Notes at the bottom

A Tree for the Latchkey Kid

With only a few days away from Christmas, Lucifer's penthouse for the first time had been decorated with every silly object tradition dictated. Mistletoes were hanging from every door and colourful garlands were gracing the bar. Long gone were the expensive liquor bottles from the first shelves. Instead, exotic cocoa blends were stocked along with jars full of colourful marshmallows and finely crushed peppermint candy canes.

And then there was a not so festive Amenadiel seating on the couch, glaring the artificial Christmas tree which was strategically positioned behind the piano. He had been there for the plumber and his crew. Even for the horticulturist and the architects. For the every damn, delivery and signing. His brother was indeed an experienced torturer. How could a favour drag him this far down?

At the dinging of the elevator, he let out a shaky breath and stood up to face the next errand for the day. Relief flood him when he saw Linda getting out in a very cheerful disposition.

"I came to find an angel and an angel I found!" She put down her purse on the piano's bench and after a while of intelligible muttering, she placed carefully under the Christmas tree a couple of packages.

"Two actually." He grumbled and pointed the tree topper.

"Oh, my…" On the top of the tree was a flashy black angel topper. Now that she had a moment to actually look the tree, it was a far cry from the carefully decorated Christmas tree she had expected to find in Lucifer's penthouse. The ornaments were all sloppily handcrafted from different kind of materials. Painted water-bottle caps, paper clipped creations and even burned gingerbread cookies were hanging from the branches.

"Maze calls me Carmen Miranda for the past few days and I'm sure it's that thing to blame!" He lamented his bad luck. His brother had made him look like a fool on top of being his errand boy.

"I can see that but it's Christmas Amenadiel, teasing within the family is allowed and I believe your brother really cares for you." she reasoned the best she could and sensing that this would take a while, she took a seat in one of the comfortable leather armchairs.

"That man is not my brother! I barely know him anymore!" He shouted in frustration. All the bubbling irritation of the past two weeks was finally founding an outlet.

"Your brother grows into the man he can be. A gentle, caring and honest to the fault man. Set aside what he should be and embrace what he becomes." Now, this she could handle. Disagreements between siblings were never pretty but as a doctor and most importantly a friend she had to take her leave only after Amenadiel's pent-up feelings had been analysed and expressed for his own good.

"He is no man doctor! He is a fallen angel!" Having been so worked up, he found great comfort in not only finally discussing this troubling matter but in pacing around which proved to be quite therapeutic in its own way.

"No, he is a lost boy who only now is allowed to grow. Don't you want to see the best he can be?" she asked him in a very calm voice. Lucifer was unstable. A child and a teen with the power and the desires of a man.

She had feared since the very beginning that when he was abandoned, it had been too early for him to properly handle it. An isolated child always led a very agonising path to adulthood. Apparently, Lucifer was not the only one who had been forced to walk that path.

"It's been so long Linda and Christmas don't really help." Suddenly very tired to walk around anymore, he fell heavily on the couch across her.

"Can you elaborate?" She carefully set the base for what could lead them to the core of Amenadiel's issue.

"Christmas is an awkward time for the family. " He quietly began while playing with the stitches of the couch.

"That little boy was looking much like him. The curls, the smile you name it. Everything seemed to be the same aside from the lack of unruliness Lucifer had." his features darkened with every word and his eyes had become unfocused, lost in a point in time so long forgotten.

"Lucifer literally raised hell when he found out." a haunted chuckle escaped him and cleared his throat a little.

"For Heaven and Hell, it was a betrayal and at the same time an affirmation that he had been indeed His favourite." Always a favourite. Only the older siblings had realised that from the very begging. Father had taken his fallen brother's features and named him their saviour. But no one ever questioned Him. That was always Lucifer place. Questioning him that is.

"So the saviour of humankind resembled Lucifer. Now that's a trivia you don't hear every day!" she mused trying to lighten the mood. Instead of Amenadiel taking the hint he continued with the same grave tone.

"He felt the impact of Father's withdrawing more than anyone. Father was his world and He had created a new one." his features turned to a thoughtful frown.

"Why suddenly he is so committed on Christmas? Why suddenly everything makes sense to him?" he questioned mostly himself but the answers still eluded him.

For Linda, it was clear that what was harboured underneath Amenadiel's displeasure was good old sibling rivalry. Lucifer had a good point when he claimed he was as screwed up as any other patient. Obviously, his disrupted adolescent was not the only one."Lucifer declared but was also enforced into his independence early. He was not a docile child and did not turn out to be a docile adult." Again this was what she could offer Amenadiel's

"Lucifer declared but was also enforced into his independence early. He was not a docile child and did not turn out to be a docile adult." Again this was what she could offer Amenadiel for now.

