Author's note: Sorry for the delay. This is, at least, a longer chapter.

I appreciate all the reviews on the last chapter, especially from those of you who responded in verse! They were so much fun!

Azrael closed the bathroom door behind herself, the sound of Trixie and Chloe's laughter fading, and exhaled a long breath. She stepped to the mirror and studied her face, prodding gently at the spot that had been bruised. She poked a little harder, then shook her head and moved to sit on the toilet. She pulled up her jeans to reveal the two Star Wars Band-Aids on her knee, which she pulled off after a moment of hesitation. "Well," she murmured, running one finger over the unmarked skin. "Looks like she overshot a bit there."

Leaning against the back of the toilet, she took a deep breath, then another, before pushing up her left sleeve past her elbow. That skin, too, was clear. Azrael rubbed her arm, hand trembling, then adjusted her clothing. She took another breath, then got to her feet. After one final glance in the mirror, she left the bathroom once more.

Trixie and Chloe were on the couch watching a movie, but Azrael moved to join Mazikeen at the breakfast bar. The demon was nearly finished her cake. "This is good," she said, though a little grudgingly.

"Thanks," Azrael replied. She added, without preamble, "I want to tell him."

Mazikeen looked skeptical, her slashed eyebrow lifting. "You sure about that, Tiny Death?"

Azrael's eyes widened, and she tilted her head toward Chloe and Trixie. "You're seriously calling me that? With them in the room?"

"They're not paying attention," Maze replied. "So why tell him now, after all this time?"

Azrael picked up her fork and pulled her plate closer. "You're okay with me telling? I wanted to check first. Don't want to get on your bad side, especially in my current state." She waved the fork at herself, then poked at her own cake.

"Maybe you're not so stupid after all," Maze commented, smirking. "It's fine, though. I was just doing my job. He won't be pissed off at me."

"Gee, thanks," Azrael muttered. "As for why..." She hesitated over her answer, then shot a quick sidelong look at the demon. "So yesterday my mother hit me-left a bruise, just here." She touched the spot on her cheek."

Maze used her finger to scoop up the last of the frosting from her plate. "Well, we both know that you're shit at ducking," she observed, licking the frosting from her finger. "Even before you ended up in that body."

Azrael looked sharply at the demon, then over at the two on the couch: still watching the movie. "Yes, I know that, thank you. Maybe you can teach me," she added, with a touch of sarcasm, "and then I'll figure out how to duck."

"Good idea," Maze agreed. She nodded at Azrael's plate. "You going to finish that?"

Azrael considered her cake, then shook her head and slid the plate to Maze. "To get to my point-"

"Finally." Maze started on the last of Azrael's cake.

Azrael sighed. "Mom came over here this afternoon. She-" She lowered her voice. "She healed it. Not just the bruise; I had a cut on my knee, and it's gone. And the scar from, well... it's gone."

Maze looked impressed. "There was a scar?"

Azrael nodded, a little impatient. "Did you miss the whole healing thing?"

"No." Maze finished Azrael's cake, visibly pondered more, then shook her head. "So Momma's getting her powers back, huh? Yeah, Lucifer will want to know about it. Okay, let's go."

Azrael's eyes widened and she swallowed. "What, right now?" She glanced over to Chloe and Trixie, then back to Maze. "On the motorcycle?" She hesitated, then asked, brows lowering in suspicion, "Are you trying to tempt me?"

Maze smirked, "And it's working, right, TD?" With an eyeroll, she added, "It's just a ride on a motorcycle. Your father can't object to that. You're paranoid."

"You'd be surprised what my father could object to," Azrael observed. Maze just looked at her, and Azrael shook her head. "Okay, maybe you wouldn't."

"Hey, Decker," Maze called, and Chloe paused the movie, turning. "I'm taking the kid back to Lux. She wants to talk to Lucifer."

"Kid, really?" Azrael murmured.

"Look in a mirror, TD," Maze replied. "as far as they know, that's what you are."

After farewells had been made, including a promise to Trixie to get together again soon, Maze and Azrael made their way back to Lux. The club had not yet opened, and Lucifer sat at the bar. By prior arrangement, Maze moved to the other end of the bar, reaching to pour a drink. Azrael, though, sat near Lucifer, one stool between them.

