A/N: Hello! This is a story idea that I got that I've never seen before, so I wrote it. For any wondering, this is the only chapter with flashbacks. I appreciate all reviews and constructive criticism.

Chapter Song: Superheroes (The Script)

*Edit made 1/17/16

Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable content. If I did, I would be traveling constantly, not writing.

~Dream a Little Dream of Me~

"Father . . ." a raspy voice murmured. A harsh cough sounded, sulfur swirling up as the man shifted. It was difficult to see him, since he was covered in soot and hunched over on the floor. The only light glinting off him was the harsh orange light of molten rock and the blue-tinted moonlight.

While the man might seem somewhat normal, if not incredibly filthy, one feature stood out, so visibly out of place that it was impossible to not notice. Protruding from the man's back were two large, curved wings.

Rather than be a beautiful sight, however, they were grotesque; there were few feathers, and the only feathers left were stained by soot and blood, sticking out at odd angles; the exposed flesh of the wings were mangled and burned, held at odd angles, almost as if they were broken.

His wings stirred uselessly as he leaned forward, a pained and sorrowed look covering his face. "Father," he began again, voice croaky. "I can't do this anymore." He shook his head, eyes closing as a tear slipped out. "I know I don't even deserve to speak to you, but please let me do something – anything – to repent. Please, Father, let me earn forgiveness."

There was nothing but silence, and the man's head drooped. He knew the chances of redemption or even a chance were slim to none, but he had hoped that he might at least get to try. He pressed his head into his hands and let out a shaky breath.

He didn't move for a long moment. Then, the darkness shrouding him was suddenly illuminated with blinding light, and tranquil energy thrummed through the air. He raised his head, watery eyes wide with hope, towards the source of the light.

"I am here, my son."

. . .

Maryse and Robert Lightwood were peacefully sleeping in their beds when a horrifying scream of pure terror echoed through the institute. They were both awake in an instant and running towards Alec's room, recognizing the young voice. They slammed open the door, glowing seraph blades in hand, and stopped short.

Their four year old son's chest was jutted into the air in an unnatural position, and his tiny hands clawed into his covers, his face screwed up in horror. The parents exchanged a wide-eyed look and they searched the room for anything that could be causing his reaction. They found nothing.

Suddenly, he snapped up into a sitting position, fear obvious on his face. When Maryse and Robert thought back on it, they imagined that the eerie blue glow in his eyes was a reflection from their seraph blades and nothing more.

. . .

Almost as soon as the reverberating voice claimed to be there, it retreated, taking the breathtaking light with it. The winged man was confused and felt a ball of hurt curl unpleasantly in his chest. He closed his eyes and pressed his face into his knees. There was no forgiveness for him. Not now, not ever.

The thick silence was suddenly cut through with thousands of indignant shrieks and snarls. He looked around, wondering if any of the demons realized who had just visited. Before he had much though on the subject, it became silent again, and a flash of light from above caught his attention.

He looked up, face lit up in blue from the moon's reflection on ice. His breath caught when he saw what looked almost like a falling star headed straight in his direction. A look of wonder overtook his face and he felt a curl of hope rise.

The falling star finally took shape, revealing another winged figure quickly darting down, light encompassing his body. The glowing man darted to him and wrapped flawless wings around his soot-ridden body, shooting into the sky with a speed that no human would be able to comprehend.

The second he broke the barrier of his prison, he was hit by freezing air and his eyes burned at the blue-tinted light. His breath was puffing out in clouds and he got the briefest glimpse of an endless expanse of ice and snow before the winged man looked at him, a sad smile on his face and an unreadable look in his eyes.

"Michael," he choked out, feeling the first spark of life in eons as he tried to drink in the familiar figure.

"Brother," Michael agreed, a conflicted look on his face. "Father has requested an audience with you."

. . .

Alec wrapped his tiny arms around his legs, eyes darting to his bedroom door, wondering if anyone would be coming to check on him. Had we woken someone up again? He wasn't sure.

When fifteen minutes had passed in silence, he licked his lips. His eyes widened when he tasted blood. He must have bitten through his lip again to keep from making noise.

He ran a hand over his face tiredly, knowing that trying to sleep now would be futile. He could never sleep after one of his dreams. He glanced at the clock and made a disgruntled noise when he realized it was only thirty minutes past midnight.

