Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“There is no such thing as accident; it is fate misnamed.”

— Napoleon Bonaparte

 

As Linda Martin stood in the middle of the chaos, disheveled and covered in blood, she wondered where had it all gone wrong. Perhaps she shouldn’t have gotten out of bed this morning. She had had a feeling that it would be a bad day, but she would have never thought it would be this bad.

She had been in a hurry to get to work and she was just driving past the nearby school, when a child jumped in front of her car. She immediately stepped on the brake, preventing something serious, as her car slowed down. Or so, she had hoped. But it had ended up very, very badly. The car behind her hadn’t noticed she’d slowed and they collided, the speed and force of it, pushing hers forward and the child had been hit. She’d jumped out to help and now she was covered in blood...

... and as the paramedics and other authorities appeared, she cursed to herself. The Police thought she was at fault. Or, more precisely, both her and the man and this was not how she’d planned her day. Seriously.

‘Oh, come on please! Please! Someone help me! Damn it, even if it’s the Devil who’s helping me, fine! All Hail the Devil! You get whatever you want out of this, Lucifer or whatever your name, but help me prove I’m innocent! It’s the drunk bastard’s fault,’ she thought miserably.

“Miss Martin, would you be so kind to come with me?” one of the officers called. Linda sighed, exhausted to the bone despite it being late morning and nodded.

 Lucifer Morningstar, part-time civilian consultant of the LAPD and full-time Satan, was sitting on the passenger seat of his partner’s car, as they sped towards the accident site. (She was probably breaking the speed limit, but she didn’t seem to care.) The Detective was rather distressed, worried for her spawn, as the accident happened in front of the child’s school and a spawn had been hit. Lucifer tried to tell her that the school was full of spawns and, while not impossible, it was unlikely that it had been Beatrice, who’d been hit. But she was radiating worry, her face like stone, not listening to the voice of reason.

Lucifer huffed and took a gulp of the fine coffee he’d gotten his hands on just before they jumped into the car, when the frantic voice echoed in his mind. It was a rather hurried, scrappy prayer. Come on, were the Satanists of the Earth losing style? But then, the words made sense — plus, he also recognised the voice.

‘Oh, come on please! Please! Someone help me! Damn it, even if it’s the Devil who’s helping me, fine! All Hail the Devil! You get whatever you want out of this, Lucifer or whatever your name, but help me prove I’m innocent! It’s the drunk bastard’s fault.’

Lucifer almost spit out his hot beverage, when he realised that he knew the voice, which was, —probably unintentionally judging from the wording,— praying to him. Doctor Linda Martin. He couched a bit, lowering his cup and Chloe glanced at him.

“Lucifer, I told you not to drink that now. The least thing I need is for you to choke to death, when we have a case and Trixie might be...” she trailed off with a frown.

“The Spawn is probably fine, Detective and so am I. No need to worry,” he grunted, placing the now empty cup on the floor. Of course Linda Martin had to pray to him in a rather vulgar manner too, just when he was savouring the very last glup. Oh, he was so going to have a word with her!

But... why would she... did the officers already on the site really think it was her fault? Lucifer had spent enough time with her, to know she had not an evil bone in her body. She didn’t necessarily believe him about his identity or about his family, but some scepticism (and maybe a streak of atheism) didn’t make people sinners or evil. He made a mental note to seek her out, once they reached their destination.

Minutes later, the Detective stepped on the brake, pulling to the side as she scrambled out from the car. Lucifer slipped out from his seat as well, fast but elegant, and even before his partner could do anything, he stepped next to her (with just maybe a little bit of his supernatural speed) and grabbed her wrist.

“Lucifer... Let...!”

“Shush, Detective. You’re here to work. Go see the ones already here and I will search for Beatrice. I’m not necessarily needed here now, am I?”

She huffed. “N-no. Okay. I’ll... I’ll go. Thanks for bringing Trixie. God, I hope it’s not her.” Lucifer huffed, rolling his eyes.

He had always felt some odd connection to the Spawn, and it bothered and intrigued him at the same time. Chloe could resist his power — there was something subtle, divine in her, as if she’d been touched by one of his angelic brothers or something. But that same feeling was twice as strong with Beatrice.

It bothered him even more, because human spawns were a mess to deal with regularly. A human spawn, who had traces of divinity around them? Even more of a trouble, possibly capable of bringing the Apocalypse. (Okay, no. Maybe he was exaggerating just a little, because he didn’t like children... but they were trouble anyway.)

“It’s not her, trust me. And leave my Father out of this,” he muttered. Chloe didn’t even roll her eyes nor did she mutter about his ’nonsense’ as she usually did. She just pulled her arm away and hurried towards the two police cars, where the paramedics had also stopped.

Lucifer sighed and closed his eyes for a second, trying to pinpoint the Spawn’s location. It didn’t take long — this time, her presence was stronger, more familiar, than ever before. He expertly slid through the people and dodged the officers, heading towards a shaded corner not too far, but still out of sight. Soft sniffling caught his attention and it didn’t take long to recognise the voice.

“Spawn?” he called as calmly as he could. “Beatrice?”

“L-Lucifer?” Beatrice called back, shifting. As she did so, Lucifer heard shuffling and swissing. “Don’t... is Mommy here? Don’t let her...”

“It’s alright, Beatrice. She’s gone to speak with the other officers. She’s here though,” he told her, stopping just at the edge of the shaded corner. “May I get closer?” he asked. He could feel her confusion, fear and distress.

“I... I think?” she said.

Lucifer sighed and stepped closer, crouching at her level, only for him to choke on air. There was a pair of fine, silvery white wings sprouting from her shoulders, looking like his or his siblings’. It looked exactly like theirs, when they’d been young, at the start of Creation.

“Am... what? Why...?” she muttered, looking at the wings, confused and lost.

“Nephilim,” he muttered, the voice coming to him, as if his Father had stuck it on his tongue, without Lucifer asking for it.

“Nef- what?” she muttered, looking at him.

Lucifer sighed. “Half angel, half human,” he supplied quietly, placing a hand on her shoulder. “And before you say something like that, you’re not a monster. My Father likes his mind games... but you’re still you, Beatrice.”

She sniffled, scooting closer to him. “I don’t think I can leave here like this, can I? Others are not supposed to see my wings, right? You never show yours...”

Lucifer’s eyes widened a little. “S-Show mine?“ he echoed.

She shrugged. “Mommy and the other adults don’t believe you. But… you never lied before. You are Lucifer. I mean, the Devil.”

Her voice was earnest, full of rock-hard conviction so strong, that Lucifer’s head spun. “Yes,” he answered simply, needing a moment to wrap his mind around the fact that Beatrice had believed him. That she had believed and, despite it all, she still tried to be friendly, tried to hug him… things people don’t usually do with the Devil.

“Alright Urchin. I’m taking you out of here. But I’ll need you to hide your wings.”

She frowned at the feathery appendages, tugging at a dimly glistening feather. “How do I do that?”

“Hm… it’s like when you pull off or pull on some clothes. You just have to think about grabbing the wings and pulling them back, so they will go to that different place where humans cannot see.”

She nodded and Lucifer saw as she tried to do as he had instructed. Yet, her emotional turmoil, and probably her inexperience, prevented her from succeeding. She frowned. “It’s not working.”

“Alright… plan B,” he grunted. “Seeing that there are no other angels, I will have to do it for you. But that means you will feel my power. And… angels don’t usually like it, so you may feel uncomfortable.”

She shrugged as she leaned into him. “Why don’t they like it? I read somewhere you’re helping God too, like them. That before you left Heaven, you were called Samel.”

Lucifer’s breath hitched at hearing his old name. The name he had not used in so, so long… Sure, the Urchin has mispronounced it, but he knew what she wanted to say.

“It’s Samael, Urchin. Samael,” he corrected slowly, so she would remember. “And yes… you could say I’m helping Him in a way…” he grunted.

He liked and despised the reminder of his name —the name he had left behind. The name humanity had forgotten and the one his Celestial siblings refused to use as they believed him to be a true traitor. They didn’t know about his responsibilities, about the mission he had been given by their Father. (It hurt though. He had endured and abided by His word and in exchange for his loyalty, his Father had allowed his very being to be so vilified, so twisted, that the humans barely even remembered his true name.) But what was perhaps even more baffling, that a mortal(?) child knew more than some of his siblings.

With a burst of his power, her wings disappeared. She gasped.

“Now, I’ll take you back to your mother and you won’t say a word of what happened here or what we talked about, deal, Urchin?”

She hummed, clinging to him even more. “Okay.”

Lucifer sighed, throwing a glance at the sky, eyes narrowed, as he scooped the child into his arms as if she weighed nothing and headed towards the paramedics. ‘What’s your stupid game again, Father? Hasn’t it been enough that you gave me a duty as far from home as possible, my name twisted? Why must you use innocents like her in your twisted Plan?’

The child was shaking and pale and there was some blood on her. It would be better to have her checked out, though he was sure a lot of her condition could be attributed to her suddenly surfacing, baffling divinity.

Half angel, half human. Beatrice Espinoza was a Nephilim.

 Lucifer stood next to the child, as the woman checked her condition, cleaning her wounds. She looked at the nasty gash on her leg and frowned a little. “When did you get the scar?”

Beatrice shook her head. “I don’t know.”

The paramedic looked at him. “Sir, I’d like to advise you to keep an eye on your daughter for the next twenty-four hours and I’d like to take a blood sample. That might help determine if there are any starting infections, though it is unlikely. But since she doesn’t know when she’d gotten the scar and she seems to have a mild fever… it never hurts.”

Lucifer needed a moment to wrap his mind around what the human had just said. “Ah… the Spa—I mean, Beatrice is not my daughter. I’m just a family friend and I work with the LAPD.”

She blinked, looking at him and then at Beatrice strangely before she hummed. “Ah, my apologies. Any chance for a parent to be nearby?”

“Her mother is Detective Chloe Decker,” Lucifer supplied with a charming smile, as his eyes flicked to a dishevelled Linda Martin, who was being questioned farther away. He looked back at the paramedic. “I’ll get her in a moment.”

“No, no, Lucifer, don’t leave!” Beatrice called with distress in her voice.

The paramedic gave him an oddly disbelieving and scandalised look. They are always the same — no human ever believed it was his real name. The one he had been born with. Okay, not exactly… but it would have been hardly better if he introduced himself, as Samael. Besides, he used that name as scarcely as possible.

“Lucifer Morningstar, LAPD Civilian Consultant,” he introduced himself with a charming smile and the woman nodded, disbelieving and dazed. He looked back at the child clinging to his sleeve.

Oh, dear Father! It was Prada and she was getting filth all over it. Oh, the cleaning will cost a fortune. He sighed inwardly, both annoyed and resigned, as he gently pried the child’s fingers from his arm. “Beatrice... calm down, please. Nothing will happen, alright? I’ll just bring your mother in a flash. Some papers have to be signed and this has to be dealt with. For your safety.”

She bit her lower lip, eyes flashing with fear. “What if...”

Lucifer whispered an incantation in his mind, as old as the Garden and allowed a spark of his power to curl around the child. Her eyes widened a little, her grip tightening. She was looking at him with shock, though the woman next to them probably thought it fear. “Nothing will happen, Urchin. Do I ever lie?”

She shook her head slowly. “No.”

“Good. Nothing will happen. I’ll just tell your mother I found you. She’s worried, you know. See you by the car.”

She gave one last unsure nod and Lucifer whirled on his heels, striding away to find his partner. What a mess this was! Best see what Linda could say about this all...

 Ten minutes later he stood next to one near-panicking Linda Martin. Or rather, she was clinging to him and doing her best not to hyperventilate. Lucifer wondered how he’d ended up in this situation and then he remembered that he’d come over to ask her what had transpired.

“I... I didn’t do it, Lucifer,” she choked. “I didn’t. I… God, I didn’t want that child to be hurt. I stopped my car. The other one…”

Lucifer huffed at the mention of his Father, but kept quiet. She was distressed enough and he was feeling generous today. Besides, he could sense she was speaking the truth. He might have Fallen, but he was still an angel. He could tell when a mortal was lying —he could see it. How else was he supposed to punish evil? Okay, that mission aside, he knew she was speaking the truth.

“They... they think I did it on purpose. That I...”

“Calm down, Doctor,” he called softly. “Everything’s alright. Now... did they do anything?”

“Just took a blood sample to see if I was drinking. I wasn’t. And I didn’t mean, God, I don’t want to...”

Lucifer huffed and this time he couldn’t hold it back. “Don’t bring my Father into this, please.” Linda looked up at him and Lucifer felt a flash of desire. She was a little older than the Detective, but still very beautiful.

“We’re back at that again?” she grunted. “You’re not a Fallen Angel, you know…”

Lucifer snorted in amusement. The humans were most amusing — some of them believed he was who he said he was; others denied it and thought he was raving mad. Like Linda. Okay, she didn’t think him mad, he knew that, but she obviously didn’t believe he was Lucifer.

“Oh and what will the parents say...”

“Nothing,” he stated simply. “I believe you when you say it was not your fault. You won’t get in trouble for this.”

“Won’t I?” she murmured.

Lucifer tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear and he smiled. She raised an eyebrow. He smirked. “Still as beautiful as you were then.”

Linda blinked. “E-excuse me?”

The Devil grinned, leaning closer. “Oh, don’t you remember? But then again... human memory is so fickle. It was 2007 — I remember, because Maze was making a fuss about my recent settling in LA. She said that one occasion in 2007 should have been enough. A nightclub, a prestigious one and two nights together. Hm?”

Linda was looking at him oddly and Lucifer drew back. “Oh well, what a shame. No matter, we can make new memories, can’t we, Doctor? You owe me a coffee though.”

“Owe you, what for?”

Lucifer grinned, as he whirled on his heels. “Well, you’ve got the Devil for your advocate. You did ask for it, didn’t you? I’ll prove you’re innocent, just as you’ve asked, Linda. Although, your prayer lacks some finesse.”

Lucifer didn’t look back, so he didn’t see the disbelieving, yet horror-stuck look on the woman’s face.

 Chloe watched as her daughter clung to Lucifer for dear life, tangled into her sheets, her stuffed animal in one hand, the other fisting Lucifer's white shirt. Trixie had refused to fall asleep alone, still very much shaken from the happenings of the day and Chloe had a chilling feeling that her daughter had watched as Linda hit the child, even though LInda didn’t mean to. She’d had a few words with the woman and from the sheer sadness in her voice, Chloe could tell that what had happened was a true accident.

Yet, they still had to wait for the toxicology to determine if either of the two drivers had gotten into a car, when they shouldn’t have. The results would show, if it was Linda or the man, who spoke the truth.

Lucifer looked up, as if he had sensed that she was still there. “You can go to bed, Detective. I’ll make sure the Spawn sleeps well.” Chloe rolled her eyes. Why Lucifer still insisted on calling Trixie that, she wouldn’t understand.

He may not like children in general, but he had a soft spot for her daughter and Chloe knew it. Dan wasn’t too thrilled, though. He was unsure if it was okay to have a playboy like him around Trixie. And it kind of bothered him, just a little, that Lucifer was... well, Lucifer. She still remembered the short panic attack Dan had after the very first meeting.

His family were Christians at heart and Dan couldn’t wrap his mind around the fact that someone —anyone—would willingly name their son after the Devil. She had problems believing it too, but the way he had said ‘god given, I’m afraid’, during their first meeting, did give her the impression this was the name he had grown up with and not just a fancy, crazy stage name.

“Will… you be okay?” she asked, gesturing at him. The bed was child-sized and Lucifer was too tall. The way his feet tangled in the air looked uncomfortable, yet, her partner was unwilling to peel Trixie off of himself to get down and take the couch as he had done so a few times before, since they were working together.

Lucifer shrugged and gave her a careless, lopsided grin. “I’m older than I look, Detective, and I’ve been in much more uncomfortable places than a tiny bed. It’s alright. Besides, at least like this, you can sleep normally. There’s work tomorrow.”

“For you too,” she fired back, crossing her arms. “You have work too, just like me and Dan.”

“A sleepless night doesn’t cause me any problems, I assure you. Go to bed, Detective. Beatrice will be safe with me.”

“Lucifer…”

“I’m a Devil of my word,” he said, tone low and calm. It was a simple statement, full of power… so much, that she could truly believe that he would take care of Trixie. The tone was so convincing, in fact, that for the first time since they met, she almost believed him about being the Devil.

Keyword, almost.

She huffed and nodded. “Very well. Good night.”

“Good night, Detective.”

