Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chloe sat on the floor of her bathroom, holding the all too familiar plastic stick in her hands. Two tiny pink lines stared back at her. Almost taunting her. Chloe couldn't believe this was happening. How could she have been so fucking stupid!

Chloe still remembered the night a few weeks ago that had gotten her into this mess. It was after the corrupt warden, Perry Smith, the man responsible for her father's murder, was allowed to walk free.

Chloe had gone to Lucifer's penthouse, just as he was about to go to her place. He had bought them both burgers, claiming that he owed her dinner. They ate together in the penthouse. They talked, laughed, then they both began to slowly lean in, faces growing closer.

"Well, I-I got you burgers and fries but I forgot the ketchup." Lucifer commented. "I hate ketchup." Chloe had answered. Lucifer chuckled lightly. "Foolish condiment." Then they kissed. And that kiss eventually led to other things.

Chloe shivered. Remembering the night. But then, a few days later Chloe got poisoned. Then after she mysteriously got the antidote, Lucifer had disappeared. Then two weeks later came back married to a Vegas stripper. No, sorry, exotic dancer, as Lucifer would put it.

He got it annulled almost immediately, but Chloe wasn't sure if that was somehow worse. Either way, that pretty much put a stop to any romance between the two. They had both unconsciously agreed to pretend their night together never happened, and just go on like before.

Well, that was obviously not gonna happen.

Chloe jumped when someone started pounding on the other side of the bathroom door. "Mommy! I need to pee!" Came Trixie's voice, full of urgency.

"Just a second, Monkey!" Chloe called out as she wrapped the pregnancy test in a napkin and stuffed it into her purse. As soon as she opened the door, Trixie pushed past her and shut the door.

Chloe walked over to the kitchen counter and dropped her purse atop it. Maze, Chloe and Trixie's strange-and-sometimes-terrifying roommate, was sitting atop a stool eating cereal that smelled suspiciously like vodka.

"You alright, Decker?" Maze asked, taking in her more than normally pale skin and watery eyes.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine." Chloe answered, obviously distracted. Maze didn't prod. She didn't enjoy talking about feelings. It made her nauseous and want to punch someone.

Chloe sat down on a stool across from Maze, and stared into space. Deep in thought. Maze just continued to eat her healthy breakfast, but then she smelled something both odd and familiar. She stopped eating and started sniffing, searching for the smell.

Chloe gave her roommate a strange look. Maze was being weird, but that wasn't anything new. This was the same woman who told everyone that she was a demon from Hell. "Uhh, Maze? What are you...?"

Then it got weirder when Maze had started sniffing her. Maze raised a scarred eyebrow once she had found the source of the smell. She got up and walked over to Chloe and tried to press her nose against her, but Chloe wouldn't allow it.

"Maze! Why are you smelling me?!" Chloe demanded indignantly. She had taken a shower just an hour ago and was wearing fresh clothes. So she couldn't smell bad.

"You smell like Lucifer." Maze said, feeling confused herself.

"Excuse me?" Chloe asked.

"I didn't notice before, but yeah. Why do you smell like Lucifer?"

Chloe stood up and grabbed her purse, getting ready to go once Trixie was done.

"I don't." Chloe said defensively. Maze opened her mouth to argue, but at that moment the eight-year-old got out of the bathroom and ran towards the door, not wanting to be late for school. It was show and tell today. "Come on, mommy!" The girl called out.

"Coming, Trix!" Chloe called back as she walked towards the door, leaving a very confused demon behind.

——————-

Chloe sat nervously at her desk. She was tapping a pen against the desk, trying to get her nerves under control. Lucifer was running late today, which for the first time, Chloe was happy about.

It gave her time to try and put her ducks in a row. Because currently, they were running amuck and derailing everything in sight.

Chloe put her face in her palms and groaned. She still couldn't wrap her head around this. She was having Lucifer Morningstar's kid. The delusional, notorious playboy, nightclub owner, orgy host, self sabotaging, narcissistic, manipulative, daddy issues galore, and did she mention delusional?

God, how was he going to react? He'll probably run off to somewhere that was WAY farther than Vegas. And might not even come back, period. There was no doubt in Chloe's mind that he will take this bad. But the question was, how bad? And, how the hell was she supposed to tell him?

"Hello, Detective." Chloe gasped when she heard Lucifer's cheerful voice. She hadn't noticed him walk up to her. Lucifer gave her an amused smile, but it faltered slightly when he saw her freaked out expression. "Everything okay?" He asked as he handed the detective her morning coffee.

"Yep, everything's fine." Chloe said quickly as she gratefully took the drink.

She steeled her features, hoping that he would drop the subject. Telling him straight up in the middle of the precinct about the pregnancy definitely wasn't the way to go. Chloe almost choked on her coffee when the thought crossed her mind.

Oh god. Pregnancy.

Luckily, Lucifer interrupted her train of thought. "Alright then. Do we have a case yet?"

Chloe sat her drink down before answering. "Actually, yes, we do. Dan and Ella are already there. I've just been waiting on you." Lucifer played with his cuff as he already started making his way to the parking lot. "Lovely, let's get going then!"

Chloe stood up and grabbed her purse. The purse that still held the positive test.

——————-

As Chloe drove her cruiser towards the crime scene, she kept stealing glances of Lucifer. Her partner. And the unknowing father of her unborn child. She tried to picture him with a child, but found it difficult. Every time he was around Trixie, he was always intensely uncomfortable and awkward, despite the little girl's unconditional love for him.

She will never forget the time he tried to make her daughter fetch a toy like a dog. And Chloe had a feeling that his relationship with Trixie was the closest he's ever been to a child. Would it be any different with his own kid? Or would it be worse?

The day they met, he'd told her that he thought children were hideous little creatures, terrible, taxing burdens. Would he feel that way towards this baby?

Chloe debated telling him whether the baby was his, but then decided she would. He had a right to know. It would be wrong not to tell him.

"How do you feel about kids?" Chloe asked. Lucifer raised a brow at the sudden question. "The human or goat verity?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Human."

"Well, like I said before Detective, they are terrible, taxing burdens that always make things less fun."

Chloe nodded stiffly. That's what she thought. They drove in silence for several minutes, until Chloe got the nerve to say, "Hey, Lucifer? Could I come by your penthouse later? There's something we need to talk about."

Lucifer smirked mischievously, obviously misunderstanding her intentions. "I'll have to cancel a threesome with the Britney's, but of course. My door's always open."

Chloe nodded. She wasn't going to drag this out longer than she had to. She would just have to rip it off like a bandaid. A forever-life-changing bandaid. That can't be too hard, right?

——————-

The crime scene hadn't been anything unusual in Chloe's line of work. A man had been stabbed in the gut in a alley way. There was no murder weapon. And as far as they knew so far, no witnesses. A random pedestrian had come upon the body and called the police. Chloe and Lucifer had spoken to him, but didn't find anything useful. A while later, the toxins report had come in, and didn't show anything unusual.

So, they currently had no leads whatsoever. It was starting to look like one of those cases that couldn't be solved. Chloe hated those cases. Always had and always will.

It was 7:00 PM, and Chloe was currently riding the elevator up to Lucifer's penthouse. From the outside, she looked completely calm, but on the inside, she was a nervous wreck.

She dealt with murderers, psychopaths, rapists, and many more on a daily bases without breaking a sweat, yet now, she felt like she might throw up.

Though that could be morning sickness kicking in. She was a divorced single mother living in an apartment with a roommate who owned a freaking sex swing! And the father of the baby was completely delusional and emotionally constipated.

Chloe took deep breaths, trying to calm down. In a minute she would have to deal with Lucifer's inevitable meltdown, she couldn't afford to have one herself now. All too soon the elevator doors opened. Lucifer was sitting at his piano with a drink in hand. He was playing a tune Chloe couldn't recognize.

He stopped playing when he heard her footsteps behind him. He turned his head and smiled. "Detective, glad you could join me."

A lump formed in Chloe's throat. She wanted nothing more than to jump back into that elevator, but she forced her feet to step forward. "Hey, Lucifer." Chloe felt awkward. Not sure how exactly to break the news.

Something had been off about the Detective all day, Lucifer had noticed. She had seemed distracted. And he'd noticed her glancing at him multiple times. He was hoping it didn't have something to do with them.

Now that he knew her feelings had been a manipulation from dear old dad, he couldn't be with her since she had no real free will. Since none of it was real. It was best if they kept their relationship purely platonic, like it was earlier.

Something was definitely off with the Detective. She seemed to be avoiding his eyes. Looking almost anywhere but him. Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "Detective? You said that we needed to talk?"

Chloe sucked in a breath, steeling herself. "Yeah, I did... Okay, I guess there's really no good way to tell you this, so I'll just show you." Lucifer knitted his eyebrows in curiosity as Chloe searched through her purse.

She then pulled out something wrapped in a napkin. She slowly unwrapped it, then handed the plastic stick to Lucifer. He took it and stared at the thing for a minute. "I don't know what this is." Lucifer said, looking back up at Chloe.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "It's a pregnancy test."

Lucifer's eyebrows went up at that, and he looked at it again. He was still very confused. Chloe sighed, knowing that she'd actually have to say it. "It's a positive pregnancy test. I took it this morning." Chloe swallowed, waiting for his reaction.

Lucifer gave her a funny look. "You took a pregnancy test, found out you're not pregnant, and are now telling me?"

Chloe frowned. "No, Lucifer. The test is positive."

"Yes, I heard you." Lucifer stated, obviously misunderstanding the meaning.

"Lucifer, a positive test means I'm pregnant." Chloe said slowly, trying to hold onto the last of her patience.

Lucifer blinked rapidly several times. "Why the bloody hell would that be a positive thing?" Lucifer said incredulously before the implications of this reached his brain.

Then he realized, the Detective was pregnant. And obviously with someone else's child, since angels are infertile. "Oh," Was all Lucifer said. He felt a mixture of odd feelings at that moment. Many that he couldn't name. And many that he refused to acknowledge.

So, she had moved on easily then. Though, Lucifer was no one to judge. He did after all have a threesome with the Britney's scheduled for that night before the Detective had asked to talk.

"Well, I suppose that a congratulations is in order..." Lucifer said. He then felt bitterness among the mixture of feelings. "So, is it Detective Douche's? Or someone else?"

Chloe frowned. "Someone else's." She answered. Lucifer silently ground his teeth. He tried to wear his usual mask of carefree mischief. "Oooh, really? You finally decided to have some fun, eh? So, who was it?"

Chloe watched him quietly for a good minute before saying, "You."

Lucifer was dead silent for about thirty seconds before he broke out laughing. He accidentally dropped the test on the floor and didn't care to pick it back up. He had laughed so hard he had tears. Once he'd calmed down enough to notice Chloe's nothing but serious expression, he frowned slightly.

"Detective, that is literally impossible!" Lucifer exclaimed, trying to hold back more laughter. "Angels are infertile, we cannot procreate with mortals."

Chloe's deadpan look turned into a glare. "Could you please just drop the devil shtick for a minute? This is serious."

"Detective, I assure that none of this is a shtick'." Lucifer made quotation marks with his fingers on the last word. Chloe sighed and rubbed her temple. "Are you trying to tell me that you're infertile?" Chloe asked.

"OBVIOUSLY!" Lucifer shouted.

Chloe made no comment on the yelling. She had expected denial. "Well, looks like you've got at least one good swimmer left." Chloe commented.

Lucifer looked insulted. "They are all more than good, that isn't the problem. The problem is that angels and humans are not physically compatible enough for this to happen!" Lucifer then stood up, grabbed his almost empty glass, and refilled it at the bar. He took a good long sip before continuing. "It most definitely cannot be mine. It must be someone else. Who else have you had sex with recently?"

Chloe's cheeks burned almost red. "Only you. I haven't slept with anyone but you in the last year."

Lucifer gave her a pathetic look. "That is the saddest thing I have ever heard. And coming from an immortal, that's saying something."

Lucifer took another sip of his drink, contemplating this. No, it couldn't possibly be his. So either she was lying, or couldn't remember. "There has to be someone else. Could you have forgotten?"

Now it was Chloe's turn to look insulted. "Yeah, Lucifer, now that I think about it, I could be wrong." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, but Lucifer chose not to hear it.

"See! There you go."

Chloe's eye twitched. She resisted the urge to strangle him. "Lucifer, I'm not asking you for anything-"

"Well, I certainly hope not, considering that it isn't mine."

Chloe took a deep breath before continuing. "I just thought that you had a right to know." After that, Chloe didn't know what else to do or say. Lucifer had obviously gone into complete and utter denial, and she had little chance of pulling him out. He had a therapist, maybe Linda could help him see reason.

And with that, she left Lucifer, and the pregnancy test, alone in the penthouse.

——————-

After the Detective had gone, Lucifer went back to his piano. When he sat down, he saw the test laying on the floor. He reached down and picked it up. He stared at it. Could it be possible....?

No! Absolutely not. It wasn't his. It couldn't be. Which meant that The Detective was either lying or terribly mistaken. Lucifer couldn't help but imagine her with someone else. A faceless man who had created a child with her.

He couldn't name the emotion that ran through him. Or was it multiple? He would need to schedule an appointment with Doctor Linda soon.

Lucifer shook his head. Whatever he was feeling, he didn't like it, and wished for it to stop. Pesky emotions. He dropped the test back to the floor, and played a tune on his piano. He wasn't sure how long he'd been playing when the elevator pinged behind him.

He stopped playing and turned his head to find the demon Mazikeen walking in. More specifically towards the bar. Lucifer raised an eyebrow as she poured herself a drink.

"Not that I am unhappy to see you, but what exactly are you doing here?" Lucifer asked.

"Chloe kicked me out for the night." Maze explained irritably. "Something about me not respecting personal space or whatever."

Lucifer chuckled. He could only imagine how the little sex thug wasn't respecting personal space.

"I wouldn't bother her if I were you. She had learned some very disturbing news this morning." Lucifer told her. Maze looked at the devil quizzically. "What news?" She asked.

There were those pesky emotions again.

"Apparently, the Detective is pregnant."

Maze's eyes widened and her jaw dropped in surprise. "Holy shit! Really?"

Lucifer nodded as he took a swig of his drink. "Oh, yes. She had told me herself a little while ago."

Maze's expression of surprise morphed into one of amusement. "Hah! Way to go, Decker! Looks like she finally got some action!"

"Hmm. Yes. The most amusing part is how she had seemed to believe that the unborn spawn is mine."

Maze was back to being surprised again. "Wait, what? You guys had sex?"

Lucifer nodded in response. "Yes, a few weeks ago. But that isn't the point. The point is, that her thinking it's mine is ridiculous!"

But Maze was no longer listening. Suddenly, she realized why Chloe smelled like Lucifer. It was the only explanation. Maze broke out laughing. Oh boy! Lucifer was screwed!

She was laughing so hard that she almost spilled her drink. Almost.

Lucifer gave her a questioning look.

"Oh, Lucifer. I really hate to break this to you," Maze paused, then chuckled. "Oh, who am I kidding? I'm thrilled to be breaking this to you!" Lucifer looked confused. "But the kid's yours."

It was Lucifer's turn to laugh, but his was with much less enthusiasm and more worry. "I've already been over this with the Detective. It is impossible for a human and celestial to procreate."

"Well, apparently it's possible for you two. I smelled you on her. Or, well, in her."

Lucifer frowned.

"I couldn't figure out why, but apparently this is what it is." Maze stated with certainty.

Lucifer opened his mouth, then closed. Then he repeated the process. Then he got up and started pacing. "No, no, no. You have to be mistaken. It's impossible!" Lucifer exclaimed.

Maze casually refilled her drink as she answered. "Yeah, and it's also impossible for the devil to bleed at the hand of a human, yet here we are."

Lucifer's stomach dropped at that realization. Yes, with any normal human, it was most definitely impossible. But Chloe Decker was no normal human. Somehow, she made him vulnerable, was immune to his mojo, and was created by the direct hands of his father.

Oh.

OH!

His father! Anger boiled Lucifer's blood. This is his father's doing! It had to be! A big bird from the old man. Probably because of his reluctance to send Mum back to Hell.

And if this was true, then that truly meant that the Detective was pregnant with his spawn....

Oh.

Fear suddenly seized his every nerve. If any of this was true, then that meant that he was going to be a...a...

He couldn't even handle thinking of the word. Lucifer found it hard to breath. He didn't even know what that thing inside of her was! Would it be human, or come out with wings or charred red skin, or both! However it came out, it was still his.

Maze looked at her friend, growing slightly worried. "You okay? You look like you're having a panic attack."

"I-I-I..." Lucifer couldn't even answer, he was too panicked. Maybe he was having a panic attack. "I have to go!" Lucifer announced. He practically ran to the elevator. He didn't know where he was going, but all he knew was that he needed to get out. He just needed to go.

He left behind a worried demon and rushed to his corvette. It was rare times like these where he actually missed the ability to fly with his wings. He never had to worry about traffic that way. Unless it was migrating season.

He didn't remember getting there, but a few minutes later he found himself parked outside the Detective's apartment. He didn't even remember deciding to go there. Once he reached the door, he banged on it, probably waking up all the sleeping neighbors. He kept banging until the Detective opened the door.

Before she could even say a word, Lucifer thrust a finger at her abdomen. "Is it mine?" He asked accusingly. Chloe's eyebrows went up. Then she frowned. "Not out here, Lucifer. You're going to wake everyone up!" She gestured for him to come inside, and after a moment's hesitation, he obliged.

Once they were both in the living room, Chloe took Lucifer in. She had never seen him like this. So full of fear and panic. So, apparently the denial was starting to wear off.

"Is it mine?" Lucifer demanded again.

Chloe was glad that Trixie was at Dan's that night. Lucifer definitely would've woken her up. "I already told you, yes."

Lucifer's breathing became haggard and strained. He shook his head. "This shouldn't be possible!" He said more to himself. Then he looked up at the ceiling with pure hatred. "I bet you're laughing your arse off right now? Aren't you? You cruel bastard!"

Chloe wasn't sure what to say or do, so she stayed silent. "Is this because of Mum? Or do you just enjoy torturing me?!" Lucifer continued.

"Lucifer..." Chloe tried to put her hand on his arm, but he flinched away from her touch. When he looked at her, the hatred drained away from his face to be replaced by fear and pain. Chloe recoiled her hand away. She was momentarily taken aback by the intensity of his eyes. She was so used to Lucifer being fun and carefree, that seeing him like this was... strange.

And more than a little unsettling.

Lucifer just stared at her, the intensity never leaving. He was trembling now. "Chloe...I-I.." Lucifer tried to say something, but the words got caught in his throat. What could he say? That he was sorry about her being a pawn in his sick father's game? Or about how he couldn't do any of this? "I have to go," Lucifer finally said. He rushed out the door before Chloe had the chance to say anything.

——————-

A goddess strolled into the police precinct. A literal goddess. Though physically she was more human than celestial, much to her irritation. She was currently possessing the body of a woman named Charlotte Richards.

Her human status could be worse. At least this skin suit had supreme hindquarters and legs for days.

Her youngest son was currently missing. And has been for the last three days. She had already tried asking her eldest child, Amenadiel, but he didn't know where his brother was. Nor did that annoying demon. Though that did not surprise the goddess. Demons were not known for their intellect.

The goddess then spotted the one human whom she actually liked, Dan Espinoza. He was sitting at his desk, reading paperwork and eating chocolate pudding. She made her way towards him. She then grabbed the spoon full of pudding from his hand. "Hello, Dan." The goddess said as she placed the spoon in her mouth to suck on it.

Dan's surprise quickly morphed into irritation. "What are you doing here, Charlotte?" Dan demanded.

"Oooh, right to the point. I like it." She sat down on an empty spot on his desk. A few of Dan's co-workers glanced at her and chuckled.

Dan openly glared at her. After a moment, the goddess sighed and stuck his spoon back into the pudding. "Fine. I wish I could say that this was a personal visit," The goddess said seductively.

Then she moved her hand to touch his thigh, but Dan grabbed her hand before she could and pushed it lightly away. Which earned an infuriating smile from Charlotte. "But I can't. I'm looking for Lucifer."

Dan scoffed. "Well, good luck with that. For all any of us know, he could be dead in a ditch somewhere. But if I had to guess, I'd say he was somewhere in Vegas. Maybe getting married again." Dan said sarcastically.

He was currently pissed at the guy. A few days ago, Chloe had come into work with her eyes rimmed red and in a sour mood. She hadn't said anything about Lucifer being the reason for her crying. But considering how he had dropped off the face of the earth around that exact time, it wasn't hard to put two and two together.

The goddess felt disappointed. "Well, then where is that blonde detective he likes so much? Maybe she knows." She asked.

"Chloe's busy. She's at a crime scene right now. I'm not sure when she'll be back."

The goddess frowned. She was starting to get worried about her son. Though this hadn't been the first time he had pulled a stunt like this. But she didn't know why he would do this. She didn't remember doing anything recently to cause this reaction. "Well, if you see him, let me know." She instructed.

Dan frowned at the strange woman in front of him. "What is it with you two?"

The goddess didn't answer. Instead, she grabbed Dan's entire cup of pudding and took it with her as she left the precinct.

——————

Chloe had known that Lucifer would most likely make a run for it when she told him about the baby, but it still stung when he didn't so much as send a text. This was probably for the best.

Chloe had told herself this so many times, that it had become a mantra.

He would be a horrible father. First off, he didn't even like kids. Second, he was completely narcissistic. Third, he was delusional.

Chloe hoped that the baby wouldn't inherited that. Shit, Chloe needed to stop thinking about this and focus on work. She hadn't even heard half of what Ella had just told her about their victim.

They were in an average apartment building. The victim was named Mable Perry. She was 27, Asian, had long raven hair, and brown eyes that were currently open wide, unseeing. She was lying on the floor of her small living room, where an obvious struggle had ensued. The coffee table had been knocked over, several objects had shattered, and other things have been knocked over in the fight.

So far, it looked like Mable had died from strangulation. "Poor girl," Ella muttered under her breath sympathetically.

"Hey, Ella, could you go over that all again? I just want to make sure we got everything." Chloe asked.

"Yeah, totally! So, here's how I think it went down,"

Ella walked over to the front door, and started her classic explanation. "It's lookin like our vic knew the killer, or at least didn't initially feel threatened, cause the door looks untouched. So, first Mable opens the door,"

To which Ella opens the door. "And once the killer got inside and closed the door, he/she pushes her," Ella then makes herself look like she was just pushed and almost hits her head on the broken mirror on the wall, where Mable hit her head.

"But Mable scrambles away, grabs a book off the side table, and hurls it at the attacker!" Ella emphasizes this by grabbing an imaginary book off the side table and pretends to throw it at the imaginary attacker.

"Unfortunately, it misses. But it distracts them enough for our vic to run across the room and grab the baseball bat." Ella then does this with an imaginary baseball bat this time. She then tries to hit the imaginary attacker with it, but then stops suddenly, as if they've grabbed it.

"But then the attacker grabs the baseball bat after a few hits, and tosses it to the ground!" Ella then takes a few slow steps backwards, toward the upturned coffee table.

"And then the attacker pounces! And they both tumbled to the ground, hit the coffee table and push it over." Ella doesn't act out this part, since Mable is still in the spot where it happened.

"And, still desperate for her life, the merciless killer strangles the life right out of her. And then she's gone."

Chloe slowly nods. "Right. Thanks for the... detailed description." Ella's methods took some getting used to.

Ella nodded enthusiastically. "No problemo, Decker."

Chloe thought about it for second, then asked. "If she was such a fighter, could there be a chance that she could have any DNA under her fingernails?"

Ella shook her head. "Nah, I already checked. Didn't look like any." Chloe wrote something down on her notepad, feeling disappointed.

"Hey, where's Lucifer, by the way? Haven't seen him in a few days."

Chloe stopped writing when Ella asked the question. Her chest tightened. "I don't know." Chloe answered simply.

"Did you guys get into a fight or something?" Ella continued to ask.

Chloe knew that the forensic scientist didn't mean to, but the questions made Chloe feel like she was being interrogated.

"No, not exactly. But something did happen between us. And honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Lucifer doesn't come back at all."

Ella raised an eyebrow, curious. Chloe wasn't ready yet to tell anyone about the pregnancy. Though Maze already knew. Apparently, Lucifer had told her after Chloe kicked her out for the night.

Chloe had spent about twenty minutes explaining to her roommate how she didn't want anyone to know yet about the baby.

Or, as Maze had so lovingly put it, 'You don't want anybody knowing how you're knocked up by the devil?'

"Well, whatever it was, I'm sure it couldn't be that bad. This is Lucifer we're talking about. Disappearing to god knows where only to come back is one of his things. He'll be back, you'll see." Ella said confidently.

Then she went back to photographing the crime scene. Chloe wished she shared Ella's certainty. But, she was beginning to feel more and more sure that this was where her and Lucifer's partnership ended.

Chapter Text

2 days before...

Dr. Linda Martin sat in her office with one of her patients. Winnie Kendle. A personal chef who impulsively shoplifts.

Suddenly, the door burst open to reveal Lucifer, Linda's most interesting, yet most frustrating patient. Lucifer smelled and looked like he'd spent the night at a liquor store. His usually perfectly kept hair and clothes were currently disheveled. His eyes looked desperate, full of panic.

Linda suddenly had a flashback to right after Uriel's death, and how Lucifer could barely hold it together then. She certainly hoped it wasn't anything near as serious that had him in this state again.

Lucifer then turned to Winnie, frowned, then tried to push her off the couch. "Okay, time for you to go."

"Lucifer, wait-"

"What?! I still have thirty-three minutes of my session left!"

Lucifer stopped trying to physically push her and glared. "Trust me, darling. My problems are much more important than yours."

Winnie glared back. "What the hell makes you think that?"

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Because I'm me and you're you. Now, shoo!"

When Winnie didn't move, Lucifer huffed then reached into his pocket to pull out a thick wad of a hundred dollar bills with a gold clip. Winnie's eyes widened significantly. Linda barely batted an eye at the money. She was used to Lucifer's ridiculous wealth by now.

"Here," Lucifer said as he shoved several hundred dollar bills into Winnie's now eager hands. "Will that cover it?"

Winnie nodded enthusiastically, instantly changing her tune. "Absolutely! Thank you!" Then before he could change his mind, the woman ran out of the room.

"See you next week." Linda called out weakly. Linda then watched Lucifer shut the door harder than necessary, and sit down across from her on the couch.

Linda patiently waited for the devil to say something, but he was unusually quiet. After a moment, he grabbed the pitcher of water on the table and filled himself a glass. Then he slowly drank it, obviously stalling. Once he finished drinking, he sat the glass back down and locked his hands on his lap.

Linda watched him expectantly. After several more moments, Linda decided to try and initiate the conversation.

"Lucifer-"

"Chloe's pregnant." Lucifer blurted out.

Linda's eyes widened, surprised. "Oh?" Was all she said at first. So, Chloe was having a baby with someone else? Ouch. No wonder he was upset. "So, Chloe is having a baby?" Linda asked. Lucifer nodded tensely. "How does that make you feel?"

Lucifer was quiet for a moment, thinking it over. "I'm not sure. It's like, I'm feeling too many things at once, so I am unable to discern any of it."

Linda nodded. "That's perfectly normal. Everyone feels that way sometimes when something major happens in their, or someone with whom they care about's, lives."

Lucifer frowned. "You humans have such complicated feelings, I don't know how you handle it." Lucifer said with disbelief.

“We are able to handle it because, the more complicated and hurt feelings we experience, the stronger we become from them." Linda said.

Lucifer scoffed in response.

“Back to you, how does it make you feel that Chloe is having a baby with someone else?" Linda asked.

Lucifer looked at his doctor oddly. “Oh, she isn't."

Linda knitted her eyebrows, growing confused. "She isn't?"

"No, the unborn spawn is mine." This, certainly surprised the doctor.

“Wait, what?!” Linda asked, shocked. "Wait, when did you and Chloe have sex?"

"A short time before she got poisoned. Right before I found out about how she was a gift from Dad." Lucifer said the last part with bitterness. As he usually did when he spoke of the almighty.

"But, didn't you say that angels and humans can't conceive?" Linda asked, still boggled.

Lucifer nodded. "Yes. And it's true. This shouldn't be possible! But as you know, The Detective is no normal human. And as it seems, Dear old dad has a sick sense of humor. Though, what else is new?" Lucifer chuckled bitterly.

Linda leaned back in her chair. "You think God did this? Made Chloe pregnant?"

Lucifer visibly cringed. “Well, not directly, I did that part. But yes, I believe that he has made it possible."

Linda nodded, then went still as she thought of something. Fear went through her at the thought. "Wait, if you're the devil, and Chloe's pregnant with your child, does that mean they will be the Antichrist?" Linda asked worriedly.

Lucifer laughed at the very thought. "What? No! Of course not, Doctor. The Antichrist was just a story you humans concocted. Pure fiction with no substance. Actually, the demons and I used to laugh our arses off about it back in Hell."

Lucifer's laughter died down as he thought about it. He used to laugh about this back when the very idea of him conceiving a child was complete rubbish. But now, it was very much real. Though he knew that the Antichrist was not real, others might not. Lucifer's train of thought crashed when the Doctor let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank Go-goodness." Linda stopped herself from thanking the almighty in his son's presence. Lucifer didn't notice her almost slip up. Linda was realizing that this was much more serious than she had initially thought. He couldn't be taking this well. He had basically invented daddy issues. "So, how do you feel about becoming a father?"

Lucifer tried to hide it, but he flinched when Linda mentioned the F word. In that context, it was the most severe of all the words starting with F, in Lucifer's opinion. Lucifer chuckled, trying to laugh it all off. "How do you think? You know how I think of my own father. How do you think I feel about becoming one myself?"

"Afraid?" Linda tried.

Lucifer breathed deeply. "Among other things." He confirmed.

"It's okay to be afraid. Having a child is scary, even if you plan for it." Linda assured him. Lucifer didn't say anything in response.

"Do you plan on being there for Chloe and the baby?" Linda asked gently.

Lucifer's Adam's apple bobbed. His jaw tensed. "They would be better off without me." Lucifer answered quietly.

Sympathy flowed through Linda. "Why do you think that?"

Lucifer chuckled, but it came out more bitter than joyful. "Uhh, for starters, I am the literal devil, Doctor. And you now know that it is no metaphor."

Linda nodded, remembering Lucifer's devil face. "Oh yes, I know." She said. Lucifer leaned back on the couch and rested his arm on the headrest.

"But, like you've told me before, being the devil doesn't make you evil."

"Well, you don't have to be evil to be a shitty father." Lucifer glanced upwards as he said this.

The glance did not go unnoticed by the doctor. "So, you're afraid of being a bad father?" Lucifer stayed silent at this.

"Lucifer, everyone who is about to become a parent has these fears."

Lucifer laughed. "Maybe, but not everyone is evil incarnate and has the most judgmental, manipulative, controlling asshole in the universe as a fatherly example!" Lucifer nearly yelled.

"Just because your own father was those things, doesn't mean that you will be like him."

"No, I definitely wouldn't cast my own spawn down to Hell and vilify them for the rest of eternity." Lucifer said bitterly. "But, they are still better off without me in their lives." Lucifer hated the heaviness he felt in his chest at the thought of never seeing the Detective again. But, she would be much better off without him in her life. Just look at her now after he had been in her life. She was carrying the spawn of Satan, and she didn't even believe it.

"So, what then? You're just going to disappear from their lives?" Linda asked. "Isn't that what your own father did?"

Those words felt like a slap to the face. Anger bubbled in Lucifer’s chest. "No, this is completely different!" Lucifer defended.

"How?" Linda asked patiently.

"Because.. because they will be better off without me! I'm doing this for the Detective and the spawn's own good. My father left us because he is a selfish bastard!" Lucifer was now yelling. Linda didn't react to his shouting.

"And how are you so sure that he didn't see it that way?" Linda suggested.

Lucifer frowned at that. "Uhh, if this is better off, I'd truly hate to see what worse case of scenario would be." Lucifer said sarcastically.

"How things turned out doesn't change what your own father may have thought was best at the time. Truth is, Lucifer, you don't know what God's intentions were. Whether they're good or bad." Linda said with a firmness in her voice.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. Trying to make it seem like her words didn't cut as deep as they did. But Linda was perceptive. "Ask yourself this, Lucifer, if you could have had your father present during your childhood, would you have wanted that?"

"First off, we angels didn't have a childhood. We just sort of materialized into existence the way we are."

Linda blinked several times. "Wait, really?"

Lucifer nodded his confirmation. Linda thought about it for a moment, then shook her head slightly, getting back to the topic at hand. "Well, you know what I mean. Would you have wanted your father in your life?"

Lucifer opened his mouth, then closed it before answering. "I.. I don't know. But what I may or may not want from my father doesn't change the inevitable fact that I will..." Lucifer trailed off.

Linda leaned in. "That you will what?" Linda asked, hoping to get an honest answer before he retreats back into his shell.

Lucifer looked away from her face. "Fail." Lucifer said softly.

“Lucifer," Linda waited till he was looking at her again before she continued. "Failing to act and be there in the first place, can be the worst kind of failure. Just the fact that you are worried so much about this, proves that you are better than most."

Lucifer scoffed, retreating into his shell like the Doctor had feared he would. He was again wearing his mask of confidence. "Oh, I'm better than most at a lot of things. Some of which you yourself can attest to." Linda breathed heavily through her nose in response.

Aaaannd he's gone.

Lucifer crossed his legs and played with one of his cuffs. "And besides, my life is no place for a small, fragile urchin. What with the sex, drugs, alcohol, et cetera."

Linda sighed. "Okay, fine. But have you thought about the celestial side of things?"

Lucifer frowned. "What do you mean?" Lucifer was lucky that Linda was so patient.

"Do you even know what this kid is going to be? I mean, will he or she come out with wings or a devil face? Will they have powers? And does Chloe even know that she is potentially carrying a baby celestial?"

Lucifer's blood ran cold. He had honestly avoided thinking about those things. But, she was right. No one, except that dick in the sky, knew what to expect. Least of all the Detective.

"Just, think about all of this, Lucifer. Before you make any rash decisions based on fear that you will regret later."

———————

Current time...

Lucifer had, in fact, thought about it. And the more he thought about it, the more he panicked. Would this spawn be a human, angel, or something else entirely? Was it even safe for the Detective to carry it?

And what about the whole situation with Mum and the flaming sword? This was certainly bad timing. Though, would there ever have been a good timing?

Well, at the very least, Lucifer had decided that he would stay to watch over the Detective during this possibly critical time. And he would offer financial help, of course. He didn't want the Detective to struggle more than she had to because of this mistake.

Lucifer was currently making his way into the precinct after three days of freaking out.
Once he got inside, he'd found the Detective at her desk, reading up on boring paperwork for a case. "Morning, Detective." Lucifer said cheerfully as he always does once he got to her desk.

The Detective looked up suddenly with a surprised expression. "Lucifer, hi." Chloe hadn't expected to actually see him again. At least not anytime soon.

"So, do we have a case?" Lucifer asked, as if everything was normal.

Which Chloe actually appreciated. Though she knew that she should probably be at the very least irritated at his three day absence, she was just glad to see that he came back at all.

And besides, she really wanted for things to still feel normal between them. At least for a bit. "Yeah, we do actually. Mable Perry, age 27, died of strangulation in her own home."

Lucifer nodded. Things were awkward for several moments. Guess things weren't completely normal after all. Chloe sighed. They really needed to talk, at least about some of it. Maybe it was best to rip it off like a bandaid. "Hey, Lucifer? Can you meet me in the evidence closet in five minutes?"

Lucifer got a mischievous gleam in his eyes. He smiled and opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Chloe raised her hand and gave him her signature shut up face. "And whatever you're thinking, no, it's not for that."

Lucifer wore an expression full of disappointment. "You sure?"

Chloe rolled her eyes and got up to make her way into the evidence closet.

——————

Once they were both inside and the door was closed, Chloe turned to her partner. "We really need to talk about the elephant in the room." She said as she pointed with her finger to her stomach. Which was not yet noticeable.

Lucifer gulped, instantly uncomfortable. "Do we have to?" He asked.

"Well, we do need to at some point." Chloe answered.

"But does it have to be now? Can't we talk about it at a later date?"

Chloe would have pressed the issue, but she honestly didn't want to talk about it either. So, she sighed and nodded. "Okay, I guess we still have some time to talk about it."

Lucifer felt instantly relieved. "Good. So as of now, no talk of anything spawn related."

Chloe frowned when he'd called the baby 'spawn', but let it go. "Also, I'm not ready to tell anyone. I do realize that you've already told Maze, and it's okay if you want to talk to your therapist about it, but other than that, can we just keep this between us for now?" Chloe asked.

To which Lucifer enthusiastically agreed. And with that, the partners left the evidence closet and headed towards the lab when Ella said she got something about Mable.

——————

Miss Lopez had seemed upset when they arrived to the forensic lab. She perked up instantly when she saw the devil walk in. Then she gave Chloe a smug look. "See? Told you he'd be back!"

Lucifer raised a brow at that, but said nothing of it. Instead, he took out his flask from his breast pocket and took a good long swig. "So, what do you got for us?" Chloe asked.

Ella got a disheartened look again. She took the autopsy report in her hands. "So, as it turns out, poor Mable was preggers."

Lucifer choked on his drink. "You okay there, buddy?" Miss Lopez asked worriedly.

"Yes, I'm fine." Lucifer assured between coughs.

"Did you say Mable was pregnant?" Chloe asked. Ella nodded.

“Yep. Unfortunately, Mable Perry was not the only murder victim. She was around 12 weeks."

Chloe and Lucifer share a quick glance. Apparently, one way or the other, pregnancy talk was inevitable.

——————

With some digging, they had found out that the last place Mable was seen alive in public was at a place called "Motherly Love", a facility that offered birthing classes. Lucifer had also realized that the owner, Lidia Flor, had asked him for a favor several years back to help start this very business.

Lucifer felt intensely uncomfortable as they pulled up into the parking lot of the red bricked building with the colorful sign saying Motherly Love in cursive.

It was difficult to distract himself from him and the Detective's current situation with the case when the case itself involved a pregnant woman. And it was beginning to look like it included multiple. Certainly difficult. But not particularly impossible.

If there was one thing the devil was good at (besides sex, of course), it was procrastinating.

They both wordlessly got out of the grey cruiser, and made their way into the building. Once they got inside, the partners made their way to the front desk. Lucifer was finding it hard to ignore the pregnant women and baby decor that surrounded him. The woman behind the desk smiled at them.

"Hi! Do you two Mommy and Daddy's have an appointment?" Lucifer cringed at being called daddy. Even in fun circumstances, he'd never enjoyed the nickname. It reminded him too much of his own father, which was always a turn off. Almost as bad as when his lovers yell oh my god!

"No, we would like to speak to Lidia Flor. Tell her that Lucifer Morningstar is here. They're old friends." Friends was stretching it a bit, but it seemed to do the trick.

"Lidia's in the middle of a class right now, she should be done in a few minutes." The receptionist answered. "I'll make sure to let her know that you want to speak to her."

"Thank you." Chloe said and then she and Lucifer sat down on a loveseat in the waiting room. Chloe couldn't help but notice the heavy security. There were security cameras everywhere. Chloe had counted about ten outside, and four just in the waiting area.

Lucifer was intensely uncomfortable, surrounded by the pregnant women. "They're everywhere." He muttered.

“What?" Chloe asked.

“Impregnated women. It's like a herd in here." Lucifer answered. Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Did you notice all the cameras? Lidia must be paranoid." Chloe said with a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"So? This is LA, everyone should be paranoid." Lucifer scoffed.

"You're not." Chloe pointed out, referring to the lack of security cameras in his own establishment.

"That's because I'm the devil. Humans should be paranoid of me, not the other way around." Lucifer stated like it was obvious. Chloe rolled her eyes and sighed at the metaphor.

"Is that hereditary?" Chloe asked.

"Is what hereditary?" Lucifer asked in turn.

"Like, do you have an uncle who thinks he's the Hulk or something?"

Back in her acting days, she once met a guy who firmly believed that he was the Incredible Hulk, and never transformed because he was always chill... He also grew weed in his garage, so that explained a lot when she found out.

"First off, I don't have any uncles or aunts. And second, I really am the devil. But that part isn't hereditary... I don't think." Lucifer said the last part with uncertainty. He really had no bloody idea of what to expect. He was just making assumptions.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Rrrrriiight. So I'm carrying Rosemary's baby?" Chloe asked sarcastically.

Lucifer scoffed. "No, don't be ridiculous. I don't have hooves, so I don't see why the... offspring would."

"Of course, how ridiculous of me. This is just a run of the mill Antichrist."

Lucifer now rolled his eyes. "This is the second time I've had to explain this, there is no Antichrist in that sense of the word. That's just a story humanity concocted. I don't know what you're cooking up in there, but I doubt it's evil."

Chloe frowned. Lucifer seemed truly aggravated when she called the baby an Antichrist. Like the term now annoyed him. He was a strange one.

Just then, an attractive Latina woman in her fifties walked up to them. She had long curly graying brown hair held back in a ponytail, green eyes, and a charming smile. She wore bright red yoga pants, and a matching crop top. "Lucifer! It's good to see you again." She greeted the devil warmly. She extended her hand when he stood and he shook it.

"Lidia, I see you've done well with the favor I've granted you." Lucifer said with his own signature smile that could make men and women alike swoon.

Lidia still held his hand longer than necessary. "Yes, you were right about those investors you introduced me to." Lidia still hadn't let go of Lucifer's hand. Her eyes had a dreamy look to them that people usually got while in the presence of the devil.

Chloe refused to acknowledge the twinge of jealousy she felt. She decided to blame it on hormones. Chloe coughed loudly.

Lidia retracted her hand when she finally noticed Chloe. "Oh, hello." Lidia said sweetly. Chloe stood and shook Lidia's hand.

"So, I'm guessing a congratulations is in order? Considering that you're here." Lidia assumed. Lidia figured that Lucifer must be here to finally collect on his favor, perhaps he wanted the Platinum Package for free.

"Whilst you're not wrong-" Lucifer started.

"Lucifer!" Chloe said irritably.

"What? You are impregnated with my seed, are you not?" Lucifer defended. Chloe's eye twitched.

"We're here on business." Lucifer finished to Lidia. Lidia knitted her eyebrows. "Business?" She asked.

"I am Detective Chloe Decker, and we're here about Mable Perry." Lidia frowned in confusion. "How about we take this conversation to my office?"

A few minutes later, Lidia was sitting at her desk while Lucifer and Chloe sat on the chairs opposite of her. "What about Mable?" Lidia asked.

"I'm sorry to say this, but Mable Perry was found dead in her apartment." Chloe said.

Lidia covered her mouth with a hand as her eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?!" She exclaimed. "Oh, that poor girl! And her baby! What happened?"

"She was strangled to death in her own home." Lucifer said bluntly. Chloe gave him a look. "What? She was." Lucifer said. Chloe ignored him and turned her attention back to Lidia. "We heard that this was the last place Mable was seen alive, is there anything you can tell us?"

"Uh, I don't know... The last time I saw her, she wanted to talk to me about something after my class, but when the class was over, she was gone. I think this was about two days ago." Lidia said.

Chloe wrote it down in her notepad. "Do you have any idea what she wanted to talk to you about?" Chloe asked. Lidia shook her head. "No idea. But it seemed like it was important."

"Bloody hell..?" Lucifer muttered in disgust. Chloe glanced at him and saw that he was reading a magazine article about breast pumps from Lidia's desk.

"This looks like something that would either be extremely pleasurable, or work well as a torture device in Hell... I'm leaning more towards the latter." Lucifer tossed the magazine back on Lidia's desk as if it was the most disgusting thing he's ever touched. "I want to get out of here." Lucifer told the Detective.

She gave him an annoyed look. "We still have questions to ask."

"Fine, then I'll just ask the most important one and be done with it," Lucifer then locked his eyes on Lidia's. "Being surrounded by large hormonal women couldn't possibly be the only thing you want, tell me, what is it you truly desire?"

No matter how many times she's seen it, Chloe could never figure out how he pulled off that parlor trick. It both boggled and fascinated the Detective. Just as many other things about Lucifer Morningstar did.

Lidia, unlike Chloe, was no exception to Lucifer's mojo. She got that trance like glaze in her eyes as she said, "I.. I want my husband to stop cheating on me with that tramp." Lidia seemed shocked with herself once she realized what she had just admitted.

"Ah, the hubby decided to plow other fields, did he?" Lucifer asked, then he gestured towards the painting on the wall of a field, pointing it out so Chloe would get the joke. The Detective was not amused. "Your husband is having an affair?" Chloe asked.

"Yes, or was. He swears that he ended it, but I'm not so sure. I found him sexting someone, who's labeled in his contacts as 'Deerly'." Lidia said with disgust.

After Lucifer used his mojo, Chloe (much to his annoyance) had asked several more routine questions before leaving. They were now in the car. Chloe then looked at the time and suddenly remembered something. "Shit!" Chloe cursed.

Lucifer's brow creased. "Everything alright?" He asked.

“Yeah, I'm just late for my doctors appointment." Chloe said.

“Doctor? What for?" Lucifer asked with a frown.

Chloe gave him a deadpan expression as she poked her stomach. "I don't know, you tell me." She snarked.

She sighed and looked out the window as she thought. “If I drop you off before going there, I'll be late and might have to reschedule... would you be okay with coming?" Chloe asked. She secretly hoped that he would want to come, as pathetic as that sounds. She knew it was best to keep her expectations low. Coming with her would just feel like a chore to him.

"I despise hospitals. So bland, filled with the smells of death and disinfectant… But fine. I know how punctual you like to be. Just don't leave me in the car again."

—————-

After Chloe got her weight and vitals checked, her and Lucifer waited in the room for the obstetrician. Chloe sat on the bed/examination table, wearing a hospital gown, while Lucifer messed with a fragile looking toy that depicted the female reproductive system. He had also found the lollipops in a cabinet and popped one in his mouth, despite the Detective's protests.

"It's going to break if you keep messing with it." Chloe said. Sure enough, not five seconds later did a piece fall out and Lucifer barely managed to catch it before it hit the ground. He then tried to put it back. "Just leave it, Lucifer."

"No, no, I got it." Lucifer assured her, only to cause yet more pieces to fall apart. "Bloody hell, this is why you don't buy cheap things." Lucifer said irritably.

"It would be fine if you just stopped messing with it!" Chloe snapped.

Just then, the doctor walked in to find Lucifer holding most of the pieces in his hands and trying to fruitlessly put it back together. The doctor chuckled good naturally. He was the same doctor Chloe had used with Trixie all those years ago. He was in his mid fifties, was tall, had wrinkled light skin, blue eyes, and short grey hair.

"Oh, just leave it. I can't tell you how many times a week I have to put that thing back together. I really need to just glue it together at this point." Dr. Sharp said with a chuckle.

"You really do," Lucifer agreed as he simply dumped the pieces onto the counter. The doctor extended a hand to Lucifer. "I'm Dr. Sharp, and you are...?"

"Lucifer Morningstar." Dr. Sharp's eyebrows raised at the name. "Lucifer? Huh, that's a first. And that's a lot coming from a guy who's lived in LA for most of his life." Dr. Sharp then turned to Chloe with a kind smile. "It's been awhile." He greeted. "How's Trixie?"

"She's doing great. She's eight now." Chloe said. "Wow, it's been eight years? Gosh, stuff like this makes me feel old." Dr. Sharp joked. Chloe laughed lightly. "Where's Dan?" The doctor asked as he began to get the ultrasound machine ready.

“Him and I got divorced a little while ago."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

"I'm not. He's a douche." Lucifer remarked as he stood beside Chloe, who was now laying on the table.

She rolled her eyes at the devil. "It's fine. It was for the best, and we still have a good relationship, considering."

"Well, that's good to hear. And if I'm gonna be completely honest, I never really liked him anyway." Dr. Sharp joked with a wink.

“I like this doctor. He certainly knows what he's talking about." Lucifer remarked as he began to chew on his lollipop.

“So, I'm guessing this means that Lucifer's the lucky daddy?"

The lucky daddy in question choked on his lollipop and looked like a deer caught in the head lights. "Yup, he is." Chloe confirmed.

"I swear, the next person to call me daddy is losing a limb." Lucifer said irritably. He found the term extremely annoying and more than a little scary.

"Whatever you say, daddy.” Chloe said in a challenging tone with a flutter of her eyelashes.

"Tease." Lucifer said when she called his bluff... well, it was only a bluff when it came from her. He had to remind himself to push down the annoying pang he felt when he looked at the Detective. He had to keep on reminding himself that she had no free will, unless he gave it to her... But her carrying his spawn didn't really count as giving her free will.

The devil got distracted from his thoughts when the doctor brought out a plastic wand thingy. "Okay, you remember how this goes from last time, right Chloe?" The doctor asked. Chloe nodded and, much to Lucifer's surprise, spread her legs apart as the doctor brought the wand closer.

"Is he really a doctor, or is this a new sex trend I don't know about?" Lucifer asked.

Chloe's eyes widened and her cheeks flamed in embarrassment as the doctor laughed, mistaking the genuine question as a joke. Lucifer watched in both horror and fascination as the doctor inserted the wand, and a blurry image came onto the monitor.

"Well, Chloe, you are definitely pregnant. Congratulations." Dr. Sharp said. Lucifer couldn't tell how the hell Dr. Sharp could tell anything from the strange image. "I'd say your around seven weeks along." The doctor continued.

Chloe nodded. "Yeah, that sounds about right." She then looked at the monitor and smiled wide when Dr. Sharp pointed towards the fetus. "And right here, is your baby."

Before, a part of her couldn't believe this was actually happening. That maybe it was a mistake. But now that she saw the monitor, she knew it was real. At that moment, she couldn't help but feel good things.

Chloe had always wanted to have more children, and although this is definitely not how she would have preferred it to happen, she couldn't help but feel happy. Yeah, she was a single mom already, a cop who probably couldn't financially afford another kid, and many other problems that she couldn't think of from the top of her head, but those were all doable. All fixable. What really mattered was that in 7 months, she was going to have another baby. Trixie was going to have a sibling. And Lucifer...

Lucifer was a wild card.

Chloe turned her attention from the monitor to the strange man beside her. She wasn't sure which expression she was expecting. Fear? Happiness? Anger? Disgust?

What Chloe got was a completely blank face, devoid of any and all emotion. It was literally impossible to tell what he was thinking. His body language was extremely tense, though. The only indication of what his feelings might be. And he was barely breathing as well.

"Everything seems to be developing well for this stage. It's too early to tell the sex yet, but I can tell you with certainty that there is only one baby in there." Dr. Sharp said, oblivious to Lucifer's tense state.

"Does everything seem... normal, to you?" Lucifer asked. It was the first thing he's said since the monitor turned on. The way Lucifer said normal, made Chloe frown.

"Actually... now that I look at it, I think there might be..." Dr. Sharp said as he peered closer to the monitor. "What?" Lucifer asked.

“Are those... horns?" Dr. Sharp said in confusion.

"WHAT?!" Lucifer exclaimed with panic as he took a closer look at the monitor. Just then both Dr. Sharp and Chloe broke out laughing, and Lucifer glared at them both. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help myself! I mean, Lucifer, it was too good of a joke to pass on." Dr. Sharp apologized to the glaring devil.

"Har har, hilarious. You ought to be a bloody comedian." Lucifer deadpanned.

"To answer your question, Mr. Morningstar, the baby does indeed look perfectly normal and healthy for this stage. No tail or devil horns in sight."

Lucifer rolled his eyes at the mention of tail and horns. "I don't even have any horns. Those are just a myth. Much like that thing with the goat, although I still for the life of me cannot figure out where that came from."

Chloe laughed, trying to play it off as a joke when Dr. Sharp frowned. "He's a jokester." Chloe said as she patted Lucifer's arm.

———————-

Lucifer was now sitting at the bar in Lux, holding a drink in one hand, and an ultrasound photo in the other.

After leaving the doctor's office, they had gone back to work and ignored the earlier events. But in the parking lot, before they parted ways for the day, the Detective had handed him this photo, saying that it might help him wrap his mind around things. But if anything, it only made his thoughts and feelings all the more confusing.

He wasn't quite sure how he had felt when he saw the strange blurry image. There were many emotions running through him. Fear, confusion, concern, uncertainty... amazement?

He was at the very least a little relieved to find that everything seemed normal for the time being. But that didn't mean that things wouldn't change later on.

He was so engrossed in the photo, that Lucifer didn't notice the attractive woman trying to flirt with him. She tried to make conversation with him, and asked if he was looking to have some fun. And much to Lucifer's surprise, he declined. The woman had left in disappointment. It was strange, Lucifer didn't desire to have meaningless sex with strangers that night. But yet, he also didn't wish to be alone in his penthouse, hence why he sat in his club. It was certainly one of the stranger days for the devil.

"Lucifer?" A woman's voice said behind him. Lucifer quickly hid the photo in his pocket before his mother reached him. "Hello, Mum." Lucifer said casually.

The goddess of all creation gave her son a pointed look as she sat down beside him. "Where have you been?" Mum demanded to know.

"Nowhere important, just needed to clear my head for a few days." Lucifer answered.

"You shouldn't have just run off without any warning or explanation, I was worried sick!" Mum exclaimed with a hint of anger in her voice.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "You needn't worry, Mum. I'm a big devil, I can take care of myself."

"Of course I need to worry, I'm your mother. If you had children of your own, you'd understand." The goddess remarked as she ordered her own drink.

Lucifer couldn't stop himself from taking a sharp breath. Dread filled him. What would she do if she found out that Chloe was carrying his offspring? His mother was truly a wild card. He would prefer to get her up to the Silver City to torture Dad sooner rather than later. No need for her to ever find out.

The goddess eyed her son. Something she'd said bothered him, but she wasn't sure why. Call it mother's intuition, but she could tell that he was hiding something from her. "Is everything alright, son?" The goddess asked.

"Hmm? Of course, everything's just peachy." Lucifer answered.

The goddess wasn't convinced, but she didn't press. She would figure out what he was hiding in due time. For now, they had other issues. "Have you had any luck yet with igniting the blade?" She asked.

"Nope." Lucifer popped the P. He then took a drink as Mum glared.

"Have you even been trying to ignite it?" She asked with annoyance clear in her voice. The closest they had come to igniting the blade was when Lucifer had caused it to barely spark. The goddess was losing patience.

"What do you think I've been trying to do this whole time? Getting that blade to ignite is like trying to pull the stick out of Amenadiel's arse. I'm beginning to think that we should just drop it into some whiskey and light a match at this point."

The goddess glared at her youngest son's sarcasm. "Well, maybe you should try something else. Perhaps we should try riling up your other emotions-"

"No, no, no! No need for that!" Lucifer exclaimed, remembering when his mother had tried to get his emotions flowing last time. It had included hired muggers, hookers that bore a striking resemblance to a certain detective, and getting punched in the face by Amenadiel. Not particularly in that order.

"We are running out of options, Lucifer. What else do you suggest?"

"Perhaps you allow Amenadiel a go? He's been practically begging to go at it." Lucifer suggested.

The goddess shook her head. "Amenadiel is not the lightbringer, Lucifer, you are. Only you can ignite the blade that will take us home."

Take you home.

Lucifer thought silently to himself. He had no intention of returning to the Silver City, especially now with the Detective's situation. But he couldn't tell his mother that. She couldn't handle rejection.

"Don't worry, Mum, I'm still working on it. And who knows, maybe Amenadiel will actually find something in those impenetrable books he's been reading."

The goddess was dissatisfied with his answer, but had no choice but to accept it. "Fine, but hurry. This skin suit is becoming quite unpleasant. It has sprung a leak, and now blood is coming out of my-"

"MUM! Remember when we talked about too much information? This is one of those times! Gah!" Lucifer said in disgust. It was bad enough when she talked about her sex life, the last thing he wanted to hear about was her period.

Chapter Text

Chloe was currently vomiting her guts out into the toilet in the woman's room of the precinct as Lucifer awkwardly stood by the door to make sure no one came in. He had followed her into the restroom when she had suddenly ran off from her desk, and found her like this.

Damn you Officer Dickson and your hard boiled eggs that you eat at your desk. Chloe simply couldn't understand why he would eat that in the middle of work.

It had been 3 weeks since the first ultrasound, and they still hadn't told anyone besides Maze and Linda about the pregnancy. And annoyingly, they still hadn't solved the Mable Perry case.

"I don't understand, why call it morning sickness when you're sick all the time?" Lucifer asked. It was 4:37 PM, so that hardly counted as morning.

"I don't know, Lucifer. And frankly, I don't care." Chloe said as she spit out the last of the hated vomit. She then flushed the toilet and washed her mouth out in the sink.

"I think we should tell Trixie soon. She's been noticing me getting sick, and it's making her worried." Chloe said.

She hated keeping this secret from her daughter, but she's been dreading telling anyone. She also didn't want to be put on desk duty by the lieutenant. She hated desk duty with a passion back when she was pregnant with Trixie, and doubted that it would change now.

"But before we do that, I need to tell Dan, I don't want Trixie to end up spilling the beans to him before I can explain." Chloe decided. "And before we start telling anyone, I think we should talk."

They had yet to discuss what Lucifer's role would be in their child's life, and whether he wanted to be there at all.

Lucifer, like every time Chloe brought up the baby, shifted uncomfortably. "Alright, Detective. I suppose we cannot delay it any longer. How about we meet at my penthouse tonight? Say 7 o'clock?" He suggested.

Chloe nodded. She could get Maze to watch Trixie. "Seven sounds good."

———————

Chloe felt nervous as she rode up the elevator to Lucifer's penthouse that night. It was silly to feel this nervous. It was even sillier when Chloe had spent over thirty minutes trying to pick her outfit. In the end, she had gone with a loose off white sweater, black jeans, and small gold colored heels. She had even put some effort into her makeup.

It was pathetic, really. She was only here to talk to him about their complicated situation, and here she was treating it like some date. It was beyond pathetic.

When the elevator door opened, she saw Lucifer standing with his back to her over the coffee table near the couch. He turned when the elevator dinged. "Detective! You look positively lovely." The devil complimented with a smile.

Chloe hated the blush that crept to her cheeks at the compliment. "Thank you. You look, well, as good as you always do." Chloe said. The man constantly dressed as if he was going to a restaurant with an obscene amount of forks.

"I know." Lucifer said confidently. Chloe rolled her eyes with a smile.

She then noticed the silver domed dishes on the table, two wine glasses, and glass bottle that looked suspiciously like wine. "What's all this?" Chloe asked.

"Well, since you're always hungry as of late, I thought that you might like to have something to eat whilst we talk..." Lucifer said as he mentally kicked himself.

He didn't know what he had been thinking. She only wanted to talk about upcoming parenthood, not dine with him. And if she did want more, like he did, then that was far worse.

He should be pushing her away, not making her dinner. Lucifer couldn't quite understand the tight feeling he felt in his chest when he looked at her standing there.

She reminded him of Heaven.

He should have bloody known. Again, he cursed his father for manipulating him this way, and even more for using her as a pawn in his sick game.

"Is that wine? You do know that pregnant women can't drink, right?" Chloe asked, breaking him out of his painful thoughts.

"I know, a truly terrible design by my father. It's grape juice, the very best I could find."

The sweet smile she gave him made the tightness in his chest hurt even more. The smile reminded him of the night they had spent together. The night that was forever branded into Lucifer's mind. He had been with many, many, many, women and men alike, but not one of them came even close to the Detective. There was something about her that was just... incredible.

Every little thing about her was beautiful. Both physically and mentally. Oh, why couldn't any of it have been real?

"Awesome, I could go for some." The detective said as she sat down on the couch. She then opened the lid of one of the dishes to find a perfectly grilled cheddar cheese sandwich.

"I figured that you would prefer this over a fancy meal..." Lucifer said as he sat down on the opposite side of the couch. He then poured grape juice into the two glasses and handed one to her. She thanked him as she took it.

There was an awkward silence between them for several moments. They usually never experienced moments like this, conversation usually flowed between them easily.

Chloe decided it might be best to just rip the bandaid off. "Maybe we should talk about the baby." Chloe said, to which Lucifer stiffened. He took a long sip of his drink before answering.

"Skipping right to the main course, are we?" He attempted at humor. He sat the glass back onto the coffee table and crossed his legs. "So, where should we start?" He asked.

"How involved do you want to be in their life?" Chloe asked. She wasn't going to force him into anything, and she wasn't sure how involved she wanted Lucifer to be herself.

Her head told her that he would be a terrible father. The guy was a slutty, borderline alcoholic, drug-using, night club owner, who wholeheartedly believed that he was the devil. But while her head kept repeating those things, her heart had a different opinion.

Lucifer took a minute to think. He wasn't quite sure what he wanted, to be completely honest. He was terrified of the prospect of fatherhood, and just knew that he would be terrible at it... but the thought of abandoning his offspring left a bad taste in his mouth. He couldn't help but think of his own father, never being around.

Doctor Linda's words echoed through his mind. He despised the idea of being a deadbeat, but would him being around the offspring only make things worse?

"I'm.. I'm not exactly sure what I want. I mean, I'm as far from father material as they get. And I , as I'm sure you've already guessed, don't have the best role model in my own father... But I also don't want to abandon the offspring like my own father did my siblings and I." Lucifer admitted.

Once he had started talking, he couldn't seem to stop. It was like a crack had appeared in a dam, allowing all the water to escape.

"I will probably make the second worse father out there, besides my own, of course. What if I..." He trailed off.

"What?" Chloe asked gently.

"What if I fail it?" Lucifer asked quietly. He was staring at the floor as he spoke, so he didn't see the tears begin to pool in Chloe's eyes. The way he spoke, he was just so vulnerable, hurt, insecure. Chloe didn't see this side of him often. She was so used to the charm, the jokes, the confidence.

Chloe placed a hand on his arm, surprising them both. She moved closer on the couch so that their thighs touched.

"Lucifer, I don't know what your family is like, I don't know why you convince yourself that you're the devil-"

"That's because I am-"

"Let me finish." Chloe said. Lucifer shut his mouth after that.

"As I was saying, there is a lot I don't know about you, but what I do know, is that you're a good person. You can be kind, loving, funny, and you protect those you care for fiercely. Those are all traits that a good parent has. Now, this will be a bumpy road. There is definitely going to be a learning curve, and there will be mistakes made. But as long as you love your child, and raise them the best you can, if you try to be better than your own father, then everything should be okay." Chloe said with certainty.

Lucifer's eyes softened with every word.
"Well, it won't be that hard to surpass my own father. As long as I don't cast my offspring down to Hell and vilify them for eternity, we should be dandy." Lucifer said in a light tone, trying to shrug off the vulnerability he felt.

Chloe frowned at the metaphor. She always wondered why he used them, and what had convinced him that he was like the devil? That he was evil? And what kind of controlling prick was his father like? She decided that questions like these would be for a different time. "So, how involved do you want to be?" Chloe asked.

"We're partners, Detective. I suppose that as long as you'll have me, I'll be sticking around..." Lucifer said. His heart melted a little at the Detective's smile.

"And I'll be offering financial support, obviously. Whatever you may need or desire, I pay for." Lucifer added, trying to move on to easier topics.

After that, they moved on to lighter topics, such as child support, when they would tell everyone (they had decided to wait as long as possible to tell everyone at work, and Lucifer had silently decided not to tell Amenadiel or his mother at all), and they talked about work. Chloe was still bothered by how long it's taking to solve the Mable Perry case. They just kept hitting dead end after dead end.

Throughout the conversation, Chloe hadn't moved away from Lucifer on the couch. In fact, she even moved a little closer, though she didn't know why. They had both lost track of time and were currently laughing at something that had happened at work.

"I mean, who in their right mind would name their child Alan Stephen Steel? And how could they not expect Ass jokes?" Lucifer said as he laughed at the suspect they had interviewed earlier that day.

Chloe couldn't help but laugh with him. Earlier it had been extremely frustrating with Lucifer's jokes, but now it did seem funny. Especially now when she was out of work and loosened up, just allowed to be Chloe instead of Detective Decker.

During their laughter, Chloe had ended up leaning against Lucifer for balance. "I know!" She exclaimed. When Lucifer turned his head to her, their faces ended up extremely close. Close enough to feel each other's breath on their face.

The laughter died down as they gazed into each other's eyes. Chloe could barely hear over her beating heart. She was fully aware of how close his lips were to hers. This night, this dinner, this easiness between them, it made Chloe feel things that she had been trying to push down since Lucifer walked into the precinct with Candy on his arm.

She remembered how hurt she felt then, how betrayed. Chloe had given everything to him that night, and he had just run off and married a stripper, and then acted like that night never happened. But try as she might, Chloe could never forget it. Especially now, when they sat so close together, and the proof of that night currently grew in her uterus.

Her head screamed at her to scoot away, to protect her heart from him, to play it safe... But her heart wanted other things. It told her to go for it, to take a risk, that maybe it would be different now.

In the end, her heart won.

She suddenly leaned in and kissed him. Lucifer let out a muffled noise of surprise, and, after tensing for a moment, he relaxed and leaned into the kiss. He slowly placed his hand on the back of her head and the other on her cheek. Chloe then began to put both her hands on the back of his neck when he suddenly pulled away from the kiss.

His expression looked hurt and regretful. He closed his eyes and let her go completely. "I'm sorry," He said as he stood and walked to the bar.

Chloe just sat there for a moment, complete and utterly confused. What just happened?

Lucifer was filled with remorse towards the Detective, and hatred towards his father.

He wanted more than anything to deepen the kiss, to hold her in his arms and repeat the night they spent together. But he couldn't take that choice away from her. He couldn't do that to her, when her feelings for him were manufactured by a tyrant. He poured a heavy drink for himself to ease the ache he felt.

"What do you mean you're sorry?" Chloe asked as anger from rejection grew. "You used to constantly try and get into my pants, and the one time I initiate it while sober, you pull away?" Chloe stood up as the anger steadily grew.

"It's complicated, Detective." Lucifer said as he faced away from her towards the bar.

"How the hell is it complicated? Are you just not attracted to me anymore? Or was I just some conquest for you, and now that you've screwed me once, you just don't want me anymore?!" Chloe yelled.

She hated the tears that pooled in her eyes from her insecurities. She had been afraid that this was the case. That she was nothing more than just another notch on the bedpost for the guy she had began to fall for.

Lucifer quickly turned around, shocked at her words, and was even more shocked at the tears that had begun to fall down her beautiful face. He immediately felt even worse for being the reason behind her pain. "What? Why would you think something as absurd as that?" Lucifer asked.

"WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO FUCKING THINK?!" Chloe screamed, all of her bottled up emotions breaking to the surface. "We sleep together, and then you run away for two weeks, and come back MARRIED TO A STRANGER! And then, you act like our night together never even happened! What other possible explanation is there, Lucifer?! Why else would you push me away, just when I start to-" She cut herself off from saying,

'fall in love with you'

"Why do you keep pushing me away?" Chloe choked. She was full on crying now. Freaking hormones.

Lucifer hesitated before setting his drink down and making his way towards the Detective. He had no idea what to do in this situation. He wasn't familiar with comforting crying people, he was usually purposely inflicting the tears back in Hell.

He tried to take a page out of Miss Lopez's book and slowly pull her into a hug. Chloe hated herself a little when she leaned into him and cried into his suit that no doubt cost more than her rent.

"Chloe..." Lucifer said her name, which he only reserved for serious matters. "You couldn't possibly be more wrong. You are much more to me than just some conquest, and I would still find you attractive if you wore a potato sack..."

"Then why?" Chloe asked, her voice muffled from Lucifer's shirt.

"Like I said, it's complicated... You wouldn't understand." Lucifer said, and he knew she wouldn't. Unless he showed her his devil face, she wouldn't believe him.

And he, though he knew he should, just couldn't bring himself to show it to her, out of fear that she wouldn't accept him. That she wouldn't care about him anymore.

"How do you know I won't understand if you won't tell me?" Chloe asked. She placed her chin on his chest and looked up at him.

Lucifer swallowed. "Detective... you were right before, when you said that there were things about me that you don't know. Though I have never lied to you, I haven't been completely honest either..." Lucifer breathed deeply before continuing.

"Beneath the charisma, the jokes, the incredible good looks, beneath everything... I'm a monster.. Chloe, I truly am the devil.. And I am terrified of showing you, because once I do, I know you'll leave me." Much to his annoyance, Lucifer's voice broke at the end.

Chloe stared into his eyes full of sincerity. Chloe pulled one of her hands from the hug, and placed it gently on his cheek. "Lucifer, I don't know why you think these things, but you're wrong. You're not a monster. And I won't leave you." Chloe promised.

His eyes softened as a sad smile grew on his face. "That's what I'm even more afraid of, Detective."

Chloe frowned in confusion at his words.

He slowly grabbed the hand cupping his cheek, and gently pushed it away. "You deserve someone better, Chloe. You deserve the right to choose someone better."

"But Lucifer-" The elevator ding interrupted Chloe. Amenadiel stepped out of the elevator and stopped walking when he saw the couple.

Lucifer took the moment to untangle himself from the Detective, go to the couch to retrieve her things and hand them back to her. "Goodnight, Detective. I'll see you at work tomorrow." He said, trying to force his voice to once again be light and cheerful, and wash away the heaviness of the moments before.

Chloe stood still for a moment, then she wiped her eyes on her sleeve and took her purse and phone from Lucifer's outstretched hands. "Goodnight, Lucifer." Chloe said as she made her way to the elevator with a heavy heart.

Once Chloe was gone, Amenadiel turned to his brother. "Did I interrupt something important?"

Lucifer walked over to the bar and knocked back his formerly abandoned drink. "Actually, brother, for the first time ever, your timing was impeccable." Lucifer had wanted the conversation to end as soon as possible, and he saw his brother's interruption as a blessing (ironically).

"Is everything alright, Luci?" Amenadiel asked.

"What do you mean? Just now?" Lucifer asked back, deflecting the question as he re-poured his drink.

"Yeah, just now, but also in general. You've been acting odd these last few weeks." Amenadiel had noticed a change in his brother's behavior recently, and their mother had too. It was almost as if Lucifer was hiding something.

"Don't worry your big bald head over it, it's none of your concern." Lucifer said lightly as he offered his brother a drink.

Amenadiel frowned as he took the drink. "Does it have anything to do with Mom or the flaming sword?" He asked. They still hadn't made any progress with the blade.

"Nope, nothing to do with that. Just my own thing." Lucifer answered.

"Does it have anything to do with Chloe being a miracle?" Amenadiel asked. He took the devil's silence as a yes. Amenadiel sighed. "Luci-"

"Don't." Lucifer shot him down. "Don't you think you've meddled in my life enough?"

Amenadiel grew silent at that. Although Lucifer mostly hated their father for tasking Amenadiel with blessing Chloe's parents, he knew that a small part of Lucifer blamed him as well.

"Why are you here, brother?" Lucifer asked, changing the subject.

"I think I may have found something that might help us with the sword." Amenadiel said, catching Lucifer's attention.

"Well, spit it out!" The devil demanded.

"While reading through the tomes, I found this myth. It's about this weapon of fire, that has been broken up into three pieces. And once the three pieces are put back together, the weapon is capable of mass destruction." Amenadiel explained.

Lucifer frowned. "That's it? A bloody bed time story?"

"Well, it's the best lead we have!" Amenadiel defended.

"A lead? I work with real detectives, and I can assure you that that is no lead. How do you know it's even the same weapon?" Lucifer scoffed.

Amenadiel glared. No one could ever get under his skin like his youngest brother could. "It's a weapon of fire and mass destruction! You have to admit that it sounds like our flaming sword."

"Alright, fine. Did it say what the other two pieces are?" Lucifer asked.

"... No, it did not." Amenadiel admitted.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Then why are you wasting my time!"

Lucifer got up to make his way to his shower. He'd had a rough conversation earlier, and he was running out of patience. He needed his mother and brother gone, and he was now on a tight schedule.

The last thing he needed was to waste his time on myths.

Chapter Text

The next day, Chloe was at her desk reading paperwork while she waited on Mable Perry's sister, Mila Perry, who lived in Hong Kong, and couldn't get to LA until that day.

After last night, Lucifer seemed to be avoiding her all day, and had gone to a therapy session. She hoped that Linda could help with whatever issues he was going through.

"Hey, Chlo." Dan said as he stopped by her desk. "Did Mila come in yet?"

Chloe shook her head. "Not yet."

"Alright," Dan said. Chloe stopped him before he could walk away.

"Hey, Dan, there's something I've been needing to tell you about." Chloe said.

"Okay, want to go to the conference room?" Dan suggested. Chloe shook her head. She didn't think that telling him at work would be the best way to go. She didn't know how Dan would react, and she didn't want to make a scene. "No, it's not really work talk."

Dan looked at her curiously. "Is everything okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. There's just something I need to tell you about, and it's private." Chloe explained.

Dan frowned. He had an idea of what Chloe could be talking about, but he didn't want to upset her by asking.

"Trixie will be at a sleepover tonight, and Maze has some sort orgy thing that she unfortunately told me about, despite my saying that I don't wanna know about it. So does six work for you?"

"Yeah, six works." Dan answered. Just then, a young woman who bore a striking resemblance to Mable walked up to them. "Hello, are you Detective Decker?" She asked.

Chloe nodded. "I am, you must be Mila?" Chloe asked. Mila nodded. She was wearing a black sweatshirt and blue jeans, and her eyes were extremely red and puffy.

"Okay, so do you want to get started? We can wait a minute if you'd like?" Chloe asked gently. Interviewing grieving family members was one of the things she hated about the job. Especially when she knew how it felt to be on the other side of the table.

Mila nodded sharply. "We can start now." She said shakily. And with that, Chloe and Dan led her to the interrogation room.

——————-

"So, now you're all caught up." Lucifer told Linda. He had just finished filling her in on the night before.

"So, you have decided to be present in your child's life?" Linda asked for clarification.

Lucifer nodded. "Yes, I have. Like you've said, Doctor, who knows what that spawn could end up being? And the Detective doesn't even believe that she's carrying a half celestial, so I'll have to be there if it ends up sprouting wings or a devil face."

"Yeah, about that, don't you think that Chloe should know to some extent of what her unborn child is?" Linda asked.

"Oh, I've already told her repeatedly, but she won't believe me." Lucifer said. He then grabbed the glass of water from the table for a sip.

"I wasn't talking about telling her, Lucifer. I was talking about showing her." Linda enunciated.

Lucifer tensed when the doctor brought that up. She had tried to talk him into showing the Detective what he truly is, but he had always steered the conversation away from that topic. "Have I told you about the lead Amenadiel found? It's-"

"Lucifer, we need to talk about this." Linda said sternly. He couldn't keep avoiding this topic.

The devil sighed as he put his glass back down. "But what if she doesn't take it well?" Lucifer asked. "What if she takes one look at my devil face, and runs away?"

"You don't know that." Linda reasoned.

"Almost every person who has seen my devil face either runs away in terror, tries to kill me, or goes mad!" Lucifer said.

"Well, I didn't. Whose to say that her reaction won't be like mine?" Linda suggested.

"Are you impregnated with the literal spawn of Satan?"

"... Good point." Linda admitted. It was already hard enough finding out that her patient was the literal devil, Linda couldn't imagine what it would be like if she found out that Satan was her baby daddy, and that whatever she was growing in her stomach was a mystery.

"But, Lucifer, she needs to know what she's in for, sooner rather than later. I know that you're afraid of losing her, but there's no getting around this. It's not just about the two of you anymore. There is a child caught in the middle, and you both have to be on the same page for his or her sake. One way or the other, Chloe is going to find out. And it's best if it comes from you."

Lucifer was silent, contemplating the doctor's words. He knew that keeping the Detective in the dark was wrong, and that it would only cause more problems. But he just couldn't bring himself to show her his bad side. Right now, she only saw the best bits, and was it so wrong that he wanted her to see him that way? To see what he wished everyone else saw?

"You keep saying how you don't want to take her choices away, but how is this giving her a choice?" Linda asked. She would rather he came to these conclusions himself, but she was right. It wasn't just him and Chloe anymore.

"That's not the same thing." Lucifer tried to defend.

"Is it? How so?" Linda asked. "How is it not the same thing?"

Lucifer didn't have an honest answer for that. And since he didn't lie, he stayed silent for several moments. "If I keep her at arms length, and give her a choice by pushing her away, then at least I get to have her a little... But if I show her my bad side, then I'll lose her completely." Lucifer admitted softly.

Sympathy flowed through Linda. She didn't only consider Lucifer a patient, but she also saw him as a friend. So when he admitted things such as this, it also hit her harder than it would with any other patient. Linda leaned in and tried to convey the importance of what she was about to say through her eyes.

"But, Lucifer, can't you see?"

Lucifer frowned in confusion. "See what?"

"By not being completely honest with Chloe, you're already losing her." Linda said. "What Chloe said last night has made that clear. You haven't even realized, that she's already slipping away right before your eyes."

Lucifer swallowed. Deep down, he had already known this. But when the doctor brought it all up, it felt terrifyingly real. No matter what he did, he was going to lose Chloe.

He glanced up at the clock, and was relieved to see that their time was up. "Hour's up." Lucifer said as he stood, eager to leave. Linda sighed. She didn't want to end the session yet, but there was no stopping him.

Heck, she couldn't stop him when he left before the session was officially over. At least he stayed the full hour this time. So, small victories.

But then she remembered what he had said about Amenadiel. "Wait, what lead did Amenadiel find? Is it about the blade?" Linda asked.

Lucifer grinned as he tapped his wrist. "You'll have to wait till next week!" And then he was out the door.

Linda sighed again. He was definitely her favorite patient, but he was also a pain in the ass.

——————

Chloe and Dan sat at the interrogation table as Mila sat on the other side. They had asked her several questions, to which Mila didn't have a helpful answer to. Turns out, Mila and Mable were on the outs, and didn't know much about each other's current lives.

"I'm sorry I couldn't help." Mila said through tears.

Chloe gave her a comforting smile. "It's okay, we'll find another way to catch who did this." Chloe reassured her. She really hated this part of the job.

The two detectives then began to get up to leave. "I just... I just don't know who would do this to Deerly..." Mila said.

Chloe froze. "What did you just call her?" Chloe asked.

"Deerly?" Mila repeated. Dan stopped, recognizing that look Chloe gets when she's found a possible lead.

Chloe then remembered the interview with Lidia, and the girl her husband was having an affair with. He had her in his contacts under Deerly. Chloe may have just figured out who their murderer is.

"Is that her nickname?" Chloe asked, sitting back down.

Mila nodded. "Yes, back in high school, she was really into that furry stuff, and her character's name was Deerly. And I've always called her that ever since. Why, is this important?"

"Maybe, I'll need to check a few things and see." Chloe said as she wrote something down on her notepad.

They left the interrogation room after that, and the detectives made their way to Chloe's desk. Chloe then filled Dan in on her theory.

"So, you think this Lidia's husband killed her?" Dan asked.

"Makes sense, right? Lidia told us that her husband said that the relationship was over, and how much more over can you get by killing your ex? Mable probably found out she was pregnant, and wanted to tell Lidia about the affair. But then the husband talked her out of it last second, and killed her to keep her silent." Chloe theorized. It was a sound theory.

Just then, Lucifer walked up to them. "Hello, Detective, and Detective Douche." Lucifer greeted.

It annoyed Chloe a bit how he can act like everything was normal, and that the conversation the night before never happened. But she was at work and had more important things to worry about.

"We may have found a lead on the Mable Perry case." Chloe said. She then told him about her theory while Dan left to go look up their guy.

Lucifer narrowed his eyes. "So, the baby daddy did it?" He said coldly.

"We can't be sure yet, but that's what it looks like." Chloe said.

Lucifer felt furious towards the man. The man had strangled an innocent woman, and with her his own unborn child. Lucifer wanted to rip his spine out and-

"Adam Flor." Daniel said as he walked up to them. "That's our guy."

Lucifer scoffed. "Unfortunate name."

"Flor?" Chloe asked.

"No, Adam. The original one was such a bore, hence why Eve liked me so much better. That and I'm, well, me." Lucifer answered.

Chloe rolled her eyes in response. She then turned back to Dan. "Anything else?" She asked.

Dan nodded. "Yeah, I also found out that he's a realtor. He's got an open house right now."

"Right then," Lucifer said as he fixed one of his cuffs. "Let's go catch ourselves a killer!" And then before the Detective could object, he left to the garage.

——————-

The detective and devil pulled up to a mundane looking house in a suburban neighborhood. They had to park a little ways away since all the closer spots were already taken.

Before getting out of the car, Chloe looked at her partner. "You're projecting your own issues onto the case again, aren't you?" Chloe asked.

Lucifer looked at her oddly. "Whatever do you mean, Detective?"

"You've done nothing but insult Adam Flor throughout the drive and you've suddenly become very invested in finding Mable's murderer. You never care this much unless you're projecting." Chloe pointed out. Chloe knew her partner enough by now to notice things such as this.

"That's absurd." Lucifer scoffed as he exited the vehicle.

"You're not exactly denying it." Chloe said as she shut her car door.

Lucifer scoffed, but said nothing. The devil didn't lie, but silence was always an option.

In front of the house was a picture of Adam Flor, a middle aged man with tanned skin, short black hair with a receding hairline, and blue eyes. Now they knew what their guy looked like.

They walked into the air conditioned house which was full of people, and immediately saw Adam, who was wearing a dark blue business suit, talking to a couple, and holding a pink sprinkle covered donut.

"Hello, murderer!" Lucifer called out as he made his way to the realtor.

Adam whipped his head towards the devil and his eyes widened significantly. He panicked and threw the donut at Lucifer and made a run for it.

The donut hit Lucifer smack dab in the face. He coughed and growled furiously as his face was covered in pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles. "HEY!" He yelled angrily.

Chloe ran after the suspect, not even noticing her partner's current state. Adam ran up the stairs of the two floor house, and was already out of breath. Chloe pushed aside bystanders as she followed him up the stairs, all the while calling him to stop.

She was beginning to feel out of breath, not having as much energy these days. She lost track of him when she made it to the second floor hallway, and turned around in a 360 degree circle. She then heard a yelp coming from one of the bedrooms, and ran towards it.

Inside she found Lucifer with his back to her and standing over Adam, who was lying on his back on the floor, with panic in his eyes.

At this point in their partnership, Chloe didn't even question how he had gotten ahead of her so fast, and was just glad that he'd caught their suspect.

"If you wanted to run, you probably should have skipped the extra donuts." Lucifer commented, his back still turned to Chloe.

"Lucifer," Chloe walked up to him. Lucifer turned to her, and she only now noticed the pink frosting covering his face and hair, along with the rainbow sprinkles.

Chloe couldn't stop herself from snorting a laugh and clamped a hand against her mouth, trying but failing to stifle it.

Lucifer glared at her with narrowed eyes, but then one of his eyes kept blinking when a sprinkle fell into it. "Bloody hell, you find this amusing, don't you?" He asked the detective with irritation.

Chloe couldn't stop laughing, so she only nodded as a response.

He turned back to Adam with a murderous glare. "If you weren't going to Hell before, you certainly are now."

———————

They were now back at the precinct. Lucifer had insisted on washing himself up before leaving the house, though he'd still had a sprinkle or two left in his hair. Which Dan had pointed out with a mixture of amusement and confusion. Lucifer had insulted Dan's general hairdo and plucked the sprinkles out in response.

Chloe and Lucifer had just sat down in the interrogation room with Adam sitting opposite of them. "Why did you run, Mr. Flor?" Chloe asked.

Adam fidgeted with his fingers nervously. He tried to chuckle, but it sounded more like he was choking. "Uh, cause this guy called me a murderer, and came at me. I panicked! But that doesn't mean I actually killed anyone!"

"Well, I've learned that in most cases it does." Lucifer remarked.

"Have you ever met anyone named Mable Perry?" Chloe asked as she leaned her elbows on the table.

Adam seemed to have stopped breathing for several seconds. "No, I-I've never met anyone by that name." He stuttered. The partners glanced at each other. Adam didn't know it, but that was the final nail on his coffin.

"That's interesting, because we called your wife a few minutes ago. And she said that she saw the two of you talking at a Christmas party of hers. And she had never met Mable at that point. Mable had told her that a friend had brought her there. Mrs. Flor even has a picture of everyone together." With every word Chloe said, the fear in Adam's eyes amplified.

"I want to speak to my lawyer." Adam informed them stiffly.

Lucifer smirked. "Yes, well, before we do that, I have another question for you." Lucifer locked eyes with the suspect. "Besides being named after a less boring man, what do you truly desire?"

Adam tried to fight it, but it was useless. "I...I ... I want nobody to find out about what I did..." the suspect's eyes widened in horror when he realized what he had just admitted.

"You don't want anyone to find out about the affair? Or the fact that you strangled Mable Perry, and with her your love child?" Lucifer questioned.

Adam stared at the table, hands trembling. "I'm not saying anything else until I speak to my lawyer."

Lucifer opened his mouth to say something more, but Chloe fixed him with her signature shut up face. Chloe then neutralized her expression and stood up from the chair.

"That's fine, we don't really need a confession. We just need to run a blood test on you and Mable's unborn baby, and we'll have all we need." Chloe was exaggerating, but Adam didn't know that.

Just by looking at him Chloe could tell that he was their guy, but all she had was conjecture and a gut feeling, and that wasn't something you could take to court.

Chloe's little manipulation worked how she hoped it would. Pure panic shown in Adam's eyes as his entire being tensed up.

"She initiated the whole thing!" Adam defended, fear overruling common sense. "Mable came onto me first! I said no, but later me and Lidia got into a fight... and I called Mable. It was stupid, I know, but it was only one time!"

"Oh, so you have every one night stand's phone number in your contacts under a pseudonym?" Lucifer asked smugly, catching the man in a lie.

"Okay, fine! It was more than once. Lidia and I were going through a rough patch, but then I ended it!"

"By strangling her to death?"

"No! Well, not at first, I mean-! She then told me she was pregnant. I told her that I would pay child support, but that's it. But then I found out that she was going to my wife's classes, and that she planned on telling Lidia everything. I couldn't allow one stupid mistake to destroy my life..."

"So you got her out of the picture instead?" Chloe asked, knowing that she was centimeters away from a full confession.

"I.. I didn't plan it, I don't think. I don't know why I wore the gloves, and I don't know why I was careful for the traffic cameras not to see my face... But I swear to God I didn't plan it... But she just wouldn't stop saying that she was going to tell Lidia, that my life was about to blow up.. By the time I realized what I had done, it was too late to call an ambulance."

Adam broke into tears, knowing that it was all over. "I'm going to Hell, aren't I?"

"I have it under good authority that you most certainly are," Lucifer confirmed. Both the guilt and this man's heinous acts has earned him a spot down below.

———————-

Chloe waited for Dan in her apartment later that day. Chloe nervously tapped her fingers against her knee as she sat on the couch. "You sure you want to be here for this? You know that you don't have to," Chloe told Lucifer, who was sitting in the chair while sipping the whiskey from his flask.

