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Chapter Text

Lucifer placed the tip of the demon blade to Michael's forehead and tightened his hold around his brother's neck to make sure he couldn't move. He wanted to mark the idiot without causing any actual demage so he couldn't have his moron twin squirm and lose an eye. He felt the skin almost give under the sharp point when Michael's big mouth distracted him again, and people said that he liked the sound of his own voice.

"Really, Sam?" His twin drawled and Lucifer growled in response at the name but he did stop to listen. Michael was already defeated and he knew it so what did Lucifer have to lose? Two more minutes of his eternal life? "All of this, for her? For a mortal who doesn't deserve you?"

"What are you babbling about now, Michael? You really think you will talk your way out of this by making me turn on the Detective?" He rolled his eyes even though his brother couldn't see it.

"She will never accept you, brother." Michael laughed, though why anyone would feel the need to laugh in his situation Lucifer didn't know. "She may say that she does, she may even believe it, but she doesn't. She never will." Lucifer forced himself not to react to those words, not to let them get to him and yet he felt something flicker in the back of his mind. His brother didn't stop, though. Not yet. "No mater how human you make yourself for her, how much you bend to her will something, someday will happen to remind her just how much not human you really are and she will turn on you again. Because she has before, hasn't she? Oh so many times. You're breaking yourself to pieces for her and she can't even handle who you really are because she's human and she will never understand."

This time he couldn't hold back a flinch and he removed the blade from his brother's face as he loosened his hold, allowing Michael to slip away. His twin was a liar, he had always loved manipulating words and people alike, even when they had been a pair of young angels pulling pranks on their older brother. "Back to your lies, I see." The words didn't come out as confident as he had intended but they had to be true, didn't they? Michael couldn't know Chloe would turn against him again, could he? And yet Lucifer couldn't stop all the instances in which she had done exactly that, and all the instances in which she had chosen not to believe him, in the past from coming to the forefront of his mind. Not because she was a bad person but simply because when it came down to it Lucifer always chose her and she... she never chose him. 

Licifer hated the pity in his brother's eyes when Michael turned back to face him, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck and rolling his shoulders, and he refused to feel guilty at the pain that flashed through his brother's eyes at the same time. It wasn't his fault that Michael had self actualized himself an injury.

His brother huffed. "If you don't believe me, why don't you go see her? See who you have suffered for, died for, denied part of yourself for, made yourself almost human for."

Lucifer didn't answer that mostly because for once he didn't know what to say. He felt himself becoming calmer as the elevator made its way down to the garage, he knew flying would be faster but driving had always helped him relax.

Michael had always had a talent for getting under his skin, finding his insecurities and fears... everyone's really, so that had to be it, he thought along the way. His twin had realized he had lost the physical fight so he went for psychological warfare next which had really always been more his style. Neither of them had liked getting their hands dirty if there was another way, mindless brawling had always been more Amenadiel's territory. He couldn't even be that mad at Michael seeing as he had been about to permanently scar his brother's face so obviously he had tried to defend himself. By the time Lucifer got to the detective's place he was almost back to normal. Almost. His mind was still whirling even faster than usual and he looked like a mess but his faith in his and the detective's love was restored. Michael might have been right about the past but going though all of those things also also meant that they had overcame all of it. The detective... Chloe, she had changed too. When he opened the door, he did so confident that nothing could break them anymore... only for his heart to get broken. 

After all they've been through, after all those years she still... she still couldn't accept him for who he was. Chloe... didn't love him, did she? She loved the idea of him, an ideal that he could never reach and he... maybe he himself had set her on a pedestal because it had been so much easier to just... follow her lead. To change himself to become what she desired because... because he wanted to be loved and she was there. The great Lucifer Morningstar's greatest desire was to be loved for who he was and Chloe... Chloe had seen the real him... but she hadn't wanted the real him and he realized that. Now. 

Lucifer was a weird kind of numb by the time he got home that had nothing to do with drugs or alcohol for once. He expected Michael to be long gone by the time he returned but it was not the first time that day that he was wrong. He silently poured himself a glass from the bottle he had nicked from the club on his way up before walking to the balcony and leaning over the railing next to his brother. 

"You were right." He said at the same time his brother also spoke up. "I lied."

Lucifer snorted. "Which time, brother?"

He saw Michael tense for a second before the fight left him and he sighed. "About the rebellion and the vacation and all that. I lied about manipulating you." He shrugged, still not looking at Lucifer. "I do that sometimes... or well, I do that a lot these days. Lie."

That... didn't come as a surprise, actually. For a moment he wondered if maybe Michael was lying now and doing it all so Lucifer would torture himself wondering which was the truth and which was the lie but... something about the way Michael was acting, refusing to look into his eyes, made him think his brother was telling the truth. His twin was always confident when lying but he had used to avoid Lucifer's eyes every time he confessed to something embarrassing or incriminating when they had been younger. Usually followed by a request for help. It was equally painful and heartening to see this side of his twin again after so long and Lucifer couldn't keep the softness out of his voice as he asked. "Why are you really here, Michael?"

"Because you forgive fucking everyone!" Hia brother snapped, finally looking at him and Lucifer saw the pain in his eyes. "Everyone but me! And I was so angry for so long and the opportunity was there and I... I..." Michael's hand shook on the glass for just one second as he trailed off before a mask of indifference slid on his brother's face. Lucifer knew it was just a mask because he was used to seeing it very often, in the mirror. "You forgave Amenadiel, you forgave mom. I mean, let's face it, you'd forgive dad if he just gave you half a minute of attention."

"I would never." His eyes flashed red as he hissed, stopping his brother in his tracks for a moment before he started again with a cold laugh. "Yes, you would! Because you're you!" His twin spread his arms, splashing the contents of his glass all over the balcony. "The embodiment of everything good and nice..." He spat the word out like it was an insult. "...dad pretends to stand for. Acceptance, kindness, generosity, forgiveness... It's who you are, Samael, even now. And I can't watch that fucking cow trample all over you again and again and again while you forgive her every. Single. Time. Like you forgave her when she tried to kill you!"

"Michael!" He growled in warning. His brother might have been right about Chloe before, Lucifer was man enough to admit that maybe he had... idealized her a little too much. Maybe she wasn't as perfect as he'd made her sound in his own head and maybe she wasn't cut out for the supernatural world after all, much less the 'celestial craziness', but she was still a good person. She was. She really was, they were just... not good for each other and she didn't deserve to be called names by anyone. Especially since he was certain it was not really her Michael was mad at. As if to prove his point, his brother snorted as he raised his glass in a mocking toast. "There it is, the anger. You forgive everyone but me. Why is that, brother?" He gripped the glass so tight Lucifer really thought it was about to crack this time but it didn't. His brother's voice sounded like it did instead, so quiet he almost didn't hear him. "Why do you hate me so much?"

Lucifer was so startled by that, so shocked that he almost dropped his own glass and wouldn't that have been a waste of perfectly good whiskey? "I don't." He frowned, looking his twin directly in the eyes he saw the doubt lurking in the darkness. He took a deep breath to ready himself, knowing he had to continue if he wanted Michael to believe him. "I thought you hated me." He let out a hollow laugh. "I mean, let's face it brother, it's not like I have no reason to believe that! Just look at us now and how we got here!"

He gestured at the two of them and the ruined penthouse before opening his mouth to continue but the words got stuck in his throat. Lucifer has always been good at talking but he'd never been good at emotions. He emptied his glass before turning around to walk to the bar as he talked, forcing his voice to stay even and keeping his back to his brother. "You fought against me, Michael, and then you let dad throw me out like yesterday's trash. So can you see why I might believe that? I am your brother, your identical twin brother, we made the world together. We created the fucking Universe together..." He swallowed back the pain that threatened to spill in his voice. "And you didn't even... you didn't even try to listen to my side of the story or come to visit even once. Not in Hell and not during my visits to Earth. I expected it from our parents and I expected it from our siblings, even the ones who fought on my side, but I didn't expect it from you."

He poured himself another glass and then another... and then another. He didn't know how long he stood there, trying to keep himself together before another glass was placed next to his own. "You didn't ask."

"What?" He croaked.

"You didn't ask me to fight by your side." Michael voice sounded just as shredded as his own, as if it was glass they had swallowed instead of whiskey. "You didn't trust me."

"I trusted you, Michael." He whispered. How could that idiot think he hadn't trusted him?!

"Then why?"

"Because I loved you, you imbecile!" He laughed. "I might be a dreamer and naive and maybe even foolish but I'm not actually a fool and I knew the odds. I'm confident, not dumb. I know what my capabilities are and I never thought I'd win a war against our all powerful father but I'd hoped..." He'd hoped... he'd hoped that if he could just make their father see, that if he could just convince him then even if he lost, even if he paid for it it would be worth it... He'd thought it would be worth the price. "...well, it doesn't matter what I hoped. Not anymore. I fought for our freedom and I lost and that, that I was prepared for. What I was not prepared for was you fighting against me." This time he couldn't stop the tears from falling. He didn't even bother.

His brother snorted as he drained another glass. "You lost? He gave you a throne, he gave you an army. He made you the King of Hell. I was the one who got left behind to clean up the mess you made of our family."

"I was never out from under his thumb and you know it!" Lucifer snapped, finally looking at Michael. His brother looked broken. Behind the bar he could see their reflection, and knew he looked the same. "King of Hell or not, I was still in Hell. I broke our family? Our family was broken long before the rebellion and I never forced anyone to do anything!" He hissed. "Fuck it, even Chloe was just another one in a sea of many of his attempts at manipulating me! What I wanted was freedom for both of us, for all of us, and what I got instead was a knife in my back and proof of just how powerless I am. How powerless we all, are. So no, Michael. I didn't get what I wanted." He washed the pain in his throat away with the last of his whiskey before he turned away from his brother's stunned face and walked behind the bar to look through the wreckage for another bottle now that the one he bought from upstairs was empty but he didn't find one. "I never get what I want, apparently. Story of my life." He finally continued in a much milder manner as he opened a small hidden compartment behind his shelves. He wasn't stupid enough to keep his most valuable bottles where they could easily break. If there was ever a monumental occasion worthy of cracking open an Isabella's Islay's though, this was it.

"Michael..." He said as he poured them each a glass and his twin let out a hum in answer. "Do you really think I'm a good person?"

Lucifer had spent... so long hearing everyone call him evil or being congratulated for 'changing' and 'evolving' and 'becoming a better man' that he actually forgot the last time someone had said that to him. If anyone had ever said that to him. 

This time his brother didn't hesitate to answer. "Of course you are. You always have been. I fucking hate that about you, actually." He laughed. "Do you know what it's like to have to live up to that every single day of your life since the down of creation? It seems that when your twin is the lighbringer, you have no choice but to live in the shadows."

The last sentence was almost a whisper but it echoed loudly in Lucifer's ears. Was that what his brother really thought? "That's not true. You're not my..." He grimaced at the very thought. "You're not my shadow, Michael. You were always the smarter one of us, the cautious one, the calcuting one... the responsible one. And you... you are good." He pretended not to see the tears in his brother's eyes and cleared his throat. "As good as any of us can be after how badly our parents screwed us up, anyway." They clicked their glasses together at that. If there was anything they could agree on, it was that their parents had throughly and irrevocably screwed them up.

"So what now?" Lucifer asked quietly as they moved to the couch and swiped it clean of any debris before sitting down. Michael shrugged and Lucifer noticed the slope in his shoulder was gone. So it really had been self actualized, just as he thought... maybe Amenadiel was smarter than they ever gave him credit for after all.

"I don't know." Michael sighed. "I think I'd like to stay. I mean, obvious specimens aside humans aren't so bad. Not all of them made my skin crawl anyway and I even liked some of your friends here. Mazikeen and Ella and the little hellion. And our baby nephew... I wouldn't mind being around, watching him grow up. Just... Don't tell Amenadiel that."

In spite of what humans liked to think Lucifer actually knew there were other inhabited out there. His father had created other species before making humanity and Lucifer and Michael always took them and helped them settle on the more pleasant planets when he got bored of them. Humans had just been the first ones to have an eternal soul that survived after their death, the 'successful' experiment. So he knew that even if Michael didn't want to go back to Heaven, he had so many other options but he was choosing to stay and that, that meant something. He grinned and found that he meant it. "Don't worry brother, I won't tell people you have a heart. Your secret's safe with me but if you're staying we have to do something about your awful wardrobe. No way am I being seen with you wearing that... that homeless wannabe Halloween costume!"

"There's nothing wrong with my clothes!" Michael snapped and Lucifer just held up a hand. "Yes. Yes there is. They are hurting my eyes."

He dodged the piece of broken wood his brother had picked up from the ground to throw at him as their laughter sounded clear in the penthouse. His relationship was over, his home was destroyed and his life was... well, his life was constantly a mess but that's what made it fun. Lucifer felt lighter than he had in a very long time and for the first time in eons he felt complete too.

Chapter Text

Ella drained another glass of wine before herself pouring a new one, she didn't even know the number anymore. She wondered if maybe she should just start drinking from the bottle and be done with it, Linda had apparently anticipated the need for alcohol at this thing, whatever it was, because there was a lot of it available. It wasn't like anyone would notice her get sloshed in her little corner of the couch. No. No one seemed to notice her at all, it was like she wasn't even there. The room was spinning around her already and it wasn't even in the fun way, this day was going to leave her with a blinding headache and she just knew it. Everything had been so confusing lately and for a while it had felt like her mind was cracking and falling to pieces, even more so than usual. She had actually thought she really was going crazy for a while until everything just... fell into place and she had realized that everything was very real. Now she knew that life just sucked and so did most of her friends.

First, she had found out she had been the fangirl of the real life equivalent of Palpatine. Then, Chloe and Lucifer had almost died and then there was the crime scene. The crime scene, the one that still gave her nightmares of what could have happened, that left her waking up covered in sweat. The one with the bloody feathers that had once probably been very beautiful but the thought of which almost made her throw up. The huge, impossibly bright feathers that seemed to shine with an inner light and were made from substances not found on Earth. Or space. Or anything that she could potentially identify and were definitely not from a bird. Ella wished there was enough alcohol in the world to erase the image of Lucifer with large, bloody wings kneeling on that cold marble floor form her head but no matter how much she tried, and man did she try, it still haunted her every time she fell asleep. But it wasn't bad enough that for a while she had barely been able to look at her friend without wanting to weep, after that day Chloe had disappeared. To fucking Europe! And poor Lucifer had spent the next weeks acting like a kicked puppy and braking her heart every time she saw him! Then everything had been even weirder after she had came back and acted like someone was going to jump at her from the shadows at any given time. And then just as it looked like they finally got together and Ella was about to scream finally and throw them a party, Eve appeared. Don't get her wrong, she loved Eve. She was sweet and funny and kind and adorable and on paper, perfect for Lucifer. But in reality? They were fire and gasoline. Good together in small doses, liable to start forest fires if left unsupervised. Ella was not at all surprised when that one crashed and burned, talk about having chemistry. Apparently, too much of a good thing really was bad sometimes. She hadn't had much time to think about that break up because soon after came the even weirder crime scene had happened. Yes. That one. The one with the people who had died twice!

