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-Lucifer-
He frowned when he walked into Chloe’s apartment to find her running around like she was on fire.
“Where’s the fire, Detective?” he asked, a smile on his face.
She sighed as she grabbed the case files she’d brought home the night before. “I’m running behind to get to work. I’ve got a department meeting today along with my yearly review. Add to that, Trixie says she’s not feeling well and not going to school. She doesn’t have a fever, but she is adamant about not going. I don’t have time for this today.”
“Detective, stop,” he said softly. “Take a few deep breaths.” She did as he asked, relaxing after a couple of minutes. He smiled when she hugged him. “Better?”
“Yes,” she sighed. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, darling,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “Now, since you have meetings scheduled, I clearly won’t be needed today. I’ll stay with the urchin, maybe I’ll find out what’s really bothering her.”
“Really?” she asked, smiling a little. “I thought you hated children?”
“Beatrice...let’s say she’s grown on me,” he told her. “Go on. I’ll watch her.”
Chloe gave him another kiss before grabbing her keys and heading out. Once she was gone, he busied himself with finishing up the dishes in the sink and wiping down the countertops. When he was finished with that, Lucifer went over and knocked on the door to Beatrice’s room.
“Urchin? Are you awake?” he called out.
“Lucifer?” he heard her ask.
He opened the door to find her still in bed. Walking into her room, he had a seat on the edge of her bed. Lucifer hadn’t been around many sick humans. Definitely not sick children. But he knew pain. And going by the pale, drawn look on her face, she was hurting.
“Your mother told me that you were quite adamant about not going to school today,” he said simply. “Now, you know I won’t tell her if you don’t want me to. My word is my bond and all that. But is there any particular reason you chose today not to go to school? I thought you liked going?”
“I do,” she said, wincing as she sat up. “But I really don’t feel good. It started around 2 or 3 this morning. My stomach and lower back really hurt. It...it feels like someone’s trying to squeeze the life out of me. I’m hungry, and I need to go pee, but it...it just hurts really bad. I didn’t want mom to miss work today...but it...I don’t know what to do and I didn’t want to freak her out. Same with dad.”
“Not to worry,” he told her with a smile. “Why don’t we have a physician look at you? I’m sure you’ll feel better once we confirm it’s nothing serious and get you some relief from the obvious pain you’re in.”
“Thank you,” she sighed.
Lucifer left the room, to let her get dressed in privacy. While she was doing that, something about this was vaguely familiar. Before he could start really thinking over why, out came Beatrice. She was dressed in jeans and a plain green t-shirt, her black sneakers on her feet. The urchin moved stiffly, clearly uncomfortable.
“I thought you said you needed to use the bathroom?” he asked when she moved towards the door.
“Chances are the doctor will want me to pee in a cup,” she said, putting an arm around her middle. “Lucifer…”
“I’ve got you, Beatrice,” he told her, picking her up and carrying her out to his car.
She wasn’t happy about putting on her seat belt, but he’d rather not get pulled over. Not with his current charge so miserable. He drove a little bit over the speed limit, but he was careful not to stop too suddenly, for her sake. He pulled his phone out to call in a couple of favors to get an appointment with a pediatrician, when Beatrice doubled over in pain at the red light. Her hands cupped her crotch. There were tears in her eyes when she looked up at him.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I…”
He managed to hide his wince when he caught on. “My dear, it’s alright. Nothing a little cleaning won’t fix.”
Lucifer turned his eyes back to the road, the light turning green. As they made their way down the street, he jumped when she screamed. Turning to look at her, his blood ran cold. Her hands were red with blood. Shifting gears, he picked up speed, not caring that he blew past an officer. Sirens blaring loudly made him growl. He pulled over quickly. The officer had a scowl on his face as he walked up.
“Officer, I’m afraid I don’t have time to charm you into letting me off without a ticket,” he snapped. “I have a young girl here in need of medical attention.”
The officer’s face eased when he saw her. “You’re Decker and Espinoza’s kid, right?”
Beatrice nodded. “Please let us go. Lucifer’s trying to get me to the hospital.” When she lifted one of her bloody hands where he could see it, the officer paled.
“I’ll escort you,” he said, running back to his car.
Lucifer followed the speeding officer, his lights and sirens going. They reached the closest hospital in record time, parking just outside the ER. He walked up to the officer’s cruiser.
