Chapter Text
“Dad, please…”
Lucifer’s heart clenched as he heard his little girl’s pleading voice.
“I don’t know, Charlie. That’s- it’s a lot to ask for.”
Over the phone, Lucifer could hear a sigh and some papers ruffling around.
“Dad, I really, really need your help here. There’s so much to do to get things on track and I can’t do it by myself.”
He couldn’t see her, but he knew she was pacing around with those papers in her hands. Keeping busy was a bad habit of hers when she was beyond stressed out.
Just like her mo-
“And,” Charlie added, “I think you need a change of pace.”
Heart beating louder, he let out a strained laugh. “What do you mean by that, sweetie? Everything is fine here! Nothing for you to worry about! And didn’t you mention that girl who’s helping you right now? Maggi? Or was it Jaggi? You know me, my memory isn’t like how it used to be, getting old and all, ha ha! Remind me what her name was again?”
Take the bait, he begged, but did not voice out. Redirect the conversation and talk about the other people in her life. People who were right by her side, and not wallowing in misery like her pathetic father in the city, hours away from her in an empty condo much too large for one person.
Another sigh. “Dad,” she said, her patient voice turned thin. Oh, she was so sweet, but it was killing him to hear how concerned she was. He had a sinking feeling he knew where the conversation was heading. “I know… I know it’s been hard since-”
Please don’t say it. Please, Charlie. He didn’t want to hear it.
“Since mom’s passing.”
Lucifer’s breath hitched and he could feel the immediate sting of tears forming.
Despite his reluctance, she pushed through, “And it’s been two years since she’s been gone, Dad, but I’m really worried about you. I talked to Uncle Ozzie the other day, and he said that you’re barely going out and being listless. You just go to work or stay at home and watch TV all day. You turn down all of his invitations if they’re not work-related and order in food and groceries. I want to go over and see you, but I can’t right now. You’re not- Dad, I’m scared that one day, you… you’ll-”
She couldn’t finish her sentence, suddenly choking up, and that was all Lucifer needed to break out of it.
“Charlie, no. I would never do that,” he hastily reassured her.
He would never, ever, admit it to her, but some days he wanted to. The days were so long and hard without her around. To not wake up next to her, to not see her smile, to not hold her tight and spin her in place to hear her laughter.
It was agony.
The only thing that was keeping him from ever crossing that permanent line was his only light, Charlie. His wonderful, beautiful daughter, who grew up with a big smile and an even bigger dream.
The same dream that separated them, but the same dream that had her calling him, making her spend her precious time asking for help, yet he denied her. And now here he was, making her cry because she was so damned worried about his mental state.
Fuck.
She took a deep breath and sniffed. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry, too.” He blinked back his tears. He needed to remember that he still had his daughter, alive and well, and she still wanted him to be in her life. He could not disappoint her like this. “I’ll do it.”
“Wait, Dad, I didn’t mean to pressure you…”
“No, ducky. I think it’s just the wake-up call I needed.”
Nothing said reality check than your own child implying about potentially having zero parents to rely on because the only living one was too pathetic to do things on their own.
Charlie needed help and she asked him. End of sentence.
“I’ll speak with Ozzie tomorrow to get my work sorted. It might take a while, but I think I should be able to have it handled in a few weeks.”
“Really?” There it was. That hopeful tone of hers reminded him of simpler times when she was younger. She could ask him for anything and he would do everything in his power to make it come true.
“Of course! I may be old, but I can still help around with anything you need. Whatever you say, I’ll put my spine into it.”
“It’s ‘put your back into it,’ Dad,” she giggled. Lucifer let out a small smile, holding that sound close to his heart. “And okay. Thank you so, so much! This means the world to me.”
“I know, and you mean more to me than the world itself.”
“Daaaad.”
“Charlieeee.”
Another laugh and Lucifer patted himself on the back. “I have some stuff to take care of, but I’ll call you soon, okay?”
She couldn’t see him, but he did a mock salute. “I will be awaiting your orders, Miss Mayor.”
There was a smile in her reply, “Love you, Dad.”
“Love you too, Charlie. Sleep well.”
Finally hearing the beep of the call disconnecting, Lucifer collapsed on the couch and let out a groan, the back of his hand covering his eyes from the fluorescent lights in the living room.
“Fuck…”
Two years, huh?
Sitting up, he harshly shut his eyes and looked at his surroundings properly for the first time in a long while. It wasn’t messy or dirty, as he had hired cleaners to maintain the condo while he was in office for work, but it was devoid of any warmth. It was modern yet sparse, something you would find in retail listings for potential clients to think of all the possibilities the space could be used for their personal use.
But there were faint personal touches over the years to show where it was very well-loved and was, for a very long time, lovingly referred to as home by his little family.
Like the scuff mark behind the TV console that refused to come off completely no matter what the cleaners used or the DIY home solutions found online because Lucifer accidentally pushed the TV too far when they first moved in, the light pencil markings on a pillar next to the open-kitchen to show how tall Charlie grew, and the slight dent on the hardwood floor when Lili- when she accidentally knocked into the standing coat hanger near the entrance while hopping on one foot trying to get her heeled boots off.
She. Her.
Lucifer swallowed. Breathe in, breathe out.
Lilith.
It still hurts to think about her, even if it has been two years since she was gone.
Looking around again, there weren’t any other obvious traces of their family. No decorations, no collections, and no art. Any pictures or frames that were used to showcase happy moments with him, Lilith, and Charlie were safely stored in their room.
His room, now.
And look who showed up again, tears!
Lucifer hunched over and sobbed; a position he was way too familiar with. The feelings he held back during his call with Charlie suddenly flooded out, but it felt hollow.