Earlier she had told him that she was planning on telling Dan about the pregnancy, and Lucifer had insisted on being there.

"Of course, Detective. I cannot wait to shove it in Detective Douche's face!" Lucifer said excitedly.

Chloe rolled her eyes as she sighed. "Please don't do that. I'm sure that he's not going to like the fact that he'll have to deal with you for the rest of his life already without you rubbing it in his face."

"Why do have to suck the fun out of it?" Lucifer said with a pout.

"I'm starting to think that this is my third kid," Chloe sassed as she pointed a finger towards her abdomen.

Throughout the day, they had danced around the conversation of the night before. Both too afraid to be the one to bring it up. Chloe had replayed Lucifer’s words in her head, but couldn’t make sense of it. What was Lucifer so afraid of showing her?

Obviously, he couldn’t be the actual devil, so what was it really?

Chloe was thinking about bringing it up, but they then heard a knock on the door, indicating Dan's arrival. Oh well, looks like that will just have to be a mystery for another day.

Chloe got up from the couch and opened the front door. "Hey, Dan." Chloe greeted.

"Hey, Chloe." Dan greeted in turn. He frowned when he saw Lucifer sitting smugly on the chair, but he didn't comment on it. Some days it seemed like those two were tied at the hip. "What did you want to tell me?" Dan asked, not wanting to spend more time with the annoying night-club owner than he had to.

Chloe bit the inside of her cheek and glanced at Lucifer. "How about you sit down first," Chloe suggested as she opened the door wider. Dan raised an eyebrow but did as she said. He sat down as far from the devil as possible.

Chloe stayed standing and took a deep breath. "Okay, so the thing I needed to tell you was..." Chloe trailed off, not quite sure how to phrase it. In the end she just decided to get right to it. "That I'm pregnant."

Chloe awaited Dan's reaction, not quite sure what it would be. What she wasn't expecting was the lack of reaction. "Okay." Was all he said, completely calm and unruffled.

"Okay?" Chloe parroted. "You're not at least a little surprised?"

Dan shrugged his shoulders. "I kinda already had a suspicion." Dan admitted. "I'm a detective too, and we have a daughter together. I know the symptoms when I see them."

Chloe should've known he would take notice. His lack of surprise regarding the pregnancy itself took a huge weight off of Chloe's shoulders. And he seemed perfectly fine with Chloe having another baby, which was also good.

Lucifer was honestly disappointed. He had been looking forward to rilling up Detective Douche.

"Have you told Trixie yet? I can't imagine how excited she'll be." Dan asked with a smile.

Chloe returned the smile, glad for the support. "No, not yet. I wanted to wait until I'd told you." Chloe answered as she sat down on the couch, relaxing.

"Alright. So, are you seeing someone? Or was it a one time thing?" Dan asked innocently, curious about the father of his daughter's sibling.

With that question Chloe tensed up again, and Lucifer perked up. "It was a one time thing, I assure you." Chloe said with a glance at the devil.

"Okay, is he planning on being in the picture? I can kick his ass if he isn't." Dan offered. Even though him and Chloe were divorced, and he no longer loved her romantically, Dan still loved her as a friend. He couldn't help but feel a bit protective.

Chloe chuckled nervously, already knowing how little Dan was going to like this. "There's no need for that, he says he's gonna stick around."

"Okay, good. Is he somebody I know?"

Lucifer's grin couldn't be described as anything but devilish, mischief clear in his eyes. "Oh, how slow could you possibly be?"

Dan frowned at the devil. "Why is he even here?" Dan asked his ex-wife. Chloe was quiet for a moment, which turned out to be a mistake since it allowed Lucifer to speak.

"Because I'm her baby daddy, obviously." Lucifer stated matter-of-factly with a hint of pride in his voice.

Chloe sighed as shit suddenly hit the fan.

"Wait, WHAT?!" Dan exclaimed in surprise and disgust. "Please tell me he's joking," Dan begged his ex-wife. All Chloe could do was shrug.

Dan's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious! This idiot, of all people! After he ran off to Vegas and married a stripper!"

"Exotic dancer, Daniel. Get your facts straight." Lucifer corrected. Which didn't help matters.

"This happened before Vegas, Dan." Chloe said defensively.

"But still! This is Lucifer Morningstar! The slutty night club owner who thinks that he's the actual devil!"

"I am the devil."

"SEE?!" Dan shouted as he gestured to Lucifer. "Exactly my point!"

Chloe sighed and shook her head. "Well, what do you want me to do, Dan? I'm already pregnant and planning on keeping the baby, and yelling at me isn't going to change that." Chloe said calmly.

Dan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"If it's any consolation, Daniel, the-" Lucifer started to say something undoubtedly stupid, but Chloe pinned him with a look that suggested intense and very unpleasant pain in the near future if he continued.

He wisely closed his mouth, keeping his inappropriate thoughts to himself.

Dan fixed the devil with a hateful glare, then he stood up and marched out the front door. He slammed the door harder than necessary on his way out.

Chloe sighed and rubbed her temple. "Well, that actually went better than I expected." She laughed.

Chapter Text

"I feel as if my very being is constantly torn in two. On the one hand, I want nothing more than to join my mother on her quest for revenge, and kill God. But on the other, I still feel an obligation to stay loyal to my Father. For millennia, it has been so easy to have faith, to know what my task must be... So why is everything so difficult to discern now? Why has everything suddenly become so grey? Why is having faith so difficult?" Amenadiel asked, desperately searching for an answer, and pouring his heart out in the process.

"Uhh... And did you like the giraffes...?" The man sitting on a stool beside Amenadiel asked unsurely.

Dan sighed from below the stage. Dan had started taking Amenadiel to his improv classes, and the angel was having a hard time getting into the swing of things.

"That's great, buddy," Dan said encouragingly from his spot below the stage. "But the theme today is 'A day out in the zoo', which is supposed to be light and upbeat... Not exactly this...philosophical."

Amenadiel knitted his eyebrows. "I thought that this was supposed to help me sort out my problems?"

"It is... In a fun, carefree way." Dan specified.

"If I was carefree, then why would I need improv?" Amenadiel questioned.

"Just give it a shot." Dan advised with a slightly strained smile. Amenadiel shrugged and turned back to the man in his scene.

"Did you have fun seeing the baby otters?" The man asked.

"HOW CAN OTTERS BRING ME JOY WHEN MY MOTHER IS TRYING TO KILL MY FATHER?!" Amenadiel shouted, startling everyone.

"Ooookay! I think that's a good place to end it!" Dan decided, smile becoming much more strained by the second.

The man quickly scrambled off stage, relieved to be away from the intensity of the angel's eyes. Dan hopped up on stage beside his friend.

"Hey, man. Maybe it would help if you were a bit less... intense." Dan suggested. "Everybody here is trying to have a good time, and you're kinda scaring them." Dan laughed lightly at the end of his sentence.

Amenadiel sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "I apologize, Dan. Things with my family have been tense lately, and it's reflecting in my activities."

"Don't worry about it. I still like you better than your brother." Dan said with a smile.

Amenadiel chuckled and loosened up a bit.

"Speaking of which, I guess I should congratulate you." Dan said, though he felt a bit reluctant. Amenadiel knitted his brow in mild confusion.

"Congratulate me? On what?"

"On becoming an uncle. You congratulate people for that, right? At least we do that in my family." Dan explained.

Amenadiel's smile immediately vanished to be replaced by a confused O. "What are you talking about?" Amenadiel asked after a moment.

"Oh crap, you don't know, do you?" Dan asked as he realized his mistake.

"Daniel, what are you talking about?" Amenadiel questioned, voice deep and commanding. He may have lost his angelic qualities, but not the confidence and arrogance that came with it.

Dan gulped.

———————-

Lucifer was sitting at his penthouse bar in his robe, sipping a glass of scotch and relaxing from a long day of crime fighting (in reality, Lucifer had left hours early when the case had proved boring, but he wouldn't admit it).

Lucifer gave an exaggerated sigh when the elevator dinged and Amenadiel stepped out. Lucifer opened his mouth, snarky comment at the tip of his talented tongue, when Amenadiel spoke first.

"Have you impregnated Chloe?" The former angel asked bluntly.

Lucifer's expression froze and body instantly tensed up, on the defensive. Lucifer then laughed, trying to play it cool. "What? Who told you that?"

"Dan said that you and Chloe are having a baby after congratulating me on becoming an uncle." Amenadiel said, voice conveying just how unpleased he was.

"Daniel? That's your source of information? Really, brother. You need better company. In fact, I have a few friends that you would get along swimmingly with! But you would have to pay them though. Cash preferably." Lucifer rambled on, hoping to mislead his brother without technically lying.

"Is Chloe Decker pregnant with your child, yes or no?" Amenadiel asked, trapping the devil in a corner.

Lucifer was quiet, trying to find a way to wiggle out of this. When he found none, he knocked his drink back, needing all the liquid courage he could get. "Yes." Lucifer answered stiffly as he stared at the glass he held.

Amenadiel was shocked, to say the least. He had gone there expecting Lucifer to laugh in his face and say that Dan had been mistaken. That there was no child of his in sight. But it was true. The devil was going to be a father.

"How is this even possible?” Amenadiel asked through his shock.

Lucifer laughed bitterly and glanced towards the ceiling with disdain in his eyes. "Oh, who else do you think would manipulate me this way? Perhaps the deity who tasked you with creating the miracle carrying this spawn in the first place?"

Amenadiel frowned at his little brother. "You think that this child is a manipulation?"

"What else could it be?"

"What if it's a gift?" Amenadiel suggested. Amenadiel would be lying if he denied feeling jealousy towards his brother. The favorite in the eyes of their parents, even with his many faults.

Lucifer looked at his brother as if he had gone mad. "A gift? Are you daft, brother? How in Heaven, Hell, or Earth, would me having a child be a gift?”

"It makes sense, doesn't it? First, Father creates a wonderful woman who, for reasons I don't know, cares deeply for you, and now she's carrying your child. It sure does sound like a gift to me." Amenadiel said.

The devil glared at the former angel. "It might make sense, but that would imply that Dad gave a damn about my happiness. And besides, who is he to decide that a woman and a child are my version of happiness?"

"I think that the all-knowing God would be a good contender." Amenadiel said sarcastically.

The former angel had poured himself a drink and sat down on one of the stools beside his brother.

Lucifer's glare only deepened. "Well, that's not his place to decide! Only I can decide my own happiness, thank you very much."

"So what? You don't want the child?" Amenadiel asked.

"What do you think, brother?" Lucifer wasn't sure why he felt that saying yes would be a lie, so he kept his response vague.

"Besides, I'm the farthest thing there is to father material. I drink, I do drugs, I have sex, I own a night club. And I absolutely refuse to wear polo shirts and khakis like dads do in the movies." Lucifer said before taking a long sip.

Amenadiel was quiet for several moments, contemplating this. Then a lightbulb clicked on in his head. "Maybe this is my task."

Lucifer frowned at his brother. "What?"

Amenadiel stood up, drink forgotten, and started pacing excitedly. "Maybe helping you become 'father material' is my task! A test to see if I can prevail! What could be harder than getting the devil to be a good dad?"

"Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence." Lucifer sassed. "But I don't need, nor want, your help."

Amenadiel clapped his brother on the shoulder lovingly, making the devil stare at him as if he'd sprouted a second, and maybe third, head.

"Well, too bad, because you’re getting it anyway!" Amenadiel decided, making Lucifer's eye twitch in irritation.

Then Amenadiel's smile dimmed when he seemed to realize something. "Wait, how long have you known about this?"

"Over three weeks."

Amenadiel moved and sat down at the bar again. "... You aren't planning on coming with us to the Silver City, are you?"

Lucifer shrugged noncommittally, but he didn't deny it.

"Did you ever plan on coming?" Amenadiel asked.

"I would be lying if I said I was." Lucifer admitted.

Amenadiel laughed bitterly. He couldn't really say that he was surprised. "You dickhead."

"Been spending time with Maze I see." Lucifer teased. Amenadiel just rolled his eyes.

"I can't imagine how Mom and Maze will react to the news." Amenadiel mused.

Lucifer tensed up and then fixed his brother with a hard stare. "Now you listen to me, Amenadiel. Mum is not to find out about this, do you understand me? I don't want her anywhere near the detective or any of her children."

Amenadiel's eyebrows raised at the seriousness of Lucifer's tone. The devil's voice and expression was inches away from being threatening. "Okay, I won't tell Mom." Amenadiel agreed after a moment.

Lucifer relaxed after that. "Good. Oh, and also, Maze already knows."

Amenadiel frowned irritably. "Of course she does." Amenadiel said deadpan.

———————

Early next morning, Lucifer was sleeping peacefully in his bed under his silk covers.

"Luci..." Lucifer heard a voice say.

"More jello please," Lucifer mumbled, still in the middle of his dream. Let's just say that it involved two very attractive women, a hot tub, and yes, jello.

"Luci, wake up."

"Go away, brother." Lucifer said irritably, refusing to so much as crack open an eyelid out of principle.

Lucifer then felt the blanket being torn off him, and heard Amenadiel's embarrassed gasp. Amenadiel's eyes immediately went elsewhere. But the image was forever burned into his mind.

"You should remember for future reference that I sleep in the nude." Lucifer said with a smirk, unashamed.

Amenadiel then found a pair of underwear and threw it at Lucifer's face. "Put those on." Amenadiel demanded.

Lucifer took the boxers off his face and rolled his eyes. "You're the one in my home, unannounced, and far too early to be legal. If I wish to stroll around in the nude, I have the right." Lucifer put his underwear on anyway.

He then noticed the paper bag from some bookstore Amenadiel was holding. "What are those?" The devil asked curiously.

"For you," Amenadiel said with a smile as he sat the bag on the bed and began rifling through its contents.

"A present? For me? Please tell me that you have the Kama Sutra in there." Lucifer said, curiosity peeked.

"Nope, better!" Amenadiel said proudly as he pulled out a book labeled 'What to expect when you're expecting'.

Lucifer frowned deeply. "How the bloody hell is a book about pregnancy better than the Kama Sutra?"

"Because it will help you become a better father." Amenadiel answered as he pulled out another book. He began a pile on the bed. The next one was labeled Fatherhood 101. "The lady at the store said that this one helped her husband tremendously with becoming a good father."

Then before Lucifer could form a proper sentence, Amenadiel pulled another book called
'Everyone poops'. "This one is supposed to teach your baby that everyone poops... Though I don't really know why that's something you need a book for, but the bookstore clerk was enthusiastic about it."

Lucifer looked at the books in disgust (especially the third one), and fear. He had been avoiding thinking about things, and these books were honestly terrifying. But Lucifer would never admit it to his brother. "I don't need books. I'm perfectly capable of managing without them."

Lucifer spat irritably. He then got up and stormed towards his bar. Lucifer had poured a drink and was about to take a sip when Amenadiel snatched it from his grasp.

"I've done some research, and good fathers do not drink alcohol in the mornings." Amenadiel said sternly.

Lucifer's gaze turned murderous as he snatched his drink back. "Bugger off, former angel. I can drink whatever the hell I want!"

Amenadiel took the drink back with a stern expression. Lucifer then tried to take the drink back, but Amenadiel moved it out of his reach. The brothers glared each other down.

Lucifer suddenly poked Amenadiel's eye and lunged for the beverage. "LUCIFER!" Amenadiel yelled angrily.

The drink ended up spilling all over them both, drenching them in alcohol.

"DAD-DAMMIT! Do you have any idea how expensive that was?" Lucifer demanded. And then he just took the entire bottle off the counter and downed it, all the while looking Amenadiel straight in the eye.

"Ah, tasty." Lucifer breathed with a smug grin after draining the bottle.

Just then the elevator dinged and their mother walked in. Her step faltered momentarily when she took in the scene. "What have I told you boys about fighting?" The goddess asked as she placed her hands on her hips.

Lucifer scoffed and walked off to retrieve his robe.

"Everyone poops?" The goddess asked curiously.

"Excuse me?" Amenadiel asked with a frown. The goddess gestured towards the book Amenadiel still held.

"Oh, yes. Amenadiel was just educating himself." Lucifer said. Technically, it wasn't a lie since Amenadiel had in fact admitted to doing research the night prior.

"About the fact that mortals poop?" The goddess asked incredulously. She then spotted the bag and pile of books on the bed. She strode towards it curiously, but Lucifer intercepted her before she could see the titles.

“Mum, is there any particular reason as to why you are here?" Lucifer asked, standing between her and the parenting books. He wasn't sure how he would explain those away if she somehow saw.

"I was wondering if you have had any luck with the blade?" The goddess asked, eyes glancing to the space behind her son.

“No, nothing yet." Lucifer answered.

"Well, what about that legend Amenadiel found? Perhaps it could help us?" Mum suggested.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Amenadiel told you about that? Mum, it's just a fairy tale that will only waste our time." And Lucifer was running out of that luxury, it seemed.

"But it's the only lead we have." The goddess reasoned. "So we may as well try something with it."

"Alright, then what do we do, exactly? Hmm? Anyone have any genius ideas?" Lucifer asked.

Mum glanced towards her eldest, but he only shrugged, not having any ideas himself. The goddess sighed and turned back to the younger child. "No, but we need to try something new. I don't know how much longer I can stand this body. The leak went away on its own, but I hear that it will continuously come back every month. It reminds me of Hell."

"I know how the female menstrual cycle works, Mother. I don't need to hear about it!" Lucifer said with a disgusted tone. "Again."

The goddess rolled her eyes. "Promise me that you will look into it?"

"If you go now, I will make sure that it's looked into." Lucifer promised.

The goddess was reluctant, but she relented. "Okay. You're lucky I have that appointment today with my mailman."

"You don't really need to set appointments for those." Lucifer pointed out as his mother pushed the elevator button.

“Oh, he's a very special mailman. Very thorough." The goddess said seductively with a wink.

Both angels groaned in disgust when they caught her meaning. "Why tell us that?" Lucifer whined. The goddess chuckled as the elevator doors closed behind her.

"Alright, you go look into that fairy tale of yours while I go back to sleep. You rudely interrupted a lovely dream that included wobbly deserts." Lucifer said cheerfully.

Amenadiel frowned. "You said you were going to look into it."

"Nooo, I said that I would make sure that it's looked into. I never said anything about looking into it myself. You should pay more attention." Lucifer said as he dumped the books on the floor next to his bed.

"And yet you accuse everyone else of manipulating you." Amenadiel grumbled. He dropped the book on the bar counter and made his way to the elevator.

————————

Later that night, Lucifer couldn't sleep. Surprisingly, he was alone in bed that night, with no one to entertain him. So he was alone with only his thoughts as company... Which could be dangerous if you knew the devil.

Lucifer sat up in his bed with an agitated huff. Then Lucifer's gaze found the pile of books. Dammit, Amenadiel. Lucifer didn't realize he was doing it until he was sitting back on his bed with Fatherhood 101.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Lucifer muttered to himself as he flipped open the book, and began reading.

——————-

Chloe drove towards Trixie's school with Lucifer in the passenger seat. They had agreed to tell Trixie about the upcoming changes, and Lucifer was uncharacteristically silent.

He just stared out the window, deep in thought.

It had been a couple weeks since they told Dan, and Chloe was now 13 weeks along. She was even beginning to show a bit, but still managed to hide it under baggy clothes.

"You okay?" Chloe asked as she pulled up to the school.

“Hmm? I'm fine." Lucifer answered, barely glancing towards her before staring out the window again. Chloe knitted her eyebrows. She could tell that something was wrong. Something had been off about Lucifer ever since a couple of days after telling Dan.

He had been unusually quiet, non-disruptive, didn't flirt with attractive suspects... Which sounds like a dream come true, but it was beginning to freak Chloe out.

She didn't get the chance to voice this though, because Trixie then came running out of the school. She got into the car and gasped excitedly when she saw the devil. "LUCIFER!" She jumped up in excitement and attempted to get into the front to hug him.

"GAH! No, no, no! Stay back there!" Lucifer protested. Eventually Trixie listened and buckled herself in her seat.

"Hey, how do you feel about getting some icecream?" Chloe asked her daughter. Chloe figured that however Trixie reacted to the news, ice cream would help.

Trixie, as Chloe predicted, agreed enthusiastically. The child then went on to describe the events of her day. Chloe nodded along, and Lucifer laughed when Trixie described how her teacher's glass eye fell out in the middle of class.

"It was so gross and awesome! One of the girls in my class puked!" Trixie described with a wide smile. She then unbuckled herself since they had arrived.

It was a small ice cream food truck that had picnic tables set up outside. Lucifer made an undignified noise but went along with it. Despite Lucifer's protests, Trixie clasped one of his large hands in her small one and refused to let go.

"Why are your hands sticky?” Lucifer questioned with disgust.

“I don't know." Trixie answered lightly with a smile, which only disgusted the man more. "Of course you don't." He grumbled.

Chloe laughed as she watched the scene and wore a warm smile. Lucifer glanced at her and his tense posture softened slightly. He stopped complaining with a heavy sigh and went along with it, completely out of his comfort zone. Though he supposed that in a short time, he would be having to hold his own child's sticky hand. It was a terrifying thought.

Trixie got chocolate ice cream (no surprise), Lucifer got pistachio, and Chloe got vanilla for herself (which earned plenty of teasing from the devil). They found a comfortable spot on one of the picnic tables and ate.

"So, Trix, there was something Lucifer and I wanted to talk to you about." Chloe started.

Trixie, whose mouth was already covered in chocolate, frowned and got a worried look on her face. She glanced between the two adults with suspicion. "Oh no..." Trixie mumbled. "It's something bad, isn't it?"

"No, it's not bad. Why would you think it's bad?" Chloe asked.

"Because the last time you said that you wanted to talk to me about something, you and daddy got a divorce." Trixie said, remembering that heavy conversation. "We also got ice cream then too."

Chloe cringed inwardly, realizing that she might need a new tactic before she ruined ice cream for her daughter.

"Well, I promise it's not bad. It's actually really exciting!" Chloe said with a smile, hoping that Trixie would see it that way.

Now Trixie was intrigued. "What is it?" The little girl asked.

"How would you feel about becoming a big sister?" Chloe asked, awaiting her reaction.

Trixie was surprised by her mother's question, to say the least. She had very mixed feelings towards the idea. "Would I have to share my room?" Trixie questioned. "Cause my friend Ally shares her room with her little brother, and she says he stinks! I don't want a stinky brother in my room." The little girl said the last part in disgust, which got a chuckle out of the uncomfortable devil.

"I don't blame you. At one point I had to share a space with my brother, Ralphy. Though he didn't particularly smell unpleasant, but he was horribly annoying." Lucifer reminisced. It had been a long time since he thought about that point in his life, before the fall.

Chloe raised her eyebrows slightly. She never heard him talk about having any siblings besides Amenadiel. She would have to ask him about that later. For now, she had to give her daughter her full attention.

"We'll have to figure out the living arrangements, but you probably won't have to share your room." Chloe assured her.

Trixie nodded as she took this information into account. "Okay... If I babysit, I wanna be paid in cash. My friend Patty's older sister gets paid for babysitting, so I think it's only fair."

"Using your own sibling for personal gain." Lucifer said with a proud nod. "Good for you."

"Uh, we'll have to talk more about that once we get to that bridge. It will be a few years before you're old enough to babysit." Chloe informed her daughter. She gave her partner a pointed glare, showing her displeasure at the comment.

"Okay, cool. I guess that I would like to have a sibling." Trixie said with a growing smile.

“That's great, honey, because you're going to have one in a few months." Chloe said.

Trixie's smile grew, but then it faltered when she thought of something. "Does this mean that you and daddy are getting back together?" Trixie asked with very mixed feelings.

Chloe tensed slightly, not wanting to disappoint her daughter. "No, we're not. Your daddy isn't the baby's daddy." Chloe clarified. "Lucifer is."

Trixie was definitely shocked by this. Lucifer shifted uncomfortably in his seat beside Chloe. He assumed that the child would be upset by this. So he was definitely surprised when the urchin's shocked expression morphed into one of pure joy.

"AWESOME!" Trixie shrieked and before Lucifer could protest, the child jumped from her seat and hugged Lucifer's waist.

"Wait! You're even stickier than before!" Lucifer protested. "Do you have any idea of how much this suit cost?!"

Trixie ignored him and tightened her hug. "This is so AWESOME! This means that you're apart of our family now!" Trixie stated.

Lucifer sputtered upon hearing the F word. He had no idea of how he was supposed to react to that statement.

He felt an ache in his chest when he thought about what the word family meant to him. Of how broken his own family was. It had been thousands of lifetimes since he had last been apart of a family, and even then it had been strained and painful.

Lucifer didn't know if he wanted to be considered apart of the detective and urchin's family, but he didn't exactly not want to be apart of it either. Emotions were so annoyingly complicated.

Chloe watched as Lucifer's expression morphed from one of annoyance to one of deep sadness when Trixie mentioned family. Chloe didn't know why he reacted that way to Trixie's proclamation. Was it about the fact that he didn't want to be apart of their family, or did it have something to do with his own?

Lucifer gently pushed Trixie from him and once again wore his mask of carefree mischief.

They went back to eating their desserts after that as Trixie rambled on about things she would do with her sibling. Chloe wanted to ask Lucifer his feelings regarding this, but couldn't with Trixie around. She decided to shelve the questions for later.

"Are you two gonna get married now?" Trixie suddenly asked, which caused both adults to choke on their ice-cream.

Chloe recovered first. "What? No! Why would you think that?"

Trixie shrugged. "I thought that grownups had to be married to have babies."

"Well, no. Grownups don't have to be married in order to have a baby. It's just usually preferable." Chloe explained. "And besides, Lucifer can't get married to anyone since he's still legally married to Candy." Chloe couldn't help the bitterness she felt towards the woman in question and the man sitting beside her.

Trixie rambled on again after that, but the two adults now felt awkward and uncomfortable. A few minutes later they had finished eating and were now back in the car.

"Is Lucifer gonna join us for game night tonight?" Trixie asked excitedly.

"What's game night?" Lucifer asked.

"Every week Mommy and me play board games, wear face paint, and eat lollipops! It's super fun! Maze is catching a bad guy right now, so she can't join us." Trixie explained.

"Uh, I think Lucifer might be too busy tonight." Chloe said. She figured that he would absolutely hate a scene as domestic as game night and lollipops. He probably had a threesome or something he wanted to partake in.

"We're gonna drop Lucifer off at his home before grabbing dinner for tonight." Chloe explained, fully expecting Lucifer to go along.

"Actually, I don't have anything lined up for this evening." Lucifer said slowly. "If this game night is as good as you hype it up to be, then I can give it a go... If the Detective will have me, of course."

It was a good thing that they weren't driving yet, because Chloe would've surely run into someone with how dumbfounded she was. She couldn't believe that Lucifer Morningstar would ever willingly choose to play board games with a 8-year-old and her mother.

Lucifer mistook Chloe's surprise for apprehension. "Of course, if you don't want me there then that's fine too-"

"No, I want you there." Chloe cut him off and smiled. "I would love it if you came."

Lucifer felt oddly relieved at her words, and also oddly vulnerable. So, he did what he always did when he felt vulnerable. Made an inappropriate joke. "Yes, I remember how much you loved it when I came last time."

Chloe's eyes widened in annoyance as the moment fizzled out.

"What's he talking about, Mommy?"

"NOTHING!" Chloe said loudly, pulling out of the parking spot. "Nothing at all..."

————————-

Maze strolled towards a modern styled beach house who could probably fit her apartment inside of it five times over.

Maze was tracking down the owner of said beach house for tax fraud or some boring shit like that. Maze usually liked to go after the more challenging bounties who actually did something that requires balls, but the money was good here.

Maze had decided to start saving up money in case she needed a new apartment whenever the Antichrist decided to make an appearance. She hadn't really decided to move out yet, nor has she spoken to Chloe about it, but she figured that things might get a bit cramped when the kid got older.

Maze laughed to herself when she pictured the devil with a baby. She couldn't wait to watch him change a diaper!

Maze opened the unlocked front door, and made her way inside. Every surface was either made of white chrome or glass. Pretty, sure.

But definitely not a place anyone could possibly feel comfortable enough in to call home. Plus, this entire place would shatter after one fight. Or even an eventful night of sex (or at least if you're doing it right, by Mazikeen's standards).

Maze made her way to the back and heard noises. She saw two open glass sliding doors leading to a pool party in full swing. There was alcohol, drugs, topless men and women, and many more sinful activities.

Maze smirked at the beautiful scene. Maybe she could spare a few minutes before finding her perp.

Nobody questioned the demon when she mingled among the invited guests and got a cocktail from the open bar.

Music pumped through the speakers and many humans danced to the fast beat. One human in particular, caught her eye.

An attractive woman with flowing dark hair wearing a dark blue flowing blouse and black leather pants. She danced freely to the music and simply seemed so happy.

She also happened to be dancing with Maze's bounty, Floyd Chan. Maze watched them from a distance while sipping her drink. It got to the point that most humans would consider it creepy.

Then the woman stopped dancing and walked up to the bar beside the demon. "Appletini, please." The woman ordered with a bright and breathless smile.

While the bartender got to her drink, the woman looked at Maze and knitted her eyebrows. "Hey, have we met before? You seem kinda familiar."

Maze shook her head. She couldn't remember ever meeting the woman beside her. "Nah, not that I remember."

"Huh, maybe it's somebody who looks like you then." The woman suggested.

Maze shrugged. "Maybe." The demon agreed.

"Well, I'm Eve." The woman introduced herself.

"Mazikeen." Maze supplied, knowing that it was human custom to exchange your own name.

Eve's eyebrows raised slightly in recognition. "Mazikeen of the Lilim? As in Lilith's daughter?"

Maze was momentarily caught off guard by the stranger's knowledge, and she reached for one of the blades and held it out of sight, just in case. "How the hell did you know that?" Maze questioned suspiciously.

"I used to know your mom. Back in the Garden we crossed paths a couple times." Eve explained.

Maze raised a single scared eyebrow. "Wait, you're that Eve? As in Lucifer's ex?"

Eve nodded. "Yep, that Eve. How is Lucifer, by the way? I haven't seen him in forever!"

Maze still regarded the woman with suspicion, and still held her blade out of sight. "He's doing fine. He likes to solve crimes with a goody-two-shoes detective now for some reason."

Eve nodded and then took her drink from the bartender. "That's cool, sounds like fun."

"How are you here? Isn't your body supposed to be dirt somewhere with the dinosaurs while your soul is up in Heaven playing with puppies or whatever you do up there?" Maze questioned.

"Well, since I'm made by the direct hands of God, it allowed me to slip into my old bones." Eve explained vaguely.

Maze thought about it for a minute, then shrugged. "Eh, sounds plausible." The demon grunted. Maze turned her attention back to the crowd, but couldn't see Floyd anywhere. "Shit!" Maze cursed.

"What's wrong?" Eve asked.

"That boy toy of yours is wanted for tax fraud, and I'm going to bring him in, but I've lost sight of him." Maze explained.

"Oh, are you a cop?" Eve asked curiously.

"Bounty hunter, which is much cooler." Maze corrected.

Eve's eyes widened in excitement. "A bounty hunter? That sounds exciting! Hey, maybe I can help you find Floyd?"

Maze gave the woman an odd look. "How do I know you won't help him escape?"

"Oh, we just met a few days ago and he invited me to this party. If he's a bad guy, then I don't care if he goes to jail." Eve explained. Maze knitted her brows as she thought about it.

"Well, I prefer to work alone." Maze said dismissively. She didn't want to have to babysit some rookie.

"Oh, well, okay then." Eve said, trying to hide her disappointment. "If it helps any, I saw him arguing earlier right before the party with someone on the phone. He said that he'd get the money to the boss today or something like that."

That peeked the demon's interest. That sounded interesting. "Who's the boss?" Maze asked. Eve shrugged. "I don't know, but Floyd sounded scared."

Maze mulled it over and smirked. Maybe this was gonna be something more challenging than tax fraud. "Screw it, maybe I can have some company just this once." Maze decided.

Eve jumped up and clapped happily. "Yay!"

———————

"Careful now, urchin. This face is the eighth wonder of the world, after all." Lucifer warned as Trixie began to apply the very pink face paint to his cheek in Chloe’s kitchen.

The night was going surprisingly well. They had gotten Chinese takeout for dinner. They had all talked while they ate. There had been jokes and laughs shared, a comfortableness was established.

They had lollipops as they played monopoly, and then Lucifer and Trixie had gotten into an argument over who got to be the top hat, and Trixie had proposed a deal.

Lucifer had tried to negotiate with cash, but Trixie was stubborn and would only accept this. And Lucifer, being the stubborn devil he is, refused to be anything other than a top hat, so here they were.

Lucifer sat at the table in the kitchen, back bent so that Trixie could easily reach. Chloe sat at the breakfast bar with a glass of cranberry juice in hand, her face already adorned with pink flowers, and watched the scene unfolding in front of her with a grin.

If you had told her a year ago that the annoying British guy meddling in her investigation would now be sitting in her kitchen, getting his face painted by her daughter, she would've laughed in your face.

And yet, here he was.

Chloe subtly placed her empty hand on her abdomen and caressed it lovingly. Her feelings towards Lucifer were definitely complicated, to say the least, but watching him that night gave her hope for the future.

Lucifer cringed as the urchin treated him like a canvas. "Could you at the very least take a request? Something, anything, more masculine then a pink unicorn?"

"Nope! This was the deal!" Trixie chirped happily as she continued her work.

Lucifer huffed and glanced at a now giggling detective. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He asked irritably.

Chloe nodded as her giggles turned to full blown laughs. "Very much so, yes." She answered.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Bloody hell," He then pointed a finger in the general direction of Chloe's stomach. "That one better be a boy, because I don't know how much more of this I can take." He said sarcastically, though honestly he had no idea which sex he would prefer the spawn to be. He had apprehension towards either.

"Don't talk so much! Or I'll mess it up!" Trixie demanded.

"Well, you're not exactly Michelangelo to begin with." Lucifer grumbled.

After a few minutes (which Lucifer complained the entire time) Trixie finished her masterpiece and presented Lucifer with a hand mirror.

Lucifer groaned when he saw the messy pink mained unicorn on his face that was obviously painted by an 8-year-old.

Trixie put her hands on her hips and raised her chin up when she saw his displeased expression. "Can you do better?" She sassed.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. "Touché." Lucifer finally answered.

Chapter Text

Chloe woke up the next morning. The cursed vomiting had gone down significantly lately, and for that she was grateful.

Chloe could instantly smell something good from downstairs. It had gotten later than anyone anticipated, so Lucifer slept on the couch the night before.

Chloe hopped in the shower real quick, brushed her teeth, got dressed in a tank top, sweat pants, and slippers before making her way downstairs. She could hear Trixie rambling excitedly in the kitchen along with sounds of something cooking.

She found Trixie sitting at the breakfast bar and Lucifer cooking pancakes and nodding along. He had shed the jacket and vest, and had the sleeves of his white-slightly wrinkled-dress shirt rolled up.

He had washed most of the face paint off the night before but a few sparkles here and there had been more stubborn. Chloe smiled at the sweet scene that she never could have predicted in a million years. Lucifer Morningstar was just full of surprises.

Lucifer began to skillfully flip the pancake he was currently cooking high in the air above the pan. Just as he was about to throw the pancake in the air, he heard the Detective’s footsteps behind him. He turned his head towards her with his signature grin.

"Morning, Detec-" He cut himself off and his eyes widened in surprise. He accidentally threw the pancake too hard and it ended up getting stuck to the ceiling.

What had surprised the devil so much was the small yet prominent bump that was visible due to the tight tank top. He hadn't noticed before due to her grandmother-like work attire.

To anyone who didn't know any better, they would've simply assumed that she was just putting on a little weight. But Lucifer did know better. He knew that the real reason as to why she was gaining weight was because she was with a child. His child. And it was bloody terrifying.

Trixie laughed her little head off at the pancake stuck to the ceiling. Chloe gave Lucifer a reprimanding look.

She opened her mouth to say something when the pancake fell and hit Lucifer's head on its way down. "Shit!" Lucifer cursed and finally tore his eyes away from the bump, but he still couldn't get the image out of his head.

Chloe couldn't help herself but laugh, anger dissolving. Oh well, it will definitely come back whenever she had to clean the dough off her ceiling.

Lucifer now had dough stuck to his hair and he glared at the laughing women. "Ha ha, bet my dad is laughing with you right now." Lucifer sassed irritably as he turned off the stove.

That had been the last pancake anyway. The others were stacked neatly on a plate, waiting to be consumed.

The devil then turned in the direction of the stairs, planning on taking a shower. "You two go ahead and eat, I'll go wash this gunk off." Lucifer said over his shoulder.

He avoided looking at the detective's stomach again, but he couldn't stop seeing it in his mind's eye. He already knew that the offspring was a reality, but seeing that little bump made it suddenly feel so real.

The look on Lucifer's face when he saw her bump hadn't gone unnoticed by Chloe. It might be the hormones, but Chloe would be lying if she said that it didn't sting a little.

Even though Lucifer had given her his word that he would stick around, Chloe still had her doubts about his permanence. How could she not? He was the complete opposite of domestication.

For God's sake, she had once walked into his penthouse and accidentally saw that he was hosting an orgy! Which they had agreed never to talk about again (after he had naturally invited her, and she had vehemently declined).

A few minutes later after Chloe had dug into her admittedly delicious breakfast of blueberry pancakes, her phone rang. She picked it up and found Maze’s name on the screen. She accepted the call and held it to her ear.

"Chloe, I have a problem." Maze's voice could be heard before Chloe had the chance to say anything. The demon's voice was calm and even, but Chloe could hear someone else (a woman's voice) in the background. She couldn't make out the words, but she sounded panicked.

“Maze? What kind of problem? Are you okay?" Chloe asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, but I've got a bit of a situation, and since you're a cop, you might be able to help." Chloe didn't like the way Maze enunciated the word l'm. “What kind of situation?"

"Well... I may or may not be currently standing above the dead body of my latest bounty, and it may or may not look like I did it."

———————

Hours earlier

Maze and Eve searched through the crowd of sweaty humans, but they couldn't find Floyd. "Maybe he went inside?" Eve suggested. The two women then went inside the house and began their search.

So far they hadn't had any luck downstairs, so they decided to try the second floor. "So, what does Adam think about you being down here on Earth?" Maze asked as they searched through one of the bedrooms.

Eve paused and had a displeased expression. "He doesn't think much of anything about me these days... Or any days leading up to that, really."

"Marital problems?" Maze asked.

“More like divorce." Eve said.

Maze knitted her eyebrows and Hmm'Ed. "I didn't know that you can get divorced up there." The demon mused.

"Well you know what they say, till death do you part. After death, you're pretty much on your own. Or at least that's how Adam saw it." Eve's voice was laced with hurt and her previous smile dimmed. But then she shrugged it off and wore a mask of carefree joy. "But hey, at least that gives me the freedom to do whatever I want here! Or whomever I want." The last part Eve said with a flirtatious wiggle of her eyebrows.

"The 'whomever you want' part doesn't have anything to do with Lucifer, does it?" Maze questioned.

Eve shook her head. "No, not really. I didn't even know that he was Earthside till I saw you. Though, I wouldn't be that opposed if he did want to get together. But I'm not going to go after him."

"Good, cause he's got his hands full right now." Maze said, but she wouldn't elaborate. She knew that the sexual tension between him and Decker couldn't even be cut with a knife, plus with the whole goddess and blade issues, and the baby, having an ex flame pining over the devil was the last thing anyone needed just then.

They went into a room that looked like an office, and the first thing they noticed was the open safe. Maze walked towards it and saw the stacks of cash inside. She picked one up and examined it. The money was obviously fake. It could probably trick many humans, but Maze knew better than that.

"Ooooh, somebody's not strapped for cash." Eve said over Maze's shoulder.

“It's fake. And not too bad of a fakes." Maze said as she dropped the money back into the safe.

"But why would anyone just leave open a safe full of fake money during a pool party?" Eve asked.

"They would if they were in a rush, and there was something else in the safe." Maze said. She took one of her hell-forged blades out and set her sights on the closet door. "Stay behind me, and don't do anything." Maze instructed.

Eve did as she was told and watched the demon with fascination.

"Floyd, come out, come out, wherever you are! I know you're here." Maze said with a smirk as she advanced on the closet door with the grace of a true predator.

The closet door suddenly burst open to reveal a one Floyd Chan with a, as Maze had predicted, gun pointed at her chest.

Maze was still hesitant when she saw the weapon. She may not be human, and it took a hell of a lot to knock her lights out, but enough bullets could do the trick if they hit the right places. Plus, there was Eve to consider as well. Humans were so damn fragile.

"Get the fuck out!" Floyd shouted, voice full of poorly hidden panic.

Maze raised a scarred eyebrow with a smirk. "Or what? You'll go scarface on my ass?" The demon purred with arrogance.

Floyd seemed confused and thrown off by Maze's confidence. "Yeah, that was the idea..."

Maze rolled her eyes. "What's with the money, been watching too much Good Girls and got inspired?"

"What's Good Girls?" Eve stage-whispered.

“It's a tv show. Shut up." Maze stage-whispered back.

"Look, I don't want any trouble, okay? If Jessie sent you, then tell her I'll have the money ready tonight!" Floyd said, still pointing the gun at them.

"Jessie? Who the hell is Jessie?" Maze asked. Floyd frowned, then his eyes widened when he realized his mistake. Dumbass.

"You don't work for Jessie?" Floyd asked, voice trembling.

“No, I'm a bounty hunter. You're currently wanted for tax fraud, but I'm starting to suspect that tax fraud is the least of your problems."

Floyd gulped and the hand holding the gun trembled. "Look, whatever you're getting paid for my bounty, I'll double it."

Maze tsked and took a step forward. "Nah, it's much funner when I take you assholes down. Plus, I got a reputation to keep."

Panic flooded through Floyd, and with panic, usually comes stupid decisions.

Floyd aimed his gun at Maze's arm holding the blade, and pulled the trigger. Maze dodged the worst of it, but still got grazed and dropped her blade.

Mazikeen had tortured countless guilty souls, fought in merciless battles with her own brethren, and has experienced things that would make a human vomit from just thinking about. A simple bullet graze was nothing to her physically.

But it did piss her off though.

Maze jumped at the man with an inhuman growl.
Floyd dodged her attack, but fell to the floor in the process. She jumped at him to the floor and punched him in the jaw. He hit her as hard as he could in the nose, and a sickening crunching sound could be heard.

Maze was distracted for only a few seconds, but that was all he needed. Floyd grabbed Maze's blade in his panic and crashed through the window, shattering the glass. He yelped in pain when he got cut, but adrenaline spurred him on.

"Why didn't you stop him?!" Maze asked Eve, who was standing in a corner.

“You told me not to do anything!" Eve defended guiltily. Truth was, Eve had froze. She wasn't used to situations like this. She had spent the last few thousand years in Heaven, for God's sake!

Maze groaned and got up. She first got a running start, and leaped through the window after her bounty, ignoring the broken glass and the fact that she was two stories up. She landed with cat-like grace, and scanned her surroundings.

There were many cars parked around the house. And with the loud music, Maze doubted that anyone had heard the gunshot.

She then saw Floyd just as he shut the door of his yellow black-striped mustang. The engine roared to life, and he began to pull out and head to the road.

Maze smiled wickedly as she couched down out of sight, and waited for him to drive by. Floyd recklessly drove the vehicle towards the main road, passing Maze in the process.

Once he barreled by, Maze leaped and landed on his windshield. "HERE'S JOHNNY!" She exclaimed with a grin filled to the brim with manic glee.

Floyd screamed and swerved the car, trying to throw her off. She could see through the glass that he had a massive cut on his forehead and a small piece of glass sticking out of his shoulder.

Jeez, this guy either stupid, desperate, or both. Maze's money was almost always on both.

The demon held tight, even when they had made it to the road. She then got hit in the face by the windshield wipers, which was just insulting.

Maze then began to maneuver herself to the passenger side of the car, and with one hand holding on to the roof of the car with inhuman strength, she opened the passenger side door and in the same motion she slipped her body into the car.

"How the fu-" Floyd wondered in shock, but then he drove them right into a big ass boulder on the side of the road.

The car flipped forwards on impact, and they landed upside down. Before then the airbags had deployed, smothering them both.

Maze was a bit winded, but otherwise uninjured besides the graze and bloody nose. Floyd was knocked unconscious from the impact, but seemed alive if his groans said anything.

Maze kicked her door open, and crawled out. She took a minute to catch her breath before making her way to Floyd's door. She couldn't get the door open, and the window was already broken, so she just moved some of the bigger pieces out of the way and dragged her unconscious bounty out.

He was still unconscious as she dragged him by the ankles back to the house. Luckily they hadn't gone far, so it only took a few minutes of walking.

Once they got back, Maze found Eve standing outside near the parked cars. "Holy shit! You two look like, well, shit!" Eve helpfully pointed out with worry.

“Thanks." Came the demon's sarcastic response. “Wanna help me out here?" Maze asked, gesturing with her head towards their bounty.

“Oh, yeah!" Eve answered. She then walked towards the front half of Floyd, and hoisted him up by the armpits. She grunted from the weight as they made their way towards Maze's car.

Maze didn't even bother to set him down gently, and just dumped his legs on the ground once they reached the vehicle. Eve was more considerate, or at least tried to be with setting him on the ground.

Maze opened her trunk that was filled with all sorts of goodies that ranged from sex toys, torture devices, weapons, and things that the DEA couldn't even dream of.

Eve's eyes widened in surprise and fascination when she beheld the trunk's contents. Maze pulled out a roll of duck tape, and got to work.

A few minutes later Floyd's hands, feet, and mouth were duck taped, and he was sitting in the back seat with a panicked look in his eyes. He had woken up just as they were finished taping him.

Maze had wanted to duck tape him to the roof of the car as revenge for shooting her, but Eve had persuaded her otherwise.

Maze drove as Eve fiddled with the radio in the passenger seat. "You know, there's one thing I've always wanted to do." Eve mused.

"Oh yeah? And what is that?"

"I've always wanted to bash someone in the balls."

Maze smiled, pleasantly surprised. "Well, if you'd like, we could pull over and make your dreams come true. Floyd's might be a bit small, but they should work."

To which Floyd gave his muffled protests, which of course went ignored. Eve thought about it for a moment, considering. But ultimately shook her head no. "No, I think it should be natural and a spur of the moment kinda thing."

Maze nodded. "Makes sense. It's always more exciting when they don't expect it."

They currently drove on an empty road through some woodland. The house was a little ways outside the city, so it was a long drive back. Maze was surprised with how much she was enjoying Eve's company.

And they weren't even having sex! But just talking. And not even talking about sex. Though they had flirted here and there.

Usually when Maze transported her bounties, it was silent save for the whimpers of her victims. It's not that Maze didn't revel in those drives, but hearing Eve talk about shit was oddly nice. But the demon would never admit that out loud.

Nope. Nada.

A large ugly bright green truck was driving towards their direction on the other lane. The windows were tinted, so it was impossible to see inside. Then oddly, the truck began to drive faster. And directly at them on their lane.

"Shit." Maze muttered as she tried to maneuver them out of the way, but the road was too narrow, and they had trees on either side of them.

The trio didn't have time to prepare for the impact when the truck hit them, smashing the windshield and leaving a nasty dent in the hood.

The truck pushed them off the road, and pinned them against a tree. The demon and two humans suffered no more than a couple bruises, luckily.

When the vehicles stopped, a person jumped out of the passenger seat of the truck, wearing blue jeans, black hoodie, black gloves, and a fucking gas mask. He was holding a small object in his hand that he then threw in their direction. The small object then let out a fog that engulfed them.

"Shit!" Maze exclaimed as she coughed. It was some kind of knock-out gas that Maze couldn't remember the name of. Usually, this stuff can't knock her out like with fragile humans. But it could throw her off her game.

"Hold your breath!" Maze tried to warn Eve, but she was already falling asleep. Maze's vision became blurry as she unbuckled herself and reached for her blade.

She struggled as she opened her door and stumbled out. The person who had thrown the knock out gas seemed to be taken aback judging by their body language. Probably thought that she would be in dreamland by now.

Maze tried to wield her blade threateningly, but stumbled on her way. Her vision became more blurry by the moment, and she could feel herself slipping. Shit, this stuff was strong. She'd need to get the number of whoever made this.

Maze barely registered when the person hit her in the head with a crowbar, effectively knocking her unconscious.

Maze didn't know how long she had been out, but she woke up to someone gently shaking her shoulder. "Maze?" Eve asked worriedly.

Maze groaned, head pounding. Fuuuuuck. This hurts. Her metabolism wasn't nearly as fast as an angel's, and she could still get drunk and high by human amounts of goodies (she had a hell of a tolerance compared to most humans, but still), but she still rarely got hangovers.

She had only had two hangovers in her long life. That first time she had experienced alcohol during the first trip to Earth Lucifer had taken her on (Those humans really liked their mead). And that one time during the prohibition during that orgy they attended.

Then Maze suddenly remembered the events that had led to her current state. "Lucifer's dad-Dammit!" Maze exclaimed, then immediately regretted it when her head pounded in her skull.

Eve cringed beside her in sympathy.

The sky was dark, but barely brightening. It looked more like morning than evening, which shouldn't be right. "How long have we been out?" Maze asked with a groan. She struggled to get up and swallowed when she felt bile rise in her throat. Nope. She wasn't vomiting in front of Eve.

... Not that she cared about what the woman thought. No, it was just principal.

"Uh, your phone says that it's 4:56 AM." Eve held out said phone, that now sported a crack on the screen. "Son of a bitch." Maze irritably muttered as she took the phone.

Maze got up on her feet, and made her way towards her wreaked car. Two wreaks in one day. Eh, not that much. Guess it's a bit slow today.

The truck was nowhere to be seen, and unfortunately, neither was Floyd.

Maze sighed and leaned against her broken car. She'll figure out how to blackmail Lucifer into paying to have her car fixed, but it was certainly inconvenient at the moment. Maze reached for her blade, just to have something to do with her hands while thinking, but found it gone.

They both looked for the blades, only finding one in the backseat of the car floor.

Maze groaned as she sat in the backseat, needing a minute to get her thoughts in order. She really wanted to beat the living shit out of someone, but she had to find them first.

A small red object on the floor caught Maze's attention. She reached to pick it up, and found it to be a well-used advertisement match case. Maze quirked a scarred brow.

"What's that?" Eve asked from where she stood outside.

“It's an advertisement for a dealership. Must have fallen out of Floyd's pocket." Maze said, a grin climbing onto her face. "For Jessie's dealership, to be exact."

She lifted the match case for Eve to see, and sure enough, it said 'Jessie's Dealership', along with an address. No number though.

"Creative name." Eve quipped, her own face forming a grin. "So, does that mean we have a lead?"

Maze shrugged and climbed out of the car. "It's the best we got."

Since the car wasn't in drivable condition, they called a specific Uber who owed Lucifer a favor, and was willing to drive all the way outside the city, and she drove them to the address on the match case.

The dealership looked pretty mundane, and exactly what you'd expect. Used cars parked out front. Inflatable men who waved around (You'd be surprised with how many Hell-loops revolved around these things). And there was a plastic grocery bag making its rounds with the help of wind around the vehicles.

The place looked deserted for the morning. It had taken them quite some time to get there without breaking any road laws (Dammit Rhonda), so the sun was already up.

The two women left the Uber, and headed towards the dealership. Maze and Eve had gotten over the effects of the knockout gas, but Eve had ordered them to pull over to puke only a few minutes before arriving. Which they had agreed not to speak of again.

They walked around the outside of the dealership, not finding anything out of the ordinary. They then walked towards the front door. Maze eyed the locked keyhole, then Eve stepped forward, and presented two Bobby pins from her pocket, which she bent to the shape she desired.

“There was this guy I met in Heaven who worked as a lock smith." Eve explained as she picked the lock. Maze would be lying if she said she wasn't impressed with how quick and efficient Eve was.

They were inside the building in no time, but that appeared empty as well. The lights were off, and there wasn't even a security guard. The security cameras seemed to be off as well. Weird.

Eve wandered off to the back room as Maze studied the camera in the corner, and Maze heard an audible gasp. "HOLY SHIT!" Eve screamed, then she ran back into the room. Skin pale and eyes wide.

"What?" Maze asked with a quirked eyebrow.

“I Uh… I found him." Eve said in a small voice. Maze frowned, then followed Eve into the break room.

Where they found Floyd lying slump on the ground by the fridge, eyes wide and unseeing, with Maze's missing blade sticking out of his chest.

———————-

"And that's when I called you." Maze concluded her story.

Chloe and Lucifer sat at the other side of the interrogation table, thinking everything she said over. "I'm not going to lie, this doesn't look good." Chloe said with a heavy sigh.

"Duh, why do you think I called you?" The demon sassed.

Chloe ignored the attitude, too focused on trying to figure out a way out of this mess.

"Eve is in town?" Lucifer asked.

Chloe gave him a reprimanding look. "Really, Lucifer? That's your takeaway from this? Your friend is a suspect in a murder investigation, and the part you worry about is the fact that your ex-girlfriend is in town?" Chloe was extra testy that day, but she blamed it on hormones.

"I'm simply asking a question, Detective. No need to bite my head off." Lucifer said and raised his hands in surrender.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "We'll need to hear Eve's story next, and hopefully by then Ella will have something to tell us about your blade."

"Other than the fact that it's forged in the biles of Hell?" Maze asked. To which Chloe ignored, like she always did when they brought up divinity or anything of the like. "Right." The detective said.

"Speaking of which, I'm gonna need that blade back. I only have two of those up here, the rest are back down in Hell. And it wouldn't be good for it to fall into the wrong hands, since it's one of the only things that can kill your baby daddy. Well, when you're not around, of course." Maze said matter of factly.

Again, Chloe chose to ignore the less believable parts of those sentences. "That weapon is evidence in a murder investigation, so it's hard to tell at this point when you'll be able to have it back." Chloe didn't include the fact that there was a chance that she wouldn't get the blade back period. Knowing how much her roommate had a tendency to overreact.

Both Maze and Lucifer knew that the demon wasn't going to wait that long, being the stubborn and resourceful hellion she was. But they both chose not to fill the Detective in on that tidbit.

They had questioned Eve afterwards, and her story had lined up with Maze's. She unfortunately couldn't tell them anything useful about the victim, saying that she hadn't known him that well.

Lucifer and Eve had chatted a bit about old times spent in the garden, and what they were up to these days. Chloe had discovered that Eve also spoke in those weird metaphors that Lucifer and Maze enjoyed so much.

Chloe did find it odd that an ex-girlfriend of Lucifer's, who talked about a garden and her ex-husband named Adam, was named Eve, like that one in the Bible. Whenever she tried to bring this up with him, Lucifer had once again insisted that Eve was in fact the original one, although the apple was more of a metaphor.

But Chloe couldn't concentrate on those matters, because she had a murder to solve, and needed to clear her roommate's name.

Chloe and Lucifer were now driving up to Floyd's house, which was now mercifully empty. A few officers had come there earlier to clear everyone out and examine the house.

They had also found Maze's wreaked car a few miles down the road, along with the empty gas grenade, which strengthened Maze and Eve's story.

Chloe parked the car and put her face in front of the AC for a moment, enjoying the last bit of coolness before stepping out into the heat.

"Are you alright, Detective?" Lucifer asked, puzzled.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It's just not that fun to be pregnant during a hot day." Chloe assured him. Though Chloe had to admit this was certainly a very tame pregnancy regarding the symptoms so far compared to her first one.

The worst she had experienced was the vomiting, but that was already going down. Of course, she said that now at 13 weeks, but just wait till she hit 8 months and couldn't stand up on her own.

"Right." Was all Lucifer could say. He was getting more used to the Detective's comments about the offspring, but it was still unnerving.

They left the car and made their way inside. They entered the office with the safe. Chloe slipped on a pair of gloves, handed a pair to Lucifer (Who just sat them down on a random surface), and scanned the scene.

They had already gone to the dealership where the actual crime had been committed, but had found nothing. So they hoped to find something here that would point them in the right direction.

They had also tried contacting Jessica Patterson, the owner of the dealership and most likely the woman Floyd had accidentally mentioned, but she was nowhere to be found at the moment.

Usually they'd sick Maze on runaway suspects, but that was obviously not going to happen here.

Lucifer walked up to the table that had been set up and took a gander at the contents that were previously in the safe. "These fakes aren't too bad, but still not perfect. Only a dullard would be fooled by these. Isn't that right, Daniel?"

Dan, who was standing at the other side of the room, bristled at the insult, but otherwise ignored the devil.

"Come look, Detective." Lucifer said as he gestured for her to stand beside him. She obliged. "You see that small dot in Benny's hair? That's a mistake they must have made during printing." Lucifer pointed out.

He then knitted his brow and took a closer look. "In fact, I think I've seen one of these before." Lucifer said as he tapped his index finger on his chin, trying to remember where. "Yes, there was a chap in Lux a few weeks ago who payed with these. It was a busy night and the employee taking care of that was new, so she didn't catch it until after he left."

"Really?" Chloe said, hardly believing such a coincidence.

Lucifer nodded his confirmation. "Yes, I believe so."

"Do you by any chance know his name?"

"No, I didn't deal with him personally. But he had given one of the dancers his number. As if he actually had a shot. I had meant to call him and fix the situation, but I... Got distracted with other things." Lucifer glanced momentarily towards Chloe's stomach, a gesture she would've missed if she'd blinked.

"I see. Well, let's call him. See if they have any connection." Chloe concluded.

Lucifer had to first call his dancer, Laura, since he couldn't remember the number, and once she'd told them, along with giving them a description of the man (Tag, as she had called him), they were now dialing the number.

It took a couple of rings before he picked up. "Hello?" Said a nasally voice.

"Is this Tag?" Chloe asked, voice sickeningly pleasant.

"Who is this?" He asked instead of answering. "It's Laura, from the club." Chloe lied while copying the voice.

"Laura?" Tag asked, voice perking up. "What took you so long?"

"Work, mostly. My boss can be so demanding, and especially annoying." Chloe said with a glance at an unimpressed Lucifer.

"I hear ya, my boss has been riding me up the wall lately." Tag sympathized. "It's even worse when you're related."

"You're related to your boss?" Chloe asked.

“Yeah, my sister Jessie. But I already told you that."

Chloe and Lucifer share a victorious smile. Gotcha. "Oh, right. Sorry, I must have forgot."

"Your voice sounds a little different." Tag pointed out.

“I had a cold recently." Chloe lied. There was silence on the other line for several moments, and Chloe was worried that he might hang up when-

"Okay, well I-" Tag began to say, but a woman's voice interrupted him.

“Tag? What the hell are you doing? I said no phones!" The voices became muffled, but still understandable.

“Relax, it's just a stripper I met a few weeks ago. No biggie."

"It's not from one of those places you took the money, is it?"

There was dead silence, and then the call ended. "Apparently it was." Chloe commented. She then turned to Dan, who was sitting on a pullout chair beside them. "Could you-?"

"Already on it, Chlo." Dan said as he whipped out his laptop, and got to work on researching their guy.

It surprisingly didn't take that long to find information on Tag Patterson (He was a little too committed to his Facebook page). They had also found that he posted pictures of himself beside a bright green truck whose color made Lucifer's face scrunch up in disgust.

They had sent a copy of a photo to Maze, who confirmed this to be the truck that had barreled into them.

"It looks like we may have found our guy. Any chance that we can track the call?" Chloe asked Brickson, the technician on the scene. She was already doing something on her laptop when Chloe handed her the phone.

"I can certainly try. I can track the location of where the call was made from, but there's no guarantee that they'll still be there." Brickson answered as she worked.

A little while later, they had a location. It was a duplex in an okay part of town. Not too shabby, but nothing to crow about either.

The reasons they had to go after Tag and Jessie Patterson was mostly conjecture and Maze's word, so they couldn't get anyone else to go with them.

"Are you sure that you should go first, Detective?" Lucifer asked for the umpteenth time as they walked up to the house. "Given your current condition?"

"I'm pregnant, not made of porcelain." Chloe said, trying to hide the irritation in her voice. The thing she had hated more than anything during her pregnancy with Trixie, was how fragile everyone saw her as.

That, and being stuck on desk duty those last few months. So... Much... Paperwork.

"As long as you're sure..." Lucifer relented, though he didn't seem thrilled about it.

"I'm sure." They then walked up to the door, and Chloe smiled. "And besides, I'm the one with the badass gun."

Lucifer smiled cheekily at that. "You certainly are. Just the right amount of terrifying and attractive."

Chloe winked (She's definitely been spending too much time with the devil), and with one hand resting near her gun, she knocked on the door with the other.

They could hear the click clack of heels behind the door, and then it opened to reveal-

"Took you long enough." Maze said and then proceeded to pop her bubble gum.

The partners looked at the demon with surprise. The demon who also happened to be fingering the blade that should have still been in evidence.

"Maze? What the hell are you doing here?" Chloe asked, dumbfounded. Though, why was she even surprised by these people anymore?

"Waiting on you two, obviously. Eve and I got here a while ago. We already got a confession." And with that, Maze left the door open and walked deeper into the house.

Lucifer got over his surprise quickly, having known Mazikeen since fire and brimstone. The partners followed the demon inside to the living room to find Tag and Jessie, twins in their early forties, tied to each other on the floor and Eve watching them from the plaid sofa and drinking an apple juice box.

"Hey, guys." Eve greeted with a small wave.

"Tell them what you told us." Maze demanded as she ripped the tape from Jessie's mouth.

"I killed Floyd Chan!" Jessie admitted, voice full of fear as she stared at Maze. "Floyd and I worked together. He made fake money, and I cleaned it through my dealership. Everything worked for a while, but then the IRS started getting on his ass about the damn taxes, and he freaked out. He said that he didn't want to do it anymore, and threatened to turn me in to the police by making some deal. I panicked, and killed him with this chick's knife."

"That's... the fastest confession we've ever gotten." Chloe said in bewilderment. "Could you repeat that in the police station?"

Jessie nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Whatever you want! Just get them away from me!" Jessie sent a terrified glance towards Maze and Eve.

"Right..." Chloe said, and then she got out a pair of handcuffs, and sent Lucifer to retrieve another one from the car.

"You and I will have words about this." Chloe warned her roommate as she untied the suspects.

Maze rolled her eyes and scoffed. "It better be a thank you."

Now it was Chloe's turn to roll her eyes. "Sure it will."

Chloe, Lucifer, and the Pattersons were now driving towards the precinct. Maze and Eve had left together to do God-only-knows-what. They seemed to be an odd pair, but apparently they worked.

"Today has been like a poorly written episode of some soap opera." Chloe remarked with a chuckle.

"Or amateur fiction writer who's kidding themselves." Lucifer suggested.

Chloe shrugged. "Maybe."

Chapter Text

The next morning, Dan couldn't sleep. He was staring at his bedroom ceiling, lost in thought. He had to go to work in a little under two hours, so he was stuck in a limbo. Should he try to get some sleep, or just get ready for the day?

He hadn't slept much the night before, so he was too tired to get up. But at the same time, his mind was too active to allow sleep.

The woman sleeping beside him yawned and stretched out as she woke up. The reason behind Dan's lack of sleep.

Dan was a weak man. A very, very weak man.

Him and Charlotte had run into each other the night before in a bar after Dan's date had gone disastrous. Dan had agreed to share one drink with the lawyer...

Then one drink became two. And two became three. And somehow three became seven. Add to that the fact that strong willed, attractive women were Dan's kryptonite, and he was screwed. Literally.

"Hi there." Charlotte said, voice soft and rough from sleep. She moved to her side as to be facing Dan.

"Hi," Dan said back, giving her a smile. "Hungry?"

"Starving. This body needs a ridiculous amount of nourishment to function." Charlotte said casually.

Dan looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Right. Makes sense." That wasn't even the top ten weirdest thing he's heard her say. He stood from the bed, and retrieved the briefs from the floor.

Charlotte didn't even try to hide the appreciative way she watched him bent over, and Dan would be lying if he said that it didn't effect his ego.

"I'm no master chief, but I can make a mean plate of scrambled eggs." Dan said as he made his way to the small kitchen in his apartment.

"I don't see how the temperament of the eggs are important, but I'll take your word for it." Charlotte said as she, complete and utterly naked, followed him into the apartment.

"Uh..." Dan said as his eyes trailed over her body. "Could you, uh, get dressed?" He asked as his faced warmed.

"Why? It's nothing that you haven't seen, or touched, last night." Charlotte said with a flirtatious smile.

Dan gulped. Yes, he was indeed a weak, weak man.

"Yeah, and I really enjoyed that, but it's... well, it's a little distracting." Dan stuttered, feeling like a teenager again in all the worst ways.

Charlotte shrugged and turned back to the bedroom. "Fine, but only if you don't put a shirt on."

Dan huffed out a laugh. "Deal."

Dan got to work with making the eggs when Charlotte came back, this time wearing one of Dan's oversized LAPD tee-shirts.

She then sat down on a chair at the small kitchen table, and watched him work. "You're thinking about something." She acknowledged. "What is it?"

Dan kept his attention to the eggs, scrambling them, and adding salt and pepper. "You mean besides the almost naked, ultra hot woman sitting across from me? Nothing important."

The goddess could tell that there was something more to it. You didn't live as long as she did, with as many children as she did, without having a sense for these things.

But she didn't press. And not because she wasn't curious about what was on his mind. Usually, she couldn't care less for the thoughts and feelings regarding disposable humans that her husband loved so dearly... But for some reason, Dan was different. She couldn't discern why, but he was.

All she knew, was that he was by far her favorite human.

Dan placed two plates of scrambled eggs on the table, and sat down. They ate in silence for a few minutes before Dan sighed. "It's just..." He started, trying to form his thoughts. "I'm worried about Chloe and Trixie."

"Why? Are they in danger?" Charlotte asked as she knitted her brow. She didn't care much for those two humans (especially the blonde), but she knew that Dan loved them.

"No, nothing like that. I'm just worried that Lucifer is going to screw up with Chloe again."

Now the goddess was becoming all the more curious. "Why are you worried about this? It doesn't seem like that's anything new."

"Well, there's a little more to it than that." Dan answered.

Now the goddess was VERY curious. "Like what?"

Dan stopped himself from answering and shook his head. "Nope, not my place to say. I already accidentally let it slip with someone else."

The goddess huffed irritably and leaned back in her chair. There was definitely something going on with Lucifer without her knowledge, and apparently, Dan may-or-may-not know what it was.

She smiled sweetly and then lifted her foot, and placed it between his legs under the table. His eyes widened and that blush that she loved eliciting crept onto his face.

"Come on, Detective Espinoza, it's just you and me. You can tell me." She fluttered her eyelashes just for good measure.

He was close to cracking, she could feel it... but then he cleared his throat and gently pushed her foot away. "I can't, sorry."

Again, she huffed and leaned back in her chair in defeat. She found his restraint both annoying and attractive. Oh, well. She would just have to find another way somehow.

"Fine. Don't tell me. But can I give you some advice regarding Lucifer?"

Dan shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

"What you need to know about Lucifer, is that he didn't have the best childhood. I am finally starting to see that now. And his parents were hardly good examples of a healthy relationship. But he deserves the benefit of the doubt. He deserves to be given at least one chance." The goddess felt regretful when she spoke of her former relationship. She had failed to consider how it may have effected her children until recently.

Dan mulled it over, and seemed to come to a conclusion. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I am being too hard on him. I wasn't exactly the picture perfect husband or father myself, I'm hardly one to judge."

Dan regretted the way he had put work before his family, and the secrets he had kept from Chloe. So, he had no real right to judge her choices.

Hell, if Chloe was a little less kind and forgiving, she could easily take his joint custody of Trixie away after the whole Palmetto mess.

Dan could give Lucifer the benefit of the doubt, for now. But that didn't mean he had to like it.

———————

Later that day, Dan walked up to Chloe's desk with a box of chocolates in hand. Once he got there, Chloe gave him a hard look. Which he deserved. He had been giving her the cold shoulder since she had told him about the baby.

He held out the chocolate with an apologetic expression. "Peace offering? I remember how much you loved chocolate during..." He didn't elaborate, not wanting to inform the entire precinct of her condition. But she understands that he meant her pregnancy with Trixie.

Chloe was reluctant to accept it, but she had been having a craving for something sweet, and Dan had even gotten her favorite brand. Finally she gave up and took the chocolate, but her expression didn't soften.

"Look, Chlo, I want to apologize. I've been an ass about this whole thing, when I should just support your decisions." Dan said, swallowing every ounce of pride he had.

Chloe raised her eyebrows and gouged his expression. He seemed sincere, but she was still having a hard time trusting again him after Palmetto. After moments of consideration, Chloe finally let out a breath. "It's fine, Dan. Just don't let it happen again. I can make my own decisions, and you have absolutely no right to scold me or Lucifer over it."

Dan nodded. "Won't happen again. I promise."

"I'll hold you up to that." Chloe promised, and then turned her attention back to the crime scene photos she was examining.

Dan then saw Lucifer flirting with an attractive woman a few feet away. Dan narrowed his eyes and made his way to him. "Seriously?" Dan questioned. The woman had walked off by the time Dan made it there. "Do you have no shame?"

"Not usually, no. That emotion is almost as useless as guilt." Lucifer said with his usual grin.

Dan ground his teeth as he tried to keep himself in check, remembering the promise he made not even five minutes ago. "Come with me." Dan said as he took Lucifer by the arm and led him towards the empty conference room. Once they got inside, Dan shut the door and pulled down the window shades.

"Fancy a quickie, Daniel? You're not my usual type, but I can make due." Lucifer joked while he fixed his cuff.

"What is wrong with you?" Dan asked angrily. "Chloe cares about you, and yet all you do all day is jerk her emotions around."

The smile vanished from Lucifer's face. "That is not true." Lucifer tried to defend, but Daniel laughed (actually LAUGHED!) in his face.

"Really? Then what do you call leaving for Vegas without so much as a text, and coming back married? And constantly shoving it in her face? Or hitting on men and women right in front of her? Or disappearing again for almost three days? You can't be stupid enough to not realize how much Chloe cares about you, or to not realize how much your actions are hurting her."

Lucifer felt defensive, and guilty. He felt things that he would very much like to ignore for the rest of time. "Well, at least I didn't allow everyone to treat her like she was a monster for accusing a man in a coma of being dirty, while I knew for a bloody fact that she was right!" Lucifer spat, throwing Dan's worst moments back in his face.

The men glared at each other in disdain.

"You're right." Dan admitted. "I fucked up. And a day doesn't go by where I don't regret it. But at least I'm trying to do better."

"And you think I'm not?" Lucifer said, voice smooth as ice. "You think I'm not trying to do better myself? That I'm not trying to figure out how the hell I'm supposed to be what the Detective and the child need?"

Dan's voice was just as cold and hard as he said, "I think that you're afraid to do better."

Lucifer felt as if he had just been punched in the gut by simple words. Lucifer wanted throw an actual punch, but Daniel wasn't done.

"I think that you are terrified of not being able to be what Chloe and the baby need," And oddly, Daniel's hard expression seemed to soften. "And that's okay. Because you know what? That's everyone. Everyone is terrified of relationships, and especially of parenthood. I certainly was. I was absolutely petrified when Chloe told me that she was pregnant with Trixie."

"Well, that's not hard to believe. I don't know you for your bravery." Lucifer scoffed.

Dan glared and crossed his arms. "And I guess that I never completely got over that fear, which might have played into our failed marriage. But I'm trying to be better. I'm trying to be a better father to Trixie, and a friend to Chloe. I love them both, Lucifer. That will never change, even if my love towards Chloe does. So I will never not want what's best for them. And if you prove that that's not you, then I won't hesitate to push you out of their lives.”

Lucifer doubted that Daniel could possibly accomplish that, but the fact that he would threaten something so severe, was there all the same.

But oddly, Lucifer wasn't nearly as infuriated by this as he expected himself to be. In fact, it was almost bloody reassuring. Even with all his faults, Daniel obviously cared deeply for Chloe and her children.

But Lucifer would never admit that out loud.
"I'll remember that." Lucifer said stiffly.

"Good." Daniel said with a nod, and then he turned and grasped the door handle.

"Before Beatrice was born..." Lucifer began to ask. Dan stopped, hand still resting on the handle. "Have you ever been afraid of... of ruining her?" Lucifer hadn't meant for the question to sound as vulnerable as it did.

Dan was quiet for several moments, mulling his answer over. "Yes." He admitted. "Palmetto was not my only mistake. And I was terrified of somehow passing that along down to Trixie. But you know her, so you know that she's all good."

Lucifer was oddly satisfied with that answer. Despite Lucifer's protests and complaints regarding the sticky urchin, she was certainly growing on him. She wasn't nearly as intolerable as most miscreants her age.

Dan left the room after that, leaving Lucifer to stew after the heavy conversation.

———————

Hours later in Lux, Lucifer yawned as Amenadiel droned on and on. He sipped from his scotch and watched the people of the club dance, drink, and engaged in other sinful activities that he helped invent.

Amenadiel, Mum, and himself, all sat at a table in Lux as Amenadiel read from a book.

"Lucifer, listen to your brother." Mum reprimanded. To which Amenadiel just had to wear a smug grin.

Momma's boy.

"But his reading voice is even more boring than his normal one!" Lucifer whined. "I could be attending an orgy right now! But because the two of you dragged me here, I'm missing out on a champagne filled pool, a multitude of men and women, and endless Jell-O shots! It's a travesty!"

Amenadiel rolled his eyes and his nose scrunched up in disgust.

"Prude." Lucifer retorted and sipped his drink. It burned going down, which must mean only one thing. He glanced around the club and found the Detective at the bar.

He smiled upon seeing her, but that smile quickly vanished when someone moved into view, talking to the Detective.

Remiel.

———————

A few minutes earlier…

Chloe was making her way towards Lux with a case file in hand. The case they were working on appeared to be a suicide, but Chloe had found something that just didn't add up. So that's what brought her here.

Chloe realized that she could've just called Lucifer and told him about it over the phone, but she figured that it would be more efficient if they went over it together.

Yeah, that was the excuse she was going with. It was definitely not because she genuinely wanted to spend time with him.

Nope.

As Chloe was walking past the long line of people waiting for the club, she couldn't help the small smile and feeling just the tiniest bit smug to never wait in Lux's lines.

It's not like she was going to party or anything, it was almost always about work. But she'd be lying if she said that she didn't get a kick out of it when she received strange looks from the attractive party goers... Chloe was spending way too much time with Maze.

Chloe caught sight of a strangely dressed woman who seemed to be watching her intently. And the woman was holding a... Wait, was that an actual spear?

Even for LA standards that's odd. Probably just a prop.

Chloe paused her walk, and stared back. She rested her hand on her hip, inches away from her firearm. "Can I help you?" Chloe asked, brows knitted.

The woman frowned, and seemed to study her like an interesting specimen. "You are incubating my brother's offspring." The woman said matter of factly.

Chloe blinked. Well, that wasn't something you heard everyday. Of course, working with Lucifer and living with Maze, Chloe heard stranger things dozens of times a day.

"Excuse me?" Chloe asked.

The woman rolled her eyes, and slowed her voice as if she was speaking to a child. "You are impregnated by my brother. Most likely Lucifer, judging by his careless lifestyle."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. So, this woman was Lucifer's sister? Had he told her about the baby? Lucifer didn't talk much about his family (if you excluded the complaints, obvious issues he has with his dad, the time he tried to pin a murder on his mom, and the occasional insults to Amenadiel), so Chloe honestly had no idea if he even planned on telling them.

Had he shown this woman a picture of her? How else could she have recognized Chloe. And did he know that she was here?

Something about this woman made Chloe uneasy. Call it intuition, but there was something off about the way she studied the detective. Something Chloe definitely didn't like. Especially outside where it was dark, and something bad could easily happen.

"Let's go talk inside." Chloe suggested, and walked off, not giving the woman time to protest.

Chloe would feel more comfortable being surrounded by employees who she knew and trusted enough to be around. Plus, there was the chance that Lucifer would be downstairs entertaining the masses.

Chloe stopped at the bar and greeted the bartender. He swiftly got her a glass of water without her having to ask, having figured out her condition on his own a week prior.

"What's your name?" Chloe asked, glancing around every now and again for Lucifer.
"Remiel." The woman answered.

"Eccentric parents, huh?" Chloe guessed, with names like Amenadiel, Lucifer, and now Remiel.

Remiel huffed a short laugh, finally a hint of emotion escaping her rough exterior. "You have no idea."

Chloe took a sip of her water, watching Remiel from the corner of her eye.

"What are you?" Remiel asked.

Chloe choked on her water a bit, and coughed. "Excuse me?" She asked again at the strange question.

"You cannot possibly be a normal human. If it were possible for angels to conceive with humans, then this would have happened to Lucifer centuries ago."

.....Okaaaaaay.

Guess Lucifer's not the only one with the metaphors. Was his family apart of some cult that also included Maze? It would explain quite a few things. But Amenadiel didn't talk in metaphors. Though Chloe admittedly didn't know him too well.

Chloe jumped when she felt a hand on the small of her back, but instantly relaxed when she realized it to be Lucifer. But then that relaxation went away when she noticed his hard and almost angry expression aimed at Remiel.

"Sister,"

Chloe felt an unpleasant shiver run down her spine at the coldness expressed through that one word. A coldness she was not used to seeing Lucifer express.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. Amenadiel and Charlotte walked over to see what had caused Lucifer to jump up so quickly.

"Remy?" Amenadiel asked with affection in his voice. The goddess smiled at the sight of her daughter, and so desperately wished to embrace her. And she planned to do just that, but Amenadiel placed an arm in front of her. Blocking her path.

The goddess frowned and looked up at her eldest son. He was glancing between his sister and mother with concern.

The goddess sucked in a breath when her mind went to Uriel. This wasn't another situation like that, was it? Surely Lucifer and Amenadiel weren't the only children who didn't wish harm to their own mother.

Their mother! For her husband's sake!

"I know about the child, Lucifer." Remiel said, voice just as cold. "I sensed it all the way from the Silver City. It didn't take me long to find the mortal, she practically reeks of celestial."

"What? What child?" The goddess asked, completely in the dark. And then something seemed to finally click in her mind. Lucifer's strange behavior as of late. The way he kept her away from his precious Detective. The thing Dan couldn't tell her about.

The goddess glanced between Lucifer and the human, eyes wide and jaw slack. "Is she...? With yours...?"

The resigned look in his eyes confirmed it. "Holy shit!" The goddess exclaimed. And what was worse, is that she seemed to be the only one to find this news surprising. The goddess looked at Amenadiel with narrowed eyes. "You knew, didn't you?"

Amenadiel shifted uncomfortably and averted his gaze. "Not for long..." He said meekly.

The goddess glared at her sons. Oh, she was going to give them hell for this!

"So, what? Are you here to offer your congratulations?" Lucifer asked. He moved his hand from Chloe's back to wrap around her waist, and pulled her towards himself, and away from Remiel.

Alarm bells went off in Chloe's head. Even without the strange metaphors or whatever it was, the tension between brother and sister was strong, and Chloe seemed to be caught in the middle.

Remiel held her head high and met Lucifer's hard stare head on. "You and I both know that a celestial cannot be raised among humanity, and certainly not by the devil!"

"Unless you want to lose that tongue, I'd suggest you stop using it." Lucifer threatened.

Remiel laughed bitterly. "I'd love to see you try, fallen one.”

Luckily, Chloe was looking away when Lucifer's eyes flashed red. Amenadiel stepped between his siblings, trying to elevate the tension, and prevent a fight between two angry celestials.

Lucifer's eyes went back to brown and his arm tightened around the Detective.

"This is not the time or place." Amenadiel said firmly. "Let's take this to Lucifer's penthouse and talk."

Lucifer and Remiel stared each other off, but Remiel was the first to break. "Fine. But I know where I stand."

Amenadiel sighed, and began to lead his sister and mother towards the elevator. Chloe began to follow them, but Lucifer held her back. "You can't come." Lucifer said.

Chloe glared at him. "I may not know what the hell is going on here, but if it has anything to do with my baby, then I'll fucking be there!"

Lucifer's eyes softened, and he took her firmly by the shoulders. "Please, Chloe." He begged, actually begged. “I will take care of this, trust me. No harm will ever come to you or the children as long as I have anything to say of it. But I need you to trust me tonight."

Chloe sucked in a breath. They stared into each other's eyes for several moments before Chloe finally relented. "Okay, but I'm expecting a full explanation later."

Lucifer gave her a small smile and nodded. "Of course. But for now, go home and make sure that Mazikeen stays with you until this is resolved."

Chloe drew a shaky breath, and covered a hand over her small bump. "Are we in danger?" She asked.

Lucifer didn't answer, but instead released his grip on her shoulders and went to the elevator, where his mother and siblings were waiting.

The ride up to the penthouse was tense, to say the least. Once the door opened, Lucifer went straight for the bar. He poured four glasses of whiskey and downed one himself before refilling
It.

"The child belongs in the Silver City." Remiel said bluntly. Lucifer turned and glared hatefully at her.

Before anyone could blink, Lucifer had her by the throat against the Assyrian stone wall.

Remiel accidentally dropped her spear, but kicked him in the stomach and pushed him away. She coughed for air but was able to get in a defensive stance.

"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH MY CHILD!" Lucifer shouted, eyes burning red. Some strange, instinctual feeling of protectiveness flooded through him, even stronger than the feeling he felt when Uriel had his finger hanging over the organ key.

"Then what will I do? Let you raise it? Make it into another version of yourself? Raise it to hate our father and the rest of it's family?" Remiel questioned.

"The child won't be another version of me. He or she will be their own person, who will have the free will to make their own decisions! I will not let you take them to become another mindless soldier!"

"ENOUGH!" Amenadiel boomed, effectively shutting up his siblings.

"Tell him, Amenadiel." Remiel said, fully expecting her favorite brother to take her side. "Tell him that the child belongs in Heaven."

Amenadiel sighed and shook his head. "I believe that the child should stay with Lucifer, Remy."

Lucifer smirked victoriously while Remiel stared at Amenadiel in betrayal. "What? How could you say that? He's the devil! He is not fit to raise it! What would father say?"

"Exactly, what would father say? Who do you think brought this child into existence in the first place? If father truly didn't want Lucifer to become a father himself, then don't you think that this never would have happened?" Amenadiel questioned. "I believe that this child is a blessing and gift. And perhaps will help Lucifer down a path to redemption."

Remiel laughed bitterly. "The devil finding redemption? That's absurd."

"Almost as absurd as the notion that the stick up your arse is removable." Lucifer shot back.

Remiel glared between her brothers, but then spread her wings. "There is still time. I hear that offsprings tend to die off if you cut open the mothers too early."

"YOU WILL DO NO SUCH THING!" Lucifer yelled in fury.

"If father comes down and says differently, then I won't." Remiel said.

With that, she began to flap her wings.

"Wait!" The goddess said. Remiel paused and glared at the goddess of creation. "Mother." Remiel said stiffly.

The goddess gave her daughter a loving smile, happy to see her even if the situation wasn't ideal. "I've missed you, my little hunter." The goddess admitted with tears in her eyes.

Remiel glared. "I wish that I could say the same." And with those hateful words, Remiel flapped her wings and was gone.

The goddess had flinched from her words, and the smile vanished. She really didn't know her children as well as she thought she did, didn't she?

The goddess pushed those unpleasant feelings down and wiped the tears from her eyes. She then faced her sons, who watched her warily.

"Start talking. NOW!"

———————

Lucifer and Amenadiel both sat on the couch side by side, still warily watching their mother pace the room.

"How could you have been so reckless!?" Charlotte shouted as she continued to pace furiously. "I haven't been on earth that long, but even I know to always wear a damn condom!"

Lucifer gulped at his mother's tone and struggled not to shrink back at her glare. "In my defense, this has never happened before!"

"As far as you know! Have you ever stayed on earth long enough to face the consequences before?" The goddess suggested.

Lucifer's skin paled and his eyes widened in horror at the very idea.

Amenadiel tried to fight off the smile, but was failing tremendously.

"And you!" The goddess pointed an accusing finger at her eldest. "You've known all this time, and never told me! I expect this sort of behavior from your brother, but not you! You're older! You're supposed to set an example!"

The smile wiped itself off of Amenadiel's face to be replaced by guilt and fear. "I'm not the one who got a human pregnant!"

Lucifer glared at his brother. "Thanks for the loyalty and United front." The devil said with bitter sarcasm.

Mum groaned and ran a hand through her hair. This was a fucking mess. They were trying to overthrow God, and now this was thrown in the mix?

"This has to be a manipulation from your father. The timing is too perfect for him." The goddess decided. "A distraction from our main goal."

"Well, it's certainly working, so I'll give credit where it's due." Lucifer said bitterly.

The goddess shook her head in an attempt to clear it. Lucifer was going to be a father. She was going to be a grandmother.

The goddess sighed and tried to calm herself. She folded her arms and continued to pace. In a few months, Lucifer was going to have a child. Perhaps then he would finally be sympathetic towards her own parenting choices.

The goddess knitted her brow. In a few months, there was going to be a new child in the family. It had been eons since her own children were young, and she honestly missed the early days.

Back when they were innocent, carefree, and felt no resentment towards her.

And now, there would be a new life who shared those qualities. A new life who would have never yet been tainted by the image her husband paints of her.

The goddess actually smiled then at the possible future.

That smile dimmed a bit and she groaned again when she remembered.

That child's mother was Chloe Decker.

Guess she couldn't blow the detective up now.

Chapter Text

Chloe tried to rub the sleep from her eyes as she sat at her desk the next day. She had scarcely gotten any sleep the night before, trying to make sense of the strange events.

Maze had stood guard on high alert after Chloe had told her about the altercation with Remiel. From what Chloe could gather, Remiel wasn't well liked. Maze constantly jumped and whipped out those terrifying blades of hers at every sound.

At one point, she had almost stabbed a pigeon who had bumped into the window.

'Fucking feathered assholes.‘ Maze had said when the pigeon retreated.

Chloe let out a light laugh at the memory. Lucifer had called not too much longer afterwards, and had given them a half-baked story about his sister wanting the child in Heaven. It hadn't eased either of the women's concerns, but Maze had accepted the explanation.

Chloe, on the other hand, only grew more frustrated. She felt as if she constantly had to read between the lines of every little thing he said, and try to find grains of truth. But how could she possibly know what was real and what was a metaphor?

Did Remiel want custody of the baby? Did she plan on going through courts, or just taking them? Was Heaven a metaphor for his home town? Was it going to be this way with Lucifer for the rest of their lives?

Chloe constantly felt like he was keeping her in the dark, and she hated it. She constantly felt like she was struggling to catch up and understand his hidden meanings.

Lucifer Morningstar was a puzzle, and Chloe felt like she was missing most of the pieces.

