Chapter Text
Becoming God was overwhelming, to say the least.
Lucifer felt the power coursing through his whole body, enwrapping him in a warm blanket of light and warmth. It was the biggest high he ever experienced, he could barely breathe. He felt more powerful, more alive than ever before. It was a heady feeling to feel his siblings near him, feeling how their entire Being seemed connected to him. He was convinced he could trace their connection and pull them from anywhere in this universe to him.
He opened his eyes (when had he closed them?) and slowly let his arm with the Flaming Sword sink. He took in the sight before him.
His siblings, Eve and Maze were kneeling before him, even Michael, the bastard. Lucifer could feel fear pouring off of him and it took him a minute to realize it was Michael‘s fear. How ironic, Lucifer thought. His brother had never shown his own fears. Ever.
The only person not to kneel was Chloe. His beautiful, breathing Chloe.
She would never kneel before him. They were equals.
She sent him a small, wobbly smile. She was still shaken from dying, being in Heaven with her father, and being alive again. He wanted nothing more than to hug and kiss her and make sure she wasn‘t a hallucination.
But he needed to do something with his audience first, as he had no desire to let his siblings witness more than necessary in his relationship with Chloe. He barely knew them anymore and today was not the day of reconnecting.
„Brothers and sisters“, he said, his voice clear. „Return to Heaven. I want to know the status of all current affairs. Bring me your reports by the end of the week. Amenadiel, you are free to stay behind.“ He turned his head.
„Michael“, he addressed him.
His pathetic twin couldn‘t even look him in the eyes.
„You are banned from Heaven until I decide otherwise. You will stay at one of my properties in LA until you have gotten a crash course about living amongst humans. After that, I expect you to get a job and find somewhere else to live, but you will tell me your address. I will check in on you, so don‘t even think of going behind my back. You are also forbidden from using your mojo against humans.“ At that, Michael pressed his lips together but stayed quiet.
„You will also atone for killing Remiel and Chloe.“
A wave of shocked gasps went through the crowd of his siblings at the mention of Remiel‘s death. Apparently, Michael hadn’t told them about his role in their sister’s death. She was annoying and had always followed Amenadiel, but in the end, she had supported him.
„I have not yet decided on a punishment. Do not fear, Michael, I will tell you.“
With a last scathing glare at his disgraced brother, he addressed the whole Host again. „You are dismissed. Bring me your reports next Friday. You know where my nightclub is, it‘s hard to miss. Go to the bar and tell Patrick you are there for family business and he will lead you to my office. I do not want any surprise visits in my apartment, understood? And Michael, you will come to Lux tonight at nine, I‘ll bring you to your temporary abode. Do not be late, you won‘t appreciate the consequences.“ He showed his teeth and grinned when he saw Michael‘s unease.
His siblings bowed and slowly left until only Chloe, Amenadiel, Eve, and Maze were left.
„Mazikeen of the Lilim“, he said, the formal wording automatically pearling from his lips, „Do you accept the Queenship over Hell?“
Mazikeen breathed deeply and smiled. „I do, Lucifer, King of Heaven.“
Maze breathed shakily and closed her eyes, a satisfied smile on her face. He would guess that she felt a bond to the throne in Hell, as he did before he renounced it. He couldn‘t really describe the following feeling, but it felt as if some deep part of him was finally settled. He was finally free from Hell.
„You are free to choose a consort, Mazikeen. Of any species“, Lucifer added belatedly, with a wink to Eve. The First woman giggled and bowed her head. She took her girlfriend‘s hand in her own and squeezed.
„Amenadiel, I know you will want to stay on Earth and raise your son with Linda. But I want to offer you the place of my Second.“
His Eldest Brother looked surprised but nodded with a small smile. „Of course, Lucifer.“
And finally, he turned to his Chloe.
For a second, neither of them moved. He let the Sword fall to the ground and opened his arms. Chloe fell into his arms, hiding her face in his shoulder, trying to hold back a sob.
