Chapter Text
Charlie took a deep breath, steadying her nerves.
When she had asked her dad to come and see what she was trying to accomplish, she had never once expected him to stick around. She loved her dad. She really, really did. Which is why this conversation was going to be the hardest one she’d ever had with him. Even after reconnecting when she moved out of her mother's place.
Charlie knocked and listened to the cursing on the other side of the door. She fought the urge to wring her hands together, folding them neatly behind her back instead.
“Dad?” She called when there was still no answer.
“Charlie!” Came the delighted shout, and she couldn’t help but smile. The doors to her father's room swung open, revealing Lucifer, top hat and all, his arms wide to pull her into a hug. She giggled as she accepted, hugging him tightly. “My sweet little apple seed, what can I do for you?” He asked, eyes bright. His phone buzzed, and he was holding up a finger to silence her before she could even open her mouth. “Uhhuh. Yeah. No, I don’t care about the paperwork.”
Charlie gave the smallest sigh as she stepped further into the room, looking around. She had expected to see a mess. Paperwork. Ducks. Anything that showed Lucifer had made a place for himself here.
But it was empty.
There was a bed that wasn’t made up with sheets, not looking like it had ever been slept in, and a chair pushed up against a small table in the corner. There were no pictures, no photos. Not even a teacup. It was so unlived in, Charlie couldn’t even tell it apart from any of the other rooms that were open to sinners.
It made her chest hurt.
Lucifer had been staying at the hotel for weeks now, and what was there to show for it? She grasped at her arm, shivering in the big empty room.
“Sorry about that my little ducky,” Lucifer said, back to cheerful and chipper, phone call ended. She could see it still buzzing in his hand though, indicating another person vying for his attention. She never could hold it for long.
Like ripping off a band-aid, Charlie blurted out what she had hoped to ease into.
“Dad, you should leave.”
Lucifer’s phone slipped out of his hand like a bar of soap, and he fumbled to catch it before it crashed to the floor. He just about succeeded.
“What? Why? Charlie-“
“It’s just-“ Charlie’s lips pulled into a trembling frown. Whatever reason she was about to come up with, Lucifer knew he would accept. He never wanted to make his little girl that distressed. “-if I really want this place to work, and I really, really do-“ Lucifer was nodding his head. Yes. He knew how much this meant to Charlie. To redeem souls of sinners. “-it needs to be because they want to be redeemed.”
Lucifer's right eye blinked, shortly followed by his left eye, not entirely sure where he lost the conversation.
“Riiiiight.”
“You’re kind of a big deal.” Charlie pushed on, seeing that she had to explain just a little more for her dad to understand.
“Uhhuh.”
“You are the King of Hell.” She pressed, slowly nodding her head as if Lucifer was meant to be following and processing what she was saying at the same time.
“Yeees.”
“Dad.”
The disappointment in her voice was enough to make him wince, though he smoothed it over quickly, giving her a nervous laugh instead. “I’m not sure I’m following Char-Char. Wanna run it by me again?”
Charlie’s shoulders slumped, and she pulled herself together as quickly as Lucifer had, tugging at the bottom of her jacket to straighten it out. “Sinners aren’t coming here to be redeemed right now. They’re coming here in the hopes of seeing you.”
Oh.
“Oh.”
“You know I would never usually ask you to leave-“ she was quick to defend, seeing the hurt that struck through him like lightning. “-I’ve really loved having you around, it’s been some of the best weeks just spending time with you again-“
Lucifer forced his most charming smile on his face, stepping into Charlie and hugging her tightly, effectively cutting off her rambling. She hugged him back just as tightly, and they both pretended she wasn’t crying as she did it.
It must have been her seriousness of the request that didn’t have Lucifer fighting back.
They both gripped each other like they never wanted to let go from that moment.
But, like always, Lucifer would never do a thing to hinder the dreams of his baby girl. If she wanted him gone so that she could redeem sinners? He wasn’t going to stand in her way.
This was her purpose. Her calling.
“I understand.” He said, despite the ache in his heart at having to leave her. On the plus side, this time he knew where she was. He knew that she would call on him if she needed it. He knew that she loved him.
“I’ll come visit, every once in a while.” He promised into her shoulder.
Goodbyes were never easy. And as much as it pained the both of them, Lucifer knew he couldn’t linger. The longer he stayed there, hugging his baby girl, the less likely he was to leave her. She needed space, and he had always promised to provide her with whatever was within his powers.
Charlie pulled back as gold and red energy swirled around her dad, her bottom lip still trembling as his form disappeared into a fine mist.
“I’m so proud of you.”
“I love you, Dad!” She said just before her father's smiling face disappeared too. She clutched at her chest, sobbing. It was one of the hardest decisions she’d ever made, asking him to leave. Not knowing if she could do this without him, but knowing she had to try.
Hell was full of sinners that needed her. She couldn’t keep being the child that called for Daddy’s support. She had to make this thing on her own. She had to prove that she was worthy to be the Princess of Hell.
Charlie just hoped, with all of her heart, that Lucifer wouldn’t be mad at her for doing it this way.