Chloe was so wrapped up in her own thoughts, that she didn't notice the click clack of stilettos walking up to her desk.

"Hello, Detective Decker." Charlotte greeted with a fake smile.

Chloe knitted her brow and eyed the woman. Chloe didn't feel a single shred of trust for the lawyer, and found it both odd to have seen her at the club last night, and here now. "Can I help you?" Chloe asked.

Charlotte nodded. Fake smile somehow becoming faker.

"Yes, you can. After last night's revelations, I think it's appropriate that we talked."

——————

Ella was currently photographing the body of one Christopher Filkens, who had been shot in the heart in a children's playground (dark world). He also happened to be wearing a tee shirt with Bon Jovi's logo printed on the front.

"An angel's smile is what you sell," Ella sang softly to herself as she leaned down to take a closer picture. "You promise me Heaven, then put me through-"

Ella cut herself off and gave a short scream when she looked up to see someone standing mere inches from her face. She jumped backwards and almost dropped her camera. Ella received several strange looks from the other officers on the scene, no one understanding her abrupt reaction.

Of course they didn't, no one else could see the ghost but her.

"There was a bee..." Ella explained lamely with a nervous laugh. Once everyone turned their attention away from her, Ella glared at the ghost.

"Rae-Rae!" She hissed. "What are you doing here?! You scared the beJeezus out of me!"

Rae cringed. "Sorry about that. Didn't mean ta' scare ya. But I got a bit distracted by the song, it's one of my favorites!"

"It's fine." Ella sighed. She then glanced around to make sure that no one was paying attention to her apparent one-sided conversation. "Could you meet me in my car? I only need to be here for a couple more minutes. I'm not lovin the idea of people thinking I need to be certified."

"Oh yeah! Totally!" Rae agreed, and then she just popped out of existence, just like that. Ella wasn't even surprised when she did that anymore, having been used to the ghost since childhood. Ella sighed and shook her head.

Just a typical day in the life of Ella Lopez.

A few minutes later, Ella sat down in the driver's seat of her car to find Rae-Rae sitting in the passenger.

"What are you doing here, Rae?" Ella asked in a hard tone.

"What? Can't I visit my best friend every now and again?" Rae asked back while also trying to mask the hurt she felt by Ella's tone.

"We had an agreement." Ella said sternly. "Remember? You wouldn't be visiting me like this anymore like you did in Detroit. I'm trying to start fresh, and I don't want everyone here thinking that my brain is scrambled."

Rae bit her lip and fidgeted with her sweater sleeve. "Yeah, I remember... But that doesn't mean that I can never see you again, does it? Can't there be some kinda compromise?"

Ella leaned her forehead against the steering wheel and closed her eyes. "I don't know... I just don't want to feel like I'm nuts anymore."

"You're not nuts, Ella."

"Says the hallucination."

Rae-Rae rolled her eyes and snorted. "I'm not a hallucination, Ells. We've been over this hundreds of times. I'm a ghost. Undead. Spirit of the afterlife. Will-o'-the-wisp... Okay, maybe not the last one, but you get what I mean."

"Yeah, speaking of which, don't you have ghost stuff to do? Like, unfinished business that you need to figure out, or people to haunt...? Wait, you're not haunting ME... are you?" Ella gave her a questioning stare.

"No, course not." Rae denied. Ella narrowed her eyes in suspicion, but ultimately let the subject drop.

"Also, it should be said that I'm not only here to see you." Rae admitted.

"You're not?" Ella asked.

"Nope, I'm also visiting my brother." Rae said.

Ella's eyebrows raised in surprise. Rae-Rae had a brother? She had never mentioned anything about a brother... And now that Ella thought about it, the ghost had never talked about anything about her former life.

"Is he alive, or is he also a ghost?" Ella asked.

"Alive." Rae answered.

Ella asked a few more questions after that, but Rae-Rae didn't tell her much about this 'brother'.

Weird.

——————

It was Chloe's lunch break, so they went to a little cafe that wasn't too far from the precinct to talk in relative privacy.

Chloe regarded Charlotte like she would a fishy suspect that she wasn't too sure about. From what Chloe could tell, this woman was a true wildcard, more so than Lucifer.

They had just ordered lunch, and had sat in silence for a good five minutes. "You wanted to talk." Chloe said flatly.

"Yes, I did. I suppose that the child now makes us..." Charlotte seemed to struggle to find the right word, and seemed displeased by the one she found. "Family. And families should trust each other."

Chloe frowned, trying to connect the dots. Were Charlotte and Lucifer related? Cousins, maybe? That would explain a couple things, while it would also bring up many questions.

"I know that you don't trust me, and I can understand that. Especially as a mother who would do anything to protect her children." Charlotte said. "It was absolute... Hell, to raise children with my ex-husband. The constant silence. Feeling as if my opinions didn't matter. And then getting thrown out and vilified in the eyes of my children when I disagreed with it! And the children suffered the most, especially Lucifer."

Chloe's eyes widened at his name. Charlotte had been married to Lucifer's dad? She was way too young to possibly be Lucifer's birth mother, they looked almost the same age!

So, could that mean that she was his ex-stepmom?

"Wait a minute, you're Lucifer and Amenadiel's stepmom?"

Charlotte frowned and was quiet for a moment, thinking her response over. "You can say that if you'd like." Neither a true confirmation or denial. But Chloe interpreted it as the former.

"That... weirdly makes sense." Chloe said with a laugh. And then another realization hit her.

Oh god, Dan had slept with Lucifer's stepmom. This felt like a situation out of a porno.

"What was his father like towards Lucifer?" Chloe asked, on the slim chance that she might finally get a straight answer.

"Awful. Lucifer suffered more than anyone could possibly imagine. Almost as much as I did. He hated feeling ignored by his father, and eventually voiced these feelings. But then my husband, being the almighty king he is, cast Lucifer away like he was nothing. And forced him into a career that he despised for years on end. And every time Lucifer tried to escape, he would send one of our other children to drag their own brother back down to the hell that was his life. And it happened over, and over, and fucking over again." Charlotte said, voice full of pain and hatred.

The goddess hated her husband for everything he did. For how broken their family had become. "He tortured us in every possible way imaginable. You couldn't even possibly comprehend."

Chloe sniffled and felt tears prick her eyes. Damn hormones! Chloe tried to imagine that, how horrible and toxic Lucifer's life must have been. Charlotte was right, she couldn't.

Chloe had had a wonderful relationship with her own father. And no matter how strained her relationship with her mother could get, there was always love between them.

Chloe couldn't imagine what it would be like to never feel parental love. To never have those relationships. Much less to have a relationship with her father like Charlotte was describing.

"I'm so sorry that you both had to go through that." Chloe said. She still didn't trust the lawyer one bit, but now she sort of understood her better.

Charlotte averted her eyes and cleared her throat, obviously growing uncomfortable with the conversation. "Why? You were not there."

Chloe shrugged her shoulders. "Well, yeah. But no one should have to go through that. And I can kind of relate, to some extent. Dan has never been nearly that bad, but we have still had our fair share of problems. Our own moments of betrayal."

Charlotte knitted her brow and regarded the Detective. "Then it seems that we can understand each other."

"It seems so." Chloe agreed.

They had talked some more over lunch, and it was surprisingly civil. But neither would go as far as to say that it was enjoyable. But they had come to a silent truce, of sort.

They had parted ways soon afterwards, and the goddess was now making her way back to her office. Lucifer's little detective wasn't nearly as intolerable as she had originally thought.

She almost felt guilty about her plan to take her grandchild with them to the Silver City.

——————-

Chloe walked back into the precinct and passed by Dan's desk. "Hey, did you talk to Ella about that toxins report?" She asked.

"No, not yet." Dan said.

"Okay." Chloe said. She was just about to leave, but she really wanted to talk to someone about her conversation. "I just had a very interesting conversation with Charlotte Richards."

Dan's eyebrows raised and he tried to keep the guilt from his eyes. "Really? What about?" He asked, trying to keep his voice even.

"Did you know that she's Lucifer and Amenadiel's stepmom?" Chloe asked.

Dan's face froze, then frowned in confusion. "Wait... she's what?” He must have misheard her.

"Well, technically she's their EX-stepmom, but same difference." Chloe clarified.

Dan's jaw dropped in shock, and then he tried to rethink everything he knew about her. "That... weirdly makes sense."

"Exactly." Chloe laughed. "You wanna know something else? If you and Charlotte got married, then you would be Lucifer's dad. And Trixie's sibling's grandpa."

Dan broke out laughing and ran a hand down his face. "Oh my god!"

Chloe nodded as she laughed. "I know right? So messed up." Chloe then began to walk back towards her own desk. "See you later, grandpa!"

———————

Lucifer was standing in front of the vending machine, glaring at the empty spot where his ranch puffs usually resided. Bloody hell, with all the taxes, the least they could do is keep the vending machine stocked.

Lucifer startled when he saw a familiar reflection in the glass from behind him. He whirled around to find his sister Azrael.

Luckily they were alone in the room, so no one had bore witness to the devil's fright. "BLOODY HELL!" He exclaimed. "Why do you keep doing that?!" She has always had that uncanny ability to pop out of nowhere and scaring the shit out of her siblings.

It used to be funny when he'd convince her to do this to Amenadiel. But not nearly as funny when she did it to him in turn.

"Hiya, Lu!" Azrael greeted warmly, ignoring his surprised reaction.

Lucifer narrowed his eyes and put his hands in his pockets. "Azrael."

Azrael pouted and gave him a disappointed expression. "Oh, so what? Too cool to call me Rae-Rae anymore?"

"Forgive my animosity, Azrael. But I'm not too keen on surprise visits from siblings, at the moment." Lucifer said with a hint of suspicion.

Azrael winced. "Oh, right. Well, personally, I think Remy's being unreasonable. I'm totally on team Earth Baby. So you don't hav'ta worry about me being all up in your business."

Lucifer furrowed his brows in confusion. "Team Earth Baby? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Oh, yeah! You don't know what's going on back home. Well, basically there's two schools of thought regarding where your child should live. One school, Team Heaven Baby, agrees with Remy and says that the baby should be living in Heaven. While the other school, Team Earth Baby, thinks that we should let you raise the baby here." Azrael explained.

Lucifer blinked several times, absorbing this. "That's bloody ridiculous!" He said with a shake of his head. "I don't care what those wankers up in the Silver City want, the child is living here. End of story." Lucifer couldn't quite pinpoint when exactly he went from wanting to run away from the unborn spawn, to protecting it from his siblings, but his train of thinking had changed regardless.

"I'm with you, Lu. So don't kill the messenger!" She said when she saw the anger build up in his eyes.

Lucifer sighed and ground his teeth. Azrael was one of the few siblings who he actually cared for somewhat, and it wouldn't do to scare her off. "Which team is bigger?" He asked.

Azrael wore an uncomfortable expression and shifted her legs. "Which do you think?"

Of course. He shouldn't have been surprised. Even he found the idea of the devil raising the first angel child ludicrous.

"What exactly are you doing here, Azrael?" Lucifer asked.

He flinched when Azrael punched him in the arm and wore a bright smile. "To congratulate my favorite bro on becoming a dad, duh!"

Lucifer sighed and rolled his eyes. Miss Lopez reminded him so much of the angel of death, and vice versa. They both had this brightness to them, and a kindness they carried like a badge of honor.

Perhaps that's why Lucifer had taken such a liking to Miss Lopez the way he did... No, he was sure it wasn't that.

"And besides, I missed you. Can't the angel of death visit her brother every once in a while?" Azrael said with a wink.

"THE ANGEL OF WHAT?!"

Both celestials snapped their attention towards the doorway, and found a very pale, and very shocked, Miss Lopez.

——————-

A few minutes earlier, Ella had been walking through the precinct while humming 'You give love a bad name'. It had been stuck in her head since the crime scene.

Rae-Rae had left to go see her brother. Ella had been examining a key ring when her stomach demanded sustenance.

And being the responsible stomach-owner she was, Ella had gone to the vending machine for a quick snack.

Just as she was trying to figure out whether she craved something salty or sweet, she had heard an all too familiar voice.

"And besides, I missed you. Can't the angel of death visit her brother every once in a while?"

Ella rounded the corner and saw Rae-Rae talking to Lucifer (freaking LUCIFER!), and he was looking right at her. Lucifer was looking at Rae-Rae. Lucifer can FUCKING SEE HER!

And what had she just called herself?

"THE ANGEL OF WHAT?!" Ella screamed.

They whipped their heads towards Ella, and their eyes widened in shock. Lucifer was able to contain his shock first, and wore his dashing smile. "Miss Lopez! Wonderful timing, come and meet my sister, Azrael."

"We've met." Rae said meekly.

Lucifer knitted his brow and tilted his head towards his sister. "You have?"

Ella stared at them in shock, trying to get her wild thoughts in order. "Wait... Azrael? Isn't that the angel of death? But you're not an angel, you're a freaking ghost!"

"Ghost?" Lucifer asked with amusement. "What is she talking about, Azrael?"

Azrael bit her bottom lip guiltily and her eyes were filled with panic. She tried to think of a credible lie, an explanation for all of this, but she couldn't. Whatever Rae came up with, there was no way Lucifer would back it up, and Ella definitely wasn't stupid.

"Fuck my life." Rae sighed heavily.

——————

The two celestials sat on the sofa in Lucifer's penthouse as Ella paced in front of the bar, glass of bourbon sloshing in her hand precariously.

Ella had managed to get the rest of the day off, handing her case off to the other forensic scientist working in the department, and Lucifer had told the Detective that something urgent had come up.

"So let me get this straight," Ella said. Lucifer cringed when a drop spilled from her glass.
"You're not a ghost, but actually THE ACTUAL ANGEL OF FREAKING DEATH!" Ella stopped her pacing and pointed an accusing finger at the angel in question.

"And YOU," Ella moved her finger in Lucifer's direction. "Are the devil. Like the ACTUAL DEVIL! As in, fire and brimstone. Lord of Hell. The first ever emo to rebel against his parents. The guy who asked the naked lady if she wanted an apple. And the prince of lies!"

Lucifer felt miffed by the last one. "The prince of lies one is terribly inaccurate. Just another thing I get blamed for. That one is actually about my brother, Michael, but of course I get the unwanted credit for that one."

Ella shook her head and resumed her furious pacing, spilling another drop again. "This is a whole new level of crazy." She said. "I can't believe it! It's TOO crazy! I'm gonna need a little more proof than that!"

The siblings shared a look. "I doubt that she can handle mine." Lucifer said with concern. "It almost broke my therapist, and she only had one revelation to handle."

"Handle what?" Ella asked.

"You're probably right. I guess that I'll just have to show her mine." Rae-Rae agreed.

"SHOW ME WHAT?!" Ella yelled and stomped her foot like a teenager. She was never one for temper tantrums, but this was a special case.

The siblings shared a significant look. "I don't see any other options presenting themselves."
Lucifer said solemnly. This was certainly not how he thought the day would go.

Rae-Rae took a deep breath, and looked at Ella tearfully. One way or the other, this would change everything. "Are you sure you want to see? To know everything for a fact?"

Ella paused. She looked between the angels. She gulped and tried to control her trembling voice. "Yes."

Rae-Rae took a deep breath. "Okey dokey, then." She stood up and walked over to a more open space as to not knock anything over. She looked Ella in the eyes, and popped her wings out.

This was totally NOT just a typical day in the life of Ella Lopez.

——————

Ella sat on a park bench the next day, people watching and contemplating life. She was still finding everything hard to believe.

Yeah, sure. She already believed in Heaven, Hell, angels, demons, God, the Devil, et cetra. But she never believed that it was this close to home. That the goofy Lucifer Morningstar that she had begun to see as a brother was the literal lord of Hell.

Or that the ghost she had known since that car crash was actually the angel of death, and had been lying to Ella since the day they met. That's what bothered Ella more than anything.

All those years Ella had spent with her family thinking she was crazy. All those years she had spent thinking that she was crazy. And all those beliefs, fears, insecurities, and pain, was all based on a lie.

Could any of this be connected to the darkness Ella seemed to carry around?

After Rae-Rae had popped out her wings, Ella had froze. She didn't have the slightest idea as to how to react.

She wasn't scared, like the angels had assumed. But she was hurt. Hurt, and humiliated.

Ella was in shock. So, she did the only reasonable thing she could think of. She wordlessly walked over to the elevator, and just left. Ignoring the reassurances and questions from Lucifer, and ignored the heartbroken look from Rae.

It was just too much.

She had gone home and had a mini freak out. Several of her dishes had fallen victim to her panic, but she honestly couldn't care less.

After that was done, she had cried herself to sleep in bed that day. Then she had just lazied around the apartment, rethinking every moment of her life since the car crash.

The next morning she had gotten a personal day from the precinct, unable to even think about work. She felt bad about leaving Lucifer hanging, who she was surprisingly fine with.

He had never lied about being the devil, even if he had allowed her to think differently. Definitely not a method actor. And she still believed what she had told him when they first met. The devil obviously gets a bad rep, and it doesn't help when the Bible constantly contradicts itself.

But she just couldn't deal with anything right then. So Lucifer would just have to wait.

Ella had gone to church earlier that day, and tried to talk to the Big Guy. Ella honestly couldn't tell if the talk she had with him helped or not. Or if her request would ever be fulfilled.

So now she sat on the bench. Feeling utterly adrift.

"Is this seat taken?" Ella heard a voice say from beside her. She looked up to see an attractive dark skinned man standing near the bench.

"No, go right ahead." Ella said as she scooted to the side to allow more room. She forced bubbliness into her voice and planted a smile on her face that has never before felt so strained.

The man smiled back and sat down. "Thank you, all of the others are already taken."

"Yeah, it's a full house today, Huh?" Ella said as she gestured to the multitude of people.

Ella felt a good, almost unnaturally good vibe from the guy beside her. She felt... loved. It was strange. She didn't even know his name, and she already felt so comfortable around a stranger who could end up being a serial killer.

Would be just her luck, wouldn't it?

"House? We're outdoors." The man said in confusion. Ella raised an eyebrow. "It's an expression." She explained with amusement.

"Ah, I see." He said, then turned his attention to the people around.

They sat in relative peaceful silence after that. Ella had kept stealing glances at the man. He seemed to be watching a few children, which really should creep her out, but there was something about the guy who couldn't make her feel uncomfortable.

He was also watching some of the fathers, especially when they were interacting with their kids.

Ella took a shaky breath and shook her head. If her brain wasn't scrambled before, it was now.

"You seem troubled." The man observed thoughtfully. "Is something bothering you?"

Hah, was that an understatement.

"It's nothing, it's just..." Ella looked into the man's eyes.

It was the strangest thing. Yeah, Ella was a people person who gave everyone the benefit of the doubt, but she felt as if she could trust this man. Like she could tell him anything and he'd make it okay.

"Have you ever felt like you were just... lost? Like everything you've ever known was a lie, and now you don't know what to believe anymore?"

The man seemed to consider his answer, and his smile went from being friendly to sad. "Funny you should say that, I've been feeling more lost lately than I have ever in my entire existence."

Ella nodded in sympathy, knowing the feeling all too well. "Yeah, it sucks, doesn't it?"

"That's one word for it." He agreed. "The worst part is, this feeling is so foreign to me. Yes, I've felt pain, remorse, hatred. But I've never felt adrift. I've always known what my path was, what I was meant to do. But now, I'm really just guessing while hoping for the best."

"Aren't we all?" Ella mused. At his odd expression, she elaborated. "Nobody really knows what we're meant to do... Well, no human anyway."

They both chuckled at that, unaware that they were both in on the joke.

"And despite how sure some people may seem, we're all just guessing. Nobody knows for an absolute fact if what we're doing on this Earth is the right path. But we just do what feels right, and hope for the best. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn't. But that's just life." Ella finished.

"That's... oddly reassuring." He observed with new light in his eyes. "Thank you."

"No problemo, amigo." Ella said, smile now becoming easier to wear.

"What has you feeling lost?" He asked, to which Ella's smile became more difficult again.

"It's complicated... My best friend since childhood has been lying to me about who she really is for years, and it effects everything I've ever believed in." That barely scratched the surface, but it was true nonetheless.

"Did they mean ill will by it?" The man asked.

Ella thought about it, trying to figure Rae-Rae's intentions out. "I don't think so, but it's hard to know for sure."

The man nodded. "Well, perhaps they felt that they had little choice? That perhaps you wouldn't accept them without the lie?"

"Well, maybe. But that's just stupid! If I was able to accept who she lied about being, then I would've definitely accepted who she really is. I mean, will-o'-the-wisp is already a stretch on its own."

"Will-o'-the-what?" He asked.

"Inside joke." Ella explained, deciding not to go into ghosts and angels. She didn't need somebody else thinking she had a few screws loose.

"Well, people tend to do stupid things when they are afraid of rejection. I wouldn't be surprised to find that even angels make mistakes." The man said with a tone that suggested he knew something she didn't.

Oh, he had no idea.

Ella thought about it. Could Rae-Rae have been afraid of rejection? Could that be why she lied all this time?

It didn't make anything right, but Ella could understand that motivation. Maybe even relate to it (even if Rae was the sole reason for that).

Now that Ella tried to think of it from a different angle, Angel of death was a heavy title to carry. And pop culture and the eyes of most humans, the Angel of death was someone to be feared and avoided. Much like the devil.

"Yeah, angels can make mistakes." Ella agreed. "Thanks for saying that, it actually helps a lot."

Ella and the man shared a smile.

"The feelings mutual." The man said.

Ella laughed as she realized something. "I guess he actually listened."

"Who listened?"

"God. I asked him to throw me a bone and give me some sorta sign of what I should do. And it looks like it actually worked."

The man regarded her with amusement, and subtly glanced upwards. "Maybe he listened to both of us."

"Maybe." Ella said, and looked upwards with a smile, silently sending a thank you to the Big Guy. "I'm Ella, by the way." She introduced and offered her hand.

"Amenadiel." The man answered as he took her hand for a shake.

Ella's features froze when she realized where she'd heard that unusual name before.
"Wait... You're not Lucifer Morningstar's brother... are you?"

"I am. Do you know him?" Amenadiel, the ANGEL, asked.

Ella just broke out into hysterical giggles.

——————-

After the had talked some more, the angel and forensic scientist had parted ways feeling lighter.

Ella walked towards her apartment with a spring in her step.

She passed by a shop, stopped, and back tracked. She looked through the window, and a grin eclipsed her face.

——————

The next day, Ella found Lucifer sitting at Chloe's desk with Dan's pudding in hand.

"Speak of the devil." She said cheekily from behind him.

Lucifer jumped and turned around abruptly. "Miss Lope-" He stopped mid-sentence and gave her an odd expression. "What the hell are you wearing?" He asked with mild disgust.

Ella wore a black tee shirt that had the print of a satanic goat in deep red, and the words "The devil is a friend of mine” in big bold letters. And she also wore a headband with bright red sequin horns, with a red forked tail attached to her jeans belt to match.

Ella took the tail in her hand and swung it around. "We match!"

Chapter Text

"Maze, for the tenth time, you are not giving my baby a knife." Chloe said sternly with crossed arms.

Maze rolled her eyes from where she sat on the couch in their apartment. A display of a dozen blades with stuffed animal heads on the hilts laid out on the coffee table.

Trixie watched the exchange from her spot on the couch beside her demonic best friend.

"But how else is the heir to Hell supposed to learn how to defend itself?" Maze reasoned stubbornly. "Or put the fear of the devil into the hearts of his or her enemies?"

Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose, closed her eyes, and let out an exasperated sigh. Chloe was now 16 weeks along, and she had an appointment that day with the doctor.

Chloe should be feeling excited for the fact that they could now find out the sex of the baby, but instead she was dealing with this.

"Maze," Chloe said, struggling to keep the fury from her voice. "This baby doesn't have any enemies to worry about. It's a baby. And he or she will not need to put the 'fear of the devil' into anyone's hearts."

Maze rolled her eyes and, being the mature adult she was, blew a raspberry at the detective. Trixie giggled at that.

"Lucifer really needs to get over himself and show you already. It's getting exhausting when you don't take any of this seriously." Maze grumbled. Decker was so out of the loop, that it would make her head spin.

Chloe shook her head and sighed at her strange roommate. "Trix, go get your shoes. Lucifer will be here any minute and we'll go."

Trixie got up and scurried to her room, but not before taking the unicorn headed blade Maze handed to her when Chloe wasn't looking.

Maze gathered the knives and set them away. "I gotta get going myself. Eve's waiting for me to go on our next bounty."

Chloe raised an eyebrow and wore a knowing smile. "Oh, yeah? You and Eve have been spending a lot of time together, I've noticed."

Maze narrowed her eyes when she noticed Decker's confident look. "She's become a decent partner once she got into the groove of things." Maze wore an affectionate smile and her eyes glowed. "The other day, we got into a bar fight, and she hit a guy in the balls with a cue stick! And then she threw an eight ball at this other guy's throat!"

Chloe's expression went from endearing to mildly horrified. "That's... attractive." Chloe said unsurely.

Maze bit her lip and giggled like a schoolgirl. But then she caught herself and blinked several times before gritting her teeth and glaring at everything. "So... yeah. Anyway, don't wait up for me tonight!"

And with that, Maze made a beeline for the door just as Lucifer opened it. She violently pushed past him with a snarl and was gone.

"What has her knickers in a twist this time?"
Lucifer asked as he made his way deeper inside.

"A crush." Chloe said with a grin.

Lucifer's eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline and he let out a unbelieving laugh. "A crush? Detective, demons only feel lust or fury towards potential sexual partners. They do not develop crushes. That's absurd."

"Well, then tell that to your demon friend who's head over heels for Eve." Chloe said sarcastically.

"Eve's the one Mazie is interested in?" Lucifer asked in surprise. "I suppose she could find a worse match. If Eve is like anything I remember from the garden, then she's a fiery little thing with a very open mind."

Before Lucifer could elaborate what his version of 'open mind' meant, Trixie came out of her room and threw her arms around his waist. "Lucifer!" She squealed happily.

"Ahh, hello spawn." Lucifer said as he awkwardly patted her head. Chloe grinned. Compared to how he was before, he didn't shy away from Trixie's limitless adoration as much as before.

"Right," Lucifer said as he gently pushed the urchin away. "Let's get this show on the road! I need to know whether I have to start mentally preparing myself for barbies or transformers."

———————

Lucifer and the urchin sat on the uncomfortable chairs in the waiting room whilst the Detective got everything checked before the actual ultrasound.

Lucifer was scrolling through his texts and internally groaning at all the parenting links Amenadiel insisted on sending him. He was beginning to regret buying his brother the electronic device in the first place.

The fact that Lucifer did actually read the blogs was no one's business. Least of all Amenadiel's.

"What do you want the baby to be?" Trixie suddenly asked.

Lucifer looked up from his phone and turned his attention to the child sitting beside him. "Pardon?"

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" She asked innocently, not knowing how much the simple question could have an effect on the man beside her.

Lucifer was about to blow her off by saying he was fine with either, but then he paused to think it over. The doctor and him had talked about this very subject two days prior, and Lucifer hadn't been able to come up with an answer for her either.

With a boy, what would that entail? Would it be a punishment from his father? A son to rebel against him as he had, so everything could go full circle?

But with a girl, how was he supposed to handle it? How could he possibly raise a daughter? And that wouldn't stop her from rebelling against him any less than a boy would. So, same problem, except now he knew even less.

"I truly don't know." Lucifer said honestly. "Either sex is positively bewildering."

The urchin hummed in response. "I hope that it's a girl. Then me, Maze, and her could have a girl gang." She said excitedly.

Lucifer cringed at the possibility. "I can't stop you, can I?"

"Nope!"

Lucifer rolled his eyes and breathed deeply through his nose. He turned off his phone since the links were becoming overwhelming, leaned his head back against the wall, and stared at the stained ceiling.

"... Is the baby gonna have wings?"

Lucifer snapped his head in the urchin's direction with wide eyes. "What?"

Beatrice shrugged. "Is the baby gonna have wings?"

Lucifer blinked several times and his jaw went slack. "Why would you ask me that?"

"Because you used to have wings. Duh." Beatrice stated as if this was obvious.

"How... how did you know that?"

"Maze told me."

"Mazikeen?" Lucifer asked, shocked at what he was hearing.

"Yeah. She was telling me about how you guys moved here from Hell, and she said that you used to have wings because you're the devil."

To say that Lucifer was shocked would be a true understatement. "And you... believed her?"

"Well, yeah. She's a demon, so she knows what she's talking about." Beatrice reasoned. "Why? Did you not have wings?"

"No no... I did." Lucifer said, mind racing. The child knew? And she was fine with it? "I don't know if the child will have wings."

"Oh. Well, I hope it does. That would be so cool!" She said enthusiastically.

Cool wasn't exactly the word he'd use.

"So, you know that I am the devil?" Lucifer asked for clarification.

"Yeah." She answered, blowing his mind.

"How?" He asked.

Beatrice bit her lip and looked away from him guiltily. "Promise you won't tell Mommy?"

Lucifer raised a brow. "I promise."

"Pinky swear?" She asked as she held up her own pinky finger. Lucifer held in the sigh as he offered his own to seal the deal. He'd made deals with less legally binding contracts before.

"Okay... so, remember when that bad man took me, and you came to save us?"

Lucifer nodded.

"After Mommy had told me to hide... I didn't listen." She fidgeted with her fingers. "I-I heard a gunshot, and I thought... I thought that Mommy..." Her bottom lip trembled from the mere memory.

Lucifer was glad to know for a fact that the bastard was getting his due down in Hell that very moment, and every other moment that followed for the rest of time.

"So, I left my hiding spot, and I saw you bleeding. That bad man had shot you... But then I saw you get up, and your eyes glowed." Beatrice then wore a smile. "And you saved us."

Lucifer felt a heaviness in his chest. This child has seen his devil eyes, eyes that mirrored the fires of Hell itself. The same eyes that had sent so many humans cowering in fear, and instead of seeing a monster, she saw a protector.

Lucifer wasn't quite sure of what to do with that information.

He didn't get long to contemplate it, because the Detective walked up beside them. "Ready? It's time-" Chloe cut herself off when she saw Lucifer's eyes shining more than usual. "Is everything okay?" She asked with concern.

Lucifer then noticed how his eyes stung.
Bloody hell, was he crying now? It wouldn't do for the devil to go soft.

"We're fine." Lucifer said quickly, and briskly stood up. "Right, let's go see what Dad's decided to throw at us."

———————

Chloe didn't have to change her clothes this time since they would be doing the ultrasound over the skin of her stomach.

She sat on the bed and Lucifer sat on the chair with Trixie on his lap. He hadn't even complained when the child insisted on using him as a chair. His mind was much too preoccupied with other things.

Despite how he insisted how completely fine he was, Chloe could tell that he was freaking out. He was constantly fidgeting and glancing all over the room.

Before she could change her mind, Chloe took one of Lucifer's hands in her own, surprising him, and gave him her best encouraging smile. "Hi there." She said with a voice as sweet as honey.

Lucifer quirked an eyebrow and tried to give her his usual Cheshire grin, but it looked more nervous. "Hello."

Chloe squeezed his hand. "Everything's going to be okay." She assured.

Lucifer swallowed and squeezed her hand back. He couldn't remember the last time he held any part of her this intimately. He hadn't realized just how much he missed her touch. It was the closest he's been to Heaven since the biggest fall in history.

And it was all his father's doing.

Lucifer dropped the Detective's hand as soon as the door opened to reveal Dr. Sharp.

The doctor smiled when his eyes fell on the girl. "My god, is this little Trixie?"

Trixie smiled at the attention. "Yep!"

"Wow, I haven't seen you since you were a newborn baby. I see that you've grown up to be such a beautiful young lady." Dr. Sharp complimented as he set up the machine.

Trixie giggled in response.

"What do we say to compliments, Trixie?"
Chloe asked as she laid down on the bed. "Thank you!" The girl said.

"You are very welcome." Dr. Sharp said as he took out the ultrasound gel.

Lucifer narrowed his eyes at the strange substance. "What is that?" He asked with obvious disgust. "It looks like a brand of lube I used once."

Dr. Sharp barked out a laugh while Chloe attempted to burn the devil to ash with her eyes alone. "Lucifer!" She reprimanded. "At least censor yourself around T-R-I-X-I-E!" Trixie could spell, but it was harder when her mother said the letters too quickly.

"What's lube?" Trixie just had to ask.

The room fell into a dead silence for a while. "Ask your dad." Chloe finally said.

"And film it when you do." Lucifer added. Chloe did her signature eye roll and sigh that Lucifer loved so much... Wait. Where had that L word come from?

After Dr. Sharp had applied the gel, he then got the wand out and put it against her stomach (luckily Chloe had thought to explain the process to Lucifer so he wouldn't be too caught off guard again).

The grainy image of the offspring came onto the screen, and Lucifer sucked in a breath. It was resembling less of a shapeless blob, and more like an actual child. A whole new person who would grow to have their own thoughts, opinions, feelings, and personality.

Would the child be more like the Detective, or him? Would it be dark haired or brunette? Have brown eyes or blue? Lucifer could hardly believe the thoughts going through his mind. And how much less fear he felt as well. And the presence of a new emotion he felt that reminded him suspiciously of how he felt towards Chloe.

"Well, looks like someone isn't shy." The Doctor remarked with amusement.

"Must get it from their father." Chloe said with a cheeky glance Lucifer's way.

"Do we want to know what we're having today?" Dr. Sharp asked.

"YES!" Trixie said as she jumped up and down on Lucifer's lap, causing him to grunt uncomfortably.

"Tell her before she damages something!" Lucifer requested and tried to angle the child away from the Crown Jewels.

"Congratulations, you're having a girl!"

Trixie screamed in joy and accidentally elbowed Lucifer in the ribs.

Chloe smiled wide and had tears in her eyes. Chloe reached over and took Lucifer's hand in her own. "We're having a daughter." She said joyfully.

A daughter.

The devil was going to have a daughter.

Dad help them all.

But despite his fear, Lucifer smiled. Though that smile was full of uncertainty, it was a genuine smile nonetheless.

————————

Linda was having a shitty day.

That night she stormed towards her office bent out of shape. She had met with her ex-husband (or rather, should be ex-husband) to convince him to finally sign the divorce papers, but Reese was stubborn. Just like he always was.

It was both what made her fall in love with him, and what made her fall out of love.

He was convinced that they could still somehow work things out, even though Linda had zero desire to.

And to top it off, Linda realized that she had forgotten to fill out some paperwork that day, so she was forced to head back to her office.

It didn't take long for Linda to fill it out, but as she stood from her chair to leave, she heard a noise in the hallway. She paused, and listened. It sounded like someone not too far from her own office. It could just be another one of her neighbors, but being shrink to the devil himself could make anyone paranoid.

She grabbed the metal baseball bat from underneath her desk, and slowly made her way to the door. When she heard more footsteps, she panicked and jumped out into the hallway and raised the baseball bat above her head. "I TAKE KARATE ON WEEKENDS!" She threatened.

Amenadiel raised his eyebrows and sat down the full trash bag he held. "So that's what you do with your spare time." He said with a charming smile and raised his hands in surrender.

Linda let out a relieved breath, lowered the bat, and smiled embarrassingly. "Sorry about that... What are you doing here?" She asked curiously.

Amenadiel's smile vanished as if he had been caught. "Oh, I was... I was..."

Linda glanced behind him to the open door leading to his old fake office. She could see blankets, a fan and heater, a mini fridge, and other items. "Wait... do you live here?" Linda asked.

Amenadiel opened and closed his mouth like a fish before sighing in defeat. "Please don't tell Lucifer."

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." Linda said. "I mean, if I can keep the fact that I'm the devil's shrink to myself, then this should be a walk in the park."

Amenadiel chuckled and relaxed. "Thank you."

They stood in awkward silence for a moment, unsure of what to do next. "Well, I should really take this out." Amenadiel said and pointed a thumb towards the trash.

"Right! Yeah, I should really be getting home." Linda said. She was about to leave when she realized something.

All she planned on doing once she got home was feel depressed, down a bottle of wine, and look up her ex-boyfriends on Facebook. It sounded so... bleak.

"You know," Linda said as a half baked idea popped into her mind. "I have a bottle of wine in my desk drawer for emergencies, and no plans for tonight... Want to share it with me? We can have it at your place."

Amenadiel thought about the proposal, and found that he liked the idea very much. Especially when he compared it to his evening of fruitless research and emotional turmoil. "That would be divine." He agreed.

Linda laughed and made her way to her office to retrieve the beverage. "I hope you like merlot!"

———————

The bounty hadn't been that much trouble for the pre-ancient women.

He had grabbed Eve in his arms and attempted to point a knife to her throat, but Eve had (happily) bashed him in the balls before knocking him unconscious with a bookend.

After tying him up, the women now dragged him towards the car in the parking lot of the strip club.

Maze kept glancing at one of the first human women to ever exist. Tonight she wore a red tank top and cut off jean shorts that showed off her legs.

The demon had heard the very beginning of Chloe and Lucifer's conversation earlier, and for some reason couldn't stop thinking about Decker's stupid crush business.

If there's one thing that Lucifer's right about, it's that demons don't get crushes...

Of course, angels can't impregnate humans either...

NO!

Maze had to stop thinking about ridiculous things such as this. She must just be confusing lust with something else. That must be it.

But on the other hand, Maze has only ever wanted sex from humans she felt lust towards. But with Eve, she wanted.... more.

What more exactly entailed, she couldn't be sure.

Before Maze knew it, their bounty was firmly in the trunk (usually Eve would insist they keep them in the backseat, but quickly changed her tune with this guy after he pulled a knife on her).

Eve wiped her hands on her shorts and wore that exhilarated smile she always did after a successful bounty. Maze was beginning to recognize which smile she wore for which occasion.

"Whew, that was a new experience for me!" Eve laughed, referring to having a knife at her throat. She put a hand to her throat, and cringed slightly. "But I can't really say that it was a fun one.... Oh, well. They can't all be winners."

Maze laughed sharply and louder than normal. Then she coughed and patted her chest. Eve raised her eyebrows. She had noticed Maze acting a little weird all day.

"Everything okay?" Eve asked kindly.

"Yes, I'm fine." Maze answered sharply, then stomped towards the driver's seat and shut the door harder than necessary behind her.

Eve blinked stupidly for several moments, then shrugged before making her way to the passenger seat.

When they started driving, Maze tried to turn the radio on. But the song turned out to be one about love and admitting one's feelings. She quickly switched the station, but that one turned out to be about love too.

Maze had furiously flipped through every station, but they all had love songs going.

Every.

Single.

One.

Eventually Maze gave up and just turned the whole damn thing off with an infuriated huff. "Stupid Chloe." The demon grumbled under her breath. Freaking Decker ruined her day.

"What was that?" Eve asked.

Maze sighed and rolled her eyes. "Chloe said something stupid today."

"What did she say?"

Maze's mouth suddenly felt dry and her heart rate went up. This. Was. So. Stupid.

"She thinks that I have a crush on you."
Maze blurted, then tried to laugh it off when Eve's eyes widened in surprise. "Which is ridiculous! Demons don't get crushes. We aren't a bench of pimply humans going through puberty."

Eve bit her lip and fidgeted with the fringe of her shorts. "So, you don't have a crush on me? Chloe's wrong?"

Maze stared straight ahead at the road, remaining silent and impassive. A completely closed book.

Eve gulped before continuing. "Because... if you did, it wouldn't exactly be one-sided..."

Maze almost ran into a mailbox on the side of the road before stopping at a red light. Maze looked at Eve, who was watching her shyly.

A smile spread across Maze's face on it's own accord. "Really?"

Eve nodded her confirmation.

"Well, then maybe Decker's smarter than I give her credit for." Maze admitted.

——————-

It was a little after 9 pm when the devil, detective, and urchin finally got back to the apartment. After the ultrasound they had all taken advantage of Chloe's day off and celebrated.

Trixie had wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese, which Lucifer was very against. But Chloe had been able to convince him to go along with it by letting him pick the restaurant afterwards.

And of course, he just had to go all out. Some of the meals that place had could pay for a months worth of groceries. Chloe really didn't have much choice but to let Lucifer pay this once.

But damn, did her dinner taste good.

And what mattered most is that they all had fun together.

A few minutes after the restaurant, Trixie was passed out in the backseat, so Lucifer now carried her into her bedroom. Which is something else Chloe had noticed that day. Lucifer had had his complaints, but he didn't seem to mind touching Trixie nearly as much. Maybe seeing the baby again today, more formed and actually looking like a baby, did something to him.

Chloe sat down on the couch and Lucifer followed her shortly after closing Trixie's door. He flopped down beside her, leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and let out a groan. "So... many... urchins."

Chloe laughed then clamped a hand over her mouth as to not wake up Trixie. Chloe sat sideways on the couch, so she was able to lightly nudged him in the thigh with her foot. "Oh come on, admit it. You had fun tonight." She teased.

Lucifer opened his eyes and looked at her sideways. "I did, but only once we escaped that disease riddled hellscape."

Chloe snorted and caressed a hand over her stomach. "Well, you better get used to it, buddy. Because Chuck E. Cheese, Barbie movies, Tea parties, and the works, are your future."

Lucifer winced at the prospect. "I doubt that. I would assume that my child would have better tastes in activities."

"Yeah... keep telling yourself that." Chloe teased, but her heart fluttered at something he said.

My child.

Not the child.

But my child.

"Speaking of which," Chloe said as she moved her legs to her chest. "Now that we know what we're having, we really need to figure out names."

Lucifer knitted his brow. "Names? Won't the child choose her own?"

Chloe's eyebrows raised, unsure whether he was joking or not. But he seemed sincere. "Uh, no. That's not how it works. We need to give her a name."

"But what if she hates it?" Lucifer asked.

"She's not going to hate it." Chloe said with an eye roll. She was about to dismiss it, but then she paused. Recently she had been trying to be more understanding and try and figure out why he would think the way he does. If they were going to raise a child together, they would need to have proper communication. And it was a two way street.

Why would he think she'd hate her name? Maybe it had something to do with his own name? Chloe had never been sure if Lucifer Morningstar was his given name. His 'God-given' comment from when they first met suggested it was, but who knows with him?

"She won't hate it." Chloe said more kindly this time. "Because we won't give her a reason too. We will give her a good name that fits her. And how about this, if she doesn't want it, then she'll be welcome to change it when she's older."

That seemed to make Lucifer relax a bit and he nodded. "Alright." He agreed. "As long as you don't choose another hooker name."

"Trixie is not a hooker name." Chloe defended. "She's named after Dan's mother, Beatrice. But since Beatrice was too old fashioned, I wanted to give her the nickname Trixie."

"Who she's named after does not change the facts, Detective."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Well, do you have any name ideas?"

Lucifer frowned. "You're the one who insisted we give her a name. You suggest one."

"No, not until you find one better than Trixie." Chloe decided.

Lucifer sighed dramatically and tried to think. For a moment, Lucifer tried to think of names that weren't shared by former lovers, but quickly gave up that notion since it would narrow their options too dramatically. "Desiree?" Lucifer suggested, first thing to pop into his head.

Chloe crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "And you think that Trixie is a hooker name."

Lucifer huffed and crossed his own arms. "Desiree is not a hooker name."

"And neither is Trixie."

"That's debatable."

Chloe sighed. "Fine. Take some time to think about your suggestions. Want to hear mine?" Lucifer nodded his response.

"What do you think about Eleanor?" Chloe had wanted to use this name for Trixie, but Dan had had his heart set on Beatrice.

Lucifer thought about it, but ultimately declined. "Too biblical." He said.

"Biblical? How is it biblical?"

"'El' means god, and 'or' means light. In Hebrew, Eleanor means 'God is my light', which I am very much against. It's a lovely name, but I can't get past the meaning. I do not want the offspring to have anything more to do with my father than she already does." Lucifer explained.

Chloe frowned in disappointment. She had really liked the name Eleanor. But this was Lucifer's baby too, and they needed to find a name they both adored. If he didn't want it, then that was fine.

They had discussed names for a little longer. Lucifer hadn't liked any other names Chloe had suggested, deeming them too boring, biblical, and/or hooker-like. Lucifer had suggested a few names from the top of his head, but came up with none that either of them felt any attachment to.

Lucifer left a little after 10:30, having a meeting with Lux's staff the next morning.

Chloe yawned, but hadn't yet wound down enough to go to sleep. She poured herself a glass of that delicious grape juice Lucifer bought for her and was about to knock back with her Netflix account when a knock came at the door.

Chloe sat her drink on the table and stood. Lucifer had left just barely ten minutes ago, and he would've just walked right in if coming back. Chloe's cop instincts kicked in, and she wondered if she had time to retrieve the gun from her nightstand safe. But then again, what kind of intruder would knock on the front door? Chloe was still weary though as she opened the door.

Outside stood an older man who wore the clothes of a priest. He held a smallish, cardboard box in his hands, and regarded Chloe with a smile meant to be reassuring.

"Can I help you?" Chloe asked, keeping the suspicion from her voice. She held the door only half open, giving herself the option to shut it if need be.

"Hello, Miss Decker." The stranger said, giving Chloe chills. How the hell did this man know her name?

"I am Father William Kinley, and I am here to speak to you about Lucifer Morningstar."

Chapter Text

Chloe kept her expression neutral, even if she was feeling many different things at that moment. "Lucifer Morningstar? Why would you need to speak to me about him?" Chloe didn't know what this man had to do with Lucifer, but she had a bad feeling about it.

Even though Chloe was willing to look past it, she wasn't blind to Lucifer's less than legal dealings and activities. Maybe he had finally pissed off the wrong person. But why would he be here?

"There are things about Mr. Morningstar that you are most likely not aware of." Kinley said.

No kidding. Story of her freaking life.

"And it is imperative that we discuss it. It is time that you understood who Lucifer Morningstar truly is."

Chloe narrowed her eyes and looked the man up and down. There was no way in hell that she would just trust a complete stranger who showed up on her doorstep in the middle of the night...

But the desire to know who Lucifer really was, truly was overwhelming.

She should just shut the door. Chloe's logical mind knew that... But what exactly did he know about Lucifer?

"How do I know that you're not lying?" She asked skeptically.

Kinley offered the cardboard box to her. "I have had my eye on Mr. Morningstar for quite a while, and all of my findings are in this box."

Chloe eyed the box, more curious than she'd like to be.

"What I have to say also has something to do with the child you carry."

That definitely got Chloe's attention. She placed a protective hand on her stomach instinctively. "How did you know that?" Chloe snapped.

"Like I said, Miss Decker. I have been keeping a watchful eye on Mr. Morningstar." Kinley answered.

That definitely didn't ease her worries one bit. Yes, Chloe's curiosity was currently eating her alive, but she wasn't stupid enough to allow someone who has apparently been stalking Lucifer into her home.

"You can say whatever you want out here. But in five minutes if you're not gone, I'm calling the police." Chloe threatened, not nudging from her place by the door.

Kinley sighed and nodded. "Very well. I knew that you were a skeptic."

Chloe narrowed her eyes and waited.

"What you don't know about Lucifer Morningstar, is that he is a creature not of this world. A monster. He has walked this earth for centuries, tempting souls and damning them for eternity. The night club owner you know, is truly the devil."

All was silent for about thirty seconds before Chloe barked out a laugh. "That's what you came to tell me? Buddy, I get told that at least ten times a day. Did Lucifer or Maze put you up to this? You're a pretty decent actor."

"This is no joke, Chloe."

Chloe's growing grin melted away. Either this guy was a pretty damn good actor who was committed to his role, or he actually believed what he was saying.

"What does this have to do with my baby?"

Kinley sighed and squared his shoulders, preparing himself for her reaction to his next words. "You should know what the child of the devil is. The Antichrist. A creature of great evil like it's father, who will bring about the end of the world. An evil who should never be born."

Chloe's grip on the door handle tightened and her eyes widened in fury. "It was funny at first, but bringing my baby into this is crossing the fucking line!" She hissed, but trying to keep her voice down as to not alert Trixie or the neighbors.

Kinley sighed in disappointment, but expressed no shame. "I should have known that you wouldn't believe me on my word alone. The devil has been manipulating you for too long."

"You have ten seconds to get off my doorstep before I arrest you for trespassing." Chloe threatened coldly.

"Very well. Just know that when you are ready, I have a way to exorcise the devil and his spawn from this plane of existence. You are a sensible woman who has been manipulated, I have faith that you will see the truth." Kinley stated with a smile that was becoming less reassuring and more frightening.

"I already do." Chloe stated firmly.

Kinley actually chuckled, and sat the box down on the ground inches away from Chloe's feet. "I wouldn't be so sure before going through this box." Kinley said. He bid her goodnight, and left.

Chloe waited until he drove out of sight, paying close attention to his car model and license plates, before going inside, and leaving the box on her front porch.

She locked the front door, then went to lock the back door and windows for good measure. Chloe knew that sleep would be hopeless, so she retrieved her gun from upstairs, made sure that the safety was on, and sat back down on the couch.

She turned the tv on and found a new Netflix show that looked interesting. She switched it on and tried to relax. But her mind couldn't stop going to the box outside. Chloe didn't know what the hell was in that thing. After finding a decapitated head, Dan would tell you to be careful when opening strange boxes.

Chloe tried to ignore the urge to see what it held. But she couldn't stop wondering. Who was Lucifer really? Where had he come from? Why was he the way he was? And did that box have anything?

After several minutes of trying to talk herself out of it, Chloe stood up with her gun in hand, opened the door, and quickly snatched the box inside before locking the door again.

The box wasn't too heavy, but it wasn't light either. She placed the box and gun on the coffee table, and plopped down on the couch.

She stared at it, as if expecting it to come to life and attack her.

Should she open it? Just to take a look? Should she call Lucifer? No, he was probably asleep by now, and he had an early meeting. Should she just throw it in the trash?

Chloe leaned forward on the couch. She looked around herself, as if expecting someone to be watching. She then shook her head at the ridiculous fear, and turned her attention back to the mysterious box. Her fingers twitched to open it.

Finally, Chloe breathed deeply and reached her hand out. And feeling much like Pandora, she opened the box and peeked inside.

Chloe pulled out a scrapbook, of sorts. She placed it on her lap and flipped through it. What she found confused her.

She found an article on the Chicago fire, and there was a black and white picture of a crowd surrounding a burned down building. And among the crowd, Chloe saw something that made her breath hitch.

Or someone.

Chloe figured that either her tired mind was playing tricks on her, or it was photoshopped. There was a face in the crowd that looked much like Lucifer, but it couldn't really be him or real. Lucifer wouldn't have even been born by then.

Chloe didn't really know how old he was, but there was no way. Besides, the photo itself was blurry and could easily be a mistake.

She flipped to another page and saw a photos of Hitler and the nazi party. Articles from the war, and another photo that showed Lucifer clear as day. There was no denying his face here.

It had to be photoshop, it couldn't possibly be real! This photo was fake. It had to be... Right?

Chloe flipped through more pages, seeing articles of other disasters and tragedy. She was about to shut the ridiculous book when she saw a name that gave her pause.

Jimmy Barnes.

Who had gone mentally insane after shooting her. Chloe's mind flashed back to right after she had been shot. She remembered seeing a quick flash of red in the mirror and hearing Jimmy's screams before falling unconscious.

She then remembered visiting him in the mental hospital, and the words he kept saying as he pounded his head against the glass. "He's the devil! He's the devil!”

Chloe's hand trembled as she turned the page. The next name she found was Carmen Grant. The auctioneer who had tried to sell Lucifer's cosplay wings.

Or at least a replica of them, as he had told Chloe. And the thing about Carmen, is that he had also gone insane, but he didn't proclaim Lucifer the devil.

Chloe had also visited him, more out of curiosity than necessity. And he had rambled incoherently, and Chloe couldn't make out most of what he'd said. But there was one sentence that had stood out.

"He took them... he took the wings away."

Carmen had sobbed uncontrollably then, and Chloe had left.

Lucifer hadn't seemed that eager to try and locate his wings after that. Which had confused Chloe. Had he found what he was looking for?

Chloe turned the page, and sucked in a breath at the next name.

Malcolm Graham.

Chloe stared at the page dedicated to the man who had turned her life upside down. Everything to do with Malcolm since he woke up had never quite added up to the Detective. His motivations, his psychosis, his obsession with Lucifer. It never made sense, and Chloe had accepted that it never would.

But... What did this all mean?

Chloe tried to think back on everything she knew about Lucifer. All of his eccentricities that she could never really explain away. His wild stories and metaphors. His uncanny mojo that effected everyone but her.

His ability to unlock doors with a simple touch. The way he could be standing several feet away from her in one moment, then right over her shoulder the next. The way he had disappeared without a trace after nearly getting shot in his club. His unbelievable strength.

The time he had been shot in the stomach, bleeding out, then suddenly perfectly fine minutes later.

Chloe hadn't realized she was crying until a drop landed on the page. She shut the book closed and dropped it on the table as if it burned her. This was insane. This was impossible. This wasn't real.

It couldn't be real.

Then why was she shaking so badly?

"Who are you, Mr. Morningstar?" She whispered to herself, receiving silence in return.

——————

Chloe slowly woke up to the sounds of chewing. Chloe felt an uncomfortable crick in her neck. Her mind was blissfully blank at first as she slowly came to. But she then remembered the surprise visitor and book she had received.

Chloe must have fallen asleep on the couch. No wonder she was sore and uncomfortable. She hoped that Dan hadn't felt this way back when they were married and she kicked him out of bed... on second thought, she hoped he did.

Chloe tried to stretch out her leg, but hit something solid and alive. Panic engulfed the Detective as her eyes flew open. She snatched her gun from the table, sat up, and pointed it at the person beside her.

Maze didn't even blink to having a gun pointed at her face. She just looked at Chloe with a bored expression and continued to eat her sprinkle-drowned donut and flip through Kinley's book.

"Morning, Chlo. I see that you've been busy." She remarked as she turned her attention back to the book.

Chloe sighed in relief and lowered her gun. She carefully put it back on the table after checking the safety. "Sorry about that. I've had a rough night." Chloe apologized.

"No worries. If I apologized every time I pointed a weapon at somebody, then I wouldn't have time to point weapons at people." Maze said. "Finally decided to do some real research, Huh?" The demon inquired with a tap on the book.

Chloe let out a breath and then went on to explain the priest on her doorstep.

"Fuck." Maze cursed afterwards. "I hate priests. They love their holy water and exorcisms. If I had a dollar for every time a priest threw holy water at me, and freaked out when it didn't work, than I'd be richer than Lucifer."

Chloe decided to not even wonder what that meant. "Do you know him?"

"William Kinley...? No. Never heard of him. And I doubt that Lucifer does either. We stopped caring to keep track of crazy priests years ago. We'd just deal with them when they came, and moved on."

"So, you've dealt with people like this?" Chloe asked. It didn't really surprise her. With a persona like Lucifer Morningstar, the self proclaimed devil, it would no doubt bring fanatic believers with it.

Maze paused before answering. "Well, we've never dealt with anyone who's done this much digging. And we never had to worry about the Antichrist before." Maze knew that the Antichrist was bullshit, but that freak didn't. It had the demon worried.

Chloe sighed and messaged her forehead. "Right. Because I'm pregnant with the bringer of the apocalypse... Super."

"There is no apocalypse. That was just a sci fi story some guys made up while high. That baby might be half devil, but it ain't going to be evil." Maze clarified.

Chloe rolled her eyes. Maze's jaw tensed. She wiped her hands with a napkin, placed the book on the table, and crossed her arms. "Don't do that." She said sternly.

"Do what?" Chloe asked.

"Roll your eyes whenever I tell you something that you find hard to believe, scoff, and then forget about it ten seconds later. It drives me fucking nuts when I try and tell you something important, and you think I'm screwing with you. I'm not. And Lucifer really needs to get his head out of his ass and just prove it to you! I would do it myself, but as much as I hate to admit it, he's still my king. And he can kick my ass if I do anything he doesn't like to you." Maze explained.

Chloe wasn't sure how to respond to that. Especially with what she had read the night before. "But it can't be..." She said, then pointed at the book. "That can't be real."

Maze shrugged her shoulders. "It is. Not the way the priest spun it, but it is real. And you need to open your eyes and see that."

Chloe definitely didn't know how to respond to that, and luckily she didn't have to. Trixie chose that moment to walk out of her room, dressed and ready for school. "Mommy? Why aren't you dressed yet?"

Chloe knitted her brow, then grabbed her phone to look at the time. "Oh shi-shoot!" Chloe corrected herself as she rushed to get dressed, already late for work.

———————

Linda yawned lazily as she just began to wake up. Linda sighed softly and listened to the steady heartbeat of the bare chest beneath her cheek.

"Awake yet?" Amenadiel asked pleasantly.

“Just five more minutes." Linda mumbled, and she smiled when Amenadiel chuckled.

They laid comfortably on Amenadiel's pull out couch, a tangle of blankets and naked limbs.

The long-empty bottle of wine lay forgotten on its side on the floor. A pizza box with a single slice left rested on the desk.

After popping open the wine, drinking it straight from the bottle due to lack of glasses, they ordered pizza and talked for several hours. They had talked about many topics, some being deep and philosophical, while others mundane and silly.

Eventually Linda had opened up about Reese, and Amenadiel had opened up about his insecurities regarding his lack of divinity. One thing had led to another, and here they were.

Linda opened her eyes, everything blurry without her glasses, and propped her chin up on Amenadiel's chest. She laughed when she saw him wearing her glasses. "Why are you wearing those?" She asked.

"Too see what it was like. I don't know why you wear them, they make my head hurt." Amenadiel said as he took them off and gently put them on the face of their rightful owner.

“That's because you don't need them." Linda answered while adjusting her glasses.

"I suppose." Amenadiel agreed. He messaged the small of Linda's back and she let out a moan. She was still sore from the night before, but she wouldn't be opposed to another round with the angel.

Linda lifted herself up above Amenadiel, and placed a firm kiss on his swollen lips. And of course the phone had to start vibrating. "Dammit." She grumbled irritably, which earned a laugh from Amenadiel.

She got off her favorite angel and grabbed her phone. It was one of her clients, calling to confirm an appointment for that day. Once Linda was finished with the call, she found a text from Lucifer that she'd missed the day before.

"Lucifer and Chloe are having a girl." Linda said with a smile. At least that's what Linda assumed the collection of emojis meant. She showed the text to Amenadiel.

"Ohhh, that's what he meant. He texted me the same thing, but I couldn't for the life of me figure it out." Amenadiel admitted as he looked at the text. "Lucifer is having a daughter... good for him." He said softly, and the lazy happiness seemed to dim in his eyes.

Linda studied Amenadiel's sudden change in mood. She had been a professional psychologist long enough to recognize jealousy when she saw it. "Are you okay?" Linda asked.

Amenadiel smiled widely and handed the phone back to her, though the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. "Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

Linda gave him a look that was obvious that she knew he was bullshitting her. "I'm a therapist. It's literally my job to know when someone is feeling bothered by something."

Amenadiel sighed and let the smile fall. "It's.. I'm honestly not sure why I'm feeling this way." Amenadiel tried to explain. "I'm used to feeling jealous of Lucifer. We all are. He's always been our parent's favorite. The beloved Lightbringer. He's always had everything handed to him on a silver platter, just to throw it away..."

Amenadiel paused with a frown. "I don't understand why I feel jealous over this, though. He's having a child with a woman he obviously cares deeply for, and it's my task to help him be worthy of that gift." Or, at least that's what he assumed.

Linda remained silent, allowing him to get everything he needed off his chest.

"But... but why does he get to have this gift?" Amenadiel asked rhetorically. "Why does he get to have all the attention? He whines and complains that Dad never paid attention to him, but he was the favorite. If he's the favorite of our parent's angels, and feels so ignored, then how does he think we rest of us feel?" Bitterness ached in Amenadiel's chest. Bitterness, and loneliness.

Amenadiel had never realized just how lonely he felt before he became mortal. He didn't realize just how much he ached for a connection. And he hadn't realized dreams he had for his life, before he'd seen his little brother living those dreams.

Linda reached up and wiped the tears that had just begun to fall from his face. "You want a family." Linda guessed with a kind smile. "You want to feel loved unconditionally, and feel free to love someone like that in turn."

Amenadiel didn't respond to Linda's assertion. "Everyone longs for, and deserves to feel loved, Amenadiel. Humans, angels, demons, I'm starting to see that it's something that goes beyond species. It's a craving for connection. A craving that everyone shares."

"How... how do I know if I feel connected to someone?" Amenadiel asked, voice quiet and uncharacteristically shy.

Linda breathed deeply, trying to find a way to verbally explain it. "It's hard to tell. Everyone feels different, and has their own version of connection. But personally, I think that when something feels fundamentally right, and you feel content, then that must be some form of connection."

Amenadiel was silent for several moments, analyzing her words in his head. When he had seemed to come to a conclusion, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. He kissed her gently on the lips, and pulled back with a content smile. "This feels fundamentally right." He decided.

Linda blushed at the romance of it all, and giggled like she hasn't in years. "Well, then just call me Angel of the morning..."

——————-

Chloe was currently looking through security tapes at her desk, but she was struggling to concentrate. Which was odd for her. Throwing herself into work was Chloe's go-to coping mechanism.

But she couldn't stop thinking about everything Kinley and Maze had said. Her logical mind kept telling herself that it was crazy to even consider the possibility. Just like it did when she'd tried to figure Lucifer out the first time, earlier on in their partnership.

But she couldn't stop thinking about the evidence. The things she's seen. The things she's heard. She just couldn't come up with a plausible explanation. So where did that leave?

But at the same time, the devil himself couldn't possibly be the father of her unborn child! It was ridiculous to even entertain the thought!

Chloe hadn't yet told Lucifer about Kinley's visit, and the 'proof' he left behind. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to hide this from him. But she just couldn't bring herself to tell him.

She couldn't stomp down the tiny seed of doubt Kinley had planted in her mind.

Chloe was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Lucifer walk up beside her. She jumped with a gasp when he placed the green smoothie on her desk.

He frowned at her reaction and placed his hands in his pockets. "Is everything alright, Detective? You've been acting odd all day."

Chloe quickly recovered herself and plastered on a smile from her acting days. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, just have my mind wrapped up in this case."

She then looked at the green smoothie with a raised eyebrow. She picked up a pen. "Uh, what exactly is-" She poked the drink with the pen to emphasize her point. "-this?"

Lucifer grinned proudly and flourished his hands as he presented it. "Apricots, pears, kale, tomatoes, avocado, and spinach. All optimal things to consume for the..." He leaned in conspiratorially and whispered the last part. "Offspring."

Most of the precinct didn't yet know about Chloe's pregnancy. Not even the lieutenant (which she knew she'd pay for later). Chloe had announced her pregnancy with Trixie early on, and she had definitely regretted it.

Chloe's smile became more genuine. She loved how he seemed to be thinking more about the baby, and even worrying about her health. The drink sounded absolutely disgusting, but she decided that she would at least try it.

"Thank you, Lucifer. That's so sweet of you."

Lucifer puffed out his chest as his ego obviously grew, if that were even possible. "I try."

Chloe hummed, picked up the drink, and took a sip.

Yep. Disgusting.

She stopped herself just in time from gagging, and smiled up at Lucifer. "Yummy." She lied. Chloe wasn't going to discourage him from wanting to make sweet gestures, so she could bare a single smoothie. But she'd need to find a way to make sure that it was only one smoothie.

Just then, Chloe felt a small pressure in her stomach. It was faint and quick, but it gave her pause. She sat the drink down and placed her hand beneath her shirt and waited. When it came again, she smiled so widely her face hurt.

She had felt light flutters in her stomach, but had chopped that up to gas. But this was undeniably a kick.

"I knew that the beverage was good, but not that good." Lucifer joked.

Chloe wordlessly paused the video, stood, took Lucifer's hand, and led a confused devil to the conference room. Once there, she locked the door and pulled the shades down.

"You're not going to yell at me over my life choices, are you?" Lucifer asked with a light laugh.

"No, why would you ask me that?" Chloe asked.

"No particular reason. That's simply what happened the last time I was here." Lucifer answered vaguely.

Chloe decided to shelve that thought for later. She lifted up her blouse, took Lucifer's hand, and placed it on her bare stomach. He stared at her in complete confusion. "What on earth are you doing?" He asked.

"Just wait a minute, I want you to feel it." Chloe said excitedly.

"Feel what-" Lucifer cut himself off when he felt something hit his hand from inside the Detective's womb. He was so shocked that he stood completely frozen, the only thing to move was his eyes, which widened and stared at her stomach.

And then it happened again. And again. And again.

Chloe's face brightened even more each time, while Lucifer's only became more shocked. His entire body flinched at the second time, and by the forth he wrenched his hand away.

Chloe's smile dimmed and she looked at him questioningly.

"What the fuck is that?!" Lucifer asked, voice full of disbelief.

Chloe's heart fell at his reaction. Most fathers were ecstatic when the baby kicked for the first time, but Lucifer looked like he had just seen a terrifying monster. "That's our daughter. She's kicking." Chloe explained.

Lucifer's eyes widened even more and his jaw dropped. "She's kicking you now?! Why is she hurting you?" Lucifer seemed distraught and panicked by this.

Chloe couldn't help but laugh at his overreaction. "She's not hurting me! This is completely normal." She explained enthusiastically.

"It... it's normal?" He asked. His tense body seemed to relax with this information, and immense relief flooded into his expressive eyes.

"Yes, it's normal. Great, even. It means that she's strong and healthy."

"Oh." Lucifer said as he finally understood. Lucifer's eyes traveled down to her still-exposed stomach, and his fingers twitched at his side.

Chloe slowly reached out and took his hand again. She guided it to her stomach, and he resisted for half a second an inch from her belly, but then he allowed her to place it down.

It didn't take long for her to kick again, and Lucifer seemed much more okay with it this time.

He let out a surprised laugh and his body trembled ever so slightly. His eyes were fixed on her belly where the kicks came, and Chloe watched him. His eyes were wet with unshed tears, and a small, if nervous, smile grew on his face. A true, genuine smile.

It was in that moment that Chloe knew that what Father Kinley said was untrue. There was absolutely no way that the man standing in front of her with his hand above their daughter with tears in his eyes, was this horrible monster that humanity feared.

There was no way that the man that she was begrudgingly falling for more every day was evil incarnate.

This strange, eccentric, infuriating, kind, hilarious, wonderful, ridiculous man, was not evil.

Chloe knew that. She knew it for a fact. Everything was going to be fine.

Which is why she now felt confident enough with him to tell Lucifer about her encounter the night before.

———————

Chloe now vomited in the precinct bathroom.

And one sniff of Officer Dickson’s lunch of pickles and hard boiled eggs, and Chloe was a goner.

And Ella just had to pick that moment to come into the restroom. And of course Chloe just had to forget to close the stall door.

"Wow, are you okay, Decker?" Ella asked worriedly as she stood behind her. Ella then moved Chloe's ponytail from her shoulder to her back, which Chloe appreciated.

“Yeah, I'm fine." Chloe assured her. Then when the detective was satisfied that there would be no more vomiting, she flushed the toilet and moved to the sink.

"Are you sick?" Ella asked. "... Or something else?" She subtly glanced at Chloe's stomach, probably not even meaning to.

Chloe sighed. She had heard the whispers of gossip surrounding whether or not she's pregnant or just gaining weight. Lucifer really couldn't care less of when they started telling people, and had only kept quiet about it for Chloe's sake.

But there really wouldn't be much hiding it anymore. It was getting harder to get into her clothes, and would be more than noticeable soon. Especially when surrounded by officers and detectives.

"I'm not sick." Chloe said with a smile, waiting for the forensic scientist to draw her own conclusions.

Ella's eyes widened along with her grin. "Really? Are you...? I really don't wanna ask if I'm wrong, I just heard rumors that-"

"Yes, I'm pregnant."

Ella squealed and pulled Chloe in for a merciless hug. "OMG! THIS IS SO AWESOME! Right? This is a happy baby, right?"

"Very happy. Surprising and unexpected, but happy."

Ella spoke so quickly and kept breaking between English and Spanish that Chloe simply couldn't understand her. She could only make out words such as 'godmother' and 'baby shower'.

"We don't need a baby shower!" Chloe said and held her hands out in a placating manner.

Ella was obviously about to protest, but Chloe spoke firmly. "I'm sorry, but no. This is my second go around, and I really didn't enjoy the first baby shower. And besides, this pregnancy was completely unexpected, so Lucifer and I already have-"

"Wait." Ella interrupted her. "Lucifer's the baby daddy?"

At Chloe's affirming nod, Ella's jaw dropped in shock. Ella glanced between Chloe's face and her stomach, and actually took a step backwards. Ella seemed to be thinking hard about something, and she also seemed mildly distressed about it.

Certainly not the reaction Chloe expected, especially with all of that 'Deckerstar' business Ella raved about.

"Lucifer and Linda didn't tell me that you knew." Ella said. "You do know, don't you? You have to know. You can't be carrying Lucifer's baby if you don't."

Chloe was deeply confused, and it obviously showed. "Know what?"

"You know... Lucifer's origins?” Ella tried. At Chloe's blank expression, Ella tried again. "The devil you know? Dante's inferno? Pit of fire? His rebellious teenage-hood?"

Chloe only grew more confused, and Ella grew more distressed. "Holy shit, you don't know!"

"Know what?" Chloe asked, but Ella suddenly ran from the bathroom.

"LUCIFER!" Ella yelled as she searched the precinct. "LUCIFER WHATEVER-YOUR-MIDDLE-NAME-IS MORNINGSTAR! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE RIGHT NOW!"

Lucifer was talking to one of the officers, and turned in her direction. He frowned at her furious expression. "Miss Lopez? Is something-"

Ella had taken off one of her shoes and started hitting him with it.

She began rambling in Spanish so rapidly that even Lucifer couldn't quite make it out. Daniel walked by, stopped, grinned ear from ear, and pulled out his phone to film it.

"Bloody hell, Miss Lopez!" Lucifer exclaimed and took hold of the shoe to stop her tirade. "What has gotten into you?"

Ella glared at the devil, then took him roughly by the arm and dragged him to the forensic lab. She shut the door and whirled on him. "You knocked up Chloe, and she STILL doesn't know that you're the Big D!" Ella shouted.

"'Big D' doesn't mean what you think it does. Even though you are completely right on both accounts." Lucifer commented, and immediately regretted it when she hit him with the shoe again.

"Lucifer! She's going to birth a half-devil baby, and she doesn't even know it! You can't keep a secret like this from your baby mama! Do you even realize just how messed up that is?!" Ella struggled to keep her voice down so the eavesdroppers wouldn't hear.

"I've been telling her that I'm the devil since day one! And I've continuously told her so ever since. It's not my fault that she's too stubborn to believe me!" Lucifer defended.

"That doesn't count and you know it! She needs proof, she wouldn't be Chloe Decker if she didn't. She needs to see it for herself. You need to show her."

Lucifer tensed at the very thought of the detective seeing it for herself. "I can't." Lucifer said.

"Why? Why can't you?" Ella asked with her arms crossed, shoe at the ready.

Lucifer averted his eyes from Miss Lopez's. He fidgeted with his sleeve cuffs and cleared his throat.

"If you don't tell her, I will." Ella threatened.

Lucifer narrowed his eyes at her and scoffed. "You will? How? If she didn't believe me after I've told her countless times, then why would she believe you? It's not like you've got wings or a devil face to pop out."

Ella couldn't argue with that. "I don't know, but I'll find a way. But I can't allow you to keep this from her. Chloe is my friend, and I can't let you do this to her." Ella turned, deeming that a good place to end it, and was about to leave.

"Please, Ella." That was the first time Lucifer had ever called her by her first name. And the way he said it broke her heart a little. "She... she will despise me if she finds out."

Ella turned around and was surprised by the vulnerability she saw Lucifer display. "Why on Earth would she hate you? The two of you are too stubborn to see it, but it's obvious that you're gaga for each other. And you're having a baby together. She won't hate you."

But that didn't seem to ease the devil's worries. "There's more that you do not know. Something regarding the Detective's feelings towards me, and the reason that the child was able to be conceived in the first place."

Ella's curiosity was officially piqued. She sat down on one of the chairs at the table, and gestured to one of the others. "Tell Mama Lopez all about it."

Lucifer hesitated, but eventually sat down and explained the Detective's miracle status.

"So, Wait a minute. You're dad, God, got Amenadiel to create Chloe, and then he put her in your path?" Ella clarified. "And you think that she has no control over her feelings for you?"

Lucifer nodded and pulled out his flask. "Precisely."

Ella chewed on that a bit while Lucifer drank. "But that doesn't make sense." Ella said.

Lucifer frowned. "How? I think that it's very straight forward. Dear ol' dad is up to his old tricks in manipulating me, but with a few new painful twists."

"But why did she marry Dan?" Ella asked.

"I ask myself that every day. My current theory is that he drugged her during the ceremony. My last theory was brainwashing, but that one was refuted after a few tests."

"No really, think about it. If she was made for you, and only you, then why would she have married Dan? Or had Trixie? Or even dated period?" Ella asked. "And also, if she was made for you, then why did it take so long for her to develop feelings for you? From what I gather, she didn't like you that much when you first met."

It was true. It had taken months for the detective to so much as kiss him. And she hadn't even seemed attracted to him when they first met. In fact, she seemed so eager to have him out of her life all together.

"Maybe Dad waited for me to become comfortable with her before meddling with the Detective's feelings." Lucifer theorized.

"Or maybe he didn't meddle." Ella suggested. "Look, I'm still new to the whole 'Celestial insider' thing, so there's still a lot I don't know or understand. But what I DO know, is that Chloe cares about you, and vice versa. And honestly, I'm not sure how anyone could fake that. Even God. Okay, maybe he put her in your path, but that doesn't automatically mean that he messed with everything."

Lucifer considered it for a moment, but the possibility was too good to be real. "You're right." Lucifer said. "There is still much you don't know."

Lucifer stood and left the lab, leaving a conflicted forensic scientist behind.

Chapter Text

Kinley walked through the church hallways with a private investigator who goes by the name of Wilbert Filigen. The priest had hired him to investigate the devil and the woman carrying the Antichrist.

Of course, Mr. Filigen wasn't aware of those facts. He only knew of Lucifer's earthly status as a night club owner and civilian consultant.

Kinley patiently listened to Mr. Filigen's ramblings, even though he already knew everything important he'd found. Except for the devil's therapist. He hadn't known that. Kinley stopped himself from scoffing at the thought of Satan himself in therapy.

He also learned that Lucifer's pet demon, Mazikeen Smith, had a new career as a bounty hunter. A demon hunting down humans. That popular saying could apply here, ‘you can take the demon out of Hell, but you can't take Hell out of the demon.’

"Father Kinley!" Trevor Lincoln, a young man in his early twenties who had brown hair and eyes, light brown freckled skin, and a tall but skinny body, ran up to Kinley with panic filled eyes. "There is a man here to see you."

"I will be a moment, Trevor. I'm occupied at this time." Kinley informed him, planning on blowing off whoever it was.

"It's Lucifer Morningstar." Trevor said with a tremble in his voice.

That gave the priest pause. He turned his full attention to Trevor and his fear stricken expression made sense. Evil incarnate was here. Trevor was the only other person besides Father Kinley who believed Lucifer Morningstar to be the devil.

Kinley turned back to the investigator with an apologetic smile. "We will have to reschedule this." Mr. Filigen agreed to come back the next day and left.

Kinley sent a prayer to God, steeled himself, and began to make his way to the courtyard where the devil waited.

"Wait!" Trevor said. "Will you be safe, Father? Do you need help?"

Kinley paused and smiled appreciatively. "I will be fine, child. God will watch over me."

Trevor nodded, but still seemed reluctant to let Kinley go. But he stayed back nonetheless. Kinley made his way to the courtyard, and found Satan leaning casually against one of the walls with a lit cigarette in hand.

Kinley tried to get his over-erratic heart in check and keep the disgust from his features. It would not do to lose his control around this creature.

When Lucifer noticed Kinley, his blew out a plume of smoke, and his face twisted into a wicked grin. "Ah, Father William Kinley, I presume?" Lucifer said, voice smooth as silk.

"Lucifer Morningstar, lord of Hell." Kinley said stiffly, failing to produce the same bravado as the prince of lies. It was then that Kinley noticed his book in the devil's other hand.

Disappointment filled him. It seems that Chloe Decker was too far gone for salvation. He had hoped that she would see reason, but it seemed nought.

Lucifer held up the book and waved it around. "I have to hand it to you, you have really done your homework. Impressive, really. If only you hadn't misinterpreted it so poorly." Lucifer then tossed the book into the air, and Kinley scrambled to catch it.

"So, you don't deny that you are the devil?" Kinley questioned as he tucked the book protectively under his arm.

"Despite what your little book says, I am no liar." Lucifer stated and took a drag of his cigarette.

Lucifer took his sweet time to blow out the smoke, then fixed Kinley with a predatory stare. "Tell me, Willy, what is it-"

Kinley looked away from the devil's eyes before he could finish the question. He had heard of this from others. Of the devil's power to force upon humans sinful desires that dragged them down to Hell. He had heard of this, and wanted nothing to do with it. But Lucifer wouldn't take silence as an answer.

Kinley involuntarily took a step back when he heard the devil's steps. He stopped himself from moving any farther, knowing that God would protect him. Lucifer stepped into his eyeline, standing inches away from the priest. He looked straight into Kinley's eyes, and cast his spell.

"What is it you truly desire?"

Kinley tried to fight it. He tried to push back the all consuming urge to spill his secrets to this creature of darkness. He desperately clawed at every last ounce of self-restraint he possessed, but the devil's dark eyes were too strong.

"I want to save the world from you and your spawn!" Kinley gasped when he couldn't hold back any longer.

The priest felt furious by this lack of strength. Furious with himself, and with the devil. But he pushed that fury down, and forced his head clear.

Lucifer seemed unsurprised by this desire, and rolled his eyes with a scoff. "Of course that's what you want. Because your precious little Bible says that I'm the biggest evil out there, and that any child I produce must be evil as well." He said sarcastically.

Then the devil's eyes narrowed and he got nose-to-nose with the priest, all pretense of causality gone. "I want something to be very clear between us, Willy. My child is an innocent who hasn't even had the chance to take her first breath. She is not evil, and never will be because her mother is Chloe Decker. I have no desire to damn any of you humans. You do that all on your own without my help."

Lucifer roughly took Kinley's arm and squeezed painfully, causing the priest to gasp. His eyes became red, burning with the fires of Hell.

"Now, if you have issues with me, then by all means take me on. I could use some good entertainment. But if you ever touch my daughter or her mother, if you so much as speak their names in ill will, then I won't even wait till you die before bringing Hell right to you."

Lucifer let go of Kinley's arm and his eyes became brown again. After the threat was delivered, Lucifer once again became calm and unnaturally cheerful.

"Now that that's sorted, I aught to be going. The Detective wants me to go to something called Lamaze with her, saying that she needs refreshing on something. Perhaps you and I will see each other again some day, where the weather's warmer."

Lucifer dropped his cigarette butt to the ground beside Kinley's shoe, and walked off with a spring in his step.

Once he was gone, Kinley fisted his hands and gritted his teeth in outrage. He stomped out the cigarette and ground it beneath his shoe. His arm throbbed where Lucifer had squeezed, and would undoubtedly have bruises in the near future.

Lucifer's unsaid threat got under Kinley's skin more than his blatantly clear ones.

'Perhaps you and I will see each other again some day, where the weather's warmer.'

As if Kinley was destined for Hell. But the priest knew that the devil was only trying to elicit fear within him. Satan was a eons old creature who could spin the purest truths into dastardly lies. Kinley was a soldier of God. No matter what happened in this life, he would find salvation in Heaven.

He just needed to stop the prophecy. "When the devil walks the earth and finds his first love, evil shall be released." Kinley whispered to himself, a reminder of everything that was at stake.

"Father?" Trevor asked tentatively as he made his way into the courtyard beside his mentor. "What do we do now?"

Kinley sighed as he looked at the book in his hands. "We've done all we can, but there is no saving Chloe Decker. She will just have to be a casualty."

Trevor's eyes widened and he gulped. "Are you sure? It's not her fault that she was manipulated by the devil, maybe we could-"

Kinley fixed the young man with a hard stare, and Trevor clamped his mouth shut. "The Antichrist is much larger than Chloe. If it is born, then we are all damned." The priest said. He then walked inside the church, needing to plan out his next move.

———————-

Lucifer couldn't believe his predicament.

He sat on the floor (Yes! The floor! In Prada, nonetheless) on a mat with the Detective sitting between his legs (Which had been the only enjoyable part of this dreadful experience), surrounded by other expecting couples, and watching something on the screen that could rival Hell.

His face twisted in horror and disgust, and he was fairly sure that sex had just been ruined for him. Sex! Can you even imagine how much of a travesty that was?!

He felt like he wanted to vomit as they watched bodily fluids leave some poor woman's vagina, and a head attempt to escape.

The video was muted, but Lucifer could imagine the screams.

"I knew that my father was a cruel bastard, but this is madness!" Lucifer said in disbelief.

A few of the other couples glared at him, this not being his first, and most certainly not his last, comment.

The Detective sighed and shook her head lightly. She seemed uncomfortable by the mentally scarring imagery, but not nearly as shaken as Lucifer was. "Be quiet and stop complaining! You offered to come with me today." She hissed.

"Well, you didn't tell me that I would find myself back in Hell!" Lucifer hissed back.

Maze, who was sitting beside them and eating popcorn, laughed at the screen when the spawn's head popped out.

Lucifer couldn't see Chloe's face from his angle, but he knew that she was rolling her eyes. "I'm the one who's going to actually do that, and have done that once before. When you have pushing a baby out of your vagina in your near future, then you're allowed to complain."

Lucifer groaned unhappily and turned his attention back to the screen. He winced every five seconds until it was finally over.

"Can we watch it again? Also, could I get a copy of that? It makes me homesick." Maze said enthusiastically as she munched on more popcorn.

"Why is she here, again?" Lucifer whispered into the Detective's ear.

"She followed us, then refused to leave." Chloe whispered back. "Though I have no idea of where the popcorn came from. She didn't have it when we arrived."

Lucifer glanced at the demon as she tried to persuade the bewildered Lamaze teacher to sell the dvd.

"Right." Lucifer said. He then stood up and helped the Detective upright, relieved that this torture was finally over.

A few minutes later they were back in the Detective's car, and Maze was leaving on her motorcycle.

"I will never understand why you humans pay to torture yourselves this way." Lucifer commented.

"It's not torture... Okay, it wasn't great, but not that dramatic." Chloe defended. "You'll be glad to know that this was just a one time thing to remind me of things I already knew, so you won't have to go through that again." The last part was sarcastic, but Lucifer didn't care.

"Brilliant." Lucifer said, relieved.

They hadn't moved from their parking spot for several minutes, and Lucifer looked back at the Detective questioningly. She was looking at him as if trying to decide something.

"What?" Lucifer asked.

"I've been thinking, we still don't have a first name." Chloe said. "And I would also like her to have a middle name too."

Lucifer knitted his brow. "How many names does the child need? My dad, she isn't even born yet but already so bloody demanding."

"Gee, I wonder who she got that from." Chloe deadpanned.

"Well, you are the one who insisted I came here..." Lucifer insinuated, but trailed off when he saw his partner's unamused expression.

"Maybe if we agreed on a last name, then figuring out a first and middle name will be easier." Chloe suggested.

"A last name? But isn't it traditional for the child to take the father's name?" Lucifer asked.

"It's 21st century LA, it's perfectly fine for the baby to take the mother's name." Chloe pointed out.

"Oh." Lucifer said. "Well, then if you wish for the child to be a Decker, then that's just dandy." Lucifer felt his heart sink at the thought, though he wasn't quite sure why. Up until this moment, he had assumed that she would have his name. He hadn't thought much of it, and truly couldn't figure out why it bothered him so much.

It must have showed, because the Detective wore that look she always did when she tried to figure out a suspect. "Are you okay with that? With our daughter being named Decker?" She asked.

"Of course. One of my favorite women is named Decker, so I see no problem with the offspring sharing your name." Lucifer answered, and it was truthful. He had no problem with the Decker name.

Chloe didn't seem completely convinced. "Okay, then are you upset with her not being named Morningstar?" Chloe knew that she'd hit the nail on the head when Lucifer wouldn't look her in the eye.

"It's okay, I won't be upset or anything." Chloe assured him.

Lucifer still wouldn't look Chloe in the eye, and when he spoke, his voice was soft and hesitant. "I have... very complicated feelings regarding the idea of her sharing my name."

"How complicated?" Chloe asked curiously.

Lucifer hesitated with his answer, and began twisting his ring around. "I... if she shares my name, then what would that entail? What if...what if she doesn't want to be a Morningstar, at some point down the road?"

What if she didn't want to be his daughter? Was the fear that he refused to share.

"I can't help but think that... that the more connection she has to me, then the worse off she'll be in life." Lucifer swallowed and stared out the window shield.

"But then, at the same time... I'm not quite sure how to explain it." Lucifer tried. "I've had many names chosen for me. Many titles. Forced upon me. Even 'Lucifer' was thrust upon me in many ways, though I actually like that one. But the first name that I truly chose for myself, was Morningstar. And then everything else, Lucifer Morningstar, night club owner and civilian consultant, followed. And I... I don't know... it's apart of who I am."

Lucifer finally met the Detective's eyes to find them shining with unshed tears and... pride?

"Is it legal?" She asked matter of factly.

"Legal?"

"Your name. It's not just a stage name, right? It's your legal name in everything?" She clarified.

"Yes, of course. I wouldn't introduce myself as such if it wasn't truthful."

The Detective nodded as she decided something, and smiled happily. "Then Morningstar it is."

Lucifer's eyebrows raised in concern. "You don't have to, Detective. You are the one pushing the little miscreant out, after all. You should get to choose the name."

"No, no, Lucifer. I want to. I want to name our daughter Morningstar." Chloe reassured him. "Besides, Morningstar sounds a lot more fancy schmancy then Decker, and if she's even half as ridiculously extravagant as you are, then she'll prefer it."

Lucifer chuckled at that, trying to imagine it. Surprisingly, it wasn't as bewildering to imagine as before.

"Morningstar." Lucifer muttered to himself. "My little Morningstar."

——————-

Trevor watched the devil and detective pull out of the driveway from his seat in the van. His hands trembled as he gripped the steering wheel.

Father Kinley was currently getting everything ready for the ritual to exterminate the Antichrist.

Trevor's job was to bring Detective Decker to the church. Trevor had a sedative already in a syringe, ready to go when he found an opportunity.

He felt like he was going to throw up.

He followed them from a distance, waiting for when she dropped the devil off. They seemed to be driving in the direction of Lux, so he hoped that was soon.

Trevor felt sick to his stomach. This poor woman was an innocent in all of this, manipulated by a creature of great evil. None of this was her fault. Yet she will pay the price for this. He was tempted to just leave, and tell Kinley that he couldn't find an opportunity. But he knew that would be selfish. It wasn't only Detective Decker's life in the balance.

