Chapter 6

'Rory,' Lucifer said softly, as his other daughter stood in Chloe's apartment with her arms folded, sending a chilling glare his way. 'It's lovely to see you again.'

'Can't say the same,' she sneered. 'Though at least you seem to know who I am now.' She stomped forward a couple of paces. 'Now, if you'll all excuse us, I need to have a word with my twin.'

'Your twin?' Trixie gasped. 'You're Lucifer's daughter too?' Oblivious to Rory's anger, she practically bounced with exuberant excitement. 'That's so cool!'

Ellie's face seemed fairly calm as Rory tugged her by the arm towards the staircase, not before sending a look of pure puzzlement Trixie's way.

'Why are they fighting?' Trixie asked the adults.

As Lucifer looked between her and Chloe and the twins, still appearing fairly gobsmacked, Chloe gently pulled her closer. 'I don't think they're really angry with each other, Monkey,' she said gently. 'I just don't think they were expecting to see each other here.'

'How did you find Aurora?' Lucifer asked in a small voice.

'She came home with Trixie last night,' Chloe explained. 'She'd injured her ankle and needed help getting home…'

'She healed me!' Trixie said excitedly, flexing both her feet in demonstration.

'I tried to get hold of you and Amenadiel –' Chloe rushed to defend herself.

'It's okay, I'm sorry I didn't see,' Lucifer said. 'Ellie turned up at the penthouse last night and we got talking, and I just lost track of time.'

'That's a good sign, getting to know her,' Chloe said with a soft smile.

'Yes… it was rather lovely,' Lucifer replied in kind.

'Hey, what language are they even speaking?' Trixie interrupted, watching the twins. Chloe noticed that the two young angels stood close together, communicating quickly and quietly in an unfamiliar tongue. She looked to Lucifer.

'I… don't know,' he replied, looking entirely confused. 'Chloe, I don't understand, I speak every language!'

'Me and my friends used to have a secret language,' Trixie said. 'Maybe they have one too?'

'It's Qrimbrōstan,' Rory answered, as the twins moved back towards them. 'The language of the Cursed Islands.' She glanced back at her twin. 'Perhaps we should refrain from arguing in front of T, here. In most human cultures it is considered unbecoming to do so in front of minors, not that you'd know…'

'Where?' Chloe whispered.

'Right, yes, most humans are unaware,' Lucifer said. 'Set of islands in the middle of nowhere, populated by a race of soulless humans – one of Dad's little side experiments, really – completely inaccessible to the rest of humanity. Nobody in, nobody out.'

'Unless you're immortal,' Rory said quietly.

'Or cursed,' Ellie added.

'Or exiled.'

'Or very determined.'

'Or a combination,' Rory finished. Then as Trixie made a noise of disappointment, 'It's not the greatest holiday destination, T. In many texts, it's described as hell on earth.'

'Some places aren't so bad,' Ellie said fairly, after seeing the worried glances exchanged by Chloe and Lucifer. 'The south-eastern isle can be nice.'

'Good for you,' Rory said. Then she relaxed her facial features into something expressionless and sent Chloe a hard stare. 'So. Did you know who I was the whole time, or?'

Chloe flushed as four pairs of eyes settled on her. 'I had my suspicions, Rory,' she said steadily. 'Some of your mannerisms, the things you said…' She paused as she met her dark gaze. 'I thought if I brought Lucifer up in conversation, you would run away, and we've been looking for you for days.'

As she looked ready to argue, Lucifer hurriedly interjected. 'I owe you an apology, Rory, for how I reacted when we last met. You… caught me off guard, to put it mildly, and I behaved like an utter –' he cut off, remembering that Trixie was present. 'What I said to you was unkind, and for that I am deeply sorry. As I said to Ellie last night, you have every right to be angry with me, but I will do anything in my power to make things right.'

Rory looked genuinely surprised for a moment. But then she became expressionless again, and scoffed. 'You can't.'

Everyone fell silent.

'So… how did you two meet?' Ellie said eventually, looking anxiously between each of them.

