A/N: This interlude covers a lot. The first part starts during the last chapter, but then it jumps backwards in time, to In the Aftermath of Hell and follows Lucifer's actions all the way up until Leo's return.
Interlude: The Devil's Playground
The Charmed Ones had only been gone for a few hours when Lucifer appeared.
Chris started, tearing his thoughts away from his soon-to-be nonexistence, and narrowed his eyes at the devil. Part of him was relieved for the distraction – anything was better than sitting at the kitchen table counting down the seconds until the end of his life. But the other part of him was instantly suspicious and alert.
What was Lucifer doing here?
The devil took off his sunglasses and set them down on the counter. His blue eyes lingered on Chris for a moment, then he said, "It's really a pity your father didn't have enough common sense to think through his plan before making that deal with me."
Chris felt a sudden rush of pure loathing for the being standing before him. "You knew he wouldn't," he accused. "You knew he'd be desperate enough to get me out of… wherever I was… that he wouldn't think through the consequences of his actions. You were counting on it."
Lucifer smiled coolly. "So what if I was? He's an Elder, Christopher. Of all people, he should have known not to trust me."
"I should have, too," Chris spat, unsure if he was angry at himself or Leo or Lucifer. It didn't really matter, though. He was angry at the entire situation.
But it would be over soon. Maybe he should take some consolation in that, however morbid of a thought it was. It would be over. It would end.
"That's quite the array of emotions you've gone through," Lucifer commented dryly. "There was the pain, the anger and fury, the desperation, the denial, and now the exhaustion. Ready to give up?"
Chris wanted to ignore what Lucifer was saying, but he couldn't. Those words cut through him, reminding him of everything he had felt since this had all started.
Things had been simpler in the beginning. He'd honestly thought that Gideon was the biggest enemy, the largest threat, that they would face. But staring into the devil's merrily twinkling blue eyes, he couldn't figure out how he had been that foolish.
"What do you want?" Chris asked. "Or have you just come to gloat?"
"Well, I do enjoy gloating…" Lucifer mused thoughtfully. Then he shook his head. "But no, that's not why I am here." His eyes gleamed with anticipation and Chris tensed immediately. "I'm here to offer you a deal."
"You don't have anything I want," Chris said simply. He climbed to his feet and folded his arms over his chest. He gave the devil a long look, then pushed past him towards the doorway leading out of the kitchen. He was too tired to deal with this.
"I have Leo," Lucifer replied.
Chris paused, turned back. "You're willing to trade for him?" he asked distrustfully. "What's in it for you?"
Lucifer's smile grew into a grin. "What makes you think I'm not doing this out of the goodness of my heart?" he asked.
Chris rolled his eyes. "Are you?"
"Well… no," Lucifer agreed after a moment's pause. He clicked his tongue against his teeth and eyed Chris for a moment. "I'll trade for you."
"For… me?" Chris asked, bewildered. "But… you traded me for Leo. Why would you just trade back?" That didn't make any sense, and it didn't sound like Lucifer was going to gain anything from it. But Chris knew that the devil would never make a deal that he didn't profit from, so there was no possible way that this was as simple as it sounded.
Lucifer shrugged. "Does it matter?" he asked.
"Yes," Chris said emphatically. He wasn't going to make the same mistake he'd made in the past, the same mistakes the Charmed Ones had been making since Leo first informed them of the devil's involvement. He wasn't going to underestimate Lucifer.
Lucifer laughed in amusement. "You, Christopher, are learning so very, very quickly. Pity it wasn't fast enough to save your family, though." He leaned against the counter idly and said, "And I'm not asking for your soul."
Chris blinked. "Then what do you want?" he demanded.
"The trade I am offering," Lucifer explained, "is Leo's soul for your loyalty."
"My… wait… what?" Chris stammered. It took him a moment to think clearly, and then he asked skeptically, "You want me to work for you?"
"I like you," Lucifer said with a shrug. "I may even respect you. You're smart, resourceful, cunning... determined, stubborn. A bit neurotic, but I can work with that. You'd be a useful acquisition."
