AN: Lucifer and all recognizable characters belong to Jerry Bruckheimer and FOX television. Set post 'Take Me Back to Hell'. . (Written prior to the start of season 2.)

Summary: When Trixie asks Lucifer for a favor, the Devil finds he can't even think of refusing.

Begging the Devil a Favor

(one-shot)

by WhisperingWolf

The heavy sound of the door opening drew Mazikeen's attention, and she looked up from the books she had been working with. Not even the regular stragglers were here with her, and she wondered who could be coming into the club well past closing hours. Her eyes widened slightly, a frown marring her brow to see Trixie's familiar form coming down the stairs with another girl her age behind her. Reaching for her phone, she glanced at the clock on the lock screen, and grew even more confused. She knew it was a week day, knew that with the time of year it was, and the time of day, the girls should both be in school, but they were here instead.

She waited for the children to descend the last step before she moved around the bar, and watched as Trixie's friend skittered away from her. Their presence didn't make any sense. Neither did the thick sweater the other girl was wearing. It was well past ninety degrees outside, she thought as she stared at the girls. Trixie was dressed in denim shorts and a tank top, but her friend was wearing long jeans and a heavy sweater over her t-shirt. She was dressed more for winter, or spring than she was for this summer's heat. Why were they here?

"Maze," Trixie spoke quietly as she met the girl's gaze. "Is Lucifer here?" she asked, and the bartender frowned at the subdued quality of the girl's voice.

"I think so," Mazikeen answered as she narrowed her eyes on the girl's face. Trixie's expression was guarded, unreadable, something that was very out of character for the normally bright and open young girl. "Aren't you supposed to be in school?" she asked Trixie, and watched as the other girl slipped into the booth on the far side of the room, trying to hide herself away.

"We'll go back," Trixie told her quietly with a shrug. "I just . . . I need to see Lucifer."

"Why?" Mazikeen asked suspiciously.

None of this made any sense to her, she thought. Had someone upset her friend, she wondered. She turned her head for a moment, her sharp gaze catching sight of the other little girl, and she frowned at how frightened she seemed to be. Whatever was going on, she got the distinct impression that not only did Trixie know, but she had been the one to instigate their escape from the school.

"Mommy told me once that Lucifer does favors for people," Trixie said, trying her best to put on a brave face. "I need to ask him for a favor."

Mazikeen felt her eyes widen at the child's revelation, and nodded silently. She knew Lucifer was heading out, he had told her as much himself nearly fifteen minutes earlier, but she also knew he hadn't left yet. She glanced up at the sound of footsteps from the floor above, and watched as the man in question walked across the balcony none the wiser to what was taking place down below. Speaking quietly to Trixie, she told the girl to wait in the half moon booth at the front of the club, the open part of the booth facing the bar.

Moving toward the stairs quickly, Mazikeen jogged to the second floor, and moved to intercept Lucifer before he could press the elevator controls. She knew where he was going, active case or not, he had been exceedingly protective of his little pet detective since that fateful night almost two weeks ago, not that she blamed him. How many times had she found herself in Trixie's room late at night, watching over the girl and keeping her guarded while she slept?

"Lucifer," Mazikeen called to him, waiting for him to turn around before she continued. "There's someone here to see you for a favor," she told him.

"I'm on my way out, Maze," he told her, his tone dismissive as he reached for the elevator controls.

"You need to take this one," she told him, the seriousness of this particular situation not lost on her.

"Why?" he asked, frowning at the tone of his demon's voice.

"You should go see for yourself," she told him quietly.

He narrowed his eyes as he stared at her, trying to determine why this seemed to bother her. Upset wasn't quite the right word, he thought, perhaps she was more . . . guarded. He nodded once before he turned to walk down the stairs, his curiosity peaked. It was an odd sensation, the way the hairs on the back of his neck stood out the closer he got. There was something that told him to use caution, and he didn't understand why. From what he could see, the front half-moon booth was empty, but perhaps, he allowed, the person was simply short. He moved to greet the person waiting for him and stilled.

"Beatrice," he spoke the child's name with surprise and confusion, his brow furrowed in concern at the expression on her face. "Moppet, what are you doing here?" he asked her as he sat down next to her.

He watched her bite her lip before she looked up at him, her eyes fairly begging him to right whatever was wrong. She was so much like her mother, he thought. In that moment, he could see every emotion that the child was feeling; her fear, her worry, and the grief that held him silent as he waited for her to speak. Something was terribly wrong here, and he desperately wanted to know what that something was.

"You do favors for people, right?" she asked softly, and he nodded. "I need a favor."

"What's wrong?" he asked her with concern as he studied her face.

"I need you to help my friend," she confessed quietly, and Lucifer smoothed the backs of his fingers against her downy soft cheek as he sought to comfort her. "Lucy," she called out, and Lucifer looked up as another young girl Trixie's age stepped around from another booth. "It's ok," she soothed her friend. "You can trust him," she said as she glanced back at Lucifer. "Take off your sweater," she instructed, her voice barely a whisper.

Lucifer frowned as he looked between the children, only to still and feel the devil inside rage. The child was the same height as the girl sitting next to him, perhaps a bit thinner than a child should be. She was quiet, her dark hair making her pale complexion almost ghost-like in contrast. Her movements had been slow when she'd taken off the knit cardigan, but what was revealed underneath had him fighting to hold back his temper.

Dark bruises in the shape of hand prints littered her arms. Some of the marks were weeks old, yellowing as the skin healed, others were so dark they were nearly black. Lucifer looked back at Trixie before he stood slowly, taking care not to startle the child, and stepped toward her.

"It's alright, Lucy," he soothed the girl as he knelt down in front of her, and held out his hand. "Come here," he bid of her softly. "That's it," he coaxed when she stepped forward slowly. "Good girl," he praised when she put her hand in his. "Who did this?" he asked her, as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

There was another bruise peeking around from the back of her neck, the edges of it only barely visible beneath her ear. He clicked his tongue as he soothed her, and lifted up her hair to see another hand print surrounding the back of her neck. Lucifer released her hair to fall around her shoulders as he closed his eyes and fought to rein in his quickly escalating temper. This tiny abused creature in front of him did not deserve to see his nastier side, but the one who hurt her would be repaid dearly for the transgression.

"My dad," she told him, her voice almost too soft to be heard. "He said I made my mommy leave."

"Whatever happened, love," Lucifer told her as he cupped her tiny cheek in his palm, and stared into her eyes. "It's not your fault. And you do not deserve this."

"He said if it wasn't for me, mommy would be alive," she told him, and Lucifer nodded his understanding quietly.

"Shh," he soothed her as he gathered her close, and lifted the child into his arms. "Go to sleep now, darling. You're safe here," he promised her as he stood.

Nodding to Trixie, Lucifer waited for her to slide off the bench, before he motioned for Mazikeen to join them with a tilt of his head. She could have gone to anyone, he thought. A teacher, her mother perhaps, or some other authority figure, but instead, Trixie had brought her friend to him. That she was asking him for this favor spoke more about the faith she held in him than anything else ever could. The little girl in his arms whimpered softly, the sound pained, when he rubbed her back between her shoulders, and he knew without having to look that she'd been hurt there, too.

He pressed a kiss to Lucy's hair as he led Trixie and Mazikeen to the stairs, walking ahead of them toward the elevator. He felt the feathered brush of the girl's lashes against his skin, and lifted his hand to pet her hair as he encouraged her to sleep. He used his voice to soothe her, and smiled sadly when he felt her little hand grip the open collar of his button down shirt. A moment later, Lucy was asleep in his arms, and he turned to look back at Mazikeen when the elevator doors opened.