Ella had done her best to cover that up as well, because while she didn't known how her friends were involved, she did know they were involved in that one as well. So she had done what any good friend would do and made sure nothing that could incriminate them hit the database just as she had done a dozen times before. Because it didn't matter that she didn't know anything, she'd had faith in them. She knew their hearts and she knew Lucifer if no one else would never do something evil. Ilegal, yes, every day. Unjust, no. The guy didn't even lie, and she was now realized that he had never lied. Everyone else had, though. Every time she had asked a question and he had answered honestly or opened his mouth to say something the others would talk over him or give an alternative answer that was easier to explain and Ella would believe them instead and try to ignore the ball of guilt that formed in her stomach at the sight hurt in his eyes. 

She had been so mad when he had left because a big part of her, the part that she ignored because accepting the truth would just break her, had known she might never see him again. Florida? Really? They couldn't have thought of a better lie than that? Like Ella hadn't ran every search software and face recognition program she had access to, and a few she shouldn't have access to, for weeks and didn't have at least ten contacts there that would have found him regardless of what name he chose or what rock he hid under! And when he had came back he had been weird and not only because Ella had been attracted to him for the first time since they've met. Lucifer had always listened to her, actually listened and not only pretended to while trying to keep his eyes open like everyone else, but after he had returned from 'Florida' he had actually helped her in the lab too. Lucifer helping her organize her equipment and fill in her reports? Yeah... no. Something had smelled funny and it hadn't been the rotten fish that had somehow found it's way to one of her crime scenes. Which 'Lucifer' hadn't even complained about! No way in Hell, pun intended. It was weird that the real Lucifer had been back during the last case they've worked together but before she could even try to feel out the situation he had been gone again and so had been fake Lucifer and this time everyone else had been just as confused as her.

At least they had been because that morning she got a text from Linda inviting her to a dinner party which turned out not to be a dinner party and everyone seemed to have forgotten they were trying to keep her out of the loop. Well, her and Dan but everything seemed to be flying over his head and he was blissfully ignorant to the supernatural bullshit flying around the room! She almost envied him the ability to be so oblivious. Ella drained another glass only listening with half an ear to Chloe complain about Lucifer. Again. The scientist wanted to root for them, she did, but recently Chloe been making it really hard for her to keep being Team Deckerstar. Especially since her newfound knowledge was shedding some light on a lot of things, like how exactly Lucifer had gotten an antidote that only existed in a dead man's head.

She wished she could say she was surprised when two Lucifers walked through Linda's front door without even knocking instead of one but she decided that she was done trying to keep hold of normality. Clearly, it had flown out the window when she became friends with the Devil. ... or maybe it had been when she became friends with a ghost and she had just been delaying the inevitable. Was Rae-Rae even a ghost or had she been lying to her too? It seemed to be a theme amongst most of her friends. 

She rolled her eyes when the Chloe stood up and arrogantly announced. "Lucifer, we need to talk."

Ella grimaced. Along with her realization that Lucifer really was the Devil came the realization that Chloe was a self centered bitch. Ella really, really didn't like the picture this new knowledge bought along with it now that she was reevaluating everything. No one seemed to notice her reaction except for fake Lucifer who plopped himself down next to her and took the wine bottle out of her hand. He took a drink before holding out his hand to her while ignoring everyone else. Not that they seemed intrested in him, too busy glaring daggers at his identical twin. "Michael. Nice to finally meet you properly."

He was dressed similarly enough to Lucifer except he had a cream turtleneck on instead of a white shirt. Were Angels immune to the weather or something? She's always wondered how Lucifer didn't boil himself to death every time he decided to wear a three piece suit. His hair was a little different too, still styled but more in a just got out of bed way. She gripped his hand and pun on her most obviously fake smile. "I'd introduce myself but we both know you know who I am already."

"Yeah." He actually looked a little sheepish at that for a second before he managed to wipe it away from his face. "Lucifer informed me that humans find it rude when people pretend to be someone they are not so... sorry about that?"

"Are you?" She raised an eyebrow, still keeping half an eye on the rest of the room but no one seemed to be talking yet. Just watching each other like wild animals waiting to see who would attack first.

"Not really." He shrugged. "In my defense we did invent the whole twins pretending to be each other trick. Well, I did. Lucifer isn't very good at it."

"Must be the whole not lying thing." She agreed before looking them both over. Human twins had subtle differences if you paid close enough attention but Lucifer and Michael were actually identical and yet she couldn't imagine ever confusing them for each other. If nothing else you could tell them apart by looking into their eyes, there was just something there that couldn't be faked. "And to be honest, you're not as good at it as you think either." She patted him on the shoulder when he looked like he might start pouting about it.

"Or maybe you're just that smart." He countered. Ella was about to deny it when Lucifer finally moved from his place by the stairs and pulled his flask, looking at Chloe. "Do we?" He asked calmly as he took a sip.

Ella had almost forgotten for a moment why everyone was there now she was suddenly reminded as Chloe snapped. "Yes! You've been ghosting everyone since you've returned and Linda told me that you've missed all your therapy sessions too!"

"Wait..." Michael interrupted from her side, causing everyone to finally notice they were there. Ella burrowed deeper in the cushions. "...is this an intervention?" He laughed. "Those things are real?"

"It's not funny, Michael!" Amenadiel snapped and glared at his brother. "And what the Hell are you still doing here?" That was rude. At least Ella thought it was and the pain that flashed through Michael's eyes didn't help. She saw Lucifer's own eyes turn red for a moment as he glared at Amenadiel.

Michael seemed to recover pretty fast though. "It is actually very funny that you idiots think you have a say in Lucifer's life and I have decided to stay here on Earth for a while." He smirked. "Call it a vacation." 

"What do you mean you're staying on Earth?!" The large man hissed and both Lucifer and Maze moved so they would be ready to intervene as the tension in the room rose. Linda inched away from them but Chloe seemed to lean closer, at least until Dan pulled on her arm. It made Ella realize that she and Michael were the only ones left sitting.

"I mean that we made it so I have more claim over it than you do." Michael finally answered. Ella pushed the fact that Michael claimed him and Lucifer had created the Earth to the back of her mind and wondered if she should get away as well in order to avoid getting caught in the middle of an angel brawl.

Lucifer put himself between his brothers before she could move. "Alright you two, no need to redecorate Doctor Linda's house with your blood." Then he frowned as his brothers continued to glare at each other. "Or, I should probably start calling you Linda now since I have no intention of ever going to therapy again. On the bright side you are the mother of my nephew though, and my friend, so don't worry we will still see plenty of each other."

"What do you mean you're not going to therapy again?!" Chloe demanded. "You can't just decide to stop going to therapy, that's not how it works!" And seriously had Chloe always been this holier-than-thou and how had Ella not noticed?! 

Lucifer looked surprisingly calm, like he was used to dealing with this so it must have been going on for at least some time. It was Michael that actually looked furious while his brother answered. "That's exactly how it works. I chose to go to therapy because I thought it would help me understand how human emotions work, and now I choose to stop going to therapy because I don't believe it can help anymore. Michael and I have had a very heartfelt conversation over a six million dollar bottle of whiskey and I've had an epiphany." 

"That you spend too much money on alcohol?" Dan asked incredulous.

Lucifer laughed and she could see some of the tension leave his shoulders as he shook his head, she thanked Dan inside her head. "No." The club owner answered. "That I love myself! Isn't it great?" It was actually. Or at least it was in her eyes, not everyone seemed to agree.

"Lucifer..." Amenadiel started.

"I would control myself brother, before saying something you're gonna regret." Michael warned before he could finish and there was a dangerous edge to his voice that made her think it was not an empty warning.

The man took a moment to digest that before he seemed to back down. He actually seemed wary as he looked between his brothers. It made her wonder if Lucifer and Michael being powerful was one thing humans actually got right.

"So you two had really made up, the Demiurge is back together again?" Maze asked, looking something between shocked and amazed like she never thought it would be possible.

"Yes. We've both decided we're done letting other people control our lives so here we are!" Michael grinned, leaning back and then it was like a rubber band had snapped and Maze, Linda, Amenadiel and Chloe were all speaking at the same time while Lucifer was trying to keep everything under control. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. Ella tried to stay out of it because Lucifer seemed to be handling everything well on his own and didn't look like he needed her help but some of the things she was hearing coming out of their mouths were really starting to piss her off! She stood up only to realize that she was too drunk to take off her shoes. Well, that's alright, she only had two of those anyway and there were four of them.

"Stop!" She yelled as loudly as she could, and then regretted it instantly when she realized it might wake Charlie but thankfully noise didn't travel well in the house and the baby monitor remained blissfully quiet. So did the rest of the room and she cleared her throat when all eyes turned on her. "All of you need to stop." She repeated. "I don't know what this was supposed to be, an intervention or a guilt trap or some kind of emotional manipulation but Lucifer's a grown angel and he can make decisions all on his own. If he wants to repair his relationship with his twin brother it's his problem when and how he does that. Since I'm pretty sure none of you are God they don't owe any of you an explanation for anything." 

Right... and now the room was spinning and Chloe was looking at her like she had two heads. "Wait, you believe..." She lowered her voice and hissed, looking at Dan out of the corner of her eye. "...well, the whole Devil thing?"

Wow. That was... so subtle and now Dan was looking at them both like they were crazy. Well, it wouldn't be the first time people thought she was crazy. Ella rolled her eyes. "You don't have to whisper Decker. It's a job, not a disease. And yes, I've figured it out all on my own. No thanks to most of you." She glared at 'the tribe' and at least Linda and Maze had the decency to look regretful. The detective just frowned even harder. "And you're... ok with it?"

"That's just it!" Ella exploded, no longer able to keep it all in. She felt her eyes grow damp and cursed them all in her head. "I was always ok with all of this, I've believed in all of this before even meeting any of you. What breaks my heart..." She choked, hand on her chest. "...is that my friends would rather make me think I was going crazy than trust me with the truth." She took a deep breath, wiped a wrist over her cheeks and she felt the twins come to stand behind her but didn't look. She kept looking at stunned 'friends' in front of her instead. "I deserved better than that. Lucifer deserved better than that too. So I'm going home and I don't want to hear from any of you..." She points at the culprits. "...until you get your heads out of your asses and come up with a really good apology and I don't want to hear one of those things where you say you're sorry but actually keep blaming someone else for everything either."

She fell silent for a few seconds before realizing she forgot something and looked at a very confused Dan.  "...Not you. You can still talk to me." She declared before turning on her heels and taking a step towards the front door. The twins were still hovering like they wanted to help but didn't actually know how when Linda's voice stopped her. "I don't think it's a really good idea for you to drive right now. Maybe you could stay in the guest room until morning or..."

"I can take her home." Michael interrupted the psychologist. "If you don't mind flying back to Lux, brother?" 

"That's fine with me." Lucifer answered, passing over the keys without question. Ella really wasn't comfortable leaving him alone with the others who had obviously planned to ambush him but kept quiet as Michael led her to the door. As she's said he was a grown angel, he could leave if he wanted.

She hadn't realized how exhausted she really was, in more ways than one, until they were alone in the car and she was watching Michael study it. "You do know how to drive, right?" Did they have cars in Heaven? Had Michael visited Earth before? Had Lucifer taught him in the one month they've spent together since they've reconciled? 

"I can figure it out, how hard can it be?" He answered as he turned the key and took of way too fast. Ella was all for speed as long as you knew what you were doing and judging by the way he couldn't keep the lane straight for longer than one second Michael did not! She was about to yell at him to pull over when he suddenly slowed down and started driving properly.

"I know how to drive, Ella." He laughed at her silent glare. "Did you think Lucifer would have trusted me with his car and your safety if that weren't true?" Well, he was right about that... she should have thought about that before. "I've been on Earth before, just not since Lucifer moved to L.A.. I've spent most of this month settling in and catching up. That's why we were out of contact."

"You're an asshole, Michael Morningstar." No wonder she had been attracted to him.

"It's Michael Demiugos, actually." He corrected before grinning at her. "And I know."

She sighed, looking at the city passing by. "Thanks. For driving me."

"It's not like spending more time in your presence is a hardship." He answered. "Please don't torture my brother too much over this. Lucifer, I mean. You can give Amenadiel as hard a time as you want. I get that you're mad but I've come to realize recently that sometimes my twin does the craziest things when he believes he's protecting the people he loves most."

"Like going to Vegas to marry a stripper in order to take the attention away for the woman he actually loved?" She asked. Now that she had met Candy properly she kind of felt bad about the way they had treated her during her time in Los Angeles. Ella had been so focused on making Deckerstar happen that she had lost sight of some things apparently, more than she had even suspected before. Maybe she should text Candy, they had kept in contact after Vegas but hadn't talked in a while, thinking back on it.

"Like that." He agreed. "And like not telling his twin that he was planning a rebellion because he didn't actually think he had a chance at winning and didn't want the literal other half of his soul to get hurt."

Man... that was so something Lucifer would do. Right there with walking into dangerous situations without letting anyone know and taking responsibility for things that couldn't possibly be his fault. She sighed. "For such a smart guy he can be really dumb sometimes."

"The dumbest."

"I'm not mad at Lucifer." She said, just to clarify. "I'm mad at everyone else." They had known for who knows how long and hadn't even thought to tell her. So much for being a tribe, she should have known better. She closed her eyes, trying to focus on the wind against her face until suddenly they came to a stop. She must have dozed off because they were in front of her building, only she realized she had never actually told him her adress! It was... fine. Totally fine. Obviously pretending to be Lucifer had entailed more than wearing his clothes and faking his accent and knowing things about his friends had been necessary. Right? Right.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright on your own?" Michael distracted her from her thoughts. "Because if I leave you here and something happens to you later my brother's going to kill me."

She rolled her eyes. "He wouldn't."

"But he'd definitely make me suffer."

Ella bit her lip. "And if I said no, would you come upstairs and keep me company?"

"Not while you are drunk." He admitted after a moment of looking into her eyes. Obviously he had found something there that told him she was, indeed, too drunk. "But I would take you home and allow Lucifer to wrap you in one of those really fluffy blanket he keeps hidden in his closet." She couldn't hold back a giggle at the mention of Lucifer hiding fluffy blankets in his closet. As if everyone didn't already know that he was secretly a softy.

The offer was almost more tempting than inviting Michael up for a one night stand and not only because she wanted more than one night with him if she ever chose to go down that path and didn't want to ruin her chances with a drunken hookup. No, it was because Lucifer had always made her feel safe, like nothing bad could ever reach her if she was in her arms and it all made so much more sense now that she knew he was the actual Devil. His whole job was to punish the wicked and protect the innocent, no wonder he had ended up in the LAPD. Yes, the institution was not perfect but the purpose at its core really was to Serve and Protect. It was why Ella herself had joined law enforcement in the first place, wasn't it? To protect people. She really hoped this whole mess didn't mean that Lucifer would quit as a consultant because even though that didn't mean she would lose him as a friend, he really was good at his job. 

She seriously considered the offer for a while before shaking her head. While yes, she was drunk and starting to feel a little dizzy and could do with some food and water joining the wine party of one in her stomach she actually felt lighter than she had in months. Now that she knew that everyone was safe and sound and not in any immediate danger she felt like she might finally get some nightmare free rest again.

"I'm going to be fine. I think I just need a night of good old fashioned sleep." Ella assured him as she made her way out of the car. He nodded and watched her slowly make her way into the building. When she heard the Corvette turn on only after closing her door and realized that he actually waited for her to get inside of her apartment before leaving a smile tugged at her lips.

Ella took a deep breath before taking off her shoes. Food, water and her warm bed, she decided, sounded like a really good idea. Exactly in that order. She still had a lot of things to figure out, like her knew realizations about Chloe and how her faith fit into her life now that she knew the Big Guy really was Lucifer's asshole father but those were Future Ella problems.

