"His love roared louder than her demons"

Anne Cranston walked down the hallway towards her brother's cell. She had walked this same path every Tuesday during visiting hours for the last few years. Ever since her older brother Jimmy Barnes murdered that singer, Delilah, and went insane. She still found it hard to believe that her own brother had actually paid to have someone murdered. Unfortunately there had been plenty of witnesses to his confession. An entire band of pop musicians had heard him admit to Det. Decker that he had ordered the hit. There was another observer in the room as well. Tagging along with the detective was a night club owner with the dubious moniker of Lucifer Morningstar. Anne never disputed the confession or that her brother was guilty of the crime. Instead she had been shocked and saddened. The ordeal became worse when upon learning what Jimmy had done, their mother suffered a major stroke and died.

Without her mother, Anne Cranston had no one else except her big brother. She and her husband Avery had been divorced for the last seven years and never had kids. She had taken great care of herself, exercising, watching everything she ate and at the young age of fifty-three she was still an amazing beauty. One would expect to hear that she had an active social life, but Anne was terribly introverted and found it difficult to meet anyone. Her conservative style and Sunday school teacher personality never seemed to earn her any dates, but she never worried about it. It was the way she was and she cared very little for what people thought. If she did care then she never would have survived the strange awkward looks and abrupt departures that came with admitting her brother was a murderer and in a high security insane ward.

While she had accepted her brother's crime and the effect it had on her life long ago, there was still something about the Delilah case she didn't understand. It was the details of what had happened after her brother shot Det. Decker. What occurred during those moments to change her brother from a normal functioning human being to a man that had to be drugged into an almost catatonic state? Without the drugs he would scream about the devil until his vocal cords were strained and he could no longer speak. He would also try desperately to hurt himself in a host of different ways. His favorite being the simple act of repeatedly banging his head against the plexi-glass.

Today, Jimmy seemed to be having a good day. He was seated silently on his bed staring vacantly into space. He gave no reaction when she greeted him. He never did. She took her usual seat next to the glass, then Anne reached into her purse and took out the book she had been reading to him. It was a well-worn copy of East of Eden she had checked out from the library, but she didn't open it right away. She always tried to talk to him first. Not that it seemed to matter much. He so rarely spoke back that she might as well be speaking to herself. She told him how her dog, Scarlett, was doing and everything that was new at her job. The short answer was nothing . . . nothing was new. Her life had become one endless cycle of monotony and loneliness. She told him some of the latest headlines, but without a reaction or opinion the subject felt empty and pointless. Finally she opened the novel and started reading.

"Maybe we all have in us a secret pond where evil and ugly things germinate and grow strong. But this culture is fenced, and the swimming brood climbs up only to fall back. Might it not be that in the dark pools of some men the evil grows strong enough to wriggle over the fence and swim free? Would not such a man be our monster, and are we not related to him in our hidden water? It would be absurd if we did not understand both angels and devils . . ."

Anne was suddenly cut off as her brother, Jimmy, leapt to his feet with a frightened expression. He had heard her say the word 'devil' and that was all that was needed to unleash his madness. His ferret eyes were wide as he looked over every nook and cranny that was visible through the plexi-glass and demanded to know if Lucifer was there. She tried to tell him that it was only a book and there was no such thing as the devil, but he seemed unconvinced. He started yelling and demanding to know why the King of Hell couldn't just stop tormenting him. Jimmy then fell to his knees and started crying like a baby. In between sobs he began to tear at his hair, pulling out handfuls. The nurses and orderlies pushed Anne out to the way as they opened the cell and went in. They grabbed her brother and held him down to the bed while taking a syringe and administering sedatives. When he had finally calmed down, she was told that it would probably be best if she left for the day. She didn't argue, just collected her things and left the facility.

When she got back in her car she flung the book against the passenger side door then fell back against the seat in angry frustration. This was not the same brother she had grown up with. She had so many fond memories of childhood board games, Christmas mornings, bike riding and more. Jimmy was six years older than her and like any little sister she tagged along with him and his friends. Anne could remember playing outside as a child and a bigger kid pushing her down and snatching her doll. Jimmy chased him and down and after a bloody scuffle, got the doll back. He was never one to stand there and let someone get by with wronging him in any way, not even Delilah

