Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I will never understand why you humans insist on displaying trees inside your houses at this time of year,” said Lucifer as he helped Chloe situate a six-foot evergreen tree in the living room. “My brother and the Doctor have one, you all have one at the precinct along with a menorah and a kinara, and now here.”

“I’m helping decorate one at Daddy’s house too tomorrow,” said Trixie excitedly.

“Great, even Daniel and dear Charlotte have a tree,” said Lucifer.

“Oh, don’t be such a Scrooge, Lucifer. It’s supposed to be the most festive time of year,” said Chloe.

“Oh, on the contrary, I enjoy some aspects of the holidays: hot women dressed in slutty Santa suits; boozy eggnog; and enjoying some time underneath the mistletoe, for example.”

“But I have the feeling those days will soon be long behind you,” Chloe said and stood up straighter, rubbing her abdomen for emphasis. “Time to create some new family Christmas traditions.”

Lucifer sighed, but nodded. As much as he despised some of humankind’s strange behavior and traditions, along with most children, he did have to admit Los Angeles was now his home, and he had his biological and found family. And seeing Amenadiel with Charlie and Dan with Trixie and Zoe had actually made him want that kind of life for himself, but only with Chloe, obviously. And though he would still poke fun at everything, when Amenadiel showed him pictures of him, the Doctor, and Charlie with Santa or Dan discussed baking cookies with Trixie and finding adorable outfits for Zoe, it made Lucifer believe that maybe he could do it too and not completely screw it up. Lucifer shook his head in amusement. He never thought he’d see the day where he was getting parenting advice from his brother and Detective Douche.

“Lucifer?” Chloe called from where she was hanging a few ornaments on the tree.

“Hmm?” asked Lucifer, taking himself out of his revere.

“Are you all right?”

“Just pondering a few things,” answered Lucifer honestly. He helped hang ornaments on the tree and display decorations throughout the house. He would never admit it, but there was a sense of thrill at watching Chloe’s and Trixie’s excitement increase as the house became more and more festive. Lucifer had only ever bothered to decorate Lux because his customers expected a Christmassy atmosphere from about the day after Halloween through two weeks after New Year’s. Other than displaying a tree, hanging some red-and-green sparkly lights, dressing his staff in Santa suits, and serving some Christmas cocktails, he had never engaged in a traditional Christmas.

But this year felt different somehow. He had never dreamed he would have a child of his own, as he loathed the obnoxious little creatures. Sure, he had a soft spot for Trixie, Charlie, and Zoe, but he was more than happy to hand the screaming monsters back to his brother and the Doctor or Daniel and dear Charlotte when they started, well, screaming. Except when Linda and Amenadiel or Charlotte asked him to calm their babies with his unique method. Dan still didn’t know about it to this day. And despite the noise and the nappies and the nonsense rituals, he had found himself wanting all that with the Detective.

And now, here he was: four months away from fatherhood. He still couldn’t believe he was going to be a father. He still wrestled with whether or not he was going to be a good one. Amenadiel and Dan assured him he would, because that’s how all expectant fathers felt, but he was the Devil for crying out loud. He could not possibly be a good father. Sure, he had never believed he would find love, and he had found that with Chloe, and Trixie probably considered him like a father to her, but he still wasn’t her father. Daniel was. And Lucifer was Charlie’s uncle; Amenadiel was Charlie’s father. He had no idea how to parent his own offspring. He didn’t even know how to do Christmas properly.

Once the Decker house was decorated, Chloe turned to Trixie and said, “Monkey, why don’t you go get ready to go over to Amenadiel and Dr. Linda’s house? Ms. Ella and Officer Carol are watching you, your sister, and Charlie over there this week.”

“Okay.” Trixie went to her room and slid the door shut.

Chloe turned to Lucifer and sashayed over to him. “Planning on a wild Sunday afternoon, Detective?”

“Mm. Three moms, and two of the three of us can’t drink. It’s going to be really wild.”

“Well, I’m sure Linda can make up for you and Charlotte,” Lucifer joked.

“It’s just a late lunch, Lucifer. I don’t know what you, Amenadiel, and Dan discuss during your Sunday get togethers at Lux, but ours are usually about jobs and kids.”

Jobs and kids? That’s the future Lucifer was destined for? Not conversations about sex and booze, but jobs and kids? “Very well, then.”

The couple kissed, and Trixie came back out into the living room. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

Lucifer nodded as Chloe and Trixie left, and he drove over to Lux soon after. He no longer lived above it in the penthouse; ever since Chloe revealed the pregnancy, he had moved into her place, and Maze and Eve had taken his place at the penthouse. Another reminder he was no longer a single bachelor, but would soon have a family and…responsibilities. How DID his brother and Detective Douche make it look so easy? And what was happening to him?

When Lucifer arrived, Dan and Amenadiel were already at the bar, and he sat in between the two. Amenadiel slid a glass of whiskey over toward Lucifer and said, “Already ordered for you, Lucy.”

“Thanks,” Lucifer acknowledged Amenadiel before proceeding to down the entire glass in one gulp. He pointed to the bartender for another round.

“Problems?” asked Dan as he glanced between Lucifer and the whiskey glass.

“No, just…” Lucifer took a smaller sip this time. “What Christmas traditions do you both do with your children?”

“Well, I’ll admit I’m not familiar with a lot of them, so I allow Linda to take the lead. But we took Charlie to see Santa and we decorated our house and we’ll leave milk and cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve. Plus, Linda bought him a lot of presents.”

“Hear hear.” Dan lifted his beer in acknowledgment, indicating Charlotte had done the same.

“Daniel.” Lucifer looked over at Dan.

Dan sighed and took a swig of his beer. “My Christmas tradition for many years was working. Chloe took care of everything. Now, I always make sure to make time to bake cookies with just Chloe and Trixie. We also decorate gingerbread houses together and drive around town to see Christmas lights and watch Rudolph together as a family. With Zoe: well, she’s still a bit young yet, but I’m sure Charlotte and I will slowly figure out our own traditions with her. We already have one actually,” Dan admitted sheepishly.

“What’s that?” asked Amenadiel in curiosity.

“We’re doing…matching…Christmas pajamas,” Dan admitted, and the two brothers snickered. “Hey, we’re also going to read all of the classic Christmas tales to Zoe on Christmas Eve. And I love my wife, okay? Last Christmas, it was right after Zoe was born, so we didn’t do much since Charlotte wasn’t really up to it. All I know is that she is now determined to make what she considers our little girl’s first real Christmas perfect because she feels like she ruined last year’s. I try to tell her that it’s just her depression and anxiety talking and that it’ll be perfect no matter what she does, but I can’t help but empathize with her feelings and struggles. I already messed up with Trixie’s early years; I don’t want to mess up with Zoe’s as well. I also want everything to be perfect.”

“The perfect tree,” said Amenadiel.

“The perfect presents,” added Lucifer.

“The perfect Christmas card outfits and dress for the baby,” listed Dan.

“With a big red bow to match,” chimed in Lucifer.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not a girl dad, so I can’t relate to that last one,” said Amenadiel, to which the other two men chuckled.

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Over the next few weeks, Lucifer tried to make everything perfect. He was fabulous at coming up with spur of the moment acts of affection for Chloe, like when he gifted her with the necklace where the charm was the bullet she had shot him with or taking her to “prom” in his penthouse so she could dance with the love of her life at prom, but actually planning things was not his strong suit.

And truth be told, he didn’t have a clue on how to have a traditional Christmas like in the movies. For one thing, Los Angeles’s weather meant no snow. Chloe took care of most of the decorations, but other than that, Lucifer felt like he was beyond help. Sure, there were nights where the Detective worked late and he would throw the boozy, slutty Christmas party for Lux’s patrons—a party where he was more in his element—but there was that nagging feeling that as a soon-to-be father, he had to do better. Maze and Eve had their season planned out because, well, they were still all about the parties. Carol and Ella were so Hallmark adorable that they had their cards sent out and their gifts acquired. Even his brother and stupid Daniel along with Linda and dear Charlotte had it all together for their little angels—literally and figuratively. And there he was: clueless.

Sure, he enjoyed some of the traditions. The holiday party at work had been a hoot with the white elephant gift exchange and the ugly sweater contest and the food. He had purchased a bottle of whiskey for the white elephant exchange and had somehow ended up with a belly button bum bag while everyone else competed for booze and heated blankets and Christmas biscuits. And somehow, it seemed that the Espinozas were allowed to play together as a team to get the best gifts for each other, which Lucifer felt should have somehow been against the rules. Dan also won the ugly sweater contest—good thing, as that light-up reindeer apparel he called a sweater was odious—followed by Ella with a hideous glowing tree and then one of the other officers with a Hanukkah sweater with a menorah that glowed and belted out Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah. Overall, it had been a good time.

He had also enjoyed watching Christmas movies with the Detective and her offspring, albeit they were all so sappy it made him want to vomit. He had helped Chloe buy gifts for the little urchin, most of them space themed, along with a few toddler toys for Charlie and Zoe.

But the gifts; oh, his Father, the gifts. Amenadiel wasn’t much about them. Maze was always satisfied with new weapons. The Doctor enjoyed books. Ella loved stuff to do with science. He usually bought Daniel some gag gift, and a new pair of stilettos was the way to Charlotte’s heart as much as a jumbo pack of chocolate pudding was to Dan’s. The woman had to own at least forty pairs of high heels. Even the Detective’s offspring was satisfied with anything related to outer space. But Chloe…

Lucifer finally went out and bought a gift. But it wasn’t a unique gift. It wasn’t the bullet necklace. It wasn’t the waffle charm bracelet Dan had gifted Charlotte in the honeymoon stage of their relationship where Lucifer thought it was kind of dorky, but Charlotte had loved it. Oh Dad. Detective Douche was actually beating Lucifer in the romance department. Lucifer never thought he’d see the day.

On Christmas morning, Trixie woke them up early. Kids waking up early on Christmas morning to find presents their parents had bought them, or that Santa had brought them as they told their offspring. Another thing Lucifer didn’t understand. Nevertheless, Trixie had loved all her presents, and she had yet to open Dan’s gifts he would bring her when they went over to Linda and Amenadiel’s house later that day. Chloe handed Lucifer a gift bag with Santa and some reindeer on it and smiled. “Merry Christmas, Lucifer.”

Lucifer looked through the tissue paper, and once he realized what was in the bag, he pulled out the bottle of Macallan single malt scotch whiskey, one of the most expensive brands out there. “Detective,” he said to Chloe, “you shouldn’t have.”

“Of course, I should have. I love you, and it’s Christmas.”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” shouted Lucifer, promptly opening the bottle and taking a swig straight out of it. “Because all I got you was this.” He handed a tiny box to Chloe.

Chloe opened the box and found two ornaments underneath the lid. They were picture frames: one was a house and had Lucifer, Chloe and Trixie as the picture. The other had the sonogram of the baby in it, and the inscription read So small, so sweet, so very loved. “Lucifer, it’s perfect.”

“No, it’s not, Chloe; it’s bloody cliché. I didn’t know what to get you that would be special, so I just bought two ornaments and stuck a few pictures in them. But you deserve better. Trixie deserves better. Our daughter deserves better. I don’t know how to do a traditional perfect Christmas. I know how to drink spiked eggnog and snog under the mistletoe and watch sexy Santas dance. I don’t know how to decorate a tree or sing carols or find perfect gifts. And next year, I’ll be celebrating Christmas as a father. I don’t know how to be a dad, let alone celebrate Christmas as a dad. My brother knows how. Hell, even stupid Daniel knows how. But I’m the Devil. The Devil doesn’t know how to do Christmas. Not a proper one at least.” Lucifer finally ceased his pacing and sat down on the couch.

Chloe scooted closer to Lucifer and took his hand. “Lucifer,” she said, “I know this is going to sound cliché, but Christmas isn’t about the tree or the presents or the food or any other tradition you think means Christmas. It’s about being together. It’s about spending time with friends and family. Most of all, it’s about love. And we share a lot of that. Even you in your own way.” She smiled softly at him, and he smiled back. “Now, we need to get ready to go over to Amenadiel and Linda’s house.”

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They all arrived at the party, and they were some of the last to arrive other than Maze and Eve. “Hi, Daddy.” Trixie ran over to Dan.

“Hey, Monkey, Merry Christmas.” Dan hugged her, and Trixie greeted Charlotte and Zoe before she began unwrapping her presents from them.

Lucifer and Chloe stepped further into the house and were greeted by Amenadiel, who was sporting a Christmas tree jacket. “Lucy, Chloe.” He smiled.

“Brother, do you realize you are literally a walking, talking six-foot tall Christmas tree?” asked Lucifer.

“Yes, I know it looks ridiculous, but Charlie loves it,” said Amenadiel. The group of three glanced over at Charlie and Zoe toddling around the house, though Charlie was much more proficient at it than Zoe, as the recently turned one-year-old had only started walking about a week or so ago.

“All right; let’s get this party started,” shouted Maze as she entered the house with Eve. The two women were sporting matching strapless red velvet dresses with white fur trim, knee-high black boots, and Santa hats.

“Gosh, Maze, there are kids here,” said Linda.

“And that’s why we made sure to have underwear and tights on compared to how we wore these outfits last night.” Maze smiled and licked her lips toward Eve, who smiled and winked back.

“You’re always sexy no matter what you’re wearing or not wearing, honey,” she whispered in Maze’s ear.

“Here, we got these for Charlie and Zoe.” Maze handed Linda and Charlotte stacks of picture books, thankfully of the child-friendly variety.

“Thanks, we needed a new set of books to read,” said Charlotte. “You can tell she’s bored with the old ones.”

“Well, everything is ready,” said Linda. She gestured both couples further into the house.

The day wore on as everyone exchanged gifts, sang carols, drank eggnog or other Christmassy drinks, and ate dinner and various desserts. And Lucifer suddenly noticed a change in himself. No, not his heart growing three sizes or the urge to go out and wish everyone a Happy Christmas after being the town curmudgeon, but as he looked around the room, he began to believe that maybe Chloe was right about what Christmas was all about after all. “Hey.” Speaking of Himself.

Chloe took a seat next him, and Lucifer said, “Maybe you were right.” He took a swig of whiskey from his flask.

“About what?”

“About what Christmas is all about. Maybe it’s not about finding the perfect present or trimming the tallest tree. Something always goes wrong. The roast turkey and the pudding get burnt—not to be confused with Daniel’s beloved snack—someone inevitably hates their gift and pretends not to, and there’s always a fight. But that’s what families do. And we are a family. Whether that’s Amenadiel and Linda showing Charlie all the decorations, or Maze and Eve snogging under the mistletoe, or Carol and Ella sipping hot cocoa by the fireplace, or Trixie showing Zoe how to shake a rattle or stack blocks, or Daniel and Charlotte sporting hideous jumpers—seriously, those things are beyond the traditional ugly Christmas sweaters. Ugly Christmas sweaters are offended by them."

Chloe chuckled. "Now, that is a true Christmas miracle that Charlotte got Dan to wear that ugly thing."

"But I digress. What matters is we’re all here together.”

Chloe smiled and kissed him. “And next Christmas is going to be even more special.”

Lucifer laid his hand on her abdomen. “Indeed.”

“Merry Christmas, Lucifer.”