Chapter Text

Linda longed for a glass of wine as silence fell over the room. The only reason she's gotten so much of it was because she'd anticipated hosting a dinner with three celestials that could drink a wine cellar without actually getting drunk, now she couldn't decide if it had been her worst or best idea that day. Or week... Or month. Before she could reach any conclusion on that Lucifer turned to face them again.

"Detective..." He started, then trailed off for a moment trying to find his words. He looked surprisingly calm. Linda couldn't remember the last time she had seen his this collected when dealing with emotions, not since their first few months working together, maybe she had grown too used to him barging into her office looking like a hot mess. How had she not noticed the confident man who had first sat on her couch turn into someone who questioned his every decision? That should have been a warning sign. It should have made Linda stop and reevaluate the situation.

"Chloe." Lucifer looked straight into the detective's eyes. "You have made your point when you decide you couldn't take being a gift from dad. You may claim to have come to terms with me being the Devil but you were right that day a month ago, I am an angel." The blond opened her mouth to say something but Lucifer shook his head and didn't stop. "I was an angel before we met and I will be one long after your mortal life comes to an end. You have made it crystal clear time and again that it's not something you can deal with and I've finally come to accept that that will never change. Which is alright, I've told you a long time ago that I have no interest in ever forcing anyone to share my bed and that's true for forcing anyone to share my life too. I don't regret trying and you have been..." He hesitated for a second. "...a good friend. You've showed me a world I would not have known otherwise and for that I am thankful. You saved Lux for me. You showed me that there's more to life than I had resigned myself to. That I can have more in life." 

Emotions shined in his eyes as he took a sip from his flask just so he would have a reason to stop and compose himself. Linda remembered the man she had first met, beautiful and bright and with a heart of gold and drowning in an ocean of loneliness. Surrounded by people but unable to connect with any of them, whose only companion was a demon sworn to his service. That Lucifer wouldn't have been capable of this speech, because it required understanding what he was feeling and he had not been capable of that. Oh, he had felt. He had felt so much that it had been pulling him under and Linda was so proud, so proud of him now for all the progress he had made since then. Maybe... maybe she had done something right, after all. She made a mental note to apologize for this mess and more, not yet thought. She'd give Lucifer some time to himself first.

"You're human and that's alright. There are so many wonderful things about humanity. 'Just Chloe' is wonderful. A great detective and a even better mother. A strong woman. You didn't need anybody in order to be that before we met, you didn't need anybody else to tell you that before we met because you believed in yourself and you don't need anybody now." Linda saw tears form in Chloe's eyes, the way lips shook as Lucifer kept talking. "A part of me will probably always love you but Chloe, you've made your choice and I let you go... So let me go. Please." He waited for her to answer but the detective looked frozen, her eyes wide, and Linda understood why. Lucifer had never told her no, not like this. No with such finality in his voice. He's always given her everything she wanted, moved mountains for her. Until now. But he was right. Chloe was strong, they both were. They've just lost sight of what was important by trying to be something they were not for each other and it had been good for neither of them. 

Lucifer took another sip from his flask. "I have no intention of quitting the LAPD. We were friends first and we can be friends again, even if it takes time. And brother." He turns to Amenadiel. "Michael is not going back to Heaven, I am not going back to Hell. If father has a problem with us, he can come and tell us himself. That's if he's not too much of a coward to come and do his own dirty work for once in his life because we refuse to do it for him ever again. We will not be fighting each other this time." He took a deep breath, not even waiting for Amenadiel to gather his thoughts enough to answer before his eyes swept over Dan and Maze. For a moment Linda thought they were next on his list because it almost felt like he had planned this speech, had been holding it in for a while, and if Linda knew him at all it had been eating him inside not finding closure, but he looked away from them. "I think I'm going to follow Miss Lopez's example and go home. Goodnight."

He was gone before any of them could even try to stop him, the words Linda wanted to say stuck in her throat... At least some things were never going to change. She resisted the urge to bang her head against the closest wall at the looks on the faces of those still left in the room, because the headache from that would be worse than the one she already squeezing behind her eyes. She was not going to get any sleep any time soon, she just knew. The night had so not gone the way she'd hoped it would!

When Lucifer had missed his first appointment after his return she had not been surprised. He had told her many times that time passed differently in Hell so she knew that for him it had been thousands of years. Maybe he forgot, or maybe he had assumed the schedule had changed. It hadn't. Linda never filled in those hours, she never lost hope that he'd return. Or maybe he was still overwhelmed with being back, none of which she could blame him for. Sometimes you just needed a break, and after what he'd been through Licifer could do with a few in her opinion so she hadn't worried. He would go to her when he was ready just like he always did, regardless of whether or not she had another client on her couch. Only he didn't.

A month passed without so much as a text from Lucifer and when she had asked everyone else, they hadn't heard from him either. She had worried, of course she had. Lucifer wasn't just her client, he was her friend. He was the uncle of her child. The uncle who had sacrificed more for her baby than anyone else ever had, who went to Hell so Charlie would be safe. She didn't want to admit it but she had panicked, a little. Especially since she had known Michael was in town and Chloe and Amenadiel had told her he had been making a mess before Lucifer had returned. Maybe she had overreacted... no, she had definitely overreacted. She hadn't planned on ambushing him, really, she hadn't. She had just wanted to remind him that there were people who cared but everything got so... out of control.

In hindsight, maybe there was a reason why therapists shouldn't be friends with their clients... or their client's other friends... or their client's crushes. Not that she regretted becoming his friend but maybe staying on as his therapist once they've crossed that line had been wrong. She was too personally involved. Ironically, that hadn't been a problem when they had been sleeping together.

And now everything's gone to shit. Ella had been right, Lucifer's personal life wasn't any of their business but Chloe was her friend too and Linda had kind of... let her take over the situation without saying anything. She should have said something. Linda had been worried for Lucifer too but she was starting to think the basis of their worry might not have been the same. 

The therapist could see that she was not the only one uncomfortable with what had just occurred. Dan was frowning, looking between the door and his ex wife and Maze... did Maze look guilty? Amenadiel too, actually. The only one who didn't seem chastised or sorry at all was Chloe, she was glaring at the door Lucifer had just walked out of as if it had all been his fault which Linda didn't really get. There were quite a few things she didn't really get, thinking on it. The detective hadn't even been intrested in Lucifer going to therapy before, if Linda remembered correctly she had found the whole situation hilarious at some point. That had troubled Linda to hear at the time and she had intended to talk to Lucifer about it but then he'd tricked her into going on a night out with the other blonde and they had become friends and... everything had changed because she hadn't been able to be objective about Lucifer and Chloe's relationship from that point on. 

Thinking back to all the sessions after that, she could have done a lot of things differently. It was no wonder Lucifer had decided she couldn't help him anymore and she wondered if the only reason he wasn't cutting her out of his life was Charlie. She knew how much he loved the baby even when he claimed he didn't. She should be ashamed of herself, she realized, both as a therapist and as a friend.

"Maybe Lucifer is right, we could all use a good night of sleep right now." She tried to placate the others, only to get three glares and a pleading look directed at her.

"No." Chloe denied. "We need to talk about this! Linda! You can't tell us you're not mad that Lucifer had just decided he's cured out of the blue!" Linda decided against telling her that Lucifer decided he didn't need therapy around once a month because this time she really did think he meant it. "It's like he's back to the old Lucifer!" Linda could see that she was desperate to hold on to the past, to the way things were before, and felt for her. Change was never easy but she didn't think there was any going back from this one. Not in the way Chloe was hoping for, anyway.

"Chloe." She started as she gestured for them all to sit down. She waited until they did that to continue, she really did feel more in control having conversations this way. "There is nothing wrong with his old life, he was not hurting anyone." She explained, hoping her words got through to her friend for once. "He was sad and lonely and found it hard to connect with humans but that isn't the case anymore, obviously. And he was right, Chloe. That is how it works and to be honest I'm kind of proud of him. He came to me to understand human emotions and I think he finally does."

"Linda's right." Dan agreed and Linda thanked him in her mind for the support. "I think you should really let this go. It has been a stressful few months for everyone but you have especially gone through a lot. You need to clear your head and think this through calmly." 

That seemed to have more of an effect than Linda's words but it was to be expected, Dan and Chloe had been married for many years and had a daughter together. Linda took the time to study the detective for a moment but he didn't seem to show any signs of losing his mind, thankfully. "You're taking this very well, Dan."

He laughed, a little hysterical. "Oh, believe me. My mind is plenty blown and there is nothing I wish for more right now than some peace and quiet in my own home but I also feel that I need to... I need to be here for this?" Linda nodded, understanding. She remembered her own mind being blown a few years back.

Chloe seemed to consider that, looking from them to Maze and Amenadiel, both of whom still looked a little remorseful before crossing her arms. "Fine! ...Fine. So how bad is it that they are both here on Earth? Is Michael a bad influence on Lucifer? Is that why he's acting this way?" She asked the two celestials.

"The twins have been..." The father of Linda's child frowned as he tried to find the right words. "Well, the twins, since the dawn of creation. They are the Demiurge. They've been joined at the hip for far, far longer than humanity had existed. The time since the rebellion was just a blink of an eye compared to that if you think about it."

Why did Linda have the foreboding feeling that the Demiurge actually meant something and wasn't just an endearing nickname Amenadiel had given to his brothers? She clasped her hands over her knees and sighed. "Then why hadn't you talked about this with me before? Like, when I was pregnant did it ever occurre to you to mention that angels can be twins?! Twins, Amenadiel! Have you seen the size of you and your brothers?!" God!... She meant, Heaven! What if it had been twins? Charlie had been a big baby as it was! Linda was five feet nothing! 

"Archangels, technically." He corrected, a little sheepish while Maze had a weird look on her face, something between excitement and sympathy as she most likely imagined Linda giving birth to two Charlies. "At first I thought I knew everything and was always right and then, after I've lost my powers... after I fell and we got closer, I was... I was ashamed to talk about my past."

"Ashamed? Why?" She asked, reaching out to touch his hand. 

"I didn't want you to see who I used to be and decide that I just wasn't worth it." He snorted. "You know, when I found out I was father's favorite, or at least that's what an ancient book written by humans said and well... we all know just how 'accurate' those can be, I was so happy. Downright smug. I was unbearable and thinking back on it Lucifer handled it very gracefully. To be honest, were I in his place, I would have punched my smug mug into the next Sunday."

A grave look took over his face. "After regaining my powers and deciding to stay on Earth and becoming a father myself I... I started to wonder if maybe the reason I was his favorite was simply because I never thought for myself before. I always did what he asked without question, without hesitation, no mater what it was or who it affected or..." He looked down at his hands. "...hurt." Linda thought of the people that Malcolm killed and how heavy they weighted on Amenadiel's conscience. She thought of all the pain Lucifer had felt every time his brother had sent him back to Hell. Even the pain Michael might have felt being parted from his twin for so long. "But now I wish I did. I wish I had a spine, as you humans say. The twins did, even back when we were young, when they still did what they were told they didn't do it without question. " He smiled. "What was shocking wasn't that Lucifer rebelled, it was that Michael wasn't right there at his side. Lucifer isn't the only one with a bad reputation in Heaven, you know? Sometimes I wonder who they hate more, him or Michael?"

Dan snorted. "Doesn't surprise me."

Amenadiel shook his head sadly. "It's for the wrong reasons though. Father is..." He grimaced. "...he isn't what you humans think he is, who I thought he was, and he's spent most of his time locked away in his rooms, giving orders or creating new species. Mom was great at first but even she grew colder as time passed. The twins did most of the work after that, trying to keep us together. When we were younger they were the ones our siblings went to if they had a problem, not me. Even Remiel. What does that say about me as an older brother?" Linda was honestly surprised, from what she knew about Remiel she idolized her eldest brother. "They are the ones who cleaned up the messes. The ones who actually created the Universe, not dad. Even now they are probably still keeping everything from falling apart. I couldn't even run Lux for two months without screwing up every other day. So no, Chloe, the twins aren't a bad influence on each other." He finished.

"So them both being here is not a problem? Physically, I mean. They aren't like a nuclear bomb, right?" Linda asked, just to clarify. If Lucifer and Michael were really that powerful she just wanted to be sure nothing would happen if they were both on Earth at the same time. She definitely didn't pout when Maze burst out laughing. "Oh, if they had indeed relinquished all responsibility it would be a problem and we'd definitely know it. It wouldn't be end of the Earth bad, it would be end of the Universe bad. But they didn't do that. As they've said, they are just taking a break. Having some fun."

That... didn't sound ominous at all, Dan certainly didn't look terrified at the thought. Linda addressed Amenadiel again. "I thought you said your Father locked down Hell." 

"He did. But there are things Lucifer and Michael had thrown into the darkest pits that wouldn't care about such locks." He answered and Maze nodded in agreement. "Amenadiel is right. My brothers and sisters are basically kittens compared to the things we are supposed to keep locked down there. After the Great War..."

"War?" Dan squeaked. "What war?"

"A story for another time." Maze flapped her hand carelessly, ignoring the looks of horror on both Linda and Dan's faces. "Long story short God created Lilith and tasked her with making more little demons while he and his wife created the angels. Hell was built for us to live there, and Heaven for them. Lucifer, still going by Samael back then, was given command of the Hoards of Hell, Michael was tasked with command of the Heavenly Host. I never actually met Michael, until he came here. That was long before humanity, or any of the other races God made. The Universe, besides Heaven and Hell, was mostly uninhabited... Except for the creatures of Chaos. Those were lovely. We were sent to war." She explained offhandedly, like she was talking about the weather instead of a celestial grade, Universe level war!

"You won, right?" Chloe asked, almost apprehensive. Linda completely understood her worry. Still, the Universe existed so that must mean they had won, right?

"We did, but many lives were lost. Angels and demons are not like humans, we don't have immortal souls so when we die we just..." Maze bit her lip. "...die. Maybe that's why God became so obsessed with creating the perfect race, who knows. Humans are the only ones besides the archangels to have eternal souls. Anyway the chaos creatures that refused to bow down and accept God's rules were locked into the darkest pits of Hell and the gate was placed under Pandemonium, the city where the Lilim live. Heaven wasn't able to take the the seal for some reason." She shrugged. " Then the twins made the rest of Universe."

"Think of it this way." Amenadiel took over the expectation. "Lucifer is locked out of Heaven but if he really wanted to he could still break that door, he would just be taking the rest of the realm down with it which he is not willing to do. Yes, Father is powerful and if the twins pissed him off enough he'd probably be able to wipe them out of existence but I doubt he'd be willing to. For one, there's no telling what would happen to the prison they had created so long ago or to all of creation if he did. Since the Demiurge made the stars and the planets and moons and so on I personally want to find out what would happen if they were to be erased from existence. Will the stars die out without Lucifer? Will the planets lose gravity without Michael?"

"So the Demiurge as you called them being back together again is a big deal but it's not a bad thing. They are basically the celestial Dream Team?" Dan asked and Linda detected a hint of amazement in his voice, though he'd probably never admit it.

"Yeah." Maze grinned. "Exactly that!" 

"So they created the Universe? I didn't know angels were actually that powerful." Chloe inquired, probably thinking of all the impossible things she's seen Lucifer do, and maybe Michael and Amenadiel as well.