His head fell back, and he stared at the ceiling, mulling over his unusual dreams. He wondered if the Michael he had seen was Michael the Archangel. He shook his head, too tired to think about it. "Happy seventh birthday to me."

. . .

He was flown directly to his father by Michael. As soon as they touched down on the blindingly bright floor, he was released. Unable to currently stand on his weak legs, he fell forward. He raised his head up, looking at first the pristine stairs, then the massive throne, and finally to the warm figure sitting there.

He felt like a fledgling again, and his eyes were wide in awe at being in his father's presence after so long without. He swallowed, tasting the bitter tar from years of breathing in ash, smoke, and sulfur. "Father," he breathed.

God rose from his throne and quickly descended the stairs, sinking to the ground beside his filthy son. His smile was warm as he wrapped his arms around sooty shoulders. "Lucifer."

. . .

"Alec!" an urgent voice said, shaking his shoulder.

He sat up with a strangled gasp, his heart thudding loudly in his ears. His fingers curled into the handle of the knife under his pillow, using the weapon to calm himself.

"Are you okay, Alec?" the same voice asked in concern.

His wild gaze flew to his sister who was holding a witchlight, a concerned look on her seven year old face. He blinked at her and glanced at his clock. "Yeah. Did I wake you up again?"

Isabelle bit her lip hesitantly but nodded. "Alec . . . you said something when I first came in here."

His breath caught, heart in his throat. "What did I say?"

She was slow to answer, glancing away so she couldn't see his expression. "You said 'Lucifer'."

. . .

His father helped him to his feet and turned to Michael who was watching with a wistful look. "Summon Gabriel, Raphael, and Raziel immediately, please."

Michael bowed his head. "Of course, Father."

In the next second, Lucifer was alone with his father who still had a supportive grip on him. He was grateful, as he would probably collapse again without the help. His eyes closed for a second in contentment as gentle hands threaded into his ruined wings.

There was a remorseful sigh. "I honestly don't know what to do with you, my son."

Lucifer looked away from the intense gaze, shame filling him. "I'm sorry, Father."

"I know you are. But sometimes sorry isn't enough."

. . .

It was during a dinner after Alec had hit double digits when Robert cleared his throat. The Lightwood siblings looked towards him in curiosity.

"I have some news," he announced. "In a few days, we're going to be taking in a young shadowhunter boy."

"What?!" the siblings demanded as one, but they both had very different tones. Isabelle seemed excited, but Alec was more than a little wary.

Maryse nodded. "His name is Jace Wayland and he's your father's godson. His father just passed and he'll be living with us from now on. We need to make him as welcome as possible here. He'll be staying in the empty room closest to yours."

Isabelle had a bright beam on her face and she spent the rest of dinner eagerly asking about her new "brother". Alec listened, but barely said anything. He had a bad feeling about the way his parents kept glancing at him.

After dinner, Isabelle all but bounced out of the room, and Alec's suspicious feeling was proven correct. He had started to follow her, but Robert's voice stopped him mid-step.

"Alec . . ." he started.

"Yes?" he asked, warily looking back.

"I . . ." he shook his head, seeming to change his mind about what to say. "When Jace is here, try to keep your . . . issues to yourself. Jace has been through a lot and I don't need you adding stress, alright?"

Alec felt like he'd been hit in the stomach, speechless as he stared at his father in silent horror. Sure, his parents had always been freaked out by his dreams, but they had never actually said anything like this before.

He turned away, trying to force away tears. He had a bitter taste in his mouth. "Of course, Father. I'd hate to be a burden."

He left the room, his acid words apparently shocking his parents enough that it took nearly ten seconds before they started calling after him.

He didn't look back.

. . .

Lucifer knew that Michael was back when he heard the rustling of feathers and three shocked inhales. Lucifer took a moment to steel himself, not wanting to see the looks on their faces at his condition.

"You requested our presence?" a shaky voice asked.

The warm fingers on his wings moved away as God turned to face his other children. "I did."

Lucifer slowly turned, his movements stiff and without an ounce of the gracefulness he was once known by. His wings were held closely to his body and his dim eyes rose to look at his brothers. The three angels were looking over his tattered form with abject horror.

