Chapter Text
Ella gulped as she stared at the results from the blood and feathers. She had a feeling this… this was why Chloe had run. She had shakily rescued Lucifer’s blood on a hunch and run it. It was a perfect match. Except… it wasn’t human.
Lucifer Morningstar was the Lucifer. She gulped, laughing a bit hysterically. All the evidence pointed to Lucifer Morningstar, LAPD consultant, being the Devil. The former Angel.
“Miss Lopez? Did you find something?”
Ella fought the urge to flee. Breathe, she reminded herself. This was still Lucifer. Mild mannered, goofy, unwaveringly honest Lucifer. What the actual…?! The Devil never lied. And was running around playing police consultant and bar owner.
“What’s wrong?” Now he sounded truly concerned.
She took a few calming breaths. This was still the same Lucifer he had been last week when he was listening with interest to her long talks about science. Knowing the truth didn’t change who he was. “H… hi.” She squeaked a bit, shaking as she stood. “Hi, Lucifer.” She said a bit more steadily.
He was frowning, looking deeply concerned. “Miss Lopez, you are acting quite strange. What’s the matter?”
She opened and closed her mouth a few times. “You never lied.”
“Point of pride.” His eyebrows knit together. “What exactly are you referring to, however?”
Another bout of hysterical giggles hit her. Point of pride, indeed. It seemed humanity hadn’t gotten everything wrong with him. “You aren’t a method actor.” It wasn’t a question
He froze. “Miss Lopez…”
“Please…” She breathed heavily. “Please, Lucifer, I think I need to hear you say it, again.”
He searched her eyes hesitantly. “I really am the Devil. Not a method actor.”
She squeezed the back of her chair in a vice grip, with a hiccupping, hysterical laugh. Her eyes were shut tight as she tried to make her sanity return.
“I… I’ll just…”
She managed to open her eyes to see him reaching for the door. “Don’t. Don’t go. I just need a minute. You’re still the same goofball, dorky Lucifer we’ve all known, right?”
“I’ve never pretended to be anyone I’m not, Miss Lopez. I am who and what I am.”
The confused look on his face hurt. Her heartbeat was starting to return to normal and the giggles were dying down a bit as she caught her breath. Now that she was coming out of fight or flight, she could see the fragile look on his face. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
He looked at her puzzled. “I assure you, you didn’t.”
“You don’t have to pretend.” She sounded pained.
He opened and closed his mouth a few times. “Have I broken you, Miss Lopez? You are certainly reacting oddly for being broken.”
She blinked at him, confused. “Broken?” What did he mean?
“You are seeming to have a rather non-reaction to knowing the truth.” He clarified. “Human instinct is to kick into fight or flight.”
Oh. OH! “That’s what I meant when I said I hurt you.” She breathed. “My first instinct was to flee. From you.” The befuddled look on his face was growing stronger. “I’m okay. Really. I have like a million and one questions, but I’m good. It’s not like I didn’t already believe in this stuff.”
He looked hesitant. “I am not opposed to answering questions, though I reserve the right to decline. Some things… some things hurt too much or just don’t bear repeating.”
She let out a giggle again but caught it before it became too crazed. “How much of what humanity says about you is wrong? I mean… you told me once that you lead a rebellion against God. Some of the stuff about deals seems true enough, though not the souls thing. You certainly can be prideful.”
Lucifer winced. “Most of it is absolute slander. But yes, the things you mentioned are all true. The rebellion honestly wasn’t one of my finer moments, though I can’t say that I entirely regret it, either. I still believe in Free Will, I just don’t know that it was worth starting a war over. I don’t know that it was worth losing the right to ever go home again.” He admitted quietly for the first time.
She sucked in a breath. Right, the Devil was banished from Heaven. “You can’t return to Heaven. Ever.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “That is indeed the idea of a banishment from God, Miss Lopez. Only He can ever rescind it. And I very much doubt that He would ever be inclined to do so.”
“What about your friends? How do you visit them after they… they…” She asked brokenly.
He flinched visibly. “I don’t. Once you are gone, I can never see you again. Unless, of course, they end up in Hell. Not seeing them again isn’t worth that, though.”
‘I’ll never see her, again.’ He’d told Chloe about Charlotte. At the time Ella had thought that he was just staying in character but now… “I’m so sorry, buddy.” She said through the knot in her throat. ‘Big Guy, how could you do that to him?’ She silently prayed. “You don’t deserve that.”
Lucifer shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. “It’s long in the past, Miss Lopez. I’ve made my peace with my punishment long ago.”
She engulfed him in a hug, and for once, he didn’t fight her much. “I’m here for you, buddy.”