Work Text:
Azrael looked down at the situation going on on Earth. Dan Espinosa was being worked on in an emergency operating room and it wasn't going well. Being the Angel of Death was pretty straight forward. She gets a feeling it's someone's time and she goes to get them and tell them whether they're going up or down. She can't be there for everyone so she can delegate. Sometimes she gets there only to realize it was a false alarm and human intervention saved the human that was about to die.
But humans couldn't save Dan. Azrael made it a point to know who was in Ella and Lucifer's life so she was familiar enough with Dan to know what she had to do; one time only, the rules could be bent…. hopefully. After all, Dad wasn't even around anymore to answer to. Azrael was momentarily distracted by a bus and she had to employ some of her helpers to go handle it, by the time she was done, Dan had been on his way; she had to work fast.
Dan was flatlining in the hospital. In another place, Dan found himself somewhere full of ash and doors. He knew it was hell, he could feel it, and he could feel the guilt. He felt like a robot with no control as he headed for his door, only to have the entrance blocked by a woman with short black hair, dressed in black including a cape.
"I can't let you go in there, Daniel," Azrael said. "I've never done this before but I think I can bring you back." She had heard Amenadiel brought a guy named Malcolm back who had gone through his door, from Remi.
Dan looked around. "I belong here. There's no excuse for the fact that I put my daughter in danger and Charlotte, I couldn't save her." Tears streamed down Dan's face. "I couldn't save her. I should have."
Azrael sighed. "Okay we're running out of time, I'll try reasoning later, you're coming with me."
Azrael picked Dan up and flew him back to the operating room. Unseen by any human's Dan's soul changed from looking like his body to a white ball. Azrael went to Dan's dead body that was still attached to the monitors and blew his soul into his mouth. She had pre-plucked a feather from her wings and pressed it over his gunshot wounds. Angel gossip also got around Lucifer's feather healed Amenadiel and even though Dan was shot, not stabbed by a celestial blade, she'd hoped miracle healings on humans could happen that way. Plus Michael was the one ultimately responsible for Dan's shooting so it was connected to the celestials. She felt the odds were in her favor.
Azrael had been correct. She smiled as Dan's hospital monitors started beeping at a steady pace, and disappeared.
One Day Later:
Dan woke up from a nap in his hospital bed. Chloe had told him earlier what a close call it was. He still was not fully healed, but no one could explain how the bleeding not only stopped but his loss of blood didn't cause him to die. Azrael's feather closed the internal wounds but they still had to be monitored by the humans and Dan still felt pain from them. Dan saw the woman he thought was in his dream, the woman with the short black hair and her again, he knew it was real, he'd actually gone to hell. "Who are you?" Dan asked Azrael.
"Ever crack open a bible, Dan? I'm Azrael, the Angel of Death. My friends call me Rae-Rae. We have a friend in common and you're friends with my brother's Lucifer and Amenadiel."
Dan looked over at his morphine pump. "This is real and not the drugs?" He had to double check. "You brought me back. Why?
Azrael sat on his bed. "Friends in common, remember? I could never look at Ella again if I didn't try to save you. I've never done it before. I wasn't sure it would work."
Dan blinked a few times. "Ella? Ella is friends with the Angel of Death? I figured you and Maze would be what my daughter would call BFFs."
"I've never met Maze." Azrael wrangled her hands nervously. "Ella doesn't know I'm the Angel of Death. She thinks ever since she was in a bad accident as a child she's seen a ghost. It was a false alarm call. She's just so nice and I never had a friend. She really loves all of her LA friends. You're Amenadiel's best friend. I can tell Lu doesn't want to lose you, either."
Dan sighed and tried to process this. "So you saved me so they wouldn't grieve? I don't think Lucifer cares if I die or where I go. I tried to kill him."
"That was Michael's fault," Azrael pointed out. "Well, the second time it was Michael's fault. You made a mistake with those criminals who tried to kill Lucifer but you were grieving because of what Cain did to Charlotte." Azrael noticed the shocked expression on Dan's face. "I'm an angel, we know things."
"I was going to hell," Dan stated. "I will go to hell."
Azrael shook her head. "You don't have to. This is your second chance. I think you deserve one, aside from not wanting people I care about to grieve. You determine where you go. Not my father. And he's retired." She sighed. "I'm really banking on Lu becoming God so my total breaking of the rules will be okay. Now you have time to realize that's not where you belong. You're going to forgive yourself. You're going to watch Trixie grow up. And one day you'll be reunited with Charlotte."
"How do I forgive myself?"
"Do I have to do everything? How should I know? Maybe ask that doctor-lady."
They were interrupted by Ella and Lucifer coming into the room, Ella had Jell-O "Sorry doctors say you have to start with Jell-O before pudding," Ella announced as she entered, then she saw Azrael, as did Lucifer. "No, no, not now!" Ella exclaimed.
