The door swung shut behind Lucifer as he wrapped up the last 'Lost Soul session' for the day. The narrow concrete passageways were full of hope and possibility. This wasn't the same Hell he had left for L.A all those years ago. The demons were still allowed to torture - but only to guide the lost souls to the root of their guilt. Lucifer liked to think of them as Hell Exercises, rather than Hell Loops these days. When a new doomed soul arrived, Lucifer would explain how they could ascend, and then he would lead them to their 'Hell Exercise.' He made sure they got to run through it a few times before he would meet with them to discuss their guilt. He wouldn't make the same mistake he had with Dan - had it not been for Rory, Dan would never have been able to confront the source of his guilt.

The demons had resisted this change at first. Like the old Maze, they didn't embrace the idea of turning down opportunities to torture. But when they saw that first burst of light they were convinced. Lucifer couldn't believe his eyes. On earth, no one - save for the lonely soul trapped in purgatory- could see the light. But perhaps, here, the impenetrable darkness made it hard to miss. That first day he had been on his way to a 'guilt session' when the golden beam had pierced through the smothering black sky. It was mesmerising and envious. It expanded slowly, casting light for miles around, bouncing against the the towering pillars of granite. Slowly, it began to fade as though the sky itself was sucking it back. Heaven's hand plucking another soul, he'd mused. He felt a glimmer of something. Reassurance he had done the right thing abandoning his family? Or confirmation that he had made the right choice?

But this evening, he dragged his feel along the dusty labyrinth, yearning for her embrace. He could still feel the ghost of her lips scattering kisses across his face. The whisper of her voice "No matter where you go, no matter where you are, I'll be with you, I'll be with you always." It had been years - even in mortal terms- since he had left. Rory would be nearing her teens now. The thought of that last night wracked him with guilt and resentment that he had really left them and turned into his own father.

Lucifer scooped her up from the piano carrying her towards the bedroom. Their eyes locked, already holding onto the memory of one another. He laid her on the golden sheets, and for a moment - with her hair pooled around her, her face streaked with tears, and her hand resting atop her abdomen- she looked more like an angel than any he'd ever met.

He lowered his body towards hers, moulding together, remembering every crevice and curve to her body. Lucifer ran his hands through her hair gently as he dipped his chin to capture her lips. He could taste the tears and his stomach twisted. He was doing exactly what he had sworn was impossible - leave. Her hands roamed over his back.

"Take them out," she rasped into his mouth. Without more than a thought his wings unfurled, as his hands moved to grab the back of her neck - trying desperately to get as close as possible.

Chloe traced her fingers across each feather. He shuddered against her, unable to contain it. They'd never left his wings out before, but now he was regretting they hadn't done this more. He felt powerless to her. Her other hand moved lower to grasp him, moving her hand gently. Any other time he'd tear her clothes off and have his way, but this time- their last time - he wanted to remember everything. But he let her tease him through his trousers, grinding his hips closer - begging. His hand inched underneath her blouse. He didn't let his hand linger by her stomach - couldn't bear the thought of leaving them both behind. Moving his lips to her neck, he dragged him lips along the length of her jaw before latching to her pulse, sucking deeply - loving the sounds it elicited from her.

For a brief moment, Lucifer abandoned the task at hand. He reached his arm beneath her lower back, pressing her close to his chest, burying his face in her neck and breathing her in deeply. He wanted this. Forever. He tried remembering the citrus smell with the lingering hint of coffee. As though sensing his hesitation, Chloe moved her hands lower guiding him towards her. He welcomed the distraction, terrified that if he thought too long he would never leave.

Long after she'd fallen asleep, Lucifer stayed cuddling her, hand resting atop her stomach. He truly wouldn't get to meet his daughter. He never even entertained the thought of having children, but Rory was theirs. The best of both of them. He felt sick knowing she'd grow up thinking this was his choice. As the sun crept through the window, he had to tear himself away. He took one last look. She was wrapped around the duvet, blissfully unaware that she'd wake up alone.

He always thought of them but now he felt powerless. Powerless to the decisions he'd made that led him to this lonely existence. He remembered the first time he'd looked into Rory's eyes. Looking back, he instinctively knew she was his daughter. It wasn't that they were the same brown, but the hurt. He could feel his own rejection reflected back at him. The sheer hatred for what he had inflicted on her. And now, she was suffering all over again. In every parallel universe, he was not there for her. Throughout his existence, a future Rory will keep feeling that pain, and keep time travelling to resolve it.

Lucifer stopped in his tracks. He couldn't breath. His chest tightened and there was nothing but darkness. Clutching to regain any semblance of power he braced his hands against the stone wall beside him before crumbling to his knees. Her pained eyes clouded his vision. He tried focusing on the cold seeping into his skin. Struggling to hold onto reality, Lucifer could no longer ground himself. His breathing became shallow and quick, the cold stone beneath him slipped away and the pain pooling in her eyes was drowning him.

