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Chapter Text

Lucifer was driving his new corvette, Fallen II; his first car has been wrecked by Candy’s accident and arrest. It had been a few days since the conversation with his bastard of a father. Could he trust that his father was letting him decide what to do about his feelings for the Detective? Or would his father come in a swoop the Detective off her feet? The very idea made him want to weep,or vomit, both unmanly acts for a son of God. To say that his view on life had been shattered was an understatement. The joke appeared to be on him, this whole bloody time he had been interfering with his father’s plans of filling heaven’s empty Queendom, not even playing his part of the celestial play.

It had been almost a nine months since he had come back from Vegas married to Candy. He had wanted to show his father he would not be a pawn, so he married the first woman he meet that he had something in common with, a woman with far different interests than Chloe. He knew the Detective would no longer pursue a romantic relationship with him because she was nauseatingly selfless. If the tables had been turned, he would still have tried to sleep with her. But that was another reason why he was still unworthy of her, a creature created by his father’s grace, and apparent libido. He shuddered at the thought. Dr. Linda had told him, in their last session that he had used Candy as a human shield to keep the Detective and himself apart. Which was preposterous because the Devil wasn’t afraid, never that. He just didn’t want to deal with silly emotional attachments.

The other women in his life and even young Beatrice had been very angry with him. They had told him that the Detective’s feelings were hurt by his impromptu trip, but he hadn’t witnessed the Detective any worse for wear. She was angry at him for leaving without telling her of course, and their partnership was still rocky. She had never asked him any questions regarding why he had left, or why he had married,;which he had found strange at first because she was always asking bothersome questions. In fact, he doubted whether his Detective had any strong feelings for him at all, but his Father had indicated otherwise. His internal dialog stopped as he pulled up in front of the apartment that Maze and the Detective shared. He hoped Maze was waiting for him like he had asked. He let himself into the apartment, walking warily to the living room in hopes he would be ready for the spawn if she decided to accost him.

“Don’t worry, they’re not here,” Maze’s mocking voice spilled out from the darkened kitchen.

“Splendid, we have much to discuss,” Lucifer said as he rubbed his hands together.

“Oh, really?”

“Dear old Dad, popped in for a visit.”

“What! God’s on earth!” Maze’s earthly glamour slipped. “What does he want?”

“He wanted to have a good old chat about his little miracle. According to him, Chloe’s existence had nothing to do with yours truly. He swears, that he never planned for us to meet.” He paused to fiddle with his cuff links and take the bottle of vodka from Maze, pouring them each a glass.

“And do you believe him?” Maze watched Lucifer carefully, something was up with him. She could tell by his lack of confidence, his slumped shoulders. She never knew if Lucifer’s father had a plan and she didn’t care. All she knew was none of his family had ever cared about him. They had let him rot in hell, so she had helped him make the best of it; protected him from all threats. He had accepted her asylum in Hell those many years ago when he could have kicked her out.

He nodded in the affirmative and took another drink, feeling the burn down his throat.

“And now, you want to what exactly? Turn back time? You fucked up Lucifer, you pushed her away and held onto your junkie of a wife.”

“Down, Mazey. You’ll be happy to know our divorce is in the works.”. No reason for his demon to be rude, human doctors said Candy had a disease after all.

“About damn time, can you divorce your mother too?” She hated both of them, his Mother for manipulating him into thinking Chloe’s feeling weren’t real, which they still were, and Candy for giving the spawn nightmares. It hadn’t been that long ago since the tiny human had witnessed her being brought back to life from an overdose. No one hurt her friends.

He rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, ignoring the comment about his mother. “What I want is to get back in the Detective’s good graces. I want to work by her side again,” He said with a forced smile on his face. He had to be content with that.

“You already work with her.”

“I want my partner back. I’m being forced to work with Detective Douche more often than not, which is so boring.”

“You’re not going to hurt her again, not on my watch. She’s just starting to move on, she even went on a date last week,” Maze said placing her hand on her hips as she stood up from the kitchen island.

Lucifer’s eyes narrowed, “This git, wouldn’t happen to be a Marion Morrison would he?”

Maze smiled, “Yeah, she even came back a little bow legged.” She knew it was from horse back riding but she wanted her former master sweat a little, he couldn’t believe that this would be easy. Maze had learned from her short experience on earth that matters of the heart took work. Well, at least according to Dan and he was Chloe’s ex. She watched as Lucifer’s face crumpled. The expression reminded her of Amenadiel when they caught Dan and the Queen Bitch at the bar. Her one human eye widened in understanding and then narrowed in anger. “Who is this Marion Morrison?”

“He is the dead body my father is wearing. He decided to play cowboy this time around. He went on a date with the detective? ”

“Her hookups keep getting worse and worse. First the preacher, now Yahweh himself.”

“What preacher?”

“The day you came back married. Chloe couldn’t handle it. She got drunk and found a preacher to take her home. Linda and I found her almost a day later near Santa Barbara hold up in a cheap motel.”

“Bloody Hell.” It wasn’t like the high strung Detective. He would have approved, if it wasn’t so reckless. “And you suppose that was my fault?” Wasn’t it? He had pushed her into a stranger's arms and for no apparent reason anymore. He had fell for his mother’s manipulations once again as she used his feud with Father and his own narcissism against him. What a total cock-up he had made of his life.

“No. He was cute and Decker needed to get laid,” Maze crossed her arms, she would never understand the woman’s denial of one of her most basic needs. “So, the Almighty wants to play with his own miracle?” Well so did a lot of people, Chloe seemed unaware of her own beauty half the time, hiding under terrible unflattering clothes.

“He created her for himself,” Lucifer stressed the last word. “In hopes that she would love him back. And it appears that I have paved the way for him.” He turned to walk towards the door, there was no hope now, and he had lost her completely.

“No!” Maze raised her voice to get the fallen angels attention. “He’s gone, Chloe told me that he had gone back to Texas.”

“Really!” He grinned as his eyebrows raised. The devil made Texas, did his father know the song? Did this mean he was telling him the truth?

The door busted open and they turned to see the spawn running to them a full speed.

“Maze, hide your face, Mommy is coming!” She said in a yell designed to be a whisper as she ran over to Maze presenting her with a cake pop.

“Thanks tiny human.” Maze said as she changed her form, placing her arms around the girl preventing her from charging her former Boss, who looked as if Trixie had just sprouted a second head.

“You showed the child!” Lucifer yelled understandably shocked at Maze and the spawn’s reaction.

Maze rolled her eyes at him, “A lot has happened since February, Lucifer. Trixie figured it out for herself that we’re not of this world. She asked for the truth so I gave it to her. If you had come by more often you would know.”

“Yeah, isn’t it cool!? I saw Amenadiel’s wings too, they’re big and black. Want me to call him?” Without waiting for his reply, the child placed her hands in prayer. It only took a few seconds for the sound of wings to be heard behind them. Lucifer turned to see his brother had somehow gotten his grace back. He would wait till they were alone to ask him how.

“Beatrice Penelope Espinoza!” A baritone voice bellowed. “How many times do I have to tell you? That trick is only for emergencies.”

“I know but…but…Lucifer’s here to visit. I wanted him to know, I know.” She said her eyes downcast at his brother’s scolding.

They heard the sound of Chloe’s boots on the pavement.

“Why, are you yelling at my kid?” Chloe walked through the door eyeing everyone suspiciously as they all stared at her like deer caught in headlights. “And what do you know about Lucifer, monkey?’’ Chloe looked at Lucifer but address her daughter, wondering what bullshit he was up to now.

“That I’m getting a divorce, Detective.” Lucifer said with glee bouncing on the balls of his feet. He waited a few moments for her reaction, but she just looked at her with blank cop face. “Well aren’t you going to congratulate me?”

Well, that, she was not expecting; but she hid her surprise, knowing that all eyes were on her. Lucifer getting divorced was nothing to get excited about, he just got tired of his wife as he did some many women. There were even bets at the precinct regarding how long Lucifer would stay married to the ex-stripper. “You don’t congratulate people on getting a divorce. It’s not something to celebrate.” What was wrong with him? Sometimes it was like he was just learning to be human.

“Why not? Some people seem only too happy to take off the old ball and chain,” Lucifer tilted his head looking at her.

Chloe sighed, “Why are you here, Lucifer?”

“I stopped by to see Maze…Can I help you with those?” Lucifer looked down at her hands filled with plastic bags. Chloe handed him the bags in her hands and Lucifer proceeded to un-bag the food and put things away.

“Can Lucifer and Amenadiel stay for dinner?” Trixie asked, wanting to spend more time with her friends. She missed spending time with her Mother and Lucifer together, as she used to do before her mother was poisoned by the bad doctor. She knew her mother still really liked Lucifer, even though he had made her cry. Noah from school made her cry once and mommy thought that he liked her. Grownups were weird.

“I don’t know Trix, we don’t have enough hamburgers for five people,” Chloe lied, she wasn’t ready for this. She still didn’t know what she wanted to do about her feelings for her former partner. What could she do?

“Oh, come now Ladies,” Lucifer said looking from Maze to Chloe. “Surely you can spare some sustenance for us. You wouldn’t want to disappoint the child now?” He walked over and sat on the couch, crossing his legs and steepling his fingers. He found that he was slightly nervous the Detective wouldn’t want him to stay.

“We could order pizza,” Amenadiel suggested looking over at his brother from the couch across from him.

Maze, silently watching the interaction, finally decided to help Lucifer out. “Let the brothers pay for it,” She said turning to Chloe who shrugged and took out a pizza menu. The demon nodded and headed to her bedroom with a smiling Trixie, who asked for a story on the latest bounty.

“Not, you.” She said quietly as Amenadiel tried to follow them. “Listen, while I appreciate your…friendship and don’t mind you visiting, you are not family and do not have the right to yell at Trix. If she does something wrong you address it with me and I will punish her accordingly.” She gave him a hard stare but then said with a hand on his arm, “Sometimes I wish I had your voice though, it would make my morning’s easier.”

Amenadiel gave her his brightest smile, “I know you do just fine with her. She is a special little girl.” Just like her mother. The irony of Chloe telling him he was not family wasn't lost of the angel that created her. He wondered if I wasn’t just easier to tell Chloe everything as Maze suggested. But, no, humans should still not know anything about the divine even if she was designed by his father to handle it. Linda and Beatrice seemed fine but who knew how this would affect them in the long term. But then he noticed Chloe’s new pendent necklace, below the small diamond necklace she wore every day.

“What’s this?” He asked handling the small silver medallion with a symbol engraved in it. The symbol was a sunburst, within a triangle, within a circle and he hadn’t seen it on earth since the ancient Babylonians.

“Oh, it was a gift left for me at the precinct. Isn’t it beautiful?” Chloe said smiling.

“Lucifer, come look at this talisman,” Amenadiel tried to sound nonchalant as his brother walked up behind him.

“Hmmm, planning on doing something naughty detective? This is quite a powerful object you have here.” He said looking at Chloe with his trademark megawatt smile.

“Uh…No, and what are you talking about?” You think she would be use to strange conversations by now.

“The symbol is used to block heavenly eyes,” Lucifer put his hands in his pockets and leaned against the kitchen counter, pretending to not care about the conversation or the fact that his father must have given the detective the get out of jail free card. The symbol lined the gates of hell as it is the one place where his father cannot see him. Hell is the one place truly without God. Older brother looked at younger one as if to tell him to mind his temper.

“I don’t…” Amenidel cut Chloe off hoping his brother would get his message. “It was used by some ancient cultures to hide themselves from the Gods. Some believe the symbol blocks God from seeing you sin, while others believed that it just blocks God from seeing you entirely. The mortal that used the symbol were free to live their lives without Divine eyes knowing their deeds.”

“So, it’s supposed to be a symbol of divine privacy?” Chloe asked. Marion Morrison really did have a sense of humor. His note stated that he was going back home, but wanted to thank her for sharing the day with him by leaving her the pendant gift wrapped in a beautiful box. The necklace came with a note that read, ‘The right to be let alone is indeed the beginning of all freedom’ written in a beautiful script and signed M. “How come-”

“Did you get that from your date last week, Mommy?” Trixie asked coming to sit at the kitchen island, knowing full well she was intruding into the adult’s conversation. Lucifer didn’t notice the spawn looking for his reaction.

“Yeah, Monkey, the man I went out with last week left gave this to me as a gift,” Chloe came up close to her daughter so that she could see her gift.

“It’s really pretty. You must have been a good kisser to get something so nice from a date. Are you going to see him again?” The girl's eyebrows wiggled similar to how Lucifer’s sometimes did when he was teasing someone.

“No, no,” Chloe denied rather unconvincingly. Damn her traitorous face, she never liked discussing her love life, not with her daughter and especially not with Lucifer and Amenadiel around. Nights with the tribe were enough for her, thank you. She would have to talk to her daughter about sex and kissing sooner than she wanted to think about.

The first fallen tried to hold his tongue, heaven knew he did, but she kissed him. Judging by her blush, she had enjoyed kissing his father, did he coax her into his bed as well? The wave of jealously threatened to pull him under. It was as if a whole team of fat men were sitting on his chest. He stepped closer to her, with fists clenched at his sides. “Well it’s nice to hear you’re finally loosening up Detective.” He sneered not watching as Chloe stiffened at his angry tone. “But please don’t regal us with your stories of lackluster sex, as if anyone in this room actually cares about the positively boring men who would take you home. In fact!” He was so angry, he never saw Chloe move but felt the hand hit his face in an upward motion as he was pushed off his feet and landed ungracefully on his rear against the kitchen island.

The entire room was silent, except for a small worried “Mommy?”.

“Trixie, go to your room.” Her mother said sternly, fearing more confrontation to come, as she looked down at a wide eyed Lucifer holding his now bleeding nose. He had done it now, she was going to eat him alive. He heard a door slam and a muffled sound of the tiny human’s sobs. “Detective, my apologies, I never meant to -”.

Chloe closed her eyes for a moment trying to hold them back, as slow tears trickled down her face, “You never meant to hurt me, yeah? Your actions, and now your words have said otherwise ever since... since you saved my life. You, Lucifer Morningstar, are a liar.” She turned her back on him and turned to his brother who was finding his feet extremely interesting and said, “Get him out of my house.”

Lucifer watched as Chloe walked away from him and into her bedroom slamming the door behind her, wondering, if he had just walked into a holding cell in hell.

Chapter Text

Pearl Catherine Hart soon to be ex-Morningstar, sat on a bench in Meadowbrook Park in San Bernardino, watching the people walking by. She was there to meet her dealer and for some reason he was late. She sat around nervously picking at the skin on her hands. She thought about her conversation with Lucifer yesterday morning, the scene playing out in her head.

“Darling, we have to talk. There is no point in hiding the fact that this marriage is not working. We should get a divorce.” Lucifer was pacing back and forth in front of Candy who sat on the couch looking up at him. “You’re still using, although you think you can hide it from me. We have barely touched each other since you came back from rehab, we don’t-”

Candy interrupted his rambling, “I was wondering, when this day would come.”

“You have!?”

“Don’t look so surprised, Lucifer, I made a living out of reading men before I met you. You claim to be different from other men, but you’re not so different. I knew you were running away from something or someone when we first met. To be honest, you were a very welcome distraction for me too. I thought you would have left me months ago. I have given you enough reason, haven’t I?”

Lucifer sat on the couch and grabbed her hands. “You have and I’m still angry about the corvette, but I’m going to ask you something that I should have asked in the beginning when I saw the drugs take hold of your life. Pull yourself together. You’re wasting your potential, your life.” He kissed her forehead and leaned back. “Let’s make a deal, shall we? You check yourself into rehab, and after you have stayed clean for a year, I will give you a hefty divorce settlement. And you can use the money to start that dance school you always wanted, hmm?” He gave her a smirk and smiled at her, so sure of himself.

She looked down at her hands, her empty ring finger. She had sold her engagement and wedding ring after Lucifer stopped her allowance and canceled her credit cards. “I don’t know Luci? I don’t want you spending so much money on sending me to rehab again. I have it under control this time.”

He stood up clearly miffed. “No more excuses, you either take the deal, or you leave with nothing. This is your second chance Candy. You have a few days to decide. If I can’t find you I’ll send Maze to track you.” She could have sworn she saw his eyes flash red, but she could never be too sure what she saw anymore.

She was so deep in thought that she didn’t notice the older gentleman sitting next to her.

“You should take my son’s deal ma’am.” The kind gentlemen said with a slight southern drawl. He appeared to be in his last 50’s, early 60’s with skin that showed a lifetime of sun and smoking, but still a handsome face.

“What…who are you? Did my father send you?” Candy asked afraid. Did her father finally send someone to bring her back home?

“No ma’am, your father didn’t send me, but I reckon you know my son, Lucifer. The names Marion Morrison, we haven’t truly met but I know your struggles. I want you to know that it wasn’t your fault your father treated you the way he did, abused you.”

Candy was speechless of a moment. How did he know about her past, when not even Lucifer knew the full extent? “I’m Catherine but I now go by Candy, your son’s ex-wife, or I will be soon. How did you know about my father? Does Lucifer know you’re in California?”

He placed a hand on her face, looking at her with deep blue eyes. “That’s not important, what’s important is that if you meet your dealer tonight, you will overdose and you will not wake up.” All of a sudden, she saw it play out behind her eyes; her meeting her dealer, taking the drugs and this time there was no small child to come to her rescue as she slipped away. Just as quickly the images faded and the blue eyes were in front of her again.

“Take the deal, change your life.” He said.

“Why do you care?” She didn’t even care, she was worthless. She didn’t deserve a husband who stood by her like Lucifer had, even though she knew he had feelings for another, that Detective of his. She could feel the burning behind her eyes and the shaking of her body, as she thought about all she had lost. She couldn’t imagine a day without drugs, a day with hope.

She looked in his eyes and all she saw was love in his expression. “Unlike some people have said I do not enjoy watching my creations suffer. My son will also blame himself if something were to happen to you tonight, I wish to save him some grief.” And with that he took her hand and kissed it lightly. “Follow me ma’am, I will take you to the Hills Treatment Center, you can call my son while on the way as long as you don’t mention me.”

There was something about this man, something that promised she would be ok. He made her feel warm and pleasant even when she just saw herself die. She had to know. “Who are you?”

“Come with me and know me better, Pearl Catherine Hart. I am the one Creator, the Lord thy God.” She was blinded for a moment by the brightest most beautiful light she had ever seen. She fell off the bench in fear and panic trying to crawl away. How was this happening? Had Lucifer been telling her the truth all this time? She hadn’t prayed since she was a little girl.

Marion Morrison bent down and touched her arm, smiling. “I mean you no harm. All I want is for you to know my truth and go with me of your own accord. You are forgiven but you must change your path.” With her whole body shaking she nodded her agreement, who was she to turn down the will of God? She stood to follow him out of the park.

++++++++++++++++++++

Mazikeen slipped into her roommate’s room with Trixie right behind her. The evening had gone spectacularly bad, and now her friend was suffering, again. She had found the violence between Chloe and Lucifer exciting tonight until she had seen the tears in her eyes, and the look of defeat on his face.
They still cared for each other, but they were slipping further and further away, like two ships out to sea. The two of them were better together, more confident, happier, and more alive. She wondered why she cared so much, she was a demon and shouldn’t have friends but she somehow had found a niche in the City of Angels. A home away from home.

She looked down to see Chloe, laying on her bed, looking small and vulnerable. The slight was not something that she was used to seeing. Chloe was a hard as nails detective, something that she admired about her friend. She had seen her take down suspects twice her size and stay stone faced when looking at bodies that had been dismembered. Tonight she looked fragile, like a glass figure that would shatter if touched. She glanced at the tiny human looking afraid for her mother.

Maze watched as Trixie crawled into the bed next to her mother and started playing with her hair. She shrugged and climbed into the bed on the opposite side and rubbing the Detective’s back and pressing her lower half into the detective’s lower half, enjoying the feel of their bodies pressed together. It only took a minute or two for Chloe to stir, so Maze knew that she had only been dozing. Maze let the tiny human speak freely with her mother.

“I’m really sorry, Mommy. Are you mad at me for trying to make Lucifer jealous of your date?” She could see her daughter’s bloodshot eyes, but she knew that Maze must have helped her daughter clean up because her face was flushed and she was in her pj’s. What would she do without this woman?

“No Trix, I’m not mad at you.” She paused looking for the right words for her eight-year-old. “But, people are not toys. It’s not right to say things to manipulate them. People are unpredictable and you can’t make them do what you want all the time. You can only react to how people treat you and what happens to you. You need to always treat people like you want to be treated. I hope you learned a lesson tonight.”

