Chapter Text
August 4th 2061
Rory blinked away the tears building behind her eyes as she clung desperately to her mom’s hand – as if by sheer force of will she could keep her here longer if she just held on a little tighter. She knew that she couldn’t though, that this day had always been coming. Chloe Decker was the strongest person Rory had ever known, but she was also human. And whether it be age, or as it turned out, illness, something would take her eventually.
When they’d received the diagnosis and been told that it would be quick, and mercifully painless, her mom hadn’t been resentful or scared, she’d just looked at peace. Just like she did now. And Rory knew why.
It was because it meant that she’d get to be with him again.
And it was ironic that her last day on earth would be forty years to the day that he’d left.
Rory knew that she would see her mom again after today. She was an angel after all, so could travel between realms whenever she wanted. But it still hurt like Hell that she would never see her on Earth again.
“It’s okay, baby,” her mom soothed, rubbing her thumb over the back of Rory’s hand.
“It’s not,” she choked out past the lump in her throat. “He should be here.”
There was no need to explain who Rory was talking about – they both knew.
Rory seethed internally, trying to contain the rage that was rapidly building inside of her. She’d been angry with him for the majority of her life - ever since she hit thirteen, when the stories about him became not enough, and she started to feel stupid for clinging on to her childlike hope that one day he’d just walk back through the door and be the man she’d heard so much about. It was an anger that was made worse because no one else was angry with him for leaving – not a single one of her family or friends would say a bad word about him. She didn’t know what had happened on August 4th 2021, but she suspected that there was more to the ‘he turned a corner and I never saw him again’ story that she’d been told – which again only fuelled her anger more.
Her anger towards him had never been greater than it was in this moment though. He’d abandoned her before she was born, and she’d grown up without a father in her life. But if he was the man she’d always been told he was – if he was so good, then why was he not here right now? And not just because her mom was supposedly the love of his life, but also to support her – she was his daughter. And if ever there was a time for him to step up and be a dad, it would be now – when she was about to go through the most painful experience of her life.
Her mom just smiled softly though like she knew something that Rory didn’t. “Your Dad’s always loved you – more than you could ever know.”
“So then why isn’t he here?!” she cried.
Something snapped inside of her – white hot rage flooded her veins and when she looked down, her arms were flickering with light. Her eyes widened as that same light then began to flicker over and engulf her entire body.
When Rory looked back up at her mom, she didn’t seem in the slightest bit worried or surprised though, as if she was expecting this to happen. “When you go back, you’ll see.”
“Back?”
“In time – to 2021.”
“Wait, how do you kno-” But she didn’t get chance to finish her sentence before everything went black.
Chloe sighed contentedly, a wave of peace washing over her at the knowledge of what Rory was finally about to discover and the clarity it would bring. Their daughter would finally understand why they’d hidden the truth from her for all these years.
“You can come out now, Lucifer,” she called out softly.
She could always sense when he was near – tethered as their hearts were to one another. And unlike Rory, she had never doubted that he would be here today.
Lucifer stepped out of what used to be Trixie’s bedroom and her breath caught, as it always did, at the sight of him. Dressed in his iconic black suit, white dress shirt and red pocket square, his hair coifed to perfection and his deep brown eyes trained solely on her, he was still the same timeless, impossibly beautiful man that she’d fallen in love with when she was young.
“Hello, Chloe,” he greeted warmly.
He walked over to her and smiled sadly as he sat down on the chair that their daughter had just disappeared from. “It always hurts to hear how much she hates me.”
Chloe squeezed his hand in empathy. “I know. But she's only that angry with you because she loves you. And the next time you see her, all that anger will have gone, and she’ll love you even more. We know what happens when she goes back, Lucifer – we’ve lived it. Those were the happiest weeks of my life, having both of you with me."
His smile immediately morphed from one of sadness to one of adoration. “Mine too.”
“And when she returns, she’ll finally know that we did it all for her. You’ll have your daughter back, and we can be a family again.”
Lucifer's eyes glistened with moisture. “We’ve waited for so long.”
