Chapter Text

 Noctivagus 

Chapter 1

“Are you listening to me?”

Worry-bitten fingers snapped in front of Lucifer’s face demanding his attention. Focusing on the evidence of her newly bad habit, Lucifer slowly focused on the Detective’s frosty eyes.

For the past few months, the Lord of Hell had been living through what seemed to be an endless winter. Following that warm L.A. afternoon with him standing over Marcus’ body, there had been no confrontation, no questions, nothing.

The days following Marcus’ death and unveiling him as the last decade’s most wanted criminal boss were filled with sympathy stares at the Detective, unwelcoming pats on Lucifer’s back and puddings appearing randomly on Daniel’s desk. If it was not for the new weekly bad habit Chloe manifested, Lucifer would have sworn everything was back to a time before Cain took over the precinct.

Before Sinnerman, before Chloe’s romantic adventures with the First Murderer and of course Lucifer’s accidental outing of divinity’s existence to her. Which left Lucifer and Chloe on pretending.

Pretending that the best part of the past year had not happened. That Lucifer’s mojo was not a divine gift, that his eyes did not flare red when angered or when they caught a glimpse of how far the whole ordeal had really affected Chloe.

It was the small things. The weight she had dangerously dropped and thankfully gained back. The absently scratched forearms during paperwork until she drew blood and rolled down her sleeves. The chapped lips or how she gnawed for hours the inside of her cheek. Today it was her almost bitten bloody nails.

“Not particularly, no.” Lucifer admitted more interested in brainstorming over how to break this week’s habit. 

Chloe rolled her eyes while pulling her Glock 19 and sliding the safety lock. The very same firearm she had pointed, as a warning, on Lucifer at Too Vile's house.

Spacing out during the most critical moments of their work had become Lucifer’s main problem. Somewhere between the high running adrenaline and the always waiting in the shadows armed suspected, Lucifer tended to lose himself in everything that had been left unresolved.

“I’ll take the lower level you stay on the upper one.” She instructed leaving him alone in the dim light of the factory’s production floor.

“I thought the lower levels were my domain.” Lucifer attempted to joke at her descending the stairs form but the lingering silence was proof she had not been the least amused.

Sighing Lucifer swayed on his heels before deciding to try his luck with the upper level of the factory in hopes this case would be wrapped before dinner. How hard would it be to catch a janitor cradling a bloody plumber’s wrench?

Whereas the Detective walked cautiously, Lucifer was more keen on strolling around the place unarmed aside from the usual bulky bulletproof vest under his tailored one. The only proof Chloe still cared for him as it was the only condition she had set when they had resumed their partnership.

It was either that or Lucifer was more than welcome to leave and never return. Those were her exact words and Lucifer had surprisingly found himself yielding to her every absurd request ever since.

The squawking sound of rubber soles being dragged over the vinyl floor caught Lucifer's attention making his lips lift slightly to a predatory wicked grin.

“Well, hello murderer.” Lucifer greeted cheerfully the hunched man behind the large pipes.

The young man was no bloodthirsty killer, no great mastermind. Just a very unfortunate bloke.

A wrong swing delivered by the heavy wrench during an argument had been more than enough for his poor supervisor to plummet, hit a safety rod that had his skull crushed and profoundly bled before he got swallowed up by the boiling tar.

Lucifer blamed Ella for her rather theatrical explanation hours ago but she had a point. A very unfortunate bloke, indeed.

“I never meant to- It was an accident!” The man broke with the incriminating wrench held tightly in his arms.

“It sure was.” Lucifer muttered cornering him further behind the pipes.

Lucifer was aware he was trapping the guy further in the cluster of metal and the occasional escaped steam. It had become one of his bad habits to come down harder on their suspects and even more so on Hell’s propitiators. Linda had warned him of his dangerous building-up bitterness and frustration but as long as no one was gravely hurt, his coping ways were acceptable.

Used on seeing the perpetrators frozen under his crimson flaring stare, Lucifer was not prepared for the once unwilling murderer to turn his back at him after throwing down on the floor the heavy tool with a loud thud.

Under Lucifer’s frowning stare, the man frantically rolled almost every screeching valve he could reach before freezing. Lucifer was growing tired and being ignored was not helping with his already bad mood.

“Tell you how will this go down. Kicking and screaming. I will amiably deliver the kicks and you will be courteous enough to scream.” Lucifer said growing impatient by the lack of response he was getting.

“Or I’ll just call my partner to get here and you will then graciously accept your new wrist accessory.”

Lucifer knew It was a long shot but a different tactic could be enough to shift the settled uneasiness between him and the Detective since the incidence.

“Oh Dear God!” The man uttered turning his back at Lucifer and rolling counterclockwise the valves.

“Not that dear believe me and can you stop that! You are making my ears bleed!” Lucifer huffed in annoyance, deciding he had enough.

Kicking the guy’s kneepad and dragging him between the rattling conduits had instantly improved his mood but not his prospects with the Detective. However, as long as she kept him around there would surely be other chances.

“They are going to burst! All levels are going to be filled with fumes soon. I thought- I thought-“ The man lamented horrified.

There was an exit a few feet away but when the loud bangs started, Lucifer realized the man had wanted to disorient him by the noise and vapour escaping in order to bolt. The man was no murderer so he was more than willing to make sure to give Lucifer an opportunity to easily find his way out without having the chance to arrest him.

The room was filling quickly with a strong-smelling gas that made Lucifer feeling instantly light headed. Thankful for his insistence to never go without a silk pocket square, Lucifer secured it over his nose and mouth while heading for the nearest stairs that led to the lower level.

“Are you crazy? The exit is right here!” The man yelled at him with great difficulty from the now open door.

Ignoring him Lucifer quickly made his way down the stairs hoping that the Detective would at least not have wandered far. If luck was by his side she would probably have used her tiny flashlight thus helping him spot her easier.

Everything was filled with a milky grey smoke that damped his handkerchief. It smelled sweet in a familiar way that had Lucifer recalling their last case.

Miss Lopez had insisted on making him smell the differences between coolant brands for their car-theft/murder case a few weeks ago. Their forensic’s past had proven to be helpful and rule out an exhaust fumes suicide as a premeditated murderer. Which in this current situation was bad. Really bad.

As Lucifer got down the metallic stairs his foot stepped on his partner’s faithful firearm making his foot slip and land on something soft that cracked ominously under his leather shoes. Not wasting time on figuring out how he had compromised the bone integrity of the Detective, Lucifer blindly fished the motionless body from the floor.

Draping what Lucifer assumed was her face with his suit jacket, he unceremoniously threw her body over his right shoulder.

His legs were shaking by the effort to stay upright yet Lucifer knew he was close to the exit. With some more luck, whatever part of his partner Lucifer had stepped on would be the only injury she had sustained. That and probably some light abdominal bruising from where he had placed all her weight on his shoulder as he slowly found his way out of the factory.

Taking several long gulps of the night air was a riveting experience. Tossing the jacket on the ground Lucifer placed Chloe’s head on top of it making sure she was still breathing. It was a bittersweet thought to admit he only addressed Chloe silently by her given name when the seconds mattered more than the days.

Roaming his dark eyes over her limp body Lucifer inspected Chloe’s state cringing at the sight of the odd sticking angles of her left hand's fingers. That’s where his foot had obviously landed and his long frame had not been merciful on her delicate bones.

Perhaps her unconscious state was a blessing that could spare her of the pain but it was also a worrisome sign that called for an immediate professional care.

“I’m going to be the death of you.” Lucifer sighed turning the keys on the ignition and losing the battle to rearrange the car seat for his long legs. Chloe’s car had, fortunately, something his would never willingly have. Beacons.

The ride was quick and no one had dared to look twice the fast cruising vehicle with the loudly screeching siren. Lucifer had hoped that the commotion would have earned him a softly spoken scolding for over-reacting or at least a death glare yet Chloe had remained unconscious throughout the whole ride.

When Lucifer barged through the hospital's sliding doors, Chloe was still lifeless as he supported her on his unsteady hands. An expected after-effect of the gas and his jittering nerves. Almost over a year ago Lucifer had passed through the same doors with Chloe again unresponding in his arms. The absence of nasal bleeding this time hardly made a difference.

The deja-vu threatened to make him crumble after Lucifer placed his partner securely on the quickly offered wheeling bed and like the last time he was left to collapse dejected on the same waiting lobby. On the same ugly plastic yellow chairs.

The smell of antiseptic was still there as was the constant whimpering of invalid infants around him and like the last time Lucifer was left feeling as lost and helpless as the sick children around him.

“Mr Morningstar?”

It may have been seconds or hours after Lucifer had crashed on the lobby, eyes staring almost obsessively at the shiny doorknob that led to the room behind the reception desk. Unlike the previous time, he didn’t send out a message to let Daniel know of his ex-wife’s condition, especially since Chloe had left the spawn at his place for the weekend.

“How?” Lucifer’s thoughts were still hazy and any form of articulation had been long lost.

“Your previous visit with Detective Decker was pretty… memorable Mr Morningstar.” The blue-scabbed dressed physician explained with a grimace, obviously remembering the havoc Lucifer and Amenadiel had caused as well as the severity of Chloe’s health back then.

“How is she?” Lucifer asked tiredly.

The doctor had the good sense to realise Lucifer was not in any condition to either remember what had occurred back then nor was he willing to wait for the news concerning his partner's health.

“One fractured pinky, two broken fingers and several hairline fractures on the left metacarpal. Respiratory issues that should be cleared up with an overnight stay, everything else seems good actually.” The doctor assured Lucifer, smiling at the evident relief on Lucifer’s face as the tension melted away.

“Splendid, It’s all good then?” Lucifer insisted foolishly seeking for more reassurance.

“All is cautiously good. Detective Decker’s exposure to antifreeze amounts to at this point, to a lower probability of any serious issues arising in the near future.” The doctor pacified him, daring to lightly squeeze the tall man’s shoulder for emotional support.

A simple gesture that stopped his body’s previously unnoticed, treacherous trembling. Bobbing his head Lucifer gave the man a grateful smile and freely exhaled for the first time since he had found his partner lying on the factory’s floor.

“Just make sure to stay optimistic and keep an eye for any sign of miscarriage or premature delivery. Other than that the baby is fine.” The man assured him again with a slight pat on the shoulder this time before pushing some papers at the stoically bored receptionist.

The assertion of Chloe’s stable health state was overthrown malevolently by the casually thrown last words. The obviously incompetent charlatan with a questionably valid medical degree was toying with him. 

“Baby!?” Lucifer recoiled, grabbing the surely germ infested yellow chair in an attempt to steady himself.

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

Noctivagus

Chapter 2

“I don’t like it.” The impassioned declaration echoed in the interrogation room obviously carrying millennia of loathing towards ’It’.

Chloe sighed biting her lip obviously not really knowing how to respond to that blunt statement.

Playing with her fingers on the table the Detective was trying to find the right words but nothing seemed to work anymore. It had been over a month since the whole precinct had learned of her delicate condition due to her unfortunate hospitalization and Lucifer’s spanning days, hysterical reaction.

For days Lucifer would constantly mutter under his breath: ‘That Mother Flunker!’. The Detective first seemed amused by Lucifer’s fixation with the long-dead Lieutenant until within the same week she was faced with a united front.

“I concur with the spawn. I don’t like It either.” Lucifer said, openly scowling at the face of disbelief Chloe was now sporting.

“‘It’ is a baby. We have gone over this time and time again!” Chloe spoke calmly mostly towards her fuming daughter.

Lucifer’s audible snort turned to a pained yelp as something pointy landed on his shin. Rubbing vigorously the not pleasantly throbbing area, Lucifer shot a glare towards Chloe who refused to take the responsibility much less apologize.

“I want to stay with Daddy.” The child stubbornly replied mimicking perfectly Lucifer’s crossed hands over her chest.

Rubbing her face the Detective closed her eyes in defeat.

“Daddy is in a hard place right now munchkin.” Chloe reasoned with the child.

“Listen I know it’s hard. For both of you. But this is happening.” She pointed her already swelling midsection.

Lucifer wisely avoided expressing audibly his displeasure again as he studied the changing frame of his partner once more.

The sleepless nights had done a number on her. Long gone was the brief pregnancy glow. It had been replaced by sinking dull eyes and more migraines than Lucifer would have liked to admit to have noticed in the past month. More worrisome though was the weight loss despite the now rapidly advancing stages of her gestating body. The loose shirts and jackets had started to hang pitifully over her thin limbs.

“Oh, we are aware of that, we just don’t like 'It'” Lucifer explained slowly as if he was talking to a dimwit child.

Nodding to the nowadays tolerable spawn, Lucifer opened the interrogation’s door and waited until the child understood the need to leave. It took a few pointed nods until the girl hopped off the chair and without looking back, run towards Daniel’s desk.

“Siblings can be a real pain Detective.” Lucifer pointed out whilst closing the door behind him.

“You have millions of them Lucifer. A new baby in the family will not change ours and Trixie has to understand that!” Chloe said trying mostly to convince herself on just how the addition of a new child would not alter her life.

“Have you met my baby sister Detective? Cute little thing until she ended up being the Angel of Death. Talk about a birth that led to a continuous apocalypse for humanity.” Lucifer pressed, frowning at Chloe who had started to rub her temples harder.

Shaking her head Chloe bit her bottom lip in concentration. When her eyes met Lucifers, they were not filled with the usual anger or disappointment their biweekly battles over 'It' ended with. Chloe’s vivid slate eyes were dimming over the striking waves of tiredness and defeat.

“Just go home Lucifer.” Chloe practically begged him as she slowly made it to her overflowing with paperwork desk.