Chapter Text

“...and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:31-32

Lucifer was staring out the window, the dark sky slowly turning pink and then lighter and lighter as the Sun rose. He couldn’t see his stars from here, not only because of the small window — well, smaller than the glass wall he had for the window in his penthouse — but because of the city’s lights. The Urchin was clinging to him still, like when she had fallen asleep. Through the night, she had barely moved. Were Lucifer a human, he would have long complained about feeling sore and uncomfortable.

“Hm… Lu’er?”

Lucifer shifted a little to look down at the Detective’s offspring curiously. But was she? Was she really the Detective’s? She had nearly nothing in common with Chloe or Dan in physical appearance. But perhaps that didn’t mean anything — he was aware that human genetics could sometimes work oddly.

His biggest concern was the pair of wings that marked her as a Nephilim. Sure, he felt  divinity from the Detective and her resistance to his charms was intriguing and annoying at the same time. But Daniel Espinoza was nothing special and the amount of divinity one needed to be born a Nephilim…

Well, it took much more than what Chloe Decker had. Besides, she would have to be a Nephilim for that too. Her resistance to his power was not something he’d encountered before, but that didn’t make her a Nephilim. Nephilim had an aura — like the Spawn did now that her wings had been revealed. And no Nephilim could stay hidden through all their life.  Their abilities manifested, at worst, in childhood or during their teens. In favourable circumstances, the child started growing wings as a toddler Obviously, Beatrice had not grown up in favourable circumstances.

In short, Dan and Chloe both were mostly normal — far too ‘ordinary’ to have a half-angel child.

“Morning, Urchin,” he greeted quietly.

“You… why are you here?”

Lucifer huffed. “Don’t you remember? You clung to me so desperately that you made it near impossible to leave. Besides, your parents were also worried, so I decided to stay.”

She hummed and snuggled into him even more. Lucifer’s first instinct was to push her away, but then he remembered what had transpired the day before and curbed the reaction. A moment later, as if sensing his discomfort, the child disentangled herself and sat up. Lucifer did the same.

“What… happened yesterday?” she asked quietly. “I mean, why do I have wings?”

“As I said, you’re a Nephilim. Half angel, half human.”

She frowned a little. “But neither Mom, nor Dad are…”

“No, they are not,” he agreed quietly. He doubted that telling the child he felt some divinity from her mother would help. She was confused anyway. So was Lucifer, but that was beside the point.

“Then why am I different?” she asked.

Lucifer shook his head. “My Father likes his games. I don’t know. But… we’ll figure it out, alright, Urchin? Until then, don’t tell your parents anything. They don’t know who I am — they never believed me the way you did. If I proved who I am, they might not let me see you and that would be bad right now.”

She watched him for a long moment. “People fear you. Even… maybe Mom. They don’t want to believe you, because they fear you.”

Lucifer’s brown eyes glinted. The child was surely smarter than those her age. He nodded. “True. It’s easier for them to think that the Devil, the angels, and God are all just… stories. But it’s not. I exist and everyone else does too.”

“But… you wouldn’t hurt us, would you? I mean…”

“I catch bad people. Like your parents. Only those who break His rules and hurt others… only those people end up in Hell,” he muttered.

Oh, and how true it was! It wasn’t like he had broken his Father’s rules… but back then, there’d been some discontent. He’d questioned his Father and that had been the worst possible thing at the time. His Mother and others whispered about overthrowing Father and then… then his Father had tasked him with the hardest of all missions. Stand up as the leader of the rebels, minimise the damage done to Heaven. His Father had asked him to trap the sinners down, far from Heaven, and for him to find those who would wish the world harm. Test the hearts of humans. Those who failed, those who would do harm, were to be sent to Hell when the time came.

He had agreed. The plan had gone well, aside from the fact that everyone believed him a traitor. The humans eventually learned to fear him. And it was not a reluctant helper they saw, but a sinner and tempter who had defied God out of pride. Oh, how wrong they were! 

Those below, in his service, believed that he had always been angry with his Father, that his hate festered since the War. But that was not true. The anger came gradually after he ‘Fell’, when his Father and siblings allowed his name to be twisted. By the time the first scriptures of what the humans would later call the Bible were written, he was the prideful son, the one who had wanted too much.

“Now, out of the bed with you or your mother will be upset.”

She pouted, clinging to him even more. “I don’t want to go.”

Lucifer sighed. “Nothing will happen, Spawn. Your mother will keep you safe and I have somewhere else to be. Work to do.”

He gently peeled off the child’s fingers and then stood up. She sighed and climbed out of bed too, studying him. “Angel work?”

Lucifer shook his head in amusement. “No. Mortal, police-related work. See you later, Beatrice.”

She waved, and Lucifer slipped out of the room, knowing that Chloe was still upstairs. With a soft sigh, he hurried out of the house. The best was to get the papers as soon as possible, but first, a fresh change of clothes and a bourbon.

Lucifer traipsed into the building with a careless air around him, bringing with him a few documents that ensured the release of one Linda Martin. The paper proved she hadn’t been intoxicated. Bloody Hell, she hadn’t even had a sip prior to driving. But the man was drunk. Now, usually humans were a bit slow when it came to dealing with legal business… but the Detective and her husband seemed rather out of it when he arrived at the office.

Lucifer hadn’t bothered to ask what had them in such a state, because his partner had asked to see Linda. But neither her nor Dan had been in a state well enough to deal with the paperwork to have her released. So, Lucifer had grabbed the toxicology documents from Detective Douche’s desk and went after the Lieutenant. After a little persuasion , the woman gave him the paper he needed and allowed him to bring Linda out.

Feeling accomplished and trying to get to the end of it all, he jumped into his car. The sooner Linda was there, the sooner he could solve the mystery of Chloe and Dan’s odd behaviour and deal with the mystery of a certain Nephilim child.

Linda tapped her foot staring at the blank wall ahead. The Police led her away from the accident site in cuffs. Ever since, she had been in this room. They said that if the test results were negative, she was free to go and could forget this nightmare. But first, those results had to be checked.

It was ten in the morning and she still didn’t know a thing. How long did it take to see if her blood had alcohol in it? (Which it didn’t. She never drank more than one or two glasses of wine and when she did drink, she didn’t drive. Ever since that night, she hadn't gotten drunk.)

Oh God, thinking of that night … It happened to her twice. Twice she had birthed and twice she left the babies — both of them girls — in the care of the hospital. At that reminder, Lucifer’s voice floated back into her mind uninvited.

“…one occasion in 2007 should have been enough. A nightclub, a prestigious one and two nights together. Hm?”

Linda groaned. Oh goodness! She had to talk to Lucifer about this. Especially since they’d slept together again. Why had he…? He obviously remembered, while she didn’t. Did he want something from her?

She was snapped from her musings, when the door to the room opened and an officer stepped in. She looked up. “You’re free to go.”

She nodded tiredly and stood up, grabbing her bag. Tired and irate, she stomped out of the room. She wanted nothing more than a hot shower and to cancel all her appointments for the rest of the week and rest. Next week she would resume working, as if nothing had happened, but she needed to get over this first. She couldn’t help people deal with their problems, when she was drowning in her own ones. That didn’t work.

“Hello, Doctor.”

Linda gasped at the voice and looked up to see one Lucifer Morningstar leaning against the wall in pristine clothes, looking perfect and alluring like always. “Lucifer. What are you doing here?” she asked, trying to chase away the memory of his previous words.

“Taking you to the Detective, dear Doctor. She wants to speak with you.”

Linda’s stomach turned. She wasn’t close with Chloe Decker, not really. But they’d crossed paths before, due to work and she already dreaded this meeting. Lucifer had dropped in just hours after the accident and told her that the Detective’s daughter also attended the school, where the scene had transpired.

“About what? With this thing done…”

Lucifer shrugged, though she noticed he was not as easy-going, as usual. There was tension in him — the sort she had only seen when she’d called him ‘Samael’.

“I don’t really know. She hadn’t shared… just looked distraught. Detective Douche looked just as bad, so maybe you should sit down with them and talk? I don’t understand why, though. The Spawn is safe and completely fine.”

Linda frowned a little. “ Spawn? ” she asked, repeating the word with some disbelief and disapproval.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “You know, Beatrice . The Detective and Douche’s spawn. She attends the school…”

Linda nodded, cutting him off. “Yes, I know that. My problem is with how you refer to children. It’s not…”

Lucifer waved at her, gently grabbing her arm and tugging her outside. “Human spawns are all troublesome, you know. Fragile, messy and clingy. She’s fine though. Well, easier to tolerate than most, as long as she doesn’t cling to me too much…”

Linda took a deep breath to calm herself. Having a conversation like this would need her at the best and she wasn’t at her best at the moment. She’d hoped to avoid Lucifer Morningstar today, but apparently, the billionaire had different plans.

Luckily for her the drive was a quiet one. Lucifer was oddly silent and she didn’t feel like starting a conversation either. Even though she knew she should tell him what she had realized. He deserved to know. Lucifer just parked his car in front of the police station, when she finally gathered her courage.

Now or never.

“L-Lucifer?”

The man looked at her, brown eyes searching, the glint of childish mischief buried under seriousness. “Yes, Doctor?”

“You… remember when you mentioned… that night?” she asked, still a little uncertain. How he would react to this was anyone’s guess. She might work with people, but reading and guessing Lucifer’s reactions was near impossible.

“Yes. What of it? Perhaps… the reminder sparked your desires again?” he leaned closer, a flirtatious smile spreading across his handsome features. Linda’s heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to remain calm.

“Before we do anything of that sort again, perhaps we should be dating,” she muttered under her breath, without thinking.

Lucifer blinked owlishly, studying her, and then shrugged. “Why not? If that’s how you want to play…”

Her jaw dropped. Did he just…? Had he just said they were in a relationship, all of the sudden? That’s not how things worked! She needed a moment to make her mind work again. “Lucifer!” she hissed, panicked and confused. “That’s not how things work! I mean... so fast and...”

He shrugged. “I’ve got some problems with time and all that. When you’re immortal, time loses meaning.” She wanted to reprimand him for that sentence. How could she be with someone — no matter how good-looking — if the man believed himself to be the Devil?

“Lucifer, that’s...”

“Maybe dinner then? Tonight? Surely... that wouldn’t be too much?”

Linda found herself speechless. A moment ago... Oh, whatever! This man was so confusing! But alluring at the same time, she reminded herself. She nodded slowly, a bit dazed. “Alright. Dinner. Tonight.”

A grin spread across his features and then he got out of the car, making a gesture at the door. “Hurry up, Doctor. The Detectives are waiting.”

Linda got out of the car, rubbing her face. “Lucifer,” she said, looking at the playboy. “If you were serious about that dinner, date or whatever...”

He looked a little affronted. “ Of course , I was serious!”

She nodded, gripping her bag tighter. “Then you might as well call me Linda , Lucifer,” she muttered.

He hummed, eyes glinting with something she couldn’t name. “Linda, then.”

The trek inside was silent, mostly because her mind was still whirling with the sudden development. Out of the blue, she had a dinner date with one of LA’s — if not the one of the world’s — richest men, who also happened to share a name with the Devil. What a crazy scenario.

Lucifer led her into the sitting room in the station where she supposed the family members were usually invited when the Police had to tell them some news. She felt a little uncomfortable, seeing Lucifer’s partner and her husband already sitting there next to each other. There was a closed folder in Detective Decker’s hand, and she was leaning close to her husband, whispering something.

They looked kind of sweet together, she thought.

“Well Detective, here she is!” Lucifer announced, drawing the pair from their conversation.

“Mrs. Martin,” Detective Espinoza greeted, and Linda’s steps halted for a moment, as she blinked at the man.

“I’m not married,” she said, brows furrowed in confusion. What would give him that impression?

The two shared a look. Then Lucifer cleared his throat, breaking the awkwardness. For once, Linda was grateful for it. Detective Decker looked at her partner, as if this was the first time she’d seen Lucifer and that confused Linda. Her eyes narrowed on the playboy, but then she leaned back.

“Lucifer... would you bring Trixie from school, please? I think this conversation might get a little drawn out and Dan might not make it.”

“Of course, Detective!”

“Chloe...”

The woman looked at her husband, silent conversation passing between them. For a moment, Linda felt like an intruder. “Quit fussing, Dan. He’s never done anything, and Trixie likes him.”

“Fine,” he huffed.

Linda looked at Lucifer, expecting him to cancel their impromptu meeting, but the man just gave her a charming smile. “I suppose that postponed our dinner a little, Linda?”

She blinked and nodded. “I think so... But I can text you the address if...”

“Ah yes, that would do perfectly. Would let me drop off Beatrice at the Detective’s and would let you get ready as well. See you tonight.”

Before she could answer, Lucifer was gone. She rolled her eyes  and instead walked to sit across the other two. “Man-child...” she muttered under her breath. Seriously... What did she even find attractive in someone like Lucifer?

Chloe snorted. “Welcome to my life. I have to deal with him every day.”

Linda’s lips curled into a half-amused smile. “I’m surprised you manage. Why... did you want to see me?”

The two Detectives shared a look and gestured for her to sit down. She sat opposite them and waited.

Daniel gestured at the brown file on the desk. “Have a look. Read it.”

Linda gave them an odd look but took the file and opened it. There was a paper with her data and picture. She flipped a page. It was the toxicology test, proving her innocence, and there was a smaller slip that said that the charges had been dropped. She flipped another page.

It was a medical paper. Slowly, her eyes scanned it. It was filled with her data. It was clear that the nearest hospital had provided them. A blood test.

Her eyes went wide.

‘Impossible.’

Her gaze, wide and shocked, snapped at the two who were studying her curiously. “W-why are you telling me this?” she asked.

“Well... according to the tests, Trixie is your daughter... so... it’s only fair,” Dan murmured.

Linda’s head spun. Her daughter had been adopted by a couple whom she knew. What was the chance of such a thing happening in a city like Los Angeles? She rubbed her face and slowly placed the folder on the table. “Do you expect me to do something with this information?” she murmured. “I — I didn’t just give my daughter away... I gave birth twice. The first time, I knew I didn’t want a child and I freaked out. The second time... I hadn’t ever expected there would be a second time,” she rubbed her face. “But I was in a bad situation and I couldn’t count on my family to help out. The best for the baby was if she was provided everything. Obviously, you love her, no?”

The two nodded. “Yes, of course,” Chloe said. “She’s happy and so are we. But... At the same time, she knows we adopted her and she’s curious about her real parents. We told her it was unlikely they would ever be found... but...”

“She deserves to know,” Dan murmured. “She had asked several times if her real parents cared or not and we could not answer. Now that we found this... you could at least answer her questions. If you do not want to be here....”

Linda groaned. “I never wanted to give her away. But I had no choice. I had been careless. It was a one night stand. If she wants answers... Well, I will answer what I can.”

The two nodded, and Chloe seemed relieved. “Thank you.”

Linda swallowed, a tear escaping her eyes. “I should be thanking you . You raised her, not me. And when this mess happens, when it comes out... you’re here, telling me.”

“Do... you know who... her father is?” Dan asked cautiously.

Linda hummed, looking at the paper which proved that Trixie was her biological daughter again. The DNA results marked the other DNA in her system as unnatural. As if the machine had gone crazy. The DNA was unrecorded in the available databases, apparently, not that she was surprised. The thing was... not normal.

“Not really... but it’s kind of odd to see... I’m a psychologist, but I know enough to know that the DNA markers are... not normal.”

“Yeah, they said as much,” Chloe agreed. “Said that the machine went crazy and it, as you see, could only be partly analysed.”

Linda frowned down at the paper again and noticed Trixie’s date of birth. Could it be that...?

“I’m the Devil, Doctor. The real one and I’m not delusional.”

That’s what Lucifer had told her. Plus, she remembered his violent — obviously emotionally-overcharged — reaction to being called ‘Samael’. So... he was either speaking the truth or he was seriously messed up in the head and should probably be in a mental institute. Could... could he be the...? No, no. That was only one occasion and she wasn’t even sure...

No. Now, she was being delusional.

For one, Lucifer was most certainly not the Devil. For another… perhaps she was just hoping — a teeny, tiny bit — that it was him because he was damn hot. Hot and rich. And considerate. Because buried beneath his insecurities and childishness lay a considerate, gentle man. Someone, who wished to belong, to be loved. And as not-okay as it was, step by step, session by session, she was slowly falling for Lucifer.

She would have said that it was the fact that they’d slept together before, but no. She had denied him — had put an end to that. Her feelings for him had started to develop afterwards. and now he had invited her for dinner.

She sighed, looking at the two who had raised her daughter as their own. “Well, what can I say? I don’t know who it is or where he is. But in case Trixie wants to see me after this news is revealed… and you are willing, I would certainly like to help out. You’re her family, I would not stand between you.”

They shared a look and then nodded. “Thanks,” Dan muttered.

