A/N: Big thanks for the favorites, follows and the reviews, kimberlychytil and SPCLjmm.
Chapter 7
After Michael they had resumed their way until they stood at the foot of the gigantic pillar, Trixie craning her head to see to the top. It was a lonely Throne, so far from everyone else, in the middle of the eternal starless darkness of this realm, with the exception of the broken apart dark clouds directly above the Throne shedding some light onto this kingdom.
Lucifer had planned to take her afterwards to the first of his two surprises, but the teenager startled him not little, as she had asked for the children's Hell Loops. Immediately he had explained his changes in keeping those little parasites now in groups divided by age in enormous play rooms. Those words lit Trixie's face up.
The young ones were once a week brought to their respective Hell Loops, before returning them to their shared housings again. He offered them after every stay in their Loops to speak with them about their experiences in therapy, but hardly anyone would take him up on his offer. Especially not the younger ones. Over the millennia only a handful of youngsters were able to overcome their guilt during speaking with either each other or indeed after a few sessions with the Devil.
Now they were inside the room for 8 to 10 year olds, standing on an endless green meadow with the largest playground Trixie had ever seen, harboring several gigantic slides, different kinds of swings and a real monster of jungle gym, on one side and a three story amusing arcade on the other, with a fair on the meadow beyond.
At first the children had literarily hid when they had entered, but Trixie had approached a smaller group hanging in the jungle gym, ready to jump and run any moment. When the children were only watching her curiously, she sat at the foot of one slide. One bold boy eventually had asked if she was new, which she affirmed. The children were visibly torn between approaching the teenager, they hadn't seen one since their deaths, or running and hiding from the Devil standing next to the door in the middle of the park, smoking to pass the time.
"You don't have to fear anything." Trixie repeated calmly. "He won't harm you." A gentle smile was on her lips. "If he would want to then he would have done so a long time ago, don't you think?" Slowly a few of the hidden children poked their heads out of their hiding places. "I want to tell you a true story." Trixie eventually baited and waited till at least a handful children had neared.
"What story?" A little dark skin boy inquired.
"About angels." Her smile grew. "You know they really exist, just like the Devil does." She locked eyes with a little girl peeking forth next to her behind the slide. "I've met several angels and even God." No need to confuse them by telling them that she had actually met two different Gods.
When a few more children had gathered, always ready to take off any moment, Trixie began her tale about Amenadiel, who was always there for her family, then Charlie and Rory and eventually Lucifer. "Before Lucifer became the Devil, he was an angel in Heaven. The angel, who created the stars in the night sky." This got her some 'ohs' and 'wows'. "Then he got into a fight with his Daddy, God, who then sent him to Hell. But God wasn't angry or hated his son. Actually God seemed sad to me, that Lucifer and he wouldn't make up."
Curious about what exactly she was telling them, the Devil had carefully approached. "Well, eventually, Dad and I made up." Lucifer put in. Bad idea. Now all eyes were on him and the noisy brats were looking at him funnily. Most likely contemplating running screaming away or staying put and crying their leaking heads off. When he heard a whispered "show them" by Trixie, he held a small staring match with the teenager, before giving in. Must be the Decker-genes. Huffing, he shrugged his shoulders and revealed his enormous wings, glowing majestically, flicking his cigarette bud carelessly into the grass.
To his surprise none of the rugrats screamed or ran. On the contrary. Two bold ones walked over and were about to touch his feathers, but Trixie caught their hands gently, none had notice her rise. He shuddered at the mere thought to have their sticky little paws in his magnificent feathers.
"Just watching, no touching. He doesn't like to have his wings touched." Trixie saw the faces of most children fall, but the grateful relief on Lucifer's features.
"You know, Lucifer created this gigantic play-room only for you. Usually souls are brought to their own rooms, where they relive the most painful moments of their lives over and over. Forever. But the Devil made an exception for you all, so you won't be sad and can play with each other."
"Why?" rang from above her from the top of the slide, where three children were listening.
"Because you won't speak with him in his sessions. Not like the adults do. The therapy sessions are for you to help you with your guilt so you can move on to Heaven and meet your family there."
"But the Devil eats children and tortures people."
"That's not true. The church made it up and maybe some of his siblings, who were angry at him for arguing with their Dad." She hoped this explanation had the desired effect. "Lucifer had been my friend since I was little. Younger than you are now. He had always been good to me and cheered me up when I was sad."
"Why is the Devil helping us and gives us a fun room?"
Trixie grew sad and was sure her face showed it. "Because he knows how you feel. He can't be with my Mom and my little sister, who are on Earth. And I have to leave soon, so he will be all alone again and away from his entire family. Just like you all are."
"Are you an angel, too?" One little girl asked awed.
"Oh no. I'm just a human being." Grinning she shook her head. "You have to help him to help you. So will you talk with him now?" Some nodded tentatively and Trixie smiled brightly to reassure them that their decision was the right one.
After a few more reassuring words, she took her leave from the small ones. When this was working as expected then Lucifer could take a few kids to one of the other children's rooms, so they could spread the word, that the Devil was the Healer of Hell.
Outside, back in the dark hallway, Lucifer faced the teenager truly grateful. "Thank you, Trixie."
"You're welcome, Lucifer." She smiled brightly up at him, happy to be able to help. "Take some board game or cards with you to therapy."
"I will." They started their way towards his first surprise. So much time had passed in the last five years on Earth and now he wasn't so sure anymore if his surprise would still be the girl's desire.