"They aren't." Amenadiel confessed. "Angels are actually the only race mom had helped dad create which is why they resemble us so much. Us, archangels, are their actual children. We were born fully grown but we were born. They had no more control over the process than any human parent does." That, Linda didn't expect. Were archangels actually gods? Were God and Goddess actually archangels and those were just their titles? Did that make her son a demigod?!

"It's true though that we usually don't care about the distinction and we mostly call ourselves angels as well. The twins are far more powerful than the rest of us anyway. I wouldn't be able to create a Universe, if that's what you're asking, neither would most of our siblings. Some might if they tried hard enough? It came easy to the twins though." He shrugged. Oh... well, that explained a lot about the relationship they had with their siblings. Jealousy was an ugly thing.

"And the rest of your siblings and angels hate them?" Dan snorted. "Sour are the grapes, huh?"

"Not all of them but unfortunately, yes." Amenadiel winched. "That seems to be the case."

For a moment Linda wished she could follow Ella's exemple and get blissfully drunk. Unfortunately, that was not an option when you were also a mom. Closing her eyes she wished she could pray for no more revelations that day... she didn't think that was an option for her anymore either.

Chapter Text

Michael sat at the piano in the penthouse and ran his fingers over the keys gently. He had to admit it was an exquisite piece of art. Unlike Lucifer he had never been very musically inclined but he did admire the aesthetic. Yes, as his twin liked to point out, they were identical and they shared everything, including a voice, but that was about it. He'd never had an interest in music, just as his brother had never had an interest in the visual arts. Pressing down on a key he enjoyed the clear sound and wondered if his art inspired as strong feelings in people as his twin's music did. The joy, the sadness, the grief, the peace that enthralled you until you got lost in the sound. Hearing his brother play and sing was an experience, though Ella had assured him no one could do it like Lucifer.

Ella... sweet Ella who made Michael admit he had been wrong. Well, not out loud but... Michael had never had a good opinion of humans before. Maybe because of what they represented, his father's quest to create the perfect being. As if his children hadn't been right there, just waiting for him to acknowledge they existed. It probably wasn't fair to humanity to be blamed for his father's sins but it wasn't fair to his brother to be blamed for all of their sins either so Michael had only thought it fair. Even when he had been mad at Sam, when it had felt like his heart was bleeding, seeing him vilified like that had made him want to scream. To rage. To show humanity what destruction really looked like so they'd finally realized just how little Lucifer deserved their spite. 

Of course, their father didn't care. Humanity was flawless in his eyes, he hadn't even came to Earth when his little miracle and that fucking priest had tried to kill his brother! Because what that stupid bitch didn't realize was that the only way to send an archangel to Hell or Heaven permanently was to kill them. Probably. It wasn't like they've ever tested the theory before. Not that it would have worked, it took more to kill his twin than holy water and prayers. And poison? Really, they tried to kill an archangel with poison? How stupid were they? Lucifer, of all people? Whose own blood was poison to most of creation if ingested? 

Even if his idiot brother had made himself vulnerable around that dumb bitch it wasn't like their father would have allowed it to happen. At least Michael knew the old bastard was good for that much. How his twin could still stand looking at that woman he didn't know but at least he's gotten rid of the vulnerability. Michael had recruited Ella in badgering his brother to test for it, because he didn't trust his twin not to postpone it until the last moment. 

The tiny scientist had been horrified to learn that her best friend became mortal around the detective and had been happy to confirm Lucifer's allergy to human made weapons was all gone. Michael thought meeting Ella was the best thing that came out of his brother deciding that working with the police was just what he needed to cure the monotony in his life. She might just be the kindest, most open minded person he had ever met and he'd spent most of his life attached at the hip with Lucifer. 

He had been tempted, after that train wreck of a dinner at Amenadiel's place, to take her up on her offer. It would have hardly been a hardship. Not only was she intelligent and a delight to have around but she was very beautiful too, were it anyone else he wouldn't have hesitated but Ella was different, for the first time in his life Michael wanted more. His twin wasn't the only one who longed for someone to share his life with, even if not for eternity. Nothing could predict how a relationship would go, after all, and his parents weren't the best example of a successful one. He'd returned home that night feeling confused, surprisingly Lucifer had been the one to convince him trying was worth it. In spite of his own spectacularly unsuccessful attempt at romance his brother hadn't lost his optimism. So that was what Michael was doing now, trying.

Ella had came over the next morning to make sure they knew she didn't care who they were and that if they dared push her away because they feared she wouldn't accept them she would personally introduce them to her shoes. Michael knew from experience how well she used those weapons and it was surprisingly painful. After they've answered all of her questions she had stayed to party at Lux for a while. They've texted a lot since then and she came over often, though they had yet to define anything and most of their time together was spent with Lucifer too. Michael didn't mind, he's missed his brother more than he would ever admit out loud. He also enjoyed watching them have fun together, like now. 

He sipped on his drink and raised his eyes from the piano to watch Ella and his brother buzz around the place as they got everything ready in the small home theater. When Michael had moved in, had been forced to move in because Lucifer had looked horrified at the thought of him living elsewhere, they've had to make some changes to the penthouse with the two of them living there. Like turning the old bedroom into a game room/home theater and the private rooms to the floor below. That, and he had added some variety to his brothers lonely collection of alchohol which was why now he was now happily sipping his gin.

"I can't believe you haven't seen this movie!" Ella exclaimed as she arranged enough snacks to feed an army on the low table. "You said you've been to Earth before! This is tragic, Michael! It makes me question your taste!"

Michael rose an eyebrow at her, stopping her rant. "I like you." He deadpanned.

Lucifer let out a chuckle as he searched for the movie, only to freeze when the tiny woman turned her glare on him for a short couple of seconds... Coward. She opened her mouth to reply, then closed it, then opened it again, and then deflated with a sigh. "Fine! So maybe it's not your taste that's the problem but clearly there's been some sort of failing going on. This is a classic!" She pouted, turning back to his twin. "Lucifer, tell him."

"It's a classic, brother." His brother hummed without even looking up much to Ella's annoyance. "I still can't believe you haven't seen Top Gun!" She said for the thousand time that day.

"Well, you're about to fix that, aren't you?" Michael asked as he made his way up the stairs to them. "So everything's fine." He wrapped an arm around her waist and she leaned closer unconsciously before snapping out of it and pushing him down on the couch, sitting next to him with a huff. "Yes, but now I wonder what else you haven't seen." She crossed her arms. "Or listened to. Or heard of!"

He squeezed her to his side. "And you have all the time in the world to figure that out."

Ella pulled Lucifer by the hand until he fell on the other side of her with a startled yelp. "Well, for certain movie nights are a must from now on. We can't have the two of you walk around with such gaps in your knowledge." She declared, making herself comfortable between them. "And we don't have all the time in the world, Michael. You might but I'm human and I only have so long to fix this disaster before I'm too old to stay awake during movies!" She joked, or so it seemed.

The scientist was trying to put on a strong front and make it sound like a joke but Michael felt her fear. That she was going to grow old and die. Fear not for herself but for them. Because they were staying on Earth and she thought eventually she would have no choice but to leave them behind. He shared a worried look with his twin above her head before gently touching his lips to her hair while Lucifer took one of her hands in his own. 

"Ella." Michael started calmly. "Sweetheart... Not that you wouldn't be adorable as an old lady who calls the firefighters to get her cat out of the tree every week just to admire their hot bodies..."

"I know a few very hot firefighters." His brother joined, trying to lighten the mood.

"You know a few very hot anything." The woman grinned.

"...but Ella, you're not human so that will likely never happen. The old lady part, anyway." Michael finished before they could derail the conversation. 

The beautiful woman laughed. "What are you talking about? Of course I'm human."

If she really believed that, it would explain her fear, he thought. She kept laughing for a moment, thinking he was joking then her face lost some of its mirth and she turned to Lucifer who shook his head, equally confused. Thinking back on it, Lucifer's wings would have been gone by the time he'd met Ella. That would have thrown his senses into a fritz for a while and they never got to fully recover because the idiot had started making himself nearly human for that bitch. His twin was only now starting to get his bearings and refamiliarize himself with his powers, it was possible he had never felt anything. He saw recognition and shock flash through Lucifer's eyes as he finally took in his friend with all his senses.

Michael waited for her to process the information properly, only elaborating when she collapsed into the sofa.  "You're not." He grabbed her free had, the one Lucifer wasn't still gripping. Her fear had abated some but now a new fear of not being in control of herself was rising. "But you're still you." Lucifer hurriedly added, throwing Michael a look begging for help.

They stared each other in the eyes for a couple of moments before Michael sighed and gave in. "For one, you're clairvoyant, and that's a sign of powerful magic." He started explaining. "You've told me that you have visions about possible futures, especially when someone is in danger. You are able to see archangels when we try to hide our presence." A wave of hurt passed through her eyes at the reminder, Ella had been devastated when Lucifer had confessed the truth about her friend Rae-Rae being their sister. If Azrael didn't come to apologize soon Michael might just drag her by the hair. "You saw a light in Charlotte Richards while her body was inhabited by our mother. And you said that Lucifer's feathers that you've found around Cain's body had shined with an inner light, to regular humans they just look like giant white feathers." Being clairvoyant was one thing but being able to see divinity was another. He would wait until she got used to the idea more before going into more details though. "For another, I've seen pictures of you twenty years ago. You're not aging, Ella."

Michael fell silent, letting her digest all of that while he and his brother moved closer. They didn't resist when she let go of their hands to squeeze hers together as if praying, though they both knew she was not. Ella hadn't prayed since she had realized Lucifer really was the Devil and she hadn't worn a cross or gone to church since the 'unfortunate incident'. They hadn't talked about it but he knew she would when she was ready.

"I thought Abuela was just being superstitious when she said there was magic in our blood. And she is old." She confessed, eventually.

"You said you've died when you were young, that it took over a minute for the paramedics to revive you?" His twin asked and Ella answered with a nod. "The magic was probably weak or dormant and it awakened then. It wouldn't be the first time. In which case your grandmother and brothers really are human."

"It could explain why our dear little sister had been keeping an eye on you, too. At least in the beginning." Michael agreed. "Her senses about such things are not as keen as ours but if she realized you could see her even though she had made herself invisible to humans... she might have suspected something was different, even if she wasn't sure what." And then of course, she fell in love with Ella's optimistic attitude and hadn't wanted to leave her regardless.

"What now?" The scientist whispered.

Him and his twin both shrugged at the same time as Michael answered. "That is up to you. Nothing has to change unless you want it to. Magic isn't a time bomb, you've had it most of your life and nothing had happened. The unconscious abilities will continue to be active regardless of what you choose."

"Or I can try to find you a mentor." Lucifer offered. "I'd need to search for a competent one and not a fraud who'd try to fill your head with useless incantations."

"So there aren't spells?"

Michael snorted. "Oh. There are spells, they just aren't necessary. Magic is all about belief. You've probably even used it without realizing." And she'd probably thought his dad had been answering her prayers, giving her signs. "Spells and rituals and such can be useful, to help you concentrate or something but you don't need them. Anyway, finding a competent instructor might take some time."

"What? We can't just post an ad on craigslist?" She joked, only for Lucifer to nearly shudder at the suggestion. "We definitely can but who knows what kinds of crazy that would attract! Believe me, that's not a good idea. I'd rather go to the Seelies and offer them whatever they want in exchange for sending someone to help you than do that." 

There was Eve too, Michael thought, but Maze had told him while she'd been helping fool Chloe back when he had been pretending to be Lucifer that the doe eyed woman had left to 'find herself'. The demon had sounded hurt by it but Michael understood the need for independence after being defined by other people for so long. He was just now starting to do that, with Lucifer's help. It was true that this wasn't what he'd envisioned when he'd helped her sneak out of Heaven, without her knowledge obviously. Back then he'd still been mad at his twin and even more so at the blonde bitch for trying to kill his brother and actually succeeding in breaking his heart. Make a mess of Lucifer's life and throw a wrench in his relationship with the detective, helping Eve with her little adventure had felt like killing to birds with one stone. The angel hadn't cared much for her happiness back then but he was happy for her now so he would keep that in mind as a last resort only.

"No, the supernatural works on a different kind of network. It's more of a know someone who knows someone who knows someone kind of world." His brother continued.

"Or you could put an ad on craigslist and risk ending up with a witch wannabe trying to suffocate you with sage smoke or dead in a ditch..." Michael rotated his hand, pretending not to see her wide, horrified eyes. "It's a fifty-fifty." He joked before becoming serious again. "Don't worry, between the two of us we have enough contacts so there shouldn't be a problem."

Ella took her time to think everything though before deciding that she trusted them to handle everything and Michael felt the last of her fear dissipate. "So there's a whole supernatural world out there? Magic, werewolves, vampires?" She asked, excitement bleeding through her voice.

"No vampires." Lucifer answered. "Not the kind that feed on blood, anyway. There are beings that feed on certain emotions or sexual energy and such."

"Right, but how does this fit into the whole..." The scientist waved her hand around with a spark in her eyes. "...human history thing? Is the supernatural the result of evolution, or is it a mutation or..." 

"Nothing like that." Michael stopped her before she could get properly started or he knew she'd never stop. "More like Man in Black. Most supernaturals are the descendants of beings of other species that had ended up on Earth for some reason and procreated with humans. Dad didn't only make humanity, you know? There are plenty of other populated planets out there."

"Really?" She pursed her lips. "That, you've seen?"

Michael grinned mischievously. "What can I say? It's a classic, sweetheart." He answered, causing his brother to burst out laughing.

"Magic is different though, it's universal." Lucifer added after calming down some. It wasn't specific to one race. Magic was all about using energy to reshape reality. Michael had always considered them creating the Universe to be the birth of magic.

"So either way, we don't need to do anything right now." Ella clarified.

"No." They both answered her. 

"Then we're watching this movie first, and then after that we can watch the second part." She declaired with a nod.

Michael groaned. "There's a second part?" Only for Ella to smile at him. "Sometimes the best things in life come in twos."

"Aww, that's so sweet." Lucifer hummed.

"I was talking about hands." The tiny woman teased, grabbing both a soda and a bowl of chips in a hand each as she made herself comfortable on the sofa between them. "Now start the movie, mister."

Lucifer nodded and they all made themselves comfortable, ready to relax and leave worrying about everything else for another day. Michael pulled Ella closer again, wrapping an arm around her waist and using his free hand to reach over her and steal his brother's popcorn. They didn't even get through the credits before being interrupted by the elevator... that thing was in dire need of a lock.

Chapter Text

Maze fidgeted as she waited for the elevator to reach the penthouse. Everything about Lux was just different enough to set her teeth on edge from the moment she had set foot into the building. The club itself was the same but there were new cars in the garage, cars that she could only guess belonged to Michael, and the smells... the smells of fresh paint and wood, strong cleaning products and new everything lingered in the elevator from the other floors. The way it had after Lucifer had first rented the building years ago and renovated. It made Maze nervous even though she didn't want to admit it because she had no idea what else had changed.

Lucifer has changed ever since he and Michael had made up, he seemed more himself now than he had in years. Chloe had been wrong about him reverting to his old self. No. It was just traces of a Lucifer she hadn't seen in eons shining through. A version of Lucifer that Chloe had never even met and Maze thought she'd never see again. Samael, Commander of the Hordes of Hell. The one she had first met, who had led her into battle and dragged her alive on the other side. The one she had kneeled before, when all was over and the dust had settled, and sworn fealty to of her own free will. Confident, strong, powerful... stubborn. Maze had been his right hand, his confidant, his lover, his companion and his consort in every way that mattered for longer than Earth had existed for. There had been a time when she had defined herself by her loyalty to Lucifer. That Mazikeen, the old Mazikeen, the soldier who had followed her leader through the volatile paths of the void and the gates of Hell would be ashamed of her recent actions... This Mazikeen was too. They may not have been in love but they had certainly loved each other, and she had betrayed that love.