Linda sighed and leaned back on the couch. Now, they will just have to wait for Lucifer to arrive with Trixie, so they could tell her. Only God knew how she would react… (In a small crevice of her mind, Linda hoped that the girl would understand and maybe, just maybe, give her a chance at trying to be a mother — or at least, something of an aunt if she was more comfortable with considering Chloe as her only mother.)

Lucifer looked into the rearview mirror of his Corvette as the child buckled in. “Why are you the one picking me up? Uh... not that I mind, but Dad was supposed to come,” she muttered.

Lucifer hummed and nodded as he pulled out of the parking spot and headed towards the police station again. “Your parents had some things to take care of, and your mother asked me to come. Since I wasn’t needed, I agreed.”

He drove much slower and more carefully than he usually did. He had a child with him and he didn’t want her hurt — not to mention, that the Detective and the Douche would try having his head if something happened to Beatrice. And with his odd vulnerability around Chloe... it was not a nice possibility. Oh, how embarrassing it would be for him , Lucifer, the Morning Star, Lord of Hell, Angel of Light, Death and Music (okay, he shared the dominions of Death and Music with Azrael and Sandalphon now, but they were his first) to die by some mortal means.

Oh... the mere thought of Sandalphon caused a huge frown on his face. He loathed Sandalphon as much as he loathed his twin. Michael was insufferable in general — Sandalphon had been bearable until he started following Michael around. Then, Sandalphon and Michael became two peas in a pod, as the humans would say, and Lucifer learned to loathe them even more than before.

He glanced into the mirror again. “Did your wings trouble you today?”

She frowned a little and then shook her head. “Not really. But now, I feel like they’re pressing against my shoulder. It’s painful and itchy...”

“They want to come out. We’ll deal with that later, alright, Urchin?”

She hummed. “Okay.” Her voice was quiet and unsure. Lucifer sighed inwardly and turned his attention back to the road. The rest of the drive was spent in silence.

They just barely arrived when Beatrice deemed herself ready to speak again. “Do you know why I am different?”

Lucifer shook his head. “I haven’t managed to figure it out. But… perhaps a brother of mine will be able to help us later, alright?”

“Who? I mean… I don’t remember all of them, but I know that there are many angels.”

Lucifer hummed. “You may have heard of him. Raphael, the Healer. He’s one of the few who still talk to me. Actually, he is on Earth like I am. He’s dropped by a few times, and we text.”

She gasped. “An angel on Earth? Are there others too?”

He shook his head. “No. Only Raphael. He married a human woman, and they have a family. Angels — Celestials are not allowed to stay with humans. We are not even allowed to tell you we exist. But sometimes it happens. But… so far, I and Raphael are the only ones who have stayed longer on Earth than a few weeks.”

“Oh… So… I can meet him?”

Lucifer hummed. “Yes. We’ll just have to see if your mother is willing to leave you with me when Raphael comes for a visit. Your wings have only just shown up now. That might be a problem… but I really don’t know how Nephilim powers work.”

“Huh? Why not?”

Lucifer chuckled. “Spawn… when I left Heaven, there were no Nephilim around. And in Hell, there are only demons and dead souls. Actually, I haven’t even been around children… so I think we can both agree that it’s nice that I hadn’t put you on a tall tree and left you there,” he murmured.

Beatrice pouted. “Would you have?”

Lucifer hummed. “Maybe at first. But… you’ve learned to hug me less… and I might have grown to like you. So, we’re both improving. Which means I won’t leave you on a tree nor have I been planning to do that for a few weeks now.”

She smiled. “That’s good, I guess… but…. will you teach me to fly?”

“All things in their time and place, Urchin. First, we’ll have your wings checked, alright? Afterwards? Yes, I will.”

She beamed at him, and Lucifer got out of the car, grabbing her bag. She grabbed his hand as they crossed the road into the building and this time Lucifer didn’t feel like pulling away. Now that she was a Nephilim, his divinity was probably alluring — calming — to her, even if it was a little twisted and tainted from all the time spent in Hell.

He spotted the others still in the sitting room. Even without entering, just a brief glance at their faces was enough to tell that they were shocked. He opened the door and walked in with Beatrice still holding his hand.

“Mom, Dad,” she waved cheerfully, not letting go of his hand.

“Hey Monkey,” the Detective greeted with a small smile, but Lucifer could see she was rather troubled. Her husband seemed to be just as bad, and Linda seemed like she was seeing a ghost when she was looking at the girl. Lucifer wondered what it was all about.

Trixie hurried over and hugged them both and looked towards Linda questioningly, then back at her parents. “Is something wrong?”

Dan stood up and gathered the file from the desk. “No Trix. Nothing is wrong. We’ll just… we’ll talk about it later, since Linda has to go.”

Lucifer looked at the three adults in question, but no one said a word. He turned towards Linda with a small smile. “Well Doctor… does our arrangement still stand?”

The woman paused for a moment, as she did her best to compose herself. She seemed wrong-footed, somehow. “Yes, of course, Lucifer.”

He nodded to the two, but then Beatrice hurried over and hugged him again. Lucifer tensed a little and then relaxed, reminding himself that the child was drawn to him more than ever before. Both due to her newly surfaced divinity and the fact that he was the only one she could talk to about it.

She released him after a few minutes — just before he would have started to feel uncomfortable — and stepped back. He sighed and nodded to the two detectives. “See you tomorrow.”

He offered his hand to Linda and then they left. Some others in the office gave them looks, likely for him having Linda on his arm, but Lucifer didn’t particularly care. As they stepped out of the building again, Linda glanced at him. “Where are we going?”

Lucifer smirked. “Let that be my surprise for you, Linda.”

The night after her dinner with Lucifer, Linda sat on the couch of the Espinoza residence, nursing a mug of tea.

“Trix? Monkey, could you come here a little?” Dan called.

“Sure!” she called and not long after, the girl was in the living room, with the rest of them.

Now, having a better look at her, Linda could see herself in the child. Her darker skin tone reminded Linda of her grandfather. Her eyes though... they were familiar, but she couldn’t place them. Not hers, for sure — the shade of brown Trixie had was darker and the shape wasn’t quite typical Martin either. Seeing her up close, just made it all the more real and it hit Linda like a ton of bricks.

This was her daughter. Beatrice was her daughter, no matter who her biological father was. (Though, in all honesty, she wouldn’t have minded knowing.)

“Sit for a moment, Trix,” Chloe called, patting the couch next to her. Trixie hummed and sat down.

“What is it?”

“Trix, the woman here is Linda Martin,” Dan introduced, gesturing at her.

Linda gave a small smile, trying to seem relaxed and approachable, but her hands were nervously clutching the mug. “Hello, Trixie. Nice to meet you.”

“Hi,“ she gave a friendly wave, and Linda’s smile widened just a little bit.

“Trix... remember you asked us about your real parents a few times?” her (adoptive) father started tentatively. The girl nodded with a hum.

“Yeah. I said that I wanna meet them and ask why I can’t be with them. But what about it?”

“After the incident in front of your school,” Chloe said softly, “Linda was caught in it too. The medics checked you both and... it turns out Linda is... your mother.”

The girl looked at Linda with wide eyes, and Linda stiffened a little in her seat, as she searched the child’s face. Then Trixie’s eyes narrowed a little. “You’re really my mother?”

Linda felt like she’d been swallowing sand, instead of tea. She nodded slowly. “Yes. It appears so. The doctors in the hospital informed us of that.”

“Why did you leave me?”

Linda bit her lip and then sighed, but no matter how much this hurt, she knew she’d have to be completely honest with Trixie. “When you were born... I had problems. Big ones. I feared I would not be able to raise you safely. I felt I would not be able to provide you a happy childhood or let you attend a good school. So... I gave you to the orphanage and as I see it, they found you loving parents.”

There were a few moments of silence.

“Did... you ever think of me?” she muttered.

Linda’s breath hitched. “Every day. And I hoped and prayed that loving people took you home. A wish I’m so grateful came true.”

She nodded slowly and then looked at her. “Will... you be taking me?”

Linda drew back, eyes widening. “Goodness, no. If you want to stay here with your parents,“ she gestured at Chloe and Dan, “I can understand that. But they said you’ve asked about your real parents and...”

“...we thought you might want to know,” Chloe finished.

“But... you’re my mother,” she muttered.

Linda nodded slowly. “I am. In blood. But Chloe raised you and taught you. It’s her you call your mother, and I understand that.”

Trixie looked between them questioningly. “Does... does that mean I have two moms now?”

The adults’ breath hitched at the words, and then Chloe smiled, a little unsure and caught off-guard. “Kind of?”

Linda put her tea down. “I would like to get to know you a little. But I also understand if you say you don’t want to.”

Trixie seemed a little hesitant for a moment, but then smiled. “Could we? I mean... Mom is my mom... but so you are. And I’ve always wanted to know you, ever since I knew what it meant to be adopted.”

A relieved smile bloomed on Linda’s face. “I’d be happy to spend some time with you... Trixie.”

She nodded and then looked at Linda curiously, before a small frown appeared on her face. “Who’s my father, though?”

Linda shook her head. “I don’t know...the blood test didn’t exactly help in that regard. So that’s a bit of a mystery to me too. I met him only for a short while, before you were born. And we didn’t get married.”

“I see,” she said, her tone only a little saddened.

She got off the couch then and walked over to Linda, throwing her parents a look, before looking back at the doctor. Linda watched her and waited patiently. “Can... Can I hug you...? I mean... you’re my mom too...”

Linda smiled a little and nodded. Tears stung her eyes, as she gently wrapped her arms around the girl, who was holding her quite tightly. “But you know... Chloe... Chloe and Dan are still your parents too.” She said honestly, throwing the couple a pointed look, who seemed both relieved and grateful.

“Yes. But so are you. So... I just got two moms?” she muttered. “That’s not bad is it? I want a big family...”

Linda looked at the detective couple, but they didn’t seem to be holding any anger towards her. They just seemed happy for Trixie. “No, there’s nothing wrong with that, I’d say.”

As the little girl pulled away, looking into her eyes many unspoken questions lingered there. Linda wished she could help her and answer every single one. But she knew that wouldn’t work out  — not when she couldn’t answer the most important one. The one about her biological father.

It was two days after his dinner with Linda that Lucifer got the chance to be alone with Beatrice. Dan and Chloe had been partnered up for a case which required them to go undercover for a while, and Chloe had tentatively asked him — and Linda — if they could take care of the girl. Since him and Linda had different working hours, that seemed to be perfect, since the child would not end up alone.

So, it was late morning, long after Beatrice woke up, that the girl snuck into his ’office,’ where he was dealing with the paperwork for Lux .

“Lucifer.”

The Devil looked up, turning his gaze to the child. “Yes?”

“Can we go flying? You said you’d teach me…” she trailed off, looking unsure.

Lucifer hummed and nodded. “Of course, child. But first, we’ll see if Raphael is available. He’ll have to check on you first. Your wings appeared late, and you haven’t known about your power all this time. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, so he’ll have to check.”

She nodded and they headed towards the living room again. Lucifer directed a quick prayer at his healer brother, hoping he would be able to come. Once he was done, he turned towards the child. “Would you like to eat something in the meanwhile? He should be here soon.”

She nodded, and Lucifer traipsed into his kitchen, cooking a quick meal for the Nephilim. They didn’t even have the chance to clear the dirty dishes, when there was a swish of wind. Lucifer turned to see his younger brother in simple human clothing, with his wings spread out.

Raphael looked nothing like him, having dark brown hair, copper skin and lively green eyes. Even his wings were different — more silver than white, with slight undertones of bronze. The light they gave off wasn’t silver or white either, but instead a mix of bronze and green. “Brother.”

The medical specialist grinned widely, tucking his wings against his back as he strode from the balcony into the house with light steps. “Samael! Hadn’t seen you in a while. How are you doing?”

Lucifer didn’t correct him. Usually, he didn’t like when someone used that name, but he’d always been close to Raphael. It was easy because of how calm and rational the Healer was, having a knack for fun. Lucifer thought that it was him — and Azrael — who were the closest to him, even after all this time. He hadn’t seen Azrael since the Fall, but Raphael gave him constant updates on their sister, so he could understand why the Angel of Death wasn’t around. She was doing work meant for the two of them and on top of that, apparently, she’d found a human of interest and become a Guardian Angel.

They exchanged a firm hug and while he wasn’t one for physical contact, he didn’t pull away, when his brother hugged him tightly — maybe even held on tighter than necessary. Raphael was the only one he still trusted whole-heartedly.

“I’m doing well, thank you. Taking a little vacation from Hell,” he said with a shrug. Raphael grinned widely.

“So we’ve heard. Amenadiel keeps muttering about not being able to drag you back.”

“As if he would ever be able to force something out of me,” he said with a slight scoff. Amenadiel and Michael had their heads full with the light of the Throne of Heaven. Being so close to their Father made them more than a little arrogant. The thought made Lucifer scowl — and he was the ‘prideful’ one, eh? The humans had their knowledge wrong.

Raphael’s eyes glinted in amusement, but before he could say anything else, Beatrice appeared from one of his guest rooms, which she had claimed for herself for the time being. “Lucif—” her voice trailed off when she noticed Raphael.

His brother turned too and arched an eyebrow. “Oh, what do we have here...? Last time I checked, Sammy, you weren't a fan of children.”

Lucifer rolled his eyes, leaning against the counter. “And I still don’t like them. She’s the only bearable one so far. Spawn, come here.”

Raphael glared at his brother for addressing a child in such a manner, but the mentioned child didn’t even bat an eye as she hurried over and jumped into Lucifer’s lap. The Devil  sighed and wrapped an arm around her to keep her steadily on his knee. Beatrice eyed the newcomer with interest. “Who are you?”

“He’s Raphael, my younger brother,” Lucifer answered simply. “Raph, the child here is Beatrice Espinoza.”

Beatrice smiled and offered her hand. “Hello, I’m Beatrice, but you can call me Trixie.”

Raphael blinked a little in surprise and then nodded in greeting, taking her hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Trixie.”

Trixie scooted closer, peering at Raphael’s wings and that was when the Archangel realised that they were still visible. A flash of discomfort and panic appeared on the healer’s features, but Lucifer simply chuckled. “Relax, Raph. She knows who and what I am.”

That startled him somewhat, and he looked at the child. “And... aren’t you running? I mean, most humans run once they realise Sammy isn’t lying about his identity.”

Trixie shrugged. “He never lied before. Just ‘cause Mommy and Daddy don’t believe him, doesn’t mean he lied . Plus... he helped me before.” Her brows furrowed for a moment and then she looked at Lucifer. “Did he just call you...? I mean, you said, your siblings don’t call you Samael anymore.”

Raphael seemed a little taken aback hearing his brother’s old name from the child, but Lucifer just grinned. “Raph and I are still close. We remained close even after I went to Hell. He’s the only one to call me Samael, though. And Father... but let’s not speak about Him now, huh?”

Trixie just shrugged, and Lucifer placed her back on the ground. Raphael eyed the girl, as she jumped up to sit on the couch, watching them. “Why have you called me, Samael?”

Lucifer sighed and stood up. “I wanted you to check on the Spawn. Beatrice, show him, please. Remember what I told you?”

Trixie nodded and closed her eyes for a moment. She found that whenever her eyes were closed and she relaxed, it was easier to make her wings appear or disappear. The next moment, she felt the extra weight on her back, and she opened her eyes again. Lucifer was studying her with interest, while Raphael’s eyes were wide.

“N-nephilim!” he gasped.

Lucifer nodded. “Aye, she is. We just found out a while ago, after some traumatic events. She's pretty old for her wings to appear for the very first time, so I hoped you would check on her. To make sure she’s healthy and that her wings are also fine.”

Raphael nodded, obviously still dazed. He walked up to Trixie and crouched beside her. “May I? Just a quick check on your wings and on your bones. To see if you’re healthy. Angel powers are not always... good for humans.” Trixie nodded, as Raphael reached out to check her wings. “Okay, little girl,” he spoke, while making sure her joints and feathers were healthy. “Tell me, who are your parents?”

Trixie hummed. “Daniel Espinoza and Chloe Decker. But... Mommy and Daddy are human, or so Lucifer said. And... I don’t think them being human matters much.”

Lucifer blinked at that. “Why wouldn’t it matter, Urchin?”

She looked at him, only startling a little when Raphael touched the spot where her wings and bones met. The Healer apologised quietly and continued checking. “Well... I was adopted. I don’t know who my real father is. I met my mother, but not my father.”

That caused both Celestials to stop for a moment and share a brief glance, but then Raphael stood up with a smile on his face as his hands ran across the child’s ruffled feathers, straightening them out a little. “There you go, child. Safe and healthy. You’ll just have to learn to hide them and, later, fly. They’ll need the exercise.”

“Ah, Lucifer said he’ll teach me to fly!” she said excitedly, bouncing in her seat.