Two years was too short a time to get over the death of the love of his life – the woman he vowed to be with for eternity if possible – but long enough for him to pick up the pieces of his life that he had been scattering around in his self-destruction. The pieces that his daughter was taking notice of.
God, he was the worst.
He allowed a few more tears to run down, but he was getting tired. He was tired of crying and tired of this empty feeling, the way his heart wrenched every time he thought of his late wife.
He looked at his wedding band.
He was tired of being alone.
And deep down, he was tired of what he had become. A once proud husband and father has been reduced to this shell of a human being, just waking up and going through the monotonous motions of a routine but not actually living.
Charlie was worried. And if Lilith was still watching from wherever she was, he was sure that she would fret over him as well.
This opportunity that Charlie presented to him might be his only way to save himself from this cycle that he created for himself.
Shuddering another breath, he roughly wiped his tears and smacked his cheeks, making them more rosy than usual.
“Okay, Lucifer, time to get your shit together. You can fucking do this for them.”
With newfound determination and purpose, he went to his office.
He had several emails and phone calls to make.
“Are you sure that’s all you’re bringing along with you?”
Lucifer rolled his eyes as he slung his backpack over his shoulder, “For the thousandth time, Oz, yes. I already sold or gave away most of the things or had them sent over to Charlie.”
It took nearly two full months to get everything in order. From speaking with human resources, to informing his team and handing off ongoing projects to the best person for the job, to the various meetings with business partners, to the endless paperwork, Lucifer was busy in preparation for this. The weeks blurred by like a whirlwind, and now here he was, standing in the middle of where he used to live for over two decades. How did he live in this place by himself for the past two years? It was jarring to see how large the space was.
Ozzie leaned against a wall, arms crossed, as he looked at him. “If you say so. Ready for one last look?”
He knew his friend was anxious for him, but he walked over to one of the floor-to-ceiling windows and looked out. This view of Pentagram City was one of the main reasons why he and Lilith chose this place, despite it being slightly out of their budget at the time. Many nights were spent together, sitting right on the floor in front of these windows, cuddled together and commenting on the different lights when it was dark, or sitting outside the balcony to just enjoy the weather and each other’s company. Those moments were made better when Charlie eventually joined them, making new memories as a family.
But now, Lucifer stared at all the buildings and cars passing by and people moving with purpose to their destination. The view was still lovely, but it no longer resonated with him.
It no longer felt like home.
Turning to Ozzie, he offered him a smile. “Let’s go.”
Ozzie was his oldest and best friend back when they were roommates in college and he was there for every one of Lucifer’s milestones: being accepted into his first internship, meeting and dating Lilith, graduating together, working for the same company and going up the corporate ladder, moving into his soon-to-be old condo, his and Lilith’s wedding, Charlie’s birth and even her milestones, too. You name it, and Ozzie was there. Ozzie really was his rock, and Lucifer was forever grateful for his friend for sticking with him through every high and low, and now he was seeing him off to the newest chapter in his life.
He locked up for one final time before handing over the keys. They walked together down to the underground parking lot, and he was suddenly pulled into one of Ozzie’s patented bear hugs, his feet dangling from being picked up. And while Lucifer would have normally complained about being treated like a ragdoll, he allowed his friend this one, at least this time.
“I’m going to miss your silly little face, but you’re going to do great things for yourself,” Ozzie said.
“Oz, I swear, if you start crying, I’m going to cry, too, and I’m not going to be liable for any damages on your designer suit.”
They both laughed, and Ozzie gave him one more squeeze before setting Lucifer on the ground.
“Say hi to my goddaughter for me.”
“Tell her yourself. I know you guys have your weekly gossip sessions without me.”
Ozzie simply smiled as he spun Lucifer around and pushed him forward. “And I’m looking forward to hearing all the adventures you’ll be having without me.”
Lucifer grumbled as he got his helmet on. “I’ll try to visit. Or maybe you can visit us when you’re not busy.”
“And why do you think I’m busy? Is it because of the sudden workload due to a certain someone leaving? Right now, perhaps?”
Lucifer stuck his tongue out as he hopped on his bike. “My bad. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Be safe on the road.”
“I will. Tell Fizz that it’s never too late and that he can do better.”
Lucifer laughed as he flipped the visor down and obnoxiously revved up his bike to drown out any of Ozzie’s complaints and sped away from him.
Carefully navigating out of the underground lot and into the streets, Lucifer tuned out the general noisiness of the city and weaved through the cars on the road until he was finally out of downtown.
It has been a long time since he rode on his bike. In the early stages of his relationship with Lilith, she used to cling to him as he took them out on day trips for their dates. He didn’t ride as much when Charlie was born for safety reasons and they had to switch to a car instead, understandably so. He still maintained his bike whenever he could, and when Charlie grew up, he sold the family car and bought her a new one before she left. Both he and Lilith were at the point in their careers where their respective companies provided them with their own car for work use, so there were no issues.
But with Lilith gone and Lucifer quitting, there was no car. In hindsight, he should have gotten a new car or perhaps a pickup truck to use, especially with where he was going, but when he saw his bike covered and unused in the lot, it made him pause. His bike was the very first big purchase after leaving his old family. In a way, it was the start of his independence, before Lilith. It was only fitting that it would take him away to start anew.
Lucifer sat a little straighter as he merged onto the highway away from the city. The wind whipped in his ears as more and more greenery started to come into view.
“Thank you for waiting,” he whispered. “Now, take us to our new home.”
His first-ever companion purred as he rode along, leaving his old self behind.
Hours went by, and the sun was just about to set when Lucifer saw a tiny sign leading to his destination.
Eden Valley.
A beautiful area with a small town nestled at the base of a mountain, right next to Ashbark Forest with a river separating it.
It was where Lilith was born and raised before moving into the city for college.
And where Lilith was buried.