"In you get," he said softly to Trixie, and waited for her and Mazikeen to step into the elevator before he joined them.

"Lucifer," Trixie called to him, and he dropped his hand down to pet her hair as he met her gaze. "I don't want her to die," she whispered to him, tears glistening in her eyes.

"I won't let that happen," he promised the girl. "Go on," he nodded toward his penthouse when the elevator doors opened. "Maze," he called to the woman quietly. "Talk with Beatrice, find out everything you can about her friend here," he instructed.

"Where are you going?" she asked with a frown when he reached for the elevator controls.

"I've a chip to call in," he said, and looked down at the child sleeping in his arms. "This one we do, Maze," he told her, his voice soothing, but his eyes hard and angry. "No police, no human laws. We do this one."

He watched her lips curl up in a slow malicious smile, her tongue coming out to stroke up over her canine. "I can't wait," she purred.

"It's alright, Sweetheart," the woman said as the young girl began to wake. "Shh, it's ok," she soothed when the child began to struggle against her gentle hold.

The little girl whimpered, her eyes flaring wide. She didn't know where she was. She had remembered falling asleep in Lucifer's arms, she had been safe then. But this place was too bright, the walls were white, and it smelled . . . she didn't know exactly what it smelled like, but it scared her. Lucy screamed as she slapped away the hand that was reaching for her and scrambled off the bed. Crying out in fright when she slipped and fell, she ran for the cabinets on the other side of the room.

She had learned years ago that cabinets were safe. She was small enough that she could hide in the corners far away from the doors and no one could reach her. Voice called for her as she scrambled inside, kicking away the things that were blocking her entry, and tucked herself as far back as she could. Pulling her knees up to her chest, Lucy folded herself into a tight ball, making herself as small as possible, and buried her face in the hollow between her knees and chest.

Lucifer looked up from his seat in the waiting room, and frowned at the expression on the woman's face as the doctor walked toward him. She was definitely troubled, he thought, but the child had been abused. It was unreasonable to expect anyone to be calm, or anything other than upset. He stood from his chair and stepped toward her, his head tipping to the side curiously as he narrowed his eyes. Something had happened, he thought. Something was wrong.

"Lucy woke," she told him. "She's terrified and has hidden herself away in one of the cabinets. She's too far back for any of us to reach, and she keeps calling your name."

"Where is she?" he asked at once, his gaze both worried and furious.

"Follow me," she instructed, and led him down a long hallway. "She won't come out, or respond to any of us," she told him as they entered a room, and motioned toward a deep cabinet at the back.

Lucifer stepped across the room quietly, and raised his brow at the others present. The humans didn't say a word as they stepped aside, or backed away to clear his path. He knew they could feel his anger, it was the one emotion that was never easy to hide, and always made the shadows darken around him. They would believe him dangerous, and rightfully so, he thought as he knelt down in front of the cabinet.

"Lucy," he called to the young girl, keeping his voice gentle and calm. "Darling, look at me," he instructed her, and watched as she raised her head just enough to cast her eyes toward him.

"Lucifer?" she whimpered his name, her voice terrified.

"I'm right here, sweetheart," he promised her, and caught her easily when she scrambled toward him. "Shhh, that's right," he soothed her as he wrapped her in his arms, and stood slowly. "That's my girl."

"You were gone," she whimpered, tucking herself against him as she tried to hide away.

"I'm here now," he soothed her, and moved over to the single hospital bed. Sitting down on the crisp white sheets, he moved her carefully to sit on his knee and held her tucked against his side. "Would you let them have a look at you?" he asked of her, meeting her terrified emerald gaze. "I just want to make sure you're not hurt anywhere we can't see."

"Will you stay with me?" she asked him with a sniffle as she lifted her small hand to grip his shirt.

"Until you ask me to leave," he promised her, and watched as the young girl relaxed enough to lean her head against his chest.

"Ok," she acquiesced, and Lucifer smoothed his hand over her hair gently.

"This is Doctor Bryce," he introduced the woman to Lucy.

"You can call me Michaela," Dr. Bryce said as she knelt down to meet the young girl's gaze. "Or Mike," she offered with a warm smile.

"I'm Lucy," the little girl said, sniffling back her tears as she leaned against Lucifer, clinging to him for fear he would leave her again.

"Hi Lucy," Dr. Bryce said, and offered her hand to the young girl for her to shake. "I need to take a look and make sure you're not badly hurt," she said gently. "Is it ok if we take off your shirt?"

She looked up to meet his gaze, unwilling to do anything unless he assured her it was safe. Lucifer nodded once and watched as Lucy looked back to the doctor in front of her, before she nodded as well. Dr. Bryce smiled as she reached for the child's clothing and helped the girl lift the shirt that was at least one size too small over her head. Lucifer had to close his eyes and clench his jaw to suppress the growl building low in his throat.

There were bruises across the child's shoulders and back, hand prints and belt marks, even a few marks that made it look as though she'd been cut with something sharp. Her skin was mottled with colors from sickly yellows to deep angry purples, and stretched a bit too tight over her bones, a clear sign that she was rarely, if ever, fed at home. He bent down over her, hugging her to him, as he dropped a kiss to her hair. He couldn't help but wonder if this tiny creature in his arms had ever been shown any kindness at all.

He had to give credit to Michaela, the way the good doctor was able to keep her soothing professionalism and make it seem as though what she was seeing wasn't upsetting her. She was gentle as she touched the child, pressing down around the bruises to check for any injuries that may lie hidden underneath. At one point Lucy pulled back with a gasp, and turned to hide herself against his chest. Lucifer looked down at the child, touching her hair softly as he wrapped her in his arms and looked up at the woman who had paused her examination.

"Lucy," Dr. Bryce spoke her name in soothing tones, and waited for the child to meet her gaze before she spoke. "I'd like to take some pictures of your bones," she told the young girl. "Would that be okay?"

Lucy looked back at Lucifer, before she turned her gaze back on the woman in front of her.

"Can he stay with me?" she asked, her voice little more than a whisper.

"I'll be by your side, Lucy, until you ask me to leave," Lucifer promised the child. "Not anyone else. You."

She nodded slowly, and he watched as her carefully calm expression crumpled into one of misery. He frowned, not knowing what to do as he watched tears fill her eyes, when she suddenly turned and wrapped her arms around him. Lucifer released a heavy sigh as he wrapped his arms around the girl, and lifted her up to hold her to his shoulder. Her tiny arms wrapped around his neck, and he stood from the bed as he cradled her to him.

"Lead the way, Doctor," he said softly, and followed the woman out of the room.

"Normally," she told him softly, keeping her voice low and soothing in deference to the child in his arms, "I would have to report the abuse, but I won't if . . ." She stopped walking as she turned to look him in the eye, and he raised a curious brow. "If you tell me that you're going after the bastard who did this."

"The monster who sired this child," he told her softly, as a faint red glow filled the edges of his eyes, the sight of it startling the woman in front of him, "will be paying the Devil his due before the sun is up," he promised with a low growl.

Dr. Bryce nodded, having recovered quite remarkably from the hint of him he'd let her see. There was a mix of rage, pain, and sorrow in her eyes, and he watched as she reached out to touch the child's hair.

"Make him beg, Lucifer," she bid of him. "How anyone could hurt a child like this . . . " she whispered painfully, her voice trailing off as she shook her head before turning, and leading him into the radiology room. "Ok, sweetie," she said a little louder in order to gain Lucy's attention. "I want you to lay down right here," she said as she motioned for Lucifer to set the girl down on a steel table. "It's going to be a bit cold," she offered the warning.

"It's alright," Lucifer promised the girl as he lowered her to the table. "Lie back," he encouraged gently, and tipped her back, supporting her head with his hand until she lay flat on the table. "I'll be right here," he promised, standing next to her as the doctor prepared the X-Ray machine.