Lucifer nodded. “And I will. But first... brother, do you have some supplies with you? I’d like you to check her blood. We have to figure out who her parents are. I’d bet all the money I have that even if they know who her human parent is... they do not know the celestial one. Human technology cannot deal with our genetics.”

Raphael seemed thoughtful for a moment. “Actually... yes. I can take a blood sample and I can tell you who the Celestial parent is. But it will take a while.”

Lucifer nodded. “That’s quite alright, Raph. The child’s parents will come tomorrow to pick her up, so we have until then.”

“Fine then. Then I’ll be back soon. Meanwhile, you can take her for her first flight. How does that sound?”

Lucifer shared a look with the child and then nodded at his brother.

Trixie readjusted the sleeve of her shirt and stood up, bouncing over to Lucifer. “Can we go flying now? Can we?”

Both angels chuckled at her childish excitement. Raphael waved at his brother. “Go, Samael. Don’t worry, I won’t ruin your home. She seems to be quite full of energy. Some flying, even if you have to hold her all the way, will exhaust her. It’ll be good for her.”

Lucifer nodded. He allowed his wings to unfurl, stretching them to their full span, careful not to knock anything over. Trixie gasped at the sight, eyes wide. She took a step closer, reaching out, but then she stopped short, just before touching the feathers, remembering that Raphael had asked her.

“Can... can I touch them?” she asked, glancing at the Devil.

Lucifer nodded. “Go ahead, child.”

Trixie stepped closer, carefully burying her hands in the snow-white feathers. “Your wings are different...”

“Every angel’s wings are different,” Lucifer stated. “It’s like... how humans have many hair colours.”

“Oh...” she said and stopped when Lucifer’s wings twitched. “Sorry...” she drew her hand back.

Lucifer shook his head. “Think nothing of it. It’s just... it’s been a while since anyone touched them,” he said, carefully folding them against his back. “Now come on, let’s take a flight.”

Before they could leave though, the elevator dinged and Lucifer tensed, tugging the child behind him on instinct but then relaxed, when he realised it was a well-known presence. Maze was coming up here for something.

The elevator door opened and the demon stepped in. “Luci—” she cut herself off with a soft hiss of air as she noticed Raphael, already reaching for her blades. But then she noticed both him and Trixie and she raised an eyebrow. “My Lord?”

Lucifer waved her off. “Relax, Mazikeen. Rapahel is here on my invitation and you already know Beatrice.”

The demon blinked at the child, eyes widening. “Wh-what — ?”

“You see exactly what, Mazikeen,” Lucifer said calmly.

While she was his bodyguard and the best torturer of Hell, he had spent lifetimes with Maze. It was odd... but it was like Maze was his family as much as Raphael was. Though she would never admit it out loud, not even to him, much less in front of ‘strangers’ he knew she saw him as family too, even if their concept of family was a little — or maybe a lot — messed up.

Lucifer also knew that Maze, just like himself, had come to consider Beatrice as part of that family. Perhaps she had even come to like Beatrice sooner than Lucifer himself. She certainly used the opportunities she had to spend time with the girl, since she had first stumbled into Lux. Lucifer knew Trixie saw Maze as a cool big sister or aunt, which fit Mazikeen just fine. She happily indulged the child’s wilder interests, much to the Detective’s unhappiness. The thought made Lucifer’s lips curl upwards — Chloe still wasn’t sure if Maze could be trusted or not, which was funny. She was working with the Devil, and she was okay with that, yet didn’t trust a demon that served him.

Maze blinked at Trixie and then snorted. “Where’d you find a Nephilim? I mean... this is the only human child you tolerate, and she turns out to be half celestial.”

Lucifer nodded. “I’ve noticed. Now, I’ll go and teach her how to fly. Raphael is staying over with my permission. Raph, Maze is my right-hand. Please do not kill each other — and don’t fight either.”

Maze eyed the other angel and then nodded slowly. “Whatever you say, Lucifer.”

Raphael nodded. “Don’t worry, brother. I won’t cause you — or your demon friend — any trouble.”

Lucifer nodded in satisfaction and steered Trixie towards the open window. He glanced at his second-in-command. “The child’s parents should be here tomorrow... but Linda Martin may come around. Stall her a little downstairs if needed before letting her up here, please. We should not be gone longer than an hour or so.”

Maze looked at him with slight puzzlement, but then nodded. “Sure... but who’s the chick you want up here?”

“Blonde hair and brown eyes,” Lucifer supplied. “If someone like that asks after me, ask for the name. If it’s Linda Martin, direct her up here.”

Maze nodded, still a little confused. But then Lucifer turned away, explaining things to Trixie about wings and flight, so the demon left it at that, grabbing a scotch from a lower shelf and knowing that Lucifer wouldn’t mind. She needed something to clear her head. There was a Nephilim with Lucifer, after all (and she briefly wondered if her lord was blind or just chose to ignore it... because the little human looked quite a bit like him).

She grabbed a glass, then looked at the angel, who was fiddling with vials and medical supplies. “Want one?”

Raphael looked up, contemplating for a moment. “It’ll be a long night... So yes, please.”

Chapter Text

“In fact, all the evil you find around you is dwelt in your hearts and not in me.” — SAMAEL

Tamuna Tsertsvadze: The Guardian Angel (The Guardians of Nine Heavens 1)

Lucifer’s hand gripped the child firmly, but he was careful not to harm her. A great deal of his power was wrapped around her as a safety net to prevent any disasters. Telekinesis wasn’t exactly good for this sort of thing, but he was sure Beatrice wouldn’t mind all that much. She was still a little unsure with her wings, beating them carefully. If not for his own wings and power, she’d have crashed somewhere already. But that was fine, because he was keeping them in the air. She just would have to get used to this, and it’s not like there were too many places for him to take her to learn flying. Maybe they could go to an abandoned stretch of beach later to teach her landing and kicking off? For now, she’d just have to get used to two extra sets of limbs.

“This is strange,” she muttered. “I can feel the wind in the feather like I feel it in my hair.”

Lucifer chuckled. “Well, the wings are yours. They just… appeared later. Like teeth. But they are yours as much as your arms are.”

“I think I figured that out.”

The Lightbringer hummed. “You’ll have to beat your wings faster and watch the wind too…” he said, starting to explain again. She listened with rapt attention, drinking in his words. Curious and awed like every child — though she was calmer now. Quieter.

She had been slowly learning that he was uncomfortable around her and was trying to act less excitedly. She listened more to him than ever before. Or perhaps that was just because they were in the air, and he had more experience with flying than her.

He didn’t take her too far from Lux , they were just flying in a moderate sized circle. He taught her the basics roughly and even with her paying attention — learning — she was enjoying the flight, the constant grin on her face the proof. Her eyes wandered downwards sometimes, and she seemed to enjoy the city lights, though, from time to time, she gripped his arm harder. In those moments, he would manoeuvre closer to her, his presence changing the currents a little to give her easier time to stay airborne.

“Aren’t you getting tired?” he asked as he gently nudged her wings with his own to help her adjust. She startled a little but understood his wordless instruction anyway — probably some newly developed supernatural instinct, not that he’d know as he’d always been a Celestial — and tilted her wing and feathers, gliding around a little sloppily as they made a turn.

“Just a little. Can we rest somewhere before going back to the house?”

Lucifer nodded, eyes already seeking the closest building. It was a skyscraper. “We’ll rest there. Beat your wings so that they’ll lift you up easier. With time, you’ll be able to just glide, but for now, you’ll have to move them more than an experienced angel.”

She nodded wordlessly and a few minutes later, they landed on the building. She carefully tucked her wings against her back, and Lucifer hummed. “They’re the part of you that gets hurt the easiest, Urchin, but they’re not made of glass. It's bone and feathers and muscle. A real limb.”

She nodded, looking at the city, her eyes shining. “I know. I mean, I think… I’m starting…” she trailed off.

Lucifer smiled, smoothing out some of her feathers. Young angels’ feathers were not as… firmly  in their place as grown angels it seemed, like his, for example. She’d need a few years before her feathers hardened into what his were. On the outside they were soft and harmless, but in fact, the feathers — at least the primaries — were the sharpest weapons there were. Angels were soldiers and messengers, after all. Sure, they used weapons, but their wings themselves were their first line of defence and weapon.

He made a mental note to tell her about all this in a few months when she got more used to the whole situation. The least thing they needed was for her to accidentally hurt someone with the primaries.

“Are you alright, Beatrice?” he asked quietly, looking down at her. The past few days had obviously been a mess — for all of them. For someone so young, she was dealing with divinity and the supernatural admirably well.

She hummed. “Yes. I just… you know Mommy and Daddy aren’t really my parents.”

“You were adopted,” he said with a nod. “You mentioned it. Is there a problem?”

She hummed. “No. Well… now I’ve met my real mother and she’s nice. She wants to get to know me and I do too. That’s nice… I just… it just feels bad keeping my wings from everyone.”

“We’ll get around to that eventually,” Lucifer said, “I’m sure of it. But there’s something else that’s bothering you too,” he pointed out firmly, being careful to not seem like he was probing her. Her negative emotions — her confusion, more like — were like thick invisible fog in the penthouse. Even Raphael had noticed, though he’d quickly figured she was probably not comfortable enough around his Healer brother to talk about her feelings with him even if she was somewhat curious about Raphael.

Not that Lucifer blamed her. He was the Devil and he was Raphael the angel, but Beatrice knew him better than Raphael. And it was clear she didn’t judge him the way other humans did. She didn’t believe all the stories that were the church’s propaganda either. (If she had believed them, Lucifer was sure she would have run away screaming a long while ago.)

“I feel kind of alone,” she muttered. “Well, it’s not like there’s anyone who’s like me...”

Lucifer hummed. “I’m here, Beatrice. Whatever questions you have about Celestials, you can always come to me, alright?”

She looked at him with some surprise. “R-really?”

Lucifer nodded. “Really. If it’s something big, you can even pray to me and I will answer. Or come to you.”

She nodded. “Okay. Thanks.”

She scooted closer, her wings hugging him just like her arms did, and oddly enough, Lucifer found himself crouching down to her level and letting his much bigger wings encase them both for a moment. “If it is something serious... if you are in trouble... you pray to me . Call my other name. Always my other name. Call and I will know you need help. Or call Raphael.”

She nodded. “I will.”

“You remember my other name?”

She snuggled closer, her lips forming the syllables carefully. “Samael.”

The name — old and powerful, yet spoken so gently by the child — caused an odd tingle to run down his spine. “Yes. Pray to me, no matter what, and I will come.”

“You sure?”

“You have my word. It’s a Deal, and the Devil has never broken a Deal before.”

She giggled at that and stepped back. “Can we go fly some more? I feel better.”

Lucifer nodded with a smile, grabbing her hand gently once more. “Yes. But we’re heading home, Spawn. This is your first time flying, and you shouldn’t overdo it. So we’re going back to my penthouse.”

“Okay,” she spread her wings, and they leapt into the sky. With every beat of her wings, with every wisp of wind, she was getting steadier and steadier. Lucifer smiled. She may be only half-angel, but flying — and freedom — was in her blood, just as it was in his. It wouldn’t take long for him to teach her to fly. Once she learned how to fly properly, he was sure she’d end up coming to his home, demanding a night flight every now and again.

She seemed to enjoy the nighttime city as much as Lucifer himself did.

Raphael’s jaw went slack as the old Enochian lettering made the parentage of one Beatrice Espinoza undeniably clear.

“Huh? What now, angel boy?” his brother’s demon asked, and her voice was enough to snap Raphael back into reality.

“Come and see for yourself and... tell me if you’re seeing something else, because I’m pretty sure that name is unmistakable.”

The woman stepped closer to him to see the results, though she stood as far from him as she could manage, and looked at the results herself. Her breath hitched too. “Holy Hell!” (And wasn't that an interesting choice of words from a demon?)

Raphael grunted, falling onto the couch. “Rather literally, too. I wonder what my dear brother will say. And the child.”

Rapahel didn’t even flinch when some words in a scratching language — in the native tongue of the Lilim — left her mouth. He could understand her reaction. If he wasn’t preoccupied with turning the information over in his mind, wondering how he would tell Lucifer, he would’ve let many similar things leave his lips in Enochian. And he was sure his Father would not appreciate those words, so he did his best to remain silent.

Before any more could be said, they heard the rustle of feathers and beating of wings. Raphael and Maze both looked up to see Lucifer and the Nephilim arrive. Lucifer’s feet gently touched the railing of his balcony. He firmly held the girl, who was eyeing the tiles below warily.

“I’m not sure I can…” she muttered fearfully.

Lucifer’s wings beat lazily behind him, just enough to help him keep balance. The Devil hummed. “Just slowly, Beatrice. And angle your wings backwards a little, so you’ll have enough space. But… if you’re so unsure…” Lucifer looked up, straight at them and the angel and demon stood, walking closer. “Either Raphael or Mazikeen can help. They’ll catch you.”

The girl looked at them, specifically at Maze, a little pleadingly. “Maze?”

The demon blinked and then stepped out, while Raphael watched just from a few steps behind. She nodded, stretching out her arms. “Come on, little human… wait, I can’t call you human anymore, can I?”

Beatrice giggled at them and then tucked her wings in and let go of Lucifer. She fell, but before anything could happen — not that the fall was long — Maze’s arms wrapped around her protectively. A moment later, she put the child on her feet and stepped back. “There you go.”

Trixie grinned. “Thanks Maze! You’re the best!”

“You’re welcome, Princess,” the demon said. Before Trixie could comment on her words, Lucifer spoke.

“You hurry and take a shower, Urchin. Wash your teeth and off to bed with you. It’s past your bedtime already and your mother — or mothers — would have my head if they knew.”

Trixie giggled. “You’re the Devil . Don’t tell me you’re afraid of Mommy.”

Lucifer shook his head as he stepped onto the marble, pulling his wings back. “I’m not afraid, Beatrice. Far from it — but I do have to work with your parents at the station, remember? Chloe and Daniel are a formidable pair and… well, they make even me think about what I should do and not do.”

Trixie snorted. “Doesn’t sound like it. Mommy always says you do whatever you want, most of the time.”

Lucifer smirked. “Perks of being the Devil, Spawn. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t learned to be careful of your parents.”

“Whatever you say,” she said with a shrug. She paused, looking at her wings. “Uh… do I have to take care of the feathers somehow or…?”

Lucifer waved at her. “Pull your wings back. I’ll teach you about wing care tomorrow, and I’ll do it for you for the first few times if that’s alright. You can learn about it then. That is... if you don’t mind me doing it. Raphael could also do it.”

“Oh, okay...” she hummed, looking between the two angels and then shrugged. “Whoever wants to.” Then she hurried off to the bathroom.

“I think I’ll leave her wings to you, brother,” Raphael chimed in.

Lucifer huffed and headed over to his bar to pour himself a scotch. “Did you manage to figure out who her Celestial parent is?” he asked.

Maze and Raphael shared a look as the Devil took a gulp of his drink.

“Yep,” Maze said gleefully, “Hell has a Princess. I wonder… would Trixie change her name to Morningstar?” she asked, glancing at Raphael, smirking.

Lucifer choked on his whiskey and slammed the glass down, coughing. Wide-eyed, he looked at the two who stood on the other side of the room. “W-what?!”

Raphael hummed ,an amused, yet gentle smile on his face. “Congratulations, Samael. You’re a father. Have been a father for the last few years or so it appears.”

Lucifer opened his mouth to say something, but his brain seemed to cease functioning properly at hearing these words.

Father.

He was Beatrice’s father. Him. HIM.

He shook his head, trying to clear it. “I’m sure you messed something up...”

“I did not mess up, brother,“ Raphael said firmly, yet gently. “She carries traces of your power and your DNA. Even her wings... her wings are closest to yours in appearance.”

“Hell, she looks like you even without the wings!” Maze said, crossing her arms. “Brown eyes and dark hair.”

“No...” Lucifer shook his head, “When — who...” he grunted, glaring at the ceiling, eyes flashing red. “Now aren’t you having the laugh of the millenia, Father?!” he snarled. “ When did that even happen!? Do you never know when to leave me be!? You know, your smart humans have a nice concept called PERSONAL SPACE!”

Maze took a step back, as heat filled the room. Raphael grunted, carding his fingers through his hair. “Calm down, Samael,” he said quietly. “And I highly doubt Father has anything to do with this. I have children of my own, Nephilim like Beatrice. It is well within our power… and if you want to blame Him for something, then the only thing you can maybe blame Him for is… no one telling you she existed. But that’s all. I know you’re angry with Him for several things and that’s… kind of understandable but not this. Don’t blame Him for this .” Raphael shook his head. “If anything… we’re lucky that there are no other Nephilim children of yours running among the mortals, given how many partners you’ve had.”

