Lucifer slowly comes to his senses, Oh Father, my head, he groans internally. What the Hell happened? Before opening his eyes, he takes stock of his physical situation. Limbs appear to be sore but intact, laying on something cold, I'm naked and...ugh...where's the goat that shit in my mouth?
He rolls to his side and props himself up on an elbow, then squints owlishly as he looks around. In my flat? He rises to his knees and looks looks down at himself to see he's covered in scratches. Bloody Hell. He uses the sofa to haul himself to his feet then, with his head still spinning, stumbles to the bar, where he pops the spigot off a bottle of scotch and pulls directly from it. He swishes the amber liquid around his mouth for a moment before swallowing as he glances around his apartment for signs of who- or whatever did this to him. Nothing. What happened to me?
His muscles scream as he shuffles toward the bathroom, then leans in to start the shower. The water heats to steaming and Lucifer steps in, grunting as the scalding hot water runs down his body. He sighs and turns his back, taking another long swig from the bottle as he tilts his head back into the spray. With his eyes closed, events from the past few hours come roaring back to him.
He sees Charlotte's face...feels her hands...everywhere...get OFF OF ME...his eyes snap open to the sound of crashing glass. Hyperventilating, he sits on the marble bench, resting his elbows on his knees and gripping the sides of his head. He stares blankly as the water washes the scotch down the drain.
Niall, Dae, and Chloe dash into Lux to find Maze waiting impatiently in the empty bar. "Where have you been? They've up there for hours." "LA traffic," Chloe issues a sharp reply. "We got here as quick as we could."
Maze opens her mouth to answer but Niall motions for silence, "Let me go up first." He points at Maze as he runs for the stairs, "Listen." She nods curtly, "Go!"
Not wanting to alert Charlotte if she's still there, Niall quietly opens the door to Lucifer's apartment and listens. Staying low, he slides behind the bar and draws a throwing knife. In the continued absence of any sound, he mentally casts about for signs of habitation. As he creeps from the bar toward the piano, he hears a soft, pained voice not speaking aloud. His eyes well as he listens, "...stop...stop...stop..." Choking on a howl of rage, Niall continues his stealthy progress as the soft chant grows closer.
By the time Niall makes it to the bathroom door, he is confident he and Lucifer are the only ones in the apartment, so he sheathes his knife. He stands, out of sight, with his back to the wall and quietly calls out. "My lord?" Niall hears a startled intake of breath and quick movement in the bathroom, but remains where he is.
"I''m here, sire." He squeezes his eyes closed and takes a slow, deep breath. More scurrying in the other room, "What d'you want?" Lucifer demands out loud. "Go away."
Niall shakes his head and calls out, "I cannot, sire."
"I demand you go...Niall. I'm...fine," his voice sounds hollow as it echoes off the marble of the bathroom. "Please," Lucifer finishes quietly.
"I'm stepping into the doorway, my lord," Niall explains calmly. He does as promised and sucks in a sharp breath as he takes in the sad visage that is Lucifer Morningstar. The Lord of Hell is nude, sitting on the bench of his enormous marble shower, with a towel over his lap, water still raining down on him, and looking down at the shards of a quite-likely-priceless bottle of scotch on the floor.
Unable to stop himself, Niall takes a step forward. His tail thrashes as he takes in the scratches covering Lucifer's torso, "My lord," he whispers softly. "She...are you...?"
Lucifer sighs and speaks without looking up, "I'm fine, Niall. Just...go."
The demon draws his eyebrows together, "I'll not leave you like this, sire." He reaches in to turn off the shower and Lucifer doesn't move.
Niall procures a dry towel and steps into the shower, where he pulls the wet cloth off Lucifer, then proceeds to dry him as much as he can. His sire still doesn't move and continues to stare listlessly at the floor. Taking care to avoid the broken glass, Niall hoists Lucifer onto his feet and helps him out. The smaller man seems almost fragile as Niall finishes patting him dry then helps him into his dressing robe.
Niall reaches out silently and Lucifer finally looks up at him with empty, black eyes, "Don't," he says quietly.
Niall nods respectfully, "Of course, my lord. Let's just get you over to your..."
"Not the bed," Lucifer mumbles. "Certainly, sire...your sofa, then."
The demon helps his sire sit down then bustles to the bar for a fresh bottle and a clean glass. Setting them down on the table by the sofa, Niall then takes a chair across from Lucifer, tail twitching expectantly.
Lucifer doesn't bother with the glass and swigs directly from the bottle. "I'm not a child, Niall. You don't need to babysit me. Go on," he orders.
"Sorry, my lord, but I'm going to ignore that order for your own good." He sits forward, concern writ on his face, "What happened, sire?"
Lucifer coughs a sharp laugh, "Mum happened. I was angry. The Detective and I had a...disagreement, so I went for a walk." He huffs as his gaze slides to the windows behind Niall. "I confess I wasn't paying much attention. Lost in my thoughts. Poor decision, obviously. Suddenly, she and I were talking...and it...it seemed so normal. Comfortable in a 'familiar pain' sort of way." The demon nods in understanding then gestures for Lucifer to continue.