"Remember why you're doing this." Trevor muttered.

He thought back to four years ago when his entire life went sideways. Trevor's father had been a gambler who was in way over his head. He had dangerous people after him at one point, and had made a deal. Neither Trevor nor Dad had known at the time that Lucifer Morningstar's act was more than a schtick.

Somehow, their problems seemed to have disappeared. No one was after them anymore, and his dad had found a job to earn back their lost money. Of course, his father had lost it all again, being the selfish bastard he was, but that's beside the point.

And one day, a year later, Lucifer had finally come to collect.

Trevor had never known the details of the deal. He never found out what Lucifer had wanted in return. But at some point, Dad and Lucifer had gotten into a heated argument in their rundown apartment. And seventeen year-old Trevor had hidden behind his bedroom door and watched the exchange.

Lucifer had insisted that he owed him for the deal, and Trevor's father naturally tried to weasel his way out of it, like he always did.

When Lucifer wouldn't budge, Trevor's stupid, selfish father pulled out a gun. Lucifer took one look at the weapon pointed towards his chest, and laughed. The devil taunted his father, and took a step forward.

Dad shot the gun, and hit the man square in the chest, and he didn't so much as flinch. He shot again, yielding the same results.

Lucifer stepped forward and ripped the gun from his hands before tossing it away. And then the impossible happened.

He changed.

It had started with his eyes, and then his entire head had become a charred monster. Dad had screamed and begged while Trevor was paralyzed in fear.

Eventually after several threats, the devil changed back to his human form, and left. Leaving chaos in his wake.

Dad had shot himself a week later, leaving Trevor an orphan.

Trevor had tried to turn his life around to avoid the horrors of Hell. He had gone to church every day, prayed constantly, and read every word of the Bible from front to back. He tried to make sure that he didn't meet some horrible fate. And it had been going well. But then he had made the mistake of in trusting his reasoning behind his obsession with the deacon of his church, who had believed him insane.

One thing led to another, and Trevor had found himself in a different sort of Hell. A mental hospital. A place where he knew he didn't belong. Or, at least he knew that at first. But as months past, he couldn't tell between what was real or in his head anymore.

He was lost.

But then, someone found him.

Father Kinley had visited him one day, asking questions about Trevor's psychosis. About his beliefs that the devil walked among them. Trevor had told him everything. What was the point of hiding anymore? He was already in Hell on earth.

But then Kinley had told him about a prophecy that he was researching. A prophecy about the devil. And he had been the first person to ever believe Trevor. The first person who never made him feel as if he was crazy.

Trevor never knew, nor honestly cared, of how he pulled it off, but Father Kinley had gotten Trevor out of the mental hospital, and into his custody. And together, they researched Lucifer Morningstar for almost three years. They had found out every detail they could of his life, predating decades.

And now, here they were. Back in LA. A place Trevor never wanted to see again. About to do something he never thought he would.

Minutes later, they arrived at Lux. As Trevor had predicted, Lucifer left the car and headed inside while Detective Decker drove on.

An opportunity was bound to come now.

———————

Dan was sitting on the couch in his apartment with Trixie, watching Shrek 2.

Again.

At this point, Dan could probably quote the entire movie by heart. Though watching the Shrek movies wasn't nearly as bad as Trixie's Barbie-loving phase.

Dan shuddered to remember Barbie & The diamond castle. He wasn't getting those songs out of his head anytime soon.

But the thought of Lucifer having that future ahead of him was very appealing. Dan smiled when he imagined the playboy changing diapers and attending tea parties. It was worth being stuck with that guy being apart of Trixie's, and therefore his, family.

A knock sounded at the door and Dan got up to answer it. Charlotte stood on the other side, wearing high heels, a long tan trench coat that went beyond her knees, and a seductive smile.

Dan couldn't quite pinpoint when exactly it happened, but him and Charlotte had fallen into a complicated-acquaintance-with-benefits-relationship.

The fact that Charlotte was Lucifer and Amenadiel's stepmother was VERY weird, and sometimes uncomfortable. But it somehow didn't deter Dan's attraction to this strange woman. It could be worse, at least she wasn't Lucifer's actual birth mother. That had to be something.

"Hello, Detective Espinoza." Charlotte greeted breathily. She then began to slowly open the trench coat to reveal her naked form. Dan's eyes widened in panic and he grabbed her trench coat and, much to her surprise, began buttoning it up.

"Trixie's here!" He hissed. "You need to start calling me ahead of time for these things!"

Charlotte frowned. "But they never call ahead of time in those movies Lucifer has."

"What movies-?" Dan asked, but then realized what she must be talking about. Oh god, was she getting ideas from her stepson's pornography? Nope, not gonna think about that right now.

"Never mind. But we can't do this right now." Dan said just as he finished buttoning her up.

"Why not? Couldn't you just turn the TV on and leave her be? I doubt that she'll even notice." Charlotte suggested.

Dan looked at her like she was crazy. "No, I'm not having sex with you when my 8-year-old daughter is in the apartment with me!" Dan whispered.

Charlotte rolled her eyes and scoffed as if HE was being unreasonable.

"Is everything okay?" Trixie asked as she walked up behind her father, causing him to jump in surprise. His cheeks burned as he looked between his daughter and occasional lover.

"Uh, yeah, everything's fine, Monkey! Nothing's going on!" Dan said with forced cheeriness. He felt as if he had been caught red-handed for a heinous crime. Nobody knew about their relationship, and he preferred it that way.

He definitely didn't want to continue whatever was about to happen when Lucifer pushed him before getting discovered by that gang for sleeping with Charlotte the first time.

"Who are you?" Trixie asked the goddess.

"Everyone calls me Charlotte Richards." The goddess answered.

Trixie thrust out her hand for the woman to shake. "I'm Trixie Espinoza. Nice to meet you!" Charlotte eyed the young girl's hand, deeming it clean enough before shaking it in her own.

"Are you gonna watch a movie with us? We're watching Shrek 2! It's even better than the first movie!" Trixie asked enthusiastically.

Charlotte raised an eyebrow and glanced up at Dan. He was watching them with furrowed brows and was obviously intensely uncomfortable. Hmm, it would be entertaining to continue this light form of torture.

"Why not?" She said, much to Dan's horror.

Trixie jumped up and down happily before running back inside. Dan gave Charlotte a pointed look. "I'm going to get you back for this." He vowed.

The goddess smiled and stepped closer to him. She put her lips to his ear and breathed, "I hope so." She bit the lobe for a second before making her way inside.

Dan sighed and leaned his head against the door. This woman was going to be the death of him.

They all settled down on the couch, Charlotte sitting in the middle, and Trixie clicked the pause button and turned the movie back on. A few minutes later, the girl turned to her father.

"Daddy? Could you please make us some popcorn?"

Dan glanced between the girls, and shrugged. "Okay, baby. Charlotte? Want any popcorn?"

Charlotte declined, and Dan left the room for the kitchen. Once he was gone, Trixie's smile disappeared, she turned up the volume so Dan couldn't hear, then pulled the unicorn-knife Maze had given her from between the couch cushions.

"You're Lucifer's mom." Trixie stated with a suspicious glare. "Maze told me not to trust you."

The goddess furrowed her brows at the knife being pointed in her direction. She was more annoyed than worried. "You shouldn't believe everything she says. Demons are not known for their intellectual capacities."

That only seemed to make the child more suspicious. "I want something to be straight between us." Trixie said sternly. "I've got my eye on you. So if you ever do something that I don't like, then I'll go for your ankles first, then work my way up from there." She threatened.

The goddess held back her smile, acknowledging the fact that she herself was annoyingly human, and that the knife looked annoyingly sharp. "I'll keep that in mind."

Just then Dan's footsteps could be heard. Trixie quickly hid the knife again, and slapped on her innocent smile. The goddess had to admit that she somewhat respected the little human more than she did before the threats.

She could respect a woman who took matters into her own hands.

————————

Chloe was currently leaving the grocery store after getting a few things for the house. She pushed her cart through the parking lot towards her cruiser.

But then Chloe paused. There was a white van parked beside her own car. She had noticed seeing a van several times during her drive that day, but white vans are common. She shouldn't be worried.

She had been feeling a bit paranoid since Kinley had come to her home. So it was a bit tricky to figure out where worried mother ended, and analytical detective began.

Chloe slowly made her way to her car, feeling very aware of the gun at her hip. She then opened the back of her car and loaded the groceries in. So far, so good.

Once she was finished with that, Chloe shut the trunk, and was about to wheel the cart out of the way. She then heard a footstep from behind her. She turned around quickly and was faced by a young man who looked scared shitless, standing next to the van.

She also noticed a medical needle in his hand. Chloe placed her hand on her gun, being sure that he saw it, and narrowed her eyes.

"Listen," He tried to sound reassuring, and held his hands up in a placating matter. "I only want to help you. I'm with Father Kinley."

At the priest's name, Chloe took a step backwards. "Oh really? And what kind of help could you offer with a full needle?" Chloe said sarcastically.

"It's a fail safe. I don't want to use it." The man said sadly.

"Well, if you don't want to use it, then I guess it's okay." Chloe knew that she probably shouldn't be so short with the man holding a suspicious syringe, but she had very little patience for anything to do with Kinley.

"You have to listen to me, Chloe. Lucifer isn't what you think he is. He's a monster who's ruined countless lives. I've seen what he really is, I've seen his true form." The man practically begged.

Chloe had a retort at the tip of her tongue regarding questionable substances, but bit it down. "Okay," She said softly. "I believe you. The book Kinley gave me showed me everything I needed to know. I just had to pretend not to believe to get away from Lucifer." She lied, hoping to stall him until she thought of something.

The man watched her dubiously, and Chloe knew that he wasn't as stupid as she hoped he was.

"You're lying." He said with disappointment. "It doesn't matter what I say, you won't believe any of it."

He took a step forward, and Chloe pulled out her gun. He stopped and his eyes widened in fear. "Don't come any closer." She warned and placed her finger on the trigger. They stared each other down in the empty parking lot (of all times to be empty!).

The man set his jaw and determination filled his eyes. "I have to." He took another step forward, Chloe aimed for his shoulder and pulled the trigger.

The gun jammed.

The fucking gun jammed!

If there was really a god, then he was an asshole.

Chloe tried to run, but he was too quick. The man pushed her to the ground and pinned her down. Chloe struggled against him and tried to yell out, but he placed a hand over her mouth. Chloe bit him, causing the man to yelp in pain, but he didn't loosen his grip.

He injected whatever substance was in that syringe directly into her neck.

"I'm sorry." He said. "I'm so, so, so sorry."

Chloe continued to struggle against him, but she felt her energy depleting more by the second. Her vision dimmed and blurred, and her mind felt like it was a computer shutting down.

The man continued to desperately apologize, but Chloe couldn't comprehend it. And then she did something that she hasn't done in years.

She prayed.

But not to God.

She didn't know why she did it, or why she thought it might work, but her panicked and drugged up mind thought it a good idea.

After Chloe had thought the words begging for help in her mind, everything shut down.

Chapter Text

Lucifer played on his piano in Lux, surrounded by people.

He played "Your song" by Elton John. There was a hushed silence among the humans as they listened to the literal voice of an angel, unaware that they were witnessing divinity at that moment. A small glimpse of Heaven.

"I hope you don't mind, I hope-" Just as Lucifer was singing those lyrics, he felt a sudden jolt at the back of his mind.

Lucifer received prayers frequently (9 times out of 10 they turned out to be from teens going through a goth phase), and had learned to simply tune them out over the years. And he attempted to do so now, but this one was different. Familiar. Terrified.

When Lucifer realized who's voice he heard, his heart skipped a beat.

"Lucifer, help me!"

The Detective begged in his mind. An all consuming feeling of fear, panic, and desperation emanated from the prayer, and filled Lucifer. He tried to grasp at it in his mind, to figure out what was wrong, but suddenly it was gone. As if the Detective had just disappeared.

That couldn't be good.

Lucifer didn't know what was happening, or why the Detective would pray to him, but he sure as hell was going to find out. He stood from his piano and pulled out his phone. The upbeat club music resumed and the patrons eventually forgot the divine voice they heard and resumed their prior activities.

He called the Detective's phone, but got her voicemail. He called again, but yielded the same results. By the third call he was beginning to panic. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

He walked outside the club to a back alley for silence, and tried a different number.

"I'm a busy, Lucifer." Maze said irritably when she picked up. "So unless someone's dying, something escaped Hell, or you want me to finally torture your mom, then I suggest-"

"Something's happened to the Detective!" Lucifer said in a rush, effectively quieting the demon.

"... What?" She asked, much less irritable and much more concerned.

Lucifer explained to her about the prayer and the Detective not answering her phone.

"Shit! Could it be one of those dicks from the sky? Or that priest?" Maze theorized.

"I don't know. Are you home?" Lucifer asked.

"Yeah, and Chloe's obviously not here." Maze said, confirming his fears. "How about you try calling Ellen? Can't she track Chloe's car GPS?"

"I can certainly try." Lucifer said.

"Okay, I'll call Dan to let him know that something's happened. Trixie's with him tonight." Maze said right before hanging up, not caring to say goodbye.

Lucifer then dialed Miss Lopez's number.

——————

"Fucking ay!" Maze said as she dialed Dan's number.

Eve sat beside the demon on the couch, biting her bottom lip in concern. Maze had to begrudgingly admit that Decker was right about all that 'crush' business, and luckily the feeling was mutual. So after bringing in their latest bounty, the duo had decided to go to the apartment for a couple of beers.

Just as they had started talking, Lucifer had called. Instantly extinguishing any possible romantic sparks.

Dan picked up on the second ring.

"Chloe's missing." Maze said straight up.

"Wait, what did you just say?" Dan asked, obviously confused.

Maze rolled her eyes. "Chloe's missing, as in nobody knows where she is. You're a cop, you should know what that means."

Maze heard a voice over the line that sounded suspiciously like Charlotte's. The demon rolled her eyes. He was STILL boning her?

"I know what being missing means, Maze. But you're saying that Chloe's missing? How did that happen?"

"She wouldn't be missing if we knew that, now would she?" Maze sassed. "There's a good chance that a priest has kidnapped her, and plans on exorcising the baby."

There was silence on the other line as Dan tried to process the strange sentence. "... You're gonna need to elaborate on that one."

Maze then went to explain the visit from Father Kinley, and what the priest believed.

"Are you fucking serious?" Dan asked in disbelief. "That sounds like something out of a fucking soap opera!"

"Tell me about it." Maze said. He didn't even know the half of it. "Lucifer's talking to Ellen right now about tracking down Chloe's GPS."

"Who's Ellen?"

"Ellen, that chirpy chick you work with who used to think that Lucifer's an actor."

"You mean Ella?"

"Potato patoto. Or whatever you humans say."

Dan's voice became muffled and distant, like he was speaking to someone else. Once he got an answer, he was back on the phone. "Okay, wherever they're going, I'll be there as soon as I can. I already have someone to watch Trixie."

They said their goodbyes and hung up.

"Not an ideal first date, Huh?" Eve attempted at humor, but it fell flat.

"Not ideal." Maze agreed.

————————

They had managed to track down the Detective's car to a grocery store parking lot, but found no detective.

Lucifer, Maze, Dan, Ella, and Amenadiel (who Lucifer had prayed to out of desperation), all examined the scene, trying to find clues. They had also found the Detective's phone and gun both on the ground, abandoned.

Eve had stayed behind to watch Trixie with the goddess after being persuaded by Maze, who didn't trust the deity with the kid.

"I found something!" Ella exclaimed, but she didn't sound too pleased by it. She held up an empty syringe needle that had a bit of blood on the tip. "Whoever took her must have injected her with something."

"Then it must be the priest. My siblings wouldn't use human amenities. There too good for that." Lucifer said sarcastically as fear settled in.

The Detective and their unborn child were both kidnapped, and at the mercy of a damn priest, of all things! Lucifer could feel himself hyperventilating. He had never felt this helpless in his life, and it was not a feeling he enjoyed. Chloe and his daughter were in danger, and he didn't know what to do.

He felt a firm hand grasp his shoulder, and he turned his head to see Amenadiel. "We will find her, Luci. I promise. It will be alright."

Lucifer swallowed. "Brother, shouldn't you have learned by now to not make promises you can't keep?"

———————

Chloe felt groggy as she woke up on a hard surface. It took a few minutes for her to realize that she wasn't at home, and that her hands and ankles were duck taped.

Panic reared it's ugly head as the memories of her abduction slowly resurfaced.

Despite her panic, Chloe tried to keep calm, remembering her training from all those years ago. Panicking was the worst possible thing she could do in this situation.

She stayed silent and tried to examine her surroundings. Her head pounded and she felt incredibly weak. She hoped that whatever he injected her with didn't hurt the baby.

She seemed to be in the back of a van that was currently driving. She was facing the back doors of the van, so she turned her head around towards the front. Her captor was currently driving, all attention on the road. He was mumbling something under his breath, and after a moment of strained listening, she realized that he was praying.

Chloe tried to evaluate her options, but it was looking like she didn't have many. She tried to feel for the gun in her boot, but it seemed like it was gone. She really couldn't do much when tied up and unarmed like this.

They hit a bump in the road and Chloe hit her head against the wall. It wasn't enough to harm her too badly, but it still hurt like a bitch. She hissed at impact, accidentally alerting the man of her consciousness.

He stopped mumbling and went quiet. "I'm sorry that you got caught into this." He said after awhile. "You don't deserve this fate."

Huh, so Chloe had a captor with a whacked up moral compass... she can work with that.

"Then why am I here?" She asked. She needed to get the ball rolling somehow.

He sighed sadly. "You won't believe me."

"Right, because you think that my child is the Antichrist, and that her father is the devil." Chloe said, trying to keep her voice even. "How about we ignore my disbelief for arguments sake, and say that it's true?"

She suggested. "Let's say that Lucifer is the real, honest to god, devil. What exactly does he do that's so bad? Run a night club and help the police solve murders? I fail to see how that's evil."

"You don't know everything about him." The man argued. "You don't know everything he's done, or how many lives he's ruined."

"And do you know how many lives he's saved?" Chloe said. "How many people he's helped and brought justice to. I think know him a little better than you seem to."

"No, you don't. Not unless you've seen his true form." He said with poorly concealed fear in his voice. "I've seen it. What he really is. It's how I know for a fact that he's evil. My father saw it too, and it drove him to put a bullet in his own head. That's who the father of your unborn child is. Not just some eccentric who has a fun kink."

Chloe breathed deeply through her nose. This man's delusions were beyond getting through. There was no talking to fanatics with reason. Chloe knew intellectually that what he said was bullshit, but a small part of her couldn't help but wonder... "What does he look like?"

"What?"

"His 'true form', what does it look like?" She asked.

"... Terrifying." He said softly. "First, his eyes glow red. Then it's the skin of his cheeks, and it gradually spreads until from the neck up, his face is charred and horrible. Like a fresh corpse who has been burned to death... And his smile when he looks like that, it's the most terrifying part of all." His voice trembled with fear.

It was obvious that he believed what he was saying, and Chloe honestly couldn't tell if she believed or not. It couldn't be possible... Right?

The van slowed and then came to a stop. "Where are we?" She asked, unable to hide the panic. The man sighed. "I'm sorry, Detective Decker. But we're here."

As if on quo, the van door opened to reveal Father Kinley. "Hello, Miss Decker. Let's get started, shall we?"

——————-

Lucifer currently paced the precinct skywalk impatiently. Miss Lopez had tried to find prints on the syringe, but unfortunately came up empty handed. She had identified the blood on the tip as the Detective's. Since finding that out, multiple officers were now searching for her.

Lucifer had tried calling in several favors to everyone he could think of. Lucifer didn't know what else he could possibly do. He felt like he should be doing something. Not just standing around here, waiting.

Lucifer should have just sent that damn priest straight to Hell when he had the chance. Lucifer rarely took the threats of priests seriously. They talked a big game, but 9 times out of 10 one look at his red eyes and a threat of Hell would scare the senses back into them.

Why did this have to have been one of those times?

Lucifer glanced skyward with narrowed eyes. "I don't know what you're playing at, but leave Chloe out of this. And if this isn't your doing, then-"

"Luci!" Amenadiel called out behind him. Lucifer turned to see his brother walk up to him.

"Anything new?" Lucifer asked, a painful glimmer of hope growing in his chest.

Amenadiel shook his head, and the hope curled in on itself and died. "No, but I did just have an idea... But I have a feeling that you won't like it."

"Why wouldn't I like it if it helps the Detective?"

Amenadiel cringed guiltily and took a few steps backwards, out of swinging range. "Well, as it turns out, I still have the ability to call any of our siblings through a prayer..."

"... Brother, what did you do?" Lucifer's voice was low and dangerous, having no patience left in his arsenal for anyone.

Just then, Remiel strolled into sight towards them with a smug aura. "It has barely even been a month since my leaving, and you've already misplaced the incubator." She practically purred.

Lucifer sucked in a furious breath and glared at his siblings. "No," he said.

Amenadiel sighed impatiently. "Luci-"

"No! Absolutely not! She threatened to cut open the Detective! No!" Lucifer said stubbornly.

"What other choice do we have?" Amenadiel reasoned. "We have no idea of where Chloe is, and by the time the police find her, it can be too late. Remy can easily track her through the baby. We don't have time for sibling squabbling."

Lucifer still glared, but he knew that Amenadiel was right. The Detective didn't have time for Lucifer to be petty. "Fine," Lucifer said through gritted teeth. "Let's go find her."

Lucifer then began to walk past them towards the doorway, but Remiel stopped him by placing a hand on his chest.

"Wait a moment," She said with a smile. "I have a few conditions first."

Now both brothers were glaring at her. "Remy, we don't have time for this." Amenadiel tried to say, but was ignored.

"Since you are so vehemently against me cutting open the human, I will wait until the child is naturally born. But once it is born, I will be taking it to Heaven. Those are my terms."

Lucifer's eyes burned red, and he got leaned down to get nose to nose with the huntress. "Well then, I suppose that we won't need your help."

Remiel refused to back down, being the stubborn and cocky angel of Heaven she was. "Are you that stubborn, Sammy? You would rather allow it to die than to live in paradise? I knew that you were selfish, but this is a new low."

"Look who's talking. You would rather have the child die than to live with me!" Lucifer snarled furiously.

"Yes, because death would be a kinder fate than whatever you would put it through!"

Lucifer took a step back and swung his fist back for a punch. Amenadiel quickly intervened and took hold of his brother's arm before his fist could make contact.

"That's enough!" Amenadiel said. He let go of Lucifer and turned to Remiel. "This is not the time for negotiations."

"Actually, brother, I believe that this is the perfect time to negotiate." Remiel said.

"What about a duel?" Lucifer suggested suddenly.

Remiel tilted her head in thought. "A duel?"

"Yes. After we find the Detective, and she and the child are safe and well, we fight for custody." Lucifer hated the words leaving his mouth, but what other choice did he have? "I win, you leave us be, and no one else can come to try and snatch her away... And if you win, then once the child is born, and on her own time, not by filleting her mother... Then you can take her."

Lucifer was confident in his ability to win the fight, he wouldn't suggest this if he wasn't. But he still hated having the child's fate up in the air. Uncertain.

Remiel thought it over. A confident smile curled on her face.

"And no wings allowed either." Lucifer added, not wanting to allow such an advantage.

Her smile dimmed slightly, but her eyes still glowed. She held her hand out to shake. "Not the exact deal I expected to make with the devil, but I accept."

Lucifer hesitated, wanting to swallow the words back down, but then forced himself to shake her hand. Lucifer wondered if this is how humans felt when they made shady, and sometimes dangerous, deals with him.

Ironically, Lucifer felt as if he was the one making a deal with the devil.

He quickly jerked his hand away after the shake, and wiped it on his jacket as if she had dirt on hers.

Remiel rolled her eyes. "Alright then, let's go." She then popped her wings out above the precinct.

"Remy! Put your wings away!" Amenadiel gasped and glanced below them towards the precinct. Remiel sighed and tucked in her wings as she remembered the humans.

Luckily, no one below them seemed to have noticed. Too wrapped up in their own activities.

"Shit..." Lucifer muttered as he stared at the doorway leading to the stairs.

Amenadiel looked in that direction, and sucked in a breath.

Maze, Ella, and Dan all stood there. Maze had her blades whipped out and was glaring at the huntress. Ella was obviously deeply surprised at seeing another pair of wings, but not so much since it was her second. And Dan...

Dan just fainted.

———————-

Dan felt groggy and disoriented. He could vaguely hear a voice calling out his name. He then felt something hit his cheek with a loud smack.

He snapped his eyes open and moved a hand to his stinging cheek.

"MAZE!" Ella yelled as she crouched beside Dan.

Maze was crouching at Dan's other side, and rolled her eyes unashamedly. "It woke him up, didn't it?" She reasoned.

Dan was confused at first at the scene in front of him. He was laying on the precinct skywalk, and staring down at him was Ella, Maze, Lucifer, Amenadiel, and a strange woman he didn't know.

"W... what happened?" Dan asked, memories still fuzzy.

Ella bit her lip and glanced at the angels. "Should we tell him?" She asked.

"What, that he saw Remiel's wings and fainted like a fairytale princess?" Maze asked bluntly in a teasing tone.

"What...?" Dan asked confusedly. He looked at the strange woman (Remiel, he supposed) as a memory began to resurface. Once it did, panic and shock flooded through him.

SHE HAD WINGS! FUCKING WINGS! AND THEY THEN JUST DISAPPEARED!

Dan got up on his elbows and started scooting backwards. "HOLY SHIT! HOLY FUCKING SHIT!"
He cussed. "SHE HAS FUCKING WINGS! HOLY SHIT SHE HAS FUCKING WINGS!”

A few heads below them looked up, but they didn't notice.

Ella put a comforting hand on his shoulder to stop him from scooting away. "Chillax, Dan. It's okay."

"But she has wings!" Dan said hysterically and pointed a trembling finger at Remiel.

"Yes, I know." Ella said comfortingly. "I've known for a while now. She's Lucifer and Amenadiel's sister."

"Lucifer and Amenadiel's..." Then something fundamental clicked in Dan's mind. "Oh my god." He breathed as he turned his gaze to Lucifer, the devil himself.

"OH MY GOD!" Dan tried to weakly scoot away again, but Ella held firm. "OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD!"

"Wrong deity, I'm afraid." Lucifer said as he tapped his foot impatiently.

"DAN!" Ella exclaimed, trying to gain his attention. "I know that you're freaking out right now, trust me, I know that finding out that Lucifer is the actual devil is a harder pill to swallow whole than a tums, but we need to find Chloe right now."

"Chloe?" Dan said, remembering the other chaos of the day.

"Yes, Chloe. Remiel is going to help us find her and the baby."

"The baby..." And then another fact became realized by the detective. "Oh my god... It's the ant... the anti..."

Lucifer rolled his eyes with a dramatic sigh and ran a hand over his face. "I've already been over this fact thrice already! Someone else take this, I'm leaving to find the Detective. Follow me if you like, but I'm not waiting any longer." Lucifer then roughly took hold of Remiel's arm, and dragged her out the doorway.

Dan scrambled to get out of their way, and stared at them in shock. Amenadiel quickly followed, giving Dan an apologetic look on his way.

Ella looked at Maze for help, not knowing how to handle this. It's not like they teach 'How to deal with celestial crises' in school.

Maze took one look at a blubbering Dan, stood, then lifted him roughly by the arm. "Come on, we're taking Ellen's car. She can answer your questions on the way."

Maze didn't give poor Dan a choice before dragging him along as she followed the devil.

—————————

Chloe sat tied to a chair on a stage-like structure.
She was in some sort of Aztec style building. She had heard Kinley call it 'The Mayan'.

The young man, Trevor, had left to get some supplies. Which left Chloe and the insane priest alone. Said priest was currently sitting at a pullout table and mixing something. Poison, if Chloe had to guess. And she did.

Chloe tried her best to wiggle out of the duck tape keeping her hands bind, but it was no use. She was trapped.

She had already tried talking to Kinley with several different tactics, but nothing worked. He was even more difficult to get through than Trevor. At least the younger man had shone remorse for his actions. Kinley looked like he really didn't care who he hurt, as long as it killed the Antichrist.

Chloe was screwed.

—————————

Dan sat in the backseat of Ella's car in shock. Ella sat beside him, trying to give all the support she possibly could, and Maze drove closely behind Lucifer's corvette.

Ella had just given Dan the barest rundown of things regarding celestials.

"So Lucifer's the devil." Dan said with a hysterical laugh. "Amenadiel's an angel. Maze is a demon. And the baby that Chloe is pregnant with, is the literal spawn of Satan. My daughter's unborn sibling is the Antichrist!"

Maze rolled her eyes and looked at Dan through the rear view mirror. "There's no such thing as the Antichrist. That's just a Bullshit story. Like that thing with the goat." She chuckled as she remembered that one conversation with Amenadiel. "He fucking hates that thing with the goat."

Dan shook his head, trying to clear it. When that failed, he folded his legs and placed his head between his knees, trying to keep himself from having a full blown panic attack. He tried to take deep, even breaths.

Ella massaged his back, trying to ease his stress.
"This is insane." Dan said.

"I know, bud." Ella replied sympathetically.

"It's all real." Dan started trembling and tears spilled from his eyes. "Oh my god, it's all real..."

It was too much all at once for Dan to handle.
His entire world view had just been shattered in only the span of a few seconds. Every little thing he thought he knew about the world was thrown out the window, and had just been run over by a freight train.

Not only did angels exist, or that Lucifer was the devil, or that Maze was a demon, but what about the afterlife? What about Heaven and Hell?

And which one of those places was Dan destined for?

He had committed his fair share of sins, and carried a good load of guilt. He hasn't been to church since his teen years, growing up in a catholic family, but never believing in religion himself. Dan was no innocent.

So, where did that leave him?

And not only Dan, but what about everyone else? What about Trixie? Or Chloe? Or everyone else Dan cared for? Where would they end up?

Each unsaid question only brought Dan more distress, more fear, more pain.

What was he supposed to do now?

He didn't get an answer. Instead, he felt the car slow to a stop.

"We're here." Maze announced as she pulled out her blades with a wicked smile. "Let's go fillet ourselves a priest!"

————————

"Your human pet is inside this building." Remiel said as Lucifer stepped out of the corvette. Amenadiel and Remiel followed suit.

Remiel spread her wings due to lack of humans not in the know, and prepared to leave. "I will be back soon to collect on our deal." The angel said with a smile before taking off for Heaven.

Lucifer flipped the bird at her retreating form. "I suppose that we cannot count on your assistance." The devil grumbled.

"What deal?" Maze demanded as she made her way towards them. "Lucifer, what the hell did you do?"

"What was necessary." Lucifer replied. "But don't worry your head over it, I have it handled."

Maze narrowed her eyes and flipped her blade, unconvinced.

Lucifer rolled his eyes and fixed his sleeve cuff. "We don't have time for this, the Detective is inside." And with that, Lucifer walked towards the building.

Ella soon left the car, and jogged towards them. "Dan's gonna sit this one out." She informed them, and caught a glimpse of Lucifer's back before he disappeared through the doorway.

"He's gonna torture that priest unless we stop him, isn't he?" Ella asked.

"He certainly is." Amenadiel agreed.

"Speak for yourselves, I'm torturing the bastard myself if Lucifer doesn't do it." Maze said before making her way inside.

The angel and forensic scientist shared a glance before following.

————————

Trevor had returned, and the mixture Kinley had been preparing seemed to be ready. Chloe struggled more urgently against her binds as the priest began to walk towards her.

"STAY THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" Chloe screamed furiously.

Kinley ignored her, and continued forward, strange substance in hand. Then next second a blurry form pushed Kinley down, and the liquid was spilled to the floor.

It took Chloe a moment to realize that the form was Lucifer. Kinley was laying on his back on the floor below the stage as Lucifer stood above him. Chloe couldn't see Lucifer's face from her angle, but she could tell he was furious by the tightness in his body language.

"Oh, Willy. Hasn't anyone taught you that when a woman says no, then that means no? Honestly, even demons understand that rule." Lucifer's voice was chillingly calm. He tsked and shook his head disappointingly.

Amenadiel, Maze, and Ella entered the room, and the forensic scientist immediately ran towards Chloe. "DIOS MIOS, DECKER!" Ella exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"I could be better." Chloe said with a relief filled laugh. She was beginning to feel as if she was going into shock. Chloe then gestured her head towards the binds at her hands and feet. "Could you help me..?"

Ella's eyes widened significantly and she nodded her head at lightning speed. "Of course! Totally! Uh, does anybody have a knife or some scissors?"

A blade suddenly embedded itself into the wall inches away from Ella's head.

Ella squeaked and jumped from the knife, then turned to Maze, who was standing several feet away. ".... Thanks?" Ella said unsurely.

"You're welcome." Maze called out.

Ella shook her head, then managed to get the knife from the wall with some effort. Amenadiel had walked up to them just as Ella had finished freeing Chloe.

"WE GOT A RUNNER!" Maze yelled out enthusiastically as Trevor made his escape from the room.

"You know the drill, Mazikeen." Lucifer said, not drawing his attention from Kinley.

Maze grinned and ran after the man.

"Should we be concerned about what the drill is?" Chloe asked as she shakily stood up.

Amenadiel held out his arm to help steady the Detective, and glanced at the doorway. Maybe. Probably. Definitely. "No, I'm sure it'll be fine." The angel lied.

"I know that you're lying, but right now, I'm too tired to care." Chloe said bluntly.

"Can you walk on your own?" Amenadiel asked gently. Chloe hesitated before nodding. She was drained in every way possible, but she could still walk just fine. "Let's go then. The cars are waiting outside." Amenadiel said, then he and Ella began to lead Chloe out.

Lucifer stayed put and waited for them to leave. He didn't care to have an audience for what he planned next. Especially if Chloe was in attendance.

When they were walking through the hallways and Chloe was feeling more like herself was when she noticed the missing people. "Where's Lucifer?" She asked.

Amenadiel tensed at the question. "Taking care of something." He answered vaguely, hoping that she would leave it at that. But he didn't know Chloe that well.

"Taking care of what? He's not going to kill Kinley, is he?" Chloe had asked it sarcastically, but became nervous at Amenadiel's silence.

She stopped her pace and tensed. "He's not going to kill Kinley, is he?" She asked more seriously this time.

Ella frowned and was now giving the angel a questioning look as well.

Amenadiel felt like he was trapped in a corner. He didn't know for sure of what Lucifer had planned for the priest, but he could certainly guess. "I don't know." He answered honestly, then regretted it.

Without another word, Chloe turned on her heel, and ran back. She could understand that Lucifer was furious, but she couldn't allow him to potentially do something that would bite him in the ass later.

———————-

Once the Detective was out of sight, Lucifer smiled, and looked very much like the devil humanity feared. "Now that we're alone, the fun can begin."

Lucifer pulled Kinley up by the throat, and easily tossed him across the room. Kinley hit the wall and cried out when something cracked. A bone, probably.

The pathetic man tried to crawl away, and whispered a prayer. Lucifer scoffed at that.

"He won't help you." The devil said. "Despite what you disillusion yourself to believe, he doesn't care. Humanity was nothing but a fun hobby for him. Much like how you humans have windowsill gardens or those little toy trains."

Lucifer's words did not get through to Kinley, and he continued to pray. The devil gritted his teeth, and kicked Kinley in the ribs, causing another bone to break.

Lucifer then pressed the heel of his shoe against Kinley's throat, cutting off his oxygen. "Do you see my father coming to your rescue?" Lucifer asked tauntingly. He pressed his heel harder, and allowed his devil face to appear.

Kinley's eyes becoming wider the more Lucifer changed, until he was a monster from the neck up.

"I warned you, Willy. I warned you that I would bring Hell right to you!" The devil sneered, then he brought his heel up, preparing to break something else.

But then he heard a gasp from the doorway.

He paused, moved his heel away from the priest, and turned his face to the doorway.

Oh no.

Lucifer's jaw went slack and his red eyes widened in terror. Oh no. No, no, no, no, NO! Not like this! She can't find out like this!

Lucifer changed his face back to normal, but the damage was already done.

Chloe stood in the doorway, staring at him with horror filled eyes. She had both hands placed protectively over her stomach, and her entire body was trembling.

"It's real..." She choked out. "It's all real..."

Chapter Text

"Detective..." Lucifer said, voice soft and desperate.

Chloe stood frozen and trembling in the doorway, staring at him as if he was the most terrifying thing she had ever seen.

And perhaps he was.

She shouldn't have found out like this. DAD-DAMMIT! Not like this!

Lucifer took a step towards her, but she jumped and backed away from him, confirming all his fears. She was afraid. Afraid of him.

She hit her back against the wall behind her, and broke into sobs. "P-please, don't..." She stuttered.

Lucifer slowly took a few steps towards her and stopped at the doorway. She was only four feet away, and shaking like a leaf. Her legs gave out beneath her and she slid against the wall until she was sitting down. He crouched down to her level, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible.

"Don't what?" Lucifer asked, his heart breaking more every minute at her reaction. "Chloe, I would never hurt you." He tried to assure her. "I just want to protect you and our daughter."

Her sobs paused at his words, and he hoped that she understood. That she knew that he would never wish any harm to her, and that he was the same charming, if narcissistic, handsome partner she knew just minutes before. But that hope dissolved at her next words.

"Oh god, our daughter." She glanced between his face and her stomach as realization filled her eyes. Horrifying realization. "You're the d-devil, and I'm pregnant with your kid! What is inside of me!?"

His face twisted in pain at her distress, her fear. "An innocent child, that is what's inside of you. I've already told you this before, remember? I don't quite know what exactly you're cooking up in there, but she isn't evil."

She regarded him with doubt and utter disbelief. "How do I know you're not lying?" She asked. "How could I possibly trust you?"

Lucifer felt like he had just been slapped across the face. "I don't lie. I have never once lied to you." He defended. "You know me! I'm no different now than I was when we discussed bloody baby names earlier this very day!"

He was getting desperate, and it obviously showed. How had everything gotten so bloody fucked up? Everything was going so well lately. He was beginning to grow used to the idea of fatherhood, and perhaps even comfortable with it. The urchin was becoming more tolerable as of late. Him and the Detective had grown more comfortable with each other.

Why did this have to have happened? Why did she have to have found out in the worst way possible?

Amenadiel and Ella ran up to them, but stopped several feet away. "What happened? Is everything okay?" Miss Lopez asked worriedly.

"She saw my devil face." Lucifer simply explained. He gulped as that reality sunk in. As he looked at Chloe, broken down, sobbing, and looking at him with fear, he knew that nothing would ever be the same between them from then on.

For better or much worse, everything has changed.

Miss Lopez cussed in Spanish and made her way to Chloe. She wrapped Chloe in a supportive hug, and rocked her gently.

"It's all real..." The Detective cried. "It's all real!"

"I know." Ella cooed. "I've known for a while. It's okay. Everything's okay." Ella was in way over her head. Not only was Dan having a celestial-induced breakdown, but so was Chloe now.

She needed to call in the expert. Stat. She hoped that Linda wasn't busy that night.

"Y-you know? You know that he's the d-devil?" Chloe stuttered.

Ella nodded, and offered her a comforting smile. "Let's go home, kay? I'll call Linda, she also knows, and we can explain the ins and outs of the 'Celestial insider's Club' to you. Oh, and Dan also found out today, too. So he'll also need help unwinding."

Chloe seemed at least somewhat comforted by the fact that Ella knew, and seemed so unbothered by it. She allowed Ella to help her to stand up, and lead her away from her partner. But not once did the fear leave her eyes.

Lucifer stayed where he was, not knowing what to do next. Amenadiel placed a hand on his brother's shoulder, and offered a strained smile. "It will be alright, Luci. She needed to find out anyway."

Lucifer scoffed as bitterness settled in. "But did she need to find out like this?"

Amenadiel sighed in response. He looked behind his brother, and saw Kinley through the doorway. "The police are coming to take the priest and the other man. They'll be here any minute."

Lucifer glanced behind himself to the priest, pure hatred burning in his chest for the pathetic excuse of a human.

He was tempted to walk over there and just finish the job before the police arrived, but thought better of it.

No need to give Chloe yet another reason to fear him.

————————

Chloe sat on her couch and sipped from her glass of water. Ella and Linda sat beside her on either sides and kept exchanging glances.

Before coming back home, Chloe had gone to the hospital to make sure that whatever Trevor had injected her with hadn't hurt the baby. The doctors had run a few tests, and everything seemed perfectly fine.

Except for the fact that she was carrying the spawn of Satan, but the doctor hadn't known that.

Dan had left shortly after making sure that Chloe was okay, needing time alone to process these new revelations.

They had picked up Trixie from Dan's place too before coming home. Chloe couldn't feel comfortable just then with having her daughter out of reach. The girl in question was now sleeping in her room, completely oblivious to the events of the day.

Chloe didn't know what to think or what to feel. She replayed every memory she shared with Lucifer with a new light. She analyzed every tiny detail she knew about the man. She questioned everything about her life. About the world around her.

She didn't know what was real or what wasn't. What was fact or fiction. What history had gotten wrong or right about supposed evil incarnate. What she had read in Kinley's book.

Chloe felt betrayed. That much was certain. She felt betrayed by Lucifer, the fucking devil! She felt stupid for choosing to ignore the signs and evidence that she had encountered throughout her time of knowing him. Hell, he had confessed to it on day one!

But Chloe was too damn stubborn to believe him. And now look at her. Knocked up with a creature not of this world, and questioning her very sanity.

"You've both known this entire time?" Chloe asked coldly, eyes fixated on the glass in her hands.

"Not the entire time." Linda explained. "But I've known for several months now, and Ella's known for a few weeks."

Chloe nodded slowly, still not meeting either of their eyes. She chewed on that for a bit. "So, you both knew that I'm pregnant with the literal devil's child, and neither of you felt the need to let me in on the big secret?" She asked bitterly.

It seems that Lucifer wasn't the only one to betray her trust.

Ella grimaced at the accusation, but Linda managed to keep her expression neutral, like she would with a patient. "Would you have believed us if we told you?" The therapist asked.

"If it's fucking true, then YES!" Chloe shouted angrily.

"But Lucifer has been telling you since you first met, which was what? Over a year ago? Yet you never believed him by his word alone." Linda countered.

Chloe couldn't deny that Linda had a point there. The Detective slammed her glass on the coffee table, and turned her full attention on Linda. "That's different! He's Lucifer. Everything he says is absolutely crazy and would ordinarily land him in a mental hospital. It would have been different if someone else confirmed it!"

"Okay." Linda said calmly. "Then what about Maze? Hasn't she confirmed it on multiple occasions? Or the priest?"

Chloe tried to think of a comeback to that one, but she really couldn't. Linda was right, she wouldn't have believed it without seeing it with her own eyes. Chloe sighed in defeat, and placed her face in her hands.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to believe anymore." She admitted. "Hell, how am I sure that the two of you are actually human?"

Linda chuckled and nodded sympathetically. "Trust me, we're both completely as human as they come. Just check our medical history if you don't believe us."

"Oh, I will." Chloe promised.

Linda sighed. "Chloe, we have both been exactly where you are right now."

"Oh, so you found out that you're partner is the actual ruler of Hell, and that you're knocked up with the literal spawn of Satan?" Chloe sassed, unable to even think about being polite under the circumstances.

Linda paused before continuing. "Okay, maybe not exactly where you are, but we both know what it's like to have your entire belief system fall apart in a matter of seconds. To find out that the people closest to you, are not what you thought they are. When I first found out, I was terrified. I was so terrified, that I didn't leave my office for days. It smelled like a homeless camp by the time I finally left."

Chloe chuckled despite herself at the joke.

"You're actually taking this really well, considering the circumstances." Linda complimented. Linda's relationship with Lucifer or Maze hadn't been nearly this complicated when she had found out, and she'd taken the news worse.

"I don't know whether that's a good or bad thing." Chloe commented, figuring that the bar must be very low for that to be possible.

Linda didn't elaborate on the subject, knowing for a fact just how low the bar was set. "What you need to understand, Chloe, is that nothing has really changed."

Chloe let out a bitter laugh that proved just how little she believed that statement. "Really? Nothing's changed? How's that even possible? The father of my unborn child is the devil! My roommate is a demon! And my baby, is the freaking Antichrist!"

"We've already been over this, there is no Antichrist." Linda clarified. "And all of those other things you mentioned, have always been true. Lucifer Morningstar, night club owner, civilian consultant, and father to be, has always been the devil. Maze has always been a demon. Amenadiel has always been an angel. And Heaven and Hell have always existed. The only difference now, is that you've seen a glimpse of it."

Chloe frowned, trying to think of things from that angle. She supposed that that was true. Lucifer had always been the devil, and Chloe's knowledge of this didn't change anything. But still, it felt like it changed it. It felt like it changed everything.

"I want to believe that," Chloe said. "Really, I do... But how could I? How could I possibly believe that nothing's really changed? How could I believe that Lucifer is who I thought he was? How could I believe that he actually cares about me, or the baby? How could I ever trust him after this?"

Linda had a hard time answering that question. She glanced at Ella, who had been silent thus far, deciding to hand this delicate matter over to the professional. Ella had nothing to offer.

Linda knitted her brow in indecision. She was conflicted over what to say. On the one hand, she could be potentially breaking confidentiality. But on the other, Chloe needed some reassurance of how much Lucifer cares for her.

"I might be breaking confidentiality by telling you this," Linda said. "But under the circumstances, I don't think Lucifer will care as long as this information helps you."

Linda hesitated, every instinct telling her to shut up, but continued on anyway. "Remember when you were poisoned, and Lucifer somehow found the formula for the antidote?"

Chloe nodded.

"Well... He kinda had to kill himself to get it."

Chloe waited for the punchline, or for something to indicate Linda's sarcasm. But nothing came.

"He... he what?" Chloe asked in disbelief.

Linda then went on to explain Lucifer's plan to get the antidote from the new resident of Hell, and what he had risked in order to obtain it. She told her about how he almost couldn't leave Hell, but left out the part about Uriel. That would be too much of a betrayal of privacy to reveal. Lucifer would need to do that himself.

Chloe was in disbelief at Linda's words. Lucifer had actually died for her? As in, well, pretty much the literal sense of those words? He had risked being trapped in Hell for eternity, in a constant loop of suffering, just to save her? Her?

The biblical devil, prince of darkness, poison of God, ruler of Hell, this eons old creature of unfathomable power, had risked everything, just to save her?

Chloe Jane Decker?

Just another ordinary human in the mass of millions of other ordinary humans?

Why?

Why her?

"Why me?" Chloe asked. "Why would he do that for me? Why would he be prepared to sacrifice so much, just to save me?"

Linda gave Chloe a knowing smile and a twinkle entered her eyes. "That's not my place to say, but I think that you might have a good theory."

Chloe did. She had a theory. That perhaps he felt what she did. Or, what she had felt, before knowing what she did now. Or did she still feel it? It was hard to tell with the all consuming doubt and fear.

But it was an unbelievable thing to grasp. The devil, in love with her?

How could that even be possible?

———————

Dan was about to do something very stupid.

He knew that this idea was stupid as he shot back another drink at Lux's crowded bar. Even through the influence of alcohol that had conjured up this idea to begin with, he knew that it was a bad idea all the way around.

But at this point, Dan didn't even care. Not after his sixth shot. Or was it eighth? He couldn't even remember anymore.

Dan had watched Lucifer go up the elevator leading to his penthouse, and had been watching it since. No one had left or entered that elevator, which hopefully meant that the devil would be alone.

Dan shot back yet another drink, paid, and stumbled towards the elevator. He made sure that his gun was on his waist, and that the safety was on.

He felt anxious as the elevator rode up, and was starting to regret this idea. But there wasn't much to be done about it now. Dan was drunk and furious. A dangerous combination if there ever was one.

He angry at himself. His future. The world. This entire situation. And easiest of all, he was angry at Lucifer.

Oh boy, was he angry at Lucifer.

The elevator doors opened and Dan found the devil sitting at his piano, wearing nothing but a robe, and singing a depressing sounding song in a foreign language.

Lucifer didn't seem to have noticed the other man, too wrapped up in his own turbulent thoughts.

Dan took advantage of this, and quietly (or as quietly as a man as hammered as he was could muster) made his way towards the devil. "Hey, Morningstar!" Dan finally announced his presence.

Lucifer stopped playing and turned his head around with a confused frown. "Daniel? What on earth are you..." Lucifer trailed off when Daniel swung his arm back to punch him.

His trajectory was horribly off, and he missed Lucifer's face by several inches, and only managed to punch air.

And to make things even more humiliating, the movement made Dan lose control of his unsteady legs, and his entire body slammed against the floor beside Lucifer's piano.

Lucifer let out a disbelieving laugh, and swirled the scotch in his glass. "I don't know whether to laugh, or retaliate... Though I have a feeling that you would prefer the former."

Dan only groaned in response, not even bothering to move from his uncomfortable place on the floor. Yep, bad idea. Very bad idea.

This is the last time that Dan gets drunk during an emotional crisis... Though, that's also what he said to himself the last time that something like this happened.

"You fucking asshole..." Dan said hatefully. He shakily got back up on his feet, and jabbed a trembling finger accusingly at Lucifer.

Lucifer regarded the detective with a mask of amusement, covering up the turmoil he had experienced only moments before Daniel's arrival.

"Well, I'm not the one who stormed into your home, and swung the most pathetic punch in the history of mankind. And trust me, I've seen some pathetic brawls in my time, but this one takes the prize."

Dan glared at him. It was unbelievable that even with his newfound knowledge, Lucifer can still manage to drive him up the wall. "You manipulative prick!" Dan yelled.

Lucifer's smile dropped from his face at the accusation, one word in particular hitting him where it hurts. "I am not manipulative." He defended. "That's my dad's arena of expertise, not mine."

"I'd beg to differ!" Dan refuted. He then counted the number of examples with his fingers. "You have been manipulating Chloe for months, allowing her to think that you were just a harmless wrack job. You constantly manipulate the people and situation around you, using them to your advantage. You are the most selfish and self-absorbed person I have ever met! And you constantly steal my pudding!"

"Pudding?! What does bloody pudding have to do with anything?!" Lucifer asked incredulously.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Dan shouted and threw his arms in the air. "I'M TOO DRUNK TO REMEMBER! BUT I HAD A POINT!"

Lucifer glared and finished his drink. He walked over to the bar, causing Daniel to flinch as he walked past, and poured another. "Well, I would just love to hear it!" The devil said sarcastically.

Dan shook his head and tried to get his thoughts straight. Dan had a point, but lost it somehow. He really shouldn't have had those last three drinks.

And if it weren't for those last three drinks, Dan definitely wouldn't have been stupid enough to willingly come within a hundred miles of the devil.

But he did have those drinks, and here he was.

Dan sat down on Lucifer's piano bench, and hid his face in his palms. His body trembled as he struggled to contain a sob. "I'm going to Hell, aren't I?" He asked softly, pure and undiluted fear in his voice.

Instead of hearing a quip or confirmation like he expected, Dan heard Lucifer sigh and mutter a curse under his breath.

"I honestly don't know." Lucifer answered simply, eyes trained on the glass in his hand.

That gave Dan pause. He lifted his head and gave Lucifer a questioning look. "How can you not know? You're the devil, don't you control who goes to Hell or not?"

Lucifer rolled his eyes irritably. "What, through making deals and stealing human souls? That's nothing but an inaccurate stereotype. I couldn't control if a soul went to Hell even if I wanted to. You humans control that yourselves."

At Dan's even more confused expression, Lucifer elaborated. "There are two kinds of souls who wind up down below. The first kind are mortals who feel guilty over some action they committed on earth. Their own guilt drags them down to Hell, and they are tortured with that guilt for the rest of eternity. And the second kind, is the truly evil souls, who feel no guilt towards the atrocities they've committed, and they are physically tortured by demons."

"So... you have no control over who goes to Hell? Our guilt drags us down?" Dan clarified.

At Lucifer's nod, Dan needed a moment for that to fully sink in. "I don't know if that's better or worse." The mortal said with a shake of his head. He certainly had his fair share of guilt, which couldn't be good in his favor. "I'm definitely going to Hell, if that's the case."

Lucifer knitted his brow. Ordinarily, Lucifer would make an irritating joke and move on with his day, not bothering himself with silly human issues... but... Daniel just looked so pathetic, and depressing. And there was never any fun in kicking a man when he's already down.

Or, at least that's what Lucifer told himself. He would never admit to having sympathy for anyone, much less Daniel Espinoza. He wouldn't even admit it to himself.

"I have been around humanity's worse filth once they find themselves in Hell." Lucifer said. "For eons, I have punished those who are truly guilty, along with those who only believe they belong there. I have been around long enough to be able to tell the difference between the two."

Lucifer then looked into Daniel's troubled eyes. "You may be far from perfect, but you are not the worst of them. You may believe that you belong down there, but you don't."

Dan wasn't quite sure what to do with that. He didn't know what or who to believe anymore... But strangely, Lucifer's words were comforting. Ironic, huh? Satan, of all people, is the one to help Dan at least somewhat through his existential crisis.

"Thanks, man... That actually helps. Not completely, but it helps." Dan said with a hesitant smile. "And this might be the alcohol talking, but you're gonna make a great dad."

Lucifer let out a bitter laugh. "You're drunk, Daniel."

Dan bobbed his head lightly, really beginning to feel those six-eight drinks... Or was it ten?

"Doesn't change the facts, though." Dan slurred a bit as he stood up and moved to the couch, starting to get uncomfortable on the hard bench. He plopped down on the leather, and then spied something on the table.

"You have The Weaponizer on dvd? Who has dvds anymore?" Dan questioned with amusement.

"I do. The dvd has content that was cut when they began streaming it. I also have Hot Tub High-school for similar reasons."

Dan looked at the dvd for a minute before picking it up. "Let's watch it."

Lucifer gave Daniel an odd look. He considered throwing him out, but then thought about what he had previously planned for that night. Nothing, really. Just replaying the moment that the Detective saw his monstrous side, and the horror she had displayed. The fact that his worst fears had finally become a reality, and in the worst way possible.

So, watching a film with Detective Douche didn't seem so bad compared to all of that.

Lucifer filled his drink to the brim, and assisted a very-drunk Daniel with replacing the dvd. Lucifer frowned when he saw the Misty Canyon's dvd in the player. "Odd, I don't recall watching this one recently."

Dan coughed, knowing very well who had been watching it, but didn't share the information.

Once they were settled and the movie was playing, Dan didn't even stop to think about the fact that he was watching The Weaponizer with an otherworldly creature who could easily snap him like a toothpick.

————————-

Linda and Ella had talked to Chloe for another thirty minute before leaving. Maze hadn't come home that night, and sent a text to assure her that she was fine, and was planning on staying at a motel.

Chloe had a feeling that Linda had something to do with that, and she was grateful. She really needed to be alone and deal with her thoughts.

The Detective now sat on the couch, staring at nothing. She kept on replaying the events of that day, and so many moments before then.

She thought about when she first met the devil, how he used to infuriate her on just that first day. She thought about when she shot him in the leg, and how genuinely surprised he seemed when he bled.

She thought about all of those ridiculous things he used to say about Heaven, Hell, his trips to earth over the centuries, and his dysfunctional family.

She thought about their first kiss at the beach, how kind and sincere his words had been, and how they made her heart feel oh so warm.

She thought about the things she had read in Kinley's book. The tragedies he claimed that Lucifer caused. The lives he'd destroyed. Trevor's life.

She thought about when they made love. About the next morning, when he had asked her if she was cold, because apparently Hell had frozen over. She remembered how happy and carefree she felt in that moment, and him being the cause.

She remembered Jimmy Barnes banging his head against the glass, chanting the truth that she had refused to believe.

She remembered Lucifer having his hand over her stomach as their child kicked, and that small, uncertain, but genuine smile he wore. She remembered how much love and trust she felt towards him.

And then she remembered his face. She remembered him beating the life out of Kinley, wearing that monstrous face, and that smile.

That terrifying, wicked smile. Trevor had been right, that was the worst part of it all.

She remembered seeing the same hand that had so gently caressed her stomach, were then covered in droplets of blood. Kinley's blood.

And she saw the way he looked at her as she broke down at the sight. At him.

The way he stared at her as if his whole world had just come crashing down around him, and he was helpless to stop it.

It was like Chloe was thinking about two different people entirely, and now she couldn't discern which one of these men he truly was.

She couldn't do it.

This was too much.

Her head felt like it was about to explode. She needed to get her mind off of this. She needed something. Chloe hadn't registered that she was doing it until her phone was ringing.

"Chloe? Is everything okay?" Linda asked once she picked up.

"Yes-I mean no-I mean..." Chloe sighed and shook her head. "I don't know... I just... I just need someone to talk to right now. About anything. I'm sorry if I woke you."

"No, no. It's fine. It's perfectly fine. If you need someone to talk to, then you are more than welcome to call me. Day or night." Linda assured her.

Chloe sighed a shaky breath. The Detective didn't know what she would do without Linda and Ella being in the know. It certainly helped. The detective and therapist talked over the phone.

Mostly about mundane everyday things to help ease Chloe's mind, but celestials did make their way into the conversation at times. Chloe eventually fell asleep on the couch, phone in hand.

Chapter Text

Dan's head pounded and he felt nauseous. He could feel a heavy hangover coming before he had even opened his eyes.

He groaned in misery, and then felt his pillow move beneath his head... weird.

It took a minute for Dan's mind to register the fact that pillows weren't supposed to move. With that thought in mind, he forced his eyes open. It took another minute for him to register what he was seeing.

Lucifer was sitting on the couch above him, just beginning to wake up himself. Dan's head was resting on the devil's lap, and Lucifer had an arm draped around the other man's shoulders.

Lucifer opened his eyes and looked down into Dan's.

The weirdness of the situation simultaneously clicked in each of their minds, and they got moving. Dan jumped away from the couch just as Lucifer pushed him off.

Dan stumbled a bit, still not completely sober from the night before. The men just silently looked at each other for a good, long, awkward minute.

"Let's never talk about this again." Dan suggested hurriedly.

"Agreed." Lucifer replied almost instantly.

Dan made the mistake of glancing down, then quickly averted his eyes as they widened in horror. "... Please tell me that you weren't completely naked all night." Dan said in a small, embarrassed voice.

Lucifer covered his Crown Jewels with the robe and smirked. "I don't lie, Daniel. So I couldn't do that."

Dan gagged and desperately looked around for a receptacle. He found a small trash bin near the bar, and proceeded to vomit his guts out, all the while lying to himself that he would never drink this much again.

Lucifer rolled his eyes and scrunched his face up in disgust. "Don't be dramatic, Detective Douche. Most humans or demons would kill to have their mouths anywhere near where yours was."

Dan only vomited more.

Once he was finished, he hung his head over the trash bin pathetically. "Please tell me that you have some aspirin."

Lucifer huffed dramatically and got up. He disappeared into the hall, then came back moments later with the small bottle in hand, along with a glass of water. "My guests are always requesting these little magic pills, even though I have some much better ones. But apparently those better ones only cause the need for more of these."

He shook the bottle once inches away from Dan's ear, causing the detective to flinch. Dan snatched the aspirin and water from the devil's hands, and took the magic pill. He drained the water in seconds. Dan then stood up and placed the glass and bottle atop the bar counter.

"Jesus Christ." Dan groaned as he messaged his pounding temple.

"Wrong deity, I'm afraid. He's currently up in the Silver City braiding friendship bracelets and singing Kumbaya. Or at least that's what I imagine him to be doing." Lucifer commented casually from his seat on the couch.

Dan was about to scoff and dismiss Lucifer's outlandish commentary, but he stopped himself, realizing just how true that statement could be. "Holy shit." Dan mumbled, then he clamped a hand to his mouth. "Cursing doesn't effect if I go to Hell or not... does it?" Dan asked worriedly.

Lucifer laughed and shook his head. "Dad no. Could you even imagine how little of the population would make it up there if that were true?"

Dan thought about it, then shrugged. "Well, then in that case, these last couple of days have been fucking crazy."

"Preaching to the choir." Lucifer had meant for it to come out with amusement, but instead bitterness filled his voice.

He just couldn't stop thinking about the Detective's reaction to him, and what this might mean for the future. Last night before trying to sing his sorrows away, he had spent a good amount of time screaming and cursing his father from the balcony.

But of course, he hadn't gotten an answer. Bloody typical.

Before Dan could respond, the noise of flapping wings and something landing on the balcony filled the penthouse.

Remiel, wings wide, strolled into the room, holding a two-headed spear in defense, and wearing a cocky smile. "Hello, brother. I've come to collect on our bargain."

Dan's jaw went slack and he could do nothing but stare at the heavenly sight.

Lucifer narrowed his eyes at the huntress. "It's not even noon yet, Remy. Couldn't you give your dear brother time to freshen up?" He said lightly, trying to push down the storm brewing within himself.

"Your pet human and the unborn offspring are safe now. It's time for you to dole out your end of the deal." Remiel stated impatiently.

Lucifer rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically, much like a teenager told to take out the garbage. "Fine, we can leave this instant. But do you really want to fight me in the nude?"

To emphasize his point, Lucifer allowed his robe to fall down slightly, just enough to show the lack of boxers.

Remiel didn't falter her stance, but still felt intensely uncomfortable, even if she didn't show it. "Fine, get dressed. But quickly, I don't have all millennium."

She remembered how vain her brother could be back in the days before his rebellion. He would sometimes hog the hot springs for hours on end. It drove everyone to near insanity.

Lucifer gave his signature cheeky grin, and made his way down the hall at the other side of his bedroom, leaving the angel and human to their own devices.

Remiel tapped her boot impatiently, and frowned deeply when she heard running water. Seems that some habits never died, no matter how many centuries passed. Remiel rolled her eyes and sighed. The nerve of him!

She glanced at the human to find him staring at her in awe and shock. She tried to ignore him, but the staring began to get uncomfortable. "Lucifer! One of your pets won't stop staring at me!" Remiel called out.

The human seemed to have finally come to his senses, and quickly looked away. Though he still glanced at her several times.

Forty minutes later, Lucifer finally came back into the room, dressed in his usual attire. Remiel glared at him and shoved the small clock she'd found in his face. "Is this your idea of 'quickly'?"
She seethed.

"Well, I had to do my usual morning routine. You don't believe that this just happens, do you?" Lucifer gestured to himself and looked at her as if this fact was obvious.

She was having a very difficult time of keeping her cool. "You could have just thrown some clothes on and be done with it."

Lucifer stared at her as if she'd said something horribly insulting. "Just thrown some clothes on and be done with it? What do you think I am, an animal? Or Daniel?"

Dan didn't even respond to the insult, too busy trying to keep his brain from exploding from a shock overload.

Remiel grumbled an insult, and dropped the clock to the couch. "Should we just do it here? Or do you have another place in mind?"

Lucifer tensed, he hadn't thought about the duel at all, mind much too preoccupied with the Detective's discovery. They definitely couldn't do it there, or anywhere near human population. "One of my properties outside of the city should suffice. Plenty of outdoor space for a good showdown. It's where Maze usually takes her bounties for special interrogation." Lucifer suggested.

Remiel shrugged then turned back towards the balcony. "Fine by me, anywhere works."

"Ah ah ah," Lucifer said, then he pointed towards the elevator. "We're staying earth side, thank you very much. Also, no wings. As part of our arrangement."

Remiel closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and counted to ten in her mind before furling her wings and making her way towards the elevator.

"Wait, what's going on?" Dan finally asked as the angels stepped into the lift.

"A custody battle." Lucifer answered vaguely just before the door closed.

————————

The drive in Lucifer's corvette was long and filled with tense silence. Lucifer drove with Remiel in the passenger seat, and was thinking long and hard.

Was this truly the right course of action? Would the child being raised on earth, with him, really be in her best interest?

To Lucifer, Heaven was no paradise. It was a cold, desolate place, that lacked choice and free will. Or, at least that's how he remembered it during his last few years there.

"What exactly will happen to the child if you win?" Lucifer asked.

Remiel looked at him in mild confusion. "Then it will come to the Silver City with me once it's born."

Lucifer sighed in exasperation. "Well, yes, I know that. But what about afterwards? Who will raise her, and how exactly will she be raised? Will she be happy?"

Remiel opened her mouth, then closed it. Truthfully, she hadn't thought much farther than getting the child away from it's father. "Of course it-"

"She." Lucifer corrected, hands squeezing the life out of the steering wheel.

Remiel rolled her eyes, but corrected herself anyway. "She, will be happy. It's Heaven. The best place in the universe. And once I win, the rest of our siblings and I will figure things out as we go along."

Lucifer scoffed. "Someone's feeling cocky." He teased, though his heart wasn't truly in it. Lucifer couldn't stop the doubts running through his mind. Would the child be happier up top? Away from the pain earth entailed. Away from the fanatics who believed her to be a monster...

Away from him.

But as these thoughts and ideas of the future scattered through his mind, he knew that there was one thing that the offspring should never be taken away from. Chloe.

He could never allow any child to be taken away from the Detective. And he knew that as long as that child had Chloe as a mother, then she should go far in life.

And with those self-reassuring thoughts, he drove quickly, wanting to get this experience over with.

————————

Dan walked into his apartment, only stumbling slightly. He was honestly still in shock over having his entire world view blown apart.

Charlotte sat in the kitchen with a coffee in hand. Apparently she had chosen to spend the night after Chloe had picked up Trixie.

Dan walked up to the kitchen table, plopped down on a chair, and stared longingly at her coffee. "Please tell me that there's more."

She pointed towards the freshly brewed pot on the countertop, and Dan went to make his drink. He came back moments later and savored the bitter beverage.

He was still trying to wrap his mind around everything, and was having a really difficult time of it. Lucifer was the devil. Maze was a demon. And Amenadiel was an angel...

Wait a minute.

If that was true, then what about Charlotte? How could Charlotte, a human, possibly be the devil's stepmother? Unless she wasn't human...

Dan choked on his coffee, and hit his chest as he coughed. Once he got his breathing under control, he stared at the woman in front of him.

"What?" She asked.

Dan gulped. It would explain a couple of things. She was definitely an abnormal person. There were things she's said that Dan could never understand. Questionable things she's done. How could she possibly be Lucifer's stepmom, if Lucifer was the actual devil? Wouldn't Lucifer's dad be God?

Holy shit.

Had Dan... slept with God's ex-wife?

"I know that Lucifer's the devil." Dan blurted without thinking, desperately needing something answered. Worse case scenario, she doesn't know what he's talking about, and Dan could play it off as a joke. Or would that be best case scenario? He honestly couldn't tell anymore.

Charlotte's eyes widened a fraction, but otherwise her demeanor remained unchanged. "How?" She asked levelly. So she did know.

He then explained how he had accidentally seen Remiel's wings, and how the celestial cat was out of the bag.

She didn't seem as shocked in the way you'd expect someone to be if talking about something as unbelievable as this. She only seemed mildly surprised at the circumstance more than anything.

"So, um..." Dan started to say, trying to figure out how to phrase his next question. "Are you... an angel? Or a demon?"

Charlotte looked insulted by the implication. "Heavens no!"

Dan felt relieved. So, he wasn't in a acquaintance-with-benefits relationship with a celestial being. He took a long sip of his coffee.

"I'm the goddess of all creation."

Dan spewed his coffee all over the table and proceeded to cough.

————————

They had arrived to one of Lucifer's extravagant properties. A modern style house surrounded by woodland. Lucifer also owned the thirty acres surrounding the house.

"Right," Lucifer said as he exited the vehicle. "When should we-" Before he could even finish his sentence, Remiel punched him square in the jaw.

He stumbled backwards in surprise before righting himself. He wiped the blood oozing from the cut in his lip with a hand. "That was a cheap shot, and you know it!"

Remiel didn't confirm nor deny his accusation, but she smirked confidently. She then brought her knee up and broke the spear in half. She threw the shorter end to Lucifer, who caught it easily.

"Can't have anyone saying that it wasn't a fair fight." Remiel claimed.

Lucifer wore a Cheshire grin, and his eyes burned with hellfire. "Oh, I assure you that this is not an evenly matched fight."

Remiel's own eyes practically glowed with amusement. "That's right. I remember getting a good punch in during the rebellion."

Lucifer's jaw clenched at the memory. That had been a major blow to his ego way back when. "Well, that was a long time ago."

And with that, Lucifer charged forward and hit his spear against hers. Remiel easily deflected the spear, but didn't predict him kicking her in the kneecap until it was too late.

Remiel hissed in pain, then jumped backwards. The angels circled each other, awaiting the other's next move. Remiel limped slightly, but her pride was more hurt than anything.

Lucifer was a bit out of practice when it came to fighting, which meant that Remiel had the advantage in that arena. But he was also more educated in different techniques, learning from demons and humanity, whereas Remiel was only familiar with Heaven's style.

Remiel suddenly faked charging right, then jumped to the left at last minute and attempted to drive her spear into Lucifer's side. Luckily he saw this coming, and was able to hit her spear away with his own, and punch her in the gut.

Remiel wheezed, having the breath momentarily knocked out of her. She doubled over and began coughing and shaking.

Lucifer paused the fight. He hadn't thought he'd hit her that hard. He relaxed his grip on the spear, which proved stupid. As soon as Lucifer let his guard down in the slightest, Remiel stopped her little act and knocked the spear from Lucifer's hands, tossing it several feet away.

Lucifer was both irritated and impressed. "My my, isn't that a demon's trick? I have to say, I'm impressed."

Remiel glared, not liking the thought of being compared to those hellions in the slightest. Lucifer glanced between Remiel and his fallen spear, debating who would be faster. Him retrieving it, or her stabbing him.

He didn't get the chance to decide, because Remiel charged towards him with her weapon raised. Lucifer quickly ducked out of the way as she brought the spear down, narrowly missing getting his face cut apart.

He rolled behind her and kicked the back of her leg. She stumbled forward, but simultaneously swung her weapon behind herself. She managed to leave a large gash on Lucifer's cheek.

His face stung and he could feel the warm liquid running down his cheek and neck, but he couldn't allow it to distract him. Besides, it wouldn’t take long to heal afterwards.

While Remiel's footing was unsteady and her attention was diverted, Lucifer took the spear and yanked it from her grasp, causing her to lose balance entirely and fall to the ground. She fell on her back. Lucifer then pushed the edge of the blade to her throat, just enough to draw blood, but not enough for a killing blow.

The angels stared at each other for several moments like that. Breathing heavily from exertion. The cockiness in Remiel's eyes was gone, and replaced by fear. An emotion that she despised displaying.

Lucifer pushed the blade slightly, causing Remiel to yelp in pain. He suddenly had a flashback to
Uriel. To that night in the church. He remembered himself doing something that would haunt him for the rest of time.

After he had killed Uriel, he had requested that Mazikeen leave him be. He had just sat there and stared at his brother's cooling corpse. Every moment of the childhood they had spent together had run through Lucifer's mind. Every memory he possessed of Uriel. They had not been close by any means, but they had still grown up together. They had still known each other since birth. They were still family, in one way or another.

A part of Lucifer had died that night, as he sat beside him in the church.

And it was not an experience he ever wished to repeat, no matter the circumstances.

He now lifted the spear slightly, but still held it above her throat. "It's clear that I've won. You and the rest of the Heavenly softball team will leave Chloe Decker and our child alone for the rest of time." Lucifer stated firmly, allowing no argument.

Remiel's eyes burned with hatred, anger, and humiliation. But she couldn't deny the results of the duel. And if she expected him to follow through if the outcome had been different, then she had no choice but to do the same. "A deals a deal." She said through clenched teeth.

With that, Lucifer moved the spear from her throat, and extended his hand to help her up, ever the gentleman. Remiel glared and ignored his assistance as she stood on her own. She extended her wings and gave him one last hate filled look. "For humanity's sake, you better know what you're doing."

Lucifer stayed silent, only lifting his chin and smirking victoriously. She didn't need to know how little he knew of what the bloody hell he was going to do.

And without a single goodbye, the huntress left for home, empty handed.

—————————

Lucifer stood in front of the Detective's door in indecision.

Lucifer wasn't sure if he should go in. He didn't know whether or not he was even welcome anymore. Would she ever even wish to see him again? Or would she cut him off from her life altogether? Would Chloe even allow him near their daughter when she was born?

Lucifer just kept on twisting his ring around and pacing in front of the door. Perhaps coming here was a mistake. Maybe she needed more time. The doctor hadn't wished to see him for weeks after seeing his devil face, and she had seen it in perhaps the best way possible.

He should leave.

Just as Lucifer had finally made his decision and turned to leave, the door behind him opened. "Lucifer?" Chloe asked.

Lucifer stopped and froze. He hesitated before turning around. The Detective stood behind the barely open door, just half of her face visible.

Chloe felt like her racing heart just might burst from her chest like a cartoon. But she did her best to stay calm. She just had to keep reminding herself of Linda's words the night before.

She just had to keep reminding herself that if Lucifer was willing to freaking kill himself just to protect her, then he definitely wouldn't hurt her now.

But she still held the gun behind the door. Just in case.

"Detective," Lucifer said softly. Neither of them knew what to say next. Both afraid that the wrong word could set the other off.

"I just..." Lucifer said, trying to figure out a way through the suffocating silence. "I just wanted to check in on you. And also inform you that the little issue from up above won't be a problem anymore."

"What issue?" Chloe asked, not yet completely in the loop.

Lucifer hesitated before answering. "Don't worry over it. Like I said, it isn't a problem anymore."

The silence was back with a vengeance. Lucifer sighed and swallowed. "You know that I would never hurt you... right?" Lucifer asked softly.

Chloe's grip tightened on the gun that Lucifer couldn't see. "I... I think so... it's just... this is a lot to process." She said with a shake of her head.

"I'm sorry that you found out that way. I should have..." Lucifer sighed and mentally kicked himself. "I should have just shown you like everyone kept on telling me."

Chloe bit her lip. Showed her? As in showed her his face? "I think that it would be a... a shock, no matter what." Chloe said. "But I know now, so it doesn't matter."

"Are you... are you okay with me?" Lucifer asked softly. He couldn't look at her when he said this, so he opted to rest his gaze upon a suddenly very interesting rock on the ground.

Chloe hesitated with her answer. She honestly didn't know. "I.. I don't know. I think that I just need time right now. Linda helped me a lot last night. Hell, I'd probably be on another continent if it weren't for her." Chloe tried to lighten the mood. "I just... I need time."

Lucifer nodded. Time. Compared to other things, time wasn't so bad. He could give her that. "Okay. I can do that. But just know that... that I would never hurt you, or Beatrice, or the baby. I hope that you understand that."

Chloe nodded and mustered a small smile. "I think I do."

Lucifer mirrored her small smile, then turned to leave.

Time. Only time could tell what the future held. And whether or not Chloe's future included him.

—————————-

Much later that night, Lucifer carried a half empty bottle of scotch as he walked around his penthouse, wearing nothing but his robe and boxers.

He felt restless and agitated. Time. That's what Chloe needed. But giving it to her felt like torture for him. Time. Time spent not knowing what the future held. Time spent imagining worst case scenarios.

As Maze would probably say, Time can be a bitch.

Lucifer wandered into the spare bedroom that he used to store his larger sex toys that couldn't fit in the closets. It was a good sized room. Not too small, but also not insanely large. It was also rather plain, at least compared to the rest of Lucifer's penthouse.

Lucifer stood in the middle of the room, and turned around in a circle. He could move the sex toys into Lux's storage downstairs and use this room for something else. He didn't use these things that often nowadays anyway.

Lucifer laughed at his own intentions for this room. Not in a million years would he have guessed that this would be his life.

But here it was.

Lucifer took a long swig of his drink before pulling out his phone, and looking through photos on google for inspiration.

———————-

That night, Chloe sat at her laptop on the couch. She was currently going through a page on a religious website.

She had fallen through the rabbit hole of religion on the internet. She knew that finding sands of truth among the endless beaches of fiction would be near impossible, but she just couldn't help herself.

So far the only thing this researching was accomplishing was making Chloe feel like she might throw up.

The things some people say about Lucifer was awful, and didn't connect at all to the man she thought she knew. None of it added up. And things to do about the Antichrist were even worse.

Chloe might have serious doubts about Lucifer, but she simply couldn't believe that the little baby growing inside of her was this creature of pure evil. That was something that she just couldn't fathom.

She had to believe that no one was truly born evil.

Chloe sighed as she clicked another link. A website showing several historical paintings depicting the devil and Hell came up. Chloe almost laughed at one particular painting called St. Michael, where Lucifer was apparently portrayed as some dog-like creature.

She would bet her entire paycheck on Lucifer having comments about that one.

"What's that?" Trixie asked from behind the couch.

Chloe stopped herself from gasping and turned to her daughter. "Baby, what are you doing up? You're supposed to be asleep."

"So are you." Trixie pointed out. The girl frowned as she looked at the painting on her mother's computer. "Is that supposed to be Lucifer? Why does he look like a dog?"

Chloe looked back at the painting. "I don't know, Monkey. Some people probably think that the real devil looks like that." Chloe had never used the words 'real' and 'devil' in the same sentence before. Just one more change in her life.

Trixie giggled like the thought was ridiculous. "What? Why would they think that Lucifer's a dog? That's silly! He's just a person. I bet that he'd hate this painting."

Chloe opened her mouth to respond, then paused, replaying Trixie's choice of words in her head. Wait a minute...

"You know that we're talking about the biblical devil, right?" Chloe asked.

Trixie knitted her brow. "Uh, yeah. I know that."

Chloe nodded slowly. "Okay, so your not talking about our Lucifer, right?"

Trixie looked at her mother in confusion. "What do you mean? They're the same person."

Chloe gaped at her daughter as if she's grown a second head.

"What?" Trixie asked.

"Are you saying that Lucifer Morningstar is the actual devil?" Chloe asked in disbelief.

"Uh, yeah?" Trixie said uncertainly. She had assumed that Lucifer's identity was common knowledge among her family. Did her mom not know? Had she done something wrong by telling her?

Chloe's jaw dropped and her eyes bulged. Trixie knew?! Her eight-year-old daughter knew before she did?! Had everyone found out before her?!

"How did you know that?" Chloe asked, still in disbelief.

Trixie shifted uncomfortably and averted her eyes. "... Promise that you won't get mad?"

Chloe struggled to keep the suspicion from her features. She had been a mother long enough to know to always be wary when asked such promises. But she really needed to know... "Promise."

Trixie sighed, then made her way around the couch and sat down beside her mother. She then told Chloe everything about how she had accidentally seen Lucifer's red eyes at the warehouse, how Maze had shown her her demon face, and how little everyone hid their identities from her.

Chloe was honestly embarrassed to know that her daughter had known this entire time without her so much as noticing. Trixie had taken the news so well, that no one had even noticed a change at all. Trixie barely even batted an eye when she realized that the devil was in their lives.

Chloe wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. "And you're... you're just okay with it? You're okay with Lucifer being the devil? That our roommate is a demon? That your sister is... that your sister isn't completely human?" Chloe asked.

Trixie looked at her mother as if she'd said something silly. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Chloe opened and closed her mouth, trying to think of a legitimate answer. She looked back at the computer, which still showed many paintings depicting the devil as a monster. Evil incarnate.

"Everyone thinks that the devil is bad. That he's evil... That doesn't worry you?" Chloe asked.

Trixie shrugged. "Those people are dumb. They don't know him like we do. He's just Lucifer. He's not bad, he's just him."

They don't know him like we do.

Chloe mulled that over for several moments. Did her eight-year-old daughter have more common sense then she did?

Did they really know him better than the majority of humanity did?

Did history get it all wrong?

Chloe honestly didn't know what to think, and this was all giving her a headache. She closed the computer, deeming her witch hunt over for the night, and ushered Trixie to her room.

Chloe didn’t know what to think or feel regarding everything celestial. Especially Lucifer. Hopefully time would tell.

Chapter Text

It had been a week before Chloe came back to work. She had used the kidnapping as an excuse to get a few days off.

During this week, Maze hadn't come home, claiming that she had bounties lined up.

And Chloe had been talking to Linda continuously. That woman was a god send... or, maybe not. But of course, who knew anymore? Chloe certainly didn't. Either way, Linda had helped Chloe in every way she possibly could. But even after hours of conversation and reassuring from the doctor, Chloe still had doubts. Fears. Uncertainties.

Hell, she was pregnant with the devil's kid, for God's sake!

That in itself was a hard pill to swallow. But it's not like she had much choice but to choke it down. Despite how much she wanted to convince herself otherwise, this was her new reality.

She was knocked up with the Antichrist... A sentence that she never thought would've crossed her mind as a literal fact.

Chloe also hadn't spoken to Lucifer throughout this week, just needing space to figure everything out.

Chloe was just now parking her car outside a park where the latest crime was discovered. Once she switched the engine off, Chloe leaned her head back, closed her eyes, and tried to calm her nerves. She didn't know whether or not Lucifer would be there, but the very chance of seeing him again brought her all sorts of anxiety.

But she knew that she would have to face the devil again eventually. She was carrying his kid, it wasn't like she could just cut him out of her life entirely.... Even if the idea had crossed her mind several times. But Linda's talks had helped her push the prospect away.

Chloe finally opened her eyes once her breathing was somewhat under control and she looked out the window. Well, there went all of those calming exercises.

Parked a few feet away was a black corvette. She supposed that it could belong to anyone, Lucifer's corvette wasn't the only one out there, but she somehow doubted it.

Chloe rubbed her stomach with her right hand in an attempt to comfort herself. She considered to just drive away. Leave and go back to the safety of her apartment.

"What do you think I should do?" Chloe asked her growing daughter. "Should we go see daddy?"

Moments later, Chloe felt a kick against her palm. The Detective knitted her brow and glanced between her stomach and the corvette. Well, that's as much of an answer as she was going to get.

Chloe sighed deeply, then opened her car door. "You better be right about this." She grumbled as she got out.

Chloe followed the trail of cops and police tape until she saw something that made her stop in her tracks. It's funny how such a usually normal scene for her could suddenly turn so different when seeing someone in a new light.

Ella was currently standing over the body of a man in his forties who wore a loose fitting tee shirt, running shorts, and tennis shoes. Ella was explaining the circumstances of death in her own way. Judging by how she was fake choking and convulsing, Chloe guessed that the victim had either been strangled or poisoned.

Standing several feet away from Ella, just barely in hearing distance, was Dan, scribbling down the details in his notepad.

And then there was the man of the hour. The devil himself. He was standing much closer to Ella than Dan was and listening. His eyes were slightly glazed over from boredom, as they usually did when someone attempted to explain logistics to him.

He looked... Well, just as he always did. Hair perfectly kept. Eyeliner worn with pride. Not a single wrinkle in his two piece suit that no doubt cost a ridiculous amount of money.

Most people would appear so out of place wearing that in a scene such as this, but Lucifer fit right in. That was just one of those things about him. It was honestly difficult to explain.

He just had this aura to him that drew you in. No matter how ridiculous he could sometimes (all the time) be. Though it had taken a while for Chloe to be won over by him herself, she could still recognize the effect he had on the masses.

Chloe couldn't know if it was just because of his confidence and personality, or if it had anything to do with his.... Devilness.

Chloe took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, and marched towards them like a soldier would into battle.

She opted to stand beside Dan rather than her usual spot beside the devil. "Hey, guys." She greeted with a hopefully-not-noticeably-strained smile.

Lucifer's eyes seemed to light up when he saw her, then they dimmed with worry. But quickly masked themselves with his usual cheeky nature. Chloe would've easily missed this transition in emotions if she'd blinked for even a second.

"Morning, Detective." Lucifer greeted like he usually would. "And company." He added with a quick glance downwards.

With everything that happened with Kinley, and Chloe's visit to the hospital after the whole debacle and the paperwork that followed, word about her pregnancy had eventually spread like wildfire throughout the precinct.

Besides, her stomach had become noticeable at this point, so the word from official paperwork had just been a confirmation.

Chloe had to practically beg the lieutenant to not take her off the field for at least one more case.

So now that everyone knew, Chloe couldn't care less about anyone making comments about the baby. And even if everyone didn't know yet, she had much bigger concerns than her nosey co-workers.

"Morning, Lucifer." Chloe greeted in turn, struggling to keep herself from tensing up.

Dan and Ella remained silent throughout this exchange, eyes ping-ponging between the partners, as if waiting for a bomb to explode.

"Sorry I'm a little late. Got held up by the lieutenant." Chloe explained. "Could you fill me in?"

"Absolutely!" Ella agreed, then restarted her explanation. "The victim's name is Carl Cooper, age 42. There are no signs of struggle or wounds of any kind, so the cause of death was more internal than external. He seems perfectly healthy, nothing iffy in his medical history. I'll need to get a DNA sample to check for any toxins, or possibly an OD. I'll also need to check the water he was drinking." Ella pointed towards a half empty bottle of water lying on the ground beside Carl.

"But anyway, here's how I think it went down," Ella carefully sat her camera on the ground, then sprinted a few feet away to the running path. "Carl was just going on his morning run, probably trying to exercise his morning donut off, or at least that's what I did today. He was drinking his water to stay hydrated, smart, when BAM!"

Ella had been jogging in place, but suddenly stopped, and clutched a hand to her chest. "Something's wrong, he has a hard time breathing... Oh no!"

Ella then collapsed to the ground and her body began convulsing. "He can't breath! Everything is beginning to grow darker... and darker... and darker still until-"

Ella then went completely still, fingers and eyelids twitching every few seconds. "He's gone." She whispered.

Lucifer clapped at her performance before walking towards her and helping the forensic scientist upright.

Chloe made sure to write down all the details in her own notepad, pushing celestial craziness from her mind and getting into her work persona. "So either he OD'ed, or was poisoned." The Detective concluded.

Dan nodded then went through something in his own notes. "Apparently him and his wife were going through a nasty divorce and fighting over custody of their son. I was just about to go and question her-"

"BUT LUCIFER AND CHLOE CAN DO IT!" Ella practically shrieked, making everyone jump. "Now that Decker's on the case, LA's best crime solving duo can take the lead."

Ella was smiling much too widely for it to be natural, even by her standards. Pushing the devil and detective together like two dolls probably wasn't going to work, but Ella had to at least try.

The partners in question looked to each other, both feeling unsure and currently walking on eggshells.

"Would that be alright with you, Detective?" Lucifer asked carefully.

Chloe nodded sharply. "Yeah, of course." She answered hurriedly. "We're still partners. I'll be fine."

She could do this. Hours of reassuring conversations with Linda had been preparing her for this. She could do this... Couldn't she?

Dan then gave Chloe and Lucifer the address and name of the wife. After that, Lucifer and Chloe made their way towards the parking lot, walking a good six feet away from each other.

"Should we both just take your cruiser?" Lucifer asked when their vehicles came into view.

Chloe tried to hide just how uncomfortable that prospect made her. "No, we already came with separate cars. No use of coming back for yours later. We'll just drive separately."

