Transcript #1

D: Good morning! Come in, come in. Have a seat. I have water, tea, and coffee. Which would you like?

L: I have my own, thanks. (Takes a flask from his pocket and takes a healthy swig.)

C: Some coffee sounds nice.

D: You know, I really don't approve of my patients drinking alcohol during session.

L: Don't worry, doesn't affect me. I just like the taste.

C: Yeah, that's true. And I like my coffee with creamer, please. Soy milk if you have it, half-and-half if you don't.

D: I only have dairy creamer, I'm afraid.

C: It will have to do, I guess.

D: (Sighs.) Okay, let's get to it then, shall we? My name is Darlene Corden. You've been referred to me for couples therapy by Dr. Martin. Lucifer, I see here that she's been your therapist for … what? Five years, now? Is that right?

L: Yes, that's right. And I fail to see why she can't continue to be my therapist, I mean our therapist, just because we're a couple now. She's brilliant, really. Helped me quite a bit.

C: Lucifer, we've been over this with her. She can't be our therapist because she's our friend. Our good friend. There are ethical rules against it.

L: Yes, but she already understands us. This one will have to start from scratch. (Smiles.) See what I did there? (C. rolls her eyes.) Getting them to understand is so much work. Quite the challenge, really. It would just be so much easier to just have Linda, I mean Dr. Martin, work with us.

D: I'm afraid I'm going to have to agree with your … fiancée, is it? You need an impersonal, objective, counsellor, not a friend.

C: We understand Dr. Corden. (Looks at L., who sighs dramatically, then nods.)

D: Anyway. I'm a fully licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology and a Masters in Family Counseling. Plus a Ph.D. in Family Therapy. (Pauses.) And here's what you need to know: I'm not here to fix your relationship. I'm here to … wait! Where are you going, Mr. M.?

L: (Standing up.) If you're not going to fix what's wrong then why are we here?

D: If you'll allow me to finish … (L. sits back down.)

D: … I can't fix your relationship, but I can facilitate a process whereby you both work on it, together. I can provide a safe space where you can express your thoughts and feelings. Studies have shown that most relationships run into trouble when one or both parties fail to express their true feelings. What I do here is to provide an opportunity for you both to express what you're not saying to each other, and then to help you deal with whatever comes up after that.

C: That sounds perfect, Doctor.

L: Sounds like a big waste of time to me. (Looks at C.) But if it's what you want, darling, then I'm all in.

D: Great. So let's get started. Lucifer and Chloe. Lucifer—is that your real name?

L: Of course it is. Well, one of them anyway. I have several. But Lucifer is the one I go by these days.

C: And that's part of the problem, actually.

D: Oh, how so? Do you find the name difficult to deal with?

C: Oh, no. Not that. It's just that the name is somewhat inappropriate for … what's coming for him. For us, I should say.

D: What's coming? I hear you saying that your relationship is going to be changing in the near future. Is that right? Are you talking about marriage?

C: (Sighs.) Not exactly. Lucifer is going to … get a promotion soon. And I don't think he's going to be called Lucifer after that.

L: (Thoughtfully.) I hadn't fully considered that part. I suppose you're right, darling. Lucifer is hardly going to be the name that people will want to call their supreme deity. Too much baggage, am I right? I'm going to need a new name …

D: Right. Linda—Dr. Martin—warned me that you two used a lot of metaphors. So I suppose that, if Lucifer gets promoted to "supreme deity" that will bring some changes to your lives. Is that right?

C: Exactly!

D: Why don't you tell us what you're concerned about, Chloe?

C: Well, what happens to me? What about Trixie, my daughter. I'm a single mom—a widow now, I guess—and I'm the only one who takes care of her now. How is that going to work after Lucifer gets his promotion?

D: So you're concerned that Lucifer won't have time for you both anymore, is that right?

C: Yes! That's a big part of it. He's going to be focused on … well, everything. How is he going to make time for us?

L: That's ridiculous! You know you're the most important thing in my life, Det—I mean, Chloe. I will always make time for you. And your offspring as well. You have my word.