He could see Lucy tiring as the doctor took set after set of films. She asked the child to turn onto her sides, and even to turn over on her stomach at one point. It took almost an hour to complete the X-Ray examination, and by the time they were done, the woman had twenty-five different pictures taken from all angles. He soothed Lucy when she shivered, and took off his suit jacket to wrap it around her as he lifted her back into the cradle of his arms.

His voice was low and soothing as he encouraged the child to sleep, and smiled sadly when she tucked her face into the curve of his throat. He felt the feather brush of her lashes against his skin as she blinked slowly before closing her eyes one final time. Petting her hair to keep her asleep and reassure her of his presence, he followed the doctor into the small room where she had pulled the X-Rays up on multiple computer screens.

"Michaela?" Lucifer called to her softly as he moved closer, frowning at the look of utter horror and disbelief etched on her face. "What is it?"

She lifted her hand to one particular picture taken of Lucy's right arm. "You see these dimples?" she asked as she pointed to what looked to be divots, and he nodded as he narrowed his gaze. "Those are dents in her bone. The only time her bones would have been pliable enough to make those marks is when she was a baby, before six months of age."

"And your hypothesis of how they were made?" he asked, and met her gaze when she looked back at him.

"Put your hand up against those marks," she instructed him.

Lucifer frowned at her as he shifted Lucy's weight to one arm and lifted his hand to do as she commanded, only to share the horror she felt at his discovery.

"Bloody hell," he whispered when he discovered what she was seeing. "These are finger marks?"

"Yeah," she whispered. "Lucifer . . . " He watched as she seemed to be gathering her strength, and laid his hand on her shoulder to lend her a bit of his. She nodded gratefully before she lifted her hand and began to point at a few of the X-Rays. "Do you see these fine white lines?" she asked, and he nodded. "These are healed breaks."

"How is this possible?" he asked as he stared at one of the photos. "It was broken four times?"

"No," she denied. "Have you ever squeezed a wooden pencil in your hand so hard that it broke?" she asked.

"Can't say that I have," he told her with a touch of confusion.

"This . . . collection . . . of breaks was made all at the same time. Essentially, he held and squeezed her arm so hard that her bone was crushed under the pressure," she told him, and he closed his eyes against his rising fury. "There's also this," she told him, and pointed to an X-Ray taken of the child's ribcage. "These cracks here can only be made through blunt force trauma," she informed him. "I see it mostly in victims of street and domestic violence. When the victim has been kicked in the ribs," she told him slowly, and he heard her gasp.

"Sorry, love," he apologized immediately, hoping he wouldn't drive her mad as he had countless others. "Not directed at you," he promised her.

"I know," she told him softly. "Make that bastard pay for what he's done," she demanded, her voice an angry whisper.

"Believe me, I will," he promised darkly, his eyes filled with murderous rage. "Thank you," he said, and looked down at the sleeping child in his arms.

"You're welcome," she returned. "And the girl? What will become of her?" she asked him, and watched him shake his head.

"I don't know yet," he told her honestly.

"Let me know as soon as you do, please," she asked of him, and closed her eyes briefly. "With all that's been done to her," she began quietly. "If she hadn't been found by you when she was . . . she may not have survived another month. As it is, she'll be in varying degrees of pain for the rest of her life."

"Not if I can help it," Lucifer said with a rolling growl. "Have a good night, Doctor."

Lucifer stepped into the club quietly, the establishment only hours from opening, and walked across the floor to reach his private elevator. He closed his eyes as he moved quietly into the metal carriage, the doors closing around him, and bowed his head down over the child he held in his arms. She was still sleeping, something he was eternally grateful for, as he was having a rather difficult time controlling his temper. More than once on their trip back home, he had caught a glimpse of his nastier side in the mirror, and loathed the moment he would frighten Lucy because of it.

Mazikeen was waiting for him by the elevator when it opened into his penthouse, and he arched a curious brow as he stepped out. He kept his arms around Lucy, refusing his demon's silent request to take the child, and watched her nod as she moved away. He followed her through the penthouse as he carried Lucy to the private rooms in the back, and laid her down on a guest bed. The room itself was big enough to be considered a small apartment, and he wondered what she would think of the satin sheets and plush pillows and blankets when she woke.

"What did you learn from Beatrice?" he asked her as he laid Lucy down on the bed, and covered her with the blankets.

"Lucy's last name is Forrester," Maikeen told him softly as she studied the sleeping child. "She's new to Trixie's class as of a few months ago. Lucy doesn't talk to anyone. Trixie's teacher paired them together in the hopes that Trixie could get her more engaged in the class."

"And the bruising?" Lucifer asked, as he stood from the bed and followed Mazikeen out into the hall, pulling the door closed behind him.

"Trixie noticed it when they were working on a project. Lucy pushed the edge of her sleeve up just enough for her to see the bruise around her wrist," Mazikeen told him. "She didn't know how extensive the bruising was until Lucy took off her sweater for you . . . Trixie's sleeping on the couch," she told him. "She's still upset."

Lucifer nodded as he breathed in deeply, and stepped through the penthouse until he reached the couch. He looked at the sleeping child with a bittersweet smile, and sat down next to her. He watched Trixie frown in her sleep when he touched her cheek, and smiled down at her softly when she opened her eyes to stare up at him. Sadness and worry filled the girl's gaze as she rubbed her eyes with her small fists before moving to sit against him.

"Hello, darling," he greeted Trixie as he lifted her to sit in his lap.

"Is Lucy gonna be okay?" Trixie asked him quietly, and Lucifer nodded as he petted her hair.

"She will be given enough time," he promised, and kissed the girl's dark hair. "You did a brave thing today. You have my word that everything will be taken care of."

She bowed her head as she frowned, and looked up at him, her eyes begging him to make sense of it all. He smoothed the backs of his fingers down her cheek gently as he waited for her to speak, and brushed away her fallen tears.

"I don't understand why someone would do that to her," she said quietly. "She said her dad did it, but why?"

"This isn't something you can make sense of, Beatrice," Lucifer told her softly. "There is no sense in it. He desired to hurt her, and so he did. The why of it cannot be understood by anyone, not even me."

Trixie's tears fell faster as she wrapped her arms around him and held onto him as she cried. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as he petted her hair and rubbed her back. She clung to him as she cried, the sound of her tears making his heart ache, and he looked up at the sound of footsteps coming up to the couch. His eyes met Chloe's and he watched her breathe in deeply before she moved to join him on the sofa.

"Maze called me," she said, and released an amused sigh. "The school didn't even notice she was gone," Chloe told him, and shook her head. "I really need to find a better school for her, something a bit more secure," she said, and Lucifer smiled.

"Let me take care of that," he offered, and smiled when the detective nodded.

"Ok," Chloe agreed softly.

"Are you alright, Detective?" Lucifer asked, his brows quirking in a curious frown as he watched her. "You appear a bit startled," he observed when she remained silent.

"Maze . . . um . . . " Chloe fell silent as her brows furrowed, her expression unreadable. "She explained a few things to me. Don't be mad at her," she said when she saw the expression on his face, and Lucifer sighed as he nodded.

"Like what?" he asked her, and watched as Chloe seemed to laugh at herself.

"Like the things you've always told me that I never wanted to believe," she said with a slow nod, her eyes wide. "I guess she wanted me to understand that . . . you would be taking care of getting justice for Trixie's friend."

"And you're alright with that?" he asked curiously.

