The Devil as a Father – Chapter 5

Harry made dinner one night. It was his turn. He and Dad had worked out a system and made a deal to not let Trixie cook ever again, although Mom said when she got older she would probably not set fire to the kitchen. Harry had his doubts. He'd been cooking full on English breakfasts since he remembered, and if he burned the bacon he'd been beaten. However, no one ever beat him anymore and Trixie had only been in trouble to the extent her chocolate cake intake had been cut off for the week. Also Dad had paid to have a lot of work done cleaning up and Trixie had felt guilty for it.

Tonight Harry made guacamole with home-made salsa and tortilla chips for starters and carne asada burritos for the main course. There was caramel flan for dessert and Dad was impressed with his cooking. "Harry you are beating me at kitchen activities. I am very proud."

Then Lucifer Morningstar, his Dad looked over at Mom and said lightly, "Someday I'll take you to Paris, Darling, and we can try the cuisine there. There is a little school I've wanted to visit where they teach you to make homemade croissants."

Harry looked at them. He knew Dad was really rich. "Why don't you go? Mom has enough vacation time and you've both been so busy. Auntie Maze and Uncle Dan can take care of us. You should get to do grownup stuff together."

Trixie grinned at him. "You know we could ask Mrs. Edwards to help too. She likes us and makes the best chocolate cake."
Harry watched his father grin. Mom started to smile too.

"We'll ask Dan, and Mrs. Edwards and Maze and see if it would work out. We've been working really hard so I don't see why not."

Harry felt good about the idea and while he would miss them, he felt like they needed grownup time together. Dad and Mom didn't get to have private times enough. And he could protect his sister. He had magic and now was learning to use it without a wand.

It took only a few days, and suddenly they were with Uncle Dan and Maze waving goodbye from the airport. Dad had them return to the Lux with Auntie Maze and Uncle Dan in a limo, which Uncle Dan seemed impressed with but also sort of sad.

Harry usually didn't spend a lot of time with Uncle Dan. He knew he had made Mom unhappy, and that he had made Trixie unhappy sometimes. He found out by mistake once that he had tried to have his Dad hurt and Trixie almost got killed. Harry realized he didn't want to hurt Trixie but he had wanted to hurt his Dad, so he had been scrupulously polite to Dan and careful as well. He was no Dursley, but still, Harry kept an eye on him.

But tonight in the limo he sat next to him and said, "Why does this make you sad, Uncle Dan?"

Dan looked surprised. At first Harry didn't think he was going to answer. Then he looked at Harry and said softly, "I'm jealous of your Dad. He's rich and handsome and I wish I could have been able to give more to Chloe and Trixie. When I really think about it, of course, I know I'm stupid, because it was my time and attention they wanted and needed and not money. I really am dumb sometimes."

Harry sat and thought about it. Uncle Dan didn't know that Lucifer was the devil. He thought he was slightly deranged, and rich. Maze and Trixie were laughing and joking with the limo driver, and not paying attention, so he looked up at Uncle Dan.

"Uncle Dan, Dad doesn't have everything and this is the first time in his life he's been happy. And the wealth, Dad actually earned it all. He didn't get it from his family. He and I have a lot in common." He stared up at Uncle Dan and Uncle Dan went pale. Everyone in the precinct knew that Harry had been horribly abused.

"No," he said, "No."

Harry felt a swell of power, because he realized this was what Mrs. Edwards was talking about at Halloween. Uncle Dan needed help and helping him with his jealousy was the start of his healing. "We both had similar situations, Uncle Dan, but Dad's situation went on for a much longer period of time. Sometimes when people are hurt that way, they stop trying to be loved, and look for it another way."

Uncle Dan looked like he had been beaten up. He sat back and just stared at Harry and then out the window nervously. Then he looked thoughtful.
He held out a hand to Harry and said, "thank you." The rest of the ride was quiet.

Lucifer Harry Lucifer Harry

The rest of the week went well. Harry was working on a special project for his magic tutors and studying state history for school, and math which Trixie could beat him at. Therefore Harry was pretty involved with his studies.

Maze got an out-of-state bounty and Dan moved into one of the guest suites in the Lux penthouse. For a treat, Harry made quesadillas with the choice of carne asada or mesquite grilled steak. They all sat together and Dan bit into the quesadilla and moaned. "Oh Harry this is great."

Trixie grinned and said, "He makes really nice treacle tart too. Not as good as chocolate cake but very yummy." After a taste, Dan agreed. There were no leftovers.

They ate in peace and Harry was pleased that Dan helped him clean up the dishes, while Trixie worked on school work.

Trixie announced she was done with her homework and bored, so Harry put on some CD's and danced with his little sister. Dan watched this and then started to teach them various dances, like Salsa and line-dancing. It was a lot of fun, and Dan promised to teach them all the dances he knew.