Lucifer knew perfectly well he would once again sit across her until her shift was over.

They would go over cases and evidence the Detective was not allowed to investigate outside the precinct and hopefully, a case or two would be solved before supper. Their partnership still worked yet the desk work was making Lucifer dangerously restless. Which left him with only one outlet.

“Daniel!” Lucifer chimed to catch the man’s attention.

The Devil was known for his timing and once again Lucifer was not disappointed when the child offered him one of the puddings her father had laid out.

“You delightful abomination.” Lucifer praised the girl as he opened the pudding under Daniel’s hard stare.

“Let me guess. Larry at the evidence room is a big shot, drug smuggler but you will let me know in about... Six months from now.” Dan mocked him with a healthy dose of venom dripping from his licked clean spoon.

“A minor smuggler actually of prescription drugs from Canada, mainly for his father but I wouldn’t count it as a huge transaction.” Lucifer shrugged rolling his plastic spoon around to get everything that was left from the bottom of the container thus completely missing Dan’s comical reaction of exasperation.

“Thank you for the heads up man.” Came the sarcastic reply that was missed completely by Lucifer as he devoured the last spoonful of pudding.

“You are welcome. Now I need a case Daniel and in order to get one I need a functioning Detective outside this bureaucratic Hellhole!” Lucifer explained as he nonchalantly took the child’s empty container and threw it along with his in Dan’s trash bin.

Dan’s sharp eye on the comfortable relationship his daughter and Lucifer had fallen into, did not escape Lucifer.

“The child and I agree that the arrival of the new spawn will be… problematic. Therefore we have come to an understanding.” Lucifer explained trying to ignore the overjoyed smile Beatrice had.

“You cannot do that to her now Lucifer. She is fragile enough as it is. You just cannot go to war with her unborn child and drag mine into this!” Dan hissed making sure Trixie could hear him although she kept the same indifferent face Lucifer had.

“Look around Daniel. Where do you think the precinct found the budget for your new $600 anatomical chairs, huh? Or how the always stocked with fresh and healthy options fridge was installed in the lunchroom?” Lucifer talked quickly although low enough to not be heard by the rest of the officers however with the right edge to make his point.

“Then why Lucifer? I hated the guy as much as you did, perhaps even more as the woman I loved was not as lucky Chloe was!” Lucifer could feel Dan’s anger starting to spill over the loss of Charlotte.

“Because carrying the fetus of a mass murderer since the beginning of time is any better? What happens when that thing grows? How we will keep it contained?” Dan watched the man’s stare darkening to something sinister and unyielding upon the opinion he was expressing.

“Look, man, whatever Daddy issues you have, fix them! The Decker genes and guidance will be enough to overthrow anything left from that-“ Dan stopped abruptly remembering Trixie was following their conversation with apt interest.

“Mother Flunker Daniel. The locution is Mother.Flunker!” Lucifer deadpanned leaving no room for any other characterization over the dead Lieutenant.

“You are- Unbelievable.” The man whispered clearly intending to throw an insult but the presence of his daughter effectively changed his wording.

“So I have been told. Repeatedly.” Lucifer threw his usual sex pun turning his eyes to the still focused in the distance, glaring child.

The discomfort in the Detective’s face every time she was trying to talk them over accepting their new reality had so far met with a stubborn resistance. In the beginning, it had been a natural defensive attitude towards their current reality.

Chloe Decker was going to be a mother again which meant that Lucifer had to step down one more level to accommodate the new addition.

The spawn had been manageable. Beatrice had at least been on a decent articulate verbal level when they had met three years ago.

What would Lucifer be expected to do with an infant?

Throw it out of a window to see exactly what it had inherited from its sire? Wait for years until the first unavoidable signs started to show?

That bloody inconvenience!

Furthermore what did the existence of Cain’s immediate line continuation meant for the Devil’s deal, Lucifer wondered. Had he failed to deliver? Lucifer had killed a body but had the soul followed or had it found a new vessel for his Father’s curse to continue to plague the Earth?

Too many questions and none of them could be immediately answered.

“Will Mommy be okay?” A low murmur broke the endless questions that crossed Lucifer’s head.

On cue, Lucifer looked over the Detective’s desk.

Behind the pilled reports and pending to be completed paperwork, was a very fragile woman.

“I don’t know.” Lucifer admitted, realizing too late how their actions had physically affected the previously healthy and vibrant Chloe Decker.

The child lowered her head as she played absently with her fingers. Nothing could explain the fascination the despicable little urchin held for her extremities aside from the same crippling feeling that tightened his usually relaxed body. Shame.

“Do tell little Decker, is your playing skill on Monopoly adequate?” Lucifer questioned the frowning little human as he sighed in defeat.

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

Noctivagus

Chapter 3

“What do you mean you are moving out?” Chloe carefully said as Maze threw another handful of her sharp collection in a cardboard labelled ‘fragile’.

Lucifer very much like the day Maze had moved in, he sipped slowly his badly brewed tea. Making a face at the bluntness of the beverage, he watched the drama unfold as he eventually poured half of his flask in the teacup.

“Look Decker. I’m a Demon, the kid is fierce but a baby? No can do.” The bronze-skinned half-human said having at least the consideration to throw a guilty apologetic glance towards the sulking child that was sitting on the couch.

“I cannot afford the place without a roommate couldn’t you at least give a month’s notice?” The Detective exclaimed rubbing the evergrowing swell of her stomach.

Lucifer had noticed the little nervous ticks she had gained along with the new offspring’s weight. The light brushing of her right temple as well as the soothing rubbing cycles over her protruding belly. Endearing yet a reminder of the Detective’s physical and emotional delicacy.

Humanity’s frailty had never been so infuriating.

Chloe’s light swaying halted any intention Lucifer might have had had to prolong his Demon’s theatrics.

“I’m sure Mazikeen was considerate enough to foresee the complications of her unfortunate abrupt decision.” Lucifer said stirring lightly his cooling drink while he knew that the bathing steel would not help with the mediocre, at best, quality of leaves.

“Sure did. So I sublet my room a week ago.” Maze casually supplied cutting the silver duct tape with her ankle’s dagger before slipping it back into its sheath.

“To whom?” The Detective asked with obvious dread as she paled considerably not that Lucifer blamed her. Maze’s acquaintances were rather eclectic.

Lucifer set his saucer and cup on the kitchen counter and then buttoned his blue blazer. When he was satisfied at his wrinkle-free appearance, Lucifer extended his arms waving over his obvious splendour.

“No. Dear God, No!” Chloe chocked hoping he never delivered his next words.

“Hello, roomie!” Lucifer greeted with a whole new level of glee that quickly dropped when Beatrice attacked his calf.

Who could blame the child? She was losing a Demon yet she had just gained a Devil. What Lucifer had accomplished by that move was still to be seen.

“Which reminds me.” Maze said searching amid her toys box leaving a victorious yell when she spotted the white cord of a small portable appliance.

“What’s that?” Lucifer asked the Demon when she threw the white, cord-wrapped bundle too close to his head for his liking.

“Say goodbye to your once a week dry cleaning service Lucifer. Who knows, you might like it! Ironing is considered a Hellish chore in this world.” Balancing her last three boxes Maze blew a kiss to the distressed looking Devil before she laughed her way out of the door.

“Detective?” Lucifer almost begged for any helpful clarification on why he was now holding a small travel iron.

“You are not moving in, Lucifer.” Chloe said in her best grave tone making the child tighten her hold on Lucifer’s already falling pants.

Lucifer ignored her whilst dragging the small leaching human over the stairs to inspect his new living quarters. He didn’t have much faith in the spaciousness or the sound insulation of this house but the Devil could do with some reasonable sacrifices.

“Do you think Mummy knows?” The spawn giggled as Lucifer effortlessly dragged her over the polished hardwood floor.

Lucifer snorted at the impossibility of that scenario. He had been careful meticulously making sure the Detective would not know. It had been now exactly three months since Lucifer had found out about the growing nuisance in his partner's womb.

Cain had been in his late 30s when he committed humanity’s first murder that had led to a carnage over the millennia. Almost forty years, most of them enjoying Los Angeles alongside the Detective, had just gone down the drain by a blasted ejaculation!

“Your mother does not know nor she will find out in the near future. Understood?” Lucifer cast a piercing glance at the all too innocent pair of brown eyes that were looking at him with amusement.

“Yep!” Beatrice quipped finally releasing the hem of his now badly wrinkled pants.

The bedroom was smaller than expected. It had an attached bathroom but only a small portion of his wardrobe would eventually make it in the diminutive closet. No wonder Maze had liked living with the Detective. This place was as confining as Hell.

His bed definitely didn’t fit. Lucifer would have to forgo the luxury his Super King mattress offered for a borderline double.

The decision to change his nocturnal lifestyle since the ‘Anything Pierce Can Do, I Can Do Better’, was Lucifer’s only consolation. The extra space wouldn’t be missed without his regular lovers the man supposed.

Lucifer rationalized that the child’s bedroom downstairs was practically a walk in closet compared to what Maze’s room had to offer. Which begged the question of how big the master bedroom of this house was. The Detective’s never before disturbed boudoir.

If Lucifer had any hopes to pressure the woman downstairs into changing bedrooms, he was greatly disappointed by the once again tightly fit furniture in an again less than average room.

A Full bed was occupying most of the space along with a dull grey textile-dressed armchair. The full body mirror was practically glued on the wall and the side table was suspiciously as small as a stool.

“What the…?”

The room was impeccable.

Nothing seemed to be out of place and Lucifer could bet the bed had always been the first chore in the Detective’s morning routine. Therefore the hastily discarded paper bag on the bedspread and the grey rag near the decorative pillows disrupted the tranquillity of the space.

Stepping closer to the bed Lucifer's trained eye when it came to buying the finest things in life, as well as desire, swooped over his two findings.

The paper bag was cheap therefore the purchase had been impulsive and private. Whatever it had been in that bag, it had been bought with a great degree of hesitation before it was shoved in a tight space, repeatedly.

The wrinkled surface betrayed a daily ritual of unravelling the bag before it was re-wrapped carefully back up. It yelled concealed desire.

Rubbing the paper between his fingers Lucifer could caress the repeated use that had led to the smoothness of the usually coarse material. Carefully Lucifer set it aside and focused on the grey fabric near his partner’s delftware patterned pillow.

Soft cotton was often used in this house for cleaning the windows or simply for dusting. An old shirt could give at least ten well-sized dust cloths the Detective had once told him. She had then joked smuggly about his awed face. It had been a horror inflicted one.

“Oh, no. Bloody Hell, no!” Lucifer rasped slowly lading straight the cloth.

It was a simple grey onesie. An atrocious novelty one.

‘Ladies Man In Training (Currently a Mama’s Boy)’

In a daze, Lucifer found himself over a lolling on the couch Chloe Decker with the offending piece of apparel tightly gripped between his agitating fingers.

“It’s a boy?” Lucifer spat with more disgust he had ever thought possible on addressing the woman he claimed to adore.

“Lucifer what is it now?” Chloe puffed her annoyance barely opening her eyes.

“The new miscreant youngling. Is.it.a.male?” He asked again this time throwing the onesie over its owner's fleshy layered carrier. Over him!

Ignoring Lucifer, the Detective calmly gathered the onesie checking it for any tears. When she was satisfied it had none, Chloe smothered her hand over the newly inflicted wrinkles.

“Does it matter?” Her tired eyes found his bulging ones.

“His father was a spiv on a stick! A phoney on every level! And his brother?” Lucifer started to pace up and down the living room as he undid some his buttons suddenly feeling a scorching flash of heat burning him alive.

“Lucifer stop,” Chloe begged but he kept going.

“The Bible’s first favourite? Abel was sentenced for the rest of eternity in Hell. Not exactly a catch! Not to mention a bus colliding dimwit!” Lucifer practically screeched envisioning the fair, blue-eyed idiot his partner was quickening inside her. A waste of resources and-

“This baby is mine Lucifer. My baby. My son. Mine.” The Detective finally yelled from the couch clawing the fabric as she tried to sit properly.

“And what happens when he grows up? You cannot avoid the familial bond and other similarities Detective!” Lucifer insisted while shoving a pillow behind her back.

“Tell that in front of a mirror. Daily.” Chloe retorted throwing his plush offering on his chest.

“You think I take after Him? I’m not my Father.” Lucifer replied in the same tone and manner he had used almost over two years ago.

The woman wobbled to steady herself as she finally made it on her feet. It was ridiculous how a barely straight walking woman could inflict so much fear by approaching him with an eerie looking restraint.

“Well, your Mother was not exactly a great example of growth and stability either.” Chloe sweetly replied as she stepped as close as she could with the quarrel provoking cause between them.

“She was a Goddess!” He said as if that was explaining everything.

“And I’m human!” Chloe cried her emotions finally taking the best of her. “Look. I can’t do this.”

“What-?” He started but the warmth of her hand over his heart stopped Lucifer from carelessly shooting back another insult.

“This! Fighting every day, waiting in the shadows of my own house to avoid a confrontation with my 10-year-old daughter or you.”

Tears had started to spill from her eyes.

There were not many things that could emotionally move Lucifer after so many millennia of cynicism but a single droplet from her was enough to overwhelm him.

“I’m not leaving Detective.” Lucifer mumbled sighing his surrender to whatever she needed.

Nodding her head Chloe licked her lips for the words she wanted to say for so long. For what had to be finally acknowledged.

“I cannot afford to ask you to leave but I deserve to finally be excited. I have the right to love my son and show it.” Her eyes were still wet and pleading shushing the silent ‘but’ Lucifer had meant to argue with.