Suddenly one of the angels stumbled towards him, bronze tinted wings fluttering in disbelief. Confused golden eyes met his, and suddenly the angel launched himself at him, hands clenching into his shirt. "I thought I'd never see you again."

Lucifer's arms slowly wrapped his arms around the younger angel, tears welling in his eyes as a soft, disbelieving smile appeared on his face. "I thought so, too, Gabriel."

Suddenly another set of hands were in his wings. He stiffened at first, but he relaxed when he heard a familiar concerned voice mumbling about the state of his wings. "Let him go, Gabriel, before you hurt him."

Gabriel quickly let him go, but the bronze wings reached out yearningly towards him, a mystified look on his face as he observed the brother he hadn't seen in eons.

Lucifer was slowly turned around and met dark eyes, and he was given a concerned once over. The dark eyes shot to their father. "May I heal him?"

"Of course, Raphael."

When the other angel's grace reached out to heal him, Lucifer was swarmed in a tsunami of emotion: grief, happiness, and crippling relief. He cried. He'd thought that he'd never feel this again, and he feared it would be snatched from him or that it was all a cruel dream.

. . .

When Alec woke up, he had tears falling down his face and his nose was running. He irritably wiped at his face as he made his way to the kitchen, needing something to drink for his dry throat.

He was expecting the kitchen to be empty like it always was at that time of night, but he hadn't factored in their new family member. He was half-way to the refrigerator when he felt eyes on him and a familiar voice spoke.

"Have you been crying?"

Alec jumped with a horrified look on his face. He scrambled back to his room, fleeing the kitchen before he could even assess the expression on the other boy's face. Suddenly, getting something for his parched throat wasn't appealing. Less than a week of Jace living there, and he already knew something wasn't normal about him.

"Idiot," he mumbled to himself, face in his hands. Why did he let the other boy see him in the middle of a torrent of emotions from his dreams? It was about ten minutes later when his door opened with a slight creak. He didn't look up, assuming Isabelle had woken up again. He did looked up when someone who definitely weighed more than Isabelle sat on his bed beside him.

A warm cup was pushed into his hands as he looked up, meeting understanding golden eyes. Jace had a light smile on his lips, and he shrugged, gesturing to the cup. "It's hot chocolate. It always makes me feel better."

Alec stared uncomprehendingly at the blond, wondering what was happening. The only other person to look at Alec without judgment was Isabelle and perhaps Max.

Alec smiled back and took a sip of the hot chocolate, thinking that maybe, just maybe, things would get better.

. . .

"We can't delay this conversation any longer, Lucifer."

Lucifer nodded, head bowed, already bracing himself for Heaven to be ripped away from him again. Warm fingers guided his chin up, and his mournful eyes met the infinite ones of God.

"I cannot let you rejoin the host just because you are remorseful for your wrongdoings."

Lucifer flinched, looking down. Even though he'd prepared himself for this, it still hurt and caused a sharp pain in his chest.

"Now, now, son, don't jump to conclusions." A sigh sounded. "You have done unthinkable things since your rebellion. You corrupted your brothers and sisters, as well as the humans. You created demons, and set the world on a new irreversible path that had unseen consequences."

With every new offense listed, Lucifer felt another surge of shame, and he swallowed the ball rising in his throat. "I know, Father. I was misguided. I only saw the negative impacts of humans, and you wanted us to love them more than you, but I couldn't." He quickly backtracked. "I see the flaws in my actions, Father. I was blinded in jealousy, rage, and arrogance. I should have listened to you."

God nodded. "I know, my son, but it is much too late for your actions to be changed." His eyes seemed to almost twinkle. "You can, however, start to remedy some of the consequences."

Lucifer's eyes desperately searched every inch of his father's face, and what he found there caused his ragged wings to go limp in relief. "Thank you. Thank you so much, Father."

"Don't get too happy now, Lucifer. You have a long road ahead of you. It will not be easy, let me assure you."

When Lucifer looked at his father, his eyes were burning with the fierce fire of determination. It was an expression of incredibly strong, earnest dedication that no one had seen since his rebellion. He wouldn't mess up this time. He refused to.

"It doesn't matter. I will fix this, Father, if it's the last thing I do."

. . .