Chris bristled at the word acquisition, at the implication that he was something to be bought and sold. But that emotion was soon brushed aside in favor of a more powerful one: utter incomprehension. Lucifer couldn't lie. Everything he had said was true – including the fact that he liked Chris. Respected him.
He wasn't sure if he should be flattered or disgusted to have the devil's respect.
He frowned for a moment, contemplating the attributes the devil had listed. Resourceful and cunning. He was resourceful and cunning.
His plan relied on time, but he didn't have that. But Lucifer was here, now, and if he didn't have time then maybe he could at least take advantage of what he did have.
Knowledge.
It wasn't ideal. In fact, showing his cards now might very well ruin everything. But if he played it right, it could also fix everything. It was a gamble, though… And did he really think that saving his existence was worth the risk of losing everything he had just fought to save?
Well, he wouldn't lose Wyatt. He wouldn't lose the saved future. That was something.
"It isn't as though joining me is going to cause Piper or her sisters any more pain than they will experience once you cease to exist," Lucifer said. "She'd rather you alive and evil than not alive at all."
Knowing Piper, Chris reflected grimly, that was entirely true. At least right now. The Piper that had eventually become Chris' mother was different – but the entire family was different in the future. Life had hardened them, but it had also given them more understanding and insight. It was an odd combination of traits, but he had grown accustomed to it over the years.
Until his mother died.
"But I would make up my mind quickly if I were you, Christopher," Lucifer continued, breaking into Chris' thoughts. "Because you're running out of time."
Chris closed his eyes. He hadn't told Piper how quickly he was disappearing. She knew, of course, because she could see it with her very own eyes. But she also didn't know. She thought he still had time.
She thought this plan might actually save him. She knew that there was a chance that it wouldn't, but she didn't realize just how big of a chance that was.
And it would have been so tempting to take Lucifer's offer.
But Chris was not going to become the devil's lackey.
It was time to take the risk, make the gamble.
"Well," Chris said, "I suppose you will need someone to replace Lola."
Lucifer's eyes widened slightly, but other than that, he showed no sign of surprise. A cool mask fell over his features, and he asked, "What do you mean?" in a voice entirely devoid of emotion.
Chris smiled. "What do you think I mean?" he countered.
"You haven't vanquished her," Lucifer said calmly. "I would know if you had."
He was arrogant, so confident, and it was annoying Chris.
Of course, he was also probably right; he would know if Lola had been vanquished. The devil probably kept tabs on his minions, and Lola was his most important ally at the moment. There was no way he wouldn't feel it if the sorceress was vanquished.
Chris glanced at the clock. A few hours since Piper left. Plenty of time for the Charmed Ones to hunt down the first of the demonic clans that Lucifer often worked with and vanquish them.
Chris smiled.
"You know," he said.
Lucifer raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"You keep tabs on your demons," Chris said. "You know that we've gotten to them. Vanquished them. You're here to make this deal with me because you want to stop the attacks but you also want Leo's release to seem like your idea. You don't want anyone to know that we managed to turn Lola against you."
Lucifer said nothing.
Chris smiled even wider. "The answer is no, Lucifer," he said flatly. "I'm not making this deal with you. I'll take my own nonexistence over letting you win yet another round."
"I'm not sure Piper would agree to that," Lucifer said quietly.
"Maybe not," Chris agreed. "But it doesn't matter. She'll be hurt at losing her ex-husband and son, but she'll at least be able to take comfort in the fact that, very soon, the entire world is going to know that you're no longer capable of inspiring the same loyalty or fear as you used to be."
"I'll vanquish Lola," Lucifer said.
"The Charmed Ones will protect her," Chris answered. "Besides, you don't have active powers. I'm sure there are other demons out there willing to work for you… for now. But we'll see how long that lasts."
Lucifer gave Chris a chilling smile. "Do you really think I can't overcome this? It doesn't take much to inspire loyalty or fear. I'll just remind the demonic world what I am capable of, and they'll come crawling back."
"Oh, I know you can overcome this," Chris replied. "I just don't think you want to put in the necessary time and effort. Because it will take time. So how about I offer a deal instead?"