“I want, no, I need to start being invested in his life. Not to be afraid to get him clothes or browse for cribs and pacifiers.” The struggled laugh that escaped Chloe’s throat was dragging the same raw agony Lucifer felt for a whole different reason.

“Detective, you have time to do that and if someone is invested in this-... kid’s life is you. You have all the time in the world to bond with him and with some luck, it will turn like your first offspring.” He babbled a truthful yet equally empty reassurance.

Lucifer had admitted his faith in her ability to raise another well-mannered parasite despite the growing doubt that had been planted since finding out the gender of the child.

“Lucifer we are not born hereditary good or evil. At the same time just because he exists now it doesn’t mean we will make it to the end of the line unscathed.” Chloe patted his shoulder as she reverted her eyes towards the window at her last words.

The silence that followed was as suffering and gutting as the aftermath of the child’s sire death. An unwelcome revelation was sobering them once again making every ticking second count.

“What did the doctor say,” Lucifer demanded to know avoiding looking at her as she finally stood next to the window.

He had been at least right about that. The view was spectacular and thankfully curative of any unwelcome thought that invaded his partner’s mind.

“He is small, my pressure is irregular due to the reoccurring stress and the probability of a preterm birth is now a likely scenario.” Chloe informed him as if it was just another case briefing.

Lucifer opened the tap, dipped the yellow sponge in his used cup and carefully washed the worn but well-loved china. She was always allowing him to use that particular set. Encouraging him even.

He had never asked why. It was surprisingly not lacking the finesse that all the other pieces had. Lucifer had never also asked why it was so clearly old.

Old but loved.

He had never asked.

“I didn’t know but then again I never do. Do I?” Lucifer said while he rinsed the cup and with great care placed it on the drying rack.

“Then ask. Please ask.” Came her low reply.

Lucifer was sure that the Detective was still gazing out of the window. He didn't turn to check but it was not necessary to intuitively know at least that.  

Her back was still turned to his and yet when he nodded in agreement, Lucifer was certain that her chapped lips had in return lifted just enough for a small smile.

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

Noctivagus

Chapter 4

“Lucifer what on Heaven’s name are you holding and who is the lady in green?”

Getting caught had not been in his plans for the day. The Detective had returned from the precinct just five hours after she had left the house that morning. Lucifer, to what he believed was Dad's doing, was now greeting her home in an unconventional position.

Shirtless, in the middle of the living room and with a sledgehammer in his hands.

“Detective you are… early” Lucifer stammered passing the oversized tool to the stumbling, by its weight, woman on his left.

“A role-play scenario Lucifer? Really!? And you! Don’t have a house to play out your fantasy?” Chloe fumed making Lucifer feel overly exposed like never before in his undressed state.

As the Detective’s width expanded so did her formidable temper. Her previously slender body was now often seen slouched with a hand always seeking a steady surface for her to lean on.

“Mrs Decker I assure you we were not, in any way-“ The woman tried to cut in when a booming sound came from upstairs.

Lucifer could swear that his partner jumping out of fright had not been the only reason causing the startled flexing under her tight white top.

With her eyes and lips tightly closed, Chloe tried to sooth the clearly apparent, frantically twisting fetus by tracing her palm over the irregular appearing lumps.

Lucifer had seen her doing this for months not really understanding the offered benefit the action had to either mother or -debatable- child. Until... Until small limbs started to press more firmly beneath his partner's skin.

Chloe had never mentioned the experience or encouraged him to reach out and let him share it with her. The older spawn sometimes reluctantly joined her mother on the couch when the little one decided to stretch.

The Detective called it a bonding practice. Lucifer always snorted in reply at the very idea yet a certain degree of carefully concealed fascination remained.

During their lazy afternoons, he openly watched the interactions between his partner and her unborn child. Always scowling unable to truly connect with where the future, their future, was heading. To a dead end.

But hadn’t Lucifer already taken that road after he had abandoned her laying on a hospital bed, unwittingly still hopeful for their relationship, almost over a year ago?

“Detective.” Lucifer attempted to reassure her by getting closer to her in case she needed assistance to sit on the couch.

It wouldn’t have been the first time nor it was what he saw next happening.

Cerulean orbs were unveiled when Chloe’s eyes snapped wide open. Pellucid and sparkling by the bright midday light that bathed the living room.

Eyes that matched the same expression she had almost six months ago when Lucifer had greeted her foolishly cerise and raw, smiling over a corpse. Verifying that every ‘metaphor’ Lucifer had ever said to her was true.

Like where there is smoke, there is incandescent fire. A scorching, deeply scarring fire which as hypnotizing as it is when it burns it always leaves a dreary sight behind. A monstrous sight even.

Why was she looking at him like that now?

A lurching force pumped Lucifer's open palm before it quietly retracted.

Confused he looked down at his hand to find it over the Detective’s stomach. How had it got there?

“Ehm, he is cheeky.” Lucifer commented voice faltering with his hand inexplicably still in place.

“Unavoidable not to be.” She said with a newfound degree of tenderness Lucifer had not heard before.

How his hand had reached for her had been left unnoticed by both of them but the withering chill when he removed it, was not.

“True.” Was his frigid reply, whatever moment had been occurred between them now long passed.

The sound of boots clamping down the stairs finally put some much-needed physical distance between them. Emotionally in space and time, they were continents and centuries apart. 

Three men in blue overalls made it down the stairs staggering under the weight, of their full with debris, buckets.

“Boss.” The older looking one said walking out of the apartment's still open door followed by Chloe’s bewildered stare.

Lucifer saluted the men in glowing enthusiasm as he flashed a not so winning smile at the still confused and now standing by the kitchen island Detective. 

“Do I need to get her out of here?” Lucifer asked the so far ignored woman who wisely had set down the sledgehammer.

“That was the last of it so we only need to spackle up the rough edges, paint it and then repair the floor transition where the wall used to be Mr Morningstar.” The woman said brightly sensibly avoiding Chloe’s hard shifting eyes.

“What.Wall?” Chloe demanded yet no one paid any attention to her.

“You had promised to deliver before four.” The man reminded her with as much charm as he could deliver without taking things to an exhibitionist level in front of his partner.

“I can do it in two!” She bragged now openly flirting with him.

“Then Mrs Rask we have a deal.” Lucifer told her in a pleasant manner.

One that didn’t hold any promise of carnal explorations being included in their agreement.

“Lucifer, what wall?” Chloe asked again mildly smug at watching the clouding disappointment set on Mrs Rask’s features.

A guilty looking Devil focused on picking a clean shirt and stealing hesitant glances towards her way as he then buttoned it up and tucked it in his pants.

“You said we didn’t have enough space and the child was adamant on not sharing her room so she suggested we take down the wall between the apartments.” Lucifer explained casually still at a safe distance from her.

“You do not demolish a wall because a child told you so Lucifer!” The nose pinching had Lucifer take a step backwards.

“So we are in agreement to let the baby crawl each night to the apartment next door. Overstretched but better teach him young, I like it!” Came Lucifer’s sarcastic reply which would have come out even better if he had not actually considered it at first. 

Beatrice was against that plan so the wall had to go.

“Why would we even keep the baby next door? I cannot afford my rent to get doubled, heck I cannot afford to kick you out!”

Lucifer touched his heart in mock hurt which didn’t seem to amuse her.

“You haven’t paid rent in months Detective do you even check your invoices?”

After Maze had walked out to live with the Detective Lucifer was forced to get more involved with what was called bills. That was until he had passed everything to a well-threatened accountant and kept an eye on every invoice that was paid. Which begged the question why a paycheck to paycheck, funds worried individual had not noticed her account balance. Unless.

“My mother sent me some money, To help. I thought-“ Her head bowed to hide the wetness Lucifer knew was forming in her previously clear eyes.

Hormones were difficult to tackle lately.

“It’s almost time to pick up the spawn so one last question.” Lucifer sighed gathering the courage to ask what had been bothering him for weeks now.

“Okay.” The Detective sniffed still unwilling to look at him and hopefully, the wall forgotten for the time being.

“The crib, the clothes you wanted, no demanded, you wanted for him. Nobody is stopping you and you told me to ask.” He reminded her thankful that their audience had the discretion to allow them some space after Rusk was turned down by Lucifer.

“Now you ask.” Chloe laughed shaking her head as she rested her back on the wall.

“Lucifer it’s called staying on a budget. Sales start in two weeks, there is time for everything.”

He wasn’t so sure but opted to stay quiet for once.

“The child.” Lucifer reminded her.

“The wall.” Chloe retorted nonetheless walking towards the front door.

“Father you are stubborn!” Lucifer chuckled gathering his keys on the way out.

“You signed a lease without me knowing. I’m serious Lucifer I cannot pay for that and you are not allowed or expected to just open your wallet.” She told him with a wistfulness that confirmed she wanted the space but the monetary issue still remained.

“I don’t. It just happens I know the owner and we have come to an understanding.” He winked at her as he opened her car’s door.

There was another problem, the Corvette didn’t have the space the Detective required. Beatrice was happy to sit on her mother’s lap in the past but with the baby, Lucifer didn’t know how much he could bend the law in her presence anymore.

“And they are just happy to let us live and renovate the place? Rent-free?” The Detective whistled obviously remembering how he had acquired LUX’s lease once upon a time.

“Don’t be silly! I meet the owner's demands every month to a reasonable degree of course. Like cake once per week and only after dinner.” Lucifer said as he started the engine completely missing Chloe’s mouth slacking to the news. 

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

Noctivagus

Chapter 5

If Lucifer believed that the matter of tearing down a wall and doubling their living quarters would have been discussed over a quiet lunch at home, he was devastatingly mistaken.

He was forced to drive both the Detective and her offspring to an undisclosed location without the benefit of showing her what he had done to the other side of the wall. Alterations which Lucifer hoped to soften the expected blow to his shin which he could avoid considering his partner’s lack of balance but at the same time Lucifer knew it was unwise to do so.

“Okay, you two this is what is going to happen,” Chloe announced when Lucifer finally stopped the car at the parking lot of their destination.

Man and child exchanged a worried look but remained prudently quiet.

“We will all go in that building where both of you will cooperate today and then twice a week until this baby comes. No.questions.asked.” She told them before stepping out of the car with considerable difficulty, refusing to wait for Lucifer to help her.

“You heard your mother ankle-biter.” Lucifer exhaled watching the child’s lips shirr in sour detest.

Heads down they followed the Detective in the previously pointed at building until they stopped in front of a plain pastel green door.

“You are just in time!” An overly cheery voice welcomed ushering them inside.

“I hope you got my text, under Decker?” Chloe asked the flashily dressed man who had opened the door for them.

“Of course there will be no problem to add one more for today and we can plan in advance for the next ones.” The man pacified her, petting her arm lightly in understanding.

In another time Lucifer might have wiggled his eyebrows to what would ensure a ‘Gentlemen Start Your Engines’ night but not today. Had it been really months since the last time he had sex? That woman had broken him and he didn’t mind. Still, it was good to know that his Gay radar was up and running.

“You are a life saviour!” The Detective exclaimed obviously relieved pushing Lucifer and Trixie towards the man.

“I’m Greg and you should be… Miss Trixie Decker-Espinoza correct?” The man offered his hand which the child readily shook albeit with some healthy level of distrust.

“Yeah…” Beatrice replied and out of habit stepped closer to Lucifer who eyed the man with a sheer calculating manner.

“And if Daddy could tell us where is our little gentleman- Lawrence?” Greg hesitated at the name as he looked over Chloe for confirmation.

“Lucifer. Little? Eternally stuck at five where reason is concerned but certainly a gentleman.” The Detective helped the man who was now looking at the towering man in front of him with disbelief.

“M’am are you sure? Is he even… We have adult sessions if you need one.” The short man advised Chloe but she politely refused to listen any further of the other available options.

“Greg, may I call you that? We have a very peculiarly blended family and Lucifer is for all intents and purposes here to benefit from your services as I’m sure he will be, so, please. If it doesn’t work we will talk about the other options.” She said dragging all the motherly persuasion she had over the softening, in resolve, man in front of them.

“I suppose…” Greg agreed reluctantly guiding them to a door at the further back of the reception room. 

The screeching that sounded behind that door, had Lucifer taking a few steps back before a light push from Chloe made him move forward again.

Getting into a room full of children and sleep-deprived adults was not what he had planned for this evening but where Chloe Decker was involved, almost nothing went according to plan as this day had repeatedly proved.

“Settle down, settle down.” Greg ordered the children as he laughed with their antics.

Lucifer tried to sit next to his partner but her firm negative nod landed him next to the child on the floor.

They couldn’t have been more than six or seven children around him aside from the offspring but for Lucifer, they were more intimidating than Heaven’s army.

“Welcome everyone! Today we are here to speak about family. Joshua, what do you think families are?” The man who now looked even smaller seatted asked a boy of around eight at the front.

“Mommy and Nana?” The boy nervously replied looking back at an elderly lady who smiled warmly at him.

“Good! That’s one of the many, many ways a family is made. Family means people who often live together but most importantly love each other.”

“Is Sarah my family?” A little girl asked Greg who clapped at her.

“Who is Sarah, Katie?” He asked her and patiently waited until she had a proper reply.

“My friend at school. We are best friends!” Katie proudly quipped.

“Sometimes our friends become parts of our family. Our first family is mommies, daddies or people who raise us and love us as we love them back, as our parents.” Greg explained slowly building the concept of family.

“The ones who raise us grew up with people they were calling once Mommy or Daddy.”

“Mommy still calls Pawpaw, Daddy!” Katie informed the rest of the room as if her observation was a groundbreaking revelation that supported Greg’s claims as true and thus trustworthy.