Isabelle and Jace immediately stepped in front of him when their parents made their suggestion. Going by the fact that there was a Silent Brother standing behind them, though, there wasn't an actual choice.

"No," Isabelle snarled, fingers wrapping around her whip as she took a defensive position with Jace. "There is nothing wrong with him."

"My parabatai's brain is not getting prodded by them. End of discussion," Jace coldly stated, and his eyes were fierce molten gold, nearly sparking from his fury. He was visibly bristling and his hand was wrapped around the handle of his sword, fingers flexing like he was thinking about the hundred ways he could skewer Alec's enemies.

Alec felt a jolt of fear as the Silent Brother started to glide forward, undoubtfully planning to force his siblings to let him through. He took a shaky breath and put a hand on both his siblings to get their attention. When they looked at him, he shook his head and gave a weak smile. "Don't fight them. They can examine me."

"But –"

"Don't argue."

He followed the Silent Brother with his head held high, attempting to draw on the determination and strength he'd seen Lucifer exercise. He had to be strong for his siblings. He had to protect them. Nothing was more important – not even his own safety.

. . .

When Lucifer flew back into the Throne Room, his breath was coming out in harsh puffs and his wings were stiff and aching from use. Back in his prime, the flight he just made would be as effortless as a human yawning, but now it pushed his injured wings to their max.

"Lucifer," God easily greeted. "How was your trip?"

Lucifer tried to slow his breathing and he stretched out his wings as he sat on the stairs. His shook his head. "It was . . . troubling. The humans are disgusting. Most don't believe in you and of those who do, a majority fight and harm others in you name."

He made a disgusted noise. "These so-called 'Crusades' are a joke. The only thing those people care for is the money required for foreign goods, since their flimsy paper and diluted metals are so important."

Lucifer leapt to his feet, wings bristling in agitation as he recalled what he'd seen on his trip. "They are selfish, conceited, and arrogant. They ignore others suffering, but when they are in need, they expect help immediately."

He ran a hand through his hair, a disconcerted look on his face. "And the demons I created . . ." He shook his head. "A large portion of them are monstrous leeches with no cause but to cause suffering. I don't know why I ever thought they were a good idea."

He finally turned to face his father's expectant expression. "I messed up more than I initially thought," he admitted.

God smiled. "It's good that you still see that, my son. When you next venture to earth, I want you to look for the good."

Lucifer nodded in agreement, saying nothing about his serious doubts about how possible that was. He gave himself a second to steel himself, then swooped back down to the earth, wings already straining. His resolve to fix his mistakes was still unbending and resolute.

. . .

When the Silent Brother was giving a report to his parents, Alec fled the room as quickly as he could. He was stumbling slightly, and he felt vicious shudders still going through his body.

When he shakily opened his door and entered, he heard two worried voices, and suddenly his siblings were there. Isabelle and Jace grabbed his arms and tugged him towards his bed, and he heard Max close the door behind him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Isabelle asked, seeming somewhat calm, but he could hear the fury she trying to force down.

He shook his head, trying to force his body to stop shaking, but the only thing that happened was his stomach lurching. In the next second, he was on his feet, scrambling towards his bathroom to dry heave. He hadn't had any real food in the few days he'd been in the Silent City, so there was nothing to throw up.

When he was able to pay attention to his surroundings again, he realized that Isabelle was trying to distract Max in his bedroom, and Jace was sitting beside him, keeping a hand on his shoulder like he was getting ready for Alec to pass out.

"What happened, Alec?" Jace quietly asked. His eyes were once again burning with hot-coal rage. His voice was still soft and soothing, though, when he continued, "We can't help if we don't know what we're dealing with."

Alec knew that, but a part of him just wanted to shelter the others from his troubles. It was bad enough that Jace and Isabelle already knew about his dreams. He leaned against the bathroom wall, and he noticed that Isabelle was standing in the doorway, and Max was nowhere to be seen.

He took a deep breath, feeling slightly uncomfortable with Jace and Isabelle's intense stares. He swallowed. "When they took me to the Silent City, I was expecting them to try to riffle through my memories. They did, but . . ." He shook his head. "They didn't act like they normally do."

He took a second to compose himself. "They didn't take me to the normal place. They took me to this weird side room and these Silent Brothers that I've never seen before came in. They didn't give me any warning before they ripped into my head."