Lucifer kept himself from sighing. He wasn't a fool, so he could see just how uncomfortable she was around him. But he supposed that it was to be expected. "Right. Of course." He answered, then made his way to his corvette.

Chloe got into her car and sighed in relief. So far, so good. No terrors of Hell coming to attack her, and no emotional breakdowns. So far so good.

She just hoped that it would continue that way.

————————-

The house that Vivian Cooper, Carl Cooper's would be-soon-to-be ex-wife, was situated in a respectable, if boring neighborhood.

Chloe and Lucifer parked their cars not too far from the house, and silently made their way towards it. Once they reached it, Chloe knocked on the door and they waited. Moments later a woman in her late thirties wearing pajamas and carrying a fussy six-month-old opened the door.

"What?" She asked harshly. She looked absolutely exhausted. With red rimmed eyes, swollen bags under them, and the way her body swayed slightly.

"Hello, I'm Detective Chloe Decker with the LAPD, and this is my partner, Lucifer Morningstar." Chloe introduced them.

Vivian sighed deeply. "You're here about Carl." She stated tiredly. At Chloe's affirming nod, Vivian opened the door wider to allow them through. "I'm assuming that you're here to ask some questions?"

Chloe nodded again and tried to give the woman a comforting smile. "Yes, it's just procedure."

The partners then made their way inside. Lucifer made sure to keep as much distance between himself and the sniffling spawn.

Vivian led them into the living room, and the devil and detective took the couch while Vivian took the chair.

"Okay, what do you want to ask?" Vivian said as she rubbed her son's back.

"Where were you around the time of six AM this morning?" Chloe asked. That was the approximate time of death, according to Ella.

"Here. I was taking care of my son, Benji, and trying to get as much sleep as possible."

"Can anyone confirm it?" Chloe asked.

Vivian shook her head. "Unless one of you can speak baby, then no."

Chloe paused, then glanced at Lucifer curiously. Linda had told her that Lucifer could speak every language, so it did beg the question. Lucifer knitted his brow when he noticed Chloe looking at him. "What?" He asked.

"I'll ask you later." Chloe said. She couldn't exactly ask him about his powers in front of others.

Chloe was practically burning from the inside out with questions for Lucifer. Linda had answered Chloe's questions to the best of her ability, but there were many that the doctor hadn't known the answer for.

"If I'm to understand, you and Mr. Cooper were going through a divorce, right?" Chloe asked.

Vivian's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you accusing me of something?"

"Depends." Lucifer said.

"No one's accusing you of anything." Chloe said simultaneously. She sent a quick glare Lucifer's way before neutralizing her features again.

Just then, Benji coughed and vomited on his mother's shirt. Lucifer's face scrunched up in horror and disgust and he scooted away from the scene.

Vivian sighed deeply and grabbed a paper towel from the roll on the floor and wiped his face clean. "Goddammit." She grumbled as she looked down at herself.

"Yes, I suppose that it is his fault." Lucifer commented. "Creating human spawn to be so prone to expelling bodily fluids."

Vivian looked at him oddly for a moment, but then looked back down at her shirt, comment forgotten. Chloe flicked him on the arm, trying to get him to shut up. Chloe would usually just ignore his strange comments, but now that she knew it to be true, that definitely made his openness about his identity all the more concerning.

Before Lucifer could get the chance to complain over her flicking, Vivian said something absolutely absurd.

"Can you hold him for a minute?" She asked Lucifer, who now stared at her wide eyed, as if she'd suddenly sprouted a second head.

"Excuse you?" Lucifer asked in bewilderment.

"Can you please hold him for a minute? I just need to change my shirt real quick." Vivian repeated herself.

Lucifer held his hands protectively in front of himself, as if she was wielding a terrifying beast. He then looked to the Detective with the universal look in his eyes that clearly begged help me!

"You could use the practice." Chloe said with a nonchalant shrug.

Lucifer sputtered, then looked between the two women and baby in panic. "But what if it vomits on me?! Do you know how much this suit cost?! It was imported straight from Milan!"

"Then you'll just have to suck it up." Chloe said deadpan, hiding just how much she enjoyed this.

"This isn't the type of sucking that I usually enjoy." Lucifer complained.

"Yeah, and that type of sucking is the reason that baby vomit is in your near future." Chloe sassed.

"Oh, darling, we did far more than just sucking to get here." Lucifer said with a wink.

"... Is anyone going to hold my baby for five minutes so that I can clean this vomit off of myself?" Vivian asked irritably.

Lucifer's eyes ping-ponged between the women and baby, before he sighed dramatically and held his arms out in defeat. "If it vomits on me, I'm suing."

Chloe shook her head and mouthed that he isn't.
Vivian didn't seem to care either way at this point, and gently placed her son in Lucifer's outstretched hands. Lucifer held him awkwardly in the air in front of himself, hands holding the child under the armpits.

Vivian got up and jogged into the other room to change her shirt.

Lucifer kept holding the child in the same position, face cringing. The spawn then began to get fussy again.

"He’s a baby, not a bomb." Chloe commented. "Just hold him like you'd hold a football."

"This is how I would hold a football, Detective." Lucifer replied tensely.

Chloe rolled her eyes and watched him. It's funny. When she's with him, it's just so easy to forget that he was this timeless being who had watched civilizations build and crumble. Who had known some of the most famous names in history. Who had waged a war in Heaven, before becoming the king of Hell.

It was so easy to forget that he wasn't just a man. Just a man who was hilariously clueless when it came to kids, but was still willing to stick around for their own.

Lucifer seemed to be deep in thought himself, then he brought the child to his lap, and tensely placed him in a sitting position on his knee. "You said that I have baby vomit in my near future?" Lucifer asked softly as he stared at the coffee table.

"For almost five months now, yeah." Chloe answered, not sure where he was going with this.

He opened his mouth, then closed it. He hesitated for a few more seconds before continuing. "So, that means that I can still be in her life? Even though you now know about me?"

Chloe blinked in surprise. "Do you think that I wouldn't let you see our daughter?"

His silence may as well have been a confirmation.

"Lucifer, being in our daughter's life is not a privilege. It's a right. A right that you firmly have as her father, devil or not. As long as you treat us well, and don't do anything that forces me to take that right away, then you have as much a right to see her as I do."

And Chloe meant it. Yes, the idea had crossed her mind, but in the end she couldn't do that. She couldn't take their child away from him, devil or not. "And besides, I'm sure as hell not going to raise a half-devil baby alone."

Lucifer chuckled, and smiled genuinely for the first time that day. He lifted his gaze from the coffee table, and finally met Chloe's eyes. His eyes said more than words possibly could. There was immense relief in his eyes. Relief and hope.

"Thank you, Chloe."

Chloe smiled back. She loved hearing her name roll off his tongue. Especially since she got to hear it so scarcely.

Just then, Vivian returned, wearing a fresh shirt. She took Benji from Lucifer's hands, and sat back down. "Do you have any more questions?"

Chloe mentally shook herself from the tender moment, and got back to work. "Did Carl have any enemies that you know of? Perhaps somebody who had a grudge against him?"

Vivian swallowed and bounced Benji lightly on her knee. "No one that I can think of. Carl was well liked. The only person who really had a grudge against him was me, but I certainly didn't kill him."

"Or as you claim." Lucifer insinuated.

Vivian narrowed her eyes at the devil. "You know what? You caught me. I killed him between changing diapers and cleaning vomit. Congratulations." She said sarcastically.

Lucifer looked to Chloe with a raised eyebrow. Chloe knitted her brows at him. "She's joking, Lucifer." Chloe said, though who knows. Chloe hadn't ruled Vivian out by any means.

Chloe had asked some more questions, but found nothing helpful. The partners left soon after that. "I think she was holding something back." Chloe said as they walked towards their cars.

"Like what?" Lucifer asked.

"Did you notice the way she seemed a little more uncomfortable when we asked if Carl had any enemies? I feel like she knows more than she's letting on." Chloe explained as she opened her car door. "Meet you at the precinct?" Chloe then asked.

Lucifer nodded his affirmation, then went to his corvette after saying goodbye until the precinct.

————————

Chloe was sitting in Ella's lab as the other woman explained her running theory. Apparently she'd found trace amounts of drugs used in antidepressants in the few remaining drops in Mr. Cooper's water bottle, which definitely looked like murder.

It was just the two of them in the lab at the moment. "Good work, Ella." Chloe praised.

The Detective was about to leave the forensic lab, when she saw Lucifer talking to a fellow officer in the bullpen. Chloe froze and tensed up. Every now and again, her mind would go back to seeing his devil face. And she was slapped in the face with this new reality.

"How are you handling this so well?" Chloe asked suddenly, turning to Ella.

Ella knitted her brow. "The murder? Uh, it's kinda my job. Though it is really sad, and can get depressing if I let it. But it's always good to have a positive mind and let loose on vacation."

"No, not that. I meant about the whole 'Heaven and Hell is real' and the fact that Lucifer is the actual devil... You seem to be perfectly fine with it." Chloe observed.

"Well, Heaven and Hell being real wasn't much of a shock for me. I already believed in all of that jazz, so it just confirmed it." Ella said.

"Okay. But what about Lucifer? I'd think that you would be a little more wary of him, considering your beliefs." Chloe said. "You're Christian, so wouldn't he be evil in your book?"

Ella smiled and snorted. "Decker, if I listened to everything in the Bible, then I'd live a very restricted life."

Ella then sat down, gestured for Chloe to sit, and the Detective obliged. "Chlo, you can't just take everything in religion as pure fact. Especially the Bible. That thing has been translated, re-translated, and revised so many times, that I doubt anybody knows what the original says anymore."

Ella then glanced outside at the devil. "For example, Lucifer's supposed to be this super-evil-scary-baddie-villain, right? But it also states that he was once an angel. That he was once good. So, how can someone so good, just suddenly become bad? It doesn't make sense."

Chloe glanced at Lucifer, thinking that over. She then remembered the scars on his back. Where he had claimed that Maze had cut off his wings. Oh god, that actually happened, hadn't it?

Lucifer had once had wings, and he mutilated himself just to piss off his father. Sounds like him.

She thought long and hard about Ella's words. It didn't quite add up to her either. None of it did. She couldn't see Lucifer Morningstar as the awful monster that religion painted him as. It just didn't sit right in her head. And definitely not in her heart. But how could she possibly know for a fact?

"Also," Ella continued. "If we're being real here, what's the worst thing that the devil has really done in the Bible? Ask a naked lady if she wanted an apple and rebel against his dad? I don't know about you, but I could tell you stories about my own rebellious teen years."

Chloe chuckled at that. It was certainly comforting to have someone who believed in religion and believed in God, to also see the devil himself as good. To see him as a friend worth understanding.

Hell, if Ella could do it, why couldn't she?

"Also also, I just wanna make it clear that I call dibs on godmother!" Ella exclaimed, which prompted a full on fit of laughter from Chloe.

"Are you suggesting that I baptize the devil's child?"

"... I guess that it could remain as something up for discussion." Ella relented, for now.

Chloe snorted good naturally and smiled wide, feeling good. "I'm honestly glad that you and Linda found out before me. I honestly don't know what I'd do if I was the only human who knew."

Ella nodded. "I know how you feel. Poor Linda had to take the bullet of being the first celestial insider."

Chloe nodded, feeling sympathy towards the therapist. "I couldn't have done it."

"Me neither, that woman is one tough cookie."

Chloe then saw Dan through the window walking towards the break room, obviously trying to stay as far away from Lucifer as possible. Chloe realized just then that she hadn't properly spoken to Dan since finding out. He was going through almost the exact same thing she was.

Chloe needed to do something about that.

———————-

Chloe found Dan alone in the break room, opening a cup of chocolate pudding. They were both mildly surprised to find that Lucifer hadn't yet stolen it.

Oddly, Lucifer hadn’t stolen any of Dan’s pudding since the detectives found out.

"Hey," Chloe greeted and leaned against the countertop.

"Hey," Dan greeted back as he stabbed his spoon into the sticky dessert.

"How've you been holding up?" Chloe asked. "After you know, finding out?"

Dan leaned against the countertop and took a deep breath. "As well as you'd expect. Linda and Ella have been helping a lot, putting things into perspective. It hasn't been easy, but I'm doing okay." Dan shrugged. "And hey, it could be worse. At least I'm not pregnant with a devil baby."

Chloe snorted and rolled her eyes. "You got that right."

"Yeah. But at least you didn't sleep with God's ex-wife." Dan said.

Chloe knitted her brow and looked at him in confusion. "What?"

Dan nodded and ate a spoonful of pudding before continuing. "Yep. Charlotte, isn't Lucifer's step-mom, she's his actual mom. And she's the almighty's ex-wife. And the goddess of all creation."

Dan laughed hysterically as Chloe's jaw dropped. "Holy shit!" She exclaimed in shock. And then another world altering realization seemed to hit her. "Oh my god, my daughter is God's grandchild. I haven't even begun to think about that."

"Well, for what it's worth, the upcoming holidays are certainly going to be interesting." Dan joked.

The two detectives laughed at the mental image. "And my mom liked to complain about her in-laws. She's got no idea." Chloe shook her head. "God, has it only been a week since we found out? It almost feels like a lifetime ago."

Dan nodded, understanding the feeling completely. "Yeah, to imagine how uncomplicated our lives felt compared to this, and it was only a week ago."

Chloe sighed with a nod. Chloe wondered what would've happened if she hadn't gone back for Lucifer. If she hadn't seen his face. Would she have continued to live in ignorance, or would he have shown her? Chloe supposed that she would never know for sure.

Chloe then began to walk towards the doorway, having work that needed to be done. She stopped before leaving. "Look, Dan, if you need to talk about all of this, know that my door is always open. Okay?"

Dan nodded and smiled. "I know. And the same goes for you."

Chloe smiled in turn. "This might sound a little selfish, but I'm glad that you know. I wouldn't want to be going through an existential crisis alone."

Dan chuckled. "Yeah, I wouldn't either. It's always good to have an existential crisis buddy around."

Chloe laughed and shook her head. She then left the break room to start researching on her computer.

—————————

Chloe sat at her desk. Apparently, Carl Cooper was working as a cashier in a pharmacy that was owned by Vivian's mother, Sharon Kesley, who had fired him shortly after they filed for divorce.

Just then, Chloe noticed a man who she didn't recognize walk up towards her desk. "Are you Detective Decker?" He asked.

Chloe nodded. "Yes, I am. Can I help you?"

"You're the detective working on Carl Cooper's case, aren't you?"

At Chloe's nod, the man took out a U.S. Marshal's badge and presented it to her. "I'm U.S. Marshal Liam Gregory, and I have information regarding Carl Cooper."

————————-

Chloe, Lucifer, and Marshal Gregory now sat in the interrogation room.

"Carl was in witness protection?" Chloe asked for clarification. Gregory had just said that their victim had been in witness protection for several years.

Gregory nodded. "Yes, his real name was Steven Donavon. He used to work as a high level soldier for a crime family in New York. His testimony had put the head of the family in prison for life."

"So, this is a revenge killing, then?" Lucifer asked. "I guess that even if you can make it in New York, it doesn't particularly mean that you can make it anywhere."

"I think that his killer might be closer to our neighborhood." Gregory said.

"What do you mean?" Chloe asked.

Gregory shifted in his seat. "Carl and I were pretty good friends. I've known him since he first joined witsec. The other day, after getting drunk after another fight with Vivian, he finally told me why they got divorced. He told her about his less than legal past."

The partners shared a glance. Chloe knew that Vivian had been holding back. "She knew about his past dealings with the crime family?" Chloe asked.

Gregory nodded in response.

"Which means that she lied when she said that she didn't know of any enemies." Lucifer realized. "Your instincts proved right once again, Detective!" Lucifer stated proudly.

Chloe frowned as she mulled it over. "How long ago did Carl tell her?"

"Four months ago."

Chloe cupped her chin. "If she's known all this time, then why wait so long to take action?"

"Maybe she needed time to binge watch How to Get Away with Murder?" Lucifer joked.

Chloe didn't feel so sure about this. "Is there any way that you can confirm this?" Chloe asked.

Gregory shook his head. "Only my word."

Chloe thought it over. Even if they didn't have concrete proof, they still couldn't ignore this. "Let's go see if Vivian has anything else to say."

———————-

Again they took separate cars, not even making excuses this time. Once they arrived on Vivian's doorstep, an older woman opened the door. "Hello?" She asked.

"Is Vivian still home?" Chloe asked.

The woman turned towards inside, and shouted "Viv, someone's here to see you!"

Vivian soon appeared into sight carrying Benji. She looked a bit annoyed at first when she saw the partners, but quickly tried to hide it. "I thought that you already asked all of your questions."

Lucifer fixed his cuff and wore a smug smile. "Yes, and we thought that you were being truthful with your answers."

The older woman frowned in confusion while Vivian narrowed her eyes in irritation. "I was being truthful."

"Oh, were you now? So, did you just 'forget' to mention Steven Donavon?" Lucifer asked.

Vivian dropped the attitude instantly, and sucked in a sharp breath. The older woman's eyes widened as she looked between the three of them.

"We need you to come with us to the station for further questioning." Chloe stated in her cop voice.

Vivian opened her mouth to say something, but thought better of it and closed it. She sighed, then handed Benji to the older woman. "I'll be back later." Vivian informed her before walking out of the house.

"Vivian, wait! Is this really necessary?" The older woman asked in a panicked tone.

Vivian turned around and gave the woman a reassuring smile. "It'll be fine, Mom. Don't worry. Just make sure to feed Benji soon, there should be enough milk in the fridge for tonight."

Then Vivian allowed the Detective to lead her to the cruiser with no complaint.

————————

The partners and Vivian now sat in the interrogation room. Vivian fidgeted with her hands, but otherwise remained composed. "I didn't kill my husband." She said firmly.

"Then why did you lie when we asked if he had any enemies?" Chloe asked.

"Because I was freaked out!" Vivian exclaimed. "My husband had just been murdered! What if whoever did it came after me and my son if I said anything? I panicked and stayed silent, which was probably a bad idea in hindsight."

Vivian sniffled, and rubbed her moist eyes. "I may have had my problems with Carl and his old identity, but I would never kill him... I loved him. Even after knowing who he really was. You have to understand that it was a shock to find out that the father of your child isn't who you thought he was."

Chloe kept her expression neutral, but glanced momentarily at Lucifer. "I can understand that."

Vivian nodded and sniffled more. "Yes. When I found out, it completely shattered my view of him. I couldn't know anything about him to be sure. And I was so scared that Benji might someday be effected by his past. I was afraid of him, and I allowed that fear to dictate my life. And I will never regret anything more."

Vivian looked down at the table with shame and guilt in her eyes. "The sick irony of it all was that I was actually planning on forgiving him for everything. I was finally ready to move forward, and planned on telling him such right before he..."

Chloe was having a difficult time of keeping her emotions at bay herself. Every one of Vivian's words struck a chord with her.

Vivian sighed deeply. "My mom's probably relieved by this."

"Why would she be relieved?" Chloe asked.

Vivian fidgeted and seemed uncomfortable. "I accidentally let it slip once about Carl's past. And she was very much against of me getting back together with him."

A light bulb seemed to flick in Chloe's head. "Your mother owns a pharmacy, right?"

Vivian frowned but nodded. "Yes, that's right."

Lucifer caught on to Chloe's train of thought. "So, she would have easy access to all kinds of fun drugs? Including antidepressants?"

Vivian's frown deepened, then her eyes widened in disbelief as she realized what they were implying. "No!" She exclaimed. "No, she couldn't have possibly- my mother wouldn't...!"

Dan chose that moment to open the door. "Hey, Chlo, there's someone here who wants to talk to you. She claims that she's here to confess to the murder of Carl Cooper."

Vivian shot out of the chair and ran past Dan.
Lucifer and Chloe quickly followed, and found
Vivian standing in front of her mother and Benji in a stroller. Vivian looked completely shocked and betrayed while Sharon looked remorseful.

Vivian just shook her head, at a loss for words. She then took hold of her son's stroller, and left without another word.

Sharon was trembling as she made her way to the partners. "I killed Carl Cooper. Or Steven Donavon, whatever his name was." Sharon confessed.

She held up a zip lock bag that held a bottle of antidepressants in it. "I crushed several pills into powder. And then I broke into Carl's apartment and mixed it into his water when he wasn't home." Sharon choked out a sob. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to protect my daughter and grandson. I-I didn't think that she would become a suspect."

An officer walked up to Sharon and looked to Chloe for instructions. "Sharon Kesley, you're under arrest for the murder of Carl Cooper." Chloe announced, then went on to read the woman her rights.

With Sharon's cooperation, they were able to find hard evidence that she was in fact their murderer, and were able to put the case to bed.

—————————

Later that day, just as Dan was about to leave, Chloe caught up to him. "Hey, Dan?" She asked. "Could you take Trixie tonight? There's something I need to do."

Dan nodded. "Sure."

Chloe thanked him, then made her way towards Lucifer, who was standing in front of the vending machine. She took a deep breath, repeating Vivian's words in her head. The last thing that Chloe wanted was to make the same mistakes as she did. But for that to be possible, she needed to grab hold of every ounce of courage she possessed.

Once Chloe was satisfied that she wouldn't panic and make a run for it, made her presence known. "We need to talk."

Lucifer diverted his attention from the vending machine to the Detective, and raised an eyebrow.

"Meet me at your penthouse after work?" Chloe asked.

Lucifer wasn't sure if he should be worried or relieved. He nodded and mustered a smile, leaning more towards the former. "Of course, Detective."

Chloe took another deep breath. It was about damn time that she had some questions answered.

Chapter Text

Dan and Trixie had just arrived to his apartment for the night. Dan had an inkling that Chloe wanted the night to herself to finally clear the air with a certain celestial...

Celestial. Jesus, what has become his life?

"Can we watch Sleeping Beauty?" Trixie asked, drawing Dan away from his thoughts.

Dan wasn't thrilled about watching a princess movie, but Trixie was giving him those big eyes she learned from Shrek 2. That damn orange cat. "Sure, Monkey. Go turn it on while I go see what we have for dinner."

She ran off to the living room while Dan made his way to the kitchen. After finding nothing edible in the fridge (he needed to make a grocery run), he pulled out his phone and looked for the number of their favorite pizza place.

"You okay with pizza tonight?" He asked Trixie from the kitchen. After he got an enthusiastic yes, he called and placed the order.

"Hey, Daddy?" Trixie asked as she walked into the kitchen. "What's this?" She held up a black lace bra.

Dan choked on air and quickly ripped it out of her hands. "Where did you find this?!"

"Under the couch." She answered with a nonchalant shrug.

Dammit, Charlotte.

"It's Charlotte's?" Trixie asked.

Crap, had he said that out loud? Dan didn't know how exactly to respond to that. He was screwed.

"Are you and Charlotte dating?"

Kill him now. God, just kill him now. Dan was embarrassed into silence. His tongue felt as if it couldn't work anymore. But he had to say something! "No, we're not." He said. Technically, it was true. He just decided to avoid explaining to his daughter what a booty call was.

"Oh, good. That would be so weird." Trixie said as she walked back into the living room.

"Why would it be weird?" Dan asked as he followed her.

"Because Charlotte is Lucifer's mom, duh."

Dan almost tripped on his own feet. What...? Had he heard her correctly? Huh?

"You... know.... What exactly do you know?" Dan stuttered. He realized that he was still holding the bra and then shoved it into a random drawer.

"What do you mean?" Trixie asked as she plopped down on the couch.

Dan sat down beside her, and fixed her with a serious expression. "Trixie, what exactly do you know about Lucifer?"

Trixie frowned slightly at the odd question, but answered anyway. "Well, I know that he owns a place where people like to dance. His apartment is high up in the clouds, and you can see the city from there. He helps Mommy catch bad people... Oh, and he's the devil."

Dan's jaw dropped and he blinked stupidly. Well, that's unexpected. "How do you know that?"

Trixie knitted her brow. "Did you and Mommy seriously not know that I already knew?"

Dan shrugged helplessly, and then Trixie went to explain how she first found out. So, apparently Lucifer had red eyes... Huh. That's honestly the least weirdest thing he's heard lately.

"Can we watch the movie now?" Trixie asked.

Dan simply nodded, and handed her the remote. After a few minutes she scrunched up her nose as a thought occurred to her. "If you and Charlotte started dating, then would Lucifer be my brother?"

Dan barked out a laugh at that, imagining the mess that would be. "No, definitely not."

They watched the movie in silence for a few minutes after that. It honestly blew Dan’s mind that his daughter had known all this time, and simply took it in stride.

But if he was being completely honest, her reaction didn’t really surprise him. She has always been accepting like that, and saw things with the honest simplicity that only a child could have.

“So,” Dan started to ask, unable to stop thinking about it for some reason. “You don’t like Charlotte?”

Trixie hesitated before answering. “Um, well… It’s not that I don’t like her… Charlotte’s funny, and I do like hanging out with her… But Maze says that we can’t trust her, and Maze is very smart.”

“Well, Maze doesn’t know everything.” Dan pointed out.

Trixie frowned for a moment as she thought that over, but eventually shrugged. “I guess…”

After a moment, she gave her father a smile. “If you did like Charlotte, and wanted to date her, I wouldn’t be upset.” She assured him. “I already warned her about what would happen if she did anything fishy, so it should be okay.”

Dan smiled. He had half a mind to ask how his daughter had warned the Goddess of Creation, but decided to leave well enough alone… For now.

“Thanks, Monkey. But I doubt that Charlotte and I will ever be more than friends.” For one thing, Lucifer would kill him. And two, she was a fucking goddess. So if she wasn’t out of his league before, she definitely was now.

Trixie shrugged, but wore a secretive grin. “Okay. Whatever you say.”

Just then, the doorbell rang for their pizza, and their impromptu conversation came to a close.

Just as Dan was about to unpause the movie, he stopped. “Uh, could we keep what you found tonight between us?”

Trixie then smirked with twinkle in her eyes. Dear lord, if they weren’t careful, she just might turn into a mini Maze… What a nightmare would that be.

“I want thirty dollars.” She hard-balled.

Dan starred at her incredulously. Great, now he was being blackmailed by his eight-year-old. “Absolutely not.” He said sternly.

Her smirk didn’t diminish, and she only shrugged and turned her attention back to the tv. “Okay, have it your way. Oooh, I bet Lucifer would love to hear the new gossip I have!”

Dammit, he was too late. She was turning into a mini Maze. They were all screwed. Especially him, in this moment. Dan promised himself that this would be the only time he caved as a parent when he reached for his billfold and pulled out a twenty and ten dollar bills, and handed it to her in defeat.

Trixie counted the money, then smelled it in victory, and sighed happily as her father rolled his eyes.

Sucker, she would’ve settled for ten.

——————-

As Chloe rode up Lucifer's elevator, she felt like even more of a wreck now than she did when she was about to inform him of his impending parenthood.

She was about to have a conversation with the devil, who was the father of her soon-to-be youngest.

After this, she also needed to talk to Maze. Her demon roommate, who was literally from Hell.

What has become her life?

Chloe tapped the notebook she held against her thigh in an attempt to calm herself. She had made sure to write down her most urgent questions in case her mind went blank at the most important time.

Compiling the list had also helped distract herself from the fact that she would be alone with the prince of darkness in his home.

All too soon the elevator door opened, and Chloe found Lucifer sitting at his piano, playing a song. Now it definitely reminded her of that night, all those weeks ago.

Jesus, it's funny how uncomplicated that memory seemed now, compared to the situation she found herself currently in. Chloe stepped out of the elevator, and cleared her throat, alerting him of her presence.

Lucifer stopped playing instantly and turned around on the bench. "Detective," He greeted with a hesitant smile, trying and failing to feign his devil-may-care persona.

They both stayed in place for several uncomfortable moments as a heavy silence settled like a fog. Each afraid to set off any metaphorical land mines.

Chloe glanced around his home. This was the first time she had set foot in here since finding out, and it was so much more awe inspiring.

Before, Chloe had always assumed that the Knick knacks and artifacts were either exceptional fakes (She had been so sure that the book of Shakespeare's play Hamlet couldn't possibly be really signed and addressed to Lucifer specifically by Shakespeare himself), or acquired through less-than-legal means with the help of Lucifer's vast bank account.

But now, Chloe realized that all the outlandish stories of Lucifer's experiences throughout time were in fact true, and the priceless (or pricey, depends on how you look at it) treasures stored here, were simply souvenirs he picked up along the way.

It was definitely overwhelming to think about, so she tried to push it from her mind. One mind-blowing fact at a time, Decker.

Chloe's eyes then landed on something resting on the piano. Something far newer. She walked over, placed her notepad on the piano and picked up the book. It was 'What to expect when you're expecting.' Chloe couldn't help but laugh.

Even with every other strange thing Lucifer owned, this might just be the strangest yet. For him, at least.

There was a blue bookmark sticking out of the book, and Chloe opened that page. There was one specific section that was circled. Her laughter died down to be replaced by a deadpan expression.

Of course that's the part he would deem important. Chloe felt both surprised and... well, not. If that were even possible. It was just such a Lucifer thing to do.

"Did you really circle the part that explains how my boobs are gonna get bigger as the pregnancy progresses?" Chloe asked drily.

Lucifer didn't even try to hide his smug grin. "Of course, Detective. That fact always brings me comfort in times of trouble."

Chloe simply rolled her eyes and scoffed. Well, at least some things just never change...

She closed the book and traded it for her notepad, opting to drop the subject of her growing breasts. She then decided to get on with her most urgent questions.

"I need confirmation that our baby isn't going to cause any apocalypses?" Three people (Maze, Linda, and Ella) had already assured her that it was only a story, but this was her child. She needed confirmation.

Lucifer shook his head and picked up his glass from atop the piano. "Don't worry, she won't be bringing about the end of time during any temper tantrums."

Chloe nodded and let out a relieved sigh. One down, and a billion questions to go. "Will she have any powers or a devil face? Also, do you have any powers?"

Lucifer took longer to answer that question, which made Chloe uneasy. "I honestly don't know." He admitted. "As far as the offspring's abilities go, I'm as clueless as you are, I'm afraid."

Chloe gulped and covered her stomach with her free hand. Well, that certainly wasn't comforting.

"But as far as my own abilities go," Lucifer said. "As you already know, I can draw out humans dirty little desires. And then there's also the immortality, amplified strength, invulnerabili-" Lucifer cut himself off and looked at Chloe. "Well, usual invulnerability, power over demons, and my telekinesis. Though I don't use the last one often. It's very draining if I use it for more than locks or coins."

Lucifer didn't mention his old lightbringer powers since he had left those behind in Heaven after his fall. He hadn't even attempted to use those for millennia. The closest he had come to using it was when he tried to ignite the blade.

Well, that answered how he managed to pick any lock and always get out of handcuffs, Chloe figured.

Chloe looked down at her notepad for the next question. "So, you're the, uh, king of Hell... correct?"

Lucifer nodded.

"Okay... So, does this mean that the baby is... the princess of Hell?" Chloe was never going to get used to this.

Lucifer thought about it for a moment. "I suppose she is, on a technicality. But I don't want her to have anything to do with that place if it can be helped. And I have a suspicion that you feel the same?"

Chloe nodded and felt relieved at his words. If he didn't want her to have anything to do with Hell, then that must be a good thing. "Definitely."

Most of Chloe's next questions were about the dynamics of Hell and Heaven, how one earned a place in either and so on. Lucifer had tried to break it down for her understanding. Chloe Decker was much more clever than most humans, demons, and even angels, but some of her questions took centuries of experience to truly learn.

Chloe shook her head in awe at this new information. She had sat down on the couch while Lucifer stayed at the piano.

The detective in Chloe was currently rejoicing at this. Chloe was having questions that some people spent lifetimes searching for with no luck, answered all in one go.

Eventually, Chloe had run out of questions on her list, and could only wing it. "Linda told me about the formula." Chloe blurted without thinking. "About how you got it, I mean."

Lucifer had just been bringing his drink to his lips, but paused halfway. He hesitated before downing the rest and keeping his hands busy by re-pouring. "I see." He said carefully.

Chloe instantly felt guilty, not wanting to get Linda into trouble. "This was right after I found out, and I felt like I was drowning. Linda just wanted to help, and it did. Knowing what you did... what you risked, just to save me... It helped me through the initial shock more than I could possibly say."

"That's good. I'm glad that the doctor told you." Lucifer said earnestly. If Linda sharing the information of how he acquired the formula was the reason behind the Detective feeling safe enough around him to be here, than he was grateful.

And besides, it wasn't technically a breach in contract, since Linda had been apart of the operation herself, and none of it occurred during therapy.

".... Why did you do it?" Chloe asked, curiosity practically burning her from the inside.

Lucifer knitted his brow. "Why did I do what?"

"Why did you risk so much, just to save me?"

Lucifer blinked stupidly. Was she really asking that? When the idea of killing himself to get the formula had first popped into his mind, Lucifer hadn't hesitated. He hadn't cared about the risks, and not because he was simply reckless or had a death wish.

Lucifer couldn't have cared less if he made it out, as long as Chloe lived to see another day. He would've happily stayed in that Hell loop for all of eternity if it ensured that she lived a long, happy life.

"Why wouldn't I have?" Lucifer asked, as if it was obvious. "We're partners, Detective. I wasn't about to allow you to succumb to that wanker's little science fair project."

Chloe studied him. "But, you're the devil." She reasoned. "And I'm just another human. You've been around for... Holy shit, Lucifer! You've been around for millions of years! Compared to you, I'm a nobody. Just another human that history will forget about in a few decades. And you fucking killed yourself for me!"

Chloe scoffed at the sheer insanity of it all. "I'm not special, so why do that? And don't tell me that it's just because we're partners, because most partners wouldn't do anything close to that."

Lucifer was honestly at a loss for words at first, and that wasn't a regular occurrence for him. "Chloe," he breathed her name with reverence. "You are far more special than you give yourself credit for."

Both figuratively and literally.

Chloe still didn't quite believe him. "What makes me so special to you?"

Well, there's the million dollar question.

Lucifer opened his mouth, then closed it. Then repeated the process twice more before actually saying anything. "Everything." He finally said.

"Everything makes you special to me. I'm not sure when exactly it happened, but sometime between the moment we met, and when I found you with a bleeding nose... Something happened. And now I honestly can't picture my life here on earth without you somewhere in it."

Lucifer's heart raced as he admitted this. He was torn between keeping his trap shut as to not rattle the already fragile relationship between them, and making her realize just how extraordinary she truly was.

Now Chloe was the one blinking rapidly in confusion. She was having a hard time believing her ears. But at the same time, she wanted to believe them. Hell, she'd go as far as to say that she desired to believe his words.

"What happened?" She asked softly. "What happened between meeting me, and finding me with a bleeding nose? Why can't you picture your life without me?"

Lucifer immediately tensed up, and his eyes widened with a very obvious emotion. Fear.

"I don't know." He said almost defensively, unknowingly lying to the both of them.

"I think you do." Chloe said. She then got up, and stood above him near the piano. "I think you know exactly why, but you just don't want to admit it."

Lucifer gulped, fear searing him to his very core (Michael would be having a ball right about now). He jumped up from the bench, and leaned his elbows against the bar, facing away from Chloe.

"Why I feel the need to have you around doesn't matter." Lucifer said lowly, trying to keep his composure under control. "None of it matters."

Chloe suddenly felt anger bubbling within herself. The man in front of her suddenly wasn't the devil anymore, but was just a man. A man who continuously screwed with her heart whether he knew it or not. A man who was really starting to piss her off.

"Well, it fucking matters to me!" Chloe exclaimed angrily. There was a small voice at the back of her mind (probably common sense) who told her to shut up. That she was yelling at the devil. But she chose to ignore it.

"You know, of all the things I imagined the devil to be, I never imagined him to be a coward."

That certainly got his attention. He whirled around and finally faced her, eyes widening in anger. "I am not a bloody coward!"

"Aren't you though?" Chloe seethed, feeling both horrified and proud of how she handled herself. "You were afraid of showing me your devil face, you chickened out on our date, and now you won't even admit the real reason of why you saved me because, bingo! You're afraid!"

"It is far more complicated than that!" Lucifer defended.

"As I'm told!" Chloe yelled. "But guess what? The last time you used that excuse, I wasn't in the know. But I am now, Lucifer. I know, so whatever was too complicated for my understanding before, I will now believe."

Lucifer gripped the glass of his island bar, and trembled slightly, trying to keep himself contained.

"What is it, Lucifer? Why is it that every time we take one step forward, you always take twenty steps back? Why?" Chloe practically begged.

Lucifer stayed silent, unable or unwilling to find any words. He honestly couldn't tell which anymore.

Chloe just couldn't take it anymore. She felt as if she might burst. "WHY DAMMIT?!" She shouted.

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!" Lucifer shouted back.

He had squeezed the glass too hard, and it had shattered in his hands, cutting him. Blood dripped from the wounds, while tears fought to do the same.

Chloe gasped and her jaw dropped. Both from his proclamation and the glass. She felt tears sliding down her cheeks, but didn't care enough to wipe them away.

"Dad-dammit..." Lucifer muttered brokenly and stared down at his bleeding hands.

Chloe slowly walked towards him until she stood directly in front of him, and gently took his injured hands in hers. He flinched upon contact, but didn't pull away.

"Do-" Chloe's voice broke with emotion. The tears still fell at a steady pace, but she still ignored them. "Do you have a first aid kit?" Her voice was shaky, but at least it worked.

They both stared down at his hands, unable to meet the others eye.

"Yes, in the bathroom." Lucifer confirmed in a whisper.

Chloe nodded, then carefully let go of his hands, and made her way to said bathroom, leaving a hollow devil in her wake.

Now that she was alone, Chloe could hardly believe that the prior conversation hadn't all been in her head. That he actually said the words that she had so desperately craved, even if she hadn't admitted it to anyone. Especially herself.

It was definitely not the perfect circumstances, but hey, since when have things between them been perfect?

Once Chloe had finally found the first aid kit and was walking down the short hallway, she saw something that gave her pause. One of the doors stood a crack open. Just open enough for Chloe to see a peek of what it held.

Against her better judgment, Chloe opened the door wider, and found one more shock of the day.

Inside was plastic covering the floors, and primer on the walls. There were buckets of unopened light teal paint, expensive books that had designs for children's rooms, and in the middle of the room...

Stood a crib.

A dark mahogany heavily carved crib stood proudly in the middle of the room. Making the intentions for this space all too obvious.

The carvings depicted little suns, moons, and stars.

It was simply beautiful.

Chloe's tears had become choked sobs, emotions running too high, and hormones not being much help.

Lucifer could hear the Detective's sobs from where she left him, and he felt something break inside of him. Why couldn't he have just kept his damn mouth shut? Why did he have to be a fool and ruin everything?

It seemed to be his theme since the beginning of time...

Despite knowing that he should be a good devil and stay put, he just couldn't. He made his way to the hallway, where he eventually found her in the child's room, stroking the crib he'd had someone make specially.

"Ah," Lucifer said, voice strained to his own ears. "I see that you've found my little project."

Chloe startled and turned around suddenly. Her eyes then widened when she saw his still bleeding hands, and guilt filled her. She still held the first aid kit, and made her way towards him without fear or hesitation.

The remaining fear she felt for this man had flown away at the first glance at that crib.

"I'm sorry," Chloe apologized. "I saw the room and got distracted."

She then smiled a pure, genuinely happy smile. "It's beautiful... She's going to love it so much."

Lucifer's breath hitched, and he felt as if something inside of him melted. He loved this woman. Holy shit, he loved her. That was almost as terrifying as the prospect of fatherhood.

"Come on." Chloe said softly, voice barely above a whisper. "Let's go fix you up."

Lucifer could do nothing but comply when Chloe gently guided him back towards the living room, closing the door to their daughter's room before leaving.

Lucifer all but fell on the couch as Chloe carefully sat down on the coffee table. She opened the box and placed it on the table beside herself before gently taking Lucifer's hands and placing them on her lap.

Lucifer watched her face as she worked on picking the glass from his flesh with the tweezers. He tried his best to hide his pain, but still winced every now and again. It still hurt, but wasn't nearly as painful it would have been if he were human.

Chloe's brows knitted and her eyes got that look to them that Lucifer easily recognized. The look she got when a question formed in her mind. She confirmed his suspicions moments later.

"How come you're hurt sometimes, but other times, a bullet can just slide right off of you?" She looked up from his hands to meet his eyes. "What is the difference?" She breathed.

"You are, Detective." Lucifer admitted. In for a Penny in for a pound, as they say... "I don't fully understand why, but... I'm only vulnerable when I'm close to you."

Chloe's eyes widened, and she glanced between his hands and eyes. She let out a shaky breath, then continued her work.

Once the glass was all out, Chloe worked on disinfecting the wounds before finally bandaging his hands.

Lucifer hadn't complained once throughout the ordeal, but simply watched her. He didn't even think to tell her that the wounds would heal in minutes as soon as she left.

Once she was finished bandaging him, Chloe kept his hands on her lap, staring at them as she gently stroked his wrists.

"I love you too." She finally said after a while. Chloe wore a beautifully bright smile and looked up into his eyes. "I love you, Lucifer."

Lucifer flinched at her words, and instead of feeling the same joy she did, he was being strangled by his own guilt.

At that moment, Lucifer was half tempted to storm Heaven and skewer his bastard excuse for a father.

"No, you don't." Lucifer said bitterly as the tears finally fell from his eyes. "Not really."

Chloe frowned and wore a confused expression. She must have misjudged his certainty as insecurity, because she lifted one of her hands and cupped his cheek. "Yes, I do. I love you, devil or not. I love you, and I love our daughter. I love-"

"NO!" Lucifer shouted, then immediately regretted it when Chloe flinched back. He closed his eyes shut and trembled.

Lucifer couldn't stop himself from flat out crying, and felt fucking humiliated. Bravo, Dad. God 1, and Lucifer 0. Congratulations. You've finally done it!

Lucifer hadn't even realized what Chloe was doing until she was sitting beside him and Lucifer's head rested at the crook of her neck and she held him like he was a child. A child who was experiencing their first heartbreak.

Lucifer cried against her, unable to stop himself once he started. Everything that had been weighing him since the fall, every little painful thing he had endured at the hands of the humanity he so adored, and at the hands of his own family, suddenly hit him like a bullet to the chest.

It was simply too much too fast.

"You can't love me." Lucifer finally choked out, voice raw from the sobs. "Not really. You might think that you do, but you don't. It's all a fucking manipulation to torture me."

Chloe was very, very confused at that moment. But she was sure of how she felt about him. Chloe knew exactly how she felt. "You're wrong, I do love you. I know for a fact that I do."

Lucifer shook his head against her, still letting her cradle him like he might break otherwise. "There's something else that I haven't told you yet..."

Lucifer desperately wished that he didn't have to tell her this, but he knew that there was no other way for her to see. To see that what she felt wasn't her own choice.

"You're a miracle, Chloe. A miracle made at the direct hands of God, and you were purposefully placed in my path."

Chloe's brain seemed to freeze for a few minutes, trying but failing to understand his statement. "I'm a... I'm a what?"

"Years ago, Dad tasked Amenadiel with blessing a couple unable to conceive with a child... You are that child, Detective. You were created specifically by my father, and then he put you in my path."

And there it was. The last secret between them.

Chloe didn't know how exactly to respond to that. She was created by God?! And placed in Lucifer's path? What the ever-loving-fuck does that even mean?

And how the hell did that effect how she felt?

Chloe felt sick, that much was sure. She suddenly remembered Remiel's words. "Am I just an incubator?" Chloe asked with horror in her voice.

Is that what she was? Was that her purpose in life? To get knocked up by the freaking devil? She felt sick and horribly overwhelmed.

Lucifer moved his head from her shoulder, and his now puffy eyes were full of all sorts of unpleasant emotions. "No, of course not!"

Chloe moved away from him on the couch, and wrapped her arms around herself. "But what else could it be? I.. does my entire existence depend on the fact that you boned me, and got me knocked up?"

Chloe didn't want to get angry at him, she really didn't, but this was just too much.

This was just too much.

Chloe stood, and shakily made her way to the elevator. She was such a coward. Chloe knew this, but she needed to breath. This was all hitting her at once, and she couldn't handle it in his presence.

Lucifer stayed at the couch, and didn't even try to stop her as she stepped on the elevator.

——————-

After a certain amount of time Lucifer didn’t care to keep track of, he furiously made his way to the balcony. He leaned against the railing, hands stinging slightly from the pressure, and turned his hateful gaze towards the sky.

“Well, I say that a congratulations is in order!” He shouted sarcastically. “You’ve finally done it! You broke me! You bloody won! I hope that you’re finally satisfied!”

Lucifer shook his head and laughed bitterly. “And I must say, it was genius! Make me care about someone more than myself, and then rip her away from me! Just masterful! I don’t know how you thought of it…”

Lucifer stubbornly wanted to blame it all on God. He wanted to have someone to blame for every bit of pain he’s ever experienced.

The root of it all.

But Lucifer couldn’t help but wonder, was he himself the creator of his own downfall?

Either way, it didn’t change the fact that he had fucked up tonight.

Chapter Text

Three days later, Ella stood in her lab, people watching from behind her blinds.

Well, devil watching, if you wanna get technical.

Lucifer was leaning against a wall and playing something on his phone, but he lacked his usual jovial attitude. Sure, he still smiled at everyone and acted chatty, but Ella could tell that something was off.

She had also noticed something off about Chloe's attitude as well. But she had assumed that it was because the detective had finally been forced on desk duty after the last case.

She’d also noticed the partners avoiding each other, but then again, she had chucked it up to Chloe still coming to terms with the whole devil thing.

Chloe was currently in the break room, or at least that was Ella's guess. Ella watched as an officer walked up to Lucifer and patted him on the shoulder, all smiles. He said something, which brought out a very confused expression on Lucifer's face. The devil said something in response, which caused the officer to laugh.

But Ella had a feeling that it wasn't meant to be a joke, judging by the even more confused expression on the devil. The officer patted Lucifer on the shoulder again, and walked off. Lucifer shook his head before returning his attention to the phone game.

Ella hesitated a minute before leaving her lab and making her way to Lucifer. "Hey," she greeted warmly. "What was that about?"

Lucifer knitted his brow and glanced momentarily at the officer. "He just congratulated me on sleeping with the Detective."

Ella's eyes widened and she stared at the officer. "He what?"

"Well, I'm paraphrasing. He congratulated me on putting my spawn in her."

Ella laughed. "Oh, that makes a lot more sense."

Lucifer frowned and looked at her in confusion. "It does?"

"Of course it does. You don't congratulate co-workers on sleeping with their partners. That's just weird!"

"And congratulating someone on creating a spawn who will suck them dry for the rest of it's life isn't?" Lucifer asked incredulously.

Ella shrugged. "I don't know what else to tell ya, man."

Lucifer shook his head in wonder. "There are some things about your species that I will simply never understand."

Ella laughed and pointed finger guns at him. "Right back atcha, bud."

Ella then leaned against the wall beside the devil, crossed her arms, and looked at him curiously. "Why have you been so down?"

Lucifer frowned. "I haven't been down." He answered, sounding very closed off to the forensic scientist.

"Well, you haven't exactly been high."

Lucifer smirked. "Have you forgotten who you're talking to?"

Ella shook her head. "You know what I mean. You've been acting less like Mr. Morningstar, and more like Mr. Mopingstar. You can tell me if something's bothering you."

Lucifer seemed to consider it. Just then Chloe walked into their line of sight, and Lucifer swallowed uncomfortably. He then wordlessly walked towards the lab, and Ella hurriedly followed

Ella closed the door and blinds behind them as Lucifer sat down on a stool and took out his trusty flask. Ella sat down in front of him, and waited.

"I told the Detective that I loved her." Lucifer admitted solemnly before taking a swig of his drink.

Ella's jaw dropped and her eyes were wide as saucers. When the initial shock wore off, she squealed so loud that Lucifer's ears hurt.

Ella felt like a spoiled child on Christmas morning. But then her joyous mood quickly dissolved when she noticed Lucifer's anything but happy mood.

Crap.

Ella wore a sympathetic expression and rested a platonic hand on his knee. "Oh, did she not say it back?"

Lucifer laughed bitterly. "Oh, she said it back alright. In fact, she actually said it multiple times."

Ella frowned in confusion.

"I told her about being a miracle." Lucifer said and stared down at the table.

Now Ella frowned in irritation. "That's what this is about? Are you kidding me?" She groaned.

Lucifer looked at the forensic scientist as if she'd grown a third eye. He got even more confused when she stood up abruptly and stomped out of the room.

Moments later she came back, practically dragging a confused Chloe by the arm. Ella sat Chloe down on the stool beside Lucifer before the Detective could even form a coherent thought.

Ella then took a key out of her pocket and locked the door behind her. She then placed her arms on her hips, and wore a formidable expression. "That's it! Nobody's leaving until we figure this out!"

Chloe looked between Ella and Lucifer, obviously very confused. "Figure what out?"

"THIS!" Ella shouted, waving arms at the partners. "You guys are worse than Ross and Rachel! Why can't you be more like Monica and Chandler for once?!"

"Okay, I'm lost." Lucifer said. "I don't know who any of those people are."

Ella crossed her arms and glared. "This is sooooo ridiculous! I've already talked to Lucifer about this."

"About what? I'm completely lost." Chloe said.

"About you being a miracle." Ella explained.

Chloe narrowed her eyes. "You knew about this? For how long?"

"That doesn't matter." Ella said. "What matters is that you guys freaking out over this is pointless!"

"The fact that I was literally created to carry a devil baby is pointless?" Chloe asked coldly.

"We don't know if that's the reason." Ella defended. "And even if it is, what exactly does that change? Would you rather if this baby didn't exist at all?"

The partners remained silent and impassive, so Ella continued on. "Now, the theory that your feelings for Lucifer not being real makes no sense to me. Because if you were created just to fall in love with him and have his kid, then why did you marry Dan? Why did you have Trixie? Why did you ever date at all?"

Chloe frowned, but actually considered it.

"And also, it wasn't love at first sight between you, was it?" Ella asked.

Chloe laughed as she remembered their first meeting. "Hell no."

Ella nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! If God made you fall in love with him, then why did it take so damn long? I'd think that he was more efficient than that."

The partners glanced at each other. She was making a lot of sense.

"What I think happened, is that the Big Guy did put you in each other's paths. And maybe he did nudge you towards each other, but I don't think he made you fall in love. I think that you did that all on your own." Ella stated.

Ella then went to the door, unlocked it, then pointed a finger at them. "Think about it." She then left the room and slammed the door for dramatic effect.

Then moments later she came back. "This is my lab. You guys are supposed to be the ones leaving."

Chloe and Lucifer stood, and both walked over to the Detective's desk. Chloe sat down as Lucifer leaned against it.

"Could she be right?" Chloe asked.

"Your guess is as good as mine, Detective."

Chloe rested her chin in the palm of her hand. "In a weird way, it does make a lot of sense. Or at least that's what I'm hoping. We really need to figure everything out between us."

Lucifer nodded his agreement. "Yes, we do." He was quietly contemplating something for a while before blurting out- "Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Chloe blinked and looked up at him. "What?"

Lucifer shifted uncomfortably on the desk. "Well, we may have professed our love for each other, and you might be carrying my spawn... But we've never actually gone out on a date."

Chloe laughed after a moment when she realized how right he was. "Wow, we really are going ass-backwards with this, aren't we?"

"Not how I would ordinarily use that euphemism, but yes." Lucifer agreed lightly.

Chloe rolled her eyes, but her small smile took all the malice out of it. "Okay. I'll go on a date with you. It could also give us a chance to figure out what..." She gestured vaguely between the two of them. "This is."

Lucifer grinned. "Splendid! This will be lovely!"

——————

"This will be a disaster." Lucifer said in Linda's office later that day. "What was I even thinking?"

"Lucifer, slow down." Linda said comfortingly. "Now, let's go over this one thing at a time."

Lucifer sighed and poured himself a glass of water. "Which part should we go over first? The part where I failed in pushing her away and instead making the Detective fall in love with me? I should have known that preventing it would be futile, I mean-"

Lucifer gestured towards himself. "Even if she didn't have my father whispering over her shoulder, she's only human. And I'm me.."

Linda struggled to not roll her eyes at the devil's fathomless arrogance. "Well, maybe she doesn't have God whispering over her shoulder. What Ella said actually makes a lot of sense."

Lucifer scoffed bitterly. "It couldn't be true. No, Dad wouldn't be that kind."

Linda straightened her back. "You want to know what I think?"

"What do you believe I'm paying you for?" He asked slightly irritable.

Linda took a deep breath before continuing. "I think that a part of you wants this to be your father's doing."

Lucifer laughed and stared at her as if she'd just said something absolutely absurd. He placed the glass back atop the table, and folded his hands over his knee. "What? You think I want the Detective's feelings for me to be a manipulation? Why on earth would I want that?"

"Because it gives you an excuse." Linda explained. "It's an excuse to push Chloe away, and to prevent yourself from being truly vulnerable with her."

Lucifer's smile suddenly became more strained. "The Detective literally makes me bleed. I don't know how much more vulnerable around her I can get."

Linda could smell bullshit, but she tried to remain neutral and not just scream it in his face. "Physical vulnerability and emotional vulnerability, are two very different things."

The muscles in Lucifer's jaw began to tick, so Linda knew that she was beginning to get close to painful wounds. "As long as you have the excuse of her being a miracle, you can feel justified in retaining your walls when you're around her."

Linda waited a moment for him to mull that over and analyze it in his head. She could practically see the gears turning. She just hoped that he didn't wildly misunderstand what she was trying to convey.

"So, what you're saying is... that as long as we both believe that our feelings are not our doing, then I don't have to let her in?"

If Lucifer had asked Linda what she desired at that moment, her answer would be to strangle him.

"No, Lucifer, that's not what I-"

"Genius, Doctor! I aught to give you a raise!" Lucifer smiled then stood up abruptly. He made his way to the door and opened it with the intention of leaving.

"SIT YOUR ANGEL ASS BACK DOWN!" Linda yelled, taking them both by surprise.

Linda never yelled at her patients. What the hell was going on with her?

Lucifer slowly closed the door, still obviously very surprised by the doctor's uncharacteristic outburst. "Alright..." Lucifer said cautiously and sat back down.

Linda sighed and messaged her forehead. "I'm sorry about that, I don't know what came over me... But can I talk to you as a friend for a minute, and not as your therapist?"

Lucifer gestured his go ahead, and listened patiently.

"Look, I get it. Opening yourself up to relationships and in doing so, giving someone the power to hurt you, is scary. It's risky. But if there's one thing I know to be true, it's that there is nothing truly good in this life that doesn't require risk."

Linda leaned forward in her chair. "You just have to figure out which risks are worth taking. And you and Chloe? I believe that you are worth the risk. The two of you are having a child, you're going to be a family. The two of you have the potential to have something truly incredible. You just need to ask yourself, are they worth the risk?"

Lucifer gulped and was extremely tense. He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Hour's up." He said in a small voice, then got up and walked out the door.

———————

Ella was keeping herself busy that night by cleaning beakers in her lab.

Ella swayed her hips and sang along to Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees that was currently playing on the little radio she kept in the lab.

"Well now, I get low and I get high. And if I can't get either, I really try. Got the wings of Heaven-" Ella stopped singing and let out a short scream when she turned around to see the angel of death.

Ella put a hand above her racing heart and turned the radio off. "Jeez, Rae-Rae, you've gotta stop doing that! My God!"

Rae-Rae sniffled. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to..." She stuttered miserably.

Ella finally noticed her friend's state, and the irritation instantly drained away to be replaced with worry. They hadn’t yet unpacked everything between them since Ella had found out, and they’d honestly been avoiding each other. But Ella doubted that bringing all of that up now would be a good idea.

The forensic scientist went to the angel's side and pulled her in for a hug. "Rae, what's wrong?"

Rae hiccuped and returned the hug. "I messed up! I messed up bad. I've been looking everywhere, but I just can't find it! This is bad, this is really really-"

"Wow wow wow, slow down, girl! What can't you find?" Ella asked.

"My blade!" Rae-Rae exclaimed miserably. "I didn't notice that it was gone until yesterday. I hardly ever use it, and usually just keep it hidden. But when I went to check on it, it was gone! Just gone! I lost my blade!"

Ella guided Rae-Rae until they were both sitting down on the stools. "You lost your blade? It can't be that bad. From what Chloe's told me, Maze leaves her blades all over the apartment! I've even found a few here. I don't think you've got anything to worry about."

Rae shook her head in distress. "No, it's not just a regular blade. It's the blade."

At Ella's blank stare, Rae elaborated. "The smallest scratch from my blade can wipe a soul out of existence! Like, say you got scratched by it, then you would be gone. No Heaven, no Hell, just zilch! Gone! And it can kill anyone!"

Ella's eyes widened in horror. "Okay, maybe you do have something to worry about."

Rae-Rae groaned in misery and dropped her head against the table. "If that blade gets into the wrong hands, then I am screwed. I'm screwed, along with anyone and everyone who falls victim to it."

Ella gulped. "Okay, then we need to find it, pronto! Maybe Lucifer and Amenadiel can help-"

"NO!" Rae exclaimed urgently. "We can't tell anyone! Especially my siblings! If word of this gets out, then everything might go completely crazy with all the angels scrambling to get it first! That's why I came here... You're the only person I can trust."

Ella's heart hurt for her. She couldn't imagine not being able to trust her own family. Especially if there was a crisis of this magnitude happening.

Ella mustered her best everything is gonna be okay smile. "We'll figure this out, kay? I might just be human, but I'll help in every way I can."

Rae-Rae gave her a wobbly, but grateful smile. "Thank you."

Ella nodded, then stood from her stool. "First things first, how about we make some hot chocolate and figure out where you last saw the blade?"

"Hot chocolate sounds awesome." The angel of death agreed.

———————-

The goddess walked through the precinct in search of Dan. She had nothing to do that night, and was too lazy to search for a human to entertain her in Lucifer's club.

She asked a random officer if he was there, but they informed her that he was busy with a stakeout.

Damn.

She was just about to leave, when she thought she saw something through the blinds of the lab. She did a double take, and her jaw dropped when she saw her youngest child.

Azrael.

Sweet, precious little Azrael. What was she doing here? The goddess's first instinct was to barge into the lab, but she hesitated. Would Azrael even want to see her? Or did she despise her like Remiel and Uriel?

The goddess took a step backwards, but stopped herself. No, she wasn't going to cower away from her own children.

She steeled herself and made a beeline for the lab. She opened the door, surprising the two women who sat at the table, drinking liquidated cocoa.

"Oh, hey, Charlotte." The chirpy human greeted with a warm smile.

Azrael's eyes widened and she stared at the goddess. "Charlotte? As in Charlotte Richards?" The goddess nodded, and stood tensely as she awaited the angel's reaction.

Azrael's bottom lip trembled. "M-mom?" She stuttered.

"Wait, what?" Ella asked, growing very confused very fast.

Azrael suddenly abandoned her drink on the table, jumped from her chair, and embraced her mother. She took the goddess by surprise, and the goddess hesitated before wrapping her arms around her daughter.

"Oh my gosh, Mom! I missed you so much that you wouldn't believe!" Azrael said joyfully.

The goddess was at a loss for words. All she could do was tighten her hug, smile, and prevent the tears from escaping.

"I had heard rumors that you escaped Hell, but I didn't believe it. You know how Gabriel's info is, can never tell what's fact or a convoluted version of the truth with her. But you're here! This is amazing!" Rae gushed.

The goddess couldn't believe her ears. "You're... happy to see me?"

"Duh!" Azrael stated as if it were obvious.

The goddess smiled wide, heart feeling as if it might burst. "You have no idea just how good that is to hear."

Ella was still very confused, but the scene was too adorable to interrupt.

Charlotte's stomach was the one to interrupt instead, by making a loud noise, complaining. The goddess frowned. She had forgotten that she hadn't provided nourishment for herself yet. Pathetic, fragile, high maintenance human body.

"Someone sounds hungry." Ella commented jokingly.

"I suppose." The goddess agreed as she and the angel pulled away from the hug. She turned her full attention to her daughter. "How have you been?" That was the modern etiquette of meeting someone you haven't seen in centuries, right?

Azrael's eyebrows raised. "Uh, I've been doing okay. Mostly work. Human souls don't reap themselves. But I can't complain. I mean, I doubt that Hell was a joyride."

"No, it certainly wasn't." The goddess agreed, suppressing a shudder at the memory. "We should catch up." That was another modern saying.

Azrael tensed and glanced momentarily at the human. She shifted on her feet and fidgeted with her hands. "Uh, right now? I'm not sure if this is the place... Dead human fluids and all that." She pointed a finger towards the evidence bag that had a urine covered napkin inside.

The goddess scrunched up her nose in distaste. Humans were such vile creatures. At least the majority of them.

"Then we can go somewhere else?" The goddess suggested, but trying not to sound needy.

"There's this great Mexican place not too far from here. They have the BEST enchiladas!" Ella piped up.

Azrael gulped and looked at Ella pleadingly. "But don't we have that thing we need to do?"

"Maybe if you took a break from that thing, and cleared your head, then doing that thing might become easier." Ella suggested.

The goddess looked between the two of them with suspicion. "... You're not talking about sex, are you?"

"NO!" Both women exclaimed, aghast.

The goddess shrugged. "Alright. Just don't get the human pregnant, please. We already have enough problems with that."

Azrael looked at her mother oddly, then shrugged it off. “Since I lack the ding dong necessary, that shouldn’t be a problem.”

The angel of death thought the other thing over, then relented. "Sure, why not? Sitting here and brainstorming until my head explodes isn't gonna fix anything."

—————————

Two hours later, a goddess, an angel, and a forensic scientist sat in a booth in a Mexican restaurant.

Dirty plates, empty tortilla chip baskets, and drained margarita glasses littered the table.

The angel and human sat side by side while the goddess had the other side of the table to herself.

Azrael was able to drink as much as she liked without any repercussions. The goddess had learned to pace herself after waking up several mornings feeling like she'd died and gone back to Hell.

The human, on the other hand, even with her longer experience as a fragile mortal, didn't seem to have learned this lesson. She was currently speaking to them fluently in the native tongue of someone named Spock.

Who this Spock person was, the celestials couldn't tell you.

"I can't believe that people think I'm a guy!" Azrael exclaimed with a light shake of her head. "Do I look like one?"

The goddess shook her head and gave her daughter a loving smile. "Of course not, you're a beautiful, strong woman. Humans fear death, and in turn fear you for no reason. It’s ridiculous, and you shouldn’t pay any mind to it.”

Azrael smiled brightly at her mother and a blush crept up her cheeks. "Thanks, Mom."

Ella added her impute with that strange language of hers, so they both just assumed that she was agreeing. Then she resumed her long, and probably detailed speech, that no one but her could decipher.

Just then, a song about shutting up and dancing came on the speakers, and the human stopped her speech and perked up. "Oh yeah! This is my jam!" She jumped from the booth, and began dancing in the middle of the restaurant.

The celestials laughed at the spectacle, and watched as a waiter attempted to put a stop to it. Five minutes later Ella had managed to get the waiter to start dancing as well.

"Even when drunk, she can charm other humans." The goddess observed. Though she didn't care at all for the human, she could see how everyone else held her in high regard.

"Yep, she's great." Azrael agreed with a smile. The angel popped one of the remaining chips in her mouth and watched the dancing humans.

Azrael glanced between her mother and the scene. "You've been here for a while now, right?"

The goddess nodded and took a sip from her drink.

"So.... You were here when Uri...?" She didn't finish her sentence, but the goddess understood her meaning.

The goddess tensed, and kept her eyes trained on the humans. "Yes."

Azrael gulped and also opted to look away from her mother. "How did it happen?" She asked in a small voice.

The goddess frowned and finally looked at her daughter. "You don't already know?"

Azrael shook her head. "Nope, nobody told me how he... ya'know. I just heard that he kicked the bucket, but not how. Everyone thinks that I'm too fragile or weak to handle it." She stated with bitterness.

The goddess considered her options. If she told Azrael the truth of how Uriel died, then would she have to explain the whereabouts of the blade? Perhaps her ignorance was the only reason that she hadn't come looking for it yet (which had stricken everyone odd, that she hadn't come in search of the blade).

"I don't know." The goddess lied. Azrael's face visibly fell, but she didn't press.

"How come that you're the only one of your siblings who was instantly happy to see me?" The goddess asked.

Azrael's eyebrows raised and she chewed the inside of her cheek. "Uh, well... I can't really say for sure my siblings reasons for not being happy to see you..."

"Guess."

Azrael seemed intensely uncomfortable. "Um... Well, most of us are on Dad's side in the whole 'sending you and Lucifer to Hell thing'. But personally, I never agreed with it! Of course, I also didn't agree with Lu's rebellion or your plagues either...."

The goddess tensed angrily. She let out a bitter laugh. "Of course they would take his side. Even after he abandoned us, and made every member of his family feel unloved and unimportant."

Azrael averted her eyes from her mother and grew tense herself. The goddess raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Azrael sighed in resignation. "Okay, yeah, Dad may have been all of those things... But you weren't much better."

The goddess blinked at her daughter in surprise. "Excuse me? I may not be perfect, but your father is so much worse! He never cared for us! All he cared about was his little hobby!" The goddess gestured hatefully towards the humans.

Azrael sighed again, and her eyes glistened. "Mom, you have to stop trying to convince us that Dad is worse than you, and actually prove that you're better than him. You've been doing this before he locked you up, and it looks like you still do it."

The goddess frowned in confusion. "Isn't that the same thing?"

Azrael shook her head. "No, it's not. Instead of making Dad look bad, and in the process just hurting us more, what you should be doing is be a better mom. Actually put our needs into consideration instead of making a villain out of Dad. And at this point, it doesn't even matter if he is one."

"How is telling you the truth about your father make me a bad mother? He is the reason for all of our problems. He's the reason that my own children believe that I'm a monster!"

Azrael wiped at her eyes. "You're not getting it..." She said sadly. "If we're being completely honest, have you ever really done anything to disprove his accusations against you? Have you ever done anything to prove that you're better, besides trying to make him look worse?"

The goddess wanted to argue (she truly did), but she just... couldn't. Has she ever done anything to prove that she's the better, more loving parent? She thought she did, but could she have been wrong? "Once we're a family again, I will." She promised.

Instead of reassuring the angel, her words only seemed to deepen her sadness. "Mom, our family is broken. And I don't think that there's any use in trying to fix it." Azrael choked.

The goddess felt as if she had just been struck on the cheek. Being a family again was all she wanted. With all of her children.

Azrael shrugged and her bottom lip trembled. "Some things just can't ever be fixed. All you can really do is try and pick up as many pieces as you can, and make something new out of it."

"What if your father wasn't in the way anymore?" The goddess asked. "He's the reason that our family is broken. What if he wasn't there to keep breaking it?"

"He might have a place in the root of our problems, but he's not the entire tree. Our problems outgrew him a looooong time ago." Azrael disagreed. "It won't do anything but create more problems."

The goddess sucked in a breath and leaned back in her booth. This wasn't how she had hoped this conversation would go. "Why have you come to earth, Azrael?" The goddess said, changing the subject.

Azrael gulped and looked like a deer caught in the headlights. She seemed to think her answer over, but folded like a deck of cards under her mother's stare. "I lost my blade."

The goddess barely managed to keep herself from reacting. "Oh?"

"Yeah, but you can't tell anyone! I need to find it, and fast! I don't think that anyone's noticed yet, but I'm honestly out of the loop more often than I'm in it."

Oh, she has no idea.

"I'm sure that you simply misplaced it somewhere." The goddess lied. "Perhaps you left it on a mountain somewhere? That's where it was last time."

Azrael twisted a paper napkin between her fingers. "Maybe..."

The goddess nodded and smiled encouragingly. "I'm sure that's what happened. No need to worry." Or look for it in LA.

Azrael seemed a little relieved at this possibility. "Yeah, that's probably what happened. I just need ta look for it some more."

Just then, Ella came back to the table, now wearing a very large straw hat. "Wazzzup? Just to warn you, I think I might puke soon."

———————-

That night, Chloe sat at her kitchen table with a mug of decaf coffee, unable to sleep. She couldn't stop thinking about all of this miracle business, and regretted agreeing to the date with Lucifer.

How could she possibly be with him if she knew that her feelings were a lie? The thought that her life and choices weren't her own, made Chloe sick to her stomach.

Chloe felt a little kick in her belly, and smiled softly. Ella was definitely right about one thing, she wouldn't have preferred it if the baby didn't exist at all. But that still didn't fix everything.

It still didn't fix the fact that she was essentially an object created specifically for the man she thought she loved.

Chloe was cut out of her thoughts by Maze and Eve coming home. The Detective and demon had talked things out two days prior, and things between them had gone back to relative normal (Or, as normal as things could get when living with a creature not of this world).

Though Chloe didn't interact much with Eve when she came by.

"Trixie's asleep." Chloe whispered to them. They acknowledged this fact, and kept things down.

Eve settled herself on the couch while Maze took two beers out of the fridge, wanting to chill out after their latest bounty.

Maze looked at Chloe for a moment before closing the fridge door with her hip, placing the beers on the table, leaned against the table on her palms, and narrowed her eyes at Chloe. "Okay, spill it."

Chloe frowned at her roommate. "What are you talking about?"

Maze rolled her eyes. "You've been moping around on your ass ever since I came back, and I'm getting sick of it. So, out with it."

"I haven't been moping around." Chloe argued, but they both knew that she was lying. "I thought that you didn't like talking about feelings?"

"Oh, I don't. But your depression is starting to rub off on me, so if talking about will help... Then just consider me the hellish version of Linda." Maze sat down at a chair, and crossed her arms, waiting.

Chloe rolled her eyes and sighed. "Lucifer told me that I was a miracle."

Maze's eyebrows raised in mild surprise. "He actually grew some balls and told you before waiting for you to find out on your own? He's learning."

Chloe chuckled, but she wasn't really feeling it. "Yeah..."

Maze then frowned. "But, why are you so depressed?"

"I'm not depressed." Chloe defended. "And I'm upset because... Well, how can I not be? I was literally created for him. How can I live with the fact that the only reason I'm in love with the devil, is because I was made to feel that way!"

Chloe tried to keep her voice down as to not wake Trixie.

Maze was now staring at her as if she was an idiot. "Jeez, Decker, you guys are still hung up on that?"

Chloe gave the demon a deadpan expression. "I literally just found out, Maze."

Maze rolled her eyes and huffed. "Well, yeah, but still. This whole lack of free will issue is a big load of crap."

Maze then glanced at the beers, picked one up, and offered it to Chloe. "Want it?"

Chloe frowned. "Uh, no thanks. Drinking while pregnant is usually frowned upon." She replied sarcastically.

Maze nodded, sat the beer down, and smiled smugly. "There you go. You just made a choice. Now, sky's the fucking limit!"

"It's a little different, Maze." Chloe deadpanned. "For one, I wasn't created to get pregnant by that bottle of beer."

Maze sighed exasperatedly and rolled her eyes skyward. Before Maze could make another genius analogy, Eve walked into the room. "Hey, I couldn't help but overhear... And I think I might have something to add."

The roommates looked at her in surprise, neither expecting Eve to have anything to say on the subject. Maze shrugged, then took one of the beers before retreating to the living room.

Eve took Maze's seat, and gave Chloe a sympathetic smile. "I know what you're going through."

Chloe sighed and shook her head lightly. "No one knows what I'm going-"

"Chloe," Eve interrupted. "I was created at the direct hands of God, specifically for Adam. I might be the only other person who kinda understands what it feels like."

Chloe shut up after that, realizing that she was right.

Eve took a deep breath, preparing herself for memory lane, before talking. "I had spent so long with Adam, always believing that I was supposed to be with him. I had tried to force myself to love him, and make him love me... But we just never fit. No matter how much I tried, we could never make each other happy... And,"

Eve paused before continuing. "And I had chosen to stay with him all that time. I had chosen to waste so much on a man who would never love me... And I had also chosen to leave when I finally couldn't take it anymore."

"What's your point?" Chloe asked softly.

"The point is, God may have made me for Adam, but at the end of the day, I made my own choices. Many of them were bad, some of them were good, but they were all my choices. And even though I was made for Adam, I still never loved him. And I made the right choice to leave."

Eve then placed a hand over Chloe's on the table. "Now, I'm not saying that your choice should be to leave Lucifer. I actually think the opposite. Looking at my history, I honestly think that you and Lucifer falling in love was just a happy coincidence."

Chloe tried to swallow the growing lump in her throat. "But how can I know that?" She asked.

Eve hesitated before answering. "You don't. Not really. But you just need to have faith."

Chloe laughed bitterly at that. "Faith? You want me to have faith in the person who created me for someone else?"

"Oh, no. I don't want you to have faith in God." Eve clarified. "I want you to have faith in each other. To have faith in your love."

Chloe was quiet for several moments, thinking it over.

Eve squeezed Chloe's hand lightly to get her attention back. "I care about Lucifer. He's the reason that I know what love and choice feels like, and I will be eternally grateful to him for that. So I want him to be happy. And you make him happy. It's obvious in the way he looks at you, talks about you, and acts around you. I can barely recognize him as the tempter from the Garden."

Eve's eyes displayed a sadness that she didn't often show through her bubbly exterior. "And talking from experience, I know that that's not something you can easily fake. Even God couldn't do that with me and Adam."

Chloe sniffed slightly, hormones going on the fritz again. "I'm so sorry that you had to go through that. It sounds absolutely awful."

Eve shrugged her shoulders and glanced in the direction of the living room. "Well, I'm much happier where I am now, and that's what matters."

Chloe felt a tear run down her face, and she wiped it with a light laugh. "I'm so sorry, I promise that I'm not usually like this."

Eve chuckled and smiled brightly. "Don't worry, I totally get it. It might have been a long time ago, but I was pregnant once too. Those hormones are no joke!"

Chloe laughed again, and miraculously felt much lighter.

"Hey, Maze and I were gonna watch a movie. Wanna join?" Eve asked.

Chloe nodded, tears finally stopping. "As long as it's not The Other Guys, then sure. I just can't take Maze's comments about the accuracy they portray detectives as anymore."

The miracles shared another laugh, then soon made their way to the living room.

———————

That night, Lucifer leaned against his balcony, wearing his robe and lighting a cigarette.

He breathed in the nicotine, and then watched the smoke disappear after he blew it. He kept on thinking about Miss Lopez's and the Doctor's words in his mind, trying to make sense of it all. He turned a hateful glare up at the sky.

"This is all your fault, you know. I can't even tell what's actually your doing, and what's pure coincidence anymore. It's impossible to tell what you want, with your vague metaphors… Why can't you just tell us what the bloody point is already!"

Lucifer waited, but was unsurprised when he got nothing but silence in return. Lucifer scoffed. "Typical."

Lucifer looked down at the photo he held in his hand. The latest ultrasound picture. He held the photo up to the sky. "Why?" Lucifer asked. "Why has this happened? Is this another punishment, a gift, or just a plain old coincidence?"

Again, Lucifer received nothing but silence. "ANSWER ME DAMMIT!" He screamed. "You're the one with all the supposed answers, yet you never feel like sharing with the rest of the class. No, all you do is throw us breadcrumbs, and expect us to worship you for withholding the loaf. Well, I'm tired of it!"

Lucifer shook his head and took a long drag of his cigarette. "I'm tired." The devil breathed. He looked down at the photo, and felt an aching in his chest.

Since the biggest fall since the beginning of time, Lucifer had always seen family as a burden. As a chain that constantly held you back. And he assumed that the feeling would always remain the same. That his views would never change...

But when he looked at that black and white photo of the creature that may-or-may-not resemble an alien, he felt confused.

A part of him, the part that still felt the fires of Hell burning at his flesh after being condemned by family, wanted to throw that photo over the balcony and run. To stay away from the Detective and children. To stick to what he had been used to for centuries now.

But another part of him couldn't allow that. Another part of him felt hopeful. A part of him believed that maybe it would be different this time around. That maybe a woman and child could be his version of happiness.

That maybe it was worth the risk.

Lucifer sighed, and looked back up at the sky. "I'm tired of letting you control me. I'm tired of being afraid."

Lucifer went to put out the cigarette on the ashtray, and went inside.

Chapter Text

That Friday, Chloe was in her bedroom digging for something, anything, in her closet for the upcoming date that night.

Maze stood over Chloe's shoulder and eyed the wardrobe with disgust and disappointment. Everyone's a critic.

Eve and Trixie both sat on Chloe's bed, cross legged and watching the show.

"Don't you own anything that doesn't make me vomit in my mouth?" Maze asked, being as helpful as ever.

Chloe sighed deeply and glared at the demon. "Yes, but it doesn't exactly accommodate my-" Chloe rubbed her stomach for emphasis. "Extra passenger."

Maze scoffed. "Just because you're knocked up, doesn't mean that you now have to dress like an old hag... Course, you also dressed like that before Lucifer put his spawn in you. But still."

Chloe's glare deepened.

"Give her a break, babe. Trust me, being pregnant is no fun." Eve came to her defense.

"Thank you, Eve. At least someone get's it." Chloe said with a pointed look at the demon.

Maze scoffed and plopped down on the bed beside Trixie.

"It might have been a few centuries, but I will never forget the pains of pregnancy." Eve said. "The cramps!"

Chloe chuckled. "The hormones."

"The cravings."

"The weight gain."

"The birth!"

Chloe and Eve shuddered in unison. "Glad to have that behind me." Eve said.

"Not glad to have that ahead of me." Chloe remarked.

Eve cringed in sympathy. "Well hey, at least you've got all these new advances in childbirth and a doctor to talk you through it. I gave birth in a forest, on a bed of twigs, with Adam, who was vomiting more than I was."

Chloe winced at the mental image. Giving birth to Trixie in a hospital had been bad enough, she couldn't even begin to imagine what Eve was describing.

"Can we drop this?" Maze said in obvious disgust. "This makes me glad that demons are infertile."

"But aren't angels supposed to be infertile too?" Eve asked with a glance at Chloe's enlarged stomach.

Maze looked at Chloe's stomach and gulped. "That's it. I'm sticking strictly to women."

Chloe and Eve laughed their heads off at that, and Trixie laughed along with them. Though Trixie didn't really understand what was so humorous about the conversation.

At first, Chloe had been a little weirded out by Maze's relationship with Lucifer's ex since Maze was the baby's honorary aunt. And that might make Eve an extended aunt through Maze if their relationship lasted. But after spending some time with Eve, Chloe had gotten much more comfortable with the idea.

Eve didn't seem at all interested in Lucifer, which had been Chloe's biggest concern. And she found that one of the first women to ever exist, was actually very likable. She was one of those people who you either couldn't stand, or got along with wonderfully.

And after their enlightening conversation, the two miracles had grown closer, being the only people who can understand that aspect of who they are.

Chloe grabbed an oversized grey sweater and some black leggings. She held it up against herself and asked for their opinions.

They all scrunched their noses up and shook their heads.

"It's too boring. You need to find something sexy, Mommy." Trixie advised.

Chloe's eyebrows raised. "Trixie! Where did you learn that word?"

Trixie pointed at Maze, and that was all the explanation she needed. "Snitch." The demon grumbled and crossed her arms.

Chloe glared at her roommate, silently promising a very thorough discussion about language in the near future. "Don't say that word anymore." She told her daughter, then went back to searching through her closet.

Chloe pulled out the red dress that Lucifer had lent her from early on in their partnership. She had honestly forgotten that she still had it. She chuckled at the memory of what he explained the woman was wearing when she left.

Oh, how times have changed.

Trixie clapped excitingly and smiled bright. "That's perfect!"

Chloe raised her eyebrows and looked between her daughter and the dress. She hadn't even thought of it as an option. It would feel a bit weird to wear something one of Lucifer's overnight guests had once owned. But she couldn't exactly explain that to an eight-year-old.

"Uh, I'm not sure about that, Monkey."

"Well, what else do you have to wear?" Maze asked.

Good point. Chloe didn't exactly have many sexy outfits that wouldn't feel like a medieval torture device around her waist.

The dress was loose enough to be comfortable, if short. She can make it work. A few minutes later Chloe was changed into the little red number and putting on comfortable black flats (she may be going on a date, but she was still pregnant and wasn't in the mood to fall down any stairs in heels).

Now Chloe had nothing to do but wait for Lucifer. He would be picking her up any minute and drive her to the restaurant.

Chloe wouldn't admit it, but she was honestly feeling nervous. Pre-date jitters sucked. But it was also deeper than that. Their relationship was so tangled and complicated, that she was afraid that one wrong move might make it all unravel.

They had so much riding on this. And she also was still uneasy about the whole 'being a miracle' and 'carrying the devil's baby' parts. Sure, she was having an easier time with it all, but it would still hit her sometimes. She was going on a date with the devil. Though considering the fact that his kid was currently growing in her uterus, she shouldn't be this nervous.

It was laughable, really. God, if you had told Chloe a couple years ago that this would be her life, she'd have you committed.

The four women now waited in the living room after Chloe had fixed her makeup and curled her hair into waves, watching a show called 'The good place'.

Maze constantly commented on the inaccuracies. But apparently chain saw bears and penis flatteners were a thing.

Just then a knock came at the door. Trixie jumped up with an "I got it!" And quickly made her way towards it. She opened the door to reveal Lucifer on the other side. He was holding a bouquet of roses and a heart shaped box of chocolates.

Instead of hugging him around the waist like she usually would, Trixie crossed her arms and regarded him cordially. "Lucifer... what do you have there?" She asked as she pointed at the chocolate, mouth already salivating.

He could already see the desire for the sweets in her eyes, so he held them out of her reach. "They're for your mum. Speaking of which, where is-"

His eyes landed on the Detective, and she could see them light up. "Well well," Lucifer practically purred. "It's been a while since I've seen that little number on you."

His eyes traveled up her body, then stopped at her chest. He smirked and his tongue quickly swiped over his bottom lip. Chloe rolled her eyes and scoffed, though secretly, her ego had just been boosted.

While the devil was distracted he had lowered the chocolate, which allowed the urchin to snatch it away. She jumped onto the couch beside Maze and began stuffing them in her mouth.

"Hey!" Lucifer said irritably.

"Slow down, you still need to eat dinner!" Chloe said sternly with crossed arms.

Trixie's hand stopped midway to bringing the fourth chocolate to her mouth, and she slowly placed it back into the box. "Sorry, Mommy." She said innocently. Though she knew that Maze would let her eat as much as she wanted. She just had to wait for her mom to leave.

Chloe looked at her daughter with suspicion for several moments before dropping her stare with a sigh.

Chloe then took the flowers from Lucifer with a smile. "Thank you, but this wasn't necessary."

"Nonsense! This is our first date, so I'm certainly not going to cut corners."

"Well, technically this is our second date, but you chickened out the first time." Chloe said jokingly as she took a vase to the sink and filled it with water.

Maze and Trixie snickered, but at least Eve had the decency to try and hide her giggles behind a hand.

Lucifer frowned in irritation. "I'm the devil, I don't chicken."

"Mmhmm." Chloe hummed knowingly. She then mercifully dropped the subject and turned to Eve. "Okay, Maze knows where everything is, and there's leftovers from last night in the fridge."

Chloe grabbed her purse, and led Lucifer out the door. She turned back to Eve before leaving. "Watch her like a hawk, okay? Make sure that she doesn't burn the entire complex to the ground while I'm gone."

Eve laughed and patted Trixie on the arm. "It might have been a while since I've had kids, but I'm sure that Trixie won't be that much trouble."

"Oh, I wasn't talking about Trixie." Chloe said, completely serious. "I was talking about Maze."

The demon in question flipped up her favorite finger. "Go have fun."

"But not too much fun!" Trixie said, not understanding what that sentence meant but only remembering it from movies.

"Oh?" Lucifer said in amusement. He then bent down and put his mouth near Chloe's ear as they stood in the doorway. "But I was planning on having so much fun with the Detective." He breathed.

A pleasant shiver went down Chloe's spine, and by the way Lucifer's eyes lit up, she knew that he noticed. Smug bastard.

"Okay, goodnight! Love you, Trixie!" Chloe said as she closed the door behind them.

No going back now.

—————————-

Ella sat down on her beanbag chair in her living room with a bowl of popcorn and M&Ms as she watched a soap opera rerun that she used to watch with her abuela as a kid.

Suddenly Rae-Rae materialized out of existence in her living room. Ella didn't even flinch this time, already used to it since the angel of death had been popping in and out over the last few days.

"Any luck?" Ella asked, regarding the blade.

Rae's sigh already told her the answer. "No, but hey, I've only looked in LA so far... So there's more ground to cover..." Rae sighed again before continuing. "I think it's time that I got going. I have a lot of places to look, plus, still got my day job and all that..."

"Sorry I couldn't be more help." Ella apologized.

"Don't be, you've helped a bucket load. Just talking to you has calmed me down and cleared my head." The angel assured her. "Soooo, I guess I should go now..."

"Wait!" Ella said just as the angel was about to leave. Ella hesitated before placing her bowl of popcorn on the coffee table, and tried to get up, and when that took embarrassing effort, she just stayed where she was.

"I..." Ella couldn't just let Rae-Rae leave before clearing the air. "I can't stop thinking about what you did... About how much you lied to me."

Rae-Rae's face fell when Ella brought this uncomfortable topic up, but she didn't interrupt.

"How... how could you do that to me, Rae?" Ella's voice grew faint, wobbly, and pained. "I thought I was crazy. My family thought I was crazy. I had to freaking move to get away from that! I just... I just don't understand... Why? Why did you do that to me?"

Rae gulped and fidgeted with her sweater sleeves. She looked down at her own shoes as shame filled her eyes. "I... I'm sorry. I really am… I never meant for any of that to happen."

Rae then sat down on the couch, pulled up her knees against her chest, and hugged them. "When... when we first met, you were in bad shape. Like, really bad. It was so bad, that it caused me to feel the need to reap you. But it ended up being a false alarm, and you pulled through. Now, those are like, ultra rare, for me to have false alarms. So I stayed with you for a little while to make sure that nothing happened..."

Rae took a deep breath before continuing. "But when you woke up in the hospital room, you saw me. You had gotten so close to death, that you still had some lingering effects."

Rae then finally made direct eye contact with her. "No living human has ever seen me before. So, I panicked. I told you that I was a ghost so that I didn't scare you. I figured that I would leave soon anyway, so it couldn't do any harm... After that, I stayed with you a few more weeks, just to double check that you still didn't need to be reaped..."

Rae-Rae then looked away. "But... but you were just so sweet. And kind. And accepting. And happy... Oh gosh, you were so happy... And when I was with you, I felt happy too..." Rae sniffled and felt tears prick her eyes.

"After the rebellion, I've just been so lonely. Lu used to be my best friend, but when he was gone... It was never the same. After the rebellion, we didn't feel like a family anymore. Especially when Mom was gone, too. Everything was just so... cold. But when I was with you, I felt warm again. I felt like I used to back when everything was still okay. And I just... I couldn't stop myself from coming back."

