Family Secrets

Lucifer laid on the ground and listened as Maze and Uriel fought. He needed to get up and help. Maze couldn't beat Uriel. He was too good at reading patterns. It wouldn't take him long to figure out Maze's as well. Plus, he was still planning on going after the detective.

Lucifer needed to get up, but he couldn't at first. All he could think about was what Uriel had told him. About killing Mum with Azrael's blade, erasing her from existence. This wasn't something their father had told him to do. He made it clear that he didn't know what their father really wanted. Uriel was acting on his own.

For the life of him, Lucifer couldn't figure out why Uriel was doing this. He said it was to protect their father, but it still didn't sit right with Lucifer. They were talking about completely destroying their mother, like she never existed. How could Uriel even consider that. Yes, he was closer to their father than their mother, many of Lucifer's siblings were, but this taking it to new level entirely. This had to take a certain degree of hate or fear.

Lucifer was forced to abandon his thoughts as he watched his brother best Maze. He immediately got up and grabbed Azrael's blade. He listened as Uriel declared that he would kill both Chloe and their mother. Lucifer couldn't let that happen. He had to act quickly and unpredictably to avoid Uriel anticipating him. He could see only one way to do that.

Lucifer grabbed Uriel and prepared to kill him, but he hesitated at the last minute, his earlier thoughts nagging at him that he was missing something.

Lucifer's hesitance was all Uriel needed to get the upper hand. He punched his brother and then kicked him in the arm, forcing the blade out of his hand. "Nice try, brother, but there's no way you'd be able to go through with it."

Before Lucifer knew it, another punch was sent his way, and he fell to the ground. "Why?"

Uriel laughed. "Why? Because despite your claims on being the Devil, you still give a damn about us. You could never kill me."

"No, you idiot, that's not what I meant. Why are you doing this? Why do you want Mum gone so bad?" Lucifer asked.

"I told you. I'm protecting Dad. I can't let him forgive her. She'll just destroy him," Uriel said.

Lucifer shook his head and stood up. There was something in his brother's eyes, something that told him it went much deeper than that. "You're lying. You want her gone. Not to protect Dad, but for yourself."

"That's ridiculous," Uriel said, his voice faltering just slightly.

Lucifer stepped closer. "What are you hiding, brother?"

Stop. You're stalling. It won't work," Uriel said, trying to sound strong.

Lucifer knew he was onto something, just from the way his brother's face and voice lost their confidence. "Tell me why, Uriel."

"Get away from me!" Uriel said as his brother inched closer. He pushed him away.

Lucifer noticed something as his brother pushed him. Uriel's clothing moved a bit, revealing something on his skin, just by his neck. On impulse, Lucifer lunged forward and started pulling at his brother's clothes.

"No, stop!" Uriel said urgently as he pushed at him again

Lucifer was successful in pulling his brother's robe open before he was pushed away. He got a really good look at what his brother was hiding. His body was covered in scars. "Bloody Hell, Uriel."

Uriel covered himself back up quickly. "Don't make anything out of it! We all have battle wounds."

"Not like that. When?" Lucifer asked. He didn't bother asking who. It was quite evident who had done it given the circumstances.

"I said it's noth…"

"When did she do it, Uriel? Why?" Lucifer asked. That was another thing he needed to know. Why had this happened. Uriel never did anything to anyone, not until now, and it was quite clear that he had his reasons for this.

Uriel laughed bitterly, no longer bothering to even try to hide it. "Because she could? I don't know. You guess is as good as mine."

"It doesn't make any sense," Lucifer whispered, mostly to himself, as he tried to make sense of it. His mother had changed after his father began the humanity project, but to abuse her own son when he'd done nothing to her. Yes, Lucifer thought she'd come after him when she got out of Hell, but that was because he had let her rote down there. Uriel had done nothing like that. Uriel was the most timid angel in the Silver City, at least before this mess.

"No, of course, it doesn't make sense to you. She never touched you," Uriel said, sounding very resentful of that fact. "I was the only one she ever did it to. I guess she decided I was the only one too weak to fight back. I was the weakest of us all, right? That's why none of you would give me the time of day when we were children, and I was older than you."

"This is not the same as some brotherly rivalry," Lucifer said. This was so much different. Brothers hurt each other. They excluded each other and they fought with each other. This was a parent torturing her own son. It was so much different. "Who knows about this, Uriel?"

"You," was Uriel's only response.

"You haven't told Father?" Lucifer asked.

Uriel laughed. "Yeah, right. I'm going to tell Dad that I'm so weak I can't fight against my own mother."

"It doesn't make you weak, Uriel," Lucifer said.

"I won't be. I won't let her touch me ever again! I won't let her touch any of us!" Uriel said strongly.

"That's the real reason you came here. It wasn't to protect Dad. It was to protect yourself… and me," Lucifer realized. Uriel knew their mother was in his life. He knew he had no idea what she might do. Uriel was trying to protect all of them.

"It's insane, right? Why should I protect you? I should be glad you'll know how I felt. That way you can stop complaining about how horrible a little time out was. But for some reason, just like you couldn't kill me, I can't let her hurt you. And she will. She came after me just because she could. What will she do to the son who let her rot in Hell?" Uriel asked.

Lucifer went over and picked up his sister's blade, which was resting on the floor a few feet away. "I understand, brother, but this isn't the way to do it."

"Then what is?" Uriel asked. He had a desperate, scared look on his face, one he'd fought hard to hide until this point.

"I don't know yet, but allow me to help you figure it out. I promise you, I will not let her touch you again," Lucifer swore.

"Samael," Uriel whispered. He couldn't help but use his brother's former name, despite how much he knew he hated it. He'd longed for years for someone to know, but he was too ashamed to actually tell anyone

"It's okay, Uriel," Lucifer said before walking over and pulling his brother into his arms. He noticed Maze get up ready to attack again, but he quickly shook his head and flashed red eyes at her, ordering her to back off.