"Decided to come back, did you?" Lucifer queried, though not without a curious look for Maze.

Azrael put her backpack on the bar next to her and rummaged in it a moment before pulling out a Tupperware container. She put the container on the bar and nudged it toward Lucifer, expression tight and a little wary.

Lucifer, brows lifting, took the Tupperware. "A bribe? Unnecessary, but thank you." He opened the container and the rich, near-intoxicating chocolate aroma spilled out as the thick wedge of cake was revealed. The top was decorated with a paper drawing taped to a toothpick: a devil, complete with horns, tail, and pitchfork.

Azrael ducked her head, but couldn't quite hide her smile. "Trixie's idea," she explained, sending a sidelong look at her brother, gauging his reaction.

"Well, that's not accurate at all." Lucifer's protest was mild, and he added, "At least you saved me some cake. Wasn't sure you would, all things considered." He turned to face his sister and queried, "Are you all right, then? The detective said Mum nearly knocked you off your feet."

Azrael nodded, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "I'm okay. Thanks."

"Slapped the temper right out of you, did she? I'll have to remember that, next time you get like that," Lucifer added, his tone deceptively light.

With a brief shake of her head, Azrael said, "I wish you wouldn't. It was... profoundly unpleasant."

Lucifer leaned closer, studying Azrael's face. "Doesn't seem to have done you any lasting harm, though. It looked a lot worse last night."

In response to Lucifer's motion, Azrael edged back. "Wait," she said suddenly. "Last night. Were you really in Trixie's room? I thought that was a dream."

Lucifer nodded, confirming his presence. "You looked... cute."

"I did not!" Azrael protested. She shook her head, then, looking like she was making an effort to relax. "Look," she began, "about yesterday..."

Lucifer waited. Azrael shifted in her seat, but didn't speak.

With an exasperated sound from the other end of the bar, Maze called, "This will go a lot more quickly if you actually talk to him, TD." She slid a drink down the bar and Azrael caught it without looking, then glanced down at it in surprise.

"TD?" Lucifer queried.

Azrael sighed. "Tiny Death."

"Sounds like some vile illness."

"I'm not telling her that," Azrael murmured. "That may be her intent."

Lucifer raised his voice enough to carry. "Maze, are you going to join us?"

Maze poured another drink, this one for herself. "Not yet."

Lucifer turned back to his sister.

Azrael considered her drink for a moment, then tossed it back, with a grimace for its strength. She took a deep breath, then spoke slowly, carefully. "It looks like there are maybe some things that we just can't talk about." Lucifer started to protest, but Azrael shook her head. "You lost your temper," she explained, with a vague gesture toward Lucifer's eyes. "It was one thing for you to do that when I was, well, in my previous incarnation, but now?" Her shoulders lifted slightly, not quite a shrug. "Fragile mortal body. So I'll be more careful. I'm sorry that I upset you."

Lucifer looked at Azrael for a long moment, his expression serious. "Rae, I wouldn't have hurt you, even if you'd stayed."

Still choosing her words carefully, Azrael observed, "Recent experience suggests that prudence is the better course here."

Lucifer shook his head, expression frustrated. "No," he said sharply. "Rae, you can talk to me. You don't need to... to coddle me, like I'm an infant."

Azrael gave her brother a long look. "Okay," she said slowly, turning to catch Maze's eye. The demon swung her legs over to land on the other side of the bar, moving to join the siblings.

"Have you suborned my demon?" Lucifer queried, brows lifting.

With another headshake, Azrael replied, "Mazikeen does what she wants."

"Damn straight," Maze agreed.

"Anyway," Azrael said, trying to steer the conversation back on track. "Mom came by today, while I was at Chloe's place." Seeing the look from Maze, she amended, "Chloe and Mazikeen's place."

Lucifer rocked back a bit on his stool. "I told her to fix things with you, but I didn't intend for her to do anything so quickly," he admitted. "Though she left me the oddest voicemail-something about noodles-that suddenly makes a little more sense."

"Luci, could you focus, please?" Azrael's voice was mild. "The reason my face looks better is that Mom healed it. She just touched me and... it was incredible."

Maze murmured, "I never thought it would happen to me..." Smirking at Azrael's irritated look, she drawled, "Not my fault you're making it sound like porn." Seeing the siblings' near-identical expressions of disgust, she exhaled a short bark of laughter.