'We were work partners,' Chloe said, smiling at her. 'Your dad was my consultant, we solved murders together, we got really close. And now…'

'You're going to be his consultant,' Rory said, dangerously quietly.

'I told her,' Trixie chipped in helpfully at Lucifer's raised eyebrow.

'Yeah, I am,' Chloe said, nodding encouragingly, desperately trying to read Rory's expression.

'That means you know…' Rory said. 'About us. Our family. Wings and all.'

Chloe nodded again.

'Are you… okay?' Ellie prompted cautiously. Her eyes were wide.

'Yeah, everything's fine,' Chloe assured them. 'I've known for a long time now. Things were rocky to begin with, but now things are amazing. I'm excited for what's to come, and I trust your dad so much, and I hope one day you will too.'

'And you, T?' Rory asked, far more gently.

'You guys are awesome!' the younger girl gushed. 'I'm calling you two my stepsisters, okay, it's a thing!'

'That close, huh?' Ellie teased her gently, looking between her, Chloe and Lucifer. Even Rory smiled, despite herself.

'Okay, we're not quite there yet,' Chloe laughed. 'But one day soon, it can be official.'

Lucifer, who had practically been glowing under Chloe's praise, and whose heart had been warming to see the girls interact, suddenly noticed Rory frown and stand still.

'Everything okay, Rory?'

'Prayer from Cora.' She looked to Ellie, entirely ignoring Lucifer. 'She's coming to Earth to meet Charlie, do we want to join?'

Ellie grinned. 'Yeah!'

'Right, well, if you wait for me to nip back to Lux and swap cars, I can drive you both there,' Lucifer offered.

'We'll fly,' Rory said, scrunching her nose. And in a brief flash of white and red, both girls were gone.

'That's so cool!' Trixie practically screeched.

'Rory will come around eventually, Lucifer,' Chloe soothed, noticing the lost look on his face. 'She just needs time. She's hurting, she's not going to trust new people right away.'

'Hurting because of me,' Lucifer said, and the pain in his voice was palpable.

'Everyone makes mistakes,' Trixie said. 'But we can learn from them. Right, Mom?'

'That's true, Monkey,' Chloe said, smiling at her daughter. 'And Ellie seemed happy enough with you. That's something, right?'

'Yes, of course,' Lucifer smiled his charming smile, the one that fooled everyone but Chloe.

'Rory's nice, Lucifer,' Trixie advocated. 'She just seems kinda sad. Or kinda mad. But she's my friend now.'

'Yes, she certainly seems to have taken to you, child,' he said with a dry chuckle. He withdrew a credit card from his pocket and slid it across the kitchen counter to her. 'Perhaps you and them could go for a wander round the mall this afternoon? Female bonding, and all that?'

Trixie picked up the card with a wicked grin. 'Sounds good to me!'

Lucifer pulled out his phone. 'I'll have to call in a few favours,' he said, tapping away. 'Get them IDs, licenses, etcetera…'

'You're gonna be God,' Trixie pointed out. 'Can't you just magic them up then?'

He scoffed. 'Why does everyone seem to think that's how it works?' He put his phone back in his pocket. 'Right, I should probably also head to the Doctor's house, she could probably use a celestial hand. And I think I need to schedule my offspring some appointments.'

'Stay for breakfast?' Trixie wheedled. 'I missed you when I was at camp, and I go back again soon! And I have loads of questions…'

'Very well,' Lucifer sighed with a flourish that made Trixie giggle. 'Ask what you wish, child. If I know the answers, I shall give them.'

'Monkey, remember that there are some personal things that Lucifer might not want to talk about,' Chloe warned, fully aware that her daughter had inherited her knack for interrogation.

'I know,' Trixie said solemnly. Then she redirected her gaze to Lucifer. 'First question – when you're God will you be able to bring Dad back to life?'

'No, sweet child,' Lucifer said, after exchanging a heart-breaking glance with Chloe. 'Believe me, if I could, I would.'

'So… what's my dad's place in Heaven like? Have you visited him there?'

The looks of dread and panic on her mom and Lucifer's faces obliterated Trixie's excitement entirely.

