I know this chapter is very short again but it had been a few days and my laptop broke during the week, so this is still setting up the rest of the story as such - the chapters will get longer I promise.

Rory tumbled through the mist with her father's arms still wrapped firmly around her. She felt limp, as though her body had not transported at the same speed as her soul. Her mind was screaming to push him away, but her arms and legs weren't responding.

"Rory, I just want to talk," Lucifer began, knocking her into existence. She scrambled backwards, sliding across the floor with a foot braced against his chest to keep as much distance as possible. She struggled to wrap her mind around what just happened. When Charlie had dropped her home she never expected to find Lucifer by her mother's bedside. She had spent half her life wishing for him to show up, but waiting until the end was a blow.

In her earlier years she hadn't noticed his absence. Her life was filled with love and more family than she could hope for. Eve was like a second mother, while Maze taught her how to get in trouble. Both her aunts were always there for her, at every significant moment, standing alongside her mom. Her favourite person. And then there was Trixie. Even after Rory's Celestial genes kicked in, Trixie still maintained the role of an older protective sister, acting as though she could protect Rory from anything. That was around the same time her hatred for Lucifer started to fester.

"What's up?" Chloe asked, sitting on the edge of her daughter's bed. The school had called to say she was sick. Having been pulled from work, Chloe was frustrated at first when she realised there was no apparent illness. Rory didn't have a temperature or a cough. Was this just a ruse to skip school? But instead of rushing to the TV and dropping the act, Rory had retreated to her room without a word.

Rory opened her mouth and then stopped herself, bowing her head lower.
"You can tell me anything Monkey," Chloe reassured, moving closer to snuggle up beside her.
"There's something wrong with me." Rory's voice quivered, and she seemed to further shrink into herself. "I don't know how… I was just so angry…and then they-" She was rambling, and caught herself before revealing too much. Chloe waited for her to offer more. She'd realised over the years that sometimes parenting wasn't all that different to an interrogation. Nobody likes awkward silences, and those with something to hide try desperately to fill those silences.

Rory squirmed, trying to find the words. "Why do I have wings?" The tears flowed at the revelation. Chloe knew this day would come. With Trixie she faced the normal awkward parenting hurdles, but this was new territory. On top of all the other adolescent struggles, Rory now had to deal with gaining her wings. Like Charlie, Rory's wings first appeared on her first birthday, and that had been it. Chloe had been relieved not having to deal with a flying toddler, but she knew this day would come. No matter how many times she played this over in her head she'd never found the right words. 'Your dad's the devil,' just didn't seem to do it.

"Rory, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before."
"You have them too?" She looked up, excitedly. Chloe wished she could empathise with her daughter, but she wrapped an arm around her shoulder and started to tell her about Lucifer. Until now she had kept the details vague whenever Rory asked who her dad was. Rory sat in silence taking it all in. Chloe wanted to tell her everything about him, but she knew she couldn't, not without revealing the reason for his absence.

It was hard talking about him. She knew Rory would grow to resent him, but this is what she would want - what she would make him promise. It was still hard to wrap her head around time travel but through all her research she feared that telling Rory the truth could change everything. She never blamed Lucifer for leaving, he had to fulfil his calling and his promise.

Back then Rory had so many questions. Amenadiel and Maze tried to fill in the gaps and harness her Celestial genes. But while Maze understood, she hadn't been able to teach her to fly. Amenadiel did step in, but it was no substitute for having her dad teach her. God couldn't come down to earth every time his niece fumbled through navigating this new reality. She hated that he left her to figure it out herself. And now, he was standing before her wanting to talk. She sneered at the thought. Talking couldn't fix a whole life without him.

Lucifer still had his hands raised, as though they could protect him from her bladed wings. But he shouldn't need protection, she realised. That's when she took everything in. The blood had dried in, flaking on his neck, and his collar was now stained crimson red. Her mom had told her all the stories - she was the only one who made him vulnerable. That was it, she realised. All three of them had been in the same room when she'd pierced his neck.

"Try it again," he grinned, following her gaze to the blood. She hesitated. Was this some sort of trick? He'd never been in her life, never cared enough to stick around. He knew Chloe was pregnant and still chose to leave, how could she not blame herself? Maybe he wouldn't have walked out on her mom had she not existed? So how could she make him vulnerable?

Lucifer's arms were spread wide, inviting. Her wings flared and shrugging her right shoulder, she swiped at his arm. He flinched backwards, grasping the wound. He glanced at his hand before raising it high, revealing the fresh blood coating his palm. It didn't make any sense.

"I've been trying to tell you." He still had a triumphant grin plastered across his face, but his eyes softened and he moved to the tan leather couch, patting the seat alongside him.

She followed, sitting on the furthest corner from him, eyes still glued to the blood stained hand. Lucifer recounted how he had time travelled to change the past, to stop him making the same promise. Rory sat in silence, taking it all in. It felt like the first time she'd found out about Celestials. Her head was spinning and she was struggling to hold onto the facts.

"So if I don't travel to the future, you won't leave?"
"I want to be there for you- to see you grow up." He seemed sincere. She had spent years thinking he didn't want her, but it wasn't truly his choice. It still was her fault. Her chest tightened. Her mom had never moved on or found anyone else all because of her. She was the reason they'd all been alone. She never had a dad growing up because of the choices she would make. Her mom was going to die alone because of her.

Rory stood up before she realised she had nowhere to go. But she had to leave. This couldn't be true.
"Rory, say something." He was moving towards her, but she shrugged out of his embrace. She couldn't take any more of the blame. She pushed past him making her way to the elevator. She wasn't sure what year it was, or how to get back to her time. All she knew was that she needed space. Anywhere.