Chapter Text
“Congratulations are in order. Chloe, you’re pregnant. Lucifer, you’re going to be a father.”
Chloe and Lucifer sat on the couch and stared, aghast, at Raphael. They had just learned that something had a terrible grip on the detective’s soul and was putting her life in danger, and now this?
“No, that’s not possible,” Lucifer said at the same time Chloe said, “You’re kidding, right?”
The healer angel shook his head. “No mistake. I may not be able to heal souls, but bodies? I know those perfectly well. You’re not very far along, Chloe.... The baby was conceived about a week or so ago. Take it easy, okay? And I’ll talk to the angels upstairs and see if there’s anyone who can help with your other problem.” His voice sounded doubtful about the possibility of angelic help.
“Right. I can’t have children,” the Devil said firmly. “You know that -- Dad made us all sterile after the Nephilim debacle.”
“And I’m on contraceptives!” Chloe cried. “There is no way --”
“You both can keep telling yourselves that, but the baby is coming,” Rafe said. “Look, I don’t know how or why this is happening, but it is. You’re going to have to start taking care of yourself, Chloe. You’ve got the baby to consider.”
“No no nononono,” sputtered Lucifer. “No, this can’t be happening. I don’t even like children! Maybe -- is it someone else’s?”
“Excuse me?!” Chloe glared daggers at him. “You think -- Are you saying I cheated on you?!”
“No, of course not, my dear, but I can’t have children. In all my five years here on Earth, I’ve never impregnated anyone! No. It must be someone else’s.” Lucifer started shaking his head violently. “It can’t be mine. That’s just bloody impossible.”
Chloe’s hand shot out, slapping the fallen angel hard across the cheek. “How can you say that?! I am not promiscuous!”
“Oh, I know that, Detective!” he cried, confused at her reaction. “I know that, but how else would --”
She slapped him again. “Keep talking, Mister, and I will knock you into kingdom come.” Her hand balled into a fist.
“Wait, wait, wait!” Raphael interrupted, upset at the direction the conversation was taking. “Look, I can tell you if the baby is angelic or not. Just give me a moment and please stop hitting each other!”
“The detective is the one who is doing all the bloody hitting!” accused Lucifer, holding his stinging cheek.
“That’s because you’re acting like an ass --”
“Shut up! Both of you!” Taking a deep breath to calm down, Raphael tried to start over again. “Now look, I can check to see if the baby is angelic. It’s a little hard because it’s still very early, but I can try. So just... be calm, both of you.” He turned to Chloe. “Can I have your hand?”
“With pleasure,” she snapped with an angry look at Lucifer, as she placed her hand in Raphael’s. Lucifer’s eyes narrowed at the contact between his lover and his brother, and his jaw clenched.
A soft blue light encompassed Chloe’s and Raphael’s hands, and the healer closed his eyes. His brow furrowed as he concentrated. Slowly the light faded, and he let go of the detective’s hand. Glancing up at Lucifer he said, “It’s angelic. No question. It’s yours.”
Shock rippled through Lucifer. He couldn’t believe it. This wasn’t supposed to happen -- it couldn’t happen! Dad made sure of it! Why -- how...?! Wait.... Dad.
“Bloody hell, is this Dad’s doing?” he snarled. “That manipulative bastard -- is he toying with me yet again?”
Raphael stared at him. “How could this be Dad’s doing? He’s insane! Besides, he was so insistent that the Old Gods be driven away, I doubt he’d have anything to do with this.”
Lucifer couldn’t comprehend it at all. This was just too much for him. Jumping up from the couch, he began to pace furiously. “I don’t understand how this could happen,” he mumbled. “I just can’t.... Bloody hell, I don’t like children!”
Anger burned through Chloe, so great that she thought she’d go up in flames. “Are you saying you don’t want this baby? Your baby?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying! Bloody hell, I’m making a hash out of this. I’m saying... I’m saying --”
“What are you saying?!” she yelled at him.
Raphael glanced back and forth between the two of them and started to back away from World War III. Unnoticed, he slipped to the balcony and took off for home with a sigh of relief.
“I don’t know what I’m saying!” Lucifer yelled back. “I can’t wrap my bloody head around this, Detective!”
Chloe’s chin came up at that, and her eyes burned with such intensity that the fallen angel caught his breath at the arousal that shot through him. “And you think I can?!”
“Well, you already have a child, so yes, I think you can!” he cried. “Why the bloody hell are we yelling?!”
“I don’t know!” she yelled back. “But you said you don’t like children -- you like Trixie, don’t you?!”
“Your little one is different! She’s --”
“What?” she snapped. “She’s a child!”
For a long moment the fallen angel was silent, before he said simply, “She’s yours.”
That filled Chloe with so much warmth that she couldn’t hold onto her anger. “Oh, Lucifer,” she said with a shake of her head, and began to chuckle.