Lucifer tightened his hold on the handlebars but continued forward, trying not to think about the last time he was here.
He couldn’t remember much about what happened during her funeral as he spent days before and afterwards crying and not being present. The grief was too much. He barely managed to pull himself together when Charlie was around, but Ozzie was there to make sure he was eating and getting some rest and helping with the procedures.
After her funeral, he never came back. The anniversaries of her death were spent alone on their his bed as he soaked her pillow with his tears.
He didn’t know if he would have ever come back to this place if it weren’t for Charlie.
He rode through the single road that led to the town. As he got closer to the welcome sign, he saw two figures, one waving enthusiastically at him.
“Dad!”
Lucifer slowed down his bike as fast and as safely as he could before getting off, dropping his helmet onto the ground to hug Charlie, nearly tackling her in his haste.
“Charlie!”
He missed her. He missed her so damn much. Lucifer allowed himself to hold her tighter and told her as such, “I’ve missed you so much, sunshine.”
“I missed you too, Dad,” she replied in a strained voice, “But I can’t breathe.”
“Ah, sorry.” He let go of her, already mourning from pulling away, but still reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “Look at you! You’re so tall now. And grew out your hair, too! It looks good on you, sweetie.”
She bashfully giggled. “Thanks, Dad. Was the ride here okay?”
“Fine as can be. How’s my little ducky?”
“Dad, you’re embarrassing me,” she groaned.
“You’re forever my little ducky, Charlie, even when you’ll be old and wrinkly,” Lucifer smiled.
Before she could retort, someone not-so-discreetly coughed like they were holding in a laugh.
“Oh, my goodness, I’m so sorry.” Charlie motioned for the other person to stand next to her. “Vaggi, meet my dad. Dad, meet Vaggi, my girlfriend.”
“Hello, sir, it’s nice to meet you,” Vaggi said, reaching out her hand.
Lucifer’s eyebrows shot up. “Girlfriend?!” At both of their nervous expressions, Lucifer quickly grabbed Vaggi’s hand and pulled her into a hug. “It’s so nice to meet you, too, Maggi! Are you the one helping my Char-Char with the town?”
“Um, it’s Vaggi, and yes,” Vaggi awkwardly replied and just as awkwardly patted his back.
“Uh, Dad, you can let go of her now.”
“Sorry, sorry,” he laughed as Vaggi stepped back closer to Charlie. “I’m just so happy and excited for you. Wow, what wonderful news to greet me with. How long has it been?”
Charlie and Vaggi glanced at each other before looking away, blushes high on their cheeks.
Oh no, they were super cute.
Lucifer bit his lips to hold back a teasing grin when Charlie answered him, “It’s been about a month. I’m so sorry for not telling you sooner, but it’s still very new. We haven’t really told anyone else about it.”
“Not even Ozzie?”
She shook her head, “You’re the first.”
Ha! Take that, Ozzie!
He let out a wide grin, “I’m honoured. So, what’re we doing?”
Charlie gasped and clapped her hands. “Right! So, Vaggi and I wanted to show you around town. There are so many things to see and do around here, and we’re swamped with so much work. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with everything, and it’s going to take a while. Are you hungry? We can show you where the café is, or perhaps the saloon where the locals gather? Wait, no, maybe we should take him to the farm first? But you might be tired, so maybe-”
“Honey, breathe.” Vaggi gently held Charlie’s hand, “Maybe we should ask your dad first about how he’s feeling?”
Oh, he liked her already.
“Of course, sorry,” Charlie readily agreed. “Dad, how are you feeling? Do you want to grab something to eat, or do you want to rest for a bit?”
“The café sounds good to me. We can chat about what I’ll be doing and what your plans are, and then you can show me the farm.”
“Perfect! Let’s do that, then. And Dad?”
“Yes, sweetie?”
“Welcome to Eden Valley.”
Lucifer fell on top of the bed with a loud groan.
Today was a long day.
He followed Charlie’s car to a café. He was barely seated before Charlie started talking about her plans.
Listen, he has sat through countless meetings that could have been an email, but Charlie’s enthusiasm gave many wannabe entrepreneurs looking for a loan a run for their money. One would think that he would be used to it, raising her and all, but her optimism was something to behold.
And she had plans, big plans. Plans to develop the whole valley, not just the town. With her new position as mayor, she needed a lot of help to stabilize projects that were left unfinished by the previous mayor, who apparently tried to hightail it out of the town and valley with the town’s budget.
It was a whole fiasco from what he heard. Thankfully, the previous mayor was caught and jailed, but now it was up to Charlie to clean up the mess.
Speaking of messes…
He rolled out of the bed and walked around the dusty farmhouse he was given.
Lilith’s family’s farmhouse, to be specific.
After the passing of Lilith’s parents while Charlie was in college, it was handed over to Lilith as she was the only child in her family. However, as she was in the city working, she let go of a lot of the farmhands, and the animals were sent to farms in other towns to be taken care of, only having the bare minimum maintained.
There were a lot of arguments during that time. Charlie was ready to drop out of her program to work in the valley right away, but both Lucifer and Lilith stood firm, wanting Charlie to complete her education first. Charlie was very upset with them, but relented when Lilith promised to allow Charlie free rein of the farm once she graduated.
And she did. She moved to Eden Valley not even a week after receiving her degree, ready to rebuild the farm and start on her dreams.
Who knew that it would not have lasted long? Because now the farm was in Lucifer’s hands.
He did a complete stop in the hallway and sighed as he felt the edges of his mind fraying the more he thought about the circumstances that led him here.
The walls of the farmhouse still had pictures up and displayed on the walls. Mostly pictures of Lilith’s family, but there were some of him and Charlie with Lilith that were hung up by Lilith’s parents.