“Happy Christmas, Detective. So, what do you say? Do you want the chance to snog under the mistletoe?”

Chloe looked over at Maze and Eve. “I think Maze and Eve have that territory covered.” Lucifer couldn’t help but smile and chuckle as he enjoyed the moment with his found family.

Chapter Text

Chloe’s phone buzzing interrupted her morning breakfast with Lucifer, Trixie, and Rory. It was Dan. “Hello?” Chloe answered.

“Chloe, don’t send Trixie over here after school today.”

“Why not?”

“Zoe wasn’t feeling well all day yesterday, so Charlotte stayed home with her. Now, Charlotte woke up this morning with a fever, chills, body aches, and a massive headache.”

“Guessing Zoe brought the flu home from preschool?”

“Yeah, and this is what happens when we procrastinate with getting our flu shots. I just hope I’m not next.”

“Luckily, you’ve always had an immune system made of steel,” said Chloe. “Hope Zoe and Charlotte feel better soon.”

“Thanks,” said Dan, and Chloe disconnected.

“Well, Monkey, looks like you’re staying with the three of us an extra week. Dad says Charlotte and Zoe have the flu.”

“Yuck.” Trixie wrinkled her nose. “Definitely not going over there. Zoe brings home everything.”

“Well, children are the best producers of germs,” said Lucifer.

“Believe me, you did the same thing when you were Zoe’s age. You were always getting me sick.” Chloe turned from Trixie to Lucifer. “And just wait until Rory starts school.”

“Oh goody,” said Lucifer sarcastically before glancing over at his daughter, looking all cute and angelic.

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Once Dan had finished calling Chloe, he went upstairs to check on his wife and youngest daughter. He entered the master bedroom, where Charlotte was spread out starfish style on the bed; she appeared to be asleep, but she blinked her eyes open when she heard noise. “Hey,” Dan threw a blanket over her when she shivered, “how are you feeling?”

“I think I’d rather give birth again over this. At least that comes with an epidural and a prize at the end of the misery.” Charlotte coughed. “I haven’t felt this miserable in ages. I forgot what it felt like to be really sick.” She shivered again.

Dan felt her forehead. “I’m gonna check to see how high, but you definitely have a fever.”

“Mommy!”

Charlotte moaned, both out of pain and frustration. “I’m coming, sweetheart.” She gingerly sat up and moaned again, but Dan gently pushed against her chest.

“You’re not going anywhere. I’ll take care of her.”

“No, I always made Elliot care for the kids when they were sick. I’m not doing that to you.” Charlotte stood and wavered in place before collapsing onto the bed again, as she was too weak to walk further.

“The difference is that you would just go to work to get the people we arrested off, like all the True Believer attorneys. Now, you’re truly sick.”

Charlotte glared daggers up at Dan. “True Believer? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Dan’s face fell. “I…”

“Mommy!”

“I better go check on her.” Dan quickly left the room before Charlotte could lay into him. He ran into Zoe’s room, and the almost five-year-old was shivering as well. “Mija, what’s wrong?”

“I feel yucky. My head hurts and my tummy hurts and I’m cold.”

“Here, I can try to help you with one of those things.” Dan snuggled Zoe under the comforter. “I’ll be right back, Peanut.” Dan went to the bathroom and grabbed the thermometer, children’s Motrin, and ibuprofen tablets from the medicine cabinet before returning to Zoe’s room. He checked her temperature. “Here,” Dan poured the medicine into the little plastic cup, “this will help make you feel better.” He helped Zoe swallow the berry-flavored liquid. “I’ll go get some water for you.”

“Daddy, where’s Mommy?”

“She feels yucky too, mija. I think she has the same bad germ you do. But don’t worry; I’ll take good care of Mommy too.” Dan smiled. Zoe nodded and closed her eyes. Dan quietly closed the door behind him and went back to the master bedroom, where Charlotte had dozed off again. Dan tapped her shoulder, and she opened her eyes. “All right. Zoe’s was 101.3; let’s see how bad yours is.” He ran the thermometer across her forehead. “102.7. Hopefully, these will help.” He handed her the pills and the water glass from her bedside table. He also wrapped the blanket around her when she started shivering again.

“What would I do without you?” A small hint of a smile developed on her face.

“You would have tried to go into work, or at least tried to work from home.”

“I do have two pleas and a disposition next week I need to prepare for.”

“What you need is sleep,” Dan emphasized.

“But I suck at lying in bed and doing nothing.” Charlotte yawned and coughed.

“And there’s a reason you keep dozing off: it’s your body telling you to slow down and sleep,” Dan emphasized again. “I’ll be downstairs if you need anything. Call me if need something like an expectorant or a suppressant for the cough or more to drink.”

Charlotte nodded and closed her eyes, but shot them open once again. “Zoe?”

“She was out like a light. I gave her the Motrin to bring her fever down. Now, sleep,” Dan emphasized a third time. Finally, Charlotte didn’t argue with his order and succumbed to her sheer exhaustion.

Dan washed his hands and spent the first hour thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting every surface of the house before sitting down to do some work he could do from home. It had been a while since he had dealt with multiple sick people in one house, but Lord knows when Trixie first started school, she had brought home everything from colds to RSV to strep throat and even a case of pink eye. Thankfully, it seemed that right now, both Charlotte and Zoe were contentedly sleeping.

Around lunchtime, Dan grabbed some water, juice, and Gatorade from the fridge before going upstairs. He noticed the door to the master bedroom open, and no one was in the bathroom. Dan stuck his head further into the former. “Dammit, that woman.” Suddenly, Dan noticed the door to Zoe’s room opened a crack, so he pushed it open slightly further and peeked into the room. Charlotte was curled up in Zoe’s bed, and Zoe was snuggled against her mother’s chest and wrapped underneath Charlotte’s bathrobe. Charlotte’s arm was protectively draped over her daughter’s little body. Other than an occasional cough, sneeze, or sniffle from one or the other, they both looked so peaceful. His girls—well, two of his girls at least. Even being sick, Charlotte had still found a way to get exactly what she wanted. He tossed another blanket over mother and daughter and set the drinks on the bedside table before quietly leaving the room.

Zoe recovered first, if only because she was more than happy to lie around and nap, color, or watch TV all day. Charlotte, on the other hand, took much longer since she would attempt to do housework or work on a case whenever she felt slightly better until she would collapse from extreme exhaustion or further aggravate her cough. Dan had to finally lock away her laptop until further notice, or at least until the fever went down without medication and the nagging cough dissipated before it developed into pneumonia.

Finally, after twelve days, Charlotte was able to return to work with only some fatigue toward the end of the day and a lingering cough, though not as bad as it had been. Dan, miraculously, managed to dodge all the germs. “How did you manage to do that?” asked Chloe once he had proudly announced that fact to her and Lucifer.

“Lots of soap, hand sanitizer, and disinfectant wipes. Wore a mask around the house. Slept on the couch for several days and only used the upstairs bathroom to shower. And I’m just Superman when it comes to dodging illness.”

“I was going to kill him when he strutted around the house bragging about that last night,” said Charlotte. “By the way,” Charlotte leaned on Chloe’s desk, “Dan said something about me being known as a True Believer around here at the precinct when I was a defense attorney. What exactly does that mean?”

Chloe gave Dan an incredulous look, to which Dan mouthed, “Sorry.” Chloe turned back to Charlotte answered, “It means you were a very hard worker and were incredibly loyal to your clients.”

Charlotte stood straighter. “All right, then. If you need me, I’ll be in my office answering a ton of emails and rescheduling court dates.” She walked away and coughed a bit as she headed to her office.

“Dan.” Chloe stood upon Charlotte’s disappearance.

“I know. I’m sorry. I was trying to convince her to stay in bed and get some rest. Thankfully, Zoe saved me from having to answer her, because I would not have given her as well-crafted of a response as you did.”

“What? You would have accidentally said that True Believers are the most difficult attorneys to work with? Not you,” said Chloe sarcastically. “I’m surprised she didn’t try to kill you over that.”

“Thankfully, I already spent the last several days sleeping on the couch. Besides, her methods of letting me know she’s angry with me are forcing me to alphabetize her case files for her or serving me burnt coffee at breakfast. Now that I think about it, the coffee did taste a little off this morning, and she said she had a surprise for me later tonight. I’m starting to think it’s not a good surprise.”

“Maybe simply catching the flu would have been an easier punishment.” Chloe patted Dan’s shoulder jokingly. “Now, we have to go investigate that murder near the Griffith Observatory.”

After the day was over, Dan arrived home to a pile of unorganized case files on the kitchen table as well the sound of Charlotte’s and Zoe’s laughter coming from Zoe’s room.

Chapter Text

Linda came out into the front lobby of the practice. “Are you ready?” she asked Charlotte softly.

Charlotte’s breath shook as Dan rubbed her back. “We’ll be here.” He looked down at Zoe sleeping peacefully in his arms.

Charlotte followed Linda to her office and took a seat on the couch. Linda found her notepad on her desk and sat in her chair across from Charlotte. Linda didn’t speak at first, but soon commented, “It’s been a month since you started treatment.” Charlotte nodded hesitantly. “Have you been taking the sertraline I prescribed for you?”

“Yes,” Charlotte answered, “Dan makes sure of that.”

“And they’re helping?” ventured Linda.

“Somewhat,” said Charlotte, “I’m not quite as anxious about things.”

“It can take several weeks to reach maximum effectiveness. But medication is only part of this journey,” said Linda.

“I know,” Charlotte whispered softly. “But I don’t even know where to begin.”

“Well, postpartum depression often has multiple contributing factors. One is often hormonal shifts after birth. Hence, the Zoloft. But there are also often other underlying factors many moms aren’t aware of.” Linda looked at her notes. “You mentioned last week that everything was harder this time around.”

Charlotte blew out a breath and nodded. “With my other two kids, I barely knew I was pregnant. Only became aware when I had a doctor’s appointment or they kicked me in the ribs. No morning sickness, no major symptoms or changes other than the boobs and the belly. Breezed through pregnancy. Then, I went into labor, labored at home until my water broke, went to the hospital, got my epidurals, and they took away the pain; took a nap, woke up, and met my babies. I felt in control, because everything went as it should have.” Charlotte leaned forward a little. “To be honest, I mainly had kids because Elliot wanted to be a father so badly. He did everything for me; I owe him so much, yet I neglected him, cheated on him, and abandoned him. And now, I’m doing the exact same thing to Dan.”

Linda nodded and said, “I notice you mentioned feeling more in control with your other two pregnancies, and I know you’ve admitted to me you can be a…”

“A control freak?” Linda smiled and nodded. “I suppose it’s because I was raised that way. My mom was a judge, and my dad was a high-powered attorney. Both were very structured and ‘you can succeed at anything if you work hard’ kind of people. I was their only child, and they nurtured a love of the legal field in me at a young age. I always said I was going to be just like Mommy and Daddy when I grew up. My mom and I were close. She always told me I was going to be the next judge of the family.”

“I’ve met with you quite a few times before, and I believe this is the first time you’ve mentioned your parents. Sounds like you had a relatively nice childhood.”

“It was, until I reached high school, and my mom was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. Life revolved around her treatment then. I threw myself into sports and debate team to cope with the stress. She went into remission for a while. We started looking at colleges together.” Charlotte smiled at the memories. “Then, her cancer returned, and it had spread to her bones and lymph nodes.” Charlotte started to cry, and Linda handed her a tissue. “She passed when I was sixteen.”

“I’m sure that was devastating to lose your mom so young.”

Charlotte nodded and sniffled. “I loved my father, but he could be a little overbearing sometimes. But he took Mom’s death hard too.”

“Since your father was also in the legal field, I assume he started helping you with plans for your future?”

“Yes, but…” Charlotte trailed off. “I wanted to go to William & Mary.”

“In Virginia?” asked Linda in surprise. Charlotte nodded. “But aren’t you a Stanford alumna like me?”

“Go Cardinals,” Charlotte joked. “William & Mary had a beautiful campus. Good law school. The east coast would have been a change of pace. But my dad mentioned that unless I was planning to move east, then the only east coast schools that were probably worth my while looking into were the Ivy Leagues or Duke if I wanted to be competitive for jobs here in California. But he highly recommended his own alma mater: Stanford.”

“Did you at least have a good experience there?” asked Linda as fond memories of her own college years flooded her.

“Yes, but...” Charlotte buried her face in her hands as her breath shook.

“Take your time,” said Linda gently.

“But even though I have fond memories of my college and law school years, there’s also some very dark things that happened that I don’t like remembering. I haven’t even told Dan any of this.”

“Everything you say remains between us,” Linda reminded her.

Charlotte took a deep breath and said, “It was my first time away from home, and I was really missing my mom, and I started experiencing these low moods and anxious thoughts. I also felt a lot of pressure to be the best student in my major, in my class, and eventually in my field. The first few years, I tried to manage these feelings I had with sports: volleyball and swimming. But they just disrupted my studies, which put more pressure on me. I started losing interest in the two sports I once loved. I started feeling empty, not sleeping well, didn’t want to eat or just ate junk food, became extremely agitated and anxious all the time. I didn’t know what was going on with me. I quit the teams my junior year because I knew I needed to get high LSAT scores in order to get into Stanford Law, and going to practices, volleyball matches, and swim meets would just cut into my study time. But I was exhausted all the time from the lack of sleep and had trouble concentrating, so I tried other methods to help me focus. First, I tried marijuana to help me relax, but I hated how unfocused and lethargic it made me feel. Then, I finally found my drug of choice: Adderall,” Charlotte uttered softly and stared across at Linda, but Linda just nodded in encouragement. “It helped me pull all-nighters, focus harder, and gave me the energy to be able to study for the LSAT and finish my papers in order to graduate from undergrad. Then, I started law school, and that was even more intense than undergrad. Everyone was so smart, and we were all competing for the highest exam grades, the best externships and clerkships, and the elite law review memberships. So many other students used Adderall too, so I didn’t think there was any harm in it.” Charlotte scrubbed her hands over her face again. “God, this is so embarrassing to admit.”

“Despite the stereotypes and what society claims, addiction doesn’t have a face, nor does it discriminate,” reminded Linda.

“It got to the point where I couldn’t function without a dose, and I had to double it in order to be able to focus on my studies, because one dose was no longer cutting it. I didn’t think I had a problem. I just needed a little help dealing with life, and Adderall helped me.” Charlotte twiddled her thumbs. “And Adderall is the reason I owe so much to Elliot.”

“You seem to still think highly of him despite him being your ex?”

“I know everyone thinks I hated him, but I don’t. Never did. Just pretended to for appearance’s sake.”

“How did you both meet?”

“At a party on campus when I was a 1L. He was an MBA candidate. Frankly, he was the only man that night not trying to get me in bed, which I suppose is why I spent all night with him. We hit it off instantly. At the end of the night, he escorted me back to my apartment and asked me out for coffee. A few weeks later, he asked me to go steady with him.”

“Sounds like a fairly normal way to meet someone. Yet you mention Adderall is the reason you owe him everything and why you feel remorse for treating him poorly.”