"I don't know," she answered honestly, her voice soft. "But what I do know is this: you're a good man, despite anything else anyone, or anything may ever say. I know the man you are, and I trust you. I also know that at most, that girl's father will see little more than a temporary hold inside of a jail cell. My laws won't keep her safe. They'll just throw her into a system where she may end up getting abused just the same, or worse."

"You're not afraid?" he asked her, and watched as a bittersweet smile drew across her face slowly.

"Do you know that Trixie has a closer relationship with you, and a deeper and more meaningful relationship with you, than she has ever had with her father?" Chloe asked him, and Lucifer looked at her in disbelief. "It's true. She told me once that no matter how scared she is, or how upset she is, you make the monsters go away, and you fix everything. Make this monster go away," she begged of him, her last words whispered.

The smile he offered her was slow, his eyes flashing red for barely an instant, just enough for her to see the color before it disappeared again. In his eyes was a promise of pain, of retribution for what had been done to Lucy. Where he had expected fear in her gaze, he found only acceptance. He lifted his hand to her face, cupping her cheek in his hand as he chaffed the pad of thumb gently over her skin.

"That bastard will answer to me," he promised her, and leaned close enough to kiss her brow. "Took you long enough," he teased her, and chuckled when she narrowed her eyes at him.

Her brow furrowed as she stared at him, and he tipped his head in silent question.

"Does that mean . . . Amenadiel?" she spoke his brother's name, and Lucifer nodded. "Wow. And the wings at the auction?"

"They were fakes, but I did find my real ones," he told her, and then shrugged. "Burned em," he said simply, and watched her eyes widen in alarm. "They were more a burden than a gift, Detective. Much like the band I've never seen you wear," he said, and nodded down to her left hand. "Whereas Daniel insists you two are still wed, in all the time that I've known you, I've never seen you wear a ring."

"The day I told him I was moving out was the day I took it off," she told him, finality in her tone.

"You never did say what happened," he reminded her. "Was it another woman?"

Chloe shook her head. "I almost wish it was. That may have been easier to deal with," she told him, and drew in a deep breath. "He was never there for us, never had time for us, but the moment that sealed it all . . . " She shook her head as she looked down at her hands before meeting Lucifer's gaze once more. "I was in San Francisco for a joint assignment, a suspect I'd been chasing had committed a murder there after escaping our custody, and I worked with their police force to capture and detain him. While I was there, Dan failed to pick up Trixie from school. He wasn't just late, he didn't go at all. She called my phone, but I had it off at the time. She left me three messages, each one more terrified than the last. Instead of going himself, he sent a uniformed officer to pick her up, and instead of meeting her himself in the bullpen, he called my mom down to get her. For almost two days, my baby was absolutely convinced we were dead."

He watched Chloe shake her head as the old anger and pain resurfaced from the memory. Her eyes burned with the fire of her rage, her cheeks flushed, as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. She met his gaze once more, and he could see clearly in her blue eyes how very much she wanted to pay Daniel back for the incident.

"My mom, for all her effort, wasn't able to comfort, or reassure Trixie in any manner," she told him. "Not that she actually tried very hard. She always left me alone to comfort myself, and from what Trixie said, she did the same with her. As soon as I got the messages, I drove straight home. I didn't stop for anything other than gas, and it took almost two months before her nightmares stopped. Dan . . . " She fell silent as she gathered herself, and closed her eyes against the desire to scream and curse her ex-husband. "He didn't sit with Trixie, or hold her. He had dinner with us a few nights, but kept taking more hours, doubling his shifts because he couldn't deal with her."

Lucifer reached out to offer her a steadying hand when he noticed her trembling, and silently cursed Detective Douche. His family had needed him, his daughter had needed him, and instead the man had tossed them aside as though they were meaningless.

"Stay with me," he whispered, the words out of his mouth before he could stop them, and watched as Chloe nodded. "You look tired," he said as he stood from the couch, Trixie in his arms, and offered Chloe his hand. "Come on," he bid of her, and took her hand as she stood from the couch.

He led her to the hallway behind the bar, smiling at her sound of curiosity, as he guided her through the private areas of his penthouse. He nodded to the door of his private bedroom, and watched the expression on her face as she opened it. A black French Louis XV canopy style bed dominated the room, crimson silk sheets and pillows offset by an overstuffed black satin comforter. The floor was made of polished sandstone, cool and smooth.

"Go on," he encouraged Chloe, and kissed her temple. "Lie down and rest, darling," he told her as he carried the sleeping child in his arms to the bed. "I need to see to Lucy," he said, and watched as Chloe perked up. "You're welcome to meet her later, but you both need your rest," he told her as he handed her the sleeping girl he held. "Don't think I've not noticed how tired you are lately," he said as he sat on the bed next to her, and watched as Chloe removed the girl's shoes before tucking her beneath the blankets.

"That night when Malcolm had Trixie," Chloe told him softly, and smiled softly when Lucifer held out his hand to take her gun and badge, tucking the items into the drawer of the bedside table. "I can't get it out of my mind. Anytime I try to sleep, it plays on a loop in my dreams. I see everything that could've gone wrong. I see you die."

"Well, I'm here," he reassured her. "I'm not going anywhere," he said, and kissed her brow. "Go to sleep, love."

He remained seated on the bed with them until Chloe had fallen asleep, and stood slowly, exiting the room as he closed the door behind him. He returned down the hall to the guest bed and sat down next to Lucy. She hadn't moved at all since he had laid her down, his brow furrowing at the sight of her face. Her skin had paled a bit, he thought as he studied her. Her complexion was almost chalky, and he reached out to touch her face. Her skin was cooler than it should be, but she was breathing, if only barely.

Lucifer closed his eyes as he breathed in deeply and cupped his palm over the girl's forehead as his other hand rested over her heart. As an angel, fallen though he was, he had the inherit ability to heal. Mortal, angel, or a child of Lilith, it didn't matter, he could heal anyone. But it had been years, centuries, since the last time he had desired to heal anyone and the power he called upon felt almost sluggish. He pushed deeper into his reserves of divine energy, but the response didn't change. Trying another tactic, he laid back on the bed, and moved Lucy to lie face down on his chest, smoothing his hand over her hair as he closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her. Focusing on the almost dormant healing energy inside of him, he did what he could to wrap that energy around the girl in his arms, hoping to take away her pain.

She remembered falling asleep in Lucifer's arms. She could even still feel his warmth around her, though it was at a distance, like a memory that kept her comforted long after the moment was gone. The floor beneath her feet was cold and smooth, it looked like polished stone. She was back, Lucy thought as she stilled and looked around. This dream seemed to haunt her, tease her, and she didn't like it. She had finally felt safe, protected, even loved, but now she had been ripped away from that and brought here.

"Hello, Lucy."

She looked up to see the man that greeted her. He was always there in her dreams, always the same one. Dressed in long grey robes, a color somewhere between fog grey and silver, he stood regal and untouchable. The more he tried to make himself seem kind, the more she feared him. That was what her father had always done. He would act in front of people like he loved her and was kind to her, and then when she was close enough, he would grab her shoulder, or the back of her neck so tightly that she ached because of it.

"Where's Lucifer?" Lucy asked, keeping her distance from the man.

"Lucifer?" he repeated as though the name somehow offended him. "Why would you want anything to do with him, child?"

"Where is he?" Lucy persisted, backing away when the man stepped closer.

"I'm not here to harm you, Lucy. We've met before," he reminded her. "My name is Uriel."

"I don't care what your name is," she responded, her voice trembling as she stared at him. "I want Lucifer. What did you do with him?"

"Lucifer isn't here," he said patiently.

"Where is he?!" she demanded, angry and frightened.

"Sweetheart," another man called out to her, and she turned her head to look at him.