He tried to ignore the look Isabelle and Jace exchanged. Isabelle's fingers were playing with her whip like they always did when she had a bad feeling or was nervous. "Then what?"

He shook his head, a humorless laugh escaping. "They couldn't find anything about my dreams. Apparently, they couldn't even find anything about me telling you two about them." He looked away from them, focusing on his shaky arm. "So they tried to force the memories out."

Jace grabbed his arm and looked frantic. "Alec, what do you mean?"

"Imagine someone trying to batter into your brain with a sledgehammer, and messing with your nervous system. That's about what it felt like it. It felt violating and it hurt."

Jace was on his feet in the next second, ready to run out, presumably to go storm the Silent City. Isabelle looked like she was considering helping him. "No, don't worry about it," Alec quickly said. "I think they're going to pretend I was imaging it; there's no point in getting in trouble. I'll be fine. Everyone will probably just think I've lost my mind, but I can deal with that."

They both looked like they were considering ignoring him, but finally Isabelle sighed. "Okay, but we'll always believe you. Right, Jace?"

Jace grinned. "Of course. We're unstoppable together. No one messes with this family."

Alec gave a slightly pained laugh, and wondered why it hurt to have Jace think of him as a brother.

. . .

Unlike the last time Lucifer had flown into the Throne Room, he wasn't angry. This time he was incredibly confused and more than a little sad, but there was also a small spark of hope.

God had a knowing smile on his face. "What did you learn on this trip?"

Lucifer rocked slightly on his heels, an almost human gesture, and frowned, trying to figure out to put his observations and emotions into words.

"I still think humans are flawed," he said. "But they are so contradictory. One second they kill, and the next they're sacrificing everything for someone."

"They will kill for their loved ones, let all of their hate and worries melt away when they see children, and hide their own doubts to reassure those around them." He shook his head, mystified. "I watched an old woman give away her last food to a small starving child. I saw a man that had been nothing but rude to everyone he knew willingly give up his own life to protect those around him."

He trailed off, feeling lost. "I don't know how to fix the evil I put in the world, but I want to help the goodness I saw."

God rose from his throne and placed his hands on Lucifer's shoulders, causing the fallen angel to look up at him in a silent plea for guidance. "Some of the things that seemed so wrong to you do not need to be changed. When I gifted humans with free will, I knew there would be those that abused it. It is the choice they're burdened with."

God had a light smile on his face, and he moved his hands away from his shoulders. "Look at your wings, my son."

Lucifer felt confused, but did as asked. He craned his head to the side, stretching his wings out to get a better view. For a moment he saw nothing new. His wings were still ripped, bloody, and charred. They were covered in dark soot and still smelt rotten like sulfur. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to be seeing, but then he saw it.

His breath stuttered to a halt, and he wondered if he was hallucinating. He had few feathers, and those that he did have were ripped and bent at odd angles. Yet, sitting innocently on his left wing was a single untarnished, glowing feather. A bright speck of bright white in a sea of filth and blood.

He stared at it in fascination and awe, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. The white feather was the same color as his wings had been before his fall. Once upon a time, his wings glowed with white light, his skin was flawless like all angels, and his eyes were always lively.

But now, the Morning Star was a shadow of what he once was. His wings were destroyed, his skin looked sickly and scarred, and his eyes were dull. He couldn't remove his eyes from his feather. "Why has it grown back?"

God smiled. "Your grace is repairing itself. I don't know how long it will take – that is entirely dependent on you. The more pure your thoughts and actions are, and the more you atone for your mistakes, the more it should repair. In time, you will be ready to rejoin your brothers and sisters with the same grace as before your fall."

Lucifer felt light headed, and a bright smile crept onto his face.

His father smiled back. "Now go observe the demons you created. See if you can find anything redeemable."

Lucifer swallowed, remembering the tortuous pit he'd been in so long. He'd never ventured out of that part of Hell, preferring to sulk in his misery and give demons permission to do whatever they wanted with humans. The demons cackling as they regaled him with stories of their exploits shook him almost as the memories of his own cold laughter in response.

He took a shaky breath and nodded.

. . .

