Lake George was a spectacularly beautiful little town in the Adirondack Mountains. The population was just north of ten thousand people, but swelled to nearly double that number in the summer when the tourists descended like locusts.

Lucifer and Jane pulled into town just before dinner and she directed him to a gorgeous resort, The Sagamore, located on the shores of the actual Lake George. She'd called and reserved two rooms earlier, along with a table in the dining room for dinner.

"Looks like our rooms are next to one another," Lucifer remarked as they made their way down the same hallway.

"Lucky us," Jane joked and took her small overnight bag from him as she reached her door. "Our table will be ready in thirty minutes."

"I'll knock on your door in twenty," he announced and placed a kiss on her hand.

Inside they both cleaned up and while Lucifer fixed a drink from the minibar, Jane sat on the wicker rocking chair on the balcony, praying while the sun glinted off the ripples in the water. She knew she would need support from the Almighty to do what she planned to do over the next twenty-four hours.

Lucifer noticed the change in Jane over dinner. The food was spectacular and the wine sublime, and yet it was as if she barely noticed. Her attention was being pulled to the water time and again.

"What's going on with you?"

She looked up, startled. "I'm sorry?"

"We're having a fantastic meal on a balcony overlooking a gorgeous lake, surrounded by stunning mountains, and you act as if we're in Hell."

She blushed. "I'm sorry, I just have gotten caught up in my memories. Besides, I'm sure if we were in Hell it'd be too hot to sit on the balcony."

Lucifer shot her a grin and replied sardonically, "Hey, it's a dry heat, though."

And just like that, Jane found her spirits lifted and laughter bubbled out. She found a warmth invading her chest and the feeling was unlike anything she'd ever felt... a feeling that made her irrationally happy and rationally terrified at the same time.

Back in her room later, Jane once again found herself on her knees. She prayed about her fear, about her confusion, and asked that if this was the wrong direction for her, that the feelings would be removed completely. She prayed until she could no longer form coherent thought and gave into her body's need for rest.

The next morning she met Lucifer outside their room and led him down to the dock where she'd arranged to rent a boat. She took the helm and was so at home at the wheel that Lucifer was immediately curious about where a nun had acquired such a skill.

"You look like you've done this a time or two," he remarked.

"My uncle was a fishing guide on this lake. I worked with him through most of my teenage years."

"Is that why we're here, because you grew up here?" Luci was much more curious about the place now.

"I was born a little north of here, but after my parents died, I came here to live with my uncle and his wife."

"Curious that you said your uncle and his wife, not aunt."

Jane shook her head. Lucifer was annoyingly observant. "Because she never acted like an aunt."

"Are we speaking of a Cinderella situation?" There went that eyebrow.

"More like Snow White, in that she was out for blood, not just a servant."

That raised Lucifer's radar to a whole new level. "I'm sorry, did you say blood?"

Jane looked away as she steered the wooden Chris-Craft towards a beautiful and serene cove. She started to answer and then closed her mouth. He could tell that whatever she was about to say was not going to be easy.

Once she'd turned the motor off, she turned towards him. "Before we get to that, I want to ask you a question about people who claim to worship you."

The question was so unexpected that the Archangel actually flinched, which didn't go unnoticed by Jane. "What is it you want to know?" he asked.

"Is that something you want? And by that, I mean do you desire their worship and the acts they do in your name?"

Lucifer felt disappointment flood his body and brain. He'd thought that he'd finally found the one human who really, truly, understood him. He couldn't help the shadow that fell over his features.

Before he spoke, Jane interjected, "I'm sorry, Luci, I am. I knew the answer to that, but I just had to see what reaction you'd have and get it out of the way."

"Why?"

"One more question first." She looked nervous, which made him brace for something that would well and truly piss him off. "When they pray in your name, do you hear it?"

Another unexpected question from Sister Jane. Lucifer had to admit that he'd never given much thought to it. He knew, of course, that people claimed to worship him, and he'd messed with them from time to time with worthless shows of power, but... the fact that the nun was asking this meant that his answer was important to her.

"I don't have that power, no. When I'm close to humans I can hear, and even somewhat influence, the sins that they are about to commit. I suppose I could possess a human, but..." he made a show of shivering in disgust, "I leave that kind of dirty work to the demons."

Jane watched his face, and knew that he was telling the truth. And she wasn't sure if that made her feel better or worse. His answer meant the the kind of evil she'd seen was purely from the hearts of humans. It meant that human depravity could reach unfathomable depths, with no help from the Devil.

