Song listened to: 'On My Own' by Ashes Remain.

Sometime, when it was dark out, and way passed bedtime, Akeelah would sit awake and watch as her master stared up at the ceiling above them unblinkingly, almost as though he were staring up at something that wasn't there.

He wouldn't say a word, would just stare, and in those times, she knew that he had been affected by the same war that had broken them all. She had heard the stories of him being locked in a grand cage, created at their Father's order, to preserve humanity. Heard of the battle that had been raged between the two brothers; as one fought for freedom and the other for imprisonment.

It was their secret, though she suspected that the Healer knew at the very least, but he was not brave enough to broach the subject. He had pulled her aside one day, during her weekly visit to the Infirmary to help in his duties and told her what to do if anything 'odd' were to ever overcome her master.

She turned on her side, looking up into his set expression, and sighed a small sigh, turning onto her belly to push herself up, she crawled from her place at his side up onto his chest and sat up straight. His hand was limp as she lifted it up to hug to her chest tightly.

"Luci?"

There was no immediate response. He just kept staring.

"Luci, please?"

He just kept staring. At the unseen bars in the darkness. The glowing of the stars turned into glowing flames. The light breeze turned into howls of the tortured souls.

"Luci, please, come back?"

She pinched his palm hard, trying to rouse him from his trance, and hummed under her breath. When he didn't respond she tried another tactic, anything to pull him back from wherever he had gone, as she didn't want to make him mad by getting the help of another. So, she laid herself down on his chest instead, tucking her head under his chin, and curled in as close as she could.

"Luci, I'm here, I'm right here. Please don't leave me alone and I won't leave you."

Akeelah dragged his limp arms up and around her, hugging herself to his chest, listening to the rhythm of his grace beating against his chest. She hummed under her breath, waiting for any beat of movement, hoping to feel any movement from her beloved master. Minutes passed and she remained as still as he was. Perhaps an hour passed next and the arms around her tightened by a fraction.

"Little one?"

His voice was soft, as though it was being blown away by the breeze flowing through the open windows, and she looked up to meet his icy eyes as he blinked down at her as awareness began to come back to him.

"Little Akeelah?"

"'m here Luci. I promise I'm here. 'm no goin' anywhere."

Lucifer pulled her closer, burying his face in her wild curls, having removed the braids before her bath that night and intending to braid them back in the coming morning. She hugged him just as tight as he hugged her, stabilizing him in the moment they were in currently and no where else.

"It was so dark."

"I know Luci. I know. It's okay now though. I promise."

"It was so lonely."

"I'm here Luci. 'm here. 'm not going anywhere."

They laid curled up together for a long while, sleep pulled at the little fledgling, but she stubbornly stayed it out as to not break her promise and leave her master laying awake on his own. Neither one spoke after that, taking comfort in the others being there, no words could offer the comfort they were both seeking.

He pet her curls back, "Close your eyes, little one.", he kissed her temple lightly, "You're exhausted."

"Not 'til you do. Don'wanna leave you 'lone."

"I know you're here, little one."

They both fell asleep just as the sun began to crest over the horizon, curled into one another as they had started during the night before, and when the others came to find them at their missed appearance by midday, Michael smiled and ushered them away from the pair. "Let them rest." It wasn't just the Healer who knew of the nightly occurrences. "They need it."

Had they not used that dreaded prison for the worst of the worst he would have seen it destroyed in a breath. But they had use of it, so maintained it was, and he would ensure that his younger brother would never see it in the light of day or dark of night again.