“If you could avoid calling this in, I’d appreciate it,” Lucifer told him. “Both of her parents are in meetings all day and I’d rather not add to the stress of their day unless this turns out to be a true emergency that would warrant their attention. Name it, I’ll make it happen.”
“Invites to the next big LUX party,” he replied. “My wife has been wanting to visit your club for ages and what better way than one of the best parties in LA? Plus, our anniversary is coming up.”
“Now that is a deal I’m glad to make,” Lucifer said, shaking his hand. “We’ll talk about the details later. Say...drinks at LUX tomorrow evening? On the house, of course.”
“My shift is up at 9 that night, make it 10?” he asked.
“See you then, officer,” Lucifer told him before walking over to the passenger side of his car.
Picking Beatrice up, he walked inside quickly.
“I’m in need of assistance here!” he called, getting the attention of a few nurses. They came over to look her over. “She’s been complaining of quite severe cramps in her stomach and abdomen and she started bleeding. So I got her here as fast as I could.”
The nurses talked quietly among themselves before pulling them through the ER, to a private hospital room. He set Beatrice on the bed, keeping calm in spite of the amount of blood he could see had soaked through her jeans and onto the arm of his suit jacket.
“I’ve paged a specialist to do the exam,” the nurse told him. She went over to a closet in the corner, pulling out a gown and handing it to Beatrice. “If you’ll undress and put this on.”
Lucifer blushed, turning around and staring into the corner.
“Ok, you can look now,” she told him.
Pulling a chair from against the wall to next to the bed, he had a seat.
“Sorry about your suit,” she said after several minutes of silence.
“It’s not the first to be slain by blood,” he sighed. “And it’s nothing that can’t be replaced.”
A knock at the door drew their attention. A doctor about Chloe’s age walked in, her short brown hair bobbing slightly as she shut the door behind her.
“Good morning,” she said with a smile. “I’m Dr. Artest. The nurse that paged me told me you’re experiencing some nasty cramps and some significant bleeding.”
“Yeah,” Beatrice told her. “I’ve been cramping since early this morning. It hurts really bad.”
She whistled when she saw her clothes. “I believe I know what’s going on. But we’re going to do a little exam first to confirm.” She looked over at Lucifer. “Would you like your dad to step outside the room for this?”
“I’m not--,” he started to say, but the urchin interrupted.
“He’s my mom’s boyfriend,” she said. “She’s at work, same with my dad. Lucifer agreed to watch me when I refused to go to school. I couldn’t tell her…”
“It can be pretty scary,” the doctor told her. “I was the same way at your age. You know what? I’ll just pull this curtain around the bed for the exam and Lucifer can sit on the other side to be here for you.”
“Let’s do that,” she said, clearly scared.
Lucifer felt a little lost as he had a seat while he listened to the kind doctor instruct the urchin during the examination. It made his heart clench when she hissed in discomfort or had trouble with answering her questions. As soon as the curtain was pushed back, he stood at her side, taking her hand in his, regardless of the blood still staining her hands.
“It’s just as I thought,” the doctor said, snapping off a pair of gloves. “Young lady, you just got your first period.”
“Is it supposed to hurt this much?” she asked, eyes wide with panic. “And is there supposed to be that much blood?”
“Everyone is different, but it is more common for the first few times to be pretty heavy in terms of flow and the cramps very uncomfortable,” the doctor replied. “I would advise talking to your mother and other female relatives about their cycles. A lot of the time, you’ll have similar experiences.” She turned to Lucifer. “If you have anyone that could run by your home or to a store, I’d call them and ask them to bring a change of clothes and some supplies for her.” She wrote something before tearing it off her pad and handing it to him.
“It’s Thursday,” she said. “That’s a note to excuse her from school for today and tomorrow. I suggest some over the counter pain meds for the cramps, along with some rest and relaxation.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Lucifer said, folding the note and putting it into his pants pocket.
“The nurses know you’re in here until you’ve changed,” she said. “Have a good day.”
Lucifer pulled his phone from his pocket and called the one person he knew would be discreet.
“Good morning, doctor,” he said with a smile. “Listen, I’m terribly sorry to bother you on your day off. But I’m in need of your assistance.”
“I’m not--,” she started to say, making him roll his eyes.
“Not that kind of doctor,” he finished. “I know. But this time I’m after your knowledge of being female. See...young Beatrice has...graduated to womanhood, shall we say?”
“Oh...oh!” Linda exclaimed. “Poor Trixie.”