Collecting herself, she drove off. At first she could only think of going home, but soon changed her mind and direction. Instead she followed the same path she had numerous times before and went straight to the police station. She had lost count of how many times she had been there in the last few years. It wasn't that she was looking for Jimmy to be exonerated for all his crimes, she just wanted answers. Someone knew the truth regarding that moment in time. That damned space of a few minutes when the LAPD looked the other way and allowed that man, that devil, to do whatever he wanted to Jimmy. There was a brief moment in the beginning when she had thought the matter would be settled after a conversation with Lt. Olivia Monroe. That fell through quickly and instead of looking into the situation, the ambitious lieutenant made that arrogant bastard, a consultant. A CONSULTANT! She tried to appeal to the next Lieutenant, but they never seemed to be around. Anne found hope again after Marcus Pierce arrived. At first he wouldn't see her, then after a murder case involving some woman that Lucifer Morningstar was associated with, the lieutenant reached out to her. In the end it came to nothing. Pierce kept rescheduling and then he was dead.

She must have cried all night after learning about Lt. Pierce. She was sure it had to be the enigmatic Mr. Morningstar. The lieutenant was probably a good cop trying to take out the trash, she thought to herself. What was it about that night club owner? Was he part of the mob? Did he have the LAPD on his payroll? What was it? Anne parked her car then strolled into the precinct. Her eyes looked around and was relieved that the shady playboy wasn't there. On those occasions when she made the trip and saw that well-dressed prick she either left immediately or watched him from the balcony above. God, how she hated him. At least today he wasn't there. Boldly she approached Chloe's desk and stared down at her until the detective finally looked up and acknowledged her.

"Look, Ms. Cranston, it doesn't matter how many times you come in here and harass me or plead with whichever lieutenant we have, it won't change. Your brother shot me and I didn't see anything that happened after that."

"I suppose you've told yourself that enough times that you actually believe it." Anne hissed.

"Listen, I have tried to be patient with you for a very long time, now I'm done. If you step into this precinct and approach me about this again I will have you arrested for harassment." Chloe promised.

"I just want you to do the right thing. Jimmy deserved to go to prison for what he did to that girl, but we both know your partner did something to him and you're helping him cover it up. How many other suspects does this so-called 'Lucifer Morningstar' abuse while your precinct looks the other way?"

"Get out!" Chloe hissed. The two women glared at each other, before Anne finally turned and left.

Chloe sat back down at her desk and sighed. She moved a couple of files before stopping and putting her head in her hands. She could still picture that day . . . that encounter. Jimmy had shot her in the shoulder causing her to fall to the ground. She could still recall the shock, the pain and the fear. She had been so afraid of dying and leaving Trixie behind. What had Lucifer said?

"I won't let you. My Father will just have to wait for you." He smiled at her and for some reason she believed him. After that he went to take care of Jimmy. She could still remember the gunshots as Lucifer walked towards the producer. There was four of them and he never stopped. It never affected him at all. The last thing she remembered was the way the devil lifted him off the floor. Of course at the time she had no idea that this man, this well dressed, hedonistic night club owner was really the devil himself.

She understood it now, though. She had seen his face, his real face, that day when Marcus Pierce was killed. In some ways it was a complete shock and in others it was as if she had known all along. Since that moment she had managed to accept her new reality, although sometimes it still gave her pause. Lucifer was still the same Lucifer and knowing the truth had not changed that one iota. There were things she still didn't understand and so many questions she wanted to ask. Rather than bombard him, she went slowly and initially only asked the important things like why he never showed her the truth before. If he had, then a lot of things would have made so much more sense and some mistakes could have been avoided. Chloe also found herself beginning to understand why at times Lucifer seemed completely out of tune with his emotions and why he was in therapy. She could only imagine the things he talked about behind closed doors. Life in Hell? His Father issues? Siblings? Did her name come up?

If Linda Martin were at liberty to discuss the things said in session, she would attest to the fact that the subject of Chloe Decker came up with about the same frequency as Lucifer's dear old Dad. It was by far the most complex and chaotic relationship in the devil's life . . . after his Father issues. A lot of it could be traced back to Lucifer's lack of understanding human emotions and a certain immaturity when it came to dealing with them. It was best summed up by saying that emotionally this ancient and immortal being was a child still trying to grow and learn. It also didn't help that for a long time Chloe believed her partner was simply an eccentric millionaire who liked to believe he was the devil. That at least had changed. This was a new chapter in fallen angel's therapy and Linda was in anticipation of delving into it as she saw her client come in the door.

