Chapter Text

August 4^th 2061

Rory blinked away the tears building behind her eyes as she clung desperately to her mom’s hand – as if by sheer force of will she could keep her here longer if she just held on a little tighter. She knew that she couldn’t though, that this day had always been coming. Chloe Decker was the strongest person Rory had ever known, but she was also human. And whether it be age, or as it turned out, illness, something would take her eventually.

When they’d received the diagnosis and been told that it would be quick, and mercifully painless, her mom hadn’t been resentful or scared, she’d just looked at peace. Just like she did now. And Rory knew why.

It was because it meant that she’d get to be with him again.

And it was ironic that her last day on earth would be forty years to the day that he’d left.

Rory knew that she would see her mom again after today. She was an angel after all, so could travel between realms whenever she wanted. But it still hurt like Hell that she would never see her on Earth again.

“It’s okay, baby,” her mom soothed, rubbing her thumb over the back of Rory’s hand.

“It’s not,” she choked out past the lump in her throat. “He should be here.”

There was no need to explain who Rory was talking about – they both knew.

Rory seethed internally, trying to contain the rage that was rapidly building inside of her. She’d been angry with him for the majority of her life - ever since she hit thirteen, when the stories about him became not enough, and she started to feel stupid for clinging on to her childlike hope that one day he’d just walk back through the door and be the man she’d heard so much about. It was an anger that was made worse because no one else was angry with him for leaving – not a single one of her family or friends would say a bad word about him. She didn’t know what had happened on August 4^th 2021, but she suspected that there was more to the ‘he turned a corner and I never saw him again’ story that she’d been told – which again only fuelled her anger more.

Her anger towards him had never been greater than it was in this moment though. He’d abandoned her before she was born, and she’d grown up without a father in her life. But if he was the man she’d always been told he was – if he was so good, then why was he not here right now? And not just because her mom was supposedly the love of his life, but also to support her – she was his daughter. And if ever there was a time for him to step up and be a dad, it would be now – when she was about to go through the most painful experience of her life.

Her mom just smiled softly though like she knew something that Rory didn’t. “Your Dad’s always loved you – more than you could ever know.”

“So then why isn’t he here?!” she cried.

Something snapped inside of her – white hot rage flooded her veins and when she looked down, her arms were flickering with light. Her eyes widened as that same light then began to flicker over and engulf her entire body.

When Rory looked back up at her mom, she didn’t seem in the slightest bit worried or surprised though, as if she was expecting this to happen. “When you go back, you’ll see.”

“Back?”

“In time – to 2021.”

“Wait, how do you kno-” But she didn’t get chance to finish her sentence before everything went black.

Chloe sighed contentedly, a wave of peace washing over her at the knowledge of what Rory was finally about to discover and the clarity it would bring. Their daughter would finally understand why they’d hidden the truth from her for all these years.

“You can come out now, Lucifer,” she called out softly.

She could always sense when he was near – tethered as their hearts were to one another. And unlike Rory, she had never doubted that he would be here today.

Lucifer stepped out of what used to be Trixie’s bedroom and her breath caught, as it always did, at the sight of him. Dressed in his iconic black suit, white dress shirt and red pocket square, his hair coifed to perfection and his deep brown eyes trained solely on her, he was still the same timeless, impossibly beautiful man that she’d fallen in love with when she was young.

“Hello, Chloe,” he greeted warmly.

He walked over to her and smiled sadly as he sat down on the chair that their daughter had just disappeared from. “It always hurts to hear how much she hates me.”

Chloe squeezed his hand in empathy. “I know. But she's only that angry with you because she loves you. And the next time you see her, all that anger will have gone, and she’ll love you even more. We know what happens when she goes back, Lucifer – we’ve lived it. Those were the happiest weeks of my life, having both of you with me."

His smile immediately morphed from one of sadness to one of adoration. “Mine too.”

“And when she returns, she’ll finally know that we did it all for her. You’ll have your daughter back, and we can be a family again.”

Lucifer's eyes glistened with moisture. “We’ve waited for so long.”

Chloe watched as a literal weight lifted from his shoulders.

She understood. She felt the same way.

“We have. The time loop’s almost complete, Lucifer.” Chloe smiled and stroked his face. “We can be together – forever this time.”

“Forever,” Lucifer sighed reverently, before bringing her hand to his lips and placing a kiss over the ring that she’d worn ever since he’d slipped it onto her finger in the gardens of Heaven, all those years ago.

“And I get to be young again – can’t say I’m not looking forward to that too.”

Lucifer chuckled. “Amenadiel’s been filling you in on the mechanics of the afterlife I see.”

“Yeah, he has.” Chloe smirked, “It’ll definitely come in handy, because we have a lot of lost time to make up for - and these old bones just aren’t quite up to it anymore.”

Lucifer grinned delightedly at the familiar twinkle in her sea green eyes that had not dimmed with time. “That we do, Detective,” he purred.

Chloe smiled at the nickname he’d never stopped using. She may not have been an actual detective in a very long time, and had in fact spent more of her career as a Lieutenant, but she would always be his Detective.

“And whilst I’ve told you countless times before, that no amount of wrinkles or age spots could ever make me love you any less, 30’s Chloe who swore blind she’d never sleep with me until Hell froze over…who then mere years later broke my bed on numerous occasions in her unbridled lust for me, does hold a rather special place in my heart.”

She giggled, and the sound made his heart skip a beat - in the same way it had done ever since the first time he’d elicited it from her. “I don’t have age spots.”

“My apologies, darling. I meant beauty spots.”

Chloe rolled her eyes fondly.

“Do you know what I’m most looking forward to though?” he continued, his voice soft. “Aside from the copious amounts of sex we’ll be having of course.”

“What’s that?”

“Being able to hold you, and not have to leave in the morning.” They’d shared stolen moments over the years, which helped ease the pain of separation, and after which he would count down the minutes until the next one. But he always longed for the day when their moments would be infinite.

Chloe reached out and ran her fingers through his hair, warmth filling her chest at how he instinctively leaned into her touch. “Me too.”

Lucifer smiled that smile of his; the one that he reserved only for her. “Then that’s what we’ll do, every night.” He took her hand in his again as he stood back up. “I should get going - Rory will be back any minute now.”

“I’ll see you soon, Lucifer.”

Lucifer bent down and placed a tender kiss to her forehead. “See you soon, my love.”

“Wait, how do you kno-”

Rory blinked dazedly as she looked around. One minute she was sat at her mom’s bedside, and the next she was…not.

“When you go back, you’ll see.”

“Back?”

“In time – to 2021.”

Her mom’s words replayed in her head. Apparently, she’d been so angry with her absentee father and in want of answers that she’d self-actualised the ability to time travel.

It didn’t take her long to realise where exactly she was. She’d spent many a night in this side alley when she’d been a rebellious teenager, expensive alcohol stolen from the cellar inside for company.

She knew this building well.

Lux.

And whilst it was now run by her Aunt Maze, before that it had been run by the very man who was the catalyst for her new time travelling abilities.

Her heart thudded rapidly against her rib-cage at the prospect of finally getting to meet her Dad.

But then she reminded herself that she wasn’t here for a family reunion, she was here to get answers. Answers for why she’d never gotten the chance to know him. Why he’d never been there for her when she needed him. Why he never came to see her. Why even when she stared out of her bedroom window at night when she was little, looking up at the stars for any sign of white wings in answer to her prayers, he still hadn’t come.

It was that thought that ignited her anger anew. With narrowed eyes and a determinedly clenched jaw she strode purposefully out of the alleyway and to the front of the club. The entry line stretched right around the block – evidence of Lux’s popularity, and complaints and curses were thrown her way as she bypassed the scores of barely dressed revellers and headed straight to the entrance.

“Miss, unless you’re on the VIP list, you can’t just jump the queue,” the bouncer informed her tightly when she reached the door.

Rory just glared at him. “Watch me.”

She barged past him with ease, knocking his arm with hers for emphasis and causing him to stumble.

Once inside, she stood at the top of the staircase and surveyed the club below with curiosity. It was the same, yet so very different.

The music filtering through the sound system was obviously different, but that was a sign of the times – that and Maze’s rather niche tastes. But it was more than that – the whole place just felt different. It was hard to put her finger on exactly what it was, but it just felt more alive now.

Her eyes caught on the shiny grand piano taking centre stage on the main floor - something that was no longer there in her time.

When Rory had been in elementary school, all the kids had gotten the opportunity to take music lessons. She’d been so excited as she’d always loved music, and she hadn’t been able to decide between the piano or the guitar. So, when her mom had picked her up, she’d eagerly asked for her opinion.

“Your Dad will teach you to play piano one day, baby,” her mom had told her, a wistful look on her face. “Maybe learn the guitar now?”

And so that’s what Rory did. She learned the guitar, and she learned it well. Her young heart had been hopeful that one day she could show her Dad, that he’d smile proudly and they’d duet, and then like her mom had said, he’d teach her to play the piano too.

She tore her eyes away from it when her chest tightened uncomfortably, that deep-seated emotional scar reopening.

Shoving the lingering disappointment aside, she focused instead on the anger that had brought her there in the first place. It wasn’t hard, given that it had been simmering under the surface for decades.

Rory scanned the crowd for the man that she would recognise anywhere, despite never having met him in person. She’d seen enough pictures of him during her childhood for his face to be emblazoned in her memory. When she’d begged for stories of her Dad instead of one from a book at bedtime, her mom would scroll to her ‘Lucifer ❤️’ album on her phone and explain with an affectionate smile how each photo had come to be. A lot of them were selfies he’d taken when she wasn’t looking, and her mom had laughed as she explained how she’d pretended to be exasperated with him for clogging up her phone memory. She’d never deleted any of them though, not a single one.

There was one particular photo though that Rory had seen every single day of her childhood, and still saw every time she visited her mom at the apartment. It was one of both of her parents together at the beach, wrapped in each other’s arms and so clearly in love. The happiness on their faces was immortalised in time, palpable and reverential. Framed in gold, it had always taken pride of place amongst their family photos.

Seeing no sign of him, after descending the stairs Rory pushed her way to the front of the bar and drummed her fingers impatiently on the counter, making no apologies to the throngs of customers that had been patiently waiting their turn.

One of the bartenders made his way over to her after finishing up his latest drinks order. “What can I get for you?”

“Where’s Lucifer?” she asked, without preamble.

He looked at her questioningly for a moment before shrugging it off – she wouldn’t be the first woman eager for an audience with the club’s enigmatic owner. “Boss hasn’t been down all night.”

Rory sighed frustratedly. “Do you know where I can find him?”

“No, sorry. You could try calling him,” the bartender suggested unhelpfully – no doubt knowing full well that if she knew him well enough to have his number she wouldn’t need to ask. Her Dad clearly had some loyal, albeit annoying, staff.

“Thanks,” she replied sarcastically with a scowl before stalking away from the bar.

Just because he wasn’t in the club though, didn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t in the building. If he “hasn’t been down all night,” then maybe that meant he was simply ‘up’ in the penthouse.

After weaving her way through the crowds, she jabbed the call button for the elevator. Once inside she pressed the ‘P’ and was surprised to find that no code was requested. Security was evidently a little lax in this time.

As the elevator ascended higher and higher, Rory’s heart-rate ascended with it. She nervously wrung her fingers together; a habit she’d picked up from her mom. The thought of her mom stilled her fingers though and caused her hands instead to ball into fists.

A familiar ding signalled her arrival, and with her head held high in determination, she stepped into the penthouse. She stopped short though when she was greeted by the remnants of a romantic dinner for two – candles and red roses decorated the intimate little table, along with every surface in the lounge. Rory grimaced, seriously hoping that she wasn’t about to walk in on her own conception. She absolutely did not need that image scorched into her brain

“Lucifer Morningstar?” she called out – loudly. If her parents were currently having each other for dessert, hopefully the realisation that they were no longer alone would at least inspire them to put on some clothes.

Thankfully for her, no shrieks or sex noises could be heard and when she chanced a glance over towards the bedroom, it was completely dark, and by the looks of it – unoccupied.

“I’m not in the mood for company tonight. Sorry to disappoint.”

Rory’s head snapped towards the tired sounding voice, and she opened her mouth to reply that disappointing her was a habit of his. But the words caught in her throat at the sight she was met with.

For all the ways she’d imagined her first meeting with her Dad, this had never entered onto her list.

Lucifer was sat on the floor, slumped against the balcony window, his shoulders sagged, head hung, and empty bottles of scotch scattered around him. And as she cautiously made her way closer to him, she saw his red rimmed eyes and the dried tear tracks staining his cheeks.

She chewed on her bottom lip, debating with herself. As angry as she was with him, she’d also inherited her mother’s compassion. The man in front of her looked completely broken right now, and it ignited an annoying sympathy in her chest. Regardless of what he’d done in the past, or in his case; the future, she didn’t have it in her to kick him when he was down.

With a resigned sigh, Rory sat down opposite him, her arms resting on bent knees as she leaned against the back of the couch. “Rough night?” she asked, aiming for casual indifference but ending up cursing herself for the evident concern lacing her voice

Lucifer looked up at her for the first time then. So lost was he in his misery that he seemed to only just realise that she was still there. His brow furrowed in intrigue as he held her gaze for several moments.

Rory forced herself not to blink or look away as she searched his eyes for any sign that he recognised her. It was a stupid, naïve hope really – he probably wouldn’t recognise her in her time, despite having known about her for forty years, so why would he recognise her now when she didn’t even exist yet? Still, the traitorous part of her heart that she’d locked up in a box – the part that still believed that her Dad really did love her as much as everyone said, that part still hoped that he would know her anyway.

But then she saw it – a flash of something that she could swear was recognition flashed in his eyes. It seemed to confuse him more because his frown deepened, before he shook his head, breaking eye contact.

Remembering the question she’d asked him, he scoffed humourlessly. “Understatement of the millennia. But yes, it’s been a rough night. In fact, I’d say it’s right up there on the ‘worst nights of my life’ list – which is saying something considering there’s some rather stiff competition for that title.”

She racked her brain for anything that had happened around this time that could have caused him to be in such a state, but came up blank. By all accounts, her parents were blissfully happy right now. “Disgustingly in love,” as Maze had said, backed up by Ella’s “Soooo adorable!” and Linda’s “They were perfect together.”

“What happened?” she asked, her innate curiosity getting the better of her.

Whether he was used to people he’d never met before strolling into his home and striking up conversation, or if he was just so distraught that he was past caring and needed someone to talk to, Rory couldn’t be sure. But he sighed and looked at the floor, before telling her sadly, “I just watched the woman that I lo-” he caught himself and swallowed. “The woman that I care about more than anything in the world, agree to marry someone else.”

Rory frowned in confusion. What was he talking about? Her mom had married Dan before T was born, and he was, well…dead, now. So Lucifer couldn’t be talking about him. And she didn’t need all the fingers on one hand to count the number of relationships her mom had had during her life. There had been no one since Lucifer, and the only other man that he would have been around for before him was-

Oh.

“…And all because I tried to out-do that ham-handed oaf, instead of just telling her how I felt. How I feel,” Lucifer continued, before draining the last of his Scotch.

Oh no.

“Wait, what’s the date today?”

Lucifer looked a little surprised at the abrupt subject change and the urgency in her tone, but answered anyway. “April 23^rd. Not a date I’m going to forget in a hurry…unfortunately.”

“What year?” Rory pressed impatiently.

“Are you quite alright?” Lucifer asked, his forehead scrunched in confusion again. “Were you dropped on your head as a child?”

“Well, you’d know if you’d been around!” she wanted to snap. Biting back her retort she glared at him and repeated her question. “What year is it, Lucifer?!”

He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her dubiously. “It’s 2018.”

“Fuck.”

Chapter Text

“Fuck.”

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Lucifer asked, concern lacing his voice. “What year did you think we were in?”

Rory ran her hands through her hair in frustration. She’d really ballsed up this time travel thing. How had she managed to be three years too early?! Standing back up she ignored his question and made her way over to the bar. “I need a drink.”

Despite his own emotional turmoil, and his bewilderment over the strange girl who’d barged into his home, Lucifer was nothing if not an impeccable host. And so, slightly more unsteadily than usual - courtesy of the litres of Scotch currently sloshing around inside his body, he trotted after her.

He gestured at his vast collection of premium liquor adorning the wall. “Any preference?”

“Something strong,” she replied, leaning her elbows down heavily on the bar counter. “Got any Macallan?”

Lucifer quirked an impressed eyebrow. “You have expensive taste.”

“Guess I get that from my Dad,” she deadpanned.

“Your father and I would get along.”

Rory huffed and replied dryly, “Yeah, I’m sure you would.”

Lucifer poured her the requested drink and held it out to her, and then swiftly retracted it before she could take it from him, causing her to grasp at air. “You are old enough to drink, aren’t you?” he asked, sounding weirdly paternal to his own ears. “No offence, but 12-year-olds look like they’re 25 these days.”

Despite the small issue of the time travel clusterfuck, Rory’s lips twitched in amusement. “Don’t worry - I’m old enough to drink. And I’m also older than I look.”

“Right.” He studied her for a moment and then, taking her word for it, handed her the tumbler again. “Well, here you are then.”

She took it and then downed half of it in one gulp, wincing at the burn in her throat. “Thanks.”

Lucifer watched her with curious intrigue. “So, do you have a name? You appear to already know mine given that you bellowed it on your arrival.”

“I’m Rory,” she told him, standing up straighter and holding his gaze.

“Rory,” Lucifer repeated, trying out the name on his tongue. It was the strangest thing, just like when he’d looked in her eyes earlier, but it felt familiar somehow. And he had no idea why.

Rory swallowed past the lump that was forming in her throat. It was the first time she’d heard her Dad say her name. She’d waited forty years to hear him say it. And it sliced right through the walls she’d erected around her heart.

She dropped her gaze, needing a moment to collect herself. Without waiting for an invitation, she walked over to the couch and plopped down with a sigh.

Lucifer followed again and took the seat perpendicular to her. He didn’t say anything, just watched her curiously as he swirled the amber liquid in his glass.

When Rory looked over at him, she could see the questions whirring in his mind. She both wanted and didn’t want to know what he was thinking. So instead, she broached another topic. “The woman you mentioned – the one that got engaged to someone else.” She didn’t miss the way he winced, his eyes flashing with pain at the reminder. “What’s she like?”

Her whole life she’d heard how much her Mom loved Lucifer – steadfast, immeasurably and unwavering with time. And Rory couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see if he felt the same; to hear it from him.

“The Detective, Chloe, she’s…perfect.” Lucifer’s whole face softened into what could only be described as reverence, her name like a prayer on his lips. “She’s kind and selfless – infuriatingly so at times, smart and strong, and everything good. She’s beautiful – so very beautiful.” He smiled wistfully. “She’s everything I could ever want, and everything I could never deserve.”

Well, that answered her question - he definitely felt the same. Without a doubt, the man in front of her idolised her Mom. Even without the soppy, romantic words, it was written all over his face. “Why didn’t you say that to her tonight, instead of trying to win some stupid pissing contest?”

Lucifer sighed and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “Well I know now that I should have! I went over there to rectify my mistake, but ham hands had beaten me to it and was already down on bended chunky knee!”

“Wait, were you gonna propose?”

Lucifer scoffed. “Of course not! Why would she want to marry me?”

Apparently Rory had travelled to the ‘everyone can see how you two feel about each other, except your own blind selves’ stage of her parents’ relationship.

Rory realised that his reaction wasn’t due to lack of feelings or fear of commitment, it was because he didn’t see himself as worthy of her. He didn’t understand that she loved him right back. Her Mom by loving him, by accepting him, had changed how he felt about himself.

“Would you – marry her, if you could?” she asked curiously.

He didn’t need time to think about his answer. “If she would accept me, if she would choose me, then I would love nothing more than to spend my life with her, doing everything in my power to make her eternally happy that she did.”

A small smile pulled at Rory’s lips. Whatever the reason for him leaving, it was a comfort to know that he loved her Mom as much as she loved him. “Again, maybe you should have said that.”

Lucifer huffed and fiddled with his cufflinks. “Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Besides, this is all hypothetical – like I said before, she couldn’t possibly want to marry me.”

“I broke up with Pierce because I didn’t love him. I couldn’t love him, because I was in love with your Dad. I’d been in love with him for a long time,” Rory remembered her Mom telling her, years ago.

So she knew for a fact that if he asked, her answer would be an immediate yes.

They really were blind to each other’s feelings in this time.

“Perhaps she’s better off without me,” Lucifer added miserably.

“So, you’re just gonna give up?” Anger sparked through her again at his lack of fight. Had he really given up on her Mom that easily? Logically she knew that he hadn’t, because they’re together three years later, but it still irked her.

Lucifer seemed a little surprised by her ire. “I’ll never give up on her. But the Detective’s already made her choice.”

“How do you know she wouldn’t choose you, if you actually asked her to?”

He dropped his gaze, and Rory thought he suddenly looked very tired.

“What are you so scared of?” she asked when he didn’t say anything, her voice softer this time.

“She doesn’t know all of me. If she did, she wouldn’t choose me.” He sighed sadly. “Nobody ever does.”

Rory couldn’t help feeling bad for him. She knew what it felt like to be different. “You said she’s special, right?”

Lucifer looked up at her with wide, emotive eyes and her breath caught at how they were an exact replica of the ones she saw every day in the mirror. “She is – incredibly special.”

“Then maybe she’ll surprise you.” If Rory’s math was correct, then her Mom would be finding out about Lucifer and all things celestial pretty soon. She knew that it would be rocky between them for a while, and that her Mom would deeply regret how she reacts when she first sees his face – regret the hurt that she causes him. But Rory was living proof that they made it, and she had the benefit of knowing that her Mom does choose him – over and over again, that for her entire life she never stops choosing him.

A spark of hope flickered in his eyes. “As long as she would allow me to stay in her life, then I’d be eternally grateful. Anything more would be…well, beyond wonderful, but more than I could ever dare to wish for.” He smiled wistfully. “I- I’ve missed her since she’s been with…him. Her offspring too, strangely enough.”

Rory felt a twinge of jealousy that he missed T. It was irrational, she knew that – she didn’t even exist yet, so how could he possibly miss her? She wished she knew if had missed her after he left though. Because she had missed him.

“I haven’t seen as much of her recently – and baffling as it is, I find myself missing her high-pitched shrieking and overly enthusiastic greetings,” Lucifer continued.

When Rory saw the fond smile pull at his lips and the clear affection on his face for her big sister though, she couldn’t be mad at him for that. “You care about her too.”

It was a statement rather than a question, but Lucifer answered anyway. “I do. I’d do anything to protect that little urchin, as sticky as she may be,” he replied softly but sincerely.

T had always been so resolute in her affection for and defence of Lucifer. She would admit that he wasn’t perfect, but she was always so adamant that he would do anything for the people he loved, that he cared so much more than Rory knew.

And Rory was starting to see the truth in her sister’s words. He did care – at least he did for her Mom and T anyway.

Lucifer cleared his throat and veered the conversation away from himself. It was a habit she herself utilised when conversations became too emotional. “So, what brought you stomping angrily into my humble abode earlier?” His eyes shone with affection as he recalled a memory. “That’s actually what the Detective did when I first met her.”

Like mother, like daughter, she thought.

Rory chewed on her lip, debating what she should say. “I need to talk to my Dad,” she settled on.

Lucifer’s eyebrows rose in surprise, clearly not having expected that answer. “Is he…not around?”

She swallowed the lump that had risen in her throat. “He left before I was born. I never got the chance to know him.”

“Ah, absentee fathers – I know a thing or two about those,” Lucifer replied sympathetically. He then put two and two together and came up with five though. “If you wanted me to help you find him, I could put you in touch with some excellent private investigators. On the house – call it a freebie from a fellow abandonee.”

Rory could tell him that he was not only an abandonee, but also an abandoner. She could tell him that the Dad she’d been so desperate to talk to was sitting right in front of her. She could show him her ID that would display their matching surnames. But she’d seen that really old movie, ‘The Butterfly Effect,’ and knew enough of the basics of time travel theory to know that even minute changes to the past (and this would be a pretty major one) can have massive ripple effects on the future.

“Thanks, but I think I know what I need to do.”

“Well, the offer’s open if you change your mind.”

Rory gave him a small nod. It would obviously be a pointless endeavour, but he was trying to be helpful.

Lucifer glanced out of the window up at the sky. “I’ve never understood how a parent could abandon their child.” He turned back to her as he added, “If I ever had the desire to procreate – although I imagine Hell would freeze over before that happened, I would always put my child first - just like the Detective does with her offspring.”

The ‘Hell freezing over’ comment didn’t offend her. Her Mom had told her that Lucifer had been comically scared of kids, never imagining he’d have any of his own. But all of that changed when they got together, and the reason that Rory existed was because he had chosen to be vulnerable around her - self-actualising the ability to procreate. He’d chosen to make a family with her Mom - he’d always wanted Rory, even before he knew about her.

He was completely sincere, and Rory believed him when he said that he would always put his child first. And that just confused her more. She had to clamp her jaw shut to stop from yelling, “So why DID you leave me, then?!”  

It would be a pointless question, because this Lucifer doesn’t have the answers she needs. He and her Mom weren’t even together yet. He wouldn’t know why his future self abandoned her. And she couldn’t hang around for three years to find out either.

Her Mom also doesn’t even believe that Lucifer is actually the Devil yet. So what would happen if Rory told her that she’s the child they’d create in the future? Would she freak out and they’d never end up getting together, or would they get together earlier and become pregnant sooner? Either way, Rory wouldn’t exist. With the latter option, they’d still have a child, but it wouldn’t be her. It would only be her if she’s conceived at the exact same time in July 2021. And for that to happen, she needed to make sure that no butterflies flapped their wings too hard.

“I believe you,” she replied instead.

“Good, because I don’t lie. Point of pride for me.” Lucifer’s brow scrunched slightly and he looked at her with that curious confusion again, like she was a puzzle but he was missing the picture that the pieces were supposed to form. “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry that your father left you, Rory,” he added softly.

Rory’s chest felt unbearably tight, and she had to force down the sob that threatened to escape her throat. For as long as she’d waited to hear him say her name, she’d waited just as long to hear him say that. And even if he didn’t realise that he was apologising for his future self, it did place a first stitch in the wound that had been gaping for all those years.

Lucifer got up and headed over to the bar to refill his drink, and she was grateful for the moment of reprieve so he wouldn’t see her getting emotional. When he sat back down, he brought the bottle with him and offered her a top up, but she shook her head.

He must have noticed the glassiness in her eyes because he frowned in concern. “Are you okay?”

Rory looked down at her hands. “I think I’m just tired. It’s been a Hell of a day.”

Lucifer huffed. “Quite.” He glanced at the antique grandfather clock across the room. “Yes, I suppose it is rather late.”

Rory realised then that she didn’t have anywhere to stay. She desperately wanted to go and see her Mom; to see her young and vibrant and full of life again. But what would she say? “Hi Mom, I know you don’t believe in all the celestial stuff yet, but I’m your future half-Angel daughter. And your partner who calls himself the Devil, well he actually IS the Devil – and he’s the father by the way. Mind if I sleep on your couch?” …yeah, she could only imagine how well that conversation would go down.

She began fidgeting with her fingers again, and then asked timidly as she looked up at him, “Would it be okay if I um…if I stayed here tonight? I- I don’t really have anywhere to go…nobody knows me here.”

Her heart began a rhythmic thud against her ribs as she awaited his response. All of her prayers to him over the years had gone unanswered, so it had taken a lot of courage to ask him for something in person. He may not know who she was right now, but it would still be incredibly painful if he sent her away.

She needn’t have worried though.

“Of course.” Lucifer’s face softened in empathy and after letting out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding, Rory wondered if lost and alone was how he had felt too when he first arrived on Earth. “I’ll go and find you something to wear.”

Rory gave him a small, grateful smile. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. I love LA, but it’s not the safest of places. I wouldn’t like to think of you roaming the streets on your own, especially at night.”

She might be immortal, and therefore impervious to harm; even from the worst of humanity, but his comment was appreciated. Because even if he didn’t realise it, it was a very fatherly thing to say. It was the sort of thing that she would have given anything to hear him say to her teenage self – who would of course have responded by rolling her eyes, saying something sarcastic and then stomping upstairs to her room. But it would have shown that he cared enough to be annoying. And so hearing it now was somewhat cathartic.

Oblivious to her thoughts, Lucifer was already halfway to his bedroom. She watched him climb the stairs in easy strides thanks to his long legs, and then disappear into his closet.  

Alone in the lounge now, Rory took the time to look around the room. The layout and furniture were mostly the same, except once again for the piano that took pride of place – Maze wasn’t exactly musical, and as such would have had no use for that. The bookcase housed actual books here, as opposed to knives. There was also no sex swing or ‘toy box’ in the corner of the 2018 penthouse - which Rory was eternally grateful for. There were some things you really didn’t need to imagine your parents doing.

But it wasn’t just the subtle changes in personal effects that made it feel so different. Just like downstairs in Lux, she couldn’t put her finger on exactly what it was, but she was pretty sure it had something to do with the presence of the man she’d come here to see.

“I’ve changed the sheets and made up the bed for you,” Lucifer informed her on his return, interrupting her musings. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

“Oh,” Rory replied, surprise that he would do that for her evident in her voice. “You don’t need to give up your bed for me – I’ll be fine on the couch.”

Lucifer however, was resolute. “Nonsense. You’re my guest – I insist.”

She shuffled her feet shyly, touched by his gesture.

“I don’t tend to keep much in the way of spare clothes anymore,” he added apologetically. “These might be a bit big, but hopefully they’ll suffice.”

“They’ll be fine,” Rory assured him as she took the t-shirt and silk sleep pants that he was holding out to her. “Thanks.”

She couldn’t help but snort though when she held up the t-shirt to get a better look. It was bright green with the words ‘Sol de Javier Takeout’ printed on it, and a giant sombrero in the middle. “This doesn’t seem like your style.”

Her Mom would always smile fondly as she told stories of her Dad’s vanity and obsessiveness over his style – how he lived in designer three piece suits and wouldn’t be caught dead in anything off the rack.

He grimaced. “Believe me, it’s not.”

“So why do you have it?”

Lucifer looked sheepish. “It’s a souvenir from an early case.”

“With Chloe?”

“Yes.” He smiled as he recalled the memory. “Quite an interesting one – I was convinced it was a case of patricide.”

Rory’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “A kid killed their Dad?”

“No. Turned out I was wrong – doesn’t happen very often, but father and son were actually about to reconcile. Didn’t get the chance though because someone poisoned poor Javier before they could build any bridges.”

His words hit her square in the chest. “That really sucks.” Rory knew what it was like to be so angry with your Dad that you couldn’t see straight. She’d raged and wished hers dead countless times, but deep down she didn’t really want that – she was just hurt and lashing out. Did she want to reconcile with Lucifer? The stubborn part of her would say no – he couldn’t un-burn those bridges, whilst the other part of her that she tried to keep hidden – the part that had never stopped loving and missing her Daddy, would say yes.  But either way, she knew that if someone took away her choice to reconcile, it would hurt unimaginably and leave her with an immortal lifetime of regret.

Lucifer hummed in response.

“Who did kill Javier?” she asked, needing to know that justice had been served for separating a father from his child.

“The jealous sous chef – uncouth woman had the audacity to vomit blood all over my Prada suit, hence the need for this…garment.” Lucifer glanced at the t-shirt with distaste. “And then she tried to kill the Detective and I by setting the place on fire when we discovered her crime.” He shook his head in disgust. “Some people!”

“How did you get out?” Rory leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees as she listened. She had heard so much about the famous Mom and Lucifer partnership during her life, but she’d never heard it from this half of the partnership. And despite the anger and frustration that she still harboured towards him; she couldn’t help but be enthralled.

“Well, my newfound vulnerability around her made it a tad trickier. But there wasn’t time to hang around if we didn’t want to be cooked alive – so, I just threw my jacket over her head, scooped her up in my arms and carried her out of there.” He shrugged as if it were no big deal. “Ruined another shirt and got second degree burns in the process, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat to ensure her safety.”

“You’d risk your life to save her?”

“I’d die for her,” he replied simply.

Rory regarded him for a few moments. Once she’d become a teenager, she’d thought that everyone must have been exaggerating about how much Lucifer loved her Mom – because how could he leave if he had loved her that much? But hearing him talk about how he wouldn’t think twice about giving up his life for her, showed her that she’d been wrong. Because he did love her that much, even now.

So then what could possibly have caused him to leave?

To get the answers that she wanted, she needed to go to 2021.

“Can I use your bathroom?”

He told her that she didn’t need to ask, and then gave her directions that she didn’t need.

Rory closed the bathroom door behind her and then let out a deep sigh as she leaned heavily on the sink. When she looked up at her reflection in the mirror, she noticed the dark shadows lining her eyes – she hadn’t been lying when she said that she was tired. Sitting with her Mom on her deathbed, time traveling, and meeting her estranged Dad, all in the space of a day was kind of a lot.

She splashed some water on her face, the cold moisture a soothing balm to her skin, and then changed into her borrowed sleepwear.

A small, amused smile tugged at her lips when she was done - she looked like a little girl playing dress up. The t-shirt was more of a dress, and given the height difference between her and Lucifer it was no surprise that the sleep pants were far too long. Rolling the cuffs up a few times though reduced the likelihood of her tripping over them and face planting the floor.

Leaving her own clothes in a haphazard pile on the floor to deal with later, Rory made her way out of the bathroom and sat down on the end of the bed. She took a deep breath and concentrated, trying to summon enough anger to allow her to time travel again – and this time land in the right year. But as she looked over at Lucifer setting up blankets on the couch for himself, so that she could have his bed, she could only ignite the smallest flicker of light on her skin, before it just fizzled out completely.

He didn’t know who she was, but he was looking after her anyway. And it made her chest do that annoying tightening thing again.

Rory began to retry, but something stopped her.

She did need to get to 2021…but what if there was a reason for her being here now?

Maybe she could stick around – just for a little while.

Chapter Text

Rory awoke to the feel of soft silk against her skin. It took her a moment to realise where she was, and another moment to realise that she’d slept right through the night and was surprisingly well rested. That never happened when she slept in new places. She told herself that it was because yesterday had been long and stressful, and not because she felt safe here, with her dad.

After untangling herself from the covers, she ran a hand through her hair and then padded out of the bedroom into the lounge.

Lucifer was already up, stood by the balcony window with a glass of scotch in his hand as he gazed out over the city below. His hair was even more dishevelled than last night, and he was still in his pyjama pants and robe – likely because she had taken over his bedroom and subsequent access to his closet and bathroom. Glancing over at the clock she saw that it was 7am, so still relatively early, but it was nice of him to choose not to disturb her.

He turned at the sound of her approaching footsteps. “Ah, good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“I did. Thanks again for letting me stay.”

He on the other hand did not look like he’d slept well - if at all, if the dark shadows shrouding his eyes were anything to go by. It could have been because the couch was far less conducive to sleeping than his bed, but Rory had a feeling that it was more likely because without her for company, he’d had nothing to do but think – visions of the woman he loved being proposed to by another man replaying like a Hell loop in his mind.

Lucifer waved his hand as if it were nothing to let an apparent stranger take over his home. “Can I offer you some breakfast?”

Rory huffed in amusement when he gestured once again at his wall of liquor, as if alcohol for breakfast was the norm. “Do you have any actual food?”

He thought about it for a moment. “There may be something in the fridge – you’re welcome to have a look.”

She made her way around the bar and crouched down to open the fridge. Her lips twitched when she saw his idea of what constituted food. “How many different kinds of olives does a dude need?”

“Clearly I need to teach you the finer art of martinis.”

He was joking, but the idea that he might want to teach her things still brought a warm feeling to her chest.

Peering over her shoulder at the sparse contents of his fridge he gave her an apologetic look. “I may have let a few things slide recently. Grocery shopping hasn’t exactly been top of my to-do list.”

Rory quirked an eyebrow at him. “You grocery shop?”

Lucifer scoffed. “Of course not. Barging my way through the masses to procure tomatoes that who knows how many people have poked and prodded with their unsanitary fingers? I’d rather starve.” He shuddered and then elaborated. “I have everything delivered direct from the producers – fresh and un-interfered with. …I just may have neglected to place my orders for the past few weeks.”

Even with his affinity for alcohol, he must have been having a pretty shitty time recently to have lived off of scotch and olives.

Oblivious to her sympathetic musings, he sought to rectify the situation. “I could rustle you up some pancakes? I’ve been reliably informed by the Detective’s offspring that my pancakes are the ‘best in the world’.”

Rory didn’t miss the flicker of sadness and longing that passed over his face at the mention of her mom and sister. “Pancakes would be good,” she replied with a small smile, trying to cheer him up. “Although I’m not sure what kind of pancakes you’re gonna make with olives and booze.”

Lucifer chuckled and she felt a sense of triumph.

“Yes, that might be a stretch, even for me. I’m sure they’ll have the necessary ingredients downstairs in Lux though – I’ll just have Patrick bring them up.”

He tapped something into his phone and not two minutes later, the elevator dinged and Patrick emerged complete with a bag that no doubt contained the requested pancake ingredients.

Patrick handed the bag over to his boss and then gave her an appreciative look. That was until Lucifer glared at him, which subsequently had him stuttering an apology and scurrying back to the elevator.

Rory snorted at his overprotectiveness. It was sweet, but unnecessary – Patrick really wasn’t her type.

With a flourish, Lucifer gestured for her to follow him to the kitchen and then set about making his apparently world class pancakes. He was clearly in his element as he cracked eggs one handed and whisked the batter. Rory settled onto one of the stools and watched him with interest.

He put on a show for her, flipping them effortlessly in the air and catching them with ease.

She couldn’t help but smile. “How do you make sure they don’t burn, or just fall apart when you try to flip them?”

She was genuinely intrigued. Her mom was amazing at most things, but aside from her Grandpa’s egg sandwiches, cooking was unfortunately not one of them. And Rory herself had never been overly creative in the kitchen either.

Lucifer grinned, happy to impart his knowledge. “Well, firstly you need a proper pancake pan– cast iron is my preferred choice. None of those cheap imitations. Then you need to make sure you pour the perfect amount of batter – not too much, nor too little. And in terms of flipping, it’s all in the flick of the wrist.” He demonstrated this with the now empty pan and then looked at her thoughtfully. “Would you like to try?”

Rory was surprised by the offer, but quickly agreed. “Sure.”

“Excellent!”

She joined him next to the stove and he passed her the pan. He hovered as she slowly poured some batter into it, biting her lower lip in concentration.

“That’s it – perfect!” he praised when she had a nicely rounded dollop in the centre of the pan. “Now, leave it to bubble for a few seconds and then give it a bit of a shimmy to make sure it doesn’t burn. You’ll get a feel for when it’s ready to be flipped.”

“I think it’s ready,” Rory told him, having carefully inspected it after performing the instructed shimmy.

“I believe you’re right,” Lucifer agreed. “Now, you’ll want to flick your wrist with purpose. But not too much purpose – we don’t want to redecorate the ceiling.” He demonstrated the action again with his own wrist. “Have a try.”

Rory nodded and then copied his motion, sending the pancake flying into the air. She held her breath as it flipped over in front of her, and then beamed as it landed perfectly centre back in the pan.

“Well done, Rory!”

The way his face lit up at her small achievement made her throat tighten and her eyes mist up. She smiled shyly. “Thanks.”

He took the pan from her and slid the pancake onto the plate next to his. “Looks just like mine – you’re a quick learner!”

After dousing their pancakes in the chocolate sauce that Patrick had helpfully included with the ingredients, they returned to the lounge with their sugary breakfast and settled on the couch.

“These are really good,” she told him, her words a little muffled around the mouthful of pancake.

Lucifer grinned again at the compliment. “I’m glad you approve. And now you know how to make them for yourself too.”

He clicked on the TV and navigated to one of his numerous streaming services. “Anything you’d like to watch?”

Rory’s eyes scanned over the hoards of really old shows that she didn’t recognise as he scrolled, until one in his watchlist that she did recognise caught her eye. “That one,” she told him, a smile tugging at her lips.

He looked at her, eyebrows raised in question.

“Bones,” she clarified. “It’s my favourite show.”

“Mine too!” Lucifer replied happily and eagerly loaded up the next episode in his queue.

Rory had of course already known that. Her mom had told her everything he liked and didn’t like – the PG version anyway. And, eager to feel closer to the father she missed, during one summer break she decided to watch it. It turned out that a liking for police procedurals was genetic because she got completely caught up in it and binge watched all twelve seasons in two weeks. It was also the reason why she was so fond of ‘More Bones’, because despite the animosity towards him that she’d harboured over all these years, she couldn’t help liking that they had a shared interest.

“I still haven’t forgiven Fox for cancelling it,” he continued indignantly. “Amateurs. They really wouldn’t know a good show if it smacked them in the face.”

Rory glanced over at him, a smile tugging at her lips. “It would be cool if they ever did a sequel.”

Lucifer’s eyes lit up excitedly like a child’s at Christmas. “Wouldn’t it?! I should have a word with my contact at Netflix – he owes me a favour.”

Rory chuckled as she tucked her legs up under herself and settled back against the couch to watch the show. She would not be at all surprised if that was how the idea for ‘More Bones’ had come to be.

Chloe twisted her fingers anxiously as she watched the floor numbers tick by, the ascension bringing her closer and closer to the penthouse above. And more importantly, to its owner. It was a whole different type of anxiety to that she felt when she’d taken the exact same journey just a few short hours ago. That time she’d been filled with nervous anticipation, a renewed tentative hope of a new beginning. But this time it was more of a cold dread.