Lucifer groaned at that, his gaze falling from the ceiling, face buried in his hands. “A father. Me. This is... this is a mess.”

Raphael and Maze shared an unsure look and then a half-hearted chuckle escaped the Healer. “There’s no bigger mess than Hell and, from what I’ve heard from Mazikeen here, you’ve managed just fine as its King.”

Lucifer huffed. He might not like his Father all that much for kicking him out to do duty far from home. He didn’t like that their Father had allowed his name to be twisted. To the humans, he was a monster, tempter, and sinner... not a judge as he truly was. Every little sin the humans committed, they blamed it on him, but that was not Lucifer’s doing. He just brought forth the truth from their soul until their mouths spoke it. Whatever came out of their mouths was theirs to bear, not Lucifer’s.                        

Deceiver and Prince of Lies, he was called. But all he sought was truth.

“That’s different , Raph,” he said quietly. “Managing Hell is simple after all this time. Being a father... Bloody Hell, whoever her biological mother is...” he trailed off, a hand running through his hair. “And how the bloody Hell will I tell her? Beatrice has no clue and what do you think... how will she react, when she... or anyone, really...”

“Sammy...”

Lucifer swallowed. “What?!” he growled out. “I was just finally getting somewhere at the precinct, Raph. I might actually have a life, after all this time! Chloe and I are actually friends and Daniel is ... slowly coming around. And now I drop the truth on them? Like ‘Hey, I was telling the truth, and I’m actually Satan and... Beatrice is a Nephilim because I’m her father’,” he scowled. “So bloody perfect, Raphael!”

This time, he didn’t even bother to pour another round for himself. Instead, he drank straight from the bottle. Raphael and Maze just watched, not daring to say another word.

For a long moment, the three of them just stood — well, Lucifer sat, having sunk onto the  ground, his back against the counter — there in silence. No one knew what to do now or how to handle this new situation. The thickness of the air caused by wild emotions and growing power was steadily building up. 

The tension was broken when a sleepy girl padded in, dressed for bed. It seemed the hot shower had relaxed her from the excitement of the flight and the exhaustion that came with it had caught up with her quickly.

“Lucifer?”

The (retired) King of Hell looked up, standing slowly, trying to pretend that he was not considering incinerating half the penthouse in anger. “Yes, Beatrice?”

“Could you stay with me until I fall asleep, please? Or maybe tell a story?”

Lucifer was in no mood for such things. He just wanted to break a few glasses or burn something and weep in despair. (He had no idea how to be a father!) But then, he nodded and took a deep breath to calm down. “Of course, child,” he nodded towards the guest room she’d claimed for herself. “But only one story and then you’re sleeping.”

She nodded. “Okay,”

Maze and Raphael watched the Lightbringer quietly trail after his daughter, and they smiled. He would figure it out, eventually.

Trixie glued herself to Lucifer’s side, and she noticed that the Devil didn’t tense as much as he usually did. Instead, there was only a shuddering breath from him and some extra heat. She wondered why… probably his power, he was the Devil after all, but she had never felt his power like this before. (She had heard him shouting while taking a shower, but she’d always been told that eavesdropping on others was not a good thing to do. She was curious what had upset Lucifer, but she supposed that if he found her eavesdropping, he would be even more upset. So she had done her best to ignore the shouting and gotten ready for bed instead.)

“So... you wanted a story, Beatrice?”

She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Or maybe a song? Mommy says you can sing, too.”

Lucifer hummed. “That I can. Well... what to... oh, yes. There is one... but no, that’s not good.”

Beatrice blinked. “Why wouldn’t it be good?”

“You wouldn’t understand. It’s in the language of angels.”

She shrugged. “Maybe you can tell me later what it means? Mommy always said that it’s the melody I should pay attention to first, because if I pay too much attention to the rest then I won’t enjoy the song.”

Lucifer chuckled a little. “It seems the Detective is wise, then. Well, then I’ll sing that song, then. It’s a song our Mother used to sing to us. I remember... we were just learning to fly...” he trailed off a little, trying to chase away the memories. 

He didn’t miss Silver City or his Father’s tricks. He did his duty, but that was it — far from Silver City, he was free to do what he wanted. Well, mostly free. Besides, he was doing his assigned task by working with the LAPD. In a roundabout way, true, but he was doing it.

Lucifer looked down at the child again and she looked back at him with huge, pleading eyes. Usually, that look didn’t work. Puppy eyes didn’t work on the Devil, thank you very much. But now... something sparked in him. Something was different — the knowledge that Beatrice was his daughter made him... reconsider. He hadn’t been in her life all this time. Now, it was time.

He nodded at last and slowly started to hum the melody.

Come little children

I'll take thee away

Into a land of enchantment

Come little children

The time’s come to play

Here in my garden of shadows

It was strange, letting the old Enochian words roll from his tongue — he hadn’t spoken this language since his Fall. Strange, but not entirely unwelcome. Beatrice snuggled closer, seeking warmth, goosebumps appearing, and Lucifer wondered if it was a slight chill or the power in his words. Song or not, Enochian words had power in them and she would — even if subconsciously — sense that, as a Nephilim.

He shifted a little, bringing out his wings as he continued to sing, gently wrapping her in his arm and a huge, snow white wing as she slept. He would stay with her through the night.

Outside, Raphael sat on a barstool —now alone since Maze had chosen to go downstairs to handle the club — nursing a drink of his own with a gentle smile on his lips as he heard his brother sing the lullaby as old as Creation.

Raphael was just adjusting his shirt when the elevator to his brother’s house opened. Damn it, didn’t his brother have some sort of security in place?

“Lucif —” the voice was cut off and Raphael noticed three humans. Two blonde women and a brown-haired man.  

The woman with a ponytail huffed, irritation and displeasure flashing through her features. “How dare he bring someone home for the night when Trix —”

“Good morning,” Raphael cut her off gently, millennia of patience in his voice. “Who the three of you might be?”

“Chloe Decker. This is my husband Dan and our friend, Linda Martin… Lucifer…”

Raphael smiled a little. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Raphael. If you give me a moment, I will wake my brother and Beatrice.”

The three of them blinked. “Wait a sec… Lucifer has another brother?” Dan asked. “I thought Amenadiel…”

Raphael chuckled. “Amenadiel is the eldest. I’m their younger brother… and well, Luce is not on the best of terms with the family, sadly. Amenadiel and him had always been at each other’s throats, even before Luce’s fallout with our Father, though I’d like to think I’m someone that Lucifer likes having around.” 

The three shared a look and nodded. Raphael chuckled and gestured at the couch. “Have a seat, then. We’ll be back in a moment,” he said, turning on his heels to stride towards the guest room which the child had taken — and where Lucifer was currently ‘trapped’.

He briefly wondered how the child would react to Lucifer being her father. His brother’s reaction had been rather... mixed. Angry at the family for not telling him and, if Raphael could read his brother at all (which he could), freaking out about being a bad parent like their own parents were... and in the end, still going to the child’s room to sing her a lullaby.

Raphael tapped on the door gently, knowing that his brother was a light-sleeper. Well, since Celestials didn’t actually need too much sleep as much as a human, he’d been a light sleeper from what Raphael remembered. But that might have changed since he had settled on Earth. He opened the door and stepped in. 

He wasn’t Azrael or Raziel, someone who melted at cute things, but the sight that greeted him was by far the cutest he had seen since Creation. (Not that he would tell that to Lucifer. He didn’t want to get incinerated, thank you very much. Lucifer was still the best warrior among Celestials, equal to Michael, which meant he didn’t really stand a chance if his brother got truly pissed.)

Beatrice was sleeping glued to Lucifer’s side, her head resting on his shoulder, and a huge white wing wrapped around her like a blanket, while the other was draped over Lucifer himself. Both the child and his brother had peaceful expressions on their faces, and he was actually upset with having to wake them up. But... better him to walk in here and see his brother’s luminous wings than for the three humans to. Pure white and beautiful, Lucifer’s wings glowed in the dark. Lightbringer , he was called and Raphael wasn’t even sure the humans understood why . Of course, the light of his wings was best seen at night, but he could see the slight unique glimmer even now.

“Lucifer,” he called quietly as he stepped closer. He didn’t dare touch him, in case his brother lashed out in defense. No answer. “ Samael,” he tried again, louder, more insistent.

This time his brother shifted a little, careful not to wake the child cradled in both his arms and wing. “R’ael?” the sleepy slur made the Healer chuckle. Lucifer wasn’t a morning person, it seemed. (Which was hilarious, considering his moniker of ‘Morning Star’.)

But then again, as the creator of the stars, that wasn’t too much of a surprise. He might have admitted his favourite creation was the Sun, but that didn’t mean he liked daylight in general. He fared better during the night with his stars illuminating the darkness. It was at night that he was truly at peace, when his and Michael’s powers thrummed in harmony. Lucifer may claim to hate Michael for his attitude, but Raphael knew that the shadows of the bond they’d shared as fledgelings was still there. Plus, the similar, yet opposing power they possessed also linked them together in a way that no other angels were connected.

“Time to wake up, brother,” he said with another chuckle, his voice low so as not to wake the girl. He would let Lucifer do that . He had his own kids, so he knew how children could be when they were rudely woken from their dreams. “The family is here for young Beatrice. And... perhaps... I don’t presume to order you around, because I know you hate it. But perhaps it would be... responsible of you to let the three of them know the truth.”

Lucifer blinked, all too awake in a moment. He sighed and nodded. “I’ll deal with them.”

Raphael smiled, patted his brother’s shoulder lightly and left the room. He had enough time to at least make a coffee for his brother and his guests before heading out for work, but the rest would be up to Lucifer.

Lucifer huffed a little as he watched Raphael leave the room. He moved his wings, carefully tugging them against his back. He winced a little at the soreness in the delicate limbs. Ah, beds were not made for wings — if he ever wanted to sleep with his wings out, he would either have to sleep on his stomach all night or spend the night sleeping on a cloud. Clouds were more comfortable for that.

“Beatrice,” he called, brushing a stand of his daughter’s (His daughter! She was HIS! What had the universe come to?) dark tresses out of her face. “Fledgeling,” he called, louder this time.

She shifted and blinked up at him, taking a moment to gather her bearings. Lucifer didn’t move. “Mornin’,” she muttered.

Lucifer smiled, just a tiny bit. “Good morning, Fledgeling. Wash your face and dress up. Your parents are here to pick you up,” he said, as he stood up. With a small shift, his wings were tucked away, invisible once more.

Lucifer grunted mentally. Oh, Dear Dad! He would have to tell the three of them who and what he was — and this time he will have to prove it too! And Beatrice...

She nodded. “Okay. Wait... wasn’t I ‘Spawn’ just yesterday?”

Lucifer’s eyes glinted in amusement. Smart little human. Or, well, half-human. “Spawn is reserved for annoying, tiny humans. You are only half-human and, well, nowhere near as annoying as the rest, but I think I already said that. And... Young angels are called fledgeling.”

She blinked and then hummed. “W-what will we tell Mommy and...?” she trailed off, a flash of fear and confusion on her features.

Lucifer sighed once more. “The truth, Beatrice. I do not lie, after all.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “But... you’ve always told them the truth. They just... don’t want to believe you. That’s not your fault... well, not really.”

Lucifer’s lips curled upwards just a little. “This time... this time I will prove to them that I have not been lying. Now, get ready, chop, chop. I’ll get some breakfast, alright?”

She nodded, and Lucifer strode out of the room confidently. Although, the moment he noticed the two detectives and Linda on the couch, all of them sipping coffee — Raphael made them one, no doubt — he faltered, just a little.

“Good morning, everyone,” he greeted as evenly as he could manage. The shock had just come last night, and he hadn’t even wrapped his mind around it entirely. Now he was about to dump everything on the others just like that. This could end in a disaster... but he really had no idea what else to do.

Beatrice would face challenges as a Nephilim as she grew, and he was the only one who was available and willing to help — besides, it was his duty, on top of that.

“Morning Lucifer,”

“Morning. Where is Trixie?” Chloe asked lightly. “I hope she didn’t bother you too much?”

Lucifer shook his head. “She was an angel, Detective,” he said, walking over to the counter, where his plain black coffee was waiting. Ah, Raphael knew him all too well. He grabbed a bottle of scotch from the top shelf and dumped a generous amount of it into the black liquid. He would need this.

“Seriously, man?” Dan muttered from the couch, the three humans watching his every move. “It’s morning.”

Lucifer glanced at him. “Trust me... with what I’m about to tell you... by the end, you’ll need it too.”

The three of them shared a look, but before any of them could answer, he turned away to start cooking breakfast. “Have you three eaten?” he called over his shoulder.

“Yes,” they chorused and he grabbed a pan and the things from the fridge.

“You... never mentioned you have a younger brother,” Linda called tentatively, probably just to fill the silence. Lucifer hummed.

“I don’t like my family all that much, Linda. Amenadiel is the biggest jerk of the universe — which says something because Father isn’t a saint either, whatever you humans may think about him. My younger siblings listen to my twin and my sister too much. Both Michael and Gabriel hate my guts, and it’s rather mutual, actually. Well Michael and I… there are some things that… are hard to fix, not that I would try so long as he does not change his attitude. There’s only my younger sister, Azrael, and Raphael whom I keep in contact with. They... don’t think I'm the bad guy like everyone else.”

Before anything else could be said, Trixie appeared dressed and with a smile on her face. She brightened at the sight of her family and hurried over to hug and greet them. For a moment or two, there was silence. Then Lucifer put the food on two plates and grabbed his odd (and probably very unhealthy) mix of coffee and whiskey before walking towards the others.

He offered one plate to Trixie and put his drink on the table. The girl beamed at the food. “Thank you!”

Lucifer nodded and grabbed the chair from his piano, to sit opposite the others.

“Okay man... what is this about?” Dan asked in confusion.

Lucifer sighed. “The truth, Daniel. I can’t say we’ve known each other for too long... but the decision to tell you has been taken from my hands,” he paused for a moment, glaring at the ceiling.

“Okay... here comes the joke that you’re the Devil?” Chloe asked skeptically.

“He is! ” Trixie chimed in. “I’ve seen his wings!”

“Lucifer ...” Chloe called sharply, disapprovingly. Lucifer shook his head. (Linda just sat there, staring at him as if they had never seen each other before.)

“Beatrice is speaking the truth.” He put his half-finished plate on the table and turned around, shrugging down his shirt. Chloe gasped.

“Y-your scars...”

“They disappeared when I got my wings back,” he stated evenly, rolling his shoulders as he allowed the feathery limbs to come forth. As they unfurled and stretched out, all three of them gasped at the sight.

He moved them a little, to stretch them out, and then he folded them back, against his back, the longest of the primary feathers almost brushing the ground. He turned around to judge their reactions. Shock, disbelief and maybe a big, healthy ounce of fear. Their eyes were not focused on his wings, which was good. The divinity wasn’t drawing them in. Still, better warn them...

“Don’t stare at the wings too much. Divinity tends to make... humans crazy,” he muttered.

Dan and Chloe swallowed hard and inched further into the couch, but they made no other move. Linda was trembling, just a little. Were he not a Celestial with far sharper senses than a human’s. he would not have noticed it.

“Who are you?” Dan asked, “You can’t be Luci —” he cut himself off with a sharp intake of breath.

Lucifer sighed, rolling his eyes. “But I am. Lucifer . The one and only, the one you humans call the Morning Star. Satan. The Adversary. King of Hell. The Devil.” He gave a tiny shrug and tried to feign nonchalance as he reached for his unfinished plate again.

“T-Trix... Monkey... come here...” Chloe called in a small voice, shocked still. Lucifer could detect the sliver of fear in her tone as she formed the words. No one had bolted away screaming yet , which he took as a good sign, but he could also tell that they were like deer caught in headlights. They were looking at him as if he were some predator, just waiting for the perfect opportunity to tear them to shreds.

“Do you remember, Detective?” he asked gently, trying not to startle them further. “When we first met? You didn’t believe me when I told you my name. What was my answer?”

Chloe blinked, trying to wrestle with her panic, and Lucifer didn’t move. He just waited for the three to process this — they did look pretty badly off. A wrong move and they would run screaming and never come back. He didn’t want that. Chloe was a good friend. Bloody Hell, he would even miss Dan, even if the other male was often a pain to deal with. And Linda... Well, he was better off not thinking about her.

The two looked at Chloe, who swallowed hard, eyes widening. “‘God-given, I’m afraid...’” she breathed.

Lucifer nodded. “See, I wasn’t lying. Well... technicalities aside, I wasn’t.”

“Technicalities?“ Linda asked in confusion.

