Chapter 5:
It only took a few moments to arrive back on the balcony of his penthouse with the bag of treasures in tow and not a moment too soon. Moments later, the elevator door opens up to reveal Ella and the pizza man.
Lucifer was quick enough to roll his shoulders and make his wings disappear. He set the bag down out of sight.
"Miss Lopez, I hope you are bringing good news as well as pizza." Lucifer grinned coming from the balcony like he had been standing there the whole time.
"Oh, I am. Congratulations are in order. You're a daddy!" Ella said enthusiastically.
Kim looked at Lucifer to see his reaction. Hoping that he was still fine with all of this now that everything was official.
Lucifer smiled, "It's so amazing to hear. I am so happy to hear this news, but can I use this in court?" Lucifer asked
Ella nodded, "Yes, I made sure that everything is official so that you can use it."
"Thank you, Miss Lopez, because I am planning to become her father officially. I will never turn my back on my children. That is if Kimberly still wants me as her father?" Lucifer asked, still not sure why someone would want him as a parent.
Kim nodded and could only bring out a, "Yes." with tears in her eyes, "if I wasn't stuck in this chair, I would run over and hug you."
"Let me come to you, my angel." Lucifer smiled while he walked over to her.
She hugged him tight as soon as he was in her reach, "Do you really mean it? Do you really want to fight for being my father?" Kim still couldn't believe he would do that for her.
"Of course I mean it, I wouldn't say otherwise." Lucifer smiled while still being in a hug with his newfound daughter, who cried a bit as she held him tightly.
"I know what it feels like to be abandoned by a parent, and I made a promise never ever to do the same thing to my own children, even if I was never even sure that it was possible, to begin with. I don't want my daughter to feel alone and rejected as I did." Lucifer sighed while looking into her eyes.
"Thank you." Kim sobbed silently, "does that mean I can start calling you daddy then?"
Lucifer swallowed a sob himself. Tears came into his eyes when he heard that name, she wanted to call him daddy. Him, the devil. The only thing he could say was, "Of course, you can, my angel." His voice was thick with emotions, hugging her back in return.
Kim sobbed even harder now, it was like a weight was falling off her small shoulders.
"Aww, this is so sweet," exclaimed Ella.
"Now, let's eat before diner gets cold." Lucifer smiled, "You are staying, I hope, Miss Lopez?"
"Of course," said Ella, "maybe you could dish to me the backstory."
"What do you want to know?" Kim asked. It was the least she could do for the person who had helped her, even though she had done it because Lucifer and Chloe had asked her to.
"How did you find out? What caused you to come looking? How do you feel about all this?" Ella started her own interrogation.
"Oddly enough, it was my injury that caused me to find out." Kim started her story, "While in the hospital, my mother told me the truth after I overheard her argument with the man I thought was my father over the phone. He was using this as a chance to hurt her by taking custody of me, by taking me from her. She told him I wasn't his. So I fled from my home town which he was coming to, with my friends to find my father in hopes if he claimed me he could protect me from him. It just worked out I got out of the hospital that day he was due to arrive."
"Damn, how are you feeling now, knowing who your father is? Clearly, he is going to fight for you." Ella asked, she wanted to know everything.
"No matter the reputation, he's a far greater improvement than the man I grew up with. So knowing he's willing to fight for me because he cares and not cause he needs leverage against my mother is a great and profound thing. At the time my parents divorced when I was younger, it was very messy, very painful, and vindictive. As you would expect I was used as a pawn in their personal war. So knowing I'm no part of that man is a strange sense of relief." Kim said.
"I wanted to ask you before, but I never had the opportunity, what happened to you?" Ella asked with sweetness in her voice, but not pity.
"I am... well I was a gymnast. My best event was the beam. I was practicing a routine and got a sudden dizzy spell, my vision blurred and I fell. It's kind of blurry past that but the doctors gave me the blow by blow. It's why I'm here in the chair now." She takes a sudden pained breath, then after a moment said, "It's time for my medication. Tommy, do you have my pills?"
Tommy nodded, "Sure, here you are beautiful."
Ella sighed, "I am sorry I didn't want to hurt you by remembering such a painful event."
He hands her the pill bottles. One for pain and one for anti-inflammatory.
"It's okay." Kim sighed, "I don't remember that much. They told me that I hit my head. The pain is just cause it's med time, which I'm glad the food is here." She opened each one of the bottles, taking out one blue pill for pain and two pink pills for anti-inflammatory, "In a few weeks I start physical therapy, so I can get back on my feet."