He couldn’t say how long they held each other, but he wouldn’t trade one second of it.
After a small eternity, Chloe lifted her head. “I love you, Lucifer”, she said quietly.
“I love you too, Chloe”, Lucifer said, his heart dancing in his chest. “So much.”
She smiled, wiping away some new tears and Make-Up streaks.
“Let’s go back to Linda’s”, she suggested. “I want to hug my daughter.”
“As you wish, darling”, Lucifer whispered. He took her hand in his.
Together, they turned back to their friends.
“You heard my girlfriend”, he said, stupidly grinning because Chloe was his girlfriend and she was alive.
“Let’s go back to Linda’s.”
Lucifer flew himself and Chloe to Linda’s house, while Amenadiel took Maze and Eve to their own flat. They both wanted to use post-fight adrenaline to good use.
Lucifer opened the door and immediately Linda looked up, Charlie bouncing in her lap.
Lucifer could see the worry in her eyes and smiled reassuringly at her.
“We won”, he said.
Linda opened her mouth, not saying anything. “Oh my God”, she finally blurted and immediately put her hand over her mouth.
Lucifer grinned. “Oh my me, indeed, doctor.”
Linda let out a disbelieving giggle.
Charlie laughed as well and pointed to Amenadiel behind Lucifer. He garbled some words that Lucifer interpreted as “Dada up!” or something like that. He didn’t know anything about babies, but he hoped his nephew’s speech would evolve over time.
The sappiest grin he had ever seen on his brother’s face appeared at the words of his son. “Of course, little one”, he crooned, hoisting Charlie on his hip.
They all settled on Linda’s couch, Amenadiel holding his son.
“Chloe, Trixie is sleeping”, Linda said awkwardly. “She’s in the guest bedroom, I didn’t want to wake her.”
Chloe nodded. “Thank you for looking out for her”, she answered. “I’ll let her sleep. She hasn’t been sleeping since…” She trailed off, not wanting to speak of Dan’s death.
Lucifer squeezed her hand. “Maze and I will rectify his situation”, he said. “I’m afraid I can’t bring him back to life, but I’ve recently come to the realization that souls can indeed leave their Hell Loop and ascend to Heaven. We will make sure he gets there, I promise.”
Chloe nodded tensely, squeezing back. “Okay”, she whispered.
“What happened?”, Linda asked after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. “I mean, obviously Lucifer won, but how? Did the plan work?”
Lucifer grimaced, squeezing Chloe’s hand again. “Well”, he said and began recounting the events. He had just arrived at their impromptu dance and singing performance when Amenadiel interrupted him sharply.
“Linda, did an angel visit you while we were away?”, he asked, alarmed. “I can sense an Angelic Blessing on him, but I can’t detect from whom.”
“Oh”, she said, twirling her teacup in her hands. “Yes, Charlie and I had a visitor. I wanted to tell you after Lucifer finished his story, though. It’s not… evil or anything bad.”
“Now I’m curious”, Lucifer said, secretly relieved to stop. He didn’t want to particularly recount how Michael had stabbed Chloe and how he had crashed through Heaven’s Gates to get to Chloe.
“I didn’t notice any siblings arriving late”, he said. “Not on Michael’s former side, certainly not on ours.”
“Yes, well”, Linda hedged. “He wasn’t particularly interested in watching or participating in the Fight.”
Lucifer’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh?”, he asked. “I thought Michael recruited all of our siblings.”
“Not all”, Linda snorted.
“Linda, who is it?”, Amenadiel asked. There was something in his voice that Lucifer would place as fatherly concern for his son, even if he never heard that tone before.
“He said his name was Raphael”, she said.
Amenadiel looked stumped.
Lucifer was mainly surprised. It could be true, he admitted silently, looking back he hadn’t seen Raphael.