Lucifer frowned. "I'm listening," he said resentfully.
Chris tried to keep his glee hidden, but his ability to control his emotions was still sorely lacking, and he had a feeling the devil could see exactly how he felt.
"Bring Leo back now, before I disappear, and we call off the attacks and stop working with Lola," Chris replied. "We'll tell no one of the deal."
"And the magical creatures you are working with?" Lucifer asked suspiciously.
"They don't know where we got the information," Chris promised. "They don't know about Lola. They don't even know that the demonic clans we are attacking work for you."
"But they know that the end goal is to get the Elder back from me," Lucifer said pointedly. "You underestimate them if you don't think they're smart enough to figure out what you're doing."
Chris shrugged. "We told them that you told us to get rid of the demonic clans as part of the deal to get Leo back. The demons were rebelling against you, and we needed to vanquish every last one."
Lucifer stared at him for a long moment, then gave an appreciate grin. "You are cleverer than I thought," he admitted.
Again, Chris wasn't sure whether to be flattered or disgusted by the praise.
"You tell no one of this deal," Lucifer said. "The only ones who can know are you, the three Charmed Ones, and the Elder. If you tell anyone else, then the deal is off and I come for you and the Elder."
"No," Chris said. "You come for just me."
Lucifer furrowed his brow. "Why?" he asked, sounding puzzled.
"I was the one who made the first deal with you," Chris answered. "Your involvement in my family's life is on my shoulders. I am going to take the responsibility for it."
Chris felt something suddenly expand in his chest and he looked down in time to see his entire body turn transparent. He barely stifled the gasp.
"No one can see you," Lucifer said calmly. "At least, no one human. And probably not most magical creatures. But don't worry, you still have an hour or two."
Chris raised an eyebrow. He wasn't going to let Lucifer rattle him if he could avoid it, but he couldn't deny that he was a little bit curious as to how the devil knew the details of what was going to happen to him.
He didn't need to vocalize his question – Lucifer answered it anyway.
"You're not the first person I've watched disappear. You'd be surprised how often people make deals that end up making others cease to exist."
Chris pressed his lips into a thin line. That really shouldn't surprise him; of course the devil had done this to other people.
He pushed away that thought and forced himself to focus on the issue at hand. "Do we have a deal?"
"The Elder's soul and your existence in exchange for everyone's silence," Lucifer said quietly, contemplatively. Then he nodded and spoke the one word that Chris had been hoping to hear. "Deal."
Lucifer folded his arms over his chest and then disappeared abruptly, no doubt off to carry out his end of the deal. Chris allowed a smirk of triumph to play momentarily across his features, but then for reasons he couldn't quite understand, some vague sense of unease coalesced in the pit of his stomach.
He stared at the spot where Lucifer had stood, and couldn't help but think that something was wrong; the devil had agreed far too quickly to his terms.
Several days previously…
Lucifer understood the importance of being careful with souls. They were fragile things, so easily battered and broken. Some were more resilient than others, and the one that he was holding in his hands now was certainly stronger than most, but it was still a soul, and souls were still weak.
Bodies were weak, too, though their weaknesses were different. They were just blood and flesh and bone, and so many things could go wrong. It was a wonder humans survived past infancy at all.
Lola was standing behind him, watching patiently. He liked her better than most, but she was entirely expendable. It would be a shame to lose her, though, and the Charmed Ones would probably continue to go after her when they realized they couldn't get to him. He would need to be careful; expendable or not, she was a good assistant, and he didn't want to lose her unless absolutely necessary.
Of course, that day would come soon enough.
Returning a soul to a body was a simple enough matter. He'd done it in the past, though never for anything quite as grand as this. It was an ambitious plan, and he'd have to run this long con with all the skill and expertise he had gathered since the dawn of time. After all, the Charmed Ones were good.
He was better.
The body beneath his twitched as it accepted back its soul. Color rushed into the pale skin and blood started running through the veins. The eyelids fluttered as the body tried to adjust – or perhaps it was the soul adjusting to being free. Returning a soul might be simple, but gaining a soul was far more complicated. Souls were painful things, after all.