"We will do everything we can to support you, my little angel." Lucifer smiled, "I will only let you work with the best of the best. You will be on your feet in no time."
"That would be great. Even though it's not like I'm not enjoying being carried around, I miss my independence." Kim said with a sigh.
"I just want you to know that you are my daughter no matter how fast or how slow the rehabilitation will go," Lucifer said while taking the hand of his daughter.
"Thanks, dad." Kim smiled.
He saw what she was taking, "I see you got some good stuff there." He smiled, he loved how she called him dad. Never would he have thought to be happy that someone called him that.
"How do you know that?" Tommy asked curiously.
"You don't want to know," Chloe responded.
"A perk of being immortal, Tommy." Lucifer said without thinking, "And having a celestial metabolism."
"And a small pharmacy in his pocket," Chloe said.
"Decker, you are playing along with his method acting?" Ella asked a bit surprised, "That is so cute. I don't understand why it doesn't get any roles."
Chloe and Lucifer just shook their heads at this. While Jason, Tommy, and Kim looked confused.
Chloe saw that and shook her head at them to say don't say a thing. They picked up on that and played along.
They all dig into the pizza, which tasted good and was a filling meal.
"I am sorry that I am so rude but I have to go now, people. It's an early morning tomorrow. I see you Deckerstar at work. Please enjoy your evening." Ella smiled before she got up from her chair.
She hugged each of them before leaving.
Kim waited until Ella was gone before asking, "Why didn't you show her?" She had no clue how bad humans reacted to the sight of who Lucifer was.
"Because most humans tend to go into meltdown when he shows them. I know that he doesn't want to damage her that way. We told her several times, she chooses not to believe it." Chloe said.
"The human mind rejects when it can't comprehend," Jason added in a serious tone of voice.
"Now you are sounding just like Billy" Tommy quipped.
"Oh, here are the things I brought you, Kim," says Lucifer. as he got up and retrieved the bag where he put it down, and walked over and handed it to her.
"Thank you, dad. Was everything okay in Angel Grove?" Kim asked, sensing that there was something her newfound father wasn't telling her.
"While I was there, I got a glimpse of the man you were running from, now I understand why you did so," he answered. He had told himself not to tell her but he also couldn't lie, "I will do everything I can to protect you from him. You got yourself your own guardian devil, he won't know what hit him when I am done." Lucifer added
"Good." Kim said, "I'm glad I have you now, to be daddy's little girl." Kim smiled.
Just hearing that gave him a warm feeling inside that he couldn't explain but he was enjoying it, "I am happy that you found me, my little angel."
Those still in the room were smiling at the sweet scene in front of them.
"Well, as promised I will call the best lawyer in LA. We don't have time to waste. I want you to be a Morningstar before he knows where to find you. I am a rather public face in LA after all." Lucifer didn't wait for a response and took his phone out of his pocket.
Kim nodded. She was happy her father didn't waste time.
"Should we be worried about what Mr. Hart might do, even after Kim becomes a Morningstar?" Tommy asked Chloe.
"If Mr. Hart is being smart he stays in Angel Grove. Lucifer can be dangerous when it comes to the people he cares deeply about." Chloe responded, "I don't know if I can stop him if that man hurts his daughter. I never saw him like this."
"From what I remember of Mr. Hart when he lost his temper, intelligence goes out the window," remarked Jason.
"He has no clue who he is dealing with. So let's this be a fair warning, I recently found out he killed his brother to protect me. He hates what he did so don't drive the devil into a corner." Chloe responded.
They all looked shocked but nodded.
"So what now?" Kim asked.
"Well, I think we can get the boys here to finish setting things up downstairs," Chloe said.
"That's a good idea." Kim said, "Would dad want to help?" Kim asked Chloe.
"Maybe, but let him take care of the important stuff first," Chloe answered.
Lucifer took a glass of scotch and walked towards the balcony dialing the number of the best lawyer in this department.
"Go for Zipman…" the man on the other end of the phone answered.
"Saul, I have the need of calling in that favor you owe me," said Lucifer.
"Mr. Morningstar..." The man started, "What can I do for you?"
"I found out that I'm a father and I need help establishing parental rights. Name on her birth certificate and the whole nine yards. Also, I need you to strip the man that is currently listed as her father of such rights. I have all the blood tests to prove paternity," said Lucifer.
"That's an exceptional request, but not undoable. When do you want to start?" The lawyer asked.