“Well, it got to the point where I suffered from some pretty severe symptoms if I didn’t have a hit. The anxious and depressing thoughts would return with a vengeance, I would have trouble sleeping, I’d get awful migraines, and I would get terrible tremors. He kept telling me I needed to see a doctor, because he didn’t understand what was wrong with me, and neither did I. Until one night, we went to dinner and a movie, and I started to crash and get the shakes halfway through the film, so I excused myself to go take my hit. Unbeknownst to me, he followed me, and he caught me popping about three or four pills. He didn’t get angry. He didn’t break up with me right on the spot. He simply took me back to my apartment and staged an impromptu intervention right there. Inquired how long I had been using and how often. I got very defensive at first, like any addict, because I didn’t believe I had a problem. But he never left me. He was persistent. Used logic to show me I had a problem. Took the lead in helping me get clean.” Charlotte started to break down. “He helped me find a local NA group and drove me there. Helped taper me off the drugs when I refused to go to a detox center and would accompany me to the hospital if I needed medical assistance. Helped me whenever I craved them by making himself available 24/7. Whenever I craved Adderall or was really feeling the withdrawal effects, he’d come over to my apartment immediately, no questions asked. He’d stay with me all night if he had to. He’d sleep in the same bed with me without pressuring me into any sort of sex or intimacy. Comforted me with nonsexual touch and massage. Never expected anything in return. I graduated law school and took and passed the bar drug free. Elliot proposed to me on a trip to Cabo we took to celebrate my graduation, and that trip was actually our first time being truly intimate, as I had completely fallen for him at that point. We were married that October.” Charlotte smiled fondly at the memories. “I did love him at one point. I wouldn’t have been able to have sex with him if I didn’t. I just…don’t feel sexual attraction otherwise.” Linda nodded, indicating she was still intently listening. “The first several months of our marriage were happy. But then, I passed the bar, got a job at Richards & Wheeler—well, Wheeler & Wheeler Law at the time—and I started to feel the pressures of life again. I fell off the wagon several times when I took on a few high-profile cases, but Elliot helped me yet again. Encouraged me to talk to my sponsor. Helped me replace Adderall with coffee. Never pressured me to do anything sexually. Then, we started trying for a baby. I was unsure about it, but he had convinced me that I’d be a good mom. Got pregnant with Micah on the first try. I knew at that point, I couldn’t take the drugs anymore no matter how much I wanted to, because I wanted to be a better role model for my child than a junkie. Well, Micah was born, and Ivy was born fifteen months later, as I wanted to get my childbearing years out of the way, so I disregarded doctor’s recommendations. But then, the pressures of having two kids under two got to be too much, so I just replaced Adderall with work when I started to crave it again. Let Elliot handle all of the childcare even when they were babies, and only occasionally fed them or changed a diaper here and there. Only took maternity leave because I needed to heal physically from childbirth. Went into the office early, and stayed late after my maternity leave was over. Spent so little time with Elliot that I fell out of love with him. I just felt like I was a terrible wife and mother, so I didn’t bother. I felt emotionally numb again, so I did what I knew I could do well: work. And Brad…” Charlotte trailed off, but as always, Linda nodded in encouragement. “Brad was always there with me, and I felt like Elliot was too good for me at that point. I just said I hated him to make Brad feel better once I started sleeping with him, but truth be told, there’s always going to be a part of me grateful for Elliot because he was there for me when I needed him the most. Well, I became completely monogamous with Brad, neglected Elliot and my children, and focused on my work once I made partner. Things were better, and I felt in control again when…”

“You went to Hell,” Linda completed.

“Lord knows what Lucifer’s mom did in my body other than completely sabotage what little good was left in my life. You, Lucifer, and Amenadiel all know what she did better than me. The only stable thing in my life since then has been…has been Dan. I have no idea how our relationship started, yet he’s always been there for me. A constant in a world of unfamiliarity. Ever since we started dating and got engaged and then married, I’ve felt the happiest I’ve been in a really long time. I never believed in the concept of soulmates before falling for Dan. And now I do, because he’s mine. As we talked about possibly having a baby together, I felt excited. Believed I could do it and actually be a good mom. We agreed to adjust to being married for a year, and then start trying for baby. But a couple days before our first anniversary, I found out I was pregnant with Zoe. It was a shock and not the plan, but I felt okay about it. I had done this twice before, so I thought I knew what to expect.”

“And you mentioned everything was harder for you this time around,” Linda commented again.

Charlotte nodded. “I didn’t breeze through pregnancy. I had more morning sickness that lasted into the second trimester. I gained more weight. I had more heartburn and headaches and heightened emotions along with aches and pains everywhere. And there were times my OB/GYN said my blood pressure was higher than it should have been, so I feared that I would develop preeclampsia. But then I thought, I’ll have the baby, and it will be fine. You’ve done this twice before, so you know what to expect, and you can handle it, because you know it’s manageable.”

“I take it the birth also wasn’t as you expected?”

“I mean, it’s natural, yet…”

“Scary,” Linda affirmed in understanding.

“With my other two, I felt it all in my abdomen. They felt like menstrual cramps on a mission, and they progressed how I expected them to, or how I was told they would. With Zoe, things got very intense very quickly, and the pain was all in my back, hips, and thighs, which I was completely unprepared for, and I didn’t know how to handle it. When I got to the hospital, I wasn’t progressing well because my body was fighting the extreme pain, so they started pushing Pitocin to get me to dilate faster to their liking. I said no and got the epidural to help me relax, but it didn’t work like the previous two times. It lessened the pain, but didn’t completely eliminate it, especially as labor progressed. They kept pushing Pitocin whenever I stalled until Dan finally put his foot down. I legitimately thought my hips would break or that Maze had snuck into the room and was carving out my sacrum with one of her knives or that baby was stuck and that I would need a C-section. I had to rely on Dan’s coaching and support way more than I expected to because I felt so out of control. His voice and his encouragement got me through it.”

“If it’s any consolation, most fathers look back on the day their child is born as one of the best days of their life,” said Linda softly.

“I know,” Charlotte agreed and sniffled. “But I’m still so used to maintaining my independence that it jarred me. I was so relieved when it was finally over and she was in my arms because it was so overwhelming and so painful. I could go home, forget the whole ordeal, and focus on my baby. But then, the recovery was almost as painful as the birth. The afterpains, the breast soreness from trying to get my milk to dry up since I formula feed, the general achiness everywhere. But I thought I’d at least have an easy-going baby since Micah and Ivy were fairly relaxed babies. But Zoe has colic and reflux issues and is difficult to calm, and I don’t know how to care for her, and I don’t know how to love her. I feel so overwhelmed and out of control again when I’m supposed to be the happiest I’ve ever been. I died, but got a second chance. A second chance at life. A second chance at a happy marriage. A second chance at motherhood. The first time I truly wanted it. She feels like my first baby, but then I feel guilty for considering her to be my first, because I know she’s not. Maybe that’s because I’ve seen Micah and Ivy twice in the past year. Once when Elliot brought them to meet their baby sister at the hospital, and once a few days after Christmas so I could give them their presents and they could see the baby. Elliot asked me if everything was all right. Even asked if I had relapsed and was using again. He still cares about me, even after everything I did to him. I lied and told him everything was fine, because I have to make the most of that second chance I've been given. And now, I’m squandering it like I did the first time. Pushing away Dan. Ignoring my daughter. Feeling inadequate as a wife and mother. At this rate, Dan and I will be divorced by the end of the year, and Zoe will come to resent me the way Micah and Ivy do. It’s getting better, but they’ll always prefer their dad to me.” Charlotte closed her eyes, and tears slid underneath her eyelids, smearing her eyeliner and mascara. “The worst part about this whole thing is…it’s gotten so bad that I’ve thought about obtaining Adderall to help me stay up later with the baby when she's extra fussy and have the increased focus to calm her.”

“But you haven’t?” asked Linda for confirmation.

Charlotte shook her head. “No, I haven’t had a dose since February, 2005: right before we started trying for Micah. Just have felt the strong urge to use again because of the stress and anxiety. I know sobriety is a better option, but the intense desire is still there.” Linda nodded in empathy. “That felt so good to get all of that off my chest.”

“That was very brave of you to openly admit all of that,” said Linda. The psychiatrist leaned slightly forward and said, “Charlotte, it sounds as if you’ve struggled with depression and anxiety for a long time, even if you didn’t know it, and as a result, you’ve attempted to cope with it in some very unhealthy ways.” Charlotte blew out a breath, but nodded in agreement at Linda’s assessment. “But now that you’ve admitted some of your struggles to me, we can really start your path to recovery.”

“But I never had this with my other two children. Why now?”

“You could have, and it might have just manifested differently. But also, every pregnancy and recovery is different, as you mentioned. Also, I think the combination of your postpartum hormones shifting and the fact that, deep down, you know you have a strong support system have finally made you brave enough to admit that you no longer want to struggle alone and you want to cope with this in a healthy way. And regarding the Adderall: if you feel you need it, and it sounds like you do, we have NA groups as well as addictions counselors here. If you need me to connect you with one, I’m more than willing to do so. If you’ve also lost contact with your previous sponsor, I can help with that too with finding you one here locally.” Charlotte nodded in gratitude. “Lastly, just as recovery from postpartum depression and anxiety are much more effective with the support of loved ones, addiction can be easier to cope with when you have the support of loved ones,” Linda said. “You mentioned Dan doesn’t know about your past struggles with Adderall abuse.”

“Come on, Linda, Elliot is a former stay-at-home dad and current businessman, and Brad’s a defense attorney, but Dan’s a cop,” said Charlotte. “He won’t react well if he learns his wife is nothing more than an addict.”

“Recovering addict who’s been sober for fifteen years and has temptations, just as we all do with our innermost desires, but clearly wants to maintain sobriety and is brave enough to admit she's struggling. And you mentioned Dan being your soulmate. Soulmates don’t lie to each other; they support each other.”

“Since when did Lucifer become my therapist?” Charlotte couldn’t help but chuckle, and Linda did as well. “One more thing: the Zoloft. Is it still safe for me to take?”

“It is,” Linda confirmed. “Especially if it helps treat your depression and anxiety in a healthy manner.”

“But…” Charlotte stuttered. “Will I be on it permanently?”

Linda hesitated to answer. “Maybe. Maybe not. But if you feel it helps, then as I’ve told you before, there is no shame in using modern medicine to treat things effectively, especially something you’ve been battling for much of your life. Sometimes, it is permanent, and that’s okay, because sometimes, when used properly, medication can help you feel in control.” Linda took Charlotte’s hand and squeezed it. “I’ll see you next week. You have my cell phone number if you need anything else before then.”

Charlotte stood to leave, but turned back before exiting as Linda went back to her desk. “Linda,” Linda looked up, “thank you.”

******************************************************************************************************************************************

Later that night, Dan and Charlotte prepared Zoe for bed before doing the same. As Zoe drifted off to sleep while she wrapped her tiny hand around Charlotte’s index finger, Charlotte couldn’t help but smile, relishing being able to look at her little girl and feel love and not overwhelming sadness, anger, or anxiety. “Did you take your medicine?” asked Dan gently, as he had been helping to make sure she had.

“Mmhm,” Charlotte confirmed.

“Did you have a good session with Linda today?” he inquired as he moved one hand from his latest issue of Wavelength Magazine to Charlotte’s leg and rubbed it soothingly.

“Yes,” she answered, though Dan felt her tense under his touch.

Dan scowled as he closed the magazine and placed it on his nightstand. He turned to face Charlotte and asked, “Did something happen today?”

“Yes, no…I…” Charlotte started to tear up, as she still struggled with symptoms from time to time, even with treatment. “Dan, promise me you won’t judge me for what I’m about to tell you?”

“Charlotte, I would never judge you or make you feel bad about something. What happened?”

Charlotte’s breath shook as she got out of bed and opened the closet. She pulled down a box which contained some of her possessions: yearbooks, diplomas, old photo albums, and a small plastic baggie with several colored tags in it. She tossed them onto the bed, and Dan grabbed the bag and looked through it before he recognized what they were. His work as a police officer had made it so he was familiar with them. “Are these Narcotics Anonymous sobriety tags?”

“Yes,” Charlotte whispered softly as she sat down on the bed, her back facing him.

Dan was a bit confused as to how she had them. “Char, how do you have these?”

Charlotte took a tag, a white one that read Just For Today, and held it in her hand, running her thumb over the gold letters. “Hello, my name is Charlotte, and I’m an Adderall addict,” she recited the well-known introduction.

Dan absorbed the news as he set the tags on the bed and sat up. He was deathly quiet, as he wasn’t sure how to respond. He took Charlotte’s trembling hand in his and asked, “Honey, have you been…?”

“No, I’ve been sober for fifteen years.” Dan breathed a visible sigh of relief. “But I used a lot in undergrad and law school and relapsed during the first few years of my career. I was taking three to five pills a day, at least. Elliot actually helped me gain sobriety,” said Charlotte. “But I’ve…” Charlotte hesitated.

“Take your time,” Dan said encouragingly.

“I’ve struggled with wanting to use again ever since Zoe was born and I started experiencing all these unstable emotions. To be able to have the ability to stay up all night with her when she won’t go to sleep. To be able to have the focus and concentration to comfort and soothe her. To be able to have the energy to get through the day and to go longer stretches at a time without rest both day and night to be able to care for her.”

“Charlotte,” Dan squeezed her hand, “please look at me.” Charlotte slowly turned around and looked at Dan, two set of blue eyes meeting. “It’s okay.”

“You’re a cop, Dan. How you view drugs is probably much different than how I do.”

“No, well, maybe, but not with you.” He gently laid his hand on her shoulder.

“I was a criminal.”

“No, you were sick with a serious disease. You weren’t, and aren’t, a criminal.” Charlotte leaned back into Dan’s embrace. “Look, I’m not going to pretend I know what you’re going through, but you can tell me anything. You can even admit you’ve struggled more recently.”

Charlotte pulled out of Dan’s embrace and turned around to face him. “What do you mean? I told you I haven’t touched Adderall in fifteen years.”

“What about when we first met? You were very…confident and grandiose. You were quite sociable and manic. You were also really close with Lucifer, and I know he has connections for that sort of thing. Then, you mentioned feeling worse, and you started seeing Linda a lot, like you were getting counseling or going to NA meetings.”

“No.” Charlotte vigorously shook her head. “Dan, you know I don’t remember those few months.”

“I know, because of your accident. But is it possible you’re just also repressing a relapse because you’re ashamed and embarrassed? I figure you must have been going through a really rough time when we first got together with almost dying and the divorce and all.”

Had the Goddess of All Creation secretly known her past? Had Lucifer managed to coax one of her innermost desires out of her while his mom had inhabited her body? Had she fallen off the wagon? She figured she’d check with Lucifer to make sure, but in the meantime... “No,” Charlotte answered firmly, “I don’t know what happened, but it wasn’t that. Even when I woke up on the beach, I never thought about using again until…”

“Until life felt too much to handle.” Charlotte nodded. “Listen to me,” Dan said. “Thank you for telling me. If you want to talk, then know I will never abandon you. I know that people dealing with addictions often lie, but you need to be honest with me. If you’re struggling, please come to me. If you relapse or have the urge to relapse, please let me know. We’ll get through it the way we always do: together,” emphasized Dan. “But right now, it sounds like you need to go to NA meetings before...”