Trixie nodded and kissed her mother’s cheek, “I did, Mommy. A big lesson.” After a few moments Trixie asked in a small sad voice that managed to sound both old and young at the same time. “Does Lucifer hate us now? He was so angry tonight.” Trixie had just gave voice to Chloe’s own thoughts, she had seen him angry but that anger had never been directed at her before. It was like a switch had been flipped.

Maze stopped playing with Chloe’s hair and lifted her body so she could look the spawn and Chloe in the eyes, “It wasn’t your mother that Lucifer was mad at. You were right, he was jealous of the man that your mother dated. It’s Lucifer’s problem, not yours or you Mom’s.”

“Monkey. What Mommy did tonight…was wrong. You should never hit someone, even if they say something mean to you. Do you understand?”

Trixie looked confused, “But Lucifer was mean tonight and made you cry.”

Chloe feared that living with a bounty hunter and a cop was leaving it mark on her daughter’s development of right and wrong. “Violence is never the answer Trixie, not when it comes to your friends. Mommy hit Lucifer because she was mad at him, but he would have never hit me, he was just yelling. Ok?” She hoped her daughter really understood. It was time for her to learn that everyone makes mistakes, even and especially your mother. Trixie snugged closer to her mother and Chloe closed her eyes enjoying the closeness. It wasn’t like her daughter was going to be this affectionate with her for much longer. After a few minutes, the two women heard soft snoring.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

She hadn’t wanted to pick up her phone, it had been a long week and she was really enjoying her book and her glass of wine. But on the fourth call, she knew who it must be, her most needy and interesting patient. The Devil himself. She picked up her phone.

“I’m in need of some therapy, Doctor,” Lucifer said trying to sound calm.

“Ok Lucifer, what time tomorrow can you see me?” She heard some shuffling and the sound of a door opening. Of course he was at her apartment.

“Sorry to barge in Doctor, but I’m in need dire need of some advice.”

She took in his swollen nose and the beginnings of butterfly shaped bruises starting to form under his eyes, “Um, what happened to your face?”

He motioned at his face, “Oh, well I’m sure you know the old adage Doctor.” When Linda stared at him with concern but said nothing he said, “Hell has no fury like a woman scorned, but that’s not what I wish to speak about.”

“Did Maze hit you?” She seemed the likely candidate of the two women who could hurt the devil.

“The Detective actually.” He watched her lips form a thin straight line. She did that a lot when he wished to speak about Chloe. Everyone seemed to be on the Detective’s side since his came back married to Candy. But this was why he wished to speak to Linda, she knew what his Detective liked and she was human like she was. Linda cocked her head and placed her hands on her lap ready to ask him something introspective he supposed. “Did you deserve to be punished by Chloe?”

He laughed at her joke, “Always Doctor, but I may have said something that hurt her feelings.” He leaned forward looking at his hands, “You see she all but admitted to kissing my father and I experienced what you have informed me is jealously. I tried and failed to hold back my reaction-” He looked up to see Linda’s facial expression pale and panicked. Realizing his mistake, he was quick to reassure her. “Have no fear, it’s not the end of days Linda. He was here for himself and not me.”

“I don’t understand. What did he want with Chloe?”

“It’s simply really, he wanted to sample his own product.” He watched as Linda came to the correct conclusion. She shook her head. “So I…we were right, Chloe’s existence had nothing to do with you.” God had a sex drive, she would ponder that idea later, much later, with a few cocktails with Maze perhaps.

“So how do I fix it?”

“Fix what Lucifer?” She knew what he meant, but just needed him to voice it out loud.

“Fix us. The Detective and I. Keep up Doctor.” He said clearly very frustrated at her seemingly lack of understanding.

Linda sighed she needed to ask this question. Lucifer needed to think about his motives for choosing now to act on his feelings for Chloe. “Why are you asking this advice now? Could it be because God…your father is also interested in Chloe? It’s been quite a long time since you and the Detective kissed.”

“You think that I’m only interested in the Detective because my father wants her? I can assure you it’s not what you think….This whole time I thought that Chloe was placed on this earth to trap me, to force me to heel. So I needed to distance myself from her before we could be manipulated any further. I got married as a distraction because my heart was broken as my Mother hoped it would be. How could I trust anyone…. when I believed that they were a plant by my father?”

They had discussed his motives for leavening and taking a wife at length and though he had no real proof of his belief as to why Chloe and he were not real, she understood them. Abusive childhoods left their mark no matter how long a person lived, Lucifer was her living proof of that. “And you no longer feel that way?”

“Father assured me that her feelings for me were….real.” He had every reason to try and discourage her feelings for him. He assumed it was why he gave her immunity to his devilish charms. “She cared for me and I for her. She saved my home without expecting anything in return. I know that she won’t ever care for me again in that way, but we can at least be friends, partners even.” He wanted very much to be by Chloe’s side again. She was an honest cop, a unicorn in a corrupt organization such as the LAPD. She was smart, brave, kind, and beautiful. He wanted her to smile at him again and roll her eyes at his teasing.

“You know Lucifer, people rekindle romances all the time. Your romantic relationship with Chloe was just beginning before you actively stopped it. What if you actively pursued it again?”

Lucifer looked gobsmacked, as if he never thought of the idea.“But, I hurt her. Why would she want to give me a second chance?”

“Sometimes, we hurt the ones we care about. The important thing is that the feelings of intimacy can come back. You would have to get to know each other again, truly know each other and learn to trust each other. I believe the only way for you to do this is for her to believe in who you are; you have to show her your real face.”

His face paled and he shook his head over and over. How could she ever love his monstrous face? It had nearly broken Linda.

“Lucifer, you went to Hell for the woman. How could she not be affected by that? Would you rather she continue to feel that she wasn’t enough for you; that you didn’t care enough about her? If she knew the whole story maybe she would be able to see past your mistakes. ” If he really was the mortal man that Chloe believed he was she would have counseled her to run far far away and never look back, but he wasn't; He was Lucifer and she had seen the sparks from the very beginning.

How could she believe that? He was the one who was unworthy, he had told her so. “What else can I do besides showing her my nastier side?”

She signed, convincing him to show Chloe he was really the fallen angel would take more convincing. But she would do her best for her tribe member. “My advice would be to try something new together, or partner together in a different way than before.”

“Well we both enjoy drinking.” He suddenly stood up with the grace she could only dream of. “Oh, what a wonderful idea doctor! You are a wonder.” he said as he moved to leave her home. “ Lots to do, so little time.” He shut the door behind him, leaving a confused Linda in his wake.

“He really needs to stop doing that,” Linda said to herself, wondering what hair brained scheme Old Scratch was concocting.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

“She asleep?”

“Yeah, my girl could sleep though a bomb going off,” Chloe turned slowly to face her friend, who was dressed in her nighttime attire, a black romper that left little to Chloe’s imagination. She would have to talk with her about appropriate dress around her daughter again, but not tonight; not when she was being so nice to her. Maze ran her fingers through Chloe’s hair and down her side. It felt really good to be physically comforted, something that she never thought that Maze would be doing.

Her roommate was undeniably beautiful with long slender limbs, full lips, and golden hair. She thought of the time when Chloe had tackled her to the ground rubbing her thighs together ignoring the familiar ache, “I could make you forget him, if you want?” She licked her lips and smiled at Chloe. “Have you ever had a woman before?” She knew the answer to the question before she asked, she just couldn’t help herself. Chloe stiffened a little and Maze watched her eyes widen and her swallow thickly, clearly embarrassed. “I, I’m really flattered Maze…”

“But you’re not into women. I know. You’re boring but I figured I’d offer you some...comfort tonight.”

Why did everyone think she was boring? She wasn’t boring, she was the only adult in the room half the time. “Well, First off Trixie is in this bed, second you're more of a sister too me, and wouldn’t you rather had worn this outfit for Linda instead of wasting it on me?” Chloe mouth turned up into a smirk at the last part.

It was Maze’s turn to look scandalized. How did she know about that? Linda was her best friend.

Chloe rolled her eyes, “I see how you two look at each other. It’s none of my business who you date but, you should ask her out.” At least one of us should be happy, she thought.

Maze looked skeptical, “And do what Decker?”

“You know. Do something that you both enjoy. Go out for dinner and drinks, a movie, the beach? Talk about your dreams and your life.”

“And then she will have sex with me?”

Ugh, was this the only thing that she thought about. She rolled her eyes at her friend. “Not everything in a relationship is about sex, Maze.”

“But it's fun,” Maze placed her hands on her own breasts, than a question struck her. “Why is sex so hard for you? It’s like sex is a really big deal to you, more than just being a prude. ”

“Are you really asking me a question or are you just going to make fun of me?”

There’s a story to this. Maze once asked the tiny human what she did during those sleep overs she liked so much and was told that tiny humans stay up late, eat junk food and tell stories and jokes. She was beginning to see the appeal. “I won’t make fun of you, tonight.” She winked.

Chloe was silent for a few seconds, “Well it’s a combination of a few things. With the whole Hot Tub High School thing, it made people have few preconceived notions about me.”

“They thought that you were like your character in the movie?”

“Yeah, men treated me like I was a slut and I used my body to get what I wanted and not my intelligence, character, or talents. I got over that after a while. But the act of sex itself, was sometimes difficult for me…Shameful.” She couldn’t believe that she was about to tell this to Maze, who would never understand this probably. She blamed the poisoning, had never been the same since, yeah that’s it, the poisoning.

“Shameful.” Maze repeated as she scanned Chloe’s face for information. She could just imagine where this was going, she had encountered many rapists in hell…

Chloe shook her head, “Let me finish, his name was Casey Tibbs and he was my first boyfriend.” She could see him in her mind’s eye, kind brown eyes, light brown hair and strong chin. She always tried not to picture him when he was sick and lying very bravely in his hospital bed. He needed a heart transplant but never got it, so his parent’s only choice was to make him comfortable at home. “He had been sick for a long time, we had always been friends since we were small children. I knew it was a bad idea at the time, but he didn’t want to die a virgin.” Chloe stopped and closed her eyes, it was a day for crying apparently. “So I snuck into this room when his parents were away for the night. Casey’s older brother was in on our plan so he let me in. We had sex, it was nice even though we didn’t really know what we were doing. We cared about each other so that’s what mattered.” She could still see his face, when she woke up that morning, lifeless eyes and cold clammy skin. “He died that night, Maze, I woke up next to a corpse. His brother never told his parents I was there that night but he looked at me after like I had killed him. I think my father suspected, but he thankfully never asked. Sometimes when I would have sex with Dan, I would see his face.” She was starting to babble.

“Don’t blame yourself,” Maze found herself saying. She suspected that it was Chloe’s fault indirectly, her grace may have been too much for a dying heart. She choose to keep quiet about her suspicions at least for now. She would have to tell Chloe about herself eventually, it was beginning to be a bigger burden than she originally thought. “You should blame God.” She let Chloe pillow her head on her chest, as she played with the new pendent on her neck.

“You’re a good friend Maze.”

A slight smile graced the demon’s lips, “If you tell anyone about this, I will personally torture you.” After Chloe had fallen asleep. Maze got out her phone to text Linda and Ella. They needed to help their friend.

Chapter Text

Amenadiel left Lux that morning, happy for his brother but still confused. His brother was finally free to care for his Detective without the doubt and the resentment. He knew just how much his brother cared for the human and just how much those feelings scared him. He understood; the dark angel had so many feelings. He still cared for a certain demoness. His friendship with Linda; the give and take was strange to him as he was sadly too used to taking. He had feelings for Chloe too. He had felt strangely protective of Chloe after the day they had saved her. He had gotten some of his confidence back that day, if not his power. That day he had confessed to Trixie that he was trying to do good, to make amends. It was true. Since that day he had worked to understand humanity.

He made his way to the bus stop and got on the nearest bus back to his job in the Koreatown Community and Youth Center, his human job. It was a long and uncomfortable way to travel compared to flying, but it did allow him to think. As he sat on the bus ignoring the swirl of humanity around him, he looked out of the window trying to understand his father. Why now? Why show himself to his fallen children when he had spent so long in silence? He supposed that his father never meant to tell them about Chloe, except that they had crossed paths with her, which his father could have prevented. He didn’t know if he was exactly angry at this father for making him a pawn. He was more surprised. He had never thought about how his father had missed his mother, or female companionship. Mary was one thing, he remembered the uproar about that, but that had truly been a divine pregnancy. To create a human for no greater purpose except to make himself…happy, seamed beneath his father, or had he just never noticed the selflessness before his fall?

He arrived at his human job, happy for the distraction. He had worked there for about 6 months as a youth program counselor for troubled and run-away youth. He found that the years of fighting with and alongside his brothers had come in very handy toward breaking up fights and putting the fear of ‘Father’ in the occasional young man. It helped that some humans found the sound of his voice intimidating. He was thankful for the distance the job gave him from his mother, who seemed to have stepped back from her quest to get them back to heaven. Lucifer didn’t believe so and had for the most part to see her since he had come back from Vegas.

“Hey, Mr. Canaan!” Josh said, “Someone’s here to see you.”. He was one of the newer kids in his group. Amenadiel liked the boy very much. He was a good kid who just got mixed up with the wrong crowd after his father’s death.

“Ok Josh. Tell whoever it is I’ll be out to see them shortly.”. After a few minutes of proudly checking his computer’s email, as it was one of the few things technology wise he had mastered, he headed to the lobby.

“Good afternoon…”His father was standing there in the lobby clutching his Stetson in his hands, look for all the world the distinguished cowboy. “Mr. Morrison I believe,” He said looking around making sure no humans were falling to their knees in fear and awe. “Come back to my office.” His father only smiled at him and walked past him, for of course he knew the way to his office. The burly angel followed him.

“Father?”Amenadiel questioned waiting for an explanation, but his father was too busy looking at the pictures he had in his office. He had pictures of the boys he worked with, a picture of Linda and Maze sitting at the bar in Lux, a news clipping of Lucifer’s work with the Denlear foundation, and even Trixie’s school photo.

“How do you find human life, son?”

He thought for a moment about his father’s punishment, now knowing it for what it is. His father had wanted him to learn what is was to be human without the quick fixes of the divine. “It’s difficult, their lives are complex and sometimes extremely uncertain.” He wanted to be angry with his father. He had often thought of what he would say to him, about Lucifer and Uriel. But when faced with his father deceptively gentle power, it was hard to muster the anger over the love he had for his father.

Marion Morrison frowned, “Is that all?”

“No, there is also much joy to be had. I’ve learned that friendships and family can ease the pain that life can sometime bring. I’ve learned that humans can’t go it alone.”

God smiled, and it was radiant. “Do you love them; you’re human friends, co-workers, the children you work with?”

“I care for them, Father. I wouldn’t want to see them harmed.” The burly angel said tilting his head as he thought of the humans in his life.

“Would you put these humans ahead of yourself? Ahead of your plans to return to heaven?”

Amenadiel lowered his head, guilt clearly written over his face as he remembered the destruction that Malcolm Graham had brought to LA, all because he was that desperate to return to heaven, “Father, I…I am sorry. I was so desperate not to fail and to do the job on my own that I didn’t care what happened to them or Lucifer. I would take it all back if I could. And I know that sleeping with-” his father held up a hand for silence.

“My son, you have made mistakes but you have also worked to change your behavior. You have tried to make this part of the world better, you have honored your mother and tried to support your brother when he’s not being stubborn or foolish. If you are truly sorry for your sins then you are forgiven.” God held his hands over his son’s head for a few seconds as light emanated from his hands. The fallen angel felt power fill him; the familiar warmth of his father’s love. He was knocked speechless for a few seconds as he got used to the sensations filling his body. He felt his wings grow heavy as living feathers filled his once dead limbs.

“I reckon it will take a little while for you to get used to them again. So take it easy there…pilgrim.” God chuckled at his own reference.

The once fallen angel took a moment to get his bearings before he spoke, his voice as shaky as his legs. “Father, why now?”

“It was time. You now have a choice, you can return to heaven or remain on earth.”

****

The devil was excited about the prospect of his new venture. He started by doing a small amount of research, all he needed was two days to read most of the English literature on the subject. Being who he was he much enjoyed the history regarding prohibition, secret tunnels, and bootlegging. Such fun he was going to have.

He knew he would need equipment, which was laughably cheap and recipes, all depression era of course. He would have to create white spirts first as it took at least two years to age a proper bourbon; he was in America after all. He decided he would experiment with some moonshines, gins, and vodkas first. See what the Detective liked in terms of flavors that could be added. Later he could purchase a space to distill the spirits in larger quantities, and to store the barrels of bourbons and ryes. If need be he could hire a master distiller and a few employees, but… he would much prefer to start small, sell his creations only at Lux and do most of the work himself. He couldn’t promise people the devil made the whisky if he wasn’t the one making it.

Lucifer was full of anticipation, something to partner with the detective on that wasn’t about murder, what a novel concept! The possibility of long hours spent with her that wasn’t a stake out was intoxicating. They used to be batman and robin…now they could become another team entirely. He needed to send Linda a present to thank her for giving him the idea.

The only thing left to sort out was how to convince Chloe of his wonderful idea.

****

These last two weeks have been strange for Chloe. First she had hardly seen Lucifer. He had sent a gorgeous bouquet of flowers and a note that read:

Darling Chloe,

Please accept these flowers as an apology for my ghastly and unwelcome behavior the other day. I regret I must delay the best part of my apology. My divorce and a new business venture will keep me busy for the foreseeable but short future. Please get in touch if you need me.

Forever yours,
L. Morningstar

P.S Have you ever thought of a career in prize fighting Detective? You pack one hell of a punch.

A sideways smile hit her face as she read the letter for the umpteenth time. As much as she loved the note, she did not dare contact him. She did not want to give him the satisfaction. He took a good experience for her and turned it sour all because of his jealousy. Not that she had never been jealous when it came to Lucifer and Candy. But that was why she had to distance herself from him. The green eyed monster was not becoming on her and she knew it. She had tried hard to keep it at bay and she knew he cared for her in some way. But as much as Dan and Ella kept pushing for her and Lucifer to work together….she found it too difficult to handle. And she was still angry with him. She felt like she was always angry with him and it was exhausting.

The second strange happening lately was that she had received several gifts from Lucifer. Every two days she received a small bottle of liquor via courier. The bottles were different flavors of vodka, gin and moonshine in beautiful antique bottles, a different color each time. The bottles came with cards asking to rate the liqueur flavor, smoothness, and overall experience. She wondered what Lucifer was up too.

She jumped when she heard a buzzing sound. Chloe looked down seeing that it was group text from Maze to the rest of the tribe.

Maze
Karaoke tonight, Bitches?? 12:00 PM

Ella Lopez
Oh! Yeah sounds like fun people! Count me in ☺ 12:05 PM

Dr. Linda
I don’t have any plans tonight & tomorrow is Saturday. I’m in for a girls night 12:07 PM

Maze
Chloe! Don’t hold out on us 12:08 PM

Ella Lopez
Come on Lady, It's time for you to have some fun to celebrate the start of your vacation! ☺12:09 PM

Chloe groaned inwardly, it was her forced vacation. She really did not feel like going out tonight when the department was forcing her to take a leave for not passing her department physical last week. A fact she had not let anyone other than Dan know. She just wanted to stay home with Trixie and watch a movie. She texted her response.

You
IDK guys, it’s been a hard week. How about next weekend? I have Trix tonight 12:10 PM

Maze
No Decker! Daniel will watch her. I have leverage….So you’re going out if I have to drag you out myself 12:13PM

Dr. Linda
Maze, No need to threaten Chloe. If she doesn’t come out, we will just have to bring the party to her 12:15PM

You
Fine…Fine…I can’t afford another new couch!! 12:15PM

Maze
I knew you would see it my way Decker. Be ready by 10 and look hot. No work shirts! 12:16PM

Ella Lopez
Were going to have so much fun Guys. Chloe, I’ll head over after church at 7 to help you get ready ok? 12:24PM

You
OK Ella. 12:25PM

She knew her friends were conspiring to cheer her up. She was lucky she thought, a year ago she didn’t really have friends. “Ok Decker, get to work on these reports so you can leave on time for once,” She said to herself.

*****
Chloe was making Trixie dinner when Ella, dressed in a purple sundress with her hair straightened, arrived at the apartment with two cups of coffee and a chocolate cake in hand.

“Hey Decker’s!” She said cheerily, placing her offerings on the counter and giving everyone a bright smile.

“Hi Ella,” Trixie said. “What are you doing here? You’re not going to teach me anymore Klingon are you?” The child said worriedly. She did not like Star Trek like Ella did. She preferred Star Wars like Lucifer did.

Ella laughed, “No, that’s for another time. I’m here to help your mother get ready for our night out.”

“Really? that’s so cool! Can I come too?” The little girl said.

