Archive of Our Own

Lucifer Morningstar had never understood the human desire to procreate. Ever since he saw the first child, Cain, he’d considered the little creatures to be annoying at best. All they did was scream and cry right from the moment they exited their mother’s wombs—and when they weren’tdoing that, they were either sleeping or pooping. He could admit some were cute (when they weren't fussing about Dad knew what), and the way they laughed was difficult to hate. But he still preferred to keep himself as far away as possible from the small monsters in sheep's clothing. If there had been one thing God had done right in creating him and all his siblings, it was making them infertile. 

Or at least, he’d always thought they were.

Then, one day, Amenadiel had Charlie. Lucifer couldn’t help but remember the times he used to joke with his brother about nephilim, and how ludicrous the idea of half-angel spawn would be. Dad’s creatures were delusional to believe something like that was ever possible.

He now regretted that wholeheartedly. The proof was right there. Humans and celestials could, after all, procreate. But surely it had to be a one time thing? After all, Amenadiel had to self-actualize himself into a mortal to be able to accidentally impregnate the Doctor. Surely that would never happen to him, right?

Wrong.

He had no clue about how wrong he was.

That had been why he’d so vehemently refused to believe the angry red-winged angel when she’d showed up in his penthouse, Daniel in tow, to accuse him of being her father. She was no doubt an angel—one he didn’t know, which didn’t seem possible—but there was no way she could be his child. Even if there was a chance angels could have half-human spawn, he was not capable of it.. If that were the case, an unfathomable number of his sexual partners would have become pregnant throughout time. That was not the case, as far as he was aware.

And yet, Rory was adamant that Lucifer was her father, to the point he genuinely started doubting his beliefs. Could have he self-actualized fertility without even realizing it? Was it possible for that angsty and fierce angel to be his daughter? It seemed impossible. He refused to believe it, yet the more he looked at her, the more he felt like he knew her. Like he knew her. Like he recognized her. The young angel was different from his other siblings, and surely wasn’t part of the Heavenly Host as he once knew it, but she was somehow part of his family, just not the celestial one. 

Finding out she had been conceived with Chloe was, unexpectedly, a relief. Lucifer would never have thought he’d be glad to have gotten a woman pregnant, not in a million years, but when it came to his girlfriend things were very different. 

Rory wasn’t a mistake that had happened on a random one night stand. She was their daughter. The mother of his child was the love of his life. 

It was truly the most incredible thing that could have happened to him. Sure, the whole ‘time traveling daughter coming from the future because she’d been abandoned by him’ idea wasn’t all great, but it still somehow made him happy. 

He had fooled himself enough to think maybe they could still change things. They had both been through so many hardships already and had always come out the other side as winners. They could change the future as well, if they wanted it hard enough. He could choose to stay, fate be damned.

But fate had nothing on Aurora Jane Decker-Morningstar.

She truly was Chloe’s daughter. Much like her mother, she could get Lucifer to do pretty much anything she desired. 

It didn’t matter how deeply her request for him to leave so that the loop could repeat itself hurt. It didn’t matter that his deepest desire was to see her be born and grow into the beautiful, incredible woman she would one day become. It didn’t matter that the idea of separating from Chloe and the rest of his family on Earth—the real one, the one he’d chosen for himself—made him want to curl into a ball and cry and scream until his lungs gave out. It was Rory’s choice—his beloved daughter—and he could do nothing but respect it, even if it didn’t make him happy.

Her happiness was way more important than his. 

So he left. It wasn’t exactly something he’d never done before. Ironically, Chloe had pointed that same thing out a couple of nights before. Lucifer had bailed to Vegas on a few occasions; had been to Hell and back a couple of times; but it had always been on his own terms. This time was different. This time was harder than ever.

As soon as he landed in his old home, he started seeking out souls to help. It was easier that way. Distracting himself with other people’s problems made him forget about his own.

He fell into a comfortable routine. The days were endless, mind-numbingly long and slow, but he did his best to be the healer Hell needed.

Some days were easier than others. Down there it was easy to lose track of time, but the constant thought of Chloe and his unborn child up on Earth kept him grounded. The closer it got to the due date—based on his calculations—the more antsy and restless he got. He would have given anything to be able to be there while Chloe was delivering, to simply hold her hand as she gave birth to the biggest miracle they’d made together. But it was not an option, unfortunately.