“Linda told me that they have them at the practice. I’ll look into one, because…”

“It’s okay. You’ll be okay. I know how strong you are. You will take control of this and your life,” Dan said encouragingly.

“It’s not that easy.”

“No, it won’t be. But the things in life worth fighting for aren’t easy, and sobriety is one of them. You always talk about having gotten a second chance. Make the most of it. I will be with you every step of the way, just like I am with your recovery from postpartum depression and anxiety.” Charlotte decided not to dump that whole issue about unknowingly struggling with depression and anxiety for most of her life onto Dan tonight. There was always another time to have that conversation. “Is there anything else you need?”

Zoe started fussing, so Charlotte looked over at her before facing Dan and asking, “Would you deal with her feeding right now? I just need a few moments to myself to unwind. I have some bottles already made in the fridge. You just need to warm one.”

“Of course.” Dan kissed Charlotte’s temple and bolted out of bed. “All right, Peanut, are you hungry?” Dan cooed as he lifted her out of her bassinet. “I’ll be downstairs and then in the nursery if you need me.”

Dan left the room, and Charlotte immediately grabbed her phone off the nightstand. Hey, when your mom inhabited my body, did she ever ask you for any kind of drugs?

Her phone buzzed a few moments later. Alas, no. Why?

No reason. Thanks, she texted Lucifer back and breathed a sigh of relief. She made a mental note to reach out to Linda about local NA meetings and to also perhaps look into finding more time to get to the gym or find some other coping mechanism. Maybe she could attempt another date night with Dan or have lunch with her girlfriends soon. She was determined to take control of her life again, and in a healthy way.

Twenty minutes after she had turned out the light and snuggled deeper under the covers, she heard Dan enter the room again, softly whispering to Zoe as he placed her in the bassinet before climbing into bed next to Charlotte. He spooned up against her and kissed her temple, and she relaxed in his embrace as the warmth of her husband’s body and his soft snoring lulled her to sleep.

Chapter Text

Charlie Martin, Zoe Espinoza, and Rory Morningstar giggled as they all jumped up and down on the new trampoline in the Espinoza’s backyard. It was Labor Day weekend, and Dan and Charlotte had invited their friends over for a Sunday cookout. Dan and Amenadiel were at the grill, with Dan attempting to teach Amenadiel how to be a master of the grill; Maze, Eve, Carol, and Ella were competing in cornhole; and Linda, Chloe, and Charlotte were sitting in the lawn chairs and supervising the youngsters, as Dan had yet to put the netting up around the trampoline. “I can’t believe how big they’re all getting,” Chloe commented. “Rory has already completed a week of kindergarten, and Trixie’s off at college.”

“Just wait until Trixie’s nearing college graduation like Micah is,” said Charlotte. “I can't believe he's already a junior. My first baby is almost all grown up.”

“Mommy, watch this!” shouted Zoe as she attempted to flip on the trampoline, though she was unsuccessful.

“You’ll get there, sweetheart,” called Charlotte.

“Take it gymnastics lessons are going well?” asked Linda.

“They just started learning how to somersault, and she’s been attempting to somersault all over the house.” Charlotte stood. “I’m going to hit the restroom.”

“I’m going to get some more food,” said Linda.

“That sounds good,” said Chloe. “Lucifer.” Lucifer turned to face Chloe. “Would you make sure that they don’t do anything stupid or dangerous?” Chloe pointed to the three children on the trampoline.

“Of course, Detective,” he said.

“Thank you.” She smiled and kissed him before following Linda.

Meanwhile, the three kids continued jumping when Charlie said, “Hey, I have an idea. Let’s fly over to the patio.”

“Yeah!” Rory and Zoe said excitedly.

The three of them stood on the edge of the trampoline, and Charlie said, “All right. One, two, three!” As Charlie and Rory jumped off, they both revealed their wings as they flew over to the patio. Zoe, on the other hand…

“No!” Lucifer cried as he ran over to her, having briefly taken his eyes off of them to refill his whiskey glass, but he didn’t make it before Zoe hit the ground.

“OW!” Zoe shouted as she landed on her left arm and immediately started crying.

“Daniel, Charlotte!” Lucifer called.

Dan looked over from the grill and passed his spatula off to Amenadiel, but the angel quickly closed it and raced over to where everyone else was. “Daddy,” Zoe sobbed.

“It’s all right, mija,” Dan said soothingly and crouched down to her level. “What happened?”

“The Detective told me to watch them, and I looked away for a second, and by the time I knew what was happening, she was already on the ground. I swear to my Father it was an accident,” said Lucifer.

Normally, Dan would have started screaming at Lucifer, but the two of them had developed enough of a friendship over the years for Dan to know that Lucifer never lied. “All right.”

“What happened?” asked Charlotte, running over to everyone else.

“I think she fell off the trampoline."

"More like jumped off," Lucifer clarified.

"I should have put up the safety net when I set up the trampoline,” said Dan.

“Yes, you should have like I told you to, but I can yell at you for that later,” said Charlotte, crouching down to the ground. “What hurts, honey?”

“My arm,” Zoe cried.

“Can you move it, Peanut?” asked Dan. Zoe tried, but shook her head. “We have to get her to the emergency room.” Dan carefully lifted her into his arms.

“I’m so sorry, Daddy,” Zoe sobbed against her father’s chest.

“We’ll talk about what you did later. Right now, we need to go to the hospital so we can make your arm feel better,” said Dan.

“We’ll follow,” said Chloe, going to grab her car keys. “Come on, Rory.” Lucifer followed his family.

“I’ll go extinguish the grill, and we’ll meet you there,” said Amenadiel. The others also agreed to meet the Espinozas at the hospital.

As Dan drove to Cedars-Sinai, Charlotte rode in the back with Zoe while uttering soothing phrases to comfort her. One of Charlotte’s strengths was remaining calm in a crisis and only breaking down later when she was alone with Dan. Once they arrived at the emergency room, Dan filled out all of the necessary paperwork, though they waited quite a while since Zoe wasn’t considered critical; both parents argued otherwise given the amount of pain Zoe was obviously in, but it got them nowhere.

Finally, Zoe was taken back to an exam bay, and the doctor on call arrived shortly thereafter. “Hello, I’m Dr. Spencer.”

“Hi, I’m Dan Espinoza, and this is my wife, Charlotte.” She smiled and nodded at the doctor.

“Nice to meet you both.” Dr. Spencer pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Zoe. “And what’s your name?”

Zoe hiccupped. “Zoe,” she answered softly.

“Can you tell me what happened and how you hurt your arm?”

Zoe stayed silent. “Mija, the doctor needs to know what happened so he can make it better,” said Dan.

“I was jumping on a trampoline with my friends, and when we jumped off, they flew over to the patio, and I fell because I couldn’t fly like them.”

Dan and Charlotte looked at each other wide-eyed and chuckled apprehensively. “I think what she meant to say was that they landed well, and she fell harder. You know kids and their wild imaginations,” said Charlotte.

“No, Mommy, Charlie and Rory had wings and flew. I saw it before I fell,” said Zoe.

“I understand how active a child’s imagination is. I have two of my own,” said Dr. Spencer. “Well, let me see your arm.” Dr. Spencer examined Zoe’s left arm. “Does it hurt when I move it?”

“OW!” Zoe shouted.

“I’ll take that as a yes. Some swelling and discoloration. It might be broken. I’ll have to take an x-ray to be certain. Ideally, we only let one parent in the room while we take the x-ray.”

Dan nodded at Charlotte, indicating she should stay. “I’ll go update the others.”

“Okay,” Charlotte said, and Dan went to the waiting room.

Everyone stood. “How is she?” asked Chloe worriedly.

“The doctor thinks her arm is broken. He’s taking an x-ray to be sure.”

“We’re sorry, Uncle Dan,” Charlie said with tears in his eyes.

“We didn’t know Zoe can’t fly.” Rory looked up at Dan in shame.

Linda laid her hands on her son’s shoulders. “We’re going to explain to them later that not all kids are half-angel,” she said softly so no one else would hear her. Amenadiel, Lucifer, and Chloe nodded in agreement.

“Dan,” Charlotte stuck her head out from behind the curtain, “he’s done.”

Dan went back into the bay and took Charlotte’s hand while they waited. Dr. Spencer returned with the developed x-rays. “Well, your arm is definitely broken. You fractured your radius.” He lit up the board and pointed to the spot of the injury for everyone to see.

“Will she need surgery?” asked Dan worriedly.

“No, Mr. Espinoza, it’s a clean fracture. But your daughter will need to wear a cast for six weeks. She’ll also have to wear a sling for the first week or so.”

“Will it hurt?” asked Zoe.

“Not as much as your arm currently does. I can give her some medicine to relax her before I reset the bone for the cast, and then I’ll apply the cast. What color do you want for the outside?” he asked Zoe.

“Do you have purple?” she asked hopefully.

“One purple cast coming right up. I’ll be right back. One of the nurses will administer the anesthetic.” Dr. Spencer disappeared.

One of the ER nurses administered the anesthetic, to which Zoe fussed more with that than the actual pain from the broken arm, and Dr. Spencer applied the cast and gave Dan and Charlotte care instructions before discharging her.

Later that night, Dan entered the master bedroom after putting Zoe down for bed. “I gave her some Motrin to help with the pain,” he told Charlotte.

“You’re also going to put that net up around the trampoline tomorrow,” Charlotte said.

“I know,” said Dan, knowing he was already in the doghouse on that issue.

“You’re also going to have a conversation with Zoe about jumping off the trampoline when we specifically told her not to,” Charlotte added.

“I know,” said Dan. He crawled underneath the covers. “But we have a bigger problem right now.”

“I know,” Charlotte whispered and nodded. “I knew we would have to have this conversation with her one day, but how do we tell our daughter that Rory and Charlie are Nephilims, and she’s just…human?”

“A really adorable human,” added Dan lightly.

“But still human nonetheless. And it sounds really weird for us to say, ‘Hey, Zoe, you know how you saw Rory and Charlie fly, but you couldn’t? That’s because their daddies are angels, and yours is just…human.’”

“Hey!” Dan scolded jokingly.

“An incredibly sexy human, but still a human nevertheless.” Charlotte smiled and rubbed his chest. “But I think we need to talk to Lucifer and Amenadiel about telling Zoe. I remember when I discovered all of that was real, and in the hardest way possible, and I’m sure you do too.”

Horrific memories flooded Dan’s mind as he remembered the first time he saw Lucifer’s Devil face and when he learned there were times that…God’s wife was inhabiting Charlotte at simultaneous times he had been…inhabiting Charlotte. He still shuttered at the thought occasionally. “And we can’t let Lucifer show Zoe his Devil face. Once she sees it, she’ll have nightmares and want to sleep in our bed for weeks.”

“Mmhm.” Charlotte nodded mutely, though a high pitch escaped her throat.

“Char, we’re in agreement on that, right?”

“I said yes,” she answered a little too quickly. “Good night, honey.”

She kissed him and snuggled against him. “Good night,” he answered back, somewhat confused.

********************************************************************************************************************************************

Charlotte and Dan arranged with Amenadiel and Lucifer to make the big reveal to Zoe at the penthouse above Lux. Maze and Eve were more than happy to make themselves scarce for the time being. As the two parents rode up the elevator with Zoe, Dan took Charlotte’s hand in his and whispered, “We’re doing the right thing.”

“I know; I just wonder how she’ll react.”

“She’s seven.”

“Still, it’s a lot take in, even for an innocent child.”

The elevator dinged, and the doors opened as the family carefully stepped onto the floor. Lucifer and Amenadiel were already waiting for them. “Uncle Lucifer, Uncle Amenadiel.” Zoe ran to hug her surrogate uncles.

“I can see the cast and the sling haven’t slowed her down,” Amenadiel commented as he carefully hugged Zoe.

“It has not,” said Dan.

“Well, no time to waste. Danlotte’s offspring: have a seat,” said Lucifer, gesturing to the sofa. Zoe sat down, with Dan and Charlotte on each side of her.

The two brothers stood in front of her, and Lucifer indicated for Amenadiel to begin the conversation. “Well, Zoe, I’m sure you were…confused as to why Charlie and Rory could fly off the trampoline, and why you just fell.”

Zoe nodded. “Why do they have wings, and I don’t?”

Amenadiel crouched down in front of Zoe. “That’s the thing, Zoe. Charlie and Rory are…unique in that sense.”

“How did they learn how to fly? And why can’t I fly?” Zoe asked sadly. Dan and Charlotte looked at each other, heartbroken over Zoe’s clear disappointment over not being half-angel.

“Because, child…Brother.” Lucifer laid his hand on Amenadiel’s shoulder. Amenadiel looked up at Lucifer and stood before they both stood side by side. “This is why, Zoe.” Lucifer unfurled his wings, and Amenadiel did the same.

Zoe’s eyes widened, and her mouth fell open. She turned to Dan and asked, “Daddy, do you have wings too?”

Dan sighed. “No, mija.”

“Mommy?” She turned to Charlotte, tears welling in the young girl’s eyes.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Charlotte shook her head.

“Why not?” asked Zoe.

“Peanut, Mommy and Daddy aren’t angels; we’re just…humans,” said Dan.

Zoe turned back to Lucifer and Amenadiel. “Can you get me wings?”

Amenadiel shook his head. Lucifer sighed, his heart actually breaking for Zoe. “My dear sweet child, I cannot.”

Zoe’s lip trembled as she hopped off the couch and ran into the bedroom area, everyone’s eyes following her. Dan scooted closer to his wife and wrapped his arm around her. He kissed her temple and said, “It’s all right.”

“I feel like we’ve done something wrong even though we haven’t,” said Charlotte.

“No, that’s the price my brother and I pay for producing offspring,” said Lucifer.

“You’re talking about my son and your daughter as if they’re monsters, Lucy,” said Amenadiel.

“Well, they can be, but that’s not important right now.” Lucifer turned to Dan and Charlotte. “Would you both give us a moment? Feel free to have a drink.” Lucifer pointed toward the bar.

“It’s ten in the morning,” said Dan.

“Perfect time for a drink then. Come along, Brother.” Lucifer motioned for Amenadiel to follow him, and they both entered the room and sat down on both sides of Zoe.

The two men stayed silent before Amenadiel said, “You know, humans are pretty cool too.” Lucifer smiled at his brother, considering the fact that Amenadiel held the opposite view for the longest time.

“But I can’t fly.” Zoe sniffled.

“No, but there are lots of other things you’re good at. Like you can draw well,” said Amenadiel.

“And you do gymnastics. That’s kind of like flying. Dad knows I would not be able to get my arse over my head the way you can.”

“Lucy,” scolded Amenadiel.

“Anyway, child, flying might be cool, but sometimes having wings is a pain in the arse.”

“LUCY!”

“But wings or no wings, I promise you that you are a tolerable human child, and you have the best mummy and daddy on Earth who love you more than anything and will do absolutely everything to protect you.”

Zoe went to speak, but hesitated at first. Soon, she softly said, “And I have my guardian angels.”

Lucifer and Amenadiel looked at each other. “What do you mean, child?”

“Mommy and Daddy always told me stories about having guardian angels who would always protect me from the monsters in my closet or under my bed and from all the bad things in the world.”

Amenadiel and Lucifer glanced at each other, and Lucifer said, “Yes, I suppose you do. Now, wait on the sofa while we talk to your parents, child.”

