Afterword (for those who care to read it)
SPOILERS FOR SEASON 6
This story went far beyond what I thought I was writing when I first started out. It kind of grew on me, almost like I didn't have full control of where it was going. When I started writing, Season 5 had aired but Season 6 hadn't yet dropped. I started thinking what Season 6 might be like, and my thoughts informed the story. But the story also seemed to have a life of its own …
What I originally intended to tell was the story of how Lucifer abdicated the celestial Throne in favor of his love for Chloe and Trixie. Every word I wrote was to get to the point where Lucifer said, "I choose them." That was always going to be the story's climax. And I always knew that Amenadiel would take the Throne, instead of Lucifer. The problem was, I didn't have motivation. Why would Lucifer be forced to choose? What would drive the need for a quick engagement and an accelerated wedding? That's where Rae-Rae, acting as unknowing agent for Michael, came in. That was my story as I originally envisioned it.
But the story took over and decided it was going to be more than that original plan. As the story grew, it turned out I was writing my version of Season 6—a version where Rory didn't exist. To be honest, while I like the official Season 6 just fine, I kind of like my version better. Maybe I'm being arrogant to compare my vision with the vision of the showrunners (Joe and Ildy), but I think one of the problems with their version of Season 6 was that the time loop schtick took away a lot of the characters' agency. They didn't have much choice, if they wanted Rory to live. And because the Rory time loop forced Chloe and Lucifer to make their decisions the way they did, Lucifer never got to say "I choose them." In my opinion, Joe and Ildy missed the emotional climax we'd been building to for 5 years. On the other hand, it's their story, not mine. So maybe my opinion doesn't matter so much.
Season 6 dropped when I was about one-third done with my story. I tried very hard to ignore it and concentrate on the story I wanted to tell. It's kind of funny to compare my version of Season 6 with the actual version of Season 6. Some things I got right (like Ella finding out about the celestials, and Amenadiel taking the Throne), there were other things I came close on (Chloe being co-owner of Lux versus Amenadiel, Chloe coming back to LAPD as a consultant versus coming back as a full-time detective)—and other things I missed by a mile (Ella not wanting to be with Carol, and the role of Lilith's ring). Oh well, I'm satisfied with my version, the one where Lucifer got to choose between the Throne and Chloe/Trixie, and made the choice in accordance with his heart and deepest desires. I hope you were satisfied with my story, as well.
Along the way, a police procedural kind of insinuated itself into the original story. As far as that goes, I never knew what was happening with that subplot until very late in the story. For example, I didn't know that Chuck was going to be the suspect when I first wrote about Linda's PITA patient. I certainly never knew about his wife, who was just a slammed door in an early chapter for quite a long time. Originally, I had poor Kathryn being pregnant, which would point to Chuck as the perp—but then I realized that Ella could do a DNA analysis and pinpoint him too easily, so I needed another character, and another reason for the murder. And thus, Maria was created.
To me, the discovery of characters such as Maria is part of the joy of writing, as are the surprising plot twists that I never see coming until some character tells me about them. For example, while I always knew that Ella was going to learn about the celestials. I didn't know that Trixie was going to find out—but when Chloe started to explain to her daughter about Lucifer while they were walking on the beach, then I knew.
Similarly, Bishop Hoffman was a complete surprise. His only role was to provide a church for the wedding; but then I came to enjoy his viewpoint and the way he interacted with the other characters. Had he not been a man of the cloth, I think he would have ended up with Penelope. Certainly, she was flirting hard with him at Lux, and she would have appreciated having him in her life. However, because he was a sincere believer, his destiny lay elsewhere. I tried to drop a hint as to where he was going, and I hope you picked up on it.
Many people posted reviews as I wrote the story. Sometimes each chapter had a few words or a single sentence of encouragement. Thank you so much for doing so! Those words kept me going when I got discouraged and thought I couldn't find my way to the story's end.
For anybody who read all the way to the end—and to this afterward—I'd like to thank you as well. I hope you enjoyed the story. I know I enjoyed writing it!