Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Lucifer stood and turned, and Chloe gasped. His movements were the same as usual, that slight drop of his shoulders in pleasure as he saw her, but his face… She stared in horrified fascination, one thought echoing loudly in her head: ‘It’s all true.’
Lucifer - it had to be Lucifer, didn’t it? But he looked so different, his face a darkened red, his eyes glowing orange - looked at her, puzzled. ‘Detective?’
Chloe just stared, unable to drag her gaze away, unable to move, and he glanced around, as though trying to figure out what she was reacting to. Didn’t he realise? He caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror that was propped up against a couple of stacked chairs. ‘Oh.’
He turned his attention back to Chloe, and held her wide-eyed gaze for a moment. ‘Well, I did try to tell you.’ It was still his voice, his gestures. Everything about him was the same, except for the head. Well, and his hands, she corrected herself, glancing down at the blackened flesh there below the familiar snowy white cuffs.
He frowned, staring in the mirror, then turned back to her, lifting one hand to his face. ‘I can't…’ Even with the unfamiliar face in front of her, she could read him well enough to know he was afraid.
Sirens sounded close by, and voices shouted. Chloe turned for a second to see where they were, and behind her she heard a strange whoomph sound. She had heard it before; she had turned away from him on the helipad, and when she had turned back he was gone. So she wasn’t surprised when she turned back now to see a puff of dust and feathers lifted from the floor, and Pierce’s body, but no sign of Lucifer. The point of feeling surprised had been passed long ago.
‘Detective?’ Police officers were appearing from both entrances to the building now, guns drawn, and she pulled her attention back to them. But as she gave instructions and supervised the scene all she could think of was Lucifer. ‘I am the devil. I always tell you the truth. There’s a side of me that’s bad. Monstrous, even. I was afraid that if you saw it you’d run away.’
She remembered the times when a murderer had shrunk away from him, screaming in terror. At least that made sense now. But where had he gone? And what had happened to him? The floor was littered with bloodied white feathers. His wings, it had to be. He was hurt. And she had no idea where he was.

***

It was growing dark by the time she was able to leave the scene, and she sat in the car for a few minutes in silence. Her chest was aching, a reminder of the bullet that had knocked the wind out of her. All she could remember of that was the impact knocking her back, and then a feeling of being cradled, and a scream echoing around her head. And then they were on the roof.
Lucifer really was the devil. The thought kept hitting her like a bucket of ice water over her head, taking her breath away. All those times she had grown irritated with him, told him to stop talking in metaphors, denied anything he had tried to tell her. Where was he now? And what was he thinking?
In the end, she started the car and drove over to Lucifer’s place. She let herself into the penthouse, to find it empty and silent. Dan and Ella had tidied up after themselves, and there was little evidence of their former prisoner apart from a half roll of duct tape sitting on a coffee table.
She settled down on the couch, in the dark, waiting, and just as she was about to fall asleep her patience was rewarded: that whoomph sound again, and a shadow entering from the balcony. She waited until he had almost reached the bedroom before speaking. ‘Lucifer.’
He turned, startled, and she stepped forward to put herself between him and the balcony; not that she was sure that would stop him leaving, but she had to try. She held her hands out in the gesture she had last used when trying to persuade Pierce not to shoot her; as though Lucifer was a wild animal she was trying to tame. His face was in shadow, and she tried to penetrate the darkness, to see whether his face was back to normal. He stepped back, as though sensing her intentions. ‘Detective,’ he said, his voice not quite steady. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I came to check up on you,’ she answered softly. ‘Are you okay?’
He shook his head. ‘Detective, please leave.’ His harsh words made her wince.
‘Lucifer, I’m worried about you. And I owe you an apology.’
He gave a short laugh. ‘Apology accepted. Now please leave.’
‘No.’ She stepped towards him, then stopped as he backed away. ‘Please don’t go, Lucifer. Please stay and talk. We agreed that we’d talk, that you’d tell me the truth.’ His fear was palpable, and she felt weak at the knees. This was the devil she was talking to. Who know how powerful he was?
But he was also her Lucifer.
‘I’ve always told you the truth.’
The bitterness penetrated her heart. ‘I know that now, and I’m sorry.’
He turned his back to her. ‘It’s best if you go.’
‘Lucifer - that blood. And feathers. Are you hurt?’
Emboldened by the lack of response, she stepped closer, placed her hand on his arm. ‘Talk to me, Lucifer. Tell me what’s going on.’
She felt him shrug his shoulders. ‘My devil face is back. And now I can’t get rid of it.’
‘Your devil face. Is that what you call it? It’s - pretty impressive.’ She forced herself to sound casual, to hide the surge of fear she had first felt.
He snorted, and his arm relaxed slightly. ‘I killed a human, detective. Angel rules 101. And I broke it.’
She reached up to his shoulder, rubbed it. ‘But are you hurt?’
He hesitated, then nodded. ‘My wings.’
‘Show me.’
Slowly, he turned to face her, and she saw the flames from the fire behind her reflected in his golden eyes. ‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes, I’m sure. Show me, please.’
He stepped back from her, and she tried to hold his arm, to hold him close, but he shook his head. ‘If you want to see my wings, detective, then I’ll need space.’
She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but she couldn’t hold back a gasp as a large pair of white wings shot out from his back, filling the room with a soft glow.
White and red wings.
She stepped forward, gingerly holding out a hand, and caressed the feathers, which were sticky with blood. He winced, and she withdrew her hand slightly. ‘What happened to them?’
‘Pierce and his gunmen.’
A sudden memory flooded her: sitting on the floor, cradled in his arms, while the sound of bullets mingled with a scream. She had opened her eyes, but had seen only a white light, and then she had passed out again. ‘You protected me!’ she said in sudden wonder.
He nodded. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have taken you there in the first place. You shouldn’t have been in danger. It’s all my fault.’
‘No! Don’t pull that one, Lucifer. It’s my job, remember? You’re the consultant, and I wasn’t even listening to your advice.’
He gave a bitter laugh. ‘Well, it’s too late to argue over blame, I guess. I’ll recover, don’t worry. I heal fast. I just need to keep my wings out for a bit.’
‘But your face?’
‘I can’t change it back. I don’t know if it’s permanent now. There’s no angel handbook. I can usually shift into my devil face and back again at will, but I didn’t even know it was back - and now it’s stuck.’
She reached up, touched his face gingerly, and then with growing confidence. The skin was rough, as though badly scarred, and it was warm to the touch, more so than normal. She caressed it, and felt his tension lift slightly as he leaned into her hand.
He was trembling, and she took his hand and led him to the bedroom. ‘You’re exhausted,’ she said. ‘So am I. It’s been a tough day. Lie down and sleep. We’ll see how things are in the morning.’
Lucifer made no protest, folding his wings down enough to get through the doorway and then almost collapsing onto the bed face down. He was asleep before she could say anything else, and for a moment she wondered whether she should fetch some water, try to wash the blood off, but in the end she decided that could wait. She lifted one wing up to crawl underneath, snuggling up against his side and feeling the wing settle around her. Questions swam in her head, but she pushed them away. Right now, all she wanted to worry about was Lucifer, the man she loved - the devil she loved.
She had been sure that she would lie awake, the events of the day playing through her head, but the soft touch of the wings and the quiet breathing next to her soothed her, and the world slipped away from her before she could even think.

Chapter Text

Chloe woke with a gasp, hearing the echo of bullets in her head, feeling a dull ache in her chest. She struggled to catch her breath, to fight back the wave of fear that had broken over her.

‘Detective, are you all right?’

The voice steadied her, and she looked around, trying to get her bearings. The room was in semi-darkness, the sun just beginning to rise. Lucifer’s bedroom. She sat up, startled, unable to remember for a moment what she was doing there. Her chest was throbbing, and she pressed a hand against it, feeling the bruising. She had been shot. The memory jolted her back to reality.

She glanced around. Where was Lucifer? She had heard him, hadn’t she?

He was sitting in the chair next to the bed, and she struggled to see him in the low light. He shifted slightly and she let out a gasp as she saw eyes glowing. Memories came flooding back fully. He was the devil!

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.’ He sounded uncomfortable.