“Okay,” Ella said slowly. “But why did you keep lying to me? Why didn’t you just tell me the truth when we became friends?”

Rae-Rae gulped and refused to make eye contact. “I’m the angel of death, Ella. Throughout history, I’ve been portrayed as this evil, scary, fashion clueless, monster. Now tell me, who’s scarier? The Grim Reaper, or Casper the friendly ghost? Who’s more acceptable?”

Ella didn’t answer, but stayed silent.

Rae-Rae sighed heavily and Ella could see the guilt and remorse clear as day. "I know that what I did was selfish... And that there is no excuse... But for what it's worth, I really am sorry. And if I could take it back, I would. I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted... I just wanted a friend."

Ella swallowed, and took a deep breath. Her heart hurt at Rae-Rae's story, and she couldn't help but feel sympathetic.

"What you did still hurts." Ella said. "And you're right, there is no excuse. You put me through hell, Rae. You made me think I was losing my mind. And it wasn't even true."

Rae-Rae's lip trembled and she refused to look at Ella.

"But... I can see your point of view." Ella added, and she saw a glimmer of hope fill the angel. "I can understand why you did it. I won't ever forget what you did... But maybe with time, work, and a helluva lotta brownie points on your end, I might learn to forgive."

Rae-Rae finally looked at her, and the tears finally escaped down her face. But she was now filled with hope. Hope that maybe the person she cherished most, might someday forgive her for this betrayal. Rae wore a wobbly smile. "I really am sorry, Ella."

Ella nodded and wore her own unsteady smile. "I know."

The forensic scientist finally managed to get herself out of the beanbag chair, and then picked up the bowl. "Before you go searching for the super-death-blade, wanna watch some soap operas with me? I've got popcorn and M&Ms..."

Rae-Rae's face broke out in a full out grin, and she then popped an M&M into her mouth. "I'd love to."

Once they got settled on the couch with the popcorn between them, Ella turned to her friend. “And for the record, I’ve always thought that the Grim Reaper was much more badass than Casper.”

———————

The drive in Lucifer's corvette was spent in comfortable silence, with the music from the radio keeping their attention.

Before they knew it, they were pulling into the restaurant Lucifer had chosen for them.

It was an upscale Italian place with a view of the beach. Chloe's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, doesn't this place have a three month waiting list?" Chloe knew this since her mother had wanted to come here for her birthday several months ago.

"Not for the devil who helped start it up." Lucifer said with a wink.

Of course Lucifer had a hand in one of the hottest restaurants in LA. Chloe laughed lightly, and reached for her door handle. But Lucifer opened it for her before she could even touch the door.

Chloe blinked stupidly as she looked between the seat where he was moments ago, and to where he now stood near her door. Chloe shook her head and got out of the car. "Weirdly, that's harder to get used to now that I somewhat know how you do it."

Lucifer chuckled and closed the car door. He then tossed the valet the keys, promising a future in Hell if he scratched it, and held up his arm to the Detective. "Shall we?"

Chloe laughed and took his arm. Here she was. On a date. With Lucifer Morningstar. The devil. While carrying his baby… What has happened to her life?

Once they walked in, the owner, an older Italian gentleman, greeted them in his native language. Lucifer spoke to him in Italian, pointing towards Chloe every now and again, and she had no idea of what they were saying.

Eventually they started walking, Lucifer and the owner still conversing on the way. They eventually went through a door and found themselves on an empty patio with only one table set. They had a beautiful view of the ocean from there, and Chloe could smell the salty air.

They sat down at the table, and the owner placed menus on the table before hurrying to get their drinks.

"You really went all out, huh?" Chloe said as she scanned the menu.

"Of course. Now that I finally have the go ahead to spoil you, I'm not going to squander it." Lucifer answered with a dashing grin.

Chloe rolled her eyes, but returned the smile. "Nobody said anything about spoiling. And we're splitting the bill." She said sternly, then looked down at the menu.

That's when she noticed the prices. ".... You know what, I take back the second part." These prices could pay for Trixie and the baby's collage fund.

The owner soon came with their drinks, and took their orders.

They filled the silence with idle chitchat for a while, Lucifer flirting, Chloe rolling her eyes, and both shying away from serious topics.

But they couldn't keep dancing around each other forever.

"We really need to start figuring out what... this is." Chloe decided. "It's not healthy for us to continue jumping back and forth. And it's more importantly not going to be healthy for our daughter if this continues..."

Lucifer took a long sip of his red wine, stalling. Finally he sat it back down and folded his hands against the table. "Right. So what do you suggest?"

"We either give us a try, a real try. No more chickening out on dates or marrying strange strippers."

Lucifer opened his mouth, and Chloe held up a hand. "Fine, exotic dancers." She corrected with great annoyance. "Or, we extinguish anything between us and just figure out co-parenting." She finished.

"What about the whole miracle issue?" Lucifer asked.

"The other day, Eve had actually made some interesting points about that." Chloe said. She had admittedly been thinking quite a lot about that conversation. "She seems to think that us... falling in love, was just a coincidence since it didn't work out between her and Adam."

Chloe leaned her chin against her palm. "And I've been thinking about all of this. About my feelings for you. If they were artificial, then I should love you without hesitation, right? I should feel nothing but unwavering devotion to you. And that's not how I feel."

"Well, that's comforting." Lucifer said sarcastically.

"Let me explain." Chloe said calmly. "What I feel is a lot like that, but it's also more complicated. There are times when I feel nothing but good things for you. Times when I feel like I can take on the world with you... But then there are times I just want to strangle you."

"I never took you for the BDSM type. Not that I'm complaining." Lucifer purred.

Chloe rolled her eyes in response. "Not in a sexual way, Lucifer. But more of in a murderous, you drive me insane, way."

"Murderous strangulation can be sexy. Just ask Maze." Lucifer helpfully added.

"I don't have to. Thin walls." Chloe said with a cringe, remembering that one loud night when Trixie had gone for a sleepover, and Maze had the go ahead to do what (who) she wanted in her own room. Chloe had ended up staying in a motel that night after a couple scarring hours.

"Back to my point." Chloe said, getting back on track. "There are times when you frustrate, aggravate, annoy, and many other things, to me. Love may be one of the most prominent emotions, but it's not the only thing I feel towards you... And that makes it feel real."

Chloe smiled softly as she felt the truth in her words. "What we have, it feels real. Honestly, no romantic relationship has ever felt this real to me. And... and it honestly scares me a little."

Chloe took her elbow off the table and leaned back in her chair. "I don't usually get my hopes up. I've learned that it usually leads to disappointment..."

That's why it had hurt so damn much when Lucifer had ran off and came back married to Candy. The one time Chloe finally allowed her hopes to soar, that happened. A hard kick to the rear end by the universe.

But Chloe didn't want to bring that up now. "But anyway, my feelings seem real, to me."

"But what if that's a part of it?" Lucifer asked worriedly. "What if that's how my father designed this manipulation?"

"I don't know." Chloe admitted. "It's impossible to know for sure if what we have is real. There might always be a slim chance that it's all just a sick joke..."

Chloe paused, remembering Eve's wise words. "But I'm willing to have faith that it's not. I'm willing to have faith in us. As long as you'll have faith with me."

Lucifer furrowed his brow as he scrutinized her. "I never would've taken you for someone to follow blind faith."

"My eyes are wide open." Chloe assured. "I'm just deciding to step out into the unknown instead of staying trapped in my comfort zone... Will you follow me into the unknown, Lucifer?"

Lucifer's heart hammered in his chest as he watched Chloe Decker. As she asked him to step into something he had feared for millennia.

Would he follow her? Could he?

Was he willing to have faith in them? He couldn't remember ever having faith at any point in his long life. He had tried a few times to have faith in his father's mysterious ways before the rebellion.

But in the end, Lucifer could never follow someone blindly. He simply wasn't wired that way.

But with Chloe... It was different.

With Chloe, everything was different. No matter how big or small.

But could he do it?

"But would you truly be comfortable with having a relationship with Satan himself?" Lucifer asked, bringing back the other topic that had been weighing him, and avoiding to answer the question in the process.

Chloe swallowed and took a deep breath. This whole Satan thing was still taking it's sweet time to fully sink in, especially with Chloe's recent miracle spiral.

"Look, there are still many things that I'm uneasy about... And If I'm being completely honest, I'm still a little afraid of what you can do."

Lucifer's face fell. He should have known that she wouldn't be comfortable with him. He should have known that she would still fear him. He should have-

"But I'm not afraid of you." Chloe stated. "Everything else, I can get used to. But as long as I'm not afraid of who you are, then I should be able to handle what you are."

Lucifer looked at her in surprise and felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders. A smile weaseled it's way onto his face on its own accord. The smile dimmed and his expression became serious.

"The doctor had made some interesting points in our last session." Lucifer said. "She told me that everything truly good in this life requires risk. And that you just have to determine which risks are worth taking."

Chloe remained silent, sensing that there was more he wanted to say.

"A little while after that, I also had a conversation with my father."

Chloe's eyes widened significantly at that. "What? Your dad talked to you?"

Lucifer laughed bitterly and glanced up momentarily. "Oh, no. As always, it was purely one-sided. Though I'm sure that he was listening... But while I spoke to him, I realized something."

Lucifer fiddled with his ring absentmindedly as he tried to formulate his thoughts. "Dete-Chloe... For the better part of the millennium, I've always believed that family was a burden. That they would do nothing but push you down and hold you back. That... that family brought nothing but pain as company."

Lucifer glanced down towards her stomach. "But... I'm not sure what I believe anymore. Yes, I'm nowhere near qualified to raise a spawn, despite my many gifts. No, I don't know what the hell I'm going to do when she pops out..."

Lucifer looked back up at the Detective's face, who he could see was trying to keep her expression neutral and impassive. "But what I do know is that... is that you are worth any risk... Both of you. And I think... I think that I want to walk into the unknown with you."

Lucifer heart warmed when Chloe's face broke out in a smile bright enough to rival the sun.

"So, you want to do this?" Chloe asked. "Give us a shot? You do realize what all of that means and entails, right?"

Lucifer nodded. "Of course I know what it entails... You'll finally let me do that thing you seemed to like our first night together, regularly."

Chloe rolled her eyes, but failed to hold back the chuckle. "One step at a time, mister. I'm already carrying one of your babies." Though despite her words, she wasn't that opposed to the suggestion.

"Well, it's not like you can get more pregnant than you are now." Lucifer joked, then after a moment his eyes clouded with worry. "Right...?"

Chloe broke out laughing at his genuine concern, and everything felt good again.

Things felt much lighter between them now, air finally cleared after all this time, and conversation flowed without a hitch. And when it didn't, they sat in comfortable silence, just enjoying the other's presence.

Dinner was incredible, and Chloe was horrified at the moan she let out after the first bite, while Lucifer had a quip about "In all my eons, I never thought I would feel this jealous of a piece of pasta."

Before they knew it, dinner was over, and they were waiting for the valet to bring the corvette back.

"I actually have one more thing planned." Lucifer said.

Chloe raised an eyebrow and looked at him questioningly. "Oh?"

Lucifer nodded. Then he reached into his jacket pocket and brought out a red blindfold. "But it would require this. It's a surprise."

Chloe's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "This isn't a sex thing, is it?"

"No, but I love where your mind is at!" Lucifer answered delightfully.

At Chloe's apprehension, Lucifer gave an exaggerating sigh. "For a woman dating outside of her species, I would think that you would have more sense of adventure."

Chloe's rebellious lips quirked slightly in a smile, and Lucifer knew that he'd convinced her. She sighed, rolled her eyes up towards the sky, then snatched the blindfold from his hand. "Fine, I'll put this on once we get in the car. But I swear, if this is some practical joke, then you're favorite appendages will pay."

Lucifer placed a hand over his heart and feigned fear. "You're threatening my manhood? We really are a couple!"

Chloe didn't get a chance to respond since the valet chose that moment to drive up.

A couple.

She could get used to that.

Soon they were driving in the corvette, and Chloe had (reluctantly) put the blindfold on. Chloe then felt them park, and Lucifer walked around and opened the door for her.

He held on to her arm and told her when obstacles that needed to be stepped over came in her path. Though she had a sneaking suspicion that half of these so-called obstacles didn’t exist, and she was only stepping over air.

She tried to use her other senses to figure out where they were, but couldn't quite add what she found together.

Something about her surroundings felt familiar, but she wasn't sure.

After they had walked down a set of stairs and stopped, Lucifer finally took the blindfold off.

They were in an empty Lux, which was dressed up like something you'd see right out of a high school movie. "Only You" started playing from the speakers.

Chloe then vaguely remembered making a comment about how she had never gone to prom, and she felt like a teenager experiencing their first crush.

Except this was a lot more than a crush.

Lucifer then grabbed a white corsage, and silently asked if he could put it on. Chloe moved her hair out of the way, and he placed it on her dress.

He then held his hand out to her. "Detective, will you go to the prom with me?"

It was so cheesy, sappy, cliche, dorky, and Chloe loved it.

Chloe smiled, took his hand, and danced with him. It was mostly just swaying, but it was perfect. "Did you really do all of this for me?" Chloe asked.

"Well, technically I hired someone to do the labor, but I did plan it, yes."

Chloe giggled. "You are such a dork!"

Lucifer glared In annoyance, but it held no malice. "I am not!"

"Yes you are! You're adorable!" Chloe argued endearingly.

"I'm the devil, not a bloody lap dog. I am sensual desire incarnate." Lucifer still argued.

"I don't doubt that." It tumbled out of Chloe's mouth before she could realize the repercussions.

Lucifer's irritable expression morphed into one of flirtatious interest. "Really?" He rolled his Rs with a gleam in his eyes.

He look down at her lips, and bit his own. Chloe didn't even realize that she was doing the same before she removed her hands from his hand and shoulder, pulled his face towards herself, and kissed him.

This time when he reciprocated, he didn't pull back with an apology. No, he continued to kiss her gently, mindful of their daughter, until they were both breathless.

"Let's go upstairs." Chloe was the one to say when they finally pulled back.

Lucifer didn't need to be told twice, and took her by surprise when he easily picked her up bridal style, and walked them towards the elevator. Chloe helped him push the button.

They soon made it to the penthouse floor, and Lucifer carried the Detective to his bed and carefully sat her atop it. She reached to undo the buttons of his crisp white shirt, but Lucifer stopped her by grabbing her hand.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked, tone low and serious.

"I'm surprised that you'd ask that." Chloe said lightly. When his serious demeanor didn't relax, she entertained their fingers and looked him straight in the eyes. "Yes, I'm sure. No more going backwards."

"Well, so much for 'one step at a time' then." Lucifer practically purred with a smirk.

Chloe laughed as she worked on his buttons.

—————————

The next morning, Lucifer woke first. A smile eclipsed his face when he heard the snores loud enough to wake a small village from beside him.

He turned his head to see Chloe sleeping beside him, now wearing his white shirt from the night before (she must have put it on after he'd gone to sleep), and drooling all over her pillow.

Even with her hair a tangled mess, her makeup smeared, and a sheen of sticky sweat covering her skin, she was still the most breathtaking being he has ever laid eyes on.

Dear dad, was he a... what had the Detective called him? A dork?

He couldn't believe that this is what he was waking up to. That this could be his life.

That this incredible, beautiful, stubborn, intelligent, frustrating, kind, patient, complicated woman, would choose to be with him.

The thought was so wonderful, that it was almost suspicious.

He kept on repeating Miss Lopez's, the Doctor's, and Chloe’s words in his mind, over and over again. He kept trying to see their reasoning.

But he couldn't shake the niggling feeling in the back of his mind that there was still at the very least, a possibility that this was all an elaborate manipulation.

That sooner or later, when he least expected it, everything would come tumbling apart.

Lucifer swallowed as he stared at the Detective. His Detective, if he allowed himself to have her. But that way of thinking felt wrong somehow. It felt like he wasn't allowing her a choice, which is what he had been trying to avoid this whole time.

Lucifer sighed and shook his head lightly. He had just woken up after having (incredible!) sex, and these were the first thoughts running through his mind.

He tried to push these insecurities (not that he would ever admit to them being insecurities) to the back of his mind, opting to just bask in the moment while he could.

Lucifer's eyes traveled from her face down her body, but stopped at her very visible bump. It was bigger now then when he had seen it after their first 'game night'.

He had read in one of those ridiculous blogs that the spawn could hear sounds from outside the womb. The concept boggled him, but what did he know about the process of growing offsprings. Well, besides the conceiving part.

That he was certainly an expert in.

Lucifer thought about saying something. He wasn't quite sure what, and he wasn't sure if he really believed in the theory that she could even hear him... But even if she could...

No. It was too strange and out of his comfort zone. He wasn't ready for that yet.

Chloe then snorted and her eyes began to flutter open. Lucifer pushed thoughts of their unborn daughter from his mind, and wore his usual grin. "Good morning, Detective!"

Chloe smiled up at him, not a single trace of the fear she once felt visible. "Good morning, Lucifer."

"It's surprisingly hot today, isn't it?" Lucifer asked.

Chloe knitted her brow. "It feels perfectly normal to me."

"Yes, but considering the fact that a blizzard should be engulfing Hell by now, I'm surprised to not find even a single wayward snowflake."

Chloe snorted and rolled her eyes. "Are you going to make that joke every time we have sex?"

Lucifer only grinned in response as he looked at her chest adoringly. "You know, I thought that your breasts were luscious before, and I was already somewhat prepared by the books, but I had no idea! Lauren and German have definitely grown wonderfully since our last encounter."

Chloe's lips turned down in a frown. "Did you seriously name my breasts after the character I played in a movie from over a decade ago?"

"Of course! Hot Tub High School was their debut role, after all." Lucifer said with a wink.

Chloe rolled her eyes. Yep, the devil was a dork, she decided.

Chloe got up from the bed, much to Lucifer's disappointment. "Hey, don't complain to me. Complain to your daughter. She's the one whose decided that my bladder makes a fun squeeze toy." Chloe informed him as she took a few steps backwards.

She accidentally bumped her elbow on the hideous painting he had hanging, and it fell to reveal a safe.

Chloe raised her eyebrows and looked at the devil questioningly. A secret safe? Hidden behind a painting? Of course Lucifer had a secret safe hidden behind a painting. How could she expect anything less from the same extravagant man who wore a damn suit everywhere.

"What's in the safe?" Chloe asked curiously. "Let me guess, drugs? Gold? Jewels? Pornography?"

Lucifer opened and closed his mouth like fish. He eventually shrugged, got up (while wearing his birthday suit), and walked over to the safe. "I was planning on waiting for your birthday, but I may as well just give it to you now."

Chloe glanced away when he typed in the code, and looked back when she heard the lock click open. He pulled out a small box, and handed it to her. Chloe took it, and opened the box.

Inside she found a necklace with a small bullet-like pendant. "It's beautiful." She breathed and pulled it out for closer examination. "What is it?"

"It's the bullet from when you shot me. Remember in the warehouse, early in our partnership?" Lucifer explained as he leaned against the wall beside the safe.

Chloe looked back at the bullet as the memory resurfaced. That felt like a lifetime ago. "Oh. Yeah. I remember." Chloe said with a soft smile.

"Back when I had it made, I believed that I would likely never penetrate you, so I commemorated the one time you penetrated me." Lucifer joked, and he smiled when the Detective laughed.

Chloe walked up to him, hugged him around the waist, and rested her head against his chest. "Thank you, Lucifer. I love it."

Lucifer hesitated a moment before hugging her back, and resting his chin against her hair.

There was nothing sexual about the contact (despite Lucifer's lack of attire), but it was much kinder than that. They just held each other for the sake of being together. Not to fulfill carnal desire that would soon go away (Not that his desire for her would ever diminish).

Lucifer decided that he quite liked it. He liked it very much. He liked almost everything regarding Chloe Decker.

But the moment ended too soon when Chloe pulled away, and made a beeline for the restroom. "Still gotta pee!"

Chapter Text

A week has passed since their date, and that week was spent in near complete bliss.

The devil and detective now laid in her bed after a round of lovemaking.

Lucifer could see Chloe's eyes droop, but she struggled to stay awake. Ordinarily, Lucifer wouldn't be near finished yet, and he would have been much more thorough. But he had to force himself to be gentle and careful for the offspring's sake.

The little miscreant was already dictating his choices, and she hadn't even vacated the womb yet.

Lucifer was perfectly happy and content where he was. Just lying in bed beside the Detective. Beside Chloe.

It's been a week, and he was still finding it hard to believe that this was real. Though he still had that niggling feeling of doubt in the back of his mind, telling him that it was a trap. Another manipulation. But he tried to ignore it.

He tried to remember Miss Lopez and the good doctor's words. Maybe there was at least a chance that this was real.

That his father's hands weren't all over the Detective (on second thought, he desperately needed a different analogy).

Lucifer couldn't shake the feeling of dread he had. Like everything was bound to fall apart any second. Be it by his father's hand, his mother's, a crazed priest, a rogue demon, a sibling, or his own.

"Can I ask you something?" Chloe said softly, pulling Lucifer from his thoughts.

"Depends." Lucifer replied with a charming grin.

The Detective was silent for several moments, seemingly assessing whether her question will be well received or not. "... If I didn't accidentally see your... devil face, would you have ever shown me? Or would you have kept me in the dark?"

Lucifer hadn't been expecting that question, and tensed up. His grin was now strained, and he averted his dark eyes from her blue ones. Lucifer felt a stab of guilt run through him. Everyone had been right. He should have just sat the Detective down and shown her, explain everything in the least traumatic way possible.

But instead, she had to find out by watching him beat a man with a smile on his face. So not only had she been left reeling from discovering the existence of divinity, but she also had that image in her mind.

"I... That's a difficult question, Detective." Lucifer answered carefully. "I never got the chance to show you."

Chloe narrowed her eyes in a way that said I know that you're bullshitting me right now. "You had plenty of chances. You just chose not to use them. This has been bothering me for a while now. Would you have just let me be ignorant until the baby came out with wings?"

Lucifer opened his mouth, then closed it. He still couldn't look her in the eye, so he stared at the ceiling instead. She really needed to get that watermark fixed. Perhaps he could have someone do it while she was at work.

Lucifer sighed. "I honestly don't know. It's... Detective, you have to understand that the majority of people who see my devil face, either go insane, try to kill me, run, or all of the above. The doctor was an anomaly in that department. And luckily, you are too... Unless you're secretly plotting to exorcise me to Hell." Lucifer said the last part jokingly.

Chloe was quiet for several moments, analyzing his words in her mind. "You were afraid that I wouldn't accept you." It was phrased as a question, but her tone suggested it to be a statement.

"Precisely." Lucifer couldn't deny it, so why even bother.

After a moment, Lucifer felt Chloe gently take ahold of his chin, and move his eyes away from the watermark that was beginning to resemble Yoda, and instead towards her face. Forcing eye contact.

She wore a small, soft smile and had nothing but love and kindness in her beautiful eyes. "I accept you, Lucifer. I might still be coming to grips with everything you being the devil entails, but I accept you."

Lucifer wore an unsteady smile himself. He felt as if someone had just plunged a hand through his chest, grabbed hold of his heart, and squeezed.

In all his eons, no one has ever said those words to him. No one has ever made him feel this way. This safe. This cherished. This cared for. And it bloody hurt.

It hurt to feel this way. It hurt to see the love and acceptance in her eyes. And it made no sense why it hurt. Shouldn't he feel content? Shouldn't he feel like he was on cloud nine?

Hearing her words forced him to confront a painful truth: No one has ever made him feel loved before.

Not even his own family.

Fear spiked through him when he thought of his daughter. What if she felt like this someday? What if he failed so horribly, that when someone finally made her feel loved, it hurt?

But he knew that the Detective would never allow that. That no matter what happened, at least she would have one good parent.

He hadn't even noticed the tears rolling down his cheeks until the Detective began gently wiping them away with concern in her eyes.

Lucifer felt embarrassed by the scene. He never allowed himself to cry in front of anyone. He even held himself back with Linda, even if he could sometimes come damn close.

The only times where he recently allowed himself to cry in the presence of someone else had been when he told Mum about Uriel, and when the Detective said she loved him.

Lucifer cleared his throat, and tried to plaster on a Cheshire grin. "Well, this isn't my usual form of pillow talk, I assure you. I probably wouldn't have so many return visits if it was."

Chloe chuckled lightly, but she still gently stroked her thumb beneath Lucifer's eye, even though no more tears came. "You can talk to me, you know that, right?" She almost whispered.

Lucifer breathed deeply through his nose and nodded slightly. "I know... But can we just lay here for now? I don't... I don't think I can really verbalize everything at the moment."

Chloe nodded, and moved her hand from his face to his chest, and stroked circles with her thumb. "Of course, Lucifer. You don't have to talk, but just know that you can. Whenever you're ready."

Dear dad, what had Lucifer done to deserve such a person?

He placed a hand over the one resting on his chest, and squeezed it lightly. He hoped that someday, he would be ready to let her in completely.

That maybe someday, feeling loved would just come naturally, and wouldn't bring pain along like an annoying uninvited guest.

——————

Eventually, the Detective had fallen asleep, and her snores were almost shaking the bed. She really did remind him of that Albanian field wench he knew a while ago.

But unfortunately, Lucifer couldn't sleep. Fears and insecurities parading in his mind.

Lucifer finally decided to try and get out of bed since lying there and staring at that damn watermark, that had begun to spout grammatically incorrect advice at him, wasn't helping him much.

Lucifer grabbed his boxers from the floor and slipped them on, not wanting to give the urchin a shock in case she woke up.

He quietly walked downstairs, and made his way into the kitchen. He found the bottle of scotch he had stored in a cabinet after finding boxed wine from several months ago from before she found out about the pregnancy in the fridge days prior (Boxed wine! Can you believe it?! Wine critics down below chugged gallons of the stuff in Hell, and here she was paying for it. He cared for the Detective, but he desperately hoped that the child would inherit his tastes).

He poured himself a glass, then made his way to the living room. He was about to sit down, when he noticed an open box on the floor. It was a box that the Detective had pulled out from the back of her closet that day to see if she had anything reusable.

It had things from back when the urchin was a baby. Lucifer had yet to look through it, determined that he would simply buy new things for the child (he'd already resigned himself to the offspring draining his bank account).

He hesitated for a moment before picking up the box, placing it on the coffee table, and sitting down on the couch.

He took a sip of his drink before reaching a hand into the box and pulling out the first thing he found. It turned out to be a yellow onesie with a duckling embroidered on the front, and several stains from things-Lucifer-didn't-want-to-know.

It was so... tiny.

The whole thing could easily fit in the palm of his hand when balled up. And that's when he got a more or less estimate of how small his own offspring will be when she arrives. And that's when it hit him.

How was he supposed to take care of something so small? How was he supposed to protect someone so fragile? How was he supposed to handle having someone so helpless depend on him?

He knew that he'd made that deal with Remiel, but who knows whether or not she'll actually stay true to it. Or whether one of his other siblings took matters into their own hands. Or if another priest comes around. Or if the demons decide to voice their no doubt differing opinions.

The realization that he had so many dangers to keep the child safe from made him sick.

And on top of that pile of shit, he had to worry about not ruining her emotionally or mentally. It was overwhelming.

He dropped the onesie onto the table and ran a hand through his already mussed hair. He breathing was beginning to become rapid as overwhelming panic began to settle in.

He couldn't do this.

He couldn't possibly be a caretaker. He couldn't raise a child. He couldn't-

Lucifer's thoughts crashed when he heard a whimper from somewhere in the apartment. He evened his breathing and strained his ears. When another whimper came, he realized that it was coming from the urchin's room.

He frowned, then tensed. Could something be wrong? Could she be in any danger?

Lucifer stood, alcohol and box of baby clothes forgotten, and carefully made his way to the child's room. He opened the door and poked his head in. Nothing seemed particularly amiss except for the urchin's distressed expression she wore during sleep.

A simple nightmare, Lucifer guessed.

Now that he knew that nothing was truly wrong, Lucifer figured that he should leave. It was none of his own business, so he should leave it be...

But just as Lucifer was about to duck out and close the door, Beatrice let out another pathetic whimper, and began trembling.

Something twisted in Lucifer's gut, and as much as his mind screamed at him to do so, he just couldn't leave her like this. So against his better judgment, he opened the door wider and made his way inside the room.

After two steps, he felt a stabbing pain in his foot. "Son of a-" Lucifer almost cursed, but held himself back. He lifted his foot to find a small red lego embedded into his skin.

Now he suddenly understood all those internet memes about the pain of legos. And why so many Hell-loops revolved around the horrid things.

Note to self: Do not buy your own child the vile plastic weapons.

Lucifer took out the lego while suppressing another curse, and treated the urchin's floor like a mine field from then on.

When he finally made it to her bed without further incident, he placed his hand on her shoulder and gently shook her. "Urchin, wake up." Lucifer said.

He had considered throwing water on her like Maze would when she wanted to wake him, but figured the Detective wouldn't respond well to that tactic.

The Urchin woke with a gasp and panicked eyes, but relaxed when she saw Lucifer. Her body trembled even more once she was awake, and her eyes filled with tears.

She hiccuped a repressed sob, and looked away from him. "What're you doing here?" She asked, voice small and fragile.

Lucifer was caught off guard by the child's vulnerability. He was so used to her exhausting enthusiasm and seemingly endless joy. "Ah, you were having a nightmare." Lucifer explained.

Beatrice nodded, but refused to look at him, instead focusing on her blanket.

Lucifer was completely out of his depth. He didn't know what he was supposed to do now. Was there a specific way to go about this? Was there something he was supposed to do or say? "Do you want to talk about it?" He asked awkwardly.

It was one way to go.

"No." Beatrice answered in a whisper, then she sniffled.

Lucifer sighed. Well, now what? "Alright... Well, if you change your mind or need me, I'll be in the living room." Lucifer said, then he made his way out of the bedroom.

He quietly closed the door behind himself, then made his way back to the couch. He sat down, then picked up the remote. He aimlessly flipped through the channels with the volume low, when he heard the urchin's door open.

Lucifer said nothing as she sat down on the couch beside him, brought her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. She spied the onesie on the table and reached for it. "What's this?" She asked as she examined it.

"That's yours. Or it was, when you were a much smaller parasite." Lucifer replied. She laughed lightly at his nickname and looked at the clothes.

"Wow, I was tiny! Is my sister gonna be this small?"

"I imagine so." Lucifer said. He eventually stopped flipping through channels and stopped at an alien movie called 'Signs'.

The urchin continued to stare at the onesie, but Lucifer guessed that her mind was elsewhere. She bit her lip nervously.

"About my nightmare...." She began in a small voice. "It was about that bad man. He kidnapped me, and then he.... He shot Mommy in the dream."

Shit. He should have guessed that the traumatic experience would still be haunting her, even months later. Experiences like that could have the power to haunt adults for years, much less a child.

"Beatrice," Lucifer said, voice soft but firm. "He can't hurt you, or your mother. He's gone forever, and getting the punishment he deserves."

Lucifer didn't specify that Detective Stache was getting his due by being physically and mentally tortured by demons for the rest of time, but she understood enough for now.

She nodded. "I know. I know that he can't hurt anyone anymore... But it's still scary. He almost hurt us... He almost took you and Mommy away."

Tears traveled down the urchin's face, and she tried to wipe them away, even though they just kept on coming.

It made Lucifer unreasonably furious that someone as pure and innocent as her had to deal with something like this. That she had to fear for her, and her mother's, life. Beatrice might not be his, and this might not be his responsibility, but-

"I'm going to promise you something, urchin." Lucifer said. Beatrice held back her crying and turned her attention to him. "I will do everything in my power to ensure that you will always remain safe from now on, alright? And I promise the same for your sister, and your mother."

Something close to relief flooded into her eyes, and that only solidified Lucifer's promise in his mind.

Beatrice crawled up next to him, and snuggled into his side. And oddly, it didn't even occur to Lucifer to so much as complain.

"Thank you, Lucifer." She said. "I love you."

And just like that, Lucifer felt as if he had been sucker punched in the gut. But it was a strange, good, bittersweet kind of pain. The kind that bewildered him into silence, but still managed to bring a smile to his face.

Maybe this time around, family wouldn't be so bad.

——————-

The next morning, Chloe woke up to an empty bed. She frowned when she found Lucifer's side of the bed cold, meaning that he's been gone for a while.

She figured that he must have gone downstairs, or maybe he was needed at Lux. She got dressed (Making sure that she wore her bullet necklace), and then made her way down the stairs.

What she found was a scene that she could never have imagined. She found Lucifer sleeping on the couch with Trixie snuggled comfortably under his arm, which was wrapped around the child's waist.

The tv was on, so Chloe assumed that they fell asleep watching it, probably not even meaning to fall asleep at all.

A huge grin eclipsed Chloe's face and joy filled her to the brim. She caressed a hand over her stomach, and felt a sense of belonging.

As she watched her sleeping family, all she could think was, This is mine. This was her family.

Yes, things between her and Lucifer might still be a bit complicated, and their relationship might still need some work, but she knew that it was worth it.

She honestly couldn't believe just how lucky she was.

And that her luck would come in the form of Lucifer Morningstar, the devil himself.

The Detective sensed the demon walk up beside her, and she saw Maze's jaw drop in surprise. Then her dropped jaw lifted up into a wicked grin, and she whipped out her phone.

Maze took several photos from different angles, then walked away to the kitchen smugly when she was finished. "So many blackmail possibilities."

Chloe snorted to herself with an eye roll. She knew that she should probably at least try to convince Maze to not torture Lucifer over those photos.... Eh, it'll work itself out.

Lucifer then groaned as he slowly awoke, and blinked when sunlight hit his eyes. He looked down at Trixie, shifted slightly, then looked around the room. When he finally realized that he had an audience, Lucifer's eyes widened as if caught in an incriminating act, and scrambled off the couch.

Trixie woke up at the sudden movement, and blinked up at everyone tiredly.

"She was having a nightmare!" Lucifer blurted as Chloe smiled endearingly and Maze smirked smugly. "I couldn't just leave her in that state."

"Okay, whatever you say..." Maze said teasingly. "Step-daddy."

Lucifer rolled his eyes at that.

"Step-Satan!" Trixie added once she'd woken up more. "Or Step-Devil."

Lucifer shook his head and looked to Chloe for help, but none came. "I see that you guys were busy last night." Chloe said with a grin.

"Oh, yeah. We found a channel that had a marathon of alien movies." Trixie said. "We watched Alien. My favorite part was when an alien came out of the person! It was so cool!"

Chloe's grin fell away to be replaced by a displeased frown. "You let my eight year old watch a horror movie?" She asked with growing anger.

"What? She lives with a demon. Trust me, she's seen far worse." Lucifer defended.

"It's true." Maze added helpfully.

Chloe opened her mouth to say something, but then thought better of it. Pick your battles, Decker. Because when it came to the former residents of Hell, she had many battles to choose from.

Chapter Text

Two months.

It has been two glorious months since Lucifer and Chloe's date, and the devil couldn't be happier.

Well, they were still at a standstill with the blade, but other than that, everything was coming up Lucifer.

The Detective and him were spending more time together than apart, and instead of showing fear for his nature, she was curious. Though they avoided the topic of Hell or the rebellion. She understood that even Lucifer's penchant to over-share had it's limits.

The Detective was now over six months along. Luckily, no other nosy siblings had come down since his victory against Remiel.

Lucifer was currently sitting in the Doctor's office, pouring himself a glass of water.

The Doctor seemed... off, today. He couldn't quite place it, but she didn't seem as perceptive or to even be listening to him sometimes. She simply nodded along with a few comments here and there.

"The Detective's mum is coming to visit soon." Lucifer said. "I haven't seen Mama Decker since before impregnating her daughter."

Linda nodded along, but something still seemed off. She then seemed to gag and clamped a hand over her mouth.

Lucifer stared at her in bewilderment. "Doctor, are you-?"

She suddenly jumped from her chair, ran for the small trash can by her desk, and vomited her stomach contents into it. Lucifer's jaw dropped, and he could do nothing but cringe as he watched her retching.

After a few minutes, Linda tried to gargle some bottled water, then finally sat back down at her chair. She messaged her forehead. "I'm sorry about that, I haven't been feeling great today." Linda apologized. "Back to you, what were you saying?"

Lucifer took a moment to gather his thoughts again. "Well, as you know, the Detective and I are reaching our two month mark. And-"

"Wait a minute," Linda said, eyes widening. "You and Chloe have been together for two months now?"

"Yes, is your hearing impaired, Doctor?"

Linda did the math in her head, and was terrified of her conclusion. "Oh shit, I haven't had my period in almost two months!"

It took Lucifer a moment to realize what she was implying, but he soon figured it out. "Oh." He wasn't nearly as clueless in the process of pregnancy as he used to be, so he knew the basic signs.

They sat in silence for several moments, not exactly sure of how to proceed. "Do you wish to take a, what are they called...? A test?" Lucifer suggested. Currently he wasn't going through any emotional crisis at that very moment, it was just a normal weekly session.

Linda was absolutely freaking out inside. She had just blamed her tiredness and vomiting on a stomach bug, but she hadn't thought that she could be... that she was... Holy shit! Emphasis on the holy!

All Linda could manage to do was nod.

———————

And that's how Linda Martin found herself in a drug store, shopping for a home pregnancy test, with the devil, because she might be carrying his brother's baby.

It sounded like a bad joke.

Lucifer followed Linda around as she waded through the store, making comments about the wild children who wouldn't listen to their parents.

Lucifer's presence actually helped Linda keep her head straight. Even with the comments. She remembered shopping for a pregnancy test all those years ago, alone. It had been one of the worst days of her life.

Finally they stopped in front of the tests, and Linda felt overwhelmed by the shear amount of them. And so many different kinds. She didn't remember there being nearly as many choices her first go around.

"I say go with the most expensive one." Lucifer suggested as he pointed at it. "It should be the highest quality." Lucifer glanced behind himself, and frowned.

Linda turned to where Lucifer was looking, and saw two very tired, very overwhelmed, and very outnumbered parents, who were struggling to deal with their wild four-year-old triplets, who were determined to wreak havoc upon the store.

The devil and doctor both cringed as they imagined this aspect of their future.

Linda gulped and turned her attention back to the tests. She ended up choosing to take three standard two-line tests, wanting to be absolutely sure.

They made their way to the checkout counter, and Lucifer grabbed a bag of cool ranch puffs on the way. "Children are strange creatures." Lucifer mumbled under his breath.

———————

Linda placed the tests on her desk after coming back from the restroom, set the timer on her phone, and sat down at her desk chair.

Lucifer munched on his puffs from his seat on the couch.

Suddenly, it all just seemed to hit Linda all at once. She had been trying to remain calm before, but now that she waited for the tests, it suddenly felt so real.

She couldn't do this! She had honestly never imagined having kids (besides the one in high school). It's not that she never exactly wanted to be a mother, it's just the timing never seemed right. Something else was always going on.

But timing probably wouldn't matter now at this point.

And how the hell was she going to parent an angel baby?!

Linda suddenly stood from her chair, and began pacing the room as panic settled in. "I can't do this! This is insane! I don't know how to be a mother!" Linda panicked.

Lucifer looked at her in surprise. He wasn't accustomed to seeing her this unraveled. The doctor was the single most strongest person he knew.

"How the fuck am I supposed to do this?!" Linda exclaimed.

"Well, don't ask me. You're my therapist, you of all people should know that I don't have any answers." Lucifer said.

Linda continued to pace and wring her hands in panic. She felt tears sting her eyes. "I can't do this..." She said miserably. Linda was fucking terrified, and it obviously showed.

Lucifer didn't know much of anything about comfort. Much less of how to comfort the doctor, someone who was usually comforting him.

Then he remembered something she had told him several months earlier. "It's okay to be afraid. Having a child is scary, even if you plan for it." He felt awkward as he said it, stepping far out of his comfort zone.

Linda stopped pacing to look at him strangely. Damn, she never expected him to throw her own words back in her face. She couldn't help herself but laugh. This was a very strange day.

Lucifer held up the bag of puffs. "Want some?"

Linda snorted, then sat down across from him, and took a puff. "Sure, why not? I might be eating for two, after all."

They ate the puffs in silence for several moments, but then the alarm went off. Linda turned it off, but didn't move from her spot on the chair. Her hands were trembling.

"Do you want to see the tests?" Lucifer asked.

Linda sighed and shook her head. "No... Yes... I don't know. I just need a minute first." She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "Gosh, I can't believe that I might be pregnant with an angel baby."

Linda wanted to smack herself after saying it, remembering that Lucifer didn't know about her and Amenadiel.

It took Lucifer's brain a minute to process what the doctor had said. "Wait... you're what?" He asked with growing horror in his voice. He then tried to do the math in his head. "Wait... when was the last time we had sex?"

Linda groaned internally. "Not your angel baby, Amenadiel's."

"Amena..." Lucifer trailed off and he looked at her as if she'd grown a second head. "You had sex with Amenadiel? And now you might be carrying his spawn?"

At Linda's nod, Lucifer broke out laughing. His laughter died down when he noticed her giving him a glare that could rival the Detective's.

"I apologize, but Amenadiel? That's quite a step down from-" Lucifer gestured to himself for explanation. "What happened? Were you craving a little angel, and since I wasn't available, you had to substitute?"

When Linda's glare didn't lighten, Lucifer wisely stepped away from the topic. "Well, it seems like there's been a baby boom here in Los Angeles." Lucifer tried to joke, but it did nothing to lighten the doctor's tension.

Linda sighed and let her anger be replaced by dread. "I can't believe that I got myself into this mess. What was I thinking? We didn't even wear a fucking condom that first time!"

"It was more then one time? Is there something about Amenadiel that I'm missing?" Lucifer asked, but his comment went ignored.

"I can't do this alone, even if this wasn't an angel baby!" Linda admitted miserably.

Lucifer frowned in confusion. "What would give you the notion that you would be doing this alone? It takes two, and sometimes more in certain extracurricular activities, to tango. This is as much of my brother's responsibility as yours."

Linda sighed. "But he wants to go back to Heaven. And it's not like we can go with him. He couldn't go back home if he's stuck raising a child here, without his divinity. And I... I don't know what to do. I certainly can't do this alone..."

Linda couldn't stop herself from crying. She usually had a tighter rein on her emotions, but this was just too much to control.

"Well, for what it's worth, you wouldn't be alone. Even if my pinhead brother pulls a 'God' and abandons his child." Lucifer said as he fiddled with his ring, a nervous tick, Linda knew. "If I can manage to carry the title of 'dad' for my own daughter... Then 'uncle' shouldn't be that difficult."

"You shouldn't feel obligated to take care of your brother's child, Lucifer." Linda tried to argue.

"Oh, I'm not doing this for Amenadiel." Lucifer stated. "I would be doing it for you, Linda. You're a good person who doesn't deserve abandonment." Lucifer's voice grew faint at the end, and he swallowed uncomfortably.

Linda smiled and felt a little lighter. Even if you put Lucifer's 'no lie' rule aside, she believed him. She believed that, no matter the outcome, she wouldn't be alone through this. "You've really matured in these last few months." Linda stated proudly.

Especially since the day he had stormed into her office, terrified out of his mind, and announced his impending fatherhood.

Lucifer grinned smugly, and she once again saw the overconfident devil. "You know, after all of this, I bet that the tests will be negative. In fact, I bet you one Benjamin that it is." Lucifer said.

He waited expectantly, but Linda seemed to have lost the ability to remove herself from the chair.

".... Would you prefer it if I looked first?" Lucifer offered. Linda could only manage to nod, and wait for her life to possibly change.

Lucifer sat the puffs aside, stood, walked over to the desk, and took one of the tests in hand. He scrutinized it, then picked up the instructions. He looked between the instructions and test for several moments before his eyes widened.

He sat both items down, reached into his pocket, pulled out his money clip, took one hundred dollar bill, and handed it to Linda with a hesitant smile.

"Consider it an early birthday gift for my niece or nephew."

———————

Later, Lucifer strolled into the precinct towards the Detective's desk. Since she was officially on desk duty, they didn't work in the field together anymore.

She still helped solve cases from the sidelines, going to crime scenes, examining evidence, going through witness statements, dealing with the dreaded paperwork.

Recently, Lucifer had taken to accompanying Daniel on cases every now and again. It was no where near as satisfying as solving crime beside his favorite detective, but it was an acceptable second.

And it gave Lucifer an excuse to come regularly to the precinct besides just sitting there, and not doing paperwork.

Lucifer would never admit this out loud, as to not risk awakening what Maze calls Pregzilla, but he was honestly relieved that the Detective wasn't running after humanity's filth whilst in her condition.

Lucifer found Chloe sitting at her desk, concentrating on something on the computer screen. "Hello, Detective." Lucifer greeted.

She quickly changed tabs when he walked up. Lucifer didn't get a chance to see what she was hiding. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her computer. He grinned mischievously and lowered his voice. "Oooh, looking at something you're not supposed to? Can I guess what it is?"

"Please don't." Chloe said, then clicked back to the page she was on once she realized that no one else was looking.

She was on a shopping catalogue looking at baby cribs. "I just realized that I'm six months pregnant, and I still haven't even started on the baby's room." Chloe sighed.

It had hit her rather suddenly when she was looking over crime scene photos, and one of the photos depicted a bloody nursery. A pretty morbid way to realize that you've yet to work on your own, but whatever.

"Hell, I haven't even talked to Maze about living arrangements. The last thing I want to do is kick her out of her home, but the baby needs a room too once she's older. And I still need to buy everything, remodel the room, and I need to-" Chloe went on and on, feeling overwhelmed.

"Slow down, darling." Lucifer said, smirking a bit now that he was allowed to call her that. "We still have several months before that bugger pops out and leaves us sleep deprived for the next eighteen years."

"We have three months, Lucifer. And that's if she doesn't arrive early." Chloe said in exasperation.

Lucifer tensed. Three months. In three months, his life was going to drastically change. Not that it hasn't already, but this was different.

Lucifer thought about panicking as that reality settled in, but he thought about the Doctor's comment earlier.

'You've really matured in these last few months.'

"Alright, three months can work. I've seen battles won and lost, incredible artworks created, and monarchies crumble in less time then that. Three months should be enough for us to prepare for our hellspawn." Lucifer said, then messaged the Detective's shoulder.

The Detective rolled her eyes at the nickname. "Don't call her that." She insisted, but the sides of her lips struggled to fight off a smile.

She seemed to relax a bit, and continue searching through the cribs. "I'm going to need to go shopping for some things for the baby soon... Would you like to come with me?" Chloe looked up to gauge Lucifer's expression.

Lucifer nodded and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Of course."

He was about to go see if Daniel had anything new about the case, but then remembered the news he'd wanted to tell her. "Oh, by the way, apparently there's going to be another Nephilim running around in a few months."

Chloe stopped what she was doing, then looked at him in shock and... anger? "What?" She asked incredulously.

Lucifer frowned at her tone. "Yes, apparently my brother and the doctor have rolled in the hay, or the covers, and are now expecting."

The growing anger drained away from Chloe's features to be replaced with relief. "Oh, Amenadiel and Linda are the ones... oh, I see."

"Did you think I would be foolish enough to accidentally impregnate someone?" Lucifer asked, insulted.

Chloe pointed at her stomach with a deadpan expression.

Lucifer shifted uncomfortably. "Impregnate someone again, I mean."

Chloe chuckled, then went back to the computer. But then her relief seemed to ebb away when she finally realized. "Wait, Amenadiel and Linda are what?!"

———————

Linda sat on her couch and stared at the positive test and one hundred dollar bill in her hands later that day in her living room.

Well, at least the nausea and tiredness made sense now.

Linda was selfishly glad that Chloe had been pregnant for months now, since it took the weight of being the first-ever-mother-to-a-baby-angel off her shoulders. But second was still worrying.

She couldn't believe this. Just about almost a year ago, she didn't even believe in anything Bible related. And now, she was knocked up by an angel! Definitely not how she thought her day would go.

Linda was worried, scared, confused, unsure... She was definitely never going to downplay Lucifer's fears of parenthood to a celestial being now. Not that she did it before.

Linda sighed and placed the items on her coffee table. She looked around her living room, trying to envision her life with a child in it. She pictured little baby toys lying around the floor. A playpen in the corner. Drawings made by a small child hanging on the fridge...

Now that Linda stopped for a minute and thought about it, that wasn't such a bad picture.

She hadn't noticed her own smile until she choked out an emotional laugh. She slowly placed a hand on her stomach as this reality truly sunk in.

She can do this.

Linda picked up her phone, and dialed Amenadiel's number. He picked up quickly, and Linda asked him to come over to talk.

She can do this.

——————

Two hours earlier…

Maze and Eve were making their way to an expensive apartment complex, where their latest bounty, a realtor, was working.

Eve spotted the 'apartments available' sign, and she thought about how exactly she wanted to broach the subject.

Eve had never felt nearly as happy as she feels with Maze when she was with Adam. Hell, she wasn't this happy with even Lucifer in the Garden. Maze made her feel wonderful, and she felt like she could just be herself with the demon.

With Adam and Lucifer (especially Adam), Eve always felt as if she had to sacrifice a part of who she was with them. Like she had to customize herself into their version of perfection. But with Mazikeen, that wasn't an issue.

"Huh, apartments available." Eve commented casually (or her attempt at casual). "I wonder if our woman would have anyone to recommend."

Maze raised a scarred eyebrow at her as they made their way through the hallways. "You looking for a place?"

Eve nodded. "Yeah, I've kinda been in between places for months now. Figured that if I'm gonna be staying in LA, I would need a place to call my own. But boy, realty is crazy in this town!"

Maze chuckled at Eve's incredulity. "Yeah, that's just one form of Hell on earth. That's why I have a roommate."

Eve tried to keep herself from smiling too much since Maze had just made her job easier. "A roommate! That's actually a great idea!" That she's already thought of.

Eve waited a moment, but when Maze hadn't yet connected the dots, she forged on. "You know... If we were to be roommates, we could have sex whenever we wanted without Chloe complaining about that loud maneuver."

Maze's eyebrows raised when she realized what Eve was suggesting. "You want to live together?"

Eve felt nervous with Maze's surprise. "Well, I've just been thinking that things in your apartment might get cramped when the baby comes. So it might be convenient for everyone if you and I were to live together."

Maze stopped walking, and leaned against a wall as she thought it over. "Huh."

Maze didn't give Eve much of a reaction to go on, so the woman didn't know whether or not her idea was well received. "You don't have to give an answer now, just think about it? There's still plenty of time for all of that."

Maze was relieved to not be put on the spot, even if she wouldn't admit it. "Alright, I'll think about it. But if I do agree to it, we won't be moving here."

Eve laughed, glancing at the floral wallpaper in the hallway. Definitely not the demon's style. "I didn't think so."

———————

Now…

Linda jumped from her seat on the couch when someone barged into her house, and relaxed when she realized it to be Maze.

"Oh, come right in. Make yourself at home." Linda said sarcastically.

"You got any of that emotional wisdom left, or did Lucifer drain you yet today?" Maze asked as she made her way into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of tequila from a cabinet.

The demon grabbed two glasses, then plopped down on the couch beside the therapist.

"One of those days, huh?" Linda observed as she eyed the generous pour Maze gave herself.

Linda stopped Maze before she could pour the second glass. "I'm not drinking today."

Maze furrowed her brows, but shrugged and shot back her own tequila before refilling it.

Just as Maze was about to drain her second glass, that's when she noticed the test on the table. "What's this?" The demon asked as she picked it up and sniffed it. "And why does it smell like your piss?"

"How do you know that it's my pee?" Linda asked, avoiding the question.

"Everyone's piss has a distinct smell. Why do you think dogs use it to mark their territory?"

Maze continued to examine the object when she remembered Chloe having something similar. "Wait, this looks like that pregnancy thing Chloe had a while back."

Maze looked at Linda, and could easily read her expression. She then remembered all those times she’d caught the therapist vomiting her guts out over the toilet recently, the way she’s been feeling tired, and how she’s seemed a bit bloated lately.

The demon's eyes bulged as she looked between her friend and the test. "No way. Are you...?"

Linda hesitated before answering, but then sighed in defeat. "A little bit."

Maze threw her head back and cackled. "Is everyone around here getting knocked up nowadays?"

Linda rolled her eyes and leaned back against the couch. "Is there a particular reason as to why you barged into my house?"

"Yeah, but this is way more interesting!" Maze said enthusiastically. "So, who knocked you up? And do you need me to knock his head off?"

Before Linda could answer, the door opened to reveal Amenadiel. "Linda? You said you wanted to talk?" He called out before spotting the women on the couch.

Linda snatched the pregnancy test from Maze's hand and shoved it between the couch cushions before giving the demon a pointed look.

It took a moment for Maze to catch on, but her eyes widened and jaw dropped once she did. She glanced between the therapist and former angel in shock before she broke out laughing.

She laughed so hard that tears streamed from her eyes. Linda was frustrated while Amenadiel was simply confused. "Have I missed something?" He asked.

Maze finally calmed down enough to speak, and she wiped the tears from her face.

"On the contrary, apparently you're a straight shooter, who's proved to be very... thorough." Maze let out another stream of giggles.

She then turned back to Linda and spoke in a low voice. "So, you decided to eat my leftovers, eh? Or, more like you ate each other."

"OKAY!" Linda announced loudly then began to push Maze from the couch before shoving the bottle of tequila into the demon's arms. "I think it's time that you got going now!"

Maze simply smiled, and then began to make her way to the door. She stopped as she walked by Amenadiel. "See you later… daddy." She winked, then mercifully left.

Amenadiel knitted his brow, but didn't think much of it. Instead, he smiled at Linda and sat down on the couch beside her. He then noticed how tense and uncomfortable she seemed. It occurred to him that she might be wishing to break things off between them. Isn't that why humans usually say "We need to talk." At least that’s what they did in movies.

"Is everything alright?" Amenadiel asked.

"No-yes- I mean.... I don't know. It could be a very good thing, or it could be very bad, depending how you look at it. I honestly don't know how you'll see it." Linda sighed. How exactly was she supposed to do this? Tell someone that he's about to become a father? Does she beat around the bush? Or just rip off the band aid?

"Linda," Amenadiel said comfortingly with a warm smile as he took her hand and stroked his thumb against her palm. "Whatever you have to say, I'm sure that it'll be fine. What's going on?"

Well, may as well just rip the band aid off. "I'm pregnant and it's yours." Linda said in a rush before she could chicken out.

Amenadiel's entire body froze, and everything seemed to happen in slow motion. First his brow knitted in confusion. Then his eyes widened in realization. And his jaw dropped in shock as he glanced down at her stomach.

"I... your... with mine... huh?" Amenadiel stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence.

Linda pulled the pregnancy test from between the couch cushions and handed it to him. She tried to muster a strained smile. "Surprise...?"

Amenadiel stared at the test and it was like the wind had been knocked out of him.

Linda was pregnant. With his child. A half angel. He was going to be a father.

Amenadiel stood abruptly, test still in hand, and began pacing behind the couch. His mind was racing and jumping from one thought to the next.

"But this can't be possible!" Amenadiel exclaimed. "Angels and humans can't conceive!"

Linda raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, yeah. That's right. How could I forget. Also, I should probably mention that your unborn niece says hi."

"That's different!" Amenadiel tried to defend. "Chloe is a miracle who makes Lucifer vulnerable. Dad probably made it so that specifically Chloe could carry Lucifer's child."

"Well, we don't know any of that for sure. We're really just guessing here." Linda argued. "All I know is that in a few months, we're going to have an angel baby on our hands."

Amenadiel stopped his pacing and tensed up. ".... We're going to have a baby?" His voice was soft, hesitant, and full of disbelief.

Fear streaked through Linda. She thought about that night all those years ago when her high school boyfriend had practically run off when she told him about her pregnancy. And she couldn't help but fear the same reaction now. "Yeah, Amen... We are."

That fear dissolved when a small, hesitant, but joy filled smile crawled onto his face. He broke out laughing, still obviously in disbelief, but not looking like he was going anywhere.

His laugh was infectious, and Linda couldn't stop herself from joining in. Eventually the laughter died down and Amenadiel made his way back to the couch. He sat down and pulled Linda in for a hug.

"I still can't believe this!" Amenadiel laughed.

"What I can't believe is your reaction." Linda said.

Amenadiel pulled back from the hug and knitted his brow. "What do you mean? How else would I react?"

Linda's smile evaporated. "Well, what about your plan to overthrow God and take over Heaven? It's not like you can be an angel living in the Heavens, and a dad on Earth at once."

Amenadiel frowned, mood instantly tainted. Heaven. She's right, he can't have it both ways. He couldn't possibly fulfill tasks at Heaven's behest, while simultaneously changing diapers. He couldn't live in the Silver City, when he had a child on Earth.

Amenadiel tried to hide his conflicting feelings with a smile. "Well, then I guess that my place must be here."

He pulled her in for another hug so that Linda couldn't see the loss in his eyes.

———————

Later that night after Linda's, Amenadiel found himself in Lux's bar, drinking a cosmopolitan.

He still couldn't wrap his mind around this. Not once in his long life has Amenadiel thought that this would be possible. A child.

Amenadiel drained his glass and quickly ordered another one. Fears and insecurities Amenadiel never knew he even had rose up to the surface.

What did he know about being a father? Sure, he probably knew more than Lucifer did. And he had been researching this very topic for months. But that research was for Lucifer's child. Not his own.

It was daunting to think about.

Amenadiel saw Lucifer slide into the empty stool beside him from the corner of his eye, and one of the bartenders wordlessly got the club owner's drink without having to be asked.

"What have I said about girly drinks, brother?" Lucifer teased as the bartender placed the amber drink in front of him.

Amenadiel wasn't in the mood for Lucifer's signature teasing that would follow if he responded, so he simply rolled his eyes and enjoyed his girly drink.

He didn't care what Lucifer said, cosmos were yummy.

"What has you so broody tonight?" The devil asked as he brought his own drink to his lips.

"Linda's pregnant." Amenadiel said, seeing no reason to hide it.

At Lucifer's lack of surprise, Amenadiel narrowed his eyes. ".... Which you already knew, didn't you?"

"She vomited like a sugar high child on a roller coaster during our session today, so I was there when she found out."

Lucifer furrowed his brows as he studied his brother, and his lips formed a hard line. "Since you're here drinking your sorrows away like a Sex and the City character, I take it that you're not pleased with the outcome?"

"On the contrary, I'm thrilled about this." Amenadiel said earnestly. "The thought that I have a child on the way... It actually makes me unbelievably happy."

Lucifer gaped at the angel as if he was insane. "You're happy to have a loud, sticky, cock-blocking, annoying, parasite on the way? Why?"

Amenadiel raised an eyebrow and regarded his brother with an amused smile. "Says the man who also has a 'parasite' on the way."

"Yes, and I'm terrified of every minute of it." Lucifer took a sip of his drink.

"Oh come on, Luci. You can't honestly say that not even a small part of you is excited to meet your daughter."

Lucifer ignored the comment, and instead changed the subject. "If you're so thrilled for your future consisting of polo shirts, minivans, and overall loss of manhood, then what are you doing here?"

Amenadiel sighed and swirled the drink in his glass. "I'm happy about the baby, even though it may be daunting.... But I'm just not happy about what I'm giving up. I can't go back home to the Silver City when I have a child down here. Which means that I can't go home at all."

Lucifer scoffed and rolled his eyes. "That's what you're sulking about? If you ask me, you dodged a bullet. Even raising a sticky urchin is favorable to that place."

Amenadiel ground his teeth irritably while glaring at Lucifer. "Our views of Heaven are very different. Unlike you, I've never been kicked out. So I don't harbor the same resentment you do."

Lucifer bit the inside of his cheek. The comment irritated him, but it's not like he could deny it. "Fine. But answer me this, brother. What exactly do you genuinely enjoy about Heaven?"

Amenadiel didn't hesitate before answering. "It's paradise. Everything about it is pure, rich, and you feel a sense of joy-"

"I wasn't asking for the text on the advertisement booklet. I was asking when you genuinely felt happy. Content. Excited." Lucifer clarified.

Amenadiel went silent when he tried to remember. When he tried to remember the last time he felt true joy in the Silver City.... Why was answering this question so difficult?

He tried to rack his brain of the last time he felt truly happy in Heaven… And came up empty.

As Amenadiel's silence stretched on, Lucifer asked another question. "Now, when was the last time you felt those things down here?"

Now this question was just as hard, but not because of the lack of choice. No, he had too many examples to answer with.

Amenadiel had never felt as much confusion, bewilderment, frustration, sadness, pain, fear, in all his eons in Heaven as he did during just these few months on Earth... But he also had never felt this much joy, excitement, wonder, and the list went on.

Living on earth came with so much bad... But it also balanced itself out with the almost unbelievable good.

"Huh." Amenadiel simply said, unable to voice his thoughts. He sipped his drink as he tried to sort out how he felt about all of this. "That's interesting."

The brothers drank in silence, listening to the crowd and their own thoughts.

Amenadiel chuckled and wore a warm smile. "Who would have thought a couple years ago that we would both have children on the way?"

"Dad, probably."

Amenadiel shrugged. "True. But it's really amazing, isn't it? Our children will only be months apart, and might even grow up together."

Amenadiel pretended not to notice how Lucifer's eyes softened and the corner of his lip quirked up.

"Well, in any case, mine will obviously be the superior spawn." Lucifer stated smugly.

"What makes you think that?" Amenadiel immediately regretted asking.

Lucifer pointed to himself and looked at him as if it were obvious. "Just look at me! You can't tell me that the child won't be fortunate to have my genetics."

Amenadiel rolled his eyes. "I don't care who she takes after in the looks department, as long as she inherits Chloe's personality." Especially her lack of arrogance.

Lucifer ignored Amenadiel's comment, and grinned when a thought came to him. "You know what this means, right brother?"

Amenadiel looked at him blankly. "Am I supposed to?"

"The only defense you have against Mum regarding if you’re more mature than me is that you haven't knocked up a human... So much for that." Lucifer felt quite smug when he saw the fear in Amenadiel's eyes.

Amenadiel needed to tell their mother...

Shit.

———————

Glass shattered on Lucifer's penthouse floor near the bar.

The goddess gaped at her sons in shock, not even caring about the red wine filled glass she had dropped at Amenadiel's words.

Lucifer sat smugly on the couch with a shit-eating grin while Amenadiel tensely stood in front of their mother.

"You what?" The goddess seethed furiously. "You got Lucifer's therapist pregnant?! Can't any of my sons keep it in their fucking pants?!"

Charlotte shook her head in astonishment. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yes, Amenadiel. Why must you be so reckless?” Lucifer purred from his spot on the couch.

"Hypocrite." Amenadiel grumbled under his breath.

The goddess put her head in her hands and groaned. She then gave her sons a terrifying glare. "That's it! From now on, no more sex for the two of you!"

Now it was the angels wearing expressions of bewilderment.

"Excuse you?" Lucifer asked.

"You heard me. You are now prohibited from indulging yourselves in sexual activities, until you learn how to do it responsibly!" Mum decided with crossed arms.

"Are you... grounding us?" Lucifer asked in shock.

"If that's what it takes for you to not impregnate the population of Los Angeles, then yes."

The brothers looked like they were torn between laughter and fury.

"You do realize that the only person I've been having sex with as of late is the Detective, who is already carrying my child... Correct?" Lucifer asked carefully.

"It's the same with Linda and I." Amenadiel added. "And it's not like we can get them more pregnant than they already are... Right?" The last part was a question directed to Lucifer.

"Yes, the Detective assured me of that."

The goddess sighed deeply and messaged her temple. This was the moment that she knew for a fact that she had failed as a parent. "Fine. You can sleep with women who are already incubating offspring. But no one else!"

The goddess then stormed to the elevator, and glared at her sons before the doors closed behind her.

Her screams of frustration could be heard throughout the penthouse before the elevator traveled down.

Chapter Text

Chloe made her way into the kitchen the next morning, and began brewing herself a pot of decaf coffee.

Maze sat at the breakfast bar with her cocktail cereal. Chloe raised an eyebrow as she looked at the alcohol filled bowl. "That stuff is going to destroy your liver, you know."

Maze grinned in amusement. She pointed the spoon towards herself. "Demon, remember? If I can survive the bowels of Hell, then a little vodka won't do anything to my liver. Heck, I don't even know if I have a liver."

Chloe's eyes widened and she shook her head lightly in awe. "Right. Demon... Still not quite used to that." She admitted.

Chloe took a yogurt from the fridge, a spoon from the drawer, got her coffee ready, then took a seat at the breakfast bar near Maze.

They ate in comfortable silence as Chloe contemplated how to go about this. She really didn't want to throw Maze out of her own home, but there was the simple problem of space. This apartment couldn't fit two growing children and two adults living in separate bedrooms.

"You know..." Chloe began, forcing causality into her tone. "Once the baby comes, things are gonna get hectic around here."

"How so?" Maze asked before swallowing down her bite.

"Well, there's going to be the dirty diapers. Sleepless nights filled with infant screaming. Sharp objects becoming a danger. The list goes on." Chloe hoped to make it sound like something Maze would want to be as far away from as possible.

Maze thought about it. "Human feces. A constant state of agony and screams. Dangerous weapons at every corner.... Sounds like home." The demon said wistfully as she remembered Hell.

Okay, apparently Chloe made it sound so bad, that it sounded like a demon's paradise... Crap.

"Yeah, and plus, everything will become cramped with all of the baby things." Chloe continued. "So maybe you wouldn't want to be around that..."

Maze frowned after a moment, and side-eyed the detective with a glare. "Are you... kicking me out?"

"No!" Chloe exclaimed. "Not exactly-"

"Exactly?" Maze parroted incredulously.

Chloe cringed. "It's just, this apartment can't fit four people in separate bedrooms. Eventually the baby will need her own room, and then there will be a problem because it's occupied. So I just thought-"

Maze stopped glaring and smiled teasingly. "Relax, Decker. I get it. I was already thinking the same thing."

Chloe relaxed and stopped her rambling. "You were?"

Maze nodded. "Yeah. In fact, Eve asked me to move in with her yesterday."

Chloe's brows raised in surprise. "Really? That's great, Maze."

"Yeah..." Maze said as she stared at the bowl.

"That is great... isn't it?"

Maze took a deep breath and continued to stare at the alcohol drowned cereal. "Of course. Eve is fucking awesome, and this fixes everybody's living situation."

"But?" Chloe sensed one was coming.

"Yeah, her butt is great too." Maze agreed.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "No, I mean but there's more?"

Maze bit her tongue and glared at the cereal as if it had wronged her. "But I've never done this before.... Relationships." Maze said like it was a dirty word. "I've never liked anyone like I like Eve... And it's weird. It doesn't make sense. And it..."

"And?" Chloe prompted.

Maze refused to continue her sentence, and sat tensely.

"Look, Maze. I get that this is all new to you, and it's okay to have doubts in the beginning. The relationship is still in the early stages, and you're still getting to know each other." Chloe said gently. "As far as living together goes, do you want to live with Eve?"

Maze knitted her brow as she thought about it. She wouldn't mind waking up every morning to Eve's bright smile (even if she had to endure her girlfriend's morning breath that made you believe that she's been dead for centuries).

She wouldn't mind listening to Eve's giggles and ramblings.

In fact, she would enjoy it.

"Yeah, I think I do." Maze said with a genuine smile.

"Then I say go for it. Worst case scenario is that it doesn't work out, and you can find a different place."

Maze scoffed. "You just want me out of here."

Chloe smirked and winked. "Two birds with one stone."

————————

Chloe stood at the latest crime scene with the devil over her shoulder.

They were standing above the body of a young woman in an adult movie store. Chloe wrote down the details while Lucifer eyed the merchandise.

Though Chloe couldn't be active on the field, she had come to a compromise with the lieutenant that allowed her to still come to crime scenes and investigate more than just grueling paperwork.

She heard Lucifer whistle behind her, and then seconds later she had a dvd box shoved under her nose. It had the picture of a pregnant woman in bright red lingerie laying on a bed, while a shirtless man with poorly photoshopped devil horns stood above her.

The title was 'Rosemary's baby daddy'.

"Hits close to home, doesn't it?" Lucifer asked cheekily.

Chloe pushed the porno away from her face with a pen, and rolled her eyes. "Don't be gross, Lucifer. Or else you won't be hitting close to home anytime soon."

Lucifer chuckled and admired the dvd. "I'm buying it." He decided.

Chloe simply sighed and concentrated on her work, knowing from experience that there was no stopping him. How this 14 billion-odd-year-old-man-child managed to win Chloe over, she had no idea.

An officer walked up to Chloe. "Detective Decker? Your sister is here to see you." He informed her.

"I don't have a sister." Chloe answered automatically before she realized who would make such a claim. She groaned internally from frustration. Of course her mother would pop in at the worst timings.

Moments later Penelope Decker appeared with a bright smile, despite the dark atmosphere.

"Mama Decker!" Lucifer exclaimed with a grin. Penelope walked past the body, not seeming too bothered by the horrific scene, and walked up to the devil.

"There's my handsome devil!" Penelope said as she pulled him in for a hug. Lucifer tensed like he always did with non-sexual contact, but managed to pat her on the back.

Penelope pulled away from the hug, but still held one of his biceps in her hands, lacking her daughter's immunity to the devil's charms.

"So, I hear that my daughter has finally come to her senses and locked you down?" Penelope inquired with a conspiratorial waggle of her eyebrows.

Chloe frowned and crossed her arms, not enjoying being talked about as if she weren't there.

"Oh, she certainly has. Which is honestly a relief. She was resisting me so long, that I thought something might be wrong with her." Lucifer teased with a glance the Detective's way.

"So was I! How Chloe could hold herself back for no reason was beyond me!" Penelope agreed.

"Mom!" Chloe said sternly, hoping to put an end to her mother and partner's chat. "I thought that you weren't going to be in LA for another two days?"

"I managed to get an early flight." Penelope explained. "I just couldn't wait to see my two favorite girls, and my future favorite girl." She added with a glance at Chloe's stomach.

Then Penelope frowned when she seemed to finally realize the murder investigation going on around her. "Speaking of which, should you really be working when pregnant? Wouldn't it be better to stay at home and relax?"

Chloe tried to keep her voice even. "This is my job, Mom. I'll be fine."

"If it's about money, isn't Lucifer loaded? I'm sure that he can take care of you while-"

"I'm fine, Mom. I don't need to stay at home, nor do I need Lucifer's money." Chloe stated firmly.

Penelope shrugged. "Okay, honey. Whatever you think. Oh, when are you going to have the baby shower?! I can help if it's not planned yet!"

Chloe again groaned internally. This was going to be a long day.

———————

Luckily, with much persuasion, Chloe had been able to barely talk her mother out of planning a baby shower from Hell.

Penelope had planned Trixie’s baby shower, and it’s safe to say that Chloe and Dan hadn’t enjoyed themselves, standing in a room that looked like the color pink had vomited, and surrounded by strangers that were her mother’s frien(emy)ds.

The three of them were now eating a home cooked meal at Chloe's kitchen table along with Trixie. Lucifer and Penelope carried on conversation easily, exchanging stories about their travels, people they've met (Penelope simply laughed and nodded along to the less believable ones such as Oscar Wilde, the Grim brothers, etc), and so on.

Though Chloe really didn't appreciate it when stories from her childhood came to light.

"Chloe was so stubborn. She was determined to get her kite out of that tree. And then-" Penelope tried to say, but got interrupted by her daughter.

"Okay, Mom. I don't think that Lucifer wants to hear about that."

Lucifer leaned back in his chair, arm draped over the headrest of Chloe's. "Isn't that the story of how that squirrel bit her?"

"Yes! That's right!" Penelope said enthusiastically.

Chloe frowned and gave the devil a questioning stare. "How do you already know that story?"

"Penelope told me during one of our chats over the phone." Lucifer said casually.

"You and my mom talk?"

"Frequently. She's quite the conversationalist, and has many stories, in which you are the star of." Lucifer said with a Cheshire grin and a glint in his eyes.

Well, shit.

Chloe was screwed.

Soon after that, dinner was finished (much to Chloe's relief). Penelope began gathering the plates with the intention of cleaning them.

"Oh Mom, I can do that." Chloe said.

"Oh no, I insist. Besides, you're pregnant with my grand-baby, you should relax." Penelope left no room for argument.

Chloe wanted to feel independent and tell her that being pregnant didn't equivalent to being sick.... But she also didn't want to do the dishes, so she let the subject go this once.

"Lucifer, could you come and help me? I could use some eye candy." Penelope asked with a wink.

Chloe rolled her eyes while Lucifer smirked at the compliment. "Well, how could I deprive you of my presence?" Lucifer said, voice full of arrogance.

Chloe almost snorted. Her mother being here had definitely inflated Lucifer's ego. His head will probably be too big to fit through the door days after her mother's departure.

Chloe took Trixie and they went in search of tonight's movie while the actress and devil tended to the dishes.

Penelope did most of the work while Lucifer handed things to her and placed them in the dishwasher.

"So, you and Chloe make such an adorable couple, just like I knew you would." Penelope said as she scraped food from the plate. "I can easily see how much you care about her."

Lucifer grinned and glanced in the direction of the living room. "Am I that transparent?"

"Where Chloe's concerned, you may as well be a glass window that's just been cleaned." Penelope joked.

She waited a moment before continuing. "I'm glad that she's found someone who cares about her. Someone she feels that spark with. I used to have that with John, and I've always wanted that for Chloe."

Her voice grew soft at her husband's name. She breathed deeply through her nose, then turned her gaze from the dishes to the devil. "But even though I want her to have that spark, I don't want it at the expense of a broken heart. So I just want one thing to be clear between us. Since Chloe's father isn't here to do this, I'll just have to do it for him."

Penelope's soft expression turned hard and formidable, much like how Lucifer remembered the Detective to look at times. "If you ever hurt my daughter or grandchildren in any way, then I promise that you will regret it. I was married to a cop for over twenty years, so I know how to make things look like a painful accident."

Lucifer suddenly realized who the Detective inherited her fierceness from. Lucifer nodded and wore an earnest expression. "Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from a Decker."

Penelope nodded and turned her attention back to the dishes.

Lucifer placed a dish in the dishwasher, then leaned against the counter as he waited for the next one. "For the record, I don't plan on ever hurting them. I can't promise you that I won't let them down unintentionally, but I can promise that I'll... I'll try my best."

Penelope smiled warmly at him. "That's all anyone could really do. Try their best. It might not always be perfect... But it's better than nothing."

Lucifer smiled appreciatively, and took the dish she offered to put in the dishwasher.

"You're good for her. You bring fun and light wherever you go. Chloe needs that in her life." Penelope said. Her eyes grew moist and pained with her next words. "Ever since John died, she's had such a difficult time with finding her light and allowing herself to have fun. She felt like she had to grow up when she should have still been enjoying life and figuring herself out."

Penelope sniffled, and wouldn't look Lucifer in the eye. "I want her to be happy."

Lucifer gulped, and stared down at the floral printed plate in his hands. "Like I said, I'll do my best to be that for her... And besides, they don't call me the Lightbringer for nothing."

Penelope chuckled at the joke, even though she didn't fully understand it.

They finished the remaining dishes in silence, and washed their hands once they were done.

"You know..." Penelope said conspiratorially, voice lowered. "If you ever wanted to pop a certain question, you would have my blessing. And I'm sure that if John were here, then he'd tell you the same thing."

Lucifer frowned in confusion. "I don't understand. Pop what question? And why would I need your blessing?"

Penelope glanced around to make sure that Chloe wasn't there, then lifted up her hand and waggled her ring finger, which still wore her wedding and engagement ring from all those years ago.

Once he understood what she was trying to convey, Lucifer's eyes widened and he was sure that the temperature of the room must have skyrocketed. That would explain his hands becoming clammy and the tightness in his chest.

"Uh, I'm not so sure that- I don't think- we've only been dating for two months!" Lucifer's voice became annoyingly high as panic settled in.

Penelope laughed, sensing his apprehension. "I'm not telling you to drop down on your knee tonight. But someday, when you're both ready. You're having a baby together, that's already a stronger bond than marriage."

Lucifer relaxed slightly, but he still felt tense. The thought of marriage had never occurred to him. He was the ultimate eternal bachelor. He was what most men wished they could be. His life was one party after the next.

Okay, fine. It hasn't been exactly like that lately. Yes, he's become so domesticated that his self from only a few years ago would vomit at the sight (even though celestials didn't vomit). And worse, he's enjoying it. He enjoys the quiet nights in spent with the Detective and her urchin.

He enjoys not having anyone warm his bed but Chloe Decker. He hasn't even felt inclined to even think about anyone else in that way since the Detective and him had decided to try at a real relationship.

He enjoys that he hasn't felt the need to fill his empty days with drugs, sex, and alcohol, instead solving crime and spending time with the Decker women.

So yes, he enjoys having a romantic relationship with the Detective, and doesn't plan on ending it anytime soon. But marriage?

That was too difficult of a concept to grasp. The devil himself, married. Tied down and fully domesticated.

Ridiculous.

And even though he kept on telling himself how absurd the very notion was, and just how little time he's spent in a relationship period in the scheme of things, and how he wouldn't want to shake the fragile dynamic they've created....

When he sat down on the couch beside Chloe and pretended to watch whatever her and the urchin have decided to subject him to, he couldn't stop glancing at her finger, and imagining what kind of ring she'd like...

But that was ridiculous. He couldn't have all of that. It couldn't possibly be that easy. His father had to have something up his sleeve, just waiting for Lucifer to let his guard down.

And besides, why would the Detective even say yes?

———————-

Maze and Eve followed their realtor through an apartment.

The realtor praised the lighting and cabinet space like it was a piece of Heaven. Which was kind of ironic, considering who she was talking to.

"Any thoughts?" The realtor asked as she looked at them expectantly.

The couple looked around the empty living room of the apartment after their tour. Eve walked over to the far wall of the room, and tapped her chin in thought. "You know, your knife rack would look good here."

Maze walked over to her and considered it. "Yeah, but if we put my knives over here, we'll keep knocking them over with the sex swing. What about over in the corner?"

The realtor's eyes widened and her smile became strained.

"True." Eve said as she looked around the room.

"What about my torture rack from the Middle Ages?" Maze asked thoughtfully. "It's been in Lux's storage since I've been living with Chloe, and I'd really like to start using it again."

"We could put it in the extra bedroom along with the other toys." Eve suggested.

Maze tried to envision herself living in this apartment. "I don't know. I'm not really feeling this place."

Eve turned to the slightly frightened realtor with a smile. "Could you give us a minute to talk about it, please?"

"Absolutely!" The realtor said enthusiastically as she practically ran from the apartment and into the hallway, desperately needing a cigarette.

"Is everything okay, Maze?" Eve asked with a slight frown.

"What do you mean?"

"This is the fourth apartment we've looked at, and you haven't liked a single one." Eve pointed out. "Is there something more going on?"

Maze opened her mouth, then closed it. She sighed, leaned against the wall, then slid down until she was sitting. Eve wordlessly followed suit and sat down beside her.

"I..." Maze trailed off. She had never been comfortable talking about feelings. Skinning souls down in Hell? Sure. Catching guilty assholes up on Earth? Absolutely. Attending orgies that you only have a 60% chance of leaving? Fuck yeah.

But being emotionally vulnerable? That was another story. But Maze then remembered hearing Linda blab about 'Communication is key'. Well, what does she have to lose?

"I've never done this before." Maze said whilst she glared at a wall. "This domestication thing."

Eve's eyebrows raised in surprise and she couldn't help but smile in amusement. "You think that we're domesticated? The same couple who owns a sex swing, attends orgies, and hunts people for a living?"

Maze rolled her eyes and huffed. "Well, this is as close to domestication that I've ever been."

Eve's smile faded when a theory came to mind. "Do you... do you not like it?"

Maze shook her head, and continued to glare at a wall. "No, it's not that I don't like it.... The problem is that I do like it."

Maze sighed, trying to muster up some courage before continuing. "I like it, and it's terrifying. And coming from someone who's lived in Hell for most of her life... that's saying something."

"Why would it be terrifying?" Eve asked softly.

Maze crossed her arms. "How do I know that it'll last? How do I know that you won't just disappear without a trace one day?"

Maze's mind flashed to her mother for a moment, but she stubbornly pushed that thought away.

"Maze," Eve placed a gentle hand on the demon's shoulder, and waited until Maze looked back at her. "I can't promise that we will last forever. Who knows what the future holds. People fall in and out of love all the time. But I can promise, that as long as you'll have me... I'll be sticking around."

Maze swallowed and smiled a little. She then chuckled at the ridiculousness of her fears. "Imagine that. A demon with abandonment issues. Fucking hilarious."

Eve bit her lip nervously. "Well, it's not like you're the only one with insecurities regarding relationships."

"Really? You're insecure?"

"I've been trapped in a loveless marriage for the last few thousand years... Of course I have insecurities. But I think that everyone is at least a little insecure, one way or another." Eve said with a light shrug. “And I think that’s okay, as long as we don’t let the insecurities control our lives.”

After a moment, Maze lifted one of her arms, and wrapped it around Eve's shoulders. Eve leaned into her side, and smiled when the demon placed a kiss on the top of her head.

Just then, Eve's phone beeped an alert. Eve picked it up, and saw that it was a notification from that realty app she downloaded. Eve checked the app for a moment, and beamed at what she saw. She showed photos of the apartment to Maze, who seemed to like that one.

———————-

A week later after Penelope had already left to film her newest movie, Maze and Eve had already found another apartment.

Chloe and Trixie stood in the doorway of their own apartment as Maze stood right outside with her packed suitcase. She was planning on spending the day at her new apartment, and would move the rest of her things later. Eve would meet her there that night.

"Do you really have to go?" Trixie asked sadly. She hated that her best friend was moving out.

Maze wore a somber expression as she nodded. She got down on one knee and spread her arms out. Trixie walked into Maze's arms and hugged her around the neck.

"Yeah, kid. I have to. Your mom's throwing me out, so I don't have a choice." Maze winked at Chloe over the child's shoulder.

Chloe rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Chloe didn't say anything since she and Maze had already explained it to Trixie, and the child understood that the demon was only joking. And besides, she'll miss having a roommate from Hell, too. Surprisingly.

"Will I still get to see you?" Trixie sniffled into the demon's shoulder.

"Yeah, we'll still see each other. Not as much as we used to, though. But we still have training to do. You're not near finished. I still haven't taught you how to curve your knives yet." Maze assured.

To which Chloe's eyes widened in alarm. "Which you're not going to teach her!"

Maze smirked at the Detective. "Sure, Decker. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

Chloe sighed and shook her head. On second thought, maybe she won't miss her that much.

Maze put her mouth to Trixie's ear and whispered so that Chloe couldn't hear. "You remember where my stash of emergency blades are, right?"

"There's one behind the toilet. Three under the tv. A throwing star under the rug. One in that cookie jar Mommy never uses. Five hidden inside of my stuffed animals Rocky, Kipper, Mr. Frogerson, Billy the goat, and Bini. And there's that grenade hidden in the floorboards of your room for super emergencies." Trixie answered by heart in a whisper.

Maze hugged her tighter and patted her back. "That's my girl."

Maze pulled away from the hug and stood. She then turned to Chloe. "You ever need protection or help torturing somebody, you know who to call."

Chloe nodded, deciding not to point out the low probability of needing help 'torturing somebody'. "Yep, I certainly do. Be sure to call me when you get settled in. And Maze… I’d like it if we still found time to hang out. And not just when it’s necessary or you’re with Trixie.”

Maze nodded with a smile.. "I’d like that too.” She then leaned down towards Trixie, and the demon and child did their weird death-handshake that made Chloe uncomfortable.

They shared one last hug and goodbye before Maze stood again, put on her sunglasses, and took hold of her suitcase. "Until next time, bitches."

Maze then walked away along the sidewalk of the apartment complex near the doors, and stopped five feet away, pulled out a key from who-knows-where, considering how little clothes she was wearing. She then walked up to an apartment, and unlocked the door.

Trixie let out a squeal of joy while Chloe's jaw dropped in surprise. "Are you kidding me? You're moving in next door?" Chloe asked incredulously.

Maze looked at her like it was obvious. "Duh, it's not like I can move across the city. How am I supposed to protect Hell's princess if I'm too far away?"

Chloe sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well, you could have told us sooner! And why did you make us think that you were moving away?"

"I am moving away."

"Maze, we can literally talk through the walls." Chloe shook her head. She sometimes felt as if she had four children. The real one, the one growing in her uterus, her boyfriend, and now her demon neighbor.

"WE'RE GONNA BE NEIGHBORS!" Trixie screeched happily and ran towards Maze.

The child ran into the new apartment to investigate, and Maze simply followed her. Chloe scoffed and went back inside her own apartment.

Five minutes later she got a call on her phone from Maze. Chloe answered it. "Yeah?"

"You told me to call you once I got settled in."

Chloe rolled her eyes and hung up.

———————

Lucifer chuckled as Chloe parked the car. She was already getting a little too big to drive, but she was stubborn. She had just finished telling him about her new 'neighbor'.

"Doesn't surprise me. And she does have a point." Lucifer said. "You are carrying the devil's child, so it would make sense to have a bodyguard nearby."

Chloe sighed and then chuckled herself. "Yes. I'm dating the devil, carrying his possibly-celestial baby, and have a demon bodyguard... This is my life now."

Lucifer smirked at her and winked. "Well, I hope that having said devil selfishly to yourself makes it worth it."

Yep, his head was still at large after her mother's departure. Called it.

"We'll see." Chloe said and then pecked him on the lips.

Lucifer grinned, but then it fell away when he looked out the window and remembered where they were. The true Hell on earth. He remembered many Dads' Hell-loops revolving around this horrid place, never to escape.

"Wouldn't it be much more efficient to simply order online? We can get much higher quality, and money isn't a problem. This is my spawn too, so you can't say boo to me paying." Lucifer reasoned, hoping to get out of going in.

The Detective seemed to think it over. "That's an option, but I think I want to see what they have here first. That way I can actually see some things in person, and I can get a better idea of what we need. If we can't find anything good here, we can always check and see what's online."

Lucifer groaned and looked at the store miserably. Chloe rolled her eyes in response. "Oh, don't be dramatic. It's only IKEA. You'll live."

"We'll see." Lucifer grumbled, then reluctantly opened his car door.

Oh, the sacrifices he's already making for the probably ungrateful offspring.

———————

Lucifer wasn't sure how probable the Detective's assertion was that he'll escape this place intact.

There were sniveling spawns disobeying their parents littering the store like a pack of rabid dogs.

The Detective seemed completely unfazed by them, and simply searched for the products for their own sniveling, disobeying, rabid spawn.

Lucifer gulped when a child knocked over a lamp and cried. He then glanced at the Detective's growing abdomen. He hoped that celestial genes might counteract any tendencies that human offspring usually possessed.

