His voice is smug and confident as a smirk once more worms it’s way onto his face; the face that hardly resembled the aged man she had encountered only a day earlier. This man, well, he looked younger and dare she say more handsome than the other old git.
Her father’s face; the face of the man who claimed so proudly to be the ruler of hell looked more welcoming that frightening. But why?
“What happened to your face?” her voice is strong with the hint of curiosity as she feels Daniel squeeze her hand gently – a reminder that he was there supporting her through this.
“Oh, this?” he smiles proudly and gestures to his dark hair and sharp jawline, “just an upgrade, love. I outgrew my other form and so here I am. Your dear old dad. Do you like it?”
“No.”
His expression falters at her short answer, his annoyance seeping into his tone as he speaks to her. “You will have more respect for me.” He demands through gritted teeth, his posture straightening as a visible emotional switch occurs within him. “I am the devil, you are my daughter. I rule over you and you will do as I say.”
“Nah, I think I’m good.”
His brows knit in confusion, his arms dropping as he tilts his head at her with a perplexed expression. “Excuse me?”
“You’re excused.” Monica mumbles with a shrug and a dismissive wave of her hand. “I’m not going to kiss your ass,” she tells him confidently whilst discreetly smiling at Daniel before dropping his hand and stepping towards her father, holding his curious gaze. “I will not do as you say and you will not rule over me or those in my life. You may be my father and I may be the next in line for your fucked up throne but I do not and will not intend to take over from you.”
“But-"
“I am a person; a human being with my own thoughts and feelings. You would know these things if you had taken time to know me, the woman who you claim is your daughter. So, for the sake of the Le Domas family I will take your deal and keep good to it. We will come to hell and share an awkward and forced meal with you for an hour. Then we will come home and forget you exist because truly father, I don’t wish to bond with you.”
“You're lying.” he says whilst staring at Monica, Daniel's presence having slipped form his mind in this moment.
“No, I’m not.” Monica tells him, her eyes hard as though she were also trying to convince herself as well as him.
“I know what you desire, Monica. Even without you telling me, just as I can find out what your precious Daniel desires by asking him.”
It was true, he had his talents as the devil and finding out what others desire was amongst the top few. Monica would never fall for his tricks, they simply would not work on her because she shared his blood but that didn’t mean that their blood bond prevented him from knowing them in other ways. He knew her more than she realised and this moment right now was his chance to prove it to her. It was time for him to be honest with her, to let her see him and not his devil facade.
“Yes, my dear. You are.” he allows a smile to curl on his lips as he climbs off the bed and walks a few steps towards her. Though this simple action only proves to provoke Daniel into stepping up close beside her with a protective flare in his eyes.
It was fair to say that the pathetic human had somehow earned some respect and admiration from the ancient devil, having showed just how loyal and loving he was towards Monica even in moments as potentially dangerous as this one.
“I am Lucifer; son of God, ruler of hell and most importantly, your father.” he introduces with a straight posture and hands lifting to button his suit jacket casually.
“I thought- wait,” Daniel shakes his head in confusion and disbelief whilst running a hand down his face. “Then who is Mr Le Bail?” he finally asks.
Monica frowns at her partner and nods in agreement, she too now wanting answers as her mind reels with this new name. She tucks herself into Daniel's side whilst wrapping her arms around his mid section and breathing out a content sigh when he comfortingly kisses her forehead and runs his fingers through her hair.
“Le Bail is simply an anagram of the term Balail – a term used in the Hebrew Bible to refer to me, the devil.” Lucifer smirks whilst gesturing to himself as though he was of some importance, which Monica supposed he often was treated as such.
“So, you gave my great grandfather a fake name?” Daniel arches a brow and shakes his head once more in further disbelief as his lovers father nods.
“More or less, yes.”
“And the appearance? Was that a disguise too?” Monica asks as she leans away from Daniel slightly, her inner broken child surfacing as she seeks the answers to those questions that plague her at night. The questions of who she is and who her parents once were.
Lucifer watches his daughter for a few moments, observing the way her eyes would swirl with unspoken emotion and her breathing would subtly become faster. He could see her fighting to remain strong, that desire within her to be what she had always failed to be when left completely alone. She would be strong for others and in their presence where she was unable to be for herself.
“Yes, he was just a borrowed face you could say.” he shrugs casually.
“Is anything about you real? Or do you just play tricks and lie to people?” Monica’s tone is sharp with the inkling of hurt within it. She was upset and both men in the room knew it.
“I will not lie to you Monica, just as I have not lied to the Le Domas Family.”
“Bullshit,” she scoffs. “You lied about my mother.” Her eyes glass over with tears as she steps forward angrily. “She was not weak or pathetic. She was kind, beautiful and she loved me which is a lot more than I can say about you, you dead beat asshole."
“Watch your tone.” Lucifer growls.
“No.” Monica growls back as she steps another strong step towards him, Daniel’s desperate pleas for her to calm down as the furniture begins to tremble going unheard just as they had the night before. Her previously bright green eyes now glow an odd mix of red and gold, her darkness clashing with her desire to be good.
“Your mother was a weak, sad and pathetic being who I took pity on. She needed some fun and I needed a play toy. We both got what we wanted and nine months later out popped you. Your mother may have loved you but she was far from anything more than a boring human being with no purpose in her tragic little life.”