He gingerly touched a frame that held a picture of a very young Lilith confidently holding up a basket of apples almost as tall as her, with a grin on her face. People have mentioned several times that Charlie resembled Lucifer the most, but Lucifer disagreed.
Those determined eyes and the proud, accomplished smile were definitely inherited from Lilith.
The more he stared, the more he thought about that phone call from Charlie weeks ago. How he almost let Charlie slip away from his life when she was reaching out for help. How he almost let go of the chance to reconnect with her, and in a way, with Lilith, too, in her hometown.
“Never thought I would be back here again,” he admitted to the picture. “But I promise you, I’ll do everything I can to protect and help Charlie.”
It still hurt to look at her, but he refused to cry again.
“I miss you, Lily. Please, watch over us.”
He swiped his finger across the glass and pinched the dust gathered, sneezing from the particles in the stale air.
Backing away from the wall of pictures, he rubbed his nose but sighed again.
His first order of business was to clean as much as he could before sleep.
After all, tomorrow was going to be another big day.
He ached all over.
In hindsight, going from a corporate job to manual labour was not going to be the easiest transition, especially since he let himself go for the past two years. He doesn’t even remember the last time he went to the gym.
“I’m getting too old for this,” he muttered to himself, hearing a distinct crack as he stood straight.
It has been a few days since he arrived in the valley. He mainly cleaned up the farmhouse area, got the plumbing and equipment that was left over running, and replaced any rotted fencing. Charlie came over each day to drop off groceries, tools, and the like, and asked about his progress on the farm, which was slow but steady. He didn’t realize how large the land was, and he could not fathom how Lilith’s family was able to take care of it all, with animals on top of it to boot.
But he wouldn’t allow himself to get discouraged. He would build things up one at a time.
“Maybe you should visit the town soon. You know, get stuff to start planting and meet the locals. They’re all super nice, and they can help you with anything you have questions about,” Charlie suggested the previous day after handing him some first-aid supplies.
(It was Lucifer’s first time doing this kind of stuff, alright?)
But her gentle suggestion might as well be a shove because she then immediately tacked on, “And you can sell whatever you grow in town. I’m sure the locals will be excited to see what crops you’re growing. Or maybe you can sell whatever you catch if you go fishing instead. Oh! Or maybe when you’re exploring, you’ll find some treasure! The museum would love that. Did you know that they had a recent expansion?” She squealed, “I can’t wait to see how the local economy will bloom with you here. I’m sure we’ll have tourists coming soon enough!”
He quickly learned that normal business legalities did not work in Eden Valley (permits? HA!), and they had their own system. Lucifer had long given up on trying to make sense of how the town operated because it would usually lead to Charlie trying to explain why it does.
“Magic!” she once proudly stated.
And Lucifer did what any other good father would do.
Shut up and nod along.
He patted his pants for any dirt that clung to him while he was weeding the small plot he decided to grow crops on. He would need to till the patch, but it looked manageable enough to handle daily and not be overwhelming. There were other things he wanted to do aside from just growing crops day in and day out. Since he hasn’t had the greatest look around in the past, he felt a rare concoction of apprehension and excitement from being left essentially alone with the whole valley to explore at his leisure. No phone calls, no meetings, and no personal assistants trying to get his attention. It was just him and endless discoveries waiting for him.
Lucifer laced his fingers together and held them up towards the sky, going on his tiptoes and exhaling from the delicious stretch.
“Alright. I think it’s about time to see what the town is all about.”
He smiled as he hopped on his bike, enjoying the newfound freedom as he rode across the empty fields before heading towards the only civilization in the valley.
Dove Town.
The hand-drawn Charlie made for him was very kind of her to do, and it was certainly… colorful.
He squinted as he tried to make out the different shapes. He would assume the picture of a building with a cross on it was a clinic or a church. There was a large slab of gray near the middle, which he would assume was the town center, and various other squares dotted nearby it. Houses? He didn’t know. He somewhat remembered where the café she took him to was, and- wait, what was that murky area over there?
“Hey there, cutie. You lost?”
Lucifer jumped at the sudden voice, almost knocking himself off his bike. He scrambled to sit up straight and looked up to where the voice came from.
A young man with pale, blond hair smiled at him. Lucifer blinked when he spotted a gold tooth. “Sorry to scare ya. You new around here?”
Small talk, Lucifer! “Oh, uh, yes. I moved in not too long ago at the Magne Farm.”
The stranger’s brows shot up. “No shit, you’re Charlie’s daddy? She was talking to anyone within earshot that you’re here to help.”
Lucifer chuckled and offered his hand. “Indeed, I am. Lucifer, at your service.”
“Oh, thank fuck,” the other said, shaking Lucifer’s hand with enthusiasm. “The name’s Anthony, but please call me Angel. You’re saving my ass by being here. She has us running around the place the past few months doing all sorts of things and I need a break.”
Lucifer smiled in sympathy. “Glad to be here when needed, then. Can you point me to some places like the town hall and the general store? I only know where the café is.”
Angel shuffled closer, took one look at the map, and snorted. “That’s Charlie’s work all right.” He pointed to an empty area near the entrance of the town and then dragged his finger to the building with the cross. “We’re right here, and if you go straight along this road, you’ll hit up the center where most of the other businesses are. That’s Dr. Bel’s Clinic, and right next to it is Mam’s General Store.”
He pointed south of the town center. “That big one is town hall, and that’s where you’ll find Charlie most of the time if she’s not running around town. Nearby is the 7 Rings’ Inn & Saloon. You’ll find a lot of us locals there during the evenings, especially on Fridays. Over there is Carmine Industries. If you have any tools you want to upgrade, she’s the best gal to do it, but she’s very particular and only does jobs she thinks are worth doing, but her daughters will crack open any geodes you find for a small fee.”