Then it was time for bed and Dan told Trixie stories, while Harry listened. Dan was not as good as Dad, but he did funny voices and Harry appreciated it.

Then it was bedtime. Harry went to his room and got into bed. Now was his special time for magic meditation and warding. He lay back at all the tiny star lights that Dad had decorated his ceiling with and closed his eyes. He meditated for a while and completely relaxed, now checked all the wards on the Lux. He could do this easily and had recently improved. Now his mind stretched to the wards on the precinct where Mom and Dad worked and some of the nearby properties belonging to Dad. He was almost asleep when he thought of Dan and put a special ward on his car and then his apartment to make sure Harry knew if he were in danger. Then he reinforced the ward on Miss Ella's car and apartment and fell asleep.

Lucifer Harry Lucifer Harry

Dan made them scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon for breakfast and packed their lunches before dropping them at school. Harry walked Trixie to her class first and then to his class. It was a typical day. One of the new kids in school informed him he was the son of the devil and thereby going to hell. Harry contemplated giving the jerk horns but instead drug him to the principal's office and "told" on him. "I don't mind him calling me names, but if he bugs Trixie, I'll call Dad's lawyers." The kid sneered but the principal had been supportive since the first day of school and Dad's mix-up with "bully dad". Harry left while the Principal called this new jerk's parents into school, and the rest of the day seemed normal.

Then at lunch he felt wards activate. These were his new wards on Uncle Dan. He looked up, raised his hands, asked to be excused, and used his phone to call the precinct.

The people Mom and Dad worked with told him Uncle Dan was surveying a neighborhood where people had disappeared. Harry thought about it and then said, "Uncle Dan is in trouble. I don't know how I know but someone has hurt him. Please send backup."

Then Harry thought carefully and called Uncle Amenadiel. "Uncle Dan is in trouble. Something set off his protection wards." he said flatly.

Uncle Amenadiel promised to go to the station and find out where he was supposed to be.

"Uncle, he's in mortal danger. Come pick me and Trixie up and I'll take you there." Uncle Amenadiel was on the list of people allowed to take Harry and Trixie from school.

Harry then told his teacher he was going to have to go home and went to Trixie's classroom.

He walked right in. Her teacher was strict but Uncle Dan was in danger. He went to Trixie's desk and she looked up, her eyes filled with sudden fear. She had good instincts.

She got up and the teacher walked up to Harry and loomed over him. "Just what do you think you are up to, young man."

Harry put out his hand and touched her teacher's hand, "Trixie's Dad is in danger. We're leaving."

The man started to blather, but Harry didn't have time, "If he dies because you are a power hungry bully, your future is going to have lawyers in it." Lawyers were wonderful as far as Harry was concerned.

The teacher frowned and Harry took his sister's hand and started walking. Mr. Houston, the teacher, walked after them and grabbed Harry's shoulder. Harry turned around and the ward he'd put on the obnoxious man's hand went off giving him a nicely calculated shock. While Mr. Houston shrieked, Harry took Trixie out of the room and this did a new type of magic. One that put him and Trixie outside the school where Uncle Amenadiel was just driving in.

"Daddy," Trixie whimpered and Harry's magic went into overdrive. Driving was too slow, so Harry vanished all of them, including the car and they were suddenly in a neighborhood Harry recognized as one he had hid in once when the Dursley's abandoned him.

His phone trembled and he answered, "We're with Uncle Amenadiel and safe. Uncle Dan is in danger and we don't have time."

He hung up on his father without fear and pointed to an abandoned building. "He's in there."

Uncle Amenadiel gestured to them to stay with the car and Harry shook his head. Instead he put a shield around all of them and filled his hands with flame. He walked into the building straight to the basement, making the lights turn on even though the building had not electricity

Lucifer Harry Lucifer Harry Lucifer Harry

Dan Espinoza lay on the urine soaked basement floor and realized that this was it. He was dying. He felt many things but mostly regret that he'd never see Chloe and Trixie again, and never have a chance to make Harry's green eyes look at him with trust. He wished he'd said he was sorry to Lucifer. He felt nausea and was able to turn to throw up, though very little came up. He silently prayed that Chloe and Lucifer would get the dirty cops who had shot him, stripped him of equipment and left him to die alone. He closed his eyes, waiting for hell.

Something incredibly soft touched his cheek and the sense of comfort sent him into the blackness with hope.

Harry held Trixie to his chest and stroked her while Uncle Amenadiel used one of his feathers to heal Uncle Dan.

Uncle Amenadiel looked up. "His life is saved, but I suggest taking him to the hospital."

Harry nodded but first waved his hands. A video camera appeared and a file folder full of prints.

"Harry that's astounding," said Uncle Amenadiel.

Harry grinned, "You, an angel, find magic astounding. Your kindness to Uncle Dan is astounding."

