Author's note: Hello everyone! I decided to take a short break in the writing of my other story to write this. The idea of this fic came to me while trying to find explanations for the events of season 3. So this is my take on what's going on in the show lately. This story therefore picks up immediately at the end of episode 10 of season 3 and is an attempt to reconcile everything we know about the Sinnerman, Cain, and the return of Lucifer's wings.

As you might have observed, unlike my other story that I write directly in English, I wrote this one in French first since I'm a French speaker (From Québec, not Europe). So this is a translation and therefore I'm not sure if the result will be better for it, or worse… We'll see. I hope you'll enjoy this!

Lucifer felt rage rise inside him from the depths of his being, like the lava of a volcano rising to the surface of the earth and threatening at any moment to cause an eruption that nothing could stop in its path. He poured himself another glass of Scotch to try and control his bubbling emotions. His instinct had not let him down this time. He took a chance, a big chance in trying to prove his theory but it turned out to be right, as disturbing as the truth may be.

Right beside him was the source of all his misfortunes of the last months, the one responsible for the return of his wings, the loss of his devil's face and consequently, his identity. Cain, first murderer of humanity. He was certain now, the Sinnerman was only a tool in this great manipulation, this masquerade. Cain was the one who orchestrated everything. But why? Lucifer's boiling mind could not understand what that millennial being might want. He hadn't done anything to the man, had never even crossed his path as far as he could tell. In spite of his visceral need to strike this despicable being with all his might to remove that sly grin from his face and relieve himself of all the tension accumulated over the months, Lucifer knew he had to keep his cool at all costs. He needed to get answers to his questions first if he wanted to have any chance of recovering his identity. There would be time to inflict the worst tortures on him later if he turned out to be reluctant to share his plans. This pleasant possibility helped our Devil to calm his ardors enough to continue his reflections.

Beyond the motives of his actions was a question whose answer was even more obscure. How? How did Cain, a human without any celestial power, besides being immortal of course, steal his identity and restore his wings? It didn't make any sense! A doubt came to trouble the Devil. Could someone else be the real culprit? Another player in this hellish sham? Lucifer looked at Pierce from the corner of his eye for the umpteenth time without breaking the tense silence that enveloped them for the last ten minutes, as if he could find answers to his questions with this simple inquisitive gesture.

To add to his irritation, the man seemed quite calm and serene, imperturbable in front of the barely controlled rage that was coming off the Master of the Underworld. Leaning on the bar next to him, Pierce was peacefully sipping the single malt offered by his host with an appreciative air, seemingly uneager to break this temporary truce. Lucifer realized that he would have to break that silence himself if he did not want to spend all night at it.

With a resigned sigh, Lucifer broke the peace with the question that most gnawed at him. "How did you manage to take my Devil's face from me and restore my wings back?"

Pierce almost jumped at his words and stared at him with the most convincing air of incomprehension. "You had lost your wings?"

Lucifer fulminated with impatience. His eyes would certainly have burned with fury if he had not lost that ability. "As if you didn't know already! Do not play me, it's too late for that. I know you're the ultimate responsible for my kidnapping and everything that happened to me."

The man frowned as if trying to make sense of the Devil's accusations. "I'm guilty of many things Lucifer, but certainly not of that. I have no idea what happened to your face or your wings, but I know that Damien is responsible for your kidnapping, even if I have no idea what he wanted with you by doing so."

Lucifer took a deep breath and forced himself to exhale all the air in his lungs very slowly to help contain himself. He continued in a low and dangerous voice. "You want me to believe that it is a coincidence if you are now my boss and that one of your acquaintances, this Damien, the Sinnerman I presume, attacked me and stripped me of my identity? You want me to believe that you have nothing to do with it?" The Devil laughed in disbelief.

"You're right, it's not by chance that I'm here but I'm not his accomplice believe me. I came to L.A. to pursue him and put an end to his actions." Pierce looked down at his glass with apparent sadness.

"Looks like you've been successful! Shouldn't you be happy about your victory? Not only are you now rid of him, but at the same time you've disposed of the only witness who could refute your statements. How convenient! Congratulations on your great achievement!" Lucifer raised his glass in a sarcastic salute.

It was now Pierce's turn to lose his patience. "Do you really think it made me happy to have to kill a man I considered as my own son? Only the Devil could say such a thing! You do not know anything about me! Do not judge me too fast when you don't even have all the elements in hand."