Crazy how things could change so quickly.

When the numbers changed to a ‘P’, Chloe unceremoniously shoved her hands in her pockets to stop herself from fidgeting and took a deep breath at the same time the ding announced her arrival.

Stepping into what had always felt like a second home to her, at least until recently, she called out to her partner. “Lucif-” The last syllable caught in her throat though when not one, but two pairs of mahogany eyes whipped around at the sound of her voice.

Lucifer paused the show they’d been watching as he stood up and Chloe tried to ignore the stab of hurt she felt that he’d been sharing his favourite show with someone else. Someone that’s not me. And someone who’d clearly stayed over last night given the early hour, and the fact that Lucifer was wearing a robe.

“Detective,” he greeted, though his voice was guarded and devoid of the warmth usually bestowed upon her moniker.

Chloe tried to shove away the annoying jealousy the scene in front of her had evoked, but when mystery woman – who for some reason hadn’t stopped staring at her since she had walked in, stood up too, something heavy and unpleasant settled in her stomach.

She was wearing Lucifer’s clothes, confirming the fact that she’d stayed over. But not only that – she was wearing a t-shirt from one of Chloe’s early cases with him. That t-shirt had meant something to them, and yet here he was lending it out to his random overnight guests.

Less than twelve hours ago she’d been here with him, a hope in her heart that they might finally be on the same page and that he was going to give her a reason to jump - a reason to risk her heart by choosing him. “Then who does deserve me?!” she’d pleaded tearfully, begging him to give her something, anything to show that she wasn’t alone in these feelings she’d tried unsuccessfully to quash. She’d never admit it aloud, especially not now, but if his answer had been different, then so would the way last night had played out.

Something inside of her snapped though when the remains of their disastrous dinner caught her eye. The silverware and candles were still in the exact same place as when she’d left, and yet here he was happily Netflix and chilling with some young woman who barely looked old enough to drink. She glanced at the woman, who was still staring at her, and then pointedly ignored her in favour of glaring at her partner.

They hadn’t even been together – so close and yet so far it had always been with him. And given the recent addition to her left hand, she really shouldn’t be feeling like this, much less admitting it. But the fact that it only took mere hours for him to replace her with someone practically half her age, stabbed at her insecurities. And she couldn’t deny that that hurt.

Did she really mean so little to him that he could move on so easily? Had these feelings really been one sided all this time?

Chloe clenched her jaw, residual anger and frustration from their last encounter bubbling back up and disabling the filter that usually stopped her from telling him how his antics made her feel. “Seriously, Lucifer? You’re old enough to be her father!”

The snort that was badly attempted to be disguised by a cough from Lucifer’s new friend only enraged her further.

“I’m old enough to be most people’s father, Detective.”

Chloe scoffed and rolled her eyes at his typical blasé, ridiculous response and complete missing of the point. “That’s not-…you know what, never mind – I shouldn’t have come here. Just go back to …whatever it is you were doing.”

Turning on her heel she marched swiftly back towards the elevator and jabbed the call button harder than necessary. The doors opened and she was almost free to go and cry alone in her car over letting him get to her still and curse herself for allowing her emotions to show. But her escape was hindered by a familiar warm hand grasping her gently by the wrist.

She closed her eyes as the shiver his touch always evoked ran through her body.

“Wait. Please.”

The pleading in his voice is what did her in. She’d never been able to say no to him when he sounded like that. She sighed as she turned back around and then looked up at him expectantly.

“Why did you come here?” he asked, his brow furrowed.

Chloe’s heart clenched painfully at his genuine confusion about her presence there. What had happened to them? Before things had got complicated, before Pierce, she’d turn up unannounced at his home all the time – and vice versa. It was normal and just what they did. How had they got to the point where he was surprised that she’d visit him?

They’d both played a part in the damage caused to their relationship. His running away whenever things started to get real between them – oh and marrying a stripper in Vegas, hadn’t helped. She wasn’t blameless though. Ever since she’d started seeing Pierce, she’d pulled away from Lucifer - spending less and less time with him. But part of that was self-preservation, because being around him made her question her new relationship – an annoying voice in the back of her mind telling her that she was with the wrong man. That the man she should be with was her 6ft3 infuriating partner – the one who made her laugh and made her smile more than anyone else ever had. The one who even when he made her cry, she still always, always wanted to be near him.

The man she could love for the rest of her life if he would just let her.

She’d pulled away from him, but she’d never wanted them to become strangers though. She didn’t want to lose him; losing him would be like losing a part of herself. “I have a case that I thought you could help me with.” It wasn’t a total lie – she did have a case, although it didn’t really require much help as it was mostly tied up, with only paperwork left to complete.

But it also wasn’t why she had come here.

Chloe wanted to be the one to tell him about her engagement, before he heard it from someone else. Well, ‘wanted’ was a strong word – it wasn’t a conversation she was looking forward to, and for reasons she was refusing to analyse right now, the joy that brides to be usually felt at sharing news of their upcoming nuptials was notably absent. They’d been through so much together though and she owed it to him, to them, to be the one to tell him.

Lucifer’s brow scrunched in confusion, looking like he didn’t quite believe her. “Right…”

When he glanced back over his shoulder at his overnight guest though, Chloe’s anger returned full force. “Don’t worry though – I can handle it myself.” She looked pointedly at the table they’d sat together at last night, and then glared back up at him. “You clearly didn’t waste any time in moving on!”

Lucifer narrowed his eyes and she watched as the muscles in his jaw ticked, a clear tell that he was annoyed. “Well, if we’re speaking of not wasting any time, I’d say you have the monopoly on that!” he snapped back.

There was a tumult of emotions emanating in his eyes, despite his best efforts to hide them, when he looked down at her left hand.

Chloe suddenly felt very sick; he already knew. “I- I was going to tell you.”

His jaw clenched and she could literally see his walls going back up. “No need. I get the picture.” I got the Dad-awful picture last night, he didn’t add.

Chloe unconsciously hid the ring from view with her other hand, as if it not being visible would somehow fix the situation. The cool metal of the ill-fitting band on her finger felt like an anchor weighing her down. Being engaged was supposed to make your chest feel tight with love and excitement, but Chloe was pretty sure that wasn’t why she suddenly felt like she couldn’t breathe when she saw the flicker of pain in Lucifer’s eyes.

She wanted to apologise – for any number of things that were both her fault and out of her control. But most of all for the state of their relationship. Because she missed him.

“Give me a reason not to marry him and I won’t!” her pride wouldn’t allow her to beg, knowing it would be pointless anyway because she’d just get another vague “you deserve someone better.”

“You made your choice,” he added stiffly, face completely devoid of emotion and fortress now fully erected.

The look Chloe gave him was thunderous.

“You didn’t GIVE me a choice!” she screamed internally, which in hindsight would have been infinitely better that what actually came out of her mouth. “Seems like it was the right one too!” she snapped instead.

It was petty and she regretted it the moment the words were out of her mouth. It felt like a lie even to her own ears. But most of all, as frustrated and angry as she was with him, she hated hurting him. And as hard as he tried, there was no disguising that that’s exactly what her words had done.

Lucifer’s eyes dropped to the floor immediately. “Well, I hope it works out for you.”

There was no malice or sarcasm in his voice. He sounded tired and defeated, but Lucifer never lied – he meant it, even if it caused him pain.

Before she could take it back and try to undo the damage, he’d turned away and retreated to the bar, refusing to look at her as he poured half of the decanter into a glass and then drained the majority of it in one gulp.

Tears stung her eyes as she stared at his back, watching him withdraw further into himself, and away from her. She knew Lucifer well enough to know that when he closed himself off like this there was no getting through to him.

Chloe swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I’m sorry,” she choked out, leaving it up to him to interpret what for. And then with a sad sigh, she turned and headed back to the elevator.

She thought she heard a whispered “Me too,” but it was so quiet she wasn’t sure if she’d imagined it.

As the doors closed in front of her, her eyes caught those of Lucifer’s overnight guest, and the sympathy in them both confused her and made her feel worse.

Only when he heard the churn of the elevator’s cables, indicating it’s descent, did Lucifer risk turning back around. He stared forlornly at the empty space where the Detective had just been, a dichotomy of relief and longing clenching at his heart.

Rory was also staring at the same spot. It had hit her like a thunderbolt to see her mom again, younger than she’d ever known her, and all she’d been able to do was stare. Even more fascinating though was seeing her parents interact. Lucifer’s feelings for her mom had become abundantly clear to her the night before, and her mom’s assertion that “I’ve always loved your dad,” was also proven glaringly true just now, even if their exchange had been beyond angsty.

They were both clearly miserable but pretending not to be – idiots in love who couldn’t see the reciprocity staring right back at them. There were numerous times during their conversation when Rory had just wanted to bang their heads together. No wonder it had taken them so many years to finally get together.

“Told you.”

Lucifer’s unhappy mumble brought her back to the present. She rolled her eyes and confiscated the second glass of whiskey he was about to start on as she joined him at the bar. She doubted that was what he needed right now.

He opened his mouth to protest but she cut him off. “Do you know nothing about women?”

Lucifer scoffed. “I know everything about women.”

Rory quirked an eyebrow. “Clearly,” she deadpanned. “Look, M-Chloe was obviously jealous – she thought you and me had…which is beyond disturbing. Anyway, she wouldn’t have reacted like that if she didn’t care.”

He blinked at her, clearly not having thought of that. A spark of hope flickered amongst the anguish in his eyes. “You think so?”

Rory had to bite back a laugh – if only he knew. “I know so.” His face softened into a small smile at her certainty, but she wasn’t done yet. “After everything you told me about what you said to her last night though, your ‘you made your choice’, was really dumb by the way.”

Lucifer looked down at his hands, shame faced and chastised. “Yes, well, I seem to be doing a lot of dumb things lately.”

“Then maybe you should try and fix it. She wanted your help with a case, right?” Rory didn’t know how this particular bit of her parents’ story had played out, but her mom had come here to tell him about a case – probably amongst other things, but still. And if Rory hadn’t been there, things might not have gotten so heated between them, and they may have left together to go to work. …So, maybe it wouldn’t hurt if she rectified that by giving Lucifer a little kick in the right direction to get them back on track.

“Yes, but that was before our spat. I’m not so sure the Detective would welcome my presence anymore.”

Rory had to resist the urge to face palm – both herself and him. “Well, you won’t know unless you try.”

Lucifer considered that for a moment and then stood up, his jaw set in determination. “You’re right. Nothing like a good murder to straighten things out.”

That was probably the weirdest sentence Rory had ever heard, but at least he’d decided on action as opposed to moping.

“I’ll go and get ready.” With renewed energy he strode across the lounge to his bedroom.

“Wait,” Rory called when he was halfway up the steps. “Um…would it be okay if I came with you?” she asked shyly, feeling nervous again. “Solving murders sounds kinda cool.”

Whilst growing up she had always been interested in figuring out who the bad guy was - eager to ‘help’ her mom with cases she’d bring home, that wasn’t why she asked. She really wanted to see her mom again, and maybe get to actually talk to her this time. And, as much as she was reluctant to admit it, she was enjoying Lucifer’s company. If he left alone now, he probably wouldn’t be expecting her to still be there when he returned. And she wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him just yet.

Lucifer looked surprised at her request, but also somewhat flattered. “Of course! I’ve become quite the expert at detective-ing over the years – I’d be happy to teach you the ropes. You can be the consultant’s consultant!”

As he turned and disappeared into his bedroom with a renewed skip in his step, Rory couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at her lips at seeing the first glimpses of the cocky, larger than life man from her childhood stories.

When they arrived at entrance to the precinct, Lucifer’s hesitance returned. He fussed with his cufflinks and shuffled his feet, and Rory guessed that he was nervous about talking to her mom after their disagreement at the penthouse. That and the potential for witnessing PDAs between her and her recent fiancé.

The thought alone made Rory want to vomit.

She bumped his arm in solidarity and gave him an encouraging smile. “Come on. It’ll be okay.”

He took a deep breath and then nodded before holding the door open for her. She waited inside for him to lead the way, as if she hadn’t been here hundreds of times before.

“Hopefully the Detective is at her desk. Either that or with Miss Lopez, or even Daniel.”

Just not with Pierce, Rory understood as his underlying meaning.

They walked side-by-side along the mezzanine towards the stairs, him slowing his stride to accommodate her shorter legs. When they reached the bottom, Lucifer audibly groaned when they came face-to-face with the last person either of them wanted to see.

Rory immediately gave the first murderer who’d conned her mother a dirty look.

Pierce looked her up and down with a frown of distaste. “What’s she in for?” he asked, turning to Lucifer with a look on his face that was no more friendly.

Lucifer looked incredibly offended on her part. “How dare you! Rory is not some common, law-breaking miscreant! She’s a friend of mine.”

Her dad standing up for her made Rory’s chest tighten.

Pierce didn’t look in the slightest bit apologetic though. “Well, if she’s anything to do with you then she probably has a rap sheet as long as my Johnson.”

Lucifer opened his mouth to protest further but Rory beat him to it. “I must be a model citizen then,” she sassed. Her dad beamed at her dig, and it spurred her on. “I’ve always found that people who brag about their size, or skills…” She glanced pointedly down at his crotch. “…are usually pretty lacking in those areas.”

Pierce gave her a murderous look, but she wasn’t in the slightest bit scared of him and just smirked back.

“Hardly,” he scoffed in offence.

“Your reputation would suggest otherwise,” Lucifer countered. “If you were on TripAdvisor, I’d imagine you’d be rated one star. Maybe one and a half if people were feeling sympathetic.”

Rory had to bite back a laugh as Pierce clenched his jaw, his face turning an unattractive shade of red.

Lucifer however was clearly on a role now. “Whereas I have no need to embellish – if anything I’m understating. There’re actually 92 sworn testimonies to that effect in evidence. I’d be happy to fetch them for you if you like – they make for quite the thrilling read. Might even give you some pointers.”

She scrunched her nose at that added piece of information. Hearing her dad talk about his sexual prowess was pretty low down on her list of things she wanted to listen to, but if it wiped the smirk off that asshole’s face then she’d put up with it, and just bleach her ears later.

“That won’t be necessary,” Pierce bit out past clenched teeth.

“Well then, in that case we’ll leave you to whatever unimportant bullshit you were doing with your day,” Rory replied and then tugged Lucifer away by the arm before the testosterone overload resulted in a fight. Not that she wouldn’t enjoy seeing him throw Pierce through a window, but she doubted it would win him any points with her mom right now.

Lucifer willingly allowed himself to be led and was still grinning when they stopped in the middle of the bullpen. He held up his clenched hand in the universal request for a fist bump. She grinned back and bumped her fist with his.

Who’d have thought that one of the first times she made her dad proud would be by insulting his love rival’s penis.

Rory knew when he spotted her mom. His whole demeanour changed, and a tumult of emotions washed over his face. She followed his gaze over to her mom’s old desk and smiled softly. Now that the initial shock that she’d felt at the penthouse of seeing her young again had worn off, the urge to be near her was overwhelming.

Her feet carried her of their own accord towards her mom. Lucifer, after snapping out of his reverie, hurried after her until they were both stood in front of the person that they cared about most in the world.

Chloe looked surprised to see Lucifer there, and then a mixture of annoyed and unimpressed when she noticed that he wasn’t alone. “Lucifer, who is this?”

Rory recognised her tone as the same swiftly losing patience one that she used to use on her when she was a teenager and had been caught skipping school, again.

“This is Rory,” Lucifer introduced. “We met last night, and I offered her shelter. She’s interested in learning the art of detective-ing.”

Chloe glared at him. “And since when do you bring your conquests to work for a ride along?”

Rory grimaced. “Ew, gross.”

“I can assure you Detective, that whatever you’re imagining could not be further from the truth,” Lucifer added, unperturbed by her mom’s ire.

Chloe looked between the two of them curiously, and then relaxed somewhat when she was satisfied that she may have perhaps jumped to the wrong conclusion. “Right, well… What are you doing here, anyway? I didn’t think you were coming in.”

Rory noticed the flicker of hurt in Lucifer’s eyes at the question, but he masked it quickly.

“You said we have a case,” he replied softly. “We’re partners, Detective. I’ll always be there for you when you need me.”

Chloe looked down at her desk and began fiddling with her fingers. Rory knew her mom and could read her unspoken words: “But not always when I want you.”

“I- I wanted to apologise for my outburst earlier this morning. The last thing I ever want to do is upset you,” Lucifer added tentatively. “I’ve only ever wanted you to be happy, Detective. And that’s still what I want - more than anything in the world. Even if it means you being with…him.”

Chloe looked back up at him with glassy eyes. “Thank you. I want you to be happy too, Lucifer. And I’m sorry for snapping at you – both times.”

Lucifer nodded and they shared a small, fond smile – a tentative olive branch and unspoken desire to fix what they’d broken.

Rory looked between her parents and once again could not comprehend how anyone, least of all them, could not see that they were hopelessly in love with each other. It was so obvious.

Lucifer cleared his throat, “So, what grisly murder have you got for us to solve today then, Detective?”

Chloe blushed and looked a little sheepish. “Oh, well it’s actually pretty much tied up. It’s mainly just paperwork left to do.”

There was a pause in which Lucifer just blinked at her. “Right, well, I need to have a quick word with Miss Lopez, so I’ll leave you two to get acquainted.”

And with that he hurried off into Ella’s lab as if his Louboutins were on fire.

Rory watched his retreating back and then turned back to her mom, who just rolled her eyes in amusement.

“He has an allergic reaction whenever paperwork’s mentioned,” she explained, and there was no disguising the affection in her voice.

It was Rory’s turn to be nervous now as she smiled shyly at the mother who didn’t recognise her, and who wasn’t even her mother yet.

“So, you and Lucifer really didn’t…”

Rory grimaced in disgust. “Please don’t finish that sentence! That’s the most disturbing thing I’ve ever heard.”

“The majority of LA would disagree with you,” Chloe grumbled.

“Well, like he said, you couldn’t be further from the mark if you tried.”

When she sat down on the spare chair in front of the desk and crossed one leg elegantly over the other, her mom looked at her curiously.

“Have we met before? You seem familiar.”

“You haven’t met me before, no,” Rory hedged.

Chloe smiled wryly, picking up on her evasion of the full question. “That’s a very Lucifer-like answer.”

Rory huffed. “I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or not.”

“You remind me of him, you know,” Chloe added, giving her the same inquisitive look Lucifer had done last night – like Rory was a puzzle that she didn’t quite have all the pieces of to solve.

How many times had she heard that before during her life?

She hummed noncommittally.

“So, you and Lucifer met last night?” Chloe asked, aiming for casual.

Rory couldn’t help the smile that twitched at her lips. Ever the detective, her mom. And also, so obvious. “Yeah, I went to see him. I…I needed something.”

“And he offered to help you?” Chloe surmised.

He had offered to help – to find the father he didn’t realise she was looking right at, and with somewhere to stay when she had nowhere to go. It might not have been why she’d originally gone to see him, but for the first time in her life, he had been there for her. “Yeah, he did.”

Chloe’s face softened as her eyes drifted over to Ella’s lab. “He does that, looks out for people.”

“He does that for you?” Rory asked.

“Yeah. In his weird - often infuriating, Lucifer way, he always has.” Her eyes caught Rory’s and a blush coloured her cheeks as she realised how open she was being with (to her) a relative stranger.

“I’m glad,” Rory replied sincerely. This version of her mom corroborated what the future version had always said. And although it confused her more, because now she had even less idea of why her dad had left, she was glad that her parents had been so solid in their feelings and care for one another - even when they hadn’t admitted those feelings yet.

Her mom tilted her head and studied her, a thoughtful expression on her face. “I do only have paperwork to do for this case, which would be pretty boring for you.”

“Yeah, paperwork sucks,” Rory agreed.

Chloe huffed in amusement.

“But, I did promise Dan that I’d follow up on a witness statement for one of his cases to help him out. It won’t be car chases or shoot outs like in the movies, but you could tag along if you want?”

Rory beamed at the offer of spending time with her mom. “I’d like that.”

“Great, well give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready to go.”

“Awesome – I’ll go and tell Lucifer.” As she stood up and headed over to the lab to do just that, it surprised her how her first thought had been to include her dad too.

He was alone in the lab when she entered, fiddling with one of the microscopes. “Miss Lopez went in search of sustenance,” he explained, looking sheepish. “Anyway, apologies that there’s nothing exciting for you to do – I’m not sure why the Detective would want me here if she doesn’t need my help with a case.”

Rory gave him a flat look. “Are you really that blind?” she asked, causing him to scoff in affront. “Maybe she just wants to be around you.”

His brow scrunched in confusion. He looked perplexed, like the whole notion of someone simply wanting his company as opposed to what he could do for them, was a foreign concept. As much as she had raged and swore blind that she didn’t care about the father who couldn’t have cared about her if he’d abandoned her, she did care. And after spending her whole life hearing how much her family and friends cared about him too, it stabbed at her heart to see him question how anyone could ever feel that way about him.

“Anyway, we’re going with her to talk to a witness,” Rory added more softly when he didn’t say anything, “So come on, let’s go.”

Lucifer immediately brightened. “Right then, lead the way!”

Chapter Text

“We really need to get your car detailed, Detective,” Lucifer grumbled. “And fumigated too.” He looked down at a dubious stain on the seat in disgust and attempted to keep as little of his body in contact with the material as possible. “I’ve seen the reprobates you’ve had back here. I can’t believe I’m subjecting my $10k Armani to such horrors.”

Lucifer would not normally relegate himself to the rear of the Detective’s cruiser and its unsanitary seats, but if nothing else he was a gentleman and so had martyred himself for the sake of the two ladies currently riding up front in the (marginally) cleaner accommodations. Better him than them. But he could still whine about the emotional trauma.

Chloe looked at him through the rear-view mirror, amusement evident in her eyes. As much as his over-the-top complaining drove her crazy, she’d missed it. Missed him. And watching him now reminded her of the first time he’d sat in the back of her car whining about sticky seats - on their first ever case together. It felt like both five minutes and a lifetime ago.

“I’m sure your Armani will survive,” she teased.

Lucifer huffed. “I should forward my dry-cleaning bill to the LAPD.”

Chloe snorted at his dramatics. “You do that.”

They both knew he never would, except perhaps as a wind up. Money meant nothing to him, given how much of it he professed to have – more of it than sense the majority of time.

Rory watched her parents banter back and forth with a smile tugging at her lips. She liked seeing their dynamic. There was still a big rift in their relationship – that had been made glaringly obvious earlier at the penthouse, but listening to them now it was also clear that they both wanted to fix it.

“So, who are we going to interrogate today?” Lucifer asked, giving up on trying to save his suit from contamination.

“We’re not interrogating anyone,” Chloe replied. “We’re going to interview a witness for one of Dan’s cases.”

“And why can’t Daniel interview his own witnesses? Surely even he can manage to take a witness statement without cocking it up.”

“He’s pretty snowed under with work right now, so I said I’d help him out.” Chloe didn’t add that the reason he was so snowed under was because Pierce had seemed to be unfairly singling him out when it came to allocating extra work, not wanting to get his back up by mentioning the Lieutenant’s name.

It didn’t escape her notice that in her head she referred to Pierce as ‘the Lieutenant’ rather than her ‘fiancé’, of even ‘Marcus’. She shoved that thought away to analyse another time.

“Selfless as always, Detective,” Lucifer added, his words and warm tone breaking her out of her musings.

He was watching her in the mirror and gave her a small smile.

“Selfless to a nauseating degree.”

Chloe swallowed past the tightness in her throat as the memory of their first kiss flashed through her mind. “Just trying to be a good friend,” she replied, breaking eye contact and focussing back on the road.

“So, who are we interviewing today then?” he continued, sensing that she may have been imagining the same thing he had.

“Sarah Roberts, 32,” Chloe rattled off, neutral territory easy for her. “She went over to her boyfriend - Jude Young’s, house last night and found him lying in a pool of blood, with a single gunshot wound to the chest.”

“And do we know that this wasn’t a lover’s tiff and Ms Roberts offed him herself?”

“It’s unlikely. There were signs of forced entry and neighbours reported hearing signs of a disturbance before she got there. And CCTV places her at a store a mile away at the time.”

“So, a burglary gone wrong perhaps?”

“Yeah, that would be my top thought. Although we haven’t ruled out it being personal either.”

Chloe smiled softly as she watched Lucifer nod thoughtfully and mull the possibilities over in his head. They hadn’t worked together much recently, and she’d missed tossing ideas back and forth with her partner - his unique way of seeing things combined with her gut instincts and attention to detail more often than not leading to a breakthrough in the case. It wasn’t just that though; it was the camaraderie they shared – it was unique, and something she’d never had with anyone else she’d worked with. And regardless of what had happened in the past, or what might happen in the future, she didn’t want to lose that.

They pulled up outside of Sarah’s apartment ten minutes later. Chloe went to open the door for Lucifer, but her lock magician partner had already let himself out – of a door that wasn’t supposed to open from the inside.

She rolled her eyes at his smug smile and gestured for him and Rory to follow her.

They were greeted by Sarah, and one look at the woman told her that she hadn’t slept since the incident. Dark shadows shrouded puffy, bloodshot eyes and she looked completely exhausted.

Once inside, they waited in the lounge as Sarah went to make them some drinks. Chloe had told her that it wasn’t necessary, but the young woman had insisted, desperate to feel like she was doing something useful.

“We’ll find the person responsible,” Chloe assured her as she re-joined them, in that calm, caring voice that never failed to soothe Rory when she was upset. “Detective Espinoza, who you met yesterday, is working on it right now. He’s one of the best.”

Chloe subtly but effectively elbowed Lucifer in the ribs, curtailing the scoff he emitted before it fully left his mouth.

Lucifer frowned at her and rubbed his injured ribs.

Rory couldn’t help but be amused at how easily her mom anticipated his reactions to things and kept him in check. And how easily the all-powerful king of Hell allowed himself to be kept in check. The term whipped came to mind.

Her amusement instantly faded though when the sound of Sarah’s pained cries brought her back to the present.

“It’s my fault,” she sobbed. “If I hadn’t have stopped at the store to get that stupid bottle of wine, I’d have been home earlier. I could’ve helped him…I could’ve saved him.”

“Humans don’t tend to fare well against bullets, Ms Roberts,” Lucifer replied, in a surprisingly sympathetic tone. “If you’d have returned earlier, chances are we’d be investigating two murders now.”

“At least I would’ve got the chance to try.” Sarah looked up at them, her face completely devastated as a fresh well of tears filled her eyes. “I didn’t get to tell him that I love him. I was going to do it last night, but now I’ll never get the chance.”

Lucifer paled - so much so that Rory was sure he was about to throw up.

“I’m sure he knew,” Chloe told her kindly, placing her hand on Sarah’s forearm.

“I tried to show him how I felt,” Sarah sobbed. “But I should have said the words. I wish I’d said the words.”

Chloe squeezed her arm in comfort. “I’ve found that actions often speak lounder than words. He’ll have known how you felt.”

Sarah seemed momentarily comforted, but she still looked heavily laden down with guilt.

Chloe asked the necessary questions for the investigation, extracting the bereaved woman’s account of events as sensitively as possible. She cast a concerned glance at Lucifer, who instead of his usual exuberant self - who interrupted at any given opportunity, didn’t say a word the entire time.

The second the interview was concluded, he shot up from the couch with a hasty “Excuse me,” and bolted out of the door.

Chloe assured Sarah once again that they’d do everything in their power to bring the person responsible to justice. And after giving the heartbroken woman her card and telling her that if she needed anything at all not to hesitate in calling either herself or Dan, she followed her partner outside.

Rory lingered behind and when her mom was out of earshot, she moved and sat next to Sarah. “You shouldn’t feel guilty for things that aren’t your fault,” she told her, in that same soothing tone as her mom’s.

Sarah’s eyes were still glistening with tears when she looked up at her, but then – just as it always happened – she became lost in Rory’s gaze.

“Jude getting shot was not your fault. And you might not have told him in words, but you made him feel loved – and that’s what matters.”

The effect was instant – Sarah sat up straighter as the burden of guilt weighing heavily on her shoulders was eased. “You really think so?” she asked, a spark of hope returning to her eyes.

Rory smiled softly. “I do.”

Sarah gave her a small, grateful smile back. The pain of missing the man she loved was still there – and probably always would be, but the pain of misplaced guilt was gone.

Rory had always found it so satisfying, so rewarding, to be able to do this for people – to be able to help them. To help them see that the guilt they felt was not theirs to harbour, and thus free them from its damnation; to heal them from the pain they inflicted on themselves but didn’t deserve.

The first time Rory had realised she could do this, she was eleven and in Middle School. She’d found her friend, Sam, hiding in the back of the stacks in the library, eyes red-rimmed and arms wrapped around his knees.

“My mom and dad are getting divorced,” he sniffed wetly after she sat down next to him and asked what was wrong. “And it’s all my fault!”

“Why is it your fault?” a young Rory asked, brow scrunched in sympathy and confusion.

“Because I’m always getting in trouble, and it makes them argue.”

Even at such a tender age, Rory could recognise misplaced guilt when she saw it. And so, instinctively, she had wanted to comfort him. She placed a hand on his shoulder. And then, strangely, when he lifted his head from where he’d dropped it into his arms and looked into her eyes, he seemed to be in some sort of a trance. “Whatever the reason your parents are getting divorced, it’s not gonna be because of you,” she told him resolutely. “It’s not your fault.”

The boy sighed and instantly calmed. And when Rory blinked, breaking the spell, he smiled gratefully, no longer feeling guilty.

The whole experience had confused Rory and she couldn’t understand how her simple words had had such an effect on her friend. But when she’d comforted another classmate in much the same way – this time one who’d accidentally knocked another kid over during gym, which resulted in a broken arm and a trip to the ED - the same thing had happened again.

And after a third time, Rory came to the shocking realisation that it wasn’t her words that had comforted those people and helped them to see that their guilt was misplaced. It was because the words were coming from her. She soothed their guilt. She healed their pain. That was her power.

Her mom had cried when she found out. “You really are your father’s daughter.”

Rory beamed. “I make people feel better, Mommy - just like you,” she told her happily.

Her mom stroked her cheek and smiled proudly. “You do. And you’re a healer - just like your dad is.” Rory hadn’t known what she’d meant at the time, and still didn’t really, but at that age it still made her feel ten feet tall whenever she was likened to her dad. “You’re the best of both of us, baby.”

As Rory grew up, she always liked the idea that while her mom fought for justice for those taken away, she helped those that were still here, and the ones that were left behind. Her mom had called her “Earth’s healer” once, and explained that because of her less people who didn’t deserve it would end up in Hell. Rory had got the feeling that there was more to the story, but when she’d asked, she just received another smile and a vague “you’ll understand one day.”

And ever since, whenever she’d come across someone who felt guilt that they didn’t deserve, Rory had used her power to help them.

Chloe found Lucifer leaning against the side of the building, cigarette burning forgotten between his fingers and face turned upward to the sky, lost in his thoughts. “You okay?” she asked tentatively.

Lucifer turned his head at the sound of her voice, seeming to only just realise that he was no longer alone. He stubbed the cigarette out on the wall and tossed it away. The small action brought a warmth to her chest – he knew she didn’t like smoking, and ever since he’d found that out he never did so around her.

He hummed in response. “Just needed some air – it was rather stuffy in there.”

Chloe nodded. She had a feeling the reason he had needed some air was less to do with the state of Sarah’s air conditioning and more to do with the topic of conversation – and the parallels that could be drawn to their own situation. She didn’t push him on it though, not wanting to tear the delicate stitches that were holding their relationship together right now.

She must have been staring at him for a beat too long because he cleared his throat. “Where’s Rory?” he asked, changing the subject.

Chloe turned, surprised to find that the young girl had not followed her out. “She must be still inside. I’ll go and get her.”

She returned inside the house but paused by the door to the lounge at the sound of Rory’s voice.

“You shouldn’t feel guilty for things that aren’t your fault.”

Chloe watched curiously as Sarah then became entranced by Rory, the world around her seeming to disappear, her focus solely on Lucifer’s confounding new houseguest. It was the same kind of effect Lucifer had on people when he did his desire mojo.

“Jude getting shot was not your fault. And you might not have told him in words, but you made him feel loved – and that’s what matters.”

And then Chloe’s eyes widened in amazement as she watched a sense of peace literally roll over Sarah, the burden of guilt seeming to seep out of her very soul.

“You really think so?”

“I do.”

Chloe coughed softly to announce her presence and both women turned to look at her.

A blush coloured Rory’s cheeks at having been overheard. Her mom had seen her use her power hundreds of times, but not this version of her mom. And she felt as shy as she had done the first time she’d shown her.

She covered it with a smile that she hoped looked confident and then squeezed Sarah’s shoulder as she stood back up. And after her mom thanked Sarah again for her time, the two of them walked together out of the house.

“You really helped her in there,” Chloe commented. “It was like you took her guilt away. How did you do that?”

Rory shrugged and ducked her head, feeling shy again. “It’s a gift I guess.”

“Hmmm.”

She didn’t need to look up to know that her mom was giving her that same intrigued, confused look that she’d had at the precinct when Rory sat across from her at her desk.

Thankfully Lucifer distracted her from further questioning once they were outside again. “So, where to now then, Detective?”

“I guess we should head back to the precinct – I still have that paperwork to finish.”

“But paperwork’s boring,” Rory protested, forgetting for a moment that this version of her mom wasn’t used to her whining.

“Yes, and not to mention, pointless,” Lucifer added in support.

Chloe rolled her eyes and then looked between the two of them, identical expressions of distaste on their faces. She wondered how Lucifer had managed to stumble across a miniature, female version of himself. If she didn’t know better, she’d say that Rory not only looked young enough to be his daughter, but she really was his long-lost love child – the product of one of his many sexual encounters. But he’d told her a number of times that he couldn’t have kids, or more precisely that “celestials can’t procreate, Detective – it’s physically impossible.” She’d taken that as his metaphor for being infertile, and hadn’t wanted to upset him by probing such a sensitive subject. And so Rory’s similarity to him had to just be coincidence…even as freakily alike as they were.

“Well, as boring and pointless as it may be, it still has to be done,” she pointed out, feeling like she was arguing with Trixie about why she couldn’t wear a unicorn onesie to school.

Rory sensed an opportunity and a smile tugged at her lips. “But you said your case was solved, right? So you can do the paperwork any time. Why don’t we do something fun?”

“I vote for fun,” Lucifer swiftly agreed, raising his hand.

Chloe had to resist the urge to scoff. Lucifer would agree to going shopping at Target on Black Friday if it meant getting out of doing paperwork. “Really? I’d never have guessed,” she deadpanned.

“We could go to the beach,” Rory continued, knowing how much her mom loved it there. “I haven’t been to the beach in ages.” Not in 43 years, technically. Then she turned on the big guns and looked at her with big, pleading eyes – a look that her mom had never been able to resist. Probably because it reminded her of the man stood opposite her.

Chloe sighed in defeat, knowing she was outnumbered. “Okay, fine! We’ll go to the beach.” She couldn’t help but smile at the childlike joy that lit up both Rory and Lucifer’s faces at her acquiescence. “But just for a little while!” she called after them as they hurried back to the car before she changed her mind.

Rory directed them to a secluded patch of beach about forty minutes down the coastal road. It was a beach that her mom loved and visited often. “Some of my favourite memories were made on this beach,” she’d told her when Rory asked why she liked this particular beach so much rather than the larger, more well-known ones closer to home.

She wasn’t sure what those memories were, or when they were made, but her mom’s, “Wow - this place is really beautiful. I can’t believe I’ve lived in LA my whole life and never been here before,” when they walked down onto the sand from the car, told Rory that they must have been made after this time.

“Yes, it is rather beautiful, isn’t it?” Lucifer agreed, his voice soft as he looked out over the horizon.

Rory smiled. “I used to come here all the time with my mom.”

Chloe returned her smile. “Well, thank you for bringing us here, Rory.”

“You’re welcome.”

Whenever she’d been here before there was rarely anyone else around – the occasional dog walker would pass by, but with it being midday on a work day, they were the only inhabitants for miles to see. Rory was glad of it, because she didn’t want to share this moment with anyone else. Because even if they didn’t know that they were her parents, she did. And this was the first time she was getting to do something with both of them – a family day out with her parents that she’d never gotten the chance to experience.

She laughed at the aghast look on her dad’s face when she suggested he take off his shoes, and the subsequent amused eye roll from her mom.

“You can’t have a trip to the beach without icecream,” Lucifer announced suddenly as Rory and Chloe laid a blanket that had been in the trunk of the car down on the sand.

Chloe frowned as she looked around at the deserted beach. “Lucifer, there’re no stores around here.”

Lucifer just grinned. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way, Detective.”

And with that he turned and strode back up the dune towards the car, tapping on his phone as he went.

Chloe shook her head in amusement.

They sat down on the blanket and Rory looked at her mom as she looked out at the ocean. With the sun kissing her youthful skin and the breeze gently blowing her wavy blonde hair, Rory for the millionth time in her life thought how truly beautiful her mom is.

Chloe turned her head towards Rory and smiled kindly. “Lucifer said that you don’t know too many people around here?”

Rory nodded. It was kind of the truth – she knew them, they just didn’t know her.

“My bachelorette party is tomorrow,” Chloe continued. “It’ll just be small, nothing too wild…although with Maze in charge of planning it might not turn out that way. But anyway, you’d be welcome to join us if you’d like?”

Rory smiled, a fresh wave of affection for her mom washing over her. She was always looking out for her, even when she didn’t even know that she was her mom. “I’d like that.” Well, spending time with her she would like; celebrating an engagement to the man who would try and kill both of her parents in a few days’ time, she would not like. But she drew comfort in knowing that it was doomed to fail anyway.

“Great. It’ll be nice to have you there.”

“Wait, tomorrow?” Rory added, realising something. “Didn’t you just get engaged like yesterday?”

She’d known the engagement was quick, but not this quick.

Chloe looked down at her hands and fiddled with her fingers. “Yeah, it’s all happening so fast. Pierce wants to get married as soon as possible.”

A blind man could see the uncertainty written all over her mom’s face. “Is that what you want?” Rory asked tentatively.

“I just want to enjoy today,” Chloe replied after a beat, and her smile was one Rory recognised as the one she used when she was trying to prevent her from worrying. But Rory knew her mom well, and she was answering the question by not answering it.

Rory nodded and let it go though, not wanting to push her.

They were quiet for a few minutes as they went back to looking out over the ocean.

“Rory – is that short for Aurora?” Chloe mused, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear as she tore her eyes away from the softly lapping waves.

“Yeah, it is.”

Chloe smiled fondly. “It’s a lovely name. If I ever had another daughter that’s actually what I was going to call her.”

And you will, Rory thought. “Do you still want to have more kids?” she asked curiously. Rory knew that she was always wanted, but she also knew that she was a surprise, and so she wondered if her mom would have chosen to try for more kids.

Her mom’s eyes were intrinsically drawn to her dad, and Rory knew the answer before she said anything.

Chloe’s face softened as she looked at the man stood at the top of the dune, who was gesticulating and talking animatedly to whoever was on the other end of the line. There was fondness, but also a sad longing in her voice as she replied, “If the situation was right.”

“Well, maybe the future will surprise you.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Chloe replied, giving her a small smile.

“Rory!” Lucifer bellowed then, causing them both to turn back towards him. “What flavour would you like?”

“Chunky Monkey!” she called back. Her favourite flavour now was actually coffee, but when she was a kid, she’d always loved Chunky Monkey – because that’s what she’d been affectionately called as a baby. And after seeing her pudgy limbs and cheeks in baby photos, it wasn’t hard to see why.

Lucifer blinked at her for a few moments and then shook his head before, presumably, relaying the information over the phone.

“He’s a bit of a snob when it comes to icecream,” Chloe explained amusedly. “And, well, with most things actually.”

Rory huffed. That she’d been told many times. “He didn’t ask what flavour you wanted though?”

There was affection on her mom’s face as she replied simply, “He doesn’t need to.”

Less than five minutes later, Lucifer came proudly bounding over like an excited child, cooler in hand.

Chloe rolled her eyes, but her voice was soft as he joined them on the blanket, his long legs taking up half of the space as he crossed them. “Of course you would get ice cream delivered.”

“You know me, Detective – resourceful is my middle name.”

“Uh-huh.”

Lucifer opened the cooler and Rory saw three tubs of what was clearly some fancy brand of ice cream. He reached in and handed the first one to her. “Banana flavoured gelato, complete with chocolate pieces – apologies they’re not banana shaped like that overly processed American monstrosity.”

Rory snorted as she took the tub from him. “Thanks.”

“Coffee for me,” he added, placing the next tub in front of himself.

Rory raised her eyebrows. “Coffee’s your favourite?”

“Mmhmm.”

She really was her father’s daughter.

“And, last but very much not least, strawberry for the lady,” he finished, handing the final tub to Chloe with a shy smile.

“My favourite,” Chloe replied softly, returning his smile as she took the tub from his outstretched hand. “Thank you, Lucifer.”

“You’re very welcome, Detective.”

“This is actually really good,” Rory commented after taking a bite. She took a look at the name and made a mental note to see if it was still around back in her own time.

“Were you expecting me to provide you with sub-standard ice-cream?”

Rory and Chloe chuckled at his indignation.

“So, how did you two start working together?” Rory asked. She knew, but she wanted to hear it again. And she thought it might help this version of her parents to reminisce about less complicated times.

“Well, the Detective was assigned to investigate the murder of one of my friends,” Lucifer began, beating Chloe to it. His eyes twinkled mischievously as he looked at her and added, “She was of course immediately taken by me and let me tag along to help with the case.”