Lucifer gaped at the sudden change in emotions. Completely caught off-guard, he sputtered a bit, paced a little more, then threw himself into his armchair and buried his head in his hands. “I don’t understand you, Detective. I just don’t bloody understand any of this.”
She said, “Don’t you see? This baby will be mine too -- mine and yours.”
He looked up at that, feeling a warm flush shoot through his body that had nothing to do with his arousal to his lover. It filled him with... happiness. The thought of a little one -- his little one -- in Chloe’s arms made him want to simultaneously shout his joy to the world and run out of the room, screaming. His mind just couldn’t accept the idea.
He wasn’t supposed to have a child; Dad had made sure of it, so he never even thought of it. Then again, he didn’t think he’d ever have anyone love him either, and yet here was Chloe.... And now a baby? Happiness warred with fear and all sorts of strange, wondrous human emotions that he couldn’t identify. He decided to just sit and gape at her. It seemed the easiest thing to do.
Seeing his expression, Chloe laughed, rose out of the couch and went to sit in his lap. “Are you happy?” she asked.
“Yes. No. I... I don’t know, love. I don’t know what I’m feeling right now,” he whispered quietly as he brought his arms around her and held her tightly. “I... I....”
“What, Lucifer?”
“Bloody hell, I know I sound like a complete prat right now,” Lucifer said. “It’s just that....”
Chloe glanced up at him. “What, Lucifer?”
He looked down at her, and she was surprised to see fear on his face. “What if I turn into my dad?”
Comprehension flooded through Chloe; she hugged Lucifer hard. “You won’t,” she said fiercely. “You will never be like him.”
“But you heard that bastard father of mine, Detective. I am like him. Bloody hell, what’s going to happen to this baby? What am I going to end up doing to it?”
Giving him a small shake, she said, “You won’t do anything to it, but you’ll give it love, Lucifer, because that’s the kind of man you are.”
He shook his head. “You don’t know that, Detective. I might be even worse than him.”
“You won’t be.” Chloe turned his face toward hers with a gentle hand on his cheek. “You won’t be, Lucifer. I won’t let you.”
Tucking her head under his chin, Lucifer held her tightly to him. “You make me a better man,” he whispered. “I am so lucky to have you.”
“Damned right you are, and you better remember that,” she said with a gentle smile. Looking up, she gave him a kiss filled with desire and longing.
He had missed this -- oh, how he had missed this. Lucifer’s head went into a haze as he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. His hands roved over her body and started to undress her. It had been so long -- a week had never felt so long. In his passion, he completely forgot about her heart... until he heard her sharp intake of breath and felt her shrink away from him.
Loosening his grip, he cried, “Chloe! I didn’t mean --” Then, just as quickly, he pulled her in tight as he rubbed her back and tried to ease her agony.
Giving a little laugh, she said breathily, “I’m okay, my love. Just... just a little spasm.” Her words belied the fact that she clutched at him hard in pain. “I am okay.”
“Bloody hell, love.... We can’t do this. I’m killing you.”
“No, Lucifer. I’m fine.” She tried to pull him down to her for another kiss, but he resisted.
“No. I’m not doing this,” he said. He sprang to his feet, practically dumping her on the floor. “I can’t do this.”
“Lucifer!” she yelped.
“Oh -- sorry, love,” he said distractedly as he helped her to her feet, then quickly sidled away from her to go to the bar and pour himself a drink.
Chloe gave him a puzzled look and went to join him, but when he saw her approach, he put the alcohol down and started backing away. “Lucifer...?” she asked.
“I need to get you well, love,” he said as he began avoiding her. “I want to have you in my bed, beside me, but not at the risk of your life. I can’t do this.”
“It will get better,” she said, approaching him, but he backed away, keeping the piano between them.
“Stay back, Detective. I’ve made up my mind.”
The thought of the Devil actually trying to run away from her brought a bubble of laughter to Chloe’s lips. “Lucifer, do you know how ridiculous you look, avoiding me like this?”
He didn’t share her amusement. “It’s the only way to keep my hands off of you, love. And I’ll keep avoiding you --” he nearly tripped on his armchair as he kept moving back, “ -- until I find a way to get you well again.”
The smile fell off of Chloe’s face as she saw he was heading for the balcony. “Lucifer, no -- stay!”
That made him pause for a moment, and she saw the torture in his eyes. “I want to. Bloody hell, Detective, you have no idea how much I want to.”
“Then stay. It will be all right.”
Shaking his head, he started moving again. “No, it won’t, because you bloody well know I can’t keep my hands off of you.”
“Lucifer,” she said sharply, making him pause once again. “You heard Raphael. There’s nothing anyone can do. Now please. I have to leave soon -- I don’t want our night to end like this.”
“I’m sorry, love. I can’t. Forgive me.”
With that, the fallen angel turned and sprinted for the balcony. Chloe chased after him but before she could reach him, he had jumped over the edge of the building. As she reached the clear railing, she saw his winged figure soaring off in the distance.
“Damn you, Lucifer!” she yelled at him, but he did not stop.