Lucifer wasn't a newbie at it, and from his experience Cain's reaction seemed genuine. But he could always be wrong. He had already been fooled by talented liars in the past and this millennial murderer probably had plenty of time to perfect the art of lying during his innumerable years of sins. For Lucifer to agree to give him even the shadow of a doubt, the man should first pass a test. The Devil leaned slowly toward the man and stared at him with a deep penetrating look, as if wanting to see through his soul. "Tell me Cain, what does an immortal man like you desire above all else?"

The man's breathing changed abruptly and became deeper and slower. His irises widened noticeably, incontestable proof that the Devil's powers were working on him, which Lucifer, he had to admit, had at first doubted slightly.

Cain didn't even seem to try to resist the urge to reveal his most intimate desires and confessed in one breath. "Redemption!" The two men stared at each other for a moment before Cain continued slowly, the emotion palpable in his voice. "I've tried everything!" For millennia, I tried to atone for my sin, and unfortunately I've done many more along the way, even if none of them were as abject as having killed my own brother." He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment at the memory of his vilest crime.

Lucifer had to admit that the man piqued his curiosity. "You have five minutes to convince me of your innocence. If you do not succeed, I know very convincing ways of convincing you to reveal the truth." He said darkly.

When Cain opened his eyes, it was clear that he was no longer under Lucifer's power. That did not stop him from continuing his confession though. "At first I hated God. I was so filled with rage and frustration that I wanted to indulge myself in my new role as a sinner. So I committed the most despicable crimes, as if the fact of having to undergo this punishment for all eternally gave me the right to do anything I wished. Truth is, I also did it to take revenge over God."

The Devil laughed bitterly. "Yes, my father really has a gift for inducing those feelings in others, and I know what I'm talking about!"

Cain nodded slowly. "Yes, I believe you are in a good position to understand. Even though, after a few millennia, I finally realized that I had fully deserved my punishment. From that moment on, I helped and gave to others without counting, saved countless lives, put hundreds of criminals in jail, and tried to live according to God's principles. In vain. God has always remained silent in the face of my actions, as if he couldn't care less about me."

Lucifer could not help laughing again. "Welcome to the club, old chap! My dad doesn't care about anyone except himself. Maybe we have more in common you and I than I first thought." He added thoughtfully.

Pierce did not seem to like being compared to the Devil, but did not try to defend himself about it nonetheless. "However that may be, even though I had little hope that God would forgive me one day, I have persevered in my principles until today." He paused for a moment as if seeking strength to continue his story. "About 30 years ago, I met Damien when he was only ten years old, about the time his junky parents were slaughtered in front of his eyes for a simple drug debt. After sending the murderers behind bars, I took Damien under my wing and raised him as my son. I thought I could guide him in life to become a good person, but I failed miserably. I'm the only one to blame in all this really..." He finished in a whisper.

Feeling that the rest was going to be particularly difficult to reveal, Lucifer filled the man's now empty glass again, hoping to help him loosen his tongue a little.

Cain thanked him with a nod and slowly savored a sip of the sweet amber liquid. "You see, Damien was a sensitive young boy, and the death of his parents had affected him very much. I told him early everything about my history and my eternal damnation. Unfortunately, rather than to encourage him to act righteously and comfort him with the knowledge that God actually existed and punished sinners, it drove Damien to hate God for letting his parents die and for punishing me so long ago. Over the years, I saw his soul darken and we grew apart from each other until the day I realized he was calling himself the Sinnerman, a name by which I used to designate myself, and that he tempted the worst sins in men before playing with them. I think it was his way of defying God."

"A few months ago, we found ourselves face to face and he left me with a choice: to kill him or to let him go. I could not resign myself to shoot. I think I still had hope that he could change, however I quickly regretted my weakness afterwards when I learned that he had resumed his activities here in LA, where I knew the Devil had taken residence a few years back. It was too big a coincidence to not have been planned, so I knew I had to stop him at all cost, whatever might be his plan. That day I swore to myself that I would not hesitate the next time I faced him. That's what I did today. I did not hesitate and I killed him to put an end once and for all to his affronts to God. Even more now that I knew he had arranged to kidnap you, the Devil, of all people, and had brought you to be alone with him this afternoon. I knew he had to have a very good reason to do so. Actually, I can only think of one reason for him to pursue the Devil himself and taunt him so. Damien was not suicidal, quite the opposite. If he did all that, he probably had discovered a way to realize his darkest desire and I had to stop him at all costs. His greatest dream was to become like me: Immortal!"