Chloe scoffed and quirked an eyebrow at him. “Yes, so taken I believe I called you ‘repulsive on a chemical level’.” She turned to Rory. “And ‘let’ him tag along is a bit of a stretch – I couldn’t get rid of him.”

Rory snorted at their back and forth, fully enjoying this dual recount of their first meeting.

Lucifer just grinned in delight, likely having totally expected her response. “Come now, Detective – we both know you were in denial. You were intrigued by me. And my skills and unique insights did help us solve the case.”

Chloe rolled her eyes out of habit, causing his grin to widen even more. “Uh huh. If by dangling a rapper off a balcony and trading sexual favours with Linda for information is considered helping, then yes, you were a great help.”

Rory scrunched her nose. Her dad really did used to be a slut.

Lucifer on the other hand, beamed at the apparent compliment. “Sometimes you just need to think outside the box.”

“Hmm.” Chloe had to press her lips together to keep from smiling.

“And then the Detective came to realise that I was an invaluable crime solving asset and so decided that we should be partners.”

“Oh really – is that how it went?” Chloe asked, unable to repress her smile any longer at his embellishments. “I think your memory is getting a little fuzzy in your old age.” She smirked at his offended look. “Because I seem to remember you bribing the Lieutenant into letting you become a consultant.”

Lucifer shrugged. “To-mato, tom-ato.”

Chloe huffed in amusement. “So I figured I may as well let him be my partner, because he would just have kept showing up anyway.”

“And the rest as they say, is history.” He smiled shyly at her. “We’ve been the crime solving Devil and his Detective ever since.”

A warmth filled her chest at his description. “More like the Detective and her crime solving Devil,” she teased.

“Either way – partners ‘til the end,” he added softly but sincerely.

It was a promise and Chloe swallowed the ball of emotion that had lodged in her throat. She couldn’t find the words to reply so she just nodded, feeling her eyes become glassy.

Rory looked between the two of them. They were having a moment so she decided to give them some time alone. “I’m gonna go walk down to the water.”

Her mom smiled at her, “Okay.”

“Don’t go too far,” Lucifer added.

An amused smile tugged at Rory’s lips. “I’ll be fine.”

Lucifer and Chloe watched Rory walk down and stand on the edge of the shoreline, the waves gently lapping at her feet as she looked out over the ocean.

“I like her,” Chloe commented.

“Me too.”

They turned to each other at the same time and smiled softly.

“I-I’ve missed this,” he told her shyly. “spending time with you, our trademark banter, eliciting those annoyed eye-rolls of yours.”

Chloe huffed fondly. Her phone vibrated on the blanket next to her leg and when she looked down to see ‘Lieutenant Pierce’ lighting up the screen, she didn’t think twice about silencing the call. And then she looked up into vulnerable dark eyes and told him honestly, “So have I.”

Rory chose that moment to look back over at her parents and she couldn’t help but smile. She knew then that this was where the only photo of the two of them that she’d ever seen - her mom’s favourite photo, was taken. She took her phone out of her pocket and subtly took a photo of them. When she looked at the captured image she realised that subtlety wasn’t necessary, because with the way they were looking at each other they probably wouldn’t notice if a meteor landed right in front of them. She huffed fondly. Idiots in love.

They finished their icecream in contented silence and then Chloe turned to look at him. “How did you know?” she asked tentatively, not wanting to ruin the peaceful mood, but curiosity getting the better of her. His brow scrunched in confusion, so she elaborated. “Before, that I was… engaged.”

The flash of hurt at the mention of the ‘e’ word was unmistakable, even as he quickly ducked his head and picked at invisible lint on his suit pants.

“I saw you,” he told her quietly, not looking at her.

Chloe’s eyes widened in horror as cold dread settled in her stomach. “You- you were there?”

He still didn’t look at her. “I was.”

“And you saw…”

“Yes,” he confirmed, before she could finish her sentence, wanting desperately not to hear those words.

She felt ill again; he’d seen Pierce propose to her. He’d watched as she said ‘yes’. If that had been the other way around…she had to swallow back the wave of nausea at just the thought of it.

“Why?” she asked, voice raw with emotion. “Why were you there?”

He finally looked at her then and she saw that his eyes were glistening.

The urge to reach out and comfort him was overwhelming.

“I came over to make things right between us…to- to say what I should have said over dinner.”

Chloe felt her heart start thudding against her ribs. She knew she was opening up a whole can of worms by asking, but she had to know. “What should you have said?” He just looked at her with his big emotive dark eyes, but the seconds ticked by and he didn’t say anything. Those seconds felt like hours. “Lucifer, what were you going to say?” she pressed.

“It- it doesn’t matter now,” he finally replied, the words a broken murmur on his lips.

“It does matter. It matters to me!” Chloe cried, breathing hard. It mattered so much.

Lucifer blinked repeatedly in an effort to ward off the tears that threatened to fall. And when he spoke, he sounded so defeated and heartbroken. “I would’ve asked you to choose me.”

“Because you don’t want Pierce to have me?” she choked out.

“No,” he told her resolutely. And then he took a breath and told her what she’d been wanting him to tell her last night – what she’d been wanting him to tell her for years. “Because…because I want you! It has nothing to do with Pierce. I wanted you before him…I’ve always wanted you. I…I care about you so very much, Chloe – more than you could ever know.”

It was the use of her name that finally caused the tears to roll down her own cheeks. “Lucifer,” she sobbed as he infinitely gently brushed them away with his thumb.

“Don’t cry for me, Detective,” he soothed, his palm lingering on her cheek. “Please. I don’t want you to be sad because of me.”

His tenderness with her just made more tears fall. Why could they never be on the same page at the same time? “You have no idea how much I wish you’d said that last night.”

She reached out and placed her hand on top of his that was resting on the blanket.

The simple touch of her hand made him feel an indescribable warmth all the way down to his bones. None of the thousands of people that he’d been with during his infinitely long life, not even all of them combined, could hold a candle to her. But when he looked down at their joined hands, the sight of the ring that now adorned her finger reminded him like a knife to the heart that it was all irrelevant now. Because he was too late.

He looked back up at her with a sad smile. “What- what would you have said…if- if I’d asked you to choose me?”

Chloe opened her mouth to reply – the answer so very simple.

Before she could get the words out though he shook his head, as if chiding himself for daring to ask in the first place, and held up a hand. “Actually, please don’t answer that – it would hurt even more to know I could’ve had everything I’ve ever wanted, if only I hadn’t been so bloody stupid.”

“Lucifer-”

“No,” he interrupted. “It’s my fault – I should’ve told you how I really felt, really feel, long ago. I can’t expect someone as good as you to wait around forever…especially not for me.”

“Lucifer, that’s not-”

“Really, Detective; it’s alright,” he insisted, forcing a smile to his face that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Your happiness is the most important thing, and as long as you’re happy, then I’m happy for you.”

But I’m not happy! her mind screamed. If she was honest, she’d known this whole thing with Pierce was wrong right from the start; she’d just been so determined to make it work with the safe, steady guy, that she’d refused to admit to herself that her heart just wasn’t in it. Because her heart already belonged to someone else.

“I want YOU – you idiot! You make me happy,” was on the tip of her tongue, but when he stood up and brushed the sand from his suit, she knew that her stubborn, infuriatingly headstrong partner had already decided to fall on his sword in another misguided attempt to do right by her.

“Right, well, that paperwork of yours won’t fill itself in. I’ll go and fetch Rory so we can head back to the precinct.”

“Everything I’ve ever wanted,” replayed on a loop in her mind as she watched him walk away.

The journey back to the precinct was much quieter than the journey to the beach, all three of them lost in thoughts of what might have been.

When Chloe excused herself to get started on her paperwork, Lucifer once again retreated to Ella’s lab. Rory was about to follow him when she spotted a familiar, but very little, pig-tailed girl frowning at the vending machine. A bright smile lit up her face, and the rush of warmth she felt for her miniature sister caused her to close the distance between them on autopilot.

“Hey,” she greeted. “Can’t decide what to get?”

Trixie looked up and examined her for a few moments, and then after seeming to deem her trustworthy, she returned the greeting and explained, “Stupid machine ate my money but didn’t give me my candy bar.”

She glared at the offending machine and Rory had to bite back a laugh at her indignation.

“Which one did you want?” Rory asked.

“The Milky Way.”

Rory glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching and then smirked mischievously at Trixie. “Watch this.”

Trixie’s eyes widened as Rory shook the vending machine as if it weighed nothing, and then beamed in delight when at least a dozen snacks – including two Milky Ways, broke free from their restraints and dropped to the bottom. “Thanks!”

She dropped to her knees and started to scoop up her spoils. Rory chuckled when the mass of chip packets and candy bars spilled over the top of her sister’s little arms and bent down to help her carry them.

When they stood back up, Trixie grinned at her new comrade. “I’m Trixie.”

“Nice to meet you, Trixie. I’m Rory.”

“I like your shirt, by the way,” Trixie commented. “It’s really cool.”

Rory grinned back. “Thanks – my sister bought it for me.”

“Your sister must be really cool too.”

“She is – she’s the best,” Rory replied warmly, knowing that the little girl in front of her would grow up to be the best big sister anyone could ever wish for.

Trixie nodded and then beckoned Rory to follow her. “Come on – you can help me eat these.”

Rory followed her over to Dan’s desk where she deposited her snacks in a pile on top of various bits of paperwork and then plopped down on his chair. After adding her own armful of snacks to the pile, Rory commandeered a chair from some other detective’s desk and joined her.

“I wouldn’t eat all that at once unless you want to get diabetes,” Pierce commented to Trixie as he walked by. He didn’t acknowledge Rory’s presence, which just made her smirk at having wounded his pride.

Trixie gave his retreating back a flat look.

“Ignore him – he’s an ass,” Rory told her.

Trixie giggled at her choice of words but then sighed. “Don’t tell my mom, but I don’t like him – he gives me the creeps. And I know he’s only pretending to like me.”

Rory clenched her jaw, a fresh wave of anger towards him coursing through her veins. “Always trust your instincts, T.”

A smile pulled at Trixie’s lips. “I like that nickname.”

“So do I,” Rory replied fondly.

“Do you think I’ll have to change my last name to Pierce?” Trixie asked, a look of utter disgust on her face.

“No, you won’t have to change your name,” Rory promised.

Trixie nodded, soothed by the reassurance. A face-splitting grin then lit up her face and Rory wasn’t quite sure what had caused it, until she squealed “Lucifer!” excitedly and barrelled over to the man, headbutting him in the ribs as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Rory chuckled as she watched her dad startle at the hug, but there was no disguising the affection he tried to hide as he patted her on the head and replied, “Yes, hello, child.”

Trixie took his hand and tugged him over to the desk.

His eyes lit up when he noticed his favourite snack. “Ooh, ranch puffs!”

“You can have them,” Trixie told him happily. “Rory did your trick with the vending machine.”

Lucifer grinned proudly. “Did she now? Well, dig in, ladies – one can never have too many treats!”

Rory and Trixie giggled as he perched on the side of the desk and the three of them leaned over the pile of snacks, foraging for what they wanted.

Chloe looked up from the form she’d been filling in at the sound of laughter and couldn’t help but smile at the sight of three dark heads huddled together over a tower of snacks. To anyone who didn’t know them, they’d look like a family; a dad sharing a joke with his two daughters. She chuckled at the lively debate over the virtues of Milky Way vs Peanut Butter Cups, and couldn’t miss the obvious happiness on all three of their faces. Her daughter had obviously missed Lucifer too. 

As if sensing her eyes on him, Lucifer looked up and caught her gaze. He said something to the girls - probably a request to save some snacks for him, and then made his way over to her, a bag of cool ranch puffs clutched in his hands.

He shuffled his feet in that endearing, nervous way of his. “I just wanted to say thank you for today, Detective. I’ve had a lovely time.”

“I had a lovely day too,” she replied with a warm smile. It had actually been one of the best days she’d had in a long time and an ache of longing for more days like it filled her chest.

“I- I hope we can continue working together?” Lucifer added. Now that you’re marrying another man, implied but left unspoken.

It was a question as much as a statement and Chloe wanted to erase the fear and doubt emanating in his mahogany eyes. She squeezed his forearm and heard his quiet gasp at the contact. “Of course we can still work together, Lucifer. Partners ‘til the end, remember?”

A brilliant smile lit up his face. “Yes, partners ‘til the end.” When she smiled back, he ducked his head shyly and cleared his throat. “You should come and join the feast, before those two scoff the lot.”

Chloe chuckled as she looked at the impressive number of empty wrappers littering Dan’s desk. “They seem to be getting on well.”

“They do. Rory apparently endeared herself to the little urchin by encouraging the vending machine to dispense her desired snacks.”

Chloe huffed in amusement. “Reminds me of someone else I know.”

Lucifer smirked. “I can’t think who you’re talking about, Detective.”

“Sure you can’t,” she replied, rolling her eyes fondly.

“I saved this for you, Mommy,” Trixie greeted, holding out one of her Milky Ways when Chloe joined them.

Chloe ruffled her hair affectionately. “Thank you, baby.”

After watching her nine year old practically inhale two more candy bars, Chloe suggested they might like to save some for another time – not wanting to see them regurgitated, and then took her to the bathroom to wash the smeared chocolate from her face.

“You two seem to be on better terms now,” Rory commented, noting the way he stared after her mom and sister until they were out of sight.

Lucifer smiled softly. “Yes, we’ve started to mend some bridges. Your beach idea was a good one.”

Rory smiled back at the praise.

Their moment was interrupted by the thud of a file being dropped on the desk.

“Where’s Espinoza?” Pierce asked, an annoyed expression on his face as he looked between the two of them.

“I’m not Daniel’s secretary,” Lucifer replied, unbothered by Pierce’s ire.

Pierce clenched his jaw. “Just tell him he needs to redo the paperwork for this case – I can’t read a word of it.”

“I’m also not your secretary either,” Lucifer added, and Rory knew full well that he was enjoying winding him up.

“We’ll tell him,” Rory intervened, plastering on a sweet but obviously fake smile.

Lucifer frowned at her as Pierce walked away with a grumble but no thanks. “What did you do that for? The man can deliver his own messages.”

Rory smirked mischievously. “I said we’d tell him; I never said when.”

He looked confused until she picked up the file and dumped it in the bottom drawer of Dan’s desk, and then he grinned – equally mischievously. “Oh, well done, Rory!”

“Thanks.” Part of hiding the file was about getting one over on Pierce again, but a bigger part of it was because Trixie had told her that she was going to the movies with her dad tonight. And knowing that Dan only had a few more years left, she didn’t want her sister to lose any time with him in which she could make memories.

“I was going to ask if you still needed somewhere to stay?” Lucifer told her, and then added gently, “Forgive me, but you seem a little lost, and I know that feeling. So, I wanted to say, that you’re welcome to stay with me for a while – if you want to that is, until you find your father.”

Rory ducked her head as she felt her chest tighten with emotion. She took a breath and then looked up at him through glassy eyes. “I’d like that. Thank you.”

Lucifer smiled, genuinely pleased. “Right then, that’s settled! How do you feel about ordering Italian for dinner?”

“Great – I love pizza.” She frowned at the aghast look on his face. “What?”

“You sound just like the Detective – she too believes the definition of Italian food is solely pizza! I really do need to broaden your horizons.”

Rory smirked.  “Yeah, good luck with that,” she teased, knowing full well that her and her mom’s taste in food would always be non-fancy. “Pizza’s the best.”

Lucifer huffed and mumbled something about “uncultured Americans”. He tapped away on his phone and then handed it to her with a dramatic sigh. “At least it’s award winning I suppose.”

When she looked down at a menu for ‘Lucifer’s Pizza’, she snorted. And when she caught him watching her, she knew he was trying not to smile.

Rory couldn’t help but wish that he’d been around like this to tease, and obviously lose the fancy vs non-fancy food debate, for all of their takeout nights. For all of their family nights. Because she just knew that he would have been an awesome dad.

Chapter Text

“Your bachelorette party starts in…” Rory made a show of picking up her phone and checking the time. “oh, about an hour. Why are you still here, and still working?”

She was lounging back in Lucifer’s chair, one leg bent and resting on her knee and her fingers tented together as she quirked an eyebrow at Chloe. Rory was pretty sure she knew why her mom was dragging her feet, and she was pretty sure that she knew why too. But stubbornness was an inherited Decker trait, and so knowing and admitting were two very different things.

“I needed to finish this paperwork before I go on leave – the court case is in two days and I didn’t want there to be any loose ends,” Chloe reasoned.

Whilst her mom’s work ethic was admirable, her poker face was terrible. The essential paperwork that she was referring to could quite easily have been finished up by someone else, and even if she was adamant about doing it herself, she’d finished it thirty minutes ago and had just been mindlessly scrolling through emails ever since.

Rory’s lips twitched in amusement. “Uh-huh. Well, now that you’ve ran out of important forms to fill in, how ‘bout we get outta here? I’m sure there’s some vodka shots with my name on them.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes at her and then sighed in defeat. “Okay, fine! Let me just go to the bathroom and then we’ll go.”

Rory chuckled as she practically stomped off down the corridor. Anyone would think she was about to go for a root canal rather than a party to celebrate her engagement to such a catch of a man.

A noise to her right caught her attention and she frowned at the sight of Pierce and Maze having what was clearly a heated conversation on the mezzanine. Rory strained her celestial hearing to try and make out what was being said. Most of it was muffled due to the background noise, but she was sure she heard Maze say, “I’m holding up my end, you better hold up yours!” before leaving him standing there glaring after her. Pierce’s jaw clenched and he muttered what sounded like a curse as he descended the stairs and retreated into his office.

Rory checked to see that her mom was still elsewhere and then quickly followed him. She swung the door open without knocking and then closed it behind her.

Pierce was stood in front of his desk and turned around at the intrusion. He glowered when he saw who was responsible. “You can’t just barge in here!”

Rory smirked. “I think you’ll find I just did.”

He scoffed and gave her a dirty look. “Well, you can barge right back out. I don’t have time for Lucifer’s pet today.”

“What were you and Maze talking about?” she asked; not expecting him to actually tell her but wanting him to know that she was on to him.

As expected, he didn’t divulge any information. Annoyance and derision were etched on his features as he looked at her like something he’d stepped in. “What makes you think my private conversations are any of your business?”

“If they’re so private you might wanna consider having them somewhere that’s actually private,” she sassed.

His jaw ticked like he was barely controlling the urge to throw her through the window. She’d like to see him try.

“We’re done here,” he dismissed through clenched teeth.

“Don’t worry, I’m going – you’re the last person I wanna spend my time with.”

“The feeling is entirely mutual.”

Rory sneered and took a step towards him. In response, he just crossed his overinflated arms over his chest, causing him to tower over her even more. But he didn’t scare her. “You’ll get what’s coming to you,” she told him. My dad will see to that. “But until then…” Lightning quick before he even knew what was happening, she brought her knee back. And then, with no mercy spared, landed it with a satisfying crunch square between his legs.

He grunted in pain and doubled over, clutching his injured anatomy.

“That’s for what you did to my mom,” she tossed over her shoulder as she left his office, slamming the door behind her before he could form a response.

With a smug grin firmly in place, Rory got back to the desk just as her mom returned from the bathroom.

Chloe looked at her curiously as she shrugged her jacket on. “You look happy.”

“Just getting in the party spirit.” She linked her arm through Chloe’s. “Come on; let’s get outta here.”

On the drive over to the apartment, Chloe’s enthusiasm seemed to perk up a bit at the thought of seeing all of her friends. It wasn’t lost on Rory that that was what she was looking forward to – rather than celebrating her upcoming wedding.

When they arrived, Rory knocked and they heard some shuffling on the other side. The door swung open and they were greeted by a very enthusiastic Maze.

“Surprise!”

Rory blinked as she took in the extremely demure, Victorian tea party that seemed to be set up inside. Flowers, balloons, and streamers covered every surface. There was so much pink – it was like a flamingo had thrown up all over the apartment. Aunt Maze had organised this – really? Where were the shot towers, the half-naked dancers, the general debauchery that was as much a part of her as the tight leather pants – which were also notably absent. Rory was pretty sure her 3^rd grade nativity production had been livelier than this.

She glanced at her mom, who looked equally underwhelmed. “Oh.”

Linda, Ella, Charlotte, and Trixie stood awkwardly in the lounge. Clearly this wasn’t what they’d been expecting either.

“Wow. Hi. Yes, I-I definitely never would have guessed this.”

“Care for some non-alcoholic punch?” Charlotte offered, looking like the mere thought of it offended her.

Chloe smiled, which looked more like a grimace, as they were ushered inside.

As her mom went over to hug Trixie, Rory frowned at Maze. “What are you wearing?”

“What’s wrong with these…” She looked down at her outfit, her mouth pinched, “…clothes?”

“Oh, nothing - except you wouldn’t be seen dead in anything even remotely conservative, and yet here you are looking like a Stepford wife.”

Maze looked Rory up and down in suspicious curiosity. “Who are you?” And then she stepped into her space and sniffed her. “Are you a demon?”

Rory snorted. “Hardly.”

Her aunt didn’t look totally convinced but was prevented from probing her further when she spotted Ella on her phone trying to order a stripper. “Hey! That’s not on the itinerary!”

“Maze has an itinerary?” Rory asked in disbelief as she watched her snatch Ella’s phone out of her hand and end the call.

Maze glared at the tiny forensic, before grabbing Chloe’s hand and dragging her over to the couch.

“Yep, and I stole it,” Charlotte confirmed, joining Rory in the kitchen, and holding up the offending item as proof. “Nail art, Mahjong, silent meditation?!”

“Did you guys find the booze?” Linda asked hopefully as she joined them too.  

“Exactly. We should be nipple-deep in Jager by now and playing pin the tail on Ryan Gosling,” Ella moaned frustratedly. “I can't believe that Maze legit hijacked my bachelorette party.”

Linda’s lips twitched in amusement. “You mean Chloe's bachelorette party?”

“That's what I said.”

“This is odd. What is Maze up to?”

Linda’s question was what they were all thinking.

Speaking of the demon, they all looked over to the lounge where she had just slid a piece of paper in front of Chloe.

“Okay. All the things that you love about Pierce. Go.”

Rory scrunched her nose in distaste.

Chloe faltered as she tried to rack her brains for something to write. “Oh. He does this really adorable, like, scrape-y thing when he burns the toast...”

“Aww,” Maze cooed.

Rory frowned even further. Since when does Maze coo?

“And do-do I really have to do a hundred of these?”

Her mom looked like she’d been asked to explain the physics behind time travel.

“Yes,” Maze told her, handing her a pen to prompt her to get started.

Ella looked like she felt genuinely guilty for the snooze-fest of a bachelorette party that Chloe was having to endure. “Oh, man. I promised Chloe the moon, and I gave her burnt toast. Please. We've got to do something!”

“Yeah,” the tribe collectively agreed.

Charlotte grinned. “I've got an idea.”

Two rounds of Mahjong later and Rory couldn’t take it anymore. T had wisely escaped into her room earlier and so she decided to join her. She found her little big sister lying on her front on her bed while playing a game on her phone.

“Hey, Rory!” Trixie immediately cast her phone aside and beamed at her. “Are you escaping all the excitement?”

Rory snorted at how her sister was a master of sarcasm even at this age. “Yeah, it’s too wild for me.”

Trixie giggled. “Even Olga, my 80-year-old babysitter, would have found this boring. I’ve never been to a bachelorette party before, but if they’re all like this then I don’t think I’ll bother going to another one.”

“They’re not all like this,” Rory assured her, a smile tugging at her lips as she recalled T’s own bachelorette party, and the antics that led to them being banned from a Tiki bar for life. “Trust me – most of them are a lot more fun.”

Trixie nodded, storing that information for future reference. And then bachelorette parties were swiftly forgotten as she moved onto more interesting topics. “Do you wanna see my science trophies?”

Rory smiled. “Sure.”

Trixie grinned, pleased, as she bounced off the bed and beckoned her over to her bookcase. “I have one from every year since first grade,” she told Rory proudly as she pointed at the array of trophies that decorated her shelves. Pointing at a large one in the centre, she added, “This one is my favourite though - I won it a few months ago. I beat Tommy Harris and his stupid volcano. He was so mad!”

Rory chuckled in amusement at the smug look on her face. “What did you make?”

“A solar system,” Trixie informed her. “The planets rotated on their axes and around the sun!”

“Wow – no wonder you won! That sounds awesome.” She gestured at her sister’s awards. “These are great, T! I’m proud of you. You’ll be an amazing scientist when you grow up; maybe even an astronaut.”

Trixie beamed again, clearly delighted at Rory’s praise.

Over the top of Trixie’s head, Rory’s attention was caught by a photo pinned to her noticeboard. She walked over to see it more closely.

Trixie followed and smiled when she saw what Rory was looking at. “That was at game night,” she explained. “Right before I crushed him at Monopoly.”

It was a selfie of her parents and sister, squished together to fit into the frame as Lucifer – presumably due to his arm length advantage - held the phone out in front of them. What first stood out was that all three of their faces were decorated with brightly coloured face paint. But what really stood out the most was how happy they looked. T was grinning widely at the camera; Lucifer was attempting to look indignant – most likely due to the unicorn adorning his cheek – but the softness and affection radiating in his eyes gave him away. And her mom, well she was smiling too – but not at the camera; she was smiling at Lucifer.

They looked like an advert for a Hallmark movie.

They looked like a family.

A dichotomy of feelings hit Rory at once; happiness that the people she cared about most had been happy, and an aching sadness that she’d never gotten the chance to be a part of such a moment herself.

“Lucifer uses nicknames too,” Trixie added.

“Yeah?”

“Mmhmm – he calls me urchin, or offspring, or child. Oh, and spawn sometimes too.” She giggled at the last one and then grinned. “I think I have the most nicknames out of everyone he knows.”

 A wistful smile tugged at Rory’s lips. “You really like him, don’t you?”

“I love Lucifer,” Trixie told her simply. Her smile dropped though when she added, “I miss him being around and coming to see us.”

I missed him being around too, Rory thought.

After politely declining the latest activity, nail art – hardly practical when you were a cop, Chloe looked around the room for her daughter. Trixie was conspicuous in her absence, as was Rory. She huffed in amusement - nail art was apparently not either of the dark-haired girls’ cup of tea either.

Chloe had a good idea where they were hiding and so made her way over to Trixie’s room. She paused just outside the door though when she caught some of their conversation – and the sound of certain person’s name.

“You really like him, don’t you?”

“I love Lucifer. I miss him being around and coming to see us.”

A pang of sadness sliced at her heart; it would seem she wasn’t the only one who’d been missing Lucifer.

“Mom was always happier when he was around,” Trixie continued.

Chloe swallowed past the lump in her throat. Was she really that obvious?

“She always looked at him with heart eyes when she thought he wasn’t watching.”

Okay, she wasn’t THAT obvious!…was she?

Her daughter’s voice turned mischievous as she divulged her next little piece of information. “The other day I saw her staring at pictures of him on her phone – she has a whole album of them.”

Chloe scoffed. Trixie should really consider a career working for the CIA.

Maybe she did have an album on her phone solely for photos of her partner, and maybe she had labelled it simply but affectionately, ‘L’. But was it her fault that Lucifer commandeered her phone whenever she wasn’t looking and filled it with his ridiculous (and more often than not, provocative) selfies for her to find later? …she’d just never gotten around to deleting them; at least that was the feeble excuse she told herself anyway.

Trixie catching her looking through them the other day…well, she couldn’t think of a reasonable excuse for that. At least not one that anyone – including herself – would believe anyway. The simple truth was that she missed him, and seeing snapshots of his pouts, his come hither looks, and his quintessential Luciferness made her smile.

It made her heart ache a little less.

Chloe really hoped they could fix their relationship, so she wouldn’t need to miss him anymore.

Trixie was in her element as she went into detailed explanations of the stories behind various other family photos and mementos that decorated her room.

Rory sat on the bed and listened attentively, an affectionate smile on her face. Her sister’s enthusiasm and love of life had always been infectious.

“And this is where I hide the good stuff,” Trixie told her mischievously as she retrieved a bar of Hershey’s from beneath an inconspicuous pile of stationary in one of her dresser drawers. “You can have some,” she added, breaking off a piece and holding it out to her.

Rory chuckled as she accepted the candy from her. “Thanks.” She already knew about her secret snack hiding place, having found it when she was about four. But it would seem that T had had it since before her nosy little half-angel sister had entered the world.

They heard a knock on the front door and Trixie went to the window to investigate. She smiled when she saw who it was. “My dad’s here to pick me up.” And then she took Rory’s hand and tugged her along out of the room. “Come on – I wanna introduce you!”

“Hi, Daddy!” Trixie greeted happily as she flung the door open.

Dan smiled fondly at his daughter. “Hey, monkey.”

“This is my friend, Rory,” she introduced. “She’s really cool!”

Rory grinned proudly at her sister’s description.

“Hey, Rory. I’m Dan,” he greeted kindly, holding his hand out towards her.

“Hey,” she replied, shaking his hand. Rory had always wished that she’d been able to meet T’s dad, so it was nice to get that chance now.

“I’m gonna go get my stuff,” Trixie informed them, having decided that they were friends now too.

“I saw you yesterday at the precinct,” Dan commented after they watched Trixie scamper back into her room. “You know Lucifer, right?”

“Sort of, yeah.”

“I liked the way you two handed Pierce his ass by the way – I choked on my coffee when you told him he must be lacking in the bedroom department.”

Rory smirked at the praise. “He deserved it.”

“You’ll get no arguments from me!”  

Trixie came running back over then with her bag slung over her shoulder. “Will I see you again, Rory?” she asked, looking up at her with big hopeful dark eyes.

“You’ll definitely see me again, T – I promise.”

Trixie beamed and fist bumped her before heading out to the car.

Dan watched her with a wistful smile.

“You have a great kid,” Rory told him. “You should be really proud.”

“I am – she’s amazing. It’s just…sometimes I can’t help feeling like I’ve failed her, you know? I haven’t always been there for her like I should’ve been; haven’t always been the best dad – the dad she deserves.”

Rory reached out and put her hand on his arm. She knew he only had a few years left, and if he continued to feel this way she knew exactly where he’d end up. She wondered if that’s where he had ended up and her stomach rolled at the thought. He didn’t deserve that; it wouldn’t be right. Rory held his gaze as she spoke, “T loves you – she thinks you’re the greatest dad in the world.”

Dan’s face lit up with unadulterated joy. “She told you that?”

Rory smiled as she watched the guilt that had been emanating in his eyes, disappear.

“She did.” It might have been future Trixie who’d told her, but the point was still valid. “And if she thinks you’re a great dad, then you have nothing to feel guilty about.”

Dan smiled gratefully. “I guess not. Thanks, Rory. It was nice to meet you.”

“It was nice to meet you too. And remember what I said, okay?”

“I will.”

With Trixie gone, Rory had no one to hide with so she had no choice but to re-join the fun.

“Definitely strapless. Mmm. And with a bow.”

Rory scrunched her nose up in distaste. She’d flat out refused to be wrapped up in toilet tissue; the supposed aim being for it to resemble a wedding dress. When she was little, she’d let T do something similar to make her look like a mummy when she’d been learning about the Ancient Egyptians at school. But she was six then, and she was definitely not six now.

When Chloe had shot her a ‘save me’ look, Rory had almost martyred herself for the sake of her mom, but Maze had insisted that the bride to be had to participate.

“Yes. Yes. A big one. Okay, I'm gonna get another roll.”

When Maze left to go and raid the bathroom for supplies, Charlotte gave Chloe an apologetic look as she placed a toilet tissue tiara on her head.

Ella was equally exasperated. “I did this two-ply wedding dress garbage at my cousin Rita's bachelorette party. You know what happened? Not drunken pole dancing!”

Rory couldn’t help but snort at how she looked like an indignant sunflower with her own tiara around her face as opposed to on her head.

“You know what else isn't happening?” Linda added. “Us. Here. This is torture!” She sighed. “Of course, Maze. This all makes sense.”

The sound of music faintly playing in the distance caught their attention.

“Oh, my gosh, what could that be?” Charlotte asked; in a way that suggested she knew exactly what it was.

“It's probably just, uh, Trixie and her stupid little friend next door,” Maze, having returned with extra dress making supplies, tried to reason.

Rory smirked. “Dan picked T up an hour ago.”

Maze glared literal daggers at her.

The tribe were also more than done with the dreariness of the party so far and so curiously hurried out to find out what was going on – led by Chloe.

Rory hadn’t even made it outside before excited whoops and happy laughter filled the air.

“Is that...?”

“You see it?”

“Oh, my God!””

“Okay, now, this is what I'm talking about right here!”

Rory grinned when she saw what had caused their reaction. The impressively large party bus parked at the end of the driveway was definitely more like it.

Unsurprisingly, the on-board bar was immediately zoned in on. Champagne corks popped and alcohol flowed freely, sloshing into and out of glasses in the excitement.

This activity Rory was more than happy to participate in.

“Cheers!” came the synchronised greeting as they all clinked glasses, before draining and swiftly refilling them.

Everyone that was except for Maze, who stood there with her arms crossed looking like she wanted to stab someone. She clearly didn’t want Chloe drinking for some reason either, evidenced by how she tried – and failed – to confiscate her drink. Which was another thing that was completely out of character as she would practically pour booze down Chloe’s neck on tribe nights.

Rory decided to ignore her for now and instead took her mom’s hand and danced them both into the centre of their little party circle. She laughed happily at her familiar lack of rhythm, and her lack of care about her lack of rhythm.

Despite the occasion, it was really nice to spend time with her mom like this.

Maze’s mood soured even further when after coming to a stop, the bus doors opened, and half a dozen, half-naked, GQ-model-looking men climbed aboard.

Aunt Linda looked like she’d died and gone to Heaven.

Her mom’s giggling delight suggested she was pretty happy about the new arrivals too. “Charlotte, what is happening?!”

Charlotte smirked mischievously. “I agreed to waive the charges on the Malibu State water polo team if they agreed to wave some other things.”

“Amazing!”

“Right?!”

Ella and Linda wasted no time in commandeering their own personal water polo player each. The remaining three were more than happy to entertain Chloe, who danced around in her own little world between them.

Rory stood next to a proud looking Charlotte and watched the display with amusement.

“Any women on your water polo team?” she teased.

Charlotte gave her an apologetic look. “Unfortunately, the women’s team aren’t being sued.”

“Shame.”

“If they ever do though, I’ll be sure to let you know.”

Rory snorted. She liked Charlotte. “Thanks.”

Her chest tightened though when she remembered that Charlotte wouldn’t actually get the chance to do that, and that this would probably be the last night out she’d ever have. Life really was unfair sometimes and knowing what the future held also sucked sometimes too.

“Chloe looks like she’s having a good time,” Charlotte commented, unaware of the morose direction of Rory’s thoughts.

Rory shook herself out of it and couldn’t help but smile as she watched her mom busting some moves with Ella. “Yeah, she does – much more now the silent meditation is over. Thanks for arranging this by the way – I like seeing her smile.”

“Oh, you’re welcome. And it wasn’t totally altruistic - I couldn’t face anymore silent meditation either, especially not sober.”

“Definitely not sober,” Rory agreed. “So, what do you think about this whole engagement thing?”

“I think she’d struggle to find anyone worse to marry,” Charlotte replied bluntly.

How true that was.

“Rory, come up here!” Chloe called out, preventing her from sharing her opinion on just how much of an asshole she thought Pierce was.

She turned around to find only half of her mom’s body visible; the other half sticking out of the sunroof – courtesy of the impressively muscled water polo dude, whose shoulders she was currently straddling. Rory shook her head in amusement – she’d clearly been making full use of the free bar.

There was no way Rory was getting up there though without the help of-. As if on cue, the blond, shiny chested guy helpfully bent down and motioned for her to climb aboard his shoulders.

They must be really grateful to not be being sued anymore.

“Thanks,” she replied awkwardly as she did as suggested, and then yelped in surprise at how easily he hoisted her aloft.

Looking rather windswept, Chloe beamed as Rory joined her in hanging out of the window. She held her arms out like wings and tilted her face up to the night sky. “It feels like you’re flying!”

If only you knew.

Rory smiled fondly – she of course knew exactly what if felt like to fly. Her mom would also come to know how it felt to fly too – first in the arms of her dad, and then later on in Rory’s arms too. “It’s pretty cool, huh?”

“It’s amazing!”

When Chloe began whooping and giggling as she waved her arms around – letting go of her inhibitions for what was probably the first time in a long time - Rory couldn’t help but join in.

Only when Chloe started to look a little green and Rory became concerned that she was about to see the champagne she’d consumed in reverse, did they climb down from their respective water polo players.

“That’s definitely one way to sober up,” she giggled, wobbling precariously as Rory guided her over to one of the seats at the far end of the bus, away from trip hazards. Sober might be a bit of a stretch.

“Charlotte! Charlotte, hi!” Chloe called out, waving over the elegant lawyer with legs for days, who could easily have had a career as a supermodel.

Rory left them to catch up/ continue drinking when a commotion of car horns blaring, and angry voices drew her attention. The ‘giant, hot dudes’, as Ella called them, had apparently been thrown off the bus by Maze – whilst it was still moving. A move that was evidently very unpopular with Ella and Linda.

“Hey!” Linda snapped. “I liked that guy! He smelled like chlorine and butterscotch fudge.”

Maze rolled her eyes. “I don’t care what he smelled like. They’re distractions – I can’t risk anything causing Decker to have a change of heart.”

Rory frowned. Seriously, what was with her? “Why are you trying to push this? You hate Pierce.”

“I just need this wedding to go off without a hitch,” Maze replied, getting frustrated. “Decker married to Pierce works out well for everyone.”

Rory narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “Okay, now I know something’s going on with you. How does my-, how does Chloe getting married affect you?”

“You don’t know anything about me, little girl,” Maze snarled, trying to intimidate her.

She didn’t flinch though and instead just rolled her eyes. I know way more than you think.

“But I do,” a drunk, sexually frustrated – and subsequently pissed off Linda piped in. “Cupid, Maze? Altruism? Pearls? No way. You're up to something!”

Rory wanted to high-five her other aunt; but given how much she was swaying, that probably wouldn’t be the best idea.

Maze growled in annoyance. “My plan has nothing to do with either of you – stay out of it!”

But that’s where she was wrong. Rory had a bad feeling that she was in kahoots with Pierce - for some incomprehensible reason. And if whatever she was plotting impacted her mom – and by proxy, her dad – then it absolutely had everything to do with her.

Behind her, Rory could make out Charlotte plying her mom with LA’s terrible divorce statistics and couldn’t help but smile. She deserved a high five too.

Ella apparently heard the same thing because she frowned and went over to investigate.

The sound of a glass smashing brought Rory back to the present though.

“Let's go!” Maze brandished the jagged remains of her champagne flute and stepped menacingly towards Linda.

The tiny therapist, bravely – or stupidly – didn’t back down and just glared right back up at her. “Bring it!”

Rory was pretty sure that Maze would never actually hurt Linda, but tensions were getting way out of control. After yanking Linda behind her back with one hand, she used the other to whistle loudly; effectively grabbing everyone’s attention.

“Stop the freakin’ bus!” The tyres screeched as the bus came to a halt and they all scrabbled to grab hold of something to stop them ending up in a heap on the floor. “Everyone but Chloe, out! Now!”

There were grumbles (from Maze) and some mumbled “Sorry, Chlo’”s as they filed out one by one like chastised children.

As Charlotte passed by, Rory placed her hand on her shoulder and whispered, “Good job with the divorce stats.”

Charlotte grinned conspiratorially. “Just doing my part.”

The arguing recommenced as soon as they were off the bus. Rory rolled her eyes – she had no desire to referee their squabbles.

“Lying bastard!” she heard Maze yell.

Rory felt no guilt when she tapped on the driver’s partition and asked her to drive on.

The tribe were grown – albeit drunk – adults; they could work their squabbles out themselves.

Thanks to an inherited celestial metabolism, the copious amount of alcohol they’d all consumed hadn’t affected Rory anywhere near as much as it had done everyone else. When she glanced back up the bus though, she saw that her mom had not fared quite so well.

An amused smile tugged at Rory’s lips at the sight of her sat on the floor and leaning against the seat that she’d previously been sat on, eyes slightly glazed as she looked around aimlessly. Rory walked over and sat down next to her. “You okay?”

Chloe turned to look at her and sighed. “Honestly?...I don’t think I am. It- it all happened so fast, and...everyone's wondering why I said yes, and... I- I'm wondering the same thing myself. I don't know, m-maybe I thought that marrying a... a safe, steady guy would... somehow... change me into a different person, and that- that maybe this new, spontaneous me would- would somehow... inspire the...the person that I still am.”

Rory gave her a sympathetic smile and then placed a hand softly on her arm. “You don’t need to change – not for anyone, and definitely not for Pierce. You’re perfect, just the way you are.”

“I’m far from perfect,” Chloe replied sadly. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes.”

“And I’m sure you’ll make more in the future.”

The biggest of which, and the one she’d regret the most, Rory knew would happen in the next couple of months.

“Thanks,” Chloe huffed in offence.

“But,” Rory continued, “mistakes don’t make you a bad person; it’s how you handle them afterwards that matters. My mom taught me that.”

Chloe smiled softly. “I’d like to meet your mom.”

Rory smiled back. “I’m sure you will one day.”

“Do you think I’d be making a mistake if I married Pierce?”

Rory’s chest swelled - her mom had only known her for two days, but she still valued her opinion. “The more important question is, do you think you’d be making a mistake in marrying him?”