The Detective led the way as she pushed the cart towards the cribs. She had that crease between her brows that she always had when investigating a case. She was determined.

Lucifer decided to step back and allow her to handle it, seeing as how she's already done this with Beatrice. He had bought a few things besides the crib for their child, but probably not nearly enough.

She walked up to a white crib with two bluebirds painted on the headboard. She looked it over and smiled s little, obviously liking it. But then her smile dissipated when she looked at the price tag. Chloe then turned away from it and looked at the more simple ones.

Lucifer walked up to the crib she seemed to like and took a gander at the price. "It's not too much." Lucifer said.

Chloe turned towards him and lifted an eyebrow. "For you, maybe. But my paycheck will hate me if I get it. And besides, we'll have to change the crib out for a bed in a few years anyway. So there's no point in spending too much."

"If it's not too much for me, then I'll pay for it." Lucifer offered.

"You already bought a crib for your penthouse. It's fine, I'll just get a different one."

"Detective, we've already been over this. She's my offspring too, so you can't say boo to me paying. It's really no problem. If you like this one, then we should get it."

Chloe bit her lip and tapped her finger against the cart handle. "If we don't find a better one for less money, then I'll let you pay." She finally relented.

Lucifer smirked victoriously, knowing he won.

They moved on to other essentials after that, not finding a better crib. Lucifer was truly baffled by how much human spawn need. He now understood why so many Hell-loops revolved around child-care. The child wasn't even here yet and he was exhausted by just imagining it.

There were car seats, bottles, strollers, breast pumps (bloody hell!), changing tables, diapers, and those weren't even the most complicated things!

He didn't know how to use any of it (Though he supposed that the breast pumps were all Chloe... He hoped).

He was so wrapped up in his overwhelmed thoughts that he barely noticed when the Detective showed him a little dress. "Do you like it?" She asked.

The dress had a light blue top and dark blue tutu, with a little black bird embroidered on the front. "I suppose." Lucifer said. He felt the material and then scrunched up his face in disgust. He dropped it back into her hand as if the dress was poisoned.

"But no child of mine will ever be seen in polyester!" He stated vehemently.

Chloe laughed at his disgust. "How are you so sure that it's polyester? You haven't even seen the label."

"I don't need to. Have you seen my wardrobe? I know what I'm talking about." Lucifer said snobbishly. "I believe that it's best if we leave her wardrobe up to me, darling. Or else who knows what you'll subject her to."

Chloe rolled her eyes irritably. "What is everyone's damn problem with my clothes? At least I don't wear a suit everywhere I go, or a scrap of leather to a bake sale like some people from Hell."

Lucifer crossed his arms stubbornly and stared her down. "No polyester."

Chloe stared right back at him. "Is this the hill you really want to die on?"

At Lucifer's stubborn silence, Chloe shook her head and put the dress back up. "Fine, have it your way."

Lucifer smirked, and moved on. Once he was no longer looking, Chloe snuck the dress into the cart, hiding it under a box of diapers.

He wanted to pay for things so badly, she'll let him buy a polyester dress.

————————

Once they had finally escaped the horrors of IKEA with their loot, they headed back to the Detective's apartment.

They had brought in some of their purchases, but the larger ones were going to be shipped.

They now sat at the couch after dinner with the urchin sitting between them as they searched for a movie.

"I heard a name today that I thought might be good for the baby." Trixie piped up.

"If it's another name of a cartoon character, then I swear to dad I'll tape your mouth shut." Lucifer promised. She had already harassed him endlessly about names such as Elsa, Fiona, Pocahontas, Jasmine, Esmeralda, and she even threw Cinderella out there once.

Trixie crossed her arms and glared at the devil. "It's not a cartoon character. And it's a good name!"

"What's the name, Trixie?" Chloe asked, hoping to diffuse any possible arguments. Her expectations of Trixie's suggestion wasn't any higher than Lucifer's, though.

Trixie stuck her tongue out at Lucifer before answering. "Aurora."

Lucifer was about to dismiss it and Chloe was about to say it was nice but not a good fit when they both paused.

Aurora.

Aurora Something Morningstar.

Aurora Morningstar.

Both adults rolled the name around in their heads, genuinely considering it. It was a pretty name. And it had a nice meaning behind it.

"Aurora." Lucifer sounded it out, trying to figure out how he felt about it. "Aurora Morningstar."

The adults shared a look as they thought about the name. "That's really pretty, Monkey." Chloe praised. "Lucifer and I will have to talk about it first, though."

"So, we might call my sister it?" Trixie asked.

"It's certainly a possibility." Lucifer said.

Trixie beamed. Her mother would usually say that they would consider it, and Lucifer would just tell her straight up if he didn't like it. So him saying that it was a possibility definitely meant that it was.

Trixie decided to keep the fact that she thought of the name after watching Disney's Sleeping Beauty to herself.

———————

Chloe and Lucifer now laid in bed, simply deciding to only sleep that night.

"So, what do you think about Aurora?" Chloe inquired once they were alone. "As far as I know it's not too biblical, it's not boring, and it's not a hooker name. All three of your terms."

Lucifer stared at the ceiling as he thought it over. "Aurora is lovely... And the meaning behind it does have something to do with me."

"It does?" Chloe asked.

Lucifer nodded. "Yes. It means dawn. And dawn wouldn't be possible if I hadn't created the stars and sun."

Chloe was silent for about thirty seconds as she processed his words. "Wait... you... what?"

Lucifer tensed slightly. He hadn't meant to reveal that part of his past, and it had simply slipped out. "Yes. Remember when God said 'Let there be light'? Well, who do you think made that light? Dad was too lazy to do it himself, so he palmed the responsibility off to me."

Chloe's jaw dropped as she stared at him. "So you... you made the stars and sun?"

At Lucifer's nod, Chloe felt as if her brain might explode. She could so often forget just what he was. She easily forgot that he was this eons old creature of unfathomable power, who had apparently had a hand in creating the galaxy. It was an unbelievable concept for her human mind to grasp.

"Hard to imagine, hmm?" Lucifer said with bitter humor. "That the creature who humanity fears and blames all their own wrongdoings on, also created one of the things they love most. It's almost funny if you think about it."

When Chloe thought about it, she didn't find it funny at all. Ever since she found out about his identity, she was filled with so many questions, but also with so many answers. So many things about Lucifer finally made sense. And it broke her heart a little.

He was blamed for so much that was never his own fault, vilified in the eyes of fucking humanity. Thrown out by his own father and condemned to rule a place he obviously hated.

Chloe finally understood what made him this way. What left him a little broken inside. And she always tried to be more understanding now. More sympathetic. Kinder.

If humanity wouldn't accept him, then she would just have to make up for it.

She snuggled up against him and placed her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat. "They're dumb." Chloe stated, quoting wise words. "They don't know you like I do. Like our friends do. Like Trixie does. Like Aurora will." She tried out the name to see his reaction.

Lucifer chuckled and Chloe felt the vibration. "So, you like the name, I take it?"

Chloe nodded against his chest. "I do." Her eyes lit up and she turned around to be facing him. "We can call her Rory!"

Lucifer frowned at that. "You can. What is it with you and shortening perfectly respectable names to be more like hookers? I have nothing against the profession, but I would much prefer it if our child didn't share anything with it."

Chloe rolled her eyes and placed a hand on her stomach. "What do you think, Rory? Do you like it?"

She grinned when she felt a light kick against her palm. "She likes it! Rory it is."

"That, or she despises it so much to the point that she's punishing you for it." Lucifer suggested, but was smiling like a bloody fool himself.

Aurora it is.

Chapter Text

Two days later, Lucifer was sitting at his piano with a drink, jacket and vest draped over said piano. He was currently unwinding after dealing with a shipment of alcohol, and making sure everything was well stocked.

The regrettably less glamorous parts of the life of a nightclub owner. But alas, was sometimes unavoidable. Especially since Maze had stopped working there.

The sun had just begun to set, so the penthouse was cast in a low light.

Just as Lucifer was mentally deciding which song he should choose, he heard the elevator open behind him. Lucifer turned around in his seat, and was surprised by an unfamiliar face.

Stepping into his penthouse was a middle aged man with a beard, sporting a hideous belt buckle, and wearing a warm smile.

Lucifer frowned at the stranger. "Can I help you?"

The man's smile warmed even more, and he laced his thumbs through his jeans hoops. "I had heard that you were living here on Earth, but had to see it for myself to believe it. It's been awhile, Samael."

Lucifer instantly tensed, narrowed his eyes, and stood abruptly, on the defensive. He didn't recognize the man as one of his siblings, though he admittedly sometimes found himself forgetting certain names and faces after so many eons. But he'd imagine at least having the faintest feeling of deja vu.

Perhaps this was a demon possessing a mortal? But he had banned that act long ago when that one Earth village had begun to resemble the Walking Dead. But certain groups of demons weren't the most reliable bunch.

"Who are you? And how the hell do you know that name?" Lucifer asked lowly, fisting his hands.

"Well, as for your second question, I know it because I'm the one who gave it to you." The man answered casually.

Lucifer's frown deepened from confusion, and he tilted his head slightly as he scrutinized the man.

At Lucifer's obvious confusion, the man elaborated. "It's me, son. God."

Lucifer was dead silent for a full minute before he broke out laughing. He hadn't laughed this hard since the Detective had announced his upcoming fatherhood, when he was still in denial.

"Is this a joke?" Lucifer asked as his laughter began to die down. "Or one of those live action role plays? Because if it's the second, I'm afraid that you're out of luck. You see, I'm actually the real thing, and I have no desire to deal with my own dad. Much less an airhead'ed imposter."

Lucifer took up his drink, relaxing now that he realized he was only dealing with a very-human imbecile.

The stranger, 'God', didn't seem too insulted, or surprised, by the devil's reaction. "You've always been more skeptical of me than any of your siblings. I see that some things never change." The man said with something that seemed like affection in his voice.

Lucifer snorted and rolled his eyes before taking a sip. "Yes, well, can you blame me?"

The man didn't reply, and instead made his way deeper into Lucifer's penthouse and glanced around. Lucifer supposed that he could be a straggler from Lux, who was currently somewhere mentally in the Garden of Eden whilst on his latest acid trip.

Things like this have happened many times in the past, where these humans would try to have fun with Lucifer's devil status.

Sometimes it would end in sex, sometimes Lucifer would help these humans sober up before sending them on their merry way, while other times they would pass out on his couch after singing 'The devil went to Georgia' and asking him to play the fiddle (Though the last one may have only happened once).

Lucifer considered simply throwing the obviously high human out so that he could get back to his night, but found himself too curious. The human didn't seem drunk or high, and there was something about him that just struck Lucifer as... odd.

"Alright," Lucifer said with amusement as he sat down and swirled his drink. "How about you prove to me that you're... God? Go restart the plague or burn a bush. In fact-"

Lucifer stood up, placed his glass atop the piano before making his way to the balcony. He then brought back one of his potted plants, and placed it on the floor by the man's feet. "It's not exactly a biblical bush, and I know that the first one was technically a prank by me... But it should suffice all the same."

The man knitted his brow at the smirking devil. "My powers haven't been as widespread lately for some reason. And I haven't been able to control it at times. I'm afraid that I can't do what you're asking of me."

Lucifer chuckled and felt quite smug. "How convenient." The devil then walked back to his piano, and took his seat. "What about your omniscience, then? Tell me, what exactly am I thinking?"

Lucifer leaned forward expectantly, and made the dirtiest images possible flash through his mind.

The man frowned as he seemed to be genuinely trying. "My omniscience also has not been working like it once did. I can get flashes here and there, but I'm not in control."

Lucifer shook his head lightly at the nut job. This was almost entertaining. The vast majority of humanity were truly clueless when it came to the asshole they worshipped.

"How about I reveal the truth about the Supreme Being you've chosen to impersonate?" Lucifer suggested with suppressed bitterness. "I bet you wanted to be God because he's benevolent, all-powerful, yada yada."

Lucifer huffed a sarcastic laugh. "But in actual fact, he's a dick."

The man didn't react to Lucifer's commentary, and only smiled in the annoyingly knowing way that did somewhat remind Lucifer of the real deal. "Look, if you want to be angry with me, just go right on ahead. I can be anything you need me to be."

Lucifer chuckled at the fool standing in front of him. But refused to show the fact that he was slightly discomforted but his words. "If that's the case, I need you to answer a quick question for me."

Lucifer leaned in and stared the man in the eyes. "What is it you truly desire?"

Lucifer continued to stare into the stranger's eyes, fully expecting his mojo to do its thing... But was shocked by the results, or rather lack thereof.

"Is this a staring contest? Cause I'm good at those, you know." The man answered with amusement, completely unaffected by the devil's power.

Lucifer blinked in confusion and stared at the man with his mouth slightly agape. "How is this possible?" Lucifer asked.

The only human Lucifer knew of who was unaffected by his power of suggestion was the Detective. Though there have been the occasional anomalies who couldn't tell him what color the sky was whilst on a fun cocktail of drugs.

"Ah," Lucifer said as he figured it out. "You must be on some fun drugs, aren't you? If so, sharesies?"

Even though Lucifer had come to a sound conclusion, he couldn't help but feel the slightest bit unruffled. But again, he wouldn't admit it.

The man didn't confirm nor deny Lucifer's assertion, and continued to glance around Lucifer's home. "I remember, back home, when you and Michael used to be inseparable." The man commented with affection.

Lucifer frowned, and felt a strange tightness in his chest at his twin's name. "Yes, well I suppose that some things do change." He hadn't so much as spoken to Michael since the rebellion, and their relationship had taken a turn for the toxic in the few years leading up to it.

"You know, I remember the times the two of you loved to annoy your poor brother Amenadiel." The man chuckled at a memory as Lucifer frowned in deep confusion.

How did this man know those things? He supposed that he could have simply Googled a few things, and filled in the blanks himself. But the accuracy of his guesses were becoming a little disconcerting.

"Remember that one time you pretended to be each other for a week, just to see if anyone would notice?" The man said, causing Lucifer's jaw to drop. "Even your mother hadn't noticed anything off. But Amenadiel had been the one to figure it out when you refused to-"

"Help him with cleaning the dead leaves from the treehouses we used to have." Lucifer finished in a shocked whisper. "Michael wouldn't have had a problem with getting his hands dirty, but I didn't want to. That's how Amenadiel figured it out, and the game was over."

The man nodded and his smile widened. "That's right. That prank hadn't caused any harm, except annoying your mother and siblings. The prank that really got under your brother's skin, was when you and Michael placed a goat in his treehouse, allowing it to relieve itself on his bed."

"When he found the little bugger, he was absolutely furious." Lucifer's faint voice trembled, along with his entire body. "How do you know that?"

"I already told you, I'm God."

"No," Lucifer said as he stood up, and began to pace by his bar. "No, you can't be. My father is a sadistic prick, who prefers the 'hands off' treatment. He's a coward who hides only he knows where, never to show his damn face. You can't be him."

Lucifer kept trying to convince both himself and this man of those facts. No, this man couldn't be his father. Sure, he knew a couple of childhood stories, but there were other explanations for that.

"Did my brother put you up to this?" Lucifer asked as he halted his pacing, crossed his arms, and glared. "Or my mum? It's creative, I'll admit, but they should really leave the practical jokes to me."

The man sighed at Lucifer's disbelief. "Nothing I say is going to convince you, is it?"

"I'm afraid not." Lucifer sneered hatefully. This was suddenly not fun anymore. Lucifer then noticed a paper bracelet on the man's wrist. "What's this?" Lucifer asked as he peered closer to read the words written on it.

On it said the name of a mental hospital Lucifer vaguely recognized. "You're from a loony bin?" Lucifer asked, and felt elated at his find. So this man was only a nut job. That was certainly a relief.

Rarely, there were few humans who saw beyond this plane of existence, and could even see past and future events with the smallest hint of omniscience his father bestowed upon them on a whim.

Most of those humans ended up in mental hospitals, wrongfully convicted of insanity. Perhaps this is what it was. Nothing more.

There was a phone number on the bracelet, which Lucifer proceeded to dial into his phone. Seconds later a receptionist answered. "I assume that one of your patients has gone missing? Answers to God and has questionable taste in accessories?"

When he got a resounding yes, Lucifer told her about his visitor, and told her the address so that someone could come pick the nuisance up.

Once he hung up, the man eyed him with disappointment. "You do realize that it wasn't easy to get out and see you." He said. "I had to wait three weeks for an opportunity."

"Well, why didn't you just mind control everyone to do your bidding?" Lucifer asked sarcastically as he went to re-pour his drink. "You loved forcing your own agenda down my throat back in the Silver City."

"I have never mind controlled anyone." The man defended. "I simply gave out orders, and everyone obeyed them."

Lucifer snorted bitterly. "You should be proud, you've nailed God's arrogance to a T."

"Though, you've always had a more difficult time of listening to me, unlike your siblings." The man observed. "Even when you were young, you've always enjoyed being rebellious."

Lucifer smiled bitterly and stared down at his drink. "And according to the history books, that seems to be my downfall."

"What do you mean?" The man asked curiously. "Yes, your rebellious nature has always set you apart from others, but I don't recall it being too much of a problem."

Lucifer laughed, and was reminded that this person he was speaking to was only a clueless human. "I assume that you've never read the Bible, then? Good on you, it's a poorly written fanfiction that got nothing right."

"The Bible?" The man said the word as if it were foreign on his tongue. "I'm not familiar with it."

Lucifer furrowed his brow, and huffed. "You really are from a mental hospital." He muttered before taking a sip from his drink.

It had begun to get dark outside, and Lucifer sent a quick text to the Detective, informing her that it was likely he wouldn't make it that night since something came up at Lux. Technically, it was true, he just didn't elaborate that that something came in the form of a crackpot.

Suddenly, the man tensed, and frowned deeply. He then sucked in a breath, and went to the elevator. He clicked the button, and tapped his foot as he waited.

"Hoping to escape the authorities, are we?" Lucifer inquired.

"Something is happening." The man stated with certainty. "My omniscience hasn't been working like it's supposed to, but I still sense certain things at times. There's a woman downstairs who's about to have her throat slit by a mugger."

Lucifer scrutinized the man with newfound interest. He supposed that it was a possibility that he could be the serial killer type, and could be talking about his own future plans... But either way, Lucifer couldn't just let him loose on Los Angeles.

"Alright," Lucifer said as he walked with the man into the now open elevator. "Say that a woman does get her throat slashed by a mugger... As long as it's not by you... I'd be inclined to give some more thought to your story."

As they rode down the elevator, Lucifer heard a voice in his head that suspiciously sounded like the Detective claim that indulging a delusional man's fantasies could only end in disaster... He chose to ignore that voice.

Once they made it to Lux's club level, people had just begun filtering in for the long night ahead. It wasn't yet at full capacity, but there were still enough people around for them to wade through.

The man led the way towards a door to the back alley as the devil followed, curiosity and dread eating him alive. Though he wasn't quite sure why the dread was present.

Once they made it into the alleyway, Lucifer glanced around, feeling sure that nothing would be amiss. But then he saw something that made his heart stop.

There was a young woman bleeding out on the ground near the garbage cans, probably had been out to take a cigarette in peace. More specifically, she was bleeding out from a deep gash in her throat.

Standing above her was a man wearing a black hoodie, looking ashen faced, holding a sparkly pink purse in one hand, and a bloody pocket knife in the other.

Lucifer pushed back his own shock and marched towards the scene, the man masquerading as his father forgotten. "Oi!" Lucifer shouted.

The mugger looked at Lucifer, and then ran the corner. The devil wanted to run after him, but looked down helplessly at the young woman who's eyes had already begun to fade as the life quickly left her.

The man kneeled down beside her, and placed his hands over her throat. "Go, I'll take care of her."

Lucifer hesitated a moment before going after the guilty party. It only took him a few moments to find the mugger around the corner, and took him less time to knock him unconscious, not having the time to do everything he usually would to a guilty soul.

Lucifer's nose scrunched in distaste when he noticed the man's soiled trousers. "Pathetic." The devil muttered to himself as he quickly made his way back towards the scene of the crime, dragging the murderer with him by the scruff of his hoodie.

When Lucifer made it back, he saw something that made his blood run cold.

The man was still kneeling before the woman's body, hands hovering over her throat, and eyes closed in concentration.

And Lucifer could do nothing but watch, eyes wide and jaw hanging, as the blood pooling around the woman slowly traveled back into her throat, and the wound closed itself up.

Moments later she gasped and sat up, looking around herself in fear and shock. "What's happening?" She asked as tears traveled down her eyes. "What's going on?"

"Shooo," The man, God, said reassuringly as he placed a gentle finger on her forehead. "Rest, child."

Her erratic breaths instantly evened out, her eyes closed, and she laid down, falling asleep. Very much alive and well.

Lucifer dropped the mugger and purse he was previously carrying, allowing both to tumble to the ground. God stood, faced his son, and smiled. "Believe me now?"

Lucifer was left utterly speechless, and couldn't discern the tornado of emotions he felt. Well, he couldn't discern any but one.

Rage.

Pure and utter rage.

Memories of the silence, negligence, coldness, the rebellion, Hell, being vilified, being cast away, swept through Lucifer's mind like a flood.

Lucifer took a few slow steps towards his father, and smiled. "You son of a bitch."

God may be omniscient, but Lucifer liked to think that he hadn't seen the punch coming.

——————

Lucifer stood on his balcony later that night after the workers from the psychiatric hospital had taken an unconscious God 'Johnson' back.

There had been a few questions regarding the almighty's state, but a few hundred dollar bills put those to rest.

Lucifer had also called an ambulance and an officer he knew from work to take care of the mugger and victim.

Lucifer looked up at the sky for a moment, then laughed. For as long as Lucifer could remember, Dad had always been this unreachable being. This person they constantly heard about, but rarely ever saw.

It hadn't exactly been as bad in the beginning, but God had still ignored his children, even before tinkering with humanity in the garage.

Lucifer took a good long swig of the bottle of whiskey he held in his hand. Four more empty bottles like it rested on their sides in various parts of the penthouse.

Once the prior all consuming rage had begun to ebb away, Lucifer was filled with questions and shock. Dad was here.

Why?

Why was he here? Why now?

Had he simply gotten bored with watching humanity from the sidelines, and decided to join his own little game as a player?

Was he here about Mum's plan to overthrow him? Or Lucifer's counter plan to pin the two against each other like superpower'ed a cage match?

Or was it because Lucifer had finally found some semblance of happiness, and when things had begun to finally look up, God wanted to come and rattle the fragile happily ever after?

Lucifer sighed, and bowed his head, watching the street below.

As much as Lucifer wanted to jump into the corvette, and run away to a random spot on a globe to get away from him... he couldn't.

Lucifer simply had too much here. He didn't think that he could convince the Detective to potentially uproot her entire life just because of his daddy issues, and run off with him into the sunset.

And besides, LA was his home, just as much as it was her's.

But for similar reasons, he couldn't give his father the upper hand by ignoring his existence, and allowing him the time to do whatever it was he wanted.

As they say, keep your friends close, but your enemies closer...

With an idea in mind, Lucifer took out his phone, and looked up: Best ways to get yourself locked up in a crazy coop.

———————

The next day...

Chloe now sat in front of Lucifer in art class, with a very displeased expression on her face.

"Now is the time that you choose to admit yourself into a psychiatric hospital?" She asked incredulously. "Just when I finally know that you are in fact not delusional, is when you decide to do this. Please tell me that you can recognize the irony?"

"Don't fret, Detective. I have a legitimate reason for being here. My ingenious mind is fully intact." Lucifer reassured her as he drew.

"A reason that I am very interested in hearing." She said irritably.

"Well, last night I got a very interesting visitor..." Lucifer said. His hand shook slightly on it's own accord, causing him to draw an unintended line. "My dad."

It took a moment for Chloe's brain to process that one. And two more moments for good measure. "Wait... Your dad?" She asked. "As in, God almighty? Creator of the universe?"

"That's the one." Lucifer confirmed.

"Holy shit!" Chloe exclaimed, causing a few heads to turn. She glanced worriedly around the room, and whispered the rest of her words. "But wait, what does God visiting have to do with you admitting yourself into a psychiatric hospital?"

"He's a patient here." Lucifer explained. "And with all the racket that comes with visiting the mentally ill, this was the easiest way to get close to him."

Chloe shook her head lightly and sat back in her chair. "I... I'm not sure how I'm supposed to respond to that." Chloe said. She rubbed her belly. Well, she was the mother to the spawn of Satan, so why not bring God into the mix?

Chloe sighed and messaged her forehead. This was a lot to handle, but with a half-devil baby on the way, she would need to figure out how to manage celestial shenanigans. "Is that why you punched him? Because he's your dad?" Chloe asked as that fact suddenly made sense.

A nurse had told Chloe earlier of what he knew about the situation, and what he thought had transpired. And knowing Lucifer's relationship with his father, Chloe had a feeling that at least some of what the nurse had assumed was true.

"Well, you can't exactly blame me. He had it coming." Lucifer defended, confirming her suspicions.

Chloe shrugged but didn't press on the issue. Now that she knew about Lucifer's true identity, she couldn't even begin to fathom the problems he had with his father. "How do you know that he's actually God?" Chloe asked.

"He knew things about me that only a handful of people know. And I also witnessed him bring someone back to life." He explained casually.

Chloe simply sat there for a second, blinking, and mentally trying to process what her ears were telling her. "... Brought someone back to life?" At Lucifer's nod, Chloe nodded stiffly. "Riiiiight... Cause that makes perfect sense."

Though she shouldn't be surprised. He was God, after all. Bringing people back to life should be a breeze for him. This was one of those moments where Chloe found herself feeling very small compared to her boyfriend and his family.

Chloe tried to reel in her own disbeliefs and insecurities, and tried to put herself in her partner's shoes.

His father was here. Not just God, his Dad.

The same person who had ignored him for years, and vilified him for longer. The same person who had literally made Lucifer's life Hell.

After a moment, Chloe placed her hand on Lucifer's knee and gave him a comforting smile. "Are you doing okay? With having your dad here?"

Lucifer swallowed before mustering a smile. Though he felt tense and squeezed his pencil harder than necessary. "I'll be fine, Detective. Besides, I've been wishing to punch the bastard for eons! It's better than a gift from a fictional fat man who probably has diabetes."

Chloe chuckled and squeezed his knee lightly. "Well, if anything happens, or if you just want to talk about it, let me know. Okay?"

Lucifer didn't commit to anything, and instead slapped on a grin and showed her his masterpiece.

It was a female stick figure with boobs bigger than it's head and a large belly. "It's a perfect likeness, isn't it, Detective?"

Chloe rolled her eyes and snorted. There was little hope of their daughter winning any art contests if genetics had anything to say about it.

Chloe then glanced around the people surrounding them, wondering which one it could be. "Where is he? There's a few things I'd like to say to God." Chloe asked, only half believing her own sentence.

Lucifer's grin disappeared and he grabbed hold of the hand on his knee. "You can't."

She frowned in response. "What? Why?"

Lucifer felt extremely tense and he breathed deeply as he glanced around before giving her his full attention. "I don't want you anywhere near him. We don't know why he's here, or what he's playing at. And until I do, and most likely after that as well, I don't want you or Aurora anywhere near him."

His fear and desperation slipped through a crack in his voice. "I understand that I can't tell you what to do, but please. Please stay away from my father."

"Okay." She answered after a moment. "Okay, I'll stay away from him."

Lucifer relaxed and felt immensely relieved. "Good."

They said their goodbyes after that, and Chloe got up to leave. Just as she was about to walk out the door, a familiar face caught her eye.

She jerked her head around, and made eye contact with Trevor Lincoln, who was obviously trying to hide behind a chair from the devil.

A frightened chill went down Chloe's spine as she remembered her kidnapping. She still sometimes had nightmares about it, but hadn't done anything about it since it was overshadowed by so many other things.

Trevor seemed to panic and ran out the other door. Chloe frowned. She glanced towards Lucifer who didn't seem to have noticed anything amiss, obviously engrossed in his own thoughts.

Chloe had known that Trevor had been committed to a mental hospital somewhere in Los Angeles (After Maze had given him a good ass-kicking) while Kinley had been shipped off back to Rome, but she hadn't known which mental hospital.

She hesitated a moment before following him. Chloe searched for a few minutes before finding him sitting outside on a bench. When he saw her, Trevor's eyes widened in fear and he looked as if he might jump away.

Chloe lifted her hands placatingly and took small, slow steps. "Can we talk?" She asked carefully.

Trevor narrowed his eyes, mouth set in a hard line. But after a moment of consideration, he moved to the side of the bench, giving her space to sit.

Chloe slowly made her way towards him, first making sure that there were plenty of nurses and security around before taking the seat beside him.

Trevor momentarily glanced at her stomach before fixing his gaze on the ground. Other than his extremely tense body language, his expression was completely blank.

"I saw it." Chloe said softly, keeping her voice low. "I saw his devil face. I know everything now."

Trevor looked at her, gauging her features. When he saw nothing but honestly, he looked back at the ground. "And yet, you still trust him. You're still pregnant with the ender of days."

Chloe sighed. "The Antichrist isn't real, Trevor. No one is born evil. My baby is innocent."

Trevor scoffed, obviously still clinging to his delusions.

Chloe pulled out her phone and went to an ultrasound picture she kept on it. She showed it to him. "Does this look like some evil monster to you? If you didn't know that Lucifer was the father, would you really think that she was evil?"

"Looks can be deceiving." He said stubbornly.

"What about actions?" Chloe asked. "You say that Lucifer is evil, but where's the proof? So far, all I've seen is fragile conjecture, but nothing concrete that points to him being evil. And yet, I see more and more proof everyday that says the opposite."

Trevor refused to respond or so much as look at her.

"Look, Trevor. I don't think that you're a bad person. I think that you have always had good intentions, and that you've just been misguided. And I don't think that it's too late for you to turn your life around."

Chloe tried having compassion. She herself knew the best parts of Lucifer, yet she had felt afraid of him when she finally saw the worst of it. She couldn't imagine how Trevor must feel, not knowing Lucifer like she did.

Trevor swallowed, and Chloe could see his fist trembling. "You're going to burn in Hell." He whispered hatefully.

Chloe sighed and her shoulders slumped. The chances of changing his mind with only a few words were slim, but she had to at least try.

"I think it's best if you don't let Lucifer know that you're here. He's a good person, but he's not as forgiving as I am." Chloe advised.

She stood, pocketed her phone, and left. She hoped that maybe the seed she planted in his mind would grow overtime until he saw the light.

——————-

Lucifer stood outside of God's room. He felt trapped in place. A part of him wanted nothing more than to burst in there and wring the bastard's neck. While the other wished that he still had his wings so that he could fly as far away as possible.

Lucifer had spent millennia imagining what he'd say to his father, given the chance to face him.

But now that the chance was here, he didn't know if he wanted it.

Imagining something as a hypothetical, and being given the real thing were truly polar opposites.

Lucifer thought about just turning around and checking himself out of this loony bin, but he stopped himself. No, he hadn't spent this long waiting to finally get a response to only walk away now.

So, he forced himself forward, and entered his father's room. God stood by the window, and turned when Lucifer entered.

Lucifer pushed down the lump in his throat, and forced his voice even. "I'll give you one chance to apologize."

God seemed confused by his son's words. "Apologize? You punched me." He then wore a warm smile. "Tell you what I can do: I can forgive you."

Righteous bastard.

Lucifer chuckled bitterly and restrained himself from throwing another punch. "Taking the high ground, are we? Magnificent. Well, I may have struck the latest blow, but that is only in response to the litany of offenses that you,"

Lucifer gritted his teeth as bitterness filled him. "dear old Dad, have bestowed upon me."

God only smiled and nodded at his son's passive aggressive words. "So you believe me? Good." Lucifer couldn't believe his father's next words. "Tell me, just what is it you think I've done?"

Lucifer couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, we're going there, are we? Right let's see." Lucifer counted just a few of the many examples. "Um, casting me into Hell for eternity, because you haven't got the balls to get your own cowardly hands dirty."

Lucifer hated how his voice became more fragile by the moment. "Manipulating me with the Detective and child, giving me the illusion of control. And then when I finally have some semblance of happiness, you come down here, all high and mighty, to ruin it all!"

Lucifer's voice grew more hateful with each word, unable to hide the years worth of trauma caused by the deity in front of him. "You are a... patronizing, sinister, helicopter parent!"

"So you think that you have no free will." God stated, seemingly mildly surprised by Lucifer's assertion.

Lucifer stared at him as if it was obvious, because it was. "Every bad thing that's happened throughout eternity is your doing, not mine!"

Lucifer raised his hands and faked sarcastic cheeriness into his voice. "It's all part of 'God's Plan.' Even Mum's coming here and manipulation of me was part of it."

God frowned in shock. "Your mother's here?"

"Oh! Look who cares now." The devil scoffed.

God looked at the floor as he processed this. "Oh, my." He leaned against the window as a small, genuine smile made its way to his face. "Oh, well, that is something."

The almighty's eyes glowed as he took a trip down memory lane. He then turned his gaze back to the devil's. "I still remember the first moment we met. Mmm. There was nothing, just darkness and... then she appeared. It did not take long for us to light up the universe."

God seemed so... soft, and... caring. It threw Lucifer off for a moment. He couldn't remember seeing his father this way since... Well, it's been so long that he couldn't even grasp the memory anymore. No, all he could remember was the hate, bitterness, and pain between them.

When he had walked in here, Lucifer had been expecting, counting on, facing a wrathful god who cared for no one but himself. He certainly wasn't expecting... this.

But he couldn't dwell on it. It had to be just yet another manipulation.

"Much as I'm enjoying this trip down memory lane, I want an apology- nay. Nay, I demand penance." His voice grew more hateful with each word. "You must atone for what you've done." Lucifer's eyes burned red for a moment, barely able to keep himself at bay.

"Now, that's not the Samael I remember." God said.

"No." Lucifer agreed. No, he certainly wasn't Samael anymore. The innocent angel. "No, Dad, this is who you made me when you cast me away!" Now his eyes burned once more with the fires of Hell. "Now apologize!"

Lucifer then heard the door open behind him, but he didn't care at the moment if a nurse saw anything celestial (or should he say hellish). But then he heard his favorite doctor's voice.

"Uh, Lucifer?"

Lucifer then barely managed to pull back his hatred, and change his eyes as he turned around to find Linda in the doorway.

——————-

Ten minutes later Lucifer was pushing a hyperventilating doctor on a wheelchair after telling her about their all powerful visiter.

"Okay, so that was God God back there? As in capital 'G'?" Her voice was still full of disbelief as she wrapped her mind around this fact.

"I didn't bow. I should have bowed." She panicked. "Or wait, should I have? Since I'm pregnant with his grandchild, doesn't that make me his daughter-in-law? Or does that mean that I definitely should have bowed?"

"You should have spit in his face." Lucifer grumbled, not liking the idea of anyone bowing to his father.

"Yeah, I'm not gonna do that." She disagreed.

"Then you're no use to me, Doctor." Lucifer said, slightly irritable. "What on earth are you doing here anyway?"

"Chloe sent me to check on you because she was worried." Linda let out a slightly hysterical laugh. "Now I see why."

Linda took another breath from her paper bag in an attempt to calm herself.... It wasn't working. "Why is he here? Hasn't he been quiet for like, what, eons? Why would he be here now? Is it about the babies? Or maybe your plan to overthrow him?"

Linda was quiet for a moment as she contemplated this. "Please tell me you're not still planning on having your mom and God destroy each other."

"Don't be silly. That plan won't work anymore." Lucifer said.

"Oh. Oh good." Linda said with immense relief. "Maybe I should have curtsied."

"Unfortunately Dad seems to be soft on Mum. Like he still has feelings for her." Lucifer stopped suddenly and let go of the wheelchair, allowing it to roll away a few inches as he was struck by brilliance. "Which gives me another way to punish them, far more tortuous than death."

"Aaaand we're back to not good." Linda said with a hint of sarcasm, and a lot of worry.

Lucifer took her wheelchair again and grinned as a plan formulated. "No, no, no, no, this is better." He leaned down with a devilish grin. "And you, my dear doctor, are going to help me."

Linda's eyes widened in horror as Lucifer's widened in excitement.

"Should we tell Amenadiel about this?" Linda asked. "It's his father too."

Lucifer cringed at the thought, prior excitement diminished in the slightest. "No. At the first sight of Dad in the flesh, dear Meny will most likely fall to his knees, announcing his undying love."

Linda frowned in response. "I don't know about that, Lucifer. He's changed a lot since living on Earth."

"And he'll continue to change as long as we don't give him a reason to fall back on old habits." Lucifer argued.

"So, what are you asking me to do?" Linda asked. "Lie to my boyfriend-No, not just boyfriend. Lie to the father of my unborn child? About something as important as this?"

"It's not lying. It's simply not divulging parts of the truth." Lucifer continued to argue.

"Yeah... That's not any better."

"Well, regardless, you're my therapist. So telling him anything will be a breach in contract." Lucifer stated smugly.

"But we're not in therapy."

Lucifer leaned in as he continued to push her wheelchair. "I have more daddy issues than Maze has blades. I'm afraid of rejection. And I'm dangerously close to running out of alcohol in the flask I have hidden. There, I've told you my problems. Therefore, we're in therapy."

Lucifer stood straight again, and grinned. "This idea will be brilliant!"

Linda took her bag and began to hyperventilate again.

Chapter Text

After Lucifer's masterfully planned escape, Lucifer found himself alone with his father in a dressed up and empty Lux as they waited for Mum. Linda had gone to the Little Doctor's Room.

Lucifer sat in a stool, leaning against the bar with a drink in hand, whilst his father sat beside him.

God kept bouncing his knee and glancing at the door every now and again. He seemed excited and... Bloody hell, was he nervous?

This wasn't the God Lucifer remembered. This wasn't anything like the deity who had ignored him for years, and then tossed him away. This wasn't anything like the man who had left him beaten and broken, inside and out.

If Lucifer thought hard about it, he could vaguely remember a time when things were... nice. Pleasant. When they... when they felt somewhat like a family.

But those memories felt more like a burden after everything that had gone down, so he pushed them away to the point he began to lose them.

Only clinging to the hurt, pain, hatred, and betrayal. Anger was always easier than loss.

But when he looked at Dad now... He didn't know. He just couldn't see all of that. He couldn't see the pain. The hatred. The anger. He couldn't see the silence. He couldn't see the rebellion, and consequences that followed. Or even the manipulation.

It was like... It was almost like they had traveled back in time when things were different. Before everything went to shit.

Lucifer wondered if it would someday be like that with Aurora. If someday, she would look back at the early days, and see it as before her own family fell apart. Lucifer felt a terrified chill go down his spine.

What if he accidentally followed in his own father's footsteps when it came to parenting?

He has always tried to be God's polar opposite. He opened a nightclub where sin and free will was not only welcome, but encouraged. He always encouraged others to follow their deepest desires (within reason). He wasn't afraid to get his manicured hands dirty by punishing the guilty himself, instead of palming it off to someone else.

He tried to stray away from his father in every way, and had succeeded thus far... But what if this is where that changed?

What if someday, everything Lucifer felt towards his own father, Aurora would someday feel towards him?

It was a sobering thought, and no amount of alcohol would change it.

"What happened between us, Samael?" God suddenly asked as he studied his son.

Lucifer chuckled bitterly and furrowed his brow. "Are you joking? The easier question would be is what hasn't happened between us." Lucifer took a sip of his drink, then cringed when he remembered his usual sense of humor. "And I don't mean that in a sexual way... For once."

God frowned and an emotion dangerously close to hurt flashed across his eyes. "Things aren't how I remember them, are they?"

Lucifer scoffed. "Well, unless you're remembering betrayal, banishment, bloodshed, et cetra... Then I'd say no."

God sighed, and finally took a sip from the drink Lucifer had offered him minutes prior. After drinking, he stared down at the glass, as if hoping to find some answer. "I... I honestly don't know how things got this way."

Lucifer wore an ironic smile and rolled his eyes. "Well, at this point it doesn't even matter. Won't change anything." Lucifer used a light tone in an attempt to mask just how much simply talking to him, and actually having him answer, hurt.

"All I can hope for now is that when my child is born, then I'll learn from your countless mistakes." Lucifer said, still struggling to keep his pride and hold up his bravado.

God whipped his head towards him and his eyes widened in surprise. "You have a child on the way?"

Lucifer frowned in confusion. "Are you kidding? Surely you must have already known that, considering the fact that you're the reason she even exists in the first place."

God didn't get a chance to answer since the doctor ran in there, a little out of breath due to her condition. "Uh, guys, I think she's here!"

———————-

The goddess walked into the poorly lit club and looked around for her son. "Lucifer...? What is it you wanted to show me?"

She looked around, and scoffed to herself. He had been the one to call her here, and now Lucifer was no where to be found.

Charlotte's irritable thoughts halted into ones of confusion when she saw a strange man at the piano. Lights began flashing around as music played, and her confusion only grew.

Unbeknownst to her, the devil and doctor hid inconspicuously behind the bar, watching from a front row seat.

The goddess approached the man warily. His face seemed to light up when he saw her, and he stood with a loving smile. "Well, now. You are as radiant as the moment we first met."

Alright, now she was very confused, and irritated.

Back behind the bar, Linda was nearly as confused as the goddess. "Explain to me what's going on, please."

"I'm trying to recreate their first date." Lucifer whispered in response.

"You're... what? Wait." Linda said as the ridiculous, but very likely, notion dawned on her. "You're trying to Parent Trap God and the Divine Goddess?"

"What?" Lucifer asked at her incredulous tone. "It worked in the movie. Don't you see? With Dad here on Earth, I don't need the flaming sword or a trip to Heaven to exact my revenge."

Linda still couldn't see the logic in that explanation. "Okay, but how is having them fall in love again revenge?"

"Oh, trust me, Doctor, after a brief re-honeymoon period, they'll start torturing each other like they always do." Lucifer chuckled at his own brilliance. "Mum and Dad together are their own worst punishment. It's genius!"

Back to the creators of the universe, the goddess frowned at this stranger. "Do I know you?"

The man took several steps towards her. "Only since the beginning of time." He answered vaguely.

His cryptic answers almost reminded her of someone. "What is this? Where's Lucifer?"

"Aw, who knows." He answered. Well, isn't that the truth. "That son of ours is unpredictable, to say the least."

The goddess felt her blood run cold and she tensed instantly. She looked at this man, who she suddenly realized reminded her of her ex-husband. So many emotions ran through her, too many to count. She didn't know what to think or feel.

"Husband?" She asked, needing confirmation. She walked closer to him, still mostly in disbelief. "Is this really you?"

"In the flesh." He smiled.

The goddess stood right in front of him, and hesitantly placed her hands on his shoulders. She smiled and felt tears prick her eyes. And then she did something she had been wishing to do for centuries.

She kneed him in the groin.

And relished the grunt of pain he let out.

"You put me in Hell, you bastard." She growled, anger being the most prominent of emotions at the given moment.

If she wasn't so furious, the goddess would've smiled when her husband was reduced to a groaning lump on the floor.

She made a move to kick him in the throat with her heel, when Lucifer suddenly jumped from behind the bar and pulled her back. "Ahh, I wouldn't want to get any calls about domestic abuse on my property, Mum."

She turned to her son with an incredulous expression. "What's he doing here, Lucifer?"

"I don't know. You married him."

"Well, it kind of ruins our plans to storm the Gates of Heaven and destroy him." She whispered furiously.

"Well, I'm thinking we might not need to do that anymore." Lucifer tried to reason calmly.

"I will never forgive him, if that's what you're getting at." She hissed.

"The point is, Mum, that I think Dad... sincerely misses you."

She scoffed at the ridiculous thought. Right. Like that self-centered bastard cared about anyone but himself.

"Well, of course I do. How could I not?" God said from behind them. "Look at you."

The goddess turned towards him, not quite believing her ears.

He walked towards her with something close to awe in his eyes. "An absolute vision. Glowing, even now."

Charlotte just stood in silence, not quite sure how to respond.

Lucifer then beckoned his doctor towards him, and they scurried away, leaving the deities to their own devices.

"For the life of me, I can't even remember why we were fighting." God said.

But the goddess remembered all too well. "The flames? Eternal damnation? The... Kind of hard to forget."

"I am so sorry that you suffered." He said with genuine remorse.

The goddess felt thrown off by his apology. She had admittedly fantasied about it in her time in Hell... Right after she fantasized boiling him alive.

But not a moment went by when she didn't wish things could go back to the way they were. To before he had diverted all of his attention to his little projects. To before everyone grew bitter. To when they were happy. When they were a family.

But when the goddess had finally realized that going back was impossible, she had settled for revenge instead... But if things being like they were before was possible...

"Well, I su... suppose I should apologize for trying to destroy your precious toy with floods, and plagues, and whatnot." She said, swallowing her pride. "I guess humanity isn't entirely awful. They did make vodka. Roller coasters. Triple creme Brie." She admitted reluctantly.

"You hear about dancing?" He asked once she trailed off.

"Yes, I actually did some of that on a table, once."

Music began playing, and Charlotte took a step back from God, suddenly feeling unsure. She still couldn't forget about everything that had happened in the past, and couldn't help but fear that if she allowed herself to fall back into old ways, then it would inevitably happen again.

He smiled kindly to her in the way he used to all those eons ago, and held his hands out for her. "Would you do me this honor?"

The goddess knew that this was a bad idea. That mistakes should never be repeated... But she couldn't help but feel what she once had when they met. That rush she felt at their meeting, when everything was clear and beautifully simple.

So, that's why she took his hand, against her better judgment. That's why she allowed her heart to rule over her head. When they danced, he felt both familiar and foreign. Like it was him... but not.

Back to the devil and doctor, Lucifer watched his parents with a clenched heart, though he couldn't for the life of him understand why.

But the doctor watched him with a knowing expression. One that said that she knew him by now like the back of her hand. "You're sure it's revenge you're after?" She asked, momentarily slipping into her therapist persona.

Lucifer shook his head lightly, eyes never leaving his parents. "Of course it is. What else would it be?" He said like it was obvious, but in reality he truly didn't know.

As he continued to watch them, he wondered what it would be like if they got back together... And didn't endlessly torture one another. If they were just... happy.

The thought was almost ridiculous, but then again. If they, God and the Divine Goddess, could make it... Then why couldn't the devil and a certain Detective?

If they could be happy, and if they could all somehow be a family again, then wouldn't the chances of his own growing family being happy become higher?

Meanwhile, as the goddess danced in God's arms, she couldn't help but feel conflicted. Couldn't help but feel like this was both wrong and right. Like she was simultaneously going forwards and backwards.

He seemed to notice her indecision and distress. "What's the matter?" He asked gently.

"This." She answered. "I didn't think this was possible." She then moved away from him, unable to think properly in his arms. "It wasn't part of the plan."

"So, maybe..." He replied as he pulled her back towards him. "maybe we make a new plan. This time, we make it together."

She couldn't stop the smile from taking over her face, or the sheer joy she felt in her heart. He was saying every perfect word that she had been craving for so long. Wishing to be possible.

She gasped slightly as he dipped her, and then their faces drew close as he pulled her back up. And then she did something she had been wishing to do for centuries.

She kissed him.

But when she did, it took her a moment to realize it. She wanted to deny it, but just couldn't. It may have been eons since then, but she had been married to him for long enough to recognize him.

Whoever this man was, it wasn't him.

She couldn't explain how she knew, but she just did.

She pulled away from the kiss, smile and joy long forgotten. She felt her heart break at the realization that this would never be anymore than a dream.

A dream that would haunt her mind constantly after tonight.

"What's wrong?" The imposter asked, genuinely concerned.

She couldn't take it one more second. She couldn't look this man, or anyone, in the eye. She just had to leave.

She couldn't so much as muster a goodbye before shaking her head, and making a beeline for the exit, not even acknowledging her son's protests.

Once she had escaped to the parking garage and was safely alone, she allowed herself to cry. To cry over things that she would never have again.

Over things that she had lost so long ago, yet still couldn't fully let go of.

———————

After the goddess's abrupt leaving, the celestials and human went back to the penthouse.

Lucifer paced as he tried to rethink his plan. Linda and God sat at the couch, and the therapist attempted to try and make him feel better.

In other words, Linda was giving God a pep talk. How her mind hasn't exploded yet, she couldn't fathom.

"I'm sure that she was just overwhelmed." Linda tried to console. "From what I hear, there is a lot of baggage between you two."

"Understatement of the bloody century." Lucifer mumbled.

Just then, the elevator dinged open, and Amenadiel stepped out. "Hello?"

"Brother? What on earth are you doing here?" Lucifer asked.

"Linda texted me. She said that there was something I needed to see."

Lucifer whipped his head towards the therapist, and glared. "That's a breach in contract!"

"We weren't in therapy!" Linda argued.

"I beg to differ! I thought that we made real progress today. Perhaps even a breakthrough!"

Linda suppressed an eye roll. Then realized that they weren't in therapy, and succumbed to her desire. "Regardless, I didn't tell him anything. I just told him to come here and see for himself."

"See what?" Amenadiel asked with confusion.

——————-

Lucifer, Linda, and a shocked Amenadiel all stood in the nursery under construction while God waited in the living room.

"Father?!" Amenadiel hissed in disbelief. "You're telling me, that the man outside, is Father?"

"That's the gist of it." Lucifer admitted.

Amenadiel leaned against a dry wall, and shook his head in disbelief. His father was a few feet away. After all this time, his father was in arms reach. After all these centuries of silence, he was here.

If this had happened a year ago, Amenadiel would be jumping with joy, and worshipping the ground God walked on. But now...

Now he felt differently.

Now he had the image of Uriel's grave firmly in his mind. Now he had witnessed what real, loving relationships looked like. Now he knew what parental love looked like. Now he knew what it felt like.

Even if he had only just found out about his child's existence, and had yet to officially meet them, but he already couldn't even imagine being the same kind of father God had been.

Amenadiel took a deep breath, mustering all the courage he had, and left the nursery. He stopped in front of God, and fisted his trembling hands. "I need to speak to you privately."

——————

And that's how Amenadiel found himself sitting on a bench overlooking Los Angeles, with his father sitting beside him.

Amenadiel swallowed, and kept his eyes firmly trained on the twinkling lights below. "I like to come here sometimes. I figure that it's the closest I'll get to Heaven in a long time."

God smiled softly and looked at the lights. "I like it... It's peaceful."

"... Why are you here?" Amenadiel asked, trying to keep the emotion from his voice. "Why now, after all this time?"

God seemed to debate with his answer, and looked up to the sky. "I remember a time when the stars were the only light during times of darkness. Before man created their own... I honestly can't remember when that changed."

Amenadiel had forgotten just how cryptic his father could be. He looked up at the sky, stars barely visible due to the artificial light of the city. "Things have certainly changed. Some for better, and some for worse."

God hummed his agreement, and turned his gaze back to the city.

Amenadiel breathed deeply, trying to get his turbulent thoughts in order. "Why?"

God knitted his brow, and looked questioningly at his eldest. "Why what?"

Amenadiel tensed, a part of him still terrified of disappointing the deity beside him. A fear that had been instilled into him since he was young. But a newfound rebellious streak that Earth had brought to life within him reared it's head.

"Why did you abandon us? Why didn't you ever want to be around any of us? Why did you abandon Uriel when it could have been diverted?"

Amenadiel's voice grew louder as bottled up anger made itself known. "For millennia, I have done everything you've asked of me. I cared for my siblings. I fought my own family for you in the rebellion. I helped cast my own brother out into Hell. And I kept dragging him back down there because you wanted me to. And I have watched over Hell when it needed a warden."

Amenadiel shuddered when he remembered his time in Hell. In those days, sometimes weeks, when he watched over Hell, he honestly pitied Lucifer. Even though he had believed the punishment just, at the time.

But now, he saw it as cruel. "I have done everything you asked of me with no complaint or hesitation... And not once, have you ever thanked me. Not once have you ever shown appreciation for the sacrifices I've made. For everything I've done. Not once have you..."

Amenadiel sighed and ran a hand over his face. He then forced himself to look into God's eyes. "Dad... Why have you never said that you loved me? Did I do something wrong? Was I not enough? Should I have been better?"

Amenadiel couldn't stand looking at him anymore, and stared out into the city with his heart stuck in his throat.

Amenadiel then felt a hand on his shoulder, but still wouldn't look up.

"Son... I'm sorry."

That's something he wasn't expecting. Amenadiel blinked stupidly in surprise and looked at his father. God seemed remorseful and guilt ridden. "I never meant to make you think that way. I... I had lost track of time, and forgot the little things."

Amenadiel bit his tongue in the way someone would pinch themselves. "Sometimes little things can be much more impactful than we give them credit for."

God nodded and smiled sadly. "I'm starting to see that now... Amenadiel, I want you to know, I do love you. I love you along with your mother and the rest of your siblings."

Amenadiel opened and closed his mouth, completely shocked by what he was hearing. The same words he had been desperate to earn for so many eons.

Amenadiel couldn't help but let out a laugh, and felt his eyes sting. "I... I love you too, Father." He said, voice trembling just a bit.

Amenadiel was so desperate for his father's love, that he was terrified of questioning it.

——————-

Lucifer and Linda waited in the penthouse for the almighty and former angel. Lucifer stood at the bar, attempting to drink his weight in whatever beverage he could get his hands on.

"Bringing Amenadiel into this was a stupid idea." Lucifer said irritably. "I bet that by the time they come back, he'll be kissing Dad's arse again like the good little angel he is."

"I don't think you give Amenadiel enough credit." Linda argued calmly. "Just like you, he's changed since living in LA. He's begun to see things from a different perspective."

Lucifer only scoffed in response, and downed his drink.

"Why are we only talking about Amenadiel's feelings towards your father?" Linda asked in her 'therapist' voice. "What about you, Lucifer? How are you really taking all of this?"

Lucifer stayed silent, refusing to even acknowledge the question. He faced away from her, and stared at his bar.

"You know," Linda said gently. "Bottling things up for too long will do a hell of a lot more damage than good. And will most likely reflect on your relationship with your daughter someday."

Before Lucifer could come up with a reply after those chilling words, he was both filled with relief and dread as the elevator doors opened.

God and the angel stepped out of the elevator, laughing and holding half eaten churros.

"So that's how you got back at Lucifer for the goat in your room?" God asked through his laughter. "How did you get back at Michael?"

"Wait," Amenadiel said as his laughter halted for a moment. "Michael was apart of it, too?"

At God's nod, Amenadiel frowned. "I suppose that I'll have to fix that, eventually."

Lucifer gave Linda a pointed look, then placed a kiss on his own hand, slapped said kiss on his own backside, and mimed kissing noises.

Linda sighed while God and Amenadiel looked at the devil strangely. "What are you doing, son?"

"Winning a bet." Lucifer said sharply, and drank his scotch like a shot.

"Hey," Linda said to her boyfriend. "What if we went for a walk outside? Give Lucifer and your dad some one-on-one time."

Lucifer choked on his drink, then stared at Linda as if she's gone insane. Amenadiel seemed a bit reluctant, but acquiesced to her request. The former angel and therapist boarded the elevator, leaving the creator of the universe and ruler of Hell to their own devices.

The father and son stood awkwardly for several moments, unsure of what to say. God then extended the hand with the churro. "Want some?"

Lucifer cringed and shook his head. "Not really, no."

God lowered his arm, and the silence stretched on. Eventually God sighed, and sat down at Lucifer's piano bench. "I can't for the life of me understand why you're so angry."

Lucifer let out a bitter laugh, and looked at his father with bitter amusement. "Really? You can't figure it out? I've been pretty upfront about it." He had lost count of how many times he had screamed his hatred towards the Heavens for all the worlds to hear.

"But to want to destroy me? That's pretty serious." At Lucifer's confused frown, God explained. "You and your mother weren't exactly discrete in your whispering earlier."

God frowned at his son as he tried to make sense of it in his head. "You mind telling me why?"

Lucifer scoffed, and tensed. He wanted nothing more than to leave the room. To push all of these pesky, unhelpful emotions away. But he couldn't help but think of Linda's words. He couldn't help the fear that if he didn't resolve this now, then someday... Aurora would have to deal with it.

Lucifer just took the entire bottle from the bar, and drank a significant amount straight from it. He then looked the almighty straight in the eyes, and swallowed before saying his next words. "Because... because I'm your son. And..."

Lucifer struggled with pushing out the words that he had been ignoring for eons. "... you rejected me."

Once Lucifer started, everything else began to flood out. "I had spent so much time wondering, why? Why didn't you want me? Why were you never around? I had tried pleasing you, obeying your orders to the letter. I created the bloody stars, for you! Which was no easy feat... But no matter what I did, it never got your attention."

Lucifer shook his head and leaned against the bar. "So, I thought that maybe... Maybe a different tactic would get that big head out of your arse for five minutes. I... I hadn't really expected the rebellion to be as monumental as it was. But once it got rolling, it just wouldn't stop until we were at the point of no return."

Lucifer sighed. "And everything else that followed is history..."

Lucifer swallowed, voice growing soft and fragile. Anger finally giving way to the hurt he had been trying to hide. "And because of that, now I don't know how to be a father. I don't know how to make someone not feel that way. I don't know how to make sure that my daughter doesn't ever have to go through that... Because, what if I'm more like you than I realize?"

After Lucifer's confession, God's eyes softened and guilt filled them. "Oh." God breathed as realization filled his eyes.

Lucifer expected his father to deny this. To say that Lucifer was the one who was wrong. That Lucifer had been responsible for his own pain.

"Well, then I guess I can't say I blame you." God said, shocking his son. "Fact of the matter is, I don't even remember why I was ever so angry with you to begin with."

Lucifer felt like he could barely breath. He had always been filled with so much hate for this man, and so sure that that hate was returned ten-fold, that he never dared to hope for anything even close to remorse or understanding from him.

"For what it's worth... I am sorry. I truly am. And I am proud of you, Samael. I am proud of the man you've become. And I know that when your daughter is here, you'll do better then I ever did." God said, earnest and without underlying motives.

Lucifer could do nothing but stare at him, unable to verbalize just every thought and feeling going through his head.

He couldn't believe that he was hearing the words that he's convinced himself he didn't want, but has wanted since before even the rebellion.

"I..." Lucifer said, mind blank. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to respond to that."

"You don't have to." God answered with a smile. "What do you say we go do something? I hear that humans enjoy ice cream."

Lucifer couldn't help himself but laugh. "Yes, they like it very much..."

———————

And that's how God and the devil ended up walking the streets of Los Angeles with ice creams in hand.

"I think that this might be my favorite thing that humans have created." God commented after swallowing a bite.

Lucifer snorted good naturally. "You've never been to an LSD fueled orgy, have you?"

"Can't say that I have."

Lucifer chuckled, then cringed slightly. "Well, at least one of my parents hasn't... I really hate when Mum tries to tell me about her experiences on Earth in an attempt to relate." Lucifer shuddered at the thought.

God frowned, then tried to shake the image from his mind... It wasn't easy.

After they finished their desserts, God was starting to feel one of the drawbacks of his human body. He mildly regretted giving beings the need to urinate. When he shared this, Lucifer chuckled.

"Not enjoying the taste of your own medicine, are you?"

After some teasing, they found a gas station with a restroom out back. Lucifer was absolutely disgusted, but God had no complaints. The almighty made his way inside while Lucifer smoked a cigarette outside.

Once God had finished with the stalls and was washing his hands in the sink, another man came into the restroom. The man eyed God, and moved his hand towards his own jacket pocket.

God paid no mind to him until the man took a pistol out of his pocket, and pointed it at God's chest. The almighty barely blinked at the weapon, and was utterly calm.

"Give me all the cash you have!" The man demanded.

"I would, but I'm afraid that I have none on me." God answered calmly as he took a napkin to wipe the water from his hands. "All I have at the moment is the clothes on my back."

The man narrowed his eyes, then glanced down. "What about the belt? That's gotta be worth something."

God's calm demeanor faltered. "You can't have it."

The man smirked, and placed his finger on the trigger. "Well, either you give it to me, or I take it after putting a bullet in your ass. Your pick."

"You can't shoot me. The gun will jam." God stated matter of factly.

The man scoffed disbelievingly. He then pointed at God's leg, and pulled the trigger. But just like the almighty had claimed, the gun did in fact jam. The mugger pulled it again, but yielded the same results.

"What the fuck?" The mugger said in bewilderment. "How did you...?" The man looked between him and the gun, fear now entering his eyes.

The man gulped as panic began to settle in, and then did something incredibly stupid. He brought his gun up, and hit the hilt against God's head.

——————

Outside, Lucifer was enjoying his cigarette when he heard a yelp from the restroom. The devil frowned, dropped his cigarette, and went to investigate.

Lucifer opened the door and looked around. "Dad? You haven't fallen into the toilet, have you? I hear that humans-" Lucifer cut himself off when he saw the scene before him.

God laid on the floor, clutching his now bleeding forehead, and a man holding a gun and God's belt was staring at him wide eyed.

Lucifer's glared and his eyes turned red. "Oh, did I miss the news about a mugger's convention? Or is it just the new trend?"

The mugger gasped, and dropped both items in shock. Lucifer advanced on the man, and gritted his teeth as his eyes still burned. "Now, ordinarily I wouldn't object to anyone hitting God upside the noggin, but it appears that you've picked the wrong night."

"I'm sorry!" The man whimpered, terrified of a mere glance of Hell.

Lucifer chuckled without humor, and was preparing to show more than just his eyes. "Oh, you will be."

But just as Lucifer was about to show his second face, God looked around in utter confusion. "Where am I? What is this?"

Lucifer furrowed his brow and his eyes went back to brown. He looked at his father. "That little hit to the head hasn't messed with your memory, has it, Dad?"

"Dad?" God asked incredulously. "Who the hell are you?"

Lucifer blinked in confusion, his attention entirely on his father, barely even noticing as the mugger began to slip away. But at the last second Lucifer moved his foot, causing the man to trip on it, and bang his head against the sink, instantly losing consciousness.

Lucifer then looked back at his father, completely unfazed by the mugger. "It's me, Dad. Lucifer."

Did he have a concussion? Lucifer couldn't imagine God himself losing his memory from a mere concussion, but he has been acting odd lately. And not his usual all powerful self.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?!" God asked as he looked around wildly.

Lucifer couldn't understand what he was going on about, was this a joke? But then his gaze fell to the floor, where he saw the abandoned belt buckle...

Oh.

That's when it all suddenly clicked in his mind. Why God's powers hadn't been working like they used to. Why his body seemed to be no more durable than a mortal's. Why his Mum had run off so suddenly. Why his father was so... Not like the deity he remembered.

Because... It wasn't him.

Which meant that everything he had just said... Held no meaning whatsoever.

It was all just a lie.

Chapter Text

After that new revelation, Lucifer had taken Mr. Johnson back to the psychiatric hospital, and managed to check himself out (Which had taken some convincing after kidnapping another patient).

He had then gone back to the penthouse, and told Amenadiel and Linda everything. He had also told them about Uriel's last words.

The angels and human now stood in front of the bar, looking down at the two separate pieces.

"So," Amenadiel said, arms crossed and heart heavy. "It was all the buckle? It had given Mr. Johnson healing powers, moments of omniscience, knowledge of the divine, and a few memories from the early days?"

"Looks like it." Lucifer answered tensely. He huffed a sarcastic laugh, and momentarily glanced upwards. "Bloody typical."

Amenadiel swallowed as he stared down at the items, and replayed the time he'd spent with Mr. Johnson. As he scrutinized every perfect word. Too perfect.

Linda stood between the angels, and bit her lip as she cringed inwardly.

Shit, she was a little over her head here.

———————

A short time later, Linda drove home while Amenadiel sat in the passenger seat, deep in thought.

How had Amenadiel not realized? Had he been that desperate for father's attention, that he completely ignored the signs, and wouldn't so much as entertain the possibility that he wasn't his father?

And after Mr. Johnson had said all of that, Amenadiel had so readily believed him. He had believed every word without a second thought. Even after everything that has happened since coming to Earth.

Even after planning on overthrowing him. Even after realizing just how imperfect God was. Even after Uriel.

Was he that pathetic?

Is that all it would have taken for Amenadiel to take a mile long step backwards? Was God saying that he loved him, all it took?

"When will I ever learn." Amenadiel muttered bitterly, feeling humiliated with himself.

"Learn what?" Linda asked gently as she kept her eyes on the road.

Amenadiel sighed, and leaned his head against the car window. "When will I ever learn that Father... That he doesn't love me." Amenadiel breathed deeply through his nose, and closed his eyes. "Fool me once, shame on you. But fool me twice... We're just lucky that it wasn't really him tonight."

Linda was quiet for a moment. She then pulled into a random parking lot, parked the car, and turned her full attention to the former angel. "There is no shame in wanting your father's love." She stated.

Linda then took one of his hands in her own, and squeezed it. Amenadiel opened his eyes, turned them to hers, and squeezed back. "I've lost count of how many years I've spent trying to earn it." He said.

Amenadiel lowered his eyes to their joined hands. "I've always thought that as long as I was loyal, that as long as I completed every task, that as long as I was the perfect soldier... Then one day, I'd earn his love. That one day, I would be good enough for him."

Amenadiel's eyes raised till they reached her stomach. He then lifted his free hand, and placed it gently above their child. "But parental love... I'm starting to think that it's not something I'm supposed to earn... Is it?"

Linda wore a sad smile, and shook her head lightly. "No, it's not. It's something that every child should have an automatic right to. Not a privilege."

Amenadiel nodded, and felt as if a knife had gone through his gut. "I've wasted all that time earning something I'd never get."

Amenadiel huffed bitterly. "I never once thought I'd say this, and I'm pretty sure that I once asked one of my siblings to decapitate me if I did... But Lucifer's right. God really is an asshole."

Amenadiel half expected a wrathful lightning bolt to come and strike him down. Or to perhaps spontaneously turn into a pillar of salt by insulting God... But nothing happened.

The world still stood.

It both felt terrifying, and liberating.

Linda placed her free hand over the one on her stomach. "Amenadiel, I don't know how your father really feels towards you. I've never met him. Heck, I haven't even been to church without a wedding or funeral since I was six..."

Linda smiled lovingly. "But just know, that even if your father doesn't love you, you're not unloved. Even though you haven't been on Earth that long, there are people who care about you, deeply. You have a life here. A home."

She squeezed his hand tighter for a moment to get her point across. "Maybe it's time that you stopped trying to be what you believe God wants, stop hoping that it'll change anything... And start focusing on what you want in life. Start focusing on what our child will want."

Amenadiel smiled bittersweetly at her words, and his eyes stung. He looked back down at her still flat stomach, and caressed it with his thumb.

She's right.

He had a home.

Without his father.

It's finally time that he stopped beating a dead horse.

——————-

For some inexplicable reason, Charlotte found herself outside of Dan's door. She's not exactly sure what drove her to come here, but it made the most sense in her head.

She knocked, and waited as she heard footsteps on the other side. Dan soon opened the door and seemed mildly surprised to see her.

Ever since he had found out about the whole Divine Goddess thing, they had begun to drift apart.

"Hey, everything okay?" Dan asked as he leaned against the doorway.

"I kissed a man today." Charlotte said, fidgeting with her hands.

Dan seemed confused by this. "Ooookay... Good for you...?"

"I thought he was my ex-husband." She explained, but that only seemed to confuse him more.

"You... thought he was God?" Dan asked.

"It's a long... slightly confusing story." She said with a shrug. "The point is, when I kissed him, I realized it wasn't him. And the strangest part is, I don't know what's more upsetting... that it wasn't him?"

She chuckled bittersweetly, and hesitated before her next words. "Or that I... I wished it was."

Dan remained silent throughout this, still not sure what she wanted from him.

"I just don't want to be alone." She hated how weak she felt at that moment... But if she had to choose anyone to see her this way, then she'd rather it were Dan. "Could we just hold each other? Please?"

Dan seemed to think it over for several moments before widening the door and giving her a smile.

"With your pants on, of course." She said before going inside.

Dan couldn't help but laugh. Great, now he had a goddess in his apartment. Crazy to think that just a few months ago, he didn't even believe in God.

Dan followed Charlotte as she made her way to his bedroom. She sat down at the edge of the bed, and stared down at her fidgeting hands.

Dan couldn't remember ever really seeing this side of her. She was usually so confident, cocky, fearless. But he didn't see any of that now. Dan made his way towards her, and took a seat on the bed.

"I don't understand..." Charlotte said softly. "Why I felt that way. He tortured me. Trapped me in Hell. He ignored me. He vilified me. He made me feel unloved. I don't know why... why I miss him so much."

Charlotte gripped her knees and turned her face away from Dan so that he couldn't see her struggling to keep tears back. "It wasn't always bad... I wouldn't have married him if it was... But I should know better. I should know that it will never be like it used to, in the beginning."

Charlotte then felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned her head to see Dan looking at her with sympathy. "We can know that someone is bad for us intellectually." He said. "But emotions don't always learn as fast."

Charlotte breathed deeply, trying to hold herself back. She shook her head lightly. Then she moved towards him, and rested her head on his shoulder. After a moment Dan wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and rested his cheek on the top of her head.

"It's not fair..." She croaked.

"Doesn't sound like it is." Dan agreed.

Charlotte just quietly let him hold her after that, feeling comfortable in his arms... It was nice.

"I like you, Dan... You're much better than most humans." Charlotte decided.

Dan chuckled lightly. "Thanks... And I like you too... You're best goddess I've ever met."

Charlotte laughed. "Oh? And how many have you met?"

"Just the one... For now."

She smiled at that, and felt a little lighter. But then her damn human bladder had to complain that moment. She groaned. "I wish I'd talked my ex-husband out of creating bladders." She complained as she extricated herself from his arms.

She made her way into the bathroom, closed the door, and did her business. At least there was no blood this time.

Once she was finished, she washed her hands in the sink, and looked at herself in the mirror. Most of the time she avoided thinking about it, and sometimes avoided her own reflection because of this... But the fact that she was human, would sometimes just hit her.

But that little problem would go away if they made it to Heaven... When they made it to Heaven.

When had when become if?

She mentally shook herself and turned off the sink. She just needed to keep her head straight until they figured out the blade and got home. Then everything would fall into place.

But she couldn't help but replay Azrael's words in her head. She couldn't help but wonder, was their family truly unfixable? And would them going back, really do more harm than good?

Charlotte shook her head, trying to push away these growing doubts. That man wasn't even truly her husband, and he was getting into her head. This had to stop.

"Get it together, Charlotte." She mumbled to herself. She was about to leave the room when she paused.

When had she started referring to herself as Charlotte?

She shook her head, and finally left the room. But failed in leaving her doubts behind her.

She just had to get home, and everything would be alright.

She found Dan still sitting at the bed, waiting. Charlotte then took off her shoes and bra before climbing into bed, still wearing her dress.

Once she laid down, Dan then took off his own shoes, and wordlessly laid down beside her. After a moment, Charlotte crawled closer to him, and rested her head against his shoulder.

Dan wrapped his arm around her waist, and simply held her.

Charlotte wasn't accustomed to being held without sex involved... it was nice.

"He never did this." She whispered. "Held me... Though we were bodies of light so it wouldn't be physically possible... But I like it nonetheless."

Dan chuckled lightly and held her a little tighter. "Well, I'm glad to be your first."

Charlotte laughed. "You're hardly my first."

They didn't say anything else after that. Simply allowing themselves to find comfort in one another.

————————

A while after the talk at the penthouse, Lucifer had decided to come over to the Detective's. He had called her a couple of hours beforehand and filled her in on the whole God Johnson mix up.

It was late by the time he came, and the urchin was already asleep. He couldn't find Chloe anywhere downstairs, so he assumed that she had gone to bed as well.

He nimbly made his way upstairs, and found her bedroom door wide open. He was right in his assumption, and found her lying comfortably in bed in her pajamas. There were also a few papers from some recent cases in her hand, as well as the lamp being on.

Lucifer wore a bittersweet smile as he leaned against the doorway and simply watched.

Lucifer should have known. He should have known that Dad would never really say those words to him. He would never be remorseful for what he's done, or be proud of him.

Dad would never say that Lucifer would do a better job at fatherhood then he did, because he'd never admit to doing anything wrong in the first place.

God didn't give a shit about him, and that was the honest truth.

Chloe groaned in her sleep, then slowly woke up. She lifted her head, a handprint on her cheek from sleeping on it, and then turned her sleepy gaze to him. "Lucifer? I thought that you wanted to stay at your penthouse tonight."

He had, but couldn't stand the silence of his empty penthouse.

"I did, but..." Lucifer wasn't sure how to phrase this. "You don't mind that I'm here, do you?"

Chloe gave him a tired smile. "Not at all. Come to bed."

Lucifer smirked and winked. "Oooh, eager, are we?"

"To sleep, pervert." Chloe sassed with an eye roll. Lucifer chuckled in response, then unceremoniously stripped until he wore nothing but his boxers, and then laid atop the covers after moving the papers to the nightstand.

Lucifer laid on his back and stared up at the ceiling, unable to stop replaying God Johnson's words in his head.

Because those words had opened a Pandora's box in his mind, and Lucifer couldn't stop this flood from cascading over him, crumbling the dam he had spent so long perfecting.

Chloe was more awake now, and watched Lucifer from the corner of her eye. He'd already explained to her how God Johnson wasn't really his father, but had been wearing a magical belt buckle (How she didn't lose her shit over something like that being true, she couldn't tell you).

But either way, you'd imagine that Lucifer thinking his father was here would drudge up some strong feelings.

Chloe moved to be better facing him. "Hey, are you okay?"

When Lucifer didn't respond, Chloe placed her hand on his farthest cheek, and gently made him face her. "If something is bothering you, then you can tell me. You know that, right?"

Lucifer gulped, and couldn't even force himself to smile anymore. "I know." He breathed, barely audible.

He looked back at the ceiling, and remained silent. Chloe didn't push, reluctant to force him into saying anything. Just when she thought he wasn't going to continue-

"I... I don't understand." Lucifer whispered, eyes trained on the ceiling. "How could he... how... how could he do that to me?"

His lips trembled and his eyes became moist as his face twisted in pain. Chloe could do nothing but watch as the man she loved was reduced to this. "Do what?" Chloe asked gently.

"Reject me." Lucifer choked out, and that's when the floodgates truly opened. "Why didn't he lo-love me? Why? Why doesn't he want me?"

Chloe could literally see as he closed in on himself, cutting himself off from the people around him, so she did something about it. She pulled him towards her, and positioned him so that Lucifer was laying on his side, and his face was resting against her chest.

The fact that Lucifer didn't make a sexual joke about his proximity to her breasts told Chloe just how serious this situation was.

"I don't know, baby." She tried to comfort as she thread one of her hands through his hair. "I don't know why."

Chloe cried for him. She cried to the pain he's been subjected to, and silently cursed God for being the biggest source of it. But she kept her tears silent, allowing Lucifer to use her as a tether.

Lucifer began to sob against her as it became too much. "I just don't understand... Why?"

"I don't know." Chloe shook her head lightly. "But what I do know is, no matter what God may think or feel towards you, you are surrounded by people who love you. You are surrounded by people who accept who you are, and love you for it."

Chloe moved one of her hands to his back, where his scars are. He flinched when she placed a hand on one, but didn't protest when she began rubbing it.

"It's going to be okay, Lucifer." Chloe stated with finality. "It's all going to be okay."

Lucifer seemed to calm down a bit after several minutes of sobbing against her, and eventually fell asleep. Drained in every way possible.

Once she was sure that he wouldn't wake, Chloe pulled herself from his arms, and made her way downstairs. She walked outside to the small patio, and stared up at the sky.

"I honestly don't know if you can hear me or not, and I feel kind of stupid for talking to the freaking sky..." Chloe said with a sigh.

"But I swear to... Well, you, that if you ever hurt Lucifer again, then I'll... Okay, I don't really know what I'll do, but I will figure something out."

Yeah, real genius. Threaten God by saying you'll figure something out.... Not really your best moment, Decker.

Chloe shook her head lightly at the ridiculousness of the moment before turning her face back towards the sky. "Just, don't hurt my family anymore. Please. He's your fucking son, how is it possible to fuck up so badly as a parent? I can't even comprehend my children growing up in conditions like that. To hurt them that badly."

Chloe sighed again and pinched the bridge of her nose. Calling God out on his parenting... Just brilliant.

"Just... Don't damage him anymore than you already have." Chloe said. "Don't hurt him anymore."

And with one last glance at the sky, Chloe went back inside.

———————

Lucifer woke up in the middle of the night, and saw the Detective sleeping beside him on her side, facing him.

Now that Lucifer was awake, he couldn't seem to fall back asleep, too much weighing him. He honestly didn't know what to do with himself.

He then glanced down at Chloe's exposed stomach, remembering that blog he'd read that said children could hear from within the womb. Well, there was never a time like the present.

He slid down the bed, careful not to disrupt the Detective's sleep, until his face was near her belly. He felt odd in this position, especially since his intentions were the furthest thing from sexual.

He checked to see that Chloe was still sleeping, licked his lips, then turned his attention back to her stomach.

"Hello," He started, then cringed slightly. "This is... strange. I've heard that offspring can hear sounds from outside the womb, but I'm not sure whether or not it's all poppycock. Your mum seems to believe it, since I've caught her talking to you a multitude of times... Though if you really can hear me, then you should already know."

Lucifer knitted his brow. "The concept of talking to someone who can't talk back is slightly baffling to me... Though, I suppose that I already do that with your grandfather almost daily, so there's that."

Lucifer checked again to make sure that Chloe was still sleeping. "I suppose that you might not know who I am. I'm... I'm your father."

Sometimes this whole impending fatherhood thing would just hit him at certain moments, this being one of them.

"Which, in case you don't know, it means that I was the one who put you in there. Though I doubt that your mum would appreciate it if I went into any more detail than that." Lucifer chuckled lightly. "It also means that I'll be the person who you will most likely terrorize indefinitely once you pop out."

Lucifer hesitated before continuing, figuring that the Detective would wake soon if he kept stalling. "Listen, the reason that I started this little chat is.... That I wanted to make you a promise. I know that you don't understand this yet, but when I make a promise, I'll sooner rearrange the stars in the sky before breaking it."

Lucifer once again checked on Chloe before continuing. "I... I can't promise that I'll be dad of the year, or that I'll be perfect... But what I can promise, is that.... No matter what happens, I won't throw you away. I won't ever reject you, no matter who you become. That, you have my word on."

Lucifer swallowed, and oddly felt like at least a little bit of the weight was lifted from his shoulders. "Well, that's all, then. Goodnight, Aurora. That's you, by the way. I refuse to call you Rory, like some bloody retriever."

Lucifer stated the last part stubbornly, before his eyes softened, and he turned his back, staring at the wall as he tried to fall asleep.

Unknown to him, Chloe opened her eyes once she felt him turn around, and smiled as she struggled to hold tears back.

Yeah, they were going to be okay.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Chloe woke up to an empty bed. She still felt heavy and drained from the night before, but also couldn't help but smile when she remembered Lucifer's words to their daughter.

She decided to keep her knowledge of that conversation to herself. It had been meant to be only between father and daughter, and not for Chloe's ears.

Chloe went through her morning routine, showering, getting dressed, and now added putting on her bullet necklace. She wore it nearly everyday, especially after she noticed how Lucifer's eyes light up for a moment when he see's her wearing it.

Chloe walked downstairs to find Lucifer at the stove, cooking, shirtless, and wearing the Kiss the cool apron she had.

Trixie and Maze sat at the breakfast bar and Eve helped by handing Lucifer ingredients or plates when needed.

Chloe could smell the French toast before seeing it. She walked up to Lucifer without him noticing, and managed to take him surprise by placing a quick peck on his cheek.

Lucifer raised an eyebrow at her and grinned. "Well, good morning, Detective."

Chloe smiled at him, and told everyone good morning before taking a seat at the breakfast bar. "Smells good in here." She complimented.

"Of course it does." Lucifer said arrogantly. "When I came down I caught the urchin eating one of those horrid pop tarts. I've already seen the hold they can have on someone, and decided to help her avoid that tragedy."

Trixie rolled her eyes in pure Decker fashion. "Coming from the guy who drinks all the time."

"I'm the devil, it's different." Lucifer answered snobbishly.

The devil and child continued to bicker as Chloe turned to her former roommate. "I thought that you moved out?" Chloe teased.

"I did. But we smelled the food, and our toaster's broken." Maze explained. "Speaking of which, you should get a new toaster. I borrowed yours before."

Chloe's eyes narrowed. Why wasn't she surprised? The Detective decided not to let that get under her skin (Like she often did with Maze), and turned back to the still bickering devil and urchin.

It honestly felt bizarre to see him acting so... normal, after the night they had. Though, it shouldn't come as a surprise. Unfortunately, Lucifer had three coping mechanisms.

1: Drink, do drugs, and have sex like the world would end tomorrow.

2: Bury his feelings deep down and pretend that nothing was wrong.

And 3: Disappear without a trace, only to come back and again, pretend that nothing was wrong.

Chloe's noticed that since they've gotten together, she hasn't seen him act on number 1. She trusted him not to sleep around behind her back. And she didn't think that he drank as aggressively or did drugs like he used to.

Number 2 seemed to be the most popular coping mechanism as of late. And it was also the easiest for her to deal with and get through to. As long as she was careful and didn't enact number 3.

"Whipped cream?" Lucifer asked.

"Sorry?" Chloe asked, coming out of her thoughts.

"Do you want whipped cream on your toast?" He asked again, and lightly shook the can in front of her. Chloe hadn't even noticed when he placed the plate of three delicious French toasts in front of her.

"Sure." Chloe said and accepted the can. Eve already had some whipped cream on her own plate, and was about to take it to the table. But then got a dollop on her finger, and booped Trixie's nose.

"HEY!" Trixie exclaimed in a fit of giggles with her nose covered in white cream. Trixie shoved four of her fingers into her own mess of cream and chocolate syrup, and went after the ancient woman with a need for vengeance.

Eve squealed like a child and ran from the room, abandoning her plate at the counter as Trixie chased her.

Chloe smiled wide as she heard the laughs, giggles, and terrible attempts at trash talk from the two of them. She also couldn't help but notice the rare soft, affectionate smile on the demon's face.

Maze then grabbed the entire can once Chloe was done, and charged into the living room. "I'm coming, Trixie!"

"Hey! You're supposed to be on my side!" Eve yelled.

"I was here first!" Trixie argued.

"Don't make a mess!" Chloe yelled out, worried more than anything that her furniture would suffer the most.

Chloe then heard the front door open and the three of them cleared out to no doubt paint the neighborhood in cream.

Once they were alone, the partners took their own plates, and sat at the table. Chloe took a bite, and suppressed a moan. He certainly knew how to cook (Lucky her).

"Do you..." Chloe started, knowing that they couldn't continue on like nothing happened. "Do you want to talk about last night?"

Lucifer instantly tensed, and stared down at his plate. Instead of immediately responding, he ate a large bite of his toast, trying to buy himself extra time. After chewing and taking a long swallow, Lucifer finally met her eyes. "Yes... I suppose that an apology is due."

Chloe blinked at him in surprise. "An apology?"

Lucifer nodded as if what he was saying made perfect sense. "Yes... I shouldn't have unloaded all of that annoying baggage on you. I have a therapist for that very purpose."

Chloe frowned at him. "Lucifer, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for. When I said that you can talk to me, I meant it. If something is bothering you, no matter what it is, you can tell me about it. And if something is bothering me, then I hope that I can do the same."

Lucifer took a deep breath through his nose, and the side of his lip quirked up in an attempt at a smile. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me. It's something that should be a given between us." Chloe stated, then gave him a kind smile.

They continued to eat some after that in silence for a few minutes. Chloe was bringing another bite on her fork midway to her mouth when Lucifer spoke.

"There's something I've been thinking about."

Chloe froze, then lowered her fork as to give him her full attention. "Oh?"

Lucifer nodded. He felt reluctant in sharing something like this. He felt more comfortable with opening up to Linda since she was contractually obligated to not share anything they spoke of. And there was more to it. He didn't have the same fear of the Doctor hurting him like he did with Chloe.

He didn't have the fear that if he said something wrong, then he might lose her.

"I... I've been worried that..." Lucifer struggled to force the words out. "When God Johnson spoke to me... He said things that I wished... That I wished my own dad would say... But when he turned out to not be my father... It made me realize just how much I wished it was."

Lucifer leaned back in his chair and looked away from her. "And... and I've always tried to be Dad's polar opposite, if you hadn't guessed. I've always wanted to be nothing like him... But I'm worried that... Chloe, what if I'm more like him than I realize?"

Lucifer then looked back at Chloe. "What if I end up being the same father to Aurora that mine was to me? What if she spends years miserable because of me? What if you end up becoming miserable because of me? What if the apple has fallen a lot closer to the tree than we think?"

Chloe seemed to be thinking something over. Moments later she reached under the table, and took one of his hands in her own. "Do you want to know how I know that you're not him?"

"I might be a little curious." Lucifer said.

"You're here, Lucifer. That's how I know." She stated. "You're here, and I don't think that you're going anywhere. And better yet, you understand what it's like to feel abandoned. You know how much feeling unloved can hurt someone. And I think that you've already learned from your father's mistakes, even if you don't consciously know it."

Chloe squeezed his hand, once again being his tether when he needed one. "And you're not alone in this. We're in this together. We're a team. Whenever things get hard, we'll lean on each other when need be. When one of us falls short in something, the other will help. It's not going to always be easy, or come naturally... But we will figure it out."

Lucifer smiled at that, not quite believing how he managed to get so lucky. "Or as Miss Lopez would probably say, Team Deckerstar for the win!"

Chloe laughed as the mood lightened. "Team Deckerstar for the win." She agreed.

Because that's what they were.

A team.

————————

Dan awoke that morning to Charlotte drooling on his shoulder. He almost laughed when he wondered if 'Holy drool' was in any way similar to 'Holy shit'.

"Holy drool..." Dan mumbled under his breath. That's something he'll need to ask Amenadiel about.

He tried to ignore the prickling feeling in his arm and watched the sleeping goddess. It had been unusual to see Charlotte that way last night. To see a goddess so vulnerable and hurt.

It kinda made him realize that celestials really weren't that different from humans. Dan had taken a while to come to grips with it all. He only managed to be around Lucifer since he hadn't seen proof of the devil.

He knew intellectually that Lucifer was this being of immense power and had ruled over the souls of Hell whilst torturing the damned... But it was a pretty difficult concept to grasp when he watched said devil examine his own spit in Ella's microscope.

Still, Dan had tried to get through this new knowledge by simply ignoring it, and avoiding certain celestials as best he could.

He still worked with Lucifer, hung out with Amenadiel, went out for drinks with Maze... But it was difficult. He still held himself back.

And he had stopped whatever he had with Charlotte. But he'd be lying if he said that he didn't miss the time spent with her.

When he looked at Charlotte now, he didn't really see a divine Goddess of creation. What he saw was a person. A person who he begrudgingly had to admit he'd grown a soft spot for.

