The Scryer ✔️

~The Proposal, Only Not~

"Purson isn't mine to hand over. Not to you, or to God or even to anyone else. I suggest that you ask John!"

Lucifer's gaze moved to John quickly.

"Take him," he said in a low voice.

"No please..." Purson begged. "Not like this. The kingdom is in chaos."

Lucifer nodded. "Yes. Yes it is. And You did that. Not just with this little incident. This was just the straw that broke the camel's back."

Purson nodded. "But you gave me feelings and didn't tell me how to work them...I had to learn it on my own..."

Lucifer nodded again. "Yes, you're right. You're as close to being a human as I am," he said. "That's what makes me so sad about this."

"Yes, I know father. Forgive me..."

"Well, Hannah's right, it's not like I can send you to your room..."

"Please make sure the kingdom is well-ruled...by someone who is worthy?" He looked toward John.

I shook my head as Lucifer nodded his. Purson looked toward John and nodded.

Purson held his head up high as he walked across the porch toward my direction with John right behind him. He looked into my eyes and smiled. "I still love you Hannah. You're a good wife." He looked at the three boys in my arms. "And a wonderful mother. I really do think you're going to be okay Hannah." He leaned in and kissed my cheek and lingered for a moment. Then he looked to our son. "You take care of your Mam okay, Little Man?"

Alexander nodded, but said nothing as he quickly averted his eyes.

He stepped off the porch and I reached up for John's hand and pulled him down with the boys and me.

John shook his head quickly and blinked his eyes. "Code...code...error...fuck!"

His hand had become so hot so quickly that I had to let him go and I watched with awe at the power that Lucifer had as he held out his hands as he pulled the android away. And I watched the glowing-red android body that housed my husband's soul move toward him quickly, the torrential rainwater steaming upon impact with it. He reverently laid the body on the grass, causing the grass to wilt immediately from the heat.

A single split-lightning strike and it was over. John was gone...I felt it keenly as if having been impaled by a blade and I buried my face between my boy's collective embrace.

What I saw next was nothing short of a dream: where Purson had been standing was a tiny new born, screaming its lament. My ears were still ringing, but I heard that particular sound, loud and clear.

"Alexander, stay with your brothers please?"

The rain was beginning to lessen...at least it wasn't torrential any more.

Lucifer looked up toward the Heavens. "A BABY! WHAT THE HELL AM I GOING TO DO WITH A BABY! THIS WAS NOT PART OF THE CONTRACT!"

I almost missed the Professor leaning on the fence post. He was smiling. "Quit bitching, Luci," he said as he approached.

"Professor?!" I ran up to him and hugged him with all I had left.

"Hello Hannah," he said warmly. "You did good today little one."

He gently released me. "Not the Professor..." I whispered.

He smiled and shook his head. "No, not the Professor. I liked him though. I liked him a lot. He was a good, kind and caring man. Very intelligent, and very zen. That rates pretty high in my book."