Chloe ducked her head and fiddled with her fingers.

“But for the record; yeah, I think it would be a huge mistake to marry him. Monumental.” Rory paused for a moment and just watched her mom as she struggled with her warring emotions. “Earlier, when Maze asked you to write down one hundred things that you love about Pierce,” she continued softly. “…the only thing you could think of was some weird scrape-y thing he does with burnt toast. I think that should tell you something, don’t you?”

Chloe nodded infinitesimally but didn’t say anything.

“If the name at the top of the paper was different, I get the feeling the list would’ve been much longer?”

Her mom didn’t need to ask what name Rory was referring to; they both knew. And the look on her face was all the confirmation she needed to know that her assumption had been correct.

She looked so torn though; her head and her heart pulling her in different directions. Rory desperately wanted to comfort her, so she took one of her fidgeting hands in her own and held it gently. The warmth of her mom’s touch had always been such a soothing balm, and Rory hoped that it worked both ways.

When she squeezed her hand back, Rory thought that maybe it did.

“Look, Pierce is a dick – you can do waaay better,” she told her. Rory hadn’t been her dad’s biggest fan - what with the whole abandonment thing, but even before coming to this time and taking that into account, he was still far better than Pierce. And now that she had met him, there was simply no comparison. It did take her by surprise though in how she’d become somewhat of a cheerleader for him since being here. If someone would have told her that back in her time, she’d have laughed and told them they were crazy. But here they were. There’d always been a light in her mom’s eyes when she talked about Lucifer; a light that just was not there when she talked about Pierce. “My mom always told me that when you’re in love with someone, you just know. And however much you deny it and try to pretend that you don’t, your heart still knows. She’s kind of a hopeless romantic.”

Chloe smiled fondly. “Your mom sounds smart.”

“She is. She’s the smartest, strongest person I know.” Rory paused for a moment and then held her gaze as she added, “She fell hard for my dad, and loved him her whole life.”

“It’s rare to find a love like that. She’s lucky,” Chloe replied wistfully.

“Yeah, that’s what she said. …You sound like you know how she feels?”

Chloe looked down at her lap. “Yeah. Maybe I do.”

“You’re not talking about ham hands, are you?”

Chloe huffed. “That’s what Lucifer calls him.”

Rory smirked at her obvious avoidance of answering the question, and how her mind automatically reverted to thinking about her dad. “Speaking of Lucifer…you’re in love with him, aren’t you? It’s so obvious – even now.”

It was blunt, but sometimes bluntness was needed.

“What do you mean ‘even now?’,” Chloe asked, once again avoiding the question. Her brow scrunched in comical confusion as her alcohol-soaked brain fought to catch up.

“Even now when he’s still got the emotional maturity of a teenage boy and wouldn’t know his feelings if they smacked him in the face.”

Chloe snorted. “That sounds like Lucifer. Although to give him some credit, he did finally tell me how he felt when we were at the beach yesterday.”

“He did?” Rory’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “What did he say?”

Chloe chewed on her lip as a smile fought to tug it free. “He told me what he’d wanted to tell me that night I went over to his for dinner.”

“Which wassss?” Rory prompted when her mom didn’t elaborate.

Chloe giggled at her impatience and Rory smiled, memories washing over her of her teenage years and nights spent on the couch with her mom, talking about the latest girl she had a crush on at school.

“He told me that he’s always wanted me; that he cares about me so much – more than I could ever know.”

“And what did you say?” Rory asked, tucking her feet up underneath her and getting comfortable as she eagerly awaited the answer.

“I didn’t get to say anything,” Chloe sighed, throwing her hands up in frustration. “He cut me off before I could answer – said it would hurt more to know that he could’ve had everything he’d ever wanted if he hadn’t messed it up at dinner. He thinks he’s too late.”

“Is he too late?”

Chloe looked Rory in the eyes, and it didn’t matter that she probably had more alcohol in her body than blood right then, because it was her heart that spoke when she replied, “I don’t think Lucifer could ever be too late.”

“You’d wait for him forever,” Rory realised.

It hit her like a brick. She hadn’t understood it before; how her mom would never even consider the idea of dating someone else – despite how much Rory had encouraged her. How her love for a man who wasn’t even there had never once wavered over the decades – if anything it just got stronger. But she understood it now.

“Yeah.” Chloe smiled sadly. “As stupid as it is, I would.”

“It’s not stupid,” Rory assured her resolutely. “It shows how strong you are.”

A memory from years ago flashed through her mind:

“It’s okay, because I know we’ll be together again one day.”

“But he LEFT, so how can you know that?!”

“I just know, sweetie. I have faith in him; faith in us.”

Her mom gave her a small smile. “Lucifer, he’s…he drives me crazy, he’s incredibly challenging…and headstrong and frustrating…but also, incredible.”

There was a look in her eyes as she added the last part – a look Rory had seen a thousand times before when she spoke of him.

Reverence.

“Your dad and I, we’re incredible.”

“And despite everything…I…I just want to be with him. Because he’s-”

“The one,” Rory finished for her.

“Yeah, yeah I guess he is.” She sighed and leaned her head back against the seat. “If I’m honest with myself, I think he always has been. …But we just can’t seem to manage to get on the same page at the same time.”

Rory shuffled over so she was sat next to her and then turned her head to look at her. “When I met him that night – it wasn’t long after he saw you get engaged; he was devastated. He was just slumped on the floor, crying and drowning himself in scotch. He was completely crushed.”

“He was?” Rather than take it as an ego boost that he cared enough to cry over her, in her typical selfless style, her mom just looked pained that he’d been hurting.

Rory nodded. “I’ve never seen anyone look that broken before. There’s absolutely no doubt about how much he cares for you.” There had been doubt on Rory’s part over the years; a lot of it. But the past three days had erased that doubt and made one thing very clear; Lucifer Morningstar was hopelessly, irrevocably in love with Chloe Decker – just as much as she had always been with him.

Chloe’s eyes became misty. “We make a right pair, huh?” she joked. “God, this is such a mess.”

Rory chuckled. “Yeah, you do. And yeah, it is.” She regarded her mom curiously for a moment, chewing on her lip before asking, “If Lucifer had been the one to ask you to marry him that night, would you have said yes?”

“Lucifer only marries strippers,” Chloe huffed disgruntledly.

Huh? “Strippers?”

“Mmhmm. When things start to get real between us, he likes to run off to Vegas and marry ditzy blondes with bra sizes bigger than their IQs.”

Rory blinked at her, feeling like she was missing something. That little piece of drama had been left out of her bedtime stories. “Um…he’s not still married, right?”

“No, this was like a year ago - he got it annulled before the week was up and then carried on like nothing had happened.” She crossed her arms over her chest in frustration. “I still have no idea what the Hell happened there.”

Something Rory would definitely be asking her dad about later! “Okaaay. That’s…good that he’s not married anymore.”

His words from that night came back to her…

“If she would accept me, if she would choose me, then I would love nothing more than to spend my life with her, doing everything in my power to make her eternally happy that she did.”

“But, strippers aside, if he asked you now; would you?”

A small smile pulled at her mom’s lips. And then she got that familiar look in her eyes again.

“I’d say yes in a heartbeat.”

Rory couldn’t help but smile back. “You really love him, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I really do,” Chloe replied. It was a statement of fact; as simple and obvious in truth as declaring that the sky was blue. “That’s actually the first time I’ve admitted it out loud.”

A rush of warmth filled Rory’s chest at the knowledge that even though Chloe didn’t know that she was her mom, she still felt comfortable enough - connected to her even - to talk about something so huge with her.

“Lucifer’s the reason I said yes to Pierce,” she continued.

“I figured as much.” Rory replied wryly.

Chloe sat up straighter, face set in determination as realisation dawned on her. “And he’s also the reason I’m going to say no.”

Rory smiled proudly. Her mom was always so strong and brave.

“There’s something I need to do,” Chloe added, returning Rory’s smile.

Rory had gotten off the bus shortly after, figuring this was something her mom needed to do alone. It was ironic how very #TeamDeckerstar she was now, after years of rolling her eyes at her family and friends who’d always waxed lyrical about how her parents were ‘the greatest love story ever told’.

With her mom having realised that marrying that murdering loser would be an infinitely bad idea, Rory felt content in the knowledge that everything was happening as it should be. And so, as she had some time on her hands, she went in search of Maze to get an explanation for her weird behaviour all day. That bit had been conveniently left out of her re-telling of this part of their history. Frustratingly though, her demon aunt was nowhere to be found.

And so, after two fruitless hours of searching, Rory deemed it an acceptable amount of time for her parents to have talked by now and so headed back to the penthouse.

When she stepped off the elevator though, she frowned at the quietness she was met with. Her dad was sat with his back to her at the piano bench, staring at the keys but not playing them. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, hair ruffled like he’d been frustratedly running his fingers through it and his shoulders slumped. It was reminiscent of the first time she’d found him here, only this time there was just a single glass of scotch sitting discarded on the piano lid as opposed to numerous empty bottles littering the floor.

“Where’s Chloe?” Rory asked, craning her neck to peer into the bedroom in case things between them had moved rather more quickly than she’d been expecting.

Lucifer turned to face her, a matching frown on his face. “Why would the Detective be here? I would’ve thought this is the last place she’d want to be when she’s out celebrating her impending nuptials to the world’s oldest and dullest lieutenant.”

Rory frowned. She was sure the ‘something’ her mom needed to do, was – no pun intended (and preferably not literally) – her dad. She’d been certain the party bus’s next destination after she’d disembarked was going to be here.

There’d been no change of heart in the un-Rory-interfered-with timeline…and she really hoped that particular butterfly hadn’t been stepped on! No, Rory reminded herself – her mom had been certain; she loved Lucifer and she was going to say no to Pierce. There was no way she’d go back on that…hopefully.

She shook her head to rid herself of that ridiculous (and horrifying) notion. Without answering her dad’s question, she walked over and plopped down on the bench next to him.

He looked somewhat surprised but shifted over none the less so that she had enough space. “So, how was the bachelorette party?”

Lucifer forced a smile, but despite his curiosity, Rory could tell that the topic was physically painful for him to talk about.

“It was…enlightening.”

“I would imagine so with Mazikeen in charge of arrangements. Strippers and general debauchery abounded no doubt.”

“You’d think, right? But, no – it was completely PG, and boring. The only reason we had alcohol or anything even remotely fun was because of Charlotte’s last-minute deals. Maze was…she was being really weird. There’s something going on with her and I don’t think it’s good.” Rory remembered the weird feeling she’d got seeing her and Pierce talking earlier at the precinct, and her subsequent un-Maze-like behaviour all day and felt like she needed to say something. “Just…be careful, okay?”

Lucifer’s brow scrunched and he looked at her quizzically. “She has been rather off with me lately since I refused to take her home. I’ll bear your warning in mind…thank you.”

Rory nodded. “But while we’re on the topic of strippers,” she added, remembering his previous comment. She slapped him on the arm in admonishment. “You married one?!”

Lucifer huffed in exasperation and rolled his eyes. “Oh, for Dad’s sa- Candy was not a stripper; she was an exotic dancer! In fact, she wasn’t even that – she was just doing me a favour!” At Rory’s flat look - that bore an uncanny resemblance to the one the Detective had gifted him with when he’d presented her with the same correction - he sighed, suitably chastised. “Never mind. You’re quite right - the semantics aren’t important.”

She quirked an eyebrow in an ‘I’m still waiting for an explanation’ look.

He looked sheepish as he told her, “It was another one of my ill-thought-out attempts to do right by the Detective.”

“And how exactly is marrying a stripper – sorry, exotic dancer – doing right by her?”

“At the time I thought that her feelings for me were being controlled by my father; that they weren’t her own. That she didn’t have a choice. So, by taking myself out of the equation, I thought I was giving her her choice back.”

Rory stared at him in disbelief. How had this billions of years old angel come to such a stupid conclusion? “You do realise how ridiculous that is?”

“Yes, yes – I realise that now! Like I said – hindsight is a wonderful thing.”

“Uh-huh.” Most people wouldn’t need hindsight to realise that. “You know, no one chooses who they fall in love with. No one can make you feel or not feel for someone – not even your dad. It just happens.”

“It does?” he asked, genuinely confused.

The irony was not lost on her that it would usually be the parent explaining this to the child and not the other way around. “Yeah, it does. You can choose to be with them of not.” She felt a pang in her chest at how he would exercise that choice in a few years’ time. “But you can’t choose whether or not you love them.”

He looked thoughtful as he considered this new world view altering information.

“Did you choose to love Chloe?” Rory asked to make her point.

“I-,” he sputtered, eyes widening at her use of the ‘L’ word. “I…she confounded me from the moment I met her, and my…feelings for her have been increasing ever since – for the most part without me even realising. So, I guess you’re right – I didn’t choose to feel for her. But I did choose to be her partner. I chose to kiss her.” He dropped his gaze, ashamed. “…and I, rather foolishly, chose to push her away.”

As unbelievably stupid as he’d been, his heart had been in the right place, and a wave of sympathy for him washed over her.

“And would you choose to be with her, if she asked?”

“In a heartbeat,” he replied instantly.

“I’d say yes in a heartbeat.”

Her parents really did need their heads banging together.

He sighed sadly and dropped his gaze to the keys. “But that’s irrelevant now anyway. I had my chance, and I blew it.”

Rory placed her hand on his forearm and gave him a small, knowing smile. “I wouldn’t give up just yet.”

Lucifer’s eyes glistened with moisture when he returned her smile. He cleared his throat. “Did the Detective have a nice time?”

“I think so. It was good for her to spend some time with her friends.”

He meant it when he replied softly, “I’m glad. I want her to be happy.”

Rory felt a strong urge to hug him. But she’d never hugged her dad before and the thought of it made her chest tighten with emotion. “Have you just been sitting here all night?” she asked instead.

“I wasn’t really in the mood for company,” he told her, “and music helps when I’m feeling…”

“Broken hearted?”

“Well, I was going to say morose, but I suppose your description wouldn’t be far wrong either.”

“Why don’t you play something now?” Rory suggested, wanting to cheer him up.

He looked down at the keys and then a tentative smile lit up his features when his eyes met hers again. “Do you play? Perhaps we could duet?”

Rory swallowed past the lump in her throat at his eager request. How long had she longed for this moment; for her dad to offer to play piano with her? “No,” she managed to choke out. “I was always waiting for my dad to teach me…if he ever came back.”

His face fell in sympathy.

“I play the guitar though,” she added proudly; another thing she’d longed to be able to tell him.

Lucifer immediately brightened. “You do?”

“Yeah.” Her face softened as she recalled a memory. “My mom got me a fancy Gibson SJ-200 Deluxe for my 7^th birthday. It was my favourite gift ever!”

“Your mum has good taste,” he replied, clearly impressed. “That’s an excellent model, and a dream to play! It would’ve been my top choice too.”

…Interesting.

“Yeah?”

“Indeed! Do you know, I actually have a Gibson somewhere – it’s a Vintage rather than a Deluxe, but close enough.”

As he sprung up from the bench and hastily disappeared down the stairs to his storage closet, Rory’s mind began to whir at the coincidence.

She heard him clattering around and then a few moments later he came trotting back up the stairs, clutching the aforementioned Gibson - that was very similar to her own, in his hand. He smiled proudly as he held it out to her.

She smiled back. “Thanks.”

He watched her fondly as her hands naturally found their place on the guitar and she plucked the strings experimentally.

“Does it bring back memories?”

“Yeah. Yeah, it does.”

Rory’s mind wondered again. Her mom was very much non-musical and knew next to nothing about instruments. So her dad must have shown her this, or played for her at some point during their partnership, and she’d just remembered when she bought Rory’s…that was the only plausible explanation.

“Would you care to accompany me, Rory?” he asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.

She ducked her head shyly. “I’d like that.”

Lucifer beamed. “Any requests? Lady’s choice.”

Rory thought for a moment and then began to play. Her mom might not be able to play music, but she could sing - beautifully in fact. And she would always sing this song to her when she was little.

Lucifer watched her intently, a smile tugging at his lips. But when she began to sing, his jaw dropped, and he stared at her in amazement.

“When you're weary

Feeling small

When tears are in your eyes

I'll dry them all

I'm on your side…”

A blush coloured her cheeks. “Do you know it?”

“I do,” he told her softly. His face was earnest and proud when he added, “Rory, you-…that was incredible. And your voice is hauntingly beautiful.”

Rory’s chest tightened at his words, and she had to blink back tears. Her mom had been right when she told her that he’d love to hear her play. “Really?”

He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Truly. I never lie.”

“Thank you. That- that means a lot.”

“You’re welcome. Shall we go from the top?”

She smiled, and then – perfectly in sync – they began to play.

He was as masterful on the piano as everyone had always told her he was. Then he began to sing too, and it was Rory’s turn to be amazed.

And it was her turn to be proud - because he was her dad.

“Sail on silver girl

Sail on by

Your time has come to shine

All your dreams are on their way

See how they shine

Oh, if you need a friend

I'm sailing right behind…”

They played and sang in perfect harmony as if they’d been doing it for years.

“Like a bridge over troubled water

I will ease your mind

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will ease your mind…”

And as the last notes ebbed away, Rory felt closer to him than she’d ever felt. She had an overwhelming desire for him to really know her; to know that he’d just dueted with his daughter for the first time.

On instinct, and without thought for the consequences, she opened her mouth to tell him that. To tell him that the confusing connection he’d been feeling towards her was because her eyes were his eyes, her impatience, her sass, her dry wit, were all his. Because she was a part of him.

But Rory didn’t get the chance to turn the time loop on its head, because the ding of the elevator hushed the words before they could pass her lips and had both of their heads turning towards the sound.

“Hi.”

Chapter Text

“Hi.”

“Detective, what are you doing here?”

Rory gave him a flat look. “Smooth.”

A blush coloured his cheeks as he looked from Rory and back to Chloe. “I’m sorry, I- obviously you’re more than welcome here – anytime,” he stuttered. “I just didn’t think you’d want to be here.”

Chloe fiddled nervously with her fingers and Rory knew she was trying to summon the courage to say what she needed to say.

She looked between her parents as a tense silence filled the room.

“I’m gonna go down to Lux for a while and give you two some time to talk.”

Before she got up, Rory nudged Lucifer and gave him a ‘don’t say anything dumb and mess it up this time’ look.

He nodded bashfully, understanding her warning.

“Rory?” Chloe called out as she made her way over to the elevator.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you, for tonight.”

Rory smiled, happy to know that she’d been able to help. “You’re welcome.”

Butterflies be damned.

The whirring of the elevator cables highlighted that it was just the two of them now and the nervousness returned. Their eyes met and then swiftly averted.

Lucifer cleared his throat. “Would you like a drink, Detective?” he asked, standing up from the piano bench with his usual flair and striding over to the bar. “I don’t have any of that boxed monstrosity you call wine, but I do have a rather nice Château Margaux?”

Whilst that probably was a very nice - and undoubtedly expensive - wine, Chloe grimaced at the thought of anymore booze. “I think I’ve had enough alcohol for one night. Probably for a month.”

“Right, yes – Rory mentioned that Charlotte pulled in some favours. Some coffee then, perhaps? Or I could call down to Lux and have them bring you up some juice, or a mocktail? I could even rustle you up an iced lemon water – I know you like your boring drinks?”

A smile tugged at her lips as he rattled off every non-alcoholic drink that came to mind, eager to accommodate her. And when he looked at her with those big, hopeful dark eyes of his, her chest tightened.

“Coffee would be great,” she assured him softly.

He beamed and her heart did a predictable little flutter.

“One coffee coming right up then!”

She took a seat on the piano bench he’d just vacated and watched as he fussed with his fancy coffee machine and steamed the milk to the perfect temperature and consistency. When she’d first met him, she’d thought that he purposely put on a show with everything he did. But over the years she’d come to realise that he was just naturally extravagant, and he wouldn’t be Lucifer if he wasn’t.

He spent a few more minutes perfecting his creations, and then - after drizzling something on top of one of them, he carried them into the lounge.

Lucifer faltered slightly when he saw where she was sat, looking hesitantly between her and the bench – unsure of where to put himself.

Chloe read his uncertainty and made the decision for him, scooting over to make space for him.

He smiled shyly at the invitation and handed a latte to her before placing his own classic black Americano (no doubt spiked) on the piano lid and sitting down next to her.

“Thanks.” She took a sip and then looked up at him in surprise as a warmth that had nothing to do with its temperature filled her chest. “You made it with almond milk, and caramel drizzle?”

He blinked like he wasn’t sure why she was surprised. “Of course I did – it’s your favourite, Detective.”

He said it so simply and her eyes misted up. She knew he wasn’t a fan of almond milk, but he apparently had a carton in his fridge anyway on the off chance – or hope – that she’d visit.

He frowned in confusion, misinterpreting the moisture in her eyes. “Detective, are you alright? Did- did I do something wrong?”

She smiled affectionately. “I’m fine, Lucifer – these are happy tears.”

If anything, he looked even more confused now. “Happy tears? I- I don’t understand.”

Chloe put her coffee down and then placed her hand over his that was resting on his thigh.

He gasped at the contact.

“You did something thoughtful for me, and it made me happy,” she explained.

“Oh.”

He looked down at their joined hands. She wondered if he could feel her racing pulse.

His eyes widened when he noticed something, or more precisely a lack of something. “No ring?” he whispered.

There was clearly no longer a ring on her finger, but he still looked up at her for confirmation.

Chloe swallowed past the tightness in her throat at the hope in his eyes that he was desperately trying to restrain. “No ring,” she clarified. “But I do have this.”

His gaze followed her hand as it reached inside the top of her shirt and pulled out the chain that was adorning her neck. And then it was his turn to swallow when he recognised what it was.

His bullet necklace.

“Chloe,” he whispered, transfixed on the little squashed piece of metal that held such significance to them. ‘What does this mean?’, the question he was too scared to ask, was written all over his face.

The rare use of her name, just as it always did, made her heart feel like it was too big for her chest.

When his eyes finally lifted to hers once again, Chloe took a deep breath for courage. They’d been taking one step forward and two steps back for years, dancing around their feelings and leaving so much unsaid. Well, it was time to say it. And whether it would be the moment that led to them finally being on the same page and becoming more, or whether they decided that best friends and work partners was all they could be, this thing that had always been there between them needed to be addressed.

It was time to take a leap.

“I should never have taken it off,” she told him first. Because it was true – she’d never wanted to take it off. It was the most meaningful piece of jewellery she’d ever owned, and it felt wrong for its comforting weight to not be resting on her sternum.

“I understand why you did,” he told her, guilt flashing across his beautiful face. “My behaviour recently hasn’t exactly given you reason to want to be reminded of me.”

“Maybe not,” she agreed, and he dropped his head in shame. Reaching out she gently tilted his chin back up so that he was looking at her when she continued. “But Lucifer, whether you’re making me smile or driving me crazy, I still always, always want to be around you.”

He looked at her with such confused wonder that it made her heart both swell and break at the same time. “You do?”

“Yeah.” Chloe gave him a warm smile. “Rory helped me realise something tonight – or more precisely, to admit something that I’ve known to be true for a long time.”

“Oh? What was that, Detective?” he asked softly.

That I’m in love with you. That I can’t remember what it’s like to not be in love with you.

This was it. She took a breath for courage, and then she jumped. “I realised that I can’t pretend anymore. I can’t pretend that Pierce is the man I want to spend my life with. I can’t pretend that if I was stood at the bottom of that aisle with him that I wouldn’t be wishing it was my infuriating best friend that I was saying those vows to instead. And I can’t pretend that it’s not you that I want to be with, Lucifer Morningstar.”

He just stared at her in shock, his mouth opening and closing but no words coming out.

“I- I broke up with Pierce before I came here,” she stuttered, her nervousness increasing and her courage decreasing with his prolonged silence. “I needed to be free before I told you this. And if- if you don’t feel the same way, then that’s fine…” It wasn’t fine – it would be mortifying after that speech, but she’d swallow her pride and deal with it if it came to it. “I just needed you to know.”

“Chloe,” he choked out, finally finding his voice. He looked down at her hand again – which, ironically, the only ring touching it now was the one belonging to the hand still atop it. His hand; his ring. When he looked back up, his eyes were glistening. As he cupped her jaw and stroked her cheek with his thumb, his lower lip trembled. “You did choose me.”

His touch was so tender – like she was something truly precious to him, and she couldn’t help but close her eyes and lean into it. When she opened them again, the reverent way he was looking at her was overwhelming.

She blinked back tears that threatened to fall. “Yeah, I chose you Lucifer. I’ve been choosing you ever since we met. I want this; us, so there it is. But I can’t be in it alone – I can’t keep jumping if you’re not gonna be there to catch me, because eventually I’ll break. So, I need to know - do you choose me? Because you have a habit of running away whenever we get close to becoming something more.”

Lucifer looked so achingly young in that moment – like he’d just been given the greatest gift but couldn’t for the life of him figure out what he’d done to deserve it. She knew he’d always struggled with verbalising his feelings, so she lifted her hand to his face and stroked his cheek – like he’d just done with her – to let him know it was okay if he needed a moment.

His eyes automatically fluttered shut and he nuzzled into her palm – just like she’d done with him.

Chloe smiled affectionately.

It seemed to help him find the words and the courage to say them because when he opened his eyes, he looked more determined and more resolute than she’d ever seen him.

“I- I understand that my previous actions may have caused you to doubt me; to doubt my feelings for you. And for that I am truly sorry,” he apologised. “My running away was never because I didn’t feel for you; it was because I did – I do! And I know how bloody ridiculous that must sound!” His eyes were wide and pleading as he sighed in frustration. But then his voice took on a gentle reverence as he continued. “But Detective, Chloe…you’re not in this alone – you never have been.”

Chloe could feel her heart thudding against her ribs. She knew that this was likely to be one of those life changing moments that she’d remember forever.

“You’re the very best thing in my life, and it’s hard to put into words just how much I care for you, Chloe Jane Decker. But I need you to know, that if there is any choice to be had at all, I choose you. I will always choose you; choose us. If you’ll have me, I’ll never leave again. And I promise, I’ll always be there to catch you.”

A happy sob that sounded very much like his name escaped her throat. “So you really want to do this – us?”

He smiled; soft and shy and devastatingly beautiful. “I really do. I want to be with you, Chloe – very much so. I want to be us.”

Chloe gave up trying to stem the tears that had been gathering in her eyes. She’d dreamt about this moment for so long.

Lucifer tenderly brushed the tears away with the pad of his thumb as they rolled down her cheeks.

She chuckled happily. “Then let’s just do it. Let’s just be together!”

His eyes sparkled like the stars, and in that moment she would have easily believed that he’d been the one to hang them in the sky. “Okay! Let’s do it!”

An entire butterfly farm took up residence in her stomach and flapped their wings wildly as she slowly leaned in towards him. They hadn’t kissed since that day at the beach – their first kiss – and despite how long it had been she still remembered every single detail of it. She remembered how his lips felt against hers – so warm and impossibly soft; she remembered how he tasted – all whisky and smoke and something just uniquely him. It had been intoxicating – one of those kisses you read about but can’t believe are actually real; the ones that heighten every single sense and leave you feeling dizzy. She’d missed that feeling, and she couldn’t wait to experience it again.

He swallowed as his gaze flickered down to her lips and Chloe could tell that he wanted this just as much as she did. She could feel his warm breath tickling her skin and all of her nerve endings were alight with anticipation.

But just as she was about to close the last remaining millimetre between them, a panicked look crossed his face and he pulled back.

Chloe frowned in confusion at the sudden distance between them and immediately missed his warmth. “Lucifer, what’s wrong?” she asked, unable to keep the insecurity out of her voice. Had he changed his mind already? Had he decided that a relationship with sensible, single mom, Chloe Decker didn’t fit in with his extravagant lifestyle.

A tumult of emotions played across his face, and he looked genuinely scared when his eyes met hers.

“It’s okay, Lucifer,” she soothed. “I’m here for you – you can talk to me.”

He nodded almost imperceptibly and then took a breath. “Detective, there’s- there’s something you need to know about me – something you deserve to know before we go any further.”

“Okay…” Chloe felt her stomach drop. They’d been blissfully happy for two minutes – was that really all they were allowed. No. They’d come this far; they weren’t giving up already. It didn’t matter what skeletons he had in his closet – it wouldn’t change her feelings for him. And she told him as much. “But Lucifer, there’s nothing you could tell me that would change how I feel about you.”

He dropped his gaze to his lap as he told her sadly, “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, Detective.”

When he began to fiddle nervously with his cufflinks, she stilled his hand with hers. “Lucifer, I’m sure.”

His eyes were glistening, fear radiating off of him in waves when he looked back up at her. “The other side of me is bad; it’s monstrous, even.”

Chloe shook her head. Her heart broke at how little self-worth he had, and she cursed whoever was responsible for making him feel that way.

“You deserve the truth, and right now I can’t show it to you, so I’m just going to have to tell you.” He looked so defeated and resigned to her inevitable rejection when he told her, “Detective…Chloe, I am the Devil.”

Chloe swallowed past the lump that had lodged itself in her throat. She took his face in both of her hands and ensured he was looking at her. Her voice was soft but resolute, leaving no room for argument. “No you’re not. Not to me.”

He let out the breath he probably hadn’t realised he’d been holding and looked at her with such awed wonder that it made her heart ache.

It was him then that leaned in towards her this time; an intrinsic tether pulling them together – one that they no longer had to resist.

His gaze cast up from her lips to her eyes as the distance separating them got smaller and smaller, silently asking for permission.

She nodded gently, granting it.

He didn’t pull back this time.

And then there was no more distance separating them. There were no more stripper wives or lieutenant fiancés. No more ignoring what had been inevitable since the day they met. It was just them – together – finally on the same page.

Their lips met in a tender, unhurried caress – an affirmation of the words they’d just spoken and a promise of those still to be said.             As her hands cradled his face, his hand came to rest on her sternum, right over his – their – bullet necklace.

They literally melted into one another, fitting together like two missing puzzle pieces.

Nothing had ever felt so right before. It felt like coming home.

Chloe teased his lips with her tongue experimentally, eager to get even closer to him.

That was the match to their tinder.

He acquiesced immediately, opening his mouth to allow her entry. She smiled and took it. And when a happy moan rumbled up from deep in his chest, Chloe could have sworn she saw stars.

Lucifer seemed equally eager to be as close as possible to her because – rather impressively - without breaking the kiss, he hooked one arm under her knees and lifted her like she weighed nothing. And the next thing she knew she was side saddle in his lap; the warm, strong banded muscle of his thighs replacing the wood of the piano bench as her seat.

She gasped his name in surprise. He seemed to appreciate that sound if the feral groan he emitted was anything to go by. She’d have to remember that for future reference.

From her new position she could also feel his growing need for her - emphasis on the growing. She’d seen him naked numerous times before – thanks to his penchant for taking his clothes at any given opportunity – so she knew exactly what was pressing tantalisingly against her thigh. But she’d never felt him before; that was definitely new.

The thought of what it could lead to made her lightheaded.

He groaned again – sinfully - when her fingers found their way into his hair and tugged on the strands that had started to curl. The sound shot straight to her core. And so she did it again.

His response was to devour her mouth even more, his tongue masterfully dancing with hers. God this man could kiss. And she couldn’t help but wonder what else he could do to her with that tongue.

Only when they couldn’t ignore the need for oxygen any longer did they pull back, panting, and breathless and looking thoroughly wrecked. They didn’t go far though – his arms wound protectively around her waist, holding her close, and their foreheads rested together as their heart rates calmed.

Chloe looked up at him through heavy lidded eyes, and when their gazes met, she couldn’t stop the giggle that bubbled up from her throat.

This had to be the craziest night of her life. She’d started it engaged to one man, only to break it of with him a few hours later, and end it making out with another man – the one she’d been secretly in love with for years.

Lucifer blinked in confusion at her reaction, and then looked a little affronted – which just made her giggle even more.

“Well, I can’t say I’ve ever had a woman laugh when I’ve kissed them before. You’re full of firsts for me, Detective,” he teased.

She took a breath to compose herself and then smiled as she stroked his cheek with her thumb. “I’m sorry – I’m not laughing at you. I just can’t believe that we’re finally here, that I can finally do this – be here, with you.”

He smiled affectionately in understanding. “It is rather wonderful, isn’t it?”

The reverence in his voice was matched by the look in his eyes, and it made her heart melt.

Chloe nodded as her eyes misted up. “I think we can be incredible together, Lucifer.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “I know we’ll be incredible together, Chloe.”

She was so gone for him.

“Lucifer, what I feel for you…I’ve never felt for anyone else before.”

“Repulsion on a chemical level?” he teased.

Chloe laughed because this was so quintessentially them, and she’d missed being them. Holding his face in her hands she placed a tender kiss to his forehead and told him softly, “Not quite.”

He sighed happily. “Well, so you know – I’m far from repulsed by you either.”

Her heart did that little flutter in her chest. Maybe it was too soon to say those words, but this was an I love you in their own way.

There were only a few stragglers left in Lux by the time Rory took a seat at the bar, the crowd having thinned out since it was approaching closing time. Patrick ensured his eyes didn’t drop south of her face as he poured her a drink, and then beat a hasty retreat to continue collecting discarded glasses. Rory snorted in amusement – he must have been recalling the death glare his boss had given him the last time he’d met her.

Rory didn’t need celestial powers to know that someone was watching her – the guy wasn’t even trying to be discreet in his observation. And when Rory turned to look at him, he didn’t look away.

She glared at him. “Are you just gonna stare at me all night like some creepy stalker or are you actually gonna talk to me?”

The man wasn’t perturbed by her snark. Instead, he simply smiled, picked up his own drink and walked over to her. “May I?” he asked, gesturing at the vacant stool beside her.

“Since when do you need permission to do anything?”

“You sound just like your father,” came his amused reply.

“Yeah, I get that a lot.”

He was still standing there so she waved her hand at the empty stool beside her in invitation.

“Thank you,” he replied graciously as he took a seat.

Rory quirked an eyebrow when she caught sight of his footwear. Socks with sandals – seriously?

“You know who I am.” It was a statement rather than a question.

“Celestials can sense other celestials,” she pointed out. “And you’re not one of my asshole uncles, so that only leaves one option.”

“You’re smart.”

“Yeah, I am,” she replied matter-of-factly. “So, did you just happen to be in the neighbourhood?”

His lips twitched in amusement. “I wanted to meet my granddaughter.”

“You’ve had forty years to meet me; why now?”

He didn’t answer her and instead just smiled again. “You’re the perfect mix of your parents, Aurora.”

She smiled slightly at that – it always made her happy to be likened to her mom, and over the past few days she’d started enjoying being likened to her dad again too. “It’s Rory,” she told him, throwing him a bone.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Rory.”

She shook the hand that he held out to her. “Nice to finally meet you too, Grandpa.”

He chuckled. “Grandpa – I like that.”

Patrick reappeared and placed a beer in front of him without him having asked. Perks of being God, Rory presumed.

“So, how’re you finding 2018?”

Rory scoffed. “Oh you mean, how’s it going travelling back to a time before I was even conceived, where my parents aren’t even together yet...although that may be about to change, where no-one knows who I am, and my mom doesn’t even believe celestials exist yet?”

His eyes twinkled in mirth. “Yes.”

She shook her head, sharing in his amusement. “It’s…not at all what I expected. Not that I expected to land up in 2018 at all, but…I’m glad I did.” It hit her then how true that really was. “Being here and being able to spend time with both of my parents – even though they don’t know who I am, and getting to know Lucifer…I could never regret that.”

“I’m glad that this detour has been enlightening.” His tone was sincere, and Rory could tell that he meant it.

“Enlightening, yes, although for every question answered I now have ten more.”

“You have something on your mind,” he stated, noting her furrowed brow.

Rory looked up at him and sighed. “I met Charlotte and Dan today, and I just keep thinking how unfair it is what happens to them. They’re too young to die, and T shouldn’t have to grow up without a dad…like I did. I feel so guilty knowing but not doing anything to stop it. All I’d have to do is say something and then it wouldn’t happen – I want to say something.”

“Time travel is a complex thing, Rory - you can’t change other people’s choices,” he told her sympathetically. “You only have power over your own.”

Rory frowned. “I’m pretty sure they didn’t choose to die.”

“No, but everything leading up to those moments were their choices.”

“But people can make different choices, given the chance,” she persisted stubbornly.

God smiled knowingly. “They can.”

Rory huffed. “Your mysterious ways are really annoying by the way.”

He chuckled. “I’ve been told that before.”

“You know why my dad left, don’t you?” Rory continued, trying a different line of enquiry.

“I do, yes,” he told her softly.

“But you’re not gonna tell me, right?”

“It’s not my story to tell.”

Rory rolled her eyes in frustration.

“But I will say, that Lucifer is a much better father than I am.”

“No offence, but that’s a pretty low bar,” she deadpanned. “Kicking your son out of Heaven and abandoning him for eons isn’t exactly father of the year material.”

“I suppose that’s fair. But you and your mother, and your sister, are the most precious things in the world to him.”

“That’s what everyone’s told me - my entire life. But if it’s true, then why did he leave us?”

“I can’t tell you that, Rory. But I can tell you that it was entirely selfless, and for the best reason a father could have. And I’m so very proud of him for it. When you find out, you’ll see.”

“When you go back, you’ll see.”

“Back?”

“In time – to 2021.”

“My mom knew I was gonna time travel; you knew I was gonna time travel…how?”

He gave her that annoying, knowing smile again.

“Because it’s already happened,” Rory realised, answering her own question. “My mom – from my time - met the grown-up version of me in 2021 before I was born, didn’t she?”

“She did,” he replied, looking proud at her deductive skills. “You’re in a time loop, and it’s almost complete.”

If she hadn’t suddenly had another realisation, Rory might have questioned him about what he meant by ‘almost complete’. “Wait, but if this is a time loop, I should be in 2021 – like my mom said. So why am I in 2018?”

Again, he just smiled.  “Everything happens for a reason.”

Again Rory rolled her eyes in frustration. “But what reason?”

“I can promise that all of these answers that you seek, you will find them.”

“You could just save me having to seek them and just tell me,” she grumbled.

“I see you’ve inherited your father’s impatience.”

Rory really wanted to punch him in his pleasant, affable face.

She chewed on her lip in worry as her mind tried to put the pieces together.

“What’s concerning you, Rory?”

She was pretty sure that he already knew – what with him being omniscient and all, but she bit back the urge to point that out. “I’ve broken the time loop just by being here. Mom would have already been pregnant with me in 2021 if I’d arrived there so it wouldn’t matter, but I don’t exist yet here. Have I…have I wiped myself out of existence by landing in the wrong year? Is that why you’re here now – because it’s your only chance to meet me?”

“It is my only chance to meet you,” he confirmed, and Rory’s stomach dropped. “But that’s because I’m not around in the future.”

That was kind of reassuring. Rory remembered that her uncle Amenadiel had taken over the role of God because her grandfather had retired to another dimension with his estranged wife. But he’d only answered one of her questions. “So I’ll still exist when I go back to my time? They’ll still…” she scrunched her nose and made a gesture with her fingers. “…do the deed and make me? I’ll still be their daughter?”

As expected, he didn’t give her a direct answer. Because why would he do that when he could give her a cryptic one instead? “If you weren’t going to exist, then the sacrifice your parents made would have been for nothing.”

Rory frowned in confusion. “Sacrifice?”

“You’ll understand soon.”

She huffed, really getting tired of being told that.

He sensed her frustration because he relented a little as he placed a gentle hand on her arm. “Rory, some people, no matter how you shake things up, end up making the same choices; are drawn to the same people; the same passions.” He smiled proudly as he added, “Your parents will always choose each other; they’ll always choose you.”

It still wasn’t a direct answer or a full confirmation; it was still vague and confusing. But his words did comfort her somehow, and she felt more confident that she probably hadn’t committed accidental suicide by time travel.

“I can see why Dad finds you annoying,” she grumbled.

Instead of being offended, his eyes twinkled as he grinned. “You called him ‘Dad’.”

Rory’s eyes widened in surprise – she hadn’t even realised she’d done it. It was the first time in her adult life that she’d done that. “I find you annoying too.”

God chuckled.

Rory wasn’t entirely sure what she expected to find on her return to the penthouse, but the sight she was met with stopped her in her tracks. Her mom was sat in her dad’s lap, his arms wrapped loosely around her waist as she carded her fingers through his hair. There was the softest of smiles on her face and he was gazing up at her as if she were the sun. They looked completely and utterly besotted with each other.

She’d seen a similar look on her mom’s face when she’d caught her looking at photos of him, but seeing it directed at the real live version was something else. And seeing it reciprocated just as intensely took Rory’s breath away, and she couldn’t help but stare.

They really were as in love as everyone had told her, if not more so.

So caught up in each other were they that they didn’t even hear the ding of the elevator or the clomp of her non-too-quiet boots on the marble floor. Which is why they probably thought nothing of it when, drawn to each other like magnets, they decided to start kissing. From how flushed they both looked, no doubt it was not for the first time that evening either.

It was probably time to make her presence known – she really didn’t need to see a preview of how they’d made her.

“Okaaay, butterflies officially stepped on!”

They startled at the sound and two pairs of eyes snapped towards her.

Chloe blushed at being caught in such a compromising position and Rory couldn’t help but snort at the role reversal.

“Butterflies?” Lucifer asked, completely un-embarrassed.

“Looks like you two made up,” Rory teased, changing the subject.

Lucifer beamed and then turned back to look at Chloe. He booped her affectionately on the nose. “We did.”

Chloe bit her lip, but it did nothing to suppress the soppy smile that stretched across her whole face. “Yeah, we did.”