Goddesses, devils, angels, demons, and whatever else existed... They really were just people.

Sure, people who could snap him like a toothpick, but people nonetheless.

People who he happened to personally know. And care about.

When Dan looked at the goddess, he realized something. He liked her. Like, really liked her.

Dear God- On second thought, he needed a new expression.

Holy crap (Why did so many expressions have to be biblical?), did he have a crush on a goddess?

Dan Espinoza, homicide Detective, just another average Joe... had feelings for the Goddess of Creation. Fantastic.

Though, if his ex-wife could have a relationship with the devil, then why couldn't he have one with a goddess?

Just then Charlotte began to wake, and yawned loudly (There was nothing divine about her morning breath). "Morning." She greeted.

"Morning." Dan greeted in turn. The tingling in his arm only got worse when Charlotte moved her head and sat up.

"I should probably leave to the office." She said as she located her shoes and bra. When she picked up her items she tilted her head in amusement. "You know, this is the first time I'm leaving a man's home in the morning, and we didn't have sex."

"Well, I'm glad to be your first." Dan repeated his words from the night before.

"You're hardly my first." She played along. Then she wore a more humbled expression. "Thank... thank you for last night. I... I don't know why I had such a reaction."

Dan smiled to her. "You're welcome, Charlotte. And I'm glad that you came to me."

Charlotte smirked. "I thought that last night was the first time I didn't come to you."

Dan snorted at the joke, and shook his head. It made him a little uncomfortable sometimes how similar mother and son could be.

Charlotte then began to make her way out the door.

"Uh, Charlotte?" Dan asked, grabbing her attention. "Would you.. uhh... like to have dinner with me sometime?"

Charlotte paused and regarded him with interest. "Just dinner, or what you humans call a date?"

"As a date." He clarified.

Charlotte thought about it for a moment before responding. "Yes, I'd like that."

———————

Dan drove to the latest crime scene with the devil in the passenger seat. Having Lucifer as a temporary partner on certain cases had taken some adjusting (to say the least), but Dan had to admit that having the devil himself at your side had its perks.

But it also had its many annoyances. Oh well, he can't have a worse partner than Malcolm. That's for sure.

Dan had started to regret asking Charlotte out almost immediately after she left. He couldn't stop thinking about the whole goddess part of the equation.

And the fact that her son was his daughter's sibling's father didn't help anything be less weird. Especially when that son was sitting inches away from him, and would probably kick his ass the second he realized what had been happening.

"Do I need to open a window, Daniel?" Lucifer asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What? Why would you?" Dan asked in confusion.

"You keep screwing up your face more than normal. It looks like your about to pass wind." Lucifer replied.

Dan rolled his eyes and sighed in response (He now knew why Chloe did that so often). "I'm good." He said, deadpan.

Lucifer shrugged, then went back to doing something on his phone. "Just give me a warning if that changes. I'm still airing out the suit I was wearing during that stakeout."

Dan's eye twitched at the memory. Let's just say that it had been a long night, there had been a lot of junk food, no restrooms in sight, and a car had backfired, scaring the shit out of Dan... That was a poor choice of words.

Dan chose to ignore that comment, really wanting to forget about it. A few minutes later they got stuck in the famous LA traffic.

Dan sighed as he leaned back in his seat, and tapped his finger against the wheel. He kept thinking about Charlotte, and felt more and more insecure.

What made it worse was that he didn't really have anyone to talk to about it. He didn't have many friends outside of the celestials, especially after the Palmetto mess.

Amenadiel was a good friend, but he had less experience in relationships than Dan, and probably wouldn't be much help. Maze was... Well, Maze. Ella didn't really have the best track record in romance. Linda would probably be a good person to talk to, but he really didn't know her that well. Chloe would probably have the best advice, but he didn't feel too comfortable just yet with talking to his ex-wife about things like this.

Who did that leave...

Dan glanced at the devil, and instantly hated the idea. Great, just great. Out of all the people Dan knows, Lucifer freaking Morningstar probably has the most successful relationship. Fan-fucking-tastic.

"Can I ask your advice on something?" Dan blurted without thinking it through, and was instantly filled with regret.

Lucifer looked up in mild surprise. "Yes, you should stop using that Dad-awful gasoline that you claim to be cologne."

Dan narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "I actually had a topic in mind."

How Chloe hasn't shot him yet, Dan had no idea... Actually, there was that one time she shot him by accident. But he was beginning to suspect that it hadn't been much of an 'accident' at all.

Dan drove a few inches before stopping again. "The thing is... I've been seeing this woman lately, and it hasn't yet been anything serious. Just physical."

"Oh?" Lucifer asked in amusement. "Daniel, are you a booty call? My, I didn't think you had it in you!"

Dan rolled his eyes, and continued on. "Anyway, up until recently, it hasn't been much more than a... Okay fine, yes, a booty call. Stop grinning. And I just realized that I.. that I have feelings for her. So I asked her out today..."

"And? I'm not seeing a problem." Lucifer asked.

"Well... She's a little out of my league." More like light years out of it.

"That's never stopped you before." Lucifer said. "I still cannot fathom how you managed to get the Detective to marry you. She's in an entire different game all together. Luckily she's come to her senses and is now finally dating within what should be her standards." The devil stated the last part smugly.

"Thanks, man. You've been a huge help." Dan sassed irritably.

Lucifer laughed and crossed his legs. "Did this mystery woman have a lapse in judgment and say yes to this date?"

"Yes."

"Well, then who cares about leagues? You desire her, for some reason she desires you, go for it! Human lives are so brief, and most of it is spent second guessing. It's sad, really. So many of you humans would be so much happier if you simply do as I say, and follow your desires."

Dan mulled over his words. Was it really that simple? Should he just listen to the devil, and follow his desires? It sounded so straight forward when he put it like that.

Things felt so much so much simpler before Dan knew. Not just with Charlotte, but everything else, too. He now constantly second-guessed his decisions.

He now constantly worried if a small decision like say, should he use almond milk in his coffee, might heighten his chances of going to Hell.

And he also worried about if people he cared for might go to Hell. He worried about Trixie's future most of all, and had even briefly considered military school (Luckily Chloe had talked him out of it).

But with all of this worrying, all of this second-guessing... Trying to have something with Charlotte, Dan knew that's something he wanted. He knew that he wanted to give it a shot.

And she seemed to want to try it, too.

He was already worrying about so much that he couldn't completely control, why second guess this?

Why worry over one of the few things that he knew could be a good thing?

Why not just go for it?

"So, who is this woman with odd taste in men?" Lucifer asked with a teasing grin.

Dan hit the brake suddenly, and squeezed the life out of the steering wheel. Crap. "Uh, she's... short and brunette." Dan panicked.

"Short and brunette?" Lucifer asked.

"Yep. And she hates lawyers." Dan threw in for no real reason.

"Short, brunette, and hates lawyers... Sounds like a catch." Lucifer commented. "Does this lawyer hating brunette have a name?"

Just as Dan felt panic settle in, his phone rang. He almost cried in relief when it turned out to be Chloe, and answered.

Names of mysterious women were soon forgotten after that.

After a few minutes of consideration after Chloe had hung up, Lucifer turned back to Dan. "Did you hypnotize her when you proposed?"

"For the last time, Chloe married me because she wanted to. Not because I drugged her, or blackmailed her, or whatever else you've come up with." Dan said in deep annoyance, having already had similar conversations with the devil.

"... I'll figure it out eventually." Lucifer said, then continued to play his phone games.

——————-

Linda marched through newsroom with purpose, making her way to Reese's office.

She mentally cringed when people greeted her as Mrs. Getty. Well, they won't be able to do that soon.

She opened Reese's door, and found him reading something on the computer. His eyes lit up and he smiled when he saw her walk in, and Linda felt the tiniest twinge of guilt. She couldn't help it. She used to love him, and didn't want to see him hurt. But this was necessary.

Before he could say anything, Linda placed the divorce papers on his desk. The light extinguished from his eyes and his smile fell. As a response, he reached into his desk drawer, and pulled out a print out flyer and handed it to her.

Linda read it over, and frowned. "Marriage counseling? Reese, we've already tried this."

"But not with this counselor." He argued. "I hear that he's one of the best. Come on, Linda. We can't give up without trying."

"We have tried." Linda insisted. "We've tried, and it hasn't worked. It's been a constant cycle of trying, and I can't do it anymore. It's time we moved on."

"But, Linda, I love you. We can work-"

"I'm pregnant." Lunda blurted, hoping that at least that would get through to him.

He froze, and stared at her like she's grown a third eye. "You're what?"

Linda nodded. "Yes. About eight weeks. I've moved on, Reese. The only tie I have to you is legally." Linda knew that she was being cold, but she was tired of fighting him on this.

Reese was shocked into silence, and she allowed him time to absorb it. He leaned back in his chair, and looked at the divorce papers on his desk. "... You really have moved on, haven't you?" He said with a hint of bitterness.

Linda nodded and crossed her arms. "I have."

Reese swallowed. After a moment, he slowly picked up a pen, and read the papers over. Linda practically held her breath as he brought the pen over to it. His hand trembled as he finally signed it.

Linda felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders and can finally breath again. This part of her life was finally over.

He dropped the pen and papers onto the desk once he was done, and stared at the wall. "How did things get like this?"

Linda sighed. "We were just never meant for each other."

"It used to feel like we did." Reese said as he remembered the early years of their marriage.

"I think that we were meant for each other back then... But never for long term." Linda said. Even though Linda was more than ready to move on, she did sometimes find herself missing the early years.

They used to make each other happy, once upon a time. But as Linda had learned the hard way, some things just weren't meant to last forever.

She took the divorce papers, and gave him a sad smile. "I hope that you find happiness, Reese. I really do."

Linda then walked out the door with an immense feeling of relief, glad to finally end that chapter of her life.

Linda placed a loving hand on her stomach and smiled. And she was so excited to tackle this new page.

——————-

Amenadiel stood in Linda's kitchen, staring at the photo hanging on the fridge.

The ultrasound photo of their child.

He could hardly believe that it was real. That he was going to be a father. He never knew it to be possible before. And before coming to Earth, he never imagined it being something he would want.

But when he'd found out about Lucifer's impending fatherhood, and had started paying more attention to the children of earth... Amenadiel had often times found himself imagining what it would be like to be human.

Truly human.

To not have to worry about Heaven and Hell. To not have countless responsibilities. To not have a father he constantly wished to please. To not suddenly doubt everything he's ever known after falling from grace.

To be blissfully ignorant to everything celestial. To be free to choose their own path with no worry over 'The Grand Plan'. To fall in love, form families. To be free.

Maybe this is what being human feels like. Confusing, bizarre, terrifying, aggravating, infuriating. But also exciting, fulfilling, enlightening, interesting, surprising, beautiful.

Amenadiel would be lying if he said that he didn't enjoy parts of humanity. Of being apart of humanity, even if just physically.

Amenadiel lifted a hand traced it across the outline of his child in the photo. It was only a little blob at the moment, but it was the most precious blob he's ever seen.

But even though he was happy with the baby, it didn't extinguish his concerns of how this child came into existence.

Lucifer had a theory that it was due to his current mortality, but that didn't explain Aurora's existence.

Could the children be a gift, like Amenadiel's first guess? A test? Or a bribe?

They were coming closer to assembling the sword, but this development made Amenadiel feel hesitant. Now that Amenadiel had a baby on the line, he now took a lot longer to evaluate the risks.

This was God they were going after. God, along the entire legion of Heaven. The more he thought about it, the more insane it sounded.

But he couldn't stop imagining Uriel's grave, and everything that had led up to that. Father could've easily prevented Uriel's death. He could've easily prevented so much pain. Now that Amenadiel thought about it, he realized that God could've prevented the rebellion.

But he had chosen not to.

He had chosen to allow the chips to fall where they would, and allowed their family to fall apart.

After that talk he'd had with God Johnson, and the talk he'd had with Linda afterwards... He finally realized that God wasn't who he thought he was.

God wasn't this perfect being who loved his loyal children. He wasn't this being who cared about anyone's wellbeing. He wasn't the perfect father.

Amenadiel had dedicated the majority of his life to pleasing Father. He had spent so much energy focusing on what God wanted. And somewhere along the way, Amenadiel had forgotten what he himself wanted... Assuming that he's ever known in the first place.

Amenadiel has finally realized that he shouldn't cling to an empty hope that it would all change someday. He realized that he should just accept the painful reality, and move on.

Figure out what he wanted.

And another thing Amenadiel realized, is that he didn't want to be the same parent his own father was.

Amenadiel glanced briefly upwards, then looked back at the photo he was caressing. "I promise that I'll be better." He said.

Amenadiel's word might not be as bonding as Lucifer's was, but he had never spoken truer words than that in all his eons.

"That you'll be better at what?" Linda asked as she made her way into the kitchen.

"Nothing." Amenadiel said as he shook off his prior thoughts. "How did it go?"

Linda sat her purse on the counter, and pulled out the signed papers. "I did it! I got him to sign it!"

Amenadiel smiled at her victory. "Congratulations."

Linda grinned and pulled the bottle of cranberry juice from the fridge. Amenadiel stared at the photo more scrutinizingly as Linda poured herself a glass.

"It's probably too early..." Amenadiel mumbled to himself.

"Too early for what?" Linda asked before taking a sip of her drink.

"To see the wings."

Linda choked on her juice and spit all over her kitchen floor. "The WHAT?!"

———————

Later that night, Chloe and Lucifer worked on baby proofing the apartment. Well, Chloe worked, while Lucifer watched and commented as he saw fit.

Chloe sat on the kitchen floor as she worked on attaching the Child Safety Strap onto the cabinets. Lucifer leaned against the counter as he watched.

"I fail to see why this needs our immediate attention." Lucifer whined. He'd been hoping that they would be partaking in more vigorous activities. "From what I've read, the helpless little bugger won't even be able to lift her own head at first."

"I understand that." Chloe said as she continued to work. "But when she's here and taking all of our attention, we won't have time to baby proof anything. It's just easier to do it now and get it out of the way. Trust me, I've been through this before."

Lucifer sighed but relented, knowing that his balls would be on the bluer side that night. "Fine. But what should we do about the ceiling? Bubble wrap it?"

Chloe paused and finally looked up at him. "Why would we bubble wrap the ceiling?"

"In case she has wings, of course." Lucifer said casually with crossed arms.

Chloe's eyes widened. Right, celestial baby. The fact that her unborn child might have wings, was still sinking in. Chloe gulped before answering. "Maybe we should stick to the cabinets for now."

Lucifer shrugged, but didn't argue.

"Could you make yourself useful and be my DJ?" Chloe asked as she averted her attention to the next cabinet.

Lucifer rolled his eyes but took her phone from its spot on the counter, and looked through her playlist that's never escaped the 90s.

He ended up choosing 'What is love' by 'Haddaway'.

Chloe bobbed her head lightly to the beat, and mumbled the lyrics under her breath. Just then she felt a kick in her side.

The kicks continued until the song ended. Before Lucifer could pick another one, Chloe stopped him. "Play it again."

He complied, and the kicks returned once the song played. Chloe grinned smugly at the devil. "She keeps kicking when that song is on. Rory likes it!"

Lucifer's eyes widened in horror. "Oh no, she has your taste? For the love of Dad, I hope that music is where it ends... Even though that particular one hurts."

Chloe simply laughed and gestured for him to come closer. "You wanna feel it or not, before she stops?"

Lucifer barely hesitated before taking the phone with him, and sat on the floor (An action that would horrify his old self). He placed his hand on Chloe's stomach once she lifted her shirt, and felt the kicks.

After all these months, he didn't feel nearly as shell-shocked now as he did when he first felt the kicks in the precinct.

In fact, he'd go as far as to think that a part of him enjoyed it. Though he'd never admit it out loud.

They kept on replaying the song since Aurora seemed to enjoy it so much (Or despise it, as Lucifer was hoping). They played a few more of Chloe's 90s hits, and yielded the same results.

They then played a couple of Lucifer's choice of songs, which also caused her to kick.

"I think that she just enjoys music." Chloe admitted.

"Clever girl." Lucifer said endearingly, which caused Chloe's heart to soar. "But the first thing I'll need to teach her is the importance of taste and standards. Can't have her wearing polyester or listening to Justin Bieber."

He shuddered at the very thought.

Chloe rolled her eyes and laughed. Lucifer's hand still rested on her bump, and she covered it with one of her own.

"This is how I know." She said with complete certainty.

Lucifer frowned at the sudden change of topic. "Know what?"

"That you're not your father. Moments like this, are proof." Chloe stated with a loving smile.

Lucifer's seemed surprised, and looked down at her stomach. He then wore an unsteady smile and looked back into her eyes, his own full of uncertainty, but also hope.. "For everyone's sake, let's hope so."

Chapter Text

One week later...

Lucifer walked back into the precinct after retrieving the Detective's requests like an errand boy. But since he didn't have, as she put it, the spawn of Satan eating all his food in his uterus, then he couldn't complain.

He carried a brown paper bag of greasy fried onion rings, and a plastic grocery bag of Hershey's chocolate syrup.

How those two things somehow went hand in hand, he wasn't sure.

"Your personal DoorDash has arrived!" Lucifer announced cheerily as he placed the items on her desk.

Chloe smiled when she smelled the spices of the onion rings and began to dig into the bag. "Thanks, Lucifer."

Lucifer nodded in acknowledgment, then sat down in the extra chair at the other side of her desk, and began playing a game of sex Scrabble with Maze. Just as Lucifer was about to win the game with cervix, he heard the noise of something being squeezed out of a bottle.

He looked up to see the Detective squeezing chocolate syrup into a paper cup from the break room, and then when that was done, she sat the bottle aside, and picked up an onion ring.

And much to Lucifer's horror, she dipped said onion ring into the chocolate, and then took a bite out of it as she resumed her work on the computer.

"What on earth did I just witness?" Lucifer asked incredulously.

She looked up at him in mild confusion. "What?"

"The way you just defiled the onion ring!"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "It's called pregnancy cravings, Lucifer." She deadpanned.

"It's disgusting, that's what it's called!" Lucifer corrected. "Eggs make you nauseous, but this appeases your appetite?"

Chloe only snorted, and continued to eat her 'defiled' onions as her partner gaped.

As Dan walked by their desk, he caught sight of the onions and chocolate. He chuckled and nodded towards them. "Back to those again, huh?"

Chloe nodded as Lucifer frowned. "Again? What are you talking about?" The devil asked.

"Chloe used to eat those a lot towards the end of Trixie's pregnancy." Dan explained before making his way to the break room.

Lucifer sat frowning for a minute before snatching a notebook and pen from Chloe's desk, and making his way to the break room. Inside he found Daniel in the process of making his coffee in his #1 Dad mug.

Daniel took a carton of almond milk from the fridge, but hesitated when he was about to pour it into the coffee. He seemed to be debating something for a moment, then ultimately put it back without using it.

"You're already familiar with all of the Detective's habits during pregnancy, yes?" Lucifer inquired.

Dan looked up at him, only just now noticing the devil's presence. "It's been almost nine years, and some things could've changed... But yeah, I know Chloe's habits, for the most part."

Lucifer nodded, then put his pen to paper, and fixed Daniel with a serious look. "Alright, then what are they?"

Dan blinked in surprise. "What?"

"I don't want to be taken surprise again by another vile food combo like say, pickles and chocolate. Now, chop chop! I don't have all day."

Dan shrugged then leaned against the countertop. "Okay... But just so you know, Chloe's never once craved pickles and chocolate, thank god."

Once Dan noticed Lucifer's flat look over his last word, he gulped. "Sorry, forgot who I was talking to for a minute..."

Lucifer rolled his eyes, then leaned against the counter, at full attention.

"The onions and chocolate is probably the weirdest food combo she likes." Dan said. "Though, there was that one time she dipped fried shrimp into white chocolate sauce."

Lucifer screwed his face up in disgust. "She what?"

"To be fair, she thought that the chocolate was ranch dressing at first... She wasn't crazy about it, but she kept eating the shrimp like that anyway."

Lucifer pictured it in his mind, then shuddered as he took notes.

"I'd steer clear of most eggs and tuna, especially canned." Dan advised.

"Already covered on the eggs." Lucifer said, but he added the tuna to his list of no-no's.

Dan nodded, sat his coffee on the counter, and then rummaged through the fridge as he wracked his brain for any other eating habits Chloe used to have.

"Chloe also likes jalapeños, especially when-" He cut himself off and glared as he pulled out the half eaten pudding cup that said 'Dan' on the lid. Dan shut the door and gave Lucifer a pointed glare. "Seriously, dude?"

"What?" Lucifer asked with fake innocence. "It could have been anyone. Or perhaps it was you, and the pudding finally gave you short term memory loss like that blue fish Beatrice likes so much."

Dan just continued to glare, not falling for a single word. "I thought that you finally stopped pulling this kinda crap."

"I only put it on hold when you and the Detective were going through your respective existential crises." Lucifer replied.

Dan paused, and analyzed Lucifer's choice of words. "...You stopped stealing my pudding when I was going through a hard time?"

That was... actually really thoughtful. Something Dan didn't think Lucifer could do.

Lucifer huffed indignantly and crossed his arms. "I stopped when the Detective was still coming to grips with divinity." He stated vaguely.

"But my pudding doesn't effect Chloe. And if i'm remembering correctly, you didn't crack nearly as many insults my way for awhile." Dan objected, then wore a smug smile. "You were being nice to me!"

Lucifer glared as if he's just been insulted. "How dare you?"

Dan laughed and slapped his own knee.

Lucifer rolled his eyes and scowled. "Either way, the both of you have now gotten over having your brains melted, so it's business as usual."

Dan's laughter died down, and he looked at the half empty pudding cup in his hand before throwing it in the trash. "If I told you that I was scared shitless of you being the devil, then would you leave my snacks alone?"

Lucifer thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "Unlikely."

Dan glared again. "One of these days, I'll put laxatives in one of them."

Lucifer chuckled at the threat. "I'm the devil, Daniel. If something as mundane as laxatives could harm me, don't you think I would've been dead from one thing or another long ago?"

"But from what I've heard, you also used to be invulnerable 24/7 until Chloe was around." Dan pointed out. "Who's to say that she couldn't change those odds?"

They both fell into silence as they both considered different things. Dan wondered how many laxatives he should use, when, and if he should set up a camera in front of the fridge, while Lucifer wondered if there was a way to know how to find hidden laxatives.

As they both thought more about celestial bowel movements then they have ever before, Dan received a text.

It turned out to be from Charlotte, confirming their date that night. Dan quickly answered, and put the phone back in his pocket before Lucifer could see who it was from.

Lucifer quirked an eyebrow at how quickly Dan hid the phone out of his sight. "That wouldn't happen to be from a certain brunette... Would it?"

Dan gulped, eyes widening slightly in panic. Since there was likely no convincing Lucifer otherwise, Dan nodded stiffly. "Yeah, we've got a date tonight."

Lucifer smirked with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Ooooh, planning on getting some action, eh? If you're in any need for condoms, I bought several different kinds in bulk after finding out about the Detective's pregnancy."

Lucifer then glanced down at Dan's pants. "Though, mine might be a little loose on you, but it should work if you maneuver it carefully. I even have a few flavored ones for extra fun."

Dan's face practically burned and he felt like he might be sick. God, if only Lucifer knew...

"I just remembered that I have a... thing to do." Dan said as he hurried out of the room, forgetting entirely about the coffee, ironically the sole reason for him being there in the first place.

————————

Later that night, Dan and Charlotte exited the movie theater in high spirits.

Dinner had gone very well, and since they hadn't wanted the night to end just yet, they had went to see an adventure movie.

A movie that the goddess had teased Dan for liking.

"Quicksand takes a lot longer to drown in than a few seconds!" The goddess reasoned with a laugh as they both made their way to Dan's car. "And their interpretation of physics was horrendous!"

"What are you, an expert?" Dan said teasingly.

"I created both things. At least half of it." Charlotte stated. "So yes, I might be an expert."

Dan stopped in place, eyes widening for a moment. As he stood frozen for several moments, he eventually shook his head and resumed walking. "You helped create physics... Why am I even surprised anymore?"

"Beats me." She answered with a light shrug. A chilly wind unlike usual LA weather swept through, and Charlotte shivered in her airy, sleeveless dress.

Dan noticed this and paused their search for the car in the maze-like parking lot. "You cold?"

Charlotte sighed irritably. "One of the many drawbacks of humanity. Depressingly funny to think that cold wasn't even a concept to me before... I guess it's true what they say. When the mighty fall, they fall hard."

Dan knitted his brow as he thought that over. After a moment, he shrugged off his leather jacket and draped it around her shoulders. The goddess blinked in surprise and looked at him.

"It won't make up for lack of divinity, but at least it's something." He commented a little awkwardly before he resumed walking.

When he wasn't looking, the goddess wrapped the jacket around herself tighter and grinned softly. It was only a small gesture. A regular occurrence between mortals. But the goddess found it oddly endearing, and couldn't help but feel joy in such a simple thing.

Once they finally located the car, Dan got into the driver's seat while Charlotte took the passenger's.

Dan began to drive out, heading only towards his place, like they'd agreed earlier.

"I've never been on a date before." The goddess blurted.

Dan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?" At her nod, he couldn't help but let out a surprised chuckle. "Well, I hope that it met your expectations."

Charlotte thought about what her previous expectations were for a moment. "It was much more... ordinary, than I was expecting. But in a good way, if that makes sense."

"Ordinary but in a good way..." Dan said as he considered it. "I've heard worse from exes."

They both shared a laugh, feeling that the night had been a success.

Dan reached over and took one of Charlotte's hands in his own free one. The goddess held his hand back, and came to a realization in that moment.

Earth might be a boring, dull, and horrid compared to Heaven...

But there could be rare exceptions.

———————

Chloe and Trixie were clearing the kitchen table after dinner when they heard Lucifer's voice booming from upstairs.

"DETECTIVE!"

Mother and daughter looked at each other questioningly as they heard Lucifer's loud stomps coming down the stairs.

Once he came into sight, they saw that he held up the dress from IKEA between his thumb and forefinger like it was something foul. "You bought it?!" Lucifer asked incredulously. "I thought we talked about polyester!"

Chloe snorted and physically couldn't stop herself from laughing. Trixie simply looked between them in confusion.

Lucifer glared, completely serious. "Oh, you think that condemning our child to sweaty days in the unforgiving sun and chafing is funny?"

"Are you serious?" Chloe asked through a laugh.

"As a bloody heart attack!"

Chloe swallowed, reminding herself that this was a several-billion-year-old-man-child who she loved, and tried to force herself to be serious. "Lucifer, it's just a dress that happens to have some polyester in it."

"Sixty percent!" Lucifer exclaimed angrily as he shoved the label in her direction. "Sixty-bloody-percent!"

"You're upset over a dress?" Trixie asked with amusement. "You're such a drama Queen!"

Lucifer glared down at the child indignantly. "I am not!"

"Yes you are!" Trixie argued. "You shouldn't be called the King of Hell, but instead the Queen of Drama!"

Lucifer looked up at Chloe angrily, and pointed a finger at Trixie. "Control your spawn so that we can talk about ours."

Trixie rolled her eyes and pushed his hand away. "You're only mad cause you know I'm right. You're already almost a Disney princess anyway."

Chloe snorted a laugh and had to cover her face with her hands to stifle the laughs as Lucifer's jaw dropped. Chloe was surprised that his eyes didn't turn red.

"How dare you?" He seethed at the urchin.

While a lesser being might cower at the devil's wrath, Trixie only shrugged with a grin. "Think about it. Your house is like a castle. You have lots of money. You have a huge closet with clothes that are a lot of money. You've got that golden crown that you won't let me wear. And you’ve got special powers. The only thing you're missing is an animal sidekick."

"Why would I need an animal sidekick when I've got you?" He asked with crossed arms. "Something far more feral."

Trixie stuck her tongue out at him and blew a raspberry. And Lucifer, being the mature adult he is, returned the gesture.

Chloe placed a hand on her stomach, and sighed. For the sake of her sanity, she really hoped that Rory inherited her patience.

"Okay, that's enough." Chloe stated before anyone started throwing things. "Monkey, you should go get ready for bed. It's getting close to your bedtime."

Trixie began to protest, but stopped once Chloe gave her the oh so dreaded 'Mom look'. The girl sighed heavily, and dragged her feet as she made her way to the bathroom upstairs for her nightly shower.

But before going upstairs, she turned back to the adults. "Oh, I forgot something from the list!" Trixie announced. "Just like a Disney princess, you've also found true love."

And with that, Trixie scurried up the stairs, leaving two now awkward adults in her wake.

They stood in silence for a moment, both trying to hide secret smiles at Trixie's observation.

"What was I talking about before?" Lucifer wondered as he fingered the small dress still in his hands. He then froze, and looked down at the dress in his hands as his scowl returned.

He threw the dress to the table like it had stung him, and crossed his arms defiantly. "Aurora isn't wearing that torture device."

Chloe sighed and rolled her eyes. Sometimes she forgot just how pompous he could be. He could be so stubborn that it made her want to pull her damn hair out. And she knew that the feeling hadn't started with the dress, and also knew that it wouldn't end there.

"You do know that changes come with having a child?" Chloe asked calmly.

Lucifer furrowed his brow and tilted his head slightly at her. "I'm very much aware of that, Detective."

Chloe nodded, then crossed her own arms. "And one of those inevitable changes, is that you'll have to loosen up on some things, Lucifer. You can't keep such a tight rein on every little thing you don't like. There will be times when you'll have to make compromises you don't want to make."

Lucifer's scowl softened slightly, but he still kept his arms crossed. "I understand that, but I truly think that she'll be better off without plastic clothes mass produced in China."

Chloe bit her tongue on his last comment, since she herself wore clothes that also happened to be mass produced in China. But, as annoying as he was currently being, he did deserve an equal say when it came to their daughter.

"It's really that important to you?" Chloe asked. At Lucifer's nod, Chloe moved her hands to her hips, and considered it.

"How about we make a deal?" She asked. "If I promise to not buy anymore polyester clothes without your consent, then can you promise to loosen up on other things when the time calls for it?"

Lucifer considered the proposition for a moment, then his scowl was completely replaced by a closed-lip smile. He held up his hand for her, and Chloe took it.

When they shook, confirming the deal, Chloe felt a light tingle go through her arm. It was subtle, and she probably wouldn't have even noticed it if she hadn't known just how supernatural this man was.

"Deal." Lucifer agreed, then he smiled and helped her with the remaining dishes.

After a moment, Chloe laughed her head off as she realized something. At Lucifer's strange look, she explained the reason behind her amusement. "I just made a deal with the devil. Over a baby dress."

Lucifer rolled his eyes as Chloe continued to giggle. Lucifer then got a glint in his eye, and bent until his face was inches from hers. "You know, some people feel overwhelming carnal desire after making a deal with me..."

After the suggestive waggle of his eyebrows, Chloe pretended to consider it. But after a moment she shook her head and feigned disappointment. "Can't say that it's one of my kinks, sorry."

But that didn't deter him. "So, you do have kinks? What, pray tell, would those be?"

Chloe blushed slightly as she remembered a very vivid dream she once had after their first kiss.

Chloe was then saved (Or ruined, depends on how you look at it) by Trixie's voice from the top of the stairs. "What's a kink?"

Chloe's blush got a hundred times worse while Lucifer laughed.

"Can I have one?" Trixie asked, making the situation so much worse.

"NO!" Chloe shouted and smacked Lucifer's shoulder when he began to belly laugh. "I'll tell you what it is when you're older. Also, what have I told you about eavesdropping?"

"That it's an important life skill?" Trixie tried.

Chloe narrowed her eyes at the stairs. "That's what Maze told you. Not me. Go take your shower before I take your phone for the night!"

That got Trixie moving, and they heard the bathroom door slamming moments later.

Lucifer wiped tears of laughter from his eyes once he'd calmed down. "Maze has proven to be quite the influence on your urchin."

"Yeah, it's just Maze who's been an influence." Chloe said flatly. The Detective knew for a fact that Trixie hadn't picked up her penchant for deals from the demon, but had instead learned it from a much older deity.

Lucifer only nodded, not seeing her hidden meaning. "Well, she's not entirely wrong. I mean, you and I have solved a few cases with the help of eavesdroppers."

Chloe narrowed her eyes dubiously. "Yeah, but I don't want my eight year old to pick up those habits."

"One of the inevitable changes of parenthood, is loosening up." Lucifer said, smugly throwing her words right back in her face.

He then looked back at the dress on the table, and wrinkled his nose at it. "Speaking of which, what should we do with that?"

Chloe looked at it, then shrugged. "I don't know. We can give it to Trixie for one of her dolls."

Lucifer seemed to accept that option, but still had one of his own. "Or we can disintegrate it."

Chloe rolled her eyes, and once again reminded herself that she loved him, even if he could sometimes drive her to the edge of insanity.

Chapter Text

One month later...

Chloe was currently being led by Lucifer through his penthouse, blindfolded.

The nursery in his penthouse was finished, and she hadn't seen it since that last time when it was unfinished. And Lucifer just had to be as dramatic about it as possible.

"Is the blindfold really necessary?" She asked again.

"Of course, Detective. Wouldn't want you peeking." He said with a grin in his voice. Chloe simply sighed, and allowed herself to be led.

Then Lucifer stopped her, and took the blind fold off. "Viola!"

Chloe opened her eyes, and took in the room. Three out of the four walls were painted a light teal that made the room feel both airy and homey. The moulding was white, and had little roses carved into it. The crib stood at the far wall, along with a changing table and rocking chair, all dark wood. The room was feminine, but not overly girly.

But the most eye catching thing in the room, was the far left wall.

On that wall was a gorgeous mural that depicted a tree that had white flowers on it. Chloe couldn't quite identify what tree it was, only that it was beautiful. And behind the tree was a dark sky with stars and constellations.

"Wow, Lucifer... it's beautiful!" She said with a bright smile. Chloe walked closer to the mural in order to inspect it further.

Chloe felt Lucifer wrap his arms around her waist, then bent down and placed his chin atop her head.

"I certainly hope so, since I paid quite a bit for this one wall." He said. "It's the tree of life." Lucifer said more softly now.

"The tree of life?" Chloe asked.

"Yes, from Heaven. It's not a perfect likeness, since the painter only had my description to go on... But it's pretty damn close."

Chloe's eyes widened slightly as she inspected the mural further. With how much Lucifer seemed to detest Heaven, the last thing Chloe expected would be for him to have a mural commissioned of it. "What's the tree like?" She asked.

Lucifer hesitated a moment before responding, probably trying to put it into words. "Well, it's long gone by now. This was from a time before Eve and Adam."

Lucifer's voice took a wistful air to it. "When I was young, I used to often play in the branches with a few of my siblings. Especially Michael and Azrael. We used to chase each other through the branches and throw fallen twigs at one another."

Lucifer chuckled as he walked down memory lane. "It used to drive my brother Zadkiel to near insanity. He's always been obsessed with that particular plant. I'm pretty sure that he still has the staff made from it."

When Lucifer looked at the mural, he wasn't seeing the painting, but the real thing, in his minds eye. "It's been quite a while since I've last thought about it."

"Well, thank you for telling me about it." Chloe said. She turned around in his arms, and wrapped her own around him, though it was getting trickier with her 7-plus-month stomach.

Lucifer swallowed, then looked away from the mural, and turned his gaze to her eyes. He shook off the memories, then wore his signature grin. "You're very welcome. Now, we should probably get a wriggle on! Your urchin's birthing cake won't buy itself!"

Lucifer then walked out of the room to search for bakeries.

"It's called birthday cake, Lucifer!" Chloe called out to him as she followed.

She took one last look at the room before closing the door behind her.

———————

The next day, they arrived to the bowling alley to celebrate Trixie's 9th birthday.

Chloe, Lucifer, Dan, and the birthday girl herself were the first ones to arrive, along with a couple girls from Trixie's school and their parents.

Chloe looked around, and found it odd that their party seemed to be the only customers around. Especially considering the fact that it was a Saturday.

"Huh," Chloe said to Lucifer as they walked back to their benches after getting their and Trixie's shoes. "Kinda weird that nobody else is here."

"Oh, no it isn't." Lucifer replied casually. "I booked all the lanes for today."

Chloe stopped walking and gaped at him. "You... what? Booked all the lanes? We can't afford that!"

"But I can. And if anything, it's more for my sake than the urchin's. This way, I don't have to interact with anymore underaged humans then I have to." Lucifer defended.

Chloe huffed and rolled her eyes. "Okay, you and I are going to have to talk about the dangers of spoiled children, and soon." She said before she resumed walking.

A few minutes later after everyone had gotten their shoes on (Chloe had reluctantly had to ask Lucifer for help, since bending over had gotten to the point it became a task), a few people had begun filing in with wrapped gifts.

Maze and Eve being the first. Followed closely by Ella. Then Amenadiel and Linda. Three more of Trixie's classmates and their parents or guardians. And then surprisingly-

"Mum?" Lucifer asked as the goddess made her way towards them, carrying a gift basket. "What are you doing here?"

"The little one invited me." Charlotte explained as she pointed in the general direction of Trixie. "I hope that isn't a problem."

"No, not at all." Lucifer said, then he looked at the contents of the basket.

"A client gave it to me." The goddess explained. "And I hear that re-gifting is like a religion among humans."

"Mmm, well, I'm sure that she'll enjoy the fudge... Though we'll probably have to take out the wine before giving it to her." Lucifer pointed out.

Charlotte nodded her agreement. "Right, good idea."

Lucifer then showed her where the pull out table was set up for gifts and the still boxed cake, and then they began the game.

Thirty minutes later, it was Ella's turn. She did a ritual which included petting the ball, shaking her hips, and sending a prayer in Spanish before finally rolling it. She got a strike and jumped up. "BOOYAH BABY!"

The forensic scientist did finger guns at Trixie, who giggled in response.

Lucifer leaned back in the bench as he sat beside the Detective. "My, I don't believe I've done this since... When was it we went to that singer's rager who had a lane in his mansion, Maze?"

Maze, who had stood up for her turn, paused as she thought about it. "1983, I think. Maybe 84'. That was the same guy who had the tank of piranhas, right?"

Lucifer nodded his confirmation. "That's right. I believe it was 83'. He loved compensating for his lack of rhythm." Lucifer grinned at Chloe. "Which I got to witness first hand."

Chloe sent him a warning glare. "Lucifer, there are children present. Don't be gross."

Lucifer frowned, then he realized what she was insinuating. "Oh, no! I was talking about his voice. Completely tone death, made me want to rip my ears off just listening to him. He only made it with his daddy's money and connections."

Lucifer then lowered his voice. "But now that you mention it, he wasn't that much better in bed. I pretty much had to do all the work-"

"OKAY!" Chloe practically yelled, hoping to change the subject. "Maze, you gonna do it?"

Maze took her ball (which adorned a flaming skull on it), walked over to the lane, and didn't even bother to look as she rolled it. And of course, she still managed to get a strike.

"Who's turn is it now?" Trixie asked after high-fiving her favorite demon.

"Dan's, I think." Ella answered as she looked around. "Where is Dan, anyway? And where's Charlotte for that matter, too?"

"I think they went to the arcade." Linda answered from her seat.

"Oh, alright." Ella said as she stood up. "I'll go get em' real quick."

———————

"This is a bad idea." Dan whispered as he sat in the photo booth with Charlotte straddling his lap and kissing his neck.

"You're sleeping with the Divine Goddess, we're way past bad ideas." Charlotte said with a seductive smile.

"We can get caught!" Dan protested.

"That's why it's so fun!"

Dan rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the moan escape him. "It's my daughter's birthday. I should be out there celebrating it with her, not in here with you."

How did Dan even allow her to talk him into coming into the photo booth to begin with?

He couldn't possibly think straight with her proximity. After their date a month ago, they had somehow fallen back into their previous relationship. But now, something about it seemed a little different. They now hung out together doing simple things, besides just sex. And neither of them had been with anyone else.

Though now, Dan was even more terrified of anyone (Lucifer) finding out.

"Oh, I'm sure she won't even notice your absence with all the sugar clouding her mind." Charlotte assured. She then resumed kissing his neck, and Dan (against his better judgment), leaned back and allowed her, closing his eyes.

But then he thought he heard the curtain being pulled back, and a gasp.

Dan's eyes snapped open and he turned his head to see Ella staring at them, jaw dropped, and eyes wide as saucers.

"Sorry!" She apologized and quickly closed the curtain.

Dan quickly pushed Charlotte off of himself, and hurried after Ella. He found her near the claw machines, pacing and biting her nails.

She stopped when she saw him, crossed her arms, and gave him a questioning stare. "So, I guess when it comes to Lucifer or Amenadiel, all of those yo mama jokes apply, huh?"

Dan cringed and laughed nervously. "Look, Ella... What you saw... Can we, uh, keep this between us?" He asked awkwardly. "Charlotte and I don't really want anyone to know that we're sleeping together-"

"Wait." Ella said as she raised a hand. "You guys are still sleeping together? Without any actual sleep? I thought that you were just making out!"

Fuuuuuuck.

So close.

"Please, Ella. You can't tell anyone. Lucifer will kill me."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Lucifer won't kill you. What you're doing, or who you're doing, in this instance, is pretty dang uncool. But you guys are still friends."

"Ella," Dan said, voice serious and filled with fear. "He's the devil. He's spent like, billions of years torturing people in Hell. There's a very good chance that he might skin me alive if he finds out."

Ella watched him for a moment, debating. But eventually sighed and slumped her shoulders in defeat. "Fine, it's not my business to tell anyway. And Charlotte's a big goddess. You guys can make your own decisions. Also, it's your turn in bowling, by the way."

Ella then began to walk off, but paused and turned around. "And for the record, I doubt that Lucifer would skin you." She wore an evil smirk with her last words. "He'll probably boil you. It's the most painful way to die, according to Buzzfeed."

Dan gave her an unamused expression. "Haha, very funny." He deadpanned.

Ella winked, then walked back to their group.

——————-

After about an hour's worth of bowling (Maze being in the lead with Ella close behind), Trixie had insisted on opening her gifts and devouring her cake.

She opened the gifts from her classmates first, finding a backpack that you can color with markers, a stuffed horse, a Barbie doll, a lego set (Lucifer struggled to bite his tongue on that one), and a pair of shoes that lit up.

Next she opened Maze's gift with great excitement (While Chloe watched with baited breath, terrified of what the demon would have given her). But then Trixie was disappointed when she found a set of colored pencils (Chloe finally felt like she could breath again).

Once Chloe glanced away for a second, Maze dropped down to Trixie's ear and whispered, "Don't worry, this isn't your real gift. I have to wait till your mom's not looking... It's a set of spiked brass knuckles."

Trixie's disappointment immediately melted away, but she tried to hide her anticipation from her mother.

Dan had gotten her a pair of earrings. Linda and Amenadiel had pulled together and gotten her a toy medical kit (due to Linda being a doctor). Ella had gotten her a skateboard. Chloe had bought Trixie the guitar she had been begging for (Which Chloe knew her ears would likely hate her for later).

And Lucifer had finally been able to give her the American Girl doll he'd bought all those months ago. He had given Chloe the smuggest look when Trixie had thanked him endlessly for it (and the hundred dollars he'd snuck into her card).

Whilst the urchin was going through her gifts, one of the mother's of Trixie's classmates was holding a young baby and happened to be standing next to Lucifer when she seemed to grow uncomfortable.

She then turned to him with an almost apologetic look. "Hey, could you hold her for a sec? I really need to run to the restroom."

Lucifer stared at her bug-eyed for a moment. "Why does everyone keep asking me to hold their offspring?" He asked incredulously.

"You could use the practice." Chloe piped up.

He then sent a glare the Detective's way. "And why do you keep encouraging it?"

Chloe only had to point at her own stomach for explanation. Well, she did have a point.

Lucifer scrutinized the strange infant for several moments, deciding that she didn't appear too sticky at the given moment. And at least this one wasn't spewing vomit. Much to everyone's surprise, Lucifer (reluctantly) held his arms out, and took the baby under the armpits.

The mother quickly made her way to the restrooms, leaving the devil to fend for himself.

Lucifer continued to hold the infant under the armpits, screwing up his own face and trying to hold his breath.

"You know that's not how you hold babies, right?" Daniel asked with amusement. Lucifer could easily tell just how much Detective Douche enjoyed watching him struggle.

"Thank for your oh so genius input, Daniel." The devil sassed. "Do you by any chance have a lecture circuit?"

Dan only chuckled in response, and mercifully dropped the subject. Five minutes later the mother came back, and freed Lucifer from the burden.

Next was the cake. Daniel lit the candles on the double chocolate cake and presented it to Trixie as they all sang the birthday song. After a moment of debating what her wish would be, she blew the candles.

"What did you wish for?" Eve asked as Dan began to cut the cake.

"Nothing. I already have what I want." Trixie replied nonchalantly as she received her slice from a beaming Dan.

——————-

Chloe and Linda sat side by side on a bench, eating their cake and watching the other adults attempt to wrangle the sugar high children.

Maze sat close by on a chair, playing something on her phone.

"You know, I couldn't help but notice that Lucifer seemed uncomfortable with holding a baby." Linda commented.

"Yeah, but he's getting better, compared to before." Chloe answered. "The last time he was forced to touch a baby, he threatened to sue the mother if said baby vomited on him."

Linda chuckled. "Doesn't surprise me."

Chloe nodded and took a bite of her cake. She knitted her brows and frowned slightly in thought.

"Is something wrong?" Linda asked.

Chloe shook her head. "No, nothings wrong... it's just, Lucifer doesn't know that much about children. And he knows even less about newborns. I'm just a little worried that he won't know what to do once Rory's here."

Linda nodded in sympathy. "I get it. Amenadiel might be more outwardly enthusiastic about this whole thing than Lucifer is, but he doesn't know much more about parenting than Lucifer does."

Maze, who had been eavesdropping, wore a secretive grin as she turned off her phone, and took the folded piece of paper out of her pants pocket. She had accidentally stumbled upon something while looking for sex toys online, and had instantly known that it would be the perfect torture chamber.

Maze had been waiting all day for an opportunity to make her dream a reality, and it looks like that opportunity had arrived.

"I might have a solution for that." Maze commented with fake casualness. She walked up to them, and handed Chloe the now unfolded piece of paper she had printed out the night before.

"A class for first time fathers?" Chloe asked as she read the screenshot of the website over.

Maze made sure to keep her excitement from showing as Chloe seemed to consider it. "What do you think, Linda?" Chloe asked as she handed the paper to the therapist.

Linda tilted her head as she read it over. "That's not actually a bad idea."

Maze felt wicked joy flow through her. It's been far too long since she's properly tortured anyone.

———————-

Two days later, Lucifer and Amenadiel now found themselves in quite a predicament.

After getting forced into attending the damn class by their respective partners, the brothers now stood in front of a pull out table in a converted gymnasium, facing two baby dolls and an arsenal of diapers.

After the boring man teaching the class had droned on and on with advice for helping their partner through childbirth, he had presented them with this.

There were four other pull out tables where the other attendees had already started on their own plastic children.

"You do it first." Lucifer said stubbornly with crossed arms as he eyed his own dead eyed baby.

"Why do I have to do it first?" Amenadiel asked irritably.

"Because you caved first under the Doctor's insistence, which forced me to cave as to not look like an asshole." Lucifer stated. "Now, do it."

Amenadiel sighed and rolled his eyes. "Why don't we just do it at the same time?"

Lucifer glared at his brother for several moments, blaming him for being there. But eventually relented and grabbed one of the diapers. "Fine, have it your way."

With great irritation towards each other, the brothers got to work on the plastic children, glancing every now and again towards the other attendees and how they managed to work out the infernal devices.

Amenadiel finished first and lifted the doll up with a smug grin. "Well, I guess all of that research paid off." The smug grin fell away when the diaper fell to the table two seconds later.

"Shut up." Amenadiel said sheepishly to his now grinning brother.

In response, Lucifer lifted up his own doll, whose diaper managed to stay on, even after a couple shakes. "No amount of research will change the fact that I'm the natural."

"It's inside out... and backwards." Amenadiel pointed out drily.

Lucifer's smug aura wobbled slightly, but he still managed to keep his grin. "Still better than yours."

"But it's inside out, and backwards. Won't that make Rory chafe?"

"Well, at least my child will have a diaper. Unlike yours, who will learn the concept of commando fairly soon." Lucifer jabbed before placing the doll on the table and attempting to fix it.

"It's unbelievable, isn't it?" Amenadiel asked with a soft smile as he got lost in his thoughts.

"How bad you are at nappies? I think it's very believable, looking at your track record." Lucifer joked.

Amenadiel rolled his eyes as he glanced at Lucifer's doll. "It's still backwards."

Lucifer glared, but still turned it around.

"No, I was talking about the fact that in less than a year, we'll both be fathers. It's funny to think that at one point, we didn't even think it to be possible." Amenadiel clarified.

Lucifer tensed as he was reminded. Two months. In two months, he would be a father, and every little fear he possessed may come to pass. "Yes, it's unbelievable." He agreed.

Lucifer forced himself to relax before Amenadiel could see any trace of fear. "But the fact that I'm clearly better at this diaper thing, is a very easy concept to wrap my head around."

"Just wait till there's actually something in the diapers. See how smug you are then." Amenadiel commented.

"Right back at you, brother."

They continued to work on the diapers as Lucifer mumbled. "I'm still better at this than you."

"Fatherhood isn't a competition, Lucifer." Amenadiel chastised.

"No, it isn't." Lucifer agreed before his face broke out into a devilish smirk. "But this little seminar could be... fifty dollars says that I can beat you at these little activities?"

Amenadiel hesitated, knowing that he shouldn't fall for the devil's trap... But he just couldn't help the desire to smack that smirk off his brothers face. "Deal."

——————

It ended up becoming a tie.

They both failed at the diapers. According to the instructor (Who Lucifer was pretty sure was stoned the whole time), Amenadiel did better with bottle feeding and burping the doll. Lucifer did better with cradling. Amenadiel vomited in his mouth when the birthing video came on. And Lucifer refused to touch the instructor's real baby when he'd brought him in and passed him along to everyone.

So, they did the only logical thing.

They went to a drugstore and bought several baby dolls and two boxes of diapers to even the score.

They now went to the Detective's since they needed a referee.

They walked inside the apartment, carrying the bags of dolls and diapers, and found Daniel on the couch watching baseball while the urchin colored on the table.

Daniel's eyebrows raised slightly as he took in the angels and contents of the clear plastic bags. "What's going on here?"

"Just a little brotherly competition, which I'm winning." Lucifer said as he walked deeper into the room.

"It's a tie right now, Luci." Amenadiel said irritably as he closed the front door.

"You vomited! I say that has to redact points!" Lucifer still insisted.

"Amenadiel vomited? Cool!" Trixie exclaimed. Which elicited a sigh from the former angel, and a grin from the devil.

"Where's the Detective?" Lucifer asked.

"She had to do some paperwork at the precinct that came in last minute. She'll probably be there for a while." Dan explained. "You still haven't explained what... that is."

Lucifer huffed irritably. That put a wrench in their plans. "We're trying to determine who will be the better father." Lucifer explained. "Whoever can put more diapers together properly in three minutes, wins."

"We were hoping that Chloe would referee." Amenadiel added.

"Wow." Dan chuckled. "You know, I'm actually freakishly good at diapering."

"Really?" Amenadiel asked.

"Oh yeah. When Chloe was pregnant with Trixie, I was determined that I would be good at it. I practiced on pretty much everything around the house. Now, I can diaper anything. I have diapered a football, a watermelon, and even my co-worker's cat once... Though she didn't enjoy that."

"The Detective, the co-worker, or the cat?" Lucifer asked.

"All of the above." Daniel answered with a light laugh. "I can show you, if you'd like."

Lucifer raised an eyebrow, not quite believing him. The devil glanced around the room, then he remembered the pineapple in the kitchen. Lucifer sat the bags on the floor and made his way there. He then came back to the living room with said pineapple. "Can you diaper this?"

Dan smirked confidently and stood. "I think it's about time that you watched the master."

Lucifer rolled his eyes and tossed the pineapple to Daniel who caught it. "Alright, master. Take one of Amenadiel's diapers."

Amenadiel grumbled something under his breath before opening his box and handing Dan a diaper.

Five minutes later they all crowded around the coffee table after Daniel had effortlessly diapered the fruit.

"That's awesome, Dad!" Trixie exclaimed.

"Hey, when did 'daddy' become 'dad'?" Dan asked.

Trixie rolled her eyes and snorted. "I'm not eight anymore. I'm nine now." She replied indignantly.

Dan nodded slowly, suppressing a laugh. "Right, of course. You're a young woman now."

Trixie nodded enthusiastically and grinned. "Exactly!"

"I'm still not convinced." Lucifer said, referring to the pineapple. "Is there anything more difficult that you can do?"

Dan grinned as he now eyed Chloe's lamp.

——————

Two hours later, Chloe's apartment was filled with diapered objects.

The lamp they'd turned off. Almost all of her large fruits. An eggplant. A few of Trixie's stuffed animals. A bag of pretzels. A box of Oreos. A shampoo bottle.

The neighbors cat who had wondered by their door (who they had released, and was now wearing a diaper around the complex). A vase. And finally, one of Chloe's boots.

All items (except the cat) rested on the coffee table and couch.

The four of them now stood in the kitchen as Dan now diapered a frozen whole chicken on the kitchen counter.

Lucifer had a timer set up on his phone as they all watched with baited breath. The second Dan finished Lucifer clicked the button and looked at the time.

"Twenty-two seconds!" Lucifer exclaimed before turning to Amenadiel. "Pay up."

Amenadiel sighed exasperatedly before reaching into his pocket, pulling out his wallet, and handing Lucifer five dollars. Lucifer smelled the money in victory, and sighed happily as Amenadiel rolled his eyes.

"Okay, Dan. You've made your point." Amenadiel said with a light laugh.

"We're out of diapers." Trixie pointed out.

"Oh, I suppose that we'll have to postpone our competition." Lucifer said, feeling secretly relieved that he didn't have to go after Daniel's display.

"You sure?" Dan asked. "We can go get some more-"

"No, no, no!" The brothers said in unison.

"That's okay. We'll just do it another time." Amenadiel said. Dan just shrugged in response.

Trixie went along to play with toys in her room as Dan and Amenadiel began conversing about diapering techniques.

Lucifer only half listened, mind too preoccupied as he stared at the diapered chicken... Eh, that's one thing he's never seen before.... On second thought, there was that one time during a bus ride in Mexico. But that chicken had been very much alive, and insistent on poking its owner's eye out.

He couldn’t help but worry that he wouldn’t be able to do something like that for Aurora. The diapering, but poking her eye out like a chicken.

"You okay, man?" Daniel asked, drawing Lucifer away from his thoughts.

"Hmm?" Lucifer asked, looking up to see them both staring at him.

"You look upset about something." Daniel pointed out.

"I'm not upset." Lucifer disagreed. Though, he couldn't exactly deny that something was troubling him. Lucifer's first instinct was to make a quip, probably insulting Daniel's hair or Amenadiel's... anything.

But he stopped himself. Recently, the Doctor had been encouraging him to open up to people besides Chloe and herself. Perhaps to get a new perspective on his problems.

Oh, screw it.

"I'm worried." Lucifer admitted with great difficulty. He then made his way to the kitchen table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

Amenadiel and Dan shared a glance before making their way to the table, and sitting down.

"I don't know how to do... this." Lucifer said as he pointed at the diapered chicken.

"Diapers? Don't worry too much about that. It's actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it." Daniel assured, but Lucifer shook his head lightly.

"Not just that... It's all of it." Lucifer admitted. He tapped his finger against the table and stared at it, not meeting their eyes. "I... I don't know how to be a... a father. I don't know anything about diapers. Or bottles. Or putting an infant to sleep. Or taking care of them. Or how a bloody breast pump works!"

Lucifer scoffed and fisted his hand on the table. "You both know about my history with God, so you understand that's it's not like I ever had much of a role model."

They were both deeply surprised by Lucifer's confession, almost never seeing this side of him.

"Well, you're not alone in that." Amenadiel admitted after a moment.

Lucifer looked up at him and knitted his brow.

"I don't know anything about babies or childcare, either." Amenadiel said as he leaned against the table and folded his hands. "And my relationship with Father might not be nearly as complicated as yours... It's still almost nonexistent. So, I don't have much to go on in that department."

"I still remember when Chloe told me that she was pregnant with Trixie." Dan reminisced. "We had already planned on having kids at that point, but like, way in the future. And when she handed me the pregnancy test, I was over the moon... But also scared shitless."

Dan chuckled as he crossed his arms. "At that point in my life, I didn't know the first thing about being a parent. And I was in a constant state of worry... But when Trixie was born, and I held her for the first time..."

Dan sighed and seemed to be lost in the memory. "I honestly don't know how to explain it... It's like, everything about my life had shifted, and nothing would ever be more important than she is."

The angels smiled softly at the sentiment, and both wondered if they would experience that.

"As far as pre-parental anxiety goes, you're far from being alone." Dan assured the devil. "And just the fact that you're both this worried, proves that you're better than a lot of parents."

Before either of them could respond, they heard the front door open.

"Hey, Dan, Trixie?" Chloe called out as she made her way inside. "Did you know that there's a cat outside wearing a-"

She trailed off when her eyes landed on the various diapered objects in her living room, then she saw the chicken on the counter, and the men at her table.

".... What the hell did I miss?"

Chapter Text

A few weeks later Chloe was 8 months along, and she was really starting to feel it.

Those cute little flutters she used to love now felt like a jackhammer to her ribs. She could barely see her feet (Let's not even mention the waddling). She was in a constant state of needing to pee. And she was much more irritable as of late.

Whenever she got really sick of her pregnancy, she would just tell herself that it was only for another month. One more agonizing month, and she would get to meet her baby girl.

Didn't mean that she had to enjoy that last month, though.

The most unpredictable part of this stage of Chloe's pregnancy had to be the sudden cravings. And since Chloe was currently lacking her famous patience, that's how the Detective and Devil now found themselves in a Walmart at 2:23 AM.

Lucifer stood droopy eyed behind Chloe with his arms crossed as Chloe searched through the snack aisle, unable to find what she was searching for.

Lucifer's eyes slowly closed on their own accord, and he began to sway on his feet. He woke back up suddenly when he almost tripped to the floor and just barely balanced himself right again. "Bloody hell, just pick one already!"

Chloe glared irritably. "They don't have the jalapeño ones I like!"

Lucifer closed his eyes, breathed deeply through his nose, and tilted his head skyward. He had found himself doing that a lot lately. "Then pick something else." He said with forced calm.

"But they're out of the ones I want. And now it's throwing me off."

"Why don't I just buy you fresh jalapeños." Lucifer grumbled under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, darling."

Chloe narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before turning her attention back to the snacks. She sighed as she considered her other options. "I really wanted those jalapeño Lays..."

Lucifer sighed in defeat, and silently told himself that this newfound hell would only last for another month. "Wait here, I'll see what I can do."

He then left the snack aisle in search of an employee. He found a young college aged man stacking boxes of Sprite a few aisles down. "Excuse me," Lucifer called out to him. "Do you know where I can find jalapeño Lays chips?"

"They should be in the snack aisle." The man answered distractedly.

Lucifer suppressed a sigh. "Yes, but I've already checked there." For the last twenty bloody minutes. "No sign of them."

"Then I guess we ran out. Sorry, man."

Lucifer sucked on his teeth as he struggled not to snap. Honey usually caught more flies than vinegar. "You must have some in the back."

"We might, but you'll need to wait till we re-stock them." The man replied.

"How long will that take?"

"Probably not till next morning."

Bloody-fucking-hell.

"Listen... Tracy." Lucifer read his name tag. "I would be willing to pay you handsomely if you were to find me a few bags of the unhealthy goodies."

Lucifer leaned in conspiratorially. "You see, my eight months pregnant girlfriend is having one of her cravings, desires the things, and doesn't wish to leave until we procure them. So, you can see my desperation."

Lucifer flashed him a strained smile. "So, what do you say? Give an expectant father a break?"

"Sorry, dude. But no can do. My manager doesn't like it when we randomly get things from the back unless it's high dollar... He's weird like that." Tracy answered sympathetically.

Lucifer swallowed and fisted his hands. "Oh come on! It's just fucking crisps! Why is this night so difficult?!"

Buying illegal drugs felt easier than this.

Lucifer sighed as he tried to reel in his anger. After he had accomplished it somewhat with the deep breathing he had learned from the Detective's Lamaze class, he slapped his strained grin back on. "Come on, Tracy. There must be something you desire more than stocking food that will make your organs shut down over time..."

Tracy's eyes got that blankness to them as everyone's did when Lucifer's mojo took effect. "There is..."

"Well, what is it? You can tell me." Lucifer purred.

"I wanna dance!"

Lucifer's eyebrows raised at that, and he knew what to do now. "Really? Well, what a coincidence! I own one of the hottest clubs in LA, Lux, perhaps you've heard of it. How about this, you help me out with these crisps, and I'll hire you and make your footloose dreams come true."

Tracy seemed surprised at first, but quickly grew excited as he began walking towards the back. "You've got yourself a deal!"

——————-

Minutes later after Lucifer had finished stuffing the two large boxes of chips into the trunk, he made his way to the drivers seat and got in.

Chloe was happily munching on a bag of her beloved chips in the passenger.

Oh, the sacrifices he'll make for her.

Lucifer then felt an affinity for the father chap from that Rapunzel story Beatrice enjoys. The original Grimm version, not the Disney remake.

Lucifer wasn't quite sure what he'd do if the Detective suddenly announced her craving for rampion.

———————

Lucifer awoke early the next morning in the Detective's apartment, being unable to sleep properly since he'd gone to bed so late the night before.

He checked his phone to find that it was six in the morning. He groaned and tried to go back to sleep. And when that failed miserably, he got out of bed, got dressed in his robe and boxers, and made his way downstairs.

He stopped on the steps when he heard someone walking downstairs. Now, ordinarily that wouldn't be a problem. But the urchin was currently at her father's, and Maze had moved out months ago.

Lucifer tensed and strained his ears. He slowly made his way downstairs, quiet as to not alert the intruder of his presence, and then he jumped at them.

He stopped himself and began to relax when he realized it to only be Eve.

She gasped in surprise, but relaxed as well when she realized who it was. "Jeez, Luce, you scared me!"

"I can say the for you." Lucifer chuckled. "What exactly are you doing here?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that. I forgot my phone here yesterday. I figured that I would just grab it and go. Sorry if I woke you." Eve explained.

"No, it's fine. I was already awake." Lucifer answered. "How did you get in?"

Eve held up a key. "Maze still has her key."

"Ah," Lucifer nodded. "I see."

"Well, I guess I'll get out of your hair now." Eve said as she started for the door.

"Wait," Lucifer said. "Would you like to stay for some coffee? We haven't really had a chance to properly catch up."

Eve hesitated a moment before shrugging. "If it's Irish, then sure!"

Lucifer chuckled with a wink. "Don't you know me at all? Of course it's Irish."

Minutes later the former lovers sat on chairs on the Detective's small patio in comfortable silence. "It's good to see the sunrise again." Eve mused. "There's no real sunrise in Heaven. There's day and there's night, but nothing in between."

Lucifer nodded as he remembered. "Yes, and it's even worse in Hell. Where you've got none of the above."

Eve breathed deeply. "I can only imagine..." She then shifted in her seat as an uncomfortable question entered her mind. "How are... how are Cain and Abel?"

Lucifer tensed slightly at her question, knowing how she wouldn't like the answer. "Abel's doing how you'd expect. It's been a while since I've checked up on him, but I imagine that nothing's changed. And I've never seen Cain anywhere down there, but I'm sure that the demon's are handling it."

Eve breathed deeply, crossed her legs on the chair, and stared down at her coffee. She was quiet for several moments as she absorbed that information, and Lucifer allowed her the silence to think. She then seemed to shake it off, and plastered on her signature bubbly smile like a mask. "I can't believe it took me this long to ask, but how's impending parenthood coming along?"

"Bloody terrifying." Lucifer answered with a chuckle, allowing her to change the subject. "But at least the Detective seems to know her way around. The urchin turned out fine, despite her hooker destined name."

Eve laughed and took a sip of her spiked coffee. "Yeah, Chloe's great. I'm glad that you two met."

Lucifer nodded and wore a soft smile. "So am I..." He hesitated a moment before turning towards her.

"Eve, you've known me since I was the tempter in the Garden." He said. "Do you think... do you think that I can make a good father and partner?"

Eve frowned at him. "Uhh, I spent the last few centuries in a loveless marriage, and two of my sons are in Hell after one killed the other... I don't think that I'm the best person for you to be asking for parenting and relationship advice."

Lucifer cringed inwardly. "I blame my dad for putting you and Adam together like two dolls in a game of house. And it's not your fault that two of your sons became psychopaths."

Eve shook her head and looked down at her coffee. "God put me and Adam together, but he didn't make me stay with him. And I'm Cain and Abel's mother... I've heard that a child is a reflection of their parents... So, what exactly does that say about me?"

Eve sighed before continuing. "Before breaking up with Adam, I may have read a couple... dozen self-help books... And they say that I should take responsibility for my actions. So, that's what I've been trying to do."

"Well, isn't there a difference between taking responsibility, and blaming yourself for something that couldn't be helped?" Lucifer contradicted.

"Yeah, there is... But what happened to Cain and Abel must have been my fault. I'm the one who raised them. I was the one who should've made sure that they turned out to be good people."

Eve shook her head again. "I haven't really thought much about it from that point of view when I was alive the first time... So maybe that's why God allowed me a second chance... Because maybe I won't end up back in Heaven once my second ride is over..."

"Eve," Lucifer said softly. "You have nothing to feel guilty for. Who two of your children turned out to be is not on you. Things were different back then. Circumstances were more dire. And they made their own choices. And besides, all of your other children ended up in Heaven, so it couldn't be all blamed on your mothering."

Eve gulped and wiped at her eyes. "I guess..." She then smiled bittersweetly at him. "And back to your question, if you had asked me that in the garden, I'd probably say no. But, things are different now. And you're not who you used to be."

She smiled at him. "You used to be so rough, dangerous, unpredictable... But now, you're much sweeter. Gentler. Tethered. I think that you will make a great dad, and I can see that you're already a great partner."

"Thank you." Lucifer said with a kind smile. He then took hold of one of her hands and squeezed it. "I'm glad that you're here. That we both can have second chances for happiness."

Eve grinned and held up her mug. "To second chances."

Lucifer clinked his mug against hers, and drank. "Cheers to that."

———————

Rae-Rae paced back and forth atop a mountain as icy wind blew through her hair. The cold would've frozen a human solid, but Rae-Rae barely felt it.

She had just searched from top to bottom for her blade, but came up empty handed. It was enough to make her wanna pull her hair out.

Over three months.

That's how long she's been searching.

Three.

Freaking.

Months.

She was getting desperate now. But it's not like she could ask anyone from the Silver City for help. First off, it would be totally humiliating and she would never live it down. And second, it could potentially cause a full out war between the angels.

This was bad. Like really, really, really bad.

She let out a frustrated scream and fell to the ground, getting buried in a pile of snow in the process.

Rae-Rae was quickly running out of options. And it didn't help her search that most of her time was spent reaping wayward souls who couldn't get to Heaven or Hell on their own.

Those were the ones who got stuck between worlds unless Rae-Rae helped them along.

So, with the constant switches between searching and reaping and no breaks in between, the overworked angel of death was just about to lose her damn mind.

She couldn't keep doing this on her own. She needed help. But she also couldn't ask for any of her heavenly siblings for help, and she doubted that the demons of Hell would gladly offer assistance....

But, there was a third option.

Rae considered it. She didn't know if the devil knowing that the blade was missing would be a good idea, especially with his penchant to overshare....

But it's not like she had anyone else to turn to.

———————

Rae-Rae arrived in Lucifer's penthouse, walking in through the open balcony. She folded her wings and looked around. She didn't find Lu anywhere in his home, so she sent a quick prayer his way, and decided to wait.

She didn't know how long it would take him to get there, so she explored a little.

It's been so long since they've spent any real time together, and Rae wasn't sure if she even knew him anymore. Rae-Rae couldn't help but grin like an idiot when she saw the nursery.

But that grin fell away when she saw the mural. She slowly made her way towards it and ran her hand along the tree as she was filled with bittersweet memories.

Looks like she wasn't the only one who missed the good ol' days.

But judging from this room, Rae had a feeling that Lucifer's best days were close ahead of him. And she found herself hoping that she might be apart of those days.

She heard the elevator ding, and quickly made her way into the living room just as Lucifer walked off the elevator. He regarded her with a questioning expression as he made his way to the bar and poured two drinks. "Well, it's been a little while, hasn't it?"

He asked curiously. "Two visits in one century. I'm quite popular as of late, aren't I?"

Rae bit her lip nervously as she accepted the drink he offered. "I'm afraid that this isn't a social visit." She took a long sip of the whiskey, and coughed as the bitter taste assaulted her senses. "Do you have anything sweeter?"

Lucifer frowned for a moment, then went and pulled out a green bottle of Midori Sour. "Tell anyone I have this, and I'll wring your neck." Lucifer threatened as he poured the drink, and then popped a maraschino cherry into it.

"Thanks." She said as they traded drinks. Rae relished the sweet taste.

"Now, why are you here?" Lucifer inquired.

Rae-Rae tensed, and figured that she was at the point of no return. Here we go, hopefully she doesn't accidentally cause any celestial wars... "I need your help."

Lucifer leaned against his island bar (which he had fixed months prior) and regarded her with interest. "Oh? What for?"

Rae sighed and gripped her glass. "I... Look, what I'm about to tell you can't leave this room, okay? You can't tell anyone. Or we might have a rebellion 2.0."

Now Lucifer seemed very interested, and she had his full attention. "I'm listening..."

Rae sighed, downed half her drink for extra courage, and blurted. "I lost my blade."

Lucifer's expression froze, and his fingers unconsciously gripped the glass of his bar. "Oh?" He said carefully.

Rae nodded. "Yep. I've been looking for it for months now! At first I figured that I must've misplaced it, but I already searched all of my hidy holes top to bottom with no luck. I'm starting to get worried that someone might've stolen it. And it's not like I've got anyone to turn to..."

Rae trailed off as she saw the slightest twitch in Lucifer's eye. She recognized that twitch. It's the twitch he used to get when they were young and one of their older siblings was close to catching him on doing something he wasn't supposed to. Nobody else ever noticed the twitch, but Rae-Rae did. He could try and talk himself out of any situation, and it would work most of the time. But Rae used to know him better than that.

"Lucifer," Rae-Rae said lowly, suspicion coursing through her. "Do you know something?"

Lucifer laughed lightly, obviously forcing his tense state to relax. "What do you mean? What could I possibly know?"

And there it was, his famous deflection by answering a question with another question. His go-to tactic when faced with an uncomfortable situation. Guess some things never change.

"You tell me." Rae said suspiciously as she stared him down. "Are you hiding something?"

"Why would I?" Lucifer said. "You've lost your blade in the past, you really should do something about those butter fingers, I'm sure that everything will turn out fine." Again, deflecting.

She would have to ask a direct question. "Do you know where my blade is? Yes or no."

Lucifer tensed again, and wouldn't quite meet her eyes. "Would you like some more of that melon juice?"

"Samael," She said sternly, knowing that it would get his attention.

Lucifer glared at the use of his old name. "Don't call me that." He growled.

"Then answer my damn question!" Rae exclaimed.

They stared each other down, and when neither backed off, Lucifer sighed. "I have a good reason!"

"So it's true?" Rae-Rae asked, shocked. "You've had my blade this whole time? You looked me right in the face, knowing that I would be scrambling to find it if I wasn't already, and smiled as I congratulated you! What the actual fuck, Lucifer?!"

"I didn't have it the whole time!" Lucifer defended. "Uriel had it first. He planned on shish kabobing Mum with it!"

Rae-Rae's jaw dropped at that. She couldn't believe that one of her siblings would kill their mother. But Lucifer didn't lie, so it had to be true. And that's when the dots connected.

"Wait... That's what happened to him, isn't it?" She asked shakily. "He wanted to kill Mom, and you... you somehow took the blade and..."

Lucifer swallowed hard and took a long swig before responding. "I tried to reason with him first. Amenadiel tried to talk him out of it... But he was obsessed... I didn't have a choice."

Rae took a deep, shaky breath, and then sat down at the couch. "Oh dad, this is a disaster." She shook her head in disbelief.

Once she managed to push down her grief until further notice, she turned her face towards the devil. "Where's the blade now? I need to take it out of here to somewhere safe."

Lucifer's jaw ticked. "I can't let you do that. I need it for something."

Rae-Rae narrowed her eyes at him. This is exactly what she was afraid of. "What could you possibly need the blade that causes nothing but death and destruction for?"

Lucifer hesitated a moment, thinking his answer over. He then grabbed the rest of the bottle of that green stuff she likes, then placed it on the coffee table before taking a seat at the chair. "You'll need it for what I have to tell you..."

——————

"No way." Rae-Rae breathed after Lucifer's explanation. "You're saying that my blade, the one that I've been keeping safe for Dad since the rebellion... Is the Flaming Sword...?"

"Yep." Lucifer simply answered. "That's sort of old news around here."

Rae shook her head in disbelief. She then took the bottle of green alcohol and chugged it straight from the bottle. He was right. She did need this.

Once she had drank a good amount she turned back to her brother. "And Mom and Menny have a plan to storm the gates of Heaven and take down Dad?"

"Pretty much."

"And you have a secret plan to close the gates behind Mom, and let our parents torture each other for the rest of eternity?"

"That basically covers it, yes." Lucifer answered.

"This is nuts!" She exclaimed.

"Which part?"

"ALL OF IT!" Rae jumped from the couch and began to pace the room. "Have you really thought this through?"

"Of course." Lucifer answered indignantly.

"Really? Then what about all the things that could go wrong?" She questioned. "What if you can't cut open the gates? Or what if you do, and cause a full-blown war? What then, Lu? This could be the rebellion all over again!"

"You're a lot more pessimistic than I remember." Lucifer critiqued.

"That's because I don't have a FUCKING DEATH WISH!" She screamed. "And also, do you really want to torture our parents?"

"They tortured us, I say that it's about damn time someone returned the favor." Lucifer said bitterly.

"Mom didn't torture us... Okay, she may not have been the best mother, but hasn't she suffered in Hell enough?" Rae-Rae reasoned. "I thought that things were getting better between you guys! Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?"

Lucifer remained impassive.

Rae-Rae sighed. "And yes, I agree that Dad was even worse, and could use a good kick in his almighty behind... But is this worth punishing him?"

"Well, what else do you suggest I do?" Lucifer questioned. "Allow him to get away with it all?"

"No, I'm not suggesting that you let him off the hook for everything." Rae clarified. "I'm telling you to move on. You can't hold onto grudges like this forever. It will only get worse until it makes you do something crazy like this."

Lucifer glared at her, not willing to simply move on. "You don't understand, Azrael." He said with hate directed to their father. "He ignored me for who knows how long. He rejected me. He abandoned me. He vilified me. And then he forced me into a profession that I despised."

"Do you really think that you're the only one who suffered?" Rae asked. "Do you really think that you're the only one who feels that way? Lu, you're the favorite. You got more attention than any of us in combined. How do you think the rest of us felt? And do you think that you're the only one who got a sucky job? I reap people."

She sniffed as tears began to fall. "I have to watch people die. Every single day. And not just bad people. I have to reap good, innocent, kind people, too. Children, even. And you think that you're the only one who was vilified? Would you like me to introduce you to the Grim Reaper?"

She crossed her arms choked back a sob. "Yes, you suffered, Lu. Yes, Dad did wrong by you. But despite what you seem to believe, you're not alone. We all suffered too. Maybe not as much, but that doesn't lessen our own pain."

Lucifer was left speechless after her words. He admittedly didn't ever think about how their parents effected his siblings, too wrapped up in his own pain. But in a sick way, it made sense. "I... I honestly didn't realize Az-" Lucifer stopped himself. "Rae-Rae."

Rae-Rae gave a small smile upon hearing the name she chose for herself. The name that wasn't nowhere near tied to the monster humanity thinks she is.

"It's okay, Lu. I'm already used to how self-absorbed you can be." She teased, and for a single second, they felt like they once did before everything became so tangled.

But her smile fell away as she got back to the topic at hand. "You can't do this, Lucifer. It's too risky. You need to give me back my blade."

Lucifer hesitated, then came up with a compromise. "How about this, I promise not to use the blade for anything without consulting you first, and simply keep it hidden? We still haven't found the third piece, so I can't even use the sword yet."

Rae-Rae thought it over, and eventually relented. She knew how stubborn her brother could be. "Fine, but don't think that I won't be coming back regularly to nag you over it. And I'm still not gonna let you cause a war over your daddy issues."

Lucifer frowned slightly at daddy issues, but said nothing of it.

With another sigh, she extended her wings. "I have to get back to work, I just sensed another soul who needs a ride."

Lucifer nodded and stood. "Right, of course." He took a breath and watched her with remorse. "I wish that things were different between us."

Rae-Rae nodded in agreement. "Me too... And maybe it can be, someday."

"Perhaps." Lucifer agreed. "Until next time, sister."

"Until next time, bro." And with that, the angel of death was gone.

——————-

Two weeks later as they still haven't located the third piece, everyone was getting antsy.

Though Lucifer's tense mood had more to do with the Detective's due date drawing nearer with each day.

Amenadiel was reading another one of his tomes on the couch in the penthouse as Lucifer played around with the blade, swishing it here and there, and effectively annoying his older brother.

The belt buckle sat at Lucifer's island bar since it kept on falling off.

"Could you give it a rest?" Amenadiel asked irritably. "I'm trying to read."

"Well, what else am I supposed to do?"
Lucifer whined.

"Pick up a book and help me, perhaps?" Amenadiel suggested.

Lucifer scoffed at the mere thought. "No thank you, brother. I'm good where I am."

Amenadiel glared and struggled to read through the aggravating buzzing sound Lucifer made when he pretended that the blade was a lightsaber.

Lucifer then popped the belt buckle back on, and continued his game. Finally Amenadiel couldn't take it anymore, and snapped the book shut. He stood abruptly, stormed towards Lucifer, and then ripped the blade out of his hand.

"Are you serious, Lucifer? I'm trying to work! Which you don't seem inclined to help me with!"

Lucifer was about to rebuttal, but then he noticed something that gave him pause. "Brother-"

"No! I am sick and tired of your childish antics! How Chloe puts up with you, I have no-"

"BROTHER!" Lucifer yelled. "Look." He then pointed at Amenadiel's chest, to the necklace that was currently floating.

Amenadiel gasped in surprise and jumped backwards. The brothers shared a look, and glanced between the necklace and the blade. Lucifer slowly took the blade from Amenadiel's grasp, and took off the belt buckle. As soon as the buckle and blade were separated, the necklace once again fell.

"Well," Lucifer started. "Either we've found our third piece, or you're just happy to see me."

———————

They called the goddess soon after their discovery, and the three celestials now stood around the island bar where the three pieces sat.

"Amenadiel's had it this whole time?" Charlotte answered in disbelief. "Typical of your father. He's always loved irony."

Lucifer scoffed with a light shake of his head while Amenadiel frowned, deep in thought.

"You know, I read something earlier today." Amenadiel said. "That God had bestowed the third piece to his favorite son." Amenadiel then smiled at the thought.

Lucifer frowned at that. "I say that it's a big bird from the old man. Another mind game."

But that didn't seem to deter Amenadiel's growing excitement. "You know what this means, right?"

"That you have magical jewelry?" Lucifer asked sarcastically.

"That I'm Father's favorite son." Amenadiel grinned.

Lucifer groaned in annoyance. He wouldn't admit to anyone (especially himself) that the testament stung a bit. "Oh no, that's not going to become a thing, is it?"

"I'm Dad's favorite!" Amenadiel exclaimed as Lucifer glared.

"Oh, quiet down before I shove the third piece up Dad's favorite son's a-"

"BOYS!" Charlotte chastised. "Stop bickering! Now, I don't know about your father, but I have no favorites. Now, we have more important things to consider. Such as..." She gestured towards the items capable of mass destruction.

Both angels tensed as they stared at the objects, both greatly second guessing their prior plans now that they actually had the means.

"Right..." Lucifer said carefully as he looked between his mother and brother. "So, what do you say? Should we go get the war paint and get this show on the road?"

Charlotte swallowed as she stared at the items, thinking it over. "Maybe it's best if we waited." She stalled. "I mean, Aurora's birth is only weeks away, and we shouldn't miss it. And we can come back when Amenadiel's child's birth comes nearer."

Both angels felt instantly relieved to not be storming Heaven's gates that night.

They all looked at the blade, belt buckle, and pendant. Three little items that could potentially plunge the Silver City into chaos.

———————

Amenadiel walked into his makeshift apartment that was once an office that night, and turned the lights on.

He had been staying at Linda's quite often since their relationship started, and especially since they found out about the pregnancy. But he needed space to think that night, and he knew that Linda would read him like a book the instant she saw him.

He practically fell onto the already open pull out bed. Amenadiel should be thrilled that they've finally found the pieces to assemble the sword after all these months. He should be thrilled that they now had a way home... but he wasn't.

If anything, he was filled with dread.

Amenadiel had decided that he would stay on earth when Linda told him about the baby, but he'd admittedly thought that they might never have a way back to the Silver City.

But now they had the option. They could go back. But would they? Would he?

Amenadiel honestly didn't know what to think anymore. For millennia, he had been a soldier of God. Loyal to his father. Then he'd lost that loyalty, and had sided with his mother when she'd shown him a shred of affection. Affection that he had been working so tirelessly to earn from his father, but never received.

Uriel had honestly just been the final nail in the coffin for his shifted loyalties.

And the whole God Johnson episode hadn’t helped Father’s case, either.

Amenadiel sat up in the bed, and ran a hand down his face. He had spent so long, feeling so sure of his place in the world. He had spent so long feeling as though he had a large place in his father's Grand Plan. But now, he sometimes didn't know what to think. Who to believe. Where he belonged.

Linda once said that when something felt fundamentally right, then that's how you know you've made a connection.

In all his eons in Heaven, fulfilling the duties given to him by an absent God, never questioning his place in the world... Amenadiel had never even thought about whether it was right or wrong. It just was.

But ever since his fall from grace, the former angel found himself questioning everything. Be it something small like what the differences between a squirrel or chipmunk were, or questions about the mechanics of the universe itself.

In a strange way, all of these questions felt freeing somehow. He no longer had to keep every thought calculated and contained, and was simply allowed to wonder.

Amenadiel pulled his wallet out of his pocket, and pulled out the folded photo he kept in it. He unfolded it to see the image of his unborn son.

Whenever Amenadiel looked at the photo, he felt grounded somehow. It sometimes helped him get through the day. Yes, he may not be much more confident in his fatherly abilities than Lucifer was, but he already loved the child he was yet to meet.

And he knew. He knew that when he looked at the photo, it felt right.

Like he had finally found his place in the world.

Like he'd finally found his home.

And he knew for certain in that moment, that he wasn't going back to Heaven.

———————

Charlotte stood by the window in her apartment with a glass of wine, watching the world below.

They had it.

They finally had the sword.

She could finally have everything she had been dreaming of during all those eons spent in Hell.

... So, why wasn't she jumping for joy? Why wasn't she out celebrating this chance at victory? Why did this feel like a bitter ending, rather than a glorious beginning?

The goddess leaned her forehead against the glass, and couldn't help but once again replay Azrael's words in her mind.

‘Instead of making Dad look bad, and in the process just hurting us more, what you should be doing is be a better mom. Actually put our needs into consideration instead of making a villain out of Dad. And at this point, it doesn't even matter if he is one.’

Charlotte tried to push it out of her mind, but just couldn't. She had made fundamental mistakes as a mother. Mistakes that she didn't know how to rectify. Mistakes that she had refused to acknowledge for so long.

’Mom, our family is broken. And I don't think that there's any use in trying to fix it.’

Charlotte took a shaky breath and then drank her glass of wine. Once it was empty, she went back to her kitchen and was about to pour the glass, thought about it, then just took the whole bottle to drink from.

She wouldn't be using this body for long anyway, so it didn't matter.

She sat on her sofa, sat the bottle on the coffee table, and took up the knitting project she had started. It was supposed to be a dress for Aurora, but so far she only had a pile of tangled strings. But she was determined.

She stared down at the red yarn, and tilted her head. She was having two grandchildren. Her family was growing.

She wanted to go to Heaven and put their broken home back together again.

But, she was starting to wonder... Was it truly better to go back and try to fix what was broken, or would she have better luck with moving forward?

‘Some things just can't ever be fixed. All you can really do is try and pick up as many pieces as you can, and make something new out of it.’

The goddess tangled her hands in the yarn, and brought it up to her face. She screwed up her face and breathed deeply, trying to keep herself under control.

Why was this so bittersweet? Why was she hesitant? Why was she tripping, when so close to the finish line?

Why was she doubting this entire plan now?

———————-

Lucifer laid in bed that night, arm wrapped around the Detective's waist as he spooned her, and listened to her even breaths.

She'd fallen asleep quite a bit ago, but Lucifer didn't have as much luck.

He had absolutely no intention of going back to the Silver City, and he doubted that Amenadiel would be going anywhere.... But he knew that Mum was a different story.

No, Mum had every intention of going 'home'.

Soon, she would finally be out of his hair, and revenge would finally be possible. He would finally be free of his controlling parents, and all would be well.

... Why did something feel wrong with that?

His mother was a negligent, self-absorbed, manipulative, helicopter parent, who couldn't stop sticking her nose into his business (Let's not even mention Dad). He shouldn't feel a single twinge of guilt for wanting her to suffer for that.

Fine, Rae might have been onto something when she mentioned their relationship being better than it used to be, but they were far from being the picture perfect family.

She deserved everything that was coming to her.

But... He couldn't stop thinking about his and Eve's conversation about second chances. He'll admit, Lucifer wasn't always the charming devil he is now. He'd made mistakes in the past. Nothing as bad as ignoring his children for centuries and dragging them into marital disputes, but still.

He couldn't help but wonder, would a second chance be enough?

He didn't know, and figured that he would likely never find out.

No matter what happened with his Mum, he had everything he truly needed lying beside him in bed, sleeping peacefully.

Lucifer rubbed circles against her stomach with his thumb, and rested his face in Chloe's hair.

"My loves." He muttered. He had half a mind to laugh at the absurdity of it all. That he had managed to fall for a human, and to care about someone he hadn't even met yet.

Second chances could be a strange thing.

Chapter Text

One week.

One week until Chloe hit her due date.

It's safe to say that the devil felt particularly jumpy as of late.

The Detective and Lucifer were sitting in Dr. Sharp's office for their last ultrasound, waiting on said doctor.

Lucifer's knee kept bouncing as he glared at the door. "It should be illegal to make patients wait this damn long."