Zoe hopped off the bed and ran back out into the common area. Lucifer and Amenadiel went over to Dan and Charlotte, and the two parents stood from their places on two of the stools. “There, problem solved,” said Lucifer.

“Does she seem okay?” asked Dan.

“She seems all right,” Amenadiel responded. “But if any other questions come up that neither one of you are equipped to answer, we’re happy to talk to her more.”

“It’s not like Zoe wasn’t aware of celestials anyway. Boy, did that child love staring at my horrendous face for hours when she was a baby. Put her to sleep almost instantly too when she was knackered from all that screaming.”

“Lucy,” scolded Amenadiel sharply, while Charlotte gave Lucifer a WTF look. Dan just stood there in confusion.

“Wait, horrendous face? As in your…Devil face?” he asked flabbergasted.

“Should we tell him?” asked Amenadiel.

“I think we have to now,” Charlotte managed to squeak out.

“Tell me what?”

“Daniel, do you remember how you first saw my…normal appearance?”

“Yeah,” Dan shuttered at the memory, “you and Amenadiel were with Charlie, and you had Charlie in your arms and were looking right at him.”

“Well, Charlie wasn’t the only infant who was oddly calmed by my Devil face,” said Lucifer.

Dan looked back and forth between Charlotte and Lucifer. “Wait, so when Zoe was a baby…so those times when neither you nor I could get her to stop crying and you were so overwhelmed you were having mental breakdowns…when you asked me to call Lucifer and have him come over no matter what time of day or night it was…when you both locked yourselves in Zoe’s nursery, and she would be completely soothed and fast asleep when you both came back out. You were…?”

“Showing her my Devil face, yes,” confirmed Lucifer. “Worked on both Charlie and Zoe, yet not Rory. The child screamed bloody murder the first time I tried it on her. It was quite the ego bruise.”

Dan opened and closed his mouth a few times at Lucifer’s revelation, and Dan would have normally kicked Lucifer’s ass right there on the spot, but it had helped calm Zoe when she was incredibly colicky, plus it had helped Charlotte when she was really struggling and on the verge of a mental breakdown, so Dan simply said, “Well, thanks for your help with that; I guess.”

“Now, we did promise a certain someone we’d go out for ice cream for having to endure life in a cast for six weeks,” said Charlotte. “Come on, Zoe.”

Zoe came over to her parents, and they were just about to leave when Zoe ran back over to hug Amenadiel and then Lucifer. “Thank you for being my guardian angels,” she whispered.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************

Later that night, as Charlotte and Dan were putting Zoe to bed, the youngest Espinoza asked, “Mommy, Daddy?”

Charlotte sat down on the bed as she tucked Zoe underneath the covers. “Yes, sweetheart?”

“Do you think Charlie and Rory will still want to be my friend even though I’m not an angel and can’t fly?”

“Of course,” Dan assured her and sat on the other side of the bed. “Besides, there are lots of things we all do together that don’t involve angel things.”

“Like what?” asked Zoe.

“Like we all go to beach together,” said Dan.

“And we go to Dodgers games as a group,” said Charlotte.

“And we play board games and have parties,” added Dan.

“We go trick-or-treating on Halloween,” chimed in Charlotte.

Zoe smiled at her parents’ assurances. “Those things are always fun,” she commented before yawning.

“Do you need any pain medicine?” asked Charlotte. Zoe shook her head. “All right.” Charlotte stood and kissed her daughter’s forehead. “Good night, sweetheart.”

Dan did the same and whispered, “Buenas noches, mija.” The parents left the room, and Dan quietly closed the door behind him before they retreated to their room. “I can’t help but feel a little bad for her,” Dan admitted.

“But she’s a strong-willed girl. She’ll be fine,” said Charlotte as she prepared herself for bed.

“Kind of like someone else I know.” Charlotte glared jokingly at Dan. “I meant that as a compliment.”

“Mmhm. Sure you did,” quipped Charlotte sarcastically.

“Well, if she grows up to be half as strong-willed as you are, she’ll be just fine.”

Charlotte snuggled closer to Dan. “And with the stuff we can’t handle when it comes to raising her, she’ll have her guardian angels.”

Chapter Text

As Zoe and Trixie happily ate their pancakes, Dan couldn’t help but wonder how the Waffle King had produced two daughters who were die-hard devotees of pancakes. Okay, maybe in the grand scheme of things, that was a minor thing he could overlook out of all the things he loved about raising two awesome girls, but still. This was the kind of way he kept his mind occupied while waiting for Charlotte to finish getting ready so they could give Zoe her birthday gift, as his younger daughter had just turned five the day beforehand. They had celebrated with a party at Chuck-E-Cheese the week before, though as much as Zoe enjoyed the party, Dan knew she was going to love this gift even more. Finally, Charlotte descended the stairs. “Morning, Dan.” She kissed him.

“Ew,” Zoe said and covered her eyes.

“You’ll like being kissed one day,” said Trixie.

“No, I won’t,” argued Zoe.

“I said the same thing until I met Colin,” said Trixie, referring to her boyfriend of six months.

“Morning, Peanut.” Charlotte kissed the top of Zoe’s head. “Morning, Trix.” Charlotte patted Trixie’s shoulder before taking a seat at the table.

As the family ate breakfast, Dan and Charlotte glanced at each other, and Dan asked, “Do you want to tell her, or should I?”

“You can if you want,” said Charlotte. Trixie smiled to herself, as she was in on the surprise.

The family turned toward the youngest member, and Dan said, “Zoe, sweetheart, what is something you’ve always wanted?”

“A little sister,” answered Zoe.

Trixie snickered, while Dan and Charlotte glanced at each other before Dan wagged his finger and responded, “No, not gonna happen.” Charlotte had made it perfectly clear to him that she was definitely done having babies after her arduous labor and birth with Zoe. “Think something more along the furry feline lines.”

Zoe’s eyes lit up, and a wide smile spread across her face. “A kitty cat!” she said excitedly.

“We’re all going to go pick one out today,” said Charlotte happily.

Zoe jumped off her chair and began jumping up and down. “Yay, we’re getting a kitty cat!”

“After you finish your breakfast,” Dan emphasized. “Sit back down, mija.” Zoe sulked, but did as she was told.

After breakfast, the family drove over to the animal shelter, where they were promptly greeted by one of the employees. “Welcome to the LA Animal Services Center. How may I assist you?”

“We’re here to look at the cats available for adoption,” said Dan.

“Of course, sir, right this way.”

The family was led into a room full of cats of various ages, though Zoe immediately ran over to the kittens. “They’re all so cute!” she squealed.

“Which one do you like, Zoe?” asked Trixie, coming up behind her sister.

“That one.” Zoe pointed to a Snowshoe kitten. “No, that one.” Zoe pointed to a Siamese kitten. “Can we get them all?”

“No, one kitten, mija,” Dan said firmly.

Zoe looked back at the kittens in disappointment, but she smiled when her eyes landed on a Bombay black cat with gorgeous green eyes. “That one!” Zoe said confidently.

“Should we be concerned?” asked Dan to Charlotte.

“What’s wrong, babe? Are you afraid she’ll wake up tomorrow and start brewing potions and flying on broomsticks?” asked Charlotte.

“No, that would involve believing superstitions.”

The caretaker placed the family in a playroom with the tiny black kitten, and the feisty feline seemed to get along with everyone. Zoe giggled with delight as she frolicked on the floor with the kitten, and Trixie said, “She is cute. I like her. I’m glad I finally get to have a pet, even if it’s only half the time.”

“You can come see her whenever you want, Monkey,” Dan assured her.

“What do you think, Zoe? Is she the one?” Charlotte asked her daughter.

“Yes.” Zoe giggled as the kitten began crawling across her lap.

“We’ll take her,” said Dan.

“All right. Let me go get the paperwork. We also need to give this little one a final checkup before we release her.”

Dan handed the kitten to the attendant, and the family continued to look at the other cats when Dan heard his wife call out to him. “Dan!”

Dan rushed over and asked, “What? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, but look.” Charlotte pointed to a gray tabby cat. It looked around the same age as the black kitten they were adopting. “I used to have a cat that looked exactly like that one when I was growing up. Her name was Coco. Trixie, Zoe, come look at this little one.”

Dan could already detect where this conversation was headed, so he gently pulled Charlotte aside just as the two girls ran over to the cages. “Charlotte, we agreed on one kitten for Zoe.”

“I know, but it looks so cute, and it needs me.”

“It’s double the food, double the vet care, double the toys…”

“I can cover the extra expenses with my own salary,” Charlotte bargained.

“Charlotte Lee Espinoza, don’t you dare go all lawyer on me,” Dan scolded jokingly.

“Oh, I haven’t even brought up my most crucial influences. Girls,” Charlotte called them over to her. Zoe and Trixie looked over from the cages to their mother/stepmother and walked over. “How would you both feel if I convinced Daddy to adopt a second cat?”

Trixie and Zoe looked at each other and smiled. “Do you mean the gray tabby cat?” asked Trixie.

“Yes, that one.”

“Charlotte, come on. We agreed on one cat. We need to present a united front.”

“They can be friends,” Charlotte told the girls, completely ignoring Dan at this point. “And having two cats means more playtime and more snuggles and more purrs…”

“Please, Daddy." Zoe was the first to be convinced, running over to Dan and hugging his leg.

“Yeah, please, Dad,” Trixie added, hugging him as well.

“Pretty please, Dan,” Charlotte finished, draping her arms over his shoulders and kissing his cheek.

Dan felt three sets of eyes—two blue and one brown—staring at him hopefully, so he finally answered, “All right. All right. We can adopt the second cat. But it’s mostly your cat, because you’re the one who wanted it. You’re the one in charge of most of the responsibilities.” Dan jokingly wagged his finger at Charlotte.

“Thank you,” all three of his girls answered in unison.

They filled out the paperwork for both cats, both female, and Dan made a trip to the pet store for the additional supplies while Charlotte settled the two kittens in, allowing them to explore the house. When Dan arrived home, Charlotte was snuggling with the gray tabby kitten on the couch, and Trixie and Zoe were crawling on the floor with the black one. “They still need names,” mentioned Dan.

“How about Luna for this one?” asked Trixie, picking up the kitten and letting her snuggle in her arms. “It means moon.”

“Of course, you would choose something space-related,” said Dan, and Trixie smiled at her father. “But Luna is a beautiful name.”

“Agreed,” said Charlotte. “How about you, Peanut? Do you like the name Luna?”

“Yes,” said Zoe, petting the kitten in her sister’s arms.

“What about that one?” Trixie nodded toward the other cat.

“I was thinking Bella,” said Charlotte. “It means beautiful, and she’s a beautiful little one.”

Dan nodded. “Girls?”

“That’s a good name,” said Trixie, and Zoe smiled and nodded excitedly in agreement.

“Daddy?” Zoe asked.

“Yeah, mija?”

“How come you told me we could only get one cat, but when Mommy asked, she was allowed to get another cat?”

Trixie laughed out loud, as her half-sister was sometimes too smart for her own good, but she covered her mouth when both Dan and Charlotte glanced over at her. “Because…” Dan stuttered. “Because Mommy’s a grown up. When you’re a grown up, you can have as many cats as you want. Now, why don’t you go play in your room while we start dinner?”

“Okay.” Zoe stood and marched up the steps.

Trixie gently set Luna on the ground and walked over to her father. “You could have just told her it’s because you can’t say ‘no’ to Charlotte.” And with that statement, Trixie quickly went to her room before Dan could say anything.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

When Dan entered his and Charlotte’s room later that night, Charlotte was sitting criss-cross on the bed, and Bella was frolicking around in her lap, meowing and purring as Charlotte laughed and waved the feather toy. Luna was exploring Dan’s pillow, so Dan scooped her into his arms as he sat down. “I thought we were going to make their space in the laundry room?”

“I’ll put them there before we go to sleep. But fair warning: cats choose where they sleep, not their owners.”

“Noted,” said Dan. Soon, Bella and Luna began playing with each other, or at least getting acquainted with each other. “There’s another reason you wanted a second cat besides Bella reminding you of your childhood cat, isn’t there?” asked Dan.

Charlotte sighed a little somberly, but nodded. “I don’t know why it was Zoe turning five that made me realize it, but the kids are growing up so fast. Zoe started school this year, Micah’s away at college, and Ivy will be next year. I’m sure you feel the same way with Trixie.” Dan contemplated Charlotte’s words and nodded in agreement. “I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but I miss having babies to snuggle.”

“I know; I do too.” Dan rubbed Charlotte’s shoulder. “I mean, we could always solve that problem another way,” he joked.

“Dan,” Charlotte laughed, “I’m forty-six. And just because I miss snuggling babies doesn’t mean I miss the discomforts of pregnancy, the pain of childbirth, or the sleep deprivation of late-night feedings and diaper changes. But…” She nuzzled her nose into Dan’s neck, “I like practicing.”

“Charlotte, we have two kids and two cats in the house.”

“We’ll put the cats in the laundry room, and we can turn on our white noise machine in here. They won’t know the difference.”

“Mm. It’ll be like when we almost got caught in that closet.”

“You did get caught, honey.” Charlotte kissed his cheek and scooped both kittens into her arms. “I’ll be right back.”

Charlotte returned five minutes later and straddled Dan. The couple began kissing when they heard some soft scratching outside the bedroom door and a quiet ‘meow.’ “Babe?” Dan asked. “Did you close the door to the laundry room?”

“I didn’t want to do so, because I didn’t want them to feel trapped.”

“Meow.” More scratching.

“I told you cats choose where they want to sleep on their own.”

“And we were worried about the kids.” Dan pushed Charlotte off of him and went over to the door, while Charlotte flopped onto the other side of the bed. Dan opened the door, and both Bella and Luna hesitantly entered the room before pacing the foot of the bed, indicating they wanted up on the bed. Dan lifted them both onto the bed, and Bella immediately walked over and snuggled on top of Charlotte’s chest, while Luna settled herself on Dan’s pillow.

“This is nice too though,” said Charlotte, petting Bella.

“It is, but…”

“Hey, we were both planning on working from home on Monday; Zoe will be at school, Trixie will be with Chloe for the week, and this time, I can actually close the door to the laundry room while the cats are inside it. It’ll allow them to explore, and it will also allow us to…” She ran her finger over Dan’s clavicle.

“That sounds like a great idea.” Dan smiled and kissed her.

Charlotte smiled and rolled onto her left side before cuddling and stroking Bella. “Thank you, by the way. I know we agreed on one cat.”

Luna took her place next to Bella, the two kittens creating a giant ball of fur. “You’re welcome. They do look cute together. Besides, how can I say no to you?”

Chapter Text

As Linda buttoned up her four-year-old son’s shirt, she couldn’t believe how big her not-so-little angel (literally) was getting. Of course, as she was trying to teach Charlie letters, numbers, colors, and shapes, Amenadiel got to teach him all the fun stuff: how to throw a ball, how to catch, and oh yeah, how to fly and control superhuman strength. Stuff like that. Linda did not want to even think about how strong Charlie would become once he hit puberty. Neither she nor the house were probably ready for that.

“Do I look dashing, Mommy?” asked Charlie.

Linda was confused by Charlie’s question. “Little Man, where did you hear a word like that?”

