would make him forget about how badly he had been hurt by God. He doubted it. No, Gabriel would pretend for Lilith and Lucifer's sake that he had forgotten this idea to kill God. He would never speak of it again but he would do it. Nothing could make him change his course.

Gabriel looked back to Lucifer to see he was smiling. He followed his gaze and his breath caught.

It was her! The ebony haired woman who stood in the doorway was the girl he had loved! The whole reason for his expulsion from Heaven in the first place.

Lucifer beckoned to her and she moved toward him, never taking her eyes from the pale man who stared at her.

Lucifer raised a hand to the woman. If Gabriel had bothered to look at him he would have seen the smiled that played across Lucifer's features. "Gabriel. I assume you remember this girl? She remembers you."

She stepped toward Gabriel, captivated. He silently noted the pure black wings perched on her delicate shoulder blades.

"I'm sorry." Gabriel began to whisper something hurriedly about causing her death.

"Shh. I have watched you since the day I died. And ever since Lucifer made me Queen of his Black Angels I have waited for the day I would meet you face to face."

He smiled and she kissed him gently, her lips so soft under his. Gabriel pulled back and took her hand. "Will you came back to earth with me?"

Raven looked to Lucifer eagerly and he smiled. "It will be Hell around here without you." He laughed.

Lilith moved closer to Lucifer and smiled at him. Gabriel clearly wasn't supposed to see.

"Perfect," she whispered to him, her voice low and almost evil.

A black shadow passed over Gabriel's soul for a moment, but it was gone as soon as Raven's lips met his.