"You know, I believe there was a spelling error." Lucifer frowned startled, not able to follow her train of thought. "Maybe it shouldn't be 'Hell' with two 'L', but 'Heal'."
Chuckling, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pressing her into his side. "I like that."
X – X – X – X – X
"What's this?" Trixie saw his slight nervousness, fidgeting again with his cufflinks, and eyed the door with the chain hanging loosely down to the floor. Was this her Hell Loop?
"This is something I wanted to show to you." He only hoped that her reaction would be closer to the one she had at patting the Hellhounds than at seeing the Lake of Fire. This was one of the empty cells, usually also holding the same black basalt pillar-like walls as the corridors of Hell did. But Lucifer made an exception today and generated another simulation similar to how he did it with his office, the apartment and his penthouse.
Expectantly he grasped the handle and looked down on the more and more worried face of his step-daughter. "No need to drag out the moment, darling." With this he pushed the door open and led her with his hand on her shoulder in.
Startled, since this was surely not her Hell Loop, or anyone else's as it seemed, Trixie stepped further into the desert. The dry brown, slightly reddish ground was covered with equally colored sand on some patches, just like rough looking stones and small rock pieces in others. The area was rather plain and only broken by the smallest of hills. On the far horizon small mountain-like structures were seen. Confused the brunette turned slightly, her eyes travelling over the barren landscape and then up to the twinkling stars and the two moons above. And Trixie suddenly knew where he had brought her. "Mars."
She whirled around in awe taking everything in again, her eyes huge in wonder and her smile as bright as the stars above. "Is this Arcadia Planitia?"
The Devil's heart swelled at the expression he had so missed to see on her face. This true happiness and excitement. "I remembered you blabbing about it being the intended colonization site." Before he knew it, he was caught in one of her bear-hugs again. Chuckling he freed his arms and returned the embrace, holding her close.
"Thank you, Lucifer!" She mumbled into his shirt.
"You're welcome, Urchin." A true joyful smile had found its way onto his lips. It had been such an incredible long time since he last granted a heart's desire. And it felt great.
With another squeeze Trixie pulled away and stepped further into her surprise. Picking up a handful of Martian sand, she let it gush through her fingers and watched it fall slowly – slower than on Earth, or Hell for that matter – down. She wondered how he had gotten this detailed picture of the far away planet. Maybe this was how Mars looked like back in the early days when Samael was lightening up the universe? But she didn't want to know if this was a distant memory or something he thought up founded on pictures she had showed to him as a child.
"I hope one day, I'll stand on the real Mars." Trixie breathed as they began to walk down what looked like a dried out river.
"So you still want to be the President of Mars?" He joked slightly. If she would have been born maybe fifty years later, this dream would be more within reach.
Chuckling she shook her head about her childhood dream. "The President part is rather unlikely." Her face became more contemplative. "But maybe with a lot of luck I might get into one of the private or governmental Mars projects." She knew how high the requirements were, let alone the chance to be indeed picked from all the applicants. It was a tiny chance she still wanted to pursuit. Her grades had slipped the past months, but she could still turn the leaf around and get back to be one of the class's bests within the rest of the school year.
"Unfortunately the bridges with Brody Aerospace were burnt by Michael, when he took over my life." Lucifer sighed. This would have been the easiest way to get Trixie her desired spot on the Red Planet. "But I have enough people owning me a favor." His dark eyes met hers. "Ask Maze if you really want to step foot onto the real Mars, Trix." He saw her eyes widen, her hope rising.
"And if you or your mother or sister need anything… it would be a shame if all those debts would stay unredeemed with the people dying off." He doubt that he could use their favors in Hell when some of his former clients would surely end up here. "If they can make my family's lives better."
She hugged him again. "I'll tell Mom."
"She actually knows, but as I know her, she is most likely too stubborn to call in one of my favors if she sees another way to accomplish her goal." He placed his hands onto her shoulders, giving her a serious look. "You have to make sure that she uses them if necessary." Then an afterthought occurred to him. "I have a house in the Hollywood Hills. Chloe knows about it. Make sure to spend a few weekends there." At least his family should enjoy the breathtaking view, if he won't be able to.
How could she have ever doubt this kind and generous man? Trixie embraced him again, nodding against his chest. "Thank you."
They resumed their stroll through Mars, only quickly interrupting for a throwing contest of stones in Mars' low gravity. Although Trixie set a new personal record, she could hardly compete with Celestial strength. "What will become of Michael? How long is his sentence?" She suddenly asked, her thoughts kept returning to the sad picture of the fallen angel. "He's your brother after all."
"Mi- Micheal…" Caught unprepared Lucifer slightly sputtered in the search for words. "He didn't see any reason or show regret." Truth be told, he didn't know what to do with his twin. In Silver City, he would only try to influence their siblings in the negative, so this was no option. On Earth he would only cause trouble with his mojo and thinking humanity inferior and unimportant. Here in Hell, he couldn't do much harm as long as the demons stuck to the strict order to not ever speak with him.
She could tell on his features that he didn't like where this conversation was going. "He hardly can while scrubbing the hallways 24/7. When was the last time you spoke to him?"
Lucifer huffed at that and fiddled with his cufflinks. "You can't talk to that lying weasel."
With a sigh she let this obviously sensitive topic drop. Maybe Amenadiel would have here a more open ear.
X – X – X – X – X
A/N: I hope you like how Trixie tried to help the Devil with his mission of healing.