“Yes. I volunteered to watch the urchin when she wouldn’t go to school and her parents are currently indisposed,” he went on to explain. “I brought her to the hospital about the pain she was feeling, speeding up the trip when she started…you know. If you’d be so kind as to pick up a change of clothes and anything you feel she’ll need and meet me at LA General on 4th and Oak, I’ll gladly pay you back.”
“Give me 30 minutes,” she told him before hanging up.
Like clockwork, a half hour later, Linda texted him for the room number. After a quick peek into the hall, he found it and replied. She walked in a few minutes later, a bag from Target in her hand.
“I bought something that’ll be soft and comfortable,” she told Beatrice.
“Thanks,” the girl told her, taking the bag and going into the bathroom.
“Thank you for being so quick, Doctor,” Lucifer told her while they waited. “I’m...a tad out of my element here.”
“Well, you’re doing good so far,” she said. “I’ve got some more stuff for her in my car. Are you taking her home or to the penthouse?”
“The penthouse,” he replied. “Once I get her settled, I’ll have someone pick up my car to be detailed.”
“Yeah,” she said. “I saw your passenger seat. If I didn’t know what happened, I’d swear someone had been killed in your car. I have a few more clothes for her, just in case.”
When Beatrice came back out of the bathroom in black sweats and an extra large blue shirt, she looked a little better.
“You figured out the pads I brought you?” Linda asked.
“I did,” she replied. “I’ll have to remember what brand of underwear you got, they’re super comfy.”
“I’ve got the rest of the package in my car, in one of the other bags,” she told her. “Now, let’s get out of here and get you feeling better.”
Beatrice rode with Linda, the trip to his penthouse taking half the time given that traffic was light. Once they were upstairs, Linda set the bags on the bar. He couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed at everything. Beatrice looked like he felt.
“Is it always this hard?” she asked, still in pain, going by how she held herself.
Linda pulled her in for a hug. “The first couple of times are hard because your body is trying to adjust to the excess hormones that come with this new process. For some people, it’s like this all the time for them. Let’s just focus on getting you comfortable for now. When your mom gets off work, I’m sure you’ll have a long chat about this.”
Lucifer watched as Linda handed Beatrice a bottle of what looked like aspirin. According to the bottle, it was formulated to help with the cramps she was going through. She took a few with a soda that Linda pulled out of another bag filled with chocolate and other snacks.
He helped by setting up a spot on his couch for her to rest, draping a towel over the spot before adding pillows and a soft blanket. He pulled his coffee table to where she could reach it, setting the remotes for his TV within reach.
“Thanks,” she said with a smile before easing down into the space he’d set up, grabbing the remote.
“I’ve got to get back,” Linda told him. “I bought her a hot water bottle as well. Just fill it with hot water and have her put it down the front of her pants, if the cramps start getting bad. The heat will help relax the muscles and ease the cramps. Try not to freak out if she bleeds through her clothes again. From the looks of it, she’s on the more extreme end of the spectrum for this kind of thing. It’s natural. But if she gets pale and very lethargic from the blood loss, then please take her back to the hospital and let them know the situation.”
“Maybe I should send her with you,” he said nervously. “I’m...I don’t know what I’m doing.”
“You’re going to be fine,” she told him. “You’re doing better than you think. You’ve got good instincts and she’s safer here than anywhere. If she gets hungry, I suggest comfort foods. And chocolate will help, strange as it sounds.”
Stepping into his bedroom, Lucifer called the valet to have them take his car to be detailed. With that done, even he felt a little tired. Going into his closet, he found a pair of his silk pajama pants and a t-shirt that Chloe had given him at one point. Once redressed, he joined the urchin on the couch. He couldn’t help but smile when he found her watching Bones from the beginning.
He noticed her doze off and on for the next few hours. She got up a few times to go to the bathroom, making sure to grab more...supplies on her way. Around 2 in the afternoon, he heard her stomach growl.
“Anything you’d like in particular to silence the animal in your gut?” he teased.
“Orange chicken,” she said after several minutes. “And macaroni and cheese. Homemade, with bacon. And some of your fancy cheeses. Chocolate cake too.”
“I’ll get started in the kitchen and put in a few orders,” he said, getting up and stretching.
He frowned when he saw her curling in on herself. “Cramps getting bad again?”