"My parents were murdered when I was eleven years old. Three people entered our home, wearing masks that looked like demon faces, and stabbed my parents dozens of times. They used their blood to paint every cliche Satanic symbol ever known on the walls."

She took a deep breath before continuing with the slightest tremor in her voice. "They left me bound, but very much alive for some unknown reason. So, I ended up moving here with my uncle, his wife, and her two sons, who were in their early twenties. And while it was sometimes tense, for the most part things went well until I the summer after I turned sixteen."

Lucifer felt an overwhelming sense of dread because of the darkness that had come over her features. Her normal bright, glittery light, was nearly gray with the weight of what she was remembering. "What happened, Jane?"

"My uncle had gotten an opportunity to take a large group on a guided fishing tour on nearby Lake Ticonderoga, so I was going to be home alone with his wife and her sons. I had a job, here at the Sagamore, and it was late when I got home the first night. They were waiting for me... wearing those masks."

Lucifer stood suddenly, causing the boat to rock. His eyes glowed and he growled. "You mean?"

"Yes," she answered while nodding her head. "They were part of the group that killed my parents. They knocked me out and when I came to, they had me staked, naked, to the ground in a small clearing in the woods, just over that hill." She pointed north of where they were sitting.

"There were thirteen in all, each wearing black robes and a mask. They had drawn out a pentagram, and were praying to you."

Jane watched as his eyes locked on hers, now knowing why she'd asked the question earlier. "That must have been terrifying."

"It was, and when I realized Linda, my uncle's wife, had removed her mask I knew they were going to kill me. She sat next to me on the ground and took a lot of pleasure in administering small cuts to my arms, legs, and abdomen while I screamed."

"Didn't someone hear? Sound carries forever on this lake."

"People heard, sure. But they thought it was the bobcats. I tired out quick though, and she told me how I had been chosen by Satan himself for this sacrifice... that he'd spoken to her through her radio, telling her to kill my parents and when I'd lived with my uncle long enough, kill me so they'd inherit the life insurance money."

"Oh for god's sake!" Lucifer couldn't bellowing.

She grimaced and then gestured at the wings that had popped out. "The thing is, Luci, is that she believed what she told me. I've always been able to tell when people are lying. She believed it and then she said that she was visited a second time and was told they needed to defile me and then sacrifice me. That I was different... that my light was too bright and I had to be extinguished before I could do too much damage to the cause."

Lucifer went completely still. The game had just changed and this time when he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "What did they do to you?"

"Four of the men raped me, and then Linda slowly slipped a knife between my ribs, thinking she was putting it in my heart. Luckily her count of my ribs was off and she missed. But during that moment I cried out to the God I remembered from my childhood, the one my mother prayed to constantly."

"Did it work?" Lucifer knew what the answer was going to be. This explained so much.

"The entire area turned bright white and there were two massive angels standing over me. One, as I learned later, was Kharma. She attempted to gather me in her arms, but the other one, a male whose wings were as white as hers was black, put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head."

"That must have been Michael."

She nodded as if that made perfect sense. "I've wondered. He told her that the Father had decided to spare me because he wanted to see if he was right about how great of a warrior I would become."

Lucifer sat back down. "What happened to your attackers?"

"In the bright light I could make out black figures behind each of them and with a nod from Kharma, they just kind of... swallowed them and disappeared into the ground." Jane shuddered with the memory. "Officially, it was assumed that they all fled when my rescuers appeared."

"Kharma always did have a way of tying things up in a nice neat bow," Lucifer answered with a slight sneer in his voice.

"Are you angry, Luci?"

He just stared back at her for a few minutes. "Why did you bring me here, Jane?"

"It's been nearly twenty-five years since that happened and I've never spoke about it to anyone. I wanted to bring you here because I wanted you to understand me better, and I needed to make sure that what I believed about you was real."

"And what is that? What is it that you believe about me?"

"That you aren't responsible for the evil in human hearts, that evil appears when man uses his free will to rebel and willing remove God from his mind and heart."

"Why does that matter, Jane? In the end it means nothing."

He watched while her face underwent a transformation and tears began streaking down her face. "But it does! You love your Father, Luci. Everything you do is like a child trying to get their parent's attention. You can get forgiveness, you just have to believe you are worthy long enough to stop sabotaging yourself." She smiled brightly through her tears and her bright white light was back. Leaning over she grabbed his hands. "I love you, Lucifer, and I want you to fight for yourself... fight for us."

Something in his chest shifted and Jane gave a little gasp. "Lucifer..." she breathed.

"What?"

"You... your wings."

He immediately retracted them, but not before a tiny white feather floated down and landed on the floor of the boat.