‘No, it’s just - my head is thumping.’ Chloe put her hand up to her head, feeling a headache building. She avoided looking at Lucifer, remembering his altered appearance. Her heart beat fast and she fought the urge to flee. Instead, she rubbed her hands over her face, and then forced herself to look over at her partner. He was watching her warily, keeping very still.

‘You’re still…’ She didn’t know what words to use.

‘Unable to change back? Yes.’ It was his familiar voice, but heavy with bitterness. As long as she didn’t look at him, she could imagine it was the same old Lucifer, and that thought gave her courage.

‘We need to talk.’

‘Ask me whatever you like.’

She thought for a long while. She had spent the evening composing questions while waiting for him, but now that she had the chance to ask them, they all flew away from her. Except one. ‘Why didn’t you make me believe?’

He gave a snort. ‘Really, detective? That’s the best you can come up with? What did you want me to do, pin you to a chair and terrify you?’

‘So it’s all true. You’re the devil. God, and angels, and the devil, and heaven, and hell - they all really exist.’

‘Correct.’

She shook her head, still struggling to come to terms with it all. Any time she lifted her mind away from the thought that it was Lucifer in front of her, the Lucifer she had known and grown to love over the past couple of years, her brain felt on the verge of exploding.

‘Does anyone else know?’ Her voice wasn’t much more than a whisper.

He shrugged. ‘Dr Linda knows. And Amenadiel and Maze, of course.’

‘Amenadiel?’ With a rush, she remembered Lucifer’s brother. ‘And Maze? Oh, God, Maze is a demon. A real demon?’

He nodded.

Her mind raced. ‘But Pierce? I thought you said he was immortal.’

He nodded, and now she could see his distorted features more clearly as the light grew. He was wearing his silk robe, and he held a glass of whiskey in his hand. It was a familiar sight, apart from the monstrous head. She forced herself to hold his gaze, and he seemed to nod slightly in approval. ‘He was cursed by my father,’ he said. ‘But he managed to lift the curse, with your help, and then decided he wanted to stick around. But you turned him down in the end and spoiled his happy ending.’

His father. God. She thought back over all the times he had mentioned his father and she had dismissed it. ‘He wanted to kill you.’

‘He knew I couldn't let him go on the way he had been.’

‘You should have told me!’

He sighed. ‘I tried, detective.’

‘No, you kept playing your game, keeping me in the dark.’ Her mind kept returning to the wings. And to a pair of wings they had searched for early in their partnership. My angel wings are missing. How could she have been so blind?

He flinched. ‘That wasn't my intention.’

‘So what happens now?’

‘I don't know.’ He stood and paced over to the window, staring out at the city that was waking up below them.

Chloe’s phone rang, startling them both. She fished it out of her pocket. ‘Hello?’ Her world had been turned upside down, everything she knew had changed, but it seemed life continued as normal outside her bubble; murders still happened, and she was needed elsewhere.

She listened to the message. ‘I'll be right there.’ Tucking it away, she looked at Lucifer. ‘I'm sorry, there's another case. I have to go.’ For a while moment, she wondered whether he would insist on going with her, and her mind span off into images of Dan’s face, of Ella’s response, if they saw him as he was now.

He nodded, but did not move. Unsure what to do, in the end she slipped out of the bed and stood awkwardly next to it. ‘I'll come back.’

He gave a curt nod, and she left.

***

Lucifer listened to the rumble of the elevator as it took Chloe away. He had woken to find her curled up next to him, huddled under one wing. Why hadn't she run? It would have made this so much easier.

Again he tried to shift his features back, and again nothing happened. He didn’t deserve to return to a normal life. He had killed a human. He had broken Dad’s rule. And this was his punishment: to bear the visible signs of the monster that lay inside him.

With a roar, he hurled his whiskey glass into the shelves behind the bar, and listened to the tinkle of glass and liquid with a bitter satisfaction. Just when things had been going his way. Just when he had begun to relax, believing that the detective cared for him. And now she had gone on a case and he had to remain behind. He wouldn’t be there to help her, to protect her. To be close to her. For a wild moment he imagined going anyway, carrying on as normal, but the thought of the looks on the faces of his friends kept him rooted to the spot. He couldn’t bear the thought of them seeing him like this. They didn’t deserve that, and he couldn’t bear the thought of them witnessing his shame. And the detective deserved a normal relationship, not this.

It was time to return to hell, where he belonged.

Chapter Text

‘I thought you were taking some time off.’

The crime scene was bustling with officers - a small park, play area, small clump of trees and crime tape around an area on the far side of the trees. Dan Espinoza appeared to be in charge.

‘Good morning to you too,’ Dan greeted her. ‘I was planning to, but with Pierce… Well, everything is crazy, and there’s no time for self-indulgence.’

Chloe stepped towards him, put her hand on his arm. ‘Grieving isn’t self-indulgence, Dan. You need time to get over Charlotte’s…’

‘And what about you? Don’t you need time off to process things?’

She froze. How could he know?

‘It can’t have been easy, having to kill the man you nearly married,’ Dan went on, and Chloe relaxed slightly. In all the other turmoil, Pierce’s death ranked low on her list of concerns.

‘Oh, that. Yeah, it’s tough, but I’m over it. There’s bigger things to worry about.’

‘Such as?’

Chloe turned her attention to the crime scene, anxious to change the subject. It wasn’t like she could tell him what was actually bothering her, and her mind struggled to pick up any excuse other than the truth.

Ella was busy taking photos of a man who was sprawled by the side of the path, partly concealed by a bush. She looked up at Chloe and raised a hand in greeting. Her face was pale, and her eyes red. The events of the past couple of days was hitting the whole team hard. They had lost a colleague and discovered their boss was a notorious criminal. It was a lot to process.

And that was before you considered the fact that another trusted colleague had turned out to be telling the truth that he was the devil himself.

She shuddered, picturing Lucifer’s distorted face in her mind, and forced her attention back to Ella. Maybe if she focused on the case, forced herself back to normality, the whole thing would settle and become more believable, more acceptable. Her mind kept trying to deny what she had seen, but her body could feel the weight of his wing over her, and her fingers could still feel the rough heat of his face.

She cleared her throat. ‘Where’s the other body?’

Ella looked at her blankly.

‘It was called in as a double homicide?’

‘Oh, that, yeah. I guess you didn’t get the update.’ Ella’s face cleared slightly. ‘It turns out the woman wasn’t quite dead, she’s on her way to the hospital. Lucky break, huh?’

‘I guess so.’ Except that someone would have to tell her that her boyfriend wasn’t so lucky. Chloe stooped to examine the body more closely. ‘Cause of death?’

‘Looks like strangulation. Look, you can see the marks. Made by some sort of cord. It was still around the second vic’s neck.’ Ella held up an evidence bag containing a thin piece of rope, and Chloe nodded. ‘Looks like the perp got interrupted during the second kill, didn’t quite finish,’ Ella continued.

Chloe made a note. ‘We got an ID for either of them yet?’

Ella tucked the evidence bag away securely. ‘Dan’s got the details.’ She looked past Chloe’s shoulder. ‘So where’s Lucifer?’

‘He’s - not feeling too good.’

‘Poor guy, it must be tough on him. I mean, I know he’s been working with you closely for a while, but it’s never easy to be directly involved in a death.’

‘Yeah.’ Chloe thought of how angry and miserable Lucifer had been when she left. ‘He’s taking it pretty hard.’

‘So how did you two escape all those gunmen?’ Ella’s open curiosity made Chloe feel guilty.

He whisked out a pair of wings and protected me, then flew me to safety and went back to finish them off. What would her reaction be to that? ‘We managed to fight them off and Pierce got stabbed in the fracas.’

‘I can’t believe he was really going to kill you! I had that guy so wrong.’

Chloe gave the young scientist a quick hug. ‘We all did. Now let’s focus on this case.’

Dan joined them. ‘It was called in anonymously, a woman who said that there were two dead people here. The call came from a phone box nearby. They’re checking for prints, but it’s unlikely they’ll find anything useful.’

Chloe scanned through the notes he had made. ‘So no neighbors reported hearing anything?’

‘No. Say, where’s that partner of yours? Isn’t he with you?’

Chloe winced at the disdain in his voice. ‘Lucifer? He’s not feeling well.’