He was new, she thought as she studied him. He had light colored hair, mostly gold, but with bits of red. His face was kind, younger than the man called Uriel. He reminded her a bit of Lucifer, the way he could make her feel safe with just a single look. His eyes were blue, really blue, like the pictures she had seen of the ocean or sky. There were wings behind him, the color of the feathers a delicate golden white, the sight of them fascinating her. He stepped toward her slowly, stopping any time she appeared frightened.

"My name is Gabriel," the new man told her, and Lucy tipped her head.

"Do you know where Lucifer is?" she asked him, and watched as he crouched down so that he could look her in the eye even though they were still separated by several feet.

"He's not here, Sweetheart," he answered her. "He hasn't been here in a long time."

"I want Lucifer," Lucy told him, her voice softer, steadier, but still firm in her demand.

"He's not here, Lucy, you need to come inside," Uriel said as he stepped toward her.

Lucy's eyes widened as her cheeks pinked with her rising emotions. He was telling her she had to go somewhere that Lucifer wasn't, and acted as though her friend was a bad person. She didn't give him a chance to grab for her as it looked like he wanted to, and kicked out, catching him in the shin as hard as she could before she turned and ran in the opposite direction. All her dreams before had ended in the same way, if she ran away from the man named Uriel, she would wake up.

"Where are you going?" Gabriel called after her with a chuckle, and she stopped to turn and meet his gaze.

"Lucifer promised he wouldn't leave me until I asked him to go," she told him, and smiled. "I haven't asked him to go yet. If I have to be here, he's coming with me."

She watched Gabriel laugh as he nodded, and turned back to continue running. She didn't stop as she ran, but yelled back to him that Lucifer was her friend. She liked Gabriel, he reminded her of Lucifer, and she heard him laugh when she called that back to him. Darkness surrounded her as she felt herself falling, and reached out to grab onto whatever she could.

"It's alright, little one, you're safe," a man said to her, his voice deeper and richer than Lucifer's. "He's right there," he told her, and pointed to Lucifer.

She reached out for Lucifer, smiling tiredly as he took her into his arms, and curled against his chest. She blinked slowly, feeling unaccountably tired, and closed her eyes as she clung to his shirt. Her lips curled up in a smile when she felt him stroke his hand over her hair, and she sighed as she fell asleep.

"I was surprised to hear from you, Lucifer," Amenadiel said as he stepped into the penthouse from the open balcony.

"I'm not going back to Hell," Lucifer began, his voice hard as steel. "But I would owe you a favor," he said to his brother, a reluctant growl coloring his words.

"For what?" his brother asked with suspicion as he stepped closer, and watched Lucifer turn around. "A child?" he asked with confusion. "You hate children," he reminded Lucifer, as though he had forgotten.

"For the most part, yes," Lucifer agreed. "She's a friend of Beatrice's. I've tried to heal her, but I can't," he said as he gently removed his suit jacket that he had been using to blanket the young girl in his arms.

He watched as his brother's dark wings flared out, his eyes lighting with the power of his rage. Bright gold-white light took the place of his normally brown gaze, brilliant red burning at the center, and Lucifer knew that the only thing that kept Amenadiel from cursing as he clearly wanted to, was the sleeping child. It took effort for his brother to calm himself, the sight of the bruises on the child more than a bit disturbing.

The exchange was silent, a glance to the girl in silent request from his brother, and a nod of approval from himself. Lucifer was gentle, careful, as he handed over the tiny creature in his arms to his brother, and watched as Amenadiel wrapped his arms and wings around the girl.

"Who did this?" Amenadiel asked, keeping his voice low as he cradled Lucy in one arm, and cupped the palm of his other hand over the girl's brow.

"Her father," Lucifer said in a low dangerous tone. "The man will be answering to me for this," he promised. "She hasn't woken once since I brought her back from the hospital. I tried to heal her. I can heal Maze, I can heal you," he spoke his frustration, "but I can't heal her."

"Neither can I, brother," Amenadiel said after a moment, his voice filled with regret. "She's too near death," he said as he met Lucifer's furious gaze. "Favor promised, or not," he told him, "I'd heal her if I could. My power can't touch her now."

"You're saying we just let her die?" Lucifer snarled. "A life that has just barely begun, and only known torment, and we just let her die?"

"No," another voice, a melodic tenor, said from the balcony. "Brothers," he greeted, nodding to each in turn.

"Gabriel," Lucifer said, his teeth scraping against each other in annoyance and hesitation. "How's the family?" he sneered, using his anger as a shield.

"I'm not here to fight you brother, or to drag you back to Hell," Gabriel said with a lopsided smile as he stepped closer. "Honestly, I couldn't care less if you go back, or not. Fighting you was always Michael's desire."

"The douche," Lucifer said, and blinked when Gabriel laughed.

"Yeah," he agreed. "He's definitely that."

"Why are you here?" Lucifer asked suspiciously.

"I've come on my own, if that's what you're asking," he said, and rolled his eyes. "Father will eventually figure it out, I'm sure, but in this instance I really don't care," he said, and stepped toward Amenadiel. "She kicked Uriel," he said with a chuckle as he reached out to smooth his hand over the child's hair. "She's been at the gates a few times. I've watched her appear and disappear a few dozen times over the past few years," he told them. "She's always been quiet, refusing to speak, or to be touched by any of us," he said, and sighed as he smiled. "This time was different though. She didn't simply turn around quietly and go back to this life as she has before. She demanded you," he said as he met Lucifer's gaze with amusement.

"Me?" Lucifer said as his gaze fell to look at Lucy.

"She said you promised to stay with her until she asked you to leave," Gabriel said, and chuckled. "Oh, Luci, the look on Uriel's face when she kicked him," he said, and laughed heartily.

"That fool never could handle children," Lucifer dismissed, and Gabriel laughed.

"Of course, he can't," Gabriel told him. "That's why I'm usually there to help. Kids like me," he said with amusement. He sighed as he grew serious, his expression falling into bittersweet sadness. "I'm here because of her. If she wishes to stay here in this life, then I want her to be without pain."

"You're here to heal her?" Lucifer asked, blinking in disbelief. "Even knowing that she's with me?"

Gabriel met his brother's gaze. "Lucifer, unlike any of our siblings, you have always protected fiercely and without question those you deem worthy. It's what always made Michael jealous. You were as strong as he was, but you weren't seeking power. When the moment truly counted, you could defeat him easily, you just never stood up for yourself against him."

"He had Father's blessing," Lucifer said, his voice soft and pained.

"I know," Gabriel said softly, his voice tight with anger and regret. "And I also know it was Michael who spread those lies to begin with."

"You do?" Lucifer asked with disbelief.

"I wasn't off with some human lover," he told his brothers. "I missed that particular fight because he had dislocated both my wings. It was a mortal woman who helped to relocate them, but she wasn't my lover."

The attention of the three angels turned to the small girl in Amenadiel's arms as she stirred, a soft groan sounding from her as her eyes fluttered open. She called softly for Lucifer, and whimpered as she tried to push away from the man she didn't know.

"It's alright, little one, you're safe," Amenadiel said to her. "He's right there," he told her, and pointed to Lucifer.

She reached out for Lucifer, smiling tiredly as he took her into his arms, and curled against his chest. She blinked slowly, feeling unaccountably tired, and closed her eyes as she clung to his shirt. Her lips curled up in a smile when she felt him stroke his hand over her hair, and she sighed as she fell asleep once more. Lucifer ducked his head down, his lips resting against her feather soft hair as he closed his eyes. Gabriel nodded to himself as he witnessed the interaction, knowing his brother would protect the child in his arms without question, or compromise.

"How did you meet her?" Gabriel asked curiously, and Amenadiel turned his attention on his brother, finding he was interested in the answer as well.