Lucifer rolled his eyes at the parental disillusion the tiny humans suffered as Beatrice leaned to rest on his right side making him effectively squirm but not pull away.

“So we have Mommies, Daddies and their Mommies and Daddies. But some of them did not grow up alone. Who here has uncles or aunts?” Greg asked and smiled when the majority of the children raised their hands.

“Uncles and Aunts are Mommies’ and Daddies’, brothers and sisters. People who grew up with them. They played games together and turned out to be their best friends when they grew up!” The man said with a ridiculously excited voice that begged to be shot down as it did.

“My Mom and my Uncle always fight.” said the boy their coordinator had called Joshua at the beginning.

“Do you and your friends fight?” Greg asked understanding he had to get out of this conversation topic and fast.

“Yes…” The boy admitted, legs brought to his chest as if he had just been scolded.

“Joshua friends fight and families do that as well. It’s normal to disagree but sometimes people forget that they can hurt their friends or their brothers and sisters when a fight goes beyond the cause it started.”

That had Lucifer raise an eyebrow as for the first time he had started paying attention to the bogus event he had been forced to attend.

“Brothers and sisters, siblings are life’s longest lasting relationship. They are the friends that life picks for you and will be there for the good days and the bad days.” The man continued satisfied that every child including Lucifer was keeping up with everything he was telling them.

“And what about the bad days? I had 10 billion multiplied by 365 of them and they don’t seem to be close to over.” Lucifer grumbled eliciting a laugh from the parents and several confused looks from the children.

“He is the Devil.” The spawn lamented the explanation to the boy next to her as she patted Lucifer’s hand.

“The bad days will be days you will fight and cry, days that you will feel scared but the bad days are like thunderstorms. We do not like thunderstorms, do we?” Greg whispered as all the little faces frantically shook their heads to express their displeasure over the rarely occurring meteorological phenomenon in Los Angeles.

“Thunderstorms come and go and never stay for longer than for a few hours. That’s how bad days are but what about the sunny days? The good days what do you do when the sun is out?” He goaded the children to give their reply.

“We go to the beach!” The smallest of them all yelled encouraging the rest of the children to follow.

Amusement parks, riding bikes or horses, just going to their favourite toy store was some of what the miscreants were up to on a clear day. Lucifer mentally made a list of what places to avoid on those days until Trixie softly elbowed him to draw his attention.

“Lucifer, remember when we watched two movies last time it rained?” She asked as if the question itself was demanding a lot of intellectual power.

“Yes...” Lucifer slowly said allowing the child to continue.

“And then you made hot chocolate but Mommy yelled at you for making yours hotter?” Beatrice unhelpfully added.

“That was the alcohol-spiked one child, which I told you not to sample as I was serving your cup.” He did remember the day. The face on the little one’s face was priceless but the Detective having witnessed the incident was not equally amused.

“My point is… It was a bad day but a good one as well.” She concluded trying to articulate her realization to him.

Somewhere between the curvy shaped nose and the now puckered, by her deep thinking, lips, Lucifer was able to go beyond the physical similarities Beatrice shared with her mother.

It was her mother's spirit yet still so full of innocence and determination to always do the right thing. A Decker trait that had survived Daniel’s genetical contribution or influence.

“It was a good day.” Lucifer admitted quietly subtly looking between the child and it’s now magazine engrossed mother.

“And your brother is cool. Perhaps mine will not be that bad!”

Her optimism was so endearing that Lucifer decided not to share the difficult side of his relationship with Amenadiel.

Greg had started to pass around baby dolls planning a stimulating activity which he had named “Your first meeting”.

Lucifer had over sixteen million, first meetings before he had lost count so he decided to not engage for the sake of not lying.

“Are you sure you don’t want to do this?” The Detective asked him eyes dancing with mirth at him stuck with a doll on his lap despite not taking part in the activity.

“My first meetings were more or less all the same. Ray-ray aside that is. What can possibly change now?” Lucifer shrugged forgoing to tell her on how different human infants appeared to be in contrast to angel fledgelings.

“You would be surprised.” She mused, reverting her attention to her daughter that seemed to have started being more accepting of the idea of the new baby.

“So how many more sibling rivalry classes partner?” Lucifer asked her after a while hoping he could dodge the rest.

“You chased away Maze, invaded my home, tore down a wall and turned my ten-year-old to a real-estate tycoon overnight. In short, not enough for your lifetime buddy!” She quipped barely withholding a giggle at his forlorn expression and the groan it accompanied.

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

Noctivagus

Chapter 6

She had been laughing. That’s one of the last things Lucifer remembered.

They had been returning from that blasted sibling rivalry class and she had been laughing.

His eyes remained trained on a smudge on the otherwise spotless floor unblinking for who knows how long. He was afraid to ask just how long.

“Sir?” A voice penetrated Lucifer's numbing state making him aware of everything he had been blocking out.

The smell of harsh bleach mixed with the alcohol of antiseptic. The slight buzzing around the waiting room and the soft snores of the girl as she slept half on his lap succumbing to exhaustion hours ago.

He thought at least it was hours ago.

Blinking Lucifer didn’t find the relief his dry eyes sought. They stung. Why did they sting?

“Just wait here please.” The same voice instructed him and a gurgle made it from the depth of his throat.

Go where?

Lucifer could barely move with the only things now holding him grounded being the smudge on the floor and the warm weight of Beatrice.

“Sip this slowly.” The voice was back along with a cup approaching his peripheral vision.

It was sweet, way too sweet but he kept on gulping down the contents of the paper cup thankful for its lukewarm temperature. When there was nothing more to swallow Lucifer exhaled gathering the child closer to his cold torso and blinked again.

The world shifted gradually back into focus with a woman in scrubs watching him closely as he resurfaced.

“Feeling better?” She asked him and he dumbly nodded.

“Chloe?” His voice was hoarse nearly absent of his usual thick lush accent.

The sympathetic smile Lucifer received was maddening but he remained motionless. Passive to whatever was currently teased to tear him apart.

“In the recovery room. They are both as good as it is expected. Mr Decker do you know what happened?” The doctor asked him gently.

Lucifer shook his head not attempting to correct her assumption. He was only now coming down from his shock.

“According to her file, everything pointed out to an expected preterm delivery. Were you aware of that?” She asked again only to receive an affirmative non-verbal response.

“Her pressure in the records was constantly high which is a cause that leads to up to a 40% of what it’s called a placenta abruption. It leads to an excessive bleeding which we stopped but Mrs Decker will require a long stay in the hospital. Now have you seen the baby?” The doctor said standing up, Lucifer could guess ready to guide him to where they kept 'it;.

“My priority is the Detective, Doctor.” Lucifer said tactfully as he gently roused Beatrice.

“Mr Decker his health score was high, an eight in APGAR but he remains a low weighted preemie that feels scared and lost-“ The woman in scrubs insisted raising her hand in an invitation to be followed.

“Is he safe Doctor… Gail?” Lucifer raised an eyebrow reading her tag as he slipped on his mask of cold indifference.

“Of course he is safe but he needs you, especially with his Mommy unavailable.” Doctor Gail insisted.

“Can we see Mommy?” A tentative Beatrice asked from Lucifer’s arms still in her sleep induced daze.

“The baby is on the fourth floor, in the NICU where children under the age of twelve cannot enter and Mrs Decker is in the room 209.” The woman was not happy with Lucifer’s refusal to meet what she thought was the family’s new addition.

Careful not to drag too much the sleepy child Lucifer after a few minutes was finally opening the Detective’s room door. The flashback was instant. Hooked wires, vitals beeping and looking very small on the hospital’s bed was a nearly ashen-skinned Chloe.

“Don’t wake her up.” Lucifer tightened his hold when the child tried to sprint towards the bed.

“Let her.” A weak groggy Chloe admonished him making involuntary Lucifer smile.

“We have to stop making this an annual thing Detective.” Lucifer teased her fully aware that despite her state she could see his wrecked state and red-rimmed eyes.

“Have you seen him? What does he look like?” His partner eagerly asked, eyes glimmering in anticipation of any tiny detail for a baby the man had repeatedly refused to see.

“I have not.” Lucifer replied watching the understanding sinking in her eyes. It didn’t take long until Chloe surrendered herself back to the bed all the excitement forcefully displaced by the flooding dullness that seemed to instantly overtake her.

Several minutes passed in an awkward silence until she spoke again.

One of the unique strengths Lucifer always admired was her ability to so quickly pick up and mend the pieces of herself. If only Lucifer had not been the reason to shutter her in the first place.

“You were right.” Chloe finally said stroking her daughter's hair that had almost instantly fallen back to sleep in her mother's arms.

“I have some moments of brilliance.” Lucifer kidded but waited to elaborate further.

“I should have bought the essentials earlier and at least a wicker basket.” She slurred and Lucifer could see that the medications were taking effect again.

“He doesn’t have his onesie!” Chloe whined as her breath event out.

“He will.” Lucifer promised her quickly texting for backup.

Dan would be unavailable for several more weeks during his undercover assignment but Lucifer felt like he could at least rely on the few friends he had made over the years.

It had been close to three after midnight but Lucifer patiently waited. He didn’t have any demands from people who he knew they were expected to wake up in a few hours to go to work. However, he had to start from somewhere.

“Oh, Lucifer.” The door had been audibly opened though Lucifer was still fighting the numbness of the events that had occurred in the past hours.

Wordlessly Lucifer rose from the uncomfortable chair and let the small woman enfold him to a crushing hug. Where he had been a passive and mostly unwilling receiver in the past, his hands crept at her back and held her close for dear life.

Not daring to wake either of the occupants of the hospital bed Lucifer let Ella rock out of him the agonizing soundless sobs that were chocking him for so many hours.

“Let’s go out for a while, let them sleep. Okay?” Ella suggested taking Lucifer’s hand to lead him out of the room.

When they were outside the lilliputian forensic spared a few coins for the best coffee Lucifer had ever drunk. It was thick and bitter as Hell in spite of the lumps of sugar floating on the surface of the liquid and it was delicious.

“What happened Lucifer?” The worried woman finally asked tracing soft circles on his back which Lucifer uncharacteristically welcomed.

“She was laughing. We all were. She had this crazy idea of getting us to a sibling rivalry class and she was so fucking happy. I hadn’t heard her laugh in ages Ms Lopez. Ella.” Lucifer corrected himself as he opened up to the events that had proceeded her hospitalization.

“And?” Ella encouraged him.

“Nothing. She just froze, gripped my hand and uttered ‘wrong’ before passing out!”

Lucifer explained the absurdity of the moment reliving how her limp hand had fallen on the gears effectively changing the speed and almost direction of the car. The child had screamed, heck, he had shouted several shocking profanities before taking back the control of the car.

“Lucifer. She is fine. Trixie is fine and I’m sure the baby is-?” She trailed waiting for a confirmation about the youngest one.

“Doing well as far as I have been told. Ella, I need help.” Lucifer swilled his pride and looked at her pleadingly.

“Tell me what you need.” Ella said with her usual bright disposition.

“I need you to partly take care of Trixie starting tonight. I will compensate all your lost work hours tenfold!” Lucifer said fervently not trusting Maze with the child at its current vulnerable state and Linda was not exactly accustomed to children.

“¡Cállate!” She shushed him punching his shoulder.

“Ray-ray was right about you Miss Lopez.” Lucifer observed the sudden alarm on Ella’s eyes being replaced by confusion and then hope.

“You…” The man stood up and placed a brotherly kiss on the top of her head much like he had done with Azrael as a child.

“My dear sister is always right but do not tell her I told you that!” Lucifer winked at her and with an affectionate pressure on her shoulder checked the sleeping duo from the partly open door.

“Lucifer?” Ella asked again for an answer Lucifer preferred to remain unsaid.

“I need to get a few things from home for them. Just take the child for the day and when things quiet down we will talk.” Lucifer promised her and without a backward glance, he walked out of the hospital lighter than he had felt in hours.

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

Noctivagus

Chapter 7

The apartment was quiet and as promised by Helen Rask, the civil engineer Lucifer had hired for the project, it was done fast but without missing on quality.

The now extending corridor appeared as if it had always been part of the place with no trace of the invasive construction work earlier that day.

With a hand over the wall transition, Lucifer found it smooth and dry while there was not a single speckle of dust to betray the demolition of the wall. The polished wood was pleasantly reflecting the low light.

Lucifer like tonight would occasionally wonder, in the following years, if he his actions and attitude had caused the Detective’s pressure to spike just enough for her placenta to rupture. Chloe would also sometimes find him where the wall used to be, staring the transition on the floor. The truth is Lucifer never found out if he was indeed responsible.

His legs ached nevertheless Lucifer knew that rest was not on the agenda for tonight. He had been back at the house just so to get some necessities his partner needed for her stay as well as the baby’s infamous grey onesie.

Lingering in front of Chloe’s bedroom’s door his hand eventually slipped from the handle. Lucifer had made sure the other half of the apartment’s addition was livable although there was one room he had left untouched. One that tonight called out to him. 

Not daring to put any mark on a place where Lucifer wanted the Detective to discover and dream on her own, the room had stayed an unblemished white. It was that room he was now unlocking, careful to not disrupt the tranquillity of the empty space.

“You will have to wait a little while longer.” His scratchy voice announced to the plainly wrapped wicker basket that waited for its owner on the oak floor.

Lucifer knew he was being sentimental about what he had bought as a peace offering. Not feeling courageous to step into the room after a while he quietly shut and locked the door behind him.

Invading the Detective’s space proved to be equally hard. The paper bag had not been left on the bed this time to allow him a quick exit.