"As soon as possible. Also, would it be possible to zoom call the mother in for testimony since she is currently out of the country?" Lucifer asked with his business voice, " Once this is done, will it invalidate any of the paperwork the man currently listed as the father has granting rights to the child?"
"We will have to need to speed things up for that. Is this man a danger for the child?" The lawyer said, "I just need a good reason for speeding this up."
"I believe that he is. That he will be abusive. She came to find me out of fear of him." Lucifer answered, "She is 16 years old."
He walked back out and saw the others getting up, "Kimberly, can you come over here for a moment?"
Kim nodded, "Sure, Chloe can you help me?"
"Sure, Kim, no problem." Chloe smiled and rolled her towards Lucifer.
"What's up, daddy?" Kim asked.
"Mr. Zipman would like you to validate the claim that Mr. Hart would be a danger to you if he achieved possession of you," Lucifer said while giving the phone to his daughter.
"Oh, okay, anything to help." Kim said a bit louder, so that the man heard her on the other side, "Hello?" Kim said after she took her father's phone from him.
"Hello, can I have your name Miss." Mr. Zipman asked.
"Kimberly Ann Hart. Sir. For now, at least, I hope that the name will change quickly." Kim said with a sigh, Mr. Zipman could hear the fear in the young girl's voice.
"Can you tell me in your own words why you think Mr. Hart would be a danger to you?" he asked Kimberly.
"Well, he has a short and explosive temper as well as vindictive tendencies. He has been divorced from my mother for at least 3 years and has had little to no contact with me, in that time. All of his own choosing, mind you. The divorce was messy and I was used as a pawn in it a great deal from his side. He is using my accident to hurt my mother by trying to take me away from her. I am afraid if he were to get control of me that he could harm me," said Kim.
"I have to ask this, Miss Hart, but are you in any way pushed in saying this?" Mr. Zipman asked.
"No Sir. I want no part of him, nor do I want to give him the chance to prove my fears right, Especially since there is proof that biologically I'm not his." Kim said with confidence in her voice, "I want to be able to wear the name of my biological father." She added, "now that I know who he is. You can call my mother she can back up my statement cause I know she shielded me from the worst of it."
"If you have your mother's number, I will call her as soon as possible. Thank you, Miss Hart. If you can give the phone to Mr. Morningstar, please." Mr. Zipman said.
"I'll give him the number," Kim said to the man on the phone.
"Thank you, Miss Hart." The man said politely, "one more thing Miss Hart, what accident are you talking about, in case I have to subpoena your medical records."
"I was practicing my gymnastic routine on the beam at the local gym. I was alone, I got dizzy and fell off." Kim answered.
"So it has nothing to do with Mr. Hart? Was he ever violent or abusive towards you or your mother?" The lawyer asked.
"He was towards my mother, but she protected me from him, but there were times I was scared of him. I was scared he would do something, but my mother would step in before that could happen." Kim answered.
"Yes, Miss Hart, or do you prefer to be called Miss Morningstar? In court, I need to call you by your official name, but in private, I can call you what you prefer." The lawyer asked
"I would like to be called by my father's name, which we can make mine soon I hope." Kim smiled.
"I will come and get the papers today so that I can start tomorrow's first work." The lawyer said, "If that's okay for your father?"
"It is, but I'll give you back to him to be sure." Kim handed the phone back to her father.
"Is that all Saul?" Lucifer asked when he got the phone back.
"Is it okay that I will come by for the proof that you are her father?" Saul asked Lucifer, "As I said to your daughter, I want to start first thing in the morning."
"Sure thing, I have the paperwork right here showing it," Lucifer said.
"I will see you in about 15 minutes," Saul said before hanging up the phone.
"He'll be here in 15 minutes to collect paperwork," Lucifer said.
"Okay," Chloe smiled.
"He will start tomorrow, it will be first work," Kim said.
"The sooner the better," Jason said. He was never fond of Mr. Hart.
"Please, tell me your parents agreed to this," said Chloe.
"Well, my mom told them before she left. So they won't report them missing, but as for a say in the matter there wasn't time." Kim responded first.
"My parents won't mind they don't really like Mr. Hart either" Jason reacted.
"They will understand, Jason's parents will explain it to them. They might not be happy about it, but they taught me to do the right thing, which this is. They will be alright as long as they're not grandparents when I do come back." Tommy said with a grin.
"Maybe you should let them know that you are okay," Chloe said being a mother herself, while she handed Tommy her phone.
Tommy nodded and took the phone from Chloe. He understood her point of view.
He dialed his home number, ready to get chewed out by his parents.
