Not the Best Day Ever
Natalie awoke the next morning in her own bed. A slight panic set in as she looked around and saw no sign of Satan anywhere. Then, she remembered. She wasn't dealing with the devil anymore. An Angel wouldn't watch her sleep. He had his own room. Cranky and disoriented, she turned off her alarm. Natalie spotted her homework neatly placed in a pile by her nightstand. Shit. She hadn't finished her homework. Moving fast, she shoved the papers into her backpack and got dressed. Maybe, she could still ask for an extension or extra credit or something. She planned to graduate this year, apocalypse or not.
Once out the door, she paused, staring at Lucifer's room, right across from hers. He'd written his code name, Lucian, in elegant script above the door. Natalie didn't want to be late, but she couldn't help herself. Would he still be there? Turning the doorknob, she barged in, half expecting the room to be empty. It wasn't. Lucifer was resting on Max's old bed, looking out the window at the sky above. Her heart skipped a beat, and she mouthed Thank God under her breath. If he noticed, he didn't acknowledge it. After a few seconds of silence, she finally worked up the nerve to speak.
"You're an angel so I don't feel the need to keep you under house arrest all the time like I had to with Satan. I'd feel bad so you can go out while I'm at school if you want," Natalie offered.
"How kind of you," Lucifer said in a tone that implied the opposite. He still couldn't go to Heaven, and it was her fault. Natalie looked away and did her best to tell him what she needed to say.
"And, umm, it's fine if your brothers come visit you and you wanna talk to them, but if they start talking to you about end of days business just turn around and walk the other way. That's an order," Natalie said. If nothing else, she planned on keeping Lucifer in one piece this time. At this command, he tore his gaze away from the window and marched towards her, absolutely furious. Natalie backed away instinctively. An angel wouldn't hurt her, but she recognized that look of fury all too well.
"You're ridiculous. I'm not going to be able to stay out of the fight. I'm the strongest angel. They need me," Lucifer said, talking to her as if she were a small child. She ignored him and continued.
"All I ask is that you come back around four thirty when I get home from school, every day. That's also an order," Natalie said sheepishly, glancing at the clock in Max's room. She needed to go. Natalie stole a quick hug and handed him some clothes to wear in case he decided to go outside. He shot her an annoyed look but said nothing. At least, he was getting used to her hugs. That's something.
"I'll see you later, Lucifer. Be good," Natalie said without thinking. Lucifer looked offended. Natalie bit her lip in an effort to stifle a laugh.
"I'm an angel now. You don't have to constantly tell me to be good," Lucifer said. Natalie chose not to say anything else in case her laughter escaped and infuriated him even more.
The girl ran out the door, leaving Lucifer to his own devices. When she'd told him to stay with her forever, he'd interpreted the command a bit too literally. Last night had left him bored out of his mind with absolutely nothing to do. He'd burned through the reading material available rather quickly, and he didn't understand what half the things in the room were for. Lucifer was actually grateful for the clarification. The impulse to obey had been too strong to ignore as if the weight of Heaven itself was forcing him to keep his word. The girl had basically stripped him of his freewill, and it was bringing back unpleasant memories of a past he'd tried to bury. Lucifer never wanted to serve humans, and yet, he'd willingly allowed himself to be tied to one because of a feeble promise he'd made to prove Michael wrong. Basically, he was an idiot. Perhaps, he deserved this fate for what he'd done in a life he did not remember.
Lucifer examined the clothes she'd left for him, a red plaid shirt and some black slacks. The kind of an outfit a devil would wear, just perfect. He sighed, debating on whether or not to accept the offering, before ultimately giving in. If he wanted to go outside, he needed to blend in, and Lucifer desperately required a taste of freedom if he was going to live with this brat indefinitely. Anything to feel less trapped. Ditching the robe, he ripped the red plaid shirt open, losing a few buttons in the process before pushing his arms through each sleeve. Lucifer did his best to button up the shirt, but inevitably, the thing didn't look quite right. He slipped on the slacks, easily enough at least.