‘That idiot!’ Dan clenched his fists. ‘He should be here supporting you, not playing sick.’

‘Hey, steady on, Dan, he’s pretty broken up about what happened. He needs time to process it, okay?’

‘We all do. But this was his fault. If he had spoken up about Pierce earlier, maybe…’ His voice trailed off, as he lost himself in a maze of possibilities.

‘You can’t blame him,’ Chloe said firmly. ‘He tried to warn me, and I took no notice. And it was Pierce who pulled that trigger and killed Charlotte, no one else.’

Dan shrugged. ‘Maybe so, but why isn’t here now, supporting you?’

I wish he was. ‘He has his own issues to work through.’

‘The man is a total loser.’ Dan stormed off to speak to the officers who had been sweeping the area, and Chloe shared a look with Ella. This was hard. She had never felt so alone. Lucifer needed her support, but she needed support herself.

An idea came to her: Linda. She forced herself to concentrate on the case, but promised herself that as soon as she got the chance she would speak to her friend. Hadn’t Lucifer said that she knew the truth?

 ***

Lucifer didn’t turn when he heard the elevator ding. After all, he’d locked it up; there were only a select few who knew the code to get past it. He thought back bitterly to the days when he had kept an open house, when anyone could drop by at any point, for he had nothing to fear.

Now…

‘Lucifer!’

He swung round. ‘Mazikeen,’ he greeted her.

She looked startled at his appearance, but at least she was familiar enough with his devil face not to look frightened. He gave her a twisted smile, which faded as he took in her battered appearance and stiff movements. ‘What happened to you?’

‘Pierce.’ She almost spat the name. ‘Tried to keep me prisoner.’

‘Then he was even more of an idiot than I thought.’

‘Was?’

‘He’s dead, Maze. I killed him myself. With one of your blades, as it happens.’ He indicated his face. ‘And now I’m being punished. I wanted my devil face back - well the joke’s on me, because here it is. Here for good, it seems.’ He poured himself another glass of whiskey, knocked it back in one gulp. Even that had lost its capacity to numb his feelings these days.

‘He’s dead? Good, saves me a job. And Chloe?’

‘Chloe’s fine. Well,’ he amended, ‘nearly fine. She’s seen me like this. She coped remarkably well, actually, but I don’t think it’s really caught up with her yet.’

Maze glanced around the apartment. ‘Where is she?’

‘Off to another crime scene.’ Lucifer sighed. ‘And I’m stuck here, useless to her. It’s over, Maze. If you want to go back to Hell, then I’ll take you. There’s nothing left for me here now. Not like this. My father has his own way after all.’

Maze stepped backwards. ‘Back to Hell?’

‘Yes. That’s what you want, isn’t it?’ It hurt, thinking about abandoning his life here, but that had all depended on being able to fit in, to be accepted.

‘Actually…’ She frowned. ‘I’ve been thinking about that. It’s hard to adjust to humans, all these emotions - they’re not easy. But I think I’m finally starting to get the hang of them. It would be a pity to give up now.’

Lucifer felt a flash of irritation. ‘You’ve been begging me for weeks, you tortured me because I wouldn’t take you, and now I offer and you say no?’ Again, the thought of losing both Chloe and Maze was like a knife to the chest. There was no way that he and Chloe could have any kind of relationship now, not like this. But to leave Maze behind as well and return to Hell alone?

‘I’m sorry, Lucifer, but I have friends here now.’ Maze looked happier than she had in weeks, despite the bruising on her face. ‘And I’m not prepared to give up yet.’

Lucifer turned his back on her, anger flooding him. ‘Then go.’

‘Lucifer…’ Maze put a hand on his arm. ‘Don’t do anything stupid, okay? Don’t give up on all this too soon.’

He shrugged her hand off. ‘What am I supposed to do? Wear a hat and mask? Show everyone my devil face? They would run screaming. That’s not the sort of life I want. I thought I had a home here. But that was only as long as I kept my darker side hidden. They’re not ready for this. There’s no place for me here now.’

There was silence for a moment, and then he heard Maze turn and walk away. After a few seconds the elevator rumbled, taking his friend away from him, and he was alone again.

More alone than he had felt for a long while.

Chapter Text

Chloe was waiting outside as Linda’s morning client left. ‘I don't suppose you have a minute to chat?’

Linda looked her up and down, and Chloe was suddenly aware of how disheveled she must look. She had slept in her clothes, under Lucifer’s wing, and headed straight back out to work. A shiver went through her as she thought of Lucifer, and her knees felt suddenly weak.

‘Come in,’ Linda invited, and Chloe sank down gratefully onto her couch. She accepted the glass of water Linda handed to her and stared into it, not sure where to begin.

‘Is everything okay?’

Chloe struggled to find the words. ‘I need to talk, I’m sorry. I know it’s your lunch break, but I really - it’s Lucifer.’

Linda gave a deep sigh. ‘Chloe, you know he’s my client, and I can’t discuss him with anyone. Not even you.’

‘It’s okay. I know all that, but I have no one else I could talk to, and he said you already know.’

Linda sat back and gave her that look that invited her to tell all.

‘He really is the devil, isn’t he.’ She made it a statement, rather than a question.

Linda pursed her lips and regarded her for a full minute without speaking. Then eventually, she said, ‘What brings you to that conclusion?’

‘I saw his face. His devil face.’ She shivered at the thought of that burned, distorted head.

‘It’s back?’ Linda looked startled for a moment, then gathered herself together. ‘What did he say about it?’

‘That’s the worst bit. He didn’t even know at first. He’d just killed Pierce, and then he turned around…’ She stopped herself, remembering that the official version was that they had both been fighting with Pierce and he had been stabbed accidentally.

‘Lucifer killed Pierce?’ Linda sounded concerned.

‘Well, sort of. But Pierce was trying to kill both of us.’

‘And how do you feel about that?’ Linda leaned back in her chair, and Chloe could almost sense her shifting into therapist mode.

‘It’s hard to take in. Pierce said he loved me. I almost married him. I don’t know what got into me, but the thought terrifies me, what could have happened. And then all this on top - I just don’t understand all this. How can it be true? But it is. I saw with my own eyes.’

‘So Cain is finally dead.’ Linda nodded her head approvingly.

‘You knew who he really was?’

Linda hesitated. ‘Yes, Lucifer told me.’

‘How long have you known about him? About Lucifer, I mean?’

After a moment, Linda replied softly, ‘He showed me his devil face after he killed his brother.’

Chloe stared at her in shock. ‘He killed his brother? But Amenadiel…’

‘No, this was another brother. Last year. Uriel. He was trying to kill you and destroy their mother.’

‘Their…’ Chloe stared very hard into the glass of water she was holding. This was starting to sound crazier and crazier. ‘Their mother?’

‘Yes. The Goddess of All Creation. She was in Charlotte Richards’ body at the time.’ After a moment, Linda cleared her throat. ‘This is just sounding worse and worse, isn’t it? I’m sorry, Chloe. I know it’s a lot to take in. It took me quite a while to process it. But talk to Lucifer. I won’t say he’s willing to answer questions - that man knows how to be evasive when he wants to be - but he can reassure you. And it’s really not my place to tell you all this.’

‘Will he ever get his normal face back?’ That was the only question Chloe wanted to hear the answer to right at this moment.

Linda looked startled. ‘You mean he hasn’t?’

‘He said it’s stuck. He said it’s his punishment for killing a human.’

‘Oh.’ Linda was quiet for a moment. ‘I’d better go and see him. How’s he taking it?’

‘He’s pretty miserable. He got shot, too. His wings - they were covered in blood. He protected me.’

‘And he’s stuck in his devil face.’ Linda nodded her head, looking thoughtful. ‘I’ll pay him a visit. It sounds like he’ll need to talk to someone. And you have your own worries.’

‘Yeah.’ Chloe looked at her watch. ‘I need to go, I’m in the middle of a new case. I just - I needed to talk to someone, so thank you. It’s good to know I’m not the only one who knows. It’s good to know I’m not going completely crazy.’

Linda stood up and held the door for her. ‘And I’m happy that you finally know the truth. You mean a lot to Lucifer, I know that.’

