A Second Chance for Christmas
Lucifer clung to Alex as they made their way up through the snow to the Winchesters' door. Cars were parked all around the house with licence plates from all over the states. Lucifer stiffened as Jody knocked on the door and Sam suddenly appeared in the doorway with a pair of Christmas antlers on his head. Sam grinned at them and held open the door for them.
"Hey guys! Merry Christmas!" Sam greeted.
"Merry Christmas!" Alex and Jody cheered back as they entered the house. Sam led them to the living room. Dean was stationed by an old piano, playing a few songs while others sang along or talked animatedly. Charlie and her girlfriend (Gabe was using his powers to keep their wings hidden from her) were under a clump of mistletoe making out and Kevin was showing his mother and a few others the angels' baby book. Bobby sat in his chair dressed in a Santa suit, nursing a beer and pretending to be a scrooge when he was really bubbling with just as much excitement as the others. Jody made her way towards the old grump and Alex carried Lucifer towards the fire. Luci paled. Sitting by the fire was a gang of small children. One was an Erinyes with black wings and the others were all angels. Lucifer recognised them all. Gadreel, Ezekiel, Ezra, Ambriel, Samandriel, Castiel, Balthazar, and Gabriel. They were playing with a gold feather, blowing on it in attempt to keep it from touching the ground. Next to them was a tray of sugar cookies in the form of angels. Lucifer clung onto Alex, trying to keep her from putting him down next to them. He lost the battle. Alex set him down right in the center and walked away. The feather landed atop Lucifer's hair as the angels and Erinyes froze. Lucifer turned his gaze to the three angels he'd betrayed. They hadn't spoken since his betrayal. They hadn't even met again when Jody and Alex took him in. Lucifer lowered his gaze shamefully, waiting for them to spill out their hate. It never came. Instead, he felt himself encased in a warm embrace. Lucifer opened his eyes, finding his three brothers hugging him tightly with smiles on their faces. Shock hit him like a train. Why weren't they shouting at him? Why didn't they hate him?
"Hey!" Dean shouted from the piano. Lucifer and the other angels popped out of their thoughts and turned to look at the hunter. He was dressed in a red christmas sweater and had a Santa hat atop his head. "I need an angel choir over here!" The angels grinned and Gabriel and Balthazar flew on top of the piano. Samandriel's adopted family and the twins' parents helped the others up, setting them next to the other two and Cas wrapped his arms around Lucifer, carrying the angel up himself. The room grew quiet and Dean started to play. They listened to the notes for a moment, swaying to the music until finally joining in.
"Its a marshmallow world in winter,
When the snow comes to cover the ground,
It's the time for play, it's a whipped cream day,
I wait for it all year round."
Lucifer stayed quiet as the others sang, wings folded around him in attempt to block himself from sight. The angels around him sang their hearts out, bowing when the song finished and quickly starting up again when Dean continued on to another song.
"People make lists, buying special gifts,
It's time to be kind to one and all,
Its that time of year when good friends are dear,
and you wish you could give more than presents from a store…"
"Luci?" Lucifer looked up, noticing Balthazar, Castiel, and Gabriel had stopped singing and were now looking at him. Lucifer pulled his wings in closer, trying to hide from them. "Luci, what's the matter?" Castiel questioned. Lucifer shook his head, starting to shake. The three angels shared a look and Lucifer waited for them to turn away and ignore him, but instead they wrapped an arm around him each and started to sway to Dean's playing, singing louder than before. They kept eye contact with Lucifer as they sang, urging him to sing along. Tentatively, Lucifer opened his mouth, singing along with his siblings.
"...why don't you give love,
On Christmas day, on Christmas day,
Oh, even the man who has everything if you would bring him love
On Christmas day, on Christmas day,
No greater gift is there than love…"
Lucifer felt himself begin to sing out as he swayed with his three brothers. He shared smiles with them, keeping his eyes on theirs and soon Dean was on the next song and the next. Lucifer felt himself forget his crimes as he sang with his family. He felt the weight drift off his shoulders and love wrap around him instead as they sang 12 Days of Christmas, Dominick the Donkey, and Holly Jolly Christmas. He loved to see the smiles and the laughter each song gave them. After singing several songs the angels sat silently as Dean did a solo of Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas. When he finished the room erupted with clapping and dog whistles. Custos even howled. Dean waved them off, cheeks burning pink.