Eyelids opened and green eyes stared unseeingly up at the ceiling of the cave.
Then slammed shut.
Lucifer crouched down next to the body. "Careful," he whispered gently. "Give your body some time to adjust."
An arm moved jerkily and fingers made awkward motions as though to grasp at something. A groan emitted from the body.
"Gently, Christopher," Lucifer said again, chiding. "Don't strain yourself."
Honestly, didn't the boy understand that he couldn't just jump to his feet and rush off into the next battle? He needed time to relax, to breathe. To heal.
Lola shimmered to stand behind Lucifer, and asked, "Is he awake?"
"Almost," Lucifer replied, glancing back at her with a smirk of anticipation.
Green eyes opened once more and squinted, as though pained by what they saw. Lucifer frowned, surprised at the reaction, but it was Lola who said in wonder, "He's seeing you." She stepped around Lucifer and gave Chris a puzzled look, before elaborating, "You as you really are. Not… not the face you show the world, but the light behind it. That is why it hurts him to open his eyes."
Lucifer nodded. That wasn't surprising, though it was slightly unusual. But it would fade soon enough.
"Lola…" Christopher whispered.
Lola laughed lightly. "You remember me, white-lighter. After several weeks of belonging to the devil…" She shared an amused look with Lucifer. "I am flattered."
"Lucifer," Christopher murmured. "Light-bringer. Morning star." Then he opened his eyes once more, and Lucifer watched as he struggled to see beyond the light that was blinding him. It took a moment, and then Christopher blinked and stared directly at Lucifer's face.
The devil smiled. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Christopher."
"How am I… why am I… what did you do?" Christopher stammered, moving jerkily away from Lucifer. He made what must have been an attempt to stand, but fell instead to his hands and knees. Clearly, he still had no idea that his body had limits and he couldn't simply force himself to move past them based on sheer willpower alone.
Though he certainly was determined to try.
Lucifer continued to smile as he answered simply, "I released your soul and replaced it in your body." Chris stared at him, and Lucifer felt his smile fade, his amusement momentarily replaced by concern. Chris was sane. There was tumultuous emotions in the white-lighter's eyes – anger and pain and grief and hatred and paranoia that would be so fun to play with – but there was no insanity.
No one survived a month in hell without a bit of madness creeping into them.
Lucifer forced his face back into a smug smile and rose to his feet, but he couldn't help but be concerned.
The Charmed Ones had summoned Lola and trapped her in a crystal cage.
Lucifer sighed. It wasn't unexpected, of course. The eldest Charmed One was not going to give up on her ex-husband, and since she couldn't summon Lucifer, she would go after Lola. It was obvious. Predictable. Lucifer had known it would happen, and even Lola had suspected it might come to this. It was not a surprise.
It was still rather annoying.
Lucifer appeared in the middle of a cave and glanced around. There were several lower-level demons present, mostly arguing with each other or boasting about their recent kills. They had red skin and yellow eyes, and forked tongues flicked from between black lips. They spoke in loud and sharp voices, and moved with loud and sharp steps.
Lucifer was not a fan of lower-level demons. They were so… animalistic. They lacked an appreciation for subtly and subterfuge, and did not understand the delicate art of politics.
Of course, they were still useful.
The demons fell silent the moment they spotted Lucifer. There was a sort of reverence in their inhuman eyes.
"The Charmed Ones have summoned my sorceress and trapped her in a crystal cage," Lucifer said mildly. "I want her back."
He didn't need to say anything else. He didn't need to give a direct order, didn't need to threaten or bribe. He merely had to state what he wanted…
As one, the demons bowed their heads, and then several of them disappeared, intent on doing his bidding.
Lucifer smiled.
Then he held out his hand and stopped the nearest demon from leaving. With a cold and calculating smile, he said, "Give my regards to the eldest Charmed One."
The demon nodded to show he understood, then disappeared.
Everything had relied on the Elder. As long as he killed Gideon, as long as he sacrificed his soul, Lucifer had been convinced he could win. Would win.