He’d been talking to his therapist about her? Chloe sighed inwardly. That man needed a severe talking to. Although he probably wouldn’t have needed to if she’d just taken him at his word. The guilt flushed over her, along with the anger that he hadn’t shown her some kind of proof before. Any kind of proof.

The thought popped up that maybe it was only now she was prepared to not only believe him but accept him as who he really was.

***

Linda canceled her afternoon client and headed for Lucifer’s apartment. As she waited for the elevator to reach the penthouse, she felt her adrenaline flow. She had known he was truly the devil for over a year by now, but had only seen his face the once. The wings… she smiled at the thought of his beautiful wings. But Chloe had said he was injured.

The elevator dinged open and she stepped into the penthouse. All was quiet. ‘Lucifer?’ She looked around, wondering where he was.

‘What do you want?’

‘Lucifer! Chloe came to see me. She said - she said you were having problems.’ Where was he? She could hear him, but not see him. ‘Lucifer!’

He stepped out from the bedroom, and she fought back the urge to gasp in horror as she saw his face. His entire head was reddened and burned, and his eyes glowed red. He stood, not coming any closer, and she nodded her thanks as she took the time to adjust to his changed appearance. The first time she had seen it, it had come as a shock, had shaken her entire world understanding. This time she could see more clearly the man beneath the face, could recognise his body language and understand that he was far from the evil monster that his appearance suggested, but it was still hard. She wondered just how Chloe had coped.

‘Why don’t you tell me what happened?’ she coaxed, indicating the couch.

Lucifer stepped forward uncertainly, and she sat down in the armchair, deciding that behaving as though this was a normal therapy session might help him relax.

He sat, but was leaning forward, uncomfortable, looking as though he was going to jump up and run away at any moment. Linda thought back to their first therapy sessions, how he had been so confident, so utterly convinced that the world was at his beck and call.

‘I killed Pierce.’ His voice was quiet, subdued. ‘I killed a human. And this is my punishment.’

‘Why do you believe that?’

‘Well, it’s the first rule of angels, isn’t it? And I broke it. Never mind that Pierce was a criminal mastermind, and a murderer, never mind that he was going to kill me and the detective.’

‘Chloe said something about using your wings.’

‘Yes. I used them to shelter us both from bullets, then flew her to safety and went back to finish him off. I deliberately killed him. I could have walked away, or arrested him. I could have taken her handcuffs. I could…’ He held his hands up in despair, and she could see there was no sense pursuing that particular line at least until he’d calmed down a little.

‘I heard about Charlotte,’ she said softly. ‘Do you want to tell me what happened about that?’

He shrugged. ‘Pierce said he was trying to kill Amenadiel. He wanted his curse back.’

‘Is Amenadiel all right?’ Linda’s heart skipped a beat.

‘Yes, he’s fine, as far as I know. I think he got his wings back and took Charlotte to heaven.’

‘Amenadiel got his wings back? Wow, Lucifer, that’s huge. How did that happen?’

He stood and began pacing the floor. ‘He had this wild theory that his powers, my wings, my devil face - that we were doing these things to ourselves. I guess maybe he was right. My wings came back and I lost my devil face when I felt good about myself. He somehow got his head straight and got his wings back.’

‘And you?’ she asked. ‘You feel bad about yourself again because you killed a human, and now your devil face is back?’

His pacing stopped, and he swung around to face her. ‘I don’t know,’ he said, and while she still struggled to read his facial expression properly, his body language looked thoughtful. ‘I’m not doing this through choice. I’ve tried, Doctor, really tried, but I just can’t change back to normal.’

‘You’ve been through a lot, Lucifer.’ She shifted in the chair, twisted to face him better, tried to find the words to get through to him. ‘You can’t expect to get back to normal at once. You killed a man, and that obviously means a lot to you. Give yourself time to process things. But maybe it’s more in your control than you think.’

He stared at the ceiling for a minute and then back at her. ‘Nothing I can do changes the fact that I killed a man.’

‘No, but you can come to terms with it. You can accept that it doesn’t make you a monster. That you did what you had to do. What would have happened if you hadn’t killed him? Would he have become a good man? Or would he have tried again and again, until he had killed you and killed Chloe? Killed more of your friends? Killed other people?’

‘I’m not my father.’ Lucifer’s voice was trembling with emotion. ‘I don’t get to decide who lives and who dies.’

‘No, Lucifer, but you do have a right to defend yourself.’

‘You don’t understand!’ He walked over to the bar, poured himself a drink. She had seen that action many times, knew that it gave him time to think. ‘Do you seriously think I want to walk around looking like this? I’m useless! I can’t help the detective like this. I can’t even show my face without people screaming and running away. I can’t live like that!’

Linda stood and walked over to him, placing a hand on his arm. He was shaking. ‘Lucifer, I know,’ she said. ‘But give yourself time to work through this. I’m here to support you, and Chloe wants to help too. Together I’m sure we can find a way.’

There was a moment’s silence, and then Lucifer pulled his arm away. ‘I hope you’re right.’

Linda led him back to the couch. ‘Let’s talk this through. Do you accept that Pierce had to die?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘And that you were protecting yourself and your friend when you killed him?’

He nodded.

‘Lucifer, you need to talk to me. To tell me how you’re feeling. We need to work this through.’

He stared at the ceiling for a moment, and then jumped to his feet. ‘This is a waste of time.’

‘Lucifer, you’re holding back. We’re not going to get anywhere until you’re willing to open up.’

‘I can’t! Don’t you get it, Doctor? I can’t! I’m a monster, and you’re just seeing the real me. This is useless. Get out. Get out!’

He strode to the balcony and stood staring out at the world below. Linda tried to speak to him again, but he refused to respond. In the end, she spoke to him quietly. ‘I’m going for now, Lucifer, but I’ll be back. We can get through this. It might be painful, but we can help you. As long as you don’t shut us out.’

There was no response, and she left him to it. He would be ready to talk to her at some point, but right now he seemed to feel the need to punish himself.

She just hoped he had learned enough from their sessions to understand the process he had to go through to reach a point where he could move on.

Chapter Text

Chloe studied the information on the murder board. A photo of Elliot Bliven, the murder victim, sat in the middle, with a photo of a woman next to it labeled Britney Joyce - hospital. A few scribbled comments and dates were scattered around the board, and a first attempt at a timeline ran along the top, indicating time of death for Bliven was around 4am, while the alert had been raised by phone around ten minutes later. Indications were that he and Britney Joyce had been at a local Italian restaurant until a couple of hours earlier, and then a nightclub, and he had been walking her home through the park when they had been attacked.

‘Still no news on the second vic,’ Ella informed her, heading back to the lab with a steaming mug of coffee. ‘Dan called the hospital just now, she’s still unconscious. She’s so lucky to be alive right now. Her throat’s pretty badly injured, but they say she should make a complete recovery. Can’t question her until she wakes up, though.’

‘Maybe she’ll be able to give a description of the killer,’ Chloe said. It would be good to get a break, solve a case quickly and easily for a change. Maybe then the team would get a chance to pick themselves up properly after the death of Pierce. Around her the place was strangely quiet, people moving in a hushed daze. Bigwigs had taken over Pierce’s office and were going through his things, trying to figure out how their golden boy had been concealing life as a master criminal.

She dragged her attention back to the case. It was hard to focus on a murder when her mind was full of the events of the past few days, but she owed it to the victims to do her best. ‘Has the PM on Elliot Bliven come in yet?’ she asked. The photo showed a thick-set man in his late fifties, graying hair and deepset eyes that glared at the camera as if affronted. The notes underneath his photo indicated that he was an insurance salesman, who traveled a lot for work.

‘No, they’re still working on it, but Dan has some information about the case.’

Chloe glanced over at where Dan stood talking on the phone and occasionally scribbling on a notepad. ‘I’m sure he’ll let me know,’ she said. ‘Have you got anything yet?’

Ella gave a deep sigh. ‘You know, I’ve been working on the evidence we found, and I’ve found some information on the footprint, but it’s a really common shoe. I wish we could catch a break sometime, you know, have a really rare type of shoe, or someone with a distinctive way of walking, but it’s always the really common ones, and…’ Seeing the expression on Chloe’s face, she finished quickly, ‘but we do know it was a size 6 woman’s shoe.’