Lucifer's eyes widened in surprise at this revelation. Could the culprit really have done all that to become immortal? The idea was absurd, but thinking back at the fact that Damien had even burst his own eyes to make sure that the Devil could not discover his deepest desire, the idea was suddenly becoming more plausible than it first appeared, even if Lucifer did not understand the first thing about it. "Even if I believed your words, the idea does not make any sense. How could provoking the Master of Hell help him to gain immortality? I almost killed him and apparently that's what he wanted me to do. Anyway, the only immortal beings, besides yourself and God, are either angels or demons. Only my father can create angels and he has not done so for millions of years. On the other hand, only me or a higher-ranking demon can turn a human soul into a demon and you can be sure that Damien would be the last soul that I would reward so..." The two men suddenly looked at each other in a moment of understanding.

Ideas rushed inside Lucifer's mind. Damien had tried to die from his hands ... he had to know he was destined without the shadow of a doubt to the tortures of Hell as soon as his soul would leave his body and despite that he had taunted the Devil and pushed him to murder him with his own hands ...

In a shudder of fear, Cain verbalized the Devil's last conclusion. "Damien had to have made a pact with a demon!"

"It's possible." Lucifer replied in a whisper. His heartbeat suddenly accelerated at the implications of that possibility. "But, my wings, my face? A demon could never have done all that. Something doesn't add up."

"What kind of being could be able to do that then?" You must have an idea, no? Pierce seemed to have himself no opinion on the subject.

The question was simple and the answer should have been just as simple. And yet. "As frustrating as that may be, the truth is I do not know. Had you asked me the same question in any other circumstance and I would have answered that only my Father has that power. But it is absolutely impossible for Him to be responsible for the return of my wings. He hates me! All he's always wanted was to see me rot in Hell for my past actions. He would never do such a thing." His tone was categorical.

Cain stared at him with an air of respect mixed with admiration. He spoke in a barely audible murmur. "Unless you have been forgiven..."

Lucifer recoil visibly, horrified. "This idea is utterly absurd!"

Cain grabbed Lucifer's arm and squeezed it in his agitation. "Think! Surely there is something you have done to deserve redemption. What was it? How did you do it? I must know!" He insisted, full of hope.

Cain's excitement was contagious and Lucifer found himself considering the possibility. He did change a lot over the years, especially since the detective came into his life. Moreover, he had aborted his mother's plans to bring death and destruction to the Silver City and that, the very day he got his wings back. Funny coincidence, he had to admit. To say that he never entertained this possibility would be a lie. Amenadiel suggested it, even Linda, while Lucifer could never resign himself to take the idea seriously. To tell the truth, he felt far from being an angel. His dark past still weighed heavily on him and the little good he had done in the last few years seemed pale in comparison to all the good deeds that Cain had accomplished during millennia. If Cain was never able to win his redemption in the eyes of his Father when he longed for it and did everything he could to earn it, how could Lucifer have done so when he never even asked for it nor done much to prove himself?

Lucifer shook his head vigorously in a final refusal. "It's impossible! What's more, no matter how I got my wings back and lost my Devil's face, nothing in what you told me can explain why Damien needed me to kill him. Anyways, any death would have led him straight to Hell with the past he had. Why was it so important that I kill this man myself? I'm not a killer. For all my existence I have never killed a human. In fact, I am forbidden to do so, as are all angels, at the risk of..." Lucifer's eyes widened in shock at the realization. Frowning, Cain seemed to hold his breath while waiting to hear what Lucifer just figured out.

In one breath, Lucifer shared his grim conclusion. "He tried to make me lose my wings ..." The same idea had crossed the Devil's mind earlier today while facing the Sinnerman. He had then seriously considered killing him to get rid of his wings, but hadn't been able to go through with it. He now understood that it might be very possible in fact that the Sinnerman had manipulated him for the simple purpose of pushing him to commit the unforgivable: kill a human being!

Cain looked disconcerted. "I don't understand! Who could benefit from the loss of your wings?"

Despite his dismay at all those dark possibilities, Lucifer chuckled at his interlocutor's naivety. "The question should rather be: who would not be happy to see the Devil Fall again? If my father is indeed the one responsible for the return of my angelic appearance and my wings, and I still don't fully support this idea, then you can be quite certain that my brothers, if they ever learned of it, would be ready to do anything in their power to make me lose them again. They will never forgive what I did so long ago. Never!"

Cain gripped tightly his half-empty glass. "So you think one of your brothers could be behind this whole machination?"