One day, as he watched Amenadiel appear before his eyes—without the need of his wings, thanks to his newly acquired God powers, the smug bastard—Lucifer knew Aurora had been born. There was no need for words. All it took was one look of pride mingled with compassion from his brother to know. 

And he broke. He had not let himself cry since the day he’d arrived back in Hell. He’d tried to stay strong and do the right thing, not letting himself dwell on how unfair it was that to get the best outcome for everyone they all had to suffer first, but that day was different. Rory was finally there, in Chloe’s arms, small, fragile, and so perfect; but he couldn’t be there with them. He couldn’t hold her. He couldn’t take care of her while Chloe got some well deserved rest after bringing their baby into the world. He couldn’t feed her, or change her diaper, or lull her to sleep.

He couldn’t be her father. 

Lucifer hated the thought of that so much. Tears ran down his face, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably as sobs ripped through his chest. Too lost in his own sorrow, he barely noticed when Amenadiel wrapped one arm around him, bringing him in for a hug. 

“She’s gorgeous,” he said, as if that was supposed to make Lucifer feel any better.

Still, he couldn’t stop himself from replying, “Of course, she is. She’s my daughter.”

Amenadiel’s deep chuckle bounced off the walls of Hell’s cells. “Right. Well, we all know where she got her smugness from.”

Wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand, Lucifer sniffled. He took a few calming breaths, but the tears were far more difficult to stop. Now that the dam had broken, it was nearly impossible to stop the flood. “I… I guess I should thank you for letting me know, brother,” he murmured after a while.

“You deserved to know,” was Amenadiel’s reply as he gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. 

There had never been any room for mushy feelings and gestures of affection in their relationship before their time on Earth. Hell, they would have both probably laughed in disgust at the mere thought of a relationship not more than six years before. Now, though, it seemed like the most natural thing in the universe. It brought both of them comfort. 

Lucifer was glad to have his brother on his side.

“I’m happy she’s finally here,” he said, genuinely meaning every word, “and I know she’ll have the best support team in the world, but…”

“You want to be there for her,” his brother concluded for him.

Lucifer nodded slowly. “I do. In a way, you coming here to tell me makes it all even worse because now all I’ll be able to think about will be—”

“How much you want to hold her.”

“Exactly. It’s like you’re reading my…” As he was saying that, something clicked inside Lucifer’s brain. Taking a step back, he glared at his brother. “Bloody bastard! That’s exactly what you’re doing, isn’t it? You’re reading my thoughts!” he concluded in an accusatory tone.

The dark-skinned angel put his hands up in mock surrender. “It’s not my fault, brother. I am God now, all knowing and all seeing, after all.”

“Yes, well, keep your all snooping nose out of my head, thank you very much.”

The other man mumbled something that sounded vaguely like ‘can’t promise that’ and Lucifer had to fight the urge to punch him square in the jaw. If anything, at least his brother was distracting him from the pain. He hadn’t even realized he’d stopped crying.

“Lucifer, you should see her,” Amenadiel began with a big, bright smile on his face. “She’s so tiny, but has got a full head of black curls just like yours. And her screams,” he laughed, shaking his head. “When she cries, she makes sure everyone within a mile radius can hear her. I’m sure she got her voice from her father.”

His lips sealed in a tight smile, Lucifer breathed hard through his nose. “Can I ask you something, Amenadiel?” When his brother nodded his approval, he added, “Did you come here for the sole pleasure of mocking me?”

His brother didn’t look surprised about his question at all, which, if anything, made him even angrier. Of course he was happy that his little girl was healthy and perfect, but having to hear it from someone else instead of getting to live it was pure torture. How could Amenadiel not realize it?

“Luci—”

His brother’s condescending tone irritated him all the more. “If you lecture me about the importance of keeping my distance I swear to… Well, you…”

“That’s not what I—”

“I know this is for the greater good, alright? And a part of me is so proud of who Rory will become because of my sacrifice, and Chloe’s, but don’t I deserve the right to be upset sometimes?” 

“I know—”

“You don’t!” he interrupted the other man once again, his tone harsher than he intended for it to be. “You were there when your son was born. You got to hold him as soon as he had taken his first breath. You got to be there every step of the way, and still do. I don’t get any of that. So no, you don’t know how it feels, no matter how much your Amena-godly powers make you think otherwise.”

Lowering his gaze for a second, perhaps so Lucifer couldn’t see how hard his words were affecting him, Amenadiel sighed slowly. “If you please let me finish, brother, I could explain to you none of you said is what I meant,” he replied finally.

