(Author's note: The name of the new character is provided by JannaKalderash, who has given me a lot of nice bloodthirsty ideas for dealing with a certain family who abused Harry).
That night Harry had another nightmare, a bad one that brought up all sorts of things that had happened with Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia. Lucifer had heard him whimper and came into his room, after rapping gently on the door and asking permission and then brought him to sleep with Lucifer and Mum. "Don't you both have kissing stuff to do?" asked Harry who still didn't want to be a bother.
Mum gathered him into her arms, "We wouldn't enjoy kissing if we knew you were in need of us, Darling. And holding our sweet little boy is a wonderful thing too."
Lucifer kissed his head and said, "You are our treasure, Harry."
There was a creeling noise, and Trixie entered the room with Goldie sitting imperiously on her shoulders.
"Goldie says Harry had a bad dream and needs cuddles," said Trixie. Goldie bugled a little cry in agreement.
Harry suddenly felt better about all of it. His family truly loved him and wanted to hold him. That was pretty neat. Trixie wanted to be with him and so did Goldie. He fell asleep and felt safety in his parent's arms.
The next morning Mum announced that they were going to start keeping an eye on Mrs. Edwards. "She's been really sick and I don't want to take away her independence but I do want to make sure she is well."
Harry agreed, "I like her. She shines like Mum and Dad do."
Lucifer looked up mildly, "She shines like Mum and Dad. How do we shine?"
"Dad shines like the sun, and Mum shines like a warrior knight," said Harry calmly. He thought everyone knew that one.
"And Mrs. Edwards?" asked Dad, his face a study in curiosity.
"She shines like silver light and moonlight, not as bright as you and Dad. She sees things we don't, that's why she is a seer."
Trixie piped up, "I like the way Daddy Lucifer shines best. It makes me happy."
Lucifer looked at his adoptive daughter and looked at Chloe. "No clue," said Chloe, shrugging "I wish I could see what you see darling."
Lucifer looked puzzled, "Trixie, can you do magic and you didn't tell us?"
"Nope," said Trixie matter-of-factly, "I don't have any magic. Just an extreme love of chocolate."
"Have you always seen me shine?" asked Lucifer, smiling but again more curious.
Trixie smiled at him and gave him one of her full body hugs, "Yes, I noticed when you told me your name was Lucifer. You smiled at me and you shone."
Lucifer stared at his children, "Does Uncle Amenadiel shine?" he asked.
Harry shrugged, "Yeah, angel shine."
Trixie shook her head, "No, never noticed. But I know he's nice. At least he is now."
Lucifer decided to discuss this later with Chloe. The kids seem to have abilities that he'd never noticed, at least not in Trixie. And Harry could speak the tongue of the goblins, gobbletygoop or whatever it was called. But they had more important things to consider, like making sure Harry got therapy and felt safe with his family.
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And it was very difficult finding a therapist for Harry until Mrs. Edwards stepped in. Or rather, until she grabbed Lucifer's hand when he and Chloe were checking up on her.
"There is another therapist in Los Angeles who has dealt with abused children and who believes in Angels. His name is Javier Martinez and he's just started his practice but he has lots of experience working with abused children as part of a clinic that specializes in this kind of problem. He's very compassionate and was abused as a child, so he'd be perfect for Harry."
Lucifer grinned at her, "You are a miracle, Mrs. Edwards."
"No, she is," the older woman grinned at him while pointing at Chloe, who smirked. "I'm just a seer. I can point the way for people, but you all have a shining path that makes it easy to check things."
Chloe served her a grilled cheese sandwich and they chatted about the children. They were thinking of taking Harry out of school, but weren't certain about it. He liked school and his "extra credit" classes in magic. It was a soothing thing to depend on in a little life that had experienced too many harsh surprises.
Mrs. Edwards finished her sandwich and wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. "I think Harry needs a service animal."
Lucifer gave a start and looked at her.
"I know it will be difficult retrieving what you want, Lucifer, but I think it's time. You must tell Maze as well. If you don't you will hurt your friendship with her. She feels taken for granted, and has become very independent as a result, but she needs to know you love her as family too."
Lucifer's eyes filled with tears, "What if she decides to stay at home in Hell?" he asked sadly.
"Then it will be her decision," replied the seer softly, "She deserves free will too, my dear."