Chloe watched as a literal weight lifted from his shoulders.
She understood. She felt the same way.
“We have. The time loop’s almost complete, Lucifer.” Chloe smiled and stroked his face. “We can be together – forever this time.”
“Forever,” Lucifer sighed reverently, before bringing her hand to his lips and placing a kiss over the ring that she’d worn ever since he’d slipped it onto her finger in the gardens of Heaven, all those years ago.
“And I get to be young again – can’t say I’m not looking forward to that too.”
Lucifer chuckled. “Amenadiel’s been filling you in on the mechanics of the afterlife I see.”
“Yeah, he has.” Chloe smirked, “It’ll definitely come in handy, because we have a lot of lost time to make up for - and these old bones just aren’t quite up to it anymore.”
Lucifer grinned delightedly at the familiar twinkle in her sea green eyes that had not dimmed with time. “That we do, Detective,” he purred.
Chloe smiled at the nickname he’d never stopped using. She may not have been an actual detective in a very long time, and had in fact spent more of her career as a Lieutenant, but she would always be his Detective.
“And whilst I’ve told you countless times before, that no amount of wrinkles or age spots could ever make me love you any less, 30’s Chloe who swore blind she’d never sleep with me until Hell froze over…who then mere years later broke my bed on numerous occasions in her unbridled lust for me, does hold a rather special place in my heart.”
She giggled, and the sound made his heart skip a beat - in the same way it had done ever since the first time he’d elicited it from her. “I don’t have age spots.”
“My apologies, darling. I meant beauty spots.”
Chloe rolled her eyes fondly.
“Do you know what I’m most looking forward to though?” he continued, his voice soft. “Aside from the copious amounts of sex we’ll be having of course.”
“What’s that?”
“Being able to hold you, and not have to leave in the morning.” They’d shared stolen moments over the years, which helped ease the pain of separation, and after which he would count down the minutes until the next one. But he always longed for the day when their moments would be infinite.
Chloe reached out and ran her fingers through his hair, warmth filling her chest at how he instinctively leaned into her touch. “Me too.”
Lucifer smiled that smile of his; the one that he reserved only for her. “Then that’s what we’ll do, every night.” He took her hand in his again as he stood back up. “I should get going - Rory will be back any minute now.”
“I’ll see you soon, Lucifer.”
Lucifer bent down and placed a tender kiss to her forehead. “See you soon, my love.”
“Wait, how do you kno-”
Rory blinked dazedly as she looked around. One minute she was sat at her mom’s bedside, and the next she was…not.
“When you go back, you’ll see.”
“Back?”
“In time – to 2021.”
Her mom’s words replayed in her head. Apparently, she’d been so angry with her absentee father and in want of answers that she’d self-actualised the ability to time travel.
It didn’t take her long to realise where exactly she was. She’d spent many a night in this side alley when she’d been a rebellious teenager, expensive alcohol stolen from the cellar inside for company.
She knew this building well.
Lux.
And whilst it was now run by her Aunt Maze, before that it had been run by the very man who was the catalyst for her new time travelling abilities.
Her heart thudded rapidly against her rib-cage at the prospect of finally getting to meet her Dad.
But then she reminded herself that she wasn’t here for a family reunion, she was here to get answers. Answers for why she’d never gotten the chance to know him. Why he’d never been there for her when she needed him. Why he never came to see her. Why even when she stared out of her bedroom window at night when she was little, looking up at the stars for any sign of white wings in answer to her prayers, he still hadn’t come.
It was that thought that ignited her anger anew. With narrowed eyes and a determinedly clenched jaw she strode purposefully out of the alleyway and to the front of the club. The entry line stretched right around the block – evidence of Lux’s popularity, and complaints and curses were thrown her way as she bypassed the scores of barely dressed revellers and headed straight to the entrance.
“Miss, unless you’re on the VIP list, you can’t just jump the queue,” the bouncer informed her tightly when she reached the door.
Rory just glared at him. “Watch me.”
She barged past him with ease, knocking his arm with hers for emphasis and causing him to stumble.
