Poison Tree

Made for Us

Lucifer looked up at the newly formed stars in appreciation. His father has been busy. In the last few days alone, he has put most of his effort creating life beyond Heaven. He didn't think much of the earth below, currently it mostly consisted of dirt and long stretches of water, but the earth was far from finished. Father added something new every day. He was taking special care of that particular hunk of rock for some reason.

"I've been looking for you, Luce. Father has a surprise for us," Michael said. He must have looked grumpy because he added, "And, there's no such thing as a bad surprise." Lucifer wasn't so sure about that. Father's surprises tended to be alive and often difficult to deal with. If his current track record held, they were likely looking at another sibling, and the last thing he wanted was another sibling. He'd barely learned to tolerate the one's he already had.

"If you say so," Lucifer said, following dejectedly behind Michael. He might as well get the introductions over with. He could decide whether he liked this new sibling or not later when said angel had a better idea of what its purpose was. Michael continued to babble excitedly, and Lucifer did his best to nod and feign enthusiasm for his sake.

They arrived at the healer's temple where they found Raphael holding a screaming, crying, squishy thing that definitely was not an angel. It was not a fully formed, intelligent creature, part of him worried that Father had not had time to finish it with how busy he'd been. Apart from its disappointing size, he did not sense anything particularly angelic about the thing. It was not connected to Heaven's essence.

While the small red headed girl vaguely looked like them, he found everything about her repulsive. She had swollen red puffy eyes, a violent temper, and she seemed to be constantly leaking. From what he could tell, the creature was inferior in every way, and Lucifer could not bring himself to accept this particular surprise as his responsibility.

Thank Father, Michael was undeterred by the loud ugly surprise. He immediately took her from Raphael's arms and lifter her up high to get a better look at her. The girl stopped crying instantly as if equally in awe of his brother's unending enthusiasm as he was. At least, they knew it was capable of shutting up now. Even Raphael, usually patient and stone faced, seemed relieved at the sudden silence, Lucifer smirked.

"What do you want to name her?" Right, at the moment, the girl was still both their responsibility. He was going to fix that. Michael seemed to like the girl. He could take it from here. His father shouldn't care as long as the girl was taken care of, right?

"You can keep it," Lucifer said, not bothering to hide his disdain for the girl. Michael frowned, and the girl had the nerve to mimic his expression.

"Come on, Luce, she's not so bad. Go ahead and take a closer look," Michael offered, holding her up for him to take. The girl, previously uninterested in him, suddenly made grabby hands at him as if he was suddenly the most important thing in her small insignificant life. He held her if only to placate Michael. As he looked into her large green adoring eyes, something clicked.

"Natalie," he decided, without really knowing why. Michael considered the suggestion for a moment.

"Nat, I like it, " Michael decided.

"That's not what I said," Lucifer grumbled. Michael ignored him and retrieved the girl from his arms.

"Do you like your new name, Gingersnap?" Michael cooed. Why did his brother instantly become ten times more annoying when the girl was involved? The girl laughed in approval, and once again, it was like he never existed. Not that he cared that his favorite sibling was ignoring him for something that had a three second attention span and he definitely didn't care if the girl liked him or not.

Raphael coughed loudly in a pathetic attempt to get their attention. When Lucifer pretended not to notice and Michael was too distracted to care, he bluntly cut to the chase.

"Father has requested that you both take care of Natalie for the time being. She is but a child and cannot be left unattended," Raphael began before Lucifer cut him off.

What is a child exactly?" Raphael smiled, a kindly condescending smile.

"This is not her final form. She's going to keep growing and learning as time goes on. Be mindful of what you teach her, " Raphael said, giving Lucifer in particular a knowing look. He must have seen something in his soul he didn't like. Lucifer almost hated to ask since he was being judged for something he couldn't conceal effectively.

"What's time?" Raphael laughed.

"It's hard to explain since it is not something that affects us, but it should become more apparent the longer you are with her." Raphael said.

"Can't wait to see what you turn into, lil' buddy, " Michael said to the giggling flesh in his arms, still insisting on talking to the girl like she could understand what was happening around her. It's not something he was going to bother with if he happened to get stuck with her.

"As I was saying," Raphael said, clearing his throat in an attempt to regain control of the conversation. Lucifer chose not to interrupt only because he was about ready to leave and pawn the girl off on Michael indefinitely.

"She will remain in Heaven until the garden is completed. From then on, one of you will look after her in Eden," Raphael said.

"When will the garden be completed?" Michael asked, curious as always. He'd been far more excited by the prospect of earth than Lucifer ever could bring himself to be, especially now. The earth, the piece of rock his Father was spending all his time perfecting, was it all for this little brat?

"I suppose you'll have to let me know next time you get the chance. Father has asked you to oversee the project, Michael," Raphael said. Michael eyes lit up.

"That's amazing, but what about Nat here? " Michael said, holding up the girl for emphasis. The girl waved at Raphael shyly as if she knew she was being talked about. Lucifer dismissed the thought immediately. The thing couldn't even speak.

"I understand you'll be very busy with the project which is why Lucifer will be taking care of her the majority of the time," Raphael said. Lucifer could feel his blood run hot.