But he'd done nothing to put the idea in the Elder's head. He could have – could have whispered honeyed words in Leo's ear, could have quietly suggested ideas and made Leo think they were his own.
He hadn't bothered.
Just as he hadn't bothered making the Elders suspicious of Leo.
He would have done it if it had been necessary, but he had been fairly convinced it wouldn't be. He'd had a few millennia to study humans and Elders and the like, and he knew how they worked, how they thought, how they planned, how they lived. He knew what would happen.
The Charmed Ones would underestimate Gideon, and that particular Elder would escape. Leo would be forced to protect his son, and would do whatever was necessary. He would be overcome by rage and fury at the thought of his precious Wyatt being killed – or worse – and would kill Gideon.
It was all so… predictable.
The Elders would be suspicious because they were, by their very nature, a suspicious group. They had to be. They were in charge of protecting the entire magical community of Good, and could never afford to let down their guard. Their recent battle with the Titans would have reminded them of the pain of loss, and Gideon's betrayal and Leo's subsequent actions would be just too much for them to bear. They'd be afraid, and the fear would lend power to their suspicion.
He didn't need to plan it, it would just happen.
The eldest Charmed One would have sacrificed her soul in a heartbeat if she'd ever had the option, so Lucifer had been careful not to appear to her. He'd only appeared to Leo, confident that, once again, the Elder would do anything necessary to save his son.
Of course, he would be so desperate, so filled with grief and guilt and fury, that he wouldn't even realize that he was only saving his son from hell to condemn him to nonexistence.
It was all so deliciously perfect.
Of course, that didn't mean that Lucifer couldn't take pleasure in intervening later, after the Elder had sold his soul. The devil knew all the right buttons to push, and even if these things would have fallen into place without him doing anything, it didn't hurt to help things along.
"We cannot get involved with Lucifer! Are you not listening to us, Charmed One? We cannot take the risk that Lucifer will manipulate us – or you – more than he already has. He has Leo's soul, but if we can prevent him from taking anything else…"
Lucifer stared at the Elder who had spoken, taking in her anger and her fear. The thought that these powerful beings were terrified of him brought an icy smile to his lips and he came closer, inching forward.
They couldn't see him, of course, but that didn't mean they wouldn't be able to sense him. He had to be cautious, particularly because there were five Elders in the attic and each one of them had the ability to sense power. He'd done his best to cloak his aura, but he just didn't know what they were capable of…
Of course, he was also standing in the presence of one of the most powerful witches the world had ever known, and she had no idea he was there. All six magical beings in the room were too blinded by their emotions to notice his presence.
He turned his attention towards the youngest Charmed One as she retorted tauntingly, "Afraid? You don't want to risk your own souls, don't want to risk your own lives. It's easy to send other people into danger, but when it comes to the Elders, you would rather stand around Up There and let other people fight your battles. You have no idea what loss feels like."
Lucifer's smile grew, and he whispered How many did you lose when the Titans attacked?
"We don't understand loss?" the female Elder spat. "Need I remind you of what happened to us when the Titans were released less than a year ago?"
Lucifer shook his head. Influencing thoughts through astral projection wasn't a gift he used often. In some ways, it felt almost like cheating. Very few beings, human or otherwise, had the strength of character to withstand this particular power, and where was the fun in this game if no one fought back?
On the other hand, it did have limitations – he could only whisper the truth, and sometimes that wasn't enough.
This was not one of those times.
"We grieve for our fellow Elders and white-lighters," the female Elder continued in a softer tone, "just as we grieve for every witch who dies battling evil. Do not presume to understand what we feel for our sons and daughters."
Lucifer turned towards another Elder, one he vaguely knew had worked with the traitorous Gideon, and murmured, But the Charmed Ones do presume. They rarely make an attempt to see the world through any viewpoint but their own. And they certainly do not like any of you right now.
The Elder stepped forward, sneering. "They are the Charmed Ones, Aravis. Of course they will presume. They are presumptuous enough to…"
"This is not helping," another Elder said.
"True," replied Michael – and Lucifer recognized him without any problem.