She nodded. Lucifer felt a little lost, looking around the penthouse. When he noticed the hot water bottle Linda bought the urchin, he got an idea. Going into the kitchen, he set a pot of water to boiling, grabbing a frying pan and setting up some pasta he’d made last week and bacon on the counter. Lucifer grabbed the other clothes that Linda had bought as he went through the room. He then went into his bathroom and started running a hot bath, turning on the jets once the water was high enough. He set out some soaps, a loofah and a washcloth where they could be reached.
“Beatrice!” he called out. “Would you come here?”
He took her hand once she made it to him, still looking uncomfortable. Lucifer tugged her towards the tub.
“I’ve drawn a hot bath and started the jets. I figured since Linda told me heat helps with the cramps, this would help relax you. Now...did the medicine you took earlier help?”
“It did, but it still aches pretty bad,” she admitted.
“I know your mother has had a few rough weeks when this hits her and she takes prescription medication for it sometimes,” he said. “She’ll no doubt make you an appointment with a specialist. But I do have a few things I could give that may help better.”
“If it’s safe,” she replied. “I’m willing to try anything at this point.”
“I’ll make sure it is,” he assured. “Do you know your weight?”
She blushed and told him, along with her height. Giving her a brief hug, he left her to undress and relax. He made a call to the doctor that wrote him scripts for various narcotics and asked about Beatrice, no names of course. He suggested half a Vicodin or one whole dose of one of the muscle relaxers he gave him two weeks ago. After thanking the doctor, he found the suggested medication in his safe. He sat it next to her bottle of soda. Lucifer winced a little, finding a bit of spotting on the towel he’d laid out. He stripped the couch and laid out a fresh towel.
“Lucifer?” He heard the urchin call out from the bathroom.
“Yes, urchin?” he asked, stopping in the doorway of the bathroom.
“Could you bring me my phone?” she asked him.
“Just a minute,” he said. Once he found her phone, he kept his eyes on the floor when he handed it to her.
“Thanks,” she told him. “This is really helping.”
“You’re very welcome,” he told her. “I’m going to call your mother, see how her day is going. Did you want me to tell her what’s going on?”
“Yeah,” she sighed. “I hope I didn’t make her worry all day.”
“She always worries over you, spawn. It’s part of being a parent, or so she tells me.”
“You’d make a great dad,” Beatrice said as he walked out. “You’re pretty great with me.”
“Thank you,” he told her before leaving and going back into the kitchen.
Once he got the macaroni and cheese put together and in the oven with a timer set, he placed an order to the best bakery in town to deliver a cake, followed by calling their favorite Chinese place to get her orange chicken, along with a few more dishes. With that done, he called the Detective.
“Hey, Lucifer!” she said. “How’s everything going?”
“Hmm...you’re in a good mood, I take it?” he asked.
“Very,” she replied. “The department meetings were all quick and to the point. And my review went super well. I’m getting a 10% raise starting next month, thanks to our awesome closure rate and stellar paperwork. I just finished up the reports on our latest case. How’s Trixie? Did she tell you why she wanted to stay home?”
“Oh, she did,” he said. “She was in quite a bit of pain. So I took her to the hospital to get looked at. Gave me a bit of a scare when she started bleeding quite heavily on the way.”
“Is she ok?” Chloe asked, sounding panicked.
“Relax, Detective, your spawn is fine,” he told her. “She got her first visit from Aunt Flo, as I’ve heard you say once or twice.”
“Damn it,” Chloe cursed. “Now I feel terrible about yelling at her this morning. Pretty bad, I take it?”
“I had to send the Corvette to be detailed,” he whined, making her laugh.
“Sounds like she takes after me,” Chloe sighed. “My first few were torture. It usually had me bedridden. Even now, sometimes they get horrible.”
“Yes, well, I called Linda to buy a few things for the urchin before we left the hospital. She’s currently in the bath. Did you want to talk to her?”
“I’m going to ask the Lieutenant if I can leave early,” she told him. “You’re at the penthouse?”
“Yes, I thought it would be easier on her.”
“Good. You’ve got a better tub anyway.”
“I’ve got dinner being delivered and in the oven. She was making some...interesting demands for food. But given how miserable this is making her, I think she deserves it.”
“Agreed,” Chloe told him.
“Oh, before you get here, I called a doctor that supplies me with some of my...party favors, to see if I could give the little urchin something a little stronger than the medication Linda bought at the store. Would you be ok with that? It’s just a muscle relaxer and should help with the cramps so she can at least get a full night’s sleep.”