"What?" he said in utter disbelief.

"All Father asks of you Michael is that you provide your brother guidance if he appears to be struggling with his new responsibility," Raphael said, ignoring Lucifer's silent fuming.

"Of course, I'll help out when I can. I won't leave you hanging, bro," Michael said, reluctantly depositing the child into Lucifer's shaking hands. He must have noticed because his brother gave him a quick hug and squeezed his shoulder in silent encouragement. It did nothing to quell his anger.

"Gabriel is waiting for you at his residence to discuss plans for the garden," Raphael said.

"I'd better head out then," Michael said cheerfully before casting an uneasy glance his way.

"I'm counting on you, Luce." He said nothing, refusing, for once, to assure his brother that everything would be fine. Everything was not fine. Lucifer stood there, perfectly stiff, with teeth clenched as Michael bent down to talk to the thing.

"Bye Gingersnap," Michael said, ruffling her hair. The girl latched onto his hand and seemed to silently beg him to stay with her eyes. Lucifer frowned. The girl didn't want him. This irritated him all the more and an unfamiliar pit of resentment pooled in his stomach at the thought.

"Don't be scared Nat. Luce will take good care of you," Michael assured her, releasing his hand from her grip with some difficulty. She continued to frantically reach for him as Michael purposefully kept himself out of reach. Then, he quickly planted a small kiss on her forehead before summoning his wings and taking off.

Raphael and Lucifer stood there silently for a moment. Raphael calm and composed as ever while Lucifer's rage continued to fester under the surface. The girl babbling nonsense in protest as Michael flew away wasn't helping. Once Michael was out of earshot, Lucifer spoke.

"Don't I get a say in this?"

Raphael's face betrayed nothing as he asked.

"Are you choosing to go against Father's wishes?" Lucifer's blood ran cold, an entirely different feeling taking over. He did not want to upset Father.

"No, I just feel she's a mistake," Lucifer said. At this, Raphael frowned. His disapproval no longer hidden under the surface. The girl sat, silent and still in his arms. Lucifer refused to look down and see the expression on her face. She didn't understand what he was saying anyway, what did he care.

"I would chose your next words carefully, Lucifer."

"She's more trouble than she's worth. Why has Father put all his time and energy into something so clearly inferior to what he has already created? " Lucifer said. He felt better having said it. Raphael didn't speak for some time as if pondering the question before taking a deep breath and giving his answer. It was not what Lucifer expected, at all. He hated Raphael all the more for it.

"Brother, at first, I believed Father's choice in guardian for this small child peculiar. You do not love easily, Lucifer. I too thought Father's choice a mistake, but I see now you need this, more than any other angel."

"Excuse me, just what are you implying, I am not a mistake," Lucifer snapped before realizing what he'd let slip. He hated himself all the more for it.

"That's not what I said. I am saddened you feel that way about yourself. You need a chance to grow, and this small girl is going to help you as much as you are going to help her," Raphael said with a conviction that Lucifer couldn't help rebel against.

"Leave her with me and I will ruin her," Lucifer vowed. Raphael hesitated for a fraction of a second, and Lucifer was satisfied to see genuine fear in his eyes before his brother collected himself.

"I have chosen to trust Father's judgment on this matter. He has faith in you, Lucifer. Don't throw it away, for the sake of your pride. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Good luck." Raphael said, cutting the conversation short as if sensing the storm in his soul growing dangerous, even without looking him in the eye.

Alone now, he wanted to toss the wretched thing into the dismal earth below, but Father had faith in him. Lucifer felt his anger leave him, just like that. He sighed. Finally looking down at his new charge, maybe, he could at least try to make this work. The girl did not look up, and he could hear her quietly sniffling. Michael would have asked her what was wrong and tried to make her smile. He was not good at consoling others and didn't even try. Instead, he examined her while she quietly sulked. Her long hair had been carefully combed into pigtails and decorated with flowers. One of the other angels must have done her this kindness. It did not seem the type of thing Raphael would think to do. A robe had been hastily cut and stitched together to fit her, pinned on with a simple wooden cross. She was barefoot. They likely hadn't had time to custom make sandals for her. He'd have to ask about getting her a pair if Michael hadn't thought to do so already.

The girl finally turned around to look at him. There was a sadness in her eyes, nowhere near as deep as he'd seen in Uriel's eyes but still enough for him to feel a pinprick of guilt before casting the thought away. She couldn't have understood what he meant. He wiped away her tears, if only so he didn't have to look at them anymore. She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder. Surprised, he held her closer, fixated on her every shaky breath and trembling body. What would his brother do?

"What's wrong, Natalie? " he asked, feeling foolish as soon as he said it. She didn't understand what he was saying. The girl looked up at him and started babbling again, this time sounding fairly angry. He laughed, and she released his neck and attempted to smush his face with her tiny hands. He rolled his eyes at her but did nothing to stop her. She eventually grew bored of playing with his face and started grabbing fistfuls of his hair which he tolerated until she yanked too hard.