‘Woman?’ Chloe thought about that for a second. There were women murderers, of course, but strangling with a cord was an unusual method for them.

Dan put the phone down and came over to join them. ‘Yes, and we have a suspect,’ he said grimly. ‘Martha Fellu. Ex-girlfriend of Bliven’s from a decade ago. A couple more girlfriends have died in the intervening years and she’s wanted for questioning.’

He printed out a photo and pinned it to the board, writing the name underneath. ‘Bliven had an injunction out on her,’ he said. ‘Claimed she had threatened him, was jealous of any new girlfriend. Two of his girlfriends have been killed in the last ten years, and each time she was brought in for questioning, but they haven’t managed to pin anything on her yet. And now she’s missing.’

‘Sounds like we need to talk to her,’ Chloe answered, studying the board. Both women were superficially similar, both having long blonde hair and blue eyes. Dan added another couple of photos, marking them down as the previous girlfriends, and Chloe noted that both these were also blue-eyed blondes.

‘He definitely has a type,’ she observed, and Dan nodded.

‘I see what you mean,’ he said, standing back and comparing their appearance. ‘But it appears Martha Fellu is the odd one out - the one that murdered the others. Jealous girlfriend, huh? Some people just don’t know how to let go.’

Chloe’s thoughts jumped to Lucifer, and for a moment she thought of his reactions to Pierce, how he had denied jealousy but made wild accusations; how he had killed him, stabbing him through the heart with a blade that looked rather like one of Maze’s.

But that was completely different. He had had good reason for killing Pierce; the man had threatened both of them. His men had shot at them both on his orders. Lucifer hadn’t killed out of mere jealousy.

Had he?

She forced her thoughts back to the case. ‘We need to track this woman down,’ she agreed.

***

After an afternoon of paperwork, Chloe was ready for a break. She called in at home to make sure Trixie was okay, giving her an extra special hug, and then headed out again.

The penthouse was quiet, and Chloe looked around. ‘Lucifer? Where are you? It’s me, I wanted to talk to you. We didn’t get much chance to talk last night.’

At first there was no response, but eventually a low voice spoke from the darkness of the bedroom. ‘Why did you come back?’

‘Lucifer? Of course I came back. I said I would. I want to help you.’ Chloe peered over in his direction.

‘Did you send Linda?’

‘Did she come? She said she would.’ Chloe stepped towards him, fighting off the feeling she was approaching a wild animal.

‘Yes, she came. I’m not sure why she bothered.’

‘Because she cares about you, Lucifer. And so do I. We’re worried about you.’

Finally she could see him better, and as she had feared, his face remained in its devil form. He gave her a twisted smile, and she struggled to recognise the man she knew under that mask of burned flesh.

‘Come and sit down,’ she invited him, and he reluctantly stepped towards her. She forced herself not to flinch as he approached. It was just Lucifer. He wasn’t going to hurt her. And he wasn’t trying to frighten her. She reached out and stroked his arm, trying to comfort him.

‘No, detective,’ he said, pulling his arm away gently. ‘I’ve not managed to resume my normal form.’

‘What did Linda say?’ she asked, hoping that the therapist had managed to come up with some gem of advice for him.

He sighed, sprawling in his armchair. ‘She came up with some wild theory that I’m punishing myself,’ he admitted. ‘I told her that Amenadiel got his wings back, and she seemed to think that validated his theory that we’re doing these things to ourselves.’

‘Amenadiel…’ Chloe’s mind flashed to Lucifer’s brother. ‘Oh, God, he’s really your brother. And he’s an angel.’ Each time she thought of these truths, it felt like it was the first time, and she struggled to understand it.

‘Correct.’ Lucifer gazed up at her, and she read his body language as he challenged her to come to terms with the big truths she had discovered in the last day or so. She knew him so well. And yet so much of his life now seemed completely alien to her. He wasn’t even human.

He was watching her closely, and she turned away, heading to the bar and pouring herself a drink, realising as she did so what a good delaying tactic it was. ‘Want one?’ she asked over her shoulder.

He nodded, and she poured a second glass and took it to him, wondering when she had got to the point where she was comfortable helping herself to the devil’s whiskey. Life had got crazy lately!

‘So according to this theory, why can’t you change back?’ she asked.

He studied his glass thoughtfully. ‘I see myself as a monster and so that’s how I appear.’ His tone was flippant, but she knew him well enough to imagine the pain he was feeling.

‘You’re not a monster,’ she answered immediately. ‘I’ve told you that, Lucifer. You need to believe me. You’re not evil, you punish evil. You’ve told me you didn’t choose this life. And I’ve told you I don’t see you as the devil. You’re just - well, you.’

He took a sip of his drink. ‘I killed a human,’ he said. ‘And I felt good doing it.’

‘He was evil,’ Chloe answered. ‘He deserved to die. You had no choice, it was him or you.’ She took a sip of her own glass, feeling the liquid burn as it flowed down. She had barely drunk whiskey before getting to know Lucifer. Now she knew enough to tell the top shelf stuff from the cheaper versions.

‘But it’s not my job to decide that,’ Lucifer said. ‘I’m not my father. I don’t hold the power of life and death. I don’t want the power of life and death.’

Chloe searched for words to get through to him. ‘Lucifer, I’ve killed people too,’ she pointed out. ‘I’ve had to make that decision, to end someone’s life. It’s never easy. But sometimes it’s necessary. Does it mean I’m evil, because I kill someone and feel it was justified? And there’s nothing wrong with feeling satisfaction with a job well done.’

‘But you’re human,’ he pointed out impatiently. ‘I’ve killed another of my kind, and yes it was necessary and no it wasn’t easy. But this… this is different.’

‘Your brother,’ Chloe said softly, and he looked up in surprise. ‘Linda mentioned something - that you killed him to protect me and your mom.’

Lucifer tilted his head in amusement. ‘Yes, detective, there’s a lot happened that you’ve been unaware of.’

Chloe wondered for a moment what her reaction would have been if she’d known the truth earlier. Would she have understood? Would she have accepted him? Or was it only now she’d been through the whole process of trying to live without him, and they’d both learned how much they meant to each other, that she could truly love him as he was? ‘We need a really long talk,’ she declared.

He nodded. ‘But not now, please. Tell me what you’ve been working on.’

Chloe told him about the case, and how they were trying to track down the ex-lover.

Lucifer pulled a face.

‘What?’ she asked, amused at how she had become used to his devil face so quickly.

‘Why would the ex-lover kill him?’ he asked. ‘So far, it’s the girlfriends being killed, right?’

She nodded.

‘So why change now? Why kill him first and then the girlfriend? And what was the girlfriend doing while he was being killed?’

They were good questions. ‘We’ll know more when the post mortem results come in,’ she said. ‘And we’re hoping that Britney will wake up and be able to tell us more.’

‘Always useful, having a live witness,’ Lucifer agreed. ‘I apologize for not being available to help with questioning.’

Chloe looked at her watch. ‘I’d better get home,’ she said reluctantly, getting to her feet. ‘I promised Trixie I’d tuck her into bed tonight. She missed me last night.’

Lucifer gave a deep sigh. ‘How is the offspring?’ he asked.

Chloe suppressed a smile; she was convinced that despite his protests, Lucifer was actually fond of her daughter, and she knew Trixie had a soft spot for him. ‘She’s fine, just a little unsettled at the moment,’ she answered. ‘All this business with Pierce has rattled her rather. I wish…’

‘What do you wish?’ Lucifer looked at her intently.

‘I wish all this had never happened,’ she answered quickly, grateful that his mojo didn’t work on her, that he couldn’t draw from her the confession that she wished Lucifer could go back to her place with her, to set Trixie’s mind at rest and to spend a pleasant evening hanging out together.

Lucifer shook his head slightly, as though he could sense the lie. Not completely a lie, she defended herself. Just not the whole truth. She remembered Lucifer’s words to her, years ago, and reached out to touch his arm. ‘Hang in there, Lucifer,’ she said. ‘We’ll get this sorted, don’t worry.’ This time he didn’t pull away, and on impulse she pulled him into a hug. He resisted at first, and then hugged her back, and she held him tight for a moment, resting her head against his chest before pulling away again.