The devil smirked; it would be a pleasure to go up against that particular Elder.
Michael continued, "I understand how much you care for Leo, and your desire to save him is commendable. But do not think for a moment that you will be able to rescue him without paying a price."
Lucifer turned to the youngest Charmed One. If you don't save your precious Elder, what do you think will happen to your oldest sister? How will she handle it? He saw the look of uncertainty and apprehension cross Paige's face and allowed himself one final smile before disappearing from the attic.
"So what did the Elders want? Why did they visit you? Did they have any information that might be helpful?"
Lucifer studied the empath intently as she addressed her sister. He hadn't spent a lot of time around her – of the three sisters, Piper had been his main target. But beyond the simple matter of practicality, the devil did not like empaths. They were unpredictable. Some empaths were so perceptive that they were challenging to manipulate. Others were constantly so caught up by everyone else's emotions that they were far too easy to manipulate, and thus were boring. Lucifer wasn't sure which one Phoebe Halliwell would be, and he didn't like unknowns.
Of course, he was fairly convinced that nothing the empath did at this point could change the outcome – the pieces were falling into place and he was going to succeed.
But still… he didn't like the fact that he was going to have to use the empath. Piper had her own purpose to serve, her own part to play. She had to push Chris over the edge just enough that he would be desperate to save his family. And Paige, too, had a role. She had to be a go-between for her sisters and the Elders, had to facilitate the relationship that would be important for the future.
They both had roles, and so it was the empath who would have to play this part.
"They want us to stop looking for Leo," Paige said diffidently.
"What?" Piper snarled.
Hold onto that anger, Lucifer murmured. Think of everything the Elders have taken from you.
Phoebe and Piper were both glaring at Paige, though it was clear that their anger was directed towards the Elders and not their sister. But Paige continued onwards, apparently determined to explain everything.
"They think the consequences of going up against Lucifer would far outweigh the benefits of getting Leo back… if we even succeed in that. They wanted me to tell you that… that we need to stop. We can't have anything more to do with the devil."
They're perfectly willing to let your ex-husband suffer if it keeps the world safe. They believe in the Greater Good, Lucifer whispered in Piper's ear.
"That's ridiculous," Piper retorted. "That's absolutely… ugh."
"Leo is an Elder," Phoebe protested as well, disbelief coloring her voice. "He's one of them."
Is he? Lucifer asked. Really?
"Yeah, but he hasn't exactly been in their good graces since he killed Gideon," Piper pointed out, running a hand through her hair. Her voice was laced with venom as she added, "I be there are plenty of Elders who are happy to have him out of the way."
"Do you really think they'd do that?" Phoebe asked tentatively.
"I think they're scared," Paige said after a moment of contemplation. "I think… I think they aren't happy with Leo, but I also think… I think they are really, truly terrified of what Lucifer could do."
Good, Lucifer said with a satisfied smile. They should be. Then he turned to Phoebe and said, But you don't need their permission. You are the Charmed Ones. Think of all the magical creatures you've saved. If you ask them for help, who do you think they will listen to – the Elders who deliver rules from on high or the three witches who protected them from evil over and over?
When the inevitable confrontation came – with its shouting and crying and tumultuous emotion – Lucifer felt as though it was a little anticlimactic. He hadn't needed to do anything. It had all happened on its own, just like Leo killing Gideon and trading his soul for his son had happened without much interference by the devil.
"That's a good thing," Lola said with a smirk, flicking red hair out of her eyes and giving Lucifer a knowing look. "Everything is going according to plan."
Lucifer agreed with a slow nod. "True," he murmured. He walked over to the plush armchair in the center of Lola's well-decorated and adorned room, and sat down. "But I'm growing… bored. I expected to have to do more."
"You didn't know what would happen when you set the white-lighter free?" Lola asked skeptically.
Lucifer glanced at her, then closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift back to the argument he had just witnessed. Piper Halliwell had not been pleased to discover that her youngest planned to leave them and return to the future to check on his brother. The argument that had resulted had been vicious and filled with accusations that both would regret.