Lucifer wanted to ask what Angel meant by that but mentally filed the question for another time as he continued explaining all the main areas on the map.
“We also have a small beach that’s being taken care of by the Levy twins. If you want to do any sort of fishing, you gotta go through them first. Up there are the mountains. Not much is going on there except the abandoned mines and my friend Cherri’s family carpentry business. If you’re looking to expand your house or demolish something, they’re your people.” Lucifer made another note in case there was something he wanted to change on the farm in the future. “Over here near the Magne Farm, you’ll find Zestial’s Ranch close to the creek and outside of Ashbark Forest.”
“What’s this tower-looking thing?” Lucifer asked, pointing at the distinctly tall dark line right at the edge of the forest.
Angel shrugged. “No fucking clue. It’s been there forever, but no one gets close to it. Rumour has it that it’s haunted but none of us actually went in to check.”
“Huh, alright. No getting close to the creepy tower, got it. And how about this area?” Lucifer tapped the east side of the map near the town center, but on the other side of a stream.
“That’s where the schools are. And next to it is the library slash museum.”
“And this blue block?”
Angel scrunched his nose, his voice full of disdain, “Ugh, VeeMart. Whatever you do, don’t go there.”
“VeeMart? Like VeeCorp, the electronics store?” Weird, Lucifer had a vPhone for work but he rarely used it for personal use.
“Yeah, but they’ve been trying to get into the whole grocery and department store biz. I work there part-time for money, but management is awful.”
Lucifer understood that too well. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m trying to earn enough to get out of this place, no offense.”
“None taken.” After all, it seemed like only the bare basics were provided in town. He could only imagine how stifling it could be for a young person to be stuck in the same place with nothing else to do and seeing the same things over and over again.
Folding the map, he tucked it away in his jacket. “You’ve been a great help, thank you. Do you have anywhere to be? I can give you a ride there.”
“Fuck yeah!” Angel took the extra helmet and hopped behind Lucifer, wrapping his arms around Lucifer’s waist without hesitation. “I’ve always wanted to ride on a motorcycle with a hottie.”
Lucifer laughed. “You’re very kind to an old man like me. Where to?”
“VeeMart. I know I said don’t go there, but my shift starts soon.”
“Got it.”
Just for show, he revved his bike before peeling down the road, smiling as Angel whooped and cheered behind him.
Charlie was right, the townspeople were very nice.
Lucifer took back whatever he thought about the valley residents being nice.
After stopping in front of VeeMart, a tall man immediately stalked his way over to them and yanked Angel off the bike.
“You’re late to clock in, bitch.”
“Fuck, Valentino! Let go!” Angel flailed as he tried to steady himself from being forcibly pulled.
Lucifer immediately turned off his bike and ripped off his helmet. “Hey! Get your hands off him.”
“Or what, pipsqueak?” The taller man squinted his eyes and bent down to Lucifer’s eye level. “Huh, don’t think I’ve seen your face before.” Turning to Angel, he sneered. “Did you whore yourself out for some fresh dick?”
“Do not use that kind of disrespectful language with him,” Lucifer growled. It has been far too long since he has felt this type of anger, but he could feel the dormant, familiar heat rising. “Or with anyone else, for that matter. I am advising you to let go of Angel right now.”
Valentino frowned. “Advising?”
Lucifer crossed his arms and jutted his hip out. “Yes, advising.” He pitched his voice to be more mocking, “Or is that too big a word for you?” He pursed his lips for dramatic effect. Childish and immature, for sure, but he had a knack for ‘rage baiting’ people, as Ozzie would put it. There were many times during their college years that Ozzie would bail him out of fights.
Hey, not his fault people got a little mad just from a slight tone pitch.
He tried not to grin in victory when Angel was let go, and instead, hands were pulling the front of his shirt. It has only been a few days since moving in and he was already getting into a fight, but he was not going to let one of Charlie’s friends be subjected to this kind of behavior if he could help it.
"¡Chinga tu madre!"
“La concha de tu madre,” Lucifer shot back. Look at that, the time spent with international business clients and going for after-work drinks to build rapport with them helped with this situation, too.
Valentino’s face turned red and Lucifer steeled himself as he saw his arm wind up behind him.
“Val! Stop!”
Someone pulled Valentino back, and Lucifer stumbled backwards as he was let go. Angel was right behind him to hold him steady.
“Shit! Short king, you alright?” Angel asked.
Lucifer smoothed the front of his shirt, unconcerned by the fact that he was only a few seconds away from sporting a black eye, or possibly even worse. At least he didn’t have one to explain to Charlie later. That would’ve been awkward, and not to mention embarrassing if she gave him a look of disapproval. “All good. How about you, Angel?”
“I’m fine, but you shouldn’t have done that,” Angel hissed.
He shrugged and tried to check over Angel to see if there were any injuries. “I know what I’m capable of. I’m sorry if I overstepped, but I wasn’t going to let that asshole do that to you.”
Angel groaned in exasperation. “Oh my god. Charlie really is your kid.”
“That I’m not sorry about.”
Angel barked out a laugh and Lucifer grinned as he got him to smile. It may be his fatherly side coming out to play, but he felt somewhat protective of him already. Angel was playful and flirty, sure, but he was a kind and good kid in Lucifer’s book.
They watched as Valentino stomped his way back into the store, and the person who pulled him back was giving Lucifer a very charming, professional smile that made his skin crawl. Ugh, it was like he was back in the office again.
“I’m so very sorry about that, sir,” he said in a remorseful tone. “My assistant manager was very worried about the safety of one of his employees and was more brash than he intended.”
Lucifer could practically hear Angel’s eyeroll right behind him.