A crease formed between Lucifer’s eyebrows. “Then what?” 

“What I meant is you should actually go see her,” he explained calmly.

Lucifer blinked rapidly. “So you did come here just to take the piss out of me,” he concluded, exasperated.

The other angel’s expression mirrored his as he crossed his arms. “I tend to forget how incredibly challenging you are,” he mumbled. “I’m being serious, Luci. Why would I joke about something like that?”

“Because…” He scrambled for a good enough explanation for his brother’s behavior, but came back empty-handed. 

“I’ll save you the trouble of coming up with a stupid reason for why I would do that. There’s none. I’m here to tell you to go, right now. Go see your family.”

It took a few moments for his brother’s words to finally sink in. He couldn’t believe Amenadiel was actually suggesting breaking the promise he’d made to Rory a few months prior. There was nothing he desired more than to do exactly what he was being told at that moment, but it was wrong. It was wrong of him to even want it at all. 

“I can’t,” he replied, defeated.

Amenadiel reached forward, putting one hand on his shoulder. “I know what you’re worried about, but I’m here to tell you, don’t be. Everything is going to be fine.” Everything, from his expression to the timbre of his voice, was reassuring.

Lucifer wanted more than anything to believe him. “I gave her my word I wouldn’t interfere, and you know, brother, my word is my bond.” He shook his head. “And even if that wasn’t the case, I’d still keep my word for her.”

“That’s admirable, Luci,” Amenadiel smiled kindly at him, “but, in this case, unnecessary. You see, all Rory made you promise was to grow up without you, and that is still going to happen. She never said anything about seeing her every once in a while. Of course, you can see her, but she can’t see you.”

“But—”

“She won’t remember a thing, I promise.”

“What if—”

An unexpectedly soft laugh escaped Amenadiel’s lips. “Nothing will change, brother. Trust me, I know.”

He was about to ask how he could be so sure of that, when suddenly all became clear. In his mind, his brother would always just be that, his brother. But he was much more than that now, much more than the angel and loyal soldier of God he had once been. He was God now. He knew everything; the past, the present, the future. If he was telling Lucifer to go and be with his family for a little while, it was because he was completely sure this one small change wasn’t going to affect the bigger picture. 

“A loophole,” Lucifer murmured, more to himself than for his brother’s ears. 

Amenadiel nodded. “I learned from the master,” he said with a wink.

Lucifer’s smile was genuine for the first time in a very long while. “Thank you, brother,” he replied earnestly. “This is the greatest gift you could have ever given me.”

Breaking into his best cheeky smile, Amenadiel simply told him, “Oh, I know.”

“And there it goes, that angelic ego of yours. Or should I say Godly now?”

He shook his head. “Quit pestering me and go see your family, Luci.”

“Alright,” Lucifer said, taking a few steps back so that he could roll his shoulders and let his white wings unfurl in all their glory. 

For some reason, he felt nervous. There was not a single doubt he was the happiest he had been in a while, but at the same time his stomach was tied in knots and his fingers had now started to shake slightly. It was always like that when he felt nervous. There shouldn’t have been a reason to feel that way, but he was about to meet his daughter—the newborn one, that was, not the grown-up version he felt like he knew all too well. This was their real first meeting. Was he even going to be able to hold her in his arms? He’d only ever done that with his nephew Charlie and he had been mediocre at it at best. Was it going to be different? He surely hoped it would. 

There was only one way to find out.

“I know this place doesn’t need a warden anymore, but for old time’s sake… Hold the fort while I’m gone, will you?”

“For you? Anytime, brother.”

They both smiled at each other. They rarely ever told one another how they felt, but deep down they both knew how much love there was between them. Their relationship didn’t need words.

With that, Lucifer nodded, then flapped his wings and took flight. He was ready to meet up with the two loves of his life. 

***

Outside of Chloe’s hospital room, Lucifer stood transfixed as he watched his girlfriend—as reductive as that term felt, after she’d just given birth to their child—cradle a little creature all bundled up in a pink blanket. His heart swelled inside his chest.

He never thought himself able to love someone until he’d met Chloe Decker. She had taken his hand and had guided him step by step, allowing him to learn what love was on his own terms. After her, he had been sure there was no way he could possibly love anyone the way he loved her. 

Then Rory had come into their lives and had shown him now incredibly wrong he was. 

