AN: Thank you so much for all the love! I'll reply to comments where I can in a bit, but I just wanted to say, it means a lot to read each and every one of them.

And I wholeheartedly agree with you - Lucifer's storyline was wrong. I've written an entire Twitter thread on the subject, but to keep things short: I think the time loop was unnecessary and was made entirely for drama. Lucifer never even got to be a parent, and that's not bittersweet - it's tragic. And that time loop doesn't explain how the loop started, which makes zero sense, since Lucifer would never have abandoned Chloe and Rory. Not to mention Lucifer learning to become a father to his unborn/infant daughter would've been a way more interesting, especially since Lucifer still hasn't really let go of his self-hatred. But as my best friend L keeps reminding me, there's nothing we can do to change this season; all we can do is find the loopholes to make it right.

While we were talking about how wrong season 6 was, it occurred to us that Rory accepted Lucifer's "abandonment" way too quickly for it to be realistic (especially since the show just spent 83 episodes getting Lucifer to go through the same process, which makes significantly more sense). While I've been trying to figure out how to work it into the story, I realised it all sounds awfully familiar…

Chapter 1 - My Past Self

October 18, 2021 (Earth Time) / Day 22,684 (Hell Time)

"Hi, Ella," Chloe said as she answered her phone. She briefly nodded at the policemen in front of her to lead the suspect away, and they hurried to do it, looking relieved to finally be heading back to the station. Bringing that suspect in had somehow turned into a complicated issue. Could've used Lucifer's help.

As always, the thought of Lucifer brought with it a mixture of love and pain. It's been two and a half months since he left to keep his promise to Rory, but to her, it felt longer. Knowing what she knew about Hell, she had a feeling it was significantly longer for him. And knowing Lucifer, she knew it felt longer than that to him, too. However long really passed down there.

"Chloe, are you listening to me?" Ella's voice cut her thoughts off.

Chloe shook her head to herself, shaking her thoughts off, and turned back to her phone call. "Sorry, Ella. You were saying?"

"I think I've found something," The forensic scientist replied excitedly. "When do you think you'll be back?"

Chloe checked her clock. "In half an hour. Trixie forgot one of her notebooks; I want to bring it to her. What have you found?"

"You need to see it."

She blinked in surprise. Why do I need to see it? "Is it about the case?"

"Not quite."

bi sighed. Ella's been trying to help her cope with Lucifer's departure, and while she was grateful, at the moment, Chloe just wanted to focus on her job. It at least gave her a much-needed break from thinking about Lucifer and Rory.

"Ella-"

"Just get here, Decker. I promise you won't regret it." With that, Ella hung up, leaving Chloe alone.

She sighed and placed her phone back in her pocket. There was no changing Ella's mind when she was determined. And clearly, whatever it was she needed to show her, she was very determined about it. She just hoped it'd be quick; she still had a suspect to interrogate.

"Okay, I'm here," Chloe said as she stepped into Ella's lab half an hour later, reading the new report she found on her desk when she returned. "What did you—?"

"Hello, Detective." A soft, familiar voice greeted her.

Chloe's head shot up and she found herself looking at Ella — who was grinning at her — and none other than Lucifer. He was studying her, his gaze full of love, almost like he'd never left. What…? How…?

"I'll let you talk," Ella said, still grinning, turning to leave.

"Thank you, Miss Lopez." Lucifer said softly. She smiled at him and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly — Chloe was almost surprised at how tightly Lucifer was hugging her back — before letting go of him and leaving the room.

With that, Chloe seemed to have finally found her voice. "How?" She managed, still staring at him.

"I couldn't," He said simply.

She let out a long breath. She didn't realise how deeply she needed to see him. And it must've been years for him. No wonder he's here.

Seeing her lack of response, he continued. "I thought you'd be here but I didn't want anyone else to know I'm here. It wouldn't have worked without Miss Lopez." He paused, letting her respond, but when she didn't, he added, "Chloe, there's something-"

She didn't even think. She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding onto him tightly. A fraction of a second later, she could feel his arms wrap around her, holding her to him just as tightly.

"I've missed you," She whispered.

He let out a long breath. "I've missed you too." More than I can say. "Chloe, there's something I need to tell you."

She let out a long breath and then pulled back slightly, just enough to look at him. "What is it?" She asked, her voice soft and quiet.

"I think we were wrong about the future." He replied, his voice just as quiet.

She frowned. "What do you mean? Wrong how?"

He let go of her entirely and gestured to one of the chairs. She hesitated briefly — Does she want to stay this close as much as I do? He wondered — but sat down, and he hurried to grab another chair and pull it closer. After he sat down, he took a deep breath and started explaining his realisation.