Alec was breathing hard as he carefully kept demons from sneaking up on Jace and Isabelle. He wondered briefly why Lucifer hadn't managed to regain control of them, but he tried to shake the thoughts off. Lucifer had his reasons, Alec was sure. No matter what most people thought, the dreams were real. They had to be.

. . .

Lucifer had just about given up for this realm. He'd been wandering around a few realms and this one seemed to be one of the better ones. It was beautiful, that was for sure. It seemed to be locked into a prefect spring setting. There were ponds with crystal clear water, meadows full of colorful flowers, and the singing of bird-like creatures everywhere.

A majority of the demons here weren't necessarily evil. They seemed to want to spend their time peacefully, feeding off good energy and intimacy. He supposed it was called the land of spring for a good reason.

He started walking back towards an easily accessible exit for himself. He was just under a tree when suddenly a man dropped in front of him. The man had unnaturally good looks, a mischievous grin, and striking eyes that identified him as a demon.

"Well, well," the man drawled, amusement and curiosity in his eyes. "What is Satan himself doing in the Realm of Lust?"

Lucifer's wings were in a defensive position. "I've decided you all have been left to your own devices for too long, and I'm trying to change that."

The demon shrugged. "Sounds good to me. Anyway, I'm an incubus. Want some help?"

. . .

"Alec?"

Alec jolted awake, eyes wide. Max was standing by his bed, holding an action figure with sleepy eyes. He blinked in confusion. "Yeah?"

Max shuffled his feet, looking awkward. "Can I stay with you tonight?"

"Of course," he agreed, moving over to let the five year old have room. "Could you not sleep?"

Max shook his head, curling up beside Alec. "I went to Jace's room like I normally do when I can't sleep, but he didn't answer, so I came here instead."

Alec wasn't sure what to do with that information, but his heart sank. Why was his little brother not coming to him first? He was fourteen and the eldest. He was responsible for all of his siblings. He resolved to get more involved in Max's life. "Oh. Well, whenever you need someone to go to, you can come to me, okay?"

"M'kay," Max said, already falling asleep.

Alec knew that he had some conflicting emotions towards Jace, but he would always be the older brother that took care of them all. His not-so-brotherly feelings for Jace started to fade as he realized how ridiculous he was being.

. . .

Lucifer's chin was up, his posture impeccable, and confidence practically oozed off him. His looked healthier, and his wings were dappled with bright feathers. He was standing in front of God and a dozen of the highest ranking angels.

"It has been a little over fifty years since I got out of the pit," he informed, since most of the gathered angels hadn't seen him in eons. He tried to ignore the dubious looks some of them had, instead focusing on his father's encouraging smile.

"Since then, I have been observing the effects of my rebellion, and planning how to remedy the negative parts. One of the main problems is the demons that Raziel had to deal with." He looked at Raziel, and the angel tilted his head in recognition.

"I have the beginnings of a plan to make the demons become protectors of humanity, and those that refuse will be properly dealt with – most likely destroyed."

"And where did you get this idea, Lucifer?" God inquired knowingly.

He maintained eye contact even though he knew this could go over badly with his brothers and sisters. "An incubus has been helping me for the past couple of decades, and he mentioned that some demons would probably be less bored if they had something to do."

He was well aware of the incredulous looks being exchanged, but he kept his face neutral. Finally, Michael spoke. "And how are you going to achieve it, brother?"

Lucifer grinned.

. . .

It was a Saturday when Isabelle knocked on his door and came inside without invitation. She had a confused look on her face, and she seemed slightly annoyed.

"What's wrong, Izzy?"

She frowned at him. "Why didn't you just tell us?"

Alec felt panicked, heart stuttering to a stop. Tell them what? Had she found out something new about his dreams that he hadn't told her? Did she think he was crazy? Was she about to turn on him? Each option was worse that the one before it. "Tell you what?"

She looked indignant. "You let me try to set you up with girls for years, and never said anything, you idiot!"

"Uh," he mumbled. He was caught in a mixture of relief that it wasn't something worse and horror that he had been found out. "Sorry?"

"You'd better be," she said. "Next time, tell us."

"Wait. Does Jace know?"

She gave him a look. "Duh. He knew before I did. Something about you not being very subtle when we were younger, whatever that means."

Alec's face felt hot.

. . .