“Vincent Whittman, or Vox if preferred,” he introduced himself, and Lucifer reluctantly shook his hand. “Store manager for VeeMart.”
“Lucifer Morningstar,” he responded curtly and saw in real time when Vox’s eyes lit up in recognition.
“Morningstar? From Morningstar Enterprises?”
“I’m part of the family, yes, but I don’t work for them,” Lucifer responded. He’d lost count of the number of times he had been asked about his family background. “I now manage the Magne Farm.”
“And before that?”
Lucifer internally cursed at how Vox caught the specific wording but still maintained the cordial attitude. “I was the former COO for the Golden Gates in Pentagram City.”
Vox whistled low. “That’s very impressive, Mr. Morningstar. So, what are you doing with the farm? Surely, it’s not your retirement plan, right? You look far too young for such a thing.”
Lucifer faked a laugh. “I’m here because my daughter, Charlie, the mayor for this town, asked for help, so here I am.”
“Ah, yes, pardon me. Miss Mayor Morningstar. The last name was a dead giveaway,” Vox said, appearing unruffled with that piece of information, but Lucifer could tell the gears were turning behind his eyes. “I would like to formally apologize again for the inconvenience my assistant manager has caused and would like to make it up to you in any way. Would you like to come sit in my office so we can talk more?”
Aaand there it was.
Credit where credit was due, Vox was very polite throughout their whole interaction, but Lucifer has done this song and dance for decades and was able to smell the underlying intent from miles away. He didn’t know what exactly Vox wanted from him, but being alone with him was asking for trouble.
Slipping back on his business mask, Lucifer smiled. “That is quite all right, thank you. I have other errands to run, but I would like your word that Angel here would not be treated differently due to the incident earlier and to work as usual.”
“Of course, you have my word,” Vox readily agreed. “A shame that you have other matters to attend to, but please stop by VeeMart whenever you have the chance. I can guarantee the prices and quality of our products if you’re looking to develop the farm. Trust us at VeeMart for your everyday needs.”
Lucifer didn’t get a chance to say anything because something was forced into his hand. Vox’s dual-colored eyes locked him in place. “Here is my business card if you have any questions or would like to talk. I look forward to hearing from you soon, Mr. Morningstar.”
It took everything in Lucifer not to shudder when Vox winked at him.
Vox finally let go of him and turned to Angel. “Angel, come along and go get changed. We’ll go over the incoming deliveries once you’re clocked in.”
Angel followed Vox, but quickly turned to mouth ‘thank you’ to Lucifer before going inside the building.
Finally being dismissed, Lucifer pocketed the business card, deciding to trash it later. Who knew if there were cameras around still watching him? He didn’t want to find out what would happen if he ripped the card while still on the property.
Getting back on his bike, he sped towards the town hall. He needed to decompress and talk to Charlie and maybe hit up the saloon Angel mentioned. He was going to need a stiff drink after all of that.
Lucifer concluded that the majority of the townspeople were nice, but they were all weird.
Charlie was horrified to hear about his altercation at VeeMart, but thanked him profusely for sticking up for Angel. Apparently, she has tried to talk to Angel several times about working there, that he deserved better treatment and to quit, but he tended to shut down after too much prying. Taking the hint, she was only able to support him to the best of her abilities and lend a sympathetic ear when he needed to rant about Valentino and his behavior that would normally warrant a whole HR investigation, but it was hard to start something when management was both corrupt and fucking each other, literally.
Ew.
Charlie was too busy with her work to show him around, but Vaggi was kind enough to walk him through the town plaza and introduce him to the various businesses and residents.
Dr. Belphegor ran a small but clean clinic. Lucifer was sure she was running on pure caffeine because she chugged down the largest travel mug of coffee he had ever seen before introducing herself to him. And her assistant, Baxter, didn’t comment on her unhealthy actions and just silently refilled her mug without prompting.
Lucifer mentally prayed that he wouldn’t get sick or injured soon, but at least there were some tonics and other over-the-counter medicines he could buy.
Mammon was an asshole, and unfortunately, the owner of the general store. He immediately pushed products to sell to Lucifer the moment he stepped through the door, but compared to Vox, he was upfront with it, and admittedly, while the selection was smaller, they appeared to be good in quality and Lucifer purchased some parsnip seeds while he was there.
The saloon was next, as it just opened for lunch. He did not get a drink like he originally planned on, but had a lovely lunch with Vaggi and spoke with the owner of the establishment, Beelzebub. She was bright, bubbly, if a tad extreme. She seemed stoked that Lucifer was the new farmer and town and asked him when he was going to have beehives to produce honey since it was the main ingredient to a specialty drink that she invented herself. He reassured her several times that he could do his best once he was more established and promised to visit the saloon again when it was livelier.
He dropped Vaggi off at the town hall, as she still had some work to be done, and tried to stop by Carmine Industries to introduce himself, but they were closed for the day.
With not much left to see around town and his social battery starting to run low, he decided to take a look at one more stop before heading back to the farm.
The town’s library and museum.
The door slightly creaked when he walked in. Right away, he could smell the old, forgotten papers filled with text bound into a book. He could see rows and rows of bookshelves with different signage at the ends. It was surprisingly well-stocked for a small town to have so many books on the shelves.
“Hello?”
No response except for the muffled music in the back. How odd. Lucifer carefully walked around through the aisles but it was deadly silent the further along he went. Which, duh, of course it should be silent, it was a library after all, but there would still be general sounds of people milling around. Despite school hours being over, there weren’t any students around. Actually, there was no one at all, except him.
“Is this where the ghosts in this town live?” he pondered out loud.
“No, but you can be the first one.”
“Gah!”