"You're not crazy, Miss Lopez," Lucifer said. He couldn't let Ella think she was crazy. "I see her too." Lucifer turned his attention to Azrael. "Why are you here?"
Dan hit his morphine pump, then raised his hand. "She brought me back, apparently."
"I stopped him from going through the door. I never did it before and I'll never do it again, okay Lu? I couldn't let it happen." Azrael smiled nervously. "But your little sis did pull off her first miracle. Go Me!"
Lucifer figured out the door was to hell. But he would deal with that later. Ella was in need of answers. "She's your sister?" Ella questioned, her voice full of confusion. "And she saved Dan? What is this?"
Lucifer looked at Azrael and gave a nod to his shoulder, his sister understood the signal. Lucifer shut the door and they both spread their wings. "I'm the Angel of Death, Ella. You were a false alarm all those years ago but I wanted to be friends," Azrael explained.
"I've told you I'm not a method actor," Lucifer explained.
"You are the Devil," Ella stated. "And the Angel of Death is my friend. Yo-you're Dad, that was God?" Ella clutched her cross. "He likes my prayers."
Azrael and Lucifer put the wings away. "I'm running for the spot of God," Lucifer admitted. "My twin, Michael, wants it, but he's a dick and he was responsible for Dan, who should be dead. Miss Lopez, are you okay? I've never lied to you but I never revealed myself because… well… people don't-"
"I'm not a crazy person who sees a ghost," Ella was relieved. God was real. The Devil was real. The Angel of Death was real. But she wasn't crazy. "I knew the Devil got a bad wrap. You're going to be God? Can I help?"
Lucifer was shocked. "Miss Lopez, you're okay with this?"
Ella nodded slowly. "You're my friend. Friend's back each other up."
"You're handling this better than I did," Dan told her.
"You knew and didn't tell me?" Ella questioned. "I'll let it slide because you're shot. It means I'm not crazy! Rae-Rae, did you think I wouldn't accept you?" Azrael nodded. "I get that," Ella admitted. "Thank you for saving Dan. If you saved him you're good. Lucifer is good. Maybe my darkness isn't so dark if you both see something in me and your Dad likes my prayers."
"Miss Lopez, you're far from dark," Lucifer said. "Daniel, you should probably see Linda if you're having issues from your death experience. If she can deal with my family, she should be able to help you. You determine from here on in whether or not you go there the next time, so work on that guilt."
"Is it really that bad to see invisible beings to humans?" Azrael had to ask, getting off topic.
"Definitely," Ella said. "But I still want to see you. You're gonna help Lucifer become God?"
"I won't let Lu fight without me," Azael promised. However, Azrael had a feeling, she wasn't sure how, it felt like it came from Dad, that Lucifer was going to have to save Chloe in order to be worthy. "I have to go."
"Yes, we're in a hospital, I suppose this is a busy place for you," Lucifer assumed.
"Something like that," Azrael replied. It was a personal matter, though. "Good luck, Dan. Smell ya later, Lopez. See ya,Lu."
After Azrael left, Ella turned her attention to Lucifer. "Lucifer," she said seriously, "I'm sorry I didn't believe you. But… you're going to be God… Can we finally be on a two-way-street first name basis? No more Miss Lopez from my friend God!"
"Well, let's not jinx me," Lucifer requested, "but sure, Ella." Ella immediately hugged him.
Dan looked at his morphine pump. "I wonder if they can up this or give me something to sleep this off and hopefully I'll have processed all of this better."
Being around death all the time was depressing. Whenever in a hospital she liked to visit the newborn nursery and wave to the babies, it made her feel connected to life. Once she was done with that she went off to her other matter, finding Amenadiel by the hospital elevators. "Hey, Big Bro!" she greeted, making herself only visible to other celestials.
Amenadiel turned around at the sound of the familiar voice. "Rae-Rae! It's so good to see you, little sister." To Azrael's surprise, Amenadiel gave her a hug. "You should come meet Charlie someday."
"That sounds nice, actually," Azrael admitted, as long as he didn't take back the offer when she was done.
A nurse came over to Amenadiel, who to him just hugged the air. "Sir, are you okay?" he asked.
Amenadiel was confused. "Of course. I'm just visiting with my sister."
The nurse looked around, there was no one else there. "Your sister, okay," he said slowly. "Marianne," he called out to the desk, "call the psych floor."
"For what? We can't talk-" it dawned on Amenadiel mid sentence what was going on. "Rae-Rae! You're invisible to humans?"
"Eric, a little help," the nurse called and grabbed Amenadiel's arm.
"Unhand me!" Amenadiel ordered. "Rae-Rae!"
Azrael had a good laugh, Amenadiel really did have the most hilarious angry face of all the siblings, as she disappeared to go back to her job.
Amenadiel did the only thing he could do, used Angel strength to break away and ran out of the hospital. He could always see Dan when he's released.
A/N: That's you all enjoyed it!