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It had been five weeks since he woke up and on the path of his so-called recovery. He felt like he was still trapped in a bottomless pit. A pit of guilt and self-loathing.
Chloe had done her best to help him recover even the spawn but it never alleviated the negative emotions he was drowning in. He still felt lost and hurt but he plastered on a mask for their sake not wanting them to be disappointed in him or hurt them even more.
If only he knew that they could easily see through his mask and see how he was suffering.
Chloe missed his smile, his laugh, and the passion and the confidence he held about him. It was like the old Lucifer had died and a stranger had replaced him. But she couldn’t give up. Not now. Lucifer needed her and she would be damned to think of abandoning him now.
She had a lot on her plate but her life was always ready to throw her through a loop. A loop she wasn’t ready for not in a billion years.
It was a horrendous case that opened up a lot of raw wounds. It had started off with the murderer of her father being set free on parole and her vehemently trying to stop his release but to no avail, to her following the prison truck that held him, and finally to finding the murderer a victim in a murder case.
It was a major conflict of interest and in no way was the Chief letting her take the case. That didn’t mean she could look through the files and evidence that Dan and Ella accumulated. Lucifer had offered to help, wanting to not be a burden to Chloe, but she was adamant that he just focus on recovering first.
Chloe had told him it wouldn’t do anyone any good in the state he was in now and especially his now weakened heart which he himself loathed to admit. She was right but it still didn’t make him feel like any better that he wasn’t able to do anything.
Even Dan couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the man and he and Lucifer managed to get along for once after some bickering and sharing some heartfelt information. Ella too had heard what happened to Lucifer and wanting to cheer him up, she had come over to surprise him, treating him to some of her Mom’s home-cooked meals.
It took them a bit but Dan finally got the guy who murdered her father. Ironically enough, the true murderer was a warden in charge of the prison where the victim was being held. The motive? Her father had been digging into some corrupted business that the warden was handling and for that he was silenced.
It took everything in her being to not shoot the man dead but she felt an ounce of satisfaction that he was going to be in the same prison he was in charge with as he was being taken away pleading to her and even offering her bribes.
As if she wanted them.
So here she now stood at the counter serving both Lucifer and Trixie some of her killer cheese sandwiches. Lucifer had already wolfed down three of them but he still asked for more worrying both her and Trixie.
But those worries were quickly laid to rest by Lucifer.
“It’s my metabolism. You know me being the Devil. I digest pretty fast.” He had simply told her.
“Uh huh.” She replied. At least he was getting some meat back on his frame.
“I think what Lucifer is trying to say Mommy is that he really likes your sandwiches.” Trixie giggled.
Both Lucifer and Chloe reddened slightly from the little girl’s remark and cleared their throats. Chloe shot him a small smile and handed another plate of her famous sandwich. “Want one more?”
Lucifer looked up and smiled. “Don’t mind if I do.”
For a moment, it felt like they were a family and Lucifer actually found he liked it only for his stomach to twist. Family. Right. That’s never going to happen.
Both Chloe and Trixie had noticed the sad demeanor on Lucifer’s face and frowned sadly. “Trixie, go and get dressed. I don’t you to be late for school.” Chloe said, a hint to the little girl to let her talk with Lucifer.
“Okay Mommy.” The little girl hopped off the stool and quickly went to her room but not before she gave Lucifer a hug which he didn’t seem to react to. Another red flag in their books.
Chloe then turns off the stove and sets aside the frying pan and spatula in the sink before taking Lucifer’s hand. “You want to talk about what’s bothering you?” She asked, squeezing his hand to let him know that she was there for him.
“N-No. No.” Lucifer then looked up and saw the hint of the hidden emotions running rampant in the blue orbs looking at him and he felt even guiltier for being so selfish and not comforting Chloe in return. So focused he was in his own pain he hadn’t seen how Chloe herself was suffering from the re-opened case of father’s murder and what was he doing? Wallowing up in his own misery.
Licking his dry lips, he starts to speak, “You know, I never really cared about my Father. But… you clearly do. Perhaps that’s why you followed in his footsteps.”
“Um.” Chloe simply replied, still confused as to where Lucifer was leading to with this line in conversation.
Licking his lips, Lucifer looks at Chloe with a slightly nervous expression. “What I’m trying to say is that… I think your father would be very proud of you.”
Tears welled up in Chloe’s eyes as she stared at him in disbelief. “Did he… did he just try to comfort me?”
“Oh no. No no no no. I did it again!” He was only trying to comfort her but instead he had gone out and hurt her again. He really was a monster. “My apologies, Detective. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“N-No. No. It’s…” Chloe choked out but was unable to finish.
Lucifer tilted his head looking at her with a confused look. “Then… why are you crying?”
“Just… J-Just shut up.” Chloe then crashed into Lucifer, taking him by surprise, and wrapped her arms around him, burying her cheek against his chest. Lucifer gazed down at the human woman in his arms not knowing what to think, his arms still hovering over her. He wasn’t used to hugs but this. This he could see she needed desperately. He could see it in her eyes. And perhaps he needed it too.
He wraps his arms around Chloe in a comforting embrace and leans his cheek on top of her head with a small smile on his face, a small spark of warmth blooming inside his chest chasing away his guilt, sorrow, and the darkness that had long since haunted him since he woke up and awakened an emotion that was long thought lost inside him.
Home.
Yes.
He was coming home at last.