For the second time today, Lucifer jumped from his skin and whipped around to face a smiling stranger. This stranger had curly brown hair that was parted to the side and wore glasses that glinted in the fluorescent lights, but Lucifer could see brown eyes looking at him with curiosity behind them. And annoyingly, he was sharply dressed, wearing a crisp white dress shirt with a red tie held down by a dark red pinstripe waistcoat, and black fitted slacks. Lucifer was willing to bet he also had a matching jacket, too, and aside from Ozzie, Lucifer had never seen someone so well-presented.
Rubbing his chest where his heart was beating rapidly, Lucifer frowned. “What is with the locals in this town creeping up on people?”
The new person in front of him kept his smile but tilted his head and looked at Lucifer questionably. “Why, I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about. You’re the one who is so-called ‘creeping’ around my library.” He made air quotations and his smile turned sharper. “I don’t take well to those who stick their noses where they don’t belong.”
Great, another asshole. “Last time I checked, libraries are for the public.”
The other hummed, “That is true, but considering I’m the sole proprietor of this place, I’m allowed to deem those worthy to be here or not.”
Lucifer raised a brow and gestured to the completely vacant library. “And I guess no one in this town is worthy of this place, your highness?”
“Just a minor setback from differing opinions of the townsfolk, I assure you.”
“Riiight. You have a name for me, or do I keep calling you asshole?”
An eye twitched. Oh, struck a nerve with that one. “One should introduce themselves first before asking for another’s name, but it has been awfully dull lately so I’ll indulge you this one time.” He quickly straightened his already-perfect posture, placed a hand over his heart, and did a slight bow. “Alastor, at your service. Librarian and curator for Dove Town.”
Lucifer could appreciate the theatrics at least and mimicked the gesture. “Lucifer. The new farmer and owner of Magne Farm and father of the mayor, Charlie.”
Alastor appraised him with judgmental eyes. “Pleasure to be meeting you, sir, quite the pleasure. Though I must say, Charlotte has spoken so little of you. Makes one wonder if there was a lack of parental guidance with the questionable decisions she’s making here.”
Red-hot anger surged in his veins again. His teeth clacked together as he held back from decking that smug face. The other tall fucker he dealt with was violent from the get-go; this one was just being a bitch. “Hey, Albert, talking shit about me is one thing, but do not bring up Charlie’s dreams and my deceased wife. Do you get off insulting people’s families or something?”
Alastor looked affronted. “How vulgar, but noted. I will refrain from making further comments regarding Charlie and her relationship with her family if you refer to my name properly.”
“Fucker.”
“Try again.”
“Lester.”
“Wrong initial. Do you need to go back to kindergarten to relearn the alphabet?”
“Aquarius.”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“Albatross.”
“Fascinating creatures. Did you know that they can fly while sleeping?”
“Alcatraz.”
“A shame it was shut down. I’m sure society as a whole would benefit greatly if it lasted longer, logistics aside, of course.”
“Alfredo.”
“More of a carbonara man myself.”
“Huh. Pegged you more for a cacio e pepe person than carbonara.” Or another fancy pasta dish, the man’s whole body screamed pretentious.
“The cured pork won me over.” Alastor adjusted his glasses and raised a brow at him. “As much fun as our little tête-à-tête is, I need to close up soon. One more chance.”
Lucifer blinked, momentarily forgetting what he was here for and what started their argument. Any rage he had somehow dissipated before he realized it. “Oh, sorry. Alastor.”
Alastor clapped patronizingly, “Very good, sir! You can indeed teach old dogs some new tricks.”
Before Lucifer could respond, Alastor turned his heel and started walking away. “I shall give you a quick tour before we close.”
Lucifer quickly caught up to him and listened to Alastor as he pointed out the different areas of the library and their uses (oddly enough, there were no computers from what Lucifer could see. Maybe that was why there weren’t any students around?), and passed through the categorized aisles of books.
Despite the less-than-favorable first impressions of him, Alastor seemed… normal. Aside from the snarky remarks he threw in here and there when he explained something and Lucifer quipping right back, he wasn’t too bad. Definitely knowledgeable and could talk an ear off, no matter the subject, that was for sure.
“You mentioned that this is also part museum?”
Alastor visibly perked up at that. “Ah, yes. I saved the best for last. Right this way.”
Just beyond the library area was an open entryway to a very large space with marble flooring and empty displays. It was completely different from the comforting vibe of the library, and Lucifer was almost blinded by the white walls everywhere.
“Was this place recently renovated?” he asked once his eyes got used to the brightness.
“Renovated? No, no. The museum is an expansion! Can you believe the town never had a museum before?”
“How could this be a museum? There’s nothing here.” There was no point in even looking around. Nothing was displayed. Their voices echoed loudly, even when speaking in low tones.
Something Lucifer quickly learned about him was that Alastor always smiled. Always. Which one, creepy, and two, somehow, he already knew what Alastor’s equivalent of a frown was because his smile slightly tugged down. “Why, there’s plenty around if you bother to take a proper look.”
He shot him a deadpanned look, “Alastor, buddy, there’s nothing here.” He made a large, sweeping gesture with his arm. This was even worse than the empty library; at least there were books to look at!
Alastor’s expression turned tense. “Hardly my fault that the locals do not see the opportunities to showcase the discoveries that can be found here.”
It was like talking to a brick wall. “Well, why is there a museum in the first place if you didn’t have something to display already? How much did you spend on this?”
“Not a single dime directly. It was funded by the town’s budget.”
“Why on earth would the town’s budget be spent on this? Surely there had to be other urgent projects to be worked on? Like the plaza and roads, or even the bridges!”
It made no sense, but it also answered the question of why no one was here. If Lucifer, a stranger to this town, couldn’t comprehend why the town’s budget was spent on a non-essential and expensive project like a museum expansion, he could understand why the locals would be upset and refuse to enter the library-museum in silent protest.