Mazikeen of the Lilim had been created for war, to be nothing more than a warm body for Lucifer to use as he saw fit. A weapon and a shield. Demons weren't supposed to have feelings or fears or desires... they did, though, even when they didn't really understand what it was they were feeling. No one had cared what happened to them, not Lilith who had made and abandoned them and certainly not God. No one had cared whether they lived or died... Almost no one. Lucifer and Michael, they were the only ones who had cared about every single one of the soldiers they have been handed like pieces of raw meat. Maze hadn't even known Michael then, always fighting on different battlefields or having different priorities or literal worlds apart, living on different plains of existence. She's only seen him from a distance, only known him from the stories. The first time she had met him face to face had been in Los Angeles, but she knew he had cared. She had met plenty of the angels he had led into battle and heard the way they talked about him. 

Most of their siblings might hate the twins but if it ever came to an actual war between them and their family, the archangels were going to have a shocking revelation. Because the angels and demons wouldn't follow them, most of the races wouldn't follow them either. God had thrown them all away when they have proven not to be 'perfect', when their souls didn't survive the death of their physical form. The twins had taken each them to inhabitable planets when they had been ordered to 'deal' with them. Helped them settle in and taught them how to survive. That was not an easy thing to ignore and some races had long memories.

When someone fights for you, you fight for them. That was why Maze had sworn herself to Lucifer's service and she had lost sight of that. Lost sight of what really mattered. She did not regret her freedom, did not regret leaving his service but she did regret betraying him. Maze had been so terrified of being left behind, that she had been the one to abandon Lucifer instead. She had sold him out to Amenadiel, she had decided that she needed independence from him, she had manipulated him at Cain's request and he had forgiven her every single time. Had never harmed her, even when she had attacked him and he would have had every right to defended himself he had used only a fraction of his strength... and now she had betrayed him again by helping Michael, by siding with Chloe. If she were honest, Maze didn't really think she deserved his forgiveness again. Lucifer had never betrayed her, she realized that now, and she had allowed her own pain to cloud her judgment. 

Maze had told herself nearly all her life that Lilith didn't matter. That it didn't hurt that her mother had fucked off to who knows where once the war was over, leaving them all in the care of their former Commander. He had helped them turn Hell into a home as best he could but he hadn't exactly been an expert in... relocation yet, nor had he been the most well adjusted being in existence. The war had still been haunting him as well but he had tried, and that was when Maze had sworn herself to him. When she had realized he had stayed instead of abandoning them. Even though he hadn't been the King of Hell yet and he'd had his own responsibilities to deal with, like creating the fucking Universe, he'd still made time to check on them unlike their own mother. And Maze had honestly thought that she was fine, that she'd gotten over her mother being a bitch a long time ago. Linda made her realize she never really had, she had just buried it in the back of her mind and pretended to be fine. Until it caught up with her.

Doubt and insecurities had festered, like infection in a wound that had never really healed. Lucifer didn't talk about it but Maze had always known him and Lilith had kept in contact, she remembered how close they used to be. He might have been her first but she had definitely not been his. Some of the Devil's younger and dumber siblings had even jeered when he hadn't been around to hear them that the archangel was the father of Lilith's children. Maze had known that not to be true even before sleeping with him had been a possibility, if only because Lucifer would never had sent his children to war. That, and Lilith would never had allowed herself to be so submissive as being impregnated by another was in her mind, not even by the only person she had probably ever loved. Not willingly anyway and Lucifer would never force himself on another, not even if his father ordered it. How God had ever thought her mother would allow a snot nosed brat like Adam order her around Maze would never understand. But then again, God had never been as smart as his sons. 

Maze had lived for so long waiting for the other shoe to drop, for Lucifer to decide she wasn't worth it just like her mother had... and then he'd met Chloe and chosen her over Maze and it had felt like her entire world was falling apart at the seams. Linda had called it a trigger, she's also said that emotionally relying so heavily on Lucifer had been unhealthy. For both of them. Considering Maze had believed herself incapable of even having feelings for most of that time, it had probably not been the only unhealthy habit she had developed. She still thought it made her a traitorous bitch regardless of her issues, though, the kind she used to look down on in disdain.

Once she's figured that all out the demon had been ready to go apologize and face the consequences then and there but Linda had talked her out of it. Told her not to rush but she couldn't wait anymore now. It was time. She was startled out of her thoughts by the loud ding of the elevator opening, and tried to push her nervousness to the back of her mind, hoping she succeeded. Who knew being aware of your own emotions actually made it harder to hide them away? 

Taking a deep breath she silently stepped out into the penthouse and almost winced at the sight of a brand new piano. The old one had been... alive, in a way this one wasn't yet. It had been one of the many mementoes Lucifer had collected during his previous visits to Earth. There had been subtle traces of wear, tiny scratches from previous brawls that it had survived, nearly imperceptible watermarks from glasses being placed directly on the wood... Lucifer had loved that stupid instrument. Maze had destroyed it in a fit of rage and misplaced need for revenge because she had known it would hurt him far more than losing his expensive alcohol and she couldn't bring herself to touch the library. Now she felt guilty just looking at where it used to stand and the shiny new thing that had replaced it.

"If it isn't the little piano killer." Michael drawled from the top of the bedroom stairs, just rubbing the salt in. Even if he hadn't had a different accent, she would have known that was Michael by the amused glint in his eyes.

Only, the bedroom was not a bedroom anymore, she noticed as soon as her eyes were drawn that way. Heavy curtains covered the windows, the bed was gone, replaced with sofas and armchairs. The only light in the penthouse was from what she could only guess was a giant TV and she could hear a movie echo loudly before it abruptly stopped. Another person joined Michael, another identical person. They were both wearing suits and she almost snorted before she stopped herself. Of course they wouldn't even change in something more casual for what was obviously a movie night. Trixie would have something to say about that, she couldn't help but think. 

"Maze?" The demon had expected Lucifer to be at least a little bit angry, or hurt, but he seemed to be neither. He sounded happy to see her, if a little confused.

"I wanted to come sooner but Linda said we should give you time to cool down." Maze started by explaining, just as Ella came out behind the twins, surprising her, and then the tiny latina wrapped her hand around Michael's arm who turned slightly towards her. That was... unexpected but Maze realized she was happy for them. Michael could use some of the brightness and happiness and overall goodness that Ella basically exuded in his life and maybe now Linda could finally stop worrying about the next good for nothing piece of shit Ella might eye up. She rather liked this idea, Maze decided before turning her attention back to Lucifer. "She doesn't really seem to get that you're the King of Hell and don't do cooling down so..." She shrugged. "She would have come too but Charlie has this crying phase right now."

The twins frowned at once, eyes mirror images of worry, while Ella bit her lip. "Is he sick?"

Maze shook her head before they could all march out of the penthouse, all prepared for a war against flu and the common cold... though it would be kind of amusing to see. When that kid started to date, it was going to be prime entertainment watching his partners struggle to survive the inquisition.

"The doctor said no, apparently this is just something human babies do. Amenadiel is so worried, though. Pain and misery, reminds me of home." She grinned. Amenadiel's pain and misery anyway, for some reason Charlie's pain and misery felt like blows to her heart.

That set them at ease and Lucifer relaxed, making his way towards the bar while Michael and Ella stepped back into the new home cinema, pretending not to listen. As if Maze was ever going to buy that they wouldn't. "What do you want?" He asked, pouring himself a glass of whiskey and draining it before continuing. "I'm assuming you do want something or else you wouldn't be here."

"To apologize." The demon declaired, sounding more confident than she felt. "Lucifer, I'm..."

"Alright." He interrupted before she could go on with her carefully planned speech. Maze gaped, feeling lost... did he just... say alright? After she had agonized over his reaction for weeks? Tried to find ways to make amends? Hell, she had even asked Dan for help. Dan! Who had only known about the celestial world for a few weeks and still got confused about it half the time!

"I said, alright." He repeated, looking slightly worried. "Maze. Are you feeling well?"

"But I betrayed you!" She protested. "Again. And I helped Chloe ambush you the other day!"

Lucifer chuckled, pouring himself another glass. "I know torture, Maze. And I know no one is ever going to punish you worse for this than yourself. We both know guilt is a powerful thing."

She frowned. "I see."

"You can join us for movie night, though." He added. "If you want."

Maze froze, looking at their audience out of the corner of her eyes but they seemed content with the offer. Reluctantly, she nodded. She didn't quite understand what was going on yet but of he wasn't throwing her out she would count it as a win. This was already more than she expected to ever get, she would have even settled for him not hating her forever. 

"You know you're supposed to wear pajamas to movie night, right?" She tried to tease as they both made their way up to the former bedroom and Ella giggled. "I tried telling them." The scientist was wearing one of her funny shirts and sweatpants with fluffy socks. Clearly, she knew how it was done. Maze regretted not being able to join her in being comfortable. The demon touched their fists together, relaxing slightly while they all settled down with Ella between the twins and her on the other side of Lucifer. She chose a drink as the movie started again. "Top Gun. Nice. He's hot."

"Really?" Michael rolled his eyes. "That's why you've watched the movie?"

"That's why I watch most movies." She answered nonchalantly. "Trixie misses you, by the way." She added, turning to Lucifer. "I'm supposed to tell you that she's really, really, really, really, really, really..." She said slowly, trying to remember the right number of reallys. "...mad that you left without saying goodbye." Them she leaned over him to look at Michael. "And you that's it's not nice to trick people, but it was really, really awesome that it took everybody so long to figure it out."

"I only got two reallys, should I be insulted?" The Angel of Fear actually laughed. "Tell her I think she's awesome too."

"She knows." The demon added. "About everything. She believed us all along." Apparently Trixie had heard her mom and dad fight about Lucifer and revealed she had known about him and Maze all along. She just hadn't cared... so Maze had told her everything. Well, not everything, but she had known Trixie for long enough to learn which details were appropriate for he to know.

"Thanks, Maze." Lucifer answered as he leaned closer to her. "Tell the urchin I will try to see her soon."

The demon nodded, turning back to the movie, and for a while all that could be heard other than that was Ella's never ending commentary on the plot. Maze found it a little endearing how excited she got over a movie. It was only after the second part rolled and ended that Michael and his tiny excited chatterbox excused themselves to go downstairs after she had agreed to stay for the night and Maze was finally left alone with Lucifer. 

"What else is eating at you?" The angel asked and the demon shifted in place for a few minutes while he retrieved a bottle of whiskey for them to share. Then she hesitated a couple of times before finally speaking. "I want to talk to my mother." Before coming she had almost given up on ever getting the chance to ask, now that she did she didn't want to miss it. After seeing Linda's face when she first saw Adrianna... she at least wanted the option.

He froze, hand halfway through pouring himself a glass of whiskey. "And what makes you think I can help you with that?"

"Because I know you know where she is." Maze answered. If he didn't, no one did.

He sighed, resigned. "I can't tell you that, Maze. I made a promise." Of course he had, why had she expected anything less?! She gritted her teeth before she could say something she would regret but he didn't notice, taking off his ring and placing it in her hand. "But this belonged to Lilith, she gave it to me the last time we saw each other. I promised not to tell you anything, I didn't promise to never give this to you." He confessed and the breath caught in Maze's throat. His ring... was Lilith's? Was that why he had always refused to tell her where he got it from?

She didn't remember seeing her mother wear any jewelry but it had been a long times since they've been in each other's range of vision. If it was indeed of value to Lilith, she might be able to use it to find her. "Thank you." She choked out once she managed to find her voice. "Why... why do you always forgive me?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Do I?" He hummed, offering her a glass. She accepted it with a nod. "You do and I don't get why."

He looked down at his drink, swirling the caramel liquid inside. "Because you're just like me, Maze." He smirked to himself. "You've always had that rebellious spark in your eyes, even back when we first met. You refused to lay down and die on that battlefield, you refused to shatter and break when the war was over and it felt like you no longer had a purpose and you refused to follow me blindly. You've always challenged me, was never afraid to tell me the facts in my face, and I've always loved that about you." He took a sip of his drink to gather his thoughts.

"It wasn't easy to let you go." Lucifer whispered. "Maybe I depended on your support a little too much..." He admitted. "...but you wanted freedom, Mazikeen, and I'm not a hypocrite. I would never have forced you to stay against your will but I will always care about you and I will always be here when you need me."

Maze blinked away the dampness from her eyes before whispering. "I love you too." Swallowing the knot of emotions that formed in her throat, she snuggled into his side before he could answer. She already knew he did too, he had showed her again and again even when she had refused to see it.

Maze took the glass from his hand and placed in on the table before pushing until they were both laying down, then wriggled lower on the couch so she could touch her nose to the underside of his ribs. They used to lay like this, back in Hell when everything was too much and they just needed someone to be there... She missed it, almost as much as she had missed him. Burrowing closer, she allowed her body to relax, melting into his warmth as she fell asleep.

Chapter Text

Trixie was currently not talking to her mom. At all. No, it was not teenage rebellion. No, it was not just a phrase. No, it was not unjustified. She wasn't 'acting childish' or 'throwing a tantrum' or 'going to regret' fighting with her mother when she was older because the older woman deserved it. Trixie could barely look at her face and the only reason she hadn't moved in with her dad was because her parents had refused when she had asked! They thought she should 'get over it' and that 'it wasn't her place to judge'. How do you get over your mom trying to kill her partner?! The man who had literally died for her already. Lucifer was her friend too! Did they even remember that?!

Trixie had always liked Lucifer. He had been like a freakishly tall alien lost in the human world when she had first met him, unable to understand most human behavior or social norms which made sense since he wasn't actually human or had lived on Earth for very long. He used to be clumsy when it came to physical affection and still didn't really get why humans were mean to each other, or why some thought themselves superior. Lucifer was funny, had never treated her like she was stupid just because she was young and he never lied to her. He always took care of her, even when he was all awkward about it. Maze called it his baby penguin act. 

Trixie remembered when that like had turned into love too. When Lucifer went from being her mother's funny friend to being someone she knew she could always rely on. How scared she had been that day when the crazy cop had pulled her out of school... Malcolm Graham, she had heard his name being mentioned after the police arrived. She had tried not to show that she was scared like her parents had taught her but she had been. She had been scared that her and her mom would both die, especially when her mom gave up her guns, but Lucifer had showed up and he had fought the creep and he had died for them. Trixie had seen it from her hiding place, heard him pray to his dad as he'd bled on the floor. He hadn't even prayed for own life, and then his eyes went dead and he had stopped breathing and she hadn't known where her mom was. Trixie had never been more terrified in her life than she had been that moment... and then he woke up. He got up, walked and talked as if nothing had happened when Trixie had seen him die just seconds before. Lucifer had distracted the monster who had wanted to hurt her mom until her mom was able to take her gun back. Also, she had seen that coin burn and vanish mid air and even as a kid she had been sure that metal didn't do that, it wasn't paper. She hadn't believed in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy or the Boogeyman like most of her classmates but ever since that day, she had certainly believed in the Devil. Trixie had known her mom would never have believed her if she told the truth and she also hadn't wanted anyone to worry about her so she had just stuck with what she was good at. Lying. Acting was in her blood, after all. She pretended that Maze's demon face was a cool Halloween mask and her and Lucifer talked in code. She was careful not to call them delusional or liars or anything mean though, if school had taught her anything at all it was that being mean to people wasn't nice.