Smiling brightly, he was about to seat himself on the couch when he remembered he owed her for this session as well as the last one. Linda never needed to press the issue with the fallen angel. He might miss a week now and again, due to what was happening in his life, but he always paid and often added a bit more to make up for the delay. Today was no exception. With many apologies he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket to take out some cash and pay his debt. In the process his fingers also caught hold of something else in his pocket causing it to tumble onto the floor. It was Lilith's stone necklace. The smooth pendent was cut from one of rocks in Hell and hung from a leather strap by a scorpion shaped loop. 'Lilit, Samael kātaliyai' it said and Linda recalled that it meant 'Lilith beloved of Samael'. Away from the devil, the surface was dark and cold, except for the writing, but when he was near then the images of rudimentary flames appeared on the surface. This was truly a piece not of humanity.

Linda couldn't help noticing it as it hit the floor, or the way he quickly grabbed and hurriedly returned it to his pocket. It had been a long time since Lucifer had mentioned Lili at one of their sessions. The last time was when he had learned he had a son by her and even then he had hardly spoken the entire hour. In fact, the more Linda thought about it, the more she realized that for all of the times the devil came to her seeking help understanding or controlling his emotions or navigating humanity and its relationships, Lilith was never among his issues. Lucifer was still in high spirits as he handed her his money and took his seat. Normally Dr. Martin allowed Lucifer to take the lead as to what they discussed, but this time she did.

"So tell me, how is Lilith these days? I haven't heard anything from her in quite a long time."

"Good. She's good." He answered casually. His dark eyes looked anywhere but at the doctor and his hands gently moved along the fabric of the couch a tad distracted. Linda had seen him put on this mask before to hide something deeper. That simple leather cord and stone was not just jewelry, but a clear symbol of the affection between the demoness and the fallen angel. For it to not be around her neck was significant and Dr. Martin wanted to know who or what had come between them. Chloe? "As far I know, she's living life on her own terms. She goes where she wants, with whomever she wants and does whatever she wants." His words had a coolness to them which Linda immediately noted. "At least I assume that's what she's doing."

"You assume? Haven't you seen her?"

"No. She's gone off to . . . well, to whatever place tickles her fancy I guess. She had Velius put her bar up for sale, but I decided to go ahead and buy it so that if . . . when she comes back she would have a place of her own . . . ready for her."

While she never doubted her patient's ability to buy and pay for anything he desired, to Linda this sounded less like a favor and more like an attempt at penance. What crime could he have committed against Lili? The doctor couldn't imagine the fallen angel doing anything so bad that the demoness would throw away her necklace. On her notebook Linda wrote the question 'What happened?' then continued her light conversation with the devil.

"Lilith Eden has always been known for her independent spirit. She is definitely a determined woman."

"Determined is one way of putting it." He agreed, his annoyance beginning to show. "She's also stubborn, exhausting, short fused and doesn't listen."

"I'm surprised to see you with her necklace. I was under the impression that she never took it off."

"Well, I guess it didn't match her outfit." Lucifer's words were biting and Linda could feel them. "I'm actually taking it to the US Private Vaults where it can be stored with all of her legal documents. Obviously there is no reason for me to keep it." He was trying to act nonchalant about it, but the doctor could see it bothered him. Realizing that the devil would not be forthcoming regarding Lilith and what had happened, the doctor decided on a different approach. In the past, the only information Linda really had regarding the relationship between devil and demon had come from Lilith, herself. The fallen angel had never offered any details. Perhaps it was time to hear the devil's side of the story.

"What was Lilith like when you met her?"

"Lovely, actually, but terribly naïve." He explained. "Well, how could she not be, I mean, she had barely lived. She knew nothing except her life there in that garden."

"It was paradise." Linda stated, repeating sentiments she had heard in so many books. "She was created to be the mother of all humanity. Some would see that as an honor and a privilege."

"Not to her. She hated it, but she did whatever Adam told her because she thought that's how it was supposed to be. You see, that dullard husband of hers couldn't think beyond the idea of 'you do this to achieve that'. Sex was for procreation not pleasure."

"So you opened her eyes." Dr. Martin summed up.

"I suppose I did. I showed her that there was more to eating an apple then just food, there was savoring the flavor as well. She may not have technically been a virgin, but in so many ways she was."

"You helped her expand her mind and in turn she became dissatisfied with the Garden of Eden."