He said nothing, but watched her as she left. Her last sight, as the doors to the elevator closed, was of his glowing red eyes studying her.

Chapter Text

It was mid-morning the next day before they finally received a notification that Martha Fellu’s car had been spotted downtown. Chloe and Dan headed out. Chloe missed Lucifer’s easy chat; Dan was silent, brooding, and she glanced at him occasionally, worrying about him. They’d all been hit hard by Charlotte’s death, but Dan especially. And they were both reeling from the knowledge that it was their colleague who’d killed her.

And she had nearly married him. She shuddered now at the thought. Without Lucifer around, it was all too easy to sink into brooding and misery. She still didn’t really understand how Pierce had changed so much from the man she thought she knew.

Chloe remembered Lucifer’s attempts to remind her of the fun they’d had working together. Right now she’d give anything to turn the clock back to when he was just a quirky friend, when he drove her mad most of the time… well, maybe not. But it was hard to see how they could settle back to any kind of normal life. Not only was she still trying to adjust to the fact that he really was the devil, but he was stuck with his monstrous devil face. He was so isolated, so alone. She stifled a sigh. Maybe Linda would find a way to help him. She missed his soft brown eyes, the wicked gleam that would appear in them when he was causing trouble.

They located Fellu’s car in a side street, but there was no sign of the owner. Chloe stood staring around her, trying to get a feel of the locale, to figure out where a woman like Martha would be going. The area was deserted, just a kid on a bike pedaling past and an old man shuffling along, wrapped up in a thick coat. The sun was bright above them, and the heat shimmered on the pavement.

She looked up, startled from her thoughts as something caught her eye, but there was nothing there. She frowned, feeling uneasy. ‘Do you feel like we’re being watched?’ she asked Dan.

He shook his head. ‘It’s totally isolated here, not much around at all. Seems a pretty quiet neighborhood. I don’t think anyone is interested in the outside world.’

Shrugging it off, Chloe explored the end of the street. Around the corner was a row of shops, including a cafe, and she headed in that direction. A shadow passed over her, and she looked up, but again there was nothing there.

‘So Lucifer’s still sick?’ Dan asked as they walked towards the shops.

‘Yeah.’ Chloe really didn’t want to talk about Lucifer right now. She wanted to scream at him, and hug him, and never see him again, and spend all her time with him. But chatting casually about him? With someone who didn’t understand the truth? She couldn’t see any kind of appeal in that.

‘The guy is a total loser.’ Dan almost spat the words. ‘Plays at cop, likes to think he’s clever, all this devil nonsense, and he hides evidence. If we’d known before…’

‘Leave it, Dan,’ Chloe snapped. ‘You don’t know the whole truth. There’s a lot more going on than you realize.’ For a moment she wondered whether to tell him. Whether he could cope with the knowledge that the devil talk was more than just talk. What would it do to him, that knowledge?

She couldn’t risk it right now. She could barely cope with it herself. ‘Just leave it,’ she repeated lamely. ‘When this is-’

‘In there!’ Dan pointed at the cafe, where a tall blonde woman was just about to exit. The woman, who looked as though she’d spent a rough night, looked in their direction, but as they started to speed up their walk she took off the opposite way, jogging down the street.

‘Police! We want to talk to you!’ Chloe called, breaking into a run.

The woman just looked over her shoulder and increased her pace.

‘She’s fast!’ Dan panted behind Chloe’s shoulder. ‘And running scared. She knows something is up.’

‘Looks like it,’ Chloe responded grimly, concentrating on one foot in front of the other, controlling her breathing, not losing her footing, although her chest ached from the bruising and her legs felt like jelly.

The woman turned the corner ahead, and Chloe forced her pace faster still. ‘She’s heading back to her car! Damn!’ As Chloe reached the corner herself, she saw the woman cut down an alley that led back to the street where the car was parked. Chloe cursed. If she got back to the car and drove away, they’d lose her again.

She reached the corner and turned, and nearly tripped over their suspect, who was lying in a fetal position on the ground, arms over her head, sobbing.

Chloe stood looking down at her, catching her breath, trying to understand what had happened. Again a shadow passed over her, and she looked up at the roof of the building nearby. Was that a man standing there? She blinked and it was gone again.

‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry,’ the woman sobbed, and Chloe bending to cuff her, gave a sudden smile.

‘Thanks, Lucifer,’ she said quietly.

‘What was that?’ Dan asked. ‘Lucifer?’

‘Never mind,’ Chloe answered. ‘We’ve got her. Let’s get her to the station.’

***

As they led their suspect into the precinct, Ella greeted them by waving a file of papers in their direction. Chloe handed Fellu over to Dan to process, and she joined Ella in the lab.

‘PM results are in,’ Ella said in her usual overexcited fashion. ‘And it’s fascinating. I’m not sure what the implications are, but it could explain why one survived and one didn’t.’

‘Slow down, Ella,’ said Chloe. ‘Explain what was found.’

Ella tapped the file that she’d put on the table. ‘The cord that we found around Britney Joyce’s neck was used to strangle her. That’s pretty straightforward. But it wasn’t the cord used around Elliot Bliven’s neck. That one was thicker.’

‘Are you sure?’ Chloe picked up the sheets of paper and studied the results. She was no scientist, but she knew enough to read the medical reports, and it appeared to be just as Ella had summarized. ‘So what does this mean? The killer brought two weapons to the scene? Strangled Joyce until she was unconscious, then switched weapons to kill Bliven? Or killed Bliven first, put the murder weapon away, got another out to strangle Joyce with?’

‘I know, right?’ Ella’s eyes were wide as she thought about the implications of the results.

‘Lucifer was asking why the murderer would change their pattern,’ Chloe said thoughtfully. ‘Why she would suddenly kill him, where before she was just attacking girlfriends.’

‘Lucifer’s been discussing the case?’ Ella looked up at her, excited. ‘How is he? I miss the guy. He must be feeling so bad over the whole - you know…’ Her voice trailed away.

‘Over Pierce? Yeah. He’s a little - frustrated, right now, I guess,’ Chloe admitted. And so am I. She wanted to be held and comforted, to be able to share her feelings with someone. Instead, she was stuck worrying about her partner and trying to figure out ways to help him.

‘Poor guy. I wish I could just give him a big hug.’ Ella sank down on her stool with a sigh. ‘I mean, he only did what we all wanted to do when we knew the truth, right?’

‘Ella…’

‘But he is okay, though, right? I mean, he’s not hurt or anything? Or like really depressed over it all? It’s not like him to keep away from you - from here. Maybe we should go see him or something?’

Chloe shook her head. This was getting tough. ‘Ella - can I ask you about something?’

‘Sure, go ahead.’ Ella faced her directly, giving her full attention.

‘You know you believe in God and all that?’

‘Yeah, you asked me about that before.’

‘Well - I’m just curious, sorry. You said you felt God told you to come here? To LA?’

Ella looked away. ‘Yeah, sorta.’

‘I was just wondering what that was like. You know, getting a direct message from God.’ Chloe had heard a lot about Lucifer’s dad. Maybe Ella had the secret to reconciling Lucifer’s view of his dad with the rest of the world’s view of God.

‘I just - sorta felt a really strong feeling pushing me here.’ Ella tried to meet Chloe’s eyes, but seemed to be hiding something.

‘Oh, okay, it doesn’t matter, I just wondered, that’s all.’

‘Yeah, I know, it’s kind of hard, with Lucifer and the devil business, you know?’

Chloe stiffened. ‘With what?’

‘Oh, you know, Lucifer saying he’s the devil, and always talking about his dad, they have a really weird kind of relationship, don’t you think? I mean, who behaves as though their dad is really God?’

Chloe’s first thought was that Ella knew the truth, but now she relaxed just a little. ‘Maybe he is,’ she said.

Ella laughed. ‘Don’t tell me you’re starting to really believe him?’

No, this was too difficult. She couldn’t talk to Ella, not honestly. It wasn’t fair on her. Maybe Linda. She decided to call Linda when she got a chance, to really talk to her. At least she knew the truth.

‘Ah - let’s get back to the case, shall we?’ Chloe indicated the folder in front of her. ‘Sorry, I’m just a little distracted. It’s a while since I’ve worked closely with Dan, but with Lucifer out of action… it’s just thrown me off track a bit. Where were we?’