Their joy was infectious and Rory couldn’t help but smile back. “I’m glad,” she told them sincerely. “…I’m gonna…” She gestured towards the bar when they resumed gazing adoringly at each other.

Chloe tore her eyes away from Lucifer just long enough to nod sheepishly at Rory.

“I should go,” Chloe murmured softly, stroking his face.

Lucifer whined and tightened his arms around her waist as he buried his head in her neck. “You should stay.”

Chloe giggled at his reaction. “If I don’t leave now, I’ll never leave.”

“I’m not hearing a downside,” he replied, his warm breath tickling her skin as he placed a kiss to the underside of her jaw.

Her lips twitched in amusement. It wouldn’t take much to persuade her, but she didn’t want the first time they spent the night together to be the same night she’d been celebrating her engagement to someone else. She wanted it to be just theirs.

She allowed herself a few moments though to enjoy holding him in her arms, her fingers playing with the hair at the back of his neck – a move she’d discovered he very much enjoyed and elicited a satisfied purr from him.

Lifting his head gently from her chest she kissed him softly. When she pulled back, he whined again and chased her lips. She rolled her eyes affectionately and then, unable to deny him – or herself – she placed little pecks to his cheeks, his nose and then to his lips once more. “I really should go now.”

Lucifer sighed dramatically. “If you must.” His voice was shy and vulnerable though when he added, “Can I see you tomorrow?”

Chloe smiled. “You can see me every day, if you’d like?”

His face lit up. “I’d like that very much.”

When she stood up, he followed and offered her his hand. She took it and their fingers automatically entwined as they walked the short distance to the elevator together. It made her feel all warm inside.

All too soon the elevator arrived, and she reluctantly let got of his hand as she stepped inside. But not before he lifted it to his lips and placed a kiss to her knuckles.

“Until tomorrow, Detective.”

Chloe smiled again. She was pretty sure she’d be smiling all the way home. “See you tomorrow, Lucifer.”

Rory cleared her throat as she watched her dad stare at the elevator long after the doors had closed and her mom was no longer visible. “Guess you didn’t say anything stupid this time, huh?” she teased.

A blush coloured his cheeks as he cast one last longing look at the doors before joining her at the bar. “Apparently not; wonders will never cease.”

He poured himself a glass of scotch and another for her.

She pretended not to see the state of his hair, or the shirt buttons that definitely hadn’t been undone when she went down to Lux.

“You look happy,” Rory commented, noticing the contented, faraway look in his eyes – a stark contrast to the devastation that she’d seen in them when they’d first met.

His whole face softened. “I am. I’m quite sure I’ve never been happier.”

“I’m happy for you.” And she really was. Regardless of what had happened – or what would happen – she cared about him, and she liked seeing him happy.

“I kissed her.”

His voice was so full of awed wonderment – like he couldn’t quite believe that it wasn’t all a dream, that Rory couldn’t help but smile. “I saw.”

“Yes, apologies for the show – we may have gotten a little caught up in the moment.”

Rory quirked an eyebrow in amusement. If the starry-eyed, lovestruck look on his face was anything to go by, he wasn’t in the slightest bit sorry.

There was a slight issue though in that they weren’t supposed to have a kid for another three years, and with the way they’d been looking at each other, if Rory hadn’t interrupted when she did, they may well have got to practicing right there and then.

How do you give the talk to your parent?

Rory chewed on her lip in contemplation. “…maybe you should take things slowly – with Chloe. You know, not rush things.”

She held up a hand when he smirked, cutting him off before he could say it. “Please don’t make a joke about how slowly you can take things.”

Lucifer huffed.

He thought for a moment and then nodded. “You’re quite right - the best things in life are worth waiting for. We’ve waited three years already, what’s a little bit longer? I’ll take it at the Detective’s pace.”

Rory sighed in relief. That relief didn’t last long though when she remembered Maze saying how they were always at it like rabbits and “once they popped, they couldn’t stop.”

And from the way her mom had been looking at him earlier, she doubted that her pace would be particularly slow.

“…Even if she wants to jump your bones straight away, maybe still wait a little while - like you said, the best things are worth waiting for.”

Lucifer grinned. “Well, I am rather fond of delayed gratification.”

Rory grimaced. Why were her parents such horny teenagers? “I really didn’t need to know that.”

Chapter Text

Rory awoke to the sound of hushed voices, which sounded suspiciously like her parents’. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand: 8:02. Had her mom snuck back in here after she’d fallen asleep and stayed over? She scrunched her nose as unwanted thoughts occurred to her. Had they been…doing stuff on the couch while she slept just 30ft away? Did their idea of taking it slow, mean waiting a whole hour before giving in to their…urges? Rory shook her head to rid herself of the disturbing images.

Stealthily she crept over to the bedroom doorway to investigate. Peering out, Rory saw them standing by the elevator and noted with relief that her mom was wearing different clothes to those from last night. She also wasn’t carrying a bag, which suggested that her current outfit had not been brought with her and so she was more likely just arriving as opposed to just leaving.

With that therapy-inducing scenario quashed, Rory took a moment to just watch them. Just like last night they were totally caught up in each other. If the phrase, drinking each other in, ever needed a description, the image in front of her would be it. Their gazes were locked, just like their hands and the smiles on their faces were enraptured but shy.

Her mom’s hair was down, cascading in soft waves over her shoulders – no doubt for her dad’s benefit. Rory was sure he appreciated it, but she was equally sure that even if her mom had turned up bald, he’d still be looking at her with that soppy, lovestruck look on his face.

“You look beautiful, Detective,” Rory heard him softly murmur.

Chloe bit her lip to try and control her smile as a blush coloured her cheeks at the compliment.

Lucifer tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and then cradled her jaw with the same hand, seemingly unable to not be touching her in some way. Rory couldn’t help but smile at how her mom beamed when he leaned down and kissed the tip of her nose – that seemed to be their thing.

“Disgustingly cute,” Maze had affectionately described them as, and it really wasn’t hard to see why.

Rory decided to leave them to their moment. They deserved this time together – a little bit of happiness in the calm before the storm.

She eventually joined them in the lounge after taking a quick shower and getting dressed. Upon finding them in the exact same position she rolled her eyes fondly.

Besotted.

Her mom blushed again and made to put a more PG distance between them, but her dad wrapped an arm around her waist before she could get very far.

“Ah, good morning, Rory!” he greeted cheerfully, a proud smile on his face. “The Detective came to tell me about our new case.”

Rory smirked. “Uh-huh. Have you lost your phones?”

They both blushed this time at her teasing.

“I thought I’d pick Lucifer up on the way,” Chloe justified unconvincingly.

“And very thoughtful it was too,” Lucifer replied, practically cooing as he turned to resume staring adoringly at her.

Chloe grinned up at him, before clearing her throat when she remembered that they weren’t actually alone.

Rory watched them with a quirked eyebrow – not even attempting to hide her amusement.

“Would you like to come too, Rory?” Chloe asked, changing the subject. “Seems like it could be a pretty interesting case.” She nudged Lucifer teasingly in the ribs. “At least interesting enough to keep this one from whining for a while.”

Lucifer huffed in affront. “I do not whine, Detective!”

It was Chloe’s turn to quirk an eyebrow in amusement. “Uh-huh.” Turning back to Rory, she added, “Forest Clay’s wife – Devon – was murdered at home last night, so a pretty high profile one too.”

Rory’s smile faltered - she knew that case. “Is he the baseball guy?”

“Apparently, yeah. Are you into baseball?”

“No, but I’ve heard of him.”

Chloe nodded. “Well, you’re more than welcome to come with us if you’d like.”

“Indeed,” Lucifer added. “We’d love for you to join us.”

Rory’s smile returned at how they both genuinely wanted her there. Even if they’d likely be behaving like lovestruck teenagers the whole time, she wasn’t about to pass up the chance to spend another day with both of her parents. “Sure, why not!”

When they pulled up outside the sprawling Hills mansion, that was now cordoned off by yellow police tape, Chloe chewed on her lip as she turned to Lucifer. “Do you think we should tell people about us yet? You know, because of the whole timing thing.”

“I’d gladly shout the development in our relationship from the rooftops, Detective,” he replied softly. “But if you’d rather keep it hush-hush for a while, I won’t be offended.”

“I’m not ashamed of you, Lucifer – or of us,” Chloe was resolute in her assurance, placing a hand on his forearm. “I’m just a bit worried about what people will think…you know, because I was engaged to Pierce yesterday, and today I’m with you.”

“You shouldn’t concern yourself with what a bunch of gossipy cops think. Anyone who knows and cares for you will just be happy that you’re happy. And anyone who’s not, isn’t worth your time.”

Chloe’s whole face softened with affection as she smiled at him. “Your sessions with Linda have really had an effect on you, huh?”

He smiled shyly back. “I don’t think it’s just Dr Linda who’s had an effect on me, Detective.”

Rory snorted as she looked between the two of them from the back seat. “There’s no point even trying to be discreet – you guys are so obvious. One look at the heart eyes you’re constantly giving each other and everyone’s gonna know. Plus, you literally can’t stop touching each other.”

In demonstration of her point, Rory gestured at Lucifer’s thigh – where Chloe’s hand was now resting atop it.

Chloe blushed and made to move her hand, but Lucifer captured it in his before she could, keeping it in place and linking their fingers. “Well, when you’ve wanted to be with someone for over three years and you’re finally allowed to, you don’t want to waste another second without them.”

A rush of warmth flooded Chloe’s chest. He’d just admitted that he’d wanted to be with her for over three years – right from the start. She squeezed his hand and hoped he knew that she’d felt the same – however hard she’d tried to deny it back then.

Rory followed them inside the property and smiled warmly when she caught sight of a very young version of her Aunt Ella, crouched down with her camera next to the unfortunate victim.

As soon as she saw them, Ella stood up and hurried over to them, her words tumbling out in a rush. “Chloe, before you say anything, I just really want to apologize for...the event that should not be named.”

Chloe frowned at her friend’s rambling. “The what?”

“The bachelorette party from Hell,” Ella clarified sheepishly. “I-I got caught up. I acted selfish. Just-”

“Ella, it's fine,” Chloe assured her.

Ella still didn’t seem totally convinced. “That wasn’t why you broke it off, was it?”

Chloe had messaged the tribe group chat once she got home last night to inform them that the engagement was off, in an attempt to decrease the level of shock today and having to have the same conversation on repeat. Surprisingly – or perhaps not – they weren’t overly shocked at the news.

An amused smile tugged at her lips. “No, that wasn’t why I broke it off. We were never right for each other.” Understatement of the century.

Ella sighed in relief. “Oh, good.”

Chloe snorted. “So you can stop worrying now – it wasn’t your fault. And things…actually worked out really well in the end.”

This piqued Ella’s interest. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Before Chloe could elaborate though, she frowned as soft piano notes floated through the air. “Is that someone playing piano?”

“I think so.”

“At a crime scene?”

Turning around she found that Lucifer – unsurprisingly – was not where she had left him and had already wandered off. She had a feeling the two things might be related. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

As predicted, once she’d descended the spiral staircase, Chloe found Lucifer sitting at the piano, his long fingers dancing smoothly across the keys.

He looked up as she approached, his eyes twinkling as they met hers. “You look familiar. Have we met?”

“What?”

“Then you ask if I like to play cop. And I say, "No, I like to play in general, Detective.” Except you were on the other side of the piano.”

Chloe smiled fondly at the memory of their first meeting and how he remembered it word for word. “That's right, yes. That's what we said when we first met.” She leaned on the piano lid as she added, “Although our first words I believe were, “Lucifer Morningstar – is that a stage name or something?” And then you said-”

“God-given I’m afraid,” he finished for her. “I remember. I also asked if we’d had sex.”

Chloe snorted as she came to sit next to him on the bench, pleasant memories of a similar situation last night flashing through her mind. A tingle ran down her spine as her thigh brushed against his. “Yes, so charming right from the start.”

Lucifer smirked. “One of my many qualities.”

Chloe rolled her eyes in amusement. “What are you doing, anyway?”

“I’m reminding us both of a life less complicated. You know, before all that... Lieutenant-shaped nonsense. So we can go back to normal. For example, I'm sure you remember this little ditty...” He started to play the intro to Heart and Soul – their song, and then looked at her with a hopeful, boyish smile. “Come on, take the top line, Detective. Don't be shy.”

Chloe considered it for a moment – it wasn’t exactly professional, and they really should be working. But maybe she could indulge him, just this once. “Okay – just for a little bit.”

The way his eyes lit up in delight made her rare spontaneity totally worth it.

Their faces bore matching smiles as she started playing the melody and then he joined in with his familiar elaborate harmony.

He would clearly have happily performed an encore or two, but after one rendition, Chloe placed her hand atop his to still his fingers. “As fun as this is, we should really get to work now.”

Lucifer – uncharacteristically - acquiesced, without a huff or complaint. “Yes, absolutely. A mystery waits to be solved. Onwards, Detective!”

He stood and chivalrously offered her his hand – which they both knew she didn’t need.

Chloe took it anyway as she stood up herself. “Thanks.” She gave it a squeeze and then reluctantly let it go before they climbed back up the stairs.

They walked back over to the scene of the crime, side by side.

Ella was apparently not done feeling guilty, because she immediately continued apologising. “I just really want to apologize for last night, Chloe. You know, I- I made it about me when I should have been listening to your needs.”

Chloe opened her mouth to tell her again that she really had nothing to feel guilty for, but Lucifer beat her too it.

“Don’t you worry about the Detective’s needs, Miss Lopez – I’ve got those covered. Or uncovered – depending on how you look at it.”

Chloe was sure her face turned the colour of the soles of Lucifer’s stupidly expensive shoes. “Lucifer!”

She glared at him, but he just smirked; completely unrepentant. He even accompanied it with a swipe of his tongue against his cheek – which, much as she tried to fight it, sent a jolt of heat directly to her core.

Ella looked suspiciously between the two of them and then her eyes lit up like a child’s at Christmas. “OMG, are my Deckerstar dreams finally coming true?! Are you two together?”

Chloe gave up her pretence of being annoyed. She was too happy and couldn’t help but smile. “We are.”

Lucifer grinned. “Definitely together.”

“We’re taking it slow, but yes, Lucifer and I are a couple.”

She looked nervously up at him for confirmation that that label was correct and hadn’t spooked him.

It hadn’t, and just like he’d promised last night, he wasn’t running away. Instead, he just beamed proudly. “Absolutely – a couple.”

Ella squealed in delight, bouncing up and down as she clapped her hands together like an excited seal.

“Things will be totally professional at work though,” Chloe clarified, blushing once again at her friend’s enthusiasm.

Ella smirked, noticing how their index fingers were linked between them – seemingly without them having noticed. “You might wanna tell your hands that.”

Rory snorted. “Told you.”

Chloe stubbornly – and reluctantly – shoved her hands in her pockets in response, and also to avoid further temptation.

Lucifer just grinned – clearly unfussed about professionalism.

“And who’s this chica?” Ella asked, a warm smile on her face as she turned to Rory.

“This is our little protégé, Rory,” Lucifer introduced.

Rory couldn’t help but smile at his use of our, and the pride evident in his voice.

“Rory, this perpetually cheerful and brilliantly talented forensic scientist, is Miss Lopez.”

Ella blushed a little at the description and then pulled Rory into a hug. “Also known as Ella. It’s so nice to meet you, Rory!”

Rory smiled at her aunt’s immediate affection and hugged her back – some things never changed. “It’s nice to meet you too, Ella.”

“Are you here on work experience or something?”

“Rory’s a mini-detective if ever I saw one!” Lucifer supplied before Rory had chance to formulate an answer.

If only he knew how true that was!

“Aw! Well, if you wanna learn anything about forensics, just hit me up! Always happy to get more girls into STEM!”

“Thanks, Ella.”

“Yes, Miss Lopez knows everything there is to know about science and all things nerdy.”

Rory chuckled as Ella punched him fondly on the arm, to which he feigned hurt.

“Speaking of nerdy – didn’t you watch the entire series of Bones in three days?” Chloe teased.

“Two days,” Lucifer corrected. “And that was for research – to help improve my detective-ing skills.”

Chloe smirked. “That the only reason you liked it?”

It was Lucifer’s turn to blush now. “Well, I may have gotten slightly invested in B and B’s relationship,” he confessed, and then fussed with his cuffs in indignation. “But that’s beside the point – I am not nerdy!”

“Shame – I kinda like nerds,” Chloe husked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Lucifer was rendered momentarily speechless, but recovered quickly. He swallowed as his eyes dipped down to her lips. “Well in that case, I do have a pair of glasses that make me look particularly distinguished and intellectual – even more so than usual. I’ll dig them out the moment I get home!”

“You do that.” 

Rory watched her parents shamelessly flirt and eye-sex each other. As happy as she was for them, she really didn’t need to see that. “They’ve been like this all morning,” she told Ella.

When she turned to her aunt however, she found her staring at them with giant heart eyes of her own.

Lucifer and Chloe finally remembered that they were in public and cleared their throats bashfully upon noticing their friend’s reaction.

“So, the case! What’s the COD, Ella?”

“Yes, do fill us in on the grizzly details, Miss Lopez!”

Lucifer managed a whole twenty minutes of witness questioning before getting bored and going in search of something more interesting to do.

Chloe and Rory watched him juggle what were probably priceless baseballs as Ella looked on, horrified.

“Is he always like this?” Rory asked as he caught one behind his head, making him look like a giant, gangly-limbed spider.

Chloe shook her head with a smile, long since used to her partner’s antics and short attention span. “Let’s just say this isn’t the first time he’s juggled evidence.”

“And it doesn’t annoy you?” she asked amusedly, knowing how much of a stickler for the rules her mom is.

“Oh, he definitely tries my patience. But he wouldn’t be Lucifer is he wasn’t-”

“An overgrown child?”

Chloe snorted. “Pretty much, yeah.” Her eyes softened as they drifted back over to Lucifer – who was sheepishly handing the priceless sporting memorabilia back to Ella. “We’ve always worked well together though. We’re complete opposites in a lot of ways…but in all the ways that matter, we’re the same. And I wouldn’t change him.”

And that was her mom – she loved unequivocally. Maybe they’d go through a rough patch where he’d question that statement. But ultimately Chloe Decker doesn’t care if you’re an angel, devil, or Nephilim; she doesn’t love Lucifer and her in spite of that – she loves them more because of it. She accepts them and loves them, just as they are.

Lucifer grinned upon catching Chloe watching him and then preened as he re-joined them in three strides – thanks to his ridiculously long legs. “I feel like my ears are burning.”

Chloe’s lips twitched in amusement. “Did no one ever teach you it’s rude to eavesdrop?”

“So you were talking about me then!” he beamed delightedly.

Chloe gave Rory a wry look. “See what I mean about trying my patience?”

“She only pretends to find me annoying,” he explained, placing an arm around her waist and pulling her into his side. “See,” he smirked proudly when she pursed her lips in an attempt to prevent herself from smiling.

Chloe rolled her eyes out of habit but made no move to step out of his embrace.

“And the eye roll. That is quintessential Deckerstar.”

“Yes well, quintessential Deckerstar need to do some quintessential working.”

She fixed him with what was supposed to be a serious stare - which just made him grin wider, and then went over to talk to Ella.

“What?” he asked, narrowing his eyes when he noticed Rory smirking at him.

“It’s kinda cute how you both use your own ship name.”

Lucifer scoffed. “Nerdy I can just about deal with, but cute might be a stretch too far.”

“Oh I dunno, I’m sure Chloe thinks you’re cute,” she teased mischievously. “Why don’t we ask her?”

“Rory- no!” Lucifer hissed, clearly mortified as she called out “Chloe!”

Chloe walked back over; eyeing them in suspicion as she looked between the two of them. “Yeah?”

“Lucifer was just wondering-”

“I wasn’t,” he interrupted.

“-if you think he’s cute?”

Chloe opened her mouth, but no words came out. She looked equally as embarrassed as Lucifer. “I-” She huffed and tugged on her jacket. “You two are as bad as each other!”

Rory grinned – this was too much fun. And great payback for all the times her mom had teased her about girls she liked during high school.

“Detective, wait for me!” Lucifer called out, trotting after her as she turned on her heel and strode out into the garden.

Rory snorted when she heard him enquire, “…So, do you?”

As with most cases that Rory had tagged along with her mom on, dead ends and stumbling blocks were thrown in their path.

That was until Charlotte insisted that Devon’s husband was no victim, and actually the killer instead.

Chloe was understandably curious as to how she’d arrived at this epiphany – to which Lucifer explained that Charlotte had seen Forest in her Hell loop, when she had her ‘mini death’, and so encouraged his upgrade of status to prime suspect.

It was interesting for Rory to see her mom’s reaction to conversations like that - before she actually believed in all the celestial stuff. Although she looked decidedly unimpressed by the explanation, she didn’t dismiss them as crazy. There must have been some small part of her that had believed the truth all along.

With little other leads to go on, investigating Forest became their priority. Rory was also confident that that was the right way to go – she’d gotten bad vibes from him from the start. Much like her dad, she hated liars, and she’d immediately sensed that Forest was hiding something.

And as the day went on it seemed to be the right call.

Rory studied her mom as she trawled through hours of CCTV footage. “Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?” she asked after a while, remembering her conversation with Grandpa God.

Chloe looked up from her screen and tilted her head in thought. “I think that actions have consequences – it’s kinda what my whole job is about. And figuring out peoples’ reasons for doing things is what I do every day.”  

“What about fate?”

“You mean do I think that our lives are pre-determined and we have no say over what happens to us?”  

Rory nodded.

“No, I don’t believe that. There may be paths that are laid out for us, but we choose whether or not to go down them, or to make our own paths.”

There was no hesitancy in her answer, no element of doubt. Free will was just as important to her mom as it was to her dad.

“Why do you ask?”

Before Rory could formulate a response, she felt a familiar tingling in her hands. Her eyes widened and she almost knocked the chair over in her haste as she stood up. “Um, excuse me.”

Her mom looked confused before Rory practically ran out there, but didn’t say anything. She was likely used to weird behaviour having worked with Lucifer for three years.

Locking herself in the bathroom, Rory looked down at her flickering hands in concern. “Please – not yet!” she begged. It was too soon – she wasn’t ready to leave yet.

Someone must have been on her side because the flickering suddenly stopped, her skin turning back to its usual alabaster.

Rory sighed in relief. She’d been granted a reprieve, but she had a feeling it wouldn’t be for long. Anything she wanted to do here, she needed to do it soon.

Once she was certain that she wouldn’t be imminently bursting into a ball of light, Rory left the safety of the bathroom and headed back to the bullpen.

Chloe wasn’t at her desk anymore, but a glance over at the lab showed that she was in there, together with Ella and Lucifer – who was once again fiddling with everything. Rory snorted at the contrite look on his face when Ella slapped his hand away from the microscope.

Her attention then turned towards the stairs when she heard another now familiar voice. 

Rory chewed on her lip as she watched Charlotte sitting on the edge of Dan’s desk, laughing at something he said. They looked happy.

“You can’t change other people’s choices,” her mercurial grandfather had told her.

But rules were there to be bent, and she was definitely her father’s daughter in that regard.

When Charlotte got up to go over to the coffee machine, Rory followed her.

“Rory, hi,” Charlotte greeted her with a warm smile. “How’re the two lovebirds?” she asked, inclining her head towards Chloe and Lucifer – who were now engaged in deep discussion in the lab, and stood a little too close together to be considered platonic.

Rory huffed in amusement at how Charlotte looked both pleased and mischievous at the turn of events. “They’re good. Can’t seem to keep their hands off each other.”

“Well, I suppose they have had three years of foreplay at this point – it’s to be expected.”

Rory scrunched her nose. She’d be glad when everyone knew who she was – if for no other reason than it might stop them saying stuff like that in front of her. Apart from Maze of course – it never stopped her. “Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Is everything okay?”

She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening. “I, um- it’s about Pierce.”

Charlotte quirked an eyebrow, interest piqued. “Oh?”

“He’s…onto you, and Amenadiel. I just- I wanted to warn you, to be careful. He’s dangerous – he’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants.”

Rory wasn’t sure exactly when Pierce had shot her, she just knew it was at some point during this case. Maybe she couldn’t personally change Charlotte’s choices, but she could give her a little more information in order to make them herself. “…maybe you should sit this case out?”

Charlotte smiled and placed a hand on Rory’s shoulder. “Thank you for the warning, Rory. I’ll be careful.” Her back straightened in defiance as she added, “But I’ll never hide from any man – least of all him.”

She squeezed Rory’s shoulder before heading back over to Dan’s desk, two coffees in hand.

Rory watched her go with a sigh. Charlotte reminded her of her mom in a way – stubborn and strong. It might be frustrating sometimes, but it was hard not to respect those qualities. Hopefully her warning would put Charlotte on guard enough to avoid tragedy this time.

“Are you going out?” Rory asked back at the penthouse as she watched her dad preen himself in the mirror behind the bar. A wave of disappointment hit her. If there was one thing she wanted to do more than anything with her remaining time in 2018, it was to spend as much time as she could with him, in case this was the only chance she got. She’d been hoping they could binge watch the next season of Bones together.

“Yes, I was going to go over and surprise the Detective.” He bent down and picked up a box, a wide smile stretching across his face as he showed it to her. “It’s been a while since we’ve had a game night with the spawn.”

Rory’s chest tightened at the sight of the Monopoly box, remembering the family photo on T’s wall. She forced a smile onto her face and hoped he couldn’t see the hurt in her eyes. “I hope you have a nice time.” They were his family – of course he’d want to spend his time with them, especially now he and her mom were together.

“Well, you’ll be able to see that for yourself. I’ll warn you though – keep an eye on the little urchin, she’s an absolute shark!”

“You- you want me to come too?” Rory asked, her voice a mixture of confusion and hope.

Lucifer just blinked at her as if the answer were obvious. “Of course. …that is, if you’d like to, obviously?”

He wanted her to be part of family night.

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d like that.”

He grinned and then held out his arm to her. “Excellent. Shall we?”

When they reached her mom’s apartment, Rory found it amusing how his earlier confidence disappeared and was replaced with nervousness as he fiddled with his cufflinks and brushed non-existent lint from his pants.

“Are you gonna knock or are we just gonna stand out here all night?” she teased.

“Hmm?” He stopped his fidgeting and looked at her as he thought for a moment. “No. If I’m trying to get us back to normal then I should just barge in, like I used to.”

And with that he flung the door open and strode in, announcing his presence with an enthusiastic, “Hello!”

Trixie immediately turned towards them and beamed. “Hi Lucifer! Hi Rory!”

“Oh, perfect... you're exactly where you need to be,” Lucifer replied, noting their position around the coffee table in the lounge. “Who’s up for a classic game night, hmm?”

He held the Monopoly box up in hopeful anticipation.

“Well, actually, it's a school night for her, and I was just about to go over the King Clay security footage,” Chloe told him apologetically.

“Remember, all work and no play makes the Detective...a shoe,” he persisted, undeterred.

Rory knew her mom was wavering when she didn’t answer straight away. And she knew she’d given in when she teased him back.

“It’s funny because I remember you being the shoe.”

Lucifer huffed. “A Louboutin of course. And only because the child wouldn’t relinquish the top hat.”

“And I’m not relinquishing it this time either,” Trixie smirked, swiping the piece as soon as the lid was off the box.

“I’d expect nothing less of you, Urchin.”

Chloe looked between the three pairs of big brown eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. She folded the screen on her laptop and set it aside. “Okay. I guess I can look at the footage in the morning.”

Lucifer beamed, Trixie pumped her fist in triumph and Rory smiled wistfully at the exchange.

He held a counter out to Chloe with an exaggerated flair. “Your race car, darling.”

Chloe snorted as she took it and then handed him his own counter with a terrible imitation of his accent. “Your shoe, Sir.”

His eyes darkened at her use of Sir.

Rory watched them with a raised eyebrow. “Are you two gonna flirt all night?”

“They always flirt,” Trixie piped in matter-of-factly as she set up the board.

Chloe scoffed. “We do not always flirt!”

Trixie quirked an eyebrow, looking like she couldn’t believe her mom could be so oblivious. “You do.”

“Don’t worry, Detective – it’s not your fault that I’m irresistible,” Lucifer teased, his eyes twinkling with glee.

Chloe scoffed again. “You can be irresistible from the garden if you don’t be quiet.”

Lucifer just grinned, knowing full well that it was an idle threat. He did however relent – for now – on the teasing. “So Rory, what’s your counter of choice?”

Rory regarded the remaining counters. She’d never actually played Monopoly before. When she was about nine, she’d found a copy of it at the back of a closet one Christmas when she’d been hunting for her presents, but T had told her to put it back because playing it would make mom sad. So she’d never asked. “Umm…I’ll be the shot glass!”

“It’s actually a thimble,” her parents replied in unison and then smiled at each other.

Rory frowned at the little silver piece in her hand. “Oh.”

“My sentiments exactly. Shot glasses are far more exciting – and useful,” Lucifer sympathised. “You can have my shoe if you’d like?” He held out his shoe to her with a kind smile and then added, “It does sort of resemble those clunky boots of yours.”

Rory snorted and rolled her eyes. “It’s called fashion.”

“If you say so.”

“Thanks, but I’m good with this one. I don’t care if it’s supposed to be a thimble – I’m calling it a shot glass.”

“I admire your stubbornness,” he replied, pride in his voice, and then he grinned at Chloe. “Reminds me of someone else I know.”

It was Chloe’s turn to roll her eyes then. “Uh-huh. Let’s see how you fare when I take you for all you’ve got.”

Lucifer smirked in delight and then purred sinfully, “Oh, I’m looking forward to it, Detective.”

Chloe flushed scarlet. “Lucifer!”

“What?” he replied, placing a hand over his heart in mock innocence.

“Okaaay, who’s going first?” Rory intervened, not needing to hear any more badly concealed innuendos from her parents.

“Youngest goes first,” Trixie declared, snatching up the die before shaking them and casting them onto the board.

Technically Rory was actually the youngest…minus three years old in this time to be precise. She let it slide though and allowed her sister to take her turn.

“Uh, no, no, no, I'm afraid that won't do... you landed on the little question mark last time, so come on, do-over,” Lucifer commented, handing the die back to her when she moved her top hat to Connecticut Avenue instead.

“We can't play the exact same game as we did before, Lucifer. It’s not fun.”

His face fell a little. “Isn’t it?”

Trixie shook her head.

“But I wanted it to be like it was before.” He turned to Chloe, a vulnerable look in his eyes… “You know – to remind you of how great we are together.”

Chloe’s face softened in understanding, his other comments during the day making sense now. She placed a hand on his arm. “Lucifer, I already know how great we are together. Incredible, remember?”

“I think we can be incredible together, Lucifer.”

“I know we’ll be incredible together, Chloe.”

He smiled softly. “I remember.”

“And it’s already different – Rory’s here this time, for example.” Her voice was warm but shy as she continued, “But…we don’t need to do things exactly the same, because maybe we can be even better this time.”

He looked at her with complete adoration. “Yes, even better.”

Chloe smiled softly back at him and squeezed his hand.

Rory watched them stare besottedly at each other again and then cleared her throat. “I don’t really know the rules – I’ve never played before.”

“Not to worry, Rory. I’m a Monopoly expert now,” Lucifer informed her confidently, tugging on his lapels. “I’ll teach you the ropes.”

Rory smirked. “No offence, but according to T, she trounces you every time, so I think she’d be a better teacher.”

Lucifer looked at her in affront. “Well, offense taken!”

Trixie giggled, and then a matching smirk encompassed her face. “I’ll show you how it’s done, Rory.”

“And to think I brought you all lollies too,” Lucifer grumbled, pulling out a packet of four pink lollies from his jacket pocket.

Trixie’s face lit up at the sight of the candy and she fixed her best wide-eyed, pleading look on him.

It worked like a charm, and he handed one over with a huff. “I’m sure you’re a jedi like your mother.”

Trixie just grinned. “Thanks, Lucifer!”

He hummed and then handed one each to Chloe and Rory, before sulkily sticking the remaining one in his own mouth.

After giving the die to Rory, Trixie proceeded to explain the workings of the ‘Chance’ square that Rory subsequently landed on.

As the game progressed, between Lucifer’s comedic complaining, Trixie’s delight whenever he landed on one of her properties, Chloe’s amusement at their banter, and her own collecting of a fairly impressive stash of properties and cash, Rory thought that a board game had never been so much fun.

“Trounced by three women this time! How is that even possible? I’m sure there must be some collective slight of hand or magic trick going on – that’s the only explanation for me coming last every time.”

“You can’t be good at everything, Lucifer,” Trixie pointed out.

Lucifer scoffed. “Regular humans perhaps can’t be good at everything. But there’s nothing regular about me – my skills are superior in all areas.”

Trixie smirked mischievously. “Not all.”

“Name one thing I’m not good at…Monopoly excluded,” he challenged.

“Art – you’re pretty terrible at drawing.”

Chloe snorted at the comical offended look on his face.

He turned to her and asked in all seriousness, “Detective, are you going to allow your offspring to slander me in this way?”

She bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing. His artwork was pretty terrible, but she didn’t want to wound his pride any further. Instead, she patted his hand as she told him, “You’re good at a lot of things, baby.”

He hummed, knowing she was trying to placate him, but the twitch of his lips and the softening of his eyes told her he liked the affectionate pet name she’d used for him.

It hadn’t even been a conscious decision; it just came out naturally.

“Why don’t I take a photo of the three of you?” Rory asked, unable to hide her smile. “Update the one on T’s wall.”

Trixie didn’t need to be asked twice and promptly scrabbled over to the other side of the board and plopped down unceremoniously onto Lucifer’s lap.

Rory couldn’t help but laugh at his startled “hmph.”

“You’ve clearly inherited Daniel’s lack of grace, Child.” He gave her a look of consternation, but Trixie just giggled. “It’s a good thing you weigh next to nothing, or the next activity on the game night agenda would be a trip to the Emergency Room.”

He was making out like he was indignant, but Rory could tell that he was secretly pleased T had chosen him to sit on for the photo instead of her mother. She was pretty sure T knew that too if her smug smile was anything to go by.

“Use Lucifer’s phone,” Trixie instructed Rory. “It has the best camera.”

“Your bossiness comes from your mother though,” Lucifer added, winking at Chloe when she shoved him playfully.

Rory picked up Lucifer’s phone from where it had been discarded on the floor and swiped the camera open. “Okay, ready?”

“Yeah!” Trixie replied, beaming back at her.

Rory had always loved her big sister’s smile, and it was so cute seeing it on her face as a little girl.

With one arm placed protectively around Trixie, Lucifer wrapped the other around Chloe’s shoulders. “I believe so.”

Chloe took his hand in hers, entwining their fingers, and then smiled up at him before looking back at Rory. “We’re ready.”

Rory felt that twinge in her chest again as she looked at the three of them together, so happy. A family. She wished she knew why he’d left – because he hadn’t just left her, he’d left them too, and he clearly loved them. Those answers wouldn’t be found in this time though, so – determined to enjoy these moments that she’d been given, she shook off those thoughts to be dealt with at another time. “Alright, say ‘Lucifer sucks at Monopoly!’”

Chloe and Trixie repeated the phrase back in amongst giggles as bright smiles lit up their faces.

“I do not suck at Monopoly,” was Lucifer’s contribution, scoffing in affront.

Rory snapped several pictures as her mom and sister smirked teasingly up at him.

It didn’t take long though for the sound of their laughter to draw out a wide smile of his own. And when he pulled Chloe tighter into his side and placed a soft kiss to the top of her head, Rory immortalised the moment.

After capturing a few more poses; some silly, some natural, Lucifer beckoned her over. “Come on then, Rory. Your turn.”

Rory frowned in confusion. “You want me in the photo?”

“Of course we do. We need to commemorate your first game night!”

She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat at being wanted and included.

“You can sit next to me,” Trixie told her. “Mom, move over a little bit.”

Chloe dutifully shuffled over to make space in the middle for Rory.

Rory smiled shyly as she knelt down between her parents and sister.

As Lucifer held up the phone with one arm, he wrapped the other around both Rory and Chloe, all of them squishing together to get into the frame.

“Say ‘best game night ever!’” Trixie called out happily.

“Best game night ever!” the four of them chorused, matching smiles on all of their faces.

To Rory, it really was one of the best nights of her life. A night with her family that she’d never forget.

Trixie commandeered Lucifer’s phone as soon as he lowered his arm and began scrolling through the photos. “Can you send them to me, Lucifer?”

“Of course, Child.”

Chloe peered curiously over Trixie’s shoulder at the photos. Tenderness shone in her eyes, especially so when she saw the image of Lucifer kissing the top of her head, eyes closed like he was breathing her in. “And me?”

Lucifer’s smile then was one of awed reverence. “Always, Chloe.”

“Could- could you send them to me too?” Rory asked tentatively. “I- I know guys don’t really know me that well, but I’ve had a really good time tonight – I’d like to remember it.”

Lucifer looked touched by her rambling - something she’d inherited from her mom. After retrieving his phone from Trixie – who was just about to click on his ‘sex words with friends’ app – he tapped on it a few times himself and then looked up at her with a smile. “Done.”

She smiled back shyly as she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. “Thanks.”

“You’re very welcome. We’ll need a rematch of course – I need a chance to redeem my reputation.”

“I think you’ll need more than one rematch for that,” Chloe teased, bumping his shoulder fondly with her own.

Lucifer huffed in indignation.

“So, what else did you have planned for our little trip down memory lane?”

He dropped his gaze then, looking bashful.

This peaked Chloe’s interest. “Oh, now I definitely wanna know!” She placed her hand on his forearm, her smile bright and excited. “Come on, tell me!”

Lucifer’s lips twitched at her enthusiasm. When he looked back up at her the shyness on his face made him look very young. “Very well then.”

Chloe was a little startled when he abruptly stood up and then watched curiously as he started tapping away on his phone again. When he held his hand out to her, she automatically placed hers in it and allowed him to help her to her feet.

“Detective,” he said softly, his gaze meeting hers. “May I have this dance?”

And with one more tap to his phone, a very familiar 80’s song filled the room.

Her eyes became misty again as memories of a personalised prom for two – that meant more to her than attending her high school dance ever would have – played through her mind. Stepping closer into him she placed her free hand on his shoulder. “You may.”

He beamed and placed his own free hand on the base of her spine, holding her close – just like he did that night.

Before they could start to dance though, Trixie called out to them. “Wait! Don’t start yet!”

“You’re interrupting the moment, Child!” Lucifer complained in mock annoyance as she scampered off into her bedroom.

A few seconds later she returned, looking triumphant and carrying a box. She dropped onto her knees next to a power socket and retrieved its contents before plugging it in. With the flick of a switch, the four of them looked up as the room was transformed by hundreds of little twinkling lights.

A glitter ball.

“Yes, I suppose that does add to the atmosphere,” Lucifer relented, a smile tugging at his lips. “Thank you, Child.”

“Okay, now you can start,” Trixie told them, plopping down next to Rory so she could watch.

Lucifer raised an amused eyebrow. “Oh, can we now?”

Trixie grinned.

He restarted the song and then took Chloe in his arms again. “She definitely gets her bossiness from you, you know?”

Chloe chuckled. “You like my bossiness.”

“Mmm, I do,” he murmured huskily into her ear, delighting in the shiver he felt run down her spine.

All I needed was the love you gave

All I needed for another day

And all I ever knew

Only you

Chloe tightened her arms around him. “Thank you for this, Lucifer,” she whispered, holding his gaze as they swayed gently to the music.

Lucifer’s face softened with affection. “You’re welcome, Detective. I’ve no idea how to do this whole relationship thing, but you make me want to try.”

Her chest tightened at his words. “I think you’re doing a pretty good job so far.”

He beamed at the praise. “So, I should keep losing at ridiculous board games and dancing with you to cheesy pop songs?”

Chloe giggled, and then her voice softened with sincerity as she told him, “You should just keep being you.”

He got that look of awed wonder on his face again, and when she carded her fingers through the hair at the back of his neck, it was his turn to shiver.

Rory watched them dance, completely caught up and lost in each other. In that moment she felt completely happy and content. For the first time in her life she had her whole family there with her. She imagined having nights like this as she grew up; her and T teasing them and pretending to find it gross, but loving it really.

“Can I tell you a secret?” Trixie whispered, leaning into her.

She turned to her sister to find her smiling – equally as happy watching her mom and ‘step-devil’. “Sure.”

“I hope they get married someday. Lucifer makes her happy.”

Rory’s eyes were drawn back to her parents. “I think she makes him happy too.”

“Avert your eyes, ladies,” Lucifer warned as the song started to come to an end.

Trixie giggled and obeyed by covering her eyes with her hands - but left a very obvious gap between her fingers to peek through.

Rory snorted at the sight and then followed suit, feeling like a child again.

“I wanted to do this the first time,” she heard him murmur as he dipped her mom backwards, causing her to gasp. And then he kissed her – soft and sweet and clearly full of emotion. Her mom’s hand lifted to cup his cheek and hold him there.

Rory was pretty sure they would have continued for longer if it wasn’t for her sister’s excited squeal.

“So much for averting your eyes, Child,” Lucifer chastised as they righted themselves, but there was no annoyance in his tone. In fact, Rory was pretty sure that he was happy at T’s reaction because it showed she approved of the development in their relationship.

“Can you dance with me now, Lucifer?” she asked, her eyes wide and eager.

Lucifer looked at her dubiously.

“I’ll wash my hands first,” she bartered.

“Very well,” he sighed in acquiescence.

Trixie whooped and then ran off to the kitchen to remove any snack remnants from her hands before he could change his mind.