Lucifer had never imagined that his tirade against his brothers would lead the detective to draw this conclusion. "I ... I do not know. I'm sure of nothing." He grabbed his head in his hands and ran his fingers through his hair under the oppressive feeling that he was losing control over the whole situation. Cain remained silent in response to his reaction, apparently not daring to interrupt the Devil's dark thoughts. After a moment, Lucifer's foggy spirit cleared up a bit. "It could mean that one of my brothers used the Sinnerman to make me believe that he was responsible for the return of my wings and of my angelic appearance, to insure that I kill him and provoke my own Fall in the process. Even if this is true, we have no way of confirming these assumptions. Anyway, all those ideas are only conjectures at the moment. On the other hand…, I must admit that considering your obsession with winning your redemption, I still can't rule out the possibility that it was you all along who tried to make me Fall again." Lucifer cast an accusing look at the damned man. "Out of jealousy maybe, for having apparently succeeded where you have failed all that time?"

The accusation made Cain turn pale. "You can't speak seriously! I would never do anything to defy God's decisions!" The simple idea seemed to horrify him. "Still, I understand your doubts about me and only time will prove my righteousness. What seems most plausible at the moment is that Damien received information or instructions from a heavenly or demonic being to guide him in his actions. Now if that someone really wants to cause your Fall as it seems, something tells me that he will try again soon. If he attacks you again, then you will know I had nothing to do with any of this."

Just the idea that one of his brothers, or anyone else for that matter, might want to provoke his Fall and could want to try again was enough to rekindle the rage burning inside him. The more he thought about it, the more he believed that it could all be possible. Unable to stay put any longer, Lucifer stood up suddenly, knocking over the bench he was sitting on. His face distorted by indignation and anger, the Devil began to walk up and down under Pierce's stricken gaze.

"By what right could someone manipulate me like this to make me lose my wings and cause my downfall? By what right?" Fists clenched, the Devil shook with rage. "I'm the only one who can decide who I am! You hear me! THE ONLY ONE!" The Devil was almost screaming now. "None of my brothers have that right, nor even my Father, and certainly not a demon or a pathetic human like the Sinnerman. No one can decide for me if I want to be an angel or the Devil! I fought long enough to get the right to free will, and I'm not going to give it up now. If I want those wings, I'll keep them! Nobody will force me to get rid of them!"

Cain seemed utterly confused. "You mean you're happy to have your wings back then? I was under the impression that..."

Lucifer stopped short in his pacing and glared at him. "That's not the question! No one but me has the right to decide if I DESERVE them back!" At that very moment, Lucifer thought his words had probably gone beyond his thoughts. However, he quickly realized that in those words resonated a disconcerting truth that he never had the courage to face before that moment. The truth was that he didn't believe he deserved his wings back. Much less redemption!

The heavy silence that ensued showed Lucifer that the detective didn't fail to understand the implication of his words. Pierce turned respectfully his gaze away to let the Devil wrestle alone with his demons.

After a long moment of tense silence, Cain confided again to him with a weak, almost vulnerable voice. "You know... I'm not sure either to deserve redemption, but I need to believe that someday I will have changed enough to make it happen. The idea of continuing to wander like this for all eternity is unbearable. Only the hope of crossing one day the gates of Heaven still allows me to stay sane." His voice cracked on his last words.

Lucifer had a hard time understanding why Cain's words affected him so much, why he felt an oppression that almost prevented him from breathing. After all, they both had absolutely nothing in common. Lucifer was not wandering, he was going where he wanted when he wanted. He certainly did not want his Father's forgiveness either, nor to return to the Silver City, this boring place where everyone only thought of accomplishing his Father's desires. No! None of this applied to him! Or did it?

Finally, the Devil slowly returned to sat at the bar after straightening the bench lying on the floor. Seeing that his hands were shaking slightly, he poured himself another glass of Scotch that he swallowed in one gulp in the hope it could helped him regain control over his emotions. In spite of himself, a question kept invading his mind. Could his Father really have forgiven him? After all this time? Lucifer shook his head vigorously to try and get rid of that absurd idea. Those thoughts would get him nowhere anyway. It was certainly not the time to worry about existential questions when he had to deal with Cain's case.

Unless the fallen man was an amazing actor, Lucifer could only believe in his desire for redemption. This made the detective appear suddenly much friendlier in his eyes. It would become harder for the Devil to hate him now. Too bad! Suddenly, one of the reasons why Lucifer had begun to despise the Lieutenant came back to his mind: Chloe!