The twins flew until they sensed Cora's presence, landing on the ground and folding their wings away simultaneously. Sachairi and Sophea were with her, and the latter pulled Ellie in for a hug immediately.

'There's been a few interesting developments,' Sachairi said.

'Thirteen and thirteen when six,' Cora sang as they walked down the street.

'All the angels know about us now,' Sophea explained to the twins. 'Aunt Gabriel, Aunt Saraqael and Aunt Azrael sought us out yesterday to say hey, and Cora's met Uncle Amenadiel now.'

'That figures,' Ellie said. 'Do you know where we're going?'

'I brought this map,' Sachairi said in a small voice. The yellowing edges, faded print and distinct lack of recognisable roads made Ellie snort.

'I told you that thing is outdated, brother,' Sophea said, rolling her eyes.

'It has Los Angeles on it,' Sachairi defended, folding it back up.

'Yeah, from the 1800s,' Rory snorted. She slapped her cousin on the back. 'A for effort, though. So, you've met more of our aunts and uncles?'

'Indeed,' Sophea said. 'Felt strange actually talking to them, you know?'

'Speaking of Aunt Azrael,' Sachairi said, lightly hitting Rory back to get her attention, 'She seems to already have met you. More than once.'

'Yeah, whatever,' Rory said defensively. 'She didn't know it was me.'

'She's the angel of death, Rory,' Ellie said worriedly. 'How would she know of you?'

'Did you nearly die?' Sophea shrieked, causing a passer-by on the other side of the street to look at them curiously. 'Multiple times?'

'Wait, she's had to come for you?' Sachairi asked, lowering his voice.

'No, of course not!' Rory snapped, though Ellie could have sworn she heard her mutter. 'Not every time…'

'Quarter-mile exactly south-east,' Cora said, and Ellie watched her sister shoot their cousin a grateful smile for the change in topic.

'See, Sach? We don't need a map,' Rory said.

Linda had just finished changing and feeding her son when the doorbell rang. Amenadiel had arrived back from Heaven late the night before, and told her that he had met one of his nieces, and that he had invited her to Earth to meet Charlie, extending the invitation to the other Nephilim too. Linda was excited to meet them, having read the Book of Nephilim and had a long discussion with Lucifer in therapy, and hoping that the younger angels may give her some insight into Charlie's future.

'Can you get that?' she called to Amenadiel as she set her son down in his crib. By the time she straightened and turned around, five teenagers stood just inside her house, and Amenadiel was closing the door.

'Hey!' she said in greeting. 'It's so lovely to meet you all, come on in!'

'This is Cora,' Amenadiel indicated a lithe girl with dark hair and an angelic smile. 'She's my brother Lezmegadiel's daughter, then Jophiel's twins Sachairi and Sophea –' a silver-blonde boy and girl nodded respectfully, '– and last but not least Eleonora and Aurora, Lucifer's daughters.'

'Wow…!' Linda said, taking them all in. 'You all look so… young!'

'Heavenly skincare,' Sachairi said innocently.

'Botox,' Sophea grinned.

'Berks,' Rory snorted quietly with an eyeroll.

'It's lovely to meet you, too, Aunt Linda,' Ellie said warmly. 'Lucifer speaks very highly of you.' Linda did not miss the curious glances the others sent her way.

'You've spoken with Lucifer already?' Amenadiel asked, surprised.

'I have,' Ellie answered, careful with her emphasis. Linda watched as Rory's face darkened at the mention of her father.

'That's fantastic news,' Linda replied, smiling at Ellie, before glancing between the rest. 'Well, this is Charlie…' She leaned into the crib and gently picked up her son.

Sophea was the first to coo as the group of cousins moved closer. 'How old is he now?'

'Thirteen months,' Linda told her. 'And… twelve, no thirteen days.'

'Huh,' Ellie said softly. 'Thirteen and thirteen when six. Thirteen months, thirteen days… and the six of us are together. Nice one, Cora!'

The oldest of them grinned, a strange look that conveyed both relief and impatience.