Then Harry snapped his fingers.

Four people showed up in the closest emergency room, two children, a large black man and a wounded police office.

The smallest child wept but still was amazingly self-controlled. The older child was on the phone to the head of what sounded to be internal affairs. "No I am not pulling a stupid prank. If any policeman from the precinct shows up, he may be the person who shot my uncle. Therefore he will not be allowed near my Uncle. A properly identified office from Internal Affairs will come now or I'll call the Mayor's special task force. I'm not kidding. I have fingerprints and video tapes. Don't mess with the Morningstars."

The boy paused and handed the phone to a nurse. "Ma'am, this is a dangerous situation. A cop shot a cop. They aren't believing me because I'm just a stupid kid. Could you at least identify the hospital and that my Uncle is wearing police uniform."

The nurse was used to odd things, and saw the concern and discipline in this child's eyes. "We have what appears to be a wounded officer," she said crisply, mouthing 'YOU ASS', and then smiling into the phone. "I'm putting him under security lockdown. He's been shot in the back and is going into surgery."

She handed Harry the phone and said, "He's very fortunate. His blood count was dangerously low. I don't know how you all stabilized him, but you did good."

Harry took Trixie and Uncle Amenadiel to the waiting area, and called Dad.

"Don't get on a flight," he started.

"Too late," said Dad, holding Mom's hand, standing before him.

Harry smiled, and wondered if he could call Dad's method of travel, Devil Deliveries. Suddenly he realized he could stop being brave and then burst into tears as he and Trixie grabbed both adults. "Uncle Amenadiel saved him," he said. "I hung up on you because he was dying. There just wasn't time."

Trixie, who had held it together better than anyone at school ever would, howled now.

"He's going to live." said Harry to Trixie stroking her messy curls.

"You did wonderfully, my dear Son," said Lucifer and then picked both his spawn up holding one in each arm. Chloe hugged all three of them simultaneously, and Uncle Amenadiel shyly hugged the whole group.

"Do we have the family of friends of Office Dan Espinoza?"

Harry had tried very hard to do everything as well as Dad could. Dad kissed his forehead and then Trixie's and handed them over to Uncle Amenadiel, who now looked close to tears at being trusted with Lucifer's spawn. Harry decided it was his full right to have a good nervous breakdown.

Lucifer Harry Lucifer Harry Lucifer Harry.

Lucifer turned to the Doctor and walked him out of the room. "The children tracked him down and saved him. Very well done." he said, " but now they are reacting. Is he in a safe room?"

"Yes," said the doctor, quizzically stared back at the waiting room door that hid this peculiar family group. "I really don't know how your family pulled this off, but I don't care. He's alive and we're not allowing anyone but family visit. There are some Internal Affairs officers that think they should be running things clamoring to interview him. I already put them in the hands of our head intake clerk. She is not impressed with them. When she's done ripping them new ones, would you like a turn?"

Lucifer laughed. "Oh I like you," he said, "Man after my own heart. Dan is my wife's ex husband but he's also family and Trixie's dad."

The doctor smiled. "Best kind of family."

Then he got a funny look on his face pulled a plastic bag out of his pocket. "How the bullet got covered with gray feathers that were glowing is not within my scope. I'm not giving this to the assholes, but I think you should have them."

Lucifer put the still glowing bag in the inner pocket of his vest. "Let's see if anything is left of our noble officers," he said, grinning toothily in a way know to make demons shake.

Lucifer Harry Lucifer Harry Lucifer Harry Lucifer Harry

Dan woke up and a little body was laying next to him on a bed that smelled of hospital . Beeps made a chorus like bugs singing, but not as sweetly.

But the little hand clutching his arm was the sweetest thing in the universe.

He opened his eyes. Trixie was sleeping next to him, her face showing signs of tears. He looked over and Chloe was sitting in a chair, also asleep. He turned and looked into the eyes of Lucifer Morningstar, who stood sentinel by the door. Next to him a little green-eyed boy was looking at him with concern.

He smiled at them both. He remembered that feather touching him. He remembered feeling like he was being lifted into another realm. He remembered the crime scene when Pierce had died and finding one bloody glowing feather he told no one about.

He knew Lucifer was, Lucifer. And Lucifer was apparently good. He wasn't sure what Harry was, but he was damned sure the kid had saved him.

"Thank you," he whispered through hoarse lips and the little boy gave him ice chips.

They were divine.

When the chips were gone, he looked up at Lucifer. "I apologize for all the horrible things I did. I don't deserve forgiveness but I, I'd like a chance to do better. I was wrong."

And Lucifer smiled at him. It was the smile of a Dad. Dan fell asleep thinking about angel feathers, little boys with green eyes and the man who had put all that joy in his daughter's life, and his ex-wife's life. And now had saved his life. And Lucifer stood guard.