“From Uncle Lucy.”

“Oh,” Linda responded, making a mental note to make sure Lucifer hadn’t been teaching his nephew any other words. “Well, you look quite dashing.” Linda tapped his nose and smiled.

Amenadiel came down the stairs. “All right. We have our mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. Lucifer and Chloe are bringing stuffing. Carol and Ella are in charge of the pumpkin pie. Penelope Decker is on cranberry sauce duty. Dan and Charlotte are in charge of the turkey since Thanksgiving dinner is at their house. And Maze and Eve are bringing themselves since neither one of them can even make ice.”

Linda stood from where she was crouched down in front of Charlie. “Why does it not shock me that the angel’s favorite holiday is Thanksgiving?”

“Celebrating being grateful for what we have and spending time with friends and family? What’s not to love?”

“You have one of the most dysfunctional families I’ve ever had the very inquisitive desire of analyzing.”

“I meant my found family other than Lucy; not my given one.” He took her hands, and they kissed. When the family opened the door, another couple was standing on the other side. The man had a commanding presence about him, and the woman did as well with her navy-blue satin dress and perfectly pinned up blonde hair. “Mom? Dad?” Amenadiel glanced down at Linda before he looked back at his parents. “What are you both doing here? How did you even get here?”

“Well, given the fact that I am all-knowing and omnipotent, I know that today is a day Americans call Thanksgiving,” said God. “And as you just said, Thanksgiving is all about being with family. Also, we brought yams.”

“I did, didn’t I?” Amenadiel half-asked and half-said.

“And to answer your other question: I created the universe we live in, and therefore, I can make it so we can come and go as we please. Now, this cannot be our grandson, can it?” Goddess crouched down to Charlie’s level, to which Charlie hid behind his mother.

“Yes. Charlie, sweetheart, this is your grandmother and grandfather,” said Linda.

“Hello,” Charlie greeted quietly. The two grandparents nodded.

“Well, we’re actually spending Thanksgiving at Dan and Charlotte’s house,” said Amenadiel, hoping it would indicate to his parents to go back to Goddess’s world, but deep down, he knew better.

“As in Daniel Espinoza?” asked God, glancing sideways at his wife.

“What’s wrong? You jealous?” asked Goddess. “He is very attractive.”

“Mom, Dad,” Amenadiel interjected with a disgusted face, “you both realize Dan and Charlotte—the real Charlotte—are happily married with a child of their own now, right?”

“Of course, Son,” said God. God and Goddess disappeared, presumably to go to the Espinoza residence.

“Amenadiel,” said Linda softly, “how are we going to explain…this to everyone?”

“I mean, almost everyone knows about us and celestials at this point. Besides, my parents are the God and Goddess of All Creation. They don’t exactly take no for an answer.”

“I know; I remember that awkward family dinner,” said Linda. “But Maze and your mom don’t get along, and Dan is not exactly your father’s favorite person. Plus, we don’t know which version of Lucifer will show up: the ‘I’m willing to set aside differences Lucifer’ or the ‘I have daddy issues Lucifer.’”

“Well, think of it as an old-fashioned Thanksgiving: family drama and all.”

When the family arrived at the Espinoza house, Lucifer, Chloe, Trixie, and Rory were waiting outside with God and Goddess. “Ah, there’s the little backstabber. Brother, a moment.” Lucifer ushered Amenadiel away from the group. Once the two brothers had walked a fair distance, Lucifer sharply turned to Amenadiel and asked, “Why in Dad’s name would you invite Dad and Mum to Thanksgiving dinner?”

“I didn’t, Lucy, I swear,” answered Amenadiel. “When Linda, Charlie, and I got ready to leave this morning, they were at the front door claiming they wanted to be included since they’re technically part of our family. I also believe they, like any other grandparents, wanted to see their grandchildren.” The two brothers turned and observed Chloe nervously introducing Rory to God and Goddess.

“Well, what are we going to do about Mum and Maze since they loathe each other? And what about the two inside along with their offspring?” Lucifer gestured his head toward the Espinoza house.

“Oh, crap,” said Amenadiel, suddenly thinking of an unaware Zoe, not to mention an unaware Penelope.

Amenadiel and Lucifer strolled over to their parents, and Chloe said, “Lucifer, you never mentioned your mom and dad were coming to dinner.”

“That’s because I didn’t have a clue,” he said through gritted teeth, and since Chloe knew Lucifer didn’t lie, she accepted his response easily.

“Mom, Dad, a few ground rules here. Chloe’s mom as well as Dan and Charlotte’s daughter Zoe don’t know about us…as in angels and demons and the Almighty God and Goddess of All Creation. And Mom, another note: Maze will be here with her wife,” said Amenadiel.

“Oh, there’s someone out there who wanted to marry that soulless b…demon. Who?” asked Goddess in curiosity.

“Actually, she gained a soul, dear,” said God.

“And funny story actually. You know that woman from the Garden of Eden whom humans say caused the downfall of mankind and blame me for it?” asked Lucifer.

“Eve?” asked Goddess incredulously. “I always thought that girl had more sense in her since she took you seriously and questioned…my husband’s authority. Guess not.”

“Anyway, Mom, Dad, would you both please try to get along with everyone?” asked Amenadiel.

The most holy couple did not say they promised to behave, but they didn’t say they wouldn’t either, so Amenadiel accepted their silence as they all went toward the door. “I brought extra wine in case we need it,” said Linda.

“Good call,” said Amenadiel.

He knocked on the door, and Dan answered it. “Hey, everyone. Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Hey, Daniel.” Both Lucifer and Amenadiel looked over Dan’s shoulders and into the house.

“What’s up?” asked Dan in confusion.

“Where are Charlotte and your offspring?”

“Zoe’s in her room, and Charlotte’s in our room getting ready. Why?”

“Because we have some unexpected guests joining the party,” said Lucifer, gesturing over to his parents.

Dan’s knees almost collapsed underneath him, as he was unfortunately well-acquainted with both of them, not to mention the fact that this was the first time since she had left Charlotte’s body that he had laid eyes on the Goddess of All Creation. It didn’t help that she had chosen to personify herself as Charlotte. “Hello, Daniel.”

“G-G-God and Goddess...Sir…Ma’am,” Dan stuttered. “You look…” Dan almost said ‘stunning,’ but God’s looming presence stopped him from saying that. “You look…” He almost said ‘like my wife,’ but that was actually more awkward, believe it or not. “Make yourselves at home. Do…whatever you want.” Dan turned and ran up the stairs before he could embarrass himself any further. He knocked on the closed bedroom door, but didn’t bother to wait for Charlotte’s response. “Honey, we have a problem.”

“Did you burn the turkey?” asked Charlotte as she put in a pearl earring.

“No.”

“Did you forget to buy enough wine for everyone?” Charlotte began applying her mascara.

“Yes…no. Lucifer and Amenadiel’s parents are here.”

Charlotte nodded, but once it registered a few moments later, she capped her mascara even though she had only completed one side, stood, and turned to face Dan. “Wait? As in…THE God and Goddess of All Creation? As in THE Goddess of All Creation that…inhabited my body for four months?” Charlotte instinctively covered her chest, suddenly feeling violated as memories of Hell flooded her as well as the fact that her body was controlled by someone else for four months. “Why did they invite their parents without asking us first?”

“Lucifer said they were unexpected guests, so I’m assuming they just showed up in God and Goddess fashion,” Dan explained.

Charlotte sighed, covered her face with her hand, and sat down in her vanity chair again. “I cannot believe this.”

“Honey, I understand. I can’t believe it either.”

“No, you don’t understand, Dan!” Charlotte yelled sharply and stood again. “This…woman hijacked my body for four months. Had sex with my body for four months. Destroyed my life as I knew it in my body for four months. And I’m the one who had to suffer the consequences. I’m the one who thought I was going crazy. I’m the one who had to figure out when I got divorced. I’m the one who lost custody of my kids and don’t know how or why I did. Do you know how hard it was to convince both Elliot and the court that I’m not a danger to them and deserved partial custody of Micah and Ivy when I had no idea why I lost it in the first place? Do you know how hard it was to convince my kids that Mom isn’t going to hurt them? Do you know how hard it was to convince myself that life would be okay after spending four months in…in Hell with someone else living my life here on Earth?”

She stopped her pacing and sat down on the bed, as she could no longer stand due to her trembling. Dan had never thought about the whole ordeal from Charlotte’s point of view. If he had been wigged out to discover he had had an affair with the Goddess of all Creation multiple times, it must have been much worse for Charlotte to have her body used by someone else with no control over it while she was reliving her worst guilt over and over again. Dan sat down next to her. “You’re right; I’m sorry.” He held out his arms, and she fell into his embrace. “I know you still have nightmares from that.” He kissed her temple and asked, “Do you want me to send everyone home?”

Charlotte sniffled and shook her head. “No, I don’t want you to have to ruin everyone else’s Thanksgiving.” She wiped her eyes and blew her nose when Dan handed her a tissue.

“They don’t matter to me right now. You’re the most important person in my life along with Trixie and Zoe,” Dan responded emphatically.

“I’ll be fine. Just give me a few more minutes to finish getting ready.”

“All right. I love you.” He kissed her cheek. “I’ll make sure Zoe’s ready.”

********************************************************************************************************************************************

“Oh no. What is she doing here?” asked Maze when her eyes landed on Goddess, as it was easy for Maze to tell the difference between Goddess and Charlotte given the fact that she immediately observed God and Amenadiel in the kitchen area.

“Maze, about that.” Lucifer pulled her toward the dining room. “Excuse me, Eve, while I have a conversation with your lovely wife. Feel free to socialize with the others.” Lucifer dragged Maze out of the room.

Meanwhile, after Dan made sure Zoe was fully dressed, he sent the almost four-year-old downstairs. “Mommy!” Zoe shouted excitedly. “Look at my pretty dress.” She ran over to Linda and Goddess, spinning around in her long-sleeved purple dress before crawling onto what she thought was her mother’s lap.

Goddess stiffly watched the tiny stranger crawl into her lap and hug her neck. “Hello, human child,” she answered as she desperately attempted to pull Zoe off of her.

Zoe giggled. “My name is Zoe, Mommy.”

Goddess looked at Linda and asked, “Is this the ild-che of aniel-De?”

“Yes,” Linda confirmed and noticed out of the corner of her eye Dan and Charlotte were coming down the stairs. “In fact,” Linda took Zoe into her arms, “why don’t we give you to your actual mommy?” Linda walked over to Charlotte and handed the little one to her.

Charlotte smiled as she took her daughter into her arms and kissed the top of her head, but soon, another woman joined Linda: a woman who was a complete stranger to Charlotte, yet she knew Charlotte intimately. The blonde lawyer couldn’t help but seethe over the fact that she was still using her body for her own purposes and agenda, and she clearly had no regard that Charlotte may have managed to rebuild her life after the Goddess had destroyed it. Charlotte gently placed Zoe on the floor as Goddess stopped in front of the family. “Hello, Daniel,” she greeted him first.

“G-Goddess, ma’am,” Dan said nervously. “Long time, no…”

“It is good to see you too.”

“Uh, Goddess, this is my wife…”

“Charlotte Richards,” Goddess completed the introduction.

“Charlotte Espinoza now,” said Charlotte a bit bitterly. The fact that there was an ease between Goddess and Dan made this whole situation even more infuriating. Not that Charlotte expected Dan to start knocking boots with the Goddess again, but still.

Goddess looked down at Zoe. “And who is this adorable factory of filth that crawled into my lap earlier?”

“This is our daughter, Zoe.” Dan laid his hands on Zoe’s shoulders.

“Hello,” Zoe said quietly. She looked up at her parents. “Mommy, Daddy, how do you know this lady?”

“She’s…” Dan stuttered. Damn if this wasn’t almost exactly like trying to explain to Trixie who Charlotte was when they had first met. “She’s Uncle Lucifer and Uncle Amenadiel’s mommy and Charlie and Rory’s grandma,” Dan explained.

Zoe looked between Goddess and Charlotte. “Then, why does she look like my mommy?”

“You know what? Why don’t you go play with Trixie, Charlie, and Rory,” said Dan, ushering Zoe over to where they were all gathered, leaving Goddess and Charlotte alone.

“I notice you haven’t said much, Charlotte Richards,” said Goddess.

“Espinoza, for five-and-a-half years now,” Charlotte corrected through gritted teeth. “A life I managed to rebuild after you destroyed it.”

“Which I believe you have me to thank for,” said Goddess.

“Seriously?” Charlotte brazenly pulled Goddess into the dining room, and the former didn’t care that the latter was a celestial being. “I came back from…Hell on a beach surrounded by people I didn’t know. My job was no longer fulfilling, my marriage was destroyed, and my kids were terrified of me. I had to fight hard to gain partial custody back and to gain their trust again. And to gain Elliot’s trust again. All because of you,” Charlotte said furiously. “Not to mention the fact that I am missing four months of my life, and I felt like I was going crazy for a long time until your sons explained everything to me. You absolutely ruined my life.”

“Did I?” asked Goddess calmly. “It seems that if I had not resurrected you as a thank you for letting me use your body, you would still be in Hell reliving your worst guilt over and over again. As someone who spent thousands of years down there, I couldn’t let the same thing happen to you.”

“I didn’t let you use my body; you took it over, and I had no say in it.”

“Not to mention the fact that you would still probably be in a loveless marriage while simultaneously shagging your firm partner.” Goddess poured herself a glass of wine from one of the Rieslings on the table. “Additionally, you would still probably have a job setting criminals free because you would have never been motivated to change before it was too late, so you would have again spent eternity in Hell reliving your guilt. Lastly, if I hadn’t had my…escapades with Daniel, you two most likely would have never crossed paths. You wouldn’t have your husband, your adorable little germ factory, or your closest friends without me.”

Charlotte opened and closed her mouth a few times, as she wanted to throw more shade at Goddess, but if it was one thing Charlotte Espinoza loved, it was a well-thought-out debate. And Goddess was right. She would still be in Hell without her. And if Goddess hadn’t lived her life for four months, she wouldn’t have her current life as she knew it. Other than maybe running into Dan and Chloe in the courtroom on occasion, she would have never become close with them, or anyone else for that matter. She certainly wouldn’t have married Dan if he hadn’t been her constant comforter after coming back from Hell because he hadn’t known she wasn’t Charlotte Richards the whole time; he had been unaware of celestials when they had first started dating and initially gotten married, after all. He hadn’t learned about celestials until well after Zoe was born. Charlotte wouldn’t have been motivated to change her job or change her life at all. Most importantly, she wouldn’t have her kids. She most likely would have continued to neglect Micah and Ivy, and she definitely wouldn’t have had Zoe. “I have that effect on people,” Goddess spoke.

“No, just…” Charlotte stuttered, “I’ve been looking at you all wrong. I was so angry at you when I found out you were here, but you…you’re the reason my life is the way it is today. And I’ve never been happier than I have been these past several years with Dan and my kids and my close friends. Today is about being grateful for everything I have, and most everyone important to me met me through you.”

“You and I are a lot more similar than you think,” said Goddess. “We’ve both spent time in Hell. We’ve both managed to rebuild our lives after Hell. And we both will always do whatever’s necessary to protect our families and our loved ones.”

