"Oh, come on! You need to get back out there and socialize. You used to love to show up to our parties! They're always such a train wreck," Shawna pointed out, trying to entice me to attend her law firm's latest we-won-a-big-case shindig as we chatted on the phone. She was right; I had enjoyed going in the past. I'd stay sober, for the most part, and watch everyone else get smashed, then try to predict what events no one would ever talk about again.

What happened at a firm party, stayed at a firm party.

The last time, Sarah, a paralegal, had gotten wasted, announced she was bisexual and declared her undying love for Peggy, Shawna's admin assistant. Peggy, being Peggy, rolled with it, and they'd made out for forty-five minutes in Shawna's office before Sarah had passed out. Peggy was kinky as hell but wasn't into non-consent, so I'd tucked Sarah in on Shawna's office couch for the long haul.

Shawna, bless her heart, hooked up with the cute little Latino boy Peggy had brought along with her as part of her entourage. It miffed them that the couch held a sleeping person, but she later told me the desk seemed to work just as nice.

Sarah, who considered herself to be a modest and virtuous woman, had avoided Peggy for weeks afterward until it became clear no one talked about what occurred at the parties. She went back to being strait-laced, heterosexual, and demure as if nothing had ever happened. Everyone played along, though; I had seen Peggy smirk as she turned away from Sarah on several occasions.

It was like watching a live soap opera, and Shawna and I had gotten hours of entertainment from the parties. "Say you'll come?" she begged.

I was a little interested. I have to start living again sometime. "Okay, I'll go," I agreed.

"Excellent!" Shawna exclaimed. "I heard a rumor Jillian is dating her plastic surgeon. That should be good for something."

I giggled. Jillian was Shawna's boss and a partner in the firm. Jullian was obsessed with her beauty, and she regularly had 'maintenance' done to attempt to look thirty-five for the rest of her existence. "My guess is he's interested in her money," I speculated, then snickered. "I bet they don't get halfway through the night before she's with someone Peggy's brought with her, and he's hitting on Sarah."

"Is that one big bet or two smaller bets?" Shawna chuckled.

"Hmm... let's go with two smaller ones."

"Same stakes as usual?"

"Sounds like a plan." I agreed to our usual stakes. "Whoever loses buys dinner for us at a swanky restaurant."

"Done!"

The deal we struck reminded me of my own with the Devil. The moment I thought of him, a knock tapped on the door. Of course, it was now my apartment door, but since the average person couldn't sneak past security to get up here, I knew it had to be him or a hitman.

I shifted the phone as I headed to the door. "Shawna, I've got to go."

"Okay, have your people call my people, we'll do lunch! Ta!"

I looked at the video monitor as I walked by, just in case I could see a hitman, and saw Lucifer, an enormous bouquet in his arms. Surprised, I opened the door.

"What's this?" I took the armful from him as he entered.

"A welcome back present!" He brushed past me, looking around. "Oh, this is quite nice, Olivia."

"Thanks." I made my way to the kitchen to try to locate a vase. When I'd found one, I returned and saw him studying the 'Wall of Deirdre.' It was a vast array of pictures taken throughout her life. There were clumps of them at certain ages. I had promised her when I was creating the wall, I wouldn't hang any of the ones where it was obvious she'd had cancer. I didn't much care, of course; my child was my child, sick or not. But she did, so I acquiesced.

"She's a beautiful girl, Olivia." Lucifer studied the wall with his hands behind his back as if he were examining a priceless work of art. To me, he viewed a masterpiece.

"She was... is... beautiful in a lot of unique ways." I sighed and changed the subject before I got even more pensive. "Would you like to sit on the terrace?"

"Yes, but first, there must be wine!" He snapped up a never-empty bottle of hell-wine. We poured before heading out to the large patio to overlook the city. After a few moments of enjoying the view, he spoke again. "I came to give you more than just flowers." He handed me a slim paperback. It was a small book entitled, 'The Seven Virtues.' "This is what you need to know."

"But that's not all you wanted," I guessed, joining him at the rail.

He smiled a wry smile. "No, it is not all."

I cocked an eyebrow and waited.

"I want to go with you to Shawna's firm's party."

My eyes widened. "Really? Like, as my date?" Shit! What do I say?

"Yes, if it is acceptable." He smirked at me outright. "I can show you a really good time."

I rolled my eyes. "We're not dating, Lucifer."

"Are you sure?" he asked before stepping into my personal space. "We could be."