Once inside, she stood at the top of the staircase and surveyed the club below with curiosity. It was the same, yet so very different.
The music filtering through the sound system was obviously different, but that was a sign of the times – that and Maze’s rather niche tastes. But it was more than that – the whole place just felt different. It was hard to put her finger on exactly what it was, but it just felt more alive now.
Her eyes caught on the shiny grand piano taking centre stage on the main floor - something that was no longer there in her time.
When Rory had been in elementary school, all the kids had gotten the opportunity to take music lessons. She’d been so excited as she’d always loved music, and she hadn’t been able to decide between the piano or the guitar. So, when her mom had picked her up, she’d eagerly asked for her opinion.
“Your Dad will teach you to play piano one day, baby,” her mom had told her, a wistful look on her face. “Maybe learn the guitar now?”
And so that’s what Rory did. She learned the guitar, and she learned it well. Her young heart had been hopeful that one day she could show her Dad, that he’d smile proudly and they’d duet, and then like her mom had said, he’d teach her to play the piano too.
She tore her eyes away from it when her chest tightened uncomfortably, that deep-seated emotional scar reopening.
Shoving the lingering disappointment aside, she focused instead on the anger that had brought her there in the first place. It wasn’t hard, given that it had been simmering under the surface for decades.
Rory scanned the crowd for the man that she would recognise anywhere, despite never having met him in person. She’d seen enough pictures of him during her childhood for his face to be emblazoned in her memory. When she’d begged for stories of her Dad instead of one from a book at bedtime, her mom would scroll to her ‘Lucifer ❤️’ album on her phone and explain with an affectionate smile how each photo had come to be. A lot of them were selfies he’d taken when she wasn’t looking, and her mom had laughed as she explained how she’d pretended to be exasperated with him for clogging up her phone memory. She’d never deleted any of them though, not a single one.
There was one particular photo though that Rory had seen every single day of her childhood, and still saw every time she visited her mom at the apartment. It was one of both of her parents together at the beach, wrapped in each other’s arms and so clearly in love. The happiness on their faces was immortalised in time, palpable and reverential. Framed in gold, it had always taken pride of place amongst their family photos.
Seeing no sign of him, after descending the stairs Rory pushed her way to the front of the bar and drummed her fingers impatiently on the counter, making no apologies to the throngs of customers that had been patiently waiting their turn.
One of the bartenders made his way over to her after finishing up his latest drinks order. “What can I get for you?”
“Where’s Lucifer?” she asked, without preamble.
He looked at her questioningly for a moment before shrugging it off – she wouldn’t be the first woman eager for an audience with the club’s enigmatic owner. “Boss hasn’t been down all night.”
Rory sighed frustratedly. “Do you know where I can find him?”
“No, sorry. You could try calling him,” the bartender suggested unhelpfully – no doubt knowing full well that if she knew him well enough to have his number she wouldn’t need to ask. Her Dad clearly had some loyal, albeit annoying, staff.
“Thanks,” she replied sarcastically with a scowl before stalking away from the bar.
Just because he wasn’t in the club though, didn’t necessarily mean he wasn’t in the building. If he “hasn’t been down all night,” then maybe that meant he was simply ‘up’ in the penthouse.
After weaving her way through the crowds, she jabbed the call button for the elevator. Once inside she pressed the ‘P’ and was surprised to find that no code was requested. Security was evidently a little lax in this time.
As the elevator ascended higher and higher, Rory’s heart-rate ascended with it. She nervously wrung her fingers together; a habit she’d picked up from her mom. The thought of her mom stilled her fingers though and caused her hands instead to ball into fists.
A familiar ding signalled her arrival, and with her head held high in determination, she stepped into the penthouse. She stopped short though when she was greeted by the remnants of a romantic dinner for two – candles and red roses decorated the intimate little table, along with every surface in the lounge. Rory grimaced, seriously hoping that she wasn’t about to walk in on her own conception. She absolutely did not need that image scorched into her brain
“Lucifer Morningstar?” she called out – loudly. If her parents were currently having each other for dessert, hopefully the realisation that they were no longer alone would at least inspire them to put on some clothes.