Chloe sat down next to Rory and smiled as Lucifer waited for the smallest Decker to return. “She’s always had him wrapped around her little finger – regardless of how much he’d protest otherwise.”

Lucifer rolled his eyes at Trixie when she came trotting back in, wiping her hands on her sweater to dry them.

“Okay, ready!”

She picked up his phone and then clicked on YouTube to find an appropriate song.

He grimaced in disgust at her subsequent choice of K-Pop. “Your taste in music leaves something to be desired.”

Trixie just smirked at him, and Rory had a feeling she’d done it purely for his reaction.

Nevertheless, he held his hands out to her, which she happily took – ready for him to take the lead.

She bit her lip in concentration as he taught her the basic steps, and then giggled in delight as he sped up and spun her around the room.

Rory glanced at Chloe, who had the tenderest of smiles on her face. The adoration she felt as she watched her daughter and the man she would love for a lifetime was clear as day.

A thought suddenly occurred to Rory. Her being there and the consequent butterfly nudging may have sped up their relationship timeline and given them a bit of extra time being together. But what if being together before the big celestial reveal led to her mom seeing it as more of a betrayal of trust?

There wasn’t much she could do about the development now, and seeing them so happy she wasn’t sure she’d change it even if she could. But she needed to try and counteract the impact it would have on future revelations. “You know he loves you, right?” she asked quietly, leaning closer to her mom so only she could hear.

Chloe looked at her, surprised at her comment and then ducked her head shyly. “I know he cares for me a lot…”

“He loves you,” Rory insisted resolutely. “He might not be ready to say the words yet, but a blind man could see that he’s head over heels for you.”

A soft smile tugged at Chloe’s lips.

“Promise me, if- if you ever doubt that, or when things get tough…or scary, remember tonight and all the ways he’s shown you. What you two have, it’s real. He’s a good man.”

It was ironic how her mom had spent her entire life telling Rory how much Lucifer loved her, and now Rory was the one doing it for her.

There was confusion in Chloe’s eyes, but she nodded and took Rory’s words on board. “I promise.”

Rory sighed in relief.

“You’re protective of him,” Chloe commented.

Rory huffed in amusement. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“I’m glad he has people in his corner.”

They shared a smile and then turned back to watch the Devil teaching a 9-year-old how to dance.

Trixie beamed with pride as he praised her efforts. “Very good, Child! You’ve got it – we’ll make a dancer of you yet. I’m glad to see Daniel’s two left feet have skipped a generation.”

“He’s good with her,” Rory commented wistfully.

Chloe smiled softly. “Yeah, he is – he always has been. As much as he says he doesn’t like children, he’s always had a soft spot for mine.”

Rory swallowed the lump in her throat. Mine – she fell into that category too. Did he also ever have a soft spot for her, like he did for T? She imagined herself at T’s age if he’d been there, diligently teaching her how to dance with a partner and doing his best to soothe her nerves before her first middle school dance. “I never got to dance with my dad.”

Chloe placed her hand on top of Rory’s, her voice sympathetic and sincere as she told her, “I hope you get the chance to one day.”

“So do I,” Rory whispered as the sound of K-Pop faded out and she watched Lucifer bow dramatically to Trixie.

As if he had some sort of unconscious sixth sense, his eyes then zoned in on her and he smiled. “Would you like a spin, Rory?”

Rory blinked in surprise, again not having expected to be included.

Her heartrate sped up and she looked to her mom for guidance – just like she always did. There was warmth and pride in her sea green eyes as she looked over at Lucifer and then back to Rory. At her mom’s nod of encouragement, Rory stood and tentatively walked over to him.

He looked pleased at her acceptance and held his phone out to her. “Please choose something that’ll make my ears bleed a little less.”

Rory chuckled at his request, instantly feeling more at ease.

Taking the phone from him she considered what song to choose. Most of the artists she listened to hadn’t actually been born yet. But there was one song that immediately came to mind. It was a song her mom played for her when she was a little girl and feeling sad because she missed her dad.

“It’s okay to miss him, baby. I miss him too – every day,” her mom soothed, gently brushing away the tears that rolled down Rory’s cheeks.

“Does Daddy love me, Mommy?” Rory sniffled, looking up at her with deep mahogany eyes.

Heartbreak was etched on her face as she assured her daughter resolutely, “Your Daddy loves you more than anything in the world. He loved you from the moment he found out about you – we were only able to make you because he wanted you.”

“Really?” Rory hiccupped, hope shining brightly in her eyes.

“Really.” Her voice hitched as she added, “You might not be able to see him right now, but he’s with you – he’s with you always.”

Rory placed her little hand over her heart. “In here?”

Her mom swallowed, her eyes glistening with tears of her own as she replied hoarsely, “That’s right, baby – in there.”

Rory nodded, comforted by her mom’s faith.

“You know, when you were in my tummy, there was a song he’d always to sing to you.”

“What song?” Rory asked curiously.

“This one.” She smiled as she loaded the song up on her phone. “Maybe when you’re missing him, you could listen to it, to remind you that he loves you, and that one day we’ll all be together again.”

And that’s what she did. She must have listened to it thousands of times as a child; ‘Daddy’s song’ she called it. Every time she would close her eyes and imagine him singing it to her, and every time her faith in his love for her and that they’d be reunited one day was restored. That was until she became an angry pre-teen and chastised herself for her childish hopes.

She’d refused to listen to it since she was 12, but she still knew it word for word.

Rory bit her lip in indecision, debating for a moment whether to share something so deeply personal. But in the end, she decided to take a leap and pressed play.

When she looked up and met his gaze, he seemed to understand that this song held meaning for her.

“A lovely choice,” he told her softly as she took the hand he offered.

Her eyes misted up, emotions overwhelming her as she danced with her father to the song she hadn’t heard in almost three decades.

Look into my eyes

You will see

What you mean to me

Search your heart

Search your soul

And when you find me there

You'll search no more…

His eyes held that curiosity that she’d come to recognise, but he didn’t ask the questions he clearly wanted to ask. And for that she was grateful, because she just wanted to enjoy this longed for moment.

…Take me as I am

Take my life

I would give it all

I would sacrifice…

Rory laughed when he spun her around like a ballerina, just like he’d done with Trixie. He smiled at the sound. She wasn’t a little girl anymore, but he made her feel like one.

…You know it's true

Everything I do

I do it for you…

“Thank you,” Rory told him, her eyes sparkling with happiness as the song came to an end.

“It was an honour, Rory.”

Her chest tightened at his words, and once again she felt the overwhelming urge to tell him who she was.

Once again though she was prevented from doing so before the words left her mouth – this time by her sister.

“Rory, come and help me find the face paints!”

Rory allowed herself to be dragged off to her little-big sister’s room, her enthusiasm – as always, infectious.

She stood in the doorway as Trixie turfed out the contents from under her bed in search of the elusive face paints. In her periphery Rory saw her dad walk back over to her mom. She watched as he sat down behind her and lifted her into his lap. It was so natural how she leaned into him, her back to his chest as his arms wound around her waist, coming to rest over her abdomen. It was even more natural how he kissed the side of her head, and then she reciprocated by tilting her head up to kiss his cheek, once and then twice.

The love Rory saw in front of her right then was so extraordinary, and stronger than anything she’d ever seen before. It pained her to think that they’d only have this for a few years before something caused them to be parted. And for the hundredth time since she’d been in 2018, she wondered what could possibly be powerful enough to get them to give this up.

The following night, it turned out that Forest Clay wasn’t the killer after all – at least not in this case. But Charlotte had been right about his abusive and murderous past. And thanks to their teamwork, justice would be served, and he wouldn’t be getting away with it any longer.

The set up worked like a charm and Rory felt immense pride seeing how her parents and Charlotte, together with Mia – Forest’s latest unfortunate mistress, worked together to bring him down.

Stood on the balcony of Forest’s apartment, watching her mom arrest him, Rory knew that she didn’t have much time left. The pull was getting stronger, and she wouldn’t be able to hold it off for much longer.

Lucifer came out to join her, a proud look on his face as Chloe easily subdued and cuffed the much larger ex-baseball-player and handed him off to a uni. “Another murderous human stain brought to justice. The Detective really is rather remarkable, isn’t she?”

Rory smiled as she replied wistfully, “Yeah, she’s pretty awesome.”

He turned to her then, seeming to sense that something was on her mind. “Are you okay, Rory?”

“I’m leaving tonight,” she told him.

The disappointment in her voice was matched by the disappointed look on his face at the news.

Rory wanted to stay longer; she really did. She had both of her parents here. She wanted to stay for the devil reveal - to help her mom with the world altering realisation that celestials really do exist. And, because she knows her mom’s reaction will hurt him, she wanted to be there for her dad too; to protect him and help him get back up. But this time travel thing seemed to have other ideas.

“I need to go see my dad now,” she explained.

“You’ve found him?”

Rory looked at him and smiled softly. “Yeah. Yeah, I have.”

He returned her smile. “I’m happy for you. Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Rory. And I sincerely hope you find what you’re looking for.”

“I’m glad I got to meet you too, Lucifer.” Dad. “And I’d say the same to you about finding what you’re looking for, but I think you’ve already found it.”

Lucifer’s eyes were automatically drawn back to Chloe and his face softened with pure adoration.

When her mom’s phone started to ring, Rory’s heart sank. She had a pretty good idea of what was going to be relayed to her, and that her family’s world was about to get turned on its head.

Rory’s hands began to flicker with light again. She quickly hid them behind her back just in time before he noticed.

She knew she only had moments left now, but she wanted to give him something. “Don’t lose faith in her, or yourself, okay? Even when things seem hopeless, they’ll get better – I promise.”

Lucifer got that ‘trying to figure out a puzzle without all the pieces’ look on his face again, but she could tell that he took her words on board. “Okay…”

Rory smiled. “You should go to her – I think she might need you. Look after each other.”

His voice was soft but sincere when he replied, “We will.”

He turned to go but then paused and looked back at her. “Rory, I can say that any father would be proud to have you as their daughter.”

Rory’s eyes glistened and she felt her throat tighten with emotion. “Hey, Lucifer? If you ever do have a kid, I think you’d be pretty good at it.”

He smiled widely, looking pleased at the praise.

“Just…” And she knew she was stepping on a whole butterfly farm now. “don’t leave them.”

Lucifer’s brow furrowed in confusion, but he nodded.

She watched him walk over to her mom, and place a concerned, protective arm around her.

And then Rory finally let the light consume her.

“See you soon, Dad.”

Having just left one balcony, Rory stumbled a little as the next thing she knew she was landing on another – only this one was much more familiar.

The penthouse.

Rory smiled. Apparently whenever she time travelled, she was destined to land in some part of this building. It made sense though she guessed, because both times her desire had been to find her dad, so landing at his home was pretty convenient.

She really hoped she’d got the right year this time.

Eager to find out, Rory slid the balcony door open – which for some reason was covered in handprints - and stepped inside.

She stilled though and her eyes widened at the utter destruction that she was met with. By all accounts - and from what she’d seen of him in 2018 - her dad was a neat freak, so why was this place such a mess? Couch cushions were on the floor, furniture was snapped in half, a bronze horse statue was upside-down – next to an also upside-down couch. And what the Hell had caused that giant dent in the Assyrian wall?!

Her jaw clenched and her shoulders flexed, ready to do battle with whatever foe had threatened her family.

But then, casual as anything and dressed in a black silk robe, her dad came strolling out of the bedroom. He didn’t seem in the slightest bit bothered by the mess and was even whistling.

As bizarre as the scene was, Rory’s posture relaxed a little as she figured there was no imminent danger.

Lucifer stopped short on his way to the bar and did a double take when he saw her. “Rory?”

Rory’s eyes glistened as some sort of intrinsic pull had her closing the distance between them and throwing herself into his arms.

For the first time in her life, she was hugging her father. Her heart ached with how long she’d waited to do this.

He was caught off guard by the impact but recovered and placed a tentative arm around her shoulders. “Well, it’s nice to see you again too,” he said, sounding rather bewildered.

Rory pulled back, a little embarrassed at her impromptu show of affection. She cleared her throat as she looked up at him bashfully. “Um, what’s the date today?” she asked, changing the subject.

Lucifer huffed in amusement. “You’re always fixated on the date whenever I see you. It’s July 13^th, 2021.”

She exhaled in relief – she’d got the right year. She frowned though when she remembered the state of the penthouse. “Have you been fighting?”

Lucifer smirked. “The Detective and I weren’t fighting, no. More playing.”

It was then that she noticed the clothes scattered in amongst the debris. “Ew – gross!”

July 13^th – that was her date of conception. Seriously, this is how she was made?! Therapy was seriously going to be needed when she got back to her time.

Well, at least they’d still had sex – and by the looks of it, a lot of sex – on the right day. Silver linings and all.

Lucifer chuckled at the look of disgust on her face. But then that curious intrigue returned as he took her in, and she could see the cogs turning in his brain. “You’re wearing the same clothes as when I last saw you…and you haven’t aged a day…” His head snapped over to the elevator. “I locked that – Amenadiel interrupted one too many private moments, so it’s always off limits when the Detective stays over.” His gaze held hers, the pieces starting to fall into place as he added, “…which means you came in via the balcony. So, you either have wings…or you time travelled…or both?”

A small smile tugged at Rory’s lips, proud that he’d figured it out. Her smartness didn’t just come from her mom. “The latter.”

“You’re not one of my siblings.”

It was a statement rather than a question, but Rory answered it anyway. “No.”

There was just one more piece that he needed to figure out and Rory desperately wanted him to realise it without her having to tell him.

He leaned in towards her slightly and his deep mahogany eyes – the ones she saw every day in the mirror – bore into hers, looking right into her soul and searching for the answer she was willing him to find.

His breath caught on a gasp as he finally found that missing piece. “I- I always felt linked to you somehow – like I knew you, but I never understood why,” he told her, his voice hoarse. “But now I do. I don’t know how, but…you’re my daughter, aren’t you?”

Rory nodded and smiled a watery smile. She’d waited so long to be able to say her next two words. “Hi, Dad.”

Chapter Text

“Hi, Dad.”

Dad. Lucifer’s jaw dropped and he just stared at her, completely awestruck.

He was someone’s father.

Never in his infinitely long life did he ever imagine that title being directed at him. But hearing Rory say it made his heart swell. And he had no doubt that she really was his.

Rory waited patiently for him to get over the shock. “Are you okay? Do I need to fetch Mom?” she teased.

Lucifer finally blinked, snapping himself out of his stupor. “I- yes, no- I’m fine. I just…” He looked at her, eyes wide and full of wonder. “…you’re really my daughter.”

It wasn’t a question, but she answered it anyway. “Yeah, I really am.”

He sighed in happy amazement. “Wow…I- I have so many questions.” His usual confidence transformed into shy nervousness as he asked the first one though. “Can I- can I hug you, Rory? I- I know I already did just a few minutes ago, but I didn’t know I was your dad then. And I’d very much like to hug you, as your dad.”

Rory had to blink back the tears that threatened to fall. She didn’t trust her voice, so she just nodded and stepped towards him. He smiled brightly at her acceptance and tentatively wrapped his arms around her shoulders, holding her in his embrace. She wrapped her own arms around his back and rested her head on his chest. If he noticed the wet patch that she was making on his shirt, he didn’t comment. He felt warm and safe, and she’d spent her entire childhood wishing she could do this.

“Thank you,” he murmured softy when she eventually pulled back.

She smiled shyly back. “You’re welcome.”

His nervousness returned and he gestured towards the lounge. “Would you like to sit?”

“Yeah, that would be good.”

She took a seat on the couch that wasn’t upside down, sliding a sock and her mom’s bra out of the way to make space.

Lucifer sheepishly righted the other couch and took a seat himself. When he looked at her again, a thought must have occurred to him because his eyes widened. “Your- your mother…” His gaze drifted over to the bedroom, and when he looked back at her there was a soft smile on his face. “Chloe’s your mother, isn’t she? I always thought you reminded me of her.”

“She is. Aurora Jane Decker-Morningstar at your service.”

“Decker-Morningstar,” he repeated fondly. “– that has a nice ring to it. And I see we gave you your mother’s boring middle name too.”

Rory snorted. “I’m sure Mom would appreciate that description.”

“Oh, don’t worry – I’ve teased her about it for years. We wouldn’t be us if I didn’t cause her to roll her eyes at least once a day.”

“Lucifer?” A familiar voice called out. “Come back to bed, baby – I was gonna do that thing that you li-”

Chloe stopped short on the bedroom steps upon noticing two dark heads looking back at her, hands pausing on the sash of her floral red robe that she’d just tied.

“Yes, it might be best to hold that thought, Detective,” Lucifer replied, before casting a sheepish look at Rory.

Rory scrunched her nose in distaste. She’d heard way too much about her parents’ sexual proclivities during her short time travel expedition.

Chloe snapped out of her surprise and smiled warmly as she walked over to them, immediately recognising their guest. “Rory, hi!” She took a seat next to Rory and pulled her into a hug. “It’s so good to see you again.”

Rory returned her smile when she pulled back.

“What brings you back here?”

“You guys actually.”

“Us?”

“Mmhmm.”

Rory watched her mom’s brain go into detective mode as she tried to put the pieces together and figure out what she was missing.

Smart as she was, it didn’t take long.

“Wait, you- you look exactly the same.”

“That’s what Dad said too,” Rory replied with a proud smile.

“Dad?” Chloe asked, and then her jaw dropped. “Lu-Lucifer’s your dad?”

“Yeah.”

Chloe looked between the two of them and it all clicked into place. “Of course he is. I can’t believe I didn’t put that together before – you two are so similar.”

“In your defence, Detective – neither did I. We were both labouring under the false assumption that I was incapable of siring offspring.”

“Well, clearly you are capable,” Chloe replied, pointing out the obvious. She looked back at Rory and added sincerely, “I’m really glad you found each other. Lucifer – as much of an overgrown child he can be himself sometimes – he’s so incredibly loving and kind, and you couldn’t ask for anyone better to be your father.”

Lucifer’s whole face softened in adoration, clearly touched by his partner’s words and belief in him.

“Who-who’s your mom though?”

She was genuinely happy for them, because her mom was selfless like that. But although she tried to hide it, Rory could tell that she was a little hurt at the thought of him having a child – and sharing that lifelong bond - with someone that wasn’t her.

“That’s the best part, Detective!”

Chloe scrunched her brow in confusion at his obvious delight.

Lucifer nodded at Rory, wordlessly indicating for her to do the honours.

Rory, in answer, just smiled at her.

Her mom’s eyes widened comically. “Me?!” At Rory’s soft nod she looked to Lucifer, who beamed in confirmation.

“But, um, I only have one daughter; Trixie – you met her…and, um, it would be quite hard to miss a pregnancy…”

She sounded apologetic as her logical brain tried to rationalise the craziness of the situation. Rory knew her mom though and despite how crazy it was, she could see that there was a part of her that believed it, and an even larger part that wanted it to be true.

“She’s our daughter from the future, Chloe, so you haven’t actually birthed her yet,” Lucifer explained helpfully.

“Time travel?” Chloe huffed in amusement and then shrugged. “I mean, you pull out people's desires; Amenadiel can slow down time - I guess time travel really isn’t that big of a stretch.”

“Never a dull day in the celestial insiders club,” he joked.

“I’ve definitely never had a dull day since meeting you,” Chloe chuckled, her voice a mixture of teasing and affectionate.

They were quiet for a few moments then, father and daughter giving her pause to process the magnitude of everything she’d just learned.

“Rory…short for Aurora,” Chloe remembered. And when mother and daughter’s eyes met again, sea green and mahogany brown both glistening with emotion, Rory knew that she knew. “You’re really my daughter?”

Rory smiled at the echo of what her dad had said to her, and repeated the same answer. “Yeah, I really am. Hi, Mom.”

A happy sob bubbled up from Chloe’s throat and she reached out to stroke her daughter’s cheek. “Hi. You’re so beautiful.”

“She is - she gets that from you, Chloe,” Lucifer added affectionately.

Chloe turned to him with glistening eyes, “Oh, she definitely takes after you – her eyes are all yours.”

Lucifer’s own eyes misted up again in mirror of hers. “We have a daughter,” he sighed in absolute awed wonderment.

“Mm-hmm.”

“We have a daughter,” he sighed again, as if the incredible reality was finally hitting him.

A soft smile pulled at Chloe’s lips as her gaze held his. “Yeah.”

“It's amazing.” He was going to have a baby with the love of his life.

“I know,” she replied, her own voice choked with emotion and love for him.

Rory cleared her throat. “I'd say "get a room," but well, clearly, you did.”

Lucifer grinned in amusement. “Very good. You’ve obviously inherited my brilliant sense of humour too.”

Chloe snorted. “How does the world cope with two of you?” she teased.

They didn’t, Rory thought with a pang; at least not with them together. She didn’t want to kill the mood just yet though, so she swiftly changed the subject. “I know you guys must have a ton of questions, but can I just ask a couple of my own first?”

Lucifer smiled kindly. “Of course you can, Rory. What would you like to know?”

“The night I left…Charlotte…did she…”

Rory didn’t need to finish her question for them to know what she was asking. And the sorrow on their faces told her the answer before they clarified it with words.

“She died,” Chloe told her gently.

“She was murdered by Cain,” Lucifer added, jaw clenched in anger. “That ham handed bastard was aiming for Amenadiel, but dear Charlotte jumped in front of him and took the bullet instead.”

“She made the same choice,” Rory whispered to herself.

“You can’t change other people’s choices. You only have power over your own.”

Chloe must have noticed the sad look on her face because she reached over and placed a hand on her forearm. “She died a hero.”

“She did,” Lucifer agreed, respect and fondness in his voice. “And because of her selfless act, she’s up in the Silver City now – no doubt bossing everyone around.”

Rory gave them a small smile, comforted but also sad. There was one more person she needed to know about though. “What about Dan?”

Dan was a far more recent loss, and the pain of that loss was still so very clearly felt.

Lucifer took Chloe’s hand in his, rubbing soothing patterns on the back with his thumb. She gave him a grateful smile at his wordless show of support. Chloe might have known Dan for longer and had more history with him – they’d been married and had a child together after all, but she knew that Lucifer had cared for him too and that their friendship had meant a lot to him.

“He died too, sweetie,” Chloe told her softly.

Guilt flashed in Lucifer’s eyes as he added, “Myself and Maze ensured that the murderous scum responsible for his needless loss of life were either extinguished or incarcerated.”

Rory nodded solemnly. “Is he…?” she asked tentatively, gesturing up and then down with her finger.

“Oh, he’s fine,” Lucifer told her, a wistful smile tugging at his lips. “He’s up in the Silver City being all nauseatingly romantic with Charlotte and eating his weight in pudding. I was a little surprised actually – I thought he might’ve had some guilt dragging him down and that I’d need to stage an intervention. But once again, Daniel surprised me.”

Rory sighed happily. “It worked - he listened to me.”

Chloe frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Rory looked from her mom to her dad. “All angels have powers – half angels too, and mine is helping people who shouldn’t feel guilty to see that their guilt is misplaced.”

Lucifer’s eyes glistened with pride. “You helped Daniel. You’re a healer, Rory.”

Rory blushed shyly. “That’s what Mom called me. She said I was a healer – just like you.”

It was his turn to look confused now. “Me, a healer?”

“I didn’t really understand what she meant – and she didn’t explain it, but when I figured out what my power was when I was a kid, Mom was so proud that it was linked to you.”

Lucifer hummed in contemplation.

“Did you have a good childhood, Rory?” Chloe asked, the most important question to her.

Rory’s face softened, respect and affection obvious in her smile. “You were the best, Mom. You were always there for me.”

It was the mention of her childhood, and the lack of him in the memories she chose to share, that caused Lucifer to remember something. All of the blood suddenly drained from his face. “You were looking for your dad when I first met you. You- you said he left before you were born.”

Rory nodded softly.

“-then there must be some mistake. Because I would never abandon my child; I’d never leave you.” He turned to Chloe with desperate eyes, pleading with her to believe him. “I’d never leave either of you.”

Chloe squeezed his hand in support. “I believe you,” she soothed, and Rory could tell that she meant it. “I know you’d never choose to leave us.”

Rory swallowed past the tightness in her throat. She believed he meant it too, and nothing she’d seen of him during her time travel had given her any reason to doubt him. But that didn’t change the fact that it had happened. She sighed in frustration. “I don't know what to tell you. I wouldn't be here if you hadn't.”

“What do you mean?” Lucifer asked, repeating Chloe’s earlier question.

Rory paused, debating how much she should say. “Before I travelled here – or to 2018 by accident anyway, I was... I... I was going through something big. And I thought... I felt like, if you were ever going to finally show up after being gone my whole life, it would be in that moment. But you didn't.” She dropped her head, the pain of that moment washing over her anew. “And then I felt this rush of pure rage. And the next thing I knew, I was outside Lux in 2018.”

“So, you self-actualized. You manifested the ability to travel back in time, because...”

“Because of how much I hated you, yeah.”

Lucifer winced.

“-But I don’t hate you now,” Rory amended quickly, wanting to erase the hurt in his eyes. “I got to know you in 2018 – I saw how much you care about Mom, about T. And even though you didn’t know who I was, you cared about me too. I know you’re a good man, Dad.”

His whole face softened, incredibly touched by her words.

“I guess I wanted to come here – to this time – to find out why you left. But- but I’m kinda glad I glitched out and wound up there first. I’m glad we had that time.” She gave him a shy smile, and then smirked as she added, “If it had gone to plan and I’d landed here first, I might’ve tried to kill you.”

Lucifer huffed. “Yes, well, thank Dad for glitchy powers.”

“But now that I am here, I can finally find out why you walk out on me.”

“Would you stop saying that, please? I mean, yes, I suppose there's a chance that I could have neglected a daughter I didn't know existed, but you're saying I do this knowingly?”

“I’m sorry.” And she was – she could see this was hurting him, and she hated doing that. “According to Mom, you were well aware of my existence. The only thing she wouldn't tell me was why you left.”

Lucifer growled in frustration and tugged at his hair as he began to pace. “There has to be some mistake. Because that would never happen,” he repeated.

“I get your frustration,” she told him sympathetically. “Not knowing has frustrated me my whole life. But it did happen. It happened to me.”

“You mum – Chloe – did she spend her life hating me too?” The thought alone physically pained him.

“No. That’s another thing that doesn’t make sense. Mom never blamed you - she spent her entire life loving you, sticking up for you, telling me what a good man you are and that one day I’d understand. So did T and everyone else.”

He sighed in relief, although it was short lived. “Then there must be more to it. If no one who knew the reason for my leaving was angry with me, then that reason must have been a very good one. Maybe I didn’t choose to leave…maybe that choice was taken out of my hands…maybe I died?!”

Rory considered it for a moment but then shook her head. “Mom would have told me if you’d died, because that would have been a good reason for you to leave.”

“Maybe she just wanted to save you from the grizzly details?” he suggested, and the hope in his voice at the prospect of his own death would have been comical in any other situation.

“What do you actually know about your father's disappearance?” Chloe intervened, sensing the growing frustration with going around in circles.

Rory told them the limited, patchy information she’d managed to extract from her family over the years.

“So, this August 4th?” Chloe asked.

“Mm-hmm.”

Lucifer, whose brow had been scrunched in exasperation and apprehension as Rory explained what she knew, suddenly brightened as something occurred to him. “Well, that's three weeks from now. That must mean...” He turned to Chloe, excitement and wonder replacing all thoughts of impending doom.

Chloe caught on immediately to his train of thought, his excitement mirrored in her eyes. “Do you think I could be pregnant right now?”

“Maybe it was last night,” Lucifer suggested eagerly. “Or the night before on the balcony, when you were up against the...”

“Please don't do your sex math in front of me,” Rory interrupted, her face a horrified grimace at his added hand actions.

Why were her parents so horny?!

“Of course.”

“Right.”

“Thanks,” she replied dryly, and then rolled her eyes. “For the record, it was last night…or more precisely, this morning.”

Lucifer beamed, looking both delighted and smug.

He opened his mouth – no doubt to add detail to what acrobatics had occurred that time – but Chloe sensed what was coming and cut him off before he could start story telling again. “We’ll figure out what happened,” she assured Rory, and then hastily clarified, “-the disappearance, not the…” She cleared her throat in embarrassment. “We’ll solve the mystery, together – as a family.

“So, you’re half angel, right?” Chloe asked as she brought over a tray of coffees for the three of them. “Do you have wings too, like Lucifer?”

“I am half angel, and I do have wings. But they’re not like Dad’s.”

Chloe’s chest filled with warmth when she saw the way Lucifer’s face softened at the easy way Rory called him Dad. It was still so incredible to her that they’d made a child together. She placed her hand on top of his as she asked their daughter, “Can we see them?”

“Sure.” Rory stood and moved towards the balcony where there was more space, to avoid any furniture being knocked over – again.

Her chest puffed up – just like Lucifer’s did when he was about to show off. Her shoulders flexed and with a whoosh, two giant magenta wings manifested from her back. She grinned, clearly proud of them.

“Wow,” Chloe gasped, her eyes wide and awed as she took in the 8ft evidence of her daughter’s celestial genes. “They’re beautiful!”

“They are. Truly magnificent, Rory,” Lucifer added, pride evident in his voice.

Rory’s smile widened at her parents’ affirmation.

“Can I?” Chloe asked tentatively, stepping closer and reaching her hand out towards Rory’s right wing. At Rory’s nod she brushed her fingers lightly over a primary.

“What?” Rory asked in amusement when her mom lingered on one of the blade tips. She had an idea of what was causing the furrow in her brow.

A blush coloured Chloe’s cheeks as she met Rory’s eyes. “Don’t get me wrong, your wings really are beautiful. It’s just they also look rather…sharp. You didn’t have them out when you were born, did you? Because that’s gotta hurt.”

Lucifer took in the bladed feathers and unconsciously squeezed his own legs together at the thought. “Yes, perhaps a c-section would be advisable, darling. We don’t want to eviscerate your lady parts.”

Rory snorted at the looks on their faces. “Don’t worry – baby angel wings are fluffy, and I didn’t get them ‘til I was two anyway.”

Chloe sighed in relief. “Oh, that’s good.”

“I beat Charlie by six months – he didn’t get his ‘til he was three.”

Lucifer beamed. “Of course you did – you are my offspring after all! It’s only natural that your abilities are superior. I can’t wait to tease Amenadiel about this!”

Chloe rolled her eyes fondly at him. “Well, while you two peacock over your superior angelic abilities, I’m gonna go and get dressed.”

She squeezed his thigh in a ‘bond with your daughter – you’ll be great’ gesture, and then made her way over to the bedroom.

When Rory was sure that Chloe was out of earshot, she asked Lucifer quietly, “When Mom saw your face – after you killed Pierce…what happened after that?”

He dropped his gaze to his lap as he recalled one of the most painful parts of their history. “Your mother was understandably shocked by the sight, and- and frightened. She needed some time to process everything, and so she left for a while.”

“Rome?” Rory asked tentatively.

Lucifer looked back up and met her eyes. “Yes. Those first three weeks of her being away – of not knowing where she was, if she was okay…if I’d ever see her again, were some of the worst of my life. It killed me to think that she was scared of me; that she felt that she needed to get away from me.”

Rory gently placed her hand on top of his – just like her mom had done earlier, to comfort him.

He looked down at their hands and a soft smile pulled at his lips as he continued, “In my darkest hours when I thought I’d lost her forever, I recalled your words to me about not giving up on her. You’d been so sure and confident – those words gave me hope and brought me out of my spiral. And then I remembered my own promise to her – that I’d never leave her again. No one would tell me where she was, but Miss Lopez eventually took pity on the pathetic state I was in and divulged her location.”

Rory’s eyebrow quirked in intrigue. “You followed her?”

Lucifer smiled. “I did.”

This was new.

“- if she’d needed space then of course I’d have respected that. If she never wanted to see me again, then even if it would have hurt worse than my fall, I’d have respected that too. I just wanted to tell her, that if that were the case, she didn’t need to leave her home. I’d leave LA and never bother her again. I loved her enough to put her wishes before my own.”

“What happened?” Rory asked, tucking her legs underneath her, eager to hear their rewritten history.

“I’m quite certain I’ve never been more nervous in my life as I was when I approached her in Villa Borghese. It was actually the urchin who spotted me first – eagle eyed little devil that she is…”

“Lucifer!” Trixie cried in delight, barrelling into him in her usual cannonball fashion and wrapping her spindly little arms tightly around his waist. “I’m so glad you’re here – I’ve missed you!”

A startled “Hmph,” escaped his lips at the unexpected impact, before he added fondly, “Yes, hello, Child. I’ve missed you too.”

And he really had missed her and her sticky fingered hugs.

“Come and say hi to Mom – I know she’s missed you too. She keeps typing out texts to you and then deleting them.”

A flicker of hope flared in his chest as she took him by the hand and tugged him determinedly over to where Chloe was sitting on a bench, looking distractedly up at the sky.

“Mom! Lucifer’s come to see us!” Trixie announced in delight.

Rory chuckled in amusement. “That sounds like T.”

“Indeed,” Lucifer replied, fondness evident in his voice. “Tenacious and stubborn – just like her mother.”

“What happened next?”

“Well, to say Chloe was surprised to see me there would be an understatement. I’m fairly certain her eyes would have popped out of her head if they’d widened any further…”

Lucifer stood stock still as Chloe stared at him in shock. “Beatrice, why don’t you go and play for a little while so your mum and I can have a chat, hmm?” he suggested gently when the silence continued. If she’d travelled to the other side of the world to get away from him, it was likely that she probably didn’t want him close to her daughter either.

“Okay!” Trixie chirped happily, oblivious to the tension between the two adults.

He watched as she skipped off towards a group of small humans whom she’d apparently previously befriended, and then turned back to Chloe.

“Hello, Detective,” he greeted quietly, his heart hammering wildly in his chest as he waited for her to say something – anything.

She swallowed before finally finding her voice. “Lucifer, what- what are you doing here?”

A tremulous sigh escaped his lips - it had been so long since he’d heard her voice. He shuffled his feet nervously but made no move to close the 10ft distance between them – as much as he was desperate to – not wanting to scare her again. “I- I just wanted to talk to you, Detective – to assure you that I mean you no harm. I come in peace and all.”

She didn’t laugh and he winced at the lameness of his joke.

“I missed you,” he added softly.

Chloe’s eyes glistened with moisture and she ducked her head. “I missed you too.”

She said it so quietly that if it weren’t for his celestial hearing he might’ve missed it, but those four simple words made his ancient heart sing.

He took a breath and then three weeks of longing to speak to her all came out in a rush. “I-I know I scared you, and for that I’m eternally sorry. I understand that you need space – it’s a lot to deal with; I’m a lot to deal with. I just wanted to tell you that you don’t need to stay away from LA because of me – if- if you don’t want to see me anymore, I’ll understand. But you shouldn’t have to leave your home – I’ll leave, and I won’t bother you again if that’s what you wish. Hurting you is the last thing I’d ever want to do, Detective. These past four years of working with you have been the best of my millennia long life – it’s been an honour to know you and work beside you, and I’ll always cherish them.” He swallowed thickly, his throat tight with emotion. “I truly care about you, Detective; Chloe – more than you know, and all I want is for you to be happy.”

Chloe swiped at a tear that had escaped and rolled down her cheek. “I don’t want you to leave, Lucifer.”

He exhaled a shaky breath and his legs felt like they were about to give way with the sheer weight of relief. “You don’t?”

She gave him a small watery smile as she shook her head. “No.”

His own eyes filled with moisture when she scooted over on the bench to make space for him. He looked at her for clarification of her invitation, and at her nod he stumbled - devoid of his usual grace, as he hesitantly closed the distance between them and sat down.

He left as much of a gap between their bodies as the bench would allow, wary of overstepping or spooking her.

Chloe sensed his nervousness, and even though her own world had been turned upside down – by him, she still wanted to soothe him. “I’ve never wanted you to leave, Lucifer.”

“Really,” he asked. Even to his own ears he sounded so achingly young and hopeful.

“Really. Finding out that God, the Devil, angels, Heaven and Hell really do exist…it’s a lot. I came here because I needed some time to sort my head out – to get some clarity, you know?”

“And did you – get clarity?”

She scrunched her brow. “It’s been nice to get away and spend some time just me and Trixie…”

“I’m sensing a ‘but’,” he prompted gently.

The look she gave him was apologetic, and also a little guilty. “Being the Catholic capital of the world, they’re not exactly pro the devil here.”

“No,” he agreed, and then added self-deprecatingly, “though you’d probably struggle to find a place that is. The devil isn’t exactly known for being lovable.”

A flicker of pain crossed her face – pain for him, and her jaw clenched stubbornly. “Well, they don’t know you.”

He had to blink back tears at her defence of him.

She chewed on her lip – her tell that she was trying to figure out how to say something that was difficult. He waited patiently, giving her all the time she needed.

“I met a priest while I was here,” she admitted with a wince, and then rushed to add, “he approached me in the Vatican library – I didn’t approach him.”

“It’s okay, Detective,” he assured her softly. “It’s only natural that you’d have questions. So, what did this priest have to say for himself?”

Chloe ducked her head. There was shame in her eyes when she met his again. “He tried to convince me that you’re evil – told me about all of these awful atrocities from history that you were apparently responsible for.”

Lucifer smiled sadly. “I can’t say that I’m surprised, Detective. It’s been a running theme in my life to be blamed for anything bad that happens in the world.”

“I- I admit that for a second I wondered if it might be true – but only for a second. The person Father Kinley was describing was nothing like the man I’ve known for four years. He doesn’t know you, Lucifer – I do. And I know you’re not evil.”

He pushed away the hurt that she’d doubted him – if only for a moment, because when he searched her face for any signs of insincerity, he found none. She truly believed that he wasn’t evil. “Your faith in me really does mean the world, Detective.”

“That’s not all though,” she admitted reluctantly, looking guilty again. “Yesterday he told me about a plan he has, to…to send you back to Hell. He- he wanted me to help him.” Lucifer’s heart sank to his stomach. It must have shown on his face because she rushed to continue. “I said no. I swear I would never try to hurt you, Lucifer.”

He let out the breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding and then felt bad for doubting her. “I wouldn’t blame you if you hadn’t said no, Detective,” he told her, wanting to assuage any misplaced guilt she felt. “I am the devil, and humans have been taught since the dawn of time to fear me.”

“Well I‘d have blamed me, Lucifer – you don’t deserve that. And I’m sorry that you’ve been made to think that you do.”

Lucifer blinked rapidly in an effort to keep his tears at bay. He didn’t know what to say to that, so used was he to betrayal and being cast aside, that it quite literally left him speechless when it didn’t happen.

“Even though I said no, I don’t think he’s gonna stop – he’s really obsessed with you and sending you back to Hell. I think he’s dangerous.”

He waved his hand, unbothered. “He wouldn’t be the first looney tune fanatic that I’ve encountered who was intent on performing some sort of misguided exorcism in an attempt to banish me. And I’m sure he won’t be the last.”

“Even still, I think we should take the threat seriously. I’m flying back to LA in a few days – we’ll do some research on him then.”

A huge, hopeful smile lit up Lucifer’s face. “We?”

Chloe couldn’t help but smile back at how that was the part he was focussing on. “Yeah, we.”

His fingers itched with the desire to hold her hand. It took every ounce of restraint he possessed not to do so. “Everyone will be very glad to have you back, Detective; myself included,” he told her shyly.

“I’ll be glad to be back too.” She chewed on her lip again before hesitantly adding, “Lucifer, about... what I saw.”

Lucifer’s smile faltered. “I've had literal eons to come to terms with what you saw. My...my monstrous side. But it's not all that I am. At least, I hope not. Either way, it's unfair of me to expect you to just... accept it. I'm honestly not sure when I'll be able to.” He sighed sadly. “If ever.”

“Lucifer.” She spoke his name firmly, imploring him to listen. And then she did what he’d been aching to do since he got there – she took his hand in hers. The warmth of her palm seeped into his and it felt like sunlight flowing through his veins. “What I was going to say was...what I saw...was my partner.”

“Really?” he asked, daring to look up at her again.

“Really,” she assured him, her voice soft but resolute.

Lucifer sighed in joyous relief, the heavy weight of dread and fear that had been dragging him down since she left finally lifting. “Well, then, um... problem solved, Detective. Because if you can accept me, then...that really is all that matters.”

Rory was smiling as he concluded the story of their first post-reveal meeting. “Did you stay with them in Rome?”

“I wanted to – I’d missed them so much, but even though your mum had intimated that she still wanted me to be a part of her life, I wasn’t exactly sure of the parameters of our relationship then and I didn’t want to push my luck or encroach any more on the space that she’d sought. I left shortly after.” He looked a little embarrassed as he added, “I spent the next three days alternating between pacing the penthouse and staring at the clock. And when she texted me to say that she was back and headed to a case I must have turfed out my entire closet looking for her favourite suit of mine. I even flew to the crime scene – I was too impatient to sit in traffic in my desperation to see her.”

Chloe, now fully dressed in dark jeans and knitted red sweater, came up behind the couch and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Your dad’s a secret romantic,” she told Rory fondly. “It’s one of the many things I love about him.”

Lucifer tilted his head back and looked up at her adoringly. “Only with you, Chloe.”

She leaned down and placed a tender kiss to his forehead, and Rory couldn’t help but smile as her mom then pressed her lips to his and gave him the softest of upside down kisses.

Chloe leaned back up, and after an affectionate ruffle of his curls, re-joined them on the couch. Despite there being ample spare seats, she settled onto Lucifer’s lap and into his welcoming embrace.