"Okay, that's enough that," Lucifer said, prying her little fingers away from his hair and lifting her safely out of reach. She continued to make grabby hands at him in vain until it became obvious he wasn't letting her anywhere near his hair ever again. When she started to fidget and complain loudly, he relented and brought her down. He placed one hand behind her back and used the other to secure her legs as he'd seen Michael do. As soon as they were eye level, she went straight for his hair again. Why you little- He lifted her back up, and she laughed. This time, he did not bring her back down when she complained and she continued to squirm incessantly. Lucifer thought nothing of it until she grew impatient and bit his fingers, catching him off guard enough for him to let her go. He attempted to catch her, but she slipped just out of his reach and started falling, away from Heaven toward the earth below. No. No. Oh Father, No. He didn't think twice. He summoned his wings and went after her.

Natalie didn't seem to realize the danger, still happily laughing as she slowly fell to her doom. Of course, the stupid thing wouldn't have any self preservation instincts. Lucifer caught her easily. He had been blessed with the fastest wings imaginable. Now that she was safe, he focused on slowing his descent. The girl looked at him in awe, predictably reaching for his luminescent rainbow wings. He was not amused, in fact her wild squirming in an effort to reach them only served to irritate him further. Natalie had learned nothing, and he couldn't help but dread the next time she would stubbornly escape from his reach. Lucifer landed outside the healer's temple and chose to leave his wings out, too paranoid to retract them. Lucifer was relieved to see no one had witnessed his stupid mistake and was dismayed when he felt the girl yank a feather from his folded wings. He glared at her, and she sheepishly returned the feather as if that would make it better. It was a nice enough gesture to make him hold his tongue. Considering the ordeal they just went through, he'd let it go just this once.

Lucifer took her to his residence. He didn't see the point of the empty space and was hardly ever there. There was a bed, a couple of furnishings and decorations that had been placed there before it was given to him, but he'd never bothered adding any personal touches. Even so, he was grateful for it now. He could put her down and let her roam without fear of her falling out of heaven again. Lucifer placed her on a loose cushion nearby, retracted his wings, and made himself comfortable on the bed. At this point, he expected the worst and was surprised, when instead of crawling toward the exit, she crawled onto his lap and slept. Lucifer relaxed and waited, sure that his control freak of a brother would show up soon to retrieve the little girl. Unfortunately, this was not the case. His brother did not arrive until well after sunrise, leaving him to endure being Natalie's plaything when she did finally wake up. Lucifer had attempted to distract her of course, but ever since the incident, she only had eyes for him.

Michael entered, still panting, clearly in a rush to confiscate Natalie. Lucifer smirked. His brother was way too easy to predict. Apparently, he had expected the worst. Michael took a good look around and calmed down. Currently, Lucifer and Natalie were surrounded by pillows and shiny baubles. Despite this, Natalie was currently playing with his hair. She'd finally learned he'd let her if she didn't pull too hard. Michael walked over to them, sporting a practiced smile, ready to greet her. Lucifer untangled her fingers from his hair and placed her in front of Michael. She whined and returned to his lap, wrapping her arms around him. He patted her on the head, unlatched her arms from his neck, and gave her to Michael. Party's over kid.

"Hey Gingersnap, did you miss me?" Michael asked. She ignored him and continued to reach out for Lucifer. His brother frowned, puzzled. The situation had reversed, and Lucifer was now the favorite. He smiled smugly, enjoying the girl's adoration in spite of himself.

"She really seems to like you now. I'm glad," Michael said. His smile forced for once as Natalie continued to struggle to get out of his grip. Lucifer stifled a laugh. His brother desperately needed to be liked by everyone, and this was clearly messing with his head.

"I'm going to take her off your hands for a while. Later Luce," Michael said. He nodded, enjoying the show. Natalie started babbling desperately, trying and failing to get Lucifer's attention. He waved goodbye, relieved to finally be rid of her.

Just before Michael made it out the door, she shouted, "Luci." Michael stopped dead in his tracks. Lucifer's eyes widened in surprise. She'd actually said his name, or at least tried to.

Taking a deep breath, his brother addressed the little girl in his arms, a deadly calm present on his face. "Do you want to stay with Lucifer?" She nodded, babbling happily. Michael only let himself look disappointed for a moment before giving her a warm smile.

"Okay, I'll come check on you later" he said, giving her a simple kiss on the forehead before turning around. Lucifer could feel the anger slowly returning. No, Michael, don't you dare.

"What do you think you're doing? It's your turn," Lucifer said when Michael tried to hand her over to him. Michael blinked and stated the obvious.

"She wants to stay with you. How can you say no to that face?" Michael said, holding her up for emphasis. Natalie reached out for him eagerly.

"Luci," she said again. His heart skipped a beat. Any other angel would have been instantly won over.

"No," Lucifer said, walking away, her falling from the sky fresh on his mind. She was better off with Michael anyway. He could hear his brother sigh behind him.

"It's not happening, Nat, but don't worry, we'll have plenty of fun," Michael whispered softly as if he couldn't hear. She made a sound he couldn't quite identify, if he had to guess he would have said it was the sound of the tiny creature's disappointment. Lucifer didn't turn around. She didn't call out to him again. He only knew they left when he heard the sound of Michael's fluttering wings.