Thankfully for her, no shrieks or sex noises could be heard and when she chanced a glance over towards the bedroom, it was completely dark, and by the looks of it – unoccupied.
“I’m not in the mood for company tonight. Sorry to disappoint.”
Rory’s head snapped towards the tired sounding voice, and she opened her mouth to reply that disappointing her was a habit of his. But the words caught in her throat at the sight she was met with.
For all the ways she’d imagined her first meeting with her Dad, this had never entered onto her list.
Lucifer was sat on the floor, slumped against the balcony window, his shoulders sagged, head hung, and empty bottles of scotch scattered around him. And as she cautiously made her way closer to him, she saw his red rimmed eyes and the dried tear tracks staining his cheeks.
She chewed on her bottom lip, debating with herself. As angry as she was with him, she’d also inherited her mother’s compassion. The man in front of her looked completely broken right now, and it ignited an annoying sympathy in her chest. Regardless of what he’d done in the past, or in his case; the future, she didn’t have it in her to kick him when he was down.
With a resigned sigh, Rory sat down opposite him, her arms resting on bent knees as she leaned against the back of the couch. “Rough night?” she asked, aiming for casual indifference but ending up cursing herself for the evident concern lacing her voice
Lucifer looked up at her for the first time then. So lost was he in his misery that he seemed to only just realise that she was still there. His brow furrowed in intrigue as he held her gaze for several moments.
Rory forced herself not to blink or look away as she searched his eyes for any sign that he recognised her. It was a stupid, naïve hope really – he probably wouldn’t recognise her in her time, despite having known about her for forty years, so why would he recognise her now when she didn’t even exist yet? Still, the traitorous part of her heart that she’d locked up in a box – the part that still believed that her Dad really did love her as much as everyone said, that part still hoped that he would know her anyway.
But then she saw it – a flash of something that she could swear was recognition flashed in his eyes. It seemed to confuse him more because his frown deepened, before he shook his head, breaking eye contact.
Remembering the question she’d asked him, he scoffed humourlessly. “Understatement of the millennia. But yes, it’s been a rough night. In fact, I’d say it’s right up there on the ‘worst nights of my life’ list – which is saying something considering there’s some rather stiff competition for that title.”
She racked her brain for anything that had happened around this time that could have caused him to be in such a state, but came up blank. By all accounts, her parents were blissfully happy right now. “Disgustingly in love,” as Maze had said, backed up by Ella’s “Soooo adorable!” and Linda’s “They were perfect together.”
“What happened?” she asked, her innate curiosity getting the better of her.
Whether he was used to people he’d never met before strolling into his home and striking up conversation, or if he was just so distraught that he was past caring and needed someone to talk to, Rory couldn’t be sure. But he sighed and looked at the floor, before telling her sadly, “I just watched the woman that I lo-” he caught himself and swallowed. “The woman that I care about more than anything in the world, agree to marry someone else.”
Rory frowned in confusion. What was he talking about? Her mom had married Dan before T was born, and he was, well…dead, now. So Lucifer couldn’t be talking about him. And she didn’t need all the fingers on one hand to count the number of relationships her mom had had during her life. There had been no one since Lucifer, and the only other man that he would have been around for before him was-
Oh.
“…And all because I tried to out-do that ham-handed oaf, instead of just telling her how I felt. How I feel,” Lucifer continued, before draining the last of his Scotch.
Oh no.
“Wait, what’s the date today?”
Lucifer looked a little surprised at the abrupt subject change and the urgency in her tone, but answered anyway. “April 23rd. Not a date I’m going to forget in a hurry…unfortunately.”
“What year?” Rory pressed impatiently.
“Are you quite alright?” Lucifer asked, his forehead scrunched in confusion again. “Were you dropped on your head as a child?”
“Well, you’d know if you’d been around!” she wanted to snap. Biting back her retort she glared at him and repeated her question. “What year is it, Lucifer?!”
He raised an eyebrow as he looked at her dubiously. “It’s 2018.”
“Fuck.”