Lucifer looked at Tommy with suspicion and a devilish grin on his face. Chloe could see him thinking I will find something to get you, which was rewarded by a nudge in the ribs from Chloe and a look that said don't you even dare to think about it.
He looked at her with that innocent look, but she knew her devil way too well.
"Don't," she said under her breath.
Jason and Kim were way too focused to notice.
The phone rang, and Tommy took a big breath to summon courage. He could fight monsters no problem but having to talk to his mother when she was upset was hard.
He knew he had disappointed her by leaving like that or that's what he thought anyway, but she and dad taught him to do what was right, and this was right for Kim, dating or not.
"Hello?" sounded a female voice to the other side of the phone.
"Hi, mom," Tommy said a bit shyly
"Tommy, what on earth were you thinking going away like that?" His mom said.
"I'm sorry mom, but you always taught me to do the right thing. Didn't Mrs. Dumas talk to you?" Tommy asked. He was still thinking that he was going to get a lecture.
"Yes, she did and she explained everything. I just wished you would have called me. Did it work out baby? Do you need money for a hotel?" His mom asked worriedly.
"There wasn't really time to tell you, but everything worked out. We found her biological father and he has put us up at his place." Tommy responded. This was going well, so far so good.
"Mrs. Dumas didn't say much about Kim's biological father." Mrs. Oliver said
"Well, she didn't know too much other than he lived in LA. He owns a nightclub here and lives a comfortable life. He is happy to accept her as his. This was for Kim's best interest, Mr. Hart is bad news. I just wanted you to know I'm okay, I'm with Kim and Jason in LA. I can't tell you more for now but he is working on the legal stuff." Tommy explained, "We are here to help Kim out and keep her safe. in case Mr. Hart tries anything stupid."
"Okay, I'm glad things are working out well for Kim." His mother responded, "When do you think you'll be home?"
"Kim is in a wheelchair right now she needs help, and we have to make sure she is safe. So a few months at least." Tommy said, too afraid to say if I come home at all. He didn't want her to know that he didn't think he could ever leave Kim's side, being so much in love with her. He already knew Kim would never leave her father's side now that he had accepted her as his.
She had his heart and he had hers, he could never walk away from that.
"As long as you don't make me a grandma before you come home, I guess it's alright, please be safe. I'll have to have you transferred to a school out there to make sure you graduate on time." His mom said sternly.
"We will be careful mom, I don't want to piss off her dad either." Tommy said with a grin, "Thanks, mom. You are the best. We are in the safest place in all of LA. Tell dad I'm safe, and that me and Jason will keep her safe. When it's safe maybe you can come to visit."
"I will be glad to come and get to know her father because Mrs. Dumas made me curious." His mom said.
Tommy nodded like his mom could have seen it through the phone, "Okay, mom."
"Could I speak to him for a moment, dear, to thank him for everything?" his mother asked. She was curious about this man.
"Yeah, sure." Tommy responded, "Uhm, Mr. Morningstar? My mom wants to talk to you." Tommy held out the phone towards the devil.
Lucifer nodded and took the phone from Tommy, "This is Lucifer Morningstar speaking."
"Hello, Mr. Morningstar, this is Tommy's mom, I just wanted to thank you for everything you're doing for Kim, my son, and their friend."
"You are welcome, ma'am Their safety is very important to me," Lucifer said with a smile. Even through the phone, you could feel his charms, "You are always welcome to visit them at Lux."
"Why, thank you." Tommy's mom said, "It's Oliver, Jan Oliver. Lux? Is that the nightclub?" she asked curiously.
"Yes, that is correct, the best nightclub in Los Angeles. Don't worry about the age, Mrs. Oliver, I have a separate and more private elevator to go to the penthouse and their apartment." Lucifer smiled, "they will be well taken care of."
"Thank you so much, Mr. Morningstar and if you need any help considering their safety, I will be happy to help," Jan said
"Thank you but that won't be necessary my girlfriend is a detective for the LAPD. Your son will be taken care of," Lucifer answered her.
"Now I am sure he will be in good hands, he is such a good boy," Jan said.
"I'm sure he is Mrs. Oliver. Have a good night." Lucifer said.
"Good night to you, Mr. Morningstar," Jan said softly.
He passed the phone back to Tommy, who says good night to his mom then hangs up. Only to pass the phone to Jason, who makes a quick call to his parents. After that, they headed down to the apartment below to set it up for them.
So that their new lives could start under the protection of their own guardian devil.
TBC…