I couldn't resist this as a quickie. Just imagining how that conversation would have gone, and what advice Linda might give to him. I'm not sure whether I'll leave it as this or try to continue. Feedback welcomed. In case you hadn't noticed, I have a soft spot for Dr Linda. Not least because we share a name in common.

'I think I've made a horrible mistake.'

Linda took in every detail: the eyes soft with hurt, the trembling lip, the slumped shoulders. 'Sit down, Lucifer,' she said softly. 'I'll get us some coffee.'

By the time she returned with two mugs of steaming hot coffee, Lucifer was looking a little calmer, but still the look of sorrow made her fight the temptation to take him in her arms and give him a big hug.

Instead, she sat on the chair opposite, placing the mugs on the table between them. 'What's happened?' she asked.

He took a deep, shaky breath. 'I told you I was going to lay low, stay out of Dad's way for a while,' he said. 'But I amended the plan slightly. I thought it would be better to persuade Dad that Chloe didn't mean anything special to me.'

Linda hid a sigh. 'Oh, Lucifer,' she said. 'So how did it go?'

He shrugged. 'I'm not sure if I managed to convince Dad,' he said with a sad smile. 'But it appears I convinced Chloe.'

'Oh.'

'And now she's gone on a date with Pierce.'

'Oh.' She took in the dejected figure in front of her. Lucifer had all these ideas about what he should do, and so often he failed to think things through, to appreciate the full implications. And now one had backfired spectacularly, it seemed.

'What should I do?'

For once, Lucifer was not bouncing ideas around. For once, he was sitting listening quietly to her, seeking her advice. And it broke her heart. For a moment, she felt anger at Chloe for hurting him, but as she thought it through, she imagined what it would have been like to have Lucifer behave as though he cared about everyone else more than he cared for her. She shook her head. 'There's only one thing I can suggest, Lucifer.'

He sat forward, eager to hear. 'What is it?'

'Talk to her.'

He threw himself back against the sofa. 'Talk to her? How can I talk to her?'

'Lucifer, I know that everything you've done has been to protect her. But she doesn't understand that. She sees only the way you've been behaving, not the reason why. She deserves to know. She deserves a chance to understand.'

He gazed at her silently.

'Does that scare you so much?'

The movement of his head was minute.

'What have you got to lose? If you don't talk to her, how are things ever going to change?'

She let him think it through as he picked up his coffee and sipped at it. Eventually he looked up from the mug. 'You really think I should talk to her? And what should I tell her?'

'Tell her the truth. Show her the truth she deserves to know, Lucifer. If she wants a relationship with Pierce, then that's her right, but at least she should understand the full situation. Talk to her.'

He shook his head, but it was more in sorrow than refusal. 'I wouldn't know what to say.'

'Then I suggest you start by telling her how you feel. Tell her that you were trying to protect her. Tell her who you really are.'

'I've always-'

'In a way she can't deny. Show her proof, Lucifer. Show her your wings.'

Reviews/comments always welcome. And yes, I'm still working on Guardian Devil. But I seem to be living and dreaming Lucifer at the moment, so I'm forcing myself to put it down in words rather than just in my head.