All stories are cross-posted to A03 under the penname, SunflowerSpectre


CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

HOW TO HANDLE A KNIFE


Carlisle regretfully leaves her. His mind and heart weigh him down heavily. Every step he takes away from her feels like lead, gravity pulling him down and resisting against him as it gets harder to lift each foot after the other. He glances over his shoulder only briefly, taking in the way that she looks. He is barely halfway down the hall to the staircase. He can see her laying in the bed through the crack in the door. Maybe a good couple of yards between them, yet she just looks and feels so much further away. Her eyes are closed, eyelashes brushing against her cheek.

The new day has already started and a bit of morning light is starting to beam in through the windows in just the right way that casts a glow against her cheeks like a gentle halo. He falters and almost heads back to her room, but her head turns and she catches the look in his eyes. Her eyes. He is so focused on the softness of them that it takes him a moment to realize that she is smiling at him as she mouths something to him. Do you hear them? Her laugh is barely audible, filled with rumbles in her chest that cause her to cough, but it's enough to see her happy. He breathes a little easier before he finally listens to her and it as he descends down the stairs.

It is on his way down does he hear what she mentioned and as he enters the living room, the energy shift from how he left it nearly gives him whiplash. While Amenadiel is still looming in the corner of the room, watching everyone closely and doesn't seem very engaged, Lucifer is casually on the couch with his legs spread nonchalantly. One of his arms is wrapped around Rosalie while the other is around Emmett. Alice flutters around them, smiling, and even Jasper looks more relaxed. Despite this, he doesn't see any sign of Edward; in the back of his mind, he tries to reach out to his son, just to make sure he's okay, but that he has to take care of things one at a time.

"- and that's why I'm not allowed back in Bermuda, but what the authorities don't know, well…"

Lucifer's charming grin is blinding as he speaks so casually. Emmett lets out a bellowing laugh, with Alice following suit with a melodic giggle while even Rosalie looks mildly amused. Amenadiel is the only one, however, more focused on Carlisle's return - the stunned look on the vampire's face doesn't go unnoticed and Amenadiel doesn't blame him for being surprised. Few people are ever prepared for just how charming and disarming Lucifer can be.

"Ariel insists that I take you both to look at the knife that caused her condition, if you'll follow me, please." Carlisle's voice is soft - more aimed toward Amenadiel, though everyone hears him clearly. Lucifer gets up, giving a regrettable goodbye to both Rosalie and Emmett, following behind Carlisle casually as he leads them toward a back office.

Through the corner of his eyes, he spots Edward heading toward the room upstairs where Ariel is occupied, but he can't quite see the door as he continues toward the office with the other angels.


Edward disappears into his room, unable to process the implications that have suddenly been brought down on them. Angels were one thing and perhaps he could get used to Ariel being such a being, if not for the fact that it reminded him too much of where they are bound to go. As if fate seemed convinced that he would ever forget, it just had to send another painful reminder in the form of the devil himself.

The devil. He isn't sure how the others are handling this overwhelming well after the initial shock. Rosalie, he knows, is more comforted by it than horrified. He is sure that Alice is more upset that she didn't see this coming than by the actual news itself. Jasper had long ago accepted where he may end up in the afterlife after being on the wrong side of a bad war. Even from his room, he can still read how much Emmett just wants to spar with the newcomers.

He struggles with the fact that he is the only one seemingly having this much difficulty. He wonders if Carlisle would be alongside him, if not for his love for Ariel taking priority.

He's tempted to pray. In his life, he never quite believed in it, but now knowing that there really is someone there listening to him, the concept itches at his skin. Then he remembers that he would be talking to Ariel's dad and that takes out all the temptation for prayer.

With Carlisle gone to the office, he can still hear them talking, he wanders over toward Ariel's room. Slow and unsure, he opens her door, not knowing what he should say or what answers he's really looking for. Ariel, however, doesn't seem surprised by his intruding. She adjusts herself on the bed to look toward him, with a knowing smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes.

Edward knows that she is an angel - he saw it for himself - but in the bed, she looks so human that it oddly comforts something in him as he takes a seat by her bed.

I know that look, young man. Edward glances toward her as his voice reaches him. He can't help the surprise flickering on his face as she reaches over to grab his hand, squeezing it with a knowing comfort. That look is the reason that I've been putting this off for so long, but in the end, that just makes it all that harder to really accept, doesn't it?

Carlisle accepts her. Without hesitation. Even before they really got to know each other, Carlisle was so excited to meet someone - something - new and unheard of. Fascination turned into something different along the way and then, Carlisle didn't care what she was. He loved her. Edward thinks that it is much easier to accept something about someone when you love them, but his coven? Him? They only know her - with the exception of Alice. He tells himself that that is the reason he's struggling, but the truth is, he already knows that his family loves Ariel like one of their own, including him.

It's not her that he is struggling with, not really. Ariel watches him curiously, before she leans back into the bed, closing her eyes.

Or maybe it's not me that you're so concerned with. Lucifer has a partner, you know? A wife really, but Lucy has always lacked the balls to do it. She loves him, faithfully, and it's her love for him that actually convinced me that maybe humans weren't so bad.