"It doesn't make sense," He said quietly. Despite the fact the doors were closed and the blinds were down, Lucifer was awfully aware of the fact they were in the precinct. Anyone could come in at any time. "We thought I wasn't there because Rory made me promise I'd stay away, but it couldn't have happened the first time around." She frowned, and Lucifer added, "Something had to have started the loop."

Chloe looked down for a moment, thinking. He could practically see the wheels spinning, but he wasn't entirely sure what she was thinking. The way the fact he was there at all seemed to go against his promise to Rory? But then… Rory didn't know what happened before she was born. He promised he wouldn't change anything leading up to Rory's journey to their time, but they had no idea what happened before she was born — or, for that matter, when she was young. They couldn't deliberately change what they didn't know was happening. Or was she thinking about his words? Or both?

"She couldn't have told you not to change anything," She said quietly, thoughtfully.

He barely stopped himself before breathing out in relief. My clever Detective. Of course you understood.

"You had to have disappeared for her to go back in time in the first place," She continued. "Which means we still don't know why the loop started." Looking up at him, she added, "But Lucifer, that still doesn't change your promise."

"Doesn't it?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "We don't know what happened there. Neither does Rory."

"She only knows what happened in her past," Chloe admitted, "But that's the future we can't change."

He hesitated. A part of him wanted to press on it, to remind Chloe that he would never have left her and his daughter, but he stopped himself. She was right. It wouldn't matter anyway.

"The parts of it that she knows," He said instead. "The parts of it that she remembers."

"It's true she wouldn't remember any of this," She said slowly, still thinking about it, "But we can't lie to her, Lucifer. We can't tell her that you left if you're still here."

He shook his head and turned his head to look at the wall in front of him. "I can't stay here," He said quietly. "There are souls that need me down there. I can't stay here permanently." I can't believe I'm saying that, but it's true. Not to mention I gave her my word I won't change a thing, so even if I could stay, I couldn't. "It took me a while to even find the time to get here. Staying here isn't an option. But… maybe we don't have to be completely…" He turned to look at her again, but seeing her expression, he trailed off. "What?"

She shook her head slightly, her eyes filled with tears. He frowned. He couldn't quite make out her thoughts and that in itself worried him.

"Chloe, are you okay?" He asked worriedly, instantly forgetting everything he was in the middle of saying.

"She's going to be so proud of you," She said softly, her voice slightly choked. He let out a long, relieved breath. He wasn't even sure what he was more relieved of — the fact that Chloe was fine or the fact she was proud of him and Rory would be, too. Because now that she said it, he could tell exactly what it was he saw in her eyes. Pride.

"I hope so," He said softly. He desperately needed her to be proud of him. Both of them. "I know it's not going to be easy, but I hope eventually…"

"She will be when she finds out why you weren't there. I know she will." She smiled through her tears and reached out to gently squeeze his hand. He squeezed her hand in response and then raised her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. What would I ever have done without you, Chloe? He wondered, not for the first time.

"I hope so," He repeated quietly, looking down. The very idea that Rory hates him was almost too painful to bear. She seemed fine by the time she returned to her time, and she was the one who made him promise he wouldn't change a thing, but… anything could happen from there on.

The sound of wheels rolling made him look up to see Chloe moved slightly closer. She cupped his cheek with her free hand, keeping their gazes linked. "What is it?" She asked softly, a hint of worry in her eyes. She knows me.

He sighed. "I keep thinking she's going to hate me," He admitted. "I could understand her if she does. I know we said we're doing it for her, but it shouldn't have happened in the first place. And it still feels wrong. I don't know if I would've been fine if I was in her place, let alone be proud of my parent. I mean, I don't think I could ever be proud of my father, even now that I know what his plan was." He shook his head. "I just… I'm worried that we're doing the wrong thing for her."

"So am I," Chloe admitted. He looked at her in surprise. She was such a wonderful mother that he never expected to hear her say that. His surprise must've been clear, because she smiled and added, "It's part of being a parent, Lucifer. But she accepted it. She asked us to make sure it happens the way she remembers it."

She accepted it.

"She's happy with who she is," She added. "Thanks to you, Lucifer." Her voice was full of love.

She accepted it?

"Right," He said quietly, trying to shake off that nagging feeling that something still wasn't right about it. There was more than enough time for him to figure it out later. "But I'm not sure it's just me. Or at least, I'm not sure it's just my past self."

Anyone else might've told him that he's projecting his own desire to be there for her on his daughter. The fact I just thought that shows it's exactly what I think, He thought bitterly. Could that thought be right? Was he choosing himself over his daughter right now, just by being there?

No.

He's projected and ignored his thoughts and feelings enough times to know when he was doing that. Yes, part of the reason he was there at all was because he couldn't bear to stay away from Chloe and Rory. But there was something else, too. A deeper realisation about his part in Rory's life before she travelled back to kill him. He wasn't sure what that realisation was, but he knew it was there. And somehow, it had something to do with how the time loop began.