Lucifer met Gabriel's and Amenadiel's gazes in turn as he began his story, telling Gabriel a few of the things Amenadiel already knew in regards to Chloe. He told them about Beatrice, pausing when the sound of soft shuffling footsteps caught his attention. Lucifer's lips twisted in a lopsided smile when he turned to see the subject of his monologue come up behind him, and he held out his hand to the small girl as she grew closer. She was rubbing her eyes tiredly, and took his hand as she moved to stand against his side, leaning her head against his hip.

"Mena?" Trixie said softly as she stared at Lucifer's brother through the fringe of her lashes.

"Hey Trixie," Amenadiel greeted her, smiling at the nickname he had earned for the simple reason that she couldn't say his full name, and moved closer to lift her into his arms. "Why don't you go back to sleep, okay?" he said as he held her against his shoulder, and petted her hair in slow soothing strokes.

She offered a soft hum as she tucked her face into the curve of his throat and closed her eyes. Gabriel's brow rose to see both his brothers so familiar with the human children, and each one holding a child in their arms. Angels did at times protect humans whom they had become attached to, yes, but what was it about this particular collection of humans that had both his brothers ensnared? His attention turned back to Lucifer when the child in his arms made a soft sound as she woke, and he smiled when she turned her gaze to look at him. She frowned tiredly and turned away, her eyes looking up to meet Lucifer's.

"Lucy," Gabriel called to the young girl held in his brother's arms. "Hi, Sweetheart," he greeted when she turned her head to meet his gaze. "Do you remember me?"

She nodded quietly as she leaned back against Lucifer, curling against his chest as he held her. He watched her bite her lip as she reached for the cuff of Lucifer's sleeve. Her tiny hand wrapped around the fabric, and Gabriel smiled with amusement as he watched his brother give in easily and allow the child to hold his hand. Who would have thought that the Devil could be swayed so easily by a tiny little human girl?

"You have the pretty wings," Lucy whispered with a giggle.

Gabriel chuckled as he met her gaze, and winked at her before he flexed his wings, the white and gold feathers shinning in the sun's rays. He spread his wings wide, before throwing one in front of himself like a cape and bowed slightly to the young girl. He smiled at her excited giggle, and laughed at the scoffing from his brothers, before he straightened and tucked his wings back, willing them to be unseen.

"I've come to see you here for three reasons," he told her, and stepped closer. "The first, is this," he said, and reached out to gently cup her cheek in his palm.

He closed his eyes as he attuned to the energy of her body and soul, and healed every injury as though they had never been made. He leaned close to kiss her forehead, a sign of his protection, and pulled back slowly. She blinked up at him tiredly as she leaned back against Lucifer, and tucked herself against his shoulder. He had a feeling he knew what her answer to his first question would be.

"Do you feel any pain?" Gabriel asked Lucy, and watched her shake her head in wonder. "May you never know pain like that again," he said, and watched her smile shyly as she turned around to hug his brother. "The second reason I'm here, Lucy, is to grant you two wishes."

"Are you a genie?" the child asked as she turned back to face him, and the men around her laughed.

"No, Lucy," Gabriel chuckled, "I'm an angel."

"An angel?" she asked as though the idea was foreign to her. "Like Precious Moments?" she asked with a frown.

"Kind of," he said with a frown, and glanced at Lucifer before returning his gaze to the girl. "Do you know who God is?" he asked, and watched as the girl frowned prettily.

"Daddy said God isn't real," Lucy said. "He said God's like the Easter Bunny, just make believe."

Gabriel breathed in deeply, his expression gentle yet serious as he nodded slowly.

"God's very real, sweetheart," he told her. "He's our father," he said motioning to himself, Lucifer, and Amenadiel. He motioned for her to look at Amenadiel. "See, he has wings, too," he said, and watched his brother sigh before he flexed his dark wings.

"Trixie," she whispered, seeing her new friend in Amenadiel's arms.

"I cut my wings off," Lucifer told her softly when she turned her eyes to him.

"Do you miss your wings?" Lucy asked him, her eyes wide and innocent.

"Sometimes," he answered her honestly. "But they cost more than they were worth," he told her softly.

"It's ok," Lucy told him, and wrapped her arms around his neck as she hugged him. "You're perfect just the way you are," she whispered to him, and Lucifer closed his eyes.

"Thank you, darling," he whispered in return, and kissed her cheek. "I believe my brother still has a few things to say to you," he said, and nodded toward Gabriel when she pulled back from the hug.

"You remember those two wishes I said I had for you?" Gabriel asked Lucy, and watched her nod. "The first is yours and yours alone," he told her, and watched her frown in confusion. "Anything you want, Lucy. Whatever your heart desires will be yours, all you have to do is ask."

"Anything?" she asked, and Gabriel nodded. "I want to stay with Lucifer."

"Stay with him?" Gabriel asked with a tilt of his head.

Lucy nodded silently, and looked back at Lucifer. "You said you'd stay with me until I asked you to leave," she reminded him, and Lucifer nodded silently. "I don't ever want you to go away."

"Well, brother," Gabriel said with a teasing smile. "It's looks like you've adopted. Congratulations, it's a girl."

"Tosser," Lucifer cursed at Gabriel under his breath, and smiled when Lucy giggled. "You will not call me 'Daddy'," he told Lucy, and sighed when she kissed his cheek. "Bloody hell."

"Your second wish, Lucy," Gabriel called to her. "Is for another. Is there anything you wish for someone else?" he asked, and watched her turn her head to look at Trixie.

"If it wasn't for Trixie," she said softly, tears filling her gaze. "I never would have met Lucifer," she told them, and leaned her head against Lucifer's shoulder. "But I don't know what she would want."

Gabriel nodded wisely. "Then perhaps we should ask her," he said, and watched Lucy nod in agreement. "Trixie," Gabriel called to the young girl held in Amenadiel's arms. "Hello, little one," he greeted when she met his gaze with tired confusion.

"Are you an angel, too?" Trixie asked, and Gabriel nodded, his eyes wide with surprise, impressed by her question. "Lucifer's an angel," she told him, her words slurred a bit by sleep. "He's my favorite angel."

Gabriel nodded quietly, his lips twitching with amusement. "Sweetheart, if you had one wish . . . ?" he let the question hang unfinished in the air.

"You know," Trixie said tiredly as she leaned her head on Amenadiel's shoulder. "Daddy makes Mommy cry, he always has," she told him. "But Lucifer makes Mommy smile, and laugh." She giggled. "Sometimes he makes her mad, but he always makes the bad things better. I want Lucifer to stay with us."

Gabriel nodded as he listened to the child's words and turned his attention to his brother. Looking back to Trixie, he stepped close, and kissed her brow before backing away to stand tall as he spread his wings.

"Ask and it shall be yours," he said, and watched Trixie frown as she curled against Amenadiel's shoulder, her eyes falling closed once more. "You know, brother," he said as he turned to Lucifer. "For an angel who detests children, you seem to have two adorable little girls who think the world of you," he said with a grin.

"What's not to like?" Lucifer deflected with a touch of arrogance.

Gabriel chuckled. "Care for them well, brother," he said, before turning to look at Amenadiel. "Father was going to pass this news on to you himself, Amenadiel, but as I am here now . . . For your dealings with the human Malcolm, and all actions taken in an effort to get Lucifer back to Hell, before you joined forces to work alongside him, Father has decreed that you two shall share in the responsibility. You will guard the gates, and Lucifer will remain as the ruler of Hell, the devil himself. But as there are two to guard, Lucifer will not be held to the deal he made with Father."

"I won't?" Lucifer asked, his brow furrowed in disbelief.