And now she found out her mother of all people had tried to kill Lucifer. That she had taken one look at his Devil face and acted like he had become a completely different person. Like it was anything more than a face. Trixie still remembered Maze's demon face and it wasn't that scary so she was sure Lucifer's couldn't be either. And her mom didn't even get why her dad was uncomfortable with what she had tried to do! Trixie couldn't even stand being in the same house as her anymore!

The teen had considered running away to Maze's place but the demon lived with Doctor Linda and Amenadiel and baby Charlie and their house was already full. Besides, while Maze might hide her away if she asked she didn't think Doctor Linda and Amenadiel would agree even if she offered to babysit for free. Trixie didn't really have friends other than Maze and Lucifer, except for maybe Ella. There were some people at school she was friendly with but they weren't really her friends. They were kids and most of the time, dumb. Her grandma was away again and Trixie didn't think she'd hide her either, anyway. So she was kind of out of options but that was alright, Trixie had a plan. It was why she had waited this long to act. First though, she needed to see Lucifer. Maze had said that he was back for good and she knew he had been back around the station from her dad but she didn't want to wait to see him again.

She got out of the uber she had taken after getting off the school bus, glad that she had managed to get the account on her phone by using one of her grandma's least used credit cards. Since she only used it when she really, really needed it she didn't feel guilty about it. The way around Lux was familiar to her by now and she made a bee line for the elevator, hitting the button for the penthouse only for nothing to happen. She hit it again and nothing. And again, and again. That's never happened before. Looking closely she saw there was some kind of device next to the buttons now and realized she would never get it to work since Lucifer finally got a lock on his door and she didn't have a key. She'd have to take the stairs and hope those weren't locked too if she didn't want to warn him of her presence by calling. Trixie wanted it to be a surprise. It was alright, she was on the football team, she could climb however many levels Lux had. Determined, she got out and turned towards the corner she knew hid the staircase only to feel something tugging at the back of her hoodie. Turning around she found herself face to face with a frowning man wearing a dark suit. 

"Mhhh, Hi? I'm Trixie." She held out a hand awkwardly as he stared at her with a raised eyebrow. "What do you think you're doing here, Miss Trixie?"

"I'm looking for Lucifer?" She answered innocently. "We're friends."

"Friends, huh?" Trixie had the feeling that he didn't really believe her as he let go of her hood and got out his phone, eyes still pinning her down. "Hi, boss. Yes, there's a little girl here claiming to be your 'friend'... What's your name, kid?"

"Trixie Espinoza." She answered loudly enough for Lucifer to hear from the other side of the phone and he must have because the bouncer sighted. There had never been a guard at Lux when Trixie had visited before because she had always been there during the day but the last time she had been there a bunch of strangers had also made their way to the penthouse and tried to kill Lucifer so she understood the need for security... and the lock. "Yeah, she's alone. Alright, I will send her up." He put the phone away and stepped to the side so she could walk to the elevator again. "Come on, kid." It seemed she wouldn't have to brave the stairs after all. The bouncer didn't have a key either but he did type a code on the tiny touchscreen. Unfortunately his hand was in the way and she couldn't see it. 

Lucifer was waiting for her the moment the doors slid open. "Beatrice..." He greeted her. "...is the day prison closed today?"

"School let out already." She rolled her eyes. Thankfully she hadn't had a babysitter for a long while so she didn't have to worry about ditching one anymore. "I needed to talk to you. This is for leaving without saying goodbye." She kicked him in the leg, not that he felt anything but it did help her make a point, before placing a hand on her hip and glaring up at him. "Why didn't you tell me!?"

"Tell you what?" He asked, tilting his head the way he did when he was confused about something. "That I was leaving? I'm sorry I hurt you, spawn, but I really didn't have time."

Trixie had been hurt that he left without saying goodbye but she wasn't as much anymore because she knew he hadn't said goodbye to anyone else either. Maze and Ella had been just as angry as her... they've had a chat group about it. She shook her head furiously. "That mom had tried to kill you, dummy!"

Lucifer froze, staying completely still for a few seconds before speaking in a serious voice. "Where did you hear that?" It was an adult voice that she rarely heard from him, usually there was at least a tiny hint of amusement lingering in everything he said... there wasn't now. Like the time Malcolm Graham took her from school or when those thugs threatened her and Eve with guns.

She pressed her lips together. "I heard mom and dad arguing about it." Which was why she knew it was true and not some rumor or lie. She had told Maze she'd heard her parents talking not exactly what they had been talking about. She hadn't known if Maze knew what her mom had done.

Lucifer seemed to consider her words carefully before nodding. "I see. How about we call your parents and all sit down and talk about this? Calmly."

Trixie huffed, walking around him to flop down on the couch, letting her backpack fall to the ground. "I have nothing to say to her."

"Beatrice..." He started.

"No."

"Child..." Lucifer sat down next to her much more carefully than she had and addressed her again, speaking softly. "...you know your mother would never hurt you, right?"

Trixie finally looked at him, crossing her arms. "Like she would never hurt you?"

Lucifer opened his mouth, then closed it. Trixie it was because he didn't lie, before he could find the right words to answer her with a someone else did. "The kid has a point, brother. I knew there was a reason I liked her."

The teen looked up to see someone who looked exactly like Lucifer. She didn't know if she had met Michael while he had been pretending to be Lucifer but she didn't think she'd have been able to tell them apart. No wonder everyone else had been fooled! Besides a few differences in style, they really were identical.  

Looking between them and realizing they weren't going to back down, Lucifer sighed. "Fine, you two. I will let it drop for now but this isn't over. Come on, spawn." He got up and offered her a hand. "I think there's some chocolate cake in the fridge and then we're calling your dad, alright? I don't want to be charged with kidnapping."

Trixie was excited at the mention of cake but deflated at calling her dad. She didn't want to get Lucifer in trouble though so she nodded and followed him downstairs to a large, modern looking kitchen. There was indeed chocolate cake and they sat at the counter after Lucifer cut her a more than generous slice and joined her with a smaller one for himself. He waited for her to take a bite first, which was divine... she nearly giggled at the thought, before pointing to her hoodie pocket where the outline of her phone was visible.

She definitely didn't pout as she took it out and opened the contact list. "Hi daddy." She chirped and could almost see him rub a palm over his face in her mind. Trixie only called him that anymore when she did something she wasn't supposed to. "Lucifer made me call you."

"You're at Lucifer's?" Her dad sighed. "Give him the phone." The teen pouted as she passed it over, hearing only half the conversation. "She showed up at my door, Detective Douche... No, I don't know how she got here. I was too busy with other, more important questions to ask that... There's a lock on the elevator now, the new security for the building called me... She's apparently mad at Chloe... I fed her, like a responsible adult..." Trixie almost chocked on a bite of cake as she tried not to laugh at that. "No, don't take time off, Michael and I can watch her until you can pick her up... I'm sure we can manage to entertain her for that long... I will tell her. Bye, Daniel." Then Lucifer handed her the phone back. "Your dad wants you to know that you're supposed to stay here until he comes for you and that you should do your homework."

She groaned. "Really?"

They finished their cake in the kitchen before returning to the living room and Michael joined them in sitting on the floor as she pulled out her laptop and notebooks. The twins turned out to be more help with homework than either of her parents or Maze, though Trixie's teachers would have something to say about their personal opinions on the syllabus. That being that they didn't agree with any of it. She had to carefully sort through their advice but she was sure her art teacher would be impressed with her essay if nothing else. 

She pulled her math her math book just as Lucifer stood up. "You two sit tight, I'm going to go make some actual food for us." That sounded like a good idea, Trixie's had nothing but cake since lunch and her stomach was starting to let her know it was time for dinner. Michael nodded absentmindedly as he flipped through the book. Trixie's math teacher was old and traditional and just the worst! He was the only one who insisted they carry around the heavy book instead of sending their assignments and lessons online like every other teacher living in the twenty first century!

"What's this?" The angel asked, shaking the book. "Some form of torture? No wonder my brother calls your place of learning a day prison." The teen rolled her eyes, she knew for a fact that both Lucifer and Michael knew it was called school.

"It's math." Though many would agree they were synonyms. "Shaking the book won't solve the problem and torture is illegal in U.S. prisons."

"Why would you humans subject yourselves to this kind of suffering?" He asked incredulously.

"Didn't you like..." She waved her arms around. "...create the Universe?" At least that's what Maze had told her. "Doesn't that mean you are responsible math too?"

Michael scrunched up his nose. "Believe me, I had nothing to do with this and I'm pretty sure it's not real math."

"Well, I need it if I want to graduate and work for NASA and study space." She said, tugging her book away from him. 

"That, I can help you with."

Her eyes lit up at the offer. "There are humans who believe everything is alive, everything has a soul. Every planet or star or rock. Is it true? 

"I never thought of it that way but I guess in a way it is." The angel shrugged. "They don't have sentience or intelligence but we made it so the Universe will continuously expand even without us, exist even without us. It doesn't have a soul but it is alive."

"This is so much more awesome than math!" She decided. "Tell me more."

"Alright, so the war was just over and my idiot twin and I..." He started, leaning back against the couch.

Trixie didn't even realize when she started to relax, worries about her mom pushed to the back of her mind as she listened intently to Michael talk about space. By the time Lucifer returned with their meal and joined them she was completely immersed in the story. She was actually startled when there was a ring from the elevator and Lucifer went to open the doors, only for both her parents to walk through. This was not how it was supposed to go! The twins retreated to the bar to give them some privacy and Trixie was glad they didn't leave the room. It would be alright, she decided. Trixie had a plan, she knew what to say. She may not be ready to face her parents like this yet but at least she wasn't alone.

"Trix, I get that you are mad at your mom but she made a mistake. You can't just run away on your own without telling us like this!" Her dad demanded.

The teen stood up and crossed her arms, looking at her dad and completely ignoring her mother. "A mistake?! She didn't forget to put the ice cream back in the fridge, or bake cookies for my school sale. Those are mistakes, dad, she tried to kill someone! I shouldn't even be able to speak to her, because she should be in prison!" She ignored her father's shock and turned to her mom who had been suspiciously silent so far, steeling herself not to react to the hurt look in those blue eyes. "Are you going to turn yourself in, mom? Are you going to take responsibility for what you've done?" She asked calmly. 

Trixie knew that if she yelled, if she screamed and stomped her feet she would just prove what she knew her parents were already thinking. That she was a kid, too young and immature to know what was going on. She wouldn't give them that satisfaction. Trixie knew exactly what was going on and what her mother had done. 

"Trixie, monkey, I don't..." The older woman started in a placating tone, the teen didn't want to hear what she had to say if she wasn't even sorry. 

"That's what I thought." The teen snorted. "All those times you sat me down and lectured me for doing the right thing, for trying to protect other kids from bullies picking on them. All those lectures about following the rules and doing things the 'right way'. All those years of looking up to you, of wanting to be just like you. Thinking, 'My mother is a hero.'." She swallowed when it felt like her throat was hurting even though she wasn't sick. The entire time she spoke she didn't look away from her mother. "All that time, you were nothing but a fraud. Good people don't try to poison their partners, mom. The only way to banish an archangel from the mortal realm would be by permanently killing their body. I'm a kid and even I realize that. You wanted to murder Lucifer. It would have been murder, you realize that right? Sentence him to eternity in a place that he hated, force him there without a way out. Are you even sorry?" At this point she couldn't completely stop her eyes from growing damp or heartbreak from seeping into her voice.

Her mom took a step forward, her own eyes wet. "I am sorry, monkey. I'm so sorry. You forgave dad when he did something bad, right?" 

Trixie had almost been prepared to try and give her a second chance, since clearly Lucifer still seemed to care for her, until she'd said that last part. Obviously her mom didn't even realize why her actions and been wrong, she barely even seemed to notice Lucifer was there. She was apologizing to Trixie, as if that would change anything.

The teen took a deep breath to steady herself. "No, mom. You're not sorry for what you did, you're just sorry that I found out, you still think you were justified in your actions at that time because you were scared. Of a man who had never and would never hurt you or an innocent person. It doesn't matter that the glass broke, it doesn't matter you changed your mind later or that it probably wouldn't have worked in the first place. You tried, mom, because you wanted to. Because you truly believed you were justified, because you'd rather believe some dusty old books written by prejudiced bastards than your own eyes."

"Beatrice." Lucifer interfered quietly. Of course he'd try to defend her mom, even after what she's done. 

Trixie shook her head slowly. "Don't try to defend her. She has no excuse! I've read those stories too, mom. They are on the internet, you didn't need to run all the way to Rome, and they are bullshit! They are." She repeated when her parents glared at her for the language. As if that was what was important in what she'd said. "How could you even believe all of that after knowing Lucifer for so many years? He was your partner, your friend, your family. You didn't pick up a knife to defend yourself when someone broke into your home or kill in the line of duty or try to find a way out of an abusive situation. You didn't even try protect the world from an evil person. No. You sat down and thought things through and planned to kill your partner. You used his feelings for you to do it! A man innocent of the crimes you and the rest of humanity blame him for. A good man, the best one you will ever meet in this lifetime. I'm not just angry. I'm not just disappointed. I'm ashamed to be your daughter, mom." She ignored the woman's flinch at her words and kept going. "And if you really think what you did compares to what dad did, then you still don't understand why. Dad went after you when you went rogue and followed a suspect without back up, and don't try to tell me there was no one you could trust. You could have trusted dad! But you didn't, and he shot a corrupt cop to protect you. And later, after all of that, he got blackmailed into doing something bad but do you know what dad did in the end? He came clean, mom. He didn't let other people pay for his crimes and he certainly didn't try to blame the victim to justify his actions. He took responsibility. He was a good man caught in a bad situation, while you are exactly like the people you put away for a living." 

She stopped for a moment to catch her breath, feeling calmer than she had in weeks. Saying everything that had been weighting down on her felt surprisingly cathartic. Trixie hadn't understood what that word meant until now. "You're going to give dad full custody and I'm going to go live with him or the second I'm old enough I'm filing for emancipation." Her parents's eyes narrowed at that, both of them opening their mouths to speak but she stopped them. "And before you think you can stop me? I've already contacted a lawyer and have looked into what safe options I would have for housing. I also have a plan on how to earn an income, I have contacted some of grandma's acquaintance that I know to be trustworthy." She might not have any desire for an acting career but she would do it if she had to, at least for a while.

Both of her parents stood frozen and from the corner of her eyes she could see how shocked Lucifer and Michael were as well. It took a couple of minutes for her mom to realize she was not taking her words back. "You've really thought this through, haven't you, monkey? You're really ready to give up your childhood over this?"

Trixie shrugged. "If I have to. I know what I'm doing and I don't want to live with you, I don't want to talk to you... I don't even want to see you right now." She closed her eyes for a moment, before forcing herself to open them again. "There are consequences for your actions, mom, and it seems this are them." Whichever option they chose, Trixie had made up her mind and she was not backing down.

Chapter Text

The silence echoed in the penthouse once the elevator doors slid shut. Lucifer was still stunned by what he had witnessed. Chloe had agreed to sign over custody and that the spawn could go home with her father that night before the child gave Lucifer and Michael another one of her suffocating hugs and they all left. 