And the poor Paige Matthews just stood there, unable to do much of anything about it.
"I had an inkling," Lucifer said. "But I expected to need to do more. Christopher is not behaving in the way I had anticipated."
Lola considered this for a moment, then said, "You were concerned when he was first released from hell with his sanity intact. Now you are concerned that he is too emotional. Isn't that… contradictory?"
"No," Lucifer answered. "I expected the emotional turmoil. I designed it, after all."
Christopher was an unknown in the equation. The others were predictably human – they let their emotions cloud everything. But Christopher had the ability to see past his emotions, to recognize the patterns in the chaos. And for that reason, Lucifer had made sure that his hell would be one that left him unable to control those very same emotions he had been so used to shoving aside.
A unique hell for a unique purpose.
The devil knew he couldn't run the risk of Christopher seeing the truth, but as long as the white-lighter was too caught up in his own inner demons, he wouldn't recognize the plan until it was far too late to do anything about it.
But he was still a little concerned. Christopher wasn't falling into insanity as quickly as Lucifer had hoped he would. It wasn't entirely necessary for the plan to work, but it would have added a sense of desperation, would have made the others all the more eager to do something. Anything.
And people who rushed into unknown situations tended to suffer for it.
Christopher was doubting himself, though. Doubting his intentions, doubting his abilities. The tension between the eldest Charmed One and the white-lighter was pushing both further and further into their own grief and anger, and it was pulling everyone apart.
Lucifer frowned and fiddled with the sunglasses he always kept with him. He couldn't quite stop the feeling of unease, but he also couldn't figure out its basis. Why did Christopher worry him so much?
Finally, he said, "It seems a little too easy."
"The hardest part hasn't started yet," Lola protested. "Right now, you're just lining up the pieces. You haven't pushed them over yet."
"A dominos analogy?" Lucifer asked lightly. "I like that." He stared off into space contemplatively before adding with an appreciative tone, "One push and everything goes toppling over." Then he sobered and said, "It will take more than one push. And a lot of preparation."
"What you are planning is quite big," Lola pointed out logically. Lucifer didn't answer, and she walked around until she was standing directly in front of him. Her lips curved into a wicked smile as she said, "If you are bored and you are worried about Christopher, there is an easy way to take care of both birds with one stone."
Lucifer laughed. This was why he liked working with Lola. Not only was she intelligent – far more so than any lower-level demon, and even more than most of the upper-level ones – but she took the initiative, offering suggestions instead of merely waiting for directions.
Perhaps she was right. Perhaps it was time to give this train-wreck-waiting-to-happen another little push.
He gave Lola a farewell nod and disappeared.
He reappeared seconds later in the doorway of the backroom of P3 and looked around. The table and floor were covered in charts and lists and pens and notes and bits of paper. Christopher had been busy looking for something. A solution, probably.
He hadn't found it.
The white-lighter was now sprawled on the lumpy sofa, asleep. Exhaustion must have gotten the better of him, because Lucifer doubted that Christopher would have willingly allowed himself a luxury such as sleep. Not when he was frantically looking for answers.
Again, the feeling of unease washed over Lucifer.
It was almost a pity to do this. The boy had held everything together so well considering the circumstances that Lucifer couldn't help but feel respect for him. It was rare that he faced an adversary like this, and though he was loathe to admit it, the young white-lighter was starting to grow on him.
He walked over to the boy sleeping on the sofa and sighed. Sorry, Christopher, he thought, but I need you to want this. I need you to be so desperate to save the future, save your family, that you'll see only what you want to see and miss all the warning signs. I need you to believe.
Then he rested one hand gently on the boy's forehead and murmured, "Sweet dreams, Christopher."
"Are you ready?" Lucifer asked cautiously.
Lola gave him a long-suffering look. "Of course I am ready," she said. She turned to study herself in the mirror, running a hand over her long skirt and adjusting the bracelets on her wrist.
"This isn't a beauty contest," Lucifer said, amused.
Lola spun around to face him. "A sorceress should always look her best," she replied.
