Chapter Text
"Take this," said Maze, holding out a zippered tote bag.
Rory eyed it skeptically.
"Don't give me the sulk-eye. If I can handle the king of Hell when he's in a mood, don't think for a second that you scare me."
Rory snatched the canvas strap and slung it tight over her shoulder, pointedly not looking at Maze, into the bag, or toward the elevator.
Maze folded her arms. Eve gave her a knowing look and shook her head. "You don't have to go, you know," she said. "Your dad is more than capable of checking on Hell without you. He went by himself the first two times."
Rory shrugged.
"They're just …awful!" she burst out. "First, Lucifer decides not to go back to Hell full time, which basically means he was cool with wiping me from existence—"
"She's back to calling him 'Lucifer,'" Maze noted.
"Now he's just …so into this," she snapped. "You know where he is right now?"
"With your mom at her ultrasound," Eve filled in.
"With my mom at her ultrasound," Rory shuddered. "It was one thing when I found out Trixie got game night, but they're ignoring me for …me. It's too weird."
"Wait until you get born," Eve said with a smile that only made Rory glower harder.
Maze rolled her eyes. "None of us know why you didn't disappear when Lucifer decided to put his money where his nads were and help Chloe raise you, but he'll be back any second and—"
The elevator doors slid open and Lucifer practically bounced down the stairs. "Aurora!" he said like the eponymous sunrise. "Come look at this," he said, waving a sheet of black plastic. "Chloe's doctor says you have wonderful bone structure. I said I could have told him that, but then your mum tried to slap me. Hang on!" he trotted toward the kitchenette in the company of no one but his inability to read the room. Eve and Maze exchanged a glance while the sound of rummaging and at least one springing noise.
"Maze? My refrigerator isn't magnetic is it?"
"Nope," Maze called back. "We went for wood inlay. Reclaimed mahogany. You traded two internships at Southeby's for it."
"That's what I get for good taste, I suppose." He held up the ultrasound. "I'll just have to have it framed. Maybe the Getty can part with a mounting." He gave a quick laugh. "Given that—"
"Please do not finish that joke," Rory called back.
"If you insist, but it was a good one." He set the ultrasound down on the bar and strutted toward them, where he gave Rory a quick look up and down. "Ready to head out?"
"I tried to tell her to wear something practical," said Eve. "Hell isn't exactly anyone's first choice for a getaway."
"Nah," Maze nodded, twanging one of the spikes on Rory's wrists. "She'll do fine." Lucifer, still wrapped up in the events of the day, didn't notice the smirk she aimed at the back of his head. "Just remember, the king is the land."
"Huh?"
"You heard me, Pinky. The king is the land."
"Don't call me Pinky," Rory dulled back.
"Well you're certainly not the brain."
Lucifer loosed his wings with a whoosh that made Rory hold Maze's tote bag tighter. "Ready to head out, darling?" he asked. "Pop down, save a few souls, pop back up before doors open downstairs." He brightened. "Maybe while we're down there, we'll churn up a few ideas about how to explain you to the Urchin. I know your mum's been noodling about that."
Rory's sigh could have registered five points on the Richter scale, but she spread her wings with a roll of her shoulders.
"You sure you don't want to come, Mazikeen? I know a few demons who'd do well to remember your blade."
She shook her head. "Nah. Have fun with take your daughter to damnation day."
Rory pinched the bridge of her nose. "Let's get this over with."
"That's the spirit!"
Eve picked up the transparency and held it up to the light. "What I wouldn't have given for one of these back in my day. Would've been nice to know that Kalmana was going to come out feet first. Almost gave Adam a heart attack."