Flicking on the lights Lucifer licked his lips as he eyed the closet’s doors. When he finally had gathered some spunk to go through the closet he opened the first door and exhaled in relief.

There, over the drawers and among her neatly organized tops, was the brown bag. The paper was as smooth as he remembered but the creases were considerably more than the last time Lucifer had seen it.

Bag under his arm, Lucifer closed the bedroom’s door and made it back quickly to the Detective’s car.

As he was carefully placing the bag on the passenger seat next to him, the tips of his fingers touched something sleek. Lifting the bag to not come in contact with the substance Lucifer switched on the cabin’s strip light.

The bag appeared to be uncompromised but the khaki fabric of the passenger’s seat didn’t share the same luck.

Spotted dark maroon where it was dried and shimmering red where wet, the marks provided one more evidence of how close Lucifer had been on losing her again.

“Fuck this!”

Lucifer could just have the seat burned or the whole car if possible. Alas, he had an inkling that the Detective would be furious if he merely suggested it.

Unable to proceed with his plan of the total obliteration of the seat, Lucifer dropped several tissues on the blemished area, thankful for once of the child’s sloppy eating habits that required a whole box of tissues in the car.

The ride was short and before long, bag on hand, Lucifer entered the elevator hoping that at almost five in the morning the little demon wouldn’t have woken up.

The doors of the cabin opened with Lucifer stepping out in an unfamiliar space. The nurse station was not on his right nor was the vending machine Lucifer hoped to use for the dependent’s breakfast.

Against his better judgment and with the elevator’s doors firmly closed behind him, Lucifer walked towards the vast rectangle glass across the room.

Belatedly Lucifer realised that he was on the fourth floor so relieving himself of the onesie faster sounded like a good idea. He didn’t even have to look. All he had to do was charm a nurse and rid of the bag’s content.

The few clear bassinets were occupied by snoozing though still easily irascible little creatures. Unwittingly Lucifer skimmed through all the labelled bassinets and frowned when the Detective’s name was not on any of them.

Scanning the room behind the infants there were four incubators yet all empty or Lucifer assumed they were empty until he noticed two doctors in scrubs along with a nurse over the furthest one in the room.

Recognizing one of them as Doctor Gail, Lucifer waived in hopes to get her attention. He was ready to give up when a shimmering tool from within the incubator caught his eye.

“Are you crazy?” Lucifer growled tapping hard his ringed hand on the glass.

Most of the infants jolted awake having the nurse abandon what she was doing to rush to them. The unknown doctor still had his hands in the plexiglass bassinet and from the way his mask was moving he was speaking to the only person in the room Lucifer knew.

Doctor Gail swayed her head and raised a finger to gain some more time as Lucifer caught a glimpse of the squirming critter.

Lucifer waited, muttering of the stuff’s incompetence until the sour-faced nurse opened the door of the nursery to let him in.

“Wake them up again and I’ll jab you on an IV stand!” She hissed before giving him a curt nod to enter.

Lucifer had hoped that the doctor would have met him midway but Doctor Gail seemed all too gleeful to have him walk up to her.

“Mr Morningstar it’s so nice to see you again especially on this floor.” She gushed and Lucifer spotted the male doctor roll his eyes.

He was ready to reply with a caustic remark when a jittery movement on the corner of his eye, drowned the world around him.

Compared to the creatures on display what lay within the incubator was a scrawny little thing. Wrapped in wires with a tube secured over his lip and into his left nostril.

This was not what Lucifer had envisioned as the result of Cain’s begetting.

“Is this a sick reprise of the Clockwork Orange I’m not familiar with?” Lucifer demanded to know, pointing at the most horrifying tool on the child.

The right eye of the infant had been clamped open, eyeball exposed in an effect that appeared as if it had been forcefully projected outwards of its socket.

“He was born with a serious stage of ROP as we say or retinopathy of prematurity. Both of his retinas seem to have been close to detaching so Doctor Kumar is performing a laser surgery. He was about to operate on the second eye.” The doctor explained with more patience than Lucifer perhaps deserved.

“He is barely six hours old! I had orgies lasting longer than his whole life so far!” Lucifer argued trying not to flinch when the miscreant's unfocused eye sought out the source of his voice.

“Someone is recognizing Daddy.” Doctor Kumar cooed dropping some droplets on the eye.

“How dare you!” Lucifer said affronted on being put on the same level as that complete sack of ass!

“Well, he did react strongly to your voice Mr Mornigstar. You are his mother’s partner as far as I have been told.” The woman chested him and turned to put on a fresh pair of gloves.

“At work, not this imp’s sire! I’m nothing like him.” Lucifer rode the train of denial with a short stop to insanity which he had not taken since before Marcus Pierce had courted his partner.

“Well, you are all we have so you are staying buddy.” Kumar told him with a finality.

The procedure seemed to be delicate and invasive yet the baby appeared to act out only on the presence of the clamp than the treatment itself.

Slithering out of the room would have been ideal now that both doctors were focused on shooting the laser in the baby's pupil. Ideal and easy if it had not been for the nurse from Hell.

“Where do you think you are going, Sir?” Came her frosty warning as Lucifer had just managed to take a few backwards steps towards the door.

“I- I wanted to give you this?” Lucifer uttered uncomfortably the words that were spoken more like a question than an answer.

That difference on his tone had the nurse's trimmed eyebrow lifting up in suspicion.

Opening the bag with a fair amount of scepticism the nurse took out the onesie. Something softened in her eyes as she read the stamp and then she carefully folded it before giving him back the bag.

“He is too young to wear it but I’ll have it ready for when the time comes.” The nurse promised him as she handed Lucifer the not so empty as he thought bag back.

Turning it upside down, Lucifer caught on his waiting underneath hand a rolled strip of paper and something he knew pretty well. After all, it had been penetrated in and then extracted from his leg once upon a time.

For months Lucifer had wondered what had become of the bullet necklace he had given to the Detective. He could remember the exact time she had stopped wearing it but he was not sure if it had been disposed of or stored. Well, he had his answer now.

Pocketing the necklace Lucifer’s attention turned to the roll. It was a strip of six yellowish photos of what it appeared to be a fully formed fetus.

Lucifer scanned the paper, pausing at every word or number on the piece trying to decode it but to no avail.

“Excuse me can you help me with this?” He finally asked tearing his eyes away from a particular photo where the baby was curled up within the womb.

“Let me see… It’s a 3D sonogram. You have the week of gestation, the date and you can see the circle around the genitals here.” She pointed with her finger on one of the photos.

“Thank you.” Lucifer said mechanically as he connected the dots.

This had been taken on the day he had dragged her out of the factory. The day Lucifer had found out about the child.

Chloe had known of the baby’s gender since that time and had not shared it with anyone. She had also not shared something else prior to the gender.

The ultrasound marked the gestational week at that day as week sixteen. His partner had been pregnant for four months and Lucifer didn’t know. Nobody had known.

Rolling back the sonogram to bury it along with the necklace in his pocket, the smudges of blue ink on the back of the strip caught his eye. Turning the paper Lucifer felt a lump settling forcefully on his throat threatening to chock him.

“You have a name.” He whispered turning to look back at the newborn that was just being unhooked off the clamp.

“All done now, it’s your time to step in Mr Morningstar.“ Doctor Gail called for him unclasping the incubator's locks.

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

Noctivagus

Chapter 8

 Lucifer was instructed, no forced to be truthful, to sit in the nearby recliner and wait. He swore he would have left if the nurse had not given him a dirty look when he had been ready to refuse and subsequently flee.

“Open your shirt midway and let him settle on you.” The nurse told him cradling the barely moving newborn.

Cold. The first sensation that ran through Lucifer’s system when the nurse placed the child on his bare skin was a sudden premonitory chill. Despite the reddish skin colour and the oversized cap, the baby on his chest was several degrees colder than Lucifer.

“Just make sure to support him favouring your left side. He will pick up your palpitations and will soon relax.” Doctor Gail coached him reverting back to her doctor mode.

“What do I do now?” Lucifer anxiously asked uncomfortable being around any human under the legal drinking age of twenty-one

“His vision is worse than it should be but you try to encourage eye contact. He can only see fuzzy shapes but it will be enough. Also, you talk. Snuggle him some for good measure.” The doctor encouraged watching the terrified man stealing peeks fearfully expecting an imminent attack from the infant.

“Talk about what? He is too young for liquor or the consequences of sin! At least I think about the second that is.” Lucifer replied watching the yawning boy with some distrust.

Looking upwards the Doctor closed her eyes, probably in an attempt to pray for strength. The joke was on her Lucifer thought. Dad dearest didn’t reply without a collateral as Lucifer recalled miserably what he had eventually exchanged for the Detective’s protection.

“He needs to grow and bond with a familiar voice Mr Mornigstar. You own, as Wooble speedily informed me, the best nightclub in L.A. Find a fascinating story. It’s the vocal comfort he seeks not the actual words.” She advised him leaving to join the rest of the staff close to the clear plastic bassinets.

Lucifer expected the baby to have kept his eyes closed tight after the intrusion but Lucifer was met with two pairs of half-opened dark orbs. This urchin had apparently paid attention to his voice while Lucifer asked what to do with it.

“Do not get too comfortable. You have met the nurse so you realize I was forced to stay.” Lucifer grumbled sending a death glare on the culprit’s back.

“You are as red and small as a radish. Personally, I hate them, so does the spawn but the Detective loves them so I suppose you are in luck.”

The baby accidentally rubbed his skin trying to unsuccessfully readjust his hands closer to his body. Helping the tiny limbs set under its rapidly rising and falling chest was easy yet it rewarded Lucifer with a long sigh of contentment by the small human.

“Now a fascinating story… That one is easy. Your mother shot me. Seriously she did that. I told her to shoot and when she did, I was bleeding! Who? Me! For future reference, I’m the Devil. I don’t bleed.” Lucifer seriously informed the child.

“Since living with your mother though, I developed certain side-effects caused by her miracle status that were not pleasant. I have allergies.” The man signed recalling his sneezing feat a few months ago.

The baby squeaked taking out his tongue and yawning.

“It’s not funny! I’m allergic to pine pollen of all things. The spawn is not but your mother is and it almost made it worth it seeing her as miserable as I was.” And he had been. A lot.

There had been endless days of nasal sprays and honey brewed beverages. Some spiked, some painfully not.

“She couldn’t use her usual medication because of you so her eyes had turned red and she was discarding snot for two weeks. That’s how much she cares for you.” Lucifer concluded in the thought of what the Detective had already sacrificed for this tiny person.

“How are we holding up?” The certainly demon-descended nurse asked laying down to the table next to him a new set of tubes.

“Good, I guess.” Lucifer replied not bothering to hide his distaste for her person. A mutual feeling if the nurse’s frowning eyebrows was a hint to go by.

‘Dad those strips of hair have their own attitude!’

“I was talking to Baby Decker.” She coldly replied ripping open the bags she had just set down.

“And as his current proxy, I was courteous enough to let you know.” With a smile, Lucifer started patting the small back of the child with his index considering this round's point rightfully won.

“Well, dear proxy it’s feeding time. Hold this and do not drop it.” The nurse handed him a sterilized tube that she had just connected to the one coming from the baby’s petit nostril.

There were no other words exchanged as the nurse readjusted Lucifer fingers onto holding a bulky plungerless syringe up in the air.

When it was high over both his and the newborn’s head, she poured in what Lucifer could guess was the little guy’s first breakfast at almost six o’clock.

“Hold it.” She demanded, leaving an incredulous Lucifer holding the syringe barrel.

That woman had just won a point for herself and Lucifer was falling behind. Fast.

The slowly descending liquid was not dropping fast enough. The proximity of his partner two floors down was still enough to make Lucifer’s arm ache and sting pin and needles soon after. Out of spite mostly Lucifer dutifully kept the container over his head watching the boy slowly drifting to sleep.

He had always been a competitive Devil.

“You did well.” Lucifer praised the child for no apparent reason and watched as the thin eyelids opened half way at the sound of his voice.

“Your mother also did well. You will never be a second or a junior. She gave you a connection to the past without burdening your future.”

He spoke on lower volume than he normally did understanding the Detective’s desire to leave the past where it belongs as she opened a new door towards the future.

“A gift of God. Are you a gift or a curse, hmmm?” Lucifer questioned mostly to himself pushing with his thumb the small cap off the baby’s head.

He should have guessed it but the gutted feeling of watching the short curling blond hair was still a painful a reminder of how this being had been created. Who had created it. 

When the clamp, under the bright light, had forcefully held the child’s eye wide open Lucifer had noticed the dark midnight blue iris. A colour that although even Lucifer knew it was too early to tell, he was convinced that one day it would turn to a remarkable livid blue.

He only hoped when that time came the eyes that were looking at him now would shift closer to its mother’s colouring.

“You did well. You both did Jonathan Decker.” Lucifer spoke of the boy’s name.

Written in bold assured strokes behind the ultrasound photos Chloe Decker had paid an indirect tribute to her own father. John Decker.

With that emotional reassurance, Jonathan closed his eyes for a well-deserved ride with Morpheus.

“Was it so difficult now?” Doctor Gail softly asked Lucifer bending to take the boy off his arms.

“More than you would have ever imagined Doctor.” Lucifer revealed watching as the baby was gently burped and placed back in the incubator.

“So tomorrow night around the same time?” She goaded a positive reply from him and her smile fell when Lucifer shook his head.

“I have a life to run and a kid to take care until her father is back Doctor.” Lucifer buttoned his shirt and hang the jacket over his forearm.

“You have a nightclub to run and this kid needs a connection to what was familiar to him when he was still in the womb Mr Morningstar.” The Doctor reminded him but made no further effort to persuade him to stay.