“Anyone? A little Latin? Clue on what Lucifer means?” he asked nonchalantly, leaning away from the three, trying to seem as non-threatening as possible. “Come now, Linda... you know my name. The real one. You know the one I’m not fond of at all.”

Dan chewed his lip before answering. “Bringer of Light, no? That... well... that’s more like your title...”

Lucifer huffed. “Actually yes. But after I left Heaven... I did need some distance from my family. So, what had once been a title became my name. But...” he frowned, “I never really liked my real name. Too morbid.”

Dan and Chloe looked confused, but Linda’s eyes flashed with recognition. “Don’t tell me...'' wide-eyed, she eyed the Devil. “ That’s your real name! Now I remember... looking back,” her eyes drifted away from the present for a little as she remembered that particular session, when Lucifer punched a hole into her wall (at least now, she understood how he had enough strength to do that). “You did react... badly. That’s the one... Sam —”

“Don’t you dare,” Lucifer warned. Linda’s eyes flashed with fear, and she shut her mouth. Lucifer flinched too, looking away. “Forgive me. I just... don’t like that name being used.”

Linda swallowed a little. “That... that’s alright. I’m sorry. I should have known better than to try using it. You did say you don’t like it. It’s just...”

“Then... why did you tell me to use it?” Trixie chimed up, reminding the adults that she was sitting just an arms length away from the Devil. The realisation sent a jolt of fear through the adults. Lucifer chuckled quietly as he looked at the child.

“Because, dear Beatrice, that name is the name of the Archangel. And prayers only reach angels,” he said softly.

Linda shook her head. “Y-you know... when I... when the accident happened in front of the school. I don’t remember praying to angels.”

Lucifer’s lips curled into an amused half-grin. “Ah, yes. It was an interesting development.  You said you were fine with anyone helping you... Hm, you even said something like ‘All Hail the Devil’, didn’t you, Linda? ‘It was the drunk bastard’s fault,’ to quote you.”

Linda’s breath hitched. “Y-you really heard that.”

Lucifer nodded. “I did. Gave me quite a surprise. The world is full of Satanists... but yours has been the clearest — even if rather crappy — prayer I’ve gotten in a long while.”

Linda paled even more, and Chloe grabbed Dan’s arm to steady herself. “That... that’s why you choked on your coffee... when Linda...” she trailed off.

The Devil hummed in agreement. “Yes, Detective. It was quite the surprise. I cannot answer, of course... prayer is a one way connection. But as long as people truly believe, I hear it. You may have used the name of the Devil, Linda, but you were reaching out to the Archangel. That’s why I heard you. Though... not as clearly as when someone uses my birth name, but it doesn’t matter. I still heard you and helped you, like you asked. And no, since we technically didn’t make a Deal, it doesn’t have a price. Let’s just say I did it from the good of my heart.”

Both Linda and Chloe slumped back in their seats, and Dan groaned, burying his face in his hands.

Trixie started to fidget in her seat and the others’ eyes slipped towards her. The girl scooted closer to Lucifer and Chloe was about to say something — even if she didn’t know what she could say — when the child spoke. “Lucifer… it’s itchy… and it hurts…”

Lucifer absent-mindedly reached over to the child with one hand and scratched a spot on her back, causing her to stop moving. Then as he started to draw circles on the spot, she relaxed even more. “That’s nice...”

“New troubles, Fledgeling. It’ll fade away in a few weeks, don’t worry.”

“But it doesn’t feel like that,” she pouted. “It hurts…”

Lucifer’s eyes darkened and then he glared upwards at the ceiling again, eyes flashing deadly red. “Nothing’s ever enough for you greedy bastards up there, huh?” he growled. This time, the others saw the flash too. They flinched and squawked in fear. Trixie didn’t even twitch as she glanced at the Devil.

“Something’s wrong?”

Lucifer sighed. “No, Fledgeling. Just...” he sighed. “Show it.”

Trixie blinked and looked at the other adults with worry and fear in her eyes, before she looked back at Lucifer. “But...”

“No other choice, Beatrice. It’s not something that can be kept secret forever. It will just hurt you. It’s a miracle that you weren’t already hurt from it appearing so late.”

Trixie sighed and threw one last look at the others. Then she sat up straighter, wriggled her shoulders and out popped two small, white wings, speckled with a silver feather or two in some places. The others gasped and the next moment, Trixie was clinging to Lucifer, hiding her face in his chest.

“Child...”

“No...” she pouted, snuggling even closer. The three humans noticed that unlike before, Lucifer didn’t seem uncomfortable with her so close. The Devil sighed and gently draped a wing around her and she snuggled into it.

“W-what is...” Dan trailed off, eyes wide as he watched the girl he and Chloe had raised as their own, ever since she’d been little.

“W-what did you do to her?” Chloe asked, shock, and a little suspicion, creeping into her tone as she eyed Lucifer.

“Detective...” the Devil tried, but Chloe’s eyes narrowed further.

“What. Did. You. Do? ” she asked, punctuating each word.

Linda swallowed and put a comforting hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “Calm down, Chloe. This is a lot to take in. For you, for me, for Dan. But look at Trixie! She’s also distressed and it’s obvious she’s clinging to the person who is the most like her.”

“Because he ...” she pointed at Lucifer accusingly.

“Chlo, calm down,” Dan said, pulling her into a hug as she fought her tears, her breathing quickening.

Lucifer stood up, but Trixie was still clinging to him for dear life, so he used his arm and a wing to pick her up and went to get Chloe some water. He returned a few minutes later with a glass. Chloe eyed him — and the glas, as if he had put some poison into it — but then she slowly took it and drank.

“Lucifer didn’t do anything except help me,” Trixie said after what seemed to be forever and the three humans looked up. Seeing Lucifer standing above them, while they sat . . . well it was a little — or a lot — unnerving, knowing who and what he was.

Lucifer seemed to realise the problem and took a few steps back, sitting down again. Trixie continued to cling to him, even her wings curling close as the extra limbs tried holding on. Lucifer sighed softly, looking at the girl. “Beatrice. Please loosen your grip. You’re either going to tear my clothes or you might pull a few of my feathers. Neither is a pleasant possibility.”

Trixie looked at him apologetically and tried to relax. He kept his wing on her for a moment longer to hide her wings before pulling it back, although it seemed the divinity wasn’t affecting his... acquaintances negatively. He wasn’t going to take a try though. Too much and they might end up badly, which he didn’t want, of course.

“Now, pull your wings back, child. Too much divinity does nothing good to humans. Although, while I suppose they are all... somewhat immune to it, we would not want them to be sick,” he said.

Trixie glanced at him and then nodded. The adults looked up and saw that she shifted a little, trying something with her wings. But it wasn’t working and she was frowning. Deeply. “Why doesn’t it work? It worked before?”

“Celestial powers are linked to emotions. I’m pretty sure you’ve seen my eyes flash red with hellfire every once in a while when I was angry.”

Trixie nodded. “Just once, besides at school when you scared off the bully.”

Lucifer hummed and gently placed his hand on her wings. “Your powers are linked to your emotions. Since you are upset, it’s harder to pull your wings back. It happens to me too, and I’m millenia old. Your powers are new, so nothing to worry about.”

She nodded, relaxing against him. “So you can send them away, like you did... before we went to see the medic?”

Lucifer hummed and with a spark of his power, he forced her wings back. She shivered a little. “Warm. But uncomfortable... why?”

“Because they are your wings. You should put them away. Stronger angels can do it for you, like I did now, but it will always feel uncomfortable. And you felt warm, because that’s my power. Fire and light — remember? I made the stars.”

Trixie hummed. “Yea. Wait... did Raphael figure out who —?” she trailed off and Lucifer swallowed hard as he nodded.

“W-what is...?” Dan asked.

Lucifer sighed, deciding to answer the adults’ question first since they were out of the loop. He had explained basic celestial things to Beatrice while she stayed with him.

“I’m an angel, but I’m pretty sure that was made clear a few minutes ago, correct?”

The others shared a few unsure glances and then Dan frowned. “No, dude. You’re the Devil. ”

“And the Devil is a — or the ? — Fallen Angel,” Linda chimed in immediately.

Lucifer flashed her a brief grateful smile. “Thank you, Linda. Yes, I am still an angel, the way you are human. And young Beatrice here is a Nephilim. Half-human, half-angel.”

The three shared a few looks, and Linda seemed to pale a few shades. Lucifer tilted his head a little, concern appearing on his face. “Linda?”

Linda swallowed. “I —” she took a deep breath. “I am her mother and I’m pretty sure I’m human…”

Lucifer nodded. “Yes, you are.”

“Then who...?” Chloe asked, brows furrowed in confusion. Dan seemed a little out of the loop too. (Not that Linda blamed them. She hadn’t told anyone about her suspicion. But now, seeing Trixie with wings, after Lucifer just confirmed he was... well, Lucifer , it seemed obvious.) “Well, the father’s the angel, obviously, but...”

“Lucifer,” Linda said numbly, rubbing her face. “You are Trixie’s father, aren’t you, Lucifer?” she laughed. “I have one one night stand and even  with just one night, I end up pregnant, despite the fact that I can’t take care of my daughter. I have to give her away only for me to figure out years later I slept with the Devil... ” She dragged a hand through her hair.

Trixie perked up, looking at Lucifer with wide eyes. “Y-you’re my father?”

Lucifer sighed and nodded. “I figured it out last night. Remember, Rapahel took some blood from you.”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“He told me later that night I was your father. I didn’t want to believe him at first... but Raphael never makes such a simple mistake. The way I do not lie, Raphael does not make mistakes.”

Her eyes went even wider and then hurt flashed through her face. “You... you were upset last night. I heard you shouting.”

She scrambled out of his hold, hurt flashing in her eyes. “You don’t...”

Lucifer caught her, gently tugging her closer. “No, Beatrice. Listen and listen closely, child. I was not upset at you. Never you. I was angry with my Father. I am angry with Him. He sent me to do work far away from my family, and there was someone I found. Someone I loved and I had to leave her after just two days. And the next thing I know, years later, when I get back to Earth, I have a daughter.”

He paused and swallowed hard. He made a clear gesture upwards, which caused everyone to follow with their eyes. “He knew. Father always knows. Very few things escape His attention and the birth of a Nephilim is not something that would slip by Him. He knew. Probably some of my siblings too. No one told me. They could have come down to Hell and told me that I had a child. They didn’t. My siblings didn’t come. My Father didn’t leave me a message. I was angry with them. Not you. I was angry... because the life of Nephilim children is not always easy. What if your wings had appeared before I had met your parents?” He made a strong gesture at Chloe and Dan. “No one would have been able to help you, and they would have freaked out. I’m pretty sure they’re all freaked out anyway, but....” He ran a hand through his dark hair as Trixie studied him.

“You didn’t know about me,” she said, her words half a statement, half a question.

Lucifer looked into her eyes, face serious. “Do I ever lie?”

Trixie shook her head. “No, never.”

Lucifer smiled, just a little. “Smart Spawn. If I had known, I would have been here. If Linda had known or your parents — I’m sure there would have been arrangements in place. Judging by the way Linda is here right now, neither Chloe nor Dan plan on keeping you apart.”

“We would never,” Chloe said quietly. “Trix asked about her real parents too many times. If we had known, if there had been a sure way… We just didn’t want to get her hopes up and then get them crushed…” she trailed off again, this time looking at Linda.

Linda swallowed. “I understand Chloe. It was a way to protect her, and I appreciate that.  A way to protect her from failure if her parents were not found or dead.”

Trixie’s eyes slid between the four adults in the room and then she nodded in understanding. Sensing the change in her emotions, however slight it was, Lucifer let her go. For a long moment she hesitated, but he pulled back and sat up straight, nodding towards the detectives.

She smiled and hurried over to them, wedging herself between her adoptive parents and reaching across Chloe’s lap for Linda. The therapist smiled and gently squeezed her daughter’s hand.

For a long moment, there was a long silence. It was a heavy one, but not entirely unwelcome. They needed some time to process all of this .

Then, after what seemed to be forever, Linda snorted. “I slept with the Devil. I’m dating the Devil…”

Lucifer hummed, dark eyes glinting with amusement. “Yes, dear Linda. Do keep up.”

Chloe and Dan threw Lucifer scathing looks and then faltered a bit when it sunk in, exactly who they were glaring at. Instead, Chloe just chose to draw soothing circles on the other woman’s back. Lucifer, though, didn’t take any offence to the glares.

“Oh, dear God…”

“Ew, let’s leave my Father out of my love life, Linda. Surely, you wouldn’t want your own parents to stick their noses into it, now that you’re a grown woman?” Lucifer said with a small frown.

Linda groaned again, looking at him in panic. “Oh my… I… I slept with the Devil. Goodness… does that make me a Satanist?” she muttered quietly.

Lucifer blinked and then snorted. “No, I don’t think so. My Father… is prickly about some things, but if it — this bothered him that much, he would not have let me leave Hell. Or even if he had let me, we would have never met. Or if we had met… he would not have let you fall pregnant. I don’t know what game he’s playing, but that’s a game with me, not you. And… on a side note, I hate Satanists.”

The three looked at him, and then Linda groaned again. Dan blinked. “Not that I know much… but shouldn’t you be happy, that… well there are Satanists around?”

“Bloody Hell, no! ” he scoffed. “They’re awful and annoying. And whenever one of them believes enough for a prayer to reach me — not many do, thankfully — they ask for awful and cruel things. Damn it, I’m not evil. I punish evil . But that’s something that no human seems to be able to comprehend. And I hate goats .”

The adults blinked, and Trixie giggled, as if she already knew why that was. Chloe raised an eyebrow, but neither her adoptive daughter, nor Lucifer —the literal Devil — explained anything.

Then, the humans shared a few glances between each other, quite unsure about this unexpected development. 

“Uh... I don’t presume to tell you anything...” Dan muttered cautiously, “But aren’t you supposed to be in Hell?”

Lucifer shrugged. “I am the King of Hell. I have been ever since the Fall, and I will be, until the end of Time. But... you know, Hell gets depressing after a while. So... I get some vacation time, so long as things don’t get out of hand downstairs. It would not be pretty, if the realm was overrun by demons. Luckily for me, time runs differently in Hell than in other planes of reality. What is a few days here, is thousands of years downstairs. And my sister, Azrael, knows I’m on a sort of vacation. So whenever I go down to check, she does leave me a note of how much time passed on Earth,” he shrugged. “It’s worked so far... though I only recently started checking in... because I might have been a little too pissed at Dad... for, well... you can guess,” he shrugged again.

There was another moment of silence.

Chloe bit her lip and then looked at Lucifer. “And... what about Trixie? Now that...” she trailed off, making a gesture at her back, as if her small wings were still visible.

Lucifer shrugged. “Nothing. Live your lives as you did before or... find new arrangements, as you please, given that Linda is involved. She needs to learn how to fly. Not using her wings at all will cause problems, now that they are out. I will teach her how to fly. She may or may not develop some extra power, considering I am an Archangel. I will keep an eye out for that, and if she does develop something, I will inform you and teach her to deal with it.”

They all shared a look and then Trixie grinned. “ What? I will have powers ? What sort of —?” she bounced excitedly.

“You may develop something,” Lucifer said firmly. “Considering I am one of the two strongest Archangels, there is a chance you inherited something. But it’s also possible that you are entirely human, save for having wings. Oh, and you will probably be sensitive to the divine and infernal from now on. Means you will be able to sense demons or my angelic siblings. I’ll teach you about that, because it’s like an extension of your senses. You will most certainly have that extra sense, even if you don’t have any more powers. The last thing we need is for you to start talking to one of my siblings when they are invisible to normal humans. We don’t want people to...”

“... to think I’m crazy,” Trixie finished seriously. She bit her lip and then nodded. “Okay.”

There was another moment of pause.

“Wouldn’t... you want to see Trix?” Dan asked quietly.

Lucifer hummed. “I would not mind spending time with her, even after she learns to fly, if that is your question, Daniel. I will not abandon her. I did not know of her existence for all this time, but now that I know, I would rather not leave her. However I also understand that the presence of divinity — my presence, in particular — is sometimes disturbing for humans. Or most often disturbing. I will not come after any of you. For now, I will take time off work, too. I can understand if you need your space. Honestly? I’m surprised you three have stayed seated this long and haven’t run off screaming.”

He looked at them — even at Trixie —one by one.

“I will not hurt anyone here. But I also understand prejudice and fear. Deal with this on your own. Any questions you may have, I will gladly answer as long as it is not too personal. You can come here as well if you feel safe enough. Just notify me beforehand. And... At least once a week, I would like to meet as Beatrice will have to learn to fly. Plus, her feathers have not settled in their place yet, and until then, her wings will need to be kept in impeccable condition.”

The adults nodded slowly, thoughtful expressions on their faces and then nodded more certainly.