Why did he even care? What did it matter if some human gawked at him while he was walking down the street? Lucifer just wanted out. And yet, when he looked at himself in the stand alone mirror, Lucifer for a moment saw a demon instead of an angel, a horrifying what could have been. Lucifer shook his head. That reality was never coming back. He ran his fingers through his slicked back hair, and decided, good enough. Not bothering to disguise himself, he ran downstairs. Both McAllister's were thankfully occupied elsewhere the majority of the day. Lucifer walked out the door and didn't look back.
So far, Earth wasn't looking so great. There were neatly ordered boxes people lived in as far as his eyes could see along two parallel lines. Occasionally, some odd contraption would flit by with humans nestled in it, either slowly being devoured or being carried to places unknown by some unfamiliar beast of burden. He hoped it was the former. Then, something familiar caught his eye. A wolf? No, Lucifer did not see a fiercely independent canine with a strong sense of loyalty to its family before him that he had once admired, long ago. The thing in front of him was large but friendly, far too trusting of a stranger. He sighed. It had been domesticated, how terribly disappointing. Humans really did ruin everything.
Even so, it wasn't its fault. He gave the animal a small pat of appreciation before walking away. The beast followed him. A human soon started shouting some nonsense name, beckoning the animal to return. Good riddance, he'd have a chance to escape now.
"Hey there, stranger, wait a minute," the woman shouted. He didn't know what made him stop.
"I've never seen him take a shine to someone so quickly. How would you like to walk him for me? " the woman suggested. Lucifer's eye twitched.
"Excuse me?" Were humans always looking for favors?
"You'll get paid of course. It's just all the dog walkers in the area refuse to walk him now, and he's so calm around you," the woman explained. Michael did say he would probably need money at some point. He had suggested Lucifer ask Gabriel for money, but this seemed like a better option.
"Alright," Lucifer decided. He just needed to walk this dog creature. How hard could it be? The woman gave him the money up front, shoved a piece of metal into a loop located on the collar around its neck and handed him the leash. Once he was out of her line of sight, he tossed the leash and allowed the dog to walk beside him.
Since he'd already been paid, Lucifer saw no reason to return the dog and acquired about seven other dogs from various other humans before Michael found him. His brother looked horrified for reasons Lucifer didn't quite understand. If collecting dogs and money from gullible humans made his short stay on Earth more bearable, he saw no reason not to do so.
"Hey Luce, I just popped in to check on you. I see you've . . . made some friends," Michael said, forcing a smile. Lucifer saw right through him and didn't bother with any pleasantries.
"There just dogs Michael. They'll blindly follow anyone. See a couple are circling you now," Lucifer said with a smirk as his brother did his best to keep his composure as several of the larger dogs tackled him to the ground. It was always a pleasure to see Michael squirm. He recovered quickly, sitting up and examining the tiny circles dangling from each dog's collar.
"So, these dogs all seem to belong to humans in the neighborhood. How exactly did you get a hold of them?" Michael asked, petting one of the dogs next to him absently.
"The humans gave me money to take them so I did," Lucifer said, deciding it was better to play dumb than admit his wrong doing. It worked. Immediately, a look of pity crossed Michael's face.
"Oh Luce, you're supposed to give them back when you're done," he said, standing up and wiping the dirt of his street clothes.
"I am, whoops," Lucifer said in a dead pan tone. His brother didn't notice his insincerity.
"See, this is why I told you to just get money from Gabe. You don't understand this place well enough to get a job yet," Michael said, placing his hands on Lucifer's shoulders.
"It seemed like an easy gig," Lucifer said, ignoring Michael's condescension.
"I know, but you need be careful when you're dealing with humans, especially in Gingersnaps' neighborhood. We don't want to get her in trouble," Michael said because obviously the most important thing was to make Lucifer's abductor comfortable.
"No, we wouldn't want that. She's always sooo considerate of others needs," Lucifer said, the sarcasm in his voice thick. Michael remained oblivious and smiled brightly at the mere mention of his crush.
"She really is. I know you don't like humans, Luce, and I kind of tricked you into it, but I think you'll really like her. Natalie is one of the best humans around," Michael assured him. Lucifer rolled his eyes. He was clearly biased.
"Then, I really don't want to meet the rest," Lucifer muttered. If his brother heard him, he didn't say anything. Instead, he rounded the dogs up and called for him to follow.
"Come on, let's take these dogs back to their owners before you get yourself in a heap of trouble."