“No.” Chloe told her daughter. “It will be past your bedtime and your Dad is coming by to pick you up tonight to take you to Abuela’s for the weekend. It’s been awhile since you have seen her.” She was grateful that Dan had made arrangements for the whole weekend for her. He knew she needed the rest.

Trixie smiled at her mother. “I’m going to go pack my bag. Try to have a fun tonight Mom and drink the coffee so you don’t fall asleep at 9 again, like an old person.” She turned and walked into her bedroom.

Hearing Trixie’s last statement Ella turned to Chloe. “What’s this all about? Come on you can tell me?” She knew that Chloe would keep anything that was wrong with her close to her chest as if she was the world’s best poker player.

“What?” The Detective said taking a grateful slurp of her caffeinated beverage. If she didn’t have so much self-control she would groan but in a good way. She heard Ella clear her throat.

“You know Chloe, I’m not a detective but I notice things as well. I have seen you try to hide it. The bouts of exhaustion, headaches, muscle aches. Sound familiar?” She watched as Chloe’s face became pensive and smiled at her. “Stop thinking that you always have to face things alone. You have our tribe. You have Dan. You even have God and you have your partner.”.

“Ella, you know that I don’t believe in God and Lucifer and I are not really partners anymore,” Chloe said placing her head in her hands and leaning on the kitchen counter. Oh what the hell, she thought Ella was trying to be a good friend to her. No need for her to keep silent. “At the department required psychical I was just diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. My doctor said that it can happen to people who go through a physical trauma.” The two women looked at each other both thinking about the poisoning.

Ella rubbed Chloe’s back. “So your vacation is mandated huh?” She watched her friends head nod. “There is no shame in it! You just need to do some self-care. I’ll come over Monday morning and we can go to the beach. What do you say, all three of us will go and find so cool stuff on the beach. I’ll bring my metal detector?"

Chloe’s month curled up in a smile, of course Ella would have a metal detector. She had such strange hobbies and also gave great back rubs. It was always nice to feel physical affection from another adult, it always made her feel all warm inside. “Yeah, ok. Baby, do you want to cut school and go to the beach on Monday? “The Detective yelled at her daughter who was still in the other room. She knew her daughter would jump at the chance to not be in school for the day.

“Yeah Mom, can Maze come with us too? We could get pizza after?”

Ella gave Trixie the thumbs up and told her as she cut herself and the child a slice of chocolate cake. “I think that can be arranged”.

“OK Monkey, sounds like a plan but you have to make sure your room is clean before we go ok?

“Deal!” Her daughter said happily.

“OK Lady. After I finish this slice of cake, I’m going to leave the rest here, while we go and pick out your outfit for tonight.” She watched Chloe’s frown and eye role regarding the comment. “Don’t get mad at me, I know you don’t want to hear Maze make fun of your outfit the whole night.”

In the end Chloe decided on a pair of black slacks, her smartest work boots, and with some prodding from Ella and her daughter, a red halter top. It showed off her figure a bit but not too much. She let her hair hang in loose curls to her shoulders. She had to admit she felt pretty good.

At around 10:15 pm, they heard the sound of a car horn. “Let’s go Girls, it’s time to paint the town with blood!”

As Chloe rolled her eyes and went to grab her leather jacket. Ella texted Lucifer that they were on their way to the Dueling Piano Bar that just opened up across town.

Chapter Text

The Dueling Piano Bar was fairly new in town, one of those new bars that tried to look like it had been around for years; dim lighting, two mirrors angled above the piano’s so you could see the players if you happened to be in the balcony section of the bar. The ladies paid their cover charge and found a table to use as their base of operations for the night.

Chloe noticed that all her friends had decided to dress up tonight, which was good because she wouldn’t feel out of place in her black pants and modest halter. Maze dressed in her usual leather pants and belly baring top, got the first round of drinks, a round of so-co lime shots. Chloe would bet money that Maze would order the shots that they light on fire by the end of the night.

“So Ladies, I think we should have a theme for the night and all sing and request songs according to that theme, to make things fun,” Dr. Linda suggested to her friends after they took the first shot together. She loved a good theme party. She was wearing a black form fitting dress that accentuated her curves, her favorite black pair of pumps and her signature black glasses. Chloe could not help but notice that Linda’s lips were red, a favorite color of Mazes. Look who’s dressed to kill she thought.

“Love songs,” Ella suggested. “No, but sex songs will do,” Maze chimed in, looking at Linda as if she wanted to eat her. Linda gave Maze a sly smile and ran her hands through her hair pretending to look like a doe caught in front of a wolf. They both knew better.

Chloe thought about a theme and spoke up, “Songs from the nineties would work.”. Songs from that decade would be easy because she grew up listening to them on the radio. She wasn’t a music snob like some people she knew.

“Oh, I love nineties music,” Ella said happily.

Linda laughed, “Who doesn’t? And I know the perfect group song.”.

**************

After receiving the text from Ella, Lucifer busied himself with his appearance. He had to press his suit and make sure that he looked his best for the night, not that he didn’t always look impeccable. He showered, tamed his curls, and trimmed his nails. He chose a black suit and vest with a purple shirt. He suspected the Detective favored him in purple or blue. He thought back to when the Detective had chosen to kiss him that day on the beach. He recalled wearing a blue suit that day. If he played his cards right tonight the Detective might not tell him to leave their ladies night. He had to be sure she was having fun before he crashed their party. He used to be able to bring her out of her shell and hoped that he hadn’t lost that ability.

**************

3 weeks earlier...

“Look Daddy, It’s Amenadiel,” Trixie told her father as she spotted the angel walking across the street as they headed to Rich’s Ice Cream Parlor. It had become a weekend ritual when it was her father’s turn to have her. The little girl waved and yelled her friends name across the street.

“I see him Monkey.” Her father said as he saw the burly man recognized them and walk across the street.

“Oh, Hello Dan…Trixie.” He bent down on one knee so the child could hung him. “What are you guys doing here?” It was nice to have a distraction after the visit from him father. He still felt a little weak and unsure. Trixie looked at him like he was stupid.

“We’re getting ice cream, wanna come with us? We got to bring some back to my abuela. She is really nice to me and we watch the show seven universes together.” The child rambled on. The angel was touched that the child wished to include him on her date with her father.

“I’ve never had ice cream before. Is it good?”

“It’s the best!”

“Seriously, are you like lactose intolerant or something?” The older human inquired in disbelief.

Amenadiel coughed noticing his mistake, “No, I lived a pretty sheltered life.”

“I bet.” Dan looked at him suspiciously.

“Anyway you’re welcome to join us.”

“Thanks.” the angel said rather awkwardly.

Trixie pulled on her father’s shirt. “Daddy, can you go in and get me a chocolate sundae with whip cream? I can stay here outside with Amenadiel.” Her father shrugged and moved to go inside the parlor to place their order. “OK, what would you like man?”

Amenadiel looked surprised but then offered, “Vanilla cone?”.

“Sure.” Dan smiled. “With sprinkles…” After a glance back at the larger man, Dan moved to go in an order the ice-cream shaking his head at the man’s abnormal behavior.

Trixie turned to him with a smile.

“You look different.” she said, “Did you get your wings fixed? Maze told me they were broken. Can I see them? Can you fly?”.

“You know what Maze is?”

“A huh, she showed me when she took me trick-or-treating!”

He wasn’t sure what that was but he would put it aside for now. “And you were not afraid?” The angel inquired tilting his head. He knew a human child was a resilient and fragile thing all at the same time. Perhaps her mother’s heritage had made her especially attuned to the Divine?

“Nope.” She popped the P at the end of the word.

After a moment he decided to let the child know the truth. “I just grew them back, little one. They were taken away from me but now my punishment is over.” The child’s eye’s became as big as saucers, “Can I see? Pretty please!!!”.

The angel knelt down once more and whispered in her ear. “Ok, but not here. When you know your father is asleep, pray for me to appear before you but do not be afraid.” After noticing her confused look, he placed his hands in prayer so that she would understand. He waited for the girl to nod. “OK monkey, come sit at the bench and eat your ice cream.”

***********

Step by Step...Oh Baby… Got to get to your Girl…

Lucifer walked into the bar using the back entrance. If anyone didn’t want him coming in that way he never knew, he just gave the staff his most charming smile and they let him pass. His plan was to watch Chloe and the others for a bit, scout out the place and hopefully give the piano man enough money to let him play a few rounds or two.

Step! Hey, girl, in your eyes… I see your picture of me all the time

Step! And, girl….when you smile you got to know that you drive me wild

What a bloody awful song he thought, although using the piano instead of those horrendous synthesizers did give any old song a boon as far as he was concerned. He walked over to the bar closest to the back wall and away from the stage.

“What’s your pleasure?” the bartender asked him. An older looking man in his late fifties with smart looking glasses and a graying beard. “Scotch straight up for now,” the Devil said with a grin. “Hopefully something more feminine later in the evening.”

The bartender laughed, “A man who’s not afraid to say just want he wants. There are plenty of beautiful women here tonight if the ladies on the stage are anything to go by.”. Lucifer turned to follow the man’s gaze to the stage area of the bar. He noticed a telly on ether end of the raised platform and four young ladies taking turns singing.

Step one! We can have lots of fun

Step two! There's so much we can do

Step three! It's just you and me

Step four! I can give you more

Step five! Don't you know that the time is right. Huh!

Lucifer’s mouth dropped and went dry. The lovely ladies in question were none other than Maze, Linda, Ella, and Chloe. Chloe looked beyond fit. He watched her hair sway side to side behind her, catching the light, as she bopped to the dreadful music. She wasn’t looking at the screens so he knew she knew the song’s lyrics by heart. The women loved a good nineties jam. He smiled to himself and leaned back against the bar ignoring all come hither looks coming from the women and men around him.

Step by step… oh, baby… gonna get to you, girl

Step by step…oh, baby…really want you in my world

He watched the tribe laugh and walk off the stage to a round of well-deserved applause. Maze and Linda walked hand in hand. Chloe leaned in the mutter something to Ella who smiled at whatever she had said. Even with his superior hearing he couldn’t make out what was said over the din of the piano and audience. He signaled the bartender for another drink as he watched them walk over to their table closer to the stage area.

Ella made her way over to the bar near Lucifer having apparently been looking for him. He smiled at her, “Dear Ella, How are you tonight? Having fun I see.”.

“Hey Lucifer,” Ella said and she moved to hug him. “I’m glad you’re here but you missed me singing steal my sunshine by Len. It was da bomb by the way…Hey why are you hiding back here?”

“I’m not hiding.” The devil was merely scouting.

“Really? Cuz you look like a bandit in the far corner of the back bar.” The forensic scientist eyed him incredulously. “Don’t be nervous. Everyone is having a great time. You’ll be welcome.”

“Right…I think it best to wait until you ladies have had a few more drink before I venture into your midst. In fact, this round is on me.”

“Gee thanks. Two cosmos, one jack & coke, and one boiler maker please.” she said to the bartender. The bartender nodded “I’ll have the waiter bring them to your table along with some water.”

After the young woman had left he asked Lucifer, “Which one in the group is your lady?”.

*******

Chloe could hardly sing the end of the song because she was laughing so much. Normally she would be a little nervous with the large crowd, but Ella and Linda danced along with her. Maze just stood there in front of the microphone looking tough which was why they placed her in the middle to begin with. She had refused to dance. Apparently, demons don’t do that.

The Detective turned to Ella and whispered, “Look at their hands. Maze said she was going to ask Linda out.”. “It looks like they are already on a date.” “Does that bother you?” She motioned her hand to indicate Linda and Maze. She knew that Ella was very religious. “Oh nah, I don’t think God cares who you sleep with. The Big Guy has better things to deal with like drought and nuclear holocaust, am I right? Anyway, I’m going to get the next round.”

As Chloe seated herself at the table Maze asked her, “So Decker, what song are you going to sing?”

“Nothing, I’m not doing a solo song.” All she needed was everyone staring at her because missed a few words. She had already hand enough limelight to last a lifetime.

“Why? Are you afraid?”

“No.” and she emphasized the word knowing her roommate was goading her, “I just don’t like to sing by myself in public.”

“It’s a common fear among humans,” Linda said winking at the demon. “I’m sure it’s a few people’s personal hells.”

Maze chucked at her friend before turning to Chloe who rolled her eyes. “OK, Chloe you will go after Linda and we will be your backups for the reframes.” Chloe shook her head to say no. “And I will do the dishes for the next week without once throwing them in the garbage.”

“Deal,” the Detective said nodding. What did she really have to hold her back?

********

3 weeks earlier...

She waited until she could hear the sound of snoring coming from the next room to kneel next to her bed and whispered to the man she suspected of being real life angel.

“Dear Amenadiel, please come visit me so I can see your wings.” She said with a mixture of hope and earnestness that only a child, who still believed in magic, could have. After a moment a bright light appeared in the middle of the small bedroom, it started out small but then grew in size until a silhouette of a man appeared. Trixie watched as a large man with black wings appeared before her. His wings were big enough for the tips to brush the ceiling. For a moment she just stared at the angel with her mouth slightly open before slowly walking over to get a better look at his wings.

The child moved her hand but stopped just before touching his wing and looked up at him. Amenadiel saw wonder in the child’s eyes but also a speck of fear. He bent down to her level so the child could see his face as well as his impressive wing span. He had never revealed himself to a child before but knew by instinct that he must speak softly.

“Do not be afraid child. You may touch them.” He said smiling. It was all the encouragement she needed to gently stroke his wings. She smiled as she touched the soft feathers. After a moment she placed her face into his feathers and then leaned her entire body against his right wing. Amenadiel was still able to keep his balance despite the unexpected movement.

“They're so soft and pretty.” she muttered into his wing.

“Yes, they are.” The burly angel had to turn his head away from the girl to clear this throat. It had been so long since he had felt anything other than loss regarding his wings. And the human’s small fingers against his wings felt more comforting then he wanted to admit.

“What do you do in heaven?” She asked with her face still pressed into his wing and stated, “All angels have jobs right?”.

“I used to be one of the warrior elite. I protected heaven.”

The child pulled back to look him in the eye’s with a serious expression. “Can Lucifer fly?”

“No, he doesn’t have wings.”

“Why?”

The angel sighed. No matter what, Lucifer was always the favorite, no matter what that Sumerian text said. He was only surprised that he was still somehow surprised about that. “Trixie, it’s not my story to tell. You will have to ask him.”

The child only looked to him, frowning, but did not say anything. She walked to her closet and grabbed her coat and walked to the window and unlatched the lock. She motioned at him to follow her.

“What are you doing?” He asked. “Aren’t you going to take me flying?” She asked in her most pleading voice. Could he? No. It was too big a risk if her father woke up to find her gone. Humans should not know about the divine, one of father’s rules. “Not tonight, when your father could wake up.”

The human smiled seeing her opening, “But soon?”. The renewed angel smiled at her, his white teeth illuminated in the darkened bedroom. “Can you keep a secret Trixie?” he watched as she nodded vigorously. “You have to promise not to tell anyone about angels, demons, and especially Lucifer. Not even your parents. Can you do that for me?” “It’s ok. Mommy and Daddy won’t believe me. They only believe what they can see.”

“And, what do you think would happen if she saw for herself? Don’t you think your mother and father would take you away from here….away from Maze and Lucifer?”

“But they’re my friends, why would mommy do that?” Her eyes confused and fearful.

He placed a large hand on her small shoulder this was not an easy conversation but it must be done, “Grown-ups fear what they don’t understand. This is why you have to keep this a secret OK?”

The tiny human moved her arm and Amenadiel watched as she entwined her right pinky finger with his much larger one. “I swear”.

*************

Rebel girl rebel girl

Rebel girl you are the queen of my world

Rebel girl rebel girl

I know I want to take you home

I want to try on your clothes

“Well done, Linda!” Lucifer hollered his appreciation as Linda finished her splendid version of bikini kill’s hit. Quite the anthem for the doctor and his former demon. He placed his hands into this pockets and found his pack of smokes, he decided he had time to go out for a smoke before he ventured into the ladies night. He wished he could stay in the club, but people would surely notice a devil as handsome as himself breaking their silly little ordinances. He didn’t want to give the Detective any excess to make herself scarce.

As he walked outside gratefully inhaled a lungful of the smoke, held it for a few seconds and blow out rings with his mouth. His mortally causing him to be light headed for a few moments. He tried to think of nothing and clear his mind. The past month had been one of extra worries. His ex-wife’s miraculous decision to seek treatment, his father’s whereabouts, and his Mother’s sudden silence were all worrisome. Although Charlotte Richard had toned down her visits to his home, once the sword of heaven had failed, even after the favorite son’s key was placed in the mix. His mother only wished to see him, apparently, when he was of use to her. Not that he cared. They must still need that piece his brother was raving about in hell.

The devil shook his head as if to clear it, finished his cigarette and walked back into the bar. The Devil’s eyes were immediately drawn to the blonde woman on the stage, sitting on a stool with a mic in her hand. He had never heard the detective sing before.

What's it gonna be...'Cause I can't pretend

Don't you want to be more than friends

Hold me tight and don't let go

Don't let go

She sang the song without much embellishment, but one could hear past training. There was a pensiveness to her face and the tone of her voice as she closed her eyes, her body easing into the rhythm of the song. Eventually she opened her eyes nervousness gone.

I often fantasize...The stars above are watching you

They know my heart and speak to yours

Like only lovers do Lucifer walked up to the stage wanting to get a better look at the detective as her song filled the room. She was so beautiful, the lights eliminating the back of her head like a halo.

There'll be some lovemaking, heartbreaking, soul shaking Oh... lovemaking, heartbreaking, soul shaking, oh yeah

Why had she chosen this song? He hadn’t found it downloaded to her phone. Had she found herself a love interest, someone from work perhaps? Whomever the chap was, the Devil thought, he would make sure to get in the man’s way.

Don't you want to be more than friends

Hold me tight and don't let go

Don't let go

Have the right to lose control... Don't let go

The bar’s crowd hushed, the room feeling the emotional release the Detective was convening. The Detective smiled broadly as she heard the crowd applaud. It had been ages since she had sang in public. She turned to her friends and backup singers who gave her appreciative smiles. She moved towards the small steps to leave the stage and never noticed that an extension cord was not properly taped down to the stage. Suddenly she lost her footing as the top half of her fell victim to gravity.

Lucifer watched as the women tripped over the carelessly laid wire. It was one of those moments where time deceptively slows and he felt as if he had all the time in the world to move himself into a position to break the Detective’s fall as she fell face first down the small staircase. He caught her and turned her around so she was facing him with his arms around her, as if he had dipped her during a dance.

“Bravo Detective, what other secrets have you been hiding?”

To be continued…

Chapter Text

She was falling…the floor was coming up to meet her, it didn’t stop as she moved past the steps. She shut her eyes, bracing for the impact. Moments passed and…suddenly strong arms were around her, and a familiar accent spoke, “Detective, what other secrets are you hiding?”.

She opened her eyes. His suit was blue. His eyes, deep and warm and brown, were accentuated by the creases around them as he smiled, his white teeth gleaming. The scent of his cologne filled her lungs; a heady mixture of tobacco, leather, and amber. His arms were strong but held loose around her, giving her room to move away if she wanted.

“What…How?” Her brain was foggy and she couldn’t form full sentences. Damn him.

“She’s so happy to see me, she’s practically speechless,” Lucifer said loud enough for the small crowd who’d gathered around the couple to hear. He moved his arms from around her as she straightened herself and stood tall in her boots.

“Lucifer, what are you doing here?”

“I’m crashing your night out, Detective. I thought it was obvious? It’s been sometime since your college days but I figured you would have still remember drunken lustful nights with your girlfriends.”

“Of course she does, Lucifer. That was last Tuesday,” Linda walked past Chloe as they gave each other fist bumps.

Ella leaned in and winked at Lucifer, “It was a Weenie and Teeny Party.”.

The fallen angel frowned. This human was particularly strange. “What on earth is that?”

“Last Tuesday was a Weenie and Teeny Party. You know, Martinis and hotdogs. It was Maze’s and Trixie’s idea. Well, really we were drinking and Trixie wanted to eat hotdogs for dinner.” the forensics scientist said.

The Detective held up a hand to Ella, “Anyway, who told you we were here tonight? It was a spur of the moment thing that Maze put together.”.

Lucifer smiled a knowing smile, “Oh, I’m afraid I can’t reveal that secret.”.

She folded her arms across her chest, looking at her friends as they started to move back to their table. She knew they were in cahoots with the annoying but undeniably adorable man child. “You’re a police consultant, not a magician.”