“Good morning Doctor.” Lucifer bid her a pleasant day and almost ran to the door before his name was called out again.

“Mr Morningstar! If you are not coming back just leave something behind for the baby. It’s the best alternative you can offer him.” She sounded dejected.

Doctors are not supposed to sound like that, neither offer last alternatives especially for a child that was going to thrive regardless of Lucifer’s presence in its life.

Lucifer had nothing to spare. His clothes were too big for the incubator and what burned still hot in his pocket was not exactly appropriate to be left with a child. In all truth, he didn’t want to leave that behind.

“Your pocket square. Is it clean?” Gail asked noticing his flustered state as Lucifer was considering what to leave for the boy.

“Freshly washed with hypoallergenic detergent. I came into some allergies lately…” Lucifer explained sheepishly handing the flaming red silk square to the Doctor.

“It will make a great blankie!” She remarked as her smile warmed up.

“It’s too small for that.” Lucifer pointed out knowing fully well the dimensions of his favourite pocket cloth.

“Not for him. And Mr Morningstar? I hope Baby Decker will see you again soon.” The Doctor nudged him once more not giving up on Lucifer tending the needs of the newborn.

“His name is Jonathan Decker, Doctor Gail. Have a nice day.” He sharply told her with a sense of finality and left the room in search of air.

Weren’t the hospitals required to circulate a fresh supply of oxygen? Why did Lucifer felt suddenly too close on asphyxiating?

Taking the stairs Lucifer descended two stories as he tried to regulate his inhales. Reaching the Detective’s room, he was relieved to see that mother and spawn were still asleep with his favourite forensic present in the room.

“Anything I should know?” Lucifer asked Ms Lopez and she just shrugged changing the channel she was watching but not before Lucifer recognizing the leads from the Fast and Furious franchise.

Staring down at the troublesome females in his life, Lucifer felt better. He could finally breathe better and this room looked bigger than the last time he had been in mere hours ago.

Knowing fully well he was watched, Lucifer fished the chain from his pocket and let the bullet land with a soft clank on the empty side table.

Dull laden-blue eyes opened at the sound of metal dropping on wood. She seemed better, more alert, less medicated which Lucifer knew wouldn’t last for long.

“Is he okay?” His partner asked him and this time Lucifer was glad he had been snatched and held in the NICU by that wicked nurse.

“Jonathan is fine.” He murmured just for her ears although he fleetingly saw Ella’s eyes glued on his lips.

Lucifer decided it was not the time to discuss the forensic’s hidden talents on lip reading and refocused on the woman that he was sure would be the death of him one day. For the third time.

“Miss Lopez I’m afraid I have one more favour to ask you.” Lucifer spoke with a grave tone as he tucked the spawn better, lying to himself that he just didn’t want to deal with a sick child on top of it all.

“Just say it bro!” Ella exclaimed a bit too loud making Beatrice roll slightly in her, thankfully sleeping again, mother’s embrace.

Lifting an eyebrow, in a similar way Nurse ‘I’ll-pluck-you-if-you-wake-them’ had, Lucifer reprimanded the young woman hiding effectively how amused and grateful he was by her enthusiastic response.

“I need you to care for the child during the nights until both Detective Decker and her new offspring are released. I realize it’s a lot to ask considering your job-“ Lucifer admitted slowly wishing for the first time his brother had been back in L.A. to help him with Beatrice during the night.

“Luce! Friends turned Family come first!” The robust woman scolded him lightly showing an absolute, albeit comic, amazement of not receiving ‘The Look’ when Lucifer heard the nickname.

“You know Miss Lopez. In private you can call me ‘Lu’. It’s a fond memory I keep of my sister.” Lucifer told her brushing a finger over Chloe’s knuckles.

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

Noctivagus

Chapter 9

“It surprised me you wanted to schedule a session today.” Linda remarked casually on the importance of the day, sipping her first cup of coffee for the day.

Lucifer uncrossed his leg as he always did when something burdened him to the point of confession.

His index fingernail was still scratching an impending hole on the couch's coarse fabric but the Doctor didn’t seem to mind. She never had.

“I need some… advice.” Lucifer said finally meeting her eyes in obvious distress.

Setting her cup down Linda took over Lucifer’s appearance. Nothing was astray from clothes to hair but his face seemed more mellow. The sharp angles of his cheekbones were still there, his weight, as she could guess, was still the same but he felt somewhat fuller. More approachable. 

“It’s has been what, six weeks now? You knew this day was coming.” She reasoned detecting a small curve on his lips before it was carefully concealed with a rub of his well-groomed scruff.

“Seven. The Detective was released after about two but she insisted on staying for the- You know.” He told her quickly trying to brush quickly over the existence of the new offspring.

“Jonathan. You were the one to tell me, remember? So he is coming home, both of them. Isn’t that good news?” Linda poked around the subject Lucifer wanted to discuss but she had to start from the source of his ail.

“Is it? I thought of moving out but I cannot and now they are going to be two of them! What am I going to do Doctor? What should I do?” Lucifer begged her for an answer hands flexing in agitation.

“Lucifer you took care of Trixie for weeks alone. You took her every morning from Ms Lopez, made sure she was happy and healthy. You took care of Chloe in every way possible what will change now?” She pressed more watching his resolve of keeping the people he cared in an unreachable distance.

“There is something I was not being honest about.” Lucifer started now insisting on looking outside the window.

“For seven weeks I visited Jonathan every night. It was why Beatrice had to stay with Ms Lopez and then with Daniel every night.” Hanging his head on his palms in burdened bu his guilt, Lucifer felt like he had commited a horrible faux pas.

“And this is bad how exactly? You helped the people you care about. You help Chloe who after all this time you need to hear it-“ Linda said with determination before she was interrupted.

“Linda!”

“You help the woman you love. You help her children who you also care about almost as much. How is this a problem? Is it really a degradation of who you are?” The Doctor continued voice breaking when she saw Lucifer’s emotional armour cracking before her eyes.

“Because I wish he was mine.” Lucifer breathed hiding his eyes in an act of utmost vulnerability.

Lucifer watched in silence as Ella and Daniel packed everything under the Detective’s instructions. He had downright refused to be involved in preparing for their departure from the hospital's room that had been a constant meeting place for almost two months now.

Between work and tending for her youngest the Detective had relied on them to find a balance and by some miracle they had managed. Desk job had not become any more thrilling but the little supplied details by Ella’s lab work and Dan’s fieldwork had helped. Just a couple more months until they were out on the field again!

“Lucifer are you going to help?” His partner asked and all she received was a Lucifer looking at her before reverting his attention back to his phone.

“Nope!” Came his late reply before he pumped a fist celebrating his new game record.

“Dan, can you get the bags down to my car please?” Chloe asked the other man eventually.

“You got a new car?” The confusion on Daniel’s voice was beyond satisfying that Lucifer closed the game and watched the scene unravel before him.

“No. Lucifer you did bring my car right?” The crept fear in her voice almost made Lucifer feel guilty.

“Nope! It was burned down.” Lucifer informed her plainly fingers tangled over his stomach.

He had eventually given up and had the car burned down. The stains were beyond stubborn and the replacement of a seat had led to other issues so getting rid of the vehicle had been the only way.

“How? No scratch that it’s you, why?” Chloe demanded above him but Lucifer’s face stayed impassive.

“You bled. The stains could not be removed so I made a deal with the insurance company.” He told her as if he had negotiated an extra pastry at the bakery.

“That’s insurance fraud man!” Daniel groaned at the new implication Lucifer had brought on their plate.

“It was nothing of the sort! I said, burn it and pay for a new one. In return, they insured my car collection.” The man said registering with smugness the shock on their faces.

“And how much is your annual fee now Lucifer?” The Detective demanded to know, realising that Lucifer had been duped into a disadvantageous deal.

“Not that fair. Have we covered this? Can we finally leave?” Lucifer practically whined opening widely the door.

“I don’t have a car Lucifer. Where is Jonathan’s car carrier?” Chloe asked him trying to not let the hormones take over her as the desperation did.

“In the nursery and I have it covered. Now can someone unstuck Beatrice from the vending machine?” He asked already walking down the corridor.

“I’m sorry Lucifer!” Came the offspring’s reply.

“I told you! Lift, twist and push!” Lucifer told her carefully unhooking the child’s elbow from the machine.

“You taught my child how to steal?” An angered Daniel hissed looking up and down the thankfully empty corridor.

“Of course not! Child, got what you wanted?” He asked and the child immediately showed him a small pile of snacks near her feet.

Nodding Lucifer took a large bill from his pocket and carefully slide it from the top of the glass.

“You know it defeats its purpose right? Just use change next time.” Chloe instructed the guilty party.

“Detective the Devil does not jiggle! Not our fault the machine does not accept hundred bills!” Lucifer shot back as he moved towards the elevator.

“We tried Mummy but the cafeteria didn’t have change so Lucifer had to pay like this." Trixie informed the remaining adults and picking up her snacks she ran after Lucifer.

“Did Lucifer just say he spent thousands on Trixie’s daily snacks?” Ella wondered asking Dan who was equally troubled at the lengths Lucifer had gone to keep his daughter fed.

“Are.you.coming?” Lucifer demanded as he held the elevator’s doors from closing.

The trio hurried with the bags in the elevator where Trixie was already sharing a bag of puffs with Lucifer.

“This is it!” Dan said to Chloe and she smiled at him.

This pick up was perhaps different from the one they had with Trixie, Lucifer guessed but not any less important for the Detective as it appeared.

“I can’t believe I’m taking him home!” She spurted with great elation.

“The buoyant joy!” Lucifer muttered under his breath.

Out of every sarcastic comment, Lucifer had thrown her way in the past months it was that one that turned her head, eyes wide before she lowered her trembling chin.

“Detective I-“ He tried to patch up whatever he had slashed open but the doors were quicker.

“You just don’t know when to shut it, do you asshole?” Daniel spat at him following quickly Ella and Chloe that were already sprinting towards the nursery.

“No. No, I don’t.” Lucifer admitted to himself as he stepped out of the elevator's cabin.

Lucifer stayed by the door as he observed the rest of his company coo over Jonathan. There were no wires in sight, no tubes nothing to betray his long NICU stay. It was a night about a week ago when Jonathan was deemed strong enough to suckle and Lucifer was there to make sure the little guy learned how to down his first bottle.

The evidence of that night, as well as all the other private meetings Lucifer had with the baby, were safely secured in his phone.

“Nitwit prick.” The nurse greeted him as she had done religiously every night since the first one.

“Ardat Lili.” He greeted back not sparing her a glance.

“It’s just Lily.” She said willing to take the most to of the last banter despite having won weeks ago.

“You could have fooled me.” Lucifer said, turning to grace her with one of his rare smiles.

“What am I going to do with him Lily?” Lucifer asked her hoping for a clear answer this time.

“Everything you did so far, only now you are going to effortlessly love him even more.” Lili replied softly having learned Lucifer’s high walls and abyssal insecurities.

“I don’t know if I’m capable on doing that without ruining them.” He admitted mostly to himself as he sat on the recliner.

“Let me go get that baby on his car seat carrier.” Lily drawled finishing her daily newborn status report.

Lucifer watched as Lily presented the grey and dark teal car seat to the group. It had been one of the most difficult purchases he had ever done until Lucifer decided to take the top-rated one. That had been done before Jonathan closed his first week.

Then had come the part where he had to get humble and compromise. He had presented the carrier to Lily with two requests.

Helping him instal the damn thing to his car and to show him how to tie the countless straps on Jonathan without accidentally strangling him. The first was easy, the second had taken a lot of practice which had gained him an ally in the nursery.

“Mr Morningstar, would you mind helping me?” Lily forcefully invited him to take part in Jonathan’s departure.

“Oh no, Lucifer is not, he does not. It’s not his area really.” Chloe tried to explain as she cradled her son who was blissfully unaware of the big moment in his life. That of finally going home.

“Is that right? Well then, why not help him?” Lily practically mocked him taking Jonathan from Chloe’s arms and expertly placing him on Lucifer’s.

Pleading Lily with his eyes led Lucifer nowhere while he was stared from the whole company as if he was a second from dropping the boy. He suddenly had a good idea of how gawking children looked like to the zoo’s animals.

Carrying Jonathan with one hand as he often did during feeding time, Lucifer placed the carrier on the recliner with the other. Having done this numerous times with the baby he felt confident which gave a remarkable fluency in his movements.

Jonathan watched Lucifer curiously going over the routine perhaps expecting afterwards to return to his incubator for a nap. The kid was in for a treat or a fright, only time could tell.

Lucifer wiggled the baby’s tights for his back to be placed correctly at the seat which had Jonathan protest a bit. Wearing the vest straps on the little limbs was again easy but when Lucifer buckled him up the baby started to fuse.

Not minding the slowly rising tantrum Lucifer raised the straps to check if they were slacking close to Jonathan’s legs. When Lucifer had pulled the tail of the buckle a couple of times and readjusted the clasp on the baby’s chest, the man was finally satisfied.

“Blanket.” He almost demanded without looking and someone put a light cotton one on his expecting hand.

Jonathan was starting to hiccup so Lucifer knew to not waste any time as he tucked the blanket snugly under him.

“Shushhhh, Shushhh…” He ordered loudly in a soothing manner tapping the baby’s quivering chest.

“Lu, are you a baby whisperer?” Ella marvelled at Lucifer’s not only efficient but also quick work of getting the child in the carrier and averting a meltdown.

“Man it took me two months to learn how to buckle Trixie!” Dan revealed still in awe of watching this new side of Lucifer.