Lucifer followed without a word, dismayed as his brother found the discarded leashes and restrained the dogs willingly following them everywhere. He just didn't see the point. Why did humans feel the need to shackle everything? His mind wandered to the girl's smiling face as she answered, " Because I love you." He shook his head to dispel the thought. Lucifer wasn't a dog she could chain up until the apocalypse was over. He'd find a way to get out of the contract before then.
One by one, they returned the dogs until only the one that originally followed him remained. They were outside the woman's door. The dog just sat there looking at him with adoring eyes, wagging its tail. At least, this one kind of looked like a wolf. Michael tapped him on the shoulder and handed him the leash. Lucifer sighed and looked away as he asked Michael for a favor.
"Can I keep this one?" Michael blinked as if not completely comprehending the question.
"This dog already belongs to someone else. We have to give him back," Michael said in the same condescending tone he'd been using since he'd found him wandering around with a pack of dogs. Lucifer resisted the urge to punch him in the face.
"She doesn't know how to handle him properly. He's better off with me," Lucifer said, never mind the fact that his stay on Earth was temporary. Lucifer wasn't the best at picking his battles. This just felt really important, even as it occurred to him that it really wasn't.
"Look, I know this is hard for you. I'll take him," Michael decided, attempting to take the leash from him. Lucifer's grip tightened on the rope he so despised.
"No," Lucifer said, unsure were the sudden uptick of anger was coming from.
"What do you mean, no? This dog belongs here. You don't know how to take care of a dog. What's gotten into you?" Michael said, completely lost as to what was going on with him.
"Just let me keep her," he shouted. His eyes widened and he dropped the leash. Just then, the woman stepped out and called to the dog. The beast returned to its master, and the woman thanked him for his service, asking him if he'd like to take him out for a walk again sometime. Lucifer said he'd consider it. Michael didn't say a word, but the worried look on his face spoke volumes.
"What was that about?" he asked finally when the woman returned to her house, and they were alone. Lucifer didn't understand it himself.
"I don't know. Can you just drop it?" Lucifer said, walking away, but of course, Michael wasn't going to drop it.
"Hey, I'm not supposed to talk about it, but did you remember something?" he asked. Lucifer froze as the past he didn't remember reared its ugly head. Had he known all along? He shook his head and kept walking.
"Are you sure?" he asked, sounding afraid. At this, Lucifer stopped and glared at his brother. The underlying resentment finally boiling to the surface.
"Did they tell you about the other reality? Is that why you always act like I'm about to snap?" Lucifer asked. Michael shook his head, startled.
"Other reality? What are you talking about, Luce? I'm just supposed to report to Raphael if you ever act weird and start remembering painful memories that don't make sense anymore, or that's how he explained it at least," Michael said, getting increasingly nervous at Lucifer's death glare.
"And, what exactly would happen if I admitted to remembering such painful memories, dear brother?" Lucifer asked. Were his memories intact once? It was strange the girl was allowed to remember him, but he did not remember the girl. Michael gulped.
"Raphael would make you forget. It's supposed to help with emotional healing or something. Are you mad? You seem mad," Michael said, rubbing his neck sheepishly.
"Not at you," Lucifer said quietly. The tension in the air remained thick.
"When was the last time I remembered something?" he asked finally. Michael hesitated.
"I'm not supposed to say," he said, but Lucifer raised an eyebrow. They both knew, when it came to Lucifer, Michael was willing to break the rules.
"We were young and playing hide and seek with Zadkiel and Uriel. Humans weren't around yet. It was your turn to find us, but you kept shouting, why am I here? Where is she?" Michael said. Hmm, did his repressed memories always center around the girl? Why? Why was a human so damn important to him then?
"I was worried about you so I went to find Raphael while Zadkiel tried to calm you down. When I told him, he wasn't surprised. Raphael said he'd heal you," Michael said. He looked guilty. Good.
"You tried to run when you spotted him, but Zadkiel and Uriel held you back," Michael said. Whatever trust Lucifer had left in his family eroded as he realized that they all had to have known something to keep this from him for so long.