“I’m going to call my OB/GYN for an appointment for her tomorrow, see about her options,” she said. “But yes, as long as you’ve made sure the dose is appropriate, please give it to her. I’ll see you in a bit. I love you.”
“I love you too, darling,” he told her before hanging up.
The food deliveries arrived fifteen minutes later, the timer for the oven going off. He got the pan from the oven, sitting it on the counter with the rest of the food. As he pulled everything from the bags, Trixie came in, looking better. Lucifer helped her make a plate, making one for him and the Detective before heading back to the couch. As he went to the bar to grab some drinks, Chloe came out of the elevator.
“You’re just in time for dinner,” he said with a smile.
“Hey mom,” Trixie said from her spot on the couch.
“Hi, monkey,” she told her, Chloe sitting next to her before pulling her into a hug. “I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t know.”
“I didn’t know what was going on and I didn’t want you to miss work today. I’m sorry.”
“It’s ok,” she sighed. “Lucifer’s taken great care of you, hmm?”
“Yep, the best,” Trixie said, giving him a smile as he sat down. She took the pill he left her before digging into her food.
After dinner, they broke out the Monopoly board for a game. Trixie made it an hour before she fell asleep on the couch. Lucifer picked her up and took her to his spare room. Once she was in bed, he left a note on the bedside table to let her know where the kitchen was, that there was a bathroom attached to this room and that her supplies would be in the cabinet under the sink. Chloe joined him in his bed, kissing him.
“You did good with her today,” she said softly. “Thank you.”
“I hated seeing her in pain like that,” he sighed, leaning into the hand she put on his cheek. “Seems like yesterday she barely reached my waist and latched onto me like a leech every time she saw me.”
“Kids grow up faster than you think,” she replied with a shrug. “And clearly, you’re pretty good at the whole parenting thing.”
“The spawn mentioned that as well,” he said with a smile. “I...is that something you want, Chloe?”
“With you...yes, I do,” she admitted. “But I know you’ve told me it’s not possible, so I didn’t want to bring it up.”
“I love you, Detective,” he told her. “More than I ever thought possible. If it comes to it, I’ll ask my Father about it. I want to give you anything and everything you desire.”
She smiled, kissing him again, her hands moving lower.
“Well...we could at least practice,” she murmured against his throat.
“Mmm...I like how you think, love,” he said with a grin.
Hours later, Lucifer held Chloe against him while she slept, the little spoon to his big spoon. He slid his arm around her waist, his hand flat against her belly. As much as he didn’t care for children...the idea of having one of his own, wasn’t so bad. Especially if it was with the Detective. They...would be perfect. He eased into sleep not long after.
-Six weeks later-
Lucifer frowned as he walked into Chloe’s apartment to find her still in her robe at the kitchen table. The apartment was quiet as she stared at the wall.
“Is everything ok, Detective?” he asked, approaching her slowly. “Where’s Beatrice?”
“Dan came by to take her to school,” she told him. “Please...sit with me.”
“What’s going on, love?” he asked when she said nothing once he sat next to her.
He watched her take something from the pocket of her robe and hand it to him. It was a plastic stick with a little window in it. His heart started to race, but he had to ask.
“What is this?” he asked, making her look at him.
“That,” she pointed at the stick in his hand. “Is a pregnancy test. A positive pregnancy test.”
“Wait...so you’re…” His eyes went wide as it hit him.
“I am,” she said, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. “My period was late. Then I started getting sick in the morning. So I bought one and well...I’m pregnant.”
Lucifer sat there for a moment as it sunk in. They’d done it. In spite of the odds and the improbability...she was pregnant, with HIS child. Five years ago, he would’ve laughed off the idea he’d want this, let alone it even be possible. Now? This was the greatest gift he could’ve ever asked for. Lucifer pulled her into his lap and kissed her senseless, a smile spreading across his face and staying there.
“Whatever you need, it’s yours,” he told her. “And I want us to move in together. Not the penthouse, of course. But I think we deserve a place that’s ours. If you’ll have me.”
“Yes,” she said, kissing him again. “But first...I want to just cuddle with you.”
“As you command, my queen,” he purred, getting up and heading for the couch.
He stretched out on the too short sofa, letting her rest on her side in his arms. While she found a movie to watch, he held her close, his hands resting over her belly. There was nowhere better he wanted to be.
The End