"You think there's something she didn't know." Chloe said thoughtfully. He looked up at her in surprise — he almost didn't expect her to treat his thoughts seriously — before nodding slowly. "You think there's something in the time she won't remember that makes a difference to her."

He barely stopped himself from sighing in relief again before nodding. "I don't know what it is," He admitted, "But there's something there, I'm sure of it." He wasn't sure how he knew it, but somehow, he knew he was right. Still, even knowing that, he still struggled to take his own words seriously. "I know it's not much-"

Chloe shook her head slowly at that. "I trust you," She said quietly, still looking thoughtful.

Why does it sound like the truth?

Chloe wasn't sure what the answer to that question was. She knew Lucifer always tells the truth, but she also knew that the fact he thought it was the truth doesn't mean it really was. And yet, somehow, she knew he was right. Something happened — or rather, something will happen — in the time Rory didn't know about or didn't remember.

Is it just my fear of doing something wrong with her? She wondered. She was worried about inadvertently hurting her daughter from the moment she first saw her wings. She thought she'd let that fear go after Rory assured her she did everything right, but apparently some some doubts and two and a half months without Lucifer brought it all right back. Is that all this is?

No. Something in Lucifer's words seemed right. She wasn't entirely sure what it was, but she was sure they were missing something. Detective's intuition.

"You think it explains why you weren't there the first time around, too," She continued. The relief in Lucifer's eyes told her that he, too, was second-guessing his insight. He wants to be in Rory's life and he's worried that's the reason he's had these thoughts in the first place.

He nodded, in response to both her words and her silent observation. "It's the only way this whole thing makes any sense."

"I think you might be right. But," She added, looking up at him again, "I think we'll need some help figuring it out."

"I thought you've gone back to Hell."

Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "If I didn't know any better, doctor, I'd say you're disappointed to see me," He said dryly. Linda blushed, making him chuckle and add, "I'm kidding."

Chloe rolled her eyes. We don't have time for this right now. "Linda, we need your help with Rory," She said, ignoring Lucifer's interruption.

Both Linda and Lucifer turned serious at that. Lucifer even seemed nervous, though she wasn't sure anyone but her and Linda would've noticed.

"Rory told us I wasn't in her life," Lucifer said quietly. "She said I disappeared in August and never returned."

Linda nodded. "Chloe told me."

If Lucifer was surprised, he didn't show it. He nodded briefly and skipped to the end of the story. "We thought I left because I promised her I'd keep the time loop going, but I couldn't have made that promise the first time around." He hesitated before adding, "We think something happened that Rory doesn't know or remember."

"Why do you think that?" Linda asked, looking thoughtful. Chloe glanced at Lucifer, who turned his head to look at her in that moment. He's not sure what she's thinking either.

Lucifer shook his head slightly. "I'm not sure," He admitted.

Linda looked at them silently for a moment, clearly thinking about Lucifer's explanation. Eventually, she asked, "What brought this on?"

Glancing at Chloe, who was sitting by his side, Lucifer could see she turned to look at him. She hadn't heard this story, either. We haven't really talked about much, have we?

He quickly described the important moments in James's therapy session and the realisation that followed. "So I started thinking about the beginning of the loop," He finished.

"I see." Linda looked at him thoughtfully again, and Lucifer had a feeling she was considering something more. She knew him well enough to know another thing bothered him. "But there's more, isn't there?" She asked, already certain of the answer.

Lucifer hesitated before nodding. "Something doesn't seem right," He admitted quietly. "But I'm not sure what. I think there was something that happened before she came here."

"And you think that's why she hated you?"

But she didn't hate me, not for long. She accepted it.

"Did she?" He asked slowly, thinking. "She said she came here to kill me. Which sounded very familiar." He paused as another memory came up. "It's similar to what I said when we planned a second rebellion with Mum." Chloe looked at him in surprise, but he ignored it. There'll be time enough for explanations later. "But that's not why I helped her with that plan, is it?"

Linda shook her head. Was there pride in her gaze, or did he imagine it? "No, it's not."

"And that's not why I told her to stay on Earth, either," He continued, still deep in thought. He wasn't sure how, but he knew he was on the right track. "I wanted her to stay here with us. I didn't believe her, but I still wanted her to stay."

Linda nodded, but it was Chloe who spoke. "She needed you," She said quietly, sounding just as thoughtful. "She was angry, but more than that, she wanted you to be there."

"A bit like I was with Mum," Lucifer finished quietly. Linda's expression told him she disagreed on the 'a bit' part. He chuckled internally.

"When did your mum show up?" Chloe asked, frowning.