"Once you were filled with Heaven's essence, you calmed down, and Raphael kept muttering something while he worked. I wasn't close enough to hear it. When I asked you who you were looking for later, you didn't remember," Michael said. They'd returned to the girl's house without him consciously realizing that's where he'd been heading.
"That long ago, huh," Lucifer said, maybe being on Earth was triggering his memories. Michael nodded before taking a deep breath.
"Actually, I'm not just here to check on you. I have some new intel on the end of days. I'd almost forgotten with this whole memory business," Michael said, alarmed when Lucifer immediately started walking away.
"Hey, where are you going? Don't tell me being on Earth has already eroded your strong work ethic," Michael said, running to catch up to him. Lucifer didn't have a choice. The impulse to obey the girl was too strong to ignore. It was humiliating.
"Stop talking about the end of days, Michael, and I'll stop walking away from you," Lucifer explained.
"Okay, okay, maybe, it was too soon to jump into work talk after the whole memory wipe confession," Michael said, looking guilty again. Lucifer shook his head, if only it were that simple.
"That's not it. The girl ordered me to walk away if any of my siblings approached me and wanted to talk about the apocalypse that's coming," Lucifer said. He really should have let Michael know the situation earlier. Maybe, this would finally crush that crush he had on the annoying brat.
"Why would she do that?" Michael asked confused.
Because she's the devil? Hmm, too callous, Lucifer needed to get Michael on his side before bad mouthing the girl.
"That's not the only thing she's asked of me. I've been forbidden from participating in the apocalypse. Frankly, I get the impression this was her plan from the beginning," Lucifer said. Michael still didn't seem to grasp the seriousness of the situation.
"Gingersnap wouldn't do that, just to spite us. There has to be something else going on. I'll talk to her when she gets home," Michael decided. This wasn't the reaction Lucifer was hoping for, but at least, he had someone else on his side now. Besides, Michael was better with humans than he was. Maybe, Michael could get her to change her mind.
"We still have a few hours before Nat gets home. Let's stop by the coffee shop, my treat," Michael said, leading him away from the house. Lucifer let himself be dragged away, if only to avoid his prison for a little while longer.
"We're getting free drinks from Gabe, aren't we?" Lucifer asked.
"Yup," Michael said, looking a little embarrassed. It was understandable that Michael didn't carry cash. He didn't come to earth very often.
"Alright," Lucifer said. He hadn't seen Gabriel in quite some time. Michael always had him running some errand or other. At the moment, he had him spying on the prophecy girl and by extension him. He tried not to take it personally. Gabriel had been looking after the girl from afar for quite some time before he arrived.
The coffee shop was walking distance from the girl's house. It was a small brick and mortar store, and at the moment, there was no one present inside aside from his brother, Gabriel. That was something to be thankful for at least. He was gazing off into space, looking up at the sky lovesick. Bleh.
"Hey, Gabey Baby, how you doing?" Michael asked cheerfully. Gabe expression momentarily soured before returning the greeting.
"What brings you here, Michael?" he asked. His brother wrapped his arm around his shoulders and brought him closer. Lucifer shot him an annoyed look but didn't resist.
"I'm just here to treat, Luce. He's never tried this stuff before. Anything you recommend?" Michael asked. Gabe's expression seemed to soften, and he nodded.
"A double chocolate chip frappuccino for Lucifer and a strawberry lemonade for you," Gabriel said, getting to work.
Having placed their orders, they sat across from each other in a booth located in the corner, away from any prying eyes that might drop in. Michael gave Lucifer a practiced smile, the kind of smile he used when he planned to be particularly annoying.
"So, how's your vacation going so far?" Michael asked. Is this what he thought this was? Lucifer was in a hostage situation, damn it.
"It's not a vacation. I was coerced into coming here, by you, and now, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to be able to leave until that girl drops dead," Lucifer said.
"Don't be like that, you two just got off to a rough start. I'm sure we will be able to straighten everything out later. Tell me about your stay on Earth so far. Do you have any questions?" Michael asked, keeping his sunny disposition despite Lucifer's doom and gloom attitude.
