Chapter Text
Azrael sat at the bar at LUX. The club was empty; the hour was late (or early) enough that even the staff had left. She turned the page of the book before her, peering with interest at the diagram before turning to the surrounding text. Hearing the distinctive click of high heels coming down the stairs, she exhaled a short, sharp breath. "Another one?" she muttered, before turning her attention more fully to the book, flipping between a few pages. "Doesn't mention me at all." The footsteps drew closer, and Azrael observed, not looking up, "They've been at it a while, but I daresay you can catch up if you hurry."
"Your brother has already asked me to stay out of that aspect of his life," the tall woman replied.
Azrael looked up, expression guarded. "Well, he has to finish at some point," she ventured. "One would hope, at least. I could let him know you stopped by?"
The woman stepped closer to Azrael, lightly putting a hand under the girl's chin to tip her face up. "Let's see what your father's done to you," she said gently. "There now, it's not so bad, for a human suit. Though why he decided to make you so small, I have no idea."
Azrael inhaled a slow, shaky breath. "Mom?"
Her mother smiled. "I have my boys here with me, and now my daughter as well."
Azrael slid down from her seat and gazed up at Charlotte. "Lucifer said you were in a human body, but I didn't know you were here, close."
"Well, where else would I be?" Charlotte asked gently. She cupped Azrael's cheek with one hand, musing, "Your father seems to be paying attention to something." At Azrael's bewildered look, she led the girl to the mirror, standing side by side with her. "Can you see it?"
Azrael stared into the mirror. "I haven't had this body for long," she said slowly, lifting a hand to her own cheek, where her mother's hand had just been. "Haven't really paid it any mind." From her expression, both puzzled and hopeful, she did see: though blurred by youth, her features were similar to Charlotte's. "Just the eyes are different," she added, tone thoughtful. Gaze shifting from her reflection to her mother's, she queried hesitantly, "You knew that Dad did... this. You know the, ah, situation?"
"Well, of course," her mother said pragmatically. "I came as soon as I heard what happened. Your brother told me all about it."
Azrael started to reply, then hesitated once more. "Which brother?"
"Amenadiel. He said the two of you had a little disagreement?"
"You could say that," Azrael agreed, glancing away away from her mother.
Charlotte gently lifted Azrael's chin once more to draw her gaze upwards. "You know I don't like it when you children fight. That little demon doesn't matter. I just want you and Amenadiel to get along."
"But, Mother, what she did to you -"
"Doesn't matter," Charlotte reiterated firmly. "Not if it's coming between you and your brother. Family is more important."
Azrael took a deep breath. "I'll speak with him," she conceded.
Charlotte smiled approvingly, drawing Azrael close. "That's my girl."
Azrael's eyes closed for a moment, her arm curling around her mother's waist. Shifting back, she asked, "You said - you've spoken with Lucifer?" Expression troubled, she added, "Mom, while you were in Hell, I did try to reason with him about you."
Charlotte smiled, a little wistfully. "And I'm sure he wouldn't listen."
"No," Azrael agreed softly. "He'd change the subject, or leave, or - well. I stopped trying to push the issue."
"That's probably for the best," Charlotte observed. "I would hate for you to come down on the wrong side of your brother's temper. But he and I have talked. It's all right. I don't blame him for what happened." She tucked a lock of Azrael's hair behind her ear. "I knew," she said, then, with a smile. "Every time you were in Hell, I knew."
Looking a little relieved, "Azrael queried, "How?"
"I'm your mother. Of course I knew. It gave me comfort, even if I couldn't see you."
Azrael took a deep breath. "Mom, I tried -" Shaking her head, she cut off her words, returning to the bar and closing the book, hands lingering on the tooled cover.
Charlotte followed. "Mazikeen told me."
"Of course she did," Azrael replied bitterly. "Undoubtedly in the worst way possible."
"Well, yes," Charlotte agreed, with a shake of her head. "That is her nature, after all." Considering her daughter, Charlotte inquired, "What were you hoping to do, after all that time?"
Azrael leaned against the bar, expression turning reflective. "I don't even know," she admitted. "It's not like I was trying to... to cross Dad, or even Lucifer. It doesn't matter, though, I guess," she added, absently rubbing at one arm. "I failed. Rather catastrophically, as it turns out."
"You spent a lot less time in Hell after that," Charlotte observed, resting a hand lightly on Azrael's back.
"Yes," Azrael agreed. Turning, she asked abruptly, "You know about Uriel, right?"
Charlotte nodded, looking Azrael directly in the eyes. "What happened to Uriel was tragic, and I will always mourn his loss, but you shouldn't blame yourself, and your father certainly shouldn't be punishing you for it."
Azrael leaned back against the bar, a certain subtle tension leaving her body. "Mom, you have no idea how much I needed to hear that."
Charlotte frowned thoughtfully. "I can't undo what your father has done, not here. I'm too limited by this flesh sack."
"Not here?" Azrael echoed, catching the vital word, eyes lit with sudden hope.