He hadn’t expected it, nor had Daniel as the sound of her open palm connecting harshly with the devil’s cheek echoes through the air. The furniture trembles more violently as she once more swings her arm and connects her fist with his cheek. “Fuck you!” she screams through tears before lunging forward and swinging her arms angrily at him.
“Stop it.” Lucifer mutters down at her as she repeatedly hits her fists against his chest, her angry warm tears still freely flowing down her cheeks as she growls at him.
Her efforts to cause him harm were futile because he couldn’t be hurt, not physically at least. All she was doing was potentially bruising her hands and tiring herself out. It was a waste of her effort and emotions truthfully. “Stop it, you silly girl.” he catches her wrists effortlessly causing her gaze to snap up to him, her expression more broken than angry now.
“Take it back.” She mumbles almost desperately.
He watches her with something deep in him, something he hadn’t felt before. He feels that protective and almost fatherly instinct kick in as he frowns down at her, wanting to offer comfort yet not truly knowing how to do so.
“Take it back, all of it. You don’t say that, not about her.” Her voice is quiet and childlike as she sniffles and drops her arms weakly.
“Get off her. Now.” Daniel growls lowly whilst reaching out and taking Monica into his own arms, his eyes full of hatred as that same protective courage rises in him. Lucifer’s hands slip from her wrist as the human boy before him takes his daughter to the armchair across the room and comforts her quietly. Silencing her already quiet sobs.
“Monica,” he sighs, feeling annoyance with himself pick away at him. He was ruining this before it had started, he wasn’t thinking before speaking. He was being honest, too honest. “I’m sorry.” He breathes whilst closing his eyes, determined to ignore that feeling in him that left him feeling weak for uttering such a thing.
Monica lifts her head from where it had been buried in Daniel’s chest and dips her brows, confusion present in her eyes as the room stills for the moment. She hadn’t expected that, not from him. He seemed much too arrogant and self absorbed to even know such a word existed never mind know how to use it when he had done something wrong.
“Your mother,”
“I think you’ve said enough about her mother.” Daniel cuts in firmly.
“Let him speak, please.” Monica pleads whilst placing a hand on Daniel’s arm gently, an appreciative and loving smile on her face thanks to him standing up for her.
Daniel looks to her and nods whilst taking her hand into his and kissing the back of it. “Okay,”
“Your mother was protective of you, she loved you deeply and watching her do all she could to ensure your happiness was a beautiful thing to witness.” Lucifer smiles to himself as the memories of Monica's first steps and her first walk to the park pass through his thoughts. “You are a lot like her, I assure you she would be proud of the woman you have become.”
“You speak as though you were there, as though you had been watching her.” Monica points out, her head tilting as she observes her father. She had a feeling he had done more than he was letting on, that he silently cared and always had for her. That he secretly yearned to know her just as she secretly yearned to know him.
“I would watch you both when I could,” he confirms, “I would leave gifts occasionally when I felt the need to.”
“Why?” Monica probes.
“Because you and your mother fascinated me.” He admits whilst walking to the dressing table beside when she and Daniel are sat. “You had the bare minimum, you were just about surviving yet you were happiest when you were together. Those gifts I left, they meant nothing more than a moments relief. Your mother was not perfect but she was a mother worthy of a daughter as magnificent as you. She was there doing a job for two people, a job I could not.”
His tone holds a fondness that Monica was sure he hadn’t even realised was there when speaking of her mother. His eyes had softened and that familiarity in her sparked with him. So, while she had his guard down, she sought more answers.
“When she died, you disappeared?” she wonders.
Lucifer nods and turns to her, “I had no choice, besides you were in good hands with that little fireball Grace. I had always intended to return to meet you in future but never had I predicted you’d end up here.” He chuckles.
“What made you think I’d want to meet you?”
“All you had ever desired was to meet me – your father. You desired answers and to tell me to fuck off if I remember rightly.” He smirks as Monica cracks a sheepish smile, her inner child still very much at the surface.
“And now? You still are convinced I want a relationship with you?”
“I am,” he nods confidently. “Just as I want a relationship with you.”
Monica feels her grip tighten around Daniel’s hand as she drops her head in thought, then she turns to look at her beloved with a conflicted smile.
If she did this, if she asked for more from her father and in return offered the opportunity for him to get to know her then what was she at risk of losing in the end? Would Daniel be okay with what she was about to ask of Lucifer? Would he choose her over Monica? Would he return to someone who brought him misery?
Does he want her back at all?
It didn’t matter; it shouldn’t. She doesn’t deserve to be dead.
“Okay but I need something else from you?”
“Excuse me,” Lucifer asks with arms folded and an intrigued expression, “are we negotiating now?”
“Yes,” Monica nods whilst mimicking his stance when standing up, leaving Daniel watching her in confusion. “You can spend time with me, we will try to bond like normal fucking families but I want something in return for my time and effort. Something only you can give me.”
Lucifer is intrigued as he smirks and eyes his daughter. “What is it you desire?” he whispers.
Monica draws in a breath before glancing uncertainly to Daniel, his own brown eyes meeting her green ones. He tilts his head at her nervous expression whilst hoping for answers. He feels something deep in his pit, an uneasiness that he can’t shake as he watches her offer him a sad smile. He watches silently as she turns to her father once more with a determined expression, her posture straight and confident.
“I want you to bring Charity back, then you can have your chance to bond with me. That’s my offer.”
*****
☆ DEAR OLD DAD ☆
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