“Two months!” Chloe screeched at the news finally unlocking her eyes from the unconventional sight of Lucifer preparing her son for his first ride.

“I’m a responsible Devil, Daniel. I have an exceptional mobile plan and youtube.” Lucifer’s eyes shifted quickly to see if he had done everything correctly before turning the small head to rest to the side.

“Well, you are a quick learner Lu!” Ella praised basically missing the definition of his ‘only in private’ request.

“Practicing every night for the past six weeks didn’t harm him either.” Lily revealed getting Chloe’s head snap back at the still bend over Jonathan, Lucifer.

“That’s where you were every night?” She asked him but never received a real answer aside from a lift of Lucifer’s shoulders in a shrug.

“I think we are ready to go.” Lucifer announced to everyone letting Trixie twaddle over her brother.

Smart critter. Better now before he learned to talk back to her that’s when the problems started for Lucifer.

Chloe squeezed his hand as she tangled her fingers around his. Lucifer had not been the recipient of that kind of affection from her in so long that it left him standing frozen on spot. Knowing himself uttering a word could be enough to lose this rare physical contact.

But the Devil could never help it. Could he now?

“You’re an evil woman, Lily” Lucifer rebuked of her revealing his nightly adventures.

“And you Lucifer should finally realize that you are not.” She retorted him yet looking directly at Chloe instead who merely concurred with a second squeeze.

“Let’s go home.” Chloe urged him to finally move.

“Mr Morningstar! You forgot something.” Lily said sweetly with a lot of mirth as she revealed a well known red cloth that was left behind in the incubator.

“I know that.” Chloe muttered examining the silk fabric before placing the square in the baby’s waiting flexing hands.

“You insufferable but oh so lovable man.” She faintly said before giving him a peck near the edge of his lips.

Lucifer in a daze almost forgot a sleeping Jonathan on the recliner. Beatrice was skipping towards the elevator while Ella and Daniel carried the luggage of whataver what had made this place livable for over a month now.

“So are we going to tie Jonathan on the Vette’s hood?” Chloe asked refusing to leave his hand as they walked to the exit.

“Of course not! I considered it, but the hood would have been scratched beyond repair.” Lucifer told her with a mournful sigh.

“Dan please tell you have brought your car.” Ella whispered behind them making Lucifer snort at her lack of faith.

The sliding doors of the hospital opened exposing them to the intense evening heat of Los Angeles. Lucifer searched his pocket and when he found what he was looking for, he whistled to catch the spawn’s attention.

Sure enough, Trixie turned, waiting for him to throw his keys. Like a year ago and currently for a month now, the child caught the keys and ran towards his Corvette.

“Damn! I’m sorry I doubted you bro!” Ella said as she ran after Trixie to get a better look of the old lady.

“So you got two new cars and paid an insane amount to insure your cars. You are insane. Adorable, but insane.” Chloe remarked glued as closely to his arm as she could.

“I never knew they made that.” Daniel said behind them looking at the odd looking car.

“Because they didn’t. 61’s Stringray Vettes never made it to production but the prototype survived.” Lucifer felt particularly complacent with his find.

Not allowing the new addition on ruining his driving style or his love for the mid 20th century Vettes, Lucifer had found the impossible alternative. The car that was never made and yet it was.

Incredibly similar to his 62’ Corvette, the Stingray had four seats and a roof that ended to a divided glass roof over the back seat. Something that Lucifer had to partly cover from the inside to avoid the direct sunlight on flambeing the spawns. The only aesthetical downside was the pop-up headlights.

Bidding their goodbyes quickly Lucifer locked the car seat to the receiver he had Lily help him install and ushered Beatrice to the seat next to her brother. The divider between the back seats made Lucifer hope for a better division of the children’s riding space as Jonathan was bound to get more demanding as he got older.

“All ready but grant me a promise If you can make it that is.” Lucifer said playfully gaining the interest of the Detective who just gave him the newly remastered version of ‘The Look’.

“There never was a five-seat Corvette and to customize one is a real pain. So please this set is more than enough.” He joked point at his partner's two children in the car.

“They are everything I ever wanted and more Lucifer but when we get home I want us to talk. About us. I think it’s time.” She told him seriously resting her hand on the roof of the car.

For a long while they just stared each other not willing to let this moment pass. There was a serenity that Lucifer had never fathomed he would feel again outside the Silver City in its first days during the aeons of true ignorance infused innocence.

A Miracle offered him that along with the two tiny humans in the back seat. Lucifer was ready, albeit with great difficulty, to leave behind the matter of Jonathan’s paternity, the complications of his own and lead a life next to The Detective, or Chloe after tonight if she was willing to have him.

“I think so too.” He agreed breathless

“John wants to get home!” Beatrice made them aware of her brother’s wishes which had both adults entering the car chuckling.

The ride back home was a healing one on many levels. Trixie was still mesmerized by her snoozing brother and so, for the most part, she kept quiet aside from a random question here and there.

For Lucifer, that ride was an atonement of sorts.

Driving in a modest speed Lucifer forced himself to not cave in the urge to check on the occupants of the back seat in anything less than ten minutes between a fleeting glance. Lamentably, Chloe had not missed not one of those laps of control of his.

Between the change of gears, she sought his right hand and when the time came for Lucifer to change it again, Chloe rested leisurely her hand on the upper side of his wrist. It was then when Lucifer felt finally free of the ghosts of the past.

Marcus Pierce had been posthumously degraded on everyone's eyes and Cain was but a Biblical figure again. An obscure, harmless idea. He, Lucifer was now here, next to a woman who appeared to reciprocate his deepest desires. Love, a sense of family and a long sought peace.

Lost in his thoughts Lucifer parked the car finding everyone asleep in the car aside from himself. Reluctant to shatter the sense of calmness and belonging he just sat there resting his eyes. 

For the next hour, Lucifer was content on simply hearing his family’s, if he had any saying on that, rhythmic breaths as they slept. He knew that within the next minutes he would have to wake them up, perhaps persuade Chloe to look at the open space beyond the spot where the wall had been.

In less than thirty minutes they would be inside their home making a bottle for Jonathan, ordering the promised since noon pizza for Beatrice and finally he would have his long-awaited talk with Chloe.

As long as there was no more drama, no more manipulation, sponsored by his dear Dad, Lucifer was open to every possibility the future had to offer him.

A low squeak had Lucifer turn sharply to check on the baby which sounded to have woken up. Lucifer’s time was up.

“Your mother has slapped, shot and cuffed me in more than one occasions. She stood up to a Goddess once…” Lucifer talked to Jonathan as he got out of the car to slide the driver’s seat forward and release the  baby's car seat.

“Now that was a sight you should have seen.” He mumbled watching the little guy getting worked up to a full-blown breakdown.

The air smelled different, the light was softer and the sound of the passing cars in the distance was more disorienting for an infant than Lucifer had believed them to be. A dire miscalculation from his part.

The wails turned to trilling squawks changing Jonathan’s normally light pink face bright red, eyes shut closed with tear trinkets making their way to his chin.

“He woke up, shit!” Lucifer heard Chloe as he was unbuckling the baby.

“Yes, and so far he is not fond of Los Angeles but give him time.” He said softly in an attempt to calm down Jonathan.

When the baby was finally free Lucifer exhaled in relief placing him on his chest along with his former red square pocket, now the little Decker’s favourite blankie.

“See it’s not so bad, not so bad.” He murmured to the baby bouncing him around.

Chloe having fully woken up met Lucifer in front of his car’s open door. Gently Lucifer passed Jonathan to her who was now only grunting huffs of displeasure.

“You will be a handful, but you are lucky as I had to deal with a grown child for a very ‘long’ time.” Chloe jested lightly cleaning the baby’s eyes and cheeks from the wetness they had gathered.

Jonathan panted a sniffle and opened his eyes to see his mother. Chloe gathered him closer to her chest but the baby started to fuss again.

“I think he is hungry or needs a new nappy.” Lucifer guessed reaching to wipe the last tear from the boy’s cheek when a familiar glow caught his eyes.

“Bloody Hell…” He swore stupefied turning gently Jonathan’s head to take a better look.

Liquid flames had swallowed the infant’s steadily lighting, in the past weeks, slate blue eyes. The dancing fire in Jonathan’s now violet blazing orbs wiggled an unshakable truth.

Lucifer Morningstar had fathered Jonathan Decker.

“Now you know.” Chloe stuttered as she watched Lucifer losing the fight with gravity and falling on his knees.

To Be Continued...

1961 Four Seat Stingray Corvette

Chapter Text

Noctivagus

Chapter 10 - Epilogue

“Cállate Ricardo!” Ella groaned from the back seat making Ricardo loudly chortle.

“I wish I had a brother.” Chloe said wistfully observing the teasing between Ella and her brother.

The petit forensic had not lied when she had told them she truly loved Pina Coladas and even more open bars.

“They are a pain. Look at me, Dios look at Lucifer!” Ella said dropping flat on the back seat. That fourth drink had been her breaking point Chloe thought, battling the same wave of alcohol-induced dizziness.

“She is right Detective. Only Jay and Ella have amounted to something in our family.” Ricardo chuckled with a hint of embarrassment hitting the breaks at a crossroad to check both sides.

“With Dan, we had agreed on a baby when Trixie was at the first grade but… He couldn’t keep up with a family of three much less of four.” Chloe sighed closing her eyes in an attempt to stop her world from spinning.

“Believe me having a lot of siblings is not always a good thing. Ella and Jay have been taken advantaged a lot. They practically had her move to L.A. for me and now I’m leaving!” The man said turning right to Sunset Boulevard planning to take the road down to the Santa Monica Pier and towards Venice.

Chloe opened her eyes trying to focus on the distance when from the corner of her eyes she caught a glimpse of Lucifer’s building.

“Ricardo turn here!” She shouted at him startling the driver into following her orders.

“What did you see?” Ricardo frantically turned his head to look for what had made them take that turn. She knew the chances were Lucifer was in the middle of a full-blown orgy but his declaration a few days ago had worried her. His fragile mental stability would not take it kindly to stay awake for more than a day or two.

“I just need to check on a friend, can we stop for five minutes tops?” Chloe asked the Latino young man who immediately checked the back seat.

“Ella won’t last. Can you stay a bit more and I’ll be back to pick you in about forty minutes. Is that okay?” Ricardo asked her, always keeping an eye on his big sister who was now snoring softly.

Was she willing to risk it?

Chloe could check on Lucifer make sure his plan to stay awake had spectacularly failed and if he was in the middle of something she could always retreat at LUX as she waited for Ricardo.

“Okay.” She nodded trying to will herself to get outside the car and into the chilly air as her head was still feeling the aftereffects of her drinking decisions until less than an hour ago.

Clutching her envelope bag Chloe greeted the frontmen who let her in ahead of the usual long line of LUX’s partygoers.

The penthouse was blissfully quiet when she finally entered but Chloe knew better than to assume that her partner was not vertically occupied. The usually spotless counter of the bar was littered with open energy drink cans, espresso cups and the brass copper coffee machine sweated still by its earlier use.

She could never understand how Lucifer was found bimonthly with a broken coffee pot on hand at the precinct when he had the skill to use the extravagant one at his penthouse.

Walking towards his doorless bedroom Chloe’s hills knocked some of the various orange prescription containers that were left scattered on the floor. On closer inspection, all the bottles were empty along with several small plastic see-through envelopes.

Her instinct had been correct, Lucifer had gone once again too far. Fumbling in her bag for her phone Chloe entered the room finding her partner laying on his bed wearing nothing aside from his black boxers.

Dialling for an ambulance Chloe pressed her index and middle finger on the side of his throat searching for a pulse. Even without any proper medical knowledge, she knew his pulse was rapid and probably slightly irregular.

“Finally you are here.” Lucifer sighed in relief.

“What the Hell were you thinking?” Chloe demanded, caressing the never seen before that long, growing stubble.

“I was waiting for you.” He explained bleary unfocused eyes finally opening to meet hers.

Phone placed on Lucifer’s side table, Chloe scooted the man to sit on the bed next to him.

“You cannot do things like that. How many pills did you take Lucifer?” She asked resting her still heavy head on the leather headboard.

Lucifer instead of replying he let his shoulder and head fall over the Detective’s thighs. His trademark sparkling with mirth eyes seemed dull and unclear as Lucifer looked over at her in perplexion, brows frowning more closely together with every passing second.

“What is it?” Chloe asked him as her hands found their way to his thick unruly locks.

“I told her to keep me awake so why am I dreaming?” Lucifer demanded, kicking his legs on the bed.

The rocky motion made the kid's red tricycle to fall over the edge of the bed and collide loudly with the floor. A startled Lucifer sought immediately the protection he needed by the unexpected sound by ducking his head deeply on her stomach.

“Lucifer what do you want from me?” Chloe said sweeping Lucifer’s curls away from his dark eyes that were looking at her with an almost pious attention.

“I wanted to protect you from Father, from me.” Lucifer began in contrition.

Chloe continued to dive her fingers through Lucifer’s hair as he finally opened up to the one question he had time after time avoided to reply in a direct manner.

“The day I left you at that hospital was excruciating. I thought I was leaving you forever.” He admitted as his shoulders started to shake.

Chloe couldn’t know if it was due to the emotional turmoil or the drugs but she strongly suspected the first as Lucifer’s hands tightened around her midsection.

“Then why did you?” She whispered unconsciously tugging painfully Lucifer’s curls.

“For you to be free. To have the will to do anything you desired, anyone you desired.” Lucifer growled bitterly revealing that he knew more than his goofy comments earlier that week gave him credit for.