'Excuse me?' Linda asked. Charlie made a noise in her arms, and she noticed he was leaning towards Rory, who was regarding her young cousin with an unreadable expression. 'Do you want to hold him?' she asked her softly.

There was a certain reluctance as Rory stepped slowly closer, but she was surprisingly gentle as she lifted the baby from Linda's grasp. Charlie gurgled happily as Rory held him, staring at her and reaching out a tiny hand to play with the pink strands of her hair. Linda smiled, and then focused her attention back on the others.

'Cora has visions,' Sachairi told her. 'But she can't always articulate them all that well.' He looked over at his cousin. 'You've been sat on that particular prophecy for a little while, haven't you?'

Cora beamed.

'Wow, you can see the future?' Linda nodded as she processed.

Cora's expression remained serene as she met her gaze. 'One of the greatest secrets will soon be within your grasp, one you'll be the only mortal to know until it's time,' she said, in a light sing-song voice. Then, as though equally significant, 'The next red dress you wear will be well-complimented.'

'Wow… that's… good to know,' Linda faltered. She looked away and saw Charlie giggle as he leaned into Rory's shoulder, a strand of her hair curled tightly in his fingers.

'I think Aurora's the favourite,' Amenadiel joked as Sophea tried and failed to get the tiny angel's attention.

'What can I say – your kid has good taste,' Rory shot back. 'Though I'm starting to think I'll end up with a bald patch soon, and that is not on, little bairn.' She gently disentangled Charlie's hand from her hair, tickling his palm and smiling at him as he laughed.

'That is so cute!' Sophea sighed.

'Your turn,' Rory replied, carefully passing him over. Charlie began to fuss immediately, and over the next several minutes was passed from cousin to cousin. By the time Linda took him back, he was bawling furiously.

'He's tired,' she told them over Charlie's cries. 'He usually settles for his nap about now. Amenadiel, could you put him down?' As Amenadiel took his son to an adjacent room and closed the door, she turned back to the other Nephilim. 'If you'd like to stay a bit longer? If you don't mind, I do have some questions, I mean –' she chortled. 'I was led to believe that Charlie was the only half-angel baby in the world, but instead he's got five angel cousins, that's amazing!'

'Of course, Aunt Linda,' Sachairi said courteously. 'Whatever information you need.'

They moved over to the couches and sat down.

'So how old were all of you when you got your powers?' Linda started. 'Because Charlie can slow time already, and I'm not gonna lie, as a human that is very weird!'

'That is a little young,' Sachairi said.

'We're all different,' Sophea rushed to assure her. 'Cora was quite young too, apparently, she's been weaving prophecies since she could speak, though weirdly she actually gets that from her human side, not her angelic side. We were a lot older though.' She gave her twin brother a friendly shove. 'Do you remember when you first got telekinesis, Sach? Caused absolute chaos sending things flying everywhere – nearly killed baby Ellie too!'

'I so wish you would let that go, sister!' Sachairi replied, exasperated.

'I so wish I could remember that far back,' Rory said with a snort. 'That's brilliant.'

'How did you… manage to control it?' Linda asked. 'I don't think Charlie can yet, but it would be good to teach him how when he's old enough to understand.'

Sachairi hummed for a moment, pondering his answer. 'Did he slow time on several occasions in quick succession?'

'Yes,' Amenadiel said, re-joining the group. 'That's interesting, that you can do what your father can.'

'I can't,' Sophea said. 'At least not yet. I have other gifts, though.'

'Based on a sample size of one,' Sachairi said, indicating himself, 'I think Charlie will be okay for a bit. When I first started moving things with my mind, I couldn't control it, like Soph said, and I should have been able to, seeing as we were about three centuries old at the time. It was like… the power was working its way through my brain? I don't know… I just stopped, eventually, and then I didn't use it again until I willed it. Perhaps Charlie will be the same.'

'It's a good job you did just stop,' Sophea said fervently. 'You moved poor Ellie up a tree…' She and Rory laughed.

'What about you two?' Amenadiel asked, pointing between Rory and Ellie. 'Can you pull out humans' desires?'