Linda seemed the most ruffled — were she an angel, her feathers would be all ruffled up, the primaries sharpened to their deadliest by her will and stress — of that the Devil was certain.

“Linda?” Lucifer prompted gently.

Linda huffed a little, closing her eyes. “What about me?”

Lucifer blinked, genuine confusion settling on his features. “What do you mean?”

“Won’t there be... I don’t know, consequences? I don’t know... won’t... Well, won’t I end up in Hell or something? I mean, you are the Devil, and I’m pretty sure you established that you’re not on good terms with your Father.... who happens to be God ,” she said, nerves taking hold of her.

Lucifer laughed a little. “No, Linda dear. My Father has done nothing about that all this time so you knowing does not change much. Unless, that is, you choose otherwise.”

Linda blinked in confusion. “E-excuse me?”

“You have choices, Linda. The Bible gets many things about me wrong, but the part about Free Will is true. I’m all about Free Will and choices. Whatever you choose...” he shrugged.

Linda nodded slowly. “Okay. And... What are the options?”

Lucifer hummed. “You can walk out the elevator, and we can never see each other again. I will be upset, of course, but your life, your choice. You can say that we could continue dating.” He shrugged, giving her a smirk. “I could also make you Queen of Hell officially...”

“What —?!” she choked, eyes going comically wide.

The Devil chortled. “I’m King, dearest, even if I’m kind-of retired. Or on vacation. Whatever. Means I get to choose the Queen.”

Linda rubbed her face. “Uh... and what would that mean?”

Lucifer hummed. “Sharing responsibilities, of course. But —” he looked at her, “there’s no commitment as of yet. Really. I care for you, but I also understand if you don’t ever want to see me again. Right now, I’d imagine that I kind of overwhelmed all of you emotionally?”

They all nodded. “Yes, pretty much,” Chloe muttered.

Lucifer nodded. “Understandable. As I said, I will give you the space and time you need.” His eyes shifted to the child in the house. “Beatrice... for now please... don’t even try to bring your wings out. Everyone here needs to deal with this. The best would probably be to postpone your flying lessons for now.”

She huffed and nodded. “O-okay.”

For a moment, there was silence. Then, when they all realised the Devil had nothing else to say, they bolted from the house.

Lucifer groaned, tired and irate, glaring at the ceiling. “What’s your game now, huh, Old Man?”

Only time will tell.

Only time will tell how his friends — and girlfriend... Was Linda his girlfriend? — would deal with this. At least, Lucifer mused, he had been honest with them.

Well, he had never lied before. Now he had proved he never lied.

He would just have to wait and see how that proof changed his life in the long run.

Chapter Text

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

Jeremiah 29:11

Lucifer kept his word. He always does.

He almost wanted to throttle whoever first had called him ‘Prince of Lies.’ But it was probably a mortal, and humans had ridiculously short lifespans, so the miscreant was most likely long dead. The angel he would have to reach out to and throttle for giving him that moniker… well, there were three possibilities.

Michael, Sandalphon and Gabriel. Were the three of them not cooped up in Silver City, where he couldn’t go… Lucifer would have been considering fratricide. Gabriel… was the most bearable — his sister was uptight, but still bearable. Sandalphon and Michael on the other hand… (He hadn’t been happy when his siblings had died because of the Rebellion. He would have avoided bloodshed if he could have. But now he was actually considering killing his two most hated siblings.) At least, he supposed, the Bible had gotten that one thing right — him and Michael couldn’t stand one another at all.

Titles aside, he’d kept his distance from the detectives and Linda, just as he told them he would. He had called into the station, telling the lieutenant that he had some crisis in the club that needed immediate handling and that unless there was a very important case, he would like to have the week off. This was the least thing he could do for Daniel and Chloe. Let them have their space.

He was occupying himself with reading some old scriptures to pass the time and refresh some of his ancient knowledge when his phone chimed. He pulled away from the paper and glanced at the device as he opened the chat. (They’d made a group chat, at Linda’s suggestion, in case questions popped up. Lucifer had decided to go along with it, if only because it was a surprise they hadn’t run away . To expect the three to come into his house to ask those questions… he wasn’t in touch with human emotions, but even he knew that it was too much to handle. If they needed time and had questions… fine. He was immortal, time had little meaning to him. As long as they didn’t probe too much, he’d entertain them with the answers to whatever questions they had.)

It was, rather surprisingly, Daniel. Huh… he would have guessed Detective Douche would be the last one to… handle this normally. From what he knew, Daniel’s family, or at least one half of it, were devout Christians. And Daniel had just figured out that he’d been working with the Devil and raising the literal, breathing Spawn of Satan for years.

/ᴅᴀɴ/ ᴡʜʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ? ɪ ᴍᴇᴀɴ… ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴋɪɴᴅ ᴏꜰ… ᴠᴀᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ. ᴛᴏ ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ, ɪ ɢᴜᴇꜱꜱ, ʀɪɢʜᴛ? ʙᴜᴛ ᴡʜʏ ʟᴀ?

Lucifer chuckled a little and typed a reply.

ʏᴇꜱ, ɪ’ᴍ ᴠᴀᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ. ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ ᴀ ᴡᴇᴇᴋ, ᴀ ᴍᴏɴᴛʜ ᴏʀ ᴀ ᴅᴇᴄᴀᴅᴇ. ᴀꜱ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴀꜱ ʜᴇʟʟ ɪꜱ… ꜰɪɴᴇ, ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴀꜱ ꜰɪɴᴇ ᴀꜱ ɪᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ, ᴅᴀᴅ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ’ᴛ ᴍɪɴᴅ. ᴍʏ ꜱɪʙʟɪɴɢꜱ ɴᴀɢ ᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴏʀᴄᴇ ᴍᴇ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴅᴏᴡɴꜱᴛᴀɪʀꜱ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴅᴀᴅ ʜᴀᴅɴ’ᴛ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ꜱɪɴᴄᴇ ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ʙᴀɴɪꜱʜᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴘᴏᴘ ᴜᴘ ʜᴇʀᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇꜱ. ᴀꜱ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴀꜱ ʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱɴ’ᴛ ꜱᴀʏ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ, ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴏᴋᴀʏ, ɪ ɢᴜᴇꜱꜱ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜʏ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴄɪᴛʏ? ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ, ɪᴛ ʜᴀᴅ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴜɴ, ɪ ɢᴜᴇꜱꜱ. ɴᴏᴡ ᴀ ꜱᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴛɪᴍᴇ… ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏᴏᴅ ᴍᴇᴍᴏʀɪᴇꜱ, ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ɪ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴇxᴘᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴇᴇ ʟɪɴᴅᴀ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ. ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ, ꜱʜᴇ ᴘʀᴏʙᴀʙʟʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴍʏ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ꜰᴀʀᴄᴇ. ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴡɪꜰᴇ ᴅɪᴅ ᴀꜱᴋ ɪꜰ ɪᴛ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀ ꜱᴛᴀɢᴇ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴏʀ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ, ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ.

He placed the phone back down and continued working. A few minutes later, there was another chime.

/ᴅᴀɴ/ ꜱᴏ, ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪʙʟᴇ… ᴡʜᴀᴛ’ꜱ ᴡʀɪᴛᴛᴇɴ ɪɴ ɪᴛ, ɪꜱ ɪᴛ ᴛʀᴜᴇ?

Lucifer rolled his eyes a little. He should have expected a question like this from Dan sooner or later.

There were a few minutes of ‘silence’ from Dan.

ʏᴇꜱ. ᴡᴇʟʟ, ᴘᴀʀᴛꜱ ᴏꜰ ɪᴛ. ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛꜱ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴛᴡᴇᴀᴋᴇᴅ ʙʏ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴꜱ. ꜱᴏᴍᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍɪꜱꜱɪɴɢ. ʟɪᴋᴇ… ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇʀʙᴇᴡ ʙɪʙʟᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱ ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴ ᴍʏ ᴘʀᴇ-ꜰᴀʟʟ ɴᴀᴍᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜʀɪꜱᴛɪᴀɴꜱ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴍᴇ ᴀꜱ ʟᴜᴄɪꜰᴇʀ… ʙᴜᴛ ᴀꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ꜱᴀɪᴅ, ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴀ ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴏɴʟʏ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴜꜱɪɴɢ ɪᴛ ᴀꜱ ᴀ… ɴᴀᴍᴇ ᴀꜰᴛᴇʀ ɪ ʙᴇᴄᴀᴍᴇ ᴋɪɴɢ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇʟʟ.

Another moment of silence, though Lucifer had a feeling the other male was not done just yet, so he didn’t even bother turning back to his book and notes.

/ᴅᴀɴ/  ɪ ꜱᴇᴇ. ᴡᴇʟʟ… ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴇᴀɴꜱ… ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇᴀʟ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜɪꜱ. ᴀɴʏ… ᴄʟᴜᴇꜱ ᴏɴ ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴠᴏɪᴅ ʜᴇʟʟ?

Another typical question, he thought with a huff. Not that Lucifer blamed him for wanting to know. Hell was… Hell for a reason and he could understand that most wanted to avoid it. Dan might annoy him, but he didn’t seem like the kind of person who deserved Hell… but then again, there might be things he doesn’t know about his co-worker. He wasn’t omniscient like his Father was.

ʟɪᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʟɪꜰᴇ ɢᴜɪʟᴛ-ꜰʀᴇᴇ. ᴡᴇ ᴅᴏɴ’ᴛ ᴄʜᴏᴏꜱᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ɢᴏᴇꜱ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ. ᴡᴇ ᴏɴʟʏ ɪɴᴛᴇʀꜰᴇʀᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪɴ ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ᴄᴀꜱᴇꜱ. ɪᴛ’ꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴍᴏᴜɴᴛ ᴏꜰ ɢᴜɪʟᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴋɪᴄᴋꜱ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏᴡɴꜱᴛᴀɪʀꜱ ᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ᴅᴏᴍᴀɪɴ. ɪɴ ᴄᴀꜱᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴅᴏɴᴇ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀʟʀᴇᴀᴅʏ… ᴡᴇʟʟ, ᴛʀʏ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ɪᴛ ʀɪɢʜᴛ. ʟᴇɢᴀʟʟʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ. ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʀʏ ᴅᴇᴀʟɪɴɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɪᴛ ᴍᴇɴᴛᴀʟʟʏ ᴛᴏᴏ, ɢᴇᴛ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴜɪʟᴛ, ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛ ɪᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴀᴛᴇᴠᴇʀ.

There was no answer from the detective for a long while, and Lucifer thought he’d run out of questions for now. But the next one surprised him. It seemed that whatever troubled Daniel about Hell… he was still more worried for Beatrice.

/ᴅᴀɴ/  ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʀɪx? ɪ ᴍᴇᴀɴ… ʏᴏᴜ’ʀᴇ… ʏᴏᴜ . ꜱᴀᴛᴀɴ. ᴀɴᴅ… ꜱʜᴇ’ꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴀᴜɢʜᴛᴇʀ. ʙɪᴏʟᴏɢɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ, ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ. ᴡɪʟʟ… ꜱʜᴇ ʙᴇ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ꜱᴛʀᴀɪɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟʟ?

Lucifer huffed at that. He’d told them that Fallen or not he was still an angel. Being the King of Hell was merely a mantle, a mantle that could be passed on to someone else, not that it would be, he supposed. But that was a different subject altogether.

ɴᴏ. ɪ ᴛᴏʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ, ɪᴛ’ꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ, ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴠɪʟ. ᴀɴʏ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ʙʀᴏᴛʜᴇʀꜱ ᴏʀ ꜱɪꜱᴛᴇʀꜱ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴄᴀʟʟᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ. ꜱʜᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴏꜰ ᴀɴ ᴀɴɢᴇʟ ɪɴ ʜᴇʀ ᴠᴇɪɴꜱ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟʟʏ ᴍᴇᴀɴꜱ ꜱʜᴇ ʜᴀꜱ ᴀ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ꜱʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ꜱɪʟᴠᴇʀ ᴄɪᴛʏ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏᴇꜱ ɴᴏᴛ ᴍᴇᴀɴ, ꜱʜᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ʟɪᴠᴇ ʜᴇʀ ʟɪꜰᴇ ʜᴏᴡᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱʜᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛꜱ. ɪꜰ ꜱʜᴇ ᴅᴏᴇꜱ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʙɪɢ, ʀᴇɢᴀʀᴅʟᴇꜱꜱ ᴏꜰ ʜᴇʀ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛᴀɢᴇ, ꜱʜᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇʟʟ. ʙᴜᴛ ᴀʟꜱᴏ, ᴇᴠᴇɴ ɪꜰ ɪ ᴀᴍ ʜᴇʀ ꜰᴀᴛʜᴇʀ, ꜱʜᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ɢᴏ ᴛᴏ ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴ.

/ᴅᴀɴ/  ᴏʜ. ɢᴏᴏᴅ. ᴛʜᴀᴛ’ꜱ ɢᴏᴏᴅ. ꜱᴏʀʀʏ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴏᴛʜᴇʀᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ.

The strings of messages from all three adults kept up for several days. Lucifer answered most of their questions… although both Linda and Chloe managed to ask a question each, which he had shot down. Of course, he knew it was just their curiosity. Their view of the world had been flipped upside down, but still. He liked his privacy. (Maybe later, if Linda… chose to stay, he might answer those questions too, but for now? No. Answering those, would be like baring his soul after millennia of silence. Just the thought of it made him feel somehow… vulnerable, and he didn’t like the feeling at all.)

Then, after nearly a week, his phone rang. It was Linda.

His breath hitched a little, but he schooled himself quickly. Damn it, he wasn’t some few thousand-year-old ‘teenager’ anymore. He was grown and mature and the freaking King of Hell. He should not be so bothered by a simple call.

He pressed the ‘answer’ button, trying to appear cheerful and calm at the same time. “Hello, dear Linda.”

“Hello, Lucifer,” Linda greeted back. The Devil noticed that her tone was pleasant. Not fearful, nor otherwise strained. She was — or at least, she seemed she was — content.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

“We kind of… have plans for the weekend. Dan and Chloe didn’t want to wake you and I have some minutes before the next patient arrives. Are you free on Saturday?”

He blinked a little, somewhat surprised at the invitation. If she was inviting him — and mentioning both detectives in the process — this meant a mutual agreement to invite him. Whatever the humans had in mind, they were willing to be around him. Sure, Beatrice’s… predicament was forcing them to adapt to his truth, or at least try dealing with it… but they could be dealing with this in a different way too. By keeping their distance and spending as little time with him as possible. Instead, they were inviting him for… whatever.

“Yes, I am. Why?”

“We… Trixie wants to go to the beach. But she also wants to fly… so we found a middle ground? There’s a nice place Chloe used to go to with her father. It’s abandoned. We can enjoy the water and sun there, and you could teach Trixie to fly.”

Lucifer chuckled. “The miscreant is rather… devious, isn’t she? Asking for this when you are around and managing to drag me into it too.”

“Who might she have inherited that from? ” Linda asked, her voice full of sarcasm, “I have no idea.”

“You wound me, dear Linda,” he said, faux-hurt in his tone.

“She’s rather… devilish, yes,” she laughed , and Lucifer found himself relaxing, just a little. If Linda was jesting, that was a good thing, he guessed.

“Indeed.”

“So… would you come? I don’t know the place, but Dan and Chloe do. Or maybe they’ll just drop it in the chat…”

“That’s quite alright,” he said. “I’m sure I can find it and yes. I will be sure to be there.”

“Thank you, Lucifer.”

Lucifer’s lips curled upwards a little. “No, Linda… thank you ,” he said sincerely before they hung up.

They were accepting him. They were taking their time, yes, but they were getting somewhere . It was an oddly… comforting feeling. Before this whenever he had, rarely, proven his identity to a human, they had ended up running away. Lucifer never saw them again. Well, only later, in Hell… because their madness drove them to do things that eventually landed them in his kingdom. He hadn’t been hoping for much with them, but maybe this time, it would be different.

“Did you tell them I’m coming too?” Mazikeen asked him as he parked the corvette.

“No, I didn’t mention it,” Lucifer admitted. “But Beatrice prayed to me last night, asking me to bring you as well, so that’s why I mentioned this trip. She might have told Daniel or Chloe.”

The demon smiled, just a little bit. “I don’t mind all that much. But won’t the others…?”

“If they’re dealing with me, they’ll have to deal with you too, Mazie dear. Devil and demon are in the same packet of supernatural they’ve stumbled into. You’re my oldest friend, and I know you’ve come to like the Spawn,” he said, throwing her an amused smile.

Maze huffed a little, as if she was upset by being ‘found out’. “Yea. She’s… nice.”

