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Dawn was still just a blush staining the horizon as Lucifer stared down at the tiny, pink-wrapped bundle in his arms. He sat in a state of profound shock. It-she- was tiny. And warm. And .... perfect. He studied her pink-flushed cheeks, her perfectly round head dusted with wisps of dark hair, her tiny, pursed, rosebud mouth, and found that he was unable to tear his attention away. Her eyes, currently closed in sleep, already showed a set of dark eyelashes. Human spawn started out so ... small. So fragile. Then again, given how they emerged into the world, he supposed it would have unspeakably cruel of his Father to make them any larger. It was horrible enough a thing for a woman to endure as it was.
Chloe had managed it with such courage and grace that Lucifer was left awestruck at her strength.
His eyes blurred as he committed the face of his daughter to memory, lightly tracing the contours of her tiny face, brushing his finger over the curve of her soft cheek.
"Aurora Jane," he whispered. "Hello."
He blinked moisture from his eyes and tracked his gaze over to the hospital bed next to him, where Chloe lay in exhausted slumber. She'd worked hard, these last few hours; she deserved her rest. His heart swelled with love for her. For them both.
A sudden stillness came over the room, accompanied by a golden light that built gradually like a rising sun. Lucifer didn't look up to acknowledge the source of that Light, though he knew who it was.
"I'm not going back, brother." Lucifer said softly. He looked up from studying his daughter to meet Amenadiel's eyes.
Amenadiel simply smiled gently at him, gaze serene, but with a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Are you sure, Luci? What about Rory?"
"The Rory I knew and came to love all those months ago is... a possibility. The reality is here in my arms and... I ... can't leave her." Lucifer swallowed, and looked back down at the perfect, pink bundle of his newborn daughter. "I can't leave her to wonder why her daddy left her. I can't leave her to grow up hating herself, and me, enough to...give herself that face...to travel back in time with the intention of killing me and preventing her own birth." Lucifer let out a painful breath as a lone tear tracked down his face, and whispered, "I will always love her but... I can't do to her what Dad did to me. It's patently unfair and untrue besides. I love her already and she's only been here for a few hours."
"You understand Luci, that if you stay, you'll break the Loop, and that Rory will not exist. You'll break your promise to her." Amenadiel said.
"Then I'll break it. For my sake. For Chloe's. And for hers. I'm staying. I want to be everything for her that Dad wasn't for me." Looking up again to meet his brother's eyes, Lucifer added in a wavering voice, "I've already missed most of Chloe's pregnancy. She would... pray to me and tell me of what was going on. I hated every moment I was away from her, I hated that she was so lonely. Even with our friends surrounding her she still felt so alone sometimes it broke my heart. I ... did my work in Hell, brother, I never stopped, and I'll continue it. But I'm not going to stay there. I want to be here with the love of my life and the child she bore me. Just this once, I want to break a deal so that I can have my heart's desire. Punish me if you wish for not going along with Dad's Plan but.... at least wait until Chloe's life has ended."
A slow smile spread across Amenadiel's face, and he said, "when I ascended to the throne, the fullness of Father's Plan was revealed to me, and there were...infinite possibilities. there are multiple pathways that lead to the same destination."
Lucifer eyed him warily, asking, "and?"
"I'm just saying that I see no reason why you shouldn't be happy, brother." Amenadiel said gently. "You can still devote yourself to your 'calling'. In fact, the experiences you'll have with your family here can only help you in your quest to help heal those souls who need it."
"I was thinking about that, actually." Lucifer said. "I'm considering enrolling into the same programme that Linda did, so that I can better understand and help the souls under my charge. I will have to live here in order to do that. I'll still go back of course, to work on my cases there but..."
"Your responsibilities in Hell can wait for you to be better prepared to shoulder them, Luci. Go. Enjoy your time with Chloe and your daughter. You both deserve it." Amenadiel said.
"You're giving me your blessing?" Lucifer asked.
"I am. I bless you both with peace and joy. There will be time enough to deal with Healing Hell when Chloe leaves this life. You'll have eternity to do that, and you won't have to do it alone. I only ask that you invite me to the wedding." Amenadiel smiled.
"I'll do one better. Would you like to be my Best Man?"
"Absolutely." Amenadiel's smile shone brighter than the sun... and then the Light faded, and Lucifer was sitting alone in a hospital room in Los Angeles with his daughter still sleeping in his arms.
Chloe stirred, yawning, stretching and rolling over. Opening her eyes, she frowned slightly. "I wasn't dreaming. You really are here."
"I am." Lucifer said.
Tears glazed her eyes, and she whispered, "for how long?"
"For as long as you want me." Lucifer answered.
A soft sob escaped her and first one, then another tear broke free to track down her face. "What about Rory?"
"She's right here." Lucifer indicated the bundle in his arms. "Amenadiel told me that there are many pathways to get to the same destination. Who's to say that we still won't end up with that same Rory? She is my daughter after all, and rebellion is in my nature, and likely will be in hers as well. But this time around, I want to be here for her. For you both. But only if you want me."
More tears fell and she nodded her head, saying, "I do. I want you to stay."
"For how long?" he asked.
"Forever," she whispered.
Greatly daring, he replied, "only if you marry me first. Officially, this time."
"Yes."
Lucifer's smile was bright enough to rival the sun that was blessing them both.