"No," Gabriel said as he turned to him. "For Father did not make the deal with you. He made the deal," he said, pausing as he turned to look at Trixie, "with her. She begged Him to bring you back, to protect you always, and He agreed."

"At what cost?" Lucifer asked with a low growl.

"That has yet to be seen, dear brother," Gabriel told him. "She promised Him anything, and He has yet to name a price."

Gabriel stepped toward the balcony, only to stop halfway there and look back at his brothers, and the child they each held. Two children, two souls so innocent and pure, and they were guarded not only by angels, but fallen angels. What he understood that the rest of his family never cared to acknowledge, was that Lucifer was the most fierce and steadfast protector. He would ensure the children wanted for nothing and were protected from everything. Amenadiel would guard them as well, but he would teach them balance, and help them learn from his mistakes that the ends didn't always justify the means.

"Fair thee well, brothers," Gabriel said before he spread his wings and took to the air.

"Well, Luci," Amenadiel said with a touch of amusement. "It appears you've gained a family."

"Oh do shut up," Lucifer said with annoyance, and looked back when he felt Mazikeen's presence growing closer. "Maze?" he asked, a low growl in his throat.

"I've found him," she snarled, her lips twisting in a malevolent smile. "The bar he frequents is down in the warehouse district, and there was an abandoned warehouse not two blocks from where I found him. He's waiting for us," she said, her voice dropping to a low growl.

"Excellent," Lucifer purred. "From the look on your face," he said to his brother, "I'm guessing you want a piece of him as well?"

"Yes," Amenadiel said with a low growl.

"Alright, follow me," Lucifer said, and led his brother through the penthouse until they reached his private bedroom. "Chloe, darling," he called softly to the sleeping detective, and watched her rouse slightly, her eyes barely open as she stared at him through her lashes. "We've something to attend," he told her softly as he bent over, and laid Lucy on her left side. "Watch over these precious ones for us," he said as Amenadiel laid Trixie down on her mother's right side. "We'll be back before you know it."

"Give him hell," Chloe said softly, her voice tired, and smiled tiredly when Lucifer's eyes flared crimson.

"You have my word," he promised her darkly.

"The best part about this, brother," Lucifer said, his tone amused and instructive, "is the anticipation. Making them wait. Making them wonder. Letting their minds create the fear and bring it to a fever pitch before you even begin," he said as he studied the human man Mazikeen had bound in the middle of the empty warehouse.

He hung from the ceiling by his wrists, thick rope wrapped around them, securing him as he dangled from a heavy hook. At one time the building had been a factory, the chained hook meant to lift items that were a metric ton, or more. With the touch of a button, the man could be moved back or forth, the hook attached to a motorized pulley.

"He's still unconscious," Amenadiel observed with impatience.

"He is," Lucifer agreed. "But he is also blindfolded. When he wakes, he will be able to see nothing, but he will know without a doubt that he is bound."

"What are you doing?" Amenadiel asked as he watched Mazikeen move toward the one deserving of their punishment.

Mazikeen giggled. "This is one of the best parts," she purred with malevolent delight as she tied a rope to the man's left ankle. "Stretching them out, making absolutely certain he can't move at all," she said with a low seductive laugh.

She tied the rope to a metal loop in the floor, a grounding brace once meant to steady extremely heavy and large objects as they were moved on the ceiling-mounted crane. She performed the same task with the man's right ankle, his legs spread out almost three feet apart, and smiled as she stood up slowly.

"The first thing to note," Lucifer instructed as he walked around the bound man, circling him like a shark as he spoke to his brother. "You never want to start off too quickly. A bit like a proper stew it is. Begin slow, let the meat marinate a bit before you begin cooking it." He reached out to tug on one of the man's arms and nodded his approval at Mazikeen when he found he couldn't easily move the man in any given direction. "When he wakes, and he will soon, he will find himself unable to move, or see. He will be helpless and afraid, just like Lucy was. While her torment lasted for the past seven years of her life, his will only last for this evening, until he reaches Hell, of course. But in the time we have here, we will make him feel everything she felt."

"He'll try to bargain his way out first," Mazikeen purred as she played with her curved blade, twisting the metal around by the hole at the end, and listened to it sing as it sliced through the air. "He'll try to offer something, a trinket . . . information, whatever he thinks will get him out of this." She laughed, the tone low and aroused as she met Lucifer's gaze. "They all try to bargain," she said slowly.

"Why did you put Hell on autopilot?" Amenadiel asked curiously. "At some point you gave up torturing the souls directly, and simply let them torture themselves. Why?"

"The act of punishing the guilty no longer held any appeal to me," Lucifer said simply. "At least it didn't until a year ago. When Delilah was killed," he said, pausing as he shook his head. "It was like a part of me woke up," he said simply. "The desire to punish was fresh and new. It burned brighter than it had in decades, centuries even. The Devil, dear brother, has been reawakened," he purred.

Lucifer looked back to the man bound in the center of the room and sighed with impatience.

"Maze," he said simply, and smiled when his demon threw a bucket of ice water onto the human, startling him awake. "Ah ah ah," Lucifer said, and shook his finger when his brother moved to address the mortal. "Let him assess," he instructed, and turned back to look at the mortal as the man began to fully realize his situation. "Hello, Corey," Lucifer purred.

"Where am I?" the man demanded, his voice rough and angry. "Who the fuck are you, and what do you want?" he snarled.

"Such language," Lucifer scolded with amusement, and smiled at Mazikeen as he watched her eyes widen in arousal at the punishment to come. "One word, Corey," Lucifer said to the bound man.

"Yeah, and what the hell is that?" he growled, still angry.

"Lucy," Lucifer spoke the name of the man's daughter, his eyes burning crimson as he let the anger roll through his voice.

Lucifer's tongue moved over his teeth as he watched the man's anger turn to fear, and chuckled as he began to struggle in vain. He stepped back, and motioned with his head for his brother to do the same. Nodding his appreciation to his demon, he took a seat in one of the metal folding chairs Mazikeen had procured, and crossed his legs before folding his hands in his lap.

"Seriously?" Amenadiel asked, his voice low as he sat next to Lucifer. "We just wait?"

Mazikeen chuckled low and seductive as she circled behind Corey, the sound of her amusement making him struggle harder.

"Waiting is the best part," she purred to Amenadiel as she let the tip of her demon blade scrape over the man's skin without cutting his flesh.

"Let me out of here, you freaks!" Corey demanded, anger and fear in his voice.

"Now why would we do that?" Mazikeen asked the man, amusement and arousal in her voice. She stepped closer behind him as she circled his waist with her arms, and undid the man's belt, pulling it from the belt loops in his pants and cracking the leather in the air. "It's been so long since I've had a fresh toy," she purred, her breath fanning over the man's ear.

Mazikeen laughed when the man screamed, and moved away as she carried the length of leather to Lucifer. She handed him the man's belt, and watched as Lucifer's eyes glowed red with his rage. The sight of the belt marks on Lucy's back had been burned into his memory, something he wouldn't easily forget. He would repay the man in kind, he thought as he studied the belt, before he looked up at Mazikeen and nodded to her.

She chuckled and smiled as her tongue came out to stroke over her top lip. Her gaze moved to Amenadiel as she stepped forward and took hold of the angel's shoulders before straddling his thighs. Mazikeen chuckled when he gasped, and purred as she dipped her head to nip at his ear, dragging her teeth lazily over his flesh as she released him. Rising slowly from her lover's lap, she turned and moved slowly toward the bound man as she brought one of her demon blades out to twirl through the air. She could feel Lucifer and his brother watching her, and smiled widely when Corey heard the sound of her blade, his struggles becoming more pronounced as he tried to get away.

"Now, we sear the meat to make the stock," Lucifer purred as he watched Mazikeen cut away the man's clothing, bit by slow bit.