'Yes,' Ellie answered.

'How old were you when you realised you could do it?' Linda asked.

'No idea, but for me it was shortly after we came to Earth that time,' Ellie said, nodding to Rory. 'I was getting to know people in my new home and the question slipped out a few too many times… It was wild.'

'I found out I could do it completely by accident, nearly ten years later,' Rory supplied. 'One of my friends was messing around, and came up behind me to make me jump. I jumped, and just asked them 'What do you want?', you know, and they just went all weird and spilled out all their dark secrets. It was hilarious.' She sat back in the seat and elbowed Cora. 'Sorry… oh, put that down, Cora – no, not there, outside!' Cora made a high-pitched whine of dismay as she carried the spider she had been holding to the nearest window.

'What about wings?' Amenadiel said. 'Do you all have them?'

In answer, Cora, the only one standing, spread her ecru feathers in demonstration, then folded them away again.

'Yeah, we all do,' Sophea assured him. 'Charlie will too, one day.'

'He will,' Cora said exuberantly, sitting back down.

'There you go,' Ellie said to Amenadiel. 'You've got it from the future-teller among us.'

'How old were you all?' Linda asked.

Cora shrugged, then indicated the height of her shoulder.

'Both of us were twelve,' Sachairi said.

'Yeah,' Sophea added. 'Just after our mother died.'

'I got mine just before we went to Earth,' Ellie said. 'So… I don't know… three and a half – four, maybe – Earth-centuries?'

'I got mine just before we came back, like five years ago,' Rory said. 'They… self-actualised in a moment of need.'

'Quite a range, really,' Sophea said. 'Sorry we can't be more specific.'

'Well, seeing as you're all a lot older than you look, I'm guessing that means you're immortal, right?' Linda said.

Amenadiel's eyes were downcast as they all nodded. 'God told me that Charlie is mortal.'

'Well, of course he is now,' Rory said. 'We all were when we were children – it's how we grow up.'

'You cannot age if you're immortal,' Sophea agreed. 'It's kind of the point.'

'So… that time I thought Michael had deliberately given Charlie a cold…'

'Regular and run-of-the-mill, I'm afraid,' Ellie said ruefully. 'He'll get them. It sucks. We've all been there.'

'Yeah, I really don't know how you mortals cope with it all your lives,' Sachairi said to Linda. 'Respect. The headaches I used to get as a teenager…'

'Same!' Rory said.

'I always had backache when I was on Earth,' Ellie said. 'It was awful!'

'That was probably your wings, to be fair,' Sachairi pointed out.

'Possibly… I don't think they're designed to be kept away for so long. If anything, the later Charlie gets them, the better, really.'

'But he won't have to hide them like you did,' Rory pointed out. 'Charlie's going to grow up in a circle of both humans and celestials.'

'True,' Ellie countered.

'So… he won't be human forever?' Amenadiel confirmed.

'Just as a child,' Sophea nodded. 'He's so cute now, but… you don't really want him to be a baby for all of eternity, do you?'

'Aye, nightmare that'd be,' Cora mused.

'That's very good to know,' Linda said.

'Yeah,' Amenadiel agreed, giving each of them a genuine smile. 'Thank you.'

'But…' Rory grinned with a meaningful glance at her cousins. 'If it does take several centuries for Charlie to get his wings, or even if it doesn't, we do have something of a fix.'

'Oh yeah!' Sophea cheered.

'Not yet,' Sachairi said quickly. 'We agreed when he was born. His thirteenth birthday.'

'Especially if he's living on Earth!' Ellie insisted.

'What's that?' Linda asked.

'We each own a dragon,' Rory explained, looking amused when Linda gasped. 'And we picked out an egg for Charlie when he was born. But like they said, only when he's old enough to care for it properly and keep it hidden.'

'That's where the ones in the Silver City came from? You lot?' Amenadiel said. Then he barked out a laugh. 'Fair enough.'

The front door suddenly swung open with a bang.

'Doctor!' Lucifer called. 'Sorry to call so early but –' He cut off as he noticed the amount of company. 'Ah, hello there.'