“You two just reminded me of that scene in Spiderman,” Rory teased.

Lucifer huffed in indignation. “Your mum is far smarter and more beautiful than Mary Jane could ever hope to be.”

Chloe smiled at the compliment. “And I don’t need fake superheroes, when I have my own superhero right here.”

Rory watched them do their besotted, heart eyes thing again. “You know you’re sickeningly cute, right?”

They at least had the decency to blush as they cleared their throats and remembered that their newfound daughter was still in the room with them.

“So, how long did it take you to give in to your…desires? Did you get together straight away?”

Lucifer chuckled, his eyes twinkling as he looked at Chloe. “Do you want to tell the story, love?”

Her lips twitched and then she turned back to Rory. “Not straight away.”

“Though your mother clearly wanted me.”

Chloe rolled her eyes. “I thought I was telling the story?”

“Just adding important details, darling.”

“Uh-huh. Anyway, Lucifer was very sweet – he gave me space when I needed it and answered every question I had, no matter how crazy they were. We went back to working together and rebuilding our friendship. But the more time I spent with him, the more I realised I didn’t want to just be friends.”

Lucifer grinned.

Chloe rolled her eyes again, but the gesture was so obviously a fond one. “I wanted us to be partners in more than just work. I wanted us to be partners in everything.”

Lucifer pressed his lips to the side of her forehead. There was no teasing in his voice when he replied, “I wanted the same – more than anything.”

Chloe kissed the underside of his jaw and then smiled softly as she recalled a memory. “He finally got around to asking me out on a date. He was so nervous; like he thought I was gonna say no – even though I’d been dropping hints for weeks.”

Lucifer huffed, a shy blush tinging his cheeks. “I was bloody nervous! I was asking you to choose me, knowing exactly who I am. I was on the cusp of being given what I wanted more than anything in the universe – I’ve never been more nervous in my life!”

“And like I told you then, I’ll always choose you, Lucifer,” Chloe told him softly but resolutely.

“So, you’ve been together ever since?” Rory asked, before they could get lost in each other again.

Chloe nodded. “We were together, yes, but we didn’t get much time to bask in the honeymoon period. There were a few…hurdles we had to get past first.”

“Eve?” Rory asked, tentatively looking between her parents.

“Oh, don’t worry – there are no secrets between your mother and I,” Lucifer assured her. “Eve arrived shortly after Chloe returned from Rome. She had wanted to…rekindle our relationship, but I declined the offer.” He tightened his arms around Chloe’s waist. “I knew what it was like to be with your mum then, and even if she didn’t want to be anything more than friends, I still didn’t want anyone else. Eve got over it pretty quickly – she and Maze found that they were a much better match. They’re actually getting married in a couple of weeks.”

Another little alteration in history.

“No, the hurdles we faced were a result of deranged evil priests causing chaos and quite literally unleashing Hell on Earth. Some rebellious demons even kidnapped my nephew.” His face flashed with pain as he added, “I had to return to Hell to stave off the apocalypse and protect those that I love.”

Rory felt for him having to make such a sacrifice. She’d thought him a hero when her mom first told her the story. “But you came back.”

“Indeed, I did. As I’ve come to learn, there’s always a way.” He turned to Chloe and stroked her cheek, “And I could never stay away from you for long.”

Chloe hummed happily. “I’d have found a way to rescue you from Hell myself if you hadn’t.”

Lucifer beamed and then turned back to Rory. “I take it from your reactions that our little trip down memory lane wasn’t exactly how it played out originally?”

“Not exactly,” Rory replied, feeling no need to fill them in on the more painful aspects of their history that they’d averted this time. “But the result was the same. You two always seem to find each other in the end, in any timeline. Freakin’ soulmates as Aunt Maze calls you.”

“Aunt Maze has always had a way with words,” Lucifer huffed in amusement. “But if such things do exist, then I’d have to agree with her.”

Chloe bit her lip to try and control her smile. “They exist.”

“What’s that?” Chloe asked the following morning, intrigued by the carrier bag that Lucifer was proudly clutching in his hand as he stepped off the elevator, excitement evident in his eyes. “Did you have a snack craving?”

He closed the remaining distance between them and smiled before placing a soft kiss to her forehead in greeting. “No, but I imagine you’ll be having some of those soon if my Google research is to be believed.”

Chloe’s heart melted. “You’ve been doing research?”

A blush coloured Lucifer’s cheeks as he admitted, “I may have spent a few hours browsing various pregnancy websites after you fell asleep last night. I also ordered a small library worth of books from Amazon – ‘What to expect when you’re expecting’ and the like. There’s so much to know apparently, and I want to be prepared – I want to be there for you and to help you. I don’t want to mess it up.”

So that was what he’d been doing when she woke up that morning to find him leaning against the headboard, tapping away on his phone. She’d thought he’d been playing rude word games with Maze, but he’d actually stayed up all night doing pregnancy research and trying to find out how he could help her. It was the sweetest thing and she fell in love with him all over again.

He looked a little overwhelmed – probably a mixture of sleep deprivation and information overload. She took his free hand in hers and squeezed it in reassurance. “Lucifer, you’ve always been the best partner – in work, in love, and I know you’ll be the best partner in this too.”

“You do?” he asked, always so touched by how much faith she had in him.

Chloe brought their joined hands up to her lips and placed a kiss to his knuckles. “Yeah, I do.” She smiled at him and then gestured to the mystery bag he was still clutching tightly. “So, what did you buy?”

The excitement returned to his eyes as he remembered what he’d gone out to purchase. “Oh, yes.” He looked rather pleased with himself as he upended the bag onto the piano lid, the contents landing in a heap of little rectangular boxes. “I wasn’t sure which one to get, so I brought options.”

She bit her lip in fond amusement as she looked down at the small mountain of pregnancy tests in front of her. “Lucifer, did you buy all of the pregnancy tests in the store?”

Lucifer just blinked at her as if that were a stupid question. “Of course. I wanted to know if we’d made our little angel yet, or if we need to keep practicing.”

Chloe felt herself getting choked up. A few years ago the idea of being a father would have sent him into a panicked spiral, and if anyone else were the mother she was pretty sure he still would be. But she was different; they were different.

“…which of course we can still do anyway. I read that pregnancy increases a woman’s sex drive – apparently, you’ll be even more insatiable than you are now! A happy bonus for both of us, and an urge I’ll be more than happy to satisfy whenever and wherever you need!”

He looked positively delighted at this discovery and Chloe snorted at the completely Lucifer response. “So chivalrous of you.”

He grinned. “Just doing my duty, darling.”

Chloe rolled her eyes fondly and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning into him. “Uh-huh.”

His forehead naturally came to rest on hers as his large hands held her gently by the waist, his thumbs stroking over the place where their baby would grow.

She was excited too. Despite all of the fear and uncertainty over the future because of what Rory had told them, right now she was just happy. She was having a baby with the love of her life – a little person whose eyes she would look in and see her partner looking right back, and they already knew that their daughter would grow up to be an incredible young woman; the best of both of them.

And in that moment she was just as eager to find out if she was carrying his child; their child.

Chloe giggled excitedly as she disentangled herself from him and rifled through the assortment of boxes on the piano. She picked out three brands that she recognised. “Okay, lets do this. I’m gonna go pee on these sticks.”

Lucifer trotted eagerly behind her as she made her way to the bathroom.

She chuckled when he tried to follow her in. “I think I can manage this part on my own, babe.”

He huffed in disgruntlement but plopped down on the bed to wait instead as she closed the door.

It had been a while since Chloe had had any use for pregnancy tests – over a decade in fact. They’d gotten a little fancier in that time, but after skim reading the instructions, she deduced that the basic principles were the same.

After doing the necessary, Chloe replaced the caps on the tests and placed them in a line on the counter top. She washed her hands and then took a breath before opening the door. Lucifer was in the exact same position, staring at the door and nervously fiddling with his cufflinks.

He looked up at her immediately.

“We have to wait for three minutes.” She smiled and held her hand out to him invitation. “Come and wait with me.”

Lucifer beamed and almost tripped over his own feet in his haste to join her. She chuckled at his uncharacteristic clumsiness. After he eagerly took her hand, she led him back into the bathroom.

He regarded the line of tests with interest and then, without taking his eyes off them, wrapped his arms around her from behind, his hands coming to rest over her still flat abdomen – protecting his future daughter already.

“Who’d have thought five years ago that we’d be here now?” he asked softly, full of wonder as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

“Five years ago, if you’d told me that, I’d have had you committed,” she teased.

Lucifer huffed in amusement. “I’d probably have committed myself.” He turned his head and kissed the underside of her jaw and then added seriously, “I’m so very glad we are here though, Chloe; that we made it.”

Chloe turned her head to meet him and placed her hand on his cheek as she pressed her lips to his. A happy hum escaped his throat and she smiled into the kiss. “So am I.” After one more kiss to the tip of his nose they turned back to resume watching the little plastic sticks that would confirm their future.

The only sound that could be heard was the grandfather clock in the lounge, ticking the seconds away.

When the three minutes were up, they gasped in unison, their breaths catching as the little windows on the tests all lit up with the same word.

Pregnant

Lucifer choked on a sob and then chuckled happily. “We’re having a baby.”

Chloe spun around in his arms to find his eyes glistening and his lower lip trembling as he looked at her with that awed reverence that he only ever bestowed on her. She had to blink back her own tears as she was overwhelmed by emotion and her love for him.

“You’re pregnant,” he murmured dazedly. His eyes flicked down to her stomach and his voice was more tender and full of wonder than she’d ever heard it as he added, “She’s inside you right now.”

Her own voice was no less full of wonder. “Yeah, she really is.”

He lifted his hand and placed it so very carefully over the spot where they now knew for certain that their daughter was growing. A tear slipped down his cheek when she covered his hand with hers. They were a family; a unit, and they would protect their little girl, together.

“I love her,” he murmured, totally enraptured. “Even if I hadn’t already met her, I’d still have loved her the moment I found out about her.”

Lucifer looked back up at Chloe and then tenderly brushed away the tears that she hadn’t realised had fallen, uncaring of his own.

She cared though, and so she cupped his cheek in her palm and did the same for him. “I know you would, baby. You love more fiercely than anyone I’ve ever met.”

He smiled softly at her unwavering faith in him. “Thank you.”

Chloe wasn’t sure exactly what he was thanking her for, but she was so grateful to him too, and she needed him to know. “Thank you, Lucifer. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Chloe. I always have done.”

She was so proud of him; of them.

Chloe placed a tender kiss to the tip of his nose. “How did this happen though?”

Lucifer smirked, “Well, Detective – when a man and a woman love each other very much-”

Rolling her eyes she held up a finger to cut him off, realising she’d walked right into that one. “Okay, I know how it happened, but I didn’t think that angels could procreate. I mean, Charlie is obviously proof that it can happen, but you said that Amenadiel was basically human when he got Linda pregnant.”

His face softened and he took her hands in his, entwining their fingers. “I’ve been thinking about that actually, ever since we re-met Rory. And I think I know the answer. I may have been teasing before, but there is truth in what I said.” He took her hand in his and entwined their fingers. “Rory’s existence is due to our love – because I feel worthy of being loved by you now, and I love you so very much.”

Chloe tilted her head in curiosity. That was incredibly romantic, and her heart clenched with how easily he said those words now, but it still didn’t explain his new found fertility.

He smiled fondly, sensing her detective brain whirring. “We know now that angels self-actualise,” he continued. “I believe; I know that I self-actualised the ability to have a child with you. Because I am so totally, irrevocably in love with you, Chloe Decker. You’re the only one who could ever make me a father, because you’re the only one I want to make a family with. Even if I didn’t realise it at the time, I wanted to make her. I want her.”

She tried admirably to keep her tears at bay, but it was no use and they rolled in rivulets down her cheeks. Rory really was born because of their love. No words could adequately describe how she felt in that moment so instead she threw her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.

Words weren’t needed though because Lucifer understood her better than anyone. He reciprocated, placing one hand at the base of her spine and the other cradling her head to his chest, right over his heart that beat for her.

Chloe wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that for, holding each other, his head rested atop hers as they swayed gently to music that only they could hear. She just knew that there was nowhere else she’d rather be. “You’re gonna be the best father, Lucifer,” she murmured into his chest.

She felt him sigh into her hair. “I just hope I get the chance.”

The peaceful calm she’d been feeling was encroached on by trepidation and fear of what was to come. Whatever had caused him to leave in Rory’s time, it was not because he didn’t want to stay – of that she was certain. She knew that he loved them both beyond measure, and with everything that Rory had told them, Chloe herself hadn’t held it against him. “You will,” she assured him resolutely, leaning back slightly so she could see his face. And she meant it. “Whatever happens in the future, we’ll face it together. Partners ‘til the end.”

The tender smile he gave her was full of reverence. “Partners ‘til the end.”

Rory’s eyes filled with tears, emotion overwhelming her at the scene she’d just witnessed. It was all true – her dad really had wanted her; he’d loved her right from the start. She’d been told her whole life that he loved her, had seen how big his heart was in 2018, but now she knew that her love for him had always been reciprocated.

As quietly as she could she moved away from the bedroom stairs, where she’d found herself unintentionally eavesdropping on the clarification of her own creation. Rory had groaned like a teenager when her mom had attempted to wake her that morning to ask if she wanted to come with her to Lucifer’s – time travel really does zap your energy – and mumbled something about catching up with them in a few hours. She found herself infinitely grateful that she had, because it enabled the serendipitous answering of one of the questions she’d longed to find out for forty years.

At the doors to the balcony, Rory looked back over at her parents once more and smiled at the love and happiness so clearly emanating from them. They were so caught up in each other that all of her annoying celestial aunts and uncles could have paraded through the penthouse and they wouldn’t have noticed.

With a roll of her shoulders her wings unfurled. Whatever happened in three weeks time, they deserved to savour this moment and make this memory, just the two of them. She’d come back later and tease them about their soppiness. Her chest was filled with warmth as she flapped her wings and took to the sky.

If she’d stayed a few more seconds though, she’d have seen him take her mom’s hand as he dropped down onto one knee. 

Chapter Text

“Lucifer!” Chloe gasped. She looked down at the love of her life, who was now on bended knee and gazing up at her with those big, hopeful dark eyes of his.

Her heart hammered against her ribs in anticipation as she waited for him to say something. Was he really about to do what she thought he was about to do?

Lucifer smiled at her – their smile, and then took a breath for courage. “Chloe, my love…”

Chloe’s eyes misted up at how much reverence and adoration he managed to infuse into those three words.

“-there are so many things I want to say to you. But the most important thing, is that I love you. I’ve always loved you, and there’ll never be a day in which I don’t love you.”

“I love you too, Lucifer – so much,” Chloe murmured, her voice catching. With her free hand she cupped his cheek with her palm.

It was intrinsic the way he leaned into her touch, his face softening with affection. “Before you I was only half a man. I was alive but I wasn’t living. You brought me to life, Chloe; you gave me back the light I’d lost millennia ago, and you helped me to love myself. You complete me.” His voice became hoarse with emotion as he added, “You loving me; choosing me, is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. You are the kindest, most beautiful, the best person I have ever known – you’re my world, Chloe.” His eyes dipped down to her abdomen, and he smiled softly. “And now you’re giving me a daughter too.”

When his gaze met hers again, his soulful mahogany eyes were glistening with emotion.

“Whether we have three weeks, three seconds or three millennia, I want to spend every moment of it by your side. So, I ask you, Chloe Jane Decker, will you do me the incredible honour of becoming my wife? Will you marry me?”

He held his breath and Chloe felt the tremble in his hand as he waited for her answer.

Chloe choked on a sob, the battle to keep her tears at bay utterly lost as she dropped down to her own knees. The need to be as close to him as possible was overwhelming and so the moment her knees hit the floor, she took his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his.

She clearly took him by surprise, but he quickly caught up. His hands moved up to her jaw, cradling her like she was the most precious thing in the world as he returned her kiss.

He chuckled happily, a little breathless, as he pulled back and rested his forehead on hers. “Is that a yes, then?”

“Of course it’s a yes, Lucifer! I’d have married you years ago!”

“Really?”

“Really.”

They both giggled in abject happiness.

Chloe stroked his face. He was so excited – just like he’d been when he realised they were going to have a child together. He looked completely adorable and unbelievably cute – she refrained from telling him her thoughts though, instead showing him by placing a kiss to his forehead.

“I love you, baby.”

“I love you too, future Mrs Morningstar.”

“Mmm, Mrs Morningstar – I like the sound of that.”

“It does have a rather nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

“It does.” She ran her hands soothingly through his hair, teasing out the curls that she was so fond of. “You’re not doing this because of what Rory said about you leaving, are you? Because I know you’d never abandon us, Lucifer. You might have left in Rory’s time, but by all accounts I spent my life defending you, defending your love for us. So whatever the reason was, I know you didn’t want to leave.”

“I’ll never understand how you’ve always had such faith in me.” He shook his head with awed wonder and then smiled – full of relevance as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “But no, I’m not doing it because of that. I’m doing it because I want to. Because I want you, Chloe - for eternity.”

Chloe’s eyes glistened with moisture as she swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I want to be with you for eternity too, Lucifer.”

Lucifer’s face lit up like the stars that he’d created. “Well then, maybe I should move this to the appropriate finger.”

She bit her bottom lip as she excitedly held her left hand out to him.

Gently he slid the ring off the middle finger on her right hand and then with the utmost care, put it back on her wedding finger – just like he’d done in Heaven when he’d given his life to save hers.

It was a promise then and it was a promise now. A promise of everlasting love.

“I will of course buy you a wedding ring – which definitely won’t be a hand me down - because I am not cheap!”

Chloe snorted at the reminder of his similar affront at the suggestion during their fake engagement on a case years ago. She intertwined her fingers with his and assured him resolutely, “Lucifer, this ring means more to me than any store-bought ring ever could. Because it’s yours. You used it to save my life - by sacrificing your own. It represents the first time you told me you loved me, and just how much you always had and always will.”

Lucifer stroked his thumb softly over the ring. “It’s yours now. I think it was always meant for you.”

“You’re incredibly romantic, do you know that?”

“I try,” he replied shyly, and then added apologetically, “Although I imagined if I ever proposed, it would have been somewhere slightly more romantic than my bathroom floor.”

Chloe grinned, catching the most important part of his admission. “You imagined proposing to me?”

Lucifer blushed. “Yes, a few times.”

“Well, now you don’t need to imagine anymore.” She leaned forward and kissed his nose. “And for the record, it was perfect. You’re perfect.”

“We’re perfect,” Lucifer added, affection shining brightly in his eyes.

“Yeah, we are.”

“How about we spend the day together, with our daughter?” Chloe murmured softly, looking up at him with a soft smile from where she was laying on his chest.

They’d just celebrated their engagement in their own special way and now his curls were wild and hanging over his forehead, thanks to her penchant for tugging on them when he did certain things that she liked. He looked completely adorable, and she couldn’t resist running her fingers through them again.

Lucifer purred happily at her touch and then smiled lazily, his eyes still a little glazed. “I’d love nothing more.”

She giggled when he nuzzled into her neck, his stubble tickling her skin. “Okay, great. I’ll text Rory and tell her to meet us here.”

“Lovely. We should probably get ready then.” He gave her an innocent look, but his eyes sparkled with mischief. “To save time, I think we should shower together.”

Chloe snorted. “I’m not sure that would save time. When have our joint showers ever been quick?” 

Lucifer smirked. “I can be as quick, or as slow, as you desire, darling.”

And didn’t she know it. She resisted stroking his ego though, instead rolling her eyes fondly. “Uh-huh.”

She should have realised though that that would just spur him on – he always had loved being the inspiration for her eye rolls.

“You sound like you need some convincing.”

Chloe squeaked in surprise when he whisked her up in his arms and carried her off to the bathroom to do just that.

And Lucifer, as ever, was true to his word.

Lucifer and Chloe didn’t quite make the thirty minutes ETA that they gave Rory. They met their daughter leaning against the Corvette outside Lux, one leg crossed over the other and an eyebrow quirked.

“Figured it was safer to wait for you down here.” She smirked noticing their rosy cheeks. “Think I made the right choice.”

Chloe’s cheeks turned even rosier. “Sorry we’re a little late. You know how long your dad takes to do his hair.”

“Well, someone does rather enjoy tugging on it and messing it up,” Lucifer teased, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “So my grooming does take rather longer these days. Not that I’m complaining of course.”

Rory scrunched her nose.

“Okaaay, how ‘bout we get going?” Chloe interrupted, trying to curtail any further references to their sex life that he felt the need to share.

She gestured at the car and started towards the passenger side.

Rory’s eyes widened when she noticed something. “Hold on!” she exclaimed, grabbing Chloe’s left hand as she passed her. “Your ring…” That was on her right hand the last time she’d seen it – and for Rory’s entire life. She looked up at her mom with wide eyes. “You’re engaged?!”

Chloe’s face lit up, radiating abject happiness. “We are.”

“I’m going to marry your mother,” Lucifer clarified – somewhat unnecessarily, pride oozing from his voice.

They looked so delighted that Rory couldn’t help but smile – their joy was infectious.

“We wanted you to be the first to know.,” Chloe told her warmly, squeezing her hand.

“And of course we want you to be there,” Lucifer added.

Rory quickly tried to hide the falter in her smile. She’d love to go to her parents’ wedding and watch them promise to spend their lives together. But as much as she wanted that, as much as she’d love for them to have that, she wasn’t sure they were going to get the chance. She swallowed. “I’d like that.”

Lucifer beamed. “Well then, now that that’s sorted, shall we?”

He held out his hand to her, and despite not needing assistance, she allowed him his chivalry in helping her up onto the back of the Corvette between the two seats.

Her uncertainty was pushed to the back of her mind though as they drove down the ocean road on route to their beach. Her parents laughed and teased each other in between sharing affectionate touches and besotted looks. And with the sound of their happy laughter in her ears and the wind in her hair, she tilted her head up to the sky, spread her arms wide and felt like she was flying.

Sat on a blanket on the sand next to her dad, the sun warming her skin and the waves lapping at the shore, Rory felt happy. Everything was still uncertain, and she still didn’t know why he had left, but right now as they watched her mom paddle in the water, that’s exactly how she felt.

It was Lucifer who eventually broke the contented silence.

“Rory, I’m so sorry that you grew up without me in your life,” he told her earnestly. When his eyes met hers they were pleading for forgiveness for something he didn’t understand and hadn’t yet done. “I don’t know what could possibly be strong enough to take me away from you, but I’m sorry for all of the hurt you felt as a result of my absence.”

Rory just nodded softly, allowing him to say what was on his mind, her throat too tight with emotion to be able to get any words out.

“I might not have physically been there with you, but I can say with absolute certainty that I would have loved you every single day.” His eyes glistened with moisture as he added, “And I love you now. You’re my daughter, Rory. I will always love you.”

Rory choked on a sob and a tear broke free to roll down her cheek. She’d been told thousands of times that her dad loved her, but she’d longed to hear it from the man himself - so many of her childhood dreams filled with imaginings of just that.

And now, after waiting for forty years, she’d finally heard him say it.

“I love you too, Dad,” she choked out.

It was Lucifer’s turn for tears to roll down his cheeks then. “Come here.”

When he held his arm out to her, she smiled and sank easily into her father’s embrace.

He rubbed his hand soothingly up and down her arm – like she imagined he would have done when she was little after she fell over and scraped her knee.

Rory wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that for but when they pulled back, he took her hand and held her gaze.

“I want to be there when you’re born,” he told her emphatically. “- to hold your mum’s hand and then to hold your tiny one. I want to be there for the sleepless nights, the teething, the nappy changes - well, maybe not so much those. But I want to see your first smile, your first steps, I want to bail you out when you get into your first fight, buy you your first drink and take you to your first strip club. I want to be the one to teach you to fly. I want to be there for all of it.”

They swallowed in tandem, identical mahogany eyes glistening with emotion.

“I want to know you when you’re so small that I can hold you in the palm of my hand. I want to stare at you for hours as you sleep in my arms and marvel at how unbelievably perfect you are. I want to hear your first word - maybe it would even be ‘dada’. I want to be there to eviscerate anyone who dares to break your heart.” His voice was raw when he added, “I want to be there to dry your tears, rather than be the reason that you cry.”

He took a breath to compose himself.

“I want to watch you grow into the incredible woman you’ve become. And I want to share all of that with Chloe. I want us to be a family - a mum, a dad and our two urchins.”

And then he gave her a sad smile. “But, if whatever caused me to leave happens again, please believe me when I tell you that I love you, all three of you – more than anything. You’re my world; my family.” His attention was drawn over to the shoreline by the happy giggle of the woman he loved more than life itself, and who never failed to take his breath away. “Can you do one thing for me?” he asked, turning back to his daughter. She raised a questioning eyebrow – so much like her mother. “Look after her?”

Rory’s chest tightened at the pain in his eyes at the thought of not being able to do that himself, and the blindingly obvious way he adored her mom.

She squeezed his hand – this was one comfort she could give him. “I will; I do – we look after each other.”

Lucifer gave her a wistful smile. “Thank you. And if I haven’t already told you, I’m proud of you, Rory – immeasurably so.”

Later on, after Rory had left them to spend some time together, Lucifer came up behind Chloe and wrapped his arms around her waist. His hands came to rest protectively over her abdomen – as had become a habit ever since they’d found out she was carrying his child.

The heat from his strong chest seeped into her, warming her from the outside in. She leaned her head back to rest in the crook of his neck and smiled when he placed a tender kiss to her temple.

Happy.

That’s how she felt in that moment. Beautifully, perfectly, happy. And just like she’d told him when he’d proposed, this is how she wanted to spend eternity – in his arms.

He sighed into her hair – a soft thing floating away in the ocean breeze. He was happy too – she knew he was, because she knew him better than anyone. But because she knew him so well, she could tell that there was also something bothering him.

Tilting her head up she placed a kiss to the underside of his jaw. “What’s wrong, baby?”

A few years ago, Lucifer would have brushed off such a question with an “I’m perfectly fine, Detective – no need to worry about me!”. But it was credit to how far he’d come that he never tried to hide his feelings from her anymore.

His smile was wistful as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and softly brushed his thumb over her cheek. “I’m not sure you’ll ever understand how very much you mean to me, Chloe.”

Chloe’s replying smile was one of adoration. She turned in his arms and took his face in her hands. “Oh, I think I have some idea – because I feel the same way about you. I love you, Lucifer – so, so much.”

She would never, ever tire of the way his whole face lit up and glowed whenever she said those words to him.

“Talk to me,” she encouraged softly.

“I think we should get married,” he told her after a beat.

An amused smile pulled at Chloe’s lips as she held up her left hand; the now white stone on his – her - ring sparkling in the late afternoon sun. “Well, yeah, so do I – that’s why I said yes to you.”

“Today.”

Chloe blinked, not having expected that. He was looking at her deadly serious waiting for her response. Lucifer was the definition of impulsiveness, and she was used to his outlandish ideas, but this still took her by surprise.

She would happily marry him in a heartbeat – any time, any place. She loved him that much, and a rush of warmth filled her chest at the thought that he was just as eager to marry her. The intensity in his eyes though told her that there was more to his urgency to make her his wife, and her heart clenched when she realised what it was.

“Lucifer,” she murmured softly, “we’re not getting married today.”

A flash of hurt passed over his face and he ducked his head in an attempt to hide it.

Gently she tilted his chin back up so that he was looking at her. She leaned up and kissed the tip of his nose. “You’re the love of my life, and I am going to marry you – I promise.”

The look on his face transformed from hurt to a mixture of confusion and hope. “Then why not today?”

“We’re going to get married. But we’re going to get married after August 4th, and after Rory’s born,” Chloe clarified. “Trixie’s going to be my maid of honour, and Rory’s going to be our flower girl. Because this isn’t the end for us, Lucifer - we’re going to be a family.”

Lucifer blinked back the moisture that had gathered in his expressive dark eyes. “I’m scared that something will happen and that I won’t get to be Rory’s father…that I won’t get to be your husband. And I want to be, Chloe – I want it so much. More than anything,” he told her, a hitch in his voice as he confirmed what she’d already figured out.

Chloe’s heart ached for him - for the future together they both so desperately wanted, and deserved, and the unknown entity that could tear them apart again. He was scared, and so was she, but she would be strong for him - like he had been for her so many times before. Because what they had was so very special – incredible – and she would never give up on them getting their eternity together. “You never stopped being Rory’s father, and you never stopped being my partner,” she assured him. “Even if you weren’t there.”

“But I want to be there!” Lucifer replied frustratedly. “I want to be in your lives.”

“I know you do. I want you to be with us too.” She held his gaze as she told him resolutely, “And we’re gonna do everything we can to make sure that happens. I have faith in us – I know we’ll make it.”

He searched her eyes for any hint of doubt. His lower lip trembled when he found none. “I have faith in us too.”

She leaned up and kissed him softly. It meant the world to hear him say that – he’d spent millennia having lost faith in everything, including himself, but now he’d found a family, and in doing so he’d found his faith.

“Then we have some wedding planning to do.” Her eyes scanned him up and down slowly, suggestively. “I’m looking forward to seeing you in a tux.”

Lucifer preened, anguish set aside and a delighted smirk lighting up his face. “Oh really?”

Chloe bit her lip. “Mmhmm.”

“Well, if you’re such a fan, there’s no need to wait ‘til the wedding for that – I’ll throw one on as soon as we get home!”

Chloe felt heat creep up her neck and a tingle run down her spine. “Suspenders too?"

“Of course, darling,” he crooned, incredibly smug. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way your pupils dilate whenever you see me in them – why do you think I’ve been wearing them more often?”

Just the thought caused her pupils to do just that. She slipped her hand into his. “Take me home, Lucifer.”

As starlight flickered across the night sky, they lay together in a blissed-out afterglow, a light sheen of sweat coating their bodies, lips kiss swollen and sated smiles on their faces. Chloe placed a tender kiss over his heart as he stroked his fingers up and down her back.

Lucifer hummed contentedly and then, remembering something, reached over and retrieved a small black box from his bedside drawer. Tentatively he handed it to her. “I know you said that we weren’t getting married today, but I had these made. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Lucifer,” Chloe gasped, taking in the matching, intricately carved, platinum wedding bands. “Of course I don’t mind - they’re beautiful!”

“You like them?” he asked shyly, pleased by her reaction but needing to hear her confirmation.

“Like them? Lucifer, I love them.”

His face lit up at making her happy. “I- I thought we could get them engraved, but I wanted us to decide together what they should say.”

“That’s really thoughtful, Lucifer.” She stroked his cheek with her thumb and then leaned in to place a tender kiss to his nose. “How about you decide what you want mine to say, and I’ll decide what I want yours to say?”

Lucifer nodded and then his face softened as he smiled the smile he reserved only for her – reverent and full of affection. “Now and for eternity.”

Chloe blinked back tears as she returned his smile. Just as he had immediately known what he wanted hers to say, she immediately knew what she wanted his to say. “I choose you.”

His own eyes watered as he repeated their declaration. “Now and for eternity, I choose you.” He sighed happily and rested his forehead on hers. “Then so it shall be.”

When he tried to hand the box to her though she shook her head and closed his fingers around the box. “No. You’re going to get them engraved and look after them. And then you’re going to bring them to our wedding so we can exchange them when we say our vows.”

Lucifer understood her unspoken message – he wasn’t leaving, and their marriage was going to happen. He nodded and brought their joined hands that held their wedding rings to his lips and placed a kiss to her knuckles. “Okay.”

Two weeks and multiple dead ends later they were still no closer to figuring out the mystery behind Lucifer’s absence in Rory’s life. And coupled with trying to thwart an apparent impending apocalypse, the ticking hands of time were getting increasingly loud.

“Do you actually want to be God?” Rory asked, joining Lucifer on the balcony where he was leaning on the railing, a contemplative furrow in his brow and a forgotten cigarette burning between his fingers. Ever since he and Chloe had returned from their field trip to Hell, he’d looked frustrated and perhaps a little sad.

She knew he didn’t actually end up in the role – Uncle A did. She could tell him that, but she had a feeling this was something he needed to work through and figure out for himself.

Lucifer considered the question for a moment. “I originally thought I needed to become God – to prove I was worthy of your mother’s love. And then it was even more of a necessity to stop my dick head twin from taking the throne instead. Thankfully that crisis was averted and his murdering arse is now down in Hell having a much needed timeout to think about his actions. And when it came to your mother; Chloe…” He huffed in fond amusement. “Well, she wasn’t impressed with my reasoning for applying for the job, to put it lightly. I thought it was rather romantic, but apparently not. Anyway, she told me that I was already worthy – that I always had been, and that she’d informed me of that fact countless times before.” A soft smile stretched across his face. “Admittedly it took me a while, but I came to believe her; believe in myself.”

“So, you realised you don’t need to be God?”

“I did, yes.”

“But do you want to be God?”

“I- I don’t know. I’ve been putting off flying up to the Silver City and taking the throne – which I’m sure Dr Linda would point out suggests I’m somewhat reticent. I just…if it was my calling, surely I’d just know…surely it would just feel right?”

“I take it it doesn’t feel right then?”

He paused for a moment, but there was no uncertainty in his answer. “If I’m honest – and you know that’s a point of pride for me – no, it doesn’t.”

“Then I think you have your answer.”

“Perhaps. But I-” He sighed in frustration.

“You what?” she pressed gently.

His eyes drifted to her mom who had fallen asleep on the couch – the adrenaline rush of interdimensional travel having worn off now. “I don’t want to disappoint anyone.”

“You mean Mom?”

Rory didn’t need his faint nod to know she was right. “Mom won’t be disappointed in you,” she assured him resolutely. “She spent her whole life being proud of you – she never wavered.”

He turned back to Rory, his face softening with awe and affection. “She did?”

“Yeah, she did. And I doubt it’ll be any different this time around – whatever happens.” He smiled then and Rory wanted to make sure he stayed smiling. “In case you hadn’t noticed, she’s nauseatingly head over heels for you.”

It worked and Lucifer beamed, his gaze intrinsically drawn back to the sleeping woman inside. “The feeling is entirely mutual.”

Rory rolled her eyes fondly. As if that wasn’t blatantly obvious. “Well then, now you only have to worry about why you disappear in a week.”

Lucifer huffed at her dry humour – inherited from her mother of course. “Yes, quite.”

“How ‘bout we go brainstorm how to solve that little problem then?”

He smiled wistfully. Logic and bossiness – more attributes she’d inherited from Chloe. Holding his arm out he gestured for her to go first back into the penthouse. “Indeed. Let’s get back to it.”

August 4^th 2021

Rory blinked when she stepped off the elevator at the sight she was met with. Her parents half naked, going at it like horny teenagers, her dad juggling fruit or dancing around in his silk robe – none of those things would have surprised her. The former would have traumatised her somewhat, but not surprised her. The sight of her dad in full on welding gear and holding a blowtorch to what looked like a massive Tardis though, was however a little unexpected.

So engrossed in his task was he that he didn’t hear her approach. She had to tap him on the shoulder to get his attention.

He lifted his visor and beamed when he saw who’d interrupted him. “Rory! This is a nice surprise.”

“What are you doing? And what is that?”

Lucifer grinned proudly. “I’m solving our little issue with my mysterious disappearance. And this-” he gestured with his blow torch at the giant metal box now taking up a considerable portion of the lounge. “-is a panic room.”

“Um, how exactly is a panic room going to help with that?”

“Ah, well I’m glad you ask! You see this here is the strongest, most sophisticated panic room money can buy. It’s impenetrable from the outside and once locked, can only be opened from the inside. Had to cash in quite a few favours to get it constructed on such short notice, but I’d say it’s worth it, wouldn’t you?”

Rory glanced at the iron monstrosity that looked like something out of a sci-fi movie. “It’s…definitely something.”

Lucifer’s smile widened at the apparent praise. “It is, isn’t it?!”

“So, what – you’re gonna lock yourself in there?”

“Exactly!” He looked so pleased with himself for coming up with a solution. “It’s August 4^th, so if I’m in there until the day is done, whatever or whomever caused me to leave in your time, can’t get to me and cause history to repeat itself. And, voila – no child abandonment issues!”

Rory raised a sceptical eyebrow and Lucifer couldn’t help but smile at how much she looked like Chloe.

“Mom always taught me not to run away from my problems.”

“I’m not running away,” he pointed out. “I’m doing the opposite of running away – I’m ensuring I stay right here.”

Rory huffed in amusement and rolled her eyes. “Or hide from them.”

Lucifer’s smile dropped, deflating a little. “We still don’t know why I left in your time, and I’m just trying to find a way to make sure I can stay in your lives. I want to stay, Rory – more than anything.”

Rory softened at the pained look on his face. She reached out and placed a hand on his arm. “I know. But I think figuring out what caused it in the first place would help more with that than hiding in a giant metal box – as strong and sophisticated as it may be.”

Lucifer sighed in frustration. He dropped the blowtorch and gloves to the floor and then ran his hand through his once tamed curls. “That’s what we’ve been trying to do for weeks, but we’re still no closer to figuring it out.”

Rory thought for a moment. She could understand his frustration – she wanted to solve the 40-year long mystery just as much as him, if not more so.

A conversation she’d had on her first voyage into time travel suddenly came back to her.  “I don’t know if it helps, but your Dad said that the reason you left was ‘the best reason a parent could have’ and that he was proud of you for it.”

Lucifer frowned. “Well that makes exactly no sense! …wait, when did you meet dear old Dad? I thought he was off living it up with Mum in their own custom-made universe.”

“He came to see me when I was here in 2018. Said it was the only chance he’d get to meet me – probably because of the whole moving to a new universe thing before I was born.”

“Hmm, I guess it was too much to expect a straight answer when he could give a wonderfully ambiguous one instead. What exactly is the best reason a parent could have anyway? And why on earth would he be proud of me for leaving you? Unless it’s because of how the apple apparently didn’t fall far from the tree – like father like son when it comes to failing your child it would seem.”

Rory hated the self-deprecating way he talked about himself. She’d been non too complimentary about him herself in the past, but these past few weeks had changed her opinion. She knew he was a good man. “Hey. I don’t know him like you do – I only talked to him for like twenty minutes. But I do know you. You’re not like him – you’re better.”

Lucifer looked incredibly touched by her words. He swallowed. “I try to be.”

She gave him a small smile. “But as for what he meant – I don’t have kids, so I have no idea. You’re the parent – what do you think?”

Lucifer huffed. “I’m rather a rookie in the parenting arena though. I’m not sure my three weeks experience of being a father have made me an expert yet.”

“I think you underestimate yourself,” she told him. He smiled shyly back. “We’ll figure it out. The famous mom and Lucifer partnership don’t have the best solve rate in the precinct for nothing, right?”

“You are so very much like your mother,” he told her fondly, a proud look in his eyes.

“She’s my hero,” Rory replied simply.

He smiled softly. “As she is mine.”

“Maybe we could all have dinner together later?” she suggested, uncharacteristically shy. If this was her last day with him then she wanted to make one more memory.

His face softened with affection. “I’d like that, very much.”

“Okay, cool. Well, I’m gonna go for a walk, and maybe a little fly – it helps me think. I’ll see you later though?”

“You will. Any requests for food? My culinary skills are second to none so I can whip you up whatever you desire.”

Rory chuckled. “Burgers and fries?”

“As you wish.” He sighed dramatically and then amusement tugged at his lips. “Ketchup?”

Rory scrunched her nose. “No – ketchup’s gross.”

“Foolish condiment,” Lucifer replied warmly. “As I said, so very much like your mother.”

She grinned as she made her way back to the elevator.

“See you tonight, Rory.”

“See you tonight, Dad.”

Chloe was less surprised than Rory at Lucifer’s new building project when she stepped off the elevator, having had years to get used to his unique ideas and Luciferness. She did however find his reasoning for erecting the giant structure rather sweet, though she suggested they refer to it as the ‘feeling totally fine room’ as opposed to ‘panic room’, in order to calm her own anxieties.

“You’ve seen Rory today?” she asked when Lucifer told her of their daughter’s family dinner idea.

“Yes, she stopped by earlier – she teased me about the feeling totally fine room. She also happened to mention that dear old Dad paid her a visit, although he was as cryptic as ever with answering her questions. Apparently, the reason I left was ‘the best reason a parent could have’, and something he was proud of me for.”

He huffed in frustration at his father’s mysterious ways.

All of the colour suddenly drained from Chloe’s face. “Lucifer…I think I know why you left.”

Lucifer frowned. “You do?”

Chloe nodded, fear emanating in her eyes. “It was because of Rory.”

Hurt flashed across Lucifer’s face. “Chloe, I would never abandon her. I love her; I love both of you. You’re my family!”

He looked so distressed at the thought of her doubting his feelings. She placed a hand atop his in an attempt to soothe him. “I know you do. And you didn’t abandon her.”

The hurt on his face transformed into utter confusion. “Then what-”

“The best reason a parent could do something,” Chloe interrupted, “-is for their child. You didn’t leave because you didn’t love her – love us – enough. You left because you do.”

She could see the cogs turning in his brain as he struggled to understand.

“I think you left to save her.”

“I suppose sacrificing myself to save my daughter would be a valid reason for my absence,” Lucifer acquiesced.

Chloe’s eyes widened and her head whipped around as a thought occurred to her. “Where’s Rory?”

Lucifer sensed her panic and looked at her with worry. “She said she was going for a walk.”

“Lucifer, it’s August 4^th. I think she’s in danger.”

He swallowed the fear constricting his throat and clenched his jaw in determination. “We have to find her.” He stood up so fast it would have given him a head rush if he were human. After dialling Rory’s number and receiving no answer, he cursed and frustratedly shoved his phone back into his pocket. “You stay here, I’ll go and look for her.”