“Well, your offspring certainly seems to think otherwise.” He saw her mouth turn up in a smile and he knew that he had her, at least for the rest of the evening. “Where is she this evening? With daddy Daniel?” He watched as the Detective nodded swiftly and headed to the rest of her group, a tad bit slower than her usual pace. He made his way to the piano and placed a crisp 100 hundred dollar bill in the tip jar on top.“I have a few requests for the evening…”

*******
Chloe watched as Lucifer made his way to the stage, extremely pleased with himself for showing up tonight and throwing her off kilter no doubt. “OK, this was planned from the start, wasn’t it?” She asked as she placed her elbows on the counter and placed her head in her hands. The tribe looked very pleased with themselves as well.

“Decker, you’re not even really mad, there’s no ugly veins in your neck.” Maze pushed another shot of Johnnie Walker towards her. “Come on, you're doing so well tonight.”

“I’m too tired to be angry.” She took the shot in front of her. Hell with it, she could sleep in tomorrow. Living with Maze she found herself drinking a lot more than usual and she was a cop to boot. Not to mention that Lucifer was delivering booze to her front door by courier lately. She reminded herself to ask him about that tonight.

Linda looked at the police woman with concern lacing her features, “Chloe, have you gone to the doctor about your fatigue? Maze tells me that you haven’t been yourself for the last few months.”

She nodded, “I’m on medical leave for the next two weeks. My doctor told me to pace myself, eat better and exercise. You know all the things that working mothers find so easy to do. Plus he prescribed me a stimulant to see if it will help me feel less tired.”.

“Well we're here, if you need us, Chloe,” Linda said.

“Thanks,” Chloe took Linda’s hand and squeezed it. She had to hold back the tears from coming to her eyes, her own mother had not showed her this much compassion regarding her illness. Things had been rocky with her mother ever since her poisoning, in the rush no one thought to contact Penelope. She booked herself a European tour to keep herself away. Chloe regretted parting on bad terms very much. “Ella and I are going to the beach Monday if you want to take a day off.”

Linda looked at Maze who shrugged and said, “I think it’s a date.”.

“Another day out together, super cool,” Ella said, “Oh! I ordered us a round of Irish breakfast shots. They are supper yummy.”.

Lucifer came up behind the ladies and demon. “Oh, I’d love a chance to break out the linen again.” He said to no one in-particular. The four women looked at him and said nothing. After a moment he added, “Did I mention how ravishing you all look tonight?”.

Chloe could imagine how much trouble he could get himself into. He was bound to find the beach boring after a while, leading to a number of embarrassing scenarios. Most of them involved Lucifer naked on the beach. The rest of her friends looked to her to gauge her reaction. After an exchange of perfect understanding between the four women Chloe said, “If you want to come bring your brother, and I’m going to ask Dan to come since Trix will be with us.”. She gave him a pointed look when she mentioned her daughter, warning Lucifer him to be on his best behavior if he decided to come along. Despite her better judgement, she hoped that he would come with them. She knew that Marion was right and she still had deep feelings for him. If only she knew what to do about the feelings since they had only lead her to her heart being ripped open and stomped upon.

“Detective, I can handle a day of fun in the sun with your little gremlin…Can she get wet?”

“Yes, but don’t feed her chocolate cake after midnight.” She said rolling her eyes. Their banter came to a stop when the bartender came by with their order of shots. Lucifer pouted that there was not one for him of course. However Maze gave him hers since it was her turn to perform her solo.

***********

Hangin' round downtown by myself
And I had so much time
To sit and think about myself
And then there she was
Like double cherry pie

Chloe watched as the self-proclaimed demon from Hell put on a killer performance, standing in the middle of the strange in what Chloe liked to call her power pose. Legs spread wide, shoulders back with her hands on her hips. It was a great song for Maze, all sex and sweets. Which to her roommate’s observations were her favorite things to do. Chloe could have sworn that the stage area seemed to get darker around the bounty hunter but, it must have been a trick of the light or a side effect of her medication.

“She asked me to come out with her next weekend.” Linda leaned in to tell her, raising her eyebrows. “She said that you told her that I would say yes.”

Chloe smiled happy that her friend took her suggestion. “And did you?”

“Yes, but I never dated a women before.” And she’s a demon from hell so not human either. What was she getting herself into the psychiatrist thought?

Chloe noticed the nervous look on her friend’s face and said, “Neither has Maze, I think, so you don’t have to be attracted to women, just her. You don’t have to label whatever your relationship is.” Linda looked thoughtful but nodded to Chloe and turned to watch their friend sing the end of her song.

I smell sex and candy here
Who's that lounging in my chair?
Who's that casting devious stares in my direction?
Mama this surely is a dream

After they finished their applause, Chloe asked Linda, “Not that it’s any of my business but what are you going to do next weekend?”

“Axe throwing”.

*******************

He had to talk with her. No more waiting for her to come to him, as it was apparent that she was going to ignore him and spend the evening sitting down watching tone deft humans sing horrible songs. Well he certainly had eternity but the Detective did not. She only had about 50 years left on this plane of existence, mere moments in time. The former ruler of hell held up his hand to signal the piano player, who nodded his head in acknowledgement. The intro of the song he requested started to play. He got up from his chair next to Ella, who gave him a thumbs up, and moved in front of his former…sometimes partner’s chair. “Detective, may I have this dance?” He held out his hand to her while his other hand smoothed in invisible wrinkles in his suit. “You did have fun the last time we danced, yes?” She looked up at him with an expression that reminded him of that day in the hospital, when she had asked him if he wanted to ‘pick up where they had left off’. It seemed so long ago and he didn’t want to deny her an answer this time. She took his hand gingerly and lifted her body to meet his.

He took her hand and pulled her closer to him placing one hand on her waist. When he saw her open her mouth to protest no doubt, “Now Detective, allow me to lead….just for tonight. You will be back to bossing me around in no time. I know how you love it.”. She glared at him but didn’t say anything. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “Let go Darling, you just might enjoy yourself.”.

“I’m already having a good time.” She said with a barely noticeable swallow.

“Splendid.” He tucked a stray hair behind her ears and started to move gracefully to the music. It took his Detective a few seconds to get the hang of the movements. Now knowing what to say, he sang along, enjoying the feel of his hands on her slender frame.

I've never known a girl like you before
Now just like in a song from days of yore
Here you come a-knockin', knockin' on my door
And I've never met a girl like you before

After a few beats, he twirled her around soliciting laughter from the blonde woman. The sound came to his ears like the sound of a warm bell.

You've made me acknowledge the devil in me
I hope to God I'm talkin' metaphorically
Hope that I'm talkin' allegorically
Know that I'm talkin' about the way I feel

Chloe smirked at him when he sang the line regarding the devil, bopping her head off the beat of the song. If only it was metaphorically, he thought to himself. He had long stopped trying to get the Detective to believe him as she had stopped questioning who he was. Now Linda believed that she needed to know who he was in order to understand his actions, his weirdness as Chloe liked to say. He hoped that she was right and he could let himself risk losing her to get her back.

This old town's changed so much
Don't feel that I belong
Too many protest singers, not enough protest songs
And now you've come along, yes, you've come along
And I never met a girl like you before

As the song ended Lucifer was reluctant to let her go. They stood there for a moment arms around each other smiling. Despite her bright eyes, Lucifer notice that she was a little unsteady on her feet when the music stopped. The Devil took her right arm and led her to a small high top table near the back bar and pulled out the chair for her. “Have a seat Detective, I’ll order us another drink.”

When he got to the older barman, he was already ready with two glasses filled with an amber liquid. Straight up for himself but taking the liberty of putting ice in the detective’s glass. With a wink and a nod he handed Lucifer the drinks. “She’s lovely,” The man told him. Looking back at the woman who he saw watching him. “The woman is a miracle.”

As the first fallen took his seat next to the Detective he gave her a cold glass and took the moment to really observe her as she took a sip. She looked at ease but she hadn’t said much to him this evening. He noticed dark circles under her eyes though her makeup and a paleness to her skin that he hadn't noticed before. That concerned him. “Are you quite well Detective?”

She heard the sincere concern lacing his voice. He hadn’t spent a lot of time with her recently so he must not have noticed the changes in the months after her poisoning. “I’ll be fine Lucifer. I’m just taking a few days off to rest up.” She looked in his eyes as she slid her elbow on the table to put her chin in her hand. “I have to learn to put myself first sometimes.”

“Hmm, learning to be selfish…that’s a new one for you.” His eyes landed on the jewelry adorning her chest. He recognized it as the gift his father had bestowed upon her. He looked away for a moment and adjusted his cufflinks to avoid focusing on his father and the Detective. She was blameless in the matter of her purpose and conception, he needed to remember that or risk their relationship. He took the talisman in his thumb and forefinger feeling the power of the familiar symbol for a moment before letting it go, and giving the detective a smile that did not reach his eyes. “You have the power to sin, without the high and the mighty knowing about it. Some people would covet this trinket. ”

“Well, the friend who gave me this left a note attached to the gift box that read ‘The right to be let alone is indeed the beginning of all freedom’ so maybe he knew what it was supposed to do,” Chloe said wondering why he would give her such a gift after only meeting the man once. They shared a conversation, a meal, a kiss, and her suffering that night. She didn’t remember everything that they talked about that night, that man was a born story teller, but she remembered how he made her feel, wanted and at ease. “I’m not very superstitious but it’s beautiful.”

“He must have meant something to you, if you still wear his gift.”

The detective stiffed back a yawn placing her free hand over her mouth, “Haven’t you ever met someone and you just connected? Once we started talking it was like I had known him for years.”

“Once, Detective.”

“With Candy?” She didn’t know why she was asking, but she never knew why he married that women. She never let him explain his reason for it, not when the reason might be what she feared, that she wasn’t good enough, or too plain, too…boring.

“I’m afraid we didn’t quite have an emotional connection. We shared a hatred for our father’s and a love of illicit drugs. We are just friends.” He looked at her hoping that she understood there wasn’t anyone else. Not in another hundred millennia. They both looked away for a moment. Both too raw to digest the emotions boiling inside them. Lucifer coughed and then spoke “Well are you seeing him again, Detective?” he needed to know that his Father was truly out of her life.

He watched as she shook her head eyes lowered in sadness, “No, he didn’t stick around.”.

He let out a soft breath and said, “Well, I’m available, Detective.”

Leave it to Lucifer to try and make her feel better, remembering when he punched a guy to defend her honor. She smacked him lightly on the arm with her freehand. “I think that I could use a red bull or something.” When she moved to get up Lucifer caught her hand and told her to that he would get it for her because she was obviously exhausted. To his surprise she did not protest.

When he returned to the Detective, he was greeted by the sight of the woman asleep at the table. A few patrons of the bar had moved to take her photo, stating that she was the girl from “Hot Tub High School.”. Lucifer greeted his teeth, biting back a comment or two about people wearing flip flops in public, but decided that the best course of action was to take the sleeping women home himself, since the rest of the tribe was still going strong. He had his arms under hers, when a bouncer moved to tap him on the shoulder.

“Excuse me Sir, but we're going to have to ask you to leave.”

“Yes, we were just on our way to do just that.”

The larger man shook his head “You need to leave without the woman, I know she came in with a group of friends and we would like her to leave with them for her own protection.”

Lucifer scoffed as he pulled the Detective into a bridal carry, unamused by this man’s insinuations, “She is safer with me than with any other human in this room.”

“Sir, we don’t want any trouble now. Hand the women over and leave before I call the police.”

“Do you now! This woman in my arms is the police and I would never harm her! So step aside and place you suspicions upon worthier suspects. Possibly those sodding gits back there who like to take pictures of sleeping women. The Devil only takes what is freely given.” His demon was at this side in an instant sensing her former master’s energy spike in anger, followed by the rest of their friends.

“We know him.” Maze said with her arms crossed over her chest resisting the urge to take out her knives. “You need to let us all go.” The rest of the group nodded in agreement, assuring the bouncer that it was alright for him to take the women home from the bar as he was her partner on the force. After a few tense moments, he let them go with a warning not to let her get so intoxicated in the future.

When they were outside the building, Maze and Linda decided to go back to Lux for some more fun, while Ella took an uber back to her house deciding that she would pick her car up in the morning from Chloe’s and Maze’s apartment. They let Lucifer take Chloe home, knowing how concerned he was that Chloe had still not woken up. They assured him that all she needed was rest and he could take her home and not to the hospital.

Lucifer place Chloe gently in his passenger seat strapping her in and placing his jacket under her head to support her neck. As he placed the car in gear, he decide that he would make her breakfast in the morning when she woke up.

Chapter Text

Lucifer sat on the Detective’s couch with his sleeves rolled up and his hair no longer in its preferred quaff. He used his own natural strength to crush the orange pills he’d found into a fine powder. He knew that the Detective might mind him taking a few of her prescribed pills for his own personal pleasure, but he would of course re-stock her for free. A man with a gambling problem and a money laundering business owned him a favor. Although not preferred, uppers would do in a punch, and he needed something to take the edge off from earlier this evening. Being around the Detective allowed him to experience things differently, a definitive plus. He thought about there conversation from earlier in the evening.

She was still sleeping when he had pulled into the Detective’s assigned parking space at her complex. She looked ethereal with the moonlight bathing her in a silver glow. As if knowing his eyes were upon her, Chloe stirred, “Ella…your car?”.

The Devil smiled wickedly, “Detective it is I, Lucifer Morningstar, who has brought you home. Shall I take you to your bed for a tumble between the sheets?”.

She turned to him and yawned, either not hearing him or choosing to ignore it, “Where did everyone go?”

“Detective, the ladies are still partying the night away. You, as the world’s oldest young person, fell asleep.”

“Oh.” She said, clearly embarrassed. She turned to her right as Lucifer opened the passenger door for her. He led her into the darkened apartment, getting in despite the locked door, saying that he was going to make sure that she got herself tucked into bed. He busied himself by looking for a glass of water and a bottle of aspirin to place by her bedside while she was using the toilet and brushing her teeth. When she emerged and headed to her bedroom in full length pajamas, no less, he was already sitting in the armchair by her bed.

“Lucifer, you don’t have to be here. I can take care of myself.” She huffed, sitting on the bed preparing the pillows and sheets for sleep.

“I’m simply making sure that you are following your doctor’s orders and getting the rest you need. I know how stubborn you can be.” The Devil said as he stood up to turn off the light. The darkness did nothing to hide the Detective’s frame lying on top of the bed curled in a fetal position, her exhaustion and sadness evident. He wished at that moment things could be different, he wished he could be different. “Good night Detective, I’ll be right outside.”

“You don’t have to stay… if you don’t want to. I’m fine really.”

She sounded so insecure it made his stomach twist. “Please Detective, I wasn’t here when you needed me before…let me be here for you now.” The silence stretched between them, minutes, hours even, until Lucifer had to break the tension. “Detective…”

“Lucifer what’s wrong with me?” Chloe said with tears threatening to run down her face.

Didn’t she know that answer better than he? “You’re ill, Detective.”

“I know why I’m sick Lucifer. I meant that, I’m just so tired of being…alone.” The woman’s voice cracked then. “Lately it’s been hard.”

“But you’re not alone. You have friends, your Mum, your little hellion, and most importantly you have the devil in your corner”.

She shook her head, tears falling down her face now. No, no, no, no. Don’t do that he thought. This evening was supposed to end in laughter, not tears. How could a woman so full of grace and bravery be insecure? He moved to sit on the bed next to her, grateful that she did not move away. “You’re not talking about friendship are you?” He did not hear her reply but knew the answer was a yes when she sat up to look at him, her arms wrapped protectively around her legs. His suspicions from the club were confirmed. Her new love interest hadn’t reciprocated her feelings. Why else would she doubt herself like this? He needed to find this man and punish him. Would the douche know who he was?

“Listen, Detective. Whomever this chap is who has gotten under your skin, if he doesn’t see you for the steadfast and selfless person that you are, if he doesn’t see how worthy you are; then he’s a bloody sack of hammers.” She smiled at that, her mouth in a lopsided grin before it vanished again.

“I know that…HE thinks highly of me. But I wasn't what he wanted, or I couldn’t keep his interest for longer than.” She fidgeting with her hands as she looked at them. “Anyway HE decided that he only wanted to be my friend.”

“Is that what he told you?” The devil questioned, scowling. What human man in his right mind and under no manipulation would turn down a beautiful and willing Chloe Decker?

She looked at him perplexed, “He didn’t tell me that in words, which would have been better. Instead He met and married another woman instead, one who I felt wasn’t as interesting or intelligent as me but did have a few things, physically, that I can’t offer.” She motioned to her chest.

“Ahhh, don’t doubt your attractiveness Detective. Not all men prefer breasts to legs and yours are stunning. I believe that the fault lies entirely with him. Perhaps he is intimidated by you? Men often are of powerful women, although I have never backed away from a formidable female.” He said giving her his trademark smirk.

Chloe started at him with her eyes narrowed and for an instant the Devil braced himself for a angry slap but after a beat she started to laugh from deep in her belly. After taking multiple moments to compose herself, she shook her head while wiping her tears away, and said, “Maybe I didn’t make myself clear to him, and maybe I needed to be more direct with him in regards to my feelings?”

Although his heart landed in his stomach, and he wanted nothing more that to pull the man’s arms off for hurting his Detective. He found himself telling Chloe to tell this idiot how she feels about him. Perhaps this man could make her happy, could be worthy of her, because he would never be. As long as she was happy, that was the only thing that mattered. Right?

*******

Chloe was nervous and excited. She agreed to meet Lucifer so he could show her his new project. He talked about his new plan of making spirits to sell at Lux, his gifts of liquor to her now making sense. His enthusiasm for the project was so infectious that she agreed to see it when he told her about it over breakfast the morning after karaoke night. She was also happy when he didn’t bring up her emotional outburst the night before. In fact, he was quite gentlemanly about the whole situation, if not willfully obtuse. She could not contain her laughter when she realized that they were not speaking in code-words but he in fact thought that she was talking about another man. Sometimes that man was sooo oblivious that it was adorable. And frustrating. Even if he had understood what she was talking about, she had no idea how he would have reacted to the knowledge of her bruised if not broken heart. What could have happened to him that would leave him sooo desperate for any sort of affection and attention, but so afraid of real intimacy. She wondered if she would ever know.

“Mommy are we there yet?”

“Almost monkey,” Chloe had decided to bring her daughter along because it has been a long time since the two had spent any time together. She knew her daughter had missed him when he had been married to Candy. She had not allowed her daughter to spend much time with him because of her drug addiction. She knew Lucifer had the sense to keep drugs away from her daughter but Candy was so far gone that she did not. Hopefully she was getting the help she needed. “Are you excited to see Lucifer?”

“Yeah, I haven't seen him since you two were fighting. Do you think he is still mad?”

“I don’t think so. He said he was sorry.” She knew that the man did not lie. He seemed ok with the idea of her dating, almost too ok with it. Was he hiding his feelings to make her happy? He was not happy to learn about her date with Marion Morrison, but then again, she did punch him when he got of line. So she supposed that he understood that he had no say in who she dated. Not that there was anyone else she wanted to date. Stop overthinking Decker, she said to herself. Her relationship with Lucifer was complicated enough without trying to go there again. She needed to be smart enough not to get burned twice.

“That's good Mom, I knew you would make up. Like me and Noah did.”

They arrived at a building in the heart of the city. It was a red brick building on the outside, very modest looking. It must have been a warehouse or large garage before being taken over by her partner. Or was it former partner? Only Lucifer could be able to find a space so quickly, although it wasn't his normal flair. The detective and her daughter rang the bell as the door was locked. They heard a Buzz sound and the door opened. They stepped inside into a large room with concrete floors and a very old bar in one corner. The bar took up the whole corner and it appeared to be made of pure mahogany. It even featured three mirrors in the back, like one of those prohibition bars from the old gangster movies. She heard her daughter running around looking at everything.

“Mom, look in the back! It's full of old looking piping and large tubs.” Chloe noticed much of the distilling equipment in the back of the warehouse. It wasn't put together yet. There was also nothing to sit on. She would need to find a chair soon.“Don't touch anything.” Last thing she needed was for her daughter to break something.

“Detective!” She heard a familiar voice exclaim. He stepped out of the back, apparently there was another room back there. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Before she had a chance to reply her daughter ran to Lucifer in her typical fashion. It never stopped making her smile. Lucifer immediately stiffened and patted her on the head, asking her if she would ever tire of this exchange between them.

“You're funny. Where did your suit go?” Her daughter inquired.

“As it turns out crafting fine spirits and putting together a distillery do not mix with Armani child. You would not believe the filth that littered this place before myself and the workman cleaned it. It was dirty as the city of Dis. So, feel free to touch my clothes with your sticky fingers.” The man said feigning dislike of the child’s attention.

“My fingers aren't sticky, Lucifer, I’m not a little kid anymore.”

“Right,” Lucifer said sarcastically.