'Luci!' Amenadiel greeted. 'Come join us.'

He took a seat on the couch next to Ellie, facing Linda.

'Was there something in particular you wanted, Lucifer?' his therapist asked. She noticed both Ellie's easy acceptance of her father's presence, the smile the two of them shared as he made himself comfortable, and the way Rory shot him a look of such pure hatred that it made the hairs on the back of Linda's neck rise up.

'A request for your professional services, if you please,' he said. 'I see you've met my daughters – excellent – it was them I was thinking of to begin with, but I fear Trixie will need a session before long, too, I appear to have exploded her brain.'

'What?' Cora breathed, aghast.

'Not literally, Cora,' Ellie soothed. 'It's just an English phrase. It means overwhelmed, or confused.' Cora nodded, satisfied.

'What did you do?' Rory snapped.

'Told her a truth that upset her,' Lucifer answered, downcast. 'But she asked, and I couldn't lie. Ah, you must be Sachairi, you've got your fathers eyes – Sophea? Yes… and Cora, lovely to meet you all!' Sachairi, seated beside Ellie, leaned across her to shake his hand with a respectful nod. Sophea, after a brief look at Rory's mutinous face, sent him a carefully measured glare. Cora, in the middle, hummed serenely, oblivious to the forming factions either side of her.

'What do you do for work?' Sachairi asked conversationally.

'I'm a therapist,' Linda told them. Then, as she registered five blank stares, 'It's my job to listen to and talk through people's problems with them, to guide them through their emotions.'

'That sounds fascinating!' Sachairi enthused.

'That sounds… remarkably akin to torture,' Rory said. 'I admire the sadism.'

Linda chuckled. 'Nothing sadistic about it, Rory, but it does require an open mind.' Then to Lucifer, 'I can schedule Trixie in before she goes back to summer camp. May I ask what exactly you were discussing?'

'Her father,' Lucifer confessed.

'Oh… Oh dear,' Linda said, glancing between him and Rory. 'The full story, or…?'

'The whole shebang,' Lucifer deadpanned.

'Trixie told me her father was dead,' Rory said. 'What is there to discuss?'

'Really?' Ellie interjected. 'Oh, poor child…'

'Who's Trixie?' Sophea whispered.

'Luci's girlfriend's daughter,' Amenadiel whispered back to her.

'Well, I may have let on that he went to Hell, instead of Heaven as she was originally led to believe,' Lucifer admitted. 'I also may have let slip – albeit accidentally – that it was Rory here that turned him into a ghost!'

'Shit!' Rory exclaimed. 'Dan is Trixie's father?'

'Oh no,' Ellie mumbled.

Linda rose, and led Lucifer away from the others, taking what looked to be a diary with her. The commotion had also woken Charlie, who had begun to wail, and Amenadiel excused himself to attend to his son.

'Small world, hey,' Sachairi commented lightly.

'Oh fuck off, Sach,' Rory growled.

'Hey, don't feel bad,' Sophea said. 'How were you supposed to know?'

Rory shook her head, jaw set rigid.

'Being a ghost has got to be better than Hell, right?' Ellie added quietly after a moment.

'Whatever.'

'Maybe it's time we left,' Sachairi suggested, looking between Cora and his sister.

'Aye, no offense, Rory, but I don't really fancy sticking around to watch you get told off,' Sophea agreed, standing.

'He will see the light,' Cora said softly as she followed suit.

'He will?' Rory glanced up at her cousin.

'Aye,' Cora sang. 'Be not afraid of the power of the stars of the morning.'

Linda and Lucifer made their way back over. Ellie's sharp eyes noticed a small slip of paper sticking out of the diary.

'Okay, that's settled,' Linda said.

'It's been lovely to meet you, Aunt Linda, but it's time we got going,' Sophea said.

'Of course, no worries,' Linda said. 'Thank you so much for coming. You're all welcome whenever you like, Charlie and Amenadiel and I will be happy to see you.'