With a sigh, Ella flicked through the paper again. ‘Trying to work out why there were two murder weapons.’

‘Yeah.’ Chloe frowned for a moment, then dug out her phone. ‘One minute.’

She thumbed through the contact list. Maybe he wouldn’t even answer, but it was worth a try. ‘Lucifer? I was just wondering if you wanted to join in with me and Ella on discussing the case. I’d like to get your take on this. I can put you on speakerphone.’

There was a moment of silence. ‘You really want my help, detective?’

Her heart sang at the familiar tones and accent. ‘Of course I do. You okay with that?’

A deep sigh. ‘What’s the situation, then?’

With a grin at Ella, Chloe put the phone on loudspeaker and placed it on the desk in front of them. ‘Hi Lucifer,’ Ella greeted him. ‘How you doing, buddy?’

‘I’m bored, Miss Lopez,’ Lucifer answered her. ‘But it’s good to talk to you. What’s the news on the case?’

Quickly, the two women brought him up to date on the PM results. ‘And we arrested our suspect,’ Chloe added, although she had a strong suspicion that Lucifer was well aware of that.

‘Okay, so you’re trying to work out why the murderer used two different weapons? Well, I can think of one or two reasons.’

‘Spill it, dude, we’re waiting to hear,’ Ella responded.

‘Maybe she didn’t. Maybe there were two crimes committed by different people.’

Chloe nodded. ‘You mean that one was a murder and the other an attempted murder? So what do you reckon happened?’ She knew the conclusion she had come to. She was waiting for Lucifer to reach the same conclusion.

‘Maybe,’ he said slowly, ‘your chap Bliven killed all his girlfriends. Maybe this other woman came across him trying to kill this one, and stopped the murder by killing him.’

Chloe and Ella exchanged glances. ‘That’s a pretty big conclusion, Lucifer,’ Ella said, but Chloe was nodding.

‘That sounds definitely plausible,’ she said. ‘Thanks, Lucifer.’

‘You’re welcome.’ He sounded amused, and she relaxed a little. She had been hoping her gamble would pay off; she could only imagine how isolated and lonely he must feel right now. ‘Maybe-’

She was interrupted by shouts from the interrogation room. ‘Call an ambulance! She’s tried to kill herself!’

I’ve got to go,’ she said hurriedly. ‘I’ll call in to see you this evening.’

‘I’ll look forward to that.’ Lucifer hung up.

***

Lucifer glared at the phone as though it had personally insulted him. He couldn’t stand this. Unable to move freely around, unable to see his friends…

Friends. It was an odd concept. He had spent so much of his life as Lord of Hell, where everyone either followed his orders or trembled in fear at his presence. And yet in the short time he had been on earth, he had grown accustomed to being among people who actually seemed to like him, to want to be around him.

But if he showed himself now, they would react in horror.

He sank onto the couch and put his head in his hands. How long could he go on like this? He had tried to help Chloe out, but his devil face limited him too much, and that short phone conversation had just emphasized how isolated he was. The idea of returning to Hell was abhorrent, but the idea of continuing like this was painful too. For the first time he felt a flicker of sympathy for Pierce: he too had been isolated and forced to keep his real self hidden.

But unlike Pierce, he felt no urge to go out and become a crime boss, to order murders, to kill someone in cold blood. Maybe he wasn’t quite as much of a monster as he feared.

He thought back to Uriel. His little brother. He had thought life was tough then, had struggled to live with the guilt, had called himself a monster. But he had come through it. Maybe there was a way through this as well.

He just hoped it would come soon.

Chapter Text

Chloe met Linda in the parking lot. ‘Are you sure this is a good idea?’ Chloe asked nervously.

Linda nodded. ‘You’ve tried talking to him, and I’ve tried. Maybe if we try together we’ll have more success.’

‘Worth a try, I guess.’

When they reached the penthouse, Lucifer was playing a mournful piece of music on his piano. His long, agile fingers hit the keys with confidence, and his relaxed shoulders bore sharp contrast to the harsh features above them, his red, glowing eyes gazing absently into space.

He stopped when he saw his visitors. ‘Ganging up on me now,’ he observed, picking up the cigarette that was smoldering in an ashtray on top of the piano. ‘You might as well save your breath.’

‘Now, Lucifer, that’s no way to greet your friends,’ Linda rebuked gently. ‘How about offering us a drink?’

For a moment, Chloe thought he was going to argue, was going to send them both away, but he put the cigarette down again, moved towards the bar and selected a bottle, pouring three glasses. He handed them out, and Chloe took hers with a smile. It was getting easier not to flinch at his appearance, although she still struggled to recognize the features beneath.

‘So how are you feeling now?’ Linda asked him.

Lucifer indicated his face. ‘How do you think I’m feeling?’

‘I know you’re upset that you killed Pierce,’ she began.

Lucifer shook his head. ‘You don’t understand, Doctor! It’s not about breaking Dad’s rules by killing a human. And it’s not about feeling satisfaction that I’ve done a good job. I killed a man and I enjoyed it. I tortured him while he was dying. And it felt so right! I really am a monster.’

‘I understand you feel that way,’ Linda said soothingly. ‘But let’s just think about that.’

‘No, Doctor. I’ve had enough of sitting around thinking about what I’ve done. I want to know what’s been happening in the world outside.’ He turned to Chloe. ‘So what happened at the precinct?’

Chloe glanced over at Linda, who shrugged and nodded. ‘Our suspect tried to kill herself,’ she explained, remembering the frantic scenes when she had been discovered. ‘So we haven’t been able to question her properly yet.’

‘But why would she want to do something stupid like that?’ Lucifer sat in the armchair opposite Chloe and Linda, leaning back and crossing his legs in the familiar way.

‘We spoke to her briefly. She was upset, said she had done something terrible and deserved to die.’

Lucifer jumped to his feet and started pacing, as though unable to stay still. ‘But that’s just stupid. Assuming she means killing this guy, she didn’t kill him because she was a terrible person, she did it to protect the other woman, because he was a murderer. He was the evil one. He killed for fun. She just killed in order to stop more deaths. Why should she punish herself for that?’

‘So she’s not a monster?’ Linda asked. Chloe, realizing what her friend was doing, felt a rush of admiration as she waited for Lucifer to make the connection.

‘Of course not!’ Lucifer glared at Linda for a moment, and then he relaxed slightly. ‘She’s not the monster, he is.’

‘Lucifer,’ said Linda, ‘how would you expect someone evil to behave?’

Lucifer struggled for a minute before answering. ‘Well, like this man Bliven. Like Pierce. Not caring who gets hurt, doing what they want regardless.’

‘And the person who stops them?’

He shook his head. ‘Oh no, you’re not catching me like that, Doctor!’

‘Like what?’ Linda put on her best innocent face, while Chloe hid a smile. ‘Lucifer, I’m just encouraging you to think about what evilness looks like.’

‘I…’ He held out his hands helplessly.

‘Does someone who’s evil agonize over what they’ve done? Do they torture themselves with guilt? Do they see themselves as a monster? Don’t you see, Lucifer, you feel bad about what you did. That’s the sign you’re not a monster. Do you think a real monster would regret or even question his actions for one second?’

Lucifer just stared at her, silent, and Chloe felt a twinge of pity for him. He really did struggle with feelings, didn’t he? Thankfully he had Linda around to help.

Chloe stood up, sensing it was her turn to talk to him. ‘Lucifer, listen to me. You really are the devil. I understand that now. And yes, you have a monstrous side. But you know what? So do we all. What matters is that you accept and control it. That you understand it. The very fact that you’re questioning whether you’re evil shows me you’re not. Because you don’t see that sort of behavior as normal.’ She took a deep breath and took hold of his hands in hers. ‘But you’re the devil. Just as I’m a cop. And sometimes in our jobs we have to do things that others might not approve of, in order to protect the world from people who truly are evil. You’re not a monster. Not to me. And you shouldn’t think of yourself that way either.’