But why?
“That, my friend, you’ll need to ask your daughter about.”
Lucifer jolted out of his thoughts at the mention of his daughter. “Charlie? I know she’s smarter than this. Why would she ever approve of this project before others?” He saw the state of the town during his tour with Vaggi. They were one passing tornado away from being damaged beyond repair. So, again, why?
Alastor hummed and inspected his nails, acting as though he wasn’t the sole reason why tens of thousands of dollars were wasted on essentially a large, shiny, glorified empty room. “It might have to do with the favor I cashed in.” He sidestepped when Lucifer lunged at him. “Oh, my! You didn’t even allow me to finish explaining myself.”
“Talk. Now,” Lucifer growled. He swore that if Alastor manipulated his daughter in any way, his body would be the first thing going on display.
“Well,” Alastor drawled out, the little shit. “Did she ever tell you that I was the one who stalled the previous mayor long enough for her and her comrades to apprehend him? Unfortunately, I was severely wounded during that scuffle. He was not a small man by any means, and Charlie felt oh-so-very guilty since I was bedridden for a few weeks to heal.”
“Oh.” Charlie never told him about that. All he knew was that an attempt was made and the corrupt mayor was caught.
“And she said she would do anything in her power to make it up to me,” Alastor said. “So, I had my proposal for a museum upgrade moved to the top of her list once she was formally recognized as the new mayor. It took a lot of convincing the other council members on her part, but she did it!” He made jazz hands as if it made the story any better. “And now here we are. A brand-new museum, waiting for treasures to be shown off.”
“Charlieee…” What had she gotten herself into? Lucifer needed to sit down. Could he go back to the library? Maybe he should make a suggestion to add benches in the museum section. No. Bad, Lucifer. Dumb spending was the reason why this happened.
He did recall some of the faces made when he introduced himself as Charlie’s father to some of the residents. He chalked it up to them being wary of strangers, but now it appears that Charlie’s image wasn’t thought so positively by everyone.
Lucifer felt a headache coming. “Thank you for enlightening me on the situation. I have lots to think about. And a child to scold and get answers out of.”
Alastor stepped right in front of Lucifer’s view when he tried to take a step towards the library. “Now, now, don’t be too hasty. I have an idea that would be a benefit to all.”
The headache was getting worse the longer he was around him. But since Alastor pulled Charlie into this, he might have an idea of how to get out of this mess. “You’re going to tell me no matter what, so go for it.”
“Charlie is busy keeping the town running, and the others living here are of no help either. Her reputation is lukewarm at best, and keeping the museum empty will have people’s opinions of her turn more negatively down the line, knowing that the first project the recently-retrieved budget was spent on became a waste. They may even start questioning her capabilities as mayor.”
Lucifer bit his lip. What Alastor laid out so far was true. Lucifer hated that Charlie was put in this spot, but those were the current facts. She never once told him how bad it was, only that she needed some help getting the town back into the swing of things while she cleaned up the fallout from the previous mayor, while also keeping up with the town’s traditions.
He wanted to kick his own ass for not realizing sooner and instead had Charlie worry about him spiralling. He was the parent, not her.
“However,” Alastor continued with a pep in his voice, “She brought in her darling father to help her, and by extension, me.”
…huh? “You lost me.”
Alastor bent down a little and tilted his chin upward so their eyes could meet. “No, my dear, I found you, the key to our troubles.” That permanent smile turned more sinister and Lucifer’s breath hitched. In all his years, he has never seen such a greedy look, like Alastor was going to wring him out for all his worth. “You, Lucifer, are going to be the one to help this museum. Bring me the artifacts and treasures you find in this valley, and I will display them. The more you donate, the more attention it’s going to bring. The more attention this museum gets, the more tourists will flock to this isolated valley and spend their money. The townsfolk will be happy, Charlie’s reputation will be redeemed, and most importantly, it’s one step closer to her dream, no?”
Lucifer stepped back from Alastor’s grasp. “If it’s that simple, why don’t you do it? I have a farm to run.”
Alastor didn’t follow Lucifer but wiped his hand that held Lucifer just a second ago on his pants. What the hell, he was the one who touched him first! “I cannot abandon my station. No one else runs the library except me, and before you say something silly, such as closing the library temporarily, it is still a public service, as you so kindly mentioned before, even if there hasn’t been any traffic lately. It would not look good for us if the library closed for weeks and the only librarian is off on an excursion for the museum. Besides, any free time I have is spent helping Charlie with the mountain of paperwork that has been neglected by her predecessor.
“You, on the other hand, are new to town. A fresh perspective is what’s needed to uncover the mysteries hidden here. Since you only recently started, it means you haven’t had any crops to tend to or animals to take care of right now, hm? No one expects much, and you are, in essence, a free agent to do as you please.”
Alastor was now showing teeth as he added the final blow, “Shouldn’t that time be spent helping Charlie in any way possible?”
Fuck.
Fuck fuck fuckity fuck.
He was still in the museum part of the building, right? Was he allowed to scream?
Because, ouch, the truth hurt, but also, what the fuck.
Taking Lucifer’s silence as acceptance, Alastor stepped forward, grabbed Lucifer’s hand, and shook it.
“I’m happy to hear that we’re in agreement! I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ll bring in, Lucifer.” Alastor said jovially.
Lucifer doesn’t remember anything afterwards. He somehow got onto his bike and rode back to the farm because the next thing he knew, he was tucked away in bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to recall everything that happened today.
Angel. VeeMart. Bal-guy and Box-guy. Meeting a whole bunch of locals and business owners. The library and the expensive museum.
Alastor.
That fucker managed to get one over him!
Him! Lucifer Morningstar!
He slammed a pillow over his face and screamed until he knocked himself out.