Chapter Text
Charlie glares at her father's door before letting out a groan and sitting on the ground. She didn't expect him to be even worse when he woke up, he had become even more overwrought during the night. Lucifer wanted nothing to do with her, he's pushing her away like he did all those years growing up. She barely knew her father and then they reconnected; she finally had one of her parents back in her life. She didn't feel whole, she knew she wouldn't ever feel like she has a normal family, but it was still good. When she was able to hug her dad again she could cry, she hadn't felt one of his hugs in many years.
Now?
Now, she feels as though she's losing him all over again. As soon as he woke up he was silent, his tail twitching anytime she tried asking him a question or attempted to check his injury. She could see the golden blood soaking through the bandages, but he immediately moved out of the way when she got closer. Eventually, she gave up and left his room, mumbling that he can take care of himself.
"So, it didn't go well?" Vaggi asks, sitting beside her.
Charlie shakes her head. "I have never seen him this upset before. Sure, he would get quiet, hide himself away while I was a kid, but he never glared at me. He growled! He actually growled at me and moved away from me."
"He's hurting," Vaggi reminds her gently.
"So am I!"
Vaggi sighs. "Yes, I know. Everyone is hurting right now, but have you tried seeing it from his point of view? He's clearly spiraling right now."
"I know he is and I'm worried, Vaggi. I have never seen him lose it like…like this! My mom was always there to-
Charlie immediately stops talking and blows out a breath, her eyes filled with her unshed tears. "My mom was always there for him. She knew how to get through to him."
"Well, they were sort of a thing for centuries. I'm sure she knew your dad better than anyone else," Vaggi comments.
"She did, but now she's gone."
Vaggi gives her a sad smile as she squeezes her shoulder. "Which means he needs you more. Look, the last real conversation you two had included you yelling at him and telling him he fucked up your life. He was basically ignored after he crawled out of the hole that was under the machine. He collapsed onto the ground while we were speaking to Pentious and no one noticed but Emily. We all treated him like he was…disposable. I don't think any of us would be okay, mentally, after all of that."
"I didn't think of it like that…" Charlie murmurs.
"I know. You both have some serious pride issues and I say this with love. You are an amazing being, with an amazing heart. That love you have for your people, maybe give some of it to your dad," Vaggi suggests.
Charlie nods. "When did you become so wise?"
"It only took two battles of trying to protect the one I love to realize how important emotions are," Vaggi chuckles.
"Do you think he knows I had Alastor carry him here last night? Alastor wasn't too happy about it."
Vaggi glances down the hall where Alastor's room was. "I don't think your dad was even conscious enough to know. He thought I was one of his brothers when I was wrapping his injuries last night."
"I never saw him so scared before," Charlie acknowledges. "Maybe I should try again-
"No, give him some time to relax. How about we welcome the new guests?" Vaggi suggests, quickly stopping Charlie from entering Lucifer's room again.
~~~
Lucifer curled up on his bed, wrapping his tail around his legs as the pain burned its way through his body. He couldn't stop his magic from getting out of control, often causing random flames to climb up his walls or random items to go flying off the shelves. With every burst of magic came the intense pain ripping through his muscles until he was lying on the ground, exhausted. Part of him wanted to tell Charlie, to beg her to help him, but the other part of him was hurting and angry.
He knows he hasn't been the best father in the past, he neglected one of his greatest jobs. He allowed her care to fall back onto Lilith, driving the wedge between them as he grew further and further away from them. He was the reason Lilith left, the reason Charlie moved out and found an abandoned building to turn into a hotel.
He always ruined everything.
"Stop…" he groaned as more pain flared up his spine and into his wings.
He cries out, panting as nausea turns his stomach from the onslaught of the merciless pain. Tears run down his face, his fingers turn into claws as he digs them into the ground. Flames surround him for a moment while he gathers his strength to force them to disappear, not wanting to burn down his daughter's hotel.
"Dad?"
His vision blurs as black spots begin to dance in his view, blocking him from seeing anything. He feels gentle hands on him and a sudden muffled voice before he's being pulled against a chest. Hands run through his hair while another pair is pulling his bandages off, working quickly to reach his wounds. A cool liquid is placed on his abdomen and back, helping to bring his body temperature down some.
He leans his head against whoever is holding him, giving into the sweet darkness.
"Careful," Vaggi warns as she and Charlie lay Lucifer on his bed.
Charlie watches with growing apprehension, mentally taking note of how harder it seems for him to breathe. Sweat coats his body, causing the ends of his hair to stick to his face and his pants to stick to his legs. The bandages were slightly damp from both sweat and fresh blood oozing out of his wounds that wouldn't heal.
"Vaggi, something is seriously wrong," Charlie claims, her voice cracking. "He isn't healing at all!"
"Get Emily, she can let Sera know. Someone in Heaven has to know what is happening," Vaggi orders, becoming serious as Lucifer starts to groan loudly.
Charlie immediately pulls out her phone and dials the contact for Emily, her hands shaking and her heart jumping into her throat. With Pentious and Baxter working together, rather reluctantly, they have been able to make it so Charlie can freely call Emily when needed. Creating a better path of communication to increase success for redemption, a tool that has been a great help over the past few days. However, now it was to be used for something far more important to Charlie.
"Emily?" Charlie asks when the phone picks up.
"Charlie!! Ah, I'm so excited that you called! Abel-
"I am so sorry, but I need your help. My dad, he…something is wrong. He's not healing, his magic seems to be out of control and he's turning grey. A seraphim can't die, can they?" Charlie rambles, voice shaking.
There's a pause before a portal suddenly opens as Emily bursts through, her eyes wide when she spots Lucifer. "Oh this is bad," she squeaks, seeing his skin growing grey.
"What's happening to him?" Charlie asks.
Emily flies over and hesitates before gently grabbing Lucifer's hand. Closing her eyes, she whispers a few words, appearing to focus when blue light shines around their joined hands. It snakes down Lucifer's arm like tiny snakes before coiling around his abdomen where the largest injury was. Bright, blue light illuminates the room before slowly fading away, leaving behind a more relaxed Lucifer. Opening her eyes, Emily gently places Lucifer's hand down as she undoes the bandages, revealing a large scar going across his stomach.
"I'm not as good as Sera, so he'll have a scar," Emily explains. "But that should handle a lot of where his pain is coming from. Looks like his own magic was trying to heal him, which is normal for us, but it couldn't. What happened?" Emily asks, glancing at Charlie.
Before Charlie can respond the portal opens wider as an angel steps through. Emily immediately has her hands behind her back as she glances at Lucifer while Charlie stares at the angel, perplexed.
"You are…?" She trails off.
The new seraphim looks past her to the form on the bed. "Who hurt my brother?"
"Ohhhh this is even worse," Emily murmurs.