"I never wanted this." He murmured, pouring himself another glass of whiskey. 

Michael shrugged uncaringly in answer. "Personally, I think she had it coming."

Lucifer sighed, making his way to the sofa. He moved a stray pen the urchin had left there to the table before sitting down to sip at his drink. "I don't get why you hate her so much, I thought you liked her when you were pretending to be me. You saved her life. Twice."

His twin joined, bringing the bottle with him. "I liked being here, I liked the freedom and I did like her attention but I didn't like her. I didn't want her dead, either, mostly because I didn't want you to actually hate me forever. To be honest breaking her heart and making her suffer was just the cherry on top of pissing you off and messing with your life here. Besides, she'd have gone to Heaven and I wanted her to stay here and suffer longer." He explained.

"Regardless, she didn't deserve this." Lucifer protested and his brother rose his glass in answer. "Agree to disagree."

"I've hoped Beatrice would never find out. I thought if I didn't tell people exactly what had happened, no one would." Even if she indeed deserved to be punished as Michael and the urchin insisted, it shouldn't have been this. It shouldn't have been loosing her daughter, even temporarily, and Beatrice should never have had to suffer for her mother's mistakes. But now it had all gone to shit and there was nothing he could do about it. It was impossible to keep it under wraps anymore either, the others would notice the child no longer spoke to her mother. Maze wasn't going to take it well. Or Ella... or possibly Eve, when she finally returned from wherever she had gone to 'to find herself'. Her words. He sighed, leaning his head back. "I never expected Chloe would confess to someone."

"Well." Michael snorted. "I wouldn't call it confession if one doesn't feel guilty about their actions."

The thing was, Lucifer thought she did feel guilty about it even if she didn't yet know how to deal with that guilt. After all, no one could recognize guilt better than the King of Hell... Not that there was any point in explaining that to Michael this century. His twin would need some time to calm down, if anyone could hold grudges better than Lucifer it was Michael. Thankfully his phone rang before they could drag the conversation further, unfortunately it was Ella letting him know they had a case. Since returning to the LAPD he had either been with her in the lab bouncing ideas off of each other about her cases or helping with interviews here and there but Chloe was the detective assigned to the case and there would be no avoiding her this time.

"You're going to work on a case she's on?" His brother asked incredulously once he finished the call. "Now?"

"It's going to be fine, Michael." Lucifer assured his twin. "We're both grown adults."

"No. You're a grown adult. She's a hypocritical bitch who is dictatorial and narcissistic. And also ignorant." His twin nearly growled out. "The only miracle about her is that everyone she meets dosen't hate her. She's the most judgmental person I know and I know dad!"

Lucifer sighed, shaking his head. He didn't agree but he wasn't going to fight his brother over this, they've been at odds long enough and it wasn't like anyone in creation could change the other angel's mind when he made it up about something. Instead of arguing he poured them each another glass before he left.

Ella was already examining the body when he reached the crime scene. "Blueballz." The tiny woman said just as he stopped next to Chloe and he grinned mischievously at her. "What my brother's gonna die of if you two don't stop dancing around each other already." He ignored the detective rolling her eyes and continued. "The next glacial age will be here before the two of you have sex at this rate." The angel joked while Ella hit him on the arm playfully. 

In reality, he thought their relationship was actually progressing well and they had even become an official couple after Ella had spent that first night at Lux with his brother. He loved seeing them so happy, he didn't remember the last time he had seen Michael smile so often or Ella so brightly. Seeing what true love was supposed to be like, the way they supported each other, made it even more obvious that him and Chloe hadn't been meant to be after all. Honestly, he wasn't even sure if they were having sex or not, he just liked teasing them... though it was becoming less fun these days. They didn't get as flustered anymore.

The glare Chloe threw their way at their antics was a little sharper than usual and even though they pretended not to notice Ella turned her attention back to the case, not gracing his teasing with an answer.

"It's Blueballz, with a z." The scientist enunciated. "As in ...these Blueballz." She raised a pair of blue headphones and then started explaining everything she had found so far. 

The atmosphere was tense and icy and Lucifer tried to find someone else to distract himself with for a while but the officers were busy trying to keep everything in order and Detective Douche was missing. The detective eventually told him Dan hadn't wanted to leave Trixie alone. That was about all she said to him, other than complain about having five hundred drunk witnesses to interview together. She didn't even look him in the eyes which hurt but he understood her desire not to be reminded of what just happened. He was glad though when the witnesses were easier to question than anticipated since it turned out no one saw anything.

"Alright." Ella pulled him away from everyone else once she was done processing the crime scene. "What happened between you and little miss Judgy McJudgerson over there?"

"Have you and Michael been texting already?" He sighed. 

The scientist frowned. "No?" 

"Beatrice happened." He finally answered, checking to make sure Chloe was still out of hearing distance, talking to one of the officers first on scene. "She's a determined and independent young woman."

Ella nodded, everyone who had ever met the teenager knew that about her. "You sound conflicted about that."

"I'm proud of her." Lucifer decided. "I just never wanted what happened between me and her mother to affect their relationship. She demanded Daniel take custody or she would file for emancipation."

She wasn't quite old enough yet to do that but she was smart enough to manipulate the judge into emancipating her even without her parents content once she'd reach the right age. Not that Lucifer would have let her support herself financially on her own and he was sure Maze would have suddenly 'needed' a roommate for a new appartment but thankfully it hadn't came to that.

Now, Ella looked shocked. "What did happen between the two of you to cause her to have that reaction?" The archangel shook his head slowly. "Lucifer." She warned. "Don't make me ask Michael."

That made him sigh. That was going to be his future for eternity, wasn't it? Those two teaming up against him, or at least threatening to. "I just..." He swiped his eyes over their surroundings and the people still milling around, including Chloe. "I don't want to talk about it right now. I will tell you later, in private. I promise."

Ella took a moment to weight the offer before nodding. "Alright." Lucifer was sure that the only reason she had let it drop was because she knew he never lied... unlike her future husband, he snickered in his mind at the thought.

They parted ways to drive to the station in their own cars once the detective signaled that she was also done at the scene. Things didn't go much better there. Chloe had managed to find an ex boyfriend sometime between when they had all parted ways and the station and wouldn't even consider he was suspicious even though he had been the one to lend the headphones to their victim! In the end it turned out that she was right but it still irritated Lucifer that she didn't even consider his opinion. She'd made up her mind and refused to changed it just because she 'knew' him. He was still slightly pissed off when she left to try to provoke the killer into revealing their identity by faking Jed's appearance at Lux.

"So what's the deal with you and Cherry Jane?" The DJ asked once they were left alone at Chloe's desk a couple evenings after his case had landed on it.

The angel resisted the urge to snap, as much as he would have liked to hate Jed he really wasn't a bad guy. "There is no me and Chloe." He answered instead.

"I have the vibe there is." "Then your 'vibe' is wrong." They argued.

"Come on, man." Jed protested. "You have mistery written all over you and Cherry Jane loves solving her mysteries!"

Lucifer froze. That. That was why her defensiveness had affected him so deeply, he realized, because Chloe had solved the angel's mystery and insisted of believing in him, she ran away and trusted someone else over him, but with Jed... Jed she had believed in. Maybe the others were right, maybe he wasn't as unaffected by her actions as he claimed to be.

"She didn't love what she found when she solved mine." The angel eventually confessed. He was thankful when Jed didn't say anything in answer to that and they both tried to keep themselves occupied, Jed with his phone and Lucifer thinking about what went on between him and Chloe before and after she saw his Devil face. Of course, nothing was ever went according to plan and an officer let it slip about the sting to the DJ, causing him to run to Lux and nearly get himself killed.

It was in the aftermath of that that Lucifer realized he needed to talk to Chloe, that he couldn't let what happened with Beatrice be just another issue that festered between them. "Chloe, may I speak to you for moment?" He intersected her on the way out after everyone else had left and the club was left empty except for them. 

She hummed, shrugging, but her eyes still avoided him as they had since she had last left his penthouse... without her daughter.

"I hope you know I have never intended for this to happen. Whatever transpired between us, whether or not we were compatible as a couple, I would never have came between you and your daughter." Lucifer expressed and she finally looked him in the eyes when he was done speaking. He noticed for the first time how tired she looked. Like she hadn't properly slept in months and not just the night before.

"Lucifer." Her voice was raw when she said his name and a part of him, that part of his heart that would always lover her broke from it. "I know. It hurts, yes, and that wound is fresh and raw right now but I don't blame you, I really don't. I blame me." She let out a dry sob through trembling lips. "My own daughter hates me because of something that I did and I can't take it back no matter how much I want to. I don't know if I've ever apologized... She's right, I..." She chocked and he interrupted, placing a hand on her arm to stop her. "The urchin doesn't hate you and I forgave you a long time ago." He had. Yes, it hurt him more than he had allowed himself to admit but he had forgiven her. What he did regret was that they never properly talked about it.

She shook her head. "Lucifer, you don't have to comfort me. After all I did..." 

"She doesn't hate you." The angel repeated with conviction. "She's hurt too, and mourning the loss of her hero. She just learned you're human and flawed and real." And he had learned that too. "Take it from someone whose been there, the difference is that you love her. That you won't give up on her, I know you won't, and she won't give up on you. She needs time to process this, maybe a week, maybe a year, but you are still her mother and she still loves you."

"How do you know that?" The detective pleaded, her eyes growing wet and he had to stop himself from reaching out to try and dry her tears. "We thought so too, when she had first demanded to move in with Dan. That I was her mother and she would forgive me, and look where it got us. She sure seemed like she didn't anymore."

"Because she did actually say what she did and because you answered. She told you why she's angry and that's a start." He explained calmly. "And I know how many times I've yelled at the sky until my throat went raw only to get no answer... until one day I didn't anymore." Chloe loved her daughter and Beatrice knew that and that was all that mattered at the end of the day. The urchin was smart, she would eventually realize it too once the wound stopped smarting so much.

"Yeah, well..." The blond woman looked towards the sky defeated. "...we don't have eternity to fix this. For her to forgive me."

"Maybe she won't soon..." He agreed. "...but she will give you a second chance." 

It took her a moment to digest that before she nodded, wiping her tears with a sleeve, leaving streaks of her makeup behind. She snorted out an awkward laugh. "I think you got better at this whole feelings thing after you've stopped going to therapy."

"I guess having Michael back reminded me who I was and I've just stopped... trying to shape myself into what everyone around me wanted so see instead." Being reunited with his twin... he hadn't even realized how much his soul had been crying out for Michael. Lucifer had been half of a whole for eons before finding himself drifting and alone in a sea of people who could never replace the connection he'd lost but desperate for it anyway.

Chloe cringed. "Lucifer, I'm so sorry..."

The angel shook his head. "Thank you, but you're not the only one I was trying to please. It was you and Amenadiel and Maze and... and I think the main reason I was trying so hard to be the man you wanted me to be was that I... I was still trying to earn my father's forgiveness." He finally admitted out loud in a shaking voice. "His love. I thought, that if we could make it work... If I could make you love me..."

"Because he made me for you." She realized. And that wasn't fair to either of them, he thought as he nodded. "What brought this about?"

Michael, Beatrice, even Jed had made him see things he hadn't wanted to before. He fixed his cufflinks as tried to come up with the right words. "I've been lying to myself for a very long time. Telling myself that I didn't care what he thought of me but I did. I guess that was why being made into a scapegoat for all of humanity's sins irked me so much. I didn't want to admit what the real problem was. Because he made me the King of Hell, he made me the Devil, so that means that's how he must see me. As evil. And it did hurt." It hurt so much it had felt like a constant weight pressing on his chest. "It was something Michael said, that I'd forgive dad if he gave me half a minute of attention, that lit the first spark of doubt. It made me realize I was still trying to earn that attention in the first place... and that I don't need to. I don't need him." And that realization had been more liberating than cutting off his wings, or leaving Hell, or rebelling, ever had.

Chloe nodded, looking genuinely happy for him before trying her hand at a sad attempt of a grin. "Now, Michael... he does hate me."

"If it's any consolation, Michael hates nearly everyone." He joked, though it wasn't that far from the truth. Between the two of them his brother was by far the less trusting one. Lucifer took a deep breath before continuing, feeling like this was something he had to say. "In spite of everything I do think you're a wonderful person, Chloe, and I'm wonderful. Obviously." He grinned and she rolled her eyes. "But we weren't good together and I don't think we were good for each other either. You do deserve to be happy and honestly Jed seems like a nice guy... If you do like the adorable puppy type. Not that you'd ever need my blessing."

He did want her to be happy and Jed... Jed was still madly in love with her nearly two decades later and seemed to be everything she'd always desired. Lucifer's powers may not have worked on her but she's been constantly telling her what she desired the entire time they've known each other and Lucifer had unconsciously trying to become what she desired for almost as long even if he saw it too late. Jed didn't need to change for her because he already was all that.

Chloe smiled sadly. "I think now I know how Eve felt." 

"Just don't show up at my work on a motorcycle." The angel teased.

"I'd never, I hate those things!" The blonde protested, looking scandalized. "They are called donorcycles for a reason." 

He couldn't help himself from laughing at her reaction and she pouted for a moment before becoming serious again. "Thank you, Lucifer. Again." For a moment he was afraid it sounded way too much like a goodbye as she turned towards the stairs again, before she stopped. "...See you when we get the next case?"

He nodded, relieved. "I will be the good looking one." 

Chloe smiled at that and left as Lucifer watched her go... Maybe now they could try actually being friends.

Chapter Text

Stiles felt himself relax as he walked past the bouncer at what he'd been told was the most luxurious club in L.A. -and supernatural friendly too-. After the busy last few months he's had he needed this. To let go, to have fun and, preferably, to get laid. He stood still for a moment when he found himself at the top of a metal staircase overlooking the place, pleasantly surprised. For one, it didn't seem like much of a club, the atmosphere was completely different. The music was low enough to comfortably carry conversation over, the lighting was not flashing or hurting his sensitive eyes. For another there was a beautiful piano in the middle of the floor and an even more beautiful man sitting behind it. Just as the spark was about to go down to the bar the music stopped and the man closed his eyes, fingers dancing on the keys as he sang along. Stiles was unable to take his eyes off the enchanting performance... Talk about having the voice of an angel, not that the spark had personally met any of those before. 

It was only when the first song ended and the musician flawlessly flowed to the next that Stiles managed to tear his eyes away and make his way to the bar almost in a trance. He ordered a beer without even looking at the bartender and turned back to the breathtaking stranger. He heard the bottle being placed down and out of the corner of his eye, saw the bartender shaking his head exasperatingly when he reached for it without turning. The reaction caused Stiles to finally pay attention to his surroundings notice everyone seemed just as captivated as him. Whoever this man was, his aura seemed to naturally draw people in. 

Sensing souls was not exactly seeing them, though most humans who had the ability found it easier to put it into words as such. His mother had always called it reading auras when he had been young and the description had gotten stuck in his mind as well. This man's was... it was breathtaking. Bright. One of the purest souls Stiles had ever 'seen'. To him most people were a shade of gray, not all good, not all bad. Some, like Kate fucking Argent may she burn in Hell for eternity, were black like tar and made him crave. He liked to think of them as all you can eat buffets, the misery and pain they had intentionally inflicted upon others left marks on their souls like ugly, gnarled scars. He felt no guilt tormenting them and feeding on their suffering was the sweetest honey. Children were the other end of the spectrum, more blank than anything in spite of popular belief, like canvas waiting to be painted. They were innocent and meant to be protected, most of them were soothing to be around. The painting started gaining color as they grew older and by fifteen he could usually say which way they'd go. This man was just so good he basically shined. Stiles barely noticed when the music came to an end and for a moment everyone caught their breath before it started again, this time on the speakers.