Chloe was sure his outfit cost him just about as much as his suits judging by Lucifer’s tastes. “It will take some getting used to, but you look good Lucifer, more like the rest of us.” It wasn't him exactly but she did like the look.

“Well, I’m glad you like it Detective. I look better in even less.” He gave her that genuine smile that she could swear that he reserved only for her. He brushed his sweatshirt, as if he was smoothing invisible wrinkles. “Anyway, I wanted to ask your opinion on how I should decorate the tasting room and design the building. I will have workmen coming in next week to renovate.”

Huh, he wanted her option on style? He always told her he didn’t like her tastes.“You want my opinion?”

“Of course. I would need your input if we're going to be partners in this venture.”

Hold on! He wanted her to be part of this business? What did she know about making and selling liquor? This was insane, she already had a job that kept her very busy. “Partners?”

He looked at her with an earnest expression now, his hands in his pockets. “ You said it yourself once, we make a good team, Detective. You still need me to make your sabbatical more interesting. Otherwise you will keep pining over your love life and we can’t have that can we. Humm, what do you say? You can be as involved as you want to be. I know you enjoy spirits.”

“But I don’t have any money to invest in this. It wouldn’t be fair to you to put up all the capital.” The woman argued with her hands on her hips.

“Detective, I spent almost nothing on this building. The former owner was more than happy to get it off his hands, gambling debts you see. I will take care of the taxes as well for now as the building is in my name. The equipment was laughably cheap. We will start by selling the liquor at Lux and then we can branch out to both bars and retail stores after. If it takes off, you will be able to afford a better place to live, a college education for your daughter, perhaps. If it doesn't then you have lost nothing.”

Her daughter piped in, “You can sell t-shirts and glasses and stuff too, like Guinness or Budweiser.”

“How do you know about beer brands?” She said to her daughter.

Trixie looked at her with a shrug and said, “TV.”

“Great idea child.” The Devil turned to look at her. Nice to know that the small human was on his side.

This man made a very persuasive argument, no wonder he made so many deals, the Detective thought. He was making sure that the only thing she had to worry about was lost time. Which she appreciated because, he knew she didn’t make a lot of money. Did she want to work closely with him again? Could she handle it without letting her emotions get the best of her? Police work was one thing. People needed help and justice, but this would be entirely for pleasure. She had more than enough time on her hands with her forced leave, and she could always have her doctor extend her time off. Find a way to get him back in your life, she remembered Marion Morrisson telling her, in whatever way you can handle.

“Did you try some of my experiments?” He asked breaking her out of her thoughts. She nodded in reply.

“Excellent, which ones did you like the best? I have some more around if you can’t decide, Detective.” He said as he headed back to the bar and pulling out a few mason jars and glasses. “Or if you'd prefer I can always make a buttery nipple for you.” The devil said smirking. She glared at him.“What about a screaming orgasm? I give the best of course.”

“I liked the honey shine and the habanero infused gin.” She said between clenched teeth and a blush. He always knew how the press her buttons. She did really like working the ass, more than she liked to still admit. As a bonus, this would not involve any life or death situations. Maybe it would give them time to get to know each other again. She had avoided him for months, and it had been very hard on her. She had missed him.

“What's an orgasm?” The child interrupted. Looking to the two adults for information about the strange word she didn’t understand.

Chloe gave Lucifer what she hoped was her best death glare to prevent him from answering. “Why don’t we have a snack, Baby. I know Lucifer had a stash somewhere.” She also gave Trixie her phone hoping to distract her from anymore of his inappropriate comments.

Satan himself, duly chastened for the moment at least, put out a quart of orange juice for the three of them along with a bag of cool ranch puffs, potato chips, and a few bars of chocolate. The orange juice did go nicely with the habanero gin, she thought as she looked over the space in the room. The room would need a few couches in the middle for people to lounge, and it would also need a few large high top tables where people could sit. They could even have shorter tables and chairs to the far side of the room by the bar. She thought about putting together cocktail classes, distillery tours, and special events. She lifted herself up to sit on the bartop as Lucifer took it as his que to lift her daughter up her sit next to her.

She sat in a companionable silence. Her daughter leaning into her as they munched on the cool ranch puffs. Not able to stay quiet for long, Lucifer spoke to Trixie and herself about the process of making distilled spirits. Something about how distillation is used to separate ethanol from water in the mash of grain, water, and sugar. Furthermore the grain used and how long the product is stored creates the different flavors. She remembered learning about the process in science class at her community college.

She smiled at herself and she turned to the two most important people in her life and said. “I have a few ideas for this place.”

******

A newly risen son of God flew across the city of Los Angeles. It had taken him no time at all to get used to his new wings. The flying felt wonderful and thrilling, although he was cautious not to let any humans see him, cloaking himself when needed. The flight was also able to give him some clarity; even more than his improv sessions with his new friend Dan. As he flew, he felt that it was time to go home to be with his siblings in Heaven. His Father has given him a choice, something he never had before. He needed to do the right thing. And although he would miss his Mother he knew that he could not say goodbye to her, or she would try to make him stay with her; tempt him to turn against his Father. She was so blinded by her rage that she couldn't see clearly. The divine had no place in the lives of humans, he knew that now. He wanted to be with his siblings to clear up any misconceptions about Uriel and Lucifer, and to properly grieve for the deceased. He would also take Uriel's body with him to lay him to rest.

The dark angel landed on the street in front of his brother’s new building. He had never seen it before, but he could follow his brother’s divine essence now that his powers were back. He looked into the window and saw his brother, Chloe, and her little one sitting on the bar bar drinking and talking. They looked so happy sitting together; Chloe with her arms around her daughter, and Lucifer making them laugh with something he said. They looked like a family, he thought smiling to himself. His brother might be angry with him for interrupting this nice moment, but Hell, what were brother’s for? Amenadiel grinned wider as he rang the buzzer. After a moment his brother answered the door.

“Amenadiel. What are you doing here?”

“We have to talk brother. Wait, what are your wearing?”

The devil looked at his attire. “Oh this...Well it's all part of the job, I suppose. Now why do you seem to find the most inconvenient time to walk into my life? It’s like you have a sixth sense for my fun and how to ruin it.”

“Amenadiel, come join us?” Chloe asked from across the room.

“Oh, I’m sure my saintly brother wouldn't be drinking before noon.” The Devil looked back to see her and the little monster were talking to each other and distracted.

“I know you don’t want me interrupting your time with Chloe, but I don’t have much time.” The older brother said and he noticed the concern on the Devil’s face. Their relationship had really gotten stronger in the last three years. They had hardly known each other, so many millennia had passed after the fall, but now on earth they had learned to be brothers again. Lucifer let him pass through the front of the building. He spoke in lowered tones, “Father has given me back my wings and has offered me a choice of staying here or going back home. I have made the decision to leave earth very soon. I miss our home.”

Lucifer looked at him with flashing red eyes and opened his mouth to say something most likely about himself but then shut it again and closed his eyes. When he finally reigned in his anger he said, “Well brother, I’m glad for you, truly. Say hi to our siblings for me. I’m sure they will be happy to see Mum again.”

Oh no, his brother thought he was taking Mother with him. For a moment he thought of lying to him but decided against it. “ I’m not taking Mother with me. Now that Father has put some faith in me again. I cannot allow Mother to hurt him.”

Lucifer rolled his eyes looking annoyed at his brother. “The old man has made himself known again. I’m sure if he wanted Mum home she would be there already. And since the world didn’t destroy itself, he most likely never got around to having that conversation with her.”

Amenadiel frowned, “I haven't spoken to Mother in a while. Could you check on her once I’m gone?”

“Of course, leave me to be the dutiful son.” The devil said. “Aren't you going to say goodbye to anyone else brother? Is there no-one else in this creation your going to miss besides my handsome face?” Lucifer turned his brother towards the two humans at the bar.

He did in fact. He decided that he would drop in and see Maze and offer her a chance to go back to hell. He would also see Linda. And he couldn't forget Chole’s litle girl, the child who had out angeled him in the hospital. Who had seen this wings without fear.

“Hi Ladies,” He started as he walked over to the bar. “I’m here to tell you that I’m going home and leaving LA. So I’m happy that you're here so I can say goodbye”. He did not fail to notice the sad looks on their faces, especially Trixie, who looked like she was going to cry.

“I’m going to miss you,” the little girl said and she moved off the platform to hug him. “You’ll come back and see us though right?” The burley angel nodded at her, “I will try.”

“Where is your home, anyway?” Chloe asked pushing herself to her feet.

“Heaven, Mom, he’s an angel.” The daughter informed her Mother in an exasperated tone of someone who so obviously knows the right answer. Chloe looked up at the man as if to say ‘not you too’ but moved in to hug him anyway.

“She is right Detective…”

Amendidal interrupted him and said, “Umm, we’re originally from Paradise, Michigan.”

“Very funny,” Lucifer whispered to his brother.

*****

Chapter Text

“Remember Spawn, don’t breathe a word of today to your Father. If you do, we won’t be able to continue.”

“Don’t worry Lucifer,” The girl replied. “I can keep a secret”.

The Devil nodded curtly, “Be sure you do”. Or I will never hear the end of it, he thought silently.

Lucifer knocked on the door of Dan’s apartment, located in a modest building only a few blocks from the precinct. He found himself in charge of picking the spawn up from her place of torture that humans call ‘a school’ and bringing her to her father’s place for the weekend. How could the once proud Devil find himself being a chafer for a human spawn, he wondered, and not for the first time. Quite frankly, the offspring wasn’t bad as far as children went; Beatrice was clever and deceptive, qualities that he admired. Furthermore, the child accepted him for what he was, and whenever she had the opportunity she tried to con him into showing her his true face. She tried offering him information on her mother, promised to leave them ‘alone’ when he came to the apartment, and once even refused to let go of his leg until he relented. He almost caved at that last shakedown, until he remembered how good of a shot the Detective was with her firearm. Since he didn’t need a hole in his head, or a broken spawn, he had placated the pint-size schemer by agreeing to let her drive his Corvette. She steered the vehicle while he commanded the foot pedals. They had done a remarkable job since his reflexes were the best on any plane of existence.

His reason for driving the spawn today was two-fold; he gave her the agreed upon driving lesson, and it allowed her Mother more time to rest before meeting him tonight to sample the new line of products. Sampling the product and tweaking the recipes were the best part of the creative process for the Devil. He enjoyed creating new things, it wasn’t as massive as the stars, but the process still gave him pleasure. Said process even better when he could share it with his Detective.

On the work front, Morningstar Distilling Inc. was moving along quite well. Their product lineup currently consists of Horn & Tail Vodka; an earthy and slightly spicy toned drink made from potato and rye grain, and Consort’s Gin; liqueur infused with Juniper berries, habanero chilies, and citrus fruits. It was bright, light, and crisp. Just like Chloe. She objected to the name of course but in the end he had won that argument. ‘Nonsense Detective’ he had told her, his eyes laced with mischief, ‘You consort with the Devil all the time.’ The names were all related to his Devil Stitch after all. Chloe took care of most of the boring stuff including the books and licenses. He was in charges of creating and marketing their devilish products to other clubs, bars, and stores in the City of Angels.

The sound of the door opening pulled the Devil out of his pondering. It revealed Dan dressed in jeans and a LA Kings Jersey. His eyebrows drew together in confusion, until he spotted his daughter in the doorway, his face lighting up with a smile. “Hi Monkey, I see that you already got your cake today.” He said to her noticing the box from the local bakery in her arms. “Are you ready to go to the water park this weekend?”

Trixie squealed excitedly and hugged her father. “Really Dad? That’s awesome!” She let him go after a while and turned to go inside, biding the Devil goodbye and thanking him for the ride home from school.

“Hey man, thanks for bringing her home,” Dan said to the taller man. When Lucifer did not immediately turn to leave Dan asked him, “Do you wanna come in or something?”

Lucifer nodded his head and stepped inside. He had been meaning to ask Dan about Chloe’s love life and he did have some time to kill. He looked around him as if he was in a museum. The apartment wasn’t bad. Not as tidy as he required of his home but the Detective did not live in squalor. He noticed it featured pictures of Dan and his family, some such sportsball memorability, and an autographed poster of the Body Bags 4.

“Do you want a beer?” Dan offered him as he moved into the kitchen.

“Do you have any whiskey?” The devil asked. Dan shook his head. When in Rome, Lucifer thought to himself. “Very well, I’ll try your finest swil Detective Douche,” Lucifer said with his trademark grin.

“Don’t be a dick, I have one six pack in here. “ Dan handed the Devil a bottle of Allagash White and narrowed his eyes with interest when Lucifer was able to pop open the top without a bottle opener.

Lucifer rolled his eyes and said, “Devil remember, supernatural strength comes with the territory.” He took a sip. It was a crisp and a pleasantly hoppy but it lacked the burn that Lucifer really enjoyed.

Dan scoffed at him but didn’t push anything and asked the man who would be the devil, “How’s your Brother? He didn’t leave a number or a forwarding address did he? Chlo told me that he lives in Michigan. I’d like to visit him.” He missed the big guy and wanted to know how he was doing.

Lucifer face-palmed, he would not play along with this bloody charade. “Amenadiel does not live in Michigan or anywhere else on earth. But if he pops down in the next fifty years I will be sure to let him know.” His voice coming down harder than he intended. It wasn’t the douche’s fault his brother left him. Not that he had asked the feathered oaf to stay.

Well that’s a sore subject for him, the Detective thought to himself. He knew to stay clear of that in the future. With a nod he decided to change the subject, “I can’t read minds. Did you come here to ask me something?”

“Right.” He figured it was best to just come out and asked the Douche if he knew who Chloe was in love with. “Do you know if the Detective has feelings for someone in the Department?”

Dan looked at him for a moment as if deciding what to say. “The only person I know that Chloe had feelings for recently was you.”

“But surely see has moved onto someone else? She spoke to me about a man who hasn’t returned her feelings.”

Dan sat in his kitchen chair trying to relax into the conversation. He motioned for Lucifer to sit but he never moved to sit down. “If she’s met someone she hasn’t talked to me about it. Or Trixie.”

“Then who?” Lucifer muttered and cocked his head to the side in an almost avian gesture. Was he lying to him, or did the Douche just not know that much about Chloe’s personal life? Or could she still have feelings for him? He wanted the latter so badly. He felt a fullness in his chest before he remembered Doctor Linda’s advice to him about showing the Detective who he really was. Surely, she didn’t need to know right away. Not when everything was going well between them. He saw her about every other day and communicated via text message about the business on a daily basis. They even ate dinner together at least once a week. All of that would crumble into dust once she believed him.

Dan smiled, noticing the Devil’s inward and confused expression. “Look man, I don’t have to like it but…I know that you care about Chloe. You saved her life and for that I will always be grateful. I was with her for nine years and in that time I’ve only seen her cry once.” The detective thought of the birth of his daughter all those years ago and smiled. “Her go to emotion has always been anger, she doesn’t trust many people to understand or support her. But with you, she allows herself to feel.” Chloe had always kept Dan at arm’s length and never really trusted him with her softer side as he liked to think of it. The side that wanted romance and became sad whenever she thought of her father. Looking back he suspected the she made the best of her situation when they found out she was pregnant. He wasn’t sure she would have stayed as long as she did otherwise. Chloe was a settler and always looked for the good in people and gave second, and even third chances. Dan paused to look at his colleague; if there ever was a man that needed a fourth chance, it was Lucifer. The guy was an irrefutable ass with a serious amount of issues but he wasn’t a bad guy once you got to know him. “You need to let her know that you care about her. Don’t waste time pretending that you just want to be her friend because, believe me, one day when you’re not looking she will move on. ”

“Well, well, Detective Espinoza, that was quite an emotional speech.” Lucifer said uncomfortably trying to think of a joke to fill the tension. “Do you fancy a shag?”

“You can make a joke if you want. But seriously, do you want her to settle for someone else?”

“The Detective shouldn’t have to settle.” His voice lined with anger at the accusation.

“Then give her a reason to give you another chance. Listen, you don’t have to respond right now but just think it over.” As Dan said his piece to Lucifer, he felt a rush wash over him. It has been a long time since he was able to truly help Chloe without messing it up somehow. She deserved to be happy. They both did. He finished his beer and stood up from the small kitchen table. “I’m going to take Trixie out to dinner. Do you want to come?”

“Yeah Lucifer, come to In & Out Burger with us!” The offspring said to him who was eavesdropping on the entire conversation.

“Monkey, don’t eavesdrop on people it’s not nice.” Her Father admonished her. The child looked at her feet and shuffled them. “Sorry Daddy.”

“I was planning on eating with the Detective tonight, but I’ve never been one to turn down food. Is it good?” The devil watched as the girl shook her head excitedly. “Very well.”

“Lucifer.” He felt tap his leg and looked down again. “Just be yourself, ok. Mommy already likes you.” And with her message delivered the child scampered off to find her father, who was getting his wallet and keys.

Just be himself, but that was the problem, wasn’t it?

******

Chloe had arrived at the distillery around seven thirty dressed in comfortable tights and a long sleeve blue shirt that hugged her slender curves. The devil was happy to see she looked well rested, the dark circles that once haunted her face no longer making an appearance.

Before coming to greet her partner, Chloe stopped at her office in the back behind the bar to gather the paperwork she was working on as well as her touchpad tablet. There were distribution orders, delivery slips to file, and bills to pay. Maze had showed her how to work with the accounting software as well as give her tips on running the financial aspects of the project, when she had first started months ago. It wasn’t as exciting as running after perps, but it did pay better and gave her more time with her daughter.
Her two weeks of forced medical leave had turned into a year-long sabbatical after the department psychologist had discovered what had happened to her and her family over the last two years. He had refused to clear her for even desk duty. Fortunately, she was able to make it work with a combination of paid time off and the dipping into the department sick bank. She still had some time left before she had to go back.

Lucifer’s eyes narrowed when he saw her clenching her jaw with files in her hands. He could see her annoyance in her posture and sway of her hips. “Detective, I thought we agreed upon just tasting tonight and no paperwork?”

“You agreed to no paperwork, and why do we have a bill from some unpronounceable place in Wales for a delivery of water? I do not remember ordering water from halfway around the world,” She waved her hands about before placing them on her hips.

“You don’t because I placed the order myself. You do remember that water is the key to moonshine and whiskey?” The Devil said as he removed his cuff links and rolled up his shirt sleeves, his suit jacket already discarded on a chair.

“Which is why I ordered the water filtration system, which is up and running right?” She questioned him as if he was sitting in an interrogation room. He answered in the affirmative.

“Then?”

“The water came from Wales so that I could recreate the taste of old Welsh whiskey. I only tasted it once or twice in the past but remember it being excellent.” It was light and tropical with a bitter but sweet finish. He always liked the Welsh. Salt of the earth people, with proper fear and respect for his devilish self.

“And you didn’t go over a $30,000 dollar purchase with me!?”

“Well would you have agreed?” He couldn’t help but grin at her reaction; all eye roll and hands held up an exasperation. He didn’t often have the opportunity to annoy her, since he stopped being a crime solving devil.

“No, and don’t look at me like that. I know you have the money but I should know about these things.” Really, it’s like the man was just looking for ways to get stuck in her craw. He spent money like there was no tomorrow, but she was surprised to discover how diverse his financial profile was. Lucifer had his hands in multiple investments, all of which seemed to make him very rich indeed. All she had was her pension and health benefits when she retired. Hell, she didn’t even own a home.

“We, Detective, we have the money, and my apologies, I will let you know about future large ticket purchases.” Lucifer reveled in her delicate blush and lack of response to the sentiment.

They ordered and ate Chinese food since it was Chloe’s turn to pick. Chloe finished the paperwork, while Lucifer flitted about checking the some of the stills, thump boxes, and collection pans. After an hour or so they were ready for testing. Lucifer had lain out two flights of four moonshines for them, each sample being made from different ingredients. The four horsemen as he had started calling them were; Honey-shine, Corn-shine, Sweet Mash, which was a mix of corn and sugar, and his personal favorite Barley-shine. The barley-shine was currently being put in oak and sherry wood casts to become the Devil’s Whiskey.

“Pace yourself darling,” Lucifer warned the Detective before she sat in front of her flight. Some of the moonshine’s were as much as 125 proof and as smooth as silk.

*****
“So...your name means Light?” she asked after taking a sip of her fourth sample. She closed her eyes for a moment savoring the taste. How could something so strong go down so smooth?

Lucifer’s eyebrows raised to his hairline. “More `cisely, it’s Latin for Light Bringer. It’s made two words; Lux, meaning light. And ferre, which means to bring.”

She nodded her head thoughtfully, “N` Mooorninggstar… Why did you choose that name? It’s not like you had it `fore you got to LA.”