Loving Aurora came naturally. She had everything he adored about Chloe in her, but reminded him of himself as well in a perfect mix of her two parents. He loved her deeply and irrevocably, with a devotion that would transcend time and space. It didn’t matter whether he was on Earth, in Hell or in Heaven; their bond, the one between father and daughter, would be forever.

As his eyes watered, this time with pure bliss, he saw Chloe lift her head and their eyes met for what felt like the first time in a million years. It had been less than nine months on Earth, but for him, thousands of years had gone by already. Without her by his side it felt like much longer. 

How was he supposed to survive the rest of her mortal life before he could be with her again? He decided not to dwell on it longer than he needed to.

When he finally took the first step over the threshold, he heard Chloe inhale in a way that sounded painfully like a sigh of relief. Lucifer knew the sensation all too well. He felt it too. Her presence calmed him immediately, infusing him with a kind of peace he only ever experienced next to her. It seeped deep within his bones, filling him to the brim, and he hoped he could store some of it for when they would inevitably have to separate again.

“Hey,” she whispered to him, her eyes glassy with unshed tears but filled with so much love for both him and the little miracle in her arms.

“Hey,” Lucifer found himself murmuring, at a loss for words for the first time in his entire existence.

She made some room for him on the bed, patting slowly on the mattress as an invite for him to sit beside her. He did just that, and when he’d settled, let his gaze fall to the tiny round face of his daughter. 

There were no words to describe how absolutely perfect she was. In his mind, she looked exactly like her beautiful mother, except for the dark eyes and curly hair. Those undoubtedly came from him. The dimples, too. They were barely visible now, but he knew they would become more prominent as she grew, making their appearance when she smiled, just like his did. Rory was, for lack of better words, the most amazing creature he’d ever seen, and she was his. She was theirs. How was that even possible?

“She’s incredible,” he said after a while, barely able to find his own voice. 

Chloe smiled warmly at him. As much as she tried to hide it, he could tell she was tired. His Detective was the strongest woman he had ever known, but she too needed help every once in a while. But he had not been there to give it to her while she gave birth to their daughter.

“How could she not be?” she replied with a soft chuckle. “We’re her parents, after all.”

He laughed at that, remembering the time they had called each other incredible as well. It felt like a different lifetime—yet they were still the same, foolishly in love and completely devoted to one another. There were things even time and distance couldn’t change; namely, their love.

The baby moved and whined, perhaps bothered by the sound of his voice. Chloe quickly lulled her, whispering sweet nothings to calm her down. 

“Shh, it’s okay,” she said. “Look, dad is here. He came here to meet you.”

Lucifer’s heart gave a painful squeeze. “I wish I didn’t have to go back,” he admitted, his throat feeling suddenly too dry. 

There was compassion and understanding in the way she looked back at him. “I know. Us too.”

He pursed his lips trying hard not to cry again. This moment was one of joy. He wanted the both of them to be able to look back at it fondly. There was no place for tears. 

“Do you wanna hold her?” Chloe asked then, clearly trying to change the subject.

Hesitantly, he looked between Chloe and baby Rory. “Uh, I guess I should,” he replied, unsure.

Recognizing the concern clearly written all over his face, she reassured him. “Don’t worry. You’re gonna do just fine.”

He nodded, hoping she was right. What if he messed up? What if he held her too tight, or not tight enough? What if he let her slip from his grasp? What if he hurt her? Or worse, what if his little girl was going to hate him from the start, screaming and crying to get away from him?

There wasn’t any time to stress about all the possible scenarios though, because Chloe said, “Put your arms out,” and gently placed their baby in his arms. 

Rory didn’t cry. She didn’t wreak any sort of havoc in an attempt to go back to her mother’s arms. Instead, she closed her eyes and Lucifer could swear she had snuggled closer to him, looking as peaceful as anybody could be. 

“See?” Chloe’s voice broke the spell his daughter had cast on him. “She loves you already.”

He exhaled sharply. “Not for much longer,” he murmured.

Offering him a half-smile, Chloe scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. “It’ll be worth it. We’ve already seen what a beautiful woman she’ll become. She may hate you in-between, but your relationship starts and ends the same way: with love.”

“You, Chloe Decker, are far too brilliant and wise to have fallen in love with the Devil.”

Her laughter was soft but sincere. “I like to think it’s because of those things that I saw past all your craziness and did fall in love with you,” she replied. 