"Are the plans ready to be set into action?"

"Almost," Lucifer replied, voice velvety smooth. His wings shifted, drawing attention to how half of his feathers had grown back. "We are still working out a few problems, but the bloodlines are looking promising."

"And what of the incubus?"

"As helpful as usual, Raziel." He shot his brother a look. "We really must do something about your distaste for demons. Soon, you will be working with them, not against them."

"I know. It's just hard to millenniums worth of negative opinions in such a short time."

Lucifer laughed. "I should think that five centuries would be enough, brother."

Raziel snorted. "Maybe for you, oh great Morning Star."

Lucifer grinned, eyes lit up. He loved having positive interactions with his siblings. Sometimes his new chance seemed too good to be true.

. . .

Alec yawned sleepily, tuning out Hodge's voice. He was watching rain drops platter against the windows instead of reading along in his book. Even though his dreams woke him up less now, he was still tired a lot.

If he was completely honest with himself, he actually looked forward to his dreams now. They were a constant in his life, and it was easy to draw comfort from them. He tried to not let them affect his life too much, but he was constantly wondering what Lucifer would think about different things. He almost considered Lucifer as the older brother he'd always wanted.

One major downside to the dreams was his constant frustration at the lack of information he had. He knew almost nothing about Lucifer's mysterious plan, and he saw very little of Lucifer's everyday actions. Sometimes he would get a glimpse of the fallen angel talking with demons or playing with angelic fledglings, but there was rarely anything concrete.

As far as he could tell, Michael had gotten Lucifer out of the pit in the 1100s, during the Crusades, and that everything was getting set up around the Protestant Reformation. The dreams were getting closer and closer to the current time. He wondered what would happen when they caught up.

"Alec!" Hodge barked. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Uhm, of course."

Hodge's eyebrows were raised. "Then what did I just say?"

Alec glanced down at the page his book was open to. "There are seven Princes of Hell that represent the seven deadly sins, and there's only been one confirmed sighting of a Prince."

Hodge frowned at him. "That's not what I said, but it is correct information. Stop reading ahead."

"Yes, sir," Alec agreed, deciding it was best to not point out that his dreams were the reason he knew that. Isabelle and Jace were giving him curious looks, and he shook his head, deciding to tell them later. Maybe they wouldn't ever think his dreams were entirely real, but they would never judge him.

. . .

"It's almost time." Lucifer grinned, resisting the urge to bounce on his heels.

God smiled at him. "Indeed. Soon the fruit of your efforts will be apparent, and there should be no need for Shadowhunters only duty to be fighting demons."

Raziel's eyebrows furrowed. "What are the Shadowhunters going to do now? You never mentioned it, Lucifer."

Lucifer's smile faded. "I . . . hadn't really thought about it. I guess they'll help me at first, but then they can do whatever. There will always be a need for law enforcement, so they will have that, but they won't need to fight demons."

Before Raziel could respond, Lucifer stiffened. His eyes flashed with panic. "There is a battle between my loyal and the opposing demons. I need to help them."

With that, Lucifer flew off in a hurry.

. . .

Alec jolted awake with a sharp gasp. He ran a hand through his hair. What had happened? Everything had been going so smoothly lately. The hair on the back of his neck was standing up, and he desperately hoped that he hadn't just seen the beginning of all Lucifer's plans crumbling.

His eyes flickered to his calendar. He was turning eighteen in less than a month. Then he would be able to go to Clave meetings with his parents.

. . .

"Father!" Lucifer called as he quickly flew into the throne room, voice thick with wonder.

God look at him with a knowing smile. "Yes, my son?"
Lucifer's eyes were wide and he seemed to be in slight shock. A smile crept onto his face, and a delighted, breathy laugh escaped. "It's time! It's finally time. Alexander Lightwood has been born."

. . .

When Alec awoke, he felt like he was going to pass out. His head was spinning, he was shaking, and his head was pounding. He staggered to his feet, feeling more confused that he ever had been before.

He started to scramble to his siblings rooms. Maybe they could figure out what Lucifer was talking about? Why did the fallen angel make it sound like his birth signaled the beginning of Lucifer's mysterious plans?

Lightning struck outside, and Alec ignored it. Little did he know that it would be last time he ever dreamt of Lucifer.