Linda

Rain battered the windows, and the rumbling sound of thunder broke the resounding silence. Charlie was out with Rory, and Linda had learned the hard way not to ask the two Celestial cousins what they were up to. In the last few years, life had slowed. Charlie was grown up, which gave Amenadiel little reason to visit as often, and Linda had reduced her client list two-fold. Partly, because of the success of her book. It had been difficult to juggle the tours and interviews with the volume of patients she once had. Like herself, all her fans convinced themselves it was fictional. She could accept that. It could also read as a fictional piece, and make for a compelling story. It portrayed the truly damaged man who redeemed himself and fell in love in the process.

There was something comforting about sitting in the warmth of her own home, while the cacophony of rain wrapped around her, and the dim-lite room illuminated every few moments with the flash of thunder. A whoosh broke her trance. Adjusting her bookmark, Linda looked up from her book to greet Amenadiel. Her brain scrambled to remember the date, wondering what could warrant a visit from God but kneeling before her was Lucifer.

The storm outside muted as she stared at the eternally young man before her. She always knew he was immortal, but confronted with it she felt as though she was seeing his Devil face for the first time all over again. Her hair had greyed, her hands shrivelled and her face weathered with lines. But Lucifer, was… well Lucifer.

Linda couldn't move, couldn't speak. What was he doing here? It had been decades. He didn't speak either, which unnerved her further. She remembered his tendency to burst through her door, already mid sentence anticipating her to drop everything to offer him her undivided attention. But now, he seemed withdrawn. As though he wasn't here.

Moments later, he opened his eyes taking in his surrounding. When his gaze landed on her he scrambled backwards, already grasping for - what she assumed- was a door knob. Instead he was met with her dining room table.

"Where…how…?" He started. She rushed over wrapping her arms around him.

"You're on earth." She offered.

"Doctor?" He asked, finally making the connection. She nodded into his shoulder, still holding onto him. It wasn't just Chloe and Rory he left. The void he'd left in all their lives couldn't be easily filled.

"But I've only been gone 10 years in mortal terms…" He detached himself from her embrace, pacing the room, head in his hands.

Linda pulled up a chair in front of her couch and assumed her position. Lucifer continued pacing.

"What happened?" She started, gently. He shook his head, running a hand through his already mussed hair. Lucifer was muttering about eyes and hell and appearing here.

"I was only gone 10 years!" He roared. "How is this possible?"

"Time moves differently. Is it possible you lost track of time?"

"No!" He exclaimed. "I asked about them, I was keeping track. Amenadiel let me know" He shook his head still comprehending. "How long has it been?"

Linda sighed, not knowing how he'd take the truth. "Fifty three years," she relented. Lucifer spun on his heels, darting towards the couch throwing himself length ways, legs dangling over the arm rest, arm thrown over his face. Linda crossed her frail hands over her knee. Waiting. Like so many other sessions, she never was entirely sure how to approach his Celestial problems - especially being so out of practice.

She sat back and observed him for a minute. He was different. I'm sure he thinks the same of you, she chided herself, catching a reflection of the old woman staring back at her. But this was entirely different. He didn't have the same charisma, he seemed empty, lost almost.

"What were you doing before you showed up?" She started again, leaning into the situation. Lucifer ran her through his day. Swallowing the tears at the mention of the replica of her office in Hell, Linda tried to clutch onto something that could have sent him to earth. And then it clicked.

"Lucifer you never just teleport, you've always flown from Hell. Could it be possible that, like Rory, you've time travelled?" She let this theory settle in and Lucifer sat up, piecing things together, calculating.

"You're right Doctor! I must have Self Actualised, it's the only explanation! But why now?"

Linda hesitated. She didn't know how to break the news. But given how quickly he had worked through his arrival - quicker than he'd ever solved an issue before- perhaps he could handle it.

"Chloe. She's well… she's dying." Linda hated to admit it, she didn't want to face it herself. But Lucifer already missed out on experiencing life with her, only to learn it's ending now. Linda watched the emotions wash over his face. Disgust? Regret? Heartbreak? For the first time, she truly couldn't tell. The silence dwindled into awkwardness, but she let it linger; unable to offer anything anything.

"Of course!" He snapped his fingers. "Of course she's dying!" He exclaimed. Linda didn't know how to respond. Was this excitement? As though sensing her confusion, Lucifer jumped into an upright position, hands clasped together in front of him. "When Rory time travelled to kill me all those years ago, she came from Chloe's death bed. That means I'm still in time!"

"In time?"

"To stop her from travelling back!"