"Alright! Alright! Enough with all this sappy stuff! Who wants to build a snowman!" The room erupted into growns and a laugh boomed past the hunter's lips. "No, not the song! I mean actually building a snowman!" The cheers returned and Dean scooped up a handful of angels while Sam and a few others scooped up the others. After putting on coats, hats, and mittens they were outside in the cold, rolling in the snow and throwing the fluffy stuff at each other. Lucifer watched as both Sam and Dean began to roll two large balls of snow. He looked over to his siblings and Piper, noticing they were rolling one too. He trudged through the snow towards them, helping them push the giant ball of snow. Sam took the ball when they could no longer find the strength to push it anymore. He set it on top of the two balls Dean had stacked on top of each other. Ezekiel and Gadreel both stuck sticks into its sides. Ambriel, Piper, and Ezra each put the buttons and face on with a little help from Dean since they couldn't reach.
"Hmmm...what are we missing?" Sam hummed as he wrapped a scarf around the snowman, balancing Samandriel on his shoulders. The little guy had gotten tired faster than the others and was now snoring lightly in Sam's hair.
"Nose!" Lucifer shouted, his guilt long forgotten and replaced with a giddy happiness. Dean pulled a carrot from his back pocket, scowling when he noticed a bite taken out of it and a mouse hanging off the end. He turned his gaze towards Cas and the angel grinned sheepishly. The mouse let go of his carrot, plopping down onto the snow, but he was too light to even put a dent in it. The little mouse turned, squeaking at the angels a few times before scampering back into the house. Dean shook his head and put the half eaten carrot in the center of the snowman's face.
"Cas, what are we going to do with you?" Cas tilted his head and grinned widely at the hunter.
"Make hot chocolate?" he suggested. The other angels cheered in agreement and Dean rolled his eyes, picking Cas up and throwing the angel over his shoulder.
"Hot chocolate it is!" he announced. The hunters and their angels charged for the doors, bursting inside to attack the trays of cookies and mugs of steaming hot cocoa.
Lucifer sat in a pile of wrapping paper on the couch, eyes heavy from a long day of partying, play, and present opening. His tummy was full from drinking a large mug of hot chocolate and crumbs from the angel cookie Cas had made stuck to his Christmas sweater.
The other angels were all napping too, perched in their parents laps or curled up with one another. Bobby and a few others were in a drunken heap around the room. Their spiked eggnog had been a little too much for them. Piper the Erinyes was playing a game of cards with Charlie and Lila. Dean was back on the piano, playing Silent Night to help the angels drift to sleep.
"Luci?" Lucifer turned his head as Castiel was pushed up onto the couch by Gabriel and Balthazar. He must have been too tired to fly. In Cas' hands was a blue baby blanket and the bee pillow Lucifer had thought would have been thrown out. The angel pushed the wrapping paper onto the floor and snuggled next to his brother, laying his head on half of the bee pillow. Lucifer set his head on the other half, eyes meeting his brother's. Gabriel and Balthazar crawled onto the couch too then, wiggling their way around their two younger brothers and draping their wings around the two, encasing them in a warm cocoon of feathers. A thought came to Lucifer as his fingers brushed gently against the soft pillow he'd given Cas so long ago.
"Whys?" Luci asked. He needed to know. Why had they treated him with such kindness? Did they still hate him? Was this all just a ruse? The three angels smiled and cuddled closer to their red-winged brother..
"Second chance, right?" Gabe asked, winking. Lucifer felt his heart squeeze, beating in time with the song Dean had now switched to.
"I will wait for you under these stars,
Until I see the sun,
You're the only one,
The only one I love,
You string up the lights on your Christmas tree,
I hear Nat King Cole on your stereo,
The tree is bare where it's out of reach,
The top is without an angel,
I never liked decorating,
I saw the forest for burning,
I won't ask your forgiveness,
Just give me a second chance for Christmas..."
Lucifer grinned and snuggled closer to the brothers he had missed so much. Yes, he had gotten his second chance for Christmas.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Song list: A Marshmallow World, Give Love on Christmas Day, Give Me a Second Chance for Christmas