Chloe stood up too, her own jaw set stubbornly. “No. You’re not doing this alone.”

“But Detective,” he tried to reason, placing his hands on either side of her still flat abdomen. “I can’t have both of you in danger. And we need to protect the little Rory inside of you.”

His eyes were pleading to let him go this alone, but as much as he needed to protect her – protect them – she needed to protect him too. “No. She’s our daughter, Lucifer. We’ll protect her together.”

“I can’t lose you,” he told her, his voice raw.

“You won’t,” she assured him. “We both know I don’t die today.” Taking his hands in hers, she smiled softly at him. “We’re in this together. Partners ‘til the end, remember?”

He sighed, sensing he wouldn’t be winning this battle. And then he placed a tender kiss to her forehead. “Partners ‘til the end.” 

Rory clenched her jaw, refusing to flinch or make a sound as one of Le Mec’s heartless henchwomen yanked out yet another of her feathers. She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of knowing they were causing her pain.

And the pain was searing – much like she imagined it would feel to have your fingernails pulled out with plyers.

Blood dripped down her wing and the clang of metal on metal filled the air as the pile of celestial weapons carelessly tossed in a heap on the floor, grew larger.

Her weapons.

“Those are mine!” Rory seethed, ice lacing her voice. She tugged on her chained restraints in anger, her eyes blazing hellfire red. He wasn’t going to get away with this. She would make him pay.

Le Mec just smirked, unbothered and an evil glint in his eyes. “You see? I told you. You're not just the bait. You're also the weapon. One that can even hurt the devil himself.”

“Your parents will always choose you.”

Her grandfather’s words flashed through her mind and her blood ran cold. When she’d first gotten into this predicament, she’d prayed that they’d find and rescue her. But now she desperately prayed that they didn’t. Because what if this was the reason her dad left – what if he died trying to save her. If that were the reason, she didn’t understand why her mom wouldn’t tell her – he’d have been a hero, and she’d never have hated him for that. It didn’t totally make sense, but she didn’t want to risk him – or her mom – getting hurt. She cared about him – loved him - too much for that.

“No, you can't... you can't use me to hurt my Dad!”

“Oh no, I can't?” he mocked before cackling. “How sweet you wanting to stop me hurting your nice, sweet devil daddy. But he... he's the one... that is hurting me. Ever since he whispered in my ear, I've been in pain. Terrible... excruciating torture. And now it is my turn... to torture him.”

Rory glared at him, defiant. “Dad doesn't torture people.”

“Agree to disagree.”

“No. He lets them torture themselves... with their own guilt. So he must have brought Hell to you before you died. Whatever pain you're whining about, that's on you, dude. And looks like whatever you did in this life must have been pretty shitty.”

“Shut up!” Le Mec screamed at her.

Rory smirked in satisfaction at getting under his skin.

Her triumph was short lived though when the woman who’d gotten some sort of sick pleasure from removing her feathers, announced that they had two guests.

“Two?” Rory’s heart pounded against her ribs. Fate was either on her side, or not, because she was pretty sure she knew exactly who those two people were.

Sheer terror flooded her veins when evil bitch, whilst loading a crossbow, added, “Do your best to keep the man alive. As for the woman, you can kill her if you want.”

She had to warn them.

“Mom! Dad! Stay away!” she yelled with everything she had, hoping they’d hear her and heed her warning. “They have my feathers! They can hurt you!”

Le Mec however was not impressed with her warning, rewarding her with a sucker punch to the gut.

She doubled over from the impact but again refused to let him see her pain.

Rory pulled on her chains again, desperate to get to her parents and help them. They creaked a little but didn’t budge and so all she could do was helplessly wait and listen to the sounds of fighting and gunshots.

Minutes felt like hours as she flinched at every shot and thud of a body hitting the floor, praying to whichever of her celestial relatives who’d listen to intervene and stop her parents from being taken away from her.

A dichotomy of relief and panic filled her chest when the metal doors to her prison slid open and her dad – rage in his eyes, bullet holes in his shirt and literal fire behind him, strode into the room.

“Rory!” he called out, his gaze softening when it landed on her.

She tried to call out to him, but all that came out was a muffled noise thanks to the gag that was now tied around her mouth.

He began to walk over to her but stilled when Le Mec pointed a gun at her and clicked off the safety.

Despite the calmness in his voice when he told Le Mec that he’s causing his own anguish because of his own guilt, Rory knew he was scared. She knew him, and she knew he wasn’t scared for himself – he was scared for her.

Her dad’s eyes caught hers for a second and an understanding passed between them – Le Mec was becoming increasingly unhinged, and they needed to do something, immediately.

And it was him who decided what needed to be done.

“In order to truly torture someone, you must know what they desire more than anything else. Vincent. Why don't you ask me, hmm? It's okay, just ask me! Go on.”

Le Mec looked unimpressed. He sighed in annoyance before rolling his eyes and mumbling unenthusiastically, “What is it you desire?”

Lucifer was replying to Le Mec, but his eyes were on Rory as he spoke.

“To see my daughter grow up. To be there for her when she needs me the most.” He took a shaky breath. “To be the father she deserves. So, now you know. If you kill me and me alone, you won't add to your torture 'cause, well, I'm far from innocent. Let's be honest, Vincent. And you'll get what you want. 'Cause I will suffer... an unimaginable pain. The pain of leaving behind the ones I love. My daughter. Chloe. And my family.”

His eyes glistened with moisture as he imagined just that.

Rory’s chest tightened unbearably as tears streamed down her face. She’d got it so wrong before. This was a man who’d do anything for his daughter, who loved her immeasurably.

Le Mec grinned sinisterly. “Yes. That’s it. That's what I was looking for.”

Lucifer’s breath hitched and then he lowered himself onto one knee, his arms spread in surrender. “Then let's finish this, shall we?”

“No! No!” Rory whimpered as Le Mec slowly advanced on him, one of her bladed feathers brandished in his hand. This couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t watch her dad die. She’d only just found him. “No!” her whimpers turned to sobs. “No! No!”

This is why he was going to leave – he was going to sacrifice himself for her. He would give his life in exchange for hers.

She couldn’t just stand by and let him do that.

“Dad!” she screamed; her voice raw.

The chains clinked and creaked. Adrenaline flooded her veins. And with a roar, she ripped her wings free of their binds. The pain of tearing flesh was nothing in comparison to the fear and need to save her dad’s life.

Lucifer closed his eyes, accepting and at peace with his choice.

Le Mec drew the blade back, before whipping it forward, intending to slash her dad’s neck.

But he didn’t get the chance.

Rory grabbed his arm, millimetres before the blade met flesh.

Having stopped her father’s murder, fear was replaced by pure rage. She growled and in the blink of an eye she had Le Mec hoisted in the air by his neck, his eyes bulging and his face turning an unattractive shade of red as she squeezed harder and harder.

Time to punish the monster who’d taken T’s dad and who dared to threaten her family.

“No! Rory, no! Rory, no, you can't do this!” Lucifer was by her side in an instant, pleading desperately with her. “No! Rory! Don't do this, Rory!”

But Rory wasn’t listening. She hated this man for what he’d done, and almost done.

Le Mec gagged as she tightened her grip. “He deserves this,” she ground out as her face flickered red, her devil form fighting to break free.

If she’d have been able to take her eyes off Le Mec for a moment, she would have seen the surprise on her dad’s face that she’d inherited that from him, and sadness at the implication that she saw herself that way.

“Rory,” he gasped, and then begged and pleaded with her to listen to him. “Rory, killing him won't change what he's done, but it will change you. Once you've done this, there's no going back! Rory, I know what it's like to be consumed by guilt, by anger and self-hatred. Trust me - you do not wanna go down that road. You don't wanna live like that. Do not give in to this monster!”

Her gaze shifted for the first time from Le Mec and she looked at her dad, and doing so caused her to pause. She’d never seen him look so panicked.

“You have to be better than him!” His voice came out as a broken whisper as he added, “Rory, please, you have to be better than me. Please be better than me. Rory... Rory! Please.”

Rory’s heart broke for him. Her devil form disappeared, giving way to smooth alabaster skin, and her eyes glistened with moisture as she gave him a tiny nod.

Turning back to Le Mec, her expression hardened again. “I won’t kill you,” she told him, her voice cold and low. “-because I’m better than you. And my dad is better than you too – so much better.” She shoved him unceremoniously to the floor. “Enjoy torturing yourself.”

Lucifer smiled proudly at her. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over how it feels to hear you call me ‘dad’.”

Rory gave him a shy smile back. “Well, get used to it,” she murmured into his chest as she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly.

A bang made her jump, disturbing their father-daughter moment.

Lucifer placed his hand protectively on her head as they turned towards the sound, and then relaxed at the sight of Chloe, gun raised and aimed just over their shoulders.

Rory’s gaze followed the direction the bullet had taken to find Le Mec dead on the floor, her bladed feather still brandished in his hand.

After she’d let him live, he’d still tried to kill them. His cold, dead eyes stared eerily up at the ceiling and Rory had zero sympathy for him. She hoped his Hell loop was particularly painful.

Lucifer however didn’t even grant Le Mec a cursory glance. Instead, he rushed over to Chloe who was leaning heavily on the door frame.

It was then that Rory noticed the tell-tale crimson of blood covering her hands and soaking through her shirt. “Mom!” she cried, Le Mec forgotten as hurried to join them.

“I’m fine, honey,” Chloe reassured her. “Don’t worry about me.”

The paleness of her skin contradicted her words though.

“You will be, my love,” Lucifer told her softly, scooping her up in his arms as if she weighed nothing and cradling her protectively to his chest. “Now, let’s get that wound seen to so we can all go home, hmm?”

“Home sounds good,” Chloe replied with a soft smile. “Home sounds really good.”

“Why so glum?” Lucifer asked, noticing Rory’s lack of celebration as she paced the warehouse looking contemplative. “I mean, I am still here, after all.”

Rory didn’t want to burst his bubble or be the reason that the relieved smile slipped from his face, but she wasn’t so sure that they’d solved the problem yet. She remembered her Grandpa’s words about the time loop being almost complete. But if it was complete now, she wouldn’t still be here. “Yeah, but so am I.”

“Yes. We all are. One big happy, half-celestial, half-human family,” he replied happily. He paused at her expression, a look of uncertainty in his eyes. “Crisis averted, right?”

She sighed in frustration. She wished it were that simple – really wished – but things in her life had rarely been that simple, and she was fairly certain this wasn’t either. “But if I'm still here in the past, that means that my future still happens exactly how I lived it. Which... which means you still abandon me. And I still get so angry that I travel back in time to confront you. The fact is that you will leave. And I still don't know why.”

Lucifer’s face fell.

Back at the penthouse after Chloe had been patched up at the hospital, it was Lucifer’s turn to pace frustratedly. “I just feel so useless! I should have already figured this out, I should have fixed it by now!”

“Lucifer, this isn’t just on you,” Chloe soothed, standing up and taking his hand to still his pacing.  “We’re in this together, and we’ll figure it out together.”

Lucifer squeezed her hand in gratitude at her attempt to calm him, but he was still distressed. “I just want to help! I want to make it right! Maybe if I hadn’t wasted all that time trying to learn how to be God, we might have figured it out by now.”

“It wasn’t a waste of time, Lucifer,” Chloe persisted. “You were helping people then - you helped Jimmy. Like you did with Lee.”

He scrunched his brow for a moment, trying to figure out who she was talking about before he smiled in realisation. “Oh, Mr. Said Out Bitch.”

“Yeah. You broke his hell loop.”

“Well, to be fair, Lee broke his own hell loop. I just showed him a path. Or rather, a door, to be precise.” He chuckled fondly. “Like a wise therapist once said to me, I can't give you the right answers, only the right questions.”

“But still, Lucifer, you helped them. You helped them both.”

“And me,” Rory realised. “I almost killed Le Mec. I wanted to. I was...so close. But when I looked in your eyes, I knew you understood my anger and the guilt more than anyone else could.”

Lucifer gave her a sad, wistful smile. “That's because I didn't want you to repeat my sins. To succumb to that monster that's inside of you. Feel the pain...that I felt.”

He wanted to protect her. She looked into his eyes and there was no mistaking the fatherly affection shining there. The pieces started to fall into place. “Maybe that's the real reason I came back in time. So you could help me.”

Chloe also seemed to be putting the pieces together. “So that you can help everyone. Every Lee down in Hell who deserves another chance.”

Lucifer smiled bashfully. “Well...well, I suppose I do know what it's like to fall. And also, to rise.”

Rory saw the exact moment the lightbulb switched on in his mind.

He huffed in amused disbelief. “Oh, you cheeky bastard.”

“Who?” Chloe asked.

“My dad. He said I'd figure it out, and I did. When he said Hell no longer needs a keeper, it doesn't. It needs a healer.” He smiled proudly. “Chloe...I might not have figured out why I left yet, but I think I finally found my calling.”

Chloe gasped, before an equally proud smile lit up her own face.

It suddenly hit Rory like a freight train. Everything finally made sense. Conversations and comments from over the years flashed through her mind…

“You’re a healer, just like your dad is,” Emphasis on the is – as in that’s what he’s doing now.  “One day you’ll understand”, “If you knew how much Lucifer’s done for you, how much he gave up for you - you wouldn’t dare talk about him like that!” The latter, T had yelled at her - snapping after one of Rory’s particularly defamatory rants about her dad. “She’s the reason he’s not here!” Rory had heard T cry to their mom later. She’d thought at the time it had meant that he’d left because he didn’t want her.

But now she realised it wasn’t that at all.

“This... this is why you leave,” Rory whispered, eyes wide.

“What? No, I can just pop down to Hell, save a few souls and then pop back up here again. It doesn't have to be a full-time job,” he replied easily, seemingly having found the perfect solution. “I can still be in your life, in both your lives.”

Rory’s mind though was racing a mile a minute with the weight of the revelation and its implications. “And that's why you didn't ever tell me why he left. I get why you had to keep it from me now. See? It all leads to this. Me, thinking you bailed on August 4th with no explanation. Me, feeling abandoned and angry. So angry that I travelled back in time. Everything that we've been through, it all leads to what Dad just realised, that he needs to help those lost souls.”

The pleased, happy smile on Lucifer’s face faltered, and was replaced with fear and apprehension at what she was getting at.

“…If we change anything, he might never get that idea.”

“Rory-”

“Dad... I was one of those lost souls.”

“But that was my fault,” he implored her anxiously.

“No. No, it's my life. My choices. Don't you see, I... I'm the one who asked you... to do what you did.”

Panic flashed across his face and his tone was desperate as he begged her to listen to him. “But even if that happened before, it doesn’t mean it has to happen again. We make our own choices. It’s kind of the cornerstone of free will.”

“And your dad’s the smartest man I’ve ever met,” Chloe added urgently, her voice hitching a little as she too felt that looming sense of foreboding. Lucifer preened a little at the praise, despite the situation. “Even if you don’t travel back in time, he’ll figure out his calling eventually – he always does.”

“You told me if I ever had a child, to stick around, remember?” he pleaded. “You wanted me to stay with you. I want to stay with you; with both of you.”

“I remember.” Rory swallowed. She knew she was at a crossroads – the decision she made next would affect not only her life, but the lives of everyone she loved most in the world. It all suddenly felt very, very overwhelming. “I- I need a minute.”

Before her parents had time to say anything further, Rory had crossed the lounge like her boots were on fire and stepped out onto the balcony. Leaning on the railing she inhaled a giant lungful of air in an effort to calm her racing heart. She tipped her head up to the night sky and focused on the stars twinkling in the dark expanse. It was a surprisingly clear night so Rory could make out thousands of them – her dad’s creations. She used to do this all the time when she was a kid and she felt sad or scared – ever since her mom proudly told her that her dad had made them. It soothed her then, and she smiled wistfully when it had the same calming effect on her now.

With her heartbeat no longer pounding so loudly in her ears, despite the balcony door being closed, Rory’s celestial hearing still picked up the hushed conversation between her parents.

“I don’t want to leave you,” Lucifer told her, despair and devastation glistening in his damp eyes.

“I don’t want you to leave either,” Chloe replied brokenly, struggling to hold it together.

Lucifer’s voice was more raw than Rory had ever heard it when he all but sobbed, “We haven’t had enough time. I haven’t had nearly enough time with you.”

“I know. And I want a lifetime with you too, Lucifer – I want a thousand lifetimes.” Chloe placed her hands on either side of his face and tenderly brushed away a tear that had rolled down his cheek. “But I promise you – no matter what happens, we’ll have eternity together. When it’s my time, I’m coming home to you.”

“But you’re destined for Heaven, Chloe.”

“If there’s anything I’ve learned since meeting you, it’s that we have free will; we have choice. Heaven won’t be home without you there. My home is wherever you are. So if you’re in Hell, then that’s where I’ll be too. Because I choose you, Lucifer – now and for eternity, remember?”

“Now and for eternity.”

“We’ll never say goodbye, Lucifer.”

Lucifer swallowed and shook his head in agreement.

She cradled his cheek and gave him a watery smile. “But if you do have to go away for a little while, I want you to know something.” He looked at her with rapt, adoring affection as she leaned in and murmured softly, “Close your eyes.”

He looked at her questioningly, but when she stroked his face and whispered it again, he closed his eyes, unyielding trust in her and them.

“You can't see me,” she whispered. “But I'm right here.”

Lucifer sighed happily, feeling her breath on her skin, her soft voice in his ear.

“And it would be the same down there.” She inhaled a shaky breath and Rory could see that she was trying desperately not to break down – she was trying to stay strong for him. “No matter where you go.” She gasped, her voice breaking as she rested her forehead on his. “No matter where you are.” That was when she finally lost the battle with holding it together, the rest of her words coming out as a sob. “I'll be with you. I'll be with you always.”

Rory felt like she was intruding on a private moment as her mom pressed her lips tenderly to his forehead, but she couldn’t look away. He tilted his head up to meet hers, but his eyes remained closed. And then her mom kissed his forehead again; once, twice, and then his eye, his cheek and finally his mouth. Her dad, no longer able to remain passive, kissed her back with aching tenderness. Their hands cradled each other’s faces as they kissed softly, unhurriedly, and then he held onto her waist as she made sure to kiss every inch of his face. This wasn’t the urgent, passion frenzied kiss Rory had walked in on at the piano, back in 2018. No, this was a kiss to last a lifetime. A kiss to go down in history. A kiss between the devil and the woman who loves him. She was giving him a memory to cling to in case she had to let him go.

It wasn’t until she hugged his head to her chest that she allowed herself to truly cry, her hand trembling as the tears fell. Even now she was trying to shield him from her own pain. He sensed it though because he pulled back a little so that he could see her, giving her a sad smile before gently brushing her tears away. She smiled back through watery eyes and then kissed the tip of his nose and then his lips again. And then they just clung to one another, needing to be as close as possible to one another, for as long as they could.

Rory’s chest felt so tight with emotion that she was finding it difficult to breathe again. She didn’t realise she was crying herself until she felt a fallen tear land on her hand. She’d never seen a love so all-encompassing and powerful as what she’d witnessed between her parents just now, and over the past few weeks. It was everything her mom had told her it was, and more. It would break their hearts to be apart – it was breaking them now at just the thought. But they’d do it; they’d suffer that unimaginable pain – for her. Because they loved her that much.

Her legs suddenly felt unsteady with the weight of revelations and finally having an answer to the question she’d been asking her whole life.

She was the reason. Her parents had done it all for her.

On shaky legs she made her way back into the lounge and sat down next to her parents – whose hands were clasped together so tightly that their knuckles were white.

They both gave her watery smiles – putting on brave faces as they waited for her to decide their future; so clearly desperate to not be separated, but willing to make the greatest sacrifice for their daughter.

“I like who I am,” Rory began, her voice raw with emotion. “Everything that’s happened to me has shaped me into the person I am now.” She paused and looked into her father’s eyes. “If you’re there for me growing up, I’ll have different experiences. I won’t be the same. You went back to Hell to help people, and you stayed away so that I wouldn’t be changed.”

Lucifer swallowed and then nodded in sad acceptance. Grief at the looming loss of the life he longed for flashed across his face, despite his attempt to hide it.

Rory’s eyes flickered to her mom. She was trying to be strong too, just as she’d been throughout Rory’s life, but her eyes had always been so expressive and couldn’t hide the pain she was feeling.

They both understood the implication of Rory’s words. It was tearing them apart – literally and emotionally. But neither protested. If she asked them not to change anything, they wouldn’t; for her.

The best reason a father could have.

“You’d do that for me. You did do that for me.”

“You’re our daughter, Rory – we’d do anything for you,” Lucifer choked out. “We love you.”

Rory blinked back tears. As much as she knew they’d do it again and again for her, despite the pain, she wanted to repay them. “I know.” She took a shaky breath and then gave them a watery smile of her own. “You’ve already lived a life without each other. I don’t want you to live another one apart. I’m changing the loop.”

Seconds passed and both of her parents just stared at her in shock, eyes wide and mouths hanging open.

It was her mom who managed to find her voice first.

“You mean…” she trailed off, hope in her voice as she barely dared to dream.

Rory smiled and gave her a small nod before turning to her dad. “I want you to stay.”

A strangled sob escaped his chest.

“You both made this huge sacrifice for me, and I’m so sorry for all the years I spent cursing you for abandoning me. Because I know now that you did the complete opposite.” She swallowed to try and clear the lump in her throat. “You put me first, you’ve been putting me first my whole life – I just didn’t realise it.” Leaning forward she took one each of their hands in hers. “So now it’s time for me to put you first.”

“But what about not wanting to be changed?” Lucifer questioned cautiously.

“I like who I am,” Rory repeated, and then gave him her trademark smirk that was 100% inherited from him. “But I’m awesome – and I’ll be awesome in any world.”

Lucifer huffed an amused, proud laugh. “That you will.”

“Even if I’m not exactly the same, I’ll still be me. And I’m not losing out, because I’ll get to grow up with my dad.”

“I will be the best father to you, Rory,” Lucifer choked out. “I’ll always put you first – I give you my word.”

“I know you will, because you already did.” She squeezed his hand and then repeated, “I want you to stay. I want us to be a family – you, mom and your two urchins.”

Before she knew what was happening, Rory was wrapped up in the arms of both of her parents – for the first time in her life. She was caught off guard by the force of their embrace, but she quickly recovered and wrapped her own arms around them in turn, hugging them back just as tight. It felt so right being with them like this, and she knew without a doubt that she’d made the right choice.

When they pulled back, her mom stroked her face as her own eyes glistened with moisture. “Thank you,” she rasped. “Thank you for giving us extra time together.”

“Yes, thank you, Rory,” Lucifer echoed. “This means more to me than you could ever know.”

“You’re welcome,” Rory replied, her voice equally as raspy.

Chloe beamed, bright and beautiful, and then nudged Lucifer playfully in the ribs. “You know you’re gonna have this one wrapped around your little finger, right?”

Rory grinned. “Yeah, I know.”

“You’ll be the best dressed baby in all of LA. If Armani don’t do baby grows yet, I’m sure they will soon.”

Lucifer waved his hand as if that were a given. “Of course she will, love – only the best for our progeny!”

Rory snorted at the image of her baby self, rolling around in the mud in ridiculously over priced designer dresses, and the subsequent look of horror on her dad’s face at the stains.

A warmth filled her chest at how happy she’d made them. She had no doubt that the little version of her growing inside her mom right now had an incredibly happy and loving childhood to look forward to.

“Can you do one thing for me?” she asked her dad.

“Anything,” was his solemn promise.

“Will you teach me to play piano? I always wanted you to do that.”

Lucifer looked equal parts touched and overwhelmed. “I’d be honoured, Rory.”

Rory smiled, and then she felt that now familiar tingling in her hands. She didn’t need to look down to know that they were flickering with light.

“Rory!”, Chloe gasped, not having seen that before – well, at least not yet.

Lucifer however seemed to understand what the light that was slowly beginning to encompass her meant. He smiled wistfully. “You’re going back to your time.”

A pang of sadness hit her at leaving her family behind. But she knew it wouldn’t be for long. “Yeah, I guess my time in the olden days is up.”

“But we’ve only just found you.” Chloe clasped her hand tighter, anxiety evident in her voice.

Rory smiled reassuringly and gestured down at her abdomen. “Don’t worry Mom, you’ll see me again in about eight months.” She turned to her dad and smiled at him too. “And Dad will be right there with you this time.”

“We love you, Rory,” Lucifer told her urgently, sensing that they only had a few more moments. “So very much. And we’re proud to call you our daughter.”

Rory blinked back tears. “I love you both too, and I’m proud to call you my parents.” She squeezed their hands one last time. “I’ll see you soon.”

She held their gaze until the light consumed her and she left 2021 behind, content in the knowledge that both she and her family were going to be okay.

August 4^th 2061

In the blink of an eye Rory was back in 2061. But she wasn’t in the lounge of her Grandma Penelope’s beach house where she’d left from. Now she was in the garden of a different beach house – a considerably larger one. Turning her head towards the sound of waves, she recognised the location immediately. It was a beach she’d spent a considerable proportion of her childhood on, and one she knew held special memories for her mom – it was the beach where her parents had first kissed.

The house was unfamiliar, and yet familiar at the same time. And as she walked across the decking towards the door, a wave of memories made in this garden washed over her…birthday parties, warm summer nights gazing up at the stars, her own first kiss by the side of the pool.

She paused at the door, steeling herself for what she was coming back to. A few minutes ago she’d left her mom, young and healthy and full of life. Chloe Decker would always be the strongest person Rory knew, but in this time she was old and frail and didn’t have long left on the earthly plane.

After taking a deep breath, Rory pulled open the door and stepped inside into a beautiful open plan kitchen. A smile tugged at her lips at the sight of a bottle of truffle oil on the countertop – her dad definitely lived there too.

Rory continued into the lounge and her breath hitched when her eyes landed on the photos adorning the wall. The first one that caught her attention was of her seven-year-old self on her birthday – she was beaming a gap-toothed smile at the camera as she clutched her new Gibson guitar. But this time she wasn’t the only one in the photo. Her dad was beaming just as wide, only his proud gaze wasn’t directed at the camera – he was looking at her.

There were so many photos, and each of them evoked a memory. Her and T playing in the pool; the four of them at Disney Land – Rory snorted at the Mickey Mouse ears her dad was sporting – no doubt something her toddler self, who was safely clutched in his arms, had insisted upon, despite his internal horror that they clashed with his designer outfit; there was her first day at school; T’s graduation from UCLA and candids of her parents looking soppy and ridiculously in love.

And then there were ones that Rory never thought she’d see. Her mom must have taken it – it was looking down at her dad as he sat at his piano. And sat next to him was her. She looked no older than five and her little fingers were splayed as wide as she could on the keys, mirroring his positioning, while matching smiles lit up their faces. Tears misted her eyes – he’d kept his promise.

The next one caused those tears to escape and roll down her cheeks. It was a black and white of the day she was born – cradled in her dad’s arms.

“I want to be there when you’re born – to hold your mum’s hand and then your tiny one.”

He was gazing down at her as she clutched his finger in her little fist, completely awestruck, and totally enraptured. If ever there was any doubt about whether her father loved her, that photo would have erased all of it.

When she took in the next one a warmth filled her chest - not just because of the sheer happiness that exuded from the image, but also because she knew that her choice had enabled that day to happen. Above an engraving of ‘My love, my light, my life’ on the frame, was her parents’ wedding photo. It was actually two photos side by side – the first was just the two of them, stood on the beach that this house overlooked, holding hands as they said their vows to each other, and the second was a family photo of the four of them. It was such a striking, natural photo because none of them were actually looking at the camera. T was stood in front, her mom’s hand on her shoulder, as she laughed at a roughly one year old Rory - who was perched on her dad’s arm, a cheeky smile on her face and proudly clutching a corsage that she’d swiped from his jacket pocket. Her dad had a look of mock shock on his face, but his eyes were sparkling with joy. And her mom was laughing too and gazing at her new husband with complete and utter adoration.

Rory wasn’t sure how long she stared at those images for. She only looked away when she noticed a very familiar image.

At the centre of them all was the photo she knew so well – the one of her parents wrapped in each other’s embrace at the beach. It was even more poignant now because she knew that she’d been the one who took it.

She could have stayed there all day, reliving forty years of memories. It was only the soft clearing of a throat that reminded her that she wasn’t alone.

Turning her head towards the sound her eyes met the identical ones of her dad’s, who gave her a warm but tentative smile.

“Hello, Rory.”

Rory blinked away the tears that were starting to blur her vision. “Hi, Dad.” She looked down at the woman in the bed next to him, whose hand he was holding. “Hi, Mom.”

“Hi, baby.”

Her feet automatically carried her over to them. “How long was I gone?”

“Just a few minutes,” Lucifer informed her. “Though we know for you it was a lot longer.”

She nodded.

Lucifer placed a hand on her shoulder. “You changed the loop.”

Rory smiled. She had no regrets. “Yeah, I did.”

Chloe reached over with her free hand and entwined her fingers with Rory’s. “Thank you, for giving us these extra years.”

“You’re welcome, Mom. You gave it all up for me, it was my turn to put you guys first.” She swallowed, knowing it was almost time. “And I’m glad I did – we’ve clearly had a great life together, the four of us.”

Chloe smiled affectionately. “We really have – I’ve loved every minute of it.”

“And I’m still awesome.”

Lucifer chuckled, “Yes, you most definitely are, Rory.”

“I’m sorry,” Rory added seriously. She looked up at her dad, “For doubting you,” and then to both of them, “and for being the reason you were apart for all those years, the first time around.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Lucifer assured her resolutely. “Just like we told you all those years ago – or minutes ago for you – you’re our daughter and we’d do anything for you, because we love you.”

“You’ve seen both worlds,” Chloe added, squeezing her hand with aged fingers. “But in each of them, and any other, your dad and I loved each other beyond measure. We would always have found each other again – we were always going to spend eternity together, even if we had to wait a little while for it to start.”

Chloe looked up at Lucifer and the look they shared was the same as those Rory had witnessed back in 2018 and 2021 – unchanged by the passage of time or her mom’s change in appearance. They were still clearly hopelessly in love.

Rory smiled. “Well, I’m glad this time you got to start it a little earlier.”

“So are we,” they replied in unison.

Chloe chuckled and then coughed, her breathing becoming more laboured.

Lucifer immediately handed her a glass of water and stroked her hair soothingly as she took a sip. “It’s okay, love,” he soothed.

Chloe smiled gratefully and lay back down, her eyelids seeming to become heavier.

Trixie must have heard the noise because she hurried in from one of the other rooms, her dark eyes red rimmed and fearful. “Is it time?” she asked quietly.

Rory swallowed and nodded. “I don’t think it’ll be long.”

Lucifer held out his hand to his first urchin and Trixie settled naturally under his protective arm as she placed her hand on her mom’s leg.

The sight brought a small smile to Rory’s face. Her choice back in 2021 had not only meant that she had a father in her life, but T too.

Chloe opened her tired eyes and gave them all a beautiful smile. She wasn’t scared and Rory knew she was ready. “I love you all – so, so much. You’ve given me the best life.”

“We love you too, Mom,” Trixie replied, her voice trembling. “We couldn’t have asked for a better mom.”

“And I couldn’t have asked for better daughters. Look after each other, okay? Keep each other out of trouble.”

Rory chuckled wetly, “We will.”

Satisfied that her babies would be alright, Chloe sighed happily and closed her eyes again.

Lucifer leaned down and placed a tender kiss to her forehead. His voice quivered as he whispered, “It’s okay, you can go. I’ll meet you on the other side, my love.”

And then with a content smile on her face, Chloe Decker took her last breath on Earth.

Trixie sobbed and buried her head in Lucifer’s chest.

He leaned down and placed a kiss to the top of her hair. “It’s okay, darling. When it’s your time, we’ll fly your Mum up to visit you in the Silver City. You’ll see her again.”

Trixie sniffled and put on a brave smile. “Thank you. And I know you’ll look after her.”

“Always,” he promised, brushing a tear from her cheek in a fatherly gesture.

He turned to Rory then and held his other arm out to her.

Rory went willingly and pressed her head to his chest, just like T had. She’d hugged him less than half an hour ago in her time, but she really needed to hug her dad again right now.

Lucifer hugged them both tightly, repeating that it would be okay and that he’d always be there for both of them.

“I’ll have to go now, girls – I promised your mother I’d be there to meet her. Are you two going to be alright while I’m away?”

“We’ll be fine,” Rory assured him. “Go be with Mom. Tell her I’ll come see her soon.”

Lucifer nodded and kissed them on their foreheads in turn. “I’m incredibly proud of you both.”

And then with a roll of his shoulders, his wings unfurled and the two sisters watched as he took to the sky to fulfil his promise.

Trixie wrapped her arm around her little sister’s waist. “I’d give them a few hours – we both know what the first thing they’re gonna do is.”

Rory snorted. “Yeah, I’ve walked in on that far too many times. I’m definitely gonna knock first.”

When he landed in the Silver City, Lucifer knew exactly where to go – he could feel her presence, and like he always had been, was drawn to her like a magnet.

He saw her first and took a moment to just bask and take her in. She was standing with his brother, laughing at something he’d said. She was young again too – her skin untouched by the effects of time and her hair was long and blonde, cascading down over delicate shoulders. She’d chosen to look just like she had done in the early years of their partnership, and it took his breath away.

His eyes never left her as he walked over to them, and his heart predictably skipped a beat when she turned to face him, their smile lighting up her face.

“Hello, Detective,” he greeted softly, affectionately.

Her smile widened at the familiar moniker. “I thought you could use a partner.”

“Always.” Lucifer leaned down to kiss her then, uncaring that they had an audience.

He only pulled back when Amenadiel cleared his throat. When he met his brother’s eyes though there was only fond amusement there.

Lucifer ignored him and turned back to Chloe. “I hope you haven’t been suffering AmenaGod’s welcome speech for too long.”

Amenadiel clapped him affectionately on the shoulder. “It’s good to see you too, Luci.”

“Yes, well it’s not actually you I’ve come to see.”

Amenadiel was unperturbed and just smiled. “I’d never have guessed.”

Lucifer rolled his eyes. “I’ll swing by soon for our weekly dessert night with Daniel and Charlotte, but right now, I’d very much like to spend some time with my wife.”

His eyes settled on Chloe’s again and he smiled as he asked her tenderly, “Are you ready to go home?”

There was not an ounce of hesitation in Chloe’s reply. “I’m ready.” She took his offered hand in hers and entwined their fingers. “Take me home, Lucifer.”

Chloe felt Lucifer’s nervousness when they landed in his quarters in Hell. She’d been there before – albeit many years ago – so she wasn’t sure what was making him so anxious.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” she murmured softly, squeezing his hand to stop him fidgeting.

“I- I have something to show you. I hope you like it.”

She’d always thought he was cute when he was nervous. “Okay. I’m sure I will.”

Her words soothed him somewhat, but he still looked nervous.

He led her by the hand over to one of the rooms, but stopped before turning the handle. “If you don’t like it or want to make any changes, that’s absolutely fine – just say the word and whatever you desire, Chloe, I’ll make it happen.”

Chloe bit her lip to try and control her smile, finding his flustered rambling adorably charming. “Lucifer,” she interrupted.

“Yes, my love?”

“Open the door.”

Lucifer looked at her sheepishly. “Right, yes.”

He opened the door and stood aside to allow her entry.

Her breath caught as she stepped inside. “Lucifer”, she gasped. “This is incredible!”

If she didn’t know differently, she’d have thought she was standing inside their home in LA. He’d created an exact replica of their beach house – right down to the family photos on the wall and the loaf of Hawaiian bread on the kitchen counter.

“There’s more,” he told her enthusiastically, bolstered by her reaction.

Taking her hand again he led her through to the garden and out to a beach.

“I know you love this beach,” he added by way of explanation.

Tears stung her eyes as she took in the copy of the place where so many of her favourite memories had been made. “How could I not? It’s where we first kissed, and where you became my husband.”

“Indeed,” he replied fondly. “The very best of times.”

If Chloe had thought that was the end of the surprises, she was very much mistaken.

There was also a door that led to her mother’s beach house, where she’d lived when she and Lucifer first met, complete with Maze’s knife holes in the wall, covered by Trixie’s childish drawings. There was even a precinct. “In case you want to relive the glory days, Detective,” he’d teased. And of course, there was also his penthouse.

Standing next to his piano, Chloe felt her chest tighten with emotion at how much thought and detail he’d put into it, all to make her happy. “You did all of this for me?” she choked out.

His reply was simple and heartfelt as he stroked her cheek softly with his thumb. “I’d do anything for you, Chloe Morningstar. I’ve spent decades recreating our life on Earth – I wanted you to feel at home here.”

She intrinsically leaned into his touch. “Thank you – that’s incredibly sweet and thoughtful. But you know the only thing I need to feel at home is you – you’re my home, Lucifer.”

Lucifer smiled shyly. Even after all these years, he still looked awestruck to hear how very much he was loved.

“And for the record, you’re enough, Lucifer – you’ve always been enough.”

“As you are for me, my love. I will of course happily fly you up to the Silver City whenever you like to visit your parents and friends – I know you miss them.”

Chloe placed a soft kiss to his palm. “We’ll visit them together, as a family.”

Deciding to show him how grateful she was for everything he’d done – how grateful she was for him – she stepped into his space and trailed her finger slowly down his chest, pausing at his navel. Her mischievous smile widened when he swallowed at her touch. It had been a while since she’d seduced him, but the effect she had on him hadn’t changed. “Now that I’m back in my 30-something body, I think we should make the most of it,” she murmured huskily. “What do you say we start our eternity off with a bang?”

“I like the way you think,” Lucifer purred. His face then softened with affection as he tenderly tucked a strand of long blonde hair behind her ear. “Chloe, you must know though, I loved you in your thirties and I also loved you in your eighties. I loved you for thousands of years when I was in Hell. You will always be the most beautiful woman in the universe to me.”

“You’re very sweet.” Her chest filled with affection for her husband and love of her life.

He smirked. “…but I do have quite a fondness for the body I first saw you naked in.”

Chloe snorted. “Didn’t you wear out your copy of Hot Tub High School watching my 19-year-old self’s nude scene?”

“That was only half naked, darling. I didn’t get the full delightful experience until you were in your thirties.”

Chloe rolled her eyes fondly. “I do love you, Lucifer.”

“As I love you, Chloe.” His eyes darkened and sparkled with a familiar desire as he leaned into her and ran his hand down her side to rest on her hip. “Now, how about we get started on that bang, hmm?”

Chloe bit her lip as heat pooled low in her belly. “Balcony?”

Lucifer’s eyes were blown to black. “Mmm, we did make some rather spectacular memories on that balcony. Lead the way, my love – let’s start our eternity making some more!”

Twenty-four hours later when Rory showed up, with a tentative knock and an, “Is it safe to come in?”, they were lay tangled together on the couch, wearing nothing but nightgowns and smiles. She quirked an eyebrow as she approached them, noticing their flushed skin and evident sex hair – clearly in between rounds. “Oh, come on – I waited a whole day! Have you two seriously been reacquainting yourselves all this time?”

Lucifer just grinned at his daughter, unabashed. “Nothing like starting as you mean to go on.” He smirked at Chloe then, “Besides, your mother was very keen to test the limits of her newly youthful body – who am I to deny her?”

Chloe slapped him playfully on the chest. “Lucifer!”

He just laughed, completely unrepentant. “Am I not telling the truth, darling?”

She rolled her eyes in fond exasperation but didn’t deny it.

Rory also rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry – I’m used to your sexcapades by now – hence why I knocked.”

Chloe had the decency to blush and look apologetic, whereas Lucifer just looked proud.

“Aaanyway, I just wanted to stop by and say Happy Eternity! And to see if Mom was settling in okay.” She quirked an eyebrow at their state of undress. “…Seems you’re doing just fine, so I’ll just leave you to continue…settling in.”

She only made it halfway to the door before Lucifer called her back. “Rory, how about a family trip to the beach while you’re here?”

A smile tugged at Rory’s lips. “Are you sure you two can manage to pause the banging for that long?”

Chloe coughed. “What do you say we start our eternity off with a bang?” “We’ll be fine,” she assured Rory.

Lucifer smirked at her, no doubt also recalling her words from earlier.

He turned to their daughter then, his smile morphing into one of fatherly affection as he told her seriously, “You’re part of our eternity too, Rory – we will always want to share it with you.”

Rory’s chest constricted at his words.

“Besides,” he added, with a twinkle in his eye - because he was Lucifer and he couldn’t help himself. “We can pick up where we left off later – I’ve always been a fan of delayed gratification.”

She scrunched her nose up at the unwanted mental images, but couldn’t help but smile at how her mom chastised him and his subsequent look of contrition as they retreated to the bedroom to put on some actual clothes.

Their horniness was mentally scarring, but their bond was also undeniably cute.

And as she strolled down the replica beach later on, her dad’s arm around her shoulder on one side and her mom’s hand holding hers on the other, happy laughter mixed with the sound of the waves, and Rory couldn’t help but think that this was a pretty good way to spend eternity.

Travelling back in time had allowed her to see that there was no greater love than that of a parent for their child, that her parents – both of them – had always put her first. She got to see that her parent’s love for one another was everything she’d been told it was – unbreakable, unparalleled, and infinite. And it had given her the chance to change the loop and repay them by putting them first.

Rory had had a good life with just her mom, but she was so very glad she’d had the opportunity to grow up with her dad there with them too.

And now, they would never be parted again. Because their eternal existence would be spent together, as a family.