"She was already dissatisfied long before I arrived." The suggestion that he might be to blame for Lilith's mortal unhappiness, was not to be born and the devils eyes looked sharply at Linda. "It is not my fault that my Father sent her a husband who couldn't appreciate her."

"But you appreciated her."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"She was the only one who listened to me." Lucifer answered. "In her own way she understood, at least as much as any human could. You see, she wanted control over her own fate just as much as I did." Recalling this made the devil thoughtful. He could well remember that first conversation near Lilith's favorite place in the garden by the water's edge. At her insistence, Lucifer went into great detail as he explained the anger and resentment he had for his Father. He had expected to hear her say that he was wrong the same way two-thirds of his siblings had. She was, after-all, a human and undoubtedly loyal to the one who had created this world and her existence, but to his great surprise, she agreed with him. This shared desire for absolute independence, as well as other things, forged a deep bond between them. Surely, something this strong would not dissolve now.

"It seems to me that both of you have a strong connection to each other . . . a deep affection."

"I . . . I actually heard her say she loved me." He smiled a bit at the thought.

"She actually told you?" For a moment Linda was excited. Someone from the celestial/demonic circle finally listened to her advice.

"No, I overheard a conversation between Lili and the detective." He explained. Dr. Martin quickly hid her disappointment. Perhaps having one of them follow her guidance just once was too much to ask. Linda was well aware of the feelings Lilith had for the Lord of Hell, although when confronted the demoness had steadfastly denied it.

"Lilith has been and is many things to me and I care a great deal for her. She is my friend, confidant, lover . . . mother of my son, but . . ." Here he hesitated. "I'm not in love with her." Lucifer's explanation ended there and Dr. Martin was hardly surprised by what he said. A blind man passing the devil on the street could tell he was deeply in love with Chloe. He couldn't close his eyes at night without thinking of her pale skin, wide blue eyes and golden hair. The detective was in every beat of his heart and at times he wondered how it was that she didn't hear it.

"So you told this to Lilith?" Linda asked, assuming that this might be the cause of the conflict between demon and angel.

"Oh no. No. A while back when Lili's son, Ahriman, was still wreaking havoc he kidnapped the detectives daughter and there was a moment of heated words between Lili and the detective. I know her temper . . . I know what Lili's capable of. I made it clear that if she harmed Chloe then I would strip her of her power and render her human." He was stoic as he spoke, but Linda could see behind his eyes that this was not decision he was proud of. Suddenly she understood why he was trying to pay a penance by purchasing her home and having it ready for her.

"As I recall, she was human the first time I met her."

"Yes." He answered. Even after all this time the doctor still couldn't begin to understand all the ins and outs of the celestial and demonic worlds. In particular the queen of demons had often been a puzzle to her and, like the devil, she was curious to understand.

"If she readily gave up her power for her fiancé Christian, why should it be so upsetting now?" Linda asked the question for two reasons. The first was because of her curiosity in all things celestial, the second was that it seemed to be the heart of the issue.

"Well . . ." Lucifer began, trying to figure out the best way to explain it. "You could say that it's the difference between consent and assault . . ." He was quiet a moment before continuing. The comparison, while accurate, left a bad taste in his mouth. "Of course, the fact that I was the one . . . well that made it worse." Dr. Martin didn't pass judgment on his actions, rather she listened and watched his eyes. Often what his facial expressions tried to mask, his eyes gave away. The deep brilliant black of his eyes showed none of his normal waggish arrogance, but remorse.

"Was she a threat to Chloe?"

"I don't know." The devil admitted. "Perhaps not. What I do know is I am the only person who knows the ritual on this earth and there has always been a trust between us that I would never enact it. I'm afraid I may have damaged that. I know I did."

"Have you tried to talk to her, explain why you did what you did?"

"The sale and purchase of her bar and home was done through a lawyer, her phone has been disconnected. I suspect that Velius knows where she is, but he wishes to remain completely out of it."

"Even Lilith can't stay angry forever." Linda commented. Lucifer could only stare at her with a look that asked if she was serious.

"Riiight, she's Maze's mother."

"Then you know what it's like to be caught in a death spiral with an angry crocodile." He answered. "Right now it's probably best if she takes all the time she needs. Lilith is not known for her forgiving nature and I prefer to keep my John Thomas where he is."

"So you're just letting her go?" Dr. Martin found this rather surprising. Lucifer was not exactly one to give up.

"Oh, I'm not letting her go. I'm just . . . not ready for the next battle."