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Finding Mazikeen was difficult because she was hunting down a miscreant for the FBI. Her reputation had spread, and they had a particularly nasty unsub to capture. But Lucifer had his ways, and eventually found her doing a stake-out in front of a hotel that might have been used in a horror movie.
He called to her gently first, so as to startle his number one body guard. "Maze, it's me, Lucifer. May I pop in and speak with you?"
"Sure," she replied, though he could hear the suspicious tones in her voice, "I was bored anyway, but don't bother me if my perp shows up."
"Yes, Ma'am," he whispered and popped next to her.
"Maze, I am planning to go back to Hell to pick up a hellhound for Harry and I want to ask you if you want me to take you with me?"
She froze. He could feel her start of surprise and increased suspicion.
"Why ask me?" she said, "Do you want to get rid of me?"
Again, his sorrow at how he'd treated his first and best friend in Hell gripped him. "Indeed Mazikeen, if I had my choice, you'd be with me always, but you have rights and your own desires. So I would miss you horribly, but still will take you where you want to go." he said as his heart began to ache.
Maze whipped around and stared at him, and reached out gently and touched the lone tear on his cheek.
"For me?"
"Of course, Maze," he murmured, "I've been a poor friend and master, but I care about you. You are my friend, my first real friend. Although my family has grown lately, your friendship is still to be treasured. I'm just sorry I never told you."
"Then no," she said softly, "I want to stay. I love our family. But thank you for asking. You finally got a clue,"
And for the first time in recorded history, a demon hugged the Devil and wiped tears from his eyes.
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After explaining what he was going to do to Chloe and getting his wife's permission (he had learned so much about working with family – he even remembered to tell her that Maze would stay with them and was amazed that she cried in relief), he rushed to hell on angel wing, and the thousands of demons that dwelt there trembled in fear at the aura of purpose he arrived with. Was it war? Were they all to be destroyed and a new generation raised to be more obedient?
Instead he went to where his hellhounds were housed and well treated. "Aradia," he called and the smallest hell hound, looking much like a wolf, raced to his side, wagging her tail and wiggling in delight, "Little darling, I have a job for you, so I want your opinion. I have adopted a son. He was terribly abused before I found him, and I want him to have a companion and protector. His name is Harry, and he is a magical human, and I love him. Do you think you would like to be his friend and companion, little one?"
She responded by jumping in his arms and excitedly kissing his face, while mentally she sent him a message of delight and love. "Of course, Daddy Lucifer, we all seek to serve you. A child to love! What a wonderful child he must be. I will guard him fiercely."
Lucifer smiled and picked up the wiggling hellhound in his arms. His wings shot out again and he flew off. No one asked him any questions, just trembled in fear.
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He landed on the Lux Balcony. "Aradia, please take the form of a very small dog." he commanded gently. The dog wiggled and said, "Even smaller than me?" she asked playfully.
"You can be as large as a horse when needed, my love, but I want you to look innocent and cute so you can go to school with Harry and be his protector. You are going to be a service dog, so you will be allowed in places no other dog is allowed."
"Yes, Daddy Lucifer," said Aradia, and abruptly became smaller, and less black. Soon she was a tiny adorable Chihuahua, still wiggling in joy at seeing her master.
"I have been blessed with family, Aradia," said the King of Hell, "I have a wonderful wife, who is my heart's true love, and have adopted her daughter Trixie, who is a delight. And many people have learned who I am and still accept me. Also, two angels are part of the family, Amenadiel and Kynerath. Amenadiel has changed and no longer keeps trying to send me back to hell when I don't want to go.
Aradia listened to all of this with great attention. "So I shouldn't bite him?" she asked. She had tried before. "No," said Lucifer gently. She whined a bit, but then licked his hand, "As long as he is nice to you. If he hurts you, all bets are off," mind-spoke the little dog fiercely. Lucifer smiled, as a mental picture of Aradia sneaking up on Amenadiel and biting him on the butt made its way to him.
"What about the other angel?" Aradia was interested, "She seems very sweet and likes our Mazikeen, so I think she will be your friend," said Lucifer gleefully.
"I'm ready!" mind-spoke the little dog as she also barked. She had apparently missed Lucifer a lot.
He walked into the penthouse where his children were studiously doing homework next to one another, which their mother was working on the computer.