Azrael rubbed her eyes, then continued the motion to pinch the bridge of her nose before turning to look at Lucifer.

"So she healed a bruise," he said thoughtfully. "That would have been child's play for her, back in the day. Now, though..."

Azrael hesitated. Maze, with an exasperated huff, poured her another drink. "Is that your solution to everything?" Azrael queried, though she did pull the glass closer.

"The only one you'd be willing to try," Maze replied archly.

Azrael closed her eyes for a moment, perhaps counting to ten, then turned to her brother. "Remember how I'm not coddling you, and you're not, well, smiting me?"

"I don't remember that bit, but go ahead," Lucifer replied.

Azrael shifted on her seat. Perhaps coincidentally, that put just a bit more space between herself and her brother. "Remember how I hadn't been by to visit in a while, back when you were in Hell? Well, there's actually a reason for that."

Lucifer's brows lifted. "Though you said you lost track of time. You do tend to do that, after all."

"Right," Azrael agreed quickly. "I did say that, and it's absolutely the truth. Just not quite all of the truth."

Lucifer waited out his sister's apparent struggle for words with visibly fraying patience. Finally, Mazikeen poured him a drink and explained, "She tried to get in to see Mommy Dearest. Almost made it, too, but I stopped her."

"You took on the Angel of Death and won?" Lucifer queried, sounding impressed. "Bravo, Maze." Noting the rather indignant look he was receiving from his sister, Lucifer turned to her. "I seem to recall asking you not to have any contact with Mother."

"You did," Azrael agreed, her expression smoothing to wariness.

Lucifer inclined his head. "And yet you did it anyway?"

Azrael nodded. She flicked a quick look to Maze, then, with a look that implied that future-Azrael would likely regret her actions, gulped her drink. "Brother," she said, her voice quiet but intent, "I understand that you didn't want to be around her, but she's my mother, too. I needed to see her."

Lucifer explained, in a sing-song voice that was a little too patient, "But she was in Hell, Azrael. You don't get visitors in Hell."

Maze snagged a nearby container of cocktail peanuts and took a handful, watching with all apparent amusement.

"Lucifer, please don't condescend to me. Even though I look young, you know I'm-" Azrael cut off her words and dropped her gaze a moment, taking a deep breath. "The point of this ridiculous confession is that Mazikeen left a reasonably gruesome scar on my arm, and it's gone as well. Mom healed it without even knowing that it was there. I'm... well, I'm not really sure what it means, but it must mean something."

Lucifer listened with compressed lips, then turned to Mazikeen. "You marked my sister?"

Maze shrugged, unconcerned, and took another handful of peanuts. "An arm. It was nothing. Did you want her to get to your mother?"

After a shrug of acknowledgement, Lucifer turned back to Azrael, asking, "Why didn't you go to Raphael? Our brother could have seen to it."

"I did," Azrael replied quietly. "He'd been instructed to leave the scar. A reminder, I suppose."

"Wow," Maze said brightly. "Your dad really is a dick, isn't he?"

What Azrael did not say could have filled a book. After a rather profound pause, she turned to her brother. "Make of this what you will," she said, sounding tired. "I'm going up." She slid down from her seat, wobbling a little as she landed.

Lucifer was on his feet in a flash, bracing Azrael and helping her regain her balance. "Right, I'll walk you up."

For a moment, it looked like Azrael would refuse, but then she nodded. "Thanks. Those drinks were strong. Oh-don't forget the cake," she added. "If you leave it here, Mazikeen will eat it."

Maze did not deny it. "It's good cake. We done here, TD?"

As Lucifer collected his baked goods, Azrael carefully pulled on her backpack. "Yes, thank you," she replied.

Lucifer took his sister's arm, guiding her up the stairs and then into the elevator. When they reached the penthouse, Azrael moved to sit on the couch, pulling off the backpack and letting it drop to the ground.

Lucifer moved to join her. "I have some things to say to you." With a brief smile, he added, "Will you remember them?"

"I'm not so bad off as all that," Azrael replied, sitting up straight, expression serious.

Lucifer studied his sister for a moment. "I'm still not used to you being... this," he said, with a gesture indicating her form.