“Raphael?”, Amenadiel repeated. “Nobody has seen him in… I don’t know how long. There is the rumor that he was once seen on Earth and cured an ailment, but Heaven could never confirm his presence. As far as Heaven is concerned, Raphael has disappeared shortly after Lucifer’s Rebellion and has been missing since.”
Linda stared at Amenadiel and then at Lucifer. “Huh”, she said. “That is not at all what he said.”
“He actually spoke with you? What did he say? Where has he been all this time? Was he on Earth?” Amenadiel leaned slightly forward, pressing Charlie securely at his chest.
“You never said anything about Raphael missing”, Lucifer complained to Amenadiel.
Raphael was one of his nicer siblings. He was Created shortly after Lucifer and Michael, the three of them had grown up together and even though Raphael was one of the quieter angels, they were rather close in their youth. He had many fond memories of his brother.
Together with their sibling Gabriel, Lucifer, Michael and Raphael had made the stars. Gabriel had told them everything about stars and what Father wanted them to do. Michael and Lucifer had created each star. Raphael had hung them at their place and had named each and every one of them.
“Yeah, well, we knew that he wasn’t in Hell. And back then…” He grimaced, “Well, back then, I didn’t trust you to alert you of his status. I feared you would find and corrupt him.”
Lucifer scoffed. “Raphael had made it clear that he would support neither Michael nor me”, he said. “I honored his stance. I think that was the last time I spoke to him.”
Amenadiel looked back at Linda. “Please, tell us all about what you know”, he said.
Linda wrung her hands but nodded. “Okay. Someone knocked on my door after you left. I thought it was you, that you had forgotten something. But then I opened the door and saw this stranger. He said he was the Archangel Raphael and that he wanted to thank me. Me!” She laughed incredulously.
“He said he was grateful that I helped Lucifer. And that I kept him as a patient, even after knowing the truth.”
Amenadiel and Lucifer looked at each other.
“How did he find out I am in therapy? Is that common knowledge?”, Lucifer asked.
Amenadiel shrugged. “I don’t think so. Has he said where he has been the last thousand years?”
“Yes”, Linda said. “He was in Heaven.”
“Impossible”, Amenadiel denied immediately. “We would have noticed.”
Linda didn’t look like she believed him. “He told me that his siblings had shunned him after he failed to heal Michael's wounds and that he isolated himself after that. He said that he wouldn’t be surprised if you had forgotten about him.”
Lucifer didn’t know what to say. Raphael had always been a bit of a loner, but he wasn’t unpopular. He just preferred to be alone. But when he came out of his shell, he craved validation and positive attention. A compliment or a pat on the head went a long way with him.
Being forced to retreat and watching how your siblings slowly forgot your existence? That must have been pure torture for his brother.
Even he hadn’t been treated that cruelly. There were kicks and curses against his person, but they never forgot him. He was always in their mind, a constant reminder on how to not be an angel.
Amenadiel looked similarly shocked. “I never knew…”, he mumbled, falling back onto the couch.
“Do you know where he is now? Back in Heaven?”, Lucifer asked.
Linda shrugged. “He said that he wanted to go back to Heaven before your siblings came back. He left half an hour ago, I don’t know if he had the time to get back unnoticed. Staying unnoticed seemed to be important to him.”
“Raphael doesn’t deserve that fate”, Lucifer said decisively. “He should have the chance to reconnect with our family.”
“I agree”, Linda said. “He seemed to like you, Lucifer. I think he will be glad that you are the new God and not Michael. Apropos Michael, what happened to him?”
“Amenadiel can tell you”, Lucifer said and stood up.
He looked at Chloe, who had followed their conversation silently.
“I’m going to find my brother and talk to him. Do you want to come with me or stay with your spawn, darling?”
Chloe bit her lip. “I think I’m staying here”, she said slowly. “I want to be near Trixie when she wakes up. And I think this conversation should be just between you two.”
“As you wish, darling.” Lucifer leaned down to kiss her.
“Until later, Chloe.”