He cursed and abruptly stood up. He marched to the tree and with a sharp pull, he took out the white garland and an envelope which was previously deeply hidden within the branches.

"Popcorn on a string and this!" he threw the envelope on her lap and crushing some of the popcorn, he took back his seat on the couch.

"How do you explain this Linda?" he fumed with his brother's actions which still could not be understood. Power, lust he could understand but what was the point of the Devil playing around with corn?

"He is bonding, something you do not do. He is experiencing feelings which include for the first time a woman and obviously a child." Opening the letter she confirmed her suspicions. Lucifer had indeed gone through one more breakthrough.

"Have you read this?" she asked him and already suspecting that he had not she handed him the carefully folded paper.

'Dear Santa,

I was not exactly good. But I do have a deal for you.

I want, no.. need (!) an adjusted to my lifetime, supply of high-quality, child-proof garments.

Measurements and textile preferences are enclosed for your convenience. (See Page two)

In return send me your naughty list!

Your very own,

Lucifer Morningstar'

"So he wants clothes... What does that mean?" He had already known that this was a letter to Santa but he had not gone as far as actually opening it.

"It means that he wants to believe." she simply told him and crossed her legs.

"To Santa?" He drew a long breath and turned to look at her in disbelief.

Preventing her from replying, the elevator notified them for the arrival of two people who Amenadiel must have been expecting. Without caring much he pointed the patio and re-read the Santa letter.

"It's outside and he wants it done after the New Years."

"What is all that about?" she curiously said and stretched out to follow with her eyes the two men walking out on the balcony.

"He wants a blue spruce planted on the patio for some unfathomed reason. Something about not wanting to go back to the mountains again.

"Amenadiel." She drew his attention in a stern voice.

"Don't wait for someone who is not there anymore. Otherwise, you will lose the one who actually is." she warned.

"Your brother was never given a separate identity, he created one for himself and now he does it again in a healthy way."

Their father had appointed them their identities and only Lucifer had challenged that. Amenadiel was only in the beginning of self-discovery and preferred to demonise his brother's change over attempting to understand his own.

"He needs his independence and was willing to test your Father's authority to get it." His looked at her sharply understanding setting on his mind.

The children who don't act up, just bottle their feelings of defiance. As a result, they rarely know the limits they are about to cross. Amenadiel and Uriel had crossed several and paid for them dearly. In a twisted reasoning, Hell could be now seen as a gift and not a punishment for his brother. A place to grow.

"I fear Linda that from what I only now understand, Father had planned more than he led us to believe." Where did he fit in this plan, was not clear but the chance of being a worthy piece was not good.

"Lucifer, Michael and Gabriel were the first to be created but I was placed as the eldest, He said I was his hero but was I? I have so many questions doctor." His voice cracked under the pressure of doubt.

"We will need to book several sessions then." Linda signed and stood up to the surprise of the angel, no, man across her.

"I can't answer your questions but I can tell you one thing with absolute certainty." There was a soft smile on her lips and she approached him just enough to rub his shoulder.

"He loves you. More than you think." With an affectionate pat, she took her purse from the piano bench and headed to the elevator leaving Amenadiel in a better mood than he had been in ages.

"Oh and Amenadiel…" She called stopping the elevator's doors from closing just in time.

"There is a very interesting purple bell on that tree and a few poorly hand-wrapped presents by Lucifer for you under that tree." She gave him a wink and the last thing she saw was his shocked expression turning to a delighted boyish one.

The End

(For Now)

Notes: For A03 Lucifer Christmas Challenge 20 - Christmas Tree, with Amenadiel and Linda, at the Penthouse. Written by Sanoiro. Challenged by Wandererzaehler.

1) Songs used for this entry:

Daddy's Gone - Glavsvegas - /watch?v=3uSdQxKaBfU

Sitting - Cat Stevens (cover Elvis Costello) - /watch?v=dhott7TobgA

Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men (cover Alexi Blue Corey Gray) - /watch?v=1k5e6d56d4g

Space to Share - Scapegoat Wax - /watch?v=M95DSs-lJco

2) I realise that most don't particularly care about songs at the end of a chapter but I believe that what inspired the emotion to write an entry deserves some credit. Also, all the songs have been selected carefully and their lyrics work perfectly with the story. Just try it for once ;)

3) I feel that the 25th's entry will be somewhat explosive. Just to warn you, though... I have no word limit there... :D

4) I tried to limit the description but there was a mind & fingers mutiny, I swear that's what it was!

5) This entry was very difficult for me. I haven't decorated yet and most of the time we just skip taking out the Christmas tree due to a family loss which happened years ago. But I went with the multiple meanings of the Christmas tree. The ones that influenced this entry more were Hope and Healing.