"Try living it," Azrael replied, with a wry little smile. "I've finally stopped doing a double-take when I catch my reflection. Well, mostly."

"Fair point." Lucifer continued his regard of his sister, long enough that she began to look uncomfortable.

"If you ask me what I desire," Azrael said, mimicking Lucifer's hypnotic tone, "I'm taking back the cake. Plus, you already know."

"Taking back a gift is rude," Lucifer protested. "Besides, you don't even like chocolate."

Azrael agreed, with an ironic smile, "I'm more of an angel food fan, yes."

"Of course you are." Lucifer returned the smile, though his expression grew serious. "Why didn't you just use your blade on Maze, back in Hell?" he asked finally.

Azrael shifted back against the couch. "I didn't have it," she admitted. "I'd stopped taking it there... oh, I don't know how long ago. Worried about it getting into the wrong hands. It's kind of ironic, though; I'm pretty sure that I was in Hell when Uriel took my blade." Speaking just a little more slowly, she added, "I wouldn't have used it, though, even if I'd had it."

Curious, Lucifer queried, "Whyever not? Seems like it would have solved your problem."

Azrael shook her head. "In the short term, yes, but destroying Mazikeen, uh, would not have endeared me to you." After a brief hesitation, she added, with a touch of chagrin, "And I wouldn't have wanted to take her from you. You had few enough comforts in Hell." Shoulders lifting, she added, "As it turns out, I'm glad I didn't."

Startled, Lucifer asked, "Are you and Maze friends now?"

Expression dubious, Azrael replied, "Friend-ly, more like. Sort of. She makes jokes at my expense; I use her for her motorcycle. Fair trade, I guess."

"Well, as long as you're not actively trying to murder each other, that's good," Lucifer observed.

Azrael nodded. "She'd win," she said succinctly.

Lucifer chuckled, but didn't deny the statement. "I spoke with Mum last night, by the way. Care to explain why the detective thinks that she's my stepmother?"

Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Azrael explained, "I didn't specifically mention your relationship with Mom, just mine. Chloe showed up right about the time things went off the rails with Mom. It wasn't my best moment. I guess she drew her own conclusions, there, and I... let her. She wouldn't have believed me if I'd told the truth, anyway."

"Fair point," Lucifer agreed. "And now she seems less inclined to think that Mum and I have had sex, so it's helpful."

"Ew," Azrael said. Then, with profound disgust, she added, "EW."

"Quite," Lucifer concurred. Considering his sister thoughtfully, he added, "Mum said she was there when you spoke with dear old Dad on my behalf, way back when. Did you really yell at him?"

Azrael ducked her head. "Well, yes. I would have gone on, but Uri-" She paused and cast a glance at her brother, who gestured for her to continue. "He hauled me out of the room. Said the pattern was changing, but he wouldn't tell me to what. Nothing good, I'm sure. "

"Well," Lucifer said quietly. "Thank you, little sister. I don't know that anyone else has stuck up for me to him."

For once, Azrael met Lucifer's gaze fully, her smile lighting her face. "You're welcome, Luci. I just, well, I wish I could have done more."

"I'm not sure what could have been done, not at that point," Lucifer said.

Azrael nodded, and glanced away, then back to Lucifer. "Are we... all right?" she asked tentatively. "After yesterday?"

"Of course," Lucifer replied, with a smile. "I'm not one to hold a grudge." Catching Azrael look of utter disbelief, he clarified, "That's for our parents."

Expression clearing, Azrael nodded and got to her feet. "I'm going to turn in, I think."

"It's early yet," Lucifer suggested, brows lifting slightly.

"It's been a challenging couple of days," Azrael replied. With a self-deprecating smile, she added, "And this body doesn't always keep up as I'd like. Plus, I'm pretty sure that wading through Trixie's Snapchats is going to take a while." She leaned down and gave Lucifer a quick hug. "Goodnight, brother," she said, tossing a shy smile over her shoulder as she departed.

"Goodnight, little sister," Lucifer replied, a hint of wonder in his expression.

Since you seem to like pleas for reviews in verse...

This chapter you've read is brand new.

I hope that it's pleasing to you.

And, well, if it is,

I hope that (Gee, whiz!)

You'll be kind and leave a review.