"It was almost how things used to be. We chatted about nothing, really. Sat at the piano." His eyebrows go up and he takes another swig of scotch, "I didn't even know she played."
"But then...I don't know," he pauses and looks down at the floor as if the words he is searching for are written there. "Things gradually seemed...darker. More...muffled. I can't explain it."
Niall nods and taps his temple, "She was in here, sire."
Lucifer scowls darkly, his eyes flashing red, "Then I woke up on my floor. A bloody fucking mess," he growls hoarsely. Another swig of scotch. "I close my eyes and see glimpses..." he squeezes his eyes closed and turns his head away. "They won't stop."
Lucifer suddenly stands up and throws the bottle out of the apartment, over the patio and off the balcony. His eyes are incandescent with rage as he screams from frustration. Niall remains seated and calm, watching as his sire paces furiously. He's seen Lucifer angry enough in the past - he knows not to try to stop it.
"She did it again, Niall. AGAIN!" The temperature in the apartment skyrockets, the windows vibrate and the lights flicker. The Lord of Hell pauses, his breath coming in pants as he alternately clenches and releases his hands into fists.
The elevator door opens and Lucifer whips his head around to see Dae, Chloe and Maze running out. The detective has her gun drawn and, sensing danger, casts about for Charlotte. "Where is she?"
"You need to leave," Lucifer states flatly as he glares at her. His eyes are still glowing and the snarl on his face promises retribution in the absence of obedience. Neither of the demons watching the exchange expects him to get it.
And he doesn't.
Chloe frowns and completely dismisses his order, "Don't be ridiculous, Lucifer. Where is she?" She steps closer, gun still drawn. The air around him shimmers as a reflection of his rage and Niall stands to intervene if necessary, "Sire..." he begins carefully.
"Leave us," Lucifer hisses to Dae, Maze and Niall. The demon siblings look at each other, clearly thinking the same thing. Hoping he doesn't do something he'll truly regret later, the trio heads down to the club.
Lucifer circles Chloe and looks down at her, "You defy me, Detective. Again. Must I punish you to get you to go away?"
She forces herself to look up at his face, uncertain if she's more terrified for herself or for him. "I've done nothing to deserve punishment, Lucifer. And you know it."
He continues to circle, She's afraid. Good. The mortal needs to accept her place. "I judge whether or not you deserve it. You are insolent and intrusive. Demanding when you have no right. You are guilty of quite a number of sins, my dear. Any one of them would send you to the pit. Why should I not take care of you right now?"
Chloe raises her chin, "What sins? What are you talking about?"
He coughs a sharp, humorless laugh, "Wrath. Pride. Envy." He licks his lips as his eyes rake over her, "Lust."
Panic washes over her, Oh God. She is silent as she looks away from his evil smirk, thinking hard about his accusations.
Wrath? I've never hurt an innocent person in anger.
Pride? I'm good at my job, but there's always room for improvement. It can't be a sin to simply be aware that you're good with something. I don't walk around bragging about it.
Envy? I can admit that I sometimes wish for things I don't have, like but these wants encourage me to work harder to get them.
Lust. Hmmmm... She thinks about the other morning and blushes furiously. Want him? Without question. Cared about him first? Oh yes - as he did her, whether he wants to recognize it or not.
Taking a deep breath, she looks up into his burning eyes, "You're wrong," she says. "Even worse, you judge me when you are guilty yourself."
He grins maliciously, "I'm supposed to sin, my dear. I am Temptation, remember? Your accusations are meaningless."
She shakes her head, "Oh, no, Lucifer. I'm not saying you're guilty of sin. I'm saying you're guilty of being virtuous."
He blinks, "What?"
Chloe smiles and leans in, "Oh yeah. You've exhibited a whole slew of virtues. Faith. Charity. Courage. Diligence. Mercy. Honesty." She pauses and looks directly into his burning eyes, "Love."
Lucifer growls, "It is not your place to judge me."
She shrugs, "I didn't say it is. I'm just saying you might think about accepting what you've been trying so hard to get everyone to see."
"What's that?" he spits.
"That you're NOT evil," she says quietly.
He blinks again and steps back, "You're wrong. I am. I must be. It's...the only explanation."
Chloe notices a slight tremor of his hand and steps forward to comfort him, "No, it's not, Lucifer," she says quietly.
He backs away, his lips drawn into a snarl, "Don't TOUCH me." Lucifer's voice catches as the glow in his eyes fades, "Just. Don't."
She raises her hands and steps back to give him more space, "I'm sorry."
Lucifer's chest tightens as he reads the heartbroken expression on her face, "I'll not suffer your pity," he hisses.
Chloe's face darkens as her eyebrows come down sharply, "You're right that I feel pity, Lucifer, but it's not directed at you. It's for your mother when I find her."