“No, `tective I had always carried that particular title although ‘son of the Morning’ was also popular.” He drained the rest of his glass and dropped it on the table. He thought for a moment looking at her from across the table with wide blinking eyes , “Green Shoot,” he said excitedly. Chloe turned her head, her golden hair cascading down her shoulders, her body leaning over the table to the side. He wanted to run his hands in her hair to know if it was a soft as it looked. Instead he said, “Chloe’s Greek for green shoot or bloom.”

Her smile like that of the cheshire cat ,“I like that. Whadabout Trixie?”

“Beatrice means to bring joy,” He said very pointedly. “It’s nod`a verycommon name nowadays. Did you name her after someone?”

“Nope, she’s named after Beatrice who took Dante to heaven. It was my Nanna’s favorite book.” She said with a wistful expression. “Heard`a it?” She teased her eyebrow going up playfully.

He blinked, not expecting the Detective to be interested in something about the supernatural or divine, “I have an ori..g..i..nal signed copy of The Divine Comedy for Heaven’s sake. Devil`member?” Lucifer said pointing to himself.

“You musta left your copy in hell,” she deadpanned. When had she stopped trying to figure out his deal? Had it been when she chickened out of testing his blood?

“I had to carry Mazey topside, must travel light.” The devil said petulantly. “I’m not a madman `tective. I’ve always told you the truth. You. You refuse to see what’s in right front,” he pointed a finger at her and waved it back and forth. This was preposterous! She still doesn’t believe him after all that she has seen and heard being his partner. Maybe it was high time he tried to convince her. But they definitely, definitely needed more alcohol. If she reacted badly she just might believe that was an alcohol induced hallucination, the human mind always tried to find a rational explanation, especially his partner. He knew it was a cop-out, pun intended, but on the other hand Linda never advised him on How he should tell her only that he should. Maybe this way, he could still keep her.

She placed a hand on his shoulder sensing his distress. She didn’t believe in God, heaven or hell. She believed they were all stories told to people looking for answers to life’s unfairness. But her father believed. John Decker believed that God had a plan for him and for her, his miracle child. Chloe still wasn’t sure what he would have made of Lucifer. Would he have been weary of the all of his weirdness and strange occurrences? Nope, her father would have either outed the man or proved him a fraud. “Whadifjust for t`night, I play along with your….Luciferness.” She said to him as her head danced on her shoulders. “What can yooou show meee to prove you’re the Devil!?” She said feeling the liquid courage in her veins.

For a moment, the distillery was devoid of all sound, as if every creature on earth stopped in its racks. Lucifer sucked in a breath, “Hum…Good question ‘tective,” he stood up rather unsteadily and went to the bar to fix them some more drinks. “I suppose you can choose how you want me to reveal myself to you.” He handed her another six ounce glass of the honey-shine. The feeling of dread creeping up his spine, “I can just show you a taste...or you can choose to see the Full Monty, if you will. Eitherwayyou need to have another.” The Devil couldn’t even bring himself to even smile at his dick joke

“Why?”

His response was only to look at her still full glass. She sighed and took and generous mouthful. After finishing her glass she heard the Devil say, “ To dull your fear.” The remark reminded her of the Jimmy Buffet song where the narrator drank so much moonshine, he wasn’t afraid of an approaching bear because he was God’s own drunk. She giggled, imagining Lucifer as a lumbering bear with red horns looking for honey. Chloe felt his hand gently lift her chin so that she was looking into his bloodshot eyes. They bore into hers with a look that caused her smile to falter as he stood over her. “There's a Damn good reason Jimmy Barnes is in a strait jacket and that biker fellow jumped to his ear’ demise. All it took was one look at my real face.” He saw her look of confusion and continued, “This face, this face is an image of what I used to look like `fore…”

“Before… you fell?” She had done some research on the subject of the Devil. She knew the basics, Lucifer was once a mighty archangel who started an uprising against God. He was eventually defeated and cast into Hell. The bible never really said, why he tried to overthrow heaven.

Lucifer stood back and lifted his own glass to his lips, the warmth of the liquor mixing with the icy chill of anxiety. He could do this, she had already seen so many strange things. This just happened to be the coup de gras to her denial. “Yes, I once.. Reflected the light of God, just as the moon reflects the light from the sun. Now...” He gave her a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Well I won’t be winning... beauty contests.”

“And my other option!?” the woman said loudly enough to be considered yelling, her imagination going into overdrive as she stumbled off her stool. Lucifer’s quick hands the only thing that kept her on her feet.

“That would be to just view my eyes, alight with the flames of.”

As he said that the memory of the strange reflection pulled from the back of her mind, a flash are red skin and black eyes. Chloe thought it was a trick of the light. Could she be wrong? “Show me...alll of you,” She told her partner.

Lucifer took her hand to gently run his thumb back and forth over her knuckles, a motion more to sooth himself then placate any fear his partner may have. Before he could stop himself, he pulled Chloe into a bear hug, not knowing if he would ever get the chance to touch her again, the selfish creature that he was. Chloe went ridged and then relaxed into him, her eyes closing and her body going limp as Lucifer spoke into her ear, “`fore we do this Chloe. Must must understand, that I’m still the Lucifer you know. I…don’t want you afraid of me. Never `at, Never! For I mean you and your offsprig no harm. I have, will do, and have done everything in my power to keep.” When she didn’t respond and he felt her head land on his shoulder, he knew she had fallen asleep. He shook her awake. “No no no! Bad Chloe! Not this time.”

“Huh,” she said her eye droopy, “I...I’m awake.”

“Ready Darling?” he inquired still holding her up. “ You have nothing to fear from me.”

She smiled sleepily and said “I kno`.”

Lucifer stood her on her two feet and took several steps back from her. The lights in the distillery dimmed and flickered overhead before coming back to normal just in time for Chloe to see his skin magically recede off of him to reveal burnt flesh and sinewy muscles. Lucifer stood before her his bald head down refusing to look at her, his posture rigid and shaking. “Fuck!?” She mouthed. She moved closer to him trying to find Lucifer within that horror she saw before her. She reached out with shaky hands to touch his face, she had to know if what she was seeing was real. She grazed her fingertips over his face and head, hot and dry to her touch.

He waited for the scream, the whimper, the sound of her footsteps carrying her away from him. He waited for her to curse him, to tell him that she hated him. He looked at his feet afraid to look at her and see her face alight with horror. Suddenly he felt something feather light touch him. His red eyes flew open to meet glistening blue, her face only a hairs width away from his. He jumped back as if propelled by a spring. A rush of sound roared through his ears as his knees buckled, and black clouds pressed their way into his vision.

Chloe tried to catch the Devil as he fell with a muffled scream, her mind no longer clouded with sleep. She only managed to break his fall as they both slide to the floor, their legs tangled together in an unceremonious heap.

“`ucifer?”

But all she heard from the Devil was a soft snore as his head lay on her chest, his devilface going in and out of view before relaxing into his true form.

Chloe looked up at the ceiling unable to move. “Oh, God.”

Chapter Text

Lucifer awoke on the floor of the distillery, his back hurting and a dull ache behind his eyes. “Bloody hell,” he murmured. His mouth tasted like he had swallowed a hamster. This must be what the humans were always complaining about after drinking, but he shouldn’t be feeling anything like that. Unless. Lucifer looked to his right, no Detective. He looked to his left, no Detective...Curious.

“Detective? Did you run screaming into the night?” His stomach fell to his knees, he didn’t remember what happened after he proved himself. How had she reacted? He remembered that she touched him but how could she? How could anyone willingly touch his face? That must have been a fever dream he decided. Then he noticed that there was a pillow under his head and his upper half was lying on the rug in the middle of the distillery. There was even a blanket bunched up at his feet. The Detective must have done that before she left.

Finally, the dawn damaged Devil looked behind him. There she was, fast asleep on the leather sofa. Her hair was fanned out above her head like a halo. Her face was relaxed in sleep, and her body well cocooned in a blanket. Disappointment flooded the first fallen because she was definitely starkers underneath the blanket. He had missed her getting naked. But then he remembered a time when she had been naked before. She had told him that she does that when she gets upset. Was she angry with him? Did she also stay just so she could tell him off? If she hated him why did she get him a pillow? What message was she sending him?

Lucifer jumped as the sound of Chloe’s phone filled the large space of the distillery. The sound loud enough to wake the long dead. Lucifer took it upon himself to check who the caller was knowing Chloe would not want to miss an important call. It was Mazikeen. He put the phone to his ear.

“Decker! Did you get laid last night? You never stay away this long.” Mazes voice practically purred with excitement for her friend.

“Well, good morning to you Mazey. The Detective is sleeping at the moment.”

“Sleeping?” the demon said her tone deflated. Lucifer looked at his watch, it was noon. Not the single mother’s normal behavior for sure. “Did you guys finally polish the bar top with your butts?”

“Nothing so exciting but I may have complicated our relationship even further.” He heard another voice in the background, Linda’s perhaps, asking if he had shown her his face. “Yes. Doctor it happened.”

“And?” He could practically see Linda’s smart eyebrow rising above her glasses. He knew she was dying to know how she took the revelation. “How did she react?”

He sighed, “I don’t know?”

“How do you not know Lucifer? Should I worry about not having a roommate anymore? Why didn’t you tell me you were going to show her?” Maze questioned, her voice bristling.

He heard Linda say, “Maze, you’re not helping. Lucifer, please continue.”

Lucifer made a sound as if the phone was breaking up. “You're breaking up. The Detective must not have paid her phone bill. Must go.” He had to find out how the detective took the revelation before he could tell anyone about it.

“Wait Lucifer!” The devil hung up the phone and placed it in his pocket.

Chloe was stirring on the couch. Her eyelids fluttered open and she made a face as if she was sucking on a lemon. He didn’t want to frighten her so he stood very still barely breathing. The Detective looked around her before noticing the Devil. When she made no move to run he said, “Good morning, or should I say good afternoon, Detective”. He plastered a fake smile on his face. If he was lucky she wouldn’t remember anything.

“Hi,” Chloe said. She ran her hands through her messy hair and scowled as her hands hit knots. She must look awful. She felt awful.

“What do you remember of last night?”

“I…I have to.” was all she got out of her mouth before she clamped her hand over it and ran to the bathroom. The devil grimaced at the familiar sound of sickness coming from the loo. Feeling grateful for his supernatural metabolism, Lucifer gathered her clothes scattered about the floor and a bottle of water before he made his way to the bathroom.

“Your clothes are by the door Detective.”

She said nothing but did take his offering. When she felt like she wasn’t going to vomit anymore. She grabbed the water taking a few tentative sips. Her mouth was so dry it was hard to swallow the liquid. The last time she was this hungover had been her bachelorette party. She was almost thirty-seven for God’s sake. She cringed at the thought. Yep, God was real and so was the devil. Suddenly she felt sick again and vomited the water back up.

“Detective? Are you ok? Can I…get you anything? There are many hangover cures. I could make you a full fry up or we could go for Korean hangover soup. Or there’s is the famous prairie oyster, and we have all the ingredients here.” He heard Chloe moan. “I know a raw whole egg sounds unappetizing but they're actually quite tasty if you swallow.”

Every word sounded as if he was yelling at the top of his lungs. “Lucifer, could you please stop talking and get me some bread!?”

“Bread?”

“Yes, bread. I need something to absorb the alcohol in my stomach.” After a beat she added, “Please Lucifer, I know we need to talk but I’m too sick right now.” Chloe dry heaved above the toilet, her stomach muscles clenching angrily. In desperation, she put her head down on the cool floor hoping it would help her pounding head. Once he left she could get dressed and get herself together. Until then she was trapped and vulnerable. She couldn’t face him when she was praying to the porcelain god. Not when the Devil was standing outside the door expectant and terrified of her reaction.

******

Lucifer did as the Chloe asked, saying that he should be back in a moment and headed to the nearest restaurant. To his astonishment, he found an old fashioned dinner but a few blocks away. The place was an old greasy spoon with black and white tile on the floor and red cushioned bar stools. “Tough night?” the cook in the kitchen said to him as he sat down at the counter. “You could say that.” He did sleep on a concrete floor last night so he wasn’t going to argue. But he wasn’t in the mood to talk pleasantries either. He ordered a breakfast burrito for himself and two orders of toast. One with honey and the other fried in bacon grease. He also purchased tea for himself and coffee for the Detective. The fry cook gave him a strange look when he laid down a hundred dollar bill before he left.

As he sipped his tea, the Devil took inventory of himself. Being away from the Detective totally eliminated his headache. Only his Armani was worse for the wear. The woman was hell on his wardrobe, but that was a small price to pay to continue being a part of her life. The fact that she was still speaking to him filled him with some hope that she still thought him a mere human. Once she was feeling better he would take her home and then go back to Lux for a shower and a shave. Life would go on as normal.

*******
When Lucifer, the adversary, the fallen one, left Chloe felt comfortable enough to get dressed. She splashed water on her face, it felt great against her flushed skin. Her hair was a mess but she found a comb in her bag and used it to put her hair into a loose bun. She was also sweating but didn’t have any deodorant in her bag either. She sputtered. What a day this was turning out to be. If she was going to face him, the serpent, the Devil, she wanted to look halfway decent.

There was no way around it; Lucifer was Old Scratch, Beelzebub, Satan. She saw it with her own eyes and put her hands in his wounds, so to speak. She had never identified with anyone as much as she did with doubting Thomas right now. But that was it wasn’t it? She didn’t want to believe him. So she ignored any and all evidence of who he said he was. She was a grown woman, too old and too smart to believe in fairy tales. The biggest fairy tale of all was an ordered universe created by an omnipresent deity, or so she thought. Jokes on you Decker. Life was easier when she only thought that she had to answer to her fellow man. It wasn’t that she never thought about an afterlife, she liked that idea of seeing her father and grandparents again. But knowing for certain, well, that was something.

He did bleed, right? What did that mean? She had so many questions. What was she going to do with this information? Did it change anything?

Oh, Trixie! She was supposed to be home by eleven to greet her daughter when Dan dropped her off. Shit. She looked for her phone and couldn’t find it. Luckily her office had a land line. She dialed Trixie’s number but the phone went straight to voicemail. Which wasn’t totally out of the ordinary, but rare because she charged her phone at night. She then dialed Dan’s number.

“Hi Dan, where’s Trix?”

“Hi Chlo. She’s at home with Maze and Linda.” Demon! He left her daughter with an honest to God, Demon! Bile rose in her throat again and she felt as if she was going to faint. How many times had she left her daughter in the care of Legion? Don’t panic. She told herself. The best predictor of behavior is past behavior. If Maze wanted to hurt Trixie she would have done it already.

“Chloe, Chloe are you alright!?”

Her voice was higher pitched than normal. “Yeah, everything is fine.”

“Ok, you know if it wasn’t you could talk to me right?”

She was glad he wasn’t in front of her because he would see that her eyes were a little too bright and her smile a little too wide. “I know Dan, but everything is fine. Nothing new in my life. No revelations or…new…..things in my life. Ok, great, I’m gonna call Linda now.” She hung up the phone and called the blonde psychiatrist.

“Hi Chloe! What’s up?” Linda said happily waiting to hear from her friend. Acting as if nothing had changed.

“Where is my baby? Are you with her?” Chloe asked her friend, her voice shrill with barely contained panic.

“I just left your apartment, Chloe. Maze is watching her.”

She screamed, “You what!”.

“Chloe! Chloe. Can you hear me?” She didn’t answer. Her breath was coming in short, heavy breaths. The phone shook in her hands, “Breathe, Chloe. Your daughter is safe. You’re having a panic attack.”. Panicking, yeah. Her daughter wasn’t with her. She couldn’t get to her. “You can do this. Your fear is making your heart pound harder, but your heart is actually fine. Trixie is fine. Maze is no danger to her. What do you need?”

“I want to hear my daughter. See her.”

“OK. Chloe I’m going to put this call on hold. Then I’m going to call Maze and have her put Trixie on the phone. Ok?”

She nodded her head but remembered that Linda couldn’t see her. “Ok,” she said and waited the few agonizing minutes without her daughter. Unwelcome thoughts of Malcolm filling her head. “Hi Mommy! Did you have fun at your sleepover with Lucifer! Did he tell you he really, really likes you?”

Her rigid body relaxed into a boneless mass of jelly. “Hi, Baby! Is everything ok at home?”

“Yeah mom, I’m preparing Maze for surgery today. Are you coming home later?”

“Yes, I missed you. I’ll make dinner tonight, ok. Anything you want.” She wiped the tears out of her eyes.

“Can you make chicken soup?”

“Sure.” She could have chocolate cake for dinner until she graduated high school. She’s ok. No one was going to hurt her daughter. Maze wasn’t going to hurt her. Maze was her friend, she had to remember that.

“Ok Mom. I have to scrub up for the operation. Tell Lucifer you really like him too. Bye, love you.” Trixie said totally oblivious to her mother’s relief and heartache.

“I love you.” She heard rustling on the end of the line and then Linda’s voice again.

“Chloe...Decker. If you don’t have to go anywhere soon then I suggest that you stay where you are and rest. Your body had a nasty shock and from what Maze told me, you might have a hangover. Drink plenty of fluids. Also, if you need to talk about what you learned today I’m here as well. I understand that this can be a lot to take in. It takes some time to adjust.”

“Um, thanks Linda. I think I’ll take you up on that.”

“Good, see you soon.”

Chloe put the receiver down and closed her eyes, just hoping to rest them for a minute.

********

Lucifer entered the brewery with his brunch winnings still warm. Didn’t see the Detective but could hear her talking in her office. His sharp senses picked up on her tones of distress. He moved closer, his ear to door, she must be on the phone.

“I know Dan, but everything is fine. Nothing new in my life. No revelations or…new…..things in my life. Ok, great, I’m gonna call Linda now.”

Nothing new? Well that was a bold faced lie if he ever heard one. She was obviously distressed but trying not to let Dan know. The stubborn woman never let herself seem weak. But that wasn’t entirely true. She did stay that she could be vulnerable with him once, long ago. Then the Devil heard Chloe say, “Where is my baby? Are you with her?” She was worried about the spawn?

She screamed, “You what!”.

Hearing her scream he opened the door to see she was sitting at her desk. The phone was pressed to her ear, her body curled up on itself, tears in her eyes. Her skin was deathly pale, and she was breathing so heavily it was as if she had been running. He wanted so badly to reach out to her and comfort her. Instead, he stood in the doorway and watched the scene play out. He would punish the necessary party later.

“Hi Baby! Is everything ok at home?.....Yes, I missed you. I’ll make dinner tonight, ok. Anything you want…..Sure, I love you……Um, thanks Linda. I think I’ll take you up on that.” Her body melted over the desk as she put her head down. After a long pause the beast, the Lord of the underworld, the Tempter entered the office and leaned on her desk making himself smaller. He wished he had something for her other than bread which he placed on her desk.

Old Nick cleared his throat and said, “Well, there you are Detective. I must say this new outfit is not an improvement to your birthday suit. Chloe is everything alright?”

She looked up at him blinking with unfocused eyes. “Yeah. She’s fine. Mmm, Maze is watching her.”

Lucifer swallowed. Why was this was simple conversation so difficult? “You know Chl- Detective… Maze won’t hurt you or your spawn. She’s a protector, among other things.”

Chloe sniffed and wiped her eyes again. “I know. I just forgot for a second. I don’t know the first thing about all this.” She moved her hands to indicate the world around her. “Demons, and heaven, and hell, and you.” All this was, just so otherworldly. Alien. Insane really. She felt like she was drowning in an ocean much, much bigger than herself.

“Oh, so you remember? What happened after?” No more hiding. The Devil had made his bed and now had to lie in it.

“After you passed out on top of me? I was trapped under you until you rolled off of me. Not sure how long it was, but you stayed in your other skin for a long time.” She spent some time that night touching the angry red skin on his face and head, so warm to the touch. His body felt good pressed against her, so she waited until he moved on his own. She pushed back the unnerving memory of her own arousal. It must have been all the moonshine messing with her head. Afterwards, she had tried to make him more comfortable when it was clear that he wasn't going to wake up. All she was able to do was drag him to the carpet and put a pillow under his head.

Oh, shit. Lucifer thought. She must have been scared out of her wits having his monstrous dead weight upon her. It was another miracle she wasn't stark raving mad with so much up close and personal time with his devil face. But she was still here. That must count for something. He backed up until he was only an arm's length from her. “My apologies, Detective, I never meant to frighten you.”

Was she afraid of him? No, not of him. She knew he would never hurt her. Last night he laid himself bare, and he was scared even now that she was going to pick up her kid and run. It was understandable how he didn’t want to show her his face. If she wasn’t so drunk the night before she might have reacted badly. Instead of being frightened, she was fascinated and more but now, in the light of day, it didn’t seem so fantastic. “Not of you. But this is just…just…so...”