Chloe looked up and was the first to see Aradia. She smiled at the little dog and stood up.
"Look Harry, your father has brought you a new friend," she said happily, her beautiful eyes glowing with joy.
Harry looked up and his mouth formed an "O" of delight. "Trixie," he squealed, "Dad got me a pet,"
Goldie looked up where she had been dozing on Trixie's shoulder and gave a gurgling cry and flew over to investigate. She landed on Lucifer's shoulder and looked the little hell-hound in the eye.
They promptly sniffed one another, and evidently approved, because the dragon began to purr and Aradia's tail began wagging furiously.
"Good companion – I can mind speak with her," the smallest hell-hound remarked to Lucifer in mind speech.
Harry raced up and put his hand out politely to be sniffed.
Aradia began to bark gleefully, "Oh this is a good boy! Daddy Lucifer," she said to her first master. This, of course, was high praise from a hell-hound.
She struggled to go to the boy, and Lucifer put her in Harry's arms, where she proceeded to lick him as he laughed in glee. Soon he was sitting on the ground and luxuriating in small dog kisses while Goldie and Trixie sat next to him happily. Goldie would give out a little bugle noise and Trixie giggled. When Aradia was done completely covering Harry in loving dog slobber, she wiggled over to Trixie and repeated the ritual of dog love.
"Her name is Aradia, she is the smallest of my hell-hounds and the most affectionate. She will be Harry's service dog, and we'll be sure to get her certification so he can bring her to class and other events."
"Yipee," said Harry. Then Harry looked up with glowing green eyes, "She's talking to me, Dad! She likes me."
"That is evident already my Son, but I'm pleased you can understand her."
"I can understand Goldie," said Trixie, and she looked at Aradia, "Can you talk to me?" she asked
Aradia jumped in her arms and Trixie's face screwed up in concentration. "She says I smell like a friend, Daddy Lucifer."
The dog barked. "That's what she calls me," said Lucifer, "Her pet name for me is Daddy Lucifer. You will both have to share it."
"Okay," said Trixie. Aradia snorted and barked in agreement.
Fortunately their homework only took a few more minutes to finish up, because Aradia was much more interesting. After she had kissed and welcomed Mum, they took Aradia around the penthouse and then downstairs to see Uncle Dan.
Uncle Dan was looking much better and seemed pleased that Harry had a new pet that seemed normal. He liked Goldie, but was a little nervous around the little dragon. Aradia was excited to see a human soul in a body. She spent much longer sniffing Uncle Dan than she had anyone else, while he petted her gently and talked to her in a low voice, "Aradia, aren't you a pretty girl. I'm glad Harry has such a nice pet."
Aradia apparently came to a decision and jumped up and kissed his face. She mind-spoke to both the children, "I can tell he is Trixie's sire and has been bad, but he no longer smells hell-bound. Someone has helped him a great deal."
Trixie and Harry smiled at one another. They had been very worried about Uncle Dan. "Aradia said you are a good human now," said Trixie brightly, and Dan froze. He looked at the little dog enthusiastically licking his hands and wiggling. "Not a regular dog, I take it?"
"No, Aradia is a hell-hound and she has come to help protect us," explained Harry, hoping he didn't offend Uncle Dan.
Uncle Dan however, picked up the little dog and kissed her on her snout. "Thank you for protecting my family, little girl. You are a very good dog."
Aradia was up with that and her tail wagged furiously. So far all the humans she had met had passed her sharp nose's ability to determine who was friend and who was foe.
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Chloe kissed her husband passionately, "I so rarely have you to myself," she whispered softly and they smiled at one another.
"Harry is remarkably supportive of our gross kissing activities," remarked Lucifer.
"Yes," she murmured and then stopped kissing him. "We have to take him to the goblin healers. I want them to check him and Trixie too to make sure no one has messed with either of them."
"Excellent idea beloved," he said, "We also have to get Aradia certified as a service dog. I believe we can do that through animal services now. She will pass any intelligence tests they give her. If anything happens at school, Aradia will protect both the children."
"And we still haven't taken the children to Disneyland," observed Chloe.
"Oh, my, are you sure you don't want me to buy it?" asked Lucifer a little plaintively.
"It would take a lot of work to manage, not like the Lux," said his wife wisely, "We'll get VIP tickets"