They got out of the car and Lucifer grabbed the bag he had brought along. Since they were going to the beach, he had foregone his usual suit and chosen a more casual, yet still elegant outfit.  Maze was wearing a simple skin-tight dress, which would be easy to discard. It was a rather hot day today and knowing his demon, she was planning just to lie in the sunlight. Earth was not nearly as hot as Hell. While weather didn’t bother either of them, Mazikeen did prefer high temperatures.

“Ah, do you think it dawned on her that she's practically a Princess?” the demon asked with a wide grin. “I did hear from Decker that little humans like her often want to be princesses. And she is one.”

Lucifer laughed at that, just as they reached the gathering of adults. “I doubt it, Maze. But if it crosses her mind, do mention it,” he said with a wide grin as he set his bag beside the one already there. Linda and Dan were sunbathing, while Chloe was helping Trixie build a sandcastle.

“Linda, Daniel,” he greeted them, as did Maze.

“Lucifer, Maze,” they returned. Then Dan blinked, eyeing Maze. “If… Lucifer is… well, himself… then you’re what…? A demon?”

Maze grinned sharply. “Bravo. I am one, indeed.”

Dan huffed. “That’s crazy.” Dan blinked a few times, eyes widening a bit. “Wait a sec… that brother we met a while back.” Dan looked at Lucifer. “Ra — Raphael. As in… Archangel Raphael?”

Lucifer grinned widely. “Indeed.”

Linda laughed a little, shaking her head. “Lucifer, please warn us ahead of time if any more of your celestial relatives decide to visit while we’re nearby.”

The Devil hummed, but before he could say anything else, there was a sharp, happy call. “Maze!”

The four looked up to see Chloe trudging back to them, wet sand sticking to her skin, but there was an indulgent smile on her face as Trixie barrelled into the demon. Chloe flashed them a nervous smile. “Maze, L-Lucifer.”

Lucifer nodded back calmly. “Detective.”

He could tell that all of them were somewhat nervous, unsure how to handle the situation. Not that Lucifer blamed them. He was a little out of his depth too. Most humans ran screaming even before he could explain, not that there had been many he’d attempted to explain things to over his long life, to whom he would have liked to explain things.

“So happy you could come, Maze!” Beatrice bounced, grabbing the demon. “You coming? I wanna show you some —”

“Woah, easy... I...”

Lucifer was grinning widely at the scene. “I believe, Mazikeen, the young Lady requested something.”

Maze glared at him half-heartedly but then turned to Beatrice. “Alright, alright, Trixie. Show me.”

Lucifer chuckled, watching his right-hand demon be dragged away by his energetic daughter. (Huh... it was still a strange thought. He had a daughter. Dear Dad... he’d still need some time to get used to that.)

“Uh... do I want to know what that was about?” Chloe muttered.

Lucifer shrugged, grabbing a blanket from the bag he’d brought and spreading it next to the one Dan and Linda were sitting on. Then, he started undressing. He had a feeling Beatrice would eventually drag him into her game. He would just have to make sure their wings didn’t get wet... he didn’t want to end up looking like a soaked chicken. Fallen or not, he was an Archangel and he had his pride. He settled down and decided to explain.

“Technically... Beatrice is the Princess of Hell. Mazikeen isn’t just my longtime friend, but my right-hand and bodyguard as well. As in, she — like every demon in Hell — owes me fealty. Now, there will have to be some changes to that, considering Beatrice’s sudden appearance, but I won’t exactly need a new oath from Maze . She knows it automatically extends to Beatrice, starting from the day we discovered the truth. Of course, Beatrice doesn’t know that. Maze only called her a Princess once… Beatrice didn’t comment on that and since then, we’ve been careful. I wouldn’t want this to… get in her head. A title… and being half-angel. She is different and she will have to understand that, but by no means she is better than other humans. She is still part human and will live among humans. She will have to act that way.”

“That... seems rational,” Linda agreed with a small nod. “But if you plan to let her stay on Earth... Why the new oath for the demons?”

Lucifer sighed. “Hell’s gates are closed, most of the time. But there are rare occasions when the supernatural interacts with the human world. I am powerful, but I’m by no means omniscient. That’s Dad’s cup of tea. If a demon were to pop up on Earth and smell a Nephilim, that Nephilim would be the first they would seek to kill or possess. But if they have a new oath and they know Beatrice is my daughter, they won’t harm her and will think twice before even approaching her. Since my siblings are not... on speaking terms with me... they’ll frown at her and turn away too. They’ll recognise the fragment of my power in her, but they’ll leave her be. She is still part-human and angels are forbidden to kill humans. Dad... well, He might keep an eye on her, but I wouldn’t bet on it.”

The others hummed in agreement.

“Lucifer…?”

The Devil hummed, glancing at the three humans again, as he listened to his daughter and long-time friend having fun. “Yes, Linda?”

“Uh… have you… dealt with… you know? With your family?” she asked tentatively. “This lack of communication isn’t exactly… healthy .”

Lucifer snorted derisively. “Parenting was never a strong suit of Father’s, no matter how caring you humans think He is. And right now, I don’t have the patience to deal with anyone other than Raphael. If any of them turned up… I’d be tempted to smite them or, at least, burn their wings off.”

“Lucifer,” Linda called sharply, yet gently. “You cannot run from your problems. Trixie has always looked up to you, from what I hear, and now she will do so even more. Now, all four of us will have to give her a good example.”

He huffed again. “Linda darling, you’re speaking to Satan, if it slipped your mind. I’ve been humanity’s worst nightmare since I Fell. I’m not exactly a model example for any spawn to follow. Not even my own,” he paused for a moment with a slight frown. “Now, isn’t that funny?” he muttered under his breath. “I swore never to spawn because I never wanted to fail at parenting the way my Parents had failed. And here I am, with a spawn of my own…” he snorted again. “You have a specifically annoying kind of humour, Dad, y’know?”

There was no answer. Not from his human companions — and, predictably, none from his Father, either. He had stopped paying any mind to Lucifer long ago. The Fallen sometimes wondered why in the name of the universe was he still playing by His rules.

“Dude… the derisive names humanity stuck you with don’t really define you,” Dan chimed in, and Lucifer blinked. He turned towards the other male, with honest confusion and surprise on his features. Dan had never been one who liked him. On the contrary, really. Daniel had made sure Lucifer knew they weren’t friends .

“That…” before he could say anything, Dan continued.

“You proved that just by being around us. I mean… you’re Satan. You… we are probably insignificant to a being like you, someone with so much power, almost older than the universe. Heck, you had a hand in creating it!”

Lucifer hummed. “I despise killers... I despise sinners in general, Daniel. But no human is entirely insignificant. Innocence should be protected at all costs. Once... I despised humanity. No... I didn’t like that my Father paid you more attention than he had paid our Family. I hated that you humans had Free Will, when we were bound by His Word. Now, I just... see you as precious and fragile. The good ones should be protected and shielded. Despite everything that has happened since the Garden and despite what keeps happening... humans prove that they are rotten and sinners. But at the same time, you prove that you are capable of change and growth and nurturing the good in your souls. That’s fascinating. So no, Daniel. I may be a Fallen Angel, your lifetime is but a blink to me... but I do not see you as insignificant. If I did, I would have long allowed the Gates of Hell to open and for demons to flood this plane of existence.”

“And that ,” Linda said with a proud, affectionate smile, “is why I will always take the Bible with a grain of salt from now on. Not that I believed before... but now I know that my belief is true. Well, parts of it. You’re not evil. Just you saying we’re not insignificant proves that you are nothing like the stories claim.” The smile widened into a tiny grin. “That sounded more like the flirty, witty, yet wise gentleman I’ve stuck around with all this time rather than sounding like... Satan.”

Lucifer snorted a little. “It’s one and the same.”

“But we know you ,” Chloe said. Lucifer’s gaze slid to her, and he noticed that she was calmer now than when she had approached him and Maze. “Trixie adored you from the beginning... and I’m starting to think she always believed you. And despite that, she loves you.”

Lucifer hummed. “Maybe. Perhaps it was by nature. Even if it wasn’t present and visible the way it is now, perhaps a sliver of her heritage was peeking through. Perhaps... she saw the Angel I once was.”

“You still are ,” Linda said firmly. “To us, you’ll always be an angel first.”

Dan grinned a little. “I’m pretty sure my parents would think that I’m nuts... but at this point, I trust you more than God. Like... you’re here . Within reach. And you’ve been helping us solve murders and other messes. That’s more help than I’ve gotten from there ,” he gestured upwards. “And... I guess you’re still a friend, even with all the supernatural shit.”

Lucifer hummed. “That... well, that’s an odd admission coming from you, Douche... but it’s appreciated.”

“Good,” Dan muttered. “Then stop stealing my pudding, Lightbringer .”

Chloe snickered. “Satan has a sweet-tooth... worse than a child...”

“I’m not worse than your despicable human spawns,” Lucifer muttered, pouting.

That caused the three adults to laugh uproariously. Oh yes. This was still the Lucifer Morningstar they knew. A preening man-child with a sweet tooth worse than a certain little girl. (And that was quite the feat, considering Trixie’s undying love for chocolate cakes. At least, Chloe thought, they now knew where that had come from.)

Lucifer had just knocked back the last of his beer (he’d brought some with him for the adults to share) when Maze and Trixie returned. The girl had her wings on display, unlike before, and she bound over to Lucifer with an excited gleam in her eyes.

“Can we fly? Can we fly?”

Lucifer blinked. “Well...”

“ Please ... Dad.”

Lucifer swallowed hard. It was still odd to hear her saying that. Knowing she was referring to him . Dan was called ‘Daddy’, after all. He sighed after a moment and stood up with a nod. He rolled his shoulders as he strode farther from the blankets and unfurled his wings. Chloe gasped and Dan whistled.

“Well... that’ll take some time to get used to,” Chloe muttered as Lucifer flexed the feathery limbs.

Lucifer chuckled as he glanced back at the humans. “Well, Detective, you’ll have plenty of time to get used to it. A few days are not nearly enough for Beatrice to learn how to fly properly. I think you and Daniel will be taking turns for who brings the Spawn over to Lux for a long while.”

“And then who takes her to school afterwards,” Dan pointed out.

Linda and Lucifer shared a look, and the therapist smiled. “Oh, when she comes over, I’m sure that we can take her. Right, Lucifer? My office is not far from the school so if he has to go because of a case…”

Lucifer hummed. “Of course, of course. Co-parenting… or whatever you humans call this,” he said with a wave of his hand, looking down at Trixie.

“So… can we go?”

Lucifer chuckled. “Yes. Give me your hand.” She did and Lucifer held her as firmly and gently as he had the very first time they went flying, even before he knew the girl was his daughter. “Okay. Since you haven’t had too much practice… I will drag you up. You won’t have to worry about kicking off. Just use your wings the moment you feel your feet off the ground. I want you to be steady in the air. Once we’re sure you are decent at that, I will go over landing.  Oh, and a safe way to crash land… if there is such a thing. You have to be ready for the worst, and while I hope it won’t be needed… it’s better for a wing to break than half your bones.”

She nodded. Lucifer gave her one last glance and then he shifted his weight a little. With a mighty flap, he was in the air, and a moment later, Trixie was beating her wings in his arms.

Maze and the others watched from the ground with a smile on their faces. The demon hummed as she settled next to Linda. “I’ve seen his wings countless times, but… these feathery versions are still beautiful.”

“What do you mean ‘feathery version’?” Dan asked in confusion.

Maze huffed. “The Fall burned him. Badly. It changed him in every possible way. It scarred him physically and mentally too. He did crash through dimensions, after all. And his wings, when he’s in that form… look more like a bat’s. This appearance you see now is a glamour. Showing the Angel from before the Fall. Or is the burned one the glamour now? I can’t really say…”

The others blinked and nodded, muttering something about that making sense. And maybe about asking him later. Since it was obviously connected to his Fall, they were a little hesitant to. Linda may have said that he will, eventually, have to face his issues and his family, but that didn’t mean she wanted him to shut down from all those bad memories coming back at once. 

Oh, goodness… she just had to find the most handsome creature in the universe, who happened to have the most issues as well.

Once they were high enough, Lucifer let go of Trixie. “Now, you’re free to fly. Stay nearby, so I can help, if needed, but you’ll learn best if you do it on your own.”

She nodded and carefully turned around to fly. Lucifer watched with a small, indulgent smile as she glided over the water. “Turn your wings a little, Urchin, and slow down,” he called, watching as she faltered, flapping her wings in an effort to stay up.

She did as he instructed, and it was obvious that she was having a lot of fun. Lucifer kept following her at a distance, so she could practice on her own but he wouldn’t be far behind if she needed help. They weren’t going too high in the air and the sand and water would halt the fall… though the thought of soaked feathers sent a dreadful shiver through his body. Hopefully he won’t regret choosing the beach as a place for flying lessons.

For the next hour, Trixie enjoyed her lesson with her father, and everything seemed perfect. That is, until she missed the current of wind she was supposed to catch — paying attention to currents was something to help with flying, Lucifer had said. Once she was older and her wings stronger, she would not have to worry about the currents at all.

She screamed as she fell, and the four adults on the beach jumped to their feet. Lucifer caught her quickly, to their relief, but the crashing waves caught him, so they both ended up falling into the salty water.

“Lucifer! Trixie!” the others called in alarm.

A moment later, the Devil’s head was above the water, and he was holding the girl close. Lucifer huffed, shaking his head to get rid of the water. “Beatrice? Are you alright?”

She grinned up at him. “Yep. It was fun. Almost like the big slides in the water park.”

Lucifer grunted at that. “It was nothing like a slide, child,” he grumbled, standing up. The water wasn’t too deep, but the crash had soaked them both anyway, much to his annoyance. Them being on a beach didn’t mean he’d been planning to actually get wet.

Especially not with his wings on full display. What a nightmare.

“Let’s get out of here, shall we?” Trixie nodded and they slowly made their way out as the others waited by the edge, their eyes full of concern.

“Lucifer?” Maze prompted a little unsure. She knew her friend and King was unharmed, but she couldn’t be sure about Trixie. Just thinking of the little girl being hurt made her feel uncomfortable.

“We’re completely fine, Mazikeen,” he said with a huff. “Just a little scare... and a lot of water.”

“It was like a slide...!” Trixie said, earning a glare from both Lucifer and Chloe.

“It was nothing like a slide,” the two of them said at once, causing Dan to snort.

“Partners indeed,” he said amusedly. Lucifer’s eyes flashed red in annoyance. Dan blinked a little, taken aback, but to Lucifer’s relief, the other man just huffed and muttered something about a bad temper.

The next thing Lucifer registered was Maze laughing, clutching her sides, as she looked at him and Trixie. Lucifer scowled at her, eyes flashing red again. This time no one even blinked at it. “What’s so funny, Mazikeen?” he asked sweetly.

Maze huffed, needing a moment to gather herself. “Mighty Lucifer Morningstar, Lord of Hell…” she snickered again, “looks like a soaked bird . Along with his fledgling.”

There was a moment of silence until it sunk in.

“Now that you say it…” Dan said with a huge grin. “Yeah, he does. Like an overgrown, wet chicken .”

“Trix is no better,” Chloe said. She put her hand in front of her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter with Linda, but it was not helping at all.

“Soaked chicken?” Trixie muttered with a pout as the others laughed. “We’re angels , not chickens.” But her words were drowned out by the merriment of the rest of her family.

Lucifer growled lowly. This was unacceptable. He would not be laughed at, and if he had a say in it, neither would his daughter. “How about payback, Beatrice?” he asked, reaching out to her power, so his words were whispered into her mind.

Trixie perked up, looking at him both in shock and curiosity. Lucifer raised his still-dripping wings slowly, a smirk on his face. Trixie matched his smirk when she realised what he had planned. The next moment the laughter transformed into scandalised cries, as they shook off their wings, all the water going flying at the demon and the three humans.

Now mostly dry — and the other four wet — father and daughter shared a satisfied grin, intending to lay in the Sun to get dried. Until Maze retaliated, that is, pushing the unsuspecting Lucifer back into the water with a smirk on her face. Dan grabbed Trixie too, wrapping his arms around her and locking her wings to her back, careful not to harm the delicate limbs. Then he waded into the water and tossed her back in right next to Lucifer.

And so, the Devil, a demon, a Nephilim, and three humans found themselves in a ‘deadly’ water war for the rest of the day.

Which, in the end, was won by Dan and Trixie (with a tremendous amount of help from Maze.) 

That was the day when a ten-year-old (and her allies) defeated the great King of Hell, and thus Lucifer owed a favour to each of the ‘team’s’ members.

Deal was a Deal, after all, and Lucifer Morningstar always kept his word.