Lucifer ached his brow in amusement when he heard the mortal curse Mazikeen, and call her a few names. He chuckled as he looked at his brother, and found amusement in Amenadiel's face as well. There were some things that just weren't done, and cursing Mazikeen was one of them. It wasn't that the action was uncivilized, or crass. More to the point, it was that Mazikeen took offense to it. He listened to the man cry out as Mazikeen dragged her nails over the skin of the man's back, digging in deep enough to leave deep red lines behind, but not deep enough to break the skin.

"Oh my," Lucifer purred. "I do believe my demon is having her fun. Care to join her?" he asked his brother, and watched as a slow smile spread across Amenadiel's face.

"If you don't mind," he said, and held his hand out to Lucifer.

"Oh, by all means," Lucifer replied graciously, and handed over the belt. "Don't be gentle," he purred as he delighted in watching his brother gain his first taste of punishment.

Amenadiel chuckled darkly as he walked up to the naked man, nodding once to Mazikeen as he moved to stand behind their bound victim. He stepped closer until his clothing was just barely brushing against the man's skin, and bent close to whisper in the mortal's ear.

"How old was Lucy the first time you whipped her?" he asked, his voice made deeper by the quiet tone he used, and watched the man shudder as goose bumps broke out over his exposed flesh.

"Lucy?" the man said, his bravado cracking as he scoffed.

Amenadiel growled dangerously as he stepped back far enough to bring the belt down from a high arc, the leather cracking loudly against the man's back. Corey screamed out a few seconds later as the impact of the leather ignited his nerves, a welt raising on his pale skin. Amenadiel stepped closer as he lowered his arm to dangle the leather against the cold concrete floor, standing close enough once more to allow his clothing to barely brush against the man's skin.

"Yes," Amenadiel said in a deceptively calm voice. "Lucy," he said stressing the girl's name, his voice never raising in volume.

Lucifer hummed with delight as he lifted his chin, and ran his tongue over the top of his teeth. His brother did seem to have a natural talent for the art of punishment, and he couldn't deny the pleasure he found in watching his once pure sibling exacting punishment on the dark soul of this mortal. He arched his brow at Mazikeen when she stepped up to claim the chair beside him, her back arching as she reclined and crossed her legs at the knee. Her mouth was open in a wide smile, her white teeth revealed as her pupils dilated.

"Look at him," she purred to Lucifer. "The way he takes to it so easily," she said, and pulled in a breath through her teeth as she closed her eyes in a hiss of pleasure. "He was made for this," she moaned with delight.

"So he was," Lucifer acknowledged with amusement. "Enjoying yourself, Mazie?" he teased, and watched as she turned to him with a smile, her true face flashing as she growled low.

"Oh yes."

Lucifer chuckled as he stood gracefully from his seat and moved toward his brother. Three strikes had already been laid across the man's back, anymore and the mortal would get used to the pain too quickly. He met his brother's gaze as he shook his head to signal him to stop, and nodded for Amenadiel to come around to the front of the man. Tipping his head toward the bound mortal, he met his brother's gaze and narrowed his eyes as he nodded once, the movement slow.

"Hello Corey," Lucifer purred as Amenadiel removed the man's blindfold.

"Who the hell are you?" Corey growled as he struggled against his bonds.

Lucifer chuckled, the sound seductive and dangerous. "Lucifer. Morningstar," he introduced slowly, and let his devil side show for just a moment, delighting in the sound of the man's scream. "It seems I owe you so much," he purred slowly. "There's a gentle and kind little girl I met today," he told him. "Her name is Lucy. And we owe you so much for all you have done," he said, and stepped back as Mazikeen moved to take his place in front of the man.

She laughed at the man, the sound lazy, husky, as she placed her hands on the man's bare chest. She moved closer slowly, growling in delight as she brought her face to his neck and nipped at his skin. Her eyes met Amenadiel's over the man's shoulder, her demon face showing as her teeth scraped against the man's skin. She watched his eyes flick up over her, meeting Lucifer's she surmised, and purred as she bit the man again when Amenadiel raised the belt in his hand.

The man between them screamed out, the pain mixing with the pleasure Mazikeen was creating until the mortal was fairly begging for each strike on his flesh. Mazikeen bit down hard enough to draw blood before stepping away and nodded for Amenadiel to do the same.

"What now?" Amenadiel asked her, finding himself enjoying the punishment they had bestowed.

"Now," Mazikeen purred out as she drew in a breath, the air hissing between her teeth. "We let Lucifer play," she told him as she took a seat in the chair Lucifer had vacated, and watched as Amenadiel sat beside her. "The more . . . adamant . . . a man is about not being interested in men, the more he plays on it, seduces until the man begs for his touch," she told him in low tones, as though the knowledge of it was a secret, and watched as Lucifer circled Corey. "Watch," she purred, and sighed with delight. "And learn."

Amenadiel watched as Lucifer trailed his fingertips over the mortal's skin, the touch so light that it barely looked as though he was making contact. He watched the man jerk in his bonds as Lucifer circled slowly, trailing his fingertips over the welts on his back. It was almost a seduction, watching his brother work, and Amenadiel found himself understanding why Mazikeen always seemed so enthralled by the idea of Lucifer gaining the punishment he desired. He cleared his throat as he crossed his legs, listening to the low purr as Lucifer asked Corey what his deepest darkest desire was.

"To kill Lucy, like I killed her mother," Corey said, his eyes nearly black from the width of his pupils. "To listen to her beg as I beat her."

The snarl that sounded from Lucifer broke the silence, startling the man out of the hold he had on him, and scaring the mortal as his angelic face melted away into the visage of the devil underneath. He was deadly, dangerous, and so very seductive as he began his torture, extracting the punishment he desired from the man and listening to Corey scream even as he begged for more. It was a few moments later when Amenadiel and Mazikeen joined him, the three of them taking their time as they made the man scream and beg.

Always careful, always elegant, the blood from the man only fell onto the floor, leaving their clothes clean as they worked. The sun was ghosting over the horizon, reds and purples falling through the broken windows of the warehouse as the man breathed his last, his soul leaving his body and falling into the depths of Hell where he belonged. Lucifer breathed in deeply as he pushed the last vestiges of his rage down, and closed his eyes.

"You still want more," Lucifer said, the words a statement of acknowledgement rather than a question as he felt the power of his brother's rage. "So go down there and get it," he commanded, and watched Amenadiel's wings flare out as his brother snarled darkly. "Don't try to fight it, dear brother," he said wisely. "The Devil's work is now your work, too. Go finish what we've started."

"Lucifer," Mazikeen purred as she looked at him.

"Go, if you wish," he said to her, and watched as she moved to Amenadiel.

He raised his brows in an expression of a shrug, and stepped away from the corpse left behind as he exited the warehouse. Mazikeen would return to him, as would Amenadiel, though he was certain his demon would ask to be brought back first. She enjoyed the punishments, but her place was by his side, not his brother's. Right now though, he knew that she was getting as much, if not more, excitement from watching Amenadiel punish a dark soul as she was punishing the man herself.

It didn't take him long to get back to LUX, and he smiled as he watched Lucy run toward him. Lifting the child into his arms, he held her close, hugging her as the last of his rage melted away. He kissed her temple as he carried her back to his bedroom, and toed out of shoes before laying down next to Chloe. The detective was still asleep, Trixie asleep as well, and he knew then that as much as they had both pretended to have bounced back after the incident with Malcolm, neither one truly had.

"I'm here now, my darlings," Lucifer told the sleeping pair, as he held Lucy on his chest, and reached out to gather Chloe close, Trixie in between them. "I shall never leave you again."