Edward looks at her, even though her mouth never moves aside from the smile on her face as she continues. But even she struggled at first. Everyone has. I suppose it's easier when you're an angel, everyone expects you to be good so they relish in the knowledge it's real, but the devil?

Ariel shifts, you can hear your siblings laughing down there, can't you? You really think he's evil? Lucy is the least evil of all of us. He cared about humans before any of us ever did. He is the first one of us to find love. Should he be punished when he's the only one stopping demons from coming here and wreaking havoc? He punishes evil, Edward. He doesn't create it.

Edward can't bring himself to look at her, a pained expression on his face, unable to tell her that that's exactly what he is worried about. Ariel's eyes peek open just enough to glance the pained look in his eyes.

Ah, so that's what it is? What is it with humans always so concerned about going to Hell? I suppose I get it, with the torture and all.

Edward's voice is quiet when he finally speaks up, "But we're soulless."

Ariel's dry, cracked laughter makes him jump. The wheezing in her throat worsens as she struggles to get a breath in, her chest rumbling. As she struggles to gain her breath, she continues to reach him through her thoughts.

Soulless? Oh sweetheart, is that what you really think? Boy, you may be a vampire, but you were still a human. And even now, you still have a choice, don't you? Soulless creatures don't have a choice and they certainly don't care if they're soulless.

Ariel reaches out to him, kindly, her hand feels frail and small as she still struggles to find air. I would stay and talk longer, but I don't think I'm able to stay here for much longer. I already told Carlisle that I'd be back. You go on, boy, take a walk and get your mind settled. But a piece of advice from this angel? Live with no regrets.

He still has so many answers that he wants answered, but it seems like all he does is blink before her hand is gone. When he looks over toward the bed, it's empty.


Carlisle doesn't spot the knife immediately. His mind feels a bit foggy, clouded as he thinks about the woman he abandoned in the other room. It takes him a moment to remember that Rosalie likely tucked it away into one of his drawers. Carlisle's movements are soft, a bit slower than usual with downcast eyes that refuse to really look at either of the brothers as he squeezes by Amenadiel to get to the drawer of the desk.

Amenadiel watches Carlisle carefully and he notices that despite the way Lucifer is casually strolling along the room to look at anything remotely interesting, even Lucifer watches Carlisle from the corner of his eyes. On a better day, Carlisle would recognize and be aware of the intense, careful observation he is under.

Amenadiel is close enough to the desk to observe every movement of the doctor's, not quite trusting him to know what he would do with it. He glances into the drawer as Carlisle reaches for the knife, but the first thing that catches Amenadiel's attention is a familiar feather tucked away neatly. Amenadiel can't stop the shock that passes over his face, momentarily caught off guard. His jaw locks for a moment, tensing before he rolls his shoulders as he begrudgingly remembers his son's habit of giving out feathers to - to family.

He glances at Carlisle, more thoughtful than before and sees the dark circles forming around his heartbroken eyes. His expression softens as he begins to see the doctor in a new light; and he is forced to swallow the fact that he was wrong.

"It's not one of Mazikeen's knives, that's for sure," Lucifer comments lightly as he takes the knife from Carlisle almost immediately, turning it over in his hands. "I can't say I recognize who these belong to."

Amenadiel's attention snaps toward his brother, "You mean you don't know?"

Lucifer scoffs, unaffected, with a shrug as he continues to swing the knife about, "There's a lot of demons in hell, brother, and even more weapons. Can't always keep track of them all. One of us will just have to pop down, ask a few questions. Won't be too hard to figure it out, I'm sure. All of them usually have their weapons on them, so just have to find out who is missing part of a pair."

Carlisle takes a forced step back to give him space, watching each swing of the blade. He can't help the tension in his shoulders as he's painfully reminded of the identity of his company, the casual mention of demons and Hell creating an unsettling sensation in the pit of his gut. He glances out toward the door, even knowing that he won't be able to see up the stairs nor the room where Ariel is. What happens to angels when they die?

Amenadiel has a hand on Carlisle's shoulder and when Carlisle glances toward the larger man, he is met with a softer, calm understanding gleam in his eyes. He looks like the angel he is supposed to be. He just gives Carlisle a sad smile, squeezing his shoulder before nodding toward the knife to remind him that they need to focus.

"Ariel will be fine," Amenadiel reassures him, "She's tougher than she looks and, frankly, too stubborn to let something like this actually affect her."

Amenadiel stops abruptly, moving to grab Lucifer's wrist as he lunges toward Amenadiel without faltering. Carlisle, with all of his speed, is barely able to move out of the way in time, eyes wide at the knife. Despite Amendandiel's glare, Lucifer just grins wickedly, admitting that he was just checking to see if Amenadiel's guard was up. Painfully, it just reminds Carlisle of Ariel's casualness about her siblings constantly fighting. Amenadiel doesn't seem very phased or surprised as he simply lets go of Lucifer's wrist rather quickly.

"That's not how you are supposed to handle a knife, Lucy."

"Well if I do it the way I'm supposed to, then it's no fun."