As her words sank in, his expression changed, the harsh features softening. Chloe stepped closer and placed a hand gently on the side of Lucifer’s distorted face, all the time keeping eye contact with those glowing eyes. He flinched a little, but stilled under her touch. Slowly she leaned up towards him, and pressed her lips to his, feeling the roughness, almost scaliness of the skin. He resisted at first, and then relaxed into her kiss. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close, and she grew bolder, reaching up with both arms, caressing his cheek, burying herself in his embrace, running her hands through his soft hair.

His hair.

As her brain finally caught up with her body, she stepped backwards, startled, catching Lucifer off-balance. He swayed, resting his hands on her shoulders. His deep brown eyes gazed down at her, looking worried.

She stroked his cheek, feeling the familiar stubble. ‘Welcome back,’ she said,smiling.

He frowned for a moment, confused, and then put his own hand to his face. ‘Oh.’ A moment’s concentration and the devil face was back, and then he blinked and it was gone again. He looked around, as though he had forgotten where he was.

‘Feeling better?’ Linda asked, sounding amused.

‘I suppose I am,’ he agreed. ‘Thank you, both of you.’

***

Lucifer sent both ladies home soon afterward. Linda gave him a hug as she parted for the evening. ‘Thank you,’ he whispered in her ear, and she squeezed him gently.

‘You’re doing just fine, Lucifer,’ she assured him.

‘Thanks to you.’

She shook her head. ‘You do all the work, Lucifer. I just try to steer you in the right direction.’

When Linda had gone, he faced Chloe. ‘Do you want to come back to my place?’ she asked.

Lucifer was tempted. ‘Are you sure you want me with you?’

‘Yes.’ There was no hesitation.

‘Even though I am the devil.’

‘When you’re with me, that doesn’t matter. It’s only when…’ her voice trailed off.

Lucifer nodded sadly. ‘In that case, I think I’d better remain here.’

‘But why?’ Chloe’s eyes widened, and she looked close to tears.

‘Because when I’m not with you, you have a chance to think things through. Because I want you to be really sure that you’re comfortable with this. Because… I’m not sure I’m ready yet to be among humans again.’

He saw her wince at his use of the word. But she had to understand who he really was, what he really was. He couldn’t bear the thought of being parted from her, but the thought of her being afraid of him, or resenting him, was even worse.

‘I’ll see you tomorrow,’ he promised, and kissed her tenderly. When she had left, he remained facing the elevator for a long time.

***

The next morning, following a phone call, Lucifer headed to the hospital to talk to the second victim. Chloe and Dan were both waiting for him. ‘Good morning, detective,’ he greeted Chloe cheerfully. ‘Good morning, Dan.’

‘You’ve finally dragged yourself out again,’ was Dan’s gruff response.

Chloe looked pale but was otherwise her usual self, and greeted him cheerfully. Dan looked morose. Lucifer watched him cautiously, not sure how to respond to him or what Chloe had said about his absence.

Chloe headed off to speak to the medical staff, and Lucifer took the opportunity to clear the air. ‘I'm sorry, Daniel. Pierce was my responsibility. I thought he was under control but he got away from me, turned into a monster. I dealt with him in the end, but I’m afraid poor Charlotte paid a heavy price.’

Dan shook his head. ‘I should have known. I should have seen what Pierce was capable of. I should have made Charlotte tell me what she was working on. I should have kept her safe.’

Lucifer felt awkward. He found it hard enough to deal with his own feelings. ‘If anyone should have known, it was me. It’s not your fault, Daniel, the fault lies squarely at Pierce’s feet. Don’t blame yourself. Pierce was the monster.’

Dan pushed his fingers through his hair. ‘Just don’t hide anything from us in future, please.’

Lucifer opened his mouth to respond, but they were interrupted by Chloe. ‘It’s okay, guys, we can go in and speak to her now.’

Britney Joyce was sitting up in bed, a dressing around her neck. She smiled weakly at them.

Chloe sat on the chair beside the bed. ‘We’ve come to ask you about the night you were attacked. Are you feeling strong enough to talk to us?’

She nodded. ‘It was Edward. I can’t believe it. He always seemed so nice, the perfect gentleman. He knew how to treat a lady, or that’s what I thought. And then he just turned on me, his hands were everywhere, and when I tried to stop him he just wrapped something around my neck and was pulling it tight. I must have blacked out, because the next thing I remember was waking up here. Why didn’t I see what he was like before? I should have seen something, I should have noticed.’

Daniel shook his head. ‘Some people can hide their evil all too well,’ he said, and glanced quickly at Lucifer. ‘You can’t blame yourself.’

***

Chloe watched the two men warily as they headed back to the parking lot. She had worried about Dan and Lucifer meeting again, but it seemed that they had managed to come to at least an uneasy truce.

Lucifer squeezed her arm as they reached the cars. ‘Everything okay, detective?’

She nodded. ‘Everything’s fine, thank you.’ As Dan headed over to his own car, she added, ‘You’re probably right. Trixie is still really unsettled over Pierce. I’d like to give her the chance to settle down before we…’ She had slept with her daughter in her bed last night, holding a sobbing child until she fell asleep. It hadn’t been easy, breaking the news that the man she had thought would become her stepfather had tried to kill her mother and had been killed by Lucifer. She had tried to make the story as gentle as possible, but Trixie was far too perceptive for her own good.

He raised an eyebrow, but didn’t question her, instead nodding. ‘As you wish.’

‘I’m sorry,’ she said impulsively. ‘I know it’s not what you want…’ It wasn’t what she wanted either; she wanted to hold Lucifer close and never let him go. But the idea of being without him frightened her, and for that reason alone she felt she needed to give herself time to adjust before rushing into a relationship.

‘I want whatever makes you happy,’ he answered.

‘Thank you. It’s not that - I just need time, I think.’

‘You can have all the time you need,’ he said. ‘Do you want me to stay away from you?’

‘No!’ Her answer was out before she could think about it. While she wasn’t ready for a relationship with Lucifer right now, the idea of not seeing him, not spending time with him, hurt like - well, like Hell.

They traveled to the precinct in separate cars, and met the suspect in the interrogation room, where she sat awaiting her fate with a set expression on her face and trembling hands.

Chloe made the introductions, and asked Martha to tell her side of the story. It came out amongst many tears; how he had started a relationship with her, and then turned nasty. He had tried to strangle her at one point, and she had escaped. But her nightmare had just begun, as he stalked her, accused her of attacking him, and then blamed the death of two girlfriends on her.

‘I just couldn’t get away,’ Martha sobbed. ‘He ruined my life, and he was just carrying on as normal. And so… I followed him. I’d tried to warn Britney about him, but she wouldn’t listen, insisted that he was a good man, that I was just jealous. And in the end, I couldn’t take it. I wasn’t going to interfere. I tried to walk away, but I heard them struggling, and I had to go back. I used my purse strap, wrapped it around his neck and pulled hard. I thought they were both dead, that it was my fault. I called the police, told them where to find the bodies, and then I ran. I can’t believe I did it.’

Lucifer leaned forward in his chair. ‘You stopped a murderer,’ he said. ‘You tried to stop him before he struck, and then when no one would listen, you took action yourself. You did what you had to do. There’s no need to torture yourself over it.’

Chloe listened to him silently. Martha’s words had struck rather too close to home: she wouldn’t listen, insisted he was a good man, that I was just jealous. She gave Lucifer a sidelong glance, wondering if he was thinking the same thing. She had treated him so badly over Pierce.

As though sensing her look, he nudged her affectionately with his elbow. She patted his knee in return, and saw him fight back a smirk.

They finished up the interview and Chloe headed to her desk to complete the paperwork.

‘What will happen to her now?’ Lucifer asked.

Chloe sighed. ‘We’ll have to see what the prosecutor says,’ she answered. ‘She did murder someone, but there were mitigating circumstances. It sounds like he treated her pretty badly, even abused her emotionally. She might get off lightly.’

‘Good.’ Lucifer stood. ‘If you don’t mind, detective, I’ve got some errands to run - now that I’m out and about again. Even the devil has to go food shopping sometime.’

‘Sure,’ she replied, and watched him all the way up the stairs until he was out of sight. She had a lot to adjust to: the idea that he really was the devil, the fact that he did have feelings for her, and the effect that Pierce had had on her life was just beginning to sink in too. She had a lot to process.

But Linda had promised to help her work through things. And once she had done so, Lucifer would be waiting for her.

The devil himself.