~Lucifer's POV~

When we arrived back at the mansion Lore looked dead on her feet. I tucked her into bed before retreating to my workshop to think. I had a lot to process. My phone started to ring. I took it out of my jacket pocket and grimaced at the name flashing across the screen. The name of my bully, older twin brother and father to my wife, because of course things had to be complicated.

"What?" I answered with a scowl.

"Slept with my daughter yet?" Michael asked.

"NO!"

"You're going to let her come up here to where you have enemies a plenty, completely defenseless? That's a shitty thing to do even for you, Lucy." Michael goaded me.

"You wouldn't protect your own daughter?" I asked, feeling anxious.

"If her idiot husband would just complete the fucking ritual I wouldn't need to, she'd be a fucking demigod and could protect you and herself. Honestly, you're in for a treat. Hecate should be the goddess of se-."

"ENOUGH!" I snapped, not wanting to hear anymore. "Are you going to keep her safe there?"

"If I say no, are you going to complete the ritual?" Michael asked, I could see the smarmy smug smirk on his face in my mind's eye.

I couldn't do it. "...no..."

Michael sighed. "Coward."

"She's been through enough." I growled. "You didn't see her, when she arrived, what they did-."

"Yeah, I did." Michael's voice was oddly serious. "I was with her the whole time." It sounded like something shattered on his end. He cleared his throat and his tone returned to his usual smug smarmy self, "I don't know what the deal is, still not as bad as the Greek Pantheon, I mean Zeus had kids with two of his sisters and half the pantheon, and some of the others and then all the humans, dude's a sexual deviant, Hades kidnapped his niece... oh you're kinda pulling a hades, and people eat that shit up in fiction so you're fine."

I rubbed my temples.

"I bet Hecate would be on board with a six month rotation like Hades and Demeter did." Michael continued.

"You're insufferable." I groaned, "it's not happening."

"Best of luck. That pantheon has serious rage issues, I'm sure they were passed down." Michael was trying to sound nonchalant but I could detect the faintest edge to his voice.

"You're seriously not going to protect her there?" I asked.

"You're seriously going to send her here defenseless?!" He snapped back, the irritation he'd been trying to hide spilling out.

"Yes." I gritted my teeth.

"Hecate will eat you alive." Michael warned.

"Yes I'm sure her rage would be directed at the man who didn't want to put her daughter in a compromising position rather than her father who KEEPS putting her in compromising positions." I replied coolly.

Michael snorted at this, "oh no she'll do far worse to me, but you won't be spared."

"No, if Lore dies, I will be dead."

"Are you an idiot? Hecate holds the keys between realms, if you think she can't interfere and open deaths door and rip you out to torture you, you have another thing coming, Lucy. That bitch is crazy...hot but crazy." Michael chuckled, and I had a feeling his mind was wandering somewhere inappropriate.

I felt a painful tug from the divine tether linking me to Lore and a moment later I heard her scream down the hall. "Keep her safe, Michael."

"Just complete the ritual!" Michael snapped before I hung up and raced to Lore's room.

I threw her bedroom door open and saw her tossing and turning and trying to fight off invisible enemies in her sleep. She let out another heart rending scream and I rushed to her side.

"Lore." I placed a hand to her head and caught one of her flailing hands. "It's okay. You're safe."

"If you'd complete the ritual, she'd stop this." Michael's voice sounded from behind me.

I turned to find my twin leaning in the doorway. We weren't identical twins, Michael was taller and broader than me but we did have very similar facial features. Unlike most of the angels and seraphim on the council he often wore simple black robes. His arms were crossed in front of him as he leaned comfortably in the doorway like he owned the place.

"What are you doing here?!" I snapped.

"You hung up on me, I was worried something happened." He smiled mischievously.

"Go away." I snapped at him as I tried to wake Lore from her nightmare.

"She's reliving it, every time she sleeps, because her soul is trying to complete it's transformation but some idiot is holding her back... it's going to drive her mad if you wait too long." Michael taunted me.

"GO AWAY!" I turned on him, unleashing my full demonic presence.

"Lucifer?" Lore's soft sweet voice sounded shakily from the bed behind me. Michael was nowhere to be seen.

I shifted back and turned to her, "sorry." I tenderly reached out to sweep one of her messy curls behind her ear.

"Who were you yelling at?" She asked warily.

"Don't worry about it." I sighed.

She slowly sat up and fixed me with a hard look, "what's wrong? You look tense."

"I'm just worried...I can't help you and Charlie in Heaven." It was true, perhaps not the whole truth but I wasn't ready to traumatize her further.

Lore placed her hands in her lap, fidgeting uncomfortably. Her gaze transfixed on her hands. She wanted to say something but was hesitant. "...if we completed the ritual...whatever that entails since we're not talking about it...I would have my powers and could defend Charlie and myself."

"Michael won't let anything happen to you." I tried to reassure her.

"Michael? The dick who led me like a lamb to slaughter? That's who we're putting our faith in." Lore scoffed, "can you summon me a knife?"

"I can?" I waved my hand and a knife appeared on the bed.

She picked it up and handed it to me, "might as well kill me yourself if we're trusting Michael to keep me safe."

That hurt. I waved my hand and the knife vanished. "Get some rest, Lore."

"I don't understand why we can't talk about it?" Lore protested.

"Goodnight, Lore."