'Especially you, Rory,' Sachairi said with a playful grin. 'Charlie's best friend already!' He nodded respectfully to Lucifer, being the only one to acknowledge him, then quick as a flash he, Sophea and Cora were gone.

'So… we just had an amazing discussion about what it means to be half-angel,' Linda said, breaking the tense silence.

'That's great, Doctor,' Lucifer said distractedly. He pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. 'Look, Rory, I know you don't want anything to do with me right now, and that's okay, though I rather wish it were otherwise. But Trixie requested I give you this.' Rory took the paper and nodded stiffly. 'Both of you are more than welcome at Lux, and at Chloe's apartment, but I don't want to force either of you to spend time with me. Free will, and all that.' He sighed. 'But I truly do wish to make things right, to be in both your lives, to spend as much time with you both as I can, to make up for the years I've missed, to not be the distant figure that my own father was.' The earnestness in his tone again appeared to catch Rory off guard, but she did not respond.

'I believe you,' Ellie said.

Lucifer smiled softly at her. 'I'm so glad.' He straightened his jacket and briefly fiddled with his cufflinks. 'Right, well for now I will be off, but please, feel free to visit whenever you like, truly, it would be wonderful…'

'See you later, Lucifer,' Linda called after him.

'Yes, bye Doctor!' he called back.

When he left, Rory unfolded the paper.

'What is it?' Ellie asked.

'Note from T,' she replied, tracing an isolated letter near the bottom of the page. 'Help me out, Ellie, would you? You know I can't read English…'

'Please let me teach you,' Ellie sighed exasperatedly. 'I taught Sophea…'

'She's smarter than me and we both know it,' Rory said.

'Fine,' Ellie said, gently taking the letter from her sister and clearing her throat. 'Dear Rory,' she read, conspicuously tracing the letters as she did,

You said you didn't have a cell phone, and I didn't know how else to contact you. Lucifer said he might see you at Linda's house. He and Mom told me what you did. I want you to know that I'm not mad, at least, not at you. Thank you for helping my Daddy, even though you didn't really mean to. And thank you for helping me last night. You were so kind to me, and you're the first person I've spoken to in a while that really seems to get me. I promise I didn't know you were Lucifer's daughter, even if Mom did, and I think she only didn't tell you because she cares about you. I also know you're mad at Lucifer too, so if you ever want me to help you back, you know where I live.

Your stepsister (sort of),

T.

P.S. Lucifer said I could take you and Ellie to the mall this afternoon. Please come!

P.S.S. If you come, I promise we can get more chocolate cake. And whatever Ellie likes too.

'You know,' Ellie mused when she was done, 'For someone as prickly as you, you do seem to make an impression on the young 'uns.'

'I'm not prickly,' Rory said, taking the letter back. 'So, you want to go shopping?'

'Why not,' Ellie agreed. 'It will be nice to spend time with Trixie. She seems to like you very much, and I barely saw her earlier.'

'Alright then,' Rory said, her guilt rapidly abating now that she had confirmation that her new friend wasn't angry about what she had done.

'Poor Trixie,' Ellie sighed. 'Lucifer didn't say that her father and the man you brought up from Hell were one and the same.'

Rory snorted. 'Suck-up.'

'I understand how you feel about him, Rory, but I believe what he said. He actually wants to try,' Ellie said. 'I don't want to force you, that's the last thing I want, but I'd be so much happier becoming a part of his life with you by my side.'

Rory scoffed, but seemed to mull over her words.

'If I may offer you some advice,' Linda said softly. 'Not as a therapist, but as an aunt and friend, and as someone who knows in a lot of detail what Lucifer has been through the past few years… Your father is offering you an olive branch. For all of your sakes, I would advise you to take it. Get to really know him. He might surprise you.'

Rory sighed. 'I'll do it for you, Ellie,' she said eventually.

'That's a start,' Linda said encouragingly. 'At any rate, I'll be seeing both of you next week. Lucifer has booked a session for the two of you together, and a session for him and you, Rory. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work, but I would like both of you to give therapy a chance.'

The twins shared a heavy glance.

'Alright,' they said together.