The Devil clenched his jaw at the memory of the way Chloe was looking at Pierce lately. She had feelings for the man, he was sure of it. Which ones though? He could not say exactly, but there certainly was affection at the least, possibly more, and definitely admiration. Lucifer felt his heart squeeze in pain at the thought that he could lose her at the benefit of this unworthy being. A small inner voice reminded him that the fallen angel that he was could hardly be better than the damned man sitting beside him. No matter, he would not let Cain take his place at her side. Never! But how could he insure that? An idea slowly formed in his mind. Yes, he could probably arrange everything and make sure that Chloe wouldn't continue to develop feelings for their superior.

Lucifer slowly turned his head towards Cain to gauge him. He would have to negotiate carefully with the situation if he wanted to win. He reminded himself that there was no reason for him to be so nervous because after all, no one dealt better than the Devil. He took a deep breath before starting what could become one of the most important deal of his life. "I believe in your desire for redemption and I want to help you reach it."

Cain couldn't hide the surprise nor the hope that the Devil's words were creating in him. "You really think you can help me?"

The Devil carefully chose his words. "To tell you the truth, I do not yet know how I can help you. Nonetheless, I am ready to promise that I will do everything in my power to help you reach Heaven."

Cain considered his words for a moment. "Of course, if I accept your vague promise of help, I imagine you will be asking something from me in return?"

"It goes without saying! My services must always be repaid someday."

Cain seemed to hesitate, even if only for a brief moment. "What do you want in return?"

"Very little really! Nothing of much importance for a man like you. In return for my assistance and my promise not to expose your false identity to those around you, I'm just asking you to stop showing interest in Detective Decker." Lucifer tried to control his voice to sound as disinterested as possible.

Cain's eyes widened in amazement. "Excuse me? You must be joking? Is that really your price?"

"Absolutely! And I could not be more serious!" Lucifer anxiously waited for the man to accept the deal, for he could not even conceive a refusal.

"I'm sorry! I cannot agree to this deal!" Cain looked as if he had a hard time believing he just refused.

Lucifer was speechless. "What...? Why...? I do not understand!"

With a dreamy smile Pierce explained himself. "You see, as disturbing as it may be for me, I must admit that Chlo ... Detective Decker, quickly became very important to me. She is special! As you must have realized. At least she is to me. With her, I find the strength to surpass myself and the desire to become a better man. She makes me feel good like no one has ever done before. I don't want to... I can't, stay away from her willingly." Seeing the dismayed reaction of the Devil, the fallen man tried to clarify. "I'm not doing this against you Lucifer, I'm doing it for myself, because I am in tremendous need of it. If I have to walk this earth forever, I would like to say that for a moment at least, I knew what redemption might feel like. You may not be able to understand, but I have the impression that she could bring me that feeling, if only I had the courage and the chance to seize this opportunity."

If he understood? Of course he understood? But Chloe Decker was HIS redemption! She was created for HIM! And HE alone! She was HIS miracle! HIS soul mate! Not that damned man's redemption! Lucifer's breathing quickened and he had the sudden impression that he was going to lose consciousness under the avalanche of emotions that the man's words were triggering. He tried to control his shaking voice. "Chloe Decker is MINE! I will not let you have HER!" He was overtaken by anger.

Cain seemed to understand that the situation was on the brink of degenerating seriously for he answered very calmly by appealing to the Devil's deepest convictions instead of challenging him. "You who believe so much in free will, don't you think she has the right to choose which one of us she really wants?"

Lucifer winced in heartbreaking pain. The bastard! He was playing the card of free will, against the Devil? In spite of it, Cain's argument could not have been more effective. Lucifer could only agree with him. Chloe had the right to choose! "You're right, we should let Chloe decide which one of us she really wants by her side."

In any case, the fact that she was his miracle, specially designed for him, should undoubtedly ensure that she would come back to him instantly the moment he decided so. After all, his Father had already taken away Chloe's ability to decide for herself when it came to her emotions towards Lucifer. Wasn't it? However, the memory of Chloe's tender gaze when looking at Piece lately gave life to a horrifying doubt. What if she chose Cain? What if she always had free will, even with him? He felt both panic and hope rise inside him at the mere thought of this possibility.

Seeing that the Devil agreed with his reasoning, Cain made his counteroffer. "However, in exchange for your assistance, I offer you my help to fight back this enemy who is trying to make you lose your wings. Your Father's gift is way too precious to risk that someone took it from you."

Lucifer only took a brief moment to think about this offer. It would be up to him now to win back Chloe's love. "Deal!"

Autor's note: I hope you enjoyed it! Tell me if it's worth continuing this story. I don't know how long it could get. It could be just an OS or it could become a longer story. I look forward to read your impressions! Thank you all!