Charlotte didn’t know what came over her. Maybe it was Goddess’s alluring power. Maybe it was the fact that it was like looking in a mirror, and Charlotte had always been fairly self-assured. Maybe it was something else altogether. Whatever it was, Charlotte slowly walked over to Goddess and wrapped her arms around her. While Charlotte briefly believed Goddess would smite her right on the spot, Goddess wrapped her arms around her. “Thank you,” whispered Charlotte.

“Honey,” Dan entered the room, and Goddess and Charlotte pulled apart. “That honey.” Dan pointed to Charlotte. “Everything is ready, so we should have everyone help set up. Uh, Goddess, you and God can do…whatever you please.”

“Thank you, Daniel.” Goddess left the room, and Charlotte came up beside Dan, patted his shoulder, kissed his cheek, and went to help Linda, Chloe, Carol, and Amenadiel bring some of the dishes into the dining room. “What just happened?" Dan shook his head in confusion.

Once everyone had helped set everything out for dinner, everyone gathered around the table: Lucifer, Rory, Chloe, Penelope, Trixie, Zoe, Charlotte, and Dan were seated on one side, while Amenadiel, Charlie, Linda, Maze, Eve, Ella, and Carol were seated on the other side. Naturally, God and Goddess were at the heads of the table, with God seated by Lucifer and Amenadiel. “Everything looks delicious,” God commented. “Now, I believe since it is Thanksgiving, a moment of grace is in order. Daniel, how about you?” God eyed Daniel, and the latter just knew the former was purposefully putting him on the spot.

“Yes, of course, God, sir,” Dan stuttered. While Dan had had a fairly traditional Mexican Catholic upbringing, he had never dreamed about having to pray to God with God at the dinner table with him and intently watching him. Of course, Dan had also never anticipated sleeping with God’s wife, because he never believed God had a wife. Dan bowed his head, if only to not have to look God in the eyes, cleared his throat, and began, “Dear God, sir.” He looked back up before quickly looking away again. “Thank you for this day. Thank you for this delicious meal we’re about to eat, and thank you for the opportunity to gather with our friends and family,” Dan rambled quickly. He blew out a breath to relieve his nerves as Charlotte subtly squeezed Dan’s hand underneath the table. He calmed some upon feeling his wife’s gentle touch.

“All right. Enough with the jibber jabber. Let’s celebrate,” said Lucifer, though instead of carving the turkey, he poured some whiskey from his flask into a glass and did the same for Maze.

While Amenadiel shook his head at his brother, he couldn’t help but smile in amusement as he went to carve the turkey and said, “Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.”

“Happy Thanksgiving,” everyone chorused as they all began to eat and enjoy each other’s company.

Chapter Text

“Mommy, Daddy,” Rory Morningstar came down the stairs, “I don’t feel good.”

“Mm. And it’s not because you have a big spelling test today, is it?” asked Chloe as she packed Rory’s lunch.

“My throat’s sore.” The eight-year-old rubbed at her neck. “It hurts to swallow.”

“A sort throat again. That’s the fifth time in a year,” said Chloe as she came over to Rory and felt her daughter’s forehead. “You do feel a little warm like you’re running a low-grade fever. I better take you to Patient First for some antibiotics. It’s probably another case of strep.” Lucifer came down the stairs at that moment. “Lucifer?”

“Yes, Detective?”

“I’m going to use a personal day today. I have to take Rory to Patient First. She has a sore throat.”

“Another one? She’s half-angel. She should not be getting sick as often as she does.”

“Well, clearly the half-human side is unfortunately winning out right now.”

“Do you want me to accompany you?”

“No, it’s probably just strep. They’ll do a throat swab and give us a prescription for some antibiotics,” said Chloe. “Dan and Ella will need your help discussing what we discovered at our last crime scene to Charlotte so she can complete discovery. No sense of you missing work too. We’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure?” Lucifer squeezed her hands.

“Positive,” Chloe affirmed.

Lucifer arrived at work not long after leaving the house, and upon seeing him, Dan asked, “Where’s Chloe? You both usually come in together.”

“She had to take Rory to Patient First. Dear child has a sore throat again,” Lucifer answered.

“I’m sorry, man. I know strep is going around. Zoe just got over it a few weeks ago. Poor girl was miserable.”

“Yes, but you have mere human offspring. It’s expected for her to get sick. My child is half-angel. She should be immune from all of your human filth,” said Lucifer.

Dan took slight offense to Lucifer calling Trixie and Zoe as ‘mere human offspring,’ but as usual, he shrugged it off and said, “It’ll be all right, man. It means you’re a good father if you worry about your child.”

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

At Patient First, a nurse took Rory back and took her vitals before one of the doctors came into the room. “Aurora Morningstar?” he asked, and Rory nodded. “I’m Dr. Cohen.”

“Hello,” said Rory hoarsely.

“Chloe Decker,” Chloe introduced herself and shook the doctor’s hand.

“Pleasure to meet you,” he answered. “So, what’s going on?”

“My throat hurts,” said Rory. “It hurts to swallow, and it hurts to cough.”

“She’s had five throat infections in the past year. This is her sixth,” explained Chloe. “We always come here for a prescription of antibiotics, but it just seems to come back a short time later.”

“Well, we’ll do a throat swab to test for strep, but it sounds like it might be recurring tonsillitis,” said Dr. Cohen.

“But other doctors have diagnosed her with strep.”

“Strep can lead to tonsillitis, Ms. Decker. I’ll do what I can today, but it sounds like you might need to take Aurora to her pediatrician to discuss further treatment.”

“All right. Thank you.” Dr. Cohen did the throat swab, and though there was no presence of bacteria, he still prescribed an antibiotic just out of caution.

When Lucifer returned home later that afternoon, he promptly asked, “Well, what’s the verdict on the offspring?”

“The doctor at Patient First prescribed an antibiotic just out of caution, but he didn’t think it was strep. Since Rory’s had so many throat infections, he recommended we take her to her pediatrician.”

“Well, what could the pediatrician say that the other doctor already didn’t?”

“I don’t know, Lucifer, I’m just…” Chloe started to cry.

Lucifer wondered what caused the sudden change, so he sat down next to Chloe. “Chloe,” he used her name this time, “it will be all right.”

“I know,” Chloe answered, “I’m just afraid Dr. Jacobs will say Rory needs to have her tonsils taken out.” Chloe wiped the tears from her eyes. “Well, no use worrying about it until we actually have to cross that bridge. I’m going to go start dinner.”

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

The next day, Dr. Jacobs was able to see Rory thanks to a cancellation. As she examined Rory’s throat, Dr. Jacobs asked, “So, this is the sixth throat infection Rory has had in the past year?”

“Yes, I’ve been taking her to Patient First, they test for strep, they put her on an antibiotic regimen, then rinse and repeat,” said Chloe.

Dr. Jacobs examined Rory’s throat and said, “Her tonsils do look red and inflamed despite the antibiotics.” The doctor sat down in her chair and said, “Given the amount of throat infections Rory has had in the past several months, I do believe it is time to consider a tonsillectomy.”

“Which is?” asked Lucifer.

“Surgically removing the tonsils, Mr. Morningstar,” the doctor responded.

Once Lucifer heard the word ‘surgically,’ he didn’t hear what the doctor said after that. Dr. Jacobs recommended a local ENT surgeon to the parents, and Chloe promptly scheduled a consultation checkup when they arrived home. A few days later, the surgeon confirmed what Dr. Jacobs had said previously: Rory needed to have her tonsils taken out. “How will they do it, Mommy?” asked Rory later that night as Chloe tucked her into bed.

“Well, baby, you’ll have something called an operation, where the doctor will put you to sleep with a special medicine and take your tonsils out?”

“Will it hurt?”

“Not during the operation, but your throat may hurt a few days afterward. But that means you will be allowed to eat all the ice cream and popsicles you want,” Chloe said brightly, and that made Rory smile. “We have a few weeks before your operation, so you can ask the doctor as many questions as you want before then. All right?” Rory nodded, not entirely convinced, but she was too tired to argue. Chloe kissed her forehead. “Good night, sweetheart.”

“Good night, Mommy.”

When Chloe arrived to her room, Lucifer was pacing back and forth. “How did she take it?” he asked when she arrived.

“As well as any eight-year-old can. I think the concept is a bit abstract for her right now. I’m sure she’ll become more scared as it gets closer.” Chloe watched Lucifer pace some more before she finally reached out and grabbed his hand. “How are you doing?”

Lucifer looked at their entwined hands. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “She’s half-angel, Detective. She shouldn’t have to go through this.”

“I know,” Chloe responded, “no kid should—human or half-angel.”

Lucifer sat down on the bed. “Maybe Linda can help her.”

“Lucifer…”

“She helps me with my problems. She helps Charlotte with hers. Why not Rory?”

“Lucifer, Linda is not that kind of doctor, and you know it.”

“But she can prescribe medicine. She even gives Charlotte medicine. She helped send me back to Hell so I could get the antidote for you when you were poisoned. She can give a special medicine to Rory and talk to her so she doesn’t have to have surgery.”

He buried his face in his hands, and Chloe sat down next to Lucifer. She laid her hand on his back. “Lucifer.” He looked up at her upon feeling her comforting touch. “We’ve tried medicine. Multiple times. It didn’t fix the problem. And while therapy has its advantages, this isn’t something therapy can fix either.”

Lucifer’s breath shook as Chloe grabbed his hand. “I’m just scared. I never thought I would come to like children, but I adore that pesky offspring of ours.”

“I know you do,” said Chloe. “I’m scared too. But we’ll get through it like we always do.”

Lucifer nodded. “Together.”

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

Over the next few weeks, Chloe and Lucifer helped prepare Rory for the operation. They took a tour of the hospital; read some children’s books about operations like Goodbye Tonsils, Curious George Goes to the Hospital, and Madeline; and stocked up on plenty of popsicles and ice cream. Finally, the day of the operation arrived, so the family was up bright and early. “Do you have everything you want to take, honey?” asked Chloe.

Rory gripped her stuffed tiger as well as her treasured blanket tightly. “Yes,” she whispered softly. Rory started crying.

“Sweetheart, it’ll be okay.” Chloe wrapped her daughter in a tight hug.

“What if I wake up during the operation?” she sobbed. “What if I wake up after the operation and you and Daddy aren’t there?”

“Rory, listen. The doctor’s job is to make sure you don’t wake up during the operation. All right? And I promise that Daddy and I will be right by your side when you wake up.”

“Promise?” Rory sniffled.

“Pinky promise.” Chloe locked pinkies with Rory. “We need to go. But you’ll be back home later today.”

Rory grasped her mother’s hand as Chloe led her to the car. On the way to the hospital, Chloe drove, while Lucifer nervously tapped the handle of the passenger’s side. They arrived at the hospital, checked in, and were escorted to the pediatric pre-op area where they met with the surgeon and the anesthesiologist for a final time. They had Rory change into a hospital gown with cats on it and did a number of pre-op tests. Soon, they were ready to take Rory back to the operating room, so they brought out the sterile gowns, hats, masks, and slippers for Chloe and Lucifer. “Do I really have to wear these hideous things?” asked Lucifer as he held them like they were about to explode at any moment.

“If you want to go back with Rory, yes,” said Chloe firmly. “It’s for sterility purposes.”

“Oh, the sacrifices parents make for their offspring,” said Lucifer as he reluctantly pulled the surgical attire on over his finely pressed suit and perfectly polished shoes.

Chloe was allowed to carry Rory into the operating room. It was bright, noisy, and chaotic as she gently placed Rory on the operating table. “I’m scared, Mommy.” Rory started to cry.

“I’m right here, baby.” Chloe gripped her hand tightly. “And Daddy’s here too.” Lucifer took that as a signal to take his daughter’s other hand.

“All right, Rory, here comes the special gas,” the anesthesiologist said as he put the mask on her. It wasn’t long before Rory was out.

“You both need to leave now. I will come to the waiting room to let you know when she’s out of surgery and being wheeled to recovery.”

Chloe nodded and left, but Lucifer walked over to the surgeon and said, “If you harm my little girl, I will make sure you are properly punished.” And with that statement, Lucifer left the room as well.

When Chloe and Lucifer arrived to the waiting room, two people were there to greet them. “Dan, Charlotte,” Chloe said, “what are you both doing here?”

“I didn’t have court today, and Dan can’t do much work on the case until he receives the ballistics analysis from Ella,” said Charlotte.

“We decided to use some personal leave and come here to sit with you guys. We figured you could use the support,” Dan explained.

“Thank you, but you didn’t have to do that,” said Chloe.

“No, but we wanted to,” Dan emphasized.

“I’m going to go get some coffee. Does anyone else want some?”

“I’m good. Thank you, Charlotte,” said Chloe.

“No, I need something much stronger. Excuse me.” Lucifer discreetly took a sip of whiskey from his flask before hiding it in his suit jacket pocket again. The Devil went over to pace by the window.

“I’ll be back soon.” Charlotte squeezed Dan’s hand and kissed his cheek before walking toward the elevators.

Chloe and Dan took a seat next to each other, and Chloe commented, “Lucifer has been like this for the past several weeks.”

“I don’t blame him. If it was Trixie or Zoe in that operating room, I’d be a complete mess right now. You’re handling it a lot better than I would.”

Chloe chuckled, but said, “Believe me, there’s been a lot of tears on my end too. I know the surgery’s routine, but you can’t help but worry.”

“I’d be worried if you weren’t worried. You’re the best mom I know.”

“Shouldn’t you be saying that to Charlotte?”

“I can have more than one woman in my life who’s a great mom.”

Chloe laughed, took Dan’s hand, and squeezed it before returning it to her lap. “Thank you for coming. You have no idea how much this means to us.”

“You’d do the same for us,” said Dan.

Meanwhile, after Lucifer finished pacing by the window for a while, he found that Charlotte had just returned from getting coffee, so he escorted her over to the other side of the room away from where Chloe and Dan were conversing. She was a bit confused, but after they both were seated, Lucifer said, “Charlotte, I know you have your own struggles with anxiety, and you’ve been a parent longer than anyone else I know, so I’m going to ask you a question: how do you deal with anxiety, and when do you stop worrying about your offspring?”

“Well, that’s a two-part question,” Charlotte sipped her coffee, “and the answer to the second one is you don’t stop worrying about your kids. Well, at least not if you’re a good parent. And it gets worse as they get older. The first time they board a school bus. The first time they have a crush or bring home a boyfriend or girlfriend. The first time you hand them the car keys. Their first day of high school, their first college dorm, their first real job…you never stop worrying about them. I went through all of it with both Micah and Ivy, and now I’ll get to go through it all again with Zoe. Your kids really are your heart beating and walking around outside of your chest and in the world.”

“Bloody brilliant,” said Lucifer sarcastically. He took another sip of whiskey. “Just what I wanted to hear.”

“Well, I know you value honesty,” said Charlotte.

“I just used to hold this little creature in my arms for hours feeding her, singing to her, staring at her…I’ve always felt this protectiveness over my offspring that I don’t feel with anyone else other than the Detective.”

“That’s called love, Lucifer,” said Charlotte. “And at least you have the supernatural abilities to protect them. I do not.” Charlotte sighed.

“No, but you are one of the best mums I know.”