D: Lucifer, can we please try to not judge Chloe's concerns so harshly, please? Can you just try to accept that that's how she feels at the moment, whether you agree with her or not?

L: Very well, Doctor. (To Chloe.) I'm sorry, darling. I know you're concerned about our future, but I assure you that nothing is more important to me than you are. Nothing.

C: You say that now. But what about when you're sitting on your throne, or whatever it is, in the Silver City? You're going to be dealing with millions, maybe billions, of prayers and requests for assistance. What happens then?

L: You know, I've learned from my father's mistakes. I saw what happened to his relationship with mom. I will not let work come between us. I promise you that.

D: And what do you say to Lucifer, Chloe?

C: I say: I know he believes what he's saying now. He never lies. But he doesn't know what it's going to be like, any more than I do. And he gets distracted so easily …

L: Have some faith, please!

D: Lucifer, I think it's very brave of Chloe to express her concerns to you. Now, do you have any concerns you'd like to express to Chloe?

L: None. Everything is fine. Couldn't be happier, actually.

D: Oh, really? So Chloe is the only one in this relationship that has any concerns?

L: Exactly! Well put, Doctor. My initial assessment of your ability to grasp the obvious may have been slightly … well, a bit low, let's say.

C: You really have no concerns?

L: I have you. I have my upcoming "promotion." I don't need anything else.

C: What about Trixie?

L: I'm not following you.

C: She's a part of my life. What is she to you?

L:

C: See? You can't even discuss it.

L:

D: Lucifer, Chloe is asking about your feelings toward her daughter. Can you describe them?

L: Give me a second, please. (Takes another swig from his flask.)

C: (Rolls her eyes.) Waiting over here.

D: Okay, Lucifer. Chloe has expressed a concern about what will happen with her daughter after your promotion. Can you talk about what that looks like to you?

L: (Sighs.) Very well. I don't really see a problem. I get along with her offspring—Trixie—just fine. We have game night and we all get along. I don't see why anything needs to change.

C: See what I mean, Doctor?

D: Let me try to repeat what I'm hearing. Seems like you, Chloe, have a concern about what the dynamic will be between the three of you. And Lucifer, it seems to me that you don't really understand that there will be three people in your family after marriage. It won't just be you and Chloe anymore. Is that right?

C: Exactly! He doesn't understand that we'll need to be a family. I understand why, of course. His family history is probably the poster child for dysfunctionality. He's never really had a family dynamic that wasn't broken or on the way to being broken.

L: Essentially correct on all counts. Doctor, my family has never been what you might call "loving." I mean, once you've led a rebellion against your father, been banished from the family home for all eternity, and killed a sibling, it's not really something you want to think too hard about that. It's something you want to move away from, actually.

D: "Killed a sibling?"

L: (Sighs.) Yes. To be fair, it was self-defense. He was going to kill mum and Chloe. So what choice did I have?

C: He was going to kill me? Which one was that? And where was I when all this was happening?

L: You were oblivious, as usual. I tried to tell you your life was in danger, but did you believe me? No.

C: That was before …

L: Indeed. Before I killed your fiancée.

C: He wasn't my fiancée then. We had broken-up.

L: Fair point. Anyway, as usual, you didn't believe me and I had to do what needed to be done. Even if it meant killing my brother.

D: You killed your brother … and Chloe's ex-fiancée?

L: Yes. Yes. It was self-defense, both times. Do try to keep up, Doctor.

C: I didn't know about the brother, Doctor. But it was self-defense when he killed my fiancée. Ex-fiancée, I mean. Officially investigated. Officially ruled self-defense. No charges filed.

D: I'm beginning to see that this is a bit more complicated than Linda had led me to expect.

C: And you'll notice that he still hasn't talked about Trixie. (Looks at L.) Have you?

L:

D: Well, I'm afraid that's all the time we have to today's session. How about next week, same day, same time?

L: (Sighs.) If we must …

C: Oh, we must. We have to sort this out before … everything changes.

D: See you then.

End of Transcript #1