The beautiful stranger lingered at the piano, running his fingers over keys one more time, before making his way to the bar. Stiles couldn't resist running his eyes up and down his built, tall body dressed in a perfectly tailored suit. It was like someone had taken everything he found attractive in a person and thrown it in a blender. A light soul in a otherworldly beautiful shell. The three piece suit fit him like a glove, his stubble made heat pool in the spark's belly and there was something in his eyes. Something wild, something untamed. Most people thought Stiles didn't have a type, seeing as his dating history consisted of Malia, Lydia and Derek, who looked nothing alike, but each of them had features he found attractive and they did have something in common. -Besides being hotter than Hell, that was.- They refused to be controlled, to be broken, to be held down. No matter how the world tried to pin them to the ground they kept getting back up. There was something infinitely attractive about that strength and this man had it in spades, Stiles could feel it. 

There was an aura of restrained, controlled power about the man that tingled against Stiles sixth sense like a burning star as he came closer. The fact that he wasn't human came as no surprise, the spark seemed to have a radar for powerful supernaturals out of his league. The man leaned against the bar right next to him and Stiles thought maybe it was a sign. Regardless, he wasn't going to let the opportunity pass even if there was a chance it led to an epic rejection... He was not smooth but maybe if he made the guy laugh first he would stand a chance.

"Hello, beautiful." He smiled, meeting the stranger's enchanting dark eyes. "Did it hurt when you fell from Heaven? Because you have the voice of an angel."

It didn't get the reaction he was hoping for, instead of laughing at his cheesy pick up line the man frowned slightly before answering in a delicious English accent. "Not particularly, no. It was more of an emotional affair." He looked Stiles up and down before continuing. "Lucifer. Mornigstar."

Stiles held back a groan and resisted the urge to bang his head against the bar because of course he was. This was embarrassing, even by his standards! Though it did explain the nearly overwhelming power the man was keeping on a tight leash. It was hard enough for regular supernaturals to live and hide among humans, let alone for celestials. Stiles would know. He cleared his throat, hoping his face hadn't turned red like a tomato.

"Stiles Stilinski. I usually don't put my foot in my mouth until like... the third sentence." He confessed, feeling a little better when he saw the angel's lips twitch in amusement. "At least I was right about your voice. I don't suppose we can forget I ever said that and start over, can we?" He sighed in resignation.

This time Lucifer did laugh, looking Stiles up and down. "How about we go to my place upstairs and see?" He offered with a flirtatious smirk.

Well, that wasn't exactly a promise to forget about it but Stiles was a risk taker. The spark hummed, pretending to think about it before picking up his drink and motioning for the angel to lead the way with an exaggerated swipe of his hand. Lucifer nodded to the bartender -The werewolf's eyes flashed for the fraction of a second and Stiles acknowledged the warning with a nod, not that he had any intention of hurting Lucifer. He wondered if all of the angel's potential lovers got the same treatment from the staff or if he was special.- before leading them back up the stairs and to a private elevator. The spark intentionally looked away when he punched in the security code and they waited in comfortable silence until they reached the penthouse... Lux. Of course. Because it was his club, Stiles realized. 

The angel went to the bar and allowed Stiles to take in the place. In his line of work he's gotten used to dealing with the rich and powerful, with old families like the Hales that had held their territories for generations, but this penthouse was one of the most tastefully decorated places he had seen so far. The many reflective surfaces, floor to ceiling windows and open space made it seem larger, and the earthy colors welcoming... warm. It fit Lucifer well, he thought.

"Your home is beautiful." He said not only because it was polite but because for once it was true. 

"Thank you." The other man looked genuinely surprised at the compliment as Stiles made his way inside. There was another piano here and this time he stepped closer, unable to stop himself from touching it. "Do you play?"

"Not unless you're looking to devise new types of torture for the damned." The spark grinned.

"We have that Bieber fellow for that." Lucifer answered seriously as he poured them each a glass of expensive whiskey. Stiles drowned his beer on the way to the bar before he accepted, swirling the brown liquid slowly. He had a complicated relationship with this particular brand of poison. The color reminded him of the burned sugar syrup his mother used to make for him and the smell of the bottles he'd pick up and throw out after she passed and his dad almost followed her into the grave. Taking a sip, he loved the taste and hated the burn.

"So tell me." Lucifer started in a low voice as they leaned against the bar. "How come you aren't afraid of the big, evil Devil?"

Stiles snorted. "You'd have to actually be evil for that."

"You don't believe I am?" The fallen angel asked, shocked, and Stiles had the sudden urge to go burn a church. Really, he'd never understood where christians got their wild ideas about the Devil being evil from, even before he had known the stories his mother had told him as a child hadn't been just stories. He didn't have a particularly good opinion of God but how dumb would someone have to be to put the embodiment of evil in charge of the Hordes of Hell? The Universe would have been ashes and dust before humanity had even been an idea in Lucifer's dad's head! 

"No." Stiles answered simply.

"So you know who I am, but what about you?" The archangel asked curiously, changing the subject as he relaxed slightly. "I can't seem to tell what you are, other than that you have a connection to the void."

"If I ever figure it out I will get back at you." He said honestly, it was only fair since he knew so much about Lucifer even though they've never met. "I was born human and someone once told me I had a spark. Never figured out exactly what that meant until I got possessed." -Stupid Deaton! So much death could have been avoided if that stupid piece of shit had just told them things instead of being cryptic all the time!-  

"I banned possession centuries ago!" The angel's turned red with hellfire as he growled and the sound went straight to Stiles' cock. Fuck, that was hot! It was just the reminder of the conversation they were having that stopped him from jumping the other man right there. 

He took a deep breath to cool himself down before he answered. "It wasn't one of yours." 

"How did you survive?" Lucifer deflated as the anger melted out of his posture and Stiles almost pitied the poor foolish idiot that had caused him to ban possession in the first place. 

"I didn't, not really. That body died to expell it, this one is..." Stiles sipped his whiskey with a shrug. "...something else. Born from the ashes, so to speak. Not fully belonging to the void but definitely not human anymore." He stopped for a moment before deciding to go on, it wasn't something he liked talking about but he wanted Lucifer to know the truth before they went any further.

"It showed me its memories, to mess with my mind. I saw the emptiness of the void, the Big Bang and the War..." The spark admitted and pretended not to see the pain that flashed through the other's eyes or the way his hand tightened around his glass. If this was painful for Stiles to recall, it had to be even more so for Lucifer who had led the Lilim in that war. "It stayed on the fringes of the battlefields to avoid detection, at first out of curiosity of the new creatures fighting its kin and then it got its first taste of pain. Of suffering. Of chaos. It craved more, couldn't get enough. It even risked getting closer to the battles, I saw so many angels and demons dying, bleeding, broken as it stood besides them and just fed on their pain..." Stiles closed his eyes as the memories threatened to overwhelm him but a warm hand closed around his own. He'd never told this to someone who understood, to someone who'd been there. The others had tried to be there for him when he had finally opened up but they just didn't understand... and he didn't want them to.

"When the war was over it ran." He eventually continued. "But the hunger... it never left, so when your father created more races it started answering their prayers for revange in order to have access pain and suffering." So much suffering... "Void, that's what it called itself."

Void had been neither good nor evil because it'd had no feelings of it's own. That had been the hardest thing for Stiles to accept in the end, that the being who caused so much pain hadn't been evil. Hadn't been capable of having feelings of it's own at all. All it had known was hunger and no matter how much it had fed, it hadn't been enough. "One day a summoner changed her mind, she didn't want the kind of chaos that it created, so she captured it and locked it away... until I unknowingly freed it."

And then it had forced Stiles to live its life in 7D. He was aware that for the people there he had never existed, that he hadn't really been there but for him it had all been real. He had experienced it all knowing they couldn't hear him or see him or feel him because he hadn't actually been there. In hindsight it had been stupid of him to even pretend to be the same old Stiles from before when changing had been inevitable. For the rest of the world a few months might have passed but for him it had felt like eternity. Eons, trapped in his own mind, being forced to watch other people suffer and knowing it was too late to help any of them.

Lucifer squeezed his hand to bring him out of his thoughts. "You seem quite at ease with all of this."

"I've decided that I'm not going to change who I am for other people, not anymore." Stiles shrugged. He'd tried to pretend he was still human and it hadn't worked. The people who didn't accept him as he was weren't worth it. "Acceptance of everything else came with that."

"How did that work out for you?" The angel asked, there was something in his voice that told Stiles it was out of more than simple curiosity.

He grinned. "Great. You?" 

"Wonderfully." Lucifer rose his glass. "To being us."

"To being us." The spark agreed, knocking their glasses together. 

They drained the glasses before the beautiful man looked into Stiles' eyes, leaning closer. "You're an interesting one, Stiles Stilinski. Tell me." He whispered. "What is it that you truly desire?"

For a moment Stiles felt himself getting lost in those pools of darkness, felt the need to spill his deepest secrets. He had resisted Void for a long time though, so shaking off Lucifer who wasn't even trying was easy. "I thought I made what I desire very obvious." He smirked, running a hand up the angel's thigh as he moved to whisper in his ear. "The question is, Lucifer Morningstar, what do you desire?"

Stiles woke up hours later to the most annoying sound in the world, feeling more satisfied than he had in a really long time. -There was something to be said about sex with someone who knew what he was doing... and he had done it very, very well, many, many times.- Turning around he cursed the loss of that perfect warmth he'd had to leave behind when he moved out of Lucifer's hold in search of his phone and found it somewhere on the floor next to the bed.

"Peter." He hissed, shifting to lay on his back once more. "It's..." Lifting the phone, he squinted at the screen. "...six in the morning!"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the call. "... Why are you whispering, do you have company already? Are they hot?" The eldest Hale teased.

"Your inner creep is showing again, Uncle Peter." Stiles paused, before turning around to where the angel was still sleeping peacefully. "...And yes, he's gorgeous. Now tell me about this favor you want me to do in your place." It wouldn't be the first time Peter had found a job for him but this time it had sounded personal when the other man had asked him to go to Los Angeles.

"You're not doing my contact a favor in my place." His friend corrected. "You're doing me a favor because the Hales owe him a favor and I can't get there right now. This is a delicate situation and I wouldn't trust the three little idiots not to mess it up." 

The spark tried to imagine Derek, Cora or Malia trying to deal with something in a delicate manner... that would go about as well as an elephant in a china shop. He sighed. "So what's this job he wants you to do?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask."

"You didn't ask." Stiles repeated flatly. You never agreed to do something without knowing what it was! Peter of all people should have known better than that!

"This is not the kind of person you cross and I'm not suicidal." That was debatable, for someone with such a strong sense of self preservation, Stiles remembered him doing a lot of dangerous bordering on stupid shit. For good reasons, granted, but it had still been suicidal. "The back then Hale Alpha had made a deal with him a few centuries ago to escape some hunters, he helped the pack get out of Europe and come to the Americas." Peter explained.

"So you owe him big time." Stiles already knew he was going to try his best to do this, he might not be a Hale but as far as he was concerned they were his pack, and they were his family. "Are you going to tell me his name now?"

"Lucifer Morningstar." Stiles groaned and there was a chuckle all the way across the world. "He's in your bed isn't he?"

"...No?" He answered a little too late.

"Are you in his bed?" He could basically hear the smirk in Peter's voice. The bastard was so enjoying this. -Absentmindedly he realized there was no way he'd ever be able to call Peter Satan in a V-neck ever again, Lucifer was far too nice to be compared to him even as a joke!-

"How was I supposed to know he was the client you wanted me to meet?!" He growled lowly. "You didn't tell me his name!" 

"Only you would manage to find the King of Hell in the City of Angels within hours of getting there, love." The bastard laughed loudly enough Stiles felt Lucifer start to stir at his side. 

"Bye, Peter!" He snarled, closing the call to laughter still echoing from the other side and threw a forearm over his eyes.

"Is everything alright?" Lucifer asked, moving closer to wrap an arm around his waist and Stiles nearly melted back into him. He hummed as he felt a soft kiss to his shoulder. "Having regrets?"

"No." He answered before the angel could get the wrong idea and shifted around until they were facing each other, kissing Lucifer on the lips before answering. "It's just that apparently I'm supposed to meet you for a job later. I don't usually mix business with pleasure, it tends to turn messy if I have to turn a job down for any reason."

"Oh..." Realization downed in the dark beautiful eyes. "You're the Hale."

"I'm not a Hale but Peter had sent me." He agreed.

"I promise I won't get mad if you have to do that." Lucifer grinned. "And I never lie." Why didn't that surprise the spark at all?

Stiles sighed and ran his hand through messy dark hair before nodding slowly. It was already too late to back up now, anyway. He recognized the feeling coiling in his gut like a snake, he knew it all too well. He'd felt it with Lydia and Malia and Derek, he'd even felt it with other people he hadn't been in love with, though a little differently. His mom, his dad, Scott, Kira... It was a desire to protect. It wasn't shocking that he was feeling it as much as it was that he was feeling it for someone he had met barely hours before and yet he couldn't stop it and if he was honest, he didn't want to. Maybe it was because this man, this wonderful being, had been hurt again and again since the dawn of humanity and Stiles already knew he would do anything to shield him from further pain. 

The spark knew he could come across as... intense, when it came to relationships, which his exes could attest to while exasperatingly rolling their pretty eyes. An all in kind of guy who didn't know how to do half measure in anything, Lydia had said when they had still been dating and he hadn't slept for three nights in order to to build something for one of her projects. She had considered it a little intimidating, Malia had thought it made him a protector... Derek had found it 'cute'. He knew he fell fast and hard and once he focused his attention on someone, he gave everything for them. Trying to keep Lucifer might be the worst idea he's ever had but Stiles was too invested already to easily let go. He knew that once he got on the map of the celestial world he would never be able to get off of it, and that not all of them were as accepting as Lucifer. If he stayed, things might get messy. The archangels weren't going to take his existance well, let alone him dating their precious brother.

Most people seemed to be of the opinion that Lucifer's siblings have hated him since The Fall but Void had eavesdropped more than once, enjoying the sweet pain of their heartbreaks, and Stiles knew siblings. Even when him and Scott had been at their worst during the Dread Doctors fiasco, even now that they have drifted apart and were not even pack anymore, Stiles would rip out the hearts of anyone who would try to hurt his brother. Him and Scott could fight all they wanted but if someone else stuck their nose where it didn't belong they better pray it wouldn't get removed. Stiles might be powerful enough not to worry about most things but other celestials... that might actually hurt, especially if that other celestial was Michael. Not that Lucifer needed someone else to fight his battles but the universal consensus was that the twins were very protective of each other.

So yes. Attempting a relationship with Lucifer had some risks, -The archangel's dozens of siblings, for example, should really come with a warning sign. Stiles knew what they were capable of, some of them were like toddlers with shotguns. The fact that the Universe had yet to blow up was a testament to Lucifer's and Michael's good job herding that particular flock of well intentioned idiots so far.- but Stiles enjoyed a little bit of chaos, he decided as he leaned in for another kiss... they didn't stop there.