“Fantastic? Awe inspiring?” He quipped with the vibrato that he didn’t feel.

She gave him a half smile, “Overwhelming.”.

“Right, well. I’m sure you are feeling the motherly need to see your offspring, yeah? We can continue this conversation this evening when you’re feeling better. Shall I take you home?” The conversation to come would be better when he wasn’t feeling so raw.

“No, Lucifer. I think I’m going to need some time away. To think about everything.” After she saw his face fall she regretted uttering that sentence. His eyes went from glassy to flint in a matter of moments. When he spoke his voice was like a winter's day. “How much time, Detective? Enough to pack your belongings and flee from the Devil!?” It was too much to hope that she would stay and continue to work by his side. It was sweet of her to break it to him gently, but in the end it would be the same as if she had come at him with a torch and pitchfork. He turned to leave the office but she leaped up from her chair and grabbed his forearm with both of hers. “Lucifer. I’m not leaving. I just need a night and a day to myself. Last night was…really crazy. I am having the worst hangover of my life. Just please just wait for me to call you.”

He looked at her hands holding his forearm and gave her one of those soft smiles that she swore that he reserved only for her. “Very well, Detective, take all the time you need.”

He left the office knowing it was the last time he would ever see her again.

Chapter Text

The demon watched from her swing, naked as the day she was forged in hellfire, as the blonde therapist slept peacefully in her sheets. The apartment was quiet in the early morning hours. Usually, she wanted her other lovers to leave even before the sun came up, but with Linda she didn’t seem to mind her staying around. Linda had made her feel wanted when she really needed it, and she had helped her find her way in this human world. She was one of the few creatures she would consider a friend in this world or any other. Friendship was something that the demon did not take lightly.

The demoness thought back to the night before. She had taken that tiny human’s advice and invited Linda over for a movie. They picked a comedy call The Evil Dead. The idea of a book having the power to summon demons from hell, hilarious. Like she would bother killing horny teenagers in the woods. As they watched the movie, she had made popcorn for Linda and was very proud when it didn't light on fire. There was nothing that she, a demon, couldn't handle in the kitchen with enough effort. After the movie they had spent the rest of the evening in her bedroom. On that thought, Mazikeen stood from her perch and slipped into bed beside her friend. She decided she was going to wake Linda up nicely.

*******
Linda was teaching Maze to cook Croque-Monsieur when the doorbell rang. Linda had discovered the amazing french sandwich during her long nights of studying in grad school and she thought cooking was something that she and the demon could enjoy together. She gave Maze the task of grating the cheese and cutting up pieces of ham with her demon blades, while she made the bechamel sauce. Linda watched as the demon chopped up the meat and cheese with great skill. She could hardly see the knife move! Maze looked at Linda and gave her a lecherous grin. “I’ve got skills,” the demon told her. Linda believed that she had only crested the surface of what Maze was capable of doing. She doubted that there was anything her friend couldn't learn to do with enough time and motivation; be it cooking french cuisine or doing accounting for a hundred million dollar a year nightclub.

Linda went to open the door after throwing a quick, “Don't let the sauce burn.” over her shoulder. “Oh. Hi Dan, Trixie. It’s nice to see you.” Trixie came inside to give Linda a hug before running excitedly at Maze and grabbing hold of her waist. “Maze, is Chloe up yet?” Linda asked.

“I don’t think Decker came home last night.” Maze and Linda exchanged an excited glance. Could Chloe have spent the night with Lucifer?

As if knowing what her friends were thinking Trixie said with a mouth full of ham, “Mommy and Lucifer were at the distillery last night. I told Lucifer to tell Mommy that he really likes her. Maybe they stayed over.”

“I don't know tiny human, lets call her?” Maze said getting out her phone.

“Okay.” Dan said clearing his throat, “ I have some things to do today. Is it ok if the two of you watch Trixie until Chloe gets back?”

Linda gave Dan an inquisitive look and said, “Of course she’s just in time to help us with lunch. But you seem oddly okay with this arrangement Dan.”

Dan shook his head and told her, “Look if Chloe is happy then so am I. She deserves it.”

“That she does,” Linda agreed.

After Dan had left the women came together in a huddle, excited to call the Detective. Maze put the phone on speaker. “Decker! Did you get laid last night? You never stay away this long,” the demon asked the phone with a smile that was both excited and dangerous. Linda wondered how many souls in hell saw that smile, it was slightly too wide for a human mouth.

“Well, good morning to you Mazey. The Detective is sleeping at the moment.”

“Sleeping?” The demon said looking around at Maze and Trixie with a frown, she wanted all the juicy details from her friend. After a pause she grinned and said, “Did you guys finally polish the bar top with your butts?” If Lucifer kept her up all night, then maybe she was napping. She knew the woman wasn't used to the gymnastics that Lucifer was so famous for.

“Nothing so exciting, but I may have complicated our relationship even further.” The Devil's voice said though the phone.

“You finally did it? You told her that truth?” Linda asked holding her crossed fingers up and holding Trixie's hand as she did the same gesture.

“Yes. Doctor it happened.”

Linda and Trixie jumped up and down for a moment excited and relieved to no longer be carrying the secret. Linda couldn’t tell by the sound of his voice how she took it. She would have expected an extremely positive reaction or a extremely negative one. “And, how did she react?”

“I don’t know.”

Maze jumped into the conversation, her tone filled with anger but Linda knew all too well that Lucifer revelation came with a price for her friend. The psychiatrist mentally kicked herself for acting so happy a moment ago. “How do you not know Lucifer? Should I worry about not having a roommate anymore? Why didn’t you tell me you were going to show her?”

Linda put a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder and gave her even gentler smile, “Maze, you’re not helping. Lucifer, please continue.”

Lucifer made a sound as if the phone was breaking up. “You're breaking up. The Detective must not have paid her phone bill. Must go.”

“Wait, Lucifer!” all three of them yelled in unison. They turned to each other. The cat was out of the bag but what were they to do with it.

“Now what?” Maze asked the blonde.

“Well first we finish making lunch. Right now we can’t do much to help until they are ready to talk.” She turned to Chloe’s daughter, “Do you think you can help your Mom if she comes home and is really sad or scared?”

“Yeah, but why would Mommy be scared of Lucifer? He is one of the good guys.”

“Because sometimes grownups are afraid of what they don’t understand. Most of the world believes that the devil is evil. And your mother never believed in God or the Devil so finding out both are real can be very…upsetting. Your Mother might need some time to get use to the idea. ”

The little girl looked thoughtful for a minute. “Okay Linda, I will help her.” She thought that she could help her mom by cleaning her room and not be late getting ready for school.

The demon, psychiatrist and child ate ham sandwiches together in the living room of the apartment speculating on how Lucifer broke the news of his true self. Trixie made the two women laugh at her impressions of her mother and the devil. Trixie was happy that the Devil came into her life and brought with him cool new friends. But mostly, she was happy that the Devil was her Mom's partner and would never let anything bad happen to her. Lucifer made her mother happy and that all that really mattered. That and chocolate cake.

********

Linda was just about to get into the car when her cell rang. She looked at the screen and saw that it was Chloe. She hurried to answer the phone, not wanting to miss it.

“Hi Chloe! What’s up?” Linda said happily. Act normal she told herself, let Chloe come to you.

“Where is my baby? Are you with her?”

Oh no, her voice sounded panicked. Linda knew that panic she felt it herself when she first found out the truth about the world. “I just left your apartment, Chloe. Maze is watching her.” Linda moved the phone away from her ear as the distraught detective screamed at the other end of the line. Ok at least she was able to talk. “Chloe! Chloe. Can you hear me?” Linda could near her friend's heavy breathing as answer on the other end of the line. This was not the best way to help something but the phone was all she had at the moment. She hoped Chloe was somewhere safe at the moment and not in traffic somewhere or on the balcony of Lux. “Breathe, Chloe. Your daughter is safe. You’re having a panic attack. You can do this. Your fear is making your heart pound harder, but your heart is actually fine. Trixie is fine. Maze is no danger to her. What do you need?”

“I want to hear my daughter. See her.”

Damn it. She needed to be in two places at once. “Okay. Chloe I’m going to put this call on hold. Then I’m going to call Maze and have her put Trixie on the phone. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Linda ran back into the apartment quickly as her heels could carry her, not wanting to waste time calling the demon when she was right outside. She called out to Trixie who was wearing doctors scrubs over her outfit. Maze was lying on the couch her head and foot covered in bandages. Handing the phone to the child, Linda turned to her friend and said, “Chloe called me to see where her daughter was. She was a little freaked out when I told her you were watching her.”.

The demon grimaced. An unfamiliar feeling a dread washed over her. Would Chloe take Trixie away from her? She didn't want to be separated from the child she had come to care for. Who would protect them if she was forced to move out? “Damn Lucifer, always thinking of himself.” She had asked him to warn her when he was ready to tell the truth. She wondered if it was best to make herself scarce for a few days or to confront the Detective with her true face.

Linda turned to face her and put a hand on her cheek in a display of intimate affection, “Don’t worry yet. Give Chloe some time to come to terms with this. I was afraid at first, remember. But you told me that he was still the same old Lucifer. Chloe will come to realise this too.”

“Okay, I’ll give her some space.”

“And if she doesn't, I doubt anyone could keep Beatrice away from you if they tried.” Linda knew from how Maze looked at the girl that she was worried about losing her. Not that she would ever mention it to Maze. The couple leaned into a full body embrace just happy to be together in that moment.

*******

She never thought much about cemeteries. They were just places.

Chloe found herself at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery; in a section of the park known as summerland. The area featured rolling hills and manicured lawns. It was the most beautiful graveyard she has ever seen. It took her little time to find the grave she was looking for. She hadn't been to it since his death. Part of her kept away because she hadn't believed that he could see her, the other part of her just missed him too much. Life after death had not been possible until this morning. She walked up to the headstone feeling very foolish. What did she say to a man who may or may not have been watching her these last 18 years? Did her father still miss her, or did Heaven mask all your emotions? What if your loved ones never make it to heaven? Was heaven a physical place with physical people?

Banishing the galaxy of thoughts inside her head, she set out to accomplish what she came here to do. Hi Dad, she thought to herself. I’m sorry I haven't been to visit. I just didn’t know. I guess you have been watching me this whole time. I miss you. You were that one person in my life who knew me best. When you were taken from us, I felt like part of me was murdered as well. That's why I became a cop like you. To be closer to you, I guess. I wanted to say that I’m sorry. I know I was a good kid, but I’m sorry nonetheless for not being perfect. For the night I came home drunk and underage and threw up on the coffee table keeping you up on a work night. For the times I ignored your advice about Hot Tub High School. For jumping the curb with your car the very first time you taught me to drive. As always, you were kinder than you had to be. And even though I wasn't able to get you justice, I still hope that you're proud of me. That's really all I have ever wanted; to help people and make you proud.

The woman took a moment to collect herself again. She had sunk to her knees as was evident by the damp patches on her tights and the tears streaming down her cheeks. She looked around only to see a handful of people grieving by the others gavesites. After wiping her tears away using her sleeves, she closed her eyes again. She felt the warm sun on her face and heard the sound of the wind through the nearby trees as she collected her thoughts and again directed them at her father.

I also wanted to say, thank you. You never treated anything I was interested in as ridiculous. You taught me to believe in myself. You taught me the value of hard work. You taught me how to lose and how to win. And I wish you were here for me to ask your advice and to see your granddaughter. She’s so much like you Dad. She’s fearless, and smart, and good with people. I wish I could love as openly as she does. And that's the problem Dad. I’m just so afraid of being hurt again. After my marriage failed I closed my heart even tighter than I had after you died. But I still have feelings for him even after all this time of trying to put him in my rear-view. And now I’m afraid of what that means, with him being the Devil. What Lucifer and I have together, makes it really hard for me to keep putting up the same walls only to have him tear them down with a look or a unexpectedly nice gesture. But was it a smart decision in light of everything the separated them. They were two very different people.

She had often felt like she would never understand Lucifer. Now maybe without the deceptions and half truths, she could have a fuller picture of who Lucifer was. He wasn't human, and upon reflection his actions made much more sense now. His absolute astonishment at being shot. His extreme strength and speed. His mind voodoo thing. Up until today, she had her feet on the ground for so long, she had forgotten what it was like to jump and imagine the magical. She suddenly remembered the Christmas she told her Father she knew there was no santa claus. Her father had reluctantly told her the truth, but there had been a sadness in his eyes. Was this how Lucifer felt now that the illusion of the rich playboy club owner civilian consultant was gone? Things between them would be different.

Chloe listened for a moment, not sure if she would get an answer.

“Monkey,” her Father had said to her once, “Not all questions can be answered right away. Sometimes you have to take a step back to assess the situation. Decisions made under a time crunch can often be wrong. But my real advice is to follow your instincts. There's a reason you have them.”

She smiled at the memory of when she told her father about the nude scene in the movie role she was just offered. It felt wrong when she had slipped off her top in front of the camera, but she ignored it because she wanted to be a star. She knew this time she would follow his advice.

As she walked back to her car a single flower bloomed beside John Decker’s grave.

*******

The Devil could not remember a longer day in his entire existence. The sun was just about to start setting, pink and yellow light filled the penthouse. The light reflecting on the white sheets gave the illusion on a warm glow to the whole room. It has taken him only a few hours to make the arrangements for the following day when he would meet with his lawyer to draft his will. The title to their distillery would go to the Detective. She was free to do whatever she wanted with the business. Lux and his penthouse would be left to Mazikeen, if she choose not to accompany him back to hell that was. Two sizable chunks of his estate would be left to Dr. Linda and his ex wife, while the rest would left as a donation to the LAPD.

And his beloved Fallen II? Well he would leave that to the Detective, on the understanding that she is to present it to the spawn once she is of age to drive. He would leave care instructions as well. He could just imagine her disapproval once she read his will. If she didn’t burn the parcel on sight that was.

Images of their times together filled his mind. Her laugh. Chloe in his arms while they danced at the club. Their one and only date over wine and hamburgers. Her fury when he angered her. Her face when he returned to the precinct with a wife on his arm.

He now knew that she did at one point care for him of her own free will. It was short lived, like everything good in his life, but it had been real. They had been real for the briefest of moments. He would have those memories to sustain him for the millenia to come. Tomorrow after he had finalized the will with his lawyer, he would call down Amenadiel and ask him to finish the job he started.

The devil finished out his paperwork and prepared himself for a night of entertaining at Lux. He would have one last a hurrah before he put back on the mantle of Lord of the underworld. He would miss it; the wine, women and song.

*****

The soup had done wonders for her hangover. Penelope had passed down the recipe to her from her mother and her mother before that. She only wondered briefly, as she was washing dishes, if it was a coincidence that her daughter had requested the soup. The little weasel must have know that she wasn't feeling well being as perceptive as she was. Her daughter had cleaned her plate after dinner and got ready for bed without Chloe having to ask her. Something was up. Her daughter was never this quiet except when she was sick or she was grounded.

The Detective peeked into her daughter's room. She heard the sound of soft whimpers as she moved closer to her daughter's bed. Trixie was asleep but her pillows and cheeks were damp. Chloe gently began to rub her daughters back trying to wake her up. The little girl stirred under her touch and lifted her head to see her mother.

“Mommy?” Trixie asked, confused.

Chloe grabbed a tissue and wiped her daughters eyes and nose. “Hi Monkey, what are all these tears about?” She said and as she continued to rub her daughter’s back.

“We’re going to move away and you're not going to let me see Maze or Lucifer again. I don’t wanna leave.” Trixie had seen it. Her mother and Maze had avoided each other at dinner. Maze had taken her food in her room and then left shortly afterward without telling anyone where she was going.

Chloe was taken aback. How much did her daughter know about Maze and Lucifer. “You know what, who they are?” She watched as her daughter shook her head in confirmation. She wanted to ask how she had found out the truth, but felt like there was only one important question to ask. Chloe pulled her crying daughter to her chest and gently rocked her back and forth. “And you're not afraid baby?”

“No, Mommy. Lucifer and Maze are my friends and I love them. They only want to protect us.”

She looked into her daughter’s earnest and innocent face and felt her heart swell. “I know, Trixie. Were not going anywhere. Next time you're upset like this, promise me you're going to tell me about it, okay?”

Her daughter didn’t answer her question but instead asked, “Are you afraid or sad because Lucifer is the devil?”

“No monkey. I just needed some time to sort out how I feel about everything.” Her mind was still coming to grips with it but, it wasn't about lucifer. Lucifer never hide who he was. She just believed for so long that he didn’t excisist. Thinking about it more, the Devil is just part of Lucifer Morningstar, just as much as the rich playboy club owner was. If there was a nightclub in hell Lucifer would have probably been there. Deep down he was the same Lucifer, it was just part of the tapestry that was him.

“You should go see Lucifer and tell him so he doesn't think you're afraid of him. He would be really sad if he thought that.”

Her daughter was right. Why wait to tell him that she didn’t care what he was because she knew who he was? “Okay Monkey, I think that's a good idea.” She picked up her phone and dialed her roommate. “Hi Maze, can you watch Trixie tonight? I have to go see the devil.”

Chapter Text

Chloe stepped under the velvet rope flashing the bouncer a small black card indicating her VIP status at Lux. He let her pass with a smile on this lips. As she entered the club she was struck by the spectacle of it. The pulsing beat hit her ears as bodies writhed on the dancefloor. She watched the people move as one would watch the ocean tide. She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of alcohol, cigarettes, perfumes and sweat. The club was an organism all its own. She walked amongst the revelers, looking for signs that the Devil in the crowd. It didn’t take her long; she noticed people parting to allow a tall man in a suit to sit at the piano. She smiled at the sight,  she always loved to hearing him play. She knew music was a way for him to express things he didn’t have the words for. The music comforted him as much as it brought him joy. Chloe watched as he lent his whole body to it. She didn’t recognize the song but Lucifer’s voice drifting over the calm waters of people caused her chest to hurt and her eyes to burn.

Memories and drinks don't mix too well. Jukebox records don't play those wedding bells.

Lookin' at the world through the bottom of a glass, all I see is a man who's fading fast.

Tonight I need that woman again. What I'd give for my baby to just walk in.

Sit down beside me and say: "It's alright. Take me home and make sweet love to me tonight."

As she thought about her partner, she remembered his words to her on the night she tried to arrest him. “Well... where do I begin? With the grandest fall in the history of time? Or perhaps the far more agonizing punishment that followed? To be blamed for every morsel of evil humanity's endured, every atrocity committed in my name? As though I wanted people to suffer. All I ever wanted was to be my own man here. To be judged for my own doing. And for that? I've been shown how truly powerless I am. That even the people trusted--the one person, you--could be used to hurt me.”

But here I am again, mixin' misery and gin. Sittin' with all my friends and talkin' to myself.

I look like I'm havin' a good time but any fool can tell, that this honky tonk Heaven really makes ya' feel like Hell.

Her friend, her partner was hurting because he believed that she was going to reject him. She couldn’t do that to him; be just another person he trusted - even a little bit - who left him. He deserved better than that, because despite all of his flaws she knew deep in her bones what he really was - a good person, just as battered and broken as the rest of the world. Despite his selfish nature, he tried so hard for people to like him that he was willing often to forego his own desires for others.  She knew she would have to show him, that her words wouldn’t be enough to convince him that he was worthy of being loved. For she had fallen in love with him that day on the beach. She kissed him because she knew that he cared for her. She had almost been ready to surrender and trust him. She was ready to hope that this time would be different. But then she almost died and he left and came back with another on his arm. They were broken. But lately, when he tried so hard to get their friendship and partnership back, well she had let him back in again. She would try to understand him, if he would let her.

I light a lonely woman's cigarette, we both start talkin' 'bout what we want to forget.

Her life story and mine are the same. We both lost someone and only have ourselves to blame.

Her stomach fluttered as she moved closer to the man at the piano. His beauty was only overshadowed by the grief in his voice.

But here I am again, mixin' misery and gin. Sittin' with all my friends and talkin' to myself.

I look like I'm havin' a good time but any fool can tell, that this honky tonk Heaven really makes ya' feel like Hell.

She waited for the very last cord to sit down on the bench beside him, but not without flashing the badge she still carried with her at three women eager to get close to the club owner. She didn’t know what the future held for them or if the Devil still harbored feelings for her, but she wanted to give whatever it was they had a fighting chance.

He didn’t look over at the crowd as they applauded his efforts. He bent his head over the keys and ran his hands lovingly over the beautiful instrument.

“It's alright,” she said simply.