Charlotte nodded, watching her daughter closely. "Of course, if we were back in the Silver City, I'm sure I could do something about this."
Azrael deflated, shoulders slumping. "Oh. Well. That poses a bit of a problem, then."
"Amenadiel and I are working on it," Charlotte reassured. "We just need to convince Lucifer to come, too."
Azrael's brow furrowed. "I... I don't know that he wants to go home."
Charlotte smiled gently. "I'm sure he does. He just doesn't realize it yet."
Azrael ducked her head, running one finger along the spine of the book. "Mom, he's happy here," she ventured. "He wasn't happy in the Silver City. If he had been, he never would have rebelled against Father. And he was good at his job, but he wasn't happy in Hell. You didn't see him."
"No, I didn't," Charlotte agreed, tone clipped.
Azrael took a deep breath. "I did. I don't know how much he saw the others, but I was in and out of Hell with my job, and here, too." She made a vague gesture, presumably indicating all of Earth, rather than just the present location.
"Cleaning up your father's toys," Charlotte scoffed.
Azrael looked steadily at her mother. "Yes," she agreed. "But someone had to do it, and that someone was me. I did my job. I was good at it. And you remember why I got the job, right?"
Charlotte's expression softened. "I do," she said, resting a hand lightly on Azrael's. "And I'm sure your brother would be grateful if he knew."
"I didn't think Father would react like that," Azrael said slowly. "I thought, if he knew..." Azrael shook her head. "Momma, Luci's happy now," she repeated. "For the first time in I don't know how long. I'm not going to do anything to take that away from him." She folded her arms against her chest, watching her mother warily.
"Well, sweetheart, that's what I want for all of you," Charlotte said after a moment. "I just want my children to be happy." As Azrael relaxed, Charlotte added, "Did you think I would be upset with you for supporting your brother? Of course not." A chime from her phone elicited a brief look of annoyance. "I need to go. The children will need help getting ready for school. I'll see you soon, though, all right?" She got to her feet, giving Azrael a parting smile. "I'm sorry your father is taking out his grief on you, but I'm so glad to be able to see you."
The clicking of Charlotte's shoes announced her departure as Azrael watched. "Goodbye, Mom," she called quietly, though not without a puzzled look for the mention of children. She turned to consider the alcohol behind the bar, then reached over the bar and poured herself a shot. Taking the drink, she walked around the bar, picking up the book on the way to the piano. She rested both book and still-full shot glass atop the piano, then pushed open the fall board, stretching her hands wide before resting them lightly on the keys. After a brief scale, she transitioned to a slow, steady piece, one note following another in precise order.
Azrael wasn't sure how much time had passed when her brother's voice interrupted her. "Bach, really?" She looked up to see him descending the stairs.
"What are you doing down here?" Azrael queried, with a brief smile. "You've got company up there."
"Company is all worn out and I had the munchies," Lucifer replied carelessly. "I saw your door open and thought to check down here. Do you never sleep?"
Azrael carefully closed the fall board. "I slept earlier," she replied, with a small shrug. "It got loud."
Lucifer smirked. "Well, yes. That does tend to happen."
"Little sister, here," Azrael protested, with a laugh. "There are certain things that I don't need to know." Casting a sidelong, amused look at her brother, she added, "Doesn't it get distracting when they mention Dad?"
"Oh, you have no idea," Lucifer groaned, moving to investigate the book. "This is all rubbish. You know that, right?" Discovering Azrael's drink, he tossed it back, ignoring her amused protest. "It's not like we don't have more."
"That's not the point," Azrael replied, though not without a smile. "And, yes, the book is ridiculous, but everything you have up there is either ridiculous, depressing, or deadly dull. Well, or porn. But I could read it."
Lucifer gave his sister a puzzled look. "Last I checked, you were literate, but good for you."
"It's in Italian, brother," Azrael explained patiently. "So it looks like I still have the gift of tongues, at least."
Lucifer grinned roguishly. "Ah, yes, I'm familiar with with that one. Not just a celestial gift, as it turns out."
"Oversharing! If I had something I could throw at you..."
Lucifer just laughed, heading to the bar and returning with two more shots. "Don't let me stop you," he added, gesturing toward the piano and replacing the purloined drink.
Azrael shook her head, holding up her hands. "They're smaller than I'm used to. Not much, but enough that I'm still figuring out what I can do. I can play that Bach in my sleep, though." She took a sip of her drink, then downed the rest of it. "You just missed Mom," she added.
"Oh?" Lucifer queried. "What did she want?"
"Just to say hello, I think," Azrael replied reassuringly. "Seeing her after all this time, it was really... good. Weird. I don't know."
Lucifer considered his own drink, then drank it in one gulp. "She does have her moments, both good and weird. I'm just not sure -"
"Lucifer, are you down here?"
Lucifer glanced up. "Ah, duty calls," he said, getting to his feet with a smirk.
Azrael quipped, sliding open the fall board once more, "I would guess that if you're thinking of it as a duty, you're doing it wrong."
Her only answer was her brother's laugh.