"Now, remember," Lucifer said, "Christopher will have undoubtedly been the one to come up with this plan. And he's smart. Cunning. He's going to try to play you. So you just have to make sure that you're playing him as well."
Lola curved cherry-red lips into a smile. "I think I can manage that," she said.
"Let them think that you are afraid. You don't want to be vanquished. You don't want the premonition to come true," Lucifer continued. He knew he was lecturing far too much – Lola was perfectly capable of doing this. But this was the only part of the plan that relied solely on her, and he didn't like giving up control.
Lola nodded patiently.
"They will offer you a way out. Or, perhaps, they will let you escape and then expect you to come back to them after you have had time to think about it. Improvise if you have to, but make sure they think they have you fooled."
Again, Lola nodded, though this time there was a hint of impatience in her eyes.
Lucifer sighed.
"Christopher is good, Lola. He's one of the best I've gone up against in a long time," Lucifer said quietly. "He'll be suspicious if you make this too easy for him, and he'll be suspicious if you make it too hard. You have to play this perfectly."
Lola pursed her lips together and said in a subdued tone, "I understand."
"Good."
Lucifer turned away and started pacing. He felt cheap. He'd relied too much on astral projection. But all of the players in this knew who he was, so he couldn't just approach them in a coffee shop or on the street and start talking. He had to do things this way.
Besides, he reasoned, it wasn't really cheating if he was constrained by an inability to lie. Unlike dark-lighters or other demons who could whisper anything they wanted while astral projecting, he was only able to say things that were true, things his victim already believed. All he could really do was draw attention to the thoughts drifting about in the recesses of others' minds.
That required skill and a working knowledge of the human psyche. His entire plan had required meticulous preparation and knowledge of human interactions, relationships, and emotions. So astral projection wasn't taking the easy way out…
It was merely necessary.
He was pleased the gypsies were involved. All he'd had to do was whisper that suggestion in Piper's ear, and the moment Phoebe had broached the topic of asking other members of the magical world for help, Piper had run with the idea.
He didn't like gypsies.
No, that was too much of an understatement.
He loathed gypsies. He despised them. He hated them with every fiber of his being.
He didn't like being bested.
He'd sat silently in the Manor's kitchen, hidden from view, and listened to that young gypsy tell the story, and he'd had to fight back his own rage. Emotions were a weakness most of the time, and he knew better than to let his anger interfere with his ability to think clearly. But he was still furious.
A priestess wasn't supposed to win against him. No one was supposed to win against him.
He despised the gypsies almost as much as he hated the Elders, and he'd be more than happy to watch both groups fall.
Lucifer had been surprised by how quickly Christopher had figured out how the gypsy priestess had won. He hadn't expected the white-lighter to be thinking that clearly and that quickly. it had impressed Lucifer.
It had worried him, too.
Why hadn't Christopher fallen apart yet? Why was he still holding his own, still plotting and fighting?
A sudden rush of wind filled the room, and Lucifer spun around in time to see Lola give him a confident smile before she was summoned away.
Now it was time for him to go enlist the help of a few demonic clans so that Lola would have names to deliver to the Charmed Ones when the time came.
"I'll send them after lower-level demons," Lucifer said thoughtfully. "There are far too many of those, anyway. The Underworld could do with a few less savages."
"It's done," Lola said, shimmering into sight next to Lucifer. "I've delivered the names of the demonic clans. Oh, and the white-lighter is very close to disappearing."
Lucifer smiled maliciously. "Good. The more desperate he is, the more careless he'll be. The more willing he will be to assume that he's actually manipulating me, even though he should know better than to believe he can do that."
Now all he had to do was go to Christopher and get Christopher to offer him a deal. He'd set the specific terms he needed for his entire plan to work, and then he could sit back and watch the destruction start.
Lola twirled a strand of hair around one finger. "You'll set the Elder free as soon as you finish talking to the white-lighter?" she questioned.
"Of course," Lucifer confirmed. "I can't very well let Christopher disappear, can I? He's my insurance policy." He wiped his hands on his suit pants, put on his sunglasses, and gave Lola a last smug smile. "Show time."