******

He looked up quickly at the familiar voice and his heart skipped a beat. She sat in front of him, no hint of fear in her eyes. She looked beautiful in the blue light with her hair swept over her shoulder. For a moment he thought he must be imagining her, but then he felt her hand cup his cheek. Suddenly her arms were around him. He couldn’t move or speak. He was only capable of sitting there, all his muscles rigid. Chloe pulled back to look at him. Her blue eyes sparkling in the light and small smile gracing her features. But as she looked at him it slowly fell.

“Lucifer say something.”

“De – Detective, I wasn’t expecting you,” he admitted carefully. He wasn’t expecting to see her ever again.

Chloe took his hand in hers and he hesitated a second before he squeezed back. “Why? I told you I wasn’t afraid of you. I meant it, Lucifer. I know that you’re the same annoying, pain in the ass but wonderful partner that you have always been. It’s the world that’s has gotten bigger. Okay?”

“You’ve let off incredibly handsome,” Lucifer quipped with a half-smile. He chuckled when Chloe rolled her eyes. He felt a small and dangerous flame of hope blossoming in his chest. He needed to brace himself for the inevitable rejection. He couldn’t make the same mistakes again and again.  

“I have questions. Could we go somewhere to talk?” He just looked down at their joined hands wondering why she would willingly touch him. Didn’t she know he was a monster? Did she feel the need to be kind to him to soften the blow? He must have been silent for too long because he heard the Detective say, “That is, if you want to. I just thought that-‘’.

“Of course! It would be expected of you to have questions. We can head up to the penthouse.” She wouldn’t be his Detective if she didn’t have them. Her need for knowledge and understanding was one of the things he loved and admired about her. Chloe took his arm as they made their way to the elevator. He didn’t have the heart to remove her hand from his person. He soaked up her attention, hoping it would be enough to sustain him for the next few millennia. They were silent as they entered the cab. The ride up to penthouse seemed abnormally long to the Devil with Chloe searching him for answers as if they were written on his face, and he felt utterly exposed under the scrutiny.

Just as the elevators opened, he remembered the state that he left his penthouse. A state that he knew would bring up unpleasant feelings for the woman next to him.

“What the – Lucifer,” she turned to face him as they stepped into the penthouse. He watched as she swallowed an invisible bug before her face clamped down in hard angles, “Were you going to say goodbye this time, or were you just going to disappear?”

“I-” What could he said to defend himself against her frightening display of wrath?

“Never mind, this is typical you. As soon as things get the slightest bit touchy feely you run away. And this time I thought it was going to be different. How stupid of-” If her voice was a knife it would have cut him. Her eyes seemed to glow in the dim light in the penthouse as they reflexed the faux fireplace.

Despite his trepidation before, he found himself becoming angry. He had never been allowed to explain himself and as much as he enjoyed her fire, much of the misunderstandings between them could have been prevented if she would have just listened for a moment. “Chloe! You say you want the truth and you want an explanation, but you have yet to hear me out. Let me explain.” He took a deep breath to regain in his anger. “Please, Detective. I never expected to see you again, and I couldn’t stay here if you…ended our partnership.”

Chloe looked at him, her eyes opening slightly wider at his reprimand. He thought that she was going to yell back, but instead her eyes softened and the harsh lines on her face leveled out. She held up her hand in a motion of surrender. “Okay. I’m listening.”

“But first a drink.” She nodded and he quickly procured two glasses and brought a bottle of red wine over to the coffee table between two chairs. The white sheets had been removed and placed on the floor. It was the exact spot where they had had their moment together before it was so rudely interrupted by the soon-to-be-dead flight attendant. Lucifer sat down and crossed his legs nervously. He downed his glass and poured himself another. He didn’t want a repeat of last night, but he hoped it would loosen his tongue. “Where to start?”

The Detective reached over and placed her hand on his knee; lighting a fire under his collar that he hoped she couldn’t see in the firelight. “I think part of me  figured out a long time ago that you were telling me the truth, but I didn’t want to believe it. I wasn’t ready to believe it, until now. So whatever you want to tell me Lucifer I’m not going to run away. Okay?”

He sighed, “Don’t promise, Detective.Not until you are in possession of all the facts. You may not like the answers to all of your questions.” Looking into her face he believed that she believed in what she was saying. But how long would this last?

The Detective frowned and said, “Okay, so you’re the devil.”

“The one and only, Detective.”

“Who’s body are you walking around in?”

Whatever she was going to say, this couldn’t possibly be it. “Oh no, Detective. The splendor that you see in front of you is all me. Unlike any silly movie’s, I have a corporal form. I don’t need to possess anything, and neither does Maze. ”

“Why are you here?”

“That is the eternal question isn’t it? Well, darling, I was sick of playing a part in my Father’s play. I decided to take a permanent vacation.”

“No, I meant why are you running a nightclub in LA? And why are you spending your time hanging out with me, first solving crimes and now running a distillery? You could be doing anything. Be anywhere.”

“Many reasons. I like this city with its layers of sin and debauchery. The weather is warm. I have two business here. But I suppose I don’t leave because I enjoy spending time with you and my other friends. I enjoyed my human job with the LAPD. I built a life here, Detective. A life of my own choosing.”

Since his Father’s brief visit he had thought long over the Almighty’s hand in his life. How much control he had of his life was unknown, it had always been.  But in light that his Father had paid him not even a thought when he created the Detective, had him inclined to believe that dear old Dad hadn’t thought much about him in all these millennia. It wasn't that his Father hated him, it was that he was ambivalent. He should have discovered this sooner given the eons of silence that followed his fall. The only perplexing part of the equation was the Almighty’s willingness to walk away from his opus. It couldn’t be that he cared about his sons feelings for the Detective. He must be playing the long game.

“So you don’t want to start the apocalypse?” she questioned with a teasing smile.

The Devil laughed. Her wit was wonderful, “Again, Hollywood got it all wrong. Earth is the most exciting place in this universe. I have no desire to destroy or take over this world. I have never forced any human to do anything. I don’t wish anyone to suffer, well, except for the guilty.”

***

As the night wore on, Lucifer became more comfortable with the conversation. The lump in his stomach eased and his heart slowed. They developed an easy rhythm of Chloe asking questions and Lucifer answering as best he could. She asked all sorts of questions. Some were about his abilities and his siblings. Yes darling, Amenadiel controls time; and my sister, Azrael, can become invisible . Some were about Maze. No, Detective, Maze is the product of Lilith and a serpent demon named Ophur . Others were about Hell and Heaven respectfully. Heaven is called the Silver City. It’s rather boring and sterile really. Big shiny buildings. You will probably enjoy it since you like boring. Hell features the City of Dis. It’s dark and dirty, not unlike old world Europe with stone streets, alleyways, labyrinths, and Giants. Yes, Giants. Many places in the city is uninhabitable, burning sewage, burning flesh, and garbage litter the streets. My palace was located in Judecca… Some of her questions surprised him. Well Detective, humans actually judge themselves in terms of who goes to hell or heaven. I’m merely a warden. Father created hell but he has blocked himself off from it. Some questions were about him. In the beginning I needed to control the demons and my fallen siblings so I was merciless but fair. I had to be. Somewhere along the line I believe that part of me began to enjoy torturing the guilty...

“You know,” Chole began slowly, “Before all this, if you have asked me what happens after we die, I would have said ‘we rot’. I never expected to see my father or grandmother again, so now that I know there’s a chance I’ll see them when I die, I guess it makes things better.”

Oh, she didn’t think she would go to heaven. How could she believe that? She didn’t have anything to feel guilty about surely. He placed his hand on her knee. “Detective, you will most assuredly end up in heaven.” And I will be left alone again.

She placed her hand upon his, “But I was never a believer. I still don’t see myself going to church every Sunday. Don’t I need to repent and worship your father in order to go to heaven? Oh, this is so weird.”

“Detective, your soul is light and full of grace. I know that my Father would welcome you with open arms. You are very special to him.”

A look of confusion passed her face, “How special Lucifer? What are you not telling me?”

Nothing got past his Detective. Once she got some suspicion she was like a dog with a bone. “You might not like the answer to this question. But knowing your stubbornness and love of truth, you would want to know everything even if it was...difficult.” He watched and she nodded in consent to him.

He lifted her hands to his lips, to give her a quick kiss, not willing to break the intimacy of the moment quite yet. “Very well, Chloe. You are immune to my charms, and you make me mortal.” She started at him open mouthed. “When I’m not in your immediate vicinity I am immortal and unable to be injured. You remember when you shot me early on in our partnership?”

She was quiet for a few moments her eye’s blinking owlishly before she removed her hands from his. “Is that why you…ran away from me after I was poisoned? Because I’m a, a weapon? I can understand why you didn’t want a relationship with me. I mean as crazy as this sounds to me, you should stay away from me. Wait, when I was poisoned, you were yelling something about if I knew. I didn’t-,” she said her voice on the verge of tears.

Her concern for his welfare made his heart hit his stomach. He needed to clarify this, because her believing that he didn’t want her, or care for her, truly hurt him. “That wasn’t why, Detective. I don’t care that you make me vulnerable. And It had nothing to do with want, det-Chloe. I wanted a--relationship with you very much. More than anything in the world. But…” He kneeled in front of her so that they were the same height and gently wiped away the tears that had escaped her long lashes. How he wished he could take away her pain. “I thought that I was protecting you from celestial interference in your life, including myself. When I discovered your origin, I was manipulated to believe that your feelings for me were -- manufactured.”

“I don’t understand.”

There was no way but to cut with the truth. “Your existence Detective is a miracle. Amenadeil was sent by my father to bless your mother 37 years ago and the result of that blessing was yourself. Your origin explains your abilities.”

“This doesn’t explain why..?”

“I know! I was wrong Detective. I believed that my father had put you in my path to manipulate me into doing his bidding. I wanted to protect you from being a pawn. And I regret pushing you away and the pain that I caused you, because that pain was now all for nothing.” He hoped that she believed him, hoped that could feel his sincerity.

“How? Lucifer my feelings for you weren’t manufactured,” she said making air quotes. Her voice starting to rise again. “Can God do that? I thought I had free will?”

“Yes, Detective human had free will. I just believed that your feelings were manipulated by your origin.”

“You could have just told me-“

He scoffed, “You wouldn’t have believed me if I told you. You would have just believed that was lying to you.” The bitterness in his voice clear.

Chloe bit her lip hard enough to draw blood, “But anything would have been better than making me feel like I didn’t matter to you. Like I was nothing. Like I had misread everything about us. And then you married Candy and I was so jealous - I couldn’t handle it.” All of her anger deflating as if she was a balloon he had just popped. Her eyes once again bright with unshed tears.

Devil was quick to grab his handkerchief for her again. He couldn’t have just dumped Candy. Deep down the Detective understood that, she had too. “Candy needed my help. I could not abandon her. The Devil is a gentleman if nothing else. But it was nice to have someone, even if she wasn’t the person that I truly wanted. Our relationship is over, has been over for quite some time. There is no one else, Detective. Do you believe me?”

“I do,” she said the sound muffled by the handkerchief on her lips. He moved to inspect her lower lip to see that it was becoming swollen and not in a good way. Now this just wouldn’t do.

“Come, Detective, let’s get you some ice for your lip.” He took her arm as she moved with him to his spacious penthouse kitchen. He grabbed an ice cube and wrapped it in a thin kitchen linen. Chloe looked around the room and said, “You have everything in here so organized with everything in its proper place. It’s nice. I can’t tell you how many times I have found pots and pans in the freezer, pantry, or garbage instead of where that are supposed to go.”

He looked into her eyes to check for any fear as he moved closer.  He found none. “There we are,” he said as he gently pressed the ice cube to her lip. He was very conscious of her body’s proximity to his. He let out a breath, happy for the break in conversation and her reaction to him. “Hell is dirty and chaotic, so I prefer my living quarters free of filth. Maze is, was, more acclimated to Hell than I. Better?” he asked and she nodded and closed her eyes as if suddenly tired. He looked at his watch to discover that it was just past 1am. Well, past the Detective’s bedtime he supposed. He hadn’t told her everything yet, but he would. “Would you like to table this conversation until the morning? You’re welcome to stay if that is what you desire, or I will pay for an uber to take you back to your spawn.”

“Trixie is fine, she was the one who urged me to come here tonight, by the way. Anyway, Lucifer, you said that I was special to…God. What did you mean by that? Do i have some purpose.”

This was it. This knowledge would change everything about her life. “There is no unlearning this information, Detective,” he warned. “I have no power over memory.”

“From the way your acting, it sounds like I should be really worried. But I have to know. Lucifer, this is about my life.” The blonde women backed up from him as if bracing for whatever it was she believed he was about to share with her.  

“Very well. Father has never directly created another human this way as far as I know. Your parents would never have procreated without my father’s interference. You must know that I have found this information out only within the last few months. He told me that he created you because he was lonely.”

“What?” she said sounding incredulous.

He ran his fingers through his hair deciding to just to put it as delicately to her a possible. “My father created you to be a - companion for him. He came to earth in the hopes that you would well, love him. Which is the biggest cosmic joke at my expenses, because I believed that my father had created you to be my girlfr-“

“Shut up!” she yelled at him, “Shut up. You’re saying that I was created to be God’s,” she waved her hands in the air, “girlfriend? That’s the craziest thing I have ever heard. There’s no way. And now you’re telling me that you had thought, that I was created to be your girlfriend!” He was startled as she pushed him hard enough for him to stumble. “No! No one. Not you, and not even God, is going to dictate who I love. I belong to myself and believe in my own choices.”

The Devil backed up and put his hands up in a motion of surrender as she advanced towards him. “I believe you, Detective. You are your own woman.” He smiled to himself at the Detective’s reaction to this news and her refusal to be manipulated or controlled.

“If I was created for God, then why hasn’t he made his presence known?”

“He already has, Detective. You remember your date with a man calling himself Marion Morrison? You kissed him as I recall. He gave you that necklace to remember him by.”

Her hand went directly to the pendent necklace around her neck. He watched as she fingered the cool surface of the symbol. What was she going to do now he wondered? He wasn’t foolish enough to believe that this information would not change things between them, but she hadn’t bolted from the room yet, so he believed that the conversation had gone well.

Chloe turned and said to him, “Your telling me, Marion the cowboy, is the all powerful, maker of heaven and earth in human form?“

“Precisely, however he was possessing a recently deceased human body. My Father has no true form.” He watched as Chloe’s face took on that look he saw when they were working cases. Her mind was working to put the facts and the evidence together.

“Wait. then that means your - Are you Sam?”

Chapter Text

Chloe turned and said to him, “You’re telling me, Marion the cowboy, is the all powerful maker of heaven and earth in human form?“

“Precisely, however he was possessing a recently deceased human body. My Father has no true form.” He watched as Chloe’s face took on that look he saw when they were working cases. Her mind was working to put the facts and the evidence together.

“Wait. Then that means you’re - Are you Sam?”

It was Lucifer’s turn to look astonished. “How do you know that name?”he asked suspiciously as his eyes narrowed.

“Marion…your father, um God, and I talked about what most single parents talk about,” she said putting her questions about God having an ex aside. She looked up at him expectantly but when he stared blankly at her she rolled her eyes and said, “Our children, Lucifer. He talked about his son, Sam, the most.”

Lucifer didn’t know what to to make of it. When he fell from heaven he landed in darkness. There was nothing except ash and gloom at first. He spent much of his time feeling along the hot stone walls, crying out to his Father and Mother, his siblings, anyone who could take away his pain. He thought that surely they wouldn’t leave him down there long. He didn’t believe they would hate him forever, for starting a rebellion against father. He only wanted to force his father to listen. His humans were flawed; imperfect. Why would his father ask his children to love them?

But nobody came. His only connection to his siblings were the times when Amenadiel had come to force him back to hell. Not even the Angel of Death cared to visit him, and she delivered more souls to his care than he could count. Now, he could hardly believe his ears. Silence from his Father for millennia to only find out he conversed with the Detective about him. A mixture of anger, resentment, and hope filled him. The hope that filled his chest angered him more than anything. Still, after everything - he still wanted his father to notice him. He wanted to please his father when he knew that he shouldn’t. How pathetic! He wasn’t freshly fallen. He was a former king, master distiller, friend, and former police consultant. He didn’t need his father’s love or approval.

The first time he had seen his father since his fall, had been months ago when he had come to explain Chloe’s existence. She was not his miracle but His. An experiment of the heart that his Father claimed he was willing to walk away from. How much did she know exactly, he wondered. If he told her the story of his rebellion would she believe him? Or had his father poisoned her against him?

***

His reaction to the name was visceral. She watched as emotions played across his face at lighting speed. “Lucifer?,” she questioned, not really knowing what she was asking him. She reached out for his forearm only to have him swing around past her into the open space of the penthouse.

“Now that you know the whole story, what is there to say, Detective? This whole bloody evening was planned wasn't it? I guess it's time to deliver that celestial spanking,” he said as he shifted into his true form, his red face scowling to the sky.

“What are you talking about?”

He turned his deep, burning red eyes to her and she felt like he was looking into her very soul. She shivered despite her trust of him.

“I knew your reaction to the truth was too good to be true.” He pointed an accusing finger at her. “You’ve been on his side the entire time we’ve returned to working together! Do you deny it?”

His voice was controlled, his anger bubbling just under the surface. Now she understood what all of their perps felt in his presence. Her hands sweated while the rest of her body shivered. Looking further she could tell his anger held a deeper sadness. She could tell by the way his hands shook in contrast to the rest of him which was as taut as a bowstring. His breathing was coming in shallow pants. He expected everyone that he cared about to turn against him. Whatever happened to land him in hell shook him to his very core. This was why he only showed strangers the shallow part of himself. For who could get close to someone who’s only concerns were their baser instincts? One part of her was saddened for him, but the other part of her was angry. Angry that he didn’t trust her, not really.

She couldn’t allow him to turn his anger at his father on her. She would not be his scapegoat. She didn’t know what happened between them but she was going to try and find out.

“Yes, I deny it. Lucifer, I have always been on your side. So don’t-” Suddenly his face was next to hers and she could smell tobacco, whiskey, and the scent of dry leaves. A space heater in a bespoke suit, but it was his voice that froze her in place, “Don’t lie to me, Detective. You’re His creature. You were made for Him.”

He was trying to frighten her to get her to admit to what he believed was true, and she couldn’t, she wouldn’t let him. Whatever he had done in the beginning of time, he had paid for those sins. It was time for her to take a leap of faith. “I was made for myself,” she whispered and kissed him.

***

It took a moment for his brain to start working. He felt soft hands on his ruined face as his hands struggled for purchase against her clothing. His arms pulled around her and held her against him. His mouth was soon bruising against hers as he coaxed eager noises from her. The noises were harsh and closer to the sounds of beasts in the night that those of a human throat and it excited him. She made no move to stop him as he lifted her up and took them to the bartop. Chloe clung to him as she kissed down his neck, undoing the top few buttons of his shirt.

He pulled back to look at her, but caught his own reflection in the mirror. He took in his hellish visage and sighed. This wasn't what he wanted - Not like this. She deserved better. She deserved flowers, champagne, and the time to do it all properly. Even his many fantasies of laying her down in his bed had been soft and gentle. She wasn't a tool to use to cool his overwhelming anger, less she regret it. These actions were impulsive and not like his Detective.

When she opened her eyes his face was beautiful again. She moved to speak but he held a finger to her impossibly swollen lower lip. “While I appreciate what you’re doing, Detective, you can’t truly want this.”

“Lucifer, this isn't about pity. This is about showing you I’m not afraid.”

“And I can see that you’re not. No need to push yourself into acts you might regret.”

“First, you accuse me of being on your father’s side and...and I don’t know, tricking you. Now, I’m forcing myself to kiss you because I pity you! Why can’t you believe I want you?”

“Because no one ever has!” He yelled, his anger spiking again.

She looked at him and gave him an exasperated look. “You’re saying that no one ever wanted to sleep with the Devil?” she asked, putting emphasis on the D word.

He sighed, she didn’t understand. “No one as good as you, Detective. I couldn’t bear it if you changed your mind after. If my Devil face is a fetish-” The word which normally filled him with glee, felt sour on his tongue.

Recognition filled her eyes as she grabbed his hand in hers, “Lucifer, have you ever kissed anyone in your red face before?”

He didn’t trust his voice to speak so he shook his head. His face was made to punish and terrify, not seduce.

“Hey,” she said moving his head to look at her, “I’ve never been really good at explaining myself but...I find your Devil face attractive in a primal way. Umm...It’s like when you look at a tiger or a shark. It’s a different kind of beauty. Does that make sense?”

“Not at all, Detective. It certainly isn't a normal reaction.”

“Well, you’ve said I was a freak right?” He couldn’t help it when his mouth from turned up at the corners. She was right. She never did what he expected. “We can take it slow. Figure out if this thing between us is still real. Would that be okay?”

“I would like that very much Det- Chloe.”

****