It was the moment Chloe realized how much Lucifer knew about her physical relationship with Marcus.

“Was it worth it in the end Lucifer? Losing everything?”

‘Losing me’ Chloe thought as Lucifer’s face contracted in pain yet his eyes remained unyielding.

“For you to lead a life based on what you desired the most without Father's manipulations? Yes!” Lucifer replied emphatically twisting the edge of her dress in distress.

It had been a foolish act, a hazy decision involving an equally intoxicated man who if Chloe wanted to be truthful she adored to a fault. It was meant to be a kiss to bid him goodbye and instead, she welcomed him. Back in her life, deeper in her heart and for a very short while in her body.

Laying on the basking afterglow of sex, shame and a million what-ifs, Chloe watched as Lucifer finally drifted asleep. The emotional and physical outlet had him collapsing in her arms as his lover was contemplating the consequences of her actions.

It had not been the best night of her life she thought with some amusement but Chloe had seen a more intimate side of Lucifer. One that Chloe had hoped to explore months ago and now if this didn’t work out, she would have to swipe under the proverbial rug.

The buzzing drumming of her mobile on the nightstand made Chloe scoop the vibrating device as Lucifer left a murmuring sigh of annoyance. Ignoring the phone Chloe observed her partner sleeping upside down his bed still on his boxers.

She was convinced they had time to talk, in the meantime Chloe’s relationship with her boss was about to become more than difficult.

Admitting to cheating was something Chloe never thought she would do in her life and yet she had dragged her partner down the path Lucifer usually led his lovers. The one of poor excuses and the importance of fulfilling your desires.

Her desires had mindlessly set her underneath him forgoing any coherent thought of consequences. Or worse? Protection.

In the second round of buzzing, Chloe took her phone to the living room and answered the call.

“Hey, Detective! I’m parked right across the street.” Ricardo informed her.

“Ricardo I think I’ll stay.” Chloe bit her lip still watching Lucifer sleeping but not daring to leave him alone in this state, especially after what happened between them.

“Are you sure? Everything okay up there?” Ricardo’s suspicion dragged, in the same manner, Ella’s did.

The elevator chimed open while Chloe watched a glorious set of legs clicking with self-assurance over the obsidian penthouse floor.

“Impatient isn’t he?” The barely dressed in black woman asked winking at the Detective as she made her way to Lucifer’s bedroom.

The phone forgot on her chest, Chloe watched as the woman kicked the envelope clutch towards her and proceeded on climbing over an unconscious Lucifer.

A sultry smile appeared on her face as ruby lips parted and her tongue licked the trail of Lucifer’s previously orgasm prompted palpitating neck artery.

When Lucifer failed to respond the woman parted her black almost see-through robe and slapped him hard on the face making Chloe jump.

“Oh perfect! Harder!” Lucifer exclaimed jolting awake.

The cold reality set low on Chloe’s stomach as she saw Lucifer not questioning the presence of the woman and worse of it all, not seeking her out.

Backtracking as quietly as she could, Chloe made a great effort to not sink on the cabin’s floor.

“I’m coming.” She nearly cried in haste hoping that Ricardo was still on the line waiting for her final reply.

Clutch held painfully on the low of her belly Chloe tried to ignore what little flatterings that persisted from her Lucifer induced high while she licked the wounds of her unexpected Fall.

Three days passed until Chloe saw him again. Jittery, dishevelled a physical and intellectual mess that mirrored perfectly her emotional state. She pressed, probed more and finally clawed him raw where it hurt when Lucifer refused to repeat the same words he had breathed at her as their endorphin soaring was crushing down that night.

Chloe had used everything she had carried with her since the penthouse’s elevator doors had slid shut. The anger, the pain and the betrayal. God the betrayal! Lucifer's towards her and in consequence, Chloe's to Marcus'.

“He is a good man who treats me right. And I'm happy, Lucifer. And all I know is how I feel when I'm around him, and, you know, I-… l L-“ The word was drowned as the air pierced her ears of what she was not willing to say. To hear or acknowledge ever again

‘I love you but I cannot do this anymore!’ Tears wailed up but remained pertinaciously unshed.

“We're done here.” The Detective said leaving Chloe to howl out in pain at whatever had survived from her heart. Her very soul.

Jonathan nursing was the only sound breaking the heavy silence of the living room. The sun had set and the light from the kitchen barely helped Chloe see Lucifer’s expression.

Lucifer had not uttered a word while he had guided a stumbling Trixie to her room for the night and then he proceeded on sitting to the couch across from her as she fed the baby.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” Chloe asked him tentatively brushing Jonathan’s soft hair in hopes the child wouldn’t catch the thick tension between the adults in the room.

“What am I supposed to say?” Lucifer replied grimly not seeking any of the answers Chloe had supposed he would have had once he was aware of Jonathan's true paternity.

“Why, how… When?” She tried to open a conversation venue.

A light gurgle was heard followed by a cough and the room was illuminated by a soft reddish glow that reflected mockingly the resting bullet necklace on his mother’s bosom.

Chloe resettling Jonathan turned to look at his father’s equally glowing amber eyes.

He was angry. Furious.

“After Charlotte- After that night I got back home a wreck.” Chloe started watching as the dancing flames behind Lucifer’s eyes started to dim.

“Tears turned to sobs and sobs to some of the most violent expellings my stomach had ever experienced.” She laughed humorlessly at the cause of her rough night so many months ago.

“It had been a month already since the week you had decided not to sleep. I told you to sleep!” Chloe cried in frustration over the act, the humiliation she had experienced and the events that had led her to shoot her superior just two days later.

“Do not blame it on me, Chloe!” Lucifer growled standing up as if their very proximity hurt him.

“I don’t.” She admitted weakly. And she truly didn’t.

Cupboards opened and closed until Lucifer had started to brew his tea. She knew he despised the little store-bought brands but he had never complained.

A cup was set on the counter as the man threw a tea-bag inside, poured the water and waited for the brew to seep. Under the harsh kitchen light, Lucifer looked tired and for the first time since Chloe had met him, ancient.

His forehead lines were deep as the man watched intently Trixie’s yellow cup he had picked. Lucifer had not taken his usual late 19th-century china cup. The only piece that had survived from Chloe's great-grandmother’s set of six. For an inexplicable reason, that simple change of habit hurt.

“I didn’t know if it was his and I shot him Lucifer.” Chloe reminded him, recalling the grave yet effortless decision she had made that day.

Justice had mattered. Lucifer’s life had mattered even more. Chloe Decker that day had freed the trigger trying to set her own self free.

“Would you had done it if you were sure it was his?” Lucifer asked as he disposed the soggy bag in the sink but made no move on joining her back to the living room.

Would she have done it? It would have taken one more second but-

“Yes.” She replied honestly.

“I used to have some very detailed dreams over the years you know. Over you, us.” He admitted, grimacing as he always did at the first bitter sip.

“They felt real every.damn.time so after a while I just started to ignore them. Morpheus was toying with me and he was gracious enough to let me pull the strings. The craving fantasies.” Lucifer mumbled with a guilty expression barely looking anywhere else than his steaming cup.

“Please tell me you don’t have horns.” Chloe interrupted him not trusting completely the conversation they had two years ago.

“I most certainly do not.” He admonished the very idea.

“Well, it seems like The Dreaming was toying with the both of us.” She sighed turning her attention to the slacking grip of her son.

“Do tell…- Right.” Sultry teasing Lucifer was back only to retreat just as fast.

“I wondered many times why I did it. Why I stayed knowing I had a boyfriend. I was so ashamed, so deeply ashamed.” Chloe confessed, tracing the outline of the small drooping eyelids.

Jonathan let out a cry of displeasure as Chloe placed him on her shoulder to tap the air out his belly.

“I wish I could tell you to blame me but in this case, I cannot be sure the act was led by a sinful seducer, or at least what humanity has branded me as.” Lucifer let out a bitter laugh fastening the two loose buttons under his collar.

It was an act Chloe rarely saw Lucifer doing in anyone’s presence but when it did happen, it was usually followed by an affirmation of how low her partner’s self-esteem really was. Lucifer was sheltering himself behind two buttons. That act by itself was not good.

“I’m not ashamed of having sex with you, on acting on my desires for once Lucifer.” She hoped her words had brought him back from the edge Lucifer was ready to fall off from. That of self-loathing.

“Let me guess you never told Cain... Marcus.” Lucifer guessed and her the bowing of her head was enough to be interpreted as a clear answer.

She always preferred the name Marcus fearing someday she would slip, someday she would have to analyse how little Marcus Pierce actually existed. How much she had been deceived and Lucifer understood her need to leave Cain where he belonged. In obscurity for now. 

“I cared for him and a few nights later I told him I loved him while you were collapsing. I believed that I had a definite answer, that the words would have made it real. You never brought up that night even on your elaborate dinner so I said yes to him. To everything Marcus had to offer and to what I hoped I could give back.” Chloe told him honestly still rocking the now clearly sleeping baby on her shoulder.

“You choose with your brains.” Lucifer accused her always a supporter of anything other option but logic.

“I chose with my heart. Most of it was already in shreds and what little had been left untouched was promising to mend things for me. I did care for him.” She cleared any doubt Lucifer may have had that she truly had fallen to a degree for the immortal Lieutenant.

“You said it yourself, Detective. It was how he made you feel. You loved him.” He said simply rising to his feet again from the kitchen's stool ready to leave her alone in the dark room.

Chloe had known him long enough to see that Lucifer was hurt, confused and lost in the past, the present and even more likely the future. If this time she kept silent Chloe was gambling with Lucifer barricading himself emotionally indefinitely.

“Eight months ago I had a test on my hands I wondered if my second child was the result of a spontaneous unprotected quicky in the evidence room or the aftermath of a drug, and in my case, alcohol-induced haze. Neither sounded better than the other. But God I hoped for the second.” Chloe opened up to Lucifer making him halt, with his right foot already on the first step of the staircase. 

“Neither possibility was a good one.” Chloe could hear the wood crackling under Lucifer’s crashing hand while Chloe delivered the painful admission that she had not dodged a bullet.

Her son was irreplaceable but the agonising months of not knowing who his father was and the weeks Chloe believed she knew would always stay with her. That everlasting mourning of better the Devil you know.

'The Devil you love.' Her torturous thoughts had screamed back at her every single time with the most memorable one the impulsive purchase of Jonathan's grey onesie.  

Chloe had hoped picked her boy's first garment with a wishful thought only to store it next to her most prized possession that remained from Lucifer. His only truly meaningful gift that no money could ever buy. The joke as she had characterised it once. Her bullet-necklace had been placed in the same paper bag in hopes for Chloe to find a connection between the two objects and her unborn child. 

“I lived through both Lucifer. For weeks Jonathan’s colouring was so light I was convinced he was Marcus’ and then he started nursing. His eyes glowed whenever he lost his latch and I was… relieved. Ecstatic even.” Chloe said meeting a very tired Lucifer at the bottom of the stairs.

The shadows could play many tricks but tonight they nurtured everything that had been left unsaid for so long.

“It never happened during the bottle feedings.” Lucifer crumbled at the stairs much like he had done earlier on the street.

“Because his muscles are still working up their strength. Why do you think he gets both formula and breastfeeding? To make sure he is well-fed.” Chloe explained to the man she eventually decided to sit next to on the stairway.

“This morning I was at Linda’s lamenting. Wishing Jonathan to had been mine because I could already see a part of you in him.” Lucifer broke, hands covering whatever anguish could be seen in little light the kitchen offered.

“I knew you cared about Trixie and me but to what extent or how much you could tolerate Jonathan. After learning that everything you had ever told me was true, who was I to keep you close, save you even? Did you even want to be saved by this absurd notion you have for yourself? That you are always the one at fault for everything bad that is happening around you?” Chloe babbled her own insecurities at him.

Chloe would have continued for a very long while if she hadn't felt a hand resting gingerly on her right knee, offering her gently the support she needed.

“You are everything. My everything.” Lucifer whispered before planting a lasting kiss on her shoulder next to an oblivious drooling Jonathan.

“Is that a declaration?” She breathlessly said unable to read his eyes.

“That’s a ‘it’s too late, you have a house to explore and hopefully also a man tomorrow' promise.” He told her standing up and then helping her on her feet.

Many issues had not yet been discussed and some would wait millennia until they finally did but that night Chloe Decker retired to her bed while Lucifer settled next to her on the mundane grey armchair.

No more words were exchanged as her eyes finally dropped watching Lucifer keeping an eye on her and the contents of the wicker basket beside her bed.

When tomorrow did come, it did before the sun had risen.

“You thought I would miss our 5 o’clock?” Came Lucifer’s tender voice a few feet away from her.

A low cry was the only given response but it sounded like Lucifer had already his hands on the baby which left Chloe unmoving on her bed as she heard father and son finally interact as such.

“I have told you so many stories in the past 47 days but what about the most important one?” Lucifer continued opening the door of Chloe’s room with Jonathan slurping over the nipple of his breakfast’s bottle.

“It’s not a how or a why but a tale of when. When I fell in love with your Mummy it happened over a piano...” His voice was drowned in the distance when Lucifer finally closed the door behind him leaving Chloe smiling widely in her pillow

Bedtime stories ever since that night were filled with a rare insight of how the Devil had yielded to a Miracle.

It had all began with a piano, a bullet, some badly performed chopsticks and a pair of grey-blue eyes. Not always in that order but no one ever seemed to mind especially when Lucifer’s most precious words were spoken in private and usually for his Detective's ears only. 

The End.

Songs Used for this Story:

I Won't Let You Down - Erin McCarley

Hi-Lo - Bishop Briggs

Sanctuary - Welshly Arms