"When Charlotte was murdered," He replied absentmindedly. "I thought she was the one who murdered that gang member when she took over Charlotte's body, but it wasn't her doing. I was sure she'd disappear after Maze told her we were planning to take her back to Hell, but she stayed." He shook his head slightly. Even now, it still seemed slightly amazing to him, but at the very least, he could finally understand what his mother must've felt. He knew what it was like, trying to get closer to a child you've lost. "She didn't want to leave any more than I wanted her to."

But what does all that have to do with Rory?

Was it the fact that she didn't want to leave him? Or was it the fact that she kept trying to do the best thing for him, even though she had no idea what the best thing for him was? He didn't even need to think about it before ruling out both options. As much as his mother loved him — and she did — she never really understood him. She tried to control and manipulate him the same way his father did. Especially with Chloe, He thought bitterly. For some reason, both of his parents decided Chloe was a pawn, to be moved around whenever they wanted him to do something. The thought itself was enough to infuriate him all over again.

Never mind that. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. His parents weren't around anymore; they would never treat Chloe — or him — that way again. And it felt like he was moving away from that still-unspoken realisation he was on the brink of. His parents' manipulation and helicopter parenting had nothing to do with his daughter. But there was something about his parents—

"When you told me about your mum," Linda's voice brought him back to reality sharply, "You said she didn't abandon you from the start."

Lucifer froze.

They were happy. Dad was… well, Dad, and Mum… Mum was rather lovely in the beginning. His own words echoed in his mind. But things change, don't they? Dad started going into the garage and tinkering with a little project he called humanity. Mum grew cold, distant. And pretty soon, they were both neglecting their family.

"She didn't," He replied slowly. "Dad was always absent, but Mum… Mum was there," He finished eventually, his tone softer. "At least in the beginning."

Is that why I wanted Mum to stay? He wondered. But I didn't want her around at first. I was going to take her back to Hell.

Because you promised Dad you would, A voice in his head — which sounded an awful lot like Linda — reminded him.

But that's not the only reason. I was angry she let Dad kick me out.

"I was angry," He said slowly, his mind reeling, "But I also wanted her to stay. Just like Rory. But she said I abandoned her before she was born. That's not what Mum did, it's what Dad did."

How does it all add up? He knew there was a connection between his reservations about the future, whatever it was that bothered him about Rory and his own parents' behaviour. And then there were Chloe's words from before. She accepted it. She's happy with who she is.

What's the connection?

Chloe looked at him thoughtfully. "You said that when Rory almost killed Le Mec, her face started changing."

Lucifer nodded. He wasn't sure where she was going with that, but he was certain she knew, and that was more than enough. "She almost had her own Devil Face." And it was terrifying, seeing her hating herself so much because of me.

"Almost." Chloe's voice changed back to her Detective's voice. She's on to something. "But she didn't, thanks to you."

Lucifer nodded again. He still wasn't sure what she had in mind. "I couldn't have done that if she didn't let me..." He trailed off as he suddenly realised something. Is that what Chloe realised? "She let me in." The same way I let Mum in.

For a long moment, it felt like there was absolute silence as one realisation followed another and everything finally made sense. She let me in like that because she trusted me and she knew she could let me in. Because I've been there before. She doesn't know it, but I must've been there before. I never really abandoned her. Whatever reason I must've had to disappear from her adult life, it didn't change her first few years. It's the only way she could've accepted it as quickly as she did. James has been feeling guilty about an absent parent, too. No wonder he made me think about Rory.

"Bloody hell," He breathed out, turning his head to look at Linda. How didn't I realise all this? "We were right. Something happened in the time Rory couldn't remember."

"You were there?" There was a hint of a question in Linda's voice.

He nodded and opened his mouth to respond, but Chloe spoke before he could say anything. "Linda, is it possible that Lucifer being in her life would affect her that way, even if she doesn't remember it?"

Linda considered the question before nodding slowly. "The first few years of our lives are the most critical," She explained. "We don't remember them, but our interactions with our parents in these few years set parts of our personality. They have a lasting affect. Based on the last six years, I imagine it's the same for Celestials."

Lucifer and Chloe exchanged a look. "Or half-Celestials," Lucifer said quietly.

"So you were right. There was something in the time she couldn't remember."

"Yes, but it still doesn't answer the question why I disappeared the first time around."

"Does it matter?" Linda asked, reminding both of them she was still in the room. They immediately turned to look at her again. "Isn't Rory's future the important thing?"
Lucifer hesitated. I would never have abandoned them, either of them. But… there's nothing to do about that right now. Rory's future is the important thing.

He nodded reluctantly. "Rory's and Chloe's happiness is the only thing that matters," He said firmly.

Chloe smiled, her eyes shining with tears. "She's going to be so proud of you, Lucifer," She said softly. He shook his head slightly. There were no words to describe just how much he loved her. How much he'll always love her.

He took a deep breath and then turned back to Linda. "I think we might need your help working out a plan, though, Doctor."