Lucifer nodded. “See? Too wise.” He cradled Rory with one of his arms—she was so tiny and light he could have probably used only the palm of his hand to hold her full weight—and used his index finger to trace the soft line of her plump cheek, then her pink puckered lips, and ultimately her miniscule hand balled up in a fist. She stretched her fingers wide at the contact, wrapping her little fingers around his one, and just like that he was in awe of her again. “Look, she’s holding my finger,” he excitedly told Chloe.

“I can see that,” she giggled.

They stayed like that for a while, just looking at the tiny being they had created, until suddenly Lucifer became aware of something. “You don’t seem surprised to see me here,” he noted.

Tilting her head upwards so that their eyes could meet, she smiled at him sheepishly. “Amenadiel might have given me a heads up right before you arrived.”

Of course he did. Lucifer was sure his brother was having one hell of a time using his new powers. He had known what was going to happen before going down to visit him. 

“I’m glad you’re here.”

He smiled down at her, his eyes watering slightly just as hers did the same. “I’m glad I’m here as well,” he replied, then bent forward enough to kiss her.

As his mouth met hers, Lucifer was suddenly acutely aware of how irrevocably in love with Chloe he was. That thought didn’t come as a surprise at all, yet it shook him to the very core as it always did. She was the love of his life and would always be. He wanted to make it as official as possible. He wanted to marry her. No, he didn’t want to, he had to. Being his girlfriend just wasn't enough anymore. 

Chloe had to become his wife. 

But he was also painfully aware now wasn’t an option. As far as they both knew, they were not married in the future. There was no way he was going to do that in secret— he wanted his whole family there when it happened, Rory included. If that meant waiting for Chloe’s soul to go up to Heaven when her time came, so be it. 

“Hey mommy, how—” 

They broke the kiss just in time to see Trixie stop dead in her tracks, causing Penelope behind her to nearly stumble. Her eyes widened in shock, and Lucifer braced himself for a litany of insults. He had, after all, left her mother once again after she’d clearly told him to never do that again. The little urchin—even though she didn’t look so little anymore—had every right to be mad at him. 

However, the insults never came. 

Trixie’s expression softened, her eyes dancing between the three of them on the bed as she took in the scene in front of her. “Hi, Lucifer,” she greeted him. “I’m glad you could make it.”

His eyebrows shot up in surprise and he was nearly speechless. That was not the reaction he was expecting. She didn’t seem bothered by his presence; on the contrary, it looked like she was genuinely happy he was there. 

Had Chloe told her something? He’d always been sure that, in a way, Trixie knew about who he really was—she had practically grown up with a demon as her babysitter, for crying out loud—but he wasn’t sure her mother thought she was ready to know the full truth. 

And yet, something told him she was privy of at least some of the truth now, considering her very calm reaction. 

“Well, look who decided to show up!”

Penelope Decker, on the other hand, didn’t seem quite as pleased to see him. Lucifer couldn’t blame her. He was aware she had always rooted for them to get together at some point, but getting her pregnant and leaving her right after was probably not what she had in mind. It wasn’t his idea of a relationship either, in all honesty. 

“Hello Penelope,” he greeted her, trying to conjure up his best charming smile, then nodded in Trixie’s direction. “Beatrice.”

“Ugh, I almost preferred it when you called me urchin,” the young lady replied, faking a gag. 

Clearing her throat, Penelope tried to get his attention back. “What makes you think you can disappear for the whole pregnancy and then come back as if nothing happened?” she asked him angrily

Lucifer didn’t know how to reply. She wasn’t entirely wrong, after all.

Thankfully, Chloe was quick to answer. “Mom, please, this is really not the time nor the place.”

“I’ll decide the right time and place!”

“No, you won’t,” Chloe shot back, a thin veil of exasperation already coating her voice. “I am the one who spent nine months by myself. I am the one who gave birth only a couple of hours ago. I should be the one mad at him, not you. And I’m perfectly okay, so please, drop it.” She looked exhausted, as if the months of stress were weighing her down, not just the labor and delivery. “Besides, we’ve already discussed this,” she added.

Penelope pursed her lips in clear disagreement. “Well, I think having a family business to take care of isn’t a good enough excuse to vanish for months on end.”

It wasn’t a good excuse, that much was certain, but it was also the closest thing to the truth Chloe could tell her without getting into the celestial side of things. It would have to suffice.

“I’m so very sorry, Penelope. You’re right, I should have been here and I wasn’t, but trust me when I tell you I longed to be here every single moment that I was away.”