Lucifer went on to explain his elaborate ruse to make sure Natalie's father would allow him to roam the house unquestioned. The girl's strange attachment issues, neglecting to mention why she had them in the first place, Lucifer did not want Michael to know how close he'd been to becoming Satan himself. The peculiar mechanical things roaming the roads with people inside, apparently, they were cars and not alive or trying to eat anyone. Gabriel stopped by to give them their drinks before going to attend to some human customers who had just come in. Lucifer inspected the drink, the top was covered in a white fluffy substance, drizzled with some kind of black sticky liquid, the drink itself was brown.
"Go ahead, take a sip," Michael said when Lucifer continued to look at his drink suspiciously. At his brother's behest, Lucifer licked the sticky substance off his finger. Oh, it was quite sweet. Convinced, he consumed the drink eagerly, guzzling the entire thing in minutes. Lucifer liked chocolate; he decided.
"What do you think, Luce?" Michael asked.
"I want more," Lucifer said. It was not a request. Michael laughed and signaled to Gabriel that he wanted to order another drink. Gabriel seemed surprised but granted the request. Before he gave Lucifer his second drink, Gabriel issued a warning.
"I'm glad you enjoyed the drink but keep in mind you are not used to consuming energy this way. I don't want you to get carried away." Lucifer snatched the drink and drank it greedily. Michael gave Gabriel an apologetic shrug.
Gabriel simply smiled and said, "Enjoy yourselves."
Michael and Lucifer continued to talk. Mostly, it consisted of Michael explaining various things about Earth and humans with Lucifer asking several follow up questions. Gabriel allowed Lucifer two more Frappuccinos before cutting him off. After a while, Lucifer felt himself getting restless. He glanced at the clock, four fifteen. If he waited any longer, the contract would force him to comply.
"We need to go," Lucifer said, grabbing Michael roughly by the arm.
"Hey, what's the hurry? Gingersnap's barely making her way home now," Michael asked as Lucifer dragged him out of the coffee shop.
"I don't have a choice. She wants me to be there by four thirty. That's about as long as it will take to get back to the house," Lucifer said, gritting his teeth. Michael looked taken back.
"Hmm, that's strange. I've known Natalie since she was a small child, and she's never been this controlling," Michael said, seriously puzzled before noticing Lucifer's skeptical expression.
"Seriously, based on what you told me, Natalie seems to be suffering from some serious trauma. I don't know what happened. She'd been coping with her Mother's death rather well for the last decade or so, unless something else triggered feelings of abandonment in her," Michael said. At the suggestion, a small pinprick of guilt hit him. He was likely that trigger, not that he remembered anything that would help alleviate whatever paranoia she was suffering from.
"Maybe, it's nothing. I wouldn't worry about it," Lucifer said, like the coward he was.
"I'll ask her when we get there," Michael said, for once, suspicious of his dismissive tone.
"Whatever, she probably wouldn't tell you anyway," Lucifer said, getting defensive.
"You know what's bothering her don't you?" Michael asked. Lucifer didn't say anything which unfortunately was as good as an admission of guilt as far as Michael was concerned.
"What did you do?" Michael asked.
"I don't remember, okay. I'm not that person anymore," he snapped. Michael's eyes widened.
"This has to do with the other reality you mentioned earlier doesn't it? The one that made you mad," Michael asked. Lucifer did not want to have this conversation right now. It was enough he had to speed walk to meet Natalie's arbitrary curfew.
"Don't ask her about it okay? You're better off not knowing," Lucifer said. Michael understood what he actually meant; I don't want you to know and gave Lucifer a pitying look.
"I have to. I can't help her if I don't know what's she's going through. You want her to let you go at some point, don't you?" Michael asked.
"Yes, of course, I do. I'd actually prefer if she let me go, right now. I just don't want you think less of me after this. Can you promise me that?" Lucifer asked. Michael hugged his brother.
"I won't, so stop looking so gloomy," Michael said. Lucifer relaxed and stopped in his tracks, glancing at the McAllister's house. They'd arrived just in time. The brat better appreciate it.
Lucifer opened the door with the spare key her father had given him, and they entered the house together. He decided since she was traumatized or whatever that it was better to remain in the living room where she would easily spot him. Lucifer shape-shifted into his Lucian form. Her father would arrive soon, and it wouldn't do to be spotted in his adult form.
Lucifer looked up at his entirely too tall brother and tugged at his shirt. Clearly charmed by this, Michael bent down and asked, "What do you want little fella?"