My breath caught, and my heart skipped a beat. I hesitated just a hair's breadth of a second before taking a step away. "You have my soul, Lucifer. And, you can't convince me, if I fail at this mission, you wouldn't be content to torture me for all eternity."

"I can assure you, in your case, it is not true. Besides, you are not thinking the whole thing through, Olivia. Because I needed a favor, I deliberately left a loophole in this deal."

I stared at him. "You gave me a way to get out of the deal?"

"Oh no, you are firmly contracted to find the people on the list and bring them to me. I did not, however, specify a time limit after which you would fail. You could, in essence, take all of eternity."

"You mean to tell me I cannot renege on this deal until the day I die? That no matter how long I might take, for the rest of my life, the contract protects me?"

He inclined his head. "For the rest of your life or until I declare differently. That is what I am saying."

"What's to keep me from doing that?"

"How badly do you want your daughter back?"

The agony I have been keeping at bay, for longer than I had thought possible, came crashing in. I panicked, not able to catch my breath, and felt light-headed and dizzy. My legs crumbled, but before I hit the ground, he caught me.

"It is okay, Olivia. I know you wish her returned a great deal. But right now, I need you to focus. You are having a panic attack. You need to pay attention to what is around you."

I nodded and took control of my breath, breathing from my belly.

"Good. Come and walk with me a little just back and forth along the terrace."

I walked, taking it slow, with his support. He let me set the pace. With his further encouragement, I worked through the attack. Exhausted afterward, I wanted to sleep.

"Can I take you to your bed and tuck you in, Olivia? Purely platonic, I swear. I only want you to be safe before I leave."

I knew I'd never make it across the apartment on my own, in my current condition. "Yes."

He scooped me up in his arms easily, but I refused to lay my head against his chest. It made for an awkward ride, but I preferred not to lead him on.

He placed me on the bed and snapped a quilt into existence, covering me, clothes and all. I gratefully relaxed into the pillow and began to fall asleep. I remembered hearing him fire-snap the portal, but then I tumbled into the comforting, dreamless darkness. I didn't even feel George jump up and snuggle.

I woke to the rising sun pouring into my room, its rays spreading the new day from between the clouds. I padded to the bathroom, did my business, and turned on the shower.

Under the warmth of the spray, I contemplated what Lucifer had said. I had accepted to "harvest" the people on the list, and, in return, I would get my daughter and my soul back. He had not specified a time limit; he had stated he wanted the souls 'soon,' but that wasn't part of our specific deal.

I shook my head, unbelieving; I was contemplating dating the Devil. This is not a good idea. I couldn't deny my attraction to him, but I knew with every fiber of my being, life would become very complicated with a speed that would surprise me.

And yet...

I groaned in frustration, turned off the water, and gave my attention to the task at hand: Shawna and I had plans for the day to relax and prepare for the party.

My phone rang just as I finished getting dressed.

"You ready?" Shawna asked, excited. Shopping was one of her favorite past times. But before we shopped, we were hitting the spa for massages and mani-pedis. I'd picked out my dress already. The seamstress would deliver it late in the afternoon, and the hair and makeup person was coming at six o'clock. What I still needed, however, was the perfect pair of shoes.

"I suppose so, but first, I'm starving. Let's get breakfast."

"You read my mind!" she exclaimed. "Want me to send the car around for you?"

"Yes, please."

"Give the driver twenty minutes." She ended the call with a, "Ta!"

As I waited, I spied the little paperback Lucier had delivered. I picked it up and randomly flipped through until I reached the section about Hope.

I scanned through all the motivational crap until I came upon an intriguing sentence. Hope was the last thing released from Pandora's box. I found this to be an odd statement, knowing the story of Pandora's box, or at least a version of it. I read on.

One might know a variant of the story in which Hope is the last thing left in the box, but I, wanting to help the world, arranged Hope freed for a time. I planned to re-release Hope each time she returned to the box. Only, she found a way to maintain herself, a way I cannot condone. She, regularly, must unmake a soul to gain the energy she needs to resist returning to the box. I cannot allow her to continue to do this, but I also cannot force Hope back into the box, having released her in the first place. Hope must return to the box on her own. The only way to do this is to take away her ability to unmake a soul or convince her to return to the box herself. I must say, I am at a loss how to make this happen as of yet.

I finally knew one reason Lucifer couldn't interfere, at least with Hope. It was something to contemplate for sure.