“Lucifer, you don’t have to…” Chloe murmured, placing one hand on his jacket-covered bicep. 

In his arms, baby Rory moved slightly, bringing everyone’s eyes upon herself. She was the only reason why he would ever tear himself away from Chloe and the rest of his human family ever again. His baby girl was the only good excuse. But Penelope couldn’t know. 

“It’s fine,” Lucifer said, shaking his head slowly, his gaze never leaving Rory’s round little face. “I want to apologize. For not being here. For not supporting you when you needed me the most. For all the times you will want me there and I won’t be.” He lifted his head enough to look her in the eyes. “You gave me the most precious gift and I will cherish it forever. If things could be done any differently, I would, I swear.”

“I know,” Chloe whispered. There was no need to explain that they were doing it all for their daughter. She knew. “I love you, Lucifer Morningstar,” she said after a beat, and he could see how true her words were by just looking into her eyes.

He smiled softly at her. “I love you too, Chloe Jane Decker.” He placed a gentle, chaste kiss on her plump lips before turning to look at Rory. “And I love you, Aurora Jane Decker-Morningstar, more than words can ever describe,” he whispered, leaning down to brush his mouth over her soft cheek. 

“That’s a mouthful,” Trixie commented, trying to cover it up with a cough. 

It served to lighten up the mood. They all laughed at that, Penelope included. 

Seemingly a little less angry, she said, “As long as you’re happy, I guess. But what kind of family business requires you to be away for whoever knows how long at all times?”

The celestial kind, unfortunately, Lucifer thought but didn’t dare say. They weren’t exactly happy about it either, but it was all gonna be worth it, hopefully.

“Okay, can I hold my baby sister now?” Trixie asked, sounding quite impatient. 

Chloe chuckled. “Of course. Come here,” she said, gesturing towards the bed and the space between herself and Lucifer.

When Trixie had managed to successfully wiggle herself into the tiny available gap, Lucifer passed baby Rory to her. With extreme care, she held her little sister and rocked her slowly back and forth as Rory’s eyes fluttered shut.

“Mom, can you take a picture of us? My phone is on the bedside table.”

Chloe’s request was so casual and natural, yet it made his heart nearly skip a beat. He’d never thought he would get to have a picture with his family—with his baby daughter—but of course Chloe knew what his heart desired before he even fully did. She truly was a miracle. They wouldn’t be able to show this picture to anyone other than themselves, especially to Rory, but it didn’t matter. At least they would always have a good memory of the four of them together anywhere they went.

After Penelope had retrieved the phone, they all got in position and smiled at the camera as she took the first—and the last for a long while—family portrait.

When they were handed the phone to look at it, Lucifer’s heart could barely take it. It was beautiful. His family was simply perfect and he was the luckiest man in the whole universe. There were probably so many more hardships for them to go through, and his daughter would have to hate him for a long time, but at that moment, looking at that picture, he couldn’t help but feel so incredibly happy. One day, when all was said and done and the loop had successfully repeated itself, he was going to show Rory that same picture, letting her know he was there every step of the way.

***

From that day on, Lucifer kept an eye on his beautiful, amazing women. He did so from afar, careful not to show himself to Aurora, but he was there nevertheless.

He was there for her first Christmas. He was there for her first birthday. He was there on her first day of school. And the last one.

He was always there.

He was there even when she was angry at him, when she screamed at her mom in frustration because she would insist he had a good reason for not being in their lives. Those were the hardest moments—the ones that made him want to say to hell with the time loop and show himself, to explain to his confused daughter why he was doing all of that. But he had to resist.

Every once in a while, he would sneak into the house when Rory and Trixie were away and spend some time with Chloe. They would talk for as long as they could, or simply hold each other a while longer. Sometimes they would make love as if it was the last time, even though the both knew he’d always come back to her.

On one of his early visits, she gave him a simple frame with the picture they had taken at the hospital inside it. 

“No matter where you are, Lucifer, we’ll be with you always,” she told him, and it was the absolute truth. 

He put it on his desk in the office he’d created out of his own hell loop, where he helped the souls of the damned just like his old friend Doctor Linda had done with him. It reminded him why he was going all of it: for his family.

And one day, thousands of years after—but only fifty years on Earth—when he opened the door to find Chloe, his Detective, smiling sweetly at him, not a single day older than when he’d met her, he knew. They had been there with him, always. No matter the distance. No matter the time. 

It had truly all been worth it.