"You're going to have to shrink if you want to talk to Natalie. You're too big," Lucifer said. Michael looked confused, missing the obvious again.
"Why?" he asked. Lucifer put a hand to his face and sighed.
"Because her father won't see two prepubescent boy as a threat to his daughter," Lucifer explained. Michael's eyes lit up.
"Oh, okay, that makes sense," Michael said, shape shifting into a smaller version of himself.
"If her father asks, you're a friend I made at school," Lucifer said. Michael nodded eagerly.
The door opened and a defeated looking Natalie walked in. She instantly brightened when she spotted them, giving them both a hug. Michael instantly reciprocated. Lucifer looked off to the side and waited for the hug to end. Tossing her backpack on the couch, she sat down and looked them over. She grinned when she noticed he was wearing the clothes she picked out for him.
"So, who's your friend, Lucian?" Natalie asked, giving him a not so subtle wink. He groaned. She clearly knew who Michael was.
"Just call him, Michael, it's a common enough name," Lucifer said. Natalie turned her attention to Michael, bending down to meet his eyes and placing her hands on her knees.
"What brings you here, Michael?" she asked sweetly as if she were talking to a child. Lucifer rolled his eyes. She must be the most annoying human on the planet. Michael either did not notice or did not care. He always loved getting attention.
"I actually just came to chat with my brother, but after talking to him for a bit, I'm worried about you," Michael admitted. Natalie ruffled his hair.
"That's so sweet, but I'm fine. Everything's going great, more or less," Natalie said, mind briefly elsewhere before flashing his brother another smile. Michael hesitated a moment, but Lucifer ribbed him in the stomach and reminded him what was at stake.
"About that Gingersnap, you can't just forbid my brother from participating in the apocalypse. We need him," Michael said. The smile instantly left her face, but she took a deep breath and recovered. She placed a hand on Michael's shoulder.
"Let's put a pin in that for a minute. I'm really glad you stopped by. I wanted to apologize for telling you to go to Hell earlier when you helped me break my contract with Zadkiel. I was under a lot of stress, and I said things I didn't mean. You've always been there for me, and I'm sorry I've taken you for granted," Natalie said. Lucifer glared at her, aware of what she was doing. Michael became teary eyed and hugged her again.
"It's okay, Natalie. I know you didn't mean it," Michael said. Lucifer cleared his throat, and they both turned to look at him.
"That's a lovely sentiment and all, but I believe we were discussing why stranding me on Earth and forbidding me from fighting in the apocalypse is a terrible idea," Lucifer said. Michael let Natalie go and an awkward silence followed, both unwilling to start another fight just yet.
Natalie's father walked through the door. He was mildly surprised to see Michael there but cheerfully greeted them all without a second thought. Natalie and Michael seemed grateful for the distraction.
"Hey dad, this is Michael, Lucian's friend from school. He came over for a play date, " Natalie explained. Lucifer's glare intensified.
"Don't call it a play date," Lucifer said. Mr. McAllister smiled, making himself comfortable after a long day of dealing with brats. Lucifer couldn't imagine that Hell.
"Don't embarrass, Lucian, Natalie, or he won't bring his little friends over anymore" Mr. McAllister said, going to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
"Would you like to join us for dinner, Michael?" Mr. McAllister shouted from the kitchen.
Clearly forgetting that they were about to have a huge fight, Michael answered, "Sure, Mr. M, I'd love to." Natalie shot him a look. Michael gave her an innocent shrug. Lucifer just sighed and joined Natalie on the couch. He might as well get comfortable. They all sat in silence for a moment, before Natalie thought up the obvious solution to their current predicament.
"Hey dad, Lucian wanted to know if he could bring Michael upstairs to Max's old room and hang out," Natalie said. It took a moment for Mr. McAllister to respond as he shuffled various pots and pans around, looks like they were getting a fancy dinner tonight.
"Sure, I don't see why not," Mr. McAllister said.
"Great, I'm going upstairs to do my homework," Natalie said, signaling for them to follow.