“I wasn’t always that way, and I had to learn about what my priorities should be in life the hardest way possible.” Charlotte fiddled with the waffle bracelet on her wrist as well as her wedding rings.

“Well, if the Devil can attempt this whole relationship and parenting thing and be semi-successful at it, you certainly can, because you’re more put together than me.” The friends laughed softly. “But how do you help yourself worry less?”

“Therapy, 50 mgs of Zoloft daily, exercising by doing yoga or walking or jogging through the neighborhood, playing with or petting the cats,” Charlotte listed.

“I already see the Doctor, she says I don’t need medicine, yoga is for football mums, I only run if something or someone is chasing me, and if you think I’m bad around children, you should see me around felines.”

“Well, one of the most important things I do is always talk to Dan about what I’m feeling, because I’ve learned if you don’t keep your relationship with your significant other healthy, then everything goes to…well, you know,” she joked.

Lucifer chuckled. “I do.”

The surgeon came into the waiting room. “Mr. Morningstar, Ms. Decker?” Chloe and Lucifer stood and approached the doctor. “Your daughter’s out of surgery. Everything went as planned.”

“Thank Dad,” Lucifer whispered and hugged Chloe, while Dan and Charlotte smiled at each other and linked hands.

“Can we see her?” asked Chloe.

“Of course. She’s in recovery now. She should be waking up soon,” the doctor said.

“Well, we’ll see you later,” said Dan.

“Okay, thanks for coming.” Chloe hugged them both before following Lucifer and the doctor to recovery. He led them to Rory’s bedside, and Lucifer’s heart broke at seeing his daughter so pale. There were no visible scars or tubes other than one IV, but still. “Rory,” Chloe began rubbing her daughter’s head, “it’s Mommy.” Rory’s eyes fluttered open, and she blinked a few times as her pupils adjusted to the bright lights. “Hi, sweetheart.”

Rory’s eyes flickered between Chloe and Lucifer. “Mommy? Daddy?”

“How are you feeling?” asked Lucifer hesitantly.

“My throat hurts,” Rory croaked and held her neck for emphasis.

“The doctor said it would hurt for a few days. But we have lots of ice cream and popsicles at home for you,” said Chloe brightly.

“When can I go home?” asked Rory hoarsely.

Both parents looked over at the doctor. “We want to monitor her for a bit, but she should get to go home in an hour or two.”

“Thank you,” said Chloe. “Why don’t you go back to sleep, sweetheart? You’ll be home before you know it.” Rory nodded and closed her eyes again. A few hours later, Rory was released, so Lucifer drove home, while Chloe sat in the back seat with Rory. The young girl spent most of the day watching TV on the sofa and eating ice cream and popsicles to soothe her sore throat. Later that night, Chloe read Rory a bedtime story before coming into the master bedroom. “How’s she doing?” asked Lucifer as Chloe snuggled against his chest, and he kissed the top of her head.

“She fussed a bit when she had to take her pain medicine since it hurts for her to swallow, but I think it’s been a long day for her. For all of us.”

Lucifer nodded. “Agreed.” Before Lucifer knew it, he heard Chloe’s soft breathing, so he slowly wiggled out of her embrace and gently laid her on the other side of the bed before falling asleep.

**************************************************************************************************************************************************

The next day, Chloe, Lucifer, and Rory were relaxing by playing board games when they heard a knock at the front door. Chloe went to answer it and found Amenadiel, Linda, and Charlie on the other side. “Amenadiel, Linda, Charlie, what are you all doing here?”

“Well, we wanted to stop by and see how Rory was doing,” said Linda.

“Then, why are our other mates pulling into the driveway?” asked Lucifer as he pointed to where Carol and Ella as well as Dan, Charlotte, and Zoe were arriving. It wasn’t long before Maze and Eve did too.

“Look, Lucy, Chloe, we know Rory has probably been really scared and in a lot of pain lately, so what better way to make her feel better than ice cream sundaes on a Saturday afternoon.” Amenadiel held up several bags of ice cream.

“Amenadiel, Linda, that is so thoughtful.” Chloe moved aside and let them enter.

“We brought syrups,” said Ella as she and Carol carried in several bottles of Hershey’s chocolate and strawberry syrups along with whipped cream.

“What’s a sundae without toppings?” said Dan as he and his family entered with chocolate chips, sprinkles, peanuts, and cherries.

“And we brought bowls, spoons, and napkins,” said Eve.

“And booze,” chimed in Maze.

“We made cards for Rory,” Charlie said as he ran over to his cousin, and Zoe followed suit.

“How are you feeling, Rory?” asked Zoe.

“Okay, but my throat hurts,” Rory answered.

“Sore throats suck. I had one when I had strep throat. It hurt to swallow,” said Zoe.

“Yeah, but ice cream and popsicles make it feel better, so Mommy and Daddy have been letting me eat all the ice cream and popsicles I want,” said Rory excitedly.

“Don’t get too used to it,” Chloe said.

Everyone happily began to make their creations, with Maze choosing vodka as her primary topping, Dan and Charlotte both putting more whipped cream on their sundaes than an average five-year-old, Ella and Carol adding more sprinkles and chocolate chips than anyone could imagine, and the kids enjoying every minute of it. Chloe walked over to Lucifer and took his hand. “Well, Dad, you survived your first major health ordeal as a parent.”

Lucifer snorted. “Barely. Being immortal makes me wonder how you humans deal with the idea of mortality.”

“Well, different people and different religions explain death in various ways, but I have personally learned to hold your family and friends close to you for as long as you have them in your life and to cherish those you love.” Chloe looked up into Lucifer’s eyes.

Lucifer watched his daughter, nephew, and family friend squirting mountains of whipped cream onto their sundaes, the three children giggling. He observed his brother and friends all enjoying the comradery. And he then kissed Chloe once for good measure before they went to join in on the fun.

Chapter Text

“So, Detective, are you ready to spend your first New Year’s Eve party at Lux with yours truly?” asked Lucifer at work a few days before New Year’s Eve.

“As long as you’re kissing the right woman at midnight,” Chloe joked.

“Rub it in, guys,” said Ella.

“What do you mean?” asked Chloe.

“You guys have each other. Dan and Charlotte have each other. Linda and Amenadiel have each other. Maze and Eve have each other. And who do I have to kiss at midnight?” Ella pointed to herself.

“Hey, guys.” Dan approached them.

“Speaking of me. We were just talking about you, Daniel,” said Lucifer.

“How?” asked Dan worriedly.

“Just about Lucifer’s New Year’s Eve party,” Chloe clarified.

“Yeah, about that,” Dan said, “I actually came over to ask you all for your help with something.”

“I’m sure you’re perfectly capable of snogging Charlotte at midnight without our assistance, Daniel,” said Lucifer.

“It’s actually more complicated than that.” Dan pulled something out of his pants pocket and showed it to everyone, causing Ella to squeal with delight, Chloe to jokingly punch Dan’s arm, and Lucifer to chuckle and say, “Trapping yourself on New Year’s Eve, Daniel? What a horrible New Year’s resolution.”

“Ha,” said Dan sarcastically, “I actually wanted everyone’s help at the party. Maze and Eve and Amenadiel and Linda are in, but I want it to be a group effort.”

“Of course, we’ll help,” said Chloe excitedly.

“Absotively posilutely,” chimed in Ella.

“Starting now,” said Lucifer, pointing toward the stairs.

Dan turned his head and observed Charlotte coming down the stairs. He snuck the item back into his pocket as she looked over and waved to everyone. When she approached Dan, she laid her hand on his lower back. “Hey.” She greeted him with a kiss.

“Hi.” He smiled back. “Where have you been? You left before I was even up.”

“I wanted to get to work early because I had a motions hearing this morning that took way longer than it needed to, and I went to grab lunch after it was over. What have you all been up to?”

Everyone glanced at each other and particularly Lucifer given that he never lied. “New Year’s Eve plans,” answered Chloe, and everyone nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, the party at Lux should be fun,” Charlotte admitted. “Well, I still have a lot to do this afternoon. I’ll see you at home.” She squeezed Dan’s hand and headed toward her office.

“It will be fun indeed, Charlotte,” Dan whispered to himself.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************

On New Year’s Eve, Dan paced the living room and kitchen areas while waiting for Charlotte to finish getting ready. He recited something over and over again in his head, though no version felt quite right. He had done this once before, and he hadn’t been nearly as nervous. Maybe because he had been fairly young and kind of dumb at the time. Maybe a divorce under his belt had him second guessing himself. Maybe it was something else entirely. All he knew was that he could use a drink and some chocolate pudding right about now.

Dan heard the clicking of heels on the hardwood floor, so he turned and found Charlotte standing in front of him. She was clad in a black-and-white dress, a black sweater, and black heels. Her blonde hair was curled and feathered, and her makeup was perfect as always. Frankly, she didn’t look much different from when she was headed to court, but something about her was even more alluring to Dan tonight. Perhaps it was because Dan hoped at the end of the night he would be calling Charlotte his… “What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?” Charlotte interrupted his thoughts.

“No.” Dan shook his head. “You look beautiful, sweetheart.”

“Mm. And you look quite handsome, Detective Espinoza.” Charlotte sauntered over to her boyfriend and draped her arms over his shoulders, admiring Dan in his black dress pants and buttoned-up dress shirt. It was much different than his usual outfits consisting of jeans, t-shirts, and jackets, but tonight was a special night: their first New Year’s Eve as a couple. “We should get going. The party started at seven, and it’s already quarter of eight.”

“Who’s the one that took forever to get ready?” scolded Dan amusingly.

“Hey, it’s bad form to arrive first to a party.” Charlotte smiled. That beautiful smile made Dan’s heart skip a beat. He discreetly reached into his pocket to make sure something was securely placed there before taking Charlotte’s hand and leading her out of their apartment, down the elevator, and to his car. As Dan drove to Lux, Charlotte asked, “Hey, babe, you okay?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“You’re just awfully quiet.”

“Just have a lot on my mind.” He squeezed her hand before placing his own hand back on the steering wheel. Dan parked, and the couple walked to the main entrance of Lux, the bouncer letting them in once they showed their tickets, though he easily recognized the two of them. The party was in full swing when they arrived, and as they descended the stairs, they found their friends all seated on the sofa while enjoying drinks. As the couple approached, it seemed as if everyone else had just finished discussing something. Charlotte was confused, but laid her hand on Dan’s shoulder and said, “I’m going to go get a margarita. Do you want anything?”

“Just a glass of whiskey,” said Dan.

“That’s my boy,” Lucifer said as he held up his own along with Maze.

Charlotte went over to the bar, and once she was out of sight, Dan turned to everyone and said, “All right, so we’re going to start everything approximately fifteen minutes before midnight, right?”

“We have it covered, Dan,” said Amenadiel.

“I’ll make sure to play your requested song at the appropriate time,” said Lucifer.

“We’ll make sure everyone stays out of the way so no one interrupts you two. Right, honey?” asked Eve as she sipped her appletini.

“Always, baby.” Maze and Eve shared a long kiss.

“Ladies, save it for midnight,” Linda joked. The group of friends spent the evening dancing, drinking, and laughing. At quarter to midnight, Dan gave the signal, so Lucifer went over to the microphone and stopped the music. “Excuse me, my apologies, but this next song is for a few special mates of mine, and a certain bloke requested I play it just before midnight.”

The song I’ve Had the Time of My Life from Dirty Dancing blasted over the speakers, and a disco ball descended from the ceiling as everyone began dancing again, though Maze and Eve hurtled other patrons away from the center of the dance floor to the sides, while Linda, Chloe and Ella pulled Charlotte over to them, and the four women began dancing. On the other side of the room, Amenadiel asked, “Are you ready, Dan?”

Dan took a deep breath to calm his nerves. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Then, let’s do it," said Lucifer.

When the lyrics you’re the one thing I can’t get enough of played, the women started to slowly sneak behind Charlotte, and Chloe turned Charlotte around to face the men. Charlotte briefly wondered where Dan had disappeared to when she noticed Amenadiel and Lucifer part ways as Dan entered the circle in between them, and something was nestled in between his hands. Charlotte barely registered the verse so I’ll tell you something, this could be love, because…as Dan took her hands and led her out to the middle of the dance floor. Charlotte tried to feel what was in his right hand. Was it…a box? They stopped, and Dan spun Charlotte in a circle before she was facing him, his sky-blue eyes pouring into hers. “Daniel, what’s happening?”

“Charlotte, I know our relationship has been anything but traditional. We’ve had our ups and downs, but every moment we’ve spent together has been worth it. These past several months have been some of the best months of my life, and I can’t imagine my life without you in it. You make me believe I can be a better person, and you complete me. On our first official date, the one Maze didn’t interrupt, we went to dinner, and then we went to see Dirty Dancing since it’s your favorite movie and it was the thirtieth anniversary of it. I love you, Charlotte, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. Charlotte Lee Richards…” Dan got down on bended knee and opened the velvet box, a small, sterling silver, round-cut diamond ring covered with smaller diamonds circling the band nestled in the fabric. Charlotte’s jaw dropped, and she covered her mouth as tears developed in her eyes as Dan looked up at her and asked, “Will you marry me?”

Charlotte didn’t hesitate to respond, but she didn’t go overboard with her reaction either. She folded her hands underneath her chin and nodded as she answered, “Yes. Yes, I will marry you.”

The chorus of the song played for a second time as Dan smiled brightly, stood, and slipped the ring onto Charlotte’s finger. They were so lost in the moment that they were both startled when their friends rushed over to them, hugging them and high-fiving them while offering their congratulations to the newly engaged couple. Everyone barely had time to grab their glasses of champagne for the toast while Lucifer announced, “All right, everyone, it’s almost midnight! Countdown in…”

“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one…HAPPY NEW YEAR!”

Confetti exploded from the ceiling and fell all over the floor of Lux as Auld Lang Syne serenaded the party goers while couples kissed and friends hugged, everyone giving each other well-wishes for the new year. Lucifer came over to Chloe and kissed her, as did Maze and Eve, Amenadiel and Linda, and Dan and Charlotte, while Ella stood around awkwardly. “Wish I had someone to kiss.”

“Oh, for Lucifer’s dad’s sake; come on, babe.” Maze tapped Eve’s shoulder, and the two women both kissed Ella—first Maze, and then Eve. “Are you happy?” asked Maze.

“Uh,” Ella stuttered.

“Good enough. Come on; no sense of spending the first minutes of 2018 sober,” said Maze. The two women went to get another drink, as they had both already finished their champagne.

Once the excitement died down, the women wanted to see Charlotte’s ring, and soon, Lucifer played another slow song and said, “This song goes out to a very special couple. You know who you are.”

Train’s Marry Me played over the speaker as couples started dancing together. Charlotte laid her arms over Dan’s shoulders as he laid his hands on her hips, and he pulled her closer to him before they swayed back and forth with the music, Charlotte resting her forehead against Dan’s. “Before we know it, we’ll be dancing our first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Espinoza,” said Dan.

Charlotte looked into his eyes and cupped his face in her hand. “I can’t wait.”

They kissed, and Dan said, “I love, Charlotte.” His fiancée. His soon-to-be wife. His forever.

Charlotte responded, “I love you too, Dan.” Her fiancé. Her soon-to-be husband. Her forever.