Once upstairs, Lucifer headed for his room, but she gestured for them to follow her. Not really caring either way, he changed course and entered her bedroom with Michael close behind. Natalie sat on the bed, a frown on her face as she ran her fingers through her hair. Lost deep in thought for a moment, she said nothing, finally sparing them a glance when Michael tugged at her sleeve as he'd seen Lucifer do earlier.
"You can change back. My dad won't come up here. He'll call us from downstairs when dinner's ready," Natalie said, her voice flat.
Lucifer didn't need to be told twice. Briefly glowing gold, he morphed back into his usual size. Michael followed his lead and changed back. He sat next to Natalie, saying nothing, still hesitating because of some meaningless words she'd said to soften him up. Enough stalling, Lucifer would just have to jump start the conversation for them.
"Let's get to the big issue here. Why are you so determined to keep me out of the apocalypse? What are you afraid of?" Lucifer asked. Natalie tensed, grabbing a fistful of fabric from the sheets on her bed. Michael shot him a look that clearly said he disapproved of his methods but still waited patiently for Natalie's response. He wanted to know too. She didn't look at him directly when she finally spoke.
"I'm not afraid of anything. It's my turn to protect you." What? She had to be kidding. He was the strongest archangel with the most battle experience. The chances of him getting seriously hurt were extremely low.
"You're delusional. I don't need your protection, and I don't need you. Do everyone a favor and break the contract," Lucifer hissed, bracing himself for the waterworks that would inevitably follow. She had the gall to laugh at him.
"You always say that. I don't care if you hate me as long as you're safe," Natalie said, eyes watering as she remembered things he didn't. Lucifer hadn't been this frustrated in a long time, not since Adam and Eve. What are you even thinking? Are you thinking at all?
"Nat, why are you afraid of Lucifer getting hurt?" Michael asked. Lucifer blanched as he finally understood that the world Natalie had come from had not necessarily been a happy one, why else would she be here with an angel who hated her guts. For once, he had missed the obvious.
"I'm not. I won't let anything happen to him this time," Natalie said, successfully dodging the real question.
"What happened to him last time?" Michael pressed. Natalie shook her head. The tears beginning to flow down her cheeks.
"You're wasting your time, Michael. I'm not breaking my contract. I never break my contract with Lucifer. Don't take it personally this time," Natalie said, getting ready to bolt as she heard her father call them to dinner.
"Natalie, you can't keep my brother trapped with you forever because you're afraid he'll get hurt. What would your Lucifer do if the situation was reversed?" Michael asked, appealing to her better nature. Lucifer winced, knowing what was coming.
"The exact same thing," Natalie said coldly before miraculously returning to her old bubbly self as she told her dad, "We'll be down in a minute."
Needless to say, the dinner was awkward and painful to sit through. After the meal, Michael left without a word. Lucifer tried to speak to her after dinner, but she ignored him and started her homework. The pile seemed to have tripled since he last saw it. Since Michael had emphasized the importance of homework in a teenagers life, Lucifer decided to return in a few hours. When he did, she cut him off before he could speak.
"I know what you're going say. Don't bother," Natalie said.
"Did I die?" he asked. Lucifer planned to learn the truth one way or another, and right now, process of elimination seemed like his best bet. Natalie sighed and pulled the covers closer to herself.
"No, please don't keep going," Natalie begged.
"Did I go crazy?" he asked. Natalie smiled and rolled her eyes.
"That's not why I'm stuck here with you, no. It didn't help but-" Natalie shut up, realizing she'd said to much. Lucifer made a mental note of that factoid and moved on to the next most likely scenario from what he knew of Hell and demons.
"Did I lose an appendage?" Lucifer asked, satisfied when he heard Natalie's tiny gasp.
"I order you to go back to your room," Natalie said right after she composed herself, turning her back on him. Her reaction was telling.
"Which one?" he asked. Natalie didn't answer, but her flinch was all the confirmation he needed. Lucifer left willingly after that. Perhaps, if he'd been made to be as sensitive as Raphael or even Gabriel, he might have felt a flicker of remorse for causing her pain or at least, felt some phantom sorrow for his own loss, but he wasn't that kind of angel. He wasn't that miserable devil who had lost his most prized possession. Lucifer knew immediately what would be the most devastating thing for an angel to lose. He'd test his theory tomorrow. Lucifer hadn't had a chance to visit her at school after all.
